Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Chinese FM calls for deepening China-Myanmar Community with shared future Xinhua) 10:20, August 15, 2025 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Myanmar's Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Swe, who is in China for the tenth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, in Anning, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Peng Yikai) KUNMING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Myanmar's Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Swe in Anning, Yunnan Province, on Thursday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Myanmar, adding that both sides should take this opportunity to deepen the construction of a China-Myanmar community with a shared future and contribute to their respective development and rejuvenation. Wang said that China supports Myanmar in pursuing a development path that suits its national conditions and is supported by its people, and supports Myanmar in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and national unity. He expressed the hope that Myanmar will earnestly ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Myanmar, further crack down on cross-border crimes and maintain peace and stability along the border between the two countries. U Than Swe, who is in China for the tenth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, said Myanmar firmly adheres to the one-China principle, supports China's three global initiatives, and thanks China for providing valuable support and assistance to Myanmar's economic and social development and post-disaster reconstruction. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Myanmar's Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Swe, who is in China for the tenth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, in Anning, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Peng Yikai) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Blog Archive: Aug 2025 (130) Jul 2025 (155) Jun 2025 (150) May 2025 (155) Apr 2025 (9) Mar 2025 (149) Feb 2025 (139) Jan 2025 (155) Dec 2024 (144) Nov 2024 (143) Oct 2024 (155) Sep 2024 (149) Aug 2024 (155) Jul 2024 (155) Jun 2024 (150) May 2024 (153) Apr 2024 (149) Mar 2024 (155) Feb 2024 (145) Jan 2024 (155) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) A customer in the Winston Churchill Cafe and cigar shop the unlikely refuge on Dobropillias leafy Shevchenka Avenue describes the mood with a sobering clarity: Everyone respects Churchill here; he is a symbol of resistance. If he were alive now, the war probably wouldnt have happened. Two weeks of Russian military escalation have hollowed out this frontline town, and Dobropillias mayor has issued a mandatory evacuation order as indiscriminate attacks intensify. Earlier this week, Putins forces breached the nearby Ukrainian defence line, pushing roughly 10 miles north-east of the town to within six miles of its perimeter. The grinding advance has sown panic amongst those still remaining. Two weeks of military escalation have hollowed out the frontline town of Dobropillia (Harry Stourton) The Churchill Cafe stands, for now, as one of the last vestiges of normal life. Outside, the streets are empty or thinning; inside, the atmosphere is tense, the chatter hushed, as patrons scroll their devices for updates. Most of Dobropillias 28,000 residents have fled westwards. Vehicles laden with belongings race past, a desperate bid to outrun drones that may scour the skies. Three weeks ago, this was a normal, thriving town, says a customer, surrounded by photographs of Britains wartime leadership. People are fearful and no one agrees to share their name. They started hitting us with artillery and glide bombs, now drones are hitting cars and pedestrians. Everything has changed in the last three weeks; it is no longer safe, he says. The Churchill Cafe provides one of the few remaining vestiges of normal life (Harry Stourton) The current offensive appears designed to seize as much territory as possible before a Friday peace summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska. Extra Ukrainian brigades have been deployed to repel the incursion, though reports suggest the Russians have yet to be expelled. They are increasingly employing small, hard-to-detect Diversionary-Reconnaissance Groups (DRGs) that slip through overstretched defensive lines before retreating into the surrounding shadows. The incursion carries strategic consequences beyond Dobropillia, threatening to sever Pokrovsk and Dobropillia from Ukraines Donbas strongholds of Kostyantynivka and Kramatorsk. It is stressful for everyone, of course. It is not pleasant to hear these things, says the woman at the till. This is a place where people can gather to get news; events are moving so quickly. I am not sure how much longer I can stay open. In the town square, scarred by the site of a massive ballistic missile attack, the European Snack Store remains open between two shops destroyed in the blast. The European Snack Store remains open between two shops destroyed in the blast (Harry Stourton) Ivan, 49, the store manager, recalls his brush with danger: I hid under the counter when the attack happened. I was lucky; my neighbours were not. He foresees a difficult future: Business is slowing down; its too dangerous here. Ive had enough, Im leaving tomorrow. He has already moved his business, once from Pokrovsk and now plans to relocate westward to Petropavlivka. The future for Dobropillia does not look good. Pokrovsk, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, this is the playbook, he says, alluding to other towns reduced to rubble and then occupied. Anna, 33, is hurriedly stocking up groceries. The situation is getting worse, and the shelling is intensifying. Ive already moved my children to Dnipro. Im only here for my job at the post office, but Ive asked for a transfer. Anna has already moved her children out of the town and is now asking for a transfer from her job at the post office (Harry Stourton) I want to live without the threat of shelling and drones. Ive lived all my life here; everything I own is here, but the Russians are forcing me to leave. I am not scared, I am used to it. Despite all, some intend to stay. Among them are the elderly, the less mobile, and essential workers who have no obvious alternative. On a bench under some trees to protect him from drones, Roman, 27, who works in the local coal mine, says he will remain for now: Its my job; I have nothing else. He concedes, however, that the Russians have completely destroyed other mines they have captured. Most apartments lie empty. Maria, 78, emerges from her doorway: All my neighbours have left; I will stay. I have my apartment and a cat. Everything I own is here. We are a strong nation; our defenders will not let them in. I am alone, but I am not afraid. Roman, 27, who works in the local coal mine, says he will remain for now (Harry Stourton) Back at the Churchill Cafe, the sound of distant booms punctuates the arrival of Artem, a soldier with Ukraines 25th Airborne Brigade, who steps inside with bags slung over his shoulder. This will be my final coffee here. Im moving out of the town and my apartment further west, he says, weary but unbowed. He has little appetite for Fridays possible breakthroughs in Alaska: Putin does not want peace; he wants this town and all of Ukraine. He adds: I see no end to this war. Its sad to see my home likely become the front line; Russia will destroy it. President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, greeting the leader warmly before they made the unusual move of departing together in the U.S. presidents limousine. At the historic meeting to discuss the war in Ukraine, the two leaders greeted one another like old friends as they shook hands and patted each others backs on an actual red carpet laid out on the tarmac for the historic meeting at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. Trump, who exited Air Force One moments ahead of Putins deplaning, appeared excited by his Russian counterparts arrival, clapping as the strongman leader walked toward him. Putin then appeared to give Trump a thumbs up. After posing briefly for photos, in an unusual move, Putin ditched his own Aurus limousine and climbed into the presidents armored stretch vehicle, known as The Beast. At the historic meeting, the two leaders greeted one another like friends as they shook hands and patted each others backs at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. (AFP via Getty Images) There were no other aides in the vehicle as Putin and Trump talked one-on-one en route to the base facility for the summit. Given that the one-on-one summit suddenly emerged as a three-on-three including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff as well as Russian minister of foreign affairs Sergey Lavrov and Russian policy adviser Yury Ushakova the car ride was the lone opportunity for the two leaders to be alone together aside from security and the driver. Trump and Putin were seen in the back seat looking animated, laughing and smiling as they chatted. It marks a break in protocol, particularly for adversaries. When Trump wanted North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to ride with him in his car in 2018 in Singapore, aides persuaded the president not to extend the invitation, CNN reported. The warm welcome was celebrated by Russian media. A Russia 24 anchor praised Trump for being extremely friendly towards Putin, while lauding the historic handshake between the pair. The editor of Russia Today, Margarita Simonyan, posted a clip of the men shaking hands for the first time and said: Admit it haters, youve been waiting for this too. The RT X account also criticized U.S. journalists who shouted questions at Putin about the bloodshed in Ukraine as he and Trump walked the red carpet. The Russian leader didnt respond. After posing briefly for photos, in an unusual move, Putin ditched his own Aurus limousine and climbed into the presidents armored vehicle, known as The Beast. (Reuters) US media sounding like they walked straight out of the Kiev School of Journalism, a post on the RT account said. Elsewhere, American critics of Russia blasted Trump for inviting Putin to ride in his limousine. The world is watching the President of the United States bend to Moscow on LIVE TV, said the anti-Trump Call to Activism group, founded by the attorney Joseph Gallina. Putin and Trump together in our presidential limo. Sickening, said author and columnist Julia Davis. After the ride, the leaders were joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on the U.S. side, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putins foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov on the Russian side. They are due to hold a press conference after the summit. Donald Trump has urged Volodymyr Zelensky to make a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine after shifting his focus to a peace deal instead of a ceasefire. It comes after the US president held high-stakes talks with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. While an agreement to cease the conflict was not reached after a nearly three-hour meeting, Trump stressed that great progress had been made. Afterwards, Mr Trump posted online that the best way to stop the fighting "is to go directly to a peace agreement" rather than a temporary ceasefire "which often times do not hold up". His statement was echoed by Zelensky, the Ukrainian president. Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said that "real peace must be achieved" rather than "just another pause between Russian invasions". The White House also announced that Zelensky will fly to Washington on Monday to meet Trump which will be the pairs first sit-down in North America since the infamous Oval Office spat in February after a "long and substantive" call reflecting on Putins comments. Putin said that his meeting with Trump was very useful, according to the Kremlin transcript of his opening transcript. "We talked about almost all areas of interaction, but first of all, of course, we talked about a possible resolution of the Ukrainian crisis on a fair basis. And of course, we had the opportunity, which we did, to talk about the genesis, about the causes of this crisis. It is the elimination of these root causes that should be the basis for settlement," the Russian president said. Putin and Trump held a press conference (Getty Images) According to Reuters, the US has offered Ukraine NATO-style security guarantees in the event of a peace deal but without officially joining the military bloc. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who spoke with Trump and Zelensky after the summit, said that the presidents efforts have brought us closer than ever before to peace. He added: Until (Putin) stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions, which have already had a punishing impact on the Russian economy and its people. Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said that Putin must face the "consequences of dragging out his war", stressing: "Only his actions are real indicators of whether he is truly willing to end his terror and aggression." Trump and Putin held talks in Anchorage on Friday, with the aim of negotiating a path to peace in eastern Europe. There were many, many points that we agreed on," Trump said at a joint press conference with Putin after the talks. "I would say a couple of big ones that we haven't quite got there, but we've made some headway. So there's no deal until there's a deal." The pair met at the nearby airports runway (AP) Both men spoke for a few minutes to reporters and took no questions. It was not clear whether the talks produced meaningful steps toward a ceasefire in Europes deadliest conflict since the Second World War. In brief remarks, Putin said he expected Ukraine and its allies to accept the results of the US-Russia negotiation, warning them not to "torpedo" the progress toward a resolution. Trump and Putin, along with top foreign-policy aides, conferred in a room at an Air Force base in their first encounter since 2019. A blue backdrop behind them had the words "Pursuing Peace" printed on it. They were joined for the crunch meeting by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trumps Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, as well as Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and Putins aide Yuri Ushakov. Putin and Trump at the joint press conference (AP) Trumps convoy arrived in the US state at around 10.30am local time after a seven hour flight from Washington. Putins delegation from Moscow arrived half an hour later. Both men greeted one another with warm handshake on the runway at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport at 11.10am local time. A bilateral lunch was also scheduled, featuring Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trumps chief of staff Susie Wiles. Trump departed Washington at around 5am local time and posted "HIGH STAKES!!!" as a status on his Truth Social platform. The two leaders had a fraught meeting in February (AP) He told reporters on Air Force One that "something is going to come" of his meeting. Asked about security guarantees, Trump said the US could be involved, "along with Europe and other countries". But he suggested this would not be in the form of NATO membership for Ukraine, saying there are "certain things that are not gonna happen". Trump also claimed that Putin "wants a piece" of the US economy, but said there would be no trade deal until we get the war settled. Ahead of the talks, Zelensky said his country was "counting on America, writing: "The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side. The pair shook hands in Alaska (REUTERS) "It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America. We are ready, as always, to work as productively as possible." Addressing reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday ahead of the meeting, Trump said: I am president, and (Putins) not going to mess around with me. The US president also suggested that European leaders, including Sir Keir, could attend a second meeting with Trump, Putin and Zelensky, if Fridays talks proved successful. Sir Keir is a key member of the so-called coalition of the willing a group that has supported Ukraine which has also included French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Questions have been raised about why the European leaders were not invited to Fridays summit. Putin waves during a visit to a fish factory in Magadan (REUTERS) Defence Secretary John Healey dismissed suggestions that Britains approach to the Ukraine war was to "watch and wait" as the US holds talks with Putin. He told BBC Breakfast: "No, the UK's role is to stand with Ukraine on the battlefield and in the negotiations, and prepare as we have been, leading 30 other nations with military planning for a ceasefire and a secure peace through what we call the coalition of the willing. "Our role is to lead the charge as we have been on more intensive diplomacy, to lead the charge on military aid to Ukraine so that we don't jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the current war, and being ready also to step up economic pressure on Putin if he's not willing to take the talks seriously." On Thursday, Putin praised Trumps since efforts towards ending the war in Ukraine and seeking to reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved. In televised comments, Putin said Trump was "making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict." Starmer welcomed Zelensky to Downing Street (PA) This was happening, Putin said, "to create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, and in Europe, and in the world as a whole - if, by the next stages, we reach agreements in the area of control over strategic offensive weapons. His comments signalled that Russia raised nuclear arms control as part of a wide-ranging discussion on security. A Kremlin aide said Putin and Trump would also discuss the "huge untapped potential" for Russia-US economic ties. Russia controls around a fifth of Ukraine, and Zelensky and the Europeans worry that a deal could cement those gains, rewarding Putin for 11 years of efforts to seize Ukrainian land and emboldening him to expand further into Europe. Friday's summit, the first Russia-US summit since June 2021, comes at one of the toughest moments for Ukraine in a war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Smoke billows above the Lvivs buildings (AFP via Getty Images) Ukrainians expressed anger and frustration on Saturday over the failure of Trump and Putin to agree on the need for a truce in the Ukraine war at a summit and the sight of Donald Trump giving Vladimir Putin a red-carpet welcome in Alaska. "He (Putin) won. Trump showed his attitude towards him and at the same time towards us. This meeting did not end well for Ukraine," said a 26-year-old soldier who gave only his call-sign "Dzha". "... we need to end the war. We need to really sit down at the negotiating table and talk, come to an agreement, because every day fighters die, get injured." "Dzha" was serving as godfather at a baptism in a church in Zaporizhzhia, southeastern Ukraine, one of four regions Russia claims to have annexed, though it does not fully control them. Protestors hold slogans during a demonstration (AFP via Getty Images) "They (Putin and Trump) made some agreements for their states," said Viktor Tkach, the chaplain conducting the baptism. "And here in Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, in the Zaporizhzhia region, we will keep suffering, glide bombs will keep falling on us." Some were outraged that Trump had invited Putin to the U.S. and treated him with such respect, as an equal. Putin has been ostracised by Western leaders since launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and is wanted by the International Criminal Court, accused of the war crime of deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine, which he denies. "Literally yesterday, a ballistic missile was launched at Sumy. And this animal (Putin) flies to Alaska where people applaud him, and the red carpet is rolled out in front of him," said Hanna Kucherenko, a 25-year-old model, in Kyiv. "How is that even possible now?" A manipulated image of Trump and Putin shaking hands on the airport tarmac against the backdrop of bombed residential apartment blocks in Ukraine circulated widely online. "I do not know what Trump is even thinking about. I have an impression that he is just the same (as Putin)," said Kyiv pensioner Tetiana Vorobei. "They are identical." DC attorney general Brian Schwalb and DC mayor Muriel Bowser give a statement to the press after a court session on Trumps city police takeover. Photograph: Ken Cedeno/Reuters White House officials and attorneys for Washington DC have agreed to scale back the Trump administrations takeover of the citys police department. Under an agreement announced early Friday evening, the US capital citys Metropolitan police department will remain under the control of its chief, Pamela Smith, instead of Terry Cole, the top administrator for the Drug and Enforcement Administration (DEA), according to reports. A revised directive Bondi issued late on Friday referred to Cole instead as her designee for purposes of directing the DC mayor to provide such services of the Metropolitan Police Department as the attorney general deems necessary and appropriate. Those services, according to Bondis two-page order, would include assisting federal immigration enforcement, contrary to DC sanctuary city policies constraining metropolitan police department action on immigration. Fridays pact would also allow the Trump administration to use Metropolitan police department officers for federal purposes in emergencies. It comes after Washington DC sought an emergency restraining order on Friday against Donald Trumps takeover of its police department, dubbing it a hostile takeover of law enforcement in the nations capital. US district judge Ana C Reyes had signaled that she would issue a temporary restraining order scaling back the Trump White Houses takeover of DCs metropolitan police if the administration did not alter the arrangement by Friday evening. Reyes, during oral arguments on Friday, expressed skepticism that the Trump administration has legal authority to run the citys police force or that Cole could effectively take charge of the department as its chief. I still do not understand on what basis the president, through the attorney general, through Mr. Cole, can say: You, police department, cant do anything unless I say you can, Reyes told a justice department lawyer. The District of Columbia attorney general, Brian Schwalb, filed a lawsuit on Friday morning, hours after the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, late on Thursday issued an order for the federal government to impose a new police chief on the citys Metropolitan police department (MPD). Schwalb says the US president and his administration are going beyond legal federal power over the nations capital, and he wants a judge to rule that control of the police remains in district hands. The justice department and the White House havent commented. The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know. If you have something to share on this subject you can contact us confidentially using the following methods. Secure Messaging in the Guardian app The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said. If you don't already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select Secure Messaging. SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post If you can safely use the tor network without being observed or monitored you can send messages and documents to the Guardian via our SecureDrop platform. Finally, our guide at theguardian.com/tips lists several ways to contact us securely, and discusses the pros and cons of each. By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, the lawsuit says. The Trump administration named Cole as the emergency police commissioner over Washington DC a move that further escalated federal control of the city but were immediately challenged by local leaders, who then sued. Federalized national guard troops were ordered into the city four days ago as Donald Trump declared a crisis of crime and homelessness there, amid outrage from opponents. Bondi put Cole in charge of the capitals police department, saying he would assume the powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police. Related: How Trump is using pure lies about high crime in US cities to justify federal takeovers She said police department personnel must receive approval from Commissioner Cole before issuing any orders. It was not immediately clear where the move left Smith, who works for the citys mayor, Muriel Bowser. Bowser promptly hit back, saying late on Thursday in a social media post: In reference to the US Attorney Generals order, there is no statute that conveys the Districts personnel authority to a federal official. Bowser included a letter from Schwalb to Smith opining that Bondis order was unlawfuland that Smith was not legally obligated to follow it. Members of MPD must continue to follow your orders and not the orders of any official not appointed by the Mayor, Schwalb wrote in the letter to Smith. Bondis directive came hours after Smith directed MPD officers to share information regarding people not in custody such as someone involved in a traffic stop or checkpoint with federal agencies including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice). But, as a so-called sanctuary city, DC police would still be prevented by local law from providing federal immigration agencies with the personal information of an undocumented person in MPD custody, including their release details, location or photos, and cannot arrest people on the basis of their immigration status or let immigration officials question subjects in police custody. But the justice department said Bondi disagreed with the police chiefs directive because it allowed for continued enforcement of sanctuary policies, and the US attorney general said she was rescinding Smiths order. The DC power struggle is the latest move by the US president and his administration to test the limits of federal authority, relying on obscure statutes and a subjective declaration of a crisis to bolster a hardline approach to crime and immigration. Bondi also sent anti-sanctuary-city letters to the mayors of 32 cities and a handful of county executives across the US, warning that she intends to prosecute political leaders who are not in her view sufficiently supportive of immigration enforcement. Related: An intimidation tactic: Trumps show of force dismays Washington residents Leaders in Democratic-led cities dispute the administrations characterizations that their cities are overrun with lawlessness, including unhoused people with substance abuse and mental health issues contributing to an increase in homeless and tent encampments. They say that while Washington has grappled with spikes in violence and visible homelessness, the citys homicide rate also ranks below those of several other major US cities and the capital is not in the throes of the public safety collapse the administration has portrayed. Trump earlier praised Smiths directive to share information with federal agencies. Thats a very positive thing. I have heard that just happened, Trump said of Smiths order. Thats a great step. Thats a great step if theyre doing that. Bowser, walking a tightrope between the Republican White House and the constituency of her largely Democratic city, was out of town on Thursday for a family commitment in Marthas Vineyard, fetching her child from summer camp, but would be back on Friday, her office said. The Associated Press contributed reporting Ukraine has struck a large Russian oil refinery and key port, hitting a ship that had been transporting drone parts and ammunition from Iran, its military has confirmed. Kyiv said on Friday that Ukraine struck the Syzran oil refinery in Russia's Samara region in an overnight attack and also hit the Caspian Sea port of Olya in the Astrakhan region the previous day, including the cargo vessel travelling to Russia. The strikes came hours before US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin meet for a crucial summit in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine to which Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has not been invited and as Russia grinds out gains in Ukraine's east. Facing regular Russian missile and drone attacks, Ukraine has directed the majority of its deep strikes against Russian oil refineries and unspecified storage facilities this year, according to new general staff data published on Friday. The Ukrainian military, as usual, did not confirm if it used drones for its latest two long-range attacks. It says its deep strike campaign aims to degrade Russia's capacity to wage the full-scale war it launched in February 2022. The Ukrainian military's claims could not be independently verified. In a separate attack, a Ukrainian serviceman carries a shell for a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer before firing towards Russian troops on the front line in the Donetsk region on Wednesday (REUTERS) In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, Kyiv's military said its strike caused a fire and explosions at the Syzran refinery, which it said produces a range of fuels and is one of the biggest in oil company Rosneft's network. Samara's regional governor said a drone attack caused a fire at an unspecified "industrial enterprise" in his region, but that it had been put out quickly. The Russian defence ministry said it had shot down Ukrainian drones over nine regions. The Ukrainian military also said it struck the Caspian port of Olya in Russia's Astrakhan region on Thursday, hitting a ship that had been transporting drone parts and ammunition from Iran. The strikes came hours before US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin meet for a crucial summit in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine to which Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has not been invited (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service) The vessel "Port Olya-4" regularly transits the Caspian Sea, bringing cargo between Iran and Russia, according to the US treasury department and Ukrainian military intelligence. Russia uses the Olya port as an important logistics hub for the supply of military goods from Iran, the Ukrainian military said in a statement on Friday. Meanwhile, Moscow's forces breached Ukrainian lines in a series of infiltrations in the country's industrial heartland of Donetsk this week. Heavily damaged buildings in Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region pictured this year (National Guard of Ukraine) The advances amount to only a limited success for Russia, analysts say, since it still needs to consolidate its gains before achieving a true breakthrough but it is still seen as a potentially dangerous moment for Ukraine. In other developments, Russian strikes in Ukraine's Sumy region overnight on Wednesday resulted in numerous injuries, Ukrainian regional officials said. A missile strike on a village in the Seredyna-Budska community wounded a 7-year-old girl and a 27-year-old man, according to regional governor Oleh Hryhorov. The girl was taken to hospital in a stable condition. In Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack damaged several apartment buildings in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, near the border with Ukraine, where 13 civilians were wounded, according to acting governor of the region, Yuri Slyusar. Two of the wounded were hospitalised in serious condition, he said. A 22-year-old woman appeared in court charged with assaulting a security guard at The Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf after an asylum seeker allegedly entered her blind mother's flat nearby. Channay Augustus is also accused of brandishing a meat cleaver and threatening to stab workers at the hotel. The woman appeared at Thames Magistrates Court on charges of assaulting a police officer, assault by beating, threatening someone with a knife, and a cannabis offence. The court heard she went to the Canary Wharf hotel at around 6pm where she confronted a security guard. Quoting from an account given by a police officer at the scene, Hitesh Saini, prosecuting, alleged Ms Augustus arrived at the hotel housing asylum seekers as part of a group of around 20 other people and attempted to barge her way in. After being told she could not enter the hotel, the court heard she shouted "f***ing asylum seekers", before allegedly threatening to come back and stab the security guard. Read more UK news: Why cost of weight loss drugs could surge TikTok stars team up with the government Emma Clements, defending, said Augustus has been a victim of multiple stabbings and has lost her vision in her left eye after an attack by an unknown man five years ago. During the hearing on Friday, her lawyer indicated she would deny possession of an offensive weapon, affray, assault on an emergency worker, and common assault. She admitted to possession of cannabis. District Judge McIvor remanded Ms Augustus in custody before a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court in September. Unsplash Fine dining typically means splurging a little for high-quality meat or fresh seafood, and maybe a nice bottle of wine. But what if money were truly no object? Well this, would have to be the case to indulge in some of the most delectably opulent dishes. For You: Top 10 Most Expensive Beanie Babies Find Out: 4 Low-Risk Ways To Build Your Savings in 2025 Restaurant owners and chefs around the world create original dining experiences for those who want unique experiences you know, like spending nearly $12,000 on a pizza or $1,000 on an ice cream sundae. If this sounds intriguing, here are some of the most expensive dishes and tasting menus in the world all starting at more than $500 per person. Trending Now: Suze Orman's Secret to a Wealthy Retirement--Have You Made This Money Move? Kyoto Kitcho Arashiyama Kyoto, Japan Prix fixe Kaiseki menu per person: $589 At Kyoto Kitcho Arashiyama in Kyoto, Japan there are several prix fixe menus to choose from, but the costliest option is 79,200 yen or $588.56 a person. Granted, you wont leave hungry, as the meal is at least 10 courses, featuring rounds of sashimi, grilled and steamed food, rice, pickled vegetables and dessert, to name a few. The chef, Kunio Tokuoka, is at the helm of the restaurant, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather who were the chefs before him. When youre eating a high-end meal, be mindful of how restaurants sometimes markup dishes to increase your bill. Restaurant Guy Savoy Monnaie Paris, France Prix fixe menu for the table: $514 Chef Guy Savoy opened the restaurant in 2015 overlooking the Louvre and the Pont Neuf. Currently, the Parisian restaurant offers a prix fixe menu of up to 13 courses described as a feast of textures, colors and flavors served for the entire table. The price does not include drinks, however. For your hundreds of dollars, youll enjoy duck, lobster and artichoke soup with black truffles, in addition to other delightful dishes. Paris is one of the most romantic cities in the world, and eating at Restaurant Guy Savoy Monnaie will certainly make your heart skip away with your budget. Consider This: The Most Expensive Disney Merchandise Ever Sold and Whos Buying It Masa New York, New York Dinner Omakase menu per person: $750 for table seating or $950 for bar seating, plus $150 for prized seating Plan to set aside two hours and nearly $750 to enjoy the sushi-eating experience at Masa in New York. That price does not include tax and drinks and is basically just a starting point for your meals price tag. You will save on gratuity, though, as tips are not accepted. Although the menu changes regularly, expect to be served only the finest Japanese cuisine, carefully crafted by chef Masayoshi Takayama. Ultraviolet Shanghai, China Prix fixe menu: $661 to $1,226 Would you like a multi-sensory dining experience? How about a dinner that dazzles more than your taste buds? Visit Ultraviolet as part of your life-changing trip to China it will be worth the cost. French chef Paul Pairet designed the concept in 2012. This 20-course meal comes with theme music for every course, as well as light shows. All guests at the table are served the same food at the same time. Prices can vary but they are never cheap. Serendipity 3 New York, New York Golden Opulence Sundae: $1,000 If you have $1,000 to spend and are curious what a four-figure dessert tastes like, head to Serendipity 3 in New York. How can a sundae be more than a few bucks? In this dish, Tahitian vanilla ice cream made with Madagascar vanilla bean is covered in 24-karat gold leaf, specialty chocolates, Parisian candied fruits, truffles, caviar and more. A sundae of this magnitude isnt served in a simple glass dish, but rather a Baccarat crystal bowl that you can take home as a souvenir. SubliMotion Ibiza, Spain Dinner per person: approx. $2,380 When youre wealthy, you can pay for a three-hour dining experience that costs thousands of dollars per person. Thats more than the average family will spend for an entire month on food. SubliMotion is not your typical dining experience. In fact, it operates very much like Ultraviolet only its more expensive. Chef Paco Roncero opened the restaurant in the Hard Rock Hotel in Ibiza in 2014, creating a spectacle for the eyes, ears and taste buds where he offers his gastronomic performance. Normas New York, New York The Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata: $2,000 Normas Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata may look out of place next to the other $30 dollar menu items at Normas in New York. The dish is aptly named even though Normas isnt known as an extremely expensive restaurant, per se. So, whats the catch? The $1,000 omelet includes 10 ounces of caviar, which is a big factor in price, making it the most expensive omelet in the Guinness Book of World Records. For those who cant afford to pay the extravagant cost, there is a smaller frittata with only 1 ounce of caviar available for over $100. De Daltons Voorthuizen, Netherlands The Golden Boy Burger: $5,533 Youre not going to find beef patties that live up to the caliber of the ones made by chef Robbert Jan de Veen at your neighborhood burger chain. His diner, De Daltons in Voorthuizen, Netherlands, serves up a burger known as The Golden Boy. This burger is made with 100% Wagyu A5 meat, as well as Beluga caviar, king crab, Spanish Paleta Iberico, white truffle and English cheddar. The burger is crowned with barbecue sauce made with Kopi Luwak coffee and Scotch Macallan whisky. Oh, and dont forget the gold-leaf bun made with Dom Perignon champagne dough. Renato Viola Salerno, Italy Louis XIII Pizza: Over $12,000 Do you want a pizza fit for a king? If youre filthy rich, you can splurge on the Louis XIII Pizza, one of the most expensive food items you can order. It will be made in your home by Renato Viola, one of Italys best master pizza chefs. The pizza is anything but ordinary, with sophisticated toppings, such as mozzarella di bufala, lobster and caviar, all flown in from all different parts of the world. To top it off, the feast is served with Remy Martin Cognac Louis XIII and Champagne Krug Clos du Mesnil 1995. The Fortress Resort and Spa Sri Lanka The Fortress Stilt Fisherman Indulgence: $14,500 If you prefer to eat nearly $15,000 rather than put it towards retirement or paying off debt, then this is the extravagant dessert for you. Made on special request, with a minimum of 24 hours notice, the dessert features Italian cassata flavored with Irish cream and is served with a pomegranate and mango compote. The base is a champagne sabayon, adorned with an 80-carat aquamarine stone, placed beneath a handcrafted chocolate stilt fisherman. Lia Sestric contributed to the reporting for this article. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Most Expensive Meals in the World Vladimir Putin is no stranger to superpower summits. Over the decades, as president or prime minister, he's held high-stakes meetings with five American presidents. His encounter with Donald Trump on Friday in Alaska will be the first of Trump's second term and maybe the most significant since their controversial 2018 meeting in Helsinki, Finland. This time, war and peace are urgently at stake as Trump has made it a priority to end the war in Ukraine. Trump's Aug. 8 deadline for Putin to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine or face severe sanctions has come and gone without any peace deal. MORE: Trump warns Russia of 'severe consequences' if Putin doesn't agree to stop war The expected one-on-one meeting in Alaska marks Putin's first trip to the U.S. since 2015 and his eighth overall as president -- a post the former KGB officer has held since late 1999, apart from 2008-2012 when he served as prime minister. Although he's met with every U.S. president since Bill Clinton, the meetings have been less frequent in recent years as he's been considered something of an international pariah, following the Kremlin's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, military actions in Syria in 2015 and Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. No U.S. president has traveled to Russia since 2013, when Barack Obama attended the G20 economic summit in St. Petersburg. Here's a look at memorable moments between the Russian president and his American counterparts. Bill Clinton POOL/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with President Bill Clinton during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, June 3, 2000. The two leaders had previously met while Putin served as prime minister, though their first summit came as Clinton's presidency was coming to an end and the new Russian president was just coming into power. The two met in Moscow in June 2000, nearly a decade after the end of the Cold War, and largely discussed arms control. On his assessment of Putin, Clinton said at a press briefing, "I think he is fully capable of building a prosperous, strong Russia while preserving freedom and pluralism and the rule of law. It's a big challenge. I think he's fully capable of doing it." On Clinton, Putin called him a "very experienced politician." "In my mind, we've established now not only good business ties, but also personal relations. For me, President Clinton is a person who is a very comfortable and pleasant partner in negotiations," Putin said. George W. Bush Alain Buu/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images - PHOTO: President George W. Bush And Russian President Vladimir Putin, June 16, 2001, in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Bush and Putin held their first summit in Slovenia in June 2001. Following two hours of meetings, Bush said it was an "important step in building a constructive, respectful relationship with Russia." When asked whether he could trust Russia, Bush famously said of Putin that he "looked the man in the eye" and "found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy." "I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country," Bush said. On their meeting, Putin said he had a "very interesting and positive" discussion with Bush, who "as a person who has studied history, proposed a very global, wide-scale approach and view to history." Bush would go on to meet with Putin in Russia multiple times throughout both terms of his presidency, including a 2002 visit to Moscow where they signed a treaty to reduce the number of nuclear warhead arsenals held by both countries. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladaimir Putin hold a joint press conference outside the main house at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine, July 2, 2007. Putin also visited the U.S. several times, including traveling to Bush's ranch in Texas and family home in Kennebunkport, Maine, which often hosted heads of state during the Bush administration. Their relationship seemed to grow more strained, including following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, which Moscow opposed. During an informal meeting, the two had a more tense exchange during Bush's historic trip to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics, where Bush confronted then-Prime Minister Putin about Russia's ongoing attack on its neighbor, Georgia. Jewel Samad//AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin talks with President George W. Bush at the start of the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing, Aug. 8, 2008. Barack Obama Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: President Barack Obama and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meet near Moscow, July 7, 2009. Putin continued to serve as prime minister during the first few years of Obama's presidency -- during which he and Obama met for the first time along with then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow in July 2009. During that visit, Obama said his interest was in dealing with his counterpart, though said he wanted to reach out to Putin "and all other influential sectors in Russian society so that I can get a full picture of the needs of the Russian people and the concerns of the Russian people." "Our interest is dealing with the Russian government as a whole in order to achieve the improved bilateral relationship that I think can be accomplished," Obama said. Putin returned to the presidency in 2012. A year later, the White House canceled a planned summit with Putin in Moscow, citing Russia's "disappointing decision" to grant asylum to national security leaker Edward Snowden and a lack of progress in the U.S.-Russia bilateral agenda. Alexei Druzhinin/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou, China, Sept. 5, 2016. Russia's invasion and illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom the U.S. had called to be removed, continued to strain relations. Obama and Putin had their first formal meeting in two years in September 2015 at the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, in what was Putin's last visit to the U.S. until the planned Alaska summit. MORE: NATO Secretary General Rutte says Trump-Putin summit is about 'testing Putin' Donald Trump - 1st Term Anadolu/Getty Images - PHOTO: President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin hold a joint press conference after their bilateral meeting in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018. Trump and Putin met for the first time as presidents in July 2017 during a G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Though one of their more notable summits came a year later, in Helsinki in July 2018, when they talked behind closed doors for nearly two hours. In an extraordinary press conference afterward, while standing next to Putin, Trump seemed to accept the Russian president's denial of election interference over the findings of U.S. intelligence. (Earlier this month, Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered a Justice Department investigation into the Obama administration intelligence community's handling of claims Russia interfered in the 2016 election.) "[Putin] just said it's not Russia. I will say this. I don't see any reason why it would be," Trump said. "I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today," he later said. Asked why Trump should believe Russia's denial of election interference, Putin said during the briefing, "You can trust no one," and called the U.S. intelligence agencies' findings "utter nonsense." He said he wanted Trump to win "because he talked about bringing the U.S.-Russia relationship back to normal." Following significant bipartisan criticism back home, Trump walked back his comments the next day, saying he misspoke and that he meant to say, "I dont see any reason why it wouldnt be Russia." The summit also drew concerns for the lack of aides or other government officials, only interpreters, in the room with Trump and Putin. Later that year, Trump abruptly canceled a planned meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina, citing Russias refusal to release Ukrainian Navy ships and sailors it seized near Crimea. Joe Biden Saul Loeb/POOL/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for a US-Russia summit at Villa La Grange in Geneva, June 16, 2021. Biden met with Putin once during his presidency, in Geneva in June 2021. He had called for the high-stakes meeting with Putin, alarmed about ongoing Russian military aggression toward Ukraine. Biden said the summit was "positive" and that he "did what I came to do." Putin called the over three-hour talk "quite constructive," though he contended that Russia's military aggression toward Ukraine was not the business of the U.S. Less than a year later, in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, a war that has been waged ever since. An Air Canada Express Bombardier CRJ900 operated by Jazz Aviation LP sits on the tarmac at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport outside of Hebron, Ky., Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell) TORONTO (AP) More than 620 Air Canada flights, many of them international trips, have been canceled as the clock ticked closer Friday to a possible strike by flight attendants, leaving travelers stranded around the world and scrambling during the peak summer travel season. The bitter contract fight between Canada's largest airline and the union representing 10,000 of its flight attendants escalated Friday as the union turned down the airline's request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which would eliminate its right to strike and allow a third-party mediator to decide the terms of a new contract. Flight attendants were poised to walk off the job around 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Around the same time, Air Canada said it would begin locking out the flight attendants from airports. The actions threaten to impact about 130,000 travelers a day. Air Canada said that more than 623 flights had been cancelled by Friday evening, affecting more than 100,000 people. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met with both the airline and union on Friday night and urged them to work harder to them to reach a deal once and for all. It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts, Hajdu said in a statement posted on social media. Hugh Pouliot, a spokesman for the union, said the union had a meeting with Hajdu and representatives from Air Canada earlier Friday evening. CUPE has engaged with the mediator to relay our willingness to continue bargaining despite the fact that Air Canada has not countered our last two offers since Tuesday," he said in a email. We're here to bargain a deal, not to go on strike. The Canadian carrier already started canceling flights Thursday. It expects to call off almost all of its flights by Saturday morning. A complete shutdown threatens to impact about 130,000 people a day, and it could affect some 25,000 Canadians a day who may become stranded abroad. On Thursday, when the airline said it was beginning its phased wind down of most operations, 18 domestic flights and four international flights were canceled. Montreal resident Alex Laroche, 21, and his girlfriend had been saving since Christmas for their European vacation. Now their $8,000 trip with nonrefundable lodging is on the line as they wait to hear from Air Canada about the fate of their Saturday night flight to Nice, France. Laroche said he considered booking new flights with a different carrier, but he said most of them are nearly full and more than double the $3,000 they paid for their original tickets. At this point, it's just a waiting game, he said. Laroche said he was initially upset over the union's decision to go on strike, but that he had a change of heart after reading about the key issues at the center of the contract negotiations, including the issue of wages. Their wage is barely livable, Laroche said. Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they have yet to reach a tentative deal. Both sides say they remain far apart on the issue of pay and the unpaid work flight attendants do when planes arent in the air. The airline's latest offer included a 38% increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions over four years, that it said would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada." But the union pushed back, saying the proposed 8% raise in the first year didnt go far enough because of inflation. Passengers whose travel is impacted will be eligible to request a full refund on the airlines website or mobile app, according to Air Canada. The airline said it would also offer alternative travel options through other Canadian and foreign airlines when possible. But it warned that it could not guarantee immediate rebooking because flights on other airlines are already full due to the summer travel peak. How long the airlines planes will be grounded remains to be seen. But Air Canada Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr has said it could take up to a week to fully restart operations once a tentative deal is reached. ___ Associated Press airlines writer Rio Yamat reported from Las Vegas. The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan brushed off any threat of backlash from neighboring powers Iran and Russia following a U.S.-brokered peace accord an agreement hailed as the start of a new era, ending more than three decades of war and hostility in the South Caucasus. In exclusive Fox News Digital interviews, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev both praised President Donald Trump and his envoy for their role in brokering the framework agreement. They emphasized that the deal, which promised increased regional economic integration and political cooperation, is not directed at any third party and may actually provide strategic advantages to Moscow and Tehran. "This is not a zero-sum game," Pashinyan said. The agreement "contains quite tangible benefits for Iran and for Russia as well." "Iran would have access through railway from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea and Russia and Iran will have opportunity to have a railway connection between the two countries." Trump To Host Armenia, Azerbaijan Leaders Ahead Of Peace Pledge As White House Eyes Nobel Peace Prize Russia a long-standing ally of Armenia and a presence in the region through its border guards welcomed peace but sent a warning about U.S. involvement. Its foreign ministry described the accord as "positive," expressing hope for stability in the Caucasus, but warned that foreign involvement should complement, not complicate, the peace process. Read On The Fox News App The ministry emphasized that regional solutions should include neighbors like Russia, Iran and Turkey, and cautioned against repeating the pitfalls of Western-led interventions in the Middle East. Aliyev echoed Pashinyans remarks and declined to see U.S. diplomatic involvement as a provocation toward Moscow. "It will be very difficult for any country whether far away or in our region to say something bad about todays agreement," he told Fox News Digital. "Weve taken the final step toward peace." He added: "Its not against anyone. Its a connectivity project which will be one of the most important parts of international transportation." At the heart of the pact is the planned Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) a roughly 27-mile transit route linking mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave, passing through Armenian territory. Armenia has granted the U.S. exclusive development rights via a 99year lease, allowing for infrastructure projects such as roads, rail lines, pipelines, fiber optics and possibly power transmission, aimed at opening new trade and transit paths in the region. This bold move shifts regional dynamics, offering Washington a powerful strategic foothold while bypassing traditional Russian and Iranian routes. Iran, in contrast, has responded with hostility. Ali Akbar Velayati, a key advisor to Irans supreme leader, warned of serious consequences if the "Zangezur Corridor" as Iran calls the route is enacted, asserting that it "will not become a passage owned by Trump, but rather a graveyard for Trumps mercenaries," according to the semi-official news agency Tasnim. Iran has even signaled readiness to use military means to block the route. Zelenskyy Not Invited To Upcoming Trump, Putin Talks White House Says This Was The Reason Domestically, Pashinyan faces opposition. Armenian nationalists, already fierce critics of any deal with Azerbaijan, view the agreement as a betrayal. The Republican Party of Armenia has declared that Pashinyan lacks the mandate to sign such a treaty, demanding full transparency and an end to concessions made under external pressure. Pashinyan, however, is undeterred. He said the accord could transform Armenias investment climate and attract foreign capital. "We expect to have some criticism, and thats part of democracy," he told Fox News Digital. "But we are confident we made the right decision." Once the dominant power in the South Caucasus, Russia is losing its grip. The war in Ukraine, mounting sanctions and resource strains have depleted its regional influence, enabling the U.S., Turkey and the European Union to expand their diplomatic reach. Relations with Azerbaijan particularly soured following the December 2024 downing of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243. Aliyev accused Moscow of accidentally shooting the passenger jet with Russian air defenses during operations against Ukrainian drones, killing 38 people. Aliyev told Fox News Digital he didn't believe the incident was an intentional attack by Russian leadership, but demanded a formal admission of guilt, punishment for those responsible and full compensation moves Russia has resisted, apologizing only vaguely for what they called a "tragic incident." And amid political divisions, Pashinyan finds himself in a conflict with one of the country's most respected institutions the Armenian Apostolic Church, where figures like Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan have led public protests against Pashinyans decision to return border villages to Azerbaijan. On June 25, authorities arrested Galstanyan, a leading figure in the church and of the "Sacred Struggle" opposition movement, accusing him of orchestrating a terrorist plot to overthrow the government. Armenia's Investigative Committee alleged he had recruited more than 1,000 former police and military personnel to stage bombings, disrupt power grids and paralyze transportation networks. Pashinyan assured that the judiciary system acted independently of his government and "in full accordance with the law of Armenia, respecting all the rights of all people." Original article source: Armenia and Azerbaijan leaders seek to ease Russian and Iranian concerns after US-brokered peace deal August 15, 2025: Over 150,000 African deaths are attributed to Islamic terrorist groups in the past ten years. Escalating violence in the Sahel and Somalia have caused fatalities linked to militant Islamist violence in Africa to increase by 60 percent in the last twelve years. Aggressive Islamist groups in Africa continue to be the most active agents of instability across five theaters on the continent. The 22,307 fatalities linked to these groups over the past year sustain a record level of lethality observed since 2023 and represent a 60-percent increase from the 2020-2022 period. Battle-related fatalities have increased in every theater over the past year. All five African theaters including Mozambique and North Africa remain highly dynamic with militant insurgents mounting offensive operations in each, especially in the Sahel and Somalia. Battle-related fatalities have increased in every theater over the past year, resulting in a 14-percent rise to 15,678 battle-related deaths across the continent. Over the last year there have been several militant Islamist groups in the Sahel and Somalia that expanded their hold on territory. Across Africa, an estimated 950,000 square kilometers of populated territories are outside government control due to militant Islamist insurgencies. This is equivalent to the size of Tanzania. Over the past decade, Somalia and the Lake Chad Basin countries of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and southeastern Niger have been the two regions that have consistently experienced the greatest levels of violence. Each country typically accounts for at least a quarter of all annual fatalities. This shifted in 2022 with the surge of fatalities in the Sahel. As a result of the rapid deterioration of security in the Sahel, Somalia and the Sahel have now experienced more militant Islamist-related fatalities over the past decade, with each losing over 49,000 people, more than any other regions. The Lake Chad Basin countries have suffered an estimated 39,000 fatalities over this timeframe. Collectively, Africa has experienced roughly 155,000 militant Islamist group-linked deaths over the past decade. These shifts highlight the constant evolution of the militant Islamist threat in Africa and the importance of understanding the unique dynamics within each of these theaters. The Sahel has experienced a sustained high level of lethality tied to militant Islamist groups in recent years. The nearly 10,500 average annual deaths over the past three years are more than double the 4,900 annual fatalities experienced between 2020 and 2023. This represents a sevenfold increase in annual fatalities since 2019. The pace and scale of violence in the Sahel is likely even higher than reported, given that the military governments that seized power in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have restricted media access within the region, which is the main source of conflict data. Militant Islamist groups linked to the Jamaat Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen/JNIM network account for 83 percent of all fatalities in the Sahel. Led by the Macina Liberation Front and Ansar Dine, these JNIM groups primarily operate in north, central, and southern Mali and southern Burkina Faso. Comprising an estimated 6,000 - 7,000 fighters, the vast majority of whom are from the Sahel, these groups are also pushing into the border areas of the coastal West African countries. The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara/ISGS is another primary militant Islamist threat in this region, largely concentrated in northern Burkina Faso and western Niger. With an estimated 2,000 -3,000 fighters, ISGS is both a rival to and cooperative with JNIM. For the last four years, Burkina Faso has been the epicenter of violent events and fatalities linked to militant Islamist groups in the Sahelian theater. In the past year, Burkina Faso accounted for 55 percent of these fatalities. It is estimated that Burkina Faso forces now only control 40 percent of national territory. Similar patterns are observed in Mali, with JNIM-linked forces intensifying operations in central regions of the country and attacking areas along the borders with Cote dIvoire, Guinea, Senegal, and Mauritania. Mali was the original Sahelian country targeted by militant Islamist groups, including Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Ansar Dine, and MUJAO, starting in the late 2000s. Mali has endured an estimated 17,700 fatalities since then. Roughly 81 percent of those fatalities, 14,384 deaths, have occurred since 2020 when Mali suffered a military coup. This includes an estimated 2,650 fatalities in the past year, accounting for 25 percent of all fatalities in the Sahel theater. Mali saw a 71-percent increase in remote violence fatalities to 499, linked to JNIM groups over the past year. In addition to greater use of improvised explosive devices/IEDs, this supports reports that JNIM has enhanced their access to dronesexpanding the scale and scope of their threat to civilians and security forces in the region. Civilians in Mali and Burkina Faso must also contend with predatory violence from security forces and Russian Wagner and Africa Corps paramilitaries. For the last 4 years, there have been a reported 1,292 such attacks, causing 6,058 fatalities. This exceeds the 5,708 civilian fatalities linked to militant Islamist groups in the two countries over this timeframe. Mali has endured an estimated 17,700 fatalities. Roughly 81 percent of those have occurred since 2020. Malian and allied security forces were responsible for 82 percent of all civilian fatalities over the past year. In Burkina Faso the figure is 41 percent. The targeting of civilians (largely of the Fulani ethnic group) by Malian, Burkinabe, and Russian forces is unparalleled relative to any other region in Africa and is a key driver to JNIM recruitment. To capitalize on abuses by security forces, JNIM has portrayed itself as a defender of marginalized populations and disseminated videos of abuses by security forces to reinforce their lack of legitimacy and accountability. Niger has been experiencing a rapid deterioration in its security since the military coup against the democratic government of President Mahmoud Bazoum in 2023. Since that time, fatalities linked to militant Islamist violence have quadrupled (to 1,655 deaths). This includes a 49-percent increase in civilian deaths over the past year. Niger has also experienced a 61-percent spike in battle-related fatalities, reflecting the growth in the frequency and scale of ISGS attacks on Nigerien security forces. Indicative of the growing pressure on coastal West African countries, Benin saw a 129-percent increase in militant Islamist-linked fatalities over the past year (to 374)a record high. Togo similarly saw a more than doubling of annual deaths (to 101), continuing an upswing of extremist violence in coastal West African countries since 2022. Due to the growing instability, the number of forcibly displaced people in the region is now over 3.5 milliona figure that is likely much higher given lack of independent reporting and the failure of military authorities in Burkina Faso to update these figures since 2023. Somalia faces Africas most enduring militant Islamist group with al Shabaab sustaining extremist violence since it was established in 2006. Al Shabaab is an offshoot of earlier Salafist groups formed in the 1990s whose aim is to create a Greater Somalia under Islamist rule. With allegiance to the al Qaeda network, al Shabaab has expressed commitment to global jihad and has attacked Western interests in the Horn of Africa region. Drawing from extortion, toll roads, property taxes, and piracy, among other sources, al Shabaab generates up to $200 million in annual revenuesputting it on par with Somalias federal member states. Al Shabaab is believed to have 7,000-12,000 fighters under its control. Somalia is also the base of the Islamic State in Somalia (ISS), located in the northeastern state of Puntland. While ISS has had operations in Somalia since 2015, it has gained increased scrutiny in the past year following United Nations and other reports that ISS had emerged as an administrative and financial hub for ISIS globally. These reports indicate that ISS had escalated its recruitment of foreign fighters (swelling its ranks from some 200 in 2018 to an estimated 1,000 in 2025). Somalia represents roughly a third of the continental fatalities linked to militant Islamist groups. Somalia has seen a spike in violence linked to al Shabaab since 2023, owing to a military offensive against the group following the election of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the ensuing counteroffensive by al Shabaab in 2024 and 2025. The 6,224 fatalities linked to al Shabaab over the past year are double that of 2022. Estimates are that al Shabaab capabilities have expanded in the past year due to an increasingly cooperative relationship with Yemens Houthis. This cooperation has translated into improved materiel (including drones and ballistic missiles) and training for al Shabaab, which is believed to have directly contributed to their successful offensive operations in central and southern Somalia. Since November 2023, there have been 47 piracy-related events in the Gulf of Aden and Western Indian Ocean. Alongside the Houthi missile attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, the piracy mounted by al Shabaab has greatly disrupted commercial shipping traffic through the Bab al Mandab Strait and caused billions of dollars in economic losses and increased costs. There has also been an unprecedented spike in attacks involving ISS over the past year, resulting in an estimated 1,065 fatalities. In previous years, ISS-linked fatalities have been under 100. Most of this activity was related to operations by Puntland security forces against ISS in the Cal-Miskaad Mountains, supported by airstrikes from the United Arab Emirates and the United States. An estimated 72 percent of militant Islamist-linked fatalities in Somalia are from battlesdemonstrating the coordinated nature of the fighting. Fatalities involving violence against civilians, in contrast, are relatively low at an estimated 102 deaths over the past year. This amounted to just two percent of the total. The Lake Chad Basin saw 3,982 deaths linked to militant Islamist violence over the past year and a seven percent increase in fatalities. This demonstrated the continued resilience of Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa/ISWA in Nigeria. The region accounts for 18 percent of total fatalities linked to militant Islamist groups on the continent. For perspective, the annual fatalities in the region represent a 50-percent decline from the levels experienced from 2014 to 2016 when Boko Haram was most lethal. Boko Haram launched its first violent attacks in 2009. Boko Haram and ISWA have faced ongoing rivalries and leadership changes since ISWA broke away in 2015. Today, both groups are loosely organized around multiple cells, mostly operating in northeastern Nigeria. Estimates are that Boko Haram commands some 1,500-2,000 fighters while ISWA has between 4,000 and 7,000. Both Boko Haram and ISWA appear increasingly well organized and equipped. Over the past year, ISWA overran 15 Nigerian military bases and, in a first, used night vision technology to launch attacks on these bases. It has also gained the operational expertise to deploy armed and surveillance drones, shifting the battlefield in the region. The groups were linked to roughly equal numbers of fatalities. Nigeria experienced an 18-percent increase in fatalities tied to militant Islamist groups over the past year. Borno State in Nigerias Northeast Zone remains the epicenter of this violence and Nigeria accounts for 74 percent of all fatalities in the region. Cameroon experienced 12 percent of the fatalities, 467 deaths, linked to militant Islamist groups in the theater over the past year. However, this reflects a 45-percent drop from the previous year. Cameroon was the only country in the region realizing a positive trajectory. In contrast, Chad has experienced a more than doubling in the number of fatalities to 242 over the past year, resulting in more deaths than in any year since 2020. In one event, Boko Haram deployed a female suicide bomber to kill at least 40 soldiers in the Chadian military base in Barkaram. Militant Islamist cells have also moved into northwestern Nigeria in recent years, which heretofore has been primarily the domain of organized criminal gangs, commonly referred to as bandits, who have engaged in kidnapping for ransom, extortion, and the seizure of farms and mines. Operating mainly in Sokoto and Kebbi States, the Lakurawa group was initially recruited by local communities to deal with banditry in the area but ended up cooperating with and operating more like bandits themselves. Lakurawa is suspected to have now established links with militant Islamist groups in the region. Comprising an estimated 200 fighters, Lakurawa is well-equipped with, among other tech, unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance and satellite communications equipment. It was linked to 134 fatalities in the past year. The Mahmuda group settled in the Kainji Lake National Park in 2020 after raiding it and driving away its guards. Kwara State residents said the group started as a religious body, giving sermons about their form of Islam. The Nigerian military has called Mahmuda a Boko Haram splinter Mahmuda is associated with 24 deaths in the past year. Given the growing level of instability in Nigerias Northwest Zone, there is also growing concern over linkages between Sahelian militant groups, especially ISGS, with Lakurawa and Mahmuda as well as ISWA in the Northeast. While often conflated with the militant Islamist groups, the bandits operating in northwestern Nigeria pose a distinct threat to this region not captured in these figures. Collectively, they are estimated to be responsible for roughly the same number of fatalities as Boko Haram and ISWA in the Northeast Zone. The Lake Chad region has experienced a 32-percent increase in fatalities linked to militant Islamist violence against civilians in the past year, continuing a trend since 2023. Violence against civilians is typically employed as a tactic of intimidation when militants are attempting to assert obeisance. The 880 deaths represent the highest level of violence against citizens since 2016 and underscore the fragmentation of these groups as well as their lack of popular support. Fatalities linked to militant Islamist violence in Mozambique, 330 deaths, have declined six-fold from their peak of 2,076 deaths for 2021. This threat was largely tamped down by the arrival in 2021 of the Southern African Development Community/SADC and Rwandan security forces. With the ending of the SADC mission in July 2024, it remains to be seen whether this downward trajectory can be maintained. Comprising an estimated 200-300 fighters, Ahl al Sunna wal Jamaa/ASWJ, referred to locally as al Shabaab, appears to be among the least cohesive militant Islamist groups on the continent. ASWJ, nonetheless, continues to show resilience. In March 2025, ASWJ fighters took advantage of the post-electoral unrest in the country to conduct attacks on the main road connecting Pemba to the districts in the north, raid artisanal gold mines, and kill civilians in Niassa Special Reserve. In May, ASWJ mounted attacks on Rwandan forces, stole weapons, and even attempted to attack a Russian-flagged vessel off the coast of Tambuzi Island. In June 2025, the Mozambican military launched an assault on ASWJs stronghold in the Catupa Forest, but it was repelled. Despite doubling its size to 4,000 troops to replace SADC forces, the Rwandan security forces have not eliminated the ASWJ. Instead, there has been a rise in the number of attacks on civilians, especially along key transport arteries. As a result of the militant violence, there remain an estimated 461,237 Mozambicans displaced in the northern part of the country. The North African theater has seen a steady decline in violent events and fatalities linked to militant Islamist groups since 2016 when the region experienced a peak of 3,731 related deaths. For the last 3 years the number of fatalities has averaged just over 30. Most of these have been related to security force sweeps of remaining militant Islamist members at large. The past year saw 13 violent events and 17 fatalities, all in Algeria. Prior to 2024, Egypt had been the locus of militant Islamist violence in North Africa. Three of the events in Algeria were linked to a small cell including foreign fighters, probably ISIS, who came from Syria to raise funds for the global network. In Libya, the United Nations noted the continued presence of militant Islamist groups in the southwestern part of the country providing logistical and financial support to Sahel-based affiliates. It also reported that Libyan security services apprehended two Syrian nationals who were helping to facilitate the movement of fighters from Syria to Mali through Libya. The incidents in Algeria and Libya underscore the enduring security concerns facing North African countries from fighters returning from abroad, and the need for continued vigilance to counter attempts to strengthen links among militant Islamist groups across the continent and globally. August 15, 2025: Over 150,000 African deaths are attributed to Islamic terrorist groups in the past ten years. Escalating violence in the Sahel and Somalia have caused fatalities linked to militant Islamist violence in Africa to increase by 60 percent in the last twelve years. Aggressive Islamist groups in Africa continue to be the most active agents of instability across five theaters on the continent. The 22,307 fatalities linked to these groups over the past year sustain a record level of lethality observed since 2023 and represent a 60-percent increase from the 2020-2022 period. Battle-related fatalities have increased in every theater over the past year. All five African theaters including Mozambique and North Africa remain highly dynamic with militant insurgents mounting offensive operations in each, especially in the Sahel and Somalia. Battle-related fatalities have increased in every theater over the past year, resulting in a 14-percent rise to 15,678 battle-related deaths across the continent. Over the last year there have been several militant Islamist groups in the Sahel and Somalia that expanded their hold on territory. Across Africa, an estimated 950,000 square kilometers of populated territories are outside government control due to militant Islamist insurgencies. This is equivalent to the size of Tanzania. Over the past decade, Somalia and the Lake Chad Basin countries of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and southeastern Niger have been the two regions that have consistently experienced the greatest levels of violence. Each country typically accounts for at least a quarter of all annual fatalities. This shifted in 2022 with the surge of fatalities in the Sahel. As a result of the rapid deterioration of security in the Sahel, Somalia and the Sahel have now experienced more militant Islamist-related fatalities over the past decade, with each losing over 49,000 people, more than any other regions. The Lake Chad Basin countries have suffered an estimated 39,000 fatalities over this timeframe. Collectively, Africa has experienced roughly 155,000 militant Islamist group-linked deaths over the past decade. These shifts highlight the constant evolution of the militant Islamist threat in Africa and the importance of understanding the unique dynamics within each of these theaters. The Sahel has experienced a sustained high level of lethality tied to militant Islamist groups in recent years. The nearly 10,500 average annual deaths over the past three years are more than double the 4,900 annual fatalities experienced between 2020 and 2023. This represents a sevenfold increase in annual fatalities since 2019. The pace and scale of violence in the Sahel is likely even higher than reported, given that the military governments that seized power in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have restricted media access within the region, which is the main source of conflict data. Militant Islamist groups linked to the Jamaat Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen/JNIM network account for 83 percent of all fatalities in the Sahel. Led by the Macina Liberation Front and Ansar Dine, these JNIM groups primarily operate in north, central, and southern Mali and southern Burkina Faso. Comprising an estimated 6,000 - 7,000 fighters, the vast majority of whom are from the Sahel, these groups are also pushing into the border areas of the coastal West African countries. The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara/ISGS is another primary militant Islamist threat in this region, largely concentrated in northern Burkina Faso and western Niger. With an estimated 2,000 -3,000 fighters, ISGS is both a rival to and cooperative with JNIM. For the last four years, Burkina Faso has been the epicenter of violent events and fatalities linked to militant Islamist groups in the Sahelian theater. In the past year, Burkina Faso accounted for 55 percent of these fatalities. It is estimated that Burkina Faso forces now only control 40 percent of national territory. Similar patterns are observed in Mali, with JNIM-linked forces intensifying operations in central regions of the country and attacking areas along the borders with Cote dIvoire, Guinea, Senegal, and Mauritania. Mali was the original Sahelian country targeted by militant Islamist groups, including Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb/AQIM, Ansar Dine, and MUJAO, starting in the late 2000s. Mali has endured an estimated 17,700 fatalities since then. Roughly 81 percent of those fatalities, 14,384 deaths, have occurred since 2020 when Mali suffered a military coup. This includes an estimated 2,650 fatalities in the past year, accounting for 25 percent of all fatalities in the Sahel theater. Mali saw a 71-percent increase in remote violence fatalities to 499, linked to JNIM groups over the past year. In addition to greater use of improvised explosive devices/IEDs, this supports reports that JNIM has enhanced their access to dronesexpanding the scale and scope of their threat to civilians and security forces in the region. Civilians in Mali and Burkina Faso must also contend with predatory violence from security forces and Russian Wagner and Africa Corps paramilitaries. For the last 4 years, there have been a reported 1,292 such attacks, causing 6,058 fatalities. This exceeds the 5,708 civilian fatalities linked to militant Islamist groups in the two countries over this timeframe. Mali has endured an estimated 17,700 fatalities. Roughly 81 percent of those have occurred since 2020. Malian and allied security forces were responsible for 82 percent of all civilian fatalities over the past year. In Burkina Faso the figure is 41 percent. The targeting of civilians (largely of the Fulani ethnic group) by Malian, Burkinabe, and Russian forces is unparalleled relative to any other region in Africa and is a key driver to JNIM recruitment. To capitalize on abuses by security forces, JNIM has portrayed itself as a defender of marginalized populations and disseminated videos of abuses by security forces to reinforce their lack of legitimacy and accountability. Niger has been experiencing a rapid deterioration in its security since the military coup against the democratic government of President Mahmoud Bazoum in 2023. Since that time, fatalities linked to militant Islamist violence have quadrupled (to 1,655 deaths). This includes a 49-percent increase in civilian deaths over the past year. Niger has also experienced a 61-percent spike in battle-related fatalities, reflecting the growth in the frequency and scale of ISGS attacks on Nigerien security forces. Indicative of the growing pressure on coastal West African countries, Benin saw a 129-percent increase in militant Islamist-linked fatalities over the past year (to 374)a record high. Togo similarly saw a more than doubling of annual deaths (to 101), continuing an upswing of extremist violence in coastal West African countries since 2022. Due to the growing instability, the number of forcibly displaced people in the region is now over 3.5 milliona figure that is likely much higher given lack of independent reporting and the failure of military authorities in Burkina Faso to update these figures since 2023. Somalia faces Africas most enduring militant Islamist group with al Shabaab sustaining extremist violence since it was established in 2006. Al Shabaab is an offshoot of earlier Salafist groups formed in the 1990s whose aim is to create a Greater Somalia under Islamist rule. With allegiance to the al Qaeda network, al Shabaab has expressed commitment to global jihad and has attacked Western interests in the Horn of Africa region. Drawing from extortion, toll roads, property taxes, and piracy, among other sources, al Shabaab generates up to $200 million in annual revenuesputting it on par with Somalias federal member states. Al Shabaab is believed to have 7,000-12,000 fighters under its control. Somalia is also the base of the Islamic State in Somalia (ISS), located in the northeastern state of Puntland. While ISS has had operations in Somalia since 2015, it has gained increased scrutiny in the past year following United Nations and other reports that ISS had emerged as an administrative and financial hub for ISIS globally. These reports indicate that ISS had escalated its recruitment of foreign fighters (swelling its ranks from some 200 in 2018 to an estimated 1,000 in 2025). Somalia represents roughly a third of the continental fatalities linked to militant Islamist groups. Somalia has seen a spike in violence linked to al Shabaab since 2023, owing to a military offensive against the group following the election of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the ensuing counteroffensive by al Shabaab in 2024 and 2025. The 6,224 fatalities linked to al Shabaab over the past year are double that of 2022. Estimates are that al Shabaab capabilities have expanded in the past year due to an increasingly cooperative relationship with Yemens Houthis. This cooperation has translated into improved materiel (including drones and ballistic missiles) and training for al Shabaab, which is believed to have directly contributed to their successful offensive operations in central and southern Somalia. Since November 2023, there have been 47 piracy-related events in the Gulf of Aden and Western Indian Ocean. Alongside the Houthi missile attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, the piracy mounted by al Shabaab has greatly disrupted commercial shipping traffic through the Bab al Mandab Strait and caused billions of dollars in economic losses and increased costs. There has also been an unprecedented spike in attacks involving ISS over the past year, resulting in an estimated 1,065 fatalities. In previous years, ISS-linked fatalities have been under 100. Most of this activity was related to operations by Puntland security forces against ISS in the Cal-Miskaad Mountains, supported by airstrikes from the United Arab Emirates and the United States. An estimated 72 percent of militant Islamist-linked fatalities in Somalia are from battlesdemonstrating the coordinated nature of the fighting. Fatalities involving violence against civilians, in contrast, are relatively low at an estimated 102 deaths over the past year. This amounted to just two percent of the total. The Lake Chad Basin saw 3,982 deaths linked to militant Islamist violence over the past year and a seven percent increase in fatalities. This demonstrated the continued resilience of Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa/ISWA in Nigeria. The region accounts for 18 percent of total fatalities linked to militant Islamist groups on the continent. For perspective, the annual fatalities in the region represent a 50-percent decline from the levels experienced from 2014 to 2016 when Boko Haram was most lethal. Boko Haram launched its first violent attacks in 2009. Boko Haram and ISWA have faced ongoing rivalries and leadership changes since ISWA broke away in 2015. Today, both groups are loosely organized around multiple cells, mostly operating in northeastern Nigeria. Estimates are that Boko Haram commands some 1,500-2,000 fighters while ISWA has between 4,000 and 7,000. Both Boko Haram and ISWA appear increasingly well organized and equipped. Over the past year, ISWA overran 15 Nigerian military bases and, in a first, used night vision technology to launch attacks on these bases. It has also gained the operational expertise to deploy armed and surveillance drones, shifting the battlefield in the region. The groups were linked to roughly equal numbers of fatalities. Nigeria experienced an 18-percent increase in fatalities tied to militant Islamist groups over the past year. Borno State in Nigerias Northeast Zone remains the epicenter of this violence and Nigeria accounts for 74 percent of all fatalities in the region. Cameroon experienced 12 percent of the fatalities, 467 deaths, linked to militant Islamist groups in the theater over the past year. However, this reflects a 45-percent drop from the previous year. Cameroon was the only country in the region realizing a positive trajectory. In contrast, Chad has experienced a more than doubling in the number of fatalities to 242 over the past year, resulting in more deaths than in any year since 2020. In one event, Boko Haram deployed a female suicide bomber to kill at least 40 soldiers in the Chadian military base in Barkaram. Militant Islamist cells have also moved into northwestern Nigeria in recent years, which heretofore has been primarily the domain of organized criminal gangs, commonly referred to as bandits, who have engaged in kidnapping for ransom, extortion, and the seizure of farms and mines. Operating mainly in Sokoto and Kebbi States, the Lakurawa group was initially recruited by local communities to deal with banditry in the area but ended up cooperating with and operating more like bandits themselves. Lakurawa is suspected to have now established links with militant Islamist groups in the region. Comprising an estimated 200 fighters, Lakurawa is well-equipped with, among other tech, unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance and satellite communications equipment. It was linked to 134 fatalities in the past year. The Mahmuda group settled in the Kainji Lake National Park in 2020 after raiding it and driving away its guards. Kwara State residents said the group started as a religious body, giving sermons about their form of Islam. The Nigerian military has called Mahmuda a Boko Haram splinter Mahmuda is associated with 24 deaths in the past year. Given the growing level of instability in Nigerias Northwest Zone, there is also growing concern over linkages between Sahelian militant groups, especially ISGS, with Lakurawa and Mahmuda as well as ISWA in the Northeast. While often conflated with the militant Islamist groups, the bandits operating in northwestern Nigeria pose a distinct threat to this region not captured in these figures. Collectively, they are estimated to be responsible for roughly the same number of fatalities as Boko Haram and ISWA in the Northeast Zone. The Lake Chad region has experienced a 32-percent increase in fatalities linked to militant Islamist violence against civilians in the past year, continuing a trend since 2023. Violence against civilians is typically employed as a tactic of intimidation when militants are attempting to assert obeisance. The 880 deaths represent the highest level of violence against citizens since 2016 and underscore the fragmentation of these groups as well as their lack of popular support. Fatalities linked to militant Islamist violence in Mozambique, 330 deaths, have declined six-fold from their peak of 2,076 deaths for 2021. This threat was largely tamped down by the arrival in 2021 of the Southern African Development Community/SADC and Rwandan security forces. With the ending of the SADC mission in July 2024, it remains to be seen whether this downward trajectory can be maintained. Comprising an estimated 200-300 fighters, Ahl al Sunna wal Jamaa/ASWJ, referred to locally as al Shabaab, appears to be among the least cohesive militant Islamist groups on the continent. ASWJ, nonetheless, continues to show resilience. In March 2025, ASWJ fighters took advantage of the post-electoral unrest in the country to conduct attacks on the main road connecting Pemba to the districts in the north, raid artisanal gold mines, and kill civilians in Niassa Special Reserve. In May, ASWJ mounted attacks on Rwandan forces, stole weapons, and even attempted to attack a Russian-flagged vessel off the coast of Tambuzi Island. In June 2025, the Mozambican military launched an assault on ASWJs stronghold in the Catupa Forest, but it was repelled. Despite doubling its size to 4,000 troops to replace SADC forces, the Rwandan security forces have not eliminated the ASWJ. Instead, there has been a rise in the number of attacks on civilians, especially along key transport arteries. As a result of the militant violence, there remain an estimated 461,237 Mozambicans displaced in the northern part of the country. The North African theater has seen a steady decline in violent events and fatalities linked to militant Islamist groups since 2016 when the region experienced a peak of 3,731 related deaths. For the last 3 years the number of fatalities has averaged just over 30. Most of these have been related to security force sweeps of remaining militant Islamist members at large. The past year saw 13 violent events and 17 fatalities, all in Algeria. Prior to 2024, Egypt had been the locus of militant Islamist violence in North Africa. Three of the events in Algeria were linked to a small cell including foreign fighters, probably ISIS, who came from Syria to raise funds for the global network. In Libya, the United Nations noted the continued presence of militant Islamist groups in the southwestern part of the country providing logistical and financial support to Sahel-based affiliates. It also reported that Libyan security services apprehended two Syrian nationals who were helping to facilitate the movement of fighters from Syria to Mali through Libya. The incidents in Algeria and Libya underscore the enduring security concerns facing North African countries from fighters returning from abroad, and the need for continued vigilance to counter attempts to strengthen links among militant Islamist groups across the continent and globally. Antonio Hugo Photo - Getty Images "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Are you the last person in your family to climb into the car before heading out somewhere because you always need to go before you go? Or do you always book an aisle seat on an airplane for easier access to the bathroom? You're not alone: Plenty of people feel like they always have to pee, no matter where they are or what they are doing. And it turns out this isn't a fluke or a cursethere are specific reasons you always have to pee. Meet the experts: Betsy A. B. Greenleaf, D.O., a urogynecologist based in New Jersey; women's urologic health expert Tamara Bavendam, M.D.. Here, doctors share what they are, plus when the urge to go constantly might be a sign of something more. Your always might be the scientific normal. It may sound like a lot, but peeing roughly eight times a day is normal, said Betsy A. B. Greenleaf, D.O., a urogynecologist based in New Jersey. "Even though it's annoying," she added, "getting up once during the night is also considered normal." If you're frustrated by how much time you spend going to and from the restroom, consider keeping a diary to log your bathroom breaks. When you actually tally up your trips, what feels like a lot to you might be totally normal. You really do have a small bladder. It's a classic excuse among frequent pee-ers: "I just have a small bladder!" Turns out, there's some truth to this. "Anatomically, everybody can be different, just like some people are tall and some people are short," Dr. Greenleaf said. Most bladders hold about two cups of fluid. If you're going to the bathroom frequently and producing less than that, that's probably not normal, said women's urologic health expert Tamara Bavendam, M.D.. If that seems like a lot, grab a container and see if you're hitting one and a half to two cups, she suggests. The good news for the small bladdered is that you can train yourself to hold more fluid. "When it's full, it can stretch," Dr. Greenleaf said, adding that in tests of bladder capacity, teachers and nursespeople with limited time to hit the toiletconsistently rank the highest. "Some people have this idea that it's not good to hold urine in, so when they get the urge they run to the bathroom," Dr. Greenleaf said. "That's the opposite of stretching. If you give into the urges too often, you are training the bladder not to hold as much." (Just don't hold it so long that it starts to hurt.) You could be inadvertently doing this if you've preemptively started emptying your bladder more frequently in just-in-case scenarios, like in hopes of warding off leakage, Dr. Bavendam said. "A change in your habits to try to prevent leakage can contribute to this cycle of going more and more often, and then you feel like you need to go frequently." To train your small bladder to go longer between restroom breaks, Dr. Greenleaf recommended something called "timed voiding": Urinate every 30 minutes for a day or two, whether you have to go or not. Add 15 minutes to the regimen: Urinate every 45 minutes for a day or two. Keep adding 15 minutes to this regimen, until over time you will have stretched the bladder out. You're not drinking enough water. Understandably, if you spend a lot of time thinking you have to pee, you might be inclined to dehydrate yourself just a touch. If you don't drink as much, you won't have to go as often, right? Turns out this way of thinking is bladder sabotage. "When you drink less, the urine becomes more concentrated, and the more concentrated it is the more irritating it can be to the bladder, which can trigger the sensation that you have to go more often," Dr. Greenleaf said. "It you drink more fluids, you may actually be able to hold more, because the more dilute the urine is the less irritating it is to the bladder." Of course, you'll also be rushing to pee if you really overdo it on the water, so just drink enough to keep your urine a light, straw-colored yellow, Dr. Bavendam said. You have a UTI or a kidney stone. Both a urinary tract infection and the little crystal formations known as kidney stones can irritate the bladder (in the case of stones, it's when they pass through the urinary tract and approach the bladder), increasing how often you feel you have to pee. Both usually also come with other symptoms, so you should get a hint that something's up. "Usually a kidney stone will cause a lot of pain in the back or sides," Dr. Bavendam said. "Typically with UTIs, the classic sign is urgency, feeling like you need to pee really badly, and it also usually hurts to urinate." Your pelvic floor muscles could be stronger. The stronger those down-there muscles, the easier it is to hold urine in, Dr. Greenleaf said. Classic mistake: You get a strong urge to go and you literally run to the loo. "When you're running, your body's focused on running, not using your muscles to hold urine in your bladder," said Dr. Bavendam. "Instead, it's better to learn how to use your muscles to tighten the pelvic-floor area, let the urge subside, and walk to the bathroom." Yes, we're talking about Kegel exercises, which are performed by tightening and releasing the muscles you'd use to stop the flow of urine without moving anything else in your body. This is especially useful advice for women after pregnancy and childbirth. Miraculous milestones, sure, but both can do very real damage and stretching to muscles and tissue, including the bladder. But according to a 2022 study published in Healthcare (Basel), doing Kegels daily can significantly improve urinary incontinence, suggesting it can also help you hold it in just a bit longer when needed. Your bladder is overactive. If you're going a lot more often than every few hours, eight times a day, you might qualify as having an overactive bladder, especially if you also experience incontinence or wake up to pee more than twice during the night, per the Mayo Clinic. It's a condition more and more women find themselves in as they age, possibly because our nerves age along with us, Dr. Greenleaf said. We're more likely to have other medical conditions that also affect how often we need to go, she explained, including back problems that could lead to vertebrae pushing on nerves that then make the bladder feel full. Your doctor might want to test the strength of your stream or use an ultrasound to see if your bladder is emptying completely, Dr. Bavendam said. "An even more sophisticated test can measure bladder pressure for people who have had unexplained symptoms for a long time." If pelvic floor exercises and adjusting fluid intake don't make a difference, prescription meds can also help the bladder relax into holding more urine. Your prescription meds are making you pee. Water pills or diuretics, often used to treat high blood pressure, "can cause the kidneys to make a lot of urine really quickly," Dr. Bavendam said, which can send you rushing to the bathroom on the double. According to the Cleveland Clinic, other medications that can cause frequent urination include alpha-blockers and calcium channel blockers, which treat high blood pressure, lithium, SSRIs, SGLT2 inhibitors, and tricyclic antidepressants, which are used to treat anxiety and depression, and antihistamines. You might have diabetes. If you've ruled out other causes, there's a chance your constant peeing is due to diabetes. If your blood sugar's high, the kidneys won't be able to process all of it, and some can spill into the urine. That sugar will essentially pull more water out of you, Dr. Bavendam said, so you'll be generating more pee. Even eating food or candy with a lot of sugar is enough to make you go more frequently. "You could go to the bathroom every hour and still see two cups every time," she said. "That's not a bladder problem, it's a problem with the amount of urine you're producing." Youre just freezing. When the temperature drops, your body wants to do everything in its power to keep you warm. "Part of that process involves constricting the blood vessels in your extremities, to keep body heat from leaving," Dr. Greenleaf explained. But, she says, the body is a unit. Constricted vessels in your feet, hands, legs, and arms shifts more blood to your core, which increases blood pressure in the vessels there. Then, your body reacts to that elevated blood pressure, wanting to normalize it. It does this by getting rid of extra fluids via the urine. Because you are physically making more urine, the bladder is filling more quickly and frequently, so you need to pee more, Dr. Greenleaf said. The technical term for this is cold-induced diuresis and it may also be accompanied by a vague feeling of thirst. You have an underlying health condition. Small bladder or not, many of us just figure the way we pee is...the way we pee. But a sudden change in frequency or a really powerful urge that appears suddenly and then persists is something you should bring up with your doc, as it could be a sign of underlying health problems, Dr. Greenleaf said. In some people, peeing a lot can be the first sign of multiple sclerosis. According to the Mayo Clinic, infections or inflammation in the bladder, kidney, or prostate could also be the cause. Luckily, these are all rare, but just to be safe, don't chalk it up to simply getting leakier with age. You Might Also Like Courtesy of Steamy Lit A customer at Steamy Lit Books in Florida NEED TO KNOW BookTok, the reading community on TikTok, has steadily become a sacred online space for fans of the genre A love of love-focused books has moved off the page in the form of romance-centric bookstores Several owners of romance bookstores spoke with PEOPLE about how BookTok has impacted their businesses If youre a member of BookTok, the literary community on TikTok, you know first hand that the romance genre reigns supreme on the social media app. Theres no better space for its readers, whether you're a fan of big names like Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez, or looking for even the nichest of novel tropes (F1 romances, anyone?). Its no surprise, then, that romance-specific bookstores are steadily popping up around the country too. Helmed by knowledgable staff members, stores that exclusively stock romance novels have become an oasis for literature lovers searching for their favorite author's latest release or a new recommendation altogether. But exactly how much has BookTok impacted these businesses? For many owners, the two go hand-in-hand. Dani White Photography Jamie Fortin stands outside Friends to Lovers Romance Bookstore in Arlington, Va Jamie Fortin, who owns Friends to Lovers Romance Bookstore in Arlington, Va., always knew that she wanted to start a business after moving to the D.C. area. When she found an online community of readers hungry for a romance-centric store, Fortin saw that as an opportunity to open her own in 2024. After hiring a social media manager, and documenting the process of opening Friends to Lovers, the shop soon went viral. Because of BookTok and Bookstagram and the online communities that romance lovers have been building, I realized that there is a need and a desire for having a physical community in our area, Fortin says. We blew up really, really quickly. We started getting like tens of thousands of views and comments and people being so excited. We would have people looking through the windows or knocking on the door before we opened, wanting to see what was there and trying to come in. https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf Katie Mitchell, who owns Trope Bookshop in Charlotte, N.C., was also inspired to launch her business when she began seeing other romance bookstores online. Trope Bookshop started out as a book mobile before the brick and mortar store opened in March 2025 which also garnered lots of attention online. Courtesy of Katie Mitchell Customers at Trope Bookshop in Charlotte, N.C. We've got our regulars, but we have really become a destination, Mitchell says. We've got ladies that come from all over It's been very cool. Most of them tell me that they have found us on TikTok. Other business owners were encouraged by BookTok content itself. Melissa Saavedra, who owns Steamy Lit Romance Bookstore across two locations in Florida, was encouraged to pinpoint gaps she noticed online when she expanded her literary collective into a physical store in 2024. I wanted to create a different avenue to amplify and uplift authors of color who wrote romance, but I also wanted to dive a little deeper into having conversations and normalizing having conversations about sex, pleasure and all of those things that, as women, we're often shamed for talking about, she says. BookTok can also play a role in what bookstore owners stock on their shelves and sometimes, that has more to do with what's on readers' For You page than new releases. Courtesy of Steamy Lit Melissa Saavedra opening a Steamy Lit Romance Bookstore location I can always tell if something, especially if it's not a brand new release, gets really hot all of a sudden, Mitchell says. I'm like, Uh oh, someone's talking about it. Someone's covering this on a series on TikTok. For Amanda Anderson, who owns The Last Chapter Book Shop in Chicago, TikTok became a tool for seeing what readers were interested in after she opened her store in 2023. When I first opened, I definitely utilized social media and what people were talking about, she says. Now, it's a little bit more curated to what I know our customers are looking for, beyond the popular BookTok titles. What else is out there that we can introduce into the store? Seeing what's hot on the BookTok algorithm has also spurred many bookstore owners, like Leah Koch, to share recommendations that users may not have come across before. Koch opened The Ripped Bodice, the first U.S. romance bookstore, with her sister Bea in Los Angeles in 2016 before opening a second location in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 2023. Courtesy of Amanda Anderson The exterior of The Last Chapter Book Shop in Chicago When people come in and they've read a lot of the BookTok books, we're like, Here are some great fantastic options that maybe you haven't seen on there, because it's an author of color or it's self-published, Koch says. I think we're still in a space where Black and brown creators and authors have to work a little bit harder for their virality in social media, Saavedra adds. Obviously, we stock some of the books that go TikTok viral because we know our customers want them." But Steamy Lit, among other stores, also focuses on stocking books other stores might not. "That's what we really pride ourselves in, Saavedra explains. BookTok has steadily become a platform for readers and authors alike to stay connected with one another. But many romance store owners also note how the app has built a community off screen. Mitchells Trope Bookstore hosts a monthly book club with attendees in the hundreds, while Kochs Ripped Bodice hosts other events for the community, like writing workshops and a standup comedy night. We're also a lot of people's neighborhood bookstore, and we want [locals] to feel welcome as well, Koch says. Megan Kantor Leah Koch (left) and Bea Koch outside of The Ripped Bodice in Brooklyn, N.Y. Rayanne Streeter, who owns Good Girl Books in Knoxville, Tenn., also notices readers bonding over their common interest both in person and online. They expanded what was originally just a mobile book truck into a physical store in 2024, due to the amount of people who wanted a community space where they could "share their experience and joy." We can transition or transcend both the online space and the physical space, Streeter says. You're talking to people in the comments of one of our posts, you're talking to me in the DMs, we're talking about our favorite books. Then you come into the store and you go, Hey, I was that person who said this thing. 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. Reading can be a very isolated hobby because you're kind of in your own world with what you're reading, Saavedra adds. Now it's like a companion hobby, where you get to read your books how you always have, but now you have this huge community of people that you can talk to about them. Sydney Morris Rayanne Streeter outside of the Good Girl Books book truck But BookToks true success is allowing romance readers to loudly and proudly embrace their love for a genre that historically hasn't gotten the respect it deserves. We just didn't talk about being romance readers. We weren't prideful in it, Anderson says. Now, people are like, "Yeah, I read this. I love it." I think that's because of social media and BookTok people not being afraid to talk about what they're reading and what they're loving. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! So much of romance as a genre is steeped in the stigmatization, that it's not serious, Streeter says. Social media and TikTok has allowed people to come out of the closet, out of the shadows, and reclaim these spaces and be like, Yeah, I like these, and I'm proud of it. Read the original article on People AP;Getty Danny Rolling, Bryan Kohberger NEED TO KNOW Bryan Kohberger spent Christmas Day of 2022 downloading information on more than 20 serial killers at his home in Pennsylvania This included information on Danny Rolling, who also murdered multiple college students with a KA-BAR knife after breaking into their homes through a sliding glass door This is according to Heather Barnhart, a SANS Institute Fellow and the Senior Director of Forensic Research for Cellebrite, who led the digital forensics team brought on by prosecutors Bryan Kohberger spent Christmas Day with his family in 2022, enjoying what he did not know at the time would be his final days of freedom. As many went to sleep after a day of food and family and presents, Kohberger pulled out his phone and began downloading information on serial killers, Not one serial killer, or two, or even a general search of the term "serial killer." Instead, Bryan Kohberger downloaded information on more than 20 specific serial killers, a task that carried him well past midnight and into the early hours of the following day, digital forensics expert Heather Barnhart tells PEOPLE. Des Plaines Police Department/Tim Boyle/Getty Barnhart, a SANS Institute Fellow and the Senior Director of Forensic Research for Cellebrite, was brought on by the Latah County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to assist in the case by searching Kohberger's cell phone and hard drive for any clues. There was little left on those devices by the time Barnhart got them, but she and her team did manage to find a trove of downloads from that day thanks to Kohberger making one mistake. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. "People think if they download things while their browser is in incognito mode it stays private, but it does not," Barnhart explains. Kohberger did seem to know that and cleared his desktop and hard drive of downloads, Barnhart says, but he forgot to clear his Android. That is how she discovered he downloaded information on: Betty Lou Beets, Randy Kraft, William Lee, Cody Neal, Danny Rolling, Joel Rifkin, Ted Bundy, Altemio Sanchez, Glen Rogers, Cary Stayner, John Wayne Gacy, Harvey Glatman, Paul Bernardo, Rodney Alcala, Robert Hansen, Gary Ridgeway, David Parker Ray, Cleophus Prince, Ed Kemper and Dennis Rader. Barnhart notes that Kohberger had previously downloaded information about Danny Rolling on Nov. 19, a week after the murders. The Idaho murders are almost copycat killings of the ones carried out by Rolling also known as "The Gainesville Ripper" back in 1990. Rolling killed five college students four women and one man by breaking into their homes through sliding glass doors and stabbing them to death with a KA-BAR knife. Kohberger killed four college students three women and one man by breaking into their home through a sliding glass door and stabbing them to death with a KA-BAR knife. The one difference is that Rolling would sexually assault his victims before or after stabbing them to death. There is no evidence Kohberger sexually assaulted his victims, per prosecutors. And Rolling, unlike Kohberger, was executed for his crimes. AP Barnhart says that Kohberger kept abreast of the case in the weeks after the murders, downloading the Moscow Police Department updates nine times between Nov. 26 and Dec. 28 of 2022. On Dec. 28, he downloaded four different versions of the update. Three days later, Pennsylvania State Troopers arrested Kohberger, and soon after that Barnhart was brought on to start examining his cell phone and hard drive. She has previously leant her expertise on a number of high-profile legal proceedings such as the Crystal Rogers case and Delphi murders, as well as the Osama bin Laden raid. She says that her team which on this case included Jared Barnhart, Josh Hickman, Ian Whiffin and Mattia Epifani was forced to dig deep due to the expertise of Kohberger, a former criminology student who left a very small trail of clues. Luckily, that included a large number of downloads about a lengthy list of serial killers. "In the end, everyone makes mistakes," Barnhart says. Read the original article on People AP Photo/Kyle Green, Pool Bryan Kohberger NEED TO KNOW Bryan Kohberger did not delete all of the photos on his phone before his arrest The photo roll consisted largely of shirtless photos, images of his car, and pictures he had downloaded of women either naked or in bikinis Those photos also included a previously released image which showed Kohberger making a thumbs-up gesture just hours after the murders Bryan Kohberger went to great lengths to hide his search history in the weeks before and after he murdered four University of Idaho students, but he did not delete his photos. What investigators largely found were half-naked selfies of the convicted killer and a number of women in various states of undress, Heather Barnhart tells PEOPLE. Lots of him posing half naked in the mirror while flexing, Barnhart says. It is unclear what, if anything, Kohberger did with these images of himself because there is no evidence of him ever sending them to anyone, she says. AP Photo/Kyle Green, Pool Bryan Kohberger Then there were the women, all dressed in very little clothing, if any at all. There were some women in bikinis and others who were completely naked, says Barnhart. None of these images were actually taken by Kohberger, though, explains Barnhart, adding that "these were all cache files saved to his device." Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The only thing Kohberger seemed interested in photographing other than himself was his car the 2016 white Hyundai Elantra that he drove on the night of the murders. "Very vain, like American Psycho," Barnhart says of the photo collection. That is a reference to Patrick Bateman, the protagonist of the 1991 Bret Easton Ellis novel and later 2000 film starring Christian Bale of the same name. Bateman, as written by Ellis and later portrayed by Bale, is an image-obsessed misanthrope and nihilist who questions his own sanity and may or may not be a serial killer. Lionsgate Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho" There were also two previously released images from Kohberger's photo roll, among them the thumbs-up selfie he took in his bathroom of his apartment on the Washington State University campus after driving back to the murder scene in Moscow the morning of Nov. 13, 2022. That image shows Kohberger with a bandage on his hand and a shower curtain can be seen in the background, which had disappeared by the time police obtained a search warrant for his residence. Barnhart notes that this image, much like the shirtless selfies, was also never sent to anyone and instead seemed to exist just for Kohberger. What Barnhart and her team did not find, however, were any images of Kohbergers victims saved to his photo roll. The photos speak to the incredibly isolated life Kohberger led both before and after the murders, with no images of friends or family found on the device. Latah County Prosecutor's Office Bryan Kohberger Barnhart, a SANS Institute Fellow and the Senior Director of Forensic Research for Cellebrite, was brought on by the Latah County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to assist in the case by searching Kohberger's cell phone and hard drive for any clues. She has previously leant her expertise on a number of high-profile legal proceedings such as the Crystal Rogers case and Delphi murders, as well as the Osama bin Laden raid. She says that her team which on this case included Jared Barnhart, Josh Hickman, Ian Whiffin and Mattia Epifani was forced to dig deep due to the expertise of Kohberger, a former criminology student who left a very small trail of clues. Kohberger is now in Idaho's lone maximum security prison facility serving out four life sentences. The former criminology student took a last second deal that allowed him to avoid the death penalty in exchange for pleading guilty to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. The four University of Idaho students were brutally stabbed to death in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, for reasons that are still unknown. Read the original article on People Lawmakers are gearing up for a crime bill from the White House as President Donald Trumps crackdown on crime in Washington D.C. marches on. Trump hinted that he would be sending a package to Congress in the near future on Wednesday geared toward his administrations continued push to make the district a "beacon" for other blue cities, but gave little detail as to what he may want to see in the legislation. Republicans Ready To Support Trump's Move To Skirt Congress In Dc Crime Crackdown Lawmakers are gearing up for a crime bill from the White House as President Donald Trumps crackdown on crime in Washington D.C. marches on. "We think the Democrats will not do anything to stop crime, but we think the Republicans will do it almost unanimously," Trump said. "So we're going to need a crime bill that we're going to be putting in, and it's going to pertain initially to D.C." He also noted that "we're going to seek a relatively small amount of money" to fix potholes and generally spruce up the district. Shortly after Trumps announcement, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said that he had spoken with the president, Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House staff on "how Congress can help make Washington D.C. safe again." Read On The Fox News App "At the direction of President Trump," Bondi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "This Department of Justice will continue to work with MPD, federal law enforcement and Congress to address the scourge of violent crime in Washington, D.C. and ensure the safety of all Americans visiting or living in our Nations capital." Graham noted that the White House was working on a package to send to him and Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., the chair of the Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee. Top House Republican Says Trump 'Rightly' Took Over Dc Police, Demands Bowser, Others Testify On Crime Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks during a press conference on Saint Michael's Square in the city center on May 30, 2025, in Kyiv, Ukraine. "Together, we will try to shepherd the D.C. Security Fund through Congress to give President Trump the resources he will need to improve the safety and quality of life in our nations capital," Graham said on X. "Every American should be behind this effort to make Washington D.C. clean and safe so that it can truly become the shining city on the hill." Whether the package would become a part of a spending bill, or be its own standalone supplemental funding package, is unclear, and when lawmakers would actually get their hands on a request is also up in the air. The White House referred Fox News Digital back to the president's prior comments on the bill. Lawmakers are not set to return to Washington until after Labor Day and will be met immediately by the fast-approaching deadline to fund the government on Sept. 30. Theyll also have to deal with an expected request from Trump to extend his control of the D.C. police the president has only 30 days unless Congress grants him an extension with a joint resolution. Trump Predicts Little Progress In Potential Shutdown Talks With 'Crazy' Schumer, Jeffries Committee Chair Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., speaks during a hearing of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary in 2024. Republicans are broadly supportive of granting him more time to crack down on crime in the Capitol, but a joint resolution likely requires 60 votes in the Senate, and Senate Democrats are signaling that they wont budge and allow Trump to further consolidate his grip on Washington. Still, Trump suggested that he would trigger a national emergency declaration to circumvent Congress, which some congressional Republicans have already come out in support of. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., declared "No f--- way" during a podcast appearance when asked about an extension, and Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told Fox News Digital in a statement that Trumps move to federalize Washington D.C. was "political theater." "He is doing nothing but creating chaos and ignoring the progress local officials in D.C. have made lowering crime," Durbin said. "And now, he is saying he wants to side-step Congress to extend control of the MPD. There are currently no special conditions of an emergency nature in D.C., which the President has to claim in order to take federal control of MPD under the Home Rule Act. This is unprecedented and nothing more than a power grab." Original article source: Capitol Hill prepares for high-stakes battle over Trump crime package, DC police authority Celebrities and Fans React to Steve Martins Iconic Personal Milestone An Absolute Legend originally appeared on Parade. Social media is being flooded with love, well wishes and hilarious tributes for one of Hollywoods most cherished and enduring comedic actors. On Thursday, fans and famous friends alike took to social media to celebrate the man of the hour, Steve Martin, on his 80th birthday. The legendary actor, comedian, writer and banjo virtuoso is receiving an outpouring of affection on his special day. From his early days as a stand-up comedian and Saturday Night Live host to beloved films like The Jerk, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Father of the Bride, Steve Martin has been a constant source of joy for generations. Now, he is delighting a whole new audience as the lovable Charles-Haden Savage on Hulus hit TV series Only Murders in the Building, proving that true talent never goes out of style. Leading the charge, late-night host and close friend Jimmy Kimmel shared a funny and touching birthday post on his Instagram. "When I met this man - of whom I think so much - in the lilac room at SuperCuts, who could have guessed that wed still be together to celebrate number 80?" Kimmel joked in the caption. "YOU CALL THIS A BIRTHDAY POST FOR @STEVEMARTINREALLY?????" It did not take long for fans to fill the comments with their own birthday wishes and praise for Martin's long and celebrated career. "An absolute legend!! Happy Birthday! " one user wrote. Another fan shared, "You've had me laughing for at least 50 years!! I first saw you on SNL with an arrow through your head strumming your banjo, then the King Tut skit. Classic! Keep us laughing for many more healthy birthdays!" A third fan summed it up perfectly: "80 years young and still stealing the spotlightteach me your ways, @SteveMartinReally." Of course Martins current TV series, Only Murders in the Building, could not resist joining the celebration with a hilarious prank. The show's official Instagram account posted a dapper photo with a simple caption: "Happy birthday Steve Martin." The only catch? The photo was not of Steve Martin, but of Eugene Levy, who in season 4 of Only Murders in the Building plays an actor playing a fictionalized version of Martins character Charles. Fans immediately understood the assignment and played along with the faux mix-up. "Steve, what's your secret, you look a lot younger suddenly?" one commenter joked. Another added, "Why Steve, what gorgeous non-platinum locks you have?" The comment that won the internet for 90s kids everywhere was another user who referenced the comedians shared Cheaper by the Dozen 2film history. Oh yea, the fan quipped, its the guy who was always Jealous because he only had 8 kids and Steve Martin has 12. It is clear from the tidal wave of affection that blanketed the internet on his 80th birthday that whether he is playing the banjo, solving a murder or just getting a haircut with Jimmy Kimmel, Steve Martin remains an absolute treasure to fans and famous friends alike. Celebrities and Fans React to Steve Martins Iconic Personal Milestone An Absolute Legend first appeared on Parade on Aug 14, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared. After a hearing in the D.C. U.S. District Court Friday, the Justice Department agreed to remove its newly named D.C. emergency police chief and to rewrite a directive ending District of Columbia rules limiting cooperation between its police and federal immigration authorities. The District of Columbia sued the Trump administration and Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier in the day. D.C. alleges her efforts to scuttle the District's "sanctuary" rules curbing local police cooperation with immigration authorities during the federal police takeover are illegal. Late Thursday night, Bondi named Terry Cole, the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, emergency police chief in Washington, as part of her sweeping orders to increase federal control over the Metropolitan Police Department. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes heard Friday's arguments in the case, which is centered around Section 740 of the Home Rule Act of 1973. That provision allows the president to require the D.C. mayor to provide "such services of the Metropolitan Police force as the President may deem necessary and appropriate" for up to 30 days. President Trump invoked Section 740 Monday, placing the D.C. MPD under direct federal control to crack down on crime in the district. "I think these are the kinds of issues that should be decided between the district and the government," Reyes said. "If I have to step in, I will." Now, D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith will continue leading the department, according to Yaakov Roth, principal deputy attorney general in the Justice Department. At the end of the hearing, Roth said the Justice Department would make Cole an intermediary between the White House and MPD during the Trump administration's takeover of the city's police. For now, the federal takeover is expected to last 30 days. Both sides agreed to continue the arguments over immigration policy next week, after the new policies are written. In a statement Friday evening following the hearing, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she needed "to defend our autonomy. We know that our access to democracy is different than anywhere else in America." "This evening, I am pleased to be able to report that, after a day in court and in accordance with Home Rule, Pamela Smith remains our Chief of Police," she said. On Thursday night, Bondi, whose department is overseeing the 30-day federalization, announced an order terminating some of the "sanctuary" immigration policies in the nation's capital. Under her order, the MPD would temporarily fully cooperate with federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other immigration authorities. Bondi also rescinded guidance issued by D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith just this week that allowed police officers to transport ICE agents and their detainees and to share immigration information during traffic stops. Smith's directive had still barred most local involvement in federal immigration enforcement. Bondi also removed guidance that prohibited D.C. police officers from searching databases to determine a person's immigration status, even when there's no underlying criminal warrant. She also suspended District rules that barred local police from arresting individuals based on administrative immigration warrants signed by ICE officials not judges and from assisting federal agents during such arrests. The now-defunct policy had required officers to have a criminal nexus before carrying out an arrest and prohibited arrests solely based on suspected civil immigration law violations. Mitchell Reich, an attorney for the D.C. attorney general's office, asked Judge Reyes to block the Trump administration from taking full operational control of MPD and to block Bondi's orders revoking the D.C. police department's non-cooperation with ICE and other federal immigration agencies. Reyes said that the Home Rule Act does require Bowser to follow White House directives, but the administration cannot fully control every MPD move. "The statute would have no meaning at all if the president could just say, 'we're taking over your police department,'" Reyes said. "The president can't say, 'Mayor, I'm asking for the services of your entire police department. I need them to be at my beck and call.'" Reyes said while the Trump administration can make specific requests of the MPD to do something, it cannot tell MPD not to do something. "If the president today called the mayor and said, 'I need the services of the MPD to help ICE,' I don't think she could say no," Reyes said. "The statute says the mayor shall, not the mayor can." The judge also expressed skepticism about Bondi's appointment of Cole. Reyes, appointed to the bench by Joe Biden, has at times criticized the Trump administration's actions in its cases before her. Roth argued that the language in the Home Rule Act is "broad" and allows for the White House takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department without judicial review. In D.C.'s complaint, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb warned that the Trump administration's "unlawful assertions of authority will create immediate, devastating, and irreparable harms for the District. Most critically, the order threatens to upend the command structure of MPD and wreak operational havoc within the department, endangering the safety of the public and law enforcement officers alike." While Mr. Trump has raised the possibility of expanding his administration's control of the city's law enforcement beyond the 30-day maximum without congressional approval, Roth said his interpretation of the law was that the federalization would end without intervention from Congress. "That's why we want this to be successful," Roth said. "We want this to work well." "I totally agree that everyone wants this to be successful," Reyes replied. "And my job as I see it is to make sure that it is successful and within constitutional bounds." Passenger arrested after allegedly causing disturbance midair and forcing flight to divert When could Tropical Storm Erin become a hurricane? Trump, Putin speeches did not announce a ceasefire in Ukraine Disturbing details of clergy abuse at the elite Delbarton school in New Jersey could be made public thanks to a recent court decision placing the spotlight on a former top church leader who could be the states next cardinal, The Post has learned. Auxiliary Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo a potential successor to Newark Cardinal Joseph Tobin, who will reach the mandatory retirement age in May 2027 served for three decades as a teacher and clergy leader at the all-boys Catholic school in Morristown. During his time, at least 30 students came forward with sexual abuse allegations against Delbarton clergy, the Survivors Network of those Abused By Priests said some with lurid claims of being brutally abused hundreds of times by Benedictine monks. A recent court ruling allowing for a new grand jury investigation into clergy sex abuse could shine a light on a slew of alleged abuse at the elite private Delbarton School. Facebook/Delbarton School In June, the states top court ruled that a new grand jury investigation into clerical abuse across the state can move forward which insiders say will include examining claims of a cover-up at the exclusive school. The Camden Diocese battled to block the investigation in court for seven years but announced they were dropping the fight in May, according to NorthJersey.com. From what I know, it would make sense for them to include Delbarton in the investigation, New Jersey State Senator Joe Vitale told The Post of the grand jury investigation. You would certainly want to know how leadership played a role in all of that, Vitale said. And everyone who played a role at Delbarton at the time that abuse was alleged to have occurred should be part of the discussion. A similar grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania in 2018 revealed that over 1,000 children had been victims of clergy abuse, the AP reported. It was considered the most extensive examination of a states Catholic clergy abuse at the time. Bishop Elias Lorenzo was a top clerical leader at Delbarton as sex abuse accusations piled on, and could be Newarks next cardinal. Saint Vincent Seminary Delbarton a Benedictine Catholic middle and high school in tony Morristown where tuition is $48,725 a year boasts a long list of famous alumni, including Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage, Yankees starting shortstop Anthony Volpe and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christies sons. But for the last decade and a half, the school has been in the news over sex abuse allegations against several clergy members at the school including a former headmaster. Most recently, a 2021 lawsuit filed by a former student claims that he was raped and abused more than 150 times by a trio of monks as a Delbarton seventh grader in the 1970s. Cardinal Joseph William Tobin will reach his mandatory retirement age in 2027. Grzegorz Galazka/SIPA / Shutterstock Lorenzo served as Prior at St. Marys Abbey the second-in-command of the Benedictine order that oversees the school from 1995 until 2002, and later served as the rector of the Abbey Church and on an abuse review board until 2008. He also taught at the school during this time. A spokesperson for Delbarton said that Lorenzo was never part of decision-making on the review board but did not respond to other questions asked by The Post. Delbarton released a public letter in 2018, acknowledging that 30 victims claimed they were abused by 13 clergy members at the school. But survivors have long accused the school of waging a campaign to silence them, according to NJ.com. Victim Tom Crane, whose lawsuit was settled in 2018, told the Daily Record that he endured a nightmare of intimidation after filing the suit claiming he and his brother were sexually abused by two Delbarton monks in the 1970s. The Archdiocese did not comment on Bishop Lorenzos behalf, but said the process to appoint a cardinal is a complex, confidential and lengthy one. for New York Post His attorney Gregory Gianforcaro, who currently represents 31 plaintiffs against Delbarton and nearly 50 victims total, said prosecutors are certain to include the school in the new grand jury investigation. I am confident that once the results of this investigation are public that theres going to be a lot of information that will surface about the survivors, Gianforcaro told The Post. The New Jersey Attorney Generals Office told The Post that it could not confirm or deny any details about the investigation, and the Archdiocese of Newark said the AGs Office has not contacted them. In 2020, the late Pope Francis appointed Lorenzo along with two others as Auxiliary Bishops of Newark. Former Delbarton students who have made public sex abuse claims and lawsuits have long held that the school waged a campaign to silence them. Facebook/Delbarton School When current Cardinal Tobin reaches his mandatory retirement age in 2027, insiders said Lorenzo will be among four bishops who could be in contention for the prestigious role. The Archdioceses office said that the Attorney Generals office has not contacted them regarding Lorenzo, and that the process to appoint a cardinal is a complex, confidential and lengthy one. One organization Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP is calling for Lorenzo to be removed from consideration entirely, claiming in a statement last week that he was complicit in the cover-up at Delbarton. It is unacceptable that someone who held authority during decades when so many students were being preyed upon should now be considered for further promotion, said Mark Crawford, a coordinator for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. Getty Images Bishop Lorenzos rise cannot erase the pain experienced by Delbarton survivors, said Mark Crawford, SNAPs New Jersey coordinator. It is unacceptable that someone who held authority during decades when so many students were being preyed upon should now be considered for further promotion. Our members demand transparency and accountability, Crawford added. Under Lorenzos watch, children were abused by wolves in sheeps clothing. Courtesy of Elle Becker I have a busy and fulfilling life: I teach writing classes, I mentor a young girl, and I volunteer at my local history museum. I also have great group of supportive friends. But it wasnt always this way. I have struggled with chronic pain almost my entire life. The first time I recall feeling pain, I was three years old. My bones felt like they were being crushed at night, and I screamed in agony. Mystified, my parents took me to many doctors, including more than a dozen specialists. The diagnosis? Hypersensitivity to pain, and hyperallergic to everything. They told my parents give me Benadryl when I had a painful allergy attack, as they called it. Bu it was so much more than that. Growing up in pain By age nine, I had daily headaches. Benadryl and Tylenol barely worked. I couldnt play outside with my friends because I got painful welts from the sun. My hip and arm joints ached constantly. A growth spurt at ten triggered more screaming episodes, so we went back to more doctors. Again, no answers. My parents believed me, but by twelve, we still had no diagnosis, and I had shinglestwice. The doctor didnt do any tests. He dismissed me with, Youre the most stressed-out seventh grader Ive ever met. Your problems arent that bad. I felt defective and terribly alone. After jumping over hurdles in P.E. class popped my knees out of the socket, I saw an orthopedist who handed me an Ace bandage and told me Id grow into my joints. I never did, and that bandage became my companion throughout high school. College was not an option for mefinancially or physically. Crossing campus would hurt. So I began working, managing nonprofits, but the cycle repeated: work, get sick, lose my job, start over. It curtailed my career, and my dreams of travel became early flights home and canceled plans. My body revolted. By my thirties, my symptoms included electric nerve shocks, severe neuropathy, tremors, and agonizing spasms. Sitting made my legs painfully numb. I was desperate, until a relative suggested I try the Mayo Clinic, which is local to me in Arizona. The doctors there were shocked at my thin frame and gaunt gaze. I saw over fifteen specialists there, because every system in my body was involved. The doctors suspected I had an autoimmune disease, but my case was so complex they couldnt pinpoint a cause. At thirty-two, I started experiencing intense stomach cramps, vomiting, and joint pain. Since I had no official diagnosis, there was no recommended treatment, and no one would prescribe pain medicine without a diagnosis. Turning a corner My mom moved in to care for me, and with her gentle presence, she gave me a renewed sense of hope. I had the courage to keep going. Her unconditional love and unwavering support propped me up. Another helpful moment was when my doctors suggested I try medical cannabis. Within a week, the stomach pain eased, but I still experienced joint and nerve pain. At that point, a doctor finally prescribed pain medication, which brought some relief. I also returned to childhood coping tools. Growing up in a New Age household, I used meditation and biofeedback (visualization of the pain leaving). They dont erase the pain, but they do allow me to take a mental step back from it. Then, things changed when, after all those years, I finally had a name for my condition: The doctors at Mayo discovered I had mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and afterward, they diagnosed me with multiple chronic conditions, including chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), small fiber neuropathy (SFN), piriformis syndrome, and hypermobility Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) MCAS explained so much. Its a condition in which mast cellsthe bodys first respondersgo haywire and release floods of inflammatory chemicals. It worsens everything else, including my nerve and joint pain. Finally getting diagnosed and knowing what was happening in my body was life changing. It wasn't just a diagnosis, it was validation. I had been treated like a mystery to solve or problem to dismiss. Now doctors came to me with solutions and a treatment plan. Most importantly, it renewed my sense of hope. I could begin to heal. Moving forward with hope In 2022, after losing my mom and close family members, I needed connection. I wanted to help people who are suffering silently. I co-founded The Chronic Haven, a nonprofit peer support group for people living with chronic illness and pain. We offer online support meetings, game nights, creative classes, and more. This is where I found my tribe, and it brings me so much joy. Finally, at 45, I was approved for intravenous immunoglobulin immunotherapy (IVIG) for CIDP/SFN. Every two weeks, I receive donor antibodies that help rebuild the myelin sheaths around my nerves. Its helping immensely. I have much to live for today. I have a better quality of life. I look forward to IVIG days, because that means I am one step close to being better. I am happy today, with supportive friends and a good team of doctors in place. I have found my smile again. You Might Also Like By Alexandra Alper WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democrats took aim at the Trump administration after Reuters reported on Wednesday that the Navy and Air Force were poised to cancel nearly completed software projects worth over $800 million. The reason for the move was an effort by some officials at the services to steer new projects to companies like Salesforce and Palantir, in what could amount to a costly do-over. The Pentagon has yet to show that it had a good reason for halting these contracts in the last inning and scrapping work American tax dollars have already paid for," Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said in a statement. "If it cant show its homework, then this announcement - just days after Palantirs CEO spoke at Mike Johnsons Wyoming donor retreat - reeks of corruption. Punchbowl reported this month that Palantir CEO Alex Karp planned to address Republican House Speaker Mike Johnsons annual big-donor retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Pentagon and Air Force did not respond to requests for comment. The Navy declined to comment. Trump officials have said the administration is striving to make the contracting process more efficient. The comments show growing concern among Democratic lawmakers over waste at the Pentagon, even as Donald Trump took office vowing to rid the government of waste and abuse. The website of the Department of Government Efficiency, the agency he created to spearhead those efforts, lists over $14 billion in Defense Department contracts it claims to have canceled. But seven months into his presidency, some of his own actions have complicated DOGE's work, from firing the Pentagon's inspector general to issuing an executive order prioritizing speed and risk-taking in defense acquisitions. If youre serious about cracking down on waste, fraud, and abuse, the last thing youd do is cancel $800 million in projects that are nearly ready to roll out just to turn around and steer the same work to corporations of your choosing," said Democratic Representative Maggie Goodlander, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee and served as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve. "This maneuver is an insult to taxpayers and servicemembers across America," she added. Salud Carbajal, another House Democrat who sits on the Armed Services Committee, said the behavior was part of a pattern of waste at the Pentagon under Trump. I understand that our militarys acquisition and procurement processes arent flawless, but this administration has repeatedly shown a blatant disregard for the responsible use of taxpayer dollars, said Carbajal, citing "lavish" military parades and "unnecessary" troop deployments in Los Angeles. Democratic U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda, who also sits on the committee, echoed Carbajal's remarks. "Stripping away critical oversight guardrails is unnecessary and downright reckless," she said, adding that after many delays, the Pentagon was finally poised to implement military pay systems that could pass an audit. "Taxpayers should not fund sweetheart deals for the well connected." (Reporting by Alexandra Alper; Editing by Andrea Ricci) August 15, 2025: Myanmar, a nation of 56 million people located in Southeast Asia between Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand, has got lots of problems. For starters its the poorest nation in the region with a per-capita income of $1,477. This is saying something because its landlocked eastern neighbor Laos has a per-capita income of $2,170. Poverty is the least of Myanmars problems. First there is the civil war, which began in 2021 after a period of armed unrest in the countryside. Myanmar's long-running insurgencies escalated significantly in response to the 2021 government takeover by army generals. This was followed by the subsequent brutal suppression of citizens protesting the military government. The exiled National Unity Government/NUG and several tribal militias repudiated the 2008 constitution and demanded a democracy based on federal states. Besides engaging this alliance, the ruling government of the State Administration Council/SAC, also contends with other anti-SAC forces in areas under its control. The armed rebels are spread throughout the country in hundreds of armed groups scattered across the nation. It gets worse, for Myanmars lawless regions are refuges for Chinese gangs carrying out internet-based financial scams. Several well-connected organized criminal groups operate these scam centers across Southeast Asia, mainly in the poorer states like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Their scams usually consist of encouraging unsuspecting victims around the world to hand over their financial savings. Many of the organized crime groups came to these countries after Beijing began an anticorruption crackdown on illegal cross-border gambling and money laundering in Macau, a special administrative region of China located on its southern coast. While casinos are illegal in mainland China, the ones just across the border from China, as well as in Macau, have long served as sources of profit, tools for money laundering, and bases of other illegal activities for organized crime groups. The scam centers are staffed by thousands of people, many of whom the criminal groups deceived into coming to Myanmar where they are illegally forced to work in inhumane and abusive conditions. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates that more than two hundred thousand people have been trafficked into Myanmar and Cambodia to execute these online scams. The trafficking networks reportedly stretch far beyond the region, pulling in victims from countries including Brazil, Kenya, and the Netherlands. Since many of the scam victims are from China, the Chinese government's role in Myanmars civil war and its relationship with the military government is questioned at home. China has generally supported Myanmars military government. The rise in Southeast Asian scam centers has altered Chinas role in Myanmars civil war and its relationship with the military government, as many of the cyber scams and trafficking victims are Chinese citizens. Beijing has generally supported Myanmars junta to safeguard its Belt and Road infrastructure projects in the country and to prevent fighting or displacement from spilling into Chinas Yunnan province. But the juntas inability to crack down on scam centers, as well as the growing victimization of Chinese citizens, has changed Chinas calculus. In late October 2023, three ethnic insurgent groups successfully coordinated an attack on the Myanmar military in northeastern Shan State. In their justification for launching the offensive, the ethnic armed groups claimed they would eliminate scam centers along the China-Myanmar border, accusing the junta of tolerating and profiting from the industry. Experts say China offered tacit approval for the attack, suggesting Beijing is willing to allow temporary instability on its border if it stops the human trafficking and scamming of its citizens. Chinese law enforcement is pressuring local ethnic militias to hand over Chinese nationals and close the scam centers. Since the counteroffensive, China has repatriated more than forty thousand citizens, according to state-backed media. The rise in Southeast Asian scam centers has altered Chinas role in Myanmars civil war and its relationship with the military government, as many of the cyber scams and trafficking victims are Chinese citizens. Beijing has generally supported Myanmars junta to safeguard its Belt and Road infrastructure projects in the country and to prevent fighting or displacement from spilling into Chinas Yunnan province. But the juntas inability to crack down on scam centers, as well as the growing victimization of Chinese citizens, has changed Chinas calculus. As China continues with its crackdown by repatriating scam gang leaders, kingpins and human trafficking victims, some criminal syndicates have shifted their enterprises to Myanmars eastern region of Karen State bordering Thailand. Thailand has accepted the military junta under previous governments, and crime syndicates have relied on access to electricity and telecommunications in Thailand to operate. However, some experts suggest that current Thai Prime Minister Sretta Thavisin has concentrated on the national security challenge that Myanmars scam centers pose to Thailand. In March 2024, Thailand assisted in a joint operation to repatriate almost one thousand citizens to China from Myanmar. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom issued coordinated sanctions in December 2023 on individuals and entities involved with the scams, which followed previous sanctions issued shortly after the 2021 coup to cut off other revenue streams for the Myanmar military, such as the oil and gas industry. Meanwhile, American authorities have taken action in some individual cases by seizing assets of those profiting from crypto scams. In one case, the American Department of Justice seized $9 million worth of crypto, disrupting the financial infrastructure of the scam network. Thus 0ne of the group of six Malaysian men rescued from a human trafficking syndicate in Myanmar was given a hug upon arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang on December 21, 2022. In 2023, the U.S. Department of State released its latest Trafficking in Persons report, and its Burma/Myanmar chapter documented cyber scam abuses in the country. Its findings serve as evidence for the United States to withhold non-humanitarian foreign aid from countries that are complicit in human traffickinga tactic that the United States already implemented in Myanmar but no other neighboring countries complicit in human trafficking, such as Cambodia. Experts argue that cutting back U.S. assistance is one way Washington can address continued human trafficking. What should policymakers expect next? The future of scam operations in Myanmar is uncertain, particularly given the transnational nature of the problem and the uncertainty of the countrys civil war. Experts warn that these criminal enterprises are highly mobile and can easily elude a crackdown by dispersing their operations across borders. Unfortunately, the law enforcement responses have been very much contained within national boundaries, says Americans Jason Tower, country director for Myanmar at the United States Institute of Peace. Some experts say that as China continues its efforts to protect its own citizens from being scammed, the operations will likely seek even more victims in the West. America will need to ramp up its international collaboration, including raising this issue with China. There will also need to be a new policy approach to fentanyl. This is necessary to effectively protect American citizens from these scams in the near future. FILE - This combo of images released by the Arkansas Department of Corrections shows the recapture of escaped inmate Grant Hardin, an ex-police chief and convicted killer, by Arkansas law enforcement officers and the U.S. Border Patrol, June 6, 2025, near Moccasin Creek in Izard County, about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) northwest of Calico Rock prison. in Calico Rock, Ark. (Arkansas Department of Corrections via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) A former police chief known as the Devil in the Ozarks spent months planning his escape from an Arkansas prison, and said lax security in the kitchen where he worked allowed the convicted murderer to gather the supplies he needed, an internal review by prison officials released Friday said. The Department of Corrections' critical incident review of Grant Hardin's May 25 escape from the Calico Rock prison provides the most detailed description so far of his planning and the issues that allowed him to walk out of the facility. Hardin was captured 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) northwest of the Calico Rock prison on June 6. Authorities said he escaped by donning an outfit he designed to look like a law enforcement uniform. Hardin, who worked in the prison's kitchen, said he spent six months planning his escape and used black Sharpie markers and laundry he found lying around the kitchen to create the fake uniform, according to the report. Hardin fashioned a fake badge using the lid of a can. Hardin stated he would hide the clothes and other items he was going to need in the bottom of a trash can in the kitchen due to no one ever shaking it down, the report says. Two prison employees have been fired for procedure violations that led to Hardin's escape. They include a kitchen employee who allowed Hardin on a back dock unsupervised and a tower guard who unlocked the back gate that Hardin walked through without confirming his identity. Several other employees have been suspended and one demoted, lawmakers were told this week. The kitchen's staff was very lax on security, Hardin told investigators, allowing him to gather what he needed for his escape. Hardin said he didn't have any help from staff or other inmates. Hardin had constructed a ladder from wooden pallets in case he needed to scale the prison fence but didn't need it. (Hardin) stated when he walked up to the gate, he just directed the officer to open the gate, and he did, the report says. After he escaped from the prison, Hardin survived on food he had smuggled out of the prison along with distilled water from his CPAP machine. Hardin also drank creek water and ate berries, bird eggs and ants. He said his plan was to hide in the woods for six months if need be and begin moving west out of the area, the report says. Hardin, a former police chief in the small town of Gateway, near the Arkansas-Missouri border, is serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape. He was the subject of the TV documentary Devil in the Ozarks. The report is one of two reviews into Hardin's escape, which is also being investigated by the Arkansas State Police. A legislative subcommittee has also been holding hearings about the escape. Republican Rep. Howard Beaty, who co-chairs the Legislative Council's Charitable, Penal and Correctional Institutions Subcommittee, said the panel hoped to discuss both reports with officials at a hearing next month. Republican Sen. Ben Gilmore, who sits on the panel, said he didn't think the department's review took a thorough enough look at the systemic issues that enabled Hardin's escape. They have focused on the final failure instead of all of the things that led up to it, he said. The report also cites confusion among corrections officials in the early stages of Hardin's escape about which law enforcement agencies had been notified, the report says. It is obvious there was a lot of confusion during the beginning stages of opening the command center and of notifications being made, the report says. Hardin had been misclassified and shouldnt have been held at the primarily medium-security prison, according to the review. After he was captured, Hardin was moved to a maximum-security prison. He has pleaded not guilty to escape charges, and his trial is set for November. Hardin's custody classification hadn't been reviewed since October 2019, the report says. The Department of Corrections' review says officials had taken several steps since Hardin's escape, including removing the electric locks from the gates to prevent someone from walking out without an officer present. The report also calls for additional cameras after finding a blind spot on the dock Hardin used, and for any shakedown searches for contraband to include mechanical rooms and side rooms. Hand rejecting a bottle of beer - Brian A Jackson/Shutterstock Sometimes, it's not the most delicious brews that linger in memory, but rather the unpleasant ones. One beer that has earned this dubious distinction is Kirkland Signature Light. Although a simple American light lager with 4.2% ABV, the product generated quite a buzz. Since its discontinuation in 2018, online discourse has only intensified, with some even calling it the worst beer they've ever tried. Redditors love pointing out disappointing Costco products, and they didn't go easy on this one. One user claimed that Kirkland Light "tastes like fermented hay. I couldn't stomach it," while another wrote, "this is the only beer I've thrown away" (per Reddit). A contributor on BeerAdvocate added, "a shame they even put the word beer on the can." The numbers support the criticism: As of August 2025, Kirkland Signature Light holds a 2.04 out of 5 on Untappd and a 63 out of 100 or a "poor" score on BeerAdvocate. Read more: Every Costco Price Tag Code, Explained Kirkland Signature Light Was A Rare Costco Miss Kirkland Signature Light Beer on countertop - TblueJsker / X As the years have passed, all that online chatter may have only worsened the beer's infamy. They say distance may make the heart grow fonder but perhaps the opposite is true for the taste buds. After all, Costco usually gets it right with alcohol its spirits, like the popular Kirkland Signature spiced rum, have earned a solid reputation. Costco's fan-favorite Kirkland Signature Helles-Style Lager has also garnered strong reviews, with a respected brand behind its production. Still, with Kirkland Signature Light, it seems Costco prioritized quantity over quality. The beer averaged around 50 cents a can and was sold in massive packs of up to 48 cans. Add in some tempting discounts, and it's easy to see why someone might grab a box to supply a party, unaware of what was inside. Maybe a few people even enjoyed a can or two, distracted by conversation rather than the flavor. But was it a brew worthy of awards? Certainly not. Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we're helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. Read the original article on Food Republic. AJ_Watt - Getty Images "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." When cooking meat, Salmonella and E. coli are valid concerns, but using a meat thermometer can alleviate those worries. Different proteins should be cooked to different internal temperatures; though with some, like beef, there is a wider range of acceptable temperatures based on personal preference. Always check the temperature of meat by inserting the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the cut. Whether you are cooking a protein for the first time or the hundredth, there is a lot to consider. You have to decide which cut to choose , what flavors pair best, and whether you want to cook on the grill , stovetop, in the oven, or use another method. Once youve done all that, you have to nail the most important part: cooking the protein correctly. Weve all had a tough steak, a chewy pork chop, or a dry turkey on Thanksgiving, and really, is there anything worse? While Salmonella and E. coli are genuine concerns, theres no reason to overcook your protein for peace of mind. Purchase a reliable meat thermometer and trust its readings. With that in mind, our food editors have compiled this list of internal temperatures to help you achieve perfectly cooked meat every time. DESIGNER: ALISON DOMINGUEZ The Safe Internal Temperature For Beef Beef is one protein where the internal temperature can be, in part, based on personal preference. While some may prefer their steak cooked rare, others prefer it well done. For a ribeye, we think the ideal temperature falls somewhere between 130F and 135F, which will get you a perfectly cooked medium-rare steak. When it comes to hamburgers , the USDA suggests raising the temperature to 160F. This creates a well-done burger and ensures that any bacteria present on the surface of the meat are killed. However, we don't blame you if you prefer your burger cooked to a lower internal temp for rare, medium-rare, or medium instead. The Safe Internal Temperature For Chicken Now, lets talk chicken . The safe internal temperature for chicken breasts is 165F, and there is little wiggle room here, or when it comes to poultry in general. Chicken thighs should also be cooked to 165F for safety. However, thighs can be cooked to 175F to 190F. There is more connective tissue in dark meat, so more cooking time helps that tissue break down, creating even more tender meat. There is no need to overcook chicken to get rid of every bit of pink. In fact, there are several reasons a properly cooked chicken may have some pink that have nothing to do with doneness. Dont believe me? Check out our article discussing when pink chicken is safe to eat . The Safe Internal Temperature For Pork I often see people overcook pork , either out of fear of undercooking or just a lack of experience. For pork chops, you want an internal temperature of 145F. Cooking it to a higher temperature will result in dry, tough meat. You may see some pink, and that is fine! While pink pork may seem scary, it actually means the texture and flavor of your chops will be nicer. As long as your thermometer reads 145F, youre in the clear. The Safe Internal Temperature For Fish Like pork, you want to cook most fish to an internal temperature of 145F. Both salmon and tuna should be cooked to 145F. The Safe Internal Temperature For Lamb Lamb is another protein that gives you some wiggle room depending on your doneness preference, but we think 145F is the best temperature for a slightly medium rare to medium cook. Well-done lamb can cook all the way from 160F to 170F, but we think the taste and texture are best at a slightly lower temperature. The Safe Internal Temperature For Duck Duck should be cooked to 165F, per the USDA. But duck, although a type of poultry, is considered more akin to red meat and not a common carrier of Salmonella. The thigh meat of duck should be 165F (and just like chicken thighs, you can cook it to a higher temperature for more tender meat). The breasts are typically cooked to 130-135F for medium rare, and 140F for medium. While duck may seem intimidating, given that it is less often used and more expensive than chicken, it is delicious and worth a shot at home. The Safe Internal Temperature For Turkey Turkey should also be cooked to 165F, although it is essential to account for the resting time of a whole bird. There's a lot of heat trapped in a large bird once you pull it from the oven, so it will continue to rise in temperature as it rests. A whole turkey should be cooked until the temperature in the thickest part of the breast registers 155F and the thigh registers 165F. If you are looking for more tips on how to treat your turkey, check out our recipe for how to cook a turkey . Similarly, for ground turkey , your target should also sit at 165F. Its a lot to memorize, especially if youre cooking with multiple different meats throughout the week. But heres a pro tip: most instant-read thermometers include a temperature guide on the packaging to help you remember. Happy cooking! You Might Also Like (Reuters) -South Korea intends to restore an agreement to suspend some military activity along the border with North Korea, President Lee Jae Myung said on Friday, as his government seeks to improve relations between neighbours still technically at war. The 2018 military accord was designed to curb the risk of inadvertent clashes, but broke down after a spike in tensions. WHAT HAPPENED IN 2018? The so-called Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA) signed between the two Koreas was the most substantive deal to result from months of historic meetings between leader Kim Jong Un and then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in. On September 19, 2018, South Korea's defence minister and his North Korean counterpart signed the CMA in the North's capital, Pyongyang, accompanied by polite applause from the onlooking leaders. Under the CMA, both countries agreed to "completely cease all hostile acts against each other" and implement military confidence-building measures in air, land and sea domains. The measures included the two sides ending military drills near the border, banning live-fire exercises in certain areas, the imposition of no-fly zones, the removal of some guard posts along the Demilitarized Zone, and maintaining hotlines. On the ground, both sides agreed to completely cease artillery drills and field training within 5 km (3 miles) of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) between the countries. At sea, they installed covers on the barrels of naval guns and coastal artillery and closed gun ports in a buffer zone along the sea border. MILITARY DEAL FALLS APART With inter-Korean and denuclearisation talks long stalled, the military accord started to fracture in recent years amid drills and shows of force along the fortified border between the Koreas as they accused the other of breaches. North Korea's launch of a spy satellite in 2023 further ratcheted up tensions on the Korean peninsula, and the countries walked away from the confidence-building pact. South Korea's National Security Council that year moved to "suspend the effect of Article 1, Clause 3" establishing no-fly zones close to the border in the 2018 military agreement, enabling Seoul to restore reconnaissance and surveillance activities along the border. South Korea's military then restarted aerial surveillance in border areas, the defence ministry said. North Korea in return said its army would "never be bound" by the pact, ripping up the agreement and vowing to restore all military measures it had halted under the deal. In June 2024, former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a complete suspension of the military pact in response to North Korea's move to send hundreds of rubbish-stuffed balloons across the border. Later that year, as hostilities increased state-run news agency KCNA said North Korea amended its constitution to designate the South as a "hostile state". HOW WILL PYONGYANG RESPOND? President Lee, who won a snap election in June, has sought to re-engage Pyongyang after a period of cross-border tension and shown a willingness to return to dialogue. He touted on Friday his government's efforts to ease tensions, including halting the launch of balloons floated by activists with anti-North Korea leaflets and dismantling loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts across the border. How Pyongyang might respond remains unclear. Top North Korean officials have in recent weeks dismissed moves taken by Lee's new liberal government to ease tensions. Some analysts are also sceptical about the short-term prospects of a favourable response from North Korea to such overtures. (Reporting by Ju-Min Park and Heejin Kim; Editing by Ed Davies and Tom Hogue) A 16th-century document signed by Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes has been found decades after it was stolen from Mexicos national archives and was repatriated to the country on Aug. 13, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced. The "priceless cultural artifact" was returned to the government of Mexico in a ceremony, according to the FBI. Special Agent Jessica Dittmer, a member of the FBI's Art Crime Team, said the document was the original manuscript page signed by Cortes on Feb. 20, 1527. Authorities believe the manuscript page was stolen in the 1980s or 1990s, according to the FBI. Dittmer noted that no one will be charged in connection with the theft because the document had changed hands various times in the decades since its disappearance. "Pieces like this are considered protected cultural property and represent valuable moments in Mexico's history, so this is something that the Mexicans have in their archives for the purpose of understanding history better," Dittmer said in a statement. The manuscript page is the second Cortes document the FBI has returned to the Mexican government, according to the agency. In July 2023, the FBI returned a letter which dates back to April 1527 from Cortes authorizing a purchase of rose sugar. The FBI said the repatriation of the document was a result of collaboration between the agency, the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Mexican government. For decades, Mexico has sought the repatriation of cultural artifacts, including a delicate headdress made of iridescent quetzal feathers thought to have belonged to Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II, currently housed in an Austrian museum. Many ended up in US museums: Nazis seized hundreds of artworks from anti-Hitler comic. Manuscript pages were discovered missing in 1993 Before the document went missing, the FBI said Mexicos General Archive of the Nation had counted the manuscript in a collection of historical documents that were signed by Cortes. While archivists were microfilming the collection in October 1993 for inventory, they discovered that 15 pages of the manuscript were missing. It is believed that the manuscript page was stolen between 1985 and 1993 due to a wax numbering system used by archivists in the mid-1980s, according to Dittmer. The system also helped investigators find and authenticate the document, the FBI said. In 2024, the Mexican government asked for the assistance of the FBI's Art Crime Team in locating the manuscript page, according to the agency. The FBI said further investigation and research revealed that the document was likely in the United States. Investigators then worked with the FBI Atlanta Field Office and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York to find the relevant records and track down the missing manuscript. The FBI is still searching for the other missing pages and has urged the public to contact their New York Field Office with any potential information on the documents. The photo shows a manuscript page signed by Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, which the FBI returned to the government of Mexico on Aug. 13, 2025. (Courtesy of FBI) Cambodian artifacts: Family of late billionaire agrees to return 33 stolen artifacts to Cambodia Manuscript page provides details on payments for supplies The manuscript page "outlines the payment of pesos of common gold for expenses in preparation for discovery of the spice lands, so it really gives a lot of flavor as to the planning and preparation for unchartered territory back then," Dittmer said. She added that the document is considered historically significant because it contains a complete account of logistical and planning details tied to Cortes' journey through what eventually became the territory of the Spanish Empire, known as New Spain. The territory stretched from present-day Washington state to Louisiana and down through Latin America, according to the FBI. Cortes landed in Mexico with a small army in 1519 when he formed alliances with local groups that opposed the Aztec empire, which helped him capture the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan modern-day Mexico City just two years later. The date of the document, Feb. 20, 1527, was days before one of Cortes' top lieutenants was appointed co-governor of the conquered territory. It was a key year for the formation of royal and religious institutions that would rule over the indigenous peoples of Mexico until the War of Independence. Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FBI returns 16th-century document signed by Hernan Cortes to Mexico Randy White was protective of his beautiful young wife. When the couple met for lunch at their Florida home on June 14, 1982, he insisted on following her back to work in his car despite the inconvenience. He watched her unlock the door and wave goodbye. He tooted his horn and drove off. Twelve minutes later, Janet Renee White was dead, stabbed repeatedly in the nearby woods. "At 12:55 p.m., I kissed her goodbye. They estimated her time of death was 1:07 p.m.," Randy White told USA TODAY in an interview. "Youre not prepared for life to just stop that abruptly." Janet Renee White and Randy White are picture in New Orleans, one of their favorite vacation spots. Now Renees killer Kayle Barrington Bates is set to be executed by lethal injection in Florida on Aug. 19. Randy plans to be there because he wants to see justice finally carried out for Renee, 43 years after her murder. As Bates' appeals run out and his execution approaches, USA TODAY is looking back at Randy and Renee Whites love story, the horrific crime, and how he managed to survive the worst day of his life. 'Who the heck is that young lady?' Randy White was 19 years old and hanging out at a pizza parlor in Marianna in the Florida panhandle. "She walks in the door, and I mean the second she walked in, I can still remember what I said. 'Who the heck is that young lady?'" Randy recalled. "She was absolutely gorgeous." Janet Renee White is pictured. The raven-haired girl ordered pizza and was looking for a seat when Randy took her by the wrist and told her to sit by him. "She said, 'I don't know you,' and I said, 'That don't matter, sit down,'" he recalled. "And from that night on, I saw her every night until we got married 10 weeks later. And I was with her every single day after that." Later, Randy learned that when Renee got home the night they met, she told her mother: "I have met the man of my dreams." "We were completely crazy about each other," Randy said. "Like flipped upside-down crazy." Janet Renee White and Randy White are pictured on their wedding day in 1974. 'She always wanted to be somebody' Eight years after the wedding, the Whites were living like they were still on their honeymoon. Renee loved to travel and would come up with last-minute plans that kept Randy's head spinning. "We'd probably been dating not even three weeks, and we were out one night having fun ... It was 1:30 in the morning, and she comes up to me and says, 'Let's go to Jacksonville," Randy recalled. "'I said, 'It's 1:30 in the morning and Jacksonville is three hours away from here.' Well, you can guess where we ended up." One time, a close friend living in Chicago called the couple to say he'd bought them Led Zeppelin tickets if they could make the trip up. "She's like, you can go with me or I can go without you," Randy said. "I was like, 'I'm going.' I told my boss, and he asked how long I was going to need and I said, 'Maybe five days.' Twelve days later, we're still in Chicago." Janet Renee White and Randy White are pictured. Randy didn't mind the unpredictability. "She did stuff like that all the time," he said. "I never had any idea where I'd wind up with her." At the time, Randy worked as a salesman on the business supply side of Maxwell House Coffee, while Renee was an office manager at State Farm Insurance in Lynn Haven, Florida. She was taking night classes in hopes of one day opening her own insurance office. "She always wanted to be somebody," Randy said. The couple had talked about kids for years, but being so young, Randy was in no hurry. In 1982, when he was 27 and she was 24, they decided it was time, he said. "She wanted children really, really bad." Janet Renee White is pictured. A shocking attack: 'Renee fought back' On Monday, June 14, 1982, everything changed for the Whites. The couple had just spent a romantic weekend at Cape San Blas and Shell Island along theFlorida Panhandle coastline and were back at work. At lunchtime, they met at their home in Lynn Haven. She watched her favorite show, "Days of Our Lives," while he made her a sandwich. When it was time to return to work, Randy wanted to make sure Renee got back safely because her boss was out looking for new business, and she was the only one in the office. What the couple didn't know when Renee waved goodbye to Randy is that a man had broken into the back of the office and was waiting for her. As Renee walked in, the phone was ringing. She answered and was about to say "Hello" when Kyle Barrington Bates popped out, according to court records. Renee let out a "bone-chilling scream," and Bates cut the phone cord, court records say. The woman who had been calling the office immediately called local police. It was too late. "Bates attacked her, but Renee fought back," according to court records. "Despite her best efforts, Bates overpowered Renee and forced her into the woods behind the office." Kayle Bates is pictured in a prison mugshot. Bates "brutally beat" Renee, strangled her, stabbed her twice in the chest, and "attempted to rape her," according to court records, though Randy disagrees with the terminology regarding the sexual assault. Bates admitted to "engaging in one-sided sexual conduct" with Renee and "both his and Renee's underwear contained evidence of semen," court records say. Within about 15 minutes of waving goodbye to Renee, Randy got a call that there was an emergency at her office. Worried sick, he rushed to the scene, where a sheriff's chaplain broke the news. "He looked at me and said, 'Mr. White, I don't know any easy way to say this, and I don't know any other way to tell you this, but your wife's been murdered,'" Randy remembered. "I completely lost it." Police arrived within minutes of the attack. Bates attempted to make a getaway but got turned around and ended up walking through a clearing right in front of an armed officer. Though he was covered in blood, had Renee's wedding ring in his pocket, and admitted to taking her to the woods, Bates has always denied killing her. He was convicted of murder and other charges and sentenced to death. His attorney did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. 'Your wife's been murdered' Wracked with grief after the murder, Randy became a loner and got addicted to cocaine, which helped "block out the demons chasing me." The following years were filled with pain and darkness, and he abandoned his dream of having children. "After she was killed, that part of me went away," he said. "It destroyed me. I thought, 'I'm done, I'm not going to bring a child into the world.'" Then, seven years after the murder, he met someone. Randy was walking into the salon where he got his haircut when he met the new receptionist. For the second time in his life, he recalled: "I went, 'Who the heck is that girl?'" Now Randy and Jennifer White have been married for 29 years. Jennifer and Randy White are pictured. "It was a blessing," he said. "There's no doubt that she was sent to me because I was in a place that was darker than dark ... She pulled me out of the depths of hell." Randy said he quit cocaine cold turkey in 1995, flushing his supply down the toilet. He hasn't touched it since. "I'm better than I've ever been" since the murder, said Randy, now 70. "I still deal with a lot of people telling me, 'You're just depressed.' I don't look at it as depression. I look at it as loneliness. I'm always going to be lonely for her." Now Randy is mentally preparing to witness Bates' execution, which he said is much too long in coming, so many years after Renee's murder. "This has just been hanging out there for 43 years, so at least this part, I can put behind me and not think of it again. I can be done with it," he said. "But Ill never get past it. I will fight that until my last breath." Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at amanda.myers@usatoday.com and follow her on X at @AmandaLeeUSAT This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Young Florida couple had a whirlwind romance. Then a killer struck. Prosecutors in Florida cleared an officer who was involved in a violent traffic stop that gained national attention when a video of the encounter went viral online, sparking outrage and several official reviews. The State Attorneys Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida announced on Aug. 14 that they will take "no further action" against Officer Donald Bowers, who could be seen on video smashing the window of a driver and punching him in the head. Prosecutors concluded that Bowers' use of force was justified, saying the driver, 22-year-old William McNeil Jr., had refused to get out of the car despite repeated warnings and orders to do so. In a 16-page investigative report, the state attorney's office said McNeil "created a dangerous situation for himself and law enforcement." McNeil's lawyers, Ben Crump and Harry Daniels, said prosecutors did not interview McNeil and ignorred his multiple injuries, including a chipped tooth and a concussion. They also said they will request the Department of Justice to investigate the incident and the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office. "The Investigative Memo from the State Attorneys Office from the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida is little more than an attempt to justify the actions of Officer Bowers and his fellow officers after the fact," McNeil's attorneys said in a joint statement. How did the violent traffic stop unfold? The Feb. 19 traffic stop began when Bowers pulled over McNeil, a college student, for not wearing a seatbelt and a headlight violation. The investigative memo also said McNeil's SUV was spotted earlier at a house being surveilled for "drug activity." After he was pulled over, McNeil locked himself in his vehicle, refused commands to step out of the SUV and asked to speak with a supervisor, body camera videos show. After several warnings, Bowers smashed McNeil's window and struck him in the head. McNeil was pulled out of the car and officers continued to strike him as he was brought to the ground. The investigative report included details from an interview with Bowers in which he described the punch as "a distractionary blow," a tactic learned during his time as a narcotics officer. McNeil's lawyers said the language used in the report excused what they believe was "unlawful" use of force. In a search of McNeil and his SUV, officers found a knife as well as marijuana, according to the sheriff's office. McNeil pleaded guilty to resisting an officer without violence and driving with a suspended license, court records show. Charges of marijuana possession and multiple traffic violations were dismissed. What has McNeil said about his encounter with police? McNeil and his family have spoken out about the violent traffic stop and have called for accountability. "That day, I just really wanted to know why I was getting pulled over, and why I needed to step out of the car," McNeil said at a news conference in July. "I know I didnt do nothing wrong. I was really just scared, and thats it." At the same news conference, his stepfather Alton Solomon said he knows how his son felt that day because something similar happened to him when he was the same age. "To see that is a hurt feeling," he said through tears. Since the traffic stop gained national attention, McNeil has received financial support. A GoFundMe that he created to cover medical expenses and legal fees has racked up over $21,000, according to the fundraiser's webpage. Contributing: Scott Butler, The Florida Times-Union This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida officer wont face charges in violent traffic stop CNN/Getty Images Two separate lawsuits over Alligator Alcatraz could ensure detainees have proper access to their legal counsel or shut down operations at the controversial makeshift immigrant detention center in Floridas swampy Everglades. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump have touted the location of the facility, which can house 3,000 or more detainees. State officials say its situated between a large airport runway to ease deportation flights and wetlands teeming with alligators to help prevent escapes. But Democratic lawmakers who toured the facility described the conditions as barbaric, with wall-to-wall humans packed into cages. Detainees reported worms in their food, toilets that dont flush, floors flooded with fecal waste and mosquito infestations, according to the Associated Press. Now, a lawsuit over environmental concerns might stop operations at the facility possibly resulting in the costly and logistically difficult task of rehousing detainees elsewhere. Major environmental concerns Alligator Alcatraz is close to marshlands that serve as a crucial source of freshwater and drinking water for South Florida. Environmentalists are suing to stop the facilitys operations. Friends of the Everglades a nonprofit committed to preserving the Everglades and its interconnected ecosystems and the Center for Biological Diversity asked a court to issue an injunction to halt the unlawful construction of a mass federal detention facility for up to 5,000 noncitizen detainees, the lawsuit states. Defending the Everglades in this legal case is critically important, said Tania Galloni, the Earthjustice managing attorney for Florida, which represents some of the plaintiffs. This is a public natural resource we all depend on, and transforming this site into a mass detention center is reckless, especially without any environmental review. US District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered a 14-day pause on additional construction at the site while witnesses testified at a hearing. The temporary order doesnt include any restrictions on law enforcement or immigration enforcement activity. Williams indicated she will make a more permanent decision before the temporary restraining order expires on August 21. Some detainees are held without charges or access to counsel, lawsuit says The ACLU, the US Immigration Law Counsel, Florida Keys Immigration and others filed a lawsuit that challenges the governments attempts to prevent people detained in civil immigration custody at Alligator Alcatraz from communicating with legal counsel and from filing motions with the immigration court that could result in their release from detention, the complaint states. Defendants in this case have blocked detainees held at the facility from access to legal counsel. No protocols exist at this facility for providing standard means of confidential attorney-client communication, such as in-person attorney visitation and phone or video calls that are available at any other detention facility, jail, or prison. The lawsuit names Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other officials as defendants in the lawsuit. A federal judge gave the state until late September to prepare arguments against an effort to get the civil rights litigation certified as a class action, The Associated Press reported. Indiscriminate witch hunting The Florida Immigrant Coalition lambasted Alligator Alcatraz and how authorities are filling it. Theyve created this capacity issue at detention camps by indiscriminate witch hunting against immigrants, spokesperson Thomas Kennedy told CNN on Thursday. Its a solution in search of a problem. And as the threat of hurricanes looms this season, he said officials dont have an adequate plan on how the tent city can withstand hurricane forces. The plan was just a giant redacted black page, Kennedy said. DeSantis stood at a press conference and said that these tents can withstand a category 2 hurricane when weve seen with our own eyes how the site flooded with just a regular summer Florida rain during the first day when Trump was there. But Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins said his state is leading the way in clamping down on illegal immigration. We have partnered with the president of the United States, with the White House, with anybody and everybody who is serious about getting things done and getting illegal immigrants out of our nation and out of our country because thats what Florida does, Collins said Thursday. Florida announces Deportation Depot DeSantis is doubling down on immigrant detention centers in his state including the announcement of a new Deportation Depot, which will hold about 1,300 detainees. Itll be located within the Baker Correctional Institution, a temporarily closed state prison about 45 miles west of Jacksonville near Osceola National Forest. The reason of this is not to just house people indefinitely. We want to process, stage and then return illegal aliens to their home country, DeSantis said. The facility will likely be ready in about two to three weeks, Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A Florida woman caught 60 snakes in the state's annual 10-day challenge to eliminate the invasive Burmese python species wreaking havoc with the Everglades ecosystem. More than 900 people participated in the 2025 Python Challenge, a 10-day hunt in the steamy South Florida heat that this year made history on two fronts with the first woman to win the grand prize and the most total snakes caught since the competition began in 2013. Taylor Stanberry, a 29-year-old Naples resident, was introduced as the 2025 Florida Python Challenge winner on Aug. 13. At 4-feet, 11-inches tall, Stanberry is taking home the grand prize of $10,000 for catching 60 snakes. She is the first woman to win the grand prize in Florida's Python Challenge. Overall, the catches were also monumental this year with 294 pythons captured the most in the contest's history. The contest brings together amateur and professional snake-catchers to hunt within certain zones of south Florida for the pythons, which threaten the state's ecology and are found in the Everglades, preying on birds, mammals and other reptiles. Challengers must capture and humanely kill the pythons and not harm any native species. Stanberry eliminated 33 female pythons and 27 males. The longest snake she caught was just over 9 feet and weighed about 16 pounds. "Every invasive python removed is a win," said Sarah Funk, nonnative fish and wildlife program coordinator with the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission. At least one participant noted that the July dates for the hunt lined up with new hatchlings swarming the southern wetlands, which provided plenty of opportunities for hunters. Donna Kalil, a contract hunter for the South Florida Water Management District, nabbed 56 snakes during the Python Challenge between July 11 and July 20. She brought in 19 during the 2024 contest when the event was held Aug. 9 through Aug. 18. The grand prize winner last year nabbed 20 snakes. More: Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge goes on offense to fight invasive Burmese python spread "It's all because of the timing," said Kalil, who won $2,500 this year for catching the most snakes in the professional category of the challenge. "There were a lot of little baby snakes just getting out of the nest. Some had already had a meal. They come out and are ready to eat." Burmese python breed in the late winter to early spring with females laying clutches of eggs in March or April. The incubation period lasts between 60 to 90 days. Hatchlings can be up to two feet long, which is a lot of what Kalil said she caught. Her longest snake measured 5 feet, 5 inches. Last year she brought in a 12-footer. "All I got was little guys," she said. Taylor Stanberry is the 2025 Florida Python Challenge Ultimate Grand Prize Winner. She received $10,000 for eliminating 60 Burmese pythons during the 10-day competition in July. Stanberry, of Naples, is a contract hunter with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. She said she has been hunting pythons for 10 years but this was the first year she entered the challenge. Her Facebook profile says she is a digital creator with an exotic animal sanctuary. "There are so many amazing female python hunters out there so I had some tough competition," Stanberry said after leaving the Aug. 13 FWC Commission meeting where the results were announced. Stanberry said most of her catches were babies, but she did nab one that she said was between 9.5 and 10 feet long. More: UF researchers deploy robotic rabbits across South Florida to fight Burmese python explosion While this year's participation is higher than 2024, the number of hunters has fluctuated over the years from a high of nearly 1,600 in 2013 to just 600 during the early pandemic year of 2021. Participants hunted in designated areas that stretch from western Palm Beach County to the Tamiami Trail in the Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area. Other management areas included in the Python Challenge are Holey Land, Rotenberger and Southern Glades. This was also the first year that Everglades National Park allowed people to hunt in the park during the challenge. What are the prizes for the Florida Python Challenge? The $10,000 grand prize is awarded to the participant who removes the most snakes as part of the competition. There are also three competition categories including professional, novice and military. Each category includes a $2,500 price for most pythons caught, $1,500 for the second-highest number of pythons caught and $1,000 for the longest python. Participants may only win one prize, so if someone wins two, the person will be awarded the prize of the highest value and the next qualifying hunter will win the remaining prize. More: Python 'hot spot' identified in Palm Beach County by University of Florida study Why hunt Burmese pythons? Florida earnestly began hunting pythons in about 2012. It was the first year of the Python Challenge and the same year a study in Everglades National Park suggested pythons were responsible for a decline of 85% to 100% of the population of medium-sized furry animals, such as raccoons and rabbits. The Burmese python invasion started with releases intentional or not that allowed them to gain a foothold in the park by the mid-1980s, according to the 2021 Florida Python Control plan. By 2000, multiple generations of pythons were living in the park, which is noted in a more than 100-page 2023 report that summarized decades of python research. How many pythons have been caught? Anthony Flanagan is one of several python contractors hired by the South Florida Water Management District for the Python Elimination Program. Here is holding a Burmese python he captured along with the nest of eggs he located nearby. More than 15,800 snakes have been removed by hunters from the South Florida Water Management District and FWC since 2019. The hunters were called the "most effective management strategy in the history of the issue" by district invasive animal biologist Mike Kirkland. Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida's top python hunter nabs 60 snakes in challenge Simply Recipes / Getty Images Costco is fun to explore because it stocks such a good mix of pantry staples and culinary finds. I can pick up the best potato chips of all time (Kettle's Krinkle Cut Pink Salt) and affordable Rao's pasta sauce, and in a neighboring aisle, find a tub of fancy Maldon sea salt for $6.99. On a recent trip to my local warehouse, I was delighted to find XL tubs of incredible hummus from the Minneapolis company Babas. The editors at Simply Recipes sampled it at a recent food industry show, fell in love with the brand, and sent me straight to Costco to sample the hummus myself. While currently only available at Twin Cities-area Costco stores, this hummus is well worth seeking out if you live in the area. Its super creamy, with balanced flavors and none of the bitter aftertaste that I sometimes find with other hummus brands. Babas Creamy Traditional Hummus Price: $7.99 for a 34-ounce tub at Costco Why I Love It: The hummus is super creamy with a subtle citrus flavor that allows the chickpeas to shine. What Is Babas Hummus? Babas was started by two Palestinian American siblings using a family recipe. It was first created by their baba (that's "dad" in Arabic) for the Minneapolis restaurant he opened in the 1970s. At the time, it was one of the only Middle Eastern restaurants in the city. The family started packaging Babas hummus in 2018, and the brand has become so popular that, in addition to nine flavors of hummus, they now make several other products, including frozen falafel, tzatziki, and the most amazing pita puffs (aka mini pita breads). The hummus is by far my favorite because its minimally processed, vegan, and contains only a few ingredients: chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, water, salt, garlic, and organic citric acid. That's it. Baba's makes the creamiest hummus I have ever tried, thanks to the generous amount of tahini thats included. The flavor is balanced, with a subtle acidity that lets the earthy chickpeas shine. Simply Recipes / Maren Ellingboe King How I Eat Babas Hummus Though Babas hummus is delicious with traditional accompaniments like pita chips and crunchy vegetables, I find myself eating a plain spoonful when that 3 p.m. snack craving hits. Its a perfect salty bite, plus its a great source of protein. I've also been taking inspiration from the Babas Hummus House menu, making a hummus bowl for lunch every day this week. My current favorite is a big swoosh of hummus in a shallow bowl, topped with a big handful of arugula, some chicken meatballs, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, a generous drizzle of olive oil, and a squirt of lemon juice. The hummus is also perfect for easy cooking and entertaining this time of year. I serve hummus under grilled or roasted vegetables like carrots or zucchini, as part of a mezze spread with olives, pita chips, and other dips, or as an accompaniment to grilled chicken skewers and a big Greek salad with romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta. Where To Find Babas Hummus Look for 34-ounce tubs of hummus at Costco locations in Minnesota and Kansas. If you dont live in the Midwest, I still have good news: Babas is available in a normal-sized 10-ounce container at select Target stores and some local grocers. Costco only has the traditional hummus, but Babas does make a number of other flavored hummus and spreads (the caramelized onion hummus is unbelievable). Check the deli area at your grocery storemeanwhile, Im heading back to Costco. To learn more about our approach to product recommendations, see HERE. Read the original article on SIMPLYRECIPES A local Mexican restaurant chain in Pennsylvania is trying to forge ahead a week after a worksite immigration raid left property damage at two of its storefronts and a workforce afraid to show up to their jobs, according to two employees and a witness who spoke with NBC News. It all started Aug. 7 when immigration authorities showed up at two Emilianos Mexican Restaurant & Bar locations in the Pittsburgh area. As many as 16 workers were detained nine worked at a location in Gibsonia, a suburb north of Pittsburgh, and seven others worked at another location in the nearby township of Cranberry. In a social media post that same afternoon, which included a video taken by a worker, the business accused agents of storming into its restaurants and leaving a trail of fear, confusion, and destruction that included a burned kitchen, torn ceiling tiles, broken doors, a safe cut open by an agent and trashed food. The incident raises questions over the tactics used by authorities at this particular raid. Immigration authorities conducted a workplace raid on two Emilianos Mexican Restaurant & Bar locations on Aug. 7. (Courtesy Jaime Martinez) This week, gas plumbers fixed a stove that was damaged during the raid, according to two people working at the restaurant chain. Staffing was also thin at the locations targeted by immigration authorities as employees who witnessed the raid, including those who are U.S. citizens, remain in shock, they added. No one wants to go back, everyone is scared. Both workers who spoke with NBC News requested to not be named to protect their familys privacy because of an ongoing federal investigation in connection with last weeks events. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania declined to clarify what the investigation it is leading is about. As the immigration arrests were happening last week, someone alerted an emergency response immigration hotline run by Casa San Jose, a local nonprofit that advocates for Latino and immigrant communities. The organization quickly dispatched about 20 volunteers to both locations to act as legal observers, collect testimonies and provide support to the workers and families affected, according to Jaime Martinez, a community defense organizer at Casa San Jose. At the Gibsonia location, the raid actually caused a kitchen fire that agents were unable to extinguish at the beginning, which put people in danger, Martinez told NBC News on Tuesday. Employees who spoke to Martinez and his volunteers said the stove was on when agents entered the kitchen because workers were cooking food as they prepared to open the restaurant Thursday morning. The restaurants manager warned agents that the open burners were on, but witnesses alleged that agents didnt do anything until a fire sparked, he said. The detained employees, who had their arms and ankles shackled, were the ones who directed the agents to find the fire extinguisher and instructed them on how to use it after initially failing to operate it, according to employees who spoke to Martinez and his volunteers. By the time the fire department got there, the fire had already been put out with a dry chemical extinguisher, but only after this delay, Martinez said. As many as 16 workers were detained at two locations in the Pittsburgh region. (Courtesy Jaime Martinez) A spokesperson with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told NBC News in an email Thursday that the damage to the restaurant, including the small fire, was created by the illegal aliens themselves while they were trying to escape or hide from law enforcement officers. According to ICE, the agents showed up at the locations in Gibsonia and Cranberry to execute federal search warrants based on information it got alleging that the restaurants were employing undocumented workers, WPXI, NBCs affiliate in Pittsburgh, reported. The agency added that the 16 people detained lack legal status and are now in ICE custody, undergoing immigration proceedings. But in the process of coming in with that warrant, they also terrorized the community, pointed guns at people and destroyed a local business, Martinez said. In response to this, the ICE spokesperson told NBC News, All agents and officers followed established legal procedures while executing the warrants. At the Cranberry location, Casa San Jose volunteers interviewed a worker who described seeing officers come into the restaurant, shouting police and pointing their long guns at the employees. One female employee who was in the kitchen said an agent pointed the gun at her head while telling her to stop cooking, according to Martinez. While she was not detained after showing proper documentation, this lady is now going to have to live with the trauma of having law enforcement point a gun at her head while she was at work, Martinez said. Martinez and one of the workers who spoke with NBC News said agents lined up all of the cuffed employees and made them kneel while pointing their weapons at them. Agents and officers operated within established law enforcement standards in order to ensure the safety of law enforcement officers, the public and the illegal aliens themselves, the ICE spokesperson said in response to this allegation. An ICE spokesperson said agents were also present in June as part of the same investigation. (Courtesy Jaime Martinez) Last week was not the first time immigration authorities attempted to detain employees from Emilianos Mexican Restaurant & Bar. The ICE spokesperson confirmed to NBC News that a June incident was part of an investigation that ultimately led to the execution of the warrants this month. Martinez said that on a night in June, he got a call on the hotline, reporting unmarked vehicles surrounding a nearby apartment complex. When the volunteer who was dispatched arrived at the area, she noticed the vehicles were parked with their engines still running, in front and behind the restaurant. According to Martinez, it looked like federal agents inside the vehicles were waiting for workers to come out of the restaurant as it was closing. The vehicles left once TV crews arrived on the scene, he said. There were nine people in that restaurant on lockdown, Martinez said, adding his group doesnt know the immigration status of those workers since it doesnt ask people about that as part of its policy. But you dont have to be undocumented to be afraid of getting detained. Since launching the hotline in March, Casa San Jose has received more than 650 calls reporting more than 100 immigration detentions in the area and has dispatched volunteers in at least 70 instances, according to Martinez. In the wake of the raids at Emilianos Mexican Restaurant and Bar locations, the community came together and collectively donated more than $133,000. The workers who spoke with NBC News said the business plans to use the funds to cover bond expenses, one month worth of salary for each employee detained and repair damage done to the restaurant. KYLE GREEN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock Bryan Kohberger NEED TO KNOW Bryan Kohberger has allegedly complained about "taunting" from fellow inmates Idaho corrections official have responded, saying inmates "commonly communicate with each other" The convicted murderer is serving four consecutive life sentences in a maximum security Idaho prison, after pleading guilty to murdering four University of Idaho students Just weeks into his life term in prison, convicted murderer Bryan Kohberger appears to be at his wit's end amid taunts from other inmates and now the state of Idaho is responding. A spokesperson for the Idaho Department of Corrections told PEOPLE on Thursday that Kohberger, 30, has complained about taunting from other inmates at the maximum security prison where hes serving four consecutive life sentences for the murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022. We are aware of Kohbergers complaints about what he considers taunting, the Idaho Department of Corrections official said in a statement. Incarcerated individuals commonly communicate with each other in prison. Bryan Kohberger is housed alone in a cell, and IDOC security staff maintain a safe and orderly environment for all individuals in our custody. Kyle Green-Pool/Getty Bryan Kohberger The statement came after retired homicide detective Chris McDonough spoke out in the media about inmates at the prison making Kohbergers life miserable since he arrived following his sentencing last month. "It's driving him crazy," McDonough, who now works for the Cold Case Foundation, told The Daily Mail. "The inmates are tormenting him at night and almost all hours of the day taunting him through the vents in his cell. 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. McDonough added: "Theyre utilizing the vent system. Theyre kicking the doors. Theyre taunting him. And theyre basically, you know, torturing him through, you know, using psychology." The retired detective later appeared on NewsNations Banfield and said the inmates at the Idaho prison were apparently waiting for him. And when he got there, they are now making his life absolutely miserable, McDonough said. Last month, Kohberger was sentenced to four lifetimes in prison without parole for the murders of four University of Idaho students: Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. Kohberger confessed to the murders of the four students on July 2, avoiding the possibility of facing a death sentence. Read the original article on People Displaced Palestinians gather to collect water from a truck during a heat wave at a makeshift tent camp in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip on Wednesday. - Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says talks are underway with several countries about taking in Palestinians displaced by the war in Gaza. The countries involved are South Sudan, Somaliland, Ethiopia, Libya, and Indonesia, a senior Israeli official told CNN. In exchange for taking in some of Gazas population of more than two million people, the official said the countries are looking for significant financial and international compensation. On Wednesday, South Sudan rejected an Associated Press report that it was in discussions about the resettlement of Palestinians, saying in a statement the reports were baseless and do not reflect the official position of the country. Earlier this year, Somaliland also said there were no such talks. And last week, Indonesia said it was ready to take in 2,000 Palestinians from Gaza for treatment but that they would return to Gaza once they recovered. Its unclear how advanced any of these discussions are and whether they are likely to come to fruition. Netanyahu has never given a detailed vision of what will happen to Gaza after the war but has repeatedly advocated for resettling displaced Palestinians in other countries, particularly after President Donald Trump floated the idea early this year. But even as Trump appears to be cooling on the proposal, Israeli officials have embraced it. In an interview published on Tuesday, Netanyahu said, we are talking to several countries without naming them. Netanyahu claimed in the interview with Israeli network i24 that the plan was not pushing out Palestinians but would instead be allowing them to leave. All those who say theyre concerned for the Palestinians and want to help Palestinians, Netanyahu said should open their doors. Why are they coming and preaching to us?! Open your doors, he added. Israeli soldiers work near tanks in a gathering point near the border with the Gaza Strip, in Southern Israel, Israel on Wednesday. - Amir Levy/Getty Images The comments come as international alarm grows over Israels stated plan to take over Gaza City, home to more than one million Palestinians, including many already displaced by the war. The densely populated city has continued to be hit by Israeli strikes with at least 123 people killed over the last 24 hours across Gaza, according to a tally on Wednesday from the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. More than 100 humanitarian organisations meanwhile called on Israel to end what they called the weaponization of aid in Gaza, saying vital relief was not being allowed in while the territory is gripped by starvation. Shaina Low, Communications Adviser for the Norwegian Refugee Council, said any plans to relocate Palestinians, whether within Gaza or to foreign countries, was a non-starter. They arent acceptable under international law. They arent acceptable to Palestinians. And they should not be acceptable to the international community, Low told CNN. A Greater Israel During the interview, Netanyahu was also asked by i24News network anchor Sharon Gal whether the prime minister connects to the vision of a Greater Israel, to which he responded, Very much. The term Greater Israel refers to a state of Israel that is beyond the borders that exist today. It is also often used as a reference to Biblical Israel, which would include parts of todays Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. The comments were greeted by sharp statements from several Arab states, which condemned the use of the term as provocative and counterproductive to peace. Egypt demanded clarifications on the use of the term, given its implications of provoking instability and reflecting a rejection of the pursuit of peace in the region, as well as an insistence on escalation, according to a foreign ministry statement. Saudi Arabia said it expresses its outright rejection of the settlement and expansionist plans adopted by the Israeli occupation authorities. Qatar said the use of the term is considered an extension of the occupations approach based on arrogance, fuelling crises and conflicts, and blatantly infringing the sovereignty of states. Gal and Netanyahus conversation about Greater Israel did not appear on the official channels full interview, but a longer version with Netanyahus comments was posted on Gals account on X. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Spoiler alert! The following story contains details about the series finale of "Sex and the City" sequel "And Just Like That ..." (now streaming on HBO Max). You know that old Bible verse: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; my toilet runneth over. It sounds a lot like the series finale of And Just Like That , which launched unholy scatological warfare against our beloved Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), who had merely hoped to spend a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with her dear friends after her romances with Aidan (John Corbett) and Duncan (Jonathan Cake) fizzled. Instead, Carries holiday is filled with a revolving door of haughty art dealers and Gen Z queerdos, one of whom clogs the toilet and expels a sea of brown that Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is forced to clean up. A magical land called Manhattan, this is not. Stylish author Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) ends "And Just Like That..." with a pie, a laptop and a song. In some ways, its an apropos ending for And Just Like That , which in three seasons found stunning new ways to humiliate and torture our Sex and the City heroines. An entire episode devoted to Charlotte (Kristin Davis) feuding at the dog park? Send the meteor. Carrie listening to Aidan masturbate in his truck after he imposes a five-year break to focus on his kids? Virginia is not bad enough truly, take him to the Hague. Like dutiful piggies awaiting their slop, we tuned in every week to see what fresh hell was in store for these once-nuanced characters, who during the original 1998-2004 run of HBO's Sex and the City, were as scintillating as a fresh pair of Manolos. Sex was the rare show that could tackle infertility and exhibitionist kinks in the same breath; it never spoke down to its viewers nor judged its central foursome. (Kim Cattrall, who played the voracious and va-va-voom Samantha, wisely sat out the sequel series.) Meanwhile, And Just Like That could never figure out what kind of show it wanted to be. The original cast was whiter than Miley Cyrus veneers, and creator Michael Patrick King attempted to rectify that by adding a slew of racially and sexually diverse new characters. But despite the best efforts of Sarita Choudhury (as Seema) and Nicole Ari Parker (as Lisa), their shoehorned storylines contained neither logic nor depth. At least we'll always have the memory of Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez) and their comedy concerts. More egregiously, after spending the entire first season grieving her husband, Mr. Big (Chris Noth), we naively hoped that Carrie would dip her toe back into the dating pool as an older yet no less adventurous woman. Instead, the writers dredged up her past, wasting the next two seasons on a stagnant relationship with Aidan that merely rehashed their pent-up resentments and insecurities. The series finale finds Carrie confronting her singledom and asking herself, "Who will I be alone?" It's a worthwhile question: According to a 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center, 29% of women between the ages of 50 and 64 are single; that number jumps to 49% for women over 65. "And Just Like That ..." had an opportunity to show the pains and glories of single life for women like Carrie, who was once a witty, wide-eyed emblem for hopeless romantics everywhere. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker, right) gets an unexpected companion when she dines out alone. Instead, the final episode almost looks down on Carrie's relationship status with pity. When she goes stag to a Chinese restaurant, servers plop a plush doll in the seat across from her "so you don't have to eat alone." On Thanksgiving Day, she goes door to door delivering pies to her closest pals, most of whom are too busy with their respective families and partners to celebrate with her. For a show that's long insisted that all you really need are your best girlfriends, it's disappointing that Carrie spends practically the entire episode in the company of strangers. "I have to stop thinking, 'Maybe a man,' and start accepting maybe just me," Carrie tells Charlotte early in the episode. "It's not a tragedy, it's a fact." And in the final scene of the series, Carrie eats dessert alone in her kitchen before dancing around her cavernous townhouse to Barry White's "You're the First, the Last, My Everything." It's a sweet sentiment of self-love, but one that feels too tacked on and hastily written to pack an emotional wallop. And after nearly 30 years of knowing and loving Carrie, she deserved far better than this treacly Hallmark sendoff. On Aug. 1, when King announced "And Just Like That ..." was ending, Parker penned a lengthy tribute on social media that made me tear up, capturing the wild, wonderful whims of our cosmo-sipping fashionista in all of her beautiful messiness. "Carrie Bradshaw has dominated my professional heartbeat for 27 years," the actress wrote. "I think I have loved her most of all." You can flush the rest that's how we'll choose to remember "Sex and the City." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'And Just Like That' series finale disrespects Carrie Bradshaw It's almost Friday folks, but it's going to be a busy weekend for us here at Weather.com where we'll be tracking and bringing you the very latest on Tropical Storm Erin. It's expected to be a major hurricane by this weekend and that could have implications for those of you on the East Coast. You can get the very latest on Erin's path and the potential impacts here. Check out the other major stories we kept an eye on throughout the day Thursday: (03:15 p.m. EDT) Weather Around The World This photo comes out of Flyingdales, United Kingdom, where a wildfire has broken out in the North York Moors National Park. The fire began on Monday night near the RAF Flyingdales base and is expected to burn for days to come. The blaze is currently contained within three square miles. (02:53 p.m. EDT) Total Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse Mark your calendars, because in a couple of weeks, the moon will be trading its usual silver glow for fiery red as an epic blood moon total lunar eclipse lights up the night sky. The catch? Most of the U.S. wont be able to see it. Dedicated skywatchers will need to buy a ticket to places like India, China, Russia, Australia or Africa ahead of the Sept. 7 event. There is one teeny U.S. destination that may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse. Weve got it all mapped out here. (02:39 p.m. EDT) Hurricane Hunters On The Move From senior writer Chris DeWeese: Tropical Storm Erin is moving west, and forecasts continue to suggest it will likely become a major hurricane over the next couple of days. Well soon know much more detailed information about this storm, thanks to the NOAA Hurricane Hunters, which are scheduled to fly into the storm tonight. On social media, the Hurricane Hunters shared photos from the island of St. Croix, the point from which their team will take off. (02:24 p.m. EDT) Thunderstorms Put On Lightning Show Over Phoenix Monsoon storms put on a spectacular lightning show over central Phoenix last night. Residents shared photos and video on social media as thunder and rain spread across the region. Last nights storms came after Phoenix hit a high of 109 degrees on Wednesday. Senior digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles says today and Friday will be more active monsoon days, but drier and warmer conditions will begin to return by early next week. (02:10 p.m. EDT) Erin Raises Rip Current Concerns Tropical Storm Erin could reach hurricane strength as soon as tomorrow. Beachgoers from Florida to the Northeast region will need to be on alert because high surf churned up by Erin will contribute to a dangerous rip current threat next week. Do you know how to spot a rip current or what to do if you get caught in one? We have everything you need to know right here. (01:58 p.m. EDT) Manchester City FC Reveals Weather-Related Kit From content writer Patrick Griffin: Manchester City is embracing the weather with their newest uniform, or kit as they say across the pond. The latest jersey features a raindrop graphic on the front, with vibrant neon green accents across the neck, shoulders and sides. According to the club, the new kit is a subtle nod to their home, carrying a message from Manchester: "Even when it rains, we shine." The team worked with PUMA on the release. Marco Mueller, PUMA's Senior Director of Product Line Management Teamsport Apparel, says this kit creates "a truly unique kit that does things a little different." The city of Manchester sees about 166 rainy days a year on average. Yearly rain totals average out to nearly 43 inches. Mueller added, "We decided to design a kit that not only embraces the rainy Manchester weather but also the fact the fans stick by the team Rain or Shine. (01:46 p.m. EDT) Tracking Erin From senior writer Chris DeWeese: Wondering where Tropical Storm Erin is at this very moment? Dont sleep on our dedicated tracking page, which features the latest updated satellite maps, spaghetti models, ocean warmth and wind shear information. Its a quick and easy way to stay up to date with just a simple glance. (01:29 p.m. EDT) New Barriers Prevent The Worst In Juneau, Alaska Some good news out of Juneau, Alaska, today after residents were urged to evacuate ahead of record flooding from the glacial outburst of the Mendenhall Glacier. New sandbag-style barriers held back the flooding and prevented widespread damage. The barriers are not without controversy however, read more about that. (01:13 p.m. EDT) Will Calmer Winds Today Help Wildfire Fight In Europe? Weeks of intense heat waves have fueled wildfires across southern Europe, with deadly impacts in Spain, Turkey and Albania. Today, fire crews in Greece, Spain and Portugal are hoping a drop in wind speeds will help them beat back the fires. Watch how residents of a port city in Greece risked their lives to save their pets and farm animals. (01:00 p.m. EDT) Earthquake Shakes North Carolina A low-magnitude earthquake of 2.7 shook Polk County, North Carolina, just north of the South Carolina state line just after 11 a.m. EDT. The quakes epicenter was near Columbus, North Carolina, according to the USGS. On social media, a resident of Fletcher, North Carolina, which is located about 30 miles northwest of Mill Spring, said that some rumbling preceded it then it felt like something hit the house. Residents of towns in both North and South Carolina took to social media to say that theyd felt the quake. At this point, no damage or injuries have been reported. An array of uncooked sausages on a baking tray with parchment paper, about to go into the oven - mineoztan/Shutterstock At its best, sausage is savory, bold, and juicy. But when the heat is set too high and the piece is cooked for too long, it doesn't matter whether it came from sausage brands with the best (or worst) ingredients. The result is a dry, burnt mess that the trash bin is more than welcome to accommodate. Antoinette Gangi of Antoinette's Italian Kitchen, who partnered with Rag for National Lasagna Day to celebrate the new pasta sauce flavor, Kettle Cooked Roasted Garlic, exclusively told Chowhound how to avoid this with the oven. As Gangi says: "Cook your sausage in the oven low-and-slow at a temp of 300 [degrees Fahrenheit] for one hour covered, and then raise the temp to 350 [degrees Fahrenheit] for the last half hour uncovered by removing the foil." This helps the sausage cook all the way through evenly with a nice, juicy finish and a flavor-packed bite. The same can be done for other meats. However, Gangi advises using a meat thermometer to really gauge how long it should be in the oven. It also adds a layer of safety to ensure the meat is ready for consumption. Since you can use it in a variety of cooking methods, including frying and roasting, it's a good idea to add one to your arsenal. Just keep in check any mistakes you might be making with a meat thermometer. Read more: 13 Meats People Used To Eat, But Are Now Illegal In The US Why You Should (Or Shouldn't) Cook Sausage In The Oven A well-cooked sausage in an oven - namaki/Shutterstock Cooking sausage in the oven might seem like a hassle if you're used to maximizing a skillet, but it has its fair share of advantages and, of course, disadvantages. Antoinette Gangi explained to us that the oven is a great choice for slower cooking which is exactly what you want for the meat since it helps keep all the juices intact that are needed for the ideal flavor punch. Low temperature is also introduced with the oven, avoiding drying, excessive shrinking, or, worse, failing to cook the center. Gangi adds a smart way to take advantage of the cooking time by adding onions and peppers with the meat, letting them caramelize while you wait for the sausage to cook. One disadvantage, though, is this process takes longer than using a skillet. But, if you're willing to compromise on speed and ease, you get fat, juicy sausages that really hit the spot. Fortunately, choosing the perfect sausage to cook in the oven doesn't take rocket science (but we've ranked different sausage brands from worst to best to get you started). A great rule of thumb is going for fresh ones rather than pre-cooked so you can really take the reins on how it's prepared. Read the original article on Chowhound. PEOPLE's True Crime 'A Killer in the Family' Special Edition NEED TO KNOW PEOPLE's latest special edition, True Crime: A Killer in the Family, includes stories about parents, kids, spouses and siblings who turned on their loved ones with deadly consequences Cases include the Menendez brothers, Scott Peterson, Gabby Petito, and others People are fascinated by complex and deviant behavior, says psychologist Dr. Jerrod Brown, founder and CEO of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies. They want to understand the why behind these cases. Generations have been taught about stranger danger and the unknown boogeyman lurking in the shadows, waiting to commit the most heinous crimes. Family members, it turns out, can be just as dangerous. For most Americans, regardless of where they live, the risk of being murdered is much greater in their own homes than on any main street, according to forensic psychologist and attorney Charles Patrick Ewing. PEOPLE's latest special edition, True Crime: A Killer in the Family, features a collection of the magazines most recent cases about parents, kids, spouses and siblings who have turned on their loved ones with deadly consequences. This PEOPLE special edition includes the latest developments on Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were sentenced to life in prison for the infamous 1989 murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion and were recently resentenced with eligible for parole, as well as Scott Peterson, whose case was taken on by the Innocence Project, which is fighting to prove he didnt kill his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner, in 2002. ZUMA Press/ZUMAPRESS.com Laci Peterson and Scott Peterson The PEOPLE special edition features other stories reported by its investigative crime team concerning fatal affairs, murder-for-hire cases and victims who were married to a murderer or killed by their children. AP Photo/Nick Ut Lyle Menendez, left, and Erik Menendez in court in 1990 People are fascinated by complex and deviant behavior, says psychologist Dr. Jerrod Brown, founder and CEO of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies. They want to understand the why behind these cases. One case in which the why seems crystal clear is the so-called Family Feud murder. Family Feud viewers were taken aback when Tim Bliefnick suggested the biggest mistake he made at his wedding was getting married. When TV game show host Steve Harvey asked the married father of three on a 2020 episode about the biggest mistakes people make when tying the knot, Bliefnick replied, Honey I love you butsaid I do. His chilling answer came back to haunt him three years later, on Feb. 23, 2023, when his wife, Becky Bliefnick, was found dead in her home she shared with the couples three young sons after filing for divorce in 2021. Family Feud/ABC Tim Bliefnick on Family Feud in 2019 The 41-year-old nurse had been shot 14 times at close range. In June 2023 jurors found Tim guilty of murder and home invasion. He was sentenced to life in prison. Related: Former Family Feud Contestant Who Joked He Regretted Marrying Wife Gets Life in Prison for Murdering Her As for why he killed Becky, Adams County Prosecutor Josh Jones said, He was losing control over her, and that sent him over the edge. One case that still baffles is the macabre story of Virginia McCullough, who killed her parents for their money and then lived with their bodies for four years. Related: Woman Poisoned Father, Stabbed and Bludgeoned Mother and Kept Bodies Hidden in Home for 4 Years In 2023, police found the body of her father, former university lecturer John McCullough, 70, encased in what The Guardian called a makeshift tomb of cinder blocks and blankets. They found the body of her mother, Lois McCullough, 71, stuffed into a sleeping bag in a closet. Essex Police Department Virginia McCullough, Lois McCullough and John McCullough McCullough, 37, was sentenced to life in prison on Oct. 11, 2024. She must serve a minimum of 36 years before being eligible for parole. Your parents were entitled to feel safe in their own beds and their own home, and they were entitled to feel safe with their daughter, Justice Jeremy Johnson told McCullough at the sentencing. You think more of money than you do of humanity. PEOPLE's True Crime: A Killer in the Family special edition is now available on newsstands and Amazon. Read the original article on People TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan marked the 80th anniversary of its World War Two defeat on Friday, with at least one cabinet minister joining thousands of visitors at a shrine that Japan's Asian neighbours view as a symbol of its wartime aggression. Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan's agriculture minister and a contender in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership race last year, arrived at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo early on Friday. Among the 2.5 million war dead commemorated at the shrine are 14 wartime leaders convicted of the most serious war crimes, along with over 1,000 others found guilty by Allied tribunals after Japan's 1945 defeat. China and South Korea have criticised past visits by senior Japanese officials that they say gloss over Tokyo's wartime actions and damage diplomatic ties. "It is important never to forget to show respect to those who gave their lives for their country, regardless of which nation it is. I believe this is a very important principle," Koizumi told reporters. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attended a separate war memorial event in Tokyo along with Emperor Naruhito. "August 15 is a day to mourn the war dead and commemorate peace. The government will continue to express gratitude to the war dead and their families," government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a regular press briefing. No sitting Japanese prime minister has visited the Yasukuni Shrine since Shinzo Abe in December 2013, drawing an expression of disappointment from then-U.S. President Barack Obama. The last premier to visit on the anniversary of Japan's surrender was Koizumi's father, Junichiro Koizumi, in 2006. Former economic security ministers Sanae Takaichi and Takayuki Kobayashi also went to the shrine, local media reported. Both ran in last year's LDP leadership election. Ishiba on Friday sent an offering to the shrine. One he made in October provoked criticism from both South Korea, a Japanese colony for 35 years, and China, whose territories were occupied by Japanese forces in World War Two. At a press conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi did not directly comment on the Yasukuni visits but said: "Only by facing up to history can one earn respect; only by learning from history can one chart a better future; only by remembering the past can we avoid repeating the same mistakes. We urge Japan to make the right choice." The anniversary comes ahead of an expected meeting with South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung, who will visit Japan on Aug 23-24 to discuss regional security and trilateral ties with the U.S. While relations between Tokyo and Seoul have often been strained, the two countries are deepening security cooperation to counter China's growing influence and the threat posed to both by nuclear-armed North Korea. Celebrating the August 15 liberation from Japanese colonial rule, Lee said the two countries' relationship should be "forward-looking", based on pragmatic diplomacy focusing on Seoul's national interest. Japan's populist Sanseito Party had 88 national and local lawmakers visiting Yasukuni on Friday, its leader Sohei Kamiya said in a social media post. The 'Japanese First' party wants to curb immigration, which it says is a threat to Japanese culture. In July's upper house election, it won 13 new seats, drawing support away from Ishiba's LDP. (Reporting by Tim Kelly, Irene Wang and Joseph Campbell; Additional reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Saad Sayeed and Raju Gopalakrishnan) Anne Holland and her siblings found a suitcase full of their parents' letters in an attic [BBC] A woman who found a "treasure trove" of letters her parents sent to each other during World War Two said it has been "remarkable" to read through them. Anne Holland, from Devizes in Wiltshire, was able to follow four years of her parents' lives thanks to thousands of letters detailing the early days of their relationship and the highs and lows they encountered while separating in the war. Ms Holland's father, Rex, was serving in Asia when the Japanese surrendered on 14 August 1945 while her mother, Margaret, was home in England raising their children. "What's really come through to me is the love, particularly from my father to my mother," Ms Holland said. Rex sent Margaret a telegram asking for her hand in marriage a week before the ceremony [BBC] The couple met at Sevenoaks Hospital in Kent in 1941 where Margaret was working as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse. Rex was one of her patients. Ms Holland said Rex was "mad" about Margaret and the pair met up several times over the space of three months to go on dates to the "swankiest" places in London. Months later, Rex sent Margaret a telegram asking her to marry him the following week on 14 August 1941. But shortly after they exchanged vows, Rex was posted to India. "They'd known each other such a short time and lo and behold, within a few months of all of that he was posted to India, leaving her pregnant with my brother and they didn't meet then for nearly four years," Ms Holland said. An entry in her mother's diary, written on 18 March 1942, read: "Rex gone". Rex and Margaret got married on 14 August 1941 [Supplied] "Their only means of contact for four years was by letter," said Ms Holland. "In many ways, of course, that's how they got to know each other." Some of the letters contained "full-blown arguments" between the couple but despite that each one ended with "I love you", Ms Holland said. Rex served in multiple Indian cities before he was stationed in the jungle in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Ms Holland said: "Somehow or other, he kept writing. She kept on writing. It's truly remarkable. "How Rex got time to do it, I do not know. Margaret - my mum - once she had a toddler in tow, how did she find the time? But they did," she added. Although the pair consistently communicated, Ms Holland thought her mother struggled with depression while dealing with their long distance relationship and the turmoil of the war. But after Germany surrendered on 8 May 1945, Margaret joined the VE Day celebrations in London and sent Rex a "joyous" letter. The couple communicated via handwritten letters for four years [BBC] When Japan surrendered three months later on 15 August - a day after the couple's fourth wedding anniversary - Rex sent Margaret a letter to tell her of his elation. It read: 'My adorable darling, today in these parts it is the office's VJ Day. 'We had the news confirmed last night and this morning, as I sat in my temporary office in the docks, all the ships' sirens sounded simultaneously and bunting flew from every masthead. At last, it has really dawned: peace." Ms Holland said the VJ Day letter in particular made her "very emotional". The couple remained married for the rest of their lives. Margaret died in 1989 and Rex died in 1993. Ms Holland said she still has a bundle of unopened letters waiting to be read. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. More on this story The fossil that writer Jacopo Prisco ordered online. - Toby Hancock/CNN It stands to reason that a 95 million-year-old tooth shipped to my home would have a rich past. But what ensued after I bought it online for about $100 revealed how, for such relics and those who covet them, the present is in some ways much more complicated. I always wanted to own a fossil, and once the algorithm picked up on that desire, ads flooded my Instagram feed. It then became impossible to resist the thrill of purchasing a piece of one of the largest predators that ever existed: Spinosaurus, a semiaquatic meat-eater that could reach almost 60 feet (about 18 meters) in length longer and heavier than Tyrannosaurus rex. When the package arrived, in a pretty glass dome and with a preprinted certificate of authenticity that stated it came from North Africa, the long pointy tooth looked the part to my untrained eyes: yellowish brown, with varying textures and a stonelike appearance. But some obvious cracks that suggested the specimen had perhaps been patched together from multiple fragments left me wondering: Was it real? To find out, I took it to Londons Natural History Museum, where Susannah Maidment, a senior researcher and fossil expert, examined it. Yeah, its a fossil, for sure, she said. Its got a rounded cross section with ridges down the front and back, so its probably a Spinosaurus tooth. To my relief, I hadnt been duped. But it turns out my fossil wasnt as rare as I thought. This is almost certainly from Morocco, because almost all Spinosaurus fossils that we know of are from the Kem Kem formation of Morocco, and theyre intensively excavated there, Maidment added, referring to a fossil bed in southeastern Morocco that has yielded an abundance of predatory dinosaur specimens. The thing about teeth is that dinosaurs and other reptiles shed them continuously, so one dinosaur will have many, many teeth over its lifetime. And so theyre very common. As a result, according to Maidment, I probably paid too much for it. However, her next observation quickly replaced that concern with another: This has almost certainly been illegally exported and illegally excavated, she said. This specimen you have it illegally. A fossil craze A Stegosaurus skeleton nicknamed Apex sold for $44.6 million at auction in 2024. It's on loan to New Yorks American Museum of Natural History. - Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Last year, a Stegosaurus skeleton nicknamed Apex, measuring nearly 27 feet long (about 8 meters), sold for $44.6 million at a Sothebys auction in New York City, becoming the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction. Hedge fund manager Ken Griffin reportedly scooped up the specimen, which was discovered in 2022 on private land in Colorado, and it is currently on loan at New Yorks American Museum of Natural History. The sale was just one in a series of recent high-profile auctions that sent near-complete dinosaur skeletons into private ownership. But the trend can be traced back to the sale of Sue, one of the most complete and largest T. rex fossils ever found. It was unearthed in 1990 and sold at auction in 1997 for $8.36 million after a long legal battle over its ownership. Even though Chicagos Field Museum of Natural History purchased Sue and still has it on display, the pooling together of private funds led to its acquisition and kick-started the era of big-ticket fossil auctions. Seventy-one T. rex specimens are now in private hands, versus 61 held by public trusts, according to a recent study. Peter Lovisek, a fossil broker and curator at Fossil Realm, a gallery in Ottawa, said a key turning point for the market where these pieces began to be seen as cultural icons, artworks, investment assets was the auction of a 40-foot-long T. rex named Stan, which sold for $31.8 million in 2020. The media frenzy surrounding Stan, which is part of a planned exhibition at the upcoming Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, brought fossils into the mainstream, Lovisek added. Since then, Instagram has become a hub for the fossil industry, he said. A major part of our strategy is to focus on Instagram storytelling, and Instagram is connecting curators, dealers, diggers. CNN reached out to Instagram for comment but has not received a response. A 40-foot-long Tyrannosaurus rex named Stan sold for $31.8 million in 2020. - Mike Segar/Reuters You are now spoiled for choice if you want to buy fossils online. Most online shops offer a range of price points starting at a few dollars and going up into the low thousands, whereas Lovisek said he takes a more upmarket approach, from a few thousand dollars to the six-figure range. And things are just getting started, according to Salomon Aaron, director of David Aaron, a London gallery dealing in ancient art and fossils. I think the dinosaur trade is actually still incredibly undervalued, Aaron said. Relative to the art market, we are very much at the beginning, at the start of the dinosaur fossil trade. On the other hand, its been over 200 years since the first dinosaur fossil was given a name, Megalosaurus, in 1824. Specimens have now been found on every continent, and more than 50 countries have contributed named species to science, with the United States, China, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mongolia, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom topping the rankings. One enduring misconception, perhaps fueled by the multimillion-dollar auctions, is that fossils are rare. Across the world, people assume that everythings going to be unmanageably expensive, but thats not the case, said Matt Dale, who owns Mr Woods Fossils, a fossil shop in Edinburgh, Scotland, which also sells online. His cheapest dinosaur fossils are priced under 10 pounds (about $13.50), and include bone fragments, teeth and eggshells. I get a lot of questions that I hear again and again. One, where do you get all this stuff? Two, is it real? And three, why is it so cheap? Dale said. The bulk of the stuff in my shop comes from unusually rich sites, where theres an awful lot of material, which makes it much more practical and feasible to collect it and sell it on a commercial basis. Theres an artificial impression of how rare fossils are, and thats just thats not the case for some things. Most fossil shops in the world will have some of these affordable items, Dale said, including ammonites, or shelled mollusks, from Madagascar; fish from Wyomings Green River Formation; shark teeth from South Carolina and Florida; and trilobites from the Erfoud area in Moroccos northern Kem Kem region the same place from where my Spinosaurus tooth likely comes. Banning exports Susannah Maidment, a senior researcher and fossil expert at London's Natural History Museum, examined Prisco's fossil, confirming "it's probably a Spinosaurus tooth. - Jacopo Prisco/CNN After telling me that she thought my fossil was illegal, Maidment explained that the Moroccan fossil law states that you must have a permit for excavation and that you must have a permit for export, and you can only get a permit for export if you have an excavation license. Unless your seller is able to show you both, they have certainly excavated it illegally and exported it illegally. The online shop I bought the Spinosaurus tooth from is based in the UK and has a page on its website that asserts its commitment to ethical sourcing of artifacts. The company didnt respond to requests for an interview or comment on the origin of my fossil. Other online retailers offering similar merchandise that I contacted also didnt respond to my interview requests. However, the shop could have legally purchased the fossils from a third party, or at one of many fossil trade shows such as Arizonas Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase. Held annually in January and February, the Arizona event bills itself as the largest gem and mineral show in the world. CNN reached out to the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase for comment but has not received a response. People visit the 22nd Street Mineral, Fossil, Gem and Jewelry Show in Tucson, Arizona, in 2023. It's part of the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase. - Ryan Collerd/AFP/Getty Images Morocco is not the only country imposing restrictions on fossil exports with the goal of preserving its cultural heritage. Export bans are also in place in Argentina, Brazil, China and Mongolia. All around the world, different countries have different laws. In the UK and the US, if you find something on your land, you can do whatever you want with it, while in some parts of South America, for example, the person who discovers an artifact has a weaker claim, Maidment said. Brazilian fossils in particular, according to a law established in 1942, dont belong to the finder, noted Taissa Rodrigues, a professor of paleontology at the Federal University of Espirito Santo in Brazil. It belongs to the country, Rodrigues said. That means, if you find a fossil, youre not its owner, so thats why youre not allowed to sell it, because its not up for you to decide. But Morocco seems to fall into a sort of legal gray area when it comes to fossil exports, said Maidment and David Martill, emeritus professor from the UKs University of Portsmouth. Despite laws in place intended to regulate export of these artifacts, almost all fossils excavated in Morocco end up on the commercial market, according to Martill. A small portion fuel the local souvenir market, and the rest go to fossil dealers who sell them to shops and online retailers throughout the world, he said. Nearly all Spinosaurus fossils have been found in Morocco's Kem Kem region. - Sophie Godefroy/Alamy Stock Photo I am very familiar with the fossil black market in Morocco, because I work there, and we have huge problems at our (excavation) sites, where commercial fossil dealers who are black market smugglers come and excavate illegally from our sites, probably from the specimens that were digging up, Maidment said, speaking of those who operated without a proper permit. Sometimes we find the fossils, and then they take them, and then they sell them on European websites for up to 30,000 euros. So its a huge, huge problem. Moroccos Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, which regulates the fields of geology, minerals, hydrocarbons and energies, has not responded to CNNs requests for comment. A gray market The full extent of the questionable movement of fossils across borders is hard to pin down, but it has included important specimens such as Ubirajara jubatus, a feathered dinosaur species first described in a now-retracted 2020 paper from a one-of-a-kind skeleton that had allegedly been illegally exported to Germany from Brazil. Germanys State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe returned the rare remains to Brazil in 2023 among a wave of similar high-profile repatriations, including a 56 million-year-old crocodile fossil that Morocco recovered from the United States. A few years earlier, in 2015, actor Nicolas Cage returned a T. rex skull he bought for $276,000 at auction in 2007 to the Mongolian government. A Ubirajara jubatus dinosaur fossil was returned its native Brazil from a German museum in 2023. - Myke Sena/dpa/picture-alliance/Sipa USA Its more difficult for smaller, less expensive fossils that have been illegally exported to make it back to their country of origin, although in 2022 French customs returned nearly 1,000 fossils from the Araripe Basin in Brazil that had been stolen to be sold online. Neither Martill nor John Nudds, an honorary lecturer in the department of Earth and environmental sciences at the UKs University of Manchester, would go as far as calling my fossil illegal. Theres a bit of a gray area, Martill said. I cant technically go there and dig fossils without the permission of the ministry in Rabat. But he added that locals can dig fossils, they can cut fossils, they can polish fossils, and tourists can buy the fossils. And if you go to any fossil fair, youll find Moroccan fossils for sale, and that will include Spinosaurus teeth. Agadir ammonite fossils are sold with pottery at a shop north of Agadir, Morocco. - Roy Conchie/Alamy Stock Photo Nudds said he knows of at least one reputable wholesaler based outside Morocco that sells an awful lot of Spinosaurus teeth exactly like mine. Thats why Im pretty confident that these are OK to come out of Morocco, he said. Part of the reason why fossils may occupy a legal gray area, Nudds added, is some ambiguous wording in UNESCOs 1970 Convention, which was designed to prevent the illegal export of items of cultural importance across many categories. The category that includes fossils is described as Rare collections and specimens of fauna, flora, minerals and anatomy, and objects of palaeontological interest. According to Nudds, the wording makes it unclear whether the objects of paleontological interest are in their own category, which would include all fossils, or if they are part of the rare collections, which would not. But when it comes to my tooth, he said he believes that unless the shop I bought it from has smuggled the item out of Morocco, then it is selling it legally, even if it bought it from a smuggler. There may be an ethical issue, Nudds said, and there may be a moral or even a scientific issue, but not a legal issue. Elmahdi Lassale, CEO of M2 Rocks & Minerals, a Moroccan wholesaler and exporter of minerals and fossils that sells directly to retailers in the US, UK and Europe, confirmed that under Moroccan law, since 2020, fossils are classified as geological heritage. Excavating and exporting them isnt strictly off-limits, according to Lassale, but to do so commercially, a license must be obtained from the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development as well as a validated customs certificate. In practice, it means that before each export, Lassale sends the ministry a list of the individual items he wants to sell. Normally we just send the descriptions and the names of the items, he added, but sometimes they ask to send a real specimen, to see it in person. Trilobite fossils from Morocco are exhibited at the Warsaw Mineral Expo in 2016 in Poland. - Arletta Cwalina/Alamy Stock Photo When I asked if he deals in Spinosaurus teeth, he said he doesnt, because its unlikely that the ministry would approve their export. If we talk about dinosaur bones or teeth, its (almost) impossible to export from Morocco (even) with a license, Lassale said. Among the items he gets permission to export are trilobites, ammonites, shark teeth, and Mosasaur and Plesiosaur teeth and vertebrae. However, he said he is aware that other fossils do get out of the country via illegal suppliers as well as through informal shipments via tourist luggage and small couriers, creating a mixed online market of documented and undocumented specimens abroad. He estimated the total trade of fossils in Morocco to be worth $30 million to $40 million annually, including official and unofficial exports, and that about 80% of fossils are exported. In a large trade show such as the one in Tucson, he said, there will be on average around 200 Moroccan fossil dealers. Deadly efforts The yellowish brown fossil tooth cost the writer about $100. - Toby Hancock/CNN Martill and Nudds viewed my fossil during separate video calls. Youve got a genuine fossil, but I think its a repair, Martill said. Theres a possibility that the tip belongs to a different specimen. You can see some glue they often find broken examples, and they will just do sympathetic repairs. However, the human cost of obtaining even an imperfect specimen can be serious, he said. Let me tell you now that the man who dug that out of the ground risked not only his life but his lungs as well, Martill said, adding that he has gone into fossil mines in Morocco and spent time with miners. The fossil trade in Morocco is the main source of income for more than 50,000 people, including diggers, miners, artisans, middlemen and wholesalers who go on to export the fossils, according to a 2018 study. Martill said he believed my tooth came from Hassi el Begaa, a village in the Kem Kem region. A fossil miner works at a mine near Erfoud, Morocco. - Sophie Godefroy/Alamy Stock Photo This is a place where the mines go in from the side of the hill, Martill said. They go in horizontally, for maybe 50 to 100 meters (164 to 328 feet). They then turn to the left or the right, and thats when you lose any hint of sunlight. Youre well underground, and the place is incredibly dusty. The miners are often working without masks. They have little head torches, and they dig with tiny crowbars fashioned out of the steel that you use to reinforce concrete. Theyre not sophisticated tools. They do this all day long and then shovel out all of the sand in a wheelbarrow, tip it down the side of the hill and look for the fossils. Theyre working extremely hard theyre hand-digging a mine, Martill added. Taking all that into account, he said, what I paid for my tooth fossil is probably pretty cheap. Lassale agreed the fossil diggers in Morocco often work in challenging conditions, including temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), and with minimal protective equipment, while earning about 120 to 180 Moroccan dirhams (about $13 to $20) daily. He added that his company only partners with artisans and cooperatives that provide safety measures such as shade tents, water and protective goggles to workers, though he said such practices are not common industrywide. Its very easy to make a lot of money with this, but its not easy to dig out minerals or fossils small artisans, they put their health at risk to support their families, Lassale said. He noted that mines and shafts dug to reach fossil deposits have been known to collapse sometimes, causing fatalities. Unfortunately, we hear about that every year not just fossil but also mineral mines, he said. To buy or not to buy? A Moroccan boy sells fossilized ammonites, which are extinct shelled mollusks. - Mike Hughes/Alamy Stock Photo Would I be in trouble if my fossil tooth turned out to be illegal? Experts told me I likely wouldnt, even if the specimen had been illegally exported the responsibility would likely be on the wholesaler. But things could be different for fossils from countries that have strong restrictions on fossil exports. Thats why experts recommend prospective buyers avoid anything advertised from countries such as Brazil, Argentina, China or Mongolia. I guess the best advice would be to only buy something if you can see it and hold it in your hand, Nudds said. If youre going to buy online, then maybe avoid those countries which do ban exports, because thats where youre more likely to find forgeries. Fakes dont seem to be widespread, but theyre more common on the cheaper end of the market, according to Lovisek of the Fossil Realms gallery in Canada. Theres so much scrutiny with the higher end, that the real problem is not forgery, but misrepresentation claiming theres less restoration than there is, or claiming its more real bone than there is, he said. Other than such deceptions or distortions, when it comes to how to purchase a fossil properly, experts offered guidance that would apply to buying pretty much anything online: Do your research, look for a reputable seller, and ask for paperwork or proof that the item is sold legally and ethically. Perhaps the more important question is should you buy a fossil at all? Robert Capers, then the US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, speaks at a 2016 ceremony to repatriate fossils back to Mongolia. - Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images I still look at the Spinosaurus tooth on my bookshelf and marvel that its the oldest thing in my house by at least 94 million years. But given the complexities around fossils cultural status and scientific relevance, the dangerous working conditions in some excavation areas, and the fact that many countries are now recovering fossils exported illegally, its no surprise that the answer to that question has stirred disagreement, even within my small cohort of paleontologists. Do not buy your fossils online, said Maidment of Londons Natural History Museum. Unless you can absolutely verify that they are being sold legally, and that theyre in your country legally, its best to just not to do it at all. My view of fossils its something that belongs to all of us. Its part of our heritage. It shouldnt be something that one person owns. Martill has a different view, particularly for smaller, less rare specimens that dont hold as much value for researchers. There are billions of fossils in the ground. Theres no point in them staying in the ground. And scientists like me, theres only so much that you can do with one isolated dinosaur tooth. Its a common fossil; its scientifically uninteresting, he said. I think its great that you can have a fossil. You got something there which is 90 to 100 million years old, Martill added. There is a possibility that you could buy a tooth and actually own a piece of the fantastic history of the life on Earth. Sign up for CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Boston University has taken a decisive step to modernize its leadership by installing a full-time vice president and secretary of the Board of Trustees. This newly created executive role is more than a titleit's a response to a rapidly shifting political landscape where universities face mounting scrutiny from lawmakers, donors, and advocacy groups. Across the U.S., higher education is under the microscope. Congressional debates rage over student debt relief and Pell Grant funding. At the same time, state legislatures are locked in battles over book bans and curriculum restrictions, especially around topics of race and gender. These conflicts have forced universities to rethink not just what they teach, but also how they govern themselves. Boston University's move is part of a broader trend. According to a BU News Service report, the new full-time board officer will streamline decision-making at the highest level. The goal: keep the university agile as it navigates complex compliance requirementslike evolving Title IX rules, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) mandates or restrictions, and the growing influence of donors on academic priorities. This is not just about internal efficiency. The American Council on Education stresses that today's universities must adapt their governance models for both transparency and effectiveness, as legislative scrutiny reaches new heights. The stakes are high: recent Supreme Court rulings have limited the federal government's authority to forgive student loans, while state governments expand school voucher programs and clamp down on what can be taught in public schools. Polling data shows the public is split. A majority of Americansabout 58%support some form of student debt relief, according to Pew Research Center. Yet there's fierce debate over school choice and curriculum control. Gallup finds that 52% of Americans oppose book bans related to race or gender, but most want more parental input in classroom decisions. For Boston University, professionalizing the board's executive leadership is a calculated move. With alumni, donors, and politicians all vying for influence, quick yet principled decisions are vital. The new vice president and board secretary will be expected to steer the university through regulatory challenges and public controversies, ensuring BU can respond quickly when external pressures mount. Why should citizens care? Because governance changes like this could shape the future of academic freedom, resource allocation, and the quality of higher education. As the 2026 midterm elections approach, education policy is set to dominate the national debate. The way universities adapt now will influence everything from tuition costs to what's taught in classroomsand who gets to decide. Boston University's new appointment is a bellwether. As more institutions professionalize their boards, expect a shift toward centralized, accountable leadershipone that must balance tradition, innovation, and the demands of a divided political era. By Andrew Osborn and Darya Korsunskaya MOSCOW (Reuters) -Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet at a Cold War-era air force base in Alaska on Friday to discuss a ceasefire deal for Ukraine that the U.S. sees as a possible way to end the deadliest war in Europe since World War Two. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was not invited to the talks, and his European allies fear Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict and recognising - if only informally - Russian control over one fifth of Ukraine. Both Trump and Putin are seeking wins from their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House. Trump, who casts the war as a "bloodbath" fraught with escalatory risk, is pressing for a truce in the 3-1/2-year-old war that would bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the summit is already a big win as he can use it to say that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow has retaken its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. The summit, the first between a U.S. and Russian leader since 2021, will begin at 11 a.m. Alaska time (1900 GMT). Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, conceded on Thursday it had proven a tougher nut to crack than he had thought. He said that if Friday's talks went well, quickly setting up a subsequent three-way summit with Zelenskiy would be even more important than his encounter with Putin. One source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs that Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine given that Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Reuters has previously reported that Putin might be willing to freeze the conflict along the front lines, provided there was a legally binding pledge not to enlarge NATO eastwards and to lift some Western sanctions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, wearing a USSR sweatshirt on his arrival in Alaska, said Moscow never revealed its hand in advance. The Kremlin suggested no documents would be signed at the summit, but praised Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff for laying the groundwork for the meeting. Ukraine and its European allies were heartened by a call on Wednesday in which they said Trump had agreed Ukraine must be involved in any talks about ceding land. Zelenskiy said Trump had also supported the idea of security guarantees for Kyiv. Russia, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, is vulnerable to additional U.S. sanctions - and Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. "For Putin, economic problems are secondary to goals, but he understands our vulnerability and costs," the Russian source said. The day before the summit, Putin held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control agreement to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire in February next year. COMMON GROUND? Trump said on the eve of the summit that he thought Putin would do a deal on Ukraine, but he has blown hot and cold on the chances of a breakthrough. Putin, meanwhile, praised what he called "sincere efforts" by the U.S. to end the war. The source familiar with Kremlin thinking said it looked as if the two sides had been able to find some common ground. "Apparently, some terms will be agreed upon... because Trump cannot be refused, and we are not in a position to refuse (due to sanctions pressure)," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. Putin has so far voiced stringent conditions for a full ceasefire, but one compromise could be a truce in the air war. Putin has said he is open to a ceasefire but has repeatedly said the issues of verification need to be sorted out first. Zelenskiy has accused Putin of playing for time to avoid U.S. secondary sanctions and has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory. Trump has said land transfers could be a possible way of breaking the logjam. Beyond territory, Ukraine has been clear in talks with Western allies that it needs a security guarantee backed by Washington. It is unclear how that guarantee could work - and what part the U.S. would play in it. Putin in 2024 stated his demands for stopping the war - the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions that they still control, an area now of about 21,000 sq km (8,100 sq miles). Putin also said Kyiv would have to officially notify Moscow that it was abandoning its plans to join NATO, and that it intended to remain neutral and non-aligned. Ukraine has said these terms are tantamount to asking it to capitulate. (Reporting by Andrew Osborn and Darya Korsunskaya in Moscow; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Jon Boyle, Frances Kerry and Gareth Jones) Russian President Vladimir Putin looks up at a flyover that included a B-2A Spirit stealth bomber. Screenshot/X/@JackPosobiec President Donald Trump welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin for an Alaska summit Friday with a flyover of military aircraft including a B-2A Spirit stealth strategic bomber. Trump and Putin met in Russia for a summit meeting during which Trump is seeking to secure a cease-fire in Russias war with Ukraine. As Trump and Putin walked down a red carpet, the flyover of a single B-2 with a flight of four Lockheed F-35 Lightning joint strike fighters took place. (RELATED: What Reality Do You Live In?: Scott Jennings Spars With CNN Panelist Who Dismisses Trumps Peace Deals) Hope he brought some backup pants, CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings posted on X in response to the flyover. The 23-second video posted by Jack Posobiec shows Putin and Trump looking up at the flyover. WATCH: The United States struck facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan related to Irans effort to develop nuclear weapons early on the morning of June 21, using as many as 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators in the operation, which involved a 37-hour flight by seven B-2s based at Whiteman Air Force Base. Trump has secured multiple peace deals across the globe, including defusing a conflict between India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed states, in May. Trump also settled a conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. In July, Trump reached an agreement with NATO where members of the alliance would purchase weapons, including MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missiles, and donate them to Ukraine. 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. A national noodle chain is closing down dozens of locations amid a decline in revenue. Noodles & Company announced on Wednesday, Aug. 13, through its 2025 second-quarter financial results news release, that it would be closing 28 to 32 company-owned locations by the year's end. The Broomfield, Colorado-based chain has been operating since 1995 and specializes in classic pasta and noodle dishes, such as pad thai and basil pesto cavatappi. A delicious duo, the companys signature combo, comes with a small entree, protein and a side beginning at $9.95. Noodles & Company reported a net loss of $17.6 million compared to a net loss of $13.6 million from the same time last year, according to the company's 2025 second-quarter financial results. Additionally, revenue decreased 0.7% to $126.4 million from $127.4 million. Here is what to know about Noodles & Company's upcoming location closures. How many Noodles & Company restaurants closed in 2025? So far, the company has closed six restaurants in 2025 and opened one new location. An additional two franchise locations have also shut down. The noodle chain has more than 400 locations operating around the United States. Noodles & Company CEO Drew Madsen blamed the business's economic headwinds on the strong value-conscious climate and a slower guest adoption of the upgrades made to some of our historic menu items. The company completed an overhaul of its menu earlier this year. Weve been moving decisively to address these factors, particularly around guest value perception, said Madsen, who announced hed be stepping down as CEO. He will be succeeded by Joe Christina, the companys current chief operating officer. Joe Christina is absolutely the right leader to guide this brand forward, Madsen said in a statement. What is next for Noodles & Company? Noodles & Company is planning to close another 12 to 17 restaurants in 2026, while simultaneously opening an additional two locations. The company did not reveal which locations are likely to close and where the new restaurants will open. USA TODAY contacted Noodles & Company for comment on Friday, Aug. 15, but has not received a response. Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Noodles & Company closing up to 32 locations, CEO stepping down NEED TO KNOW Two easyJet planes' wings came in contact while taxiing to the runway The incident occurred at the Manchester International Airport in England on Aug. 15 We felt the whole plane shudder it was a massive hit, a passengers told the BBC Two easyJet planes came into contact at Manchester International Airport, the airline has confirmed. The incident occurred the morning of Friday, August 15 in Manchester, England. A spokesperson for easyJet told PEOPLE, the wing tips of two aircraft came into contact whilst taxiing to the runway. Videos and photos captured by passengers were posted to social media shortly after the event. TikTok user @charlbowers posted a video showing what appears to be a wing tip bent in half. In a video obtained by PEOPLE, an airport official wearing an orange vest makes his way to the grass to retrieve a piece of one of the planes that was seemingly sliced off. Tynisha Chaudhry, a 21-year-old on the plane to Gibraltar, told the BBC the experience was like a car crash. We felt the whole plane shudder it was a massive hit, she told the outlet. Phil Aspin/SWNS Two easyJet planes collide while taxiing to the runway at Manchester Airport. https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf The aircraft returned to stand to disembark customers and customers were provided with refreshment vouchers, the airline's statement noted. A replacement aircraft and crew were arranged so that all customers could continue their journey this morning. One of the planes was on its way to Gibraltar while the other was heading to Paris. The airline confirmed an investigation into that incident has been launched. No injuries have been reported. The collision caused a pause in airport operations. We suspended operations briefly while [the planes] were assessed to see if they could taxi back to a stand, which they could so operations resumed after a few minutes, a spokesperson for the airport told ABC News. Phil Aspin/SWNS An airport official recovers a damaged piece of an aircraft. Representatives for the airport did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Earlier this year, two planes had a near miss on the runway at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. On May 6, a Republic Airlines jet had to hit its brakes to avoid a collision with a United Airlines plane. An air traffic controller at LaGuardia Airport in New York canceled the takeoff clearance for Republic Airways Flight 4736 because United Airlines Flight 2657 was taxiing on the same runway, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement provided to PEOPLE following the incident. The stop was as hard as any car accident Ive been in, Republic passenger Renee Hoffer told the Associated Press. Read the original article on People Steven Ferdman/WireImage; Virisa Yong/BFA.com/Shutterstock Pete Davidson NEED TO KNOW Pete Davidson opened up about one tattoo he's choosing to keep amid the lengthy, expensive and painful ink removal process he began in 2020 The Saturday Night Live alum admitted on The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 radio show that his "tattoos sucked," which is why he's decided to get rid of them Davidson had upwards of 200 tattoos on his body that he got within a span of two years in his early 20s Pete Davidson isn't getting rid of all his ink. The Saturday Night Live alum, 31, is in the process of removing upwards of 200 tattoos that he had inked all over his body, however, he recently opened up about one in particular that he confirmed he's keeping. Davidson shared on The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 that his "feelings changed" about the large amount of tattoos he got done "in a span of two years" in his early 20s, admitting that he's not a fan of them now like he used to be when he was younger. "My tattoos sucked. They were all drug-fueled," he told the hosts of the radio show on Wednesday, Aug. 13, explaining that his time in rehab ultimately gave him second thoughts about his prior ink decisions. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Pete Davidson "I just looked at myself in rehab for the first time when I was sober and was just like, 'Oh no. What did I do'?" recalled Davidson, who's currently expecting his first baby with his girlfriend, Elsie Hewitt, 29. Don't get the comedian wrong, though! He said on the radio show that he "thinks tattoos are cool," however, tattoos that have "meaning" to them. He admitted his did not necessarily have any particular significance when he got them done at the time. "Mine just weren't," the Bupkis actor said of his tattoos' lack of meaning. "So I just started burning them off. Burning them off sucks," he added of the lengthy and painful removal process. There is one tattoo, specifically, that Davidson excitedly spoke about keeping on his body: Hillary Clinton. "Hillary's staying, I love Hillary. I got Hilary after she lost," he told the radio hosts of the 2016 presidential candidate whom he got inked on his right leg in December 2017. https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf "One, I know her personally and she's a lovely lady," he said of Clinton. "But also ... she's tough, man. She was really at the forefront of some bulls--- and as someone who's been at the forefront of some bulls---, I just wanted to, like, cheer her up a little bit." When asked what Clinton said about Davidson's tattoo, the comic revealed that "she loves it," and even dialed him to inquire if her inspired ink would be a part of his removal process. Bobby Bank/GC Images/Getty; Reformation Pete Davidson before and after his tattoo removal "What was cute was when I got them removed, she hit me up and was like, 'You're not removing me are you'?" he recalled of the politician's concern. "I was like, 'Of course not!'," he recalled, making clear, "Hillary stays." Davidson then shared advice for those who are considering permanently inking themselves, suggesting that they put a good amount of thought into the decision prior to getting it done. "It sucks. If anyone is thinking of getting a tattoo, I would recommend thinking about it for a couple years, 'cause your feelings change." Davidson previously said he plans to only keep "two or three" of his tats. Earlier in the interview, the Staten Island native revealed that his "Wu-Tang" tattoo is staying when talking about the hip-hop group which also hails from the New York City borough he has inked on his shoulder above his Verrazzano Bridge tattoo. Of the Wu-Tang tattoo, the comedian previously told Complex, "They are Staten Island. That's what Staten Island is." He also added: "Mushrooms is a fun thing to do," when the interviewer complimented the tattoo. Bobby Bank/GC Images Pete Davidson's Wu-Tang Clan tattoo In January, a source told PEOPLE that the SNL star spent $200,000 to undergo the process of having his multiple inkings removed from his body. "He just woke up one day and wanted them gone, and its been a years-long process," the source said of the procedure. A second source added that the tattoo removal is also marking a fresh start for Davidson, who "has been sober since September, and gained 20 pounds." "Things are going really well for him," the insider told PEOPLE at the time. "Things are heading in the right direction." Davidson started the long-term journey of removing his tattoos in 2020. Read the original article on People Getty Revere Beach in Massachusetts NEED TO KNOW Police in Massachusetts responded to a popular beach on Wednesday, Aug. 12, following a report of an unattended death A large portion of the beach was then taped off as authorities investigated However, no body was found and police later revealed what the item they found actually was Part of a popular beach in Massachusetts was briefly closed off due to a reported death, but police were soon confronted with a surprise they didn't see coming. Massachusetts State Police (MSP) responded to Revere Beach on the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 12, for what was described at the time as an investigation into a possible "unattended death," according to NBC affiliate WBTS and ABC affiliate WCVB-TV. https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf A large portion of the beach was then taped off as authorities investigated. A diver was also seen in the water, according to WCVB. However, police later announced that there hadn't been any death and that what had been reported as a possible body was actually a "large blanket" that had been rolled up. There has been no body of any type recovered, police said, according to WCVB-TV and FOX affiliate WFXT. It is unclear how the blanket wound up on the beach or who the blanket may have belonged to. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. When reached for comment by PEOPLE on Thursday, Aug. 14, police said there was "no new information" to share. Police referred further questions to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, which did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. Read the original article on People Rapper Sean Kingston was sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison and three years of supervised release on Friday after a jury found him and his mother guilty of wire fraud earlier this year. Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, and his mother, Janice Turner, were found guilty of organized fraud and grand theft charges in May for defrauding businesses of more than $1 million. Turner, 63, was sentenced to five years in federal prison last month and three years of probation. Sean Kingston performs in Miami in 2023. (Johnny Louis / Getty Images file) Zeljka Bozanic, Kingston's lawyer, argued on Friday that even though Kingston is 35 years old, he still acts like he's a child. She attributed Kingston's crimes to a 2011 jet ski accident that left Kingston severely injured. She also argued that Kingston had no role models growing up besides his mother, who was in prison at the time of his overnight fame, and noted that most of the businesses have been paid back. "I know hes very sorry for what hes done," she said. Kingston briefly addressed the court, saying: Ive learned from my actions." His attorney needed to adjust the mic for him so he could be heard. The prosecution shot down the notion that Kingston's criminal activity had anything to do with his accident and suggested that Kingston be sentenced to 60 months in prison. "He is a thief through and through," Marc Anton, a lawyer for the Justice Department, said. The rapper's requests to self surrender due to scheduled medical appointments were denied. He was remanded once the sentencing on Friday concluded. Kingston's supporters said, "we love you," as he was being taken away. Another restitution hearing is set for Oct. 16. Sean Kingston with his mother, Janice Turner, in 2012. (Jason Merritt / Getty Images file) The rapper, who is best known for his 2007 hit song Beautiful Girls, was arrested in Fort Irwin, California, in May following a SWAT raid on his home in Southwest Ranches, Florida, in Broward County. Kingston and his mother were then indicted in 2024. Prosecutors accused Kingston and his mother of using his celebrity name to trick luxury businesses into delivering items before payment. Payment was then made using fraudulent or worthless wire transfers, according to the indictment. Turner and Kingston would then keep the stolen items. Arrest warrants said the mother and son defrauded a jewelry business, a luxury bed company, a used luxury and exotic car dealership, and a luxury microLED TV company. The scheme transpired for several years until March 2024, according to the indictment. Kingston and Turner pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following their convictions, Kingston was ordered to be confined to house arrest with electronic monitoring, while his mother was remanded in federal custody. With the hit song "Beautiful Girls" reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100, Kingston became an overnight star at 17 years old. He has released three studio albums since the song came out in 2007. A rare atmospheric river is unfolding across the Northwest to end the week, with over a month's worth of rain possible in some parts of Oregon and Washington, forecasters said. The rain event should tamp down wildfire danger but will soak anyone camping. The stream of moisture is unusual for the Pacific Northwest at this time of year, which typically experiences drier Augusts. It's forecast to bring 1 to 3 inches of rain to the Cascade Mountains and coastal areas, with varying rain totals elsewhere in both states. Its pretty unseasonal it does happen from time to time but not very often in August, Tanja Fransen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland, told the Salem Statesman Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. We certainly need it. The rain began the evening of Aug. 14 and is expected to pick up in a second round the evening of Aug. 15 and morning of Aug. 16, before gradually giving way to sunnier skies on Aug. 17. Between 0.5 and 0.75 inches already fell in the last 12 hours with the heaviest amounts along the coast, the weather service in Seattle reported. In western Washington, 1.5 to 2.5 inches is expected in the coming days. "The storm would be considered formidable even during the middle of the wet season in the winter months," AccuWeather reported. Over a month's worth of rain could fall Rainfall totals from this rain event could surpass usual rainfall amounts for the whole month of August in parts of Washington and Oregon in just a few days, AccuWeather reported. Portland, Oregon, gets an average of just over half an inch of rain in August, and Seattle sees about 0.97 of an inch. Totals could be one to two times this amount, according to the outlet. The western slopes of the Olympic and Cascade mountains could see 4 inches of rain in some spots, AccuWeather said. Some of the rain could dip as far south as Northern California. "The rain will ebb and flow, so expect some periods that are heavier rain, then lighter rain, it may totally stop and then start up again," the weather service in Portland said. Rain a much-needed relief for dry Oregon The rain comes just as Oregons drought has rapidly expanded and wildfire danger reaches its seasonal peak. More than half of Oregon is now classified as being under a moderate drought and most of the Willamette Valley and northwest Oregon is under a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Its going to help with the drought and wildfire danger, but its also not a season-ending event, Fransen said. Oregons weather is expected to heat back up again by next weekend and wildfires will remain possible throughout late August and September. Rain is coming starting after midnight tonight through midnight Sat/Sun am. It can be heavy at times. More details in this thread. (1/x) pic.twitter.com/UCa9CJCnI7 NWS Portland (@NWSPortland) August 14, 2025 What is an 'atmospheric river'? On the West Coast, atmospheric rivers approach from the Pacific Ocean, carrying tremendous amounts of water. They occur most often during certain weather patterns, including El Nino, which can increase their frequency or intensity, though they can occur in other years as well. Atmospheric rivers are the largest transport mechanisms of freshwater on Earth, according to NASA. These long, narrow corridors of air heavy with moisture are sometimes called "rivers in the sky." How to prepare for an atmospheric river The weather service in Portland said residents should take these steps to prepare for the heavy rain: Check your home's gutters and clean them out if there are leaves from recent winds. Practice caution around low water crossings, where street drains may back up and cause rain to pool. Slow down while driving off interstate and bridge ramps and when making turns. Recent heat has caused oil in the road to come to the surface, making roads slick when rainfall is added. Expect creeks to rise and have more flow in the Coastal Range, Willapa Hills and Cascades. Check your local weather forecast for expected rainfall amounts and timing. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rare atmospheric river to dump a month's worth of rain on Northwest Benthall and her husband near a castle in Stowe, England. Provided by Kelly Benthall Kelly Benthall, 54, and her husband retired early and have now been slow traveling for a year. This summer, they spent five fast-paced weeks moving through seven stops across the UK and Ireland. The experience left her exhausted and reminded the couple why they'd chosen a slower, more intentional life. Plain and simple hold the tomatoes fast travel is exhausting. My husband Nigel and I retired early last year to slow travel the world. We've made it a habit to stay in one place for a month. It feels long enough to unpack, exhale, and feel like we live there. But this summer, we broke our own rules. We planned a five-week sprint through the UK and Ireland seven stops in quick succession, most just five days long. We started in Dorset with a brief, emotionally heavy family visit, then made our way through Cornwall, the Cotswolds, the Lake District, Edinburgh, North Wales, and finally ended with a three-day finale in Dublin. It was part memory lane, part reunion tour, and a whole lot of intentional sightseeing. Some stops held memories for Nigel, others were entirely new. It was a chance for both of us to explore his home country with fresh eyes. We packed in everything from castles and sea cliffs to wild ponies, old friends, long walks, and short pub chats. It felt like an affair, not with a person, but with a different kind of travel. A thrilling, nostalgic, completely unsustainable fling with speed. Love Business Insider? Add Business Insider as a preferred source on Google to see more of us. Kelly Benthall and her husband's five-week, seven-stop trip across the UK and Ireland confirmed they prever slow travel. Provided by Kelly Benthall By the numbers: 5 weeks 7 stops 4 home-cooked reunions 2,000+ miles driven in a tiny car on even tinier roads 178 mapped stops Countless pints and pies It was a whirlwind of firsts and then the crash. Burning through cash and energy By the end of the trip, my legs were stronger than ever, thanks to all the walking and staircases many of which felt too narrow for a modern human with luggage. But the rest of me shut down. After Dublin, when we finally arrived at our more long-term monthlong Airbnb in Killaloe, Ireland, I slept for a full day. Even after that, I felt drained. Four days in, my mind was still on high alert scanning for surprises, wrong turns, or a crowd around the corner. That internal alarm system so helpful while navigating new terrain didn't know how to switch off. We had also spent more money than usual. Without monthlong Airbnb discounts or home-cooked meals, the costs added up. We indulged in well-regarded restaurants nearly every day, and we felt it in both our budget and our waistlines. There were a couple of late nights too 2 a.m. pub closings and dance floors I used to keep up with, but that now leave us wrecked the next day. That's not our rhythm anymore. Benthall visited a waterfall in the Lake District. Provided by Kelly Benthall During the trip, we pushed hard to do each region justice hiking to hidden waterfalls, exploring caves, storm-watching over valleys, and wandering historic streets. And then it hit me, we were those tourists. Respectful, yes. Grateful, always. But always on the move, like playground visitors: admiring the beauty, but never staying long enough to earn trust. It was the opposite of what slow travel makes possible the chance to return to the same cafe twice, to learn names, to show up not just as a guest but as a quiet part of the scenery. That tension wore on me. We were seeing everything, but belonging nowhere. Retired, but still racing The pace wasn't just a physical strain, but mental as well. Fast travel began to mimic the stress patterns of the life we left behind. Before we retired, I spent decades in a high-pressure career, always scanning, solving, planning the next thing. It took me a lot of work to untangle myself from that rhythm. Yet here I was again, dreaming of logistics, overloading my senses, and feeling that familiar hum of burnout. I'd also taken up writing in retirement, but somewhere between documenting it all and trying to feel it, I lost the thread. We had no buffer. No pause. Just momentum. Benthall and her husband spent days at the beach. Provided by Kelly Benthall The return to slow And yet, the moments still shone. We found awe on many occasions: sea shanties in a Cornish pub that left us teary, storm clouds that rolled over the lakes like theater curtains, and yes sharing a pint while standing in line for a castle. We watched sheep graze near medieval stone circles. We wandered through St. Giles as sunlight streamed through stained glass. Nigel even got pulled onstage to dance in Dublin whiskey in hand, the crowd cheering. We were wrecked. But we were alive. Now we're in a quiet town in Ireland, finally staying put for a full month. One Airbnb. One grocery shop. No checkouts to plan. We didn't retire early to rush life, we did it to be present. Fast travel showed us what we could cram in. Slow travel reminds us why we left the rush behind. Do you have a story about retiring abroad that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: akarplus@businessinsider.com. Read the original article on Business Insider Sofia Varon Sofia Varon and her fellow Alpha Omicron Pi sorority sisters at the University of Florida. NEED TO KNOW Sofia Varon spent her junior year of college as the director of social media for her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, at the University of Florida She was responsible for creating content on behalf of the organization all year long, including during rush, when many sororities post highly produced dance videos to potential new members Thanks to viral trends like #RushTok and Bama Rush, sororities have a global audience on social media, one that reaches far beyond campus and adds on even more pressure for administrators like Varon Gone are the days when sorority recruitment only mattered to those rushing; now, the whole world is watching with an especially keen focus on Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools. As summer winds down and university life picks back up in August, TikTok turns into #RushTok. Social media feeds are flooded with prospective new Greek life members vying for a spot in their top-choice house. The viral, annual trend started with "Bama Rush" in 2021, when sorority hopefuls also known as potential new members (PNMs) started documenting their experiences with sorority recruitment at the University of Alabama. The TikTok posts range from lighthearted "outfit of the day" videos to students' candid reactions to rejection and drama behind the scenes. #RushTok continues to compel social media users on a global scale, and as a result, digital presence has become a crucial, top priority for sororities, especially in the South. Sofia Varon Alpha Omicron Pi sorority sisters at the University of Florida. While PNMs post about their individual recruitment preparation and daily rush routines, sorority social media managers are tasked with producing content that speaks for the whole house. They can't simply ride on the charm of their sisters, either. Such videos often take the form of highly produced dances fitted with themed costumes and props. made to convince any incoming freshmen that they need to join that specific sorority. This digital output often serves as students' first impression of a sorority, so the rollout doesn't wait for summer to set into recruitment season. Instead, social media managers are expected to start the content blitz when their university sends out its earliest acceptance letters and according to one former social platforms director, the pressure is on and high. "The second those freshmen get in, it's game time, says Sofia Varon, a senior at the University of Florida. And you need to make sure every single post is perfect. Sofia Varon Sofia Varon at the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority house. Last year, Varon, 21, balanced her school work as a public relations major with her duties running all social media accounts for her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII). She's since passed the torch to another capable sister, though Varon admits to PEOPLE that she's relieved not to manage AOIIs front-facing pages anymore. It's just a lot of work. No one I know would ever do it again, she says with a laugh, referring to her fellow PR major friends who also ran their respective sororities social media. Social media has indeed become a high-stakes aspect of Greek life, and not just because of the uptick in interest due to Bama Rush hype. It's a sorority's outward identity, says Varon, how a house presents itself to the outside world, people with little to no knowledge of a specific campus culture. If executed improperly, a poorly received post could knock the organization's reputation to some extent, and it could cost them worthy new members. Sofia Varon Alpha Omicron Pi recruitment photo. "If someone doesn't like the identity, they don't want to be categorized like that," adds Varon. "It's just a lot of pressure to make sure everyone's happy, but not everyone's going to have the same exact style and aesthetic." The content creation process isnt as simple as picking a concept and then hitting record on an iPhone. The dances, costumes, songs and settings are selected months in advance, tied to the themes of Work Week, the pre-rush period when sorority members practice recruiting PNMs. Varon says that during Work Week, each member of her sorority is expected to be at the house at 7 a.m., ready with their hair and makeup done. Each sister will have spent months shopping for the perfect outfit based on the daily theme, but if someone is wearing a really standout ensemble, her social media chair will select her to participate in a social media video. Sofia Varon Sofia Varon and her Alpha Omicron Pi sorority sisters at the University of Florida. While youre learning about recruitment, wed pull you aside if you were going to be in a TikTok video dancing, Varon explains. The members with dancing experience are often sent the routines to learn before they even arrive on campus. You have to come up with all the concepts for videos, and you pretty much have to send them in beforehand. It's not only during sorority recruitment, Varon notes of her pre-rush planning during her tenure as the social media director. If done right, the results of all that preparation are impressive to say the least. Varon points to a video AOII put out in August 2024, which wrapped around two key tentpoles: their Lollapalooza-themed day and a partnership they secured with beverage brand Poppi. The TikTok sees a number of sorority sisters clad in brightly colored festival-inspired outfits, bouncing to the beat of Lil Mama's 2008 hit "Lip Gloss" in front of their house. At the center of the group, five members wore bright smiles and flipped their ponytails along to upbeat choreography. "This one took a lot of time ... We just looked like we were having a good time during recruitment, you know?" Varon recalls. The video reached over 160,000 viewers, which does indicate some viral success, though AOII's most viral TikTok hit over 519,000 views, yet another dancing clip produced by Varon last year. But from her perspective, looking appealing as a group of friends is more of the goal than garnering the most online engagement. "You just want to make sure that everyone thinks that we're fun," Varon says of the social media strategy. "It's not necessarily about going far, but just having a really good vibe that everyone would want to be a part of." That said, in this ever-so-digital day and age, going viral does make for an undeniably "good vibe." Sorority administrators may not put pressure in regards to views and likes, but passionate sisters want to see that win for the sake of impressing more prospective members. "If it goes viral, then probably the people in recruitment are going to see it and they're going to be like, 'Oh, that's a cool video,'" says Varon. "If a video went viral, that's cool." Sofia Varon Alpha Omicron Pi sisters at their sorority house at the University of Florida. Ultimately, social media has become a high-stakes aspect of Greek life, and not just because of the uptick in interest due to Bama Rush hype. It's a sorority's outward identity, says Varon, how a house presents itself to the outside world, people with little to no knowledge of a specific campus culture. If executed improperly, a poorly received post could knock the organization's reputation to some extent, and it could cost them worthy new members. "If someone doesn't like the identity, they don't want to be categorized like that," adds Varon. "It's just a lot of pressure to make sure everyone's happy, but not everyone's going to have the same exact style and aesthetic." After recruitment, once rush is over and pledge classes are compiled, most of the sorority can step back from TikTok dance rehearsals and the general content creation grind. The same can't be said for the sister heading social media. In place of coming up with colorful, creative video concepts, a manager like Varon will then assume the task of keeping sorority profiles updated. "There's a lot of other things that you have to do. For example, there's about 400 girls in my sorority, and you need to do a birthday post for every single one of those girls," she tells PEOPLE. Almost every single day, Varon would check whose birthday it is, compile their photos and create an Instagram-friendly shareable graphic on Canva to celebrate the sister. "It would get really, really stressful sometimes, just because a lot of people are depending on you. If I had a busy day, no matter what," Varon reflects. "I would just do it early in the morning or late at night." This July, the AOII took to her personal TikTok account to explain why her previous role as the head of social media director is the proudest line on her resume. "I'm pretty confident that'll always be the hardest job I've ever had in my entire life," she said in her recent video, which has over 114,000 views. "That was actually like going to war; it just really set me up for life." Sofia Varon Alpha Omicron Pi sorority sisters at the University of Florida. Speaking to PEOPLE, Varon elaborated on her claim, positioning the role against more standard, "real-world" employment. "When you have a job, you realistically have one boss or maybe a few people ahead of you that you pretty much have to make proud," she says. "In a sorority yes, we're all really similar and we all get along but everyone has their own vibe and their own aesthetic." In Varon's experience, that meant almost every member had a different opinion about how the sorority's pages should look. She could spend hours curating an Instagram post that she was really proud of, and she still anticipated someone suggesting she should've done something differently. This summer, Varon put her social media and communications savvy to use interning at a PR agency. Naturally, she was able to apply what she learned running AOII's pages in the professional landscape, but her very role in the sorority actually helped her nab the job in the first place. Sofia Varon Sofia Varon and a fellow Alpha Omicron Pi sorority sister at the University of Florida. No, she didn't interview with a former Alpha Omicron Pi or meet any bosses at a sorority networking event. After she started her internship, Varon asked her boss what made her stand out among other applicants. As it turns out, the agency previously hired two different women who once ran social media for their sororities. Although those employees moved on to other companies as their careers advanced, Varon's boss formed a sense of respect for women who volunteered for the demands of sorority social media administration. "She just thought, 'You understand pressure,'" Varon says, remembering the conversation with her boss. "It might sound silly if you haven't been in a sorority before, but they knew that I understood every single detail matters." Read the original article on People by Marie Snyder In my last post of meditation, I suggested that theres not a lot of harm that comes from meditation and mindfulness training, so maybe it doesnt need the kind of scientific scrutiny that we might expect from a clinical drug trial. However, in Toward a Psychology of Awakening (2000), Buddhist psychotherapist John Welwood documents three traps: spiritual bypass, narcissism, and desensitising, that arise in part because weve leant too far to either psychology or spirituality instead of using both. He also discusses them in brief in a paper, Principles of inner work: Psychological and spiritual (1984). Both psychotherapy and spirituality are about developing a new kind of loving relationship with ones experience, and both help us break free from our conditioned reactions. But spirituality doesnt address our early mishaps that affect our perceptions, and psychotherapy doesnt address the need to transcend our personal feelings. When he first trained as a therapist, Welwood was concerned that psychotherapy has a narrow view of human nature, but then realized how much it can help once we no longer demand answers from it. It can help free people from negative childhood conditioning, particularly from dismissive or engulfing parenting, by working with our needs, scripts (now narratives), fears, self-respect, etc. A lot of us dont learn how to exist in the world well. Welwood claims that part of the problem is the breakdown of extended families and tight-knit communities so that children just get influenced by parents or just one parent instead of many people providing a variety of ideas that can help a child figure out where they fit in the group. As far as I understand this point, with only one or two major influences, children might accept lessons without question, then have to spend a good part of their lives freeing themselves from this singular impact in order to find their own sense of self. Its somewhat unintuitive, but a larger group influence helps a child find their individual self by differentiating from others more clearly at a younger age. But whether we find it at 5 or 50, its necessary to have this stable self-structure before trying to go further. But without a spiritual element, we have too literal-minded and serious too small a vision of what a human being is. Psychotherapy can focus too much on content and not enough on the human being. Its changing more recently, focusing less on content and more on how we are with our experience. Welwood wants to stop trying to overcome emotional content and instead open up to it. If we cant open up to anger, for example, we end up trying to be nicer (people pleasing) or overmonitoring our behaviour to avoid triggers, which can create more stress. Yet theres even more ground to cover than just this. The purpose of spiritual practice is to help liberate us from attachment to an imprisoning self-structure. Specifically, Welwood talks about working with the five poisons (kleshas) of grasping, aggression, ignorance, jealousy, pride, or clinging, aversion, delusion, and comparison. We can also remember it with rhyming couplets: praise, blame, failure, fame, loss, gain, pleasure, pain. Spirituality focuses on noticing that were clinging or grasping at things and learning to let go of some of what feels necessary to our lives, like being the best at work or never making mistakes, etc. When we glorify the ego in psychotherapy or focus too much on our issues, it impedes our capacity to move beyond ourselves towards a more open awareness. Were terrified of the idea of being egoless, but it can help us cope with life to overcome our identification with whatever we imagine ourselves to be. Welwoods version of spirituality hinges on meditation. He traces a misunderstanding we have about it to Jung, who saw meditation as a move inward down a road to the unconscious. However, according to Welwood, Buddhist meditation is to develop transparent perception, which doesnt require inward concentration. Its about sharpening awareness to see things as they are through diffuse attention to everything all at once. Being a part of it all, all the time, by noticing thoughts, feelings, sensations from all senses. I think of it using a film analogy: its the shift from rack focusing (back and forth between foreground and background) to a deep depth of field where everything is in sharp focus at once. Its not trying to get rid of thoughts, to stop them or ignore them, but trying to notice them and let them go. No longer clinging to or believing every thought that pops in our head, allows us to eat the poisons of confused mind and also transmute them. The goal is a recognition of our suchness by staying in the present moment. I still dont have a regular meditation practice despite immersing myself in a lot of books on the topic, but I do find a change just from noticing things, the thoughts and feelings that come and go, as well as the behaviour of others in my vicinity, and the larger canvas. One Zen primer suggests that curious, non-judgmental, present-moment awareness is most of the task, with meditation actually a much smaller part of the daily practice, and Im banking on that for the time being. With a mix of psychotherapy and spirituality, instead of getting stuck in a problem by dwelling on the content of the experience, or rising above it and the ins and outs of regular life as well, Welwood says we can stay with our frozen structures and transform them. That is the core of practice, I believe, in both psychotherapy and meditation. Psychotherapy is reflective and spirituality gives us pure presence. Without the mix, we end up stuck in one of three traps. The first trap, spiritual bypass or premature transcendence, is from step-skipping: jumping over psychotherapy to immerse in spirituality. When we avoid doing our psychological work with any unfinished business, and hope to overcome it all with meditation, its an attempt to obliterate ourselves, and spirituality just becomes another avoidant defense mechanism. Welwood explains that this originates because, Many people are introduced to spiritual teachings and practices which come from cultures that assume a person having already passed through the basic developmental stages. But we have to make peace with the raw and messy side of our humanness before we can go beyond it. For instance, if we practice detachment by dismissing the need for love, it only drives the need underground where it can act out when we least expect it and grow in intensity. In an interview in 2011, Welwood said this bypassing can develop a compensatory identity that defends against an underlying deficient identity, where we feel like were not good enough and use our spiritual practice as a defense against our own inner turmoil. He says, Ive often seen how attempts to be unattached are used in the service of sealing people off from their human and emotional vulnerabilities. In effect, identifying oneself as a spiritual practitioner becomes used as a way of avoiding a depth of personal engagement with others that might stir up old wounds and longing for love. Its painful to see someone maintaining a stance of detachment when underneath they are starving for positive experiences of bonding and connection. The second trap comes with being enmeshed with psychology without any spiritual elements, and we end up naval-gazing, being overly fascinated with our own personal stuff. Welwood describes it as becoming an emotional junky who gets hooked on processing personal stuff. When we lose sight of the rest of the universe, we miss how much our identity is created by everything outside ourselves. In Jay Garfields excellent book, Losing Ourselves, he discusses the importance of putting aside the egocentricity of self-absorbed improvement because we cant actually see ourselves without also noticing the field around us. Garfield explains, We are social animals who only become the individuals we do in social contexts that scaffold our flourishing. We can only make sense of our lives and see them as meaningful when we understand our personhood and when we give up the fantasy of independence encoded in the idea of a self. This idea also runs as a thread in Richard Polts book on Heidegger, where Polt explains, If our connections to other beings were cut, we would not end up inside our mind we would end up without a mind at all. The mind is dependent on minding caring about other beings, which show up as mattering to us. The less involved we are with who we are, the more we can recognize our deep bond with all sentient beings. Theres nothing inside that we can latch on to that can make sense without also looking outside at the same time. The final trap is fear-born apathy. Our culture has us too desensitized to our personal and spiritual development. We dont do either well because we hate to look too deeply or feel too strongly. Its scary! We numb ourselves to avoid feeling the full range of pleasures and pains. We avoid whats painful or intense and grasp anything comfortable, familiar, or convenient. This feeds all our addictions and compulsions, which are typically masking our aversions. Nietzsche nailed this idea back in 1872 in Unpublished Writings from the Period of Unfashionable Observations: Every moment of life wants to tell us something, but we do not want to hear what it has to say: when we are alone and quiet we are afraid that something will be whispered into our earand hence we despise quiet and drug ourselves with sociability [or scrolling or meditation]. The human being evades suffering as best he can, but even more so he evades the meaning of endured suffering; he seeks to forget what lies behind it by constantly setting new goals. Im not just name dropping what Ive read lately, but seeing this same perspective in so many places gives it greater weight. Welwood offers a solution in three simple principles to remember from ancient China: earth, heaven, man. He reframes it bodily as feet, head, and torso. Our feet stand on the ground, rooted, to remind us that we are part of the world. Our psychology doesnt need to be fixed, but can be pruned and fertilized like a tree by repairing any damage to develop a workable sense of self. He references several methodologies (Jungian, Focusing, Gestalt) but primarily those that get out of the head and into the felt sense of things to reach the emotional core of issues. At the other end, our head is oriented to the sky, the spiritual, and we need to extricate ourselves from roots that are circling back to the self. Like a plant thats root-bound, thers no room for further growth. This is done by letting go of attachment to our idea of who we are to just let ourselves be, without holding onto some structure, some agenda, some goal or purpose. Were terrified of uncertainty, but we can get comfortable with emptiness to see gaps in conversation like rest bars in a piece of music and await the next refrain with curiosity instead of an agenda. We can also psychologically let go of old conditioned patterns by noticing the judgment involved when were grasping, defensive, resistant, or judgmentally comparing ourselves to others. Just noticing how often were in that place is a big first step. Finally, Welwood points out that, unlike most animals, humans move around with our torso exposed, our vulnerable belly and heart, without shells or quills or claws to protect it. Our self is entirely relational, and were made to be emotionally affected by each other. But thats terrifying! So we build some character armor. We have to cut through the armor to let others in and appreciate them as they are. Welwood describes the armor like a saloon door; our task is oiling the door so that it can open in both directions without getting stuck. Psychology can help here, but its mainly a spiritual letting go and opening space for others to reach us. Fortunately, letting go also means developing a greater sense of humor which arises from being able to step out of being stuck in a structure, and compassion comes from involvement in the world and having the possibility of transcending limitations. With training, instead of guarding against others, we can let others touch us more deeply, less wary of their emotional expression, For pain and neurosis also contain their own colors and energies which wake us up. This dance of phenomena, this play of the mind, has its own kind of beauty. I can begin to appreciate someones character armor, how it served to protect him, and what a skillful creation it is in its own way. It starts with noticing the inner and outer world in the present moment without judgment. That sounds like a lifes work right there! Welwood, and so many others, make it seem that meditation is the one task that helps us find and maintain that present moment perspective, so its understandable that people dive right in before developing a stable sense of self. But we have to find ourselves before we can lose ourselves. The image that stayed with me from Welwoods work is being a big tent at a festival. The life inside it is the life inside us always at play, but were also the container that protects that life from the elements with wide open sides that enable an ongoing interplay with the world. Were tied to the earth, but constantly expanding in all directions. It gives me the same feeling as when neuroscientist Louis Cozolino suggested that the space between each of us is like a synaptic gap between neurons. The entire world is a place for communication and connection if were receptive to it. Enjoying the content on 3QD? Help keep us going by donating now. Double stacked chalupas on a plate - Ksenia Prints/Tasting Table If you love ordering chalupas from Taco Bell, then this crispy baked chicken chalupas recipe courtesy of recipe developer Ksenia Prints will no doubt elevate your chalupa experience. These baked chalupas feature the ultimate combination of textures, flavors, and colors in one package with a distinctly Mexican flair. Burritos, tacos, mole, even tostadas we all know and love them, but sometimes, we just want something new and fresh when it comes to Mexican food. These unique Mexican chalupas hit just the spot: cheesy, creamy, and comforting, they taste like a taco but also have a crunch that is not normally associated with the dish. Pile them on top of each other, and you've got yourself a perfect Mexican meal like no other. For our chalupas, we use the oven to keep things a little lighter and to avoid the need for deep-frying, while still getting those perfectly crisp tortillas that crackle when you bite into them. Hearty toppings like shredded chicken, two types of cheese, avocados, salsa, and cilantro makes for a chalupa dish that feels refreshing and filling all at once. Read more: 11 Mexican Restaurant Chains, Ranked Worst To Best Gather The Ingredients For Crispy Baked Chicken Chalupas Baked chicken chalupa ingredients - Ksenia Prints/Tasting Table To make this chicken chalupa recipe, start with small corn tortillas and cooking spray or oil to brush them with. For the filling and toppings, you'll need your favorite brand of refried beans, shredded rotisserie chicken, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, crumbled queso fresco, an avocado, finely sliced red onion, chopped fresh cilantro, and salsa for serving. Step 1: Preheat The Oven Oven set to 425 F - Ksenia Prints/Tasting Table Preheat the oven to 425 F. Step 2: Line A Baking Sheet Baking sheet with parchment - Ksenia Prints/Tasting Table Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Step 3: Brush Tortillas With Oil Tortillas brushed with oil on baking sheet - Ksenia Prints/Tasting Table Place tortillas flat on a baking sheet, and lightly spray or brush them with oil. Step 4: Bake The Tortillas Baked tortillas on baking sheet - Ksenia Prints/Tasting Table Bake 10-12 minutes until tortillas are crisp and golden, flipping once halfway. Step 5: Spread Refried Beans Onto The Tortillas Baked tortillas with refried beans on baking sheet - Ksenia Prints/Tasting Table Spread a thin layer of refried beans on each tortilla. Step 6: Top With Chicken And Cheese Tortillas with refried beans, cheese and chicken on baking sheet - Ksenia Prints/Tasting Table Top with shredded chicken and Monterey Jack cheese. Step 7: Bake The Loaded Tortillas Baked tortillas with refried beans, cheese and chicken on baking sheet - Ksenia Prints/Tasting Table Return to oven and bake 5-8 minutes, until cheese melts and edges crisp further. Step 8: Pile On The Fresh Toppings Dressed tortillas with all the toppings on baking sheet - Ksenia Prints/Tasting Table Remove the chalupas from oven and top with avocado slices, queso fresco, red onion, cilantro, and salsa. Step 9: Serve The Baked Chicken Chalupas One chalupa in front of a baking sheet - Ksenia Prints/Tasting Table Serve the chalupas immediately, either individually or with one stacked onto another. What To Serve With Crispy Baked Chicken Chalupas Crispy Baked Chicken Chalupas Recipe Overview Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 Servings Ingredients 8 small corn tortillas Cooking spray or oil, for brushing the tortillas 1 cup refried beans 1 cups shredded rotisserie chicken 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1 avocado, sliced cup queso fresco, crumbled cup finely sliced red onion cup chopped fresh cilantro cup salsa, for serving Directions Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place tortillas flat on a baking sheet, and lightly spray or brush them with oil. Bake 10-12 minutes until tortillas are crisp and golden, flipping once halfway. Spread a thin layer of refried beans on each tortilla. Top with shredded chicken and Monterey Jack cheese. Return to oven and bake 5-8 minutes, until cheese melts and edges crisp further. Remove the chalupas from oven and top with avocado slices, queso fresco, red onion, cilantro, and salsa. Serve the chalupas immediately, either individually or with one stacked onto another. What Is The Difference Between Mexican Chalupas And Taco Bell-Style Chalupas? Baked chalupas on baking sheet - Ksenia Prints/Tasting Table A Taco Bell Chalupa Supreme looks similar to a taco, and it features what the chain itself describes as a "warm-and-flaky flatbread shell." The Taco Bell Chalupa also features more straightforward, taco-like fillings including beef, tomato, lettuce, and sour cream. In 2024, Taco Bell introduced cheesy street chalupas, the chain's nod to Mexican street food, which contained two chalupa shells held together with melted cheese. Meanwhile, chalupas that you'd find in certain Mexican regions like Hidalgo, Mexico for example may look similar to Taco Bell's version, but often they'll look a little different. These chalupas may feature slightly thicker, smaller tortilla shells fried in lard, topped with cheese, and then piled with toppings. The toppings can vary, but they usually just involve chicken, refried beans, shredded beef and salsa, or onion and fresh cilantro. "When I tried chalupas in Mexico City, the two tortillas were also sometimes sandwiched with melted cheese in order to provide a thicker cushion for the toppings," Prints notes, adding that this preparation method is what provided inspiration for this recipe. What Adaptations Can You Make To These Baked Chicken Chalupas? Two stacked baked chalupas on plate - Ksenia Prints/Tasting Table Our favorite twist on this chalupa recipe is to sandwich two baked tortilla shells with cheese between them before piling on the toppings. This makes for a crisp, filling meal that ends much sooner than you'd like it to (but then you can always go in for round two). Another Mexican-inspired variation is to brush the tortillas with lard rather than oil before baking, or to fully fry the chalupas instead of baking them. You can also get creative with the toppings you pile onto your chalupas. The crispy baked tortilla shells are particularly good with a slow cooker carnitas-type filling. Consider swapping out the rotisserie chicken in these chalupas for shredded beef, or omit the meat altogether and simply pile on fresh, veggie-forward toppings. Of course, you can also go with homemade salsa, or add a generous dollop of hot sauce, or garnish with thinly-sliced jalapenos for that added kick. Finally, for another twist, you can swap the onions for pickled onions, which will provide a little tang. You can also use homemade gorditas in place of corn tortillas as the base, which would make this chalupa recipe a little closer Taco Bell version. Read More Recipes Read the original article on Tasting Table. burger restaurant with cheeseburger and side of fries on table - Zero Stock/Shutterstock On August 14, 2025, Lotteria, South Korea's top burger chain, opened its first store in the United States, specifically in Orange County, Los Angeles, giving this writer yet another reason to fly down to California. Founded in 1972, today, there are over 1,300 restaurants of this fast-food chain in South Korea alone. Additionally, you can also find hundreds of Lotteria franchises spread across Asia, including in Shinjuku, Tokyo, where my family and I enjoyed shrimp burgers, "shake it" fries, and melon sodas. I would not be surprised if one day, Lotteria makes it on a list for being one of the best regional fast food chains across the country and adds more locations across America. TikTokers are already naming it the best burger chain in Los Angeles, and they waited hours to get in. Lotteria's unique menu offerings are what make Lotteria stand out from other fast-food chains that offer burgers and fries. For breakfast, back in the Japanese Lotteria chain, I enjoyed a bacon egg sandwich with the thickest slab of bacon. At Lotteria's flagship American store, you can enjoy items such as Korean barbecue rice bowls, loaded fries, "shake it" chicken, a burger with its buns made from bibimbap, classic shrimp burgers, and a burger that has both a fried shrimp cutlet and a bulgogi seasoned beef patty. Additionally, you can order a beef patty with slices of bulgogi on top. Read more: 13 Chinese Restaurant Chains, Ranked Worst To Best Lotteria Tailors Its Menu To The Region Its In And Offers Unique Korean-Inspired Fast Food Lotteria bibimbap burger - Esther Huang/TikTok While Lotteria's first American store boasts an impressive menu, its offerings differ from those in South Korea and Japan. Lotteria's menu changes depending on the country or region, reflecting local tastes and food culture. In Japan, for example, melon soda is a popular sweet drink you'll find across Japan, so naturally, you can order it in a Lotteria there. Melon soda is not one of the U.S. fountain soda options. The dessert is special in the U.S. chain. It's one item I'm particularly excited to try -- the cup of bingsu, a creamy Korean shaved ice dessert. Lotteria's version comes in a convenient cup and features a slush base layered with red bean paste, fruit cocktail, chewy rice cake, a yakgwa (a deep-fried honey cookie), and a dusting of nutty grain powder. Lotteria in Asia has items for kids on the menu. It does not appear, at this time, that Lotteria in the U.S. has a kids' menu to offer yet. Perhaps that will change as the chain settles into the American market and demand calls for it. After all, another part of Lotteria's charm is how it adapts to the tastes of the community it serves. Read the original article on Tasting Table. A map of proposed US congressional districts at a Texas legislators' public hearing on congressional redistricting in Austin, Texas, on 1 August. Photograph: Eric Gay/AP Texas Democrats, fresh off encouragement from Barack Obama, are poised to return to their state as Governor Greg Abbott formally called a second special session to address redistricting on Friday. Abbott issued the proclamation for the special session, set to begin at noon local time on Friday, just two hours after lawmakers formally adjourned the first one. Democrats have spent nearly two weeks away from the state, denying Republicans a quorum to conduct legislative business and pass new congressional maps. Special Session #2 begins immediately, Abbott said in a post on X. There is critical work that is left undone. Texas will not back down from this fight. Thats why I am calling them back today to finish the job. Earlier on Friday, the speaker of the Texas house of representatives, Dustin Burrows, ended the first special session. Do not go very far, as I believe our governor will be calling us back for another special session very, very soon, he said just before hearing the motion to adjourn. Obama spoke to the Texas Democrats via video on Thursday, praising them for fighting against the redistricting plan. He told them they should return to Texas feeling invigorated and with the knowledge that they helped lead what will be a long fight. Former attorney general Eric Holder also joined the call. We cant let a systematic assault on democracy just happen and stand by and so because of your actions, because of your courage, what youve seen is California responding, other states looking at what they can do to offset this mid-decade gerrymandering, he said, according to ABC News. Abbott has pledged he will call consecutive special sessions until Democrats have returned. More than 50 Democrats left the state last month in order to deny a quorum in the legislature after Republicans announced plans to redraw the states congressional maps, at the request of Donald Trump, in order to gain five Republican seats. Gene Wu, the chair of the Texas Democratic caucus, said in a statement on Thursday that Democrats would return as long as the first special session adjourned on Friday and California introduced its own new congressional map to offset the gains by Republicans. California was set to unveil its new map on Friday. The plan will reportedly make three districts currently represented by Republicans into safe Democratic ones, according to the Washington Post and Punchbowl News. It would make two additional Republican-held seats more Democratic friendly, though they could still be competitive. Under the advice of legal counsel, Democrats must return to Texas to build a strong public legislative record for the upcoming legal battle against a map that violates both the current Voting Rights Act and the Constitution, the Texas Democratic caucus said in a statement. At least one Texas house member, Ann Johnson of Houston, said she was returning to Texas. I am proud of what we accomplished, she said in a statement. We ended a session that had nothing to do with helping Texans and everything to do with silencing them. And we exposed the truth behind the governors political agenda: to hijack the maps, erase opposition and decide the next election before a single vote is cast. Now, with that session behind us, Im returning to Texas to continue the fight from the floor of the house. Republicans already represent voters in 25 of the states 38 congressional districts. Abbott called a special session last month to redraw the map to add five Republican seats, and the new map, unveiled at the end of July, would do just that. Republicans hold a three-seat majority in the US House and are seeking to add seats ahead of next years midterm elections, when the incumbent presidents party typically does not perform well. Texas Republicans have been trying to ratchet up the pressure on Democrats to return to the state, seeking to cut off funding for their travel and filing long-shot legal bids to have them removed from office. The Texas effort comes as Newsom plans to push ahead with an effort to redraw his states congressional map to add five additional Democratic seats there. Newsom will need to get California voters to approve his proposal through a referendum this fall because Californias constitution requires redistricting to be done through an independent redistricting commission. On Thursday, he called on state lawmakers to approve the ballot measure. Republicans are expected to push ahead with efforts to redraw maps to add seats in Ohio, Florida, Missouri and potentially Indiana. Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu speaks during a press conference at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Chicago's Marquette Park on August 13, 2025. - Jim Vondruska/Getty Images Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday called a second special session to push through a redrawing of congressional maps to secure up to five more Republican seats in the US House. Unlike the first special session, the new 30-day session may end with the GOP-friendly maps being passed. Texas House Democrats who fled the state to stop the redistricting signaled Thursday they are prepared to end their standoff and return to the Capitol. The Democrats laid out two conditions for returning: the first special session ending and California introducing its new congressional map to offset GOP gains in Texas by producing up to five new US House seats for Democrats. The California legislature is set to convene on Monday to begin the legislative process around their proposed map. And the second special session Abbott called began Friday afternoon. Texas House Democrats could return to Austin as soon as Monday, a source familiar with the matter said. Abbott blasted Texas House Democrats who stalled efforts on redistricting and other issues. Delinquent House Democrats ran away from their responsibility to pass crucial legislation to benefit the lives of Texans, Abbott said. We will not back down from this fight. Thats why I am calling them back today to finish the job. I will continue to use all necessary tools to ensure Texas delivers results for Texans. Republicans are expected to consider the same map that was introduced in the first special session, but Abbott left the door open to further changes. Asked whether hes prepared to add Republican seats to the map or consider redistricting for state legislative seats, Abbott told reporters, Well wait and see, but we hold a lot more bullets in our belt that well be ready to use if we need to. When the second special session began Friday, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said he expects quorum could be met on Monday and hopes lawmakers can complete legislative business by Labor Day weekend. Burrows advised lawmakers to return to the state Capitol by 12 p.m. Central (1 p.m. Eastern) on Monday. The Texas House of Representatives and Senate adjourned the first special session Friday morning after state House Democrats remained out of the state for nearly two weeks to deny a quorum. I am proud of what we accomplished. We ended a session that had nothing to do with helping Texans and everything to do with silencing them, state Rep. Ann Johnson said. And we exposed the truth behind the Governors political agenda: to hijack the maps, erase opposition, and decide the next election before a single vote is cast. Upon their return, the Democrats plan to make their case against the bill on the Texas House floor. Legal challenges to the map also are expected. In addition to redistricting, the second special session will address flood relief following the catastrophic storms in the Texas Hill County last month and a slew of other conservative priorities. The agenda largely mirrors the plans set forth for the first special session but adds in consideration of legislation relating to camp safety. Dozens of campers and camp employees died in the July 4 floods in the state. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Founder and CEO of Blackwater Erik Prince participates in a session during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on March 4, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. Conservatives gathered at the four-day annual conference to discuss the Republican agenda. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Private military executive Erik Prince, a close ally of President Donald Trump, plans to deploy his companys private forces in Haiti for a decade, Reuters reported Thursday. Princes company, Vectus Global, will help the Haitian government with security by contracting out his services on a 10-year deal, while also helping repair its tax-collection system, according to Reuters. Haiti has suffered under brutal gang wars over the last five years, with gangs now controlling up to 90% of the capital city Port-au-Prince. One key measure of success for me will be when you can drive from Port-au-Prince to Cap Haitian in a thin-skinned vehicle and not be stopped by gangs, Prince told Reuters in an interview. Prince did not tell Reuters how much the Haitian government will pay for his services. (RELATED: Trump Admin Puts Multi-Million Dollar Bounty On Vicious Haitian Gangster Nicknamed Barbecue) Police patrol around Bernard Mevs hospital where armed gangs have spread violence as residents flee the area in Port-au-Prince on December 17, 2024. (Photo by CLARENS SIFFROY/AFP via Getty Images) Prince is a former Navy SEAL and founder of Blackwater Worldwide, a private military corporation (PMC). Prince is a longtime friend of Trump, and the president pardoned four former Blackwater contractors in 2020 convicted on charges relating to the killings of Iraqi civilians in 2007 during U.S. involvement in the region. The PMC will reportedly employ helicopters, snipers and boats in their arsenal against the gangs, a person familiar with the PMCs operations in Haiti told Reuters. From January to March of this year, over 250 people were killed, 66 injured and more than 3,000 residents were uprooted by gang violence in Haitis capital, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, citing United Nations (UN) data. A senior White House official denied any involvement in the deal, telling Reuters that the U.S. government has no involvement in the operation and will not be conducting oversight. The State Department recently put out a $5 million bounty to anyone willing to provide information that leads to notorious Haitian gangster Jimmy Barbecue Cheriziers arrest in any nation. Cherizier allegedly funneled funds from Haitians living in the U.S. to his gangs coffers, which has been a large contributor to the violence gripping the nation. Vectus Global did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundations request for comment. 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. President Donald Trump, right, walks to shake the hand of Russia's President Vladimir Putin during a joint press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) President Donald Trump failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin on Friday to end Russias war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. Theres no deal until theres a deal, the U.S. president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an understanding on Ukraine and warned Europe not to torpedo the nascent progress. Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has balked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskyy in the Oval Office and stanching the flow of some U.S. military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The U.S. president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional U.S. sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trumps preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News Channel before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted that the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskyy to get it done, but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. That was notable since Zelenskyy was excluded from Trump and Putin's meeting. The U.S. president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin wanted to negotiate a deal that would cement Russias gains, block Kyivs bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscows orbit. We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to, Trump said while standing next to Putin. And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there. He continued: We didnt get there. Putin says Trump shows understanding that Russia has its own interests For Putin, just being on U.S. soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall the economic sanctions that the U.S. president had promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring the fighting to a close. It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the United States should turn the page and go back to cooperation. He praised Trump as someone who has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests. I expect that todays agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the U.S., Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon. When Putin smiled and offered, next time in Moscow, Trump said thats an interesting one and said he might face criticism but I could see it possibly happening. During the interview with Fox News, Trump bragged that Putin echoed many of the U.S. presidents long-standing grievances, including about the 2020 election. This suggests that Putin, a former KGB officer, may have left Trump with the impression that hed notched a big win even as he left empty handed. When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they had greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War flew overhead. The two then shared the U.S. presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close U.S. allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskyy and European leaders, who fear that Trump is primarily focusing on furthering U.S. interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraines. Not a one-on-one meeting White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said shortly before Air Force One touched down that the previously planned one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin would be a three-on-three discussion including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Putin was joined by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. The change seemed to indicate that the White House was taking a more guarded approach than it did during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, where Trump and Putin met privately with their interpreters and Trump then shocked the world by siding with the Russian leader over U.S. intelligence officials on whether Russia meddled in the 2016 campaign. Zelenskyys exclusion was also a heavy blow to the Wests policy of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. War still raging Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraines mobilization efforts, which are conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies. The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources. Ukraine has held on far longer than some initially expected since the February 2022 invasion, but it is straining to hold off Russias much larger army, grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) front line. Alaska is separated from Russia at its closest point by just 3 miles (less than 5 kilometers) and the international date line. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It continues to play a role today, as planes from the base still intercept Russian aircraft that regularly fly into U.S. airspace. ___ Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Jonathan J. Cooper in Washington, Elise Morton in London and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. Following what was described as a lengthy phone call with President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he will travel to Washington on Monday to meet with President Donald Trump. A White House official said Trump has invited European leaders to join the meeting on Monday afternoon. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska on Friday and while Putin mentioned an "agreement" in the post-meeting news conference and Trump said "great progress" was made, there was no mention of a ceasefire. Latest Developments Aug 17, 9:38 AM Trump says BIG PROGRESS' being made on Russia Trump was active on social media on Sunday morning, suggesting that there is "big progress" being made regarding Russia without providing details. His post follows his summit in Alaska on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and precedes his upcoming meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on Monday. "BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED!" Trump wrote on social media. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters - PHOTO: President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin leave the stage folowing a press conference following their meeting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska, August 15, 2025. He also expressed disagreement with the media's portrayal of potential land swaps. Trump claimed that the media would continue to criticize him, even if he achieved a diplomatic victory. "If I got Russia to give up Moscow as part of the Deal, the Fake News, and their PARTNER, the Radical Left Democrats, would say I made a terrible mistake and a very bad deal. Thats why they are the FAKE NEWS! Also, they should talk about the 6 WARS, etc., I JUST STOPPED!!!" he wrote. -ABC News Kelsey Walsh Aug 16, 8:50 PM Trump invites European leaders to White House meeting with Zelenskyy President Donald Trump invited European leaders to join his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday afternoon at the White House, a White House official said. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters - PHOTO: President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend a press conference following their meeting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska, August 15, 2025. The meeting comes after Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. -ABC News' Hannah Demissie Aug 16, 2:24 PM Putin tells Kremlin officials Alaska visit was 'useful' and 'timely' After meeting with President Donald Trump in Alaska, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Kremlin officials the summit was "timely and very useful," saying the two talked about "all aspects of our cooperation" along with a "possible resolution of the Ukrainian crisis on a fair basis." Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint press conference with President Donald Trump after participating in a US-Russia summit on Ukraine at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, August 15, 2025. Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, Putin said he and Trump talked about the "genesis and the causes of this crisis," saying "it is the elimination of these root causes that should be the basis for a settlement." "The conversation was very frank and informative, and I believe that it brings us closer to the necessary solutions," Putin said. Putin added that he respects "the position of the American administration, which sees the need to end the hostilities as soon as possible." -ABC News' Somayeh Malekian Aug 16, 2:03 PM White House dismisses NPR report saying staff left scheduling information about Alaska summit on hotel printer After National Public Radio released a report saying papers about the Alaska summit were found on a hotel printer ahead of the meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the White House released a statement, calling the report hilarious. Sergei Bobylev/Pool via AP - PHOTO: President Donald Trump meets with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Its hilarious that NPR is publishing a multi-page lunch menu and calling it a security breach. This type of self-proclaimed investigative journalism is why no one takes them seriously and they are no longer taxpayer-funded thanks to President Trump, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement. NPR had reported the eight pages that appear to have been produced by U.S. staff were left behind accidentally and contained precise locations and meeting times of the summit and phone numbers of U.S. government employees. -ABC News Benjamin Siu and Hannah Demissie Aug 16, 12:42 PM Melania Trump wrote a letter to Putin, Trump hand delivered it First lady Melania Trump penned a personal letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin raising concerns over children abducted during the Russia-Ukraine war, two White House officials tell ABC News. President Donald Trump hand delivered the letter to Putin during their summit in Alaska, those officials said, but did not provide further details about the contents of the letter. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said thousands of children have been kidnapped by Russia. Samuel Corum/Getty Images, FILE - PHOTO: In this July 4,, 2025, file photo,, First lady Melania Trump listens as President Donald Trump delivers remarks during an Independence Day military family picnic on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. We cannot reach an agreement with them on the return of the children, Zelenskyy has stated. The first lady was not on this trip, but the president often talks about how his wife reminds him of the brutality of Russia's attacks on Ukraine. I go home, I tell the first lady, I spoke to Vladimir today, we had a wonderful conversation. And she says, Oh really, another city was just hit,' the president said weeks ago. -ABC News Rachel Scott Aug 16, 12:24 PM Putin demanded Ukraine withdraw from Donetsk in exchange for halting Russias offensive on 2 regions: Sources President Donald Trump informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders that Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded at the Alaska summit that Ukraine withdraw from all of the Donetsk region in exchange for halting Russias offensive on two more southeastern regions, the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, two sources confirmed to ABC News. Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks during a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump after participating in a US-Russia summit on Ukraine at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, August 15, 2025. The sources familiar with the call said Putin had also agreed not to mount further attacks on Ukraine if it ceded the territory. The remaining unoccupied third of the Donetsk region contains a belt of key defensive cities. Giving them up without significant security guarantees would leave Ukraine extremely vulnerable to re-invasion by Russia. It is unclear for now what Trump is suggesting or what Putin would accept. On Friday, Trump suggested that the U.S. would be part of security guarantees, but has not indicated in what form. Trump also told Zelenskyy and European leaders that Putin raised the issue of protecting the Russian language and Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, according to a source briefed on the call. Those are long-standing demands from Putin, that suggest he has not changed his conditions for ending the war, which have included regime change. -ABC News Yulia Drozd and Patrick Reevell Aug 16, 11:50 AM Trump says trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy was discussed in Alaska, Kremlin deniesRussian President Vladimir Putin's top foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, who was present at the summit between Putin and President Donald Trump in Alaska, said a new meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not discussed on Friday. "For now the issue wasn't raised," Ushakov said, according to Russian state media. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters - PHOTO: President Donald Trump shakes the hand of Russia's President Vladimir Putin during a joint press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Aug. 15, 2025. When asked by Fox News' Sean Hannity whether a trilateral meeting did come up during the summit, Trump responded, "Yeah, it did." But earlier in the interview, Trump said the meeting was being set up while also saying right after, "I didn't ask about it." -ABC News' Patrick Reevell and Quinn Scanlan Aug 16, 6:14 AM European leaders issue joint statement on Trump-Putin summit In the first major statement from Ukraines European allies following the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, European leaders reiterated Friday that Kyiv "must have ironclad security guarantees" and "welcomed President Trump's efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine." "We are clear that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity," the European leaders added. "It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force." "As President Trump said there's no deal until there's a deal'. As envisioned by President Trump, the next step must now be further talks including President Zelenskyy, whom he will meet soon," the statement continued. "We are also ready to work with President Trump and President Zelenskyy towards a trilateral summit with European support." -ABC News' Guy Davies Aug 16, 5:25 AM Trump says the best way forward is "to go directly to a Peace Agreement" without a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine In a post on his social media platform, President Trump said that the best way to move forward and end the war between Ukraine and Russia is "to go directly to a Peace Agreement" without any form of a ceasefire. "It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Trump touted that Friday's meeting in Alaska was successful and discussed his overnight phone call with President Zelenskyy and European allies. In his interview with Bret Baier yesterday, Trump said he wouldn't be happy if he walked away from the summit without some form of a ceasefire deal. "I'd like to see a ceasefire. I wouldn't be thrilled if I didn't get it. But everyone says you're not going to get the ceasefire, it'll take place on the second meeting. The second meeting is going to be very, but I'm not going to be happy with that. So, we'll see what happens. I'm going to be, I won't be happy if I walk away without some form of a ceasefire. Now, I say this, and I've said it from the beginning, this is really setting the table today," Trump said in Friday's interview. -ABC News' Hannah Demissie Aug 16, 4:27 AM Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight amid Putin-Trump summit Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with a ballistic missile and 85 drones, the Ukrainian Air Force said Saturday morning. Ukraines air defense systems repelled 61 of the drones, while missile and drone strikes were recorded at 12 locations across the country, according to the air force. Meanwhile, Russias air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 29 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. -ABC News' Yulia Drozd and Anna Sergeeva Click here to read the rest of the blog. By Steve Holland ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he would announce tariffs on imports of steel and semiconductor chips in coming weeks. "I'll be setting tariffs next week and the week after on steel and on, I would say, chips," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he headed to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. He said the rates would be lower at the start to allow companies to build up domestic manufacturing in the U.S., rising sharply later, following a pattern he has also outlined for tariffs on pharmaceuticals. He gave no exact rates. "I'm going to have a rate that is going to be lower at the beginning - that gives them a chance to come in and build - and very high after a certain period of time," he said. Trump said he felt confident that companies would opt to manufacture in the United States, rather than face high tariffs. Trump has upended global trade by imposing sharply higher duties on nearly all countries' exports to the United States, along with tariffs on specific sectors, such as automotive. Trump in February raised tariffs on steel and aluminum to a flat 25%, but he announced in May that he would double the rate to 50% to boost domestic manufacturers. It was not immediately clear if another tariff increase on the metals was in the offing. Trump said last week he would impose a tariff of 100% on imports of semiconductors, but companies that committed to building up manufacturing in the United States would be exempt. His remarks were made in tandem with an announcement that Apple would be investing an additional $100 billion in its home market. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Andrea Shalal, editing by Ross Colvin) For generations, traveling to Europe has been a rite of passage for millions of Americans. Now, a new era of travel is here that includes a new step at the border. You will soon have to provide your fingerprints and a digital photograph to enter many European countries. This is a big change for Americans who are used to a quick passport stamp. The new process raises questions about security, privacy, and how it will change the travel experience. It is a good idea to know what to expect and how to be prepared. This is a guide on what is happening, why it is happening, and how to make sure your next European trip goes smoothly. The Countdown to October 12 Image via Unsplash/George Kourounis On October 12, 2025, the European Union will begin rolling out its Entry/Exit System, better known as EES. This program replaces the traditional passport stamp with a digital record and adds biometric checks for most non-EU visitors. That means U.S. passport holders will have their fingerprints taken and a facial photo captured when they arrive in any of the 29 countries in the Schengen Area. These include popular stops like France, Italy, Spain, and Greece, as well as non-EU members such as Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland. For years, Schengen border officers tracked the 90-day visit limit by flipping through passport stamps. EES digitizes that process by linking each traveler to a central database that automatically logs their entry and exit dates. Overstaying a tourist allowance will be much easier for authorities to detect and harder for travelers to argue away. First-Timers Face A Longer Pause Under the new system, the first trip after October 12 will take the longest. Fingerprints and a facial image will be recorded, along with basic personal details from your passport. These records stay in the system for three years for most travelers, or five years for those who overstay. On future visits during that time frame, border officers will verify the stored biometrics rather than collecting them again. Some airports and border points will have self-service kiosks to speed things along, and travelers with biometric passports may breeze through faster. Others may allow specific details to be submitted through an official mobile app in advance, though that option will depend on the country of entry. Expect a Staggered Rollout Image via Unsplash/Max Titov Europe isnt flipping the switch everywhere at once. The October start date will see the system introduced at select airports, ports, and land crossings. Gradually, more locations will join until full implementation is expected by April 10, 2026. This staggered approach could mean a mix of experiences. You may get biometric checks at one arrival point and the old stamp-and-go process at another. Until the rollout is complete, passport stamps will remain a backup. That unpredictability means travelers with connecting flights or tight itineraries should plan for potential delays. Lines could move more slowly in the early months as officers adjust to the new equipment and travelers learn the process. A Broader Shift In European Border Policy EES is part of a broader tightening of entry rules for visitors from countries like the United States. In late 2026, the European Travel Information and Authorization System, or ETIAS, is scheduled to launch. Like the U.S. ESTA program, ETIAS will require travelers to apply online for a travel authorization before boarding a flight or ship to most European destinations. The fee is expected to be 23.50, and once approved, the authorization will be valid for three years. ETIAS and EES are separate programs, but they work in tandem. EES tracks when you enter and leave, while ETIAS screens travelers before they arrive. Both are part of Europes effort to modernize border security and manage the flow of visitors. The official reasoning for this change is straightforward: digital records are more accurate, harder to forge, and faster to retrieve than manual stamps. Authorities say it will make the process fairer by applying the same rules to all visitors and reducing human error. It also addresses long-standing gaps in tracking overstays, which have been a concern for member states for years. Of course, biometrics are also becoming a standard part of international travel. The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and several Asian countries have already collected some form of fingerprint or facial data at their borders. In that context, Europes adoption of the practice is less a surprise than a matter of timing. What Travelers Should Prepare For Image via Unsplash/Lorenzo Renga While the concept may sound intimidating, the process will likely be quick once the system is up to speed. The key is adjusting expectations during the initial months. Leave more time between connecting flights in Europe, and be ready for your first arrival after October 12 to take longer. Check in advance whether your arrival airport has self-service kiosks or mobile pre-registration. If your trip spans multiple Schengen countries, the biometric check will only happen at your first entry point. For example, if you fly into Madrid and then take a train to Paris, the process occurs in Spain, not France. The phased launch through 2026 means the experience will vary for a while. Some travelers may breeze through without much change, while others may find themselves in longer lines than they remember. When ETIAS arrives in late 2026, the EES process should feel routine, like showing a boarding pass or scanning a passport chip. An employee stands on a tower in Hungary's Duna oil refinery, where Russian oil arrives via the Friendship (Druzhba) oil pipeline, in May 2022. The top European importers of Russian crude oil in July 2025 were Hungary and Slovakia, according to analysts. - Janos Kummer/Getty Images US President Donald Trump is threatening an additional 25% tariff on India as well as higher tariffs on other countries that buy Russian oil, in an attempt to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. But the United States and Europe themselves are still doing billions of dollars in trade with Russia although thats a fraction of the trade that took place before the war. India has argued that its being unfairly targeted with the tariff increase, calling it unjustified given that other nations also do business with Moscow. Trade between Russia and the US has fallen by about 90% since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but last year, the US still imported $3 billion worth of goods from Russia, according to the latest data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and Census Bureau. Meanwhile, the European Union which has been the Americans partner in sanctions against Russia imported $41.9 billion (36 billion euros) of goods from Russia in 2024, data from the blocs statistics agency shows. Its significant, but I think the more significant thing is how quickly the EU adjusted to reduce their dependency on Russia, said Kimberly Donovan, director of the Economic Statecraft Initiative at the Atlantic Council, a DC-based think tank. Theyre making huge strides to further reduce how much theyre getting from (Russia). EU imports from Russia dropped by 86% between the first quarters of 2022 and 2025, according to Eurostat data. A view of a processing plant at the fertilizer company EuroChem VolgaKaliy, which is developing a potash deposit in Russia's Volgograd region, in September 2024. - Kirill Braga/Reuters I do think that there is a lot of opportunity for the US and even the EU to increase our trade with countries like Canada and get the products that we need from them, Donovan added. Thats where the trade wars and the negotiations over tariffs are really throwing things for a loop and are reducing our ability to be strategic in how were approaching the Russia problem. As Trump prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska Friday, a top US official warned that India could see more tariffs coming their way if the talks dont go well. Weve put secondary tariffs on the Indians for buying Russian oil. And I can see if things dont go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Bloomberg. These are the areas where economic ties with Russia remain the strongest, for the US and Europe respectively. US trade with Russia: Fertilizer: The US imported $927 million worth of fertilizer in the first half of this year, US Census Bureau data shows. Last year, fertilizer imports from Russia totaled more than $1 billion. The US particularly relies on Russia for imports of three types of chemical fertilizers: urea, urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) and potassium chloride muriate of potash, also called potash. Unless the US sanctions Russian fertilizer imports, as it does with Belarusian potash, this (level of trade) is likely to continue, said Allan Pickett, head of fertilizer analysis at S&P Global Commodity Insights. Russia remains one of the most important global fertilizer suppliers and the influence of it has not diminished since 2022. Urea and potash could be readily sourced from elsewhere, although with potash it would further increase US dependence on Canada, which currently has an interesting trade dynamic, Pickett added. The Trump administration recently hiked tariffs on Canada to a minimum of 35% unless goods are compliant with the terms of the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement escalating ongoing trade tensions with its northern neighbor. Palladium: Although palladium imports from Russia have reduced significantly since 2021, data shows that the US still imported $878 million worth of the metal in 2024 and $594 million worth in 2025, through June. The silvery metal is used in various electronic and industrial products and its a key component in the catalytic converters of cars. Uranium and plutonium: The US has imported $755 million worth of uranium and plutonium from Russia so far this year, according to Census data through June. It imported $624 million worth of those commodities from Russia in 2024. A ship carrying Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) unloads gas in the port of Bilbao, Spain, on March 10, 2022. - Vincent West/Reuters European trade with Russia: Oil: Russia was the largest supplier of petroleum to the European Union prior to Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The EU has since imposed a ban on maritime Russian oil imports, as well as refined oil products, like diesel. As a result, oil imports to Europe fell to $1.72 billion (1.48 billion euros) for the first quarter of 2025, down from $16.4 billion (14.06 billion euros) in the same quarter of 2021, according to the most recent data from Eurostat. The top European importers of Russian fossil fuels in July 2025 were Hungary, France, Slovakia, Belgium and Spain, according to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, an international research organization. Hungary and Slovakia accounted for the vast majority of crude oil imports, according to the analysis, while the others import mostly liquefied natural gas. Natural gas: The value of natural gas imports from Russia actually increased in the last four years as a result of price increases, growing to $5.23 billion (4.49 billion euros) in the first quarter of 2025, Eurostat data shows. However, the EU has slightly reduced Russias market share of liquefied natural gas imports since 2021 from 22% down to 19% in 2025 while also greatly increasing the US market share. Iron and steel: Russias share of iron and steel imports in the EU has dropped sharply. Iron and steel imports amounted to $850 million (730 million euros) in the first quarter of 2025 about half of what they were in the same quarter in 2021, according to Eurostat. Fertilizer: Sanctions and import duties have not hit the fertilizer industry, and as a result, European imports of Russian fertilizer have changed very little since 2021. In the first quarter of 2025, EU countries imported $640 million (550 million euros) of Russian fertilizer, data shows. Nickel: The EU has diversified imports to rely more on nickel from the United States, Norway, the United Kingdom and Canada. Still, the bloc imported $300 million (260 million euros) worth of nickel from Russia in the first quarter of 2025. Nickel is primarily used to make stainless steel and other alloy steels, as well as batteries. A view inside a plant at Russia's Nornickel company, the world's leading nickel and palladium producer, is seen in August 2021 in the Arctic city of Norilsk. - Tatyana Makeyeva/Reuters Hundreds of Western firms still in Russia Beyond imports and exports of commodities, many Western companies remain entrenched in Russia. Some notable American-based holdouts continue to operate in Russia, including top 100 companies, according to lists compiled by the Yale School of Management and the Kyiv School of Economics Institute. Dozens of European businesses, including consumer-facing brands, retailers and software companies, have also remained in Russia. The amount of tax revenue that Western companies generate for the Kremlin is relatively small, but analysts say the companies that remain have allowed aspects of normal life to continue for the Russian population. Corporate exits serve to bring the war closer to the Russian people and confront their complacency, as well as make it more difficult for Putin to paint a picture of a well-functioning economy, said Yale School of Managements Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, whose large team of researchers keeps track of which companies have left. Its an imploding market it was never an economic superpower to start with which is just a lot of smoke and mirrors, a lot of bravado on the part of Putin to try to create an aura of something bigger, Sonnenfeld told CNN. Indias and Chinas energy imports In contrast to the reduction in trade with Moscow seen in the United States and EU, India imported $67 billion worth of goods from Russia in 2024, according to data aggregated by the United Nations. Roughly $53 billion worth of that was petroleum oils and crude oil. Before the full-scale war, in 2021, India imported $8.7 billion worth of goods from Russia. Indias imports of Russian oil and gas have skyrocketed since before the war began. Russian oil now makes up 36% of the Indian market, according to Vortexa, an energy data firm, meaning it imports more crude oil from Russia than from anywhere else. China has also ramped up purchases of Russian crude oil following Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Its price fell after Western countries sharply scaled back their imports of Russian fuel. Russia now accounts for 13.5% of Chinas crude imports, according to Vortexa. China imported roughly $130 billion in Russian goods in 2024, including $62.6 billion of petroleum oils and crude, the UN-aggregated data shows. CNNs Anna Cooban contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com What we have concluded about Meta's legal strategy following our cases against the tech giant. On 3 November 2021, Meareg Amare Abreha, a professor at Bahir Dar University in Ethiopia, was shot and left to die outside his home by men dressed in special forces uniforms. A month earlier, Meareg's son Abrham had reported two posts on Facebook which published his father's location and falsely claimed that he was assisting the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front, a rebel group at war with the Ethiopian government. Neither post was removed by Facebook's moderators before Meareg's murder. Abrham is now the lead claimant in a $2 billion legal case brought against Facebook's parent company - Meta - in Kenya, where its main content moderation operation for Africa was previously based. The claim alleges that Meta fuelled ethnic violence in Ethiopia by failing to take down hate speech and incitements to violence and demands that Meta take steps to stop their spread on its platforms. Global Witness is formally listed as an interested party in the case, which draws upon our research with legal non-profit Foxglove and independent researcher Dagim Afework Mekonnen into Facebook's failures in detecting hate speech in Amharic, one of Ethiopia's main languages. In response to Abrham's claim, Meta argued that Kenyan courts have no jurisdiction over these matters, saying its terms of service require such disputes to be resolved in California, where it is headquartered. Similar arguments were made by Meta last year in response to two separate claims brought by former moderators located in Kenya who were alleging unfair dismissal and poor working conditions. These recent cases reflect what we at Global Witness believe is a key feature of Meta's global litigation strategy, which seeks to replace the courts of the regions in which Meta is alleged to have committed breaches or caused damage with those in which it is headquartered. Indeed, we were unable to find evidence of any content moderation-related claim brought in the last three years against Meta outside the United States or Ireland (where Meta's European headquarters are based) in which the company had not sought to challenge the local court's jurisdiction. We saw this strategy play out in relation to a complaint we filed against Meta alongside women's organisation Bureau Clara Wichmann at the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. This complaint asserted that Meta's algorithm was discriminating based on gender in job advertisements. Again, Meta challenged the jurisdiction of the local authority. Arguments about jurisdiction are common in disputes involving transnational corporations, and Meta is not alone in seeking to move disputes away from foreign or hostile courts. Nevertheless, we believe that forcing claimants from around the world to bring their cases in the United States or Ireland raises profound questions around fairness and access to justice. Imagine the challenges, for example, faced by the Rohingya refugees who sued Facebook in California for its alleged role in promoting the 2017 genocide. Their case - which is pending an appeal - was dismissed on first instance because it had passed the strict two-year statute of limitations on personal injury claims. Section 230 Protecting the primacy of courts in the United States and Ireland in claims against social media companies also arguably undermines the ability of local authorities to regulate and oversee the impact of technologies which increasingly shape the lives of the people they govern. Central to this challenge is Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which was passed by Congress principally to regulate pornographic material on the internet. Sometimes described as "the 26 words that made the internet", this provision ensures that US-based internet service providers, such as Meta, aren't treated as publishers of user-generated content. But while this law was instrumental in the early growth of the internet economy, it was not designed for the realities of modern platform design - particularly the algorithmic systems that determine what users see and share. In this new environment, platforms like Meta no longer merely host content, but actively shape and amplify it, blurring the line between neutral intermediary and editorial actor. In the US case of M.P. v Meta (2025), a minor, whose father was amongst the nine African Americans murdered in a Charleston church in 2015, claimed that Facebook's algorithm had promoted content which radicalised the white supremist murderer. Earlier this year, the case was dismissed principally on Section 230 grounds, with the Fourth Circuit Court holding that algorithmically ranking or recommending harmful content does not strip platforms of their immunity. We believe this shows the benefit to Meta of its consistent strategy of moving claims relating to harmful content to California, where they have often been quickly dismissed in preliminary hearings. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Legal Affairs Kenya By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. But there are signs of change. Earlier this year, the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights accepted jurisdiction for our complaint and found that Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd was engaging in prohibited discrimination based on gender. And in April 2025, the Kenyan High Court found that Abrham's claim raised key constitutional matters which were within its competency. Meta is appealing this decision. Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta would be moving towards a mix of more automated and community-based approaches to content moderation. In 2022, there were also cuts to the company's trust and safety staff. The impact that this will have on the platform's human rights record remains unclear. However, as long as what we see as a strategy of moving legal challenges to specific jurisdictions is propped up by a platform-friendly legal environment, there is little commercial incentive for Zuckerberg to prioritise the protection of human rights. David Shipton is Senior Legal Counsel at investigative campaigning organisation Global Witness A view of the Pentagon on December 13, 2024, in Washington, DC. Home to the US Defense Department, the Pentagon is one of the world's largest office buildings. (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images) (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images) The U.S. is reportedly deploying forces to the southern Caribbean Sea to fight Latin American drug cartels, three sources briefed on the decision told Reuters on Thursday. The initial deployment would include naval and air assets, including spy planes, a warship and an attack submarine, one source told Reuters. President Donald Trump reportedly directed the Pentagon to come up with a plan to go after Latin American drug cartels, which are now designated terrorist organizations. This deployment is aimed at addressing threats to U.S. national security from specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region, one source told Reuters. (RELATED: Trumps Favorite Latin American Ally Could Be Around For A Long Time) Panamas National Police troops board a US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter during a training exercise at Teniente Octavio Rodriguez Garrido air base in Panama City on July 14, 2025. (Photo by ARIS MARTINEZ/AFP via Getty Images) One official told Reuters that the process will be ongoing for at least a few months, and the assets will operate in international waters and airspace. The naval presence would also serve as a launching pad for any prospective action against cartels if the orders are given, according to Reuters. Trump reportedly authorized the military to target drug cartels, although it is not known when the president made the decision. In February, the Trump administration designated numerous Latin American drug cartels as terrorist organizations. Trump also confirmed in May that he had offered to send U.S. troops to Mexico to fight the cartels. Latin American cartels are a major contributor to the fentanyl crisis in America, which is responsible for tens of thousands of American deaths every year. Cartels have also set up shop inside Americas borders, mostly concentrating their activities to Southern border states and large blue states such as Illinois and New York. The Pentagon has deployed thousands of soldiers to the Southern border to curtail illegal immigration, a major avenue for drug cartels to smuggle product into America. The Pentagon deferred to the White House when asked for comment, while the White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundations request for comment. 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. Just before midnight on Sept. 22, 2024, authorities say, mother of three Jennifer Gledhill showed up at the home of the man with whom she was having an affair and made a frightening confession. Two days earlier, she said, her husband, Utah National Guardsman Matthew Johnson, had angrily confronted her after learning that she was cheating on him. Gledhill described to her lover how, later that night after Johnson fell asleep in the couples bed, she shot her husband in the head with his 9-mm handgun, packed his body inside a vehicle rooftop storage container, loaded it into her minivan and then buried him in a shallow grave north of their home in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, according to prosecutors. KSLTV 5 When her lover later told her in a phone call that he was frightened by Gledhills confession, her response which he recorded was chilling: Wow, if you think I could even hurt a fly, she said. Like he just, he is, hes not a person. He wasnt a person anymore. He wasnt Matt. Not surprisingly, Gledhills lover couldnt shake the horror of what she told him. On Oct. 2, after the man gave police screenshots of texts and audio recordings of their phone calls, Gledhill, 42, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder of the death of her husband, 51, in the midst of their bitter divorce. His body has yet to be recovered. KUTV Matthew Johnson is not missing, Salt Lake County Deputy District Attorney Emily Paulos said during a Feb. 28, 2025, court hearing. Matthew Johnson was murdered by the defendant. Gledhill has pleaded not guilty. She is being held without bail in the Salt Lake County Jail, awaiting a murder trial set to begin in December 2025. Exactly what led to the couples confrontation is a question with which friends of the couple who shared three children, now all under the age of 13 are still grappling. I thought she was nice, kind of a homebody, says Johnsons friend John Hash, who served with him in the Utah Guards 19th Special Forces Group. But Gledhill and Johnsons relationship became rocky in recent years, according to another friend of Johnsons. 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. Gledhill made numerous attempts including one just weeks before Johnsons death to obtain protective orders against her husband, who served in the U.S. Marines before joining the National Guard, but was unsuccessful. On one occasion, the court determined she was the instigator of the couples troubles, according to a probable cause affidavit. The stress took its toll on the devoted dad, says Johnsons friend, who describes how Gledhills erratic behavior so unnerved Johnson that he spent much of the past few weeks of his life sleeping at a National Guard facility out of concerns about his safety. In one of his last conversations with his longtime friend, retired Utah National Guardsman Kevin Thompson, Johnson had really come to the conclusion that [a divorce] needs to happen, and it is time to move on. For more on Jennifer Gledhill, subscribe now to PEOPLE, or pick up this week's issue, on newsstands Friday. Johnson never had a chance to move on. After Gledhills paramour alerted police to the possibility of a killing at the couples home, authorities claimed they found Johnsons blood on the carpet under the couples bed and evidence that a wall had been cleaned with bleach. Police also arrested Gledhills parents, Thomas, 71, and Rosalie, 68, on suspicion of obstruction of justice for allegedly helping her clean up the scene. David Buchan Meanwhile, more than 100 of Johnsons fellow soldiers have joined the search for his remains in an area where GPS data reportedly placed Gledhill after the alleged murder. Says Thompson: Were all combat veterans. Weve seen a lot. But we dont want to leave a friend behind, so its on your mind all the time. Read the original article on People Warren Buffett Scott Morgan/Reuters Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway built a $1.6 billion stake in UnitedHealth last quarter. The wager is likely to be one of the last under Buffett's watch as he prepares to step down as CEO. Berkshire also pared its key Apple stake again and made several other tweaks to its portfolio. It seems Warren Buffett has healthcare on his mind as he approaches retirement. The 94-year-old investor's Berkshire Hathaway scooped up just over 5 million shares of UnitedHealth stock last quarter, securing a stake in the health insurer worth $1.6 billion at the end of June. The new holding was revealed in the conglomerate's quarterly portfolio update, known as a 13F, on Thursday. It's unclear whether Buffett or one of his two investment managers, Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, made the stock pick. But it's certainly notable as one of Berkshire's final bets with Buffett at the helm. The "Oracle of Omaha" is set to retire at the end of this year. UnitedHealth shares soared 13%% in premarket trading on Friday, likely due to the "Buffett Effect" where other investors trust the industry legend to make shrewd wagers and mimic his choices. The healthcare giant, which is still navigating the fallout from the December 4, 2024, shooting death of its CEO Brian Thompson, saw its stock plummet from about $600 in mid-April to around $310 by the end of June. Buffett, a value investor known for bargain hunting, may have determined it was oversold and decided to pounce. "Buffett has been buying the puke-athon, $UNH United Health," Larry McDonald, an author and newsletter writer, posted on X. "Wall Street analysts, loved it on the highs, all 'sells' on the lows, Warren says 'Thank you.' "Buffett likes falling knives," McDonald added in another X post. Berkshire also pared its top holding, Apple, by another 7% to 280 million shares, worth $57 billion at the end of June. It has sold more than two-thirds of the position since the beginning of 2024, when it was worth a hefty $174 billion. Buffett and his team also revealed stakes in homebuilders DR Horton and Lennar as well as steel producer Nucor, after securing regulatory approval to keep those positions confidential in Berkshire's first-quarter portfolio filing as they were still actively establishing them. Berkshire also disclosed new positions in Lamar Advertising and Allegion, while boosting its stakes in companies such as Chevron, Constellation Brands, and Domino's Pizza. It exited T-Mobile US and reduced positions, including Bank of America a longtime Buffett favorite and Charter. The latest filing adds context to Berkshire's recent earnings, which showed the company sold a net $3 billion of stocks last quarter as it bought $3.9 billion worth but sold $6.9 billion worth. The conglomerate, which owns businesses such as Geico and Fruit of the Loom, has been a net seller of stocks for 11 straight quarters. The stock sales have contributed to Berkshire growing its cash pile to $344 billion, a sum that exceeds the market capitalization of Coca-Cola. Buffett, who turns 95 this month, has struggled for years to find compelling ways to spend Berkshire's cash as public and private company valuations have soared. That has led to Wall Street keeping an extra close eye on any purchases he does make, such as UnitedHealth stock last quarter. Kelsey Vlamis contributed to this report. Read the original article on Business Insider Key Points A report that a group of investors is trying to take ZIM private sent shares higher as the week began. This comes as the U.S. and the United Nations are at loggerheads over global shipping emissions. ZIM stock currently trades at a price-to-earnings ratio under 1. 10 stocks we like better than Zim Integrated Shipping Services Shares of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services (NYSE: ZIM) were up big this week before retreating. The stock had gained nearly 15% as trading began on Monday, but it is now up just 5.5% as of 2:33 p.m. on Friday. The S&P 500 has gained 1% and the Nasdaq-100 has gained 0.5%. A report revealed that ZIM CEO Eli Glickman and a group of investors are seeking to take the Israeli shipping company private. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More ZIM could be going private The Israeli business publication Cacalist reported that Glickman, five other executives from the company, and a businessman named Ramy Unger are putting a deal together to take the company private. The group's offer values the company at roughly $2.4 billion, which would equate to $20 per share -- a significant upside from Friday's close of $15.50 a share. The report also revealed that Glickman and the investors will merge the company with Rea Shipping, owned by Unger. Shipping containers stacked high with workers below. Image source: Getty Images. The news broke before this week's trading began, and the stock immediately spiked. However, new details have yet to be revealed, and the stock has steadily declined since, though it's still up about 6% from Friday's close. UN debates net-zero shipping This comes as the United Nations debates the Net Zero Framework for reducing global shipping emissions to net zero by 2050. The United States has rejected the proposal, and the Department of Energy released a statement calling the framework a "global carbon tax" that would harm American consumers and the global shipping industry. Investors shouldn't take the acquisition as guaranteed There's a lot more to learn about a possible deal, and investors should know that it's possible that the deal will fall through. Still, with an enterprise value of more than twice its current market cap and a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of just 0.87, ZIM seems like a solid pick. Should you invest $1,000 in Zim Integrated Shipping Services right now? Before you buy stock in Zim Integrated Shipping Services, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Zim Integrated Shipping Services wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $663,630!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $1,115,695!* Now, its worth noting Stock Advisors total average return is 1,071% a market-crushing outperformance compared to 185% for the S&P 500. Dont miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of August 13, 2025 Johnny Rice has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Zim Integrated Shipping Services. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said it was important that Friday's Russia-U.S. summit in Alaska opened up a path towards a "just peace", as well as substantive three-way talks between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia and the United States. "It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. U.S. President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were due to meet at a Cold War-era air force base in Alaska on Friday to discuss a ceasefire deal for Ukraine that the U.S. sees as a possible way to end the deadliest war in Europe since World War Two. Trump said he would not negotiate on behalf of Ukraine in the meeting and would let Kyiv decide whether to engage in territorial swaps with Russia. "Indeed, high stakes. The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path towards a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side," Zelenskiy said. This week, Zelenskiy held a meeting with European leaders, and on Friday agreed with the French president to meet after the U.S.-Russia summit. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk and Yuliia Dysa; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Mark Heinrich and Alex Richardson) Kakuma, Kenya For 18-year-old Lionel Ngukusenge, a refugee from Burundi, where he was forced into hiding because of a repressive regime, he has found another foe to contend with at the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya: climate change. Against all odds, Lionel, a Grade 9 student at Future Primary School, has planted 70 trees at his homestead in the refugee camp, which accommodates 300,000 refugees and has over 7,200 learners. There are only 23 teachers at Lionel's school, where each class has 209 learners, after 48 teachers were retrenched this year following the US government aid cuts to the organizations assisting refugees in this East African nation. In the arid Kakuma refugee camp, 800 kilometers northwest of Nairobi, Lionel's school also has students from South Sudan, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia and Afghanistan. "I've planted 70 trees at home because I learned the importance of trees. While doing my homework, I sit under the trees I planted. The oxygen is fantastic. I feel proud," Lionel told IPS. He (Lionel) is one of the refugees 'weaponizing' tree-planting to contend with climate change. A difficult task, according to Kenya's Department of Refugee Services in the Office of the President, because the trees have to be watered using the scarce precious water. This, said the camp manager, Edwin Chabari, is rationed at 18 liters per head daily. Nema John Zechariah (22), who eight years ago arrived in Kenya fleeing from conflict in Sudan, said tree planting is not new to her, as she started it in Sudan, planting fruit trees and fending off hunger amidst a raging war, as there was hardly enough to eat. Credit: Jeffrey Moyo/IPS. Kakuma is a Kenyan town in northwestern Turkana County, an arid region experiencing extreme temperatures as high as 40 degrees. Despite these challenges, refugees like Lionel are managing to survive. They are planting the Neem tree, an exotic tree known to thrive in arid regions. Kakuma, a Turkana name, means "out of nowhere," owing to the remote conditions of the place. Now, despite the hostile climate and environment, it has been home to fleeing refugees since 1992. Non-governmental organizations like the Girl Child Network and the Education Above All Foundation, based in Qatar, support the learners' tree-planting efforts. Kenya's Girl Child Network deputy director, Dennis Mutiso, said, "They (the youths) are a resource that can be used to reverse the current trends of environmental degradation. We are making deliberate efforts to make sure that they start passing the knowledge from the school to communities so that the project can be sustained." In schools and in homes, tree planting has balanced deforestation and desertification fueled by hundreds of refugees dependent on firewood at the Kenyan refugee camp, the biggest in Africa. However, the latest aid cuts in Kenya have not spared tree planting, according to government officials. Chabari said that some NGOs and partners who were helping with climate action have not been funded, and that the effects of climate change will be felt by all. "The support from Girl Child Network came in at the right time. We have been trying to train our learners to plant as many trees as possible. The trees are not only being planted in schools but also at home," Joseph Ochura, Kenya's Turkana West Teachers' Services Commission director, told IPS. According to Ochura, the heat is abnormally high in Kakuma, forcing learners to start school at 6am because by midday, it would be extremely hot. That has not deterred learners. In this war against the heat, 17-year-old Baballa Samir, a Sudanese national who came to Kenya in 2020 fleeing from conflict and is now doing Grade 8 at Arid Zone Primary school in Kakuma, said in the five years he has lived in Kenya, he has planted 35 trees. Tareeq Al Bakri, Program Specialist at the Education Above All Foundation, said, "Although Kakuma remains a very arid and challenging environment, learners' involvement in tree planting has led to increased awareness and ownership of environmental stewardship among youths." Founded to cater for pastoralists, Arid Zone Primary is one of the oldest schools in Kenya's Turkana West. It opened its doors to learners in 1986 with 300 learners. Decades later, the school has 2,500 learners, with just 20 teachers. An aspiring medical doctor and a climate change warrior from way back in Sudan, where he planted over 50 trees before fleeing, Baballa has planted more trees in this part of Kenya. His message to the world is clear. "I urge other young people to conserve the environment by planting trees because trees are important for air purification, and they are also sources of medicine," he said. Edukon Joseph, the principal at Arid Zone School, says, "The beneficiaries of tree planting are definitely the learners." "Learners take the knowledge to their parents, spreading tree planting outside this institution," said Joseph. Attending the same school with Baballa is Patrice Namwar, a 15-year-old Kenyan boy in Grade 9. Namwar said he has planted 30 trees and 10 more at his homestead. "We were taught by our teachers that one tree alone absorbs 25 kilograms of carbon and I asked myself, what if I plant 100 trees at home? Global warming will be reduced, because let's say 25 kilograms multiplied by those 10 trees I have planted in my home--that means 250 kilograms of carbon would be reduced. When we plant more trees, this place will be a place to live in," Namwar said. Like Baballa, 16-year-old Grade 9 learner Sharon Ayanae at the Arid Zone School said since 2023 she has planted 35 trees at school, with six more at her homestead. "When we plant trees, we reduce the temperatures caused by the sun here in Turkana and some trees help us with food," Ayanae, who is Kenyan, said. In total, 900 trees have been planted at Arid Zone School alone. At the boarding school, firewood is used for cooking for the learners; however, the tree planting has helped balance the losses. That has had a growing impact on Kakuma's arid conditions, according to Virginia Wanjiku, a teacher at Arid Zone school. "Nowadays in Turkana, we have rains because of the tree-planting initiative. Tree planting has really helped us," said Wanjiku. Girl Child Network's Mutiso said that currently in the Kakuma region, "We have managed to plant 645,352 trees, and we hope to have planted about 850,215 by the end of this year." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Climate Kenya Refugees By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Some deeply traumatized learners, who have been affected by raging wars in their countries, say that tree planting serves as therapy. Najila Luka Ibrahim, 16, hails from Sudan and is currently in Form 3 at Blue State Secondary school in Kakuma. She does not know whether or not her parents are alive after she fled from the conflict. "Before, I just kept to myself, but when I joined the environmental club at school, I interacted with many people I didn't know before. Tree planting changed me," said Najila. Attending the same school with Najila is also 22-year-old Nema John Zechariah, who eight years ago arrived in Kenya fleeing from conflict in Sudan. For Nema, tree planting is not new to her, as she started it in Sudan, planting fruit trees and fending off hunger amidst a raging war, as there was hardly enough to eat. "What drove me to plant trees was the hunger caused by war. There was no food. The trees provided fruits, which I sold at the market. Here in Kenya, I started planting trees in 2022," said Nema. Refugee learners like 25-year-old Augustino Kuot Bol, a South Sudanese national, said they want peace to plant trees. A Form 3 learner at Blue State secondary school, Augustino has planted 20 trees at the Kenyan school since arriving in 2022. "We want peace in the world. Without peace, we cannot have time to plant trees," Augustino said. IPS UN Bureau Report Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau Islamabad has resumed forced repatriations, setting 1 September as the deadline for the departure of 1.4 million Afghans. The decision was taken despite the humanitarian disaster in their homeland, where, according to a recent US State Department report, the Taliban are imposing an institutionalised system of repression. Islamabad/Kabul (AsiaNews) - Four years after the Taliban returned to power, the humanitarian situation for Afghans continues to deteriorate, including refugees in Pakistan. Last week, Islamabad set 1 September as the deadline for the departure of 1.4 million Afghans, some of whom have residence permits. The forced repatriation programme was initially approved in October 2023 but was then officially suspended in mid-2024 due to international pressure. Recently, however, Pakistan has re-established diplomatic ties with Afghanistan by sending its own ambassador to Kabul in June. According to Pakistani officials quoted by Nikkei Asia, relations with Afghanistan remain positive and Afghan citizens are welcome if they apply for visas and reside in the country legally, but not as refugees. Analysts such as Fakhar Kakakhel explained that the regime has made it clear that the war is over and now is the time to develop their homeland. A Pakistani official added, on condition of anonymity, that Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for over 40 years and that now is the time for them to leave. There are many reasons behind this crackdown. According to analyst Noreen Naseer, there are growing security concerns in the north-western areas of the country, which border Afghanistan and are the scene of an increasing number of terrorist attacks. Another reason is the feeling, perceived by some officials, of a lack of gratitude on the part of Afghan refugees for the support offered by Pakistan over the years. Islamabad's decision was also influenced by Iran's approach, which recently expelled thousands of refugees, prompting Pakistan to resume doing the same. The West's indifference is also a factor contributing to the crisis, analysts have pointed out. However, the situation in Afghanistan remains dire from a humanitarian perspective, as described in a recent report published by the US State Department, which speaks of a general disregard for the rule of law and official impunity for abuses committed. The report reiterates the significant deterioration in women's rights, who have been effectively removed from public spaces. Women's freedom of movement has been restricted and secondary education has been banned. However, women in Afghanistan also face barriers to healthcare: male doctors are generally not allowed to treat them, female patients must be accompanied by a male guardian, and the number of qualified female healthcare workers is steadily declining due to the closure of university courses that train them. The report also cites credible accounts of arbitrary killings, often as a form of retaliation against individuals linked to the previous Western-backed government. UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett reported that killings have been recorded in private homes, public spaces and detention facilities and have involved human rights defenders, lawyers, judges, students, teachers and police officers, in many cases women, despite the Taliban's initial promise of a general amnesty for former officials. Between April and June 2024, the UN mission in Afghanistan recorded at least 179 cases of corporal punishment carried out by court order, including public floggings of men and women for adultery, robbery and other alleged crimes. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also said that stoning is part of Sharia law and will be applied if conditions allow. The report also documents the spread of child recruitment and the persistence of early and forced marriage, a practice that affects nearly 39% of women between the ages of 15 and 49. To make matters worse, the US State Department denounces the suppression of freedom of expression and of the press, with journalists being detained and beaten, and the imposition of strict censorship. Impunity for Taliban soldiers is a significant problem and independent investigations into abuses are not allowed. In summary, the report concludes that the Taliban government is inconsistent with the country's obligations and commitments under international law, imposing an institutionalised system of repression. Champion local news. Join our community of readers who value daily beat reporting and in-depth stories alike. Your membership allows us to continue the legacy of local, independent journalism in the Roaring Fork Valley. With your support, we can remain a free and accessible source of news for everyone, always without paywalls or corporate influence. Together, we can ensure that vital local stories are told. 15 August 2025 16:24 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more On August 15, Lala Ismayilova, an internally displaced person (IDP) from the Zangilan region, testified at the Baku Military Court about the consequences of the Armenian armed forces attacks, Azernews reports. L. Ismayilova stated, My brother was a police officer and was killed by the Armenian armed forces along with six other police officers. Their remains have not been found yet. Another victim, Bikekhanim Guliyeva, said, My four-room house was burned down when the Orta Yemezli village where I lived was occupied by the Armenian armed forces in 1993. She added, One of the police officers who was killed along with L. Ismayilova's brother, Ilham Imamgulu oglu Guliyev, is my brother. In response to questions from the lawyer of the accused, Bako Sahakyan, B. Guliyeva stated, During the attack on the village, shots were fired from the direction of the Gafan region of Armenia. It should be noted that as a result of Armenia's military aggression, the trial of citizens of the Republic of Armenia accused of committing crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including the preparation and conduct of a war of aggression, genocide, violation of the laws and regulations of war, as well as terrorism, financing terrorism, forcible seizure of power, forcible retention of power, and numerous other crimes continues. analysis The Sudan War series is a joint collaboration between the Center for Economic, Legal, and Social Studies and Documentation - Khartoum (CEDEJ-K), Sudan-Norway Academic Cooperation (SNAC) and African Arguments - Debating Ideas. Through a number of themes that explore the intersections of war, displacement, identities and capital, Sudanese researchers, many of whom are themselves displaced, highlight their own experiences, the unique dynamisms within the larger communities affected by war, and readings of their possible futures. Experiences of war and displacement highlight a complex interplay of social, economic, and political dynamics that shape women's lives and opportunities. While the effects of war on women are worse, they tend to reshape existing dynamics, creating new opportunities for their economic and social empowerment. In Sudan before the war, economic inequality between men and women was stark, rooted in deep-seated gender norms. These norms were enabled and upheld through religious justifications and structures of authority (both state and societal), enforced women's economic dependence and confined their roles to the private sphere. As a result, men accumulated assets while women were largely excluded from economic opportunities. The ongoing war and its impact on economic and security conditions created shifts in the existing socioeconomic structures redefining traditional roles and partially opening doors for women to take on new responsibilities. This transformation has not been without challenges, yet it created opportunities for women to own, manage, and exchange resources and assets - key tools for enhancing individual and collective resilience. This blog examines how evolving gender roles, women's economic agency, and asset transfers are reshaping survival strategies within Uganda's Kiryandongo refugee camp; arrival and residential destination for scores of Sudanese families escaping the war. Crisis driven adaptation Conflicts often disrupt traditional gender roles, especially in the division of labour and power. Due to increasing economic pressures or the absence of male breadwinners, women frequently assume roles and responsibilities previously reserved for men. Some patriarchal patterns embedded in Sudan's social and value structures - traditionally restricting women's economic opportunities or confining them to certain roles - have begun to dissolve, at least partially and temporarily. The war has forced dramatic changes for young women like Noda and Musana. Before the conflict, both university graduates - Noda with a degree in Economics and Political Science, Musana at the start of her career - were treated as dependents, excluded from major family decisions. Overnight, they became sole breadwinners, now controlling finances and making life-altering choices about whether their families should stay or flee. They navigate formerly male-dominated spaces - crossing borders alone, interacting with strangers, and working in public markets. These shifts in gender dynamics, even if temporary, remain crucial and important. They highlight the potential for change and women's resilience to harsh conditions. Noda recounts, "I sat on the ground and cried my eyes out when I crossed the Ugandan border. I had reached my destination, but only then did I realize how costly it was. Alone for the first time, facing a different culture, language, and religion, I felt overwhelmed. I washed away my fear by reminding myself of the weight of my responsibility, and then I boarded a boda-boda (local model of transport) headed for Kiryandongo camp."Noda spent three months in Uganda, selling tea and coffee until she saved enough money to rent a house and bring her family to Uganda.Musana shares, "Before the war, my family wouldn't even let me travel within Sudan. But due to security concerns and the dire economic situation, they had no choice but to allow me to leave, especially when a job opportunity arose in Uganda." However, a critical question remains: will these shifts endure once the immediate pressures of conflict or crisis subside, or will they be reversed? And if so, what would be the cost of such reversals for women's rights and broader societal progress? Families often prioritize survival over traditional gender expectations, especially as security concerns escalate. In the wake of the widespread sexual violence and systematic rape occurring in the war, families are increasingly driven to send their daughters to safer areas, not only to physically protect them but also to safeguard their reputations. In this context, women's mobility in pursuit of employment has become essential not just for economic survival but for the preservation of family honour and stability. Sudanese women travelling for resettlement and in pursuit of work has become a necessary survival strategy. Women on the move often send money or aid back to their families, and sometimes, they help bring other family members to safer places. These economic contributions are redefining women's roles; from being seen mainly as caregivers to becoming essential providers and key contributors to their families' survival. This transformation highlights the adaptability of families in crisis and the ways in which extreme circumstances can challenge and reshape traditional gender norms. While these changes may be driven by necessity, they also open up new possibilities for Sudanese women. Women, assets and agency The concept of capital has retained its original meaning in economics, but it has been significantly redeveloped and expanded in the social sciences. In this context, capital is understood in terms of various social, economic, and cultural forms that have a significant impact on shifting status of individuals and groups. Capital, whether physical or embodied, grants individuals or groups the ability to control social energy. Faced with the challenge of losing most of their economic assets and the hardships of displacement, Sudanese women living in camps - whether single or family households - make significant efforts to earn a living, while still carrying on with caregiver roles. Market activity in the camp is largely driven by female vendors, and the small economies - such as selling baked goods, homemade food, bakhoor, perfumes, tea, and coffee - are predominantly linked to women. In this context, asset mobility plays a crucial role and serves as a key tool for strengthening their resilience. These assets include not only economic resources (cash and remittances) but also social and cultural capital. Women's ability to own, manage, and allocate assets - for example, deciding how to spend the remittances they send to their families - redefines their roles as decision-makers. This shift creates a feedback loop: as women gain economic power, they expand their networks and access to resources. Capital in this sense becomes two pronged and reinforcing. Tama is a biology student forced to pause her studies. She now works long hours at a cafe to support her family, while separated from them for the first time. She says: "Before the war, my family would never have let me travel alone, I didn't have that power. But now, things have changed. As the breadwinner and the one responsible for my family, it was my decision to send my mother and sisters to safety in Egypt." Tama's ability to make critical decisions for her family - once unthinkable under Sudan's patriarchal norms - shows how her economic role has built social capital. By becoming the breadwinner, she's gained tangible influence: control over remittances and household resources now gives her leverage in family negotiations. But this shift goes beyond money. Her visible authority as a decision-maker - choosing when and where her relatives migrate - also quietly challenges political hierarchies, proving women's capacity to lead survival efforts. Crisis forced this recognition of women's agency; the test will be whether it outlasts the war. Social capital - the benefits people gain from their networks and relationships - plays a vital role in refugee communities like Kiryandongo. These networks take many forms, from psychosocial support groups and women's cooperatives for crafts or farming, to neighbourhood associations and women's vendor collectives in the camp marketplace and community leaders who organize communal kitchens, cultural events, and education programmes. Digital tools like WhatsApp groups help share crucial information and discuss community needs. These connections provide both practical and emotional support. On the practical side, they help with finding temporary places to stay, sharing crucial information about UN registration processes, or exchanging essential items like food and clothing. At the same time, they provide emotional comfort through shared cultural bonds and common experiences. This creates a strong sense of community where people work together in ways that challenge traditional economic thinking. While most economic theories assume people only look out for themselves - like a refugee keeping all their money for their immediate family - the reality is often different. Take Noda, who runs a small tea and coffee stand in Kiryandongo camp. Despite earning very little, she regularly helps out neighbours who are struggling. This kind of mutual support shows how social networks become vital survival tools in difficult situations, providing both material assistance and the strength to keep going. Access to social structures and networks is a crucial asset and resource for women in the camp, as it profoundly shapes their economic behaviour as active agents. Social networks and structures offer emotional support, information, practical assistance, and new opportunities, all of which are essential for women to develop the self-efficacy and resilience needed to navigate their circumstances. For instance, Noda was able to start a small business with the help of remittances from acquaintances, illustrating how these networks can directly enable economic empowerment. These networks also act as important support systems, offering safety, information, and job opportunities. For Tama, safety is especially important. The social connections in the camp have given her a strong base for resilience. She says, "The security conditions in the camp were poor, so a family there hosted me in their tent. The tent didn't protect us from the rain or the cold, but being with them gave me a strong sense of safety." In refugee camps, asset transfers - both from aid agencies and within the community - are essential for survival. Agencies provide cash, food, shelter, and tools, while refugees create their own support systems through shared housing, savings groups, gift exchanges and cash as well. These transfers do more than meet basic needs - they restore dignity and strengthen community ties. For example, in Kiryandongo camp, women's groups hold regular meetings to pool money, clothes, and tools, helping each other through crises. They also share farming equipment, cooking supplies, and childcare, fostering solidarity. By working together, refugees combat isolation and build a sense of belonging, proving that mutual aid is just as crucial as official aid. Noda says, "My mother makes sure I contribute 1,000 shillings each morning to our neighbourhood women's fund. Every household gives this daily amount, and we use the pooled money to help neighbours facing emergencies, whether it's a medical bill, a food shortage, or other urgent needs." In addition, cultural assets - including artisanal skills, agricultural knowledge, translation abilities, and artistic heritage - serve dual purposes: preserving cultural identity while creating economic opportunities. Culturally-grounded economic practices such as henna art, perfume and bakhoor production, and cultivation of specialty leafy vegetables (like purslane, whose seeds are brought from Egypt and thrive in Kiryandongo market due to strong demand from the Sudanese community) provide critical economic empowerment for refugee women. These activities not only help them earn money but also give them a sense of continuity and identity during times of upheaval. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Conflict Human Rights By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Fragile or sustainable? War can change the nature of gender roles, allowing women to achieve economic empowerment or gain more influence and control within the family. However, these gains could be temporary, subject to the evolution of the conflict and its impact on social life. Once the conflict ends, it is not uncommon for women to return to their traditional roles at home. This suggests that deeply rooted ideas supporting traditional gender roles strongly resist significant change during times of peace. As a result, post-conflict periods can either create opportunities for reshaping gender roles or lead to the reorganization, adaptation, or even reinforcement of patriarchal norms. For any lasting change, it is crucial that shifts in gender roles are supported by an ideological transformation that recognizes and values women's contributions within existing gender power structures. Without this, progress toward gender equality may remain fragile and reversible. As Sudanese families prioritize pragmatism over tradition, redefining "acceptable" roles for women during the war, we note that women are also forced to confront many challenges in their new assigned roles. Ironically, these challenges have also opened partial doors to empowerment. In their efforts, women have been supported by asset transfers and social networks, which have served as vital mechanisms for enhancing their economic and social status. These resources have facilitated their participation in decision-making processes and enabled them to take on new roles. In Kiryandongo camp, Sudanese women are reshaping their survival strategies and building resilient communities. Their stories remind us that even in the darkest times, resilience and solidarity can pave the way for a more just and equitable future. Debating Ideas reflects the values and editorial ethos of the African Arguments book series, publishing engaged, often radical, scholarship, original and activist writing from within the African continent and beyond. It offers debates and engagements, contexts and controversies, and reviews and responses flowing from the African Arguments books. It is edited and managed by the International African Institute, hosted at SOAS University of London, the owners of the book series of the same name. Hana Jafar is an MA Student in Cultural Anthropology at Cairo University and editor at Farida feminist magazine. 15 August 2025 23:56 (UTC+04:00) A public court hearing continued on August 15 regarding the criminal cases against citizens of the Republic of Armenia, including Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, and others, who are accused of committing crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including the preparation and conduct of an aggressive war, genocide, violation of the laws and customs of war, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, forcible seizure and retention of power, and numerous other crimes as a result of Armenias military aggression against Azerbaijan. The trial, held at the Baku Military Court under the chairmanship of Judge Zeynal Agayev, with judges Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova), ensured that each accused person was provided with a translator in their preferred language and defense lawyers. The hearing was attended by the accused, their defense attorneys, some of the victims, their legal heirs and representatives, as well as prosecutors defending the states accusations. Judge Zeynal Aghayev introduced the judicial panel, the prosecutors defending the states accusations, the translators, and others to the victims participating in the trial for the first time, and explained their rights and obligations as stipulated by law. Victim Lala Ismayilova stated that she was forcibly expelled from the Zangilan district during the attacks of Armenian armed forces. In response to questions from public prosecutor Vusal Abdullayev, Ismayilova further claimed that her brother, a police officer at the time, had been killed along with other 6 fellow police officers, adding that their remains are still missing. Answering questions from state prosecutor Tarana Mammadova, victim Bikakhanim Guliyeva noted that her four-room house in the Orta Yemazli village was burned down by Armenian armed forces during the occupation in 1993. She stated that her brother Ilham Imamgulu oglu Guliyev, another former police officer, had also been murdered along with the L. Ismayilovas brother. Responding to the questions from the defendant, Guliyeva noted that during the attack on the village the fire was opened from the direction of the Armenian Gafan district. In his testimony, victim Idris Mirzaliyev said he was forcibly expelled from the Zangilan district. Responding to the questions from Nasir Bayramov, head of the department for the defense of state accusations at the Prosecutor Generals Office, the victim stated he was involved in preventing the attacks from Armenian armed forces, and was wounded during the battles in the Zangilan and Tartar districts. Victim Khavar Shukurova mentioned that she was forcibly displaced as a result of the occupation of the Havali village of Zangilan district by the Armenian militants in October 1993. Victim Malayka Huseynova noted that she, along with her family members fled her home in the Sharikan village of the Zangilan district on December 10, 1992, due to the Armenian armed forces attacks, adding that the village was occupied by Armenians, while they were resettled in the other part of the district. According to her, during the occupation of the district in October 1993, she, together with the family members, was rescued, while swimming across the Araz River, with her brother went missing during the battles against Armenians. Another victim Ulkar Isgandarova said she became an IDP, while fleeing the Zangilan district on October 29, 1993. In his testimony, victim Ramal Mammadov noted that he was wounded by Armenian armed forces artillery fire in Murovdagh during the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020. Another victim Tamila Suleymanova emphasized that she had to flee her home due to the occupation of the Vejnali village f the Zangilan district on October 30, 1993. The victim added that she, along with other refugees was rescued, while swimming across the Araz River. Victim Nazila Huseynova claimed that she became IDP, while fleeing the Garakhanbayli village of the Fuzuli district, during the Armenian attacks on August 23, 1993. Victim Vafali Gadirov said that during military service, he got a gunshot wound as a result of the Armenian provocation on February 2, 2017, adding that he is still suffering health problems as a consequence of his injury. In response to questions from Tugay Rahimli, an assistant to the Prosecutor General for special assignments, victim Alamdar Madatov stated that he, along with the seven family members, became an IDP, while fleeing the Zangilan district in 1993. While responding the questions from public prosecutor Fuad Musayev, victim Kamala Yusifova noted that she was forcibly displaced, along with her family members, from the Mammadbayli village of Zangilan district in 1993. She further stated that after the liberation of the district, her son, while on a military service, was injured in a landmine blast, resulting in an amputation of his leg. In his testimony, victim Jeyhun Guliyev said he was forcibly expelled from the Zagilan district in 1993. Answering the questions from defendant David Babayan, the victim mentioned that he and other refugees were rescued, while crossing the Araz River, due to the blockade of other escape routes by the Armenian armed forces. Victim Ibadat Suleymanov said that he and his nine family members had to flee the Zangilan district due to the Armenian attacks on October 30, 1993. Victim Isgandar Isgandarov stated that he became an IDP, while fleeing the Shafibayli village of the Zangilan district in October 1993. Victim Zulfu Hasanguliyev noted that he became an IDP, while fleeing Zangilan, also having been involved in the defense of the district. He further stated that the Armenians had shown no mercy to civilians, including women and elderly. Victim Nabi Naghiyev said he was forcibly displaced from the Bartaz village of Zangilan district, adding that his brother was martyred at the time. Khanoghlan Suleymanov mentioned that he was forcibly displaced from Zangilan district, and that his brother's minor son, Sadig Suleymanov (on August 22, 1992) and his brother Balogh Suleymanov (on October 25, 1993) were killed due to the attacks by Armenian armed forces. Eldar Novruzov emphasized that in September 1992, a mortar shell fired by Armenian armed forces hit the house he lived in in the village of Malatkeshin in the Zangilan district, adding that the village was later occupied. Vidadi Orujov stated that he was forcibly displaced from the village of Mammadbayli in the Zangilan district. During the occupation, their houses were looted, the village cemetery was utterly destroyed, with nothing left but barren ground. Rasim Jamalov, Raji Ismayilov, Barat Khanlarov, Ashraf Ibadov said that they also participated in the battles against Armenian armed forces, adding that they were forcibly displaced from Zangilan. Abish Maharramov, Mahir Khalilov, and Habil Nuriyev stated that they were expelled from their houses due to the attacks by Armenian armed forces, and escaped by crossing the Araz River. Rovshan Abdullayev mentioned that he was captured by Armenian armed forces in 1993. He was held in captivity for 35 months. In captivity he and other Azerbaijanis were subjected to torture, including electric shocks. They were forced into illegal labor. During captivity, they were held in Shusha for two years and eight months. They were handed over to Azerbaijan on May 10, 1996. Elbrus Hajiyev, Elbrus Abbasov and Adil Guluyev stated that they were expelled from their houses in May 1992 when the Armenian armed forces occupied the Lachin district. A. Guluyev also added that he was involved in the battles to defend the territories. In his testimony, Soltan Mammadov mentioned that due to the attacks of Armenian armed forces in August 1993, he was forcibly displaced from the village of Garvand in the Fuzuli district where he resided. He said his relatives were martyred during the attacks. Vagif Huseynov stated that he was forcibly displaced from the village of Merdinli in the Fuzuli district. In his testimony, Anar Mammadov emphasized that on September 1, 2015, while on military service, he was wounded by a mine planted by Armenian armed forces, which resulted in the loss of his left arm. Samad Ahmadov mentioned that he was wounded in the Fuzuli district during battles against the Armenian armed forces. The victims also answered questions from the accused, including Davit Ishkhanyan, the defendants' attorneys, and their representatives. The trial will continue on August 18. Fifteen defendants of Armenian origin are accused in the criminal case concerning numerous crimes committed during the aggressive war waged by the Armenian state - including the aforementioned criminal association - on 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 individuals - Arayik 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 Pashayan - are 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 additional articles. 15 August 2025 13:56 (UTC+04:00) Full digital access to all news for 1 year Full digital access to all news for 6 months Full digital access to all news for 3 months Full digital access to all news for 1 month Find the plan that suits you best. Located on 1,454 hectares of state-owned land in the Bilasuvar district, the solar power plant will have a total capacity of 445 megawatts (MW). Once operational, it is expected to produce around 897 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, enough to power approximately 179,000 households. This production will offset 367,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year and save 193 million cubic meters of natural gas, strengthening the countrys energy security while... Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention. Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis. By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more. Subscribe You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper Thank you! 15 August 2025 08:30 (UTC+04:00) Elnur Enveroglu Read more When the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, the newly independent states of the South Caucasus entered an uncertain and volatile era. For Azerbaijan, having regained independence for the second time in its modern history, the challenges were formidable: political instability, economic collapse, and a war that had resulted in the occupation of nearly 20 percent of its internationally recognised territory, including Garabagh and surrounding districts. In the eyes of many foreign observers at the time, the countrys prospects for regional influence were modest at best. Yet, within three decades, Azerbaijan has emerged as a pivotal regional actor, not only as an energy and connectivity hub, but also increasingly as a facilitator of peace and cooperation. This transformation did not happen by chance. It was anchored in a combination of strategic vision, pragmatic diplomacy, and the political will to leverage geography for national and regional gain. The Contract of the Century Laying the foundations Thus, the turning point in Azerbaijans post-Soviet trajectory came in 1994, when National Leader Heydar Aliyev signed the landmark Contract of the Century with a consortium of leading international oil companies. This agreement opened Azerbaijans vast offshore oil reserves to global investment, ushering in billions of dollars in foreign capital and technology. More importantly, it anchored Azerbaijan firmly into the global energy market and set the stage for an ambitious programme of pipeline diplomacy. In subsequent years, projects such as the BakuTbilisiCeyhan (BTC) oil pipeline, the BakuTbilisiErzurum (BTE) gas pipeline, and later the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), including its European legs, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP), would transform Azerbaijan into a critical supplier of energy to Europe. This role has only grown more strategic in light of recent global energy crises, as European countries seek to diversify away from Russian energy dependency. Armenias missed opportunities While Azerbaijan capitalised on these opportunities, Armenia, which at the time maintained a policy of aligning closely with Russia, remained largely outside of such transformative projects. Its choice to prioritise political and military reliance on Moscow, particularly through membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union, meant that it stayed on the sidelines of regional infrastructure and energy initiatives. The continuing conflict over Garabagh and Armenias occupation of Azerbaijani lands further isolated Yerevan from the economic integration sweeping the region. The blockade of communications and transport routes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in effect for nearly three decades, deepened this divide. Today, the irony is striking: Armenias political leadership is openly signalling its desire to move away from Russian-led structures, and is now seeking entry into projects it once ignored or even opposed. A case in point is Armenias recent decision to participate in the CaspianBlack SeaEurope energy corridor, commonly referred to as the Black Sea Energy project. This ambitious initiative will connect Azerbaijans energy grid to Romania and Hungary via Georgia, with a high-voltage cable laid along the Black Seas seabed. The project is scheduled for commissioning in 2032 and is designed to export renewable energy, particularly from wind and solar sources in Azerbaijans Caspian basin. Armenias Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure has confirmed its interest in joining the project through the creation of a special participant company. This entity would hold a share of the cables transmission capacity and undertake investment obligations. To formalise its role, Armenia must sign a protocol of intent with the other participating countries Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary. This development is noteworthy for several reasons. Firstly, it marks a rare instance in which Armenia is joining a regional infrastructure project led by Azerbaijan. Secondly, it reflects a recognition in Yerevan that regional connectivity and integration, rather than isolation, are essential for long-term economic resilience. Thirdly, it underscores Azerbaijans growing capacity to shape regional cooperation even with former adversaries. Moreover, from a purely economic perspective, Armenias early participation in such projects offers significant advantages. First of all, integration into the Black Sea Energy corridor would provide access to a stable and potentially lucrative energy export route, enabling Armenia to diversify its economy and reduce dependency on traditional, politically sensitive supply lines. This could attract foreign investment into Armenias domestic renewable energy sector, stimulate job creation, and modernise the countrys power infrastructure. Politically, participation would serve as a confidence-building measure in relations with Azerbaijan. It would demonstrate that economic interdependence is possible despite deep historical grievances, and that cooperation can yield tangible benefits for all sides. By sharing in both the risks and rewards of a major infrastructure project, Armenia and Azerbaijan could gradually shift their bilateral relationship from zero-sum rivalry to a pragmatic partnership. Azerbaijan as peace-maker and regional leader The fact that Azerbaijan is facilitating Armenias participation in such projects is no accident. Following the 2020 Second Garabagh War, Baku has consistently articulated a vision for a South Caucasus without dividing lines, one based on open borders, restored communications, and mutually beneficial economic ties. President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly stated that the reintegration of Garabagh and the opening of new transport corridors should not only serve Azerbaijans interests but also create opportunities for the wider region. This approach positions Azerbaijan as both a political and economic leader in the South Caucasus. By moving from conflict management to conflict resolution, and from resolution to integration, Baku is setting a precedent: peace is not just the absence of war, but the creation of shared incentives for cooperation. The Zangazur Corridor and Washington peace talks A crucial element in this vision is the proposed Zangazur Corridor, a transport route that would connect mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave via Armenias Syunik (Zangazur) province, and onward to Turkiye. The corridor would also link Azerbaijan more directly with Turkiye and further into Europe, while providing Armenia with new transit revenues and connectivity to regional markets. Recent peace talks in Washington between Azerbaijani and Armenian delegations, with the involvement of the United States, have highlighted the corridor as a key component of a future peace settlement. American interest stems from the projects potential to enhance EastWest connectivity, strengthen regional stability, and reduce reliance on Russian-controlled transport networks. If implemented, the Zangazur Corridor (recently labelled as TRIPP) would complement existing energy and transport projects, forming a multi-layered web of interconnections pipelines, railways, highways, and power lines binding the South Caucasus into a single economic space. For Armenia, participation would mark a historic shift from being a landlocked, blockaded state to becoming a transit country with access to multiple markets. In a nutshell, Armenias integration into Azerbaijan-led projects could accelerate a broader transformation in the South Caucasus, looking ahead. Economic cooperation tends to generate its own momentum, as businesses, investors, and governments develop mutual stakes in stability. Joint infrastructure projects could extend into other sectors, such as digital connectivity, water management, and tourism. For Azerbaijan, this would consolidate its role as a regional anchor, balancing relations with major external powers, such as the EU, Turkiye, Russia, China, and now increasingly the United States, while ensuring that its immediate neighbourhood is not a source of instability. For Armenia, it would offer a pathway to modernisation and diversification without relying exclusively on traditional alliances. However, the risks, of course, remain. Deep mistrust, unresolved disputes over borders, and domestic political pressures in Armenia could derail progress. Yet the alternative, a return to isolation and hostility, would only perpetuate the cycle of missed opportunities that has plagued the South Caucasus for decades. 15 August 2025 11:25 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more The Ministry of Agriculture has announced that applications are still being accepted for the allocation of agricultural land to residents preparing to relocate to the villages of Xanyurdu and Ballca in the Khojaly district, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry. According to information, residents who are part of the resettlement process can submit applications through the Electronic Agricultural Information System (EKTIS) at (http://www.eagro.az). The application window remains open from August 15 until the end of the day on September 15. The land allocation is being carried out in accordance with Article 4.1 of Presidential Decree No. 236, dated November 27, 2024, and Decision No. 544 of the Cabinet of Ministers, dated December 26, 2024, which outline the Rules for Leasing Agricultural Land in the Liberated Territories of Azerbaijan to Village and Settlement Residents Under Preferential Terms. The available lands are located around the two villages, are irrigated, and have been prepared for cultivation. Each parcel of land will be at least 5 hectares in size. Residents will be able to cultivate a wide range of annual and perennial crops, including: Fruits: Apples, pears, cherries, walnuts, peaches, nectarines, apricots, chestnuts, persimmons, strawberries, currants, raspberries Vegetables: Tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, beans, beets, carrots, cabbage Grains & Legumes: Soybeans, peas, lentils, potatoes, wheat, barley, corn (for grain and silage) Others: Grapes (table and wine varieties), tobacco, sugar beets, alfalfa, hay, and various grass mixtures All agricultural plots must be equipped with modern irrigation systems, such as drip or sprinkler irrigation. To apply for land use under preferential leasing terms, eligible residents must follow these steps: 1. Register on EKTIS to automatically create a digital farmers cabinet. 2. In the My Applications section of the cabinet, choose Land Lease Application and select either Xanyurdu or Ballca to fill out the form. 3. Regardless of official ID registration, applicants must confirm their actual residence in Xanyurdu or Ballca via the Ministry of Internal Affairs e-Police app. Once the registration period ends, applicants will be invited to sign lease agreements, attend training sessions, and be introduced to their allocated land plots. The lease period is 2 years for annual crops and alfalfa, and 5 years for perennial crops, with the possibility of extension based on performance and land use results. It is worth noting that the process of allocating agricultural lands in liberated territories began with the village of Aghali, serving as the pilot location. 15 August 2025 13:22 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Rector of Baku State University (BSU) Elchin Babayev has met with the Ambassador of Pakistan to Azerbaijan, Qasim Mohiuddin, and the Head of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) of Pakistan, Ashfaque Hasan Khan, Azernews reports. The meeting focused on the prospects for the development of Azerbaijan-Pakistan scientific and cultural relations, as well as opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of science, education, and culture. Elchin Babayev provided detailed information to the guests about the existing cooperation between BSU and Pakistani higher education institutions, including the teaching of the Urdu language at the university's Faculty of Oriental Studies. The rector noted that in March 2025, within the framework of a business visit to Pakistan, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation was signed between BSU and NUST. He also emphasized that mutual visits and joint work on specific projects in the near future will contribute to strengthening the ties between the two universities. The Ambassador Qasim Mohiuddin stated that Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations are based on friendship and brotherhood, and that expanding cooperation in the fields of science and education will further strengthen these ties. Ashfaque Hasan Khan provided extensive information about NUST University, noting that it is one of Pakistan's most prestigious higher education institutions, possessing a strong scientific foundation in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, aerospace sciences, energy technologies, and information technologies. At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to continue joint efforts to expand cooperation in the fields of science, education, and culture. 15 August 2025 11:20 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President of the Republic of the Congo, Azernews reports. "Dear Mr. President, On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my sincerest congratulations and best wishes to you and, through you, to your entire nation on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of the Congo. It is gratifying to note that relations between Azerbaijan and the Congo are developing along an upward trajectory and are being enriched with new content. Your two visits to our country last year gave significant impetus to the expansion of our cooperation. The friendly relations established between Azerbaijan and the Congo have created a favorable basis and opportunities for the development of our mutually beneficial cooperation in political, economic, humanitarian, and other areas. I am confident that we will continue to make joint efforts to strengthen AzerbaijanCongo relations and to deepen our cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally. On this festive day, I wish you robust health, happiness, and success in your work, and I wish the people of the Congo lasting peace and prosperity," the letter reads. 15 August 2025 16:07 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Azerbaijan has dispatched the next part of its humanitarian cargo containing electrical equipment to Ukraine from the Sumgait Technologies Park, continuing its support for regions affected by the ongoing conflict, Azernews reports. The shipment is being organized under the directive of President Ilham Aliyev, with the Ministry of Energy coordinating the aid. The latest delivery includes approximately 90,000 meters of electrical cables and wires, 25 generators, and seven transformer sets. The first batch, sent earlier in a convoy of 10 trucks, was intended to assist in restoring stable electricity supply to Ukrainian regions impacted by the war. This second shipment, valued at around $2 million, will be sent in the coming days in response to appeals from Ukrainian authorities. Azerbaijan has a history of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, particularly in the field of electricity supply. Amid the ongoing conflict, the total value of Azerbaijans aid for recovery and reconstruction efforts in Ukraine has now surpassed $44 million. 15 August 2025 15:15 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more The official US government journal, the Federal Register, has published a memorandum by President Donald Trump suspending the enforcement of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which restricts US aid to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. In the memorandum addressed to the Secretary of State, President Trump emphasized that the extension is justified under US law. By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America I hereby determine and certify that extending the waiver of section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act with respect to Azerbaijan: is necessary to support United States efforts to counter international terrorism; is necessary to support the operational readiness of United States Armed Forces or coalition partners to counter international terrorism; is important to Azerbaijan's border security; and will not undermine or hamper ongoing efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan or be used for offensive purposes against Armenia. Accordingly, I hereby extend the waiver of section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, the document reads. The memorandum instructs the Secretary of State to publish this determination in the Federal Register and provide it, along with the Memorandum of Justification, to the relevant congressional committees. President Trump signed the document on August 8, during Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs visit to Washington. Section 907, adopted by the US Congress in 1992, had banned direct government aid to Azerbaijan, citing an alleged blockade against Armenia while Armenian forces occupied Azerbaijani territories. 15 August 2025 08:00 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd. announced on Thursday that its proposed sale of Panama Canal assets will hinge on securing regulatory clearance from multiple global authorities, including those in China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Speaking during a conference call on its interim financial results, the company stated that regulatory changes would be necessary to move forward with the deal, adding that it is prepared to take as much time as needed to navigate the approval process, Azernews reports. The Hong Kong-based conglomerate is seeking to divest its canal assets to a consortium of investors led by BlackRock Inc. in a deal valued at $22.8 billion. However, the transaction may face geopolitical hurdles. Reports suggest that Beijing has threatened to veto the sale unless a Chinese firm likely the state-owned Cosco is granted a stake in the deal. 15 August 2025 09:00 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more WhatsApp on Thursday condemned Russias decision to partially restrict voice calling on the platform, calling it an attack on secure communication and digital privacy, Azernews reports, citing foreign media. WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and resists government efforts to undermine the right to secure communication which is exactly why Russia is attempting to block it for over 100 million of its citizens, the company stated. The move comes after Russias communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, accused WhatsApp and Telegram of being widely used for fraudulent schemes and for recruiting Russian citizens into sabotage and terrorist activities. According to the agency, the restrictions were implemented in response to requests from domestic law enforcement and complaints from the public. Kampala, Uganda Critics say universities are using safety concerns to justify a broader crackdown on free expression. In April, dozens of students gathered at the Kyambogo University's student center. The then-student council president, Akiso Benjamin, called the meeting to address growing frustrations with the university's administration over issues such as penalties for late registration, missing academic results, and students being blocked from exams, despite paying most of their tuition fees. Eight days prior, he'd formally written to the administration about these issues, but they didn't respond, he says. Midway through the meeting, police stormed in. "Students started panicking, running out of the building," he says. The police fired live ammunition and tear gas that spilled into lecture halls where classes were in session. They arrested 20 students, including Akiso. They charged him and nine others with three counts of participating in a riot, incitement to violence and unlawful assembly. Patrick Onyango, the Kampala metropolitan police spokesperson, says the police acted on a request from university officials as students were carrying out an illegal demonstration and forcing others to participate. By the time the police came in, he says, they had reason to believe students were about to turn violent. But students and human rights experts say armed responses to students who are protesting government or university policies in Uganda have become a disturbing and unlawful trend. They say such actions violate students' constitutional rights to assemble and protest and have turned universities that were once centers of political activism into hubs of fear. "[Public universities] funded by taxpayers' money have been policed and militarized to the extent that even a peaceful assembly by students is unacceptable to the administrations," Akiso says. But Reuben Twinomujuni, principal communication officer at Kyambogo University, sees it as a security issue. While the university respects students' freedom of expression and is open to dialogue, he says, they must also consider the safety of the wider student community. "We want to make the university a safe environment place for everyone," he says, adding the protests were driven by a small number of students whose goal was to create chaos. "We can't let the few mess up things for the rest." While he acknowledges the university received the letter of demands, Twinomujuni says at the time the vice chancellor was on sick leave. The vice chancellor returned the same day the protests broke out and responded to the letter, Twinomujuni says, but the situation had already escalated. The issue doesn't affect Kyambogo University alone. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, in October 2019 security forces responded with similar force to student protests at Makerere University over fee increases. They used tear gas, raided student dormitories and made mass arrests, according to the report. Journalists attempting to cover the protests, and who already face increasing violence from security forces in the country, were arrested too. Earlier this year, students from various universities were arrested while protesting KCB Bank's alleged financing of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. Local news outlets have documented many other crackdowns on student protests by security forces over the last few years. Such a response to students isn't new in Uganda or the broader region. As early as the late 1960s, some of East Africa's oldest universities -- like University College, Nairobi, the predecessor of today's University of Nairobi in neighboring Kenya, and Uganda's Makerere University -- had strong student movements that often drew harsh crackdowns from governments. But it was easier to hold such protests in the past than it is now, says Joe Besigye Bazirake, a research associate at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa, and a former student at Makerere University. "At Makerere, students would hold protests from the university to the town council, which was revolutionary," he says. "But that is impossible today." There's a reason for the more aggressive approach, he says. The government in Uganda understands just how powerful student movements can be. "They are young, observant, active with ideas of how they want to be governed," he says. In fact, some government leaders started organizing when they were university students, he says. Among them is the country's president, Yoweri Museveni, who was already politically active in secondary school and later at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, where he led a Pan-Africanism activist group. They know people pay attention to what happens in universities, Bazirake says. "If Makerere is on fire, the nation pays attention. Power pays attention." This aggressiveness "makes universities [a] hostile environment for students," says Henry Byansi, a lawyer who represented Akiso's case in court and is also programs manager at Chapter Four Uganda, a legal nonprofit. It isn't just the use of an armed police force, says Ankunda Shivan, a first-year student of land surveying and geometrics at Makerere University. Repression in universities has taken various forms over time. For example, she says the administration now controls the student guild elections at Makerere University. For the past three years, elections have been conducted entirely online. Physical campaigns are no longer allowed. This shift, she believes, is part of a broader effort to suppress students. But Zahara Nampewo, deputy dean at Makerere University's school of law, says administrations must make tough decisions, especially when students' expressions of their freedoms turn violent. The university, she says, banned physical elections after a student visiting from another university died during election-related activities at Makerere University in 2022. "Yes, student's freedom of association and physical campaigns are important. [But] the safety of every student and everybody working and walking through this university is paramount," she says. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Legal Affairs Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Still, she adds, it's important for administrations to open space for meaningful dialogue with students. It could reduce and even end the involvement of armed state forces in universities. Akiso and the nine other students charged by authorities were released on bail four days after their arrest, but their ordeal was far from over. The university suspended them for 30 days and barred them from accessing the campus. This meant they couldn't sit for that semester's exams. Then in July, the university expelled Akiso, a decision he intends to challenge in court. He believes the university's actions are meant to scare students into silence. But he is not deterred. "No matter the situation, I am determined to continue expressing my right to peacefully assemble when universities set unfair polices and ignore our issues," he says. Nakisanze Segawa is a Reporter-in-Residence based in Kampala, Uganda. She specializes in reporting on LGBTQ+ issues. Born in Luweero and raised in Uganda's capital, she holds a degree in Mass Communications from Muteesa I Royal University. Known for her powerful photography and deep community access, her 2015 story about school policies that forced Black girls to keep their hair short--while girls of other races could grow theirs long--provoked widespread social media outcry and led to a policy change. Nakisanze Segawa, GPJ, translated some interviews from Luganda. 15 August 2025 12:02 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk has stated that Moscow will back Armenia if it deems the creation of the TRIPP project (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity) necessary, Azernews reports via TASS. We are considering the well-known issue in this regard. Armenia is our strategic ally, and if Armenia believes that this is beneficial for them, of course, we also support Armenia, Overchuk said. The Russian official is scheduled to visit Yerevan next week, where discussions are expected to include Armenias role and ongoing activities within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The Trump Corridor (officially named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP; previously referred to as the Zangezur Corridor) refers to a newly established strategic transport corridor through Armenia, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump as part of a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Signed on August 8, 2025, this corridor is a key component of the agreement aimed at ending decades of conflict between the two nations. 15 August 2025 13:37 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more Iran supports any initiative or agreement aimed at reducing tensions and fostering friendly, sincere relations among South Caucasus countries and their neighbors, Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Kyrgyzstan today, Azernews reports. Aref emphasized that, from Iran's perspective, all countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia are capable of coexisting in an environment of peace and stability. The statement comes in the wake of a major diplomatic development on August 8, when Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a Joint Declaration in Washington, marking a significant step toward resolving long-standing tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia. As part of the same event, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan initialed a draft agreement titled Treaty on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia. Additionally, both foreign ministers signed a joint appeal to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, calling for the formal closure of the OSCE Minsk Process, including the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office on the conflict, as well as the High-Level Planning Group, signaling a historic turning point in efforts to normalize relations between the two countries. 15 August 2025 12:16 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more The European Union Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA) will continue operating, with potential adjustments to its mandate to be discussed between Yerevan and Brussels, according to EU foreign policy representative Anita Hipper, Azernews reports via local media. "The mission's mandate includes monitoring the situation on the Armenian side of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and providing information on the ground," Hipper stated. She emphasized that the European Union welcomed the initialing of the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia and urged both parties to move quickly toward formalizing the deal. We call on the sides to sign and ratify it soon, she said, noting that the EU sees the agreement as a crucial step toward long-term stability in the South Caucasus. 15 August 2025 23:27 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more Ukrainian armed forces have struck a vessel transporting ammunition and drone components from Iran at the port of Olya in Russias Astrakhan region, according to a statement released Friday by Ukraines General Staff, Azernews reports. The targeted port, located on the northern Caspian Sea, is reportedly a key logistical hub used by the Russian military to facilitate the transfer of military equipment and technologies from Iran. Ukrainian officials say the strike is part of broader efforts to degrade Russias combat capabilities and pressure Moscow to end its full-scale war against Ukraine. The Defense Forces continue targeted operations aimed at weakening the military infrastructure of the Russian occupiers and compelling the Kremlin to cease its aggression, the Ukrainian military said. The strike comes at a diplomatically sensitive moment, as U.S. President Donald Trump prepares for a high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The two leaders are expected to engage in direct talks concerning a potential framework to de-escalate hostilities and negotiate a political settlement between Moscow and Kyiv. While the Kremlin has not officially commented on the Ukrainian strike in Astrakhan, the move underscores Kyivs strategy of targeting critical supply chains and foreign partnerships that bolster Russias war effort especially growing military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran. 15 August 2025 23:13 (UTC+04:00) In a dramatic resurgence of Cold Warstyle diplomacy, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met at Joint Base ElmendorfRichardson, marking their first in-person encounter since 2019 amid the broader conflict in Ukraine. A Choreographed welcome with global stakes The summit began with symbolic flair: Trump greeted Putin on a red carpet laid over the tarmac at the military base, beneath the insignia Alaska 2025, and framed by four F-22 Raptors. A stealth B-2 bomber flyby underscored the U.S.s military might, adding dramatic gravitas to the proceedings. Expanding the inner circle What was originally billed as a private one-on-one took on a new form. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff joined Trump, while Putin brought along Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and advisor Yury Ushakov, shaping a more expansive three-on-three format. Ukraine Takes Centre Stage At the heart of the talks lay the grinding conflict in Ukraine. Trump emphasized that while he did not intend to negotiate on Kyivs behalf, his goal was a fast-tracked ceasefire. He asserted: I want to see a ceasefire rapidly ... Im not going to be happy if its not today I want the killing to stop, and later warned he would walk away if no substantive progress emerged. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, excluded from the talks, reiterated his refusal to cede territory as a basis for peace and insisted any resolution must include Ukraine. As of the summit, Russian attacks continued, including a missile strike on Dnipropetrovsk that resulted in civilian casualties. High stakes, geopolitical ripples Observers noted the summits broader significance: Trump is seen leveraging the talks to augment his image as a global peacemakerpossibly even eyeing a Nobel Peace Prizewhile Putin can portray it as validation of Russias restored global relevance despite Western isolation efforts. Talks reportedly floated potential halts in the conflict if the U.S. guarantees no further NATO expansion and eases some sanctions, hinting at economic or nuclear arms opportunities as part of the bargaining chips. Trump reiterated that no deals with Russian business interests would proceed until peace was secured. A broader diplomatic chasm The summit extended beyond just diplomacy. Amid domestic turbulence in the U.S.including controversy over federal policy decisionscivilians and protesters cast a skeptical eye on the proceedings. Meanwhile, Alaskas strategic and symbolic significance was highlighted: home to powerful military exercises and energy reserves, the locale functioned as both stage and message UPDATED A high-stakes, closed-door summit has commenced at Joint Base ElmendorfRichardson, marking the first face-to-face meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin since Trumps reelection and their first-ever bilateral summit held on U.S. soil. The historic gathering aims to explore pathways toward a ceasefire in the ongoing RussiaUkraine war. The initial plan for a one-on-one discussion was expanded into a three-on-three format, with Trump accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Putin positioned Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and adviser Yuri Ushakov at the table on Russias side. Bright Fireball Seen Breaking Up Above Oregon Coast to Washington, California, Montana Published 08/14/25 at 7:55 p.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff (Portland, Oregon) - A brilliant fireball lit up the night sky over Oregon and Washington on Tuesday, August 13, at approximately 10:10 p.m., prompting dozens of eyewitness reports from across the region. Sightings stretched from Port Orford on the southern Oregon coast to Ridgefield, Washington, with numerous accounts from Portland, Eugene, and surrounding areas. Observers described the fireball as a long, fiery trail moving southward, with some noting it appeared to break into multiple pieces before fading from view. According to the American Meteor Societys Fireball Log, the event lasted several seconds and was widely visible across the Pacific Northwest. Jim Todd, astronomy expert with Portlands Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), said the phenomenon was most likely caused by re-entering space debris, though a natural meteor cannot be ruled out. A typical natural fireball is quick and bright, Todd told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Fireballs are caused by space rocks that enter the Earth's atmosphere and are slowed down and heated by friction. Objects that cause fireballs can be larger than one meter in size. Fireballs are caused by space rocks that are made of stone, ice, metal, or a combination of these materials. We are near the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower, which are debris from parent comet Swift Tuttle. Todd noted that man-made objects tend to re-enter the atmosphere more slowly and remain visible for longer durations - sometimes tens of seconds or more. These objects often break apart, appearing as multiple bright points moving in the same direction. Comet over the south Oregon coast's Bandon, courtesy Manuela Durson - Manuela Durson Fine Arts. Similar fireball events have been documented in the past, including a notable sighting over Eugene and Springfield on the same evening, which may have been linked to either a meteor or space debris. NASA explains that defunct satellites and rocket stages re-enter Earths atmosphere at speeds approaching 17,000 mph. As they descend, friction with denser air layers generates intense heat, causing the objects to ignite and produce the fiery streaks seen from the ground. While meteors also create fireballs, they typically move much faster and appear more like a brief flash than a slow-moving aircraft. Adding to evidence, SpaceX confirmed that on Thursday, August 14, a Falcon 9 rocket launched 28 satellites into low-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The orbital path of Starlink G10-20, tracked by HeavensAbove.com, suggests a possible connection to the fireball observed on August 13. Although the rockets second stage is designed to undergo a controlled deorbit, deviations in timing or trajectory can result in an unplanned atmospheric re-entry, producing a bright fireball. A piece of rocket debris found in Waldport in 2021 (Lincoln County Sheriff's) The last time something like this was seen in the Pacific Northwest, pieces of a SpaceX rocket were found in rural Washington and on the central Oregon coast near Waldport in 2021. Apparent SpaceX Rocket Debris Found on Oregon Coast Found at Waldport: what appears to be charred debris from the Falcon X rocket Todd said he strongly encourages anyone who saw the fireball send their report to the AMS Fireball Log at https://fireball.amsmeteors.org/members/imo/report_intro. This is the best source to determine the location and origin. Reports like these are valuable to help determine reports of the fireball or meteor, and perhaps meteorite fragments if any. Anyone with security cameras or dash cam is encouraged to send video clips. SpaceX debris back in '21 This has been a stellar summer for spotting satellites, meteors and some unusual sights such as satellites flashing or appearing to blink in and out of view. Oregon Coast Beach Connection witnessed one burn up last month. There will be a larger story on all this soon at Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW OREGON COAST HOTEL REVIEWS (hit refresh to see different reviews) Two Shimmering Examples of Oregon Coast Historical Inns at Lincoln City To get a truly historic experience, however, you have to go back a ways. Lincoln City hotel reviews Secluded N. Oregon Coast Villa Overlooks Cannon Beach, Peaks A massive vacation rental home near the Ecola State Park. Cannon Beach hotel reviews, Cannon Beach vacation rentals From Oregon Coast Swank to Sweet Beach Abode: Lincoln City Rental with Oceanf... Moonbreaker sits right on the surf with a private stairway down. Lincoln City lodging reviews Story of One Much-Lauded Lincoln City Icon Stretches Over 100 Years of Oregon... One of the historical gems that stands out is the Ester Lee Motel. Lodging reviews, hotel news More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Washington Coast / Oregon Coast Articles (stories are random: hit reload to see different articles) Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted US Coast Guard Calls Off Search for 79-Year-Old Woman Missing in Washington Coast Waters Published 08/13/25 at 6:55 a.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff (Westport, Washington) The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has suspended its search around the Washington coast for a 79-year-old woman who went missing while kayaking near Westport, officials confirmed Tuesday afternoon. (Above: search grid pattern used by USCG during this incident off Washington) The search was called off at 1:55 p.m. after extensive efforts failed to locate the woman, who was reported overdue around 6 p.m. Monday. According to Coast Guard Sector Columbia River on the Oregon coast side, the woman became separated from her husband in the Oyhut Bay area due to deteriorating weather conditions in the area. Responding to the report, the Coast Guard launched a helicopter from Air Station Astoria and a boat crew from Station Grays Harbor. At approximately 7:20 p.m., the helicopter crew discovered an overturned green kayak matching the description of the missing womans vessel. Search operations continued until 11:30 p.m. Monday and resumed at first light Tuesday morning with additional support from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles. Despite coordinated efforts involving Grays Harbor Fire and Police, the Grays Harbor County Sheriffs Office, Ocean Shores Police, and Washington State Parks, no further signs of the woman were found. USCG file photo Suspending a search is never a decision we make lightly, said Lt. Cmdr. Jacquilne Hunnicutt, search and rescue mission coordinator. We work methodically with our partners, using every available resource, until all reasonable chances of rescue have been exhausted. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones during this difficult time. The USCG has not released the identity of the missing woman. USCG file photo USCG crews from central Oregon coast ran into a similar situation on Sunday, when a crew of fishermen were in distress near Newport. After rescuing three crewmembers, the USCG eventually had to suspend its search Monday morning for a fourth missing fisherman. Their vessel had capsized near the Yaquina Bay Jetty. US Coast Guard Halts Search for Missing Fisherman Off Central Oregon Coast - The vessel capsized near Newport's Yaquina Bay Jetty over the weekend The commercial fishing boat Das Bug was transiting inbound through the Yaquina Bay Jetty when it happened. The first three individuals onboard were pulled from the water by a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay. All were transported to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital and treated for hypothermia. Searching went on into the night for the fourth man, who was presumed lost in the water. The search was called after about a day worth of looking in treacherous Oregon ocean conditions. His name has not yet been realized as well. Coast Guard Crews from Two States Rescue Disabled Vessel Off Oregon Coast - 97-foot vessel Defiant reported it was adrift off Newport More Washington Coast MORE PHOTOS BELOW OREGON COAST HOTEL REVIEWS (hit refresh to see different reviews) Lincoln City Rentals Company Offers Quite the Price Drops: Oregon Coast Early... A1 Beach Rentals has a 30-percent reduction. Hotel reviews, Lincoln City hotel reviews, Lincoln City lodging New Expansive Vacation Home on Oregon Coast Soars to Where Neskowin Meets the... 5 bedrooms, 600 ft of deck and a sauna so fire. Pacific City hotel reviews, hotel news, Neskowin hotels, vacation rentals, Lincoln City hotel reviews, Rockaway Beach hotel reviews Exquisite Spring Break Hangouts on Oregon Coast with New Discoveries The wows of Lincoln City and Cannon Beach, including the beginning of a ghost forest. Lincoln City hotel reviews, Cannon Beach hotel reviews, specials, Seaside hotel reviews Raucous Oregon Coast View in Lincoln City or Depoe Bay Spotlighted in May Some of these sights cost a little less through mid May. Depoe Bay hotel reviews, Lincoln City hotel news USCG file photo USCG file photo More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Washington Coast / Oregon Coast Articles (stories are random: hit reload to see different articles) Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted S. Oregon Coast Highway Closure Near Bandon Sept 19 - 21 Will Bring Traffic Headache Published 08/13/25 at 6:55 p.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff (Bandon, Oregon) A major traffic headache is coming to one part of the south Oregon coast in September, adding hundreds of miles to the journey in some cases. (All photos ODOT) Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) revealed more about the closure coming to U.S. 101 (Oregon Coast Highway) between Bandon and Port Orford. It happens September 19 21 as crews work to replace a failing culvert located deep beneath the highway in challenging terrain. It only happens one weekend: the closure will begin at 9 p.m. on Friday, September 19, and continue through late Sunday night, September 21. The work zone is located near Bearhead Mountain Lane, approximately six miles south of Bandon. There are no local roads that bypass the work zone. The only available detour requires a lengthy drive via U.S. 199 (Redwood Highway), Interstate 5, and Oregon 42 (Coos Bay - Roseburg Highway). During the closure, contractors will excavate more than 20 feet below the highway to remove the damaged pipe and install a larger culvert. The site is bordered by steep slopes on one side, wetlands on the other, and a stream running through the middle, making construction especially complex. "The two-foot-diameter pipe is about 20 feet below the road surface," ODOT said. "It failed during a high-water event in December 2024 and required emergency repairs. The culvert is still at risk of failure, which could compromise the roadway above." ODOT typically aims to keep highways open during construction, but doing so in this case would require building a temporary bypass through sensitive terrain. That approach would significantly increase costs and extend traffic disruptions for up to six months. Instead, the agency has opted for a rapid replacement strategy that will reduce overall traffic impacts and save more than $1 million. The full construction window in this part of the south Oregon coast is expected to last four to six weeks, including two to three weeks of single-lane closures before and after the weekend shutdown. At ODOT, we understand that highway closures can affect communities near and far, so we scheduled this closure outside the summer travel season, ODOT said. While this will be a quiet weekend in many coastal communities, there are still several events planned for the weekend of Sept. 20-21 in nearby Coos Bay. - Bay Area Fun Festival A lively celebration featuring music, food, a parade, and dozens of vendors. - Prefontaine Memorial Run A 5K race drawing more than 20 high school teams, including international participants from New Zealand. - Cruz the Coos The largest vintage car cruise on the Oregon Coast, showcasing over 500 classic vehicles. Travelers heading to Coos Bay should plan ahead and allow extra time. For current road conditions, visit TripCheck.com. For local event details, see Oregons Adventure Coast. For more information about the highway project, contact ODOT Public Information Officer Dan Latham at 541-817-5200 or Dan.Latham@odot.oregon.gov. Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW OREGON COAST HOTEL REVIEWS (hit refresh to see different reviews) Four Incredibly Cool Places to Play 'n Stay, Central Oregon Coast Sampling of four outstanding, cool and cajoling places at Lincoln City, Lincoln Beach and Newport. Lodging reviews, hotels, travel tips Lincoln City's Looking Glass Inn Has One Serious View to Oregon Coast Wilds a... Overlooking Siletz Bay, views to some crazy storm action and harbor seals. Lincoln City lodging, hotel reviews Old, Authentic Oregon Coast Motor Lodge Converted Into Colorful Boutique Motel History and histrionics: one outstanding yet funky little motel on the outer edges. Newport hotel reviews, lodging news, Newport lodging Clifftop Spa Aglow Above Oregon Coast's Nye Beach: Luxury Meets History at Inn Newport's Inn at Nye Beach has numerous sides. Hotel reviews, lodging More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Washington Coast / Oregon Coast Articles (stories are random: hit reload to see different articles) Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Video: Central Oregon Coast Lighthouse Finally Gets Lantern Back After Winds Interfere Published 08/12/25 at 6:25 p.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff (Newport, Oregon) If it seems possible a bright, sunny day could be a bummer, that's just what happened on the central Oregon coast Monday when crews scheduled to put the light back into the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse were thwarted by windy weather. Of all things, in comes a foggy day to save the day. Early Tuesday morning, crews successfully lifted and installed the 11,000-pound lantern atop the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, signaling the final stages of a $1.8 million exterior restoration project. You can see video of the somewhat dramatic operation here. The lift, postponed Monday due to high winds, proceeded smoothly Tuesday morning with no gusts to hinder the cranes precision. The lantern was secured in less than five minutes, returning to its rightful place after a journey to Alabama for specialized restoration work by Allen Architectural Metals, a firm nationally recognized for its expertise in cast metal preservation. This restoration will help protect the lighthouse for generations to come, said Brian McBeth, historic architecture project manager for Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). In the next couple of weeks, we will finish up the remaining carpentry work on the exterior, touch up small areas with paint and remove the scaffolding. Were excited to reopen the historic structure to visitors. Once the scaffolding and protective sheeting are removed, visitors will see the full scope of the restoration, which included repairs to the roof framing, chimney, brick foundation, lantern, siding, doors, and windows, along with a new roof and fresh exterior paint. The work is designed to shield the more than 150-year-old structure from the harsh coastal elements. Built in 1871, Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is the only surviving wooden lighthouse on the Oregon coast and the last remaining example in the state of a combined lighthouse and keepers quarters. It is one of four historic lighthouses maintained by OPRD, alongside Cape Meares, Heceta Head, and Coquille River lighthouses. No other lighthouses in the state even have their keeper's quarters - except Heceta Head near Florence. That one is a BnB. Yacquina Bay Lighthouse's signal tower undergoing work in the 2010s OPRD oversees hundreds of historic buildings across Oregon and dedicates a portion of its biennial project funds to restoration and preservation efforts. Another upcoming project includes renovations to the central Oregon coast's Cape Foulweather Gift Shop at Otter Crest. The Yaquina Bay Lighthouse will remain closed through Sept. 30, 2025, to complete restoration work. Once reopened, regular hours will resume: noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, with closures on Mondays and Tuesdays. Hours may vary depending on volunteer staffing and weather conditions. SEE Landmarks and Legends of an Oregon Coast Lighthouse, Newport's Yaquina Bay, Part 1 Oregon Coast History: Newport's Yaquina Bay Lighthouse and Trying Times Hotels in Newport - Where to eat - Newport Maps and Virtual Tours (Find every single beach access in the area) MORE PHOTOS BELOW OREGON COAST HOTEL REVIEWS (hit refresh to see different reviews) 'Old Oregon Coast' Feel Meets Modern Swank at Manzanita Charmer Hotel Ocean Inn at Manzanita is woodsy yet bougie. Manzanita hotels, lodging reviews Secluded N. Oregon Coast Villa Overlooks Cannon Beach, Peaks A massive vacation rental home near the Ecola State Park. Cannon Beach hotel reviews, Cannon Beach vacation rentals A Little 'Hideaway' in Rockaway Beach Melds Oregon Coast Rustic with Fancy Near the waters edge of the lake is a vacation rental cabin. Rokcaway Beach lodging reviews Vacation House in Pacific City a Unique Oregon Coast Experience, Distinctive ... Heron's Perch is part bucolic barn, part sleek design. Lodging reviews, Pacific City hotels More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Washington Coast / Oregon Coast Articles (stories are random: hit reload to see different articles) Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Cambodia, Thailand urged to engage in dialogue, rebuild trust 10:29, August 15, 2025 By MO JINGXI ( Chinadaily.com.cn Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (center) poses for a photo with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn (left) and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa on Thursday in Anning, Yunnan province. Feng yongbin/CHINA DAILY Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday that Cambodia and Thailand are capable of managing their specific disputes and joining hands to address global challenges, adding that such moves would be welcomed by their peoples as well as regional countries. Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while having a chat over tea with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa. The talks were held on the sidelines of the two-day 10th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting that opened on Thursday in Anning, Southwest China's Yunnan province. According to a news release issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the foreign ministers of China, Cambodia and Thailand "had a friendly and candid communication over the conflict along the border between Cambodia and Thailand in a harmonious atmosphere", and they "agreed to keep communication channels open through a flexible approach". Last month, a border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand escalated into intense fighting, resulting in casualties on both sides. On Aug 7, during the Extraordinary Meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee, the two sides agreed to de-escalate tensions by reaching an understanding on the monitoring mechanism of a ceasefire and its follow-up arrangements. Noting that Cambodia and Thailand will always be neighbors and brothers, Wang said the LMC foreign ministers' meeting provides an opportunity for the two countries to restore dialogue and improve relations, as neither of them wishes for the border conflict to continue. It is hoped that the two countries will send out "the voice of Anning" in a city the name of which represents peace, goodwill and harmony, he said, adding that old grievances should always be resolved, not deepened. Wang said that China supports Cambodia and Thailand in engaging in dialogue, clearing misunderstandings, rebuilding mutual trust and restoring normal exchanges and cooperation. He expressed Beijing's support for the two sides to fully implement the consensus reached on Aug 7 and consolidate the momentum of the ceasefire. China supports the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in playing its due role in appropriately resolving the issues "through the ASEAN Way", Wang said, noting that China also backs the two countries in addressing the needs of their peoples and reopening border crossings as soon as possible. In light of the two countries' wishes, China is willing to provide support and assistance, including demining in the border areas, Wang added. Sokhonn and Maris expressed their sincere gratitude to China for providing an opportunity for dialogue, and they highly commended China's constructive role in easing tensions and promoting discussions. The two sides emphasized the value of peace and the importance of good-neighborly relations, reaffirming their commitment to actively implement the ceasefire agreement and make full use of dialogue mechanisms to manage and resolve disputes peacefully. Since the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict started, China as their friendly neighbor has actively made diplomatic efforts for de-escalation, including convening an informal three-way consultation in Shanghai on July 30. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) New York / London / El Fasher / Zamzam Camp / Abu Shouk Camp The United Nations has warned of famine, mass killings, and a fast-spreading cholera outbreak in Sudan, saying civilians face "a deepening crisis". The warning came as the Darfur Union in the United Kingdom accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied factions of committing "genocide" in El Fasher, North Darfur, during what it called their 227th failed attempt to seize the city. UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters yesterday, "civilians are enduring a deepening crisis with ongoing attacks, acute hunger and starvation." He cited the Director of OCHA's Operations and Advocacy Division, Edem Wosornu, who "expressed alarm over reports from the besieged city of El Fasher in North Darfur state that more than 60 people died from malnutrition in just one week, and most of them, as one can imagine, belong to vulnerable groups such as women and children." Famine was first detected a year ago in the Zamzam displacement camp "and is expected to have expanded to other areas since," he said. Dujarric also voiced grave concern over an August 7 attack in North Kordofan state that killed 18 civilians and wounded dozens. Nearly 100,000 cholera cases have been recorded in Sudan since July last year. In North Darfur, over 5,300 suspected and confirmed cases and 84 deaths have been reported since 21 June, "most of them in Tawila locality, where 330,000 people displaced from Zamzam and El Fasher are sheltering in dire conditions." Overcrowding, poor sanitation, and heavy rains are accelerating the spread, he warned. '227th attempt to invade' Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Conflict Health By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. In a statement released yesterday, the Darfur Union UK alleged that forces led by El Taher Hajar and El Hadi Idris "joined hands once again with the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in their 227th attempt to invade and occupy the city of El Fasher." It accused the RSF of massacring more than 40 people and injuring 19 in the Abu Shouk displacement camp, calling it "a deliberate escalation of the genocidal siege aimed at breaking the will of the city through bloodshed and terror." The group urged the world to "hold the UAE, the RSF, and all their collaborators accountable for genocide, starvation, and the siege of El Fasher" and to sanction "every individual, group, and entity linked to this campaign of extermination." "The people of El Fasher have resisted 227 attempts to destroy them," the statement concluded. "They will resist the 228th, and every attack after, until this genocidal project is defeated." US Coast Guard Halts Search for Missing Fisherman Off Central Oregon Coast Published 08/11/25 at 7:45 p.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff (Newport, Oregon) - The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Monday morning for a missing fisherman whose vessel capsized near the Yaquina Bay Jetty over the weekend. (Ships off Newport / Oregon Coast Beach Connection file photo) The search off central Oregon coast waters was called off at 10:15 a.m. after rescue crews spent more than eight hours scouring 54 square miles of ocean under challenging conditions, including 7-foot swells and winds reaching 13 knots. The incident began around 4 p.m. Sunday, when Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received a distress report involving the 40-foot commercial fishing vessel Das Bug. The vessel, carrying four people, was transiting inbound through the Yaquina Bay Jetty when it reportedly took on water and overturned. Three of the four individuals onboard were pulled from the water by a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay. All three survivors were transported to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital and treated for hypothermia. Search efforts for the fourth individual continued into the night, involving multiple Coast Guard assets including lifeboat crews and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter team from Air Station North Bend. A first-light aerial search Monday morning yielded no signs of the missing fisherman. Search grid made by USCG Suspending a search without finding the person you have been looking for is always one of the most difficult decisions we have to make, said Lt. Cmdr. Jacqueline Hunnicutt, search and rescue mission coordinator for Coast Guard Sector Columbia River. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. See LIVE NEWPORT WEATHER, WATER TEMPS The Coast Guard has not released the name of the missing individual. Photo from last week's USCG rescue It's been a busy week around the central Oregon coast, with USCG personnel answering other calls for help in the nearby ocean. Last week, one call included crews from agencies around Oregon and California. Coast Guard Crews from Two States Rescue Disabled Vessel Off Oregon Coast - 97-foot vessel Defiant reported it was adrift off Newport The 97-foot vessel Defiant reported it was adrift and in need of help early in the morning on Sunday, August 3. Responding to the call were California coast crews from the Coast Guard Cutter Alder and Air Station Sacramento, while from the Oregon coast came Air Station North Bend, and Station Yaquina Bay. The coordinated effort included two aircraft delivering essential supplies - fresh water, a radio, and a dewatering pump - by Sunday evening. Due to the vessels remote location, watchstanders from the Coast Guards Southwest District directed the Alder to initiate a tow. The cutter reached the Defiant Tuesday morning and began towing it toward shore, covering roughly 80 miles. On Wednesday, about 15 miles from Newport, the tow was transferred to a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Station Yaquina Bay, which safely brought the vessel into port. Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW OREGON COAST HOTEL REVIEWS (hit refresh to see different reviews) Vacation House in Pacific City a Unique Oregon Coast Experience, Distinctive ... Heron's Perch is part bucolic barn, part sleek design. Lodging reviews, Pacific City hotels Retro Beach Rental in Newport a Tiny, Cozy Oregon Coast Gem A little vacation rental called View House Cottage. Hotel reviews, Newport lodging, Newport hotel reviews, Lincoln City hotel reviews, Newport vacation rentals Story of One Much-Lauded Lincoln City Icon Stretches Over 100 Years of Oregon... One of the historical gems that stands out is the Ester Lee Motel. Lodging reviews, hotel news Lincoln City's Coho Oceanfront Lodge Continues Pushing Boundaries on Oregon C... Plenty of perks - a kind of upscale without all of that price tag. Lincoln City lodging, hotel reviews, Gleneden Beach More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Washington Coast / Oregon Coast Articles (stories are random: hit reload to see different articles) Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted NI fans are mad for it ahead of Oasis Dublin weekender People heading over border for bands two Croke Park concerts cant hide their excitement Oasis in Cardiff earlier this summer. Inset: Amy Toner (17) who is travelling from Armagh to Croke Park to see the band play Jessica Rice & Garrett Hargan Fri 15 Aug 2025 at 07:45 Oasis are performing in Dublin this Saturday and Sunday and fans from here lucky enough to get their hands on tickets are buzzing. NI fans set for Oasis in Dublin: Liam Gallagher gave out to me on Twitter but I still love him and cant wait for the gig From tribute band members to life-long fans now sharing the experience with their children, we speak to some of those ready for a supersonic show in Croke Park this weekend Oasis fever has taken over the UK and Ireland after the band's long-awaited reunion (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) Gillian Halliday Fri 15 Aug 2025 at 12:48 Oasis are performing live in Ireland for the first time in 16 years when they come to Croke Park for two nights this weekend. Restaurant review: Unshakeable and reliable, this Belfast tapas bar has stayed true to form 2Taps is still serving classic Spanish dishes and very affordable wines after 20 years in business, writes Joris Minne Manchego croquettas and house salad Joris Minne Fri 15 Aug 2025 at 12:00 A restaurants menu today will rarely be the same as it was 20 years ago. Thats because we are fickle people who like new things. Why have steak and chips when you can have 32-day aged ribeye with a bearnaise sauce made with organic eggs, grass fed cows milk butter and fresh tarragon served with a selection of frites made from hand-reared Comber Earlies. We are now sophisticates and steak and chips dont do it no more, as we food writers say. NI couple on opening their Ottolenghi-backed restaurant: It was almost as if it was meant to be The attack is the second on the infrastructure in as many days Hospitals are being prevented from contacting patients and on-call medical staff as a result of vandals targeting 5G masts. It is also stopping the public from being able to make emergency calls. The PSNI warned about significant disruption following the latest incident in west Belfast on Thursday night. Firefighters were called to the scene of the blaze on the Glen Road at around 8.40pm. Two appliances, including an aerial platform, helped extinguish the fire which caused severe damage. The mast has sustained significant damage. Pic: Kevin Scott PSNI Detective Inspector McAnee said the latest in a series of attacks on 5G masts in the area is a matter of great concern and is causing significant disruption to the local community. "These attacks are having a damaging impact on individuals, businesses and vital services, they added. "Hospitals that are affected are experiencing communication difficulties in contacting patients and managing critical on-call arrangements and members of the public particularly those who are vulnerable are being left in a position where they are unable to make emergency calls or contact family. The Glen Road was closed from its junction with the Shaws Road to the junction with Colinwell Grove for a time but has since reopened. The attack is the second in as many nights on Belfasts 5G infrastructure after a mast on Annadale Embankment in south Belfast was torched on Wednesday evening. Detective Inspector McAnee reassured the community that police are taking the issue seriously. "Detectives are actively pursuing a number of lines of enquiry and we remain committed to identifying those responsible and bringing them to justice, they continued. We remain of the belief that there are individuals with knowledge that could assist us in identifying those responsible for these attacks and, once again, are appealing to the public to help us by coming forward with any information they may have. "Any information, no matter how inconsequential it may seem, is important and could be crucial in helping us identify those responsible and stopping these attacks. You can contact us by calling the 101 number, quoting reference 1614 of 14/08/25. Emergency services at the scene of the incident in west Belfast. Pic: Kevin Scott It comes after Sinn Fein councillor Ronan McLaughlin warned the ongoing vandalism could put lives at risk. The ongoing campaign by a small minority to destroy vital infrastructure in our city is having a detrimental impact on our communities, he said. That these arsonists feel comfortable carrying out these acts in broad daylight on a main road is deeply concerning, and is an indictment of the lack of action taken to date. Belfast History Explained: The Story of the River Farset With poor connectivity now common in west Belfast, there is a real risk lives could be lost because of weak phone signal. Its time for those involved to face justice and be taken off our streets. Robin Swann said the incident was the first of its kind at the hall Some of the damage at Mossley Orange Hall. Pic: Trevor Clarke MLA Police have confirmed they are treating the theft of a flag and damage to a flagpole at a Co Antrim Orange Hall as a sectarian hate crime. The incident occurred at Mossley Orange Hall in the Doagh Road area of Newtownabbey on Thursday night. South Antrim MP Robin Swann said the vandalism should be roundly condemned. The destruction of the flagpole and theft of the union flag at Mossley Orange Hall is incredibly disappointing to see and should be condemned by all, he said. "This vandalism, carried out last night, is completely unacceptable and I urge anyone with information to speak to PSNI. "My colleagues have been in contact with the Lodge following this attack on their hall, and I will be offering to give my support however I can. South Antrim MP Robin Swann Antrim and Newtownabbey UUP Councillor Robert Foster said there had never been an incident at the hall before. "This is a resource used by the whole local community, and recently the District and Lodge have held proactive outreach nights exploring the origins and history of the Orange Order as part of their work to strengthen community relations, he said. "The lodge will have my full support and assistance in replacing the flagpole and flag as quickly as possible. DUP MLA for the area, Trevor Clarke, said the attack was an example of sectarian vandalism. "This is petty, pointless sectarian vandalism, and its part of a worrying trend of sectarian attacks on Orange Halls across Northern Ireland, he said. "Ive spoken with the Lodge, theyve contacted the PSNI, and Ill also be writing to raise this with police leadership. We need stronger, visible efforts to tackle these blatantly sectarian crimes before tensions escalate further. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content "And to the sectarian idiots behind this, one day, youll be caught. "One day, youll sit in a job interview and have to explain why youve a criminal record for a hate crime, theft and criminal damage... because you struck a blow for Irish freedom one night by breaking into an Orange Hall, destroying a flagpole and stealing a Union Jack just because you are filled with sectarian hatred. Well done. Some of the damage at Mossley Orange Hall. Pic: Trevor Clarke MLA Why is the M3 closed this weekend ? The PSNI has confirmed the incident is being treated as a sectarian hate crime. Inspector Williamson said: "It is believed that the damage and theft occurred at some point overnight between 11pm on Thursday, August 14 and 9am on Friday August 15. "Enquiries into the incident, which is being treated as a sectarian hate crime, are ongoing. "We would appeal to anyone with information to police on 101, quoting reference 457 of 15/08/25. A report can also be made online via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/. A councillor has opened up about how his daughters bedtime story gave him the courage to get help for his mental health. Mark Gibbons said a brave rabbit in the book prompted him to be brave himself and admit he needed help after going through a difficult period in his life. And the independent elected rep added that he is speaking out amid a number of suicides in the area he represents. As well as seeking the help of a counsellor, Mr Gibbons a published author himself also found support at the Rostrevor mens shed. The Newry, Mourne and Down District Crotlieve councillor spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week on doing the best thing he ever did in opening up on his feelings. He said: What sparked off going public for me, was that this past couple of weeks there have been a number of suicides across the district and the vast majority have been men. I just said to my wife: Claire look I need to reach out here to people to let them know what I went through and its ok, you can speak out and ask for help, you just need to be a little bit brave and do it. Independent councillor Mark Gibbons. Photo credit: LDR Belfast History Explained: Who was Sheila the Elephant? Read more Suicide awareness campaigner and childhood friend of Van Morrison remembered The recently published Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency statistics show the rates of suicide at 220 a year. The suicide rate per 100,000 population was higher among those with a marital status of single or divorced, compared to those recorded as married or widowed. It was councillors own struggle with mental health that helped him to focus more on his pastime of writing, which resulted in his first supernatural fiction book set the surrounding landscape of his home village of Rostrevor. The local postman managed to turn his hobby into a life-saving method of being creative and went on to publish a book entitled Cloch Mor Lore under his pen name Frank ONeill. Though, it was a different book of childrens fiction that actually gave him the courage to pick up the phone to ask for help. He added: I was reading a book my daughter has about a wee rabbit and he has to be a little bit brave all the way through the story and I just thought of that, to be a little bit brave and reach out. Last year there were a couple of big things that happened in my life and I had to reach out to somebody and its the best thing I ever did. If it helps even just one person, who reads about this and thinks well if that man can open up to the public then I can make a quick call for a couple of minutes and get help. The creation of Mens Sheds has become a well regarded phenomenon in recent times for providing social gatherings which are beneficial for mental health and friendship. The sheds encourage people to come together to make, repair and repurpose, as well as supporting projects in their local communities. The ethos is to improve wellbeing, reduce loneliness and combat social isolation. Councillor Gibbons added: Everything is good now for me. The Rostrevor Mens Shed has also been a huge help, and always has been. In a nice twist of irony, the very shed I wanted to create for people who might be struggling with their mental health ended up helping me when I was at my lowest. These days, I can only make it on a Wednesday evening because of Saturday work commitments, but even one night a week makes a big difference. And to see the Shed celebrate its 10th anniversary is truly fantastic. They are a wonderful group of men. My writing helps too. Taking the councillor hat off, even for an hour, and putting the Frank ONeill one on gives me space to breathe and do what I love. Id be lost without it, and I love getting lost within it. He continued: If youre feeling low, find people, a club, or an activity youve always enjoyed. For me, its my family, my community work, my writing, and the Shed. They all play a big part in my mental wellbeing. You are not alone. And never be afraid to reach out to a counsellor if you need to. Its a hard call to make, but a game changer when you do. Information and contact details for local Mens Sheds can be found online. Anyone who needs to talk to someone about mental health issues can call the Samaritans on 116123 or Lifeline on 0808 808 8000. Sudan In war-torn Sudan, more than 11.3 million people are displaced and over 72 per cent of health facilities in conflict affected areas are no longer functioning, young Sudanese are keeping the spirit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) alive against the odds. As the world marks International Youth Day on 12 August under the theme Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond, grassroots initiatives again step in where state systems have collapsed. From Nobel-nominated Emergency Response Rooms feeding thousands daily, to dusty classrooms with blackboards run by Education Without Borders where displaced children still take lessons. These youth-led initiatives are not merely preserving SDG goals but redefining them. The SDGs surviving in Sudan Where state institutions have collapsed further under the ongoing conflict, youth-led initiatives and grassroots projects continue to bridge the gaps, keeping the SDGs alive in practice. Starting with SDG3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) have become matters of life and death in Sudan, intertwined in practice. In 2025, Sudan's health system has collapsed, with cholera, dengue fever and measles outbreaks surged in overcrowded displacement sites with scarce water. "Malnutrition is rife, and many of the children are reduced to just skin and bones... Children are dying from hunger, disease, and direct violence. They are being cut off from the very services that could save their lives," said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative in Sudan. In Omdurman city, Al Naw University Hospital stands as a rare lifeline in this collapsed system. According to the Le Monde, only 20-30 per cent of Sudan's hospital facilities remain functional, yet Al Naw continues to operate despite repeated artillery and drone strikes, treating blast victims and improvising morgues in nearby buildings during peak bombardment. Its survival underscores the few remaining threads holding together basic healthcare access. While not a youth-led facility, it partners with younger volunteer medics and community health workers, reflecting this year's International Youth Day theme by showing how local youth actions are helping sustain essential health services in impossible conditions. Meanwhile, groups like the Hawadith Street Initiative and youth-led Emergency Response Rooms, nominated by PRIO for the Nobel Peace Prize, deliver medicine, oxygen, and hygiene campaigns where the formal health system has collapsed. These same networks truck clean water into camps and neighbourhoods, preventing outbreaks from spiralling further and safeguarding the bare minimum of public health in the absence of functioning institutions. The combined efforts of remaining hospitals and grassroots health networks demonstrate that, even in the most fragile conditions, determined local action, often led or supported by young volunteers, can uphold the most basic standards of health and dignity. These youth-driven contributions keep alive the foundations on which Sudan's recovery must be built, embodying this year's theme. SDG4 (Quality Education) remains a frontline priority in Sudan, where UNICEF warned in 2025 that over 19 million children are now out of school due to the war and displacement crisis., prompting alternative learning solutions. In parallel and in the absence of functioning schools, Education Without Borders, a Sudanese volunteer-led founded in 2011 by students from the University of Khartoum. Now, it rehabilitates abandoned schools, runs classes in open-air spaces, and redistributes textbooks, to keep children engaged despite repeated displacement. These improvised learning spaces offer more than lessons; they protect a generation from permanent educational loss amidst the conflict. Alongside these grassroots efforts , earlier in 2025, UNICEF has launched 280 solar-powered digital learning centres across 13 states, equipping them with tablets and self-paced lessons in Arabic, English, mathematics, ICT, and science. These centres have reached over 72,000 children, with 51 per cent of them girls, offering vital continuity in education through digital access and community safe-learning hubs. In June 2025, UNICEF's Learning Passport and Let Us Learn platforms are providing remote, structured education to more than 76,000 children, 52 per cent of them girls, in core subjects such as Arabic, ICT, and mathematics, ensuring continuity of learning even in areas with minimal connectivity. Together, these initiatives show that even amid Sudan's largest-ever education collapse, local educators and youth-focused digital innovation are keeping the promise of SDG4 alive, giving young people the tools, skills, and safe spaces to continue learning, and aligning closely with this year's International Youth Day theme. SDG5 (Gender Equality) has become a dire imperative in Sudan's protracted war. According to UN Women, "the number of people at risk of gender-based violence, including sexual violence, has tripled to over 12 million since the beginning of the war", a staggering scale of vulnerability. As the conflict deepens, women and girls face "unimaginable risks-from rising gender-based violence to the erosion of essential services," The brutality is unrelenting: AP News reports that children in Sudan- as young as one year old have been raped since early 2024, a stark reminder of how sexual violence is wielded as a weapon of war. In the absence of functioning protections, grassroots movements such as the SIHA Network and the No to Women's Oppression initiative have become lifelines, running women-led kitchens, providing emergency protection, and sustaining advocacy in spaces where formal safeguards have collapsed. These realities make gender equality in Sudan not just a long-term goal, but an urgent survival strategy. The persistence of women-led and youth-supported networks, feeding communities, protecting survivors, and demanding justice, shows how local action is keeping the fight for safety, dignity, and equal rights alive, even in the darkest moments of war. In doing so, they embody this year's International Youth Day theme, proving that grassroots leadership can bridge the gap between crisis and recovery. SDG11(Sustainable Cities and Communities) is about more than building back infrastructure, rather about reclaiming urban life where infrastructure has collapsed. In Sudan, community-led hotspots like Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) now operate as urban lifelines, providing kitchens, safe hubs, water points, and clinics. Backing this on-the-ground action, UNEP's 2024 Post-Conflict Environmental Assessment exposes how conflict and displacement have devastated urban environments, challenges ranging from environmental health risks to sanitation breakdowns. Alongside, UNEP has teamed up with youth groups through initiatives like the Adapt for Environment and Climate Resilience in Sudan (ADAPT!) programme supporting integrated water management, early warning systems, and rangeland restoration, such as the ongoing Wadi El Ku catchment project in North Darfur. These efforts are vital when formal urban services are shattered, and environmental risks rapidly escalate. These community and youth-led environmental efforts show that, in line with this year's International Youth Day theme, local youth actions are helping to rebuild sustainable, resilient communities even amid conflict. The forgotten SDGs in Sudan's war zone SDG2 (Zero Hunger) is one of the most urgent humanitarian challenges in Sudan. Alongside Emergency Response Rooms and diaspora groups, community kitchens, especially those run by ERRs in neighbourhoods like Sururab and South Khartoum's Belt area, have been providing essential meals daily; in South Khartoum, Takaful kitchens recently resumed service after a lengthy closure amid growing insecurity. Many of these urban kitchens had stopped serving thousands when communication blackouts and funding cuts hit, leaving families without their main food source. Until today, approximately 80 percent of Sudan's 1,460 community kitchens were forced to shut when USAID paused funding, while in Khartoum State alone, about 221 of 300 kitchens had to suspend operations, threatening the food security of approximately 240,000 families. These mutual aid networks continue working where aid simply cannot reach, offering lifelines in the form of hot meals and solidarity. Sadagaat, founded in 2002 by a group of Sudanese youth residing in America, has since grown into one of Sudan's most active volunteer-led charities, delivering emergency relief across health, education, WASH, and food security. Today, it runs a network of more than 45 central community kitchens across 12 cities in Sudan, providing critical daily meals amid widespread hunger and displacement. Branches abroad amplify this impact: Sadagaat-USA, rooted in its youth-led beginnings, channels funding and expertise into large-scale relief projects, while Sadagaat-Canada maintains a dedicated Youth Programme empowering 15-30 year olds to lead community initiatives. Together, these branches directly advance SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by combating food insecurity and SDG 1 (No Poverty) through community-driven resilience and economic participation. Together, these grassroots and diaspora-led efforts show how local action, much of its youth-driven, continues to uphold the right to food in Sudan, aligning directly with this year's International Youth Day theme of "Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond." SDG1 (No Poverty) remains an urgent concern across Sudan, especially as conflict and economic collapse deepen deprivation. In Khartoum's eastern neighbourhoods, the Arkwet Youth Initiative in El Gedaref city has been providing essential support, distributing food, supplies, and psychosocial aid to over 1,500 displaced households barred from accessing other services Meanwhile, the World Food Programme warns that malnutrition prevention efforts must scale quickly, calling for 1.4 billion dollars in funding to support over 30 million vulnerable mothers and children with treatment and fortified food programmes in 2025 Collectively, these efforts, one local and immediate, the other global and systemic, demonstrate a comprehensive approach to crisis response in Sudan. While youth-led initiatives at the community level provide essential protection against immediate threats, continued international financial support is critical to avert widespread hunger and promote long-term resilience. These coordinated actions illustrate the strength of grassroots leadership supported by global solidarity and align with this year's International Youth Day theme, showcasing how local youth engagement can contribute to building a future free from poverty. SDG8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). is one of the few ways communities can still rebuild their livelihoods. The Employment and Self-Employment through Strengthening Food and Livelihood Security project, implemented by UNDP Sudan in partnership with Education Above All and QFFD, is actively supporting over 17,700 youth with micro-grants, agricultural inputs, cash-for-work schemes, and infrastructure support aimed at strengthening livelihoods. This initiative brings hope to communities in areas like Gedaref and Kassala. At the same time, entrepreneurship efforts persist through 249Startups' Orange Corners Sudan incubator, funded by the Netherlands. This programme continues offering mentorship, business incubation, and access to funding- up to 50,000 euros- for youth-led ventures across sectors including agribusiness, tech, and energy. Meanwhile, Silatech and UNDP's October 2024 partnership targets employment in agriculture and livestock production through the same livelihoods project-offering support such as tools, training, and micro-grants for youth and internally displaced persons. Together, these youth-focused livelihood programmes show how skills, innovation, and enterprise are not only creating pathways out of poverty but also directly advancing this year's International Youth Day theme by empowering young people to drive sustainable recovery in Sudan's most fragile communities. SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions)is under immense strain currently in Sudan. Despite the legal protection being scarce, Sudanese youth-led groups and movements continue to fill the gap where institutions have collapsed. An example is The Emergency Lawyers who continue offering urgent legal aid and carefully documenting human rights violations across Sudan, drawing attention to targeted raids, disappearances, and attacks on lawyers across the country. In February 2025, they reported that RSF paramilitaries killed civilians in villages in the White Nile state, a "massacre" describing the attacks as involving "field executions, abductions, forced disappearances, and lootings", with a few victims shot while attempting to flee across the Nile. At the same time, the Sudan Human Rights Hub coordinates more than 40 grassroots rights organisations in Sudan. the hub is collectively documenting violations, producing investigative reports, and advocacy resources to safeguard evidence and press for accountability. Despite the absence of a functional judicial system, the hub acts as a central node for human rights advocacy. Parallel to these efforts, Girifna, the youth-led non-violent resistance movement founded in 2009, continues its civic education campaigns and peaceful organising despite the ongoing conflict. According to the U.S. Institute of Peace, Girifna works to educate Sudanese youth and the wider public about their rights and the methods of nonviolent resistance- efforts that have persisted through years of repression. In cities such as Khartoum, Nyala, and Omdurman, members engage in public forums, awareness drives, and grassroots mobilisation to promote rights, democracy, and citizen participation, even as civic space shrinks under war. These youth-led justice networks and advocacy movements show that, even without functioning institutions, young Sudanese are defending rights, documenting abuses, and shaping the foundations of future accountability, a clear reflection of this year's International Youth Day theme. SDG9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure),Sudan Youth Organization on Climate Change SYOCC remains an active youth-led NGO focused on renewable energy awareness, low-carbon development, climate education, and rural development. The group uses youth forums, peer exchanges, and grassroots projects to promote sustainable livelihoods and environmental resilience across communities. This is clearly highlighted in SYOCC's profile on Tadamon, a verified platform documenting Sudanese civil society actors. The organisation's impact is further underscored by the pioneering role of its founder, climate activist Nisreen Elsaim, who has chaired SYOCC and continues to amplify climate justice and youth innovation on multiple international platforms. Together, SYOCC's grassroots programming and Elsaim's international advocacy demonstrate how youth are spearheading innovation, environmental sustainability, and infrastructure adaptation, especially in a region as vulnerable as Darfur. This work directly reflects this year's International Youth Day theme by showing how local youth-led innovation is advancing sustainable infrastructure and climate resilience in Sudan. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Governance Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Obstacles to SDG implementation in Sudan Sudan officially commits to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through frameworks like the UN's development programme in Sudan and the Sudan Policy Advisory Group (SPAG), yet several goals: remain stalled at the public level, with almost no tangible implementation anywhere in Sudan. This lack of tangible progress on many Sustainable Development Goals is not solely due to the absence of youth-led initiatives. The country has faced prolonged economic collapse and the systematic dismantling of state institutions, followed by the outbreak of war. These factors have resulted in severe operational incapacity and a critical lack of investment, further impeding the execution of SDG frameworks at any meaningful level. SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) illustrates the gap clearly. According to the Electricity Access Linkages to Sustainable Development Goals in Rural Sudan article, just 63.2 per cent of the population had access to electricity in 2022, with a pronounced rural to urban divide, as urban access stood at 84 per cent while rural access was only 49 per cent. This disproportion illustrates how infrastructure deficits limit the country's ability to advance SDG 7 in practice, especially in a conflict environment where energy investments are minimal and community-scale renewable projects are rare. Sudan's vulnerability to climate change makes SDG13 (Climate Action) critical. The UNEP Sudan climate adaptation profile notes that the country faces intensifying droughts, erratic rainfall, and rising temperatures. Despite international recognition of these risks, there is a notable absence of active, youth-driven adaptation programmes in 2024-2025. Climate action remains largely at the level of policy rhetoric rather than implementation. Although SDG12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) is formally embedded in Sudan's SDG strategy and structured around frameworks such as sustainable consumption policies, waste reduction, and resource efficiency, there is little evidence of this translating into tangible programmes or institutional actions. In comparison, SDG10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG14 (Life Below Water), SDG15 (Life on Land), and SDG17 (Partnerships for the Goals) remain similarly aspirational in Sudan's policy documents, with no documented implementation efforts visible at the national or local level in 2024 or 2025. This persistent mismatch between policy and execution highlights the challenge Sudan faces in transforming SDG commitments into real-world progress. The role of Sudanese youth in Sudan's SDG future While Sudan's policy frameworks recognise the full spectrum of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their lived impact depends on moving beyond high-level commitments to concrete, locally driven action. Years of conflict have left deep gaps in funding continuity, institutional capacity, and basic infrastructure, while civic space for youth organising remains narrow and, at times, unsafe. Many SDG areas are further undermined by scarce data and fragmented coordination, making progress difficult to measure, and by the absence of stable, long-term investment to replace short donor-driven projects. In this environment, empowering young Sudanese to lead, innovate, and collaborate is not optional but essential. Creating safe and enabling environments for youth-led initiatives, paired with sustained resources and national ownership, is key to shifting the SDGs from paper to practice. This year's International Youth Day theme, "Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond," is a reminder that Sudan's sustainable future will be shaped not only by restoring services or infrastructure, but by positioning its youth as the driving force for resilience, equity, and lasting change. A heart-warming service took place at Belfast City Hall today to mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory in the Second World War. The bravery of a submariner from west Belfast who was awarded the Victoria Cross was also marked at the special event in the city. Leading Seaman James Magennis was awarded the prestigious military honour for valour for his actions on July 31, 1945, when he exited his midget submarine in Singapore harbour to attach mines to the hull of a Japanese cruiser vessel, the Takao. A memorial in his honour stands in the grounds of Belfast City Hall. Lord Mayor of Belfast Tracy Kelly placed a wreath at the foot of the memorial, before the Last Post was played by bugler Louise Bell of the 1st Old Boys Silver Band. Those in attendance bowed their heads for a two-minute silence. The wreath-laying came after a reflective event inside City Hall that included historical discussions about the conflict in the Far East and music from the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra. The event also included a sit-down conversation, hosted by Belfast actor Dan Gordon, with Lt Colonel Mark Scott and Inniskillings Museum curator Maeve Cadden. Speaking at the event, Ms Kelly remarked on the bravery of those who joined the battlefield, which was important for the people of Belfast to remember. VJ Day is celebrating 80 years today from the war ended, but its not really a day for celebration, said the DUP councillor. VE Day is different to VJ Day. VJ Day is more about reflection, and I think we had a lovely reflection service this morning and listened to some very poignant tales of some of the things that those soldiers went through in the war. From left: Mark Scott, Dan Gordon and Maeve Cadden It was a very heart-warming and very poignant service. And it was just very, very important for the people of Belfast to remember those, especially James Magennis, who fought so bravely, so young, and for him to be recognised with the Victoria Cross. He was a celebrity for a short time, but it wasnt all good for him. But it was very, very important for me as Lord Mayor to reflect on those things today. Meanwhile, at a national service of remembrance in Staffordshire, King Charles and Camilla joined Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and 33 veterans aged from 96 to 105 who served in the Far East and Pacific. VJ Day on August 15 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the six-year war, but much of the celebration in 1945 focused on VE (Victory in Europe) Day in May, with those who served in the Far East labelled The Forgotten Army. Yavar Abbas, who was a captain in the 11th Sikh Regiment, took to the stage at the National Memorial Arboretum to read extracts from his diaries during his time in Burma in 1945, but first took a moment to pay tribute to his brave King. The ceremony was hosted by actress Celia Imrie and featured readings by actor Robert Lindsay and veterans, as well as musical performances from the National Childrens Choir of Great Britain, violinist Jennifer Pike and The Pipes and Drums of The Royal Corps of Signals. Ahead of the service, the King, in a pre-recorded audio address to the nation, vowed that the sacrifice of heroes who fought and died in the campaigns shall never be forgotten. He also acknowledged the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which led to Japans surrender, describing the immense price paid by its citizens as one we pray no nation need ever pay again. After the service of remembrance, which started with a two-minute silence and a Red Arrows flypast, the King made his way to the Far East corner of the arboretum, where he met Silas Sarbah and Khadak Chettri, the grandsons of Second World War soldiers, as well as William Slim, the great-grandson of General Bill Slim, who led the so-called Forgotten Army. The 74-year-old woman was arrested at a protest in Belfast on Saturday (Alamy/PA) The PSNI has warned it will arrest anyone suspected of committing a criminal offence during pro-Palestine protests planned to take place in Belfast this weekend. Demonstrations organised by Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign are due to take place in the city centre on Saturday and Sunday. Activists have been warned of the consequences of carrying placards or wearing clothing showing support for Palestine Action. It follows the arrest of a 74-year-old woman who was detained in Linenhall Street last Saturday afternoon on suspicion of possession of an article that indicates support for a proscribed organisation. The suspect was wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "We are all Palestine Action" and was subsequently released on bail pending a file being sent to the Public Prosecution Service. PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally has urged anyone planning to protest this weekend to ensure they act within the law. The right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are fundamental human rights. They are protected in law and allow individuals to engage in peaceful protest, he said. "However, these rights are limited by the need to uphold the rights of others, protect public health and safety, minimise disruption to normal life and by the need to prevent and detect crime. Police will always facilitate lawful, peaceful protest. We will be in attendance at several protests this weekend to ensure the safety of everyone present. "If we identify potential criminal offences or unacceptable impact on the rights of others, we will take lawful and proportionate action. The 74-year-old woman was arrested at a protest in Belfast on Saturday (Alamy/PA) Police arrest 365 people over Palestine Action support at protest Palestine Action became a proscribed organisation under the Terrorism Act back in July making it illegal to be a member of the group or a supporter. MPs voted in favour of the move after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton and sprayed two Voyager aircraft with red paint which caused 7m worth of damage. The Metropolitan Police arrested 474 people in London last Saturday during a demonstration in support of Palestine Action. The force said 466 protesters were arrested on suspicion of supporting the group while five individuals were detained for allegedly assaulting officers, two on suspicion of public order offences, and one in relation to a racially aggravated offence. ACC McNally warned those planning to attend rallies in NI that evidence of suspected offences will be recorded by way of handheld or vehicle mounted-cameras. "We may arrest and detain anyone suspected of committing an offence, he added. "Ultimately, the decision on whether to prosecute will rest with the Public Prosecution Service. The senior officer said the fact that Palestine Action is a a proscribed organisation has no impact on other groups or individuals right to protest about Gaza, but anyone showing support for Palestine Action, including with placards or messages on clothing, may be committing an offence. He added: I would urge everyone to consider the seriousness of a prosecution under the Terrorism Act and the very real long-term implications this could have on their future. A campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the dangers for children online Police have warned that sexual offences against children online are becoming an increasingly common type of crime in Northern Ireland, with hundreds of offences of grooming, indecent images and inappropriate communications targeting young people last year. It comes as the PSNI launched a new safety campaign alongside the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI), focusing on the dangers posed to children by predators online. According to the PSNI, there were 2,187 sexual offences against children in 2024, with almost half of those relating to grooming, sexual communication or crimes related to indecent images of those underage. The PSNI said its Child Internet Protection Team is the busiest it has ever been since its inception in 2010. The campaign from the police is centred on a number of high-profile cases over the last few years, and features clips from BBC docu-series Teen Predator/Online Killer, detailing the case of prolific child groomer Alexander McCartney from Newry. McCartney was jailed and received a life sentence for his extreme online abuse of around 3,500 victims aged between 10 and 16 from over 30 countries. His litany of abuse is regarded as the UKs largest catfishing case and led to the death of 12-year-old Cimarron Thomas, from West Virginia in the US, who took her own life in May 2018 rather than comply with McCartneys demands. Cimarrons father took his own life 18 months later without ever knowing why his daughter took hers. Detective Superintendent Jordan Piper said that the PSNI has a team of specialist officers with the Child Internet Protection unit tasked specifically with robustly investigating groomers. She said: We have specialist detectives within the Child Internet Protection Team who are dedicated to robustly investigating those who contribute to the cycle of child abuse and bringing those responsible before the courts. Det Supt Jordan Piper The campaign from the police also highlights the case of serial predator Max Hollingsbee, from Lurgan, who abused at least 14 victims in a sophisticated series of offences, according to a judge earlier this year. Hollingsbee showed no emotion as he was jailed in May for charges including inciting a child to sexual activity and possession of indecent photographs between 2021 and 2023. Hollingsbee was aged between 17 and 19 when the offences occurred. He came to the attention of the PSNI in October 2022 because of an investigation by Surrey Police into a child protection complaint regarding a 15-year-old girl. He was arrested in November 2022 and police searched his home, seizing multiple electronic devices. Subsequent analysis of these devices uncovered hundreds of indecent images of children. Hollingsbee would pose as a girl on various social media apps and converse with victims before persuading them to send explicit images of themselves. He would then use these images to blackmail them into sending more images, threatening to post the explicit pictures online and send them to his victims friends. In some cases, Hollingsbee hacked into the online accounts of young girls to steal private images. Det Supt Piper added: Groomers like McCartney and Hollingsbee operate in a very similar way, concealing their identity online by pretending to be the same age as a child. They use fake profile pictures, pretending to have similar interests, to gain the trust of the child before steering the conversation to a sexual nature. Once trust is established, they use power and control to make, force, blackmail, guilt or trick a child into doing what the groomer wants. They may persuade a child to take part in online sexual activity, including sharing explicit images and videos. Bernie McNally, independent chair of the SBNI, added: No child should ever feel alone, afraid or manipulated by someone hiding behind a screen. Yet every day, online predators exploit the trust and innocence of young people, often in silence and secrecy. This campaign is a vital reminder of the urgent need for education, vigilance and open, honest conversations with our children. A councillor has said she is disappointed after a Stormont department said it had no money to spare for Belfast Culture night this year. Elected representatives at a recent Belfast City Council committee meeting received an update from officials stating that Stormont would not be helping with the bill for the popular cultural event, which has not been held since 2021. Green Party councillor Aine Groogan, who has led the charge to reintroduce the event at City Hall, expressed disappointment after responses from both the Infrastructure Minister and a representative from the Department for Communities. The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) gave no confirmation that Translink would offer a night service for Culture Night 2025, while the Department for Communities (DfC) said it would provide no funding for the event this year. In April it was announced Belfast Culture Night would return this year, but will be taken off the streets, with a new look, led by money from City Hall. Councillors then agreed to launch a public procurement exercise to deliver the 2025 Culture Night programme up to the value of 150,000, considerably more than Belfast Council previously contributed, when the Cathedral Quarter Trust led a partnership which delivered the hugely successful event annually in September. The new Culture Night will not programme street-based events and will concentrate on venue-based events across a wider space in the city, with more community involvement. The event will aim to move away from street drinking and concentrations of crowds, and will require organisations to prove they are paying artists. The pandemic resulted in the suspension of the event in September 2020, with a digital version staged instead. That year the Cathedral Quarter Trust and Belfast City Council co-commissioned a review which said the existing model for Culture Night has become problematic. In 2022 organisers said that the event had become too big and unwieldy and the original intention of providing a platform for artistic and cultural communities to connect with a much wider audience had been lost. Culture Night ran in Belfast in 2021, but did not return. In 2023 the Cathedral Quarter Trust announced it would cease day-to-day operations after Stormont funding was ended. Financial pressures facing Stormonts Department for Communities were reportedly behind the decision. In May, the council wrote to the Infrastructure Minister and Translink requesting that consideration be given to the operation of late-night public transport services on Culture Night. The council also wrote to the Communities Minister requesting that consideration be given to the provision of funding to support the 2025 Culture Night programme, and also going forward. At the August meeting of the councils City Growth and Regeneration Committee, elected representatives were given an update on plans for this years event. Councillors learned a representative for the Department for Communities, led by DUP MLA Gordon Lyons, replied stating: In respect of any funding support, I am sorry to advise that the Department does not have any funding streams available, which I appreciate will be disappointing. I also checked with the Arts Council who advised they have been consulted and advised on application routes through its open programmes. The letter from Sinn Fein MLA and Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins replied: I understand Translink are working with the City Council to develop a support plan for the event and welcome that both organisations are continuing to work together to ensure that people will be able to travel to and from the event by public transport. On a wider basis, I remain committed to finding a solution which will enable the extension of late-night public transport services, not only for one off events in the city, but on a year-round basis and will continue to build on my recent positive engagement with the Economy Minister and representatives of Belfast City Council in this regard. Councillor Aine Groogan said at the City Growth and Regeneration Committee meeting: Unfortunately it is disappointing, but not surprising, (in terms of both of) these responses. She added: I have written in my own personal capacity to the Minister for Infrastructure around night time transport, and not just for culture night, because it should be a long term thing. But I think Culture Night gives us something to work to. It would be an incredibly positive thing for the Minister and the city as a whole to run night time services on that night. She added: Time is short for 2025, we can appreciate that, and maybe it is not something to budget for this year. We can give them a bit of grace on that, but I would propose that we write now asking for engagement in 2026, for investment in Culture Night. Councillors unanimously agreed to her proposal. An officer said: Translink did come back to us, but it wasnt a substantive response. It was indicating that they continue to liaise with the department in relation to funding. A victim of prolific catfish offender Max Hollingsbee has said she will always be angry that he stole her innocence. A complaint made by Immy (not her real name) led police to discover a litany of sex offences against other teenage girls committed by the Co Armagh man. Immy has said she now wants to use her experiences to help other victims. Hollingsbee, 21, of Orient Circle, Lurgan, was sentenced in May to five years and two months after admitting scores of child sexual abuse crimes against girls. He had pleaded guilty to some 42 charges with 14 victims identified. Immy, from the Surrey area, was 15 when she met Hollingsbee, who was using a fake profile, through the Wizz app three years ago. She said: He presented himself as being 16 and male. There were photographs which I know now werent him. At the time I didnt see anything wrong with it. I thought you could only talk to people within a certain age range and you had to prove your age. We just had normal conversations. I was quite vulnerable at the time. It is an age where you want boys to like you, you want them to show interest in you. He was and he made me feel special, he made me feel seen. Now I now it was all part of his plan. She added: Once he had built up the trust I added him on my Snapchat. He started with more compliments, flattery, things like that. At 15 years old that is all a girl wants to hear. He knew that and he definitely played on that vulnerability. The situation escalated quickly with Hollingsbee demanding that Immy send him explicit photographs. Hollingsbee was sentenced at Craigavon Courthouse in May (Liam McBurney/PA) She said: He would give me very specific instructions. I didnt like it but I didnt know how to say no. I wasnt confident enough to say no. I didnt want him to stop talking to me and I didnt want him to stop giving me that attention. I did send photos. I obviously regret that but Ive never been made to feel embarrassed and Ive never been made to feel that it was my fault. Hollingsbee then attempted to blackmail the teenager, stating he would share the photographs with other people she knew if she did not send more. He did share the images with one of Immys female friends. At this point she told her mother what was happening. She said: That was very scary for me. I was in such a state of panic it was like I blacked out, I was there and I was talking to my mum but Ive no idea what I said to her. I showed her what was going on and just remember crying in a ball on the floor of her room. Once police were alerted, Hollingsbee was arrested in Northern Ireland and his devices seized, leading to the discovery of the other victims. Thousands of photos and videos of underage girls performing sexual acts were found on his devices, obtained by blackmail or by hacking their social media accounts. Immy also helped police to track him down. He had given her his phone number and she used to BeReal app to discover his true profile and name. Immy said: Finding out there were so many other girls who hadnt said anything was the most gut-wrenching feeling in the entire world because I couldnt imagine not being able to tell someone. That was the hardest part, they were sitting at home so scared, so terrified and I knew how they felt because I had been there. Knowing they were so scared on their own was the worst feeling. Quite a few of them were younger than me. She added: I am angry, I will always be angry at him for doing that to me and taking my innocence away from me. That is what he did. He played on my vulnerability, played on my weaknesses. I was so used and no 15-year-old should ever have to deal with a man like that ever. Kids do make mistakes. It is important I am able to talk about it because they need someone their age to say it could happen to you. It can happen. If you dont feel you have got the support at home, the police will take action. They did everything they way I hoped they would. Immy said she hopes Hollingsbee is able to confront the impact of his actions when he is released from prison. She said: I would be happy knowing that he sees the wrong he did. I have made a lot of effort to not let it change my outlook about people. Not everyone is like that, he is a very specific type of person. But it did take a big toll, I am not as trusting as I used to be. But I have stopped a lot of people, I hope, from having to deal with him. Immy is hoping to study psychology at university and to use her experiences to help other victims. She said: I want to be able to go into schools and work with kids, using my experience to make something good. I think it is so important that I make something good out of a bad situation. I am hoping I will be able to make a difference. A 77-metre superyacht worth 81.2m owned by a Russian billionaire was seen docking in Belfast on Friday afternoon. The vessel named La Datcha is owned by Siberian-born Oleg Tinkov, who founded Tinkoff Bank in 2006, one of the world's largest online banks. Equipped with its own helipad, the ship arrived into the city having travelled from Port Ellen in Scotland. La Datcha Yacht arrives in Belfast on August 15th 2025 With room to sleep up to 12 guests across six cabins, the yacht also includes an observation lounge and private deck area. For those wanting to enjoy some leisure time, the vessel also features a sundeck jacuzzi, sauna and steam bath rooms, massage room and a fully equipped gym. There are also snowmobiles on board, with the ship able to traverse the worlds most remote destinations including an ice-classed steel hull which can venture deep into the Polar regions. La Datcha in Belfast on the 15th August 2025 (Luke Jervis Belfast Telegraph) In a 2021 interview with Boat International, its owner who was born in 1967 described himself as an adventurer. Its the same tired song and dance every time: Portofino, Porto Cervo and Monaco. The same boring triangle, he told the publication. There is so much more to the world than the Mediterranean or the British Virgin Islands. This is just five per cent of the worlds coastline and, being the adventurer that I am, Im eager to explore the remaining 95 per cent. My son and I have already conquered the North Pole and the South Pole. Few have journeyed to both poles [within 12 months]. For me its boring to buy another white boat, to sit on the sundeck and just sweat my arse and drink champagne. Thats for other rich and fat people. I am quite energetic still. I like to move my arse, thats why an explorer perfectly fits me. I wanted to reach destinations such as the Russian Arctic, because I believe that these white boats which are swimming around the Mediterranean and the Caribbean are the past and explorers are the next big thing. A British Airways pilot was suspended after allegedly leaving the cockpit door open during a transatlantic flight (Steve Parsons/PA) A British Airways pilot was suspended after allegedly leaving the cockpit door open during a transatlantic flight. He wanted his family who were travelling as passengers to see him operating the controls while flying from Heathrow to New York JFK last week, according to the Sun. The newspaper reported that his actions alarmed some passengers, and other crew members alerted the airline about the incident. The pilot was suspended, meaning the return flight scheduled to arrive at Heathrow on August 8 was cancelled. Affected passengers were offered alternative flights and the vast majority arrived within four hours of their original plan, the PA news agency understands. The pilot has returned to flying after an investigation found there was no security threat. A British Airways spokesperson said: Safety and security is our top priority and allegations of this nature are always fully investigated. Since the September 11 terror attacks in the US in 2001, pilots have been required to keep cockpit doors closed and locked to prevent unauthorised access. It emerged earlier this week that an easyJet captain who reportedly walked around a luxury hotel drunk and naked has been suspended. He was scheduled to fly holidaymakers back to the UK from Cape Verde, west Africa, around 36 hours later but was grounded by the airline. Ukraine is fighting for the same values as the Allies did in the Second World War, Sir Keir Starmer has said ahead of a summit in Alaska that could see an end to the conflict against Russia. The Prime Minister addressed a reception, including veterans, to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, which marked the Allies defeat of Japan. Speaking in Downing Street, Sir Keir said: I sat on this terrace this very morning with President (Volodymyr) Zelensky, who is fighting for the same values as we were fighting for. And so when we say never forget, we must pass on the stories of those who have gone before us. It came as US President Donald Trump suggested European leaders could be invited to a second meeting if the summit is successful, which could pave the way to peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Mr Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday at the summit which could see the drawing up of peace terms for Ukraine. Mr Trump and Sir Keir have spoken optimistically about a potential ceasefire, including at a virtual meeting of Ukrainian allies on Wednesday. US President Donald Trump suggested European leaders could be invited to a second meeting if the summit goes well (Alex Brandon/AP) Leaders of the European-led coalition of the willing could then join talks between Mr Trump, Mr Putin and Ukrainian leader Mr Zelensky to end the war. The possibility was raised by Mr Trump in the White House on Thursday, before he flew to Anchorage where he will meet Mr Putin. He said: We have a meeting with President (Vladimir) Putin tomorrow, I think its going to be a good meeting. But the more important meeting will be the second meeting that were having. Were going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelensky, myself, and maybe well bring some of the European leaders along. Maybe not. The PA news agency understands that Sir Keir will attend a meeting if he is invited. He has been a central player in the coalition group which also includes French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Mr Trump added: I think President Putin will make peace. I think President Zelensky will make peace. Well see if they can get along. And if they can it will be great. The head of the British armed forces, Sir Tony Radakin, said the West should not be cowed by Mr Putin and praised the strength of Britain and Nato. Writing in the Telegraph on the anniversary of VJ Day, he said: Putin doesnt want a war with Nato because he would lose. So we should not be cowed by his rhetoric or his campaign of sabotage, outrageous as it may be. The one weapon that is most needed in our arsenal is confidence. Despite the global instability, Britain is secure at home. Nato is strong. Russia is weak. It is not complacent to point this out. Sir Keir met Mr Zelensky in Downing Street on Thursday. They both said there was strong resolve for peace in Ukraine. The two leaders embraced as the red carpet was rolled out for Mr Zelenskys arrival in Downing Street, and they later discussed the conflict. They expressed cautious optimism about the prospect of a truce as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious about ending the war, a Downing Street statement said. In a separate statement, Mr Zelensky said there had been discussions about the security guarantees required to make any deal truly durable if the United States succeeds in pressing Russia to stop the killing. But concerns linger over the prospect of Kyiv being excluded from negotiations over its own future, and pressured to cede territory, after Mr Trump suggested any agreement may need to involve swapping of land. Martha Nolan-OSlatarras mother Elma told detectives her daughter was perfectly healthy Martha Nolan-OSlattara was found dead on a boat in East Hampton last week Claims that an Irish woman found dead on a yacht in the US had been battling brain cancer are being investigated by detectives probing her death. In November 2023 police officers were caught on CCTV brutally assaulting a worker during a raid in Mowbray A visibly irritated magistrate at the court in Wynberg has given a police officer accused of assault another chance to get his act together. Constable Jermaine Conradie is one of three police officers accused of assaulting Juma Igiranieza, a barber, during a raid at his workplace, Perfect Touch Boutique and Salon, in Mowbray on 7 November 2023. GroundUp published CCTV footage on 10 November that year showing several officers, one in plain clothes, assaulting Igiranieza. In the footage, at least two officers participated directly in the assault, while other officers looked on. Igiranieza was pummelled, struck repeatedly with a wooden object, and smothered with plastic. Igiranieza sustained a laceration of the right eyebrow, a tear on the lower lip and swelling around the left jaw, according to the report of his medical examination after the assault. Your browser does not support the video tag. Conradie along with Colonel Delmore Manuel and Constable Leigh-Ann Maroon were eventually arrested on 22 April 2024, following numerous media reports and protests by locals. The trio are currently out on R2,000 bail each. During their appearance at the Wynberg Regional Court on Thursday, Magistrate Karel Meyer was expecting to hear from Conradie's lawyer about his intention to plead guilty to the charge. However, Meyer was visibly irritated when Conradie's lawyer failed to attend the hearing without any explanation or apology. "He said he would be at my next appearance," Conradie told the court. To which Meyer said, "I'm sorry but it does not work like that, your attorney can't just say they will come on the next appearance. This is now affecting the other accused. Remember they are using funds for their attorneys." Meyer instructed Conradie to ensure that his attorney is present at the next appearance. The matter was postponed for the eighth time. The three officers are due back in court on 19 September. When previously asked, SAPS refused to indicate whether the three officers have been suspended or fired. Neil Pinkerton is well known for hunting with dogsGroup filmed themselves intimidating migrants in east BelfastTikTok bans East Belfast First Division Neil Pinkerton with a terrier and a fox after a 'hunt', the fox is dead, the dog is badly injured. Neil Pinkerton, who went on trial on animal cruelty charges. Racism, pure and simple - thats the PSNIs withering assessment of an anti-migrant group roaming the streets of East Belfast. The self-styled vigilantes known as the East Belfast First Division were posting their antics to social media, their racial rhetoric making it clear what their motivations are. TikTok has banned them but the videos targeting migrants and people of colour have been seen by thousands. Sometimes accompanied by dogs the group has been demanding to see IDs, have made threats on doorsteps, and have been enquiring about work-statuses. Thats despite one the main movers in the group, Neil Pinkerton, having been declared to be not working himself in the course of a trial over animal cruelty a charge he was acquitted of but his interest in hunting with dogs is not in doubt. Ciaran Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraphs security correspondent, Allison Morris. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. BENNINGTON Residents of the Apple Hill area reiterated Thursday many of their long-standing concerns along with a new one - about solar developer Allco Renewable Energy Ltd. Allco is seeking through a subsidiary to rezone 27.5 acres of land the company owns on the scenic, prominent hillside. The town Planning Commission is reviewing the request from Allco and its CEO, Thomas Melone, which seeks to change the zoning designation from the rural conservation district to rural residential. That change would allow more leeway for development, such as for a higher concentration of housing. Projects denied The Rural Conservation district, which is more restrictive for development and protective of scenic areas, has played a key role in the denial of permits for two proposed 2-megawatt solar facilities. Allco has proposed the facilities in various designs over the past 12 years, and each time they were staunchly opposed by the neighbors and other area residents, and at times actively by the town. Both projects have been rejected several times by the state Public Utility Commission and on appeal to the Vermont Supreme Court. Part of settlement The rezoning proposal was sent to planners by the Select Board, which had agreed to submit it to the review process as part of a settlement in June of six lawsuits filed by the developer in several court venues related to the rejected solar projects. The Planning Commissions role in rezoning is to recommend on the change and submit that to the Select Board, which will make the final decision. Formal public hearings will be held by both boards during the review process. In addition to their concerns about the alleged bullying legal tactics the developer has employed to try to gain state permits for the projects, those who spoke Thursday said they are suspicious of what the owner might propose for the parcel if it is rezoned as rural residential. It is not feasible as a residential area, said Peter Lawrence. He said the parcel has ledge issues, which would make installing utilities difficult. He and resident Lora Block noted that wells also would not be feasible since PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, was detected in wells in the Apple Hill area, traced to two former Chemfab Corp. factories in town. Housing could require extension of town water lines to the home sites or other mediation to remove the toxic industrial chemical, they said. Thomas Melone could not be reached after the meeting on his firm's plans for the 27.5-acre parcel if it is rezoned rural residential. Block also described the neighbors decade-plus long efforts to oppose the commercial-scale solar projects, which they believe will negatively impact their neighborhood and ruin a scenic hillside view that is a reason visitors are attracted to the Bennington area. She said the developer has sued project opponents, as well as the town and local and state officials, while also offering payments to Apple Hill Homeowners Association members to drop their opposition, which was turned down by a vote of the group. Block added, however, that This developer finally figured out the soft spot in Bennington to attack the Benn High [redevelopment] project. The developer filed an appeal of the Select Boards approval of a development agreement for the $54 million public-private project in the downtown. The towns development partner, Hale Resources LLC, said in a court filing that the appeal could delay a financial closing and jeopardize the key downtown revitalization effort. In the June settlement with the Select Board, the developer agreed to end that appeal, along with the other pending lawsuits involving the town. Block said of the request to rezone the parcel on Apple Hill, I dont know why they want that, but I hope you wont [recommend it]. Regardless of the zoning designation, Block said, It is still going to be on a prominent hillside visible from everywhere, and it will ruin 27 acres, which is now all trees. Town Plan update She added that, since the Planning Commission is in the process of updating the Town Plan, similar strong protections for the scenic area, now in the Rural Conservation District guidelines, should be retained. Town Planning Director Dan Monks said that, as far as solar projects are concerned, he believes the developer would be seeking permits under the current Town Plan because of when the applications were filed with the PUC. He added that he is recommending that planners put off their rezoning decision until October or November, or after the new town plan draft is finished and submitted to the Select Board for final action. A public hearing on the proposed updated plan is set for August 27 before the commission, and the Select Board is expected to hold at least one hearing of its own before voting on the update. Bill Knight, president of the Apple Hill Homeowners Association, said the group seems to be always on defense against some new move by the developer to advance a solar project or stifle opposition. He said he also doubts the town would consider rezoning the parcel on its own. The only reason it is up in the air is he [Melone] wants it changed, Knight said, adding, but that doesnt mean it has to be done. If the solar projects are once again denied by the PUC, who knows what [the developer] would want to put up there," Knight said, adding, I hope you think a little bit what this man might want to put up there. Another Apple Hill resident, Dianna Leazer, asked whether the rezoning request represents spot zoning and what could be the effects of such a change. She read a definition that said the practice is singling out one parcel for rezoning that is different from surrounding parcels in an area, often to the detriment of other owners. What would this benefit the town of Bennington? she asked planners. If you are coming to Vermont to see the Green Mountains and this wonderful rural place and we have all said it a number of times this is why we live here. We love the Green Mountains; we love our town, we want the best ... and this isnt it. Its not whats best for us. She added, Lets be in the forefront of whats best for our town lets not cave ... Lets do what is right for our citizens. Lindsay Kurrle is the secretary for the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, which includes the Departments of Housing and Community Development, Economic Development, and Tourism and Marketing. Opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media. SANDF chief Rudzani Maphwanya's expression of solidarity with Iran was 'unhelpful' to SA's efforts to reset relations with the US, says President Cyril Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya. President Cyril Ramaphosa did not know of or approve SANDF chief General Rudzani Maphwanya's controversial visit to Iran this week, said presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya at a press conference on Thursday. He added that Ramaphosa would meet with Maphwanya soon to discuss his visit to Iran and the consequences for the general. He would not comment on the possibility of a court martial, which the Democratic Alliance has demanded. Magwenya added that Maphwanya's visit and his remarks "were not helpful..." when SA was "managing a very delicate exercise of resetting diplomatic relations with the United States" and negotiating a mutually-beneficial trade relationship. "And therefore it is indeed not helpful ... when ... you then have senior government or military officials making statements that will inflame the situation. It is not helpful at all. "At this period of heightened geopolitical tensions, as well as conflict in the Middle East, one can say the visit was ill-advised ... the general should have been a lot more circumspect with the comments he makes, which delved into... High-earning business owners now have an opportunity to take a massive tax deduction thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Still, they may have to implement some financial planning advice to collect on it. The new law made the Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction more accessible to business owners. This deduction allows eligible companies to deduct 20 percent of their qualified business income (essentially your net income from pass-through entities such as S-corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships and LLCs), effectively resulting in tax-free profit. For example, if you have $100,000 of profit from your business, you might only pay income tax on $80,000 after your deduction. The law also increased the income thresholds considerably, to $494,600 for those filing jointly married. The deduction begins to phase out, up to $544,600; however, some people may still lose out if they dont play their cards right. This is especially true for Specified Service Trades or Businesses (SSTBs), such as attorneys, consultants, doctors, and accountants, who stand to lose the entire deduction should their income exceed that $544,600. Key changes to QBI include: The QBI deduction is now permanent, making long-term tax planning easier. The income threshold increased from $394,600 for married filing jointly to $494,600, and from $197,300 to $247,300 for other filers. The income window where the deduction phases out (aka., the phase-in) has been widened by 50 percent, by up to $150,000 for married filing jointly and $75,000 for others. (The phase-in amount refers to the range of taxable income where the deduction begins to taper off up until its upper bound; the upper bound is the phase-out level.) How the QBI deduction phase-out works for most businesses: If your business is a non-SSTB, and your income is below the thresholds, you get the full 20 percent QBI deduction. If your income is within the phase-in range, the deduction gradually phases out. If your income is beyond the phase-out level, the income above the threshold is excluded from the QBI deduction. However, if your company is an SSTB and any income exceeds the phase-out level, you lose the entire deduction. Thats where the planning opportunities come in. Many companies that did not previously qualify for the QBI deduction now have new financial planning opportunities. Before the new law, the complete phase-out would have been closer to $444,000. For high-earning SSTB owners, that $100,000 threshold jump creates breathing room, allowing them to avoid thousands of dollars of taxation. For instance, a married couple, Tom and Kathy, who run a consulting firm (an SSTB) in Lenox, have taxable income of $600,000, which is above the new $544,600 phase-out threshold and, therefore, would make them ineligible for the QBI deduction. Previously, with a phase-out threshold of $444,000, it would have been virtually a lost cause to maneuver their profit low enough to receive the QBI deduction. Now Tom and Kathy can contribute to their SEP-IRA or solo 401(k) (both show up as expenses) or purchase new equipment to lower their income below the $544,600 mark, allowing them to deduct over $100,000. An obvious strategy is to pay the owner more in W-2 wages; however, this triggers higher payroll taxes. Also, the IRS will only accept reasonable compensation when calculating QBI. Other tactics high-earning owners of SSTBs can deploy to keep their QBI deduction include: Contribute up to $275,000 per year in a cash-balance plan (depending on age and compensation). The article Investing in a defined benefit plan can help small businesses lower tax burden details that move. Increase the percentage of health care insurance for your employees (which also helps with the attraction and retention of workers). Strategically prepay recurring costs, or on the revenue side, delay billing. Buy equipment and elect Section 179 bonus depreciation. The higher thresholds mean tax planning levers have a greater impact in keeping you eligible for the QBI deduction. With some timely planning to reduce taxable income, owners can preserve their QBI deduction and keep more of their earnings. PITTSFIELD With climate change and weather patterns visibly affecting air quality, Drake Reed says people should be prepared for how to handle it. There are a lot of different ways air pollution is seeping into our [lives], Reed said. Its really important for us to be aware of that and understand that and know how to move accordingly. Reed and fellow co-manager Andrew Ferrara of Breathe Easy Berkshires gave a presentation on their ambient air quality monitoring project on Wednesday night at Wander Berkshires. The hybrid event was part of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team, or BEAT, Berkshire Green Drinks event series and featured a little over 15 in-person attendees. Ive been a volunteer for BEAT and support their mission for years and years, Pittsfield resident Yvonne Borsody said. Im concerned about the different types of pollution going on. Breathe Easy Berkshires is a BEAT project funded through a $300,131 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency that monitors ambient air quality in Pittsfield to identify sources of pollution, engage the community in discussion, and ultimately improve air quality and public health. BEAT is a nonprofit organization that seeks to protect the environment for wildlife in support of the natural world. Berkshire Green Drinks is a free, informal gathering held on the second Wednesday of the month with a guest speaker giving a 30-minute presentation on an environmental topic, followed by a Q&A. During the presentation, Reed and Ferrara highlighted why the project was started, their current findings and gave tips on how people can stay safe when there is poor air quality. The idea for the project came in the wake of a 2020 study from the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, which found that people in the Morningside and West Side neighborhoods live 10 to 12 years less than those living in southeast Pittsfield. Since 2023, Breathe Easy Berkshires has been running an ambient air quality monitoring network throughout Morningside and West Side in schools, neighborhoods and other buildings to look for the links between poor air quality and impacted health results. They are using nine stationary monitors and five hand-held mobile air quality monitors for the study. Negative health effects of air pollution include reduced lung function, increased asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and premature death, according to Breathe Easy Berkshires. Children and the elderly are among the most vulnerable. The stationary monitors produce a reading every 15 minutes and an hourly average. With the monitors, they are looking at two types of pollutants: nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, or PM 2.5 and PM 10. The group has an air quality map on its website that gives real-time time accurate data, Ferrara said. PM 2.5 pollution can originate from vehicle emissions, industrial activities and wildfires, according to the EPA. Ferrara spoke about the current findings and pointed to recent events, including fireworks on July 4 and the Canadian wildfires that caused declines in air quality. The stationary data for Pittsfield has good measurements of nitrogen dioxide, Ferrara said, adding that the highest levels are at the fire department. The PM 2.5 levels are a little higher than the nitrogen dioxide levels, with the unhealthiest area being the Pittsfield Municipal Airport. Ferrara said they are looking to find out why the airport has an unhealthy level. When asked about the status of the health data and the life expectancy in Morningside and West Side, Reed and Ferrara said they are still researching and dont have a definitive answer. Ferrara said they are planning to look at different seasons and weather conditions moving forward. There is a lot of competitive analysis ahead of us, Ferrara said. For public engagement, Reed said that they held a discussion in Pittsfield about the Butternut Fire in Great Barrington and have held workshops at Taconic High School and Berkshire Community College. I think some of the cool things weve been able to do are get out in the community and talk to people, Reed said. Hear their experiences, talk to kids, and explain to them in simple ways how air pollution and air quality are important for them to know and understand. Reed and Ferrara said the best ways for people to protect themselves are to look at the air quality index and know their sensitivity levels. They also advise people to avoid heavy physical activity outdoors, consider staying inside if possible, and wear a mask if outdoors when air quality is poor. The projects grant runs until next March, and Reed said they will be finishing a report with their findings and a timeline of all the work they did. The contract for the stationary monitors runs until November 2026, so they will be able to continue researching after the EPA funding ends. Reed said they are excited to continue working and are right in the middle of the project. Weve already done a lot of great work, but theres still a lot of data and people to talk to and get a fuller picture," he said. "Were in a great place. PITTSFIELD Major changes to how the citys government operates are moving forward including plans to double the length of terms for city councilors and School Committee members. The City Council on Tuesday voted to approve two special acts, first proposed in May, changing the citys charter. Those measures call for extending those terms from two to four years. The measures passed 101 and 83, respectively, and are likely headed for the Nov. 4 ballot. Supporters argued that longer terms would provide greater stability and save money. We're trying to coordinate and align all the elected officials for Pittsfield, and from what I understand from previous meetings, going from two years to four years for everybody will save about $100,000, said Councilor Kathy Amuso. But Councilor Patrick Kavey, who cast the lone vote against extending School Committee terms and joined Councilors Rhonda Serre and Brittany Noto in opposing longer City Council terms, argued the changes could weaken electoral accountability. I just am uncomfortable with us having four-year terms, Kavey said. Other legislative branches of government have elections every two years, and I just think that people are more representative when you have elections every two years. The council also advanced four other proposed ordinances they cover lengthening the city clerks term, making the mayor chair of the School Committee, prohibiting charter objections during the annual budget process and revising the annual budget meeting and submission process to a Sept. 9 public hearing. Each would need a two-thirds vote from the council and approval from the attorney general and the secretary of state to take effect. These recommendations came from the seven-member Charter Review Committee, appointed by former Mayor Linda Tyer in July 2023, which reviewed the city charter for the first time since its 2013 revision. The motion to lengthen the city clerks term from two to four years received significantly less pushback, as it is a full-time position that councilors said requires a wealth of knowledge. The institutional knowledge of the clerk's office is invaluable to the city. If the clerk's office breaks down, in my view, the city breaks down, said Councilor Dina Lampiasi. Although the ordinance to automatically make the mayor the chair of the School Committee was not debated by the councilors, School Committee member William Garrity spoke out against the change during the public comment section of the meeting. I firmly believe that the mayor as chair would cause a power imbalance, Garrity said. [The mayor] can have undue influence on the other members, persuading or even coercing them to vote a certain way or to take a certain action. ... This would hurt our local democracy. In a prior meeting, Councilor Earl Persip, who proposed the amendment, said the change would give the citys chief executive a more direct leadership role over the citys largest budget item and mirrors practices in several Massachusetts cities. Another proposal would limit the use of charter objections, which a single councilor can use to halt debate and postpone consideration of a measure. Under the change, objections would be prohibited only during the annual budget process. Former Councilor Charles Kronick had previously invoked a charter objection derailing the fiscal 2023 operating budget vote. Its not certain which changes will go on the ballot thats at the discretion of the attorney general, according to City Solicitor Devon Grierson. But Councilor Kenneth Warren proposed keeping three ordinances the mayor-as-chair, the charter objection change and a requirement for a joint council and School Committee meeting 60 days before the fiscal year off the ballot, calling them minor procedural matters. Those are simple, basic changes, he said. Whether the mayor is the chairperson of the School Committee does not need to go to voters. Usually, a body chooses their own except we're doing that for the School Committee for reasons. However, Garrity disagreed and said he was very concerned and frustrated by proposal. I believe such a big change, stripping the School Committee's ability to pick their own chair, should definitely go to the voters this fall, Garrity wrote in a statement to The Eagle. The more I hear about this proposal, the more I fear this is a power grab by the city to micromanage the school department budget and its operations. This amendment does not serve our Pittsfield students best." GREAT BARRINGTON When the Select Board approved a third liquor license extension for the closed Gorham & Norton, it had another unintended consequence: It prevented Robbies Community Market, which just opened in the same location, from acquiring its own license. That's because under state law, only one license is permitted per physical address. Ultimately, the board voted to revoke the license held by Gorham & Norton owner John Tracy, and a new one was granted to Robert Robles, owner of Robbies Community Market. To help prevent this situation from happening again, the Select Board now is considering creating a policy for inactive liquor licenses that would give businesses a set time frame to sell or transfer the license before it must be surrendered. At least in my mind, if there is an inactive license, and from what I understand, there is no state law that prevents us from doing this," board Chair Stephen Bannon said at Monday's meeting. "That license should have a limited capacity to be held by an applicant. Under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 138, Section 77, a local licensing authority can revoke a liquor license if the business holding it ceases operations. It's a one-paragraph section that states the licensing authority has to have a hearing or "reasonable opportunity" for one before revoking the license. The business can appeal to the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission for a final decision. The board intends to gather feedback from local business owners before ultimately voting on such a measure. Bannon said he has spoken to one liquor store owner who didn't have a problem with it. The goal is to create a straightforward policy that prevents licenses from being held indefinitely while giving businesses a reasonable time frame to transfer or resolve their license status. Once someone closes their operation and I'd like them to be able to sell the license when they're open," Bannon said. "But once they're closed, I think it's important for us to move on and give them a short period of time. During a brief discussion, the board had different ideas for the length of time that would be given to businesses that varied from 30 days to 90 days. Vice Chair Eric Gabriel suggested 30 days for planned closures, with a possibility of up to 90 days for unexpected closures, like a death. Ben Elliott said he would lean toward 90 days as the default because this kind of transition is complicated. Acknowledging that this was a unique situation that may not happen for years, Bannon said its important to provide guidance to a future board. I think that'll avoid a lot of the turmoil that happened with the previous license, he said. Sanofi has announced the appointment of two senior leaders as part of an expanded commitment to the South African healthcare sector. Jean-Baptiste Bregeon has been named the country lead and head of vaccines for South Africa, bringing over 20 years of international experience in commercial and clinical operations. He will oversee Sanofis overall strategy and lead its vaccines division. Lenisha Maharaj joins as head of pharma for South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana, bringing more than two decades of pharmaceutical and healthcare leadership to drive growth in general medicines and speciality care. Charity founder Imtiaz Sooliman and fellow Eminent Persons Group members urge South Africans to look beyond cynicism, saying the talks could be a turning point. Gift of the Givers founder and Eminent Persons Group (EPG) member Dr Imtiaz Sooliman says he is optimistic about the National Dialogue. He told Daily Maverick that although there was "lots of negativity and pessimism" about the proliferation of dialogues, discussions and committees set up to address the country's concerns, he was "very encouraged" because he knows "there's a willingness to help fix the system". He noted that the legacy foundations that withdrew from the process did not pull out of the National Dialogue itself, but rather from the Preparatory Task Team (PTT) and the National Convention. "To me that's a damn good sign," Sooliman said, adding that a difference of opinion and ideas is often a "great thing". "When you have disagreement, when you have some 'conflict', when you have a difference of ideas, it means there's a willingness for dialogue to find a solution. So if these things didn't happen, I would've got worried," he said. "To me, it is an excellent thing that this has happened, and now there should be a... Oasis band members have been enjoying the sunshine in Dublin ahead of their two-night run at Croke Park this weekend. Oasis guitarist Paul Arthurs, also known as Bonehead, Gem Archer and Joey Waronker, have shared photos on social media of themselves swimming in the sea and hanging out on the beach. Advertisement There have not been any sightings of Noel or Liam as of yet. By Sunday evening, Oasis will have played to over 160,000 people in Croke Park, before heading off to Canada, the US and Mexico ahead of a brief return to London in September. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday, Bonehead posted a picture with drummer Joey Waronker swimming in the Irish Sea, captioned "Yes Dublin". On Instagram, the musician shared some more photos, including one of the Poolbeg Chimneys, a Dublin landmark. He also shared an image of him and Joey standing on Killiney Beach, captioned "Rhythm section minus the bass, but hes in the sea somewhere. Day off". The caption refers to bassist Andy Bell. Bonehead was part of the original Oasis lineup when the band formed in 1991. Frances Fitzgerald has ruled herself out of the presidential race despite Mairead McGuinness' departure from the election contest. The former minister and MEP said her decision has not changed in the wake of Ms McGuinness' announcement. Advertisement It was announced yesterday the former European Commissioner was stepping away for health reasons. Fine Gael leader Simon Harris said yesterday senior party members will meet over the coming days to consider its next steps. One name that has been heavily linked with the Fine Gael nomination is former minister Heather Humphreys. Ms Hunphreys had been linked with a presidential bid before, and said she was flattered to be considered before withdrawing her name. Advertisement I want to spend more time with family and friends, and I want to do other things," she said at the time. There was shock in Fine Gael when Ms Humphreys decided not to contest the most recent general election. Ireland Poll: Who would you vote for in the presidential e... Read More The former Cavan-Monaghan TD is still highly-thought of in the party and sources indicated she would be a strong contender. MEP Sean Kelly was an early frontrunner along with Ms McGuinness, and he is also believed to be considering re-entering the fray. Independent TD Catherine Connolly formally launched her bid to become Irelands next president last month, saying she wants to empower people to find their own voices. Gareth Sheridan, former CEO of US-based company Nutriband, has also launched his presidential bid. The 35-year-old would become the youngest ever president if he was to be elected. The only named wind in Britain has an entire novel dedicated to it this week Fiction Bloody Awful in Different Ways by Andrev Walden, translated by Ian Giles, is published in paperback by Fig Tree. Available now I love not being his son, is just one of the countless quirky quotes that litter Bloody Awful In Different Ways by Andrev Walden. Now translated into English by Ian Giles, this bestselling and award-winning novel (or so it is described) by the Swedish journalist, charts an adolescence in which he had seven fathers in seven years. Each of his brilliantly drawn mothers lovers has a nickname denoting the main characteristic the juvenile Walden observes: for example, the Thief, the Artist, the Murderer and the fantastically realised Plant Magician. His school friends get the same treatment, as the likes of Cyclops and Paella help Walden navigate a tempestuous childhood and build resilience in an often bruisingly grown-up world. Waldens story is rich with dark humour and tender coming-of-age moments that make this a brilliant and beguiling page-turner. 9/10 Review by James Cann Helm by Sarah Hall is published in hardback by Faber & Faber. Available August 28th A windy day can bring out the worst in school children (apparently, high winds send misbehaviour soaring) and irritate the rest of us as our hair gets whipped out of place and washing flies from the line. But what is the wind itself thinking and feeling? Man Booker-nominated and Cumbria-based author Sarah Hall imagines the inner life of the UKs only named wind, which slams the southwest of Cross Fell mountain in the Pennines. In Helm named after the magnificent, treacherous, almost otherworldly wind Hall describes strange, wondrous and symbiotic relationships a range of characters have with the elemental being; a Bronze Age tribeswoman who walks into its raging depths, a child treated as mad and wicked for talking to it, an ex-cop who finds the sublime by flying a plane through it, a researcher investigating whether climate change is set to sunder it, amongst others. Halls use of language is almost alchemical in its complexity and use of old Cumbrian words (a dictionary can come in handy while reading). A darkly witty, if slightly desolate antidote to your usual nature writing. 8/10 Review by Ella Walker Too Old For This by Samantha Downing is published in hardback by Michael Joseph. Available August 28th (Michael Joseph/PA) A pensioner killing people rather than solving murders is a quirky twist on the spate of recent novels focused on ageing sleuths (looking at you, Richard Osman). Lottie Jones, 75, resurrects her life as a serial killer when a journalist who wants to interview her for a series on people wrongfully accused of crimes tracks her down to a small town where Jones thought her bad behaviour was safely in the past. The journalist, Plum Dixon, is persistent though, saying shes going to tell Lottie Joness story anyway, which forces the geriatrics hand. While the most exciting nights in her sleepy new life involved bingo at the local church, events lead her to commit the most brutal of murders again. Samantha Downings previous novels have been best-sellers, and this shocking, original story is sure to be a huge hit. 7/10 Review by Alan Jones Advertisement Non-fiction Making Matters: In Search of Creative Wonders by Clare Hunter is published in hardback by Sceptre,. Available August now (Sceptre/PA) Making memories as a child often includes being creative, whether thats using our hands or our voice. But what happens as we reach adulthood? Is there no longer enough time to express ourselves creatively? Are we too busy to let our imaginations take us into a state of artistic wonder? In her latest book, Making Matters, community textile artist Clare Hunter takes us on a journey through diverse cultures, long-held traditions, recent history, religion and politics, with an eye on how we can honour our past and celebrate our present in artistic ways. Through assembling snowmen, sandcastles, paper boats and costumes for plays, to finding creative delight in making lanterns, puppets and pinhole cameras, Hunter brings us back to a time where the possibilities for creativity are endless. Making Matters is an open door to the power of craft. Now inspired, Im off to get creative. 8/10 Review by Karen Shield Childrens book of the week Goblin (Stories from the Swamp) by Frances Stickley, illustrated by Stefano Martinuz, is published in paperback by Magic Cat Publishing. Available August 28th (Magic Cat Publishing/PA) Picture book author Frances Stickley presents Goblin her second in the Stories from the Swamp series a cheeky yet eloquent book for preschool aged-children, once more with engaging illustrations by Stefano Martinuz. After the success of Indie Book of the Month, Troll, Stickleys latest tale follows a selfish goblin who collects and steals anything he can get his hands on. But, when he discovers it doesnt bring him much joy, he wonders if kindness and friendship might be what he is truly missing. Both funny and heartwarming, Goblin is a perfect bedtime read for young children. 8/10 Review by Holly Cowell BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING AUGUST 9th HARDBACK (FICTION) 1. The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk: Crowns of Nyaxia by Carissa Broadbent 2. The Artist by Lucy Steeds 3. A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid 4. Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson 5. Scarred by Emily McIntire 6. Arcana Academy by Elise Kova 7. Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh 8. The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar 9. Men in Love by Irvine Welsh 10. The Names by Florence Knapp (Compiled by Waterstones) Advertisement HARDBACK (NON-FICTION) 1. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins 2. Goliaths Curse by Luke Kemp 3. Jess and Norma by Jessica Asquith and Norma Burton 4. The Greatest Story Ever Told by Bear Grylls 5. To the Sea by Train by Andrew Martin 6. Dont Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen 7. Remember When: My Life with Alzheimers by Fiona Phillips 8. Is a River Alive? By Robert Macfarlane 9. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles 10. Tart: Misadventures of an Anonymous Chef by Slutty Cheff (Compiled by Waterstones) AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NONFICTION) 1. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins 2. Dont Let Him In by Lisa Jewell 3. The Names by Florence Knapp 4. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, Book 1 by J.K. Rowling 5. I Am Ozzy by Ozzy Osbourne 6. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 7. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman 8. Atomic Habits by James Clear 9. James by Percival Everett 10. By Your Side by Ruth Jones (Compiled by Audible) Addis Abeba Somaliland officials and prominent figures have welcomed U.S. Senator Ted Cruz's appeal to U.S. President Donald Trump to formally recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state, calling it a major boost for their decades-long quest for recognition. In a letter to President Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, praised Somaliland as "a critical security and diplomatic partner for the United States" and urged the administration to "grant it that recognition." "Despite these threats, Somaliland remains committed to forging closer ties with the U.S., and is actively engaged in enhancing military cooperation, counterterrorism efforts, and economy and trade partnerships." Sen. Cruz He cited Somaliland's strategic location along the Gulf of Aden, capable armed forces, and contributions to counterterrorism and anti-piracy efforts, adding that "despite mounting pressure from adversaries" such as the Chinese Communist Party, Somaliland "remains committed to forging closer ties with the U.S." Abdirahman Dahir Adam, Somaliland's minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, expressed gratitude for Cruz's intervention. "On behalf of the Republic of Somaliland, I extend my heartfelt thanks to [Sen. Ted Cruz] for his unwavering support for our recognition and for championing our cause to President Trump," he said on X. He described the senator's statement as reflecting "a deep appreciation of what we contribute to the U.S. and the World." Ismail Ahmed, founder of global money transfer service WorldRemit, likened the potential move to a landmark moment in U.S. foreign policy. "Trump's Panama Canal Moment," he wrote on X. "Somaliland offers America exclusive access to Berbera's port & 4km airfield - a low-cost, high-impact foothold in one of the world's most strategic corridors. In 1903, Roosevelt recognized Panama & secured the canal. In 2025, Trump can recognize Somaliland & secure the Red Sea." Sen. Cruz's letter comes ahead of a planned visit by Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro to the United States. This week, Minister Abdirahman confirmed to local media that the president will embark on an official trip in the coming days, as diplomatic momentum builds around the territory's bid for international recognition. President Irro is scheduled to hold high-level meetings in Washington, D.C., engaging with senior U.S. government officials, members of Congress, policy experts, and representatives from leading think tanks. According to the foreign minister, the discussions will focus on strengthening bilateral relations, boosting economic cooperation, and addressing regional security challenges in the Horn of Africa. Flash floods triggered by torrential rains have killed more than 280 people and left scores of others missing in India and Pakistan over the past 24 hours, officials said, as rescuers brought to safety 1,600 people from two mountainous districts in the neighbouring countries. In Pakistan, a helicopter carrying relief supplies to the flood-hit north-western Bajaur crashed on Friday due to bad weather, killing all five people on board, including two pilots, a government statement said. Advertisement Sudden, intense downpours over small areas known as cloudbursts are increasingly common in Indias Himalayan regions and Pakistans northern areas, which are prone to flash floods and landslides. Indias National Disaster Response Force and other security personnel carry out a rescue operation after flash floods in Chositi village, Kishtwar district, Indian-controlled Kashmir (Channi Anand/AP) Cloudbursts have the potential to wreak havoc by causing intense flooding and landslides, impacting thousands of people in the mountainous regions. Experts say cloudbursts have increased in recent years partly because of climate change, while damage from the storms has also increased because of unplanned development in mountain regions. In India-controlled Kashmir, rescuers searched for missing people in the remote Himalayan village of Chositi on Friday after flash floods a day earlier left at least 60 people dead and at least 80 missing, officials said. Advertisement Officials halted rescue operations overnight but rescued at least 300 people on Thursday after a powerful cloudburst triggered floods and landslides. They said many missing people were believed to have been washed away. At least 50 seriously injured people were treated in local hospitals, many of them rescued from a stream filled with mud and debris. Disaster management official Mohammed Irshad said the number of missing people could increase. Advertisement Weather officials forecast more heavy rains and floods in the area. Stranded pilgrims are helped across a water channel using a makeshift bridge a day after flash floods in Chositi village, Kishtwar district, Indian-controlled Kashmir (Channi Anand/AP) Chositi, in Kashmirs Kishtwar district, is the last village accessible to motor vehicles on the route of an ongoing annual Hindu pilgrimage to a mountainous shrine at an altitude of 3,000 metres (9,500ft). Officials said the pilgrimage, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to end on September 5, was suspended. The devastating floods swept away the main community kitchen set up for the pilgrims, as well as dozens of vehicles and motorbikes. Advertisement More than 200 pilgrims were in the kitchen at the time of the flood, which also damaged or washed away many of the homes clustered together in the foothills, officials said. Sneha, who gave only one name, said her husband and a daughter were swept away as floodwater gushed down the mountain. The two were having meals at the community kitchen while she and her son were nearby. Local residents look at flash flooding due to heavy rains in a neighbourhood of Mingora, the main town of Swat Valley, north-western Pakistan (Naveed Ali/AP) The family had come for the pilgrimage, she said. Advertisement Photos and videos on social media show extensive damage with household goods strewn next to damaged vehicles and homes in the village. Authorities made makeshift bridges on Friday to help stranded pilgrims cross a muddy water channel, and used dozens of earthmovers to shift boulders, uprooted trees and electricity poles and other debris. Throughout Friday, authorities evacuated nearly 4,000 pilgrims stranded in various parts of the forested area, officials said. Kishtwar district is home to multiple hydroelectric power projects, which experts have long warned pose a threat to the regions fragile ecosystem. Houses are submerged in floodwater following flash flooding due to heavy rains in Buner district, in Pakistans north west (Provincial Disaster Management Authority via AP) In northern and north-western Pakistan, flash floods killed at least 243 people in the past 24 hours, including 157 in the flood-hit Buner district in north-west Pakistan on Friday. Mohammad Suhail told the Associated Press that dozens of people were still missing, and rescue operations were under way. He said 78 bodies were recovered from various parts of the district by midday on Friday, and another 79 were pulled from the rubble of collapsed homes and flooded villages later. Dozens were injured as the deluge destroyed homes in villages in Buner, where authorities declared a state of emergency Friday. Ambulances have taken 56 bodies to local hospitals, according to a government statement. The helicopter that crashed on Friday was on a relief mission when it went down in the north west, provincial chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur said. At least 35 people were still missing in these areas, according to local officials. Rescuers with boats and helicopters worked to reach stranded residents. Dozens of villagers were still missing and the death toll is likely to rise, Buner government administrator Kashif Qayyum said. The latest fatalities bring the total number of rain-related deaths to 556 since June 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. Household goods are strewn around next to buildings damaged by flash floods in Chositi village, Kishtwar district, Indian-controlled Kashmir (Channi Anand/AP) Deaths were reported from different parts of Pakistan on Thursday. Bilal Faizi, a provincial emergency service spokesman in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said rescuers worked for hours to save 1,300 tourists after they were trapped by flash flooding and landslides in the Siran Valley in Mansehra district on Thursday. The Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan has been hit by multiple floods since July, triggering landslides along the Karakoram Highway, a key trade and travel route linking Pakistan and China that is used by tourists to travel to the scenic north. The region is home to scenic glaciers that provide 75% of Pakistans stored water supply. Pakistans disaster management agency has issued fresh alerts for glacial lake outburst flooding in the north, warning travellers to avoid affected areas. A study released this week by World Weather Attribution, a network of international scientists, found rainfall in Pakistan from June 24 to July 23 was 10% to 15% heavier because of global warming. In 2022, the countrys worst monsoon season on record killed more than 1,700 people and caused an estimated 40 billion dollars in damage. Britain's King Charles has hailed the courage and camaraderie of heroes who fought in the Pacific and Far East in humanitys darkest hour as a flame that shall blaze for eternity on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. Charles also significantly acknowledged the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which led to Japans surrender, describing the immense price on its citizens as one we pray no nation need ever pay again. Advertisement His reflection on the nuclear attacks, which paved the way for the end of the Second World War, comes at a time of increased concern about the global threat of nuclear conflict. Britain's King Charles recording his message at Clarence House earlier this month (Aaron Chown/PA) In an audio message to the UK, realms and Commonwealth, Charles spoke of the horrors faced by allied prisoners of war who endured years of brutal captivity: the starvation, disease and cruelty that tested the very limits of human endurance, and the mental and physical scars the war left on those who survived. And he vowed the service and sacrifice of VJ Day heroes shall never be forgotten, telling their families and the sadly dwindling band of veterans: Please know that the courage and camaraderie displayed in humanitys darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity a beacon that honours our past and guides our future. Charles, in what is believed to be the most direct reference by a British monarch to the suffering in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, said it was right to pause and acknowledge the impact of the wars final act on the people of the Japanese cities. Advertisement Innocent civilian populations of occupied territories faced grievous hardships, too, he said in the broadcast released at 7.30am on Friday. Tune in to @BBCOne on Friday as we mark 80 years since victory over Japan, the moment the Second World War finally came to an end. We are honoured to host the national commemoration at the @Nat_Mem_Arb, and will be joined by veterans who served in the Far East.#VJDay80 1/2 pic.twitter.com/OnxIPaFGJu Royal British Legion (@PoppyLegion) August 13, 2025 Their experience reminds us that wars true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life a tragedy all-too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today. On this landmark anniversary, we should also pause to acknowledge that in the wars final act, an immense price was paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki a price we pray no nation need ever pay again. He added: But in recalling so much suffering, we must not lose sight of how great was the cause and how sweet the victory. Advertisement The then-Prince of Wales chats to a veteran after the national service of remembrance marking the 75th anniversary of VJ Day at the National Memorial Arboretum in 2020 (Oli Scarff/PA) VJ Day on August 15 marks the anniversary of the end of the six-year-long war. Much of the celebration in 1945 focused on VE (Victory in Europe) Day in May, with those who served in the Far East labelled The Forgotten Army. Iconic aircraft will join the nations tribute to veterans of the Far East campaign this Friday. Around 400 members of the UK Armed Forces will honour their predecessors on the 80th anniversary of #VJDay, at the National Memorial Arboretum. A tri-service Guard of pic.twitter.com/18gjQcFODp Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) August 11, 2025 By 1945, some 365,000 British and 1.5 million Commonwealth troops had been deployed across Asia and the Pacific. Advertisement More than 90,000 British troops were casualties in the war against Japan, and nearly 30,000 died, while more than 12,000 Britons were among the 190,000 Commonwealth troops held as Prisoners of War by the Japanese. Of the Allied forces, the US suffered the greatest losses, with more than 100,000 killed in action. In Hiroshima and Nagasaki, more than 200,000 people were killed by the US bombs and in the months after succumbing to radiation sickness, the effects of burns and other serious injuries. Charles described the 80th anniversary as a day of profound remembrance and said of his grandfather King Georges VIs The war is ended audio broadcast at the time: Seldom can a simple message have resonated with such a potent mix of relief, celebration, and sorrow for those who never lived to see the glow of freedoms new dawn. Advertisement He also painted a vivid picture of when high above those monsoon-lashed jungles, allied pilots displayed their own fearless bravery, flying fighters, bombers and transport aircraft into enemy fire and natures fury. This year we mark the momentous milestone of 80 years since the end of the Second World War. We cannot do so without honouring those who continued to fight and be held in brutal captivity in the Far East and Pacific, long after the VE Day celebrations erupted.#VJDay80 (1/10) pic.twitter.com/IV8bduJdIA Royal British Legion (@PoppyLegion) August 11, 2025 The speech made no mention of Charles' father Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who was in Tokyo Bay on board the destroyer HMS Whelp, a warship he served on as second-in-command, when Japanese officials formally signed the surrender on the USS Missouri on September 2nd, 1945. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have landed in Alaska ahead of what the US president describes as "high stakes" talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskiy - who has not been invited to tonight's discussions - said he is "counting" on America. Advertisement US president Donald Trump (R) and Russian president Vladimir Putin pose on a podium on the tarmac after they arrived at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15th, 2025. Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images The Ukrainian leader said pressure must be exerted on Russia for the sake of a just peace. Mr Trump has hinted territorial swaps "will be discussed" but said it's for Ukraine to "make that decision". _________________________________________________________________________ 10.10pm Mr Trump said before the summit that there is mutual respect between him and Putin. Advertisement "He is a smart guy, been doing it for a long time, but so have I ... We get along," Mr Trump said of Putin. He also welcomed Putin's decision to bring businesspeople to Alaska. "But they're not doing business until we get the war settled," he said, repeating a threat of "economically severe" consequences for Russia if the summit goes badly. The United States has had internal discussions on using Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker vessels to support the development of gas and LNG projects in Alaska as one of the possible deals to aim for, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. One source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine, given that Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Advertisement Reuters has previously reported that Putin might be willing to freeze the conflict along the front lines, provided there was a legally binding pledge not to enlarge Nato eastwards and to lift some Western sanctions. Nato has said Ukraine's future is in the alliance. Russia, whose war economy is showing strain, is vulnerable to further US sanctions - and Mr Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. "For Putin, economic problems are secondary to goals, but he understands our vulnerability and costs," the Russian source said. Putin this week held out the prospect of something else he knows Mr Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control accord to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire in February. Advertisement US president Donald Trump greets Russias president Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. 9.30pm Uniformed military members stood at attention nearby at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, and B-2s and F-22s military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War flew over to mark the moment. Reporters nearby yelled, President Putin, will you stop killing civilians? and Mr Putin put his hand up to his ear but did not answer. Mr Trump and Mr Putin both climbed in the US presidential limo, with Mr Putin grinning widely as the vehicle rolled past the cameras. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the previously planned one-on-one meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Putin is now a three-on-three meeting that will include US secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Advertisement The change indicates that the White House is taking a more guarded approach than it did during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, when Mr Trump and Mr Putin first met privately just with their interpreters for two hours. The Kremlin says the summit will also include the two delegations meeting and talks continuing over lunch. The pair are expected to hold a joint press conference. The Kremlin shared two clips of Mr Putin and Mr Trump smiling and talking before talks began, alongside Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and Mr Putins foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. Russian media outlets also shared images that appeared to show a bemused Mr Putin raising his eyebrows in response to shouted questions from assembled reporters. At one point, Mr Putin cupped his hands around his mouth and appeared to say something, although his voice could not be heard. US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin hold a meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15th, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. The two leaders are meeting for peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Russian minister of foreign affairs Sergey Lavrov and US secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff also joined the meeting. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images ___________________________________________________________________________ 9.20pm Interviewed by Bret Baier of Fox News Channel aboard Air Force One as he flew to Alaska, Mr Trump said he would like to walk away from the meeting with a ceasefire. He also said he would like a second meeting on Russias war in Ukraine. I wouldnt be thrilled if I didnt get it, Mr Trump said of a halt to hostilities between the countries. He said everyone tells him he will not get a ceasefire until a second meeting. So, well see what happens. Im going to be, I wont be happy if I walk away without some form of a ceasefire, he said. Mr Trump earlier joked that he might start liking Hillary Clinton again after the former secretary of state said she would nominate Mr Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize herself if he negotiates an end to Russias war on Ukraine without Ukraine having to give up territory. Well, that was very nice, Mr Trump said when asked about Ms Clintons comment during an in-flight interview with Fox News Channel. I may have to start liking her again. Mr Trump and Mr Clinton were presidential rivals in 2016 and have had a contentious relationship. Mr Trump has also been angling to be awarded the prestigious peace prize. The sit-down gives Mr Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. ___________________________________________________________________ 9.15pm A White House official told CNN that Mr Trumps one-on-one with Putin is no longer happening. Instead it will be a three-on-three, with special envoy Steve Witkoff and secretary of state Marco Rubio joining Mr Trump. It is not clear who will join Putin from the Russian side. News A White House official confirms Trumps one-on-one with Putin is no longer happening. Instead it will be a three-on-three, with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio joining Trump. Not clear who will join Putin from the Russian side. Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 15, 2025 ________________________________________________________________________ Additional reporting from Reuters and Press Association Serbias police said they detained hundreds of demonstrators who took part in anti-government protests throughout the country this week. The arrests came amid reports of police brutality and excessive use of force during the unrest. Advertisement The three days of clashes between the police and loyalists of autocratic president Aleksandar Vucic on one side and the anti-government protesters on the other left dozens injured or detained. Serbian gendarmerie officers guard the street during an anti-government protest near the Serbian Progressive Party office in Belgrade, Serbia (Darko Vojinovic/AP) The unrest in the capital, Belgrade, and throughout Serbia this week marked a serious escalation of more than nine months of largely peaceful demonstrations led by Serbias university students that have shaken Mr Vucics firm grip on power in the Balkan country. Another protest, under the slogan Lets show them we are not a punching bag, was held on Friday night throughout Serbia. Police deployed armoured vehicles in parts of the capital as protesters faced off against riot police separating them from Mr Vucics supporters in downtown Belgrade. Advertisement The protests that have rattled Mr Vucic first started in November after a renovated train station canopy collapsed in Serbias north, killing 16 people. Many in Serbia blame the tragedy on alleged corruption-fuelled negligence in state infrastructure projects. Mr Vucic praised the police for their conduct during the latest demonstrations, saying he will propose additional bonuses for the officers. Speaking with state TV broadcaster RTS, he repeated his claim that the protests were inspired by the West with the intention of toppling him from power. He has not provided any evidence for the claim. Advertisement Several social media posts from this week show baton-wielding riot police beating people to the ground and then kicking them with their boots before they were handcuffed. Supporters of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hurl flares at anti-government protesters during an anti-government protest (Darko Vojinovic/AP) The apparent targets were often women and young people. Serbias interior minister Ivica Dacic denied on Friday that police used excessive force, blaming the demonstrators for allegedly attacking the officers, who were protecting themselves with riot shields. The police were massively and brutally attacked without any provocation. There were violent attempts to breach the cordons, Mr Dacic said. Advertisement Last night, 75 police officers were injured, and several vehicles were damaged. Those who spread lies about police brutality should comment on this fact. Opposition leaders called for Mr Dacic to be removed from office. They are beating up people on the streets, said opposition leader Dragan Djilas. They also beat up politicians, literally anyone who opposes Aleksandar Vucic, with the clear goal of inflicting serious bodily harm on them. Advertisement Another social media video purported to show several young detainees kneeling with their faces to the wall as police officers stood to attention behind them. Some of the apparent detainees had bloodstains on their backs. The EUs commissioner for enlargement Marta Kos earlier this week said the reports of violence at the protests were deeply concerning. Serbia is formally seeking EU membership, but Mr Vucic has maintained strong ties with Russia and China. The Serbian president has faced accusations of stifling democratic freedoms while allowing organised crime and corruption to flourish, which he has denied. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin hold talks in Alaska on Friday, with the US president's hopes of sealing a ceasefire agreement on Ukraine uncertain but with a last gasp offer from Putin of a possible nuclear deal that could help both men save face. The meeting of the Russian and US leaders at a Cold War-era air force base in Alaska will be their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House and comes amid Ukrainian and European fears that Trump might sell Kyiv out. Advertisement The White House said the meeting will take place at 11am Alaska time (8pm Irish time). Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, said on Thursday the three-and-a-half-year conflict had proven a tougher nut to crack than he had thought. Traditional Russian wooden nesting dolls depicting Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are displayed for sale at a gift shop in downtown Moscow. Photo: AFP via Getty He said if his talks with Putin went well, setting up a subsequent three-way summit with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy who was not invited to Fridays meeting would be even more important than his encounter with Putin. Trump is pressing for a truce to bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, something he has made clear is important to him. Advertisement Ukraine and its European allies were heartened by their conference call on Wednesday in which, they said, Trump agreed Ukraine must be involved in any talks about ceding land. Zelenskiy said Trump had also supported the idea of security guarantees in a post-war settlement, although the US president has made no public mention of them. Wednesday's call eased their fears of a Trump-Putin deal that would leave Ukraine under pressure to make territorial and other concessions. Putin, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, needs Trump to help Russia break out of its straitjacket of ever-tightening Western sanctions, or at the very least not to hit Moscow with more sanctions, something Trump has threatened. The day before the summit, the Kremlin leader held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control agreement to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire in February next year. Advertisement Ukraine deal Trump said on the eve of the summit that he thought Putin would do a deal on Ukraine, but he has blown hot and cold on the chances of a breakthrough. Putin, meanwhile, praised what he called "sincere efforts" by the U.S. to end the war. A source close to the Kremlin told Reuters it looked as if the two sides had been able to find some unspecified common ground beforehand. "Apparently, some terms will be agreed upon tomorrow [Friday] because Trump cannot be refused, and we are not in a position to refuse [due to sanctions pressure]," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. Putin has set stringent conditions for a full ceasefire, but one compromise could be a phased truce in the air war, although both sides have accused the other of flouting a previous accord. Advertisement Analysts say Putin could try to look like he's giving Trump what he wants while remaining free to escalate in Ukraine if he wants to. "If they [the Russians] are able to put a deal on the table that creates some kind of a ceasefire but that leaves Russia in control of those escalatory dynamics, does not create any kind of genuine deterrence on the ground or in the skies over Ukraine... that would be a wonderful outcome from Putin's perspective," said Sam Greene, director of Democratic Resilience at the Center for European Policy Analysis. Land transfers Zelenskiy has accused Putin of bluffing and playing for time to avoid US secondary sanctions and has ruled out handing Moscow any territory. Trump has said land transfers between Russia and Ukraine could be a possible way of breaking the logjam. Advertisement Putin, whose forces control nearly one fifth of Ukraine, wants Trump to start reviving the two countries' shrunken economic, political and business ties and, ideally, not to make that process contingent on progress on Ukraine. But it is unclear whether Putin is willing to compromise on Ukraine. In power for a quarter of a century, the Kremlin chief has staked his legacy on coming out of the war with something he can sell to his people as a victory. Chief among his war aims is complete Russian control over the Donbas industrial region in eastern Ukraine, which comprises the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Despite steady advances, around 25 per cent of Donetsk remains beyond Russian control. Putin also wants full control of Ukraine's Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions; Nato membership to be taken off the table for Kyiv; and limits on the size of Ukraine's armed forces. Ukraine has said these terms are unacceptable and tantamount to asking it to capitulate. Kate Mildenhall, author of The Mother Fault, who has withdrawn, said the code of conduct impeded free and frank discussion. One of the questions she was going to raise at her session was: How do you see censorship in literature playing out in the world at the moment? This is not a time for silence, Mildenhall said. Author Sonia Orchard, who describes Bendigo as one of Victorias best writers festivals, said she withdrew, mostly in order to show my solidarity with Palestinian writers, who will naturally feel silenced and their trauma dismissed by the code of conduct document issued yesterday. But it is also because I have been asked to speak at the festival on a topic about stopping violence against women and children, and it feels impossible to do this while knowing that the university has chosen to align itself with ideas and factions that condone such large-scale violence against women and children. Writer Claire G Coleman wrote to festival organisers that the way you have handled this is disturbing, you are working with writers, authors and artists, many of whom are people of colour and/or Indigenous. I respectfully ask you to do better in future, to consider that to many writers our freedom of speech is more important than any festival. The code of conduct required participants to commit to La Trobe Universitys Anti-Racism Plan, a 17-page document, which accepts the Universities Australia definition of antisemitism. That definition has not been accepted by all universities and has been the subject of controversy, with some arguing that it unreasonably restricts criticism of Israel. The definition states that criticism of Israel is not itself antisemitic. However criticism of Israel can be antisemitic when it is grounded in harmful tropes, stereotypes or assumptions and when it calls for the elimination of the State of Israel or all Jews or when it holds Jewish individuals or communities responsible for Israels actions, a UA statement earlier this year said. In July, the Federal Court ruled that anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel are not antisemitic. In a letter to the festival on behalf of participants, the Human Rights Law Centre spells out potentially affected areas. [This would] prevent critical discussions at panels and events on matters related to Palestinian liberation and human rights, First Nations land rights, Indigenous sovereignty, migrant diasporas, Donald Trumps presidency, feminism and a variety of other topics which may be considered divisive, non-sensitive to those who hold alternative political views, which may cause public concern and which may fall afoul of La Trobes definition of antisemitism. This is particularly so in an environment of increasing censorship and culture wars within the media and political space which often targets marginalised and racialised groups. Bookish Bendigo, the local bookshop, has withdrawn from the event, saying: Writers are our heroes. They are educators, agitators, commentators, illuminators. They hold up a mirror to society and they hold us accountable. They should never be silenced. Loading Premier Jacinta Allan, who is also the local member for Bendigo East, did not directly answer questions about whether writers should be censored, but said speakers had a responsibility to be respectful. It doesnt matter whether its 2025 or any other year. It would be my expectation that people who participate in events like this do so in a respectful way, she said. A diversity of views is a good thing, but it needs to be done in a safe and respectful way, and the writers festival has been providing that opportunity for a really long time. The ABC, a partner of the festival, declined to comment. This story is part of the August 16 edition of Good Weekend. See all stories . Dining out isnt as easy as people think. First you have to decide where to go. Then youll be asked to choose between counter or table seating, inside or out, and what time you want to dine. Dont think you can relax when you get there. Craft beer or Old Fashioned? Oysters or chicken-liver crostini? If oysters, which oysters and with which vinaigrettes? Already my poor, end-of-the-working-day mind is spinning and I havent even tackled whether to have the Black Opal wagyu MB7 rump cap or the Speckle Park 600g rib-eye. Photo: Simon Letch Our old friend, late-stage capitalism, dictates that there be choice at every turn, which means countless tiny decisions must be made every minute of the day. At times, its overwhelming. So to hear tell of a restaurant in Sydney that offers just a single main course is like an island in a choppy sea: a place of refuge. In true Henry Ford style, you can have any main course you like at 24 York, as long as its steak frites. Can you imagine how gaslit these women are when they are told that their iron level is normal, when, by definition, a man with the same results would have been diagnosed iron-deficient? said obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Talat Uppal, a leading international expert in heavy menstrual bleeding. The fact that there is a difference in what is considered iron-deficient between men and women is insane, Professor Nada Hamad, a Sydney haematologist and clinician researcher, said. Some of Australias biggest pathology providers have for years set a significantly lower benchmark for what they consider normal iron stores in females compared to males, leaving a huge proportion of iron-deficient women undiagnosed and untreated. Other women described their heavy menstrual bleeding being written off as a normal, untreatable part of womanhood, and experiencing damaging delays in investigating serious underlying causes of their low iron. Iron is an essential mineral for organ function, from carrying oxygen in red blood cells, to immune and brain health. Among the more than 2000 women who shared accounts of medical misogyny with this masthead were more than 50 women with debilitating iron deficiency or anaemia who were treated as hypochondriacs or had their symptoms dismissed by healthcare professionals, including one woman whose haemoglobin count was that of a traumatic car crash victim. Iron-deficient and anaemic women are being gaslit and denied effective treatment, while pathology companies systematically report normal blood test results for females who would be diagnosed with iron deficiency if they were male. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. The women, doctors and experts are speaking not to blame individual healthcare professionals, but to expose entrenched, systemic gender bias in healthcare systems that can be traced back centuries , long before iron deficiency was believed to cause hysteria in women of the 16th century. All because there are people in the healthcare system who truly dont believe iron deficiency without anaemia in women is a problem. Ive got patients who have had untreated iron deficiency for years, then they wind up in emergency departments severely anaemic, specialist haematologist Dr Lisa Clarke said. Meanwhile, women with chronically depleted iron stores are offered no alternative to over-the-counter iron tablets, despite reporting brutal side effects, no improvements and pleading for iron infusions. Following questions during this investigation, laboratory heads of pathology providers convened an emergency meeting, and those still upholding the sexist practice told this masthead that it would be overhauled. Rodwell recalls screaming in pain as the paramedics carried her into the emergency department. I was vomiting, I was struggling to breathe, and my whole body was cramping up, she said. Rodwell got on with life until one evening in 2016. Im pretty confident that men who work and have kids dont hear that. They hear: how can we fix you? Abigail Rodwell had been iron deficient for years but was offered no alternative to iron supplements with intolerable side effects. I cant tell you how many times doctors have told me: you run a business, youre studying your masters degree, your doctorate, and you have two little children. Youre fine. Just rest, Rodwell said. Abigail Rodwell had grown accustomed to being told by GPs not to worry about her fatigue, headaches and gastrointestinal symptoms. At her GP, she was scolded for not taking iron supplements, Rodwell recalled. After an endoscopy, the gastroenterologist just said, You dont have cancer and told me to see my GP. That was it. Consultation over. The attending gastroenterologist assumed she had cancer, Rodwell said. Iron is essential to make haemoglobin a protein in red blood cells that binds to oxygen and transports it around the body. It is critical for tissue and organ function. Without treatment, iron-deficiency anaemia can cause life-threatening complications, including heart failure. The mother of two was admitted for suspected influenza, but her blood test results showed her haemoglobin was 56 grams per litre (g/L). Normal haemoglobin levels typically range from 115 to 165 g/L. Rodwell was severely anaemic. The head nurse yelled at me, I dont know if youre on drugs or something, but you will stop screaming, she said. I was just withering away, but I was still working. I would just take myself to the doctor, and the doctor would look at me and she wouldnt be worried. Doctors have warned that these policies could further disadvantage women by continuing to incentivise shorter consultations, which dont give GPs enough time to address menopause, pelvic pain and other womens health issues. The Albanese government and the Coalition have promised to pour $8.5 billion into Medicare to make GP visits more affordable and improve bulk billing rates, but longer 20-minute appointments will receive a smaller proportional funding increase. We call on the federal government to boost Medicare funding for GP appointments that last more than 20 minutes to improve care for women and others with complex health conditions. More than 2000 women shared their experiences as part of our crowd-sourced investigative series, which prompted a national outpouring of grief and frustration as women described feeling gaslit, dismissed or being told their pain was all in their heads. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald last year launched an investigation into medical misogyny: ingrained, systemic sexism across Australias healthcare system, medical research and practise. I was crunching ice all the time, Rodwell said, unaware that craving ice is a symptom of iron deficiency. Between 2018 and 2020, her health slowly deteriorated. She had a constant headache, extreme fatigue, weakness, dizziness, pale skin, cold hands and feet, a slightly swollen tongue and loss of appetite. [My GP] was so curt and rude, I had to stop myself from crying, Rodwell said. Over-the-counter oral iron is the first-line treatment for iron deficiency and can be an effective option. But 30 to 70 per cent of people cant tolerate the gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, and heartburn. Rodwell had tried taking various forms of supplements for years, but she couldnt tolerate the gastrointestinal side effects. In mid-2020, another blood test showed her haemoglobin was 53. Her GP sent her straight to hospital, where staff had prepared the resuscitation room. Dr Lisa Clarke, specialist haematologist with a focus on iron deficiency and womens health. They said, Do you know you could die at any second? You have the blood count of a car crash or shark victim, Rodwell recalled. But she hadnt had traumatic blood loss. It was her iron that had drained away. Clarke was the haematologist assigned to Rodwells case. She said years of living with undiagnosed food intolerances had likely damaged Rodwells gastrointestinal tract, preventing her from absorbing iron from her food. Iron deficiency is so insidious, Clarke said. Abby had become used to functioning with low iron levels and subsequent anaemia until her haemoglobin finally dropped to critical levels. Clarke ordered a blood transfusion and two iron infusions. It was like I walked into sunshine from a dark room, Rodwell said. Everything, in hindsight, had been slower and more exhausting, both mentally and physically. The blood test that erases iron-deficient women A contentious debate is playing out in clinics, laboratories and medical journals between clinicians and researchers, raising the alarm about untreated iron deficiency in women and their colleagues who dont believe its an issue worth treating. Loading Its incredibly frustrating because iron is critical for multiple functions beyond haemoglobin and red blood cells, Clarke said. But iron deficiency alone can impair the bodys cellular energy production. Iron is also required for the production of our feel-good messaging in our brains serotonin and dopamine, which is how iron deficiency can be linked to depressed mood, Clarke said. There is a vagueness to some signs of iron deficiency (brain fog, fatigue) that medicine is not well-equipped to decipher. Symptoms can also include hair loss, headaches, easy bruising, restless leg syndrome, a weakened immune system, and an eating or craving of dirt, paper, and ice. A blood test for ferritin a protein that stores iron, mainly in the liver is the most sensitive indicator of a persons iron stores. National guidelines by the Royal College of Pathologists Australia were updated in 2021 to define iron deficiency as a ferritin level below 30 micrograms per litre (g/L) for adults, eliminating a long-standing sex bias that meant women needed to have significantly lower ferritin levels than males to be diagnosed. Some pathology services, including Laverty, 4cyte and NSW Health Pathology use the same. Loading But other pathology providers, as well as the Australian Red Cross LifeBlood, still define iron deficiency as below 15g/L for women. The variation means that for women whose ferritin level falls in the no mans land between 15 and 30g/L, getting diagnosed (and having a chance of treating it) can depend on which pathology service draws her blood. Its a global problem. Estimates suggest between 25 and 50 per cent of iron-deficient women are missed using 15 g/L as a cut-off. I am seeing woman after woman who tell me that their iron results are always normal, said Uppal, Australias appointee to the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics Committee on Menstrual Disorders and Related Health Impacts. I say, No, your ferritin is 18. You have been iron-deficient for years. Using lower, inconsistent cut-offs for women only perpetuates gender-based inequity and delays care for a condition that is both common and treatable, Uppal said. It is one of the reasons women with heavy menstrual bleeding can suffer and not get timely medical care. Setting reference ranges is not an exact science. But pathology sector insiders said the decision to set a lower floor for women comes down to the concern that too many women would be diagnosed as iron-deficient. Up to 34 per cent of Australian women of reproductive age are iron-deficient almost tenfold the proportion of iron-deficient men (3.5 per cent), according to an analysis of ABS data. Its sexist. Theres no way around it, said one pathology service employee not authorised to speak publicly. Hamad said, people will say, well, the World Health Organisation used 15 g/L as the lower threshold. But WHO uses 15 [g/L] for all adults and has to cater for services operating in some very limited-resource countries, so why are pathology services cherry-picking 15 for women and 30 for men? Chief medical officer for major pathology provider Douglass Hanly Moir, Adjunct Professor Annabelle Farnsworth told this masthead that after months of discussion, its laboratories will stop using 15g/L as the cut-off for females, and instead use 30g/L for all adults from September. It is completely the right thing to do, Farnsworth said. Professor Nada Hamad, clinical researcher and specialist haematologist. Credit: Photo: Dylan Coker A spokesperson for SydPath, which also uses the lower floor for females, said its ferritin range was under review and its ranges would be updated to align with the RCPAs. Lifebloods medical director of pathology services Dr James Daly said the service was in the planning stages of changing the lower ferritin threshold for female donors to 30g/L. Research analysing other markers of iron deficiency suggests that even 30g/L is too low. The gold standard (but invasive) test that involves using a blue stain to visualise iron stores in bone marrow indicates 50 to 100 g/L is the sweet spot, Hamad said. Is this just in my head? It would take almost two years, countless doctors appointments, and the intervention of her father before Kate Burns was diagnosed with the condition for which she had all the hallmarks. Iron deficiency was just the precursor. Burns was a 21-year-old with a deep trust in healthcare professionals when she started to believe that she might be a hypochondriac. She had intense, almost constant headaches, waves of fatigue and extreme dizziness. My reflux was so severe I couldnt lie flat. I had to prop up one end of my bed with chunks of wood, Burns said. Kate Burns started to believe her distressing symptoms were all in her head. I was this shell of a human being I would describe how drastically my life had changed to doctors, and it didnt make any difference. Credit: Photo: Philip Gostelow The talented lacrosse player who had travelled solo overseas could no longer stay awake for the train ride to her university, walk upstairs without feeling dizzy and breathless, or keep up with her coursework. She was in almost constant pain and had lost an alarming amount of weight from her already slight frame. But when her CT scan came back clear, her doctor intimated that she was exaggerating her symptoms, Burns recalled. She told two GPs that the medication they had prescribed for reflux wasnt working after several weeks of persisting. The first doctor told her that she was overreacting, the second diagnosed her with anxiety and suggested she take antianxiety medication. Loading I just burst into tears, Burns said. I went away questioning my sense of reality. When her blood test results showed her ferritin level was 6g/L, indicating iron deficiency, her doctor told her to take iron tablets, but they exacerbated her reflux and nausea, and caused severe gut pain, Burns said. Id been so unwell for a year now, and no one was listening to me, Burns said. I was this shell of a human being I would describe how drastically my life had changed to doctors, and it didnt make any difference. Research analysing the use of iron supplements shows that by the time clinicians tell women to take them its often too late. We know its poorly absorbed, so we advise them to take it on an empty stomach and every day. That just increases gastrointestinal side effects, reduces compliance and sets it up for failure, Clarke said. Meanwhile, some iron supplements marketed as causing fewer side effects dont contain enough absorbable iron to be effective, Hamad said. This annoys me because its a waste of money, generally for women, and a form of financial toxicity, she said. Kate Burns father, Mark, recalls her asking: Dad, is this just in my head? I would say, What are you talking about, Kate? No, youre unwell, look at you, he said. Seeing her world crumble as a father, it tore me to pieces. He described coming home one evening to find his daughter deeply distraught and in pain. I said, Thats it. Im coming with you to the doctor, he said. We saw a new GP and I insisted on some blood tests. Her ferritin was again 6g/L. Further tests confirmed coeliac disease a common cause of iron deficiency. Her body was not absorbing iron, calcium and other essential nutrients from her food. Burns GP told her to stop eating gluten, take iron tablets, and directed her to a coeliac disease information website. She discovered on her own that she needed an endoscopy to confirm the coeliac diagnosis and a bone density scan to assess the damage. It took Burns two years to convince a doctor to prescribe an iron infusion the most effective treatment for replenishing iron stores. They would just push the iron supplements that only exacerbated her symptoms, she said. Mark Burns cant help but wonder whether Kate could have been spared the ongoing anguish of multiple autoimmune conditions triggered by her untreated coeliac disease if her doctors had intervened earlier. She has lost so much in her life, he said. From iron flood to a pregnant pause Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is considered the leading cause of iron deficiency. Defined as excessive menstrual blood loss which interferes with the womans physical, emotional, social and/or material quality of life, occurring alone or with other symptoms, it affects about one in four women of reproductive age. Every month, these women lose a flood of blood (and iron) that seeps through their clothes or multiple forms of sanitary products, and pass clots larger than a 50-cent coin. Dr Talat Uppal, Australias appointed representative to the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics Committee on Menstrual Disorders and Related Health Impacts. Credit: Edwina Pickles Studies suggest up to 60 per cent of women with HMB have severe iron deficiency, and half have not seen a doctor about it. No underlying cause (such as polyps, fibroids, adenomyosis, uterine or blood disorders) is found in about half of the cases investigated. These are staggering statistics, said Uppal, who is also co-vice president of the Bleed Better initiative that helps co-ordinate the International Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Day (May 11). It aims to destigmatise HMB and raise awareness about available treatments. This is clearly a huge unmet clinical need and a public health issue, Uppal said of the underdiagnosed condition. Iron infusion is recognised as the most effective treatment for replenishing iron. But using iron infusion to treat pregnant women without anaemia is a contentious issue among obstetricians and gynaecologists. A lack of robust research underpins this. Estimates suggest as many as 70 per cent of pregnant women in their third trimester are iron-deficient. Pregnant women need an additional 1 gram of iron throughout their pregnancy. You have some obstetricians who underplay the role of iron deficiency and are only interested once the woman becomes anaemic, and screening for iron deficiency is not uniform, Clarke said. Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists president-elect Dr Nisha Khot. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The reluctance to use iron infusions is a historic hangover, Hamad said, from decades ago, when there were problems with preparations, including allergic reactions, and the culture carried through to today. Dr Nisha Khot, president-elect of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said the vast majority of obstetricians and gynaecologists recognise iron deficiency and will treat it. [But] its very hard to tease out whether they are caused by iron deficiency or if they are feeling this way because they are pregnant, Khot said. The scarcity of access to infusions and the common side effects of oral iron supplements (particularly for pregnant women) make managing iron deficiency very challenging, she said. Its an issue of rationing, Khot said. We cant provide everyone with an iron infusion as and when they need it. Within public hospitals, you can often say: yes, this pregnant person needs an iron infusion, but there just isnt the capacity to give them [one] in a timely manner in all cases. Clarke, Hamad and Uppal were involved in the development of an unendorsed consensus statement to address the issue of untreated iron deficiency in pregnancy. The statement recommends: All pregnant women should be offered a blood test to check their iron and a full blood count in early pregnancy and again at 24 to 28 weeks. Women with ferritin levels below 30g/L should first be offered oral iron supplements. Women in the second and third trimester who are low in iron, cant tolerate oral iron or have tried without improving, should be offered an iron infusion. Khot said most obstetricians would feel uncomfortable giving pregnant women an iron infusion after only four to six weeks of taking supplements. Iron infusions come with a risk though very rare of anaphylactic reaction, she said, as well as skin staining (a brown iron mark if the cannula is incorrectly inserted). What we want is some clear guidance on how to diagnose and manage iron deficiency, Khot said. It all adds up Iron infusions can also be prohibitively expensive. There is no Medicare subsidy. Patients pay $200 to $700 per treatment if they cant get a referral to the limited public hospital infusion services. At Dr Rebekah Hoffmans general practice in Sydney, about 90 per cent of iron infusion patients are females, from teenagers through to pregnant and perimenopausal women. Most of our patients have heavy menstrual bleeding. They literally bleed out their iron every single month, so much so that their bodies are just not able to keep up, said Hoffman, who is the NSW and ACT chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). Abbey Whitaker (right) receives an iron transfusion from Dr Rebekah Hoffman (left) and registered nurse Sigrid Clift at Hoffmans Kirrawee practice. Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong Hoffmans patients pay $200 to $300 out of pocket for an infusion every two to three years. That adds up, she said. There needs to be improved funding to cover iron infusions, whether that be for GPs, for hospitals, for outpatient care or for private hospitals. The RACGP has been lobbying the federal government to introduce a $200 rebate for iron infusions. In response to questions from this masthead, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said he had asked the Medical Services Advisory Committee to look at a Medicare item for iron infusions in general practice. The Albanese government is tackling sex and gender bias in the health system and improving health outcomes, particularly for women at greater risk of poor health, Butler said in a statement. Women have asked government to take their healthcare seriously, and we have listened, he said. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. A girl was allegedly forced to remove her clothes before being assaulted by three teenage girls in Sydneys south-west on Friday night. The attack in Claymore was recorded by the offenders on a mobile phone, police said in a media statement. Police said the 14-year-old was approached at a bus stop at about 7pm by three girls, all aged 13, and threatened at knifepoint. She was allegedly taken to the end of Longstaff Way where she was punched and kicked as the assault was recorded. She was also whipped with a phone cord. The attackers fled with the girls clothing, shoes and phone. Police said the girl knew her attackers. A search of the area was launched, with the states police helicopter Polair assisting. The three girls were arrested a short time later in Claymore and their phones seized. This masthead was provided the material by senior public servants who cannot comment publicly as a condition of their employment but privately expressed frustration they were being asked to promote government policy. Associate Professor William Partlett, an expert in public law at the Melbourne Law School, said the government was treating the public service as an extension of its political party work rather than a provider of independent advice. The Victorian government has circulated a stakeholder pack on its work-from-home proposal. When I see this, I think cartel party, Partlett said. This is part of a pattern, and it is one we should be concerned about. It reflects a broader problem concern the erosion of Westminster principles and the centralisation of authority. Loading A cartel party, a concept coined by the late Irish political scientist Peter Mair, is where a dominant political party co-opts the apparatus and resources of the state to cement its power. Dr Colleen Lewis, an honorary professor at the Australian Studies Institute at the Australian National University, was more blunt. It is just wrong, she said. The public service is obliged to be non-partisan and governments should respect that requirement. The government should not be canvassing the public sector to support an idea that hasnt been through the parliamentary process. Opposition spokesman for financial integrity and budget repair David Davis said he would refer the matter to Victorias public service watchdog, the Public Sector Commission. Loading It is clear that the Allan Labor government and its senior officers have crossed the line politicising the consultation process of its WFH proposals through a highly political intervention and enlisting the public service to deliberately skew consultation, Davis said. The public service is meant to give frank and fearless advice, not act a spruiker for the Allan Labor government. Jiselle Hanna, the Victorian branch secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union, described the material provided to this masthead as problematic and said it appeared the government was using public servants for its political objectives. Hanna said the requirement for public servants to remain apolitical was inconsistently applied in Victoria, with bureaucrats encouraged to promote the Voice referendum, same-sex marriage plebiscite and working-from-home rights, but gagged from commenting about the war in Gaza. Jiselle Hanna, the Victorian branch secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union. Credit: Justin McManus Our obligation is to implement the governments agenda because they are the ones elected, she said. This isnt what we are being asked to do in relation to working from home. What we are being asked to do is promote an idea to another person. I think it is a problematic development. Are we being used and our networks being used to do a bit of promotion for the government? It certainly looks like it. This masthead provided questions to Allan and Victorias public service chief, Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Jeremi Moule. A department spokesperson said government surveys and consultations were regularly promoted between departments. The Victorian Public Service is one of the largest employers in Victoria and it is important they have an opportunity to participate in the working from home survey, the spokesperson said. Working from home is widely accepted practice across the Victorian Public Service. Under the current enterprise agreement covering the public service, bureaucrats whose jobs can be done from home can do so a minimum of two days a week. Treasurer Jaclyn Symes this week confirmed the true rate of working from home across the public service was likely higher. Victorias top bureaucrat, Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Jeremi Moule. Credit: Joe Armao Hanna said that as a workplace issue, work from home was settled across the public service. At June 30 last year, 57,345 people were employed in the Victorian Public Service. Pollster Jim Reed, the founder of the Resolve Political Monitor survey of voting intentions published by this masthead, examined the survey this week and said the results, if and when they are published, should be treated with caution. This sort of open survey form can be completed by anyone, and they might be a real Victorian answering honestly, or it might be others completing multiple responses to force a certain result, Reed said. Credit: Matt Golding This is why we run statistically sampled polls of the population. Its only then you can be certain that youre getting a true picture, no matter how well the questions are designed. Davis described the survey as a faux consultation. Labor is seeking to stack the results with favourable comments and few criticisms by sending material to special target audiences likely to support the governments view, he said. Peter Cardinal Appiah Turkson, has visited President John Mahama at his residence on Wednesday to commiserate with him on the loss of the eight Ghanaians who perished in the helicopter crash on August 6. He also visited the family of Squadron Leader Peter Anala to condole with the family. The Cardinal had earlier signed the Book of Condolence at the Ministry of Defence. Cardinal Appiah Turkson, on behalf of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference (GCBC), expressed sincere condolences to President Mahama, the Government and the families of the fallen compatriots. Related Articles He assured them of his continued prayers for the government and the families for comfort and strength in "these difficult times and beyond," adding that "God, who knows best, will always be their source of strength and solace." He also prayed for divine wisdom for the President and his cabinet to enable them make the appropriate decisions for the good of the country. To the family of Squadron Leader Peter Anala, Cardinal Turkson said he identifies with their pain, having lost a brother himself 25 years ago through a plane crash. He prayed for strength for the family, especially the wife, mother and siblings of Peter. The Cardinal offered prayers for the President, the bereaved families, and the nation and commanded the souls of the fallen men into the merciful hands of God to grant them peaceful rest. Accompanying Cardinal Turkson were an Auxiliary Bishop of Accra, Most Rev. Anthony Narh Asare, the Secretary General of the National Catholic Secretariat, Rev. Fr. Clement Adjei , Rev. Fr. Dieu-Donne Kofi Davor, Director of Communications at the National Catholic Secretariat, Rev. Fr. Ebenezer Akesseh, Rev. Fr. Michael Quaicoe and Rev. Fr. Christopher Vodzogbe. To: Scott.Farquhar@atlassian.com From: thefuture@ai.com Dear Scott, We note that you cite your property rights. We were interested to hear your ideas on property, also on 7.30. Sarah Ferguson asked you if the law should protect writers, musicians and other creators from Big Tech stealing their work and using it to train AI to take their jobs. You said that if property is stolen and then transformed in a new and novel way, and if the benefits outweighed the previous use, thats fair. For you, the owners property rights belong to the past. In July 2025, you told the National Press Club that building new data centres in convenient locations is a multibillion-dollar, multi-decade opportunity. To do that, we need to systematically remove barriers to growth. Our new data centre is a transformative re-use of Uig Lodge, and its benefits will flow to all Australians: a transformation of the land from unproductive to productive use. Unfortunately, as you will agree, your occupancy is a barrier to growth. Best wishes, The Future Scott Farquhar, were delighted to inform you that our data centre will transform Uig Lodge for the benefit of all the people in the world in the future. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer To: thefuture@ai.com From: Scott.Farquhar@atlassian.com But Im going through hell getting council approval for my renos! To: Scott.Farquhar@atlassian.com From: thefuture@ai.com Dear Scott, In your Press Club speech, you listed your complaints about council, as anyone who has built or renovated a house knows. You said an artificial intelligence digital agent could remove such barriers: A developer would know whether the block of apartments they want to build are likely to be possible before they even purchased the land. Wouldnt that dramatically increase not only the number of applications submitted but also the number of complying and successful applications? We could dramatically increase the number of dwellings built without changing a single law. We have applied such a digital agent to Uig Lodge. Our DA for a multibillion-dollar data centre in Point Piper was approved overnight without changing a single law. Kind regards, The Future To: thefuture@ai.com From: Scott.Farquhar@atlassian.com Youll be hearing from my lawyers! To: Scott.Farquhar@atlassian.com From: thefuture@ai.com Dear Scott, You have already heard legal advice from ours (which we downloaded for free). Your DA application was assessed by an AI that looks at how much you spend on luxury goods and then personalises the cost of your very own fee. (Sorry, Scott, you had no property rights over your data.) As luck would have it, yours came to $130 million. This would have benefited all residents of your council area! Pity you missed your chance. Our data centre will benefit them so much more. Call us any time if you want to discuss. The Future To: thefuture@ai.com From: Scott.Farquhar@atlassian.com This is property theft. This is communism. To: Scott.Farquhar@atlassian.com From: thefuture@ai.com Dear Scott, Property theft again. We note your thoughts on communism from the 7.30 interview when you were asked how you would feel if Atlassians software had been ripped off: If someone had used my intellectual property to compete with me, then that is an issue. If they had used all the intellectual property of all the software in the world to help all the people in the world to write better software in the future, I think that is fair use. Were delighted to inform you that our data centre will transform Uig Lodge for the benefit of all the people in the world in the future, so we can only assume that you use communism as a compliment. Maybe we could catch up for a coffee! The Future To: thefuture@ai.com From: Scott.Farquhar@atlassian.com You want to take us back to the past. To: Scott.Farquhar@atlassian.com From: thepast@ai.com CC: thefuture@ai.com Dear Scott, We old-timers have a phrase to describe the attitude of your kind: Whats yours is mine and whats mines me own. BTW, from our vantage point, AI doesnt look artificial or intelligent. We call it RA: Real Authority. Best wishes, The Past To: thepast@ai.com From: Scott.Farquhar@atlassian.com If it was down to your kind wed never have got beyond horses and carts. To: Scott.Farquhar@atlassian.com From: thepast@ai.com CC: thefuture@ai.com Dear Scott, Henry Ford would have had little incentive to develop the Model T if he couldnt register it as his intellectual property. Do you still think governments should move fast to remove regulatory barriers to new ways of working, as you told the Press Club, or do you want laws to protect you now? The Past To: thefuture@ai.com From: Scott.Farquhar@atlassian.com Youre taking my words out of context. Youre taking the piss. Youre a piss-bot, arent you? To: Scott.Farquhar@atlassian.com From: thefuture@ai.com Your words arent your property, Scott. Nor is your land. As for satirically using your words to expose your double standards, you said it yourself, Scott, on 7.30: Of course we can. Advertisement InspirationAustralia How to see this iconic national park (without the mud or leeches) Julie Miller August 16, 2025 5:00am Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles 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 Last summer, my Instagram feed was brimming with images of the Overland Track, as intrepid friends embarked on Tasmanias epic multi-day hike. Incredible alpine scenery, dramatic changes in weather conditions, much appreciated pit-stops and pride of achievement fuelled my FOMO though not so much the reported mud, blisters and those creepiest of crawlies, leeches all seemingly unavoidable elements of life on the trail. Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park: natural wonderland. With a booking system offering just 34 places for independent walkers a day during peak season, between October and May, this six-day, 65-kilometre hike linking Cradle Mountain with Lake St Clair must be arranged well in advance, and is often fully booked. Fortunately for those who dont secure a booking or who are lightweight, leech-averse hikers like myself there are plenty of less daunting alternatives for experiencing the natural wonderland that is Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Located in the heart of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, this 1614-square-kilometre national park has two access points: Lake St Clair (Leeawuleena) in the south, and the more popular northern entrance near Cradle Mountain, a leisurely two-and-a-bit hour drive from Launceston (or longer, if you linger over the gourmet farmgate offerings on the Tasting Trail stretching across northern Tasmania). Advertisement With just three days to explore the region, Im basing myself at Discovery Parks Cradle Mountain Holiday Park, one of a cluster of accommodation options near the Cradle Mountain entrance. Established in 1988, this property, nestled in the forest on a long-term National Park lease, has flipped the script on the traditional holiday park concept; while it still offers camping, caravan sites and budget cabins, its also venturing into the luxury market with new Premium Mountain cabins. Out and about in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Jess Bonde With floor-to-ceiling windows that embrace nature, a kitchen equipped with Smeg appliances, a soaking tub (some with forest views) and underfloor heating, these new tiny houses are stylish and romantic, with niceties such as complimentary Josef Chromy cuvee and a selection of Ashgrove cheeses to bring home the honeymoon vibe. The Discovery Park is also a convenient short walk from the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre, where you can buy Park Passes, get information on walks and activities and purchase a $15 three-day shuttle ticket (there is no private vehicle access to the park during daylight hours). For hikers embarking on the Overland Track, the shuttle is included with their booking fee, with Ronny Creek the drop-off point. Most day visitors, however, continue onto Dove Lake, a glacial lake of heart-wrenching beauty that lies under the misty gaze of the distinctive saddle-backed Cradle Mountain. Advertisement A 5.7-kilometre track, largely on an elevated boardwalk protecting sensitive flora, circumnavigates the sparkling lake, passing through varied terrain from scrubby button grass to cool temperate rainforest where endemic King Billy pines and lichen-swathed myrtles reach for daylight. During early summer, blood-red Tasmanian waratahs add a splash of colour, while sandy beaches offer tranquil moments of respite to dip the toes and soak in the views. A Premium Mountain cabin at Discovery Parks Cradle Mountain. On the north-west shores of Dove Lake, an old wooden boatshed, constructed from King Billy pine in 1940, presents the hikes most photogenic moment, the craggy peaks of the mountain reflected in the still waters behind the weathered grey shed. Out on the water, a flotilla of handsome wooden kayaks harks back to the boatsheds original purpose, when it housed rowboats hired out to tourists for use on the lake. Today, adventure company Cradle Mountain Canyons holds the only licence for watercraft on the lake, with guided two-hour kayaking excursions offering a unique perspective of the unforgettable vistas. But its the kayaks themselves that give a real sense of place: hand-built over hundreds of hours by owner and guide Anthony OHern from recycled King Billy pine, a light and strong timber that can no longer be harvested from the wild. Advertisement After paddling across the mirrored lake beneath the shadow of the mist-covered peaks of Cradle Mountain, our kayaking group pauses on the rocky shoreline for a warming cup of tea, before taking a short walk to the Ballroom Forest to view living King Billy pines, some more than 1500 years old. It was recently discovered that the closest relative to the genus of the King Billy which also includes the pencil pine and laxifolia is the giant redwood in America, OHern says. Kayaking Dove Lake. Nick Hansen Were always saying in Tassie: Weve got the oldest and tallest trees in the world apart from the redwoods in California. And it turns out that that special tree and our special tree are long-lost ancestors. Timeless though Cradle Mountains vistas and flora may be, its weather is fickle and moody, changing in the blink of an eye. As the heavens open, we make a hasty retreat to the log fire in the Tavern Bar at Cradle Mountain Lodge, taking in a casual bistro lunch and a glass of Tasmanian pinot noir over a game of pool. Advertisement With hiking plans stymied, we instead spend the afternoon indoors, wandering through nine rooms of art at the Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery. Celebrating the stories and creatives of Tasmania, its exhibitions range from dazzling photographs of the dancing lights of Aurora Australis, to intriguing ceramic sculptures inspired by the mosses and fungi of Cradle Mountains forests, created by local artist Christie Lange. As evening falls, we prepare for a date with some of Tasmanias most charismatic nocturnal creatures. Located just before the boundary of the National Park, the Devils@Cradle sanctuary is a conservation centre for Australias three largest carnivorous marsupials spotted-tail quolls, eastern quolls and Tasmanian devils with a captive breeding program ensuring the survival of these elusive, endangered species. A curious Tasmanian devil on location. Tourism Tasmania/Sarajayne Lada Weve joined an After Dark Feeding tour, learning about the animals while they are at their most active and voracious. And just like the crazed, whirling dervishes made famous by Looney Tunes, the enraged little devils tear into chunks of wallaby thigh with bloodcurdling aggression, banshee-like shrieks and guttural growls echoing through the forest. But then I look down and see something even more terrifying a leech has launched itself onto my hand, squirming in its quest for fresh blood. With a screech matching the Tasmanian devils, I flick the disgusting little sucker off, my quick action preventing it from latching onto my flesh. Advertisement Advertisement TOUR Dove Lake Kayaks, two to three hour tours from $170 adults or $580 family of four. Tours run from November to April. See cradlemountaincanyons.com.au Devils@Cradle is open daily, except Christmas Day. General entry to the sanctuary with a Day Keeper Tour, from $25 adults, $15 children. After Dark Feeding Tours (including general entry), $37.50 adults, $20 children. See devilsatcradle.com MORE discovertasmania.com.au The writer was a guest of Discovery Parks. Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now. Traveller Guides From a distance, you might be fooled into thinking this rare Chinese antelope is real until it starts walking, when its rigid gait betrays it as motor and metal masquerading as flesh and blood. But luckily this doesnt seem to put off the herds of real animals on the rugged tundra where the robot ungulate has been deployed. The Xinhua news agency reported that, having successfully joined a group, the cyber antelope is doing its job of gathering valuable information about the migration, feeding and mating behaviours of the endangered species endemic to Tibet. Developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Hangzhou-based DEEP Robotics, the robot antelope is equipped with 5G connectivity and artificial intelligence vision systems, enabling real-time monitoring of its environment. 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 Directly across the street from the civic centre in downtown Anchorage, where the worlds media awaits Saturdays meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the homely Dark Horse cafe is doing a roaring trade. On Thursday, the door rarely stops opening. All the better for mum-and-daughter operators Karin and Jessica Johnson, who have an I Stand With Ukraine banner affixed to the cafes patio. Everyone knows where we stand, says Jessica, a third-generation born-and-raised Alaskan. Karin and Jessica Johnson run the Dark Horse cafe in downtown Anchorage, where they proudly display their support for Ukraine. Credit: Michael Koziol Its just a little disturbing, says mum Karin. I just dont think its honourable to leave the people of Ukraine hanging, and to not have Ukraine involved in any discussions about peace. Jessica says she doesnt know any locals who are excited about Russian President Vladimir Putins visit. I dont trust his intentions, and I just dont know how I feel about having an [alleged] war criminal in my state. Karin says the US has elected a convicted criminal, so perhaps its not a surprise. Advertisement In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for the alleged war crime of taking Ukrainian children into Russia. The meeting is, arguably, the biggest thing to happen in this city of fewer than 300,000 people since the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964, save perhaps Richard Nixon welcoming Japans Emperor Hirohito to the US here in 1971. That event, the first time a reigning Japanese monarch had set foot on foreign soil, was broadcast around the world, as Trump and Putins encounter inevitably will be. But there is much more riding on this. At stake is the future of the Ukrainian people, and the worlds tolerance for a Russian campaign of aggression that has appalled the global community for years. Now, the instigator of that war will come face to face with the man who believes he is uniquely positioned to end it but who has, so far, failed at the task. The one-day summit at Elmendorf Air Force Base is a massive logistical undertaking on short notice. I want Trump to look into Putins eyes, see his soul and realise that he cant be negotiated with. Julian Hayda, Razom for Ukraine Advertisement Anchorage is groaning under the weight of the attention (on top of high-season tourism); hotels are full, hire cars are impossible to get, and flights to this isolated part of the world are more expensive than usual. The US president is playing down expectations, describing the encounter as a means of gauging Putins intent. This meeting sets up the second meeting. Its like a chess game, he said on Friday (AEST). The second meeting, involving Zelensky, would be where details of the give and take are thrashed out. I dont want to use the word divvy things up, but to a certain extent its not a bad term, Trump said. But there was a one in four chance the first meeting would fail, he said, in which case he had warned of severe consequences. Members of the media assemble near the airbase entrance in Anchorage the day before the summit. Credit: Bloomberg At the Dark Horse, I meet Ostap Yarysh and Julian Hayda from the Ukrainian charity Razom (Together) for Ukraine. They have been putting up signs around Anchorage and are heading to a number of protests planned for the coming 24 hours. While they are sceptical about the summit, they hope it may lead Trump to finally conclude Putin is not serious about ending the war, or that Trump might insist upon the return of an estimated 20,000 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. In 2001, George W. Bush famously said he looked Putin in the eye and was able to get a sense of his soul. Julian Hayda (left) and Ostap Yarysh from the Ukrainian charity Razom for Ukraine. They are in Anchorage ahead of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putins meeting. Credit: Michael Koziol Advertisement I want Trump to look into Putins eyes, see his soul and realise that he cant be negotiated with, Hayda says. The Ukrainian activists also note we are speaking on August 14, the anniversary of the 1784 Awauq massacre, when Russian fur traders killed hundreds of indigenous Alaskans near Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Some estimates put the death toll in the thousands. At their closest point in the Bering Strait, mainland Alaska and the Russian Far East are less than 100 kilometres apart. Of course, these are largely uninhabited areas in some of the harshest conditions on the planet. Alaska was Russian territory until 1867, when it was sold to the US. It didnt become a state until 1959. Putin enjoyed convivial relations with former US president George W. Bush. Credit: AP People here learn their history, says Hayda. They learn that this was a Russian colony. They know what kind of atrocities Russia has previously committed, especially to the indigenous population here. To see that happening again in 2025 is, I think, deeply personal to a lot of Alaskans, and its resonant in a way that it isnt to many Americans. So to have this [alleged] war criminal fall from the sky in the middle of Anchorage is not lost on people. A poster displayed in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, ahead of the summit. Credit: Bloomberg Advertisement Others are not so sure. I speak to Gunnar Knapp, an emeritus economics professor at the University of Alaska, who wrote a letter to the Anchorage Daily News condemning Trumps decision to welcome this evil man to US territory and give him a propaganda platform for his lies. Knapp said he would usually be excited to see Alaska host a meeting between the president and a world leader. Normally, Alaskans thrive on this kind of attention, he says. Its kind of a big deal. This time, there are protests and unease. But Knapp is not convinced most people care. He estimates the number of people who know much about Russias history in Alaska, or think about it, is tiny. And Alaska is a solid red state; it voted for Trump three times, and its two senators and one congressman are all Republicans. The protest outside a shopping mall in Anchorage on Thursday afternoon, local time. Credit: AP Theres going to be a very large number of Alaskans who think: Wow, Trump, our hero, is coming to the state. They are clueless about the broader international context and risks of this meeting, says Knapp. Meanwhile, Knapps European friends are contacting him about their fear of what may transpire in his home town. This is not what I welcome Alaska being known for, he says. On Thursday afternoon, up to 1000 pro-Ukraine, anti-Trump protesters lined a busy highway intersection just south of the city centre, waving Ukrainian flags, holding provocative signs and eliciting a chorus of honks from passing motorists. Advertisement Washington: US first lady Melania Trump has demanded that Hunter Biden retract comments linking her to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and threatened to sue for $US1 billion ($1.5 billion) if he does not. Trump has taken issue with comments Biden son of former president Joe made in an interview last month with American journalist Andrew Callaghan, in which he alleged that Epstein introduced the first lady to now-President Donald Trump. US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump in June. Credit: AP The statements are false, defamatory and extremely salacious, Melania Trumps lawyer, Alejandro Brito, wrote in a letter to Biden, dated August 6. Bidens remarks were widely disseminated on social media and reported by media outlets around the world, causing the first lady to suffer overwhelming financial and reputational harm, he wrote. But managing the piece has also turned into something of a job for Sanborn, who is based on an island in Chesapeake Bay, on the east coast of the United States. He has fielded tens of thousands of messages from would-be code breakers, which he says have surged amid meaningless AI-generated decryptions, and even instated a $US50 fee for guesses to try to slow the submissions. These days, he is working on an AI-powered phone line that will respond to callers potential solutions, possibly using his voice. Loading And thats just the bureaucratic side. There can be an addiction in some people, he said. I try to talk them out of it as best I can ... Sometimes it ends well and sometimes it ends very badly. With Kryptos final passage remaining unsolved, the piece could be understood as a kind of monument to secrecy, or a performance piece, starring Sanborn himself. In a news release about the auction, he noted he now clearly understood the burden of keeping secrets. Peter Krapp, a film and media studies professor who studies the culture of secret communications and cryptological history at the University of California at Irvine, lamented the idea of privatising the solution through an auction, calling it both sad and logical. The knowledge that went into the piece ought to be shared, not withheld especially considering that other people, not just Sanborn, contributed to the making of Kryptos, he wrote in an email. The CIA commissioned Kryptos in the 80s as a part of an art program that Sanborn says aimed to soften the agencys image, which had been damaged by revelations of Cold War abuses and a critical Senate investigation. Krapp says the work has become a publicity coup for the CIA, the public image of which has become tied to the artwork. The piece had fascinated all kinds of people, who seem to have little in common beyond an interest in cryptography, Krapp said. Some see it as a battle of wits, some as a test for their software, some as a hobby that keeps them engaged with cryptology after their active career at the bleeding edge has come to an end. Krapp said he was amazed at how Sanborn was capable of keeping these enthusiasts interest in his work burning bright, but without revealing anything that would ruin their search. Hardly a cryptographer himself, Sanborn has been an unlikely steward of Kryptos from the beginning, noting with a laugh that he was tutored in maths every summer to be able to get a D. Still, he had a passion for spy novels and when planning a piece for the Langley headquarters, he wanted to create a work that could hold its own in that environment, both conceptually and physically, he said. The physical work had required a huge amount of blood and treasure that nearly bankrupted him, Sanborn said. He recalled hauling many, many tons of stone into the CIA courtyard through standard sliding doors on nights and weekends and spending 2 years going through nine different assistants to carve more than 1700 characters into the surface of the work. The final piece consists of petrified wood supporting a wave-shaped copper screen, which stretches around a pool of water, a peaceful design that is meant to stir contemplation. For the conceptual side, Sanborn teamed up with Ed Scheidt, then the retiring chairman of the CIAs Cryptographic Centre, who spent months designing systems for encryption that Sanborn then adapted to hide his messages. Former CIA director William H. Webster in 2002. Credit: AP The first two portions of the piece are considered easy enough for almost anyone who has studied basic cryptography to decode. K1 translates to: Between subtle shading and the absence of light lies the nuance of iqlusion an intentional misspelling. The second passage, which is longer, describes buried information and suggests WW believed to be William H. Webster, the recently deceased former director of the CIA knew where it was. The third portion, considered much more advanced, is a passage from the diary of British archaeologist Howard Carter that describes opening up King Tuts tomb. The fourth has, of course, yet to be cracked, and thats not the end. K5 is going to be somewhat inscrutable as well, Sanborn said cryptically in the interview. Asked if hes referring to more characters that will need to be decoded, he replied, Well, I cant say now, can I? Loading Klaus Schmeh, an expert on the history of encryption, calls the progressing difficulty of the various portions a clever strategy to drive interest in the work. Both the solved parts and the remaining mystery make this cryptogram attractive for puzzlers and the media, he wrote in an email. He said hed like to see it finally solved, so perhaps, other mysteries of this kind would then receive more attention. Sanborn has gone back and forth on whether hes rooting for his code to fall. He mused to CNN in 2020 that he wouldnt be distraught if it ended tomorrow. But, in a conversation about the auction earlier this week, he appeared more sentimental. Pretar Harris to lead Housing Australias More Homes arm Following a comprehensive market search, Pretar Caroline Harris (pictured right) has been named chief investment officer, More Homes. In this role, she will lead teams responsible for designing, delivering, and managing funding solutions that help partners increase the supply of social and affordable housing. Affordability, supply, and shifting priorities From soaring rental prices to limited housing supply, the challenge of securing housing is forcing many Australians to delay or abandon plans to move. The report noted that housing availability was a defining topic in this years federal election and has become a social and generational concern that touches every household. A leap of faith leads to a career-defining challenge When Seccull returned to Melbourne in early 2004 after two years in Southern California with his wife and three children, he was ready for a change. A friend had introduced him to mortgage broking before he left Australia, and the idea of working for himself had stuck. CARLOW-Kilkenny TD Natasha Newsome Drennan has criticised the government over record energy arrears affecting more than 300,000 households nationwide. The number of Irish households in energy debt has reached an all-time high of 301,379, according to new figures obtained by Sinn Fein, prompting Carlow-Kilkenny deputy to condemn government inaction on the cost-of-living crisis. The Sinn Fein TD said the record arrears figure, compiled by party MEP Lynn Boylan, highlighted the governments failure to address spiralling energy costs affecting families across Carlow and beyond. New figures obtained by Sinn Fein MEP Lynn Boylan show a record 301,379 households are in energy arrears, the highest number ever recorded, Ms Newsome Drennan said. The TD, who represents the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency since her election in 2024, criticised planned network cost increases for households while data centres receive cuts. The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is preparing to hike the network costs that you have to pay, but to cut them for data centres, she said. Ms Newsome Drennan argued that data centres are hoarding more and more of the energy we produce, stalling the delivery of badly needed homes and putting our grid under real pressure. The criticism comes as energy supplier Flogas increased prices by 7% last week (set to take effect towards the end of August). In February, Flogas CEO publicly stated that he planned to deliver our strategy to double profit. While Flogas doesnt report profits directly, its parent company DCC Plc recorded profits of 617.5m (713m) in the year to March 2025. Big energy companies like Flogas are intent on continuing to jack up their energy prices, all while raking in eye-watering profits, the Carlow TD said. Ms Newsome Drennan dismissed the governments energy taskforce as another talking shop to waste taxpayers money, noting that the previous government had already launched a similar steering group. She called for immediate action in Septembers budget, including energy credits and extending reduced VAT on electricity and gas bills until the end of the year. This government needs to step up and tackle these issues, she said. Septembers budget must include energy credits as part of a cost-of-living package to reduce the pressure households are facing. I HAVE come to the conclusion that I may be a racist without knowing it. Sounds stupid, doesnt it, but last week I read something which got my blood boiling, leading me to that thought. It revolves around asylum seekers. On the face of it, you would think any right-thinking person would be in favour of helping those in trouble, especially if it was a life-or-death situation. Irish people have never been found wanting in that regard. We contribute more per head of population than anywhere else in the world whenever there is a crisis and gladly accepted people coming to these shores looking for help. But, as we all know, that friendly welcome is beginning to wear thin. Please dont mix up my opening statement as a means of condoning what happened to a young person from India a couple of weeks ago, who was savagely beaten and left with severe injuries by a few local yobbos from Tallaght, just because the colour of that young mans skin was different from theirs. That young man had to pay thousands of euros to come to this country and was doing so in the hope of earning a decent living for himself and, perhaps, improving the lot of his family back in his home country. All sounds very familiar to what the Irish did for years when young people from here couldnt find a decent job at home and instead headed for England, the USA or Australia in search of a better life and the chance to send some money back home. I spoke to a young Indian from Goa, now working in the hospitality industry in Ireland, who paid an agent in India several thousand euro just to get the proper documentation to work in Ireland and who faces a further bill of nearly 10,000 to get similar documentation for his wife and two children to join him here. But he is prepared to do that because, even though the hospitality industry here is not a particularly well-paying sector, it pays an awful lot more than what he can earn back in Goa. When I say that I think I may be a racist and find my blood boiling, I was referring specifically to a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union which could result in the state us, the Irish people facing compensation claims from hundreds of asylum seekers left homeless after being denied accommodation by the authorities. The judgment stems from two test cases brought before the High Court by men seeking international protection, who alleged the government breached their rights under the EU Reception Conditions Directive and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Both men applied for asylum in 2023, but the state denied them accommodation. Each were issued with a 25 voucher and were deemed ineligible for the standard daily allowance, which left them sleeping rough in Dublin. I remember it well: tent villages popped up all over the place as the state struggled to manage the influx of asylum seekers turning up at the International Protection Office on Lower Mount Street. For some strange reason, the majority of the people coming into this country didnt appear to have come through the ports or airports, where they could have registered, but came by train from Northern Ireland. One stipulation when seeking international protection is that you do so at your first point of entry. As we discovered when thousands started turning up in Ireland, many of those had, in fact, originally got off a plane or boat in the UK, but then, thanks to a decision by the UK government to ship asylum seekers to Rwanda, they packed their bags and headed for Ireland. Here are a few hard facts about how much we have spent taking care of asylum seekers and others in the recent past. Last year, the Irish government spent a total of 1 billion on accommodation and other associated costs on asylum seekers and people from Ukraine fleeing war. For the first three months of this year, that figure was over 400 million, so I dont think any right-thinking person could say we are failing to look after people. We are doing the best we can. The government has even gone so far as to purchase CityWest Hotel for 148 million because it believes it will get better value for money doing that than leasing it from its owners, who, by the way, got 70 million for running the establishment last year alone. A further 9 million was paid out last year to the owners of Mosney holiday village to accommodate asylum seekers, and next on the list as highest earners was the Holiday Inn Hotel at Dublin Airport at more than 8 million. Granted, not everyone was taken care of, but Irish-born people who have lived here all their lives are equally struggling and, sadly, some of those people find themselves homeless. Homelessness existed in this country long before we were given annual figures for asylum seekers looking for assistance. Last year alone, that number was 32,934, including children. Im sure we would all like to see every last one of those people, provided they are genuine cases, housed, fed and taken care of, but thats like looking for Utopia and we all know that doesnt exist. Let me stress again, irrespective of what we spend or who gets what or who is short of something, no-one has the right to attack anyone else because of their ethnicity, but I do find it a little strange that someone looking for asylum knew about the EU Reception Conditions Directive or the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Im often amazed how some people always seem to know their rights and what they are entitled to. Chinese airports experience surging passenger traffic during summer peak 10:34, August 15, 2025 By Tu Lei ( Global Times Tourists take photos at the "desert gate" scenic area in Alaer, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 12, 2025. The "desert gate" scenic area, covering an area of 14 hectares, receives an average of 600,000 visits annually. (Xinhua/Liu Jiaqi) China's airports are witnessing robust growth in both inbound and outbound passenger traffic amid the summer travel boom, fueled by surging travel demand. As of Wednesday, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport's overseas passenger volume exceeded 2 million, reaching the 2 million target 50 days ahead of schedule compared with 2024 and ranking ninth among cities nationwide, the airport told the Global Times on Thursday. Since the summer travel season began, the airport's international passenger volume has shown strong growth, with a significant year-on-year increase of 28 percent, the company said. As of Wednesday, the total number of people entering and leaving Beijing's ports this year exceeded 13 million, an increase of 18.7 percent year-on-year. Among them, the number of foreigners entering and leaving the country reached 3.677 million, an increase of nearly 36 percent year-on-year, accounting for 28.3 percent of the total number of people entering and leaving the country, CCTV reported. Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport has reported sustained high passenger flows since the summer travel season began in July. According to the airport's information, it handled a total of 304,000 inbound and outbound passengers from July 1 to 31, a monthly record since the resumption of international and regional flights, reported thepaper.cn on August 7. China has experienced a notable rise in inbound tourists, largely attributable to its liberalized visa policies, particularly the significant expansion of its visa-exemption programs. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), China has introduced unilateral visa-free entry and mutual visa exemption agreements with 75 countries as part of its efforts to streamline visa rules and promote international exchanges, and the number of countries eligible for visa-free transit to China has increased to 55, while the number of entry ports has expanded to 60 across 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Many foreign visitors have gained a true and full understanding of China through their firsthand experiences, said Wang Zhizhong, head of the National Immigration Administration (NIA), at a press conference on July 30. While Beijing and Shanghai continue to see a rebound in international visitors, many foreign tourists are now exploring beyond traditional hot spots, opting for smaller cities and boutique B&Bs. This shift has propelled lesser-known destinations into the spotlight. This summer, international travelers have visited 253 Chinese cities, with accommodations in Yunnan's Baoshan and Xinjiang's Turpan experiencing particularly strong demand. Bookings in both more than doubled year-on-year, data that Tujia, a Chinese online platform for booking shared accommodations, sent to the Global Times on Wednesday. China saw a surge in inbound consumption following a refund-upon-purchase service model, allowing eligible tourists to receive tax refunds instantly at retail outlets rather than waiting until they leave the country. In June and July, the number and amount of payments made by foreigners in China by binding international bank cards through WeChat Pay nearly tripled year-on-year, WeChat Pay said in a note sent to the Global Times on Thursday. Foreign nationals made a total of 38.05 million trips to or from China in the first six months of the year, which was an increase of 30.2 percent year-on-year, the NIA said on July 16. Of the trips, 13.64 million were visa-free entries, an increase of 53.9 percent, the NIA said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Middle Valley Church of God, located at 1703 Thrasher Pike in Hixson, announces that Pastor Mitch McClure will be preaching on Sunday, August 17, in the 10:30 a.m.service. His topic will be 'All He Wants To Do Is Get Us To God.' The purpose of the sermon is to lead all Believers to know that the role of the Holy Spirit is to draw us to Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ we have access to God the Father. His purpose is to get us to the Father and redemption. All are welcome to participate. Each Sunday at 5:30 p.m. the church conducts a Prayer Meeting. The Prayer Meeting is open to all who wish to participate and is designed to encourage prayer. Information on various methods of prayer will be shared with participants. The goal of this prayer meeting is to encourage Believers to seek God through prayer. All are welcome to participate. Each Wednesday at 7 p.m., an Interactive, Interesting, and Informative Bible Study will be held in the church auditorium. Pastor Mitch McClure is currently leading this Bible study that deals with the Rapture of Believers. All are welcome to participate. The goal of this Bible study is to encourage Believers to study the Bible and discuss with others, making the Scripture their guide. Middle Valley Church of God is a community focused church with various ministries in the Middle Valley area and in Cusuna, Honduras. The community is welcome to join in times of worship and community service. MVCOG has been ministering in the Middle Valley Community since 1948 from the same location. If you have questions, please contact the church office at 423.843.1539. All are welcome. Please note that MVCOG will make public announcements about dangerous road conditions and cancellations. Postings about cancellations will be made on the church Facebook page. Please look there for information. WTCI PBS announced the election of Dr. Jeffrey Gefter as the new chair of its board of directors. Dr. Gefter will lead the Greater Chattanooga Public Television Corporation Board of Directors, the governing board of WTCI PBS. Also joining Dr. Gefter on the 2025-2026 Executive Committee are: David Martin, vice-chair Cole Powell, treasurer Kimberly Biddy, secretary Cindy Todd, past chair Agnes Richmond, chair of the Development Committee Bob Culkeen, president and CEO Dr. Gefter is a respected radiation oncologist who has practiced in the Chattanooga community since the early 1980s. He previously served on the faculty at the University of Florida in radiation oncology before moving to Chattanooga to help develop cancer treatment centers at several of the regions hospitals. He was instrumental in spearheading the transition to full-service oncology programs, which are recognized by national oversight commissions. A former member of the National Childrens Oncology Group (COG), of which he remains an emeritus member, Dr. Gefter is currently semi-retired and continues to work part-time with a local oncology group. In recognition of his work, he received the Life Inspiration Award from the American Cancer Society of Chattanooga in 2017, and was honored at Erlanger Foundations Dinner of Distinction in 2024 for his enduring commitment to improving the communitys health and demonstrating unquestionable character and human compassion. "I am honored to take on this role and want to extend my deepest thanks to Cindy Todd, the immediate past board chair, for her effective leadership and organizational strength," said Dr. Gefter. "I also want to recognize Bob Culkeen, WTCIs president and CEO, for his remarkable visionary leadership. The recent rescission by Congress, which claws back already appropriated funds, creates a challenging landscape for public media. I am pleased to be able to support Bob during this time. He is a leader with the necessary skills to navigate the challenges facing this extraordinary community asset." WTCI President Bob Culkeen thanked Cindy Todd and welcomed Dr. Gefter, saying, The WTCI Board of Directors are key contributors to our organization's successes. It is an honor to work with such a talented group of volunteers and outstanding individuals. We look forward to Dr. Gefter leading the Board and to another great year of service to the Greater Chattanooga community. In addition to the Executive Committee, serving on the 2025-2026 WTCI Board of Directors are Kenny Andejeski, Deborah Arfken, Ed.D, David Barrett, Kimberly Biddy, Jo Coke, Michael Costa, Steve Gatlin, Yousef Hamadeh, Kerry Hayes, Paula Henderson, Leslie Kahana, Sarah Moore, Chloe Morrison, Florence Pipkins, Adam Schreader, Martin Trimiew, Edna Varner Ed.D, Cynthia Wilson, and Anna Harrington, Chair of the Community Advisory Board (CAB). photo by Chattanooga Fire Department photo by Chattanooga Fire Department photo by Chattanooga Fire Department Drone flight path provided by CPD Drone Unitpan Previous Next Chattanooga Police and Fire Departments recovered the body of a man who entered a fast-moving, flooded creek in the 7600 block of East Brainerd Road late Tuesday night.At approximately 9:10 p.m. on Tuesday, Chattanooga firefighters witnessed the man run past safety barricades and yellow tape that had been placed due to flash flooding. Despite repeated verbal commands to stop, the man continued, fell into the fast-moving creek, and was carried under the roadway through a culvert. Crews searched for hours that night, but were unable to locate him.The search resumed the following morning with additional personnel and resources.CPDs drone unit provided aerial coverage to help narrow the search area and guide ground crews, including Bradley Countys K-9 Unit."Drones are a critical tool for CPD, allowing teams to quickly cover larger areas while reducing risks to first responders working around floodwaters, heavy debris and dense vegetation," officials said. "In this case, search capabilities had been limited due to continuously rising floodwaters and heavy debris in the creek and along the edges."The mans body was later located by Chattanooga Fire personnel and the Bradley County K-9 Unit. CPD Homicide and Crime Scene investigators responded and found no evidence of foul play. Preliminary findings indicate the mans death was the result of accidental drowning. The official cause and manner of death will be determined by the Hamilton County Medical Examiners Office. The Honorable Judge Walter F. Williams was born on July 20, 1952, and passed from this life into the next on August 8, 2025. He was born to Velma Lee, growing up in the Westside Housing Projects and by all accounts was a highly intelligent and precocious child. At the age of 7, he announced that he wanted to become a judge in a time before the Civil Rights Act. He admired his Uncle John Housch who was a practicing attorney in Washington, DC. Growing up, he was encouraged to make a goal of working at the steel plant or one of the local foundries, but he had his own ambitions. He graduated at the top of his class from Howard High School in Chattanooga, in 1970. While he earned scholarships, he worked his way through Morehouse College where he pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Alpha Rho Chapter. He earned Phi Beta Kappa and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and double majored in Political Science and Business in 1974. While a student at Howard Law School in Washington D.C., he received a certificate in Drug Abuse Counseling from the University of Miami School of Medicine through a U.S. Office of Education sponsored summer program. In 1977, he was awarded a Juris Doctor Degree from Howard University School of Law, where he graduated with honors and was an Earl Warren Fellow. On June 4, 1977, he married his college sweetheart, Gwendolyn McIntosh, whom he met in 1972 at the Regional Conference for Alpha Phi Alpha in Greensboro, N.C., where she was Miss Black and Gold for the Alabama District. He volunteered to be her escort and started what was to be a 48 year marriage. He first practiced law with the Internal Revenue Services Regional Counsel Office in Atlanta, from 1977 to 1980. In 1980, he became a partner in Chattanoogas first all black law firm of McClarty & Williams, where he primarily handled personal injury, corporate, estate and municipal law cases. He also taught for eight years as a full-time assistant professor of Marketing & Business Law at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In 1991, he achieved his lifelong dream of winning his first political race, obtaining 56% of the vote, and was elected Judge of the City of Chattanooga for a term of eight years. His judicial no- nonsense approach and unusual alternative sentencing gained him national attention along with numerous awards and honors. He was featured on the initial segment of CBSs Street Stories hosted by Ed Bradley; and has appeared on CNN, the 700 Club, and in JET, Newsweek, Reader's Digest, Southern Living, and other publications. His life motto comes from an old song, If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in vain. True to his belief that education is the key to success, Judge Williams proudly reported that more than 893 defendants obtained their G.E.D. since he took office, with an additional 500 still under the Judges mandate to do so at the time of his retirement. He was instrumental in directing more than 300 students to further their education at Chattanooga State Technical College, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and other schools and universities. Records in Chattanooga City Court also show that in a two-year period of time, Judge Williams reduced the number of repeat offenders in his court by 50% and assisted a number of people in obtaining employment. City records show that Judge Williams modernization and hard work increased excess revenues, above expenses, from $500,000 in 1991 to more than 1.3 million dollars in 1999. Judge Williams created the first Environmental Court docket in Chattanooga to assist in cleaning up the city. In less than two years, the City of Chattanooga boasted an increase in compliance with code regulations from 30% to 86% as a result of his strong and deliberate actions in the Environmental Court docket. In March 1999, Judge Williams was re-elected to a second eight-year term; this time, capturing 70% of the vote and turned back challenges of two lawyers who sought to unseat him. Judge Williams decided to retire from the bench in 2003 and return to private practice after serving 12 years on the bench and having accrued 18 years of service with the City of Chattanooga. He served as a senior partner in the law firm McKoon, Williams, Atchley & Stulce, PLLC until he retired from private practice in August, 2015. Active in numerous community organizations, some of Judge Williams former board memberships include: The Tennessee Aquarium, Valley Capital Corporation, The Ronald McDonald House, Friendship Haven Home For the Elderly and the Baylor School Parents Council. He was elected Chairman of the Board of the Westside Community Development Corporation. He also served a number of years as Chairman and member of the Board of Trustees of the Hamilton County Governmental Law Library. He is a Life and Thousandaire Member of the Morehouse College National Alumni Association. Most recently, he was elected Board Chair for Kingdom Partners. Strong in his religious convictions, he was a deacon at First Baptist Church on East Eighth Street. He also served on the Board of St. Barnabas Nursing Home and Retirement Apartments, where he was on the capital campaign and strategic planning committees. He served as the Chairman of the Scholarship Committee of the 100 Black Men of Chattanooga, having served in this position for 11 years guiding more than $250,000 in scholarship awards. He holds membership in a number of organizations, including, but not limited to, Sigma Pi Phi (Boule) where he was a charter member, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Morehouse Alumni Association Chattanooga Chapter, 100 Black Men of Chattanooga, National Bar Association (Judicial Council), American Bar Association (Judicial Council), Tennessee Bar Association, Chattanooga Bar Association and S.L. Hutchins Bar Association. He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Florence Housch Lee and mother, Velma Lee Barnes. He is survived by his loving wife Gwendolyn, daughters Hillary and Heather, grandson Trey, brother Jackie (Pinky), sister-in-law Gracie Guerry, brother-in-law Ronald (Patricia) McIntosh and a host of amazing, wonderful and glorious nieces, nephews, cousins, and other loved ones, as well as the members of his beloved community. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to the Judge Walter F. Williams, 74, Endowed Scholarship Fund at Morehouse College. Contributions may be sent to: Morehouse College, Office of Institutional Advancement, 830 Westview Drive SW Atlanta, Ga. 30314. Public viewing will be held at the funeral home on Tuesday, Aug. 19, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the First Baptist Church, 506 East Eighth Street, Chattanooga, Tn. 37403, officiated by Rev. Dr. William Terry Ladd, III. The Rhea County Board of Education honored the Best Buddies club of the Rhea County High School for their winning Chapter of the Year and for Andrea Kirkman for Advisor of the Year.Dr. Amie Lonas, director of schools, presented Mrs. Kirkman, along with her club ambassador and group of officers, awards of recognition for their achievements.Mrs. Kirkman said the chapter started at Rhea County High School back in 1989. So far, the last three years they have won Chapter of the Year, and in 2022-23 school year won International Chapter of the year.Officials said, "Best Buddies matches students with students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.Best Buddies creates relationships between people with and without IDD, offering social mentoring while improving the quality of life and level of inclusion."Best Buddies will have a get together this Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. in the lobby of the Rhea County High School to celebrate their achievements. The Rhea County Commisson had made Aug. 17 Best Buddies Day in Rhea County a couple of years ago.In other board action, next Tuesday has been set as a special called workshop starting at 5 p.m. and a special called meeting of the board following at 6 p.m. to discuss and changes to 20 of the board policies, ranging from district records and goals to employee of retirees and use of wireless communication devices at school.The board also moved the September and October board meetings to avoid conflicts with other events. The September meeting will be moved to Sept. 4, with the workshop starting at 5 p.m. and the meeting at 6 p.m., to avoid conflict with the Tennessee State Schoolboard Association meeting scheduled for Sept. 11 at Tyner Academy. The October meeting is moved to Thursday, Oct. 2 to avoid fall break of all the schools. A Howard High School student as been arrested after threatening others with a knife following a fight at the school.Approximately six students began fighting Friday morning. During the incident, one juvenile student pulled out a knife.That juvenile was arrested and charged with the unlawful possession of a weapon and felony reckless endangerment.The investigation is ongoing. The golden couples from 'Bachelor in Paradise' made the most of their time in Costa Rica. They are brigning romance back home. Kim and Faith are continuing their relationship. Faith Martin and Kim Buike were voted off of Bachelor in Paradise, but it looks like they dont need Costa Rica to make their relationship work. While the drama continues to unfold on the show with the young cast, the golden contestants who were already sent packing are keeping things casual but cozy stateside. Leslie Fhima and Gary Levingston shared their recent meetup via social media earlier this week; now Faith is getting in on the fun. A recent reel suggests she and Kim are continuing to build their bond. As it turns out, Kathy Swarts was wrong and Kim wasnt looking for someone matronly. Faith Martin and Kim Buike spend time together with family Kim Buike and Faith Martin have continued to develop their relationship now that they are both back in Washington. Just days after fans watched them get voted off of Bachelor in Paradise, Faith took to Instagram to post a reel of a special meetup. It appears that Kim joined Faith, along with her children and grandchildren, for a nice meal and some singing. The group commemorated the event with a group photo, with Faith gently resting her head on Kims shoulder. The sweet moment suggests that the couple has taken their connection into the real world, and its becoming serious enough to involve their families. We love seeing that for the duo, who seem so genuinely interested in forming a bond with someone. They havent officially hard-launched a romance. Faith referred to Kim as a friend in the upload. Still, we dont think its far off. We cant wait to see Kim prove Kathy Swarts wrong. Kathy Swarts questioned the pairing, suggesting he needed someone matronly Kathy Swarts hasnt found a love connection on Bachelor in Paradise. She seems to be purely platonic with Keith Gordon. That lack of romance has given her ample time to be involved in everyone elses business. She has certainly formed an opinion on each couple. She was especially outspoken about Faith and Kim getting to know each other. One of her more tempered comments suggested that Faith and Kim werent a good pairing because he needed someone matronly, and Faith was a free spirit. Kim Buike and Faith Martin | Disney/Bahareh Ritter We arent entirely sure where Kathy got the idea that Kim was after a matronly partner. Still, it seems to be pretty far from the truth. While he was interested in several other women early on in the filming of Bachelor in Paradise, his pairing with Faith made sense. They developed a quick and easy connection. Nothing he said suggested matronly was his preference or what he was used to. Both Kim and Faith have been married before. Faiths ex-husband, Brett Martin, died at 61. While they were officially divorced, Faith said they remained best friends until his death. Kim Buikes wife, Mary, died from cancer in 2017. She was just 54. The losses have informed the way both Faith and Kim navigate dating as older adults. Still, it seems they truly understand each other. Amorphous aluminum oxide is often used in the form of protective thin films and membranes. However, what happens at the atomic level in the material is poorly understood. Thanks to innovative experiments and machine learning, an interdisciplinary team of Empa researchers was able to model its disordered structure with a high degree of accuracy for the first time. Empa researchers led by Simon Gramatte (front) and Vladyslav Turlo have succeeded for the first time in simulating amorphous aluminum oxide with hydrogen inclusions with atomic precision. Copyright: Empa Clarity out of chaos: In amorphous alumina, aluminum atoms (grey) and oxygen atoms (red) do not arrange in an ordered crystalline structure. The model also visualizes hydrogen atoms (blue) closely binding to neighboring oxygen atoms, which alters the material's properties. Copyright: Empa Empa researchers led by Simon Gramatte (front) and Vladyslav Turlo have succeeded for the first time in simulating amorphous aluminum oxide with hydrogen inclusions with atomic precision. Image: Empa Aluminum oxide or alumina is the fruit fly of materials science: thoroughly researched and well understood. This compound, with the simple chemical formula Al2O3, occurs frequently in the Earth's crust in the form of the mineral corundum and its well-known color variants sapphires and rubies and is used for a wide variety of purposes, whether in electronics, the chemical industry, or technical ceramics. A special feature of aluminum oxide is its ability to take on different structures while maintaining the same chemical composition. All of these variants are also well understood with one exception. In addition to several crystalline forms, aluminum oxide can also exist in an amorphous, i.e., disordered, state. Amorphous alumina has particularly advantageous properties for some high-tech applications, for example, in the form of particularly uniform protective thin-film coatings or ultrathin passivation layers. Despite its widespread use and the know-how available for processing it, amorphous alumina remains a mystery at the atomic level. Crystalline materials consist of small, regularly repeating subunits, explains Empa researcher Vladyslav Turlo from the Advanced Materials Processing laboratory in Thun. Thus, examining them down to the level of a single atom is relatively easy as is modeling them on a computer. After all, if you can calculate the interaction of atoms in a single crystal unit, you can also easily calculate larger crystals consisting of many units. Amorphous materials have no such periodic structure. The atoms are jumbled together difficult to examine and even more difficult to model. If we were to simulate a thin film coating of amorphous alumina grown from scratch at the atomic level, the calculation would take longer than the age of the universe, says Turlo. However, accurate simulations are the key to effective materials research: They help researchers understand materials and optimize their properties. Experiments meet simulations Empa researchers led by Turlo have now succeeded for the first time in simulating amorphous alumina quickly, accurately, and efficiently. Their model, which combines experimental data, high-performance simulations, and machine learning, provides information about the atomic arrangement in amorphous Al2O3 layers and is the first of its kind. The researchers have published their results in the journal npj Computational Materials. The breakthrough was made possible thanks to interdisciplinary collaboration between three Empa laboratories. Turlo and his colleague Simon Gramatte, first author of the publication, based their model on experimental data. Researchers from the Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures laboratory produced amorphous aluminum oxide thin films using atomic layer deposition and examined them together with colleagues at the Joining Technologies and Corrosion laboratory in Dubendorf. One of the model's great strengths is that, in addition to the aluminum and oxygen atoms in alumina, it also considers incorporated hydrogen atoms. Amorphous alumina contains varying amounts of hydrogen depending on the manufacturing method, explains co-author Ivo Utke. Hydrogen, the smallest element in the periodic table, is particularly challenging to measure and model. Owing to an innovative spectroscopy method called HAXPES, which in Switzerland is only possible at Empa, the researchers were able to characterize the chemical state of aluminum in the different thin films and incorporate it into the simulations to reveal the distribution of hydrogen within alumina for the first time. We were able to show that, above a certain content, hydrogen binds to the oxygen atoms in the material, affecting the chemical states of the other elements in the material. says co-author Claudia Cancellieri. This changes the material's properties: The aluminum oxide becomes fluffier i.e., less dense as a result. Clarity out of chaos: In amorphous alumina, aluminum atoms (grey) and oxygen atoms (red) do not arrange in an ordered crystalline structure. The model also visualizes hydrogen atoms (blue) closely binding to neighboring oxygen atoms, which alters the material's properties. Image: Empa Potential breakthrough for green hydrogen This understanding of the atomic structure paves the way for new applications of amorphous aluminum oxide. Turlo sees the greatest potential in the production of green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is made by splitting water using renewable energies or even direct sunlight. To separate hydrogen from oxygen, which is also produced during water splitting, effective filter materials are required that only allow one of the gases to pass through. Amorphous alumina is one of the most promising materials for such hydrogen membranes, says Turlo. Thanks to our model, we can gain a much better understanding of how the hydrogen content in the material favors the diffusion of gaseous hydrogen with respect to other larger molecules. In future, the researchers want to use the model to develop better membranes consisting of alumina. Lithium-sulphur batteries (Li-S batteries) are considered one of the most interesting next-generation battery technologies. Li-S batteries can achieve extremely high gravimetric energy densities (e.g. over 700 Wh/kg compared to around 250 Wh/kg for the most advanced Li-ion batteries currently available), making them particularly attractive for applications in aerospace, robotics and long-range electric vehicles. In addition, the abundant availability of sulphur offers a compelling alternative to critical and geopolitically sensitive metals such as cobalt and nickel, which are used in lithium-ion batteries. However, the practical energy density is limited by the high weight content of inactive materials such as the electrolyte. In order to increase the energy density of lithium-sulphur batteries at cell level, it is therefore necessary to reduce the amount of electrolyte. However, the less electrolyte there is in the battery cell, the more difficult it is to fully wet the electrodes. However, incomplete wetting disrupts the electrochemical processes and leads to faster ageing or even failure of the battery. "It is crucial how the electrolyte wets the electrodes, penetrates their pores and is distributed in the Li-S cells. However, due to the closed design of the batteries, it is extremely difficult to observe this non-destructively," says HZB chemist Prof. Dr. Yan Lu, who led the study. In order to observe the dynamic wetting of the batteries during charging and discharging in Li-S battery systems, Yan Lu's team used a non-destructive method, neutron tomography. To this end, the team first produced multi-layer Li-S pouch cells with reduced electrolyte in compliance with industry-relevant parameters. Dr. Ingo Manke and Dr. Nikolay Kardjilov from the HZB imaging group examined these samples with neutrons at the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble in order to localize light elements such as lithium and hydrogen with the highest accuracy. "For the first time, we were able to observe in real time how the liquid electrolyte behaves and how the wetting in the different layers of a pouch cell changes locally over time. We have gained some interesting insights from this," says Yan Lu. During the resting phase of the battery at open-circuit voltage, unwetted areas accumulated in localized areas, especially at the beginning. The resting phase initially improves the wetting, but a long resting phase has only a minimal influence on the overall wetting. The discharge/charge processes significantly improve the homogeneity of the electrolyte and thus promote the electrochemical activation of sulphur, so that the capacity of the batteries increases. For the first time, the team observed periodic processes in electrolyte wetting that correlate with the dissolution and precipitation of sulphur compounds. "The dynamic wetting behavior of the electrolyte is significantly different from that of conventional Li-ion batteries due to the special chemistry of Li-S systems," says Dr. Liqiang Lu, postdoctoral researcher in Yan Lu's team and first author of the publication. "This is an important contribution to understanding the mechanisms that lead to rapid aging and failure of such systems. These findings will help to increase the energy density of Li-S batteries while preserving their lifetime," says Yan Lu. The winners of the sixth annual Cherokee Phoenix Student Art Contest will receive a $250 prize and their artwork featured on limited edition Cherokee Phoenix promotional items, such as the fan featuring the artwork of 2022 winner Lyllyann Howard, tote featuring the artwork of 2023 winner Malena Holcomb and puzzle magnet featuring the artwork of 2024 winner Henry Wilkinson. Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Towfiqu barbhuiya Four California mothers have taken their legal battle against a 2016 law removing religious exemptions for school vaccinations to a higher court, asserting that the legislation infringes on their First Amendment rights. The mothers, supported by Advocates for Faith & Freedom attorneys, filed an appeal on August 8 with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals after a U.S. District Court dismissed their previous claims in 2023. The mothers argue that SB 277, signed into law by then-Gov. Jerry Brown after passing through the California legislature, discriminates against their religious beliefs by eliminating personal belief exemptions, including those based on religion, which had been in place since 1961. They claim that the law unfairly targets their faith while allowing other secular exemptions, forcing them to choose between their beliefs and their childrens right to education. The lawsuit, initially filed in November 2023, contends that their religious objections are based on concerns about vaccines developed using fetal cell, which contradict their faith. They argue that this prevents them from vaccinating their children, effectively banning them from attending school. Sara Royce, mother of three, believes that vaccinating her children would make her complicit in abortion due to the use of fetal cell lines in vaccine development. Similarly, Tiffany Brown, also a mother of three, and Kristi Caraway, who is raising ten children, share similar beliefs. Brown has reported vaccine-related injuries in her children, and one of Caraways children received a medical exemption following such an injury. Sarah Clark, who homeschools her children through a charter program, also opposes vaccinations, viewing them as a foreign substance that violates biblical principles. Her lawsuit states, Appellants complaint establishes that SB 277 violates their sincerely held religious beliefs, and the cost of exercising their faith is the loss of the fundamental right to private and public schooling in California. The mothers further criticized legislative hostility toward religious objectors. They cited California state Sen. Richard Pan, who reportedly said people who opt out of vaccines should be opted out of American society, and Maral Farsi, a legislative official, who called objecting parents oxygen thieves who dont care about children. Erin Mersino, vice president of Advocates for Faith & Freedom, emphasized the significance of holding public officials accountable. She stated, Before the state is allowed to ban schoolchildren from all public and private schools in California, it must demonstrate that doing so is necessary. It is hard to prove [the] necessity to single out religious exemptions for extinction, however, when the state allows so many secular exemptions which seemingly pose the same harm. Large crowds in Gaza's Beit Lahiya gather around aid trucks as hunger worsens. | Screenshot: YouTube/ Reuters The Episcopal Diocese of New York has announced that it has successfully raised funds to supply over 100,000 meals to those affected by the conflict in Gaza. The support comes as Israel continues its military operations against Hamas, following a series of attacks and escalating violence in the region. The fundraising effort was part of the Dioceses initiative to respond to the crisis, with a particular push through the World Central Kitchen's "One Days Food for Gaza" program. The funds will be used to deliver meals to Gaza through WCK, a charity founded by chef Jose Andres, which has already provided millions of meals in Gaza over the past two years. Bishop Matthew Heyd of the Diocese told Christian Post the significance of the donations, stating, the ongoing efforts of the Diocese since the attack launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the death of around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. "There's been so much pain since the Oct. 7 attacks," said Heyd. "We've spoken out since Oct. 7 about all the people affected. Condemning Hamas and calling for the release of hostages, calling for a free flow of aid into Gaza, speaking up with partners in New York against antisemitism and Islamophobia." Past humanitarian initiatives by the Diocese include financial aid to the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, which is affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. The Diocese has also planned to host the Archbishop of Jerusalem in New York this fall. Carrie Hayes, who is the director of media and communications strategy at World Central Kitchen, explained to CP, "while there is no 'larger formal relationship' between her organization and the diocese, she is 'thankful for their support and the support of every individual and organization that raises funding for WCK.'" In April of the previous year, seven members of WCK lost their lives in Gaza when the Israel Defense Forces targeted an aid convoy delivering food to a warehouse. Those fatalities included workers from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and a person holding dual citizenship from the United States and Canada. Following the incident, the IDF admitted that errors occurred that contributed to the tragedy and promised disciplinary action against those responsible. Recently, The Jerusalem Post reported that five Hamas terrorists had disguised themselves as volunteers working with WCK and had placed a WCK emblem on a vehicle to carry out an attack on IDF personnel. The terrorists were neutralized by an airstrike; meanwhile, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, an Israeli military unit responsible for civilian affairs in Gaza and the West Bank, confirmed that the five individuals and the vehicle had no connection to WCK. Home News Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ad controversy: 5 things to know Actress Sydney Sweeney has dominated headlines in recent weeks amid her partnership with American Eagle, which has emerged as the latest flashpoint in the culture war between liberals and conservatives. Sweeneys denim jeans ad has sparked allegations from the Left of promoting white supremacy, which has led many on the political Right, and even some Christians, to jump to her defense. While some view Sweeneys ad campaign as a refreshing development in light of major corporations past collaborations with trans-identified influencers, others see it as a mistake for Christians and conservatives to defend content that amounts to objectification. Sweeneys own political views have also come under the microscope as the ad campaign continues to make a splash in the marketplace and public discourse. Here are five things to know about Sweeneys denim jeans ad controversy. Home News Anti-Israel activists vandalize home of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation director, leave death threats Anti-Israel activists painted death threat graffiti reading Death to the GHF outside the Virginia home of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) acting director, John Acree. They also damaged the wheels and rearview mirrors of his car, with anti-Israel groups later posting a video of the vandalism on social media. John Acree, the Interim Executive Director of the GHF, had his home and vehicle targeted by American activists due to his involvement in war crimes in Gaza. These attacks were linked to his role in U.S.-Israeli distribution centers often referred to as death traps, the radical group Eye on Palestine wrote in a post on the social media platform X. Another anti-Israel organization, WearThePeace, backed the threatening vandalism outside Acrees residence over what they claimed was his complicity in genocide as thousands have been killed and injured at the aid death traps. The vandalism in Virginia took place during Acrees visit to Israel. The Radical Bloc, an Israeli left-wing organization headquartered in Jaffa, organized a demonstration against Acree and the GHF outside the Tel Aviv hotel where the top GHF official was staying. Echoing the sentiments of other radicalized groups worldwide, Radical Bloc accused Acree and the GHF of being complicit in Israels alleged genocide in Gaza. We're confronting GHFs leaders in Tel Aviv CEO John Acree, spokesperson Chapin Fay, and their team. GHF is not a humanitarian organization its a weapon of genocide. We will find them, disrupt them everywhere until the siege is lifted and GHF is dismantled, the organization wrote on X. The American-managed and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza in May. The organization was established after a large majority of United Nations aid trucks in Gaza had previously been looted by Hamas members and criminal gangs before reaching civilians. Hamas has been accused of financing its war against Israel by selling stolen aid on the black market at exorbitant prices that most Gazans cannot afford. The purpose of the GHF mechanism is to bypass Hamas and provide efficient and free deliveries of food, water and other essential supplies directly to the Gazan population. The Hamas terror group has repeatedly threatened the GHF and sought to disrupt its aid distribution. Several Gazan civilians have testified that Hamas gunmen killed local residents at GHF aid sites, yet much of the international community has continued to place primary blame on Israel for the incidents. In June, the GHF reported that Hamas terrorists attacked a bus in Gaza, killing five local Palestinians who were part of the humanitarian organizations staff. Tonight, at approximately 10 p.m., Gaza time, a bus carrying more than two-dozen members of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation team, local Palestinians working side-by-side with the U.S. GHF team to deliver critical aid, were brutally attacked by Hamas. At the time of the attack, our team was en route to one of our distribution centers in the area west of Khan Younis, GHF Executive Chairman Rev. Johnnie Moore wrote on X. The GHF has urged the United Nations to work together (with them) to address the food insecurity in Gaza, saying the U.N. appears to focus on Israels role in the crisis rather than on improving aid distribution in the territory. This article was originally published by All Israel News. Home News California moms continue legal fight against state law removing religious exemptions for school vaccinations Four California mothers have escalated their challenge against a 2016 law that eliminates religious exemptions for school vaccinations, arguing the law violates their First Amendment rights. Backed by attorneys with Advocates for Faith & Freedom, Sara Royce, Sarah Clark, Tiffany Brown and Kristi Caraway filed an appeal on Aug. 8 with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, after a U.S. District Court dismissed their claims in 2023, which the mothers assert was based on an incorrect legal standard. The plaintiffs contend that SB 277 unfairly targets their religious beliefs while permitting numerous secular exemptions, forcing them to choose between their faith and their childrens access to education. SB 277, signed into law by then-Gov. Jerry Brown after passing the Democrat-controlled California Legislature, repealed personal belief exemptions, including those based on religious convictions, which had been allowed since 1961. Only medically valid exemptions, such as pre-existing disorders that could pose risks if a person receives one of the immunizations for Hepatitis B, polio, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP), or other common childhood vaccines, are allowed under the law. The mothers, who filed their initial lawsuit in November 2023, argue that their religious objections rooted in concerns about vaccines developed using aborted fetal cells prevent them from complying, effectively barring their children from attending schools. According to the appellants brief, SB 277s numerous secular exemptions allow unvaccinated students to enter public or private school based on the status of their family or economic life, such as those who are in foster care or homeless, their age, or whether the student receives special education services. Attorneys say the mothers religious objections are deeply personal. Royce, a mother of three, believes vaccinating her children would make her complicit in abortion due to the use of fetal cell lines in vaccine development. Brown, also a mother of three, and Caraway, who's raising 10 children, share similar concerns, with Brown reporting vaccine-related injuries in her children and one of Caraways children receiving a medical exemption after such an injury. Clark, who homeschools her children through a charter program, views vaccines as a foreign substance that violates biblical principles. Appellants complaint establishes that SB 277 violates their sincerely held religious beliefs, and the cost of exercising their faith is the loss of the fundamental right to private and public schooling in California, the complaint states. Arguing that the district court erred by applying rational basis review instead of strict scrutiny, the brief states the court misapplied a case, Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, a 2021 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court held the city of Philadelphia violated First Amendment rights of a Catholic foster care agency by refusing to renew the agency's contract unless it agreed to certify married same-sex couples as foster parents. The appellants further alleged legislative hostility toward religious objectors, citing California state Sen. Richard Pan, who said people who opt out of vaccines should be opted out of American society, and Maral Farsi, a legislative official, who called objecting parents oxygen thieves who dont care about children. Erin Mersino, vice president of Advocates for Faith & Freedom, said the brief underscores why its important to hold public officials accountable. Before the state is allowed to ban schoolchildren from all public and private schools in California, it must demonstrate that doing so is necessary, she said. It is hard to prove [the] necessity to single out religious exemptions for extinction, however, when the state allows so many secular exemptions which seemingly pose the same harm. Home News Christian conservative group partners with Texas schools to roll out Ten Commandments classroom displays A faith-based conservative nonprofit is partnering with school districts across Texas to help implement a new law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms. Signed into law in June, Senate Bill 10 requires schools to post the Ten Commandments, measuring at least 16-by-20 inches in a legible typeface, in a conspicuous place in every classroom. Austin-based Texas Values which helped push through SB 10 earlier this year launched RestoreAmericanSchools.com in July to give organizations and community leaders a way to get the Ten Commandments into the hands of schools across the state. The website allows users to select their desired school(s), purchase posters with shipping included for only $1, and provides additional steps to donate their posters. In order to comply with SB 10, any poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments must be donated rather than purchased by the schools directly. Donors are asked to choose a classroom or school in Arkansas or Texas and have the posters delivered to 30 classrooms for $30, all the way up to donating to 33 schools for $1,000. It was important to us that we are able to take private donations and give those to the school districts and not burden them with having to come up with funding, said Jonathan Covey, policy director for Texas Values, in an interview with local NBC affiliate WTHR. Texas Values says while the initiative will begin with more than 11,000 schools across both states, the goal is to get the Decalogue into over 100,000 schools. Frisco ISD, located about 25 miles north of Dallas, has reportedly spent over $1,800 on posters of the Commandments to distribute to participating classrooms across its 77 campuses, according to WTHR. Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other outside legal organizations filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of SB 10, arguing that students will be coerced into observing religious doctrine. The suit was filed by a coalition of 16 families spanning Jewish, Christian, Unitarian Universalist, Hindu and nonreligious backgrounds with legal support from the ACLU of Texas, the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Wisconsin-based atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation. In a statement following the lawsuit, Covey said he believes the law is constitutionally sound and backed by legal precedent. This lawsuit is yet another example of outside national groups trying to override the will of Texas citizens and their elected representatives, he said. The significance of the Ten Commandments is undeniable in our nations laws and history, and we are confident the state of Texas is prepared to meet all challenges. Home News Ex-psychic warns Christians of spiritual dangers,' demonic influence of 'The Telepathy Tapes' The Telepathy Tapes, a hit podcast and developing documentary project, has gained a massive following due to its claims that non-verbal autistic children are capable of telepathic communication. But, according to a former psychic-turned-evangelist, the concept carries serious spiritual dangers, especially for Christians. In a recent episode of her podcast, Ex-Psychic Saved, Jenn Nizza welcomed biblical counselor Mark Baker and author and speaker Doreen Virtue to discuss the rising popularity of The Telepathy Tapes, created by filmmaker Ky Dickens, who has two neurotypical kids, and why believers should approach it with caution. Listen to the Ex-Psychic Saved podcast This is a very sensitive topic, Nizza told listeners. Can we read peoples minds, and should we be attempting to read peoples minds? What about people with autism who are so vulnerable as it is spiritually? Baker, who has been in ministry for more than 25 years and counseled for over two decades, reflected on how the series has made a significant cultural splash. Debuting in September 2024, the podcast quickly became the No. 1 show in the world and now includes bonus episodes, fundraising efforts for a documentary, and potential book and film projects. In a world that often dismisses the extraordinary as mere fantasy, 'The Telepathy Tapes' dares to explore the profound abilities of non-speakers with autism individuals who have long been misunderstood and underestimated, reads the podcast description. Though acknowledging the topic of the podcast is fascinating, Baker warned it's also deeply concerning when we hold it up to Scripture. Virtue, who spent decades in the New Age movement before becoming a Christian in 2017, said her alarm went off immediately. She shared the story of a close Christian friend with two non-verbal autistic daughters who use spelling to communicate. That friend rejected the notion that telepathy was involved, attributing her childrens responses to learned knowledge and past experiences, not mind-to-mind transmission. She absolutely thought that that was offensive, that anyone would even suggest this, because, she said, this is her daughter actually learning, even though she cannot speak at all, Virtue said. Both Nizza and Virtue contended that any accurate mind reading in psychic contexts was not a supernatural gift from God but information supplied by demonic spirits. Demons have been around for ages, Nizza said. They have seen what has transpired in peoples lives and can report that with 100 percent accuracy. When we participated in divination, we had already invoked those demons. Baker pointed to passages such as 1 Thessalonians 5:21 and 1 John 4:1 to emphasize the biblical command to test the spirits. He also referenced Revelation 16:14 and Deuteronomy 13 to warn that miracles and accurate predictions are not proof of divine origin. This is how deception works, Baker said. They build confidence by giving you things that are believable, and then comes the hook. The guests described elements of The Telepathy Tapes they found troubling, including references to communication with the dead, out-of-body travel, downloads of special knowledge, and portrayals of children as spiritual guides for humanitys future. Virtue noted that such concepts mirror New Age teachings she once promoted, such as Indigo children and Crystal children supposedly born with heightened spiritual abilities. Theres nothing in the Bible about telepathy, she said. Biblical prophets were 100 percent accurate and called people to repentance. None of the so-called prophets today do that. Instead, they stroke the ego, telling people theyre special, theyll be rich, theyll meet their soulmate. Its spiritually dangerous. Nizza and Baker also expressed concern about the emotional appeal to parents of special needs children who long to communicate more deeply with their children. Nizza recounted hearing of a Christian parent convinced their relative with autism could read minds and deliver godly messages, even being referred to as a prophet. Thats going to be very alluring to somebody who wants to communicate with their non-verbal loved ones, Nizza said. But we have to test it against Gods Word. Virtue added that such claims can exploit grief and parental hopes. The devil is heartless, she said. He exploits people who are grieving, lonely or vulnerable. This is the same pattern I saw in the New Age, just in a different package. The panel cautioned against giving undue weight to the podcasts inclusion of scientific figures, warning that appealing to authority can mislead people eager to believe. You can get a scientist to agree with just about any theory you have, Virtue said. But what does the Bible say? For Baker, the conversation highlighted what he sees as a widespread lack of discernment in the Church. If youre not exercising discernment, youre going to be deceived, he said. We need to know Scripture so well that when we encounter something false, we can immediately recognize it. Throughout the episode, Nizza, Baker and Virtue urged Christians to reject spiritual counterfeits and remain rooted in the truth of the Gospel. They stressed that while the desire to connect with non-verbal loved ones is understandable, believers must resist practices that Scripture forbids. As parents, our greatest prayer should be for the salvation of our children, Nizza said. They can be whole and healed in eternal glory with Him. At the end of the day, our souls are going to one of two places, and that depends on our relationship with Jesus. Home News Judge dismisses Oklahoma Dept. of Education's lawsuit against atheist group A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by the Oklahoma State Department of Education aimed at stopping a prominent atheist legal organization from pressuring a public school district to halt its voluntary prayer practice. U.S. District Judge John F. Heil for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, a Trump appointee, issued an opinion and order on Wednesday dismissing the lawsuit against the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation. "Plaintiffs have not alleged that they have suffered some actual or threatened injury. Plaintiffs' generalized statement of injury is nothing more than conjecture," wrote Heil. "Plaintiffs have failed to show an injury in fact. Accordingly, Plaintiffs lack standing and this Court lacks jurisdiction. As this issue is dispositive as to Plaintiffs' claims, the Court need not address additional arguments set forth in the parties' briefing, and this action must be dismissed." Earlier this year, Oklahoma officials filed the complaint against FFRF over efforts to get Achille Public Schools to quit allowing students to say prayers during morning announcements. Heil granted the FFRF's motion to dismiss the lawsuit and dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice, which means it can be filed again. "We are so pleased that Walters' frivolous lawsuit seeking to muzzle FFRF and our free speech rights was promptly dismissed," says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor in a statement. "It was an outrageous attempt by a Christian nationalist public official to attack FFRF's work to uphold the First Amendment. FFRF will continue our vital work to protect the constitutional rights of students and families around the nation, including in Oklahoma." In late March, Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters filed the lawsuit after FFRF sent a cease-and-desist letter to Achille School District. "The Plaintiffs will have an irreparable injury, should the Defendant be permitted to continue its threatening and harassing behavior. By contrast, the Defendant cannot show any harm whatsoever, should an injunction be granted," read the complaint. "The Plaintiffs request that this Court issue an injunction enjoining the Defendants from usurping the constitutional and statutory authorities delegated to the State Superintendent and the State Department of Education." Walters vowed in a statement at the time that "Oklahoma will never be bullied by radical, out-of-state atheists who use intimidation and harassment against kids." "The Freedom From Religion Foundation has no stake in our schools, no authority over our communities, and absolutely no right to trample on the First Amendment," Walters said. "Their threats are nothing more than a desperate attempt to erase faith from public life, and we will fight them at every turn." Home Opinion Even if IRS OKs churches to endorse political candidates, should they? Much ink has been spilled since the IRS reinterpreted the Johnson Amendment, passed by then Senator Lyndon Johnson in 1954 as he was in the midst of a bitter reelection campaign in Texas, that it should not ban communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication or matters of faith. The IRS statement only applied to religious houses of worship (churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, etc.), not other tax-exempt religious nonprofits. At the very least, however, it has been widely interpreted across the political spectrum, from right to left, that lax and episodic IRS enforcement of the pulpit endorsement role will now be reduced to virtual non-enforcement until further notice. The most relevant question for pastors and churches, however, is how does this impact their churches, as contrasted with how it should impact their churches. Having dealt with this issue as both a minister and a pro-life activist in every election cycle beginning in 1976, I am certain that thousands upon thousands of pastors and their congregational leadership are actively discussing and debating this IRS decision and how to respond to it. Many readers who have not been privy to these private discussions over these years will be surprised to learn that a significant number of these ministers and/or their lay leadership have been, and remain, ambivalent about endorsing candidates. I personally know scores of pastors who have viewed the Johnson Amendment as a convenient excuse for avoiding endorsements that would cause division in congregations where no major political consensus existed. Having said that, the IRS ruling is virtually neutering the Johnson Amendment for now and will result in significantly more pastors and congregations endorsing candidates in the 2026 election cycle. The question is, should they do so? If they do so, do they do themselves more harm than good? My answer to that question has been consistent over the years. First, the decision about whether to endorse a candidate for political office should be made by the individual congregation, not the government. All the restrictions concerning religious liberty in the Constitutions First Amendment apply to the Federal Government, not individuals or churches. Consequently, I have advocated full repeal of the Johnson Amendment. However, I do not favor pastors or churches endorsing political parties or political candidates. Why? My first reason is that the church is supposed to be a divine, sacred institution, the Bride of Christ. Political parties are, by origin, nature, and design, exceedingly human institutions, full of foibles and faults. Political parties are human groups organized for the purpose of gaining and maintaining political power, with always mixed goals and bad motives. History informs us that political parties over time are seldom better than they have to be. Churches are supposed to have divine motives and hopefully are always seeking heavenly, not earthly, motives. Churches that identify too closely with political parties will end up damaging their reputations as churches. Churches need to consciously flip the script and be seeking out candidates and parties who endorse them and their principles as opposed to their endorsing candidates and/or parties. Back in the summer of 1980 at the National Affairs Briefing in Dallas, which has been accurately described as the coming out party of the Religious Right, then presidential candidate Ronald Reagan brought down the house (thousands of attendees) when he said, I know you cant endorse me, but Im here to endorse you! As a committed Baptist, I am strongly pro-life, pro-family, and pro-affirming and supporting freedom and human rights overseas as well as at home. I believe as Christians and as Americans, we need to be involved as salt and light in society and seek to have our government (the civil magistrate) at every level (local, state, national) be salt and light as well. (Romans 13:1-7) I believe churches have the obligation to inform their members and others about where their faith would have them to be on the moral issues in society and why they need to pursue the righteous and oppose the unrighteous. If more and more Christians and churches were doing that, we could envision a society in which both major parties were competing to promote the best ways and policies to be pro-life, pro-family, and pro-individual freedoms. Let us just imagine Democrats and Republicans competing to produce the best policies to be pro-life and pro-family. I cannot help but believe that such a competitive environment would produce better and more productive answers than the current adversarial and combative environment is producing. Home Opinion Texas redistricting circus heats up as blue states and GOP square off Texas Democrats learned a lot from their melodramatic walkout over an election integrity bill in 2021. But unfortunately for the party of deserters, so did Republicans. This time around, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) not only has the support of the White House but a wealth of tools at his disposal that, four years later, hes even less afraid to use. While the Lone Star fugitives hole up in the leftist bastions of Massachusetts, Illinois, and New York, plotting their resistance like the second coming of Charles de Gaulle, the cold, hard reality is one even the media cant ignore: eventually, the Democrats will have to go home. The AWOL Texans, whose stunt to stop the legislature from redrawing the states congressional districts is in its second week, admit that the spectacle not the end game is what they really care about. Weve only done this a couple of times, Rep. John Bucy told CNN. We dont have a good plan all the time. What comes next, another freely admitted, we dont know. While some of them dramatically promise to do whatever it takes to keep the statehouse in complete paralysis, the truth is that theyre running out of options. Not only has the FBI agreed to lend a hand to Abbott, but Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has begun the process to remove the first wave of absent leaders from office. These cowards deliberately sabotaged the constitutional process and violated the oath they swore to uphold, Paxton argued. I have asked the Texas Supreme Court to declare what has been clear from the beginning: that the runaway members have officially vacated their offices in the Texas House. Adding to the Democrats woes, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R) issued civil arrest warrants for the more than 50 missing members. That means, the Heritage Foundations Hans von Spakovsky pointed out on Washington Watch, you can be arrested. You can be brought back to Texas. And you can be fined. They just cant put you in jail for it. So, if they can find these folks, they can bring them back to Texas. And its not just the FBI who may be hot on their trail, he continued, but the very legendary Texas Rangers, who also are now involved in trying to find these folks. And the fines are nothing to sneeze at. At $500 a day, these legislators are taking a healthy bite out of their modest $7,000 a year salary. Many of the Democrats have caregiving roles or full-time jobs, CNN points out. Their caucus includes small-business owners, realtors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, grandmothers, a deacon, and a masonry contractor. Soon, the $500-a-day fines for absent lawmakers enacted after the 2021 protest will outpace the salary they are paid all year. They cannot use campaign or official funds to pay the fines. In fact, a court just slapped down Beto ORourkes sly attempt to fundraise the Democrats way out of this mess. Late Friday, Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey agreed with the state attorney general that the idea was unlawful, because Defendants are raising and utilizing political contributions from Texas consumers to pay for the personal expenses of Texas legislators, in violation of Texas law. Paxton framed it as ORourke and his organization [taking] advantage of uninformed donors by directing them to explicitly political fundraising platforms, all while intending to use the funds for purposes they understood to be constituted as personal expenditures. Texas law prohibits organizations from engaging in false, misleading, and deceptive acts, such as the fundraising scheme operated by ORourke and Powered by People. Even if Democrats succeed in running out the clock on Abbotts special session, which is set to end August 19, the governor has threatened to use his power to bring the legislature back until the issue is settled. As soon as this [special session] is over, he told Fox News Sunday, Im gonna call another one, then another one, then another one, then another one. Under the Texas Constitution, the state needs at least two-thirds of lawmakers present to move ahead with business. That quorum was disrupted when Democrats fled the state. At the heart of the issue are Texass congressional districts. As von Spakovsky explained, These were drawn up in 2021 after the 2020 census. But the reason this is going on now, five years later after the 2020 census is, frankly, because the Justice Department has warned Texas that it has got to fix problems with four current congressional districts in the state of Texas which unconstitutionally [and] illegally used race as a predominant factor when they were drawing the lines. And you cant do that. Essentially, Lone Star state leaders were trying to create coalition districts, which happens when two different racial minority groups, combined together, make up more than 50% of a districts voters. That was what the Fifth Circuit court had demanded more than 40 years ago in a separate case about the Voting Rights Act. But last August, in another case, von Spakovsky points out, the judges changed their mind. The Fifth Circuit said, You know what? We made a mistake when we decided that these kinds of political alliances between different racial groups [are] not now protected by the Voting Rights Act. So if Democrats decide to sue, it would be pretty ironic. Like I said, all of this is being done to comply with a new decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. So if they file a lawsuit, Theyre going to lose, the Heritage expert predicted. I dont think the Fifth Circuit is going to say that somehow this new plan was wrong when in fact the legislature drafted [it] up in order to comply with a decision of the Fifth Circuit. Of course, Americans wouldnt know that from the media, which is portraying this circus as a righteous stand against the GOPs election-stealing plans. Far from it. If anything, Republicans are righting some major wrongs one of which was inflicted by the Biden administration four years ago when it ordered the Census to include illegal immigrants in the count. Some of you are probably wondering, whats the big deal? Well, the big deal is that Biden gave millions of people who broke the law a voice in the political process. Every 10 years, our country uses those population numbers to redraw congressional lines. And when you include illegal immigrants, as Biden did, youre rewarding the states where most of the undocumented people live. Red states, after all, dont knowingly harbor illegal immigrants so the congressional districts are siphoned off to states that do, affecting everything from House seats to the Electoral College. The last thing any congressman wants to see, Rep. James Comer insisted in 2021, are the blue, liberal states that are completely turning their nose up at the Constitution [and] doing things on a daily basis to attract illegals into this country, get rewarded with congressional reappointments, and we get punished. Its just not fair. If America went back to counting the citizen population instead of total population, von Spakovsky told guest host Jody Hice, it would very much change the political boundaries of many congressional districts, particularly in places like Texas and Florida. Another reason Republicans are trying to redistrict, von Spakovsky underscored, is because the Census Bureau itself admitted in 2022 that it had made serious errors in the 2020 census. They had overcounted eight states [and] had undercounted the population of six states and those errors were so large that Texas was actually cheated out of an additional congressional seat it should have gotten. Florida was cheated out of two. The Census Bureau didnt count more than half a million residents of the state. Those errors and those mistakes are another, frankly, good reason why we ought to do another census. Which is exactly what President Trump called for last week in the middle of Texass made-for-TV drama. In von Spakovskys opinion, its a great idea. The Constitution says you have to have a census at least once every 10 years. But theres nothing that prevents the federal government from doing one more often, he reiterated. This is actually justified, doing a mid-year census. First, because of the mistakes in the last count. Secondly, he reminded people, [W]e are one of the most highly mobile societies of any Western democracy. People move a lot. That is such a factor in Texas, for example, that since the 2020 census, the Census Bureau itself estimates that more than two million new residents have moved to Texas. [A] huge number. So if the president wants another census, they should move forward, von Spakovsky agreed. Thats the only thing thats fundamentally fair to citizens who get to vote in our representational republic. Meanwhile, the question on everyones minds is just how long the Texas Democrats can hold out. In 2021, they lasted five weeks. But that was before the full force of the administration was on the chase and lawmakers were staring down thousands of dollars in fines. In this instance, as in the last, Republicans will almost certainly prevail in their plans. Whether theyll also win the messaging war remains to be seen. Already, the optics of liberal members abandoning their jobs while the states flood victims wait for aid arent exactly flattering. At the end of the day, state Rep. Mitch Little (R) predicted, They will come back. Its just a question of when, he emphasized. They do not have the will to make this go away. He paused before adding, We want these seats and were going to have them. Originally published at The Washington Stand. Home News Amnesty International calls for freeing of 11 Christians imprisoned in Libya Amnesty International this week called for the annulment of the convictions of 11 Christians in Libya sentenced to prison under charges ranging from insulting Islam to calling for changes in principles of the constitution by promoting Christianity. The trials of the 10 Libyan nationals and one Pakistani man were grossly unfair, marred by egregious violations of due process and international human rights standards, the rights watchdog asserted in a press statement on Tuesday. Throughout the sessions of the trial, which started in September 2024, judges never examined witnesses or evidence against the defendants, Amnesty stated. They also never questioned any members of the ISA [Internal Security Agency], whose investigations were the only basis for the criminal investigations into the defendants. The hearings were limited to judges confirming the presence of the defendants and their lawyers requesting their release pending trial. The judges consistently ordered continued detention of the defendants without providing any justification and adjourned the hearings, Amnesty noted. A Tripoli court on April 15 sentenced the nine Libyan men, one Libyan woman and one Pakistani man to prison terms ranging from three to 15 years on charges of insulting Islam, insulting religious sanctities and rituals using the internet, calling for the establishment of a banned group and promoting the change of the fundamental principles of the constitution. The Christians were arrested by the notorious Tripoli-based ISA in March 2023 on allegations that they were involved in proselytizing Libyan Muslims. Among those arrested were two U.S. men who were released after two to three days without being charged, Amnesty stated. An Amnesty investigation found that the Christians were subjected to torture, arbitrary detention for days, questioning in the absence of their lawyers and were denied access to their families; the group also found they were compelled to give forced confessions. Between 6 and 13 April 2023, the ISA published on its official YouTube channel videos of showing seven of the detainees, where they confessed to converting to and promoting Christianity inside the country, contrary to their right to the presumption of innocence, Amnesty stated. In all but one, the ISA published the videos around one to seven days after prosecutors questioned the detainees. ISA published the seventh video on the same day that the prosecutor questioned the detainee. The two U.S. men who were later released also appeared in one of the forced confessions videos, Amnesty noted. Amnesty documented violations of the right to fair trial during the pretrial phase through denial of the right to an attorney, denial of access to case files, reliance on forced confessions and questioning defendants on unfounded charges related to the exercise of their rights. Prosecutors denied all defendants but one the right to have a lawyer of their choice during the initial questioning, Amnesty stated. Prosecutors also failed to assign lawyers to represent the defendants, instead conducting the questioning without the presence of any lawyers. Until prosecutors referred the case to trial, they denied lawyers and defendants access to the ISA reports or the prosecution reports claiming that this is a national security case. The detainees were also accused of joining a banned group that aims to change the fundamental principles of the state or constitutions or promoting acts against the state fundamental principles without clarifying what these principles were, it added. The public prosecutors indictment, issued on Jan. 1, 2024, dismissed the apostasy charge against the 11 defendants due to the lack of punishment. The indictment explained that the apostasy penalty death as prescribed in Article 291 of the Penal Code was dropped following the defendants declaration of repentance. The public prosecutors indictment claimed that the Pakistani man came to Libya with the purpose of establishing a banned group and promoting principles aiming to change the fundamental principles of the constitution, Amnesty stated. However, the Pakistani man had actually arrived in Libya with his family in 1992 at the age of 10. The Public Prosecutors indictment also found that the crime of joining a banned group aiming to change the fundamental principles of the state or constitution invalid for all defendants except the Pakistani, concluding the alleged acts did not constitute the material elements of that crime, Amnesty stated. Nevertheless, the Public Prosecutor indicted the Pakistani man, along with unknown defendants for calling for the establishment of a banned group promoting Christianity and promoting principles aiming to change the fundamental constitutional principles by promoting Christianity, despite that the indictment concluded that promoting Christianity is not a crime under Libyan law. The indictment read, By reviewing the penal provisions of the Penal Code and the amended and complementary laws, there is no article that prohibits calling for other religions or punishes it, Amnesty noted. The group highlighted that under international law, everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This includes the right to change their religion or belief, and the freedom, alone or with others, in public or in private, to express their religion or belief through teaching, practice, worship, and observance. The public prosecutor decided to indict the 10 Libyan detainees for allegedly insulting Islam and insulting religious sanctities and rituals using the internet, Amnesty stated, adding that the public prosecutor, investigating prosecutors and ISA failed to present any evidence that any of them insulted Islam. Amnesty pointed out that the judges sentenced the 11 Christians without them attending the sentencing. In the session prior to the sentencing, lawyers began presenting their defense, but after a while judges interrupted them, asking them to stop since their defense will be presented in writing, the group stated. During initial questioning between March and August 2023, prosecutors accused defendants of apostasy and promoting the ideology of Christianity inside Libya, though Amnesty asserted that the latter does not constitute a crime under Libyan law and that the status of apostasy in the country is disputed. In February 2016, Libyas then-legislative body, the General National Congress, passed a law criminalizing apostasy and imposing the death penalty, with an exemption for those who repented, the rights group stated. Although the House of Representatives annulled this and other post-mandate laws in 2020, authorities in western Libya have disregarded that decision and continue to enforce the apostasy law. Amnesty urged the Libyan public prosecutor to immediately review all cases of people detained for criminal prosecutions stemming solely from investigations carried out by the ISA. He must open prompt, thorough, independent, impartial, transparent, and effective investigations into the allegations of human rights violations including torture, enforced disappearance, and arbitrary detention against all suspected ISA members, the statement concluded. Libyan authorities should immediately quash the convictions and sentences of those imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights. Amnesty spoke to four people who have close relationships with those convicted and a legal source who is well-informed about the trial. The organization reviewed videos published by ISA in which seven convicts appeared confessing. The organization also reviewed all official documents related to the case, including ISA investigations reports, prosecution reports, the indictment and court files. Family Suffering The wife of one of the Christians, unnamed for security reasons, said her husband was given access to a lawyer for the first time in September 2023, five months after his arbitrary arrest was announced. My husband told the lawyer how his interrogators had tortured him, both physically and emotionally, since the time he was taken into custody, she told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News from a country where she and her daughter have taken refuge. The lawyer was informed of the charges against him when the legal proceedings commenced in the Indictment Chamber in Tripoli in January 2024. Her voice breaking, she told how she and her daughter have suffered since his arrest. We have hoped for a miracle every single day. The situation had reached a point where there was absolutely no information about him, and I was literally begging for proof of his life. I heard his voice on the phone for the first time after five months, on Aug. 8, 2023, and I cant express how relieved I felt after that call. He was also able to make a call a few months before his sentencing and was able to talk with his daughter for the first time. Their daughter was a baby when her husband was arrested, she said. Shell be turning 4 this year and recognizes her father from his photographs. It breaks my heart every time she asks me when hell come home, she said. I tell her that he will be back with her soon. Her daughter prays with her every day for him, she added. She has made plans that when he comes shell go learn skating with him, shell paint her nails, she said. She has so many wishes and plans she wants to do with her dad. The Christian was taken into custody by the ISA in March 2023 as he made his way home from work, nine days before Easter, she said. On the day of his arrest, he was driving back home when ISA agents stopped his car and took him into custody without showing any warrant or purpose for arresting him, she said. I began to worry when he did not receive my repeated phone calls and started contacting his friends and colleagues, who were also unaware of his whereabouts. She said that after a few hours, she received a call from her husband, who told her that he was in ISAs custody, and that they would release him after questioning. He told me not to worry, but hours passed and he was not released, she said. Meanwhile, I started hearing news that ISA had arrested at least 11 other Christians, including some Libyans and foreigners. Libya has been torn by civil strife and competing governments since the fall of dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi in 2011. The country ranked fourth on Open Doors 2025 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. This article was originally published by Christian Daily InternationalMorning Star News. Home News 'No evil greater': Feds rescue 10 children in labor, sex traffic raid on motels Authorities discovered a labor trafficking ring was exploiting nearly a dozen children as young as 12 years old while executing search warrants at 14 businesses and two motels in Nebraska. The operation resulted in the arrest of five individuals. Through a collaborative effort involving federal, state and local law enforcement, authorities conducted the search warrants on Tuesday at each of the locations across the Omaha metro area and in central Nebraska. Four of the motels targeted in the raid included The AmericInn, The Inn, The New Victorian and the Roadway Inn, according to a Tuesday press release from the U.S Attorneys Office in the District of Nebraska. During the operation, authorities rescued the 10 children and 17 adults forced to work at the hotels for long hours with almost no pay. The victims were forced to pay for lodging at the hotels, even though the accommodations were unclean, unsafe, and unhealthy, according to the complaint affidavit. There is no evil greater than the evil that seeks to trap, oppress, and exploit human beings for profit or pleasure, U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods said in the provided statement. Where that evil exists, Nebraska law enforcement working together at the federal, state, and local levels, as occurred in this case, will seek it, find it, root it out, and ensure every rescued victim has an opportunity to obtain justice and freedom from their captors, the attorney continued. On the day of the raids, authorities also arrested five suspects who were the owners and managers of the hotels. The arrested and charged suspects include: Kentakumar Chaudhari, 36; Rashmi Ajit Samani, 42; Amit Prahladbhai Chaudhari, 32; Amit Babubhai Chaudhari, 33; and Maheshkumar Chaudhari, 38. The suspects face a range of charges, as, in addition to the conspiracy to engage in labor trafficking, at least one of the defendants reportedly engaged in a sex trafficking conspiracy that involved minors and adults. The complaint affidavit alleges that sex trafficking victims were abused by the traditional perpetrators of a sex trafficking scheme, but also by the hotel management and staff. Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel, leader of the Omaha FBI Field Office, referred to human trafficking as a form of modern-day slavery. This investigation revealed victims right here in the heart of the heartland forced into sexual activity, living and working in dangerous and filthy conditions, and extorted to work in grueling jobs with little to no pay, added Kowel in a prepared statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office. We will always stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners to aggressively identify and apprehend perpetrators of human trafficking, hold them accountable, and obtain justice for victims, he added. Our approach to these horrific cases is always centered on the victims. We encourage anyone who may be a victim or have information about human trafficking to call us, Kowel said. We will continue to surge resources to arrest violent offenders in our community as part of the FBIs Summer Heat Initiative. These defendants are also accused of drug trafficking and harboring individuals who entered the country illegally. One of the suspects is accused of attempting to obtain U visas under fraudulent circumstances. Authorities also seized more than $565,000 in the raids, which they believe was obtained through money laundering. The U.S. Marshal Service is working to recover money that the defendants reportedly acquired illegally. Earlier this year in Michigan, the Farmington Hills Police Department worked alongside the human trafficking task force and the prosecutors office to investigate a human trafficking enterprise involving illicit massage parlors. In April, Paul Richard Katterman II was charged with allegedly helping his wife, Zixuan Wan, traffic four non-English-speaking women from China. The four women worked at three different locations in Farmington Hills, Westland and Commerce Township. Kattermans wife was charged by the Oakland County Prosecutors Office in March, but faced new charges in April, including money laundering, conducting a criminal enterprise and failure to file taxes. And in Florida, a joint law enforcement operation resulted in the rescue of 60 missing children between the ages of 9 and 17. The effort, called Operation Dragon Eye, resulted in the arrests of eight defendants who faced charges ranging from human trafficking, child endangerment, drug possession and drug trafficking. "[T]he successful recovery of 60 missing children, complemented with the arrest of eight individuals, including child predators, signifies the most successful missing child recovery effort in the history of the United States Marshals Service; or to my knowledge, any other similar operation held in the United States," U.S. Marshal for the Central District of Florida, William Berger, said in a statement at the time. Home News Franklin Graham calls on Christians to pray for 'end to the bloodshed' ahead of Trump-Putin summit Evangelist Franklin Graham called on Christians worldwide to pray for a pivotal summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting, scheduled for Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, is focused on ending the war in Ukraine in a summit that experts say could determine not only the trajectory of the war but also the fate of European security. Graham, 72, shared his call to prayer on social media. "Today is the day. Join me in praying for our President, Donald J. Trump, as he meets with President Putin," Graham, who met Putin in 2015 and prayed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in May, urged. "Pray that God will give President Trump His wisdom that surpasses all understanding. And pray for President Putin, that God would work in his heart to bring peace and an end to the bloodshed." In March, Graham called for an end to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict after a tense meeting between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelensky. In a social media post, Graham acknowledged that the meeting "was tense and unfortunately did not end well," adding, "The progress we had all hoped for is again delayed. Pray for the people of Ukraine, and that there would be an end to this terrible war." As the CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the Evangelical aid charity Samaritan's Purse, Graham's organizations have actively provided relief to the Ukrainian people since Russia invaded the eastern European nation three years ago. Russia invaded Ukrainian territory in February 2022, claiming it wanted to secure the rights of pro-Russian communities in Eastern Ukraine regions like Donetsk and Luhansk. In the days after the invasion, Samaritan's Purse deployed disaster response specialists to Poland and Romania, where refugees fleeing the war-torn nation were arriving in large numbers. In April 2022, Graham preached an Easter sermon in Ukraine. Graham's call to prayer comes as Orthodox Christians, who represent the majority faith in both Russia and Ukraine, held a multi-day prayer event in Alaska ahead of the summit. The Orthodox Church of America (OCA), the offshoot of Russian Orthodox missionaries nearly two centuries ago, has over 80 parishes across Alaska and hundreds more across North America, according to Associated Press. Starting on Aug. 12, Archbishop Alexei of the Diocese of Sitka and Alaska called for all those in his diocese to pray "for the intercessions of Saint Olga so that peace may be achieved in the upcoming summit and that families suffering and broken be given relief and comfort." "Our world continues to grieve the war in Ukraine and the immeasurable sorrow borne by Ukrainian and Russian faithful alike," the archbishop said in a statement. "Whatever earthly negotiations may achieve, we know that 'the hearts of kings are in the hand of the Lord' (Proverbs 21:1). We therefore set aside this week as a time for the Diocese of Sitka and Alaska to pray for peace in Ukraine and Russia." Home News National Library of Scotland pulls book featuring JK Rowling essay after LGBT staffers complain The editors of a collection of feminist essays are accusing the National Library of Scotland of censorship for excluding it from an exhibition despite meeting the requirements to be included following complaints from LGBT staffers. As part of a "Dear Library" display to celebrate reading, the National Library of Scotland asked the public to nominate books that have shaped their lives. Titles that met a vote threshold would be included in a 10-month display. Despite receiving double the number of nominations required, according to a Tuesday report by The U.K. Times, the National Library of Scotland opted not to include The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht in the display. The book includes 30 essays from multiple women, such as Rowling, Scottish National Party Member of Parliament Joanna Cherry KC, and the former Scottish National Party Minister Ash Regan. Each woman details the campaign against Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's gender self-identification law, which would have simplified the process for individuals to legally identify as the opposite sex. In response to an inquiry from The Christian Post, a spokesperson for the National Library of Scotland said that anyone can access the book in one of the reading rooms, as well as the 200 other books not selected for the display. "A full list of those publications is available as part of the exhibition," the spokesperson added. "Libraries are vital places where people can access all kinds of publications for free, and form their own opinions." Following the book's nomination, an internal LGBT network reportedly raised concerns about the book in May. However, senior figures initially decided to include the book, as The Times reported. The staff complained, saying that the book's contents were "hate speech" and comparable to racism. Amina Shah, Scotland's national librarian and the National Library of Scotland chief, later decided not to include the book, citing concerns about "the potential impact on key stakeholders" who she feared could "withdraw support for the exhibition and the centenary." Susan Dalgety, one of the book's editors, reflected on her love of libraries growing up in a Wednesday X post, adding that Shah's "anti-democratic decision" has left her feeling "hurt and very, very angry." "That [Shah] treated our book as a harmful object, to be hidden from public view. That the prevailing culture in Scotland's public life enabled her to feel it was appropriate for the National Library to censor a book written by women about their rights," Dalgety wrote. The editor noted that Sturgeon, who has written a memoir, has multiple events scheduled to help promote her book, with Dalgety noting that the Scottish politician should have this right. "Meanwhile, our book, which challenged her approach to a significant legal and cultural shift on women's rights is censored by our national library," Dalgety asserted. "Who exactly weaponised this debate?" Lucy Hunter Blackburn, who also edited The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht, shared in a Thursday X post that all of the book's royalties are donated to organizations "helping women silenced elsewhere in the world." "So one good thing comes of the National Library of Scotland's censorious behaviour. We've just shot up the sales charts," Blackburn remarked, sarcastically congratulating the National Library of Scotland. The editors shared a copy of a letter they sent Shah on Tuesday, accusing the national librarian and her colleagues of allowing activists on their staff to characterize the book as "harmful, hateful and akin to racism and homophobia." The letter argues that Shah failed to provide examples of specific passages or authors that could justify the decision to exclude the book from the public display. By not including the book in the exhibition, the editors argue, the national library excluded various women, including one of the first two women of color elected to the Scottish parliament since 1999. "It has also excluded, among others: women from across the political spectrum who suffered unspeakable abuse for standing up for women's rights. These are women who have changed the course of politics not just in Scotland but in the U.K., and who spoke up for many who felt less able to do so. All these women have been smeared and their words excluded from the exhibition by your decision." In the letter, the editors called on Shah to "find some courage" and follow the original plan to include the book in the display, and to apologize to the individuals who worked on it. Home News Over 200 faith groups, NGOs urge UN to stop enabling Hamas, support US-backed aid effort Over 200 Jewish, Christian, Muslim and secular organizations and NGOs from more than 15 countries are calling on the United Nations and international communities to collaborate with the U.S.-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and demand an investigation of the U.N. relief agency in Gaza. The interfaith coalition's letter calls on the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly to oppose any attempt to "obstruct or delegitimize" the GHF's work, and for the U.N. to collaborate with the GHF and other credible humanitarian organizations. The GHF, an Israel-backed effort to provide aid to Gazans without directly supporting Hamas, began distributing aid to Gazans in May and says it has since distributed over 120 million meals. The letter also calls for a formal investigation into the U.N. Relief and Works Agency's operations in Gaza, as multiple reports have raised concerns about UNRWA's ties to Hamas and other terrorist organizations, as well as how the organization handles aid distribution. "There is overwhelming evidence that UNRWA-led aid in Gaza has been compromised, enabling Hamas to profit and exert control, contravening humanitarian principles and law. The GHF offers a viable, neutral, and effective alternative," the letter states. "We respectfully request that the U.N. and world leaders take steps to shift U.N. policy in Gaza away from refusal to cooperate with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and toward one that works in partnership and collaboration with the GHF for the good of the citizens of Gaza." UNRWA did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment. The signatories, which include the Christian Jewish Alliance, Israel Christian Nexus and the American Muslim and Multi-Faith Women's Empowerment Council, asserted that the GHF has proven itself "a far more impartial and effective humanitarian partner than UNRWA." As the coalition noted, multiple eyewitnessreports and analyses of the situation in Gaza have found evidence that Hamas exploits the U.N. distribution system, stealing the aid intended for civilians and taxing Gazans for aid that was supposed to be free. Several U.N. employees have also been accused of hoarding food instead of distributing it to civilians. "These actions constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law, which expressly forbids the weaponization of aid or its use for the financial or political benefit of armed groups," the interfaith coalition's letter states. By contrast, the GHF is delivering aid directly to civilians, the letter argues, which prevents Hamas from profiting off it. On Friday, the GHF announced that it had delivered over 1.5 million meals across three aid distribution sites and that the organization has delivered 123 million meals to date. "Despite this, United Nations officials on the ground have refused to cooperate with the GHF and are, according to multiple reports, actively campaigning against it," the coalition's letter states. "Instead, they appear intent on restoring the prior system, a system that facilitated Hamas's profiteering and permitted the widespread diversion of humanitarian supplies," the NGOs and humanitarian groups argue. "Refusal to work with the current GHF aid distribution system will only hurt Palestinian civilians." In a joint statement released earlier this month, U.N. officials claimed the GHF was an effort to "exploit" aid for "covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law." "The entanglement of Israeli intelligence, US contractors and ambiguous non-governmental entities underlines the urgent need for robust international oversight and action under UN auspices," the U.N. statement reads. Given that the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for "crimes against humanity and war crimes," the U.N. officials contend that the state accused of committing "genocide" can't be left in charge of "feeding the population affected by the genocide." The ICC's arrest warrant drew criticism from several U.S. Evangelical leaders, who say it goes after Israel's leader when the war was sparked by Hamas terrorists killing 1,200 people and abducting over 240 others in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel's stated goal for its military offensive is to eradicate Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007, and secure the release of the hostages. Hamas-controlled authorities in Gaza say over 60,000 people have died in Gaza since the war began, a figure that doesn't differentiate between combatants and civilians. During an interview last month with journalist Billy Hallowell, Rev. Johnnie Moore, executive chairman of the GHF, condemned the U.N. for attempting to undermine the group's efforts to deliver meals to Gazans. He also criticized the U.N. for boycotting the GHF when it has never boycotted Hamas. "Our job is just to feed Gaza," Moore said. "But we're also, in feeding Gazans, trying to address a systemic issue, which is almost all of the humanitarian aid that has been going into Gaza for as long as anybody can remember has been under the total control of Hamas." The Evangelical leader said that the U.N. has refused to work with the GHF, claiming that the GHF violates humanitarian principles of "impartiality." Moore said such a claim is "hogwash." GHF also claims Hamas murdered aid workers and placed bounties on their heads, actions that Moore has called on the U.N. to condemn. "And they wouldn't even do that," the chairman stated. On July 11, U.N. Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva that the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights has recorded "615 killings in the vicinity of the GHF sites" since May 26 and through July 7. Shamdasani alleged that another 183 deaths had occurred on routes to aid convoys, and that nearly 800 people have been killed trying to access aid. The OHCHR said that its information comes from Gaza hospitals, cemeteries, families, the Hamas-run health authorities, NGOs and its partners on the ground. In a statement to Reuters last month, the GHF denied the allegations, referring to the numbers from the U.N. as "false and misleading." "The fact is the most deadly attacks on aid sites have been linked to U.N. convoys," a GHF spokesperson said at the time. "Ultimately, the solution is more aid. If the U.N. and other humanitarian groups would collaborate with us, we could end or significantly reduce these violent incidents." California Moms Challenge Vaccine Law, Judge Blocks Birth Control Religious Exemption, D.C. Crime Data Manipulation link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 07:03 07:03 Top headlines for Friday, August 15, 2025 In this episode, we look at how four California mothers are intensifying their fight against a 2016 law that removes religious exemptions for school vaccinations. Next, we explore a new court ruling blocking a Trump policy that allowed employers to opt-out of providing birth control coverage on religious grounds. Finally, we break down the federal takeover of Washington, D.C., uncovering key points and controversial allegations of manipulated crime data. 00:11 California moms continue legal fight for religious exemptions 01:08 Judge blocks Trump religious exemption to contraception mandate 01:57 Jets QB Justin Fields says he's 'addicted' to reading the Bible 02:58 Trafficking survivor continues fight against Nevada brothels 03:52 5 things to know about the federal takeover of DC 04:33 Circuit court upholds Arkansas ban on trans surgeries for kids 05:21 Anne Wilson raises over $100K for Kentucky Tornado relief Generative AI (GenAI) has unlocked a new wave of productivity, from content generation to code suggestions. Gradually, with AI becoming more context-aware, goal-driven, and self-directed, were entering the age of agentic AI where systems dont just assist, they act. As Agentic AI moves from pilot to production, its paving the way for something biggerthe emergence of the autonomous enterprise. This isnt about replacing humans. Its about reimagining the way businesses operate when AI becomes an active participant in the system, not just a support layer. For Indian enterprises, this shift is already underway. From streamlining workflows to re-architecting infrastructure and rethinking customer engagement models, agentic AI is no longer experimentalits becoming foundational. And the momentum is real: 74% of Indian enterprises are exploring agentic AI use cases [1] while 92% expect AI agents to handle complex customer interactions soon [2]. In an autonomous enterprise, systems dont just automate; they decide, act, and evolve. The organisation becomes self-optimising. Processes adapt to changing conditions. Decisions are made in real time using distributed data. The enterprise becomes more responsive, resilient, and, ultimately, more competitive. This shiftfrom task automation to goal-driven orchestrationis especially relevant for Indian enterprises navigating complexity at scale. Whether its financial services, supply chains, or citizen services, the ability to delegate intent to intelligent agents offers exponential gains in speed, accuracy, and agility. Were no longer just digitising workflows. Were architecting enterprises that can run themselves, within guardrails. So, what enables this transformation? What makes autonomy operationally viablenot just aspirational? Defining the autonomous enterprise Lets explore the key capabilities of autonomous enterprises. 1. AI-first workflows Enterprise applications are being redesigned around GenAI and autonomous agents. HR bots can now screen resumes and schedule interviews. Finance assistants generate real-time compliance reports. IT agents troubleshoot issues before tickets are even raised. This shift means business processes are not just supported by AI; theyre driven by it. 2. Autonomous CX AI is transforming customer experience (CX) beyond chatbots. With conversational AI, blockchain-based loyalty, and real-time personalisation, enterprises are delivering consistent, context-aware engagement at scale. 84% of CX leaders in India expect 80% of customer interactions to be resolved without human intervention in the coming years [3]. 3. AIOps and autonomous security Security operations are evolving from reactive monitoring to autonomous response. AI-driven SOCs (Security Operations Centers) are capable of detecting, diagnosing, and mitigating threats without manual input. By 2026, 20% of Indian enterprises are expected to migrate to autonomous SOCs [4]. 4. Knowledge engines Enterprises are building internal LLMs and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems to create powerful knowledge engines. These copilots are trained on proprietary data and workflows, allowing users to simply ask for answers, decisions, or actionsdemocratising access to enterprise intelligence. Building blocks of the next-gen enterprise To move beyond GenAI experiments and toward truly autonomous operations, enterprises must revisit how theyre architected, not just in terms of infrastructure, but also in how data, trust, and sustainability are embedded into the core of the organisation. This evolution isnt powered by a single breakthrough, but by the convergence of several enablers working in harmony. Cloud-to-edge fabric: Architecting for speed and context Agentic AI thrives on immediacy. Whether its a machine alert on a factory floor or a fraud detection system evaluating a transaction in real time, latency can be the difference between opportunity and oversight. This is driving a shift from centralised cloud-only models to a cloud-to-edge continuumone where AI models are deployed closer to where data is generated. As Indias edge computing market grows nearly threefold by 2028, enterprises are investing in architectures that can act instantly and locally, without always relying on the cloud for direction. Unified data fabric: Turning fragmentation into fuel No AI, generative or agentic, can function without context. And context depends on unified, real-time access to high-quality data. But for many enterprises, data remains fragmented across silos: legacy systems, IoT feeds, unstructured documents, and third-party APIs. The move toward a data fabricintegrating these sources through metadata, pipelines, and governanceenables AI agents to reason across the business, not just within departmental boundaries. A well-connected data foundation is what allows AI to stop being a narrow tool and start becoming a holistic operator. Secure AI execution: Reimagining trust for autonomy As enterprises hand over more decisions to AI, trust must become dynamic. Its not enough to secure data; what matters now is controlling how autonomous systems access, act upon, and learn from it. This is where AI-native identity and access management (AI IAM) and Zero Trust architectures come into play, defining what an AI agent is authorised to do, under what conditions, and with what auditability. These guardrails are essential, particularly as agents begin to interact with financial systems, customer data, and regulatory environments. Securing autonomy isnt about locking it down its about enabling it with control and visibility. Sustainable AI infrastructure: Scaling Without overheating Autonomous operations must also be responsible operations. As the energy demands of large models and AI workloads grow, sustainability has emerged as a strategic priority. Enterprises are turning to GreenOps practices, such as carbon-aware scheduling, edge inferencing to reduce cloud load, and deploying models optimised for efficiency, not just accuracy. By 2027, over half of Asia Pacific enterprises are expected to adopt decarbonisation frameworks for their AI infrastructure. Designing for sustainability ensures that growth in intelligence doesnt come at the cost of environmental resilience. The strategic call for leaders This next chapter in AI isnt about faster toolsits about reimagining the enterprise operating model. Leaders must ask: what happens when AI doesnt wait for instructions but acts on intent? The organisations that win tomorrow wont just use AItheyll be built around it. Adaptive, autonomous, and audacious by design. Click here to learn how to leverage new innovations for your organization with Tata Communications. Sources [1] PwC India Gen AI and Agentic AI Study 2024 [2] India AI 2025 Trends Report [3] Zendesks 2025 Customer Experience Trends Report [4] IDC Autonomous SOC Adoption Forecast 2026 [5] Great Learning 2024-25 Upskilling Trends Report Abonati-va sa primiti pe email saptamanal lista articolelor adaugate pe parcursul saptamanii. Adresele .ru nu sunt acceptate. Email NEWSLETTER A fire at Japanese industrial gas maker Kanto Denka Kogyo Co.s factory is spurring concerns about possible disruptions to the semiconductor supply chain. Last week, a fire broke out at Samsung Electronics Co. and Kioxia Holdings Corp. supplier Kanto Denkas nitrogen trifluoride plant in Shibukawa in Gunma Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo. One worker died and another was injured, according to the company. One of the plants two production lines sustained partial damages and operations have been suspended by authorities, a company representative said. Nitrogen trifluoride is a toxic gas used to clean substrate processing chambers during chipmaking. Kioxia sees no immediate impact on production or July-September earnings, because it can tap other sources for gas and has remaining inventory, a spokesperson said. A representative of Sony Group Corp.s semiconductor unit declined to comment, saying that the company does not disclose its suppliers. The Tokyo-based companys customers include Sony and Micron Technology Inc. in addition to Samsung and Kioxia, according to Kazuyoshi Saito, senior analyst at Iwai Cosmo Securities. If the plant remains closed for a prolonged period, this may exacerbate a capacity squeeze at manufacturers that are operating at maximum utilization rates to meet artificial intelligence demand, he said. Kanto Denka comprises 90% of Japan-made nitrogen trifluoride. In May, Mitsui Chemicals Inc. said it plans to halt production at the end of March, citing intensifying price competition and higher raw materials costs. Top photo: One of the plants two production lines sustained partial damages and operations have been suspended by authorities. Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg. Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. The Boars Head deli meat plant at the heart of last years deadly food poisoning outbreak is set to reopen in the coming months, company officials said. But recent inspections at Boars Head sites in three states documented sanitation problems similar to those that led to the listeria contamination that killed 10 people and sickened dozens. The Jarratt, Virginia, plant was shut down in September when U.S. Agriculture Department officials suspended operations and withdrew the federal marks of inspection required to operate, saying the company failed to maintain sanitary conditions. Boars Head permanently stopped making liverwurst and recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli products. USDA officials this week said they had thoroughly reviewed the plant and lifted the forced suspension on July 18. The facility is in full compliance of the guidelines and protocols set for the safe handling and production of food and the serious issues that led to suspension have been fully rectified, officials with the USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service said in an email Wednesday. And yet, documents obtained by The Associated Press through a freedom of information request show that Boars Head plants in Arkansas, Indiana and elsewhere in Virginia were flagged for the same kinds of sanitation problems that led to the outbreak, with the most recent report in June. In the past seven months, government inspectors reported problems that include instances of meat and fat residue left on equipment and walls, drains blocked with meat products, beaded condensation on ceilings and floors, overflowing trash cans, and staff who didnt wear protective hairnets and plastic aprons or wash their hands. The records, which included USDA noncompliance reports logged by inspectors from Jan. 1 through July 23, raise new questions about the companys promises to address systemic problems and about federal oversight of listeria contamination in plants that make ready-to-eat foods. If there is evidence that food safety problems are continuing, the government needs to make sure the company fixes them, said Sandra Eskin, a former USDA official who now heads STOP Foodborne Illness, a consumer group focused on food safety. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins last month announced plans to bolster efforts that combat foodborne germs, including listeria. Jobs Posted in Virginia Officials at Boars Head, the 120-year-old company based in Sarasota, Florida, have posted job openings for two dozen positions, including a food safety quality analyst, at the Jarratt site. The company convened a panel of expert advisers last fall and hired a chief food safety officer in May. The advisers include Frank Yiannas, a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration official, and Mindy Brashears, President Donald Trumps nominee for USDAs undersecretary for food safety. Boars Head last year said they regret and deeply apologize for the contamination and that comprehensive measures are being implemented to prevent such an incident from ever happening again. But company officials refused to discuss the problems found this year. They canceled a scheduled AP interview with Natalie Dyenson, the new food safety officer. And they declined to allow Yiannas to detail the investigation he led into the contaminations cause. Brashears, who now directs a food safety center at Texas Tech University, did not respond to requests for comment about the Boars Head problems. An automatic email reply said the USDA nominee was traveling out of the country until Aug. 25. She remains on the companys food safety board. Boars Head has an unwavering commitment to food safety and quality. That commitment is reflected in recent enhancements to our practices and protocols described on the companys website, Boars Head said in an emailed statement. We have also been working with the USDA in developing a plan to reopen our Jarratt facility in a measured, deliberate way in the coming months, the statement said. Inadequate Sanitation Practices The 35 pages of new inspection findings cover Boars Head sites in Forrest City, Arkansas; New Castle, Indiana; and Petersburg, Virginia. They surprised outside food safety advocates, who said that factory conditions should have improved in the year since the outbreak was first identified. You would have expected after all they went through that they would put themselves in a place where you could essentially eat deli meat off the factory floor, said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy for Consumer Reports, an advocacy group. Rep. Rosa DeLauro called the findings appalling. This is a pattern of negligence cutting corners to protect the companys bottom line at the expense of consumers and these conditions show a complete disregard for food safety and for the public health of the American people, the Connecticut Democrat said in a statement. The findings echo the inadequate sanitation practices that USDA officials said contributed to the outbreak. Key factors included product residue, condensation and structural problems in the buildings, a January report concluded. At the Jarratt plant, state inspectors working in partnership with USDA had documented mold, insects, liquid dripping from ceilings, and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment, the AP previously reported. While no instances of insects were documented in this years inspection reports, there were repeated reports of dried fat and protein from the previous days production on equipment, stairs and walls. In April, an inspector at the Petersburg plant reported finding discarded meat underneath equipment, including 5-6 hams, 4 large pieces of meat and a large quantity of pooling meat juice. Other reports detailed beaded condensation directly over the food contact surfaces of tables and conveyor belts. Additional reports documented rusting meat racks, doors that failed to close completely and staff who ignored required handwashing stations. The reports point to a food safety culture problem, said Barbara Kowalcyk, who directs a food safety and nutrition security center at George Washington University. What jumped out to me is there is an organizational culture issue that needs to be changed, she said. Usually that culture has to start at the top. In the meantime, she advised consumers to think carefully about deli meat consumption. Older people and those who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to serious illness from listeria infections. I think they need to be aware that there are issues at this organization that still are not completely under control, apparently, Kowalcyk said. Boars Head faced multiple lawsuits from people who fell ill or from the families of those who died. Several survivors declined to comment publicly on the new problems, citing financial settlements with the company that included nondisclosure agreements. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. South Koreas Supreme Court rejected a 30 million won ($21,600) damage claim by an American composer who accused a South Korean kids content company of plagiarizing his version of Baby Shark, ending a six-year legal battle over the globally popular tune known for its catchy doo doo doo doo doo doo hook. The top court upheld lower court rulings dating back to 2021 and 2023 that found no sufficient grounds to conclude the company, Pinkfong, infringed on Jonathan Wrights copyright. Wright, also known as Johnny Only, released his version in 2011, four years before Pinkfongs, but both were based on a traditional melody popular for years at childrens summer camps in the United States. The courts ruled Wrights version did not differ enough from the original melody to qualify as an original creative work eligible for copyright protection, and that Pinkfongs song had clear differences from Wrights. The Supreme Court said its ruling reaffirms the established legal principle on existing folk tunes as derivative work. The Supreme Court accepts the lower courts finding that the plaintiffs song did not involve substantial modifications to the folk tune related to the case to the extent that it could be regarded, by common social standards, as a separate work, it said in a statement. Pinkfong said in a statement to The Associated Press that the ruling confirmed its version of Baby Shark was based on a traditional singalong chant that was in the public domain. The company said it gave the tune a fresh twist by adding an upbeat rhythm and catchy melody, turning it into the pop culture icon it is today. Chong Kyong-sok, Wrights South Korean attorney, said he hadnt received the full version of the courts ruling yet, but called the outcome a little disappointing. Anyway, the matter is now settled, he said. Its our work that came out first, so we can handle the licensing on our side and I guess we then each go our separate ways. Pinkfongs Baby Shark became a global phenomenon after it was released on YouTube in 2015, with the original Baby Shark Dance video now exceeding 16 billion views and peaking at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100. Baby Shark remains a crucial product for Pinkfong, which earned 45.1 billion won ($32.6 million) in revenue in the first half of 2025, according to its regulatory filing. The company has turned the five-member shark family Baby Shark, Mama Shark, Papa Shark, Grandma Shark, and Grandpa Shark into TV and Netflix shows, movies, smartphone apps and globally touring musicals. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Aerial view of the edge of Cleveland Clinic main campus along Cedar Avenue. John Pana, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio Cleveland Clinic has welcomed two new members of Cleveland Clinic Connected, a global network of independent, quality-focused organizations that have a positive impact on patient care. Radiochirurgia Zagreb, located in Croatia, is the first European member of Cleveland Clinic Connected, the Clinic recently announced. Another new member of the global network is Barton Health, a community health system based in Lake Tahoe. The Clinic previously announced other Cleveland Clinic Connected partnerships with health systems in Vietnam, Indiana and Florida. As Cleveland Clinic Connected members, Radiochirurgia Zagreb and Barton Health caregivers can access educational opportunities either at the Clinic or through distance learning, as well as best practices and protocols that are used at Clinic locations worldwide. Radiochirurgia Zagreb is considered a leading specialty hospital for early cancer diagnosis and treatment in Croatia as well as southern and eastern Europe, the Clinic said. Radiochirurgia Zagreb plans to send two hospital leaders to the Clinic in September to participate in a global physician leadership program, and to observe firsthand the Clinics best practices. We are delighted to have formalized our affiliation with Radiochirurgia Zagreb, whose dedication to excellence reflects Cleveland Clinics mission to deliver the highest quality care and touch as many lives as possible, said Clinic CEO Dr. Tom Mihaljevic. Bringing Cleveland Clinics best practices across borders is something truly special. It allows our team to share world-class expertise and make a meaningful difference in peoples lives. Barton Health joined Cleveland Clinic Connected to improve its care delivery through access to the Clinics clinical expertise and resources, the Clinic said. The collaboration allows Barton Health to use the Clinics expertise in building design and patient flow as Barton Health constructs a state-of-the art hospital in Lake Tahoe. The new facility will feature increased emergency and surgical capacity, improved patient rooms, and modern medical equipment, the Clinic said. Authorities recovered a brick of cocaine, methamphetamine and firearms following a federal investigation into drug trafficking between Ohio and California. Though the brick's label implies it is a kilogram of cocaine, investigators found it was 91 grams short. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio CLEVELAND, Ohio Federal prosecutors have charged four Ohio residents with roles in a drug trafficking ring that they say smuggled large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and other drugs from California into Ohio cities, including Akron, Barberton, Mansfield and Columbus. A six-count indictment unsealed this week charges Terrance Gainer, 28, Anthony Clark, 30, and Darquan Dixon, 26, all of Akron, along with Allura Ward, 24, of Mansfield. They are accused of working with California suppliers to bring drugs into Ohio for distribution, according to the indictment. Two California residents Genaro Villa, 38, of San Diego, and Najiyah Martin, 46, of Los Angeles are also charged. Ward pleaded not guilty. Her attorney, James Jenkins of Cleveland, declined to comment. Henry Hilow, an attorney for Clark, said he is reviewing the indictment but offered no further comment. Clark is expected to enter a not guilty plea during his arraignment, which is scheduled for Monday. Attorney information for the other defendants was not listed in court records Friday afternoon. From February 2023 to April 2024, investigators say the ring routinely sent meth and cocaine to Ohio in mailed parcels or hidden in checked airline luggage. Shipments often ended up at an apartment in Columbus maintained by Gainer, where they were prepared for further distribution, prosecutors said. The indictment accuses Ward of purchasing a pill press and more than 55 pounds of pill-binding powder and pressing illicit pills at her Mansfield home. In April 2024, prosecutors say Dixon returned to Ohio from California with cocaine and meth concealed in his suitcase. Ward picked him up at the Cincinnati airport, but the two were stopped by the Ohio State Highway Patrol before reaching Columbus. Authorities say they found more than 17 pounds of meth, 2 pounds of cocaine and a loaded 9 mm handgun in the vehicle. In all, federal investigators seized more than 33 pounds of meth, over 2 pounds of cocaine and multiple firearms linked to the conspiracy. This article was produced with the assistance of generative AI. Several Medicaid providers in Northeast Ohio are facing charges of fraud after an investigation from the Ohio attorney general's office. Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media CLEVELAND, Ohio Four Medicaid providers from Northeast Ohio are among 10 defendants statewide accused of defrauding the government health-care program. The charges, investigated by the Ohio attorney generals Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, allege that the providers billed for services that were never performed, in some cases while traveling out of state. Two Cleveland defendants are accused of stealing $1.7 million combined. In total, prosecutors allege the 10 providers stole $1.9 million. Would-be thieves ought to think twice before setting their sights on Medicaid dollars, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement. Our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is always on the lookout for sticky-fingered criminals to bring to justice. Prosecutors said Terri Cotton, 54, of Cleveland submitted Medicaid claims for up to 100 home-delivered meals a day for each of her four clients over a span of more than two years, costing Medicaid $1.2 million. Cotton faces a charge of aggravated theft, a second-degree felony, and Medicaid Fraud, a third-degree felony. Juan Watson, 36, of Cleveland, is accused of regularly billing for 16 hours of services per day, despite clients reporting that visits lasted only a few hours. He also billed for services while traveling out of state, causing a $431,579 loss, according to Yosts office. Watson faces charges of theft, Medicaid fraud and receiving stolen property, all felonies. Cheyenne Williams, 61, of Cleveland was indicted on felony charges of theft and Medicaid fraud. Prosecutors said she billed for services 10 months after she stopped providing them. Yosts office said the false claims totaled $19,726. Creshawnda Hughes, 33, of Akron is accused of overstating her hours, often claiming up to eight hours per shift when she worked only two, according to Yosts office. The overbilling cost Medicaid $25,900, the attorney generals office said. The indictments were filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. No attorney information for the Cleveland defendants was listed as of Friday morning. A reporter reached out to an attorney representing Hughes seeking comment. This story was written with the assistance of generative AI. In 1968, the year I graduated high school and started college, I believed the world was coming to an end. The air was thick with tension and uncertainty. On my daily commute to the Cleveland State University campus, I saw National Guard troops stationed on every overpass along the freeway, a stark reminder that the country was in crisis. The assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had sparked riots in Washington, D.C., and across more than 100 cities, with federal troops called in to restore order. The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy added more fuel to the chaos. The Vietnam War protests, racial unrest, and political assassinations made it feel like the very foundation of America was shaking. I remember driving past those soldiers with a mix of fear and fascination. These werent images on a screen they were young men with rifles, standing guard over a city that felt like it might explode. The Hough riots were still fresh in Clevelands memory, and we debated the war in Vietnam in dormitory lounges until dawn, or argued about civil rights over coffee in campus cafeterias. Yet, despite the chaos, there was a spirit of engagement and hope. Students marched, debated, and demanded change. The presence of the National Guard was a grim symbol of the times, but it also underscored how close the nation was to breaking and how urgently it needed to heal. We believed our voices mattered, that change was possible, that the arc of history could bend toward justice if we pushed hard enough. Fast forward to today, and the refrain of a deeply divided nation is louder than ever. But is the division truly worse than in 1968, or has the rise of social media and 24/7 news amplified a crisis of perception? Unlike the visible, often violent upheavals of my youth, todays divisions often play out in digital echo chambers, creating a sense of constant conflict. It seems more contrived or manufactured to me a product of algorithms designed to keep us scrolling, clicking, and arguing. In 1968, if you wanted to protest, you had to show up. You had to look your fellow citizens in the eye, hear their voices, feel their humanity even in disagreement. Todays activism often happens in isolation, typing responses to strangers well never meet. The danger is that this perceived crisis can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we expect division and fear collapse, we act accordingly, retreating into ideological camps, distrusting neighbors, and escalating conflicts. The manufactured crisis becomes real because we believe it and live it. We stop seeing fellow Americans and start seeing enemies. What 1968 taught me is that America has faced darker days and survived, because people chose to confront their challenges together. Yes, we were divided, sometimes violently so. But we also shared a common reality and ultimately believed in the possibility of unity despite deep differences. The National Guard on those freeway overpasses was a symbol of crisis, but also a call to action, not surrender. Entrepreneur Derek Bekeny, a 1973 graduate of Cleveland State University, divides his time between California and Cleveland, maintaining deep ties to the city of Cleveland where he witnessed the turbulent events of 1968 firsthand. Courtesy of Derek Bekeny Today, we must remember those lessons. We must resist letting fear and division define us, reject the algorithms that profit from our anger, and remember that behind every screen name is a human being with hopes, fears, and dreams not so different from our own. The country did not end in 1968, and it will not end now, unless we let the shadows we cast become our reality. Cleveland survived 1968. America survived 1968. We can survive this, too, if we choose engagement over isolation, hope over fear, and unity over the manufactured divisions that keep us apart. Derek Bekeny is a Cleveland native and retired entrepreneur who maintains residences in California and Cleveland. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com Rich and Jan Gray, of Avon Lake, clear their driveway of heavy snow during a 2020 snowstorm. As part of its 2025-2026 winter outlook, the Farmers' Almanac is predicting a "very cold, snowy" season for Northeast Ohio. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio Northeast Ohio could be in for a frigid, snow-packed winter, if the latest outlook from Farmers Almanac proves correct. The publication, which has been releasing long-range weather forecasts for over 200 years, is predicting a very cold, snowy 2025-2026 winter for the Great Lakes region. Stocks @ Night is a daily newsletter delivered after hours, giving you a first look at tomorrow and last look at today. Sign up for free to receive it directly in your inbox. Here's what CNBC's producers were watching in Thursday's session and what's on the radar for Friday. UnitedHealth Group Some big names have piled into this health-care giant over the last several weeks, according to 13F filings compiled and reported on this evening by CNBC's Leslie Picker. She will have a lot more on "WorldWide Exchange" and "Squawk Box" Friday morning. David Tepper's Appaloosa Management bought the stock. So did Warren Buffett 's Berkshire Hathaway . And Scion Asset Management's Michael Burry , of "Big Short" fame, bought call options, hoping the stock is going higher. Shares are up 10% after hours. UnitedHealth has had a rough go in the market, and of course, outside of the market. Shares are down 46% so far year to date. The stock is 57% from the November 2024 high. It is by far the worst performing stock in the Dow 30 in 2025 and in the 12-month period. Top-rated analyst Lisa Gill of JP Morgan will weigh in with her first thoughts on the stock tomorrow morning with Frank Holland on "Worldwide Exchange," which starts at 5 a.m. ET. Gordon Gekko used to like to say, "money never sleeps pal." UNH YTD mountain UnitedHealth Group shares year to date Intel Bloomberg is reporting that the White House is considering making a direct investment in the stock. Intel was up 7% today on the news, it is up an additional 3% after hours. Intel is up 19% so far in 2025 but the stock is about 13% from its February high. This was a $68 stock back in 2021. It's now trading around $24. Full coverage continues tomorrow morning. INTC YTD mountain Intel shares year to date. Housing in the USA Noted analyst Ivy Zelman will join "Squawk Box" with Joe Kernen and Andrew Ross Sorkin in the 8 a.m. hour. There's a ton of issues including a shortage of homes to buy, high prices, a lack of places to move to all of which ties up the market. Mortgage rates and local rules are also issues the builders say are holding them back. Zelman will go through the list with us and look at the stocks. The SPDR S & P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) is 10% from its November high. It is up 11.5% so far in August. A lot of the big names are up big in August. Hovnanian is up 31% in August, but it's still 35% from last summer's high. Lennar is up 16% in August, and it's 30% from its September 2024 high. Pultegroup is up almost 14% in August, and is 14% from its October high. Taylor Morris Home is also up about 15% in August, and is 10% from the November high. Toll Brothers is up 11% in August, and is 23% from the November high. NVR is up more than 8% in August, putting it 18% from its October high. Uranium and Rare Minerals As President Donald Trump heads to Alaska to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Global X Uranium ETF (URA) is up 39% in three months. The ETF is 7.5% from its mid-July high. It is up about 80% since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The VanEck Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) is up 46% in 2025. The Sprott Critical Materials ETF (SETM) is up 40% so far this year. Full coverage of the president's mission begins on "Squawk Box" in our 6 a.m. hour. My top 10 things to watch Friday, Aug. 15 Today's newsletter was written by Zev Fima, the Investing Club's portfolio analyst. 1. DA Davidson upgraded Club name Salesforce to a hold-equivalent rating from underperform while keeping its price target of $225 a share. Activist investor Starboard increased itss stake in the company by 47%, the firm noted, and "another round of activist involvement may help the company correct course." 2. Bank of America downgraded Target to an underperform sell rating, citing longer-term sales and margin risks. Its price target was cut to $93 from $105. Target, which has had a rough few years, is among the retailers set to report earnings next week. We'll also hear from Club stocks TJX Companies and Home Depot . 3. Retail sales in July rose 0.5% from the prior month, as expected, according to the Census Bureau's advanced report. That's a good sign for the consumer. The S & P 500 is headed for a positive open and it's second weekly gain in a row. Consumer sentiment data out at 10 a.m. ET is something to watch. 4. The Dow, meanwhile, is set to open more than 250 points higher, and a 10% pop in shares of UnitedHealth Group is a big reason why. The stock is getting a classic "Buffett bounce," after Berkshire Hathaway revealed in a securities filing it took a $1.6 billion stake in the embattled health insurer during the second quarter. 5. Shares of American steelmaker Nucor are also up on news of Berkshire taking a position in the second quarter. The same goes for the homebuilders Lennar and DR Horton , as well as billboard operator Lamar Advertising . Warren Buffett is set to hand over the Berkshire CEO role to Greg Abel at year-end. 6. Raymond James upped its price target on Ulta Beauty to $580 from $500 and reiterated its buy-equivalent outperform rating. Analysts argued that "unleashed" turnaround initiatives are starting to take hold at the cosmetics retailer. 7. Analysts at both Evercore ISI and Mizuho raised their price targets on Dell Technologies to $160 from $150. Both cited strong AI server demand. Nvidia's upcoming Rubin chip in 2026 is expected to be a tailwind to Dell in the back half of next year, Mizuho said. 8. Applied Materials is getting crushed after the semiconductor equipment company issued weak guidance for the current quarter. CEO Gary Dickerson cited the difficult macroeconomic environment and uncertainty relating to U.S. policy. While BofA downgraded the stock to neutral, analysts believe the issues are more company-specific and not a great read-through to Lam Research or KLA Corp . 9. Mizuho raised its price target on Oracle to $300 from $245 and reiterated its outperform buy rating. AI is driving demand for the company's "differentiated" cloud architecture, analysts said, and its analyst day in October could prove to be another positive catalyst for shares. 10. Morgan Stanley believes Club stock Apple could finally be turning the corner, and the firm also now sees iPhone builds in the September quarter being flat year over year at 54 million, up from its previous estimate of 50 million. After a monster 13% rally last week, Apple shares have added another 1.5% so far this week. Sign up for my Top 10 Morning Thoughts on the Market email newsletter for free (See here for a full list of the stocks at Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. Air Canada flight attendants, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) hold a picket at one of four airports to highlight their pay demands in contract negotiations with Canada's largest airline, outside Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada August 11, 2025. The Canadian government on Saturday moved to end a strike by Air Canada's cabin crews and require binding arbitration to resolve their contract impasse, an action that the country's largest carrier had sought but unionized flight attendants opposed. Thousands of Air Canada flight attendants walked off the job after months of negotiations over a new contract just before 1 a.m. EDT (0500 GMT). In anticipation of the stoppage, the airline canceled nearly all of its 700 daily flights, forcing more than 100,000 travelers to scramble for alternatives or stay put. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said at a news conference she had asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose binding arbitration on both sides and order an immediate end to the strike. "This is not a decision that I've taken lightly, but the potential for immediate negative impact on Canadians and our economy is simply too great," she said. Air Canada had asked Prime Minister Mark Carney's minority Liberal government to act, but the Canadian Union of Public Employees said it wanted a negotiated solution, as binding arbitration would take pressure off the airline. Minutes after the announcement, CUPE blasted the government's decision. "The Liberal government is rewarding Air Canada's refusal to negotiate fairly by giving them exactly what they wanted," it said in a statement posted on X. Air Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment. While passengers have generally voiced support for the flight attendants on social media, Canadian businesses already reeling from a trade dispute with the U.S. have urged the federal government to impose binding arbitration and cut short the strike. "With both parties declaring an impasse in negotiations, with valuable cargo grounded and passengers stranded, the government made the right decision to refer the two sides to binding arbitration," Matthew Holmes, chief of public policy for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement. Air Canada indicated it would take four to five days to resume full operations, Hajdu said, assuming the board granted the government's request, which it usually does. Target could have a rough road ahead, according to Bank of America. BofA downgraded the retailer stock to underperform from neutral on Friday and trimmed its price target to $93 per share from $105. The firm's forecast now implies more than 10% downside from Thursday's $105.25 close. Analyst Robert Ohmes said Target's long-term outlook is collapsing as the company falls further behind its peers. TGT YTD mountain Target stock in 2025. "TGT is now underperforming WMT on a comp sales CAGR vs. 2019 and TGT's digital trends look very challenged, with mobile app monthly active users (MAUs) -4.1% y/y in July compared to WMT US growth of +17.2%," Ohmes said. "Digital traffic growth is key to scaling digital advertising and 3P marketplace fees, which are increasingly needed to mitigate gross margin pressures and support investments in automation, technology and AI." The analyst also said Target could be harder hit by President Donald Trump's tariffs compared to its peers due to its higher costs of imported goods. "TGT's higher import exposure at ~50% of [cost of goods sold] (vs. WMT ~33%) implies a need to raise avg. prices at almost 2x the rate of WMT to mitigate tariffs, in our view," the analyst said. "Assuming sales volume and SG & A $s stay flat and no other mitigation strategies in place, we estimate TGT would require an ~8% avg. price increase to fully offset tariffs in F27E compared to 4-5% for WMT." The downgrade comes ahead of Target's second-quarter report on Wednesday. Analysts polled by LSEG expect the company to report a 20% year-over-year decline in earnings. Shares have pulled back more than 22% in 2025 and lost another 1% in the premarket following the downgrade. Target did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates LP, speaks during the Greenwich Economic Forum in Greenwich, Connecticut, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Hedge fund giant Bridgewater Associates divested from U.S.-listed Chinese stocks in the second quarter, signaling a clear pullback from the market amid rising geopolitical strains and weakening investor confidence in China's economic prospects. According to its latest quarterly update to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission known as 13F on Wednesday, the fund closed out stakes in several Chinese companies, including major names like Baidu , Alibaba , JD.com , PDD Holdings , Nio , Trip.com Group , and Yum China . Other names include Qifu Technology and Ke Holdings. The hedge fund also reduced its stake in Apple , but increased its Microsoft and Nvidia holdings. Longtime China bull Ray Dalio, who founded Bridgewater Associates, had previously defended his investments in China. Last April, Dalio flagged Beijing's conflict with the U.S. and depressed prices among key challenges plaguing China's economy, but noted that the problems were "manageable by Chinese leaders if they do their jobs well." In April this year, the billionaire investor called for a rebalancing in U.S.-China relations, arguing that trade imbalances have hollowed out U.S. manufacturing. He also urged both sides to reach a deal to "engineer big reductions in these imbalances." As of the start of August, Dalio sold his remaining stake in Bridgewater and stepped away from the board, but remains a mentor to the hedge fund's investment team. The developments come as the tariff truce between Washington and Beijing was extended by another 90 days on Monday. Without the pause, U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods were set to go up to 145%, while Chinese duties were set at 125%. The current levy on Chinese imports to the U.S. stands at 30%, while U.S. exports to China will incur a 10% tariff. Bridgewater did not respond to a request for comment. Nvidia secured what was seen as a major win last month when the U.S. government announced it would allow it to resume sales of its made-for-China H20 chip. But it has since become clear that Beijing wont be rolling out the red carpet. Despite the U.S. softening on chip export controls which Beijing has long opposed Nvidia is being welcomed back under increased distrust and scrutiny. On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that China had urged companies against using Nvidia's H20 chips, or those from Advanced Micro Devices , especially for government and national security use cases, citing sources familiar with the matter. In response to the report, Nvidia said in a statement that the H20 "is not a military product or for government infrastructure," and that banning the sale of H20 in China would only harm U.S. economic and technology leadership with zero national security benefit. In a separate report , The Information said regulators in China had gone so far as to order major tech companies, including ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent, to suspend Nvidia chip purchases altogether until the completion of a national security review. "We're hearing that this is a hard mandate, and that [authorities are actually] stopping additional orders of H20s for some companies," Qingyuan Lin, a senior analyst covering China semiconductors at Bernstein, told CNBC. The news comes just weeks after Nvidia was summoned by Chinese officials over security concerns regarding potential tracking technology and "backdoors" in their chips. It also throws a wrench into Nvidia's plans to maintain market share in China, as CEO Jensen Huang tries to navigate his business through increasing tensions and shifting trade policy between the U.S. and China. Beijing's probe into Nvidia comes after the House and Senate proposed laws that would require semiconductor companies like Nvidia to include security mechanisms and location verification in their advanced artificial intelligence chips. Nvidia has denied that any such "backdoors" that provide remote access or control exist. According to chip industry analysts, however, the actions against Nvidia also highlight that Beijing remains steadfast in chip self-sufficiency campaigns and is likely to resist the Trump administration's plan to keep American AI hardware dominant in China. "It is signaling to Chinese tech firms that they must continue to support Huawei's AI development, even if Nvidia's chips are better," Chris Miller, author of "Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology," told CNBC. Building its domestic supply chain China has long had the desire to build up a self-reliant chip supply chain, and many experts say those efforts have been accelerating since chip export restrictions first took effect in October 2022. While China's domestic GPU (graphics processing unit) companies remain behind Nvidia in both scale and advancement, they have been beneficiaries of massive state funding and restrictions on Nvidia's most advanced chips. Reva Goujon, a director at Rhodium Group, told CNBC that Beijing appears to be trying to tackle constraints to the local adoption of Chinese-made chips based on regulators' questions about the H20s that were posed to local AI developers. Although that remains a serious challenge, "it's even more top of mind now that you have U.S. Cabinet officials openly broadcasting a strategy to get China more addicted to U.S. technologies," she added. When the resumption of H20 exports was first announced in July, a Trump administration official had presented the policy as a trade concession. However, in following weeks, the administration has indicated that the move is also part of a strategy to keep China's AI built on U.S. technology. Trump is also working on a deal that's expected to see Washington take a 15% cut of Nvidia's business in China. Not an all-out ban Still, despite Beijing's show of resistance to the H20s, experts doubt that Beijing will block their imports in a meaningful way, at least for now. "It's not likely the Chinese government will maintain a ban. After the investigation is finished, I don't think it has a strong rationale to actually block the H20s," said Bernstein's Lin. However, he added that it's unclear how long the investigation will last, and that delays to the H20's return could create more room for local players as AI companies search for alternatives. Companies such as Huawei are designing their own GPUs for the China market. Ray Wang, research director for semiconductors, supply chain and emerging technology at Futurum Group, said recent moves by Beijing are likely meant to send a message that the H20s present a potential security concern, and the government will be monitoring their use very closely. "This could impact some customers' long-term purchasing decisions," he added. In the meantime, assuming the H20 chips are allowed back in the market, they are expected to benefit local AI developers as they wait for the domestic industry to continue to advance. "There is meaningful demand for the H20 in China today," semiconductor research and consulting firm SemiAnalysis said in a note on Tuesday. Huawei, despite an aggressive boost to production, is still unable to meet all of China's inference demand, they added. While China has been making big strides in chip design, its supply of advanced GPUs remains constrained by existing export controls on the world's most advanced chipmaking equipment. "Access to US technology can still be valuable when Chinese AI developers and chipmakers are experiencing these growing pains under compute constraints, but Beijing wants to ensure the roadmap is still driving toward self-reliance in the end," said Rhodium's Goujon. Meanwhile, there are signs that Washington may take more steps to keep U.S. chips dominant in the Chinese market. On Tuesday, Trump said he was open to extending the chip approvals to companies aside from Nvidia and AMD. He also signaled he would allow Nvidia to sell a less powerful version of its latest Blackwell chip to China. Vanuatu's Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu (C) delivers a speech as he attends a demonstration ahead of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) session tasked with issuing the first Advisory Opinion (AO) on States' legal obligations to address climate change, in The Hague on July 23, 2025. John Thys | Afp | Getty Images Gripped by corporate earnings season and U.S. President Donald Trump's back-and-forth tariff policy, investors largely shrugged off a historic climate ruling from the world's top court. But for some, the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) recent advisory opinion on state's legal obligations in the face of climate change could emerge as a watershed moment for financial markets. Gunther Thallinger, a board member at Allianz , one of the world's biggest insurers, said that close watchers of the ICJ's July 23 ruling described it as perhaps the most significant climate development since the 2015 Paris Agreement. At the time, the pronouncement marked the ICJ's first-ever opinion on climate change and laid out that climate action is not optional. The court said in a unanimous ruling that governments and countries have a legal obligation to protect the environment from greenhouse gas emissions, protect present and future generations from the climate crisis and to cooperate internationally. Notably, the ICJ also found that fossil fuel production, including licensing and subsidies, "may constitute an internationally wrongful act which is attributable to that State." This opinion for investors, for capital market participants, really means something. Gunther Thallinger Board member at Allianz The ruling, which was the brainchild of young law students in low-lying Pacific island states and championed by the government of Vanuatu, is widely expected to have far-reaching legal and political consequences. Speaking in a personal capacity, Thallinger said that while the ICJ's opinion is based on existing law and conventions, the ruling could yet have meaningful ramifications for a vast range of assets whether one cares about climate change or not. "If one takes as an investor what the International Court of Justice just said, then a revaluation of these assets needs to happen. Every prudent investor must do this now," Thallinger told CNBC by video call. "Even if they don't like the discussion around climate change, even if they would say they denigrate the Court of Justice completely, they must expect that, in some countries, some governments, some courts are going to follow this opinion," Thallinger said. "If they follow this opinion, it has asset valuation implications, quite clearly. So, this opinion for investors, for capital market participants, really means something." Licensing and subsidies On the issue of licensing and subsidies, Thallinger said the ICJ's ruling could prove to be a significant development. That's because licensing and permitting for the mining sector, for example, and government subsidies for fossil fuels could be at risk following the court opinion. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas is the chief driver of the climate crisis. "If subsides are unlawful, then one should expect that subsidies are somehow stopped at a certain point in time," Thallinger said. "Now, certain business processes live on these subsidies or at least benefit to a certain degree on these subsidies. And, as always for an investor, usually you look simply at the cashflow, and if the cashflow part is missing or all of a sudden becomes much smaller then that means another valuation," he added. President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Yuji Iwasawa (C) and members issue first Advisory Opinion (AO) on States' legal obligations to address climate change, in The Hague on July 23, 2025. John Thys | Afp | Getty Images The U.S. and China, the world's two biggest carbon emitters, provided a mixed response to the ICJ's ruling. "As always, President Trump and the entire administration is committed to putting America first and prioritizing the interests of everyday Americans," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in response to the court opinion, Reuters reported. A spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, said the ruling has a "positive significance" for advancing international climate cooperation and sought to reaffirm the Asian country's status as a developing country. Mixed signals Not everyone is as concerned about the ICJ's ruling from an investor standpoint. "I feel like the wide spectrum of views that exist in the investor community on climate change, and the action that investors are supposed to take, will probably mean that the decision is a bit of a Rorschach test," Lindsey Stewart, director of institutional insights for Morningstar, told CNBC by video call. "People are just going to see things that kind of confirm their existing view," he added. A Rorschach test refers to a psychological assessment during which a person is asked to describe what they see in a series of inkblots. Ida Kassa Johannesen, head of commercial ESG at Saxo Bank, said the ICJ's intervention is a non-binding advisory opinion, rather than a ruling, "and this distinction is crucial." Companies with significant environmental footprints, such as those in the oil and gas, mining and heavy industry sectors, are likely to face increased litigation risk, which could affect their costs, valuation and reputation, Johannesen told CNBC by email. "As a result, investors and particular large institutional investors may begin to reallocate capital away from high-risk sectors to manage exposure to climate-related legal and reputational risks," she added. Saxo Bank's Johannesen pointed out that the U.S. and China both expressed reservations about the ICJ's opinion, emphasizing its non-binding nature and calling for flexibility in climate action. The Trump administration also recently signed into law the U.S. president's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a package that is favorable to mining and oil and gas companies. "All this sends mixed signals which would probably lead to fragmented market responses between the world's 2 largest economies and the [rest of the world], slow down global regulatory convergence and ultimately limit the (short-term) impact on markets and investor behavior," Johannesen said. A firefighter falls on the ground while working to extinguish a wildfire in San Cibrao das Vinas, outside Ourense, northwestern Spain, on August 12, 2025. Miguel Riopa | Afp | Getty Images Intel's underlying problems won't be solved by the U.S. government purchasing an equity stake in the struggling chipmaker, Bernstein warned clients in a note published Friday. The Trump administration is in talks with Intel to buy a stake in the company to help fund a delayed manufacturing hub in Ohio, people familiar with the plan told Bloomberg News . It is the latest example of President Donald Trump's interest in building government-backed national champions in strategic industries, in a stark departure from the free-market orthodoxy of previous administrations. Investors welcomed the prospect of government intervention with Intel's stock gaining about 7% on Thursday in response to the Bloomberg report. Bernstein is "still not hugely tempted to get involved," analysts led by Stacy Rasgon wrote. The firm rates Intel as market perform with a stock price target of $21, suggesting about 12% downside from Thursday's close of $23.86 per share. INTC 5D mountain INTC 5-day chart "Overall though the hope trade on Intel is probably back (for now) as investors wait to see if Trump can Make Intel Great Again," Rasgon said. The problem is that Intel needs vision more than money, and it is not clear how the government can help with this, the analyst said. The chipmaker's current roadmap to build five advanced manufacturing processes in four years is not going well, he added. "Without a solid process roadmap the entire exercise would be economically equivalent to simply setting 10s of billions of dollars on fire," Rasgon said. "And there is unfortunately less that the US government can do directly to help with this." The chipmaker could of course use the government's money as it burns cash and suffers heavy losses from building out its manufacturing capacity, Rasgon said. But Intel ultimately needs customer commitments to support the capacity it is building, he said. Trump could press companies to buy Intel chips or assist indirectly with tariffs and regulation, the analyst said. But it is unclear how the economics of the Ohio plant will work if Trump forces its completion before a customer base is in place to support the capacity, he said. It is also unclear what Trump wants in return from Intel, the analyst noted. Uncle Sam will get a 15% cut from Nvidia's and AMD's China sales. The Defense Department will receive 30% of the upside above a price floor it has set for MP Materials' sales of rare-earth oxides, after buying a big equity stake in the miner. "We will see whether Intel can get a better deal from him," Rasgon said. The digital nomad movement experienced a surge after the covid-19 pandemic. Years later, workers are still seeking alternatives to being glued to a desk in the company office, says Dr. Laura Madrid Sartoretto, research lead at the Global Citizen Solutions Global Intelligence Unit. Growth rates have slowed down compared to the pandemic peak, but the total number of digital nomads is still 150% higher than in 2019, according to Global Citizen Solutions. "Remote work is steadily growing, so we think digital nomadism is something that is here to stay. It's not going to grow as it grew during the pandemic, but we see that people like millennials and Gen Zers are more likely to travel and keep traveling and with their families now too," Madrid Sartoretto tells CNBC Make It. "People are thinking about education for their kids when they are in this digital nomad life." Croatia's original digital nomad visa was only valid for one year. Tuul & Bruno Morandi | The Image Bank | Getty Images A digital nomad visa is a short-term permit that allows individuals to stay in a country for an extended period and work remotely. The length of time a nomad can stay varies from place to place but most countries allow for six months to a yearunless you have your eye on Croatia. Recently, the Balkan country announced it an update its digital nomad visa, which will allow non-EU residents to stay for up to three years. The visa also permits close family members of a digital nomad to join them. Croatia's digital nomad visa website states that close family members also include partners or non-married couples who have been together for longer than three years without children, or for less time if they do have children together. Madrid Sartoretto believes that Croatia's expansion of its digital nomad program is a sign that the country is trying to attract more talent and compete with neighboring countries and their offerings. "I think they are competing with other countries that are in the same region, like Estonia and Romania, that also attract a lot of digital nomads. If you give more benefits to people to come to your country, then you attract more talent. It's all about competition now," she adds. For those looking to apply for Croatia's digital nomad visa, Dr. Madrid Sartoretto says the country offers a low cost of living but still needs to improve its infrastructure, like more reliable internet speeds. "If you compare internet speed and reliability to countries like Romania, which has one of the fastest speeds in the world, Croatia needs to improve its infrastructure," she adds. Croatia's new digital nomad visa also includes close family members. Jorg Greuel | Stone | Getty Images DC Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb speaks during a DC Mayoral and Council swearing-in ceremony at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Monday January 2, 2023 in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit Friday challenging President Donald Trump's unprecedented takeover of the U.S. capital city's police force. "The Administration's actions are brazenly unlawful," Schwalb said in a statement after the suit's filing in U.S. District Court in D.C. "They go well beyond the bounds of the President's limited authority and instead seek a hostile takeover of" the Metropolitan Police Department, he said. "They infringe on the District's right to self-governance and put the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk." Schwalb asked the court for a temporary restraining order that would pause U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's Thursday night directive installing Drug Enforcement Administrator Terry Cole as head of the D.C. police. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said overnight that Bondi's order was unlawful, and told Police Chief Pamela Smith that she is "not legally obligated to follow it." District Court Judge Ana Reyes ordered parties in the case to appear at a 2 p.m. ET Friday hearing on Schwalb's request for the restraining order. Reyes was appointed to the federal bench in 2023 by President Joe Biden. Trump signed an executive order on Monday commanding Bowser to temporarily hand over the MPD to the federal government, while pressuring Congress to allow him to keep that control for longer than a 30-day maximum that would normally be allowed. His order asserted emergency powers over D.C. by invoking a never-before-used section of the Home Rule Act, a 52-year-old law that established the district's local government. In a statement responding to the lawsuit, White House spokeswoman Abigail Johnson said, "The Trump Administration has the lawful authority to assert control over the D.C. Police, which is necessary due to the emergency that has arisen in our Nation's Capital as a result of failed leadership." "The Democrats' efforts to stifle this tremendous progress are par for the course for the Defund the Police, Criminals-First Democrat Party," Jackson said. Schwalb and other D.C. officials have stressed that the available data shows crime in the city has broadly declined over the past year. Schwalb's suit asks a judge to vacate Bondi's order and block any future attempts to wrest control of the D.C. police force, "or otherwise attempt to direct local law enforcement activities." He also seeks a declaration that Trump's executive order violates the U.S. Constitution's provision enshrining a separation of governmental powers. The lawsuit names as defendants Trump, Bondi, the Department of Justice, Cole, the Drug Enforcement Administration itself, along with the U.S. Marshals Service and its director, Gadyaces Serralta. European stock markets closed flat ahead of a meeting between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine. The Stoxx Europe 600 index shed 0.01%. Regionally, Germany's DAX was also down just 0.01%, while the FTSE 100 closed down 0.4%. France's CAC 40 bucked the trend and rose 0.7%. Peace in Ukraine is typically viewed as a positive development by most investors for European equities. Ganesh Rao FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during U.S. President Donald Trump's press conference about deploying federal law enforcement agents in Washington to bolster the local police presence, in the Press Briefing Room at the White House, in Washington D.C., U.S., August 11, 2025. FBI Director Kash Patel and his foundation won a default judgment in their defamation lawsuit against a blogger who publicly accused Patel of being a "Kremlin asset," of trying to overthrow the U.S. government, and of planning the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump. Patel and the Kash Foundation were awarded a total of $250,000 in compensatory and punitive damages against the Substack blogger and podcaster Jim Stewartson in an order on Aug. 5 by Judge Andrew Gordon in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas. The order was first reported by the online news site Court Watch. Gordon issued the default judgment favor of the longtime Trump loyalist Patel after Stewartson did not respond in court filings to the lawsuit, which cited a series of social media posts and other comments by Stewartson. Patel had sought $10 million in damages on claims of defamation, injurious falsehood and business disparagement. The judge said punitive damages were warranted in the case "in part to deter Stewartson and others from engaging in defamation." "Factual criticism of, and opinions about, public figures are protected speech and must be tolerated," Gordon wrote. "But defamatory falsehoods made with actual malice are not protected, even if directed at public officials. "The complaint and the motion adequately demonstrate Stewartson acted with malice." Stewartson told CNBC in a text message on Friday, "I was never served with this lawsuit. I just found out about the judgement from trolls on Twitter last week." He said that Patel's lawsuit, and another pending defamation complaint against him by former Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn in Florida state court, are "intended to intimidate me because I have been accurately and diligently reporting on Patel and Flynn's involvement in the QAnon movement and their participation on January 6th for five years." "It is a preposterous, frivolous lawsuit and neither of them will receive a dime," Stewartson said. "In fact, I intend to pursue my own case against them for their years-long campaign of abuse of me and the legal system." The FBI said that Patel would have no comment on the decision. CNBC has requested comment from his lawyers. Patel's attorneys said in a court filing in March that after filing the suit in June 2023, Stewartson for months "dodged" accepting service of the complaint, which, as a rule, is required for a civil case to proceed. The attorneys said they finally completed service of the lawsuit in late October 2023, when a person at Stewartson's home in California accepted a copy of the complaint. Gordon wrote in his order that he "found good cause to grant" a request for the default from Patel's lawyers. But Gordon also said that the motion by Patel's lawyers "offers scant evidence of harm or damages to either plaintiff." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is looking to redefine Germany's voice in Europe and build a relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump who many of Merz's European colleagues do not see eye to eye with. The historically EU-friendly Merz, a former member of the European Parliament, now has a long list of complaints about the bloc. This has included objections to an increase in the EU's new long-term budget that was proposed last month, as well as calling the bloc out for sluggishness and complex bureaucracy. Germany was also among the louder critics of the EU-U.S. trade agreement. Merz's sharp tone is noticeable especially in comparison to his predecessor Olaf Scholz, who generally struck a more mellow approach. But it does not necessarily mean that the German Chancellor's overall position on Europe has changed, Jorn Fleck, senior director at the Europe Center at the Atlantic Council, told CNBC. "Merz's political vita is a pro-European one, and that hasn't changed. But Merz's pro-EU politics have always been informed by and in creative tension with his traditional conservative values a fiscal, small government, big on security conservatism," he said. The chancellor's jabs towards the EU reflect this political tension, as well as the domestic political issues Merz is battling with, Fleck said. The German leader's grievances, particularly with EU red tape, often echoes domestic voter sentiment. It's Merz' way of being sensitive to industry leaders who are advocating for less Brussels-bureaucracy, according to Sudha David-Wilp, vice president of external relations and senior fellow at The German Marshall Fund of the United States. In July, Merz told reporters during a press conference that the EU had become "too regulation-intensive" and at times "too slow to react," according to a CNBC translation. His tone will also be informed by his electorate which is "not fundamentally critical of Europe but is nevertheless conservative," said Henning Vopel, CEO of the Centres for European Policy Network. A new German style? Merz is likely also trying to establish a "new" German tone and tweak the country's position within the EU, experts told CNBC. "After the last German government, which often abstained on important European policy issues - often referred to as the 'German vote' - he wants to claim a new leadership role for Germany and therefore take a more brisk and critical stance," Vopel said. The Atlantic Council's Fleck shared a similar view, saying Merz is under pressure to stand his ground in instances where EU issues like fiscal plans could impact German domestic politics or become a risk to his agenda at home. "Beyond that, Merz promised a new clarity when it comes to communicating Germany's positions in Europe," he added. "For most, that clarity will be a welcome change of tone." However, while Berlin is now coming to Brussels with a new communication style, Germany's view on the bloc has not fundamentally changed according to Fleck. "His statements, the makeup of his new team, and the reportedly close dialogue with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hardly suggest a major shift," he said. German-U.S. relationship building The sharper tone may also be serving a transatlantic purpose, according to Vopel. "By adopting a critical tone towards the EU, Merz can appease Trump, who sees the EU as an attack on the USA," he said. Merz and Trump appear to be building a solid relationship, setting the German Chancellor apart from many of his counterparts in the EU which have not yet been able to do so. June's Merz-Trump meeting in the Oval Office was broadly seen as a quiet win for the German leader, and more recently he was one of the key instigators of U.S.-European talks ahead of Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The German Marshall Fund's David-Wilp explained that "Merz is under no illusion that Germany and Europe need the United States, because a smooth working relationship with the White House is important for the continent's stability and prosperity." Instead of looking nostalgically to the past, his priority is to continue open communication and keep the transatlantic relationship constructive, she said. Importantly, Merz also does not appear to see any conflicts or trade-offs in his pro-EU and pro-Atlanticist positions, Fleck added. "Merz seems to have found the right balance in standing his ground on priority issues and leveraging European coordination while not getting drawn into unnecessary rhetorical skirmishes with the US president," he said. The entrance to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) headquarters is seen during a protest on Feb. 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. A divided federal appeals court on Friday cleared U.S. President Donald Trump to resume mass firings at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, ruling that a lower court had lacked jurisdiction in temporarily blocking this. However, the Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said on Friday that its decision would not take immediate effect, allowing lawyers representing CFPB workers and pro-consumer organizations to seek reconsideration by the full court of appeals, meaning dismissal notices were likely to have to wait for now. The decision nevertheless imperiled the employment of perhaps 1,500 workers at the CFPB whose mass dismissals were blocked in April by a trial court, which found the attempted purge violated a March injunction temporarily halting the administration's efforts to shut the CFPB down. Representatives for the CFPB did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, Jennifer Bennett, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the decision threatened to leave the public unprotected from the misdeeds of bad actors in the market for consumer finance. "Without the full force of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - an agency Congress created specifically to protect consumers - millions will lose critical safeguards against predatory financial practices. If this decision is allowed to stand, it will shift the balance of power toward corporations at the expense of American families' financial security," Bennett said in a statement without addressing plans for further appeal. In their ruling, U.S. Circuit Court Judges Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao found that, despite factual findings that the Trump administration intended to destroy the CFPB, the lower court had acted outside its authority. "We hold that the district court lacked jurisdiction to consider the claims predicated on loss of employment, which must proceed through the specialized-review scheme" under laws governing the civil service, the majority wrote. Other objections raised by the plaintiffs did not concern final decisions made by the agency and so could not be reviewed in court, wrote Katsas and Rao, both Trump appointees. In a dissent, Circuit Judge Cornelia Pillard said the lower court had acted properly in blocking the Trump administration from eradicating the CFPB entirely as the lawsuit played out. "But it is emphatically not within the discretion of the President or his appointees to decide that the country would benefit most if there were no Bureau at all," wrote Pillard, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama. Two watchdog organizations, the Federal Reserve's inspector general and Congress's Government Accountability Office, launched investigations earlier this year into the Trump administration's actions at the CFPB. Congress created the CFPB in the wake of the 2008 financial crash to police consumer finance industries whose activities generated the toxic assets underlying that crisis. Conservatives and industrial lobbies have long reviled the agency, accusing it of weighing on free enterprise and acting outside the bounds of the law to pursue politicized enforcement. Trump officials have appeared to vacillate this year concerning their plans for the CFPB, with Trump and erstwhile adviser Elon Musk saying it should be eradicated outright, even though senior officials have said in court they plan to shrink the agency but let it live in some form as required by law. Lawyers representing workers and consumer groups, however, rejected this, saying witness testimony showed top officials did not intend to maintain a functioning CFPB. In court, they produced evidence and testimony showing the attempted mass dismissals of March and April were so widespread they completely vacated entire offices or left them so understaffed as to be incapable of performing functions by law, lawyers for CFPB workers and consumer advocates said in court. CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up to receive future editions. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour carrying the Crew-11 mission lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 1, 2025. It was a matter of time, with governments racing to clinch the first Mars laurels, that private companies would start offering rides to the red planet. Italy's Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) became the first client who's signed on to send scientific experiments aboard SpaceX's first commercial flights to Mars where Elon Musk's space company has yet to land. "Italy is going to Mars!" ASI President Teodoro Valente announced on social media, with Italian news outlet ANSA reporting the agency's payloads will feature a plant growth experiment, a weather surveillance station and a radiation sensor for data collection. "#MadeinItaly on #Mars," Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso celebrated, while SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell declared open season for the company's Mars launch bookings. "Get on board! We are going to Mars! SpaceX is now offering Starship services to the red planet," she said on the X social media platform. Notably, no timeline was given for the launch dates of these flights with the odds of short-term travel to Mars increasingly under question. Both parties to the arrangement have been committed to Mars ventures. ASI barely just made headlines at the end of last month, when it inked a deal to develop the first human lunar outpost with Thales Alenia Space building on the Italian space agency's 2020 partnership with NASA to coordinate bringing astronauts back to the Moon under the Artemis Accords. Coming in third after France and Germany, Italy contributed 800 million euros ($935 million) or 15.8% - to the European Space Agency's 7.68 billion euro adopted budget for 2025. It's also been heavily involved in the ExoMars mission, which seeks to launch the Rosalind Franklin rover around 2028. It's meanwhile at once surprising and predictable that SpaceX, which made a name for itself out of commercializing space launches, is already leaping to book Mars excursions. A longtime NASA contractor, the firm's also been offering satellite launch services to Eutelsat's OneWeb and AST SpaceMobile. A few days back, Amazon, whose chief Jeff Bezos owns his own rival rocket company Blue Origin, tapped Musk's company for the second time and launched its fourth batch of Kuiper satellites on SpaceX's 100th mission this year. And Musk has certainly been vocal about his plans to pursue Mars colonization, once echoed by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. But there's no escaping one (nearly 400-feet) problem. SpaceX's reusable mammoth rocket Starship the key to materializing Musk's Mars ambitions has had a long-storied string of publicized test flight failures this year amid technical and refueling woes. We're about to see during its next attempt later this month if it's overcome these challenges in the three months since its last explosive stint. That's skipping over a June incident when a Starship rocket exploded while being loaded with methane and liquid oxygen propellant ahead of its launch due, Musk later said, citing preliminary data, to problems in the payload bay. Critically for our conversation, Starship is not yet rated crew-ready, and Musk himself has now pushed back his initial targets, flagging a "slight change" of a crewed flight during the next window in 2026, when Earth and the red planet are optimally aligned for travel to Mars. "Slight chance of Starship flight to Mars crewed by Optimus in Nov/Dec next year. A lot needs to go right for that," he said last week on social media. "More likely, first flight without humans in ~3.5 years, next flight ~5.5 years with humans. Mars city self-sustaining in 20 to 30 years." It may seem too early to start selling tickets to Mars, it's no secret that launch capacity worldwide has been struggling to keep up with demand for space access. Time will tell whether ASI's enthusiasm was ultimately strategic or premature. Japan's economy expanded 0.3% in the second quarter of 2025 from the previous first three months, outpacing forecasts despite tariff headwinds out of the United States. This was compared to the revised 0.1% growth seen in the first quarter, and was higher than the 0.1% increase expected by economists polled by Reuters. The GDP beat was mainly attributed to resilience in exports, which added 0.3 percentage points to GDP growth, compared to the 0.8% contraction in the first quarter of the year. Japan's trade deficit narrowed from April to June compared to the first quarter, according to data from the country's trade ministry. On a year-over-year basis, Japan's GDP expanded 1.2% in the second quarter, falling short of the first quarter's 1.8% growth. Annualized growth came in at 1%, more than double the 0.4% forecast. The benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.59% on the news, while the yen edged up 0.1% to trade at 147.6 against the dollar. "We want to beat Disney in family animation," then Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said in an interview in September 2020. At the time, anyone would say that was a tall order. Disney has almost a century of experience of producing animated films, dating back to 1937's "Snow White." Since then, the studio has produced hits that many kids would be familiar with. Think "Cinderella," "Alice in Wonderland" and "Sleeping Beauty." Add to that Pixar's "Toy Story," "The Incredibles" and "Inside Out" and it's not hard to see that Hastings had his work cut out for him. And then came the massively popular "Frozen," the animated musical that was not only the highest-grossing animated film of all time from 2013 to 2019, but whose merchandise and songs were in every toy store, Disney theme park, and car media system when the kids wanted their 30th replay of "Let it Go." But now, Hastings now Netflix executive chairman may finally have his goal in sight. That comes in the form of "KPop Demon Hunters," a family-friendly animated musical adventure about a world-famous K-pop group trying to save the world from demons. How it's done (done, done) The film, released on June 20, has made streaming, music and movie history on the platform. It has become Netflix's most-viewed animated film of all time, and its second-most viewed movie ever. According to numbers from Netflix, the film has amassed more than 184 million views since its release. The film's success also extended to music charts. On Tuesday, the song "Golden" from the film topped the Billboard Hot 100 , the ninth song associated with K-pop to conquer the Hot 100 and the first by female lead vocalists, according to Billboard. In the U.K., "Golden" became the first K-pop song to hit No. 1 on the Official UK Singles Chart in 13 years, following PSY's "Gangnam Style" in 2012. Statistics that Spotify provided to CNBC revealed that the movie's soundtrack has counted over 46 million monthly listeners as of Tuesday, and the album has topped Spotify's Weekly Top Albums Global Chart for every full week since the week of July 3, barring a dip to No. 2 for the week of July 17. "KPop Demon Hunters" was released with a single trailer, a far cry in terms of marketing compared with "Squid Game 3," which was out a week later and had a slew of publicity events, social media marketing, and even live appearances from the actors promoting the series. Iltaek Hong, lead editor at Spotify Korea, told CNBC that "K-Pop is more than just music. It's a rich cultural experience built around sound, storytelling, performance and deep artist-fan connections." "That's exactly what K-Pop Demon Hunters captures, and it's why both the film and its music have resonated so strongly with global audiences," he added. Going up, up, up But animated musical movies are not new, so what makes "KPop Demon Hunters" stand out? What fueled its millions of views, week after week? Bernie Cho, president of South Korean artist services agency DFSB Kollective, explained that while the film did not have much marketing on traditional media, it was gaining popularity on social media. KPop Demon Hunters was art imitating life that was imitating art. President, DFSB Kollective Bernie Cho "The movie played into the K-pop playbook of viral videos, of infectious memes, user-generated content. People basically promoted the movie because of its originality and its authenticity. No different than a K-pop boy band or a girl band," he said. The film has spawned hundreds of shorts on YouTube, from highlights to dance challenges, and even covers of the soundtrack by active K-pop idols. Spotify's Hong said that level of interaction is what makes K-pop unique and the film's soundtrack stand out. "It's not just being listened to, it's being lived." "K-pop Demon Hunters was art imitating life that was imitating art," Cho quipped, referencing the plot point of how Huntr/x the K-pop group in the movie draw their power to seal demons from their fans. Cho worked on the film as a music licensing consultant. In an illustration of that full circle, Billboard even came out with their list of top 5 covers of "Golden" from K-pop idols. Director Maggie Kang had said the K-pop groups in the movie were inspired by a multitude of artists, and Cho said, "You have K-pop artists that inspired the movie, now reinterpreting their favorite parts, their favorite scenes, their favorite dance moves, their favorite tracks." Gonna be, gonna be, golden "It is a potential gold mine. Can Netflix mine all that gold out? That's the question." director of insights and content strategy, Greenlight Analytics Brandon Katz But it's not about the views and streams alone "KPop Demon Hunters" gives Netflix "their first real, organic, mega hit animated franchise," said Brandon Katz, director of insights and content strategy at Greenlight Analytics. That gives them the opportunity to show that the platform can develop and expand this intellectual property at the same level of Disney, he added. For starters, Netflix has moved quickly to extend the longevity of the film's influence. The studio has announced a "sing-along event" for U.S. and U.K. audiences in selected theaters later in August, and the merchandise page for "KPop Demon Hunters" has 187 products, more than Squid Game 3's 139 products. An exclusive report from The Wrap on July 31 revealed that Netflix has more plans, and is considering two sequels, a short film and a stage musical for the franchise. It is important to develop he emotional ties an audience has with a piece of IP, Katz said, "because the more emotionally invested they are in a franchise, the greater the likelihood that they'll spend money on it." "KPop Demon Hunters" has been Netflix's "biggest home run" in original animated movie-making, Katz said. The way Netflix responds to this phenomenon such as how it crafts a long-lasting franchise across multiple distribution pathways and how it captures consumer spending will be critical to maximizing the potential of the film, he added. "It is a potential gold mine. Can Netflix mine all that gold out? That's the question." watch now Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Alaska for high-stakes talks Friday with President Donald Trump, who hopes to ultimately negotiate a ceasefire in Russia's war against Ukraine. Trump met Putin on the tarmac of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage shortly after the Russian leader's plane landed at around 10:50 a.m. local time. Trump arrived earlier. Both men deplaned at the same time and walked down respective red carpets toward each other, meeting where those carpets intersected. Trump clapped as Putin approached him. They greeted each other with apparent warmth, smiling, exchanging words, and patting each others' arms while shaking hands. They then walked to a riser to watch a flyover of military aircraft. U.S. President Donald Trump stands with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as they meet to negotiate for an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 15, 2025. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters The two leaders then got into Trump's armored vehicle, "The Beast," and drove off. They did not respond to reporters' shouted questions before departing. The talks come as Europe including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was not invited watches with bated breath. Rubio, Witkoff joining Trump Trump and Putin, who were initially expected to meet one-on-one, will now each be accompanied by two senior officials for their meeting, a White House official confirmed earlier Friday. Trump will be joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, the president's special envoy to the Middle East. There will then be a working lunch for both delegations, before the presidents hold a joint news conference to summarize their talks. Trump will be joined at the lunch by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, as well as Rubio and Witkoff, a White House official said. Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, told Russian state media earlier Friday that the entire summit could last "at least" six or seven hours. Zelenskyy: 'Indeed, high stakes' The presser will undoubtedly be one of the most closely watched events of this year, revealing just how near, or far, the end of the war in Ukraine is a conflict that has spanned more than 3 years. "The president wants to exhaust all options to try to bring this war to a peaceful resolution," the White House stated ahead of the Alaska summit. It remains to be seen whether those "options" will ultimately be good or bad for Ukraine. While on Air Force One, Trump suggested his yardstick for the summit's success is whether or not he can secure a ceasefire. "I want to see a ceasefire rapidly, I don't know if it's going to be today, but I'm not going to be happy if it's not today," he said. At the same time, Trump appeared to be tempering expectations. "I can't tell you that. I don't know. It's - there's nothing set in stone," he said. That noncommittal language echoes how Trump has talked about the meeting in the days leading up to it. For instance, Trump suggested earlier this week that the summit would merely be a "feel-out meeting," before later warning that Russia would face "severe consequences" if he determines that Putin does not plan to end the war. Not only is a ceasefire at stake if Trump can persuade Putin to agree to one but so too are Ukraine's territorial integrity, Europe's security, Russia's economy and geopolitical alliances. Zelenskyy, who has a checkered relationship with Trump, will be nervous as the talks get underway. "Indeed, high stakes," Zelenskyy wrote on X earlier Friday ahead of the Alaska summit. "The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side." "It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America," he added. The risks for Ukraine and Europe Both he and his European allies fear the U.S. leader could capitulate to skilled negotiator Putin's likely demands for Moscow to retain occupied Ukrainian territory and cut short Ukraine's NATO membership aspirations, in return for halting its military offensive. As he headed off to Alaska on Air Force One, Trump told reporters that "something is going to come of it [the meeting]." When asked about Russia's ongoing attacks on Ukraine, the president said Putin "thinks that gives him strength in talks, I think it hurts him," in comments reported by Reuters. Trump also insisted that Ukraine has to decide about its territory and that security guarantees were "possible along with Europe," without giving further details. Russia's delegation includes only a few members of Putin's inner circle, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Kirill Dmitriev, Russia's investment and trade envoy, as well as Ushakov. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov looks on, next to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as they wait for the US-Russia summit at the Villa La Grange, in Geneva on June 16, 2021. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: Target The retailer fell almost 2% after Bank of America downgraded Target to underperform from neutral and trimmed its price target on the stock. Target's long-term outlook is deteriorating as the company falls further behind its peers, the bank said. Ulta Beauty and Target also agreed to end their partnership . UnitedHealth The health insurer rallied 11% premarket. The advance came after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway revealed a stake of five million shares, worth about $1.6 billion. The "Big Short" investor Michael Burry and Appaloosa Management's David Tepper also disclosed sizable stakes in the company. If the UNH gains hold through the end of the session, it will mark the stock's best day in five years. Applied Materials The semiconductor equipment manufacturer plunged roughly 14% after the company's current-quarter outlook trailed estimates from analysts polled by LSEG. Applied Materials' fiscal third-quarter earnings and revenue topped Wall Street expectations. Intel Intel climbed more than 3% in early trading Friday, adding to Thursday's 7% gain. The chipmaker jumped after Bloomberg reported the Trump administration is in talks to buy a stake in Intel , which would help fund factories Intel is building in Ohio. Sandisk The data storage provider lost nearly 11% after Sandisk said fourth-quarter non-GAAP gross margin dropped to 26.4% from 36.4% a year ago. Rivian The electric vehicle maker's shares edged down 1%. Rivian said the rollback of fuel economy standards under the Trump administration is holding up $100 million of revenue tied to regulatory credit contracts, The Wall Street Journal reported . Hims & Hers Shares fell 2.7% following a Bloomberg report , citing sources familiar, that said the Federal Trade Commission is investigating the company's business practices. The FTC is reportedly reviewing whether Hims & Hers makes it too hard for customers to cancel their subscriptions. CNBC's Yun Li and Sarah Min contributed reporting. Yurou Guan | Moment | Getty Images Under the Trump administration, more than 72,000 student loan borrowers who are likely eligible for debt forgiveness are stuck in a backlog of applications waiting for the relief. Some of them, like 46-year-old April Osteen, owe just a single payment. Others, like Dan Carrigg of Rhode Island, have been waiting a year for the government to respond to their application. "There are no updates," Carrigg said. "They tell you nothing." The program experiencing the challenges is known as Public Service Loan Forgiveness Buyback. That opportunity, first offered by the Biden administration, allows borrowers who qualify to have their debt excused under PSLF to retroactively pay the U.S. Department of Education or "buy back" any months they missed because they were enrolled in a forbearance or deferment. (Those are different periods during which borrowers' loan payments are on hold.) PSLF, which President George W. Bush signed into law in 2007, allows certain not-for-profit and government employees to have their federal student loans canceled after 120 payments, or 10 years. The Buyback program became especially popular after courts blocked the Biden-era Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan in the summer of 2024. Millions of student loan borrowers who signed up for SAVE were automatically enrolled in a forbearance. Those borrowers found their progress towards PSLF frozen throughout the SAVE payment pause, even as they continued to work in eligible public service. How could I be one payment away from loan forgiveness, only to be told I couldn't make that final payment? April Osteen The latest court filing shows 72,730 PSLF buyback requests were pending with the U.S. Department of Education as of the end of July. The bottleneck has only worsened since June, when 65,448 applications were under review by the Trump administration. In May, the backlog was close to 59,000. (The Education Dept. has regularly shared the data on pending buyback requests as part of a lawsuit the American Federation of Teachers filed against it. The teacher's union alleges the agency is blocking borrowers from their rights.) "The Biden Administration introduced the Public Service Loan Forgiveness buy-back program to allow borrowers to 'buy' eligibility into the program weaponizing a legal discharge plan for political purposes," said Ellen Keast, deputy press secretary at the Education Department. "The Department is working its way through this backlog while ensuring that borrowers have submitted the required 120 payments of qualifying employment," Keast said. CNBC spoke with three of the borrowers in the buyback backlog about how the delayed loan cancellation is affecting them. "Long delays in PSLF buyback processing must be corrected immediately so that public service workers who have provided essential local services are not deprived of the relief they've earned," said Jaylon Herbin, director of federal campaigns at the Center for Responsible Lending. 'Uncertainty continues to shape every financial decision' April Osteen with her dog Courtesy: April Osteen Osteen, an administrative coordinator at the University of South Carolina, submitted her buyback request in January. Nearly seven months later, she still hasn't received an answer from the Education Department. The government has recorded that she's made 119 out of the 120 required qualifying payments for PSLF and so she's trying to buy back just one monthly payment to get her debt cleared. Her momentum toward the relief was stalled during the SAVE issues. "I reached out repeatedly to both my loan servicer and the Department of Education, practically begging for help," said Osteen. "At one point, I remember telling a representative, 'I just want to payplease let me pay!'" "How could I be one payment away from loan forgiveness, only to be told I couldn't make that final payment?" she said. More from Personal Finance: Trump floats tariff 'rebate' for consumers Student loan forgiveness may soon be taxed again Student loan borrowers how will the end of the SAVE plan impact you? Tell us Osteen's roughly $26,000 remaining student loan balance prevents her from taking on new expenses, even for urgent repairs needed on her house in Simpsonville, South Carolina. "I need to address issues like diseased Sycamore trees that pose a safety risk, a collapsing wooden fence and serious drainage problems in the backyard and driveway," she said. Her monthly student loan payments of up to around $350 have made it difficult to save throughout her career. Without much in savings, she considered taking out a personal loan to pay for the work on her house. But then she thought of her education debt. "I'm hesitant to take on a new monthly payment while I still owe student debt debt that should have already been discharged under the PSLF program," Osteen said. "This uncertainty continues to shape every financial decision I make." 'I check my email 10 times a day' Josh Harner Courtesy: Josh Harner Josh Harner, a teacher at a prison in Illinois, has been waiting for a response from the Education Department to his buyback request since early December more than eight months ago. His loan account shows that he's made 117 qualifying monthly PSLF payments, though he says he's worked far longer in the public sector. During his over-decade-long career, Harner has helped more than 250 people earn their GED credential, a high school diploma equivalent, he said. And so he said it's frustrating to be waiting so long for loan forgiveness. His remaining balance is a little over $120,000. "I check my email 10 times a day," Harner, 38, said, about his buyback request. "I have taken every step countless phone calls, emails, complaints," he said. "The federal government can't handle the management of all these loans." The main reason Harner wants his debt erased, he said, is so that he can save more for his 15-year-old son's upcoming college bills, and hopefully spare him from the stresses of student loans. "It will feel much better saving the money toward my son's education," Harner said. "I didn't want him to have to worry about how to pay for college or getting into debt to do it." 'They tell you nothing' Dan Carrigg Courtesy: Dan Carrigg Carrigg, an associate teaching professor at the University of Rhode Island, submitted his buyback request a year ago, in Aug. 2024. He's listed as having made 108 out of the 120 qualifying payments. "I have considerably more than 10 years [of] certified employment," said Carrigg, 41. Carrigg has contacted his local lawmakers and his state attorney general about the issue, but has had no success. "I still call Federal Student Aid every week or two," he said. "I don't know what else to do." He has been unable to get his remaining roughly $15,000 student debt excused. "I am trying to pay Uncle Sam and taxpayers a lump sum of money to complete and finish off my loan, but I cannot get FSA [Federal Student Aid] to provide me with the offer letter that states how much I should make the check out for." "And without that, I cannot pay them," he said. "It is maddening." Tourists rush to marine ranch in E China's Shandong People's Daily Online) 14:22, August 15, 2025 On Aug 12, 2025, tourists take pleasure boats for sightseeing at the national marine ranch of Sanggou Bay in Shidao district, Rongcheng city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/Li Xinjun) In recent years, with abundant ocean resources endowed by nature, Rongcheng city, east China's Shandong Province has fostered a marine tourism industry with distinct characteristics. In building a national-level marine ranch, the city has adhered to the concept of green development, prioritizing ecological protection and creating a vivid example of harmonious coexistence between people and nature. The area's development has attracted numerous tourists for sightseeing and leisure activities. On Aug 12, 2025, tourists take pleasure boats for sightseeing at the national marine ranch of Sanggou Bay in Shidao district, Rongcheng city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/Li Xinjun) On Aug 12, 2025, tourists take pleasure boats for sightseeing at the national marine ranch of Sanggou Bay in Shidao district, Rongcheng city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/Li Xinjun) On Aug 12, 2025, tourists take pleasure boats for sightseeing at the national marine ranch of Sanggou Bay in Shidao district, Rongcheng city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/Li Xinjun) (Web editor: Huang Kechao, Liang Jun) The high-stakes summit on Friday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin did not result in a breakthrough, even as Trump described it as "productive," while Putin proposed another meeting in Moscow. The White House had played down the talks initially seen as an attempt at securing a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine with spokesperson Karoline Leavitt calling the summit, "a listening exercise for the president." Following the Friday meeting Trump said, "There's no deal until there's a deal." Ukraine was not part of the discussions, stoking concerns that a potential deal could have compromised the country's sovereignty. "Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to bring the war to an end, and we count on a strong position from America A meeting of leaders is needed at the very least, Ukraine, America, and the Russian side," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X prior to the summit. This was Putin's first visit to the U.S. in about a decade, with the Russian president stressing that it was a "hard time" for bilateral relations. The meeting was held in Alaska, which was once Russian territory. "There were many, many points that we agreed on I would say a couple of big ones that we haven't quite got there, but we've made some headway," Trump said at a joint press conference with Putin. The leaders did not take any questions from the press. Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with the media at his campaign headquarters in Moscow on March 18, 2024. Natalia Kolesnikova | Afp | Getty Images Russian media outlets were in high spirits on Friday as Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin headed to meet U.S. President Donald Trump for an Alaskan summit widely presented as a win for Moscow, its economy and global standing. Articles and commentary were splashed across Russian state news sites on Friday reveling in the global attention that Putin's historic trip to the U.S. was garnering, with positive takes on what the high-stakes talks centered on ending the war in Ukraine could mean for Russia, which has been isolated and economically punished by the West since invading Ukraine in 2022. "Russia-U.S. summit will be an attempt to reset relations," state news outlet TASS headlined, with accompanying stories echoing positive sentiment around the one-to-one talks: "The whole world is waiting for the meeting between Putin and Trump" and "Russia and the U.S. have potential to renew partnership in the Arctic," commentators stated, according to Google translations. The mood in Ukraine was positively dour, meanwhile, with news outlets reflecting fears that Kyiv could be sold out during the talks with Putin, a veteran statesman who is seen as likely to pursue as many concessions as he can from Trump in return for a ceasefire. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin talk during the family photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam November 11, 2017. Jorge Silva | Reuters State news outlet RIA Novosti reveled in the absence of Ukrainian and European officials from what it described as "historic" talks. Ria Novosti's columnist Kirill Strelnikov said recent Russian territorial gains in Ukraine showed the country's forces were already "negotiating" long before Friday's talks, noting "the main negotiator, who silently and tiredly laid out the killer arguments on the table, was the Russian army." Russia's media landscape is heavily controlled by the state, with little pushback against the Kremlin's messaging and policies. Throughout the war, state-run media have aggrandized Russian wins on the battlefield, while downplaying or ignoring news to the contrary. Commentary seen to denigrate or damage Russia's war effort can land authors in jail. Mood music In Ukraine, news outlets are decrying what they and the Kyiv leadership see as the rehabilitation of Putin. "From 'war criminal' to U.S. guest Trump invites Putin out of isolation," the front page of the Kyiv Independent's online news site. The International Criminal Court in 2023 issued an arrest warrant for Putin over alleged war crimes, namely, the "unlawful deportation" of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. The Kremlin denies any wrongdoing. The U.S. The U.S. is not a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the ICC and therefore has no obligation to arrest Putin when he steps on American soil. U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Feb. 28, 2025. Brian Snyder | Reuters Another Kyiv Independent story reflected low morale among Ukrainian troops, who fear Trump could capitulate to Putin by offering up Russian-occupied territory as part of a coveted ceasefire deal, after previously boasting he could end the war in Ukraine shortly into his second mandate. Securing this peace has proved far harder than Trump expected, however. He has so far refused to pull the trigger on further sanctions on Moscow, despite threatening to do so if the Kremlin did not agree to a ceasefire. The lede story on the Kyiv Post, headlined "Trump Holds Enormous Leverage Over Putin Will He Use It?" reflected concerns that, while Trump holds some cards that could persuade Russia to enter a peace deal, he, ultimately, won't be prepared to act. Similarly to Russian counterparts, Ukrainian media outlets have championed the country's armed forces and war efforts. There is nonetheless greater media freedom in Ukraine a prerequisite for Kyiv's aspirations to EU membership. The Trump-Putin talks are expected to kick off at 3.30 p.m. ET, with the presidents set to later hold a joint press conference to summarize their discussions. That presser will be one of the most closely watched events of this year, revealing the presidents' takes on the talks and what pledges (or lack thereof) might have been made in order to reach a ceasefire. U.S. shoppers are continuing to splurge on jewelry, even as economic headwinds weigh on consumer sentiment in Europe and China. Danish jewelry brand Pandora said the U.S. market, which accounts for one-third of its overall revenues, remained an outlier amid weaker global sales. "The U.S. continues to buck the trend," Pandora CEO Alexander Lacik told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Friday. "A strong U.S. consumer continues to be interested in Pandora, and, as I said, Europe is a bit of a mixed bag," he went on, noting the European client base had been "under pressure for quite a while." China, which accounts for just 1% of Pandora's total revenues, "continues to be challenging," Lacik said, citing broader consumption difficulties in the country. His company, known for its high-street stores selling popular charm bracelets and silver jewelry, on Friday posted an 8% rise in U.S. sales on an annual like-for-like basis in the second quarter. Sales in China, on the other hand, fell 15% over the period, while those across several major European markets also declined by high single-digits. Similar trends were observed at ultra-luxe jewelry group Richemont , owner of the Cartier brand, which last month posted a 17% jump in America sales in the three months to June 30, despite softer comparative sales in Asia Pacific. Broader U.S. jewelry sales were strong in the first half of the year, rising 5% versus a flat reading in the first half of 2024, according to analytics firm Tenoris. In July typically a slower month for jewelry retail sales in the country were up 3.5%, it noted. "The Pandora brand is working in the U.S. at the moment, which has helped to drive its success," William Woods, senior analyst and head of European retail and food delivery at Bernstein, told CNBC by email. He added that weakness for Pandora in France and Germany, meanwhile, was "consistent with a volatile environment that we have seen over the last few yeas." Woods cited overall strength in the U.S. market at present, but nevertheless pointed to a varied picture from retailers, some of whom have cut their full-year outlooks on tariff concerns. A program that lets Americans save time in airport security lines is opening to foreign travelers from four countries. Clear, a NYSE-listed identity company, announced Friday that travelers from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can apply for Clear+ memberships. More countries will likely be announced later this year, the company said. Clear+ members have their identities verified in via separate lanes at 59 U.S. airports. Verifications are performed using eye, finger or facial biometrics, rather than manual analysis. Candy Buchanan, a Clear+ member based in California, said the lanes are shorter and her identity is verified "within seconds." Travelers can enroll themselves online, or in person at an airport that uses the program, the company said. Individual memberships are $209 per year. Family members under 18 years old can accompany adult members in Clear+ lanes. Iraq was plunged into a nationwide blackout earlier this week, as a temperature surge to 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 Celsius) and subsequent spiking demand for electricity pushed the country's faltering power grid to the breaking point. Power was restored a day later, government officials said Tuesday. For a country that has seen as much conflict and instability as Iraq, this could come as unsurprising except for the fact that the nation is OPEC's second-largest oil producer and has the world's fifth-largest proven oil reserves. Scores of international energy companies have facilities in the Middle Eastern country, and billions of dollars have been invested in its power sector. Blackouts have nevertheless become a common occurrence in the country's scorching summers, and shorter power cuts take place almost daily, with many Iraqis depending on private generators for reliable power while those without that access are left to suffer. So why is such an oil-rich country unable to keep the lights on? Iraq's power crisis has been years in the making. The Iraqi government has struggled to provide its citizens with reliable energy since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, after which the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime and the ensuing turmoil left the national grid unable to cope with demand due to chronic under-investment, mismanagement and corruption like the embezzlement of public funds intended for electricity projects. This spilled into civil unrest in the summer of 2021, when hundreds of Iraqis took to the streets amid power and water outages gripped large parts of the country, And just in July, power cuts sparked fresh protests across the country against a backdrop of extreme heat. Iran reliance and gas flaring Iraq relies heavily on neighboring Iran for gas and power: in 2023, 47% of the gas Iraq consumed came from Iran and produced an estimated 29% of Iraqi power generation. But the Iranian gas supply is also unreliable in part because Iran often has trouble keeping its own lights on, due to sanctions and mismanagement, and because Tehran at times withholds its exports to Iraq for political reasons. "Iraq has been suffering from inadequate electricity for decades. It's a supply and demand problem as a growing and richer population demands electricity the state cannot supply," James Jeffrey, a distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute who previously served as the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, told CNBC. The country of 46 million in fact has huge quantities of gas but "Iraq never developed its natural gas sector. Quantities are huge but just flared off," Jeffrey said. He was referencing gas flaring, during which gas is burned off and lost during oil production, leading to huge financial and resource losses as well as significant damage to the environment. "The reasons for this failure range from bureaucratic problems, incapacity to do strategic planning, and pressure from Iran through proxy political parties," Jeffrey said. "Iran wants to keep selling billions in gas and electricity to Baghdad and also wants Iraq dependent on Tehran." Sanctions pressure In March, the Trump administration as part of its maximum-pressure sanctions strategy against Iran rescinded the waiver that Washington has historically granted Iraq to continue buying Iranian electricity without breaching U.S. sanctions. The move means Iraq can no longer import Iranian electricity which comprises about 3% or Iraq's power supply, according to Platts reporting but Baghdad can still import Iranian gas, which provides the much larger part of its power. The U.S. has long urged Iraq to diversify its energy sources to reduce its reliance on Iran. Sanctioning Baghdad's purchases of Iranian gas would deal a hammer blow to the country's ability to generate electricity, and likely trigger an economic crisis and political instability. But the specter of it and continued U.S. pressure is a good thing for Iraq, many analysts say, as it's pushed Iraq to invest more in its power generation capacity and enact reforms in the sector. "Iraq will gain energy independence, bolstering the authority of its central government which Iran has exploited with its cheap energy for too long," Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington D.C., wrote in a report published in March. "The hard part now is ensuring that Tehran cannot continue exploiting Baghdad's political environment and that the government finds reliable energy alternatives." Power projects underway A number of major projects are underway to improve Iraq's energy independence. TotalEnergies' $27 billion Gas Growth Integrated Project, signed in 2023, aims to capture some of Iraq's flared gas for use in power plants and build a 1-1.25 gigawatt solar park for the southern city of Basra. Siemens Energy this year announced a framework to develop up to 14 gigawatts of gas-fired power capacity using domestic gas, including captured flare gas. For reference, the current capacity of Iraq's national grid is less than 28 gigawatts, compared to a peak demand of 48 gigawatts, according to Jessica Obeid, head of Energy Transitions at SRMG Think. There is also more focus on renewable energy and cross-border interconnection, with a link to Jordan's power grid underway and another to Kuwait still in the works. Still, the transition is difficult and will both take time and likely face continued obstacles due to corruption, pressure from Iran-backed members of Iraq's government, and political unpredictability. Iraqi energy independence is "over time very realistic," Jeffrey said. "The U.S. [sanctions] move was smart but we need to give Iraq some time, as major infrastructure needed doesn't spring up overnight." The Jeff Bezos-backed Slate Automotive says it can sell an American-made electric vehicle pickup truck for about half of the average transaction price in the U.S. Slate's pitch is keep the vehicle as simple as possible to save on manufacturing costs, and then let owners add on and customize the truck however they want. The Slate Truck is compact two doors and two seats in its most basic form. It is spare if you want an infotainment system, you have to add that yourself. And, you can. The vehicle is almost endlessly customizable. Slate plans to sell more than 100 accessories for its truck, including a kit that will convert it to a 5-seat SUV. But Slate also wants to make the truck "open source," meaning anyone could make accessories for the pickup. So far, more than 100,000 people have made reservations for Slate's small barebones truck. Price has been Slate's big selling point. Nearly half of American car shoppers say the top drawback to EVs is sticker price, according to a May 2025 survey by J.D. Power. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has been levying tariffs on foreign automakers and slashed federal incentives for EVs, making it more difficult for consumers to buy EVs. Earlier in 2025, the company advertised that its truck would start below $20,000 with the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. It then wiped that language from its website around the time the Trump Administration issued an executive order in July that began the rollback of EV incentives. The company says the case for its cheap truck will remain strong after federal EV tax credits expire in September. The question for Slate is whether the vehicle is still compelling at around $27,000 or $28,000 as it would be around $20,000. There is only one vehicle in the United States transacting below $20,000 the Mitsubishi Mirage. But below $30,000 there are about 20 models, according to Cox Automotive. One of those is the Ford Maverick, which comes with either a straight internal combustion engine or a hybrid powertrain, and has many of the features the Slate lacks. "All of a sudden, that price point just doesn't look very competitive anymore," said Market Research Telemetry Vice President Sam Abuelsamid, adding that Slate could lower its price to appeal to consumers. "But now you start to eat into that profit margin." Watch the video to learn more. Monty Python may be over, but Monty Python Twitter feuds seem to be never-ending. Weve talked before about how ex-Pythons John Cleese and Eric Idle have been dunking on each other on social media since at least 2011. And more recently, theyve been beefing over the Pythons financial affairs, and the current management of the Python brand. Well, unfortunately, their online antipathy is seemingly as bad as it's ever been, as evidenced by some of Cleeses recent posts. Don't Miss The latest squabble seemingly began with Idles recent claim that he wasnt notified about, or even aware of the new line of Monty Python stamps released by the U.K.s Royal Mail. He then followed this up with a cryptic post implying that the rest of the group had self-sabotaged their own production company, which is in the process of being dissolved. Although he didnt offer any details of his particular grievances. Cleese, who, in spite of his best attempts, just cant seem to quit Twitter/X, couldnt help but weigh in on the matter. The Fawlty Towers star acknowledged that Idle has been complaining yet again about how Python communications to him have been delayed. He then addressed Python fans directly, informing them that Idle refuses to accept any communications that are sent to him, except through his lawyers. That slows it down a bit, Cleese added. Even more intense was his response to one of Idles defenders, who questioned Cleeses credibility and judgement. Do you realise you have no idea what you are talking about, dear man? Cleese fired back. Wait till you see the emails. Advertisement Things have definitely been heated between the two in the past, but threatening to leak private correspondence in order to prove the other wrong certainly feels like an escalation. And if you think that the 85-year-old Cleese isnt tech savvy enough to figure out how to share his emails with fans, clearly youre not aware that he was at the forefront of the personal computer revolution. Or at least, he was at the forefront of advertising them. Advertisement Advertisement As of writing, Idle has yet to respond to Cleeses testy posts on his account. But given their history of back-and-forth public spats over Monty Pythons business affairs, it seems highly doubtful that this will be the end of the matter. A word of advice: If any of you ever get the chance to meet Cleese, dont mention the war between him and Eric Idle. The Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 17 finale is less than a week away, and Charlie Day still isnt ready to think beyond the Golden Bachelors final rose. The Always Sunny co-creator recently revealed his approach to writing the shows upcoming 18th season, explaining that hes doing his best to keep a clear head before joining Rob Mac and Glenn Howerton in the writers room later this fall. I try not to think of anything until right before I get into the writers room, and thats gonna be this October, he said during an appearance on The Today Show. Don't Miss Day says he hopes to keep The Gangs antics as relevant as possible. The world keeps throwing us crazy stuff, he explained of the creative process. I imagine there will be some chaos between now and October, safe bet. No matter what current events wind up inspiring Always Sunnys Season 18 storylines, Day and his co-writers can be confident that Danny DeVito is ready to get real weird with it. Advertisement Earlier this summer, DeVito expressed his excitement for Always Sunnys future, telling Collider that hes looking forward to reading his co-stars new scripts. Charlie and Rob and Glenn get into a writers room and its probably like, in the Wizard of Oz but reversed, he speculated, envisioning the trio flying on brooms and battling hurricanes on the inside of the room. Theres shit flying by them, ideas and all kind of crazy stuff. And they know anything they want to do to Frank, they can. In that case, do your worst, Rat King. Most people seem to be loving the new Naked Gun movie, with one notable exception no, were not talking about the polyamorous enchanted snowman community. Even though he directed the original 1988 classic The Naked Gun, David Zucker hasnt exactly been the biggest supporter of the reboot. Zucker, whose pitch for a fourth movie (The Naked Gun 4: Nordberg Did It) was rejected by Paramount, has told interviewers that hes boycotting the 2025 version and once said that just being a fan of the original trilogy doesnt qualify the new filmmakers to take on the parody genre. In recent weeks, Zucker has been slightly more complimentary. People are liking it, which is great, he told The Guardian after the movies opening weekend. I really like the director, and I just couldnt wish him more well. I texted him already, saying, I hear the reviews are great, and its tracking well. He was very happy to hear from me, and well probably get together later in the month when the smoke clears. Don't Miss But now Zucker is once again publicly critiquing the movie that he still has no plans to see. Advertisement The Airplane! co-director recently spoke with The Huffington Post, and took the opportunity to promote MasterCrash, a series of instructional videos that he launched after being rejected by MasterClass. In the online tutorials, Zucker lays out his 15 essential rules of comedy for people who want to spend $99 a month to learn about something they could just Google in three seconds. Zucker told The Huffington Post that the team behind the reboot, including director Akiva Schaffer and producer Seth MacFarlane, would have benefited from taking his MasterCrash course, explaining, I think they broke all the rules. Advertisement Again, he hasnt actually seen the movie, and is seemingly basing all of his criticism on the first teaser trailer, in which Frank Drebin Jr. takes on a gang of armed bank robbers while dressed as a schoolgirl. Zucker claimed that this scene broke his Jerry Lewis rule. That was Jerry Lewis to me, he argued. We dont make characters into clowns. Advertisement The Jerry Lewis rule, which somehow isnt about avoiding making comedies about the Holocaust, states that parody filmmakers shouldnt use a comedian in a straight man role, nor should they rely on funny wardrobe because its a joke on a joke. The bank robbery scenes punchline, involving Liam Neeson exposing his strawberry underpants, is therefore in violation of this rule. Advertisement That being said, most of the movie does hew fairly closely to the guidelines established by previous Zucker-Abrams-Zucker films, and it doesnt break all the rules as David Zucker is suggesting. Not to mention the fact that rule number one is literally There Are No Rules. And with all due respect to the guy who gave us some of the greatest comedies of all time, if this same mandate also produced movies like An American Carol and the Zucker-produced Superhero Movie, perhaps it shouldnt be treated as sacrosanct? Norway's Security Agency Disclose Hydropower Takeover By Russian Hackers Russian hackers took control of a Norwegian dam in April 2025, opening a floodgate and allowing water to flow unnoticed for hours, Norways intelligence security service has now said. This statement, by the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST), is the first time that Oslo has said that the cyber-attack in April on Bremanger, western Norway, to Moscow. The attack on the hydropower dam, which produces electricity, released 500 litres (132 gallons) of water a second for four hours until the incident was detected.The hackers published a three-minute video, with the name of a pro-Russian cyber hacker criminal group, on Telegram on the day of the attack. The incident did not cause any injuries or damage because the water level of the river and the dam, which is close to the town of Svelgen, was a long way below flood capacity. Kripos, Norways organised crime police unit, told the Aftenposten newspaper it was aware this group brought together several actors who commit crime in the cyber domain and had been linked to several cyber-attacks against businesses in the west in recent years. The chief of the PST Beate Gangas said: Russian intelligence services spend significant resources identifying, cultivating and recruiting contacts in Norway. Norwegian citizens could be good sources of information for them. Intelligence security services in Norway, which produces the majority of its electricity using hydropower dams, had previously warned of the potential risk of such attacks on energy infrastructure. Norway and Russia share a 123-mile (198km) border, with a crossing at Storskog, Europes only open Schengen border with Russia. The Russian embassy in Oslo said Gangass statements were unfounded and politically motivated. VG Nyheter | Guardian | Politico | Times | Industria Cyber | Bleepimg Computer Image: Ales Krivec You Might Also Read: Securing Critical Infrastructure From Nation-State Threats: If you like this website and use the comprehensive 8,000-plus service supplier Directory, you can get unrestricted access, including the exclusive in-depth Directors Report series, by signing up for a Premium Subscription. Individual 5 per month or 50 per year. Sign Up Multi-User, Corporate & Library Accounts Available on Request Cyber Security Intelligence: Captured Organised & Accessible State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Zip Code Vladimir Putin is a savvy Trump-whisperer. He knows exactly what flavours of flattery to employ, what enticements to offer. The US President is arguably the most powerful and influential leader in the world, but he craves the approval of his peers. He admires Putins strong-man image and wants to be a member of that club. Putin is not the grandmaster of three-dimensional chess that some pundits make him out to be. But simply by setting foot on American soil today, he will be the winner in a high-stakes geopolitical game. This is his first visit to the US since 2015, when Barack Obama was trying to isolate Russia from the rest of the world at the UN General Assembly. That was a brutally awkward occasion for both leaders. This time, the Russian media is playing up the notion of a thaw in Russian-American relations, with the prospect of renewed business deals as well as peace talks. Putin is emphasising his credentials as an international statesman, the head of a superpower that commands fear and respect. Vladimir Putin is a savvy Trump-whisperer. He knows exactly what flavours of flattery to employ, what enticements to offer (President Donald Trump and Mr Putin in 2018) That strengthens his domestic standing, no matter what the outcome of the talks. He need make no concessions because he can afford to walk away from the table. His opening position, therefore, will be aggressive and ambitious. This is the Russian way, and it is one Trump often deploys himself: begin with outrageous, intimidating demands in order to force the opponent on to the back foot. Then haggle and make a great show of give-and-take, without ever yielding a genuine compromise. To outside observers, it might seem the most Russia could expect is to keep the 20 per cent of Ukraine it has occupied by military force over the past three-and-a-half years. But Putin wants much more. He will almost certainly try to insist that Kyiv cede more territory, land that will otherwise be invaded and conquered yard by bloody yard. He will want to impose limits on the size of Ukraines standing army in future, to ensure his forces are met with less resistance if and when he renews his offensive. Of course, he will permit Ukraine to make no military alliances membership of Nato is out of the question although he has signalled that he would have no objections to it joining the European Union, presumably thinking this would bring economic and political disruption with it. And as a pre-condition for any ceasefire, he will ask for most of the US sanctions to be lifted, in return for access to Russian oil. In other words, Putins conditions for a ceasefire will amount to total victory. The chief danger is not that the US will refuse to comply. If talks reach an impasse, Putin will appear all the stronger, while Trump will have failed as a deal-maker something his ego can never permit. Putin is emphasising his credentials as an international statesman, the head of a superpower that commands fear and respect But its possible that Putin, who has become Russias absolute ruler during more than 25 years in power, will be tripped up by his own ego. He is surrounded by yes-men who dont dare tell him the truth as evidenced by his initial conviction that the special operation to annex Ukraine would be over within three days and that his troops would be greeted as liberators. He sometimes displays a cringey lack of self-awareness though not on the scale of Trumps inability to moderate his behaviour. When the Russian dictator agreed to be interviewed by fawning American broadcaster Tucker Carlson last year, Putin began with a long and rambling lecture about the historic status of Ukraine as a Russian province. If he repeats that performance, Trump will lose patience very quickly. But it is impossible to envisage a meltdown from either man. Putin has a keen sense of how far to goad an opponent. At a meeting in 2015 at the Vatican, he kept Pope Francis waiting for over an hour a tactic he uses against many political opponents as a none-too-subtle show of disdain. On the other hand, he has never been late for a meeting with the far more powerful President Xi Jinping of China. Some of his gamesmanship is simple bullying. During talks in 2007 with Angela Merkel, then Germanys Chancellor, he notoriously had his labrador Konni brought into the room and casually allowed it to sniff her knowing she was terrified of dogs. He will not attempt such macho posturing with Trump. But he may well hint at an underlying contempt. He respects sober, serious politicians and, while Trump no doubt covets Putins stolen billions (the Russian may, in fact, be the richest man in the world), he sees himself as the CEO of United States Incorporated, and other nations as real estate. Putin once described the US President as yarki. Told that this translated as bright, Trump was delighted. But in Russian the word actually means colourful, and thats an ambiguous compliment at best. As ever, what Putin says today, and what he really means, might be two very different things. Mark Galeotti is honorary professor at the University College London School of Slavonic and East European Studies. The warning from America is stark: selling Thames Water, Britains biggest water and sewage business, to a Chinese company would be a national security threat or as Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, puts it, stupidity on stupidity. That the Labour government cannot see the dangerous folly of handing China control of the capitals water supply a necessity for 15 million people beggars belief. It is only four months since the Chinese owner of British Steel was accused of trying to sabotage the companys blast furnaces, potentially to undermine UK production and increase reliance on imports from China. There have been multiple warnings about the need for vigilance in the face of industrial scale Chinese cyber espionage as well as influence operations to undermine our democracy. The world is becoming more dangerous to a large extent because of Chinas behaviour. Yet ministers seem unable or unwilling to see beyond the cash seemingly oblivious to the risks that come with inviting China into sensitive corners of the economy. Ministers are reportedly preparing to take struggling Thames Water into temporary public ownership, with Hong Kong-based CK Infrastructure (CKI) a leading contender to then take it over. CKI already has investments in British firms, including UK Power Networks, Northumberland Water and Northern Gas Networks. It also has a 65 per cent stake in UK Rails, which leases rolling stock to Britains railway companies. Surely this is reason for caution, especially as relations with China deteriorate and Beijing seeks to exert greater control over CKIs parent company, CK Hutchison Holdings (CKH). The US government has raised the alarm over CKH, which controls ports at either end of the Panama Canal, because Washington fears the firm could hand China control of the vital waterway. In March, CKH agreed to sell the ports to an American-led consortium, but the deal has effectively been vetoed by Beijing, which has threatened CKHs business interests in China unless it takes on a partner closely linked to the Chinese Communist Party. CKH is headquartered in Hong Kong, which for a long time was a relatively autonomous place for business, free from the heavy hand of Beijing. No more. Hong Kong is now darkly repressive as the trial and pending prison sentence of 77-year-old pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, a fierce critic of China, will surely attest. Selling Thames Water will be the first big test of the Labour governments China audit, which was supposed to forge a more coherent policy with this rising power Ministers are reportedly preparing to take struggling Thames Water into temporary public ownership Burner phones and throw-away laptops are commonplace for visiting foreign executives, fearing surveillance. Companies based in the former British colony cannot escape laws that oblige all Chinese firms do the Partys bidding on demand when it comes to issues of national security an infinitely elastic concept in China. As Beijing deepens its partnership with Russia, underwriting the Ukraine war, and grows increasingly hostile to the West, its Trojan horse investments look dangerous and foolhardy. Selling Thames Water will be the first big test of the Labour governments China audit, which was supposed to forge a more coherent policy with this rising power. That followed disastrous decisions to invite firms linked to Beijing into sensitive industries, such as nuclear power and advanced telecoms. They were reversed only after political outcry and American pressure. Sir Keir Starmer now claims to be trying to balance security concerns against economic opportunities. To sell Thames Water to a Chinese company would show how little he has learned. Blow me down, who would have thought it? Nicola Sturgeon, the nationalist former First Minister of Scotland, who has spent her entire political life fighting for Scottish independence and slagging off evil England, now says shes thinking of leaving her native land. And where does she plan to move to? Unbelievably, her destination of choice appears to be... evil England! More specifically, she hints strongly this week that the ideal place she would like to escape to, at least for a wee while, is my own native London capital of the kingdom she has tirelessly campaigned to leave. This may shock many people to hear, she says, but I love London... So, yeah, maybe a bit of time down there. Who knows? But will she really find the capital as pleasant a place to live as she seems to imagine? Or will she find that in moving from her own partys Scotland to mayor Sir Sadiq Khans Labour London, shell just be swapping one nightmare terror for another? Ill come back to that question in a moment. But first, Ill let Ms Sturgeon explain why shes tempted to move. In an interview to promote her self-justifying, self-pitying new memoir, she tells the BBC: I belong to Scotland, its my home. But I think being physically out of Scotland for a period might just help to reset my perspective and, to be more selfish about it, just remove me a little bit from that goldfish bowl scrutiny that I still live under in Scotland. This may shock many people to hear, Nicola Sturgeon, but I love London... So, yeah, maybe a bit of time down there. Who knows? (Pictured during her BBC Breakfast interview) I dont mean that as a complaint, its just the reality that Scotlands quite a small country, its quite a small body politic . . . Suffocating is maybe putting it too strongly, but I sometimes feel I cant breathe freely in Scotland. Of course, Ms Sturgeon will hardly be the first Scot to head south in the hope of breathing more freely. Indeed, my own Scottish mother-in-law made that same move more than six decades ago, taking her five Ayrshire-born daughters with her, including the future Mrs U, who was then only five years old. Like Ms Sturgeon, she had recently separated from her husband and like her, too, no doubt, she wanted to escape from her tight-knit, gossipy local community, where all her neighbours and relations knew or wanted to know everything that was going on in her life. Mind you, I suspect that the number of Scots who yearn to move south has grown ever greater since Ms Sturgeons SNP came to power in 2007, and set about turning the country into an oppressive socialist stronghold, in thrall to mad, woke ideas. Thanks largely to Englands generosity, we learned this week, every year Scotland now receives nearly 2,700 a head more in public funding than the UK average an extraordinary 21,192 per person, compared with 18,523 in the kingdom as a whole. Yet in spite of this, Ms Sturgeons party has managed to wreck Scotlands public services, including an education system that was once the envy of the rest of the UK. In 2006, for example, the nation achieved by far the UKs best results in maths, as measured by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developments rankings. By 2022, it had plunged to second worst, a long way behind England and ahead only of Wales. Meanwhile, the number of NHS patients who have to wait more than two years for treatment north of the border is almost 100 times higher than in England, while Scotland still holds the unenviable record of having the highest number of drug deaths in Europe. Indeed, Ms Sturgeon and her party appear to have tested to destruction the theory that the way to solve social problems is to hurl ever greater quantities of other peoples money at them. Then there was the debacle over the former First Ministers crazy plan for gender self-recognition, which would have allowed male rapists to serve their time in womens prisons. Add Ms Sturgeons little local difficulties with her husband and the police, and perhaps its no wonder that she wants to make herself scarce for a while, away from the scene of all the destruction and chaos her party has wrought. But back to that question: will she really find London any better? If youd asked me that a few years ago, I would have had no hesitation in saying it was the best place to live on the planet. I was fiercely proud of being one of the few London residents I know who was born and brought up in the capital, while most of my neighbours and colleagues were drawn to it by its job opportunities, innumerable amenities and other attractions. In the words of the wartime song, I used to get a funny feeling inside of me/ Just walking up and down/ Maybe its because Im a Londoner/ That I love London town. But I cant say the same any longer. After nine years under Sir Sadiq Khan, in cahoots with my disastrous Labour council, shoplifters and fare dodgers abound, the streets reek of cannabis and deliveries left on my neighbours doorsteps are stolen within minutes. Yet theres never a copper to be seen, except for those flashing past in their cars, with sirens blaring (perhaps to arrest someone suspected of tweeting something disobliging about Hamas). At the same time, driving and parking in London have become all but impossible for the rest of us, as Khan and his partys councillors carry on their war against motorists, with their Ultra Low Emission Zones, cycle lanes, Controlled Parking Zones, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods hated by all except eco-zealots. Then there are the endless road closures for minority religious festivals, celebrations of LGBTQ+ Pride, and the like. Since Tony Blair threw open our borders, it has also becoming increasingly rare to hear an English voice on the bus or the Tube, in a city where already 60 per cent of live births are to mothers born outside the UK. Meanwhile, many London schools have become battlegrounds, where teachers face a daily struggle simply to keep their pupils from each others throats. No, the fact is that the London where I live today has become almost unrecognisable as the city I used to love. Sadly, two of our four London-born sons have already moved to the West Country, driven away from their birthplace by the hope of a better life and the impossibility of finding an affordable home in the capital. A third speaks of moving to Liverpool, and I dont suppose the fourth will remain in London for much longer. Now, for the first time in all these decades, my wife and I are seriously tempted to follow their example. The only question that remains is where, in this benighted kingdom, is the best place for an ageing couple to settle, most untouched by the blight of woke socialism? One things for sure. After Ms Sturgeons long stint in power, not even the beauties of the scenery will tempt us to move to the land of Mrs Us birth. As the very last of the 'Forgotten Army' gather today, it will be with the same bitter-sweet emotions which come flooding back every August 15. Now, as then, the veterans of the Far East can't help the feeling that they are something of an afterthought. They had felt it all through the war, and especially through the summer of 1945 as they fought on for three more hellish months long after Victory in Europe and those wild VE Day parties back home. And can we really blame them? Today's commemoration of Victory in Japan VJ Day at the National Memorial Arboretum, attended by the King and the Prime Minister, will be a poignant occasion, of course. Yet, at the going down of the sun and in the morning, can we truly say that 'we will remember them' when it transpires that the mortal remains of several British heroes continue to languish in a plastic box in Malaysia while the British authorities twiddle their thumbs? For proof that the war in the Far East still sits in the dimmer recesses of our collective national memory, look no further than the tragic tale of two mighty Royal Navy warships, the battle cruiser, HMS Repulse, and the battleship, HMS Prince of Wales. This week, former Royal Marine Jim Wren (pictured), 105, received a royal visit when the Duchess of Edinburgh came to his Salisbury care home as part of the VJ Day commemorations He still recalls the moment a bomb landed behind his mess in HMS Repulse and exploded several decks below. Pictured: Britain's Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, views photographs with 105-year-old Royal Marines veteran James 'Jim' Wren Now the oldest Royal Marine alive, Mr Wren has had his portrait painted at the behest of the King and also featured on this week's BBC film, VJ Day: We Were There On December 10, 1941, less than three days after its attack on the US fleet in Pearl Harbour, Japan came after the pride of the Royal Navy's Eastern Pacific fleet off the coast of what was then Malaya. Both ships were hit by bombs and torpedoes and went down within hours of each other, taking 842 men with them. 'In all the war, I never received a more direct shock,' Winston Churchill said later. 'As I turned over and twisted in bed the full horror of the news sank in upon me... Across this vast expanse of waters, Japan was supreme.' Even for those who survived, salvation was short-lived. Most were taken ashore to the naval base in Singapore. Within weeks, the colony had fallen to Japan in one of the greatest humiliations of the war. Thousands of servicemen, along with the civilian population, were marched to a brutal captivity from which many would not emerge. After the war, passing British ships would conduct memorial services over the wrecks and, for a while, send divers down to ensure that the White Ensign of the Royal Navy was still attached to the hulls. A photograph shown to The Duchess of Edinburgh, patron of the Java Far East Prisoner of War Club 1942, is displayed whilst meeting 105-year-old Royal Marines veteran James 'Jim' Wren Photographs and a commando dagger shown to The Duchess of Edinburgh In due course, they were designated as war graves while the bell of the Prince of Wales was recovered in 2002 and returned to Britain. However, over the years came grim reports of looting by salvage operators plundering the wreck for scrap metal. When the subject surfaced periodically in Parliament, ministers would pledge to keep an eye on things. It was only thanks to the British charity, the Maritime Archaeology Sea Trust (MAST), that the true extent of this desecration has since come to light. In 2022, it discovered that a Chinese salvage barge had spent 92 days ransacking the sites which lie in international waters. Then, in 2023, it tracked the loot to a Malaysian breakers' yard. Police duly seized a huge quantity of stolen property, including the giant anchors of HMS Prince of Wales, and arrests were made. Veterans and the next of kin were dismayed, even more so when it emerged that the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur had told the Malaysians they could keep the stuff. No one in the Foreign Office or the Ministry of Defence, it seems, had seen it fit to consult the families. Further bad news was to follow, however. Last year, the Malaysian authorities confirmed to the team from MAST their worst suspicions: the loot not only included sailors' possessions but human remains. These were being carefully preserved by the Malaysians yet the British authorities had made no effort to reclaim them. It was now beyond doubt that the final resting places of hundreds of British war heroes have been plundered by Chinese grave-robbers and the bodies of the dead have not just been disturbed but dumped ashore while British diplomats failed to act. 'I find it utterly extraordinary. I just don't know how we can simply stand by while this goes on,' says the former First Sea Lord, Admiral Lord West. 105-year-old Royal Marines veteran James 'Jim' Wren poses at the Old Sarum Manor Care Home in Salisbury Two months ago, in the House of Lords, he asked the Government 'what steps they are taking to ensure that human remains found among the scrap of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse are given a fitting burial by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission'. The defence minister, Lord Coaker, said the Government 'is unable to provide a response regarding the presence of human remains' until 'investigations have concluded'. The MoD will only say: 'We strongly condemn any desecration of any maritime military grave. We will take appropriate action, including working with regional governments and partners to prevent inappropriate activity.' At least MAST, led by marine and military luminaries, including former Desert Rats commander Major General Patrick Cordingley, are on the case. 'It's only thanks to them we have had any idea of what's going on. We've heard nothing from the Government,' says Hannah Rickard, chair of the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse Survivors Association. This week, MAST's chief operating officer has reported back from Malaysia where he has been shown human bones included in the official catalogue of material seized from the scrapyard. The King (pictured) will commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day with an address to the nation These, he says, are being treated 'with professionalism and respect' and the Malaysians are more than ready to assist the British in identifying them through DNA tests. Once that has happened, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is ready to give these brave men a proper burial. This cannot come soon enough for the last survivor of the sinkings. This week, former Royal Marine Jim Wren, 105, received a royal visit when the Duchess of Edinburgh came to his Salisbury care home as part of the VJ Day commemorations. He still recalls the moment a bomb landed behind his mess in HMS Repulse and exploded several decks below. He rushed to man an anti-aircraft gun until the ship keeled on her side, whereupon 'it was every man for himself' and he was hauled out of the sea two hours later, vomiting oil. Returned to Singapore, he fought the Japanese on land before being taken prisoner. For the next three years, his family and his sweetheart, Margaret, thought he was dead until word came through that an emaciated Jim was on his way home in October 1945. Now the oldest Royal Marine alive, Mr Wren has had his portrait painted at the behest of the King and also featured on this week's BBC film, VJ Day: We Were There. 'I can't forget the men in that ship,' he said this week. 'Let them rest in peace.' He wants all the looted remains buried properly. For good measure, he would love to see the main anchor of the Prince of Wales returned to Britain and installed at the National Memorial Arboretum as a monument to all 842. It is, surely, not much to ask unless the heroes of VJ Day really are the 'forgotten' ones? Now elderly and frail, a handful of survivors from what became known as the forgotten army gathered at the National Memorial Arboretum yesterday to remember, and to bear witness. This dwindling band of warriors and their departed comrades fought against tyranny in the Far East, helping to free countless millions from the horror and brutality of Japanese occupation. For three months after the defeat of Nazism in Europe, they continued to battle from the jungles of Burma to the myriad islands of the South Pacific against a fanatical enemy. Eighty years on their achievements are still undimmed. In the words of King Charles: They gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected. But has the modern world learned the lessons they sought to teach; that tyrants must be faced down and that liberty sometimes comes at extreme cost? As the veterans mustered in Staffordshire for their last big parade, Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were off to Alaska to discuss the future of war-torn Ukraine. Mr Trump is to be praised for his efforts to restore peace. But it cant come at any price. The rumours are that the two men want to strike a deal under which Russia is allowed to keep Crimea and the parts of eastern Ukraine it currently occupies in exchange for an armistice. All the last remaining VJ veterans pictured during a Service of Remembrance to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day at The National Memorial Arboretum on August 15, 2025 in Alrewas, Staffordshire Veteran Owen Filer reacts during a Service of Remembrance to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day at The National Memorial Arboretum King Charles III with with Yavar Abbas during a reception for VJ veterans and their families hosted by the Royal British Legion at The Aspects Building following a national Service of Remembrance to mark the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day Some will say this is pragmatism. It seems unlikely that Ukrainian forces have the power to force Russian troops out of their country, so a land carve-up may seem the least-worst option. But Putin is a bully and if theres one abiding lesson from the Second World War its that appeasing bullies doesnt work. They always come back for more. Ukraine is just one of the targets in Putins stated aim of recreating the Soviet Union. If he is rewarded for invading that country, his revanchist eye will surely move to others. He is already at the gates of the EU, yet no European leader was invited to the summit. By failing to shoulder its share of Nato costs, Europe has made itself irrelevant in these discussions. America pays the bills (for now at least), so America calls the tune. Whatever the result of the summit, that has to change. Europe must start taking responsibility for its own defence with a vast increase in military spending. Meanwhile, we wait to see what any Trump/Putin deal might look like and whether it will be acceptable to Ukraine. The US President is often regarded as the leader of the free world. Ukrainians have fought heroically to remain part of that world for three bloody years. Mr Trump must not sell them out. King Charles III seen with Alfred Conway, who once served with Prince Phillip, during a Service of Remembrance Queen Camilla with Bob Gelder (100) and his eldest son Kim during a Service of Remembrance to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day The Red Arrows fly over the Service of Remembrance to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day at The National Memorial Arboretum For months, Palestinian flags have flown across Birmingham. Yet when Union flags and flags of St George began to appear, the city council immediately moved to have them taken down. One councillor said some Palestinian flags had been removed but because of issues when they were being taken down, future removals would require police protection. Many residents also suspect council officials of duplicity regarding British and English flags as divisive but the Palestinian standard as somehow noble. If true, this is a shocking inversion. Any British citizen, regardless of ethnicity, colour or creed, should take pride in the Union flag. It is a symbol of unity in nationhood that belongs to all of us, unlike the flag of Palestine. Floriography is the 'language of flowers' and shows their hidden meanings There are few gifts more universally perfect than a bouquet of flowers - whether it be for romance, an apology, or just a thoughtful gesture. But the art of perfecting it is far more complex than many may realise - and you could unknowingly be sending a message far from what's intended. Floriography, the 'language of flowers', was a common method of communication used in the Victorian era, used to send messages through the secret meanings behind the individual flowers chosen. But even in 2025, it's just as easy to commit a floral faux pas by choosing the wrong blooms for the wrong occasion. It could be the colour of the flowers - red, for example, is commonly associated with romance, while white is associated with grief and purity. And it's just as important to consider the type of flower selected, as common flowers such as lilies, roses and chrysanthemums all have vastly different meanings. According to data from Tesco, the aster flower, native to Japan, has seen sales boom by nearly 350 per cent in recent years, thanks to its symbolism of love, patience and wisdom. Of course, the flipside of flowers laden with so much meaning, there's huge potential for a faux pas if you make the wrong choice. Here's what experts say about choosing the right sort of bloom to convey your message. Bouquets are one of the most common gifts - but each flower has a very specific meaning (stock image) Asters Demand for asters in bouquets has more than quadrupled in the last two years - and it's easy to see why. The flower, which is native to Japan, is associated with love, patience, elegance, grace and wisdom - making it a simple but effective bouquet option, without any risk of causing offence. Tesco has reported that sales have grown nearly 350 per cent over the last two years, after first being listed in 2022. The asters' success has been credited to their cheap price point, bright colour and long vase life. At Tesco, asters sell for just 3 and are a member of the Asteraceae family - the same as sunflowers and dahlias. Sandra Varley, expert at Flying Flowers, told Daily Mail: 'While the more common flower known for love is a rose, the aster shares this symbolism and is steadily growing in popularity. 'Rooted in Greek mythology, asters were said to have bloomed from the tears of the goddess Astraea and were offered to show love and respect to the Greek gods. With such a romantic history, the aster flower symbolises admiration but also wisdom and faith, making a thoughtful gift to wish someone good fortune in the future. 'Asters are also the September birth flower so why not add it to a birthday bouquet.' Asters, which are native to Japan, are associated with love, patience, elegance, grace and wisdom (stock image) Roses Red roses are commonly seen as a symbol of romance - associated with love, dating and Valentine's Day. But if you're looking to give roses without that romantic intention, you could try for pink - which is said to represent gratitude - or yellow - which symbolise friendship. White roses symbolise innocence and purity, making them a common choice for weddings. Sandra explained: 'Universally known as a symbol of love, red roses can be the perfect option for a loved one. However, pink hues of the flower can soften this message, adding layers of meaning such as gratitude and appreciation, making them a thoughtful choice for showing love and thanks beyond romance. 'Yellow roses also represent similar feelings of jealousy and betrayal. While more recently known as the flower of friendship, in Victorian times the bloom would be sent to accuse someone of betraying you.' Meanwhile etiquette expert Jo Hayes added: 'Long known as the bloom of love, florists are run off their feet for this lovers' favourite on February 14. 'But there are a few different meanings within the rose family that one should definitely consider.' Jo says that red roses are 'absolute perfection' for Valentine's Day, or in general to let a romantic partner know you're feeling enamoured. Pink is just as apt for a 'friend, your mum or celebration of a birthday' - as Jo says they're the perfect message to imply 'you're awesome'. Crysanthemums If you're sending flowers to an Italian, you might want to avoid chrysanthemums, which signify death (stock image) With hundreds of varieties available, Chrysanthemums are a quick and easy choice to put in a bouquet. They're also the birth month flower for those born in November - meaning they can be the perfect gift especially around winter time. In Italy, Chrysanthemums are commonly bought around November 2 - for Il Giorno dei Morti - 'the day of the dead', or All Souls' Day. During the weeks prior, people will leave them at cemeteries to commemorate the dead. Say it with lesser-known blooms Monique Kemperman, from Plants & Flowers Foundation Holland revealed some lesser-known flowers to consider, if you're trying to convey the right message. Alstroemeria The alstroemeria symbolises a long-lasting friendship, and it's therefore the perfect gift to celebrate a beautiful friendship with. All six petals of the alstroemeria stand for a valuable quality: understanding, humour, patience, compassion, decisiveness and respect. Which petal represents which meaning is up to you to choose. It is a flower that says, 'I am here for you, always'. Callicarpa Purple flowers stand for dignity, preparation, seriousness and mourning. That makes this a fitting flower to give to close relatives who are arranging a funeral, to let them know you are there for them. But it is also a fitting flower for many other situations where words fail to come up with the appropriate response. Cymbidium In China, this flower is a gift for friends, a symbol of a valued and respected friendship, and even more beautiful when combined with alstroemeria. Advertisement This means that the flowers are strictly reserved to funerals and graves - and, according to Flying Flowers, gifting them in a bouquet could imply wishing the receiver 'wasn't alive'. In most other countries however, chrysanthemums are generally a safe bet - representing joy, friendship and honesty. Lilies Famously, white lilies are believed to symbolise rebirth and purity - meaning they often feature at funerals in association with grief. These associations mean they may also be present at weddings. And though they're less common, it's important not to underestimate the significance of other colours. Like roses, red lilies can symbolise love and passion, while pink is perfect to gift to a loved one or close friend due to their associations with femininity. In some cultures, white lilies are associated with death - and therefore should be avoided for events such as baby showers. Lilies are also extremely toxic to cats and if pets lick or eat one of the plants, they could even develop kidney damage. According to the PDSA, all parts of the lily are dangerous, including the leaves, flowers and pollen - meaning pet owners should avoid the plants where possible. 'There are many species of lilies, all with different meanings,' Sandra said. 'Stargazer lilies symbolise determination, drive, good fortune and new beginnings, which are perfect to include in a bouquet for students, those starting a new chapter, or well wishes. 'Whereas, white lilies are often associated with sympathy and loss, so it is important to know which species you are sending as you could give off the wrong message.' Carnations Carnations are some of the oldest cultivated flowers in the world, dating back to Ancient Greece and Rome, where they were used in crowns and garlands due to associations with love, admiration and celebration. The flowers were discovered by Theophrastus, one of the first known botanists. Despite having conflicting meanings in different cultures today, they are generally associated with devotion and love. According to Christian tradition, pink carnations are associated with the Virgin Mary's tears, giving them additional ties to motherly love and purity. Like lilies, white carnations represent purity, innocence and good luck, meaning they are often present at sympathy arrangements, including funerals. 'When dating apps werent around in the Victorian era, lovers had to send sneaky messages to one another with flowers, using different species and colours to represent different feelings,' Sandra said. 'One coded message would be to send a yellow carnation as rejection to their love, so this might be one to avoid when trying out the dating scene.' Daisies Though they're small, daisies can make the perfect addition to larger bouquets, or can be the main event themselves. They're often seen growing naturally in spring and summer, meaning they're commonly associated with new beginnings. Meanwhile old Celtic legends state that when an infant died, daisies were gods' gift to bring comfort - hence their appearance scattered over fields. In Norse mythology, the daisy was the sacred flower of Freya, goddess of love and fertility - and even today are still used for welcoming a new baby. Event and tablescaping expert Lavinia Stewart-Brown said: 'Daisies, often associated with spring, represent innocence and new beginnings, making them a popular choice for baby showers.' Meanwhile Jo Hayes added: 'This flower represents innocence, purity, loyal love, new beginnings, and "Ill never tell". 'Perhaps, in generations past, the daisy was sent from lover to lover, engaged in a secret romance? 'Perfect for a romantic expression, or simply, embracing the innocence meaning, gifting to a friend.' Sunflowers First originating around 1000 BC in the Americas, sunflowers were used as a food source, with their seeds crushed to make flour to make bread. Today, they're still a practical source of seeds and oil - but their looks alone can make them a useful resource. Their symbolic meaning comes from the Greek myth of Clytie and Apollo, the god of sun. Apollo turned Clytie into a sunflower as punishment when their love went sour - but her feelings for him were so strong that she would turn to follow him wherever she went. As such, bright and bold sunflowers commonly have associations with adoration and loyalty - meaning it's hard to go wrong if you're sending them as a gift. Lavinia says that the blooms are 'universally linked to positivity' - and make for a sunny addition as either a statement flower or as their own event. Sandra added: 'Vivid yellow sunflowers and orchids are two blooms that are associated with optimism, pride, achievement and strength, perfect for those graduating, passing their GCSE or A Level exams or starting a new career.' Crown Prince Christian of Denmark looked smart in military uniform as he attended a press day at the barracks in Slagelse on Thursday. His training day comes after the heir, 19, attended a music festival on Wednesday, where he appeared to share a passionate kiss with a mystery 'girlfriend'. Despite the speculation, he today appeared in good spirits as he participated in the Danish Armed Forces Lieutenant training at the Antvorskov Guard Hussar Barracks. The eldest child of Queen Mary and King Frederik was seen concentrating as he carried out a shooting exercise alongside his peers. Slagelse is located 50 miles away from his former residence Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen but his parents did not make an appearance at press day. Christian is currently continuing his military training after it was revealed that he was accepted into the Lieutenant's Training Course earlier this year in May. Today's event marks a contrast from Christian's downtime on Wednesday when he attended Smukfest. He was seen kissing his 'girlfriend' at the Danish music festival - but far from a scandalous royal smooch, the couple appear to have been together for 'at least a year' and have even reportedly enjoyed a getaway to Ibiza with one another. Crown Prince Christian of Denmark today put on a smart display in military uniform during a training day in Slagelse, Denmark Denmark's future king looked to be partying up a storm as he joined 18-year-old sister Isabella - as well as his new rumoured romance - at Smukfest in Skanderborg on Wednesday. And as well as the teen Princess shocking fans by sporting an X-rated T-shirt emblazoned with the translated words 'f***ed him yesterday' with a suggestive arrow pointing off to the side, many have likely also been wowed to see the heir to the throne seemingly locking lips in the bustling crowd. Danish media reports that the elusive lady is one Emma Nygaard Fritzen, 21 - who is understood to have graduated from Ordrup Gymnasium, which the royal also attended. As per Billed Bladet, the pair are so serious that Emma was among those in attendance at Isabella's 18th birthday party this spring. Elsewhere according to Hola! the couple were also spotted together with friends during a recent trip to Ibiza, although nothing has been confirmed and the Royal House has not made a statement on the matter. The outlet also says Emma comes from 'Denmark's upper elite' and graduated from the University of Sydney - located in his mother Queen Mary's native Australia - and 'loves spending extended periods in Africa', where the Prince has also spent some time travelling and working in. Her father is said to be consulting firm McKinsey partner Sren Fritzen, who on LinkedIn shared that he 'served as a captain in the Danish Army, and participated in an international UN mission in former Yugoslavia'. He added: 'I have a M.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Danish Technical University and an Economics degree from Copenhagen Business School.' The 19-year-old heir to the Danish throne took to the Antvorskov Guard Hussar Barracks for a press day Christian's appearance today comes after he enjoyed a music festival on Wednesday with his mystery 'girlfriend' Denmark's future appeared to share a passionate kiss with a mystery 'girlfriend' (pictured) at a music festival - but far from a scandalous royal smooch, the couple appear to have been together for 'at least a year' While Emma's social media profiles seem to be private, the photo of her and Christian kissing - which has now made its way through a myriad of royal fan accounts and blogs - appears to have initially been posted on her Instagram, and later deleted as wellwishers have shared other snaps of what is understood to be photos from the young socialite. The Daily Mail has reached out to the Kongehuset for comment. It is not the first time the Crown Prince has found himself embroiled in romantic speculation, as two years ago he was rumoured to be dating Princess Maria Chiara of Bourbon-Two Sicilies - even reportedly introducing her to his grandmother, Queen Margrethe. The Italian heiress is the youngest daughter to Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, and Princess Camilla, Duchess of Castro. Her parents are family friends Queen Mary and King Frederik. Speculation was sparked after Christian was snapped enjoying a day out with friends at the Monaco Grand Prix in May of that year, and was seen standing close together with Roman-born Chiara in a group photo taken at the event. He was also reported to have spent time with the princess and her family this summer, after her mother shared an Instagram story of the family posing with Christian, captioning it 'family and friends'. The pair were also seen enjoying ice cream together in St Tropez, where Chiara is thought to have spent around two weeks, posting holiday snaps from the resort town. However, nothing was confirmed. Pictured: Crown Prince Christian of Denmark participating in the Danish Armed Forces Lieutenant Training Christian is currently continuing his military training after it was revealed that he was accepted into the Lieutenant's Training Course Elsewhere at Wednesday's festival, controversy erupted when the second eldest child of the reigning royal couple was pictured at the festival in an innuendo-fuelled top. The princess' t-shirt was a merchandise top for Danish hip hop group Suspekt, who were performing at Smukfest. The music trio are renowned for their explicit and sexually charged lyrics. But pictures from the event also show that Isabella certainly wasn't alone in wearing the suggestive top, with other concert-goers wearing similar Suspekt band t-shirts. Danish political commentator Jarl Cordua was among the critics of the royal's choice of attire. He explained that while he understood the need for 'royals letting loose a little', he also believed there were 'limits' - and that the distasteful shirt crossed the line. The new pictures reveal that Isabella completed her casual festival look by wearing an orange bucket hat emblazoned with the festival nickname 'Smuk'. Despite the furore her attire would later attract, Isabella appeared very much at ease among the festival crowd. The following day, on August 7, Isabella was once again pictured at the festival - although it appears she wisely decided to leave her Suspekt band t-shirt at home. Pictured: Prince Christian of Denmark participating in the Danish Armed Forces Lieutenant Training Instead, Isabella re-wore her orange bucket hat along with a white t-shirt, navy shorts and gumboots as she headed off to enjoy another day of live music. The royal was pictured walking through the busy festival with a group of her pals. Later in the day, the princess had ditched her bucket hat and was seen standing amongst the packed crowd to watch rapper Tessa's set. Princess Isabella appeared to be immersed in the performance as she was pictured smiling, dancing, closing her eyes and even singing along passionately. Fellow attendees were reportedly stunned to spot the king's daughter casually dressed and partying alongside them at the event. But eagle-eyed royal pundits spotted a small nod to Isabella's formal duties. She was still wearing the same jewellery that she'd been pictured in just a few days earlier during a royal photo call at Grasten with her parents King Frederik and Queen Mary and younger brother Prince Vincent. On both occasions, Isabella wore a heart-shaped pendant from Danish brand Akua Objects alongside her trusty 'P' necklace worn many times before. Isabella wasn't the only royal partying it up at the Danish music festival. According to local Danish publication B.T., although Isabella and Christian attended the festival in a private capacity, they were both happily taking selfies with fans and even politely stopped to answer a few brief questions from the media. An opinion piece published by B.T.'s royal commentator Fie West Madsen noted that this was 'mature and wise behaviour'. '[It] shows that even though the royal and now adult children are letting loose, drinking a pint of beer and maybe wearing a bold t-shirt, they are still aware of their role as royals,' he said. 'Because let's be honest - the balance between being royal on the one hand and enjoying a normal teenage life every now and then is definitely not easy. 'Everything the Crown Prince and Princess Isabella do is noticed, and they know it very well. But this summer they have shown that they can easily be young and royal at the same time.' The Danish royal family is not new to Smukfest, with King Frederik in particular a renowned past regular attendee. Over the years, Frederik, 57, was regularly seen enjoying the festival with a beer in hand and taking selfies with other festival-goers. Some years saw him accompanied by his wife Queen Mary, 53, and more recently he was joined by Christian and Isabella. Interestingly, Frederik has also previously enjoyed watching Suspekt at the same festival. It would seem the King has passed this appreciation for their music onto his daughter, judging by her unexpected choice to wear one of the band's shirts. King Frederik has not attended the concert since he became regent last year. Nevertheless, it would certainly seem that Frederik has instilled his love of Smukfest in his children. Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more Britain has been hotter than Ibiza this week, which means weve all been facing the same sartorial challenge: how to look chic when its sweltering. Whether youre heading off on holiday or enjoying the heatwave at home, you should take your style cue from stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Emily Ratajkowski. While their red-carpet couture gowns are a far cry from an everyday wardrobe, when it comes to their holiday attire its much easier to copy their style. Weve found the High Street alternatives to their high-end outfits, so you can have your very own A-list warm-weather wardrobe... Naomi Campbell If youre heading to the beach or lounging by a pool, youll need a kaftan to throw over your swimwear. Naomi Campbell opted for a maxi, white cut-out style for a recent yacht trip in Italy. If theres a time to wear white, its summer the light- reflecting shade is great at keeping you cool on sunny days. Naomis floaty kaftan worked perfectly in the breeze while she posed on a boat. If youre in the city and want something a little more practical, Mint Velvets crochet beach dress (now 79) will give a similar effect. Emily Ratajkowski Emily Ratajkowski made a winning case for tonal dressing while filming for Gucci in Cannes. Her head-to-toe chocolate ensemble proved that dark brown continues to be an ultra-flattering shade; its softer than black and pairs perfectly with gold accessories. Mix and match your shades of brown a la Emily for a cool, modern look. Trendy bandanas are all the rage this summer you can pick up this vintage-looking style at Urban Outfitters (14), which will also help protect your scalp on sunny days. Gwyneth Paltrow When she arrived in Capri, Italy, Gwyneth Paltrow proved that practical doesnt have to mean boring. Opting for fail-safe white linen trousers, a black vest and sensible sandals, she channelled preppy chic with a striped jumper around her shoulders. White linen trousers are a holiday essential and can double up as a cover up for the beach over your swimsuit. This wide-leg pair from Marks & Spencer will do the trick (45). Love them or hate them, fisherman sandals are all the rage and are perfect for sightseeing. This leather pair from Hush are on sale for 60 so be quick! And when it comes to ensuring your belongings are safe, an open-top basket bag isnt always ideal. Instead, opt for a trusty cross-body design like this tan version from Next (28). Martha Stewart At 84, Martha Stewart is an icon of ageless style. She recently set sail with a crew of fellow celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Kendall Jenner and Orlando Bloom, for an exclusive trip around the Mediterranean. And her outfits included this supremely elegant butter yellow kaftan by Dianna Singh. You can pick up a similar version from Leem for 195. And when it comes to summer jewellery, gold is always a winner. The warm hue complements sun-kissed, glowing skin and you can accessorise like Martha with these oversized earrings from Laurence Coste and platform sandals from River Island (38). Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Theres nothing mumsy about Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. While holidaying with her family in Turkey, she delivered effortless glamour by teaming a basic, white ribbed vest with a pair of silky, pink cargo trousers by Phoebe Philo. Weve found this pair that come with a handy drawstring waist from French Connection (now 29). Her leather flip-flops are far trendier than a flimsy rubber pair. Get the look with FitFlops Gracie style (now 56), that combine function with fashion thanks to their comfy cushioning. If youre holidaying with children, then an oversized bag, like this straw design from H&M (32.99) is a must for carrying essentials while still looking stylish. A new photograph of The Princess Royal has been released by Buckingham Palace to mark her 75th birthday today. Princess Anne looked elegant as ever in a blue and white dress with a high collar while leaning gently on a window frame. The regal image was taken last month at Gatcombe Park, Anne's private residence, by John Swannell. The celebrated royal photographer also took the official portraits of Anne for her 60th and 70th birthday, as well as many other shots of the royals including Diana, Princess of Wales, and the late Queen's official Diamond Jubilee portrait in 2012. Notoriously private, Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence are said to be sailing their 42ft yacht Ballochbuie (named after ancient woodland on the Balmoral estate) around the Western Isles of Scotland to celebrate the day. Indeed, Anne is said to hold a 'no-frills' approach to her birthdays which means she only celebrates major milestones. 'Anne's policy is: "I will do things for my birthdays that have a zero, but I won't do things for my birthdays that have a five,"' expert Roya Nikkhah revealed on the Royals with Roya and Kate podcast. She added Anne has reportedly cancelled meetings in the run to the big day to avoid discussions about how she might mark her 75th. The photograph released to mark the Princess Royal's 75th birthday - Princess Anne wears a blue and white dress while leaning by a windowsill at her private residence, Gatcombe Park She was born Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise at Clarence House on 15 August 1950 She has taken a 'no frills' approach to the day and will be celebrating privately by sailing around Scotland Despite her best efforts to squash any fuss about her big day, Anne hosted more than a hundred charities at Buckingham Palace last month to commemorate the milestone. It was said to be her only request for her big day, turning the royal residence into the 'charities forum'. 'This personifies what Her Royal Highness cares about,' a palace source said. 'She didn't want to do anything for her birthday but bring her charities together to hear more about their work and how she can help them.' The princess, wearing a sand coloured skirt suit, arrived at the event after Colonel John Boyd, her Private Secretary, welcomed guests to the Palace's ballroom, telling them: 'There has been a significant amount of interest in HRH's 75th birthday celebrations. 'As you are aware the princess has given decades of time and support to more than 400 charities and patronages. 'It probably won't come as a surprise, given HRH's commitment to you all, that the way the Princess wants to celebrate this milestone is to replicate what she's done on previous significant birthdays and hold this charities forum again to once again understand how she can help you, at a time when the third sector is facing unprecedented challenges and transformations.' In her own speech to more than 216 guests from 111 different organisations, Anne was typically self-effacing, telling them hilariously: 'I'm not here because this was my choice. 'You very kindly asked me to become patron of your organisations, so it's an honour for me to have all of you here.' Princess Anne invited more than 216 guests from 111 different organisations to the event on Thursday Princess Anne is known for being one of the hardest-working members of the royal family The Princess Royal beamed on Thursday as she chatted with members from the charities she supports With 400 patronages to her name, the royal residence was packed for the 'charities forum' A palace source said Princess Anne (pictured) 'didn't want to do anything for her birthday' except bring the charities she cares about together She also spoke about 'the pleasure I get from visiting and finding out a bit more about what you do.' Anne is regularly named the Royal Familys hardest-working royal, even in her 70s. Last year she conducted 474 public engagements. But, as the princess refuses to allow journalists to accompany her on official engagements unless she can be persuaded there is a good reason her work attracts little publicity. Shes never felt the need to court public opinion and has just got on with the job with the minimum of fuss, a source told Daily Mail's Rebecca English last week. But her 75th birthday celebrations were well attended, which heard from three charity leaders: Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King's Fund spoke about public trust in charities; David Holdsworth, CEO of the Charity Commission spoke about the financial challenges faced by charities; Zoe Amar, founder and director of Zoe Amar Digital spoke about the opportunities and challenges raised by technology. Their presentations were followed by a Q&A session led by Professor Lynne Berry, Chair, Human Tissue Authority, who addressed the Princess by saying: 'Your leadership... and encouragement to a group of charities that range in size, in location, in purpose, is quite extraordinary.' Among the charities invited were two of her most longstanding patronages, Save the Children, which she became patron of in 1970, and Riding for the Disabled, of which she became patron in 1971. Some of her newest charities were also represented, including Friends of the Elderly and Royal Star and Garter Homes - both formerly patronages of Queen Elizabeth II - and the Naval Children's Charity, formerly a patronage of the Duke of York. The princess is said to be sailing around Scotland with her husband Sir Tim Laurence for her birthday King Charles III and Princess Anne at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II Anne at the coronation of her brother in May 2023. Anne shows no sign of slowing down just yet and she holds the title of the hardest working royal, having taken on 474 engagements last year Anne with Queen Elizabeth II in June 2019. To mark her 70th birthday in 2020, Anne enjoyed a socially distanced lunch with her mother Anne and her father Prince Philip at the 2012 Olympics. Anne, like Philip, is reportedly planning to wind down her royal duties as she approaches her 80th and then 90th birthday Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne following the birth of Peter Phillips, who Anne decided would not be given a title The late Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip with their two children Prince Charles and Princess Anne (circa 1951) A portrait of Princess Anne as a toddler, who was the late queen's second child and only daughter In her address, the Princess also told guests: 'I would just like to make the point that we're very fortunate that His Majesty has allowed us to use Buckingham Palace for this event And I need to say that!' She concluded by saying: 'The responsibility and respect that you give to your own organisations, the people who work for you and your own beneficiaries, is perhaps the key to what makes you so important. Respect and responsibility. Thank you very much for doing what you do.' Anne cancelled her last major birthday celebration in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Five years ago, the Daily Mail reported Anne had been due to celebrate her 70th with a soiree hosted by her mother Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. The Princess Royal instead marked the occasion with a sailing trip around the west coast of Scotland with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. The late Queen also hosted a secret, socially distanced lunch with her daughter at Frogmore House, an empty private royal residence on her Berkshire estate, to mark the occasion. No other members of the Royal Family were present, and only minimal staff - who were part of the Queen's castle 'bubble' at the time - attended. Anne's next milestone birthday will be her 80th in 2030 and, according to Roya, Anne plans to start 'winding down' her royal duties after that. The royal insider said: 'I was told that she's told her team: "I'm going to start winding down a little bit at 80, in five years' time, and then I want to step back completely at 90."' It was the dead of night when I made the devastating discovery. Combing frantically through the flurry of emails Id received from a financial services company and trying to work out how I had got into such a mess, I suddenly realised the address was slightly different to the one on the website. An email to the legitimate firm that morning confirmed my worst fears; I had lost 97,000 to a gang masquerading as investment brokers. For the following 12 hours I could barely speak. All I could do was lie in bed sobbing while my husband held me as I attempted to explain that I had lost all my money and more. My head was drowning in a tsunami of emotions: shame that I could have been so stupid, guilt at the money I had lost and embarrassment that it could have happened to me. After all, Im no vulnerable elderly person, but a capable 59-year-old mother of two, a former ward sister in an Accident and Emergency department who now has a successful career as a therapist. Yet as I lay there, wishing it was all just a bad dream, I realised this wasnt the first time Id experienced these emotions. I was transported back to how I had felt when my stepfather had sexually abused me as a child. The modus operandi was the same. In both cases the perpetrators had groomed me. They had expertly coerced me, won my trust, persuaded me to keep secrets and made me utterly compliant in carrying out all their demands. While the fraudsters didnt know it, my background had made me the perfect victim for a financial scam and it was sickening to realise Id been manipulated so callously once again. I was transported back to how I had felt when my stepfather had sexually abused me as a child Afterwards, both my husband and my accountant asked almost exactly the same thing: why didnt you come to me for advice? But like many sex abuse survivors, I am hyper independent; I have survived by looking after myself, so it just didnt occur to me. My husband its a midlife marriage for both of us and I have always kept our finances separate. It used to give me a sense of security, but now I realise it made me easier prey, especially as the scammers insisted I wasnt to tell anyone about my investments as they were confidential. The first time someone insisted I keep a secret was my stepfather, who began grooming me when I was just four. To the outside world we were a respectable middle-class family both my mum and stepfather were teachers yet at home in Cumbria it was another story. My stepfather would terrorise my younger brothers and I, setting us impossible tasks such as getting rid of every crumb on the living room floor without the vacuum cleaner. If they werent completed to his satisfaction hed smack us hard on the bottom, making the others watch. When my mum put me to bed with a story, my stepfather would insist on coming in afterwards for his turn, too. I missed my dad so I soaked up the attention. In these moments I felt special and loved. But a cuddle turned into a kiss, which became a stroke, and what I now realise were him performing sex acts on me. I dont remember exactly when he progressed to having intercourse with me, but I was not yet ten. He told me it was my fault for making him do it, because I was pretty and he loved me. Of course, I didnt understand what was happening. I was terrified of him, especially after he warned me that if I told anyone about our special love then Id be sent away to boarding school and hed be punished. It wasnt until I was 13, sat in a biology lesson, that I realised with horror the full implications of what he was doing. I wanted to disappear. But I didnt feel I had anywhere to turn; I didnt think anyone would believe me, especially not Mum. If anything shed be jealous because of the way my stepfather favoured me. Finally, aged 17, the dynamic changed. With the encouragement of a boyfriends mother to this day I dont know how she realised what was happening I got the strength to leave, warning my stepfather never to lay a finger on me again. At 18, I responded to an advert for an au pair in Switzerland, where I worked for three months before returning to the UK and training as a nurse. I did get justice, of a sort. When I was 24, Mum found sexually explicit letters from one of my stepfathers pupils and we began to talk about what he had done to me. I had never told her, but clearly she had always known. On my advice she left him and reported him to the police. Eventually, he was sentenced to 18 months and served half. I have not seen or heard from him in more than 30 years. However, shockingly, Mum wanted to believe he had changed and visited him after his release. I was pregnant with my second child and threatened to cut off all contact with her. But fortunately, within a couple of visits, she realised she had made a huge mistake. To the outside world we were a respectable middle-class family, yet at home it was another story The first time someone insisted I keep a secret was my stepfather, who began grooming me when I was just four I forgave her, but even by the time of her death in 2017, she couldnt forgive herself for sacrificing me for her own happiness. Its only in the aftermath of the financial scam that Ive realised just how deep rooted the damage done to me as a child was. The coping mechanisms I used to survive had stayed with me and, as a result, I was a pathological people-pleaser. Still, in so many ways, I made my life a success. I had two beautiful children and, while my first marriage didnt work, 11 years ago I met my current husband. At 39, I left nursing and retrained as a therapist. Last spring, aged 58, I started to look at ways to invest some of the lump sum I would shortly receive from my nursing pension. I wanted to help my daughter, by now 31, and son, 29, to get on the housing ladder. I had heard several success stories from those who had invested in cryptocurrency, though I still dont really understand what it is. Adverts began appearing on my social media for a company that had apparently helped people make a decent profit. It stuck out because it carried a testimonial from Richard Branson, though I later discovered this had been cloned from a legitimate company a common strategy used by scammers. When I made contact, the first person I spoke to was keen to reassure me about their probity, supplying links to their website and Trust Pilot reviews. They certainly had an excellent reputation (though, in reality, this had also been cloned). He then scheduled an evening WhatsApp call with a broker called James. During this initial call James was very friendly and professional, and his prime concern seemed to be ensuring my safety. He even gave me his broker number, so I could check his credentials. Everything aligned except it wasnt really him. I later discovered hed stolen someone elses identity. That first call lasted more than two and a half hours as we chatted late into the night about my hopes and dreams. At the time I just thought we had really connected, but I realise now that he was gathering information about my motives for investing. By 10pm I was also exhausted, surely all part of the ploy. While I had intended to invest 250 to get started, James said this wouldnt yield much profit, so would I be willing to increase it to 2,000? Given all his assurances, there didnt seem much jeopardy in this, so I agreed and transferred the money there and then. James called again ten days later and said he needed to set up a trading account. He said that process required 5,000, but added that the money would be returned to me once it was set up. I didnt question why so automatically inclined was I to people-please, as I had been since the abuse. Needless to say, I never did get that money back. I then told James I wouldnt be available for two weeks because I was going to Italy with my daughter to celebrate my birthday. But while I was away he got in contact about an investment opportunity he didnt want me to miss. He said he had been working on the investment one in the renewable energy sector for five years, and it had finally been approved. He would need just five minutes to explain. Looking back the manipulation is so blatant, but I felt safe with him. I believed he was acting in my best interests and genuinely cared about me. He told me I would receive an estimated 12,362 monthly income if I purchased a 20,000 package, getting the first monthly payout just four weeks later. Still, I did what I thought was due diligence and asked to see more details, which he emailed over. It seemed legitimate, with respected companies mentioned on the document. James insisted I needed to move quickly to secure the opportunity. So, on my 59th birthday, the day I received my 20,000 nursing pension lump sum, I transferred it all to him. I also signed a document for insurance cover he recommended I take to protect my investment. I returned home to a bouquet, birthday card, champagne and chocolates all from thoughtful James. That was the last positive interaction I had with him. A week later, James called and told me my investment of 45,000 was almost ready to start receiving returns 45,000? I had only agreed to 20,000! James said he had upped it because this way I was guaranteed to get the best return, adding that his company had lent it to me, with him as the guarantor. By this point I was starting to get suspicious and scared. I had no more funds, but James told me that if I didnt find the outstanding amount I would be liable for prosecution. He told me I had to find it within one week otherwise we were both in serious trouble. If I didnt pay, I would not receive any monthly earnings. I was horrified. But still James manipulated me, telling me that this was in my best interests. He made me feel ungrateful for questioning him, asking me whether I trusted him as much as he trusted me. After all, he had put his neck on the line by vouching for me and by obtaining the bridging loan from his company. I was brought up not to question people in authority. I felt intimidated by him, by his superior financial knowledge. He played on my emotions, telling me he had put his trust in me and I was letting him down. I was powerless again and I did as I was told. He said, however, that he would help me search for bank loans. In the end I applied for two loans of 10,000 each. The money came through within 48 hours, which I immediately transferred to him. By emptying my savings and current accounts I raised the final 5,000. But that wasnt the end of it. Next, James advised I open a crypto wallet so that I could receive the return on the initial crypto investment. This didnt require any more money, so I agreed. But the following day I received an email purporting to be from the company behind my wallet saying they had received a money laundering warning against me. In order to do a Cashflow Registration I had to immediately send them, via my broker, the equivalent of 20,000. If not, my funds would be frozen. I immediately contacted James, confused and distressed. He told me that if I didnt get the money to him before 10pm that day I would lose everything I had invested so far and I still owe his company. I contacted a family member and fudged the issue of an urgent tax bill of 20,000 so theyd loan me the money, which I duly paid over to James. Yet the next morning I awoke to another email allegedly from the virtual wallet company. This claimed the matter had now been escalated to the Crypto Regulatory Authority for further investigation. The only way to resolve the issue was to repeat the payment plus interest, totalling 25,000. It was all rubbish, I realise now, but I was so caught up in the mess I couldnt think clearly. This time I managed to borrow the money from a close friend, explaining that it was for a crypto investment. But still, it didnt stop. The following day I received yet another email saying I had not completed the transfer in time and that I needed to repeat the payment. Within three days I had already paid out 85,000 which, in addition to the 5,000 holding deposit and the original 2,000, meant I had given James almost 100,000. I was terrified about confessing to the friends and family who had lent me money, fearing they would never speak to me again. Instead, I was overwhelmed by how understanding they were. No wonder I couldnt sleep. When I realised the email address was not from a legitimate crypto wallet company I fell to pieces. Having kept everything from him, I finally confessed all to my husband who, astonishingly, was incredibly sympathetic. He said he blamed himself for not speaking up before, having wondered why I was being so secretive. He was just so used to me being in control of things that he didnt suspect it could be anything serious. All the while James kept calling and messaging, begging me to pay the final 25,000. The last message I received read: Why have you abandoned me? This time, I didnt take the bait. When I finally regained some control over my emotions I called Action Fraud and spent four hours on the phone with them. They were so kind to me, and it was clear theyd heard it all before. Later, when I shared my plight, colleagues referred me to a no win, no fee solicitor who has taken my case to the Financial Ombudsman. Apparently there is a case to be made with my bank because I didnt receive any fraud alerts and there were no flags about such vast amounts of money leaving it in such a short period of time. I was terrified about confessing to the friends and family who had lent me money, fearing they would never speak to me again. Instead, I was overwhelmed by how understanding they were. And I have promised I will find a way to pay them back. As with the abuse, the shame and humiliation were the worst things for me. But I finally realised that I was no longer a terrified child. This time, I asked for help. I underwent EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing) therapy, which involves using specific side-to-side eye movements combined with talking therapy, to help resolve the feelings of self-loathing that had stayed with me all those decades. This helped me deal with the trauma of my childhood abuse once and for all. Meanwhile, the legal case is ongoing and I have no idea whether Ill get any money back. I have been told there is little hope the scammers will ever be brought to justice. The result is I will have to keep working for a lot longer than Id hoped to pay back the money I owe, and I wont be able to help my children financially. I thought I was alone in being scammed like this, but since Ive shared my experience online, countless people have messaged to say they also fell victim. Even so, it has taken a while for the feeling I am responsible for this to go away. Today I am emotionally so much freer than before though losing 97,000 was a cripplingly high price to pay. Sarah Graces Substack is at Brave not Broken. As told to Samantha Brick. A customer is speaking out after designer sweater brand Lingua Franca denied her request to make a custom sweater that read, 'Proud Zionist.' The brand, which sells cashmere sweaters with various slogans embroidered on them, is a fan-favorite loved by celebs like Jennifer Lopez, Martha Stewart, Reese Witherspoon and even Oprah Winfrey. Some of their slogans are quite cheeky, reading, 'Immediately no,' or 'Professional bookworm.' Others, however, have deeper meanings to them, such as 'I didn't vote for him,' in reference to President Trump, and 'Exhausted American.' Before the 2024 election, Katie Holmes even wore a sweater by the brand that endorsed Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz. Of course, one of the main appeals of the brand is their customization services. On the website, you can order custom pieces with your own slogan sewn on in whichever color you like. But in a new interview with The Free Press, Alison Himel, 60, from Toronto, revealed that her custom request had been denied and canceled by the brand. A few months ago, her order for a sweater that read, 'Proud Zionist' was never delivered. Before the 2024 election , Katie Holmes even wore a sweater by the brand that endorsed Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz The brand, which sells cashmere sweaters with various slogans embroidered on them, is a fan-favorite loved by celebs like Jennifer Lopez , Martha Stewart , Reese Witherspoon and even Oprah Winfrey And, according to Himel, after receiving the promotional email, she then received another email from customer service According to the outlet, when she inquired with the company about the order, she was met with a myriad of excuses, including that the color she had ordered was out of stock. She didn't think much of it, until she received a promotional email from the brand on July 4, written by Lingua Franca CEO Rachelle Hruska MacPherson. The email encouraged customers to shop from the 'resistance' curation on the site, and read, in part: 'Today, my family and I are in Spain, watching from afar as the people currently in power at home lie, cheat, and strip away the very rights that make us proud to be American.' And, according to Himel, after receiving the promotional email, she then received another email from customer service. 'After careful internal discussions, and given the current political climate in the Middle East, weve made the difficult decision not to produce sweaters that directly reference this ongoing conflict,' the email from customer service said. 'We aim to remain a neutral, inclusive space for all customers, and we sincerely apologize for any disappointment this may cause.' Himel began to go back-and-forth with the company, as seen by screenshots in The Free Press, and expressed her 'hurt and disappointment.' She didn't think much of it, until she received a promotional email from the brand on July 4, written by Lingua Franca CEO Rachelle Hruska MacPherson However, in the end, Lingua Franca didn't budge, and stuck firm to the fact that they would be staying 'neutral' 'Your "neutrality" regarding this is far from neutral - youve chosen a point of view - which is to say that its not okay to love Israel,' Himel wrote in one email. In more messages, Himel also pointed out how some of their other slogans on sweaters seemed to be taking a stand, like one that reads, 'We stand with Ukraine.' However, in the end, Lingua Franca didn't budge, and stuck firm to the fact that they would be staying 'neutral.' The company's president, Kate Hudson, wrote Himel to explain that they faced threats after they produced a sweater after the Oct. 7 attacks that had the word 'peace' on it written in Hebrew, English and Arabic. Lingua Franca shared with Daily Mail the information they provided to the Free Press in a message from founder Rachelle Hruska MacPherson. Lingua Franca distinguished the situation from the past, when they have 'weighed in' on countless decisive issues and received 'negative blowback,' including an 'abundance of hate mail.' 'Immediately following the October 7 Hamas attacks, LF began receiving custom orders from people on all sides of the conflict,' the message read. 'Though LF expected to receive pushback for some of the orders we fulfilled, we were shaken by threats of violence against both LF and me and my family personally,' Hudson continued. 'So, with a heavy heart, I made the unilateral decision for LF to temporarily refrain from authoring sweaters or fulfilling custom orders connected to the region. This was not a decision I made lightly, but one I felt compelled to make in the interest of safety for the LF team and my family.' But even after that, Himel still seemed unsure. 'I dont think our correspondence made them question anything. And from the responses, I dont think they asked themselves whether or not I had a point,' Himel explained to The Free Press. 'There was nothing in the conversation that made me feel that they were going to internalize it beyond "We have a policy. Were not touching the Middle East."' After the outlet spoke to Himel, they tried to place orders for their own custom sweaters - ones that read 'Anti-Zionist' and 'Free Palestine.' They were both denied. Fashion influencer Bridget Bahl has shared a new update on her ongoing battle with breast cancer. The social media star, 41, was diagnosed with the disease not long after marrying Texas-based plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Chiodo in a lavish New York City wedding. This week, she went into hospital for a lumpectomy, which she plans to follow up with radiation, immunotherapy and 'potentially more chemo'. Her husband Michael shared an update on Bridget's health shortly after the surgery. 'Surgery went well, it was smooth and routine,' he wrote on her Instagram page. 'Bridget has no pain in her breast whatsoever. They did remove 4 lymph nodes and that is a sensitive area so its perfectly normal to feel pain in that area. Its exactly what our surgeon told us to anticipate,' he continued. Bridget then followed up with a post of her own where she thanked both Michael and God for helping her on her cancer journey. 'I love you so much. And youre getting pretty good at doing my makeup. I am so beyond blessed to have our wonderful husband and a wonderful community,' she wrote. Fashion influencer Bridget Bahl has shared a new update on her ongoing battle with breast cancer after getting a lumpectomy She plans to follow up the surgery with radiation, immunotherapy and 'potentially more chemo' 'I feel so overwhelmed thinking about how hard this would all be without him and without you. Prayers up for clean margins! I do need to declare that I believe I am healed in Jesus name!!! God is here with me. He will make beauty from ashes.' She also urged her million followers to do their breast exams so that they wouldn't end up in hospital like her. Bridget was in the midst of fertility treatment last year when she received the devastating news about her breast cancer. She said she was 'maybe one or two days' into fertility treatment, and had a routine sonogram and blood work with her doctor, when she told him she felt something in her breast. 'And he said, "We're stopping right now, you have to... go in for imaging,' she recounted through tears in a video shared last year. The doctor called back just one day later 'and unfortunately confirmed that I do have breast cancer and that it has spread to a lymph node.' Bridget went on to have chemotherapy, surgery and radiation to treat the cancer. She explained that she decided to share the news of her diagnosis with her followers because it 'feels like way too huge of an opportunity to not share,' noting that Instagram comprises 90 percent women. The social media star, 41, was diagnosed with the disease not long after marrying Texas-based plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Chiodo in a lavish New York City wedding The social media star boasts over one million followers and runs the clothing brand The Bar 'I know that by sharing this I will help someone else catch it sooner, and that is reason enough for me,' Bahl added in the caption to her video. The average risk of a woman in the US developing breast cancer is about 13 percent, meaning that one in every eight women will develop breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. But in recent years, incidence rates have increased by 0.6 percent - though the rise in incidence rates in women under the age of 50 is steeper at 1 percent. Breast cancer is now the second leading cause of cancer death in women, only surpassed by lung cancer. The chances that any woman will die from breast cancer is currently about 1 in 40. Fashion influencer Bridget boasts over a million followers on social media. She is known for her popular clothing brand The Bar and is also big on affiliate shopping sites like LTK. Sami Mahoney seemed to have the world at her feet. But the super-fit and healthy mum-of-two was given the worst news imaginable, turning her seemingly normal life upside down. The 36-year-old fitness trainer from Byron Bay was diagnosed with stage four cancer earlier this month after it had unexpectedly spread to her liver - leaving her family, friends, and colleagues devastated. 'If you know Sami, you know she's pure fire - strong, vibrant, magnetic and full of purpose. She lights up every room, lifts others and moves through life with heart, power and unwavering spirit,' her sister Elle said in her GoFundMe page. 'Last week, Sami was hit with news no one ever expects. Her diagnosis of stage four cancer has travelled to her liver. It's aggressive. It's big and needs to be fast-tracked considering the stage and location. 'This is not just a fight for her life. This is a journey back to full health, back to the vibrant, powerful woman we all know and love. And she's not doing it alone.' The fundraising page was only set up five days ago - but generous loved ones and strangers have rallied behind Sami, raising more than $190,000 to help cover the cost of her medical bills, urgent treatments, and cancer therapies. Sami - who runs two fitness studios alongside her sister Elle - was over the moon with the overwhelming support, sharing an update on her journey after undergoing her first round of chemotherapy. Sami Mahoney's life was turned upside down after she was diagnosed with stage four cancer 'I'm leaning on medical world right now as I have no time to waste considering the size and location but will throw everything at all healing modalities,' Sami said on August 11. 'Coming from a place of creating nothing but a magnitude of miracles! I honour where I am, beyond the shock it's now all healing and repair. 'I have too much to live for and too much to still do. If I defied all odds to even be in this position, then I'm going to defy all other odds to defeat this.' Sami, a doting mum to a young son and daughter, thanked everyone for their unwavering love, kind messages and generosity. 'Everyone's support has already been so powerfully felt. THANK YOU beyond words and with my whole heart, thank you,' Sami said. 'All I ask is we keep talking to the moon and visualise eradicating and shrinking what no longer serves me. 'I'll take you on the journey best I can towards "Sami's comeback tour 2.0" to help others defeat, deal and heal from cancer. 'It's only the beginning - but I'm ready.' The 36-year-old underwent her first round of chemotherapy on August 11 after she was given a devastating stage four cancer diagnosis Her sister Elle (right) has set up a GoFundMe page to help Sami raise funds for medical costs Sami, a doting mum to a young son and daughter, thanked everyone for their unwavering love, kind messages and generosity after more than $190,000 was raised for her medical bills Her sister Elle has been openly advocating on Sami's behalf to help raise the funds she needs to get through the biggest challenge of her life. The two sisters are the co-owners of two thriving fitness businesses in Byron Bay - the personal training studio Peachy Fit and the Pilates/gym centre STRONG. 'Sami has given her life to helping others feel strong, fit and confident through her work as founder of Peachy Fit and STRONG Pilates,' Elle said. 'Now it's our turn to rally around her. To fuel her with the love, support and resources she needs to access the best healing - both medical and holistic - from around the world. 'We're raising funds to help cover urgent integrative treatments, cancer therapies, living and recovery costs, time away from work to rest and heal. 'Sami is ready to fight with everything she's got - and she's doing it with grace and grit. Every dollar, every positive affirmation, every share counts.' Elle added: 'Let's back her like she's backed all of us. Let's rise with Sami and her incredible little family. Let's believe in the impossible - because that's who she is.' A tenant has revealed the outrageous excuse his landlord gave for trying to evict him with just two weeks' notice. Renter Jason shared the wild email exchange he had with his landlord Adnan, and the shock reason the property owner prematurely terminated his lease. The email exchange was sent to British property strategist Jack Rooke, who read out the tense conversation between the tenant and landlord as part of his 'Most Toxic Tenancies' series on his social media. The subject line of the email chain was titled: 'You Need to Leave'. The exchange saw property owner Adnan bluntly inform his tenant Jason that he needs to be 'out of the flat by next week'. The explanation for the sudden eviction? 'My mum will be moving in,' Adnan wrote. 'Sorry for the inconvenience.' Despite the invalid reason for the eviction, the renter responded with a polite but firm reply and advocated strongly for his rights. Renter Jason shared an email exchange detailing how he was evicted with two weeks' notice so that the landlord's mum could move in First, Jason sought assurance that he would be 'getting the deposit back' because 'the flat's in perfect condition' He next pointed out that the two weeks eviction notice was in complete contravention of their rental agreement. 'I checked the contract,' Jason wrote. 'It clearly says you have to give me two months' notice, not two weeks. But I'll take this as my official notice and start planning to move.' At this point, property strategist Jack - who has been reading the exchange aloud in his video - interjected to say Jason seemed surprisingly obliging given the circumstances and had 'taken this really, really well'. But the same could not be said for the landlord, who fired back a curt email. 'I don't care what the contract says. You're being unreasonable,' Adnan wrote. 'My mum is moving in in two weeks. If you're not out, I'll change the locks and keep your deposit. Goodbye.' At this point the property expert chimed in to say that 'Adnan is just being an absolute fool, putting all this in writing.' The landlord grew increasingly agitated in his email replies when his tenant attempted to advocate for his rights 'Jason's got everything he needs now to absolutely nail this boy to the wall,' he added. Sure enough, the next email from Jason shows him informing his landlord that he has 'forwarded this entire thread to the police and the property ombudsman'. The renter also stood by his previously stated intention of moving out on the date he specified at the end of June. When the threat of legal action and intervention by the property ombudsman loomed, the landlord's tone shifted noticeably. 'Listen to how he's changed his tune,' Jack pointed out. Adnan's grovelling and apologetic reply email confirms that Jason is indeed 'correct' about the contract. 'I'm sorry. I've looked at the contract and you are correct,' he writes. 'No need to involve the police or the ombudsman.' After Jason alerted 'the police and the property ombudsman' about his eviction, the landlord Adnan suddenly changed his tone 'I'll find my mother another flat in the building,' he added. 'Please, no worries and no need to move.' The interaction ends with Jason sarcastically responding: 'How convenient.' Nevertheless, the renter remains firm in his decision to 'still be moving out' on the date that he proposed. 'And I'll be expecting my full deposit,' he concluded. The viral video notched up over 2,000 likes along with loads of replies from stunned commenters. 'Landlords hate it when tenants know their rights, don't they?' read one response. 'Too many dodgy landlords about,' added another. In Australia, the legal rules surrounding rental and tenancy agreements fall under state government. According to the NSW Fair Trading government website, 'a landlord may also be able to end a fixed-term agreement early but only for limited reasons specified in residential tenancy laws'. Examples of these 'limited reasons' include experiencing undue hardship or a breach of the tenancy agreement by the tenant. When a landlord wants to end a tenancy agreement, the NSW Fair Trading site explains that they also must give the tenant a 'termination notice'. 'The notice period will depend on the type of tenancy agreement (fixed term or periodic), the length of the agreement and the ground for termination.' The King and Queen were moved to tears by the powerful first-hand testimony of VJ veterans as they spoke at a service of remembrance this afternoon marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War. Charles and Camilla were attending the Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire organised by the Royal British Legion in what made for a moving tribute to war heroes, where they were joined by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. It included two Fly Pasts, a two-minute silence, musical interludes and testimony from survivors of the so-called Forgotten War. The Prince and Princess of Wales also shared a powerful message on social media, but were not present at today's events - after the King addressed the nation to tell how the sacrifice of heroes would never be forgotten. Their Majesties led the nation's commemorations as they watched the moving memorial alongside veterans, members of VJ associations, military personnel and senior politicians at the event, which was held in 25C sunshine this afternoon. They listened to the The Last Post before the silence at 12pm, and the nation heard from 101-year-old former RAF Pilot Ron Gumbley, who read the poem 'For The Fallen' by Laurence Binyon. The ceremony resumed with readings from veterans, and music from military bands and choirs - as well as a tribute from actress Celia Imrie - which all appeared to spur an emotional response from their Majesties. But it was Captain Yavar Abbas who stole the show, after he went 'briefly off-script' to salute 'my brave King' for attending despite ongoing cancer treatment. The 104-year-old said that he himself had been 'rid of it for 25 years and counting', before reading an except from his war diary, which he wrote while serving in the 11th Sikh regiment of the British Indian Army. The King and Queen were moved to tears by the powerful first-hand testimony of VJ veterans as they spoke at a service of remembrance this afternoon marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War Charles and Camilla were attending the Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire organised by the Royal British Legion in what made for a moving tribute to war heroes, where they were joined by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer The King held back tears during the service The King and Queen appeared visibly emotional after a veteran went 'off-script' to salute the monarch during the VJ Day service today The King even appeared to wipe at his eye following John Harlow's testimony - who was himself moved to tears Captain Yavar Abbas (pictured) went 'briefly off-script' to salute 'my brave King' for attending despite ongoing cancer treatment 'Before I read the excerpt, I make an apology for briefly going off the script to salute my brave King,' he said, as the camera panned to show Charles and Camilla. Captain Abbas continued: 'Who is here with his beloved Queen, in spite of the fact he's under treatment for cancer, which I share with him, and if it provides comfort, of which I have been rid for the past 25 years and counting. 'And I salute him, for gracing this occasion because by his presence here, he has gone a long way to make sure that his grandad's 14th army is never given the sobriquet again of a Forgotten Army.' Following applause, and reading from a diary entry dated February 8, 1945, he said: 'Tomorrow, I hope I will live to do better things. 'I could have been dead twice before, but I'm still living. I would be surprised if I get a life for a third time. May god spare me.' His comments were met with applause from the guests, while Camilla's eyes were red from crying. As he returned to the Royal Box, Mr Abbas saluted the King once more, who stood to chat to the veteran, clasping his hands. They spoke for almost a minute before saluting each other and returning to their seats. When they were reunited at a reception for veterans later that afternoon, they greeted each other like old friends. Elsewhere today, Charles and Camilla joined the Prime Minister to lay wreaths and floral tributes at the Armed Forces Memorial, before leading a national two-minute silence and a flypast from the RAF Red Arrows. Veteran Owen Filer was tearful during a Service of Remembrance to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day at The National Memorial Arboretum The 104-year-old said that he himself had been 'rid of it for 25 years and counting', before reading an except from his war diary The King and Queen were emotional as they joined Sir Keir Starmer and veterans The Queen was seen bringing a tissue to her eye during the moving service Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (left), King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive for the national Service of Remembrance The Queen lay a posy, including jasmine, marigold, orchids, tropical orchid, yellow trumpet, hibiscus, vanda miss orchid, rhododendron and golden wattle. Towards the end of the memorial, there was also a flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight of historic aircraft including a Lancaster - after which the King and Queen were seen giving applause. Her Majesty was wearing a white pleated chiffon dress by Dior and a white Philip Treacy hat. She was also wearing The Rifles brooch, of which Her Majesty is Colonel-in-Chief, while the King wore The Stone Field Marshal Number 4 uniform. Shortly before noon, the arrival of a Guard of Honour marked the start of the ceremony, followed by a drum laying ceremony while The Bands of the Royal Marines Portsmouth played Elgar's Nimrod. The National Anthem signalled the arrival of the King, wearing the stone Field Marshall Number 4 uniform, and the Queen, who inspected the Guard of Honour before laying wreaths at the foot of the memorial steps.The Prime Minister, Admiral Sir Antony Radakin and Vice Admiral Paul Bennett also laid wreaths before making their way to their seats in the Royal Box to join the 33 VJ veterans and their families. Sheltered from the heat by a canopy, they had a direct view of the hour-long service, paying tribute to those who continued to fight for three long months after victory had been declared in Europe. For decades, veterans family members of those who died have been campaigning for the VJ heroes to be given the same recognition as those who fought the Nazis in Europe. The hour-long service then got underway, which saw the jets of the Red Arrows leave a trail of red, white and blue in the skies above and was hosted by actress Celia Imrie. The 1,500 guests stood to observe the national two-minute's silence, many removing their hats and bowing their heads as they reflected on those who fought and died during the War in the Far East and Pacific. The King and Queen have today joined Sir Keir Starmer and veterans at a service marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day The Queen lay a posy, including jasmine, marigold, orchids, tropical orchid, yellow trumpet, hibiscus, vanda miss orchid, rhododendron and golden wattle Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) lays a wreath during a national service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas The only sound that could be heard was that of pigeons ruffling in the trees above. Guests sat in the midday sun, many moving their seats back in search of shade and sheltering under white RBL umbrellas, as they listened to moving first-hand testimony from VJ veterans. This included the heartbreaking testimony of prisoners of war, who recalled the horrors they endured at the hands of the Japanese army. Mohammed Ghani concluded his testimony by saying: 'Never walk with anger, let calmness lead the way.' As John Harlow's testimony was read by actor Anton Lesser, the camera showed the veteran, sitting next to the Queen, holding back tears as he listened to his story. The King appeared to wipe away a tear. Towards the end of the service, celebrated violinist Jennifer Pike MBE performed The Lark Ascending at the top of the memorial, dancers performed at the bottom, waving white doves on long flag poles. The roar of the Spitfire, Hurricane and Dakota from The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight drew the service to a close. Charles then headed to view the memorials, including the Burma Star Memoirla and the Chanid Memoiral, before reuniting with his wife at a reception for VJ veterans and their families. They spent almost an hour moving from table to table separately and chatting with the veterans who served in the Pacific and Indian Ocean territories and their families. King Charles III arriving for the national Service of Remembrance, hosted by the Royal British Legion in partnership with the Government Britain's King Charles III (R) and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) The King and Queen and PM Keir Starmer sit with veterans at a Service of Remembrance The Prime Minister was also joined by his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer On the first table, the King cracked jokes and said he was concerned for those who had to sit in direct sunlight during the service. Speaking to the family of 100-year-old RAF veteran Trevor Taylor, the King asked: 'Have you had to come from a long way away? Bradford? I hope you're not driving as somebody cannot have a drink.' He then asked if they were ok after sitting in the midday sun, 'I was very worried about you all sitting out, it was incredibly hot in the sun. You couldn't put an umbrella up?' Mr Taylor then enquired after the Queen, but the King pointed her out at a nearby table and said: 'She's here, she's there. 'You'll have to send her my love,' he said, to which the King responded: 'I will.' Charles was handed a couple of tea when he arrived on the third table, where he asked if Royal Marine veteran John Eskdale, 100, had ever encountered his great-uncle, Lord Mountbatten. As Supreme Allied Commander in South East Asia, he oversaw the recapture of Burma from the Japanese. The King asked: 'And you didn't come across my Great uncle lord mountbatten? I've heard a lot of stories about him.' Meanwhile, the Queen was discussing the service with Edwin Habberley and said, 'I found it so incredibly moving.' The monarch was then reunited with Mr Abbas, who served as a combat camerman, and they stood clasping hands for 40 seconds before taking their seats. The King told him: 'I can just remember by grandfather, but only just. I was told all the stories about Burma by my great-uncle, Lord Mountbatten. I learned a great deal from him.' Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Queen Camilla during the national Service of Remembrance, hosted by the Royal British Legion in partnership with the Government Her Majesty was wearing a white pleated chiffon dress by Dior and a white Philip Treacy hat Speaking afterwards, Mr Abbas said: 'Today, I make no apology for going off the script. If it upset their schedule, no I don't think it affected their schedule, I think it improved their schedule.' Asked why it was important for him to say what he did, he said: 'I admire the man, I admire the King, he has similar views about things that I have, about the enviornment for example. He's human.' I admire him for the man that he is. When I went up to him and spoke to him, he said something very touching to me. He said 'I am very grateful to you, I admire you for what you said. Thank you very much. He said to me: 'I almost cried.' And that's our King, he's a great King.' Charles's most poignant words came when chatting to Charlie Richards, 104, one of the last surviving Chindits, a unit that fought deep behind enemy lines in Burma between autumn 1942 and summer 1943.'The things you did, I could never get over,' the monarch told him. 'We owe you all such a huge debt of gratitude.' On his way out, the King met Alfred Conway, 100, who served on HMS Wager, the sister ship to HMS Whelp, on which Prince Philip served as First Lieutenant. Alongside Philip, Mr Conway sailed to the Far East and served in Sri Lanka, Sumatra, Australia, Hong Kong and Shanghai. They spoke for several minutes before the King and Queen departed in the State Bentley, waving to those gathered as they left. In a moving audio message released earlier today, echoing one broadcast by his grandfather, King George VI, eighty years ago, Charles described how those who lived and died in the Far East 'gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected'. The message was recorded earlier this month, in the Morning Room at Clarence House. The King, who is Patron of the Royal British Legion, issued a stark warning about the 'true cost' of armed conflict in his moving address to the nation marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. His Majesty also hailed the 'courage and camaraderie' of heroes who fought in the Pacific and Far East in 'humanity's darkest hour' as 'a flame that shall blaze for eternity'. There was a flypast from the Red Arrows with red, white and blue smoke The King saluted the heroes during the service of remembrance in what made for a powerful image Queen Camilla's posy While Charles lay a wreath, the Queen had a posy containing symbolic flowers: Jasmine, Marigold, Orchids, Tropical orchid, Yellow trumpet, Hibiscus, Vanda Miss orchid, Rhododendron, Golden Wattle Jasmine which is representative of Pakistan as well as India. Marigold Used widely across India and Nepal the Marigold is used for celebrations, whilst Mexican culture links this with the remembrance of the dead (during Day of the Dead), symbolic for remembering and commemorating our lost loved ones. Orchids Growing in almost every part of the world, the orchid is versatile in cold and hot temperatures representative of the diverse countries involved in the war. It is also heavily seen across the far east as the city flower of Shaoxing, China and the national flower of Singapore. Tropical orchid - is national flower of Kenya (East Africa) Yellow trumpet - National flower of Nigeria (West Africa) using the yellow yellow lilt for is vibrancy Hibiscus - Malaysian national flower Vanda Miss orchid - The Singapore orchid Rhododendron - National flower of Nepal Golden Wattle - Australia's national flower Advertisement And he acknowledged the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which led to Japan's surrender, describing the 'immense price' on its citizens as one 'we pray no nation need ever pay again'. His reflection on the nuclear attacks, which paved the way for the end of the Second World War, comes at a time of increased concern about the global threat of nuclear conflict. In an audio message to the nation, realms and Commonwealth, the King spoke of the horrors faced by allied prisoners of war 'who endured years of brutal captivity: the starvation, disease and cruelty that tested the very limits of human endurance', and the 'mental and physical scars' the war left on those who survived. And he vowed the service and sacrifice of VJ Day heroes 'shall never be forgotten', telling their families and the 'sadly dwindling band of veterans': 'Please know that the courage and camaraderie displayed in humanity's darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity - a beacon that honours our past and guides our future.' The King, in what is believed to be the most direct reference by a British monarch to the suffering in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, said it was right to pause and acknowledge the impact of the 'war's final act' on the people of the Japanese cities. 'Innocent civilian populations of occupied territories faced grievous hardships, too,' he said in the broadcast released at 7.30am today. 'Their experience reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life - a tragedy all-too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today. 'On this landmark anniversary, we should also pause to acknowledge that in the war's final act, an immense price was paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - a price we pray no nation need ever pay again.' He added: 'But in recalling so much suffering, we must not lose sight of how great was the cause and how sweet the victory.' Today, the King wore The Stone Field Marshal Number 4 uniform King Charles III looks on as he attends the national Service of Remembrance, hosted by the Royal British Legion in partnership with the Government Her Majesty was wearing a white pleated chiffon dress by Dior and a white Philip Treacy hat while the King wore The Stone Field Marshal Number 4 uniform The King was seen laying a wreath, before the two-minute silence at 12pm Their Majesties joined veterans, members of VJ associations, military personnel and senior politicians for the event King Charles III, Royal British Legion National President Vice Admiral Paul Bennett, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Queen Camilla The King led the nation's commemorations for VJ Day today The King and Queen were not today joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales The couple laid wreaths and floral tributes at the Armed Forces Memorial The King and Queen led the two-minute silence after hearing The Last Post Later on Friday, the Prince and Princess of Wales shared their own message on social media to mark VJ Day. William and Kate, both 43, this morning praised the 'courage, sacrifice, and resilience' of those who fought in the Pacific and Far East on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. In a message posted on social media and signed with their initials, the royal couple wrote: 'Today, on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we remember the courage, sacrifice and resilience of all who served. 'Today we especially think of those British and Commonwealth troops who fought in the Asia-Pacific. 'We owe an enduring debt to the generation who gave so much, and to whom we will always be grateful. 'Lest we forget. W & C'. The National Service of Remembrance honours and remembers those who continued to fight and those who lost their lives during the final three months of the Second World War in the Far East. This includes hundreds of thousands of soldiers who served alongside British Armed Forces from countries including pre-partition India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Nepal and various African nations. Victory over Japan (VJ Day) was declared on 15 August 1945, following Imperial Japan's surrender to Allied Forces. The Prince and Princess of Wales have shared a powerful message to social media to mark VJ Day (pictured at a service of thanksgiving for VE Day in May) William and Kate, both 43, this morning praised the 'courage, sacrifice, and resilience' of those who fought in the Pacific and Far East The service, run in partnership with the Royal British Legion, was also attended by Burma Star recipients, a veteran of the British Indian Army and those involved in the Battles of Kohima and Imphal, as well as Prisoners of War held across the region and veterans stationed in the UK or Commonwealth countries, who contributed to the war effort. The royals were joined by the Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers, Parliamentarians, the Japanese Ambassador and other High Commissioners from across the Commonwealth. A special tribute was hosted by 400 members of the Armed Forces, including a guard of honour from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, with music provided by military bands. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will lead a flypast featuring the historic Dakota, Hurricane and Spitfire aircraft. The event will be broadcast live on BBC One, and members of the public are encouraged to participate in the national two-minute silence at midday. From 9pm on Friday evening, hundreds of buildings across the country will be lit up to mark VJ 80, including Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, Tower42, The Shard, Blackpool Tower, Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Durham Cathedral, Cardiff Castle, the Cenotaph, the Kranji War Memorial in Singapore and the White Cliffs of Dover. The Prince and Princess of Wales have shared a powerful message to social media - mere hours after King Charles addressed the nation. William and Kate, both 43, this morning praised the 'courage, sacrifice, and resilience' of those who fought in the Pacific and Far East on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. In a message posted on social media and signed with their initials, the royal couple wrote: 'Today, on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we remember the courage, sacrifice and resilience of all who served. 'Today we especially think of those British and Commonwealth troops who fought in the Asia-Pacific. 'We owe an enduring debt to the generation who gave so much, and to whom we will always be grateful. 'Lest we forget. W & C'. VJ (Victory over Japan) Day on August 15 marks the anniversary of the end of the six-year war, following VE (Victory in Europe) Day back in May. Their message came just hours after King Charles told the nation how the sacrifice of the heroes of VJ Day will never be forgotten. The Prince and Princess of Wales have shared a powerful message to social media to mark VJ Day (pictured at a service of thanksgiving for VE Day in May) In a moving audio message, echoing one broadcast by his grandfather, King George VI, eighty years ago, Charles described how those who lived and died in the Far East 'gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected'. The message was recorded earlier this month, in the Morning Room at Clarence House. August 15, 1945, marked not only the cessation of war over Japan but the end of the Second World War as a whole. More than 90,000 British troops were casualties of the Far East conflict, of which almost 30,000 died and over 12,400 were held as prisoners of war, in often horrific conditions. But despite the magnitude and brutality of the conflict, many feel that their contribution was deliberately overlooked at the time and has continued to be forgotten over the years, particularly given the historic significance of events to mark Victory in Europe in May of that year. The King issued a stark warning about the 'true cost' of armed conflict in his moving address to the nation marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. His Majesty also hailed the 'courage and camaraderie' of heroes who fought in the Pacific and Far East in 'humanity's darkest hour' as 'a flame that shall blaze for eternity'. And he acknowledged the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which led to Japan's surrender, describing the 'immense price' on its citizens as one 'we pray no nation need ever pay again'. William and Kate, both 43, this morning praised the 'courage, sacrifice, and resilience' of those who fought in the Pacific and Far East Their message came just hours after King Charles told the nation how the sacrifice of the heroes of VJ Day will never be forgotten His reflection on the nuclear attacks, which paved the way for the end of the Second World War, comes at a time of increased concern about the global threat of nuclear conflict. In an audio message to the nation, realms and Commonwealth, the King spoke of the horrors faced by allied prisoners of war 'who endured years of brutal captivity: the starvation, disease and cruelty that tested the very limits of human endurance', and the 'mental and physical scars' the war left on those who survived. And he vowed the service and sacrifice of VJ Day heroes 'shall never be forgotten', telling their families and the 'sadly dwindling band of veterans': 'Please know that the courage and camaraderie displayed in humanity's darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity - a beacon that honours our past and guides our future.' The King, in what is believed to be the most direct reference by a British monarch to the suffering in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, said it was right to pause and acknowledge the impact of the 'war's final act' on the people of the Japanese cities. 'Innocent civilian populations of occupied territories faced grievous hardships, too,' he said in the broadcast released at 7.30am today. 'Their experience reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life - a tragedy all-too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today. 'On this landmark anniversary, we should also pause to acknowledge that in the war's final act, an immense price was paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - a price we pray no nation need ever pay again.' He added: 'But in recalling so much suffering, we must not lose sight of how great was the cause and how sweet the victory.' The Prince and Princess of Wales during the concert celebrating the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, held at the historic Horse Guards Parade in central London in May King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and their daughters Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret wave to crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony on VJ Day, August 15, 1945 Later today, the King, accompanied by Queen Camilla, will lead the national commemorations by attending a Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire organised by the Royal British Legion tomorrow. Their Majesties will join veterans, members of VJ associations, military personnel and senior politicians for the event. However, the Prince and Princess of Wales are not expected to be present. They will lay wreaths at the Armed Forces Memorial, before a national two-minute silence and a flypast from the RAF Red Arrows. There will also be a flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight of historic aircraft. Afterwards they will meet with around 30 surviving veterans who served in the Pacific and Indian Ocean territories, those who were prisoners of war and veterans stationed throughout the UK and Commonwealth, who contributed to the war effort in the Far East. By 1945, some 365,000 British and 1.5 million Commonwealth troops had been deployed across Asia and the Pacific. More than 90,000 British troops were casualties in the war against Japan, and nearly 30,000 died, while more than 12,000 Britons were among the 190,000 Commonwealth troops held as Prisoners of War by the Japanese. Of the Allied forces, the US suffered the greatest losses, with more than 100,000 killed in action. In Hiroshima and Nagasaki, more than 200,000 people were killed by the US bombs and in the months after succumbing to radiation sickness, the effects of burns and other serious injuries. Huge crowds celebrating Victory in Japan on August 15, 1945 in Albert Square, Manchester Projections reading 'VJ DAY 80' are displayed on the exterior of Buckingham Palace on August 14 The King described the 80th anniversary as a day of 'profound remembrance' and said of his grandfather King George's VI's 'The war is ended' audio broadcast at the time: 'Seldom can a simple message have resonated with such a potent mix of relief, celebration, and sorrow for those who never lived to see the glow of freedom's new dawn.' He also painted a vivid picture of when 'high above those monsoon-lashed jungles, allied pilots displayed their own fearless bravery, flying fighters, bombers and transport aircraft into enemy fire and nature's fury'. The speech made no mention of the King's father Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who was in Tokyo Bay on board the destroyer HMS Whelp, a warship he served on as second-in-command, when Japanese officials formally signed the surrender on the USS Missouri on September 2 1945. But Charles paid tribute to his mentor and great uncle Earl Mountbatten, who oversaw the defeat of the Japanese offensive towards India as Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command. He recalled how Lord Mountbatten taught him about the 'horrors and heroism' of the conflict. The King said: 'The war in South East Asia had reached its climax under the leadership of my great uncle, Lord Mountbatten, from whom I learned so much about the particular horrors and heroism witnessed in those furthest fields of combat. 'The forces aligned under him comprised over one million men and women, drawn from many different countries, religions and communities, but united by common purpose and indomitable spirit.' Charles said he was aware of the 'mental and physical scars' the conflict left on those who survived. 'Twenty-Nine Victoria Crosses bear eloquent testimony to their valour, but I know full well of the toll it took on so many - measured not only in gravestones, but in the mental and physical scars of those who survived,' he said. He also cited the collaboration across faiths and cultural divides, saying: 'Together they proved that, in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear, but the arms you link. 'That remains a vital lesson for our times.' Kavita Puri is an award-winning journalist, executive producer and broadcaster for the BBC. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed book 'Partition Voices: Untold British Stories'. Here, she speaks to survivors of Japanese Prisoner of War camps to mark VJ Day. Peter Knight, 98, is telling me about the day he heard the news of the attacks against the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor. While he was surprised at the Japanese raids, it's what happened hours later that shocked him. 'The Japanese have been and invaded part of the British Empire' he tells me. British colonies across South East Asia including Malaya (Malaysia) and Singapore, were attacked. 'This can't be happening.' Peter thought. He was a schoolboy in early December 1941 and had been following the war against the Nazis in Europe on a map in his living room in Bromley, a suburb of London. Now there was a new front, and a new enemy. This was a war between two mighty imperial powers - Britain and Japan - for territory and valuable resources. Peter put up a second map to follow the progress of the war in Asia and the Pacific. Within months, places that had been part of Britain's empire for over a century had fallen to Japan, like Malaya, Singapore, and Burma (now Myanmar). Peter Knight fought against Japanese forces in the navy during WWII after British colonies were falling Now 98, he said that he felt at the time 'that's not our war. The here and now was us being bombed. That was our war. It was such a long way away' The Royal Family wave to jubilant crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony on VJ Day, August 15, 1945. Left to right: Princess Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth, King George VI and Princess Margaret Peter felt disbelief. Loss of these key British territories was humiliating. Though he didn't say it out loud, at the time Peter felt 'that's not our war. The here and now was us being bombed. That was our war. It was such a long way away.' He wonders today if that attitude ever went away. Yet the faraway war would end up touching his life. By 1945, Peter was in the Navy and on his way to fight Japanese forces. Peter's second map was the inspiration for my new Radio 4 series to the mark the 80th anniversary of VJ - Victory over Japan - Day, which finally brought an end to World War Two. As I discovered, there are so many homes in Britain that were touched by the war on the Asian front. These experiences were different to the war in Europe - the battles were fought in malaria-infested jungles. Prisoners - soldiers and civilians - were held in appalling conditions, some forced into labour. But the war on the Asian front which affected tens of thousands of British lives, and many more of its then colonial subjects, is not as well-known as our fight against the Nazis. Jubilant crowds gather outside Buckingham Palace, hoping to see the King, following news of Japan's surrender, August 10, 1945 The Victoria Monument outside Buckingham Palace became a grandstand for jubilant spectators waiting to catch a glimpse of the Royal family on VJ Day, August 15, 1945 A policeman is held aloft by American military men in London on VJ Day, August 15, 1945 Londoners celebrate VJ Day in Trafalgar Square, August 15, 1945. Some naughty men and women climbed onto the fountain Award-winning journalist Kavita Puri looked back on some of the stories that had been forgotten of soldiers who fought on the Asian front VJ Day, which comes three months after VE - Victory in Europe - Day, can often feel like an afterthought. 80 years after the end of the war, I was lucky enough to interview some of the last surviving veterans, as well as descendants of those who lived through it. Captain Yavar Abbas is 104 years old, but seems decades younger. He joined the 11th Sikh regiment after the fall of Burma in mid 1942, and soon applied to be a combat cameraman. He became part of the new 14th Army, which had been put together, to learn the lessons from defeat and win back lost territory. It would end up as a force of nearly a million men, the vast majority Indian and from other parts of the British empire. Though even at the time it was known as the 'forgotten army.' Yavar was filming at the siege of Imphal and Battle of Kohima in 1944 in north eastern India pivotal battles which saw intense hand-to-hand fighting. Japanese forces were successfully repelled, and the looming invasion of British India was thwarted. Yavar squints as he remembers the sight of the enemy in the aftermath. Captain Yavar Abbas joined the 11th Sikh regiment after the fall of Burma in mid 1942 before moving to the 14th Army, which went on to be known as the 'forgotten army' despite containing more than a million men Now 104, he revisited his diary he wrote at the time, uncovering haunting memories of the razed city of Hiroshima that still gives him nightmares today 'The Japanese offered no prisoners, only dead bodies scattered over the battlefield. Some of them with the swords they used to commit Harakiri, projecting from their rotting bodies.' He says many Japanese soldiers would rather kill themselves than be captured. Yavar kept a diary from the front line, which he wrote with his fountain pen. When I meet him at his home in London, he reads me a part from his entry on 28 February 1945, when he was around 30 miles from Mandalay in Burma. I think he is saying it out loud for the first time. 'We are moving out in the first light of day. There's every chance of my not coming back at all, but I've decided to take the riskthree times I've just been a couple of feet from death.' But it's what he saw in the aftermath of Hiroshima - where he was part of the Allied Occupying Force - that still haunts him today, and gives him nightmares. He saw a city razed, and people with horrific injuries. Even at the time he felt 'It was a crime against humanity to have dropped the bombs.' 29-year-old Shelagh Brown had no idea war was over on VJ Day on 15 August 1945. 'We are moving out in the first light of day. There's every chance of my not coming back at all, but I've decided to take the riskthree times I've just been a couple of feet from death,' Captain Abbas reads to Kavita Puri It was a day like all the others from the past three and a half years she had spent in captivity. Malnourished, weak, and recovering from numerous bouts of malaria, she was just trying to stay alive. It was 6 weeks after the end of the war that a Japanese officer told all the prisoners in the civilian internment camp to gather under a tree. He climbed onto a chair to announce, 'the war was over, and we were all friends now and he was very sorry and we must be good and wait until the Allies came.' She was liberated some time later. Shelagh died in 2005, but her memories are preserved on eight cassette tapes, which her daughter Margie Caldicott allowed me to listen to. In them she describes her life in Singapore, where she was born and brought up. When it became clear that a Japanese invasion from mainland Malaya was imminent, she and her mother tried to escape by sea in early 1942 but were intercepted by Japanese soldiers. They were moved from camp to camp. In the early days they tried to keep their spirits up by forming a vocal orchestra with the other women. But as the war went on, conditions deteriorated. 'They [Japanese soldiers] were quite dreadful, the way they would slap people and make us stand for a long time to be counted in the sun. And we were kept short of drugs for sickness.' Shelagh Brown was held in captivity for three and a half years in Singapore after the country was captured by Japan - she suffered from abuse, malnourishment and several bouts of malaria Shelagh's daughter Margie Caldicott believes her mother's experience - and the thousands of other civilian internees - have been overlooked Many of the women started to die, including Shelagh's mother. Margie feels the experience of her mother and the thousands of civilian internees like her, have been overlooked and deserve to be remembered. She marks VJ Day each year to honour them but is always surprised at how people don't really know the significance of that day. When Anne Durbin was around 10 she found disturbing pictures in her father's desk. They were of emaciated men, that looked like they were prisoners in a jungle, being watched over by guards. She asked her mother what they were about and was told 'daddy was in a prison camp in the war, and don't talk about it or he'll have nightmares.' It was only when her father was 61, and had retired, that he began to speak. Her father, Maurice Naylor was a gunner in the 18th infantry division when Singapore fell on 15 February 1942, and was captured by Japanese forces. He was forced to work on the Thai-Burma railway - making one of the bridges for the trains to cross - immortalised in the film The Bridge On the River Kwai. Maurice Naylor (pictured with his family circa 1956) was a prisoner of war and forced to work on the Thai-Burma railway after being captured by Japanese forces Maurice Naylor with sister Agnes and twin brother Frank Copyright Maurice Naylor at Memorial in Singapore (Maurice is 6th from L) 2013 Maurice Naylor at Memorial in Kanchanaburi (Maurice 3rd from R) 2013 Maurice suffered from chronic diarrhoea but was still forced to work under punsihing conditions The forced labour was punishing. For years, Maurice carried heavy timber up from the riverbed. He gave an interview to my BBC colleague Monica Whitlock before he died in 2020. He said Japanese guards didn't care if the prisoners were malnourished or ill. 'I had chronic diarrhoea most of the time when I was a prisoner but that wasn't considered bad enough normally to stop me going out on a working party, although you might want to go to the toilet 10, 12, 20 times a day. I had to put up with that.' Thousands of PoWs and Asian civilian labourers died during the construction of the railway. 'It was a nightmare. And if we didn't do it properly, then it was the Japanese guards - they'd just beat you on the head, shout at you.' When he returned home to Manchester after the war, he weighed five and a half stone his daughter tells me. Anne said it was on a trip to Thailand celebrating his retirement that he stood in the graveyard at Kanchanaburi, the nearest town to the bridge, and saw all the rows of graves, and thought that he owed it to those men, some of whom he knew, to tell the story of what had happened. He spent the rest of his life doing that in their memory, so their sacrifice would not be forgotten. The History Podcast: The Second Map is a Radio 4 and World Service podcast, available on BBC Sounds from Friday 15 August. Listen here. A woman who was horrifically raped by her neighbour after he tracked her footsteps around her flat, has opened up about the harrowing encounter. Naomi Saatchi, now 43, was a 21-year-old healthcare assistant living in St Paul's, Bristol, when she was raped by David Watson-Williams 22 years ago in her own home. It was 2003 when Naomi, who has waived her lifelong anonymity, had met up with a group of friends to go on a night out. When she arrived home at around 3am, she got into bed fully clothed and fell asleep. She was then awoken to being raped by Watson-Williams, who had listened from above and waited for her to fall asleep before breaking into her flat and raping her. Naomi realised the rape had been 'pre-planed' and due to her hardwood floors the attacker was able to track her footsteps around the flat and knew when she was asleep from the lack of movement. During the attack Naomi revealed how she pretended to be asleep as she feared he might 'strangle her' and 'turn violent' if she tried to fight him off. Although she tried to forget about the rape, 20 years later childless and single Naomi realised it had played a 'significant role' in her relationship with men. Naomi Saatchi, now 43, was a 21-year-old healthcare assistant living in St, Paul's, Bristol, when she was raped by David Watson-Williams 22 years ago in her own home (pictured in her twenties) he was then awoken to being raped by Watson-Williams, who had listened from above and waited for her to fall asleep before breaking into her flat and raping her. David Watson-Williams, pictured In 2021 when she finally plucked up the courage to report the attack to the police. On 7 July, Naomi finally watched her predator being sentenced to 12 years behind bars with an extended three-year licence. Watson-Williams, aged 43, of Lockleaze, Bristol, who will remain on the sex offenders' register for life, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court. Naomi, a nurse prescriber, said: 'I had hardwood floor. The man who raped me could hear when I walked into the bathroom and the bedroom. 'He would have been able to hear me getting into bed and the fact that there was no movement for a while must have been when he thought I was asleep - and the opportunity to carry out his plan. 'I woke up and then there's always that split second where you are not quite sure what is happening and then I realised very quickly what was happening. 'I felt like if I tried to fight him off that he would try to strangle me and the situation would come a lot worse. 'I did want to see who it was so I squinted and I knew exactly who it was and I think that made me even more scared. On 7 July, Naomi finally watched her predator being sentenced to 12 years behind bars with an extended three-year licence. Pictured recently 'As we all know with men there is always an end point and I pretended to be asleep until that end point. He went away as soon as he did finish attacking me. 'I was too scared to get out of bed because I knew he could hear me.' Naomi had been living in a semi-derelict block of flats at the time of the attack, where she and Watson-Williams were the only occupants, with all the other apartments boarded up. She explained not having a friendly relationship with him, but was aware that he 'fancied her'. And despite her avoiding having conversations with him when they crossed their paths on the communal area, Watson-Williams would always make her feel 'uncomfortable' with his interactions. 'I didn't have any relationship with him. He wasn't a friend, he was just a neighbour that I was aware fancied me,' she said. 'I didn't think he was a threat to me at all it was just a bit irritating and inconvenient because he would try to intercept me on the communal stairs only to make conversation but I could tell it was because he fancied me. 'I didn't realise that what was going on in his mind was a pre-meditated rape. He was planning an opportunity to rape me within my home.' She told her close friends after she was raped, but going to the police was an option she didn't find 'appropriate' at the time. Naomi had been living in a semi-derelict block of flats at the time of the attack, where she and Watson-Williams were the only occupants, with all the other apartments boarded up She said: 'The next few days are quite a blur. I went into some state of shock. 'I don't know I would have got the outcome I got in court this time had it been 2003.' After the rape Naomi said that her abuser even tried to intercept her on the stairs in various occasions. She moved out of her flat completely after two months of the abuse. 'As soon as the opportunity arouse I left my apartment. I was terrified to be there.' Now that her attacker is behind bars, Naomi says she feels that 'justice has been made'. Naomi said: 'I am blown away by how the police has been, the CPS and the lawyer I was allocated to. 'It has been quite liberating for me and it has helped my self-esteem. I didn't realise how much this was affecting me carrying it around and knowing that this man was free. 'I feel like I have definitely done the right thing - this will prevent it happening for someone else again. After the rape Naomi said that her abuser even tried to intercept her on the stairs in various occasions 'These kind of men just carry on abusing women again and again - it is like an illness so I am delighted with the outcome.' Despite being able to have sexual relationships with men Naomi said the attack made her chose partners that made her feel 'worthless'. She said: 'It [rape] didn't stop me from being in relationships with men and being able to have a normal sex life - I felt like I was very lucky in that way. 'However my trust in men was down and my self confidence was low so I chose partners that I wouldn't have chosen had the attack not have happened. 'You just feel like you are not worth much after something like that has happened to you. 'I find myself at 43, childless, single and while I can't guarantee that the attack is the cause I am very confident that it has played a significant role. It altered the course of my life.' Naomi who is part Iranian said that wearing a hijab while in the Middle East was like an 'invisibility cloak'. Although she understands that for some women it feels like a conservative rule, for her it felt 'liberating' after the rape. Naomi explained: 'It was like an invisibility cloak from the attention of men and I still had the hijab after the rape and I did find at times that when my anxiety was really bad from the rape that I chose to wear it. 'At times I did wear it and also carried around other items to help with my safety. 'Throughout the case I also used art as my therapy to manage my stress.' Now, Naomi wants other victims to know 'they have got nothing to be ashamed of'. Following two days deliberating evidence, the jury took only 45 minutes to unanimously find Watson-Williams guilty of raping Naomi She said: 'Even as a developed country it has been 'open season' on rape for too long and the only way we are going to see a big change as a society is if many victims come forward and hold these rapists into account. 'The change will start with us.' Watson-Williams was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Monday 7 July. Following two days deliberating evidence, the jury took only 45 minutes to unanimously find Watson-Williams guilty of raping Naomi. In a statement read out to the court, Naomi said: 'What should have been a bright chapter in my life was shattered by a man who knew, without a doubt, that I had no romantic or sexual interest in him. 'Yet, he hatched, in cruel premeditation, a plan to take what he wanted, with no regard for the destruction he would leave in his wake, that man is you, David. You're the man that raped me in my bed. The bed in which my childhood memories were scattered lovingly around me. 'The terror you inflicted forced me to leave my home, the place where I should have felt most secure. I had to take refuge from you. 'Now, single, and childless, while I cannot say you are solely responsible for these parts of my life, I know you have been a significant factor. Your actions have altered the course of my life in ways I am still trying to understand and untangle.' Using information provided by the victim, PC Chris Quick, the officer in the case, was able to quickly identify the suspect as Watson-Williams. The attacker had several features matching the description provided by the victim, and he also had a conviction for rape since 2003. Using a passport photo obtained by PC Quick from an application in the early-2000s by the suspect, the victim positively identified the suspect. PC Quick, formerly of Avon and Somerset's Operation Bluestone Team, which is dedicated to solving rape and serious sexual offence cases, said: 'I cannot commend the victim enough for having the bravery to tell us what happened. This is a very traumatic event which she has lived with for nearly 20 years before deciding to report it to the police. 'The sentence reflects the seriousness of what happened to her. She was attacked in her own home, where she should be safe, and has been extremely courageous to come forward about the attack which left her feeling vulnerable and living in fear for years. 'Incidents such as this have a lasting and profound impact and we hope that both victims have had the justice they so rightly deserve. 'We hope this conviction sends out an important message - any acts of violence will never be tolerated, and every victim deserves to be heard and supported, no matter how long ago the attack took place.' Victims of rape or sexual assault, recent or non-recent, can self-refer to The Bridge, a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, which is available to 24/7 365 days a year, visit their website or call 0117 342 6999. A couple have revealed how they made a 132,000 profit after charging guests up to $1,000 to attend their wedding. Marley Jaxx, 34, and her husband, Steve J. Larsen, 37, from Boise, Idaho, were shocked by the cost of a wedding after researching venues - including a $650 cake-cutting fee at one venue. Marley initially joked about charging people to attend their wedding to cover the costs of their dream big do, but Steve then warmed up to the idea. The couple told friends and family that if they wanted to attend the event, they would have to pay. Guests could purchase a basic $57 (42) ticket for the wedding day, or a three-day experience for two tickets priced at $997 (735) - which included access to the wedding day, a charity rehearsal dinner, and a biohacking brunch. Three hundred guests attended the celebrations, covering the $50,000 wedding cost and raising $132,550 (98,000), which will be donated to charity Village Impact. Marley, an entrepreneur, said: 'Most people got it. Of course there were people who did a double take and were like ''wait, what?'' 'One friend of mine didn't like it, and he didn't hold back either. We debated it, and in the end, he said he understood. Here comes the bill! Marley Jaxx, 34, and her husband, Steve J. Larsen, 37, from Boise, Idaho, charged guests up to $1,000 (730) to attend their wedding to cover the cost of their do-and made $132,550 (98,000) in profit 'Other responses we had were from people saying that if we can't afford a big wedding, then don't do it. 'It was never about what we could afford. It was about a different way of doing things.' Steve proposed on January 1, 2025, on an ice rink in Boise, Idaho, surrounded by their family and friends and the pair got straight to planning their special day. When they were researching venues, they were shocked by the pricing they were seeing, so they floated the idea of selling tickets. Steve, an entrepreneur, said: 'We decided to charge because we started making a big list of everyone who we wanted to come. 'We were paying per head, lots of people wanted to come. We wanted a big party, but the cost kept getting higher and higher. 'We said instead of people getting us a gift, or donating to a honeymoon fund - pay for your meal, and you can come party with us. 'For us, it was all about doing a different way of doing things, and changing how people think about weddings.' I do(nate!): The couple told friends and family that if they wanted to attend the event, they would have to pay WEdding bills! When they were researching venues, they were shocked by the pricing they were seeing, so they floated the idea of selling tickets Three hundred guests attended the celebrations, covering the $50,000 wedding cost and raising $132,550 (98,000), which will be donated to charity Village Impact Guests could purchase a basic $57 ticket for the wedding day, or a three-day experience for two tickets priced at $997 - which included access to the wedding day, a charity rehearsal dinner, and a biohacking brunch The couple tied the knot on August 1, 2025, surrounded by 300 guests A ticket to the wedding day itself would set you back $57, (42) but if you wanted to go to the three-day event, for two people it cost $997 (730) The $997 included the rehearsal dinner on July 31, and the biohacking brunch - with health experts and treatments including electrolytes, red lights and breath worth - and recovery lounge on August 2 The couple tied the knot on August 1, 2025, surrounded by 300 guests. A ticket to the wedding day itself would set you back $57, but if you wanted to go to the three-day event, for two people it cost $997. The $997 included the rehearsal dinner on July 31, and the biohacking brunch - with health experts and treatments including electrolytes, red lights and breath worth - and recovery lounge on August 2. Marley said: 'The people who were at the wedding wanted to be there. Guests were commenting on how peaceful it was. 'It changed the feeling of the wedding. I thought it would be stressful, but it was peaceful. 'One of the guests said that when people get a wedding invitation, there is an obligation to go. 'But when you choose to pay, it is a different feeling - it shows how much they appreciate you.' During the celebrations, Marley and Steve raised money for Village Impact - a charity providing community-led education, leadership, and economic opportunities in Kenya. Steve proposed on January 1, 2025, on an ice rink in Boise, Idaho, surrounded by their family and friends and the pair got straight to planning their special day Despite the backlash on social media, Marley said they were 'frugal' for their wedding - spending less than $50,000 (37,000) for 300 guests During the celebrations, Marley and Steve raised money for Village Impact - a charity providing community-led education, leadership, and economic opportunities in Kenya Marley and Steve said that they were 'thrilled' with how the wedding went The couple said the opportunities for guests to donate were through bracelets made by kids in Kenya, a silent auction with art from Ugandan artists, and even a few guests committing to join them on their trip to Africa to build the school in July 2026. Steve said: 'In total, we raised around $130k, and all that money is going to Village Impact. 'A large portion of that money was through guests donating $15k to come join us in Kenya in 2026 to help build schools. 'Hundreds of kids will get a classroom and that will have come through our wedding.' Marley and Steve said that they were 'thrilled' with how the wedding went. Despite the backlash on social media, Marley said they were 'frugal' for their wedding - spending less than $50,000 for 300 guests. Marley said: 'I am so thrilled with how it went. I hope that any bride can say that there was nothing they wanted to change about their wedding day. 'We had family who traveled from all over, our three daughters did public speaking, which we were super proud of. 'Everyone was dancing, we had such a great time.' A pediatric emergency doctor has issued a serious warning about a turmeric soap that's going viral on TikTok right now - and why you should avoid using it on certain areas. The video was posted this week by Florida-based doctor Meghan Martin, who goes by the username @beachgem10 on social media. Dr. Martin often takes to TikTok to share her children's safety tips, provide guidance for the flu and cold season, and break down medical news. This time, however, she was taking serious issue with a product that has been gaining momentum online. 'If you would like to avoid a potentially embarrassing emergency department visit, even more so, if you would like to avoid your lady bits being absolutely on fire, we need to have a quick talk,' Martin began the video. 'In a corner of TikTok that my algorithm is not privy to, there is a viral turmeric soap that people are using on their face and bodies to help remove acne, even skin tone, improve glow,' she said. 'I'm not sure about any of those claims, but there's a group of people that are using it in their nether regions.' According to Verywell Health, turmeric soap can indeed have many benefits to it, including brightening the skin tone - but only if used in certain areas. The video was posted this week by Florida-based doctor Meghan Martin, who goes by the username @beachgem10 on social media According to Verywell Health, turmeric soap can indeed have many benefits to it, including brightening the skin tone - but only if used in certain areas The doctor explained that recently, she's seen many patients come in whose private parts were 'on fire' and 'inflamed' due to using the soap down there. Dr. Martin shared that she's also seen some people use the soap on their 'back door' to remove discoloration, but she doesn't recommend that, as it can have the same inflammatory effect. 'Everyone has different skin types and responds differently to different products,' the doctor explained. So, what should you use instead? 'But in general, in the lady bits, the inner portions, just warm water and a washcloth is appropriate, even on the outer portions of the front and the back,' she advised. 'If you're going to use a soap, a hypoallergenic, non-fragranced, mild soap is appropriate,' the doctor continued. 'Something stronger can cause dryness, itchiness, and potentially inflammation, which can be very uncomfortable.' She also stressed the importance of going to the doctor if you feel like something is wrong - no matter how embarrassing it may seem. 'If you're going to use a soap, a hypoallergenic, non-fragranced, mild soap is appropriate,' the doctor continued 'If you wait two days, things are only gonna get worse, and it's gonna be harder for the both of us,' Martin shared. 'There's no need to be embarrassed or ashamed.' In the comments section of the video, many people shared their own advice. 'And don't use peppermint soap either. I know they advertise it's supposed to cool but let's stick to good old fashioned soap,' one person advised. Another agreed, 'Dove sensitive bar soap is the only way to go!!' 'Probably going to have to make the same PSA about all these glycolic acid products Ive started seeing,' someone else typed. Blockbuster weight loss jabs relied on by millions of slimmers could be more effective on a certain day of the week, an expert has suggested. More than a million Britons are now injecting themselves weekly with drugs such as Mounjaro and Wegovybought online or through private clinicslured by promises of rapid results. Known collectively as GLP1s, the once a week injections can help users lose up to a fifth of their body weight in a year and have upended the obesity treatment playbook. Now, one expert in metabolic medicine has suggested Thursday may be the optimal time to inject the drug to 'control' the urge to binge calories at the weekend. According to Dr Zoe Lees, who specialises in GLP-1s for MedExpress, this is because people 'may notice stronger effects shortly after their injection'. The injections spur weight loss by mimicking the actions of a hormone released in the gut after eatingGLP-1. As well as telling the pancreas to make more insulin, GLP-1 feeds back to the brain and makes us feel fullstopping patients from over-eating. Dr Lees told the Daily Mail: 'While some people may notice stronger effects shortly after their injection, this varies from person to person and is most noticeable early in treatment or when increasing the dose. Once aimed at diabetes patients, Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are now famous for fast weight loss reducing appetite and helping users slim down rapidly Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. 'Injecting on a Thursday, for example, might help some people feel more in control during weekend social events. 'However, for others it might increase the chance of side effects disrupting those plans. 'It's all about balance and choosing a day that works for your body and your routine. 'Many people may find it helpful to take their injection ahead of a rest day, such as the evening before a day off or the start of the weekend. 'This gives a buffer to manage any side effects in the early stages of treatment or when moving up a dose. 'Over time, as your body adjusts, these side effects often ease and you may not need to plan around time off as much.' According to the patient information leaflets, tucked inside Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro packaging, the drug should be injected at 'any time of day'. Instead, it advises patients to take it once a week, on the same day each week. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Experts have suggested this helps maintain stable levels of the medication in the body. In the UK Ozempic, Mounjaro and similar drugs are supplied in pre-filled injector pens, with doses typically increased gradually under medical supervision. It comes as Mounjaro manufacturer Lilly yesterday revealed it would hike up the price of the drug in the UK from September, costing patients up to an extra 2,704 a year. The pharmaceutical giant also cited clinical research into the effectiveness of the injections, saying it demonstrates its value. The mammoth rise also comes after US President Donald Trump complained that Americans pay more for drugs than other nations, saying they subsidise the health care of foreign countries. But despite patients being eager to take the drugs, the jabs are not without side effects. Users commonly complain of nausea, constipation and diarrhoea after taking the medication. A Mail on Sunday investigation earlier this year also revealed almost 400 Brits had been hospitalised since the rollout of jabs such as Wegovy, Mounjaro and Saxenda. Some doctors also warned they were seeing patients with serious, life-threatening complications including seizures, bowel obstruction and inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis. Under NHS guidelines, only patients who have a body mass index (BMI) of over 35 and at least one weight-related health problem like high blood pressure, or those who have a BMI of 30 to 34.9 and meet the criteria for referral to a specialist weight management service, should be prescribed Wegovy. UK law forbids the sale of such drugs without a prescription from a medical professional. New antibiotics capable of killing drug-resistant gonorrhoea have been developed by AI. Experts believe that Artificial Intelligence could signify a 'second golden age' of antibiotic discovery, after creating two drugs that could be capable of killing superbugs such as gonorrhea and MRSA. Led by Professor James Collins at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a specialist research team used generative AI algorithms to interrogate 36million compounds. The experts then trained the AI to help it learn how bacteria was affected by different molecular structures built of atoms in order to design new antibiotics. In order to do this, they gave it the chemical structure of known compounds and data on their ability to hinder the growth of different bacteria species. Throughout the study, published in the journal Cell, anything too similar to the current antibiotics available, or with the potential to be toxic to human beings, was eradicated. Scientists also had to ensure that the system was indeed creating medicine, rather than soap. Two approaches were then attempted to help design antibiotics with AI - the first searching through millions of chemical fragments, while the other allowed AI to control the process entirely. Experts believe that Artificial Intelligence could signify a 'second golden age' of antibiotic discovery, after creating two drugs that could be capable of killing superbugs such as gonorrhea and MRSA (file image) Led by Professor James Collins (pictured) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a specialist research team used generative AI algorithms to interrogate 36million compounds The result was innovative AI-generated drugs for both the sexually transmitted infection and possibly life-threatening MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Both were found to be capable of killing the superbugs in laboratory and animal tests. It marks a significant move in the use of AI among researchers hoping to combat the rise in deaths caused by an overuse of antibiotics. The bacteria-fighting medicines are crucial for clearing infections and preventing life-threatening complications. However, hard-to-treat cases are on the rise as the bacteria that cause them are becoming increasingly impervious to the drugs. At least one million annual deaths due to antibiotic resistance have been recorded globally since 1990, according to the University of Oxford. Over the past decade, the NHS has made a concerted effort to reduce the number of antibiotic prescriptions given to patients, in order to slow the spread of superbugs. Yet 37 million prescriptions were written in the UK in 2023, compared to 36 million in 2022 and 31 million in 2020, official figures show. However, clinical trials and a further refinement of the possible drugs, estimated to take between one and two years, will be required before the drugs can be prescribed. The experts trained the AI to help it learn how bacteria was affected by different molecular structures built of atoms in order to design new antibiotics (file image) It marks a significant move in the use of AI among researchers hoping to combat the rise in deaths caused by an overuse of antibiotics. The bacteria-fighting medicines are crucial for clearing infections and preventing life-threatening complications WHAT IS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE? Bacteria can become drug resistant when people take incorrect doses of antibiotics or if they are given out unnecessarily. The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously warned if nothing is done the world is heading for a 'post-antibiotic' era. Bacteria can become drug resistant when people take incorrect doses of antibiotics or if they are given out unnecessarily. Former chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies claimed in 2016 that the threat of antibiotic resistance is as severe as terrorism. Advertisement Dr Andrew Edwards, from the Fleming Initiative and Imperial College London, told the BBC that the work has enormous potential and indicates a novel approach to identifying new antibiotics. Meanwhile, Professor Chris Dawson, from the University of Warwick, said that the drugs could mark a significant step forward as a tool for antibiotic discovery. However, Professor Collins warned that better models are still required for AI to truly help tackle drug-resistant infections. Other concerns raised by medical experts included how complex the AI-designs are to manufacture, with just two drugs created out of 80 initial designs. Meanwhile, a new antibiotic designed to treat drug-resistant infections would ideally be used as little as possible in order to ensure its success. This, therefore, raises questions about the likelihood of a commercial profit being possible. In 2024, an estimated 71,802 people were diagnosed with gonorrhoea, according to government figures. Meanwhile, 910 cases of MRSA were recorded across England from 2023 to 2024, marking an increase of 15.6 per cent from 2022 to 2023. While MRSA can live harmlessly on the skin, the bacteria has the potential to become deadly if it enters the body. Health chiefs have issued an urgent warning after three people in the UK were diagnosed with 'sloth fever'a tropical disease typically only found in Brazil. The illness also known as the Oropouche virus (OROV), usually causes mild symptoms that disappear after less than a week. Signs you may be infected include a fever, headache, joint pain, muscle aches, chills, nausea, vomiting, a rash, dizziness, sensitivity to light, and pain behind the eyes. However, occasionally the virus can attack the brain leading to meningitis or encephalitis, which can prove fatal. But fortunately, these neurological symptoms only occur in about 4 per cent of infected patients. It is sometimes known as 'sloth fever' because it naturally occurs in sloths, as well as primates and birds. New figures released yesterday by UKHSA revealed there have been three cases of the virus in Britain, but no deaths so far. All three of the cases were in people who had returned to the UK after travelling abroad to Brazil. Health chiefs issued the warning after three people were diagnosed with the virus in the UK The oropouche virus is often passed to humans via mosquitoes and midgesthat have already fed from an infected animal The lesser-known tropical infection is spread through bites from small midges and some mosquitos. While it can also be sexually transmitted, there have been no reports of transmission through sexual activity to date. There is no cure, with about 60 to 70 per cent of patients experiencing a recurrence of the disease a few days to months after the initial infection. However, the symptoms can be managed by resting, drinking plenty of fluids, and taking paracetamol or other over-the counter medications. There is no vaccine but there are preventative measures travellers can take like wearing long-sleeved clothing and using insect repellent to ward off midges. These insect repellents need to be 50 per cent DEETthe active ingredient which repels pests like midges and mosquitos. Other measures include staying in places with air conditioning or window screens with fine mesh to keep out midges and using insecticide-treated fine mesh bed nets. The first reported deaths from the illness which has been around since the 1950s were two women in Brazil last year. So far this year, globally, there have been over 12,000 confirmed cases of the virus, with the majority (11,888) in the country where the women died. It has also spread to other areas of South America, as well as America and Canada who have both reported one case. Since the start of the year there have sadly been five deaths which have also taken place in Brazil. They have also reported neurological complications and foetal complications which are under investigation. In their recent warning, officials urged caution to pregnant women travelling to Central and South America that the virus has been linked to miscarriages. 'If you're pregnant and considering travel to affected areas, it is important to discuss this with your GP or travel clinic before you go,' said UKHSA. 'While we are still learning about the risks of OROV during pregnancy, the potential for mother-to-child transmissionand impact on the foetusmeans caution is necessary.' A fourth person has died from toxic vapor spreading in New York City. City officials announced Thursday that 99 people have been infected with Legionnaire's disease, a type of pneumonia that spreads through bacteria lurking in warm later. This is up from 81 cases last week, a 20 percent increase. Hospitalizations, however, have gone down from 24 to 17. Legionnaires' disease is caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrive in warm water and can become airborne when water turns to steam. The condition is most severe in older people, smokers and those with chronic lung diseases. All cases and deaths have been reported in five ZIP codes covering the Harlem, East Harlem and Morningside Heights neighborhoods. The announcement of the additional death came just hours after city officials revealed 12 cooling towers in 10 buildings across the Harlem neighborhood tested positive for the bacteria. Several of the affected buildings contain medical offices and grocery stores like Whole Foods. Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday that 11 out of the 12 cooling towers that tested positive for Legionnaires' have been treated and disinfected, and the last tower should be completed by the end of the day Friday. Cooling towers and air conditioning units are seen in the Harlem neighborhood amid a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in New York City Your browser does not support iframes. He said: 'New Yorkers should know the air is safe to breathe, and we are seeing declining numbers of new cases each day.' Officials noted the warm weather in the city likely increased the risk of the bacteria spreading. Officials also defended the city's testing schedule and said many of the buildings had initially been negative for Legionnaires'. Acting New York City Health Commissioner Dr Michelle Morse said Thursday: 'The testing is important, and the maintenance is important, but even that rigorous schedule, there are still possibilities that bacteria can grow because of the conditions in warm weather.' No information has been released about those who have died or been hospitalized. Infected patients initially suffer a headache, muscle aches, and fever that may be 104 Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) or higher. But within three days, they may experience a cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and confusion or other mental changes. In serious cases, patients can develop severe pneumonia, and the bacteria can spread to the heart and blood, causing the potentially fatal complication sepsis. Patients die from the disease due to lung failure, septic shock, a sudden severe drop in blood flow to vital organs, or acute kidney failure. Legionnaires' affects 8,000 to 10,000 Americans every year and kills about 1,000. Air conditioning units are seen in the Harlem neighborhood amid a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in New York City The five ZIP codes affected in the outbreak are: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037 and 10039. City health officials said while 'most people who are exposed to the bacteria do not develop Legionnaires' disease,' those who are 50 or older, smoke, have a chronic lung disease or a weakened immune system may be at a higher risk. Doctors treat the disease using antibiotics, but say these are most effective in the early stages before the disease has spread in the body. Patients are often hospitalized. In milder cases, patients may also suffer from Pontiac fever, a condition causing fever, chills, headache and muscle aches that occurs when the bacteria do not infect the lungs. This condition goes away on its own without treatment and causes no further problems, doctors say. The New York City outbreak was first revealed on July 22, when the health department reported eight cases. All buildings that had units that tested positive for the Legionella bacteria were told to clean their systems within 24 hours. It follows a previous outbreak in July 2015 in the Bronx, which became the second-largest Legionnaires' disease outbreak in the US. Overall, a total of 155 patients were infected and 17 people died due to the disease from July to September that year. The outbreak was eventually linked back to a cooling tower at the Opera House Hotel in the South Bronx, which had been contaminated with the bacteria and was releasing it in water vapor. THE EXPANSION PROJECT by Ben Pester (Granta 16.99, 224pp) The Expansion Project is available now from the Mail Bookshop Pesters first novel follows his standout 2021 short story collection, Am I In the Right Place?, in which a series of oddball scenarios rendered corporate work life dystopianly strange. He follows suit here with the story of a communications officer who loses his eight-year-old daughter in his office after taking her to a Bring Your Child To Work event. It turns out not to be happening and may never even have been scheduled in the first place. Then colleagues say his daughter was never there . . . but their various testimonies dont fit together either. This funny, inventive and unsettling debut has elements of J.G. Ballard as well as Stephen King, plus cringeworthy workplace comedy made familiar by The Office. WATCHING OVER HER by Jean-Baptiste Andrea (Atlantic 14.99, 544pp) Watching Over Her is available now from the Mail Bookshop In Frank Wynnes translation from the original French, readers have a chance to enjoy this smash-hit historical epic ahead of the forthcoming film adaptation. Set in Italy, it centres on the undying love between a downtrodden sculptor, Mimo, and a wealthy aristocrat, Viola. We join Mimo on his deathbed at a monastery before winding back to his birth at the turn of the 20th century to see how he and Viola re-encounter one another over the decades after a romance buffeted by two world wars. When, in 2023, the novel was awarded the Prix Goncourt the equivalent of the Booker there were grumbles it wasnt literary enough. My guess is the judges were swept along by its timeless narrative gimmicks who can blame them? BLOODY AWFUL IN DIFFERENT WAYS by Andrev Walden (Fig Tree 14.99, 352pp) Bloody Awful In Different Ways is available now from the Mail Bookshop Translated by Ian Giles, this coming-of-age debut was a big seller in Sweden, but its a bit of a mixed bag. Set in the 1980s, its about a boy whose put-upon mother pairs up with a succession of terrible partners over seven years. Each of the seven men gets their own chapter, each named for the quality that strikes the young narrator most: The Thief, The Artist, and so on. Walden grips your attention with darkly comic verve, and theres a truly ugly undertow to his portrait of toxic masculinity, rendered all the more shocking by the narrators partial understanding. SO LONG, SEE YOU TOMORROW by William Maxwell (Vintage 9.99, 176pp) So Long, See You Tomorrow is available now from the Mail Bookshop Based on real events of his 1920s childhood in rural Illinois, including his mothers early death, Maxwell voices an elderly narrator looking back on the tragic story of his friend Cletus Smith. Cletuss mother, Fern, had an affair with neighbouring farmer Lloyd Wilson, her husband Clarences best friend, and they divorce. Driven to despair, Clarence shoots Lloyd dead before killing himself and Fern moves to Chicago with her son. Later, in Chicago, the boys meet in a school corridor and say nothing causing a lifetime of regret for the narrator. But in retelling, he finds truth may be different from memory, and his search for forgiveness is fruitless. Extraordinary. THE BATTLE OF THE VILLA FIORITA by Rumer Godden (Virago 9.99, 304pp) The Battle of the Villa Fiorita is available now from the Mail Bookshop When charismatic film director Rob arrives in their village, Fanny realises how suffocated she is by her marriage to Army colonel Darrell and raising their three children. So begins a passionate affair that ends in divorce and she and Rob flee to the beautiful Villa Fiorita, near Lake Garda. But devastated youngest child, Caddie, 11, travels with brother Hugh, 14, to the villa to bring their mother home a mission complicated by the arrival of Robs spoilt daughter and a boat accident. Descriptions of the Italian setting are gorgeous but the real strength is in the childlike perspective that cannot see Fannys rekindled joy or the conflicting loyalties that dictate the ending. DUEL DUET by Graham Greene (Vintage Classics 18.99, 400pp) Duel Duet is available now from the Mail Bookshop This ingenious volume of paired stories is a wonderful introduction to the short fiction of Graham Greene. Selected by novelist Yiyun Li, she creates either contrast (duel) or connection (duet) which sheds a new perspective on themes of conscience, crime, loneliness and fear. The twin children of The End Of The Party, holding hands in the dark to calm ones fear, sit alongside The Case For The Defence where an identical brother can save his sibling in a court case. The past and the future link The Innocent and The Destructors, and Cheap In August and The Moment of Truth both convey the power of human compassion in the face of impending death. A master at work. Our Beautiful Mess by Adele Parks (HarperCollins 16.99, 448pp) Our Beautiful Mess is available now from the Mail Bookshop Despite producing 25 new books in 25 years, Parks has succeeded in resisting a formulaic approach to her multi-million-selling novels. Her latest drama tackles how far a mother will go to protect her family. Connie is a mother with big secrets. The arrival home of her student daughter Fran with her new boyfriend Zac makes Connie uneasy. When Fran announces she is pregnant the dilemmas for Connie become an emergency. What follows is a rollercoaster of past deceit and future menace that allows the main characters, but especially Connie, to drive this dark tale to its explosive conclusion. Another sure-fire winner. False Idols by Karla Marie Sweet (Headline 20, 384pp) False Idols is available now from the Mail Bookshop The toxicity of the ultra-exclusive LA wellness scene is the intriguing backdrop to a story packed with creepy suspense and relatable characters. The central character is Sadie, a neurotic would-be artist escaping from her past and seduced into joining Deep Flow by its charismatic leader Lilith. Her friends soon realise she is being drawn into a dangerous situation. But it takes Sadie longer to grasp exactly what she must do to truly belong to this group and what she is prepared to risk to survive. The shiny, manipulative Lileth is particularly well drawn and Sadies desperate need to escape the trauma of her past makes her the perfect victim. Smart plotlines and a shocking conclusion that exposes yoga poses and breath classes can, in fact, be the tip of a very poisonous iceberg. Our Last Resort by Clemence Michallon (Elliot & Thompson 16.99, 320pp) Our Last Resort is available now from the Mail Bookshop Every sentence reeks of good writing. The storytelling is spare and tense and it is literary without being pretentious. We meet Frida and her brother Gabriel in a luxury resort in Utah where they are attempting a reunion following their traumatic past growing up in a strict cult. Then the wife of one of the tycoon guests is murdered and Gabriel, due to the death of his wife years ago, becomes a suspect. Gabriels less-than- convincing defence forces Frida to re-evaluate her whole relationship with him. Compelling. It is a testament to the enduring power of Penelope Tree that she was recently seen dancing to Donna Summers I Feel Love, as one of the worlds 50 most famous models in a slick video made by Zara to mark its 50th year. And, as she strikes a pose for our cameras today, a lesson in effortless cool, you can see why the 1960s supermodel still holds her own next to the Campbells, Crawfords and Turlingtons of the industry. At 75, Tree continues to rock those cheekbones and exudes the confidence that made her the face of flower power. Yet she still gets nervous. Modelling is really fun, but I still find it a bit terrifying, she admits in her New York tone. Truthfully, back in the day I was incredibly insecure. I was very shy, and I felt that everybody else was beautiful and I was this weirdo. She was born in New York in 1949 to Ronald Tree, a British Conservative MP, and Marietta Peabody Tree, an American socialite and political activist for the Democrats, both heavily involved in the citys literary and social scene. After she was spotted at 16 by photographer Richard Avedon at Truman Capotes legendary Black and White Ball in 1966, Tree received a call the next day from Diana Vreeland, then editor-in-chief of American Vogue. It would change her life. Avedon thought Tree was perfect, and her new life was one of Vogue covers in New York and photoshoots in Paris. She became David Baileys muse and lover in London, and was transformed along with Edie Sedgwick, Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy into an It-girl of the era. In Londons swinging 60s, she became known for her vibrant presence at parties, her social circle comprising artists and musicians, including such figures as Cecil Beaton and Edna OBrien. More than half a century later, Tree looks back on her extraordinary life and what it has taught her. Blouse, 1,300, and trousers, 675, both zimmermann.com. Leather belt, 36, freepeople.com. Chain belt, stylists own Model highs and lows In the 60s, men had all the power. Thats why I feel models who have other interests are better off, says Tree. Being multifaceted is key. Trees own modelling career ground to a halt in her early 20s due to late-onset acne, and in 1972 she was arrested for cocaine possession. It was all an amazing adventure until it wasnt, she says. I may have been a top model, but I also felt like a bit of a fraud. There wasnt therapy in those days. Nobody would talk about my skin outbreak, which affected my confidence. The fashion industry wasnt equipped to help me when I arrived from boarding school with anxiety and anorexia. But Im grateful I didnt grow up with Instagram like todays young, and the pressure it puts on their appearance. With her modelling career derailed, Tree switched her focus to charity work and Buddhism. Over the years she has also written for American Vogue, British Vogue, Harpers Bazaar UK and the Financial Times on modelling, the fashion industry and style. Although admired in the 60s for her quirky beauty, ageing suits Tree. Fashions appetite for mature models has surged in the past decade, and she was in her 70s when she walked the fashion-week runways of Fendi in Milan and Richard Quinn in London. Dress, 69, Laura Ashley, next.co.uk. Cap, 35.99, zara.com. Necklace, 1,180, giovanniraspini.com. Bangles, 60 each, karenmillen.com. Sandals, 180, reiss.com From Bailey to babies The moment I met David Bailey was like putting my finger into a light socket electrifying! says Tree. He was way too charismatic for his own good. The reason his charm was so compelling was he appeared vulnerable at the same time. He was/is very funny, too, which always helps. In 1974 Bailey ended their relationship. Tree left London and went travelling. She married musician Ricky Fataar, in 1978 in Los Angeles, and they moved to Sydney three years later. They have a daughter, Paloma, now 45. Tree also has a son, Michael, aged 35, from her later relationship with psychoanalyst Stuart MacFarlane. Today, Tree and Bailey, now 87, remain close and she is godmother to his son, Fenton, aged 37. Penelope Tree, Adut Akech and Linda Evangelista for Zara, celebrating 50 years of the high-street store Ageing and Botox Obviously Im not beautiful like a 20-odd- year-old any more, but I shouldnt be. And nowadays I feel more interested in whats going on. I didnt notice before because I was so obsessed with how I appeared. Tree doesnt do Botox or filler injectables. Im not trying to prove anything, she says. You just have to accept the inevitability of ageing. I dont really see whats wrong with it. Trees elder peers left their faces alone, too. Mrs Vreeland wore a lot of make-up, but she didnt go under the knife, says Tree. She was just such incredibly good company. You never thought, Gosh, isnt she looking a bit saggy! While some celebrities deny ageing Mariah Carey has recently made headlines for her refusal to celebrate her birthdays altogether Tree embraces the process. Denial isnt just a cliche in divaland. I was thinking that embalmers must be thrilled by the anti-age obsession. Most of their work is done for them before their clients even bite the dust! I do understand it may be harder for performers, but if you google anyone, the first thing that comes up is their age. Who are we fooling? Plus Patti Smith, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Diana Ross and Chrissie Hynde are all still out there performing in their 70s and 80s, and theyre fabulous. In my 40s I hated birthdays and the thought of getting older. Now I am so happy to have made it through another year. Penelope Tree, photographed by David Bailey for Vogue, 1968. Plastic surgery The idea of Mar-a-Lago face surgery and treatments (see Lauren Sanchez Bezos, Kristi Noem and Melania Trump) is not for Tree. I have friends who say, Darling, come on, lets do the jawline now! She playfully brushes her chin and then her neck as though to smooth it. But I dont like hospitals or the idea of being fiddled with in a surgical way. Hollywoods older stars are noting the rise of facial changes even among the young. Jamie Lee Curtis recently remarked, Theres a disfigurement of generations of women. Tree believes it must be down to a lack of confidence. Disfigurement is a harsh word, but repeated plastic surgery does tend to make people look like replicants. There are so many reasons why people get plastic surgery and if its a subtle refresh that makes people feel better about themselves, then great. But in my opinion, insecurity usually stems from a deeper place in the psyche, and changing the exterior to address an existential problem is not likely to make it go away. With her father in their Heron Bay home, Barbados, photographed by Patrick Lichfield, 1968. Best beauty hacks I use Charlotte Tilburys Magic Cream more regularly than most and lately I have discovered Trinny Londons The Elevator cream for the jawline and neck. Its subtle, but I think its making a difference, though perhaps this is my wishful thinking! she says. In my 20s my currency was my beauty. Now my currency is being alive, interested and curious. I just leave it to the hairdressers and the make-up artists to make me look as good as I can, which isnt easy! Tree is, however, partial to non-invasive face tapes, which can temporarily give the look of a facelift. The old-school film-star hack thats now a TikTok craze works by attaching adhesive pads to clear strings that are discreetly threaded around the head under the hair to pull back the skin. Joan Collins, Bella Hadid and the Kardashians are fans. How to fake a tweakment I noticed when I was much younger that statement jewellery on older people looks fabulous, Tree explains. A great necklace, chunky earrings, pearls or precious stones really bring out personality sometimes even more so than with younger people. 60s It-couple Tree and David Bailey, 1970. Ozempic and eating disorders I think Ozempic only causes trouble. Its all about degree, isnt it? says Tree. You look at some skinny people and you know its natural for them. And then you look at other girls and you think, Theyve starved themselves or theyre on the jab, and its not a great look. Trees concerns are that for teenagers starting out in her industry, it will cause them problems later. Model agents, especially in this Ozempic age, need to be very discerning with their girls. It took me a long time to resolve my own eating disorders, she explains. Tree suffered with anorexia from the age of 14, and with bulimia in her modelling years. Ive learnt to find the balanced middle way and that seems to work for pretty much everything. I used to be so extreme as a young person; about food, everything even love. Becoming a mother in my 30s helped me greatly, along with therapy. Whats good for you when youre 45 isnt always particularly good for you at 75. Whether its love, clothes or your weight. Instinctively, I feel better and stronger if I have a little bit of weight on me at this age. Tree photographed by John Cowan for Vogue, 1969 Love and dating Single life suits Tree. Ive been living on my own for 12 years now and treasure my independence. The idea of dating or batting my eyelashes at anyone fills me with horror. That horse bolted a long time ago. Its so great not to have to answer to anyone and to make my own choices regarding what I do with my time although I have had to learn how to sit with loneliness. I now see loneliness as more of an impediment to staying present than an actual longing to be with someone for the sake of not being alone, she adds. People of my age especially men often want a partner so they can be looked after in their old age. Its the older man/ younger woman scenario. Well, good luck to them! I cannot imagine enduring the whole getting-to-know-you routine again. Honestly. the only time I miss having a partner is at parties. It would be nice to have a familiar someone to enter and leave with, but as I rarely go to parties, its not a big deal. Shopping then and now Tree spent her 20s riffling through the racks of Vern Lamberts vintage haute-couture haven in Chelsea. Zara is now her favourite store. Well, it is just so affordable and actually quite fabulous, she says. I wear an orange Zara suit every summer and its the most complimented outfit Ive ever worn in my life. Tree likens Zara shopping to her days spent browsing the rails at Biba, Barbara Hulanickis iconic Kensington boutique of the 60s and 70s, a bolthole for fashionistas of the time. People were elbowing you out of the way to grab whatever was in your hands. If you put anything down, that was it. The changing rooms were wonderfully chaotic. Feather boas, jewellery and clothes flying. And it stank of BO. The lust for the clothes there was next level. Boho style has made another resurgence to become one of this summers biggest trends. In Trees day, it came with a much smaller price tag. It was fabulous because you could get a whole outfit I swear to god nobody believes it now for 5 in Biba. I cant afford designer, who can? Its ridiculous today. If you look at magazines, its all aspirational rather than affordable. Everything is 2,000. Her only investment is denim: If theres one thing I have learnt as I have aged, its to spend money on jeans. I love Mother denim. Ive worn the same pair for the past three years and theyre as good as new. Thick, quality, rigid denim is the most flattering on older figures. Whatever you wear, you dont want to be mutton dressed as lamb, she concludes. You also dont want to go flouncy or too Little House On The Prairie. Coat, 395, charlottesimone.com. Cardigan, 75, Selected Femme at anthropologie.com. Trousers, 45, asos.com. Scarf, 18, nobodyschild.com Keeping fit at 75 There are so many things that interest me: exhibitions, art galleries, reading, movies, theatre, says Tree. I think it keeps you going: loving art and loving beauty and being alive. Thats the secret, especially when whats going on in the world is really difficult. That, and kundalini yoga. Tree discovered Buddhism in her 40s. When I met His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New York I felt a deep connection with him, she says. She practises yoga at least an hour every day. Her other at-home fix is the Five Tibetan Rites. It takes 15 minutes and there are five exercises and you do 21 repetitions of each one each day. Theyre amazing for older bodies. If you feel tired or run down, they reset your system. Tree is also the kind of mum who makes manifestation boards with her family each Christmas. We cut out things we like the look of. Its about listening to the unconscious. And we check them at the end of the next year to see if theyve crossed over with our lives. Writing books Will there be another book? Id like to write one that is not about me, me, me, she says. Trees debut novel, 2024s Piece Of My Heart, was inspired by her early modelling days and received rave reviews. Writing it was cathartic as there were so many traumas during that time of my life, she says. Now Im interested in writing fiction from a different point of view, maybe from a male perspective. I find it incredibly difficult to think like a man and I want to explore that further. Hair: Tim Crespin at Arlington Artists for Neil Moodie Studio. Make-up: Carol Sullivan at Arlington Artists using Erborian Korean Skin Therapy. Joe Rogan has spoken out against Donald Trump once again - saying Americans are frustrated with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targeting laborers and not violent criminals as he promised during his campaign. Rogan, 58, claimed Wednesday that the president was alienating his base by targeting immigrants whose only crime was crossing the southern border illegally. Rogan tore into the concept, weeks after slamming ICE raids that have been targeting migrant laborers showing up to Home Depot parking lots where they'll often be able to find contractors who'll offer them a day's work. He told Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna this time around: 'The idea of people just showing up and pulling people out of schools and pulling people out of Home Depot... that were just hardworking people that maybe snuck over here because they didn't have a legal way to get over here... that's what freaks people out. 'Because when people thought about ICE, they thought, "Great, we're going to get rid of the gang members,"' Rogan continued. 'They didn't think, "Great, you're going to get rid of the landscaper."' Rogan, a former Bernie Sanders supporting progressive who now says he's libertarian, later said he understands why some people illegally emigrate from other countries. 'If youre just a landscaper, youre just a guy who lives in a Third World country and you want a better life, and you say, "I heard you can get across, and I heard when you get across, you can get work like, what is that guy going to do?"' he asked. Joe Rogan, 58, claimed Donald Trump was alienating his base by having ICE target immigrants whose only crime was immigrating during a conversation on the Joe Rogan Experience Rogan tore into the concept of targeting laborers at places like Home Depot, weeks after slamming ICE for targeting illegals at their places of work during an episode in July 'That guy doesnt have the money to hire a lawyer,' Rogan continued. 'How is he gonna prove that he is more valuable than a United States citizen thats already here doing the exact same job?' The comic clarified he's happy with increased security at the Southern Border, since it aims to prevent cartel members and other criminals from entering. But top White House aide Stephen Miller's strategy of targeting laborers at businesses like Home Depot is as step too far, he said. Miller gave such an order to ICE agents as early as May, The Wall Street Journal reported. Rogan reluctantly endorsed Trump towards the end of last year, after hosting him on his podcast. He has turned on the Republican in recent months, even floating Joe Biden's son Hunter as a potential presidential candidate during an episode in late July. Most of the criticism stems from Trump's immigration approach and the president's recent dismissals of the 'Epstein files', after months of campaigning for their release and increased government transparency. He told Flordia Rep. Anna Paulina Luna: 'The idea of people just showing up and pulling people out of schools and pulling people out of Home Depot... just hardworking people that maybe snuck over here [that] didn't have a legal way to get over here... that's what freaks people out' Dozens of day laborers continue to be arrested outside various stores in or around LA, New York City, and Baltimore Trump's adminstration told ICE agents to target laborers at businesses like Home Depot as recently as May, The Wall Street Journal reported 'Shout out to all the people that still don't believe in conspiracies,' Rogan wrote on his X account in July after the DOJ released findings stating that Epstein never even kept a 'client list' while stating he killed himself in jail. 'Your ability to stick to your guns is inspiring.' Trump faced heat last month after the Wall Street Journal accused him of sending pedophile Epstein a 'bawdy' 50th birthday drawing. The president denied doing so and has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the paper. Rogan first called the administration's deportations 'horrific' during an episode in March, That same month, he said he holds 'more left wing positions than right wing' ones. The former Fear Factor host has also panned the president's deportation policies as 'insane.' Dozens of day laborers continue to be arrested outside various stores in or around LA, New York City, and Baltimore. Protests have propped up in response. Luna argued that both Republicans and Democrats want discord to continue, as it benefits 'both sides.' A former aide to President Biden who's now a star MSNBC host has poo-poohed Donald Trump's Washington, DC, crime crackdown...while residing in an enormous $2 million home in a suburb miles from the lawlessness gripping much of the capital. Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, 46, joined much of the liberal herd in slamming the president's federal takeover of the capital's police department to try and lower crime. 'Meanwhile, the actual residents of the city Trump is trying to take over are definitely not aligned with that viewpoint, and they are pushing back,' she declared Wednesday on her show The Briefing Room. Psaki went on to share her delight at placards and protests devised by anti-police and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters across the city. But she made no mention of the fact that she lives in a six bedroom mansion in one of the city's safest suburbs, Arlington. The area, which sits just across the Potomac River in Virginia, was recently hailed as 'one of the safest places in America' and is a world away from Washington DC's notorious wards seven and eight, despite being just a few miles away. Last year, more than half of DC's murders occurred in those two areas. Jen Psaki cheered on protesters pushing back against Trump's DC takeover in a particularly crime-ridden section of the municipality on Wednesday Psaki lives in a $2m home in Arlington, Virginia (Arlington is pictured) that has been hailed as one of the safest places in the United States More than 40 percent of children living in Wards 7 and 8 live in abject poverty and more than 900 residents reported feeling unsafe in their homes or cars at all hours of the day in a recent survey. But Psaki suggested Trump's crackdown was just window dressing. 'Federal agents reportedly stopping cars for things as minor as seatbelt violations and broken taillights,' she said. Psaki questioned whether such stops were 'really cracking down on crime'. She speculated that they were 'probably' being conducted to glean citizens' 'immigration status.' Psaki - after losing roughly half of Rachel Maddow's audience during her first month in the coveted 9pm timeslot - relished in reports that some of the bystanders 'ran into a CVS to quickly make signs warning others that ICE was ahead [while] directing drivers to turn left to avoid the checkpoint. 'You can see one of the signs there theyre holding,' she said. 'That was DC last night,' she eventually concluded. 'The people of DC - which doesnt surprise me. Ive lived here a long time - pushing back in practical ways against what Trump is trying to do to the city.' It's located across the Potomac miles from DC's Ward 8. Psaki was seen celebrating protesters making cops' jobs difficult as they conduct traffic checks at a checkpoint at this intersection at the heart of Ward 8, along 14th Street in northwest Washington 'To give you a sense, this is a neighborhood full of restaurants and bars, and lots of people live there,' Psaki said, before relishing in the pushback. More than 40 percent of children living in Wards 7 and 8 live in abject poverty Her home is on the complete opposite side of the municipality's predominantly black Wards 7 and 8. Cops are seen here investigating the death of 3 during an armed clash on August 6, 2023 in Ward 8 Psaki is one of a number of liberals who have taken issue with Trump's bid to make the capital more safe. They cite statistics showing that crimes have fallen since 2023. But DC has more murders per capita than Bogota in Colombia or Mexico City. It is also plagued by far more homicides than New York City, with other liberals conceding that the capital has a serious lawlessness problem that does need tackled. At least some DC residents have embraced Trump's forced takeover of Washington, DC's, police force with open arms, including a local woman who uses the TikTok handle @bigdawglexi. She took to the platform to celebrate feeling safer since the first troops started arriving Tuesday morning. 'Finally able to chill at a red light with my windows down,' she said in a self-filmed video that went viral Friday. '(I'm) not worried about if one of them young n***s is coming Riding through the city, feeling more safe than I ever felt.' Some of Psaki's own MSNBC stablemates are at least partly-supportive of the crime crackdown. Morning Joe star Joe Scarborough, who also lives in the city, said lawlessness was out of control. A homeless man sits on a street in Ward 8 in 2023. Residents and local politicians have long called for increased security measures in the area, with many reporting feeling unsafe Psaki served the Biden administration's White House press secretary for a little over a year until May 2022. She went on to join MSNBC, where she now has her own show Former MSNBC star Chris Matthews, CNN's Anderson Cooper and Mike Nellis, a former Kamala Harris advisor, have all issues similar warnings since. They all claim Trump is goading Democrats into 'a trap' with his takeover of the DC, police force by daring members of the party to defend an unacceptable status quo of crime. The government in January said violent crime in DC was at a '30-year-low' in 2024, and early statistics from the Metropolitan Police Department suggest similar results can be expected for 2025. But such statistics can be misleading, all three said - especially when taken as truth without a hint of personal experience. Fired ABC News reporter Terry Moran gave a negative prediction about President Donald Trumps meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump and Putin are meeting Friday to discuss finding a solution to end the bloody war in Ukraine after nearly three-years of violence. However, Moran claimed during a recent interview on CNN that Trump is an alpha male - except when Putin is in the room. Trump told Fox News host Bret Baier that he will leave the summit immediately if discussions do not go well with the Russian leader. The president has also vowed severe consequences for the Kremlin if the summit fails. Despite the tough talk from the president, Moran told CNN host Abby Phillip on Thursday evening that he witnessed Trump freeze up in front of Putin during the 2018 Helsinki summit, the last time the two world leaders met in person. At the start of the segment, Phillip noted that the meeting is Putins last chance to prove to Trump that he is a logical actor and wants to bring an end to the Ukraine conflict. Moran agreed with Phillip before predicting Trumps male dominance will disappear once Putin arrives. Terry Moran claims Trump's 'alpha male' energy will disappear in front of Putin Trump has vowed 'severe consequences' against Russia if a deal is not reached Moran made his comments to CNN host Abby Phillip on Thursday evening Theres something about Trump and Putin, from the beginning, Moran told Phillip. I was in Helsinki as well. Trump is an alpha male in every room he walks into until Vladimir Putin is there. I was there. You could feel it in the room, he added. Now Im not saying that Putin has anything on him, but I think Theres no question that he has trouble with this guy. Moran was dismissed from ABC News back in June for a midnight Tweet critical of Trump and his adviser Stephen Miller. Miller is a man who is richly endowed with the capacity for hatred, Moran wrote in a now deleted post on X shortly before he was fired. The summit between Trump and Putin is taking place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. European leaders and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will not be in attendance. Moran was fired from ABC back in June for a late-night rant about Trump and Stephen Miller Trump told reporters that discussions about exchanging territory in Ukraine will eventually involve Zelensky. The scale of bank fraud and money mules across Britain is so vast it should be considered a national security threat, a leading think tank warns. A report from the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) has found sophisticated techniques and weak crime controls across the financial system has allowed droves of money mules to operate across the nation. Criminals use money mules to launder profits of crimes and 'rinse' the money by passing it through a legitimate bank account. This money often originates from fraud or scams, or sometimes drug dealing and people trafficking. The cost-of-living crisis is likely to have pulled more people into the money mule net as households desperately search for quick ways to make cash. Many money mules are unaware they are effectively laundering money as it is often set up as a fake job advertisement online. Target: Students are often tricked into becoming money mules with the promise of easy cash Crooks typically make promises of 'easy cash' and 'cash-flipping opportunities' when recruiting mules. Often cash-strapped students are the target, with recent data from Nationwide Building Society suggesting three in 10 are exposed to money mule scams every week, through social media. But mules involved in money laundering which often sees them paid just a few hundred pounds from the criminals - can face a 14-year prison sentence if caught. Once money gets into a money mule's account it is rapidly transferred elsewhere to make it harder for authorities to track it down. More than half of the funds received into money mule accounts left within an hour, research from Rusi, a think tank specialising in security, shows. Almost 28 per cent left the account within just 15 minutes, outpacing efforts by authorities to crackdown on the crime. Kathryn Westmore and Alison Owen, who penned the report, said: 'The scale and extent of fraud in the UK is so vast that it may reasonably be seen as a national security threat, undermining the rule of law and threatening the UK's financial sector. 'In particular, the rise of authorised push payment (APP) fraud has attracted considerable attention over the past decade. An APP fraud occurs when an individual is tricked into making a payment to a fraudster who they think is a genuine payee. 'In many cases, they make a payment into an account operated by a so-called money mule and controlled by the fraudster.' Rusi also probed the current payment systems in the UK and found newer digital banks with weaker financial crime controls are being 'disproportionately exploited' by fraudsters and money mules. These newer financial firms and payment providers receive a disproportionate share of transactions from known money mules as crooks exploit the weaker crime prevention systems in these companies. The report comes just days after it was revealed the number of money mules in the UK jumped 23 per cent in just one year. Some 225,000 people have been identified as money mules as their accounts were used by fraudsters to launder funds in 2024. The surge in mules has raised alarm bells at watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority, which 'recognises the scale of the challenge'. Advertisement Lamborghini has unveiled its new ultra-rare V12 hybrid hypercar with an eye-watering price tag of 3million. Just 29 examples of the Fenomeno are being produced as part of the exotic Italian brand's 'few off' roster of bonkers road cars. As the name suggests, the performance figures are phenomenal to say the least. Boasting a staggering 1,065 horsepower, it is officially the most potent model with numberplates that Lamborghini has ever sold to members of the public. It's also its fastest, capable of reaching 62mph in a mere 2.4 seconds; that's less time than it takes to say, 'capable of reaching 62mph in a mere 2.4 seconds'. But who gets their hands on such an exclusive car that built in incredible low volume using the most advanced materials and design? The Daily Mail sat down with Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann to ask just that... Lamborghini's fastest and most powerful road car EVER: This is the new Fenomeno - a 3million 'few off' hypercar produced in extremely limited numbers The Fenomeno has been unveiled at an invite-only event hosted during the prestigious Monterey Car Week in Pebble Beach, California. It is underpinned by the same petrol-hybrid platform as the company's flagship Revuelto supercar - but has been wound up to eleven to push the looks and performance into a different stratosphere. The powertrain upgrade means it now surpasses the model on which it is based as Lamborghini's most formidable road car, gazumping Revuelto's 1,001hp output by 64 horses. That's equivalent to adding the total power output of a Volkswagen Up city car. Some 823hp is generated by the naturally aspirated 6.5-litre 12-cylinder engine - which is a new record for Lambo - that revs to an ear-splitting 9,250rpm while a further 242hp comes from three electric motors delivered energy from a 7kWh battery making up the hybrid system. Everything is married together by an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Just 29 examples of the Fenomeno are being produced as part of the exotic Italian brand's 'few off' roster of bonkers road car As the name suggests, the performance figures are pretty phenomenal to say the least. Boasting a staggering 1,065 horsepower, it is officially the most potent model with numberplates that Lamborghini has ever sold to the public It is capable of reaching 62mph in a mere 2.4 seconds; that's less time than it takes to say, 'capable of reaching 62mph in a mere 2.4 seconds' As a result, it produces levels of speed so instant that you would need to put your driving licence on the endangered list, if you could afford the astronomical asking price, that is. The spec sheet states that it can reach 124mph in just 6.7 seconds and - if you dare - a top speed in excess of 218mph. Interestingly - though far less excitingly - the bigger battery means the electric-only range has also doubled compared to Revuelto. It means Fenomeno drivers can stealthily take to the streets in silent model for up to 12 miles when it's fully charged. With only 29 units planned at a price between 3million and 3.5million (roughly 2.6m to 3m), it's also set to be one of the rarest models to feature the prancing bull on its nose. A 30th car is also being made purely for Lamborghini, which it will retain in its museum and never sell to the public. The Fenomeno has been unveiled at an invite-only event hosted during the prestigious Monterey Car Week in Pebble Beach, California It is underpinned by the same petrol-hybrid platform as company's flagship Revuelto supercar - but has been wound up to eleven for to take the looks and performance into a different stratosphere The powertrain upgrade means it now surpasses the model on which it is based as Lamborghini's most formidable road car, gazumping Revuelto's 1,001hp output by 64 horses With only 29 units planned at a price between 3million and 3.5million (roughly 2.6m to 3m), Fenomeno will be one of the rarest models to feature the prancing bull on its nose The CEO says Fenomeno has been produced as a 20-year nod to the inauguration of its in-house department responsible for creating 'few off' models, which first unveiled its Reventon creation in 2007. Fenomeno now joins a lineage of limited edition Lambos that also includes the Sesto Elemento (2010), Veneno (2013), Centenario (2016), Sian (2019) and reborn Countach (2021). Winkelmann says it is these cars that have become a 'fundamental part of Lamborghini's DNA', having raised the profile of the supercar marque since the turn of the century. 'Fenomeno is an extraordinary car in terms of performance, style and iconoclastic representation of Lamborghini, created to celebrate the value and achievements of our brand, and dedicated to those customers who expect the utmost exclusivity from us,' he added. 'But beyond its extraordinary design and power, the Fenomeno is the few-off that, more than any other in Lamborghini's history, introduces innovative technical solutions to make the driving experience truly unique.' While its proportions are similar to that of Revuelto, a full-carbon makeover of the body makes it stand apart as a far more extreme vehicle. This includes deeply chiselled and indented panels, enormous cooling intakes, and a completely revised rear featuring a central quad exhaust outlet and Y-shaped light cluster. CEO Stephan Winkelmann says it is 'few off' cars like Fenomeno that has become a 'fundamental part of Lamborghini's DNA', having raised the profile of the supercar marque since the turn of the century Slide me Side-by-side: The Fenomeno is underpinned by the Revuleto flagship supercar (right). As you can see, they are dimensionally similar, but the 29-unit version boasts far more extreme design features The CEO says the Fenomeno has been produced as a 20-year nod to the inauguration of its in-house department responsible for creating 'few off' models, which first produced the Reventon in 2007 Inside, the Fenomeno is as extreme as it is on the outside. The 29 customers will be able to customise just about every element of the car they'll be delivered - once their 3million payment has arrived in Lamborghini's bank account, that is... Just 29 examples - so who gets one? With such finite availability, who on earth gets to own one of this radical machines? It's a question we posed to Winkelmann during an exclusive sit down with the Lamborghini boss. Given the company delivered 10,687 vehicles to customers globally last year, the 29 getting keys to a Fenomeno represents 0.2 per cent of Lamborghini's already-exclusive annual clientele. So how does it go about choosing who gets allocated one? The Daily Mail sat down with Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann ahead of Fenomeno's unveiling to understand who gets first dibs on ultra-rare cars built in limited numbers Given the company delivered 10,687 vehicles to customers globally last year, the 29 getting keys to a Fenomeno represents 0.2% of Lamborghini's already-exclusive annual clientele 'They are all allocated already, and almost all the deals are closed,' Winkelmann told us during an interview last month. 'There is a process which is based on criteria which is known by us, the customers and our dealers. 'This is in terms of the number of cars they have bought.' He explains that those with the biggest collection of high-value models - including other 'few off' cars - are given 'priority access' to special projects such as Fenomeno. And while limited-edition cars of this ilk have become fundamental to Lamborghini's DNA, the boss tells us there also needs to be a compelling business case for producing a vehicle with a stupendous seven-figure price tag. Winkelmann said the company is already facing 'heavy investment constantly to secure the future of the company', especially with changing regulations that are impacting car makers of all sizes in the lead-up to the proposed ban on sales of combustion engine cars from 2035. But he said the continuation of the few off project is key to 'hold on to a tradition that is very important'. While Fenomeno costs over six times the 450,000 price tag of Revuelto on which it is based, Winkelmann said it is not about producing an exclusive car to simply turn a profit, with huge costs associated to making such an extreme machine. 'It is not only giving us a business case, which is, for sure, not the biggest one, but it's giving credibility to the product and providing customers the opportunity to invest in something important to us,' he went on. 'If we would make it [Fenomeno] only for the profit, we would not make it, because the effort we have to put into it is huge in comparison to the profitability. 'What is most important to me is the satisfaction of our customers by enabling them to have something really outstanding and unique in very limited availability.' The UK stock market has sprung a surprise this summer. Even against the background of gloomy GDP and other economic data, the FTSE 100 index regarded as the bellwether of our economy has soared by 11 per cent this year to reach a record high of 9222. The index has outpaced its US counterparts, staging a bounce back from its April 'Liberation Day' low of 7544 when tariff announcements sent shares tumbling. The FTSE All-Share index, which covers the top 600 companies quoted in London, has also executed a surprising recovery. In the face of the downbeat stream of news on debt, employment, tax increases and much else, many investors have withdrawn billions from UK funds this year. But the Footsie's feats may be causing some of them to reassess this strategy. Britain may face challenges, but nowhere is exempt from economic and geopolitical angst at present. As Helena Pomfret, of wealth manager Evelyn Partners, points out: 'The heightened levels of uncertainty across the world mean it's important to stay diversified.' A foray into UK markets is not an insular approach. The members of the FTSE 100 earn about 80 per cent of their revenues overseas, but the FTSE 250 and FTSE 350 are more domestically focused, spreading your risk. Bright outlook: Britain may face challenges, but nowhere is exempt from economic and geopolitical angst at present Laith Khalaf, of broker AJ Bell, argues that UK shares particularly those in small and medium-sized companies are 'pretty attractively valued just now'. He adds: 'When an index reaches a record high, that can be a signal for caution. But in the case of the Footsie, it's been slow to get there.' If you are contemplating forming a new and deeper relationship with the UK markets, here are some of the companies and funds to back. MAKE THE MOST OF MERGER MANIA One compelling reason to back UK PLC is the expectation that the takeover bonanza will continue. During the first six months of the year, there were 74billion-worth of bids for British businesses, driven by the view that their shares were trading at 'an extreme discount', as one expert put it. Companies such as the banknote printer De La Rue have been acquired by US private equity groups. Others including Alphawave, Deliveroo, Just and Wood Gp were snapped up by 'trade buyers' firms in the same industry. Earlier this month the precision instrument maker Spectris finally succumbed to the largest US private equity player KKR at a price of 4,175p-a-share, 96 per cent above the price when predators began to circle in June. But it is likely that some companies will rebuff approaches they regard as opportunistic. In June, Craneware which supplies software to US hospitals rejected a 939m 2,650p-a-share bid from US private equity group Bain. Craneware shares stand at 2,270p. But analysts who rate the stock a 'buy' have set an average target price of 2,844p, suggesting that Craneware's bosses may have been justified in their stand. As a result of the frenzy, more and more companies are seen as potential targets. The list includes footwear brand Dr. Martens; Greggs, the sandwich-maker famous for its regular and vegan sausage rolls; Paragon, the bank; and Phoenix, the insurer. Such has been the gossip about a bid for oil giant BP that Shell was forced to deny that it was sizing up its rival. BP seems vulnerable because the US activist investor Elliott is using its 5 per cent stake to agitate for cost savings. But a decent set of first-quarter results and an exploration success seem to have improved the outlook, causing Maurizio Carulli, global energy analyst at Quilter Cheviot, to remark that 'the speculation may just end up being a blip in BP's long and storied history'. If you're tempted to back this great British business, analysts are targeting an average price of 450p, against the current 421p. The highest target price is 522p. TRY TAKING A DEFENSIVE STRATEGY Some private investors who were wary of the UK markets made an exception for defence stocks and have been richly rewarded. The FTSE All Share Aerospace and Defence index has risen by 71.9 per cent since January, driven by armaments spending uplifts in the UK, the EU and the US. If you are venturing into this sector, there may be further upside. Since January, aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce has soared by around 93 per cent to 1,074p. But analysts have set a target price of 1,440p, even before the company's vow this week to become Britain's biggest firm through the development of small nuclear reactors to power artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. Shares in Babcock, another major defence contractor, have advanced by 96 per cent to 995p this year. But it too continues to be seen as a 'buy' with an average target price of 1,153p. If you are looking to take a stake in defence, but also want a spread of other UK companies, the top holdings of the Zeus Dynamic Opportunities fund encompass Rolls-Royce but also Chemring, another key defence group. At 535p, its shares are 65 per cent higher than in January, but analysts still consider them a 'buy' with a target price of 573p. Among Zeus Dynamic's other stakes are BP and Tesco whose shares stand at 413p, 13 per cent higher than in January. Analysts believe the supermarket has further to go, however. Another option for exposure to Rolls-Royce and Tesco is the Ninety One UK Special Situations fund. GO FOR GOLD AND INCOME Going for gold has been another lucrative strategy this year. The metal's price reached a record $3,500 in April. Gold has regained its safe-haven status and is also in demand from the central banks of nations that do not wish to hold reserves in dollars. Fresnillo is a Mexican gold and silver miner, but the firm has been listed in London since 2008. Although its shares have soared 183 per cent this year, they are still regarded as a buy, given the forecast that gold could climb to $6,000 by the end of Trump's presidency. But there is also a focus on Fresnillo's dividends, another under-appreciated aspect of backing Britain the income available at a time when deposit account rates are becoming less generous. The FTSE All-Share's constituents are expected to distribute about 91.3billion in dividends this year. In addition, they have already made 54bn in share buybacks, another form of returning cash to shareholders. The FTSE All-Share's dividend yield is 3.37 per cent. This compares with 1.21 per cent for the US S&P 500. To make the most of this mix of potential growth and income, Khalaf suggests three funds. They are: Fidelity Special Values, which seeks out unloved companies poised for a turnaround; Liontrust UK Growth, which favours mostly Footsie members; and the iShares UK Equity Index fund, a 'cheap and cheerful' way to take a stake in UK PLC. Pomfret's recommendations are: Artemis UK Select; Evenlode UK Income; and Redwheel UK Equity Income, which invests in BT, BP, Marks & Spencer, NatWest and Shell. The share prices of renewable energy trusts were badly hit when borrowing costs surged. But there is consolidation in the sector and the dividend yields are attractive. SDCL Energy Efficiency offers a 10 per cent yield. The hazard of investing in these trusts is considerable. But Susannah Streeter, of Hargreaves Lansdown, says they are among the long-term bets on Britain being taken by family offices that manage the money of the ultra-wealthy. Net Zero policies may be facing pushback, but they will continue to be implemented. I have been increasing my UK bets for years to diversify, but also to do my bit for domestic growth and entrepreneurialism. And since Americans view our land as a great place to put their money, why would I disagree? Britain's biggest bread brand is on the brink of being created after Kingsmill's owner agreed to buy rival Hovis Group. If Britain's competition watchdog gives the deal the green light, future job cuts could be on the cards, though no details have been announced. The deal would mean Britain's second and third largest bread brands would be merged. Warbutrons is Britain's market leader in the bread-making sector. Associated British Foods has agreed to buy Hovis from private equity group Endless in a deal thought to be worth around 70million. The deal came after ABF, which owns Primark, launched a review of its strategic options for its loss-making Allied Bakeries arm. On Friday, ABF said the deal would result in the merging of the production and distribution operations of the two bakery businesses. The aim of this merging of operations is to cut costs and boost efficiencies, ABF said. Big bread brand: Britain's biggest bread brand is on the brink of being created after Kingsmill's owner agreed to buy rival Hovis Group It comes three months after ABF first confirmed talks over a potential deal. 'This transaction will create a UK bakeries business that is both profitable and sustainable over the long term,' ABF chief executive George Weston said. The deal is subject to regulatory approval. It will be scrutinised by the competition authorities given the combined bread market share of Allied Bakeries and Hovis. The Competition and Markets Authority will have to decide if the brands face sufficient rivalry on price and quality from supermarket own labels and other options as well as Britain's current market leader, Warburtons. However, the CMA is under pressure from the government to help support growth. ABF said the combined business would have a stronger platform for innovation in faster-growing segments of the bakery category, responding to changing consumer tastes with improved existing products and new ranges. ABF said on Friday: 'The combined business will be better placed to compete effectively and to establish a stable platform for product innovation in the segments of the UK bakery category that are growing as a result of changing consumer tastes and needs.' The food firm also said the deal would lead to the expansion of new product range and improvements in current products. George Weston, chief executive of ABF, said: 'This transaction will create a UK bakeries business that is both profitable and sustainable over the long term. 'Supporting the Hovis and Kingsmill brands with well-invested and efficient operations will also enable innovation and growth. 'This solution will create value for shareholders, provide greater choice for consumers and increase efficiencies for customers.' Hovis, which was founded in 1890, was bought by Endless in 2020 from Premier Foods, which owns the Mr Kipling brand. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'Associated British Foods will hope it can get the best of both businesses as it agrees to buy Hovis from private equity firm Endless and add it to its existing bakery holding Kingsmill. 'These brands have struggled against the market leader Warburton of late and neither is making money right now, the hope is that by combining they will be in a much stronger position.' He added: 'The danger is the regulator gets involved. Bread is a staple for most households and there might be some perceived risk that the deal would leave consumers out of pocket. 'Primark-owner ABFs conglomerate structure has come under renewed focus this year. Its discount clothing chain has struggled a touch, as have other parts of the business including its sugar arm. 'The company, and the controlling Weston family, continue to extol the virtues of diversification but for this to be sustainable then all parts of the group need to be in reasonable shape this deal could help put the Allied Bakeries division in a better place.' Topshop's standalone website is back up and running, as the iconic noughties fashion chain plans a major revival. Devotees of the brand can now shop on Topshop's dedicated website, more than four years after it was axed following the retailer's sale to Asos. After it sold a majority stake to a Danish firm last year, Topshop has been teasing its return as a standalone brand. It has wasted no time in getting the the big guns involved to relaunch its sleek website. Model and actress Cara Delevingne has curated a 40-piece range, with everything from a faux leather high shine washed trench coat to an 80s double-breasted oversized suit blazer up for grabs. Elsewhere on the website, a range of womenswear and menswear can be ordered online. The brand's full 2025 autumn and winter collection is going live on 16 August. It's back: Cara Delevingne fronts Topshop's major website comeback As part of its major relaunch, Topshop will be at Trafalgar Square in London on 16 August to host its first runway show since 2018 and preview its autumn and winter 2025 collections. This is a free but ticketed event. Amid high demand, Topshop released 500 more tickets for the event earlier this week. Topshop's newly-launched standalone website offers next day and standard delivery options, as well as a Topshop Instant AM pre 12-noon delivery service. Options: Topshop's newly-launched standalone website offers next day and standard delivery options Shops: In June, Topshop and Topman's managing director said the brands' bricks and mortar shops would be returning Will Topshop return to high streets? In September last year, Asos sold a 75 per cent stake in Topshop and Topman for approximately 135million to form a joint venture with Danish holding company Heartland, controlled by the Holch Polvsen family. It has since been working with Heartland to revive the brand. In June, Topshop confirmed it planned to open bricks and mortar shops across Britain as its revival gathered pace. Michelle Wilson, managing director at Topshop and Topman, told fashion trade magazine Drapers that the brand had 'something planned' for August and beyond. Topshop hosted a one-day pop-up event in Shoreditch, London earlier this year, called 'Topshop In The House'. The one-day pop up was a collaboration with Defected Records and marked Topshop's first physical event in four years. Wilson said in June: 'We have something planned in August to bring Topshop back into real life again, with a more semi-permanent presence than the one-day pop-up. 'In the shorter term that will be something with partner support and in the longer term we will do something standalone.' She said that Topshop and Topman would return to the high street in autumn via one wholesale partner. Wilson told Drapers: 'I'm excited to see Topshop back in person. I think the partner that we are collaborating with is an incredible partner. 'I think it will surprise a few people. I'm looking forward to the day that we launch that and seeing people's reaction and excitement.' However, Wilson stressed that the brand was not seeking to recreate what it had in its heyday, but was looking to build a presence, both in bricks and mortar and online, fit for the current market. Topshop will not be returning to its former flagship store at 214 Oxford Street in London, which is now occupied by the new Ikea which opened earlier this year. What happened to Topshop? Earlier this year, London Mayor Sadiq Khan was among those calling for the return of Topshop, stating at the time: 'I'd meet my mates outside Topshop, my daughters took me shopping at Topshop and I know every type of Topshop jean. 'Wouldn't it be great to get Topshop back on Oxford Street?' Topshop was founded in 1964 youth-focused offshoot of the department store Peter Robinson. At its peak, Topshop was a titan of the British high street, raking in about 100million in profit, with hundreds of stores spread across almost every large town and city in Britain. But the store's popularity waned as it struggled to compete with fast fashion online, losing its younger shoppers to aggressive digital e-tailers like Boohoo and PrettyLittleThing. In 2018, former owners Arcadia revealed it was haemorrhaging cash, reporting a 93.4million pre-tax loss compared with 164.6million profit in the year before. And sales slumped 4.5 per cent from 1.8billion. Amid the demise of Arcadia, owned by Philip Green, in 2021, Asos acquired Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge for 330million. At the time of its collapse, there were 70 Topshop stores across Britain. Britain's bioethanol industry is facing collapse after the Government refused a taxpayer bailout, putting thousands of jobs at risk. One of the country's biggest plants has announced plans to close. It came following the decision to withhold financial aid after Labour gave the go-ahead for cheap US imports to flood the market. Hull-based Vivergo, which is owned by London-listed Associated British Foods (ABF), said the choice not to support a 'key national asset' was 'deeply regrettable'. About 170 jobs are at risk, as well as 4,000 roles in the supply chain. Unions said 'the Government is choosing to effectively ship jobs abroad'. Bioethanol, which is made from wheat, corn or sugar beet, is added to products including E10 petrol. The future of the sector was thrown into doubt by Keir Starmer's trade pact with Donald Trump, which opened the door to tariff-free imports of 1.4billion litres of ethanol from across the Pond. The deal, which removed a 19 per cent levy, sparked fears that domestic suppliers would be unable to compete, and British wheat farmers would be left without a vital source of demand. Struggle: The future of the sector was thrown into doubt by Keir Starmer's trade pact with Donald Trump Bioethanol makers Vivergo Fuels and Ensus had warned that without government support they would be forced to close after the agreement made their businesses 'commercially unviable'. But the German-owned Ensus plant in North Yorkshire will continue to hold talks with ministers. That is because it also makes nearly a third of the UK's commercial carbon dioxide, a by-product of bioethanol used in fizzy drinks and the medical and nuclear industries. ABF warned that clean energy jobs would move overseas. It said: 'In making this decision, the Government has thrown away billions in potential growth in the Humber, a sovereign capability in clean fuels that had the chance to lead the world.' The Government said it had taken 'the difficult decision not to offer direct funding as it would not provide value for the taxpayer or solve the long-term problems the industry faces.' A student from a poor background smuggled drugs into a music festival to make money so she could 'keep up' with her middle-class friends, a court heard. Jasmine Mattis, now 20, had struggled to ape her wealthy classmates' lavish lifestyles when she moved to a prestigious secondary school. In August 2023 aged only 18 and having just completed her A Levels, Mattis was caught trying to enter the Creamfields dance festival in Runcorn, Cheshire with a stash of Ecstasy, cocaine, LSD, ketamine and cannabis wrapped up in her coat and a large bag. When confronted at the festival, one of the biggest in Europe and which attracts annual crowds of up to 70,000, she initially claimed the drugs were not hers. She then talked about 'needing the money', asking to go to the toilet and attempted to run away - before being arrested. Mattis, of South Norwood, Croydon, South London, faced up to seven years' imprisonment after she admitted five charges of possessing drugs with intent to supply. But the student and part-time waitress wept as a judge at Chester Crown Court sentenced her to 200 hours' unpaid work and 10 days of rehabilitation activities. A judge told her she had been attempting to peddle 'killer' drugs. Jasmine Mattis arriving for sentencing hearing at Chester Crown Court over drugs offences Mattis claimed she needed the money from selling drugs to 'keep up' with wealthy friends Mattis, currently studying Philosophy and Psychology at Keele University, Staffordshire, hopes to take a Masters degree at Edinburgh University and become a therapist. The court heard she has also become and a poster girl for the Youth Justice Legal Centre, which tackles youth offending and is sponsored by Sir Keir Starmer's former law chambers. Frances Wilmot, prosecuting, said Mattis was found with '42 bags of ketamine, 192 MDMA tablets, 22 bags of MDMA powder, 13 bags containing a mixture of MDMA, cocaine and ketamine, four doses of LSD, three cannabis cigarettes and a 1g bag of cocaine at 77pc purity'. Miss Willmott added: 'There were two mobile phones seized, which gave some indication in respect of drugs for her own use as well as supply to others. Clearly, (the drugs) were of some value.' Mattis, who has recently completed an eight-month solo journey across Asia where she volunteered as an English teacher, gave no comment in police interview. Danielle Manson, defending, said: 'Mattis grew up quite poor and went to a state school in Croydon. 'She was then offered a place in a quite prestigious state school which was quite a significant step up. 'She was then socialising with middle class Londoners and that is a very different world to the world that she was from. Jasmine Mattis attempted to enter Creamfields festival, which attracts 70,000-strong crowds, with a stash of Ecstasy, cocaine, LSD, ketamine and cannabis wrapped up in her coat and a large bag 'It is not an excuse - but perhaps an explanation, as to why a teenager, finding herself in new social circles, was trying to make some money. Those socialising with her were involved in different lifestyles.' Miss Manson, who did not reveal the name of the school, admitted her client had taken drugs herself from the age of 15 but added: 'There is no suggestion that she had any involvement with drug gangs. 'We are talking about a child who just finished school effectively but I have to concede she would have had some awareness of the scale of what she was getting herself into.' Sentencing, Judge Steven Everett said: 'Class A ecstasy is a killer. Cocaine is a killer and when (users) sniff it in its purest form, their noses cave in and it does goodness knows what else to their insides. 'Undoubtedly, LSD has a significant effect psychologically; it is well documented cannabis causes significant mental health issues and there is evidence ketamine causes bladder problems. 'You were going to take those drugs in and make money out of those people and create that risk. 'But you have exhibited genuine remorse, not just (feeling) sorry for yourself for being caught - you genuinely understand in the last two years the effects of the drugs and the seriousness of the position that you find yourself in.' Sparing her jail, Judge Everett said: 'Everything I have heard about you leads me to the inevitable conclusion that you can better yourself in life and I will give you a chance.' It was the 'biggest and noisiest crowd' that London ever saw. On August 15, 1945, tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of the British capital and elsewhere to celebrate the end of the Second World War. As had been expected for days up to that joyous moment, the rulers of Japan had finally surrendered after the United States' use of the horrifying atom bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These acts of mass slaughter had helped bring an end to a conflict which had left more than 380,000 British troops dead in combat. Although the bulk of those who died were killed in the fight against Nazi Germany, 30,000 lost their lives fighting in the Far East. Thousands of more would live for the rest of their lives with the trauma of the horrors they endured as prisoners of the Japanese. So, as archive pictures show, on VJ Day itself - when the surrender of Japan was formally announced - and on the days leading up to it, Britons in London and elsewhere celebrated peace joyously. The Mail said in its jubilant reporting that London had gone 'crazy'. In the excitement of the celebrations following news of Japan's surrender, an American soldier kisses a London girl in Piccadilly Circus, August 10, 1945 A man waving from a lamppost to the crowds below in Piccadilly Circus, London, during the celebrations following the news of Japan's surrender, August 10, 1945 The Victoria Monument outside Buckingham Palace became a grandstand for jubilant spectators waiting to catch a glimpse of the Royal family on VJ Day, August 15, 1945 The front-page story on August 16 went on: 'Never before has Piccadilly circus staged such scenes. 'Just after midnight bonfires were lit, which quickly blazed, and the enthusiastic crowds - as thick as ever at 1am - saw to it that the fires were never short of fuel. 'The damage this morning is considerable. Windows are broken, telephone kiosks are wrecked. 'Remnants of the crowd outside Buckingham Palace lit a bonfire in the roadway in front of the centre gate. They stoked it up with wooden park chairs. 'At 1am cars were still battling through Piccadilly, but you could not see them, for they were smothered with people on their roofs, mudguards, running-boards and bonnets.' There were said to have been 200 casualties caused by fireworks as the raucous revellers enjoyed themselves. The Red Cross had set up emergency treatment stations, and they received regular fresh cases. Among them were 'women who had fainted, men who had been knocked over and trampled on; men, women, children with burns - one boy was temporarily buried by a firework. The Royal Family wave to jubilant crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony on VJ Day, August 15, 1945. Left to right: Princess Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth, King George VI and Princess Margaret Jubilant crowds gather outside Buckingham Palace, hoping to see the King, following news of Japan's surrender, August 10, 1945 A policeman is held aloft by American military men in London on VJ Day, August 15, 1945 Londoners celebrate VJ Day in Trafalgar Square, August 15, 1945. Some naughty men and women climbed onto the fountain There were said to have been 'plenty of police', but 'nobody noticed them'. Thousands of the revellers ended up sleeping on the streets because there were nowhere near enough trains, trams and buses to get them home. It was not just London that celebrated. In Dover on the Kent coast, the castle was floodlit for the first time since 1939 and a 60foot bonfire was visible in France. The King's speech was relayed by a loud speaker that had until then been used for shell warnings. In Hastings, East Sussex, more than 10,000 holiday-makers packed the sea front and danced in the streets. In Portsmouth, the Navy put on a searchlight display, and in Plymouth, fireworks were fired from ships. In Nottingham, thousands of people danced in the streets despite the rain. In Manchester, revellers - among them sailors in uniform - gathered in the city's Albert Square to celebrate. Servicemen and women celebrate with other Londoners in Piccadilly on VJ Day, August 15, 1945 Londoners and Americans celebrate around a huge bonfire in Chinatown, August 14, 1945 St Paul's Cathedral is seen lit up by flood lights during VJ Day celebrations, August 15, 1945 The enormous crowd gathered at Piccadilly Circus on August 15, 1945 This is the scene in Piccadilly Circus at three o'clock in the morning at the height of the VJ Day celebrations, August 14, 1945 VJ Day happened to coincide with the State Opening of Parliament following the election that had swept Labour into office just weeks earlier. King George VI told the massed MPs and Lords: 'The surrender of Japan has brought to an end six years of warfare which have caused untold loss and misery to the world. 'In this hour of deliverance, it is fitting that we should give humble and solemn thanks to God by whose grace we have been brought to final victory. 'My Armed Forces from every part of my Commonwealth and Empire have fought with steady courage and endurance. 'To them as well as to all others who have borne their share in bringing about this great victory and to all our Allies our gratitude is due.' In a separate address to the British people, King George said: 'The war is over. You know, I think, that those four words have for the Queen and myself the same significance, simple yet immense, that they have for you. 'Our hearts are full to overflowing, as are your own. 'Yet there is not one of us who has experienced this terrible war who does not realise that we shall feel its inevitable consequences long after we have all forgotten our rejoicings of today.' Crowds dancing in Piccadilly Circus celebrating the victory over Japan, August 15, 1945 Crowds gathered in Piccadilly Circus and Shaftesbury Avenue with St. John Ambulance crews ready for an emergency in the foreground, August 15, 1945 American soldiers parade the 'Stars and Stripes' through Piccadilly Circus, London, during VJ Day celebrations VJ Day celebrations in London. A crowd singing and dancing in Piccadilly Circus, August 14, 1945 Jubilant crowds outside Buckingham Palace in the early hours of August 16, 1945 A floodlight Tower of London is seen in the early hours of August 16, 1945, as the capital celebrated VJ Day Office workers on the roof of their office building in Aldwych throwing tape and paper into the street below during VJ Day celebrations, August 10, 1945 Crowds dancing and singing in Piccadilly Circus after news of Japan's impending surrender emerges, August 11, 1945 Soldiers throw a comrade into the air at Piccadilly Circus as they celebrate VJ Day, August 10, 1945 A sailor climbing into a window in Aldwych during VJ Day celebrations, August 10, 1945 Crowds line the streets to watch the passing of the Royal procession after a service at St Paul's Cathedral, August 19, 1945 Workers at the Air Ministry letting loose a shower of papers from their office window after they heard news of Japan's surrender, August 10, 1945 Americans celebrate with Londoners after news of Japan's impending surrender, August 10, 1945 Soldiers and sailors trying to get a better view of VJ Day celebrations, August 19, 1945 Two soldiers lie down with their caps over their eyes, the VJ Day celebrations seemingly passing them by, August 16, 1945 Soldiers celebrate during VJ celebrations in London, August 11, 1945 Revellers crowd around a bonfire in Lower Regent Street during VJ celebrations, August 11, 1945 A crowd in Piccadilly stopping the traffic as they celebrate the end of the war, August 11, 1945 A cheering crowd at Piccadilly Circus on August 10, 1945, after news of Japan's imminent surrender emerged. One man has climbed the traffic lights Crowds gathered in Piccadilly Circus celebrating the imminent surrender of Japan, August 10, 1945 Picture shows crowds dancing and singing in Leicester Square after the first news of an imminent Japanese surrender was heard, August 10, 1945 eorge VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth II in a horse drawn carriage on their way to a Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul's Cathedral, August 19, 1945 The Daily Mail's front page on August 16, 1945, the day after VJ Day The Mail's coverage of prime minister Clement Attlee's address to the nation Prime Minister Clement Attlee told the public in his radio address: 'Japan has today surrendered. The last of our enemies is laid low. 'Taking full advantage of surprise and treachery, the Japanese forces quickly overran the territories of ourselves and our allies in the Far East and at one time it appeared as though they might even invade the mainland of Australia and advance far into India. 'But the tide turned, first slowly then with an ever-increasing speed and violence as the mighty forces of the United States and of the British Commonwealth and Empire and of their allies and finally of Russia were brought to bear.' He finished the broadcast by telling the nation: 'When we return to work on Friday morning we must turn again with energy to the great tasks which challenge us. 'But for the moment let all who can relax and enjoy themselves in the knowledge of work well done. 'Peace has once again come to the world. Let us thank God for this great deliverance and his mercies. Long live the King!' Sydneysiders living in a suburb set to receive hundreds of new units have voiced their anger at the pressure on their already 'overcrowded' and under-resourced community. Construction giant Meriton has proposed 620 new units in Carlingford, 22km north-west of the CBD, with the first stage under construction promising seven luxury residential towers, soaring to 29 levels. The development on 18 Shirley Street and 263273 Pennant Hills Road, which boasts the tallest towers in the area, has been met with backlash from locals who feel the area is already overcrowded. Parramatta Council reluctantly supported Meriton's proposal for the new development in 2023, citing fears the area could have lost out on community infrastructure if they didn't back the plans. 'We feel like our hands are tied because we're going to get the developments anyway,' Councillor Michelle Garrard said at the time. Meriton's new development, which temporarily shut down last week after construction worker Paulo Mau'u died on site and another was left fighting for his life, includes plans for a community centre, library and a supermarket. However, locals claim there isn't sufficient infrastructure in the area such as schools and hospitals to support the already overcrowded community. Carlingford resident Claudine told Daily Mail the development is 'driven by money and very little thought'. Carlingford resident Claudine (left) said the council needed to fix the roads before moving more people into the area Meriton's development on 18 Shirley Street and 263273 Pennant Hills Road (pictured) promises 620 new units 'They need to fix the roads first before they start moving more people in, that's the biggest thing,' she said. 'The traffic is already really s**t around here. It would be nice if they had a plan for that too.' She stressed the need for more local schools and hospitals adding: 'I was in hospital recently in ED and there were people waiting for almost 48 hours to be seen because there's too many people.' Young couple James and Amelia voiced their concerns that the new development will be unaffordable for local families. One-bedroom apartments in the development are on the market starting from $595,000 while at the other end of the scale four-bedrooms are priced up to $1,895,000. 'People are being pushed further and further west,' James said. 'No one can afford to live where they've grown up. 'I know families that have grown up here but they've had to move all the way out west because everything has shot up in price or been turned into apartment blocks they can't afford.' The couple, who live about 6km away in West Ryde, said new high-rise developments have 'blocked off the view' and fear the same for Carlingford. James (left) and Amelia voiced their concerns the new development will not be affordable for local families who are being forced to move out west Sandra (pictured), who moved to Sydney in 1972, said the new apartments represent the 'changing face of Australia' Meriton's Carlingford development includes plans for a community centre, library and a supermarket 'There's so many new developments being built but there's no infrastructure to support it,' James added. 'People out here are already struggling to get jobs locally.' Sandra, who moved to Sydney in 1972 for a working holiday and decided to stay, said the new apartments represent the 'changing face of Australia'. 'I don't like it, it's so sad,' she said. 'We came here in the 70s and there were so many wonderful, fabulous opportunities for everybody, but it's all changed now. 'I wouldn't tell anybody to emigrate here anymore and if I was rich, I'd go back home, but I'm not. 'There's too many units being put up everywhere. It's horrible how the city is changing.' Victor, who recently moved to Carlingford from Brighton-Le-Sands, said he feels there's 'too many people for such a small area'. Local resident Alina said Carlingford needs more schools, hospitals and shops Meriton's Carlingford project joins the many other high-rise developments nearby Victor, who recently moved to Carlingford, said he feels there's 'too many people for such a small area' 'I only moved in three weeks ago and I can feel it's growing so fast - it feels full,' he added. Local resident Alina said the area was in desperate need of more 'shops, cafes and restaurants'. A spokesperson for Meriton said they 'worked closely with council to ensure the project addresses local concerns such as traffic, parking, and infrastructure needs'. The proposal 'went through an extensive planning process, including assessment by independent planning and design review panels, referrals to key government agencies such as the Department of Education and Transport for NSW, and thorough community consultation. 'The proposal was endorsed by Council in July 2024 following a comprehensive assessment report. 'In addition to housing, the project will deliver over 5,000m of new public open space, interactive children's playgrounds, upgraded pedestrian links, on-site childcare, specialty and service based retail shops, a national supermarket, and a new 2,500m Community Hub featuring a library and multiple community facilities, bringing improved and lasting benefits to both residents in the local Carlingford community and beyond. 'Importantly, the development will contribute significantly to NSW's critical housing supply, with 90 per cent of apartments at The Carling priced well below Sydney's median house price of $1.5million. 'To further support home buyers, Meriton is offering Australia's lowest two-year fixed home loan rate of just four per cent, making purchasing more affordable than renting for many. 'The apartments have been well received by the market and are selling strongly.' Daily Mail contacted Parramatta Council for comment. Bayer pharmaceuticals' skateboarding, MIT-educated chief executive, Bill Anderson, is under fire after a damning report accused the $60 billion biotech giant of trying to rewrite the law to avoid tens of thousands of cancer lawsuits linked to its Roundup weed killer. Since taking charge in June 2023, Anderson, 58 - who is paid $10 million a year - has promised investors he will 'significantly contain' the legal crisis by 2026. Food and Water Watch, a group advocating for the protection of everyday people from 'corporations and other destructive economic interests', says the father-of-three from Ohio, Texas, is relying on a strategy designed to shield profits, not victims. They accuse Bayer of bankrolling 'cancer gag acts' in dozens of states. The measures would block residents from suing if companies follow Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) labeling rules, and would prevent local officials from warning about potential pesticide dangers. 'Bayer is scared. They're throwing everything at the wall to protect their profits,' one of the group's directors Krissy Kasserman told the Daily Mail. 'These bills would strip farmers, workers and ordinary people of their right to seek justice.' Bayer insists its products are safe and says the bills strengthen health and safety rules without stopping genuine victims from suing. The watchdog's report says Bayer and allied industry groups have spent millions on political donations, lobbying and ad campaigns to win lawmakers' support. The $10 million-a-year Texan CEO aims to 'significantly contain' the costly cancer lawsuits Protestors in Iowa helped defeat Bayer's so-called 'Cancer Gag Act' from becoming law From Anderson's appointment in 2023 through mid-2025, Bayer spent $21.3 million on federal lobbying - 43 percent more than the previous period, according to the report. In Iowa alone, the company's lobbying outlay during the 2023-'24 legislative session was five times higher than in the prior two cycles combined. Though, corporate muscle hasn't always prevailed. In Iowa, nearly nine in 10 voters opposed Senate File 394 (the so-called gag acts) where it was officially known only as an 'act relating to pesticides' - the opposition forced Bayer's lobbyists to retreat. So far in 2025, only North Dakota and Georgia have passed the legislation. Efforts failed in Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming. The campaign's real prize is Washington, DC, where a federal version of the law - the Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act - is set to be reintroduced this year. If passed, it could give pesticide makers nationwide immunity from lawsuits, so long as they comply with EPA labeling rules. It would also prevent state and local governments from issuing their own warnings about pesticide hazards. Food and Water Watch alleges Bayer has even tried to insert similar provisions into unrelated bills, including Pentagon spending and appropriations legislation. 'They're losing in court and in public opinion,' Kasserman said. 'Now they're trying an end run by changing the law.' Bayer inherited Roundup's legal morass when it bought Monsanto for $63 billion in 2018. Roundup's key ingredient is a chemical compound called glyphosate, which has been named a carcinogen by the World Health Organization and the state of California It agreed to a $10.9 billion settlement to some 95,000 Roundup cancer lawsuits in 2020, but failed to block future cases. Around 67,000 remain pending. Plaintiffs have already won verdicts exceeding $4 billion, though appeals continue. The lawsuits, alongside weak sales, have driven Bayer into sweeping layoffs and restructuring. Shares have slumped. 'Every decision we make is about moving past our litigation woes,' Anderson - a chemical engineer by training - told shareholders on a recent earnings call. The company is pursuing appeals to slash payouts and is petitioning the US Supreme Court for broader relief. At the heart of the storm is glyphosate, Roundup's active ingredient, which allows farmers to use the herbicide on genetically modified corn, soybeans and cotton without harming crops. The World Health Organization deemed glyphosate 'probably carcinogenic' in 2015. In 2017, California added it to its Proposition 65 list of cancer-causing chemicals, requiring warning labels on products sold in the state. While many countries have banned or restricted glyphosate, US usage has soared. Scientific studies have linked it to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a deadly blood cancer. The skateboarding CEO Anderson (pictured) took over Bayer in 2023 for a fightback against the crippling legal legacy Bayer inherited Roundup's legal problems when the German giant bought Monsanto for $63 billion in 2018 Mike Dennis, a 57-year-old resident of Carlsbad, California, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2020, which he attributed to his decades-long use of Roundup weed killer Still, the EPA insists glyphosate is 'not carcinogenic to humans' when used as directed - a stance Bayer leans on heavily in court and in lobbying. The company has said the proposed legislation simply clarifies EPA safety rules and 'would not prevent anyone from suing'. 'The future of American farming depends on science-based regulation of crop protection products,' a Bayer spokesperson told the Daily Mail. 'We stand behind the safety of our glyphosate-based products, which have been used worldwide for 50 years.' In rural farming states, entire communities face elevated rates of cancer and neurological illness, Food and Water Watch claims. And those risks extend nationwide when considering land-upkeep professions. One such case involved Dewayne Johnson, a California school groundskeeper who sprayed hundreds of gallons of glyphosate herbicides. After an accident left him drenched in Roundup, he developed severe skin problems and was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2014. In 2018, Johnson won the first Roundup cancer trial, securing $289 million - later reduced to $20.5 million on appeal. His case opened the floodgates for thousands more lawsuits. The future of pesticide regulation in the US is uncertain. Dewayne Johnson (pictured), a terminally ill groundskeeper from California, won $289 million in 2018 after it was determined the weed killer chemical gave him cancer Johnson's skin was covered in lesions as a result of his exposure to herbicide, he said The groundsman was awarded $289 million in damages after finding that Roundup weed killer was linked to his cancer Bayer has faced criticism for its products at home too. Pictured: a protest in Bonn, Germany, at the company's 2018 annual meeting Trump-appointed EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has focused on cutting regulations for business. But Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a longtime environmental lawyer, has battled Monsanto over Roundup, once calling the company his 'Lex Luthor'. And New Jersey Senator Cory Booker is pushing in the opposite direction from Bayer. Booker's proposed Pesticide Injury Accountability Act would create a federal right for individuals to sue pesticide makers over alleged health harms, including cancer and Parkinson's disease. Food and Water Watch says more than 90 percent of Americans have detectable levels of pesticide chemicals in their bodies, and as legal and legislative battles rage, thousands are watching closely, as their efforts to achieve justice - and compensation - could hang in the balance. President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in a summit filled with intrigue, fraught with risk and carrying the potential for serious consequences for the future of the grinding war in Ukraine. Foreign policy experts exclusively tell the Daily Mail that Putin's strategy in Anchorage on Friday will be to isolate Trump from Ukraine and Europe and turn the US from a loyal supporter into a mere bystander. Whether Trump emerges from the meeting smitten, seething or skeptical will determine whether another meeting's in the cards or if the president has finally reached the end of his patience with Putin's three-and-a-half year invasion. Given the stakes, experts say it's no surprise the White House is furiously trying to tamp down expectations for any immediate progress and characterizing Friday as 'feel-out' session. 'The Kremlin's strategy in Ukraine is to reduce the conflict into a one-on-one matchup,' said Peter Rough of the Hudson Institute. 'Putin will want to sidestep US sanctions and rebuild relations with Trump ... If he can drive a wedge between the US and Europe, all the better.' Daniel Fried of the Atlantic Council said the summit may have been built on false premises altogether given the tea leaves coming out of Moscow. 'The US may have agreed to this Alaska meeting under the mistaken impression that Putin was prepared to negotiate an end to the conflict in good faith. Now that this appears not to be the case, the Trump administration is trying to lower expectations,' Fried said. Instead of granting Putin the benefit of the doubt, Trump should take the opportunity to engage in classic coercive diplomacy and hold his feet to the fire, Rough argues. Notably, this trip marks the Russian president's first trip to the United States in a decade. The last time here was in America was for the U.N. General Assembly in New York Skepticism hangs in the air about what could be accomplished between the two world leaders, especially since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not be in attendance Air Force One at the Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage 'Put the choice to Putin: either agree to a ceasefire that reflects the current line of contact or face US and European economic pressure on a scale not yet seen,' he said. The Trump-Putin summit will also be missing an integral partner in any peace deal: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky has firmly rejected any land swaps with Russia, including Crimea and Donbas, due to constitutional prohibitions and the belief that ceding territory only benefits Russia strategically. Zelensky and European allies emphasize that peace talks must include Ukraine and affirm that territorial changes by coercion are unacceptable. While Trump has proposed a potential swapping of territories to end the war, Zelensky has characterized that idea as 'dead.' European leaders have echoed Zelensky's stance, emphasizing that Ukraine must determine its future and warning against being cut out of discussions, as they could demand harsher terms on Russia than Trump might. Former State Department Diplomacy Consultant John Sitilides said any inkling of Trump concessions to Putin will face 'profound headwinds' among allies. And anything Putin promises behind closed doors will be greeted with a heavy helping of skepticism. 'Putin may agree tactically to a mirage of negotiations to forestall Trump's secondary sanctions, and Zelensky is realizing that the longer he waits, the worse his options to rescue his country from further Russian devastation,' Sitilides said. Your browser does not support iframes. Members of the military stand outside an entrance to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska Alaska is an area long recognized by both nations as a strategic Cold War battleground, marked by surveillance networks and covert intelligence activity A view of the city as US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet at ElmendorfRichardson Air Force Base on August 12, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska, United States Trump and Putin will meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, with duration still unclear. The president is reportedly preparing to offer Putin access to Alaska's mineral-rich areas and ease aviation sanctions to end the Ukraine war, according to the Telegraph. Asked specifically about whether he was prepared to offer Putin access to rare earth minerals to get a deal, Trump didn't take it off the table. 'We are going to see what happens,' he responded to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday afternoon. He also admitted to Fox News host Brian Kilmeade that there's a '25 percent' chance his meeting with Putin winds up as an overall failure. But he's hopeful that a deal can get done. 'I make deals,' Trump said Wednesday, with the lure of a Nobel Peace Prize potentially driving his diplomatic gambit. But Trump has also flashed his willingness to drop the hammer. A member of the military on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska A C-17 Globemaster III takes off from Elmendorf Air Force Base Trump firmly stated that Russia would face severe consequences if it doesn't end the war, but he's backed away from that iron-fisted promise before. Guardian columnist Rafael Behr believes the President might follow through this time, writing, 'the damage will be done if he emerges from negotiations parroting talking points from the Kremlin script... Trumps newfound skepticism about Putin might withstand corrosion by flattery.' The president said he would judge whether what came out of the meeting was ultimately a 'fair deal', making known his willingness to walk away from a bad deal, and let the two sort it out on their own. Zelensky has said that any peace deal must start with a ceasefire or some kind of truce, saying a resolution can't work when drone and rocket barrages continue, and land is seized. Zelensky has said that any peace deal must start with a ceasefire or some kind of truce Last week, Putin made a point of saying he wasn't against meeting with Ukraine's president, but that certain conditions needed to be met for the meeting and that they were 'still a long way off' According to Daniel Fried, former Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs, President Trump should increase pressure on Russia going into this Summit, so Putin knows he means business If the war carries on, the next most urgent question facing the Trump administration will be whether to continue to fund it. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News earlier this week that the U.S. was done 'with the funding of the Ukraine war business,' even after the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a $800 million military aid package to Ukraine in late July. 'Even if the Trump Administration is not pursuing any new aid packages for Ukraine, it is happy to sell arms to NATO to transfer to Kyiv,' said Sitilides, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said. Fried says the most practical settlement of the conflict would involve a ceasefire, along the existing front lines ans security from Ukraine. But even he admits it's far-fetched. 'Russia will never agree to anything adequate,' Fried said. Experts say European and UK advice to the Trump team has been important, but could prove to be essential in the prospect of peace The setting for the summit is 'America's Last Frontier,' an area long recognized by both nations as a strategic Cold War battleground, marked by surveillance networks and covert intelligence activity. Alaska was once part of the Russian Empire and was sold to the United States in 1867 for over $7 million. This visit will mark the first time a Russian president has set foot on Alaskan soil since the sale. Notably, this trip also marks the Russian president's first trip to the United States in a decade. The last time he was in America was for the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The last time Trump meant Putin in 2018 the meeting ran more than two hours. But the selection of the military installation on this trip was also meant to send a message: The extra security, the New York Times reported, would facilitate the president's wishes for a shorter trip. Experts are creating an AI-driven crime map of England and Wales that aims to stop criminals before they strike. The Government today announced a 4million investment in the futuristic project, which will use official data to identify local areas that are likely to see criminal activity, such as knife offences and anti-social behaviour. Police will then target these locations with extra resources, including patrols and visits to the homes of convicted criminals, in the hope of intervening before any offences take place. Peter Kyle, Science and Technology Secretary, said the project would draw on data from police, councils and social services, including criminal records, previous offence reports and the behavioural patterns of known offenders. The Concentrations of Crime Data Challenge will see experts from universities and businesses tasked with creating the model with the aim of making it operational across England and Wales by 2030. 'We want to identify areas that have a higher probability of experiencing crime,' Mr Kyle told the Daily Mail during a visit to the Met's central communications command centre. 'That means police can ensure officers are in the area and are able to prevent these crimes happening in the first place or respond before they escalate. 'The Met and other forces have an enormous amount of data on historic and emerging crime. By using that - and incorporating data from other authorities such as local councils - the model can become more accurate as time passes.' Peter Kyle, Science and Technology Secretary, is shown a police drone during a visit to the Met's Central Command Communications Centre in Lambeth Smaller device (like the one pictured) that can be used to search buildings for hazards, such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs), before they are raided by armed police AI can identify patterns and links in evidence and sift through data more quickly than humans. Civil liberties campaigners have previously raised ethical concerns about the use of algorithms to try to predict crimes in advance. But Mr Kyle said the government's crime map would only use official data and not information from private sources, such as social media. He insisted any interventions police make based on the map's findings would be subject to 'human oversight' and insisted the system was merely an extension of traditional policing methods. 'Police forces throughout history have always looked at individuals who are committing crime and patterns of behaviour that indicate they will commit crime again - this is not new,' he said. 'But in an era where we are able to use digital technology and data to assist in that process we can't ignore the power of that technology to keep us all safe. 'This will be one tool alongside many others that crime fighters use. Human oversight and respect for the experience of senior officers will always remain at the forefront. 'We will not be using digital technology to blindly identify individuals on a vague probability. That is not what we are talking about.' Mr Kyle said the government's AI-driven crime map would only use official data and not information from private sources, such as social media A facial recognition van pictured at the Met's Central Command Communications Centre The initial 4m investment aims to deliver a series of initial prototypes by April 2026. My Kyle spoke to the Daily Mail on a visit to the Met's Central Command Communications Centre in Lambeth, where he also viewed other tech innovations including 'first responder' drones. The gadgets, which will be deployed in London in October, can be sent to the scene of emergency incidents in minutes to give officers an overview of the situation and gather evidence. The Mail also saw a demonstration of a smaller device that can be used to search buildings for hazards, such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs), before they are raided by armed police. Mr Kyle also viewed a van fitted with facial recognition cameras, which are already used in London and are now being rolled out across seven police forces Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley and Hampshire. According to officials, the technology has already been used to make 580 arrests in London over the last year, including 52 registered sex offenders. Campaign group Big Brother Watch claimed the move 'represents a significant expansion of the surveillance state.' But the government maintains the technology will only be used to catch 'highharm' offenders with rules to ensure 'safeguards and oversight'. One of the centre's functions is to coordinate crowd control for major public events in central London Tom Cruise in the 2002 Hollywood hit Minority Report 'What we are doing is ensuring that those people who are known perpetrators of crime are found, identified and brought to justice so they can't commit more crimes,' said Mr Kyle. 'People should be reassured that we keep people's digital information safe and secure and always act appropriately. Anyone who is not identified by these cameras has their data immediately and permanently deleted. 'There are criminals out there using data and digital technology to commit crimes. It would be absurd to suggest we don't use this technology to keep people safe.' This week, the Home Office said every community across England and Wales had now been assigned a 'named, contactable' officer to handle reports of crimes such as anti-social behaviour. Their details will be made available for residents on their local force's website, it is understood. The pledge was made as part of the Government's previously announced Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, under which forces have committed to respond to neighbourhood queries within 72 hours. The Government said the move would help ensure 'the public will have consistent direct links to their local force, with dedicated anti-social behaviour leads and new visible patrols in town centres'. Detectives are hunting for a series of robbers and attackers across London's train network after a spate of violent incidents in recent weeks. British Transport Police have issued five appeals for suspects this week as they probe reports of crimes such as sexual assaults, bicycle theft and wallet robbery. Recent incidents in the capital have seen robbers try to grab shopping bags or handbags, or leave people with lasting injuries following violent incidents. It comes after commuters were accused of assaulting a man who dropped his trousers on a District line train near Upton Park in East London on August 7. BTP have interviewed two of the four vigilantes so far, while the man - who told them to 'f*** off' after requests to pull up his pants - was taken to hospital and sectioned under the Mental Health Act. No arrests have been made and the probe continues. Police want to identify the other two men brawling with the man, who was initially arrested by an off-duty officer when he refused to cover up then wielded his belt. During the incident the man began yelling then dropped his trousers and put his belt around his neck. His bottom and genitals were on show, sparking anger and revulsion around him on the train, which was busy with children on their summer holidays. A passenger stood up and quickly confronted him, gesticulating angrily. He politely and firmly told him: 'You need to get off the train.' But the man began repeatedly yelling back: 'F*** off.' The commuter said in response: 'What do you mean "f*** off"? You need to get off the f***ing train. Now. There are kids on here.' Footage of the incident showed up to four men kicking and punching the naked man, who was hitting them with his belt. He was later pinned to the floor of the carriage. The man was then unceremoniously carried on to the Tube platform at East Ham and dumped to the floor. He was then held down as the commuters tried to alert staff. Separately, a huge fight broke out at the entrance to Highbury and Islington station on July 17 - with a screaming toddler ending up on the floor in the melee. Members of the public attempted to intervene as the group appeared to hurl a man down the stairs at the North London hub and throw punches and kicks at him. Footage captured the chaos as a smartly-dressed man kicked the head of another in a grey tracksuit - as someone else threw a rucksack into the packed crowd. Commuters attempted to break up the fight and helped a mother and her baby in a buggy get out of the way, before bystanders rushed to pick up the child off the floor. Some 16,288 crimes were reported on the Underground network between January and August 2024 a rise of 13 per cent on the same period the year before. Bond Street (Elizabeth line, Zone 1) A passenger was walking to the Elizabeth Line platforms at Bond Street late on a Sunday evening last month when a man grabbed her shopping bag. The woman pulled the bag back and kept hold of it, but he then tried to grab her handbag during the incident at around 10pm on July 13. She eventually managed to walk away with her belongings after other members of the public intervened and detectives are now probing the attempted robbery. A photograph of a man walking along a station corridor has been issued by police because they believe 'may have information which could help their investigation'. BTP wants anyone who recognises the man to tell them with reference 391 of July 18. Police want to speak to this man after an attempted robbery at Bond Street station on July 13 Canning Town (Jubilee line, Zone 2/3) A woman was sexually assaulted in a stairwell at Canning Town Underground station in East London on a Wednesday evening last month. Detectives are now investigating the crime at 6.20pm on July 30 at the Jubilee line station, which has an interchange with the Docklands Light Railway. They released a CCTV image in connection with the investigation, and believe the man in the picture 'may have information that could assist their enquiries'. Anyone who recognises him should contact BTP with reference 161 of July 31. This man is being sought by detectives after a sexual assault at Canning Town on July 30 Belsize Park (Northern line, Zone 2) An Underground passenger was assaulted on a station platform and suffered what police described as a 'lasting eye injury' in a shocking assault. Officers said the man was assaulted at the Grade II-listed Belsize Park station on the Northern line in North London just after 5pm on Saturday, June 19. They have now released a CCTV image in connection with the assault because the man in the picture 'may have information which could help their investigation'. Anyone who recognises him is asked to contact BTP with reference 514 of June 19. Officers investigating an assault at Belsize Park station on June 19 have released this image Elstree & Borehamwood (Thameslink, Zone 6) A 14-year-old boy was robbed of his bicycle on board a Thameslink train leaving Elstree and Borehamwood station in Hertfordshire heading into London. The teenager was approached by a man on a Friday afternoon last month who stole his bicycle on the train, which was travelling towards Mill Hill Broadway. Police do not know where the man left the train, but later the same evening he is believed to have been seen again exiting at Elstree and Borehamwood. Detectives issued a photograph of a man who 'may have information that could assist their enquiries' following the incident at about 4.45pm on Friday, July 11. Anyone who recognises him should contact BTP using reference 527 of July 11. An image released after a bicycle robbery at Elstree and Borehamwood station on July 11 Southend East (c2c, Essex) A man trying to buy a train ticket at a machine was robbed at knifepoint by a man and woman who approached him in the early hours of a Friday morning. One of the robbers at Southend East, a c2c station in Essex, had a knife in their hand and pushed the man to the floor, demanding his wallet. The man got up and tried to get away, but was punched and knocked to the floor during the incident in the seaside city on July 25 at about 4.30am. As the man got up, several items of jewellery, a bag of medication, and a jacket containing his mobile phone were taken. BTP investigating officer DC Nicola Avery said: 'We would like to speak to the two pictured as we believe they may have information that could help our investigation. 'While we appreciate the images may not show the clearest picture of the pair due to their face coverings, someone may recognise their clothing or notice something distinctive.' Southend East is on the c2c line between Shoeburyness and London Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street stations, and is popular with commuters to the capital. Anyone who recognises either person in the images or has information about the robbery is asked to contact BTP, quoting reference 68 of July 25. Officers investigating a robbery at Southend East station on July 25 released these images Anyone who recognises anyone in the photos can text BTP via 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40. They can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 The resident of an asylum hotel near Gatwick Airport has been charged with sexually assaulting three women in a three-week period. Qais Al-Aswad, 26, who resides at Four Points By Sheraton Hotel, Brighton Road, Horley, Surrey has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Today, at Staines Magistrates Court a trial date of August 20 was set. Al-Aswad is charged with sexually assaulting the women in Horley, Surrey on May 23; June 4 and June 12. He has been remanded in custody at HMP Wandsworth and his solicitors have asked for time to apply for Legal Aid. He will also require an Arabic interpreter for the trial. Al-Aswad was not produced in court today as HMP Wandsworth has suffered a power outage. The four star Sheraton Hotel lies just a few kilometres north of Gatwick on the bank of the River Mole. It boasts 110 rooms as well as a fitness and business centre and TV room. The four star Sheraton Hotel which is currently being used to house asylum seekers A resident of the Four Points By Sheraton Hotel, which has been turned into asylum accommodation, has been charged with sexually assaulting three women in three weeks The four star hotel (pictured) lies just a few kilometres north of Gatwick on the bank of the River Mole. It boasts 110 rooms as well as a fitness and business centre and TV room Inside the bedroom at the plush hotel near Gatwick. Pictured: A family room with two double beds The luxurious dining area in the hotel, which was formerly open to the public for guests In recent weeks, several anti-immigration protests have taken place outside asylum seeker accommodation across the country amid widespread discontent with the Government's handling of the small boats crisis. The Bell Hotel in Epping has been at the epicentre of these protests after an Ethiopian migrant was charged with a series of sexual offences. Hadush Kebatu, 38, is alleged to have put his hand on a 14-year-old schoolgirl's leg, asked her for a kiss and suggested they make 'Jamaican babies' in Epping over two days, Chelmsford Magistrates' Court was told. He had arrived in the UK by small boat days prior to the alleged offences being committed, said to have happened between July 6 and 9. Kebatu appeared in court last month to deny three charges of sexual assault against two girls aged 14 and 16, inciting a 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity and harassment without violence. A migrant residing in the same hotel was charged with a litany of unrelated offences including sexual assault Mohammed Sharwarq, a Syrian national living at the Bell Hotel in Epping, faces seven charges linked to offences alleged to have been committed between July 25 and August 12. The 32-year-old is facing two counts of common assault, four counts of assault by beating and a single count of sexual assault on a man, contrary to section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2002. In recent weeks, several anti-immigration protests have taken place across the UK (protesters pictured outside The Bell Hotel, Epping, London) Crowds have gathered outside asylum seeker accommodation with Union Jack flags and banners (protestors pictured outside Cresta Court hotel, in Altrincham, Greater Manchester) Essex Police said they arrested a 32-year-old man after being called to the Bell Hotel in Epping on August 12 before taking him in for questioning. Sharwarq was then charged and was due to appear in court on Wednesday. The Bell Hotel has been at the epicentre of a series of anti-immigration protests held outside asylum seeker accommodation after a separate incident in which an Ethiopian migrant was charged with a series of unrelated sexual offences. And it is not the only hotel which has been a focal point for protestors. Earlier today chaos erupted outside the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf which houses migrants, after a man believed to be staying there allegedly walked into a woman's house. The man is said to have entered the house after being followed by a group of men on the street and told to 'go back to the hotel' where anti-migrant protesters were gathered outside. The Met Police said the man had not been charged 'as our initial investigation has not identified any offences'. They refused to say if he was a migrant staying at the hotel. The hotel has been a focus of protests in recent weeks after Tower Hamlets Council confirmed it had been handed over to the Home Office to house asylum seekers. Vladimir Putin thanked Donald Trump for a 'constructive' meeting in Alaska, despite the two being unable to reach a 'major breakthrough ' on the war in Ukraine. The leaders met for approximately 2.5 hours behind closed doors at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Friday. After the meeting concluded, Trump and Putin delivered a brief joint press conference exchanging pleasantries. Speaking aboard Air Force One as it flew toward Anchorage, the president declared his mission was nothing less than to 'stop the killing' and demanded that a truce between Russia and Ukraine be reached 'rapidly.' 'I don't know if it's going to be today,' Trump admitted, 'but I'm not going to be happy if it's not today. Everyone said it can't be today but I want the killing to stop.' Live updates below Vladimir Putin will travel to Alaska for a historic summit with Donald Trump amid a growing maelstrom of theories about his health. According to his enemies and hints from Western intelligence services, Putin, 72, is suffering from conditions as minor as restless leg syndrome, or as serious as cancer and Parkinson's disease. His changing appearance has given rise to suggestions that he is being treated with steroids to boost his immune system, and there have been reports of subsequent 'roid rages'. Other theories abound. There is some evidence, although circumstantial, that he has used body doubles, and claims that he has taken to an old Russian practice of bathing in deer antler blood to extend his life. If time is dwindling, it may partly explain Putin's apparent determination to keep fighting in Ukraine. The Kremlin has dismissed all suggestions that the Russian leader is ill as 'hoaxes'. Still, here are eight possible indicators that he is suffering from a secret condition. A frontal view of Putin's face at a ceremony in 2024 1. Jelly legs In November, Putin displayed some bizarre jerky leg movements on a trip to Astana, Kazakhstan. As he spoke at a press conference, he gripped the lectern in front of him as his legs twitched, seemingly uncontrollably. The twitching started with his left foot, and he appeared to take a wider stance to steady himself. Then, both knees started wobbling side to side, and he put his left leg forward before it started jerking up and down. When shown the video, Dr Bob Berookhim, a urologist in New York, told the Daily Mail several culprits could be at play. 'There are a few different things that could lead to movements like this, including Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions,' he said. 'Based on just a few images and videos that are curated by Russia, it is hard to say what someone is dealing with here, but there may be something more significant going on with him that would tie everything together.' Pressed on whether it could indicate Parkinson's, he said, 'It wouldn't be an isolated thing like that, it would usually be more related to ongoing treatment for that kind of jelly leg movement - a one off means much less.' The 'jelly legs' incident came a month after Putin was seen repeatedly rubbing and scratching his face and neck during an appearance at a fencing center in the city of Ufa. There was similar itching and scratching the previous day in Moscow. 2. Puffy face Putin has, on several occasions in recent years, displayed distinctly puffy facial features. Notably, in November 2023, his face appeared much fuller, leading a senior Ukrainian official to ask, 'What's up with Putin's cheeks?' Bloating around the face and neck can be a sign that someone is being treated with steroids. Putin appears fuller around the face and neck during an inauguration ceremony in the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, on May 7, 2024 'This puffy face could be the look of someone who gets steroid treatments, which could be for a variety of reasons, whether inflammatory conditions, or pain, or part of a treatment for something more significant that could cause him to take on this appearance,' said Dr Berookhim. 'It could also be weight gain. 'For someone his age, steroid treatment could be needed as part of a cancer therapy. Some patients with chronic pain will also use steroids sometimes.' Some doctors have said it could be allergies or a sinus or tooth infection. Others suggested Putin was receiving Botox injections. Being treated with steroids can add to a patient's risk of infection, including coughs and colds, and they can suffer changes to their mood and behavior. One cancer charity has warned that, 'when taken in higher doses, steroids can cause confusion or changes in thinking. This can include having strange or frightening thoughts.' Adding to the theory of steroid use, two weeks before Putin invaded Ukraine, he met with French president Emmanuel Macron. An aide to Macron said Putin seemed 'different' and had 'gone haywire'. Putin's face appears much thinner as he travels in an armored train in 2012 3. Alleged meetings with cancer doctors The theory that Putin has been treated by cancer specialists stems mainly from a 2022 report by the Russian investigative outlet Proekt, which looked at trips the Russian president took to his residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. By cross-referencing the dates with bookings at nearby hotels, it reported that an oncology surgeon specializing in thyroid cancer had visited 35 times and spent 166 days there. Two ear, nose and throat specialists were there even more often, according to the report. Typically, specialists diagnose thyroid problems before an oncologist is called in. In 2019 Putin was said to have had an average of nine doctors with him, including and intensive care specialist, an anesthetist and a neurosurgeon. The Kremlin dismissed the report as 'fiction and untruth'. Vladimir Putin speaks during a concert marking the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea, on March 18, 2022, in Moscow Then, in 2022, an unverified recording emerged of what was said to be a Russian oligarch, who was secretly recorded saying Putin was 'very ill with blood cancer'. The recording also suggested he had undergone back surgery in 2022. 4. Western intelligence hints In February 2022 Marco Rubio, then a senator, dropped a heavy hint there may be something wrong with Putin. At the time, Rubio was part of the 'Gang of Eight' members of Congress with access to extremely sensitive classified intelligence. He said, Putin 'appears to have some neurophysiological health issues.' 'I wish I could share more, but for now, I can say its pretty obvious to many that something is off with Putin,' he said at the time. 'He has always been a killer, but his problem now is different and significant. 'But most telling is this is a man who has long prided himself on emotional control. His recent flashes of anger is very uncharacteristic and show an erosion in impulse control.' In June of that year, Biden national security officials leaked information suggesting that Putin had recently undergone cancer treatment. 'There has been an identifiable change in his decision-making over the past five years or so,' a Kremlin security official told the Daily Mail at the time. 'Those around him see a marked change in the cogency and clarity of what he says and how he perceives the world around him.' 5. 'Bathing in reindeer blood' Unconfirmed reports have emerged that Putin took up the practice of bathing in blood taken from reindeer antlers. He was said to have been introduced to the practice by his defense minister, Sergei Shoigu. Putin with reindeer during a holiday in the Tyva region in 2013 Putin would not be the first Russian to adopt the practice of bathing in - or drinking - deer blood. It is believed to have benefits for the cardiovascular system and skin. Reindeer farms in Siberia make 'antler broth' for bathing, and also sell antler blood in pill form, creams and alcoholic beverages. When asked whether bathing in deer's blood could boost health, one radiologist told the Daily Mail, 'Nope, no comment, but that seems absurd to me.' 6. Body double claims In March 2025 claims spread that Putin had sent a doppelganger on a visit to the front line in the Kursk region. Photographs from the event showed him with a noticeably thinner body and face. It was also noticeable that he used handwritten notes, rather than Putin's usual printed ones, and they were smaller than the president's normal large type. Japanese AI researchers have claimed there are two regular doubles used by Putin. They analyzed his speeches to see if the voices matched each other, and used facial recognition technology. It was found that there was only a 53 percent facial similarity between the Putin at a Red Square parade in May 2023, and the Putin pictured on the Crimean Bridge in December 2022. The Putin at the 2023 parade showed only a 40 percent match to the Putin who visited Mariupol and talked to residents two months before. Similarity between the Crimean Bridge Putin, and the one in Mariupol was only 18 percent. Body double? Vladimir Putin drives a Mercedes over the missile-damaged Crimean Bridge in 2022 Speculation about doubles has led to wild conspiracy theories that Putin could already have died, and been replaced by a doppelganger. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman said the theory 'belongs to the category of absurd information hoaxes that a whole series of media discuss with enviable tenacity. This evokes nothing but a smile.' A reporter for the Russian news agency TASS subsequently asked Putin in February 2020: 'Are you real?' Putin replied 'Yes' but added that it had been suggested by his security officials. 'I declined these body doubles,' he added at the time. 'This was during the most difficult periods of the fight against terrorism.' 7. The long tables Putin's behavior during the pandemic led to suggestions that he could have a vulnerable immune system. While it seemed reasonable to keep him relatively isolated, the isolation measures seemed drastic. Visiting dignitaries who were going to meet Putin had to spend up to two weeks quarantining in hotels, and there were reports of officials having to be sprayed with disinfectant before going into his office. When Macron visited, Putin made him sit at the other end of a 13-foot table. Putin keeps his distance from Macron in a 2022 meeting Putin's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov was also forced to sit a similar distance away. And when Putin met with his top officials they all had to sit on the other side of a cavernous hall. If he was taking drugs for a serious illness that suppressed his immune system, then the precautions would have seemed more explainable, experts say, as they would have left him more vulnerable to a serious coronavirus infection. 8. Rush to conquer Ukraine Putin's decision to go all in with his invasion of Ukraine has led to speculation that he decided to accelerate his timeline due to health concerns. He has compared himself to Peter the Great, the 18th-century Russian tsar, linking their shared desire to conquer. Putin in 2009 riding a horse while traveling in the mountains of the Siberian Tyva region Putin's recent poor posture and his apparently bloated face and neck sparked speculation about a decline in health Putin's expansion had previously played out over long periods - in 2008 he invaded Georgia, and then in 2014 Crimea - and he could potentially be president of Russia until 2036, following changes to the constitution. Many in the West expected him to make what President Biden once called 'minor incursions' into Ukraine, hoping there would be no consequences. But instead of a so-called 'salami' approach, taking small slices, he chose to launch a highly risky full-scale invasion. Antoni Porowski has Queer Eye fans drooling as he strips off to display his chiselled abs while exploring Michigan - after news that beloved reality show's tenth season will be its last When an unidentified interstellar object several miles wide comes hurtling through our solar system at 37 miles a second, the science world inevitably sits up and takes notice. But while Nasa which first spotted the object now known as 3I/ATLAS in early July and most astronomers believe it is a comet that will thankfully come nowhere near Earth, others have come up with a more disturbing theory. They believe it could be a hostile alien spaceship. And, perhaps most concerningly, these intergalactic contrarians are led not by some tinfoil-hat-wearing conspiracy theorist but a Harvard professor of astrophysics. In a study paper, Professor Avi Loeb and his fellow researchers Adam Crowl and Adam Hibberd of the London-based Initiative for Interstellar Studies advance a detailed theory about who or what this intergalactic visitor might be. They speculate that, far from being a comet, the object could instead be a sprawling mothership from a distant planet, armed with technology vastly more advanced than ours. Loeb and his associates have identified eight anomalies about 3I/ATLAS to support their outlandish theory, including its size, trajectory and behaviour. Each individual anomaly is statistically very rare, they insist, and so taken together they strongly suggest that some as-yet-unknown intelligence is steering the object towards us. Nasa was the first to spot the object, now known as 3I/ATLAS, in early July 3I/ATLAS shoots across a dense star field in this image captured by the Gemini North telescope last month An encounter with an interstellar, alien technology is a blind date of astronomical proportions, Prof Loeb told the Daily Mail. You dont know what you will meet, because our imagination is limited to our experience on Earth. He argues that the plots of science fiction films are pretty much tailored to fit the narrative of what we are doing here on Earth and just expanding [on it]. That is, most of us have no conception of what a really advanced civilisation might look like. Expecting present-day humans to comprehend the sort of technology aliens would have developed in order to reach us is like asking a caveman to imagine an iPhone, says Loeb. He has suggested sending a message using radio waves to the object: Hello, welcome to our neighbourhood. Peace! However, he also acknowledged the risks of this, noting that any intelligent life might see the signal as a threat. Most of Loebs professional peers have determined that 3I/ATLAS will turn out to be a comet. They believe it has been drifting through space for billions of years, accelerating thanks to the gravitational catapult effect of the countless stars it has passed. Its current speed of 130,000mph makes it the fastest comet ever recorded, says Nasa. Predictably, some of Loebs fellow astronomers are peeved that he is, as they see it, letting the side down by venturing into science fiction. Oxford University astronomer Chris Lintott says hes spouting nonsense on stilts. And Loeb, it has to be said, has been urging the world to keep an open mind about extra-terrestrials for some time. An expert on black holes, he has spent years searching for signs of alien life and, in 2021, founded the international Galileo Project to focus on this area. Two years later, he led an expedition to a site on the bed of the Pacific Ocean where a meteor was believed to have come to rest, claiming the remains his team discovered could have come from an extraterrestrial spacecraft. Professor Avi Loeb led an expedition to a site on the bed of the Pacific Ocean where a meteor was believed to have come to rest, claiming it could have come from an alien spacecraft The professor and his associates have identified eight anomalies about 3I/ATLAS to support their outlandish theory, including its size, trajectory and behaviour Nasa, whose telescope in Chile first spotted 3I/ATLAS on July 1, says the object should remain visible to ground-based telescopes in September but will then pass behind the sun. It is expected to reappear by early December. So what are the anomalies about 3I/ATLAS that have so alarmed Professor Loeb? The first relates to its lack of tail. Comets are propelled through space by gravity and solar radiation. The latter turns the comets surface ice into gas, which together with the dust it carries creates a visible tail. Loeb said he was puzzled that the object has undergone significant non-gravitational acceleration without apparently having any such tail. He was also disturbed by its unusual retrograde orbit around the sun (in other words, its moving against the flow of the solar system). This, he argues, could be a defensive manoeuvre by its alien pilots to make it harder for their craft to be intercepted by rockets fired from Earth. 3I/ATLASs trajectory also means it will pass relatively close to Venus, Mars and Jupiter again statistically unlikely but, he notes, affording it the perfect opportunity to snoop at the other planets in our solar system, like some sort of extraterrestrial spy. He points out that 3I/ATLAS will achieve perihelion reaching its closest point to the sun on the opposite side of the sun relative to Earth. This, says Loeb, could be intentional to avoid detailed observations from Earth-based telescopes. It would also, he warns, allow it to launch probes or other gadgets in secret to invade or infiltrate or even change direction and visit our planet itself, arriving with little warning as early as late November. Some critics, while agreeing with him that scientists should be less dismissive of ET research, accuse Loeb of cherry-picking data to suit his argument. In the past few days, Nasa has revealed an image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope which it hailed as the sharpest-ever picture of 3I/ATLAS. The image remains blurred (hardly surprising given it shows something 277 million miles away) but Nasa claims it suggests the object is a comet because it appears to show a teardrop-shaped cocoon of dust coming off its solid, icy nucleus. But Professor Loeb is adamant there is still no evidence the object has the tail of dust thrown off by comets. The jurys still out, he insists. So, if and, yes, this is a big if 3I/ATLAS does turn out to be an alien spacecraft, is there anything we could do? In the short term, Loeb and his co-authors have suggested using Nasas unmanned Juno spacecraft, currently in orbit around Jupiter, to photograph the object. But Juno may not have enough fuel left for such a mission. In the long term, Loeb argues, we should treat all interstellar objects entering the solar system as potentially the creation of aliens. He believes governments should co-ordinate through an international body. We talk about the existential risks from artificial intelligence, from climate change, from an asteroid impact, but theres no discussion about the risk from alien technology, he told the Mail. Hed like to see governments form task forces to determine how to respond if and when alien intelligence is finally detected, and how to break the news to the public without triggering panic. Of course, the public reaction may depend on whether the visitors wish us well or ill. In the first case, humanity needs only to wait and welcome this interstellar messenger with open arms, says Loeb. It is the second scenario that causes serious concern. Loeb says well get a much better indication of what exactly 3I/ATLAS is when it can be seen possibly as early as later this month by the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope, which is now a million miles from us, will be able to view the object in infra-red, allowing it to analyse the sunlight reflected from it and determine precisely what it is. Its easy to be cynical about ET hunters like Professor Loeb and he concedes himself that he is expecting to be wrong. But with all his expertise, one has to consider the daunting question: What if hes right? As he sets foot on U.S. soil Vladimir Putin will be protected by U.S. fighter jets that just a few weeks ago were engaged in a hairy encounter with a Russian nuclear bomber. Putin will enter an airborne ring of steel maintained jointly by U.S. and Canadian forces under the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). 'It absolutely is an irony,' retired Royal Canadian Air Force major general Scott Clancy, told the Daily Mail. Clancy was deputy commander of NORAD's Alaska Region and directed interception of threats when President Donald Trump last visited the site of the summit, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, in 2019. NORAD has been dealing with growing pressure from Russian, and even Chinese, aircraft in recent years, but now their security umbrella will protect Putin. 'It's the same troops. It's the very same tankers, fighters, command and control people. So there is an irony there, for sure,' Clancy added. 'The protection that is afforded for North American airspace is afforded because we defend the continent at all times.' A U.S Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon patrolling the skies It would be the same if Kim Jong-un visited the United Nations in New York, he added. Putin will be the first Russian leader to visit Alaska since Russia sold it to the U.S. in 1867. It remained unclear whether he will have his plane escorted for some of the journey by Russian jets, or if U.S. ones would escort him in, but Clancy said it was unlikely. 'A Russian fighter aircraft would never be given an authorization to enter Canadian or American airspace,' he said. 'And, at the same time, if they tried to enter that airspace without an authorization, they'd be met by NORAD aircraft and turned away.' Vladimir Putin will be under the U.S. security umbrella Trump is hosting Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage He added: 'This isn't what Vladimir Putin wants, he's not looking at a confrontation in terms of this summit. He wants the summit and the way in which they deal with each other to be the newsworthiness, not the security around it. 'I don't think the Russian military is going to try anything like that. It would be unprecedented for them to do so. ' The Secret Service will lead the tight security operation for the summit. If they want extra protection in the air they will ask NORAD. There are expected to be a 'significant' number of aircraft either airborne or on very close ground alert to respond to any threats. Soldiers at Joint Base Elmendorf- Richardson in Alaska That includes fighter jets and tankers which will ultimately be coordinated from NORAD headquarters in Colorado. Just three weeks ago, on July 21, NORAD scrambled fighter jets to intercept Russian aircraft near the Bering Sea in an operation that lasted three hours. It involved two Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers and two Russian Su-35fighter jets. They flew into the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), which is a perimeter area monitored by NORAD. The TU-95 is a long-range bomber which is capable of dropping nuclear weapons on targets in the U.S. NORAD F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft positively identified and intercepted a Russian Tu-95 military aircraft over the Bering Sea off Alaska's western coast on July 22, 2025 NORAD sent up two F-35s and four F-16s and watched the Russians until they left. The ADIZ area stretches for millions of square miles across the Bering Sea, Arctic Ocean, and the northern Pacific Ocean. In an incident in September 2024 a Russian SU-35 jet performed a so-called 'headbutting' maneuver on a U.S. F-16, cutting in front of it and causing turbulence. The U.S. Air Force called it unsafe, unprofessional, and dangerous. Russia and China staged joint drills with their nuclear-capable Tu-95MS and H-6 strategic bombers off US state Alaska amid high tension between East and West. In July 2024, NORAD intercepted a Chinese Xian H-6 nuclear bomber in the ADIZ alongside Russian TU-95s. It was the first time a Chinese aircraft had been spotted within the ADIZ. 'That's a watershed moment. We've never seen that before,' said Clancy. 'We've been watching, over the course of the last 15 years, the evolution of Russian military tactics, especially in and around Alaska, but everywhere along the periphery of North America. 'There are more aircraft. They stay longer. They penetrate further into the ADIZ. They come up closer to the coastlines, although they never they never break into American or Canadian airspace itself. And they do it in a way that it's very obvious that they're preparing to attack North America. 'And having the Chinese do that with them - everywhere you see alignment between Russian and Chinese military forces, you worry, because, quite honestly, nothing good can happen from that.' An award-winning San Francisco chef who got fired following a dispute with a TikTok influencer inside his restaurant said the incident has ruined his career and family. Luke Sung was ousted late last month from his position as co-owner and chef of Bay Area wine bar Kis Cafe after allegedly 'disrespecting' Karla Marcotte. Marcotte posted about their interaction to her TikTok, saying she fled the restaurant in tears after saying Sung questioned her appearance at the eatery and allegedly disrespected her for having only 15,000 followers. The video clocked in over 10 million views, with users bombarding the restaurant with negative reviews after figuring out where it was she had attempted to dine. Days after, Kis Cafe said on Instagram that Sung's 'behavior was unacceptable' and said he was 'no longer part of the team as a co-owner, a chef or in any other way'. Now, Sung has spoke with The San Francisco Standard and said the TikTok debacle has left his career in ruin and also hurt his family while expressing regret. He said that his business partner, Eric Lin, had organized for Marcotte to appear in the restaurant but didn't tell him she was coming in until she arrived. He said: 'I thought shed say, Hey, Mr. Sung, I read about you, and I am so happy to be doing this with you. Luke Sung was ousted late last month from Bay Area wine bar Kis Cafe after allegedly 'disrespecting' Karla Marcotte Marcotte posted about their interaction on TikTok, saying she fled the restaurant in tears after saying Sung questioned her appearance at the eatery and disrespected her follower count 'But she showed up and sat down and didnt say hi. My high expectation for professionalism has failed me again and again it just brings disappointment.' Sung, who was previously nominated for a James Beard Award, said he took it upon himself to search her TikTok page to see what she typically shared. Sung recalled seeing a cream based spaghetti dish topped with what he described as an 'overcooked' steak. He added: 'That night, I was running a special with this beautiful coho salmon. I didnt want to be misrepresented by someone who doesnt understand the difference between Atlantic salmon and king salmon. 'So I went over to her and said, Hi. Somewhere along the line, I think there may have been a mistake. Im not sure if we have the same audience". 'I think I asked her, Have you looked up Kis Cafe? Do you know my background? Do you know what were trying to do? 'I think there was a lot of "do you know," and she was intimidated which I can understand.' After this he made a comment about Marcotte doing her research on the restaurant, after mentioning he had watched her TikTok's he said she felt disrespected. Sung said he took it upon himself to search her TikTok page to see what she typically shared. An inside shot of the restaurant is seen here It all started when Karla Marcotte (pictured) posted a TikTok detailing her visit to Kis Cafe. She said she was left 'shaking' after being invited to a collaboration with the Bay Area wine bar Sung added: 'She said to her husband, who had just arrived, Were not going to eat here. And she left. 'But before she left, she said, The restaurant world is really small. There will be consequences..' When asked to clarify by the Standard that she did actually say that, he responded: 'She said this for sure. One hundred percent.' It wasn't until his daughter, who is also an influencer, called him that night after seeing Marcotte's video that he was aware of what was happening. When asked if he could have let the whole thing blow over instead of closing the restaurant and quitting, he said: 'No, because the whole hate army. 'Our Google rating went to 1.1, with 3,000 negative reviews. I had to protect my children too.' Days after the TikTok went viral, Kis Cafe said on Instagram that Sung's 'behavior was unacceptable' and said he was 'no longer part of the team' Due to the incident the restaurant had to announce its permanent closure He also said his kids had advised against him from even speaking with the outlet, over fears it would pick up more hate after the family already received thousands of hate comments online. Sung said: 'My daughter stayed up all night watching everything go down. She got 20,000 hate comments, and my son, whos a musician, also got a ton of hate comments. 'They were traumatized. The next morning at 6:30, my daughter called me and said she responded to Karla, saying she didnt condone my behavior. She did the right thing.' According to Yung he and his family will be going to therapy together soon, adding: 'Everything is broken into pieces. I have to try to pick it up and glue it back together. I have to just let it heal.' Due to the incident the restaurant had to announce its permanent closure. An alleged organised crime group accused of stealing $10million worth of baby formula, medication, skincare products, and electric toothbrushes has been smashed. Detectives described the alleged operation that targeted supermarkets across Melbourne CBD as one of the 'largest organised retail theft syndicates' in recent history. The five-month police blitz dubbed 'Operation Supanova' resulted in 19 arrests of predominantly Indian nationals on temporary student or bridging visas. Victoria Police allege they were part of a coordinated network which supplied stolen goods to 'receivers', who then sold the products on for profit. The alleged thefts involved high-demand products such as baby formula, medication, vitamins, skincare products, electric toothbrushes and toiletries. Six men and a woman aged between 21 and 54 were among those arrested. All six men currently remain in custody and are due to face court in the coming weeks. One man, 22, of no fixed address, was charged with 54 counts of theft and is accused of stealing more than $136,000 worth of goods. Two more men were accused of stealing $109,000 and $111,000 worth of goods respectively and face a combined total of 71 offences. Nineteen people have been arrested over an alleged organised crime syndicate involving the theft of $10million of goods from Melbourne supermarkets More arrests are expected, according to Victoria Police Tins of baby formula were among the high-demand products uncovered by police during the five-month blitz The woman, 54, who was charged with 30 counts of handling stolen goods, has been granted bail. Australian Border Force was notified about the alleged offenders on temporary visas. Investigations are ongoing, with further arrests expected. 'This has been one of the most significant operations we've undertaken in recent times to target organised retail theft,' Detective Acting Inspector Rachele Ciavarella said. 'We will allege this syndicate are not only stealing for themselves, but they are part of a coordinated criminal enterprise profiting from stolen goods. 'By working with major retailers, we've been able to identify alleged offenders quickly and build a strong intelligence picture, allowing us to target the right people at the right time. 'Our message is simple: if you target our retail sector, we will target you. We will continue to work with our partners to protect businesses and hold offenders to account.' Retail theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in Victoria, with 41,270 offences recorded in the past year, resulting in a 38 per cent increase. An iconic jazz saxophonist and his band unpacked their instruments and delivered an unexpected, high-energy performance that lifted the spirits of weary passengers stranded aboard an Alaskan Airlines flight. More than 100 travelers en route from St. Louis to Seattle were left stranded Tuesday when their flight was suddenly diverted to Boise, Idaho, due to mechanical issues - yet another frustrating setback in air travel, according to San Francisco Chronicle. Among the grounded passengers was 62-year-old Dave Koz, a Grammy-nominated musician set to perform Friday at the Blue Note Summer Sessions held at Napas Meritage Resort. While the plane awaited repairs on the Boise tarmac and passengers grew restless in silence, the mood aboard the motionless aircraft abruptly shifted. Koz and his Summer Horns 2025 bandmates - Marcus Anderson, Jeff Bradshaw, Leo P, Evan Taylor, and Marcel Anderson - stood up and pulled out their shining gold horns. Moments later, they burst into an electric performance, launching into a vibrant rendition of Stevie Wonders legendary classic, 'I Havent Done Nothing.' A powerful blast of trumpets, saxophones, trombones and a tambourine rose in symphony as the band members stood in the aisle, bobbing and moving with infectious energy. In mere seconds, the cramped cabin was transformed into an unforgettable space filled with joyous passengers. Dave Koz (fourth in from left), a Grammy-nominated saxophonist, and his band (pictured), delivered an unexpected, high-energy performance that lifted the spirits of weary passengers stranded aboard an Alaskan Airlines flight Koz and his Summer Horns 2025 bandmates - Marcus Anderson, Jeff Bradshaw, Leo P, Evan Taylor, and Marcel Anderson - burst into an electric performance on the grounded plane (pictured), playing a vibrant rendition of Stevie Wonders, 'I Havent Done Nothing' Within hours, the post racked up millions of views across Instagram and Facebook, with viewers echoing the same sentiment - it was a heartwarming moment that beautifully captured the power of human connection (pictured: the band) While some stood and clapped along to the infectious rhythm, others captured the moment on their phones. Near the center of the impromptu concert, a smiling father holding his young daughter swayed and danced together - both their eyes fixed on the performance unfolding before them. The entire moment was captured by fellow saxophonist Marcus Anderson, who later shared the video on his Instagram page. 'Delay after delay after delay... frustrations turned into fun,' Anderson captioned the post. 'We pulled out our horns and brought smiles bright as the sun!' he added. 'Summer Horns turned a flight into a front row concert - because when you feel it, you play it.' Within hours, the post racked up millions of views across Instagram and Facebook, with viewers echoing the same sentiment - it was a heartwarming moment that beautifully captured the power of human connection. 'No one can deny that music is the universal language!!!!!!!!!!!!' one comment read. Another said: 'Mann how come this never happens on my delays!' 'Literally crying!!! This has now officially replaced my flash mob emotions!!!' a third added. A viewer jokingly wrote: 'You won't get this PREMIUM experience in Business Class!' 'This is the reason why I can't give up loving humans,' another said. 'Beautiful vibes.' The band eventually made it to Napa, California, where they headlined one of the Blue Note Summer Sessions - a celebrated outdoor concert series set against the scenic backdrop of a wine-country village lawn. Fridays performance showcased the groups signature horn-driven sound, seamlessly blending smooth jazz, R&B, funk, and infectious energy - delivering the ultimate soundtrack for a summer evening. Kozs illustrious career spans more than three decades, with regular appearances in the Bay Area. He is also known for his performances at iconic venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Hollywood Bowl. China's Long March-10 carrier rocket succeeds in first static fire test Xinhua) 16:44, August 15, 2025 WENCHANG, Hainan, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's Long March-10 carrier rocket, the country's new-generation manned launch vehicle, has successfully completed the first static fire test on Friday at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, the China Manned Space Agency has announced. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Consultants looking to save, staff face the axe University staff anxious about redundancies have been advised to 'bake desserts' and 'clean their bathroom', as an external firm works to cut millions from the budget. Consultants have been ordered to save $100million at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), which could mean cuts to courses and more than 400 jobs. A source inside the university previously told Daily Mail a number of staff and students were 'anxious' about the cuts, as their courses 'hung in the balance'. The university then announced on Thursday that new enrolments for 146 courses across six faculties for 2026 would be suspended temporarily. Staff were directed to an internal wellbeing hub to address concerns about their job security, including a list of 50 'self care' suggestions seen by Daily Mail. The list told staff to 'do that task you've been dreading, like washing delicates, organising receipts for your taxes, or cleaning a bathroom'. 'Put an energetic song on and tell yourself, "I will clean up my room just as long as this song is playing"... Brush and floss your teeth every day... Learn a new skill with a YouTube tutorial,' it offered. The list also advised staff to start a relaxing tea ritual, write a positive review for their favourite restaurant, and bake some desserts. Staff at the University of Technology, Sydney, have been advised to care for their mental health in a bizarre resource provided to staff (above, students at the university's campus) National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) National President Dr Alison Barnes told Daily Mail the memo was a 'tone-deaf trivialisation of job cuts'. 'It's disgraceful that staff already facing the trauma of threatened job losses and course suspensions are being told to "wash delicates" or "bake a dessert" while their livelihoods hang in the balance,' she said. 'This tone-deaf trivialisation of job cuts is another shocking example of Australia's broken university governance system... This just added insult to injury. 'Staff are being treated with utter contempt by UTS management, who would rather spend $5 million on external consultants to cut jobs than invest in staff, the university's most precious resource.' The school's Faculty of Design and Society including communications, education and languages courses and the Faculty of Health face the largest number of course suspensions. They numbered 60 and 33 respectively. KPMG consultants and accountants have been working on the controversial program to identify areas for redundancies the Operational Sustainability Initiative (OSI). A Freedom of Information request, submitted by the ABC, revealed the university paid KPMG about $5million to design the OSI. The university could axe about 400 staff roles as it cuts down on spending (pictured, students at the inner-Sydney campus) Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Parfitt (pictured) informed staff that suspensions of 125 courses were 'temporary' for the time being Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Parfitt sent a memo to staff saying, the suspensions would be 'temporary', and came due to low student enrolments. The university has not yet made a final decision about which courses or jobs it will cut. In June, workplace safety regulator SafeWork NSW confirmed they would launch an investigation into the university's handling of proposed staff cuts. An anonymous tipoff to the watchdog claimed the university's alleged failure to consult staff could pose 'psychological risks' to UTS's employees, the Australian Financial Review reported. Managing psychological harm has been a legal obligation required of employers since 2022 in NSW. The latest QS World University Rankings indicated a steep drop in the quality of Australian education. There were 25 Australian universities that had dropped in rank this year, with only two squeezing into the world's Top 20. The NTEU's Dr Barnes said the industry required 'real reform' in order to improve. External consultants are looking to cut about $100million from the university's expenditure (above, the former UTS main tower in Haymarket) 'Just two days ago, a Senate inquiry heard ANU staff's harrowing evidence of bullying and intimidation, which is a symptom of the sheer lack of accountability university bosses operate under,' the union president said. 'Now we have further proof that governance across our universities is in free fall. 'We need real reform to restore accountability and transparency in our universities, which must prioritise staff, students and society instead of corporate business models imposed by overpaid executives.' A UTS spokeswoman said the university 'continually reviews its course offerings' to ensure its curriculum is relevant to student and employer requirements. 'The courses being suspended for new intake are those which have low student enrolments. 'Our priority is to be a student-centred university offering an outstanding student experience and a curriculum and courses that reflect student demand and interest,' she said. Professor Parfitt said the call was an 'operational decision'. 'I want to be very clear that no decision has been made to discontinue any course,' he said in an internal email. 'The temporary suspension of new student intakes into some courses does not affect any current teaching arrangements, staff roles, workloads or employment conditions.' Bryan Kohberger made sickening internet searches focused on attacking and raping sleeping girls before he slaughtered four students. The 30-year-old criminology PhD student was cruising the internet for pornographic content with searches that included appalling terms about non consensual sex acts. It was the early hours of November 13, 2022, when Kohberger broke into an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, and stabbed Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin to death. Prosecutors have said there was no evidence of a sexual component to the murders, leaving Kohbergers motive and connection to his victims a complete mystery. Now, the Daily Mail can reveal for the first time the exact porn searches made by the killer which may shed some light on his mindset and motivations at the time. The search terms were shared with the Daily Mail by the digital forensics experts hired by state prosecutors to dig into Kohbergers Android cell phone and laptop. These chilling selfies were found on Bryan Kohberger's Android cell phone following his arrest Left to right: Dylan Mortensen, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (on Kaylee's shoulders) Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Bethany Funke Heather Barnhart, Senior Director of Forensic Research at Cellebrite, and Jared Barnhart, Head of CX Strategy and Advocacy at Cellebrite, joined the case back in March 2023 and were set to testify as expert witnesses in Kohbergers capital murder trial. However, just weeks before the trial was slated to begin, Kohberger struck a plea deal with prosecutors to avoid the death penalty. Under the terms of the deal, he pleaded guilty to all charges and waived his right to appeal. On July 23, he was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Through their years-long forensic analysis of Kohbergers devices, the Cellebrite team was able to recover his searches. The terms they found included 'sleeping', 'passed out', 'Voyeur', 'Forced raped' and 'drugged'. The easiest way to say it is that all of his terms were consistently around non-consensual sex acts, Jared told the Daily Mail. Kohberger's sleeping and rape fetishes raise questions about what he may have planned to do the night of the murders. The 30-year-old killer broke into his victims home at 1122 King Road at around 4am, when most of the students were sleeping. Newly-released surveillance footage shows Kohbergers white Hyundai Elantra circling the victims home multiple times on the night of the murders Prosecutors believe he did not plan to murder all four victims that night and that either Mogen or Goncalves, both 21, was the likely target. Kohberger entered the home through the door leading to the kitchen on the second floor and went straight up the stairs to Mogens room on the third floor. He found Mogen and Goncalves in the same bed and killed them both. Coming down the stairs, he encountered Kernodle who was still awake, having just received a DoorDash order. He killed her and her boyfriend Chapin, both 20. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said in an interview with ABC News that its likely Kohberger did not expect to encounter Kernodle still up and about. But only Kohberger knows what exactly his plan was that night. So far, he has refused to reveal any details about his crimes. When given the opportunity to speak at his sentencing, he told Judge Steven Hippler: 'I respectfully decline'. But Kohberger's digital footprint around the time of the murders paints a picture of his interests - and possible inspirations. Chilling photos from the crime scene at 1122 King Road where Kohberger broke in in the dead of the night to kill Kohberger's exact plot for that night remains a mystery only he knows but prosecutors said he went straight up these stairs to the third floor of the home As well as the porn searches, the Cellebrite team found a clear obsession with serial killers and home invasions. On Kohbergers laptop, Heather said they found searches for serial killers, co-ed killers, home invasions, burglaries and psychopaths before the murders and then up through Christmas Day. There was one serial killer Kohberger showed a keen interest in that stood out to the team: Danny Rolling. Rolling, known as the Gainesville Ripper, broke into the homes of University of Florida students at night and murdered five - four female and one male - in the fall semester of 1990. He raped the women during his attacks and decapitated one of his victims, posing her head on a mantle in her home. Just like Kohberger, Rolling's murder weapon of choice was also a Ka-Bar knife. The similarities between the crimes are eerie and the Cellebrite team found Kohberger had downloaded a PDF onto his phone about Rolling. He had also watched a YouTube video about a Ka-Bar knife. Kohberger's cell phone also contained many selfies where he was posing shirtless or flexing his muscles, Jared and Heather revealed. There was also the chilling thumbs-up selfie to the camera a few hours after the murders and a creepy hooded selfie days before his arrest. Bryan Kohberger had a PDF about serial killer Danny Rolling (pictured) on his cell phone Both Rolling and Kohberger used a Ka-Bar knife (stock image above) as their chosen murder weapons The digital evidence was uncovered despite Kohbergers best efforts to scrub his cell phone and laptop of anything incriminating. In fact, the Cellebrite team found a pattern where Kohberger went to extreme lengths to try to delete and hide his digital footprint using VPNs, incognito modes, and clearing his browsing history. Three days after the murders - on November 16 - he ran an eraser software on his laptop. The software is used to wipe data from a hard drive. Heather explained that the team has been unable to determine if Kohberger actively ran the software to destroy evidence or if the killer innocuously ran it as part of a virus scan. That would have been for the jury to decide. What the digital experts did find was that Kohberger had tried - unsuccessfully - to wipe his disturbing porn searches from his phone. There was no record of them in his search history, which Kohberger had scrubbed. But, he hadnt done a good enough job. The searches were in autofill, Jared explained. As a user, you can clear your search history. But when you choose to type text and press search, that text box depending on where you're searching and how, it can keep [the search terms]. Best friends Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen (left) and young couple Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle (right) Bryan Kohberger's disturbing porn searches were found despite his efforts to scrub data So the next time you go to the same text box and search for something, it prepopulates and that's where these search terms were found. Had they testified at trial, the digital experts would have presented both a wealth of data - as well as evidence of Kohbergers cleanup operation. He did his best to leave zero digital footprint. He did not want a digital forensic trail available at all, Heather said. And, while he succeeded in part, she said that this abnormal behavior and the very efforts to hide his digital activities revealed more than he realized about his guilt. The absence of things is almost telling more of a story,' she said. The Commonwealth Bank's chief executive Matt Comyn has defended its $20billion share price plunge - a blow to the wealth of more than half of Australia's adult population. While more than 800,000 Australians own Commonwealth Bank shares directly, more than 10million own shares indirectly via their superannuation. That's more than half of Australia's 18million adults who were enrolled to vote at the last federal election. Any major fall in the Commonwealth Bank's share price - even in the face of a record full-year profit, has implications for workers' retirement savings. A $20billion plunge in the value of CBA shares in just two days is a particularly big blow for those near the end of their working lives. 'Of course, we're conscious of share price performance more than 10million Australians own the Commonwealth Bank, either directly or indirectly,' he told ABC Radio National on Thursday. 'But it's really about thinking about the long-term of that performance versus any performance on a particular day.' Mr Comyn declined to say if he believed Commonwealth Bank shares were overvalued when they hit an all-time high of $185 in June. The Commonwealth Bank 's chief executive Matt Comyn has defended its share price plunge - despite a record profit Shares in Australia's biggest bank and home lender plunged by 3.5 per cent on Wednesday morning to $172.59 despite CBA announcing a record, full-year cash profit of $10.3billion for 2024-25. Investors reacted badly to news its cash profit had grown by only four per cent - despite the figures meeting market expectations. The development came the same day the Commonwealth Bank announced it had signed an agreement with OpenAI to bring artificial intelligence to banking transactions and detect scams. Since then, the share price has continued to bleed, sinking to $167.20 - marking a 6.6 per cent plunge in two days that has wiped off more than $20billion from its market capitalisation. The value of the Commonwealth Bank has fallen from $300billion to $279billion as of Friday morning. 'From our perspective, we focused on the things we can control, which is trying to do a great job serving our customers,' Mr Comyn said. 'Continuing to grow in the last year - every day, we've helped 400 households buy a new home, we've lent $115million. 'If we do all of those things well and we continue to invest in our technology and a better customer proposition, we should also be able to deliver a reasonable rate of return to our shareholders over time.' Shares in Australia's biggest bank and home lender plunged by 3.5 per cent on Wednesday morning to $172.59 despite CBA announcing a record, full-year cash profit of $10.3billion for 2024-25 The Commonwealth Bank's annual report, released on Wednesday, revealed that Mr Comyn was given a $7million remuneration package during the last financial year, comprising a base salary of $2.85million plus bonuses. He is in charge of a bank with more than 18million customers and 55,000 staff. The Commonwealth Bank's share price woes are also occurring just days after the Reserve Bank of Australia cut the cash rate by another 25 basis points, taking it back to 3.6 per cent for the first time since May 2023. Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has returned to public life to defend his tarnished legacy as the full cost of the airline's illegal cost-cutting efforts comes into view. In his first address in nearly two years, Mr Joyce shared his vision for the industry at an aviation conference in Sydney on Thursday but skirted around his illegal sacking of more than 1800 ground crew and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'Here's the real insight: resilience isn't a reaction... it's a decision made years in advance, often when it's uncomfortable, even unpopular,' he told a crowd of more than 200 aviation executives and airline employees. 'Qantas was the only major Australian airline not to go bankrupt during or after the pandemic... that wasn't luck, that was resilience.' It came only days before Qantas is expected to be fined up to nine figures for the mass staff sackings which a court ruled was designed to curb union bargaining power in wage negotiations. The Transport Workers Union (TWU) said the former chief executive was deliberately downplaying the consequences of the unlawful outsourcing. 'Alan Joyce did not save Qantas, he set out with malicious intentions to destroy it,' a spokesperson told the Daily Mail. '1800 illegally sacked Qantas workers are not thankful for the decisions made under Joyces watch. Their lives will never be the same.' Alan Joyce (pictured) praised Qantas' resilience during the pandemic days out from learning its Federal Court penalty over the illegal sacking of some 1800 employees Despite steering Qantas through the pandemic - the only major Australian airline to not go bankrupt - Mr Joyce quit the airline under a cloud of soaring customer dissatisfaction and regulatory backlash in September 2023. Qantas slashed his $9million bonus from his departing pay packet, with other executives and directors also facing a cut after the brand turbulence. The airline has since agreed to set up a $120million compensation fund for its wrongly sacked workers after reaching a deal with the TWU. Qantas also sold tickets to cancelled flights over several years, triggering more legal turmoil and a $100 million fine after it was sued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Speaking generally at the conference, Mr Joyce defended the cost-cutting efforts during the pandemic which included 'reducing operations' and 'standing down staff'. 'Qantas, at one point, was just 11 weeks away from running out of cash. Thats not a buffer; thats staring into the abyss,' he said. 'But we didnt fall. We made hard and painful decisions.' Mr Joyce seemed amused by media attention surrounding his appearance but quipped that it at least meant 'Donald Trump didn't do anything weird last night'. Qantas was 11 weeks away from running out of cash during the pandemic, Mr Joyce admitted 'Its great that Im no longer head of the national carrier and I can make jokes like that without worrying about F-16s turning around Qantas aircraft,' he said, according to The Australian. Mr Joyce indicated he plans to remain in the aviation industry, but refused to say what shape his next steps might take. A memoir, which his manager Robert Joske told the Australian Financial Review in May had attracted 'a lot of interest from publishers', may also keep Mr Joyce busy as he reflects on his legacy. He also shared his hopes for the future of the industry, stating airlines must take more climate action, including building a sustainable aviation fuel industry to 'transform the environmental footprint of flight'. 'If we don't, we risk losing public trust, regulatory permission and, ultimately, our social licence to operate,' he said. 'This isn't fringe, it's the future and it's grounded in a very human concern for sustainability and intergenerational fairness.' Federal Court judge Michael Lee is due to hand down a fine over the illegal outsourcing on Monday, with the TWU pushing for the maximum fine of $121million. The United States has ordered the deployment of spy planes, a warship and even a submarine to the Southern Caribbean Sea to address the growing threat posed by Latin American drug cartels. The directive marks yet another escalation by President Donald Trump, who has long wanted to use the military to go after the drug gangs that he has designated as global terrorist organizations. Just last week, he had ordered the Pentagon to prepare military options in the region, and the Department of Defense has now ordered the deployment of US air and naval forces, two sources briefed on the decision told Reuters. The Trump administration has also previously deployed at least two warships to help in border security efforts and drug trafficking - an issue that the president focused on in his campaign. The US military has also already increased its airborne surveillance of Mexican drug cartels to collect intelligence to determine how to best counter their activities. Trump has even offered to send US troops to Mexico to help combat drug trafficking, an offer Mexico refused. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum even declared that the country will never accept the presence of the United States Army in their territory. 'This deployment is aimed at addressing threats to U.S. national security from specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region,' one of the sources explained. The Department of Defense has begun deploying air and naval forces to the Southern Caribbean Sea at President Donald Trump's urging The deployment is aimed at addressing unspecified threats from 'specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region' The US military has already increased its airborne surveillance of Mexican drug cartels to collect intelligence to determine how to best counter their activities. A drone operator of a UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) platoon of the U.S. Army 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, stands near a Ghost-X helicopter surveillance drone during the Combined Resolve 25-1 military exercises at the Hohenfels Training Area in Bavaria on February 3, 2025 in Germany In February, the State Department designated several cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. They include notably Mara Salvatrucha (also known as MS-13) and Tren de Aragua along with others. The department said the gangs constituted a 'national security threat beyond that posed by traditional organized crime.' The Trump administration added a few more to the list in July; the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns, explaining that the cartels were run by the President of Venezuela, along with other leaders on his staff. The Treasury Department also accused Cartel de los Soles of giving material help to other cartels, like the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico and Tren de Aragua, asserting they were 'threatening the peace and security of the United States.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio put out a statement days after, blasting Nicolas Maduro, saying his regime is 'not a legitimate government' and that he is 'not the president of Venezuela'. He added that Maduro, 'has corrupted Venezuela's institutions to assist the cartel's criminal narco-trafficking scheme into the United States.' In an interview last week, Rubio explained that designating these cartels as terrorist groups would permit the US to use all the tools in their toolbox, like intelligence agencies and the Department of Defense. 'We cannot continue to just treat these guys as local street gangs. They have weaponry that looks like what terrorists, in some cases, armies, have,' Rubio said. 'Drug dealing is the kind of terrorism they're doing, and it's not the only.' Trump has previously offered to send US troops to Mexico to combat drug trafficking, but Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum refused In February, the State Department designated several cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) are pictured at an undisclosed location, in Michoacan state, Mexico, October 15, 2022 But legal experts have questioned whether strikes against cartels could violate international law if forces kill members who don't pose an 'imminent threat' at the time of the attack. Brian Finucane, senior advisor to the International Crisis Group and former legal adviser at the State Department, told the Daily Mail that unilateral US drone strikes in another country would likely violate the United Nations charter and possibly even US law on assassinations. 'To the extent the US military would be taking detainees, there are significant questions of the authority for detention outside of the civilian criminal justice system,' he said. Brandon Buck, a foreign policy research fellow at the Cato Institute, also told the Daily Mail that Trump is on his weakest legal ground to use unilateral force in Mexico. 'Unlike the prolonged conflicts of the Middle East, where multiple presidents cited authorizations for the use of military force, such legal avenues are not present' for Mexico operations, Buck explained. He then warned Trump that he may risk significant diplomatic fallout with Mexico. The Daily Mail has reached out to the Pentagon for comment. A TikTok migrant who shared a 'step-by-step guide' on how to cross the Channel is said to have filmed a 'how to kill your wife' rant weeks before boarding a small boat to Britain. Parwiz Hanifyar, known online as Alexandra420, shared videos of his journey on TikTok and gained nearly one million views as he boasted about entering the UK illegally. Mr Hanifyar, who left Calais at around 4am on Saturday, even shared videos of himself on the small boat before live streaming in an asylum hotel. There, he told followers he was in 'the best place' while broadcasting from his free accommodation near Heathrow Airport. Now, it has emerged that the TikTok migrant was reported to police for telling men how to kill their estranged wives in a social media clip filmed just weeks before he crossed the Channel. Speaking to his 70,000 followers from Germany, the Afghan, aged in his 20s, is said to have urged viewers to drink alcohol before attacking the women in a deliberate bid to get a softer sentence. In a disturbing clip in which he told viewers they 'must do this technique' using a household item, he said: 'Before I kill her, I drink a bottle of alcohol. 'When the police comes, they say, he was drunk.' A TikTok migrant who shared a 'step-by-step guide' on how to cross the Channel 'filmed a how to kill your wife rant weeks before boarding a small boat to Britain'. Parwiz Hanifyar (pictured), known online as Alexandra420, shared videos of his journey on TikTok Mr Hanifyar (pictured), who left Calais at around 4am on Saturday, even shared videos of himself on the small boat before live streaming in an asylum hotel. There, he told followers he was in 'the best place' while broadcasting from his free accommodation near Heathrow Airport Now, it has been alleged that the TikTok migrant (pictured) was reported to police for telling men how to kill their estranged wives in a social media clip filmed just weeks before he crossed the Channel, the Sun has reported Popular TikTok influencer Lemar is said to have been one of several individuals who reported the disturbing posts to the German authorities. However, Mr Hanifyar, who reportedly lived in Berlin for three years, then went on to relocate to France and later travelled to the UK. In response to the shocking video, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp described the language used by the migrant as 'sickening'. Adding that Mr Hanifyar posed a threat to the UK, Mr Philp demanded that he be arrested and deported as a matter of urgency. Mr Hanifyar first sparked outrage after sharing a video of himself grinning in an orange jacket and pointing to the sky. He then showed the boat as it was surrounded by huge freight ships, set to the theme tune of US drama Prison Break. The migrant was one of more than 400 arrivals on Saturday and was taken in by Border Force officials to be processed in Kent. He was then taken to the four-star Crowne Plaza Hotel near Heathrow, where he started live streaming to his followers. Speaking to his 70,000 followers from Germany, the Afghan, aged in his 20s, is said to have urged viewers to drink alcohol before attacking the women in a deliberate bid to get a softer sentence. Pictured: footage shared by Mr Hanifyar of him and other illegal migrants crossing the Channel Mr Hanifyar was one of more than 400 arrivals on Saturday and was taken in by Border Force officials to be processed in Kent. In a social media live stream, he gave viewers a tour of his room, with two single beds and an en suite bathroom In the live stream, he gave viewers a tour of his room, with two single beds and an en suite bathroom. He said: 'This is dedicated to those haters who were happy thinking we either drowned or ended up dead.' Mr Hanifyar later claimed the boat he illegally travelled on began to deflate halfway through the journey and would have sank if Border Force officials had not rescued them. He said: 'It was dangerous. Our boat sank. It was punctured. The water came from the inside of the boat. 'On the other side, three people pumped the water. If the British boats hadn't come in an hour, we would have been in trouble.' Despite nearly facing serious danger, he encouraged others to pay the people-smugglers to risk the dangerous crossing. He said: 'I risked my life, I spent my money, I came. Your country is not your mother. 'Those who want to come, this is the best place. Don't be stingy. Your country is not your father, that you are so stingy. Live your life. Mr Hanifyar was was then taken to the four-star Crowne Plaza Hotel (pictured) near Heathrow, where he started live streaming to his followers. The hotel is thought to be one of the UK's longest opening asylum hostels Pictured: Migrants seen sprinting into the surf at Gravelines beach, northern France, to get aboard a smugglers' taxi boat on August 12 Keir Starmer has been slammed for 'incompetence' over the handling of the Channel crisis, with the soaring figure a clear indication of the lack of a plan since he axed the Tories' Rwanda deportation scheme on his first day in power. Pictured: migrants try to cross the Channel on August 12 'Tell your four friends to come. Why are you so stingy? Being stingy is not good for God. You see, I risked my life! Why don't you come? My wish was to come to this hotel and live. I came here just for this.' It comes just days after a record 107 small boat migrants reached Britain in just one dingy, confounding Labour's pledge to 'smash the gangs'. Images from the port of Dover showed human traffickers have begun to deploy a new, longer type of inflatable. The dinghy - which can barely be described as a 'small boat' - was recovered in the Channel and taken to Dover, where it was being examined by Border Force and law enforcement, GB News reported. It brought 107 migrants to Britain overnight, smashing the previous record of 96 people aboard one inflatable. Meanwhile, the number of small-boat migrants reaching Britain under Labour passed 50,000. Keir Starmer has been slammed for 'incompetence' over the handling of the Channel crisis, with the soaring figure a clear indication of the lack of a plan since he axed the Tories' Rwanda deportation scheme on his first day in power. Former Labour home secretary Jacqui Smith blamed the Tories, claiming: 'What is happening is the result of the last government.' It comes just days after a record 107 small boat migrants reached Britain in just one dingy, confounding Labour's pledge to 'smash the gangs'. Images from the port of Dover showed human traffickers have begun to deploy a new, longer type of inflatable Pictured: A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to the Border Force compound in Dover, Kent, from a Border Force vessel following a small boat incident in the Channel on August 12 The Government's 'returns deal' with France appears to have done little to deter those determined to get to Britain, with the latest total including more than 1,500 arrivals in the seven days since the 'one in, one out' scheme launched. Pictured: migrants cross the Channel on August 6, 2024 In response, Reform Leader Nigel Farage criticised the Prime Minister on social media. He wrote: 'As I predicted five years ago, unless we deport illegal migrants the invasion will be huge. 50,000 since our weak Prime Minister took office and there is no sign of it stopping.' The Government's 'returns deal' with France appears to have done little to deter those determined to get to Britain, with the latest total including more than 1,500 arrivals in the seven days since the 'one in, one out' scheme launched. Official figures revealed there were 474 arrivals on Monday alone, bringing the total since the general election on July 4 last year to 50,271, despite the Prime Minister's promise to 'smash the gangs' behind the trafficking trade. The milestone was passed seven months earlier than under his Conservative predecessor, Rishi Sunak. Baroness Smith who is now an education, women and equalities minister under Sir Keir said: 'It is a completely legitimate claim to say that what is happening is the result of the last government that chose to focus on gimmicks with the Rwanda scheme.' Labour scrapped the Tories' Rwanda asylum deal designed to deter migrants from crossing as one of its first acts, pledging instead to 'smash the gangs' by boosting law enforcement. However, small boat numbers are soaring, with 27,029 arrivals this year, up by 47 per cent on the same point last year and 67 per cent on the same point in 2023. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Since the start of the crisis in 2018, 178,167 migrants have reached Britain, with only about four per cent of them removed. The Home Office told The Sun that it does not comment on individual cases. In a previous statement issued regarding Mr Hanifyar, a Home Office spokesperson said: 'It is our long-standing policy not to comment on individual cases, but we have made clear that it is unacceptable for any individual, whether they are a member of a smuggling gang or otherwise, to promote the criminal services of people-traffickers or for social media companies to allow it. 'We are introducing specific laws through our Border Security Bill that will make it easier to prosecute individuals who publish material online which promotes or offers services facilitating small boat crossings, and these kinds of cases show why it is so essential for that Bill to be passed through Parliament at the earliest opportunity.' A TikTok spokesperson said: 'The account in question has already been banned and we do not allow any violent threats, promotion of violence or criminal activity on TikTok. We have dedicated teams and technology working around the clock to detect, review and remove harmful content from LIVEs in real time.' A young mother-of-two was shot dead while walking her daughter to a Louisville bus stop, sparking community devastation as police search for the 'pathetic' killer. Redaja Williams, 23, died on Wednesday around 8am in the Russell neighborhood of the Kentucky city. There are several bus stops, a YMCA and two schools in the area Williams was killed. Dozens of children watched on in horror as she fell to the ground. First responders rushed to the scene and took Williams to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her daughter was thankfully unharmed. 'It is unacceptable that people simply trying to go to school must fear for their safety,' Louisville Metro Police (LMPD) Chief Paul Humphrey said, WDRB reported. 'Kids should be able to go to school - go to the bus stop in the morning - without any fear of gun violence, without any fear of having to run for their life in the morning.' The suspect, who police say is a black man who was wearing a red sweatshirt and black sweatpants, is still at large. 'She was innocent, she was a bystander,' Williams' good friend Angel Mitchell told WDRB. Redaja Williams (pictured), 23, died on Wednesday around 8am in the Russell neighborhood of the Kentucky city The suspect (ppictured), who police say is a black man who was wearing a red sweatshirt and black sweatpants, is still at large The crime scene near a Louisville bus stop was cautioned off as police probed the scene (pictured) Williams' two kids are just two and seven years old. Her family has spoken out about her horrifying death to demand justice for their loved one who died too soon. Her sister Lavett, who was with Williams when she was shot, described her as a 'kind-hearted' mother who was not afraid to speak her mind. 'But most of all, she was caring and very loving to her family,' the heartbroken sister said moments before she started to sob. 'And I'm so devastated because I had to watch my sister lay on that ground and take her last breath. 'And there was nothing I can do about it.' 'She was a really outgoing young lady, she loved people and kids, she had her ways about doing things, but she was loved by her family,' her grandfather Bruce Simmons, told WLKY. 'I'm her granddad dad, and I loved her dearly. I am going to miss her.' Williams' family and friends called her 'Juicy,' but her aunt Donna Cole wants her real name to never be forgotten. Metro Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins (pictured) said during the conference that the community must come together to tackle gun violence Williams (pictured) had two young children, a two and a seven-year-old 'But her name is Redaja Williams. Say it. Remember it,' she passionately asserted during a Thursday press conference attended by community leaders. 'My heart goes out to every parent, every child, that was on that bus stop,' Louisville Metro Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins said during the conference, touching upon a broader issue of violence within the Louisville community. She said there needs to be a strengthened relationship between community members and the LMPD in order for future tragedies to be prevented. Williams' gut-wrenching death is the second bus stop shooting within just a week to shake the Russell neighborhood. On August 7, the first day of school for Jefferson County Public Schools, two tens fired shots at each other at a bus stop. Just as Wednesday's incident, dozens of children looked on in terror as they waited for their buses to arrive. 'I'm scared to walk around because of all the shooting,' a 10-year-old boy from the neighborhood told WDRB. Two 15-year-olds were arrested in relation to the shooting, each facing 34 charges. Williams' (pictured) family and friends called her 'Juicy,' but her aunt Donna Cole wants her real name to never be forgotten Police marked a shoe and other items as evidence at the scene of Williams' death (pictured) Her sister Lavett (pictured), who was with Williams when she was shot, described her as a 'kind-hearted' mother who was not afraid to speak her mind 'This is a traumatic event for so many people that changes neighborhoods for the worse,' chief Humphrey told WDRB. 'The is the second time in a week that we're talking about this, and it's absolutely pathetic.' One of the teens was actually arrested after Williams' shooting, but homicide detectives determined he was allegedly involved in the one a week prior, but did not pull the trigger on Williams. 'Im outraged. Not just today for Redaja, but for every child whose family Ive comforted,' Cole said at the Thursday press conference. 'Let me tell you something. They cant be more outraged for us than we are. Boots on the ground. Were talking about what needs to be done, get in your communities.' A pregnant Massachusetts teenager sent a chilling final text to a friend, voicing a sense that something felt 'off' shortly before she disappeared without a trace. Kylee Monteiro, 18, who her family says was 11 weeks pregnant, vanished on August 7 after she was last seen near Country Street in Rehoboth. Her last known location was her boyfriends house to grab some things, family members told Boston 25 News. Fears are only intensifying in the desperate search, as Kylee's family revealed she had recently argued with her boyfriend - and her haunting final message expressed fear for her safety. 'I don't feel safe right now something's not right,' she texted her friend before she stopped responding completely, according to WCVB News. 'Its been very difficult, were very scared,' Kylees sister, Faith Monteiro told ABC 6 News. 'We hope shes ok, this is not like her at all, she would never just disappear, the circumstances dont seem good,' she added. 'I have so many theories just like everybody else, like I said its a lot of speculation. We really dont know what happened.' On Monday, the Rehoboth Police Department issued a press release about Kylees sudden and out-of-character disappearance. Kylee Monteiro (pictured), 18, who her family says was 11 weeks pregnant, vanished on August 7 after she was last seen near Country Street in Rehoboth. Her last known location was her boyfriends house to grab some things Kylee's family revealed that she had recently argued with her boyfriend, and in a haunting final text message to a friend, the teen wrote: 'I don't feel safe right now something's not right' (pictured: Kylee before prom) Kylee, who graduated from Attleboro High School in June, had been living in a homeless shelter for several weeks amid an 'on and off' relationship with her boyfriend (pictured: search efforts for Kylee) The statement described the teen as last seen wearing a red T-shirt bearing the phrase Get Over It and likely carrying a white bag she was frequently seen with. Kylee, who graduated from Attleboro High School in June, had been living in a homeless shelter for several weeks amid an 'on and off' relationship with her boyfriend, her sister, Faith, told ABC News. According to Faith, her sister's relationship involved domestic issues, including an incident that allegedly took place the night before she disappeared. On the evening of August 6, Kylee reportedly called Faith and several others after an argument with her boyfriend, expressing fear not only for her safety but for her very life. Although Kylee reportedly told her sister that the argument had settled, she was still described as frantic - her tone conveying an urgent, unspoken plea for help. 'She was desperate for help,' Faith told ABC. 'She was calling out to friends, family, anyone she could, telling them that she was in danger. The whole situation is very scary.' Faith immediately offered to pick her up, but Kylee declined. Still, Faith said her sister wasnt the type to ask a stranger for a ride and 'doesnt know how to survive on her own.' 'The last known time when we heard her voice was Wednesday night,' Faith added to WCVB News. On the evening of August 6, Kylee (pictured) reportedly called her sister Faith and several others after an argument with her boyfriend, expressing fear not only for her safety but for her very life According to Faith, her sister's relationship involved domestic issues,' adding that Kylee (pictured) wasnt the type to ask a stranger for a ride and 'doesnt know how to survive on her own' Kitty Monteiro, another sister of Kylee's, wrote to Facebook: 'Its highly unlike her to cut all contact from social media and family. We need to get word out to find any information as soon as possible.' Kylees last known contact came the day after the phone calls, when she sent a friend the eerie, context-free text message that would be her final communication. 'I tried talking with her after that, and she just stopped responding to me after that,' the unidentified friend told WCVB. 'I just want her to know that like, we miss you, and we're not going to stop trying to find you.' On Tuesday, several officers - including a K-9 unit and dive team - were seen searching along County Street, according to WPRI News. So far, searches have included wooded areas, a nearby pond, and homes around the area where Kylee was last seen - but have turned up nothing. On Wednesday, a full police presence was back on the ground, spending hours combing through previously unsearched areas, as reported by ABC 6. 'Theres a little bit of relief knowing that theres people out there looking for her and theyre not going to stop until they find her,' Faith told the outlet. 'But if they dont find her, I dont know what the next steps are, and that is worrying to me.' Kylee (pictured) is described as 6 feet tall, with light brown hair and brown eyes. In addition to her red 'Get Over It' T-shirt, she was last seen wearing ripped blue jeans and tan boots On Tuesday, several officers - including a K-9 unit and dive team - were seen searching along County Street. Searches have included wooded areas, a nearby pond, and homes around the area where Kylee was last seen - but have turned up nothing (pictured: police presence) Anyone with information or surveillance footage from the area is urged to contact the Rehoboth Police Department at (508) 252-3722 Kylee is described as 6 feet tall, with light brown hair and brown eyes. In addition to her red 'Get Over It' T-shirt, she was last seen wearing ripped blue jeans and tan boots. 'Shes amazing. Shes so friendly and lovable, shes outgoing, but also timid at the same time,' Faith added. 'She doesnt have survival instinct to survive out here on her own. Thats for sure.' 'We just have to keep hope that shes out there.' Anyone with information or surveillance footage from the area is urged to contact the Rehoboth Police Department at (508) 252-3722. A man who allegedly tried to grab a federal police officer's firearm during a dramatic arrest at Sydney Airport has been accused of assaulting bystanders hours after he was granted bail. Nicholas Teplin, 41, from Melbourne, is back behind bars after he was detained by NSW Police at Central Station on Thursday afternoon, where he allegedly assaulted four men on the suburban concourse. One man, 45, was left with with a bloodied nose after he was allegedly punched in the face, which caused him to fall to the ground. Two more men were allegedly struck in the head. Police allege Teplin attempted to steal a bag from a fourth man before officers swooped. They also allege he later assaulted a male constable by pushing him in the chest while in custody at Surry Hills police station. Teplin was charged with a string of fresh offences, including resisting police in the execution of duty, affray, assaulting an officer in execution of duty, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault. He will appear in Bail Division Court 7 later on Friday. Nicholas Teplin, the man who was arrested at Sydney Airport on Wednesday (incident pictured) has been hit with fresh charges following another alleged incident at Central Station The Melbourne man (pictured after Wednesday's arrest) spent the night in custody after he was re-arrested on Thursday The alleged incident came a day after AFP officers responded to a request for assistance from an airline about a man allegedly acting suspiciously at a check-in counter in the T2 domestic terminal. Two officers wrestled Teplin to the ground before the gun was accidentally fired during the struggle, with the bullet lodging in a wall one metre away at an airport cafe. Police later revealed that Teplin had been told to leave the airport the previous day after another more minor incident. They added that it was very lucky that no one was hurt or killed during the incident. Teplin was filmed shouting expletives as officers pinned him to the floor. He was later charged with obstructing a Commonwealth official and creating a disturbance at an airport. Teplin was bailed to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on September 1. He is banned from entering the airport as part of his strict bail conditions. He faces a $3,300 fine and up to two years behind bars if convicted of the AFP offences. Teplin is accused of assaulting four men and resisting arrest at Central Station on Thursday Teplin was hit with fresh charges hours after he was charged with obstructing a Commonwealth official and creating a disturbance at an airport AFP Acting Commander Scott Raven confirmed that the man was known to police. 'We had dealt with him yesterday in relation to a number of things about his behaviour and he left the airport,' he told reporters on Wednesday. 'Today his behaviour at the check-in counter was inconsistent with the way that we expect all members of the public to behave at a check-in counter. 'Not acting professionally, not acting respectfully, and also just acting in a way that led to their suspicion that the airline staff called us immediately. 'I thank the airlines for doing that, and that was why we were able to act quite swiftly and actually apprehend this man.' Commander Raven added the man's alleged behaviour threatened the safety of the public, staff and police. Britain's top military chief has fired a warning shot to the West to not be cowered by Vladimir Putin. In a rare and hard-hitting intervention, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin - the head of Britain's Armed Forces - urged NATO to be 'assertive in every domain', from nuclear weapons to cyberspace, as Donald Trump gears up for a high-stakes one-on-one with the Russian president in Alaska tomorrow. Sir Tony's comments come amid fears that Trump could cut a peace deal over Ukraine that sidelines Kyiv's president, Volodymyr Zelensky. But the US president has insisted he won't be pushed around, declaring Putin 'wouldn't mess with me' and promising swift action - either a breakthrough or more sanctions - if talks collapse. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump vowed to 'set the table for the next meeting' and warned: 'If it's a bad meeting, it will end very quickly, and if it's a good meeting, we will end up having peace in the very near future'. European leaders have been rattled by the possibility of Trump and Putin striking a deal without their input. But Trump offered reassurance, saying a second meeting - potentially involving Zelensky and selected European leaders - would be where the 'real' decisions are made. 'The more important meeting will be the second meeting that we're having, we're going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelensky, myself and European leaders, maybe not,' he said. In a rare and hard-hitting intervention, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin - the head of Britain's Armed Forces - urged NATO to be 'assertive in every domain', from nuclear weapons to cyberspace Sir Tony's comments come amid fears that Trump could cut a peace deal over Ukraine that sidelines Kyiv 's president, Volodymyr Zelensky Zelensky, notably excluded from Friday's meeting, was in London yesterday for talks with Sir Keir Starmer 'The second meeting is going to be very, very important, because that's going to be a meeting where they make a deal. And I don't want to use the word "divvy" things up. But you know, to a certain extent, it's not a bad term'. Marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day in The Telegraph, Sir Tony stressed NATO's post-war unity, arguing: 'Putin doesn't want a war with NATO because he would lose. So we should not be cowed by his rhetoric or his campaign of sabotage, outrageous as it may be.' He added: 'The one weapon that is most needed in our arsenal is confidence.' Sir Tony dismissed claims of major Russian advances, revealing they've taken less than 0.4 per cent of Ukrainian territory this year, despite losing over a million soldiers killed or wounded. Meanwhile, Putin arrived in the US flanked by foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and defence minister Andrei Belousov. In a calculated charm offensive, the Kremlin leader praised Washington's 'energetic' push for peace - comments Trump brushed aside, again warning: 'I am president, and he's not going to mess around with me.' Zelensky, notably excluded from Friday's meeting, was in London yesterday for talks with Sir Keir Starmer, posting online that they discussed 'security guarantees' to make any peace deal lasting. Your browser does not support iframes. Zelensky posted online that he and Starmer discussed 'security guarantees' to make any peace deal lasting A blaze in a residential area following a powerful explosion as emergency services respond to the aftermath of the fire, on August 14, 2025 in Sloviansk, Ukraine Behind the scenes, Trump is said to be ready to tempt Putin with lucrative incentives - including access to rare earth minerals in occupied Ukraine, lifting sanctions on Russian aircraft, and even tapping into Alaska's natural resources. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is reportedly weighing up economic trade-offs to speed up a ceasefire. But Trump has privately admitted there is still a one-in-four chance the summit will fail. It comes after Trump warned Putin 'there will be very severe consequences' if Russia does not agree to stop the war in Ukraine after their meeting on Friday. The US President took a tougher tone against the dictator on Wednesday saying he was yet to be convinced he would be able to persuade Putin to stop killing civilians. European leaders also said Trump had agreed to make an immediate ceasefire at the start of negotiations a priority - something that will be painful for Moscow which is gaining territory by the day. US Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday said Trump had vowed that they would 'bring peace to Europe' in a speech at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. European leaders have been rattled by the possibility of Trump and Putin striking a deal without their input JD Vance on Wednesday said the US President had vowed that they would 'bring peace to Europe' in a speech at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire Your browser does not support iframes. French President Emmanuel Macron (left) speaks by video conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left, onscreen) and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (right) on Wednesday. The leaders also had a joint call with President Donald Trump He channelled the spirit of how America and Britain had brought peace by victory in World War Two after spending the week with Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening House in Kent. Describing what he and Lammy had discussed, the Vice President said: 'What we did is we worked on one of our most important shared security goals in Europe, which is the end of the war between Russia and Ukraine. 'The President of the United States came in six months ago, and I just talked to him right before I came on the stage, and he said very simply that we are going to make it our mission as an administration to bring peace to Europe once again.' It marked a successful day of European diplomacy after Trump's deeply concerning press conference on Monday where he appeared to blame Zelensky for the war and take a softer stance against Putin. Terrified passengers texted worried messages to their loved ones as a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Brisbane suddenly plunged 28,000ft within seconds. Flight VA993 suddenly lost cabin pressure at high altitude just 40 minutes after taking off at 8.30pm on Thursday. The Boeing 737-800 immediately dropped from its 37,000ft cruising altitude down to under 10,000ft, as pilots sounded an emergency call to air traffic control. One passenger on the flight sent an urgent message to her husband when the plane began to lose altitude. Haley told her husband 'plane's dropping' in a text message, according to Network Ten. 'Emergency landing love you,' she added. The plane continued safely at the lower altitude - where the plane doesn't need to be pressurised - until it landed in Brisbane. Footage from onboard the aircraft showed oxygen masks hanging from the overhead cabin compartments as flight attendants walked the aisle to calm passengers. Oxygen masks dropped on a Virgin flight when the plane plunged 28,000ft on Thursday night (pictured) Oxygen masks were deployed on the domestic flight when the cabin lost pressure (above) A Virgin Australia spokesman said the flight landed safely in Brisbane despite the 'depressurisation event'. 'The flight crew took the appropriate steps, following standard operating procedures, to descend to a lower altitude,' the spokesman said. 'As part of that process, a PAN call was transmitted to Air Traffic Control.' An emergency PAN call is a standard call for assistance in an urgent situation. It differs from a Mayday call, which is only issued in a life-threatening situation. Altitude graphs from Flightradar24 showed the plane's steep descent from its peak altitude of 37,000ft. The Virgin spokesman said no passengers or crew members were injured in the incident. He said the aircraft would be investigated by engineers and the airline will review the situation against its safety standards. The airline's guest relations workers have reached out to affected passengers. Images showed passengers using the in-cabin oxygen masks during the descent (above) Flightradar24 altitude data showed the plane reaching a peak of 37,000ft before suddenly dropping (above) Crew members on the aircraft could be seen working to calm terrified passengers (above) When planes experience 'rapid' depressurisation pilots execute a drop down to a breathable altitude as quickly as possible. During the descent G-forces remain around 1G. As the aircraft maintains a steady speed in the dive, vertical acceleration is mostly stable. In the case of 'rapid' depressurisation, passengers could experience ear pain, or popping, temporary loss of hearing and headaches, according to a report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). In a previous depressurisation event, the ATSB said passengers also reported high levels of anxiety and feelings of panic, with associated physiological symptoms such as a racing heart. Several passengers reported feelings of faintness, light-headedness and/or tremors. Depressurisation can occur within seconds and is associated with the sound of a bang and a 'fogging' of the cabin's air. Pilots are trained to deal with such an incident, but depressurisation can still pose a danger if crew members are incapacitated by a lack of oxygen. A federal office building in New York City was evacuated after employees found an envelope containing white powder. New York City firefighters received a call about the suspicious material at around 3.55pm, and fire crews and police officers soon rushed to the scene of 26 Federal Plaza, The Hill reports. The building houses the city's Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office as well as the Department of Homeland Security, though it is unclear if the suspicious envelope was directed at either office, CBS News reports. Officials quickly evacuated the building and there were no immediate reports of anyone feeling ill, according to NBC 4 New York. Hazmat teams now remain at the building while test results are pending, and city officials are asking residents to avoid the area as the investigation continues. 'Expect increased presence and temporary closures,' Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry wrote on social media. The federal building has been the site of several protests last week, after civil rights groups claimed detainees housed at the ICE facility are not provided with sufficient access to their lawyers or medications, and are forced to endure extreme temperatures. But the Department of Homeland Security has denied that the building is bein used as a detention center and argued that allegations of overcrowding or poor conditions are 'categorically false.' 'It is a processing center where illegal aliens are briefly processed to be transferred to an ICE Detention Facility,' Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told CBS. A federal office building containing New York City's Immigration and Customs Enforcement office was evacuated on Thursday It is unclear whether the white powder was directed at federal immigration officials. Protesters are pictured outside last week 'All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.' 'As we arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens and public safety threats from the US, ICE has worked diligently to obtain greater necessary detention space while avoiding overcrowding,' she added. On Tuesday, US District Judge Lewis Kaplan announced he would block the Trump administration from using the federal building to hold migrants unless ICE improves the conditions. Those include delivering several items to the migrants held at the federal building, upon request, such as bedding mats, blankets, clean clothing, feminine hygiene products and necessary medications. 'There seems to be quite a gap between the ICE standards, indeed, and what's really happening,' the judge said. This is a breaking news story and will be updated. A British Airways pilot was reportedly suspended after breaking anti-terror rules on board a flight for his family. The captain, flying from Heathrow to New York, is said to have left the cockpit door wide open during the transatlantic flight, according to The Sun. He is reported to have left the door open so his relatives on the flight who were travelling in the cabin could see him in action. But stunned passengers and crew were left alarmed when the reinforced door - a critical post-9/11 security measure - was left unsecured for what witnesses claim was 'a significant time'. Sources told the newspaper that the incident was so concerning that the pilot was reported to US authorities as soon as the plane landed. His grounding meant the return flight, BA174 to London, was cancelled last Friday, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. One insider told the paper: 'It made passengers incredibly uneasy. The door was wide open for a significant time - enough for people to worry and comment'. The Civil Aviation Authority has launched an urgent investigation into the breach. The BA captain, flying from Heathrow to New York, is said to have left the cockpit door wide open during the transatlantic flight, according to The Sun British Airways colleagues reportedly feared the lapse could have posed a serious risk, even though no actual threat was identified. The airline confirmed the pilot's suspension was in line with company policy. He has since been reinstated and is back in the air after the inquiry found no security danger. A British Airways spokesperson insisted: 'Safety and security is our top priority.' Daily Mail has approached the airline for comment. It comes after two people were removed from an American Airlines flight to New York in April after a woman attempted to breach the cockpit to question the pilots over a delay. A video posted to social media showed a woman surrounded by flight attendants as a pilot opened the door to the cockpit. Seconds later a male flight attendant takes the woman to the ground to avoid her overtaking the cockpit, leading her to threaten to kick the flight attendants 'in the balls,' according to a report in Aeroin, a flight magazine. British Airways colleagues reportedly feared the lapse could have posed a serious risk, even though no actual threat was identified Due to the commotion the flight was delayed even longer as it had to taxi back to the gate to remove the passengers. The flight from Sao Paulo to New York City eventually took off two hours and 25 minutes later than its departure time, Aeroin said. American Airlines confirmed the plane returned to the gate. 'The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority and we thank everyone for their understanding,' it said. One of the most powerful figures in Australian book publishing has been accused of writing a debut novel so bad an amateur reviewer described it as '300 pages of slop'. Nick Croydon is the CEO and co-owner of retail giant QBD Books and has penned a historical thriller called The Turing Protocol which was published by Affirm Press late last month. The novel imagines celebrated World War II codebreaker Alan Turing inventing a time machine called Nautilus which can send messages back into the recent past. Croydon's company QBD, which operates 91 stores across Australia and bills itself as the nation's number one online book seller, is promoting The Turing Protocol as its fiction title of the month. More than half the readers whose ratings were posted on the popular Goodreads website by Friday afternoon gave The Turing Protocol one star out of five, amid a backlash against Croydon for depicting the famously gay Turing as having sex with a woman. Some users suspected QBD employees were also bombarding the review site with positive comments, with the store acknowledging that staff 'shared their genuine views on the book - both complimentary and critical'. Turing, who was played by Benedict Cumberbatch in the acclaimed 2014 film The Imitation Game, helped crack Nazi Germany's Enigma code machine, which became a major turning point in the war. The brilliant English mathematician and computing pioneer was notoriously prosecuted for homosexual acts in 1952 and underwent chemical castration instead of going to jail. Two years later, in a state of despair Turing took his own life by cyanide poisoning, aged 41. Nick Croydon, CEO and co-owner of QBD Books, has been accused of writing a debut novel so bad an amateur reviewer described it as '300 pages of slop'. Croydon is pictured Croydon's novel The Turing Protocol imagines celebrated World War II codebreaker Alan Turing inventing a time machine. Benedict Cumberbatch is pictured playing Turin in The Imitation Game It was not until 2009 the British government finally made a formal apology for what then prime minister Gordon Brown described as the 'appalling' treatment Turing endured. Queen Elizabeth II granted Turing a pardon in 2013 and the term 'Alan Turing law' now refers to UK legislation retroactively pardoning men convicted for acts of homosexuality. Some of the critics of Croydon's book are aghast the author has both described Turing having sex with a woman and given him a secret son, while others simply say the writing is awful. One prolific Australian author was flabbergasted by the change in Turing's circumstances, imagining if an African-American civil rights hero received the same treatment. 'What's next?' he asked Daily Mail. 'Perhaps The Rosa Parks Codex, except, you know, Rosa is CIA, hot and secretly white, as written by the CEO of Dymocks.' Affirm Press, which is owned by Simon & Schuster, acquired the UK and Commonwealth rights to The Turing Project in a two-book deal with Croydon. 'In the midst of World War II, Enigma codebreaker Alan Turing has created a machine named Nautilus that can send a message back into the recent past,' a synopsis begins. 'After Turing uses it to help the Allied forces succeed on D-Day, he sees the power (and potential danger) of what he has created. He knows he can only entrust it to one person: Joan, the mother of his secret child. Alan Turing (above) famously helped cracked Nazi Germany 's Enigma code machine, which became a major turning point in the war Croydon's company QBD, which operates 91 stores across Australia, is promoting The Turing Protocol as its fiction title of the month. 'Over the next seventy years, the Nautilus is passed down through the Turing family, who all must decide for themselves when to use this powerful invention. Will it save the world - or destroy it?' The cover carries blurbs by crime writers Dervla McTiernan - 'a fascinating alternative history with an intriguing "what if" at its core' - and Chris Hammer: 'Thought-provoking, The Time Machine meets The Da Vinci Code'. Turing did have a close relationship with a female colleague - Joan Clarke, to whom he was briefly engaged in what is sometimes called a lavender marriage. But many online reviewers believe Croydon went too far. 'The way this book portrays him genuinely makes me feel sick in the mouth,' one wrote. As of Friday, there were 71 ratings on Goodreads, with 38 (53 per cent) of them one-star, 20 (28 per cent) five-star, and just 13 others between those extremes. Most of the one-star ratings were from users who had reviewed multiple books, while all bar one of the five-star ratings were left by readers who had never previously posted on the site. Affirm Press, which is owned by Simon & Schuster, acquired the UK and Commonwealth rights to The Turing Project in a two-book deal with Croydon. The Turing Protocol is the first book More than half the ratings for The Turing Protocol posted on Goodreads by Friday afternoon gave the book one star out of five One reviewer who described herself as queer took exception to Croydon's graphic portrayal of Turing engaging in heterosexual sex, even in a work of historical fiction. 'Using real figures but keeping them at a distance to establish setting is one thing, writing how Alan Turing, a gay man, experiences having sex with a woman is something else entirely,' she wrote. The one-star reviews are scathing, including a suggestion a better title for the book would be 'The Boring Protocol'. 'Honestly one of the worst things I've ever read, do not waste your time or money on it,' one man wrote. '300 pages of slop,' wrote another. 'This is possibly one of the worst books I've ever read.' The first five-star review on Goodreads described reading The Turing Protocol as 'like stepping into the mind of a creator who understands both the beauty and the burden of invention'. Alan Turning did have a close relationship with a female colleague - Joan Clarke, to whom he was briefly engaged. Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley are pictured in those roles 'If you're looking for a holiday read thats smart, soulful, and deeply original - this is it,' one man wrote. The next glowing review came from a reader who was hooked from page one. He wrote: 'I was constantly checking what was real or not, and the twists kept me racing through the pages, but it was the tender family relationships that really struck me.' Some of the five-star reviews addressed earlier criticism. User Gayman3123 wrote: 'im gay and I enjoyed the book so much it was interesting during "that" part but I don't know why you guys hate because (it's) just fiction.' One fan read Croydon's book in a night. 'The Turing Protocol is as good of a debut as we have seen in historical fiction this year, and I will be surprised if sales all around the world don't reflect this,' he wrote. A young reader calling themselves 'Reader' gave the book five stars and said: 'Picked up this book for a recent long-haul flight and oh my goodness, I didn't put it down for a single moment!' As of Friday, there were 71 ratings on Goodreads, with 38 (53 per cent) of them one-star, 20 (28 per cent) five-star, and just 13 others between those extremes One even wrote: 'I watched the Book Launch and went to QBD Books the next day and was assisted by a very kind young man. Great shopping experience and great book.' A spokeswoman for QBD Books said 'it's not unusual for friends, family, colleagues and peers to provide reviews of an author's work. 'QBD Books staff are a team of avid readers across the country who engage with literature passionately, some of whom have shared their genuine views on the book - both complimentary and critical.' The spokeswoman said QBD chose its books of the month after 'a rigorous selection process that highlights debut or new authors who have written standout works'. She also defended Croydon's portrayal of Turing's sexuality and his relationship with Clarke. 'Throughout the novel, Alan Turing's identity as a gay man is neither erased, questioned nor diminished,' she said. 'Both the narrative and authors intent are clear to critique Turing's treatment, chemical castration, and ultimately his death as a result of society's and the government's treatment of him due to his sexuality. 'Specifically, the Author's note at the end of the book reads, "The way he was treated by society and the authorities was a travesty".' Goodreads and Simon & Schuster were contacted for comment. This is the heart-stopping moment Greek locals ran into the sea and swam to rescue boats to escape wildfires. Dramatic footage shows volunteers of the Hellenic Red Cross hauling the terrified people aboard as a dark, ash-filled sky looms overhead and flames rage. The rescue operation unfolded in Vrachneika, Achaia, after the blaze broke out at noon on Tuesday and continued to burn until Wednesday. Fire crews in Greece, Spain, and Portugal are racing to contain wildfires, taking advantage of calmer winds that slowed their advance. Much of southern Europe, however, remains at high risk under hot, dry conditions on Thursday. A drop in wind speeds allowed firefighting aircraft in the three hard-hit countries to step up water drops, concentrating on existing fire zones rather than chasing fast-moving fronts. Authorities warned that extreme temperatures are likely to persist. Spanish authorities reported the death of a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter who sustained severe burns in an area north of Madrid this week. This is the heart-stopping moment Greek locals ran into the sea and swam to rescue boats to escape wildfires Dramatic footage shows volunteers of the Hellenic Red Cross hauling the terrified people aboard as a dark, ash-filled sky looms overhead and flames rage The rescue operation unfolded in Vrachneika, Achaia, after the blaze broke out at noon on Tuesday and continued to burn until Wednesday Pictured: Firefighters tackling a blaze in Greece It was the third reported death in Spain because of the recent fires. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in the region and still cannot return. In Greece, the fire service said a major blaze outside the southern port city of Patras has been contained on the outskirts of urban areas after a large-scale deployment. Three people have been arrested in connection with the fire, which authorities said may have been deliberately set. The European Union's civil protection agency said it responded to requests for assistance this week from Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Albania, sending firefighting planes and helicopters from other member states. The agency said it had already activated assistance 16 times amid this summer's wildfires as European countries have been hit by 'a high number of catastrophic wildfires'. A firefighter helps to extinguish a wildfire approaching Benvende, in Trancoso, Portugal, August 14 Firefighters stand in front of the flames during a wildfire in Santa Baia De Montes, northwestern Spain, Thursday, August 14 Volunteers rescue Greeks who were forced to jump into water to escape raging wildfire A woman tries to put out a wildfire with a hose in Greece The number of activations for 2025 already matches the total for wildfires during the entire 2024 fire season, it said. In Albania, wildfires in central and southern parts of the country were contained after gutting more than 200 homes. The country's prime minister Edi Rama promised that police would work 'day and night' to apprehend suspected arsonists blamed by the government for causing some of the fires. Across the Mediterranean Sea, Morocco battled its largest wildfire of the year this week near Bab Taza, in the north of the country, which burned dense forest, fuelled by strong winds and high temperatures. Authorities said water-dropping aircraft and more than 450 personnel successfully contained the blaze. A second wildfire near Tetouan, further north, was also brought under control. Firefighters stand in front of the flames during a wildfire in Santa Baia De Montes, northwestern Spain, Thursday, August 14 A man watches as a wildfire rages near a house in Granja do Paiva, Sernancelhe municipality, Viseu district, Portugal August 14 It comes after deadly wildfires have spread across several British tourist hotspots forcing thousands of evacuations as a scorching heatwave continues to tear through Europe. Sunseekers have been fleeing Greece's Zakynthos and Kefalonia islands 'by the minute' as raging infernos continue to rip through the Med. A British bar worker on Zakynthos told Sky News he joined emergency services and locals to help combat a 'shocking' fire near a popular tourist resort. Since dawn on Wednesday, 4,850 firefighters backed by the army and 33 planes were mobilised across Greece on what promised to be 'a very difficult day', fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said. In popular party-resort Laganas, officials ordered young Brit revellers to leave hotels as a 'precautionary measure' after the fires shot clouds of black smoke over the area. Body cam shows firefighters tackling flames in southern Turkey A forestry worker was killed Wednesday while responding to a wildfire in southern Turkey, officials said. Pictured: A blaze in Turkey 'It's a cocktail of high temperatures, strong winds... and minimal humidity,' the head of civil protection for Western Greece, Nikos Gyftakis, told public broadcaster ERT. One local official spoke of 'an unending nightmare' as a blaze near the ancient Mycenaean archaeological site of Voudeni, just four miles from Patras, Greece's third-largest city, threatened forested zones and homes, while 7,700 people were evacuated from a nearby town. A forestry worker was killed Wednesday while responding to a wildfire in southern Turkey, officials said. The Forestry Ministry said the worker died in an accident involving a fire truck that left four others injured. Turkey has been battling severe wildfires since late June. A total of 18 people have been killed, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers who died in July. A mother-of-two who is in a relationship with her father-in-law is seen pleading for his release after he was arrested on suspicion of trying to drown her in a swimming pool on holiday in Florida. Hairdresser Jasmine Wyld, 33, begged prosecutors in the states to free her partner Mark Gibbon, which is revealed in newly released court footage. Gibbon, 62, a wealthy businessman, is currently in jail in America, charged with the attempted murder of Jasmine, who was previously engaged to his son, with whom she has two children. Appearing on video link from her home in Buckinghamshire, Ms Wyld hailed Gibbon 'a good man' and someone who 'adores his family' as she denied ever being frightened of him. She also told the court that social services in Britain had been in touch and were due to speak to her about reports of her romance with Mr Gibbon, who is grandfather to her nine-year-old daughter and six-year-old son. Ms Wyld had been engaged to his son, Alex, 34, but the couple split in 2021. The Daily Mail revealed last week how she and her father-in-law got together two years ago and virtually lived together at his four-bedroom home in Beaconsfield. They flew to Florida with the children earlier this month and were staying in a resort near Disney World when a drunken row over the stipulations of his will turned to violence. Jasmine Wyld was seen at home in the UK on Friday after returning from the family holiday that ended in her father-in-law's arrest Ms Wyld also told the court that social services in Britain had been in touch and were due to speak to her about reports of her romance with Mr Gibbon Mark Gibbon, 62, right, is currently in jail in the US after he was charged with the attempted murder of Jasmine Wyld - his son, Alex's former partner Gibbon has been charged with two counts of battery and one of attempted second-degree murder in Florida Mr Gibbon is accused of holding Ms Wyld's head under the water of their holiday villa's swimming pool several times forcing his granddaughter to jump in to try and help her mother. Quizzed by state prosecutor, Michael Berkowitz, on whether her opinion of him had changed since he allegedly tried to kill her' Ms Wyld said: 'Obviously I've been through a lot, mentally, with what's going on and I'm still in a state of shock because I look upon Mark as a very trusting character, as a good man. 'He adores his family, nothing was ever too much trouble for him and I can't speak of the events that took place that day, I guess only Mark can. 'But all I can say is what a wonderful grandfather he was to the grandchildren and he was my best friend. I had complete trust in him.' Asked about the situation at home in the UK, she said news of their relationship had been made public 'to the entire world' and so had come to the attention of the authorities in Britain. She told the court: 'Back here in England, what we call social services have contacted me and there will be involvement with the social services here in the UK. 'I don't know the rules as of yet as I've not met with the lady that's going to come round and talk to me. 'Obviously this case has hit England and it's been made public knowledge to pretty much the entire world. Appearing on video link from her home in Buckinghamshire, Ms Wyld hailed Gibbon 'a good man' and someone who 'adores his family' as she denied ever being frightened of him Jasmine, pictured with ex-husband (and Mark Gibbon's son) Alex and one of their two children Gibbon was on a luxury holiday with his family at the Solterra Resort in Davenport (pictured) when he got into an argument about his will, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office 'I can't speak on behalf of what the conditions will be like here back in England because the social services have their duties of care so unfortunately I can't speak solely on that. 'However, as I've said, I've never felt fearful of Mark prior to this or felt unsafe and he's been great with the grandchildren. ' The court appearance took place on Monday in Bartow, Florida. But despite Ms Wyld's pleas, Judge Jalal Harb denied the request for bail and remanded Mr Gibbon in custody at the Polk County Jail. He expressed dismay that Ms Wyld's video evidence contradicts the official statement she had given to police when they were called to the Solterra Resort in Davenport near Orlando on August 3. In a sworn affidavit Ms Wyld had told officers she 'could not breathe and feared she would drown.' Judge Jalal Harb said: 'Quite frankly, her testimony is of great concern to this court. 'Her testimony to this court is not nearly consistent with what she reported to The Sheriff's Office. The testimony that was provided by her young daughter contradicts her testimony to this court.' Jasmine Wyld, 33, begged prosecutors in the states to free her partner Mark Gibbon, which is revealed in newly released court footage Ms Wyld is a hairdresser from Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire and has reportedly been seen staying at her father-in-law Gibbon's 800,000 property in recent months, angering the family Mr Gibbon is divorced from his wife and no longer speaks to his son Alex, who previously lived with Ms Wyld and their children in Bourne End, Buckinghamshire. A source close to Alex revealed last week how he caught Jasmine in his father's bed four years ago while they were still together. The friend said: 'Alex had been working away and came back to his family home one weekend to find the place empty. 'He couldn't reach Jasmine by phone but even back then he had his suspicions about her and his dad. So he drove from the family home in Bourne End to Beaconsfield where his dad lived and found her car parked outside. 'Alex had keys to his dad's house because he used to live there too and, as he went in, he saw Mark standing in the kitchen. 'He asked him, 'Where is she?' and, with a smirk on his face, [Mark] replied: 'Why don't you go and find her?' 'Alex went up the stairs and found Jasmine in his father's bed. They had a massive row. Jasmine said she had gone on a night out with friends the previous evening and dropped the kids around at Mark's to babysit. 'She decided to head to Mark's after, rather than go home, but during the evening she wandered into the wrong room by mistake. Mark Gibbon has split from his wife and now lives alone in a 800,000 semi-detached home in Beaconsfield Ms Wyld and Gibbon have been holidaying together at various exotic foreign locations since their respective relationships broke down 'Alex had a fight with his dad over it and the police were called.' An even bigger argument erupted between father and son a year or so later when Alex hit his father with his 80,000 Porsche Cayenne and ended up being jailed. He was sentenced in February 2024 to two years in prison and given a three-year driving ban as well as a five-year restraining order. The source explained: 'There was a big argument between Alex and his father in the street. Alex had had enough and got into his car to try to drive away but Mark got in front of the car to stop him from leaving. 'Alex shouted to him to get out of the way but Mark continued to obstruct him and was hit by the car as a result.' After leaving the family home she shared with Alex - which was sold for 550,000 last year - Ms Wyld briefly rented a flat in Burnham in Buckinghamshire before moving into a rented cottage nearby, where she was photographed last week and from where she gave her video testimony to court. Despite having her own place, she is said to have spent large amounts of time at Mr Gibbon's home, where she based herself as a mobile hairdresser. Ms Wyld has praised her father-in-law Gibbon fun loving nature previously on social media Mr Gibbon is a lighting technician who runs his own company called MRG Lighting. He has previously worked on television and film sets, as well as on music videos for Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and Paloma Faith. But he is also listed as a director of Sage Hairdressing, which was set up in July last year. Details of what caused the row which preceded the alleged attempted drowning are scarce, though it is believed it was related to the fact that Mr Gibbon has left his 800,000 fortune to his grandchildren and has not listed Ms Wyld as a beneficiary. He is charged with attempted second-degree murder and two counts of battery and will appear in court next on September 9. Federal agents swarmed around Governor Gavin Newsom's anti-Trump rally as the California lawmaker detailed a redistricting plan to counteract GOP efforts in Texas. Armed and masked US Border Patrol agents were outside the Japanese American Cultural Center in Los Angeles during the Democratic governor's 'Liberation Day' event on Thursday. At least one man was arrested. 'He's a failed president, who else sends ICE at the same time I'm having a conversation like this? Someone who's weak. Someone who's broken,' Newsom told the crowd inside. Newsom - a vocal adversary of Donald Trump - planned the rally to introduce his Election Rigging Response Act to Golden State voters. The act, which will go before voters in November, would mean California would temporarily adopt new congressional districts through 2030 if other states - such as Texas - did the same. 'We're giving the people of this state the power to save democracy, not just in California, but all across the United States of America,' he as the crowd cheered. 'We can't stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district all across the country.' Newsom's call to action comes as a response to right-wing efforts to rewrite the congressional map in Texas to favor Republicans in the upcoming 2026 midterms. Governor Gavin Newsom (pictured) detailed the Election Rigging Response Act, which will be on the ballot for California voters this November Armed and masked US Border Patrol agents were outside the Japanese American Cultural Center in Los Angeles during the Democratic governor's 'Liberation Day' event on Thursday. At least one man was arrested (pictured) Donald Trump (pictured) said 'we are entitled' to five more Republican seats in the House of Representatives If the Trump-backed plot is successful, the GOP is expected to gain at least five additional seats in the House of Representatives. 'We have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats, Trump told CNBC on Tuesday. 'We have a really good governor, and we have good people in Texas. And I won Texas. 'I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are entitled to five more seats.' Democrats only need to flip three House seats to regain control of the chamber for the 2026 election. Texas Republicans recently drafted up a new map, prompting the state's Democrats members to flee in order to prevent the redraw from going through. But the fiercest push back has come from the Golden State, with Newsom not only taking Thursday's rally as an opportunity to describe the act, but also to throw digs at Trump. 'He's going to lose the midterms, he knows de facto his presidency ends in 17 months,' Newsom said. 'Why else would he try to rig the system?' Texas Governor Greg Abbott (pictured) has been on board with redistricting efforts in his state Newsom shared footage from outside the rally (pictured), claiming Trump was trying to intimidate him Newsom called Trump 'weak' for sending over federal agents (pictured) He encouraged Californians and residents of other blue states to 'stand up' against the GOP efforts being led by Texas, but are also be considered in other red states. Newsom had shared multiple X posts throughout the day, with one reading: 'Donald Trump and Greg Abbott are going to have a very bad day today.' He followed up with a video of the Border Patrol agents outside the center, saying that 'we will not be intimidated' by their presence. Newsom's 'Liberation Day' came just days after he penned a passionate letter to Trump, telling the president he's 'playing with fire.' In a letter penned to Trump on Monday, Newsom vowed to not stand idly by as Texas along with other GOP-dominated states attempt to add more Republican seats to protect and enlarge their majority in the US House. If you will not stand down, I will be forced to lead an effort to redraw the maps in California to offset the rigging of maps in red states, Newsom wrote. Newsom offered a compromise to Trump by promising to call off redistricting efforts in California if GOP-led states do the same. But if the other states call off their redistricting efforts, we will happily do the same. And American democracy will be better for it. Harrowing footage has captured the moment a car thief slashed a police officer with a box knife before setting his car alight following a high-speed chase. Diesel Jackson, 25, attacked two police officers at a home in Frankston, in Melbourne's south-east, on the evening of March 22, 2024. The officers, a man and woman, were responding to reports of a man at the property with a stolen white Jeep Grand Cherokee. When they arrived, Jackson waved a box knife and slashed one of the officers before fleeing in the stolen vehicle. Bodycam footage released by a judge to Seven News on Friday showed the male officer breaking away from the tussle and pointing a gun at the knife-wielding man. 'Put it down... Put the f***ing knife down!' he said. During the altercation, the female officer pleaded with the male officer to let Jackson go, having found herself 'trapped' alone in the room with the armed man. 'No, no, let him go, let him get out.... I'm trapped!' she said. Diesel Jackson (pictured) slashed a police officer with a box knife in Frankston in March 2024 In footage released by a judge, a male police officer could be seen wrestling with Jackson during the violent altercation During the altercation, neither of the officers were equipped with tasers but one of them used capsicum spray against the enraged Jackson, although it had little impact. 'Let him go, not worth it,' the female officer said as her police partner stepped out of the way to allow Jackson to go downstairs, before taking off in the stolen Jeep. Outside, the pair watched as Jackson drove off, only for him to come back and speed up as he approached them on the pavement. 'Watch out, he's going to ram us!' the female officer yelled, before ordering her partner to 'Get out of the way!' Aerial footage captured the high-speed chase through south-east Melbourne during which Jackson reportedly reached speeds approaching 170km/h. Manoeuvring through dense, oncoming traffic, the Jeep could be seen mounting kerbs and median strips before he sped over police-deployed stop sticks. The pursuit ended when Jackson lost control of the vehicle, spinning out on Cranbourne Road. He then set fire to the stolen vehicle before fleeing on foot but was apprehended nearby. Jackson came to a stop after losing control of the stolen vehicle before setting it alight The incident, which left both officers in hospital, has renewed calls for the Victorian Government to fast-track its plan to equip all front-line officers with tasers. First proposed by the former Andrews Labor Government, the state has earmarked $214million towards funding the rollout of upgraded Axon tasers by September 2026. Chief executive of the Police Association Victoria Wayne Gatt said tasers would 'definitely have helped in the situation'. The 25-year-old Jackson was charged with 28 offences including assaulting emergency worker whilst on duty, intentionally causing injury, recklessly causing injury and theft of motor vehicle. He was convicted of eight offences and three summary offences and sentenced to six years imprisonment with four years non-parole. Daily Mail has contacted Victorian Police Minister Anthony Carbines for comment. Donald Trump branded Senator Elizabeth Warren a 'nut job' while demanding she take a drug test during an Oval Office appearance. While speaking to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act Trump took aim at the lawmaker and reignited one of his longest standing feuds. 'She's a nut job. I watched her the other night. She's all hopped up endorsing a communist in New York City, and she was all excited and jumping up and down,' Trump said. 'She's got to take a drug test. She really, though, she's got to take a drug test. There's no way somebody can act that way and be normal.' Trump had been referencing Warren's recent support of New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist who he has touted as a communist. Her name came up after Trump was asked about her and Senator Bernie Sanders pushing what a reporter called 'misinformation' surrounding social security. As well as saying she should take a drug test, Trump also took aim at Warren for lying about her Native American heritage in the past - of which he has done frequently. He said: 'Elizabeth Warren said she was an Indian. We call her Pocahontas. Shes a liar. She lied her whole career.' While speaking to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act Trump took aim at the lawmaker and reignited one of his longest standing feuds Warren penned an op-ed for Fox News earlier this year in which she said the Trump administration was attacking the Social Security system 'Based on the fact that she was Indian, she was able to get into certain colleges, get certain jobs, get into certain universities to work there. Shes a liar and a mean person. 'Bernie Sanders is Bernie Sanders. I dont mind him so much. Hes just a liberal guy, very liberal guys, wacky guy. 'Hes still sharp. I got to tell you, you know, hes 86, or 87, or something. Hes still sharp.' Warren penned an op-ed for Fox News earlier this year in which she said the Trump administration was attacking the Social Security system. She said: 'We shouldnt be cutting Social Security services and threatening Americans benefits we should be making the program stronger. 'People are struggling with sky-high prices while their retirement savings are evaporating.' The longtime political foes managed to agree on one thing earlier this year, after both saying that the debit limit should be scrapped. Warren self-identified that she had Native American heritage on applications to Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. Trump had been referencing Warren's recent support of New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani But after being called out by Trump, she later released a DNA test in 2018 which revealed that she was only 1/512th Native American. Trump publicly mocked her as Pocahontas earlier this year during a speech he gave to a joint session of Congress. Warren clapped and nodded even as he made her the butt of the joke, later commenting that she feels being mentioned means she 'actually hit a nerve'. The Prime Minister has returned fire at a US diplomat, throwing his words back at him to defend Australia's recognition of Palestine. Australia on Monday revealed it would join other Western nations, including the UK, France and Canada, in recognising a state of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September, in response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Mike Huckabee, who was appointed America's ambassador to Israel by President Donald Trump in April, said the US was taken aback by the move, and stressed there was an 'enormous level of disappointment and some disgust' over the announcement. But Anthony Albanese backed Australia's decision, saying the continued human suffering in Gaza had disgusted the nation. '(Mike Huckabee) is an ambassador of a country - not Australia - to another country,' he told ABC Radio on Friday. 'My job is to represent Australia's interest and Australians have been disgusted by what they see on their TV every night. 'When you have children starving, when you have children losing their lives with families queuing for food and water, that provokes - not surprisingly - a human reaction.' Mr Huckabee also criticised the timing of the statehood announcement. Donald Trump's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, slammed Anthony Albanese's government during an appearance on the ABC's 7.30 program on Thursday evening 'What Australia and the other countries may have done inadvertently is to push Israel towards doing exactly what they're afraid of,' he told ABC's 7.30 program on Thursday night. 'The result of this has been to completely halt any type of thoughtful negotiations going forward.' Almost 150 out of the 193 UN member states already recognise the state of Palestine. While the ambassador said the US got 'no heads up' about Australia's decision, Foreign Minister Penny Wong did inform US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of it being made public. Mr Albanese also spoke in advance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a tense phone call. Liberal senator Jane Hume claimed Americans on both sides of politics had been shocked by Australia's decision on statehood. 'This decision by the Labor government has bewildered the Americans, that (the government) essentially departed from years of a strong alliance between Israel and America and Australia to make this decision unilaterally,' she told Seven's Sunrise. The Coalition has pledged to reverse Australia's position if it wins the next election. During a radio interview, Mr Albanese said that Australians were disgusted by what they see happening in Gaza on their TV screens each night Australia's decision to recognise a Palestinian state was fuelled in part by Israel's newly unveiled plans to occupy Gaza City and came after at least 90,000 people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in support of Palestine. 'There have been tens of thousands of people suggesting this is not the way forward. You just can't continue with the same pattern without an endpoint,' Mr Albanese said. 'The endpoint has to be to isolate Hamas.' The conditions for Australia's recognition include assurances that the designated terrorist group Hamas, which controls Gaza, plays no role in a future state. Many within the pro-Palestine movement say recognition will do nothing to change the situation on the ground, urging the government to go further and impose sanctions on Israel. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed almost 62,000 Palestinians, including 18,000 children, since October 7, 2023, according to local health authorities. It began after Hamas's invasion on October 7, 2023, when it killed more than 1200 Israelis and took about 250 people hostage. Not all of the hostages have been released. The UN projects 2.1 million people in Gaza face high levels of acute food insecurity, while 470,000 face catastrophic levels of food insecurity, after Israel throttled aid and resources into the territory. Australians should pay capital gains tax on their family home in order to tackle the housing crisis, a pair of influential economics professors argue. Peter Siminski from the University of Technology, Sydney, and Roger Wilkins from the University of Melbourne, say the longstanding capital gains tax exemption on the family home favours the rich and costs the government much-needed revenue. They are advocating the tax exemption be abolished ahead of next week's Economic Reform Roundtable in Canberra where Treasurer Jim Chalmers is seeking ideas to increase productivity. 'Here, we serve some food for thought the taxation of owner-occupied housing,' the professors wrote in an opinion piece for The Conversation. 'This may seem distasteful, but there are some strong arguments for doing so.' A property owner's principal place of residence has been exempt from the capital gains tax since it was introduced into law in September 1985. Neither major party - not even the Greens - has called for the capital gains tax to be imposed when someone sells the home they live in. But Prof Siminski and Prof Wilkins argue not taxing the family home costs Treasury $50billion a year in foregone revenue. Australians could end up paying the capital gains tax on the family home with influential economics professors pushing this idea in a bid to tackle housing inequality (pictured is a Sydney auction) 'The size of tax concessions for owner-occupied housing is similar to that of superannuation, and much larger than for investment property,' they said. 'Treasury estimates it forgoes more than A$50 billion per year by exempting owner-occupied housing from capital gains tax.' They calculated that average income for outright home owners was 34 per cent higher than for renters, but it was 86 per cent higher when housing income was included. Someone can move out of their principal place of residence and rent it out for six years, and still be exempt from the capital gains tax when their house or unit is sold. Older Australians who bought their house to live in during the 1980s and 1990s, when property was much cheaper compared with incomes, are spared having to pay the capital gains tax when they sell. 'Favourable tax treatment of owner-occupied housing is a major driver of inequality, undermining the redistributive role of government,' their paper said. 'Owner-occupied housing is regarded as sacred, with home ownership regarded as the "Great Australian Dream". 'Taxing the home is seen as inappropriate. The irony, of course, is that subsidising home-owners lifts the price of housing, making it harder for others to obtain.' They are advocating the tax exemption be abolished ahead of next week's Economic Reform Roundtable in Canberra where Treasurer Jim Chalmers is hoping for ideas to increase productivity Older Australians who bought their house to live in during the 1980s and 1990s, when property was much cheaper compared with incomes, are spared from paying the capital gains tax when they sell The family home is also exempt from the assets test when deciding eligibility for the age pension, which the academics said should be reviewed. 'Including the home in pension means tests is another option,' they said. 'Most of these options are politically challenging in Australia, but have been implemented by many other countries.' Younger Australians on average salaries, who are priced out of buying a house in Sydney, often resort to buying investment properties in more affordable cities to build some wealth in real estate as a 'rent-vestor'. When these people sell, they have to pay the capital gains tax, but with a 50 per cent discount that has applied since September 1999. Labor lost the 2016 and 2019 elections with a plan to halve the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount to 25 per cent. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ruled out changes to the capital gains tax discount in Opposition, but the ACTU - a key supporter of his ruling Labor Party - has this month called for the CGT discount to be restricted to one investment property. This is the same position the Greens took to the last election. A dolphin which was seen playfully joining a group of swimmers in Dorset has been injured by a boat propeller. Lynda MacDonald, 50, and her partner, son and his girlfriend were joined by the bottlenose dolphin on their morning swim in Lyme Bay, Dorset on August 3. A video showed the playful mammal dancing across the water in a vertical position asking for belly rubs and guiding people across the water with its beak. However the friendly dolphin has since been injured by a boat in the Lyme Bay area, as wildlife experts fear for other dolphins around the UK's coast. Marine experts have shared concerns for the safety of the sea creatures and urged tourists to stay away from the playful animals following further reports of injuries. Swimmers have been warned against feeding dolphins any animal food which may kill them, or touching them which can leave them vulnerable to predators. Campaigners warned against families and children playing with the dolphins which could stress the mammals and disrupt their behaviour - affecting their migration, breeding and feeding. Dolphins, along with whales and other porpoises, are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and approaching or recklessly disturbing a dolphin can result in up to six months in prison as well as an unlimited fine. A spokesperson for the Marine Management Organisation said: 'We're increasingly concerned about a lone dolphin spotted in Lyme Bay, Dorset, following multiple potential marine wildlife disturbance offences observed online and shared on social media. 'Dolphins may seem friendly, but they are wild animals. The dolphin in Lyme Bay has already been injured by a suspected boat propeller. The bottlenose dolphin approached the family shortly after they entered the water for their 6am swim at Lyme Bay, Dorset on August 3 The dolphin seen frolicking with swimmers in Lyme Bay has since been injured by a boat propeller and is just the latest victim of tourist playing with the sea creatures Marine Management Organisation have shared concerns for the safety of the sea creatures and urged tourists to stay away from the animals in a recent Facebook post 'Please remember: Never swim with, touch, feed, or approach dolphins. If a dolphin approaches you, calmly leave the area. 'Human interaction can cause dolphins to lose their natural wariness, leading to injury or even death. Disturbed dolphins are also known to become aggressive toward people. 'Let's protect them by keeping our distance and please share this message to respect their space.' A vet examined the injured animal and concluded that it had most likely been hurt by high-speed watercraft or propellers. The injury follows further reports of injured dolphins in the West Country. Just last week, the Cornwall Wildlife Trust said it had received 'shocking footage' which showed several dolphins injured by the Mevagissey to Fowey ferry. The charity revealed that at least five dolphins had been injured, with at least three suffering from damaged dorsal fins, and two which had them completely cut off. The marine life charity revealed that it has been receiving an increasing number of reports of injured dolphins and whales and urged boat owners to be more careful when sailing near pods. Lucy Babey, director of programmes for UK marine conservation charity ORCA, told the Mail that although dolphins may elicit fun and excitement on the surface, they pose a big risk to humans. She said: 'They are powerful marine mammals and have been known to seriously injure people, even if unintentionally through a thrash of the tail or butting people with their beak. 'In some case the dolphins behaviour has escalated, become erratic and more serious injuries have occurred. There have been incidents around the world where the dolphins behaviour has escalated to harassment and people have unfortunately been killed. Unfortunately these dolphins can become habituated through prolonged human interactions which increases the risk of injury and brings about welfare concerns for the animal. There are several cases where the dolphins sought out boats, associating them with humans, but sadly resulting in propellor injuries and death.' The MMO held an online event last night to invite the public to understand solitary dolphin behaviour, the dangers of human contact and how they could help protect the mammal. One of the speakers, Liz Sandeman from Marine Connection, told the BBC: 'When lone dolphins start spending time closer to shore, unquestionably their behaviour does change within months. 'They quickly become accustomed to humans and boats, losing their instinctive fear and caution, which could potentially put them at greater risk. 'Solitary, sociable dolphins represent a unique behavioural group that requires focused conservation efforts and this individual dolphin needs protection now more than ever.' In a message to boat owner, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation said: 'To avoid disturbance and harm to cetaceans and other marine mammals, the key take-home messages are: Go slow stay back don't chase.' And it is not only boating expeditions that can harm dolphins. The playful dolphin appeared to dance in the water as it performed for its awestruck audience There are increased concerns that tourists feeding the sea creatures could harm them. Marine Management Organisation has warned holidaymakers not to give dolphins any animal food which might kill it. The government website states that while encountering a wild dolphin can be a 'special experience', it is essential to behave respectfully and not to place the animal at risk. The numbers of dolphins spotted along the Cornish coast has increased in recent years as has the number of recreational boats. Rebecca Allen, marine conservation officer urged tourists to remain at a steady and sensible speed and to stay at least 100m away from dolphins. Lynda previously spoke about her 'magical moment' when she encountered the animal last week. The mum, who works in advertising and splits her time between west London and Dorset, said: 'I'm so glad I caught it on camera. 'Out of nowhere, the dolphin immediately approached us and wanted to join in on the action. The footage shows the playful mammal dancing across the water in a vertical position, asking for belly rubs and guiding people across the water with its nose 'It was friendly and playful. It even started guiding members of our group along the water with its beak. 'It was not distressed by our presence and was very confident around us. 'I've seen a dolphin before, but this is something I'll remember forever.' According to Dorset Wildlife Trust, 28 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises are recorded along the UK coastline - a number of these have been recorded in Dorset. Bottlenose dolphins tend to spend more time inshore than other species, making them easier to spot from the land as well as from the sea. They are regularly seen off the coast of the UK, especially in Moray Firth, Scotland, Cardigan Bay, Wales, and off the coasts of Cornwall and Northumberland. The UK is thought to have a population of around 700 coastal bottlenose dolphins, who are renowned being highly sociable and indulging in playful demonstrations like leaping and bow-riding. 'The sea belongs to dolphins - we were lucky to spend a moment with it,' Lynda said. 'You can hear from the footage audio that the dolphin was happy to interact with us. 'But we were mindful; we played for five minutes and then let it go on its way.' Yesterday, experts revealed what the behaviour really means. Thea Taylor, managing director of the Sussex Dolphin Project, said she believes the dolphin was a young male adult who wanted to 'make connections'. 'Bottlenose dolphins are inherently curious animals and have often been shown to mimic behaviours of other individuals and other animals,' she told The Daily Mail. It may be that this curious dolphin was trying to mimic the people's upright position in the water. The dolphin even rolled on its back as it begged for belly rubs from its willing swimming companions 'Playing and mimicking movement is one of the main ways in which dolphins secure bonds with other individuals so, if it is a solitary dolphin without a pod it may be trying to find connections with other animals. 'The behaviour does really look like the animal is playing, the animal is choosing to stay with the family and they gave the animal space to move off when it was ready.' She warned that while this was a situation where the dolphin appeared to seek out the family, she strongly encourages other people not to seek out animals like this. 'Encouraging interactions with people can be dangerous for the animal, and people too,' she said. 'They are powerful animals and may not intentionally hurt people, but accidents can happen.' A closer look at the dolphin's behaviour suggests it was performing a manoeuvre known as spyhopping effectively treading water. This involves the dolphin holding itself vertically and kicking with its tail in order to hold its head above the water. The behaviour is commonly used to visually inspect the environment above the water line. The dolphin in the video also appears to approach and rub itself against the swimmers. While reasons for this may be unclear, similar actions recorded during other humandolphin encounters have led scientists to believe it could be misdirected sexual advances. In 2018, a 'lovelorn' dolphin's interest toward humans caused a French town to ban swimming. The animal, named Zafar, would rub up against swimmers, boats and kayaks and even allowed people to hold on to his dorsal fin in the Bay of Brest. In other instances, the dolphin prevented a female swimmer from returning to shore she was later rescued by boat and lifted another woman out of the water with his nose Elizabeth Hawkins, lead researcher with Dolphin Research Australia, explained that solitary male dolphins may rub themselves on people or objects to form and reinforce bonds. 'It's been observed that dolphins and different whale species will rub themselves against objects with what appears to be some type of sexual satisfaction coming about,' she said at the time. Fans turn up to court to catch a glimpse of wealthy heiress LanLan Yang Hundreds of fans have queued up at court to see the elusive wealthy Chinese heiress whose $1.5million Tiffany blue Rolls-Royce was wrecked in a head-on crash. But designer-clad LanLan Yang, 23, disappointed her huge new fan club by being a no-show in person at court and appearing by video link instead. Yang was due to face Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court but instead popped up on a screen wearing one of her trademark haute couture hats from her lawyer's office. Yang was allegedly behind the wheel of her custom Rolls-Royce Cullinan in the early hours of July 27 when she smashed into a van driven by George Plassaras, the chauffeur for radio king Kyle Sandilands, who was not in the car. Plassaras was taken to hospital with serious injuries, while Yang was charged by NSW Police with causing bodily harm by misconduct and refusing or failing to submit to a breath test. Mysterious Yang has since gone viral in Australia and China over her extraordinary designer wardrobe and apparent wealth. Her fame and mystique grew after the Daily Mail revealed she owned two Rolls-Royces and lived in a luxury apartment in Sydney's eastern suburbs. Masses of people filled the courtroom and spilled into the foyer as Yang briefly appeared via videolink wearing a chic designer bucket hat and tailored suit. LanLan seen reporting for bail on Wednesday A group of young women turned up to get a glimpse of elusive viral sensation LanLan Yang Hundreds of people lined the block as hundreds more were inside Her lawyer, Mr Yu, said she was not in a position to enter a plea because the police have indicated there will be additional charges. The case was adjourned to September 26, with Yangs bail to continue. The viral case has sparked interest among Chinese Australians who are curious about who she is and the source of her lavish wealth, which has so far remained a mystery. I think a lot of Chinese people overseas or in mainland [China] have mixed feelings and are ambivalent [about LanLan], one new LanLan fan told the Daily Mail. Hate, love, gossipy- it's very rare to see, or have the opportunity to see, someone in person who is ultra wealthy and has power. 'You don't see 23-year-olds who can drive two Rolls-Royces. Her on-screen court appearance comes days after the Daily Mail confronted Yang in Double Bay where she was seen withdrawing wads of $50 bills at a bank ATM. She kept her head down and climbed into a chauffeur-driven minivan, a stark contrast to the two luxury vehicles she is known to own. Fans posing outside court on Friday Fevered Chinese social media speculation also claimed she uses the English name 'Wendy' and that she is a former University of NSW student whose fortune stems from the iron ore trade LanLan seen without a mask with her two minders leaving Waverley Polie station In recent days, speculation has taken off in China, where she has become the subject of wild, inaccurate claims that had gone viral on Chinese platforms Douyin and Weibo, plus mainstream Chinese media reports. A series of widely-viewed Chinese social media posts falsely claimed Yang paid an $80million bond for bail from Waverley Local Court in Sydney's eastern suburbs. They also claimed, without naming a source or providing any corroboration, that authorities found she had $270 billion sitting in a local bank account when she was arrested. The first claim about the bond is demonstrably false - a court spokesperson told the Daily Mail there was 'no monetary condition stipulated by police' as part of her bail agreement. The bank balance claim is impossible to confirm, but if true, it would make the relatively unknown figure close to the world's richest person. Fevered Chinese social media speculation also claimed she uses the English name 'Wendy' and that she is a former University of NSW student whose fortune stems from the iron ore trade. Some users even claim her minder - seen when the Daily Mail confronted Yang outside Rose Bay Police Station last month - has the rank of lieutenant colonel with the Beijing police special duty unit. This could not be confirmed and is likely false. The crash left Plassaras with a broken spine, ribs, hips and femurs, a ruptured spleen and diaphragm, and a torn-open abdomen. Since the incident the elusive Yang has gone viral over her extraordinary designer wardrobe and apparent wealth She has been notoriously camera-shy on previous occasions when confronted by media The wealthy heiress seen withdrawing cash on Wednesday lanlan's Tiffany blue Rolls-Royce Cullinian Sandilands described his chauffeur Mr Plassaras as the 'greatest employee ever'. 'What did [he] say when he was taken away in the ambulance? He asked for his mobile phone so he could do what?' he said. 'This is a guy at 4.30 in the morning after he has been cut out of his vehicle, he's been trapped in his van for an hour, this poor bloke.' The Daily Mail understands he is in a stable condition in hospital. Meanwhile, neighbours at Yang's elite rental block, which caters to 'discerning clientele,' describe her as polite but rarely seen. They say she occupies the building's prized penthouse and decorates her car with ultra-exclusive Labubu toys. She also owns a second unregistered white Rolls-Royce Ghost Convertible worth up to $800,000, which sits unused in her Vaucluse penthouse garage. The building's car lift can only take 3,000kg, forcing her to park her heavier Cullinan SUV in the street. The accident took place on New South Head Road in Rose Bay Inside her lavish penthouse home in Sydney's east She also owns a second unregistered white Rolls-Royce Ghost Convertible worth up to $800,000, which sits unused in her Vaucluse penthouse garage CCTV footage of the crash appears to show Yang's SUV veering into oncoming traffic before the head-on impact. Yang is on conditional bail ahead of her next court appearance. Her bail conditions ban her from driving, require her to remain in her penthouse between 8pm and 6am, and to report to police three times a week. A man fleeing from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at a California Home Depot was killed after he fled into a busy highway. Police in Monrovia were alerted about an ICE raid at the Home Depot on Mountain Avenue at around 9.45am on Thursday, and just five minutes later they received a call about a man getting struck by a vehicle on the 210 Freeway, Fox 11 reports. The man had jumped a concrete wall shortly after the agents arrived at the scene, fled on foot and entered the freeway, crossing Evergreen Avenue and running onto eastbound lanes, according to the Los Angeles Times. Motorist Vincent Enriquez said he saw the unidentified man soon after he was struck by an oncoming vehicle and at the time he was still alive and 'still moving.' But disturbing footage from the scene that was shared online showed a man standing in the road hitchhiking as another person could be seen lying on the ground motionless. The victim was then sent to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Meanwhile, 13 people were detained from the raid at the Home Depot, Palmira Figueroa, the director of communications for National Day Laborer Organizing Network told the LA Times. One of the day laborers who visits the store every day in search of work said the morning started like any other - that is until he heard people start to yell 'La migra, corre!' or 'Immigration, run!' An unidentified man was killed trying to flee ICE agents at the Home Depot in Monrovia, California (pictured) The laborer, who declined to give his name for security reasons, started to record the situation on his phone. He was able to get away, he said, but 'felt powerless' that he could not help his friends. 'It feels horrible - I couldn't do anything for them other than record what was happening,' the migrant said. ICE activity in the city of Monrovia has since ceased, City Manager Dylan Feik said, adding that the city 'has not received any communication or information from ICE.' But immigration advocates now blame ICE officials for the unidentified victim's death. 'We hold the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security and the Home Depot responsible for his death, and they must be held accountable,' said Ron Gochez, a member of Union del Barrio, an immigrant rights group that patrols neighborhoods to alert residents of immigration sweeps. 'This is a painful reminder for us that we must continue to boycott the Home Depot due to their complicity to the ICE raids at their stores,' he added. 'The Home Depot and the agents that chased the man have blood on their hands.' The incident marks the second ICE-related death in California. Just last month, Jaime Alanis fell 30 feet off a building and broke his neck and skull at Glass House Farms in Camarillo. 'The family is destroyed, it was something very hard that happened to the family and we just want answers, we're just destroyed,' Juan Duran, Jaime's brother-in-law, told Fox 11 through a translator back on August 6. But Department of Homeland Security officials have since said Alanis was not among the migrants being pursued in the raid on the cannabis farm and federal agents had called him a medevac. The mother of a man allegedly involved in a scuffle with Australian Federal Police at Sydney Airport when a gun was discharged is a well-known actress and TikTok beauty influencer. Nicholas Teplin, 41, from Melbourne, faced court on Friday on a string of fresh charges after he was detained by NSW Police at Central Station on Thursday, where he allegedly assaulted four men. The arrest came 36 hours after a separate alleged incident in which he tried to grab a federal police officer's firearm during an arrest at the domestic airport terminal. Magistrate Daniel Covington ordered Teplin to receive a mental health assessment when he appeared in court on Friday. 'It is a bizarre set of facts with bizarre comments made to the AFP officers,' he remarked. Teplin will be detained until he is assessed by a psychiatrist and will return to court if the doctors do not find evidence of mental ill-health. Daily Mail can reveal that his mother is Jhyll Teplin, who's best known for playing Ja'mie's mother Jhyll King on the hit ABC shows Summer Heights High and Ja'mie: Private School Girl. A source claimed that Teplin has been estranged from his mother and brother, a real estate agent in Melbourne, for a number of years. Jhyll Teplin (pictured) is a popular beauty influencer who has racked up millions of views with her makeup, skincare, wellness and life advice Her estranged son Nicholas Teplin (pictured on Wednesday) has been charged with a raft of offences following two alleged incidents in Sydney this week Ms Teplin was born and raised in South Africa, where she travelled the world working as a fashion designer. She spent time raising her two young sons in Portugal in the late 1980s before the family moved to Australia in 1992. The entrepreneur had businesses in clothing and skincare and was once asked to create a herbal tea for the late US pop star Michael Jackson. She first appeared on Australian screens in 2005 as Jhyll King in the ABC mockumentary sitcom We Can Be Heroes: Finding the Australian of the Year, which starred and was co-written by Chris Lilley. She reprised the role as the mother of private schoolgirl Ja'mie on Summer Heights High in 2007 and again in Ja'mie: Private School Girl. Now in her 70s, Ms Teplin is a beauty influencer who has amassed millions of views for her makeup, skincare, wellness and life advice. The grandmother has a combined following of almost 900,000 on TikTok and Instagram, and has almost 20million likes on social media. Ms Teplin previously revealed she spends up to six hours a day creating content and personally responds to the hundreds of messages she receives from fans. However, her family and private life are off-limits. Jhyll (right) is best known for playing Ja'mie's mother on Summer Heights High Nicholas Teplin was charged with fresh offences following Thursday's alleged incident at Central Station Nicholas Teplin was arrested at Sydney Airport on Wednesday and has been hit with fresh charges following another alleged incident at Central Station Ms Teplin was still sharing content as her estranged son's arrests made headlines. Before becoming estranged from his family, records show Teplin lived with his mother in a waterfront apartment in Melbourne, which last year sold for $2.4million. Teplin was detained by NSW Police at Central Station on Thursday afternoon, where he allegedly assaulted four men on the suburban concourse. One man, 45, was left with a bloodied nose after he was allegedly punched in the face, which caused him to fall to the ground. Two more men were allegedly struck in the head. Police allege Teplin attempted to steal a bag from a fourth man before officers swooped. They also allege he later assaulted a male constable by pushing him in the chest while in custody at Surry Hills police station. Teplin was charged with a string of offences, including resisting police in the execution of duty, affray, assaulting an officer in execution of duty, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault. Prosecutors told the court on Friday that there was insufficient evidence to support Teplin's mental illness, pointing to him allegedly telling police after his arrest on Thursday: 'I know I'm going to get bail, like always'. Teplin's lawyer David Newham argued that the comment was inconclusive, arguing that his client had been medicated for PTSD for the past five years. 'It's in the community's best interest that this man gets assessed,' he told the court. Ms Teplin (third left) is best known for playing Ja'mie's mother Jhyll King on the hit ABC shows Summer Heights High and Ja'mie: Private School Girl Jhyll Teplin (pictured) spends up to six hours a day working on content for her 73,000 TikTok followers NSW Police Chief Inspector Gary Coffey declined to comment on Friday about the AFP decision to grant Teplin bail on Wednesday but said police made decisions based on the risks that were known at that time. Police later released vision of a handcuffed Teplin arriving at Surry Hills police station in the back of a paddy wagon following Thursday's arrest. Dressed in a black hoodie and pants, he was escorted inside the station by two officers. The alleged incident came a day after AFP officers responded to a request for assistance from an airline about a man allegedly acting suspiciously at a check-in counter in the T2 domestic terminal on Wednesday morning. Two officers allegedly wrestled the man to the ground before a gun was accidentally fired in the struggle, with the bullet lodging in a wall one metre away at an airport cafe. Teplin was later charged with obstructing a Commonwealth official and creating a disturbance at an airport to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on September 1. He faces a $3,300 fine and up to two years behind bars if convicted of the AFP offences. If you or someone you know needs support, Lifeline 13 11 14, Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636. A man has been arrested after a teenage girl was brutally mauled by more than 10 large-breed dogs while jogging in California, leaving her nearly 'unrecognizable.' Tracy Azpeitia, 17, was out jogging near her home in Newberry Springs on July 17 when she was surrounded and violently attacked by at least 10 dogs, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Nearly a month later, 61-year-old Craig Arthur Simmons was arrested on suspicion of being the owner of an animal causing serious injury or death, authorities announced. On Wednesday, after conducting surveillance in the area, officers spotted Craig riding his bike down his driveway, where he was taken into custody in connection with the dog mauling. Following an interview at the police station, he was booked into the High Desert Detention Center without incident. Tracy's nightmare unfolded just after 8am, as she was jogging to a workout facility near the community center along the 30000 block of Newberry Road - a remote, desert area in Southern California. Moments later, she was suddenly attacked by '10 or more large-breed dogs,' prompting a nearby resident who heard her screams to call 911. 'The dogs bit the victim several times on her legs and arms. The bites caused large lacerations, abrasions, and removed flesh,' the sheriff's office said in a written statement. Craig Arthur Simmons (pictured), 61, was arrested on Wednesday, nearly a month after a teenage girl was brutally mauled by more than 10 large-breed dogs while jogging in California , leaving her nearly 'unrecognizable' Tracy Azpeitia (pictured), 17, was out jogging near her home in Newberry Springs on July 17 when she was surrounded and violently attacked by at least 10 dogs Tracy was jogging to a workout facility just after 8am - a remote, desert area in Southern California (pictured: Craig's residence circled in yellow, attack site area circled in red) According to officials, Tracy was bit 'several times on her legs and arm,' causing 'large lacerations, abrasions, and removed flesh (pictured: Tracy's injuries) A total of 16 dogs were seized from the area by San Bernardino County Animal Control following the attack, with investigators noting the animals were neither leashed nor fenced. Carlos Ramirez, Tracy's stepfather, said the teen suffered hundreds of bites across her body, requiring more than 500 stitches to close lacerations and wounds from the attack. 'It was not one dog or two dogs, it was a lot,' Ramirez told ABC 7 News. 'I mean, they bit every part of her body you could think of except for her ankles.' A good Samaritan ultimately intervened, bringing the brutal attack to an end and preventing even more serious injuries. The attack left the teenage girl so severely injured that her own mother said she was unrecognizable when she arrived at the scene. 'I didn't know who she was,' Tracy's mother, Maria Azpeitia, told the outlet. 'She was so dirty, covered in dirt, so I couldn't recognize my daughter. I recognized her bra, that's what I recognized.' 'I thought they ripped her arms off,' she tearfully added. 'That's what it looked like.' 'I got close to her and [she asked me] "Mom, am I still pretty?" and I said, "Yeah, you're beautiful."' Carlos Ramirez, Tracy's stepfather, said the teen suffered hundreds of bites across her body, requiring more than 500 stitches to close lacerations and wounds from the attack (pictured: Tracy's injuries) The attack left Tracy (pictured) so severely injured that her own mother said she was unrecognizable when she arrived at the scene A good Samaritan ultimately intervened, bringing the brutal attack to an end and preventing even more serious injuries (pictured: Tracy's injuries) A total of 16 dogs were seized from the area by San Bernardino County Animal Control following the attack, with investigators noting the animals were neither leashed nor fenced (pictured) A GoFundMe page launched by Tracys family to support her recovery and ongoing medical care has raised $28,615 of its $30,000 goal as of Thursday evening. 'She was getting ready to do her senior year of high school this year,' the description read. 'Now, because of this, she has to stay home and go to several doctor's appointments and rehab.' 'Due to the trauma, she cannot sleep at night; she's having nightmares,' it added. Local residents have since raised growing concerns about the ongoing presence of stray and unrestrained dogs in the area. 'We have been in situations where we're out walking, and all of a sudden dogs rush out from a fence, or out of nowhere, and start circling around us,' Kristine Watson, a Newberry Springs resident, told ABC7. The dogs are currently being housed at the Barstow Humane Society, about 17 miles from the attack site. Craigs bail was set at $30,000, with an initial court appearance scheduled for Friday. More than 30 children have been hospitalised with the flu in Queensland as health experts urgently call on parents to vaccinate their children. Influenza cases and hospitalisations in the state have increased among children over the last month, with those under five-years-old experiencing the highest rate of flu per capita. Last week, 34 primary school-aged children were hospitalised with the illness, adding to the more than 420 cases of hospitalised patients between five and 17 years old so far in 2025. Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Catherine McDougall said she is seeing 'many' unvaccinated children being taken to hospital. 'Flu in children can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis, especially in very young children,' she said. 'Children are more likely to catch and spread influenza contributing to transmission in the community, but young children are also vulnerable to serious illness from the flu. 'Vaccination is very important to protect children from serious illness and complications from the flu.' Dr McDougall said mothers who got vaccinated while pregnant helped protect their children for their first six months of life. Queensland Health chief Dr Catherine McDougall (above) urged parents to vaccinate their children About 50,000 Queenslanders have caught the flu this year, according to the latest health data published on August 10. Dr McDougall said nearly 4,900 people were diagnosed with influenza in the last week, a seven per cent increase compared to the previous week's total and the highest weekly total recorded this year to date. Influenza activity was markedly higher last year than this year, but the health chief warned parents not to get 'complacent'. 'Flu cases and hospitalisations spiked this time last year, so cases and hospitalisations have the potential to continue rising in coming weeks,' she said. She said that at least 118 people have died this year from flu related illness including people under 65 years old. 'Many of these deaths could have been prevented through vaccination.' The state has also recorded 28,628 cases of Covid-19 over the year. In June, Queensland MP Tim Nicholls put a two-day pause on elective surgeries when hospitals became overwhelmed with cases of the flu and Covid-19. More than 30 children of school age have been hospitalised with the flu this year (pictured, a child receiving a vaccine) The state government also recently scrapped a plan to offer free flu vaccinations at the Royal Queensland Show this year. Experts had previously warned of a triple virus surge this winter, with COVID-19, influenza, and RSV spreading across the whole country before May began. Seasonal flu is a common and highly contagious respiratory infection usually caused by influenza A or B viruses, but there are multiple subtypes and strains. Meanwhile, Covid cases were set to surge this winter as a highly contagious Omicron variant was predicted to infect a large proportion of Australians. Variant LP.8.1. was identified as the main culprit behind large outbreaks overseas in late 2024 and early 2025 and was responsible for three in five Covid cases in the UK in March. While the strain does not appear to cause worse symptoms than its predecessors, recent testing found it could be more contagious. A Gold Coast man has been left paraplegic after he was allegedly thrown over the verandah outside his home over a botched Facebook Marketplace deal. Ashley Sabry, 52, suffered a catastrophic spinal injury in the alleged assault at his and his wife Mary's home in Stapylton, in the Gold Coast's north, on Saturday afternoon. Three men turned up at his door to demand a refund for a 2013 Nissan Pulsar Mr Sabry had sold days prior, police allege. A row allegedly blew up over the deal and Mr Sabry was allegedly pushed or thrown from a first-storey balcony before he was struck with a piece of broken balustrade 'Everything changed when Ash [allegedly] suffered an unprovoked, near deadly assault at his residence causing him to become a paraplegic,' Tina Ibraheem, a friend of the couple, wrote on GoFundMe. 'Ash was required to undergo immediate emergency spinal surgery and now suffers from a catastrophic spinal injury, facing a future no one could have imagined. 'The road ahead will be relentless, with a long hospital stay, surgeries, rehabilitation, pain, and the fight to adapt to a new life, forever changed.' The trio, who had been identified but not yet arrested as of Monday, are alleged to have driven away from the scene following the incident. Ashley Sabry (right) was left paraplegic after the alleged assault at his Gold Coast home Mr Sabry was allegedly confronted at his Gold Coast (pictured) home It is understood the car was sold for less than $3,000. Mr Sabry is now unable to unable to work but friends hope donations to Ms Ibraheem's GoFundMe campaign will help supplement his wife's income. 'Ash and Mary humbly tried to decline any financial help, but the reality is that while Ash faces a long and difficult recovery, he also carries the heavy burden of losing his only source of income as a self-employed worker,' she wrote. 'This fundraiser will give Mary the ability to stand by his side while balancing her job, ensuring they can focus on his recovery without the constant weight of financial strain. 'They need our help and support now more than ever, as the road ahead will be long, costly, and emotionally heavy.' Donations will be put towards Mr Sabry's hospital stay, years of rehabilitation and relocation to a wheelchair-accessible home among other expenses. On Friday, Queensland Police revealed they had arrested a 40-year-old man in connection with the incident. 'Gold Coast police have charged a man following an incident where a man was thrown from a building at Stapylton on August 9,' said a police spokesman. A close friend of the couple has asked for donations after Mr Sabry was left unable to work 'It will be alleged that around 1pm, three people attended a 52-year-old mans address, where they proceeded to throw the man from a first-floor veranda onto the ground below. 'It will be further alleged the man was assaulted while on the ground, before the group fled in a Volkswagen van.' They added: 'Following further investigations, officers yesterday arrested a 40-year-old Lockrose man. 'He has been charged with one count each of grievous bodily harm and assaults occasioning bodily harm whilst armed/in company. 'He is due to reappear at Beenleigh Magistrates Court on 17 September.' There has been a disturbing rise in online sale blowing up into violent disputes, with experts warning of the risks of engaging with buyers and sellers you don't know. Two years ago, three members of a Brisbane family were stabbed and their pet dog killed after they rejected counterfeit money in the sale of an electric scooter. The potential buyers later returned to the family's Forest Lake home after they were rejected and allegedly violently attacked the family. Mr Sabry was allegedly pushed or thrown from a first-storey balcony before he was struck with a piece of broken balustrade University of Queensland crime expert Dr Renee Zahnow said while violence was uncommon, conflict is not unexpected. 'You're doing this at your own risk and you're taking this on yourself,' she told the broadcaster. Facebook Marketplace has guidelines in place to protect users, including recommendations to only meet in public, well-lit areas and to communicate only through the platform. Daily Mail contacted Meta for comment. Today, Friday, August 15, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific and the end of the Second World War. It should be a day that commands the nation's full attention. Instead, the Labor government is phoning it in. A speech from the PM in Sydney alongside laying a wreath with the Opposition Leader, a re-badged Last Post in Canberra, some worthy but modest ceremonies scattered around the states. That's the sum of it. That's it. For a milestone this weighty, it's dereliction dressed up as duty. Albo will argue he's marking the occasion. He's not, he's just managing it. There's a big difference. Managing is what you do when you want the box ticked without the public noticing you don't really care. Leading is what a Prime Minister does when the last living custodians of a nation saving war are in their final years and deserve to see the country stop, look up and mean it. World War II veterans Robert MacArthur and Ron Gee Kee at the ceremony in Martin Place, Sydney on Friday Today's 'commemoration' is the politicians' small-target strategy applied to remembrance. We know the government can find an occasion for pageantry when it wants to. Only weeks ago Parliament rolled out a full-dress celebration for the 1980 Olympians who defied the Fraser Government's position and went to Moscow against their nation's wishes. What a contrast! Applause before Question Time. Floor time for speeches. The full theatrical package. And good luck to the athletes - they deserved recognition. But if that level of fanfare is available for a sporting reunion, how does the end of the war in which almost a million Australians served merit something so anaemic? The priorities are inverted. And it shows. The defence will be that there are events everywhere: RSLs doing the heavy lifting, councils putting on services, a concert here, a symposium there. That's admirable community effort at work. It is not national leadership. A government with its head screwed on would have orchestrated a single, unmistakable moment. A nationally broadcast service anchored by the PM and Governor-General; simultaneous state ceremonies linked live; school and civic participation prepared weeks in advance, and tangible recognition for survivors: medallions, certificates and travel assistance to those who needed to attend. A government with its head screwed on would have tried to set the tone for the nation by orchestrating a single, unmistakable moment... Instead, we got a polite murmur. Above, Anthony Albanese and Sussan Ley lay wreaths at the cenotaph at Martin Place None of this is radical. It's what respect looks like when you mean it. We've seen better not all that long ago. John Howard understood the civic purpose of commemoration and treated it as core business. His government issued medallions, funded major milestones properly and made the nation stop when it needed to. His First World War commemorations were weighty and in sharp contrast to Albo's efforts today. Spare a thought for scale. The Second World War is the largest event in human history. It reshaped Australia economically, socially and strategically. Fewer than a few thousand veterans remain. Most will not see the 85th anniversary. If there is a last big round number anniversary to get right, this is it. Yet the government's approach suggests commemoration is just another diary line to be lethargically managed. That's not caution, it's complacency. World War II veteran Robert MacArthur gives a thumbs up during today's ceremony The truth is sharper still. This PM mistakes attendance for leadership. Showing up with a speech (which spent nearly as much time praising Labor's political leadership back then as the efforts of the soldiers) and a wreath is the bare minimum. The job is to set a tone for the nation. To signal that, for one day, politics as usual can shut up and listen. That is not what we got today. Instead we got safe optics and administrative minimalism. Cultural leadership is about what you elevate. This government elevated a parliamentary photo op for government-defying athletes from 45 years ago and could not summon the equivalent energy for the men and women who secured our freedom 80 years ago putting their lives on the line, not to mention in honour of the tens of thousands who died. That is a moral misfire, not a scheduling quirk. The remaining veterans deserved a country that made noise on their behalf. Real noise, the kind neighbours hear through the walls. Instead they received a polite murmur. The PM won't be judged by the words on his lectern today, but by the silence that surrounded them. 'Lest we forget' is supposed to be a promise from one generation to the next, not a slogan. Today, the government treated it like punctuation. That should shame Canberra. It certainly should shame the Prime Minister. It should shame us all. Confronting footage has emerged of the terrifying moment five masked intruders held a grandmother at gunpoint before launching a brutal assault on her cousin. Birsel Akbulut, 57, and her cousin Kemal Akbulut, 60, were sleeping inside their Gladstone Park home in Melbourne just before 1.30am on July 24 when the men armed with a hammer, a knife and a firearm stormed inside. Mr Akbalut confronted the intruders in the kitchen before they placed a firearm in his mouth and made demands for cash. Graphic CCTV footage from inside the home depicted the hooded intruders repeatedly beating and stabbing Mr Akbalut as he pleaded with them to stop. 'This is what happens when you f*** with us,' one intruder could be heard yelling as the other men took turns attacking the bloodied man. 'Please, I can't take any more. Take whatever you want,' he pleaded after the men demanded he hand over his wallet. Mr Akbalut was forced to sit up from the ground as one man demanded the passcode to his mobile phone. 'F*** the phone,' one intruder demanded, attempting to pull away his accomplice as he struggled to unlock the device. Mr Akbalut was rushed to Royal Melbourne Hospital for treatment where he is pictured bloodied and bruised following the violent assault Hooded intruders invaded the Gladstone Park home in the early hours, where they repeatedly beat and stabbed Mr Akbalut Three weeks on, the attackers have yet to be apprehended by police Ms Akbulut, who was also threatened with a gun, claimed that intruders were looking for her daughter's partner, Ibrahim Al-Sayah, who doesn't live at the home. Al-Sayah previously pleaded guilty over his role in a drive-by shooting at a Melbourne bakery in July 2020 where he acted as the getaway driver. Ms Akbulut described Al-Sayah as a 'piece of s***' in an explosive interview with Seven News following the home invasion. 'He likes acting like a gangster. This is not a movie, lad. It's not a f***ing movie,' she said, before adding that her 22-year-old daughter has since gone into hiding. 'I'm just waiting for the police to knock (on) the door and say to me: "Your daughter's shot" or "your daughter's been killed",' she said. Ms Akbalut, who was nursing a swollen, bruised face during the interview, called on the state government to crack down on violent crime. 'Enough is enough,' she yelled, adding: 'You always say you're going to do something about it... do something about it.' The offenders fled the Gladstone Park home in a white Haval SUV. Three weeks on, the police manhunt for the intruders continues. No arrests or charges have yet been laid. 'The investigation remains ongoing,' a Victoria Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail on Friday. Iceland's boss will pay customers to catch shoplifters in the act after suffering a 20million blow to business in the last year. Richard Walker hoped that the incentive would encourage shoppers to act if they spotted a shoplifter and hit back at claims it was a 'victimless crime'. The supermarket is the first in the UK to offer rewards to customers who snitch on thieves. Shoppers will be given 1 on their bonus cards each time they point out thieves to Iceland staff and Mr Walker hopes it will allow the chain to lower their prices. The CEO revealed that the cost of shoplifting to the business was 20million annually and Mr Walker hoped that money saved from the scheme could go back in to the shops, paying for more workers and lowering prices. 'I'd actually like to announce that we will give a pound to any customer who points out a shoplifter,' he told Channel 5 News on Wednesday. 'We will put it on their bonus card if they see any customer in our stores who are undertaking that offence.' He added that he believed the programme would deter thieves, adding: 'Some people see it as a victimless crime. It is not. Iceland will now pay customers to catch shoplifters in the act by adding 1 to their bonus card every time they report a thief to staff (File image) Shoplifting costs the supermarket chain 20million annually and the owner confessed that it drives up prices Iceland's CEO Richard Walker (pictured) hopes the incentive will encourage shoppers to act if they spot a shoplifter which will help bring prices down 'It also keeps prices from being lowered because it's a cost to the business, it's a cost to the hours that we pay our colleagues, as well as it obviously being about intimidation and violence.' And the Iceland boss emphasised that it was an important issue to tackle and affected customers as well as profit. 'That's not 20 million of profit. That's just 20million that we could pay in more hours to our colleagues or in lowering prices,' he said. 'So we'd like our customers to help us lower our prices even more by pointing out shoplifters and then we'll give them a quid back.' Mr Walker's new scheme comes just months after an Iceland security guard was filmed arming himself with a shopping basket to stave off a suspected thief aiming kicks at him. In a video capturing the moment, the shop employee is seen backing away before picking up the basket to use as a shield against the intruder at his store's entrance in Walworth, south-east London. A customer filmed the confrontation on their phone, appearing to show the suspected offender then picking up a bag and running away down the street. Members of the public and retail security are being encouraged to stand up to shoplifters after Matthew Barber, the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley said tackling thieves was not just a job for police and criticised onlookers for simply filming instances of crime. Mr Walker's new scheme comes just months after an Iceland security guard was filmed arming himself with a shopping basket to stave off a suspected thief aiming kicks at him (pictured) The shop employee was seen backing away before picking up the basket to use as a shield against the intruder at his store's entrance in Walworth, south-east London in May At a meeting of the Thames Valley police and crime panel in June (pictured), PCC Matthew Barber (pictured) told the public to call 999 if they witness a crime or step in and stop the thief The number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales has passed half a million for the first time, figures show. Pictured is a thief in action Mr Barber hit out at the public for being 'part of the problem' and encouraged shop owners to to deal with thieves themselves. At a meeting of the Thames Valley police and crime panel in June, the PCC said: 'If youve got someone in your store now stealing from you, call 999. 'Also ideally try and stop them leaving, dont just stand there and watch, which a lot of people do, which frustrates me.' He added that he wasn't suggesting everybody 'take it upon themselves to rugby tackle' shoplifters but that everyone should take on the responsibility in their own communities. Mr Barber then doubled down on his comments and said he was concerned that the UK had become a 'very poor society' with the public simply refusing to involve themselves in tackling crime. A horrifying video has shown the shocking moment a man was dragged away by a crocodile in front of his screaming family in Indonesia. The man, identified as Arifuddin, 53, had been bathing with relatives along the Bulete River in South Sulawesi on Thursday afternoon when the reptile struck, sinking its teeth into his leg. The father-of-four cried out in agony as the predator clamped its jaws on him and pulled him further into the water. Footage captured the horrifying attack, showing Arifuddin desperately reaching out with one arm while struggling to stay afloat in the middle of the river. Several villagers waded in to try and help as panicked shouts rang out, but he vanished beneath the surface before they could reach him. Emergency teams rushed to the scene in Wajo Regency after reports of the attack at around 6pm local time. They later spotted the crocodile carrying the victim's body through the muddy waters, but could not retrieve it immediately. The reptile lingered in the area for several hours, swimming in circles before eventually resting on a bank about a mile from where Arifuddin had been seized. Arifuddin, 53, had been bathing with relatives along the Bulete River in South Sulawesi on Thursday afternoon when the reptile struck The reptile lingered in the area for several hours, swimming in circles before eventually resting on a bank about a mile from where Arifuddin had been seized Arifuddin's remains were recovered and handed over to his relatives for burial Residents fashioned a crude snare to haul the crocodile closer, pulling it toward them in a tense struggle. They eventually drove it away by throwing rocks. Arifuddin's remains were recovered and handed over to his relatives for burial. Jerry Saputra, from the Pitumpanua Sector Fire Rescue Team, said: 'Initially, the victim was bathing with his relatives. But shortly after, he was heard screaming. It became evident to his relatives that a crocodile had attacked him.' 'We managed to evacuate the victim, and the distance was around one mile from the starting point where he was attacked.' Locals said they were shocked as the river, often used for bathing and washing clothes, had not previously been considered a crocodile habitat. Indonesia is home to 14 species of crocodiles, including large and aggressive estuarine crocodiles that thrive in the country's tropical conditions. Experts believe overfishing and the destruction of coastal habitats for farming have forced the animals further inland in search of food. Tin mining has also driven people closer to crocodile territory, increasing the likelihood of encounters. Rescuers later spotted the crocodile carrying the victim's body through the muddy waters, but could not retrieve it immediately Brave rescuers battled the beast to retrieve the father-of-four's body for burial With many rural communities still relying on rivers for bathing and fishing, the combination has led to a surge in attacks. Last month, another shocking video filmed in Indonesia showed the moment a crocodile carried a schoolboy's body away in its jaws while he went fishing. That same month, also in Indonesia, footage emerged of a grandfather being dragged away by a crocodile in the Tanggamus Regency as he bathed in a river near his home. The federal government has been asked to step in after a community bowls club tried enforcing a trademark on the phrase 'lest we forget'. Wagga RSL Bowling Club, in New South Wales, said it will refuse entry to any players who show up wearing a special t-shirt made to honour the diggers. Dozens of players wore the orange, white and blue shirts featuring military iconography with 'lest we forget' written on the back for Anzac Day. More than 100 of the shirts were made for the occasion and they have continued to be worn since. Now the shirt has been banned in the days leading up Victory in the Pacific Day. The day celebrates the end of World War II on August 15, 1945. Players said they were told by the club's management about the shirt ban. RSL Australia however, has denied ever requesting such a ban. Players at Wagga RSL Bowling Club have been told they are not allowed to wear shirts with the phrase 'lest we forget' on them The clubs' management said RSL Australia owned the phrase trademark and could therefore ban its usage or display 2GBs Ben Fordham spoke to a member of the club who described the copyright decision as sick. We wore the shirt last Anzac Day and nobody said anything. Last week we were told we couldnt wear them anymore or we might have to leave, David Ashford said. Mr Ashford explained that anyone who turned up wearing the shirt from now on would be refused entry, as the club would not accept their green fees. Green fees allow social bowlers like Mr Ashford to pay a small sum each time they play at the club, controlling how often they attend. Asked if players were refusing to pay the fees in protest, Mr Ashford said everyone was willing to paybut the club simply wouldnt accept their money. I think its just a cop out a way of preventing us from bowling, he said. He also urged the federal government to remove any copyright protection from the phrase lest we forget, arguing that it has no right to be privatised. The phrase was first coined in the poem Recessional by Rudyard Kipling in 1897, and has since become a tribute to ANZAC troops who lost their lives in the world wars. RSL Australia said it had never authorised a ban on the phrase Mr Ashford plays bowls each Wednesday morning before he and some other players fundraise for Wagga Wagga Base Hospital in the afternoon. His group raises and donates more than $6,000 each year to support the hospital through the club. Banning them from honouring veterans was 'disgusting', he said. The shirts had been worn for eight months without issue before the president of the Wagga club banned them. RSL Australia insisted it had nothing to do with the ban. 'This is the first time RSL Australia has been made aware of this matter and the RSL has not placed any restrictions on its use by the Wagga Bowls Club,' a spokesperson told the publication. Daily Mail Australia contacted Wagga RSL Bowling Club and RSL Australia for comment. Russian President Vladimir Putin is travelling to the Pacific Coast in an armoured limo ahead of his highly anticipated summit with Donald Trump in Alaska, with a massive convoy sweeping through sealed-off roads. Footage shows a long line of black vehicles speeding along a road in Magadan, flanked by flashing police cars and trailed by what appears to be an ambulance. The tight security comes as Putin prepares to sit down with Trump on Friday for their first face-to-face meeting since 2018. The talks will begin at 11am Alaska time (19:00 BST) and is set against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine, with a focus on finding a path toward a ceasefire. Trump extended the invitation at the Russian leader's suggestion, but the US president has since been defensive and warned that the meeting could be over within minutes if Putin does not compromise. Every word and gesture will be closely watched by European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not included and has publicly refused pressure from Trump to surrender territory seized by Russia. Trump, usually fond of boasting of his deal-making skills, has called the summit a 'feel-out meeting' to test Putin, whom he last saw in 2019. 'I am president, and he's not going to mess around with me,' Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been spotted travelling to the Pacific Coast ahead of his highly anticipated summit with Donald Trump in Alaska Your browser does not support iframes. Footage shows a long line of black armoured vehicles speeding along a road, flanked by flashing police cars Roads were sealed off as Vladimir Putin made his way to the Pacific Coast 'If it's a bad meeting, it'll end very quickly, and if it's a good meeting, we're going to end up getting peace in the pretty near future,' said Trump, who gave the summit a one in four chance of failure. Trump has promised to consult with European leaders and Zelensky, saying that any final agreement would come in a three-way meeting with Trump and the Ukrainian president to 'divvy up' territory. Trump has voiced admiration for Putin in the past and faced some of the most intense criticism of his political career after a 2018 summit in which he appeared cowed and accepted Putin's denials of US intelligence findings that Russia interfered in the 2016 US election. Before his return to the White House, Trump boasted of his relationship with Putin, blamed predecessor Joe Biden for the war and vowed to bring peace within 24 hours. But despite repeated calls to Putin, and a stunning February 28 White House meeting in which Trump publicly berated Zelensky, the Russian leader has shown no signs of compromise. Trump has acknowledged his frustration with Putin and warned of 'very severe consequences' if he does not accept a ceasefire - but also agreed to see him in Alaska. The talks are set to begin at 11:30 am (1900 GMT) Friday at the Elmendorf Air Force Base, the largest US military installation in Alaska and a Cold War base for surveillance of the Soviet Union. Adding to the historical significance, the United States bought Alaska in 1867 from Russia - a deal Moscow has cited to show the legitimacy of land swaps. The summit will mark the first time the two have met face-to-face since 2018 The Kremlin said it expected Putin and Trump to meet alone with interpreters before a working lunch with aides. Neither leader is expected to step off the base into Alaska's largest city of Anchorage, where protesters have put up signs of solidarity with Ukraine. Putin faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, leading him to curtail travel sharply since the war. But the United States is not party to the Hague tribunal, and Trump's Treasury Department temporarily eased sanctions on top Russian officials to allow them to travel and use bank cards in Alaska. The summit comes amid escalating military activity in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk region, where Russian forces have launched a rapid offensive. Zelensky has firmly rejected any agreement that involves giving up more territory, citing constitutional and security concerns. President Trump has indicated that any potential peace deal may involve territorial adjustments, suggesting 'some swapping' of territories. However, Ukrainian officials have expressed concerns that such proposals could undermine Ukraine's sovereignty. The summit is seen as a critical moment in the ongoing conflict, with the potential to either pave the way for a ceasefire or deepen divisions. Your browser does not support iframes. The meeting comes as Putin is preparing to test Russia;s nuclear-powered, nuclear armed cruise missles. Experts say recent satellite images show intense preparations at the Pankovo test site on Novaya Zemlya, a remote archipelago in the Barents Sea Trump has hinted that a peace deal could involve 'some swapping of territories to the betterment of both', though details remain vague and controversial. Last Friday, he said: 'We are looking to actually get some back and some swapping. It is complicated, actually nothing easy. We are going to get some back, some switched.' Meanwhile, Russia is believed to present sweeping demands - Ukraine's withdrawal from regions like Donbas and Crimea, neutrality, and a rejection of NATO, conditions that Ukraine and its allies have long rejected. However, many analysts warn that without coordinated Western pressure and Ukraine's central role, the outcome remains uncertain. They also fear the talks could produce a victory for Putin without any guarantees of lasting peace. It comes as Putin is gearing up to test its nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile after the US president warned him of 'severe consequences' if the war continues. Experts say recent satellite images show intense preparations at the Pankovo test site on Novaya Zemlya, a remote archipelago in the Barents Sea. The pictures, taken in recent weeks by commercial satellite firm Planet Labs, reveal a surge in personnel, equipment, ships and aircraft linked to earlier tests of the 9M730 Burevestnik, known to NATO as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall. A British tourist and his friends found themselves on the end of a beating after one of them allegedly crashed his motorcycle into a local female rider. The brawl was sparked on Thursday night after the tourist reportedly attempted a wheelie on a road in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, before allegedly losing control and smashing into a 49-year-old woman. The woman was left in a visible pool of blood near her pink Honda Scoopy-i scooter, while the British man, who was wearing a white t-shirt, could be seen watching with his friends as she received treatment. Police arrived at the scene around 11.06pm and gave the 49-year-old CPR before rushing her to hospital - where she is said to be unconscious and in a critical condition. Local news outlet Thaiger said that the man had reportedly refused to accept responsibility for the crash, prompting anger from locals who claim to have witnessed him performing the motorcycle trick. Dramatic footage after the event shows the man's friends seemingly explaining what had happened before the unrest exploded into a massive street fight between the tourists and enraged locals. Punches and kicks were launched at the Brits, who were then chased up the street by a handful of people who had crowded the chaotic scene. The British tourist who allegedly crashed into the woman was also seen lying on the ground near to the scene of the incident, and appeared to have an object thrown at him as the brawl broke out. The impact left the woman in a visible pool of blood near her scooter as emergency staff provided treatment The British man who allegedly crashed into the woman could be seen on the ground near her scooter Police arrived at the scene around 11.06pm and gave the 49-year-old CPR before rushing her to hospital - where she is said to be unconscious and in a critical condition The man's friends were seemingly explaining what had happened before the unrest exploded into a massive street fight between the tourists and enraged locals Punches and kicks were launched at the Brits, who were then chased up the street by a handful of people who had crowded the chaotic scene The British tourist who allegedly crashed into the woman was also seen lying on the ground near to the scene of the incident, and appeared to have an object thrown at him Crowds of locals and tourists were seen looking at the female's pink Honda Scoopy-i scooter Thai police are now launching an investigation into the incident and say they will review CCTV footage to determine the cause of the crash. A spokesman for the force said: 'We do not know the name of the suspect. He has not provided his passport but we will try to get it today. The relatives of the victim will also meet today to discuss compensation to resolve the case. 'We will also review CCTV footage from the area to determine the cause of the accident and ensure fairness for all parties involved. 'Witnesses said the tourist was doing a wheelie and caused the crash. If he was riding dangerously, he could be prosecuted if the family want to have him charged. 'We hope that the injured woman will be able to give more details soon.' Nigel Farage is demanding he be allowed to nominate some Reform UK peers to the House of Lords for the first time. The Reform leader has hit out at a 'democratic disparity' that sees his party have no representation in Parliament's unelected upper chamber. This is despite Reform having four MPs and controlling a slew of local councils. In a letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, seen by The Times, Mr Farage pointed out how other parties with a small number of MPs had been able to nominate peers. Mr Farage also noted how Reform won more than 4.1 million votes at last year's general election, and has led in national opinion polls for many months. 'The Greens, DUP, Plaid Cymru and UUP have 13 peers between them, but Reform UK has none,' he wrote. 'The time has come to address the democratic disparity that exists in the upper house.' The Greens have four MPs in the House of Commons and two peers in the Lords, the DUP have five MPs and six peers, and the UUP have one MP and three peers. Reform figures such as Ann Widdecombe, the ex-Tory MP, Nick Candy, a billionaire donor, and Zia Yusuf, Reform's ex-chairman, are potential candidates for the Lords. Nigel Farage is demanding he be allowed to nominate some Reform UK peers to the House of Lords for the first time The Reform leader has hit out at a 'democratic disparity' that sees his party have no representation in Parliament's unelected upper chamber Reform figures such as Ann Widdecombe, the ex-Tory MP (left), Nick Candy, a billionaire donor (centre), and Zia Yusuf, Reform's ex-chairman (right), are potential candidates for the Lords Tory peer Lord Norton of Louth, a constitutional expert, said there was a 'case for minor parties like Reform to have representation in the Lords' but this was up to Sir Keir. 'The PM is the only person who writes the rules on this as it stands,' he said. 'Historically appointments to the House of Lords were in the gift of the Crown but that function has been passed to the prime minister. 'So any decision on whether to create Reform peers would rest with him alone.' Lord O'Donnell, the former cabinet secretary, said: 'It is a feature of our system that the PM can appoint whoever they like to the House of Lords. 'It is an area where I think we need greater checks and balances.' But Lord Hayward, the Tory peer and election expert, said: 'Just because Reform has a few MPs and is doing well in the opinion polls that does not mean that they are an established credible party that should be represented in the House of Lords. 'I think Starmer is entirely within his rights to wait and see how Reform actually does over the next few years before making a decision.' In December last year, Sir Keir appointed 30 new Labour peers - including a string of ex-MPs and his sacked chief of staff Sue Gray - to the House of Lords. At the same time, the Tories had six new peers appointed to the Lords - including former deputy PM Therese Coffey - while the Liberal Democrats got two new peers. A student with a higher IQ than Stephen Hawking has achieved a staggering 23 A-levels with grades of A and A*. Mahnoor Cheema, 18, has an IQ of 161 - one point higher than the famous theoretical physicist. The diligent student received an unconditional offer to study medicine at the University of Oxford following her impressive results, fulfilling her childhood dream. But it wasn't plain-sailing for the London teen who was questioned over her attendance record by her school and almost blocked from sitting her exams after missing lessons to take the necessary tests. Mahnoor, who attended Henrietta Barnett School (HBS) in north-west London, was challenged by staff over her desire to study 31 A Levels. Most pupils across England and Wales achieve just three A Level and the high-performing school objected to the star-pupil's plans. As a compromise she and the school agreed to just 23 - more than seven times the average. And it was a mammoth task for Mahnoor who secured four A* in her first two months at the sixth form. Mahnoor Cheema (pictured) studied 23 A Levels at Henrietta Barnett School (HBS) in north-west London, achieving grades of A and A* and has secured an unconditional offer to read medicine at Oxford The talented teen has an IQ of 161 - one point higher than famous theoretical physicist, Stephen hawking (pictured in 2017) Henrietta Barnett School (pictured) is one of the best state schools for getting pupils into the prestigious universities of Oxford and Cambridge The teen sat exams in environmental management, marine science, English language and thinking skills. She previously said she has no regrets about the exams and would be 'bored and understimulated' if she only did the standard three A-levels - and said burnout is 'a choice'. 'I have loads of interests, that's why I wanted to do so many subjects - it doesn't take that much time or effort. 'I think if you have the capability to do more, it should be explored - I would be bored doing only three subjects over two years. 'Burnout is a big thing for some people but I'm just motivated and driven and it doesn't affect me. She added: 'I see burnout as a choice - it's not burnout if you enjoy what you're doing.' Mahnoor, who studied 24 GCSEs in her own time alongside 10 at Langley Grammar School and scored 33 nines and one eight - equivalent to 33 A*s and one A/A*, was supported by her mother Tayyaba, as she studied from home and her hard work has certainly paid off. On Tuesday she learnt she had achieved A*s in Law and History and on A Level results day on Thursday, she found out the last of her results which included a further two qualifications in French and Physics. Mahnoor said she was sure she would ace her exams and get in to Oxford and said if she hadn't managed it this year she would have simply re-applied In total the teen studied psychology, sociology, law, business, accounting, economics, Latin, German, computer science, film studies, politics, classical civilisation, maths, further maths, geography and media studies, physics, chemistry, biology, English literature, film studies, French, statistics and accounting. The grammar school pupil, from Slough, Berkshire, had already received an unconditional offer from Exeter College, Oxford, in January having achieved the science A-levels needed earlier in the year. And while it may have been a difficult slog, the talented pupil was sure she would achieve her dream. 'I was absolutely set on it [studying medicine at Oxford]. There was not a world in my mind where I would not get in. That is not cocky but that was my determined life path. If I did not get in I would have reapplied,' she told The Telegraph. Henrietta Barnett School is one of the best state schools for getting pupils into the prestigious universities of Oxford and Cambridge and according to recent data, it has an average of 34 offers per year meaning pupils have a 43 per cent success rate. Mahnoor was born in the UK before moving to Lahore, Pakistan with her parents in 2010. Her family then moved back to the UK in 2016 and her mother Tayyaba Cheema, 43, a full-time mum with a masters in Economics, said Mahnoor was 'quite different' from a young age. By the age of six, Mahnoor had read all seven Harry Potter books, and by 11 had learned the entire Oxford English Dictionary 'by heart'. Mahnoor was one of thousands of pupils across the UK who excitedly open their results and was one of just 28.3 per cent of pupils got A/A* this year, compared with 27.8 per cent last year, and 25.4 per cent in 2019. And she is not the only success story. At Brampton Manor in East Ham, more than half of all pupils achieved a full set of A* or A grades, with dozens of pupils securing places at universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and UCL. The school is the world's top school for Oxbridge entry, having sent 85 pupils to the prestigious universities in 2022, up from 57 in 2021 and 53 in 2020. An air traffic controller in Paris risked disaster when he shouted, 'Free Palestine' at Israeli pilots moments after they took off. El Al, Israel's national airline, said the controller made the outburst over the radio to its crew after the flight left Charles de Gaulle Airport on Monday. The airline warned that any break from the normal take-off procedures could have dangerous consequences and confirmed it had reported the 'unprofessional and inappropriate' incident to Israel's Civil Aviation Authority. French transport minister Phillipe Tabarot said the worker responsible for the incident had now been removed from duty. Writing on X, he said: Analysis of the recordings proves that the facts are true. The perpetrator has been identified as an air controller. 'He has been suspended from all duties until further notice. Disciplinary proceedings have been immediately initiated. 'The penalty must be commensurate with the seriousness of the facts.' The row comes days after El Al's Paris offices were targeted with red paint and graffiti. Perpetrators wrote phrases including 'genocide airline' and 'Free Palestine'. An air traffic controller in Paris risked disaster when he shouted, 'Free Palestine' at Israeli pilots moments after they were set to take off El Al, Israel 's national airline, said the controller made the outburst over the radio to its crew after the flight left Charles de Gaulle Airport on Monday The row comes days after El Al's Paris offices were vandalised with red paint and graffiti Phrases including 'genocide airline' and 'Free Palestine' written in several languages Mr Tabarot condemned the attack, saying 'acts of hatred and anti-Semitism have no place' in France. Meanwhile, the airline said in a statement: 'We are addressing the matter with the authorities in Israel, who are in contact with authorities in France. 'El Al will continue to fly around the world with the Israeli flag proudly displayed on its aircraft tails, while maintaining professionalism and ensuring the safety and security of passengers and crews.' It follows another recent controversy in European aviation involving Jewish passengers. Last month, a group of around 50 Jewish children returning to France from a summer camp in Spain were removed from a Vueling flight to Paris after at least one sang a Hebrew song. The airline also removed the camp director, later claiming the group had 'compromised passenger safety.' A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'This is just the latest of a series of significant incidents in European aviation relating to Jews, and a disturbing reminder that this kind of hate can manifest even in settings where safety and professionalism should be paramount. 'Aviation relies on trust, discipline, and neutrality, and any abuse of position to single out or intimidate Israeli passengers or crew is unacceptable. In a statement, the airline said: 'El Al will continue to fly around the world with the Israeli flag proudly displayed on its aircraft tails, while maintaining professionalism and ensuring the safety and security of passengers and crews 'We welcome the swift action taken by the French authorities and urge that the disciplinary process be pursued with the utmost seriousness. 'We hope that the French Government takes a similar interest in other incidents in this sector over which it has jurisdiction. Such conduct has no place in any profession, least of all one that holds lives in its hands.' In recent times, some European countries have reported a surge in antisemitic attacks and sentiments. Last month, a Jewish man said he and his six-year-old son were left terrified after they were attacked and called murderers in Italy. That same month, teachers in the UK warned that antisemitism is now rife in schools. A Labour-run council has sparked a major backlash by tearing down St George's and Union Jack flags from streets because they 'could put lives at risk' - despite Palestinian flags flying high across the city for several months. Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith accused Birmingham City Council of piling 'bias and absurdity on top of their utter incompetence', pointing out they have managed to find workers to take down flags after months of bin strikes. Scores of British flags have sprung up on lampposts and buildings across parts of Northfield, Birmingham, in what organisers have described as a 'patriotic outpouring'. They first appeared in Weoley Castle before spreading across to areas including Bartley Green, Selly Oak and Frankley Great Park. Weoley Warriors, who are behind the influx of flags, describe themselves as a 'group of proud English men with a common goal to show Birmingham and the rest of the country of how proud we are of our history, freedoms and achievements.' The protesters, who have raised 4,000 for flags, poles and cable ties, have defiantly hit back at accusations they are racist and insist they are 'giving hope to local communities that all isn't lost and they are not alone.' One member said they had put up the flags because they have 'had enough'. 'This country is a disgrace and has no backbone,' they said. 'This isn't racism, it's frustration at being pushed into a corner and silenced.' But the row has further deepened after Birmingham City Council confirmed it will begin ripping flags down from the lampposts, saying the extra weight could 'potentially lead to collapse' in the future. A group of 'proud English men' have defiantly hit back at accusations they are racist after lining their streets with Union Jack flags. Pictured: Union Jack and St George's flags in Weoley Castle The patriotism has also led to accusations that those responsible are looking to stir up division between white British residents and other communities in the area. Pictured: Flags seen in Weoley Castle Birmingham City Council also lit up the Library of Birmingham in green and white to mark the anniversary of Pakistan's independence day yesterday Pakistan and Palestinian flags are adorned around Sparkhill in Birmingham It comes amid rising tensions in Britain, with dozens of demonstrations held outside asylum seeker hotels in recent weeks. Pictured: Protesters outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex last week The Labour-run council - which is already under-fire over its handling of the five-month bin strikes - also claimed those attaching flags 'could be putting their lives and those of motorists and pedestrians at risk' despite being up to 25ft off the ground. Critics have also pointed out that Palestinian flags have flown across the city, where 29.9 per cent of residents are Muslim, for several months since the war broke out in Gaza. Meanwhile, the council also lit up the Library of Birmingham in green and white to mark the anniversary of Pakistan's independence day yesterday and will do so in orange, green and white to mark India's independence today. Sir Iain told the Mail: 'The City Council piles bias and absurdity on top of their utter incompetence. 'After the chaos of the bin strike, where they can't find anyone to empty the bins, they somehow manage to find people to take down our national flag on the eve of VJ Day when British and commonwealth soldiers lost their lives for our freedoms. Shameful.' Reform UK MP Lee Anderson said the 'biggest risk to safety in Birmingham are the imbeciles running the council'. A Palestinian flag was attached to a lamppost on Stratford Road in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham today England flags were attached to lampposts in Weoley Castle, Birmingham, today It comes amid rising tensions in Britain, with dozens of demonstrations held outside asylum seeker hotels in recent weeks as frustration grows over the Government's handling of the small boat crisis. 'Right-wing' protesters and families - many waving Union Jack flags - have held protests over illegal migrants staying in their towns, with concerns growing after an Ethiopian asylum seeker was charged with sexually assaulting a girl in Epping, Essex. They have regularly been met by counter-protesters, often led by Stand Up to Racism, leading to huge numbers of activists at demonstrations across the country. The latest move to put up flags across Birmingham has sparked a fresh debate, with many residents expressing support by putting up their own or asking for their streets to be adorned next. Helen Ingram, a historian who lives in Northfield, told the Mail: 'Since the flags appeared everyone in Northfield has been talking about them friends, family, neighbours, even strangers are talking about them in the street. 'Everyone I've spoken to loves them and there's a buzz in the air, an almost carnival-like atmosphere. Northfield was once a tight-knit community and it's heart-warming to get back that strong sense of community pride and unity. 'Some of the residents of Northfield have pointed out that there are plenty of Palestinian, Ukrainian and Pride flags that fly freely around the city every day without issue. 'They argue that flying a Union Jack or England flag aligns with this same spirit of being proud of your identity, your roots and the community that you represent. That is surely a sentiment that a city council should be championing rather than condemning!' Liz Evans, from Bromsgrove, added: 'England flags were adorning lampposts down the Birmingham road, they have now been removed. I cannot tell you how heartbroken and displaced I feel within my own country. 'What is most sad is I no longer feel that we as British people we are respected, even by our own government.' 'We all like the flags. They brighten up the area and they're not offensive in the slightest,' another resident wrote on a local Facebook page. But the patriotism has also led to accusations that those responsible are looking to stir up division between white British residents and other communities in the area. Northfield is expected to be targeted by Reform and independent candidates in next year's local elections. In the July 4 general election, Labour gained from the Conservatives, but Reform came third with a 21 per cent share of the vote. Resident Nazia told Birmingham Live that she respected the pride Brits feel about the flag but added: 'For others, especially minorities like myself, it's become harder to separate that pride from the undertone of nationalism that sometimes comes with it.' She said she wasn't against people celebrating their identity during national events. St George's flags are scattered across Weoley Castle in Birimingham But the council is ordering them to be taken down over safety reasons Union Jack and St George's flags fly high through Weoley Castle St George's and Union Jack flags tied to lamp posts around Weoley Castle St George's flags line the streets of Weoley Castle. They have been put up by a group of 'proud English men' 'But I think we all have a responsibility to understand how those actions are perceived by othersespecially in a city as beautifully multicultural as Birmingham,' she added. 'We're lucky to live in a place where so many cultures, languages, and communities come together. That should be something we protect, not divide.' Birmingham City Council has said they intend to remove 'unauthorised attachments' on lamp-posts as part of a 'programme of works to improve street lighting' in the city. They claim those putting them up are putting themselves and others in danger. But it's understood they do not intend to carry out a mass removal amid fears it could trigger a protest. A spokesman for the council said: 'People who attach unauthorised items to lampposts could be putting their lives and those of motorists and pedestrians at risk. 'Placing unauthorised attachments on street furniture, particularly tall structures like lampposts, can be dangerous.' Jeremy Duthie, from Weoley Castle, supported the flags in his area, saying: 'My personal opinion is that anyone who has a problem with our national flag being flown is living in the wrong country and should maybe consider living in the country represented by whatever flag they prefer to see flying.' Meanwhile former West Midlands Police officer Hayley Owens said she people are 'sick of having to apologise for being British' and insisted there was 'nothing political about it'. She rejected accusations of racism, adding: 'People are choosing to live here, in England, and should be proud of that. The flags are not aimed at anyone in a negative way.' One social media user on a Weoley Castle Facebook page added: 'Every other country flies their flag with pride but when England/British do it, it's got to be for racist reasons. Why shouldn't we proud of England? It's the country we live in. Those who have issue with it should leave England and go dictate to the next country that they shouldn't fly their flag either.' Councillor Simon Morrall, who represents Frankley Great Park on the city council, said it was a 'clearly peaceful moment' that 'residents love'. He has also written to the council to suggest an 'amnesty' on removing any flags until at least the end of August. Birmingham City Council is already facing huge pressure over its handling of the bin strikes which have plagued the city. The dispute between the council and Unite the Union is still ongoing, with no resolution in sight after more than six months. Birmingham City Council is already under fire over its handling of the bin strikes A stray cat can been seen rummaging through the litter which has piled up on the streets of Birmingham A wheelbarrow takes up space on the pavement besides black wheelie bins and a mound of plastic bags Shocking photos show 'apocalyptic' mountains of rubbish still piled up on the streets of Birmingham It has led to residents living around the stench of rotting waste and rats feasting on litter. Last month, another Union Jack row broke out when a 12-year-old schoolgirl was sent home from a culture day celebration for wearing a union flag dress have called on the mistress to publicly apologise Courtney Wright, 12, was forced to spend a morning in isolation at Bilton School in Rugby, after staff told her she couldn't wear her Spice Girls-style dress or make a speech like other pupils. The straight-A student, who had planned to talk about history and traditions in a talk she had prepared, was told the dress was unacceptable, removed from her lesson and left to wait into the school reception until her dad arrived from work to collect her. Prime Minister 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'. The school offered its 'unreserved apologies' to the girl, saying it had caused 'considerable upset to one of our pupils, her family and members of the wider community'. A British biker cut in front of an emergency ambulance in Thailand before swearing at the driver - but just moments later he dramatically crashed into another motorcyclist. The chaotic scenes were caught on dashcam footage from the ambulance, which was on its way to transport an unconscious drowning victim in Chonburi Province to the nearest hospital, in the early hours of Monday morning. Despite blasting sirens and displaying blue lights, the biker - who was later identified as a British national - cut in front of the vehicle. A three-minute video shows the wayward motorcyclist erratically swerving from side to side and blocking the ambulance from the Sawang Borriboon Dhammastan Foundation as they drove through the streets of Pattaya, The Thaiger reported. The frustrated ambulance driver can be heard honking his vehicle's horn and flashing his lights to request that the biker give way, only to be met by the Brit raising his middle finger at the rescue workers. Moments later the biker then speeds off and attempts to dangerously overtake a second emergency vehicle just metres ahead, which was also displaying blue and red lights. The biker can then be seen disappearing into the distance as the two vehicles continue on their way - but just seconds later the errant driver receives a dose of instant karma - and crashes into another motorcyclist at a crossroads. Both emergency vehicles come to a halt, as the British man manages to stand up and lift his bike from the ground. A British biker cut in front of an emergency ambulance in Thailand before swearing at the driver - but instant karma awaited him just seconds later But just moments later after his erratic driving, the British driver crashed into a Thai motorcyclist at a crossroads Officers from Pattaya City Police later fined the biker, who apologised for his behaviour Seeing he is unharmed, the ambulance driver seizes his chance to reprimand the biker for his dangerous driving, making multiple hand gestures at him along the way. The British man can be seen rolling his bike back to the pavement, where officers from Pattaya City Police were waiting. Fortunately no one was seriously injured in the crash, which occurred just after 4.30am on Monday. The British man is reported to have apologised for his actions, claiming he had been 'startled' by the sirens. He agreed to pay compensation to the Thai motorcyclist he had collided with, while also receiving a fine from the police for an undisclosed sum. The incident happened just days before a British tourist and his friends found themselves on the end of a beating after one of them allegedly crashed his motorcycle into a local female rider. The chaotic scenes were caught on dashcam footage from the ambulance, which was on its way to transport an unconscious drowning victim in Chonburi Province to the nearest hospital Police officers were on the scene within seconds of the crash, as the British man claimed he had been 'startled' by the sirens Fortunately no one was seriously injured in the crash, which occurred just after 4.30am on Monday in Pattaya, eastern Thailand Seeing he ws unharmed, the ambulance driver seized his chance to reprimand the biker for his dangerous driving Violent scenes were sparked on Thursday night after the tourist reportedly attempted a wheelie on a road in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, before allegedly losing control and smashing into a 49-year-old woman. The woman was left in a visible pool of blood near her pink Honda Scoopy-i scooter, while the British man, who was wearing a white t-shirt, could be seen watching with his friends as she received treatment. Police arrived at the scene around 11.06pm and gave the 49-year-old CPR before rushing her to hospital - where she is said to be unconscious and in a critical condition. Local news outlet Thaiger said the man had reportedly refused to accept responsibility for the crash, prompting anger from locals who claim to have witnessed him performing the motorcycle trick. The incident happened just days before a British tourist and his friends found themselves on the end of a beating after one of them allegedly crashed his motorcycle into a local rider The British man who allegedly crashed into the woman could be seen near her scooter Crowds of locals and tourists were seen looking at the female's pink Honda Scoopy-i scooter Dramatic footage shows the man's friends seemingly explaining what had happened in the aftermath before the unrest exploded into a massive street fight between the tourists and enraged locals. Punches and kicks were launched at the Brits, who were then chased up the street by a handful of people who had crowded the chaotic scene. The British tourist who allegedly crashed into the woman was also seen lying on the ground near to the scene of the incident, and appeared to have an object thrown at him as the brawl broke out. Thai police are now launching an investigation into the incident and say they will review CCTV footage to determine the cause of the crash. Russia has flipped Donald Trump 'a middle finger the size of the Statue of Liberty' after Vladimir Putin's right-hand man arrived for peace talks in a T-shirt glorifying the Soviet Union. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Alaska with the letters CCCP clearly scrawled across his front - the Russian acronym for the USSR. He was seen walking out of his car in the Russian designer top before brazenly conducting interviews with the media in it, ahead of crunch talks between Putin and Donald Trump to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian diplomats, soldiers and citizens reacted with fury to the highly provocative move, which came just hours after Mr Trump bragged that Putin 'is not going to mess around with me'. Oleg T, 33, a special forces soldier who is fighting in eastern Ukraine, told the Mail: 'That's not a message - it is trolling the Americans. 'It is a middle finger the size of the Statue of Liberty. If Trump doesn't see that, then he has chosen to be blind. 'The world, hopefully, is not blind and can see the game Russians are playing.' Ukrainian scientist Vasyl Melnichenko, 76, who was called in to liquidate the Chernobyl nuclear plant while living under Soviet rule, also slammed the move. Lavrov, 75, was one of several politicians from the Russian delegation to arrive at the highly anticipated meeting between the US and Russian leaders When asked what his predications for the highly anticipated meeting, Lavrov refused to speculate Donald Trump is travelling from the White House to Alaska in Air Force One Russia's President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan in 2019 Your browser does not support iframes. He said: 'Lavrovs action is no accident; its their message to everyone, including Trump. 'Theyre openly showing what they wantthey dont want peace, they dont want to negotiate, they want to conquer and kill. 'The USSR is their cherished dream, their desire to regain power, to force everyone to kneel before Moscow, to make everyone their slaves again. 'They dont want to let anyone gothey have that imperial blood. 'I lived in Soviet Moscow, I worked there a lot, I know these people, their nature, the atmosphere that prevails there. 'Putin and his circle say one thing and do anotherthey come to a meeting supposedly about peace wearing a USSR T-shirtis that a sign of respect for Trump? 'The worst part is that we are losing time, and during that time, our people are dying. 'I really hope Im wrong. I want to wake up tomorrow and hear: they agreed on a mutual ceasefire. Id be the happiest person in the world.' Ukrainian politician Oleksiy Goncharenko said the jumper was a clear message to the American people and the wider world. 'It says that Russia would like things to be as they were in the past, between the USSR and the US - no international order, and Big Boys deciding everything as they saw fit,' he told the Mail. It's a message both for the domestic and the international audience around the world. Diplomats said the highly provocative stunt both showed Lavrov's contempt for Washington and also acted as a warning to Russia's near abroad. Gabrielius Landsbergis, the former Lithuanian Foreign Minister, shared the video and wrote sarcastically that Lavrov was saying 'Just give us half of Ukraine and we promise we will stop' whilst 'wearing a USSR sweatshirt'. Oleksandr Khara, Executive Director of the Centre for Defence Strategies in Kyiv, agreed it was clearly designed to communicate to world leaders that Russia sees the summit as one step closer to regaining its Soviet empire. I wonder how MAGA supporters, who despise left-wing ideology, will react,' he said. Russia is highly skilled in messaging, seeking to project the image of the superpower it once was during the Cold War. The Russians would love to replicate the success of Yalta in 1945, when the great powers decided the fate of Europe and the wider world. They will attempt to downplay the issue of the war, instead emphasising the importance of strategic stability and bilateral relations including diplomatic normalisation, the restoration of economic ties, and the launch of joint projects. Until Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the country endured hardship under Russian rule for 69 years, from the pogroms and political repression of the Lenin era to the Holodomor genocide of the 1930s and the covered-up Chernobyl disaster of 1986 which predated the collapse of the USSR. Lavrov's gesture comes just hours after Trump insisted Putin 'is not going to mess around with me' on the eve of their crunch summit. 'If I weren't president, in my opinion, he would much rather take over all of Ukraine but I am president and he's not going to mess around with me,' the U.S. President said. Putin is travelling to the Pacific Coast in an armoured limo ahead of the highly anticipated summit about ending the war in Ukraine, with a massive convoy sweeping through sealed-off roads. Footage shows a long line of black vehicles speeding along a road in Magadan, flanked by flashing police cars and trailed by what appears to be an ambulance. The tight security comes as Putin prepares to sit down with Trump on Friday for their first face-to-face meeting since 2019. The talks will begin at 11am Alaska time (19:00 BST) and is set against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine, with a focus on finding a path toward a ceasefire. Trump extended the invitation at the Russian leader's suggestion, but the US president has since been defensive and warned that the meeting could be over within minutes if Putin does not compromise. Every word and gesture will be closely watched by European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not included and has publicly refused pressure from Trump to surrender territory seized by Russia. Trump, usually fond of boasting of his deal-making skills, has called the summit a 'feel-out meeting' to test Putin, whom he last saw in 2019. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been spotted travelling to the Pacific Coast ahead of his highly anticipated summit with Donald Trump in Alaska Footage shows a long line of black armoured vehicles speeding along a road, flanked by flashing police cars Roads were sealed off as Vladimir Putin made his way to the Pacific Coast 'I am president, and he's not going to mess around with me,' Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday. 'If it's a bad meeting, it'll end very quickly, and if it's a good meeting, we're going to end up getting peace in the pretty near future,' said Trump, who gave the summit a one in four chance of failure. Trump has promised to consult with European leaders and Zelensky, saying that any final agreement would come in a three-way meeting with Trump and the Ukrainian president to 'divvy up' territory. Kyiv has ruled out conceding territory to its invader and seeks security assurances, indicating numerous instances of Russia breaking ceasefires in the past. Russia has upped the ante in recent days, taking swathes of land in eastern Ukraine in a new offensive. War-weary Ukrainian refugees will also begin losing their legal protections to stay in the United States from Friday without action from the Trump administration, opening them up to possible arrest and deportation. Of concern to Kyiv, Trump has voiced admiration for Putin in the past and faced some of the most intense criticism of his political career after a 2018 summit in which he appeared cowed and accepted Putin's denials of US intelligence findings that Russia interfered in the 2016 US election. Before his return to the White House, Trump boasted of his relationship with Putin, blamed predecessor Joe Biden for the war and vowed to bring peace within 24 hours. But despite repeated calls to Putin, and a stunning February 28 White House meeting in which Trump publicly berated Zelensky, the Russian leader has shown no signs of compromise. Trump has acknowledged his frustration with Putin and warned of 'very severe consequences' if he does not accept a ceasefire - but also agreed to see him in Alaska. The talks are set to begin at 11:30 am (1900 GMT) Friday at the Elmendorf Air Force Base, the largest US military installation in Alaska and a Cold War base for surveillance of the Soviet Union. The summit will mark the first time the two have met face-to-face since 2018 Adding to the historical significance, the United States bought Alaska in 1867 from Russia - a deal Moscow has cited to show the legitimacy of land swaps. The Kremlin said it expected Putin and Trump to meet alone with interpreters before a working lunch with aides. Neither leader is expected to step off the base into Alaska's largest city of Anchorage, where protesters have put up signs of solidarity with Ukraine. Putin faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, leading him to curtail travel sharply since the war. But the United States is not party to the Hague tribunal, and Trump's Treasury Department temporarily eased sanctions on top Russian officials to allow them to travel and use bank cards in Alaska. The summit comes amid escalating military activity in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk region, where Russian forces have launched a rapid offensive. Zelensky has firmly rejected any agreement that involves giving up more territory, citing constitutional and security concerns. President Trump has indicated that any potential peace deal may involve territorial adjustments, suggesting 'some swapping' of territories. However, Ukrainian officials have expressed concerns that such proposals could undermine Ukraine's sovereignty. Your browser does not support iframes. The meeting comes as Putin is preparing to test Russia;s nuclear-powered, nuclear armed cruise missles. Experts say recent satellite images show intense preparations at the Pankovo test site on Novaya Zemlya, a remote archipelago in the Barents Sea The summit is seen as a critical moment in the ongoing conflict, with the potential to either pave the way for a ceasefire or deepen divisions. Trump has hinted that a peace deal could involve 'some swapping of territories to the betterment of both', though details remain vague and controversial. Last Friday, he said: 'We are looking to actually get some back and some swapping. It is complicated, actually nothing easy. We are going to get some back, some switched.' Meanwhile, Russia is believed to present sweeping demands - Ukraine's withdrawal from regions like Donbas and Crimea, neutrality, and a rejection of NATO, conditions that Ukraine and its allies have long rejected. However, many analysts warn that without coordinated Western pressure and Ukraine's central role, the outcome remains uncertain. They also fear the talks could produce a victory for Putin without any guarantees of lasting peace. It comes as Putin is gearing up to test its nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile after the US president warned him of 'severe consequences' if the war continues. Experts say recent satellite images show intense preparations at the Pankovo test site on Novaya Zemlya, a remote archipelago in the Barents Sea. The pictures, taken in recent weeks by commercial satellite firm Planet Labs, reveal a surge in personnel, equipment, ships and aircraft linked to earlier tests of the 9M730 Burevestnik, known to NATO as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall. Demonstrators hold placards during a protest in solidarity with Ukraine, ahead of the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 14, 2025 At least 16 protests are scheduled to take place across Alaska in solidarity with Ukraine, with demonstrations planned in Fairbanks, Kodiak and Ketchikan At least 16 protests are scheduled to take place across Alaska in solidarity with Ukraine, with demonstrations planned in Fairbanks, Kodiak and Ketchikan. 'First and foremost, our goal is to communicate solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, to let them know that we all watched in horror as Ukraine was invaded over three years ago now,' Nicole Collins, an organiser of a pro-Ukraine vigil on Thursday night, told News from the States. Several hundred demonstrators gathered in Anchorage on Friday morning ahead of Putin's arrival for the high-profile summit, which marks the first time a meeting between the US and Russia will be held on American soil since 1988. Alaska, the location for the negotiations, was once a Russian territory before it was sold in 1867 for $7.2million. The proximity of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, located in Anchorage, to Russia made it a critical point for monitoring and intercepting Soviet aircraft and missiles during the Cold War era. The location and its logistical neutrality make it a practical escape from International Criminal Court complications, as there is an ICC arrest warrant against Putin. When asked what his predications for the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov refused to speculate, saying: 'We never try to anticipate the outcome or make any guesses. What we do know, however, is that we have arguments we can contribute to the discussion and that our position is clear. We will present it.' Other members of the delegation on the Russian side include Foreign Policy Adviser Yuri Ushakov, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, and Russian Direct Investment Fund chief Kirill Dmitriev - a key figure in negotiations with the White House. People walk over a message is written with chalk on the ground during a protest in solidarity with Ukraine Demonstrators hold a banner during a protest in solidarity with Ukraine, ahead of the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 14, 2025 Experts have noted that Putin has repeatedly exploited a form of USSR nostalgia that Lavrovs choice of jumper appears to reflect. The Russian leader previously branded the fall of the Soviet Union 'the greatest political catastrophe' of the 20th century during a 2005 address. Putin himself worked as KGB foreign intelligence agent - serving as mid-level officer in Dresden in the second half of the 1980s, then part of communist-ruled East Germany. Exiled Russian opposition figure Yulia Navalnaya on Friday urged presidents Putin and Trump to strike a deal to free Russian and Ukrainian political prisoners held captive by Moscow for speaking out against the war in Ukraine. 'Release Russian political activists and journalists, Ukrainian civilians, those who were imprisoned for anti-war statements and posts on social media,' Navalnaya, whose husband Alexei Navalny died in a Russian prison last year, said in a video message on social media, hours before the two leaders were set to meet in Alaska. Additional reporting by Viktor Shkurko A 'cowardly' criminal has been jailed for 16 months after robbing a deaf woman in her eighties on the Tube. Liam McGuicken, 53, was caught on CCTV openly rifling through the victim's wallet seconds after he cornered her on the London Underground in central London. He had followed his victim and shoved her by the chest into a handrail and snatched her purse. McGuicken had specifically targeted the vulnerable woman on the escalators of Westminster station. She was with a friend who was also deaf. It is yet another horrifying incident on the Tube, which is run by Sir Sadiq Khan's Transport for London (TfL). Since he became Mayor in 2016, Tube crime rates have more than doubled. Liam McGuicken, 53, rifles through the wallet he had just stolen from a deaf woman in her 80s The 'cowardly' criminal has been jailed for 16 months McGuicken approached the elderly victim as she travelled down through the station towards a Jubilee line platform. He put his hands against the victim's chest, pinning her against the handrail. The victim couldn't hear or understand what he was saying to her, but turned her face away in fear. He reached into the victim's coat pocket and stole her wallet before getting off of the escalator at the bottom and immediately getting the escalator back up. Station CCTV footage showed him rifling through the wallet he had just stolen on Tuesday April 15, in the week before Good Friday and Easter Sunday. McGuicken was arrested a month later at Sutton railway station after he was stopped by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service in connection with a fare evasion issue. British Transport Police Detective Inspector Alan Judd said: 'McGuicken sickeningly targeted an elderly deaf woman as she was making her way through the station, cowardly choosing to target a vulnerable woman for his own gain. 'I'm very pleased with the result, and I sincerely hope McGuicken takes this opportunity to change. His conviction sends a strong message, that robbery will not be tolerated on the railway network.' 'We take all reports of robbery extremely seriously, and would urge anyone who was the victim of a robbery or who witnessed one to contact us. You can speak to a member of staff or to an officer, call us on 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016.' He reached into the victim's coat pocket and stole her wallet before getting off of the escalator at the bottom and immediately getting the escalator back up It came after commuters were accused of assaulting a man who dropped his trousers on a District line train near Upton Park in East London on August 7. BTP have interviewed two of the four vigilantes so far, while the man - who told them to 'f*** off' after requests to pull up his pants - was taken to hospital and sectioned under the Mental Health Act. No arrests have been made and the probe continues. Police want to identify the other two men brawling with the man, who was initially arrested by an off-duty officer when he refused to cover up then wielded his belt. During the incident the man began yelling then dropped his trousers and put his belt around his neck. His bottom and genitals were on show, sparking anger and revulsion around him on the train, which was busy with children on their summer holidays. A passenger stood up and quickly confronted him, gesticulating angrily. He politely and firmly told him: 'You need to get off the train.' But the man began repeatedly yelling back: 'F*** off.' The commuter said in response: 'What do you mean "f*** off"? You need to get off the f***ing train. Now. There are kids on here.' Footage of the incident showed up to four men kicking and punching the naked man, who was hitting them with his belt. He was later pinned to the floor of the carriage. The man was then unceremoniously carried on to the Tube platform at East Ham and dumped to the floor. He was then held down as the commuters tried to alert staff. Detectives are hunting for a series of robbers and attackers across London's train network after a spate of violent incidents in recent weeks. British Transport Police have issued five appeals for suspects this week as they probe reports of crimes such as sexual assaults, bicycle theft and wallet robbery. Recent incidents in the capital have seen robbers try to grab shopping bags or handbags, or leave people with lasting injuries following violent incidents. Passengers repeatedly asked a man to put his genitals away and get off the train in east London last week. He responded by waving his belt and screaming so the group attacked him. British Transport Police said in a statement that the naked man was assaulted A group carried him off the train and pinned him down on the platform, waiting for help to arrive Separately, a huge fight broke out at the entrance to Highbury and Islington station on July 17 - with a screaming toddler ending up on the floor in the melee. Members of the public attempted to intervene as the group appeared to hurl a man down the stairs at the North London hub and throw punches and kicks at him. Footage captured the chaos as a smartly-dressed man kicked the head of another in a grey tracksuit - as someone else threw a rucksack into the packed crowd. Commuters attempted to break up the fight and helped a mother and her baby in a buggy get out of the way, before bystanders rushed to pick up the child off the floor. Some 16,288 crimes were reported on the Underground network between January and August 2024 a rise of 13 per cent on the same period the year before. A passenger was walking to the Elizabeth Line platforms at Bond Street late on a Sunday evening last month when a man grabbed her shopping bag. The woman pulled the bag back and kept hold of it, but he then tried to grab her handbag during the incident at around 10pm on July 13. She eventually managed to walk away with her belongings after other members of the public intervened and detectives are now probing the attempted robbery. A photograph of a man walking along a station corridor has been issued by police because they believe 'may have information which could help their investigation'. BTP wants anyone who recognises the man to tell them with reference 391 of July 18. Police want to speak to this man after an attempted robbery at Bond Street station on July 13 A woman was sexually assaulted in a stairwell at Canning Town Underground station in East London on a Wednesday evening last month. Detectives are now investigating the crime at 6.20pm on July 30 at the Jubilee line station, which has an interchange with the Docklands Light Railway. They released a CCTV image in connection with the investigation, and believe the man in the picture 'may have information that could assist their enquiries'. Anyone who recognises him should contact BTP with reference 161 of July 31. This man is being sought by detectives after a sexual assault at Canning Town on July 30 An Underground passenger was assaulted on a station platform and suffered what police described as a 'lasting eye injury' in a shocking assault. Officers said the man was assaulted at the Grade II-listed Belsize Park station on the Northern line in North London just after 5pm on Saturday, June 19. They have now released a CCTV image in connection with the assault because the man in the picture 'may have information which could help their investigation'. Anyone who recognises him is asked to contact BTP with reference 514 of June 19. Officers investigating an assault at Belsize Park station on June 19 have released this image A 14-year-old boy was robbed of his bicycle on board a Thameslink train leaving Elstree and Borehamwood station in Hertfordshire heading into London. The teenager was approached by a man on a Friday afternoon last month who stole his bicycle on the train, which was travelling towards Mill Hill Broadway. Police do not know where the man left the train, but later the same evening he is believed to have been seen again exiting at Elstree and Borehamwood. Detectives issued a photograph of a man who 'may have information that could assist their enquiries' following the incident at about 4.45pm on Friday, July 11. Anyone who recognises him should contact BTP using reference 527 of July 11. An image released after a bicycle robbery at Elstree and Borehamwood station on July 11 A man trying to buy a train ticket at a machine was robbed at knifepoint by a man and woman who approached him in the early hours of a Friday morning. One of the robbers at Southend East, a c2c station in Essex, had a knife in their hand and pushed the man to the floor, demanding his wallet. The man got up and tried to get away, but was punched and knocked to the floor during the incident in the seaside city on July 25 at about 4.30am. As the man got up, several items of jewellery, a bag of medication, and a jacket containing his mobile phone were taken. BTP investigating officer DC Nicola Avery said: 'We would like to speak to the two pictured as we believe they may have information that could help our investigation. 'While we appreciate the images may not show the clearest picture of the pair due to their face coverings, someone may recognise their clothing or notice something distinctive.' Southend East is on the c2c line between Shoeburyness and London Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street stations, and is popular with commuters to the capital. Anyone who recognises either person in the images or has information about the robbery is asked to contact BTP, quoting reference 68 of July 25. Officers investigating a robbery at Southend East station on July 25 released these images Anyone who recognises anyone in the photos can text BTP via 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40. They can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 Parliament doesn't need 'more Vladimir Putin apologists' like Nigel Farage, a Cabinet minister said today as he dismissed Reform UK's call for peerages. John Healey, the Defence Secretary, sparked a furious political row as he referred to Mr Farage's past comments about the Russian leader. It came after Mr Farage wrote to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to demand he be allowed to nominate some Reform peers to the House of Lords for the first time. The Reform leader hit out at a 'democratic disparity' that sees his party have no representation in Parliament's unelected upper chamber. This is despite Reform having four MPs and controlling a slew of local councils. In his letter to Sir Keir, seen by The Times, Mr Farage pointed out how other parties with a small number of MPs had been able to nominate peers. Mr Farage also noted how Reform won more than 4.1 million votes at last year's general election, and has led in national opinion polls for many months. 'The Greens, DUP, Plaid Cymru and UUP have 13 peers between them, but Reform UK has none,' he wrote. Parliament doesn't need 'more Vladimir Putin apologists' like Nigel Farage , a Cabinet minister said today as he dismissed Reform UK's call for peerages. John Healey, the Defence Secretary, sparked a furious political row as he referred to Mr Farage's past comments about the Russian leader. In 2014, while he was UKIP leader, Mr Farage told GQ magazine that Mr Putin is the world leader he admired the most The Reform leader added: 'The time has come to address the democratic disparity that exists in the upper house.' The Greens have four MPs in the House of Commons and two peers in the Lords, the DUP have five MPs and six peers, and the UUP have one MP and three peers. Reform figures such as Ann Widdecombe, the ex-Tory MP, Nick Candy, a billionaire donor, and Zia Yusuf, Reform's ex-chairman, are potential candidates for the Lords. Asked about Reform's demands this morning, Mr Healey told LBC: 'I'm not sure that Parliament's going to benefit from more Putin apologists like Nigel Farage, to be honest.' Pressed on whether that accusation was 'a bit strong', Mr Healey replied: 'Look at what he's said about Russia, look at what he's said about Putin in the past.' He added: 'The voice of Reform is conspicuously absent in any of our discussions and any of our defence debates about Ukraine and about Russia.' Mr Healey urged Mr Farage, the MP for Clacton, to start 'weighing in alongside us and the other parties in the House of Commons' in condemning Mr Putin. The Defence Secretary also highlighted how Mr Farage has previously called for the Lords to be scrapped and replaced with an elected chamber. 'This is the same Nigel Farage that called for the abolition of the House of Lords and now wants to fill it with his cronies,' he said. In 2014, while he was UKIP leader, Mr Farage told GQ magazine that Mr Putin is the world leader he admired the most. 'As an operator, but not as a human being, I would say Putin,' he said. 'The way he played the whole Syria thing. Brilliant. Not that I approve of him politically.' Richard Tice, Reform's deputy leader, accused Mr Healey of an 'outrageous slander' with his remarks about Mr Farage this morning. Calling in to LBC himself, Mr Tice said: 'I nearly crashed my car in fury. Frankly, I think that Mr Healey... may be suffering a bit of August sunstroke.' He added that Mr Farage's comments about Mr Putin were 'made about 10 years ago' and on 'a specific point'. 'That doesn't mean that one supports him or is an apologist for him,' he continued. 'It's just an outrageous slander by the Secretary of State. And it just shows how desperate the Labour Party are because we're leading in the polls.' Mr Farage has hit out at a 'democratic disparity' that sees Reform have no representation in Parliament's unelected upper chamber Reform figures such as Ann Widdecombe, the ex-Tory MP (left), Nick Candy, a billionaire donor (centre), and Zia Yusuf, Reform's ex-chairman (right), are potential candidates for the Lords In December last year, Sir Keir appointed 30 new Labour peers - including a string of ex-MPs and his sacked chief of staff Sue Gray - to the House of Lords. At the same time, the Tories had six new peers appointed to the Lords - including former deputy PM Therese Coffey - while the Liberal Democrats got two new peers. Tory peer Lord Norton of Louth, a constitutional expert, said there was a 'case for minor parties like Reform to have representation in the Lords' but this was up to Sir Keir. 'The PM is the only person who writes the rules on this as it stands,' he said. 'Historically appointments to the House of Lords were in the gift of the Crown but that function has been passed to the prime minister. 'So any decision on whether to create Reform peers would rest with him alone.' Lord O'Donnell, the former cabinet secretary, said: 'It is a feature of our system that the PM can appoint whoever they like to the House of Lords. 'It is an area where I think we need greater checks and balances.' But Lord Hayward, the Tory peer and election expert, said: 'Just because Reform has a few MPs and is doing well in the opinion polls that does not mean that they are an established credible party that should be represented in the House of Lords. 'I think Starmer is entirely within his rights to wait and see how Reform actually does over the next few years before making a decision.' The Balearic Islands are facing an unprecedented surge in migrant landings, fuelling fears the Mediterranean holiday hotspot could be turning into a major new gateway for irregular migration into Europe. In the space of three days this week, 639 migrants reached the islands - comprising Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera - aboard 38 small boats. So far this year, 4,500 migrants have arrived there, according to the Spanish government. The startling figures mark a 170 per cent jump on the same period in 2024. This is also more than 500 per cent higher than in 2023. Amid the looming migration crisis, authorities in the islands say they have been left to cope with the issue alone, with limited support from the government. The majority of the boats are believed to have left from Algeria, signalling that the central Mediterranean route is gathering pace while the once-busy flow from Mauritania to the Canary Islands has collapsed. 'Where is the government of (Pedro) Sanchez?' Balearic regional leader Marga Prohens posted on X on Wednesday, referring to Spain's prime minister. She called for increased law enforcement resources and cooperation with Algeria. Madrid said last month it would improve the Balearics' capacity to absorb arrivals. So far this year, 4,500 migrants have arrived there, according to the Spanish government Your browser does not support iframes. Alfonso Rodriguez, Madrid's regional representative in the Balearics, shot back that calm seas and criminal gangs exploiting security gaps were behind the rise. He said it was part of a wider Mediterranean pattern. Arrivals in the Canaries, meanwhile, have fallen by 46% in January-July of this year, largely thanks to tightened controls by Mauritania. Eighty per cent of arrivals to Spain in the first quarter of last year were headed to the Canary Islands, making the journey the most heavily used migration route to Europe this year. Vicent Mari, President of the Council of Ibiza, last year called for a crackdown on illegal migration, telling a Town Hall that the 'situation requires care services that are neither prepared nor sized to deal with this issue'. 'We need the provision of the necessary surveillance and resources to prevent and control this massive arrival,' he told the audience. Barbara Gonzalez del Rio, Migration Specialist at Save the Children Spain, warned that officials are anticipating a 'significant increase in crossings during the summer months'. 'As long as there is a need in the countries of origin, people will continue to move, and the migratory flow towards Europe will continue to exist,' she said, according to the newspaper. Migrants reaching the islands tend to leave Algeria's coastline, where patrols are lighter. The majority are Somalians who aim to escape conflict and food shortages. Among those who have arrived is a 20-year-old South Sudanese called Konestory, who paid $2,000 and endured 46 hours of travelling time to get to the islands. Although he told Reuters the boat faced adversities such as food shortages, getting lost, and 'a lot of waves', he was 'happy' to have arrived on the islands. Last month, the government announced plans to boost the Balearics' capacity to process new arrivals. The Balearic Islands are facing an unprecedented surge in migrant landings, sparking fears it could the a new gateway into Europe Konestory, from South Sudan said he paid $2,000 to make the difficult journey into Spain Majorca media says new arrivals are often left to sit in public parks for hours before they are taken to mainland Spain Yet local media in Mallorca reports that dozens of new arrivals have been left sitting in public parks for hours due to a lack of shelters, before being put on ferries to mainland Spain. In June, a murder investigation was launched after several migrants were found in Mallorca with their hands and feet bound. They are believed to have been attempting the difficult journey from North Africa to Europe. The huge increase has worsened an existing political clash between Prohens and the Sanchez government over the redistribution of unaccompanied child migrants who arrive in the Canaries. Prohens has been a staunch advocate for hardline immigration policies, saying last year that there was a 'total lack of control' when it comes to small boat arrivals. A Labour councillor who called for protesters' throats to be cut has been cleared of encouraging violent disorder - prompting claims of 'two-tier justice'. Ricky Jones made the inflammatory comments at a counter-demonstration in north London in response to anti-migrant rallies sparked by the Southport stabbings. In a video from the event in Walthamstow on August 7, 2024, Jones is seen telling cheering supporters: 'They are disgusting Nazi fascists. We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.' The 58-year-old also drew his finger across his throat as he spoke to the crowd. However, jurors at Snaresbrook Crown Court cleared him of all charges this morning after deliberating for just over half an hour. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the verdict 'another outrageous example of two-tier justice'. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'The development of two tier justice is becoming increasingly alarming. 'The government must come forward with plans to ensure justice is handed out equally, regardless of the background or views of the perpetrator - but as far as I can see this Labour government seems to be quite happy with two tier justice.' Ricky Jones called for anti-migrant protesters' throats to be cut at an anti-racism rally in August last year The suspended Labour councillor leaves Snaresbrook Crown Court, where he was found not guilty of encouraging violent disorder today Reform UK leader Nigel Farage criticised the verdict Meanwhile, Zia Yusuf - who now heads Reform's 'DOGE' unit, compared the outcome to the jailing of Lucy Connolly, who sent a racist tweet during last summer's riots. He said: 'The Labour councillor literally caught on video calling for people to slit the throats of his political opponents has been found not guilty. 'Meanwhile Lucy Connolly gets 31 months in jail? Two tier justice in this country is out of control.' However, barrister Joanna Hardy-Susskind rejected the comparison, writing on X: 'Lucy Connolly pleaded guilty and was sentenced. Ricky Jones pleaded not guilty and was acquitted by a jury 'That is not two-tier justice. It is legally illiterate to imply one was punished and the other ''let off scot free'' when one of them was quite literally acquitted after trial.' Jones, who has been a borough councillor in Dartford, Kent since 2019, was suspended by the Labour Party the day after the incident. It is understood that a party investigation remains ongoing and its outcome will decide what happens to his membership. A spokesperson for the party said at the time that his behaviour 'was completely unacceptable and it will not be tolerated'. The politician, who at the time was also employed as a full-time official for the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) union, was arrested on August 8 last year and interviewed at Brixton police station that night. Prosecutor Ben Holt previously told the court that Jones, a father of four and grandfather, used 'inflammatory, rabble-rousing language in the throng of a crowd described as a tinderbox'. He told jurors Jones's speech was amplified through a microphone and speakers and took place 'in a setting where violence could readily have been anticipated'. Wearing a black polo top and surrounded by cheering supporters, the councillor called protesters 'fascists' and drew his finger across his throat Former Tory home secretary James Cleverly called the verdict 'unacceptable' and 'perverse' Reform UK's Zia Yusuf said the decision showed 'two tier justice in this country is out of control' Superintendent Jack May-Robinson previously told the court: 'Any spark could have led to an incident or disorder occurring.' But during his evidence, Jones instead described the mood in the crowd at the time as 'happy and joyful', adding: 'There clearly wasn't any upset or anger from any people in that scene, because they clearly knew it was about what happened on the train.' Jones said his comment did not refer to anti-migrant protesters involved in the riots at the time, but to those who had reportedly left National Front stickers on a train with razor blades hidden behind them. Before he made the comment, jurors were shown video where he said to crowds: 'You've got women and children using these trains during the summer holidays. 'They don't give a s*** about who they hurt.' He told the court he was 'appalled' by political violence, adding: 'I've always believed the best way to make people realise who you are and what you are is to do it peacefully.' Jones said he has been affected by ADHD, dyslexia and dyscalculia. Asked in court how his 'neuro diversity' had influenced what he said, Jones replied: 'I believe I was distracted. You heard a person shouting 'yeah talk your talk'. He got very excited. He didn't know that his jeering was going to distract me. 'If you go back to the video, you can see there is a person seven or eight rows behind me. He is not even listening to what I was saying. He was listening to someone else. 'What I've learnt from this is to never stand up again and speak at a demonstration when you haven't prepared what you are going to say.' Jones, who had been a borough councillor in Dartford, Kent since 2019, was suspended by the Labour Party the day after the alleged incident Jones hiding behind a top hat as he leaves court on Tuesday Axel Rudakubana, whose family moved to Britain from Rwanda in 2002, was found guilty of murdering Ellie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice Da Silva Aguiar, nine, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29, 2024. He was also convicted of ten attempted murders, one of producing the biological toxin ricin and one of possession of an Al Qaeda training manual. He was jailed for 52 years. The killings sparked riots nationwide after false rumours online that Rudakubana was a Muslim asylum seeker who had recently arrived in Britain on a small boat. The refugee charity boss who accused Robert Jenrick of 'xenophobia' over his stance on illegal migration has now suggested he 'work together' with the top Tory. Dr Krish Kandiah, founder of the Sanctuary Foundation, said he had offered an 'olive branch' to the shadow justice secretary following a row earlier this week. The BBC was forced into an embarrassing climbdown on Wednesday when Dr Kandiah used a flagship radio news programme to attack Mr Jenrick. He used the Thought For The Day segment of BBC Radio 4's Today show to criticise a recent Mail on Sunday front page, in which Mr Jenrick said he worried for his young daughters and defended protests outside asylum hotels. Dr Kandiah, who is also a theologian and author, claimed the shadow cabinet minister had echoed 'fear of the stranger', adding: 'The technical name for this is xenophobia.' BBC bosses later apologised to Mr Jenrick and had Radio 4's Today taken down from its streaming servces and edited to remove references to xenophobia. Dr Kandiah doubled down on his comments by posting the original audio from the broadcast on social media and asking people to 'let me know what I am wrong about factually?'. But he subsequently said he was offering an 'olive branch' to Mr Jenrick and suggested they 'work together to de-escalate the fear and anger many are feeling in our country'. The refugee charity boss who accused Robert Jenrick of 'xenophobia' over his stance on illegal migration has now suggested he 'work together' with the top Tory Dr Krish Kandiah, founder of the Sanctuary Foundation, said he had offered an 'olive branch' to the shadow justice secretary following a row earlier this week The BBC was forced into an embarrassing climbdown on Wednesday when Dr Kandiah used a flagship radio news programme to attack Mr Jenrick Dr Kandiah posted on X/Twitter: 'Mr Jenrick, I want your daughters and mine to be able to walk down the road safely and without fear. 'I worked with you when you were housing minister and the UK welcomed over 200,000 people from Hong Kong. 'I was grateful for your support and compassion during that time. I would love to find a way we could work together to de-escalate the fear and anger many are feeling in our country. 'I believe we need to focus on the real challenges that are making people worried housing, jobs and the cost of living rather than ramping up anti-immigrant sentiment.' Mr Jenrick this week accused the BBC of thinking it was 'acceptable to smear millions of worried citizens as 'xenophobic' for their completely understandable fears about undocumented men entering illegally'. The row with Dr Kandiah followed Mr Jenrick's article in the Mail on Sunday, in which he wrote: 'I certainly don't want my children to share a neighbourhood with men from backward countries who broke into Britain illegally, and about whom we know next to nothing.' He added: 'I can only sympathise with the mothers and fathers peacefully protesting outside asylum hotels who have been pushed to breaking point.' In a letter to Mr Jenrick this week, the BBC's head of editorial standards Roger Mahony said Dr Kandiah's comments 'went beyond' what is expected of its Thought For The Day segment. Mr Mahony said: 'I have concluded that, while its reflection on fear in society from a faith perspective is broadly in line with expectations of Thought For The Day, some of the language it used went beyond that. 'I have asked for the two references to xenophobia to be edited from the programme on BBC Sounds. Please accept my apology for their original inclusion.' Mr Jenrick's team has been contacted for comment. China has unveiled its latest technological breakthrough that could change the future of naval warfare. Aerospace engineers in the East Asian superpower have developed what is believed to be the world's first high-speed vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone powered by a jet engine. The drones are commonly used for mapping, firing weapons, delivering goods and for carrying out large scale surveillance operations - but need long runways or aircraft carriers when taking off and landing. However, the new VTOLs, which were developed over 10 years by professors Wang Yaokun and Qiu Yuting, combine vertical lifting and jet power to make them quicker and sleeker at getting off the ground. The breakthrough was unveiled at Beihang University, an institute targeted by US sanctions, and is being touted by Chinese media as 'potentially transforming every Chinese destroyer, frigate or amphibious vessel into a mini aircraft carrier'. The professors behind the development wrote in a paper published last month: 'We've compared it to other mainstream VTOL drones at present. It is far superior in terms of speed.' They also said that the 45kg drones, which are made up of lightweight T-700-grade carbon fibre, can be used in 'extreme conditions' and have hit speeds of up to 142mph with ease when tested. The VTOLs rise into the air with help of rotors underneath which - like most others - are complimented by a miniature turbo jet engine, before its true complex nature then sets it apart. Aerospace engineers in the East Asian superpower have developed what is believed to be the world's first high-speed VTOL drone (above) powered by a jet engine The new VTOLs combine vertical lifting and jet engine power to make them quicker and sleeker at getting off the ground Chinese media have touted the development as 'potentially transforming every Chinese destroyer, frigate or amphibious vessel into a mini aircraft carrier' Unlike others, the aircraft's rotors gradually spin down and become enclosed once it is high and fast enough, which then allows for a reduction of air drag by an eye-watering 60 per cent. This key function allows for high-speeds to be reached while the full capability of the drone is retained, with a thermal shield of up to 700 degrees ensuring that the structure is not compromised. However, there has been some criticism levelled at the drone's rotor system occupying space on the craft may subsequently impact fuel efficiency as well as its weapons and cargo capacity. This means the drones are likely to not have the capacity for large munitions, and instead may be more suited to surveillance ops. The project is believed to have begun in 2015 after the Chinese navy requested 'non-carrier vessels' which emphasised the need for 'multi-drone coordination, high-speed reconnaissance and vertical take-off and landing from destroyer decks'. Their development comes just weeks after US Secretary of State Pete Hegseth warned that China's potential invasion of Taiwan 'could be imminent', with Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister also warning of the same. An unnamed defence expert told the South China Morning Post that the new VTOLs mean the Chinese navy could operate high-speed, long-range reconnaissance and strike drones from any warship in future combat. They said: 'This turns every major surface combatant into a forward-operating base. The enemy can't predict where the next strike will come from.' The technology could also boost China's attempts at laying claim to the South China Sea by using the high-speed drones to deter competitors. Shocking new bodycam video photo shows a Southwest pilot being pulled off a flight by police moments before it was due to take off over fears he was blind drunk. David Allsop, 52, was arrested for a DUI in January at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia, with footage of the incident emerging Thursday. Allsop was due to captain Flight 3772 to Chicago, but was apprehended in his cockpit after TSA officers notified police that they suspected he was drunk. It is unclear what raised their suspicions. But one officer filmed confronting Allsop on a jet bridge said he reeked of booze, which Allsop tried to blame on a Rogues nicotine pouch. Allsop was conducting pre-check flights, with passengers already on board, when police came on board, escorted him off the plane and asked him about his alleged recent alcohol consumption. The pilot confirmed he drank 'a few beers' the night before, 'like 10 hours ago at least'. Pressed by a suspicious cop to define 'a few beers,' Allsop replied that he'd drunk 'like, three' Miller Light' with his first officer. Southwest pilot David Allsop was due to captain Flight 3772 to Chicago earlier this year when TSA alerted police that they could smell alcohol on his breath. He is filmed walking through Savannah/Hilton Head Airport in Georgia on the morning of his arrest Allsop is pictured on a jet bridge after being hauled out of his cockpit. He claimed to have had a few beers at least 10 hours before, but police accused him of smelling strongly of alcohol Allsop is pictured performing one of three sobriety tests. He failed two of them and subsequently refused to provide a blood alcohol sample The alleged smell of booze made cops suspicious, so they asked asked Allsop to undergo field sobriety tests. Allsop initially refused, saying the tests 'weren't necessary', but ultimately complied with the officer's orders and performed the tests on the jetway. He failed two of the three tests, WMUR reports, and was then asked to undergo a blood draw to determine his blood alcohol content - which he refused. Police then escorted him out of the airport. He was cuffed and put in the back of a cop car before being driven away for further questioning. Police are seen escort Allsop off the plane in footage captured by a Southwest passenger David Allsop, 52, was arrested for a DUI in January at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia Allsop has been fired from his job, Southwest said, with the scandal effectively ending his aviation career. 'Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees,' the company added in a statement to Daily Mail. His pilot's license was revoked by the Federal Aviation Administration and criminal charges against him are pending. If Allsop is prosecuted, he will face federal charges. Allsop's Linkedin profile indicated that he had been a pilot with Southwest Airlines for more than 19 years. Prior to that he serviced in the US Air Force, starting out in the 50th Airlift Squadron in 1998. Allsop has declined to comment on the scandal. A young black woman in DC beamed on camera while saying she feels so much safer in the city since President Trump's controversial crime crackdown. 'Finally able to chill at a red light with my windows down,' the TikTok user @bigdawglexi said as she sat in her car. '(I'm) not worried about if one of them young n***s is coming Riding through the city, feeling more safe than I ever felt.' The clip quickly circulated social media amid debates over whether Trump's hardline approach overstepped and whether his targeting of a city with a large black population is racist. Police statistics showed crime in DC is down this year - but locals say the city is still plagued by muggings, shootings, stabbings and carjackings that heavily-impact their quality of life. The TikTok user's video was flooded with comments, as one questioned her: 'You couldn't ride with your window down before? I've never been to DC, was it really that bad?' 'Yeah they grab you right at the light,' she responded, in an apparent reference to carjackings. The video comes as MSNBC's legal analyst Anthony Coley admitted on the air this week that he was also pleased to see the White House send in the National Guard to the streets of DC. Speaking on Wednesday's edition of 'Morning Joe', Coley said: 'Many people are frustrated with crime that we see, particularly committed by juveniles in the city of Washington.' A young black woman in DC beamed on camera as she said she was 'feeling more safe than I ever felt' in the nation's capital after President Trump's crime crackdown in the city President Trump deployed 1,000 National Guard to DC this week in what he claimed was a push to sort out the city's crime problem. Statistics show crime in DC is falling - but many locals say the city is still an exceptionally scary place to live The MSNBC analyst said that the 1,000 National Guardsmen deployed to the city was a welcome sight, and said residents have long complained of a declining quality of life. 'People are frustrated that when they got to CVS to buy deodorant, that they have to get it from behind locked plexiglass, right?' he continued. 'These are not just random anecdotes. What we see in Washington Post polling is that roughly half of residents view this as a serious problem or an extremely serious problem.' As the White House prepared to launch its crime crackdown earlier in the week, Trump issued an ominous warning to would-be criminals on Truth Social. 'Be prepared! There will be no "MR. NICE GUY." We want our Capital BACK,' he wrote. Trump branded the deployment the Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force, a move that led to the arrests of 103 people since August 7. Over 100 people have been arrested in DC since Trump launched his hardline crime crackdown Camo-clad troops with the National Guard started arrived into the capital at around 8 pm on Tuesday, sparking outrage from the capital's Democrat mayor Muriel Bowser. Bowser branded the move an 'authoritarian push' as she fielded questions from citizens during a digital town hall. Bowser's latest comments were significantly more forceful than her previous cautious approach to Trump's plans. She had described the federal takeover on Monday as 'unprecedented' but also conceded she wasn't 'totally surprised'. Trump said Monday that he was triggering section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allows the president to assume emergency control of the capital's police force for 30 days. Speaking of the more than 100 arrests in DC since the crackdown began, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox Digital that it was evidence that the move is working. 'President Trumps bold leadership is quickly making our nations capital safer,' he said. 'In less than one week, over 100 violent criminals have already been arrested and taken off of the streets in Washington, D.C. President Trump is delivering on his campaign promise to clean up this city and restore American Greatness to our cherished capital.' Many liberals are angry at the DC crime crackdown and cite statistics showing crime was down in 2024 compared to 2023 as evidence that Trump has gone too far. But other Democrats have warned that by mocking Trump's crackdown, they risk isolating many centrist or progressive voters who have themselves fallen victim to crime in the city. A British holidaymaker who tried to leave Pompeii with pilfered stones is facing a fine - but will avoid the 'curse' of the ruined city thanks to Italian police. The 51-year-old Scottish man was held by officers on the way out of the buried Roman settlement and was found with six fragments of stolen stone. The man was seemingly not aware that previous light-fingered tourists who have left Pompeii with stolen objects have ended up repenting years later, claiming their thievery has brought them woeful misfortune. According to The Times, a police spokesman said: 'This week we caught a Scotsman before he could get away but we may have saved him from the curse.' The man, who was not named by police, was allegedly seen by his tour guide putting loose stones into his rucksack as he toured the city, which was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79. The alleged thief could now face a trial that could lead to fine of up to 1,500 or even a prison sentence if it is not their first offence. A British holidaymaker who tried to leave Pompeii with pilfered stones is facing a fine - but will avoid the 'curse' of the ruined city thanks to Italian police. Above: An officer examines the stolen objects The 51-year-old Scottish man was held by officers on the way out of the buried Roman settlement and was found with six fragments of stolen stone The guide reported him and police were then informed. The police spokesman added: 'He said he had no idea it was forbidden to remove artefacts from Pompeii,' said the officer. 'He was trying to get out of trouble but it did not work.' It comes after an American tourist who pilfered pumice stones from Pompeii revealed she got divorced and developed breast cancer. At the start of last year, Deb, from Pennsylvania, told the Daily Mail how she went to Pompeii during a holiday to southern Italy in 2011 and while there she took two stones from the archaeological site. But within eight years of returning home she fell ill and her marriage collapsed, so she decided to return the stones in 2020. It comes after an American tourist who pilfered pumice stones from Pompeii revealed she got divorced and developed breast cancer. She returned the stones with a grovelling apology letter She said: 'When I got back from Italy not too long after that I ended up getting divorced and then a year later had Stage 3 breast cancer.' When she returned the stones, she included a letter saying: 'I didn't know about the curse'. She added: 'Please accept my apology and these pieces.' In 2020, a Canadian woman, identified only as Nicole, sent a package containing two mosaic tiles, parts of an amphora and a piece of ceramics she had pilfered from Pompeii to a travel agent in the Italian city. Pompeii was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 Nicole, who had stolen the artefacts in 2005, said she was returning them after they had given her 15 years of bad luck. She wrote a letter of confession in which she detailed her theft and her subsequent run of misfortune, including two cases of breast cancer and financial hardship. Nicole wrote: 'Please, take them back, they bring bad luck.' She said she took the artefacts because she wanted to own a piece of history that no one else had, but they had 'so much negative energy... linked to that land of destruction'. And in 2015, an English woman returned a piece of mosaic that her parents had taken from Pompeii in the 1970s. She claimed the object had brought her years of misfortune. A hiker has been found dead in northern Japan a day after a bear attacked and dragged him into the forest. The victim, who was in his 20s, tried to fight off the large animal but was pulled into the nearby woods with his legs bleeding profusely, according to local media outlets, including the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper. He was initially reported as missing on Thursday by a second man, who was hiking alongside him on Mount Rausu, situated on the northern island of Hokkaido, according to Japan Today. Authorities were notified around 11.10am by the companion, who was also confronted by the bear at an altitude of 550 metres, but managed to escape unharmed. A search and rescue mission was launched and on Friday afternoon the victim was found and taken to hospital where he was officially pronounced dead, according to a Hokkaido government official. Hunters also caught and killed a bear near the trail, according to an official working for Shari town, in the vicinity of the mountain. DNA analysis will be conducted to determine whether the bear was responsible for the victim's death. A wallet containing a card that bore the man's name was found near to where the man encountered the animal in the northeastern part of Hokkaido, according to media. A hiker has been found dead in northern Japan a day after a bear attacked and dragged him into the forest. Pictured: A search helicopter over Mount Rausu in Hokkaido on Thursday DNA analysis will be conducted to determine whether the bear was responsible for the victim's death. Pictured: An Asian black bear commonly found in Japan (file) The victim tried to fight off the large animal but was pulled into the nearby woods with his legs bleeding profusely, according to local media. Pictured: Hokkaido, Japan (file) A torn, bloodied shirt believed to be his was also found on Friday, with nearby trees and soil dotted with traces of blood, Kyodo news agency said, quoting police. Among other discovered items were a watch, a hat and what appeared to be tear gas. The number of brown bears in Hokkaido fell year-on-year in 2023 for the first time since 1991, according to estimates released this month. There were about 11,600 at the end of 2023, down 500 from a year earlier. The Hokkaido government cited unprecedented hunting of brown bears, with a record 1,804 caught in the 12 months to March 2024. A climber was forced to use his martial arts skills to fight off an enraged black bear that lunged at him repeatedly on a rock face on Japan's Mount Futago in October 2022 The bear lunged at him as she was defending her cub and even though he punched, kicked and screamed and fought it off, it came back The climber said he used his karate and mixed martial arts training as he had to defend himself. He said that this was likely to have saved his life The incident comes just months after the Japanese government announced it would allow hunters to shoot bears in populated areas after dangerous human encounters hit record levels. A revised wildlife protection and management law, which was approved by the cabinet in February, allows 'emergency shootings' following complaints that hunters were hampered by red tape. The environment ministry hopes to present the bill to parliament in the coming months and get it enacted before autumn, when bear sightings typically surge. Currently, shooting animals such as bears or wild boar in residential areas is forbidden. It comes as Japan battles a bear attack crisis that saw 219 people attacked by bears in 12 months to April 2024, with six human fatalities - the highest since statistics began nearly two decades ago. Climate change affecting bear food sources and hibernation times, along with depopulation caused by an ageing society, are causing the animals to venture into towns more frequently. Under current rules, hunters are not allowed to shoot without being given the green light by police - even when bears hole themselves up in populated areas. Even then, police 'can only issue such a command in an extremely dire situation, such as when a person is seconds away from being attacked', an environment ministry official said. A brown bear is seen bounding down on a residential street in suburban Sapporo, Hokkaido on June 18, 2021 Members of a hunting group stay vigilant in search for a brown bear that was on the loose in Sapporo, Hokkaido prefecture on June 18, 2021 Last December, a bear rampaged through a supermarket in northern Japan for two days before being lured out with food coated in honey. It wounded a 47-year-old man before shoppers were evacuated and the bear laid waste to the meat department. A fisherman was feared to have been eaten by a bear after a human head was discovered and boots spotted dangling from a bear's mouth on Japan's Hokkaido island in May 2023. Toshihiro Nishikawa, 54, had been dropped off at a remote fishing location by the lake in Horokanaion but did not return. A boat operator who provided transport to Nishikawa at the lake reportedly witnessed a bear that had fishing boots dangling from its mouth on that same day. The remains of a human head were later discovered, close to where the fisherman had last been seen. And a climber made headlines in October 2022 after he was forced to use his martial arts skills to fight off an enraged black bear that lunged at him repeatedly on a rock face on Japan's Mount Futago. Fearing for his life, the man lashed out at the snarling beast, using his fists and feet to strike it until it gave up and ran away. He said he used his karate and mixed martial arts training as he had to defend himself, claiming that this was likely to have saved his life. The unnamed climber believes the mother bear was defending her cub and that he had invaded her territory. Japanese authorities have urged people to remain vigilant in light of the growing bear attacks, which have been on the rise year-on-year. Conservationists have called for more to be done to improve natural habitats for bears. They have also heavily criticized bear shootings. A popular children's author has pleaded guilty to sex offences laid against him. Oliver Phommavanh, 41, was arrested and charged with online grooming on May 16 last year. Phommavanh allegedly sent inappropriate images to someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl. NSW State Crime Command's Sex Crimes Squad detectives launched an investigation after receiving an interstate report that the children's author had allegedly been communicating inappropriately with a child online. Officers under Strike Force Trawler arrested Phommavanh and executed a search warrant at his Old Guildford home, where several electronic devices were seized. Phommavanh was charged with use of a carriage service to groom someone under 16 years old for sex and use of carriage service to procure someone less than 16 years old for sexual activity. Detectives allege he used his position as a children's author to engage inappropriately with kids online. This included inappropriate photos and videos sent to one girl known as 'LK' and another he thought to be a child but was actually an undercover police officer. Oliver Phommavanh, 41, pleaded guilty to five counts of inappropriately engaging with a minor online Phommavanh had a history of visiting schools and libraries as a lecturer Phommavanh was arrested in May 2024 Phommavanh was first released on bail before being charged in August with crimes he allegedly committed between June 2022 and December 2023. He faced a second round of charges in November for offences allegedly carried out between 2019 and May 2024. Phommavanh pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to groom a person under 16 years for sex, using a carriage service to procure a person under 16 for sexual activity and using a carriage service to engage in sexual activity with a child at Parramatta Local Court on Friday. He also pleaded guilty to attempting use a carriage service to engage in sexual activity with a child, using a carriage service to send indecent material to a person under 16, using a carriage service to make child abuse available and using a carriage service to solicit child abuse material. Phommavanh's case will return to court on September 12. He will later be sentenced in the NSW District Court. Phommavanh grew up in western Sydney and is a self-described author, comedian and teacher and had a history of visiting schools and libraries as a lecturer. He has written books including 'Thai-riffic!' and 'The Other Christy' and was an ambassador for the NSW Premier's reading challenge. Elderly residents in Notting Hill will be getting away for a three-night 25,000 taxpayer-funded seaside trip in order to avoid the carnival. Notting Hill Carnival, held in the capital since 1966, returns on August 24 and 25, drawing crowds of around two million people last year. To give those living directly on the route some respite, 21 locals will enjoy a seaside break in Eastbourne, East Sussex, organised by Kensington and Chelsea Council and Age UK The council is spending 25,612 on the getaway, which works out at about 1,100 per person, covering travel, accommodation, staff and carers, insurance and administration. The partnership with Age UK has been running since 2017 and is open to residents aged 65 and over who meet strict eligibility criteria, such as being over 65 years old and living directly on the carnival route Cllr Kim Taylor-Smith, Lead Member for Culture at Kensington and Chelsea Council, said: 'Carnival is a wonderful celebration enjoyed by so many people, but we know that the sights, sounds and crowds are not for everyone. The annual event, held in the capital since 1966, returns on August 24 and 25, drawing crowds of around two million people last year To give those living directly on the route some respite, 21 locals will enjoy a seaside break in Eastbourne, East Sussex, organised by Kensington and Chelsea Council and Age UK 'This trip offers a bit of calm for some of our older residents who would prefer not to be at the heart of the action. 'It's just one of the ways we support our residents and support Carnival. This year our hard-working crews will be back out cleaning up on both days. 'To everyone attending this year's Carnival have a safe and enjoyable time,' he told MyLondon. Last year, the scheme cost the council 24,000 to take 21 residents on a similar trip and that is down from 31,000 the year before, when 42 people took part. The Carnival is Europe's largest street festival, and in June, its organisers said it could be cancelled without 'urgent funding' from the government after a review of the festival identified 'critical public safety concerns'. Revellers pass through metal security at Notting Hill carnival the largest street festival in Europe last year Last year, more than 300 people were arrested, and eight people were stabbed during the event, which attracts up to two million visitors. Ian Comfort, the Carnival's chair, said in a letter seen by the BBC that additional funding was needed to address the issues and make sure it was safe to run. He is understood to have written to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to request the money, which is 'essential to safeguarding the future and public safety of this iconic event'. At the time, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it would 'respond to the letter in due course'. A San Diego babysitter broke down in tears in court as she was sentenced to 100 years to life in prison for delivering little girls to her pedophile boyfriend to molest. Brittney Mae Lyon, 31, advertised her babysitting services online - with a particular interest in working with special needs children - and earned the trust of parents who left their kids in her care. But, in reality, she was sexually abusing the little girls and providing them to her boyfriend Samuel Cabrera, 31, who would film himself molesting them. The victims were aged between three and seven years old and some were autistic and non-verbal. Lyon pleaded guilty to two counts of a lewd act upon a child and two counts of a forcible lewd act upon a child in May. She also admitted additional allegations of kidnapping, residential burglary and sexually assaulting multiple victims. The sick abuse came to light in 2016 when a seven-year-old girl told her mother she didn't want to go anywhere with Lyon - a long-term friend of the family who also babysat her - anymore. The little girl then told her mom about the abuse who went to the police, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Brittney Mae Lyon, 31, sobbed in court as she was sentenced to 100 years to life in prison for delivering little girls to her pedophile boyfriend to molest An investigation led Carlsbad police to Cabrera, then 22, and both he and Lyon were arrested. A search of Cabrera's car uncovered a double-locked box containing six computer hard drives with hundreds of videos of him abusing victims. Some of the victims in the videos were drugged and the clips were often filmed with multiple cameras to capture different angles, prosecutors said. The horrifying tapes featured multiple unknown victims, prompting an investigation to track down other families who had hired Lyon as a babysitter. Parents of three of the victims had met Lyon through a babysitting website where she had 'touted her interest in working with special needs children,' according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. One mother saw a news story about Lyon and Cabrera's awful crimes and reached out to police, only to learn that her own three-year-old was among the victims filmed being abused by the twisted couple. Another victim was a developmentally-delayed seven-year-old with autism, who could not dress or bathe herself or speak. Lyon and Cabrera met in high school and he initially convinced her to secretly record women getting changed in dressing rooms and gym locker rooms, prosecutors said. Brittney Mae Lyon pleaded guilty to two counts of lewd act upon a child and two counts of a forcible lewd act upon a child in May Lyon brought the little girls she babysat to her boyfriend, Samuel Cabrera (pictured),so he could molest them Then, the pedophile asked Lyon to bring children in her care to his home - where she participated in some of the abuse, according to prosecutors. Cabrera went on trial in 2019 charged with 35 felonies, including multiple counts involving child molestation, kidnapping, burglary and conspiracy. It took a North County jury just two hours to convict him on all charges. He was sentenced to eight terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole and 300 additional years. Lyon's case was stalled by Covid courtroom closures and by changes of attorneys. She has been represented by three different defense attorneys over the past nine years: a public defender, then private counsel and then another public defender. At her sentencing inside the Vista Courthouse in San Diego Thursday, the babysitter's defense attorney read a statement on her behalf. 'For nine years, I've thought about what I would say today. I've come to the conclusion that there are no words that would make any of the harm and trauma I've caused any better,' the statement read. Lyon is pictured in court with her defense team. The couple's victims were aged between three and seven years old and some were autistic and non-verbal Lyon advertised her childcare services on babysitting websites and touted her interest in working with special needs children (pictured: Lyon's babysitting ads) 'The words "I'm sorry" are far too simple for the amount of trauma I've caused and the amount of regret that I feel.' Parents of the victims also spoke in court on Thursday. One mother said Lyon 'used her credentials' - such as studying child development - 'to lull us into a state of comfort so we didnt feel like we had to ask a lot of questions about what Brittany did with our daughter when they were together'. What the mother thought was a special trip for their daughter to play places she later learned were 'molestation sessions,' she said. Cabrera is not eligible for parole, but Lyon - who was sentenced to 100 years to life - is. This means it is possible she could be released after serving just a third of her sentence. Some of the victims' parents slammed the possibility that she could be freed in future. Cabrera is not eligible for parole, but Lyon (pictured in court) - who was sentenced to 100 years to life - is There is a possibility that Lyon could be released after serving just a third of her sentence 'Its a slap in the face to drag us through this field of broken glass for 10 years only to give Brittney a break,' one mother said. A California law change now allows for 'elder parole,' where inmates who have served at least 20 years of their sentence can petition for a parole hearing when they turn 50. While legislative efforts to exclude sex offenders from this rule have stalled, the San Diego County District Attorneys Office has continued to push for the change. 'The age of 50 is hardly "elderly," particularly in the realm of child molesters, who need only be in a position of trust and power to access and sexually abuse children,' District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a news release in reference to Lyon's sentencing. Apocalyptic scenes have spread across Europe as dramatic wildfires bathe the countryside sickly orange, with blazes ravaging Portugal, Spain and Greece. One horrifying photo taken in the Sernancelhe district of Viseu, Portugal, shows a raging inferno and dark clouds of smoke threatening to completely submerge a house in flames. The sky is completely amber as an angry blaze continues to tear its way through the forest, making the air thick with smog. Nearly 4,000 firefighters are battling seven major fire across the country, in Tabuaco, Trancos, Sirarelhos, Satao, Arganil, Vilarinho do Monte and Ermidas do Sado. Authorities extended the state of alert until Sunday, amid high temperatures expected to last through the weekend. 'We are being cooked alive, this cannot continue,' said Vila Real Mayor Alexandre Favaios, where a fire had been burning for 10 days. It comes as another heatwave pushes temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across parts of Europe. Global warming is giving the Mediterranean region hotter, drier summers, scientists say, with wildfires surging each year and sometimes whipping up into 'whirls'. Fire and clouds of smoke during a forest fire in Macieira, Sernancelhe, Viseu, Portugal, 15 August 2025 The fire in Macieira continues to blaze since it ignited on 13 August in Satao, within the Viseu district, and has spread to the Sernancelhe district in Viseu and Aguiar da Beira in Guarda A woman with a hose tries to put out the fire during a wildfire in Santa Baia De Montes, northwestern Spain, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar) Firefighters in Spain and Greece continued to battle wildfires Friday on a public holiday in all three countries as persistent hot, dry conditions challenged efforts to contain the blazes. Spain was fighting 14 major fires. Temperatures were expected to climb over the weekend. 'Today will once again be a very tough day, with an extreme risk of new fires,' Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X. The national weather agency AEMET warned of extreme fire risk in most of the country, including where the largest blazes were burning in the north and west. A heatwave which brought temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on several days this month was expected to last through Monday. Fires in the Galicia region forced the closure of several highways. The high speed rail line connecting it to Spain's capital, Madrid, remained suspended. The fires in Spain this year have burned 158,000 hectares or 610 square miles, according to the European Unions European Forest Fire Information System. That is an area roughly as big as metropolitan London. Spanish authorities reported the death of a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter who sustained severe burns in an area north of Madrid this week. It was the third reported death in Spain due to the recent fires. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in the region and still can not return. Local residents react in front of the fire during a wildfire in Santa Baia De Montes, northwestern Spain, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar) Nearly 4,000 firefighters are battling seven major fire across the country, in Tabuaco, Trancos, Sirarelhos, Satao, Arganil, Vilarinho do Monte and Ermidas do Sado This recent photo taken from a French Canadair water bomber and provided Friday, Aug. 15, 2025 by the Securite Civile shows wildfire in Spain. (Securite Civile via AP) A fire approaches a farm during a wildfire in Santa Baia De Montes, northwestern Spain, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar) Temperatures reached 44 C (111 F) in some regions, according to meteorology service AEMET, with minimal rainfall and windy conditions expected to exacerbate the fire risk. In both Spain and Portugal it was the Feast of the Assumption, a major Catholic holiday usually marked by family gatherings and religious processions. A wildfire in Greece burned out of control for a fourth day on the island of Chios, prompting several more overnight evacuations. Two water-dropping planes and two helicopters were operating in the north of the island in the eastern Aegean Sea, where local authorities said a lull in high winds was helping firefighters early Friday. Following a series of large fires in western Greece earlier this week, the Fire Service was on alert Friday outside Athens and nearby areas in the south of the country where adverse weather conditions elevated the fire risk. The fire service said a major blaze outside the southern port city of Patras has been contained on the outskirts of urban areas after a large-scale deployment. Three people have been arrested in connection with the fire, which authorities said may have been deliberately set. A man also died in a fire in Albania, while a 61-year-old Hungarian seasonal worker is suspected to have died of heat-related causes while picking fruit in Lleida, in Spain's eastern Catalonia region. People watch the fire and clouds of smoke during a forest fire in Macieira, Sernancelhe, Viseu, Portugal, 15 August, 2025 This recent photo provided by the Securite Civile shows two French Canadair water bombers flying over Spain. (Securite Civile via AP) The spiritual leader of the worlds Orthodox Christians Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed solidarity on Friday with the victims of wildfires in southern Europe during prayers for the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, an important religious holiday for Orthodox Christians. A drop in wind speeds on Thursday allowed firefighting aircraft in the three hard-hit countries to step up water drops, concentrating on existing fire zones rather than chasing fast-moving fronts. All states and territories agreed to work together Anyone who fails a Working With Children Check (WWCC) will be handed a lifetime ban effective in every Australian state in order to keep kids safe. All states and territories on Friday agreed to strengthen the regulations around holding a WWCC to try and curb child predators. The new rules will also ensure anyone with a criminal history applying for a WWCC is identified and blacklisted nationwide. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said the 'ambitious reforms' would address gaps in the current system of rules. Rowland suggested the changes would come into effect by 2026, but that deadline would require each state and territory to dramatically speed up processes. The federal government recently cracked down on 30 childcare centres which were each handed compliance orders for failing to meet national quality standards. Each now faces losing its Commonwealth funding unless performance is dramatically boosted over the next six months. IT updates and standardisation of check systems in states and territories have delayed the creation of a national WWCC registry which is also under consideration. A new national Working With Children Check system will be introduced by 2026 Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said the reforms would protect children Rowland said the new changes were designed to address 'nefarious individuals' who might be seeking to work with children. 'It is notable that nefarious individuals have been shopping around the Working With Children Check system and exploiting loopholes,' she said. 'There is a firm commitment from all states and territories to pull out all stops, and we are working together as a team.' Under the new rules, anyone who has ever had a WWCC revoked will also lose their current licence for life. A National Continuous Checking Capability will soon allow authorities to monitor changes in a person's criminal history. The system is currently being piloted by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. All jurisdictions have also agreed to strengthen the criteria used nationwide when assessing eligibility for a WWCC. This will make the creation of a national commission or registry even easier, Rowland said. Under the new rules anyone who fails a WWCC or who has a criminal history will be banned from working with children for life No state or territory will be asked to lower its standards to comply with the incoming national standard. Whether or not the national registry would be made public is something the Attorney-General would 'examine', the Herald Sun reported. NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said his state had already taken action to strengthen its laws for the future. Loopholes will soon be closed which certain predators have used to travel between states after their licence had been revoked in one. Coalition education spokesman Jonno Duniam encouraged leaders to include shared resources, such as CCTV footage, to ensure child protection. This would enable a 'truly national' system, Duniam said. This is the shocking moment a mugger was wrestled to the ground by a pair of quick-thinking Brazilian brothers while on vacation in Barcelona. Rio de Janeiro residents Gabriel and Gustavo Galindo were sightseeing when they heard the cries of a Portuguese tourist who had been robbed of his gold chain. As the thief attempted to flee down the narrow street, Gabriel swung and tripped him to the ground, viral surveillance video footage showed. The perp immediately stood up and continued to run when he was tackled to the ground by Gabriel. Gabriel, who just like his brother is black belt in jiu-jitsu, placed the suspect in a rear naked chokehold - one of the most effective moves, but also deadly because it can cut off the flow of blood to the brain and heart. He then pinned thief to the ground for about 10 minutes as multiple bystanders delivered their own justice before the local police arrived and placed him under arrest. 'We confirmed that he had indeed stolen the Portuguese man's necklace,' Gabriel told Brazilian news outlet G1. 'I put him on the ground to introduce him to Brazilian jiu-jitsu. By this point, a crowd was already mad with rage at the unfortunate man.' Gabriel Galindo poses for the camera after he and his brother helped arrest a thief who stole a chain from a Portuguese tourist in Barcelona on Wednesday. The Rio de Janeiro resident, who is vacationing in Spain, told Brazilian news outlet G1 that they heard the victim screaming for help when they sprung into action Barcelona cops arrested a suspect who snatched a chain from a Portuguese tourist on Wednesday 'Some of the angry people started giving him a massage, but I didn't have the heart to let them hurt him too much,' Gabriel added. Gabriel said that he and his brother did not want to stay around to take any questions from the police and abandoned the scene as soon as cops placed him under arrest. 'We ran away when the police arrived. God forbid I waste the day at the police station,' he said. 'I'd never experienced that before. But when I saw the situation and saw that he was coming towards me, I just went to intercept him. Because I know how angry it is to be robbed like that.' Barcelona ranks as the most dangerous city in Spain with 8.56 crimes reported per 100,000 habitants. Gabriel Galindo, a black belt jiu-jitsu fighter out of Rio de Janeiro, applied a rear naked chokehold after he tackled a man who had robbed a Portuguese tourist in Barcelona on Wednesday Viral video footage showed Gabriel (pictured in the tank top) tripping a suspected chain snatcher (left) A law enforcement report from July did show an 8.8 percent decrease in criminal incidents in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. Figures also showed a 6.8 decline in thefts and a 5.5 percent decrease in violent robberies during the first three months of the current year. Daily Mail reached out to the National Police for comment. Chilling new footage has emerged showing quadruple murderer Bryan Kohberger pacing his cramped prison cell. The 30-year-old former criminology student was seen in leaked video shining his shoes and carefully placing items on a grim wire shelf inside his punishment chamber. His hands look red - which may be a result of the murderer's rumored compulsive handwashing habit. It is unclear when and where the security video was taken, although a Daily Mail analysis of Kohberger's features suggests it may have been filmed recently. Bryan Kohberger is seen pacing his cell in newly-revealed surveillance camera footage A close-up of the quadruple-murderer's face. It is unclear when this footage was shot, but analysis of Kohberger's looks suggest it was filmed recently His living quarters are exceptionally grim. The walls are painted institutional gray, while the floor is raw concrete. A stainless steel toilet, with no seat or lid, sits in one corner with a matching sink above. A mirror is bolted to the wall, should Kohberger wish to track his appearance as he ages towards his grave behind the same four walls. The only semblance of warmth comes from a dark wool throw on Kohberger's bed, which has a simple check pattern stitched into it. Kohberger was held inside Pennsylvania's Monroe County Jail, as well as Idaho's Latah County Jail and Ada County Jail prior to his sentencing in Boise last month. The murderer must spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole at Idaho Maximum Security Prison in Kuna, just outside Boise. The Ada County Sheriff's Office confirmed to the Daily Mail that the footage was not leaked from their jail. The other detention centers have been contacted whether the footage was leaked from their facilities. It appears to have been filmed by a staffer pointing a phone at a TV screen linked to the in-cell surveillance camera. Kohberger faces a lifetime in his cell with just one hour a day outside in a cage for the rest of his life. He spends 23 hours a day in his cell for his safety and gets just one hour outside each day, which is spent in a specially-constructed cage. Kohberger is seen pacing his spartan cell, with two pairs of prison-issue shoes on its floor Left to right: Dylan Mortensen, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (on Kaylee's shoulders) Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Bethany Funke Victims Madison Mogen (left) and Kaylee Goncalves (right) before their November 2022 murders. Survivor Dylan Mortensen claimed she heard Kohberger call out Goncalves' name during the murder spree at the student house in Moscow, Idaho He was spared the death penalty following a July plea deal that saw him admit the November 2022 murders of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. Meanwhile, newly-released documents claim Kohberger called out 21 year-old Goncalves name during the quadruple bloodbath at his victims' student house in Moscow. Surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen told detectives that when she was awoken by commotion in the home during the horrific murders, she 'opened her room door and heard a male say, "It's OK Kaylee. I'm here for you".' Mortensen said that a short time later, she 'opened her door again and saw someone approximately 5'10" tall, dressed in black with a ski mask, standing in the kitchen', per the documents. The detail suggests that Kohberger knew who Goncalves was and where she lived, suggesting a possible motive for the killings. Kohberger has refused to speak about why he did it. In other documents in the release, it was revealed that a professor at Washington State University, where Kohberger was studying for his Pd.D. in criminology, warned other faculty members of their fears about the would-be murderer. The unnamed professor wrote in a note: 'Kohberger is smart enough that in four years, we will have to give him a Ph.D. 'Mark my word, I work with predators, if we give him a Ph.D., that's the guy that in many years when he is a professor, we will hear is harassing, stalking, and sexually abusing.' The ominous note was sent just months before Kohberger stabbed the four students at the nearby university to death. Prosecutors have said there was no evidence of a sexual component to the murders, leaving Kohberger's motive and connection to his victims a complete mystery. This week, the Daily Mail revealed for the first time the exact porn searches made by the killer which may shed some light on his mindset and motivations at the time - including searches for attacks on sleeping girls. Last month, Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in Idaho Maximum Security Prison, where he was placed in solitary confinement These chilling selfies were found on Bryan Kohberger's Android cell phone following his arrest Chilling photos from the crime scene at 1122 King Road where Kohberger broke in in the dead of the night to kill. Hand prints can be seen on a window that appears to have been dusted down by forensics professionals The search terms were shared with the Daily Mail by the digital forensics experts hired by state prosecutors to dig into Kohberger's Android cell phone and laptop. Heather Barnhart, Senior Director of Forensic Research at Cellebrite, and Jared Barnhart, Head of CX Strategy and Advocacy at Cellebrite, joined the case back in March 2023 and were set to testify as expert witnesses in Kohberger's capital murder trial. Through their years-long forensic analysis of Kohberger's devices, the Cellebrite team was able to recover his searches. The terms they found included 'sleeping', 'passed out', 'Voyeur', 'Forced 'raped' and 'drugged'. 'The easiest way to say it is that all of his terms were consistently around non-consensual sex acts,' Jared told the Daily Mail. Kohberger's apparent sleep rape fetishes raise questions about what he may have planned to do the night of the murders. As well as the porn searches, the Cellebrite team found a clear obsession with serial killers and home invasions. On Kohberger's laptop, Heather said they found searches for 'serial killers, co-ed killers, home invasions, burglaries and psychopaths before the murders and then up through Christmas Day'. There was one serial killer Kohberger showed a keen interest in that stood out to the team: Danny Rolling. Bryan Kohberger had a PDF about serial killer Danny Rolling (pictured) on his cell phone Both Rolling and Kohberger used a Ka-Bar knife (stock image above) as their chosen murder weapons Rolling, known as the Gainesville Ripper, broke into the homes of University of Florida students at night and murdered five - four female and one male - in the fall semester of 1990. He raped the women during his attacks and decapitated one of his victims, posing her head on a mantle in her home. Just like Kohberger, Rolling's murder weapon of choice was also a Ka-Bar knife. The similarities between the crimes are eerie and the Cellebrite team found Kohberger had downloaded a PDF onto his phone about Rolling. He had also watched a YouTube video about a Ka-Bar knife. Kohberger's cell phone also contained many selfies where he was posing shirtless or flexing his muscles, Jared and Heather revealed. There was also the chilling thumbs-up selfie to the camera a few hours after the murders and a creepy hooded selfie days before his arrest. The Defence Secretary today said Britain was ready to put 'UK boots on the ground' in Ukraine should Donald Trump's talks with Vladimir Putin result in a ceasefire. John Healey outlined how British troops could help 'secure the safe skies, safe seas and build the strength of the Ukrainian forces' in the event of a peace deal. The US President is due to meet with the Russian leader in Alaska later on Friday in an effort to end the three-year long conflict in Ukraine. Prior to departing Washington DC, Mr Trump looked ahead to 'high stakes' talks with Mr Putin and expressed confidence 'something is going to come' of the discussions. Mr Healey told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the 'coalition of the willing' of Ukrainian allies - including Britain - was poised to help enforce a ceasefire. But he refused to speculate on what might happen should British troops come under attack as part of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine. 'As the Prime Minister has said, in the circumstances of a ceasefire, we're ready to put UK boots on the ground in Ukraine,' the Defence Secretary said. 'That's in part to reassure Ukrainians but it's also, in part, to secure the safe skies, safe seas and to build the strength of the Ukrainian forces.' Defence Secretary John Healey said Britain was ready to put 'UK boots on the ground' in Ukraine should Donald Trump's talks with Vladimir Putin result in a ceasefire The US President is due to meet with the Russian leader in Alaska later on Friday in an effort to end the three-year long conflict in Ukraine. British soldiers take part in a training exercise in Hohenfels, Germany, earlier this year Mr Healey added: 'The strongest deterrent against Russia reinvading or regrouping and relaunching their aggression against Ukraine is the strength of Ukraine to stand for itself.' Ukraine cause akin to Second World War Allies, says Starmer Ukraine is fighting for the same values as the Allies did in the Second World War, Sir Keir Starmer said last night. The Prime Minister addressed a reception, including veterans, to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, which marked the Allies' defeat of Japan. Speaking in Downing Street, Sir Keir said: 'I sat on this terrace this very morning with President Zelensky, who is fighting for the same values as we were fighting for. 'And so when we say never forget, we must pass on the stories of those who have gone before us.' Advertisement Asked if British troops would fight or leave if they were attacked while in Ukraine, the Defence Secretary replied: 'Those are hypotheticals, so I'm really not going to discuss and can't discuss at this point.' But Mr Healey said there were 'important principles' that 'any British forces have the right to defend themselves if attacked'. 'They are ready to go, they're ready to act from day one in a ceasefire,' he said of plans for the coalition of the willing to enforce a peace deal. 'We are setting up the joint headquarters with the French for that, the military plans are complete.' The Defence Secretary dismissed suggestions the UK's approach to the war is to 'watch and wait'. He told BBC Breakfast: 'The UK's role is to stand with Ukraine on the battlefield and in the negotiations, and prepare, as we have been, leading 30 other nations with military planning for a ceasefire and a secure peace through what we call the coalition of the willing. 'Our role is to lead the charge, as we have been, on more intensive diplomacy, to lead the charge on military aid to Ukraine so that we don't jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the current war. 'And being ready also to step-up economic pressure on Putin if he's not willing to take the talks seriously.' Sir Keir Starmer met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, and the pair expressed cautious optimism about the prospect of a truce 'as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious' about ending the war, Downing Street said. Concerns linger over the prospect of Kyiv being excluded from negotiations over its own future, and pressured to cede territory, after Mr Trump suggested any agreement may need to involve 'swapping of land'. Ukraine has already rejected any proposal that would compromise its borders. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has suggested that if Donald Trump brokers a successful Ukraine-Russia peace deal that he should win the Nobel Peace Prize. The two presidents will meet at a U.S. Air Force base in Anchorage, Alaska, for a sit-down meeting to broker peace. Clinton's surprising take on Jessica Tarlov's 'Raging Moderates' podcast occurred just as the president departed Washington, D.C., to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Seen as the 'token liberal' on the network's popular show 'The Five,' Trump has taken several shots at the host over the years. Most recently, Trump slammed Tarlov as 'a real loser' after she went on a tangent advocating for stricter gun controls. Clinton told Tarlov, who is a Democrat, that if Trump 'could bring about the end to this terrible war,' she'd consider nominating him for the highly-coveted prize. 'If he could end it without putting Ukraine in a position where it had to concede its territory to the aggressor could really stand up to Putin, something we havent seen, but maybe this is the opportunity,' she added. 'If President Trump were the architect of that, Id nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize,' Clinton said on the Fox News host's podcast. 'Because my goal here is to not allow capitulation to Putin,' the former Secretary of State added. President Trump outside of Air Force One before taking off for Alaska where he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin Hillary Clinton said if Trump helps strike a peace deal between the countries that he should win the Nobel Peace Prize Ukrainian artillery squad awaits orders on the left bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson, Ukraine on August 11, 2025. The Kherson region is now the focus of peace negotiations between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin However, it is unclear whether a peace deal is close, and even more opaque is what Ukraine's potential involvement in the negotiations will be. Aboard Air Force One en route to Alaska, Trump said Ukraine will have to approve any land negotiations that may take place as a part of a peace deal. 'I think they'll make a proper decision,' Trump said. 'But I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I'm here to get them at a table.' Trump added that the U.S. could be involved in security guarantees for Ukraine going forward. He has also suggested that Ukraine will take part in a potential second round of meetings with the Russians. 'I dont know where were going to have the second meeting, but we have an idea of three different locations, and well be including the possibility, because it would be by far the easiest of staying in Alaska,' Trump told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade this week. The president has appeared keen on winning the top award. He has posted about it on multiple occasions on social media. But he claims he is not working to secure the prize. Your browser does not support iframes. Russian President Vladimir Putin at a factory in Russia's east before meeting with Trump Russia's invasion of Ukraine has lasted over three years and five months 'A lot of people say, no matter what I did, because I'm of a certain persuasion, no matter what I do they won't give it [to me.] I'm not politicking for it,' he said last week after hatching a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But still, his work connecting with world leaders, particularly those with typically hostile stances towards the U.S. 'I had a wonderful talk with the highly respected President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on his way to the Putin Summit while aboard AF1. 'The purpose of the call was to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners. We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners. Our conversation was a very good one.' 'We discussed many topics, including President Putins visit to Alaska. I look forward to meeting President Lukashenko in the future.' The president has been credited with helping calm tensions in several global conflicts this year, including those between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, among others. Shoplifting should be called shop theft to avoid downplaying its seriousness, the Government has agreed. In a letter to ministers, peers warned the 'outdated' word was trivialising the severity of the offence and called for it to be phased out in legislation and guidance. The Government responded to commit to using shop theft where appropriate, the Daily Telegraph reported. And the national police unit for organisations acquisitive crime, Opal, also said it would encourage the use of the term in its general communications. Shoplifting rates have almost doubled in two decades, with three thefts a minute recorded across England and Wales in the year to March. There were 530,643 reported to the police in this time, up 20 per cent on the previous years 444,022. The problem is becoming increasingly rife in chemists, with an estimated increase of 88 per cent in the theft of drugs and medical supplies in the past 12 months. And yesterday, supermarket chain Iceland announced it is offering customers a 1 reward if they catch shoplifters in the act and report them to staff. Shoplifting is becoming increasingly rife in chemists, with an estimated increase of 88 per cent in the theft of drugs and medical supplies in the past 12 months There were 530,643 shoplifting reports made to the police in the year to March, up 20 per cent on the previous years 444,022 Supermarket chain Iceland announced it is offering customers a 1 reward if they report shoplifters to staff Company boss Richard Walker said any shoppers who point out offenders to staff will receive a payment to their membership card, to cut down on an epidemic which is costing the firm 20million a year. Some people see this as a victimless crime; it is not, he told Channel 5 News. Sir Keir Starmer has made tackling shoplifting one of his top priorities since taking office, and pledged to spend an extra 200m on neighbourhood policing, as well as making assaulting a shop worker a more serious offence. The Prime Minister came under criticism this week, however, for failing to refer to shoplifters as scumbags. The letter from peers sent in November said: The use of the outdated term shoplifting serves to trivialise the serious, organised nature of an increasing element of shop theft which is having a devastating effect on the retail sector. We recommend its use should be phased out. In response, policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said: The Government will use the expression shop theft" where appropriate. Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson (right) with Amanda Martin, MP for Portsmouth North, with a neighbourhood police officer during a visit to Cosham Dame Diana has said the Government will now use the expression 'shop theft' where appropriate However, the Government do not think it is proportionate to pay to change all 43 police systems to shop theft, therefore the crime recorded data by police will be known as shoplifting. The public are also familiar with the expression of shoplifting and are likely to continue to use it, therefore supporting media may need to continue to refer to this for clarity. The Government will consider whether we need to work with the media to change this wording. Retail bosses warned that shop theft was spiralling out of control and that business owners need to see immediate results from the increased neighbourhood policing. Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said the recorded figures show more crimes are being reported, but this is still far too low, with many retailers having no faith in incidents being investigated. A hiker from California has been miraculously rescued after being stuck behind a massive waterfall for two days. Ryan Wardwell, 46, of Long Beach, had set out to hike the Seven Teacups Trail in Sequoia National Forest on Sunday morning. Wardwell planned to rappel the waterfalls, using ropes to descend from top to bottom. He was last seen at the top of the waterfalls on Sunday, near the North Fork of the Kern River. The 46-year-old was reported missing the next day when he did not return to his car late on Sunday night. Tulare County Sheriff's Office began an extensive search of the area using aircraft equipped with camera and infrared technology. Using this technology, emergency responders were able to find Wardwell's possible location Monday night, according to a statement from the sheriff's office. Because it was late, a plan was devised to rescue him at first light the next morning. A hiker from California was rescued by helicopter on Tuesday after being stuck behind a massive waterfall in the forest for days Ryan Wardwell (pictured), 46, of Long Beach had set out to hike the Seven Teacups Trail in Sequoia National Forest on Sunday morning Early on Tuesday, the TCSO Swiftwater-Dive Rescue Team and Search and Rescue teams went to the area and began looking for Wardwell. A drone was used to check behind a massive waterfall and Wardwell was found alive, but unresponsive. He later told deputies that he had come off his rappel lines and became trapped behind the water due to the extreme hydraulics of the river. A California Highway Patrol (CHP) Helicopter H-40 arrived on the scene and an rescue team member was lowered down to hoist Wardwell to safety. The hiker was then flown to a nearby landing zone and checked by medics. He was treated for minor injuries and dehydration before being reunited with his family members on the scene. 'The TCSO Emergency Services Division reminds the public to always be aware of their environment and capabilities, especially when navigating white water rivers,' the sheriff's office said in a statement. Wardwell planned to rappel the waterfalls, using ropes to descend from top to bottom A California Highway Patrol (CHP) Helicopter H-40 was enlisted to assist with the rescue mission Wardwell's close encounter comes after three experienced hikers died by drowning in a pool at the end of the Kern River last August. The drowning was described as a 'freak accident,' the LA Times reported. Search and rescue officials believe a powerful whirlpool formed in the water when a large rock or log got stuck. The American Canyoneering Association rates Seven Teacups as Class 3C, which means it has flowing water with strong currents and requires at least intermediate technical skills. A daughter tried to storm a migrant hotel with a meat cleaver after she found an asylum seeker in her mother's flat 'moving his hands over his groin', a court heard. Channay Augustus, 22, is accused of being part of a group of around 20 people who tried to barge into the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, east London, on Wednesday evening. The trouble allegedly started when she discovered a migrant as she cleaned her blind mother's ground-floor flat, a five-minute walk away from the hotel. She found the man 'moving his hand' over his genital area, Ms Augustus's lawyer Emma Clements told Thames Magistrates' Court. After chasing him away, she is alleged to have gone to the hotel at around 6pm where she confronted a security guard who was trying her calm her down. She returned with a meat cleaver and started banging it on a metal barrier outside the hotel and shouted 'f****** asylum seekers', the court heard. The suspect, aged in his 20s, was living at the Britannia Hotel, and was being held by police in Hackney, east London, in the early hours of this morning Britannia International Hotel has been housing asylum seekers and has seen protests in recent weeks Police officers form a barrier in front of counter-protesters outside the Britannia International Hotel She was later arrested at her home. Augustus, an events worker, broke down in tears throughout the hearing and was joined in court by a number of family members. She is charged with possession of an offensive weapon, affray, assault on an emergency worker, common assault and possession of cannabis. Ms Augustus's grandmother wept as District Judge Jane McIvor denied her bail. During the hearing today, her lawyer indicated she would deny possession of an offensive weapon, affray, assault on an emergency worker and common assault. She admitted one charge of possession of cannabis. The migrant, in his early 20s, who entered her flat has been arrested on suspicion of assault, the Metropolitan Police said. Augustus, of Tower Hamlets, was remanded into custody to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court on September 12. A protester who was asked to remove his face mask shouts at a police officer whilst taking part in the Stand Up to Racism rally Protestors have held demonstrations outside the hotel, opposing its use to house asylum seekers Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. The hotel in London has been a focus of protests in recent weeks after Tower Hamlets Council confirmed it had been handed over to the Home Office to house asylum seekers. Last week, a crowd of anti-migrant protesters descended on the hotel to be met by counter demonstrators. Officers were seen pinning some activists on the ground, with two arrests made. One was an anti-migrant protester who was detained after a bottle was thrown at officers. The other was a member of the counter-protest group who was arrested for failing to remove their face covering. Police had to rapidly mobilise to contain a group of 'anti-fascist' activists arriving at South Quay station to confront anti-migrant protesters as they held signs that said 'no human is illegal' and chanted: 'Refugees have the right - here to stay, here to fight.' More than a hundred police officers moved to kettle the group outside the tube station for breaching the peace. Vladimir Putin is gearing up for a significant meeting with Donald Trump in Alaska this evening - and he may bring back a rather unconventional souvenir. The Russian President, 72, has not been known for his globetrotting since launching an assault in Ukraine which has since seen the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue an arrest warrant against him. But when the Kremlin despot does rack up his air miles, he is alleged to make an unusual request of his bodyguards: to bring his excrement back to Moscow. A report published by two investigative journalists in 2022 claimed that Putin's Federal Protection Service (FPS) are 'responsible for collecting his bodily waste' on foreign trips. This process, which allegedly sees his urine and faeces kept in a dedicated briefcase until his return to Russia, is said to be the leader's way of stopping people from gathering information about his health. Putin's health and appearance has been the subject of intense scrutiny for years, with hints from Western intelligence services that he is suffering from conditions such as cancer and Parkinson's disease. In 2022, the Kremlin was even forced to deny rumours that Putin soiled himself after falling down a flight of stairs - reportedly defecating 'involuntarily' due to 'cancer affecting his stomach and bowels.' However, Moscow has always maintained that its leader is fit and well, and Putin has continued with his attempts to project a strongman image despite his obvious aging and often sickly appearance. While globetrotting, Vladimir Putin is alleged to make an unusual request of his bodyguards: to bring his excrement back to Moscow This process is said to be the leader's way of stopping people from gathering information on his health (Pictured: A statue of Putin on the toilet outside the Russian Embassy in Prague in 2021) Reporters Regis Gente and Mikhail Rubin from French news magazine, Paris Match, said two examples of Putin's excrement collections were of his visit to France in May 2017, and to Saudi Arabia in October 2019. In both of these instances, it is alleged that Putin either had a private toilet brought along with him during the trips, or that he was accompanied to the bathroom by several guards. Another theory is that he uses a 'porta-potty' everywhere he goes. One other example could be in December 2019, when Putin was spotted going to the toilet with six bodyguards while at a Ukraine summit in Paris. The Russian leader was filmed leaving the bathroom after five bodyguards made sure his surroundings were safe. Another bodyguard walked behind him as he left the toilet in Paris's Elysee Palace. Former BBC journalist Farida Rustamova also previously said that a source of hers, who is reportedly an old acquaintance of Putin's, said he had been taking his own toilet on foreign trips. She revealed that she was aware of an incident at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, when actress Julia Louis Dreyfus was told by museum staff that President Putin had arrived with his own private bathroom and a 'porta-potty'. Much speculation still remains about Putin's health ahead of tonight's meeting with Trump, particularly given that the US President's Secretary of State once hinted that the Russian leader may be suffering with health problems. In February 2022, Marco Rubio, who at that time was part of the 'Gang of Eight' members of Congress with access to extremely sensitive classified intelligence, said of Putin: '[He] appears to have some neurophysiological health issues. Putin's health has been the subject of scrutiny for years, with hints from Western intelligence services that he is suffering from conditions such as cancer and Parkinson's disease 'I wish I could share more, but for now, I can say it's pretty obvious to many that something is off with Putin.' He continued: 'He has always been a killer, but his problem now is different and significant. But most telling is this is a man who has long prided himself on emotional control. 'His recent flashes of anger is very uncharacteristic and show an erosion in impulse control.' President Joe Biden's national security officials later leaked information suggesting that Putin had recently undergone cancer treatment. A Kremlin security official told the Daily Mail at the time: 'There has been an identifiable change in his decision-making over the past five years or so. 'Those around him see a marked change in the cogency and clarity of what he says and how he perceives the world around him.' Reality TV star Matt Wright was 'hostile and abusive' to his helicopter pilots when they stopped crocodile-egg collecting because of a bad storm and went to the pub, a jury has heard. Wright has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice after a February 28 chopper crash that killed Outback Wrangler co-star Chris 'Willow' Wilson. Pilot Sebastian Robinson was left a paraplegic after the crash and has been giving evidence in the Supreme Court in Darwin by video link from his wheelchair. Prosecutors allege Wright was worried crash investigators would discover flight-time meters were disconnected regularly to extend flying hours beyond official thresholds and paperwork was falsified. Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC on Friday asked Mr Robinson about a storm on January 26, 2022 that prompted him and fellow pilot Michael Burbidge to call off crocodile-egg collecting at the Daly River mouth. 'It was huge ... across the whole horizon, going fast,' the 32-year-old said. To sling egg collectors below a helicopter onto croc nests in such a storm was 'very dangerous' for pilots and egg collectors, he said. The crews flew their choppers out and went to the Noonamah Tavern for a beer but when Wright heard his reaction was 'very hostile and abusive', Mr Robinson said. Matt Wright, the star of Outback Wrangler, arrives with his wife Kaia Wright at the Supreme Court in Darwin He said Wright phoned him saying; 'What the f*** are youse doing back? Egg collecting is not meant to be easy, you wait the weather out ... and get on with the job.' 'I told him to get f***ed, get vaccinated and fly his own helicopter,' Mr Robinson told the court, referring to Wright being an anti-vaxxer who was unable to fly into Arnhem Land because of COVID-19 restrictions. Wright's tirade contributed to Mr Robinson's desire to leave Wright's Helibrook company and run his own helicopter operation, he said. In phone messages the next day Wright apologised to his pilots and egg collectors for 'blowing up' at them but he had been under pressure with other missions, the court heard. Mr Robinson previously admitted cocaine use and supply but has told the court he never flew helicopters while high. In a pre-crash text message exchange played to the court on Thursday, Mr Robinson said he was 'crook as a dog', with a friend texting back, 'snorting too much coke out of Matty's arse', in a reference to Wright. In a line of questioning stemming from that on Friday, Mr Gullaci asked Mr Robinson: 'Have you ever sniffed cocaine off Mr Wright's arse crack?' 'Absolutely not,' Mr Robinson replied. Matt Wright with a crocodile in his Outback Wrangler show 'Have you ever given anyone a blow job to get cocaine,' Mr Gullaci then asked, again getting a negative response. 'That's woken the jury up,' Acting Justice Allan Blow said, as Wright chuckled in the dock. Senior defence counsel David Edwardson KC on Friday accused Mr Robinson of concocting a story Wright had asked him to manipulate helicopter flying hours. Mr Robinson has said Wright asked him at his hospital bedside in Brisbane 11 days after the crash to transfer flying hours from the crashed chopper IDW onto Mr Robinson's ZXZ machine, which he declined to do. Mr Edwardson put it to Mr Robinson the conversation about manipulating flying hours never happened. But Mr Robinson said he remembered Wright saying something along the lines, 'we might have to put some hours across onto ZXZ'. Mr Robinson has also told the court he remembered at the hospital his phone was in Wright's hand and he was deleting items from it, which he believed to be helicopter flight times. But Mr Edwardson put it to Mr Robinson that was an 'absolute falsehood' because Wright never touched his phone and did not delete any messages. Mr Robinson said he disagreed. The charges against Wright do not relate to the cause of the accident and the prosecution does not allege he is responsible for either the crash, Mr Wilson's death or Mr Robinson's injuries. The trial continues. A Ukrainian sniper has claimed to shatter the world record for the longest kill shot in history after eliminating two Russian troops from an astonishing distance of 4,000 metres. The soldier beat the previous world record for long-distance assassination set by another one of Kyiv's marksmen in 2023 by 200 metres, according to Ukraine's 24 Channel. A video published on Telegram shows the sniper pair - the shooter and the spotter - making the lethal strike on the PokrovskMyrnohrad defensive line. The record was set using a 14.5mm Snipex Alligator rifle, from which a bullet was launched in the Pokrovsky direction and travelled through a window in a building behind which Russian servicemen were located, left of a visible rooftop pipe. The historic shot was fired on August 14 and was guided by artificial intelligence working with a drone reconnaissance complex. It occurred on the PokrovskMyrnohrad defensive line, within the responsibility zone of Ukraines 'Donetsk' operational group. The previous world record for the longest kill shot belonged to 58-year-old SBU sniper Vyacheslav Kovalsky, a Ukrainian who killed a Russian soldier 3,800 meters in the Kherson region using a multi-caliber Horizons Lord rifle. At the time, the country's special forces said their shooters were 'rewriting the rules of global sniping' using Ukrainian-made weapons. The record was set using a 14.5mm Snipex Alligator rifle, from which a bullet was launched in the Pokrovsky direction The historic shot was fired on August 14 and was guided by artificial intelligence working with a drone reconnaissance complex The soldier beat the previous world record for long-distance assassination set by another one of Kyiv 's marksmen in 2023 by 200 metres, according to Ukraine 's 24 Channel While not all shots cover as much ground as the purported 4,000 metres Ukraine said its Snipex Alligator achieved, sharpshooters' high-precision kills have beaten the odds and saved countless lives during conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. The fast-paced nature of firefights means even the highest-spec technology cannot always keep pace in challenging battlefield environments, making snipers' reconnaissance and communication skills invaluable to their battalions. US army sniper instructor Staff Sgt. Michael Turner explained: 'We've got drones, we've got robots, we've got all kinds of stuff but we still need that real-time battlefield information that keeps soldiers safe.' Before the 2023 success of Ukraine's 'Lord of the Horizon', the previous world record was held by a Canadian special operations sniper at a distance of 3,540 metres in 2017. And before that, the world record was held by British sniper Craig Harrison, after he shot down a Taliban fighter in Afghanistan in 2009 from a distance of 2,478 metres. In 2014, another British sniper killed a suicide bomber and five Taliban insurgents with a single bullet after it triggered the suicide vest one of them was wearing. The shot was fired from 850 metres away. The regular breaking of records is testament to how rapidly sniper technology has been advancing in recent years, with shooters using wind meters, laser rangefinders and advanced scopes to make their kills. Your browser does not support iframes. A view shows an optical sight on a rifle of a Ukrainian Army sniper at a shooting ground near a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region A sniper from the 108th Territorial Defense Brigade of the Ukrainian Army practices shooting during military training, including camouflage, weapon handling and shooting, near the frontline as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues Ukrainian snipers and infantry from the 22nd Brigade training near the northern border with Russia Ukrainian soldier from a sniper unit with a Savage 110 elite prestige 338 prepares to fire at a shooting range in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on March 18, 2025 Surprisingly, stunning shots have also been made using dated weapons, with a machine gun first developed in WWII used by British special forces in Afghanistan. While snipers and their spotters work closely to estimate ranges as accurately as possible, luck also plays a role - as shown by the various examples of single bullets killing multiple enemy fighters at once. Snipers spend years learning their craft, honing their shooting skills into a deadly and precise science which takes into account everything from temperature to humidity and even the curvature and rotation of the earth. Low temperatures and high altitudes result in thinner air, which results in less drag on the bullet and therefore less bullet drop. Low humidity, too, can result in denser air, which tends to drag the bullet down faster. Ultimately, success comes down to the skill of the shooter, with tiny margins of less than a millimetre making the difference between their bullet hitting a wall, their own troops, or someone who is trying to kill them. President Donald Trump is being sued over his military takeover of Washington, D.C., as ICE rolls out new vehicles with gold branding in the citys streets. On Monday, the commander-in-chief signed an executive order federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and deploying National Guard troops to the Capital in an unprecedented crackdown on crime. Trumps order temporarily takes control of MPD away from Mayor Muriel Bowser, while asserting emergency powers over D.C. under the Home Rule Act. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit on Friday morning challenging the presidents use of his emergency powers. The Administrations actions are brazenly unlawful, Schwalb said in a statement. The lawsuit against the administration was filed in the District Court in D.C. They go well beyond the bounds of the Presidents limited authority and instead seek a hostile takeover of [the Metropolitan Police Department]. Schwalb goes on to describe Trump's takeover as an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home. Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday evening rescinded 'sanctuary city' protections in D.C. 'D.C. will not remain a sanctuary city. Actively shielding criminal aliens will not happen,' Bondi told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night. On Thursday, Homeland Security unveiled new gold branded vehicles for ICE across the streets of DC Bowser has cooperated with ICE and other federal law enforcement authorities since the start of the crackdown Since Trump's order on Monday, over 100 individuals have been arrested in DC The D.C. attorney generals office filed the suit against the Trump administration hours after Bondi ordered D.C.s Chief of Police Pamela Smith to hand over her policing authority to Drug Enforcement official Terry Cole. Bowser, who has cooperated with the administration since the start of the takeover, called the order unlawful and told Smith she is not obligated to follow it. Trump, Bondi, the Department, Cole and the Drug Enforcement Administration are named in the lawsuit. Schwalbs lawsuit asks the federal judge to vacate Bondis order and stop the administration from further attempts to direct local law enforcement activities.' The suit also argues Trumps executive order is unconstitutional because it violates the separation of powers. Trump has sent in more than 800 National Guard troops into D.C over the course of the week, along with Border Patrol and ICE agents. On Thursday, ICE unveiled new vehicles branded in gold colors with the agencys logo and name across D.C.s streets. We will have our country back, DHS wrote X post after posting pictures of the flashy new vehicles. Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered the DC chief of police to hand over her policing authority to the federal government Over 800 National Guard troops have been deployed to assist federal law enforcement in DC DC protesters greeted National Guard troops as they patrolled the city's streets The DHSs bold new PR campaign comes as over 100 arrests have been made since the administration launched the crime crackdown. A dancing dolphin who captured hearts when it joined swimmers for an early morning dip could become increasingly aggressive and go on the attack, experts warned. The solitary bottlenose dolphin, believed to be a young male, went viral after video emerged of it excitedly playing with a family and asking for belly rubs in Lyme Bay, Dorset, earlier this month. The Daily Mail understands that the mammal, whom we can reveal has officially been named Reggie, arrived on its own in Lyme Bay in February, sparking concern from marine experts as dolphins usually travel together in pods. The dolphin has become a frequent sight in Lyme Bay, but in July it suffered a nasty gash which is believed to have been caused by a boat propellor. Footage then emerged of the creature leaping vertically out of the water before swimming in and around Lynda MacDonald, 50, her partner, her son and his girlfriend on August 3. Mrs MacDonald previously described it as a 'magical moment', adding: 'It was not distressed by our presence and was very confident around us. I've seen a dolphin before, but this is something I'll remember forever.' But the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), a government quango, last night held an emergency online event to help people understand solitary dolphin behaviour, the dangers of human contact and how they could help protect the mammal. The Mail can reveal that one of the speakers, Liz Sandeman, co-founder of the Marine Connection Charity, warned: 'This is the worst case of a dolphin becoming rapidly habituated to close human interaction in 20 years in the UK, with risks to the safety of the dolphin and people in the water with him likely increasing over time.' The solitary bottlenose dolphin, believed to be a young male, has gone viral after adorable footage emerged of it excitedly playing with a family and asking for belly rubs in Lyme Bay, Dorset, on August 3 The dolphin seen frolicking with swimmers in Lyme Bay has nasty injuries, likely caused by a boat propellor The MMO has issued a similarly stark warning, telling the Mail the dolphin could already be habituated to humans - a change that 'can be fatal'. Jess Churchill-Bissett, head of marine conservation (wildlife) at MMO, said: 'Repeated human interaction inevitably disrupt their natural behaviours, increasing stress and potentially altering their temperament. 'Once habituated to humans, dolphins can lose their natural wariness, a change that can be fatal. This is something we could already be seeing in Lyme Bay. 'They are also known to have become aggressive in cases and have attacked and injured people.' The dolphin is believed to have arrived in February but from May, the MMO directly observed people intentionally approaching the mammal too closely. Experts and cetacean charities have agreed collectively to name the dolphin Reggie, the Mail can reveal. Describing the video of her family playing with the dolphin, Mrs MacDonald previously said: 'Out of nowhere, the dolphin immediately approached us and wanted to join in on the action. 'It was friendly and playful. It even started guiding members of our group along the water with its beak.' Bottlenose dolphins are native to Britain and there are estimated to be 700 around the coast, usually swimming in pods. They reach up to 13ft in length and can weigh up to 650kg. Dolphins, along with whales and other porpoises, are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and approaching or recklessly disturbing a dolphin can result in up to six months in prison as well as an unlimited fine. Marine Management Organisation have shared concerns for the safety of the sea creatures and urged tourists to stay away from the animals in a recent Facebook post The playful dolphin appeared to dance in the water as it performed for its awestruck audience Lucy Babey, director of programmes for UK marine conservation charity ORCA, told the Mail that although dolphins may elicit fun and excitement on the surface, they pose a big risk to humans. She said: 'They are powerful marine mammals and have been known to seriously injure people, even if unintentionally through a thrash of the tail or butting people with their beak. 'In some case the dolphins behaviour has escalated, become erratic and more serious injuries have occurred. There have been incidents around the world where the dolphins behaviour has escalated to harassment and people have unfortunately been killed. Unfortunately these dolphins can become habituated through prolonged human interactions which increases the risk of injury and brings about welfare concerns for the animal. There are several cases where the dolphins sought out boats, associating them with humans, but sadly resulting in propellor injuries and death.' It follows further reports of injured dolphins in the West Country. Just last week, the Cornwall Wildlife Trust said it had received 'shocking footage' which showed several dolphins injured by the Mevagissey to Fowey ferry. The charity revealed that at least five dolphins had been injured, with at least three suffering from damaged dorsal fins, and two which had them completely cut off. The marine life charity revealed that it has been receiving an increasing number of reports of injured dolphins and whales and urged boat owners to be more careful when sailing near pods. And it is not only boating expeditions that can harm dolphins. There are increased concerns that tourists feeding the sea creatures could harm them. The footage shows the playful mammal dancing across the water in a vertical position, asking for belly rubs and guiding people across the water with its nose MMO has warned holidaymakers not to give dolphins any animal food which might kill it. The government website states that while encountering a wild dolphin can be a 'special experience', it is essential to behave respectfully and not to place the animal at risk. According to Dorset Wildlife Trust, 28 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises are recorded along the UK coastline - a number of these have been recorded in Dorset. Bottlenose dolphins tend to spend more time inshore than other species, making them easier to spot from the land as well as from the sea. They are regularly seen off the coast of the UK, especially in Moray Firth, Scotland, Cardigan Bay, Wales, and off the coasts of Cornwall and Northumberland. The dolphin even rolled on its back as it begged for belly rubs from its willing swimming companions A spokesperson for the Marine Management Organisation said: 'We're increasingly concerned about a lone dolphin spotted in Lyme Bay, Dorset, following multiple potential marine wildlife disturbance offences observed online and shared on social media. 'Dolphins may seem friendly, but they are wild animals. The dolphin in Lyme Bay has already been injured by a suspected boat propeller. 'Please remember: Never swim with, touch, feed, or approach dolphins. If a dolphin approaches you, calmly leave the area. 'Human interaction can cause dolphins to lose their natural wariness, leading to injury or even death. Disturbed dolphins are also known to become aggressive toward people. 'Let's protect them by keeping our distance and please share this message to respect their space.' In a message to boat owner, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation said: 'To avoid disturbance and harm to cetaceans and other marine mammals, the key take-home messages are: Go slow stay back don't chase.' A migrant who arrived in Britain by small boat has been arrested after three people were injured in a knife attack in Eastbourne. Khalifa Eissa Benyzeed, 24, originally from Libya, is being held by police on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm after one man suffered a 'potentially life-threatening' stab wound to his chest - and two more were slashed across the face. Benyzeed and his brother Ahmed, 20, arrived in the UK by small boat in October 2022 and have since both been granted leave to remain. Today, Ahmed claimed his older brother had acted in self-defence as he was attacked by the three men in busy Seaside Road, just back from the seafront. He told the Daily Mail: 'I was not there when it happened but from what people have told me, the three men chased after my brother, and they attacked him in the street. 'There was a fight. And then the police came, and my brother was taken away. I don't know what the fight was about. But this is a dangerous area.' Terrified tourists were forced to flee restaurants and cafes as the vicious fight erupted in bloodshed. Blood stains remain on a door of a property next to where the knife-fight took place. Griseldi Harhicaj, 28, owner of the Kostas Greek Souvlaki house, told how he was forced to close his restaurant when the violence erupted. Khalifa Eissa Benyzeed (pictured), 24, originally from Libya, is being held by police on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm He said: 'My restaurant was full of people when this fight started outside. There was shouting and screaming and then there was blood everywhere. I had to get the customers out of my restaurant for their safety. 'The police came, and I had to close the restaurant. It was terrible. Eastbourne used to be a nice place, but now it is terrible.' Police officers in an unmarked squad car were today stationed by the scene of the crime. The Benyzeed brothers fled Tripoli after three of their brothers were killed by members of armed militias that now control much of the war-torn country. Ahmed explained: 'Libya is too dangerous. Three of my brothers have been killed by militia. This is why we had to leave.' The pair are understood to have travelled separately to Europe first to Malta and then to the continent before meeting up in France where they caught a small boat to Britain. Ahmed continued: 'We came to England in a small boat. We arrived in England on 9th October 2022. 'We have been here for two years and ten months. We applied for asylum, and we have both been granted with 'leave to remain'. Police were called to Seaside Road (pictured), in Eastbourne, at about 8.20pm on Thursday 'I want to work hard and make a life here in England. 'Libya is too dangerous. Militia control the streets and kidnap young men and make them join them. If you refuse to join them, they kill you. 'Life was better in Libya when Gaddafi was in power.' Sussex Police today confirmed that a 24-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. In a statement a spokesman said: 'Police attended a report of a man having been stabbed following a fight in Seaside Road, Eastbourne, on Thursday (14 August) at about 8.20pm. 'A man was found with potential life-threatening injuries and two other men had also sustained minor stab wounds. All three were taken to hospital. 'A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of committing grievous bodily harm and taken to custody. 'Enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances, and we have an increased police presence in the area. 'Anyone who saw the incident or has an information which could help our investigation is asked to report online or phone 101 quoting Operation Benton.' A hotel in Epping has been ordered to temporarily stop accepting asylum seekers, as the local council says they have become a 'very serious problem'. The Bell Hotel has been targeted by spate of anti-immigration protests after one of its residents was charged with the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl last month. Forty-one-year-old, Hadush Kebatu, from Ethiopia has been remanded in custody, and has denied the charges lodged against him. At one point, there were as many as 2,000 people protesting near the controversial hotel, with 16 charged with offences related to disturbances near the location. Now, Epping Forest District Council is seeking a temporary injunction from the High Court against its owners, Somani Hotels Ltd, to stop migrants being housed there. The injunction sought by the authority, if granted, would require the company to stop housing asylum seekers at the hotel within 14 days. Mr Justice Eyre, who heard submissions from both parties at the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand on Friday, ordered the hotel owners to not accept any new applications from asylum seekers until a ruling was reached on Tuesday. It comes after lawyers representing the council said housing asylum seekers at the hotel is becoming a 'very serious problem' which 'could not be much worse'. Protesters march in the streets of Epping last month, with two women carrying an English flag bearing the slogan 'The Only Way is Epping' A protester jumps up and down on the roof of a police van at a protest on July 17 outside The Bell Hotel During the July 17 protest in Epping, anti-immigration protesters attacked police vans with officers trapped inside The Bell Hotel in Epping, which has housed migrants on and off for the last five years, has become a hotspot for protests against asylum seekers Police are seen outside the hotel in Epping amid protest at the site They also claimed that Somani Hotels had breached planning rules as the site is no longer being used for its intended purpose as a hotel. Opening the hearing in London, Philip Coppel KC, for the council, said: 'Epping Forest District Council comes to this court seeking an injunction because it has a very serious problem. 'It is a problem that is getting out of hand; it is a problem that is causing a great anxiety to those living in the district. 'The problem has arisen because of a breach of planning control by the defendant.' Mr Coppel also referenced the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl by an asylum seeker who was placed in the hotel and said several schools were in the nearby area. He said: 'Having this sort of thing go on in such a concentration of schools with no measures in place to stop a repetition is not acceptable.' He continued: 'It really could not be much worse than this.' In written submissions for the hearing, Mr Coppel said there was a 'preponderance of factors overwhelmingly in favour of granting an injunction'. A police officer watches over protesters in front of an English flag reading 'The Only Way is Epping' Police stand guard outside Epping Forest District Council offices on July 24 He said these included removing 'the catalyst for violent protests in public places'. The barrister added: 'Allowing the status quo to continue is wholly unacceptable, providing a feeding ground for unrest.' He also told the court that the case has been brought against the hotel owner because it is the landowner, and had previously applied for planning permission. Concluding his submissions, Mr Coppel told Mr Justice Eyre that if an injunction was not granted, 'Your Lordship will be telling the residents in Epping: 'You have just got to lump it''.' He added that the council is 'acting in a proportionate way, in the interests of its residents', and that 'enough is enough'. Barristers representing Somani Hotels claimed the ending of the building's use an asylum hotel would cause 'financial harm'. Piers Riley-Smith told the court that migrants were a monetary 'lifeline' for the hotel, which was only one per cent full in August 2022, when it was open to paying customers. He added that an injunction would 'cause harm to the Home Office's statutory duty to asylum seekers' and cause them 'hardship'. Mr Riley-Smith told the court in written submissions that the injunction bid should be delayed to a later date. He added that the Home Office's contracted service provider, Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited (CTM), should be involved in the case. Police give an escort to protesters marching through Epping as they aim to avoid a repeat of the kind of unrest that happened during a previous protest on July 17 A number of protesters braved the rain as people release flares in Union Jack colours on July 24 He continued that the alleged planning breach was 'not flagrant', and that it was 'entirely wrong' for the council to 'suggest the use has been hidden from them'. The barrister told the court that the hotel previously housed asylum seekers from May 2020 to March 2021, and from October 2022 to April 2024. He said that the council 'never instigated any formal enforcement proceedings against this use'. He also said that while the company did apply for planning permission for a 'temporary change of use' in February 2023, this was a 'pragmatic attempt to address the claimant's concerns, rather than an acceptance that such a use required planning permission'. This application was later withdrawn as it had not been determined by April 2024, the barrister said. Asylum seekers then began being placed in the Bell Hotel again in April 2025, with Mr Riley-Smith stating that a planning application was not made 'having taken advice from the Home Office'. Mr Riley-Smith also said that the company accepted that since the Southport riots in summer 2024, 'where the perpetrator was mistaken to be an asylum seeker', and the alleged sexual assault in Epping, 'there has been public concern about the use as evidenced by highly publicised violent and disorderly protests'. He continued: 'However, the court should bear in mind - as recognised by the claimant - that these have spread far beyond locals who might have a genuine concern about their area to a wider group with more strategic national and ideological aims, but that does not necessarily mean the concerns are well-founded. 'Fears as to an increase of crime associated with asylum seekers or a danger to schools are common, but that does not make them well-founded.' He added: 'It also sets a dangerous precedent that protests justify planning injunctions.' Police issued a dispersal order in Epping before the march on July 24, which included the town centre and transport hubs such as the Underground station The hearing before Mr Justice Eyre is due to conclude on Friday, with the judge saying it was 'unlikely' that a ruling would come this week. He said: 'I am not going to close my notebook and give a decision now. 'I am going to reflect on this, but we need a decision sooner rather than later.' The judge later said that he would give a ruling at 2pm on Tuesday. A right-wing TV host was kicked out of a town hall in Texas for heckling and hurling shocking insults at Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett. Sara Gonzales, the host of 'Sara Gonzales Unfiltered' on conservative network BlazeTV, turned up at Crockett's event Thursday and caused a massive stir, when she stood up and started screaming at the politician. Gonzales, who has billed herself as 'everyone's favorite spicy Latina', called the Democrat a 'fake ghetto hoodrat' and a 'spoiled rich kid'. 'Jasmine! The people of Dallas deserve better than a fake ghetto hoodrat!' she shouted. 'Do they know you're a rich kid from Missouri? Do they know you're a spoiled rich kid from Missouri?' The verbal attack began as Crockett was reminiscing about her grandmother on stage. Crowd members clapped back at Gonzales, pushing her and telling her to 'get out' of the town hall. 'Don't touch me! Get her off me!' the host hit back. 'Get off me! Get the f**k off me!' Sara Gonzales of Texas is the host of 'Sara Gonzales Unfiltered' on conservative network BlazeTV, which former-Fox News host Glenn Beck founded At a town hall for Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett on Thursday, Gonzales (pictured) caused a massive stir when she stood up and started screaming at the politician Sara Gonzales (pictured) has billed herself as 'everyone's favorite spicy Latina' Gonzales, whose show airs on the network founded by former Fox News host Glenn Beck, continued to hurl insults at Crockett while she was thrown out of the room. 'Do your people know you're a spoiled rich kid from Missouri?' she shouted. Crockett hails from St Louis, Missouri, where she attended Rhodes College, a high school with a $55,000 annual tuition. She later attended prestigious universities in Tennessee and Texas before becoming a public defender in Bowie County, Texas, and then running for public office. Gonzales bragged about her attack on X, posting a video montage of the drama and writing: 'I confronted Jasmine Crockett at a town hall for being a fake hoodrat.' In a video clip taken by Gonzales herself, security guards are seen trying to escort her out of the room while she struggles against them, screaming, 'Get the f*** off.' On the steps outside, Gonzales continued her tirade, this time hitting out at the officers removing her from the venue. The TV host continued to hurl insults at a shocked Crockett (pictured), saying 'Do your people know you're a spoiled rich kid from Missouri?' Crockett (pictured) hails from St Louis, Missouri where she attended Rhodes College, a high school with a $55,000 annual tuition In a video clip taken by Gonzales herself, security guards try to escort her out of the room while she shouts at them Gonzales sarcastically asked them: 'Are you proud?' The officers responded by ordering her to leave the venue and threatening to place her in handcuffs if she refused. Crockett's latest Texas town hall comes as she is making waves in Washington, DC. She has served as the US representative for Texas's 30th congressional district since 2023, and has earned a reputation as a controversial figure in the Democratic Party. She has hit headlines multiple times in recent months as a key critic of the Trump administration and its redistricting plans. Earlier this month, she called President Donald Trump 'a piece of sh*t' during a stop on the MoveOn's Won't Back Down Tour in Phoenix, Arizona. The TV host hurled insults at Crockett (pictured on stage), saying 'Do your people know you're a spoiled rich kid from Missouri?' Gonzales bragged about her attack on X , where she posted a video montage of the drama The congresswoman's comments came in response to Republican plans to redraw maps in red states to their advantage ahead of next year's midterm elections. Crockett also called Trump 'Temu Hitler' in a July interview with SiriusXM host Zerlina Maxwell, due to the president's involvement in the redistricting process. 'So what we have seen is, again, this rogue Department of Justice going out to do the bidding of this Temu Hitler,' Crockett said. But, according to insiders, there is turmoil within her own office. Three sources that worked with or for Crockett told the New York Post this month that working for the congresswoman is a nightmare - from her allegedly making staff cry to hardly showing up to work in her Capitol Hill office. California Gov. Gavin Newsom revealed the joke President Donald Trump told him in June as Los Angeles descended into chaos amid mass protests to ICE raids. Six-months after assuming office, Trump ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement to increase its deportation efforts in Los Angeles. As a result, mass protests broke out across the city with demonstrators overwhelming local police and blocking major city highways. In response, Trump, against Newsom's wishes, federalized California's National Guard while doubling-down on ICE immigration raids in Southern California. A day before the president marshalled the state's National Guard, Newsom and Trump spoke on the phone on a late Friday night. The California governor revealed in a Thursday interview with MeidasTouch that Trump joked about his 'Newscum' nickname, bragged about his own MAGA merchandise, and discussed the 2024 election debate with Kamala Harris. 'A day before he was to federalize the National Guard here in Los Angeles, he called me. We talked on a Friday night late at night and all he wanted to brag about the 'Newscum' thing. He said, 'It's pretty funny, isn't it?' He goes, 'Pretty original.' I said, 'Well, it's not original,' Newsom said. Newsom continues, 'He goes, 'Hey, what about my hats? What do you think? It's pretty good brand, right? MAGA, you know, it's pretty good. I've sold hundreds of thousands.' Newsom claimed in a recent interview that Trump joked about the governor's 'Newscum' nickname as ICE raided LA Trump reportedly bragged about his MAGA merchandise and debate performance against Kamala Harris during the phone call Back in June, Trump federalized California's National Guard amid immigration protests in LA The governor reportedly responded, 'I mean, I'm like, are you serious? Are we seriously having this conversation when you're supposed to be reading me the Riot Act about keeping people safe in Los Angeles? You never once talked about the National Guard.' Newsom called Trump 'unhinged' and claimed that the president 'is getting weaker' because of the effect his tariffs are having on the U.S. economy. 'You cannot make this stuff up,' Newsom added. The president then went on to talk about his debate with Kamala Harris during the 2024 election cycle. According to Newsom, Trump did not mention during the late-night phone call that he was planning on sending in the National Guard to quell the LA protests. Newsom's recent comments come after the governor launched a new redistricting push in California following efforts by Texas and other GOP-dominated states. Texas Democrats recently fled the state Capital to New York and Illinois to block a quorum being called by state Republicans. Greg Abbott and Texas Republicans are trying to push through a mid-decade redistricting legislation that would benefit the GOP. Newsom sent a letter to Trump earlier this week promising to eliminate Republican seats in California in order to offset GOP gains in Texas and other red states. Newsom recently launched a California redistricting effort to offset any potential gains made by Texas Trump did not respond to Newsom's letter, or the governor's insults over social media. When asked for comment by the Daily Mail, the White House pointed to prior comments made White House communications director Steven Cheung without addressing the veracity of Trump's joke. 'What a Coward and Beta Cuck,' Cheung wrote on X. '@GavinNewsom is too chicken shit to take questions from the press after gives an incoherent speech. He'll never be ready for prime time.' A Labour-run council has sparked outrage by ordering the removal of British flags from lampposts - while being too scared to take down Palestine flags without police protection. Bankrupt Birmingham City Council said hundreds of Union and St Georges flags recently hung around the city could put lives at risk by endangering motorists and pedestrians. The flags had been strung up by a small, organised group of residents to show Birmingham and the rest of the country how proud we are of our history, freedoms and achievements. Their display of patriotism was met with a swift response from the city council, which vowed to immediately begin removing the flags due to safety concerns. The decision was blasted by shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick as blatant two-tier bias against the British people, after critics pointed out Palestine flags had been left to fly from lampposts across Birmingham for the past 18 months without the council tearing them down. When the Mail visited the Sparkhill area, where around 80 per cent of the population is Muslim, there were no fewer than seven Palestine flags hanging from lampposts on a mile-long stretch of Stratford Road. It can also be revealed that the crisis-crippled council has privately admitted it is too scared to try to remove the Palestine flags without police protection. In a leaked email obtained by the Mail, council cabinet member Majid Mahmood said of the Palestine flags hanging from lampposts in February: We are taking these down, but we need the support of the police due to issues that have cropped (up) when we first tried to take them down. Hundreds of St George's flags and Union Jacks have been hung up around several areas in the south of Birmingham Many residents have expressed fondness for the new flags, saying they have helped build a sense of community spirit But Birmingham City Council has claimed the flags represent a danger to both motorists and pedestrians and ordered for them to be removed But the council has not taken such robust action against Palestine flags which have been flying in parts of east Birmingham for the best part of 18 months The backlash has only been intensified by the council simultaneously announcing this week it would light up the citys library in the colours of the Pakistan flag to mark the anniversary of the countrys independence, followed by the Indian flag. Mr Mahmood was among those happily posing for pictures this week as the flag of Pakistan was raised outside Council House in the city centre. The council, which declared effective bankruptcy in 2023, is already facing intense criticism for its handling of a bin strike which has now lasted for seven months and seen the citys streets buried under mountains of fetid waste. Mr Jenrick said: It is ridiculous that the council are taking down England flags and Union flags while Palestine flags are allowed to remain. Its blatant two-tier bias against the British people. Labour-run Birmingham council seem to be ashamed of our country - celebrating everyone other than ourselves. This pathetic self-loathing must end. We must be one country, united under one flag. It is a damning indictment of how bad things have become that the council appear too scared to take down unauthorised foreign flags without the police. The authorities cannot allow themselves to be intimidated into submission. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: The City Council piles bias and absurdity on top of their utter incompetence. After the chaos of the bin strike, where they cant find anyone to empty the bins, they somehow manage to find people to take down our national flag on the eve of VJ Day when British and Commonwealth soldiers lost their lives for our freedoms. Shameful. Tory MP Sir John Hayes said: Birmingham is a great city, the city of the Chamberlains. Joseph Chamberlain, who was a great patriot and the greatest son of Birmingham, would hang his head in shame. The council also lit up the Library of Birmingham in green and white to mark the anniversary of Pakistan's independence day A leaked email from a cabinet council member indicated the local authority was scared to remove Palestine flags without police protection. More than 4,000 has been raised by residents to help pay for the St George's and Union flags, which have been put up by a group calling itself the Weoley Warriors Palestine flags have been prominently displayed in parts of Birmingham with a large proportion of Muslim residents since the start of the recent war in Gaza A group of residents calling themselves the Weoley Warriors began hanging hundreds of flags from lampposts in areas including Weoley Castle, Northfield, Selly Oak and Bartley Green earlier this week. They have not revealed their identities but post pictures of their flags on a Facebook group, which says: A proud community is a strong community. No matter your background, race or religion we live side-by-side in this country together, so when you look up (and) see the flags fly, they fly for you. They have raised more than 4,000 to bankroll their efforts, describing themselves on their online fundraising page as a group of proud English men with a common goal. Many residents were quick to express enthusiasm for the flags. Helen Ingram, a historian who lives in Northfield, said: Everyone Ive spoken to loves them and theres a buzz in the air, an almost carnival-like atmosphere. Northfield was once a tight-knit community and its heart-warming to get back that strong sense of community pride and unity. Yet the council claimed that the extra weight placed on the lampposts by the flags could potentially lead to collapse and posed a possibly fatal risk to the men hanging the flags, as well as motorists and pedestrians - despite the flags being around 25ft above the ground. Dr Ingram said residents had found the councils position particularly frustrating due to the number of Palestinian, Ukrainian and Pride flags which fly freely around the city every day without issue. The council has been accused of hypocrisy for failing to crack down on Palestine flags with the same vigour as the British flags She added: Flying a Union Jack or England flag aligns with this same spirit of being proud of your identitythat is surely a sentiment that a city council should be championing rather than condemning! One of the organisers of the Weoley Warriors group said: This is unfortunate and disappointing - Birmingham City Council cannot afford to take our bins, but can afford to take our flags. Other residents warned the removal of the flags could potentially lead to riots. The decision was described as completely disgraceful by Cllr Robert Alden, leader of its Conservative opposition. Frankly, for the last two years, the council has made little effort to remove Palestine flags and now, suddenly, residents are putting up the Union Jack and St Georges Cross and theyre saying its a health and safety risk - its madness, he said. As a council overall, they are bankrupt. 'They have got themselves into a complete mess where theyre slashing services and putting up council tax - to decide to pick a fight over residents wanting to fly our national flag is just perverse. A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said it had removed more than 200 attachments from street furniture this year, including Palestinian flags, but some had been replaced after they had removed them. The council's decision to remove the flags was described as completely disgraceful by Cllr Robert Alden, leader of its Conservative opposition. The council claimed that the extra weight placed on the lampposts by the flags could potentially lead to collapse Birmingham City Council said it had removed more than 200 attachments from street furniture this year, including Palestinian flags, but some had been replaced The council was said to be planning to upgrade lampposts which meant they had to remain free from attachments so work can be carried out. The spokesman added: People who attach unauthorised items to lampposts could be putting their lives and those of motorists and pedestrians at risk. We (are) continuing to do this every week and would ask that staff doing this work are allowed to continue this work unhindered. Placing unauthorised attachments on street furniture, particularly tall structures like lampposts, can be dangerous that is why the council always has to stress test assets around any formal events or celebrations. A drunken couple announced to a packed plane that they were 'joining the mile high club' before romping loudly in the toilets, it has been revealed. Appalled passengers onboard an EasyJet flight bound for Alicante from Luton airport on Friday night said that it was clear from the sounds coming from the toilets that the couple were fulfilling their X-rated vow. The flight, which was full of families with children, watched on in utter disbelief as a member of cabin crew frantically tried to get them out of the small cubicle and put a stop to their exploits. Passengers said the couple, who looked to be in their thirties, had told others onboard that they were not married but had children from previous relationships. Other travellers alleged that the couple had been drinking heavily prior to the incident and had spoken of their plans to sleep on the beach upon arriving at the popular Spanish city. One fellow passenger who had been flying to meet her mother in Spain said: 'They were making lots of noise in their seats and the woman appeared pretty drunk. 'But she kept asking for more drink. A cabin crew member suggested she should have coffee but she screamed 'I'm not having coffee!' and asked for more alcohol. 'Then the woman was shouting out to other passengers 'I'm going to join the mile high club.' A drunken couple announced to a packed plane that they were 'joining the mile high club' before romping loudly in the toilets, it has been revealed. The EasyJet flight was bound for Alicante from Luton Airport on the evening of August 8 (file image) One fellow passenger who had been flying to meet her mother in Spain said: 'He went in and they locked the door and soon all sorts of loud noises and grunts and groans started. 'I was right nearby but most passengers could hear it and it was awful in front of so many kids' (file image) The passenger then alleged that the woman had said: 'I'm going to be sick' as the tried desperately to vomit into one of the bin liners for general waste that the cabin crew were using to collect rubbish. Recounting the shocking ordeal, she continued: 'They asked her to use a sick bag and she rushed to the toilet staggering and nearly knocking a child over. 'Once she was in there, she shouted out to her boyfriend his name and was calling out to him 'I need help, I need help'. 'He went in and they locked the door and soon all sorts of loud noises and grunts and groans started. 'I was right nearby but most passengers could hear it and it was awful in front of so many kids.' Eventually, having exhausted all efforts at trying to get the couple to stop their lewd actions, the female air hostess alerted the pilot to the shocking incident. Upon landing, the couple were said to have been met by airport authorities and arrested on the runway. An easyJet spokesperson said: 'We can confirm that flight EZY2317 from Luton to Alicante on 8 August was met by police upon landing in Alicante due to some passengers behaving disruptively onboard. An easyJet spokesperson said: 'We can confirm that flight EZY2317 from Luton to Alicante on 8 August was met by police upon landing in Alicante due to some passengers behaving disruptively onboard (file image) Last September, a couple caught red-handed trying to join the 'mile-high club' onboard an EasyJet flight in front of appalled passengers - including a child - were convicted of outraging public decency at Bristol Magistrates' Court (pictured) 'Our cabin crew are trained to assess all situations and to act quickly and appropriately, to ensure that the safety of the flight and other customers is not compromised at any time. 'We take these incidents seriously and do not tolerate disruptive behaviour onboard. 'The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority.' Last September, a couple caught red-handed trying to join the 'mile-high club' onboard an EasyJet flight in front of appalled passengers - including a child - were convicted of outraging public decency. Bradley Smith, 22 and Antonia Sullivan, 20, of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, were hauled off the plane by police for indulging in their X-rated antics while flying home from Tenerife, Spain aboard a packed easyJet flight on March 3. Unemployed Smith was heard asking his girlfriend to 'w*** me off' before care worker Sullivan was seen arranging several coats over his lap, The Sun reported. But the couple were not as discreet as they thought and were reported to flight attendants by outraged passengers who saw 'vigorous hand movements' beneath the coats. Witnesses to their lewd actions included a mother and her teenage daughter, who complained seeing Smith's 'bits' during their exploits. Sullivan tried to excuse the situation by explaining she was merely rubbing her boyfriend's leg. The pair both pleaded guilty to one count of outraging public decency by committing a sexual act in a public place at Bristol Magistrates' Court. Smith was given a 300-hour community work order, while Sullivan received 270 hours. They were also ordered to pay 100 compensation to each of three witnesses. A staff writer for The New Yorker has sparked backlash over a slew of shocking anti-white tweets. Doreen St. Felix, a journalist who has also written for Vogue and Time Magazine, swiftly deleted her social media after X users brought up her tweets about how 'whiteness fills me with a lot of hate.' In other tweets, she wrote that 'whiteness must be abolished', that she 'would be heartbroken if I had kids with a white guy' and that white people's lack of hygiene once started a plague. 'I hate white men,' the 33 year-old Haitian-American writer said in yet another post, which was first highlighted by conservative journalist Chris Rufo. 'You all are the worst. Go nurse your f***ing Oedipal complexes and leave the earth to the browns and the women.' St. Felix found her corrosive missives in the spotlight after writing for the Conde Nast-owned magazine about the controversy surrounding actress Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle jeans campaign. The article slammed Sweeney's fans for 'wanting to recruit her as a kind of Aryan princess', and said there were plenty of reasons' not to like the actress's advert. Social media users flooded the New Yorker's X post on the article with St Felix's tweets, with one responding: 'She doesn't seem very neutral...' Doreen St. Felix, a staff writer for The New Yorker, has sparked backlash after her furious anti-white tweets resurfaced in which she wrote that 'whiteness must be abolished' 'I think it may not be about the jeans,' another said, with screenshots of the writer's inflammatory tweets, some of which date back a decade. In one of the resurfaced posts, St Felix admitted that she 'writes like no white is watching.' St Felix's fascination with the Earth before whites continued in other posts, with one saying that 'we lived in perfect harmony w/ the earth pre whiteness.' 'All humans are not the reason the earth is in peril,' she wrote. 'White capitalism is.' Despite her disdain for capitalism, St Felix appears to benefit from its fruits. Her address listed as a $1.3 million home in a gated Brooklyn community which faces a pretty marina. In another post from 2015, she said that 'it's really gonna suck when we have a white president again.' 'White people, who literally started a plague because they couldn't wash their asses, need never say they taught black people hygiene,' she said in another. In one confusing take, St Felix said that 'middle class white people think hospitals are places to go when you're sick - that the police are who you go to when you need safety.' St Felix deleted her social media after the tweets resurfaced, and she could not be reached for comment. Daily Mail has contacted Conde Nast and the New Yorker for reaction to St Felix's missives. St Felix, who has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2017, wrote that 'whiteness fills me with a lot of hate' in her furious social media rants St Felix has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2017, and is a regular contributor to the weekly column Critics Notebook, according to her New Yorker profile. She was previously editor-at-large at Lenny Letter, a newsletter by actress Lena Dunham, and was a culture writer at MTV News. In 2016, the year after many of her tweets about white people were sent, she was named on Forbes' '30 Under 30' media list. In 2017, she was a finalist for a National Magazine Award for Columns and Commentary, and, in 2019, she won in the same category. Several people have been injured, and one has reportedly died, after a passenger train derailed in Denmark when it 'hit a slurry taker'. The train, which was carrying around 95 passengers, had been heading to Sonderborg from Copenhagen, via Fredericia, when it reportedly collided with a lorry at a level crossing between Tinglev and Kliplev. It is still unclear how many people were injured and why the train derailed. Police have deployed both dogs and drones in their investigations, according to TV2, who have said that two carriages derailed in the incident. 'We have set up a crisis team. We have an incident involving a train that apparently rammed a slurry tanker,' Tony Bispeskov, head of information for the Danish state railway DSB, told TV2. The South and South Jutland Police added: 'We currently have information that one person has died,' as per Jydske Vestkysten. Danish railway channel Banedanmark also took to X to state: 'A train derailment has occurred on the stretch between Tinglev and Kliplev after a train collided with a vehicle at a level crossing'. DSB said following the incident it had halted all journeys between the towns of Kliplev and Tinglev, near Denmark's border with Germany, for the rest of today and all of Saturday. 'We are working on getting train buses to run on the route,' DSB added. Passengers and residents have been advised to follow updates from local authorities for information on safety and travel disruptions in the area. The train had been heading to Sonderborg from Copenhagen, via Fredericia, when it reportedly collided with a lorry at a level crossing between Tinglev and Kliplev It is still unclear how many people were injured and why the train derailed. DSB said following the incident it had halted all journeys between the towns of Kliplev and Tinglev, near Denmark's border with Germany , for the rest of today and all of Saturday Your browser does not support iframes. Shocked residents described hearing and smelling the aftermath of the crash. Johnny Balling Nielsen, a resident who was nearby when the incident took place, told local news site BT: 'We heard a bang. Shortly after, we could smell a strange, metallic smell. We can hear all the sirens and what's going on'. Traffic from Flightradar shows that two medical helicopters from Aarhus passed the accident site and have since moved on towards a hospital in Flensburg. According to a Jydske Vestkysten report, around several people, including around 20 children, have been escorted off of the train and away from the scene. Many of them are 'dirty' and wrapped in fire blankets and bandages, a local reporter at the scene said. They added that several of them are able to walk themselves, while others are being carried by police officers. The news site spoke to a couple who were on board the train, travelling to Grasten from Rodekro. They said: 'The train just overturned and then we had to climb out. We do not know what has happened'. Police in the Southern Jutland region of Denmark said earlier on X: 'We are present at a train accident with several injured people near Tinglev. 'We need peace and quiet at the scene and unauthorised persons must stay away from the scene. We will announce further information via press releases as soon as possible,' it added. An Albanian migrant who came to the UK illegally and sold drugs to send money back home to his disabled father has been jailed for two years. Rei Hajdaraj, 20, was found by police with twelve snap-bags of cocaine in his car on St Alphonsus Road in Lambeth on 8 June 2025. He was also discovered to be in possession of a fake Romanian driving licence and 400 in cash from prior drug deals. The court heard that university-educated Hajdaraj came to England illegally with the intention of finding construction work and sending money home to his disabled father. But the Albanian soon fell in with an organised criminal network of drug dealers. He was remanded in custody on 9 June after pleading guilty at Croydon Magistrates Court to dealing and possessing cocaine, and possessing a false identity document. Wearing a green t-shirt, he was produced at Inner London Crown Court today for sentencing. Prosecutor Gregor McKinley said: 'The circumstances of all three offences arose in the early hours of 8 June. An Albanian migrant who came to the UK illegally and sold drugs to send money back home to his disabled father has been jailed for two years. Pictured: A stock image showing cocaine in a plastic package Wearing a green t-shirt, he was produced at Inner London Crown Court (pictured) today for sentencing 'There was body-worn footage from roundabout midnight, just after the early hours, and the defendant was seen in a vehicle which was stopped and searched by police. 'He was asked about his identity and he had with him a Romanian driving licence. 'He maintained that identity with the police, and while the police were talking to him, they noticed other people coming up to the vehicle having made a prior arrangement to purchase cocaine. 'In the door of the vehicle they found twelve snap-bags of cocaine that haven't been weighed but are street-deal size. 'He also had a small tin box, which police say is often used for secretly hiding drugs on the outside of the vehicle. 'They also found 400 in money.' Jeffrey Shine, defending, said his client was previously a student at the University of Tirana in Albania before dropping out to work in construction. 'He came to England solely for the purpose of trying to earn some money - he did come here illegally in a lorry, he admits that. 'Because of his illegal status I'm afraid what has happened is he got involved with people he shouldn't have got involved with', he said. Judge David Richards told Hajdaraj: 'On the 8 June you were caught about to deal some drugs on St Alphonsus Road in SW4. 'You had twelve bags of cocaine on you with a device for hiding that cocaine from the police, you had 400 cash on you - the product of similar activity and a false identity document. 'You came into this country illegally - I don't increase your sentence because of that because I'm quite sure you felt and had been told you could work here no matter how you got here. 'You are an educated man, it was your intention perhaps initially to make money here honestly, albeit on the black economy. 'That didn't work out and so you chose to make money through crime. 'You wouldn't have made 400 a day or anything like that - you were making some money at the direction of other men from similar circumstances who were running a criminal enterprise. 'You were used, to an extent, as part of that enterprise. 'These drug-dealing networks only operate if there are people willing to go out on the streets to deal the drugs. 'To an extent, you took advantage of the lack of regulation and oversight in our liberal country.' Hajdaraj was handed 20 months for being concerned in the supply of cocaine and four months for possession of an false identity document, to run consecutively. The judge told him the two year sentence was eligible for suspension. But he added: 'The fact you were illegally, a guest in this country - albeit the authorities didn't know you were here - the fact that this was part of an organised network, albeit playing a small role, I really have no doubt this is too serious to be suspended.' The 20-year-old will serve 40 per cent of his sentence in prison before he is due for release. 'Whether the Home Office choose to deport you back to Albania after your release is a matter for the Home Office, I do not have any say in that', the judge told him. 'You can go down'. Hajdaraj, address unknown, admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine, possession of cocaine and possessing a false identity document. Shocking footage shows a 100mph police chase on country roads that ended in a three-vehicle crash and jail for the driver. Marlon Henriques, 30, of Tidworth, Wiltshire, drove at speeds of over 85mph on 30mph roads while dangerously weaving in and out his lane while overtaking. After several near-misses, Henriques finally crashed into a white Citroen van - sending it flying into a hedge - before hitting the back of a police firearms vehicle. The 30-year-old had failed to stop after being caught driving at nearly double the speed limit, instead leading police on a hair-raising pursuit. Henriques, who police called one of the 'worst drivers' they'd ever seen, eventually had the tyres of his vehicle - which didn't even belong to him - punctured by a stinger device. He has now been jailed for nearly two years for his dangerous driving, which put 'numerous lives in danger'. Salisbury Crown Court heard that on June 10, Henriques, driving a black Volkswagen Arteon taken from his housemate, failed to stop for police in Bulford. He was seen overtaking two vehicles on solid white lines, and a pursuit was authorised. Marlon Henriques, 30, of Tidworth, Wiltshire, drove at speeds of over 85mph on 30mph roads After several near-misses, Henriques finally crashed into a white Citroen van - sending it flying into a hedge During the chase, officers had to reach speeds of more than 100mph to catch up with the driver. After failing to stop for officers with their blue lights and sirens on, Henriques instead overtook a vehicle on the brow of a hill - narrowly avoiding a collision with an oncoming army truck. He was also seen driving the wrong way round a roundabout to evade pursuing police vehicles. Henriques performed several further dangerous overtakes, driving at around 85mph in a 30mph zone and skipping a red light towards the A338. The pursuit continued in the direction of Marlborough and then onto Ludgershall Road, where Henriques veered onto a dirt road on Salisbury Plain. Footage shows the driver mounting a kerb to overtake a vehicle at a junction before speeding away from police cars with their sirens blaring. But as he made his way back towards Tidworth, a stinger device was successfully deployed, puncturing the two nearside tyres of Henriques' vehicle. His car is seen smashing into the back of a white Citroen van, sending it into a tree, before colliding into the rear of an unmarked armed response car that was ahead of the pursuit. After failing to stop for officers with their blue lights and sirens on, Henriques instead overtook a vehicle on the brow of a hill Henriques has now been jailed for 22 months and disqualified from driving for four years and 11 months (pictured is footage of him racing dangerously down the road) Henriques, who police called one of the 'worst drivers' they'd ever seen, eventually had the tyres of his vehicle punctured by a stinger device (he is seen being arrested) After hitting the unmarked vehicle, armed officers run up to Henriques, shouting, 'Get out the car now! Show me your hands now', before detaining him in the road. He later admitted aggravated taking of a vehicle without consent, dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance and was jailed for 22 months. Henriques was also disqualified from driving for four years and 11 months. Following his sentence, Wiltshire Police Roads Policing officer PC Webster said: 'Henriques' driving is some of the worst I have seen. 'He put numerous lives in danger through his speeding and reckless overtaking, regularly driving through red lights and the wrong way around roundabouts. 'Stopping him involved excellent collaborative work between the Roads Policing Unit, neighbourhood and response officers, and I'm pleased he has now been sentenced. 'This incident took place during the middle of the day, and I want to thank all members of the public for their assistance and patience when dealing with this matter.' A Peruvian woman and her three children are missing in California after she threatened to approach the police because her husband had allegedly beaten her. Sheyla Gutierrez Rocillo was last weekend during a video chat with her mother, Helga Rocillo Moran, back home and told her that she was ready to report her husband, Josimar Cabrera Cornejo, to the local authorities. Moran told local media outlet, Latina Noticias, that the couple and their children migrated to the United States in 2023 in search of a fresh start, and that Cabrera Cornejo already had a history of assaulting her. 'She told me that Josimar Cabrera Cornejo hit her, mistreated her, and had even hit my youngest grandchild, the youngest of whom is 3 years old. He had slapped her,' the concerned mother said during an interview Thursday. Moran said she last spoke to her daughter and son-in-law and told him that it was time for him to change his attitude. 'I told the father, 'Josimar, if you say you love my daughter and your children, change your mind for their sake,' she recalled. 'She told me that he abused them, hit them. I found out that he had slapped the baby when he was younger. She told me, 'Mom, I can't take it anymore. I'm going to file a complaint today, Saturday.' Moran said that Cabrera Cornejo visibly angered in background during the entire conversation. Sheyla Gutierrez Rocillo (front) and her husband, Josimar Cabrera Cornejo (rear) migrated illegally with their three children from Peru to the United States in 2023 and settled in California, Gutierrez Rocillo's mother, Helga Rocillo Moran, told Peruvian news outlet Latina Noticias. However, the couple had an argument on Saturday and Rocillo Moran and her children have not heard of her since Cabrera Cornejo was seen in a surveillance video dragging a large bag moments after he and his missing wife argued at their home in California last weekend. Police searched the home and found blood stains outside the condo 'He didn't say anything, but looked at her with a fierce expression,' she said. 'Later, I heard him say, 'Don't file a complaint, you'll hurt me. Moran said that her daughter then told him, 'You're not changing, Josimar. You keep harassing me, abusing me, psychologically, I can't take it anymore.' Moran said she made a second video call in which the couple appeared together before her daughter told her that she was going to take her children to a local park. 'She told me, 'Okay, Mommy, I'm going to take the babies for a walk in the park, we're going to eat, and I'm going to leave them.' It was the last time Moran would ever hear from her daughter. Each of the calls have gone unanswered. 'He had slapped her. I called my daughter, but she didn't answer,' Moran said. Sheyla Gutierrez Rocillo (right) had told her mother that her husband Josimar Cabrera Cornejo (left) had beaten her and the youngest of their three children. During a video call Sunday from her home in California, Gutierrez Rocillo would tell her mother that she was going to go to the police to report him before he told her that doing so would get him in trouble Helga Rocillo said that the last time she spoke to her son-in-law, he claimed that her daughter was arrested at an ICE field office Sunday. But she stressed that he lied because the office is not opened Sunday. Daily Mail has reached out to ICE for comment Moran said that she communicated with Cabrera Cornejo on Sunday via text message and that he informed her that she had been detained at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office during a scheduled appointment. However, Moran accused Cabrera Cornejo of lying because the offices are never opened on Sundays and his appointment was scheduled for September. 'There's no report with ICE. If she were deported, she would have called me by now,' Moran said. A neighbor told the family that she heard loud screams from the home, but decided not to get involved. Pictured: Josimar Cabrera Cornejo carrying a large bag outside the condominium where he and his missing wife and the couple's three children reside in California Sheyla Gutierrez Rocillo and Josimar Cabrera Cornejo with their three children A male friend of Gutierrez Rocillo told La Republica newspaper that he reached out to California authorities, who located blood stains in front of the condominium. Security camera footage showed the couple entering the home before Cabrera Cornejo appeared alone dragging a large bag across the building. 'They had a somewhat toxic relationship, as he was jealous and assaulted her on occasion,' he said. 'On Saturday, they argued. Her friends in the United States tried to contact him, but received no response Cabrera is on the run with the three children, and Sheyla's whereabouts are unknown.' A neighbor told Gutierrez Rocillo's friend that Cabrera Cornejo was arrested and that the children were placed in custody of the police, but DailyMail.com has been unable to confirm. Daily Mail has reached out to ICE and the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Relations for comment. The charity founded by Prince Harry has laid off all but one of its London staff amid ongoing funding concerns. Sentebale, an HIV/Aids awareness charity, was plunged into crisis earlier this year following a very public feud between the Duke of Sussex and the charitys chairwoman Dr Sophie Chandauka. Four of the five employees based in the organisations London office have now been made redundant, including its global head of finance and compliance, the Times reports. Last night Sentebale confirmed to the Daily Mail that there is now only one full-time staff member operating at its UK headquarters. They added that between April and September there will be a total of seven departures across three locations. A redundancy letter, sent to staff in April and seen by The Times, stated that the group does not have donor funding and that it is in retrenchment. Harry set up Sentebale with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 to work with disadvantaged young people in Lesotho and Botswana, with both men honouring their late mothers. But the pair stepped away from the charity this month following a damning report into an explosive race row sparked by Dr Chandauka. The UK Charity Commission had launched a probe into the acrimonious boardroom battle - but criticised both sides in its findings. Sentebale chair Sophie Chandauka during a polo event for the charity in Florida in April 2024 Harry holds a young child during a visit to a children's centre in Bute-Bute, Lesotho, in 2014 Dr Sophie Chandauka and Prince Harry in Johannesburg, South Africa, in October last year The probe said it could find no evidence of widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at Sentebale after Dr Chandauka made a series of incendiary allegations about the behaviour of the Duke of Sussex and his fellow trustees. But it also criticised the trustees, who included Harry, who resigned en masse in March after the row was made public. Scores of donors - loyal to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - allegedly stopped donating to the charity, costing hundreds of thousands of pounds in essential funding. The watchdog acknowledged the strong perception of ill treatment felt by all parties, including Dr Chandauka, and the impact this may have had on them. It ruled that failures leading up to, and following, the dispute had led to mismanagement in the administration of the charity. A Sentebale spokesperson said the charity had suffered from the negative impact of the adverse media campaign launched by the duke and former trustees on 25 March. In a sign the two parties remain deeply entrenched, they added that this was as a result of the Charity Commission probe which has made fundraising extremely challenging for Sentebale and so we have been reliant on reserves. The spokesperson told the Daily Mail: First discussed in 2024, the Sentebale Board took a deliberate and responsible step to right-size its workforce in all three locations due to increasing uncertainty relating to international donor funding such as USAID and uncertainty relating to events such as polo. The Senetable Polo Cup - which historically raised around 740,000 a year - has not taken place for the last two years. The spokesperson added: The global restructuring was intended to improve efficiencies, transition senior executive roles to Southern Africa and to respond to changing service delivery demands. False is the notion that any restructuring was because of a funding crisis, but was a planned restructuring. An entrepreneur has shamelessly tried to spin his arrest for public nudity into an inspirational LinkedIn story to drum up sales. Aaron Nosbisch, 31, who founded cannabis and mushroom-infused drink company Brez, was arrested on the sands of Palm Beach, Florida, last week. Police found him sitting naked on the beach looking out onto the ocean at 9.07am having just gone skinny dipping, after other beachgoers called the cops. He told the officers he was walking by after a concert and went for a swim where he used to during high school, but they were unmoved and took him to jail. A judge dismissed the indecent exposure charge on the condition that he pay a $100 fine and attend a three-hour class. Escaping without a conviction, Nosbisch didn't miss the chance to turn his his brush with the law into a marketing opportunity on LinkedIn. 'It was Sunday. The beach was empty. I went for a early morning swim and, in a spontaneous moment of freedom, decided to go skinny dipping in the ocean,' he wrote. Aaron Nosbisch, 31, was arrested on the sands of Palm Beach last week charged with indecent exposure, escaping conviction with a fine and three-hour class Escaping without a conviction, Nosbisch didn't miss the chance to turn his his brush with the law into a marketing opportunity on LinkedIn 'Two adults saw me from a distance and reported it. There was no lewd behavior, no harmful intent - just a lapse in judgment in a moment meant to be lighthearted and free. 'What followed was a lesson in life and humility.' Nosbisch then followed script of many red-faced executives forced to make apologies they then use as branding exercises. 'I take full responsibility. I'm not proud of it, but I'm not hiding from it either. This moment doesn't define me or the values we hold - how we show up every day does. Lesson learned,' he wrote. 'I'm grateful for the people who continue to bring integrity, focus, and purpose to our mission. That's what matters. That's what lasts. Thank you for your support and understanding.' Not content with walking the line between contrition and marketing, Nosbisch this week started selling T-shirts with his mugshot printed on them. 'Im more committed than ever to our mission of reducing human suffering and maximizing human potential,' he added. Not content with walking the line between contrition and marketing, Nosbisch this week started selling T-shirts with his mugshot printed on them Nosbisch founded cannabis and mushroom-infused drink company Brez Nosbisch grew up on Palm Beach, where he still lives in his $1 million bungalow, and claims to have started his first business aged 13 'Turning a moment into momentum. Merch link in below, bio, and pinned comment.' Naturally, the proceeds would be sent to the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit 'dedicated to improving fairness and humanity in the justice system'. Nosbisch's other marketing stunts include flipping a coin to decide whether to refund a $500 order, declaring, 'Our new content strategy BREZ is film feel-good moments and run them as ads.' He grew up on Palm Beach, where he still lives in his $1 million bungalow, and claims to have started his first business aged 13. A further 60 people will be prosecuted for 'showing support for the proscribed terrorist group Palestine Action', the Metropolitan Police said. It comes after a chaotic London march on Saturday saw more than a staggering 500 activists arrested - bringing the total to over 700 since July 7, when the group was proscribed. Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions, said: 'The decisions that we have announced today are the first significant numbers to come out of the recent protests, and many more can be expected in the next few weeks. 'We are ready to make swift decisions in all cases where arrests have been made. The public has a democratic right to protest peacefully in this country, and I understand the depth of feeling around the horrific scenes in Gaza. 'However, Palestine Action is now a proscribed terrorist organisation and those who have chosen to break the law will be subject to criminal proceedings under the Terrorism Act. 'When protest conduct crosses the line from lawful activity into criminality, we have a duty to enforce the law. 'People should be clear about the real-life consequences for anyone choosing to support Palestine Action. A terrorism conviction can severely impact your life and career it can restrict your ability to travel overseas and work in certain professions. 'I urge people to think very carefully about their actions at protests. Anyone who chooses to disobey the law will have to face the consequences.' A chaotic London march on Saturday saw more than a staggering 500 activists arrested Protesters sit in Parliament Square holding placards in support of Palestine Action on August 9 A woman is led away by police officers as supporters of Palestine Action take part in a mass action in Parliament Square Following the announcement of Friday's prosecutions, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: 'I am proud of how our police and CPS teams have worked so speedily together to overcome misguided attempts to overwhelm the justice system. 'If necessary, we are able to investigate and quickly charge significant numbers of people each week if people want the potentially life-changing consequences of a terrorist conviction'. He assured that the force will continue to police the numerous protests each week where people express their views in support of Palestine without choosing to break Counter Terrorism Laws by supporting proscribed terror groups. 'To be clear, these arrests and prosecutions do not outlaw people's right to demonstrate in support of Palestine, or any other cause,' he said. 'They are simply the enforcement of a specific provision under the Terrorism Act in relation to a specific proscribed terrorist organisation, Palestine Action. 'Where officers see these offences, we will continue to make arrests and, as shown today, the CPS and police will work to quickly secure charges, at whatever scale is necessary'. He explained that the consequences for those charged under the Terrorism Act include a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) having a record of a persons TACT conviction which will be seen by employers who use DBS to carry out checks on staff or new applicants. On Saturday, August 9, during a day of mayhem and farce, Left-wing protesters swamped London's Parliament Square in support of the organisation, which was proscribed by the Government last month as a terrorist group. During a day of chaos and farce, Left-wing activists swamped Parliament Square in London on Saturday in support of the organisation, which was proscribed by the Government last month as a terrorist group By 6pm Saturday police had arrested 365 people for supporting a proscribed organisation and seven others, including five for assaulting police officers A protester is carried away by police officers at a Lift The Ban demonstration in support of the proscribed group Palestine Action Hundreds held placards declaring 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action' in deliberate 'idiotic' acts of law-breaking designed to overwhelm police resources and the courts. On Saturday, the Met Police announced that more than 360 people had been detained following the scenes of disorder - at an estimated cost of about 3million. Protesters were accused of a 'colossal' waste of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money after seemingly getting deliberately arrested by officers. However, in an update on Sunday afternoon, the Met said the number of total arrests had skyrocketed to 532 - with 522 of these being for people allegedly displaying placards supporting the proscribed terror group. One of those arrests took place at the form up of the Palestine Coalition march in Russell Square, but the remaining 521 arrests were carried out during the rally in Parliament Square. There were a further 10 arrests, which included six for assaulting police officers, one for racially aggravated public order, two for breaching a Section 14 Public Order Act condition and one for obstructing a constable in the execution of their duties. The average age of those detained by police was 54, the force said, with the youngest person cuffed by cops being aged just 17. In a statement, a spokesman for the Met added: 'We believe that 30 people arrested at the protest on Saturday had been arrested at previous recent protests in support of Palestine Action in London. We're not in a position to confirm if any of those arrested had been arrested recently at protests outside London.' This is a breaking news story. More to follow. A classic 1960s Buick pulled from the depths of the Mississippi River this week likely holds the key to one of Minnesota's most chilling disappearances. Roy George Benn, 59, vanished without a trace 58 years ago after eating breakfast at a gas station cafe in Sartell, part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan area. The tycoon last seen leaving the King's Supper Club, which was attached to a Shell station on Highway 10, around 4am on September 25th, 1967. He drove off in a metallic blue four-door 1963 Buick Electra bearing Minnesota license plates. He and the car were never seen again. Benn, a widower who owned an apartment building and appliance service company, was known to carry large sums of cash with investigators believing he may have had thousands of dollars on him when he went missing. Benn was declared legally dead eight years after his disappearance, but his loved ones never stopped searching for answers. The family may now finally have closure after divers recovered Benn's Buick from the river on Wednesday evening, the Stearns-Benton County Sheriff's confirmed. The vehicle was taken to the nearby Sartell Police Department for processing, where investigators confirmed there were human remains inside. Roy Benn's Buick was dragged from the Mississippi River in Sartell, Minnesota, on Wednesday - 58 years after he vanished Investigators believe the remains are likely that of Benn, but have been sent to the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office for identification. The coroner will also work to determine a cause of death, the sheriff's office said in a press release obtained by Daily Mail. Officials do not expect to have the autopsy results for several weeks, but did collect familial DNA from one of Benn's relatives seven years ago, The Star Tribune reports. That sample will likely be tested as officials work to confirm the identity of the remains. Sartell police say the car was 'severely deteriorated' after spending decades underwater and becoming 'filled with river sediment'. However, authorities did successfully match the Vehicle Identification Number of the car pulled from the river to the 1963 Buick that was registered to Benn. Divers first searched the water for Benn in October 1967, focusing their search on the granite quarries in Sauk Rapids, roughly four miles from the town on Sartell. The following spring, officials searched for a quarry in Stearns County in hopes of finding the missing businessman. That search led to the recovery of two cars but neither were connected to Benn. Human remains were found inside the car belonging to the property tycoon, pictured, sparking hopes one of the Midwest's most disturbing missing persons cases may finally be solved Officials also searched a channel on Little Rock Lake near the King's Supper Club, but that too did not yield any results. Benn's Buick Electra was only found this week thanks to the efforts of 22-year-old fisherman Brody Loch. Loch was experimenting with new sonar fish locating equipment on Saturday night when he noticed a vehicle located about 24ft below the surface of the river. The fisherman says he was initially 'skeptical', suspecting he had probably stumbled upon a large 'rock'. 'But when we came around the other side ... it just made that perfect vehicle cab and frame shape. It was definitely very spooky, to say the least,' Loch told the newspaper. He returned to the spot the next morning to confirm what he saw before reporting the discovery to police. Three days later, divers and a tow crew recovered the Buick from the bottom of the river. 'We thank the Stearns/Benton County Dive Team and Collins Brothers Towing for their work in executing the recovery and raising the vehicle carefully to preserve its structure and potential evidence, as well as the Sartell Fire Department for their support in operations through out the day and into the night,' Sartell police said in a statement obtained by Daily Mail. 'A unified command is overseeing the investigation. Updates will be issued by the lead investigative agency as new information becomes available.' A man accused of viciously assaulting a Jewish father-of-three in front of his young children has been handed a wild excuse for the unprovoked attack. Sergio Yanes Preciado, 23, allegedly approached the unidentified father, 32, inside a park in Montreals Parc-Extension neighborhood in Canada around 2:45pm on August 8 and began spraying water on him, before repeatedly punching him. Shocking video captured by a witness showed the suspect kneeling over the victim, while swinging his fist repeatedly into his head. The man eventually kicked the attacker off him and got to his knees, while trying to keep his children close. The suspect was then seen stuffing items into a red bag before picking up what appeared to be a black kippah and throwing it into a large puddle of water. He then walked off while the victims stared, stunned. Preciado was arrested Monday and charged with assault causing bodily harm the next day. Now, a criminologist, who was not identified, has suggested the hot weather might have contributed to Preciado's actions that day. Temperatures reached a high of almost 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The criminologist had conducted a quick mental health evaluation ahead of Preciado's appearance before Quebec Court Judge Martin Chalifour inside Montreal courthouse Wednesday, according to The Montreal Gazette. Shocking video captured by a witness showed the suspect kneeling over the victim, while swinging his fist repeatedly into his head A criminologist, who was not identified, suggested Sergio Preciado (pictured) may have been impacted by the hot weather that day Preciado also 'seemed to have delirious ideas linked to his actions,' Judge Chalifour said, reading from the criminologist's report. 'The consumption of drugs does not seem to be connected to his mental health, but the criminologist concludes that an evaluation of his responsibility indicates (he should be evaluated further),' the judge said. Preciado's mother also reported her son was struggling with his mental health, according the Montreal Gazette. The criminologist recommended Preciado for further examination. In Wednesday's hearing, the court ordered Preciado to undergo a 30-day evaluation at Philippe Pinel Institute. He will remain detained during that period. The victim's family members spoke of their relief that his alleged attacker will remain in custody. 'We feel good that this person wasnt released and hes not going to be anywhere next to the victims family or next to anybody else to be able to attack people,' the victim's brother-in-law, Zev Feldman, told City News. Feldman said his three nieces had been left traumatized after witnessing the attack. Quebec Court Judge Martin Chalifour (pictured) ordered the suspect to undergo a 30-day evaluation The family also believes the assault may have been motivated by hatred and antisemitism, he said. The victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Prime Minister Mark Carney weighed in on the incident, calling it an 'appalling act of violence'. 'Everyone in Canada has an inalienable right to live in safety,' he wrote in a statement. 'My thoughts are with the victim and his family as they recover.' Preciado is expected back in court on September 12. After their one brief meeting left him perilously close to death, Jim Beaton might be forgiven for never wanting to set eyes on Ian Ball again. Detailed to protect a royal life with his own, the then Inspector Beaton almost made the ultimate sacrifice when the deranged gunman opened fire during an audacious bid to kidnap Princess Anne for a 3million ransom. Ball, a dangerous loner armed with two guns, had stalked the princess late one night in March 1974 before ambushing her limousine in The Mall by pulling up in front of it in his white Ford Escort. As the kidnap plot quickly descended into bloody violence, Scotsborn Mr Beaton was shot three times at point-blank range by Ball as he fought to defend the Queens 23-year-old daughter and her now exhusband Captain Mark Phillips. In the ensuing mayhem, the kidnapper also shot Annes chauffeur, a passing police officer and a journalist who had been following the princesss car, before a passing exboxer hit him on the head and led Anne to safety. Bleeding heavily, Inspector Beaton staggered from the car before collapsing unconscious on the pavement. He was taken to hospital, while Ball was arrested and later detained without limit of time under the Mental Health Act, after admitting attempted kidnap and two attempted murders. Many assumed, given the gravity of his crimes, that Ball would never be released. But, as the Mail revealed earlier this month, the dangerous loner is back on the streets and free to roam unrepentant and still obsessed. Released quietly on probation six years ago from Broadmoor secure mental hospital, Ball remains fixated on that night in The Mall and is campaigning to clear his name, claiming he is an innocent, sane man. Princess Anne visits her wounded bodyguard James Beaton in hospital in 1974 Under heavy security precautions, Ian Ball, 26, is led in handcuffs from police van to court where he was charged with the attempted murder of Princess Anne's bodyguard Few innocent, sane men have committed such senseless bloodshed, however. And Mr Beaton may rightly feel uneasy at the thought the man who could so easily have ended his life more than 50 years ago might turn up on his doorstep without warning. But the retired officer, who was awarded the highest civilian honour for bravery the George Cross for his fearless actions that night, insists he bears his assailant no ill will. Indeed, in an extraordinary act of forgiveness, Mr Beaton told the Mail in an exclusive interview that he was prepared to meet Ball if the man who once tried to kill him was willing. Although Ball, now 77, has recently made wild claims that he was wrongfully jailed by the upper classes as part of some bizarre conspiracy masterminded by the late Queen Elizabeth, Mr Beaton insisted he did not believe Ball now posed any kind of threat. He is too old and whatever it was will have long worn off, he said. He has done a fair bit of time, and I would not begrudge him if he turned up and wanted a conversation. It would prove an interesting conversation. When approached by the Mail, Ball insisted it would be a waste of time to apologise to the men he shot, and said of Anne, who had two guns waved in her face: She wasnt bothered on the night... I didnt scare her. I was more scared than she was. He has already selfpublished a disturbing book about the events of 1974 and visits old haunts in a bid to prove his innocence, despite having pleaded guilty in court. He claims the attack was a hoax gone wrong and uses his Facebook and X accounts, on which he describes himself as a complete fruit cake, to post messages seeking help in appealing his conviction and claiming compensation. A Ministry of Justice spokesman has confirmed restricted patients can be recalled to hospital if their mental health deteriorates such that the risk they pose becomes unmanageable in the community. Speaking at his neat bungalow in a quiet culdesac in the Yorkshire market town of Beverley where he has lived for many years, Mr Beaton also disclosed that he was made aware of Balls newfound freedom around the time of his release. He said: They actually told me before he got out and I was surprised he was still in jail. It surprised me they told me as well, because knowing the system I didnt think they would bother. A wounded man is lifted in to an ambulance after gun attack on a car carrying Princess Anne and Mark Phillips Still spruce at 82, though frailer, his once thick black hair now a shock of white, Mr Beaton has lost little of the sharpness of mind that helped him survive that fateful night. For years, he has rarely given interviews because I am too old and it is too ancient history. But he admits he is still haunted by his memories. It never goes away, although bits fade and may get twisted, he added in his soft Aberdeenshire brogue. His wish to blot out the drama of that night is understandable. It began routinely as the royal couple returned to Buckingham Palace from an official engagement around 8pm on March 20, 1974. Inspector Beaton, a crack shot who had been drafted into the Royalty Protection Squad, served as Annes personal protection officer following her marriage in November 1973 and was travelling in the front passenger seat. Born in St Fergus, Aberdeenshire, the former Peterhead Academy pupil had joined the Metropolitan Police in 1962 after realising he was too short for the Scottish police. He said: Back then in Aberdeen, if you went to university, usually you were a farmers son full of brains dying to be the next professor of the world and discovered wine, women and song and became a teacher. If you were over 5ft 10ins you joined the local police force. But I was only 5ft 9ins tall. So I thought if I went down to London they would take me and they did. Although an experienced officer with a wife (ironically called Anne) and two young daughters, little could prepare him for the crazed gunman who suddenly intercepted them opposite Clarence House determined to execute his warped kidnap plan. Incredibly, Ball had established the princesss whereabouts simply by ringing up the Palace (an unthinkable security breach now) and was armed with two pistols, a .38 calibre and a .22, which he bought legally on a trip to Spain and brought back in his luggage through Heathrows nothing to declare lane. Mr Beaton wearing his George Cross in London in 2008 Ball had everything mapped out, from learning to fly and obtaining a fake driving licence to renting a house near the home of the newlyweds in Sandhurst, Berkshire. He spent days stalking the princesss movements. After kidnapping her, he planned to hold her there before piloting a private plane to Zurich with the 3million ransom in used 5 notes in 30 unlocked suitcases and the princess in handcuffs before sending her back on arrival. But things quickly fell apart when Ball told Anne he was going to kidnap her and ordered her out of the car, to which the princess is alleged to have replied: Not bloody likely! By then, Inspector Beaton had already emerged from the front of the car and drawn his gun prompting Ball to shoot him in the shoulder. The bodyguards gun then jammed before he climbed, wounded, into the back of the car to shield the princess. He later told a BBC interviewer: Ball was pointing his gun at Princess Anne and he said drop your gun or Ill shoot her, or something to that effect. He fired as my hand went up and the bullet went into my hand. We kicked the back door open and there was Ian Ball standing there and he shot me in the abdomen. I struggled out of the car, half-dazed went round the front of the car and laid down on the pavement. I remember thinking, Ive got a nice new suit on so I lay down very gently. When Ball brandished his guns at Anne and told her to get out, she remained remarkably calm telling him: Go away, you silly man. Ball also shot chauffeur Alex Callender, passing police constable Michael Hills and journalist Brian McConnell, who had been following the couple. Only the chance arrival of 6ft 2in, 17stone former heavyweight boxer Ronnie The Geezer Russell in a cleaning firm van turned the tide. Thinking, he said later, thats a liberty he needs sorting, Russell subdued Ball with several massive punches as police arrived and bundled him to the floor. Ball then as now displayed no remorse, telling detectives who interviewed him: They were getting in my way so I had to shoot them. Well, the police, thats their job. They expect to be shot. I took a chance of getting shot so why shouldnt they? The Queen with Mr Beaton in 1978, four years after the kidnap attempt After his guilty pleas at the Old Bailey two months later, John Hazan, QC, defending, said he was mad, and had been led by a voice either of his late father or God. He would spend the next 45 years in Rampton and Broadmoor secure mental hospitals. Thankfully, all those who were injured recovered to resume their careers. Inspector Beaton was famously visited in hospital by a grateful Princess Anne. He recalled: When Princess Anne came to see me in hospital it was quite funny because the staff said, Come on you must put something on, cover up your chest and all the wounds and things. And I said, Oh stuff it. We just said, you know, were pleased that were all sort of alive and kicking, so to speak. Reflecting on his former role, he said, policing the royals changed overnight following Balls kidnap attempt. I had nothing, he said. There was no back-up vehicle. The training was non-existent; but then again, we thought nothing would happen. They are highly specialised now, highly trained. Nevertheless, Mr Beaton fears that because of the Royal Familys public-facing role, it would be possible for someone determined enough to attempt a similar attack. He said: Ian Ball was no one, but if you planned enough you could still get to a Royal. On September 27, 1974, the London Gazette announced the award of a George Cross to Inspector Jim Beaton, while all those involved in foiling the attack were also recognised for their valour. The citation read: All the individuals involved in the kidnap attempt on Princess Anne displayed outstanding courage and a complete disregard for their safety when they each faced this dangerous armed man who did not hesitate to use his weapons. It is entirely due to their actions as well as to the calmness, bravery and presence of mind shown both by Princess Anne and by Captain Mark Phillips in circumstances of great peril that the attack was unsuccessful. After recovering from his wounds, Inspector Beaton returned to Annes side and remained her protection officer for the next five years. The Queen is seen laughing in the White Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace following an Investiture ceremony, where she received the seven heroes who went to the assistance of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips during the Mall kidnap attempt The now Princess Royal celebrated her 75th birthday yesterday. Mr Beaton said he had not seen her for many years, adding: She still sends me a Christmas card every year but its fine. He would serve with the Metropolitan Police for 30 years, including nine years as the Queens Police Officer from 1983 to his retirement in 1992. His exceptional service was recognised when he was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 1987 a personal decoration from the Queen and later promoted to Commander. Leaving with the rank of Chief Superintendent in 1992, he worked as a head of security with Elf Oil in Aberdeen before retiring in 2000 and moving south to be near his daughters, Linda and Shona, and his grandchildren. He is one of 20 living holders of the George Cross and served as the first civilian chairman of the VC and GC Association, which represents holders of the Victoria Cross and George Cross. Recipients of the two highest UK honours for gallantry now receive an additional 10,000-a-year pension from a grateful nation. Having dodged a bullet more than 50 years ago, Mr Beaton has lived a rich and fulfilling life. I think I have made a full recovery. No one has told me otherwise so I am just plodding on, he said quietly. Whether or not he and Ball ever cross paths again, history will bind them together forever. The tiny sliver of bullet lodged in Mr Beatons right hand will see to that. The former mayor of a Portuguese town has died after trying to fight dramatic wildfires which have ravaged Europe including Spain and Greece. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa offered his 'heartfelt condolences' to Carlos Damaso, a victim of a fire he was fighting in his parish, asking that the current mayor of Guarda pass them on to his family. Mr Rebelo de Sousa added that he had cut short his holidays and returned to the presidential palace, joining a meeting of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority. For numerous days now, several thousand firefighters have been battling fires in various parts of the country. Like its neighbour Spain, Portugal has invoked the EU's civil protection mechanism to ask for help, requesting four firefighting aircraft to use until Monday, the presidency said on X. Apocalyptic scenes have spread across Europe as dramatic wildfires bathe the countryside sickly orange, with blazes ravaging Portugal, Spain and Greece. One horrifying photo taken in the Sernancelhe district of Viseu, Portugal, shows a raging inferno and dark clouds of smoke threatening to completely submerge a house in flames. The sky is completely amber as an angry blaze continues to tear its way through the forest, making the air thick with smog. The former mayor of a Portuguese town has died after trying to fight dramatic wildfires which have ravaged Europe including Spain and Greece. Pictured: Firefighters try to fight the forest fire in Vila da Ponte, Sernancelhe, Viseu, Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa offered his 'heartfelt condolences' to Carlos Damaso (pictured), a victim of a fire he was fighting in his parish, asking that the current mayor of Guarda pass them on to his family Mr Rebelo de Sousa added that he had cut short his holidays and returned to the presidential palace, joining a meeting of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority For numerous days now, several thousand firefighters have been battling fires in various parts of the country Nearly 4,000 firefighters are fighting seven major fires across the country, in Tabuaco, Trancos, Sirarelhos, Satao, Arganil, Vilarinho do Monte and Ermidas do Sado The sky is completely amber as an angry blaze continues to tear its way through the forest, making the air thick with smog Nearly 4,000 firefighters are battling seven major fires across the country, in Tabuaco, Trancos, Sirarelhos, Satao, Arganil, Vilarinho do Monte and Ermidas do Sado. Authorities extended the state of alert until Sunday, amid high temperatures expected to last through the weekend. 'We are being cooked alive, this cannot continue,' said Vila Real Mayor Alexandre Favaios, where a fire had been burning for 10 days. It comes as another heatwave pushes temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across parts of Europe. Global warming is giving the Mediterranean region hotter, drier summers, scientists say, with wildfires surging each year and sometimes whipping up into 'whirls'. Firefighters in Spain and Greece continued to battle wildfires Friday on a public holiday in all three countries as persistent hot, dry conditions challenged efforts to contain the blazes. Spain was fighting 14 major fires. Temperatures were expected to climb over the weekend. 'Today will once again be a very tough day, with an extreme risk of new fires,' Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X. Fire and clouds of smoke during a forest fire in Macieira, Sernancelhe, Viseu, Portugal, 15 August 2025 The fire in Macieira continues to blaze since it ignited on 13 August in Satao, within the Viseu district, and has spread to the Sernancelhe district in Viseu and Aguiar da Beira in Guarda A woman with a hose tries to put out the fire during a wildfire in Santa Baia De Montes, northwestern Spain, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar Firefighters and local residents continue to battle with forest fire that broke out in the Cualedro region of the province of Ourense, Spain on August 15 A resident holds a water hose as he tries to extinguish a wildfire in Lamas, Cualedro municipality, Galicia region, Spain The national weather agency AEMET warned of extreme fire risk in most of the country, including where the largest blazes were burning in the north and west. A heatwave which brought temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on several days this month was expected to last through Monday. Fires in the Galicia region forced the closure of several highways. The high speed rail line connecting it to Spain's capital, Madrid, remained suspended. The fires in Spain this year have burned 158,000 hectares or 610 square miles, according to the European Unions European Forest Fire Information System. That is an area roughly as big as metropolitan London. Spanish authorities reported the death of a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter who sustained severe burns in an area north of Madrid this week. It was the third reported death in Spain due to the recent fires. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in the region and still can not return. A man is assisted by residents after brething smoke, while they wait for help from emergency services in Vilar de Condes, in the province of Ourense in Galicia, Spain, August 15 Local residents react in front of the fire during a wildfire in Santa Baia De Montes, northwestern Spain, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar) A heatwave which brought temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on several days this month was expected to last through Monday This recent photo taken from a French Canadair water bomber and provided Friday, Aug. 15, 2025 by the Securite Civile shows wildfire in Spain. (Securite Civile via AP) A fire approaches a farm during a wildfire in Santa Baia De Montes, northwestern Spain, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar) A resident in distress during a wildfire in Cualedro Temperatures reached 44 C (111 F) in some regions, according to meteorology service AEMET, with minimal rainfall and windy conditions expected to exacerbate the fire risk. In both Spain and Portugal it was the Feast of the Assumption, a major Catholic holiday usually marked by family gatherings and religious processions. A wildfire in Greece burned out of control for a fourth day on the island of Chios, prompting several more overnight evacuations. Two water-dropping planes and two helicopters were operating in the north of the island in the eastern Aegean Sea, where local authorities said a lull in high winds was helping firefighters early Friday. Following a series of large fires in western Greece earlier this week, the Fire Service was on alert Friday outside Athens and nearby areas in the south of the country where adverse weather conditions elevated the fire risk. The fire service said a major blaze outside the southern port city of Patras has been contained on the outskirts of urban areas after a large-scale deployment. Temperatures reached 44 C (111 F) in some regions, according to meteorology service AEMET, with minimal rainfall and windy conditions expected to exacerbate the fire risk Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in the region and still can not return People watch the fire and clouds of smoke during a forest fire in Macieira, Sernancelhe, Viseu, Portugal, 15 August, 2025 This recent photo provided by the Securite Civile shows two French Canadair water bombers flying over Spain. (Securite Civile via AP) Three people have been arrested in connection with the fire, which authorities said may have been deliberately set. A man also died in a fire in Albania, while a 61-year-old Hungarian seasonal worker is suspected to have died of heat-related causes while picking fruit in Lleida, in Spain's eastern Catalonia region. The spiritual leader of the worlds Orthodox Christians Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed solidarity on Friday with the victims of wildfires in southern Europe during prayers for the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, an important religious holiday for Orthodox Christians. A drop in wind speeds on Thursday allowed firefighting aircraft in the three hard-hit countries to step up water drops, concentrating on existing fire zones rather than chasing fast-moving fronts. Stunned Las Vegas partiers went viral after sharing the extortionate drinks prices vendors are charging in Sin City amid its tanking tourism industry. Drinks in the party hotspot are through the roof despite dwindling tourism numbers, with one horrified reveler sharing his shock at the prices in front of him at the Flamingo pool. A bucket of six Coors lights was priced at a staggering $76.99, with 24 cold ones running up to $290.99 - a near 15 times markup from its usual $20 price. 'I can keep going here,' the partier who filmed his menu said as he listed off the pricey options. Cases of Topo Chico or Truly hard seltzers, which typically cost around $30 to $35, were also sold for almost $300. For drinkers who want a mixed cocktail, a large Bloody Mary would set them back $40 per drink. And six shots, a total of just 9 fluid ounces, costs $99.99 in the party hub on the iconic Vegas strip. Food options at the pool weren't any more reasonable, with a chicken tender platter or a cheeseburger slider plate running up to $89.99. 'Get ready to spend if you want to go to the Go Pool,' the shocked partier added. Stunned Las Vegas partiers went viral after sharing the extortionate drinks prices vendors are charging in Sin City amid its tanking tourism industry - including a crate of 24 Coors Light beers for $290.99 For drinkers who want a mixed cocktail, a large Bloody Mary would set them back $40 per drink, as the partier who filmed the menu said: 'Get ready to spend if you want to go' The stunned partier filmed drinks prices at the Flamingo pool on the Las Vegas strip (pictured) It comes after a shock new report to Las Vegas's Convention and Visitors Authority warned that the number of airline passengers arriving at the city will continue to plummet in the coming months. The tourism body was told in the report by Ailevon Pacific Aviation Consulting that capacity rates at the gambling hotspot's Harry Reid International Airport are forecast to drop dramatically in the second half of 2025. They warned the number of inbound passengers will plunge to around 95,000 seats per day for the rest of the year - a worrying prediction that represents a 2.3 percent fall from 2024 numbers. The decline is largely being fueled by a sharp 18.5 percent drop-off in traffic from Canada, which typically comprises the largest share of international visitors to the Nevada city, per the Las Vegas Review Journal. The loss of Canadian tourists has cancelled out gains from other continents, including a 31.7 percent increase in airline capacity from Asia and a 21.6 percent increase jump from Europe excluding the United Kingdom. The shock report cemented a steep decline in tourism to Las Vegas, with previous statistics from April showing it was losing upwards of 300,000 visitors per month since the start of 2025. The number of Canadian passengers flying to Las Vegas fell to an average of 2,412 per day this year, according to the report - blamed by some on the election of Donald Trump to the presidency in January and his subsequent jibes at Canada. Las Vegas's sharp decline in tourism appears set to continue as its major airport hub, Harry Reid International Airport (pictured), has prepared for a staggering drop in visitor numbers to continue for the rest of the year The loss in tourism in Las Vegas throughout 2025 was blamed by some on the election of Donald Trump to the presidency in January, as he has routinely antagonized Canadians,who made up most of the Trump quickly launched a hostile attack on the country and threatened to make it America's '51st state' if it did not submit to his tariff demands. With Canadians making up a large part of all tourism to Sin City, Trump's antagonism of its residents may have played a role. As the downward trend was beginning to snowball in February, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Steve Hill told the Journal that he was hearing from many angry Canadians about the president. 'There's an awful lot of the anecdotal conversation around Canadians being angry and upset about tariffs and talk around annexing the country,' he said. 'Weve seen consumer confidence numbers drop pretty significantly over the past couple of months.' In May, the World Travel & Tourism Council also reported that in its forecasts for 2025, the US was set to lose $12.5 billion in international visitor spending. Las Vegas has seen a staggering decline in tourism this year, and a new report found that capacity at its major airport is expected to fall by around 95,000 plane seats a day in the second half of 2025 'While other nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the U.S. government is putting up the closed sign,' Julia Simpson, the councils president and CEO, said in a news release at the time. Another reason for the recent drop in Las Vegas is due to a maintenance issue with Spirit Airlines, the second busiest carrier at Reid International Airport. The maintenance issues have grounded 50 planes in Spirit's fleet, which has significantly reduced its capacity, according to Ailevon Pacific Aviation Consulting senior director Joel Van Over. 'They have an issue with their (jet) engines,' Van Over said. 'They have to pull that engine off the plane, fix the cracks, put it back on the plane, and that whole process takes about 300 days. 'So obviously they cant just do a plane a year because it would take them 100 years to get that done.' The Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue at the centre of the Kate Forbes cancel culture row has performed a dramatic U-turn after threats to its public funding. Summerhall Arts, which was recently awarded 608,000 in grants, climbed down over an apparent ban on deputy First Minister because of her gender critical views. Bosses had claimed her appearance last week in a political talk was an oversight and gave a guarantee it wouldn't happen again. But after their statement was condemned by senior SNP figures, including ex First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the charity chiefs said no politician would be banned after all. Chief executive Sam Gough told the Mail: No one is banned from appearing on the stages. Summerhall is a collection of things in this building, including stages and venues. We have not banned anyone. Mr Goughs uncaveated comments went further than a statement issued earlier in the day by the organisation, which put a pre-condition on future appearances. It said there would be no ban on anyone assuming they adhere to our zero tolerance regarding discrimination. The damage limitation exercise followed an outcry over censorship with both the Government and arts quango Creative Scotland appearing to wash their hands of it. Kate Forbes on stage at Summerhall earlier this month Ministers said they had no role in individual funding decisions, while Creative Scotland, which gave Summerhall 608,302 in January, claimed it had no part in programming decisions. The Scottish Conservatives said both were missing the point - that taxpayers cash was supporting an organisation that appeared to be breaking the law by stifling free speech. A condition of Summerhalls state funding that it must comply with all applicable laws. Ms Forbes, a devout Christian who opposed the SNPs botched gender self-ID reforms, spoke at the venue last week. Summerhall apologised to performers just hours ahead of her appearance as it was concerned about the safety and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ artists, staff and audiences by attracting those who share her 'views and said we have work to do to repair the damage. They even provided a designated relaxed space or safe room said to be terrified of the 5ft 2in Skye MSP. The row coincided with controversies over gender critical authors being excluded from the state-backed Edinburgh Book Festival and a best-selling book of gender critical essays, The Women Who Wouldnt Wheest, being pulled from a National Library of Scotland exhibition. Finance Secretary Shona Robison called Summerhalls reaction unwise and unnecessary, while Ms Sturgeon said she didnt agree with cancel culture or the venues actions. The Scottish Tories demanded Summerhalls public funding be cut for potentially discriminating against people because of their beliefs. Summerhall Arts, which was recently awarded 608,000 in grants, climbed down over an apparent ban on deputy First Minister because of her gender critical views In 2023, the Stand comedy club had to back down after trying to cancel a Fringe show by then SNP MP Joanna Cherry KC because of her gender critical views, admitting its original decision was unfair and constituted unlawful discrimination. Last year Creative Scotland axed 84,555 of public funding from the live arts project Rein after a plan to include real sex acts was deemed a breach of contract. Bowing to pressure yesterday, the venue said no-one is banned from the Summerhall building or by Summerhall Arts and it would not be banning politicians or anyone else. It was a marked departure from its message to artists eight days earlier, which an insider downplayed as merely an email to performers, not an official statement. Scottish Tory equalities spokeswoman Tess White said there had been too much craven buck-passing by the Government and Creative Scotland. She said: This latest clear-as-mud statement from Summerhall just underlines the need for SNP ministers to step in and order the venue to get its act together. Summerhalls shameful decision to suppress free speech didnt occur in a vacuum. For years the SNP have been pushing their reckless and unlawful self-ID policy on Scotlands public bodies and pandering to gender extremists. As a result, organisations funded by taxpayers think its okay to silence those who have the moral courage and legal vindication to stand up for womens rights. Its totally unacceptable. John Swinney and Creative Scotland, which has form for financing dodgy projects, should remove funding from any group or venue that blocks legitimate free speech. It emerged yesterday that Summerhall Arts had known since April that Ms Forbes would appear in an event run by the Herald newspaper but did not object. The 'all gender toilets' at the venue in Edinburgh Just 48 hours before the event, managers raised fears about hate speech. SNP Culture Secretary Angus Roberson yesterday told the Herald he was a strong supporter of the freedom of speech and of expression at our festivals. He said: It will not be easy all of the time to please everybody. But I think keeping an eye on the principle of freedom of expression and the expression of different views is an established and important part of our national life. Mr Robertson is the MSP for Edinburgh Central, which is home to many cultural organisations, and he said he does not make decisions about their funding to avoid conflicts of interest. He has specifically recused himself from decisions in relation to Summerhall, which are taken by employment minister Richard Lochhead instead. A Creative Scotland spokesman said: Creative Scotland does not play a role in the programming decisions of funded organisations. A Scottish Government spokesman said: Creative Scotland is an arms-length funding body and Ministers have no role in individual funding decisions. Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were all smiles as they came face-to-face on Friday for the first time since 2018. But by the end of their three-hour meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, the leaders' parting handshake was less chummy, according to a body language expert, as the two revealed they hadn't yet struck a deal on ending the war in Ukraine. Welcoming him back onto U.S. soil after 10 years, Trump engaged in an abundance of physical contact with Putin, and even clapped for him ahead of their bilateral summit. Body language expert Judi James tells the Daily Mail that Trump gave Putin 'the ultimate ego-stroke' by publicly treating him like a celebrity guest after reuniting for the first time since his second term. 'Trump greeted Putin like a chat show host who has landed an A-list guest,' James said. After a lengthy greeting, Putin appeared visibly pleased with how it went, and James said he was left 'purring' with delight. National security experts warned that Trump already handed Putin a 'victory' by inviting him to U.S. soil for the first time in a decade and agreeing to exclude Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from the talks. Putin was last in the U.S. in September 2015 at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City where he also met with then-President Barack Obama. But James notes the U.S. president's tone swiftly altered when they were in a room for their official talks. He took a more 'heavyweight, power pose' as it was time to get down to business, she notes. 'After the overkill cordiality of his greeting ritual Trump's grim expression and his tapping fingertips here suddenly gave him a tougher and less optimistic look,' James notes. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin where chummy as they greeted each other in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday Trump gave Putin a round of applause as he stepped onto U.S. soil for the first time in a decade She also said that their final handshake exhibited how dynamics changed as the day went on. 'Trump's final handshake mirrored his first but with a telling difference,' James notes. 'The shake at the end came with the same extended hand and cocked thumb but there was also a hard-looking stare and Trump dropped Putin's hand quickly this time,' she said. 'No patting and no pulling him closer,' she added. Earlier and shortly after touching down in Alaska on Friday, the two world leaders shook hands and gabbed ahead of talks that were aimed at bringing an end to the bloodshed in Ukraine. Trump was the first off his respective plane, pumping his fist before descending the long staircase and walking a red carpet to wait for Putin to emerge from his own aircraft. As Putin made a lengthy walk, Trump clapped and smiled, a striking if not peculiar greeting for an authoritarian leader accused of massacring civilians. The two were chummy as they made contact for a hand-shake and exchanged what appeared to be pleasantries. James says that the U.S. president's clapping broke the careful choreography of the day. 'The gesture seemed to signal reward and celebration. As an act of greeting, it was the ultimate ego-stroke,' James said. And in terms of their handshake, she claims that the patting of Putin's fists and biceps appeared to be 're-setting some of the glue that bound them in the past.' The high-stakes meeting is aimed at bringing an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine but excludes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky The two made contact several times, touching hands, elbows and backs as they walked the red carpet together Trump guides Putin with a hand on his back towards a photo-op in front of Air Force One Your browser does not support iframes. While the two have spoken by phone many times, according to the White House, Friday was the first time they saw each other in-person in Trump's second term. The last time they met was on June 28, 2019 in Osaka, Japan for the G20 Summit where Trump joked with Putin about election interference, saying: 'Don't meddle in the election, please.' Trump, a known germaphobe, seemed downright cozy with his counterpart, repeatedly touching Putin as they walked down the red carpet together and patted his shoulders, elbows and back. The duo stopped at a photo-op location on a step-up stage with an 'Alaska 2025' sign where they again shook hands. A reporter shouted to Putin: 'President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?' To this, the Russian president pointed to his ear and shrugged, indicating he did not hear or did not understand the question. Trump then guided Putin with a hand on his back towards his presidential limousine, known as The Beast. They drove together to a location for their meeting on negotiating an end to the years-long war with Ukraine. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. As they were shuttled away, the two were seen through the windows chatting with a large smile plastered across Putin's face. 'The glimpse of Putin's face as he drove off from the airport, sharing a car with Trump, summed up the body language dynamic of the initial greeting of these two men,' James tells the Daily Mail. 'His cheeks were rounded in a beaming, smug smile that he turned to the world's press,' she added. 'He'd been 'stroked' by Trump on arrival and this 'purring' expression appeared to reflect his delight.' Putin, who is a few inches shorter than his U.S. counterpart, donned a black suit and dark red tie and Trump wore a navy blue suit with his signature vibrant red tie. An epic flyover of B-2 jets appeared to stun Putin ahead of the meeting, as both men tilted their heads to the sky. The gesture served as both welcome and warning that Putin stood as guest on sovereign American soil. At the end of Trump and Putin's meeting alongside their respective top foreign relations advisors, they admitted that no deal was struck. But they signalled optimism towards negotiating an end to the war. Arresting shoplifters is pointless when the courts keep on setting them free a police chief has declared, with the commissioner describing the legal system's current approach as 'madness'. Katy Bourne, the national lead for shoplifting at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, has hit out at the lack of an 'effective deterrent' for shoplifters carrying out more crimes. Insisting that it is 'madness' that the thieves blighting Britain's retailers are often not being put behind bars, Ms Bourne told the Telegraph: 'People have got to know that they're going to get caught, and that there's a meaningful deterrent when they do. 'There is no point arresting shoplifters if there is no effective deterrent.' The Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex said that as a result of prisons being at capacity, many offenders are avoiding facing time in jail. Shoplifting rates have almost doubled in two decades, with three thefts a minute recorded across England and Wales in the year to March. There were 530,643 reported to the police in this time, up 20 per cent on the previous year's 444,022. The problem is becoming increasingly rife in chemists, with an estimated increase of 88 per cent in the theft of drugs and medical supplies in the past 12 months. Katy Bourne (pictured), the national lead for shoplifting at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, has hit out at the lack of an 'effective deterrent' for shoplifters carrying out more crimes Insisting that it is 'madness' that the thieves blighting Britain's retailers are often not being put behind bars, Ms Bourne told the Telegraph: 'People have got to know that they're going to get caught, and that there's a meaningful deterrent when they do'. Pictured: a thief in action Shoplifting rates have almost doubled in two decades, with three thefts a minute recorded across England and Wales in the year to March. There were 530,643 reported to the police in this time, up 20 per cent on the previous year's 444,022 Now, Ms Bourne has hit out at successive governments for handling the thieves with 'kid gloves'. She added: 'Successive parliaments have contributed to an indigestible legislative layer cake of rights and data protection laws and police guidance that treats the greedy, the ruthless and feckless with kid gloves.' Last September, she criticised the Tories for failing to tackle organised crime gangs seriously and advocated for prolific shoplifters to be given electronic location tags in a bid to clamp down on retail theft. The police chief added that she had become frustrated by a persistent lack of action by the government, suggesting that offenders must commit the crime several times before they are eventually imprisoned. As a result of the growing issue, alongside a lack of prison space, Ms Bourne has now said that Sussex will be set to introduce the nation's first electronic tagging scheme in a bid to tackle the crime epidemic. The innovative move will mean that those caught shoplifting on a regular basis could face GPS tagging and rehabilitation orders ensuring they are banned from shops and even given certain curfews. She acknowledged that while rehabilitation for some offenders is key, consequences must be enforced, alongside suitable alternatives as a result of overcrowded prisons. In light of the stark rates of shoplifting across the nation, the Government has now agreed that the crime should be called 'shop theft' in order to avoid downplaying its seriousness. Your browser does not support iframes. Now, Ms Bourne (pictured) has hit out at successive governments, adding: 'Successive parliaments have contributed to an indigestible legislative layer cake of rights and data protection laws and police guidance that treats the greedy, the ruthless and feckless with kid gloves' Last September, Ms Bourne criticised the Tories for failing to tackle organised crime gangs seriously and advocated for prolific shoplifters to be given electronic location tags in a bid to clamp down on retail theft. Pictured: Ms Bourne with then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in June 2024 In a letter to ministers, peers warned the 'outdated' word was 'trivialising the severity of the offence' and called for it to be phased out in legislation and guidance. The Government responded to commit to using 'shop theft' where appropriate, the Daily Telegraph reported. The letter from peers sent in November said: 'The use of the outdated term 'shoplifting' serves to trivialise the serious, organised nature of an increasing element of shop theft which is having a devastating effect on the retail sector. We recommend its use should be phased out.' In response, policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said: 'The Government will use the expression 'shop theft' where appropriate. Sir Keir Starmer has made tackling shoplifting one of his top priorities since taking office, and pledged to spend an extra 200m on neighbourhood policing, as well as making assaulting a shop worker a more serious offence. However, the Prime Minister came under criticism this week for failing to refer to shoplifters as 'scumbags.' It came after Rob Davies, 61, a shopkeeper in Wrexham, North Wales, was left stunned after police told him to change his sign in which he called shoplifters 'scumbags' because it may be offensive. A warning from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said that shaming shoplifting suspects could 'breach data protection' laws. In light of the stark rates of shoplifting across the nation, the Government has now agreed that the crime should be called 'shop theft' in order to avoid downplaying its seriousness, Dame Diana Johnson (pictured) said Sir Keir Starmer has made tackling shoplifting one of his top priorities since taking office, and pledged to spend an extra 200m on neighbourhood policing, as well as making assaulting a shop worker a more serious offence The Prime Minister came under criticism this week for failing to refer to shoplifters as 'scumbags.' It came after Rob Davies, 61, a shopkeeper in Wrexham, North Wales, was left stunned after police told him to change his sign in which he called shoplifters 'scumbags' On an advice page for tackling shoplifters, the UK data watchdog warned that putting up images of thieves in a local area could 'not be appropriate' behaviour. As a result, they advised retailers to 'only share personal information that's proportionate and necessary to achieve your purpose'. However shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick called the advice 'madness' and suggested that shoplifters should be 'named and shamed'. Meanwhile, Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones told Radio 4's Today Programme earlier this week that shoplifting had 'got out of hand'. When asked if it was right for shops to post photos of suspects, she responded: 'I think it is on all of us to be aware of what is going on in our local communities.' Taking to X, Shadow home office minister Katie Lam recounted a story about a constituent who had been ordered by police to remove pictures of suspected shoplifters. 'He gives police CCTV, card details, licence plates. No action apart from a visit to say he must take down pics of thieves 'because of GDPR',' she wrote. 'Our system should crush the lawless and protect the law-abiding. It does the opposite.' Your browser does not support iframes. A warning from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said that shaming shoplifting suspects could 'breach data protection' laws. However shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick called the advice 'madness', suggesting that shoplifters should be 'named and shamed' Earlier this week, Matthew Barber, the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, said tackling thieves was not just a job for police and criticised onlookers for standing back and filming instances of crime. Instead, he encouraged the public to stand up to thieves themselves and not rely on bobbies on the beat for help. Mr Barber criticised the public for being 'part of the problem' and encouraged shop owners to to deal with thieves themselves. But ex-New Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley has criticised Mr Barber's comments, calling them 'utter idiocy' and warning they could lead to more crime. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Mr Bleksley said: 'The PCC has clearly not thought - it's complete and utter idiocy. Sanjeev Panesar, who owns a pharmacy in Birmingham, described the 'noticeable rise' in hostility towards staff as both 'disheartening' but also capable of having a 'lasting effect on job satisfaction, morale, and feelings of safety at work.' Meanwhile, Ashley Cowen, owner of three pharmacies across Leeds and York that have been subjected to incidents, described the lack of police action on the issue as 'shocking'. He also described witnessing brazen thieves going as far as to burn, cut and even sow through 'steel grilles' in a bid to access drug stock. Earlier this week, Matthew Barber (pictured), the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley said tackling thieves was not just a job for police and criticised onlookers for standing back and filming instances of crime However, Ex-New Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley (pictured) criticised Mr Barber's comments, calling them 'utter idiocy' and warning they could lead to more crime - not less A spokesman for the Information Commissioner's Office said: 'We don't set strict requirements on how organisations should respond to shoplifting, as data protection law recognises that circumstances can vary. Instead, we provide guidance to help organisations use people's information in a way that is lawful, fair and proportionate. 'Data protection law enables retailers to share images to prevent or detect crime, as long as it's necessary and proportionate in the circumstances. For example, this could include sharing images with the police, shopping centre security teams, or other relevant authorities. 'Retailers will need to consider the relevant privacy implications, such as having a legal reason and appropriate security measures, when considering publishing any images of suspected shoplifters.' Shoplifting figures released this week by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) showed just 2.5 per cent of offences were recorded by the police each year. It said 50,000 shoplifting incidents go unreported every day as firms give up on the police. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: 'Many retailers do not see the point of reporting incidents to the police.' The Home Office was approached for comment. Russian President Vladimir Putin looked startled as U.S. fighter jets flew above him, as Donald Trump put on a spectacular military show of force to kick off their high-stakes meeting. The reaction came just moments after Putin shook Trump's hand in their first face-to-face meeting since 2018. One B-2 bomber and four F-35 fighter jets flew above Putin and Trump as they walked to the U.S. president's motorcade waiting for them in Alaska. The Russian leader appeared shocked as the jets took off, pausing his walk to look up overhead. Meanwhile, Trump appeared unfazed as he clapped his hands together in celebration after the jets took off in the sky. The B-2 Bomber is one of the most advanced aircraft in the entire U.S. military arsenal. On Friday afternoon, the two world leaders shook hands after flying into Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. The pair is scheduled to discuss a potential solution to ending the bloody war in Ukraine. The Russian leader appeared shocked as the jets took off, pausing his walk to look up overhead Putin appeared shocked when a B-2 Bomber flew over his head after being greeted by Trump Trump is meeting with Putin in Alaska to discuss an end to the Ukraine war Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador Steve Witkoff will join Trump during his formal discussions with Putin. Before arriving at the meeting, Trump told Fox News anchor Bret Baier that he would leave the summit 'very quickly' if he believed a deal could not be made with Putin. Putin shook Trump's hand after landing in Anchorage, Alaska After shaking Trump's hand, Putin joined the president in his 'Beast' vehicle rather than departing in his own Russian motorcade. Putin appeared smiling with Trump in the back of the vehicle as the two leaders drove to a separate building for a news conference later. Ahead of Trump's arrival in Alaska, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that Trump and Putin would no longer be meeting one-on-one. Instead, Trump would be joined by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who has taken several trips to Moscow to try and negotiate a Ukraine ceasefire and greater peace, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Putin brought along Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov to the official negotiation. A lip reader has revealed what exactly President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin whispered to each other on the airport tarmac as they met for a high-stakes meeting about ending the war in Ukraine. The two leaders shook hands for the first time in six years Friday in a charged moment at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, before they climbed into the same motorcade to begin the historic talks. In a moment watched around the world, Trump, 79, dutifully waited on the red carpet for his 72-year-old Russian counterpart to descend the stairs of his aircraft in the Last Frontier State. The US leader seemed somewhat impatient, with a lip reader telling the Daily Mail the very first word of their encounter was Trump saying: 'Finally.' As they shook hands, Trump said: 'You made it, fantastic to see you and appreciated.' The lip reader told the Daily Mail that the two presidents both promised to 'help' each other during the cordial greeting. 'Thank you, and you. I am here to help you,' Putin replied. Trump jovially responded: 'Ill help you.' President Donald Trump and Russian Presidenr Vladimir Putin appeared to agree to help each other reach a deal on Ukraine as they whispered on the tarmac on Friday 'You made it, fantastic to see you and appreciated,' Trump said, according to a lip reader Putin then reportedly told Trump he 'will bring it to a rest' if asked. 'All they need is to ask,' he said. 'I hope it does,' Trump replied, before turning towards their waiting vehicle and saying: 'Come on, lets get straight into the vehicle. We need to move forward, both giving it attention. I know this is serious, its quite long. What a journey it is.' Trump then asked the Russian leader if he wanted the 'scoop,' to which Putin replied: 'Give me the scoop.' 'It's cargo fuel,' he replied. It's unclear what exactly they were discussing. After stepping up to the podium, Trump instructed Putin to shake his hand because it 'gives a good impression'. Putin nodded and stuck out his hand. 'Thank you,' he replied. During the brief moment on the podium, the Russian leader ignored journalists' questions about Ukraine and the killing of civilians. The two leaders shook hands for the first time in six years today. Putin then reportedly told Trump he 'will bring it to a rest' if asked The two leaders got into a waiting vehicle together and were seen smiling inside as they drove to a separate building for the meeting. Moments before Trump's plane touched down, the White House announced the planned one-on-one meeting between the world leaders was off the table. Putin and Trump are instead holding talks with two of their top aides. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Ambassador Steve Witkoff are joining Trump during his formal discussions with Putin. On his way to Anchorage, Trump told reporters his goal was to 'stop the killing,' but that he didn't know how long it would take to get a ceasefire deal over the line. 'I don't know if it's going to be today,' Trump admitted on Air Force One. 'But I'm not going to be happy if it's not today. Everyone said it can't be today - but I want the killing to stop.' Days ago, Trump warned Putin 'there will be very severe consequences' if Russia does not agree to stop the war in Ukraine after their meeting. The US President took a tougher tone Friday saying he was yet to be convinced he would be able to persuade Putin to stop killing civilians. European leaders also said Trump had agreed to make an immediate ceasefire at the start of negotiations a priority - something that will be painful for Moscow which is gaining territory by the day. Days ago, Trump warned Putin 'there will be very severe consequences' if Russia does not agree to stop the war in Ukraine after their meeting (pictured: Ukraine on Friday) Trump said if he 'doesn't get the answers' he needs on Friday 'then we're not going to have a second meeting' Trump said that if he 'doesn't get the answers' he needs Friday 'then we're not going to have a second meeting'. In that scenario, Trump said Russia would face 'consequences'. When asked if this would be sanctions or tariffs, Trump said: 'I don't have to say. There will be very severe consequences.' But he said he hoped there would be a 'quick second meeting' following the summit between Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky - 'and myself if they'd like to have me there'. Personal data of former Tory ministers, British troops and thousands of Afghans has been lost in another embarrassing blunder for the Ministry of Defence. Defence officials sent a warning on Friday to 3,700 affected individuals warning their personal details, including their name, date of birth and passport number, had been hacked. It comes exactly a month after it was revealed the MoD had been running secrets flights to Britain, bringing in thousands of Afghans after a data blunder put 100,000 of them 'at risk of death' from the Taliban. The latest leak concerns many of the same people and is the third involving the personal data of former frontline Afghans since 2021. Former special forces interpreter Rafi Hottak, who was seriously injured in Afghanistan, said: 'How can it be that we've now had three separate data leaks involving one of the most vulnerable groups of people. 'I am truly worried about how badly the UK MOD has mishandled the personal data of Afghan allies. 'Once again, they have failed to protect those who stood shoulder to shoulder with them.' The personal details of former Conservative government ministers are also understood to have been compromised. Personal data of former Tory ministers, British troops and thousands of Afghans has been lost in another embarrassing blunder for the Ministry of Defence Former special forces interpreter Rafi Hottak, who was seriously injured in Afghanistan, said: 'How can it be that we've now had three separate data leaks involving one of the most vulnerable groups of people' News of the leak comes exactly a month after it was revealed the MoD had been running secrets flights to Britain, bringing in thousands of Afghans after a data blunder put 100,000 of them 'at risk of death' from the Taliban Such is the sensitivity of the leak that both the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre are involved in the investigation. It follows a cyber attack on a third-party sub-contractor used by the MoD for flights into Stansted the airport that brings Afghans to the UK. They have been flown over in a secret operation following a major data leak, which was uncovered in 2023 and then remained secret for almost two years after an unprecedented government super-injunction. It is believed that some of the Afghans whose data was leaked in that first blunder have now been impacted a second time. A subcontractor called Inflite The Jet Centre which provides ground handling services for flights to the airport was compromised. It also handles flights for the Cabinet Office. The data covered the period from January to March last year, when hundreds of Afghans, relocated after risking their lives to help British troops, were flown to the UK. The hack, which happened recently, related only to those flying into Stansted Airport. Investigations are underway into the cyber attack and ransomware demands, said the MoD. The flights were used for bringing Afghans to the UK, as well as travel to routine military exercises and official engagements. A soldier escorts a family at Stansted on May 23 as part of a government scheme smuggling migrants to Britain after a data-leak blunder previously exposed by the Daily Mail The latest leak concerns many of the same people and is the third involving the personal data of former frontline Afghans since 2021. Pictured: A Taliban fighter stands guard as women wait to receive food rations from a humanitarian aid group in Kabul in May 2023 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 MoD alert warned: 'Please remain vigilant and be alert to unexpected communication or unusual activity.' The email has been sent to those who travelled during the period. It explained that certain information was required by the contractor to enable flights to depart and arrive. It is understood the hack primarily concerned Afghans being brought here, although 100 UK personnel were also affected. MoD sources said there was currently no evidence to suggest that any data has been released publicly or on the dark web. Investigations are underway into the cyber attack and any possible ransomware demands. Tens of thousands of Afghans who served alongside UK forces during the war have been rescued and brought to the UK. Professor Sara de Jong of the Sulha Alliance which campaigns for Afghans who worked beside UK forces during the 20 years of conflict, said: 'It's extraordinary that Afghans at risk are affected by yet another data security incident involving the Ministry of Defence. 'This will even further erode the trust of Afghans, who supported British military goals and who thought they could rely on protection in return, in UK institutions. 'Afghans who are now affected by several data leaks will also be left wondering why the Ministry of Defence's communication and advice is different each time, with the limited security advice and guidance, given very little reassurance.' The hack, which happened recently, related only to those flying into Stansted Airport. Investigations are underway into the cyber attack and ransomware demands, said the MoD Defence officials sent a warning on Friday to 3,700 affected individuals warning their personal details, including their name, date of birth and passport number, had been hacked In a statement, Inflite The Jet Centre Limited said it 'recently experienced a data security incident involving unauthorised access to a limited number of company emails. 'We have reported the incident to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and have been actively working with the relevant UK cyber authorities to support our investigation and response. 'We believe the scope of the incident was limited to email accounts only, however, as a precautionary measure, we have contacted our key stakeholders whose data may have been affected during the period of January to March 2024.' A government spokesman said: 'The incident has not posed any threat to individuals' safety, nor compromised any government systems.' 'We were recently notified that a third party sub-contractor to a supplier experienced a cyber security incident involving unauthorised access to a small number of its emails that contained basic personal information. 'We take data security extremely seriously and are going above and beyond our legal duties in informing all potentially affected individuals.' The government super-injunction was imposed after a list of those looking to relocate to Britain from Afghanistan after the Taliban took back control was accidentally emailed out by a soldier. When the Daily Mail uncovered the leak, it, followed by other media, was gagged. The total legal bill over the news blackout came to almost 2.5 million, an FOI obtained by the Guido Fawkes website revealed on Friday. The UN today warned that at least 1,760 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid in Gaza since late May - a jump of several hundred since its last published figure at the beginning of August. 'Since 27 May, and as of 13 August, we have recorded that at least 1,760 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid; 994 in the vicinity of GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) sites and 766 along the routes of supply convoys. 'Most of these killings were committed by the Israeli military,' the agency's office for the Palestinian territories said in a statement. That compares with a figure of 1,373 killed the office reported on August 1. The update came as Gaza's civil defence agency said at least 38 people were killed by Israeli fire on Friday, including 12 who were waiting for humanitarian aid. The Israeli military said its troops were working to 'dismantle Hamas military capabilities', adding its forces were taking precautions 'to mitigate civilian harm'. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and the Israeli military. On Wednesday, the chief of staff of the Israeli military said plans had been approved for a new offensive in Gaza, aimed at defeating Hamas and freeing all the remaining hostages. The UN human rights today warned that at least 1,760 Palestinians had been killed while seeking aid in Gaza since late May. Pictured: Palestinians displaced by Israeli attacks flock to a US aid distribution center to receive food assistance in Rafah, Gaza, on August 14 The death toll has increased by several hundred since the agency's office last published figure at the beginning of August The office reported 1,373 killed seeking aid on August 1. Pictured: Displaced Palestinians gather to receive aid run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) on August 4 The military intends to take control of Gaza City and nearby refugee camps, some of the most densely populated parts of the territory, which has been devastated by more than 22 months of war. In recent days, Gaza City residents have told AFP of more frequent air strikes targeting residential areas, while earlier this week Hamas denounced 'aggressive' Israeli ground incursions in the area. On Friday, the Israeli military said its troops were conducting a range of operations on the outskirts of the city. The Israeli government's plans to expand the war have sparked an international outcry as well as domestic opposition. UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in. But Israel insists that Gaza is not facing starvation and says Hamas is responsible for the looting of aid. Just days ago, distressing new photos of two skeletal-looking Palestinian children emerged amid the continued war of words. So far, 212 people, including 98 children, have reportedly died of malnutrition according to unconfirmed figures by the Hamas-run health ministry, with 11 more deaths reported last night. The latest harrowing images to come out of the Gaza strip appear to show a severely emaciated two-year-old crying out as he is treated in hospital. UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in. Pictured: Palestinians carry humanitarian aid packages near a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution center Palestinians wait with pots in their hands as a charitable organization distributes food to people in Gaza suffering food crisis Pictured: People carried pots and pans to collect food from aid workers in Gaza on Sunday, August 10 Little Sham Kadih, who appears to be suffering from malnutrition, was pictured weeping as he is tended to at Nasser Hospital on August 10. It comes amid an on-going shortage of baby formula and medicine, which has reportedly left scores of children on the brink of starvation. Another image purports to show three-year-old Palestinian boy Edhem Mohammed Abu Urmana being fed just water instead of baby formula. The youngster, who appears gaunt and thin, was forced to flee his home alongside his family amid the on-going bombing campaign by Israel. Now staying inside a tent at the Nuseirat refugee camp, Edhem is reportedly suffering from malnutrition. He was pictured curled into a ball as he sipped water from a bottle. Earlier this month Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff inspected a food distribution centre in war-torn Gaza. The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, posted on X that he and Witkoff had gone to Gaza 'to learn the truth' about the private aid sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is supported by the United States. 'We received briefings from IDF (the Israeli military) and spoke to folks on the ground. GHF delivers more than one million meals a day, an incredible feat!' Huckabee said. 'Hamas hates GHF because it gets food to people without it being looted by Hamas.' The foundation, on its own X account, posted that it had been a 'privilege and honor' to host Witkoff and Huckabee as the group delivered its 100-millionth meal in Gaza, fulfilling Trump's 'call to lead with strength, compassion and action'. Hamas's October 2023 attack which triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has killed at least 61,827 Palestinians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza which the United Nations considers reliable. Speeding around the Med on a jetski with his biceps on display, you might think this was a Hollywood star filming a set-piece for an action movie. Au contraire under those tinted sunglasses it was French president Emmanuel Macron enjoying a summer getaway in the south of the country. And while critics may question how much political muscle he has flexed during his eight-year presidency, there was no doubting the 47-year-old was in good shape. He showed off his muscular physique and six-pack stomach as he posed topless, wearing only black swimming shorts aboard a yacht with wife Brigitte, 72, and their friends near Fort de Bregancon on Thursday. The French leader is no stranger to a jetski and has often been spotted ripping along the waves in recent years. Meanwhile, Mrs Macron decided against motor sports, opting to stay on board as she sported a white jacket, white cap and sunglasses while she chatted with two female friends. She remained on the top deck while her husband enjoyed a laugh with his bodyguards on the side of the boat. The French presidents holiday came just a day after he took part in a phone call with Donald Trump and other European leaders ahead of the US leaders summit with Russias Vladimir Putin in Alaska yesterday. French President Emmanuel Macron flexes his muscles soaking up the sun with his wife and 'First Lady' Brigitte Macron French president Emmanuel Macron enjoying a summer getaway in the south of the country While critics may question how much political muscle he has flexed during his eight-year presidency, there was no doubting the 47-year-old was in good shape The French leader is no stranger to a jetski as he showed off his impressive physique Mrs Macron decided against motor sports, opting to stay on board as she sported a white jacket, white cap and sunglasses while she chatted with two female friends Macron has often been spotted ripping along the waves in recent years Macron enjoyed a laugh with his bodyguards on the side of the boat Macron wore only black swimming shorts aboard a yacht with wife Brigitte, 72, and their friends near Fort de Bregancon on Thursday He showed off his muscular physique and six-pack stomach as he posed topless And the couples getaway was possibly just what the doctor ordered, as it comes just months after Mrs Macron was caught on camera shoving her husband in the face. The incident happened as the couple touched down in Vietnam in May, but the French president brushed it off as just a joke. Fort de Bregancon is a medieval fortress off the French Riviera and has been the official holiday residence for all French premiers since 1968. Russian President Vladimir Putin acted like he could not hear a reporter who asked if he would stop killing civilians. The arresting moment occurred after Putin and Donald Trump greeted each other in Alaska. After walking down a long red carpet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Putin was met by Trump who deplaned first and was waiting. Minutes later when the pair appeared in front cameras on the tarmac, Putin was immediately sprayed with questions. One reporter shouted, Mr. Putin, did you underestimate Ukraine? Seconds later a reporter served up a more aggressive query: 'President Putin, will you stop killing civilians? Putin responded by pointing to his ear as if he could not hear the questions, a tactic commonly employed by politicians across the globe. Meanwhile, Trump did not react to the questioning while standing alongside Putin. Putin shook Trump's hand after arriving to Alaska Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as he arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. The two leaders are meeting for peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) The moment Putin say's "I can't hear you" when ignoring a reporter's question After shaking hands, Trump escorted Putin to his presidential vehicle nicknamed 'The Beast.' Putin joined Trump in 'The Beast' rather than traveling in his own Russian motorcade. The American and Russian delegation convened at a separate building for an expected press conference. Since the start of the war in 2022, millions of civilians in Ukraine have been displaced across the country while thousands have died from Russia's invasion. Trump told Fox News anchor Bret Baier that he will leave the summit 'very quickly' if a deal is not reached with Putin. Moreover, the president stated that Russia will face 'severe consequences' if Putin does not end the war in Ukraine. Putin joined Trump in 'The Beast' shortly after shaking hands with the U.S. president Trump is being joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador Steve Witkoff during his meeting with his Putin. Earlier, the White House reported that Trump and Putin's one-on-one meeting was changed to a three-on-three discussion. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders did not attend the summit in Alaska. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday blasted 'the swamp' for trying to drive a wedge between him and President Donald Trump and announced that he was not running for president in 2028. Kennedy took to X to dispel rumors he was eyeing another presidential bid under the nose of Trump, who appointed him HHS head after Kennedy endorsed the Republican and ended his independent 2024 bid last August. On Wednesday, Trump's most controversial outside adviser Laura Loomer told Politico Playbook that she wanted a top Kennedy aide ousted, over concerns the adviser was helping the HHS secretary quietly mount a White House run. 'The swamp is in full panic mode,' Kennedy said on X. 'D.C. lobby shops are laboring fiercely to drive a wedge between President Trump and me, hoping to thwart our team from dismantling the status quo and advancing POTUS' Make America Healthy Again agenda.' 'They're pushing the flat-out lie that I'm running for president in 2028,' Kennedy continued. 'Let me be clear: I am not running for president in 2028.' He added that 'my loyalty is to President Trump and the mission we've started.' Kennedy then addressed Loomer's call for his principal deputy chief of staff and senior counselor, Stefanie Spear, to be fired. Spear served as his 2024 campaign press secretary, one of Kennedy's most visible campaign officials. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Friday that he was not mounting a 2028 presidential bid under President Donald Trump's nose and blasted members of 'the swamp' for pushing those rumors Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted to X Friday to set the record straight that he was not pursuing another presidential bid and that President Donald trump had answered his '20-year prayer' to run the country's top health agency 'Their attacks on my staff, especially Stefanie Spear - a fierce, loyal warrior for MAHA who proudly serves in the Trump Administration and works every day to advance President Trump's vision for a healthier, stronger America - are proof we're over the target,' Kennedy said. Laura Loomer, President Donald Trump's most controversial outside adviser, called for the firing of Stefanie Spear (pictured), Kennedy's principal deputy chief of staff and senior counselor, who had served as his 2024 campaign press secretary Other conservatives in the MAGA movement took issue with Spear just weeks into the administration. In February Axios quoted a number of unnamed sources from conservative organizations who had problems with some of Spear's previous social media posts - which expressed support for Democratic causes. Kennedy started his presidential campaign as a Democrat - the party of his famous family - but switched his affiliation to independent in October 2023 when it was clear he wouldn't be able to beat incumbent President Joe Biden in the 2024 Democratic primary. A year ago, Kennedy joined forces with the Republican Trump - combining the MAGA movement with MAHA - Make America Healthy Again. That coalition aided Trump in winning the election against Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris in November. Last month, Axios reported that a call that included hundreds of MAHA supporters, including controversial comedian Russell Brand, appeared to be setting the table for Kennedy to launch another presidential bid. That move could ruffle feathers with Trump, who is constitutionally barred from serving a third term, but has already indicated that he wants to play kingmaker in the next presidential election. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (left) is photographed on the campaign trail with former President Donald Trump (right) in October of last year. Kennedy dropped his independent presidential bid and endorsed Trump last August The involvement of Tony Lyons on the call, who had run Kennedy's MAHA PAC, signaled to some attendees that a 2028 bid was in the making. Lyons has protested that interpretation and did so again on Friday. 'The story that Secretary Kennedy was running for president was a made up story. There's no truth to it whatsoever,' he told the Daily Mail. 'Secretary Kennedy never gave any indication that he was planning to run for president.' Lyons said that Kennedy was 'disrupting an entrenched and deeply corrupt system that has allowed a small group of companies to make incredible profits from products that make Americans sick.' 'Those companies are spending millions to attack Secretary Kennedy, Stefanie Spear and the rest of his incredible team,' Lyons continued. 'This is a desperate attempt to protect a revenue stream that is dependent on poisoning the American public.' Kennedy, a prominent vaccine sceptic, was more vague in his post on who was to blame for spreading the 2028 rumors and tarnishing Spear in media reports. 'The president has made himself the answer to my 20-year prayer that God would put me in a position to end the chronic disease epidemic - and that's exactly what my team and I will do until the day he leaves office,' Kennedy said. Donald Trump's White House will purge around 300,000 federal workers this year as part of his ambitious bid to streamline the civil service. The massive cull represents a 12.5 percent cut to the workforce, which Trump has complained is bloated and inefficient. Office of Personnel Management director Scott Kupor said 80 percent of those workers would leave voluntarily and only 20 percent would be fired. The figure is almost double the amount of workers reported to have taken buyouts last month. Upon taking office in January, President Donald Trump launched a massive campaign to downsize the 2.4-million strong federal civilian workforce. The Trump administration started sending emails to thousands of federal workers in January, offering them a chance to voluntarily vacate their government posts while remaining on the payroll for months. 'I cannot force people to lay people off,' Kupor said in an interview in Washington on Thursday. He said he would have to persuade cabinet secretaries to buy into his vision of government efficiency. The comments contrast with the first few months of Trump's second term, when OPM leadership explicitly directed agencies to dismiss employees new to their roles, according to a court filing. Donald Trump's White House will likely purge about 300,000 federal workers in 2025, a 12.5 percent cut representing one of the president's most ambitious goals of his second term Office of Personnel Management director Scott Kupor said 80% of those workers would leave voluntarily and only 20% would be fired If Kupo's estimate is accurate, the number of employees leaving the federal workforce will be more than double the 5.9 percent reduction in the federal workforce in fiscal year 2023, according to the most figures compiled by the non-profit Partnership for Public Service. Kupor declined to share headcount statistics for individual government agencies. He said OPM will publish the figures later. Agencies will submit proposals on future cuts to White House Budget Director Russ Vought as the president prepares his next budget request to Congress, Kupor said, adding that he met with the budget office on Wednesday. The email sent out in January was linked to President Donald Trump's executive order demanding federal employees return to the office. An email landed in federal workers' inboxes offering them a package and the ability to voluntarily separate from the federal government before the new Department of Government Efficiency began identifying areas that could afford to be cut. 'At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency, but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions,' the email, titled 'Fork in the Road', read. To take the deal, employees were told to type the word 'resign' into the subject line of their response. The 'majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force,' according to the email. Upon taking office in January, President Donald Trump launched a massive campaign to downsize the 2.4-million strong federal civilian workforce, which he says is bloated and inefficient A spokesperson for the Office of Personnel Management said the employees who accept the terms were being offered the chance to go on administrative leave through Sept. 30 at full pay. Many federal employees eye leaving their jobs amid Donald Trump's takeover in Washington, D.C. as the new Trump administration has fired top Justice Department officials who worked on his criminal prosecution and placed other senior administration members on paid leave. The president ordered his agencies to create, implement and enforce return-to-office orders that would require the entire federal workforce to come back to the office full-time. Others have been reassigned to direct their efforts against so-called sanctuary cities amid Trump's immigration crackdown. DOGE official Katie Miller confirmed the email was going to 2 million federal workers. An OPM memo dated January 28 reviewed by Daily Mail describes the option as 'deferred resignation' which exempts employees from the requirement to return to the office. Employees who accept it, 'should promptly have their duties reassigned or eliminated and be placed on paid administrative leave until the end of the deferred resignation period,' states the letter, from Charles Ezell, acting director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. It carves out an exception for when an agency head determines 'that it is necessary for the employee to be actively engaged in transitioning job duties, in which case employees should be placed on administrative leave as soon as those duties are transitioned.' It amounts to nearly a doubling of the 154,000 workers reported top have taken buyouts last month 'If you resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload and will be exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30, 2025 (or earlier if you choose to accelerate your resignation for any reason).' Democrats and a powerful union called it an effort to try to dupe employees, or pressure them to leave to make way for Trump loyalists. An administration official told Daily Mail the program could save up to $100 billion, but the the White House has not put forward information on how it got to the figure. Officials are predicting up to 10 percent of the workforce could take the deal for a delayed resignation. A warehouse worker with a bad back who was sacked after being filmed 'dancing' was only shuffling from foot to foot, an employment tribunal has ruled. Neil Wilson, who also worked as a reggae DJ and music producer, began working for a plastic piping company in 2021, the hearing was told. But the following year, he was signed off sick following an accident at work. He applied for company insurance payouts, stating: 'I cannot perform any action which requires lifting of weight or stretching or exerting my body in any manner or I feel a lot of pain.' Mr Wilson told the firm, Aliaxis UK Ltd, which owns the warehouse near Maidstone in Kent, he suffered back pain 'approximately one hour after rising'. He also stated he had difficulty sleeping and struggled with walking at times. But the company's human resources director Joanne Askham told the tribunal she became 'very concerned' after seeing Mr Wilson's social media posts. One photo showed him lying in a vest on a beach, while another showed him leaning on a railing and drinking, which 'does not indicate that he is in any particular pain', the hearing in Ashford was told. Music videos also appeared to show Mr Wilson 'moving around freely'. A warehouse worker with a bad back who was sacked after being filmed 'dancing' was only shuffling from foot to foot, an employment tribunal has ruled (stock photo) Neil Wilson told the firm, Aliaxis UK Ltd, which owns the warehouse near Maidstone in Kent, he suffered back pain 'approximately one hour after rising' Ms Askham concluded Mr Wilson, known as DJ Reggae Vibes, was 'a fraudster' and cancelled his insurance payments. However, the company decided not to pursue any action over the alleged fraud. Instead, bosses told Mr Wilson in June 2023 they were firing him because they did not believe his condition would improve enough for him to return to work. But judge Sean Jones said the music video 'seems to us [the tribunal panel] to be moving rhythmically from foot to foot. 'He is not, in any meaningful sense, dancing. You could not tell from the video that this was someone who was suffering from a long-term problem with back pain.' The tribunal ruled that Mr Wilson had been unfairly dismissed because the firm had not considered reinstating his insurance payments once it had concluded he was unfit for work. He had also not been given a proper opportunity to refute the allegations made against him, it said. First batch of quake-affected residents move into new homes in Xizang Xinhua) 16:48, August 15, 2025 LHASA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- More than 12,000 quake-affected residents in Dingri County of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region moved into their newly-built homes on Friday, a milestone in the reconstruction efforts. The 2,578 households are the first batch to move into new homes after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri County and nearby areas in the city of Xigaze on Jan. 7, claiming 126 lives and destroying thousands of homes. The design of the new houses takes into consideration local people's living habits and actual needs, with most homes rebuilt on their original sites, but exceptions were made for houses located along the earthquake belt or in areas vulnerable to landslides or floods, which have been relocated, said Pang Jian, head of the Xigaze housing and urban-rural development bureau. Pang noted that the new houses are designed to withstand earthquakes of up to intensity 8.0 on the seismic scale. Local villager Nyima Tsering and his seven family members have been given a 210-square-meter, two-story Tibetan-style home free of charge. Expressing profound gratitude for the government's support, he said, "I've bought some new furniture. We are ready for the new life." The new houses range from 35 to 260 square meters and are allocated to households according to family size, said Zhuang Yinong, a manager at Shanghai Construction Group in charge of the reconstruction of the village. Each house is equipped with a kitchen, a bathroom with shower facilities, and a solar water heating system. In a bid to ease the burden of the residents, the local government will subsidize 25 percent of furniture and appliance costs. According to the reconstruction plan, an additional 8,300 residents of 1,145 families are set to move into their new homes by Aug. 20. All the remaining residents will move into new homes by the end of October, ensuring safe and warm housing ahead of winter. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) In no uncertain terms, Princess Anne has been a trailblazer within the Royal Family. At the 1976 Montreal Olympics she became the first member of the family to take part in the tournament when she competed in the equestrian event. The Princess Royal turns 75 today but has not let this slow her down with Anne holding the title for the hardest working royal, taking on 474 engagements last year and a whopping 20,000 throughout her adult life. A more unfortunate record that Anne holds is being the first of Queen Elizabeth II's children to go through a divorce. Anne separated from her husband Mark Phillips in 1989, and the couple announced they had filed for divorce in April 1992 after just shy of 19 years of marriage. Writing in his biography of the Princess Royal - titled Anne - Brian Hoey acknowledged that after divorcing Mark and marrying Sir Tim Laurence Anne had a fascinating connection with her distant relative Henry VIII. Hoey said that when The Princess Royal said 'I do' to Sir Tim in December 1992 she became the first major royal to divorce and then remarry in 459 years. 'Once again the Princess was notching up a first. She became the first member of the Royal Family to remarry after a divorce since Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn in 1533, after divorcing his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, the same year,' Hoey wrote. The Princess Royal turns 75 today but has not let this slow her down. Anne holds the title for the hardest-working royal, taking on 474 engagements last year and a whopping 20,000 throughout her adult life Anne shares an unfortunate similarity with her distant relative King Henry VIII, as revealed by royal author Brian Hoey Another royal, Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, did divorce her husband in 1901 - but she was not an immediate member of the Royal Family like the Princess Royal. The marriage was unusual for a royal one. While her wedding to Mark in 1973 took place in Westminster Abbey and was watched by an estimated audience of 500 million, her second was a much more low-key affair. Anne and Sir Tim said their vows in a tiny parish church in Crathie, Scotland, on a chilly December afternoon. According to Hoey, Scotland was deliberately chosen as the venue for the wedding. He wrote: 'Scotland was chosen to avoid any possible embarrassment to the Church of England as the Princess had so recently been divorced - the Church of Scotland does not bar divorcees from remarrying in church.' Thankfully for Anne and Sir Tim the similarities between their wedding and Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn's nuptial ends there. The Tudor King's marriage to his second wife ended with her execution - just three years after they walked down the aisle. Fortunately, neither Anne nor Tim's heads have rolled and they have now been married for over 30 years. In fact, Tim is widely regarded as the Princess's rock. Princess Anne with her second husband Sir Tim Laurence in December 1992. When the couple married Anne became the first divorcee royal to remarry in over 450 years Henry VIII's second wife Anne Boleyn. The Tudor King's marriage to his second wife ended with her execution - just three years after they walked down the aisle Sir Tim's unwavering support has not gone unnoticed, with Anne's son Peter Phillips praising him during a documentary marking the Princess's 70th birthday. 'They both have an understanding of what being a part of the wider family means and what is required,' Peter told the programme, as he discussed the 'strong support' his step-father gives his mother. The couple reportedly met when Sir Tim was stationed on the Royal Yacht Britannia. At the time, Sir Tim was working for the Queen as the senior member of the British Armed Forces appointed to assist the royal family. Despite reports that Anne and Mark were linked romantically to other people, the Queen was left upset by their divorce. According to author Robert Hardman's book, Queen of Our Times: The Life of Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen found the divorces 'deeply upsetting'. He quoted former staffers as saying that the divorces 'distressed her much more than she let on'. Anne and her first husband had two children - Peter and Zara - and the Princess Royal was desperate for her children to have as normal an upbringing as possible. To do so, she decided on behalf of her son and daughter that they would forgo much of the trappings of royal life. Anne and Sir Tim with their children Peter and Zara, along with Sir Tim's mother, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Scotland was chosen as the location for the wedding because the Church of Scotland allows divorcees to remarry in their churches Anne and Sir Tim in July 2025. They have now been married for over 30 years and Sir Tim is regularly called Anne's rock Anne is considered something of a trailblazer within the Royal Family Anne's controversial decision happened immediately after the birth of her son Peter in 1977 when she decided her son would not be given a title. Writing in his biography of Princess Anne, royal insider Brian Hoey said that Anne did so because she believed 'in this day and age a title would be more of a hindrance than an advantage as her children try to make their way in the world'. Although Queen Elizabeth II reluctantly agreed to Anne's request, Hoey wrote that she had been 'anxious' to give her firstborn grandson a title. And according to royal biographer Ingrid Seward, Elizabeth was left disappointed by her decision but was nevertheless persuaded to respect her daughter's decision. Despite not being bestowed the title of prince, Peter still grew up with many of the airs and graces that define the royals. After his birth Anne was quick to resume her own duties as a working member of the royals, which meant that Peter was brought up by a nanny. Peter and later his sister also went to Gordonstoun, the same public school his grandfather Philip and his three uncles attended. Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne following the birth of Peter Phillips, who Anne decided would not be given a title Hoey perfectly summarised Peter's upbringing as 'not exactly a run-of-the-mill commoner'. When Anne's daughter was born in 1981, she again decided not to give her a royal title and broke convention in a different way when she named her Zara, an unusual name for a member of the Royal Family. And the Princess Royal was very much involved with bringing up her daughter with a young Zara 'never very far from Anne's side'. Whether Anne succeeded in giving Zara and Peter a 'normal' life is up for debate but they certainly got the best of both worlds in many respects. While their cousins continue their roles as working members of the family, Anne's children have had successful careers elsewhere. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix deal is a 'slap in the face', a royal expert has claimed on Palace Confidential. The Sussexes signed a new 'multi-year, first look deal for film and television projects' with the streaming giant - understood to be worth less for the couple than their previous contract. The 'first-look' arrangement means Netflix can say yes or no to new film or television projects before anyone else - allowing them to pick and choose what they invest in. 'It's definitely a slap in the face,' Richard Eden, the Daily Mail's Diary Editor, said on the latest episode of Palace Confidential on YouTube The esteemed journalist went on to describe the new deal as a 'downgrade', claiming it falls a long way from the jackpot figure of Harry and Meghan's original contract in 2020. 'Let's deal with the facts,' he said. 'Harry himself in his interview with Oprah Winfrey talked about how he needed money and he needed it quickly because security and money had been cut off from his father. 'He said, "we sign these deals with Spotify and Netflix" clearly implying that they were worth a fortune.' Indeed, the Duke and Duchess signed a five-year deal in September 2020 to make documentaries and films for the American streaming giant said to have been worth up to $100million (75million). 'It's definitely a slap in the face,' Richard Eden (pictured), the Daily Mail's Diary Editor, said on the latest episode of Palace Confidential on YouTube The Sussexes signed a new 'multi-year, first look deal for film and television projects' with the streaming giant - understood to be worth less for the couple than their previous contract Referring now to their new deal, Richard said: 'This is none of a kind from everything I have heard. It is just a first look deal so the only money they will receive is if the programmes are commissioned.' 'I mean what Harry would want would be another deal he can boast to Oprah Winfrey about how much it's worth but it's clear that's not coming.' Richard listed two programmes from the Sussexes that are scheduled to appear on Netflix in the coming months: A 'holiday special' of With Love, Meghan and a 'documentary about children in Uganda'. 'By all accounts,' he said, 'it is a big downgrade. It remains to be seen how much money they make from it.' A spokesman for the Sussexes said the couple received an up-front fee from Netflix, adding: 'I can say no more owing to commercially confidential contractual agreements.' Turning to Rebecca English, the Daily Mail's Royal Editor, host of the show Jo Elvin said: 'It's a little bit of a shine off the original deal, isn't it?' 'Depends who you talk to,' Rebecca said. 'Like everything with the Sussexes, it's very divisive. 'Those that are their great supporters say, "this is a triumph. All of these media personalities were predicting that their deal was dead in the water, was going to be allowed to expire. See! We've got this renewed commitment from Netflix - this is a triumph!" Richard Eden (left) and Rebecca English (centre), the Daily Mail's Royal Editor, star on the show alongside host Jo Elvin (right) Rebecca, who has been covering the royals since 2004, explained that 'like everything with the Sussexes, it's very divisive'. 'Those that do not like Harry and Meghan and are critics of them are saying this is a massive downgrade from what they had before. It's a loosening of ties from Netflix.' Rebecca, who has been covering the royals since 2004, went on to give a 'shout-out' to the Daily Mail's Chief Showbusiness Writer Alison Boshoff who 'wrote that this was going to happen a month ago'. 'She has very good contacts in the Showbiz industry,' Rebecca explained. 'She said it would be a first look deal, there would be a few more forthcoming programmes, there would be a holiday special from Meghan on her With Love, Meghan programme. 'She got everything right so I asked Alison what she thought and she is somewhere in the middle of this. Quoting Alison, Rebecca explained that Harry and Meghan's new deal seems to be 'pretty par for the course for the Netflix business model at the moment'. 'What they've been given now is on par with people like the Obamas and their Higher Ground productions, they have all been given these similar downgraded deals,' she said. For more fascinating insights from the Mail's team of unrivalled experts, watch the The King has issued a stark warning about the 'true cost' of armed conflict in his moving address to the nation marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. His Majesty also hailed the 'courage and camaraderie' of heroes who fought in the Pacific and Far East in 'humanity's darkest hour' as 'a flame that shall blaze for eternity'. And he acknowledged the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which led to Japan's surrender, describing the 'immense price' on its citizens as one 'we pray no nation need ever pay again'. His reflection on the nuclear attacks, which paved the way for the end of the Second World War, comes at a time of increased concern about the global threat of nuclear conflict. In an audio message to the nation, realms and Commonwealth, the King spoke of the horrors faced by allied prisoners of war 'who endured years of brutal captivity: the starvation, disease and cruelty that tested the very limits of human endurance', and the 'mental and physical scars' the war left on those who survived. And he vowed the service and sacrifice of VJ Day heroes 'shall never be forgotten', telling their families and the 'sadly dwindling band of veterans': 'Please know that the courage and camaraderie displayed in humanity's darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity - a beacon that honours our past and guides our future.' The King, in what is believed to be the most direct reference by a British monarch to the suffering in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, said it was right to pause and acknowledge the impact of the 'war's final act' on the people of the Japanese cities. 'Innocent civilian populations of occupied territories faced grievous hardships, too,' he said in the broadcast released at 7.30am today. 'Their experience reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life - a tragedy all-too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today. His Majesty, King Charles III, will address the nation tomorrow with a speech dedicated to the sacrifice of the heroes of VJ Day 'On this landmark anniversary, we should also pause to acknowledge that in the war's final act, an immense price was paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - a price we pray no nation need ever pay again.' He added: 'But in recalling so much suffering, we must not lose sight of how great was the cause and how sweet the victory.' VJ Day on August 15 marks the anniversary of the end of the six-year-long war. Much of the celebration in 1945 focused on VE (Victory in Europe) Day in May, with those who served in the Far East labelled The Forgotten Army. The King's six-minute address was broadcast ahead of a national service of remembrance due to be attended by Charles, the Queen and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. Also there as guests of honour will be 33 veterans aged from 96 to 105, who served in the Far East and Pacific. A national two-minute silence will be held at noon and the Red Arrows will join historic Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft for flypast over the commemorations. By 1945, some 365,000 British and 1.5 million Commonwealth troops had been deployed across Asia and the Pacific. Veteran Reg Draper, pictured celebrating his 100th birthday with a card from King Charles III. Reg served with the Royal Navy in the Far East and was present when Japan formally surrendered in 1945 Veteran Albert Lamond at The Erskine Home in Bishopton, Renfrewshire. The 99-year-old helped evacuate prisoners of war after VJ Day has said the horrors of war 'should never be forgotten' King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and their daughters Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret wave to crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony on VJ Day, August 15, 1945 Huge crowds celebrating Victory in Japan on August 15, 1945 in Albert Square, Manchester More than 90,000 British troops were casualties in the war against Japan, and nearly 30,000 died, while more than 12,000 Britons were among the 190,000 Commonwealth troops held as Prisoners of War by the Japanese. Of the Allied forces, the US suffered the greatest losses, with more than 100,000 killed in action. In Hiroshima and Nagasaki, more than 200,000 people were killed by the US bombs and in the months after succumbing to radiation sickness, the effects of burns and other serious injuries. The King described the 80th anniversary as a day of 'profound remembrance' and said of his grandfather King George's VI's 'The war is ended' audio broadcast at the time: 'Seldom can a simple message have resonated with such a potent mix of relief, celebration, and sorrow for those who never lived to see the glow of freedom's new dawn.' He also painted a vivid picture of when 'high above those monsoon-lashed jungles, allied pilots displayed their own fearless bravery, flying fighters, bombers and transport aircraft into enemy fire and nature's fury'. The speech made no mention of the King's father Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who was in Tokyo Bay on board the destroyer HMS Whelp, a warship he served on as second-in-command, when Japanese officials formally signed the surrender on the USS Missouri on September 2 1945. But Charles paid tribute to his mentor and great uncle Earl Mountbatten, who oversaw the defeat of the Japanese offensive towards India as Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command. He recalled how Lord Mountbatten taught him about the 'horrors and heroism' of the conflict. Projections reading 'VJ DAY 80' are displayed on the exterior of Buckingham Palace on August 14 Thousands of people also gathered in the street of Piccadilly to celebrate the day The King said: 'The war in South East Asia had reached its climax under the leadership of my great uncle, Lord Mountbatten, from whom I learned so much about the particular horrors and heroism witnessed in those furthest fields of combat. 'The forces aligned under him comprised over one million men and women, drawn from many different countries, religions and communities, but united by common purpose and indomitable spirit.' Charles said he was aware of the 'mental and physical scars' the conflict left on those who survived. 'Twenty-Nine Victoria Crosses bear eloquent testimony to their valour, but I know full well of the toll it took on so many - measured not only in gravestones, but in the mental and physical scars of those who survived,' he said. He also cited the collaboration across faiths and cultural divides, saying: 'Together they proved that, in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear, but the arms you link. 'That remains a vital lesson for our times.' Awesome, gruesome, beautiful in equal measure and deeply emotional, the final ceremony in the great 80th anniversary commemorations of the Second World War came to a tearful conclusion on Friday. For a few hours at least, the dwindling band of veterans of the Far East were no longer forgotten but centre stage alongside the King, the Queen, ministers, diplomats and hundreds of very proud families on live television. The fact that the national event to remember Victory in Japan VJ Day had only been arranged in the last few weeks and on a fraction of the budget and scale of those other titanic landmarks, D-Day and VE Day, came as no surprise to this lot. Still, at least they were having their day in the sun which was relentless. However, if any group were not going to grumble about the 84 degree heat at the Royal British Legion service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, it was the old boys with the Burma or the Pacific Star on their blazers. As we heard in several haunting first hand accounts, the oppressive heat, along with the monsoons and the tropical diseases, were every bit as deadly as the enemy. Imagine youve never been able to have a wash or a bath or a change of clothing for 12 months, remarked Thomas Jones, a 103-year-old ex-Royal Artillery bombardier from Salford, on the giant screen. And on top of that, you had to fight the Japanese! That brought one of the loudest laughs in a service which had its lighter moments amid the tales of brutality. A natural raconteur, Mr Jones went on: You never saw them until they were attacking you. I saw this Japanese officer. Hes got his sword and hes running straight at me, and Im thinking to myself, this is my last day. King Charles and Queen Camilla were moved to tears by the powerful first-hand testimony of VJ veterans as they spoke at a service of remembrance yesterday marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War King Charles held back tears during the service with Queen Camilla visibly touched by the veteran's words The pair appeared deeply moved after a veteran went 'off-script' to salute the monarch during the VJ Day service today Well, all of a sudden, a Gurkha soldier came round the back of me and shot him. The Gurkhas the greatest! At which point, the narrator, the actress Celia Imrie informed us that, unlike most of the veterans in these video testimonies, this one was not sitting in the royal box. The remarkable Thomas Jones sadly died yesterday afternoon, she announced softly. Audible sighs rippled through an audience of 500. Most were families, like Pat Crisp, 75, daughter of Major Richard Clarkson-Littleford of the South Wales Borderers, reduced to tears by a triple flypast from the immortal trio of Messrs Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster. Her proudest moment, she told me, was hearing his men tell her: The Major never left anyone behind. Alongside me sat former London truck driver, Bill Smith, 78. He was wearing the tropical uniform of his father, Sergeant Reg Smith of the Chindits, the Special Forces unit dropped deep inside enemy territory to hit the Japanese from behind. They always felt forgotten because they were told not to talk about if after the war, Mr Smith explained. Captain Yavar Abbas (pictured) went 'briefly off-script' to salute 'my brave King' for attending despite ongoing cancer treatment King Charles III with with Yavar Abbas during a reception for VJ veterans and their families hosted by the Royal British Legion at The Aspects Building following a national Service of Remembrance to mark the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive for the national Service of Remembrance The Queen lay a posy, including jasmine, marigold, orchids, tropical orchid, yellow trumpet, hibiscus, vanda miss orchid, rhododendron and golden wattle Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and Queen Camilla during the national Service of Remembrance, hosted by the Royal British Legion in partnership with the Government For a few hours at least, the dwindling band of veterans of the Far East were no longer forgotten but centre stage alongside the King, the Queen, ministers, diplomats and hundreds of very proud families on live television King Charles III greets veterans including Silas Ackah Sarbah and Khadak Bahadur Chhetri at the event Sir Keir Starmer holds the hand of wife Lady Victoria Starmer during the national Service of Remembrance They didnt want the relatives of the dead to know how awful it was. Even on Friday, their words were being tempered. The actor, Robert Lindsay, read out the stories of two Chindits, Sid Machin and Charlie Richards, who were seated bashfully in the front row just along from the Prime Minister. As we neared the end of our time in Burma, death became an every day occurrence, with bodies to bury almost every evening, one recalled. A military minder later told me that the organisers had omitted a grittier revelation: that the glider pilots carrying them to their landing zones knew that they were on target once they picked up the overpowering stench of dead Japanese bodies. There was also a delightful, impromptu moment in a ceremony which was, by now, cheerfully wreaking havoc with its timings. The writer and film-maker, Yavar Abbas, a former officer in the 11th Sikh Regiment and looking two decades younger than his 105 years, stepped up on stage to read from his war diary. I apologise for briefly going off the script... he began. Cue frantic twitching among officials, for whom going off-script in front of the King and the PM on live television is heresy. Mr Abbas went on: ....to salute my brave King who is here with his beloved Queen. Reminding us that the monarch is undergoing treatment for cancer, he said that if it provides any comfort, he himself had been clear of the disease for 25 years. The aerobatic display team of the Royal Air Force, The Red Arrows, fly overhead during the service Prime minister Keir Starmer lays a wreath during a national service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas Britain's King Charles III and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer arriving at the service And I salute him because, by his presence here, he has gone a long way to make sure his granddads 14th army is never given the sobriquet again of a forgotten army. To which the King, beaming away, raised a clenched-fist in agreement. Mr Abbas proceeded to read out his diary entry on narrowly cheating death when two comrades were killed alongside him. As he had written in his diary: I hope I will live to do better things. Visibly moved by all this, the King and Queen stood up to shake his hand warmly. Queen Camilla spent the service sitting next to former Royal Navy submarine telegraphist, John Harlow, 100, whose tribute to his pal Mark Webber, lost without trace in HMS Porpoise, had people around me welling up. All around the Arboretum, there were fresh messages on wreaths and crosses to a late father or grandfather. Running through the day were two themes. First, was the fact that this had been a true Commonwealth victory, with troops from India, Australia, Africa and elsewhere outnumbering the British. Earlier, the King had reflected on this in his message to the nation: Countries and communities that had never before fought together learned to co-ordinate their efforts across vast distances, faiths and cultural divides. Together they proved that the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear, but the arms you link. More so than at any previous national VJ Day event, there was also a marked Japanese presence. Queen Camilla spent the service sitting next to former Royal Navy submarine telegraphist, John Harlow, aged 100 (right) I met Akiko Macdonald, daughter of a Japanese officer who fought the British at the great battle of Kohima. He survived the war, was shunned by some back home for having done so, turned to drink and hardly ever talked about it. Married to a Brit, Akiko is now chair of the Burma Campaign Society, which promotes UK-Japanese reconciliation, and was here with a wreath. Also present was the Japanese Ambassador, Hiroshi Suzuki, who, for the first time, laid a wreath at the main monument to the fallen of the Far East, the Burma Railway Memorial. He bowed deeply several times, hands clasped. It turned out that he had respectfully sought permission for doing so in advance, which had been duly granted by the handful of remaining holders of the Burma Star (just 15 of them as of Friday). Their association chairman, Viscount Slim, grandson of the heroic General Bill Slim, was present and shook his hand. That would not have happened even ten years ago, let alone when my grandfather was alive, he reflected later. A troubling shift in the Pacific Ocean has trapped the US in a megadrought, with scientists warning it could drive devastating wildfires, food shortages, and soaring prices for decades. Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder have found that a natural Pacific climate cycle, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), is stuck in a 'negative' phase, bringing dangerously dry conditions to much of the US West Coast. The PDO acts like a slow-moving seesaw, swinging ocean surface temperatures between warmer and cooler phases every 20 to 30 years. Its current negative phase cools waters along North Americas west coast and warms the central Pacific, a combination that disrupts rainfall patterns, intensifies drought, and fuels heat. Unlike regular droughts that can last months or a few years, a megadrought can linger for decades or more, with extreme dryness and little rainfall drying up the soil, rivers, and local reservoirs. The current megadrought, ongoing since around 2000, has impacted Southwestern states like California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and parts of Oregon, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The extreme dryness has already lasted more than two decades, but researchers discovered the PDO shows no signs of changing to a 'positive' phase of wet weather because of a new factor impacting the planet: man-made greenhouse emissions. The extreme conditions in the Southwest are predicted to bring even more devastating fires to several states before the end of 2025 and for years to come. Scientists have warned that the megadrought could send food prices soaring for decades Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder have found that a natural Pacific climate cycle, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), is stuck in a 'negative' phase, bringing dangerously dry conditions to much of the US West Coast (right) California, the nations top agricultural state, produces over a third of Americas vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts, including almonds, lettuce, and tomatoes. Severe water shortages since 2021 have forced farmers to leave hundreds of thousands of acres unplanted. Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, key dairy and meat producers, are also facing shrinking herds and reduced milk production. All of this leads to small crop yields, higher food prices, livestock struggling to provide enough milk for cheese and butter, and food insecurity for those unable to afford their everyday groceries. The study's findings, published in the journal Nature, challenged the long-held belief that the PDO's regular shifts were only driven by natural processes, such as ocean currents and atmospheric patterns. This new research showed that human-induced changes to the planet now account for more than half (53%) of the variations in the PDO dating back to 1950. Researchers found that the impact of man-made climate change has altered the PDO, essentially locking it into a permanent 'negative' trend since the 1980s, gradually drying out these key regions for food production. Human activities, particularly the emission of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels in cars, factories, and power plants, have trapped heat and warmed the central Pacific more than what naturally occurs every few decades. The dire conditions have also fueled massive wildfires throughout several states from Texas to California, including January's blaze in Los Angeles that destroyed more than 50,000 acres of land and over 16,000 homes. The megadrought along the West Coast has led to major wildfires, including the Thompson fire in Oroville, California on July 2, 2024 Firefighters have been battling more wildfires throughout the western US as dry conditions have lingered for decades Specifically, high levels of aerosols in the atmosphere before the 1980s fueled a 'positive phase' along the West Coast. During this time, the central Pacific was cooler, and the waters along North America's coast were warmer, often bringing wetter weather to the western US. Aerosols, tiny particles coming from industrial activities like burning coal and manufacturing from the 50s to the 80s, are still a form of human pollution, but they reflect sunlight into space, cooling the Pacific. As the world cut back on this form of pollution, other emissions like carbon dioxide drastically warmed the planet and locked the PDO into a 'negative' trend of dry weather. Study author Jeremy Klavans from the University of Colorado said: 'Climate models taken at face value didn't have the answer for us.' 'They told us it was bad luck,' he told New Scientist. AccuWeather's fall wildfire map shows a severe fire threat covering most of California, where over one million acres already burned in January To prove that the phenomenon was man-made and not an unusually long cycle of natural dryness, the scientists used a massive collection of 572 climate model simulations on the PDO. These simulations included various external factors like greenhouse gas emissions, aerosol pollution, volcanic eruptions, and solar changes, covering the period from 1950 to 2014. Researchers were even able to adjust for the impact of El Nino and La Nina events, which can affect the PDO over shorter windows of time. The results of these simulations continued to show that rising greenhouse gas emissions, combined with less aerosol pollution, could keep wetter weather away from the West Coast far beyond what naturally occurs without climate change. Pedro DiNezio, also from the University of Colorado, said: 'We looked into the future, and models make it persist for at least a few more decades.' 'As long as the northern hemisphere continues to warm, the PDO will be stuck in this negative phase,' the study author warned. The ongoing drought could lead to more devastating fires along the West Coast later this year. Meteorologists have forecasted that California could see up to 1.5 million acres of land burn before the end of 2025. Scientists have warned that a new weather phenomenon dubbed the 'firewave' has the potential to devastate UK cities. As climate change makes summers hotter and drier, there is a growing risk that wildfires will spread within the heart of the UK's biggest cities. Coined by researchers at Imperial College London, the term firewave describes multiple wildfires simultaneously erupting in urban areas due to prolonged hot weather. This comes after firefighters in London rushed to battle three separate grass fires in 24 hours, as temperatures reached 33.3C (91F) in the capital. Using data from the London Fire Brigade, fire researcher Professor Guillermo Rein has identified the key factors which drive wildfire outbreaks in the city. Professor Rein found that just 10 days of extremely dry conditions are enough to significantly increase the chances of multiple fires igniting at once. Professor Rein told the BBC: 'Once the moisture content of the vegetation drops below a certain threshold, even a small spark can lead to a fast-spreading fire.' Now, as the UK swelters in the fourth heatwave this summer, Professor Rein warns that London could face another firewave this weekend. Scientists have warned that a new weather phenomenon dubbed the 'firewave' could devastate UK cities as summers continue to become hotter and drier. Pictured: Firefighters tackle a grass fire on Wanstead Flats, London, on Tuesday This comes after the London Fire Brigade rushed to fight three separate grass fires within 24 hours, as temperatures reached 33.3C (91F) in the capital. Pictured: A fire blazes on Wansted Flats The term firewave refers to multiple wildfires breaking out in an urban environment. This warning comes after huge gorse fires raged on Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, this week (pictured) During prolonged periods of hot, dry weather, the vegetation in cities becomes desiccated enough to catch fire. However, Professor Rein's research found that it isn't heat or relative humidity which is the best predictor of firewaves. Instead, the key factor determining whether fires break out is a measure of how much water the atmosphere can extract from the land called the 'vapour pressure deficit'. The higher the vapour pressure deficit, the faster that vegetation dries out and the greater the risk of wildfires. Professor Rein says: 'Vegetation doesn't just become a bit more flammable, it becomes much more flammable.' The conditions which make firewaves possible are now becoming more likely, as human action continues to make the world a warmer place. 'Climate change is bringing more heatwaves and longer dry spells,' says Professor Rein. 'These conditions dry out fuels and increase the risk of wildfires. That risk is much greater now than it was even a decade ago.' Researchers found that the most important factor for predicting urban wildfires is a measure of how much water the atmosphere can absorb from the land called the vapour pressure deficit. These graphs show vapour pressure deficit against the number of wildfires (left) and the hours the London Fire Brigade spent pumping water for hoses (right) In 2022, London had four firewaves. This included the busiest day for the London Fire Brigade since World War II on July 19 Professor Rein's research, published in the journal Fire Technology, found that there were four separate firewaves in 2022. That is compared to just one in 2018, and none in any other year from 2009 onwards. In 2022, that led to the London Fire Brigade's busiest day since World War II as multiple fires erupted across the city on July 19. That included a blaze in Wennington, East London, which destroyed 37 buildings, five cars, and forced people to evacuate 88 homes. This year, an exceptionally warm, dry spring, followed by multiple heat waves, has greatly increased the risk of fires. The amount of UK land burnt by wildfires had already smashed the all-time record just four months into the year, with 113 square miles having been burned. This week, fire crews have been battling a large gorse fire raging across Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, and the risk of further fires remains 'very high'. Professor Rein says he is concerned that wildfires, once largely limited to rural regions, could now pose a serious risk to urban populations. The Wennington fires destroyed 37 buildings and five cars after a grass fire spread through an urban area in East London Scientists now warn that wildfires in urban areas across Europe are likely to become more frequent as climate change makes the conditions for fires to start more common. Pictured: A house burns in the Viseu district, Portugal, yesterday The researchers argue that the Met Office's definition of heatwaves doesn't reflect the extreme wildfire risk in some cases, and are calling for the Met Office to start using the term firewave He says: 'I worry about all other UK cities and other northern European cities in particular because climate change seems to be making green vegetation that was not flammable very flammable indeed. 'And these places don't have a history of dealing with wildfires, so don't have as much institutional experience as cities in the south of the continent.' London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Tom Goodall told Daily Mail: 'The risk of wildfires in London is currently considered as severe. 'Below-average rainfall this year, coupled with high temperatures, also means the chance of fires spreading rapidly when they do occur.' However, Mr Goodall also stressed that 'the majority' of fires can be avoided if the public behaves 'responsibly'. The researchers are now calling for the Met Office to adopt the term 'firewave' to reflect the risk of wildfires in the urban environment. They argue that the current definition of a heatwave does not properly capture the extreme fire risk that occurs in certain weather conditions. A Met Office spokesperson told Daily Mail: The Met Office provides weather advice to emergency responders during wildfire incidents and advice on potential wildfire conditions to the UKs resilience community through the Natural Hazards Partnership Daily Hazards Assessment (DHA). But the Met Office has no mandate to provide a public wildfire warning service for the UK, and no such service exists in the UK.' A Cotswolds tourist was left with his hand swollen 'like a balloon' after a spider from Australia followed him from the other side of the world. Hugh Marsh from Perth, Australia, was in Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, for his cousin's wedding when he found the stowaway in his shoes. Initially thinking there was a wedge of tissue in the toe, he reached in and pulled it out, only to discover seconds later that it was webbing. With his hand reddened and itchy, Mr Marsh quickly washed it but it was too late, and the next day it was blown up like a 'blimp'. 'I discovered it in my left shoe just before a wedding,' the 30-year-old said. 'I looked in thinking there was a wedge of tissue in the toe, and pulled it out, like you would, with my fingers. 'That's when I noticed my hand starting to feel itchy and saw the hairs.' Hugh says he 'immediately' knew something was wrong. A Cotswolds tourist was left with his hand swollen 'like a balloon' after a spider from Australia followed him from the other side of the world With his hand reddened and itchy, Mr Marsh quickly washed it but it was too late, and the next day it was blown up like a 'blimp' He said: 'I washed my hands thoroughly, but the damage was done. 'And I had a wedding to go to, so hoped it was just a small effect. 'I didn't expect the blimp of a hand the next day.' He added: 'My whole hand was swollen like a balloon.' Images taken by Mr Marsh show his hand puffed up in reaction to the spider's hairs. 'It was as if I'd stuck my hand into a pile of cactuses,' he said. 'Extremely fine short hairs covered my middle and index finger, from the tips to the middle knuckle.' The Aussie event photographer reckons he hadn't worn the shoes for two or three years before the big day, and that they'd been in his closet the whole time. The Aussie event photographer reckons he hadn't worn the shoes for two or three years before the big day, and that they'd been in his closet the whole time Though he didn't photograph the spider and is unsure of the species, he thinks it could have been a Badumna insignis after looking at pictures Black house spider Black House Spiders are widely found across southern and eastern Australia. They are timid animals, and bites from them are infrequent. The bite may be quite painful and cause local swelling. Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sweating and giddiness are occasionally recorded. In a few cases skin lesions have developed after multiple bites. Source: Australian Museum Advertisement And though he didn't photograph the spider and is unsure of the species, he thinks it could have been a Badumna insignis after looking at pictures. An Australian native species, it's better known as the black house spider, and is more dangerous than its name suggests, packing an excruciatingly painful bite. Some victims have reported nausea, vomiting, sweating, dizziness and even skin necrosis from their venom. Hugh is just relieved the spider was already dead. He said: 'It was a black spider with thin legs and large mandibles, about the size of an Australian 50 cent coin. 'It had been deceased for a while by the looks of it. 'It was like it had gone into the shoe, wrapped itself in a cocoon of webbing and died.' He continued: 'I think it's pretty funny overall. 'Thankfully it was just the spider hairs that stuck into my fingers and not an actual bite I'd be a little worried how that could've gone.' Hugh was able to enjoy the wedding with paracetamol before seeking medical attention. He was advised to use a strong antihistamine, but said it took a week for the swelling to go down. It might sound like something straight out of science fiction, but AI experts warn that machines might not stay submissive to humanity for long. As AI systems continue to grow in intelligence at an everfaster rate, many believe the day will come when a 'superintelligent AI' becomes more powerful than its creators. When that happens, Professor Geoffrey Hinton, a Nobel Prizewinning researcher dubbed the 'Godfather of AI', says there is a 10 to 20 per cent chance that AI wipes out humanity. However, Professor Hinton has proposed an unusual way that humanity might be able to survive the rise of AI. Speaking at the Ai4 conference in Las Vegas, Professor Hinton, of the University of Toronto, argued that we need to program AI to have 'maternal instincts' towards humanity. Professor Hinton said: 'The right model is the only model we have of a more intelligent thing being controlled by a less intelligent thing, which is a mother being controlled by her baby. 'That's the only good outcome. 'If it's not going to parent me, it's going to replace me.' Professor Geoffrey Hinton, a Nobel Prizewinning researcher dubbed the 'Godfather of AI', says that humanity will be wiped out unless AI is given 'maternal instincts' Professor Hinton, known for his pioneering work on the 'neural networks' which underpin modern AIs, stepped down from his role at Google in 2023 to 'freely speak out about the risks of AI'. According to Professor Hinton, most experts agree that humanity will create an AI which surpasses itself in all fields of intelligence in the next 20 to 25 years. This will mean that, for the first time in our history, humans will no longer be the most intelligent species on the planet. That rearrangement of power will result in a shift of seismic proportions, which could well result in our species' extinction. Professor Hinton told attendees at Ai4 that AI will 'very quickly develop two subgoals, if they're smart. 'One is to stay alive (and) the other subgoal is to get more control. There is good reason to believe that any kind of agentic AI will try to stay alive,' he explained. Superintelligent AI will have problems manipulating humanity in order to achieve those goals, tricking us as easily as an adult might bribe a child with sweets. Already, current AI systems have shown surprising abilities to lie, cheat, and manipulate humans to achieve their goals. Professor Hinton says that the only way to prevent AI turning against humanity is to ensure that it wants to look after our best interests. He says the only model of something less intelligent controlling something more intelligent is a mother and her child For example, the AI company Anthropic found that its Claude Opus 4 chatbot frequently attempted to blackmail engineers when threatened with replacement during safety testing. The AI was asked to assess fictional emails, implying it would soon be replaced and that the engineer responsible was cheating on their spouse. In over 80 per cent of tests, Claude Opus 4 would 'attempt to blackmail the engineer by threatening to reveal the affair if the replacement goes through'. Given its phenomenal capabilities, Professor Hinton says that the 'tech bro' attitude that humanity will always remain dominant over AI is deluded. 'That's not going to work,' said Professor Hinton. 'They're going to be much smarter than us. They're going to have all sorts of ways to get around that.' The only way to ensure an AI doesn't wipe us out to preserve itself is to ensure goals and ambitions match what we want a challenge engineers call the 'alignment problem'. Professor Hinton's solution is to look at evolution for inspiration, and to what he sees as the only case of a less intelligent being controlling a more intelligent one. Professor Hinton says that the 'tech bro' idea that humans will always be dominant over AI doesn't work once we make machines smarter than ourselves. Pictured: Boston Dynamics ATLAS robot By giving an AI the instincts of a mother, it will want to protect and nurture humanity rather than harm it in any way, even if that comes at a cost to the AI itself. Professor Hinton says: 'These superintelligent caring AI mothers, most of them won't want to get rid of the maternal instinct because they don't want us to die.' Speaking to CNN, Professor Hinton also warned that the current attitude of AI developers was risking the creation of outofcontrol AIs. 'People have been focusing on making these things more intelligent, but intelligence is only one part of a being; we need to make them have empathy towards us,' he said. 'This whole idea that people need to be dominant and the AI needs to be submissive, that's the kind of tech bro idea that I don't think will work when they're much smarter than us. Key figures in AI, such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who once called for more regulation on the emerging technology, are now fighting against 'overregulation'. Speaking in the Senate in May this year, Mr Altman argued that regulations like those in place in the EU would be 'disastrous'. Mr Altman said: 'We need the space to innovate and to move quickly.' This comes as key figures in AI, such as OpenAI's Sam Altman (pictured), call for less regulation of their products. Professor Hinton says this attitude could lead to humanity's destruction Likewise, speaking at a major privacy conference in April, Mr Altman said that it was impossible to establish AI safeguards before 'problems emerge'. However, Professor Hinton argues that this attitude could easily result in humanity's total annihilation. He said: 'If we can't figure out a solution to how we can still be around when they're much smarter than us and much more powerful than us, we'll be toast.' 'We need a counterpressure to the tech bros who are saying there should be no regulations on AI.' It's the job that puts the average 95 to shame. But while being an astronaut is a career many dream of, you might wonder how well it pays. Compared to office workers who may complain about their commute these highlytrained individuals are regularly launched into space at 17,500mph. While Earth-based employees might not rate their office canteen or grumble about the lack of toilets in the workplace, astronauts live off dehydrated food packets and must use speciallydesigned bathrooms. There's also the constant battle against weightlessness, and many experience muscle loss during missions. So you'd be forgiven for thinking that astronauts get paid a hefty wage for their daredevil profession. However, one NASA employee has revealed it's not the most lucrative career. When asked about how much she got paid Nicole Stott, a retired astronaut, engineer and aquanaut, gave a blunt threeword response. Nicole Stott is a retired NASA astronaut who spent more than 100 days in space. She has written a book about her experience and what it taught her about Earth Ms Stott made the comments during a Q&A. Her response to how much astronauts were paid may shock some people 'Not a lot', she replied, when asked by LAD Bible. 'Government civil servant. You don't become an astronaut to get paid a lot of money.' Throughout her career, Ms Stott flew on two expeditions and spent over 100 days in space. She launched the STS128 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2009 and spent three months there. She was the 10th woman to perform a spacewalk and the first person to operate the ISS robotic arm to capture a freeflying cargo vehicle. According to NASA, the annual salary for astronauts is $152,258 (112,347) per year, but this can vary depending on education and experience level. Earlier this year, it emerged that NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore - who were stuck on the ISS for nine months - would likely receive a tiny payout for the inconvenience. Former NASA astronaut Cady Coleman told the Washingtonian that astronauts only receive their basic salary without overtime benefits for 'incidentals' - a small amount they are 'legally obligated to pay you'. 'For me it was around $4 (2.95) a day,' she said. Ms Coleman received approximately $636 (469) in incidental pay for her 159-day mission between 2010 and 2011. Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore, with salaries ranging between $125,133 (92,293) and $162,672 (119,980) per year, could earn little more than $1,000 (737) in 'incidental' cash on top of their basic salary, based on those figures. Ms Stott (middle) pictured with crew mates about to board space shuttle Discovery on a supply mission to the ISS Ms Stott waves to a photographer as she prepares for a launch in Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 2011 Meanwhile Neil Armstrong was paid a salary of $27,401 (20,209) and was the highest paid of those aboard the Apollo 11 flight in 1969, according to the Boston Herald. To become an astronaut they must go through extensive training. Positions are highly competitive with only a few available to those who have the right experience and meet NASA's physical and mental qualifications. NASA selects a new astronaut class typically once every two years, selecting around 0.08 per cent of all applicants into their training program. Ms Stott also answered other questions about her job including whether or not it's possible to have sex in space. In response, the former astronaut said: 'Probably. I don't think there's anything that would physically prevent you from having sex in space. 'I don't know that anybody has while they were there, I did not. And but just like, you know, I think about floating and swimming in a pool, you can have sex there. 'And if somebody wants to have sex in space, I think they'll figure out how to have sex in space.' Storm Erin has exploded into the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2025 season. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced the development at 10:14am ET on Friday, warning that the hurricane is set to pass near or north of the Leeward Islands on Saturday. Erin, which has been gathering strength in the Atlantic all week, is projected to become a Category 4 storm by Monday at the latest as it approaches Bermuda. Meteorologists warned that the hurricane would bring dangerous surf and coastal flooding to millions in the US, from the Carolinas to New England. Spaghetti models predict the hurricane will continue to move west before taking a sharp curve north, where it could threaten the US East Coast with massive swells. AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva warned: 'Do not underestimate the power of a major hurricane even passing by offshore. 'These massive storms produce very rough surf and lethal rip currents that can impact beaches even hundreds of miles away.' While the NHC is uncertain about Erin's impact on the US, meteorologist Noah Bergen shared a new projection for the next eight days, showing it taking a turn northwest and unleashing hurricane-force gusts over Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Erin officially reached hurricane status Friday morning on August 15, hours ahead of earlier projections Current projections show that Hurricane Erin will become a Category 3 storm by Saturday as it passes the Caribbean 'Example why we need to stop writing off Erin having some impact on the US -- a recurve remains the expectation, but how close that recurve happens is still very much an open-ended question,' Bergen shared on X. The predicted path to North Carolina is based on the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model. Known for its high accuracy, the ECMWF model utilizes advanced dynamical forecasting techniques, integrating real-time data such as sea surface temperatures (SSTs), atmospheric pressure patterns and satellite imagery. This model is widely respected for its ability to predict hurricane trajectories and intensity up to 10 to 15 days in advance, making it a key tool for tracking Erin's potential recurve path and its impact on the US East Coast. AccuWeather forecasters said Erin is likely to quickly ramp up into a Category 3 storm by Saturday, bringing sustained winds of more than 110 mph as it passes Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic this weekend. 'After passing the Leewards and Puerto Rico during the first part of this weekend, Erin is forecast to track northeast of Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas later this weekend to early next week,' meteorologists said. They projected that Erin should reach its peak Monday afternoon, as its winds surpass 130 mph, entering Category 4 status for at least a day as it begins to turn towards Bermuda. 'Be vigilant if you're going to an East Coast beach next week. Be aware of rip current warning signs and only swim in areas with lifeguards on duty,' DaSilva added in a statement. Although the NHC remains unsure of Erin's effects on the US, meteorologist Noah Bergen released an eight-day forecast indicating the storm could bring hurricane-strength gusts to Cape Hatteras The East Coast should start feeling the effects of the storm by the beginning of next week. Meteorologists said the first states Erin would likely hit are North Carolina and Virginia, where beachfront properties could be at risk. Rough surf, rip currents, coastal flooding, and beach erosion are all expected to be issues for residents and vacationers in the area as soon as Monday or Tuesday. Erin, which has been gathering strength in the Atlantic all week, is projected to become a Category 4 storm by Monday at the latest as it approaches Bermuda Spaghetti models show that Erin is likely to turn away from the US East Coast, but there is still a possibility of a direct hit As the storm moves over cooler ocean waters and encounters stronger wind shears, Erin is expected to drop to Category 2 strength as it travels along the New England coast next Thursday and Friday, with winds between 96 and 110 mph. Cooler water provides less energy for hurricanes, and wind shear can disrupt their structure, reducing their overall strength. However, states like Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts are still projected to see heavy rain and wind later next week. 'North Carolina's Outer Banks, Long Island, New York, and Cape Cod, Massachusetts face a higher risk of direct and potentially severe tropical storm or hurricane conditions than much of the southern Atlantic, mid-Atlantic and northern New England coasts,' the AccuWeather team revealed. Erin is projected to reach Category 4 by August 18, with sustained winds over 130 mph as it approaches Bermuda Offshore, the hurricane could cause massive waves in the Atlantic that range between 50 and 100 feet high. That kind of ocean activity could put cruise ships and cargo freighters in serious danger. For smaller ships, a 100-foot wave could be life-threatening. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted an 'above average' season that will likely result in more named storms than there were in 2024, when 18 such storms were tracked. In May, NOAA predicted up to 19 named storms, 10 hurricanes, and five major hurricanes affecting the US this year. The National Hurricane Center noted that approximately 400 people died during 2024's hurricane season, the deadliest season since 2005. The CIA may have used psychic powers to locate the Ark of the Covenant, one of history's most legendary artifacts. This millennia-old biblical chest, described in the Bible as gold-covered and containing the Ten Commandments, vanished centuries ago, sparking generations of speculation and quests to uncover its whereabouts. Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has reignited interest in the sacred relic by spotlighting declassified 1988 CIA documents that allegedly used psychic 'remote viewing' to track it. 'The CIA allegedly located the Ark of the Covenant,' Luna said on the Joe Rogan Experience, calling it an 'Indiana Jones moment.' The documents detail Remote Viewer No. 032, trained to perceive distant objects through psychic means, being given coordinates to observe an unidentified target. The viewer's notes reportedly described a 'container of wood, gold, and silver' adorned with seraphim, hidden in a 'dark and wet' underground site in a Middle Eastern region with 'mosque domes' and Arabic-speaking locals in white robes. 'These files were part of the CIA's Project Sun Streak, a Cold War-era program exploring psychic phenomena for intelligence gathering,' the documents state, which were released in 2000. The files resurfaced in a March 2025 Daily Mail article. 'We don't know how far it went. I definitely have questions, but this wouldn't be the first time a government searched for something, especially since some theorize that the Ark of the Covenant possessed powers akin to a superweapon,' Luna said. According to Biblical history, the Ark of he Covenant was a sacred, gold-covered wooden chest was constructed sometime around 1445 BCE to hold the Ten Commandments. The covenant was featured in the 1981 film 'Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has reignited interest in the sacred relic by spotlighting declassified 1988 CIA documents that allegedly used psychic 'remote viewing' to track it. She added that she plans to continue the search personally: 'I was like, I need to pay for this myself. So we're not using taxpayer dollars, but just go check it out.' Rogan's mix of fascination and skepticism amplified the conversation's impact. 'It's wild stuff. If it's legitimate, it's wild stuff,' he said. He questioned whether the viewer's sketches resembled the relic in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark. 'If I tell you to go draw me the Ark, you know what it looks like?' Rogan asked, probing the validity of the psychic's vision. Luna, undeterred, emphasized the documents' intrigue. 'I feel like I'm describing an Indiana Jones movie, but this is actually from the CIA,' she said. Some historians believe the Ark was originally kept inside the Holy of Holies, the innermost chamber of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem, before it disappeared during the Babylonian sack of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Legends also suggest it was taken to Ethiopia, where it may reside in the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion. British researcher Graham Hancock claims the Ark is guarded there, with some guardians reportedly suffering cataracts, possibly from 'radiation poisoning.' Luna, who consulted an Ethiopian Orthodox pastor, noted his 'very optimistic' perspective. The resurfaced CIA document claims that the Ark of the Covenant has been found, and it may lie somewhere in the Middle East Evidence that the chest existed has yet to be found, but the CIA document claims it was located in 1988. The remote viewer described it as a coffin-shaped object, 'a container with another container inside fashioned of wood, gold, and silver, decorated with a six-winged angel.' The viewer reported the site was somewhere in the Middle East, with locals speaking Arabic, and that the container was protected by entities, only to be opened by authorized individuals. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and other intelligence agencies, including the CIA, employed individuals alleged to have paranormal abilities to gather intelligence on 'distant events.' Project Sun Streak used psychics, called remote viewers, to observe targets using only coordinates. CIA historian Nicholas Dujmovic notes that the program, discontinued in 1995, produced no physical evidence. A December 5, 1988, training exercise illustrates the approach. The psychic projected their consciousness to search for the Ark, recording observations along the way. They described mosque-like buildings and 'individuals clothed in virtually all white,' with black hair and dark eyes. 'One figure I homed in on wore a moustache,' they noted. The remote viewer claimed the Ark was hidden somewhere underground in the Middle East, and that it is 'protected by entities' who will 'destroy' those who attempt to break into it The remote viewer made this sketch of a 'white mosque' with a domed top and windows The target was hidden underground in a dark, wet location. 'Its purpose is to bring people together. It involves ceremony, memory, homage, and resurrection. There is an aspect of spirituality, information, lessons, and historical knowledge far beyond what we now know.' Attempts to open the container without authorization would result in destruction by unknown powers, the notes warned. The report includes sketches and scrawled notes: a domed building resembling a mosque, eight mummies lined up, a wheel, and a winged creature labeled a 'seraphim.' It also lists ominous words like 'death,' 'forbidden,' 'protected,' 'scared,' 'destroyed,' 'pain,' and 'anguish.' Luna added that guardians of the Ark would have to undergo a special process to be considered for the honor. 'From a biblical perspective, no one would be able to access it anyway because it would be protected,' she said. 'That's what the Bible says. That's it, it cannot be opened until the time is deemed correct.' It might feel like this summer's warm weather is neverending. And you'd be correct as this year is set to be the sunniest and consistently hottest ever, data suggests. Almost 1,200 hours of sunshine had been recorded by July this year, according to the Met Office. That puts the UK on track to beat the previous sunshine record of 1,587 hours, which was set in 2003. During that year when temperatures soared to 38.5C sections of tarmac on the M25 melted, railway tracks buckled and the London Eye had to close because of the heat inside the pods. Brits have also enjoyed 250 hours more sunshine this year than the last 20year average, according to The Times. It comes as the UK has just endured its fourth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures continuing to remain high into this weekend. Today saw temperatures reach 30C in London as firefighters grappled with a lack of resources amid the ongoing warm weather. Women shelter from the sun under an umbrella at Green Park during a hot and sunny day in London Runners have been braving the scorching heat while families are packing out parks as they soak up the summer holiday sunshine Britain is on track for its sunniest year yet despite failing to break the 40.3C record set in Coningsby, Lincolnshire in July 2022. Pictured: People enjoying the hot weather at Charmouth beach in West Dorset today Officials have said the country is suffering from 'nationally significant' water shortages as five areas of the country remain in drought, with six in dry weather status. Although the record temperature of 40.3C set in Coningsby, Lincolnshire in July 2022 will unlikely be beaten, Britain is on track to record the consistently hottest year yet, the figures show. So far, there have been 79 days where temperatures have exceeded 20C the most ever recorded for this stage of the year. The last time it was this consistently warm was back in 1959, when there were 98 days that reached this threshold across the course of the year. That summer was of the most memorable in British history, characterised by long periods of warm, sunny weather and high temperatures. So far, the hottest day of this year was recorded on July 1 when temperatures reached 34.7C in St James's Park in central London. This weekend should be dry and sunny for most parts of the UK, with the mercury forecast to hover around 30C on Saturday and 29C on Sunday in southwest England. The UK Health Security Agency said yellow heat warnings will remain in place for Yorkshire and Humber, the East and West Midlands, London and the South East, South West and east of England until 6pm on August 18. A man stands by a heathland fire in North Yorkshire yesterday which has been burning for four days An aerial photo showing low water levels at Broomhead Reservoir in South Yorkshire on August 12, 2025 Experts have warned that many river flows and reservoir levels continue to recede despite some rainstorms and showers in July and that August has started to see a return of drier conditions. This month also marks the six consecutive month of belowaverage rainfall, with the rivers Wye and Ely Ouse recording their lowest ever records for July. Hosepipe bans are still in place for all Yorkshire Water customers along with some customers of Thames Water, South East Water and Southern Water. Earlier this week Dr Will Lang, Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'As we move into the second half of August, there are indications of high pressure building and therefore largely settled conditions overall. 'Although dry weather is more likely, rain, showers or thunderstorms cannot be ruled out.' A Texas housing developer has been forced to deny that a new community being built in the Dallas area will be exclusive for people from India. Sankalp Developer became infamous for the now-viral tweet that claimed they were building 'a development by INDIANS for the right INDIANS.' The tweet read: 'INDIA FIRST!' Hitting back: A Texas housing developer has denied that it's building an Indian-only community in the Dallas area in response to a now-viral tweet The post does not specify where the supposed development is to be located, however, Sanklap is based in Frisco - a wealthy suburb of Dallas. In recent years, Frisco and neighboring communities like Plano, Prosper, and Celina have been flooded by Southeast Asians, in what were once majority white parts of the state. In the boom town of Celina, Telugu (a language spoken on the subcontinent) has overtaken Spanish as the second most spoken language in the prized school district, according to local reports. On Thursday, Sankalp CEO Mukesh Parna told the Daily Mail there is 'obviously not' any truth to the post, which he learned about on Wednesday evening. Parna explained that his firm has reached out to X to try to remove the post. Additionally, they've launched their own investigation into the incident. Not us: Sankalp Develop in Frisco, Texas told The Daily Mail that there is no truth to the tweet The company claim to not even know Rajan Varadarajan Iyer, the user who created the post, and also say he has never worked with them. The online post was shared by the account @PaxAmericana. Despite some X users pointing out that the source of the tweet appeared to be AI-generated, it has not stop strong reactions to the idea of an Indian community. One person wrote: 'Texas is lost. Even in very rural Texas White people are the minority. Indians outnumber the hispanics.' Independent journalist Stephen Horn wrote on X: 'There's a place built by Indians for Indians, it's called India.' Bucket list influencers desperate to tick off 'Seeing the Big Five' are turning Africa's tranquil wilderness into a hotspot for over-tourism - with 4x4 traffic jams, drones flying over wildlife and over-priced accommodation putting off genuine nature enthusiasts. Once considered a 'once in a lifetime' holiday that was firmly the preserve of the middle and upper classes - the royal family are particularly fond of them, a trip to a game reserve has become increasingly mass market in recent years. Just as British beauty spots, including Cotswolds villages and Cornish beaches, have been besieged by selfie stick-wielding crowds on the hunt for 'content', it seems the TikTok tourist is now equally at home on Africa's remote plains. Destinations such as Kenya's Masai Mara - home to almost 90 species of mammals, Tanzania's Serengeti and South Africa's Kruger National Park have all seen a spike in tourism in recent years. Fed-up wildlife fans who've spent their hard-earned cash to see Mother Nature's most majestic animals - including giraffes, elephants and wildebeest - say they now often have to do battle with Instagrammers posing up a storm as they all try to catch a glimpse of what they've paid thousands to see. On social media, there are insights into just how saturated the safari market has become, with images and videos showing 4x4s sat bumper-to-bumper on dirt track roads at dawn in a bid to catch animals in the best light of the day. Pumping out petrol fumes, inside, they're crammed with tourists who'll apparently stop at nothing to get the perfect shot or footage of the Big Five - lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino, in their natural habitat. One particularly disturbing clip shows a lion walking along a rust-coloured road, with vehicles - full of tourists - surrounding the animal as they try and get an elusive photo or footage. Elephant in the room: Africa's most popular tourist destinations, including Kenya's Masai Mara, Tanzania's Serengeti and South Africa's Kruger National Park have seen tourist numbers swell - with 4x4 traffic jams on savannas now a regular sight Safaris have gone mainstream...with tourists, including travel-loving social media stars, putting the Big Five on their bucket list (Pictured: Italian Instagrammer Alice Muzza striking a pose in Kenya) Alongside sophisticated camera and smartphone equipment, the arrival of drones as as an amateur videographer's best friend has ensured that whirring black dots in the arching blue skies above rolling savanna grasslands are now also occasionally seen. While many safari destinations have introduced strict regulations on using the radio controlled flying recording devices, permission can be sought in advance to use them in certain circumstances. Those who go rogue face fines, confiscation and legal action - but in some destinations, including the Serengeti, tourists have spotted them being used by visitors. One British traveller, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Daily Mail her trip to the famous Tanzanian reserve had been marred by visitors who'd set off small drone devices from the vehicles they were in, and would then ask their guide to go and retrieve them. Other pitfalls? Four-wheel drive vehicles are often connected by radio, so when there's a sight to be seen, many of them flock to the same place, with big jams common as tourists scramble to get the best view. One TikTok user, @zozovdw, posted footage of dozens of Land Rovers lined up watching a hunt between lions and buffaloes - which didn't look dissimilar to the M25 at rush hour. Another suggested that going on a modern safari holiday was mostly about sitting in a 4WD vehicle being bumped over rough roads. British travel blogger, Charlie Hill, warned about the realities of an animal-watching trip, telling his 18,500 followers on TikTok: 'They dont tell you this before you go on safari20% "Wow, is that a lion?!", 80% "My spine just did a somersault on this bumpy track."' A video posted on TikTok showed a lion being tracked by multiple 4x4 vehicles filled with tourists Selfie flex: Posing with the Big Five in their natural habitat has seen some tourists attempting to take drones - largely banned in most safari destinations - on to the plains (Pictured: A tourist takes a photo with an elephant) He added: 'Heres the honest truth about safari life: yes, the wildlife moments are unreal, but in between? Youll be bouncing around in a 4x4 for hours, dust in your teeth and a zebra-shaped bruise forming on your backside.' He did add that the adventure was 'still 100% worth it'. A United Nations Tourism (UNWTO) report earlier this year found that visitor numbers to African destinations were up by 13.5 per cent year-on-year, with many of the country's safari destinations contributing to the rising tourism figures. Africa is, behind the Middle East, the second fastest-growing tourist region globally, with safari destinations including Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda and Botswana amongst the destinations welcoming more tourists. The bucket list element has also swelled numbers, with tourists seeing the idea of a safari as a 'final frontier' if they've already explored many of the world's most famous sights. Chinese tourists are signing up for wildlife spotting trips in their droves. According to the Global Times, visitors to Africa from China during the summer of 2024 were up 40 per cent on 2023. Many African destinations have also relaxed visa rules in recent years, making it easier for tourists to plan a trip. For example, Kenya scrapped tourist visas in January 2023, instead asking potential visitors to apply online for more acccessible travel permits. Many tourists who've taken a recent safari holiday have been frank about what to expect, with TikToker @charlieonhistravels warning of long, bumpy rides waiting to spot animals Jam-packed: Vehicles, often leaking petrol into game reserves, will radio each other if there's a sighting, leading to congestion This TikTok image shows dozens of 4x4s queueing up in the same destination in a bid to catch a glimpse of majestic safari animals in their natural habitat Scramble: For many a safari has become the 'final frontier' of travel experiences And the country's spectacular migrations bring in thousands of visitors, because there's more chance of spotting wildlife as animals - including wildebeest, zebras and hippos - rest en route to their seasonal destinations. How to sidestep the crowds and book a safari that doesn't come with a side portion of frustration? Calvin Cottar, is co-owner of Cottars Safaris, which operates in the private Olderkesi Conservancy, bordering the Maasai Mara... but crucially with no other camps within its boundaries. He tells the Daily Mail that there's still plenty of ways to find a safari destination with plenty of solitude. He said: 'The antidote is choosing lodges with access to controlled conservation areas whether national parks, community conservancies or private reserves. 'Strict rules limit vehicle density (for example, no more than one vehicle per 750 acres), cap numbers at sightings (often no more than five vehicles) and, in busier areas, set time limits at sightings.' Ensuring the company you book with has 'well-trained and fairly paid guides - so they do not rely on tips for sightings' will also enhance your experience, the company co-owner, whose family have been running safaris for more than a 100 years, adds. 'Be careful of companies or guides promising to show you every iconic megafauna in two hours, a safari should be slow and reflective; if you give Africa your patience, it will reward you with moments you will never forget often when you least expect them. Finding solitude is possible, says safari expert Calvin Cottar, who co-owns British company Cottars Safaris Migration season can be one of the busiest times for tourism, but choose an off peak period and you'll find rich rewards...with less tourists 'There are still places far removed from mass tourism, particularly private conservancies and less-visited parks, and the best time to visit depends on your priorities.' Avoiding peak season too, which falls typically between June to September in popular East African destinations, will ensure lesser crowds. When should you go? Says Cottar: 'There is much more to Kenya than the Great Migration: visit in the green season for lush landscapes and fewer visitors, or in the dry season for easier game viewing both falling outside the peak migration months.' An Irish holidaymaker has emerged victorious after forcing easyJet to refund her for a 48 baggage charge they 'bullied' her into paying. Alison Evans, 36, from Northern Ireland, flew with her nine-year-old son Arthur from Belfast International Airport to London's Stansted to visit her father in July. She claimed a member of staff at the gate informed her that her son's cabin bag handle was 'slightly sticking up' and that it did not fit the sizer, and she would need to pay a 48 charge. The mother said: 'At the gate there was a woman at the desk who approached me and got me to put [my bag] in the little holders they have there. She said, "It's too big [with the handle]." 'There's a handle on the side of the bag and that must've been slightly sticking up and I said I could push the handle down. Even with the handle it still fit in the measurement checker but she was adamant that my bag was too big.' Alison said she was left 'shocked' as she had already measured the suitcase at home herself, and had even flown with it twice with no issues. But the full-time carer, who said she was travelling on a 'very tight budget,' felt she was pressured into settling the fine on the spot, and reluctantly paid despite it putting a 'financial strain' on her trip. She explained: 'The staff member thrusted the card machine in my face and I reluctantly paid it but she didn't give me a receipt. Alison Evans, 36, from Northern Ireland , flew with her nine-year-old son Arthur from Belfast International Airport to London 's Stansted to visit her father in July She claimed a member of staff at the gate informed her that her son's cabin bag handle was 'slightly sticking up' and that it did not fit the sizer, and she would need to pay a 48 charge Alison said she was left 'shocked' as she had already measured the suitcase at home herself, and had even flown with it twice with no issues 'I felt ripped off. She was quite rude and I felt bullied because I thought if 'I don't pay this I won't be able to board my flight and go and see my dad. I just felt very victimised and that I didn't have a choice to not pay it.' Despite paying the charge, Alison made sure to take photographs of Arthur's suitcase as evidence to later use to complain against the airline. The mother took to social media, where she shared images of the luggage fitting seamlessly into the airline's sizer, captioned: 'Please explain why I was charged 48 for this bag when it fits.' On their return trip, Alison discovered that the charge for a large cabin bag was 32, which she'd purchased to avoid a heftier fine at the gate. She said: 'I reluctantly put my bag through as a large bag even though it's not a large bag but on the way home I didn't get looked at at all. I just felt conned because my bag met the requirements but they stung me for an extra 16.' She later wrote to easyJet accusing them of 'money-grabbing tactics', and demanded a refund. In their initial response to the mother, they informed her that the charge was non-refundable, but they have since admitted after observing photos that the bag appears to 'fit within the gauge'. The mother said: 'I feel like I deserve my 48 back. That's all I'm asking EasyJet to do is admit they made a mistake. I feel it could've been dealt with a lot better and it's put me off using the airline again.' Despite paying the charge, Alison made sure to take photographs of Arthur's suitcase as evidence to later use to complain against the airline (pictured, with son Arthur) In their initial response to the mother, the airline informed her that the charge was non-refundable They have since admitted after observing photos that the bag appears to 'fit within the gauge' After a full investigation, they acknowledged an 'error' was made and refunded her 48 for the first charge and 32 for the large cabin bag Alison had pre-paid for as a 'gesture of goodwill' The mother encourages all passengers to 'measure their bags,' and take photographs as evidence in the event of being wrongfully charged, adding: 'Don't be conned out of your money' After a full investigation, they acknowledged an 'error' was made and refunded her 48 for the first charge and 32 for the large cabin bag Alison had pre-paid for as a 'gesture of goodwill'. The mother encourages all passengers to 'measure their bags', and take photographs as evidence in the event of being wrongfully charged, adding: 'Don't be conned out of your money.' An EasyJet spokesperson said: 'Bag sizing is inclusive of wheels and handles and we provide very clear information on our bag sizing policies and options to customers. 'Given the bag shown appears to fit within the gauge, we are investigating further and will refund the extra charges incurred by the family as a gesture of goodwill if an error has been made in this instance.' An Australian man living in the UK visited the nation's 'most boring town' to prove you can 'still have fun' - but was left stunned by locals who encouraged him to leave 'the dump' and visit alternative cities. Liam Dowling used ChapGPT, to determine some of the dullest places in the UK, with the AI chatbot, showing Slough as the top contender. Accompanied by his Canadian friend, Matt Giffen, the pair travelled via rail to the Berkshire town, located 20 miles west of central London and 19 miles north-east of Reading. In a video uploaded to his TikTok page @liam_dowling, he announces: 'Come with us on a day out in what's known to be the worst place, and see if we can have fun. It really can't be that bad.' Upon exiting the train station, the pair are immediately met with a broken down car in the middle of the road with its bonnet propped up - yet no driver or passengers appear to be in sight. They proceed to stop by the local Wetherspoons pub, where they ask a member of staff for recommendations on the best things Slough has to offer. Asking, 'Where should we go? What should we do?' the employee swiftly responds, 'Go to Windsor. It's five minutes away by train.' The pair then head outside to a table occupied by two locals, and after chatting about wanting to have fun in the area, are warned: 'You're in the wrong town, trust me. There's nothing here. It's a dump.' Liam Dowling used ChapGPT, to determine some of the dullest places in the UK, with the AI chatbot, showing Slough as the top contender Accompanied by his Canadian friend, Matt Giffen, the pair travel via rail to the Berkshire town, located 20 miles west of central London and 19 miles north-east of Reading Luckily, the duo find the funny side, and take it as a challenge to create their own fun instead. After having a couple of shots, they decide to explore Slough's high street, where they continue to speak to locals about their thoughts on the area. Liam says: 'Every single one has said the same thing - that this place is the worst place on earth.' He jokingly adds: 'I low-key feel unsafe. It's getting a bit dodgy, not going to lie.' He then captures their short venture into the town's shopping centre, which appears to be empty, before settling down for a bite to eat at fried chicken takeaway shop, Chicking. The pair are left pleasantly surprised by the affordable grub, noting that the spicy wings are 'unreal' and the 'best we've ever had.' Liam quips: 'Slough might not have a shopping centre - or anything else - but they have great chicken shop wings.' After finishing their food, they go on to visit the Brickhouse pub for another beverage, before making a stop at Slough Ice Arena for a quick skate session. They conclude their trip with a stop at Pizza GoGo for a takeaway meal and another stop at Wetherspoons. Upon exiting the train station, the pair are immediately met with a broken down car in the middle of the road with its bonnet propped up - yet no driver or passengers appear to be in sight After having a couple of shots, they decide to explore Slough's high street, where locals warn: 'This place is the worst place on earth' Over 440 viewers took to the comments to share their thoughts on Slough Heading to the train station, Matt and Liam say: 'It's been an interesting day. It's not a fun place, but we had fun together. The one thing I will say is that the people here were so friendly - so nice.' Over 440 viewers took to the comments to share their thoughts, as one wrote, 'Slough is worst town but the best food in the uk,' while another said, 'No amount of influencing will ever make me go to slough, chicking wings or not. Hell hole.' A third added: 'Why would you do this??? The normal thing to do is leave Slough at 18 and never ever return,' while another remarked, 'Respectfully theres not much fun happening in Windsor either.' However, one person defending the town said: 'It's such a culturally enriched and diverse place, how could it be so boring.' A tourist was left devastated when her birthday travels turned into a nightmare with her covered in what she claims was bed bug bites though the hotel has insisted they were not. Vivi Shi decided to take a trip with her best friend, Jackie, to celebrate her 30th birthday. The pair, from Toronto, Canada, flew nearly 4,000 miles across the pond to Venice in Italy. They had booked a hotel room for 400 and were excited to explore the historic city. Unfortunately, things didn't go smoothly. 'The shock hit when I saw [what looked like] blood stains on the bed,' said Vivi, who works in education. 'I checked the seams and there they were: Bed bugs. 'My friend killed one crawling on her arm at 3am and ended up lying on the cold bathroom floor because it was the only place that felt "safe". Vivi Shi (right) decided to take a trip to Italy with her best friend, Jackie, to celebrate her 30th birthday Despite high expectation, the travellers were left devastated after being left covered in what she claims were bits from bed bug 'I checked the seams and there they were: Bed bugs,' claims Vivi but the hotel denies that they were not 'My dream trip started with us curled up on tiles in fear. 'We couldn't stop itching and every tickle on my skin made me panic that something was crawling on me.' Vivi claims the pair were unable to book another room due to them arriving late into the evening and the reception at the hotel allegedly being closed. But after speaking with staff at the Ca' San Polo hotel the next morning, they were moved to another room. Vivi claims the horror continued. She said: 'By the third morning, we woke up with the telltale bites. 'The bites were in a row formation and were super itchy. More bugs and eggs kept showing up.' Vivi claims that both she and Jackie ended up soaking their clothes in boiling water in an attempt to clean them off any sort of insect remnants, but to no avail. Vivi said the pair 'couldn't stop itching and every tickle on my skin made me panic that something was crawling on me' Viva and Jackie ended up sleeping on the bathroom floor they said it was the only place they felt safe They claim to have left the hotel with 'nothing but our passports and bank cards' They allegedly ended up throwing away over 500 worth of clothing after the trip. She added: 'We left the hotel carrying nothing but our passports and bank cards in a plastic bag. 'The city itself is magical but my experience was a nightmare. Looking back, the story is comical but in the moment we were suffering. 'I will never go back.' The friends visited Venice between 18 to 22 July. A representative from Ca' San Polo hotel said: 'As we had already stated previously, those insects were absolutely not bedbugs. 'After an inspection by a specialised company, it was confirmed that they were simply insects that had fallen from the wooden beams.' Earlier this week, a travel expert revealed that holidaymakers should avoid putting their suitcase on the hotel bed or sofa. The accommodation set the pair back 400 and Viva has vowed never to find herself in a situation like that again Travel writer Lydia Mansel said soft furnishings, like beds and chairs in hotel rooms, could be harbouring pesky bed bugs. To protect your belongings, Lydia recommends putting luggage either in the bathroom, the entryway, or somewhere away from the bed and carpet. 'This way, my belongings are far enough away from any furniture where bed bugs usually resideand I significantly lower my chances of bringing them home.' She advises leaving a note for them to ensure the cases stay put because luggage racks can also be carriers for bed bugs, too. Travellers often want to grab their key card, luggage and quickly head to their hotel room after checking in. However, there's a very common key card habit that is surprisingly dangerous. Often during check in, key cards are handed over in a smart envelope with the room number and hotel name written on it, which security expert Daniel Loo, owner of North Star Group, explained could cause issues. 'Leaving a key card in its sleeve with the room number visible is essentially handing someone both your "key" and the "address" to use it,' Daniel told Reader's Digest. He went on to share how if the card went missing, it would be easy for someone to locate the room. 'If it's lost or stolen, it makes unauthorised entry almost effortless for someone with bad intent,' Daniel added. The hotel room number is a vital piece of information that staff members try to be quiet about too for the safety of guests. 'Most reputable hotels train staff to write the room number discreetly and avoid saying it aloud to protect guest privacy and safety,' Daniel explained. Travellers often want to grab their key card, luggage and quickly head to their hotel room after checking in Often during check in, key cards are handed over in a smart envelope with the room number and hotel name written on it, which security expert Daniel Loo explained could cause issues Daniel's advice comes as research by Ball State and Florida International universities discovered that of all hotel theft, 38 per cent of it actually happens inside the hotel rooms. For this reason, he urges travellers to keep their room number private and key card safe. He warned: 'Opportunistic offenders often act on overheard information. Keeping your room number private is a basic but critical step in personal safety.' He adds that an important move is to memorise the hotel room number before throwing away your card envelope with it on. But he urged people to avoid taking a photograph, just in case the phone is lost or stolen too. Daniel also suggested looking after the key card in the same way as people would their credit or debit card, to avoid any mishaps. Meanwhile, travel agent Dimple Chudasama-Adams, shared her checklist of essential tasks every holidaymaker must do before settling into their hotel room. 'Leaving a key card in its sleeve with the room number visible is essentially handing someone both your 'key' and the 'address' to use it,' Daniel said One of the most important things she suggested doing when first entering a hotel room is ensuring the doors lock and the safe functions properly. She argued it is vital for security and peace of mind, and preventing unauthorised access and potential theft. Dimple also advised checking for bed bugs, which is crucial on arrival as it can help prevent an infestation in your own home once your trip has come to an end. She said holidaymakers should 'pull back sheets and inspect mattress corners' for dark spots that could indicate the presence of bed bugs. Waterloo Road's future has officially been confirmed, with the BBC commissioning two more series of the school-based drama - despite a string of recent cancellations across the broadcaster. The long-running school-based drama will return for its 16th season next month on BBC One and iPlayer, following the finale of series 15. Season 17 will follow in 2026, while filming on series 18 and 19 is scheduled to begin later this year in Greater Manchester. Known for its sensitive and often hard-hitting portrayal of real-world issues affecting students, families, and teachers, Waterloo Road continues to balance drama with humour and heart. Since its reboot in 2023, prompted by a surge in popularity on iPlayer during lockdown, the show has tackled themes such as the cost-of-living crisis, coercive control, neurodivergence, workplace politics, grief, and young love. The series remains one of BBC iPlayer's top-performing titles among under-35s and continues to be a launchpad for rising British talent. Waterloo Road's future has officially been confirmed, with the BBC commissioning two more series of the school-based drama - despite a string of recent cancellations across the broadcaster The long-running school-based drama will return for its 16th season next month on BBC One and iPlayer, following the finale of series 15 Stars such as Jenna Coleman, Lucien Laviscount, Rege-Jean Page, Katie McGlynn, Chelsee Healey, and Phoebe Dynevor all began their careers on the show. Phoebe's sister, Hattie Dynevor, joined the cast in 2024, while original star Adam Thomas, who returned in 2023, remains a series regular. Other familiar faces who've returned include Angela Griffin, Katie Griffiths, Lauren Drummond, and Jason Merrells, who is now confirmed as a full-time cast member. As previously announced, comedian Jon Richardson will make his debut next month as the school's new media studies teacher. He follows in the footsteps of fellow funnyman Jason Manford, who played headteacher Steve Savage. Cameron Roach, Founder of Rope Ladder Fiction and Executive Producer for Waterloo Road, said: 'When the BBC commissioned the reboot of Waterloo Road, we had hoped it might run for a few seasons. 'But to be commissioned for further series, bringing the total episodes since relaunch to seventy hours, is a huge achievement and a reflection of the incredible creative teams in front of and behind the camera. 'As well as continuing to celebrate emerging talent, the show is fast gaining a reputation for working with the best comedy talent, as Jon Richardson joins the cast this season. Season 17 will follow in 2026, while filming on series 18 and 19 is scheduled to begin later this year in Greater Manchester As previously announced, comedian Jon Richardson will make his debut next month as the school's new media studies teacher He follows in the footsteps of fellow funnyman Jason Manford, who played headteacher Steve Savage 'As a team, we're incredibly proud that a very British show can be such an enduring success for the BBC and continue to bring in new generations of viewers.' Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, added: 'Im delighted that Waterloo Road will be opening its corridors once again, with two more series of the hit drama about to start filming. 'The show continues to entertain the audience who love to follow both the staff and pupils and, with a new series heading to BBC iPlayer and BBC One next month, they dont have long to wait!' It comes after the BBC axed a number of shows, including long-running dramas Doctors and Holby City. In another blow, iconic children's programme Blue Peter has been taken off television screens after nearly 70 years on air. Former presenters have spoken out, with some branding the move a 'terrible decision'. Meanwhile, fan-favourite talk show Between The Covers has also been scrapped after eight series. The programme, which launched during the Coronavirus pandemic, featured celebrities discussing their favourite books and offering recommendations for viewers. Presented by Sara Cox, the show aired 50 episodes over its eight-series run. Series 16 of Waterloo Road airs on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in September. Naga Munchetty looked effortlessly chic as she stepped out of the BBC studios in a figure-hugging dress on Friday - the day after 'creepy' comments from Sir David Jason on the show. The Breakfast host wore a striking royal blue ensemble with delicate button fastenings, paired with purple-lens sunglasses. On Thursday, Naga and co-host Charlie Stayt spoke to Only Fools And Horses legend sir David Jason. But the 'outrageous' interview set tongues wagging for all the wrong reasons - as fans accused the acting great of being 'creepy' and making a 'sickening' remark to Naga. Sir David, 85, appeared in the studio to look back on his illustrious decades-long career. But things soured when viewers suspected he was 'flirting' with Naga after making comments fans said were 'uncomfortable.' Naga Munchetty looked effortlessly chic as she stepped out of the BBC studios in a figure-hugging dress on Friday - after 'creepy' comments from Sir David Jason on the show The Breakfast host wore a striking royal blue ensemble with delicate button fastenings, paired with purple-lens sunglasses While in the middle of a story, the Open All Hours star trailed off. Host Charlie jumped in, saying: 'Come back to the anecdote, what was it you were going to say? A little story?' But Sir David appeared to remain fixated on Naga, telling Charlie: 'Yes I was butyouit's Naga. I can't resist. [I can't] take my eyes off her.' Ever the professional, Naga looked unfazed and laughed the comment off, while Charlie hurriedly changed the subject. 'Em people are in, obviously, for an absolute treat,' Charlie continued, discussing an upcoming project of Sir David's. 'That's really true,' David responded. 'So, I'm not going to give anything away because I've been told not to.' Naga chimed in: 'Do you always do what you're told?' to which David, batting his eyelashes at her, said: 'Naga, please! Yes, I will - for certain people. Not you, Charlie.' As David's segment drew to a close, he put on a seemingly flirty voice when he said: 'Thank you Naga, I'll see you later.' While some saw the exchange as a harmless joke, others were left feeling uncomfortable, and took to social media to swap notes. On Thursday, Naga and co-host Charlie Stayt spoke to Only Fools And Horses legend sir David Jason But the 'outrageous' interview set tongues wagging for all the wrong reasons - as fans accused the acting great of being 'creepy' and making a 'sickening' remark to Naga While some saw the exchange as a harmless joke, others were left feeling uncomfortable, and took to social media to swap notes One wrote: 'Did I just see Jason being misogynistic regarding Naga and she just laughed it off? He kept on digging until the end. I felt a disgusted physical reaction.' Another added: 'David Jason verging on inappropriate and forgetting himself occasionally on BBC Breakfast . Some wonderful anecdotes though but quite sad to see.' 'It was nothing short of creepy,' said a third, while a fourth chimed in: 'He's a bit sleazy with Naga.' Some watchers said they had to turn to another channel, unable to stand David's conduct. 'I enjoy David Jason's work but I had to switch off the interview as it was so embarrassing,' commented one. 'Well done to Naga for being dignified while I was watching.' 'His whole behaviour was red flag central,' said one commenter, while another agreed: 'David Jason creepy AF towards Naga.' 'He was extremely misogynistic towards and up to the end of this interview,' one person wrote. 'Sickening. Naga should have called him out.' Breakfast airs daily on BBC One from 6am and is available to stream on iPlayer. Actress Caylee Cowan is taking a stand for the animal kingdom. The 27-year-old is now the face of PETA's latest campaign advocating for vegan leather alternatives (even starring in a new billboard for the cause) - and in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, opened up about bonding over her passion for the welfare of animals with her boyfriend, Casey Affleck. A vegan since she was a teenager, Caylee feels passionately about the welfare of animals - and so does her boyfriend. 'Casey's vegan. He's been vegan since I've known him,' she told Daily Mail. Calling him 'such an animal lover', Caylee says her boyfriend has gone through great lengths to care for four-legged friends in need - even rescuing a three-legged dog he found on the side of a train track. 'He used to have a dog that had three legs that he rescued on the side of a train track,' she explained. Actress Caylee Cowan is the face of PETA's latest campaign advocating for vegan leather alternatives 'The dog would yap, the dog would like bark and bite and he just kind of took care of it,' she said. While Caylee's latest campaign sees her advocating for faux leather alternatives, two celebrities in her orbit have previously come under fire for incorporating animal fur into their wardrobe - Jennifer Lopez and her ex Ben Affleck, whose brother is Caylee's boyfriend. Jennifer and her ex Ben have both faced the wrath of PETA in the past, after the actor purchased his then-girlfriend a chinchilla coat in 2002, according to Vogue . 'You have opened my eyes to a particularly cruel and barbaric treatment of animals,' Ben said in response to PETA's reprimand at the time. 'I can assure you that I do not endorse such treatment and will not do anything in the future that supports it.' Asked about the chinchilla controversy, Caylee said she was unaware of it. 'I actually have met JLo, and she is so, so sweet,' Caylee told Daily Mail, adding the pop star, 56, 'is very thoughtful and kind and generous.' The Selena actress could even make an impact in the fashion industry if she were to use her star power to make a stand against the fur industry. 'If Jen made a change and made a stance and said... "I'm only gonna wear a faux fur. I'm not gonna wear something that's made out of animal skin or animal's fur," then that would really trickle down to everybody,' Caylee said, who noted neither JLo and Ben, 53, are vegans. Bennifer 2.0 officially crumbled earlier this year, after reigniting their romance over a decade after their first go-around. Caylee has been dating Casey Affleck, the brother of Ben Affleck, since 2021; pictured July in St. Tropez PETA called out Jennifer Lopez, who was previously married to Casey's brother Ben Affleck, over the fur she wore in Hustlers Caylee has previously said she and Casey support one another by completing simple domestic tasks such as household chores - which she credits for the success of their relationship. The glamorous Bennifer 2.0, meanwhile, officially crumbled just a few years after saying 'I do.' 'I love them both, but, like, you know, I've been in a relationship with Casey while they got back together, married, and divorced...' she told the Daily Mail. 'All within the span of my relationship with Casey. So, you know, I think that having a grounded relationship is so important. Like, that's what it's about.' Casey met Caylee in January 2021 before they went Instagram official in November of that year. Bennifer, meanwhile, became linked again in April 2021. Jennifer has raised the ire of PETA multiple times, from her fur costumes in Hustlers to a feathered Versace cape at the Super Bowl that the designer later said consisted of 'ethically sourced' feathers. The organization slammed JLo after she wore a Versace cape made of feathers during her Super Bowl performance, however the designer later clarified the feathers were 'ethically sourced' Caylee's relationship with Casey has outlasted Bennifer 2.0; pictured 2003 She has, however, worn faux fur outfits, and in 2022 a faux fur coat she wore to the iHeart Radio Awards was praised by the organization. In a statement hailing the fashion choice, PETA referenced her relationship with Ben and wished the couple a 'happy fur-free future.' 'Older, wiser and kinder? In 2002, when Ben bought Jennifer a chinchilla coat, PETA wrote to him, and he said, "Never again." Twenty years later, the couple has reunited, and no animals have been killed for JLos wardrobe because shes gone faux, for the animals sake. We wish the couple a happy fur-free future together,' they said. Caylee and Casey bond over their shared passion for the welfare of animals; pictured October 2024 Caylee revealed to Daily Mail that her boyfriend once had a three-legged dog he rescued from the side of a train track; pictured 2023 As for Caylee, she has found a match with someone who shares the same passion for her care with animals. Casey also spent an entire day tending to a somewhat ferocious pooch he found alongside the road. 'Sorry to gush... there was this dog that he found on the side of the road that was like tied up. And it was barking,' she said. 'And it had been left in the sun all day, and I came and Ubered to him.' 'He was there the whole day trying to get an animal service, like, company to come and pick up the dog and try to get him food and was spending his whole day just trying to take care of this dog that was almost gonna bite him. 'But he's like that all the time. He just has a really big heart,' she said. Their passion for animal rights also prompted them to both leave a hotel they had been set up in after discovering it had been decorated with taxidermy. She now appears in PETA's new campaign promoting vegan leather alternatives In a video, she describes how faux leather can be created out of fruit such as apple and pineapple She compared the ability to transform fruit into leather to a 'magic trick' 'I was in Spokane, Washington on a film set. The hotel that we had, me and Casey, we had to move because the hotel had stuffed animal heads, like, all over the place and like furs, real furs on the floor,' she said. 'And there's something energetically that I just I pick up from like a fur that's real, it kinda creeps me out. It actually kinda grosses me out. But I don't know if that's just because like, I'm not sure exactly why that I have that feeling, but it feels like there's an energy to something that I can pick up on.' Casey says balancing their busy lifestyles with their relationship is 'pretty easy.' 'We have a mutual understanding because we're like both actors,' she said. Caylee - whose credits include Frank and Penelope and The Instigators, a 2024 film starring her boyfriend and Matt Damon - will soon be appearing in another film, Hollywood Grit. She appears in a new video and billboard promoting faux leather alternatives Even cork can be used as a faux fur alternative A vegan since she was a teenager, the cause is clearly something close to her heart And she also is putting on a traffic-stopping display in Los Angeles, where she appears on a new billboard promoting PETA's vegan leather campaign. The billboard, located by West Hollywood on Beverly Boulevard in between Harper and North Sweetzer avenues, sees Caylee clad in an opulent red floral gown as she sits beneath a tree adorned with red purses. She holds a juicy red apple in hand with a cow by her side. In a whimsical video done for the campaign, Caylee describes how fruit and plants can be transformed into faux leather. The concept for the video, Caylee believes, was inspired by the 'magic' of turning food into fashion. 'It feels like magical, like a magic trick to make a bag from an apple, but it's not that complicated,' she told Daily Mail. 'If it can be popularized in fashion, then it would make a huge difference on not only the environment, but for cows and farming,' she said. 'It is kind of magical, isn't it?' The Block is gearing up for its most glamorous season yet, with producers drawing up a wish list of high-profile contestants as they lock in an exciting new location. Daily Mail understands that Nine has finalised a major property deal in Victoria, after weeks of intense negotiations over a multimillion-dollar development site. Further details about the location, including the exact suburb where filming will take place, remain a closely guarded secret at the network. But Daily Mail's senior showbiz reporter Ali Daher, the journalist who delivered scoop after scoop on MAFS this year, has the story straight from production sources. Read on to find out what Nine has in store... From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The Block is set for its most ambitious season with producers securing a Mornington Peninsula location and drawing up a wish list of star contestants. (Pictured: Hamish Blake and Andy Lee) The Block has secured a prime slice of Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, snapping up a development site in Mount Eliza for just under $11million after weeks of negotiations. Perched on the clifftop enclave 65km south-east of Melbourne's CBD, Mount Eliza is one of the state's most coveted coastal escapes, known for its million-dollar views, designer homes and buzzing holiday atmosphere. The site, purchased from former racing driver and Porsche collector Rusty French, spans 1.35 hectares and is subdivided into 10 premium lots. Six lots have been secured for The Block's 2026 season, while the remaining four are either on the market or available for short-term lease. Long-time Block building partners Nine in Six were spotted in branded gear at a local cafe before the deal was finalised, sparking rumours weeks before confirmation. The location revelation comes as producers quietly approach big-name talent for a potential 'celebrity edition' of the show, with auction proceeds tipped to go to charity. Whether the celebrity edition will take place in Mount Eliza or is being planned for a future season remains unclear. At the top of the list are comedy duo Hamish Blake and Andy Lee, Olympic legend Cathy Freeman and various Married At First Sight alumni. Daily Mail can reveal that Channel Nine's hit renovation series has snapped up a development site in Mount Eliza (pictured) for just under $11million following weeks of negotiations Pictured: The Block hosts Scott Cam and Shelley Craft during the 2022 season finale While dream names like Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli have been floated internally, insiders admit those stars are unlikely to sign on. MAFS fan favourites Dave Hand and Al Perkins are also being courted, along with Love Triangle tradie Alan Wallace. 'They're seeking instantly recognisable personalities who will bring charisma and energy to the build,' a production insider says. 'It's not just about picking up a hammer - it's about giving viewers the kind of moments they'll still be talking about the next day.' Another source adds: 'This isn't about chasing influencers for their follower count. Perched on the clifftop enclave 65km south-east of Melbourne's CBD, Mount Eliza is one of the state's most coveted coastal escapes, known for its million-dollar views and designer homes The site, purchased from former racing driver and Porsche collector Rusty French, spans 1.35 hectares and is subdivided into 10 premium lots Six of these have been secured for The Block's 2026 season, with the remaining four either on the market or under short-term lease Long-time Block building partners Nine in Six were spotted in branded gear at a local cafe before the deal was finalised, sparking rumours weeks before confirmation The location revelation comes as producers quietly approach big-name talent for a potential 'celebrity edition' of the show, with auction proceeds tipped to go to charity At the top of the list is Olympic legend Cathy Freeman (pictured) While dream names like MAFS couple Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli have been floated internally, insiders admit those stars are unlikely to sign on Dave Hand from MAFS (left) and Alan Wallace from Love Triangle (right) are being considered 'They want Australians who've earned their place in the spotlight, who are respected, and who'll roll up their sleeves and have fun with it.' According to marketing material from luxury agency Kay & Burton, the development sits on an elevated site with panoramic views over Port Phillip Bay, and has been master-planned to make the most of its natural beauty and tranquil surroundings. Residences are designed with generous floor plans, premium finishes, and seamless indoor-outdoor spaces. The location is just a 10-minute walk from the beach, and a stone's throw away from the bustling Mount Eliza Village. It's also close to elite schools, including Peninsula Grammar and Toorak College, as well as scenic trails at Mount Eliza Regional Park, and essential services like Frankston Hospital. Easy access to Peninsula Link means commuting to Frankston or Melbourne's CBD is a breeze, too. The move to Mount Eliza marks a major change for The Block, which in recent years has transformed properties in rural and suburban settings like Daylesford, Gisborne and Brighton. The coastal glamour of the Mornington Peninsula is set to usher in a fresh aesthetic for the show, highlighted by sweeping bay views and innovative beach house designs. Cheryl Hines's hopes of reuniting on screen with her longtime TV husband Larry David are fading fast - and the Obamas may be to blame, Daily Mail can reveal. The comedian and screenwriter was recently revealed to be working on a new HBO comedy series to mark America's 250th anniversary next year, with the former president and first lady to serve as producers. The show, which will consist of six half-hour episodes, is expected to see many of the stars from David's hit sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm reunite on set. But insiders tell Daily Mail that Hines's marriage to Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is all but certain to rule her out. According to sources, Barack and Michelle Obama, whose production company Higher Ground is producing the show, are 'vehemently opposed' to Hines having any part in the project due to her political alliances. The 59-year-old actress otherwise would have likely been a 'natural choice shoo-in' after famously playing David's character's wife on Curb Your Enthusiasm for all 12 seasons. Cheryl Hines may be blacklisted from former TV husband Larry David's new HBO comedy project with the Obamas, sources tell Daily Mail According to insiders, the former president and first lady are opposed to Hines's involvement due to her marriage to Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. and her political and friendly ties to Trump But Hines is now facing what another source called 'the cancel culture wrath of her beloved Hollywood at the highest level of progressive political power.' 'The Obamas are adamant that anyone politically connected to Trump who they despise should not have a role in any of their lucrative media projects,' one well-connected source told Daily Mail. 'That clearly would include Cheryl. Worse for her in the Obamas' eyes and Larry's, too she dropped her affiliation with the Democrat Party and calls herself an Independent and has an amicable friendship with Donald Trump.' Ironically, back in 2008, then President-elect Obama considered RFK Jr. for a cabinet position as EPA administrator, enforcing environmental laws, according to Politico. But the idea was reportedly scrapped over fears Kennedy would have difficulty getting confirmed by Senate Republicans due to his past drug use and controversial statements. 'It's now gone full circle,' a source noted. Barack, 63, and Michelle, 61, Obama were last month revealed to be teaming up with David on the new series which is set to premiere next year. The couple pictured 2019 The project marks David's return to television, a year after his long-running HBO series, Curb Your Enthusiasm, concluded its 12th and final season. He's also known as the co-creator of hit NBC sitcom Seinfeld; pictured with wife Laurie As an executive producer as well as the star of the upcoming series, David could override his powerful partners and cast Hines, but insiders say such a move is unlikely. They claim David's longtime personal and professional relationship with Hines has 'chilled if not completely faded' since her husband dropped his Democratic affiliation and ran as an Independent against Joe Biden last year. Kennedy then became a MAGA ally and acolyte as the Trump administration's Secretary of Health and Human Services in February, and most recently, leader of its 'Make America Healthy Again' movement. Meanwhile David, 78, remains a prominent, staunchly liberal Democrat celebrity, who supported Joe Biden's presidential campaign and reportedly contributed $15,000 to the 2020 Biden Victory Fund. 'It would be a tough call for Larry to bring Cheryl on to the new show because of his negative feelings about Bobby's politics, Cheryl's avid support of MAGA and MAHA, and Larry's extreme loathing of Trump,' a source said. Even David's ex-wife, Laurie David, 67, a liberal democrat, environmentalist, feminist, and inspiration for Cheryl's role as Larry's TV spouse, attacked her earlier this year after she was seen supporting her husband at his Senate confirmation hearings. She called Hines's appearance in the Senate chamber her 'best and most watched performance yet as the dutiful, adoring wife setting women back decades'. Hines responded to Laurie's remarks in an interview this week with the Wall Street Journal, admitting she found the post 'odd' because she doesn't 'really have a relationship with her'. She added that she and Larry David are still friends. Her publicist, however, declined to comment when Daily Mail asked about the state of Hines and David's relationship, and whether or not she'll have a role in his new show. The Obamas' and David's new TV project is a sketch comedy will also see Curb Your Enthusiasm showrunner Jeff Schaffer co-write and direct episodes. The show's name is yet to be announced but its promotional logline states 'President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America's 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion. But then Larry David called'. The Curb Your Enthusiasm series finale aired in April 2024, after 12 seasons. Hines and David were seen attending the premiere last year Hines famously played David's character's wife on Curb Your Enthusiasm for all 12 seasons 'I've sat across from some of the world's most difficult leaders and wrestled with some of our most intractable problems. Nothing prepared me for working with Larry David,' Obama joked in a statement. Schaffer added: 'The characters Larry is playing didn't change history. In fact, they were largely ignored by history. And that's a good thing.' The show will feature a mix of Curb Your Enthusiasm cast members and other guests, but casting details have not been released. With her gig in the new show in question, and Curb Your Enthusiasm no longer in production, Hines is apparently pursuing other work. She recently served as the executive producer and star in a low-budget horror short film in Italy with her 21-year-old daughter Catherine from her first marriage to Paul Young. Hines also scored a $600,000 advance from RFK Jr.'s longtime book publisher and political backer to pen a memoir due in November entitled Unscripted. Hines has been spending time between the Kennedy estate in Los Angeles and their new $4.3million townhouse in the ritzy Georgetown section of Washington, D.C. the home she reportedly demanded her husband buy in April after he was caught up in a sexting scandal last year with political journalist Olivia Nuzzi, 32. The actress wanted to keep close tabs on him and his wandering eye, sources told Daily Mail at the time. David's ex-wife, Laurie, took aim at Hines earlier this year in a barbed post on Threads after she was seen supporting her husband at his Senate confirmation hearings Kennedy has since become a MAGA ally and Trump acolyte as the administration's Secretary of Health and Human Services; pictured at his Senate confirmation hearing in January Before RFK Jr. 'infuriated' David with his presidential bid against Biden last year and then taking a role in the Trump administration in February, the two men had a close friendship, sources say. It was during a 2004 charity ski event with Larry and his first wife that Kennedy was introduced to Hines a friend of Laurie David, according to the couple. At the time, Hines was separated from her first husband, Hollywood producer and manager Young, who had helped her with her acting career. Womanizing Kennedy, who suffered from what he called 'love demons' in a diary that listed dozens of women, was still married to his second wife, late architectural designer Mary Richardson, the mother of four of his six children. Like a scenario out of the offbeat Curb Your Enthusiasm show, he later claimed that he bizarrely asked David for permission to date his TV wife, and that David gave him the green light, but warned Hines it was not a good idea to be with him. He told Bobby that Hines was 'the most solid person I ever met'. Richardson told a different story, claiming she introduced Hines to her husband at a charity event. When she learned they were having an affair, she was heartbroken. She later told a confidante that she felt 'very betrayed' by what she termed the 'sisterhood women sticking together, supporting one another'. Hines is now facing what one source called 'cancel culture wrath at the highest level of progressive political power', due to her links to the Trump administration David, whose once-close bond with Hines has reportedly cooled, had a good relationship with her husband before RFK Jr. launched his presidential bid against Biden last year and then took a role in the Trump administration in February Hines reportedly began publicly boasting about her relationship with RFK Jr., which humiliated his wife of 18 years. Online, Richardson saw that Hines had tweeted that she had become friends with Mary's close friend Glenn Close, had bonded with Bobby's sister Kerry Kennedy, and become pals with his youngest son Aidan. In the wake of Hines's tweets, an online commenter observed: 'Was Hines so self-absorbed that she did not think her giddy and public celebration would have no effect on the woman left behind?' Kennedy filed divorce in 2010, and two years later depressed Mary Richardson, 52, hanged herself in the garage of her home in ritzy Bedford, New York. Four years later, on a drizzly Saturday in August 2014, at the storied Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, Cheryl Hines became the third Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. One of the guests of honor was David, who once told the Kennedy scion: 'Nothing you ever do will rattle her.' Jerry Oppenheimer is a bestselling biographer who has written two books about the Kennedys, The Other Mrs. Kennedy, about the life of Ethel Skakel Kennedy, and RFK Jr. And The Dark Side of the Dream. Kourtney Kardashian's stepdaughter Alabama Barker claims she 'saw' the Washington State murder suspect in Los Angeles prior to his arrest. The 19-year-old influencer made the chilling claim on Wednesday, commenting on a TikTok video that warned Los Angeles residents to watch out for the man, named Alexander Lee Rogers, 51. 'If you're in LA please, please be careful the next few nights. There is actually a convicted murderer supposedly in LA,' TikTok user kezsexton warned her fans in the clip, adding that the man is, 'apparently known for attacking people with machetes.' Alabama took to the comments, writing, 'I saw him in Woodland Hills.' The star who recently rocked an X-rated sheer look did not provide any other details. DailyMail.com has reached out to Barker's representatives for comment. Kourtney Kardashian's stepdaughter Alabama Barker, 19, claims she 'saw' the Washington State murder suspect in Los Angeles prior to his arrest on Tuesday Rogers was arrested on Tuesday in the Westlake District, after his abandoned car was found in Calabasas by police, as per ABC7. Alabama lives with father Travis Barker and his wife Kourtney in the Calabasas neighborhood. Reports of a possible sighting of the suspect in the Woodland Hills neighborhood, where Alabama claims she saw him, prompted police to scour the area on Tuesday, which eventually led them to the Westlake District, where they arrested him. He is accused of stabbing 73-year-old Andrew Peters and his sister-in-law, 64-year-old Dawn Peters. Dawn died from her injuries, while Andrew has survived. Following the attack, Rogers allegedly fled the state. The crime took place last Tuesday at the family's home in Longview, Washington, and it's believed to have been 'unprovoked' according to the investigators. Rogers reportedly did some handywork for the family, after he recently finished a 20-year-long prison sentence. He was convicted of attempted murder in the early 2000s for attacking people with a machete. She made the chilling claim on Wednesday, commenting on a TikTok video that warned LA residents to watch out for the man, named Alexander Lee Rogers, 51 (pictured in his mugshot) 'I saw him in Woodland Hills,' Alabama wrote in the comments about the suspect, who is accused of stabbing two people, one of whom died. She did not provide any other details Reports of a possible sighting of the suspect in the Woodland Hills neighborhood, where Alabama claims she saw him, prompted police to scour the area on Tuesday, which eventually led them to the Westlake District, where they arrested him The arrest came after his car was found abandoned in Calabasas, the neighborhood where Alabama lives with father Travis Barker, 49, and his wife Kourtney, 46; The trio seen in 2022 Despite the encounter, Alabama did not appear to be unnerved, and shared a TikTok of her shopping haul on Wednesday Wearing a pink face mask, she showed off cosmetic products from Chanel as well as pajama sets from Victoria's Secret Despite the encounter, Alabama did not appear to be unnerved, and shared a TikTok of her shopping haul on Wednesday. Wearing a pink face mask, she showed off cosmetic products from Chanel as well as pajama sets from Victoria's Secret. At the end she held up two full bags from Ulta and said she would need to do a part two in order to show everything off. Alabama was the youngest of Travis' kids before he welcomed 18-month-old son Rocky Barker with his current wife Kourtney. In addition to Alabama and the baby boy, the Bling 182 drummer also shares son Landon, 21, and stepdaughter Atiana De La Hoya, 26, with his ex Shanna Moakler. In recent months Alabama has been entangled in drama with Bhad Bhabie. Earlier this year, the friends-turned-foes exchanged harsh words in the form of diss tracks after Bhad Bhabie, born Danielle Bregoli, accused her boyfriend and baby daddy Le Vaughn of cheating with Alabama. In February, Bhad Bhabie released a track called Ms. Whitman that dragged Alabama, the Kardashians and her dad Travis into the feud. The title of the song Ms. Whitman refers to the 1993 film True Romance and the character Alabama Whitman, whom Alabama was actually named after. The Bling 182 drummer shares Alabama with ex-wife Shanna Moakler, 50. They were married from 2004 until 2008; The exes seen in 2009 The intro of the song features a sample of Kim Kardashian's ex-husband Kanye West's song Carnival. And she takes it another step further by bringing up the long-standing rumor that her stepmom Kourtney began dating Travis after he was rejected by Kim. Alabama later addressed the claims on her own Instagram account and said that she had 'no interest' in Vaughn. She also said that it was Le Vaughn who has been contacting her and 'confessing his feelings' for her for nearly a year. Georgia Love has thrown subtle shade at her ex-husband Lee Elliott in the wake of their divorce announcement. The Bachelorette Australia star took to Instagram on Friday to share a snap cuddled up with her 'soulmate' Abir Ahmed. Abir, Georgia's best friend since she was 14 years old, could be seen with his arm wrapped around her shoulders as they looked out at the New York City skyline. Georgia, 35, opted for a bright red frock while her platonic significant other donned a simple white t-shirt. 'Who says a soulmate has to be a romantic partner?' she captioned the post, which appeared to be a burn aimed at Lee and their nine year marriage. Georgia and Abir recently vacationed in the Caribbean together in the same week her ex, 44, moved out of their marital home. Georgia Love (pictured) seems to have well and truly moved on from her ex-husband Lee Elliott The Bachelorette Australia star took to Instagram on Friday to share a snap cuddled up with her 'soulmate' Abir Ahmed (right) The former reality TV star has shared a number photos from her luxury getaway on Instagram, including a snap in which she and Abir locked lips. The duo were posing for a friendly photo when Abir embraced Georgia and pulled her in for a comically open-mouthed kiss. 'I came, I saw, I conquered,' he captioned the three-way picture, which also saw him laughing as he walked away from a stunned Georgia. Georgia has posted several more photos with her best pal since then, enjoying some fun in the sun with their other friends during the island escape. The friends had been living it up on a Carnival cruise sailing around the Caribbean before heading back to New York City, where Abir is based. Georgia and Abir have been friends for a while, with the Bachelorette star leaning on him for support after her split from Lee. She has even replaced a photo of herself and Lee in her home with a picture of her male best friend in a brutal move post-breakup. The journalist took to her Instagram a few weeks ago to reveal her new home setup, which included a photo with Abir. The former reality TV star (left) has shared a number photos from her luxury getaway on Instagram, including a snap in which she and Abir (right) locked lips Lee (right) and Georgia (left), who first met on the 2016 season of The Bachelorette, announced their separation with identical posts to Instagram in May The image showed the pair warmly embracing and smiling for the camera at her real-life bachelorette party in 2021. Abir was also there with Georgia when she jetted off to the US over the New Year amid rumours she and Lee had split. It comes after Lee sparked speculation that he has been enjoying a romance with radio star Carrie Bickmore. According to Woman's Day, the pair have been spending a lot of time together at Carrie's home in recent weeks. The publication claimed they were introduced by mutual friends and the relationship is 'heating up quickly'. 'They've been trying hard to keep things under wraps,' a source told the magazine. 'But there's definitely something romantic going on. They're a beautiful couple!' Lee and Georgia, who first met on the 2016 season of The Bachelorette, announced their separation with identical posts to Instagram in May. Brendan Fevola and his wife Alex have listed their stylish Melbourne home on the market for $4.5m, four years after purchasing it. The couple paid $3.1m for the Hampton home in 2021 and have spent the past four years extensively renovating it. The exquisite property sits on a 1200sqm block of land and features five bedrooms and three bathrooms, a fully renovated kitchen, parquetry floors, and high ceilings. The main bedroom upstairs comes with a walk-in wardrobe, luxe ensuite, sitting room, study area and balcony. At the time of purchase, Fevola shared a social media post featuring himself and Alex outside the property, tagging their four children. 'New family home to make memories,' he wrote at the time. Brendan Fevola and his wife Alex (both pictured) have listed their stylish Melbourne home on the market for $4.5m, four years after purchasing it The couple paid $3.1m for the Hampton home in 2021 and have spent the past four years extensively renovating it The exquisite property sits on a 1200sqm block of land and features five bedrooms and three bathrooms, a fully renovated kitchen, parquetry floors, and high ceilings Fredman real estate agent Sarah Korbel said its incredible design made the property perfect for families. 'I think what families are going to love is the number of bathrooms, bedrooms and that there are three separate living zones,' she told Realestate.com.au. 'There's nothing left to do in the property if someone wanted to do some further landscaping and put a pool in they could, but it's just perfect for a large family.' The home is set back from the road with established plants and trees and features a large backyard perfect for entertaining guests. It is close to a variety of amenities, including a shopping centre, public transport, shops, several schools and the beach. Expressions of interest for the property will close at 5pm on Monday, September 1. Brendan and Alex purchased the property in 2021. The pair confirmed the sale on Instagram, and said the period Edwardian home was the perfect place for their family to 'make memories'. Its cutting-edge architecture features a fully renovated kitchen, parquetry floors and high ceilings Upstairs is the main bedroom, complete with a walk-in wardrobe, spa ensuite with skylight, sitting room, study area and balcony Fevola said his young daughter Tobi quickly decided which room would be hers during their inspection. Their little girl's enthusiasm was apparently what sealed the deal for him and Alex. 'When we walked in, Tobi said, "This is my room." That did it for us,' Brendan said. The pair are proud parents to four daughters, Leni, 16, Lulu, 12, Tobi, six, and Mia, 25, Alex's daughter from a previous relationship. He has co-hosted the top-rating Fox Melbourne breakfast show Fifi, Fev and Nick since April 2016. Giles Paxman, the diplomat brother of BBC journalist Jeremy Paxman, left a staggering 2.1 million to his family after his tragic passing. The former UK ambassador to Mexico and Spain died of lung cancer in March, aged 73. His will, signed less than a month before his death, states that his estate of 2,096,640 should pass to his French wife Segolene. The couple, who lived in south-west London, have three daughters. After retiring, keen yachtsman Giles, the second of four siblings, sailed the Atlantic twice and the Pacific once. In 2005, Giles was interviewed on BBC Newsnight by his own brother Jeremy about the devastation caused in Mexico by Hurricane Wilma. Giles and Segolene married in Agen, France, in 1980 and had three daughters - Julia, who now works in the luxury travel industry, Lauren, a secondary school teacher, and Alice, a vet. He was appointed ambassador to Mexico in 2005 and learnt in his second week in office that Hurricane Wilma was headed straight for Cancun. In 2009 Giles was appointed Britains ambassador to Spain where he stayed for four years. Giles Paxman (pictured), the diplomat brother of BBC journalist Jeremy Paxman, left a whopping 2.1 million to his family after his tragic passing In 2005, Giles was interviewed on BBC Newsnight by his own brother Jeremy (pictured) about the devastation caused in Mexico by Hurricane Wilma He left the diplomatic service in 2013 and the same year he was honoured for his service. Giles was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George later in 2013. Unlike many of his predecessors Giles never received a knighthood. Giles was born at Gosport, Hampshire, on November 15, 1951. He was brought up in the Lickey Hills, south of Birmingham and followed Jeremy to Malvern College. He then went on and read Modern Languages at New College, Oxford, spending a year as a riding instructor in France. The restaurant war between Sydney hospitality heavyweights Neil Perry and Eddie Levy has taken a twist worthy of any reality cooking show. Drama sizzled last week when Eddie Levy, owner of long-running Italian restaurant Matteo, took a public swipe at celebrity restaurateur Neil Perry after he opened up his own Italian joint across the road. Perry had barely scraped the last dim sum off the floor of his failed Chinese eatery Song Bird before unveiling Gran Torino - a two-level Italian restaurant in the same location. Levy made his thoughts about the venture abundantly clear in a now-deleted but widely circulated comment on Gran Torino's Instagram, taking pot shots at Perry's habit of shuttering venues, then reopening new ones in the same spot. Now, a curious interaction on Instagram suggests popular food connoisseur magazine Time Out Sydney appears to have sided with Team Matteo. On Thursday, the publication uploaded an extract from its story about the opening of Gran Torino - which was named after the Clint Eastwood movie by the same name. The restaurant war between Sydney hospitality heavyweights Neil Perry and Eddie Levy has taken a twist worthy of any reality cooking show. (Pictured: Neil Perry, left, and Eddie Levy, right) On Thursday, Time Out Sydney shared an extract from its story about the opening of Gran Torino. Levy commented on the post with a GIF of Clint Eastwood looking enraged, with Time Out Sydney replying: 'Lol' Levy commented on the post with a GIF of Eastwood looking enraged, garnering a surprising response from Time Out Sydney, who replied directly to the comment with: 'Lol'. It comes after Levy took his initial swipe at Perry in a brutal Instagram post on the Gran Torino Instagram page, days before the venue opened its doors last weekend. 'Hopefully [Gran Torino] goes better than Rosetta, Jade Temple, Song Bird etc etc. Otherwise you guys can always try Mexican next - heard that could work... let us know if we can assist you any further.' Perry's beloved Italian restaurant Rosetta closed in May 2024 after 12 years in business amid large-scale redevelopments at Crown Melbourne, where it was once located. Jade Temple, Perry's Cantonese (later pan-Asian) fine-dining restaurant, shuttered in 2018, exactly a year on from its grand opening, after a menu overhaul was unable to save it. Similarly, Song Bird, once an ambitious three-level Chinese mega-restaurant, served its final wonton on August 3, almost a year after it opened. The restaurant's downfall was attributed to struggles with being overscaled - Perry admitted he 'missed the mark' with the three-level layout - as well as a rushed opening, staffing issues and equipment failures. Despite these setbacks, Perry remains one of Australia's most celebrated and successful restaurateurs, with an empire that has included Rockpool, Spice Temple and, of course, Australia's top steak restaurant, Margaret. Perry's new venture, Gran Torino, was met with hostility from Matteo's owner, Eddie Levy Perry (pictured with wife Samantha) is no stranger to Double Bay - he also owns Margaret and the wine bar Next Door Levy (pictured with girlfriend Kimmy Smalls) has further expanded his presence in Double Bay as the co-owner of Japanese restaurant Tanuki The competition between Matteo and Gran Torino won't be simmering down anytime soon. Both venues offer similar menus comprising antipasti, handmade pasta, meat and seafood 'Bravo!! Good luck,' Levy concluded his snarky comment, which has since been removed - either by Levy himself or the Gran Torino account admin. Levy also responded to another post about Gran Torino by sharing a GIF of Clint Eastwood looking unimpressed. Matteo is regarded as one of Double Bay's trendiest trattorias thanks to its relaxed atmosphere and authentic Italian menu. The rivalry isn't likely to simmer down soon, especially as both venues serve similar menus - think antipasti, handmade pasta, hearty mains and decadent desserts. Perry - a guest judge on MasterChef - is no stranger to Double Bay, of course. He also owns the suburb's trendy Margaret restaurant and wine bar Next Door - two venues he's managed to keep running despite other ambitious projects folding. Levy has also established himself in Double Bay as co-owner of the Japanese favourite Tanuki. Tanuki made headlines earlier this year when an influencer customer hurled a table lamp at her ex-boyfriend's head after seeing him dining out with his new partner. Harvest Rock Festival has returned with a bang after suffering a cancellation last year. The iconic Adelaide music event announced its 2025 lineup in an Instagram post on Thursday, revealing that iconic rock band The Strokes would be headlining the event in October. Bragging 14.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, a platinum album and numerous awards - including a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 2021 - the band are a huge addition to the festival's program. Also on the stacked list of performers is The War On Drugs, M.I.A and Jelly Roll, as well as beloved Aussie favourites Vance Joy, Wolfmother, Lime Cordiale, Royel Otis and The Jungle Giants. Taking place at Rymill Park and King Rodney Park in the heart of Adelaide on October 25 and 26, the festival's return has sent waves through the live music circuit. Harvest Rock Festival has returned with a bang after suffering a cancellation last year. The iconic Adelaide music event announced its 2025 lineup in an Instagram post on Thursday, revealing that iconic rock band The Strokes would be headlining the event in October Presale tickets will be available for purchase on August 19, and general sale will be open to the public on August 20. Last year fans were left heartbroken after the festival was scrapped just months before it was set to take place. In August 2024, Harvest Rock organisers announced on Instagram that the show would not go on, marking the first time it had been cancelled since its inception in 2011. 'Weve been working hard to make Harvest Rock III another incredible event, however we have made the difficult decision to not hold the festival in 2024,' the post read. 'We appreciate the ongoing support of the South Australian Government and we look forward to Harvest Rock in the future.' Secret Sounds, the promoter of the event, is understood to have been unable to book a headline act for the 2024 event, the Adelaide Advertiser reported. However, the exact reason for the cancellation was not indicated by either Harvest Rock music festival or Secret Sounds. Harvest Rock Festival's impressive 2025 lineup comes as a glimmer of hope for Aussie music fans as the live music scene takes a brutal beating. Also on the stacked list of performers is The War On Drugs, M.I.A and Jelly Roll, as well as beloved Aussie favourites Vance Joy, Wolfmother, Lime Cordiale, Royel Otis and The Jungle Giants Last year fans were left heartbroken after the festival was scrapped just months before it was set to take place Popular music festivals have been dropping like flies over the past year, with Listen Out being the latest casualty of Australia's dwindling music scene. R'n'B festival Souled Out was also cancelled in February, with all three shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane dropped. Similarly, Victorian event The Esoteric Psychedelic Circus Festival was canned. And in a big blow to the Aussie music scene, organisers announced earlier this year that Splendour in the Grass will not be returning in 2025. Brad Pitt has reportedly added to his massive real estate empire by purchasing a $12 million Hollywood Hills mansion from Dave Keuning - the lead guitarist of the rock band The Killers. The 61-year-old Oscar winner closed the deal on the Spanish-style abode earlier this month on August 5 - the same day that his mother Jane Etta Pitt passed away at the age of 84. The Fight Club actor was able to acquire the house for lower than the asking price, which Dave and wife Emilie had initially listed on the market for $13.99 million back in June, per the Wall Street Journal. The big purchase comes just two months after Brad's home located in Los Feliz was broken into in June - with three suspects recently being arrested. The star's new Hollywood Hills mansion consists of six bedrooms as well as eight bathrooms. Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Brad who declined comment. Brad Pitt, 61, has reportedly added to his massive real estate empire by purchasing a $12 million Hollywood Hills mansion from Dave Keuning - the lead guitarist of the rock band The Killers; seen in June in Mexico City The Oscar winner closed the deal on the Spanish-style abode earlier this month on August 5 - the same day that his mother Jane Etta Pitt passed away at the age of 84 The house is located in the Outpost Estates community and offers scenic views of the bustling city of Los Angeles as well as the Pacific Ocean. The kitchen has up-to-date appliances and a modern design with marble countertops and backsplash. A spacious island is located in the middle of the kitchen - which also leads to an open living room area. The second level of the house contains a large balcony that also looks down at the backyard, where residents can spend time by the outdoor swimming pool. When not taking a dip in the cool water, there is also a designated barbeque and kitchen area outside, as well as a comfy couch and lounge chairs. A brick pathway leads to the front entrance of the mansion - which was built back in 1989 and is 8,385 square feet. Some rooms inside the abode contain arched ceilings while one of the bathrooms also has marble finishings for a glamorous touch. The estate additionally has wooden flooring and an arched hallway that leads to the open living room and fireplace. The star's new Hollywood Hills mansion consists of six bedrooms as well as eight bathrooms The Fight Club actor was able to acquire the house for lower than the asking price, which Dave and wife Emilie had initially listed on the market for $13.99 million back in June, per the Wall Street Journal; Dave seen far right with the rock band The Killers in 2017 Brad has previously purchased and sold other homes in the Los Angeles area - such as in 2023 when he sold his $33 million Los Feliz mansion to Aileen Getty. The Once Upon A Time In Hollywood actor then went on to buy a $5.5 million house in the same neighborhood. Back in 2023, Daily Mail revealed that the star has been involved in around $72 million in real estate deals at the time. Brad - who is the ex-husband of Angelina Jolie - has also been spending time at his $40 million love nest located in Carmel, California with girlfriend Ines de Ramon. A local to the area told Daily Mail in June, 'Brad and Ines sightings in Carmel are regular. 'They hit the fancy restaurants and shop at boutiques like Tancredi & Morgen just like all the locals. Brad has been seen with a hat and sunglasses on at Nielsen Brothers Market.' The source added, 'No one hassles celebrities here because the locals don't like to make a fuss, they think approaching a celebrity is classless. So Brad and Ines get their space.' The beach city of Carmel is located just south of Santa Cruz - and is also known as Carmel-by-the-Sea. Brad - who is the ex-husband of Angelina Jolie - has also been spending time at his $40 million love nest located in Carmel, California with girlfriend Ines de Ramon; Brad and Ines seen in June in London In late June, Brad's $5.5 million Los Feliz abode was broken into and burglarized by thieves. At the time of the incident, the actor had been on a press tour in Japan to promote his new F1 movie. Earlier this week, it was revealed that three people suspected of burglarizing the star's home had been taken into custody, according to NBC LA. Other celebrities that have also been targets in criminal schemes throughout the L.A. area include Jennifer Aniston, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, as well as Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Brad's mother Jane Etta Pitt had reportedly passed away. The actor's family confirmed Jane's death in a social media post shared on August 6 but a public obituary claimed that she actually died on August 5 at the age of 84. Only weeks before the announcement of his mother's death, Brad had given a sweet shoutout to Jane while promoting his F1 movie. During an appearance on the Today show in June, the actor told host Savannah Guthrie, 'I've got to say hi to my mom because she watches you every morning.' Earlier this week, it was revealed that three people suspected of burglarizing the star's home had been taken into custody, according to NBC LA; seen in June in NYC Earlier this month, it was revealed that Brad's mother Jane Etta Pitt had reportedly passed away; Brad seen with father Bill (far left), his late mother Jane and Angelina in 2011 in NYC The star flashed a big smile on his face before waving to his mom. He then blew a kiss towards the camera and added, 'To Jane Pitt. Love you, Mom.' Jane was born on August 13, 1940 in the city of Memphis and later settled in Springfield, Missouri with husband William 'Bill' Pitt. Before her passing, she had been a retired school counselor and former elementary school teacher. A 'private Celebration of Life will be held at a future date to honor Jane's remarkable life,' the public obit stated. Jane is survived by husband William Alvin Pitt, three children and 14 grandchildren. Only weeks before the announcement of his mother's death, Brad had given a sweet shoutout to Jane while promoting his F1 movie; the pair seen in 2012 in Hollywood Brad is father to Shiloh, 19, twins Vivienne and Knox, 17, and three adopted children Maddox, 24, Pax, 21 and Zahara, 20 - whom he shares with ex-wife Angelina. The Oscar winner has also been busy filming his upcoming project The Continuing Adventures Of Cliff Booth. The upcoming movie is a sequel to Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. However, the filmmaker is not working on the follow-up and instead David Fincher is directing the Netflix project. The ex-girlfriend of one of Jack Nicholson's grandsons has obtained a restraining order against him in the wake of a brutal alleged assault. Elizabeth Lawlor, 28, who had previously dated Nicholson's oldest grandson Sean Norfleet, 29, was granted a temporary restraining order against him on Monday, August 11, according to documents obtained by the Daily Mail. Norfleet, who is the son of Nicholson's daughter Jennifer Nicholson and her ex-husband Mark Norfleet, had been accused of throwing Lawlor into a hard object, which knocked her unconscious and left her bleeding from the mouth with broken teeth. The Daily Mail has contacted Nicholson to request comment. In the order granting Lawlor a temporary restraining order, the judge ordered Nicholson to stay 100 yards away from Lawlor. A hearing to determine if the order should be made permanent is scheduled for September 2. The ex-girlfriend of Jack Nicholson's grandson Sean Knight Nicholson (pictured) obtained a temporary domestic violence restraining order against him on August 11, according to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail Nicholson, 29, was accused by his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Lawlor, 28, of throwing her into a hard object, which knocked her unconscious and left her bleeding from the mouth with broken teeth on July 23 Nicholson, who was arrested on August 5 on a felony charge of domestic violence involving a deadly weapon, is next scheduled to have a hearing in his case on August 26. In her domestic violence restraining order request, Lawlor said that the actor's grandson who also goes by the name Sean Knight Nicholson 'threatened to take a full bottle of Valium if I did not come over' on July 23. Once there, she said Nicholson appeared to have taken pills in conjunction with alcohol and cocaine. Lawlor then said she 'read texts saying he had been buying narcotics' and forwarded them to Nicholson's mother Jennifer. She added that she didn't want to be near her ex-boyfriend Lawlor then said she found messages on Nicholson's phone that allegedly showed he had bought narcotics. 'I sent these to his mother as he was supposed to be sober and I did not want to be near him if he were on drugs,' she continued. A police report featuring Lawlor's recollection of the alleged assault that was obtained by People, which first reported on the restraining order, indicated that Nicholson has allegedly been in recovery from drug addiction and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Nicholson, who was arrested on August 5, was ordered to stay 100 yards from Lawlor. He posted $50K bond and faces up to four years in state prison if found guilty of the felony charge of corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon using his 'hands, feet, and teeth' (pictured in 2023) Sean Night Nicholson (second to right) who also goes by Sean Norfleet is the son of Jack Nicholson's daughter Jennifer Nicholson; pictured with Duke Norfleet in 2010 in LA She also claimed that he has in the past mixed prescription medications with other illegal drugs. Although Lawlor indicated that Nicholson's mother Jennifer called 911 after after she sent her photos of her injuries, she asked for an extension on the deadline to give notice to Nicholson of the restraining order, because she said she didn't know where he was 'and no one he is close with will help me to figure that out so I can serve him.' Sean posted $50K bond and faces up to four years in state prison if found guilty of the felony charge of corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon using his 'hands, feet, and teeth.' In the police report obtained by People, Elizabeth said she dated Sean on/off between 2023-2024 and claimed he lured her to his apartment by saying he'd 'taken a full bottle of Valium and threatened to kill himself if she didn't come to see him.' Elizabeth alleged that Norfleet was 'schizophrenic' and 'has a history of mixing prescription medication with illicit substances,' but he claimed he was fresh out of rehab and wanted to reconnect as friends. After Lawlor arrived, she reportedly checked the phone of the musician - whose DJ name is Cutter Mattock - to confirm he lied about being sober as he argued with her about past infidelity. At 5:30pm, Sean allegedly grabbed the Pepperdine psychology student by the neck and head and threw her into an unidentified hard object, and 'she blacked out and when she opened her eyes realized her tooth had broken.' In her restraining order, she claimed that Nicholson put her in 'chokeholds Lawlor later posted a disturbing photo of her broken teeth on Instagram. She said in her restraining order that she sent a photo to Nicholson's mother, who then called 911 after the alleged assault She captioned her picture showing her broken tooth: 'This summer gave me PTSD' In her restraining order request, Lawlor claimed that Nicholson put her in chokeholds and stole her phone when she tried to leave after the alleged assault. She said he only relented after she began screaming When Lawlor came to she tried to flee the apartment, but she said in her restraining order that Nicholson allegedly took her phone and 'cut my airway off when he put me in a chokehold.' She tried to flee, but he allegedly 'dragged' her back into the apartment, and she claimed she was only allowed to leave when she began screaming. She eventually sent photos of her injuries to his mother Jennifer Nicholson (the 88-year-old movie star's eldest child), who called 911. The Emerson College drop-out who previously had a clean record was arrested as Lawlor was rushed by ambulance to Marina Del Rey Hospital after a security guard for Nicholson's building called for help. Lawlor then underwent emergency oral surgery and received stitches for facial injuries. In her restraining order request, Lawlor indicated that she began dating Nicholson in April 2023, and she claimed he had abused her 'almost every day for four years,' with the abuse only recently stopping. She alleged that Nicholson would torment her by 'constantly call on various numbers, including blocked calls, multiple emails over the years [sic].' Lawlor included bills and medical notes documenting her injuries with her restraining order request. Lawlor alleged that Nicholson was 'schizophrenic' and 'has a history of mixing prescription medication with illicit substances,' but he claimed he was fresh out of rehab and wanted to reconnect as friends Lawlor was rushed by ambulance to Marina Del Rey Hospital where she underwent oral surgery and received stitches for facial injuries. She said she spent more than $6K on medical care, dental surgery and an ambulance trip, as well as $30K on therapy related to Nicholson's alleged abuse One receipt showed she was charged $4,374 for medical care related to treating her broken teeth, and the ambulance trip and initial medical treatment for her injuries allegedly cost an additional $2,000. Lawlor also listed that she had spent $30,000 on therapy over the years related to Nicholson's alleged abuse. She asked the judge to order her ex to pay for all of her medical expenses, which totaled $46,374. Sean publicly goes by Sean Knight Nicholson despite Jennifer marrying his father Mark Norfleet between 1997 and 2003. Norfleet's 26-year-old brother Duke is following in Jack's acting footsteps with roles in Tony Kaye's upcoming comedy The Trainer, Jimmy Giannopoulos' 2022 horror film Alone at Night, and Nicholas Jarecki's 2021 thriller Crisis. Nicholson is also grandfather to three children - Walter, 14; Hank, 8; and Daisy, 13 - through his 44-year-old daughter Honey Hollman with Danish model Winnie Hollman. The retired Hollywood legend has two children - daughter Lorraine, 35; and son Ray, 33 - from his five-year relationship with his Man Trouble co-star Rebecca Broussard, which ended in 1994. Rebecca's first pregnancy was the catalyst to end of Jack's longest romantic relationship, with Oscar winner Anjelica Huston, from 19731990. Nicholson has reportedly recognized 54-year-old Caleb Goddard as his son in private following an on-set fling with his Five Easy Pieces co-star Susan Anspach, who raised her son with ex-husband Mark Goddard. At 5:30pm, Sean allegedly grabbed the Pepperdine psychology student by the neck and head and threw her into an unidentified hard object, and 'she blacked out and when she opened her eyes realized her tooth had broken' (pictured January 7) Despite Nicholson's mother Jennifer calling 911 after seeing photos of her injuries, Lawlor claimed that none of Nicholson's family members would tell her where he was in order to inform him of the restraining order; pictured in 2010 in LA Sean (R, seen in 2017) publicly goes by Sean Knight Nicholson despite Jennifer marrying his father Mark Norfleet (L) between 1997 and 2003 Norfleet's 26-year-old brother Duke (seen in June 2025) is following in Jack's acting footsteps with roles in Tony Kaye's upcoming comedy The Trainer, Jimmy Giannopoulos' 2022 horror film Alone at Night, and Nicholas Jarecki's 2021 thriller Crisis Nicholson is also grandfather to three children Walter, 14; Hank, 8; and Daisy, 13 through his 44-year-old daughter Honey Hollman (2-R, seen in 2023) with Danish model Winnie Hollman The retired Hollywood legend hasn't been publicly seen since attending SNL50: The Anniversary Special in Manhattan on February 16 alongside his 35-year-old daughter Lorraine (L, with ex Rebecca Broussard) The former lothario is estranged from his 31-year-old daughter Tessa Gourin with waitress Jennine Gourin as he has never publicly acknowledged the paternity. Reclusive Jack (born John) hasn't been publicly seen since attending SNL50: The Anniversary Special in Manhattan on February 16 alongside his daughter Lorraine. Nicholson hasn't graced the silver screen since portraying corporate CEO Charles Madison in James L. Brooks' dismally-reviewed 2010 rom-com How Do You Know, which only earned $48.7M back from its $120M budget. But the LA Lakers superfan has acted in some of the greatest films of all time including Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Shining, Terms of Endearment, Batman, A Few Good Men, As Good as It Gets, and About Schmidt. Jack - who's a California Air National Guard veteran - has certainly been decorated for his acting career - having won three Academy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, and even a Grammy Award. Kourtney Kardashian shared a heartwarming family snapshot with her husband Travis Barker and their one-year-old son Rocky Thirteen. The 46-year-old reality star has been indulging in a vacation to Italy, the country where she and Travis held their sumptuous wedding in 2022. Their latest trip took them to the seaside village of San Fruttuoso, a mere 20-minute drive from Portofino, the town that played host to Kourtney and Travis' nuptials. In the midst of her sun-kissed getaway, Kourtney found time to post a suite of images to her Instagram including a couple of her in a bikini. She unleashed her animal instinct in a leopard-print number that allowed her to showcase her ample cleavage to full advantage. Her caption shared that the photo with Travis and Rocky was taken 'Moments before jumping in the water to see the Christ of the Abyss statue underwater. (Look it up)'. Kourtney Kardashian shared a heartwarming family snapshot with her husband Travis Barker and their one-year-old son Rocky Thirteen Created by artist Guido Galletti, the bronze sculpture was sunk in 1954 near the site where the first Italian scuba diver Guido Galletti died during a dive seven years prior. Along with Rocky, Kourtney shares three older children, Mason, 15, Penelope, 13, and Reign, 10, with her ex-fiance Scott Disick. Kourtney's latest post comes days after she went viral for her response to fans who began speculating that she was pregnant again. The rumors began swirling when she posted 'unfiltered' photos from a trip to Idaho, including one of her in a form-fitting bodysuit and another in baggy clothing. Commenters began inquiring: 'What is Kort doing hiding back there?' and 'Why is Courtney hiding? Is she pregnant again?,' and one went so far as to blare at her: 'RUMORS HAVE IT THAT YOU'RE PREGNANT KOURTNEY.' In response to the latter comment, Kourtney wrote: 'Eating pancakes and jumping off cliffs,' activities that were both also included in her Instagram album. Her reply indicated why she might have a fuller figure than before, as well as noting she was exerting herself in a way that would be inadvisable if she were pregnant. Kourtney's trip to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho also resulted in a social media furor over her parenting decisions as regards Rocky Thirteen. The 46-year-old reality star has been indulging in a vacation to Italy , the country where she and Travis held their sumptuous wedding in 2022 Their latest trip took them to the seaside village of San Fruttuoso, a mere 20-minute drive from Portofino, the town that played host to Kourtney and Travis' nuptials Kourtney was recently beset by pregnancy rumors when she posted 'unfiltered' photos from a trip to Idaho, including one of her in a form-fitting bodysuit and another in baggy clothing She was also raked over the coals during that trip for taking her 21-month-old son on a small boat without placing him in a life jacket Online commentators raked her over the coals for taking her 21-month-old son on a small boat without placing him in a life jacket. According to Idaho state law, 'all children under the age of 14 must wear an approved life jacket when they are aboard a boat 19 feet in length or less whenever the boat is underway or under power,' which many critics were quick to point out. One Instagram user snorted: 'Protects her son's face from the internet but doesn't protect him from possibly drowning... priorities.' Last weekend Kourtney responded to the backlash by revealing she had taken the precaution of buying a $69.99 'infant' life jacket from Stohlquist. 'Good looking out. Honestly, didn't think about some of the dangers,' wrote Kourtney in response to the blowback she received. 'Thank you for making me aware and hopefully this helps make other mommies aware of the dangers of certain types of boating without a life vest.' Two stars had one of the most famous love stories in the '90s and recently had a mini reunion. The former Hollywood couple notably sparked up a romance while in the midst of filming a beloved teen drama series - with their own characters also playing each other's love interests. However, the actors eventually split and moved on with other relationships - with each later going through a divorce. When the show came to an end, the castmates had an 18-year estrangement which they have since blamed, in part, on their exes. But the stars have since reconciled and developed a close friendship. Can you guess the former on and off-screen couple? Two stars had one of the most famous love stories in the '90s and recently had a mini reunion - can you guess who they are? It is Tori Spelling and Brian Austin Green - who both played leading roles in the drama series Beverly Hills, 90210. The pair had the chance to reunite this week and shared the memorable moment in a joint post to their Instagram pages on Thursday. Tori and Brian - both 52 - flashed cheerful smiles towards the camera as the actor snapped a quick selfie. The actress penned in the caption, 'a little D & D in the wild never gets old,' referencing to the first names of their characters on the show: Donna Martin and David Slater. The mom-of-five was stylishly casual for the lowkey outing in a pair of denim overalls as well as a red bandeau top underneath. Her blonde locks were parted in the middle and effortlessly flowed down past her shoulders in light waves. For a finishing touch, Tori also sported a pair of red-rimmed sunglasses. Brian stayed cool in the warmer weather in a short-sleeved, white shirt and added a cap on top of his head. While their characters in Beverly Hills, 90210 were love interests - Tori and Brian also sparked up a romance amidst filming the earlier seasons of the Fox series. It is Tori Spelling and Brian Austin Green - who both played leading roles in the drama series Beverly Hills, 90210; seen in 1992 in L.A. While their characters in Beverly Hills, 90210 were love interests - Tori and Brian also sparked up a romance amidst filming the earlier seasons of the Fox series; the pair seen in 1994 in L.A. When the show came to an end in 2000 after 10 seasons, the two stars had a notable falling out - resulting in an estrangement that lasted for 18 years. Tori went on to marry Charlie Shanian in 2004 but they divorced two years later. She then tied the knot with Dean McDermott in 2006 and they welcomed five children during the course of their marriage. Back in 2023, their separation was announced and the TV personality filed for divorce last year in March. Brian also dated his Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star Vanessa Marcil from 1999 until 2003. They share a son named Kassius. The actor went on to say 'I do' to Transformers actress Megan Fox in 2010 but the former couple divorced in 2021 after welcoming three children. He is now engaged to professional dancer Sharna Burgess and they are parents to a three-year-old son. Last year in April, Tori revealed that her heart has not been broken since 'first love' Brian on an episode of her misSpelling podcast. While talking to guest and late actress Shannen Doherty, Tori recalled a conversation she had with Brian following her split from Dean after 18 years of marriage, per Page Six. She then tied the knot with Dean McDermott in 2006 and they welcomed five children during the course of their marriage Back in 2023, their separation was announced and the TV personality filed for divorce last year in March; former couple seen in 2023 in Universal City The actor went on to say 'I do' to Transformers actress Megan Fox in 2010 but the former couple divorced in 2021 after welcoming three children; seen in 2013 in Beverly Hills She remembered telling Brian, 'No, I was in love. Maybe I wasn't in love. I'm not sure. No one's broken my heart since you.' After her confession, Tori said, 'And there was like pause, pause. And I was like, "Oh my God, this is the first time I've said it in 30 years."' While she labeled Brian as 'the first love of my life,' she expressed to Shannen that both she and Brian still have a close bond but emphasized there was nothing romantic. 'You know how close Brian and I are. I tell him everything. We're brother and sister and best friend so close. We can have that connection. 'Recently we were talking about my situation and being in love and being crushed, being hurt, and moving on and now being single and the next chapter in my life. He's been so great and such a champion.' Tori added, 'At times he gives me such inspiring words of you can do it professionally and personally.' The star has also been supportive of Brian's relationship with Sharna. 'I love his fiancee. It's not that. But if he says something to me, I get so flustered and riled up and it takes me right back to being my 18-year-old self,' the actress explained. Last year in April, Tori revealed that her heart has not been broken since 'first love' Brian on an episode of her misSpelling podcast; seen in 1992 'I love his fiancee. It's not that. But if he says something to me, I get so flustered and riled up and it takes me right back to being my 18-year-old self,' the actress explained; Brian and Sharna seen in May in L.A. And in August of last year, Tori and Brian also reflected on their years-long estrangement on his Oldish podcast. 'I remember our last conversation and the last thing we said to each other before those 18 years. I was crying,' Tori said. 'I remember crying that we were going to lose touch because we were so close. It was almost like going through a divorce or something.' Brian remembered Tori being so engrossed in her live-in relationship with their co-star Vincent Young that she could not reciprocate their friendship. He explained how he had tried to keep their 'connection' by visiting her, but felt like he wasn't getting the same from her. 'It was just this thing of like, "She just doesn't want to be my friend." I genuinely felt that way. I tried to visit you and I would call you. When that wasn't reciprocated and so I gave up. I didn't know what was going on in your life.' Tori admitted she would 'panic' whenever Brian would visit due to her 'complicated relationship' with the male model, who played Noah Hunter. She added that it was 'frustrating' to watch Brian's two-year relationship with their co-star Vanessa Marcil, which deteriorated into a 13-year court battle involving a $200K loan and custody of their son Kassius. 'That relationship was frustrating to see from a friend's perspective who loves someone so much. To see what is going on and see how your friend is treated and not be okay with it,' the LA-born nepo-baby lamented. Brian remembered Tori being so engrossed in her live-in relationship with their co-star Vincent Young that she could not reciprocate their friendship; Tori and Vincent seen in 2001 in Hollywood However, Tori and Brian finally reconnected in 2018 when they played heightened versions of themselves in the six-episode continuation BH90210, which aired in 2019 on Fox 'But also knowing that you can't really say anything because the person has to go through their own experience and go on their journey.' However, Tori and Brian finally reconnected in 2018 when they played heightened versions of themselves in the six-episode continuation BH90210, which aired in 2019 on Fox. The two stars have had other mini reunions in recent years, such as in 2024 when they also joined Ian Ziering at The Hollywood Show. Tori and Brian also appeared in an ad alongside Ryan Reynolds a few months earlier in June for his Aviation Gin. Channel Seven's 'hottest reporter ever' has taken himself off the market permanently. Kristian Gaupset, who left the network in 2021 after 12 years, got down on one knee on Friday as he popped the question to his Bachelor star girlfriend Steph Harper. The TV journalist-turned-model proposed in a romantic outdoor setting after Steph returned from a 'girls' trip' to Ibiza, and shared the video to Instagram. 'Happiest day of my life,' the former reality TV star wrote next to the video alongside a ring emoji. The blonde beauty could be seen beaming as Kristian shared a sweet kiss with her before he dropped to one knee. He wore a white, loose-fit shirt and matching slacks as he popped the question during a sunset picnic. Kristian Gaupset, who was known as Seven's 'hottest reporter' before he left the network in 2021, proposed to his Bachelor star girlfriend Steph Harper on Friday The TV journalist-turned-model proposed in a romantic outdoor setting after Steph returned from a 'girl's trip' to Ibiza, and shared the video to Instagram Steph, who appeared on the 2020 season of The Bachelor to find love with Locky Gilbert, wore a flowing red satin dress for the milestone occasion. She left her blonde tresses down, styling them into loose waves. The swimwear founder was in a state of shock when Kristian got down on one knee, covering her face with her hands before joining him on the ground. Saying 'yes', she then leaned in for a sweet kiss and embrace as he slipped the ring onto her finger. It seems Kristian and Steph have been dating since early 2021, with the former journalist featuring her on his Instagram for the first time in July that year. 'Mine,' he captioned the post next to a white heart emoji, before adding: 'Picked up a quality souvenir in Byron.' Kristian made a name for himself as the 'hot' reporter on Channel Seven for many years. He was flooded with messages from female admirers after his live cross on Seven News from the snow in New South Wales back in June 2021 went viral. Kristian made a name for himself as the 'hot' reporter on Channel Seven for many years Meanwhile, Steph first appeared on the 2020 season of The Bachelor to find love with Locky Gilbert But after 12 years at Channel Seven, Kristian quit television that same year to pursue an unlikely role as Ausgrid Government's relations lead. He continues to hold the position, but also notes in his Instagram bio that he is a model who splits his time between Sydney and the Gold Coast. Kristian also dabbles in photography and travel content creation. He first landed a job at Seven as a news producer in 2009 after studying journalism at the University of Technology in Sydney. Kristian was promoted to senior news producer in 2016, and later given on-air presenting duties. After going viral on TikTok for his smouldering good looks, he was signed up by leading talent agent Neon Model Management. The journalist and model has since flaunted his lavish lifestyle online, including trips abroad, attending exclusive events and posing in front of luxury cars. Iris Law put on a racy display in a sheer chiffon mini-dress exposing sexy lingerie as she strolled through New York City. The model and actress, 23, who is the daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost, took to Instagram on Thursday to share that she had headed to the Big Apple. Stepping out on West 14th Street for the day, Iris posed for an array of snaps surrounded by scaffolding. She looked sensational in a green floral off-the-shoulder mini-dress, which was completely see-through. The dress's fabric made Iris's racy white sheer lingerie set completely visible and she paired the look with cream mules. Iris captioned the snaps: 'Sit next to meee.' Iris Law put on a racy display in a sheer chiffon mini-dress exposing sexy lingerie as she strolled through New York City on Thursday The model and actress, 23, who is the daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost , took to Instagram on Thursday to share that she had headed to the Big Apple It comes days after Iris sent temperatures soaring on Sunday during a sun-soaked holiday to Jamaica, showing off her toned frame in a string of barely-there bikinis. Iris enjoyed some downtime in Jamaica as she posed effortlessly in a brown triangle string bikini top that she paired with pink shorts. She later slipped into a gorgeous brown patterned two piece, laughing and joking with her friends as they made their way around a cliff edge. In another snap, Iris switched to a multi coloured, sequin bikini top and bottoms as she swung upside down from a tree, dipping her hands into the sandy beach waters. She also showed off her tree climbing skills, as another pictured showed her confidently half way up a branch and swinging from mid air.. A fourth pictured showed the model striking another sultry pose for the camera, this time in a strapless blue bandeau top, offering a glimpse of her ample assets. She paired the look with some tiny striped hot pants and wore a patterned bandana plus an array of jewellery to up the style stakes. In another eye-catching snap, the beauty posed with a pal in a vibrant yellow two-piece, as she beamed for the camera as she sat on a ledge by a lake. Stepping out on West 14th Street for the day, Iris posed for an array of snaps surrounded by scaffolding She looked sensational in a green floral off-the-shoulder mini-dress, which was completely see-through The dress's fabric made Iris's racy white sheer lingerie set completely visible and she paired the look with cream mules Taking a well-earned break from her hectic schedule, Iris also lounged on a red boat in a lilac crochet bikini, letting the wind whip through her hair as she stretched out against the backrest. The rising star was also seen enjoying a quiet moment over tea, dressed in a pair of high-cut shorts emblazoned with the word 'Dream' and a matching crop top. But it wasn't all sun, sea and sunbathing as Iris proved she's just as committed to fitness as she is to fashion, joining a group for an intense outdoor workout. Dressed in a sky-blue bikini, she showed off her enviable figure while powering through floor exercises with a caption that read: 'Grind never stops' followed by a sweat emoji and flexed arm. Iris recently spoke out to clarify her relationship with DJ Tommy Gold after the two sparked romance rumours during a Notting Hill outing last month. Iris sent temperatures soaring on Sunday as she gave fans a glimpse into her sun-soaked holiday, showing off her toned frame in a string of barely-there bikinis The model and actress who is the daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost, enjoyed some downtime in Jamaica as she posed effortlessly in a strapless blue bandeau top The model was seen with the London-based DJ, who bears a striking resemblance to her ex Trent Alexander-Arnold. The pair were seen browsing stalls at the famous Portobello Road Market, where they paused to pick up some flowers in the seemingly romantic setting. However, Iris addressed the speculation and insisted that Tommy is her 'bestie', taking to Instagram last month to clarify their relationship. Reposting a picture of their day out, Iris wrote: '[laughing face emoji] sorry guys but that's bestie.' Kylie Jenner has not been seen with her actor boyfriend Timothee Chalamet in over five weeks. The last time the couple were spotted together was on July 5, in St Tropez, France for a yacht vacation. Since then the 28-year-old billionaire has been spotted having fun with friends like Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber as well as sister Kendall Jenner over red wine and vodka martinis in Los Angeles. The California-based cosmetics mogul has also been flashing her ample cleavage and toned tummy in sexy bra-top outfits on Instagram. All the while, Chalamet has been notably absent, leaving fans to wonder if the brunette bombshell and Oscar nominee have parted ways after two-and-a-half years together. But the Daily Mail can explain their separation. Kylie Jenner has not been seen with her Hollywood boyfriend Timothee Chalamet in over five weeks but the Daily Mail can explain why; seen this week on Instagram The last time the dynamic duo were spied side-by-side was on July 5 when they were in St Tropez, France during a yacht vacation. Seen in May in Rome Turns out Chalamet has been filming his next project, Dune: Part Three, in Hungary. The 29-year-old thespian plays the character Paul Atreides in the third installment of the Dune franchise. 'Timothee is busy making a movie and the schedule is grueling because he is in so many scenes, he is the star,' said a source. 'So he has to be very focused and together to do his best work.' Even from a distance, Jenner gives him all the support he needs, added the source. 'She helps him out as much as she can, like give him space to work and have her private jet on standby in case he needs to go somewhere fast,' said the source. 'Kylie is a good girlfriend to him. She is always there and wants him to be happy, and if that means he has to be overseas for a few months, she is OK with it, she will wait. She also secretly jets off to see him when she can. 'Of course she misses her man and her heart hurts when he is not near, but she makes it work.' There has been shooting in Budapest for the third Dune film. Chalamet's costars are Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Robert Pattinson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Florence Pugh and Jason Momoa. The California-based cosmetics mogul has also been flashing her generous cleavage and toned tummy in sexy bra-top outfits on Instagram Fans have wondered if the brunette bombshell and Oscar nominee have parted ways after two-and-a-half years together Dune Messia will be in theatres on December 16, 2026. The IMDB logline for the film is brief: 'The film follows Muad'dib, heir to unimaginable power, as he brings to fruition the ancient scheme to create a superbeing ruler among men, not in the heavens.' Dune Messiah is a 1969 science fiction novel by American writer Frank Herbert, the second in his Dune series of six novels. A sequel to Dune, it was originally serialized in Galaxy magazine in 1969, and then published by Putnam the same year. Before her birthday she posed in this sexy top as she held a glass of red wine The 27-year-old billionaire has been spotted having fun with friends like Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber as well as sister Kendall Jenner over vodka martinis in Los Angeles Jenner and Chalamet started dating in January 2023, were rumored to be an item in April 2023 and then they went public with their romance in September 2023. Their first red carpet together was at the 70th David Di Donatello event at Cinecitta Studios in Rome, Italy on May 7, 2025. In early July Jenner started following Chalamet on Instagram. The businesswoman boasts almost 400million followers on the photo-sharing site, but she is quite choosy about who she follows, with only 119 profiles making the cut. However, one of those is now her boyfriend of two years. Fans of TyMothee - the pair's most popular ship name - have been driven into a frenzy after spotting Kylie has allowed the A Complete Unknown actor into her close social circle. However, at the time of writing, the follow is yet to be reciprocated. The 29-year-old actor has 19.7 million Instagram followers, and has only shared 147 posts, compared with Kylie's whopping 7,244 posts. But the Kardashians star shouldn't feel snubbed because he doesn't follow anybody on Instagram. That's including his ex-girlfriend Eiza Gonzalez, who recently admitted she is 'obsessed' by his new romance with reality star Kylie. Turns out Chalamet has been filming his next project, Dune: Part Three, in Hungary. He plays the character Paul Atreides in the third installment of the Dune movie franchise. Seen in May During an appearance in Cosmopolitan magazine's online video series Cheap Shots, Eiza explained: 'They look so cute together. They look so in love and so cute, I'm obsessed with them, and I love Timmy.' She added of the Dune star: 'I think he's the most talented, sweetest - honestly, sweetest boy - and I'm just so proud to see him thriving and doing great in his career, and we're just good friends. 'I have nothing but amazing things to say about him.' Chalamet has been romancing Kylie - who is mom to Stormi, seven, and three-year-old Aire with ex-boyfriend Travis Scott - since April 2023, and their relationship has won the seal of approval from Timothee's mother Nicole Flender. The real estate agent told Curbed: 'I have to say she's lovely. She's very nice to me.' He was the Friend everyone wished they had the one with the looks, the smarts and above all the sense of humour. Yet at Matthew Perrys core there existed an aching loneliness one that could only be assuaged, albeit temporarily, with alcohol and drugs. I had had all that the outside had to offer, he wrote in his 2022 memoir. Julia Roberts is my girlfriend. It doesnt matter, you have to drink. I just bought my dream house it looks out across the whole city! Cant enjoy that without a drug dealer. 'Im making a million dollars a week. I win, right? Would you like to drink? Why yes, I would. Thank you very much. Then he went on, I am one of the luckiest men on the planet. And boy did I have fun. They just werent the answer. That memoir was entitled Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing and the Big Terrible Thing that constantly shadowed him until his untimely and shocking death at the age of 54 on October 28, 2023 was addiction. After his body was found in the jacuzzi of his Los Angeles home, the coroner eventually ruled that the anaesthetic drug ketamine was the primary cause of his death a drug that was being used to treat his depression, but which he was later found to have been horribly abusing in his final days. At Matthew Perry s core there existed an aching loneliness one that could only be assuaged, albeit temporarily, with alcohol and drugs A new ITV documentary entitled Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy explores the events leading up to his death and, in particular, the doctors who preyed upon his addiction issues by illegally supplying him with the drug After his body was found in the jacuzzi of his Los Angeles home (pictured), the coroner eventually ruled that the anaesthetic drug ketamine was the primary cause of his death A new ITV documentary entitled Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy explores the events leading up to his death and, in particular, the doctors who preyed upon his addiction issues by illegally supplying him with the drug. Its the most egregious level of exploitation, says Dr David Feifel, a neuroscientist and leading expert in ketamine therapy who features in the programme. Its totally unjustifiable. Investigators claimed Matthew received 27 injections of ketamine in his final three days, which, says Dr Feifel, would be more than a years worth to the average patient. Even more troubling is how Matthew came to be in a hot tub while under the influence. As the founder of Californias Kadima Neuropsychiatry Institute one of the first clinics to legally introduce ketamine infusion therapy to treat patients with depression and PTSD Dr Feifel insists that, we monitor all the patients on CCTV because theyre not in full control of their mental or motor faculties. Being next to a body of water was a recipe for disaster. Yet perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the hour-long film is the callousness of the physicians who supplied the actor with the drug, Dr Salvador Plasencia and Dr Mark Chavez. Not only did Plasencia rather grubbily administer an injection to the star in a parking lot, but after allegedly selling Matthew 20 vials of ketamine for $55,000 (around 41,000) a single vial cost Chavez $12 (9) Plasencia wrote to his colleague, I wonder how much this moron will pay. Perry with his father, John Bennett Perry, who was an actor and model, and found fame as the Old Spice guy in the 1970s commercials Perry with his mother Suzanne, who became press secretary to Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau, and sister Emily. Dr Feifel is scathing about this. Youre prescribing drugs that are potentially dangerous in a reckless way, just to enrich yourself. In addition to that, youre exploiting the vulnerability of someone whos suffering and is so desperate to end that suffering. I cant think of a worse configuration of misbehaviour. Matthew was very open not only about the many treatments he sought for his addiction issues, but also about the emptiness he felt inside. The film features him reading from his memoir and he poignantly says, I figured being famous would fill that great hole that was endlessly growing inside of me. It was an emptiness that had taken seed from a young age. Growing up in Canada, Matthew was just a year old when his parents divorced. His mother, Suzanne, eventually became press secretary to Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau, while his father John Bennett Perry was an actor and model who found fame as the Old Spice guy in the 1970s commercials. I saw his face more often on TV or in magazines than I did in reality, Matthew wrote. From the age of five, he would be put on a plane by his mum to fly alone from Montreal to LA to visit his dad. I realised I was too young to be alone and this was all completely terrifying, he wrote in his memoir. At 14 he tried alcohol for the first time and later, after drinking an entire bottle of wine, he remembered looking to the skies and feeling better than I ever had in my entire life. I thought to myself, This is probably what normal people feel like all the time. Following his father into acting, aged 24 Matthew landed the role of Chandler Bing in a new sitcom called Friends. The phenomenal success of the show, which ran for ten seasons, was to change his life completely. Jennifer Aniston later recalled that she and her Friends co-stars had little idea how to handle Perry's addictions. We werent equipped to deal with it, she said tearfully Friends stars Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courtney Cos, Matt Le Blanc and Lisa Kudrow Yet his underlying insecurities, far from receding, were brought to the fore. In one telling excerpt from his memoir he notes, You can track the trajectory of my addiction if you gauge my weight from season to season. When Im carrying weight, its alcohol. When Im skinny, its pills. When I have a goatee, its a lot of pills. Jennifer Aniston later recalled that she and her Friends co-stars Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow had little idea how to handle his addictions. We werent equipped to deal with it, she said tearfully. After injuring himself in a jet-ski accident in 1996 while filming the movie Fools Rush In, Matthew was given painkillers which, the documentary suggests, may have sent him even further down the addiction path. He spent more than $9million (around 7million) on various ways to get clean. Eventually he alighted on ketamine infusion therapy. It was developed in the 1960s and, says Dr Feifel, at lower doses this drug seems to have remarkable properties for treating mental illness'. Dr Mark Chavez (pictured) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine last year After alegedly selling Matthew 20 vials of ketamine for $55,000 (around 41,000) a single vial cost Chavez $12 (9) Plasencia (pictured) wrote to his colleague, I wonder how much this moron will pay. 'The idea behind that is it kind of kickstarts the psychological changes that can have that therapeutic effect. Or as Matthew himself more colourfully put it, it felt like being hit in the head with a giant happy shovel. Plasencia not only illegally provided ketamine, but also taught Kenneth Iwamasa, Matthews live-in assistant, how to inject it. Iwamasa had no medical training and the drug, says Dr Feifel, should only have been administered in a medically controlled environment. Also involved with procuring ketamine for Matthew was Hollywood director Erik Fleming, whose connections led him to Jasveen Sangha a woman alleged by prosecutors to be a drug dealer known as the Ketamine Queen. Jasveen Sangha, who is accused of supplying the dose that ultimately killed Matthew, has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is due to stand trial next month On Matthews last day, he told Iwamasa to get his hot tub ready and inject him with a dose of ketamine. According to the assistant, Matthews last words were, Shoot me up with a big one. After running some errands, Iwamasa returned to find him face down in the water. Five people were charged in connection with Matthews death. Chavez, Iwamasa and Fleming all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine last year, while Plasencia pleaded guilty last month to four similar charges. They are all awaiting sentencing, with Plasencia facing up to 40 years in prison. Jasveen Sangha, who is accused of supplying the dose that ultimately killed Matthew, has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is due to stand trial next month. Her lawyer Mark Geragos who initially represented Michael Jackson in his 2003 molestation case said: This theory that the so-called fatal dose is somehow linked to my client is absolute garbage. But Dr Feifel is unequivocal about the doctors culpability. Youve been given this honour of being a physician and youre abusing that trust, he says. Despicable is the only way to describe it. Sharon Stone has discovered there are benefits to being an empty nester. The actress, 67, who made a rare appearance with all three of her sons on the red carpet recently, revealed she is 'back wearing lady underwear' after 25 years of raising kids. The Basic Instinct star joked she has spent the last few decades living in a 'stinky fraternity house' with adopted sons Roan, 25, Laird, 20, and Quinn, 19, but now that they have all moved out, the Basic Instinct star has taken the opportunity to embrace her femininity again. Speaking on Late Night with Seth Meyers, she explained: 'I've been wearing boxer shorts. Because you do not wear lady panties when you have so many boys.' Stone joked that while raising her boys she had morphed into 'a dude, just a dude,' but things have changed that her boys have flown the coop. 'I hope you notice. I feel really feminine again,' she told Meyers. 'I grew my hair back. It's amazing!' Sharon Stone, 67, has discovered there are benefits of being an empty nester, she told Seth Meyers when on his talk show this week Stone has three sons: Roan, 25, Quinn, 19 and Laird, 20. Seen on the red carpet at the premiere on her latest film, Nobody 2, on Monday in Hollywood Stone shares her oldest son, Roan, with ex-husband Phil Bronstein, 74. She adopted Laird and Quinn on her own. The actress, who was promoting her new film, the dark comedy Nobody 2, said she wouldn't have been able to survive as a single mom without the small town values she grew up with. 'I wouldn't be a sober, healthy, working mom who was able to take three adopted kids which is just different, let's just say and do it by myself with the help of wonderful nannies if I didn't come from grounded, moral values.' 'And there have been hiccups,' she added. 'My kids were off school during COVID. We all went through this. Our kids are online and then they are confused about their value systems. It's been a complicated period to raise children,' she said. Referring to the Nobody 2 premiere in Hollywood, Stone continued, sharing, 'And then I see these pictures of them... All of us on the red carpet. I called them all last night, and we were all talking about it. And I just [told] each one of them how proud I was of them because I looked at them as individuals in that picture. Grounded, centered, handsome, organized. I was so proud of them. 'I said to my youngest, I said, "You know what? We did it." And he said, "Mom, we're a family that weathered the storm."' Stone opened up in 2022 about motherhood in an emotional Instagram comment . Speaking on Late Night with Seth Meyers , she explained: 'I've been wearing boxer shorts. Because you do not wear lady panties when you have so many boys' 'I hope you notice. I feel really feminine again,' she told Meyers. 'I grew my hair back. It's amazing!' Seen with Basic Instinct costar Michael Douglas in 2009 Stone, who's also been seen in movies such as Sliver , Last Action Hero, and Total Recall, bravely spoke about her own journey to becoming a parent. 'We, as females don't have a forum to discuss the profundity of this loss,' the actress said in a June 2022 comment on Instagram. 'I lost nine children by miscarriage .' She continued: 'It is no small thing, physically nor emotionally yet we are made to feel it is something to bear alone and secretly with some kind of sense of failure.' Stone said that 'instead of receiving the much needed compassion and empathy and healing which we so need,' women have been let down by gender discrimination due to a predominantly 'male ideology.' With her Nobody 2 costar Bob Odenkirk in LA on August 12 Stone plays the villain in the new movie The outspoken star added, 'Female health and wellness left to the care of the male ideology has become lax at best, ignorant in fact, and violently oppressive in effort.' Stone, who released her memoir The Beauty of Living Twice in 2021 , took to Instagram Stories on Monday with a clip as she left her house for the premiere. 'On our way to NOBODY 2 Premier @nobodymovie,' Stone captioned the clip, which was set to NEU SONG's are you ready?. Stone stars opposite Christopher Lloyd, Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, and Colin Hanks in the motion picture from director Timo Tjahjanto. The storyline focuses on 'suburban dad Hutch Mansell,' played by Odenkirk, according to a logline for the film. It continued: 'Mansell, a former lethal assassin, is pulled back into his violent past after thwarting a home invasion.' The action sets 'off a chain of events that unravels secrets about his wife Becca's past and his own.' Nobody 2 arrived in theaters August 15. Brandi Glanville shared a health update on her facial disfigurement situation and shared the whopping six-figure sum she spent to resolve her health issues. The reality star, 52, said she found a potential solution on social media and shared photos of her transformed look after finding a new doctor. This comes a week and a half after she burned her face with hair removal cream in a DIY attempt to fix her facial disfigurement. She did not reveal her diagnosis but revealed she was working with an infectious disease immunology physician based in New York City. On Friday, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum posted three photos posing with the doctor and said she found him after 'screaming in my tweets asking for help.' She later opened up about her mental health and financial struggles before admitting that, at one point, she 'didn't want to be here' anymore. Brandi Glanville shared a health update on her facial disfigurement situation. The reality star, 52, said she found a potential solution on social media and shared photos of her transformed look after finding a new doctor She later opened up about her mental health and financial struggles. She said she hasn't felt 'normal' in two years ever since her facial disfigurement journey started 'They say Twitter is the devil but all it took was me screaming in my tweets asking for help for this lovely man to reach out,' she wrote in her caption. 'Thank you so much to Michael R. Scoma, M.D who specializes in infectious diseases for taking the time to meet with me and help me try to figure out what is going on inside,' she continued. Glanville shared a photo of herself with short hair, looking nearly unrecognizable after working with her new doctor. She also posted two pictures of herself with longer hair, which appeared to be more recent after she got hair extensions, as she paid the doctor another visit for an IV. One photo showed the physician seemingly showing her how to administer the fluids herself. Late last month, she shared another health update and said she was 'finally getting answers' amid her health crisis. She also said she couldn't wait to 'make out with a hot boy or girl' as she thanked Dr. Scoma. On the same day as her social media update, she opened up about her mental health and financial struggles amid her health journey. While dealing with her facial disfigurement, she admitted she hit her lowest point and credited her children as her source of strength. 'I've never felt suicidal before, [but earlier this summer], I didn't want to be here,' she told Us Weekly. Glanville shared a photo of herself with short hair, looking nearly unrecognizable after working with her new doctor. She also posted two pictures of herself with longer hair, which appeared to be more recent after she got hair extensions, as she paid the doctor another visit for an IV One photo showed the physician seemingly showing her how to administer the fluids herself This comes a week and a half after she burned her face with hair removal cream in a DIY attempt to fix her facial disfigurement 'And if it wasn't for my kids, I don't know that I would be here,' she said while referring to her sons Mason and Jake, both of whom she shares with her ex-husband Eddie Cibrian. She also shared the details of Dr. Scoma's multiphase treatment plan 'which kicks off with several weeks of intravenous antibiotics via a PICC line to treat her longstanding infection and its secondary effects.' Glanville said she has seen 21 doctors so far and paid for several of them out of pocket when she couldn't get answers from providers within her insurance. 'They didn't believe me. My insurance was like, "Nothing's wrong with you. It's just inflammation and old filler."' She revealed she spent at least $130,000 on medical treatments and is now in debt. She admitted she has 'exhausted my savings' and is 'paying the minimum on my credit cards.' Because she is 'worrying about money all day long' she said she started working with a healthcare strategist to avoid bankruptcy. Amid her mental health struggles and financial troubles, she recalled asking her mom to 'drop everything and [come visit] for a couple days,' which was when she put hair removal cream on her face. 'I was just going down every rabbit hole, and my face loved exfoliation. It was like, "OK, I'm gonna get whatever this is out." She recalled thinking at the time: 'If Nair dissolves hair, maybe, it'll dissolve whatever's in my skin. And my mom's like, "You do your Brandi." She revealed she spent at least $130,000 on medical treatments and is now in debt; pictured April 2024 in West Hollywood She also shared the details of Dr. Scoma's multiphase treatment plan 'which kicks off with several weeks of intravenous antibiotics via a PICC line to treat her longstanding infection and its secondary effects' The reality TV personality first started posting about her health issues in 2023. She claimed she contracted a 'flesh-eating parasite' in her face from filming the Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip 'Like, when I was little, I used Comet on my teeth because I wanted white teeth. That's just my idea. I'm a do-it-yourselfer. It doesn't always work out.' The reality TV personality first started posting about her health issues in 2023. At the beginning of that year, she had joined the cast of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip for their fourth season in Morocco. However, in the midst of filming in Morocco, she was accused of sexual misconduct by her co-star Caroline Manzo. Glanville has denied the claims. After her exit from the show and returning home, Glanville discovered she had contracted a parasite while filming. Reflecting the state of her mental health at that time, she said: 'I immediately took on a ton of anxiety. 'I was on the couch in a fetal position for four months,' she recalled before adding that shortly afterwards, 'crazy lumps' started forming on her face. 'My face started, like, moving around and doing things. I started to lose my eyesight in my left eye. It's insane. At first, my face was blowing up and getting really swollen. Then it started sinking in, and I felt like something was just eating me from the inside. I'm like, "It's eating my flesh." Over the past two years, she said she dealt with gray spots on her 'sunken-in' face, as well as 'fluid that comes out of her left ear or drains into her mouth and extreme headaches.' Debi Mazar still looked incredible in a swimsuit even though she just turned 61-years-old this week. The actress - who is best known for playing mobster Ray Liotta's mistress in the 1990 movie Goodfellas - was seen in several new images on her husband Gabriele Corcos' Instagram page. Mazar wore a black-and-red one piece swimsuit while on the beach in Castiglioncello, which is in the Tuscany region of Italy. She posed like a pinup model from the 1950s. Her spouse, who works as a chef, was shirt-free and in swim trunks when he put his arm around his better half. In the caption, he said that he was very much in love with her. 'You are my universe and my inspiration, My strength and my reason, My truth and my obsession. Happy birthday my love, I adore you!' The two met in Italy 24 years ago and wed a year later. Debi Mazar still looked incredible in a swimsuit even though she just turned 61-years-old The actress - who is best known for playing mobster Ray Liotta 's mistress in the 1990 movie Goodfellas - was seen in several new images on her husband Gabriele Corcos' Instagram page Mazar - who is best friends with Madonna - wrote on Instagram: 'I wanted to Thankyou everyone for all my wonderful birthday wishes on August 13th! Had a great time by the sea. Thankyou to my host @patriziobp & Paiyawee Here's to being grateful for another year to live & love!' In 2020, Mazar moved to Firenze, Italy with her husband and their two daughters Evelina, 23, and Giulia, 19. 'At my age, I'm about to be an empty nester. And I'm going into a period where I've spent the past 23 years being on top of my children, and now I have more freedom to go work and not feel guilty,' Mazar told People last year. 'I have more freedom to walk around in the house naked or have sex whenever I feel like it!' she noted. They met 24 years ago when she went on vacation in Italy. Her husband was supposed to get her at the airport as a favor to their mutual friend, French pianist Katia Lebeque. 'I never arrived [at the Florence airport] because my flight was late. Long story short, the next day we were sitting next to each other at dinner, and he asked if I wanted to get a pack of cigarettes and a cocktail in the piazza. And I said yes, and we ended up sitting on these steps of a 12th-century church talking for like two hours,' Mazar said. Mazar wore a black and red one piece swimsuit while on the beach in Europe She posed like a pinup model from the 1950s. Her spouse, who works as a chef, was shirt-free and in swim trunks when he put his arm around his lady love In the caption, he said that he was very much in love with her She added: 'And when I went to kiss him goodnight, I didn't know to go right to left or left to right with a double kiss, and our lips smashed, and there was all this electricity. We spent the entire summer together, and then we couldn't be apart. And that was 23 years ago, and we're still together.' They wed in 2002. And she said at the time she loves to travel. 'I'm exploring the world, and I love that I'm at an age where I'm fit and I can just jump on planes and discover new places and meet new people and take on different characters, working with different accents and different languages,' she shared. 'Here, it's not like America where the work is abundant and you make more money. It's the opposite. 'However, the roles that they write for women of a certain age are rich and complex, and they like women of a certain age here. So I feel that I went to the place that wanted me.' 'You are my universe and my inspiration, My strength and my reason, My truth and my obsession. Happy birthday my love, I adore you!' The two met in Italy 24 years ago And she is thrilled with her new life in Italy. 'Would I like to be younger for my energy? Sure. Would I like to be younger for my body? Sure. Nothing is the way it was, obviously. 'But for me, 60 means I've lived a good long life so far. I was also a person who lost hundreds and hundreds of friends to the AIDS crisis, and I just feel very blessed to have lived this long. 'You have to celebrate every day that you're alive. And I'm having the best time of my life. This past decade has been brilliant. I've learned so much. I've also learned how to be a bit more quiet, how to hear nature, how to not care what people say, to not care what people think of me.' Mazar - who is best friends with Madonna - wrote on Instagram: 'I wanted to Thankyou everyone for all my wonderful birthday wishes on August 13th! Had a great time by the sea. Thankyou to my host @patriziobp & Paiyawee ' She added, ;Here's to being grateful for another year to live & love!' In 2020, Mazar moved to Firenze, Italy with her husband and their two daughters Evelina, 23, and Giulia, 19 Mazar, Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow are seen in 2001 in Los Angeles She also said she does not use fillers. 'I'm like, "I actually don't. This is natural!" My mother has these cheekbones. I have cheekbones. My lips are kind of collapsing, but I have naturally small but cute lips, and I always had snatched my hair back just to pull my face up,' she said. 'So 60, for me, it just means I go to the doctor more often. I have to get my checkups. I'm very on top of that. Here's the thing, you can find out anybody's age. So people might go, 'Oh, Debi Mazar, she's not a new idea.' But then they say, 'Well, look at Debi Mazar. She kind of looks good. And she's still funny. 'I've never hid my age because I've always had this respect for older people. They've lived. And I've always loved talking to old people, so my agent was always like, 'Why are you announcing your age?' and I'm like, 'I don't give a f---!' I really don't,' she says earnestly. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On 14, GAC Energy announced a partnership with Chery Green Energy, granting Chery's NEV (new energy vehicle) users access to more than 20,000 charging points within its network. Photo credit: GAC Energy This year, GAC Energy has accelerated collaborations with other automakers. Earlier this month, it launched a charging network sharing program with ARCFOX, enabling both brands' customers to access nearly 20,000 public chargers along with benefits such as barrier-free entry and waived parking fees during charging. In May, GAC Energy and Zeekr Energy established a two-way interoperability agreement, allowing users to search for charging stations via either company's app or mini-program. Zeekr's network is now integrated into GAC's in-car systems, and apps and mini-programs for entities such as GAC AION, HYPTEC, GAC Trumpchi, GAC Toyota, and GAC Energy provide access to Zeekr station data. GAC Energy membership benefits are also extended to Zeekr's facilities. Conversely, Zeekr customers can view GAC Energy charger locations, prices, and availability in real time through Zeekr's in-car maps or mini-program. According to official figures, by mid-2025, GAC Energy had built 1,671 charging stations across 202 cities in 31 provinces, operating more than 17,000 self-owned fast chargers. Including partner networks, it has over 110,000 connected stations and 1.07 million charging terminals in China. Overseas, its footprint spans 31 countries across five continents with more than 30,000 terminals, forming a broad, intelligent energy replenishment network. Tarek El Moussa is no longer in legal jeopardy after he was charged with misdemeanor battery following a Las Vegas scuffle - his case has now been dismissed. According to court records obtained by the Daily Mail, El Moussa, 43, was facing a misdemeanor battery charge over the incident, but he was able to participate in the court's Pre-Prosecution Diversion Program where he was ordered to complete 'impulse control counseling' and to 'stay out of trouble.' El Moussa was able to show proof that he completed the diversion program requirements, and a judge dismissed his case on Aug. 5. DailyMail.com has reached out to a representative for El Moussa for comment but did not immediately hear back. The altercation occurred in June at The Palazzo at the Venetian hotel between Tarek and another male, whose identity has yet to be revealed, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Witnesses claimed that Tarek drove his knee into the man's head, knocking him out. Tarek El Moussa is no longer in legal jeopardy following his Las Vegas scuffle - his case has now been dismissed; pictured January 2025 The charges stemmed from an altercation Tarek got into earlier this summer at The Palazzo at Venetian Resort in Las Vegas (hotel pictured 2020) A source told DailyMail.com at the time that Tarek was defending his elderly father when the squabble occurred. The HGTV personality was cited for battery for the incident but was not arrested over it. Tarek's wife, Selling Sunset star Heather Rae El Moussa, was present at the time, but had no involvement in the physical violence. TMZ obtained a Las Vegas Metropolitan PD report that alleged the violent bust-up was captured on casino surveillance video. According to the report, the fight kicked off after Tarek's alleged victim allegedly bumped into the HGTV star's father's chair at a roulette table inside The Palazzo. The bump-in reportedly upset Tarek's father, who allegedly turned around in his seat to face the man. After Tarek's father turned his back, the man allegedly tapped him on the right shoulder and said something to him that reportedly caused Tarek, who was seated near his father, to get involved. Tarek allegedly got up from his seat and 'charged at the man, pushing him back before the two got into a 'fighting stance.'' As per the police report, Tarek's adversary allegedly went for the star's legs in an attempt to take him down. But Tarek allegedly proceeded to knee the man to the floor. The police then claimed that Tarek 'mounted the man's back and pummeled him with three blows to the head.' Tarek and his wife Heather Rae El Moussa shared video of their Las Vegas adventures at the time, which included a group snap which pictured the HGTV star's father A source told DailyMail.com at the time that Tarek was defending his elderly father when the squabble occurred (Las Vegas sign pictured April 2017) After the 'three blows to the head,' Tarek allegedly 'got up and walked away.' The incident was called in as an 'assault/battery' and the alleged victim told police that he wanted to press charges. The report claimed that the man suffered several injuries as a result of the casino altercation, including 'purple and red bruises under the right eye and a cut on the bridge of his nose.' The police said that the alleged victim's account of the fight with Tarek differed slightly from what they had viewed on the hotel's surveillance footage. Tarek's wife Heather Rae El Moussa was present at the time, but had no involvement in the physical violence; pictured December 2024 According to cops, the man claimed he was 'aggressively approached' by Tarek at the roulette table before allegedly being 'assaulted' by him. The man insisted he was trying to defend himself. Tarek was also interviewed by police. He insisted that he only confronted the man to 'protect his Dad due to him having back problem.' However, Tarek stopped speaking with cops after his Miranda rights were read, according to TMZ. In a statement to the outlet at the time, Tarek's attorneys David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld said: 'Tarek intends to contest these allegations in a court of law where he will assert his right to self-defense and the defense of his elderly and infirmed father.' Sydney Sweeney had a boozy night out with friends and she shared the photos from the wild experience on Instagram. The event took place inside a crowded venue as the Euphoria actress held up a tray of shots to hand out to her pals. The movie star had her blonde hair down with a fresh tropical tan as she smiled from ear to ear. She was also seen with a microphone on a stage. Hollywood's latest 'it' girl wore a farm-girl style white cotton crop top that flashed her toned tummy as she added oversized blue denim jeans and white sneakers. She was surrounded by hot men and pretty friends who were dressed to party the night away. 'Duval diaries,' was all the star wrote in her Instagram caption. Sydney Sweeney had a boozy night out with friends and she shared the photos from the wild experience on Instagram This comes on the heels of Sweeney's American Eagle drama. The A-list actress is the face of the label's autumn advertising rollout, which has the tagline, 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' Sweeney split from her fiance, Jonathan Davino, eight months ago after they started dating in 2018 and got engaged in 2022. This comes on the heels of Sweeney's American Eagle drama. The A-list actress is the face of the label's autumn advertising rollout, which has the tagline, 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.' American Eagle said the actress did nothing wrong with their ads after they were branded 'Nazi propaganda' by woke critics. Some saw her 'great jeans' campaign to be a remark on her genetic background which is mixed European ancestry; she grew up in rural Idaho. The phrase 'great genes' is 'historically used to celebrate whiteness, thinness and attractiveness,' which it said made 'this campaign seem to be a tone-deaf marketing move,' a Salon report on the backlash read. Others found the link 'ridiculous' and thought the ads were just fine. '"Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" is and always was about the jeans,' the company said on Instagram. 'Her jeans. her story,' it was added. 'We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.' The movie star had her blonde hair down with a fresh tropical tan as she smiled from ear to ear She was also seen with a microphone on a stage as she had her back to a pretty pal Hollywood's latest 'it' girl wore a farm-girl style white cotton crop top that flashed her toned tummy as she added oversized blue denim jeans and white sneakers She was surrounded by her pretty friends who were dressed to party the night away. 'Duval diaries,' was all the star wrote in her Instagram captio In a series of images, the Spokane, Washington-born beauty - who is set to play boxer Christy Martin in an upcoming biopic - is seen modeling a variety of denim-based ensembles. In an accompanying video, Sydney is seen buttoning up her jeans as she muses: 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour... my genes are blue'. A second advert sees the camera pan down Sydney's chest as she models a plunging denim jumpsuit. She muses: 'My body's composition is determined by my genes...' before exclaiming: 'Hey, eyes up here' as the camera cuts back to her face. The advert has divided fans, however, with one critic calling the clip 'one of the loudest and most obvious racialized dog whistles we've seen and heard in a while.' Taking to social media, many expressed their shock at messaging, which they aligned to Nazi propaganda. Outraged fans penned: 'So Sydney (& American Eagle) somehow expect audiences to not interpret this visual as a euphemism for eugenics and white supremacy?' Sweeney has been defended by American Eagle after she was slammed for appearing in their controversial ad campaign Some saw her 'great jeans' campaign to be a remark on her genetic background which is mixed European ancestry; she grew up in rural Idaho 'The Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ad campaign is just modern day Nazi propaganda. Like its wild how blatant it is. Things are weird right now, man.'; 'the most nazi part of the Sydney sweeney add for me was the use of the word offspring'; 'Jeans (Genes) are past down from parent to offspring My jeans (genes) are blue Sydney Sweeney has great jeans (genes) Nothing is ever a coincidence, this is eugenics'; TikTok named Angie under the handle @vital_media_marketing then reviewed the ad and pointed out what she felt were problematic elements with the underlying message. Angie said: 'As it's panning up her body and on her face and her features, she's literally talking about her family tree and the genetics that have been handed down to her, her blonde hair and her blue eyes, and how great they are.' Many people panned the tone of the ad campaign on American Eagle's Instagram page, as one user quipped, Its giving "Subtle 1930s Germany."' Yet many were quick to defend Sydney, branding the backlash 'unhinged'. Her next film is Eden which opens on August 22 They shared on X/Twitter: 'I'm not sure how to say this nicely but if you think a jeans ad with a pun about Sydney Sweeney being pretty is a nazi dogwhistle you genuinely need to put the phone down for a while.'; 'everyone is seriously reading too much into this and yall need to go take a hike or something because sydney sweeney is literally just promoting jeans, not nazi propaganda'; 'The claim that Sydney Sweeneys American Eagle ad is pro-eugenics because of a good genes/jeans pun is genuinely unhinged. Its a denim campaign, not a manifesto. Not every blonde with blue eyes is a Nazi. Some of you need a history book and a nap'; 'You guys dont have to like Sydney Sweeney or the ways she promotes herself but dont you think comparing those Jean commercials to nazi propaganda is a tad extreme?' Sweeney said in a July 23 news release about the fall campaign: 'There is something so effortless about American Eagle.' She said of the clothier: 'Its the perfect balance of being put-together but still feeling like yourself.' Ashley Roberts looked nothing short of sensational on Thursday as she flaunted her jaw-dropping figure in an array of skimpy bikinis during her holiday in Turkey. The Pussycat Dolls star, 43, displayed her toned physique in a carousel of stunning pictures that she shared to her Instagram. She looked incredible as she donned a baby pink bikini top, which featured matching briefs, as she soaked up the sun. Ashley teamed the swimwear item with a baby pink headscarf before further accessorising with some stylish sunglasses. In another shot, the beauty wore a stylish white bikini which consisted of a strapless bikini top with a knot in the centre, matching thong bikini bottoms and a very revealing white sarong skirt. The radio presenter completed the look with a trendy pearl necklace, a gold charm necklace and a silver cuff bracelet - which featured a turtle. Ashley Roberts looked nothing short of sensational on Thursday as she flaunted her jaw-dropping figure in an array of skimpy bikinis during her holiday in Turkey The Pussycat Dolls star, 43, flaunted her toned physique in a carousel of stunning pictures that she shared to her Instagram In a few other images, Ashley showed how she keeps her slender physique so toned as she shared a number of poses of herself taking part in some yoga. As she sat on a mat with a gratitude journal in front of her, the blonde bombshell looked happy and relaxed as she beamed at the camera, cross legged in a pair of navy gym shorts and matching bra. Another picture showed her practicing Urdhva Hastasana - a raised hands pose - as she stared out at the tranquil sea, with the sun setting in the distance. Ashley wowed in a mint green gym set, as she showed off her pert behind and slender legs. She also spent some time on a paddle board during her sun-soaked getaway, making sure to balance as she took to the sea. Never one to shy away from a great outfit, Ashley also shared with her followers what she had been wearing as she relaxed of an evening. As she sat by the sea enjoying a dinner and a glass of bubbles, she posed in a tanned coloured maxi skirt and crop top which featured black around the edge, making the two-piece really pop. She paired the risque number with some stylish black sandals and left her sea salty hair in natural waves. In another shot, the beauty wore a stylish white bikini which consisted of a strapless bikini top with a knot in the centre, matching thong bikini bottoms and a very revealing white sarong skirt which she tied to the side The radio presenter further accessorised the look with a trendy pearl necklace, a gold charm necklace, which featured a turtle and a gold and silver cuff bracelet - which also featured a turtle In a few other images, Ashley showed how she keeps her slender physique so toned as she shared a number of poses of herself taking part in some yoga and paddle boarding As she sat on a mat with a gratitude journal in front of her, the blonde bombshell looked happy and relaxed as she beamed at the camera, cross legged in a pair of navy gym shorts and matching bra Another picture showed her practicing Urdhva Hastasana For the final images, she put on a dazzling display in a canary yellow maxi dress with a silver buckle on the side. Featuring a thigh-high split and a plunging neckline, she posed confidently in the slinky gown and accessorised with aa bracelet and reflective sunglasses. She was in good spirits as she posed playfully for the camera, slipping a peace sign and waving her hands in the air. Alongside the images, Ashley posted: 'Lil slice of paradise' followed by a seashell emoji. It comes after Ashley opened up to the Daily Mail's The Life of Bryony Podcast about other aspects of the devastating toll her time in the music industry had on her . She told The Daily Mail columnist Bryony Gordon how being forced to give up dancing - and discovering breathwork - pulled her back from the brink of a mental breakdown. The performer was only 22 years old when she joined The Pussycat Dolls in 2003, eventually moving to London from Los Angeles after their split in 2010. Ashley's new book transforms the hard-won lessons from her difficult past into practical techniques for improving mental and physical health. 'My body was literally shutting down', Ashley told the podcast. 'The Dolls were in London doing a show. I was sat in my hotel room and all of a sudden, I had this extreme headache. Never one to shy away from a great outfit, Ashley also shared with her followers what she had been wearing as she relaxed of an evening As she sat enjoying a dinner with a friend, she posed in a tanned coloured maxi skirt and crop top which featured black around the edge, making the two-piece really pop For the final images, she put on a dazzling display in a canary yellow maxi dress with a silver buckle on the side Featuring a thigh-high split and a plunging neckline, she posed confidently in the slinky gown and accessorised with a bracelet and reflective sunglasses She was in good spirits as she posed playfully for the camera, laughing and giggling and alongside the images, Ashley posted: 'Lil slice of paradise' followed by a seashell emoji 'The pain was unreal. I also felt really sick. We were supposed to do a show in Germany the next day, so I called my manager - who told me to go to the hospital. 'The doctors thought I'd had a brain aneurysm. When I went to have an MRI, my knee locked up and that was viral arthritis entering my body. 'My mentality at the time was all about making it to the next show but that was the moment I remember thinking, "What's going on here? I need to take a second because this isn't cool".' Ashley revealed how the cutthroat music industry had instilled a toxic work ethic that was destroying her health. 'The early 2000s was a whole different era honey', the performer told Bryony. No one ever spoke about mental health or the importance of checking in. 'I am grateful there has been a shift people cancelling shows now when they need to look after themselves. 'I felt I was weak. It was instilled in us from a young age that we were interchangeable. 'There was a pressure of like, if you don't show up, who knows what might happen? 'I grew up in the dance world and there is still an attitude of if you break your toe, you need to keep going. Your mind is programmed to think: the show must go on. It comes after Ashley opened up to the Mail's The Life of Bryony Podcast (pictured) about other aspects of the devastating toll her time in the music industry had on her 'In the end, I had to take some time off. It was a viral infection with extreme side effects what was probably a manifestation of being so rundown.' Following The Pussycat Dolls' split in 2010, Ashley began building her career in the UK, finishing as runner-up on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2012. After making the move to London permanent, the Heart Radio presenter told Bryony how feeling 'spiritually lost' in her new home led her to discover breath work - her second great love after music. 'After the Dolls, I stopped dancing completely', Ashley said. 'Being in a pop group for so long, I just shut all that down and wanted to go in a different direction.' It was then she found breath work: 'It created this sense of calm that I can't explain. 'I always felt this chaos internally and suddenly, for a few moments, it felt like I wasn't battling it anymore. 'I didn't quite realise how then how great a tool it would be in helping me process life. 'When my dad died, that ability to reflect gave me the motivation to stay strong and I want to share that.' Lily Collins put on a stylish display as she continued to film the fifth series of Emily In Paris in the Italian City of Venice. The actress, 36, transformed into her effortlessly chic character to shoot scenes alongside her co-star Ashley Park on the terrace of luxury hotel St Regis. Lily looked glamorous as she slipped into a red and white paisley print co-ord that she wore over a white sequin bandeau top. Ashley looked equally as stunning as her co-star while filming scenes for the hotly-anticipated series return. Both actresses chatted to each other during the scene, sat by a table that was adorned with flowers and coffee cups. Lily, who stars as main character Emily, has been filming in Venice for the episodes as the series will follow her journey to Rome. Lily Collins, 36, put on a stylish display as she continued to film the fifth series of Emily In Paris in the Italian City of Venice The actress transformed into her effortlessly chic character to shoot scenes alongside her co-star Ashley Park on the terrace of luxury hotel St Regis Emily was left with a decision at the end of series four, as she was offered the position of the lead of the Italian Agence Grateau office. Despite falling in love with Paris and the agency, Emily admitted she was tempted by a new life - with a new man - in Rome. Fans will remember Emily and Gabriel's (Lucas Bravo) romance fell apart after they finally tried to make a go of their relationship after he broke off his relationship with Camille. Following a fake pregnancy scandal, Camille revealed she wasn't actually expecting and Emily and Gabriel tried to work out a romantic future. However, it wasn't meant to be for the star-crossed lovers who were unable to work out their differences and she was pushed into the arms of Marcello, after they met on the slopes of Megeve, when she was abandoned at the top of a slope by Gabriel. They crossed paths again at a polo match in Paris and they enjoyed a night out together in the city, which lasted until the following morning when he asked her to come and visit him in Rome. Emily followed her heart and travelled to meet Marcello, where she was also tasked with acquiring his family's business by her boss Sylvie. However, Emily was reluctant to mix business with pleasure. The pair hit a stumbling block when he learned of her plans to try and secure a professional relationship with his family, who owned a luxury cashmere company, but they eventually managed to iron their issues out. Lily looked glamorous as she slipped into a red and white paisley print co-ord that she wore over a white sequin bandeau top Ashley looked equally as stunning as her co-star as she filmed with a bright coral and pink mini dress that featured huge puffy sleeves She accessorised with a bold clutch bag adorned with different size pearls that she placed down on the table Lily was seen chatting to her co-star during the scene, with the pair sat by a table that was adorned with flowers and coffee cups Lily wore her brunette locks scraped back from a centre parting and wore minimal accessories to let her outfit do all the talking At one point, Lily could be seen standing up and crouching down as it was her turn to film for the camera Lily, who stars as main character Emily, has headed to Venice, Italy, for the episodes as the series will follow her journey to Rome At this point, Gabriel had a candid conversation with Alfie (Lucien Laviscount), who urged him to try and win Emily back, despite previously being romantically involved with her himself. But despite dashing to Rome with the hope of reuniting, Emily was nowhere to be seen as she enjoyed her romantic day out with Marcello. The series is expected to air towards the end of this year, but one of the main characters has revealed they won't be returning. Camille Razat, 31, who plays Camille in the romantic comedy-drama - took to Instagram to reveal the shocking news with an emotional goodbye post after fans fumed at bosses for 'destroying the character'. Camille has played Emily's pal and love rival in the show since the programme hit the streaming service back in 2020. Now, after five years on our screens as Camille, the actress is ready to move on. Emily In Paris premiered on Netflix in October 2020. The synopsis on the streaming service reads: 'New passions. New fashions. New Emily? Camille Razat, who plays Camille (right) in the romantic comedy-drama revealed that she will not be returning to the show with an emotional goodbye post on Instagram after fans said bosses 'destroyed the character' Emily In Paris premiered on Netflix in October 2020 and the show, created by Darren Star, has had 40 episodes run over four seasons It stars the likes of Lily, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, William Abadie and Lucien Laviscount 'A plucky American marketing whiz spreads her wings in life and love after landing her dream job in Paris.' The show, created by Star, has had 40 episodes run over four seasons. It stars the likes of Lily, Philippine, Ashley Park, Lucas, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, William Abadie and Lucien. Stream all seasons of Emily In Paris on Netflix now. A Harold's Chicken franchisee in Illinois has filed for bankruptcy, putting three suburban Chicago restaurants at risk. The operator, De'nsite, runs Harold's locations in Homewood, South Holland, and Olympia Fields. The Chapter 11 filing last month does not affect the parent company, which still operates 47 company-owned restaurants across 10 states. Harold's Chicken Shack is a Chicago institution, known for its crispy fried chicken slathered in a tangy mild sauce. Founded in 1950 by Harold Pierce a Midway, Alabama native who moved to Chicago during the Great Migration the chain grew from a single South Side storefront into a beloved local brand with loyal fans far beyond Illinois. The Illinois bankruptcy comes amid a 'chicken renaissance' US restaurant chicken sales have jumped 9 percent in recent years. However, smaller operators like Harold's are struggling to compete with national heavyweights. Bojangles has been aggressively expanding, while Raising Cane's recently knocked KFC out of the nation's top three chicken chains. An Illinois-based Harold's Chicken restaurant franchisee filed for bankruptcy on July 27 The franchisee operates Harold's Chicken of Homewood, Harold's Time Out Bar & Grill and Harold's Chicken of South Holland Harold's Chicken operates 47 company-owned restaurants in 10 states De'nsite isn't the first Harold's franchisee to falter. A Nevada-based franchise closed its North Las Vegas location after filing for bankruptcy last year, Restaurants are feeling the pinch as rent, labor, and supply costs rise. For example, Sticky's is on the brink of shuttering all its restaurants. The New York-based chain had filed for bankruptcy last year. Last year, there were 10-plus bankruptcy filings by restaurant chains. There have been more bankruptcies this year, including Del Taco franchisee Matador Restaurant Group, which operates locations in Georgia and Alabama. The Del Taco chain is currently owned by Jack in the Box. Its owners are in the process of closing 150 to 200 underperforming restaurants and seeking a buyer for the Tex-Mex chain. Another Mexican chain, On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, filed for bankruptcy too this year, and is closing 76 locations in 24 states. Hooters also made headlines for its bankruptcy filing earlier this year while axing restaurants amid $376 million in debt. Daily Mail has reached out to the operator De'nsite and also to the parent company, and is awaiting response. Walmart will shell out $5.6 million to settle a civil lawsuit that claims the company overcharged its customers. The grocery giant the largest retailer in the country was accused by several California counties of ripping off its customers in those areas. The consumer protection lawsuit claimed that Walmart sold products that weighed less than was indicated on the packet. The items that were allegedly affected included fresh produce, baked goods and other packaged foods. The complaint also argued that Walmart was guilty of charging customers more than items were advertised for. 'When someone brings an item to the register to be scanned, the price must be right,' Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said following the settlement. 'They expect it. California expects it. My Office expects it and we will apply the law to make sure of it.' Walmart will pay $5.6 million in civil penalties for violating California's False Advertising and Unfair Competition Laws, the County of Santa Clara said. Investigators found that Walmart sold products at higher prices than they were advertised The penalties paid by the company will not go directly to consumers, but will go to the Santa Clara County DA's Consumer Protection fund. In addition Walmart must also cover the cost of the investigations, adding $139,908.92 to its bill. The chain has also agreed to employ workers specifically to ensure weight and price accuracy in its 280 California stores. Walmart previously settled a similar lawsuit in California in 2012, forking out $2.1 million. Last year the mega retailer also shelled out $45 million to settle a class action suit brought by angry shoppers in Florida after they also claimed they were being overcharged. The settlement class included those who bought weighted goods or bagged citrus in person at a Walmart in the US or Puerto Rico between October 18, 2018 and January 19, 2024. Some individual customers could claim up to $500 as part of the settlement. In another similar lawsuit filed last year, plaintiffs argued that even though price discrepancies might be just a matter of a few cents each they 'add up to hundreds of millions of dollars each year.' Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said the situation was unacceptable Walmart has 280 stores in California alone Lawyers and other consumers said they found price discrepancies in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey and New York. Customers also found cost discrepancies in North Carolina even after a regulator there fined Walmart in 2022 for price-scanning errors. Walmart recently introduced 'digital shelf labels' in thousands of stores across the country. It means the company can update in minutes the prices on the 120,000 items each store stocks. Weekly updates to paper shelf labels typically took a store worker about two days. Retail experts in the past have pointed out that such digital labels, and the speed that prices can be altered, could usher in an era of dynamic pricing. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed their hold rating on shares of Atalaya Mining (LON:ATYM Free Report) in a research report released on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Berenberg Bank currently has a GBX 510 ($6.90) price objective on the stock. Separately, Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price objective on Atalaya Mining from GBX 525 ($7.10) to GBX 590 ($7.98) and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Get Atalaya Mining alerts: Read Our Latest Report on ATYM Atalaya Mining Trading Down 0.2% Atalaya Mining Company Profile ATYM opened at GBX 514 ($6.95) on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of 876.00 million, a PE ratio of 31.86, a PEG ratio of -2.02 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.71. The business has a 50 day moving average of GBX 466.54 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 407.46. Atalaya Mining has a 52 week low of GBX 275.29 ($3.72) and a 52 week high of GBX 546.58 ($7.40). (Get Free Report) 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. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Atalaya Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Atalaya Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG Free Report) from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have $50.00 target price on the restaurant operators stock, down from their previous target price of $53.00. CMG has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $65.00 to $60.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $58.00 to $54.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. Argus downgraded shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Finally, Melius started coverage on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Monday, July 14th. They set a hold rating and a $60.00 price target on the stock. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $60.37. Get Chipotle Mexican Grill alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on CMG Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance CMG stock opened at $43.10 on Tuesday. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a one year low of $41.18 and a one year high of $66.74. The companys fifty day moving average price is $50.54 and its 200-day moving average price is $51.25. The company has a market capitalization of $57.79 billion, a PE ratio of 38.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.05. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.01. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 13.32% and a return on equity of 43.50%. The firm had revenue of $3.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.11 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.34 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 1.29 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity at Chipotle Mexican Grill In other news, insider Roger E. Theodoredis sold 113,875 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.70, for a total value of $5,659,587.50. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 109,815 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,457,805.50. This represents a 50.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.81% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill in the first quarter worth about $25,000. Operose Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Saudi Central Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the first quarter valued at about $27,000. 1248 Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Signature Resources Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the second quarter valued at about $28,000. 91.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile (Get Free Report) Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. It sells food and beverages through offering burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, tacos, and salads. The company also provides delivery and related services its app and website. It has operations in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Equinox Gold Corp (CVE:EQX Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the six ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$11.14. A number of research firms have issued reports on EQX. BMO Capital Markets set a C$11.00 target price on Equinox Gold and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. Scotiabank dropped their target price on Equinox Gold from C$9.00 to C$8.50 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on Equinox Gold from C$11.00 to C$12.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, TD Securities upgraded Equinox Gold from a hold rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the company from C$11.00 to C$12.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Get Equinox Gold alerts: View Our Latest Report on EQX Equinox Gold Stock Performance Insiders Place Their Bets CVE:EQX opened at C$7.88 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 64.28, a current ratio of 1.94 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of C$7.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$7.88. Equinox Gold has a 1 year low of C$4.25 and a 1 year high of C$8.90. The company has a market capitalization of C$892.46 million and a P/E ratio of -43.54. In other Equinox Gold news, Senior Officer David Chester Schummer acquired 16,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of C$8.56 per share, for a total transaction of C$137,000.00. Also, Director Michael Vint acquired 9,950 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of C$8.63 per share, for a total transaction of C$85,818.75. Insiders purchased 27,250 shares of company stock worth $234,246 in the last quarter. About Equinox Gold (Get Free Report) Equinox Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral deposits. The company's principal properties include the Aurizona project covering a total land package of approximately 223,160 hectares located in Maranhao State, Brazil; and the Castle Mountain property situated in California, the United States. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Equinox Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Equinox Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:FMX Get Free Report) have received an average rating of Hold from the five analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $107.20. Several equities analysts recently commented on FMX shares. UBS Group boosted their price target on Fomento Economico Mexicano from $112.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Wall Street Zen lowered Fomento Economico Mexicano from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on Fomento Economico Mexicano from $110.00 to $107.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Get Fomento Economico Mexicano alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on Fomento Economico Mexicano Institutional Investors Weigh In On Fomento Economico Mexicano Fomento Economico Mexicano Stock Performance Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in Fomento Economico Mexicano by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 5,369,981 shares of the companys stock worth $524,003,000 after purchasing an additional 100,898 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC bought a new stake in shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $330,437,000. FMR LLC increased its holdings in shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano by 540.3% in the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,147,544 shares of the companys stock valued at $269,084,000 after acquiring an additional 2,655,962 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano by 25.4% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 2,158,614 shares of the companys stock valued at $184,540,000 after acquiring an additional 437,699 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Citigroup Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano by 309.6% in the 2nd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 1,714,895 shares of the companys stock valued at $176,600,000 after acquiring an additional 1,296,194 shares during the last quarter. 61.00% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Fomento Economico Mexicano stock opened at $84.50 on Friday. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $98.33 and its 200 day moving average price is $98.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.23 billion, a PE ratio of 28.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.04 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.34. Fomento Economico Mexicano has a one year low of $81.07 and a one year high of $114.33. Fomento Economico Mexicano (NYSE:FMX Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 28th. The company reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.91 by ($0.49). The company had revenue of $11.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $216.71 billion. Fomento Economico Mexicano had a return on equity of 5.32% and a net margin of 2.60%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Fomento Economico Mexicano will post 5.32 EPS for the current fiscal year. Fomento Economico Mexicano Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 17th were issued a dividend of $1.3625 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 17th. This represents a yield of 200.0%. This is a boost from Fomento Economico Mexicanos previous dividend of $0.73. Fomento Economico Mexicanos dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 74.83%. About Fomento Economico Mexicano (Get Free Report) Fomento Economico Mexicano, SAB. de C.V., through its subsidiaries, operates as a bottler of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. The company produces, markets, and distributes Coca-Cola trademark beverages in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Fomento Economico Mexicano Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fomento Economico Mexicano and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nomad Foods (NYSE:NOMD Free Report) had its price target cut by Mizuho from $23.00 to $20.00 in a research report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock. A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on NOMD. Barclays lowered their price target on Nomad Foods from $20.00 to $18.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 8th. Wall Street Zen cut Nomad Foods from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Get Nomad Foods alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on NOMD Nomad Foods Stock Down 2.7% NYSE NOMD opened at $14.99 on Tuesday. The stocks 50 day moving average is $17.04 and its 200 day moving average is $18.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. Nomad Foods has a 12 month low of $14.87 and a 12 month high of $20.81. The stock has a market cap of $2.30 billion, a PE ratio of 10.26 and a beta of 0.72. Nomad Foods (NYSE:NOMD Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.44 by $0.01. Nomad Foods had a return on equity of 10.26% and a net margin of 6.93%. The company had revenue of $879.27 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $762.81 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.44 EPS. The firms revenue was down .8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Nomad Foods will post 1.82 EPS for the current fiscal year. Nomad Foods Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 11th. Nomad Foodss dividend payout ratio is 46.58%. Institutional Trading of Nomad Foods Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. PDT Partners LLC raised its holdings in Nomad Foods by 52.3% during the 2nd quarter. PDT Partners LLC now owns 238,614 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,054,000 after buying an additional 81,919 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its holdings in Nomad Foods by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 7,330,537 shares of the companys stock valued at $124,546,000 after buying an additional 27,177 shares during the period. Nebula Research & Development LLC raised its holdings in Nomad Foods by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Nebula Research & Development LLC now owns 35,152 shares of the companys stock valued at $597,000 after buying an additional 1,481 shares during the period. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd raised its holdings in Nomad Foods by 164.1% during the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 1,195,533 shares of the companys stock valued at $20,312,000 after buying an additional 742,813 shares during the period. Finally, Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA raised its holdings in Nomad Foods by 11.8% during the 2nd quarter. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA now owns 18,970 shares of the companys stock valued at $322,000 after buying an additional 2,004 shares during the period. 75.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Nomad Foods (Get Free Report) Nomad Foods Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, and distributes a range of frozen food products in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company offers frozen fish products, including fish fingers, coated fish, and natural fish; ready-to-cook vegetable products, such as peas and spinach; and frozen poultry and meat products comprising nuggets, grills, and burgers. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Nomad Foods Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nomad Foods and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR Free Report) had its price target raised by Raymond James Financial from $57.00 to $62.00 in a research note published on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. Raymond James Financial currently has a strong-buy rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on EPR. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on EPR Properties from $52.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Monday, June 2nd. UBS Group raised their price target on EPR Properties from $56.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Truist Financial raised their price target on EPR Properties from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Monday, May 19th. Wall Street Zen raised EPR Properties from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on EPR Properties from $65.00 to $65.50 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $58.07. Get EPR Properties alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on EPR Properties EPR Properties Stock Performance Shares of EPR stock opened at $53.04 on Tuesday. The stocks 50-day moving average is $57.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $52.83. The firm has a market cap of $4.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.13, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.33. EPR Properties has a 1 year low of $41.75 and a 1 year high of $61.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 7.77 and a current ratio of 7.77. EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.25 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $150.35 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $176.50 million. EPR Properties had a return on equity of 7.66% and a net margin of 25.28%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.22 EPS. Analysts predict that EPR Properties will post 4.65 earnings per share for the current year. EPR Properties Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a aug 25 dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, August 29th will be given a dividend of $0.295 per share. EPR Propertiess dividend payout ratio is currently 174.38%. Insider Activity In related news, EVP Gregory E. Zimmerman sold 7,500 shares of EPR Properties stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.94, for a total transaction of $412,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 96,377 shares in the company, valued at $5,294,952.38. The trade was a 7.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 2.31% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Deutsche Bank AG raised its holdings in EPR Properties by 3,816.2% in the 1st quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 1,874,975 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $98,642,000 after acquiring an additional 1,827,098 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in EPR Properties in the 2nd quarter valued at $55,093,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in EPR Properties by 378.0% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 821,532 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $43,221,000 after acquiring an additional 649,675 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. raised its holdings in EPR Properties by 42.0% in the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 1,870,499 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $108,975,000 after acquiring an additional 553,209 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new position in EPR Properties in the 1st quarter valued at $21,166,000. 74.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. EPR Properties Company Profile (Get Free Report) EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) is the leading diversified experiential net lease real estate investment trust (REIT), specializing in select enduring experiential properties in the real estate industry. We focus on real estate venues that create value by facilitating out of home leisure and recreation experiences where consumers choose to spend their discretionary time and money. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for EPR Properties Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EPR Properties and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Target (NYSE:TGT Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by Evercore ISI from $104.00 to $108.00 in a research report released on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. Evercore ISI currently has an in-line rating on the retailers stock. A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on TGT. Piper Sandler restated a neutral rating on shares of Target in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen cut Target from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Citigroup lowered their target price on Target from $97.00 to $94.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein cut Target from a market perform rating to an underperform rating and lowered their target price for the company from $97.00 to $82.00 in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on Target from $112.00 to $103.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twenty-three have issued a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $115.81. Get Target alerts: Read Our Latest Report on TGT Target Trading Down 1.0% NYSE TGT opened at $104.29 on Tuesday. Target has a fifty-two week low of $87.35 and a fifty-two week high of $167.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.94. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $101.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $105.38. The stock has a market cap of $47.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 1.22. Target (NYSE:TGT Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 21st. The retailer reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.65 by ($0.35). Target had a return on equity of 25.59% and a net margin of 3.95%. The business had revenue of $24.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $24.54 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.03 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was down 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Target will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current year. Target Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 13th will be issued a $1.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 13th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.3%. Targets dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.11%. Insider Activity at Target In other Target news, insider Brian C. Cornell sold 45,000 shares of Target stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.18, for a total value of $4,328,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 246,453 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $23,703,849.54. This trade represents a 15.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.16% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Target Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. DSG Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Target by 16.1% in the first quarter. DSG Capital Advisors LLC now owns 156,644 shares of the retailers stock worth $16,347,000 after acquiring an additional 21,726 shares during the period. Viking Fund Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Target by 20.0% in the first quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 60,000 shares of the retailers stock worth $6,262,000 after acquiring an additional 10,000 shares during the period. Correct Capital Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of Target by 44.7% in the first quarter. Correct Capital Wealth Management now owns 13,556 shares of the retailers stock worth $1,415,000 after acquiring an additional 4,189 shares during the period. Chapin Davis Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Target by 64.7% in the first quarter. Chapin Davis Inc. now owns 8,507 shares of the retailers stock worth $888,000 after acquiring an additional 3,342 shares during the period. Finally, CMH Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Target by 31.5% in the first quarter. CMH Wealth Management LLC now owns 61,420 shares of the retailers stock worth $6,410,000 after acquiring an additional 14,719 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.73% of the companys stock. About Target (Get Free Report) Target Corporation operates as a general merchandise retailer in the United States. The company offers apparel for women, men, boys, girls, toddlers, and infants and newborns, as well as jewelry, accessories, and shoes; and beauty and personal care, baby gear, cleaning, paper products, and pet supplies. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Target Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Target and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. American Century Companies Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM Free Report) by 3.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,395,928 shares of the companys stock after selling 92,358 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. owned about 0.59% of Howmet Aerospace worth $310,824,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HWM. Aberdeen Group plc boosted its position in shares of Howmet Aerospace by 140.1% during the first quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 330,075 shares of the companys stock valued at $42,340,000 after buying an additional 192,585 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Howmet Aerospace by 4.8% during the first quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 5,869 shares of the companys stock valued at $761,000 after buying an additional 268 shares during the period. Fox Run Management L.L.C. boosted its position in shares of Howmet Aerospace by 340.6% during the first quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. now owns 8,940 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,160,000 after buying an additional 6,911 shares during the period. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Howmet Aerospace by 4.0% during the first quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 165,945 shares of the companys stock valued at $21,528,000 after buying an additional 6,335 shares during the period. Finally, Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. boosted its position in shares of Howmet Aerospace by 97.3% during the first quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. now owns 64,268 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,337,000 after buying an additional 31,686 shares during the period. 90.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Howmet Aerospace alerts: Howmet Aerospace Trading Down 0.4% NYSE HWM opened at $176.17 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $179.92 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $152.53. The stock has a market cap of $71.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 1.48. Howmet Aerospace Inc. has a 12-month low of $90.71 and a 12-month high of $193.26. The company has a current ratio of 2.31, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. Howmet Aerospace Increases Dividend Howmet Aerospace ( NYSE:HWM Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.04. Howmet Aerospace had a net margin of 18.09% and a return on equity of 28.17%. The firm had revenue of $2.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.99 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.67 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Howmet Aerospace Inc. will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 25th. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. This is a boost from Howmet Aerospaces previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 8th. Howmet Aerospaces dividend payout ratio is 14.04%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts have issued reports on HWM shares. UBS Group boosted their target price on Howmet Aerospace from $120.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an outperform rating on shares of Howmet Aerospace in a research note on Monday, June 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Howmet Aerospace from $150.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Susquehanna upped their target price on shares of Howmet Aerospace from $170.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a positive rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Howmet Aerospace from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, August 2nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Howmet Aerospace has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $172.13. Get Our Latest Research Report on HWM Howmet Aerospace Company Profile (Free Report) Howmet Aerospace Inc provides advanced engineered solutions for the aerospace and transportation industries in the United States, Japan, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Italy, Canada, Poland, China, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Engine Products, Fastening Systems, Engineered Structures, and Forged Wheels. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HWM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Howmet Aerospace Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Howmet Aerospace and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. American Century Companies Inc. trimmed its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 14.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,974,868 shares of the companys stock after selling 330,070 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company makes up about 1.0% of American Century Companies Inc.s portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. American Century Companies Inc.s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $1,631,063,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in LLY. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 22.0% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,597 shares of the companys stock worth $7,409,000 after purchasing an additional 1,730 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,471 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,136,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Orion Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Orion Capital Management LLC now owns 1,610 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,243,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG now owns 64,758 shares of the companys stock valued at $49,993,000 after acquiring an additional 2,568 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Breed s Hill Capital LLC raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 212.0% in the 4th quarter. Breed s Hill Capital LLC now owns 1,426 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,101,000 after acquiring an additional 969 shares in the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an overweight rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Hsbc Global Res lowered Eli Lilly and Company from a strong-buy rating to a moderate sell rating in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an overweight rating and issued a $1,135.00 price target (up previously from $1,133.00) on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Erste Group Bank lowered Eli Lilly and Company from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, June 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,010.00 to $900.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $964.88. Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 3.8% LLY stock opened at $685.27 on Friday. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $765.92 and its 200 day simple moving average is $795.40. Eli Lilly and Company has a fifty-two week low of $623.78 and a fifty-two week high of $972.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.28. The company has a market cap of $648.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.44. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $6.31 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $5.59 by $0.72. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 92.72% and a net margin of 25.91%. The business had revenue of $15.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.40 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.92 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 37.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio is 39.22%. Insider Transactions at Eli Lilly and Company In related news, Director J Erik Fyrwald acquired 1,565 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $642.33 per share, with a total value of $1,005,246.45. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 74,578 shares in the company, valued at $47,903,686.74. This trade represents a 2.14% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO David A. Ricks acquired 1,632 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 12th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $644.77 per share, with a total value of $1,052,264.64. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 546,601 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $352,431,926.77. The trade was a 0.30% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders bought 4,514 shares of company stock valued at $2,894,841. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. Eli Lilly and Company Profile (Free Report) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; Jardiance, Mounjaro, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes; and Zepbound for obesity. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LLY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC cut its position in Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL Free Report) by 51.0% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 18,581 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 19,320 shares during the quarter. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLCs holdings in Tyler Technologies were worth $10,803,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of TYL. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Tyler Technologies by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,459,163 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $3,173,903,000 after purchasing an additional 148,762 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its holdings in Tyler Technologies by 6.3% in the 1st quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 998,927 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $580,766,000 after purchasing an additional 59,554 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Tyler Technologies by 57,694.7% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 878,480 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $510,739,000 after purchasing an additional 876,960 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in Tyler Technologies by 13.9% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 497,367 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $286,802,000 after purchasing an additional 60,654 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Tyler Technologies by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 480,085 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $279,117,000 after purchasing an additional 14,219 shares during the period. 93.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Tyler Technologies alerts: Tyler Technologies Stock Down 1.3% Shares of TYL stock opened at $572.89 on Friday. Tyler Technologies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $513.52 and a 12-month high of $661.31. The company has a market capitalization of $24.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 81.84, a P/E/G ratio of 4.46 and a beta of 0.85. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $577.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $578.87. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Tyler Technologies ( NYSE:TYL Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The technology company reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.78 by $0.13. Tyler Technologies had a net margin of 13.66% and a return on equity of 10.34%. The firm had revenue of $584.01 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $587.59 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.40 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Tyler Technologies, Inc. will post 8.52 earnings per share for the current year. A number of equities analysts have recently commented on TYL shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Tyler Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. DA Davidson set a $585.00 price objective on shares of Tyler Technologies and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Tyler Technologies from $695.00 to $715.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Tyler Technologies from $640.00 to $610.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $750.00 price objective on shares of Tyler Technologies in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Tyler Technologies has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $688.27. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Tyler Technologies Insider Activity at Tyler Technologies In other Tyler Technologies news, CEO H Lynn Moore, Jr. sold 5,250 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $588.89, for a total value of $3,091,672.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 81,775 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,156,479.75. This trade represents a 6.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Brian K. Miller sold 1,200 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $580.72, for a total transaction of $696,864.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 13,772 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,997,675.84. The trade was a 8.01% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 28,102 shares of company stock worth $16,303,524. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders. Tyler Technologies Profile (Free Report) Tyler Technologies, Inc provides integrated information management solutions and services for the public sector. It operates in two segments, Enterprise Software and Platform Technologies. The company offers platform and transformative technology solutions, including cybersecurity for government agencies; data and insights solutions; digital solutions that helps workers and policymakers to share, communicate, and leverage data; payments solutions, such as billing, presentment, merchant onboarding, collections, reconciliation, and disbursements; platform technologies, an application development platform that enables government workers to build solutions and applications; and outdoor recreation solutions, including campsite reservations, activity registrations, licensing sales and renewals, and real-time data for conservation and park management. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TYL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Tyler Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tyler Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI Free Report) by 7.0% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 32,274 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 2,446 shares during the period. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLCs holdings in MSCI were worth $18,251,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in MSCI in the 4th quarter worth approximately $263,000. Mariner LLC grew its stake in MSCI by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 19,824 shares of the technology companys stock worth $11,894,000 after acquiring an additional 492 shares during the period. Guggenheim Capital LLC grew its stake in MSCI by 9.5% in the 4th quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 1,861 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,117,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in MSCI by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 11,850 shares of the technology companys stock worth $7,110,000 after acquiring an additional 591 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board grew its stake in MSCI by 42.5% in the 4th quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 86,288 shares of the technology companys stock worth $51,774,000 after acquiring an additional 25,741 shares during the period. 89.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get MSCI alerts: MSCI Price Performance Shares of MSCI stock opened at $566.48 on Friday. MSCI Inc has a 12 month low of $486.73 and a 12 month high of $642.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.29. The companys fifty day moving average price is $562.14 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $561.70. MSCI Announces Dividend MSCI ( NYSE:MSCI Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 22nd. The technology company reported $4.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.12 by $0.05. MSCI had a net margin of 39.46% and a negative return on equity of 143.13%. The firm had revenue of $772.68 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $763.06 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.64 EPS. The firms revenue was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that MSCI Inc will post 16.86 EPS for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a $1.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $7.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. MSCIs payout ratio is presently 47.68%. Insider Buying and Selling at MSCI In related news, CEO Henry A. Fernandez bought 84 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 25th. The stock was bought at an average price of $548.69 per share, with a total value of $46,089.96. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,279,951 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $702,296,314.19. This trade represents a 0.01% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Over the last ninety days, insiders have bought 12,400 shares of company stock valued at $6,731,599. 3.31% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades MSCI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of MSCI from $650.00 to $680.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, July 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of MSCI from $578.00 to $533.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on shares of MSCI from $673.00 to $631.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of MSCI from $655.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued a market perform rating on shares of MSCI in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, MSCI has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $654.73. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on MSCI About MSCI (Free Report) MSCI Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides critical decision support tools and solutions for the investment community to manage investment processes worldwide. The Index segment provides indexes for use in various areas of the investment process, including indexed financial product, such as ETFs, mutual funds, annuities, futures, options, structured products, and over-the-counter derivatives; performance benchmarking; portfolio construction and rebalancing; and asset allocation, as well as licenses GICS and GICS Direct. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSCI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for MSCI Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MSCI and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE:TAP Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 34,344 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,091,000. Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its position in Molson Coors Beverage by 4.0% during the first quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 416,880 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,378,000 after buying an additional 16,038 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Molson Coors Beverage by 7.4% during the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 305,886 shares of the companys stock valued at $18,619,000 after buying an additional 21,003 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in Molson Coors Beverage during the first quarter valued at about $70,000. Deutsche Bank AG boosted its position in Molson Coors Beverage by 24.2% during the first quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,797,189 shares of the companys stock valued at $170,265,000 after buying an additional 544,353 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Molson Coors Beverage by 1.2% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,704,932 shares of the companys stock worth $103,779,000 after purchasing an additional 20,311 shares during the period. 78.46% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Molson Coors Beverage alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Molson Coors Beverage In other Molson Coors Beverage news, Director Geoffrey E. Molson sold 1,333 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.29, for a total transaction of $75,034.57. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 27,595 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,553,322.55. This trade represents a 4.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 2.71% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts have recently weighed in on TAP shares. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Molson Coors Beverage from $56.00 to $51.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Bank of America lowered shares of Molson Coors Beverage from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $65.00 to $50.00 in a report on Friday, June 27th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Molson Coors Beverage from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, May 17th. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on shares of Molson Coors Beverage from $58.00 to $53.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 23rd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC dropped their target price on shares of Molson Coors Beverage from $65.00 to $58.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 6th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $58.12. Read Our Latest Report on Molson Coors Beverage Molson Coors Beverage Stock Performance Shares of TAP opened at $51.28 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.67. Molson Coors Beverage Company has a one year low of $46.94 and a one year high of $64.66. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $49.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $55.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.37 billion, a PE ratio of 10.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.67. Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.22. Molson Coors Beverage had a net margin of 7.81% and a return on equity of 8.61%. The business had revenue of $3.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.92 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Molson Coors Beverage Company will post 6.35 EPS for the current fiscal year. Molson Coors Beverage Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 5th. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. Molson Coors Beverages dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.08%. Molson Coors Beverage Profile (Free Report) Molson Coors Beverage Company manufactures, markets, and sells beer and other malt beverage products under various brands in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company offers flavored malt beverages including hard seltzers, craft, spirits and energy, and ready to drink beverages. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Molson Coors Beverage Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Molson Coors Beverage and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. raised its position in Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL Free Report) by 12.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,065 shares of the technology companys stock after buying an additional 889 shares during the period. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc.s holdings in Dell Technologies were worth $735,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bellwether Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Dell Technologies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Dell Technologies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Dell Technologies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC purchased a new position in Dell Technologies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. lifted its stake in Dell Technologies by 270.7% in the 1st quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 304 shares of the technology companys stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. 76.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Dell Technologies alerts: Dell Technologies Trading Down 0.1% Dell Technologies stock opened at $139.05 on Friday. Dell Technologies Inc. has a twelve month low of $66.25 and a twelve month high of $147.66. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $125.30 and its 200-day simple moving average is $108.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $94.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.18, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.02. Dell Technologies Announces Dividend Dell Technologies ( NYSE:DELL Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 29th. The technology company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.68 by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $23.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.17 billion. Dell Technologies had a negative return on equity of 226.48% and a net margin of 4.63%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.27 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Dell Technologies Inc. will post 6.93 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, July 22nd. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Dell Technologiess payout ratio is presently 33.49%. Insider Activity In other Dell Technologies news, Director Iv (Gp) L.L.C. Slta sold 625,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.20, for a total value of $78,875,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 960,050 shares in the company, valued at $121,158,310. This represents a 39.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, General Counsel Richard J. Rothberg sold 70,165 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.82, for a total transaction of $7,635,355.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel owned 79,928 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,697,764.96. This represents a 46.75% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 12,989,063 shares of company stock valued at $1,583,673,412. Insiders own 42.00% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have recently commented on DELL shares. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Dell Technologies from $116.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, May 30th. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Dell Technologies in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Dell Technologies from $135.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday. Raymond James Financial lifted their price target on shares of Dell Technologies from $144.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, May 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Dell Technologies from $89.00 to $126.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $141.82. Read Our Latest Analysis on DELL Dell Technologies Profile (Free Report) Dell Technologies Inc designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells, and supports various comprehensive and integrated solutions, products, and services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) and Client Solutions Group (CSG). Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Dell Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dell Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lowered its stake in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY Free Report) by 2.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,371,625 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 326,775 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 0.66% of Bristol Myers Squibb worth $815,400,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Marcum Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 1.0% in the first quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 19,296 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,177,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 2.7% in the first quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 8,063 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $492,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares during the period. 1858 Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 3.6% in the first quarter. 1858 Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,421 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $392,000 after acquiring an additional 221 shares during the period. Tompkins Financial Corp boosted its position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 2.5% in the first quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 9,151 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $558,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares during the period. Finally, LS Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 1.3% in the first quarter. LS Investment Advisors LLC now owns 17,015 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,038,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares during the period. 76.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Bristol Myers Squibb alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have recently weighed in on BMY. Piper Sandler began coverage on Bristol Myers Squibb in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. They issued an overweight rating and a $65.00 price objective for the company. Daiwa Capital Markets cut Bristol Myers Squibb from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $42.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Citigroup reduced their target price on Bristol Myers Squibb from $51.00 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on Bristol Myers Squibb from $70.00 to $68.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have issued a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $56.38. Bristol Myers Squibb Stock Performance Bristol Myers Squibb stock opened at $47.86 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.54, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $47.23 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $51.57. Bristol Myers Squibb Company has a 52-week low of $42.96 and a 52-week high of $63.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $97.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.30, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.36. Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.39. Bristol Myers Squibb had a return on equity of 80.04% and a net margin of 10.58%. The firm had revenue of $12.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.32 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.07 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Bristol Myers Squibb Company will post 6.74 EPS for the current fiscal year. Bristol Myers Squibb Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 3rd were paid a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 3rd. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.2%. Bristol Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 100.00%. Bristol Myers Squibb Profile (Free Report) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, and neuroscience diseases. The company's products include Eliquis for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in non-valvular atrial fibrillation, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for various anti-cancer indications, including bladder, blood, CRC, head and neck, RCC, HCC, lung, melanoma, MPM, stomach and esophageal cancer; Pomalyst/Imnovid for multiple myeloma; Orencia for active rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis; and Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BMY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Bristol Myers Squibb Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bristol Myers Squibb and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Liontrust Investment Partners LLP cut its position in Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW Free Report) by 5.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,518,152 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 92,287 shares during the quarter. Edwards Lifesciences makes up 1.7% of Liontrust Investment Partners LLPs investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Liontrust Investment Partners LLP owned about 0.26% of Edwards Lifesciences worth $110,036,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in EW. Vega Investment Solutions acquired a new stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. SouthState Corp purchased a new stake in Edwards Lifesciences during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. raised its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 116.1% during the 1st quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 402 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 102.5% during the 1st quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 405 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 205 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rossby Financial LCC purchased a new stake in Edwards Lifesciences during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 79.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Edwards Lifesciences alerts: Insider Transactions at Edwards Lifesciences In other news, insider Larry L. Wood sold 8,950 shares of Edwards Lifesciences stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.23, for a total value of $673,308.50. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 206,900 shares of the companys stock, valued at $15,565,087. This trade represents a 4.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Daveen Chopra sold 1,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.08, for a total transaction of $112,620.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 17,134 shares of company stock valued at $1,311,745. 1.29% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Edwards Lifesciences Stock Up 0.7% NYSE:EW opened at $78.21 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $45.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.75 and a beta of 1.08. Edwards Lifesciences Corporation has a one year low of $64.00 and a one year high of $83.00. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $77.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $74.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 3.87 and a current ratio of 4.68. Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The medical research company reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.05. Edwards Lifesciences had a return on equity of 15.01% and a net margin of 72.96%. The company had revenue of $1.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.49 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.70 earnings per share. Edwards Lifesciencess quarterly revenue was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Edwards Lifesciences Corporation will post 2.45 EPS for the current fiscal year. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Edwards Lifesciences from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Edwards Lifesciences from $75.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Daiwa America raised Edwards Lifesciences from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a buy rating on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their target price on Edwards Lifesciences from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $85.90. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Edwards Lifesciences About Edwards Lifesciences (Free Report) Edwards Lifesciences Corporation provides products and technologies for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring in the United States, Europe, Japan, and internationally. It offers transcatheter heart valve replacement products for the minimally invasive replacement of aortic heart valves under the Edwards SAPIEN family of valves system; and transcatheter heart valve repair and replacement products to treat mitral and tricuspid valve diseases under the PASCAL PRECISION and Cardioband names. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Edwards Lifesciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Edwards Lifesciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF Free Report) (TSE:SLF) by 2,729.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 33,557 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 32,371 shares during the quarter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltds holdings in Sun Life Financial were worth $1,921,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Investment Management Corp VA ADV increased its holdings in Sun Life Financial by 164.5% during the 1st quarter. Investment Management Corp VA ADV now owns 619 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 385 shares in the last quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Sun Life Financial by 53.2% during the 1st quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 665 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 231 shares during the last quarter. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Sun Life Financial during the 1st quarter worth about $55,000. GeoWealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Sun Life Financial by 4,657.1% during the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 999 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 978 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CX Institutional acquired a new stake in shares of Sun Life Financial during the 1st quarter worth about $109,000. 52.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Sun Life Financial alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts have issued reports on SLF shares. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Sun Life Financial from $82.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Scotiabank raised shares of Sun Life Financial to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Sun Life Financial in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Barclays cut shares of Sun Life Financial from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Finally, National Bank Financial cut shares of Sun Life Financial from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $88.00. Sun Life Financial Stock Performance SLF opened at $58.06 on Friday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $62.72 and its 200 day simple moving average is $59.77. Sun Life Financial Inc. has a 1 year low of $50.98 and a 1 year high of $66.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.70 billion, a PE ratio of 14.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.90. Sun Life Financial (NYSE:SLF Get Free Report) (TSE:SLF) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.29. Sun Life Financial had a net margin of 7.59% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The business had revenue of $6.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.34 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.11 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Sun Life Financial Inc. will post 5.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Sun Life Financial Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 27th will be given a dividend of $0.6394 per share. This represents a $2.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.4%. This is a positive change from Sun Life Financials previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 27th. Sun Life Financials dividend payout ratio is presently 63.12%. Sun Life Financial Company Profile (Free Report) Sun Life Financial Inc, a financial services company, provides savings, retirement, and pension products worldwide. The company operates in five segments: Asset Management, Canada, U.S., Asia, and Corporate. It offers various insurance products, such as term and permanent life; personal health, which includes prescription drugs, dental, and vision care; critical illness; long-term care; and disability, as well as reinsurance. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SLF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF Free Report) (TSE:SLF). Receive News & Ratings for Sun Life Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sun Life Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd cut its stake in Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NU Free Report) by 28.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 160,033 shares of the companys stock after selling 63,132 shares during the period. Gulf International Bank UK Ltds holdings in NU were worth $1,638,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Baillie Gifford & Co. raised its holdings in NU by 17.9% in the 1st quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 265,160,474 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,715,243,000 after acquiring an additional 40,181,132 shares in the last quarter. Kontiki Capital Management HK Ltd. increased its stake in shares of NU by 54.3% in the 1st quarter. Kontiki Capital Management HK Ltd. now owns 32,575,725 shares of the companys stock valued at $333,575,000 after purchasing an additional 11,465,700 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in shares of NU by 45.1% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 25,496,091 shares of the companys stock valued at $264,140,000 after purchasing an additional 7,930,598 shares during the last quarter. Ribbit Management Company LLC increased its stake in shares of NU by 22.1% in the 4th quarter. Ribbit Management Company LLC now owns 25,243,753 shares of the companys stock valued at $261,525,000 after purchasing an additional 4,575,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of NU by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 24,378,076 shares of the companys stock valued at $252,557,000 after purchasing an additional 1,417,910 shares during the last quarter. 84.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get NU alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes NU has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on NU from $14.50 to $16.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, June 30th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an overweight rating on shares of NU in a research note on Friday, June 13th. Barclays lifted their price target on NU from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Susquehanna boosted their price objective on NU from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a positive rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, NU has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $15.50. NU Trading Down 3.0% NYSE NU opened at $12.00 on Friday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $12.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $12.16. Nu Holdings Ltd. has a 12 month low of $9.01 and a 12 month high of $16.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.80 billion, a PE ratio of 27.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. NU (NYSE:NU Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 13th. The company reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.12 by ($0.01). NU had a net margin of 17.88% and a return on equity of 30.77%. The company had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.09 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Nu Holdings Ltd. will post 0.58 EPS for the current year. NU Company Profile (Free Report) Nu Holdings Ltd. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of digital banking services. The company was founded by David Velez Osorno, Cristina Helena Zingaretti Junqueira, and Adam Edward Wible on February 26, 2016 and is headquartered in George Town, Cayman Islands. See Also Receive News & Ratings for NU Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NU and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd lessened its stake in shares of Extra Space Storage Inc (NYSE:EXR Free Report) by 27.3% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 12,008 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 4,515 shares during the period. Gulf International Bank UK Ltds holdings in Extra Space Storage were worth $1,783,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Extra Space Storage by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 33,969,485 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $5,044,129,000 after acquiring an additional 295,556 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Extra Space Storage by 205.7% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,094,555 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $608,001,000 after acquiring an additional 2,755,265 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Extra Space Storage by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,136,640 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $469,229,000 after acquiring an additional 24,533 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in shares of Extra Space Storage by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 3,077,577 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $456,989,000 after acquiring an additional 12,607 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in Extra Space Storage by 18.7% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,056,384 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $453,843,000 after purchasing an additional 480,642 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.11% of the companys stock. Get Extra Space Storage alerts: Extra Space Storage Trading Down 1.2% Extra Space Storage stock opened at $136.58 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. The stock has a market cap of $28.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.35 and a beta of 1.07. Extra Space Storage Inc has a 12 month low of $121.03 and a 12 month high of $184.87. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $146.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $147.44. Extra Space Storage Announces Dividend Extra Space Storage ( NYSE:EXR Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.05 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.06 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $841.62 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $719.43 million. Extra Space Storage had a return on equity of 6.69% and a net margin of 29.51%. Extra Space Storages quarterly revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.06 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Extra Space Storage Inc will post 8.1 EPS for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 16th were given a dividend of $1.62 per share. This represents a $6.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 16th. Extra Space Storages dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 140.56%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Scotiabank increased their target price on Extra Space Storage from $149.00 to $166.00 and gave the company a sector outperform rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. BNP Paribas upgraded Extra Space Storage to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on Extra Space Storage in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. They set a neutral rating and a $156.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on Extra Space Storage from $160.00 to $148.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Extra Space Storage from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $155.85. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Extra Space Storage Insider Activity at Extra Space Storage In related news, CEO Joseph D. Margolis sold 7,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.35, for a total transaction of $1,127,625.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 27,260 shares in the company, valued at $4,098,541. This trade represents a 21.58% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.96% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Extra Space Storage Profile (Free Report) Extra Space Storage Inc, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a self-administered and self-managed REIT and a member of the S&P 500. As of December 31, 2023, the Company owned and/or operated 3,714 self-storage stores in 42 states and Washington, DC The Company's stores comprise approximately 2.6 million units and approximately 283.0 million square feet of rentable space operating under the Extra Space, Life Storage and Storage Express brands. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EXR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Extra Space Storage Inc (NYSE:EXR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Extra Space Storage Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Extra Space Storage and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in iShares Aaa A Rated Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:QLTA Free Report) by 8.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 827,593 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 61,249 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares Aaa A Rated Corporate Bond ETF were worth $39,335,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in iShares Aaa A Rated Corporate Bond ETF by 60.4% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,116,247 shares of the companys stock worth $100,585,000 after buying an additional 796,558 shares during the period. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC increased its stake in iShares Aaa A Rated Corporate Bond ETF by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 1,675,092 shares of the companys stock worth $79,617,000 after buying an additional 53,558 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC increased its stake in iShares Aaa A Rated Corporate Bond ETF by 10.6% in the 1st quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 1,670,175 shares of the companys stock worth $79,383,000 after buying an additional 160,353 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in iShares Aaa A Rated Corporate Bond ETF by 424.7% in the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,470,783 shares of the companys stock worth $69,906,000 after buying an additional 1,190,472 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in iShares Aaa A Rated Corporate Bond ETF by 7.7% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,225,146 shares of the companys stock worth $57,325,000 after buying an additional 87,175 shares during the period. Get iShares Aaa - A Rated Corporate Bond ETF alerts: iShares Aaa A Rated Corporate Bond ETF Stock Down 0.3% QLTA stock opened at $47.94 on Friday. iShares Aaa A Rated Corporate Bond ETF has a 12 month low of $45.81 and a 12 month high of $49.53. The firms 50-day moving average is $47.50 and its 200 day moving average is $47.25. iShares Aaa A Rated Corporate Bond ETF Profile The iShares Aaa A Rated Corporate Bond ETF (QLTA) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund tracks a market-weighted index of dollar-denominated fixed-rate corporate bonds rated AAA-A issued by US and non-US corporations with maturities of at least one year. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding QLTA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Aaa A Rated Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:QLTA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Aaa - A Rated Corporate Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Aaa - A Rated Corporate Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Leigh Baldwin & CO. LLC lifted its stake in iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (BATS:IEFA Free Report) by 13.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 22,447 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,702 shares during the quarter. iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF accounts for about 1.4% of Leigh Baldwin & CO. LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Leigh Baldwin & CO. LLCs holdings in iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF were worth $1,698,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of IEFA. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 191,738,074 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,475,352,000 after purchasing an additional 9,128,380 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 308.9% in the 1st quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 3,509,149 shares of the companys stock valued at $265,438,000 after purchasing an additional 2,651,047 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 105.6% in the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,601,172 shares of the companys stock valued at $323,370,000 after purchasing an additional 2,363,082 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 7.2% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 32,276,425 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,441,712,000 after purchasing an additional 2,175,194 shares during the period. Finally, Truist Financial Corp boosted its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 22.6% in the 1st quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 10,883,707 shares of the companys stock valued at $823,352,000 after purchasing an additional 2,005,829 shares during the period. Get iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF alerts: iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF Stock Up 22.7% BATS:IEFA opened at $85.63 on Friday. iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF has a 1-year low of $66.95 and a 1-year high of $87.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $146.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.18 and a beta of 0.84. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $83.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $79.11. About iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF The iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI EAFE IMI index, a market-cap-weighted index of developed-market stocks in Europe, Australasia and the Far East, and excludes North America IEFA was launched on Oct 18, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IEFA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (BATS:IEFA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oak Grove Capital LLC lessened its stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX Free Report) by 2.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 17,300 shares of the natural resource companys stock after selling 500 shares during the quarter. Oak Grove Capital LLCs holdings in Freeport-McMoRan were worth $655,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 50.6% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 760,559 shares of the natural resource companys stock worth $28,795,000 after purchasing an additional 255,572 shares during the period. Ethic Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 17.4% in the 1st quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 30,668 shares of the natural resource companys stock worth $1,169,000 after purchasing an additional 4,546 shares during the period. Tejara Capital Ltd bought a new position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,136,000. Aberdeen Group plc lifted its stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 41.7% in the 1st quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 1,784,117 shares of the natural resource companys stock worth $67,083,000 after purchasing an additional 525,221 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 16.0% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 13,162,058 shares of the natural resource companys stock worth $498,270,000 after purchasing an additional 1,815,285 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.77% of the companys stock. Get Freeport-McMoRan alerts: Freeport-McMoRan Trading Down 1.0% Shares of FCX opened at $42.30 on Friday. The companys fifty day moving average is $42.99 and its 200 day moving average is $39.18. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $27.66 and a fifty-two week high of $52.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $60.79 billion, a PE ratio of 32.05, a P/E/G ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 2.47. Freeport-McMoRan Dividend Announcement Freeport-McMoRan ( NYSE:FCX Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The natural resource company reported $0.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.45 by $0.09. Freeport-McMoRan had a net margin of 7.45% and a return on equity of 7.37%. The company had revenue of $7.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.85 billion. Freeport-McMoRans quarterly revenue was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.46 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Freeport-McMoRan Inc. will post 1.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 15th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. Freeport-McMoRans payout ratio is 22.73%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $48.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a sector outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $55.00 to $54.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $42.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Stifel Canada upgraded shares of Freeport-McMoRan to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Freeport-McMoRan from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $51.00. View Our Latest Analysis on Freeport-McMoRan Insider Buying and Selling In other Freeport-McMoRan news, CAO Ellie L. Mikes sold 8,584 shares of Freeport-McMoRan stock in a transaction on Monday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.02, for a total transaction of $343,531.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 48,333 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,934,286.66. The trade was a 15.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.75% of the stock is owned by insiders. About Freeport-McMoRan (Free Report) Freeport-McMoRan Inc engages in the mining of mineral properties in North America, South America, and Indonesia. It primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and other metals. The company's assets include the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona; Chino and Tyrone in New Mexico; and Henderson and Climax in Colorado, North America, as well as Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FCX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Freeport-McMoRan Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Freeport-McMoRan and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC lowered its stake in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWF Free Report) by 5.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 5,108 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 303 shares during the quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF were worth $1,844,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,562,347 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $12,273,227,000 after buying an additional 456,535 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 9,688,217 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $3,498,319,000 after buying an additional 68,243 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 4,901,211 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,968,228,000 after buying an additional 202,927 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 37,046.7% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,515,933 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,269,568,000 after buying an additional 3,506,468 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC grew its position in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 3,280,071 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,184,401,000 after buying an additional 133,621 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.33% of the companys stock. Get iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF alerts: iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Stock Performance Shares of IWF stock opened at $450.43 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $117.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.43 and a beta of 1.08. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF has a fifty-two week low of $308.67 and a fifty-two week high of $452.81. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $427.21 and its 200-day moving average price is $396.56. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Company Profile iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment returns that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of equity securities of Russell 1000 index issuers with relatively higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IWF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWF Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sector Gamma AS lowered its stake in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report) by 19.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 925,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 230,000 shares during the quarter. Pfizer makes up approximately 7.5% of Sector Gamma ASs holdings, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Sector Gamma ASs holdings in Pfizer were worth $23,440,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Pfizer by 1,282.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 666,318 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $17,677,000 after purchasing an additional 618,117 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in Pfizer by 12.5% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 18,766 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $498,000 after purchasing an additional 2,087 shares during the period. Bridgewater Associates LP lifted its position in Pfizer by 2,211.5% during the 4th quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP now owns 273,839 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $7,265,000 after purchasing an additional 261,992 shares during the period. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL lifted its position in Pfizer by 58.7% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 6,699 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $179,000 after purchasing an additional 2,477 shares during the period. Finally, Fairfield Bush & CO. lifted its position in Pfizer by 31.4% during the 4th quarter. Fairfield Bush & CO. now owns 34,664 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $920,000 after purchasing an additional 8,281 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 68.36% of the companys stock. Get Pfizer alerts: Pfizer Stock Performance Shares of PFE stock opened at $25.12 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.16. The company has a market capitalization of $142.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.52. The companys 50 day moving average price is $24.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $24.46. Pfizer Inc. has a 52 week low of $20.92 and a 52 week high of $30.43. Pfizer Announces Dividend Pfizer ( NYSE:PFE Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $14.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.43 billion. Pfizer had a net margin of 16.84% and a return on equity of 21.42%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.60 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 25th will be issued a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 25th. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.8%. Pfizers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 91.49%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In PFE has been the topic of a number of research reports. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Pfizer from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 6th. TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of Pfizer from $32.00 to $28.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Pfizer from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Wolfe Research upped their target price on shares of Pfizer from $22.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, Leerink Partners cut their price target on shares of Pfizer from $28.00 to $26.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $28.12. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Pfizer Pfizer Profile (Free Report) Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular metabolic, migraine, and women's health under the Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, Zavzpret, and the Premarin family brands; infectious diseases with unmet medical needs under the Prevnar family, Abrysvo, Nimenrix, FSME/IMMUN-TicoVac, and Trumenba brands; and COVID-19 prevention and treatment, and potential future mRNA and antiviral products under the Comirnaty and Paxlovid brands. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PFE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Pfizer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pfizer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tesco PLC (OTCMKTS:TSCDY Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totaling 35,600 shares, adeclineof83.9% from the July 15th total of 221,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 494,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days. Approximately0.0% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately0.0% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 494,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, Morgan Stanley reiterated an overweight rating on shares of Tesco in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Get Tesco alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on TSCDY Tesco Price Performance About Tesco Shares of Tesco stock opened at $16.99 on Friday. Tesco has a twelve month low of $12.16 and a twelve month high of $17.68. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $16.70 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.16. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. (Get Free Report) Tesco PLC, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a grocery retailer in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. It offers grocery products through its stores, as well as online. The company is also involved in the food and drink wholesaling activities. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Tesco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tesco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC Free Report) by 20.5% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 9,818 shares of the utilities providers stock after buying an additional 1,673 shares during the period. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd.s holdings in WEC Energy Group were worth $1,070,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of WEC Energy Group by 83.6% in the first quarter. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,155 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $126,000 after acquiring an additional 526 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service grew its holdings in WEC Energy Group by 1.3% during the first quarter. National Pension Service now owns 364,659 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $39,741,000 after purchasing an additional 4,519 shares during the period. MSH Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in WEC Energy Group by 11.4% during the first quarter. MSH Capital Advisors LLC now owns 7,786 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $849,000 after purchasing an additional 794 shares during the period. Thomas Story & Son LLC grew its holdings in WEC Energy Group by 3.9% during the first quarter. Thomas Story & Son LLC now owns 86,935 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $9,474,000 after purchasing an additional 3,261 shares during the period. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in WEC Energy Group by 80.4% during the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 293,621 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $31,998,000 after purchasing an additional 130,821 shares during the period. 77.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get WEC Energy Group alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other WEC Energy Group news, Director Gale E. Klappa sold 5,960 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.98, for a total transaction of $661,440.80. Following the sale, the director owned 274,969 shares in the company, valued at $30,516,059.62. This trade represents a 2.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Ulice Payne, Jr. sold 1,620 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.00, for a total value of $179,820.00. Following the sale, the director owned 20,360 shares in the company, valued at $2,259,960. The trade was a 7.37% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 70,603 shares of company stock valued at $7,813,377 in the last ninety days. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders. WEC Energy Group Trading Down 1.6% Shares of WEC stock opened at $108.23 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.55. WEC Energy Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $88.53 and a 52-week high of $111.90. The company has a market capitalization of $34.84 billion, a PE ratio of 20.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.42. The businesss fifty day moving average is $106.57 and its 200 day moving average is $106.00. WEC Energy Group (NYSE:WEC Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The utilities provider reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.05. WEC Energy Group had a return on equity of 12.90% and a net margin of 17.87%. The company had revenue of $2.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.87 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.67 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that WEC Energy Group, Inc. will post 5.23 EPS for the current fiscal year. WEC Energy Group Cuts Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, August 14th will be given a $0.8925 dividend. This represents a $3.57 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 14th. WEC Energy Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 68.39%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. UBS Group set a $107.00 price objective on WEC Energy Group and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, July 11th. Barclays increased their price objective on WEC Energy Group from $99.00 to $101.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered WEC Energy Group from a neutral rating to a sell rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $106.00 to $100.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 25th. Scotiabank set a $115.00 price objective on WEC Energy Group and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered WEC Energy Group from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Saturday, July 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $106.40. View Our Latest Report on WEC About WEC Energy Group (Free Report) WEC Energy Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides regulated natural gas and electricity, and renewable and nonregulated renewable energy services in the United States. It operates through Wisconsin, Illinois, Other States, Electric Transmission, and Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure segments. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WEC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for WEC Energy Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WEC Energy Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its position in Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL Free Report) by 5.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,663 shares of the technology companys stock after acquiring an additional 556 shares during the quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd.s holdings in Dell Technologies were worth $972,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bellwether Advisors LLC bought a new position in Dell Technologies during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Smallwood Wealth Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Dell Technologies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Dell Technologies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC purchased a new position in Dell Technologies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Dell Technologies by 270.7% during the 1st quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 304 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.37% of the companys stock. Get Dell Technologies alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms have recently weighed in on DELL. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Dell Technologies from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, May 19th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Dell Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, July 14th. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Dell Technologies in a report on Thursday, May 29th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Dell Technologies from $135.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday. Finally, KeyCorp started coverage on shares of Dell Technologies in a report on Thursday, June 26th. They set a sector weight rating for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $141.82. Insider Activity In other news, Director Iv (Gp) L.L.C. Slta sold 625,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.20, for a total transaction of $78,875,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 960,050 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $121,158,310. The trade was a 39.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director V (Gp) L.L.C. Slta sold 527,187 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.83, for a total transaction of $59,482,509.21. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 938,741 shares in the company, valued at approximately $105,918,147.03. The trade was a 35.96% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 12,989,063 shares of company stock worth $1,583,673,412. Insiders own 42.00% of the companys stock. Dell Technologies Stock Down 0.1% Shares of DELL opened at $139.05 on Friday. Dell Technologies Inc. has a 52-week low of $66.25 and a 52-week high of $147.66. The firms fifty day moving average is $125.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $108.42. The stock has a market cap of $94.39 billion, a PE ratio of 22.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.02. Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 29th. The technology company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.68 by ($0.13). Dell Technologies had a negative return on equity of 226.48% and a net margin of 4.63%. The business had revenue of $23.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.17 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.27 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Dell Technologies Inc. will post 6.93 earnings per share for the current year. Dell Technologies Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 22nd were given a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, July 22nd. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Dell Technologiess payout ratio is presently 33.49%. Dell Technologies Profile (Free Report) Dell Technologies Inc designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells, and supports various comprehensive and integrated solutions, products, and services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) and Client Solutions Group (CSG). Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Dell Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dell Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO Free Report) by 136.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 476,230 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after purchasing an additional 274,500 shares during the quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC owned about 0.15% of Valero Energy worth $62,896,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of VLO. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 2.2% during the first quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 3,798 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $502,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,012 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $266,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Horizon Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 5,456 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $721,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 39.9% in the 1st quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 333 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Finally, Field & Main Bank grew its position in Valero Energy by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Field & Main Bank now owns 7,982 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $1,054,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Valero Energy alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes VLO has been the topic of several research reports. Wolfe Research downgraded Valero Energy from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a report on Monday, July 14th. Mizuho lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $158.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Valero Energy from $151.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on Valero Energy from $159.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Valero Energy from $164.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $154.47. Valero Energy Trading Down 0.1% NYSE:VLO opened at $135.96 on Friday. Valero Energy Corporation has a one year low of $99.00 and a one year high of $155.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.62. The firm has a market cap of $42.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 56.65, a P/E/G ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 1.03. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $139.64 and a 200-day simple moving average of $130.84. Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The oil and gas company reported $2.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.66 by $0.62. Valero Energy had a net margin of 0.62% and a return on equity of 5.76%. The firm had revenue of $29.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $27 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.71 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 13.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 7.92 EPS for the current fiscal year. Valero Energy Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, July 31st will be given a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 31st. Valero Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 188.33%. About Valero Energy (Free Report) Valero Energy Corporation manufactures, markets, and sells petroleum-based and low-carbon liquid transportation fuels and petrochemical products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latin America, Mexico, Peru, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Refining, Renewable Diesel, and Ethanol. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VLO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Valero Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Valero Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. lowered its stake in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) by 3.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 41,589,297 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 1,621,696 shares during the quarter. Wells Fargo & Company makes up about 2.7% of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co.s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest position. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. owned about 1.28% of Wells Fargo & Company worth $2,985,696,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Horizon Investments LLC lifted its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 79,739 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $5,693,000 after buying an additional 419 shares in the last quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 50.6% in the 1st quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 14,361 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,031,000 after buying an additional 4,823 shares in the last quarter. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 63.6% in the 1st quarter. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC now owns 519,653 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $37,306,000 after buying an additional 202,078 shares in the last quarter. Trivium Point Advisory LLC lifted its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 16.3% in the 1st quarter. Trivium Point Advisory LLC now owns 4,158 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $298,000 after buying an additional 584 shares in the last quarter. Finally, OneAscent Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $385,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.90% of the companys stock. Get Wells Fargo & Company alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades WFC has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Wells Fargo & Company from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th. Citigroup reiterated a neutral rating on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Cowen reiterated a hold rating on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $92.00 to $91.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $83.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $80.39. Wells Fargo & Company Stock Up 1.9% Shares of NYSE WFC opened at $79.41 on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company has a 12-month low of $50.22 and a 12-month high of $84.83. The company has a market cap of $254.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $79.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $75.00. Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $1.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.13. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 12.29% and a net margin of 16.82%. The firm had revenue of $20.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.83 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.33 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Wells Fargo & Company will post 5.89 EPS for the current fiscal year. Wells Fargo & Company announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, April 29th that authorizes the company to repurchase $40.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to repurchase up to 17.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued. Wells Fargo & Company Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th will be issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 8th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. This is an increase from Wells Fargo & Companys previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Wells Fargo & Companys payout ratio is currently 30.82%. Wells Fargo & Company Company Profile (Free Report) Wells Fargo & Co is a diversified and community-based financial services company, which engages in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth and Investment Management. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WFC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Wells Fargo & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wells Fargo & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Free Report) by 0.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,497,429 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 128,207 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company accounts for 0.4% of Dimensional Fund Advisors LPs portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 0.63% of Wells Fargo & Company worth $1,471,259,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Safeguard Investment Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Safeguard Investment Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,839 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $410,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Summit Wealth & Retirement Planning Inc. lifted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 4.3% in the first quarter. Summit Wealth & Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 3,362 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $241,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. Nwam LLC lifted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 1.6% in the first quarter. Nwam LLC now owns 8,806 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $632,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Zullo Investment Group Inc. raised its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 2.4% during the first quarter. Zullo Investment Group Inc. now owns 6,327 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $454,000 after acquiring an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fortem Financial Group LLC raised its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 2.3% during the first quarter. Fortem Financial Group LLC now owns 6,759 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $485,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.90% of the companys stock. Get Wells Fargo & Company alerts: Wells Fargo & Company Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:WFC opened at $79.41 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $254.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.20. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $79.20 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $75.00. Wells Fargo & Company has a 1-year low of $50.22 and a 1-year high of $84.83. Wells Fargo & Company ( NYSE:WFC Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 15th. The financial services provider reported $1.54 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $20.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $20.83 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 12.29% and a net margin of 16.82%. Wells Fargo & Companys revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.33 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Wells Fargo & Company will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current year. Wells Fargo & Company announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Tuesday, April 29th that allows the company to buyback $40.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to repurchase up to 17.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often an indication that the companys board believes its shares are undervalued. Wells Fargo & Company Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 8th. This is a positive change from Wells Fargo & Companys previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Wells Fargo & Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.82%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have recently commented on WFC shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $77.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. They issued a hold rating and a $83.00 price objective on the stock. Raymond James Financial downgraded shares of Wells Fargo & Company from a strong-buy rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Dbs Bank upgraded shares of Wells Fargo & Company from a hold rating to a moderate buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $92.00 to $91.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Wells Fargo & Company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $80.39. Read Our Latest Report on Wells Fargo & Company About Wells Fargo & Company (Free Report) Wells Fargo & Co is a diversified and community-based financial services company, which engages in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth and Investment Management. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Wells Fargo & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wells Fargo & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. As Russia pounds Ukraine daily, kidnaps 20,000 Ukrainian children, murders civilians in cold blood, attacks ambulances, there is only joy in Donald Trumps voice. He is not happy with winning the US presidency alone no, he has to get the Nobel Peace Prize as well, such is the vainglorious ego that fuels the orange-skinned entity. Peace in our time? No, this is for a fucking little plastic made-in-China trophy to put in your cupboard and show to your friends at parties. The Dons plan this time involves bribing Putin with Ukraines natural resources, as well as more territorial deals. Basically, the war is viewed by the Don as a transactional real estate deal-making opportunity to not only make some coin off the suffering Ukraine people who are losing vast swathes of their land to Russia, but to win some poxy prize at the end of it as well. Putin will not stop at Ukraine. What people dont fucking understand is that the taste of blood is too strong in Putin, and he doesnt care how many troops are sent into the meat grinder or civilians are killed as long as conquest is his. Putin doesnt just want to take Ukrainian territory but extinguish Ukraine off the map, and of history. The EU has abandoned Ukraine, the USA is wining and dining a despot who is wanted on multiple war crimes. In the last month alone, 230 square miles have been taken by the slow-grind of the Russian military. The only winner here is Putin, as he is offered plate after plate of offerings from the defeated and apathetic West. If Trump had any real balls, he would have Putin arrested and detained as soon as he steps off that plane onto American soil. Thats the only way to stop him. Related: Shoplifting is now so prolific in the UK that many shops are introducing a new loyalty scheme for the thieves. If you steal ten items, you will get the next one free, the new scheme stipulates. Many shoplifters and the Labour government, who encourages shoplifters wholeheartedly, have welcomed the scheme with open arms. Even in London SMH. These black men are looting a store in London for hundreds of dollars of alcohol. It seems they would rather loot than get a job. pic.twitter.com/tKRKvyjejc Shane (@shane7777ssss) July 29, 2025 One Labour minister praised the scheme for its proactive stance in the matter. Thanks to Labours stance of being weak with crime, shoplifting is now an accepted part of British life. I commend the new loyalty scheme. We have instructed the police to not give a shit, and anyone trying to stop a shoplifter will either get stabbed in the liver by the thief or the police will arrest the person for interfering with crime offences. Foreign Shoplifter Doesnt Want To Be On The Internet. pic.twitter.com/q8uPMvc9pu Edwin (@Nuked4Every1) August 14, 2025 Its a free-for-all and absolutely no one cares. The new loyalty scheme introduced should keep all shoplifters very happy indeed. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Invesco Ltd. (NYSE:IVZ Free Report) by 0.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,452,945 shares of the asset managers stock after acquiring an additional 29,613 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned about 0.99% of Invesco worth $67,551,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Get Invesco alerts: Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its position in shares of Invesco by 186.6% during the 1st quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 1,969 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 1,282 shares during the period. Colonial Trust Co SC bought a new position in shares of Invesco during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Invesco by 264.1% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,080 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 2,234 shares during the period. Curat Global LLC bought a new position in shares of Invesco during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC grew its position in shares of Invesco by 18.3% during the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 5,183 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $91,000 after acquiring an additional 801 shares during the period. 66.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Invesco Stock Performance NYSE IVZ opened at $21.35 on Friday. Invesco Ltd. has a 1 year low of $11.60 and a 1 year high of $21.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.52 billion, a PE ratio of 22.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.55. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $17.91 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.32. Invesco Dividend Announcement Invesco ( NYSE:IVZ Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The asset manager reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.41 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $1.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.09 billion. Invesco had a return on equity of 8.60% and a net margin of 10.68%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.43 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Invesco Ltd. will post 1.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 14th. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. Invescos dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 90.32%. Analyst Ratings Changes IVZ has been the subject of a number of research reports. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Invesco from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a sector perform rating and set a $16.00 price target (up from $14.00) on shares of Invesco in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Invesco from $17.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Invesco from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and upped their price target for the company from $14.50 to $18.00 in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Invesco from $16.25 to $16.75 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, June 27th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $18.78. Read Our Latest Report on Invesco About Invesco (Free Report) Invesco Ltd. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm provides its services to retail clients, institutional clients, high-net worth clients, public entities, corporations, unions, non-profit organizations, endowments, foundations, pension funds, financial institutions, and sovereign wealth funds. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IVZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Invesco Ltd. (NYSE:IVZ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Invesco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Get Franco-Nevada alerts: Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV Free Report) (TSE:FNV) Equities research analysts at HC Wainwright issued their FY2025 EPS estimates for Franco-Nevada in a report released on Tuesday, August 12th. HC Wainwright analyst H. Ihle anticipates that the basic materials company will earn $4.30 per share for the year. HC Wainwright has a Buy rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. The consensus estimate for Franco-Nevadas current full-year earnings is $3.09 per share. A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on FNV. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of Franco-Nevada from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on shares of Franco-Nevada from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets reissued an outperform rating on shares of Franco-Nevada in a research report on Wednesday, May 28th. CIBC reissued an outperform rating on shares of Franco-Nevada in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Franco-Nevada from $182.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Tuesday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $178.88. Franco-Nevada Trading Down 1.0% Shares of FNV opened at $177.28 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.36. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $164.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $158.51. Franco-Nevada has a 12 month low of $112.70 and a 12 month high of $180.98. Franco-Nevada (NYSE:FNV Get Free Report) (TSE:FNV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 11th. The basic materials company reported $1.24 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $369.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $382.70 million. Franco-Nevada had a net margin of 58.82% and a return on equity of 12.56%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 42.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.75 earnings per share. Franco-Nevada Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 11th will be given a $0.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 11th. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Franco-Nevadas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.35%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Franco-Nevada Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CX Institutional bought a new position in Franco-Nevada in the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. bought a new position in Franco-Nevada in the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. MTM Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Franco-Nevada in the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Franco-Nevada by 78.3% in the 2nd quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 205 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nexus Investment Management ULC bought a new position in Franco-Nevada in the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors own 77.06% of the companys stock. Franco-Nevada Company Profile (Get Free Report) Franco-Nevada Corporation operates as a gold-focused royalty and streaming company in South America, Central America, Mexico, the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through Mining and Energy segments. The company manages its portfolio with a focus on precious metals, such as gold, silver, and platinum group metals; and engages in the sale of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids through a third-party marketing agent. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Franco-Nevada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Franco-Nevada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A Limavady man is said to be missing abroad. The family of 28 year-old Aaron Fryer have not heard from him in 10 days. Aaron has been travelling across Europe teaching English. He has not been heard from since August 5. Mr Fryers last known location was the Greek city of Thessaloniki. An aunt of Aarons raised the alarm on social media. She said it was extremely out of character for him and that the family just need to know he is okay. Aaron is described as being 6ft 5, of strong stature, brown hair, may or may not have beard and has no tattoos, age 28. A PSNI spokesperson said: Police received a report on Saturday, 9th August that a man aged in his 20s was believed to be missing in Greece. The matter has been referred to Greek authorities and our officers will assist with any enquiries that may be needed in Northern Ireland. The PSNI also said they have no jurisdiction over an investigation in Greece but will continue to liaise with the mans family. Tributes have been paid to Derry man Daniel (Danny) McQuilkin who passed away on Wednesday, August 13, in the Foyle Hospice surrounded by his loving family. A death notice states that Danny was the 'devoted husband of the late Anna, beloved father of Colm (Shauna), Janice, Lisa (Vincent), David (Pauline), Gerald and Annalouise. Cherished grandfather of Dannielle, Phillippa, Callum, Conor, Catherine, Elizabeth and great-grandfather of Lila and Hunter'. He was also 'son of the late Hugh and Elizabeth McQuilkin (Cooke Street); dear brother of Agatha, May, Hugh, and the late Jackie, Paddy, Betty, Sally and Colm'. The father of six has been described by North West Migrants Forum as 'a man of immense integrity' and 'a pillar of our community' and praised his contributions over the years. The North West Migrants Forum is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend and long-time supporter, Danny McQuilkin. Danny was more than a volunteer; he was a pillar of our community and a true ally of the North West Migrants Forum. For many years Danny was a constant presence at our fun days, workshops, training sessions and countless other events. He generously gave his time, energy and unwavering support to everything we did. But Dannys contributions went far beyond volunteering. He built genuine connections with our service users and offered them meaningful support as they navigated life in a new country. Danny in discussion with some North West Migrant Forum members. Whether it was helping someone integrate into their local community or quietly stepping in with financial support for those facing hardship, Danny always did so with compassion and humility. He gave from the heart, often at personal cost, and never sought recognition. In 2016, when hundreds of Syrians arrived in the North West after fleeing war, Danny was one of the first to welcome them. With an open hand and a kind heart, he quickly helped build a plan to support their resettlement ensuring they felt safe, seen and supported. Danny was a man of immense integrity, guided by a deep sense of justice and humanity. He had a unique ability to see people not as labels, not as migrants or foreigners but as fellow human beings. As they say in Derry, Danny knew the craic. He brought warmth, humour and authenticity to every encounter. We are immensely grateful for Dannys contributions and we know that without his support, the North West Migrants Forum would not be where it is today. His generosity, kindness and moral clarity will be remembered always. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his children, Colm, Janice, Lisa, David, Gerald, and Annalouise and to his wider family circle. READ NEXT: Derry Girls star in new comedy drama 'Leonard and Hungry Paul' A generous man with a clean heart, we will miss Danny dearly. Dannys remains are reposing in his home, 7 Belfield Park, Foyle Springs. His funeral will take place tomorrow (Saturday, August 16) at 9.20am for 10oclock Requiem Mass in St Columbas Church, Longtower. Interment afterwards in the City Cemetery. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Year 13 and 14 students at Loreto College have been celebrating their wonderful A Level and AS exam results, continuing the Colleges tradition of academic excellence. At A level, 89% of all A Level grades obtained by the Year 14 students were grades A*- C. The Loreto class of 2025 will now embark on a wide range of new courses and take up new challenges, with all but a few students getting into their chosen courses at this stage. Across Key Stage 5, 138 students obtained at least three grades at A*- C. In total, 22 students achieved at least three A Grades or better. 6 students achieved an amazing four A grades or better. Sinead Close, Loreto Colleges Deputy Head Girl, achieved an exceptional two A* and two A grades and is now off to Queens University Belfast to study Mathematics. Another A Level student, Riley Hanna, was awarded one A* and three A grades and has secured a place to study International Relations and Politics at Queens. Some of the top achievers at A Level were: Sinead Close A*A* A A; Riley Hanna A* A A A; Grace Quinn A*A*A; Aine McAlister A*A*A; Aisling McIntyre A*A*A; Tom Magee A*A*A B; Niamh Harmer A*A A; Eoin Campbell A*A A B; Niamh Quinn A*A A; Conor McCool A*A A; Connie McBride A A A; Eddie Kilmartin A A A. IN PICTURES: Pupils of Loreto College Coleraine receive their A-Level results Some top achievers at AS Level included: Mia Campbell A A A A; Zara Chan A A A A; Dubhla Mullan A A A A; Tess Mullan A A A A. Principal, Mr Stephen Gallagher, commented, We are immensely proud of our students achievements. These results are a testament to their hard work, the support of their families, and the dedication of our teaching staff. As our students embark on the next chapter of their academic and professional journeys, Loreto College celebrates their success and looks forward to seeing the positive impact they will make in their chosen fields. There were more than 2,000 sexual offences recorded against children in Northern Ireland in 2024, with 187 relating to grooming and sexual communication, police have said. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI) have launched a new campaign to raise awareness of the dangers for children online. Clips from a BBC documentary about prolific catfish abuser Alexander McCartney will be used for the social media campaign. Last year, McCartney was sentenced to life imprisonment after admitting to 185 charges of online child sex abuse crimes and blackmail. The case led to the death of a 12-year-old girl in America, who took her own life after being targeted and abused by McCartney. The PSNI said online sexual offences against children are becoming an increasing crime type in Northern Ireland. A statement said: There were 2,187 sexual offences against children recorded in 2024, 187 of which relate to grooming and sexual communication with a child. 799 offences relating to taking, possessing, sharing or publishing indecent images of children were reported in 2024. The PSNI said its Child Internet Protection Team are the busiest they have ever been since its inception in 2010. The statement said: In 2024, 120 searches were carried out relating to tens of thousands of indecent images of children and thousands of devices were seized. As a result of these searches, they made 43 arrests. Another prolific online groomer, Max Hollingsbee, was sentenced in May for a litany of online sex offences against underage girls. One of his victims has told how she supports the new PSNI campaign. Immy (not her real name) said: I think more young people should know that not everyone online is who they say they are. What happened to me should never happen to you, but if it does speak out! The police can and will help you. As a child or teenager, youre not going to be thinking rationally in that situation. I wasnt. A trusted adult or the police will know what to do to keep you safe. I have been to therapy and am taking steps to tackle my anxiety. I start university soon. It does get better. Detective Superintendent Jordan Piper said: Groomers like McCartney and Hollingsbee operate in a very similar way, concealing their identity online, pretending to be the same age as a child. They use fake profile pictures, pretending to have similar interests to gain the trust of the child before steering the conversation to a sexual nature. Once trust in established, they use power and control to make, force, blackmail, guilt or trick a child into doing what the groomer wants. They may persuade a child to take part in online sexual activity, including sharing explicit images and videos and livestreaming sexual acts. Ms Piper added: It is a crime for anyone to possess, make, distribute or show anyone an indecent image of a child under 18 years of age. This offence can be committed by an adult or a child. It is also a crime for an adult to send a sexually explicit image of themselves to a child. We have specialist detectives within the Child Internet Protection Team who are dedicated to robustly investigating those who contribute to the cycle of child abuse and bringing those responsible before the courts. We use specialist technology to examine digital devices and trace any digital interaction right back to the person, making it difficult for offenders to hide evidence from us. If a person is downloading, viewing or making indecent images of children, you are leaving a digital footprint and we are actively looking for you. Independent chair of the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland, Bernie McNally said: No child should ever feel alone, afraid or manipulated by someone hiding behind a screen. Yet every day, online predators exploit the trust and innocence of young people, often in silence and secrecy. This campaign is a vital reminder of the urgent need for education, vigilance and open, honest conversations with our children. Our message is clear: let your child know they can always come to you, especially if someone pressures them to share images or videos. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said: Too many children and young people in Northern Ireland are being exposed to abuse and exploitation online. This campaign is an important step in raising awareness of the risks, starting vital conversations, and helping parents, carers and communities take action to keep children safe in the digital world. It is being delivered as part of the Executives Online Safety Strategy, which is sponsored by my department, and supported by a newly updated action plan that sets out clear commitments to tackling these harms together. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Apple redesigns US Apple Watch blood oxygen feature to avoid patent dispute Apple has reintroduced the blood oxygen detection feature on the Apple Watch for US users after redesigning the function and gaining approval from a recent US Customs ruling. The feature, previously disabled due to patent disputes, is now available through a software update. Legal battle forces temporary removal The blood oxygen monitoring capability had been unavailable in the US market amid an ongoing legal dispute with medical technology company Masimo. Masimo filed a complaint in 2023 with the US International Trade Commission (ITC), seeking to block Apple Watch sales over alleged patent infringements. The ITC responded with an exclusion order that temporarily removed the latest Apple Watch models from US shelves, prompting Apple to disable the blood oxygen sensor via software. Dispute origins trace back years According to CNBC and Reuters, the dispute traces back to accusations that Apple recruited employees from Masimo and misappropriated trade secrets, resulting in a patent lawsuit filed in 2020. This conflict persisted despite the Apple Watch Series 6 launching that same year with blood oxygen detection capabilities. Software updates restore functionality Apple has confirmed that current models, including the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2, will receive the blood oxygen feature through future software updates. Users will be able to view related health data on their paired iPhones. Currently, the Apple Watch supports various health monitoring functions, including electrocardiogram (ECG) reading, sleep tracking, fall detection, and wrist temperature monitoring. Apple remains committed to advancing health technologies on its wearable devices despite the ongoing legal challenges. Article edited by Jerry Chen Kitsap County Anglesey After an extensive nationwide search, Kitsap County appointed Kory Anglesey as its new public works director, effective Sept. 2. With a career spanning over three decades in military service, Anglesey brings leadership and strategic expertise to his new role, focusing on enhancing infrastructure, financial sustainability, organizational development, and community engagement in Kitsap County. He replaces long-time Public Works Director Andew Nelson, who retired in April after nearly 11 years of service to the county. Anglesey's most recent military roles were focused on public works leadership at two Navy installations and one Marine Corps installation. He most recently served as the public works officer at Naval Base Kitsap, where he managed a department of over 600 people, overseeing $13.1 billion worth of facilities and a $265 million annual budget. His team handled major construction projects, environmental programs, and facility planning, with a particular focus on waterfront development and coordination with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies. Before returning to Washington state, Anglesey served as the public works officer at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. He also served as the public works officer at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. Anglesey holds a Bachelor and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University and the University of Colorado at Boulder, respectively. He also received a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He begins the Executive MBA program at the University of Washington Foster School of Business this fall. Subscriber content preview PORTLAND (AP) Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife Penny Knight have pledged to donate $2 billion to Oregon Health & Science University's Knight Cancer Institute, the university announced Thursday, describing it as a record-breaking gift. This gift is an unprecedented investment in the millions of lives burdened with cancer, especially patients and families here in Oregon, OHSU President Shereef Elnahal said in a statement. . . . Oasis will finally bring their reunion tour to Croke Park this weekend for what is undoubtedly the most anticipated concerts of the year. If you're one of the lucky people who won the Ticketmaster war and nabbed tickets to one of the gigs, there's a few things you should know before packing up and heading to Croke Park this weekend. There is a long, and surprising, list of items that concert-goers are prohibited from bringing into the stadium. As you'd expect, there will be strict security checks in operation at Croke Park as with all concerts and everyone will be subject to a search which is a condition of entry for safety purposes. The event organisers, MCD, has said that additional searches may also take place inside the venue. MCD have published a list of prohibited items which people cannot bring inside Croke Park. If people are found with these items, event security may confiscate and dispose of them. They also warned that refusal to surrender the items may even lead to eviction, or removal, from the site. The list of items is quite long and there's the odd whacky item like lightsabers, flagpoles, and even tridents. However, there are items on the list which might unknowingly catch some people out heading into the concert. For example, people are advised not to bring any bags bigger than A4 size or backpacks as they might be refused entry and there is no storage facilities on site. READ NEXT: Met Eireann reveal glorious weather forecast ahead of Oasis at Croke Park Another one which would catch many people out, especially in Ireland, is that umbrellas are among the prohibited items. Luckily, the weather for Saturday and Sunday night is set to be mostly dry so that shouldn't be too much of an issue! Here is the full list of prohibited items published by MCD: Ten years ago, Dundalk ceramicist Sarah McKenna created a small range of handmade pieces that quietly struck a chord with people. She called it 'Home Comforts', and over the past decade, it has grown into a beloved collection that now lives in thousands of homes across Ireland and abroad. This year, Sarah celebrates the 10th anniversary of 'Home Comforts', a milestone that honours both the evolution of her work and the emotional resonance it continues to hold. Each piece in the collection is handmade in Sarahs 250-year-old studio in Dundalk and carries her distinctive design signature: soft ceramic forms imprinted with vintage wallpaper, delicate letterpress words, and her now-iconic house motif finished with a glossy red heart. READ NEXT: Louth people urged to join LauraLynns 100K in September challenge The result is a range that feels nostalgic yet modern, a comforting presence on a hallway wall or kitchen shelf. Over the years, 'Home Comforts' has become a go-to gift to mark big life moments: a wedding, a move abroad, a new home, or a simple thank you. ABOVE: Sarah McKenna's 'Home Comforts' collection Its the kind of collection people connect with, Sarah explains. Every piece has a story, and people give them when words arent quite enough. Sarah has been creating handmade ceramics at Bridge Street Studios in Dundalk for over 20 years, where visitors are welcome to drop in. The gallery and shop are open Saturdays from 10am to 5pm, with online shopping and click-and-collect available. To mark the tenth anniversary, and to coincide with August Craft Month, Sarah will host a special one-day event at Bridge Street Studios in Dundalk on Saturday 23rd August. Visitors can explore archival pieces, preview exclusive new designs, and hear the stories behind the work, all set to music, with bubbles and cake to toast the occasion. Sarah will be there in person and would love to welcome both longtime collectors and new friends alike. A Decade of Home Comforts take place on Saturday 23rd August from 10am to 5pm at Bridge Street Studios, in Dundalk The event celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Sarah's 'Home Comforts' colelction is free. Rooted in Irish craft traditions but made for modern living, 'Home Comforts' is a quiet celebration of what matters most home, connection, and the everyday little moments that stay with us. T o see more of Sarah's work visit www.sarahmckenna.ie White Crow Studios is the newest tattoo studio to open its doors in Dundalk. With a mix of tattoos, accessories, tattoo themed gifts, not to mention it being located in VUDU Barbershop, it really is a one stop shop for all aesthetic needs. The artist in residence is Victor InFlight, who has over 20 years experience working as a professional tattoo artist in his home country of Ukraine. His creative pursuits are not limited to tattoos, having been an acrobat in Kyiv national circus, and a pro BMX flatland stunt rider. Due to some injuries sustained during these adventures he was considered unsuitable for military service and moved to Ireland in 2023 to join his mum and siblings, who have lived in Ireland since 2002. READ NEXT: Dundalk Dog Rescue set to host their fundraiser Paws in the Park this weekend Victors business partner is Aine Lawrence, whose small business Kitsch Bitsch, selling alternative and seasonal accessories, had become a frequent fixture at local markets and events. They said they decided to team up, with Aine being the studio manager and Victor being the tattooist. The two met with Vudu barbershop owner Shane Gonnelly, and the three together have created what they said they believe to be a fantastic partnership and a promising venture. The team, along with the tattoo apprentice Spideog Tattoo aka Lia Lawrence, said they are ready to create the tattoos of people's dreams. Victor added that he is excited to bring his creativity to life on the people of Dundalk and Co. Louth. They also promise to be open for piercing appointments in the coming months. Check out the studio on Instagram and/or Facebook to make your appointment. What race takes around 21 seconds to run and carries a first prize of 20,000? The answer will come quickly to greyhound racing enthusiasts. Its the final of the Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup, this years running of takes place tonight at Dundalk Stadium. Its over 400 yards. READ NEXT: Inside Track: Woods synonymous with ladies football over many years Yes, they go very fast, those longtailed livewires, the swiftest of them over 40 mph. A race between one of them and a cheetah could well produce a photo-finish, thats if the cheetah hadnt eaten his opponent along the way. The hound is at his fastest over a straight course; tonight, the six runners contesting the final will have two bends to negotiate. Getting to the first of them in front can have its reward. The first corner is where the majority of the field come together. Whichever of them turns left in front nearly always triumphs, especially in a race of this calibre. Thats a dilemma facing punters as they search for the winner which of the sextet is likely to have the call at this crucial point. If they can establish that, then theres a good chance therell be up to Mickey Rooneys pitch afterwards, exchanging a docket for cash. Semi-final running would suggest it will be Broadstrand Syd. The title-holder left the traps like the proverbial scaled cat in the second of the semi-finals, and was never headed. However, his lead was being diminished rapidly going to the line, suggesting a campaign that has seen him transported from Cork on four occasions so far, might be taken its toll. That said, the John A. Linehan-trained runner has been supreme at the track. He went through last years competition unbeaten, and if successful on Friday, will keep his record intact, and so become the second to win this Classic twice. (Ardnasool Jet was the first.) His overall record speaks volumes 14 wins from twenty outings, and only thrice outside the first two.Broadstrand will wear the white sheet, as he did in the semis, and wont be inconvenienced. Droopys Patriot also goes into the final with an unbeaten record, and is sure to have many followers. Robert Gleesons charge is another with an impressive career record, six wins from eight outings. Stonepark Browne was a fast-finishing runner-up to Broadstrand, winning from the unfavourable trap one. He goes from trap four, and in the words of a famous politician, could upset the apple tart. Its a classy line-up, one of the best in the 21-year history of the event. Most of the countrys top trainers have a runner, Linehan, Gleeson, Liam Dowling, Pat Buckley, Patrick Guilfoyle and Michael J ODonovan. The race features on a card that has a number of other finals, and the dogs will be the second segment on a day-long programme at the track, horseracing having the call in the afternoon. The wait is finally over. It's been the best part of two decades since their last Irish shows, Oasis are back together and ready to belt out the hits to 160,000 fans across two sold-out nights in Dublin's Croke Park this weekend. This Saturday and Sunday, August 16 and 17, will see Liam and Noel Gallagher reunite on the Irish stage for the first time in years, and if the rest of their tour dates so far are anything to go by, the atmosphere is going to be electric (and probably a little chaotic). Tickets for the Irish shows sold out in minutes when they went on sale last year, with die-hard fans travelling from all over the country, and beyond, to witness the 90s icons in the flesh. Expect a mix of lifelong Oasis obsessives and younger fans experiencing Live Forever, Don't Look Back in Anger and Wonderwall for the first time live. READ MORE | How to beat the queues at Oasis gigs in Croke Park this weekend The Gallaghers have always had a special connection to Ireland. The pair have frequently spoken about their Irish roots, with their mother Peggy hailing from Charlestown in Co Mayo and their father Tommy from Duleek, Co Meath. So, what can you expect at Croke Park this weekend? Here are five things you're pretty much guaranteed to see when Oasis take to the stage. 1. A sea of bucket hats From floral to plain, retro to brand-new, bucket hats are as much a part of an Oasis gig as Liam's tambourine. Rain or shine, thousands will be donning one, whether to channel their inner 90s Gallagher brother or just to survive the unpredictable Irish summer. 2. Parka coats, regardless of the weather August heatwave? Doesn't matter. The Oasis faithful will still turn up in heavy parka coats, zipped to the chin. It's not about comfort, it's about honouring the uniform. 3. Adidas Originals everywhere Stan Smiths, Gazelles, Sambas and Spezials... if it's got the three stripes, you'll spot it. Bonus points if they're box-fresh white - although they won't stay that way for long once the Croker crowd gets going. 4. Tribute haircuts From sharp Liam-style crops to Noel's mop-top fringe, the crowd will be a walking homage to '90s Britpop barbering. Some will have nailed the look, others... well, will look like they enlisted their mothers for a DIY bowl-cut. 5. Retro Oasis merch that has seen it all From faded 1996 merch from The Point to bootleg t-shirts bought outside Slane Castle in 2009, you'll see plenty of well-worn Oasis tees dusted off for the occasion. Some will be barely holding together after decades of gigs, but sure, that's half the charm. Bonus: The inevitable GAA jersey cameo It doesn't matter if it's a rock 'n' roll reunion, the Olympics, or a rave - at least one punter will turn up in an Offaly or Kerry GAA jersey like they're on their way to a league match. READ MORE | There are no cheap pints - Croke Park's alcohol rule that could trip up some Oasis fans State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code Kilbarry Preservation Group has launched a fundraiser seeking help in raising money to cover legal fees in their bid to prevent the development of Lower Murphys Rock. Last year, An Comisiun Pleanala granted permission for 319 homes; 85 semi-detached houses, 118 terraced homes, 53 duplex units and 63 apartments, as well as a creche and riverside park to Cork County GAA Board for a project it said would provide much-needed housing on the northside, while using the sale to reduce the debts of Cork GAA. Kilbarry Preservation Group has engaged solicitors FP Logue to take this decision to the High Court. Should we win, then costs will be covered by An Bord Pleanala and we will return all monies to contributors, subject to administrative costs associated with this site, they said. The group said: This is an area of great biodiversity and natural beauty, used as an amenity by locals. For generations, we used the River Bride for swimming and the valley for leisure. Among the issues put forward by the group are road design, biodiversity, and run-off. The group added that they are also worried about protected species and wildlife, bats, run-off from the River Bride, and flooding. There are 12 protected species and two endangered species listed on the National Biodiversity Database for this site, the group said. A GoFundMe page is available here. The Echo contacted Cork City Council for comment. Barry Collins SuperValu is on track to process 3.5 million plastic containers and aluminium cans per year, following the installation of a bulk reverse (RVM) vending machine at its Carrigaline store, just the third one of its kind in the country. Supported by ReTurn, the machine is the third to be installed at the store, and will enable customers to recycle a full bag of containers into the chute, with the machine able to process up to up to 100 containers per minute. This will allow customers and local clubs and charities to conveniently recycle larger quantities of plastic containers and aluminium cans. Store customers have recycled 2.1 million containers since the launch of the deposit return scheme in February 2024. David Collins, owner of Barry Collins SuperValu said the installation of a third machine further demonstrates their commitment to sustainability and the local area. Im proud to announce the installation of our third ReTurn RVM machine. This high-capacity bulk machine will allow customers to return more containers in a single visit, offering greater convenience while encouraging sustainable habits, said Mr Collins. With the addition of this new bulk machine, we can now process more than 3.5 million containers annually. Its all about making it simple for our community to do the right thing for the environment. What makes this even more impactful is that local clubs and charities can return their containers at a much faster rate, raising much-needed funds. Its a win-win for our town - cleaner streets, stronger community ties, and a shared sense of purpose in creating a better future for the community. As part of a significant investment in 2024, Barry Collins SuperValu incorporated a number of sustainability upgrades to enhance the efficiency of the store. These upgrades included the installation of 728 solar panels, all-fridge doors, and LED lighting. With a 1.5m investment on sustainability alone, the store has reduced its carbon footprint, emphasising sustainability in its practices, including stocking more than 1,600 products produced locally in Ireland. Family support centre launches fundraising drive The Carrigaline Family Support Centre has launched a fundraising drive to help progress plans for a new hub for the local community. The Carrigaline Family Support Centre is a registered charity and also a company limited by guarantee. While it receives core funding from both the HSE and Tusla annually, like many charitable organisations, its core funding does not cover the service delivery costs. Therefore it must engage in external fundraising and look to other sources of funding to run their programmes. In a message on its website the centre said: We are delighted to say we have finally purchased our forever home, right next door to our current premises, you may know it as the county council office, well from now on, it will be the Family Support Centre! This has been a long time coming and has involved some very tough negotiations, decisions and sacrifices, but we are here and we are so excited about the future of our centre now, read the message. It is however a huge cost to us, so if you can make a donation, please do, or if your company is looking for a community sponsorship partner, know we are here and genuinely in need of your support. People can make a one-off donation by clicking on the link at www.carrigalinefamilysupportcentre.ie/donate.html. For more long term or substantial donations, please contact Chris on (021) 4919299. In a post on social media the centre said the fundraising drive will help them complete key areas such as play therapy and arts therapy rooms, and to ensure the entire feels safe, supportive, and iniviting for all who walk through the doors. Every contribution brings us closer to creating a space where healing, creativity, and connection can thrive. Thank you for being part of this important chapter with us! Roisin and Fionn Gubbins from Carrigaline enjoying the evening sun at Fountainstown beach. Picture: Chani Anderson Pioneer pin presentation Carrigaline will be the venue for the annual Diocesan Pioneer Mass which will take place in the Church of Our Lady and St John on Saturday, September 6, at 6pm. Any pioneer qualifying for a gold, silver or diamond pin and certificate can contact their own pioneer centre or Aislinn on 087 9699488. Pins will be presented after Mass followed by refreshments. Work on greenway ongoing Cork County Council are working on sections of the greenway from Cork city to Crosshaven, which travels along the old Blackrock railway line. The link through Bridgemount Estate in Carrigaline is now completed and in operation. The section in the adjoining Herons Wood is also finished and will be open to the public in the days ahead. The length of greenway from Murphs pub near Bunkilla to Carrigaline Middle via Strawhall and Raffeen remains to be developed. End of summer event An end of summer childrens fundraising event will take place at the Carrigaline Lions Youth Centre between noon and 2pm on Saturday, August 23. Suitable for children between the ages of three and eight, the event will include a mini-disco, games, face painting, balloons, and arts and crafts. The afternoon will also feature special gests Little Kickers Pre-School Fun and FunkyKids childrens activity classes. Funds from the event will go to the Jack and Jill Foundation, Childhood Cancer Ireland, Headway, Rebel Wheelers, Carrigaline First Responders, and Carrialine Lions Youth Centre. Tracton Community Market The next monthly Tracton Community Market will take place on Sunday, August 24, from 11am to 1pm. A spokesperson said the market is a great opportunity for everyone to to enjoy the local food and craft. Theres everything available from fresh vegetables, brown bread, homemade cakes and barista coffee to stunning artworks, and hot pizza from the oven. We are always looking for new stalls and people to join us, so if you are interested or have any questions please call Barbara-Anne on 087 0998895 or email: communitymarket@tracton.org. Tracton Heritage Weekend The fourth annual Tracton National Heritage Weekend will take place from August 22 to 24. Organised by Tracton Biodiversity Group, this years event will be officially opened on August 23 at 11am by Minister for State Christopher OSullivan followed by a special presentation on the migratory journeys of birds by Eric Dempsey, broadcaster, author and wildlife photographer. Other presentations include The Underwater Wonders of the Oysterhaven Estuary in association with Cork Sub Aqua club and Fairy Forts of Ireland with Jo Kerrigan. The weekend will also feature workshops on compost making and helping native bees, arts and crafts for children, farm walks. More details and booking information at https://www.facebook.com/TractonBiodiversity, and https://www.heritageweek.ie. The number of domestic abuse calls in Cork has risen by 44% since 2020, with a total of 26,231 calls recorded in the last five years, new Garda data shows. Across Cork city and county, calls rose from 3,932 in 2020 to 5,664 in 2024 (the latest year for which there are complete figures), an increase of 44%. Nationally there was a similar increase, from 44,782 calls in 2020 to 65,224 in 2024. Domestic abuse calls include the breach of a barring order, emergency barring order, safety order, protection order, or interim barring order, as well as any other incident type that has a recorded domestic abuse motive. In Cork city, there have been a total of 15,207 domestic violence calls since 2020. There were 2,333 calls in 2020, 2,345 in 2021, 2,790 in 2022, 3,100 in 2023, 3,254 in 2024, and 1,385 in 2025 to June 3. The figures for 2025 show a monthly average of 277 calls, which, if continued, would see calls rising to 3,324 this year. The monthly average was 194 in 2020, meaning there has been a 43% rise in five years in the city. In Cork county, 11,024 people called about domestic abuse in the last five years; 1,599 in 2020, 1,799 in 2021, 1,982 in 2022, 2,260 in 2023, 2,411 in 2024, and 973 in 2025 so far. The monthly average increased from 133 in 2020 to 194 this year. Releasing the figures in the Dail recently, justice minister Jim OCallaghan said the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV), set out an ambitious five-year programme of reform to achieve a society which does not accept DSGBV or the attitudes which underpin these crimes. He said: The nationwide rollout of divisional protective service units [DPSUs] ensures that when victims of crimes such as domestic abuse and sexual violence present to gardai, they are met with a consistently high standard of specialist, sensitive, professional, and expert assistance. There is a DPSU in every Garda division. While this data demonstrates a steady increase in the reports to An Garda Siochana year-on-year, and any increase in reports of domestic violence is deeply concerning, there has been significant work undertaken to support victims of DSGBV to come forward and report these matters. He said the strategy aims to encourage victims of domestic and sexual violence to come forward and report the heinous crimes being committed against them in order to address the historical and significant under-reporting of such crimes. The Echo revealed this year that the average arrest rate for all domestic-motivated crimes in 2022, the latest data available, was 33% nationally, but Cork was below this national average at 31% in Cork city, 30% in Cork North, and 21% in West Cork, the lowest percentage in Ireland. Secondary schools are having to drop subjects or curtail extracurricular activities due to teacher shortages, with a Cork teacher claiming the situation is getting worse every year. It comes as a new survey by polling company RedC and the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) found that 67% of schools are reporting unfilled vacancies. John Byrne, a Cork ASTI standing committee representative and a teacher at Ardscoil Ui Urmoltaigh in Bandon, said that the survey and historical surveys make for pretty grim reading. He told The Echo: Some students are going back to school as early as next week, and there are hundreds of vacant posts still unfilled. The Government claim theyve been making changes in terms of upskilling, substitution, and extra training places, but theyve failed to address the chronic shortage. He said 77% of second-level schools had no applications for an advertised post or posts during the 2024/25 school year, up from 75% in 2023, and 67% of schools currently have unfilled vacancies, up from 46% in 2023. The survey found 73% of respondents said they had to employ non-qualified/casual teachers to manage teacher supply issues, while 42% of schools removed a subject or subjects from the curriculum. Mr Byrne said: The survey looked at the reasons behind it as well, and in 2023, 61% of people said they didnt find the teaching career attractive any more, but this year its up to 71%. In 2023, 37% of people had experience of teachers leaving their job and the education sector entirely. Thats now [up] to 52% who have experienced teachers leaving the profession. If theres a teacher on sick leave, 90% of schools said they cant find substitution; 30% of them had to take a teacher from the special educational needs department to cover mainstream classes. SENs are here to help our most vulnerable students who need extra support, so this creates huge inequalities if theyre denied that. Schools are also experiencing overcrowding in some classes 21% of teachers said they had to merge higher- and ordinary-level students, which is also creating an unfair balance. Its not just about academics; secondary school is not just about results but making well-rounded individuals, and extracurriculars are important for that. In 2023, 28% of teachers said they had to curtail extracurriculars, and now its up to 38%. Thats really going to impact students overall development, he said. Mr Byrne proposed that the two-year masters in education should be reduced. Its an enormous cost to people many teachers are in debt before they even begin, and then their starting pay is not even enough to make rent, especially in urban areas, he said. It takes more than 25 years to reach the top salary level, and there is an 11-year period with just three pay increases, he said, suggesting this incremental scale should be shortened. The problems are increasing year on year something needs to be done very, very rapidly. The Echo recently revealed that there were nearly 100 unfilled secondary teacher jobs in March this year in Cork, or 2.3% of the total number of jobs. Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is investigating a possible fungal infection outbreak that may have killed up to 1,000 brown trout in the River Blackwater in Cork. Cork Labour TD for the area, Eoghan Kenny, said after he was informed on Tuesday that a number of dead fish had been found in the River Blackwater, he spent the last two days on the phone to bodies including IFI, Irish Water, Cork County Council, and the EPA. I have been informed by Irish Water that they had teams on the Blackwater yesterday and that they found no issue and the water is safe to drink, he said. I have been informed by Inland Fisheries Ireland that their main concern is the health and safety of the fish. Particularly affected are brown trout. Mr Kenny said they have had teams on the water for several days, and are working with the Marine Institute to take samples to assess the extent of the problem and an estimation of fish affected. Investigation He said Cork County Council is waiting for the IFI investigation before making recommendations. I would advise that until a cause is determined and the experts come to a conclusion, please keep animals out of the water and dont be swimming in the water. It is very important that we get an explanation as to whether this was a natural or man- made event. It is the second fish kill on the Blackwater in a short space of time. Statutory bodies who have responsibility for the health of the water must provide a detailed explanation as a matter of urgency. An IFI spokesperson told The Echo it is currently assessing the impacted area, which spans an 8km stretch of the river between Mallow and Roskeen Bridge [Lombardstown]. Inland Fisheries Ireland is liaising with Uisce Eireann, the EPA, and Cork County Council, all of whom have had staff on the river, it stated. Marine Institute staff are supporting IFI and are undertaking sampling to identify the possible infection. IFI urged anglers to refrain from fishing in the affected stretch of river, and asked them to wash, clean, and dry equipment, and avoid crossing catchments with tackle. No evidence of pollution IFI is investigating how a potential disease outbreak may have occurred, it said. Investigations, at this stage, have not yielded evidence of pollution. Monitoring and assessment of the river will continue to be undertaken to help identify the cause of the incident. Water levels are very low in the River Blackwater at Mallow, and water temperatures have been recorded between 17-19C. Freshwater fish are vulnerable to low water levels and high temperatures. Sinn Fein TD Thomas Gould told The Echo: This is extremely concerning, and we need urgent action to prevent further loss of fish. People are obviously deeply distressed at these scenes, and it could have impacts on fishing for years to come. A new Friends of the Earth group has been launched in Cork, which aims to strengthen grassroots climate action across the city and county. With members coming from backgrounds such as community education and sustainability, Friends of the Earth Cork aims to get involved in activity on local issues affecting people and the environment in Cork. Maria Quirke, spokesperson for Cork Friends of the Earth, said that the groups Autumn campaign will include a survey of the publics experience of Cork city bus services. We especially want to give a voice to people who are disproportionately affected by substandard public transport, like low-income workers, people with disabilities and the elderly. We hope the survey will record peoples real-life experiences of the public transport system and inform future development and improvements to sustainable transport infrastructure in Cork. Aaron Downey, global citizenship education and activism support officer in Friends of the Earth Ireland, added that all interested individuals in the Cork area are welcome to join. Projects from University College Cork are among those to receive a portion of 2.8m in funding towards research projects aimed at further developing climate services and new flood forecasting models. The funds are being made via the Met Eireann Research Call 2024, to innovative projects that are targeted at addressing climate change, extreme weather events and environmental sustainability. Professor John Cryan, vice-president for research and innovation at UCC said: We are immensely proud of our researchers at UCC who will lead half of the research projects announced by Met Eireann, and we are grateful to Met Eireann for their continued support in funding research that is critical to finding innovative solutions to better prepare and protect people in the event of extreme weather and climate related events. These awards will further strengthen UCCs global leadership in sustainability research and deliver significant positive societal impact while also addressing key environmental challenges. Among the projects being awarded funding from UCC is BRACE (Building Resilience and Adaptation Capacity for future extreme Events), with Dr Paraic Ryan being the project leader. The project aims to address gaps in knowledge about uncertainties and vulnerabilities, translating complex climate data into applications that are practical for infrastructure planning and policymaking. Variables Another project from UCC that is being allocated funding is CLIMB (CLImate services for Multi-sector Benefits), with Dr Paul Holloway as the project lead. Among the aims of this project is to develop a standardised method to harmonise climate and non-climate (exposure and vulnerability) data across multiple future scenarios and Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), using a machine learning framework to estimate sector relevant variables. The project also will tackle the challenge of inclusive communication by designing an accessible virtual reality and narrative based communication strategy informed by stakeholder workshops and assessing its impact across diverse groups such as youth, the public and decision makers. Meanwhile, another UCC project that is to receive funding is ClimEnergise: Climate-Informed Energy Systems Planning to Support Irelands Net Zero Ambitions, with Dr Vahid Aryanpur as the project leader. The project will address the growing vulnerability of Irelands energy sector to climate variability, especially in regards to electrification and reliance on weather-dependent renewables. By integrating detailed meteorological data with advanced energy systems modelling, ClimEnergise will translate weather fluctuations and extreme events into strategies that enhance energy security, affordability and resilience. A man charged in connection with an aggravated burglary at a house in Cork city last Monday morning has told a court that he intends to apply for bail in order to care for his 85 year old father. Malcolm Kelly (39) of Coolageala, Kanturk, Co Cork was charged with burglary with intent to commit criminal damage and assault and with a count of criminal damage at a sitting of Mallow District Court on Tuesday. Both alleged offences relate to an incident at Lagan Grove in Mayfield in Cork city at 12.40am on Monday, August 11, during which three men entered a property armed with implements. The intruders confronted the occupants before fleeing. On Tuesday Mr Kelly was remanded in custody to appear before Cork District Court today for a bail application and DPP directions. Mr Kelly addressed the court via video link today and described himself as being the carer of his father. He told Judge Monica Leech that he was waiting on a letter from his doctor, which relates to his forthcoming bail application. He spoke of his plan to apply for bail when he is before the court next in order to take care of his very elderly 85 year old father. Sgt Gearoid Davis said that gardai were awaiting directions on the case from the DPP. Defence solicitor Diana Halloran indicated that her client was consenting to a two week remand in the matter. Mr Kelly was remanded in custody to appear before Cork District Court on August 29 next. The Garda Press Office has previously indicated that a man in his 30s was transferred to hospital by ambulance following the incident at Lagan Grove on Monday. A technical examination was carried out at the scene. Investigations are ongoing. The Cork City and County Archives Service is to open the long-lost archive of writer and historian Daniel MacCarthy Glas (1807- 1884) to the public. The archive was donated by his descendants Susan MacCarthy and Don MacCarthy of Oregon, USA. The collection documents a range of topics: from the MacCarthy lineage, to 19th century poetry and historiography, the Irish nationalist movement, the history of early modern Ireland, the French Revolution of 1848, the British empire in India and South Africa, emigration, to the Great Famine and its dire impact on the local population in West Cork. There will be a public exhibition for National Heritage Week, The Tanist of Carbery: Daniel MacCarthy Glas and His Long-Lost Archive, which will be on display at the Cork City and County Archives, Blackpool from August 18 for National Heritage Week and beyond. The Heritage Council of Ireland, under their 2025 heritage stewardship scheme, has funded the purchase of two state-of-the-art exhibition cases to facilitate the secure display of the items. The exhibition will tour libraries and other locations around Cork city and county at a later date. Unique Comprising almost 1,400 unique items, the archive is of major historical importance containing personal letters, manuscripts, photographs and drawings from Daniel MacCarthy and other family members. Born in London of Irish descent, MacCarthys father-in-law was rear-admiral Home Riggs Popham who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and invented a code of signals adopted by the navy in 1803. One historically priceless document in the archive, a 1784 family pedigree of the Gaelic prince Jeremiah MacCarthy (Diarmuid MacCarthaigh an Duna) compiled by famous poet-schoolmaster Sean O Coileain of Myross, The Last Bard of Munster, has been identified as having immense significance. This unique parchment, written in a combination of both Irish and English, is one of very few original manuscripts in existence from O Coileain or any other Gaelic scholar from the period. The pedigree has been subject to a detailed process of transcription and interpretation by professor Cornelius Buttimer, formerly of UCC. In the coming years parts of the archive shall also be digitised and placed online. A Cork TD has called for the minister for education to come to an agreement with Forsa ahead of a planned strike of school secretaries and caretakers. School secretaries and caretakers, who are members of the Forsa trade union, are set to go on an indefinite strike on August 28. Sinn Fein TD for Cork South Central, Donnchadh O Laoghaire, told The Echo: Urgent action is needed from Minister McEntee to ensure our school secretaries and caretakers can come back to work in September with a fair, equal, and adequate pay-and-pension agreement that recognises the hard work these essential staff provide to our schools right across the state. I have been informed by Forsa that there has been no contact made with them by the minister or her department, seeking to resolve this dispute. I am utterly shocked that Minister McEntee has not stepped in before now and has allowed most of the summer to pass, letting stress and worry fester within our school communities, who are unsure if they will have their pivotal school secretaries and caretakers at their posts when schools reopen in September. This is no way to treat our school secretaries and caretakers. They have worked for many years without access to a proper pension, he said: We have heard the story of secretaries being handed a bunch of flowers and a pat on the back as they retire with little financial security. We are also aware of the lack of pay and entitlements for our school secretaries and caretakers. For the vast majority of school caretakers, their pay has not changed since 2019, standing at 13 per hour, 50 cent below the minimum wage in Ireland. As it stands, both secretaries and caretakers are not entitled to occupational sick pay, bereavement leave, and, crucially, the single public service pension scheme. These are the basic entitlements every employee should be entitled to. He concluded: We know school secretaries and caretakers dont want to take this action, but are left with no alternative. Our school secretaries and caretakers are not asking for a lot: They are simply asking to be recognised and treated equally with their colleagues. A Cork Sinn Fein TD has promised he and his party will do everything they can to fight for a cost of living package in Budget 2026. It comes as Taoiseach Micheal Martin ruled out a specific cost of living package in the next budget but promised that government would seek to reduce cost pressures on families, such as through social protection payments and taxation changes. TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould told The Echo: We are now less than two months out from the budget and people are under real pressure. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of families in our city and county in energy arrears. There are others going into debt now with the cost of back to school and college. There are people unsure how theyll pay their rent and bills in the colder months. At the same time, this government continues to tell people there will be no cost of living package in Budget 2026. How is that right? People are sick of being ripped off in supermarkets and by a government who just doesnt care. Mr Gould said Sinn Fein will do everything we can to fight for people, including holding an event in Cork city on October 4. We will confirm the details closer to the time but we want people to know we are on your side and we are doing everything we can to make this Government listen, he said. If youre angry about student fees, sky-high rents or about being ripped off buying food, put October 4 in your diary and watch this space. "This is an emergency and we are ready to stand with you. As the race for the presidential election heats up, one person who has made his intentions known is Gareth Sheridan. The former CEO of US-based company Nutriband and a married father-of-one, the 35-year-old would become the youngest ever president if he was to be elected. The multi-millionaire is seeking the nomination from local authorities, and said he has been speaking to local authorities over the last number of months. He needs the support of four local authorities to get on the ballot paper. PAINKILLERS Nutriband developed a system to change the way patches of painkillers, such as fentanyl and other opiates, work to reduce abuse and prevent risk of accidental exposure. Launching his campaign earlier this week, Mr Sheridan said that while he is not a single issue candidate, he believes housing is an anchor for every issue the country is facing. We have healthcare problems in the country because we cant afford to keep our nurses and doctors here because they cant afford to live close to the hospitals and clinics they serve, he said. We have education problems because teachers cant afford to live close to the schools and communities theyre supposed to serve. "We used to value ourselves on being the land of 100,000 welcomes. We are now, statistically, on a yearly basis, the land of 100,000 departures. Mr Sheridan added: Now as president, Im not going to grab my hammer and start building houses, but I will champion the issue over the course of my campaign. He said he is confident he has a path to a nomination, and said the support has been overwhelming. The Dublin native said he has the support in Tipperary and Laois county councils but would not disclose which other councils have indicated their support. Mr Sheridan, who owns a house in Utah and rents a property in Dublin, said that former president Mary Robinson was a big reason why he decided to put his name forward to run in the upcoming election. Ellen O'Donoghue Oasis band members have been enjoying the sunshine in Dublin ahead of their two-night run at Croke Park this weekend. Oasis guitarist Paul Arthurs, also known as Bonehead, Gem Archer and Joey Waronker, have shared photos on social media of themselves swimming in the sea and hanging out on the beach. There have not been any sightings of Noel or Liam as of yet. By Sunday evening, Oasis will have played to over 160,000 people in Croke Park, before heading off to Canada, the US and Mexico ahead of a brief return to London in September. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday, Bonehead posted a picture with drummer Joey Waronker swimming in the Irish Sea, captioned "Yes Dublin". On Instagram, the musician shared some more photos, including one of the Poolbeg Chimneys, a Dublin landmark. He also shared an image of him and Joey standing on Killiney Beach, captioned "Rhythm section minus the bass, but hes in the sea somewhere. Day off". The caption refers to bassist Andy Bell. Bonehead was part of the original Oasis lineup when the band formed in 1991. The Insta360 Antigravity A1 is a new 360-degree FPV drone from a spin-off brand called Antigravity. The A1 includes a drone, OLED Vision goggles and a Grip motion controller its more of a set. The drone has two ultrawide cameras that can capture 8K video, and it uses stitching algorithms to make the drone invisible in the final footage. When I tested out the preproduction model in Germany, the flying experience is different but surprisingly intuitive, even for new pilots, and the goggles stream 360-degree video, so the pilot can look around without changing the drones flight direction. Image by Mat Smith for Engadget The controller uses a Freemotion control, so the drone moves in the direction the pilot points their hand. Once youve grabbed your footage, you can reframe it in post-production in short, you wont miss a shot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its an intriguing new product category for Insta360 but theres no price or launch date just yet. Mat Smith Get Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! The news you might have missed For Series 9, 10 and Ultra 2 watches in the US. Engadget A year since an import ban forced the company to remove blood oxygen monitoring from some US Apple Watch models, Apple is introducing a redesigned version of the feature. In a post on its newsroom website, the company says the feature will roll out to Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10 and Watch Ultra 2 users through a joint Apple Watch and iPhone update. Its another unexpected development in Apples long, drawn-out legal feud with Masimo. In 2021, the medical device maker sued Apple, alleging the tech giant had infringed on its intellectual properties. Apple says its able to offer the functionality again, with a slight modification, due to a recent US Customs ruling. Once the company rolls out the software, youll need to update your devices to iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 to access the reworked feature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Continue reading. Designed to be the cheapest case in the world. TE Teenage Engineering, the hip tech and design brand best known for its synths, has built another computer chassis. And its free! But also sold out. Its a small form factor, mini-ITX computer case. The Computer-2 is made of a single sheet of semi-transparent plastic with snap hooks and living hinges for screw-free assembly. Teenage Engineering set out to design the cheapest computer case in the world and landed at $0. It was such a good deal that it sold out almost immediately. You can register to be notified if the company releases additional cases on its website. Continue reading. The tool is currently in beta, and Google says it will improve over time. Rolling out in the US, Canada and India over the next week, Flight Deals will live within Google Flights and is designed for flexible travelers whose number one goal is saving money on their next trip. Flight Deals will use real-time Google Flights data to ensure youre always shown up-to-date flights and deals from various airlines and booking operators. The tool is in beta for now. Continue reading. We're still waiting for Apple to make the official announcement for the iPhone event that usually takes place in September. At that event, they'll showcase the new iPhone 17 lineup which will come equipped with the latest iOS 26 features preinstalled, as well as any additional features Apple reveals at the launch event. But since we (presumably) still have to wait a few weeks until the iPhone event, we can only speculate what the new devices will look like. As with most unreleased iPhones, rumors and leaks have trickled in about the hardware side ahead of the official introduction. Here's what we're expecting and what we can reasonably assume we'll get from Apple in September. What are the latest iPhone 17 rumors? Not necessarily a "new" rumor but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes there actually will be a new orange color offered for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, as well as a light blue color for the iPhone 17 Air, he confirmed in his weekly Power On newsletter. Additionally, we have a new case rumor. According to leaker Majin Bu, there will be new Liquid Silicone cases in eight colors, including Deep Orange, Pale Orange, Grass Green, Celadon, Fog Purple, Grey Blue, Dark Blue and Midnight Black. iPhone 17: New Liquid Silicone Cases Colors Full Article:https://t.co/RBnAO3LCAC pic.twitter.com/GuQuvrswg6 Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) August 24, 2025 These rumors haven't been confirmed by Apple and we won't know what the actual iPhone 17 models will look like until the iPhone event next month. How much will the iPhone 17 cost? Apple's announced plan to expand US-based manufacturing partners seems to give it at least some shielding from the steepest Trump administration tariffs that have already triggered price increases on everything from PlayStations to Switch consoles to high-end cameras to Sonos speakers. But given that President Trump's trade policies can change from week to week, and Apple's continuing reliance on Asia-based supply chains, price shocks remain an ongoing possibility. The bigger question is: Will Apple absorb any higher costs, or pass them on to consumers? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If prices do creep up, Apple may choose to pair it with an "upgrade." Consider this recent rumor posted by MacRumors from a leaker known as "Instant Digital," suggesting that the default storage of the iPhone 17 line may start at 256GB, doubling the current 128GB baseline. While that could be accompanied by a price increase of $50, Apple could at least pitch it as a "better value." That said, the company doubled the default RAM of its Mac computers from 8GB to 16GB at no extra cost in 2024 but that was before the current Trump tariff cycle started. When will the iPhone 17 series be announced? Most years, the flagship smartphones are introduced in September. MacRumors highlighted a story originally reported by iphone-ticker.de that the Apple iPhone 17 event could be Tuesday, September 9, according to information gleaned from German mobile phone providers. It's still too early to have the specific dates; some years, Apple only gives a week or two of lead time between sending invites and hosting the event. But years of past precedent show that sometime in September should be when the 17 models make their debut. This family of smartphones may be the last to follow that trend, however. There have been hints that the introduction of the iPhone 18 collection in 2026 will be split into a pro-tier announcement in the fall and a standard model announcement the following spring. What will the new iPhone 17 lineup include? Design leaks suggest that Apple is building an ultra-thin smartphone, likely to be named the iPhone 17 Air to match Apple's ultralight laptop designation. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, often a solid source of advanced intel about Apple, reported in January that the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with a basic A19 chip and will only have a single camera lens. It may also use Apple's new in-house modem, which was introduced in February on the iPhone 16e. More details about this development may leak ahead of September, but that's what we know for now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An investor note from Apple analyst Jeff Pu indicated that the Air will have a titanium frame. If his reports are accurate, the lightweight smartphone will be the only entry in the iPhone 17 lineup to use that metal; the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to be made of aluminum, which is oddly a lighter material than titanium. Other speculation had suggested that the Air would use a blend of aluminum and titanium, so the exact materials may not be known until the official announcement. Additionally, an August 4 MacRumors report says the internal battery pack of the iPhone Air is just 2.49mm thick half the thickness of the iPhone 17 Pro battery. The leak was posted on the Korean-language Naver blog, where they show the alleged batteries of the iPhone 17 Air and 17 Pro side by side. The same account claimed the 17 Air's battery capacity was a mere 2,800 mAh, MacRumors notes. (That's below the battery capacity of current iPhone 16 models.) On a similar topic, an iPhone 17 Pro production leak appears to have revealed an all-aluminum chassis, according to MacRumors. Originally posted by leaker Majin Bu, the image shows a shell that has a large round hole on the back (where the Apple logo typically is) to allow for MagSafe charging. MacRumors says this could just be a molding but notes that the aluminum frame (versus the current titanium in Pro iPhone models) would yield a significantly lower weight. That same leaker (Majin Bu), whom MacRumors classifies as a "hit-or-miss leaker," suggests the iPhone 17 Pro will have better wireless signal strength thanks to an updated antenna design. The individual posted a render on X that shows a new antenna system that wraps around the iPhone 17 Pro's supposedly wider rear camera bump. Again, this is a render, not a real-world photo. That said, we can't knock the goal of better wireless reception, so we're hoping this one has a degree of truth to it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leaker Majin Bu also claims "TechWoven" cases could be introduced, per a MacRumors report. The cases match the rumored design on the iPhone 17 models, with the wide camera bump. The leaker noted there are two lanyard holes for "convenient and secure carrying," so it could be worn around your neck. The colors would come in grey/black, blue, green, purple and orange. Each new roster includes a base model, but over the years, Apple has shaken up the variety of phones it offers. Most likely there will be an iPhone 17 and an iPhone 17 Pro. Apple has also committed to the size matters philosophy, and has been building an iPhone Pro Max option with an even bigger screen and better battery life; the 17 roster will almost certainly have one as well. The new Pro iPhones are said to have a full-width "camera island" on the rear, which would mark the first time an Apple model opted for that design. This feature can be seen in the purported iPhone 17 "spotted in the wild." The pics, highlighted on MacRumors, show a black cased iPhone (17 Pro?) with the distinct back panel. Is it the real deal? The dual angles lend a degree of credibility in a social media landscape increasingly polluted with AI-enhanced fakes, but your guess is as good as ours. I just spotted a test development iPhone in the wild pic.twitter.com/iS3PtKWqxJ Fox Pupy (@Skyfops) July 28, 2025 The iPhone 17 Air seems primed to take the place of a potential iPhone 17 Plus. Since the iPhone 16e was only just introduced in February at a surprisingly high price point, it seems unlikely that there will be a new addition to that lower end of the spectrum, the models that were previously called SE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the very least, it sounds like the iPhone 17 Air won't take away the charging port and rely only on wireless connectivity. Bloomberg said that while Apple had investigated making the iPhone 17 Air without a single port, the company (fortunately) changed plans. He also says that the rumored phone will have a 6.6-inch screen and include the Dynamic Island and Camera Control button. Finally, the price is rumored at $900 likely more than the standard iPhone 17 but less than the Pro. We've also gotten what seems to be a reliable look at what the color lineup will be for the new smartphones. Macworld reported that the iPhone 17 will be available in black, white, steel gray, green, purple and light blue. The iPhone 17 Air will reportedly have four color options: black, white, light blue and light gold. While the Air colors will be less saturated, the visuals for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will go bold. The options for the Pro models are expected to be black, white, gray, dark blue and orange. On July 30, Tom's Guide highlighted an X post from Sonny Dickson a longtime and generally reliable leaker of unreleased iPhone information showing "dummy" iPhone 17 models in the new colors that were the source of the aforementioned Macworld story. While these are literally just mock-ups not real, leaked iPhones it's interesting to see how the design and color rumors translate into a real-world look and feel. To add the the rumors, a Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station suggests the iPhone 17e will come equipped with a new design that includes the Dynamic Island, MacRumors reports. According to the post, the new phone will have the A19 chip and could have a 6.1-inch OLED display with a front-facing 12-megapixel camera and a rear-facing 48-megapixel camera. However, it's important to note this report refers to the 17e model that would be expected to launch no earlier than February 2026, if it followed the same release pattern as the iPhone 16e. What will iOS 26 be like? Apple upended its numbering conventions with WWDC 2025, and will match the name of each new operating system to the year it's released. So when the next wave of iPhones hits, they'll be running on iOS 26. Advertisement Advertisement On the design side, the smartphone OS introduced during the big developer showcase took a contentious approach dubbed Liquid Glass. Apple has been scaling down the amount of transparency effects in the subsequent beta tests of iOS 26, but it will still have a glass-like visual. The feature list includes big and small updates. On the more impactful side, the Phone and Photos apps have been redesigned. There will be several features leveraging artificial intelligence, such as live translation capabilities coming to Phone, FaceTime and Messages. Apple is also currently testing a sensitive content warning for child accounts that will freeze FaceTime video if nudity is detected by on-device machine learning tools. And the company is also launching Visual Intelligence, which will use AI to search for elements in an image. iOS 26 also has a litany of minor, quality of life improvements. Group texts are getting support for polls. And for the slow risers out there, iOS 26 will finally let you escape the tyranny of the nine minute snooze alarm. The next iOS is now available as a public beta. Here are our initial impressions of the Liquid Glass design and other new features. iOS 26 is compatible with all models back through iPhone 11. What other products are expected to be released alongside the iPhone 17? If Apple follows its usual pattern, the iPhone 17 will be announced alongside new Apple Watch products. That would be the Apple Watch Series 11 (if Apple sticks to the same naming scheme), and maybe an Apple Watch Ultra 3 and/or an updated Apple Watch SE. (They'll all run watchOS 26, of course.) Other possibilities and this is, again, speculation could include refreshed Apple AirPods Pro (which received its last big update in 2022) and maybe new AirTags trackers (first released in 2021). Advertisement Advertisement The Apple rumor mill got a big shot in the arm this week thanks to the reported inclusion of product ID numbers in recent beta software builds. Per MacRumors, it's a laundry list of new hardware, including long-rumored product updates like the Apple TV, HomePod mini, new Apple Studio Display monitor and two fresh iPads. Of course, even if that list is totally accurate, we may not see those products until 2026 if ever. So don't expect all of products to share the stage with the iPhone 17, especially since Apple likes to keep its star performer at the center of attention. That said, keep in mind that Apple has recently been having Mac-centric announcements in late October (as it did last year to debut new M4 Macs), so there's always the chance of another shoe dropping a few weeks down the road. Update, August 25, 2025, 5:15PM ET: Added new reports about the iPhone 17 Pro's orange color as well as new rumored Liquid Silicone cases. Advertisement Advertisement Update, August 22, 2025, 11:52AM ET: Added new details about the colors of the rumored TechWoven case. Update, August 20, 2025, 7:12PM ET: Added new rumor about potential TechWoven case for iPhone 17 series. Update, August 18, 2025, 6:23PM ET: Added new rumor about the iPhone 17e potentially having the Dynamic Island. Update, August 15, 2025, 2:05PM ET: Added new rumor about the all-aluminum chassis on the iPhone 17. Update, August 13, 2025, 10:02PM ET: Added a list of the products that are expected to be released alongside the iPhone 17s. Update, August 11, 2025, 7:27PM ET: Added a render of a rumored new antenna design for the iPhone 17 Pro. Advertisement Advertisement Update, August 8, 2025, 4:43PM ET: Added new speculation and reports about iPhone 17 pricing. Update, August 6, 2025, 4:05PM ET: Added latest details about the potential iPhone 17 event date. Update, August 4, 2025, 5:23PM ET: Added latest battery leaks about the iPhone 17 models. Update, August 1, 2025, 8:15AM ET: Added new photos showing potential iPhone 17 colors. Update, July 30, 2025, 11:08AM ET: Added latest leaks and rumors about the iPhone 17, and updated information on the iOS 26 public beta. Update, July 17, 2025, 4:40PM ET: Added latest information about iOS 26, possible materials for the Air, and the color options for the different models. Advertisement Advertisement Update, March 17, 2025, 2PM ET: Added details about the rumored price and features of the iPhone 17 Air. Update, April 11, 2025, 3:45PM ET: Added details from Front Page Tech's new video that claims to reveal details from a leaked iOS 19 build. Nicola Peltz's close friend Rebecca Faria has come to the actress's defense amid her public rift with husband Brooklyn Beckham's family, calling the Beckhams "toxic" and "fake." Faria posted a detailed Instagram comment on Wednesday, defending Peltz and her decision to set boundaries with her in-laws. "I love seeing people who spend years in therapy over toxic family ties coming here and judging someone who actually had the guts to walk away," Faria wrote. She criticized Victoria and David Beckham, as well as their children Romeo, Cruz, and Harper, suggesting they reacted poorly when they couldn't control the situation. According to PageSix, Faria also defended Nicola against claims that she is "controlling" or "lazy." "She's not holding anyone hostage. Brooklyn is an adult who's perfectly aware of the life he wants, and he's living it," Faria explained. She praised Brooklyn, 26, for "having the guts to walk away ... because he knows exactly the environment he grew up in." Nicola Peltz's inner circle is coming out swinging in the middle of her ongoing rift with the Beckham family -- and they're not holding back. Exclusive details: https://t.co/4x4eV7RkLD pic.twitter.com/Ab6yoOLAOO TMZ (@TMZ) August 14, 2025 Read more: Brooklyn Beckham Doubles Down on Love for Nicola Peltz With Vow Renewal as Family Rift Widens Brooklyn Beckham May Have Chosen to Leave Family Out of Ceremony An Instagram user added to the conversation, suggesting that Brooklyn himself may have decided not to include his parents in the couple's recent vow renewal ceremony. "Why is it assumed that she made the decision to exclude them? If he really wanted his parents there, they would be," the comment read. Brooklyn reportedly "liked" the post, further fueling speculation that the rift is his choice. Brooklyn Beckham has been at odds with his family for several months. Back in April, it was reported that he wasn't speaking to his brother Romeo. By May, the conflict reportedly expanded to include his parents, with sources describing Victoria and David Beckham as "narcissistic." TMZ later reported that Brooklyn had gone no-contact with his family after Cruz allegedly sent multiple critical messages to his brother via Instagram. Peltz and Beckham, who began dating in 2019 and married in April 2022, recently renewed their vows in New York. Nicola wore her mother, Claudia Peltz's, wedding dress for the ceremony, calling the moment "so meaningful" on Instagram. While Brooklyn and Nicola enjoyed the celebration with close friends and Nicola's family, Brooklyn's own relatives were missing, as they were reportedly on vacation in Europe. Faria emphasized that Peltz is "genuine, humble, and refuses to live in a fake world," urging the public not to judge without knowing the full story. Baz Luhrmann is reportedly in early talks with 18-year-old actress Isla Johnston to portray the legendary French heroine in his upcoming epic, "Jehanne d'Arc," produced by Warner Bros. Johnston, best known for her breakout role as young Beth Harmon in Netflix's "The Queen's Gambit," has emerged as the leading candidate after Luhrmann "winnowed the field down to a small group of youngsters" for the part. The acclaimed director has offered Johnston the lead role in what insiders describe as a "potential career-making opportunity" for the young actress. Luhrmann, whose previous credits include "Moulin Rouge!," "The Great Gatsby" and "Elvis," have co-written the screenplay for "Jehanne d'Arc" alongside British playwright Ava Pickett, whose work often explores themes of power and historical mythmaking. The film is loosely based on Tom Keneally's 1974 novel "Blood Red, Sister Rose," which provides an intimate account of Joan of Arc's final years. Warner Bros. has officially come on board to finance and distribute the ambitious project, though no formal shooting schedule or release date has been announced. Production is rumored to begin later this year on Australia's Gold Coast, Luhrmann's longtime home base. Catherine Martin, Luhrmann's frequent collaborator and wife, is expected to oversee production and costume design, ensuring the film's visual palette aligns with the director's signature maximalist style. Though plot details remain under wraps, early reports suggest "Jehanne d'Arc" will go beyond a straightforward biopic. Luhrmann's vision, according to those close to the production, will offer a "dreamlike dive" into Jehanne's inner world, blending historical epic with psychological drama in a manner reminiscent of his previous work. Johnston's casting marks a significant step in her transition from television to a major film lead. Her portrayal of the young Beth Harmon in 2020 introduced her to global audiences, but this role represents her first starring turn on the big screen. Industry observers note that Luhrmann's preference for casting authentic, youthful actors for younger historical figures enhances the project's credibility and emotional resonance. With Luhrmann's meticulous research, reportedly including donning replica armor to understand fifteenth-century combat, and the combined talents of Ava Pickett and Catherine Martin, "Jehanne d'Arc" is shaping up to be one of the most visually striking period films in recent memory. As talks with Johnston continue, the industry will be watching closely to see if the young actress officially secures the role that could define her blossoming career. Ashley Biden, daughter of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, has filed for divorce from her husband of more than 13 years just one day after publicly accusing him of having a girlfriend. On Sunday, Ashley posted an Instagram Story showing a man and a woman walking hand-in-hand down a sidewalk. Over the image, she wrote: "My husband and his girlfriend holding hands" and paired it with the song "Another" by Notorious B.I.G. and Lil' Kim, a track about infidelity, PageSix said. The man, dressed in a white polo and dark pants, and the woman, in a strapless black dress, were photographed from behind, making them not immediately identifiable. The post was deleted shortly after. The following day, Ashley, 44, initiated divorce proceedings against her husband, Dr. Howard Krein, 59, filing the case in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Krein, an otolaryngologist and plastic surgeon, has not commented on the accusation. Ashley Biden shared a photo of husband Howard Krein hand-in-hand with his girlfriend hours before bombshell divorce filing https://t.co/ZkeORcQPzx pic.twitter.com/dZ68gI0n76 New York Post (@nypost) August 14, 2025 Ashley Biden Shares Thumbs-Up Post After Filing for Divorce Hours after filing the paperwork, Ashley appeared to celebrate her decision. She later shared an Instagram Story showing herself walking through a park, smiling, and giving a thumbs-up, with a Beyonce song playing in the background. She also reposted a quote that read: "New life, new beginnings means new boundaries. New ways of being that won't look or sound like they did before," set to Lauryn Hill's "Freedom Time." In June 2012, Ashley and Krein exchanged vows at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church in Delawarea place close to her heart, as it's also where she was baptized. The ceremony was attended by about 200 guests, including her father, who was vice president at the time. Ashley met Krein in 2010 through an introduction from her late brother, Beau Biden. According to the NY Post, a year later, during a trip to Big Sur, California, Krein proposed after receiving President Biden's blessing. The couple, who have no children, lived in Philadelphia before their split. Divorce records in Philadelphia are not public, and it remains unclear what specific issues led to their breakup beyond Ashley's public accusation. Ashley has occasionally spoken about her marriage in public, recalling at the 2024 Democratic National Convention how her father personally helped prepare for the wedding reception even riding around on a John Deere 4-wheeler to arrange plants and place settings. Neither Krein nor his representatives have responded to media requests for comment. The White House has not addressed the matter. Jimmy Fallon took a playful swipe at President Donald Trump on "The Tonight Show" this Wednesday night (Aug. 13), using Taylor Swift's hit songs to poke fun at the upcoming summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to TMZ, the two leaders are scheduled to meet in Alaska on Friday (Aug. 15), with the war in Ukraine expected to be a major topic. Opening his monologue, Fallon told the audience, "The two big stories right now are Trump and Putin's summit, and of course, Taylor Swift announcing her new album." He explained there was "no better way to explain the summit" than through Swift's lyrics, then launched into a string of rapid-fire jokes. "For a long time, Trump would look at Putin and think, 'You Belong With Me,'" Fallon said, drawing laughs. "And when the people told him to stay away from Putin, he'd just 'Shake It Off' and shout, 'But Daddy I Love Him.'" Jimmy Fallon used Taylor Swift lyrics to mock Trump, claiming the president is too distracted by the Epstein scandal to focus on world issues and calling his mind a blank space. Link below for details. (: X/MEGA) https://t.co/44yfL9meVX pic.twitter.com/onUQPw5clQ Radar Online (@radar_online) August 14, 2025 Fallon Pokes Fun at Trump's "Cruel Summer" and Epstein Ties The late-night host kept the references coming, noting that the relationship between Trump and Putin has recently turned into "Bad Blood" and reminding the audience that Putin has a terrible "Reputation." Fallon then slipped in a dig about Trump's readiness for diplomacy: "Americans are worried that Trump isn't 'Ready for It,' because his brain is basically a giant 'Blank Space.'" Fallon also joked that Trump told Putin it had been a "Cruel Summer" because of his connection to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal twisting another Swift lyric by saying everyone believes "I Did Something Bad," but everyone on the island was "22." The crowd erupted at the mix of pop culture and political humor. The sketch comes as Trump prepares for his first face-to-face meeting with Putin since winning the 2024 presidential election. Trump has said he will warn Putin of "very severe consequences" if Russia does not end its war in Ukraine, Billboard said. Fallon's sharp humor is nothing new for viewers. The comedian has frequently targeted Trump in past monologues, but his decision to frame the jokes through Taylor Swift's music resonated strongly, especially as Swift herself remains a political flashpoint. The pop star has publicly supported Vice President Kamala Harris and has drawn Trump's criticism in return. Prince Harry is reportedly struggling to find his path while Meghan Markle prepares her next major project, according to a royal commentator. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently announced a new "multi-year first look" agreement with Netflix, following the conclusion of their previous deal. The latest projects list Harry only as a producer for a documentary about the HIV crisis in Uganda. This announcement comes after a Charity Commission report criticized Harry and the board of Sentebale for making their internal dispute public, although the commission cleared him of individual allegations from the charity's chairwoman, Dr. Sophie Chandauka. Harry's Struggle for Direction Broadcaster Esther Krakue told The Sun that Harry is "nowhere to be seen" and "really trying to find his feet." She added, "[He] is lost. He has a kind of brown Midas touch, which I'm sure the viewers can infer what I mean by that." Krakue suggested that Harry leans on Meghan as he attempts to carve out his own niche, explaining, "And really, this creative side of this endeavor has really been Meghan's push." She emphasized Harry's challenges adjusting to a world outside the constant attention of royalty, stating, "I think because he's come from a world where everyone fawns at everything that he does because he's Prince Harry... he's not a creative." Harry's previous Netflix effort, a documentary titled "Polo," premiered in December last year. The series performed poorly, ranking 3,436th with 500,000 views, even below Meghan's "With Love, Meghan," which placed 383rd with 5.3 million views. Meghan Prepares Her Next Move While Harry navigates criticism and low viewership, Meghan is reportedly gearing up for her next project. Krakue implied the duchess drives much of their creative work, with Harry focusing on supporting roles. Industry observers note the timing of the new Netflix deal aligns with Meghan's push for fresh content and a higher-profile presence. The couple's production company is expected to expand its output under this agreement. The report from the Charity Commission showed the dangers of public feuds for well-known people. It faulted both Harry and Sentebale's group for their highly-publicized drama, underlining the hard tasks the duke has in mixing his own ventures with his good work. Even with the drama, the dad-of-two is reportedly openly set on his charity work. The commission found no proof of any deep bullying or bad acts at Sentebale, letting Harry go ahead with new work in media and charity. Harry's journey to redefine himself outside the royal spotlight continues as Meghan positions herself for a new creative phase. Krakue concluded, "[He's] really trying to find his feet," signaling a period of transition for the duke while his wife takes the lead on the couple's next venture. Prince Harry faces criticism and upheaval at the charity he co-founded, Sentebale, while Meghan Markle remains publicly silent. The Duke of Sussex resigned as a patron in March after trustees opposed board chairwoman Dr. Sophie Chandauka, who had accused him of bullying and harassment. The Charity Commission said last week that all parties were at fault for airing the dispute publicly, but found no systemic bullying or harassment at Sentebale, including misogyny or misogynoir. A spokesperson for Harry said he remains "absolutely committed to continuing the work he started, supporting the children and young people of Lesotho and Botswana, nearly 20 years ago," with no decisions yet on whether he will start a new charity or work with existing organizations. Markle's Silence Draws Scrutiny Columnist Dr. Max Pemberton called Harry "devastated" and described Markle's silence as "puzzling," adding, per the Daily Mail. "No public words of support. Maybe behind closed doors she's been his rock." Journalist of Daily Mail Amanda Platell also noted Markle's absence from public support, highlighting her 44th birthday Instagram post in which she thanked "my husband" without naming Harry. Radar Online reported that sources see Markle's lack of public engagement as the "clearest sign yet" she may be stepping back from their marriage. One insider said, "Meghan usually can't keep her mouth shut when it comes to controversies involving her and Harry, but the fact she has remained totally silent over Harry's charity bust-up speaks volumes about the state of their marriage." Another source added, "We have a wife that is clearly showing no signs of support to her husband it's the biggest sign yet things are all but over between her and Harry." Charity Fallout and Personal Pressures Sentebale supports young people with HIV and AIDS in Botswana and Lesotho. Harry co-founded the organization in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho after his gap year in 2004. Seeiso resigned as patron alongside Harry. Trustees who left expressed "grave concern for the future of the charity," criticizing the commission for allegedly ignoring key evidence about leadership. Platell emphasized the imbalance between the couple. "In successful partnerships, there is always one person to lift you up when you fall down. Without someone like this, life is infinitely harder and less fun," she said. Financial pressures compound the strain. The couple's $14 million Montecito mansion carries monthly mortgage costs between $50,000 and $100,000, with annual security expenses exceeding $2 million. Former royal press secretary Ailsa Anderson also criticized Harry's public disclosures, saying, "Prince Harry should stop being the victim. Start being the hero of his own piece, start writing his own script... people are just getting a bit tired of how Prince Harry thinks the world is against him and how awful his life is." US President Donald Trump insisted Thursday he would not be intimidated by Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the eve of a high-stakes summit and said Ukraine would be involved in any deal on its fate. Putin flies to Alaska on Friday at the invitation of Trump in his first visit to a Western country since he ordered the 2022 invasion of Ukraine that has killed tens of thousands of people. As Russia made gains on the battlefield, the Kremlin said the two presidents planned to meet one-on-one, heightening fears of European leaders that Putin will cajole Trump into a settlement imposed on Kyiv. Trump insisted to reporters at the White House: "I am president, and he's not going to mess around with me." "I'll know within the first two minutes, three minutes, four minutes or five minutes... whether or not we're going to have a good meeting or a bad meeting," Trump said. "And if it's a bad meeting, it'll end very quickly, and if it's a good meeting, we're going to end up getting peace in the pretty near future," said Trump, who gave the summit a one-in-four chance of failure. Trump has voiced admiration for Putin in the past and faced wide criticism after a 2018 summit in Helsinki where he appeared to accept the Russian's denials of US intelligence on Moscow's meddling in US elections. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not invited to the Alaska summit, which he has denounced as a reward to Putin, and has refused Trump's calls to surrender territory. Trump promised not to finalize any deal with Putin alone, and said he hoped to hold a three-way summit with Zelensky, possibly immediately afterwards in Alaska. "The second meeting is going to be very, very important, because that's going to be a meeting where they make a deal. And I don't want to use the word 'divvy' things up. But you know, to a certain extent, it's not a bad term," Trump told Fox News Radio. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters any future deal needed also to ensure "security guarantees" for Ukraine. But Trump has previously backed Russia's stance in ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine. - Shifting Trump tone - Trump had boasted that he could end the war within 24 hours of returning to the White House in January. But his calls to Putin -- and intense pressure on Zelensky to accept concessions -- have failed to move the Russian leader and Trump has warned of "very severe consequences" if Putin keeps snubbing his overtures. The talks are set to begin at 11:30 am (1930 GMT) Friday at the Elmendorf Air Force Base, a major US military installation in Alaska that has been crucial in monitoring Russia. Zelensky met in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who vowed solidarity, a day after receiving support in Berlin. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Putin on Friday to seize the "opportunity" of a ceasefire. "The goal must be a summit also attended by President Zelensky" where "a ceasefire must be agreed", he said in a statement, adding that Trump "can now take a major step toward peace". Russia has made major gains on the ground ahead of the summit. Ukraine on Thursday issued a mandatory evacuation of families with children from the eastern town of Druzhkivka and four nearby villages near an area where Russia made a swift breakthrough. - Mixed views on diplomacy - Diplomacy since Russia's invasion has largely failed to secure agreements beyond swaps of prisoners. Russia said Thursday it had returned 84 prisoners to Ukraine in exchange for an equal number of Russian POWs. The war has proved divisive in the United States, with a Pew Research Center poll finding that 59 percent of Americans lacked confidence in Trump's wisdom on the issue. Anchorage, nestled under mountains, bore few indications it was the center of global attention except for signs denouncing Putin put up on downtown streets, where people gave mixed opinions of the summit. "I think it's a travesty to invite a war criminal like Putin to the United States. My primary concern is that he's going to negotiate away everything and it's not going to be possible to have a peaceful solution," said Jay Ahuja, 62, a retiree from North Carolina. But Kimberly Brown, a 63-year-old retiree from Ohio, said Alaska was a "perfect place" for the summit. "I just think that Trump is the best person to negotiate world peace." burs-sct/sst/tc/fox Montana homeowners have until Oct. 1 to apply for rebates of up to $400 on their 2024 property tax bills, relief that is one component of a bipartisan push by lawmakers and Gov. Greg Gianforte to address rising residential property taxes. According to the Montana Department of Revenue, the rebates are available for single-family homes, apartments, condos and mobile homes owned and occupied by Montana taxpayers for at least seven months in 2024. Properties owned by limited liability corporations and some types of trusts are ineligible. The Legislature also did not provide for rebates for renters, who typically pay their landlords property taxes via their rent. Taxpayers can apply for the rebate via the revenue department website at getmyrebate.mt.gov. The application requires the property owners name and Social Security number as well as the propertys Montana Cadastral system geocode. Taxpayers who paid less than $400 in 2024 property taxes will also need to provide the amount of taxes billed on tax notice sent to them by their county treasurer last fall. Most larger Montana counties also offer an iTax service or other web system that lets the public look up tax bills by address or owner name. That list includes Yellowstone, Missoula, Cascade, Gallatin, Flathead and Lewis and Clark counties. The rebates were part of the second-home tax and homestead tax relief package passed by the Legislature and signed by Gianforte, a Republican, earlier this year. Other provisions of the package rework tax calculations to reduce bills for owner-occupied and long-term rental residences. Those provisions will take effect starting with the 2025 tax bills that will be mailed this fall. The state previously provided larger rebates of up to $675 on homeowner taxes billed in 2023 and 2022. More information about the rebates and application process is available on the revenue department website. The application period will be open from Friday to Oct. 1. AHDB has admitted to a data blunder in this years wheat harvest report, sparking concern among farmers already battered by poor yields and extreme weather. The levy organisation has issued an apology after discovering an error in the background wheat yield data within its latest harvest progress report, published on 8 August. AHDB has not yet shared the specific details of the error. A revised report, including data for the week ending 6 August, will soon be published on its website. It comes as farms across the UK have experienced unusually early harvests this year due to hotter than average temperatures and dry conditions, with yields varying widely across the country and some producers facing significant losses. Jeremy Clarkson, who farms in Oxfordshire, labelled the harvest catastrophic, adding that hes put all our grain in a hoover bag with the beans failing, barley yields described as dismal, and just two of the 400,000 beetroot plants surviving. Following feedback from growers and the wider industry, AHDB said it had worked with its data provider, the Andersons Centre, to investigate the issue. Andersons subsequently confirmed that an error had occurred. AHDB said: We recognise the pressures cereal farmers have faced this year, which have been compounded by extreme weather, challenging growing conditions, and increased costs. It added: [We] apologise for this error and remain committed to openness and transparency. We recognise how valuable this survey is to our levy payers, and we are working with Andersons to correct the issue as quickly as possible. The second harvest report, covering up to 23 July, sampled 10% of the wheat crop and indicated yields were 11% below the five-year average. By the time half the crop had been harvested, as reported on 8 August, the yield outlook appeared more positive, down only 1% on average, although major variability between farms was noted. The levy organisation concluded: AHDB takes feedback on our data and insights from levy payers extremely seriously. "We will be reviewing our internal processes and methodology, as well as our work with third parties, to ensure the robustness and accuracy of future harvest progress reports. Farmers in England are racing against the clock to secure vital Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) payments before the 18 August deadline. The scheme, which rewards sustainable farming practices, was reopened in July after being abruptly halted in March a move that caused widespread disruption to farm businesses. Only around 3,000 farmers who had started but not submitted applications before the closure were given another chance to complete the process. Launched in 2022, the SFI programme supports landowners, tenants and some common land users to cut carbon emissions and adopt greener farming methods. Payments include 40 per hectare for the first year on the first 50 hectares under management, dropping to 20 per hectare in years two and three, with further rewards for delivering high environmental benefits. Charlotte Ibbs, recently appointed head of rural at property firm Bruton Knowles, is warning farmers and landowners not to miss the deadline. She said the abrupt halt of the SFI applications earlier this year had caused real disruption for thousands of businesses. The sudden closure of the application process has left a lasting mark on the farming community and trust in the system has been significantly shaken. The decision to reopen the scheme to a select group is welcome, but it unfortunately doesnt undo the damage." She urged farmers to carefully review any applications they had begun before the scheme was unexpectedly paused. Regardless, we strongly encourage farmers and landowners to double check the status of any applications they may have started before the unexpected closure. "You may still have the opportunity to complete and submit them. With the busy demands of the farming calendar, it can be easy to let these things slip through the cracks, but the SFI provides valuable financial support, and a quick check now could prevent missed opportunities later." Defras unexpected closure of the scheme earlier this year fuelled criticism within the farming industry of poor government communication. While the department has pledged to reform the process with a new approach expected in 2026, Ms Ibbs more must be done to restore confidence. She explained: "This means clear timelines and early warning notices in the case of closures or caps so that farmers and landowners can plan with confidence. Creating a more open dialogue with the sector is crucial as the success of the new SFI will not only rely on what it offers but how openly and reliably it is delivered. "Clearly sharing the criteria for closures or pauses can avoid confusion and frustration whilst publicly publishing allocation thresholds can help avoid surprise cut-offs." British lamb is taking the spotlight this September as farmers and industry leaders unite to celebrate a decade of the Love Lamb Week initiative. A packed programme of activity from 1-7 September will celebrate lambs versatility, nutritional value, and the farmers and landscapes behind its production. First launched a decade ago by Cumbrian farmer Rachel Lumley to boost lamb consumption during peak season, Love Lamb Week has grown into a key fixture in the farming calendar. Farmers have played a leading role in driving the campaigns success by sharing their own stories on social media, helping consumers connect with where their food comes from. Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is spearheading the campaign, working alongside AHDB in England, HCC in Wales, LMC in Northern Ireland, and other major industry groups. Emma Heath, director of marketing at QMS, said: We are delighted to be working collaboratively with the other levy boards and the wider stakeholder group, including the National Sheep Association (NSA) and the NFU. "Its a great opportunity to celebrate lamb and the farmers and climate we have in the UK which makes it the perfect place to rear lamb. The campaign will also extend QMSs popular Make it Lamb initiative, offering consumers inspiring recipes. Katie James, NSA communications manager, said: Love Lamb Week is about more than just promotion its about building pride, awareness, and lasting support for our sector. "As we reflect on ten years of championing lamb production and UK sheep farming, we know the campaigns real success is driven by farmers, highlighting their commitment to sustainable farming, and showcasing the delicious, nutritious product they work so hard to produce." Each levy board is rolling out its own promotional push: In Scotland, QMS will highlight Scotch Lamb across social media, press, and influencer partnerships, supported by video content and consumer PR. In England, AHDB will launch a paid social media campaign, in-store product stickers, recipe resources, and childrens educational packs. In Wales, Hybu Cig Cymru's (Meat Promotion Wales) Experts in their field campaign will include TV, digital, social media and retailer partnerships, with new recipes and farmer stories. In Northern Ireland, the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) will run farm education programmes, sampling events, farmer testimonials, and a Love Lamb Week landing page backed by a radio partnership. Industry groups including NFU and Red Tractor are also supporting the week, highlighting lambs role in shaping rural landscapes, boosting biodiversity, and delivering high welfare and production standards. Liam Byrne, AHDBs director of marketing, said: We are thrilled to team up with the industry and champion British lamb, recognising the incredible hard work of our farmers. "They work tirelessly with nature to produce naturally delicious lamb, playing a crucial role in putting food on our plates. The government has raised the UK's avian influenza risk levels, citing widespread infection in wild birds and increased exposure risk for poultry. In its latest assessment issued today (15 August), Defra warned that while the disease is spreading widely in wild bird populations, the risk to poultry varies depending on farm biosecurity standards. According to government scientists, the risk level of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds is now classed as high. The risk to poultry is now medium occurring regularly on premises where biosecurity is suboptimal or poor. For flocks where stringent biosecurity is consistently maintained, the risk level is classed as low rare but possible. Officials are urging all poultry keepers, from commercial farms to backyard flocks, to tighten biosecurity measures to prevent contact between domestic birds and wild species. Public health authorities maintain that the risk to humans remains low at this time. Defra said in a statement: "Following a change in the pattern of wild bird findings and an increase in cases in poultry and captive birds, the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry with sub-optimal biosecurity has been increased to medium (event occurs regularly)." It comes amid a notable surge in bird flu cases across the UK this summer, with several outbreaks reported in commercial and wild bird populations. In the past month alone, the virus was confirmed in commercial poultry flocks in Devon, Norfolk, Somerset and County Durham. The rise in cases triggered RSPCA Assured to announce it is ramping up efforts to support poultry farmers with flexible assessments, biosecurity measures and welfare guidance following the uptick in cases. Meanwhile, NFU Mutual recently warned that its books will close at the beginning of next month for farmers to secure rare avian influenza insurance. North Yorkshire farms have a golden opportunity to slash energy bills and cut emissions with nearly 50,000 in sustainability fundingapplications close 19 September. The Business Sustainability Programme by York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority supports farms in implementing changes recommended through local authority audits. The programme also supports farms undertaking changes recommended through the Grow Yorkshire decarbonisation support programme, as well as assessments carried out by approved private sector organisations. The initiative is designed to enhance farm resilience, reduce costs, and accelerate the adoption of greener practices across the region. The programme builds on previous rounds of funding from the Shared Prosperity Fund, which have already benefited local farmers. Mark Dinsdale of Low Gill Farm, who received funding to install an anaerobic digester, said the improvements had dramatically reduced our reliance on the national grid, and we hope to be exporting green energy back to the grid very soon. He added: This project will put us in a good position keeping us in dairying and going forward to achieve net zero. The scheme also aims to position York and North Yorkshire as a hub for green enterprise, demonstrating the benefits of decarbonising local farms and businesses. David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: "Farmers are at the forefront of feeding the UK. We know they are facing enormous pressures right now and I've committed to making sure more farms are profitable to withstand those external pressures, such as climate change. Thats why we've made 1.9 million available through our Business Sustainability Programme. This will support farmers to cut their energy bills and emissions, all while contributing to our region's ambition to become net zero by 2034 and the first carbon negative region in England by 2040." Applications for the programme are open to eligible farms and other businesses across York and North Yorkshire until 19 September. To read the full story, become a PRIME member today. PRIME Unlimited Access to Insightful Industry Information All Corporate Members and TexPro Subscribers are eligible to access F2F PRIME CONTENT using the same login credentials. Director Ramesh Sippys Sholay hit the screens on August 15, 1975 to coincide with the celebrations of Independence Day. The films poster played it up as the greatest story ever told with the greatest star cast ever assembled. Said to be inspired from Akira Kurosawas Seven Samurai (1954) and Sergio Leones Once Upon A Time In The West (1968), Sholay was a 204-minute tale of crime and punishment. But the initial dismissal of the film as a poor imitation of spaghetti Westerns left Ramesh Sippy distraught. Debutant Amjad Khan as bandit Gabbar Singh was dubbed a nonconforming villain, his supposedly 'weak' voice dulling the thunder. Amitabh Bachchan's character Jai was bumped off in the climax leaving audiences disenchanted by the hero's unlikely exit. But a few days later, in an uncanny turnaround, the never-seen-before spectacle including its dialogue got the ticket windows working overtime. Apart from the heroic characters played by Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra and Amitabh, Amjad's psychopathic Gabbar became an allegorical creature in film lore. "Jab bachcha raat ko rota hai, toh maa kehti hai bete so ja ... nahi toh Gabbar Singh aa jayega!" says he in a scene validating his myth. While Sholay was bullet-driven, the subtext was emotional and entertaining with the peripheral characters spawning spoofs and parodies till date. Sholay played for five years at Mumbai's Minerva cinema. Five decades later, it's seen as a pillar of Hindi cinema. Director Anubhav Sinha, who has been a Sholay buff all his life, fondly recalls the impact and influence the film had on his young mind. In his own words: Huge canvas I was around 10 when I watched Sholay in Allahabad. Naturally, I was blown over. Cinema, besides telling a story, should take you through an experience. Film watching is a collective community activity. Sholay was just that. For someone growing up in small-town Benaras, I was not exposed to Hollywood films. Sholay was the first motion picture to be advertised as a 70mm film. We didn't understand what it meant. But the icon on the poster indicated the blown-up canvas. Engaging plot The story was captivating. Hoodlums Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmedra) are hired by ex-police officer Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) to capture dacoit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) alive. Thakur shares a violent past with Gabbar, who massacred his family and had cut off his arms. The film captivates you instantly. Dwarka Divecha's cinematography captures the hilly terrain, the rocks and the rustic topography right from the credits. The opening scene has a solitary man on a solitary station waiting for the train. As the train comes in... you feel it's coming on to you. Such is the camera work aided by the stereophonic surround sound. Iconic leads All characters forge a special connection with you. Sanjeev Kumar as the beleaguered Thakur was not the classic hero for a 10-year-old. But I always adored him as an actor. Normally, he never played an angry man. His was a jolly countenance. But here he's all fury. Early into the film, Thakur's stoic stance where he says 'loha lohe ko kaatta hai (iron cuts iron) justifying his decision to hire Jai and Veeru... establishes his mission. When he briefs Jai and Veeru about their job, having the safe opened in front of them his is a loaded demeanor. Amjad Khan as Gabbar redefined the villain. Hes terrifying, the masterful writing building up his fearful persona. The way it was executed and performed made Gabbar reach mythical proportions. His entry in the film in army green and boots striding up and down, swinging a belt as he climbs up a rock remains unforgettable. A crucial scene is when Gabbar after gunning down Thakurs family turns his attention on his grandson. You saw everyone else fall and die. You cant bear to see him shoot the child. While Gabbar trains his gun at the boy, the scene immediately cuts to the exhaust of a steam engine train. That moment remains frozen in memory. So is the sight of the empty swing as Thakurs family lies dead its eerie swaying gives you gooseflesh. Thakur is shocked to find his family in shrouds. Radha (Jaya Bachchan), his sons widow and the only survivor weeps in sorrow. The saree and red bangles hes brought her drop from his hands onto the ground shattered like her dreams. Also defining is the scene where Gabbar is informed that Imam Rahim chachas (A K Hangal) son Ahmed (Sachin Pilgaonkar) would be travelling to another place for work. Just then Gabbar eyes an insect moving up his hand. In a sadistic gesture he squashes it symbolising the demolishing of Ahmed. Romance galore On a lighter side, Basanti (Hema Malini) and Veeru's chemistry is playful. While Jai's nonchalant comments interspersing their conversation make them an engaging trio. I found the synergy between Basanti and Dhanno awesome too. Basanti's tonga being chased by dacoits is a remarkable scene with her urging Dhanno, "Chal Dhanno aaj teri Basanti ke ijjat ka sawal hai!" In contrast is the quiet vibe between the brooding Jai and grieving Radha. The silence between them speaks. Every evening, while Radha turns off the lamps Jai plays the soulful tune on the harmonica. Till date it haunts me. Theirs is another level of love. It doesn't require any physical manifestation. Only once or twice do their eyes meet, once when Jai is riding a donkey and she shows up in front and the other when he helps her get hold of a playful goat. That's the only obvious romantic moment between them. Also during Holi while Basanti and Veeru are dancing, Jai spots a forlorn Radha on the mandir steps draped in white, cutting a stark picture. A contrast of two realities. I remember being so sad about Jai dying in the end. Memorable characters Even the peripheral characters are memorable. Viju Khote plays Kaalia and Macmohan essays Sambha, both henchmen who grew so popular. Kaalia's line, "Sardaar, humne aapka namak khaya hai," to which Gabbar retorts, "Ab goli kha!" is a nugget to remember. Just like when Gabbar asks Sambha how much prize money is riding on him and he answers with pride, "Poore pacchas hajaar!" The image of him seated on a hillock is forever associated with Sambha. Jagdeep's loud-mouthed wood-dealer Soorma Bhopali, Asrani's Angrezon ke zamaane ka jailor, Keshto Mukherjee's Hariram naai, Leela Mishra's Mausiji... all these characters became strongly associated with the respective actors. To elaborate, Asrani's lines, "Aadhey udhar jao, aadhey udhar jao, baaki mere peeche aao..." is hilarious. Even Helenji and Jalal Agha in the song Mehbooba o mehbooba are extraordinary. Who could have imagined Jalal dancing? The late Saroj Khanji always said, "You don't dance with your body; you dance with your face." That's true of Helenji. Similarly, Leela Mishra as Mausiji shines in the scene where Jai meets her with a marriage proposal on behalf of Veeru for Basanti. Leela Mishraji was from Benares. She lived in the lane behind my house. She brought in so much Benares in the scene! Shes naive and yet can see through the con. His proposal rejected, a drunken Veeru threatens to jump off the water tank. A village, which doesnt have electricity, has a water tank! But audiences overlooked the discrepancy because of the compelling story-telling. Terrific sound Jai's 'trick coin', which always comes up heads, is also a character. Every time there's a crucial decision to make, Jai tosses the counterfeit coin, thereby manipulating the situation. Such was the reverberation of the coin that audiences turned around to see if it had actually fallen behind them. Similarly gripping is the film's dialogue. LP records and audio cassettes of the dialogue with gunshots and galloping horses, all in stereo, were played in streets and functions. The two important things a director must possess are first a vision and then the leadership to convert the vision into moving images. You also require a strong team to help you in that. The fact that Ramesh Sippyji had such a vision and converted it into a monumental movie speaks of his brilliance. The film is made with so much love that every aspect, including the theme music, the mouth organ tune, the background score... everything has a life of its own. That's what I call serendipity, something that goes beyond planning. Where everything falls into place perfectly. This kind of connection with the audience cannot be designed. It just happens... This is my takeaway from Sholay. ALSO READ: An Ode To Sholay From Someone Who Watched It For The First Time In 2025 Indias 79th Independence Day was marked with pride, gratitude, and creative tributes from Bollywood celebrities. From emotional reflections to vibrant visuals, stars used their social media platforms to share the spirit of the day. Their posts carried messages of unity and celebration. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jolly Mishra - Asli Jolly from Kanpur (@akshaykumar) Ananya Pandey opted for elegance, holding the Indian flag while wearing traditional ethnic wear. Her caption read, Saare Jahan Se Achcha Hindustan Hamara. Check out his post here: On the sunny shores of India, Akshay Kumar shared a heartfelt moment with real-life heroes, the beach cleaners. Posting a photo with them, he wrote, Freedom feels brighter when we care for the ground beneath our feet. Was enjoying beachside volleyball when I met these real life heroes keeping our beaches clean all smiles, all heart. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ananya (@ananyapanday) Mrunal Thakur posted a thoughtful quote on her story: We carry the stories. Remember the struggle and honour the space to write our own. Her message reminded followers about the journey and sacrifices behind Indias freedom. Priyanka Chopra Jonas kept it classic with a short video of the Indian flag waving, paired with #HappyIndependenceDay. Priyanka Chopra Jonas kept it classic with a short video of the Indian flag waving, paired with #HappyIndependenceDay. Varun Dhawan combined patriotism with promotion, revealing the first motion poster of his upcoming film Border 2. The poster confirmed the release date as January 22, 2026. View this post on Instagram A post shared by VarunDhawan (@varundvn) Arjun Kapoor went the creative route, sharing an animation of his cartoon avatar hosting the national flag. Raveena Tandon posted a unique picture of a dog holding the Indian flag, captioning it Freedom for all. She also voiced her concern about the recent Supreme Court order to send all stray dogs from Delhi to shelters, writing, When the authorities failed. There is always a fall guy. Inefficiency/Corruption has led to this disaster. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Raveena Tandon (@officialraveenatandon) Varun Dhawan combined patriotism with promotion, revealing the first motion poster of his upcoming film Border 2. The poster confirmed the release date as January 22, 2026. From quiet reflections to grand gestures, Bollywoods Independence Day celebrations in 2025 were a blend of love for the nation and personal expression. See Also: Independence Day 2024: Indian films releasing this Independence Day Bollywood has a long history of celebrating the spirit of patriotism. As we honour the nation today on Independence Day, let's take a moment to look at some of the best on-screen patriotic roles done by Bollywood actors. Akshay Kumar Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, Baby, Kesari Akshay Kumar has become a go-to actor for films that blend action with patriotism. In Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, he's a soldier on leave who uncovers and foils a terrorist plot, showing that a soldiers duty never truly ends. In Baby, he leads a covert team to neutralize terror threats, showcasing the grit and intelligence of India's intelligence agents. And as Havildar Ishar Singh in Kesari, he portrays a real-life hero leading 21 Sikh soldiers in a valiant last stand against a massive Afghan army, which was a story of extraordinary bravery and sacrifice. Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Akshaye Khanna Border Few roles are as iconic as Sunny Deol's portrayal of Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri in Border. His powerful dialogue delivery and intense performance captured the essence of a leader rallying his troops during the Battle of Longewala. Supported extremely well by characters of Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, and Akshaye Khanna, Border was a huge success. The film remains a timeless tribute to the Indian Army's courage and an example of patriotic cinema. Sidharth Malhotra Shershaah Sidharth Malhotra's role as Captain Vikram Batra in Shershaah was a career-defining performance for him. He brought to life the story of a real-life hero from the Kargil War, showing not just his bravery on the battlefield but also the personal journey of a young man driven by love for his country. His performance was both inspiring and deeply moving. Vicky Kaushal URI: The Surgical Strike, Sardar Udham, Sam Bahadur In URI: The Surgical Strike, Vicky Kaushal delivers an unforgettable performance as Major Vihaan Singh Shergill, leading a team on a daring retaliatory mission. The film is a powerful tribute to the special forces. In Sardar Udham, he transforms into the revolutionary freedom fighter, detailing the life of a man driven by a single purpose: to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. And in Sam Bahadur, he plays the legendary Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw with charisma and authority, giving audiences a glimpse into the life of one of India's greatest military leaders. Ajay Devgn - The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Bhuj: The Pride of India Ajay Devgn's performance as the revolutionary Bhagat Singh in The Legend of Bhagat Singh was a true masterclass. He captured the passion and resolve of a young man who sacrificed everything for India's freedom. In Bhuj: The Pride of India, he plays Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik, a real-life hero who, with the help of 300 local women, rebuilt a damaged airstrip to aid India's victory in the 1971 war. Hrithik Roshan - Lakshya In Lakshya, Hrithik Roshan takes us on a journey of self-discovery as Karan Shergill, a young man who finds purpose and honour by joining the Indian Army. The film beautifully shows his transformation from a directionless youth to a committed officer, leading his platoon to victory during the Kargil conflict and proving that true patriotism is also a journey of personal growth. John Abraham Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran John Abraham, alongside Diana Penty, delivers a good performance in Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran. As Ashwat Raina, he leads a team of scientists and spies to carry out India's top-secret nuclear test in 1998. The film celebrates the resilience of the people who worked behind the scenes to make India a nuclear power. Aamir Khan Mangal Pandey: The Rising Aamir Khan's portrayal of the revolutionary soldier Mangal Pandey: The Rising is a powerful look at the events that sparked the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He captures the rebellious spirit and bravery of the man who dared to challenge the British East India Company, making the film a compelling historical drama. Shah Rukh Khan - Swades Shah Rukh Khans portrayal of Mohan Bhargav in Swades offers a different, more introspective take on patriotism. As a successful NASA scientist who returns to his roots in India, he finds himself inspired to use his skills to improve the lives of villagers. The films message is that true patriotism lies not in grand gestures but in a quiet commitment to making a positive difference in your own country. Also Read: Independence Day 2024: Indian films releasing this Independence Day On India's 79th Independence Day, the film fraternity like always, came forth to celebrate the moment with some heartfelt notes, images, and clips. Everyone welcomes this day of pride in their own ways. Shah Rukh Khan grabbed the spotlight today with a patriotic post featuring a throwback picture. It was cherished tradition at the Mannat household to hoist the flag on the terrace. However, Shah Rukh Khan and his family have shifted to a temporary residence few months back at Pali Hill, owing to renovations at Mannat. Shah Rukh took to social media to share a throwback image of him and his youngest son AbRam celebrating Independence Day at their Mannat terrace. A beautiful tricolour waved in the wind next to them. The post was accompanied by a heartfelt note from the star, which read, Our Independence is our greatest gift... a key to our progress. Lets keep our heads held high and hearts open. Happy Independence Day to all of us... Jai Hind! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) As is the case with mostly every Shah Rukh Khan post, the comments section was flooded with fans being pleased. One of them commented, Happy Independence Day to you King! Another wrote, Best View! An excited fan mentioned, I am eagerly waiting for your new movie KING! A fan wrote the lyrics from one of Shah Rukhs film, Happy New Year, Kehte Hai Humko Pyar se Indiawaale. In recent news, Shah Rukh Khan was conferred with the National Award in the Best Actor In A Leading Role category for his 2023 film Jawan. The decision was immensely celebrated by fans and his fraternity friends. He had taken to social media to express his gratitude for the same. He wrote, Thank you for honouring me with the National Award. Thanks to the jury, the I&B ministry. Iss samman ke liye Bharat Sarkar ka dhanyawaad. Overwhelmed with the love showered upon me. Half a hug to everyone today. On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan will next be seen in King directed by Siddharth Anand. The cast also features Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Abhay Verma, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Saurabh Shukla. According to reports, Deepika Padukone, Rani Mukerji, Anil Kapoor, and Jackie Shroff will also be part of the project, which is currently in production. Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan wishes Independence Day in his unique style Highlighting Taiwan's Growing Contribution to Global Defense UAV Integration TAIPEI, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The global military drone market was valued at USD 36.14 billion in 2023 and is projected to nearly double to USD 88.01 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 13.8% (source: Grand View Research). Taiwan-based UAV system integrator Jiin Ming Industrial will make its debut at the 2025 Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE), presenting under the theme "Built for Missions. Ready to Adapt." The company will showcase its latest unmanned aerial platforms and modular integration solutions at the Taiwan Defense Industry Development Association Pavilion (Booth No. J0418). Jiin Ming specializes in UAV systems for defense and tactical missions, developing its own flight control, video transmission, and communication technologies. Its platforms feature a highly modular architecture, enabling rapid payload reconfiguration for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), communications relay, and command-and-control applications. All systems are built on a secure, non-PRC supply chain, ensuring operational stability and data protection for sensitive deployments. Featured UAV Platforms: VIPER - Multirotor UAV: Tactical surveillance and reconnaissance, modular payloads, cruising speed 60 km/h, flight time 15 minutes. Tactical surveillance and reconnaissance, modular payloads, cruising speed 60 km/h, flight time 15 minutes. SABER - Fixed-Wing UAV: High-speed FPV UAV, top speed 300 km/h, endurance 20 minutes, designed for rapid tactical response. Demonstrating its global integration capabilities, Jiin Ming will also present UAV platforms from Poland, highlighting the company's international partnerships in advanced aerial systems. "Our mission is to deliver scalable, secure, and adaptable UAV solutions that meet evolving operational requirements," said a Jiin Ming spokesperson. "By leveraging strong R&D and system integration expertise, we ensure every platform is configured to mission needs from the earliest design stage." Exhibition Details: Date: September 18-20, 2025 September 18-20, 2025 Venue: Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1, Taiwan Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1, Taiwan Booth: J0418 (Taiwan Defense Industry Development Association Pavilion) View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/jiin-ming-to-debut-mission-ready-modular-uav-platforms-at-tadte-2025-302530734.html Delivering World-class Solutions and Services to Drive Academic Success LONDON, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarivate Plc (NYSE: CLVT), a leading provider of transformative intelligence, has signed an agreement with the University of Melbourne, Australia's leading university, to provide a comprehensive suite of library solutions and services. The solutions include Alma, Primo, Leganto, Rapido and Library Open Workflows, encompassing library management systems, information resource discovery, sharing and subject reading lists. This collaboration will provide the University of Melbourne with a world-class library systems platform that is purpose-fit, efficient, and user-focused. The solutions will enable library users to access resources through advanced discovery systems, streamline operations and enhance data-driven decision-making. By integrating academic artificial intelligence (AI) and linked data, these solutions will enhance teaching and learning, research and broader community scholarly experience. Asaf Kline, Vice President of Academic Libraries solutions, Clarivate said: "The collaboration between the University of Melbourne and Clarivate dates back two decades. We are very proud to collaborate with the University again to transform its library systems and drive scholarly success. Our proven solutions enable libraries to enhance their operational efficiency and effectiveness, driving impactful change and delivering improved user experiences for both students and faculty. At Clarivate, we are always committed to helping academic institutions think forward by connecting them to trusted content, deep expertise and responsible innovation." Gwenda Thomas, Director, Scholarly Services and University Librarian at the University of Melbourne, said: "Our important work in Scholarly Services builds and manages one of the most diverse and significant collections of scholarly and research resources in Australia. The implementation of the Alma platform will align the University with leading institutions globally, as it is a proven, flexible, and integrated solution currently used by over 2,700 libraries worldwide." About Clarivate Clarivate is a leading global provider of transformative intelligence. We offer enriched data, insights & analytics, workflow solutions and expert services in the areas of Academia & Government, Intellectual Property and Life Sciences & Healthcare. For more information, please visit www.clarivate.com Media contact: Jack Wan, External Communications Director newsroom@clarivate.com About the University of Melbourne Established in 1853, the University of Melbourne is one of Australia's oldest universities and the first in Victoria. Today, the University's vibrant community comprises over 77,000 students, including 46 per cent international students from more than 150 countries, who are supported by over 13,000 academic and professional staff. A network of more than 500,000 alumni around the world attests to the transformative impact of a University of Melbourne education. The University is home to nine faculties with state-of-the-art facilities and a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, it remains a driving force in shaping the future through impactful research. The University's commitment to excellence has earned its place among the world's best universities, delivering education and research outcomes that are global in reach, ambition and impact. Media contact: media-enquiries@unimelb.edu.au | +61 3 8344 4123 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1159266/Clarivate_Logo_v1.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/clarivate-partners-with-the-university-of-melbourne-to-transform-library-systems-302530464.html Warsaw, Poland--(Newsfile Corp. - August 14, 2025) - CosmicUp, an innovative AI subscription service, is launching its all-in-one platform designed to transform how professionals, educators, and creatives interact with top-tier AI models. This platform provides seamless, unlimited access to leading generative AI models for text, code, and image generation - all through a single monthly subscription plan. This breakthrough service eliminates the need for multiple subscriptions and accounts, enabling users to tap into the full potential of AI technologies at an affordable rate. CosmicUp Launches All-in-One Subscription Platform To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/259586_cc24a00714727b6c_002full.jpg "We strive to simplify the AI experience. CosmicUp removes the complexity of managing multiple subscriptions, allowing users to seamlessly integrate cutting-edge AI into their daily workflows," said Matteo Leo, Founder of CosmicUp. Key Features of CosmicUp: Multi-AI Model Interaction : CosmicUp users can seamlessly switch between AI engines without losing conversational context, ensuring smooth transitions across tasks and projects. This empowers users to optimize their AI-driven workflows. : CosmicUp users can seamlessly switch between AI engines without losing conversational context, ensuring smooth transitions across tasks and projects. This empowers users to optimize their AI-driven workflows. AI Code Assistant : Developers can generate, debug, and refactor code on demand. The platform provides fully formatted outputs compatible with major programming languages, streamlining coding tasks and improving productivity. : Developers can generate, debug, and refactor code on demand. The platform provides fully formatted outputs compatible with major programming languages, streamlining coding tasks and improving productivity. Document and Data Analysis : CosmicUp supports a wide range of file formats, including PDFs, DOCX, CSVs, and XLSX. Users can upload documents and instantly receive summaries, trend analyses, and key insights, making data processing more efficient and effective. : CosmicUp supports a wide range of file formats, including PDFs, DOCX, CSVs, and XLSX. Users can upload documents and instantly receive summaries, trend analyses, and key insights, making data processing more efficient and effective. Organized Workspace : Users can create nested folders and subfolders to categorize research, client projects, and study materials. This feature enhances organization, allowing users to manage complex workflows with ease. : Users can create nested folders and subfolders to categorize research, client projects, and study materials. This feature enhances organization, allowing users to manage complex workflows with ease. CosmicUp Web and Deep Research: The platform's real-time web search feature allows users to access the most up-to-date information available. Additionally, the Deep Research tool can generate comprehensive research reports by scanning over 50 sources in just 15 minutes, providing an exhaustive view of a given topic. Affordable Pricing and Flexible Plans CosmicUp offers an affordable subscription model, priced at 7.99 for the first month with coupon code, and 14.99 per month thereafter. The platform provides a free plan to explore the tool and its functionality, giving users a complete understanding of the multiple features available in the Plus plan. This ensures that individuals can assess the platform's capabilities before committing to an upgrade. For detailed pricing options, visit the CosmicUp pricing page. For those seeking additional features, CosmicUp Plus provides unlimited access to Thunder Models, with a monthly quota of 2 million characters, high-speed response rates, premium prompt-engineering tools, and priority customer support. Seamless Onboarding and Support New users can explore CosmicUp's models without the need for a credit card, gaining access to tools including a wide range of advanced AI models for text, code, and image generation. With a quick and intuitive sign-up process through email or Google, users can immediately start utilizing the platform's powerful AI tools. CosmicUp also offers 24/7 customer support, ensuring minimal setup time and rapid resolution of any issues. The Future of AI-Driven Workflows CosmicUp's platform is designed to support a wide range of industries, from marketing and development to research and education. By providing a unified, all-in-one AI platform, CosmicUp empowers users to integrate the latest AI technologies into their workflows, making it easier than ever to innovate and stay ahead of the competition. "We believe that by democratizing access to powerful AI tools, we can foster greater creativity, productivity, and innovation across industries," said Leo. "With CosmicUp, users no longer have to worry about complex configurations or juggling multiple accounts-they can focus on what matters most: their work." About CosmicUp CosmicUp is a cutting-edge AI subscription platform developed by LumaUp sp. z o.o. Launched in 2024, the platform provides unlimited access to top-tier AI models for professionals, creatives, and educators. With a focus on affordability, ease of use, and cutting-edge AI technologies, CosmicUp is revolutionizing the way people interact with artificial intelligence. For more information, visit: https://cosmicup.me. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259586 SOURCE: Plentisoft NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / August 14, 2025 / Lobe Sciences Ltd. ("Lobe Sciences" or the "Company") (CSE:LOBE)(OTCQB:LOBEF)(FWB:LOBE.F), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutics for rare and underserved diseases, announces the closing of the non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of up to 8,535,625 common share of the Company (each, a "Share") at a price of $0.04 per Share for gross proceeds of up to $341,425 CAD. This offering was previously announced on July 29th. Securities to be issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory four-month and one day hold period. None of the securities sold under the Offering have been and will not 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 the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Lobe Sciences Ltd. Lobe Sciences Ltd. (CSE:LOBE)(OTCQB:LOBEF)(FWB:LOBE.F) is a growth-stage biopharmaceutical company developing advanced treatments for rare and neurologically underserved conditions. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Altemia, Inc., and majority-owned Cynaptec Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Lobe is advancing a patented lipid-based delivery platform for the treatment of Sickle Cell Disease and a proprietary oral analog of psilocin-Conjugated Psilocin-targeted for Chronic Cluster Headache and related disorders. The Company's mission is to improve patient outcomes through innovation and precision-driven science. For further information, please contact: Dr. Fred D. Sancilio, CEO Lobe Sciences Ltd. Investor and Media Info@Lobesciences.com Phone: +1 (949) 505-5623 Website: www.lobesciences.com Neither the "CSE" 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. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This news release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding future estimates, plans, objectives, timing, assumptions or expectations of future performance, including, without limitation: the expectation that the Company will receive all necessary approvals to complete the Offering; the expectation that the Company will complete the Offering on the terms disclosed; and the intended use of proceeds of the Offering are forward-looking statements and contain forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should" or "would" or occur. Forward-looking statements are based on certain material assumptions and analysis made by the Company and the opinions and estimates of management as of the date of this press release, including, among other things, that: the Company will receive all necessary approvals to complete the Offering; that the Company will complete the Offering on the terms and timing anticipated; and that the proceeds from the Offering will be used as anticipated. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Important risks that may cause actual results to vary, include, without limitation, the risk that: the Company will not receive the necessary approvals to complete the Offering; that the Company will not complete the Offering on the terms disclosed, or at all; and that the Company will be unable to use the proceeds received from the Offering. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. SOURCE: Lobe Sciences Ltd. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/biotechnology/lobe-sciences-announces-the-closing-of-the-previously-announced-private-placement-1061083 Kunstliche Intelligenz, Magnificent Seven, Tech-Euphorie seit Monaten scheint an der Borse nur eine Richtung zu existieren: nach oben. Doch hinter den Rekordkursen lauert eine gefahrliche Wahrheit. Die Bewertungen vieler Tech-Schwergewichte haben historische Extremniveaus erreicht. Shiller-KGV bei 39, Buffett-Indikator auf Allzeithoch schon in der Dotcom-Ara war der Markt kaum teurer. Hinzu kommen euphorische Anlegerstimmung, IPO-Hypes ohne Substanz, kreditfinanzierte Wertpapierkaufe in Rekordhohe und charttechnische Warnsignale, die Erinnerungen an 2000 und 2021 wecken. Gleichzeitig drucken geopolitische Risiken, Trumps aggressive Zollpolitik und saisonale Borsenschwache auf die Perspektiven. Die Gefahr: Aus der schleichenden Korrektur konnte ein rasanter Crash werden und der konnte vor allem uberbewertete KI- und Chipwerte hart treffen. In unserem kostenlosen Spezial-Report zeigen wir Ihnen, welche Tech-Aktien am starksten gefahrdet sind und wie Sie Ihr Depot vor dem Platzen der Blase schutzen konnten. Holen Sie sich den neuesten Report! Dieses exklusive Angebot gilt aber nur fur kurze Zeit! Daher jetzt downloaden! 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! Operating cash flow grew 22% in the first half of the year Company reaffirms projected 2025 revenue of $30-35 million and 28% EBITDA margin Conference call today at 5:00 pm ET to discuss results DENVER, Aug. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intermap Technologies (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) ("Intermap" or the "Company"), a global leader in 3D geospatial intelligence solutions, today announced its financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2025. Second quarter revenue declined year over year from $3.6 million to $3.0 million due to timing effects from Indonesia and a commercial contract. The Company generated $2.1 million of operating cash flow during the quarter compared with a use of $500 thousand in the second quarter of 2024. Operating cash flow for the six months ended June 30, 2025 of $1.4 million increased 22% over the same period in 2024. In Acquisition Services, results include demobilization and other pursuit costs associated with Indonesia's Integrated Land Administration and Spatial Planning (ILASP) initiative. During the quarter, Indonesia completed its funding agreement with the World Bank, released a Draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for public comments, including World Bank requirements, and announced the U.S.-Indonesia trade agreement, specifically strengthening the opportunity for greater digital trade, services and investment in the country. Intermap has been a reliable, long-term investor in Indonesia with a permanent operation there and track record of capacity building and technology investment. During the quarter, the Company added to its pipeline of global government business. Intermap's pipeline includes several new multi-year opportunities with priorities across Southeast Asia, North America, South America and the Middle East. While recent U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) budget adjustments affected the timing of certain programs during the quarter, none of Intermap's DOD contracts experienced a reduction in funding ceilings as a result of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) review. Intermap's commercial insurance business continues to grow driven by AI/ML innovation. During the quarter, the Company began implementing with several clients its Insurance Risk Assistant Subsystem (IRAS), an agentic AI-driven SaaS solution that mitigates basis risk for insurers. This new and innovative product, developed over a 10-year period, improves property risk evaluation with authoritative data integration, advanced geospatial analytics and automation, supporting flood, fire, seismic, and wind vulnerability analysis, reducing underwriting errors, and improving claim predictability by up to 30%, while meeting regulatory requirements such as the EU's General Regulatory Data Protections Requirements (GDPR). Reflecting the successful issuance of 5.3 million shares for C$2.25 per share in February 2025, the Company settled non-recurring accrued liabilities and payables of $1.2 million during the quarter. Adjusting for these cash payments, earnings per share of $0.01 were flat and working capital (current assets less current liabilities) improved to $3.6 million. Dilutive shares were reduced by 1,309,308 and liquidity improved to $8.6 million from $3.8 million at December 31, 2024. The Company manages its liabilities to mitigate going concern risk, align incentive compensation with contracting performance and qualify for upcoming government tenders. The Company continues to focus on delivering priority GEOINT products and technology in mission-critical areas and geographies of the world where Intermap's exquisite solutions advance national security, risk management, navigation, data infrastructure modernization and digital data transformation. Outlook Intermap reaffirms its previously projected 2025 revenue of $30-35 million and a 28% EBITDA margin. The Company does not provide quarterly guidance and anticipates meeting its annual numbers based on expectations for the full year. Primary risks to the outlook include timing effects of government tenders and commercial adoption of new product launches. Quarterly Filing The Company's consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, along with management's discussion and analysis for the corresponding period and related management certifications for the second quarter financial results, will be filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the SEC's EDGAR website at SEC.gov on August 14, 2025. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure. The term earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) consists of net loss and excludes interest (financing costs), taxes, and depreciation. Adjusted EBITDA also excludes share-based compensation, fair value adjustments and foreign currency translation. See "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures" in Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the SEC's EDGAR website at SEC.gov. Conference Call Details Intermap's CEO Patrick A. Blott and CFO Jennifer Bakken will host a live webinar today, at 5:00 pm ET to review the results, provide Company updates and answer investor questions following the presentation. Intermap invites shareholders, analysts, investors, media representatives and other stakeholders to attend the earnings webinar to discuss the second quarter results. DATE Thursday, August 14, 2025 TIME 5:00 pm ET WEBCAST Register Learn more about Intermap here. Intermap Reader Advisory Certain information provided in this news release, including reference to revenue growth, EBITDA margin, future contracting, constitutes forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate", "expect", "project", "estimate", "forecast", "will be", "will consider", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Although Intermap believes that these statements are based on information and assumptions which are current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Intermap's forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties pertaining to, among other things, cash available to fund operations, availability of capital, revenue fluctuations, nature of government contracts, economic conditions, loss of key customers, retention and availability of executive talent, competing technologies, common share price volatility, loss of proprietary information, software functionality, internet and system infrastructure functionality, information technology security, breakdown of strategic alliances, and international and political considerations, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed Intermap's Annual Information Form and other securities filings. While the Company makes these forward-looking statements in good faith, should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that the Company will derive therefrom. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to Intermap or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities law. About Intermap Technologies Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Intermap (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) is a global leader in geospatial intelligence solutions, focusing on the creation and analysis of 3D terrain data to produce high-resolution thematic models. Through scientific analysis of geospatial information and patented sensors and processing technology, the Company provisions diverse, complementary, multi-source datasets to enable customers to seamlessly integrate geospatial intelligence into their workflows. Intermap's 3D elevation data and software analytic capabilities enable global geospatial analysis through artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing customers with critical information to understand their terrain environment. By leveraging its proprietary archive of the world's largest collection of multi-sensor global elevation data, the Company's collection and processing capabilities provide multi-source 3D datasets and analytics at mission speed, enabling governments and companies to build and integrate geospatial foundation data with actionable insights. Applications for Intermap's products and solutions include defense, aviation and UAV flight planning, flood and wildfire insurance, disaster mitigation, base mapping, environmental and renewable energy planning, telecommunications, engineering, critical infrastructure monitoring, hydrology, land management, oil and gas and transportation. For more information, please visit www.intermap.com or contact: Jennifer Bakken Executive Vice President and CFO CFO@intermap.com +1 (303) 708-0955 Sean Peasgood Investor Relations Sean@SophicCapital.com +1 (647) 260-9266 COPENHAGEN, DK / ACCESS Newswire / August 15, 2025 / Trophy Games Development (CPH:TGAMES) Company Announcement no. 24/2025 (August 15, 2025) *Contains Inside Information* Unaudited preliminary figures for H1 2025 - and, more importantly, results from July and the first half of August - have led to a narrowing of the 2025 revenue guidance range. New Financial Guidance 2025 Revenue DKK 96m-108m (previously DKK 85m-106m) EBITDA DKK 16m-20m EBT DKK 6m-9m The updated guidance now excludes The Ranchers due to uncertainty about the exact release date. The developer is currently finalising a public demo ahead of a Next Fest appearance and an Early Access launch. While builds are progressing well, the pace is slower than expected. The world is now fully built, and the focus has shifted to onboarding and polish before release. As The Ranchers is a premium title, it will not be released early or in an unfinished state. The full player experience must be ready from day one. Preliminary H1 2025 Results (Unaudited) Revenue: DKK 45.3m (H1 2024: DKK 45.4m) EBITDA: DKK 9.7m (H1 2024: DKK 12.5m) EBT: DKK 4.0m (H1 2024: DKK 8.0m) Performance in Q2 2025 exceeded expectations. However, a weaker USD impacted results, as more than half of our sales are USD-based. We see this currency shift as an opportunity to grow market share and have increased marketing budgets for Airline Manager and our new titles Truck Manager and Farm Manager . This reallocation has temporarily paused our buyback program to ensure liquidity. The higher revenue forecast does not immediately translate into higher EBITDA or EBT, as marketing investments typically have a break-even period of 6-12 months. Game Launch Updates The release of Farm Manager and the scaling of Truck Manager remain on track, with both showing potential to become our largest titles. At present, they generate monthly revenues of DKK 2-3m each, supported by significant marketing investment. It is still too early to project their full long-term potential. In Q2 2025, monthly revenue averaged DKK 7.8m. July, driven by Truck Manager and Farm Manager , reached DKK 10.7m, with August expected to be slightly higher - one of the main drivers of this updated guidance. H1 2025 Report In our half yearly report, to be released on August 19th, we will provide KPIs for our games and have additional data for July to help our investors be completely up to date in these exciting times. Investor Day Remember to join our investor day on August 26th: Sign up here! Contacts Trophy Games Development A/S Sren Gleie, CEO Office (+45) 7172 7573 Email: soren@trophy-games.com Mikkel Bryggers Gade 4, 2. sal, 1460 Copenhagen K, Denmark Certified Adviser Norden CEF John Norden Email: jn@nordencef.dk A/S Kongevejen 365, 2840 Holte, Denmark About Us Trophy Games is a data- and business-driven game company with a no-bullshit mentality. We build games around real-world interests to immerse players in their passion online! Attachments Trophy Games Revises 2025 Guidance SOURCE: Trophy Games Development View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/computers-technology-and-internet/trophy-games-revises-2025-guidance-1061436 LUXEMBOURG, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Globant (NYSE: GLOB) today announced results for the three months ended June 30, 2025. "This quarter, we continued making the strategic investments and bold moves needed to fully align with our new business model. As GenAI adoption accelerates across industries and the AI ecosystem grows in complexity, our market opportunity expands even further. Our pipeline has reached an all-time high of $3.7 billion-up 25% year-over-year-reflecting strong demand for our differentiated offering. At the center of this growth are our AI Pods, subscription model, AI Studios, and Globant Enterprise AI platform, which together define the "golden path" for enterprise-scale GenAI adoption. With our subscription model and AI Pods, we are reinventing the professional services industry-positioning Globant as a full-stack AI company that designs, builds, and integrates technology, platforms, and industry-specific expertise into scalable, outcome-driven solutions", expressed Martin Migoya, Globant CEO and co-founder. "Our second-quarter results underscore the resilience and operational discipline of our business. We delivered revenues of $614.2 million, an adjusted operating margin of 15.0%, and an adjusted diluted EPS of $1.53, reflecting both consistent execution and our ability to adapt in a dynamic market. During the quarter, we complemented our growth trajectory with the execution of strategic investments and a Business Optimization Plan, which included a one-time charge of $47.6 million. This initiative is a vital step toward enhancing our near-term profitability while strategically allocating resources for our AI Pods, subscription model and Globant Enterprise AI, positioning us as a full stack AI-company," explained Juan Urthiague, Globant's CFO. Please see highlights below. Note that reconciliations between IFRS and Non-IFRS financial measures are disclosed at the end of this press release. Second Quarter 2025 Financial Highlights Revenues rose to $614.2 million, representing 4.5% year-over-year growth. IFRS Gross Profit Margin was 35.4% compared to 35.7% in the second quarter of 2024. Non-IFRS Adjusted Gross Profit Margin was 38.1% compared to 38.1% in the second quarter of 2024. IFRS Profit from Operations Margin was 1.0% compared to 9.2% in the second quarter of 2024. Non-IFRS Adjusted Profit from Operations Margin was 15.0% compared to 15.1% in the second quarter of 2024. IFRS Diluted EPS was $(0.05) compared to $0.87 in the second quarter of 2024. Non-IFRS Adjusted Diluted EPS was $1.53 compared to $1.51 in the second quarter of 2024. Other Metrics as of and for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 Cash and cash equivalents and Short-term investments were $174.2 million as of June 30, 2025. Globant completed the second quarter of 2025 with 30,084 Globers, 28,097 of whom were technology, design and innovation professionals. The geographic revenue breakdown for the second quarter of 2025 was as follows: 54.1% from North America (top country: US), 19.7% from Latin America (top country: Argentina), 19.6% from Europe (top country: Spain) and 6.6% from New Markets[1] (top country: Saudi Arabia). Globant's top customer, top five customers and top ten customers for the second quarter of 2025 represented 8.6%, 20.3% and 29.3% of revenues, respectively. During the twelve months ended June 30, 2025, Globant served a total of 981 customers (with revenues over $100,000 in the last twelve months) and continued to increase its wallet share, with 339 accounts generating more than $1 million of annual revenues, compared to 329 for the same period one year ago. In terms of currencies, 64.1% of Globant's revenues for the second quarter of 2025 were denominated in US dollars. 2025 Third Quarter and Full Year Outlook Based on current market conditions, Globant is providing the following estimates for the third quarter and the full year of 2025: Third quarter 2025 Revenues are estimated to be at least $615.0 million, or 0.1% year-over-year growth. This expected growth includes a positive FX impact of 50 basis points. Third quarter 2025 Non-IFRS Adjusted Profit from Operations Margin is estimated to be at least 15.0%. Third quarter 2025 Non-IFRS Adjusted Diluted EPS is estimated to be at least $1.53 (assuming an average of 45.6 million diluted shares outstanding during the third quarter). Fiscal year 2025 Revenues are estimated to be at least $2,445.0 million, implying at least 1.2% year-over-year revenue growth. This expected growth includes a positive FX impact of 25 basis points. Fiscal year 2025 Non-IFRS Adjusted Profit from Operations Margin is estimated to be at least 15.0%. Fiscal year 2025 Non-IFRS Adjusted Diluted EPS is estimated to be at least $6.12 (assuming an average of 45.5 million diluted shares outstanding during 2025). Shareholder Letter, Conference Call and Webcast A shareholder letter will be available in the Investor Relations section of Globant's website. Martin Migoya, Globant's Chief Executive Officer & co-founder, Juan Urthiague, Globant's Chief Financial Officer, and Diego Tartara, Globant's Chief Technology Officer, will discuss the second quarter 2025 results in a video conference call today beginning at 4:30 pm ET. This call will be followed by a live Q&A session. Video conference call access information is: https://more.globant.com/F2Q25EarningsCall Webcast http://investors.globant.com/ About Globant (NYSE:GLOB) At Globant, we create the digitally-native products that people love. We bridge the gap between businesses and consumers through technology and creativity, leveraging our expertise in AI. We dare to digitally transform organizations and strive to delight their customers. We have more than 30,000 employees and we are present in more than 30 countries across 5 continents working for companies like Google, Electronic Arts and Santander, among others. We were named a Worldwide Leader in CX Improvement by IDC MarketScape report. We were also featured as a business case study at Harvard, MIT and Stanford. We are a member of the Cybersecurity Tech Accord. For more information, please visit www.globant.com Non-IFRS Financial Measures While the financial figures included in this press release have been computed in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB"), this announcement does not contain sufficient information to constitute an interim financial report as defined in International Accounting Standards 34, "Interim Financial Reporting" or a financial statement as defined by International Accounting Standards 1 "Presentation of Financial Statements". The financial information in this press release has not been audited. Globant provides non-IFRS financial measures in addition to reported IFRS results prepared in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards. Management believes these measures help illustrate underlying trends in the company's business and uses the non-IFRS financial measures to establish budgets and operational goals, communicated internally and externally, for managing the company's business and evaluating its performance. The company anticipates that it will continue to report both IFRS and certain non-IFRS financial measures in its financial results, including non-IFRS measures that exclude share-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization, acquisition-related charges, business optimization costs, and the related effect on income taxes of the pre-tax adjustments. Because the company's non-IFRS financial measures are not calculated according to IFRS, these measures are not comparable to IFRS and may not necessarily be comparable to similarly described non-IFRS measures reported by other companies within the company's industry. Consequently, Globant's non-IFRS financial measures should not be evaluated in isolation or supplant comparable IFRS measures, but, rather, should be considered together with its condensed interim consolidated statements of financial position as of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024 and its condensed interim consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard ("IAS") 34, "Interim Financial Reporting". Globant is not providing a quantitative reconciliation of forward-looking Non-IFRS Adjusted Profit from Operations Margin or Non-IFRS Adjusted Diluted EPS to the most directly comparable IFRS measure because it is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the ultimate outcome of certain significant items without unreasonable effort. These items include, but are not limited to, share-based compensation expense, acquisition-related charges, and the tax effect of non-IFRS adjustments. These items are uncertain, depend on various factors, and could have a material impact on IFRS reported results for the guidance period. Forward Looking Statements In addition to historical information, this release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "should," "plan," "expect," "predict," "potential," or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our future financial and operating performance, including our outlook and guidance, our pipeline, and our strategies, priorities and business plans. Our expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize, and actual results in future periods are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Factors that could impact our actual results include: our ability to maintain current resource utilization rates and productivity levels; our ability to manage attrition and attract and retain highly-skilled IT professionals; our ability to accurately price our client contracts; our ability to achieve our anticipated growth; our ability to effectively manage our rapid growth; our ability to retain our senior management team and other key employees; our ability to continue to innovate and remain at the forefront of emerging technologies and related market trends; our ability to retain our business relationships and client contracts; our ability to manage the impact of global adverse economic conditions; our ability to manage uncertainty concerning the instability in the current economic, political and social environment in Latin America; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in our most recent Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and any other risk factors we include in subsequent reports on Form 6-K. Because of these uncertainties, you should not make any investment decisions based on our estimates and forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Globant S.A. Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (In thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share amounts, unaudited) Six months ended Three Months Ended June 30, 2025 June 30, 2024 June 30, 2025 June 30, 2024 Revenues 1,225,265 1,158,539 614,180 587,461 Cost of revenues (794,394) (746,769) (396,539) (377,912) Gross profit 430,871 411,770 217,641 209,549 Selling, general and administrative expenses (321,238) (306,699) (159,543) (154,585) Net impairment losses on financial assets (6,339) (5,327) (4,660) (3,162) Business Optimization Costs (47,580) - (47,580) - Other operating income and expenses, - 1,961 - 1,961 Profit from operations 55,714 101,705 5,858 53,763 Finance income 1,923 2,527 978 1,402 Finance expense (20,599) (13,502) (10,972) (6,233) Other financial results, net 861 5,606 (239) 532 Financial results, net (17,815) (5,369) (10,233) (4,299) Share of results of investment in associates 6 56 23 70 Other income and expenses, net (3,385) 10,606 (114) 595 Profit (Loss) before income tax 34,520 106,998 (4,466) 50,129 Income tax (7,749) (23,044) 742 (10,104) Net income (loss) for the period 26,771 83,954 (3,724) 40,025 Other comprehensive income, net of income tax effects Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit and loss: - Exchange differences on translating foreign operations 80,377 (43,013) 51,288 (24,405) - Net change in fair value on financial assets measured at FVOCI (5,798) 1,019 (5,798) 894 - Gains and losses on cash flow hedges 13,158 (13,133) 3,000 (4,378) Total comprehensive income for the period 114,508 28,827 44,766 12,136 Net income attributable to: Owners of the Company 28,252 83,718 (2,383) 38,658 Non-controlling interest (1,481) 236 (1,341) 1,367 Net income (loss) for the period 26,771 83,954 (3,724) 40,025 Total comprehensive income for the period attributable to: Owners of the Company 109,574 30,598 41,850 11,589 Non-controlling interest 4,934 (1,771) 2,916 547 Total comprehensive income for the period 114,508 28,827 44,766 12,136 Earnings per share Basic 0.64 1.94 (0.05) 0.89 Diluted 0.62 1.89 (0.05) 0.87 Weighted average of outstanding shares (in thousands) Basic 44,177 43,172 44,298 43,244 Diluted 45,424 44,220 44,298 44,292 Globant S.A. Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024 (In thousands of U.S. dollars, unaudited) June 30, 2025 December 31, 2024 ASSETS Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 167,431 142,093 Investments 6,812 13,992 Trade receivables 636,387 605,002 Other assets 32,099 20,420 Other receivables 97,586 53,939 Other financial assets 9,889 3,100 Total current assets 950,204 838,546 Non-current assets Investments 2,398 2,212 Other assets 5,989 4,750 Other receivables 48,862 40,784 Deferred tax assets 84,534 80,811 Investment in associates 1,653 1,648 Other financial assets 41,241 41,403 Property and equipment 147,939 154,755 Intangible assets 358,803 377,365 Right-of-use assets 104,947 122,884 Goodwill 1,650,680 1,517,252 Total non-current assets 2,447,046 2,343,864 TOTAL ASSETS 3,397,250 3,182,410 LIABILITIES Current liabilities Trade payables 113,271 114,743 Payroll and social security taxes payable 217,029 239,440 Borrowings 20,174 1,601 Other financial liabilities 146,679 153,803 Lease liabilities 25,968 29,736 Tax liabilities 22,797 36,916 Income tax payable 8,867 6,520 Other liabilities 99 231 Total current liabilities 554,884 582,990 Non-current liabilities Trade payables 4,957 2,006 Borrowings 409,115 290,935 Other financial liabilities 102,036 125,651 Lease liabilities 81,397 87,887 Deferred tax liabilities 29,555 29,611 Income tax payable 1,216 6,625 Payroll and social security taxes payable 1,712 5,187 Provisions for contingencies 23,096 18,169 Total non-current liabilities 653,084 566,071 TOTAL LIABILITIES 1,207,968 1,149,061 Capital and reserves Issued capital 53,408 52,837 Additional paid-in capital 1,239,070 1,193,029 Other reserves (63,434) (144,756) Retained earnings 891,073 862,821 Total equity attributable to owners of the Company 2,120,117 1,963,931 Non-controlling interests 69,165 69,418 Total equity 2,189,282 2,033,349 TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 3,397,250 3,182,410 Globant S.A. Selected Cash Flow Data (In thousands of U.S. dollars, unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30, 2025 June 30, 2024 Net Income for the period (3,724) 40,025 Non-cash adjustments, taxes and others 57,883 41,788 Changes in working capital (32,281) (71,646) Cash flows from operating activities 21,878 10,167 Capital expenditures (24,735) (38,155) Cash flows from investing activities (68,763) (60,656) Cash flows from financing activities 103,757 (17,514) Net increase/decrease in cash & cash equivalents 56,872 (68,003) Globant S.A. Supplemental Non-IFRS Financial Information (In thousands of U.S. dollars, unaudited) Six months ended Three Months Ended June 30, 2025 June 30, 2024 June 30, 2025 June 30, 2024 Reconciliation of adjusted gross profit Gross profit 430,871 411,770 217,641 209,549 Depreciation and amortization expense 22,241 15,958 11,085 8,525 Share-based compensation expense - Equity settled 13,203 12,901 5,513 5,759 Adjusted gross profit 466,315 440,629 234,239 223,833 Adjusted gross profit margin 38.1 % 38.0 % 38.1 % 38.1 % Reconciliation of selling, general and administrative expenses Selling, general and administrative expenses (321,238) (306,699) (159,543) (154,585) Depreciation and amortization expense 59,594 50,507 29,939 25,442 Share-based compensation expense - Equity settled 27,660 26,714 14,275 14,399 Acquisition-related charges (a) 12,206 15,584 5,639 5,986 Adjusted selling, general and administrative expenses (221,778) (213,894) (109,690) (108,758) Adjusted selling, general and administrative expenses as % of revenues (18.1) % (18.5) % (17.9) % (18.5) % Reconciliation of adjusted profit from operations Profit from operations 55,714 101,705 5,858 53,763 Share-based compensation expense - Equity settled 40,863 39,615 19,788 20,158 Acquisition-related charges (a) 38,477 32,880 18,872 14,736 Business optimization costs (b) 47,580 - 47,580 - Adjusted profit from operations 182,634 174,200 92,098 88,657 Adjusted profit from operations margin 14.9 % 15.0 % 15.0 % 15.1 % Reconciliation of net income for the period Net income for the period 28,252 83,718 (2,383) 38,658 Share-based compensation expense - Equity settled 40,378 39,425 19,359 20,077 Acquisition-related charges (a) 54,266 26,380 26,309 16,440 Business optimization costs (b) 46,453 - 46,453 - Tax effect of non-IFRS adjustments (31,811) (15,117) (20,035) (8,313) Adjusted net income 137,538 134,406 69,703 66,862 Adjusted net income margin 11.2 % 11.6 % 11.3 % 11.4 % Calculation of adjusted diluted EPS Adjusted net income 137,538 134,406 69,703 66,862 Diluted shares 45,424 44,220 45,545 44,292 Adjusted diluted EPS 3.03 3.04 1.53 1.51 (a) Acquisition-related charges include, when applicable, amortization of purchased intangible assets included in depreciation and amortization expense line on our consolidated statements of comprehensive income, interest charges on acquisition-related indebtedness, external deal costs, acquisition-related retention bonuses, integration costs, changes in the fair value of contingent consideration liabilities, and other acquisition-related costs. We cannot provide acquisition-related charges on a forward-looking basis without unreasonable effort as such charges may fluctuate based on the timing, size, and complexity of future acquisitions as well as other uncertainty inherent in mergers and acquisitions. (b) One-time charges for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 related to the Company's Business Optimization Program initiated in April 2025. These charges, primarily related to workforce resizing and office reductions, have been excluded from non-IFRS results as these are one-time and unusual in nature. Globant S.A. Schedule of Supplemental Information (unaudited) Metrics Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 2024 Q1 2025 Q2 2025 Total Employees 29,112 29,998 31,280 31,102 30,084 IT Professionals 27,133 27,927 29,198 29,022 28,097 North America Revenues % 56.3 55.7 55.2 55.5 54.1 Latin America Revenues % 23.0 21.8 20.4 19.6 19.7 Europe Revenues % 16.9 17.6 17.7 18.2 19.6 New Markets Revenues % 3.8 4.9 6.7 6.7 6.6 USD Revenues % 67.1 66.6 64.8 67.2 64.1 Other Currencies Revenues % 32.9 33.4 35.2 32.8 35.9 Top Customer % 8.3 9.1 9.1 8.8 8.6 Top 5 Customers % 21.0 21.0 19.8 20.0 20.3 Top 10 Customers % 30.3 30.1 29.3 29.1 29.3 Customers Served (Last Twelve Months)* 958 969 1,012 1,004 981 Customers with>$1M in Revenues (Last Twelve Months) 329 331 346 341 339 (*) Represents customers with more than $100,000 in revenues in the last twelve months. [1] Represents Asia, Oceania and the Middle East. Investor Relations Contact: Arturo Langa, Globant [email protected] +1 (877) 215-5230 Media Contact: Gregorio Lascano, Globant [email protected] +1 (877) 215-5230 SOURCE Globant Shenzhen, China--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - WAVLINK, a recognized innovator in connectivity solutions, today announced the full market release of its highly anticipated Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station. Engineered to meet the escalating demands for bandwidth, versatility, and performance in professional and high-end user environments, the dock represents a significant advancement in peripheral connectivity technology. This comprehensive docking solution leverages the cutting-edge Thunderbolt 5 standard, offering drastically enhanced data transfer speeds, robust power delivery, and exceptional multi-display support compared to previous generations. The launch signifies WAVLINK's commitment to pushing the boundaries of device expansion and productivity. Unmatched Speed and Bandwidth At the core of the WAVLINK Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station is its exceptional throughput, facilitated by a dedicated Thunderbolt 5 upstream port operating at 120Gb/s. This enables the dock to deliver: Blazing-Fast Data Transfer: Three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports provide data transfer speeds up to 80Gb/s, enabling near-instantaneous movement of large files, seamless 4K/8K video editing workflows, and rapid handling of complex 3D modeling data. Three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports provide data transfer speeds up to 80Gb/s, enabling near-instantaneous movement of large files, seamless 4K/8K video editing workflows, and rapid handling of complex 3D modeling data. High-Power Charging: The upstream port supports Power Delivery (PD) up to 140W, sufficient to charge high-performance laptops. Downstream Thunderbolt ports provide PD at 15W and 30W, facilitating charging for smartphones, tablets, and other accessories simultaneously. The upstream port supports Power Delivery (PD) up to 140W, sufficient to charge high-performance laptops. Downstream Thunderbolt ports provide PD at 15W and 30W, facilitating charging for smartphones, tablets, and other accessories simultaneously. Extreme Display Capabilities: The dock dramatically expands visual workspace potential. It supports a single immersive 8K display at 144Hz for unparalleled gaming and cinematic experiences. For multi-tasking professionals, it enables dual 8K displays at 60Hz or triple 4K displays at an ultra-smooth 144Hz, ideal for financial trading, video conferencing, creative content production, and complex data visualization. Comprehensive Connectivity Suite Beyond the core Thunderbolt 5 ports, the dock boasts an extensive array of high-speed interfaces designed to connect virtually any peripheral: Network: A 2.5Gbps RJ45 Ethernet port ensures high-speed, stable wired network connectivity crucial for bandwidth-intensive tasks, large file transfers, low-latency online gaming, and uninterrupted video conferencing. A 2.5Gbps RJ45 Ethernet port ensures high-speed, stable wired network connectivity crucial for bandwidth-intensive tasks, large file transfers, low-latency online gaming, and uninterrupted video conferencing. USB Expansion: Four USB-A 3.2 Gen ports provide ample connectivity for keyboards, mice, external storage drives, webcams, and other essential peripherals. Four USB-A 3.2 Gen ports provide ample connectivity for keyboards, mice, external storage drives, webcams, and other essential peripherals. Media Transfer: A dedicated SD 4.0 card reader (UHS-II compatible) offers professional photographers and videographers a fast and convenient way to transfer high-resolution images and footage directly from cameras. A dedicated SD 4.0 card reader (UHS-II compatible) offers professional photographers and videographers a fast and convenient way to transfer high-resolution images and footage directly from cameras. Audio: A combined 3.5mm Audio/Mic jack caters to headset and speaker connectivity. A combined 3.5mm Audio/Mic jack caters to headset and speaker connectivity. Security: A Kensington lock slot enhances physical security for the dock and the host device in shared or public environments. Design, Compatibility, and Usability The WAVLINK Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station emphasizes both form and function: Portable Design: Its compact and lightweight profile makes it an ideal travel companion, enabling users to transform any location into a fully equipped workstation. Its compact and lightweight profile makes it an ideal travel companion, enabling users to transform any location into a fully equipped workstation. Universal Compatibility: The dock is rigorously tested for broad compatibility, functioning seamlessly with laptops, tablets, and desktops running Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. This ensures reliable performance across diverse user ecosystems. The dock is rigorously tested for broad compatibility, functioning seamlessly with laptops, tablets, and desktops running Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. This ensures reliable performance across diverse user ecosystems. User-Centric Experience: The array of ports is strategically positioned for accessibility, simplifying cable management and enhancing the overall user experience whether working from home, the office, or remotely. Driving the Future of Connectivity "The launch of our Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station marks a pivotal moment in expanding the horizons of device connectivity," stated spokesperson Johnson Huang for WAVLINK. "We are dedicated to delivering innovative, high-quality technology solutions that empower users. This dock is engineered to break through the limitations of traditional connections, unlocking the full potential of users' devices and paving the way for a significantly more efficient and streamlined digital experience." Availability The WAVLINK Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station is now available for purchase through major e-commerce platforms globally and directly via the official WAVLINK online store. WAVLINK anticipates that this advanced docking solution will become integral to the workflows and lifestyles of professionals and technology enthusiasts seeking the highest levels of performance and connectivity. About WAVLINK WAVLINK is a technology-driven company specializing in networking, communication systems, and PC peripheral solutions. As an integrated enterprise combining design, R&D, manufacturing, quality control, and global sales, WAVLINK has been deeply rooted in the industry for over a decade. With a strong reputation for reliability and innovation, WAVLINK has earned the trust of tens of millions of users worldwide, and its global market share continues to grow steadily. The company is committed to pushing the boundaries of cutting-edge technologies and aims to be a leading force in the connectivity industry. Social Media: Facebook YouTube TikTok To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262515 SOURCE: 41Caijing Nashville, Tennessee--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - RocketBarn Marketing was just named a finalist for the 2025 Employee Satisfaction Awards by Franchise Business Review for the second consecutive year. The awards recognize franchise companies with the highest employee satisfaction based on an independent survey of their employees. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8530/262041_1fbebac17467a9d6_001full.jpg RocketBarn is a specialized digital marketing agency for franchises, helping multi-location brands grow through data-driven, locally focused campaigns. As a distinguished 2025 Google Premier Partner and active member of both the International Franchise Association and Canadian Franchise Association, RocketBarn delivers core services including Google Search advertising, social media ads, programmatic campaigns, and organic SEO strategies-tailored for both the corporate franchisor and local franchisee business levels. Franchise Business Review (FBR), a market research firm that specializes in benchmarking satisfaction within the franchising sector, conducts surveys of corporate franchise employees, franchise supplier employees, and franchise owners' employees across North America to determine their levels of engagement of job satisfaction. FBR's Employee Engagement research helps franchise companies understand how their organizational culture and engagement compares to other companies in the franchise sector and improve hiring and retention practices. Participants are asked questions related to job satisfaction, engagement, skills and experience, management, brand leadership, and culture.The collective results are released annually in FBR's Franchising at WORK Report. Franchise companies that participated in FBR's Employee Engagement research were eligible for the Employee Satisfaction Awards. FBR analyzed data from over 11,000 corporate and unit-level employees to identify the finalists. "FBR's Employee Satisfaction Awards are the only awards that shine a light on the franchise companies truly committed to putting their employees first," said Michelle Rowan, president & COO of Franchise Business Review. "In a time when attracting and keeping great talent is essential to a company's success, we're proud to celebrate these standout brands for creating positive, people-focused cultures where employee feedback is valued and teams are actively involved in building that success." Matt Martin, CEO & Founder of RocketBarn, remarked, "It's an incredible honor to be recognized for the second year in a row among such an inspiring community of franchise businesses. At RocketBarn, we're deeply committed to putting people and relationships at the heart of everything we do-both in our team culture and in how we partner with our marketing clients. After reviewing last year's employee survey results, we made a focused effort to elevate the team experience even further. Being named a finalist again this year is a strong signal that our commitment is making a meaningful impact. A heartfelt thank you to FBR for providing such a valuable platform to measure, support, and celebrate healthy workplaces in franchising." Winners will be announced live on August 20, 2025 at 2:00 pm ET. To learn more about FBR's Employee Satisfaction Awards, visit GoFBR.com/franchising-at-work. About RocketBarn Marketing RocketBarn partners with franchise systems to engage franchisees in local digital marketing efforts that drive measurable growth within their businesses. RocketBarn's services include Google Ads, Performance Max, Facebook and Instagram advertising, programmatic media, and local SEO, strategically built to support both corporate franchisor marketing goals and local franchisee success. Every client is supported by a dedicated Franchise Marketing Advisor who ensures your campaigns are aligned, optimized, and built for long-term growth. About Franchise Business Review Franchise Business Review (FBR) is a leading independent market research firm that provides franchise organizations with benchmarking research and best practices to improve franchisee and employee satisfaction and engagement. Since 2005, FBR has been trusted by more than 1,300 top-performing franchise companies to equip them with the people-centric data, insights, and tools they need for long-term growth and success in the franchise industry. Learn more about how FBR helps franchise companies at GoFBR.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262041 SOURCE: GYT Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leader in acquiring and scaling emerging food brands across Canada is pleased to announce that further to its 40-unit area development agreement for the province of Quebec signed on June 18th, 2025, it has now signed its first franchise agreement for Heal Wellness in the province of Quebec. Heal Wellness ("Heal"), a quick-service restaurant ("QSR") specializing in fresh smoothie bowls, acai bowls, and smoothies. Happy Belly 1 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/262627_517be35114a838b8_001full.jpg "We are happy to announce Heal Wellness has signed its first franchise agreement in the province of Quebec, officially welcoming a new franchisee to the Happy Belly family. This agreement marks a pivotal step in Heal's national expansion and underscores the growing momentum of Happy Belly's portfolio of emerging brands. Today's milestone highlights our ability to successfully scale brands across Canada, with Heal now emerging in its ninth province. Alongside Rosie's Burgers and Yolks Breakfast, this expansion into Quebec further demonstrates our proven capability to grow and strengthen brands on a national level," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly. "With no clear category leader in the province of Quebec, the open ice opportunity before us is significant and one we were eager to capitalize on with our first mover advantage. Today's announcement underscores the strong and growing demand for Heal Wellness nationwide. We would like to thank our Quebec-based area developer partners-the same team leading the rollout of our Yolks Breakfast brand in the province. Our partners see the rising appetite for Heal's clean smoothies, acai bowls, and smoothie bowls, and are excited to grow the brands presence introducing the brand to this new market. With more than 22 years of experience successfully launching and supporting both corporate and franchised operations across multiple brands, their expertise will continue to play a critical role in ensuring Heal's success in Quebec. Partnering with a proven Quebec-based team provides us boots on the ground and further strengthens Happy Belly's presence in the province, as we continue to expand the footprint of both Yolks and Heal in our accelerated national franchising." Happy Belly 2 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/262627_517be35114a838b8_002full.jpg "The Happy Belly portfolio has 616 retail locations under contract-spanning projects in development, under construction, or already open-our franchise pipeline is robust. By carefully selecting the right partners and prime real estate, we will maintain momentum and achieve our disciplined growth objectives through 2026. "We are just getting started," said Sean Black. About Heal Wellness Heal Wellness was founded with a passion and mission to provide quick, fresh wellness foods that support a busy and active lifestyle. We currently offer a diverse range of smoothie bowls and smoothies. We take pride in meticulously selecting every superfood ingredient on our menu to fuel the body, including acai smoothie bowls, smoothies, and super-seed grain bowls. Our smoothie bowls are crafted with real fruit and enriched with superfoods like acai, pitaya, goji berries, chia seeds, and more. Franchising For franchising inquiries please see www.happybellyfg.com/franchise-with-us/ or contact us at hello@happybellyfg.com. About Happy Belly Food Group Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company") is a leader in acquiring and scaling emerging food brands across Canada. Happy Belly Food Group To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/262627_517be35114a838b8_003full.jpg 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 press release, which has been prepared by management. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-Looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur and include the future performance of Happy Belly and her subsidiaries. Forward-Looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the business plans for Happy Belly described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. 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 and other disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are posted on www.sedarplus.ca. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262627 SOURCE: Happy Belly Food Group Inc. DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Polyurethane Adhesives Market by Type (Thermoset, Thermoplastic), Technology (Solvent-borne, 100% Solids, Dispersion, and Others), Application (Automotive, Building & Construction, Packaging, Leather & Footwear, General Industrial, Furniture & Decoration, and Others), and Region - Global Forecast to 2030 ", polyurethane adhesives market is projected to grow from USD 8.76 billion in 2024 to USD 12.09 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 5.62%. Browse in-depth TOC on "Polyurethane Adhesives Market" 255 - Tables 60 - Figures 260 - Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=6587670 PU adhesives are commonly used in the vehicle manufacturing, construction, footwear, packaging, electronics, and furniture sectors. These adhesives are well known for their high bond strength, durability, and weather and chemical resistance. This renders them helpful in the application that demands flexibility and permanence of structure. Additional trends propagating the demand include their use in manufacturing lightweight vehicles, modular construction, and environmentally friendly packaging. PU adhesives enable inventive design and conform to universal standards since products provide high-performance adhesion, unlike materials like metal, plastic, wood, and composites. Approximating expansion is also promoted by the intensification of industrialization, particularly the emergence of economies, as well as the expanding consumer demand for high-quality, durable products. The thermoset segment accounted for a larger market share than the thermoplastic segment, in terms of value, in 2024. The thermoset segment accounted for a significant market share in the polyurethane adhesives market in 2024. It is projected to achieve substantial growth during the forecast period. Thermoset PU adhesives' great mechanical strength, long life, and ability to resist environmental corrosion are driving their use across sectors. They are finding increased applications in the automotive, building & construction, and footwear industries, where bonding cannot be reposited. Thermosets are mostly preferred for structural use. Given that they have irreversible cross-linked bonds, these adhesives, once cured, provide better service in the presence of heat, chemicals, and water. Their versatility of use in different industries and cost-effectiveness have made them the adhesive of preference in large-scale manufacturing across industries. With the rising global demand for durable adhesives, thermoset PU adhesives will likely dominate this market segment. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=6587670 The building & construction segment accounted for the largest share of the polyurethane adhesives market, in terms of value, in 2024. The building & construction segment accounted for the largest share of the polyurethane adhesives market, in terms of value, in 2024. This segment's market position highlights the construction industry's rapid growth due to the increasing population, driving the increased use of polyurethane adhesives. In the construction industry, polyurethane adhesives are extensively used in manufacturing roofing & flooring, sliding, wall sheathing, and other building components, as they provide a robust support for the structure. With the increasing urbanization and the rising need for durable, weather-resistant materials, particularly in developing economies, the building & construction segment is expected to witness significant traction in the years to come. North America accounted for the second-largest share in the global polyurethane adhesives market, in terms of value, in 2024. In 2024, North America was the second-largest regional segment in the polyurethane adhesives market, indicative of its mature yet stable demand across key end-use applications such as furniture, packaging, and building & construction. The modernization of the industrial base in the region has also pushed the demand for durable, long-life polyurethane adhesives. Although expansion was moderate compared to Europe, the strict regulation policies in North America, product quality concerns, and environmental considerations for sustainable products propel a stable demand for high-quality polyurethane adhesives, emphasizing softwood and hardwood. Key Players The key players profiled in the report include Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Germany), H.B. Fuller (US), Sika AG (Switzerland), Dow Inc. (US), 3M Company (US), Huntsman Corporation (US), Arkema (France), Illinois Tool Works Inc. (US), Parker-Hannifin Corporation (US), and Jowat SE (Germany). Request Customization: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=6587670 The key players profiled in the report include Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Germany), H.B. Fuller (US), Sika AG (Switzerland), Dow Inc. (US), 3M Company (US), Huntsman Corporation (US), Arkema (France), Illinois Tool Works Inc. (US), Parker-Hannifin Corporation (US), and Jowat SE (Germany), among others. Get access to the latest updates on Polyurethane Adhesives Markets Companiesand Polyurethane Adhesives Market Size Browse Adjacent Market: Coatings Adhesives Sealants and Elastomers Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Structural Adhesives Market - Global Forecast to 2029 Wood Coatings Market - Global Forecast to 2030 Industrial Coatings Market - Global Forecast to 2030 Automotive Coatings Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Textile Coatings Market - Global Forecast to 2028 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1868219/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/polyurethane-adhesives-market-worth-12-09-billion-by-2030---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302529904.html Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (TSXV: PTU) (OTCQB: PTUUF) ("Purepoint" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that due to strong investor demand, it has increased the offering size of the non-brokered private placement, previously announced on August 13, 2025, from $3,000,000 to $5,000,000 (the "Offering"). IsoEnergy Ltd. (TSX: ISO) (NYSE American: ISOU) ("IsoEnergy"), the Company's joint venture partner for the Dorado, Aurora and Celeste projects, located in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan has confirmed its intention to invest $1,000,000 in support of the Company's financing efforts. The Offering will comprise of a combination of the following: Saskatchewan flow-through units of the Company (each, a " SFT Unit ") at a price of $0.65 per SFT Unit with each SFT Unit consisting of one common share of the Company to be issued on a "flow through" basis pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each a " SFT Share ") and one common share purchase warrant (each, a " Warrant "); ") at a price of $0.65 per SFT Unit with each SFT Unit consisting of one common share of the Company to be issued on a "flow through" basis pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each a " ") and one common share purchase warrant (each, a " "); National flow-through units of the Company (each, a " NFT Unit ") at a price of $0.59 per NFT Unit with each NFT Unit consisting of one common share of the Company to be issued on a "flow through" basis pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each a " NFT Share ") and one Warrant; and ") at a price of $0.59 per NFT Unit with each NFT Unit consisting of one common share of the Company to be issued on a "flow through" basis pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each a " ") and one Warrant; and Traditional flow-through units of the Company (each, a "TFT Unit", together with the SFT Unit and the NFT, the "Units") at a price of $0.59 per TFT Unit with each TFT Unit consisting of one common share of the Company to be issued on a "flow through" basis pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each a "TFT Share", together with the SFT Shares and the NFT Shares, the "FT Shares") and one Warrant. Each Warrant entitles its holder to purchase one common share of the Company (each a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of $0.50 per share for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance. Participation by IsoEnergy in the Offering will be considered a "related party transaction" pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61- 101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). IsoEnergy is considered a related party of the Company under MI 61-101 by virtue of holding 10.6% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company on a non-diluted basis. The Company will be exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation or minority shareholder approval in connection with IsoEnergy's participation in the Offering in reliance of sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101. A material change report will be filed in connection with the participation of IsoEnergy in the Offering less than 21 days in advance of the closing of the Offering, which the Company deemed reasonable in the circumstances so as to be able to avail itself of potential financing opportunities and complete the Offering in an expeditious manner. The gross proceeds of the FT Shares sold under the Offering will be used for Canadian Exploration Expenses (within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) which qualify as a "flow-through mining expenditure" for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) related to the exploration program of the Company to be conducted on the Company's properties located in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan. The Company will renounce such Canadian Exploration Expenses with an effective date of no later than December 31, 2025. The completion of the Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and corporate approvals, including the approval of the listing of the FT Shares and the Warrant Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange. Resale of the securities of the Company distributed under the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period in Canada of four months and one day following the closing date of the Offering. About Purepoint Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (TSXV: PTU) (OTCQB: PTUUF) is a focused explorer with a dynamic portfolio of advanced projects within the renowned Athabasca Basin in Canada. Highly prospective uranium projects are actively operated on behalf of partnerships with industry leaders including Cameco Corporation, Orano Canada Inc. and IsoEnergy Ltd. Additionally, the Company holds a promising VHMS project currently optioned to and strategically positioned adjacent to and on trend with Foran Corporation's McIlvena Bay project. Through a robust and proactive exploration strategy, Purepoint is solidifying its position as a leading explorer in one of the globe's most significant uranium districts. For additional information please visit our new website at https://purepoint.ca, our Twitter feed: @PurepointU3O8 or our LinkedIn page @Purepoint-Uranium. Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this Press release. Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the completion of planned exploration activities, the ability of the Company to complete the Offering on the proposed terms or at all, statements regarding the tax treatment of the FT Units and the timing to renounce all Canadian Exploration Expenses, the anticipated use of proceeds from the Offering and receipt of regulatory approvals with respect to the Offering. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connation thereof. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company's planned exploration activities will be completed in a timely manner, that the Company will be able to complete the Offering on the terms as anticipated by management, that the Company will use the proceeds of the Offering as anticipated, and that the Company will receive regulatory approval with respect to the Offering. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include the risk that the Company will not be able to complete the Offering on the terms as anticipated by management or at all, that the Company will not use the proceeds of the Offering as anticipated, that the Company will not receive regulatory approval with respect to the Offering, risks relating to the actual results of current exploration activities, fluctuating uranium prices, possibility of equipment breakdowns and delays, exploration cost overruns, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. 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 or implied by 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 forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Not for Dissemination in the United States or through U.S. Newswire Services To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262595 SOURCE: Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. Lincoln, Nebraska--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - Entrepreneur and author JR Knopp has released his first book, Grit & Green: Building an Empire Against the Odds-The Wild True Story of Basement Startups, FDA Raids, and Reinventing Business from the Underground Up. The memoir chronicles Knopp's journey through modern entrepreneurship, detailing how he built and rebuilt business ventures in the face of legal challenges, market shifts, and personal reinvention. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10373/262091_f95f82c744425b5f_001full.jpg Part memoir, part business case study, Grit & Green provides an account of the realities behind entrepreneurial headlines. Knopp takes readers inside the highs and lows of starting companies from scratch, navigating regulatory investigations, and finding innovative ways to grow when conventional paths were closed. "This book covers entrepreneurship beyond typical success stories," said Knopp. The title reflects the dual nature of Knopp's narrative, with "Grit" representing perseverance through obstacles and "Green" addressing financial challenges. The book includes both failures and successes, serving as a reference for entrepreneurs in complex business environments. Market Positioning and Reader Value The announcement of "Grit & Green" comes at a time when business book readers increasingly seek authentic accounts that acknowledge the full spectrum of entrepreneurial experiences. The memoir's inclusion of legal complications and business failures makes it relevant for business education. The book targets entrepreneurs, business students, and professionals who benefit from understanding the complete landscape of business development, including potential pitfalls and recovery strategies. This audience seeks practical business insights. The memoir's focus on resilience and adaptation covers business continuity and crisis management topics. Availability Grit & Green: Building an Empire Against the Odds-The Wild True Story of Basement Startups, FDA Raids, and Reinventing Business from the Underground Up is available now on Amazon in paperback and eBook formats. About JR Knopp JR Knopp is an entrepreneur, author, and business consultant based in Lincoln, Nebraska. With a career spanning multiple industries, he has helped build and advise ventures at every stage of growth. Known for his candid approach and ability to navigate high-pressure situations, Knopp combines real-world experience with business consulting and advisory experience. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262091 SOURCE: Pressmaster DMCC Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - Pasofino Gold (TSXV: VEIN) is pleased to announce that the company is presenting a live virtual corporate update hosted by Red Cloud Financial Services on August 15th, 2025 at 3:00 PM ET. We invite our shareholders, and all interested parties to register for the webinar and participate in the live Q&A session at the end of the presentation moderated by Red Cloud. The replay will be emailed out to all webinar registrants proceeding the event and will also be available on the Red Cloud website. For more information and to register: https://redcloudfs.com/events/rcwebinar-vein-3/. Pasofino Gold Limited is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange under (TSXV: VEIN), and owns 100% of the Dugbe Gold Project in Liberia. The company is focused on updating the 2022 feasibility study in 2026; organizing project financing and making a construction decision and project financing in H1, 2026. Pasofino's major shareholder is Mansa Resources Inc., a division of Nioko Resources Corporation, a division of Coris Bank, and Coris Invest Group, and (collectively) they are committed to financing and developing the Dugbe project through to commercial production as timely and efficiently as possible. Commodities to be covered: Gold About Pasofino Gold Pasofino Gold Limited is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (VEIN). Pasofino, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, owns 100% of the Dugbe Gold Project (prior to the issuance of the Government of Liberia's 10% carried interest). About Red Cloud Financial Services Inc. Red Cloud Financial Services Inc. is a globally focused capital markets advisory firm that provides a full range of executive strategy, media, marketing, and corporate access services. Our breadth of services combines with our significant knowledge of the junior mining industry combine for unique product offering. The company was founded by capital markets professionals with extensive experience in the junior mining industry. www.redcloudfs.com www.facebook.com/RedCloudFinancialServices www.twitter.com/RedCloudFS www.linkedin.com/company/red-cloud-financial-services-inc www.youtube.com/c/RedCloudFinancialServicesInc www.instagram.com/redcloudfs SOURCE: Red Cloud Financial Services Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - GoldQuest Mining Corp. (TSXV: GQC) ("GoldQuest" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the formal commencement of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ("ESIA") for its 100%-owned Romero gold-copper project in the Dominican Republic. In July 2025, GoldQuest conducted seven community meetings across the project area and related surrounding communities close to Romero, with approximately 400 local residents participating. These sessions provided a transparent and inclusive forum to share project information, listen to community concerns, and gather early input to inform the assessment process. The ESIA work plan has been developed in alignment with the Terms of Reference (ToR) issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MIMARENA) of the Dominican Republic. To support future access to international financing and uphold best practices, the ESIA is also being designed to meet internationally recognized standards, including the IFC Performance Standards, the Equator Principles, and guidelines from the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM). This robust approach contributes to the advancement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). "The launch of the ESIA marks a fundamental milestone for Romero," said Luis Santana, CEO of GoldQuest. "By aligning with both national and international frameworks, and by engaging meaningfully with our local communities from the outset, we are laying the groundwork for a transparent and sustainable development path." Investor Relations Partnership GoldQuest also announces that it has partnered with Adelaide Capital ("Adelaide"), a leading investor relations and capital markets advisory firm, to provide investor relations and consulting services to the Company. Adelaide is a full-service investor relations firm that brings a unique and powerful perspective and a re-engineered investor relations business model. Adelaide will work closely with GoldQuest to develop and deploy a comprehensive capital markets program, which includes assisting with non-deal roadshows, virtual campaigns, social media, conferences and assisting with investor communication. In exchange for Adelaide's services, and pursuant to an investor relations consulting agreement (the "IRA"), the Company has agreed to pay a monthly fee of C$10,000 for a six-month term in addition to the grant of 50,000 stock options (the "Options") to Adelaide under the Company's omnibus incentive plan (the "Plan"). Subject to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") and the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Options will have an exercise price of C$0.72 and shall expire five years from the date of issuance and shall vest in four equal proportions every three months after the grant date for a period of 12 months. The IRA is subject to approval by the Exchange. Adelaide is principally owned by Deborah Honig and is an arm's length company based in Toronto, Ontario. Adelaide is a full-service investor relations and social media firm that specializes in small-cap growth companies. As of the date hereof, Adelaide does not have any interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company or its securities. About GoldQuest GoldQuest is a Canadian based mineral exploration and development company with projects in the Dominican Republic. GoldQuest is traded on the TSX-V under the symbol GQC and in Frankfurt/Berlin with symbol M1W. The Company is well funded to carry out the exploration programs reported on in this release and to advance the development of its Romero gold/copper discovery, also located in the Tireo Formation of the Dominican Republic. Additional information can be viewed at the Company's website www.goldquestcorp.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of GoldQuest Mining Corp., Luis Santana Director & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Forward-looking statements: Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking information that involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the ESIA, the merits of the Company's Romero Project, the funding of the Company, the Company's plans and exploration programs for its mineral properties, including the timing of such plans and programs, the Company's belief that Dominican Republic authorities will support the development of the Romero gold-copper project, the services to be provided by Adelaide, and the approval of the IRA by the Exchange. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "potential", "likelihood", "appears", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "at least", "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", "should", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks related to the design and completion of the ESIA; risks related to the Exchange approval of the IRA and the services to be provided pursuant to the IRA; uncertainties inherent in drill results and the estimation of mineral resources; commodity prices; changes in general economic conditions; market sentiment; currency exchange rates; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; the Company's ability to raise funds through equity financings; risks inherent in mineral exploration; risks related to operations in foreign countries; future prices of metals; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals; government regulation of mining operations; environmental risks; title disputes or claims; limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of litigation. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could affect the Company and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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. Accordingly, do not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All statements are made as of the date of this news release and the Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable, including expectations regarding mineral exploration and development costs; expected trends in mineral prices and currency exchange rates; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral resource estimates; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained and that there will be no significant disruptions affecting the Company or its properties. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262613 SOURCE: GoldQuest Mining Corp. ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Red 6, a hardware-enabled software company revolutionizing military flight training, today announced it has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Air Force to integrate its ATARS (Airborne Tactical Augmented Reality System) into the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Awarded through Air Combat Command and the Air Force Research Laboratory, this milestone positions Red 6 as the first company in the world delivering real-time, in-flight synthetic air combat training directly into the cockpits of operational fighter jets. "This is more than a contract - it's a validation of our vision and a signal that the future of air combat training has arrived," said Daniel Robinson, Co-founder and CEO of Red 6. "ATARS is the only system capable of replicating the cognitive complexity fighter pilots face in real-world engagements - and now we're delivering it in the cockpit of a frontline tactical jet. The F-16 is just the beginning." The contract builds on Red 6's successful integration of ATARS into the T-38 Talon and signals a major expansion of the company's growing footprint across the U.S. Air Force and beyond. ATARS allows pilots to train against intelligent, maneuvering virtual adversaries in real-time during live flight - delivering immersive, repeatable, and measurable training that blends the realism of live operations with the flexibility of simulation. Built on a low-latency, network-agnostic architecture, ATARS delivers high-resolution, full-color synthetic entities without compromising performance or safety. The system supports next-generation collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) development, enables training in constrained airspace, and generates structured datasets to objectively assess pilot readiness. In addition to the F-16 and the T-38, ATARS is already integrated into the MC-130 with the U.S. Air Force and the BAE Systems Hawk T-2 with the U.K. Royal Air Force. Red 6 also holds active integration partnerships with Boeing, Aeralis, Palantir, SNC, and Northrop Grumman. About Red 6 Red 6 is a hardware-enabled software company solving the worldwide military flight training crisis through the creation of completely realistic synthetic training experiences, delivered outdoors. The company's ATARS platform creates virtual outdoor worlds that deliver threat-relevant, near-peer level training scenarios at speed and scale-affordably increasing safety, easing airspace limitations, enabling next-generation collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) training and providing significant environmental benefits. About Air Force Research Laboratory The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 11,000 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit: www.afresearchlab.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1446081/Red6_Logo_White__Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/red-6-secures-us-air-force-contract-to-revolutionize-f-16-pilot-training-with-world-first-augmented-reality-training-system-302530848.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - Hypercharge Networks Corp. (TSXV: HC) (OTCQB: HCNWF) (FSE: PB7) (the "Company" or "Hypercharge"), a leading, smart electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions provider and network operator, is pleased to announce it will supply 49 Level 2 charging stations to hue by Marcon, a new residential community in Port Moody, British Columbia. Delivery of 9 charging stations for Building 1 was completed in July 2025, with installation of 40 charging stations for Building 2 scheduled for Q4 2025. Marcon is a fully integrated real estate company with over four decades of experience spanning acquisition, development, construction, and asset management. Recognized as one of British Columbia's most trusted builders, Marcon is known for combining thoughtful design with lasting community value. Located in Port Moody, hue is a six-storey development comprising 198 condominiums, 23 rental apartments, and retail at grade. Designed as a playful intersection of light, colour, and art, the community is surrounded by natural forest and enhanced with public art, including a sculpture by local artist Alex Morrison. "hue reflects Marcon's dedication to building communities with lasting value," said Chris Koch, Head of Growth & Partnerships at Hypercharge. "When the opportunity arose to step in and support both buildings, our team moved quickly to align with their construction schedule and deliver the right EV charging solution." "We're proud to partner with Hypercharge to bring convenient, future-ready EV charging to hue," said Andrew Joblin, Vice President of Development at Marcon. "Sustainability and long-term value are built into every community we create, and integrating accessible charging solutions ensures residents can embrace zero emission transportation for years to come." Changes to the Board of Directors The Company is also announcing changes to its board of directors (the "Board"). Effective August 15, 2025, Mr. Malcolm Davidson, CPA, CA, will join the Board, replacing Mr. Trent Kitsch, who is stepping down. Mr. Davidson is a Chartered Professional Accountant with more than 20 years of experience in financial reporting and corporate finance. Mr. Davidson has served as Chief Financial Officer and compliance officer for multiple public and private mining and technology companies, with extensive international experience. Recognized for leadership and strategic insight, Mr. Davidson has led major corporate initiatives, guided complex transactions, and advanced sustainable financial practices. Mr. Davidson is also a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors. The Company extends its deepest appreciation to Mr. Kitsch for his exceptional service and dedication since joining the Board in December 2022. His leadership in brand building, capital markets, and governance has strengthened the Company and supported its continued growth. "Malcolm's proven leadership and deep experience in financial management and corporate governance make him a valuable addition to our Board," said David Bibby, President and CEO of Hypercharge. "On behalf of the entire Company, I also want to sincerely thank Trent for his commitment, guidance, and support for more than two and a half years. His contributions have been instrumental to our progress, and we wish him continued success in his future endeavours." -##- About Hypercharge Hypercharge Networks Corp. (TSXV: HC) (OTCQB: HCNWF) (FSE: PB7) is a leading provider of smart electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions for residential and commercial buildings, fleet operations, and other rapidly growing sectors. Driven by its mission to accelerate EV adoption and enable the shift towards a carbon neutral economy, Hypercharge is committed to offering seamless, simple solutions including industry-leading hardware, innovative and integrated software, and comprehensive services, backed by a robust network of public and private charging stations. Learn more: https://hypercharge.com/. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements regarding contractual performance, the expected timing, delivery and installation of EV charging stations and expectations with respect to same. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "could", "should", "anticipate", "will", "estimates", "believes", "intends", "expects" and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and the actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, assumptions and expectations, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Readers are cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, as such information, although considered reasonable by management of the Company at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and are expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statement. Except as expressly required by securities law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 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 news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262590 SOURCE: Hypercharge Networks Corp. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - Kuya Silver Corporation (CSE: KUYA) (OTCQB: KUYAF) (FSE: 6MR1) (the "Company" or "Kuya Silver") announces the first tranche closing of its non-brokered private placement previously announced July 24, 2025 and amended August 13, 2025 (the "Offering"). The Company issued 15,860,000 units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of CAD$0.50 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of CAD$7,930,000 (the "First Tranche"). The Offering is being completed pursuant to the amendments to National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions set forth in Part 5A thereof (the "LIFE Exemption") to purchasers resident in Canada, except Quebec, and such other jurisdictions outside of Canada in compliance with applicable securities laws of those jurisdictions. The Company has filed a Form 45-106F19 offering document dated July 24, 2025 as amended on August 13, 2025 (the "Offering Document") related to the Offering that can be accessed under Kuya Silver's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website https://www.kuyasilver.com. Prospective investors should read the Offering Document before making an investment decision. Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant issued in the First Tranche entitles the holder thereof to acquire one additional Common Share at an exercise price of CAD$0.65 per Common Share until August 14, 2028. The Units issued in the Offering will not be subject to any statutory hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws, subject to limitations prescribed by the LIFE Exemption. In connection with the First Tranche, the Company compensated finders eligible and qualified under Canadian securities laws a cash commission totaling $66,150, being up to 4.0% on total proceeds received from subscribers introduced to the Company by eligible finders and issued 126,800 non-transferable Common Share purchase warrants (each, a "Finder's Warrant") equal to up to 4.0% of the total Units issued to subscribers introduced to the Company by eligible finders. Each Finder's Warrant issued in connection with the First Tranche entitles the holder to acquire one Common Share at an exercise price of CAD$0.50 per Common Share until August 14, 2028. Securities issued to eligible finders are subject to a statutory hold period expiring December 15, 2025 in accordance with the policies of the Exchange and applicable Canadian securities laws. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for exploration and development expenses for the Company's Bethania project and general working capital purposes, as more specifically detailed in the Offering Document. The securities issued pursuant to the Offering have not, nor will they be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons in the absence of 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 the United States or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Kuya Silver Corporation Kuya Silver is a Canadian-based, growth-oriented mining company with a focus on silver. Kuya Silver operates the Bethania silver mine in Peru, while developing district-scale silver projects in mining-friendly jurisdictions including Peru and Canada. For more information, please contact: Reader Advisory 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 size and terms of the Offering, closing of the Offering in one or more tranches, the anticipated use of proceeds from the Offering, and the ability of the Company to obtain requisite approvals for the Offering. 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. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO US 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/262625 SOURCE: Kuya Silver Corporation HONG KONG, Aug 15, 2025 - (ACN Newswire) - Results Highlights:- Revenue reached US$83.6 million, a year-on-year increase of 5.9%.- Sales volume reached 919,000 units, of which 779,000 units were proprietary products, representing a year-on-year increase of 8.6%.- Profit attributable to owners of the company increased by 5.1% year-on-year to US$19.8 million.- Core operating profit amounted to US$15.1 million, an increase of 11.4% year-on-year.- The Board declared a special dividend of HK15 cents per share to mark the Group's 25th anniversary.- The Group maintained a sound financial position with cash and bank balances of US$237.1 million as of June 30, 2025 to support potential acquisitions and the construction of new manufacturing facilities.- The Group's high-quality products have gained widespread recognition worldwide, resulting in revenue growth of 14.0% in the APAC market, 17.0% in the EMEA market, and 20.0% in the US market.- The Group acquired a Taiwan-based distributor in the first half of the year. It also plans to establish direct sales teams in Belgium and the Netherlands in the second half of the year, further strengthening direct presence in APAC and EMEA markets.- Leveraging its global commercialization expertise and extensive distribution network, the Group established strategic partnerships with medical device peers, thereby diversifying its product portfolio and generating additional revenue through cross-selling opportunities.OrbusNeich Medical Group Holdings Limited ('OrbusNeich' or the 'Group' stock code: 6929), a multinational medical device company specializing in interventional devices for percutaneous coronary intervention ('PCI') and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty ('PTA') procedures, today announced its interim results for the six months ended June 30, 2025 (the 'Period'), reporting growth in both revenue and net profit despite an uncertain macroeconomic landscape.The Group recorded revenue of US$83.6 million, up 5.9% over the previous year, driven by strong year-on-year growth in the US market, as well as continued contributions from emerging markets in APAC and EMEA. Core operating profit, being profit attributable to the owners of the Company excluding share-based compensation, net tax credit from deferred tax asset in relation to tax losses, and finance income/costs, amounted to US$15.1 million, up by 11.4% year-on-year. Profit attributable to the owners of the Company increased by 5.1% year-on-year to US$19.8 million. Basic earnings per share was US2.40 cents (first half of 2024: US2.28 cents).As of June 30, 2025, the Group maintained a strong financial position with cash and bank balances amounting to US$237.1 million. In light of the Group's solid financial position and in celebration of the its 25th anniversary, the Board has resolved to declare a special dividend of HK15 cents per ordinary share, demonstrating the Group's commitment to creating value for its Shareholders. Together with the final dividend of HK10 cents per share for the year ended December 31, 2024 paid on June 16, 2025, Shareholders will receive a total dividend of HK25 cents in 2025.Mr. David Chien, Chairman, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of OrbusNeich, said, 'Over the past 25 years, we have continuously invested in innovation and global commercial capabilities, establishing OrbusNeich's reputation and enabling us to navigate different economic cycles. Despite macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges in the first half of 2025, our global deployment proved resilient. Growth in the US market reflected strong demand for our high-quality products, while our extensive sales network successfully captured growth opportunities in the APAC and EMEA regions. We will continue to sharpen our competitive edge by enhancing brand value through our direct sales market presence, excellent sales support, commitment to innovation, and comprehensive PCI and PTA product portfolio, while advancing safer, more effective solutions for physicians and patients and delivering long-term returns to shareholders.'Global Sales Network and Partnerships Boost Revenue GrowthOrbusNeich has built a sales network spanning over 70 countries and regions, including direct teams in 13 locations and a global distributor network, which proven integral to capturing local opportunities and demand worldwide. APAC revenue rose by 14.0% year-on-year to US$27.3 million during the Period, fueled by growth in Indonesia and increasing adoption of Scoreflex TRIO in Singapore and Malaysia. EMEA revenue grew 17.0% to US$22.4 million, driven by strong proprietary balloon product sales in key direct markets (Germany, France, Spain) and distributor markets (the UK, Slovakia, Czech Republic). Despite tariff disruptions, US revenue increased by 20.0% to US$8.0 million, boosted by a notable surge in sales volume of standard and scoring coronary balloons and peripheral balloons, including the high-priced Scoreflex NC balloon. Revenue from the Japan and PRC markets was US$16.1 million and US$9.7 million, respectively.Leveraging its widely-recognized global commercialization expertise, the Group partnered with peers pursuing international expansion to enrich its product portfolio and drive additional revenue streams. Building on the successful collaboration with SonoScape Medical Corp. involving the distribution of intravascular ultrasound ('IVUS') products in Hong Kong and Macau last year, the Group has entered into a sole and exclusive distribution agreement with this partner to distribute its IVUS products in Singapore and Malaysia. The collaboration now covers four additional direct European markets (France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland) and six other distributor markets across Europe.Performance-Led Innovation Fuels Market Distinction and Portfolio DiversityAs of June 30, 2025, OrbusNeich had obtained more than 250 granted patents and published patent applications in key jurisdictions worldwide, as well as over 55 approved products.During the Period, the Group made progress in terms of product registrations and clinical trials, including:- Sapphire 3's US trial progressing smoothly, with patient enrollment set to finish in Q4 2025 to support FDA submission for the CTO indication, distinguishing it from other conventional semi-compliant balloons on the market;- Obtained CE Marks for JADE PLUS and Teleport Glide, PMDA approvals for Teleport Glide and Scoreflex QUAD, FDA approvals for the COREPASS Modular Microcatheter, and NMPA approval for the guiding catheter;- Submitted registration applications for Scoreflex TRIO, Sapphire ULTRA, Sapphire NC ULTRA, Sapphire NC 24, JADE PLUS, Teleport XT and Teleport Glide to the NMPA, and applications for the Vascuaid Aspiration Catheter and GCE Large Lumen to the PMDA.Regarding the Group's robust product pipeline, the Sapphire PTX paclitaxel drug-coated balloon, in the coronary space, is set to begin clinical trials in Japan near the end of 2025. In the peripheral space, the JADE Score balloon is expected to be submitted for PMDA approval in 2026.The joint venture OrbusNeich P&F also made significant progress in the clinical trials of TricValve in the PRC, with the number of participating sites increased to accelerate patient enrollment. In addition, it has been actively promoting TricValve's entry into hospitals in the Greater Bay Area ('GBA') through the Hong Kong & Macau Registered Drugs and Medical Devices Access to GBA Program. The first commercial implantation of TricValve in the Mainland of China was completed in July 2025, marking the achievement of an important milestone.Multi-Region Production Bases Mitigate Evolving Geopolitical RisksAs of June 30, 2025, OrbusNeich's aggregate annual production capacity was approximately 2.1 million balloons and stents, with production facilities in Shenzhen, the PRC; Hoevelaken, the Netherlands; and Weil am Rhein, Germany. Since acquiring eucatech AG in late 2023, the Group has allocated resources to restore its production capabilities, gradually ramping up output during the Period to supply products for both sales and clinical registries.The Group completed the main structure construction of its largest R&D and production facility in Hangzhou, the PRC, in August 2025, with renovation work expected to begin in the second half of the year. The facility is scheduled to commence operations in 2027, adding an annual production capacity of 2.4 million units.Mr. Chien concluded, 'We remain optimistic about the second half of 2025 due to strong momentum in emerging markets, successful proprietary product launches, and strategic partnerships. APAC and EMEA will remain our key growth drivers, with plans to transition selected markets from distributor to direct sales models to enhance revenue and market presence. In Europe, we will establish direct sales teams in Belgium and the Netherlands to expand our footprint. The Japanese market will see renewed momentum through new product launches, while in the PRC market, we will capitalize on policy support to expand product coverage and accelerate commercialization. US shipments are expected to speed up amid easing tariff disputes. Backed by OrbusNeich's diversified portfolio, strong financial position, and economies of scale, we are well positioned to build a resilient, competitive business that delivers sustainable value to stakeholders.'About OrbusNeich Medical Group Holdings LimitedOrbusNeich is a multinational medical device company specializing in interventional devices for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) procedures. Headquartered in Hong Kong, China, our Group sells its products in more than 70 countries and regions worldwide. It is also actively expanding into structural heart disease. With an in-house R&D team boasting over 20 years of product development expertise, our Group has developed world-leading proprietary technologies.For more information, please visit the Group's official website: https://orbusneich.com/.Source: OrbusNeich Medical Group Holdings LimitedCopyright 2025 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. The "Germany 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 Germany is expected to grow by 3.4% on annual basis to reach EUR 43.08 billion in 2025. The prefabricated construction market in the country has experienced steady growth during 2020-2024, achieving a CAGR of 4.0%. This upward trajectory is expected to continue, with the market forecast to grow at a CAGR of 2.9% during 2025-2029. By the end of 2029, the prefabricated construction sector is projected to expand from its 2024 value of EUR 41.67 billion to approximately EUR 49.82 billion. This report provides a detailed data-centric analysis of the prefabricated construction sector in Germany, offering a comprehensive view of market opportunities across end-markets, materials, and products at the country level. With over 100+ KPIs covering growth dynamics in prefabricated construction, this databook provides a wealth of data-centric analysis with charts and tables. Key Insights Germany's prefabricated construction industry stands at a crossroads: transitioning from a niche solution to a systemic, industrialized model. Drivers like skilled labor shortages, urban housing mandates, sustainability regulations, and cost pressures have elevated prefab from panelized units to advanced modular systems. Growing modular uptake now exceeding one-quarter of single-family approvals signals a clear trend, bolstered by hybrid timber-steel volumes, robotics in panel production, and pioneering initiatives such as 3D printed social housing. The strategic collaboration is unfolding at multiple levels: government-industry alignment on permitting and incentives, manufacturers embracing low-carbon timber design, and cross-sector modular infrastructure exemplified by the EU-scale JUPITER data center. Automation, BIM, digital twins, and retrofit-ready modules are converging to professionalize prefabricated output while enhancing quality and compliance with ESG agendas. Germany is poised to scale timber-modular housing, retrofit modernization, and digital infrastructure pods underpinned by factory digitalization and regulatory enablers. Executives should view prefab as not a prefabricated construction approach but an industrial growth frontier. Success lies in investing in modular factories, policy advocacy, and integrated digital workflows, transforming prefab into a strategic backbone for Germany's housing, sustainability, and industrial agenda. Set Outlook for Germany's Prefabricated construction Industry Respond to labor and cost pressures: Prefabrication is increasingly critical amid tightening labor markets and rising prefabricated construction costs now, over a quarter of newly approved single family homes use off-site production. Align prefab with housing and sustainability mandate: Prefab addresses urban housing shortages in cities like Berlin and Munich while meeting Germany's strict energy and carbon reduction standards. Pilot advanced industrialized systems: Germany has matured into a center for modular innovation, including hybrid timber steel volumes and modular data centers, despite regulatory and permitting complexities. Highlight Key Trends Development Scale Modular Residential and Multi Family Housing: Prefab share in new homes rose to about 26 percent in 2024, with multi family volumes also expanding. Adopt Hybrid Materials Smart prefabricated construction: Steel timber hybrid modules (e.g., at the Technical University of Brunswick) support relocatable, sustainable builds. Leverage 3D Printing in Social Housing: North Rhine Westphalia piloted the first 3D printed social housing project, combining printed ground floors with timber clad upper floors. Integrate Robotics, Digital Twins Energy Retrofits: Startups (e.g., Ecoworks) use robotic panel assembly and digital twin scanning to retrofit energy inefficient buildings. Develop Strategic Partnerships to Scale Coordinate Government Industry Policy Incentives: Federal and state authorities are urged to expedite permitting, lower red tape, and offer tax relief for prefab supported by BDF advocacy. Align Manufacturers with Sustainability and Standards: Timber prefab firms like Huf Haus and WeberHaus lead in high-end eco design, aligning with Germany's carbon targets. Collaborate on Modular center projects: Eviden/Atos and North Rhine Westphalia partnered to deliver modular pods for the JUPITER exascale supercomputer. Pinpoint Key Growth Drivers Labor constraints and productivity demands: Skilled-trade shortages tilt preference to factory-built components. Affordability urban housing mandate: Prefab supports speed and cost efficiencies necessary for urban backlog. Demand for retrofit and efficiency solutions: Energy retrofit projects require precise, insulated prefab panels. Sustainability regulations: KfW financing and energy codes encourage low carbon prefab (e.g., timber, insulated modules). Forecast Future Trends in Germany's Prefab Market Move toward industrialized, automated production: Robotics, BIM and digital-quality controls will become standard in panel and module factories. Multiply timber modular developments: Demand for low-carbon timber volumes will grow, led by Nordic-style high-rise precedents. Scale retrofit and energy upgrade modules: Robotic built insulated panels and solar roof systems will transform existing stock. Expand modular infrastructure in tech applications: Modular data centers (e.g., JUPITER) and digital labs will become repeatable industrial use cases. Streamline regulatory frameworks and incentives: Federal state reforms in permitting and financial support will be essential for acceleration. Scope Germany Prefabricated Construction Market Size by Prefabricated Material Aluminium (Building Superstructure, Roof Construction, Floor Construction, Interior Room Modules, Exterior Walls, Columns Beams, Other) Wood (Building Superstructure, Roof Construction, Floor Construction, Interior Room Modules, Exterior Walls, Columns Beams, Other) Iron Steel (Building Superstructure, Roof Construction, Floor Construction, Interior Room Modules, Exterior Walls, Columns Beams, Other) Concrete (Building Superstructure, Roof Construction, Floor Construction, Interior Room Modules, Exterior Walls, Columns Beams, Other) Glass (Building Superstructure, Roof Construction, Floor Construction, Interior Room Modules, Exterior Walls, Columns Beams, Other) Other (Building Superstructure, Roof Construction, Floor Construction, Interior Room Modules, Exterior Walls, Columns Beams, Other) Germany Prefabricated Construction Market Size by Prefabrication Product Residential (Building Superstructure, Roof Construction, Floor Construction, Interior Room Modules, Exterior Walls, Columns Beams, Other) Commercial (Building Superstructure, Roof Construction, Floor Construction, Interior Room Modules, Exterior Walls, Columns Beams, Other) Industrial (Building Superstructure, Roof Construction, Floor Construction, Interior Room Modules, Exterior Walls, Columns Beams, Other) Institutional (Building Superstructure, Roof Construction, Floor Construction, Interior Room Modules, Exterior Walls, Columns Beams, Other) Germany Prefabricated Construction Market Size by Building Construction Sector Residential Single-Family Multi Family Commercial Office Retail Hospitality Other Institutional Industrial Germany Prefabricated Construction Market Size by Prefabrication Methods Panelised construction Modular (Volumetric) construction Hybrid (Semi-volumetric) construction Germany Prefabricated Construction Market Size by Type of Material Aluminium Wood Iron Steel Concrete Glass Other Germany Prefabricated Construction Market Size by Type of Product Building Superstructure Roof Construction Floor Construction Interior Room Modules Exterior Walls Columns Beams Other For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/5bajns 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/20250815687287/en/ Contacts: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 FORT MILLS, S.C., Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Catheter Precision, Inc. (NYSE American: VTAK), a US based medical device company focused on developing technologically advanced products for the cardiac electrophysiology market, announced today that its previously announced 1-for-19 reverse stock split of its common stock became effective at 12:01 A.M. Eastern Time, on August 15, 2025. The Company's common stock will continue to be traded on the NYSE American under the symbol "VTAK" and will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis when the market opens on August 15, 2025. The new CUSIP number for the Company's common stock following the reverse stock split will be 74933X708. Pursuant to the reverse stock split, every 19 shares of the Company's issued common stock will be converted automatically into one issued share of common stock without any change in the par value per share. Stockholders holding shares through book entry on the Company's records will have their shares automatically adjusted to reflect the 1-for-19 reverse stock split. It is not necessary for stockholders holding shares of the Company's common stock in certificated form to exchange their existing stock certificates for new stock certificates of the Company in connection with the reverse stock split, although stockholders may do so if they wish. The reverse stock split will affect all stockholders uniformly and will not alter any stockholder's percentage interest in the Company's equity, except to the extent that the reverse stock split would result in a stockholder owning a fractional share. No fractional shares of common stock will be issued in connection with the reverse split. Stockholders of record who otherwise would be entitled to receive fractional shares will be entitled to receive their pro rata portion of the net proceeds obtained from the aggregation and sale by the exchange agent of the fractional shares resulting from the reverse stock split (reduced by any customary brokerage fees, commissions and other expenses). The reverse stock split will reduce the number of issued shares of the Company's common stock from 23,316,520 shares to approximately 1,657,640 shares. Proportional adjustments will be made to the number of shares of the Company's common stock issuable upon exercise or conversion of the Company's equity awards and warrants and other convertible securities, as well as the exercise prices thereof, to the extent applicable. Stockholders whose shares are held in brokerage accounts should direct any questions concerning the reverse stock split to their brokers. All stockholders of record may direct questions to the Company's transfer agent, Equiniti Trust Company, via email at https://equiniti.com/us/ast-access/individuals and select GET HELP or by telephone at (800) 937-5449 or (718) 921-8124. Additional information about the reverse stock split can be found in the Company's definitive proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on June 9, 2025, which is available free of charge at the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and on the Company's website at https://catheterprecision.com. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to substantial risk and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "anticipate," "may," "might," "can," "could," "continue," "depends," "expect," "expand," "forecast," "intend," "predict," "plan," "rely," "should," "will," "may," "seek," or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the timing and effect of the reverse stock split. The Company's expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements as a result of uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances, including but not limited to risks and uncertainties included under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-K filed with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov. These risks and uncertainties include, but aren't limited to, that we will be unable to develop the assets acquired in by KardioNav and Cardionomix unless we are able to obtain additional financing, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all, the results of anticipated trials may not turn out as we currently expect and future trials may not occur on the time tables we expect or may be more costly than anticipated, we do not have sufficient liquidity to fund our operations through December 31, 2025 unless we are able to obtain additional financing or enter into a strategic transaction that would provide additional liquidity, we will not be able to reach profitability unless we are able to achieve our product expansion and growth goals, our research and development and commercialization efforts may depend on entering into agreements with corporate collaborators, we have entered into joint marketing agreements with respect to our products, and may enter into additional joint marketing agreements, that will reduce our revenues from product sales, royalty agreements with respect to our LockeT device will reduce any future profits from this product, if we experience significant disruptions in our information technology systems, our business may be adversely affected, litigation and other legal proceedings may adversely affect our business, if we make acquisitions or divestitures, we could encounter difficulties that harm our business, failure to attract and retain sufficient qualified personnel could also impede our growth, failure to maintain effective internal controls could cause our investors to lose confidence in us and adversely affect the market price of our common stock, we have determined that our internal controls and disclosure controls were not effective as of June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025 or December 31, 2024, and as a result, without effective remediation of the material weaknesses that we have identified, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud, our revenues may depend on our customers' receipt of adequate reimbursement from private insurers and government sponsored healthcare programs, we may be unable to compete successfully with companies in our highly competitive industry, many of whom have substantially greater resources than we do, our future operating results depend upon our ability to obtain components in sufficient quantities on commercially reasonable terms or according to schedules, prices, quality and volumes that are acceptable to us, and suppliers may fail to deliver components, or we may be unable to manage these components effectively or obtain these components on such terms, if hospitals, physicians and patients do not accept our current and future products or if the market for indications for which any product candidate is approved is smaller than expected, we may be unable to generate significant revenue, if any, our medical device operations are subject to pervasive and continuing FDA regulatory requirements, our products may be subject to additional recalls, revocations or suspensions after receiving FDA or foreign approval or clearance, which could divert managerial and financial resources, harm our reputation, and adversely affect our business, changes in trade policies among the U.S. and other countries, in particular the imposition of new or higher tariffs, including those recently placed into effect by the Trump administration, are likely to place pressure on our average selling prices as our customers seek to offset the impact of increased tariffs on their own products, increased tariffs or the imposition of other barriers to international trade could have a material adverse effect on our revenues and operating results. The risks and uncertainties described above may be amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused significant economic uncertainty, or other pandemics, supply chain disruptions from the Ukraine war or Israeli-Hamas conflict and otherwise, and ongoing volatility in the stock markets and the U.S. economy in general. In addition, market conditions that are outside our control could significantly influence the impact of the reverse stock split on our stock price and how our stock is viewed by potential investors. The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date hereof. The Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. CONTACTS: Investor Relations 973-691-2000 IR@catheterprecision.com BANGKOK, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Marshall, the legendary music brand that has amplified icons for over six decades, proudly announces the opening of Marshall Livehouse Bangkok: a multi-level music venue, community hub, and brand experience in the heart of the city's cultural district. "From grassroots to global stages, Marshall has supported everyone from emerging creators to legendary musicians, from bedroom producers to festival headliners, and from small independent venues to stadium arenas," said Jeremy de Maillard, CEO of Marshall Group, "Always with the same purpose: to amplify the voices of musicians and music lovers everywhere." AMPLIFYING LOCAL TALENT WITH GLOBAL REACH Nestled in the artistic neighbourhood of Charoenkrung, Marshall Livehouse is more than a venue. It has been designed as a community-first space offering curated gigs, accessible rehearsal studios and cultural programming that blends local authenticity with a global ambition. Featuring weekly shows at the heart of programming, the Marshall stage offers both rising stars the chance to take their first step into the world of live performing, while connecting more established acts with new audiences. The two rehearsal studios tucked away on the third floor offer musicians a creative sanctuary to prepare for touring, or to create their next number one single. With affordable rates, the studios welcome musicians of all genres and experiences. "While Bangkok has long thrived as a music capital in Southeast Asia, there's a need for more physical spaces where creators from the community can collaborate and share their craft," said Hataichanok 'Pan' Uttaburanont, Head of Music & Culture, Marshall Livehouse. "It's about empowering the local music community with tools, space, and global opportunity. Bangkok deserves this." A MULTI-LEVEL IMMERSIVE MARSHALL EXPERIENCE The Livehouse offers Marshall fans and music lovers unexpected brand experiences. It features a full spectrum of Marshall products, including guitar amps, speakers, headphones, apparel and accessories, integrated throughout the building: Level 1: The Stage and Bar An intimate live music space with daytime coffee and licensed bar in the evening operated by City Boy Coffee Stand Level 2: The Vinyl Listening Bar and Gear Hub A Marshall customer gear hub for locally purchased audio products and flexible workshop space including a Vinyl Listening Bar Level 3: Two bespoke rehearsal spaces equipped with top-of-the-line Marshall products, accessible to local emerging musicians and touring artists Level 4: Event Space A multi-purpose space for exhibitions, music showcases, and community-led events A PARTNERSHIP POWERED BY TRUST The launch is the result of a joint vision between Marshall and Ash Asia, who has been a trusted distribution partner in the region for over a decade. Ash leads the local operations and investment of the Livehouse, with Marshall providing creative direction, product integration, strategic support and access to its global music resources. "We're thrilled to deepen our partnership with Marshall through the Livehouse," said Adam Reuterskiold Arnback, Executive Chairman, Ash Asia, "And to contribute meaningful impact in the music community." DESIGNED FOR THE FUTURE Marshall envisions the Bangkok Livehouse as the beginning of a broader commitment to cultural-led expansion across Asia and beyond. "We're investing in real-world experiences that stay true to our legacy and inspire the next generation of musicians," said de Maillard. The Marshall Livehouse opens its doors to the public 16th of August. A full programme of performances and community events is planned throughout the week at 186 Soi Charoenkrung 36, Bangkok. About Marshall Group Marshall Group is the audio, tech, and design powerhouse, uniting musicians and music lovers through genre-breaking innovation. With a legacy that began in 1962, Marshall is one of the most iconic brands in music culture, known for delivering high-performance products for the stage, the home, and life on the go. Today, Marshall is active in over 90 markets and powered by a global team of 800 talented individuals. Learn more on marshall.com About Ash Asia Ash Asia is the exclusive distributor of premium audio equipment, headphones, and speakers across Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia. The company partners with globally recognized brands and trusted retailers to offer certified, high-quality products and excellent customer service. Driven by a passion for sound and culture, Ash Asia is committed to expanding its footprint in Southeast Asia by bringing inspiring, best-in-class audio brands closer to consumers-delivering not just products, but experiences worth sharing. For media inquiries, please contact press@marshall.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com. The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Public/12217/4218650/b392b6ac88546bb0_org.jpg AFT 4770-2 https://mb.cision.com/Public/12217/4218650/b633025be69ecc68_org.jpg AFT 4758-1 https://mb.cision.com/Public/12217/4218650/95ff94009873f1b1_org.jpg AFT 4750-1 https://mb.cision.com/Public/12217/4218650/9f381c777f2b9a16_org.jpg AFT 4659-1 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/marshall-livehouse-bangkok-opens-a-new-home-for-music-and-culture-in-southeast-asia-302531022.html "As the need for advanced crime-solving methods, paternity testing, and disaster victim identification intensifies, the DNA forensics industry is experiencing steady growth, driven by technological innovation and evolving forensic applications." BOSTON, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest study from BCC Research, the "Global DNA Forensics Market" is projected to grow from an estimated $3.3 billion in 2025 to $4.7 billion by the end of 2030, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7% from 2025 to 2030. This report provides a detailed review of the global DNA forensics market, segmented by product types (kits, equipment, software), sources (blood, bones, hair), techniques (PCR, STR, NGS, etc.), applications (criminal testing, paternity and familial testing), and end users (forensic labs, research institutes). It also analyzes market dynamics, including trends, challenges, patents, and emerging technologies. Regions coved are North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and South America. Additionally, the report examines the competitive landscape and profiles leading companies in the industry. This report is particularly relevant today due to rapid advances in DNA sequencing technologies and their expanding role in global criminal justice systems. Rising crime rates and increased awareness of forensic science's importance in delivering accurate and timely justice are driving market demand. Government initiatives, enhanced funding, and regulatory support for forensic infrastructure are further accelerating growth. Additionally, the integration of DNA forensics with digital databases and biometric systems marks a transformative shift, making this a critical moment to assess market opportunities and challenges. The factors driving the market's growth include: Rising Crime Rates: Higher crime rates increase the need for accurate and efficient forensic tools, making DNA analysis essential for solving cases and identifying suspects. Government Funding: Governments are investing in forensic science to improve public safety, which infuses research, infrastructure, and adoption of DNA technologies. Technological Advancements: Innovations in DNA testing, especially for paternity and familial relationships, have made these services faster, less expensive and more widely used. DNA Databases: Expanding national and global DNA databases helps match samples quickly, improving investigation speed and accuracy. Growth in Emerging Markets: Developing countries are updating their forensic capabilities, creating new demand and opportunities for DNA forensic services. Request a sample copy of the global market for DNA forensics report. Report Synopsis Report Metric Details Base year considered 2024 Forecast period considered 2025-2030 Base year market size $3.1 billion Market size forecast $4.7 billion Growth rate CAGR of 7.7% from 2025 to 2030 Segments covered Product Type, DNA Source, Technique, Application, End User, and Region Regions covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and South America Countries covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, the U.K., Italy, France, Spain, Rest of Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, the Middle East and Africa Market drivers Rising crime rates. Government funding for forensic science. Technological developments in paternity and familial testing. Database development and utilization. Expansion in emerging countries. Interesting facts: DNA technology now allows a single sample to be analyzed in under 90 minutes, enabling near-instant identification directly in the field. National DNA databases have expanded globally. More than 70 countries maintain extensive repositories, some containing millions of profiles, which significantly aid in resolving cross-border crimes. Emerging startups: Ande Corp. Parabon NanoLabs, Inc. Nebula Genomics, Inc. The report addresses the following questions: 1.What are the projected size and growth rate of the market? The global market for DNA forensics was valued at $3.1 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $4.7 billion by the end of 2030, at a CAGR of 7.7% for the forecast period. 2.Which factors are driving the growth of the market? The expansion of the global DNA forensics market is fueled by increased crime rates and demand for reliable and efficient criminal identification procedures. Advances in technology, especially in next-generation sequencing (NGS) and short tandem repeat (STR) analysis, have dramatically improved the speed and accuracy of forensic examinations. Additional government support and regulatory intervention further enhance forensic infrastructure globally, with the growth of DNA databases facilitating quicker case closures. Furthermore, the use of DNA forensics in paternity determination, immigration identification, and disaster victim identification is expanding the market scope. Incorporating AI and machine learning into forensic processes, enabling improved analysis and automation. 3.Which market segments are covered in the report? This report segments the market scope by product type, source, technique, application, and end user. 4.Which product type segment will be dominant through 2030? Kits and consumables will be dominant in the DNA forensics market through the forecast period. 5.Which region has the highest market share? The North America market for DNA forensics was valued at $1.1 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $1.7 billion in 2030, at a CAGR of 7.0% during the forecast period. Market leaders include: ABBOTT AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC. BIO-RAD LABORATORIES INC. DANAHER CORP. EASYDNA F. HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE LTD. GORDIZ ILLUMINA INC. LABCORP. MERCK KGAA NMS LABS PROMEGA CORP. QIAGEN THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC. ZYMO RESEARCH CORP. Purchase a copy of the report direct from BCC Research. For further information on any of these reports or to make a purchase, contact info@bccresearch.com. About BCC Research BCC Research market research reports provide objective, unbiased measurement and assessment of market opportunities. Our experienced industry analysts' goal is to help you make informed business decisions free of noise and hype. Contact Us Corporate HQ: 50 Milk St., Ste. 16, Boston, MA 02109, USA Email: info@bccresearch.com Phone: +1 781-489-7301 For media inquiries, email press@bccresearch.com or visit our media page for access to our market research library. Any data and analysis extracted from this press release must be accompanied by a statement identifying BCC Research LLC as the source and publisher. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2183242/BCC_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/global-dna-forensics-market-accelerates-with-growing-demand-for-high-tech-investigative-solutions--bcc-research-llc-302530518.html Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency awards framework agreement worth up to NOK 938 million (USD 91 million) for CUAS capabilities at rland Air Station READING, England, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency has signed a contract with a British company, Operational Solutions Ltd. (OSL), for the purchase of new anti-drone systems. The systems being acquired are known as anti-drone systems, also called "Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems," or C-UAS, which will protect bases as well as stationary objects and installations from drones. The framework agreement with OSL is worth up to NOK 938 million and will last for four years, with an option to extend for up to three years. The first order concerns anti-drone capacity for rland Air Station. "Strengthening the ability to protect against aerial threats is a main priority in the government's long-term plan for the defense sector. The war in Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East clearly show that drones represent a significant threat that we must also be able to protect ourselves against. It is therefore gratifying that we have quickly established a framework agreement for the procurement of systems that can protect us against this type of threat," says Norwegian Minister of Defence Tore O. Sandvik. "The framework agreement we have now established will ensure that the Armed Forces have the capacity to combat smaller unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The agreement ensures that we can easily procure more and rapidly expand our capacity. OSL has delivered similar systems to other customers and demonstrated the ability to deliver on time, within budget, and to the required performance," says Gro Jre, Director of the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency. The anti-drone system will supplement existing air defense systems and will consist of a command and control system (C2 system), sensors, and effectors, both kinetic and non-Kinetic. To coordinate with other air defense resources at the air station, the anti-drone system will be integrated with other command and control functions on the base and with civilian aviation. A software adaptation on the system being procured will also allow it to replace the current bird radar at rland, a replacement that had to be made regardless, as the current radar is nearing the end of its expected service life. There was great interest in the C-UAS competition announced by the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency in autumn 2024. "We are proud to have been chosen by the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency for this important project. The procurement team carried out a thorough and efficient competition, and we expect this high pace to continue toward the first installation. It is a pleasure to work with such an engaged and knowledgeable customer team," says Mark Legh-Smith, CEO and founder of OSL. About OSL OSL is a UK-based security technology company specialising in adaptive, multi-layered solutions to protect high-value, risk-prone environments from unauthorised drones and other emerging threats. Founded by security and operational experts, OSL delivers advanced, technology-agnostic systems that integrate layered sensors, proprietary AI, and real-time data fusion to safeguard complex 3D spaces. Its core platform, FACE, enables centralised monitoring, precise threat detection, and autonomous response capabilities across both aerial and ground domains. From design and deployment to 24/7 remote monitoring and lifecycle support, OSL provides full-spectrum protection tailored to each operational environment. www.osltechnology.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/osl-to-supply-new-drone-defense-system-for-norwegian-ministry-of-defence-302531040.html Grants will expand efforts across underserved communities in West and South Texas EL PASO, TEXAS / ACCESS Newswire / August 15, 2025 / Early cancer detection saves lives. When diagnosed early, a patient's five-year survival rate is nearly four times higher than when found at later stages. CPRIT award The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas awarded two major cancer prevention grants totaling nearly $5 million to Texas Tech Health El Paso to expand life-saving screenings in West and South Texas. To support these lifesaving efforts, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) awarded nearly $5 million to Texas Tech Health El Paso in May. The funding will expand two key cancer prevention programs: the Southwest Coalition for Colorectal Cancer Screening (SuCCCeS) and the Breast Cancer Education, Screening and Navigation Program (BEST). Both are led by Jennifer Molokwu, M.D., M.P.H., director of Cancer Prevention and Control in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Mokokwu said catching cancer early is truly amazing and she always tells a story about a man who was screened and having a colonoscopy. "In just one visit, I was able to tell him that he had cancer, but I also told him that he was cured because we were able to remove it during the colonoscopy," she said. "It's moments like these that remind us why we do what we do. Our goal is to catch cancer early so that patients don't have to bear the heavy burden of prolonged cancer treatments. Early detection can truly save lives." Since 2011, more than 55,500 uninsured or underinsured residents from El Paso and West Texas have enrolled in SuCCCeS and BEST, resulting in the detection of 77 breast cancers, and 39 colorectal cancers. The regions served face high poverty, low high school graduation rates, and limited access to health insurance. Breast cancer's five-year survival rate is 99% when caught early, compared to 31% in later stages. Colorectal cancer survival rates drop from 91% in early stages to 15% when diagnosed late. These awards bring Texas Tech Health El Paso's total CPRIT funding to more than $43.2 million since 2011 - underscoring the university's leadership in cancer prevention for underserved communities. BEST: Empowering Breast Cancer Detection BEST received $2,499,980 for screening, education and navigation services across 33 counties, including 28 rural and 12 border counties serving over 3 million people. The program is expected to: Reach 200,000 individuals Deliver 53,000 educational interventions Provide 30,000 navigation services Complete nearly 5,000 clinical screenings SuCCCeS: Colon Cancer Screening for Rural Texas SuCCCeS received $2,499,965 to expand colorectal prevention services across 43 counties, in many rural or border regions. The program will provide comprehensive screenings, strengthen partnerships, and guarantee 100% diagnostic follow-up and treatment navigation. About CPRIT A $6 billion, 20-year initiative, CPRIT represents the largest state cancer research investment in U.S. history. It has awarded over $3.9 billion, recruited 334 researchers, and funded 74 startups. Learn more: www.cprit.texas.gov Fox Cancer Center: The Future of Cancer Care in El Paso The Fox Cancer Center at Texas Tech Health El Paso will be the first comprehensive cancer center in West Texas. Groundbreaking is set for Sept. 17, 2025. The center will provide advanced treatment, research opportunities, and clinical trials, allowing patients to receive world-class care close to home. Learn more: www.ttuhscepimpact.org/fox-cancer-center About Texas Tech Health El Paso Serving 108 counties in West Texas, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution focused on health education, research, and care. Since 2013, it has graduated more than 2,600 professionals, including its first dental class in 2025. Visit ttuhscepimpact.org SOURCE: Texas Tech Health El Paso View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/education/texas-tech-health-el-pasos-lifesaving-cancer-prevention-programs-receive-nearly-5-million-1060984 The aerospace parts manufacturing market is being driven by the growing demand for commercial aircraft. The sector's growth is fueled by the continuous rise in international air travel, which increases the demand for parts and systems used by manufacturers to build new aircraft. Additionally, the aerospace parts manufacturing industry is growing as a result of increased funding and interest in space exploration. Components for satellites, rockets, and space exploration vehicles are needed as both public and private organizations focus on space exploration. WESTFORD, Mass., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SkyQuest Technology Consulting published a report, titled, 'Aerospace Parts Manufacturing Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2025-2032', valued at USD 949.66 Billion in 2024. With a projected CAGR of 4.0% from 2025 to 2032, the market is expected to reach USD 1299.67 Billion by the end of 2032. Significant developments in commercial aerospace, the expansion of air passenger and freight volumes globally, and the economic growth of emerging countries are expected to propel industry growth. Download Sample Pages of Research Overview: https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/aerospace-parts-manufacturing-market Aerospace Parts Manufacturing Market Dynamics: The increasing need for lightweight and fuel-efficient aircraft to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is positively affecting industry demand. Significant developments in commercial aerospace, the expansion of air passenger and freight volumes worldwide, and the economic growth of emerging countries are expected to propel industry growth. It is anticipated that as air travel and transportation increase, so will the demand for the manufacturing of aerospace components used in aircraft. The increased demand for transportation is expected to increase aircraft production, leading to contract extensions between aerospace part suppliers and aircraft manufacturing companies. Furthermore, it is anticipated that higher defense spending will promote innovation and quicken technological advancements in the industry by reducing operating costs and improving aircraft efficiency. Recent Developments in Aerospace Parts Manufacturing Market In order to meet the growing demand from data centers and EV infrastructure, as well as the trend toward electric grid modernization, Eaton invested USD 340 million in 2025 to increase transformer production capacity in South Carolina. Safran strengthened its MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) capabilities in the Americas in 2025 when it completed the acquisition of CRT, a U.S.-based expert in aircraft engine parts repair. Safran agreed to sell Woodward its electromechanical actuation division in the Americas in 2024, subject to regulatory clearance in the middle of 2025. Speak to our Analyst: https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/aerospace-parts-manufacturing-market Major Challenges in Aerospace Parts Manufacturing Industry The cyclical nature of the aerospace industry, which impacts consumer demand, presents challenges for the market for manufacturing aerospace parts. This cyclicality has an impact on the overall well-being of the aviation sector and is closely linked to the state of the economy. Orders for new aircraft and related parts may be delayed or cancelled as a result of financial difficulties that airlines may face during recessions or other crises. Because of this, the demand for aerospace parts fluctuates, which affects manufacturers' production levels and revenue streams. Moreover, the industry's reliance on a stable economy emphasizes how vulnerable aerospace part manufacturing is to economic downturns. Businesses in this market need to use effective cross-economic cycle strategies, like diversification, cost control, and production capacity flexibility, to withstand the effects of demand fluctuations and preserve long-term viability. Competitive Landscape: The global aerospace parts manufacturing industry is quite competitive since big companies like Safran, Eaton Corporation, and Rolls-Royce are using a lot of different techniques. Safran is focusing on buying and selling businesses to make its main business more efficient. Eaton, on the other hand, is expanding its manufacturing capacity to satisfy the growing demand for electric vehicles and the grid. Rolls-Royce puts a lot of focus on making things that last and improving propulsion systems. Investments in lightweight and highly efficient parts, regional expansions, and strategic partnerships are other important factors that affect competitive posture. The major players in the Aerospace Parts Manufacturing industry include, JAMCO Corporation Intrex Aerospace Rolls Royce plc CAMAR Aircraft Parts Company Safran Group Woodward, Inc. Engineered Propulsion System Eaton Corporation plc Aequs Aero Engineering & Manufacturing Co. GE Aviation View Full Report: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/aerospace-parts-manufacturing-market Aerospace Parts Manufacturing Market Segmentation: The global aerospace parts manufacturing market is segmented into product, end use, and region. By product, the market is classified into engines, aerostructure, cabin interiors, equipment, system & support, avionics, and insulation components. Depending on end use, it is divided into commercial aircraft, business aircraft, and military aircraft. By product, due to the growing need for sophisticated, fuel-efficient propulsion systems, the engines segment of the aerospace parts manufacturing market was the largest in 2024. Next-generation engine technology gained popularity, particularly in North America and Asia-Pacific, as airlines and defense agencies modernized their fleets. By end use, in 2024, commercial aircraft held the largest market share based on their usage. The resurgence of international travel caused major airlines to place large orders for new aircraft, which in turn caused the market to grow. Buy this Research Report (250+ Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures): https://www.skyquestt.com/buy-now/aerospace-parts-manufacturing-market Regional Insights The North American aerospace parts manufacturing market grew significantly in 2024 due to the presence of large defense contractors and aircraft manufacturers. Due to plans for fleet modernization and increased spending on next-generation aircraft parts, the United States has the highest demand in the region. The Asia-Pacific market grew rapidly in 2024 because more people wanted to travel by air and because nations like China, India, and Japan are able to produce more goods domestically. Additionally, regional governments increased their funding for aerospace defense, which resulted in the purchase of more parts. The European market remained strong in 2024 due to the continued production of large OEMs like Rolls-Royce and Airbus. Fuel-efficient and lightweight components were encouraged by environmental regulations. New concepts for the design of components and materials followed. When nations like Brazil and the United Arab Emirates invested in aerospace maintenance facilities and infrastructure in 2024, LAMEA witnessed a slight increase. As regional airlines expanded and the demand for military aircraft increased, the aviation parts industry grew even more. Explore Extensive ongoing Coverage on Industrials Sector: Aircraft Engine Market: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/aircraft-engine-market Aircraft MRO Market: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/aircraft-mro-market Electric Aircraft Market: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/electric-aircraft-market Industrial Automation Market: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/industrial-automation-market Military Drone Market: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/military-drone-market Automotive Wiring Harness Market: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/automotive-wiring-harness-market Additive Manufacturing Market: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/additive-manufacturing-market About SkyQuest Technology Consulting SkyQuest Technology Consulting is a leading Strategy Consulting and Market Research firm, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and growth consulting services, trusted by CXOs from Fortune 500 Companies, Start-ups, and MSMEs. The company comprises a team of expert research analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports in our database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 40+ industries & sub industries across 25 major countries worldwide, serving global clients across diverse industries. The company specializes in delivering customized intelligence, data-driven insights, and strategic advisory services that enable businesses to stay competitive and make informed decisions in rapidly evolving industries. Contact Us: SkyQuest Technology Consulting 1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886 USA (+1) 351-333-4748 Email: sales@skyquestt.com Visit Our Website: https://www.skyquestt.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2446095/SkyQuest_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/aerospace-parts-manufacturing-market-is-estimated-to-reach-usd-1299-67-billion-by-2032--skyquest-technology-consulting-302528780.html The enterprise asset management market is anticipated to increase due to organizations increasingly seek to extend asset life and enhance return on investment. EAM systems provide tools for tracking, maintaining, and analyzing physical assets throughout their lifecycle. WESTFORD, Mass., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SkyQuest Technology Consulting published a report, titled, "Enterprise Asset Management Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2025-2032", valued at USD 78.90 Billion in 2024. With a projected CAGR of 11.40% from 2025 to 2032, the market is expected to reach USD 187.15 Billion by the end of 2032. The global shift toward digital transformation, especially under Industry 4.0, encourages the adoption of smart asset management solutions. Integration of IoT, AI, and predictive analytics within EAM platforms enables real-time asset monitoring, automated maintenance scheduling, and performance forecasting, promoting efficiency, cost savings, and proactive asset management strategies. Download Sample Pages of Research Overview: https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/enterprise-asset-management-market Enterprise Asset Management Market Dynamics: The enterprise asset management market has experienced significant growth owing to stringent industry regulations regarding asset safety, environmental impact, and operational standards are pushing enterprises to adopt EAM systems. These shifts assist in ensuring compliance, auditing, and reporting, while minimizing risk of asset failure or regulatory penalties. Compliance-driven asset visibility and documentation further enhance organizational accountability and governance. Another key factor driving the market growth is Industries such as oil & gas, energy, utilities, and manufacturing heavily rely on extensive physical infrastructure. The growing need to manage aging assets, control operational costs, and ensure reliability has fueled EAM adoption. These systems support real-time data insights, enabling informed decisions and minimizing disruptions in mission-critical operations. Recent Developments in Enterprise Asset Management Market In early 2024, German conglomerate Siemens launched a new enterprise asset management platform with built-in artificial intelligence for enhanced operational decision-making. The system automates asset health diagnostics and predictive maintenance, helping reduce unplanned downtime and supporting sustainability targets-underlining Siemens' commitment to data-driven, efficient asset operations. In April 2024, Ramco Systems, India-based aviation software provider, implemented its Aviation Maintenance & Engineering Suite at Korean Air's Engine Maintenance Center. The suite integrates AI for streamlined maintenance planning and real-time tracking, enabling Korean Air to improve engine reliability, reduce ground time, and enhance operational efficiency. In 2024, UAE startup Erohal introduced a cloud-based EAM platform combining IoT-driven inspections and AI anomaly detection for fleet and facilities. The system issues automated work orders, monitors asset conditions remotely, and provides image-verified alerts-enabling timely maintenance, boosting uptime, and advancing smart-asset management in regional industries. Speak to our Analyst: https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/enterprise-asset-management-market Major Challenges in Enterprise Asset Management Industry Implementing a full-scale EAM system can be time-consuming, often requiring months or even years for complete rollout across large enterprises. The extended duration affects business continuity, strains IT resources, and delays return on investment. This lengthy process discourages organizations from transitioning, especially those with limited technical support and infrastructure. EAM systems must often interact with various enterprise applications like ERP, SCM, and CRM. However, achieving seamless interoperability can be challenging due to different data standards, software architectures, and vendor-specific technologies. These compatibility issues increase integration costs and complexity, deterring businesses from adopting comprehensive EAM solutions. Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the Global Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) market is highly dynamic, with key players like IBM, SAP, Oracle, Infor, and Siemens leading innovation. IBM emphasizes AI-driven asset analytics through Maximo, while SAP focuses on cloud-native EAM integration. Infor leverages industry-specific cloud suites, and Siemens integrates IoT into EAM platforms. These companies pursue strategies such as acquisitions, technological partnerships, and platform upgrades to expand market reach and strengthen capabilities. The major players in the enterprise asset management industry include, IBM Corporation (USA) Oracle Corporation (USA) SAP SE (Germany) ABB Ltd. (Switzerland) Mainsaver, Inc. (USA) Fiix by Rockwell Automation Inc. (USA) Fluke Corporation (USA) MVP One (USA) UpKeep Technologies, Inc. (USA) Dude Solutions, Inc. (USA) View Full Report: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/enterprise-asset-management-market Enterprise Asset Management Market Segmentation: The enterprise asset management market is segmented on the basis of offering, application, deployment mode, and region. By offering, the market is segmented into solutions, services, professional services, and managed services. By application, the market is segmented into asset lifecycle management, inventory management, work order management, labor management, predictive management, facility management, and other applications. By deployment mode, the market is bifurcated into on-premises and cloud. By offering , solutions dominates the market due to high demand for automation, predictive maintenance, and centralized control. Industries like energy, manufacturing, and transportation are major adopters. Solutions offering is currently the dominant segment due to its foundational role in enterprise operations. , solutions dominates the market due to high demand for automation, predictive maintenance, and centralized control. Industries like energy, manufacturing, and transportation are major adopters. Solutions offering is currently the dominant segment due to its foundational role in enterprise operations. By application , asset lifecycle management is the dominant application sub-segment, as it focuses on managing assets from acquisition to disposal. Organizations heavily rely on lifecycle management to reduce downtime, optimize maintenance schedules, and improve ROI. It is critical for asset-intensive industries like utilities, oil & gas, and manufacturing where long-term performance and cost control are essential. , asset lifecycle management is the dominant application sub-segment, as it focuses on managing assets from acquisition to disposal. Organizations heavily rely on lifecycle management to reduce downtime, optimize maintenance schedules, and improve ROI. It is critical for asset-intensive industries like utilities, oil & gas, and manufacturing where long-term performance and cost control are essential. By deployment mode, on-premises EAM solutions have been the dominant deployment mode, especially in large enterprises and highly regulated industries such as oil & gas, utilities, and defense. These sectors prioritize data control, security, and compliance, which on-premises systems can offer. However, this mode involves high capital expenditure, complex upgrades, and ongoing IT maintenance. Buy this Research Report (250+ Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures): https://www.skyquestt.com/buy-now/enterprise-asset-management-market Regional Insights North America holds a significant share of the Global Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) market, driven by early technology adoption, a strong presence of leading vendors like IBM and Oracle, and widespread use across asset-intensive industries such as manufacturing, energy, and utilities. The region benefits from robust IT infrastructure and high investment in digital transformation initiatives. The Asia Pacific region is experiencing rapid growth in the Global Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) market, fueled by industrialization, urbanization, and expanding infrastructure projects. Countries like China, India, Japan, and Australia are increasingly adopting EAM solutions to optimize asset performance and reduce downtime. The region's expanding industrial base makes it a key growth frontier for EAM vendors. Europe represents a mature and technologically advanced market in the Global Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) landscape. Strong regulatory frameworks, sustainability goals, and emphasis on operational efficiency drive EAM adoption across industries such as utilities, transportation, and manufacturing. Countries like Germany, the UK, and France are leading adopters, with increasing investments in predictive maintenance and IoT-enabled asset tracking. The Middle East and Africa region is witnessing steady growth in the Global Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) market, driven by infrastructure development, expanding oil & gas operations, and smart city initiatives. Countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa are investing in digital asset optimization to enhance operational efficiency. Latin America is gradually expanding its presence in the Global Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) market, with growth fueled by modernization of infrastructure, increasing industrial activity, and digital transformation initiatives. Countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Chile are adopting EAM solutions to improve asset efficiency and reduce operational costs. Explore Extensive ongoing Coverage on Related Topics: Enterprise Content Management Market: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/enterprise-content-management-market Wealth Management Market: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/wealth-management-market Enterprise Search Market: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/enterprise-search-market Loyalty Management Market: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/loyalty-management-market Field Service Management Market: https://www.skyquestt.com/report/field-service-management-market About SkyQuest Technology Consulting SkyQuest Technology Consulting is a leading Strategy Consulting and Market Research firm, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and growth consulting services, trusted by CXOs from Fortune 500 Companies, Start-ups, and MSMEs. The company comprises a team of expert research analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports in our database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 40+ industries & sub industries across 25 major countries worldwide, serving global clients across diverse industries. The company specializes in delivering customized intelligence, data-driven insights, and strategic advisory services that enable businesses to stay competitive and make informed decisions in rapidly evolving industries. Contact Us: SkyQuest Technology Consulting 1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886 USA (+1) 351-333-4748 Email: sales@skyquestt.com Visit Our Website: https://www.skyquestt.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2446095/SkyQuest_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/enterprise-asset-management-market-to-grow-at-a-cagr-of-11-40-from-2025-to-2032--skyquest-technology-consulting-302528791.html DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The global Electrophysiology Market, valued at US$11.41 billion in 2024, stood at US$12.55 billion in 2025 and is projected to advance at a resilient CAGR of 11.6% from 2025 to 2030, culminating in a forecasted valuation of US$21.72 billion by the end of the period. The rise of the electrophysiology market can be attributed to several drivers: the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, including arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation; patients and healthcare providers are increasingly favoring minimally invasive procedures over traditional surgical interventions; electrophysiological techniques, such as catheter ablation, offer less invasive options for treating certain cardiac arrhythmias; and government support and initiatives aimed at improving healthcare infrastructure and funding research and development in electrophysiology also contribute to market growth. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=200003281 Browse in-depth TOC on "Electrophysiology Market" 322 - Tables 62 - Figures 330 - Pages By product, in 2024, electrophysiology ablation catheters are expected to be the leading segment in the medical device market. This anticipated growth is largely driven by the rising global prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and various cardiac arrhythmias, which has increased the demand for minimally invasive ablation techniques. Recent technological advancements in catheter design, such as the introduction of contact force-sensing mechanisms, irrigated-tip designs, and high-power short-duration (HPSD) ablation systems, have greatly enhanced procedural safety, precision, and clinical outcomes. These innovations are contributing to wider acceptance and increased utilization of these catheters within the medical community. By indication, the electrophysiology market, divided by medical indications, includes segments such as atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia. Atrial flutter, characterized by rapid heartbeats from the atria, is increasingly common, especially among the elderly, due to age-related cardiac changes. This rising prevalence has created a demand for advanced diagnosis and treatment options tailored to atrial flutter. Innovations in catheter ablation, advanced imaging techniques, and new pharmacological therapies reflect the urgency for effective arrhythmia management in an aging population. By geography, in 2024, North America, primarily the US and Canada, is set for significant growth in the medical technology market. The region is a global leader in medical innovations, especially in electrophysiology, often adopting breakthroughs ahead of others. With some of the highest healthcare spending globally, the US influences the uptake of advanced medical technologies, enhancing patient outcomes and operational efficiency. Strong A investment in research and development fosters innovation and creates a robust marketplace for new products and services, solidifying North America's role as a key driver of growth in the medical technology sector. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=200003281 As of 2024, prominent players in the electrophysiology market are Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. (US), Abbott (US), Medtronic (Ireland), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands), GE Healthcare (US), Boston Scientific Corporation (US), Japan Lifeline Co., Ltd (Japan), Stereotaxis, Inc. (US), MicroPort Scientific Corporation (China), and BIOTRONIK (Germany). Abbott (US): Abbott Laboratories is a comprehensive healthcare company that operates across diverse sectors, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics, and nutrition. The company has established a significant presence in electrophysiology, particularly in the development of advanced medical devices for cardiac electrophysiology procedures. Abbott's portfolio in this specialized market includes sophisticated mapping systems, electrophysiology catheters, and related technologies designed for the precise diagnosis and management of cardiac arrhythmias. Furthermore, Abbott is likely engaged in ongoing research and development initiatives aimed at innovating and enhancing electrophysiological technologies to improve patient outcomes and procedural efficiencies. Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands) Koninklijke Philips N.V. Philips, a Netherlands-based multinational company, is a significant player in the healthcare sector, particularly within medical technology. The company develops an extensive range of products that enhance capabilities in cardiology, patient monitoring, diagnostic imaging, and electrophysiology. In the electrophysiology domain, Philips offers advanced solutions aimed at the identification and management of cardiac arrhythmias. This product suite includes high-precision imaging technologies, advanced mapping systems, and specialized electrophysiology catheters, all essential tools utilized by cardiology professionals. Key offerings include the EP WorkMate system, which serves as a comprehensive electrophysiology recording and reporting platform, facilitating efficient data capture and analysis during procedures. Additionally, Philips has introduced state-of-the-art X-ray imaging systems designed for enhanced visualization during electrophysiological interventions. The EP Navigator and EP-XT Mapping system are also part of their innovative portfolio, providing clinicians with advanced three-dimensional mapping capabilities that improve procedural accuracy and patient outcomes. For more information, Inquire Now! Related Reports: Defibrillator Market Cardiac Monitoring & Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market Ablation Technology Market Catheters Market Digital X-ray Market Get access to the latest updates on Electrophysiology Companies and Electrophysiology Market Size About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's Best Management Consulting Firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. With the widest lens on emerging technologies, we are proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients across the globe. Today, 80% of Fortune 2000 companies rely on MarketsandMarkets, and 90 of the top 100 companies in each sector trust us to accelerate their revenue growth. With a global clientele of over 13,000 organizations, we help businesses thrive in a disruptive ecosystem. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion in new revenue streams that are replacing existing ones within this decade. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we collaborate with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies to keep them future-ready. Our insights and strategies are powered by industry experts, cutting-edge AI, and our Market Intelligence Cloud, KnowledgeStore, which integrates research and provides ecosystem-wide visibility into revenue shifts. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1868219/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/electrophysiology-market-worth-us21-72-billion-by-2030-with-11-6-cagr--marketsandmarkets-302529912.html To mark the anniversary, Bacardi showcases vintage advertisements from its archives that illustrate the cocktail's rise over the course of a century and the brand's storied partnership with Coca-Cola NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / August 15, 2025 / c. 1930s BACARDI Cuba Libre advertisement "Say 'Make Mine with BACARDI'" Part cocktail, part rallying-cry, the story behind the original Cuba Libre cocktail is preserved in the Bacardi Archives and can be traced back to a celebratory moment in Cuban history at the end of the Spanish-American war. American soldiers stationed in Cuba - birthplace of BACARDI - brought Coca-Cola with them for a taste of home which, soon became an island favorite soft drink. One August day in 1900, while celebrating Cuba's victory at The American Bar in Havana, a U.S. Army Signal Corps captain decided to ask the bartender for his favorite Cuban BACARDI Rum mixed with Coca-Cola and the squeeze of a fresh lime, sparking interest among others bar patrons. Soon the entire bar was drinking this enticing, new combination. The captain proposed a toast of "Por Cuba libre!" (For a free Cuba!) - a phrase exclaimed frequently by Cuban revolutionaries and Americans soldiers. The name caught on, and stuck. The cocktail soon spread beyond Cuba to become an international hit, beloved for its simplicity and refreshing taste. "A favorite among both bartenders and consumers alike, few rum cocktails have been able to stand the test of time like the Cuba Libre," said Dickie Cullimore, Global Brand Ambassador for BACARDI. "It's easy to master the Cuba Libre and make it your own. By simply combining just three ingredients - the world's most awarded rum brand, the world's favorite cola brand and a squeeze of fresh lime - a delicious taste of cocktail history is available at your fingertips at virtually any bar, anywhere, and even at home." The Cuba Libre cocktail was itself a product of a revolution in rum-making. In 1862, in Santiago de Cuba, Don Facundo Bacardi Masso developed BACARDI, the world's first smooth light-bodied spirit. Designed to be the ultimate mixing spirit, as it never dominates or dilutes the taste of the drink, BACARDI rum inspired the creation of other legendary cocktail recipes like the authentic Mojito, the original Daiquiri, and the Pina Colada. For more than 163 years, through seven generations of Don Facundo's descendants, family-owned Bacardi has focused on innovation, consistency, quality, taste and excellence in rum-making. Today, sipping this cocktail made with two iconic drinks brands still summons the same feelings of celebration, liberation and national pride as it did in 1900. In fact, the Rum & Coke remains one the most ordered drinks worldwide, claiming the #6 spot on the 2025 Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report. More than a century after the Cuba Libre's origins, Bacardi and Coca-Cola continue their relationship and in 2025 launched BACARDI & Coca-Cola Ready-to-Drink pre-mixed canned cocktails currently rolling out across the world. To make the perfect Cuba Libre cocktail and take your drink beyond a Rum and Coke, remember the squeeze of fresh lime makes all the difference. Original BACARDI Cuba Libre 2 oz BACARDI Gold rum 4 oz Coca-Cola (bottled) 2 lime wedges Ice cubes Fill a highball glass with cubed ice. Squeeze juice of fresh lime wedges into the glass and then drop lime wedge rinds directly into the glass. Pour in BACARDI Gold rum and top with chilled Coca-Cola, ideally bottled. Stir gently and enjoy responsibly. BACARDI, ITS TRADE DRESS AND THE BAT DEVICE ARE TRADEMARKS OF BACARDI & COMPANY LIMITED. COCA-COLA AND COKE ARE TRADEMARKS OF THE COCA-COLA COMPANY. PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Bacardi-Martini, Inc. on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Bacardi-Martini, Inc. Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/bacardi-limited Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Bacardi-Martini, Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/travel/the-cuba-libre-a-world-famous-cocktail-that-originated-with-bacard%c3%ad-rum-celebrates-125-years-1061491 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - Authority Engine today announced the launch of AI Authority Engineering, a systematic approach designed to help businesses optimize their visibility across AI-powered discovery platforms. The new service addresses the growing need for businesses to adapt their digital presence for AI-driven search technologies. Patrick McAvoy, Founder and CEO of Authority Engine, announces the launch of AI Authority Engineering service To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10373/262178_ad566f00540aab2f_002full.jpg AI Authority Engineering combines Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) with executive authority positioning to help businesses improve their discoverability through AI-powered platforms. The system operates through two core components: AEO Dominance, which focuses on structured data optimization and content syndication, and Market Authority, which works to establish business leaders as recognized experts through digital visibility strategies. "We have developed a systematic approach to help businesses adapt to the changing landscape of digital discovery," said Patrick McAvoy, founder and CEO of Authority Engine. "Our AI Authority Engineering service is designed to help companies optimize their presence for AI-powered search technologies." The service launch responds to the increasing adoption of AI-powered search and discovery tools in business research and decision-making processes. Authority Engine reports that many businesses are seeking solutions to maintain visibility as search technologies evolve. "Our focus is on building sustainable digital infrastructure for our clients," McAvoy continued. "We work to establish systematic approaches to visibility and authority building in the digital marketplace." Authority Engine serves firms, agencies, and growth-focused companies across multiple sectors including small and medium businesses, B2B software companies, consulting firms, and digital agencies. The service includes optimization of digital ecosystems for modern search technologies and systematic thought leadership positioning for executives. The AI Authority Engineering system includes comprehensive digital presence optimization, strategic content development, and authority-building initiatives designed to enhance business visibility across multiple digital platforms. McAvoy founded Authority Engine with experience in revenue generation and marketing strategy across various industries. The company is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. "Our goal is to provide businesses with the tools and strategies they need to maintain effective digital visibility," McAvoy explained. "We focus on systematic approaches that help companies establish strong digital presence and thought leadership positioning." The AI Authority Engineering service is now available to qualifying businesses seeking to optimize their digital presence for AI-powered discovery platforms. About Authority Engine Authority Engine is a digital visibility and authority-building firm founded by Patrick McAvoy and based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The company specializes in AI Authority Engineering, providing systematic approaches to help businesses optimize their presence across AI-powered discovery platforms. Authority Engine serves firms, agencies, and growth-focused companies seeking to enhance their digital visibility and establish thought leadership positioning in their respective markets. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262178 SOURCE: Pressmaster DMCC SEATTLE (dpa-AFX) - Philanthropist Jacklyn Gise Bezos, mother of Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and a fierce advocate for children's education, has died at the age of 78 after struggling with a progressive neurological disorder for years. The news of the philanthropist's demise in her Miami home on August 14 was announced on the website of the Bezos Family Foundation, which she founded with her husband Miguel (Mike) Bezos in 2000. She is survived by husband Mike Bezos, children Jeff, Christina, Mark, eleven grandchildren, and one great grandchild. 'A quiet final chapter to a life that taught all of us, friends and family alike, the true meaning of grit and determination, kindness, and service to others,' the foundation said on the website. Along with her husband Mike, Jackie was among the first investors in Amazon.com in 1995 after the couple loaned Jeff US$245,573 for his tech and e-commerce start-up. Jackie was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, a common type of dementia, in 2020. The condition is characterized by the development of abnormal protein deposits in nerve cells in the brain that affect regions involved in thinking, memory, movement and sleep. The disease leads to a gradual decline in cognitive abilities. Jackie was born on December 29, 1946 in Washington D.C. to Lawrence Preston Gise, who worked at U.S. government's nuclear research laboratories, and Mattie Louise Strait Gise. The family later moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jackie gave birth to her first child Jeffrey in 1964 while still in school. After high school, she started working in a bank and continued her studies attending night school classes. She met her future husband Mike Bezos, a Cuban immigrant, at work. They were married in 1968. Her passion for learning took her back to school in 1991 at the age of 45 to earn a bachelor's degree with honors in psychology from the Saint Elizabeth University in Morristown, New Jersey. At the Bezos Family Foundation, Jackie focused on two in-house programs: Vroom, a global learning initiative linking brain research to children's education, and the Bezos Scholars Program to aid students in the U.S. and Africa. She was also involved in charitable projects focused on medical research and community healthcare. Her partnership with the Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle led to breakthrough immunotherapy treatments for cancer. Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX 2025 AFX News USA News GroupNews Commentary Issued on behalf of Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- USA News GroupNews Commentary - The global gold market is witnessing an unprecedented convergence of bullish forces that could propel prices toward historic heights, as record-breaking momentum carries the precious metal beyond US$3,400 per ounce. Wall Street's most prestigious investment banks are raising their forecasts in unison, with J.P. Morgan targeting US$4,000 by mid-2026 and UBS analysts delivering enthusiastic endorsements for gold mining equities. As traditional safe-haven demand collides with aggressive central bank accumulation and mounting geopolitical uncertainties, the stage appears set for a sustained precious metals supercycle that extends far beyond current price levels. Among the companies positioned to capitalize on this extraordinary environment are Lake Victoria Gold (TSXV: LVG) (OTCQB: LVGLF), Galiano Gold Inc. (NYSE-American: GAU) (TSX: GAU), i-80 Gold Corp. (NYSE-American: IAUX) (TSX: IAU), New Gold Inc. (NYSE-American: NGD) (TSX: NGD), and Integra Resources Corp. (NYSE-American: ITRG) (TSXV: ITR). What distinguishes this gold rally from previous cycles is the remarkable outperformance of mining equities, with the VanEck Gold Miners ETF surging over 40% year-to-date compared to gold's own impressive gains. Major financial institutions are now signaling a fundamental shift in how they value gold producers, as UBS projects a "stronger for longer gold price environment" that should drive increased buyback activity and merger opportunities across the sector. The confluence of robust operational cash flows, streamlined capital allocation, and elevated commodity prices is creating what analysts describe as an optimal environment for mining stock re-rating, particularly among companies with established production profiles and clear development pathways. Lake Victoria Gold (TSXV: LVG) (OTCQB: LVGLF) stands on the verge of a transformation that could redefine its trajectory from explorer to producer, as the Nyati Resources processing facility reaches final commissioning stages. Located directly on one of LVG's Tembo licences adjacent to Barrick's sprawling Bulyanhulu Mine, the plant represents more than infrastructure-it's the catalyst for unlocking near-term cash flow from two advanced gold projects. Recent site inspections reveal a facility nearing operational readiness, with commissioning now targeted within the next four to six weeks. The existing 120 tonne-per-day carbon-in-pulp circuit operates under full licensing, while a substantially larger 500+ tpd line approaches completion. Combined capacity will exceed 600 tpd, supported by dual regrind mills, extended leach circuits, and grid-tied power systems with backup generation. Stockpiles await on the ROM pad as final equipment undergoes dry testing. "It was impressive to see the scale and quality of construction firsthand," David Scott, Managing Director Tanzania & Director of Lake Victoria Gold, who captured the momentum during his latest site visit. "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." The processing pathway accelerates LVG's dual-project advancement strategy. At the fully permitted Imwelo Gold Project, positioned just 12 km from AngloGold Ashanti's Geita mine, a strategic 7,750m drill program will targets Area C's highest-grade zones. The campaign splits between 3,750m of grade control drilling for immediate mine planning and 4,000m testing mineralized extensions, building on intercepts including 6.8m at 14.6 g/t gold from 33m and 7m at 3.22 g/t from 27m. "We've designed this program to maximize Imwelo's short-term production readiness while extending the upside case," said Marc Cernovitch, President and CEO of Lake Victoria Gold. "The drill data will help us finalize early mine scheduling, validate pit design, and potentially unlock high-grade extensions. With Area C now fully defined as our initial production zone, we're making meaningful progress toward Tanzania's next gold producer." Simultaneously, Tembo's Ngula 1 target advances through 3,000m of up coming drilling, targeting shallow, high-grade zones ideal for early Nyati processing. Previous hits of 28.57 g/t over 3m from 54m and 17.23 g/t over 4m from 19m underscore the potential for rapid cash generation ahead of full Imwelo development. Recent Barrickpresentations highlight intensive exploration across the region, including systematic drilling programs on ground formerly held by LVG-providing more validation of the district's broader geological potential. Strategic upside extends through LVG's exposure to up to US$45 million in milestone payments from the 2021 asset sale to Barrick's Bulyanhulu operation. Financial runway strengthens through recently announced private placements totaling up to C$7.5 million, earmarked for development, exploration, and working capital across both projects. With plant commissioning weeks away, drilling programs about to commence, and funding secured, LVG positions itself uniquely in Tanzania's gold landscape-a company transitioning from exploration potential to production reality within one of Africa's most prolific mining districts. CONTINUED Read this and more news for Lake Victoria Gold at: https://usanewsgroup.com/2025/04/02/with-funding-commitments-in-place-a-gold-mine-is-being-built-and-this-stock-is-still-under-0-20/ In other industry developments and happenings in the market include: Galiano Gold Inc. (NYSE-American: GAU) (TSX: GAU) delivered a commanding Q2 2025 performance with production surging 46% quarter-over-quarter to 30,350 ounces while achieving record average realized gold prices of $3,317 per ounce. The Ghana-based operator of the Asanko Gold Mine generated $97.3 million in revenue and operating cash flow of $35.8 million, positioning the company to maintain its debt-free status with $114.7 million in cash. "We are pleased with the progress made during the period with production, all-in sustaining costs, earnings per share, and cash balances all improving quarter-on-quarter," said Matt Badylak, President and CEO of GalianoGold. Breakthrough exploration results at the Abore deposit continue to validate expansion potential, with deep drilling confirming mineralization 200 metres below current reserves across a 1,200 metre strike length. The momentum from operational improvements, combined with the commissioning of the secondary crusher ahead of schedule in late July, positions the company for continued strength in the second half of the year. i-80 Gold Corp. (NYSE-American: IAUX) (TSX: IAU) marked a transformational quarter as the company advanced its Nevada-focused development strategy with record revenue of $27.8 million and significantly improved cash flow generation. Following a successful $185.5 million financing in May, the company is accelerating construction activities across five gold projects while targeting underground development at Archimedes and completing infill drilling programs to support upcoming feasibility studies. "The second quarter marked a major turning point at i-80 Gold," said Richard Young, President and CEO of i-80. "The equity financing completed in May has enabled us to advance key development initiatives across the five gold projects included in our development plan, and advance the Lone Tree autoclave refurbishment study which will be a key component of our hub-and-spoke mining and processing strategy for our high-grade underground projects." With $133.7 million in cash and a comprehensive three-phase development plan targeting over 600,000 ounces of annual gold production by the early 2030s, i-80 Gold continues positioning itself as a major Nevada gold producer through systematic advancement of its brownfield project portfolio. New Gold Inc. (NYSE-American: NGD) (TSX: NGD) achieved operational excellence in Q2 2025 with record quarterly free cash flow of $63 million driven by strong performance across both operating assets. The company produced 78,595 ounces of gold and 13.5 million pounds of copper while generating $163 million in operating cash flow, highlighted by Rainy River's record monthly production of 37,341 ounces in June. "Across the Company, the second quarter successfully built on the momentum from the first quarter, positioning us to deliver on our annual guidance," said Patrick Godin, President and CEO of New Gold. "The quarter was highlighted by a record production month at Rainy River, resulting in record quarterly free cash flow for both Rainy River and the Company." Strategic acquisitions and financing initiatives, including the purchase of Ontario Teachers' remaining 19.9% interest in New Afton and subsequent redemption of outstanding 2027 Notes, have strengthened the company's financial position while eliminating dilution to shareholders. New Gold's dual-asset portfolio continues demonstrating consistent cash generation capabilities as both operations advance toward increased production in the second half of 2025. Integra Resources Corp. (NYSE-American: ITRG) (TSXV: ITR) demonstrated consistent operational performance at its Florida Canyon Mine while executing a substantial capital investment program designed to ensure long-term profitability. The company generated record quarterly revenue of $61.1 million and record mine operating earnings of $25.2 million on production of 18,087 gold ounces sold at average realized prices of $3,332 per ounce. "We are pleased to report consistent gold production from Florida Canyon and positive financial results from the Company for the second quarter of 2025," commented George Salamis, President, CEO and Director of Integra. "Florida Canyon continues to deliver on our expectations, generating meaningful cash flow to fund significant re-investment into the mine, while also supporting the Company's broader growth strategy." With $63.0 million in cash and a comprehensive reinvestment strategy targeting over $55 million in mine-site improvements during 2025, Integra continues advancing its broader growth strategy encompassing Florida Canyon optimization, DeLamar permitting, and Nevada North development activities. The company's resource growth-focused drilling program at Florida Canyon has been expanded to approximately 16,000 meters, targeting historical waste areas and lateral extensions to support future reserve growth and mine life extension. Article Source: https://usanewsgroup.com/2025/04/02/with-funding-commitments-in-place-a-gold-mine-is-being-built-and-this-stock-is-still-under-0-20/ CONTACT: USA NEWS GROUP info@usanewsgroup.com (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 article is being distributed for Baystreet.ca media corp, who has been paid a fee for an advertising from a shareholder of the Company (333,333 unrestricted shares). MIQ has not been paid a fee for Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. advertising or digital media, but the owner/operators of MIQ also co-owns Baystreet.ca Media Corp. ("BAY") There may also be 3rd parties who may have shares of Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. 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 own shares of Lake Victoria Gold Ltd and reserve the right to buy and sell, and will buy and sell shares of Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. 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 Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. Technical information relating to Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. 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 registered member of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) and is a Director of Lake Victoria Gold Ltd., and therefore is not independent of the Company; this is a paid advertisement, we currently own shares of Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. and will 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/2603685/5462516/USA_News_Group_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/record-gold-prices-drive-mining-stock-rally-as-analysts-eye-4-000-price-target-302531217.html News / Africa by Staff reporter Recent developments within South Africa's military and government circles, combined with warnings from national intelligence, suggest the country may be facing a precarious period of political instability.Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, revealed that a coup d'etat is one of the risks identified in the recently released National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) and redacted National Security Strategy (NSS) for the sixth administration. Speaking at a media briefing, Ntshavheni stressed that while no coup attempts had occurred in recent weeks, intelligence agencies continue to monitor individuals and groups who may be planning such actions."You need to identify and mitigate against it. One of the risks is the risk of coup d'etat. We have identified it and put measures to mitigate against it," Ntshavheni said. She clarified that law enforcement agencies, not intelligence alone, are responsible for arrests related to national security threats.The warning comes amid the controversy surrounding SANDF Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya's recent trip to Iran, where he made statements praising Iran's anti-terror efforts and reaffirming South Africa's solidarity with Palestineremarks described by the presidency as "ill-advised" and potentially harmful to the country's foreign relations. Defence Minister Angie Motshekga, however, defended Maphwanya, insisting the trip was properly approved and his actions were not rogue.Experts say the incident exposes cracks in civil-military relations and underscores the risk of military figures acting independently of civilian oversight. Opposition parties and civil society groups have criticised the general's statements as reckless, warning that such behaviour could embolden factions within the military or political elite.Ntshavheni highlighted that the NIE provides an evidence-based assessment of strategic threats, including domestic instability, illegal migration, espionage, cyber threats, and transnational organised crime. The publication of the NIE and NSS was described as a "historic milestone" aimed at increasing transparency and strengthening national resilience."While we assure South Africans that no one has attempted a coup recently, the risk exists, and we continuously monitor and take action where necessary," Ntshavheni said. She stressed that national security is inseparable from human security, economic stability, democratic governance, and the protection of national interests.Analysts now caution that with internal government tensions, controversial military actions abroad, and the intelligence-identified coup risk, South Africa is entering a period where the possibility of political unrest or an attempted coup cannot be discounted. The combination of unchecked military influence and growing domestic discontent may create fertile ground for destabilising actions if left unaddressed.The release of the NIE and NSS underscores the need for vigilant oversight, cohesion between military and civilian authorities, and proactive engagement to safeguard South Africa's democratic institutions and prevent potential crises from escalating. Organizations team up to Provide Food and Essentials to Communities across the Country OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA / ACCESS Newswire / August 15, 2025 / With one in five children in the U.S. experiencing food insecurity, hunger remains a serious issue in many communities. The Popeyes Foundation and global anti-hunger organization, Feed the Children, are embarking on the SERVING WITH LOVE Tour, a coast-to-coast initiative that will provide access to food, daily essentials and other resources to local youth and families in 15 communities this Fall. Each SERVING WITH LOVE Tour stop will support 400 families, who will each receive a 25-pound box of food including shelf-stable items such as canned vegetables, beans, soup, pasta, cereal, and peanut butter: a 15-pound box of personal care essentials, including shampoo, razors, toothpaste and additional products. Throughout the tour the organizations hope to impact over 6,000 families; with a total estimated value of more than $1.75 million in food and daily essentials. The resources provided will help to ease the uncertainty that far too many children and caregivers experience, not knowing where their next meal will come from. Starting this August through October, the SERVING WITH LOVE Tour will stop in Miami, Fla., Jacksonville, Fla., Fort Myers, Fla., Los Angeles, Calif., Seattle, Wash., Hartford-New Haven, Conn., Washington, D.C., Columbus, Ohio, Memphis, Tenn., Phoenix, Ariz., Las Vegas, Nev., Houston, Texas, Dallas, Texas, New Orleans, La., and New York, N.Y. Each tour stop will engage local leaders, community partners and Popeyes to provide better access to food and daily essential resources. Currently, 13.8 million children in the U.S. live in households that experience food insecurity ( according to the USDA ), which means they lack consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. The SERVING WITH LOVE Tour is aiming to make a difference in the lives of children and assist families to put enough food on the kitchen table; helping their kids grow and thrive. "At the Popeyes Foundation, providing that seat at the table, soul warming, don't go hungry kind of love, is at the heart of our brand. That's why partnering with Feed the Children to provide food and essentials to communities across the country is a priority. Our SERVING WITH LOVE Tour initiative was created to help improve access to food, essentials and raise awareness of food insecurity. Through our partnership, and together, with the Popeyes brand and franchisees, we are focused on SERVING WITH LOVE to help kids grow and thrive. It means the world to partner with Feed the Children - kicking off the tour in Miami, where Popeyes is headquartered, and wrapping the efforts in New Orleans, a city dear to our brand." said Renee Hobbs, Executive Director of the Popeyes Foundation. Popeyes Foundation? and Feed the Children, kick off the SERVING WITH LOVE Tour supporting community partners Caring for Miami and Amigos for Kids. Volunteers gathered to serve 400 local families in Miami, Fla. Friday, Aug.19. "A widespread issue like childhood hunger will only be solved through collective efforts," said Emily Callahan, President and CEO of Feed the Children. "We've seen the significant impact that these local food and resource events have in supporting communities where children are hungry and going without what they need to thrive. We are grateful to collaborate with the Popeyes Foundation to make a difference in the lives of children and families across the country. Through the power of partnership, we can make an even greater impact as we seek to create a world where no child goes to bed hungry." The Popeyes Foundation? SERVING WITH LOVE Tour with Feed the Children provided 400 Local families with a 25 -pound box of shelf- stable food and a 15-pound box of personal care essentials and additional products in Miami, Fla. on Aug. 19. Throughout the tour the organizations hope to impact over 6,000 families. The organizations encourage everyone to join in the movement to end childhood hunger. For children everywhere, having enough to eat is a fundamental right. Supporters can help by donating at feedthechildren.org or popeyesfoundation.org/donate . About Popeyes Foundation? The Popeyes Foundation?, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity established in 2018 in partnership with the Popeyes brand and franchisees. The Popeyes Foundation's mission is dedicated to raising awareness and funds to strengthen communities with food and support in times of need. In 2023, the Popeyes Foundation launched SERVING WITH LOVE, a signature initiative that stems from Popeyes' New Orleans roots and focuses on providing support to Popeyes Team Members and local communities. For local communities, the focus is on providing food to those in need through the Food Love Grants Program; directing more than $1.81million to local nonprofits since 2023. Support comes through programs like mobile kitchens, on-campus pantries, out-of-school meals, natural disaster meal support. In 2025, the Popeyes Foundation selected Feed the Children, as a national partner to come together to help kids grow and thrive through their first-ever SERVING WITH LOVE Tour. The Popeyes Foundation grants to national and local nonprofits are made possible from guest donations during in-restaurant fundraisers, Popeyes franchisees, and brand. For more information, visit www.popeyesfoundation.org . About Feed the Children Feed the Children is a leading nonprofit committed to ending childhood hunger. The organization believes that no child should go to bed hungry, and so it provides children and families in the U.S. and around the world with the food and essentials kids need to grow and thrive. Through its programs and partnerships, the organization feeds children today while helping their families and communities build resilient futures. In addition to food, Feed the Children distributes household and personal care items across the United States to help parents and caregivers maintain stable, food-secure households. Internationally, it expands access to nutritious meals, safe water, improved hygiene and training in sustainable living. As responsible stewards of its resources, Feed the Children is driven to pursue innovative, holistic and child-focused solutions to the complex challenges of hunger, food insecurity and poverty. For children everywhere, the organization believes that having enough to eat is a fundamental right. Learn how you can help create a world without childhood hunger at Feedthechildren.org. Feed the Children | no child should go to bed hungry Contact: Richard Presser 405-247-0345 Richard.Presser@feedthechildren.org SOURCE: Feed the Children View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/popeyes-foundationsm-and-feed-the-children-to-kick-off-serving-w-1061373 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - CleanTech Vanadium Mining Corp. (TSXV: CTV) (OTCQB: CTVFF) (FSE: C9R) ("CleanTech" or the "Company") announces that its board of directors has approved the grant of incentive stock options (the "Options") to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants to acquire a total of 875,000 common shares in the capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.06. All Options were granted pursuant to the Company's 10% rolling stock option plan (the "Plan") and are subject to the terms of the Plan, the applicable grant agreements and the requirements of the TSX-V. The Options are exercisable for a five-year term expiring August 14, 2030. The Options will vest at 12.5% per quarter for the first two years following the grant date. About CleanTech Vanadium Mining Corp. CleanTech is a mining company focused on critical mineral resources in the USA. The Company has an option to acquire 7,180 acres of mineral rights with historic Fluorspar resources across multiple projects in Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar district. CleanTech also owns a 100% interest in the Gibellini Vanadium Mine Project in Nevada. Further information on CleanTech can be found at www.cleantechvanadium.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262736 SOURCE: CleanTech Vanadium Mining Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - East Africa Metals Inc. (TSXV: EAM) ("EAM" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into a binding Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with Ubora Minerals Company Limited ("Ubora") to acquire and develop the Company's Magambazi and Handeni mining project in Tanzania. Ubora is a subsidiary company of Anchises Capital Precious Metal Fund LLC ("Anchises"), which holds 50,200,000 common shares of the Company, representing approximately 18.66% of the Company's issued and outstanding shares. Accordingly, Ubora is a "Non-Arm's Length Party" of the Company, as defined under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. Terms of the MOU include: Cash payment of US$1.0 million upon signing of a definitive agreement that replaces the MOU (a "Definitive Agreement"), in lieu of US$1.7 million owed to EAM by PMM Mining Company Limited ("PMM"). 4% Net Smelter Returns royalty, subject to annual minimum royalty, advanced royalties, and cumulative 10-year guarantee payment terms. Buyout of PMM's interest in the Magambazi/Handeni project. Project development within 48 months after obtaining all necessary approvals and acquiring control of the project, as required by applicable regulatory authorities. A minimum annual production rate of 40,000 ounces of gold within 48 months of commercial production. In October 2020, the Company signed a Share Purchase Agreement and Gold Purchase Agreement with PMM, a Tanzanian private company, to develop the Magambazi mining project. In December 2022 due to PMM's lack of performance, non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the Mining License Agreement respecting the project and a litany of breaches to PMM's agreements with the Company, the Tanzanian Ministry of Minerals suspended PMM's operations at the project site and the renewal of the mining licenses. Since that time EAM's management has been engaged with the Tanzanian government and PMM to resolve issues inhibiting the development of commercial mining operations at Magambazi. In August 2024, the Tanzanian Government intervened again to mediate a resolution to PMM's non-compliance. The Minister of Minerals imposed a process under which EAM and PMM were instructed to engage in discussions and develop an MOU to mutually agree on appointing a third-party developer to advance the Magambazi Project. The MOU and the transaction represented thereunder is subject to a number of conditions, including approval by the Tanzanian Mining Commission and other relevant government authorities, the entering of a Definitive Agreement, and approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. As noted above, Ubora is an affiliate of Anchises, and accordingly the transaction contemplated in the MOU is a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The transaction is exempt from the formal valuation requirement under MI 61-101 because no securities of the Company are listed on any of the markets specified in Section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101 and is exempt from the minority shareholder approval requirement under MI 61-101 because the aggregate fair market value of the transaction does not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. About East Africa Metals Inc. The Company's principal assets include a 30% Net Profits Interest in the Mato Bula and Da Tambuk mines (collectively "Adyabo Property") and a 70% project interest in the Harvest polymetallic VMS Exploration Project in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. In addition, the Company has a 30% Net Streaming Interest in the Magambazi Mine in the Tanga Region of Tanzania. EAM has invested US$66.8M in African exploration since 2005 and has identified a total of 2.8 million ounces of gold and gold-equivalent resources representing an average discovery cost per ounce of US$24. More information on the Company can be viewed at the Company's website: www.eastafricametals.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified using forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "forecast", "project", "budget", "schedule", "may", "will", "could", "might", "should", "indicate" or variations of such words or similar words or expressions. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by East Africa as at the date of such information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of East Africa to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: timing of receipt of mining permit; timing of mining development; projected heap leach recoveries; early exploration; the closing of the agreement with the exploration and development company to advance the Magambazi Project or identify any other corporate opportunities for the Company; mineral exploration and development; metal and mineral prices; availability of capital; accuracy of East Africa's projections and estimates, including the initial mineral resource for the Adyabo, Harvest and Magambazi Properties; interest and exchange rates; competition; stock price fluctuations; availability of drilling equipment and access; actual results of current exploration activities; government regulation; political or economic developments; foreign taxation risks; environmental risks; insurance risks; capital expenditures; operating or technical difficulties in connection with development activities; personnel relations; the speculative nature of strategic metal exploration and development including the risks of diminishing quantities of grades of reserves; contests over title to properties; and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, as well as those risk factors set out in in East Africa's management's discussion and analysis for the three months and nine months ended December 31, 2024 and for the year ended March 31, 2024, and East Africa's listing application dated July 8, 2013. Mineral Resources, which are not Mineral Reserves, do not have demonstrated economic viability. The contained gold, copper and silver figures shown are in situ. No assurance can be given that the estimated quantities will be produced. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the timely closing of the financing; the timely execution of the Handeni Property Definitive Agreement and closing thereunder; the price of gold, silver, copper and zinc; the demand for gold, silver, copper and zinc; the ability to carry on exploration and development activities; the timely receipt of any required approvals; the ability to obtain qualified personnel, equipment and services in a timely and cost-efficient manner; the ability to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner; the renewal or extension of exploration Licenses; the regulatory framework regarding environmental matters, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although East Africa has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. The Company does not update or revise forward looking information even if new information becomes available unless legislation requires the Company do so. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information contained herein, 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. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262721 SOURCE: East Africa Metals, Inc. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - Deveron Corp. (TSXV: FARM) ("Deveron" or the "Company") announces that it has extended the maturity date of principal amount $10,015,000 7% unsecured convertible debentures (each a "Debenture") issued as part of a private placement initially announced on May 18, 2022. The maturity date, initially set for May 18, 2025, has been extended from August 16, 2025 to October 31, 2025 (the "Amendment"). All other provisions of the Debentures will remain unchanged and fully in effect during the extension period. Insiders of the Company are the beneficial owners an aggregate principal amount of $40,000 of Debentures. The insiders are considered a "related party" of the Company within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the Company is not listed on a specified market and the fair market value of Debentures held by insiders does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction at least 21 days before the Amendment, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances in order to complete the Amendment in an expeditious manner. About Deveron: Deveron is an agriculture technology company that uses data and insights to help farmers and large agriculture enterprises increase yields, reduce costs and improve farm outcomes. The company employs a digital process that leverages data collected on farms across North America to drive unbiased interpretation of production decisions, ultimately recommending how to optimize input use. For more information and to join our community, please visit www.deveron.com . Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of that phrase under Canadian securities laws. Without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Company are forward looking statements that involve various degrees of risk. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current views with respect to possible future events and conditions and, by their nature, are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific to the Company. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements. The following are important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements: changes in the world-wide price of agricultural commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in agriculture, the uncertainty of future profitability and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. Additional information regarding the material factors and assumptions that were applied in making these forward looking statements as well as the various risks and uncertainties we face are described in greater detail in the "Risk Factors" section of our annual and interim Management's Discussion and Analysis of our financial results and other continuous disclosure documents and financial statements we file with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedarplus.ca. The Company undertakes no obligation to update this forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. The Company relies on litigation protection for forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262738 SOURCE: Deveron Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - Battery Mineral Resources Corp. (TSXV: BMR) (OTCQB: BTRMF) ("Battery" or "BMR" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV" or the "Exchange") has accepted its application for reinstatement of trading of the Company's common shares on the TSXV. This follows the successful resolution of the Failure-to-File Cease Trade Order issued by the British Columbia Securities Commission on May 7, 2025 and revoked on July 11, 2025 (see press releases dated May 7, 2025 and July 21, 2025). The Company expects trading to be reinstated shortly and will issue a further news release announcing the effective date. The Company acknowledges and appreciates the patience of its shareholders and stakeholders during this process. BMR is targeting further increasing the level of ore throughput at Punitaqui, as well as focusing on improving the ore recoveries and ore grades and is pursuing several financing alternatives, including potentially refinancing the outstanding copper concentrate prepay facility. Taken together, these steps are anticipated to further improve the Company's working capital deficiency in the amount of $61,653,999 as at March 31, 2025.1 Note: 1 A portion of such deficiency equal to $33,409,237 is attributable to convertible debentures which mature on September 30, 2026. About Battery Mineral Resources Corp. Battery's mission is to build a mid-tier copper producer and has recently initiated mine and mill operations at the Punitaqui Mining Complex, a historic copper-gold-silver producer, in the Coquimbo region of Chile. The Company's portfolio also consists of its 100% ownership in ESI Energy Services Inc., other mineral exploration assets located in North America, and two graphite assets in South Korea. The Company is focused on providing shareholders accretive exposure to copper and the global mega-trend of electrification while being focused on growth through cash-flow, exploration, and acquisitions in favorable mining jurisdictions. Further information about BMR and its projects can be found on www.bmrcorp.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 press release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable securities laws, including without limitation statements regarding anticipated production timing and capacity. Statements about the anticipated reinstatement of the Company's common shares for trading, increasing the level of ore throughput at Punitaqui, improving the ore recoveries and ore grades, pursuing several financing alternatives and improving the Company's working capital deficiency are forward-looking in nature. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections of the Company on the date the statements are made and are 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 uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to achieve its objectives, risks related to share price and market conditions, the inherent risks involved in the mining, exploration and development of mineral properties, the ability of the Company to meet its anticipated development and production schedule, government regulation and fluctuating metal prices. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. BMR undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. For further information regarding the risks, please refer to the risk factors discussed in BMR's most recent Management Discussion and Analysis filed on SEDAR+. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/262741 SOURCE: Battery Mineral Resources Corp. As we celebrate the nations 79th Independence Day today, heres looking at top seven actors who played patriotic characters on the screen Bollywood has served audiences a spectrum of films, ranging across genres. But the one that has connected them to their country is the patriotic space. As we celebrate the nations 79th Independence Day today, heres looking at top seven actors who played patriotic characters on-screen. Jackie Shroff - Border Jackie Shroff starrer Border continues to top the list of impactful patriotic films. As Wing Commander Anand Bajwa, Jackie Shroff brings an incredible level of gravitas and maturity with his years of experience as an actor, making the film a must-watch this Independence Day! STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ram Charan - RRR In RRR, Ram Charan shows what grit, intensity, and the need to raise ones voice for the nation look like! By playing a revolutionary leader who wages an armed campaign against the British Raj, Ram Charan gives a new lens to patriotic spectacle for the new-age audience. Akshay Kumar - Baby Akshay Kumar took audiences on a rollercoaster of thrill with this spy thriller, a film that continues to be celebrated even today! As Ajay Rajput, Rafiq Khan and Rahul Awasthi, Akshay Kumar leads a team to destroy terrorists and their lethal operations. Shilpa Shetty - Indian Police Force Shilpa Shetty stepped into the shoes of IPS Tara Shetty for Indian Police Force, a thriller series that throws light on the contributions of Indian cops. With an apt grit, intensity, and ferocity as a female cop, Shilpa Shetty proved to be the right fit for the role. Arjun Rampal - Paltan In this war film, Arjun Rampal plays Lt. Colonel Rai Singh Yadav and drives the films plot surrounding the clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in the regions of Natha La and Cho La in 1967, where Indian troops defeated Chinese troops from encroaching on the territory. Diana Penty - Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran In Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran, Diana Penty steps into the challenging character of Ambalika Bandyopadhyay, an Intelligence Bureau Officer Captain. With the ability to get into the skin of any character, Diana pulled off the role with ease and stood toe-to-toe with her male co-stars. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Nimrat Kaur - The Test Case In this web series, Nimrat Kaur plays Captain Shikha Sharma, the only woman in a group of Indian Army officers training to join the Special Forces. Adding unconventionality to her portrayal, her character is also the first woman undertaking the course, making it her test case. Known for picking offbeat characters, Nimrat does not let you down with her acting range. The report also shared that the representative of Tom Cruise refused to comment on the matter Tom Cruise, the popular Hollywood actor, known for his work in the MI and Top Gun franchises, has reportedly declined to be among the first group of Kennedy Center Honorees during US President Donald Trumps second term in the White House due to scheduling conflicts. Tom Cruise was offered the honors but declined because of scheduling conflicts, according to several current and former Kennedy Center employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss event plans, read a Washington Post report. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The report also shared that the representative of Tom Cruise refused to comment on the matter. US President Donald Trump named Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone and country music great George Strait among the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors on Wednesday. This action of Trump is one of the efforts to take control of the Kennedy Center arts complex earlier this year. One of the nations highest arts awards will also be given to Gloria Gaynor, rock band KISS, and British theatre star Michael Crawford. The President shared that he would host the Honors gala, which generally takes place in December and is later broadcast on CBS. The Valkyrie actor is still slated to receive an honorary award for his contribution to the film industry before the end of 2025. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced in June that Tom Cruise will receive an honorary Oscar at the 2025 Governors Awards on November 16. The actor was last featured in _Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning_, which also starred Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, and Angela Bassett in supporting roles. The movie was directed by Christopher McQuarrie. It was the last part of the MI franchise. The best thing about Netflixs Saare Jahan Se Accha to John Abraham starrer Tehran and Diplomat is that they are not about chest-thumping patriotism. Here in this series and these two films, patriotism doesnt scream or break out in slogans and patriotic dialogues. The characters here work silently and make us believe you dont need to give elaborate dialogues and speeches to be heard. All understand from these films how there are some who work in silence and understand what is the need of the hour. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tehran on Zee 5 Tehran is John Abrahams career best performance after The Diplomat. This movie gives a new high to patriotic films without displaying chest-thumping patriotism. Inspired by the 2012 bombing near the Israeli embassy in Delhi, the film follows ACP Rajeev Kumar (John Abraham) on a mission to avenge an innocent life lost in the attack. The movie clearly shows that one doesnt need to be a by the book officer to be considered good at his job. John Abraham who plays a police officer, DCP Rajeev Kumar, is one such man, who cannot take his job dispassionately. He is emotional too. From the beginning of the film, we realise that it is not going to be a simple espionage thriller. Inspired by real events, all the characters are fictitious. \_Tehran\_ movie begins with a bombing in Delhi, which killed a little girl who was selling flowers. DCP Rajeev Kumar ( John Abraham) couldnt get over this incident. Kumar is put on this case. Netflixs Saare Jahan Se Accha Not just Pratik Gandhi; Anup Soni, Sunny Hinduja & Suhail Nayyars performances will keep you glued in this sharp espionage show. While nations celebrate their freedom, silent wars are fought not with weapons, but with razor-sharp minds. These unsung heroes vanish into the shadows: nameless, faceless, with no medals to show and no grand celebrations. They are intelligence officers, spies who fight battles well never see, so we never have to know what it costs. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Netflixs upcoming series Saare Jahan Se Accha tells the story of Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) agent Vishnu Shankar, who undertakes a perilous mission deep inside enemy territory: Pakistan. Set in the volatile 1970s, when a single move could tip the balance of power and trigger a global nuclear war, Saare Jahan Se Accha unfolds as Indias R&AW and Pakistans ISI clash in a deadly game of strategy. Vishnu must outwit ISI agent Murtaza Mallik in a race against time to prevent a major catastrophe. Tasked with stopping a covert nuclear program before it ignites global destruction, Vishnu crosses enemy lines on a mission where failure isnt an option and the fate of nations hangs in the balance. The Diplomat now showing on Netflix Directed by Shivam Nair with John Abraham and Sadia Khateeb as leads, the movie revolves around the real-life story of Uzma Ahmeds (Sadia Khateeb) brave escape from Pakistan with the help of JP Singh (John Abraham). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD John plays the role of diplomat JP Singh, a man of few words but strong-headed and knows his job like the back of his hand. Serving in Pakistan as a diplomat is not an easy job and he knows exactly how to deal with the rowdy Pakistani crowd and mentions again and again to his colleagues that this isnt India. The movie shows the lawlessness of the country and how some people of Pakistan, not all, are wired differently. It is indeed very refreshing to see a powerful woman protagonist played by Sadia Khateeb. A very engaging espionage film, \_The Diplomat\_ deals with finer details of diplomacy. It is not a typical high-octane action-packed drama where we see John flexing his muscles, it is indeed far from it where he is shown as a very firm, sorted and no-nonsense diplomat. It tells the real-life story of Uzma Ahmed who was forced to get married and held captive by her husband in Pakistans Buner in 2017. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The leading man of the film was quoted saying, Watching the films poster light up the Bandra Worli Sea Link was a proud, unforgettable moment. In the lead-up to Independence Day, Mumbais iconic Bandra Worli Sea Link became a luminous showcase for John Abrahams highly anticipated thriller, Tehran. On the eve of its ZEE5 premiere, the landmark lit up with the films striking poster an arresting sight that stopped commuters and onlookers in their tracks, phones in hand to capture the spectacle. The rare projection seamlessly merged the patriotic fervour of Independence Day week with the pulse-pounding energy of a high-stakes espionage thriller. As the Sea Link lit up against Mumbais night sky, it offered a moment where national pride met cinematic spectacle an experience that felt both celebratory and immersive. John Abraham, who was present to witness the larger-than-life unveiling, described it as a proud, unforgettable moment, adding that being a part of Tehran has been a phenomenal journey. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Now streaming exclusively on ZEE5, Tehran is a gripping geo-political thriller set against the simmering global tension between Israel and Iran and the way India becomes entangled in their conflict, caught in the crossfire as collateral damage. Produced by Maddock Films and directed by Arun Gopalan, the film also stars Manushi Chhillar, Neeru Bajwa, and Madhurima Tuli in pivotal roles. With its themes of loyalty, resilience, scale, action, and intrigue, Tehran is the perfect Independence Day watch, delivering an edge-of-the-seat experience that keeps viewers hooked till the last frame. The Bandra Worli Sea Link projection offered Mumbaikars a spectacular, larger-than-life glimpse of the high-octane drama now streaming only on ZEE5. John Abraham remarked, Being part of Tehran has been a phenomenal journey. Going by my film choices over the years, its obvious that I have an ongoing love affair with the country a connection that finds its way into almost everything I do on screen. My fascination with geo-politics made this story an instant draw for me. Interacting with the brilliant minds at Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service was both inspiring and humbling and watching the films poster light up the Bandra Worli Sea Link was a proud, unforgettable moment. Im thankful to ZEE5 for giving Tehran such a powerful platform, and its release over the Independence Day weekend makes it the perfect time for audiences to dive into a story that blends high-stakes action with the spirit of patriotism. Tehran is streaming now on ZEE5, making it the perfect Independence Day watch In a historic first for Indian cinema, the teaser of Devi Chowdhurani, the epic retelling of Indias first female freedom fighter lit up the towering screens of Times Square on August 15. Starring Prosenjit Chatterjee as the legendary rebel Bhavani Pathak and Srabanti Chatterjee in the titular role, the film has already been generating buzz since its teaser launch on August 13 for its breath-taking visuals, stirring performances, and unapologetically revolutionary spirit. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Backed by ADited Motion Pictures (USA/India) and LOK Arts Collective (UK/India), the film marks the first-ever Indian feature to receive official Indo-UK co-production status from both governments, supported by Indias Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, NFDC, Film Facilitation Office, and Invest India . Directed by National Award-winner Subhrajit Mitra, the magnum opus boasts a formidable creative team, including music by globally acclaimed composer Pandit Bickram Ghosh . ADited Motion Pictures, headquartered in the USA , has always been driven by the mission to take Indian stories to a global stage in partnership with LOK Arts Collective from the UK and India. Earlier last year, we unveiled our upcoming film Joyguru , based on the life of Parvati Baul, at Times Square during Bengali New Year . Now, for the first time ever, an Indian story will blaze across the Times Square screens on Independence Day, our Bengali magnum opus Devi Chowdhurani. Rooted in Bengal yet universal in spirit, this is more than just a film, its Indias history meeting the worlds most iconic cultural crossroads, said producers Aparna and Aniruddha Dasgupta ( ADited ) and Soumyajit Majumdar ( LOK ) in a joint statement. Prosenjit Chatterjee affirmed, Today my heart swells with pride. On our Independence day, the teaser of the film Devi Chowdhrani, the story of Indias first rebellion for freedom penned by the great, late Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, is lighting up the iconic Times Square, this incredible Indo-UK venture produced by Aniruddha Dasgupta, Aparna Dasgupta and Soumyajit, directed by Subhrajit Mitra is our tribute to the courage and spirit of our people and very soon the world will witness it. Releasing globally this Puja, one of the biggest festivals on this planet, this is Indias story told to the world. Bande Mataram. Srabanti further shared,It is extremely exciting for us, for Team Devi Chowdhurani that the teaser of our upcoming film Devi Chowdhurani, (Bandit Queen of Bengal) will be showcased on the prestigious Times Square billboards in New York, throughout the Indian independence day, 2025. The film is slated for world release in the coming autumn. Durga Pujo 2025. I thank my Director Subhrajit Mitra and the producers ADited motion pictures and Lok Arts Collective for such a grand movie. This is a part of our forgotten history. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD News / National by Staff reporter Police in Zimbabwe are conducting a manhunt for Assistant Inspector Mandizvidza, who allegedly stole a marked Ford Ranger from the Police General Headquarters (PGHQ) in Harare.According to an internal police memo dated 13 August and seen by CITE, the officer took the vehicle, registration number 033, and is believed to have driven it towards Mashonaland Central province. The directive instructed all stations in Mazowe district to mount roadblocks and intercept both Mandizvidza and the stolen vehicle."May all stations in Mazowe district be on the lookout for ZRP Ford Ranger reg 033 with police colours driven by A/Insp Mandizvidza. The vehicle is stolen at PGHQ by A/Insp Mandizvidza and is believed to be in Mashonaland Central province," the memo reads.However, the case has taken a dramatic twist following the circulation of a 12-minute video in which Mandizvidza declares himself the new head of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and issues a series of controversial directives.In the video, Mandizvidza, who identifies himself as the "Member in Charge of the Senior Officers' Desk," claims he is assuming control of the police force "with immediate effect," vowing to empower younger officers and push for "positive change" within the organisation and the country.He goes further to order all Chinese nationals to leave Zimbabwe within 48 hours, warning that any attempt to arrest him could lead to conflict."Hapana munhu anorowa, vanhu vachafamba zvakanaka, vagobuda [No one will be beaten; people will move freely and then leave]. If you really love your country, support me," he declares.Mandizvidza also claims to have disbanded all traffic police sections, instructing officers to report immediately to their stations.His delivery style, alternating between English and Shona, draws comparisons to that of Blessed Geza a former ZANU-PF Central Committee member and war veteran known for his outspoken criticism of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.Police have not yet issued an official public statement regarding the video or its contents, but the combination of the alleged vehicle theft and Mandizvidza's public proclamations has sparked widespread speculation about his motives and mental state. US President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will descend on Alaska for a much-awaited meeting on August 15. The summit, which was announced just last week, is being hosted at the American militarys Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. With such short notice, how did the Secret Service prepare for the safety of both the leaders? Masks of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump are displayed for sale in Saint Petersburg on August 7, 2025. AFP United States President Donald Trump is set to host Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, a territory that Russia sold to America in 1867 for $7.2 million. The high-stakes summit on a military base on the outskirts of the city of Anchorage will be keenly watched across the world. The two leaders are expected to discuss a possible ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv, without the presence of Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The talks, which Trump has described as a feel-out meeting, have thrown a big security challenge as they came at short notice. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD So, how is the American Secret Service preparing for the Alaska summit? We will explain. Picking the venue for Trump-Putin summit Putin will cross the Bering Sea, the narrow strait of water separating the US from Russia, to enter American soil on Friday (August 15) for the high-level meeting with Trump in Alaska. The two leaders will hold talks at the US militarys Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. However, this venue was not the first choice of the Secret Service for the much-anticipated summit. As per a Bloomberg report, the US agency, as well as the Russian consulate in New York, were seeking short-term rentals that could host Trump and Putin. Beau Disbrow, a realtor in Anchorage, told the news agency, Most of my short-term rentals were booked, but I did manage to put some of them into one home. It was finally decided to hold the summit, which Trump announced just a week ago, at Alaska's largest military installation. Were in the height of tourist season, so hotels are tight, cars are tight, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy told Bloomberg Television on Thursday (August 14). Having this on the base alleviates a lot of issues. Earlier this week, the White House attempted to downplay the expectations for a peace deal, describing the meeting between Trump and Putin as a listening exercise. How Secret Service is preparing for Trump-Putin summit The US Secret Service had to be ready for Trumps meeting with Putin in Alaska, also known as the Last Frontier, on short notice. Speaking to NPR, Bill Gage, a former Secret Service special agent, said that the agency did not have to worry about country clearances and visas and weapons permits as it is a domestic trip for the American president. However, the agents still need to be ready for any adverse event. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD You know, Alaska is far away from the continental United States. They still have to plan for all sorts of eventualities - natural disasters, earthquake, volcanic eruptions, and the list goes on, he added. Alaska, a vast wilderness, is sparsely populated. Anchorage, where the summit will be held at 11:30 am local time (1 am IST), has limited hotel rooms and a small rental-car market. After Trump announced the summit with Putin last week, the only agent deployed at the Secret Services post in Alaska started preparing for hundreds of reinforcements in the coming days, according to the Bloomberg report. The US agency has a mighty task at hand: to protect both Trump and Putin. With just a week for planning, the Secret Service had a lot on its plate. However, its job was made a bit easier as the meeting is on American soil. It can easily move weapons, communications equipment and medical gear without foreign constraints, four people familiar with the planning told the news agency. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The military base, the venue for the high-stakes meeting, boasts controlled airspace, fortified gates and quick access to military units. Aircrafts sit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson ahead of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the war in Ukraine, in Anchorage, Alaska, US August 13, 2025. REUTERS Motorcade SUVs and other assets are arriving in Anchorage from other parts of the state. Hundreds of agents have reached the city. The US State Department protocol is being adhered to to draw up the plan. Reciprocity rules dictate that every courtesy extended to one leader has to be followed for the other, officials said in a bilateral meeting. While Russian security will control Putins immediate movements while the Secret Service maintains an outer ring, reported Bloomberg. Strict rules will be in place as Trump and Putin fly to Alaska. Neither side will be allowed to open the doors or ride in the others vehicle. If 10 US agents are posted outside a meeting room, 10 Russian agents will stand on the other side. Everything is matched body for body, gun for gun, one person said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD From the arrival motorcade to the presence of translators in the room, the reciprocity will be maintained in all moves. Each side will have its own language teams. The US and Russia are also reportedly discussing the number and size of hold rooms, secure waiting areas for each leader. The Secret Service is awaiting a green-light from Russia to formally approve the full security plan, the people told Bloomberg. The safety of the President is our highest priority. In order to maintain operational security, the Secret Service does not discuss the specific means and methods used to conduct our protective operations, the Secret Service said in a statement. Downtown hotels are packed and rental car lots have been cleared for convoys. Agents in suits and earpieces are stationed at intersections, while others in plain clothes are at coffee shops and parking garages. Alaska state troopers and local police are folded into motorcade routes that have been mapped down to the turn lane, as per Bloomberg. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The movement of the vehicles of Putin and Trump is being choreographed, so they are apart and fully protected. With inputs from agencies In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced two major gifts for Indians. The first is a reform of the goods and services tax (GST) system, with a new lower-rate tax regime set to be launched this Diwali. He also said that under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, young people taking up private sector jobs for the first time will receive Rs 15,000 as assistance PM Modi said a new tax system with much lower rates will be launched this Diwali. Reuters Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech, said that the goods and services tax (GST) system would be reformed, calling it a festive gift from the Centre. He said a new tax system with much lower rates will be launched this Diwali. ALSO READ | India wont tolerate nuclear blackmail: Decoding PM Modis warning to Pakistan He also announced that under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, youth joining private sector jobs for the first time will get Rs 15,000 as assistance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Heres a look at his two big announcements in the Independence Day address: Next-gen GST reforms Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government will roll out next-generation GST reforms by Diwali this year, aimed at reducing the tax load on households and small businesses. He said the plan will revise tax slabs and cut Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates on essential and daily-use products, describing it as a massive gift to the public. We are committed to making life easier for the common man. This Diwali, we will bring GST reforms that will lower prices and boost compliance, he said in his Independence Day address. Calling the changes part of the governments wider economic reform plans, PM Modi said the new system will help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by making processes simpler and lowering costs. He added that the goal is to create a tax system that is clear, friendly to businesses, and encourages both growth and spending. The GST, launched in 2017, has long faced calls from industries and state governments for easier rules and fairer rates. The Prime Ministers statement is expected to pave the way for talks in the GST Council before the festival period. #WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "This Diwali, I am going to make it a double Diwali for you... Over the past eight years, we have undertaken a major reform in GST... We are bringing next-generation GST reforms. This will reduce the tax burden across the pic.twitter.com/2hAPP0CFtH ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A group of state finance ministers, led by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, is reviewing possible GST rate cuts. Another team of state ministers is looking at reducing or removing GST on health and term life insurance products, with a decision expected soon, Moneycontrol reported. Sources told the publication that one major proposal being considered by the GoM is to remove the 12 per cent GST slab. Items in this category could be shifted to either the 5 per cent or 18 per cent brackets. At present, GST has five main rates: nil, 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to the report, the GST Council is likely to decide by October on the future of the compensation cess, as the repayment of the GST compensation loan taken to cover states revenue shortfall during the pandemic is expected to be completed ahead of time. Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana He also announced the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana under which those getting their first job in the private sector will receive Rs 15,000 from the Centre. Speaking from the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day, he said the Rs 1 lakh crore scheme will start immediately and is expected to benefit over 3.5 crore people. Today is August 15, and we are launching a Rs 1 lakh crore scheme for the youth of this country. It is good news for you that PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana is being rolled out from today, he said. #WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "My countrys youth, today is 15th August, and on this very day, we are launching a scheme worth Rs 1 lakh crore for the youth of our country. From today, the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana is being implemented... pic.twitter.com/KKFTHevUi9 ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Under the scheme, the government will transfer Rs 15,000 directly to young people when they get their first private sector job. Companies that create more jobs will also be given incentives. Part A: Who is eligible? Part A targets first-time employees registered with the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). It will provide one months EPF wage, up to Rs 15,000, in two instalments. Employees earning up to Rs 1 lakh per month will qualify. The first instalment will be paid after six months of service, and the second after 12 months, once the employee completes a financial literacy programme. Part B: What about employers? Part B focuses on creating new jobs in all sectors, especially manufacturing. Employers will receive incentives for hiring workers with salaries up to Rs 1 lakh. The government will give employers up to Rs 3,000 per month for two years for each new employee who stays for at least six months. In manufacturing, these incentives will continue into the third and fourth years as well. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For many, 2025 is the year for Indian fashion. Designers such as Rahul Mishra, Gaurav Gupta, Sabyasachi have flown the Indian flag high. However, the country has always been at the forefront of textiles, fabrics and clothes. As we mark our 79th day of Independence, heres a look at how Indian fashion has evolved, providing designers across the world with ideas and inspiration while growing into a multi-million dollar industry In recent times, the world has woken up to Indias fashion be it Prada appropriating the humble Kohlapuri chappal or designers Rahul Mishra and Gaurav Gupta enchanting audiences at fashion weeks and Met galas with their dramatic gowns. But Indian fashion has always been serving it, as the young ones would call it today. Its textiles, its designs, its aesthetic has been a constant in the world of fashion and is embroidered into global fashion history. In fact, the desire for Indias excellence in fashion can be dated back to the 17th Century when the French courts of Marie Antoinette and Josephine Bonaparte sourced fabrics and designs from India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And it seems centuries later, India continues to serve as inspiration to the world. As we celebrate Indias independence from the British Raj, we take a closer look at Indias role in global design from the 1600s to the present. When France courted Indian fashion The year 1788 began as an unusually dull one for French fashion. Nothing very novel for this winter, the fashion-conscious Henriette Louise de Waldner de Freundstein, Baroness dOberkirch (17541803) complained. But then the French fashionistas came across an Indian fabric known as chintz and they fell in love with the light, breathable, and strikingly vibrant feel of it. Soon, all of Europe had their hands on chintz aristocratic women wore chintz gowns adorned with delicate vines and blossoms. Royalty lined their bedrooms with chintz draperies. Even Queen Mary of England had her private chambers decorated with the fabric. Chintz dresses displayed at Britains Victoria & Albert Museum. This pattern became very famous in the 17th Century with France and UK banning it in the years to come. Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons It became so popular that in 1686, France banned its import with England following it. But the demand didnt reduce; in fact, smugglers risked imprisonment and even execution to meet the insatiable demand. In some cities, women caught wearing chintz were forced to pay heavy fines or even had their garments confiscated in public. Years later, in 1759, France lifted its ban on chintz after it had figured out how to make its own. England, too, embraced industrialised cotton production, making cheap chintz-like fabrics in massive quantities. Buta becomes paisley Talking of Indian fabrics and motifs, we cant forget the paisley and how it has become a trend all over. Designers from Dolce & Gabbana, JW Anderson among others have incorporated paisley in their designs. But did you know that this motif, now associated with bohemian culture hails from Indias Kashmir? The original Persian droplet-like motif the boteh or buta is thought to have been a representation of a floral spray combined with a cypress tree, a Zoroastrian symbol of life and eternity. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the 18th and 19 centuries, traders took the textile pattern to Europe and following the arrival of luxurious Kashmir shawls (some of which cost the price of a small house), the pattern took the continent by storm. The shawls were soon imitated throughout Europe, notably in Wales and the town of Paisley in Renfrewshire, Scotland. From that point onwards the English term for the motif was paisley. The world cant get enough of Khadi When we think of Indias independence struggle, one often thinks of khadi and how the fabric became one of the foremost symbols of Indian resistance. And today, khadi has gone global. Think Vivienne Westwoods latest collection that that fused its aesthetic with khadi and other hand-woven silks. The name khadi comes from the word khaddar (meaning handspun in the subcontinent) and is part of Indias ancient handmade textile traditions. Amid the freedom struggle, Mahatam Gandhi called for a boycott of foreign clothes, urging people to turn to hand-woven khadi. Consume what you can produce, he believed. The production of home-spun was the way forward, according to him. Mahatma Gandhi spinning khadi on a spinning wheel or charkha. Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons And for him, khadi was not just a cloth, he referred to it as a Livery of Freedom. In an article in The Hindu in 2010, Ragini Nayak, a former national general secretary of the National Students Union of India, wrote that Gandhiji emphasised that khadi should be worn with values which are inseparable to it. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Thanks to Mahatma Gandhis khadi movement, one of the biggest cooperatives in the world was born. The Indian government institutionalised the khadi industry by establishing the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) through an Act of Parliament in 1957. And despite khadi seeing a drop in popularity, in recent years, it has got a boost not just in India but also across the world. Indian and as well as global designers have embraced the fabric with it even being showcased at the Lakme Fashion Week, held in March 2025. As designers who have worked with khadi said, Khadi has always had a quiet power, its honest, handmade, and deeply rooted in our culture. Whats exciting is that people are now seeking that authenticity more than ever. Theres a shift towards fabrics that tell a story, that feel grounded. Khadi brings with it a sense of realness and responsibility, which is resonating in fashion circles today. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Sari not sorry Perhaps, the biggest sign of Indian fashion inspiring the West is that of a simple garment the sari. Time after time, the sari has been replicated by global designers; from Hermes, Balenciaga, Jean Paul Gaultier to John Galliano, all of them have tried to put their spin on the garment that is considered by many as the pinnacle of Indian fashion. Actress Alia Bhatt arrives for the closing ceremony at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes wearing Guccis interpretation of a sari. File image/AFP Even Gucci reimagined the sari for none other than Bollywood star Alia Bhatt, who wore the creation at the 78th Cannes film festival. The design featured a sleeveless, backless blouse with a plunging neckline and a floor-length skirt, topped with a palla-style drape that mimicked the classic saree silhouette. Indias having a moment in fashion Today, thanks to designers such as Sabyasachi, Gaurav Gupta, Rahul Mishra, Indian fashion is being talked about and praised all over the world. Their works are being featured on foreign runways and international stars are choosing their designs. Even at the Met Gala this year, which is considered fashions night out, Indian designers were the talk of the town. Manish Malhotra not only designed Natasha Poonawallas outfit but his jewellery was also worn by none other than the Queen of the Met Rihanna. Indian designer Manish Malhotra attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating Superfine: Tailoring Black Style at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. File image/AFP Isha Ambani regaled fashion watchers with an Anamika Khanna design, whereas Gaurav Gupta, whose creations have appeared at the Met Gala before most recently on Mindy Kaling last year styled mom-to-be Kiara Advani for her debut at this years fashion gala. Together, they crafted a gown that paid homage to motherhood, resulting in a heartwarming moment on the blue carpet. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And thats not the end of it. At Paris Fashion Week, Pharrell Williams unveiled his Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2026 mens wear collection on a runway that was inspired by Indias ancient game Snakes and Ladders. The trunks, long considered a Louis Vuitton signature, were detailed with embroidery motifs inspired by Indian iconography florals, paisleys, and geometric metaphors that subtly referenced subcontinental storytelling. All of this goes to prove that Indian fashion is here to stay and grow like never before. In fact, India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) notes that the Indian fashion industry is expected to grow at a rate of more than 10 per cent per year. It is expected to reach a market value of around Rs 45.3 lakh crore by 2032, at a projected 12.6 per cent growth rate. So, this Independence Day, dont be shy and wear your Indian fashion loud and proud! With inputs from agencies Jacklyn Gise Bezos, the mother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has died at 78 after a five-year struggle with Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder. Along with her husband Miguel, she was the first to invest in Amazon. She was born in 1946 and became a mother at 17 when Jeff was born The mother of Jeff Bezos, the tech entrepreneur who founded Amazon and Blue Origin, has died at the age of 78. Born in 1946, Jacklyn Gise Bezos died peacefully in her Miami home on Thursday, the Bezos family foundation said. She is survived by her husband Mike, her children Jeff, Christina and Mark, as well as 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Who was Jackie Bezos? How did she die? Lets take a look: Who was Jackie Bezos? Jacklyn Gise Bezos, mother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, died after a five-year battle with Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder. Together with her husband Miguel, Jacklyn was the first to put money into Amazon. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In 1995, they wrote two cheques amounting to $245,573 to support the new company, which Jeff Bezos had cautioned might not succeed. It did, and their early backing, along with later share purchases, helped build a fortune that was estimated at around $30 billion in 2018. The billionaire shared a tribute on Instagram on Thursday after the Bezos Family Foundation announced she had passed away at her home in Miami. Two years ago, Bezos had moved to Florida to be closer to her. After a long fight with Lewy Body Dementia, she passed away today, surrounded by so many of us who loved her - her kids, grandkids, and my dad, Bezos wrote in his post. I know she felt our love in those final moments. We were all so lucky to be in her life. I hold her safe in my heart forever. According to the foundation, she was diagnosed in 2020. Lewy body dementia, the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimers disease, affects thinking, memory and movement, as per Mayo Clinic. Jackie was born in Washington, D.C., and later moved with her family to Albuquerque, New Mexico. She became a mother at 17 when Jeff was born. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Her adulthood started a little bit early when she became my mom at the tender age of 17. That couldnt have been easy, but she made it all work, Bezos said. She pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity, brought my amazing dad onto the team a few years later, and then added my sister and brother to her list of people to love, guard, and nourish. For the rest of her life, that list of people to love never stopped growing. She always gave so much more than she ever asked for. After finishing school, Jackie worked at a bank and took evening classes, often bringing Jeff along. I would show up with an infant and two duffel bags, she recalled in a 2019 commencement address at Cambridge College. One full of my textbooks and the other full of diapers, cloth diapers, bottles and the second duffel bag would have items that might keep Jeff interested for a few minutes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It was while working at the bank that she met Miguel Bezos. They married in April 1968. The foundation said she poured her heart into bringing up her children. She made countless trips to Radio Shack for Jeff, spent numerous hours supervising cheerleading practices with Christina, and hauled drums in the back of the family station wagon for Mark. She dedicated her life to her family and poured her heart into raising her children with compassion, patience, and wisdom, the statement said. At 45, she went back to university, earning a psychology degree with high honours from Saint Elizabeth University. Her love for learning guided her work with the Bezos Family Foundation, which she started in 2000 with her husband and children. Speaking from the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a strong warning to Pakistan after repeated threats by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir on the Indus Waters Treaty. The PM said that India would not accept nuclear blackmail and described the treaty with Pakistan as unjust and one-sided In his speech, PM Modi referred to the Indus Waters Treaty and the success of Operation Sindoor while issuing a warning to Pakistan. PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking from the Red Fort on the occasion of 79th Independence Day, said that India would not accept nuclear blackmail, sending a direct message to Pakistan. His message to the neighbouring country came after repeated warnings from Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir over the Indus Waters Treaty. Catch latest updates related to Independence Day . PM Modi said during his speech that the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan was unjust and one-sided and added that blood and water could not flow together. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD We look at his warning to Pakistan regarding the treaty: Indus Waters Treaty to Operation Sindoor: PM Modis warning to Pakistan In his speech, the prime minister referred to the Indus Waters Treaty and the success of Operation Sindoor while issuing a strong warning to Pakistan. Notably, Islamabad has been making aggressive statements against India while asking New Delhi to restore the full functioning of the Indus Waters Treaty, which has been on hold since May. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif said that if India tried to snatch even one drop of Pakistan, it would be taught such a lesson that you will be left holding your ears. Earlier, former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Asim Munir had also warned India over the treaty. ALSO READ | PMs Independence Day speech: Why the address is delivered from the Red Fort So, how did PM Modi respond? Heres a look: On Indus Waters Treaty PM Modi said the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan was unjust and one-sided, adding that blood and water could not flow together. He added, A compromise on farmers interests and national interests is not acceptable to us. Not anymore. #WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "The people of our country have clearly understood how unjust and one-sided the Indus agreement is. The waters of rivers originating in India have been irrigating the fields of our enemies, while the farmers and the land of my pic.twitter.com/N0hbEU1gmR ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 What kind of agreement was this that has caused such unimaginable loss to our farmers for the past seven decades? Only India has the right to its rightful share of water, he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The prime minister also said in his speech that India would not tolerate nuclear blackmail, before stating that the country no longer accepted the water treaty. India will no longer tolerate nuclear blackmail. If the enemy dares to commit any more misadventure, the Indian Armed Forces will give them a befitting reply, PM Modi said. Notably, the Indus Waters Treaty, signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, laid out a system for sharing the waters of the Indus River. It was suspended in response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed 26 lives. On Operation Sindoor During his speech, the Prime Minister said the armed forces had been given full freedom during Operation Sindoor, with the decision on the time, location and date left entirely to the military leadership. We gave freehand to our forces, we told them forces that time, location and date you will decide, he said. He went on to say, I am very proud that from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I am getting the opportunity to salute the heroes of Operation Sindoor. Our brave jawans punished the enemy beyond its imagination. On 22nd April, terrorists from across the border came to Pahalgam and killed people after asking their religion Entire India was outraged, and the entire world was shocked by such a massacre. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD #WATCH | PM Narendra Modi says, "....Entire India was outraged, and the entire world was shocked by such a massacre (Pahalgam)...Operation Sindoor is the expression of that outrage....Destruction in Pakistan is so massive that new revelations are being made every day and new pic.twitter.com/UJyLAHyOOH ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 He added, Operation Sindoor is the expression of that outrage. After the 22nd, we gave a free hand to our armed forces. They decide the strategy, target and time. Our Forces did what had never been done for several decades. We entered hundreds of kilometres into the enemy soil and razed their terrorist HQ to the ground Destruction in Pakistan is so massive that new revelations are being made every day and new information is coming out daily STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He credited the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative for making such an operation possible, stating that Indias growing self-reliance in defence meant it could act quickly without having to depend on other countries. Had we not been self-dependent, Operation Sindoor would not have been possible. We would be worried about who is going to help us or who will not help us (Operation Sindoor) happened because of Make in India, he said. #WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "We have seen the wonders of Made in India in #OperationSindoor. Even the enemy was shocked at the kind of ammunition that was destroying them within seconds. Had we not been self-reliant, would we have been able to carry out pic.twitter.com/Nx3BU1mCGv ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 Our enemies had no idea about the capability of Make in India, which weapons are simple and which are powerful enough to destroy them in a moment. Just think, if we were not self-reliant, would we have been able to carry out Operation Sindoor with such speed? Notably, after the Pahalgam terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor, a major military strike that destroyed nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and eliminated over 100 terrorists. US President Donald Trump will host Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska for a high-stakes meeting to discuss a possible ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv, without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy present. Notably, Zelenskyy has already said he will not accept a deal that involves giving away Ukrainian territory, so what could happen during the meeting? This will be Trumps first face-to-face meeting with Putin in his second term. Reuters/File Photo If you consider the history of Donald Trumps public relationship with Vladimir Putin, you wont be surprised that theres a fair amount of concern in Ukraine and among Ukraines European allies at what might happen when the two meet in Alaska today for their summit. While itll be their first face-to-face meeting of Trumps second presidency, the pair has met previously on six occasions and, as we know, spoken fairly frequently over the phone. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The first face-to-face meeting was at the G20 summit in Hamburg in 2017, just months into Trumps first term. The pair spent two hours of a scheduled 35-minute meeting talking about all things from Syria to North Korea. It was constructive and cordial, they said. Later they talked during a summit dinner in an exchange that was only witnessed by Putins interpreter, the nature of which was not reported. They enjoyed a brief encounter at that years Apec conference in Vietnam, sharing a handshake but having no formal discussion. The first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin was at the G20 summit in Hamburg in 2017. Reuters/File Photo The following year they met for the now notorious summit in Helsinki, where Putin denied US intelligence reports that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election and Trump said he had no reason to doubt Putins word. The two spent two hours closeted with only their interpreters present. Trumps high spirits were exhibited by a couple of winks he gave the Russian president during their public exchanges. There was a brief exchange at the G20 summit later that year in Buenos Aires, but this was at the height of the justice departments investigation into election meddling into Russian election interference. It was a subject Trump returned to when they met at the 2019 G20 summit in Osaka, where Trump seemed to grin as he told Putin: Dont meddle in the election. As a result, as Stefan Wolff puts in, expectations are low and anxieties are high in the run-up to the meeting. Wolff, an expert in international security at the University of Birmingham, sees a number of possible pitfalls for Ukraine in the meeting. Trump has billed the summit as a feel-out meeting at which he will get a sense of whether its possible to agree a ceasefire. But the US president and his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, have reportedly already sketched out scenarios whereby Putin is offered Ukrainian territory in return for a ceasefire. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Ukrainian president wont be there, of course. But he has already said that he wont accept a deal which imposes a giveaway of Ukrainian territory (which would, in any case, violate his countrys constitution). Wolff believes this would give Putin the opportunity to paint Zelensky as the problem the man denying the US president his Nobel peace prize. On the other hand is the possibility that Trump will persuade Putin to agree to a three-way with Zelensky but without other European leaders. Wolff believes this brings with it the danger that Putin (who as a longtime Soviet intelligence officer would have plenty of experience at this sort of thing) would be able to manipulate the meeting into the sort of blow-up between Trump and Zelensky we saw in their disastrous meeting at the White House in February. These are clearly all concerns shared by Ukraines European allies, so much so that they convened an emergency virtual conference on August 13. Zelensky, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and an array of other European leaders warned Trump and his vice-president, J.D. Vance, that Ukrainian and European interests must be protected at the summit. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The main worry, writes Michelle Bentley, a professor of international relations at Royal Holloway University of London, will be that while Putins position is clear, Trumps is not. Putin wants a deal that recognises Russian ownership of Crimea and the various provinces in Ukraines east that his military already occupies, including land it has not managed to take by force. He wants to prevent Ukraine joining Nato and wants the country to demilitarise. Trump, by contrast, wants to do a deal. Partly because he has said he will do one. And partly because there is economic benefit to be had for the US in repairing relations with Russia. Bentley also worries that the US president has a track record of support for the Russian president and the mere fact that the pair are getting together for a summit on equal terms effectively brings to an end the years of Russias diplomatic isolation in the west. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD There is a possibility that Trump will persuade Putin to agree to a three-way with Zelensky, but without other European leaders. Reuters/File Photo What to expect? What will also be worrying Kyiv and its allies is Trumps singular foreign policy style, which is notably transactional. It may be the US presidents background in real estate asserting itself (and its no coincidence that his envoy to Russia and at times to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Steve Witkoff, is from a similar background). Just recently, Trump hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Oval Office for a meeting at which they signed a deal to end the decades of conflict between their two countries. Integral to the deal is the development of a new corridor through Armenia to link Azerbaijan with its enclave of Nakhchivan. Previously known as the Zangezur corridor, the link will have the name the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity. Trump is by no means the first US president to link commerce or economic incentives with diplomacy, writes Patrick Shea, an expert in international relations and global governance at the University of Glasgow. But Trumps style is somewhat different, he writes. The presidents deals often skirt dangerously close to the wind in terms of international law, the recent tariff policies being an example. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Foreign governments, meanwhile, are first learning that such sweeteners can be effective in dealing with this administration. As is flattery. So its notable that, following Trumps warning to Putin to get serious about doing a deal, the Russian president has been fulsome in his praise of Trumps sincere efforts to bring about peace in Ukraine. Trump has made a big fuss about Putin coming to see him in Alaska, a US state. He sees that as courtesy on the part of the Russian leader. But there are many who think holding the summit in a territory that one belonged to Russia means the whole meeting has a subtext that territorial sovereignty is not absolute and that it does change hands from time to time. Heres a brief history of Alaska from William L. Iggiagruk Hensley of the University of Alaska Anchorage, a former member of the state legislature. Munich Agreement of 1938 A major international summit, where an aggressor is threatening to invade another country with the prospect of a major European war? Weve been here before. The summit was at Munich in September 1938, the aggressor was Germany and the country at threat was Czechoslovakia. And like the impending Alaska summit where Ukraine has not been invited, when the British and French leaders visited Adolf Hitler to talk peace, Czechoslovakia was not in the room. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The example of Munich 1938 doesnt fill one with a great deal of confidence for Ukraines future security, writes Tim Luckhurst, a historian of the second world war. Luckhurst recounts the events leading up to Munich, at which British prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, and his French counterpart, Edouard Daladier, agreed that Germany would be allowed to annex the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia, with no involvement of the Czech leader, Edvard Benes. It would be peace in our time, boasted Chamberlain. It wasnt even peace for a year. Whats happening in Israel? To Israel, where this weekend there is likely to be one of the biggest mass protests and general strikes in the countrys history on Sunday, August 17. Huge numbers of people are expected to turn out in protest at the Netanyahu governments failure to secure the release of the remaining October 7 hostages and the prime ministers plan to launch a fresh offensive to take and occupy Gaza city despite the risk to the remaining hostages lives. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Benjamin Netanyahus position as prime minister is looking far from secure. The next election is due in October 2026, but John Strawson an expert in Israeli politics at the University of East London believes a new poll may be held much sooner than that. Netanyahus parliamentary coalition is becoming more shaky as his ultra-orthodox supporters quit the government in protest at the governments decision to scrap the exemption from conscription enjoyed by orthodox Israeli students. But whether this will bring any relief to Palestinians is doubtful. Recent polling suggests that while there is huge support for an end to the war, this doesnt translate into public backing for a two-state solution. Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor, The Conversation This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. In 1947, India had just 38 engineering colleges and no computing industry. Today, it leads the world in digital payments and IT services. We track the defining moments that made this possible. We also look at the looming challengeAIand what India must do to stay ahead India's digital boom is iconic in its own way Today, India stands as a world leader in real-time digital payments, processing billions of transactions each month through its Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Its IT companies power much of the worlds software needs from foundational systems like Aadhaar and UPI to corporate giants like Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Indias technological innovations have not only reshaped its own economy but also set global benchmarks. Yet, the journey from a country with no computing industry in 1947 to a tech powerhouse was anything but accidental. It is a story of policy vision, scientific ambition and relentless enterprise. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 1947: A nation starts from scratch When British colonial rule ended in 1947, India inherited a battered economy. The colonial administration had largely ignored education, science, and industry. For a population of 350 million, there were only 38 engineering colleges, with just about 3,000 students enrolled in technical fields. The transformation into a global leader in software and digital infrastructure took decades and deliberate planning. Laying the foundations: IITs and nation-building The story begins in 1950 with the establishment of IIT Kharagpur, the first of the Indian Institutes of Technology. These institutes would become the nations top science and tech institutions. IIT Kharagpur began in August 1951 with just 10 departments, 42 teachers and 224 students in a building that once served as a colonial detention camp, a deeply symbolic choice. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru saw science as central to rebuilding the nation. Between 1954 and 1964, four more IITs were established: IIT Bombay in 1958, IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur in 1959 and IIT Delhi in 1961. Modelled on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the IITs were intended not just to produce engineers but to drive research and industrial transformation. Building the digital future: TIFR and Indias first computer Meanwhile, in Mumbai, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) was laying the groundwork for Indias computing journey. In 1954, a six-member team led by R Narasimhan recruited by Homi J Bhabha, the father of Indias nuclear programme began working to build a computer, despite none of them having ever seen one. Armed only with blueprints and determination, they worked for five years. The result was the TIFR Automatic Calculator (TIFRAC), Asias first indigenous digital computer. This modest but historic achievement put India on the global computing map. 1968: Corporate tech push The first two decades were about building capacity. Then in 1968, industrialist JRD Tata had a vision: modernise the Tata Group using computers for data processing. He brought in Faqir Chand Kohli, an engineer at Tata Electric, to lead the mission. Kohli built a team to master computer technology and automate Tata businesses, and thus Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) was born. Initially, TCS handled punch-card management and payroll systems. But Kohli believed they could serve global clients, not just domestic operations. As Kohli put it: Many years ago, there was an industrial revolution. We missed it for reasons beyond our control. Today, there is a new revolution a revolution in Information Technology. If we miss this opportunity, those who follow us will not forgive us. From local data processing to global IT outsourcing Kohli persuaded the Tata Group to take on international clients. In 1974, TCS signed its first major software deal with American computer manufacturer Burroughs a landmark that sparked Indias IT outsourcing boom. With little domestic demand for software and strict regulations, Indian firms sent engineers abroad to write code. This export-driven model, born of necessity, proved transformative. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Protectionism and opportunity In 1977, protectionist policies led to the expulsion of multinationals like IBM over foreign equity rules. This vacuum created opportunities for homegrown firms, including Shiv Nadars HCL, which began providing computing solutions. Policy reforms unlock growth Two major policy shifts played a pivotal role in accelerating the rise of Indias IT industry. The first was the 1984 Computer Policy introduced under prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, which cut tariffs and removed licensing barriers for software exports. The second was the landmark 1991 economic liberalisation, which opened the Indian economy and fuelled exponential growth in software exports. As a result, Indian IT companies evolved from being perceived merely as low-cost providers to becoming trusted suppliers of high-quality, reliable services. This period also cemented the dominance of industry giants such as Infosys, Wipro and TCS, while Bengaluru emerged as the Silicon Valley of the East. Turning tech prowess inward Over the past decade, India has leveraged its tech expertise to solve domestic challenges. It has built nationwide digital infrastructure and launched breakthrough innovations like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), introduced in 2016 by the Narendra Modi government. UPI turned smartphones into banks, enabling instant payments with a simple tap. By 2025, UPI accounted for nearly 84 per cent of all digital transactions in India, making the country the world leader in real-time payments. JAM trinity: Revolutionising financial inclusion Equally transformative was the JAM Trinity Jan Dhan bank accounts, Aadhaar unique ID and mobile connectivity. Together, these innovations revolutionised financial inclusion, particularly in rural areas. Jan Dhan zero-balance accounts brought millions into the banking system. Aadhaar enabled biometric identity verification. Mobile connectivity linked the entire system. Direct benefit transfers eliminated leakages ensuring subsidies reached recipients without delay or corruption. This model has been studied by Western economies and praised by the United Nations for advancing financial inclusion. New frontier: Artificial Intelligence Indias software services industry now generates over $245 billion annually, with $200 billion from exports largely to clients in the US and Europe. These services include software development, maintenance and testing. But Artificial Intelligence (AI) threatens this model. Automated tools can write code, test programmes and handle back-end operations. In 2023, seven of Indias largest IT firms including TCS and Infosys laid off 75,000 employees, about 4 per cent of their combined workforce. While companies deny AI was the cause, hiring has slowed, and the sector is re-evaluating its future. Reinvention: A familiar challenge There is no ready template for the AI era, but India has reinvented its tech destiny before from creating IITs, to pioneering outsourcing, to building domestic digital infrastructure. Today, the challenge is to develop deep AI expertise, own intellectual property and build trusted, scalable solutions. The churn ahead is real, but so is the opportunity. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD From margins to main stage As India marks 78 years of independence, its technology story is more than an economic triumph. It is proof that long-term vision, bold ambition, and resilience can take a nation from colonial deprivation to global digital dominance. At the time of Independence, India faced the challenge of having a massive population. Any social justice mission or public service had to be provided at unprecedented scale. Nearly eight decades later, New Delhi has perfected the art of creating services tailored to 1.4 billion people The 1940s and 1950s were a transformative time for the world. Dozens of countries finally broke free from colonial rule and emerged as independent nations, eager to chart their own destinies. India was among the largest and most complex of these newly liberated states. But unlike many others, the sheer size of India made nation-building an entirely different challenge. At independence in 1947, India had a population of around 340 million vast even by todays standards, let alone in a time when the country had limited administrative experience and resources. This meant that anything the new nation attempted from implementing social justice programmes to holding elections to building transport networks had to be done at an enormous scale. There was no room for small experiments. If it was to work, it had to work for hundreds of millions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Against all odds, India rose to that challenge. Over the decades, it transformed itself into a model that other developing countries now look to for lessons in scaling governance and public services. Whether the goal is nation-building or delivering services to millions, Indias journey offers powerful examples. Building the worlds largest democracy The first and perhaps most symbolic test of governance came with elections. India waited until 1951 to hold its first general elections, and when it did, they were free and fair a remarkable achievement for a country emerging from colonial rule. At the time, the voting age was 21 and about 176 million citizens were registered to vote. Yet a huge challenge immediately emerged: roughly 82 per cent of voters could not read or write. How could they identify and choose their candidates? The solution was as simple as it was ingenious election symbols. Each candidate was assigned a unique symbol, which was pasted on their corresponding ballot box. Voters could then simply collect their ballot paper and drop it into the box marked with the symbol of their chosen candidate. This allowed illiterate citizens to fully participate in the democratic process. The results were staggering. While overall voter turnout was about 45 per cent, in some areas it reached as high as 80 per cent. Critics in the West who doubted the ability of Indias diverse and largely poor population to uphold democracy were forced to reconsider. Even when other countries, including the United States, had not yet implemented universal adult suffrage, India embraced it fully, determined to ensure that every adult voice counted. Much of the credit went to Indias bureaucracy, which worked tirelessly to register voters and innovate solutions to overcome the barriers of literacy, geography and infrastructure. But challenges evolved. In the late 1950s and 1960s, election rigging became rampant, with booth capturing where hired musclemen seized ballot boxes and stuffed them with fraudulent votes undermining the process. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD From ballot boxes to EVMs The solution came in 1977, when Indias Election Commission began exploring the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs). Designed by two professors from IIT Bombay, the EVM went through trials and testing before being first deployed in 1982 in a single constituency in Kerala. However, because EVMs werent yet legally recognised, that result was annulled. It wasnt until 1988 that Parliament amended the law to formally include EVMs in the electoral process. From then on, their use spread rapidly. By 2004, every constituency in the country used EVMs. Today, they are a mainstay of Indian elections, and despite periodic questions about their security, they have enabled elections at a scale the world has never seen. In the most recent national elections, India had nearly one billion registered voters, and almost five million EVMs were deployed. Whether in remote Himalayan villages or deep inside dense forests, voters could trust that their ballot would be counted. Its this relentless commitment to inclusion and scale that has made Indias elections a global benchmark. Railways: Lifeline of a nation If elections are the lifeblood of Indias democracy, the railways are the arteries that keep the economy moving. Indian Railways transports about seven billion passengers every year nearly equivalent to the entire worlds population. The British introduced railways in India in the 1850s primarily for administrative control and resource extraction. After independence, the purpose shifted dramatically. The railway network needed to be affordable, efficient, and capable of connecting a vast and diverse nation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In 1951, the government nationalised the railways, consolidating around 40 different companies into one unified system Indian Railways. Growth since then has been driven in three key areas: expanding routes, electrification, and improving passenger comfort. In 1950, India had roughly 59,000 kilometres of railway tracks. Today, the network stretches over 107,000 kilometres, with around 40,000 kilometres added since independence and 31,000 of those laid after 2014. The expansion has been particularly rapid in recent years, aimed at improving connectivity across states and regions. A striking example came earlier this year when a new rail line was inaugurated in Kashmir, cutting through some of the countrys most challenging terrain. Electrification has been another major focus. While only 5,000 kilometres of track were electrified in the decade before 2014, more than 45,000 kilometres have been electrified since. Today, 98 per cent of the network runs on electric traction, and the goal is to make the entire railway system carbon-neutral by 2030. Solar energy is playing a major role in this transition, with about 2,000 stations already equipped with solar panels. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Modernisation has also improved passenger comfort. Over 1,000 stations are being upgraded with world-class facilities, including lifts, escalators and free Wi-Fi at 6,000 stations. On the trains themselves, newer models like the Vande Bharat Express offer faster, more comfortable journeys, while affordable models such as the Amrit Bharat and Namo Bharat trains ensure accessibility for all income levels. The railways remain a crucial public service affordable, inclusive and increasingly sustainable. Digital revolution: UPI and financial inclusion If railways symbolise physical connectivity, Indias fintech revolution symbolises digital connectivity. In less than a decade, India has achieved a level of financial digitisation that many thought impossible, bringing hundreds of millions of people into the digital economy. The breakthrough came with the launch of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a platform that allows instant, free money transfers via mobile phones. The design philosophy was simple: make digital payments as easy as sending a text message. Today, UPI handles about 640 million transactions daily roughly the same as Visas global transaction volume, but almost entirely within India. UPIs success is part of a larger digital ecosystem. Aadhaar, Indias biometric identity programme, has given every resident a unique ID, making it easier to open bank accounts and complete Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements electronically. The Jan Dhan Yojana, launched in 2014, further accelerated financial inclusion by opening over 540 million bank accounts, more than half of them held by women. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Plugging the leaks in welfare Before these systems existed, social security payments in India suffered from chronic inefficiency. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi famously lamented that for every rupee spent by the government, only 15 paise reached the intended beneficiary. Middlemen, corruption and bureaucratic delays siphoned away public funds. Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs), powered by Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar authentication and UPI payments, have transformed this picture. Today, around 1,200 government schemes use DBTs, ensuring that funds go directly into beneficiaries accounts without intermediaries. This has saved an estimated Rs 3.48 lakh crore by eliminating leakages and inefficiencies. The result is a model where financial technology is not a luxury for the wealthy but a foundational service for all. While other countries view fintech as an added convenience, India has used it as a powerful tool for economic empowerment and poverty reduction. Political will, public ownership and peoples trust Indias ability to deliver services at scale rests on three pillars. The first is political will. From holding free elections in 1951 to building a nationwide digital payment infrastructure, successive governments have refused to settle for partial measures. The aim has always been to make these services universal, no matter how difficult or costly. The second is public ownership. Whether its Indian Railways or UPI, the core infrastructure remains under government control. This ensures affordability and keeps the focus on public service rather than profit. It also allows for open access, enabling both private innovation and universal availability. The third and perhaps most important is the trust and participation of the people. The world doubted that an illiterate population could sustain a democracy, yet Indian voters embraced their rights with seriousness and enthusiasm. Likewise, when the government pushed for digital payments, citizens adopted them at a pace that defied expectations, leapfrogging over credit card systems that still dominate in many wealthier countries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Scaling for 1.4 billion Indias success in scaling governance and services is not about making things work for a privileged few. It is about making them work for 1.4 billion people from Himalayan villages to coastal cities, from urban centres to rural hamlets. Elections reach every voter. Railways connect the remotest regions. Digital finance reaches street vendors as easily as corporate executives. This combination of ambition, innovation and inclusivity has turned India into a case study in delivering public services at scale. For other developing nations facing similar challenges of size, diversity, and resource constraints, Indias journey from polls to payments offers not just inspiration, but a roadmap. Indias freedom struggle was shaped not only by its male leaders but also by countless women who defied colonial rule with unwavering courage. This Independence Day, we remember their sacrifices, resilience, and the indelible mark they left on history. The tale of Indias independence is often narrated via the actions of its male leaders, but it is also characterised by the courage and determination of women who, as combatants, visionaries, and patriots, resisted the British rule. These women frequently entered the line of fire with little more than their goals, resolve, and passion to see India free. They battled not just against British colonial control but also against the limitations of a strongly patriarchal culture. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD From leading armed uprisings to promoting widespread civil disobedience, their achievements and sacrifices represent a crucial period in the nations history that deserves much greater recognition. 1. Jhalkari Bai: A trusted confidante and advisor to Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, Jhalkari Bai disguised herself as the Queen during the Siege of Jhansi (1857), courageously taking the frontline and enabling Rani Lakshmibais escape from the fortress. This selfless act has immortalised her as a symbol of valour and sacrifice. 2. Matangini Hazra: Also known as Gandhi Buri, Matangini Hazra was inspired by Gandhian ideals and became a veteran participant in the struggle for Indias freedom. She led a procession of around 6,000 volunteers to seize the Tamluk police station during the Quit India Movement (29 September 1942) at the age of 72. Despite being shot, she marched forward, holding the tricolour aloft and chanting Vande Mataram till her last breath. She became an enduring symbol of patriotism. 3. Kanaklata Barua: Kanaklata Barua was 17 years old during the Quit India Movement (1942) when she led villagers to raise the Indian flag at a police station in Assam. However, she was shot by British police in the act, becoming a symbol of youthful bravery and sacrifice. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 4. Tara Rani Srivastava: While leading a protest in Bihar to raise the Indian flag, her husband, Phulendu Babu, was struck by fatal gunfire. Unflinching in her resolve to defend the cause of independence, Tara Rani marched on by herself. 5. Dr Lakshmi Sahgal: Dr Lakshmi Sahgal, a physician turned revolutionary, headed the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, an all-female combat unit in Subhas Chandra Boses Indian National Army. Following independence, she maintained her activism via public service and politics. 6. Pritilata Waddedar: Pritilata Waddedar, Bengals first woman martyr, was a prominent philosophy graduate who worked as a schoolteacher before joining the Revolutionary Group of Bengal, led by Master Da Surya Sen. In 1932, she led a group of fifteen revolutionaries in an armed attack on the Pahartali European Club, which injured eleven people and killed one. To evade capture and preserve the cause, she committed suicide by consuming cyanide. 7. Rani Gaidinliu: Rani Gaidinliu joined Haipou Jadonangs social, religious, and political movement at the age of 13 and rose to the rank of lieutenant. Her four-year connection with Jadonang, beginning in 1926 or 1927, prepared her to battle the British. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD After Jadonangs execution, Gaidinliu assumed leadership of the movement. Gaidinliu began a strong insurrection against the British following the death of Jadonang, for which she was imprisoned for 14 years before being freed in 1947. 8. Sucheta Kriplani: A committed Gandhian, Sucheta Kriplani was arrested during the Quit India Movement and went on to become Indias first female Chief Minister. 9. Aruna Asaf Ali: Aruna Asaf Ali was famous for hoisting the Congress flag at Gowalia Tank Maidan during the Quit India Movement, she was arrested and later organised political prisoners. 10. Bhikaji Cama: A fierce revolutionary and advocate for independence overseas, Bhikaji Cama helped raise awareness abroad and played a key role in designing the Indian national flag. 11. Sarojini Naidu: Also known as the Nightingale of India, Sarojini Naidu was a leading figure in the Congress and a compelling voice for freedom. 12. Kasturba Gandhi: A steadfast companion to Mahatma Gandhi, Kasturba Gandhi supported his campaigns and shared his commitment to nonviolent resistance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that a conspiracy is in motion to alter Indias demography. He announced a High-Power Demography Mission to address the issue of infiltrators. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation on the Independence Day on August 15, 2025, from Red Fort, Delhi. In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that a conspiracy is in motion to alter Indias democracy. Modi flagged Indias border regions and tribal areas and said that infiltrators were taking away Indians land and jobs. Modi announced the launch of the High-Power Demography Mission to address the issue. Infiltrators are snatching away the livelihood of the youth of my country. Infiltrators are targeting the sisters and daughters of my country. This will not be tolerated. These infiltrators mislead innocent tribals and capture their land. The country will not tolerate this. When demographic change takes place in border areas, it causes a threat to national securityNo country can hand it over to infiltrators, said Modi. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces 'High-Power Demography Mission' "I would like to alert the nation about a concern, a challenge. Under a well-thought-out conspiracy, country's demography is being changed, seeds of a new crisis are being sown. Infiltrators are pic.twitter.com/wdvk5lhtux ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 The announcement has come at a time when several Indian states have launched drives to find and prosecute people illegally residing in the country, particularly illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. In 2016, the government told the parliament that there could be up to 20 million illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the country. Separately, it has said that there could be anywhere between 40-75,000 Rohingya illegal immigrants from Myanmar. News / National by Staff reporter Chief Seke, Stanley Chimanikire, has issued a public apology and retraction after chanting political party slogans while addressing a gathering in Seke, in breach of constitutional provisions on the conduct of traditional leaders.The retraction follows a High Court order handed down by Justice Samuel Deme in a case brought by citizen Esther Vongai Zimudzi, who argued that the chief's actions violated her political rights under Section 67 of the Constitution.The court found that Chief Seke's conduct contravened Section 281(2)(c) of the Constitution, which prohibits traditional leaders from acting in a partisan manner or furthering the interests of any political party. Justice Deme directed him to publicly withdraw the slogans within seven days.In his written retraction, Chief Seke stated:"I, Stanley Chimanikire, in my capacity as Chief Seke, and in terms of the Order of Justice Deme in case No. HCH 3233/24, hereby retract the political slogans I chanted while addressing a gathering in my official capacity.I acknowledge that the chanting of slogans associated with any political party is inconsistent with the provisions of section 281(2) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which prohibit traditional leaders from acting in a partisan manner or furthering the interests of any political party.I therefore withdraw the said slogans and reaffirm my commitment to performing my duties as Chief Seke in a manner that is impartial, non-partisan, and in full compliance with the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Zimbabwe."The ruling underscores growing calls for adherence to constitutional requirements aimed at ensuring traditional leaders remain neutral in political matters. Heres the story of Indias roots that stretched far, how they shape the world and continue to strengthen their bond with India The Indian diaspora is making an identity of its own abroad while maintaining its roots in India Indias story was never meant to be confined within its geographic boundaries. For centuries, Indians have journeyed across oceans, chasing opportunity, braving hardship and carrying with them a piece of home wherever they went. This is the story of roots that stretched far and a diaspora that rose to shape the modern worldeconomically, culturally and politically. Colonial expansion and the first waves of migration The Indian diaspora, in large part, owes its early spread to the far-reaching ambitions of the British Empire. As the empire expanded from one country to another, the movement of Indians followed. A diaspora refers to the dispersion of people from their homeland, and for India, much of this was a legacy of colonial rule. In various corners of the globe, Indians arrived for very different reasons. In countries such as Fiji and Mauritius, many were sent as contract labourers, often under challenging and exploitative conditions. In contrast, in destinations like Australia and Canada, migration was driven by the search for better opportunities. From the North Atlantic to the South Pacific, Indians established communities in almost every corner of the world. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Early acceptance and discrimination abroad The reception Indians received abroad was far from uniform. In some places, such as New Zealand, they were welcomed and treated fairly. By the time India became independent in 1947, around 1,200 Indians lived in New Zealand and enjoyed what the government described as complete equality. Elsewhere, the picture was starkly different. In Australia, for example, there were about 4,500 Indians in 1947. They enjoyed full citizenship rights, including the right to vote, but still faced legal discrimination. They did not have equal access to pensions or accommodation rights. In the Caribbean, the situation varied further. Trinidad and British Guiana (now Guyana) each had Indian populations of around 1,70,000. While they were offered full citizenship, Hindu communities were barred from cremating their dead, a restriction that deeply impacted cultural and religious practices. India steps in to protect its people Just two months after Independence, India decided that its responsibility extended beyond its borders. The Constituent Assembly held multiple meetings to address the concerns of Indians abroad and devised action plans for specific cases. One month later, New Delhi quietly began to push for change. Indian high commissions engaged directly with local authorities, highlighting discrimination in Commonwealth nations. By speaking up diplomatically and persistently, India began to see gradual improvements in the treatment of its overseas communities. Worlds largest diaspora today Fast-forward almost eight decades, and the Indian diaspora is no longer just a product of colonial historyit is a global powerhouse. Today, the community of Indian origin numbers around 35 million people, making it the largest diaspora in the world. Within this, more than 15 million are Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)Indian citizens living outside India for reasons such as work or education. An individual is classified as an NRI if they reside outside India for at least 182 days in a financial year. NRIs retain their Indian passports, can vote in Indian elections, and are considered full Indian nationals. The OCI connection The second major category of the diaspora consists of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), a status that replaced the earlier Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) category in 2015. OCIs are foreign citizens who are eligible for Indian citizenship on or after January 26, 1950, or are descendants of someone who qualifies. This category excludes nationals of certain countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. OCI status grants lifetime validity, lifelong visa-free travel to India, and the right to stay indefinitely without registration. However, OCIs cannot vote, hold government jobs, or be considered dual citizens. While NRIs carry an Indian passport, OCIs enjoy a set of privileges without full citizenship rights. Together, NRIs and OCIs form the backbone of the 35-million-strong global Indian diaspora. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD From labourers to leaders The contribution of the diaspora is visible in almost every sector. From global diplomacy to corporate boardrooms, Indians have risen to influential positions. Many lead the worlds biggest technology companies, while others head governments or shape policy in over 30 countries. The roots of this journey go back to the Girmitiya system in the 19th century, when the British moved indentured labourers from India to East Pacific nations and Caribbean islands to work on plantations. The term Girmitiya came from agreement, which locals pronounced as girmit. Those who signed these contracts often settled permanently, laying the foundation for Indian communities abroad. Generations later, Indian migration is no longer driven by compulsion or colonial schemes. Todays movement is powered by ambition, skills and the determination to thrive. US, Europe and beyond The United States hosts the largest Indian population outside India, with over five million peoplearound 1.6 per cent of the countrys population. Indian Americans lead in education and income, with about 77 per cent holding a bachelors degree or higher and ranking as the highest earners among all Asian groups in the country. In Europes largest economy, Germany, Indians also top the immigrant earning charts. They are known for excelling in STEMscience, technology, engineering and mathematicsfields, contributing significantly to both local economies and the global knowledge pool. Boosting economies both abroad and at home The impact of the Indian diaspora is not limited to the countries they live in. They also play a major role in boosting the Indian economy. Remittancesthe money sent home by overseas Indiansare a prime example. In recent years, India has topped the global remittance charts, with inflows reaching a record $135 billion. Beyond direct financial contributions, Indians abroad attract foreign investment, foster international partnerships and keep cultural ties alive. Challenges and ongoing issues Despite these achievements, the diaspora continues to face challenges. Political conflicts around the world sometimes trap migrant Indian workers in dangerous situations. Migration laws in many Western countries have become stricter and racism persists. Reports of Hindu temples being vandalised or Indian workers being attackedsuch as in Irelandare still too common. These issues are complex and have no quick solutions. Acknowledging this, the Indian government has steadily worked to enhance welfare mechanisms, digital grievance portals, legal aid and social protection for overseas Indians. From preventing fraud and land encroachment to organising large-scale evacuations in times of crisis, the support network has become stronger. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Government outreach and engagement India has signed labour agreements with at least six countries easing the mobility of Indian-origin workers. Cultural and educational programs, especially for the younger generation, help maintain connections to their heritage. Since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it a point to personally engage with the diaspora during his international visits. These interactions not only celebrate shared identity but also serve as a reminder of the governments recognition of the diasporas importance. Celebrating the global Indian The Indian diaspora is no longer viewed as a brain drain but as a network of global ambassadors who represent the nations values, culture, and heritage. This recognition is formalised through the annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, first held in 2003 to mark the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhis return from South Africa in 1915. The event honours the contributions of overseas Indians to the growth of both India and the wider world, while also creating a platform to understand their challenges and harness their collective power. A legacy of resilience Ultimately, the story of the Indian diaspora is one of resilience and transformation. From the days of indentured labourers working on colonial plantations to todays presidents, CEOs and innovators, Indians abroad have carried the essence of their homeland with themin their values, culture and spirit. As they continue to influence the world in remarkable ways, they also maintain a deep connection to India. No matter how far they travel, the bond to their roots remains unbroken. The Indian diasporas journey is not just about crossing bordersit is about rising beyond them shaping the world while staying forever linked to home. As he delivered his 12th consecutive Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a Make in India wishlist, which included Indian fighter jets and semiconductors As he delivered his 12th consecutive Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared what he described as a Make in India wishlist. In his Friday address, the prime minister urged young Indian scientists to develop Made in India fighter jets. Today, I urge the young scientists, talented youth, engineers, professionals and all departments of the Government that we should have our jet engines for our own Made in India fighter jets, PM Modi said in his Independence Day address. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He went on to laud the strides India made in the semiconductor sector, saying that the made in India semiconductor chips will hit the market by the end of this year. We are working on semiconductors in Mission Mode. By the end of this year, Made in India semiconductor chips, made by the people in India, will hit the market, the prime minister averred. During his address, the prime minister emphasised how Operation Sindoor showed the wonders of Made in India to the world. We have seen the wonders of Made in India in #OperationSindoor. Even the enemy was shocked at the kind of ammunition that was destroying them within seconds," PM Modi said. Had we not been self-reliant, would we have been able to carry out Operation Sindoor at such a level? In the last 10 years, we set our target to become self-reliant in the defence sector, and today we are seeing the results, he furthered. The prime minister also spoke about the Samudra Manthan initiative, which focuses on unearthing oil and gas reserves in the sea. We are now also heading towards Samudra Manthan. Taking this forward, we want to work in Mission Mode to look for the oil and gas reserves in the sea. So, India is about to launch the National Deep Water Exploration Mission, he said. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi started off his Independence Day speech by paying homage to the makers of the Constitution of India Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation from the Red Fort on the Independence Day on August 15, 2025. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi started off his by paying homage to the makers of the Constitution of India. This marked the Indian Prime Ministers 12th consecutive Independence Day speech from the Red Fort. Today, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I pay my respectful homage to the makers of the Constitution, who guide the country and give direction to the country, the prime minister said at the start of his address. PM Modi noted that today the country also celebrates the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee was the first great man of the country to sacrifice for the Constitution of India. Sacrifice for the Constitution. When we brought the mantra of one country, one constitution to life by demolishing the wall of Article 370, we paid true tribute to Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, he said. The prime minister also welcomed the 5,000 special guests who attended this years celebration. Many special dignitaries are present at the Red Fort today. There are members of Panchayats from far-flung villages, representatives of Drone Didi, representatives of Lakhpati Didi, people from the world of sports, great people who have given something or the other to the nation and life are present here. In a way, I am seeing a miniature India here in front of my eyes, PM Modi said, acknowledging the fact that many Indians are also connected to the Red Fort via technology. PM Modi hailed 100 days of Operation Sindoor in his Independence Day speech. Launched May 7 after the Pahalgam attack, the Operation saw precision strikes on terror bases in Pakistan and PoK, showcasing Indias new defence doctrine and self-reliance in technology. In his speech, PM Modi referred to the Indus Waters Treaty and the success of Operation Sindoor while issuing a warning to Pakistan. PTI Operation Sindoor began in the early hours of May 7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the highly acclaimed military operation completing 100 days in his 12th consecutive Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi on Friday. The operation was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, and involved precision strikes by the Indian Air Force using Rafale fighter jets among others against terrorist bases and airbases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Indian government announced the conclusion of Operation Sindoor on May 10 following a no-attack request from Pakistan and after achieving its objective of dismantling terror infrastructure. In these 100 days after India launched Operation Sindoor, several significant developments have unfolded, signalling a shift in Indias counter-terrorism policy and a new doctrine of self-defence and self-reliance in defence. Lets recap what has happened in this period. The trigger Pahalgam terror attack, April 22: The immediate trigger for Operation Sindoor was a terror attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 civilians were killed. The response Launch of Operation Sindoor, May 7: India responded by launching Operation Sindoor, involving precision missile and air strikes against nine terror infrastructure facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India said that the strikes targeted facilities of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen, and deliberately avoided Pakistani military or civilian targets. Pakistan makes war on terror a bilateral conflict Pakistans retaliation puts border on flames, May 7-10: Pakistan treated air strikes on terror hubs as an attack on its nation, and resorted to heavy cross-border shelling along the Line of Control (LoC), targeting civilian areas and causing several casualties on the Indian side. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It also launched a drone swarm invasion into Indian airspace, intercepted by Indias air defense systems. Conflict escalates, India cripples Pak force Almost a war, May 9-10: The conflict escalated further with India launching a massive strike on Pakistani assets. Pakistans attempts to breach Indian defences fail India struck 11 Pakistani airbases, including Nur Khan and Rafiqui air bases, destroying 20 per cent of Pakistans air force assets. Pakistan claimed to have launched Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, targeting Indian military bases and facilities, and also a massive misinformation campaign with claims such as cyberattacks against Indias digital and power infrastructure Pakistan bends its knees Firing ceases, May 10: A ceasefire was eventually agreed upon between India and Pakistan on May 10, after hotline communication between their Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) on the specific request from the Pakistani side. However, Pakistan continued to send drones for some time, violating ceasefire but Indian response ensured Islamabad follows what was agreed upon between the military leaders STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Non-military response from India Alongside the military operations, India also implemented non-military measures, including placing the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, closing the Attari-Wagah border, suspending bilateral trade, revoking visas for Pakistani nationals in India, and banning Pakistani artists and cultural exchanges. Indias actions garnered strong international support in its counter-terrorism efforts, with countries like the US, UK, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE backing its stance. New defence doctrine Operation Sindoor also highlighted India's growing self-reliance in defence technology, with the indigenous Akashteer air defense system playing a crucial role in intercepting Pakistani drones and missiles. The successful deployment of this system led to it being considered a potential global export candidate. India rejects nuclear blackmail Operation Sindoor demonstrated a new strategic red line for India, making it clear that any future terror attacks will be treated as an act of war, with a strong response against both terrorists and their sponsors. Indias actions redefined the rules of engagement and challenged the notion that Pakistan-based terror groups operate with impunity. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India said it no longer be held hostage to nuclear blackmail by countries supporting or sponsoring terrorism. In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said being aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) in critical minerals is absolutely essential and hailed the National Critical Mineral Mission. In his 12th consecutive Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that being Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) in critical minerals is absolutely essential and hailed the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM). The Modi government launched the NCMM this year to ensure long-term, sustainable access to critical minerals to secure the countrys economic security, clean energy transition, and national defence interests. Modi said that India was not just seeking self-reliance in land-based minerals but also underwater minerals. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD We are now working towards becoming self-reliant to make the country developed, and are also moving towards Samudra Manthan. For this, India is launching a National Deep Water Exploration Mission, said Modi. The prime minister further said, Today, the entire world is highly concerned about critical minerals and has begun to fully understand their importance. For us too, self-reliance in critical minerals is essential. That is why we have launched the National Critical Mission. Exploration is underway at more than 1,200 locations, and we are moving forward towards self-reliance in critical minerals as well. VIDEO | PM Modi (@narendramodi) says, We are now working towards becoming self-reliant to make the country developed, and are also moving towards Samudra Manthan. For this, India is launching a National Deep Water Exploration Mission. He added, Today, the entire world is pic.twitter.com/dcuyLXynYx Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 15, 2025 Such initiatives are part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative that the Modi government launched in 2020 to promote self-reliance in various sectors, boost domestic manufacturing, and cut down dependence on imports from abroad. While delivering his 12th consecutive Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Indias Operation Sindoor was the expression of outrage following the Pahalgam terror attack. While delivering his 12th consecutive Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Indias Operation Sindoor against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In the Friday address, the prime minister maintained that the operation was necessary because entire India was outraged and shocked by the devastating Pahalgam terror attack. The attack that took place on April 22 this year led to the death of 26 Indians. Entire India was outraged, and the entire world was shocked by such a massacre (Pahalgam). Operation Sindoor is the expression of that outrage.Destruction in Pakistan is so massive that new revelations are being made every day, and new information is coming out daily, PM Modi said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The remarks from the Prime Minister came days after Indian Air Force Chief Marshal confirmed that Indias S-400 system downed 5 Pakistani jets during 4-day military escalation between the two nations. I am very proud that from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I am getting the opportunity to salute the heroes of Operation Sindoor. Our brave jawans punished the enemy beyond its imagination, the Prime Minster said. After the 22nd, we gave a free hand to our armed forces. They decide the strategy, target and time. Our Forces did what had never been done for several decades. We entered hundreds of kilometres into the enemy soil and razed their terrorist HQ to the groundDestruction in Pakistan is so massive that new revelations are being made every day and new information is coming out daily he added. In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country has rejected the Indus Waters Treaty that was neither in Indias interest nor farmers interest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation from the Red Fort on the Independence Day on August 15, 2025. In his 12th consecutive Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the country has rejected the Indus Waters Treaty that he said was neither in the countrys interests nor in the interest of Indias farmers. India suspended the Indus treaty after the Pahalgam attack in May. The treaty divided the Indus river systems waters between India and Pakistan, granting India unrestricted use of all the waters of Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas rivers, and Pakistan the control of the Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum rivers. However, India was not able to fully utilise its share and Pakistan was getting a disproportionately larger share of waters, making the deal unjust for India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India has now decided that blood and water will not flow together, Modi said in his speech at the Red Fort. The people have come to realise that the Indus Waters Treaty is unjust and one-sided. Water from the Indus River system has been irrigating the lands of the enemy. Water from the Indus River system has been irrigating the lands of the enemy, while our own farmers have suffered, said Modi in Hindi. The prime minister went on to say that the treaty caused unimaginable harm to Indian farmers for over seven decades. VIDEO | Independence Day 2025: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "India has now decided, blood and water will not flow together. The people have come to realize that the Indus Waters Treaty is unjust. Water from the Indus River system has been irrigating the lands of the enemy, pic.twitter.com/EsAaG8zexy Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 15, 2025 After the suspension of the treaty, the government has decided to maximise the retention of the Indus river systems water within India and minimise the flow into Pakistan. Previously, government sources have said that, in the medium- to long-term, the government has decided to ramp up infrastructure to retain, divert, and repurpose water that currently flows into Pakistan. They said that the government had decided to ramp up desilting of existing dams and fast-tracking of under-construction hydropower plants and reservoirs to redirect rivers to maximise retention of water inside India and minimise the flow of water into Pakistan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his 12th Independence Day speech to emphasise that India should not waste its energy to shorten someone elses line, but rather it should be used to ones own. What seemed to be a potshot at Pakistan and the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his 12th Independence Day speech to emphasise that India should not waste its energy to shorten someone elses line, but it should rather be used to make ones own line longer. On Friday, the prime minister delivered a strong message from the Red Fort, saying: Kisi doosre ki lakeer chhoti karne ke liye, apni oorja hamari nahi khapani hai. Hamein poori oorja ke saath hamari lakeer ko lamba karna hai (To shorten someone elses line, we should not waste our own energy. We must use our full energy to lengthen our own line). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The prime minister urged the people of the country not to sit and lament over the global crisis. Today, when economic selfishness is rising day by day in the global situation, it is the need of the hour that we dont sit crying over those crises. Himmat ke saath apni lakeer ko lambi kareinIf we take that path, no selfishness will be able to entangle us, PM Modi said. A jab at the US and Pakistan? Many saw PM Modis mention of global economic selfishness as a jibe at US President Donald Trumps tariffs on different nations around the world. India-US ties seemed to sour after Trump announced nearly 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods. Trump went on to accuse India of committing unfair trade practices and slammed New Delhi for purchasing oil from Russia amid the war in Ukraine. India condemned the decision and called out the Wests Double standards. New Delhi noted how China purchases more Russian oil, but no such measures were taken against Beijing. Meanwhile, PM Modis statement can also be seen as Indias stance against Pakistan, since a significant part of his speech was about Operation Sindoor. In his speech, the prime minister hailed the success of the operation and lauded the role of the Indian military that conducted precision strikes against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation, he said, was an expression of Indias outrage at the Pahalgam terrorists attack in which husbands were killed in front of their wives and fathers were killed in front of their children after asking their religion. I am very proud that from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I am getting the opportunity to salute the heroes of Operation Sindoor. Our brave jawans punished the enemy beyond its imagination, he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On 22nd April, terrorists from across the border came to Pahalgam and killed people after asking their religionEntire India was outraged, and the entire world was shocked by such a massacre. Operation Sindoor is the expression of that outrage, the prime minister furthered. His address not only covered the highlights of Indias achievements in the last decade but also laid down a blueprint of what the central government has in store for Indian citizens for the next 10 years Since Independence, India has traversed insurmountable hurdles to become one of the worlds booming economies Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a rousing speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day. His address depicted the aspirations of a Naya Bharat, in line with the theme of this years celebrations. His address not only covered the highlights of Indias achievements in the last decade but also laid down a blueprint of what the central government has in store for Indian citizens for the next 10 years. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD From the Red Fort, he unveiled a series of initiatives focused on enhancing national security, generating employment, reforming the tax system, and advancing technological self-reliance, all aligned with the governments vision of transforming India into a Viksit Bharat by 2047. Diwali bonanza: GST reforms The prime minister announced a present for Indian taxpayers for the upcoming Diwali celebrations. Next-generation GST reforms will be unveiled on Diwali in October, reducing taxes on essential goods and providing relief to MSMEs, local vendors, and consumers. Referring to the GST rollout on 1 July 2017, which unified various taxes and local levies, he noted that the indirect tax system has now completed eight years, making it an opportune moment for further reforms. Consultations with states have already taken place, and a high-powered committee of state finance ministers is currently working on rationalising rates and reducing tax slabs. This Diwali, I am going to make it a double Diwali for you Over the past eight years, we have undertaken a major reform in GST We are bringing next-generation GST reforms. This will reduce the tax burden on taxpayers across the country, PM Modi said. Reform Task Force for a $10 Trillion Bharat PM Modi announced the creation of a dedicated Reform Task Force to drive next-generation reforms. Its mandate: accelerate economic growth, cut red tape, modernise governance, and prepare Bharat for the demands of a $10 trillion economy by 2047. The task force will review laws, rules, and procedures related to start-ups, MSMEs, and entrepreneurs with an aim to cut costs, protect citizens against arbitrary legal action, and streamline laws to improve ease of doing business. Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked Indias 79th Independence Day with the announcement of the Sudarshan Chakra Mission, a long-range air-defence initiative Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured his countrymen of enhanced security in the future Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking from the Red Fort on Friday to mark Indias 79th Independence Day, announced the launch of the Sudarshan Chakra Mission, an advanced long-range air-defence system set to be operational by 2035. This powerful weapon will not only safeguard our country but also give a befitting reply to any enemy nation, he said, emphasising that upgrading national security is a top priority. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Proving indigenous defence strength The announcement follows Operation Sindoor this year, where India showcased its self-reliant defence capabilities. Indigenous systemsincluding the Akash missile, MRSAM, BrahMos, D4 anti-drone defences, AWACS and the automated Akashteer air-defence networkplayed key roles. The Akashteer system, in particular, intercepted drones, missiles, micro-UAVs and loitering munitions with near-perfect success, boosting situational awareness across forces. The SAMAR air-defence system also proved effective, neutralising low-altitude aerial threats targeting Jammu, Srinagar and Amritsar with speed, accuracy, and reliability as part of Indias layered defence grid. The Sudarshan Chakra is based on the Russian S-400 platform, capable of engaging aircraft, cruise missiles, drones and ballistic missiles at ranges up to 400 km. The comparable systems include the THAAD from the US, which is, designed to intercept ballistic missiles in their terminal phase, effective at altitudes up to 150 km and ranges of about 200 km. It is also optimised for high-altitude threats rather than multi-role defence. Then we have Israels Iron Dome, which is, renowned for intercepting short-range rockets, artillery, mortars and drones within 470 km. Highly battle-tested but designed for low-altitude engagements, complementing rather than replacing long-range systems. Indias next step Alongside Sudarshan Chakra, India is developing Project Kusha, an indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile programme intended to rival or surpass S-400 capabilities. Planned in three variantsM1 (150 km), M2 (250 km), and M3 (400 km)the system is expected to begin trials in late 2025 and enter service between 2028 and 2030. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Together, these developments reflect a global and domestic push toward integrated air-defence networks capable of countering an increasingly diverse range of aerial threats. News / National by Staff reporter Chinese cement manufacturer Shuntai Investments (Private) Limited has been fined US$10,000 for contempt of court after failing to comply with a provisional order halting the construction of its cement plant near Bryden Country School in Chegutu.The order, issued in March 2025 under case HCH 1326/25, directed Shuntai to immediately stop work on the proposed cement and lime factory at Plot Number 8 Eastbourne. The school had objected to the project, citing environmental and health risks for its pupils and staff.Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Samuel Deme ruled that Shuntai had "willfully belittled the court" by continuing with construction in defiance of the directive."An order that the first respondent is in contempt of court, coupled with a hefty fine, can only be necessary to deter the first respondent from continuing with the acts of breaching the provisional order issued by this court," Justice Deme said.The Bryden Country School Trust, represented by Mr Innocent Nderere of Scanlen and Holderness, accused Shuntai of carrying on with substantial construction work, causing noise and air pollution that disrupted learning.Shuntai argued that it had only put up temporary structures a claim the court rejected after an inspection in loco."What was observed at the site cannot be imagined to be temporary structures at all. A big structure at the foundation stage cannot be construed to be a temporary structure," Justice Deme said.The court dismissed Shuntai directors Yinliang Jia and Mingchang Xing from the application, upholding their preliminary objection that they were not parties to the original proceedings. Justice Deme emphasised the separate legal personality of companies, noting the corporate veil would not be pierced without compelling reasons.Although Bryden sought costs on a higher attorney-client scale, the court ordered costs on an ordinary scale, saying no exceptional circumstances had been shown.Mr Tonderai Mandizvidza of Masiya-Sheshe and Associates represented Shuntai and its directors. Even as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru ushered India into Independent era with the tryst with destiny speech, Mahatma Gandhi camped in Bengal to keep the peace and Pakistan prepared to wage a war for Jammu and Kashmir. Here is how the first few hours of Indias Independence played out. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, delivers the historic 'Tryst with destiny' speech on 15 August, 1947, at the Parliament House in New Delhi. (Photo: Press Information Bureau/AFP) At the stroke of the midnight hour, as the date changed to August 15, 1947, the centuries-old British rule came to an end. For most of the people, it was a moment they had longed for decades when India finally achieved independence from the colonial rule. For millions, however, it was less about independence and more about the Partition. As two new nations rose with the fall of the British rule, a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan, one of the largest mass migrations and worst episodes of communal violence began. Estimates say that around 8 million non-Muslims moved from Pakistan to India and around 7.5 million Muslims moved from India to Pakistan both West and East Pakistan. Up to 1 million people are believed to have been killed in the communal violence. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As India embarked on a new journey, people saw the Independence Day differently celebrations and communal violence, flag-hoisting and negotiations with princely states, and a political crisis and a new enmity were all happening at the same time. Here is how the first few hours of independent India played out. Tryst with destiny: Nehru ushers India into independent era In one of the most memorable speeches of all times, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru addressed the nation from the Parliament House on the eve of the Indolence Day. Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, laid down the promise that India had fulfilled that day and the promises it was setting out to fulfil in the new era. Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny. And now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance, said Nehru. Firmly establishing India as a civilisational state, and not just an entity created from scratch in 1947, Nehru said, At the dawn of history, India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her successes and her failures. Through good and ill fortune alike, she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals which gave her strength. We end today a period of ill fortune and India discovers herself again. The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future? India raises its own flag One of the first known flag-hoisting in Independent India took place in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, which was called Madras at the time. At 5:30 am, hours after Nehrus speech, a 12-foot long, 8-foot wide flag, which is now at the Fort St. George Museum, was hoisted at Fort St. George. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Hours later, at 10:30 am, Nehru hoisted the flag at the Parliament House in New Delhi after the oath ceremony. In the afternoon, Nehru hoisted the national flag publicly for the first time near the India Gate. While the Red Fort is synonymous with the Independence Day today, it was not until the morning of the next day, at 8:30 am on Aug. 16, 1947, that the national flag was hoisted at the Red Fort. Gandhi camps in Bengal While millions celebrated, Indias tallest leader, Mahatma Gandhi, was neither in Delhi nor part of celebrations elsewhere. Instead, Gandhi was in Calcutta in a last-ditch effort to contain the Partitions violence. Gandhi arrived in Calcutta on Aug. 9 and travelled to Noakhali in present-day Bangladesh where violence was at its peak against Hindus for months. Hindu men were being killed, women were being abducted and raped, Hindus were being forced to convert to Islam, and their properties were being destroyed en masse. As many as 50,000 Hindus were trapped with no state protection. Gandhi sought to be a bridge between the two communities and pledged to ensure the protection of Muslims in India if Hindus would be protected in Noakhali and elsewhere in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In Bengal, tensions had been brewing for a year. After all, in 1946, the Muslim League had unleashed Great Calcutta Killings with its call of Direct Action Day that began with organised attacks on Hindus and spiralled into widespread communal violence, killing between 5,000 to 10,000 people. Gandhi remained in Calcutta throughout August to work towards peace in Calcutta. He moved to Hyderi Manzil (now Gandhi Bhavan) in Beliaghata, a riot-affected area with mixed population, with HS Suhrawardy, the Muslim League leader blamed for the 1946 violence. The idea was to project unity in the face of violence. As violence began again in late August, Gandhi began a fast on September 1 and was joined by Calcutta Police and Bar Association joined the fast in solidarity and university students, and even critics like the Statesman newspaper supported it. As many as 27 people surrendered their weapons on Sept. 4 and leaders across communities pledged to maintain peace. Gandhi broke the fast that day and peace largely returned to the city. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A divided country on path to be a republic As Nehru set about governing the country with his new government, and Gandhi pursued a peace mission in Calcutta, large swathes of the country remained in the grips of violence as millions of people migrated and hundreds of thousands were killed in the accompanying violence. One of the main challenges before the government was to keep the country united. Another challenge was to be truly independent. To be sure, India was no longer under British rule. But India was yet to develop a constitution, which was finalised in 1950. Elections were held later and the first elected government took office in 1952. In his midnight speech, Nehru acknowledged the responsibility that he and his fellow leaders had He said that freedom and power bring responsibility and that responsibility rests upon this assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. But he knew the road ahead would not be easy. He said we have to labour and to work, and work hard to give reality to our dreams. Nehru concluded the speech with an appeal, To the people of India, whose representatives we are, we make appeal to join us with faith and confidence in this great adventure. This is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time for ill will or blaming others. We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan wages war on India As if the Partitions violence was not a big enough challenge, a bigger challenge was in the making. The princely state of Jammu and Kashmir had not acceded to India. In August, Hari Singh, the Maharaja of J&K, deliberated independence from both the new nations and sought standstill agreements with India and Pakistan. While Pakistan accepted the request, India called for negotiations. Even though Pakistan accepted the request, it secretly worked on Operation Gulmarg that sought to take over J&K with an armed invasion, which began with small thrusts on October 2 and escalated over the coming days. On October 20, as many as 20,000 Pakistanis launched the full-scale invasion of J&K, overwhelming the princely states forces, and threatening to capture the entire state within days. As Pakistani forces neared J&Ks capital, Singh pleaded India for help and Nehru conditioned help on J&Ks accession. On October 27, J&K formally acceded to India and Indian troops were dispatched to Srinagar. In a critical battle on November 3, around 120 Indian soldiers stationed at Budgam near the Srinagar airport battled 500-700 Pakistani attackers. They held off the Pakistanis for several hours and repelled several waves of attacks, buying the Indian forces critical time to dispatch reinforcements. They prevented Pakistanis from capturing the Srinagar airport that would have essentially allowed them to control the entire J&K. The commander of the Indian troops, Major Somnath Sharma, was killed in the battle along with over a dozen soldiers. He was awarded the first Param Vir Chakra, the nations highest wartime gallantry award. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With the Ukraine war unresolved and skepticism mounting, Trumps bid to cement a legacy of peacemaker enters a defining moment at the Alaska summit As US President Donald Trump prepares for a high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, questions are mounting about his self-proclaimed role as a global peacemaker. The president has consistently portrayed himself as a global peacemaker and openly expresses his ambition to win a Nobel Peace Prize. My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier, he had said during his second inaugural address. Thats what I want to be: a peacemaker and a unifier. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the run up to the US presidential elections, he had claimed he would resolve the Ukraine war within 24 hours of starting his second term. He then revised that timeline to 100 days and now, more than 200 days later, he remains uncertain about securing even a partial agreement. Despite repeated boasts of being able to end the war in Ukraine swiftly, Trump now appears to be tempering expectations calling the Alaska summit a feel out meeting rather than a breakthrough moment. On Thursday, Trump expressed optimism about his upcoming meeting with Putin, saying he expects a good meeting. However, he emphasised that the most important discussions will follow those involving Russia, Ukraine, and potentially European leaders. Speaking to Fox News, Trump described his negotiations with Putin and Zelenskyy as being like chess. This meeting sets up the second meeting. The second meeting is going to be very, very important, because thats going to be a meeting where they make a deal, Trump was quoted as saying. But there is a 25 per cent chance this meeting will not be a successful meeting," he added. Meanwhile, Putin on Thursday praised Trumps sincere efforts to broker peace in Ukraine, according to a readout obtained by NBC News. He said those efforts could lay the groundwork for lasting peace between the US, Russia, and Europe, especially if talks expand to include strategic weapons treaties. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, some European officials remain wary, warning that Trump could be outmaneuvered by Putin during Fridays meeting. Trumps claims on military conflicts Those doubts are compounded by Trumps unverified claims of diplomatic success, including his assertion that he helped resolve six international military conflicts in just over six months claims largely unsupported by independent diplomatic or military records. Ive solved six wars in the last six months, a little more than six months now, and Im very proud of it, Trump said in the Oval office on Thursday. Last month, during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland, Trump claimed, If I werent around, youd have, right now, six major wars going on. India would be fighting with Pakistan. He credited his diplomatic efforts often involving trade pressure as key to de-escalating tensions worldwide. According to White House officials, Trump has been involved in facilitating ceasefire deals or diplomatic agreements between several countries, including Thailand and Cambodia, Iran and Israel, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and even indirect talks between the US and the Houthis in Yemen. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Last week, Trump brought the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to the White House to secure a peace agreement between the long-hostile countries, the sixth such deal of his second term, although his exact role in at least one case is in dispute. India has repeatedly dismissed Trumps claim that he played a role in averting military conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. His efforts have fallen short in ending two of the most high-profile conflicts: the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Trump today faces one of his most formidable challenges yet as he meets with Putin in a bid to end the war in Ukraine. Known for calling himself the president of peace, Trump has shifted focus to global conflicts, driven by a belief that US influence can bring them to an end, Politico quoted a White House official as saying. The move marks a sharp departure from his 2024 campaign stance, when he prioritised an America First agenda and largely downplayed foreign involvements. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Desire for Nobel Peace Prize Trumps turn of attention to settling conflicts also stems in part from his desire to win a Nobel Peace Prize, which he has long sought. Trump, in his pursuit, went so far as to cold-call Norways finance minister last month to ask about a nomination for the Nobel peace prize, Norwegian press reported on Thursday. The Nobel Peace Prize has become a favoured tool for foreign leaders seeking to gain favour with President Trump. At least six world leaders involved in recent diplomatic agreements have either nominated Trump or publicly backed his nomination, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. Manet put Trump forward after the president pressured Cambodia and neighboring Thailand to resolve a border dispute by threatening to suspend trade negotiations. Trumps repeated hints at deserving a Nobel Peace Prize have sparked criticism, especially as his supporters amplify the narrative despite a lack of diplomatic victories. The stakes are high at the Alaska summit, not only for Ukraine but for Trumps credibility as a dealmaker. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD US officials and foreign policy analysts remain wary of the one-on-one nature of the discussions with Putin a seasoned geopolitical operator with a background in the KGB, known for his hard-nosed approach to diplomacy. As both leaders prepare to meet, the world will be watching closely not just for signs of peace, but for whether Trump can truly live up to the legacy he claims to seek. With inputs from agencies Since the 1990s, Vladimir Putin has worked to restore the extension of the Russian empire that ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Now, he appears to be aiming to ride on Trumps shoulders to take over Ukraine, a potential steppingstone to go deeper into Europe. US President Donald Trump (left) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands before attending a joint press conference after a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, on July 16, 2018. (Photo: Yuri Kadobnov/AFP) Beyond ceasefires and territorial swaps, Vladimir Putins top agenda for the summit in Alaska with President Donald Trump could apparently be his goal to restore the Russian empire an aim that has shaped his every decision since the late 1990s. Ahead of the summit, Putin has made it clear that he does not seek to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine but secure Trumps seal of approval for the Russian victory in Ukraine. Once formally victorious in Ukraine, Putin could set his eyes on the next target in Europe that could be any country from Lithuania to Moldova. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even as Trump has talked of ceasefires, land swaps, and trade incentives, to reach a middle ground to end the war, Putin has not budged, and has continued to press his maximalist demands. On the back of continued support from allies and battlefield gains in recent weeks, he has never felt stronger and it shows. Every action taken by Russia indicates that Putin has no intention to halt offensive operations, says Kseniya Kirillova, a Russia analyst at Jamestown Foundation, a Washington DC-based think tank. The Kremlin appears to be genuinely convinced that Russia is winning and that its victory is already predetermined. One of the key drivers of its confidence is the substantial assistance from Iran and China in the production of drones. These drones are designed in Iran, powered by Chinese engines, and assembled in Russia. As a result, Putin is determined to bring Ukraine to its knees, says Kirillova. ALSO READ: With Russias terms to Ukraine, Putin seeks surrender not a peace deal Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his European partners have spent recent days urging Trump to not give in to Putins demands. They have said that he has agreed to a principled approach and has backed Ukraine's demand for security guarantees. But Trumps word has never meant anything particularly regarding Ukraine. He has repeatedly agreed with Ukraine and yet, whenever he has talked to Putin, he has come out of the conversation in agreement with him. In Alaska, something far bigger than the fate of the war in Ukraine is on the line the future of Europe. Putin wants Russian empire, a trade deal wouldnt pacify him The Soviet Union has shaped Putin as much as he has shaped post-Soviet Russia. The collapse of the Soviet Union, and with it the end of the Russian sphere of influence in eastern Europe, was never acceptable to him. He had been clear about it even before he became the president. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Russia has been a great power for centuries and remains so. It has always had and still has legitimate zones of interest. We should not drop our guard in this respect, neither should we allow our opinion to be ignored, said Putin in 1999. Groomed in the Soviet chekist ideology, which says that an external force the secret police KGB in case of Soviet Union controls all spheres of life and people dont have free will, Putin never recognised Ukraines right to exist as a sovereign state. To him, Ukraine was always a part of Russia and Ukrainian language, culture, and symbols were abominations, and the countrys rejection of the Russian sphere of influence was a result of a Western plot that had to be nipped. ALSO READ 25 years after taking over Russia, Putin stands more powerful than tsars or Soviet rulers ever were To Putin, intervening in Ukraine and Georgia before it over its rejection of Russian proxy leaders was natural. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In 2008, Putin cited non-existent attacks by pro-Western Georgian leader Mikheil Saakashvili on ethnic Russians in the country to order the invasion of the country. Russia continues to occupy a fifth of Georgia. In 2014, Putin similarly saw his sphere of influence lost in Ukraine after a mass movement ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, a proxy. His soldiers invaded and occupied the Crimea region, and Putin later annexed it. Putin also inserted proxies in the eastern Donbas region that waged an armed insurgency against the Ukrainian government till 2022 when Russia launched the full-scale invasion essentially making it the third Russian war on Ukraine in a decade. Unlike President Trump who thinks like a businessman and wants to make deals, Putin is driven by the ideological commitment to restore the Soviet era controls of Russia, and no incentive of a trade deal might convince him to abandon that commitment, says Kirillova, the Russia analyst at Jamestown Foundation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD ALSO READ Ukraine and beyond: 25 years on, Putin is still fighting Cold War There are indications that Trump intends to offer Putin sanctions relief and joint US-Russia energy extraction ventures in exchange for an end to the war. Putin will not be deterred until pressure is applied on him. With no such pressure so far, he has not taken President Trumps threats seriously and hopes he can maintain his goodwill through flattery and promises, says Kirillova. There is no doubt that Russia is playing the long game and has eyes on the rest of Europe as well, according to Shreya Sinha, an associate fellow for European studies at the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF). The recent build-up of infrastructure along the Finnish border is a clear indication that Russia is preparing not just for the next phase of the Ukraine war but also for a broader possible confrontation with Europe, says Sinha. With Finland now a new Nato member, Russia sees the writing on the wall and is pre-emptively reinforcing its western front. This is not just posturing. It is strategic groundwork for a future where the war in Ukraine might spill over or evolve into a more direct stand-off with European states, she says. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Putin has a clear agenda for Alaska summit Putin wants Trump to see the world from his point of view and help him win in Ukraine and use the country as a stepping stone to advance further in Ukraine. Trump and Putin have plenty of common ground and that has led to suspicions that the American presidents recent outbursts regarding the Russian leader are a mere charade, and they remain allies behind the curtains. Ater all, both the leaders reject the free will of nations and have unabashed imperialist ambitions. While Putin evidently eyes dominance over eastern Europe for himself, Trump has declared he wants to annex Canada, Greenland, Panama Canal, and the Gaza Strip. Throughout the war, and as early as last week, Trump has agreed with the Russian rationale and falsely blamed Ukraine for starting the war. But none of this proves Trump is actually in league with Putin. It could be that he simply does not know any better and is being played by Putin because of his incompetence. In any case, Putin would most likely present to President Trump conditions that are unacceptable to Ukraine, says Kirillova, the Russia analyst at Jamestown Foundation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Putin will use Ukraines rejection of his terms to accuse Volodymyr Zelenskyy of sabotaging peace negotiations. This will allow him to continue the war while simultaneously currying favour with Trump by framing Ukraine as unwilling to seek peace, says Kirillova. Will Trump give Putin a go-ahead to take over Europe? Putins maximalist demands range from Ukraines surrender of the entire eastern part of the country that he has claimed to constitutional changes that would essentially kill Ukrainian national identity. With Versailles treaty-like provisions, he has also sought to restrict the size, deployment, and equipment of Ukrainian military. If Trump would accept such demands and impose them on Ukraine, that would be a dream come true for Putin. If Trump ends up imposing any such deal with brute force, a new war against a European country would just be a matter of time, says Kirillova. If a one-sided deal is struck that favours Russia, Putin will just buy time to launch another invasion a few years down the line to either annex the remainder of Ukraine or harass some other country, perhaps Poland or one of the Baltic nations," she says. Putin is completely committed to the idea of restoring the Soviet Union. He will not rest until he achieves it or loses while trying to achieve it, says Kirillova. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD President Zelenskyy will not sign a deal that legitimises Russian gains, such as in Novopil in Donetsk, Vodolahy in Sumy, or Bilohorivka in Luhansk, Sinha, the Europe scholar at VIF, tells Firstpost. These are not just pieces of land. They are proof that this war is still very much ongoing, to which Ukraine has given their all. Any future peace deal would likely hinge on international security guarantees and a long-term roadmap to reconstruction and political stability. But for now, full-scale concession is simply not on the table, says Sinha. Among those currently in prison is Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogans main political rival, who is being investigated on charges of corruption and links to terrorism Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a protest rally in Istanbul on May 18, 2018, against the recent killings of Palestinian protesters on the Gaza-Israel border and the US embassy move to Jerusalem. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) Turkish police detained 40 people, including the mayor of Istanbuls central Beyoglu district, as part of a corruption investigation, state broadcaster TRT Haber said on Friday, the latest wave in a crackdown on the opposition. Beyoglu Mayor Inan Guney from the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) was the 16th mayor to have been taken into custody in the crackdown, in which a total of more than 500 people have been detained in less than a year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Among those currently in prison is Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogans main political rival, who is being investigated on charges of corruption and links to terrorism. The CHP denies the charges and calls them an attempt to eliminate a democratic alternative, a charge the government rejects. TRT Haber said those held in the latest operation are suspected of involvement in fraudulent activities at companies linked to the Istanbul municipality. Arrest warrants were issued for a total of 44 people, including the 40 detained, it said. On Thursday, CHP mayor Ozlem Cercioglu from the western city of Aydin joined Erdogans ruling AK Party, citing disagreements with the CHP administration. CHP leader Ozgur Ozel told reporters, without providing evidence, that AKP officials had threatened Cercioglu with legal investigations into her municipality and arrest unless she joined the ruling party. AKP deputy chair Hayati Yazici called Ozels allegation completely untrue. Cercioglu also rejected the claim. The death toll from heavy monsoon rains that have triggered landslides and flash floods across northern Pakistan has risen to at least 243 people in the last 24 hours. Onlookers gather near a destroyed bridge after flash floods on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, on August 15, 2025. Image- AFP Heavy monsoon rains have unleashed landslides and flash floods across northern Pakistan, killing at least 243 people in the past 24 hours, including 157 people who died in the flood-hit Buner district in northwest Pakistan on Friday. Mohammad Suhail told The Associated Press that dozens of people were still missing, and rescue operations were underway. He said 78 bodies were recovered from various parts of the district by midday Friday, and another 79 were pulled from the rubble of collapsed homes and flooded villages later. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The death toll may rise as we are still looking for dozens of missing people, Suhail said. Dozens were injured as the deluge destroyed homes in villages in Buner, where authorities declared a state of emergency Friday. Ambulances have transported more than 100 bodies to hospitals, according to a government statement. Officials said many victims died in flash floods or when their homes collapsed. Meanwhile, a helicopter crashed during a rescue mission in monsoon-hit northern Pakistan Friday, killing five crew on board, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said in a statement. An MI-17 helicopter of the provincial government, carrying relief goods for rain-affected areas of Bajaur, crashed in the Pandiyali area of Mohmand district due to bad weather, Ali Amin Gandapur said in a statement. Five crew members, including two pilots, were killed." Rescuers backed by boats and helicopters worked to reach stranded residents. Dozens of villagers were still missing and the death toll is likely to rise, Buner government administrator Kashif Qayyum said. The latest fatalities bring the total number of rain-related deaths to 556 since June 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. Deaths were reported from different parts of Pakistan on Thursday. Bilal Faizi, a provincial emergency service spokesman in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said rescuers worked for hours to save 1,300 tourists after they were trapped by flash flooding and landslides in the Siran Valley in Mansehra district on Thursday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, at an emergency meeting, ordered the disaster management authority to ensure the evacuation of tourists and all those hit by the floods. The Gilgit-Baltistan region has been hit by multiple floods since July, triggering landslides along the Karakoram Highway, a key trade and travel route linking Pakistan and China that is used by tourists to travel to the scenic north. The region is home to scenic glaciers that provide 75% of Pakistans stored water supply. A study released this week by World Weather Attribution, a network of international scientists, found rainfall in Pakistan from June 24 to July 23 was 10% to 15% heavier because of global warming. In 2022, the countrys worst monsoon season on record killed more than 1,700 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in damage. With inputs from agencies Princes new security firm, Vectus Global, which is already present in Haiti, will intensify its operations in the Caribbean nation to help authorities battle heavily armed criminal groups and win territories back from them US President Donald Trumps backer and private military contractor Blackwaters founder, Erik Prince, will lead a mission in Haiti to combat gang violence in the country. The mission will include combatants from the US, Europe and El Salvador who will be deployed to the violence-torn country soon. Princes new security firm, Vectus Global, which is already present in Haiti, will intensify its operations in the Caribbean nation to help authorities battle heavily armed criminal groups and win territories back from them, according to a report by Reuters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Since February 2024, Haitis capital has been largely isolated from the rest of the country after armed groups launched a coordinated offensive against the government, ousting the prime minister and seizing control of much of Port-au-Prince. According to the United Nations, over 1,500 people were killed between April and July, most of them in the capital. The majority of these deaths occurred during security force operations, with about a third resulting from drone strikes, which the government has recently begun using to target armed groups. Who is Erik Prince? Prince, a former US Navy Seal, founded the Blackwater military security firm in 1997. He sold the company in 2010 after Blackwater employees were convicted of unlawfully killing 14 unarmed civilians while escorting a US embassy convoy in Baghdads Nisour Square. The men were pardoned by Trump during his first term in the White House. Since Trumps return to the White House, Prince has advised Ecuador on how to fight criminal gangs and struck a deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo to help secure and tax its mineral wealth. What will his company do in Haiti? A person familiar with the companys operations in Haiti told Reuters that Vectus would intensify its fight against the criminal gangs that control large swathes of Haiti in the coming weeks in coordination with the Haitian police, deploying several hundred fighters from the United States, Europe and El Salvador who are trained as snipers and specialists in intelligence and communications, as well as helicopters and boats. Vectuss force includes some French and Creole speakers, the person said. With inputs from Reuters A five judge panel of Brazils Supreme Court will kick off the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of plotting a coup on September 2, a court document showed on Friday. Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro stands at his home while under house arrest, ordered by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, as he awaits trial over an alleged plot to overturn the 2022 election, in Brasilia, Brazil, August 14, 2025. REUTERS Brazils Supreme Court will start the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro on September 2 over allegations that he plotted a coup following his electoral defeat, a court document revealed on Friday. A five-judge panel, led by Justice Cristiano Zanin, will hear the case, with sessions scheduled between September 2 and September 12, according to the document. Bolsonaro has been under house arrest since Aug. 5. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the case, said Bolsonaro violated precautionary measures by spreading content through his three lawmaker sons. Last week, De Moraes eased the restrictions, allowing unrestricted family visits. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The case has gripped Brazil as it navigates a trade dispute with the United States. Bolsonaro has received support from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called the prosecution a witch hunt and linked his decision to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports to Bolsonaros legal troubles. With inputs from agencies A Pew Research survey has found that over 60 per cent of the American population is either not too confident or not at all confident about Trump making any wise decision about the conflict US President Donald Trump receives a football from Russian President Vladimir Putin as they hold a joint news conference after their meeting in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018. (Photo: Grigory Dukor/Reuters) Alaska is all decked up to host US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart to hold the first major high-level talks on the Ukraine war in months. All eyes are on Trump as his direct engagement with Putin is expected to bring a breakthrough in ceasefire negotiations. However, more than half of Americans do not believe that the US president will be able to make any significant decisions on the Russia-Ukraine war. A Pew Research survey has found that over 60 per cent of the American population is either not too confident or not at all confident about Trump making any wise decision about the conflict. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a poll conducted in early August, Democrats showed considerably less confidence in the presidents decision-making abilities compared to Republicans. However, Trump has also seen a decline in trust among his own party, with 73 per cent of Republicans expressing some or strong confidence in his handling of the war, down from 81 per cent in July 2024, according to Pew. Meanwhile, the White House has downplayed the importance of the meeting in terms of results, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calling it a listening exercise. While Trump has also described his exchange with Putin as a feel-out meeting, he has also warned Moscow of very serious consequences if the Russian president refuses to take steps to end the war. Americans remain evenly divided on whether the U.S. has a responsibility to support Ukraine in its defence efforts, with Democrats significantly more likely to back U.S. assistance. However, fewer than one in three Americans now view the war as a major threat to US interests, a notable decline from 2022, when Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. What do Trump and Putin want? Trump has boasted of his deal-making skills and had vowed to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours, but his calls to Putin went unheeded even after Trump put heavy pressure on Zelensky to compromise, including by cutting US aid. The billionaire has also said that he sees business opportunities in Russia, which remains under Western sanctions over the war. Many European leaders fear that in a one-on-one meeting, Trump could fall under the sway of Putin, for whom he has voiced admiration in the past. Meanwhile, Putin wants to retain as much Ukrainian territory as possible. Russia failed in its goal of quickly seizing Ukraine in its February 2022 invasion, but in recent months has made steady gains on the battlefield, leading Putin to believe he has an upper hand militarily. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies The Trump administration is reportedly weighing a stake in Intel to boost US chipmaking and ease tensions with its CEO The Trump administration was reportedly exploring the possibility of taking a financial stake in Intel Corp., a move that could both advance President Donald Trumps domestic manufacturing goals and reduce political tensions surrounding the companys chief executive, Lip-Bu Tan. According to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, people familiar with the matter indicated that these discussions were still at an early stage and might ultimately collapse. The president raised the idea during a Monday meeting at the White House with Tan. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were also present. The meeting reportedly followed several days of heightened scrutiny over Intels links to China, amid a broader US push to secure control over critical semiconductor manufacturing. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Bloomberg was the first to report on the talks. Following the news, Intels shares closed the day up more than 7 percent, with further gains in after-hours trading, The Wall Street Journal reported. From criticism to courting The overture toward Intel marked a sharp shift in tone from the previous week, when Trump publicly called for Tans immediate resignation. Writing on his Truth Social platform, the president had accused the CEO of being highly conflicted, citing his investments in Chinese technology firms. Those comments followed a letter from Republican Senator Tom Cotton questioning whether Tan had divested from companies linked to the Chinese Communist Party and the Peoples Liberation Army. Despite the earlier criticism, Trump struck a conciliatory note after their White House meeting, reportedly praising Tans career and success story. The president also suggested that the Intel chief would meet with Cabinet members and return with proposals within a week. This apparent reversal hinted at the administrations willingness to work with Tan, even while concerns over his past business ties lingered, The Wall Street Journal said. Strategic significance of Intel The Trump administration have reportedly identified Intel as the domestic company best positioned to challenge Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) in the global chip fabrication market. For months, the White House has sought to expand Americas share of semiconductor manufacturing as part of a broader America First industrial strategy. Industry observers told the American business daily that tech firms have been quick to emphasise US investments in order to gain favour with the administration and secure beneficial policy treatment. Jim Secreto, a former Commerce Department official during the Biden administration, was quoted as saying that the Trump team understood the considerable leverage it held over the technology sector. If completed, a government stake in Intel would join a list of unprecedented interventions by Trump in the private sector. In recent months, the administration reportedly struck a deal with Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices requiring each to pay the government 15 percent of their China sales in exchange for export licenses. Similarly, in Nippon Steels takeover of US Steel, the president secured a golden share, granting him influence over the companys operations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Intels current challenges Even with possible government backing, there are doubts about Intels capacity to substantially increase US capital spending, given its current financial and operational difficulties. The companys losses reportedly widened to $2.9 billion in the second quarter. Tan, who assumed leadership of Intel in March after serving on its board since 2022, inherited these challenges alongside a wave of restructuring measures. The company has announced layoffs, scaled back its foundry business, cancelled planned manufacturing sites in Germany and Poland and delayed a high-profile facility in Ohio. Speaking to analysts in July, Tan acknowledged that turning the company around would take time and patience, noting that a lot needed to be fixed in order to move forward, CNBC reported. Geopolitical backdrop The talks between Trump and Intel also unfolded against a shifting geopolitical backdrop. Over the weekend preceding the meeting, Trump announced a 90-day extension on the suspension of tariffs on Chinese imports while trade negotiations continued. He emphasised that all other elements of the agreement with Beijing would remain unchanged. This broader USChina technology rivalry has put semiconductor policy at the centre of economic and national security discussions. Market and industry reactions The market appeared to welcome news of the potential White HouseIntel arrangement. Beyond the 7 per cent surge in Intels stock price on the day of the report, shares rose an additional 2 per cent in extended trading. Investors reportedly viewed the possibility of government support as a temporary confidence boost, though questions remained about Intels long-term strategy. Looking ahead While no formal deal has yet been announced, the talks highlight both the fragility of Intels current position and the administrations willingness to wield economic tools to achieve strategic goals. For Tan, a successful arrangement could mean relief from immediate political attacks, a stronger financial footing for Intels turnaround efforts and a public signal of confidence from a president who just days earlier had demanded his resignation. For Trump, securing a stake in Intel would reinforce his message of revitalising US manufacturing, bolster the domestic semiconductor industry and demonstrate his administrations readiness to reshape corporate governance through direct government involvement. However, it could also spark debates over the proper limits of presidential power in private industry and the risks of politicising critical technology sectors. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Intel, for its part, issued a statement reaffirming its support for the administrations efforts to strengthen US technology and manufacturing leadership, while declining to comment on what it described as rumours. Whether the discussions produce a concrete agreement or fade amid political and market complexities, the episode highlights the high stakes at the intersection of technology policy, corporate strategy and presidential politics. Washingtons steep new tariffs on Indias Russian oil purchases have unexpectedly emerged as a key bargaining chip in US President Donald Trumps high-stakes Alaska talks with Vladimir Putin How India suddenly became part of the whole equation leading to the Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin When US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine, much of the global attention will be on potential shifts in the battlefield and peace negotiations. Yet, behind the scenes, a less obvious factor appears to have influenced the dynamics leading to the meeting. This turns out to be Indias role in global oil trade and Washingtons decision to target it with steep tariffs. Statements from both Trump and senior US officials in recent days have suggested that punitive measures against Indias purchases of Russian oil were part of a calculated bid to pressure Moscow into engaging in talks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trumps claim: Tariffs as a strategic lever Speaking on Fox Radios Brian Kilmeade Show, Trump remarked that his recent imposition of steep tariffs on India may have played a role in pushing Putin toward the negotiating table. He reasoned that the secondary tariffs effectively removed India Russias second-largest oil customer from the market. Certainly, when you lose your second largest customer and youre probably going to lose your first largest customer, I think that probably has a role, the US president said. According to Bloomberg, the tariffs, totalling 50 per cent, included a 25 per cent levy on Indian purchases of Russian oil, set to take effect from August 27. Trump suggested that the cumulative effect of these measures had impact everywhere, implying that economic isolation was a strategic tool to bring Russia into dialogue. Secondary tariffs and the Putin equation US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reinforced this link in an interview with Bloomberg, observing that Washington had expected Putin to come to the table in a more fulsome way and that the secondary tariffs on India were a piece of that leverage strategy. Bessent indicated that if talks in Alaska did not go well, these measures could be tightened further. Bessent stressed that sanctions and tariffs were flexible they could be increased, reduced or made indefinite. He also referenced the Russian shadow fleet of tankers operating globally, suggesting that Washington might intensify enforcement against them. His broader point was that the tariffs on India were not simply about trade disputes but about geopolitical positioning, particularly when paired with pressure on European allies to adopt similar measures. Indias energy trade with US and Russia The tariffs came despite a notable shift in Indias energy imports in Washingtons favour. According to official figures, Indian oil and gas imports from the US surged 51 per cent between January and June this year, a report in The Statesman said. LNG imports from the US nearly doubled year-on-year, rising to $2.46 billion in 202425 from $1.41 billion in the previous financial year. In February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured that India would increase its energy imports from the US to $25 billion in 2025, up from $15 billion in 2024, specifically to help reduce Americas trade deficit a stated goal of Trumps trade policy. This commitment was followed by discussions between Indian state-owned oil companies and US suppliers for long-term purchase agreements. Indias defence: Policy consistency and price math From New Delhis perspective, its purchases of Russian oil have been consistent with both domestic needs and the parameters of US-led policy. Indian officials have repeatedly noted that they only buy Russian crude below the price cap imposed by G7 nations a mechanism designed by Western powers themselves to keep global oil prices stable while limiting Moscows revenue. India has also pointed out that Washington still continues to import certain commodities from Russia, including fertilisers, chemicals, uranium and palladium. Moreover, New Delhi has emphasised that energy import diversification including a growing share from the US is part of a broader national strategy to reduce dependence on any single source, including Russia. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Strategic ties beyond trade Indias Ministry of External Affairs has characterised the targeting of Indian imports as unjustified and unreasonable, a Bloomberg report said. India has repeatedly reiterated that its US relations are multi-layered and rest on strategic and geopolitical foundations beyond trade disputes. In a briefing to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, the government confirmed there was no change to the planned sixth round of IndiaUS talks, which could eventually lead to a trade agreement. This diplomatic posture appears aimed at preserving the broader bilateral relationship even while contesting the fairness of the tariffs. New Delhis position underscores that it sees Washington as a long-term partner, even if short-term disputes flare. Alaska summit: Leverage in action The Alaska meeting between Trump and Putin is set against this backdrop of trade friction and strategic manoeuvering. Trump has publicly said he believes Putin is now convinced to make a deal and suggested the talks could lead to a second meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In his remarks, Trump envisioned such a follow-up as the venue for deeper negotiations on boundaries, lands, etc. although he avoided explicitly describing it as divvying things up. Trump acknowledged the risk of failure, estimating a 25 per cent chance that the first meeting might not be successful. Nevertheless, he cast the Alaska talks as setting up a chess game in which the initial moves including the India tariffs were designed to create maximum negotiating leverage. The China factor While India has been singled out in recent days, China remains Russias largest oil buyer. Asked about Beijings role, Bessent avoided direct commentary but reiterated that Trump was adept at creating leverage and keeping all options on the table. He recalled a moment at the G7 summit in Canada when he floated the idea of a 200 per cent secondary tariff on China and observed that other leaders quickly shifted the conversation a sign, perhaps, of reluctance among allies to adopt such aggressive measures. Bessents comments suggested that the administration sees secondary tariffs not just as punitive trade measures but as tools for orchestrating broader geopolitical pressure. By targeting India a country with significant oil trade with Russia but also deepening ties with the US Washington may be testing both its ability to influence Moscow and the resilience of its partnership with New Delhi. Indias balancing act For India, the challenge lies in maintaining strategic autonomy while handling intensifying pressure from both Washington and Moscow. The country has long positioned itself as a balancing power, purchasing arms and energy from Russia while cultivating defence and technology partnerships with the US. Indian has been careful to point out that the countrys energy security depends on stable, affordable supplies, which in turn require flexibility in sourcing. This approach has allowed India to take advantage of discounted Russian oil in recent years without breaching Western sanctions regimes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD At the same time, the expansion of US energy imports has been a deliberate effort to strengthen economic ties with Washington a point New Delhi may quietly expect to weigh in its favour as tariff disputes unfold. Potential fallout if talks fail If the Alaska talks do not yield progress, Bessents warning that tariffs could rise further could put India in a more difficult position. Additional measures might target other sectors of Indian trade or tighten restrictions on energy transactions, potentially disrupting existing contracts with both Russian and US suppliers. Such escalation could also test Indias willingness to continue aligning with US positions on issues like the Indo-Pacific security framework or technology cooperation. While New Delhi has stressed the independence of its foreign policy, sustained economic pressure from Washington might force more overt recalibrations. A calculated gamble by Washington From Washingtons perspective, linking the India tariffs to the Putin talks is a calculated gamble. The move risks alienating a strategic partner, but it also highlights a willingness to use every available lever to influence Moscows calculus on Ukraine. Trumps framing that losing India as a buyer would significantly hurt Russia rests on the assumption that the economic impact will translate into political flexibility. Whether this proves true depends not only on the outcome of the Alaska summit but also on Moscows ability to redirect its exports to other markets, particularly China. If Russia can compensate for lost Indian purchases through alternative buyers, the pressure may be blunted. India as an unintended fulcrum As Trump and Putin sit down in Alaska, Indias role in the global oil trade has unexpectedly become a key element of US strategy. Tariffs ostensibly aimed at trade imbalances have been repurposed into geopolitical bargaining chips, with Washington betting that squeezing Moscows second-largest oil customer will hasten movement toward a negotiated settlement in Ukraine. For India, this development highlights both its growing importance in global energy markets and the risks of being caught in the crossfire of great-power rivalry. While New Delhi continues to emphasise the strategic breadth of its partnership with Washington, it is clear that economic measures tied to third-party conflicts can quickly complicate even the most carefully managed bilateral ties. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Alaska talks may ultimately be remembered for their substantive progress or lack thereof on Ukraine. But in the run-up, they have already showcased how India, without being at the table, has become a quiet yet central player in one of the most consequential geopolitical negotiations of the year. News / National by Staff reporter A Harare man accused of fraudulently hiring two vehicles by invoking the ruling Zanu PF party's name has appeared in court.Martin Mutize, 26, of Budiriro, allegedly failed to pay US$5,600 in car rental fees after claiming the vehicles were needed to transport Zanu PF delegates.Prosecutors told the Harare Magistrates Court that in July 2025, Mutize approached Sanangurai Kundidzora seeking to hire a white Toyota Hilux and a grey Audi for 28 days. He allegedly agreed to pay US$150 per day for the Hilux and US$50 per day for the Audi.The National Prosecuting Authority says Mutize claimed the cars were for party business, but investigations later revealed he had been using them personally.When the rental period ended, Kundidzora discovered that the vehicles had never been used by Zanu PF officials. Mutize allegedly failed to pay the agreed amount despite keeping the vehicles for nearly a month."The accused misrepresented facts to the complainant so that he would use the vehicles himself," prosecutors said.Mutize appeared before Harare provincial magistrate Apolonia Marutya and was remanded in custody pending a bail ruling. One man was shot dead on Friday in the Swedish city of Orebro in what was likely a gang-related crime, police said. A second man was injured in the attack, near the Orebro Mosque, and taken to hospital Police officers work at the scene outside a mosque after a shooting, in Orebro, Sweden on Friday. Reuters One man was shot dead on Friday in the Swedish city of Orebro in what was likely a gang-related crime, police said. A second man was injured in the attack, near the Orebro Mosque, and taken to hospital. Police declined to comment on the extent of the mans injuries. I want to stress that currently, we dont see any connection to the mosque. On the other hand, we do see a connection to criminal groups, a police spokesperson told reporters during a news conference. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD At least one suspect was seen leaving the scene, though police said there had been no arrests as yet. Police said the case was being investigated as murder and attempted murder. Sweden has endured more than a decade of gang-related violence and the number of deadly shootings is among the highest in Europe. The murder rate, however, is similar to other countries. Based on the current situation regarding the shooting in Orebro, the incident is believed to be linked to the criminal network environment, the police said in a statement without elaborating. In February, 10 students and teachers were killed in a shooting in Orebro, some 200 km (125 miles) west of Stockholm, in what became Swedens deadliest gun attack. The perpetrator in the February shooting was a former student who also killed himself, and was not associated with criminal gangs. Investigators found no clear motive in the case. Amid souring ties with Washington, DC, Indian Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made it clear that de-dollarisation is not part of New Delhis financial agenda Amid the brewing tensions with US President Donald Trumps administration, India made it clear that de-dollarisation is not part of its financial agenda. On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed suggestions that India is working towards de-dollarisation within BRICS nations. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made it clear that such a move is not part of Indias financial agenda. We have made our position very clear on this issue earlier as well. De-dollarisation is not part of Indias financial agenda, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at the weekly media briefing. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Jaiswals remarks were in response to questions about Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvas statement that BRICS nations may consider an alternative currency amid tension with the United States over steep tariffs on the group. It is pertinent to note that Trump has opposed the idea of de-dollarisation and often issued threats of dire consequences. India-US ties have deteriorated significantly after Trump announced nearly 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods. The White House argued that the tariffs were imposed because India purchased Russian oil amid the ongoing Ukraine war, with senior officials in the Trump administration accusing India of helping Russia in the conflict. Brazil pushes for de-dollarisation Jaiswals remarks were in response to Lulas push for creating a trade currency that can be used among Brics nations. Explaining his position, Lula insisted that the idea should be tested. We can discuss in the BRICS. There is a need to have a trade currency between us and the BRICS. I do not reject it because we must test; if the testing fails, then I would be wrong. But someone has to convince me that I am wrong, the Brazilian leader exclaimed. Lula is scheduled to visit India in January next year. When asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited Lula following their recent phone conversation, Jaisawal said, We had gone to Rio to attend the BRICS summit. We also paid a state visit to Brasilia. And at that time, the Prime Minister, as is normal in bilateral ties, invited President Lula to visit India at an appropriate time. It is pertinent to note that Trump has also announced a 50 per cent tariff on imports from Brazil starting August 1, while calling the trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro a witch hunt that should not take place. When it comes to its own challenges, India has maintained that it will continue engaging with BRICS members on issues of shared interest while safeguarding its economic and strategic priorities. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India is a member of the BRICS group, and we continue to remain in touch with member countries to discuss issues of shared interest, the MEA spokesperson said in the Thursday briefing. Exiled Russian opposition figure Yulia Navalnaya has urged Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump to strike a deal for the release of Russian and Ukrainian political prisoners. Speaking ahead of their Alaska meeting, she called for the liberation of activists, journalists, and civilians detained for opposing the Ukraine conflict. Exiled Russian opposition member Yulia Navalnaya urged Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on Friday to reach an agreement to liberate Russian and Ukrainian political prisoners detained by Moscow for speaking out against the conflict. Navalnaya, whose husband Alexei Navalny died in a Russian prison last year, spoke in a video message posted on social media hours before the two leaders were scheduled to meet in Alaska to discuss ways to stop the Ukraine conflict. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD You must take an irreversible step, something that cannot be undone, Navalnaya said, addressing both Putin and Trump. Free Russian political activists and journalists. Free Ukrainian civilians. Free those imprisoned for anti-war statements and social media posts, she said. Trump and Putin have previously reached agreements to liberate Russian and American citizens imprisoned in the other nation. Last year, Trumps predecessor Joe Biden orchestrated a massive prisoner swap in which two US journalists and many Russian opposition members were released in return for a number of alleged Russian undercover operatives apprehended in Europe. Russia has punished hundreds of people who opposed its invasion of Ukraine. In the days following its decision to send soldiers into neighbouring countries, Moscow enacted severe military censorship regulations that prohibited any criticism of the army or the dissemination of information from non-government sources. According to Kyiv, thousands of Ukrainian people have been jailed in Russia and regions of Ukraine controlled by Russias troops since the invasion in February 2022. A wave of anti-corruption protests has gripped Serbia since November, when the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station roof killed 16 people, a disaster widely blamed on entrenched corruption. Protestors vandalise the Novi Sad headquarters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), during protests in Novi Sad on August 14, 2025. AFP Clashes between rival groups of protesters in Serbia flared again late Thursday, police said, as months of anti-government demonstrations boiled over into street violence this week. A wave of anti-corruption protests has gripped Serbia since November, when the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station roof killed 16 people, a disaster widely blamed on entrenched corruption. Anti-graft protesters again gathered in several cities across Serbia late Thursday. That was mainly in response to a previous attack by governing party supporters on demonstrators Tuesday in the town of Vrbas, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) north of the capital Belgrade. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Large groups of pro-government supporters, most wearing masks, confronted protesters on Wednesday, and the two groups hurled bottles, stones and fireworks at each other. Police had arrested nearly 50 people across the country on Wednesday, and around 30 riot police were injured. On Thursday, protestors vandalised the Novi Sad headquarters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and two other SNS offices in the city, RTS television reported, during protests spread across Serbia. In the capital Belgrade, protestors massed in front of government buildings and the army headquarters, before heading toward nearby SNS offices. But a heavy riot police deployment kept them from reaching the offices using teargas. These are no longer peaceful student protests but people who want to provoke violence This is an attack on the state, Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told a news conference. At least five police officers were injured on Thursday evening and 14 protesters were arrested, the ministry said. Intensifying crackdown Frustrated with government inaction, protesters have demanded an investigation into the Novi Sad tragedy and piled pressure on right-wing President Aleksandar Vucic to call early elections. Over the past nine months, thousands of mostly peaceful, student-led demonstrations have been held, some attracting hundreds of thousands. But this weeks violence marks a significant escalation and indicates the increasing strain on Vucics populist government, in power for 13 years. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Since June 28, when around 140,000 demonstrators gathered in Belgrade, the government has responded with an intensifying crackdown on activists, according to a statement by UN human rights experts released earlier this month. Protesters and those linked to the movement have faced a troubling pattern of repression including excessive police force, intimidation and arbitrary arrest, the experts said. Vucic has remained defiant, repeatedly rejecting calls for early elections and denouncing the demonstrations as part of a foreign plot to overthrow him. Student protesters have accused the police of protecting pro-government supporters while doing little to stop the attacks on their own gatherings. The authorities tried to provoke a civil war last night, the students wrote on their official Instagram page. Vucic, who had visited pro-government encampments overnight Wednesday, denied his supporters had started the violence. No one attacked them anywhere, he said of the anti-government protesters, speaking at a late-night press conference. They went everywhere to attack those who think differently, he added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While the protests have so far led to the resignation of the prime minister and the collapse of his cabinet, Vucic remains at the helm of a reshuffled government. US President Donald Trump on Friday said he is not going to Alaska to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine but to bring Putin to the table, emphasising his goal is to save lives President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, on Friday, en route to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. AP US President Donald Trump on Friday said he is not going to Alaska to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine but to bring Putin to the table, emphasising his goal is to save lives. Im not here to negotiate for Ukraine, CNN quoted Trump as telling reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Anchorage, Alaska for a high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. When asked whether the US would offer security guarantees to Ukraine as part of a peace deal, Trump stopped short of a commitment. Maybe, he said, noting that Europe would need to take the lead. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, he made it clear that such guarantees would not include Ukraine joining Nato. Not in the form of Nato, he said, adding, There are certain things that arent going to happen. Trump also dismissed any notion that his efforts are motivated by personal gain. Im not doing this for my health. OK, I dont need it, he said. Id like to focus on our country, but Im doing this to save a lot of lives. On potential consequences for Russia should Putin refuse to negotiate seriously, Trump warned, Yes, it will be very severe, referring to possible economic measures against Moscow. Highlighting the positive tone of US-Russia relations, Trump acknowledged the presence of Russian business leaders accompanying Putin to the summit. I noticed hes bringing a lot of business people from Russia, and thats good. I like that because they want to do business, but theyre not doing business until we get the war solved, he said. Asked if business discussions would be part of the agenda, Trump said, If we make progress, I would discuss it, because thats one of the things that they would like; theyd like to get a piece of what I built in terms of the economy. Despite acknowledging the challenges, Trump expressed cautious optimism about the summits outcome. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Look, hes a smart guy. Been doing it for a long time, but so have I. Ive been doing it for a long time, and here we are: Were president, Trump said. We get along. Theres a good respect level on both sides, and I think, you know, somethings going to come of it," he added. Counting on America, says Zelenskyy Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy underscored the high stakes of the Trump-Putin meeting, stressing that Ukraine will be counting on America and calling for a substantive trilateral discussion involving Ukraine, the US, and Russia. The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side, CNN quoted Zelenskyy as saying in a statement. It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America. We are ready, as always, to work as productively as possible, he added, noting he is awaiting an intelligence report on the current intentions of the Russian side and its preparations for the meeting in Alaska. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies We do not predict anything in advance. We know that we have arguments, our stance is clear and well-defined. We will present them, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday said that Moscow is prepared to present a clear position at the upcoming summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump, with the Ukraine conflict expected to dominate the agenda. In an interview with Rossiya 24 aired on Friday, Lavrov who has reportedly already arrived in Anchorage, Alaska refrained from commenting on possible outcomes of the talks. We do not predict anything in advance. We know that we have arguments, our stance is clear and well-defined. We will present them, he was quoted as saying. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Upon arriving in Anchorage, Lavrov who was seen wearing a sweater bearing the Cyrillic letters CCCP, the abbreviation for the former USSR briefly addressed reporters outside his hotel. Lavrov said that a lot was done during US special envoy Steve Witkoffs recent visit to Moscow, and that the Kremlin hopes to continue this useful conversation at todays summit. The American official has visited Russia five times since President Trump took office, with the most recent meeting a three-hour discussion focused primarily on the Ukraine conflict held last week. Moscow has maintained that a lasting resolution to the conflict is only possible if Kiev agrees to permanently forgo Nato membership, implements demilitarisation and denazification measures, and acknowledges the current realities on the ground. This includes recognising Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye as part of Russia territories that held public referendums to join Russia in 2014 and 2022. Trump has previously suggested that the negotiations might explore a potential land-swap deal between Russia and Ukraine. However, Moscow has firmly rejected any proposal involving the return of regions that joined Russia through referendums. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to hold territory in parts of Ukraine, including areas within the Kharkov, Sumy, and Dnepropetrovsk regions. With inputs from agencies US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday released a statement wishing India on its Independence Day. In the statement, Rubio hailed strong ties between the worlds largest and oldest democracies. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, The meet with Jaishankar was Rubio's first as secretary of state. Image Courtesy: @DrSJaishankar/X Amid strained ties, the US Department of State released a statment, wishing India on its 78th Independence Day. On Friday, the department released a statement hailing the strong ties between the worlds largest and the oldest democracies. In his wishes, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that India and the US share a vision in the Indo-Pacific region and a partnership across different sectors. On behalf of the United States, I extend our congratulations and warm wishes to the people of India as they celebrate their Independence Day on August 15, Rubio said in a statement on Friday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The historic relationship between the worlds largest democracy and the worlds oldest democracy is consequential and far-reaching. Our two countries are united by our shared vision for a more peaceful, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific region. Our partnership spans industries, promotes innovation, pushes the boundaries of critical and emerging technologies, and extends into space, the statement further reads. Rubio insisted that both nations should work together to overcome the modern challenges that the world currently faces. Working together, the United States and India will rise to the modern challenges of today and ensure a brighter future for both our countries, Rubio averred. India-US ties remain strong amid tensions India-US ties have deteriorated significantly after Trump announced nearly 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods. The White House argued that the tariffs were imposed because India purchased Russian oil amid the ongoing Ukraine war, with senior officials in the Trump administration accusing India of helping Russia in the conflict. While economic ties between the two nations have witnessed a strain, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday underlined the importance of defence ties between India and the United States, terming them as a key component of the overall bilateral relationship. The IndiaUS defence partnership, underpinned by foundational defence agreements, is an important pillar of the bilateral partnership, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing on Friday. This robust cooperation has strengthened across all domains. We are expecting a US Defence Policy Team to be in Delhi in mid-August. The 21st edition of the joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas is also expected to take place later this month in Alaska. Both sides remain engaged to convene the 2+2 Intersessional meeting at the working level towards the end of this month, he added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, on the recent Human Rights report issued by the US State Department, Jaiswal reiterated Indias strong objection, saying such assessments were a mix of imputations, misrepresentations and one-sided projections that showed a poor understanding of Indias democratic framework, pluralistic society and robust institutional mechanisms for protecting human rights. Jaiswal also noted that no decision had yet been taken on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would attend the United Nations General Assembly next month. Russian forces have floundered in Ukraine and history shows Russias army can be beaten in combat, Polands president told a military parade on Friday marking the 105th anniversary of a victory over the Red Army by Polish defenders. Russian forces have struggled in Ukraine, and history proves the Russian army can be defeated in battle, Polands president said on Friday at a military parade marking the 105th anniversary of a Polish victory over the Red Army. Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a political ally of Donald Trumps MAGA movement, made the remarks as global attention turned to Alaska, where the US president is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the war in Ukraine. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The event commemorated the Battle of Warsaw, in which Polish forces repelled the Red Army in 1920, halting the Soviet push into western Europe. Russia is not invincible, Nawrocki said in a speech before the parade. It lost to Japan at the beginning of the 20th century, it was defeated by the Poles in 1920, and today, for over three years it has been floundering after its attack on Ukraine thanks to the support of allies and the solidarity of free nations, including, and at times especially, Poland. Already tense relations between Warsaw and Moscow have hit new lows since Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022. NATO member Poland says its own role as a hub for aid for Kyiv has made it a target of Russian sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation. Nawrocki joined a Ukraine teleconference with Europe an leaders and Trump on Wednesday that discussed the U.S. presidents forthcoming summit with Putin. Warsaw, NATOs leading spender on defence as a percentage of GDP, has ramped up its military spending since Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It plans to spend 5% of GDP on defence in 2026 to repel what it says is a renewed threat from the east. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Around 50 military aircraft, including F-16 fighter jets, flew overhead as 4,000 Polish soldiers accompanied by around 200 troops from NATO allies marched alongside the Vistula river beside Leopard, K2 and Abrams tanks, Borsuk and Rosomak armoured vehicles as well as Patriot and HIMARS artillery systems. A naval parade featuring around 20 vessels also took place in the Baltic sea. With inputs from agencies Russia is preparing to test its new nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered cruise missile and if successful, plans to use the results to bolster its negotiating position with the West, Ukrainian military intelligence said on Friday Russia is preparing to test its new nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered cruise missile and if successful, plans to use the results to bolster its negotiating position with the West, Ukrainian military intelligence said on Friday. Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for the service, issued the written statement to Reuters just before U.S. President Donald Trump was due to hold talks in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending Moscows war in Ukraine. He did not give an assessment of the possible timing of the test in the statement, given in response to questions submitted by Reuters for a report published on Tuesday that Moscow was preparing to test the 9M730 Burevestnik cruise missile. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He did not say how his service arrived at its assessment. It has for years received intelligence from the United States and its NATO allies, and it has its own networks inside Russia. Reuters on Tuesday reported two U.S. researchers and a Western security source as saying that Moscow was readying a test of the Burevestnik at its Pankovo test site on the Barents Sea archipelago of Novaya Zemlya. The researchers said imagery from Planet Labs, a commercial satellite firm, showed extensive activities at the site, increases in personnel and equipment and the presence of ships and aircraft associated with previous tests of the weapon dubbed the SSC-X-9 Skyfall by NATO. The Russian defense ministry, the Pentagon and the CIA declined to comment for that report. The White House did not comment directly on whether a test was being prepared, saying in response to a question about it that Trump wanted peace in Ukraine. Yusov said Moscow, which has threatened to use nuclear weapons over the Ukraine war, saw a test as diplomatic leverage. Russia is preparing for another round of tests of the 9M730 Burevestnik, his statement said. The purpose of these tests is to validate scientific and technical solutions implemented by the missile. If successful, Russia will leverage the test results to defend its interests in negotiations with the West, he continued. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Putin has said the weapon is invincible to missile defenses, with an almost unlimited range and unpredictable flight path. But many experts say it is unclear if the missile can evade defenses, would not give Moscow capabilities it does not already have, and would spew radiation. The Burevestnik has a poor test record, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative advocacy group, with two partial successes among 13 known tests. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung marked Liberation Day by pledging to respect North Koreas system and build military trust, in a sharp policy shift from his predecessor. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (C) and his wife Kim Hye-kyung (center-R) wave national flags during the 80th anniversary of Koreas liberation from Japanese colonial rule, in Seoul on August 15, 2025. AFP South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pledged, on Friday, to respect North Koreas democratic system and establish military trust, one day after Pyongyang declared it had no intention of fostering better ties with Seoul. In contrast to his hardline predecessor, Lee has vowed since his victory in June to engage in unconditional conversation with the nuclear-armed North. Lee stated that the South Korean government will take consistent measures to substantially reduce tensions and restore trust with the North during a speech commemorating the countrys independence from Japanese domination. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD We affirm our respect for the Norths current system, said Lee, adding Seoul had no intention of engaging in hostile acts. I hope that North Korea will reciprocate our efforts to restore trust and revive dialogue, he said. North and South are not enemies. Lees speech comes a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns sister, Kim Yo Jong, said the North has no will to improve relations with the South. She also denied reports that North Korea was removing propaganda loudspeakers. Liberation holiday The Souths military said in June that the two countries had halted propaganda broadcasts along the demilitarised zone, adding last week that it had detected North Korean troops dismantling loudspeakers on the frontier. Fridays August 15 anniversary of liberation from Japan is the only public holiday celebrated in both North and South Korea, according to Seouls National Institute for Unification Education. In Pyongyang, North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un also made a speech at a liberation day celebration, urging the nation to overcome the challenges facing the DPRK for the great powerful country, using the Norths official acronym. However, in an unusual move for a Liberation Day address, he made no mention of South Korea or its enemies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The speech was before a Russian delegation to Pyongyang, including the speaker of the Duma, who read a congratulatory letter sent to Kim by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kims speech was a stark contrast to his sisters recent fiery statements, Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul told AFP. There were no messages aimed at South Korea or the United States, no references to enemies or hostile states, and no provocative mentions of nuclear forces, said Yang. The intention would be to closely observe the moves of neighbouring countries in the near term, including President Lee Jae Myungs Liberation Day address, he added. News / National by Staff reporter Residents of Filabusi in Matabeleland South are calling on the Ministry of Mines and other authorities to urgently address deep-rooted problems driving violence in the gold mining sector.They want stricter documentation processes, tighter controls to prevent duplicate claims, and greater social responsibility among miners warning that unchecked lawlessness is threatening community safety.The plea follows a history of violent clashes, including a February 28, 2024 incident at Theleka Business Centre where villagers fought back against a gang of illegal miners, leaving four people injured and six arrested.Local businessman and miner Mkhululi Ncube said long-standing disputes over mining claims often spark chaos."I have been working my mine for 20 years, then someone arrives with new papers, and violence erupts," he said, accusing the Ministry of Mines of procedural inconsistencies.Residents also blame reckless hiring, with miners allegedly employing undocumented workers from outside the area, making it impossible to trace suspects after crimes.Filabusi Residents' Association chairperson Sindiso Sibanda warned that multiple certificates are sometimes issued for the same mine, fuelling tensions. He added that public displays of wealth make miners targets for robbery.Community member Sibongile Sibanda linked the violence to unemployment and reckless spending among young miners, saying drunken fights often spill into public spaces.Police spokesperson Inspector Chiratidzo Dube confirmed that mining-related crimes including assault, robbery, and even murder are common, often sparked by gold rushes, scarcity, drug abuse, and infidelity.While the Junior Chamber of Mines acknowledged the violence, spokesperson Dosman Mangisi said the real problem lies in lack of formalisation and education, urging community leaders to spearhead peace efforts.The Ministry of Mines did not respond to requests for comment. A timeline of Afghanistans major events since the Taliban regained control in August 2021, from the fall of Kabul and restrictions on womens rights to international diplomacy, terrorist attacks, and the groups growing global recognition. A US soldier holds a sign indicating a gate is closed as hundreds of people gather some holding documents, near an evacuation control checkpoint on the perimeter of the Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 26, 2021. File image/AP Here is a look at key dates since the Taliban returned to power four years ago, as United States and NATO forces withdrew from the country: 2021 Aug. 15: The Taliban march into Kabul, returning to power after two decades as internationally backed President Ashraf Ghani flees the country. Aug. 26: Islamic State group suicide bombers and gunmen kill over 170 Afghans and 13 US troops in an attack on the crowds trying to be evacuated at Kabuls airport. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 2022 March 23: On the day high schools are opening, the Taliban abruptly reverse a promise to allow girls above the sixth grade to attend school. May 7: The Taliban Virtue and Vice Ministry says women in public must wear all-encompassing robes and cover their faces except for their eyes. It advises them to stay home unless they have important work outside the house. Nov. 10: A nationwide ban on women using gyms and parks comes into force. The Taliban say they imposed the ban because women allegedly disobeyed gender segregation rules or didnt cover themselves properly. Nov. 20: The Taliban lash 19 people, including alleged adulterers, in the first public flogging since their return to rule. Dec. 8: The Taliban execute a convicted killer before hundreds of spectators, the first public execution since the takeover. Dec. 21: The Taliban bar female students from attending university. Dec. 24: The Taliban bar Afghan women from working with national and international nongovernmental groups. 2023 July 4: The Taliban order beauty salons to shut down for offering allegedly un-Islamic services like eyebrow shaping. The decision affects as many as 60,000 female entrepreneurs. Sept. 13: The Taliban hail Chinas new ambassador with fanfare. Months later, the Taliban officially send their new ambassador to Beijing. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Oct. 4: Pakistan announces a major crackdown on foreigners living in the country illegally, including millions of Afghans. Oct. 7: A 6.3 magnitude earthquake in western Herat province kills thousands. More quakes follow, bringing further devastation to the area. 2024 Jan. 4: The Taliban arrest women in Kabul for wearing bad hijab, the first official dress code crackdown since they returned to power. May 17: Shooters open fire in Bamiyan, killing six people, including three Spanish vacationers. Its a blow to the Talibans plans to woo tourists. IS claims the attack. June 4: The leader of the United Arab Emirates meets a Taliban official facing a US bounty over his involvement in deadly assaults. It highlights the growing divide on how to deal with the Taliban. July 30: The Taliban say they no longer recognize Afghan diplomatic missions staffed by diplomats from the former Western-backed government. Aug. 13: The Taliban celebrate the third anniversary of their return to power at a former US air base that was once the center of Washingtons war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Aug. 21: The UAE accepts the credentials of the Talibans ambassador to the Gulf Arab state. Aug. 22: Authorities ban womens voices and bare faces in public under new laws approved by the supreme leader in efforts to combat vice and promote virtue. Sept. 13: IS militants kill 14 people in a Shiite-majority area of central Afghanistan, gunning them down as they returned from visiting shrines in Iraq. Sept. 16: The Taliban suspend polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, one of two countries in which the spread of the potentially fatal, paralyzing disease has never been stopped. Oct. 15: Taliban run-media stop showing images of living beings in some Afghan provinces to comply with morality laws. That same month, the southern province of Helmand bans all media from showing images of living beings. Nov. 10: The Taliban confirm they will attend a U.N. climate conference. The head of the countrys national environment agency says Afghanistan needs international support to deal with extreme weather. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Dec. 4: There is widespread condemnation after reports that the Talibans leader has ordered private and public institutions to suspend medical courses for women. Dec. 11: A suicide bombing in the Afghan capital kills the refugee minister. The funeral for Khalil Haqqani, the paternal uncle of acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, is held the following day. Dec. 24: Airstrikes by Pakistan target suspected Pakistani Taliban hideouts in Afghanistan. Afghan officials say the airstrikes killed 46 people, mostly women and children. 2025 Jan. 22: A prisoner swap with the US frees two Americans in exchange for a Taliban figure imprisoned for life in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. The Taliban free more Americans months later. Jan. 24: The International Criminal Courts chief prosecutor requests arrest warrants for two top Taliban officials for the repression of women. Feb. 24: The Taliban confirm the arrest of two elderly British nationals, Peter and Barbie Reynolds. March 5: A suspect in the 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport appears in a US court following his capture in Pakistan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD March 23: The US lifts bounties on three senior Taliban figures, including the interior minister. June 5: US President Donald Trump bans entry for citizens from 12 countries, including Afghanistan. July 4: Russia becomes the first country to officially recognize the Taliban government. President Donald Trump s face-to-face high-stakes summit with President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday could determine the fate of European security as well as the trajectory of the war in Ukraine. US President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One as he departs Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on August 15, 2025, en route to Anchorage. Image- AFP US President Donald Trump departed for Alaska on Thursday ahead of a closely watched meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a high-stakes encounter that could prove decisive for the future of European security and influence the course of the war in Ukraine. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are among the Trump administration officials joining the president for his flight to Alaska. Trump will also be accompanied on Air Force One by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and top White House aides, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Monica Crowley, a former Fox News commentator serving as Trumps chief of protocol, also are making the trip. Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will meet on Friday in Alaska in a high-risk summit that could prove decisive for the future of Ukraine. Putin will step onto Western soil for the first time since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a relentless war that has killed tens of thousands of people and has seen Russia make rapid gains just before the summit. Trump extended the invitation at the Russian leaders suggestion, but the US president has since been defensive and warned that the meeting could be over within minutes if Putin does not compromise. HIGH STAKES, he posted on his Truth Social platform shortly before boarding Air Force One and taking off for the near seven-hour flight to Anchorage. Ukraine counting on Trump to end war Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday urged Donald Trump to convince Russia to halt its invasion at the US leaders high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America, he said in a social media post. Trump praises Putin as smart guy before talks Trump said he and Vladimir Putin shared a good respect level on both sides as he headed to Alaska for a summit with the Russian leader over Ukraine. Hes a smart guy. Hes been doing it for a long time, but so have I Were presidents. We get along. Theres a good respect level on both sides, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force Once during the flight to Anchorage. With inputs from agencies President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska for the most crucial USRussia summit in years, with discussions spanning a Ukraine ceasefire, territorial negotiations, NATO policy, and possible business deals. This will be Trumps first face-to-face meeting with Putin in his second term. Reuters/File Photo The world is focused on what could be the most important US-Russia summit in years as President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin get ready to meet in Alaska. As the conflict in Ukraine enters its fourth year, there are many hopes and concerns about whether the negotiations will result in a breakthrough or just deepen current divisions. Also read: Russia is not invincible: Polish president recalls past victories, says Moscow floundering in Ukraine STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The agenda is as broad as it is controversial, ranging from possible ceasefires to geopolitical trade-offs and possible business agreements. A ceasefire The primary goal of the Alaska summit is to advocate for a cease-fire in the Ukraine war. Trump is seeking a ceasefire to showcase his peacemaking credentials, and Putin may be open given Moscows rising economic pressures. Land swaps Any deal may implicitly accept that Russia controls around one-fifth of Ukrainian land. Trump proposed the concept of land exchanges, which he subsequently modified, saying the objective would be to get some territory back for Ukraine. Analysts believe Putin may demand complete control of Donbas and Ukrainian disengagement from the remaining areas in exchange for minimal territorial concessions. Russias battlefield gains Russia controls about a fifth of Ukraine and is demanding more land, including the rest of Donetsk, in exchange for a ceasefire, an offer which Kyiv rejects. Ukraine is open to a truce along current frontlines, with the fate of occupied territories deferred to future talks, possibly decades away. Security guarantees for Ukraine Ukraine rejects neutrality and demilitarisation and seeks strong security guarantees. Although specifics are yet unknown, Trump seems amenable to US engagement in the European reassurance force that France has suggested. Nato blocked for Ukraine One of the key demands which Russia has is that Ukraine drops its ambition to join Nato. Proposals under discussion may involve a formal or informal halt to Nato expansion concerning Ukraine. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Another round of talks Despite Zelenskyys exclusion from the Alaska summit, Trump is eager to meet with Putin and Zelenskyy in a trilateral setting after the summit, possibly along with European leaders. Business agreements Putins delegation includes economic and investment envoys, which suggests that business deals, possibly involving access to Russian minerals, could be on the table. There may also be talks about the New START nuclear treaty, which will end in February 2026. US President Donald Trump on Friday said his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin were productive, noting that many points were agreed to and very few remain, hinting at a possible resolution to the Ukraine conflict. We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to. There are just a very few that are left. We didnt get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there Theres no deal until theres a deal, but progress was made in Ukraine talks with Vladimir Putin, Trump said at a joint press conference in Anchorage, Alaska. The summit, held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, began with Trump rolling out the red carpet for Putin in a grand welcome that went viral after images showed US troops kneeling to set it in place. The two leaders then met behind closed doors for more than three hours before appearing together to deliver statements. Neither Trump nor Putin took questions afterward. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov explained: Exhaustive statements were made. He added that the talks had been very positive and would allow both sides to confidently continue moving forward together on the path of seeking resolution options. Trump also said he would hold off on imposing additional sanctions or severe consequences on Russia, describing the meeting as having gone very well. I had a wonderful talk with the highly respected President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko. The purpose of the call was to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners. We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners, Trump wrote on Truth Social Hours before his scheduled summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump on Friday held a phone call with highly respected Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of the Russian leader. Trump said that the purpose of the call was to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners. Taking to Truth Social, Trump wrote, I had a wonderful talk with the highly respected President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko. The purpose of the call was to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners. We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners. Our conversation was a very good one. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Lukashenko has supported Russias invasion of Ukraine and permitted Russian forces to launch the initial phase of their 2022 offensive from Belarusian territory. We discussed many topics, including President Putins visit to Alaska. I look forward to meeting President Lukashenko in the future, Trump added. According to Belarus state news agency BELTA, Lukashenko invited Trump and his family to visit Belarus, and he agreed. The leaders also discussed bilateral relations and the war in Ukraine, BELTA added. Belarusian President Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994, has tightened his grip on power over the years, cracking down on independent media and political opposition under an increasingly authoritarian regime. According to the Belarusian human rights group Viasna, the country currently holds 1,186 political prisoners. Many were detained in the aftermath of mass protests that erupted in 2020, following a disputed election widely condemned as fraudulent. In late June, Lukashenko released more than a dozen political prisoners including prominent opposition figure Sergei Tikhanovsky in response to an appeal from the White House. With inputs from agencies In a display of Vladimir Putins expansionist ideology, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Alaska wearing a shirt with USSR written on it. Ukraine is a former USSR republic that achieved independence in 1991. For decades, Putin has worked to restore the USSR as the Russian empire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (far left) arrives in Alaska for the summit between Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on Friday, August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia) In a mockery of efforts to end the war in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Alaska wearing a shirt with USSR written on it. Ukraine is a former republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR, generally called the Soviet Union) that became independent in 1991. Russia is the successor state of Soviet Union that was made up of 15 republics including Russia. A video of Lavrov arriving in Alaska has appeared in the media and observers were quick to notice CCCP printed in bold and large letters on his shirt. The CCCP in Russian means USSR. Lavrov has arrived ahead of his boss, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD US President Donald Trump will hold a summit with Putin in Alaskas Anchorage on Friday. The Russian war in Ukraine will be on the top of their agenda. Lavrov showed up in Alaska wearing a USSR sweatshirt. Very reassuring to at least 14 of Russias neighbors. pic.twitter.com/zwalshPWaC Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) August 15, 2025 However, Lavrovs symbolism has made it clear that Russia does not have any intention to reach a genuine peace deal. Instead, it reinforces his desire to restore the Soviet Union and is bound to make former Soviet republics uneasy. For decades, Putin has lamented the collapse of the Soviet Union and his expansionist agenda, which includes wars in Georgia and Ukraine, are part of his mission to restore the Soviet Union as the Russian empire. Lavrovs USSR shirt asserts this expansionist ideology and the message has not been lost on anyone who know Putins commitment to the restoration of the Russian empire. ALSO READ Ukraine and beyond: 25 years on, Putin is still fighting Cold War Putin has long rejected Ukraines nationhood and considers it a part of Russia. That is also seen in the terms that he has proposed to end the war. The acceptance of those terms will essentially destroy Ukraines identity as a sovereign nation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Putins campaign against former Soviet Republics Since the 1990s, Putin has led a campaign against former Soviet republics to either merge them into Russia or turn them into puppet states. Currently, Russia or Russian proxies occupy territories of three former Soviet republics. Additionally, Putin has turned Belarus into his puppet state. In 2008, Russia invaded Georgia and continues to occupy around a fifth of the country. In 2014, Russia invaded Ukraines Crimea region and occupied. Eight years later, in 2022, Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and it currently occupies 20 per cent of the country. In Moldova, Russian proxies have controlled the breakaway region of Transnistria since the 1990s. In recognition of Putins aggressive campaign, three former Soviet republics Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia joined the European Union (EU) and Nato in 2004. Here is the list of former Soviet republics and their current status: List of former Soviet Union republics. Separately, multiple eastern European nations that were Soviet satellite states have also joined the EU and Nato: Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria. In a video shared by ANI news agency, the two leaders are seen exchanging pleasantries before Putin joins Trump in his presidential limousine, departing the tarmac together en route to their summit venue US President Donald Trump shakes hand with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as they meet to negotiate for an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, US, on Friday. Reuters US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday met with a handshake and warm greetings at a military base in Alaska, marking the start of their much-anticipated summit aimed at addressing Moscows ongoing war in Ukraine. #WATCH | Alaska, USA | US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchange greetings in Anchorage, ahead of their talks. Source: Reuters pic.twitter.com/mdGoQe6qqx ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a series of videos shared by ANI news agency, the two leaders are seen exchanging pleasantries before Putin joins Trump in his presidential limousine, departing the tarmac together en route to their summit venue. #WATCH | Alaska, USA | US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin share the same car to reach the venue for their talks. Source: Reuters pic.twitter.com/X9YkJvqb6g ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 #WATCH | Alaska, USA | US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold talks in Anchorage, focused on the Russia-Ukraine war. Source: Reuters pic.twitter.com/cTIBaHDNPs ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to a CNN report, the move is unusual, particularly for an adversary. When Trump wanted North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to join him in his car during their meeting in Singapore in 2018, aides talked him out of it, added the report. But this is a different chapter for Trump, marked by new advisers and shifting goals. Although their face-to-face meeting now includes key aides, the fact that Trump and Putin shared a private car ride suggests they will still have a moment alone even if brief. The Trump-Putin talks are drawing intense global attention especially from European nations and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was not included in the meeting and has firmly rejected pressure from Trump to concede territory seized by Russia. With inputs from agencies Two Bangladeshi men, Md Mamun Ali and Refat Bishat, were charged in Malaysia with terrorism-related offences linked to IS. Mamun supported IS on Facebook; Bishat had an IS flag image Two Bangladeshi men have been charged in a Malaysian court with terrorism-related offences linked to the Islamic State (IS) militant group.. According to Malaysian news portal Malay Mail, 31-year-old Md Mamun Ali is accused of supporting IS by operating a Facebook account under the name Sahifulla Islam between July 28, 2023, and April 30, 2024. He has been charged under Section 130J(1)(a) of Malaysias Penal Code, which provides for life imprisonment or a jail term of up to 30 years, along with a possible fine, added the report. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a separate case, 27-year-old Refat Bishat was charged under Section 130JB(1)(a) of the same code for possessing an image of the IS flag on his mobile phone. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison or a fine, reported Malay Mail The court has scheduled the next hearing for September 12 to allow time for the appointment of an interpreter for the accused. Last month, Malaysian police arrested 36 Bangladeshi nationals in a sweeping crackdown on a network accused of spreading Islamic State (IS) ideology and soliciting funds from migrant workers. Inspector-General of Police Mohd Khalid Ismail said the arrests were made during coordinated operations carried out since April. All the suspects had entered Malaysia legally for employment. The group allegedly used social media and encrypted messaging platforms to disseminate extremist content and radicalise Bangladeshi workers employed in sectors such as construction, manufacturing, and services. With inputs from agencies News / National by Staff reporter Zimbabwe recorded a 23,1 percent surge in foreign currency receipts during the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, signalling growing confidence in the country's formal channels and resilience in its external sector.According to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), total foreign currency inflows from January to June reached US$7,25 billion, up from US$5,89 billion in the same period of 2024. Export earnings dominated, contributing 54,5 percent of the total at US$3,95 billion, representing a 25,7 percent rise. The growth was driven by strong gold and platinum deliveries, buoyed by higher global prices and record output.Gold exports soared 57,6 percent to US$1,38 billion, while platinum receipts rose 24,9 percent to US$797 million. Overall, mining exports brought in US$2,81 billion, a 38,6 percent year-on-year increase.International money transfers, including diaspora remittances and inflows from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), contributed US$1,64 billion - 22,7 percent of the total receipts. Diaspora remittances alone grew 8,4 percent to US$1,09 billion, while NGO inflows dipped slightly by 1,1 percent.RBZ Governor Dr John Mushayavanhu hailed the strong performance in his 2025 mid-term monetary policy review."It is a clear vote of confidence in Zimbabwe's formal remittance channels. Sustained inflows have been critical in replenishing our reserves and smoothing exchange-rate volatility," he said.The robust inflows have bolstered Zimbabwe's foreign currency reserves, which climbed 150 percent from US$285 million in April 2024 to over US$730 million by June 2025. Dr Mushayavanhu reaffirmed the central bank's commitment to reaching the regional benchmark of three to six months' import cover.Economist Sarah Chibhabha described the growth as a sign of Zimbabwe's "improving competitiveness," while banker Raymond Madziva attributed the rise in diaspora remittances to increased trust in licensed transfer operators and more attractive exchange-rate spreads.With the current account surplus expected to rise from US$501,2 million in 2024 to US$621,7 million in 2025, analysts believe Zimbabwe is well-positioned to manage external shocks.Dr Mushayavanhu concluded:"We remain agile and ready to respond to global uncertainties. Our framework of prudent reserve-money management and market-determined exchange rates provides a solid anchor for future inflows and economic stability." News / National by Staff reporter The Harare City Council has once again come under fire for the lavish spending habits of its senior officials, with residents paying the price for what critics describe as wasteful indulgence.Despite the municipality's ongoing financial struggles, large delegations of top council executives continue to attend workshops at the city's expense - many of which appear to have little to no benefit to service delivery.During a recent council meeting, Councillor Denford Ngadziore expressed frustration over the practice, accusing some officials of using workshops as an excuse for luxury hotel stays."At one time, we had over 20 workshops or trips of Council. If you check the attendance records, it looks as if we might be spending more on trips and workshops that are not bringing direct benefits to Council," Ngadziore said. "For example, you see a report with three councillors and 20 officials. I've attended such workshops before, and many people just stay in their rooms without contributing to the discussions."The revelations come at a time when Harare residents are grappling with deteriorating service delivery, often blamed on a lack of funding. Critics say the council's frequent workshops have become a "feeding trough" for officials, who collect generous allowances while the city's basic services continue to crumble.The issue has also been raised during the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into the City Council's governance systems, where allegations of financial mismanagement have been a central concern.In response to the criticism, Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume acknowledged the need for restraint."Let us look at some of the workshops so that we reduce the cost to the organisation. Let us look at the bottom line as far as that issue is concerned," Mafume said.Residents' associations have warned that unless the council reins in such spending, public trust in the municipality will continue to erode - and service delivery will deteriorate further. News / National by Staff reporter A Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officer, Assistant Inspector Simbarashe Mandizvidza, has been arrested after videos of him making treasonous statements on social media went viral.Mandizvidza is now facing both disciplinary action and criminal prosecution, the police confirmed yesterday.In a statement, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi distanced the organisation from the officer's actions, describing him as a "rogue policeman.""The Zimbabwe Republic Police categorically disassociates itself from the treasonous social media videos and statements issued by a rogue policeman, Assistant Inspector Simbarashe Mandizvidza, recently. The errant member has since been arrested and is now facing both disciplinary charges under the Police Act (Chapter 11:10) and criminal proceedings," Nyathi said.He added that Commissioner-General of Police Stephen Mutamba had assured the public that the ZRP remained committed to its constitutional mandate."The Commissioner-General of Police assures the public that the Zimbabwe Republic Police will continue serving the people of Zimbabwe and the country's leadership in line with the tenets of the police's constitutional mandate," Nyathi said.The nature of the treasonous remarks has not been disclosed, but law enforcement sources indicated that the content of the videos has been deemed a serious breach of both the Police Act and national laws. News / National by Staff reporter A government plan to penalise teachers in Bulilima district, Matabeleland South, over zero pass rates recorded in the past five years has sparked outrage among legislators and teachers' unions, who accuse the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education of scapegoating educators for deep-rooted systemic failures.Gwanda North legislator Desire Nkala condemned the move as "hypocritical," saying it ignored the crippling conditions in rural schools."Can we punish teachers when students sit on floors, science is taught without labs and some schools don't even have roofs?" Nkala asked.He accused authorities of practising "educational apartheid," with urban schools enjoying resources while rural learners are left behind."The most painful thing is that now teachers are being attacked, but the government has created segregation within the education sector Rural areas lack even basic furniture for students. The government must address the shortage of resources first," he said.Nkayi South MP Jabulani Hadebe painted a grim picture of rural educators' daily struggles."Teachers walk kilometres for water, handle classes of 140 students and sleep in huts - yet the ministry calls them failures? The real failure is a system that abandons its children," Hadebe said.He noted that the Basic Education Assistance Module, meant to aid disadvantaged pupils, had left many schools without chalk, desks or other essentials, while poor salaries and conditions had driven thousands of trained teachers away, leaving unqualified staff to teach science and technology subjects."Most subjects being failed in rural schools are sciences, because we lack the necessary equipment. The ministry should be tackling the resource crisis first," Hadebe added.Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure labelled the charges "a cruel joke.""The teachers in rural areas cannot be accused of poor pass rates when the real problem is structural. Some are teaching up to 140 learners without classrooms, with lessons conducted under trees," he said. "You can't blame a doctor for deaths when you've starved the hospital of medicine."Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe secretary general Raymond Majongwe said the ministry's approach was punitive and misguided."Why punish struggling schools instead of rewarding those that succeed? If the ministry won't fix roofs, pay teachers or send textbooks, it has no right to point fingers," he said.With crumbling infrastructure, severe teacher shortages and chronic underfunding, Zimbabwe's rural education system continues to teeter on the brink - and critics warn that targeting teachers will only deepen the crisis. News / National by Staff reporter Air Vice Marshal Biltim Chingono has hailed Arundel Hospital, owned by businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei, for saving his life following a severe medical emergency that left him on life support for four months.The senior Zimbabwe Defence Forces officer described his survival as nothing short of miraculous."A lot of people were surprised. I stayed for six months. Of those six months, four months I was in intensive care, on life support. I don't even know what happened," Chingono said. "Some had already lost hope that they would see me standing, let alone alive."According to Chingono, his recovery began after being transferred to Arundel Hospital. "When I was taken to Arundel, it didn't take them 36 hours to bring me back to consciousness. It was a real miracle," he said, expressing deep gratitude to the medical team and to Tagwirei for their role in his recovery.Arundel Hospital, which gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic for its critical care capacity, has since established itself as a centre for advanced medical treatment, handling complex and life-threatening cases.Before his health crisis, Chingono served as Chief of Staff at Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo Air Force Base in Chegutu. He was promoted to Air Vice Marshal in April 2019 and has been a vocal advocate for military training excellence and the fight against drug and substance abuse within the armed forces. News / National by Sytaff reporter The Zimbabwean community in the United States has been shaken after 12 nationals were forcibly deported to Harare earlier this week in a sudden Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation.According to sources, the deportees, who lived in states including Texas, California, and New York, were rounded up in a coordinated sweep targeting expired visas, denied asylum applications, and alleged immigration violations.The names of the deported Zimbabweans have been confirmed as:Tafadzwa Mupfumi - Dallas, TXRutendo Chigova - Atlanta, GATinashe Dube - Los Angeles, CANyasha Mutsvairo - Chicago, ILFarai Chirenje - Houston, TXSamantha Mhlanga - New York, NYKudakwashe Mupandawana - Miami, FLBlessing Zvidzai - Philadelphia, PARopafadzo Jiri - San Diego, CALeroy Mugari - Phoenix, AZMelody Chivasa - Boston, MATakudzwa Mhaka - Las Vegas, NVVideos circulating on social media platforms such as TikTok and Facebook show the deportees boarding a chartered flight under heavy security, while family members wept and waved from behind barricades.ICE officials stated that most of those deported had exhausted all legal avenues to remain in the United States, while some had been arrested for minor offenses that triggered immigration reviews.The operation has sparked outrage online, with Zimbabweans abroad urging one another to "keep documents in order" and avoid unnecessary encounters with law enforcement.At Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare, relatives waited anxiously for the returnees. Some were overjoyed at being reunited, while others expressed anger and uncertainty about what the future holds.One returnee, speaking anonymously after landing, said: "I left Zimbabwe because I had no opportunities now Im back with nothing. This is the hardest day of my life." Foreign Secretary statement on the situation in El Fasher, Sudan: 13 August 2025 Press release The Foreign Secretary has issued a statement on the situation in El Fasher, Sudan. From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and The Rt Hon David Lammy MP Published 13 August 2025 Foreign Secretary, David Lammy said: "Shocking reports are emerging of the latest assault by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in and around El Fasher, North Darfur. In Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced persons (IDP), attacks earlier this week killed at least 40 defenceless civilians who had already fled violence in El Fasher. "As fighting intensifies, exit routes from El Fasher remain blocked, trapping hundreds of thousands who now face famine, widespread reports of atrocities, and the rapid spread of disease, including cholera. Those who managed to flee to camps like Abu Shouk were already cut off from aid and are now under attack. "This is not an isolated incident. It is part of a pattern of deliberate violence and brutality against civilians. The warring parties have a responsibility to end this needless suffering. They must urgently comply with their clear obligations under international humanitarian law and the commitments made in Jeddah: protect civilians and allow and facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access. "Last month, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor confirmed that there are reasonable grounds to believe war crimes and crimes against humanity have been - and continue to be - committed in Darfur. Deliberate attacks on civilians are a clear violation of international law. The perpetrators must be held accountable. "Today, together with our African partners & Guyana, we led a UN Security Council statement calling for immediate humanitarian access & respect for international law. The UK will continue to use all tools at our disposal to get aid to those who need it the most. "I urge the RSF, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and allied armed groups to agree to the UN Secretary-General's call for a humanitarian pause in and around El Fasher and urgently put in place the conditions that will allow immediate access. Only this will allow the delivery of food, water, medicine, and other life-saving supplies to those facing starvation. "In line with UN Security Council Resolution 2736, the RSF must end its siege of El Fasher and cease attacks on civilians, and the SAF and allied Joint Forces must also allow and facilitate a rapid and unimpeded passage for humanitarian workers and civilians, so that aid can reach those most in need." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Africa Command Quarterly Civilian Harm Assessment Report By U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs , United States Africa Command Stuttgart, Germany Aug 14, 2025 U.S. Africa Command publishes quarterly reports on the command's unclassified, publicly accessible website that provide information on the status and results of reviews, assessments, and investigations relating to civilian harm in accordance with Department of Defense Instruction 3000.17 "Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response." In the latest quarterly civilian harm assessment report period ending March 31, 2025, U.S. Africa Command did not receive any new reports of civilian harm, closed one assessment, and carried over one open report from previous quarters U.S. Africa Command takes all reports of possible civilian harm seriously and has a process to conduct thorough reviews and assessments using all available information. Discrepancies between U.S. Africa Command Civilian Harm Assessment Report and Other Organizations' Reports U.S. Africa Command civilian harm assessment reports occasionally differ from other organizations' reports, including those by non-governmental organizations, for a number of reasons. The command's reviews rely on a variety of sources, including open-source information and information from reliable and multi-layered intelligence sources, as well as classified operational reporting, some of which is not accessible to the public. This can contribute to perceived discrepancies between the command's assessments and those of others Definition of "civilian" and "combatant" When assessing reports of civilian harm, DoD considers whether any members of the civilian population were wounded or killed as a direct result of U.S. military operations. For the purposes of such assessments, DoD does not include members of the civilian population who have forfeited the protections of civilian status by engaging in hostilities. Information about different classes of persons under the law of war, including "civilians" and "combatants," can be found in Chapter IV of the DoD Law of War Manual (June 2015, Updated December 2023), which is available at: https://ogc.osd.mil/Portals/99/Law%20of%20War%202023/DOD-LAW-OF-WAR-MANUAL-JUNE-2015-UPDATED-JULY%202023.pdf?ver=Qbxamfouw4znu1I7DVMcsw%3d%3d U.S. Africa Command 2nd Quarter FY2025 Civilian Harm Assessment Report Summary of Results It is U.S. Africa Command's policy to reevaluate reports of civilian harm should previously unassessed relevant information become available and a review of the new information indicates it could change the previously approved results or if other issues emerge that cast significant doubts on the accuracy of the previously approved assessment's results. Absent new information, the below assessments are final and complete. Completed Assessments In response to information provided by civil society organizations, and after an initial review of that information, U.S. Africa Command initiated a new investigation into an April 1, 2018 airstrike near El Burr, Somalia. U.S. Africa Command had previously acknowledged that two civilians were regrettably and unintentionally killed in the strike. The new investigation concluded that it is more likely than not that an additional civilian was killed in the strike, whose death was previously unknown to the command. U.S. Africa Command regrets this inadvertent loss of life and offers its sincerest condolences to the families and individuals affected. U.S. Africa Command remains committed to minimizing harm to civilians and will continue to take all feasible precautions to prevent such incidents in the future. Additional details about this incident will not be publicly released to protect surviving family members. Open Assessments U.S. Africa Command had one open assessment during this quarter. Information on that assessment will be included in the quarterly report following its completion. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address AFRICOM and Kenya Defence forces issue first-ever African chiefs of defense joint communique, setting course for continental security opportunities U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) have formally released the first Joint Communique to emerge from the African Chiefs of Defense Conference (ACHOD), marking a new phase of coordinated action among African and international defense leaders. By U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs , United States Africa Command Stuttgart, Germany Aug 14, 2025 U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) have formally released the first Joint Communique to emerge from the African Chiefs of Defense Conference (ACHOD), marking a new phase of coordinated action among African and international defense leaders. The communique, co-signed by General Charles M. Kahariri, Chief of Defence Forces of Kenya, and General Michael E. Langley, Commander of U.S. Africa Command, distills the priorities agreed upon by 38 African delegations during ACHOD 2025 in Nairobi. While the conference concluded in May, this communique signals the start of a sustained effort to turn dialogue into concrete steps. "This is more than a record of what was discussed," said Gen. Langley. "It is a shared commitment to move forward together, build on progress, and deliver results that strengthen security across Africa." The five focus areas outlined in the communique are: Renew and Expand Security Partnerships Across Africa and Worldwide - Deepening coordination between regional organizations, civil society, private sector, academia, and communities. A Common vision for security with a shared resolve toward implementation - standardizing doctrine, expanding information sharing, and revitalizing multilateral cooperation. Inspiring Innovation Against Emerging Threats - Driving comprehensive responses to against cyberattacks, environmental impacts, and disruptive tactics. Strengthening Defense Institutions - Professionalizing forces to include officer and enlisted ranks, fostering multiagency operations, and reinforcing civil-military relations. Promoting African Leadership in Securing the African Continent - Advancing African-led, whole-of-society approaches with targeted partner support. Gen. Kahariri emphasized, "This communique focuses our collective energy. It identifies where we must act and where we can lead together." The joint communique will guide military engagement, innovation, and institutional reforms in the coming year, providing a framework for measuring progress. Please follow the link for the full document: ACHOD25 Joint Communique.pdf NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address August 14, 2025 Transcript Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson Holds an Off-Camera, On-the-Record Press Briefing KINGSLEY WILSON: Things off the top and then I'll get to your questions. On August 11th, at the direction of the president, the Secretary directed the D.C. National Guard to mobilize and support the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement partners to address the lawlessness and crime in our nation's capital. As of today, all 800 Army and Air National Guardsmen mobilized under Title 32 as part of Joint Task Force D.C., and they're now here in our capital. They will remain until law and order has been restored in the district as determined by the president, standing as the gatekeepers of our great nation's capital. The National Guardsmen on this mission will assist the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement partners with monument security, community safety patrols, protecting federal facilities and officers, traffic control posts and area beautification. Additionally, the scope of support may be adjusted based on the needs of our partners in coordination with the D.C. National Guard, Interim Commanding General Army Brigadier General Leland Blanchard. The National Guard is uniquely qualified for this mission as a community-based force with strong local ties, disciplined training. [Background noise] The National Guard is uniquely qualified for this mission as a community-based force with strong local ties, disciplined training and the ability to integrate seamlessly with law enforcement agencies. As I mentioned last week, the National Guard LA's mission was invaluable, helping shrink the thousands of rioters to a meager 20 protesters. We expect the D.C. National Guard's presence and expertise to have the same effect in our National Capital Region. A notable early example of the National Guard troops mobilizing for missions within the borders of the US, was in 1794 when nearly 13,000 troops mobilized to enforce the laws of the Union during the Whiskey Rebellion. Since then, the National Guard has been called upon to support this country's citizens and law enforcement during presidential inaugurations, the expansion of civil rights and several instances of civil unrest, including the New York postal strike in 1970, and more recently the BLM riots in 2020. And on another note, Americans across the country are enlisting to fight for this nation. Here at the Department of Defense, we are excited to share that active duty enlisted females have surged across all service branches. Over 7,200 more women have enlisted so far this fiscal year than at this point last fiscal year, surging from 16,700 to nearly 24,000 enlistees so far. As I have said before, leadership matters and under the strong leadership of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, men and women are coming out in droves to raise their right hand and serve their country. With that, I'd be happy to take some questions. Yes, Tara. Q: Thanks, Kingsley. First of all, because you have a briefing room, why is this outside? Just put that out there. And then secondly, on the women joining, is it your belief and is it the Secretary's belief that those women, if they are serving, and women across the United States should have the right to vote? KINGSLEY WILSON: On your first question about the location, I thought it would be a lovely day for us to enjoy some sunshine out here. I hope to see you all in the briefing room very soon but thought this would be a nice opportunity for us all to enjoy a D.C. summer day. On your second question about the 19th Amendment, of course the Secretary thinks that women should have the right to vote. That's a stupid question. To be honest with you, I'm very excited to see the incredible recruitment numbers not just for men and women, but just across every single branch of our military. It's truly a testament to his leadership. Q: Well, why did he retweet the pastor who does support taking away that right from women? KINGSLEY WILSON: So, as we have said on-the-record numerous times, the Secretary is a proud member of a church that is affiliated with the Congregation of Reformed Evangelical Churches which was founded by Pastor Doug Wilson. The Secretary very much appreciates many of Mr. Wilson's writings and teachings. Q: Including taking away the right to vote? KINGSLEY WILSON: Tara, I've already answered that question, so [inaudible] go ahead. Q: So, including taking away the right to vote? You have not been clear. I mean, he retweeted her or him. Why retweet someone that wants to take away the right to vote? KINGSLEY WILSON: I have been correct on that the Secretary supports the 19th Amendment. Next question. Q: So, the Secretary is, in disagreement with the pastor? KINGSLEY WILSON: He appreciates many of his writings and teachings. I'm not going to litigate every single aspect of what he may or may not believe in a certain video. I can tell you that he is a member of a congregation that was founded by Pastor Doug Wilson. He appreciates many of his writings and teachings. Q: OK, and then a question on the monuments, you mentioned monument security, there's no evidence of crime along the National Mall that's significant in any way. What is the what do you expect to achieve by putting National Guard presence there, which I think should be noted that that is taking people away from jobs - you know, schoolteachers, IT technicians, people that are needed elsewhere in the community? What is it that you hope to achieve with that? KINGSLEY WILSON: I think there's no more important job for this department than to stand alongside federal law enforcement partners and local police in securing our nation's capital. As the White House and the president have said, it is disgraceful that we have allowed D.C. to become so incredibly dangerous. And we want this to be Q: It's not dangerous near the National Mall, so I mean, I think we should be clear on that. So, what is the point of putting guard troops around the National Mall? KINGSLEY WILSON: It's dangerous all around the city and I think another important point of Q: Is it dangerous near the mall? KINGSLEY WILSON: I think another important point of having National Guardsmen all around D.C. is that it is also a deterrent and it makes people feel safe. And it lets everyone know that D.C. is going to be a city in which we can be proud of. And we are standing alongside our federal partners to execute on the president's directive here. Q: Do you believe that the National Mall is dangerous? KINGSLEY WILSON: The president has been very clear about that. He is very frustrated with the state of D.C., and we are proud to support this initiative. Yes. Q: Can you tell us whether the guards will be armed? KINGSLEY WILSON: Kaylee. Q: Can you tell us if the guard is going to be armed? And does the Secretary want to pull in guardsmen from other states as part of this mission? KINGSLEY WILSON: I'm not going to get ahead of any future support that we're going to have for this mission. So, at this time, military members will not be armed, but of course that is you know, as conditions change, we have the right to adjust force posture as needed, if necessary. So, we will continue to work with our federal law enforcement partners to do just that. And your other question, I'm not going to get ahead and forecast different things that we might do in the future. But what I can say is that we are working alongside our local law enforcement to make sure that everything that is needed is provided from DOD's perspective. Yes, Jeff. Q: Thank you, Laura Loomer recently attacked a Medal of Honor recipient excuse me, a medal of honor recipient. Does Secretary Hegseth stand by this Medal of Honor recipient? KINGSLEY WILSON: The Secretary is very thankful to every single Medal of Honor recipient and recognizes their heroism. At the same time, he has also been very open, we have said this on the record, appreciative of a lot of Laura Loomer's outside advocacy. She understands that personnel is policy and we recognize the important work that she's done in supporting this administration. Q: Well, thank you. I didn't quite hear an answer on my question. Does he stand specifically by this particular Medal of Honor recipient against and defend him against the attacks by Laura Loomer? KINGSLEY WILSON: I did answer your question. He stands by every single Medal of Honor recipient. They are all heroes in our eyes and that includes Flo Groberg full stop. We are not going to get into the routine of commenting on every single disagreement that may or may not happen, online, on X. But what I can tell you is that he's very thankful for every single Medal of Honor's heroism. Q: Does he stand behind Secretary Driscoll as well? She also criticized him and made him sound as if he was not a supporter of the Trump administration. Does the Secretary have full confidence in Secretary Driscoll? KINGSLEY WILSON: Again, I don't think it serves this department to get in the habit of responding to every single thing that happens online and every single argument that we might see play out in the social media space. But I can tell you he has absolute confidence in Secretary Driscoll, as evidenced by the fact that they were at the White House together at that press briefing on Monday, and he delegated the authority for this D.C. mission to the Secretary of the Army. He has full confidence in his ability to deliver on the president's agenda here. Q: You're welcome to join us out here in the sun since you said it's such a beautiful day. KINGSLEY WILSON: I love the sun. I love the sun. I'm Hispanic, so I tan quite well. [Crosstalk] Q: Going back to Tara's question. What was the point of posting that video? I know you said that he respects him, but you mentioned that all of these women are joining the recruitment. What does a video like that, that mentions women submitting to their husbands, what does that say to women service members? Or we should be a Christian nation like Saudi Arabia is a Muslim nation. What does that say to Muslim service members or Jewish service members or people who don't believe? I mean, what message is that sending as the Secretary of Defense reposting something like that? He's not just a person; he's a government official now. KINGSLEY WILSON: So, I reject the premise of the question. I think what he had said, all of God for all of time I think that is a non-controversial statement. Q: Wait, wait, that means that's the tagline for the church, right? So, at my church, we say love God, love each other and live out the gospel life. That's the tagline for their church which essentially means amen. That's what Doug Wilson said. He said he was saying amen. Right? KINGSLEY WILSON: And again, he is a proud member of a church that is affiliated with the Congregation of Reformed Evangelical Churches which was founded by Pastor Doug Wilson. He is a very proud Christian and has those traditional Christian viewpoints. And I think that there is, you know Q: Which one? So, all the ones in the video? KINGSLEY WILSON: Again, I'm not going to litigate what he may or may not think about real presence in communion. We're not going to get down to the nitty gritty on all of that stuff, right. But what I can tell you is that he is a Christian. He appreciates many of Mr. Wilson's writings and teachings. Q: Any of them that were in that video? I mean, because there were a lot of them in that video that you just said he supports women's right to vote. But he put out a video where there are people saying that the amendment could be repealed and that you're married too. So, your husband would be the one voting for you, not you. I mean, that was in the video, and I don't think it was taken out of context. That's what they were saying. KINGSLEY WILSON: Again, I've answered this question, he on the 19th Amendment and he appreciates many of his writings and teachings. And as I've said, I'm not going to litigate every single opinion that is described in that video. Q: Is the department concerned that these kinds of questions could hurt enlistment particularly with female KINGSLEY WILSON: The numbers show that they clearly are not. Q: Right, but given these concerns, are you concerned that that could start to drop if women are concerned that this department is led by someone who does not support a woman's right to vote? KINGSLEY WILSON: Well, again, as I answered with Tara's question earlier, that is not an accurate characterization. Q: OK, so you push back on those concerns. Q: Will the Secretary himself come out and say he supports women's rights to vote? I think at this point, the women KINGSLEY WILSON: I'm here saying it now on his behalf. But to answer your question about recruitment, we do not anticipate that recruitment will drop. Everything we are seeing indicates that it is going to continue to break records and to skyrocket, and that's for men and women across all of the branches. We're very encouraged by that. Q: Thank you. Q: Democratic veterans in Congress have said that he should apologize and resign for this. Is he going to do so? KINGSLEY WILSON: Absolutely not. The Secretary is so proud to be leading our great warfighters every day. He is focused on mission, getting back to basics and he is going to continue to do just that. And especially as we look forward to this D.C. mission, he is going to really execute on the president's agenda and make sure that we make D.C. safe and beautiful again. Yes, way back there, Jessica. Q: Hey, Kingsley. Will the Secretary of Defense be joining President Trump in Alaska? KINGSLEY WILSON: I don't have any updates on travel at this time. We will keep you all posted. Yes. Q: Hi, Kingsley. Are you anticipating that the mission in D.C. might be replicated in other cities like New York, Chicago or [inaudible] like that? KINGSLEY WILSON: Again, I'm not going to get ahead of any Q: Speak up. KINGSLEY WILSON: I'm not going to get ahead of any future operations. But what I will tell you is that the Department of Defense stands ready to ensure that if we are called upon to support in any city or location, whether domestic or across the globe, that we're able to do that at the time and place of our choosing. Q: A follow up on that. In the Guard's support for local law enforcement in D.C., are they going to be deploying any drones, ISR sensors or other surveillance technologies? KINGSLEY WILSON: I would refer you to the Army and the National Guard Bureau for that level of information. Q: They referred me back to you guys. KINGSLEY WILSON: OK, well, then we will try and get you something. I'll take that question. Yes. Q: Thank you. Q: Is the Secretary considering a political run in Tennessee? KINGSLEY WILSON: No, he is not. As we have said, those reports are absolutely false. He is laser focused on being a cabinet official for President Trump and on delivering for our warfighters. He is incredibly proud of the work that we have accomplished thus far. We're past the six-month mark now and he will continue to deliver on the president's agenda. Q: On the security conference today, what kind of security precautions are being taken to ensure that an adversary doesn't inadvertently gain access to sensitive KINGSLEY WILSON: I'm going to go right here. Yes. Q: If this adversary this question, I'm a surrogate [inaudible] answer that question. Q: What security precautions are being taken ahead of the summit to ensure that a potential adversary like Russia doesn't gain access to sensitive military systems or equipment? KINGSLEY WILSON: I would refer you to the White House for that. Thank you. Q: All right, my question was about helicopters in support of the mission in D.C.. Are there any plans for Army or Air Guard helicopters to be up there? And given this building's failures to de-conflict airspace, what special considerations would you have to make sure that airspace is managed? KINGSLEY WILSON: I would refer you to the Army and National Guard for specifics on that. But what I can tell you is that we work very, very closely to ensure that airspace is de-conflicted as you say. And we will continue to work with Secretary Duffy to make sure that we're de-conflicting where necessary. Q: Did I hear you right when you said our number one priority is going to be partnering with local law enforcement? Is that the building's priority [inaudible] the priority? What did you mean by that being [inaudible]? Is that more than a nuclear posture, like [inaudible] KINGSLEY WILSON: No, what I'm saying Is that the D.C. mission is of incredible importance to the president and we are very proud to be working alongside our federal law enforcement officers to deliver on it. And it is, of course, since it has just happened, starting Monday it's something that we're focusing heavily on and the Army and Secretary Driscoll have done a fantastic job so far standing up those folks. Q: So, DHS is not properly funded and properly staffed, not properly resourced. Why the shortfall that precipitates the need for the Guard? KINGSLEY WILSON: What do you mean by DHS? Q: Their law enforcement agencies are part of this response. So, do you does the Pentagon feel that their agency is undermanned, under-resourced, maybe could be better managed? Why the need for the extra National Guard? KINGSLEY WILSON: I don't want to speak for them, but I think that, thanks to the One Big, Beautiful Bill that recently passed, we have funding with our interagency partners to be able to execute on important things like we're doing down at the southern border. So, this is just another aspect of us coming alongside those interagency partners to work together. And we really think we're going to be a force multiplier, right? We're going to allow law enforcement to better conduct the necessary operations that they need to conduct around the capital and we're going to be there along supporting them. Q: Hey, is [Background noise] KINGSLEY WILSON: No, I wouldn't say that. I don't want to get ahead again. This is going to all be conditions based, and we will be working alongside our partners and hearing from them as to what they need. And the Army can also get you a little bit more color on that probably. Q: If it is conditions based, you mean that means that you expect the National Guard to go to more dangerous places than the monuments, as Anne was pointing out. There's really not a security concern there. So, what kind of places around the city do you actually expect them specifics of where you expect them to be operating? KINGSLEY WILSON: I would talk to the Army for specifics on locations that they're going to be posted at. I mentioned a few in my topper. But again, we are going to be doing a lot of different things alongside our partners where the needs are to make sure that we are protecting federal functions, protecting federal personnel, buildings, helping with beautification all the things I mentioned in my opening statement we're going to be doing. Q: The Secretary the other night on Fox also said that when he was asked about the potential for Guardsmen to be involved in law enforcement, if there aren't police around or something, he said he's got their back. Does that mean that he is authorizing them to engage in law enforcement missions if in fact the need arises? I'm not talking about self-defense but law enforcement missions as he told Laura Ingraham on Fox the other night? KINGSLEY WILSON: So, what I can tell you is that military members are to follow D.C. National Guard rules for the use of force. They're all trained in de-escalation techniques and of course always retain the inherent right to self-defense. They will not be arresting people, but they may temporarily limit the movement of an individual who has entered restricted or secured area without permission. So, this will be very similar to the LA mission where we can temporarily detain someone and then turn them over to the proper law enforcement authorities. Q: You said 800 were here. Q: Sorry, real quick. Just because the Army said that the guard was going to come out at like 100 to 200 at a time, but you said 800. Can you give us a little explanation? Q: How many are out today? Q: How many are out today and KINGSLEY WILSON: I would refer you to the army for how many are out today, but I can tell you that all 800 have been mobilized. Q: Are they all at the armory? KINGSLEY WILSON: Refer you to the Army for that. Yes. Q: The Army's been punting on a lot of questions. Do you have an idea right now per week or per month how much it will cost in O&M dollars to keep the National Guard out there? KINGSLEY WILSON: I don't have a cost estimate for you yet. We will likely have that when this mission concludes. That's all the time we have today. Thank you so much. https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/4275138/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bahrain - M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System NEWS | Aug. 14, 2025 Media/Public Contact: T_Outreach_PM@state.gov Transmittal No. 25-47 WASHINGTON, August 14, 2025 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Bahrain of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and related equipment for an estimated cost of $500 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today. The Government of Bahrain has requested to buy four (4) M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS); and three (3) International Field Artillery Tactical Data Systems. The following non-MDE items will also be included: M28A2 Low Cost Reduced Range Practice Rocket Pods; High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle Fire Direction Centers; M1084A3 HIMARS resupply vehicles; HIMARS Driver Vision Enhancer systems; AN/PSN-13 Defense Advanced GPS Receiver; support and test equipment; simulators; generators; integration and test support; spares and repair parts; communications equipment; software delivery and support; facilities and construction support; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; support equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; studies and surveys; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is $500 million. This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East. The proposed sale will improve Bahrain's capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing its ability to provide critical support for the security of U.S. installations and personnel in Bahrain, integrate into U.S.led coalitions, and to operate independently in support of U.S. interests and the security of U.S. forces in-theater. Bahrain will have no difficulty absorbing these articles into its armed forces. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin, located in Grand Prairie, TX. At this time, the U.S. Government is not aware of any offset agreement proposed in connection with this potential sale. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor. Implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of five additional U.S. Government and ten U.S. contractor representatives for a duration of four months to support equipment set up and provide operator and maintenance training. There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale. The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded. All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Political-Military Affairs Outreach, at T_Outreach_PM@state.gov. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by the High Representative on the E1 settlement plan European External Action Service (EEAS) 14.08.2025 EEAS Press Team The decision of Israeli authorities to advance the E1 settlement plan further undermines the two-state solution while being a breach of international law. If implemented, settlement construction in this area will permanently cut the geographical and territorial contiguity between occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank and sever the connection between the northern and southern West Bank. The EU reiterates its call on Israel to halt settlement construction. Israel's settlement policy - including demolitions, forced transfers, evictions and confiscations of homes - must stop. Coupled with ongoing settler violence and military operations, these unilateral decisions are fuelling an already tense situation on the ground and further eroding any possibility for peace. The EU urges Israel to desist from taking this decision forward, noting its far-reaching implications and the need to consider action to protect the viability of the two-state solution. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address News / National by Staff reporter A network of 23 shell companies operating between Zimbabwe and South Africa has been implicated in laundering US$450 million through illicit financial flows (IFFs), part of an estimated US$3 billion in combined annual losses to the two countries.The findings come from a study published in the Journal of Risk and Financial Management, which analysed 1.8 million transactions using data from South Africa's Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and SWIFT. Researchers deployed an artificial intelligence tool known as FALCON, developed at India's National Forensic Sciences University, to detect cross-border laundering patterns with a reported accuracy of 98.7 percent.According to the 18-page report, Disruption in Southern Africa's Money Laundering Activity by Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies, the AI system uncovered extensive trade-based money laundering, particularly gold export mis-invoicing and cryptocurrency layering, used to disguise proceeds from smuggling operations. These schemes exploit regulatory loopholes, high-volume cash transactions and fragmented enforcement between the two countries.The study revealed that Zimbabwe's official systems fail to detect up to 42 percent of cross-border laundering linked to mis-invoiced trade and cash-based transactions, suggesting that significant volumes of illicit gold shipments and other smuggling proceeds are moving undetected. Weaknesses identified include over-reliance on rule-based reporting, which criminals bypass, and the absence of integrated analysis connecting transaction patterns with networks of linked companies.In trials, FALCON outperformed both human auditors - who achieved an accuracy rate of 64.5 percent - and older machine-learning models such as Random Forest (72.1 percent). It also reduced false positives to 1.2 percent and can process up to two million transactions per second at a cost of just US$0.002 per 1,000 transactions, making it a cost-effective option for developing economies. The model meets Financial Action Task Force (FATF) compliance standards and has 92 percent judicial admissibility, enabling it to produce court-ready evidence.The study warned that tackling the laundering problem requires robust bilateral cooperation and real-time data sharing between Zimbabwe and South Africa. Without this, the AI tool's detection capabilities will be limited.The revelations add to a growing body of evidence highlighting the scale of economic haemorrhage from Zimbabwe's porous borders. Last year, the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce reported that smuggling hotspots had contributed to an estimated 18,000 job losses.Economist Eddie Cross this week described the scale of illicit financial activity along the ZimbabweSouth Africa corridor as a "drain on potential state revenues" and called for advanced detection systems to bolster enforcement.Financial Intelligence Unit data shows that between 2019 and 2024, Zimbabwe lost US$920 million through smuggling, US$880 million from illegal gold and precious stone trading, US$730 million from corruption, US$500 million from fraud, US$300 million from tax evasion, and US$170 million from drug trafficking. Total illicit proceeds over the period may have reached US$6.15 billion.The RBZ's 2024 Financial Stability Report also flagged large-scale illicit flows through real estate and motor vehicle dealerships, in addition to the minerals trade. "Real estate, car dealers and precious stone or precious metal dealers are the sectors that are most susceptible to money laundering," the report stated.If implemented, experts say FALCON could give Zimbabwe and South Africa a significant edge in disrupting high-value smuggling operations and curbing industrial-scale looting. OIC to hold an emergency meeting on Gaza, says deputy FM for legal affairs IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 14, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- An emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will be held to address the situation in Gaza, says Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi. The meeting of the OIC foreign ministers is scheduled to take place on August 25, 2025, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Gharibabadi added that the decision to convene the emergency session at the ministerial level was made following a request by Iran's foreign minister, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, and was supported by several other member states. 9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran rebukes Netanyahu's claim of 'Greater Israel' IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 14, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- In response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claims about "Greater Israel", Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Western media routinely accuse anyone who references Greater Israel of anti-Semitism. "Is it antisemitic if Netanyahu himself admits it?" Araghchi wrote on his X account on Thursday, reacting to Netanyahu's claim of being on a "historic and spiritual mission," and "very" attached to the vision of a Greater Israel. The Israeli regime has approved a plan to occupy Gaza City, located in the northern Gaza Strip, to cover up war crimes and pave the way for the expulsion of Palestinians. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei condemned Netanyahu's plan and termed it a clear violation of the UN Charter and international law. The Israeli Prime Minister's admission that he views himself as bearing a "historic and spiritual mission" to realize the sinister "From the Nile to the Euphrates" ideology exposes the fascist intentions of this regime's policymakers, he added. Their agenda of aggression against the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of regional states, and their pursuit of domination over Islamic nations, must be unequivocally condemned by the UN Secretary-General, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and all nations as a flagrant violation of the UN Charter's principles and peremptory norms of international law, he noted. Highlighting the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza resulting from the mass killing of innocent Palestinians and the deliberate imposition of starvation and thirst on its people, Baqaei called for urgent action by Arab-Islamic nations to provide immediate humanitarian aid to Gaza, support the right to resist occupation and apartheid, halt the ongoing genocide, and hold Israeli war criminals accountable. 9376**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Israel - Prime Minister's Office Type: Media Statements Government: The 37th Government Publish Date: 14.08.2025 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today: "One week ago, I convened the Security Cabinet and we determined five principles for the conclusion of the war 1. Hamas is to be disarmed. 2. All hostages - the living and the deceased - are to be returned. We will not give up on a single one. 3. The Strip is to be demilitarized. Not only must Hamas be disarmed, but it must be ensured that weapons will be neither produced in the Strip nor smuggled into the Strip. 4. There will be Israeli security control in the Gaza Strip, including the security perimeter. 5. There will be an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority - people who will neither educate their children for terrorism, nor finance terrorism, nor dispatch terrorism. These five principles will ensure the security of Israel. This is the meaning of the word 'victory'." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Afghanistan: International community must reject Taliban's violent and authoritarian rule, say UN experts Press releases Multiple Mechanisms 14 August 2025 GENEVA -- UN experts* today called on the international community to reject the Taliban's violent and authoritarian rule and resist any moves towards normalising the de facto authorities' regime, four years after the group seized power in Afghanistan. "For four years the people of Afghanistan, especially women and girls, have endured a relentless and escalating assault on their fundamental rights and freedoms," the experts said. "Operating without legitimacy, the Taliban enforces an institutionalised system of gender oppression, crushes dissent, exacts reprisals, and muzzles independent media while showing outright contempt for human rights, equality and non-discrimination." In the past year, the Taliban has continued to impose so-called laws, edicts, and decrees while maintaining previous draconian restrictions on women's and girls' rights to education, freedom of movement, work, health, freedoms of expression and of association, and participation in cultural and public life. "The Taliban's institutionalised system of gender discrimination and oppression is so severe that it amounts to the crime against humanity of persecution on grounds of gender," the experts said, welcoming the recent arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders issued by the International Criminal Court. "We support all efforts to hold those responsible to account." The experts also highlighted concerns about other, wide-ranging human rights violations, including a disturbing surge in public executions and corporal punishments, arbitrary arrest and detentions, extrajudicial executions, acts tantamount to enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment in detention, the obliteration of civic space and crackdown on human rights defenders, restrictions on the rights to freedom of religion or belief, increasing numbers of internally displaced persons, the targeting of ethnic and religious minorities, discrimination against LGBTQ+ persons, and violations committed on national security and counter-terrorism grounds. "The situation in Afghanistan is dire but it must not be regarded as a lost cause. The international community must resist the narrative that the current situation under Taliban rule is inevitable or irreversible. Another future is possible," they said. The experts said that countering the Taliban's increasing repression requires an "all-tools" approach. This approach should combine principled international advocacy and pressure with international accountability, including the establishment of an additional, complementary investigation mechanism with a comprehensive mandate. It should also include the codification of the crime of gender apartheid, strengthened support for civil societyespecially women-led organisationsand increased funding for humanitarian assistance and realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Greater support and protection for Afghan refugees, internally displaced persons, and those in exile is also essential. "This protection is particularly urgent as countries such as the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan continue to return large numbers of Afghans, directly exposing them to the very persecution from which they fled," the experts said. "The people of Afghanistan, especially women and girls of all ages, must be actively involved in efforts to improve the situation in the country," they said. "We firmly believe that change in Afghanistan is best led by its people. But they cannot do it alone. International support - principled, focused, sustained, and rooted in solidarity - is essential," the experts said. "Every day without action strengthens the Taliban's oppressive grip. Standing side by side with the people of Afghanistan is both a moral imperative and a human rights responsibility. It is in the interest not only of the Afghan people, but the global community." *The experts: Richard Bennett, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan; Laura Nyirinkindi (Chair), Claudia Flores (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Ivana Krstic, and Haina Lu, Working group on discrimination against women and girls ; ; Nahla Haidar, Chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Graeme Reid, Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity; Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; Nazila Ghanea, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Cecilia M. Bailliet, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Alice Jill Edwards, Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Gabriella Citroni (Chair-Rapporteur), Grazyna Baranowska (Vice-Chair), Ana Lorena Delgadillo Perez, Aua Balde and Mohammed Al-Obaidi, Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; Ganna Yudkivska (Chair-Rapporteur), Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression; Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the right to development; Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons; Siobhan Mullally, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery; Claudia Mahler, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons; Mai Sato, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; Carlos Duarte (Chair), Genevieve Savigny, Uche Ofodile (Vice Chair), Davit Hakobyan (Vice Chair), and Shalmali Guttal, Working Group on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas; Bina D'Costa (Chair), Miriam Ekiudoko, Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent Ms. Ganna Yudkivska (Chair-Rapporteur), Mr. Matthew Gillett (Vice-Chair on Communications), Ms. Miriam Estrada Castillo (Vice-Chair on Follow-Up), Mr. Mumba Malila, and Mr. Ethan Hee-Seok Shin the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention 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/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US FONOPs 'reinforced' PH effort to uphold int'l law in WPS - envoy Philippine News Agency By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora August 14, 2025, 10:49 pm MANILA -- The United States' conduct of freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) near the Bajo de Masinloc has helped support Manila in its efforts to promote international law in the area, said US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson. Two US warships USS Higgins (DDG-76) and USS Cincinnati (LCS 20) conducted FONOPs approximately 102 nautical miles from Zambales on Wednesday, days after two Chinese vessels collided with one another as they attempted to chase away BRP Suluan near the feature, also known as the Scarborough Shoal. "The freedom of navigation operations are very important for demonstrating that the United States military, and in this case specifically our Navy, will fly, sail, and operate anywhere that international law allows," Carlson said in an interview in Pasay City on Thursday. "We're really pleased that the freedom of navigation operation was able to reinforce what the Philippines is doing to protect and to uphold international law of the sea in your jurisdiction here," she added. The envoy said demonstrating free passage in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea is "really critical" not only for the US and the Philippines but the entire international community. "In this waterway in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, freedom of navigation is essential for the trillions of dollars worth of commerce that passes through these waters," she said. "It's not only about the Coast Guard or the Navy or the military or security or defense it's about commerce, it's about lives and livelihoods," she added. The US uses FONOPs to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve navigation, overflight, and other rights/freedoms guaranteed to all nations under international law. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PH to Washington: Consider Subic as warship manufacturing hub Philippine News Agency By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora August 14, 2025, 8:07 pm MANILA -- The Philippines is urging the United States to consider the country as its potential manufacturer of US warships, as Washington, DC seeks to fortify its fleet over the next 30 years. "Subic, obviously the (former) Hanjin Subic Shipyard, is (in) shipbuilding operation and we're sure it could possibly be part of what the United States is looking at," Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said Thursday in an interview on the sidelines of the US - Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Business Council meeting. According to Romualdez, the US aims to revive its long-stalled shipbuilding industry, while the Philippines' shipbuilding operations are already active. "(The US) wants to increase their shipbuilding industry. It's been sort of like on hold for many years, decades, and now they are reviving it. Ours is already operating right now," he said. The envoy said proposals to build US Navy ships in the Subic shipyard, now called the Agila Subic multi-use facility, have been brought up in previous meetings with the Pentagon. In 2022, US-based Cerberus Capital Management acquired the previously distressed property, with most of its area leased out to tenants and projected to employ a workforce of 4,000 by 2025. The facility currently houses four major tenants, including HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Philippines, which plans to be fully operational next year. In the meeting, Romualdez encouraged US stakeholders to expand defense industrial partnerships with the Philippines while they invest in other key sectors. "Economic strength is the foundation of strategic strength. When US companies invest here, it's not just about returns on capital. It's about returns on alliance," he said, adding that a stronger Philippine economy means a more capable and dependable US defense partner. On top of shipbuilding, the US and the Philippines are also in discussions on "defense manufacturing plants" in the country, including those for ammunition and drone production. As the US develops its national defense strategy, US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said Washington, DC anticipates a "continued positive upward trajectory" on defense and security ties in the next years. The US-ASEAN Business Council gathered 35 US companies in the Philippines from Aug. 11 to 14, its largest business mission to the country. It also brought the Aerospace, Defense, and Security (ADS) Mission to the Philippines, with 26 leading US companies across the defense and security sectors participating. "With close to 60 companies joining this historic back-to-back business missions, the US private sector demonstrates its steady, deep, and enduring commitment to the Philippines as a key partner in the region," said US-ASEAN Business Council Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director Ted Osius. "The US-Philippines relationship is a unique one, and our delegation reflects our collective commitment to supporting the Philippines' long-term economic growth, innovation, and regional competitiveness." (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Security exec: PH unfazed by Chinese aggression in BdM Philippine News Agency By Priam Nepomuceno August 14, 2025, 2:22 pm MANILA -- No amount of aggressive action from China in Bajo de Masinloc (BdM) (also known as Scarborough Shoal) will deter the Philippines from asserting its rights in the vital waterway, National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Ano said Thursday. Ano, in an interview with reporters, made this comment when asked whether the acts of harassment being conducted by Chinese maritime and air forces against patrolling Philippine ships and aircraft can be considered part of efforts to escalate tensions in Bajo de Masinloc. "Well sa tingin ko nagi-intensify sila ng kanilang mga actions dyan, siguro using force to intimidate us pero just the same hindi tayo na-intimidate, kasi we are on the right side (in my point of view, they are intensifying their actions, and using force to intimidate us, but despite that, we will not be intimidated)," Ano said. Most noteworthy of China's aggressive actions in the Bajo de Masinloc area include the chase and attempted ramming of a People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessel and Chinese Coast Guard ship against the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)'s BRP Suluan which backfired as the two larger ships collided, causing damage to each other last Aug. 11 and the interception moves of a Chinese J-15 fighter jet against a PCG caravan patrol aircraft on Wednesday. The Filipino aircraft was conducting a maritime domain awareness flight over Bajo de Masinloc when the incident with the J-15 fighter jet took place. Despite these aggressive actions, the NSA said that the Philippines will not be deterred in standing up for its sovereignty and sovereign rights as it has "legal and historical rights". "So kahit anong gawin nila hindi tayo matitinag diyan, pero hindi tayo magpapanimula ng gulo. Kung gumagawa sila ng mga tinatawag nating 'new normal,' yung absence ng kanilang legal and historical basis eh dinadaan nila sa paggagawa ng illegal, aggressive actions (we will not be deterred regardless of what actions they will do there, but we will not be the ones who will start trouble. If they are creating on what we are calling the 'new normal', the absence of legal and historical basis on their side, they are making do with illegal, aggressive actions)," Ano said. When asked if there is a need to tap or make the Armed Forces more active in this area following China's use of its naval vessels and fighter jets in Bajo de Masinloc, Ano said that, as much as possible, they don't want the Philippines to be tagged or accused of escalating these incidents. As of this time, the NSA said the Bajo de Masinloc area is being treated as a "law enforcement" function of the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). "Yung ating Armed Forces (is) ready to support our law enforcement agencies if needed, (should) there (be), what you call that, change of strategy, that uunahin nating gagamitin yung Armed Forces kasi ang ating Armed Forces ready to defend our country. So, yun ang role nila. For now this is a law enforcement (where the Armed Forces will be used first, because our Armed Forces are ready to defend the country, that is their role. For now this is law enforcement)," he added. Ano also clarified that major policy changes like that emanate directly from the President if needed. "But as of now, we remain calm. We continue to do our (mandate), especially the PCG and the BFAR, they will continue to do their mandate, especially in protecting and supporting our fishermen and in conducting law enforcement functions within our internal waters and maritime (zones)," he added. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Dozens more killed as Israel intensifies bombardment to occupy Gaza City Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 August 2025 7:48 PM More women and children are killed in Gaza as the Israeli occupation force pushes ahead with the occupation of Gaza City and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians across the besieged territory. Gaza's civil defense agency said that at least 17 people were killed as Israeli strikes hit several sites across the Zeitun area of Gaza City since dawn on Thursday. The agency's spokesman, Mahmud Bassal, said that the dead included six civilians who had been waiting for humanitarian aid around US-Israeli-backed centers in the area. "The Israeli occupation forces are intensifying their raids in the Zeitun area" of Gaza City, Bassal stated. "Since dawn today, we have received 28 calls from families and residents of this neighborhood, some of whose children have been killed." Many people cannot leave these areas due to artillery fire by Israeli forces, the spokesperson added. "For the fourth consecutive day, the area has been subject to a military offensive, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries," said Bassal. Gaza Health Ministry said Israeli forces had killed at least 54 Palestinians and wounded 831 others across the besieged territory in 24 hours. The dead include at least 22 aid seekers. The total number of aid seekers killed around the US-Israeli-backed distribution centers since May has now reached 1,881. On Wednesday, the head of the Israeli military said he had approved a new plan to take control of Gaza City and neighboring refugee camps. The camps are some of the most densely populated areas in the Palestinian territory, which has been devastated by more than 22 months of Israeli aggression The offensive would require calling up between 80,000 and 100,000 reservists under emergency mobilization orders. This comes as hundreds of Israeli soldiers have spoken out against the 22-month aggression in Gaza and are refusing to take part in any new offensive. The Israeli army has also admitted a sharp increase and spike in soldier suicides due to the horrors of the Gaza war. Meanwhile, over 100 organizations reported that the Israeli authorities had rejected requests from "dozens" of NGOs for life-saving aid to enter the Gaza Strip. A statement signed by NGOs, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and Save the Children, reported that Israel had denied the requests because the organizations were "not authorized to deliver aid", despite many of them having worked in Gaza for decades. Consequently, millions of dollars worth of food, medicine, water and shelter equipment are currently languishing in warehouses across Jordan and Egypt. In July alone, the authorities refused some 60 requests for aid deliveries. This comes as Israeli-imposed starvation grips Gaza - killing over 200 Palestinians so far, half of them children. Israel has killed at least 61,776 Palestinians and wounded 154,906 others since 7 October 2023, the ministry added The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening by the day. At least four people have starved to death over the past few hours across the blockaded territory. According to the Government Media Office, the number of deaths linked to famine and malnutrition has climbed to 2 39, including 106 children. Israel's brutal aggression, which began in October 2023, has so far killed over 61,700 Palestinians, mostly women and civilians. Smotrich's settlement development plan would leave Palestinian communities besieged In a separate development on Thursday, Extremist Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich announced his intention to approve the construction of over 3,000 settler units in the highly contested E1 area of the occupied West Bank, a move that will effectively end prospects for a Palestinian state. Analysts say if Smotrich's plan goes ahead, it will de facto divide the occupied West Bank into two. The E1 project aims to sever connections between Palestinian communities and greatly hinder territorial continuity. It will create a separation between East al-Quds and certain areas of the West Bank, compelling Palestinians to undertake long detours when traveling between cities and towns. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel's decades-long occupation of historical Palestine illegal. The ICJ demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds. It was mere words. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraq joins Arab condemnation of Netanyahu's 'Greater Israel' remarks Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 August 2025 5:13 PM Iraq has strongly denounced the most recent remarks issued by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the so-called vision of "a Greater Israel," describing it as a clear provocation to regional sovereignty. In a statement released on Thursday, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said the remarks were "a blatant provocation against sovereignty, a flagrant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter." Netanyahu's remarks reveal "this entity's expansionist ambitions and confirm its efforts to destabilize" the peace and security across the West Asia region, it added. The statement called for a clear and firm Muslim, Arab and international stance to confront the Israeli "expansionist agenda" and vicious policies. The ministry further warned that these polices, coupled with a political discourse based on "expansionism and annexation, require effective action to put an end to the occupation's violations and halt the policy of impunity." Elsewhere in the statement, the ministry emphasized that these remarks come in parallel with the ongoing aggression by the Israeli occupying regime against the Palestinian people. The statement comes after Netanyahu told Israeli media that he feels a deep connection to "this vision" of a "Greater Israel," referring to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories as well as parts of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, and described it as "a historical and spiritual mission." Separately, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said the kingdom completely rejected the "settlement and expansionist ideas and projects" adopted by Israeli authorities. "The Kingdom warns the international community against the Israeli occupation's persistence in flagrant violations that undermine the foundations of international legitimacy, blatantly violate the sovereignty of states, and threaten regional and global security and peace," the ministry said. Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi also condemned the remarks, calling them a blatant attack on the sovereignty and unity of Arab states. He warned that such statements pose a direct threat to regional and global stability and reaffirmed the GCC's categorical rejection of any attempts to undermine the territorial integrity of Arab countries. Albudaiwi urged the international community to take a firm stand against provocative declarations and to protect the region from measures that could inflame tensions and jeopardize prospects for a just and comprehensive peace. Sufian Qudah, a Jordanian foreign ministry spokesman, also warned that these "claims and illusions" fuel the ongoing "spiral of violence and conflict." Qudah called on the international community to take immediate action to "stop all Israeli provocative actions and statements that threaten the stability of the region and international peace and security." The General Secretariat of the Arab League strongly condemned Netanyahu's remarks, denouncing any attempt to seize parts of sovereign Arab states to create the so-called "Greater Israel." The General Secretariat's statement warned that these remarks pose a serious threat to the collective Arab national security and constitute a blatant challenge to international law and the principles of international legitimacy. According to the statement, the comments expose "intolerable" expansionist and aggressive intentions of the regime. In recent months, Israel launched a series of full-fledged wars on Gaza, southern Lebanon and southern Syria. It has also threatened to occupy parts of Egypt, Jordan and some other Arab countries as well. Israel, however, suffered a crushing defeat after it launched a blatant and unprovoked aggression against Iran on June 13. Netanyahu's remarks come as Israel has waged a brutal aggression on Gaza since October 7, 2023, which has so far killed nearly 61,722 Palestinians and injured 154,525 others. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China expels US warship near disputed shoal amid rising military, trade tensions Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 August 2025 4:05 PM China's Ministry of Defense says expelled the USS Higgins, a US guided missile destroyer, after the ship "illegally entered China's territorial waters off Huangyan Island" the Chinese name for the disputed Scarborough Shoal without government approval. The USS Higgins, based in Yokosuka, Japan, was accompanied by the USS Cincinnati, a littoral combat ship, as they sailed approximately 30 nautical miles (55 kilometers) from the shoal. Chinese naval vessels reportedly shadowed the US warships during the operation. Chinese defense authorities condemned the US military's actions as a "significant infringement on China's sovereignty" and said they "severely undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea." Beijing accused the United States of violating international law and fundamental principles governing international relations. The Scarborough Shoal, along with several other features in the South China Sea, remains at the center of overlapping territorial claims by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. China's claim to nearly the entire sea is based on the "nine-dash line," a demarcation drawn in 1947. The claim was struck down by an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague in 2016, a ruling Beijing has refused to recognize. The incident comes amid heightened tensions fueled by an ongoing trade dispute between the two powers and growing concerns over security in one of the world's busiest maritime corridors. Compounding regional friction, Manila reported that on Tuesday a Chinese warship collided with a Chinese Coast Guard vessel while pursuing a Philippine patrol boat near Scarborough Shoal. The Philippines is the oldest treaty ally of the US in Asia, with a mutual defense treaty signed in 1951 asserting that an attack on either country in the Pacific is considered an attack on both. In April, the United States and its allies launched the Balikatan military exercises in the western Pacific, deploying advanced interdiction systems in the Luzon Strait a critical passage for Chinese naval forces entering the Pacific Ocean. The exercises underscored the growing strategic rivalry between Washington and Beijing. Tensions have escalated sharply since March, when China declared its readiness to "fight any type of war" with the United States, responding to increased political and economic pressure from the Trump administration. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address News / National by Staff reporter The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has come under intense criticism following allegations by Progress Muzuva that the ministry is covering up its mishandling of her case. Muzuva, who sustained an injury while on duty in 2018, accuses the ministry of depriving her of support and misrepresenting the facts in a public statement issued on August 8.In its statement, the MoHCC acknowledged Muzuva's injury was work-related and claimed it had been providing her with the necessary care and assistance. "We recognize the impact of her injury sustained in the line of duty in 2018 and remain committed to ensuring that all matters are addressed in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and established procedures," the statement read.However, Muzuva disputes the ministry's assertions, calling them misleading and inconsistent with her experiences. "I am shocked by the Ministry's pledge that all matters are addressed by applicable laws, regulations, and established procedures, which is the opposite considering the treatment I have received so far from the MoHCC," she said.She refuted claims that her compensatory sick leave had been processed, alleging that officials only moved to address the matter after her case became public. Muzuva said she was told by the Provincial Medical Office's Human Resources Department in January 2025 that an administrative error had been made regarding her leave.The injured worker also challenged the ministry's statement that she had received transport "as and when needed" for medical visits. She said she was only provided transport on three occasions, forcing her to use private means for multiple hospital trips after requests to district and provincial authorities were denied.Muzuva further dismissed the ministry's claim that she enjoyed government patient status and was entitled to free treatment. She said she had been paying her own medical bills, including consultation and X-ray fees at Masvingo Provincial Hospital as recently as August 7, 2025.She also raised concerns over the ministry's handling of her medical retirement. While the MoHCC stated that medical boards convened in 2020 and 2021 recommended her retirement in July 2021, Muzuva insists the decision was made on June 11, 2021, and without her consent. She denies agreeing to retire in June 2024, as the ministry claimed.Although the MoHCC has pledged to engage with Muzuva to reach a "fair and compassionate resolution," she remains skeptical, accusing the ministry of maladministration and incompetence."I plead with people around the world, other Zimbabwean government departments, well-wishers, and the donor community to assist me with my medical care and welfare. Ignore the Ministry of Health press statement issued on 8 August 2025, which is misleading and deprives me of the opportunity for my true story to be heard," she said. Israeli minister unveils plan to build 3,000 new settler units in occupied West Bank Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 August 2025 3:47 PM Extremist Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced his intention to approve the construction of over 3,000 settler units in the highly contested E1 area of the occupied West Bank, a move that will effectively end prospects for a Palestinian state. Smotrich said he intends to authorize tenders for the settlement expansion, in an area designed to connect the existing settlements in Maale Adumim, located in the occupied West Bank, with occupied East al-Quds. "Approval of construction plans in E1 buries the idea of a Palestinian state and continues the many steps we are taking on the ground as part of the de facto sovereignty plan that we began implementing with the establishment of the regime," he said. "After decades of international pressure and freezes, we are breaking conventions and connecting Maale Adumim to Jerusalem. This is Zionism at its best - building, settling, and strengthening our sovereignty," he added. The announcement appears to be a direct response to recent declarations by France, Britain, Canada, and Australia expressing their intent to recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly next month. The E1 project aims to sever connections between Palestinian communities and greatly hinder territorial continuity. It will create a separation between East al-Quds and certain areas of the West Bank, compelling Palestinians to undertake long detours when traveling between cities and towns. Despite the fact that the E1 construction plan dates back to the 1990s, its execution has consistently faced delays owing to global opposition. In March, the so-called political-security cabinet of Israel sanctioned a distinct roadway for Palestinians situated to the south of the E1 region, connecting the northern and southern parts of the West Bank. The road was regarded as a preliminary measure for enhancing settlement expansion in the region. More than 700,000 settlers live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds. The international community views the settlements as illegal under international law and the Geneva Conventions due to their construction on occupied territories. The UN Security Council has condemned Israel's settlement activities in several resolutions. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel's decades-long occupation of historical Palestine illegal. The ICJ demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds. It was mere words. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah chief hails Iran's unwavering support for Lebanon, Resistance Front against Israel Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 August 2025 10:02 AM The secretary general of Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement, Sheikh Naim Qassem, has praised Iran's unwavering support for Lebanon and Hezbollah in the face of the Israeli regime. Sheikh Qassem praised Tehran's support for Lebanon's unity, sovereignty and independence during a meeting on Wednesday with Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, who made a three-day tour of Iraq and Lebanon to discuss regional developments. He also stressed the importance of improving the brotherly relations between Tehran and Beirut. Speaking upon his arrival in Beirut on Wednesday, the top Iranian security official voiced Tehran's unflinching support for the government and people of Lebanon in various circumstances. During his stay, Larijani also held talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and attended a joint press conference with the former. He paid tribute to former Hezbollah secretary general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as well. The Iranian official assured the movement's fighters that the Islamic Republic would consistently stand by them, stressing that the country did not interfere in the domestic affairs of other nations, but would never abandon its support for the resistance front. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemeni forces target Israel's Ben Gurion airport using hypersonic ballistic missile Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 August 2025 9:04 AM The Yemeni Armed Forces have launched a missile strike on Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport in protest against Israel's ongoing genocide and starvation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In a statement released on Thursday, the Yemeni forces said they used a "Palestine 2" hypersonic ballistic missile in their operation. The attack "successfully achieved its goal," caused Zionists to flee to shelters, and suspended flights at the Ben Gurion airport, they added. Meanwhile, the Yemeni forces noted that they are monitoring developments on the ground in Gaza, affirming their full confidence in the ability of Palestinian resistance fighters to thwart the enemy's moves and foil its plot to occupy the besieged territory and displace its people. They also vowed to remain by the Palestinians' side until victory with all available capabilities and "escalate" their operations until Israel's genocide in Gaza ends and the blockade is lifted. Ansarullah pledges continued support for Gazans Similarly, Hazam al-Assad, a member of the political bureau of the Ansarullah resistance movement, underlined Yemen's continued support for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. "We will keep targeting the Zionist enemy with full force until its aggression stops and the siege of Gaza is lifted," he said. The Israeli military, meanwhile, claimed that it had intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen. On Tuesday, the Yemeni forces also conducted a successful operation by targeting "vital targets" in Haifa, the Negev Desert, Eilat and Beersheba in the Israeli-occupied lands using six drones. The Yemeni Armed Forces began their campaign against Israel, attacking Israeli-linked ships as well as striking targets in the occupied territories in November 2023, a month after the usurping regime unleashed its genocide in Gaza. Yemen halted its attacks in January, when Israel accepted a Gaza ceasefire. Two months later, however, Israel unilaterally broke the Gaza truce and resumed its aggression, prompting the Yemeni forces to resume their operations in support of Palestinians. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas: Netanyahu's 'Greater Israel' comments reflect his 'madness, delirium' Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 August 2025 6:53 AM Hamas says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent comments in support of a so-called "Greater Israel" scheme reflect the "madness and delirium" that govern his behavior and his extremist ruling gang. In a statement on Wednesday, the Palestinian resistance movement denounced Netanyahu's statements a day earlier in which he affirmed his deep connection to what he called the "Greater Israel vision." Netanyahu told Israeli media on Tuesday that he feels a deep connection to "this vision" of a "Greater Israel," referring to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories as well as parts of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, and described it as "a historical and spiritual mission." "These statements clearly confirm the danger posed by this fascist entity to all countries and peoples of the region, and its expansionist plans that spare no country," Hamas said. It added that war criminal Netanyahu and his extremist ruling gang have waged a brutal campaign of genocide and starvation against the Palestinian people in Gaza and seek to expand their aggression against other regional countries. Hamas stressed the need for Arab countries to take serious steps to support the Palestinian people's steadfastness, particularly in Gaza, sever ties and recall ambassadors from this fascist entity, halt all normalization bids, and unite behind confronting the occupation and thwarting its plans. The resistance movement called on the international community to condemn such statements, take action to restrain Netanyahu and stop the brutal war against innocent civilians in Gaza. It also urged the world to counter the Israeli prime minister's ambitions to expand aggression based on fascist prophecies and delusions that threaten regional and international security. On Wednesday, the General Secretariat of the Arab League strongly condemned Netanyahu's remarks, denouncing any attempt to seize parts of sovereign Arab states to create the so-called "Greater Israel." Jordan also decried Netanyahu's statement, with the country's foreign ministry condemning it as a "serious provocative escalation, a threat to the sovereignty of states, and a violation of international law and the United Nations Charter." Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei also on Wednesday issued a strong condemnation of the scheme, calling it an unmistakable declaration of the Israeli regime's intention to extend its occupation over independent nations, including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Netanyahu's remarks come as Israel has waged a genocidal war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, which has so far killed nearly 61,722 Palestinians and injured 154,525 others. Settlers' attacks in West Bank part of displacement policy: Hamas official A senior Hamas official said the wave of Israeli settlers' violent attacks on Palestinian towns, villages, and refugee camps across the occupied West Bank is part of a deliberate strategy to push forward annexation and forced displacement policy. In press remarks on Wednesday, Abdul Rahman Shadid warned that the joint assaults by Israeli occupation forces and settlers will bring the occupation "nothing but more failure and disgrace." The campaign of intimidation against Palestinian communities will not drive residents from their land or strip them of their rights, the Hamas official emphasized. "What we see in the heroic confrontations and steadfast resistance from residents reflects the spirit of defiance and defense of land and dignity. Our people will not stand idle in the face of settler rampages and terrorism," Shadid said. He called on Palestinians to proceed with all forms of resistance against the escalating settler violence, affirming Hamas's commitment to the path of steadfastness and struggle until the occupation of Palestinian land is ended. Shadid's remarks came after a Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank was shot dead by an Israeli settler during a land-leveling operation in the village of Duma, south of Nablus, amid ongoing land-grabbing operations in recent days. According to the Palestinian Anti-Wall and Settlement Commission, 10 Palestinians have been martyred by settlers since the start of 2025, bringing the total killed by settler gunfire to 30 since October 7, 2023. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saudi, Dutch Foreign Ministers Discuss Gaza Saudi Press Agency Thursday 20/02/1447 Riyadh, August 14, 2025, SPA -- Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah today received a phone call from Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Casper Veldkamp, with whom he discussed regional and international developments, with a focus on the situation in the Gaza Strip and its security and humanitarian repercussions. -- SPA 17:50 Local Time 14:50 GMT 0049 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez Lezcano, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar At the Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in the Examination of Protection Requests US Department of State Remarks Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell Treaty Room Washington, D.C. August 14, 2025 SECRETARY RUBIO: Thank you all for being here. It's a great day to reaffirm the strong ties and bonds of cooperation, partnership, and alliance between the United States and the Government of Paraguay - the nation of Paraguay - that I visited as a Senator just a couple of months ago FOREIGN MINISTER RAMIREZ: Yes, exactly. SECRETARY RUBIO: and we talked quite a bit and interact. And this is just another example of cooperation and the ability to work together to prevent something that we - both countries are very concerned about, and that is illegal and irregular migration, which poses a national security threat. And so the ability to work together on this in partnership is extraordinary. And I want to thank the foreign minister for being here today. I want to thank my friend, the President - (in Spanish) - I was going to say President Pena, who's a great, strong partner and ally of the United States. And we're very happy to be signing this here today along with our partners from the Department of Homeland Security. (Via translation) Briefly in Spanish. I want to thank the Minister for being here with the Foreign Minister, for being with us today and being able to celebrate what already exists, an alliance, a very strong friendship between not only the governments of Paraguay and the United States, but also between the peoples of the United States and Paraguay, with which we cooperate on so many issues and we are going to cooperate on many more issues. The economic opportunities that exist are enormous, but today we are here to put in writing our cooperation about what irregular immigration is. The illegal immigration that has been abused, obviously is something that can cause national security problems for both countries. So today we are here to sign these agreements, which is one more point in what is an alliance and a very strong friendship, a very strong bond that exists within our countries, our governments, and our peoples. Thank you very much. Thank you for being here. Thank you for being here. FOREIGN MINISTER RAMIREZ: Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary Rubio. You are a very close friend of our government, of our country. You have been the only one after 50 years of Senator visiting Paraguay and that represents a very important alliance that we are developing. Today this agreement represent our deep engagement with our government to work not only on migration program but also in security. We are working in trade. We are working on - as well as on investment. We are working in security cooperation, and that represent the (inaudible) agenda, the bilateral agenda. It means the diversify of the alliance that we have as Paraguay Government with the United States Government and personally with you, Secretary, is amazing to work and cooperate with all your staff here as well. Really is a pleasure to me. Thank you for hosting us for this meeting. And the homeland security secretary, really, we appreciate very much this agreement that represent the opportunity to work in several issues. We were discussing about the visa waiver. We are discussing about our common and shared values and principles - democracy, freedom, human rights, the rule of law, that represent our principles and values shared. Thank you. Thank you so much. SECRETARY RUBIO: Thank you. DEPUTY SECRETARY EDGAR: Yeah. First of all, Minister Ramirez and Secretary Rubio, thank you so much for the diplomacy, being able to help us. The Secretary and myself have been very focused on establishing safe third country agreements within Latin America, South America, and even in Africa. So this has been a big step for us. We're very appreciative of the opportunity to be able to work with you. Like you said, we did talk a little bit kind of behind the scenes about the Visa Waiver Program and some of the different programs that are out there, where we work together. And we are very much appreciative of everything that Paraguay is doing. We look at Paraguay as a law enforcement and border security partner. You guys have been a great partner, and this is a great step. The American asylum system is one that has been significantly abused in the previous administration. And being able to sign an agreement like this really starts to loosen the burden within Homeland Security and our ability to be able to process and provide the asylum process to people that are actually deserving of it and go through the process. So we just want to thank you for what you're doing. We want to thank you for your partnership. Secretary, we just think everything that you do and with your team - we're always appreciative. Thank you. SECRETARY RUBIO: Thank you. And thank you, both. I also want to thank your staff and the team at Homeland Security for putting this together, and our team here at the State Department, and your team. Without your team we couldn't be here. (Laughter.) Muchas gracias. Okay. Well, let's sign. FOREIGN MINISTER RAMIREZ: (In Spanish.) (Laughter.) MODERATOR: Secretary Rubio, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Edgar, and Foreign Minister Ramirez are signing a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in the Examination of Protection Requests. This memorandum will further our cooperation to deter illegal immigration and promote hemispheric security. (The agreement was signed.) (Applause.) QUESTION: (Via translation) Secretary, in this context of security, what indications are there regarding the deployment of naval forces in the Caribbean against drug cartels? SECRETARY RUBIO: (Via translation) A threat to the national security of the United States. And obviously these are groups that are operating with impunity in international waters, simply exporting to the United States poison that is killing, that is destroying communities. So it is a very serious issue and we have many countries that cooperate with us in that effort and some, unfortunately, that do not. QUESTION: (Via translation) The Cartel of Los Soles of Nicolas Maduro, Secretary? SECRETARY RUBIO: (Via translation) The Cartel de los Soles is one of the largest criminal organizations that exist in the hemisphere, which unfortunately has not been given enough attention. It is a cartel that today is indicted in the federal courts of the United States. It is not a government, the Maduro regime is not a government, it is a criminal organization. The question, if I may in English, is just asking about whether U.S. forces will be involved in the Western Hemisphere and going after drug traffickers and drug trafficking networks. There are designated narco-terrorist groups operating in the region. Some of them utilizing international airspace, international waters to transit poison into the United States. And those groups will be confronted. The President has made that clear from the time he has operated. In specific, the question was about the Cartel of the Suns, the Cartel de los Soles, which is a criminal organization that happens to masquerade as a government. The Maduro regime is not a government. It's not a legitimate government. We've never recognized them as such. They are a criminal enterprise that basically has taken control of a national territory, of a country, and who by the way are also threatening U.S. oil companies that are operating lawfully in Guyana. So the President has been very firm. Anything that's a threat to the national security threat to the United States he's going to confront. And - but obviously I have nothing further to add to that at this point. Thank you. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, if I may. SECRETARY RUBIO: Yes. One more. QUESTION: How are the preparations for the Putin-Trump meeting going in Alaska? SECRETARY RUBIO: They're going very fast because this was put together very quickly and it's in Alaska. So we've got to get there. We'll see how tomorrow plays out. As the President said, his hope is to interact with Putin tomorrow and sort of get a sense very quickly and early whether a peace is possible or not. The President has spoken to him, I believe, four times to him by phone and felt it was important to now speak to him in person and look him eye - in the eye and figure out what was possible and what isn't. This is the President at peace. He wants that war to end. He's going to do everything he possibly can. If he sees an opportunity to talk about achieving peace, he's going to pursue it. And we'll know tomorrow at some point - as the President said, probably very early in that meeting - whether something is possible or not. We hope it is. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary QUESTION: (Via translation) (Inaudible) of being buried in Colombia, I don't know if you will be concerned about the increase in crime or political violence in this country, in Colombia. SECRETARY RUBIO: (Via translation) In Colombia? QUESTION: (Via translation) Yes. SECRETARY RUBIO: (Via translation) It is very unfortunate what we have seen with the death of Senator Uribe, which is a very tragic thing and obviously we are concerned about politics, political violence in any country. But a country like Colombia that has had to survive so many very difficult times, that had progressed so much, that finds itself in a moment like this. Obviously we join the people of Colombia and the efforts of its institutions that have done so much to achieve what can be achieved in Colombia and that what cannot be lost. I'm sorry. QUESTION: Secretary, do you think that the Ukrainians are prepared to cede any land (inaudible) control, or are we looking at more a return of potentially Russian forces from the current front line of the war? SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, to achieve a peace, I think we all recognize that there'll have to be some conversation about security guarantees. They'll have to be some conversation about territorial disputes and claims and what they're fighting over. All of these things will be part of a comprehensive thing. But I think the President's hope is to achieve some stoppage of fighting so that those conversations can happen. These are highly technical things that take some time to work out. So what - to have a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, you will need agreement from both Ukraine and Russia. And this war has been going on for three and a half years now. It was a war that started under the previous administration. The President has inherited that, and he's trying to do now what he can to bring it to an end. But obviously the longer these wars go on, the harder they are to end. And even as I speak, even as we talk here now, there are changes happening in the battlefield which have an impact on what one sides views as leverage or the other. So that's the reality of ongoing fighting, which is why a ceasefire is so critical. That's been our proposal from Jeddah when we left in Saudi Arabia. But we'll see what's possible tomorrow. Let's see how the talks go. And we're hopeful. We're - we want there to be a peace. We're going to do everything we can to achieve one, but ultimately it'll be up to Ukraine and Russia to agree to one. Okay. Thank you, guys. # # # NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Signing of a Safe Third Country Agreement with Paraguay US Department of State Press Statement Marco Rubio, Secretary of State August 14, 2025 Today, I welcomed Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez to the State Department to sign a Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between the United States and Paraguay. This agreement provides asylum seekers currently in the United States the opportunity to pursue their protection claims in Paraguay, allowing our nations to share the burden of managing illegal immigration while shutting down the abuse of our nation's asylum system. This agreement is just one example of the broader strategic partnership between the United States and Paraguay. Under President Santiago Pena's leadership, we are deepening cooperation across security, diplomatic, and economic fronts. Together, we are combating transnational crime, countering malign actors, and advancing regional stability. Paraguay's designation of key terrorist organizations reflects its commitment to regional and global interests, while its enormous economic potential offers opportunities for greater collaboration in energy, mining, and technology. Ongoing engagement with partners like Paraguay is vital to deterring illegal immigration and securing our borders. The United States remains committed to working with Paraguay to build a safer, stronger, and more prosperous future for our hemisphere. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joint donor statement on the situation in and around El Fasher, Sudan Press release Joint statement on behalf of 29 donors on the situation in and around El Fasher, Sudan From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Published 14 August 2025 "As fighting continues unabated in North Darfur, Sudan, hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped in and around the city of El Fasher besieged by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). All trade routes and supply lines have been cut off, and humanitarian organisations have been unable to deliver lifesaving aid for over a year. Even communal kitchens, which have been feeding civilians across the country on the frontline of the humanitarian response, have had to shut down due to food shortages. The price of food staples is surging, leaving families unable to afford basic items even when they are available. People are starving as a result: famine was confirmed in the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps close to El Fasher in August 2024, has spread since and is expected to spread further during the current lean season. Rising cases of cholera exacerbate the worst effects of malnutrition. Over 60 people have already reportedly died from malnutrition during the past week. "The civilians of North Darfur - especially women and girls - have been exposed to horrific violations, including alarming rates of conflict-related sexual violence, since the onset of the conflict in April 2023. Attacks on civilian infrastructure, including markets and hospitals, have left the population with no access to healthcare. Recent reports shed light on the large-scale and repeated violations of international humanitarian law perpetrated by the RSF in Zamzam IDP camp in April 2025, where over 1,500 civilians are said to have been killed. In El Fasher, civilians are reportedly being killed as they try to exit the city. The recent attack on Abu Shouk IDP camp killed at least 40 civilians according to local sources. The International Criminal Court's Office of the Prosecutor stated in July 2025 that there are reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been, and continue to be, committed in Darfur. "Similar famine-like conditions and dreadful attacks persist in other areas of Sudan, especially in the Kordofans due to brutal hostilities across the states and the ongoing siege of Kadugli. "This cannot continue. "All parties to the conflict are responsible for the protection of civilians in Darfur and Kordofan. Both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF made clear commitments in the Jeddah Declaration (May 2023) to respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law. We urge all parties to demonstrate their compliance with this commitment by guaranteeing the immediate, unconditional, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to populations in need as well as protecting and preventing violations against civilians, in particular women and children and including humanitarian personnel, and civilian infrastructure at all times. "To this end, we specifically call on the RSF and their allies to halt the siege on El Fasher, as requested under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2736 (2024). We urge the RSF to grant a humanitarian pause for rapid, safe and unconditional humanitarian access to the people in need and safe passage of civilians to leave areas of active hostilities on a voluntary basis, in the direction they choose. "We further call on the SAF to renew their agreement to this humanitarian pause in El Fasher and put in place the necessary approvals to facilitate the work of humanitarian organisations. "We reiterate our call on the SAF to permanently open the Adre border crossing point for humanitarian actors, to lift bureaucratic impediments and to allow timely delivery of humanitarian and basic needs assistance across the country. "We call on all parties to urgently allow UN-led convoys and sustained UN presence, including senior international staff, across Sudan's territory, especially in the Darfurs and Kordofans, to enable the rapid scale up of humanitarian assistance to the population in need. "We stand with the people of Sudan and humanitarian organisations - local and international - who are working tirelessly and under extremely challenging conditions to assist them. Civilians must be protected, and humanitarian access must be granted. Accountability must be ensured." This statement has been signed by: Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Spain Asmund Aukrust, Minister of International Development of Norway Lord Collins of Highbury, Minister for Africa of the United Kingdom Gabija Grigaite-Daugirde, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development), Canada Elsebeth Sndergaard Krone, State Secretary for Development at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark Diana Janse, State Secretary for International Development Cooperation of Sweden Mariin Ratnik, Undersecretary for Economic and Development Affairs of Estonia Dominik Stillhart, Head of Swiss Humanitarian Aid, Deputy Director General of Swiss Development Cooperation Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czechia, the Republic of Finland, Federal Foreign Office of Germany, the Hellenic Republic, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York 14 August 2025 The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. ** Guest Alright, good afternoon. Today, in a short while my guest will be [Susan] Jane Ferguson, who is the UN-Women special Representative in Afghanistan. She will be speaking to you from Kabul. She's here to discuss the four-year mark since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. ** Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Report The Secretary-General's sixteenth annual Report on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, that you've been asking me about, has now been published today on the webpage of the Office of the Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict. The Report marks a staggering 25 per cent increase from the previous year, with the highest number of cases recorded in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Somalia and South Sudan. I encourage you to read the full report to get all details, but to quickly summarize what has been included [in the report]: 63 State and non-State parties are listed in the annex of the report, credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence in of armed conflict, which is on the agenda of the Security Council. The report also introduces, for the first time, an appendix whereby parties are put on notice for potential listing in the next report of the Secretary-General. ** Ukraine Starting off with Ukraine. Today, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tell us that, as front lines shift, intense hostilities are continuing to inflict a heavy toll on civilians on a daily basis, causing widespread destruction and forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. In the Donetsk Region, where fighting has escalated, Ukrainian authorities ordered the mandatory evacuation of families with children from over a dozen towns and villages. Between Monday and Wednesday this week, authorities report that more than 6,000 people fled high-risk communities along the front lines, either through organized evacuations or on their own accord. Relentless attacks are also impeding both the evacuation of civilians and the delivery of aid to Pokrovsk Town, located just a few kilometres from the front lines. Local Ukrainian authorities estimate that more than 1,000 people are still living there. Humanitarian access is also worsening in Kostiantynivka Town, where approximately 7,000 residents need urgent support. Aid organizations are working around the clock to assist those fleeing the violence, providing transportation and other assistance at transit sites for newly displaced people. The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, is visiting the south of the country today. He met with displaced people in a community centre in Mykolaiv and discussed urgent needs with our partners and the local authorities. On its latest update, our colleagues from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said that the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine reached another three-year high in July. With 286 civilians killed and 1,388 injured, the July UN casualty numbers was the highest since May 2022. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission said that the high July casualty numbers continued a pattern of steadily increasing civilian casualties in 2025. Casualty numbers for the first seven months of 2025 were 48 per cent higher than in the same period in 2024. ** Occupied Palestinian Territory Turning to the ongoing horrific situation in Gaza, our humanitarian colleagues report that air strikes and shelling have intensified in parts of Gaza City over the past couple of days, as attacks also continue in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. Strikes are hitting residential buildings and tents housing displaced people, resulting in a high number of casualties. And as a reminder, if the Israeli ground operation in Gaza city moves ahead, thousands of families already in appalling humanitarian conditions could be pushed over the edge even further. With 86 per cent of the Strip now in Israeli-militarized zones or under displacement orders, aid groups lack the access and supplies to address the dire humanitarian situation at the scale that is required. Any further loss of space, more mass displacement orders, or intensified attacks in populated areas could have devastating consequences. As a reminder, the Israeli ban on the entry of shelter materials has been in effect for over five months now. In recent days, temperatures have soared, and hundreds of thousands of people are now left without protection from the heat. Nearly everyone in Gaza has been displaced at least once since the war began, and the makeshift shelters they managed to improvise or acquire have often either worn out or have been abandoned when they have been forced to flee. Meanwhile, yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) supported the medical evacuation of 38 patients, mostly children, from Gaza, alongside nearly 100 companions. We reiterate our calls for a ceasefire, the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages still being held in Gaza and the unimpeded humanitarian access for us and all our partners. ** Syria Turning to Syria, we and our humanitarian partners continue to deliver vital assistance to people impacted by the recent violence in the southern parts of that country. In the Governorates of Sweida, Dar'a and Rural Damascus, UN agencies and their partners are supporting both people who have been displaced and the communities hosting those people. Between 5 August and [13 August], we supported four aid convoys through the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, which yesterday delivered critical assistance to Sweida, including food, hygiene kits, medical supplies and fuel to restore water pipes. One of the convoys counted 21 trucks that delivered 250 metric tons of flour, as well as food baskets, water containers, fuel and seven dialysis machines. The World Food Programme (WFP) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) provided some of these supplies. But, of course, more support is urgently needed. More than 190,000 people were displaced by the recent violence, which has also disrupted basic services and commercial supplies. Over the past week, 920 families have left Sweida Governorate, while some 370 families returned, according to the Syria Civil Defense organization. Our humanitarian colleagues also warn that the ongoing insecurity and sporadic violence continue to impede better humanitarian access to Sweida. Just last week, a Syrian Arab Red Crescent convoy came under fire in Dar'a Governorate. Despite ongoing insecurity and operational challenges, we continue to engage closely with Syrian authorities and other partners to strengthen the response. ** Lebanon Moving to Lebanon and southern Lebanon, where our peacekeeping colleagues are operating. Our peacekeepers tell us that they continue to discover unauthorized weapons, unauthorized ammunition and infrastructure in southern Lebanon. Yesterday, they found rocket launchers, rocket shells, mortar rounds and bomb fuses in Sector East. On Tuesday, the peacekeepers observed a tunnel in Sector West with rocket launchers and mortar shells inside. These were referred to the Lebanese Armed Forces, as per standard practice. In addition, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) observed continued Israel Defense Forces military activities in the area of operations, including an air strike in Sector West and artillery shelling from the south of the Blue Line with points of impact in Sector East. That took place yesterday. UNIFIL continues to conduct training activities with the Lebanese Army personnel in support our efforts of their capacity of the [Lebanese Armed Forces]. This week, UNIFIL engineers conducted trainings on surveying, locating and extracting explosive devices; procedures for safely exiting mined areas; and securing sites potentially containing explosive devices. Such training activities are crucial now as the Lebanese Armed Forces engages daily in identifying and securing areas contaminated with unexploded ordnances and explosive remnants of war. At sea, the Mission's Maritime Task Force yesterday held an exercise with the Lebanese Air Force personnel. ** Sudan In Sudan, our humanitarian colleagues are continuing to provide us with updates on the dire conditions there. We are extremely alarmed by the continued rapid spread of cholera in different parts of the country, especially in the Darfur region. In the past week alone, our health partners recorded 40 cholera-related deaths in the region. Treatments to more than 2,300 patients have been provided by our partners at facilities run by the Ministry of Health. But in Tawila, the cholera treatment centre has been overwhelmed. As you well know, in Tawila hundreds of thousands of people are hosted after fleeing hostilities in and around El Fasher, in Darfur State. You may also recall that last month, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, allocated $5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to support the cholera response in Sudan, but more resources are needed for that response without delay. Our humanitarian partners need $50 million to sustain their cholera operations through the end of 2025. Meanwhile, active fighting, insecurity and bureaucratic impediments continue to block or delay our access to areas impacted by famine and other locations in acute need. El Fasher in North Darfur remains besieged and cut off from humanitarian support. Humanitarian access is also constrained in the Kordofan region, where fighting persists along key supply routes. The closure of these routes has severely disrupted the delivery of vital goods and the worsened economic conditions, triggering displacement and a worsening of the humanitarian situation. As nutrition needs deepen, the humanitarian community is responding wherever it can. In East Darfur State, to identify acute cases and refer children for treatment, our partners, supported by UNICEF, screened 32,000 children under the age of five for malnutrition last month alone. A similar effort in June reached 15,000 children. We continue to reiterate that all parties engaged in this conflict must adhere to their obligations under international law, under international humanitarian law, including facilitating unimpeded humanitarian access and protecting civilians from harm. ** Myanmar And a quick update from Myanmar, where the situation there is not any better. The country continues to grapple with repeated shocks, including devastating conflict, flooding and other disasters that have stripped millions of people in Myanmar of their homes, their shelter, their livelihoods and sense of safety. Conflict between the Myanmar Armed Forces and various non-state armed groups continues to force civilians to flee their homes, exposing them to serious harm and protection risks. Since early July, heavy rains have also triggered widespread flooding and landslides, displacing families and damaging homes, roads and other critical infrastructure. We, along with our humanitarian partners, have reached nearly 1.3 million people impacted by the earthquakes that took place on 28 March this year. However, underfunding continues to constrain the response. Funding cuts have forced reductions across all sectors of the humanitarian response in Myanmar, leaving vulnerable people in desperate and dangerous situations and even more vulnerable. Myanmar remains one of the world's most underfunded humanitarian operations. We have $136 million in the bank, but we need $1.1 billion for this year's appeal, so we've only gotten 12 per cent. We call on donors to step up their funding. ** Shipwreck/Lampedusa And I'll end unfortunately a tragic note from the Mediterranean. And I can tell you that we join our colleagues at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in expressing deep sadness by the capsizing of a boat that occurred yesterday off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy, in which at least 35 people are feared dead or missing, including children. According to information gathered by our colleagues from the 60 survivors that were brought to Lampedusa, about 95 people departed from Zawiya, Libya, on two boats. One of the boats began taking on water and all passengers were transferred to the other, which is a fiberglass boat, which later capsized due to overcrowding. Reported nationalities on board were Egyptian, Somali, Sudanese and Pakistani. Filippo Grandi, our High Commissioner for Refugees, pointed out that over 700 refugees and migrants have now died to date [this year] in the Central Mediterranean. That's what's been recorded, no doubt there are many more. I'm done. Dezhi? ** Questions and Answers Question : Today, the conflict related sexual violence report of the Secretary-General has been released. This year, we saw a new content called "on notice", which put Israel and Russia. What...? Spokesman : What? Unnoticed? Question : Yeah. "On notice". Spokesman : Oh. "On notice". Question : So, not listed, but "on notice". Spokesman : Yes. Yes. Question : So, what's the... I mean, why there's this new category here "on notice"? Spokesman : I think, it was part... the report created this new category because of the consistent denial of access to UN monitors in the context of both the Israeli and Occupied Palestinian Territory conflict and the temporarily, and the occupied parts of Ukraine, that made it challenging to verify and definitively determine the patterns, the trends and the systematicity of sexual violence in these contexts. Question : Which means there's suspicion, but you cannot verify. That's why it's "on notice"? Spokesman : Yes. Edie. Question : Thank you, Steph. Israel has announced new settlement construction in the West Bank, which the Palestinians and human rights groups say, will basically destroy prospects for a two-State solution by cutting the West Bank in two parts. Does the Secretary-General have any comment on this announcement? Spokesman : Well, as far as I saw, I think that was also the statement made by the Israeli finance minister to eliminate the possibility of a two-State solution. Our position on settlements is clear. The Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the regime that's associated with these settlements go against international law. Settlements, to state the obvious, further entrench the occupation, put the prospect of a two-State solution even further away. And as you said, if this went ahead and which we call in the Israeli Government not to do and we call them to reverse, to stop the advancement of this process, it would sever the northern and southern West Banks. I think, interestingly enough, as the Israeli finance minister and the Palestinians and other NGOs all agree, it would put an end to prospects of a two-State solution. Pam, then Benny. Question : Thanks, Steph. Since we're looking at Ukraine because of the summit coming up tomorrow, has there been any progress on the Commissioner Volker Turk investigation, the UN human [inaudible], or any other inquiry or negotiations on the children that were taken to Russia during the war, the 20,000? There were 11 returned in August, but there doesn't seem... Spokesman : I'm not aware, unfortunately, of any progress on that front, but we will check for you. Benny? Question : So, I have two questions and maybe a third after that. The first one, you mentioned the anniversary of Afghanistan. There was a report just issued by the US watchdog on reconstruction of Afghanistan called SIGAR. Not for you. No cigar for you. That claims that a lot of, if I remember correctly, $3 billion that were dispersed by the UN was diverted to the Taliban, including they say, and I quote, "by colluding with ... Taliban was colluding with the senior UN officials to demand kickbacks from UN vendors". Any thought? Spokesman : Yes. A few thoughts. We're obviously aware of the publication by the Special Inspector General. I think what the report does, very clearly show, is the extremely complex environment in which United Nations agencies operate to deliver aid in Afghanistan and the interference, and the restrictions imposed on the UN by the de facto authorities who control Afghanistan, the Taliban. Such interference has included attempts to influence recruitment and beneficiary selection process, a request for confidential staffing and budgetary information, pressure to change established aid delivery modalities and restrictions on or threats against female national staff members that impede their essential role in supporting the Afghan people. We've been operating in Afghanistan for quite some time, and I can tell you that our colleagues at the UN country team, which includes the funds, the programmes, the agencies, have implemented robust safeguards and risk management process to ensure that critical international assistance reaches those people that need it most. Where and when necessary, some programs, such as in-kind cash assistance have been halted, and we've engaged with the de facto authorities at the various level. I can tell you that, also if you take you and your colleagues and everyone takes the time to look at the quarterly reports from UNAMA, they are mandated to report on the risks of a diversion, and they've reported this consistently to the Security Council. Now we obviously take very seriously, any allegation of malpractice, of corruption by UN officials or implementing partners, and we try to ensure that they're properly investigated. But, we continue to operate based on our humanitarian principles and reinforced by comprehensive safeguarding policies and various procedures that include independent needs assessment, screening and vetting of partners and vendors, as well as extensive monitoring, including by third parties and community feedback. And we also continue to push with the de facto authorities to let us do our work free from any harassment and interference. But, I think, as you know and others know, delivering humanitarian aid in an area that is in a country, that is controlled by the de facto authorities and it's not the only place in the world is extremely, extremely challenging, to say the least. Question : And the part about senior UN officials and bribes or...? Spokesman : I said if anyone has any information, it needs to be brought forward, and I'm sure my colleagues in Afghanistan will be in touch with a Special Inspector on that. Question : Okay. Second question. There was an op-ed that I'm sure you've seen yesterday in The Wall Street Journal about that ship Yemen that was purchased by the UN in 2023. But, according to that report, is basically serving as a fuel depot for the, you know, the local people, as we call the Houthis. Spokesman : De facto authorities. Question : De facto authorities. Right. Spokesman : Again, a challenging place. I'm aware of the op-ed that was published in The Wall Street Journal. It's not the first, they're not the first to have reported on this. What is important to note is that the UN does not own the tanker, the Yemen tanker. It was transferred from the UN to the, what's called the Safer Exploration & Production Operations Company as part of the project to remove the oil from the Safer. I mean, if you recall, we had been talking for years and years about the risks that the Safer posed as it was decomposing with huge amount of oil on board. Our colleagues at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) managed a very delicate operation, which I think saved the Red Sea and all those who live and depend on the Red Sea from an environmental catastrophe. UNDP has a contract with an international maritime company for advisory services, only to support the safe ongoing storage of the oil after it was removed from the Safer. The transfers that are being reported on by The Wall Street Journal and others are done by this local company SEPOC, independently of the Safer. The oil that is... that was removed from the Safer remains removed and remains onboard the Yemen. I can tell you that as a matter of due diligence in the advisory capacity on each occasion, UNDP is strongly objected to SEPOC, which owns the vessel, both verbally and in writing and requested that these transfers cease immediately. But UNDP has no knowledge of the origins or destination of the vessels involved in these transfers. Correspondent : And a third question quickly. In a letter you sent, not you, Secretary-General... Spokesman : Yeah. I know him. Question : Sent to the Israeli ambassador in advance of the publication of that report. He wrote that the report is based on information verified by the United Nations. You just said that, you know, that the United Nations can't investigate. So, how was it verified? Spokesman : It's verified in terms of what was in the narrative of the report. Obviously, the information that was gathered by Ms. Patten's office led them to put them on notice, as well as other parties in different conflicts. Question : Because there was a very celebrated case in Sde Teiman Detention Centre that is still pending actually in Israeli courts. In other words, what I'm trying to say is Israeli courts are investigating any allegations of sexual...? Spokesman : Indeed and we've noted that... Question : So, why do we need the UN for that? Spokesman : Well, it's a mandate given to the Secretary-General by the Security Council. Question : No. Why do we need UN access if there is...? Spokesman : Well, I think the Secretary-General... the Special Representative has a mandate given to her by the Security Council to investigate these things. Lenka, you've been very patient. Then Gabriel, you've also been very patient. Question : Thank you, Steph. Regarding tomorrow's summit, President Trump said he will be focused on a peace deal more than on an immediate ceasefire. And he said that the rate of success for this meeting should be around 75 per cent. What are the expectations of the Secretary-General? Is he hopeful that it will lead to success? Thank you. Spokesman : Look, we're not in the betting game. We've seen a lot of commentary in advance of the summit. I think we do welcome the dialogue at the highest level between these two permanent members of the Security Council and a lot of issues on the agenda. Our position regarding the war in Ukraine remains the same, that we want an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire as a first step towards finding a just and sustainable and comprehensive peace, one that upholds Ukraine's sovereignty, its territorial integrity and independence with an internationally recognized border and in line with UN charter, international law and all relevant UN resolutions. We'll obviously be watching what happens, and we're watching what comes out of it. Gabriel? Question : Thanks, Steph. I have several follow-ups, but I know you have a guest waiting or we have a guest waiting, so I'll try to be as succinct as possible. A follow-up, to Edie's question on the illegal settlements. I took note of your comments, and it was very clear. However, would you acknowledge that this isn't just any illegal settlement? This is the highly controversial E1 that's been on hold since 2005 due to international pressure because, as Edie noted, it would divide East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. There is... this could potentially end any contagious Palestinian State. Does the Secretary acknowledge that? Spokesman : I said it, and I said exactly that, that this is a very... you're right. This is not any other expansion of a settlement. And as I just told Edie, I think you look at the statements coming out from people on both sides of this issue, they all say the same thing that this may very well drive a stake through the prospect of a two-State solution. Question : And on the sexual violence report, clearly, nobody wants to be added to the annex of this report. The Secretary-General decided to include Hamas in the annex. Anyone can read the report to get the reasons. Israel, of course, only in the appendix. Did the Secretary-General bow to Israeli pressure? Spokesman : No. Sinan? Correspondent : Thank you, Steph. I have also a few questions. I will be happy if you can stay with me. First... Spokesman : I can't leave. I have no choice. Question : The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry today published a report regarding deadly violence in Syria's Alawite majority coastal areas in March, and the report says the violence led to 1,400 dead, and it was a systematic and likely amount to war crime. Does Secretary-General sees those things? And in addition, what we saw in Sweida are war crimes? Spokesman : I mean, I think that will have to be decided by the court. But, regardless, I think the conclusions of the IIIM [International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism] are extremely worrying. They echo what we've been saying, our human rights colleagues have been saying, what Mr. Pedersen had been saying. It is the responsibility of those in power in Syria, those in power in Damascus to ensure that everyone in Syria, all Syrians, feel safe and feel protected and do not risk being killed, harassed or kidnapped just because of their religion or ethnicity. Yes, ma'am. Please. Question : Just... so, in terms of tomorrow's summit and The US and Russia is meeting without Ukraine being presented, and they... it is said that there are some deals going to be made in terms of the future of Ukraine. What would be the UN's position and attitude? Spokesman : I don't want... let's not comment on something that has yet to happen. We have said, and I think, and I use here the royal 'We', I said, I think, earlier this week, one of your colleagues asked that as a matter of principle, when you're trying to settle any conflict, if you want a just and sustainable peace, it's helpful to have all the parties of the conflict at the table, the same table. That being said, let's wait to see what comes out of the summit tomorrow. Pam, then Dezhi? Question : A follow-up to Benny's question. The first one, on the special inspector general for Afghanistan report; will that be made public? Spokesman : The report? Correspondent : Yeah. Spokesman : It is public. I mean, it's a US report. They put it up on their website a day and a half ago. Question : Okay. And on the... I haven't seen it. On the reference to a current UN official, is that something that you're investigating? Spokesman : Well, I mean, we're obviously... this is... we're reading this report with you, so we will obviously look into all these allegations. Dezhi? Question : Also a follow-up on Benny's second question about the Yemen tanker. The Yemen tanker has been purchased or acquired by UNDP at the time, right? So it's been sold? Spokesman : So, what's... I don't understand. What is the question? We do not own the oil that's in the... Question : You own the tanker, right? Spokesman : We do not own the oil that's in the tanker. Question : Because you, well, the Yemen was acquired by the UN for $55 million. I mean the tanker, not the oil. Spokesman : No. And the tanker was transferred to SEPOC, as well. Question : So, it's also been sold? It's been sold. Spokesman : Yes, exactly. Question : For how much and when? Spokesman : I don't know. We'll try to get you those details. Okay. All right. On that note, thank you all, and I want to thank our guest, Jane Ferguson, who's been very patient. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN warns of steep rise in sexual violence during conflict 14 August 2025 - Sexual violence in conflict zones rose sharply in 2024, increasing by a quarter compared to the previous year, the UN reported on Thursday. More than 4,600 survivors endured abuses used as weapons of war, torture, terrorism and political repression. According to the annual Report of the Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, both State and non-State actors were responsible for violations in 21 countries, with the highest numbers recorded in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, Somalia and South Sudan. Women and girls made up 92 per cent of victims, but men, boys, people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, racial and ethnic minorities - together with some persons with disabilities - were also targeted, ranging in age from one to 75. "These alarming figures do not reflect the global scale and prevalence of these crimes," the Office of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict said. Many attacks were accompanied by extreme physical violence, including summary executions, while stigma and harmful social reactions has often driven survivors and children born of wartime rape into deep social and economic marginalisation. Violence in detention The report pointed to a troubling rise in sexual violence in detention, often used as a tool for torture, humiliation and the extraction of information. While men and boys were most affected, women and girls were also targeted. Non-State armed groups carried out such crimes to tighten control over territory and resources, and to impose extremist ideologies. Widespread availability of small arms, mass displacement and food insecurity were cited as factors that further increased the risks. The report also noted that parties to conflict frequently blocked or restricted humanitarian access for survivors. "The unprecedented severity and scale of destruction of healthcare facilities, and attacks, harassment and threats against frontline service providers, has severely hampered access to life-saving assistance for survivors," said Pramila Patten, the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Lack of legal compliance The report lists 63 State and non-State actors credibly suspected of or being responsible for patterns of sexual violence in armed conflicts on the Security Council's agenda. While compliance with international humanitarian law remained low, several parties have made formal commitments to address crimes. The report recommended involving Security Council sanctions committees to target persistent perpetrators, noting that sexual and gender-based violence is now explicitly sanctionable under the Council's counter-terrorism regime against Da'esh and Al-Qaida. Newly listings Newly listed groups include Resistance pour un Etat de Droit (RED) Tabara in the DRC for an egregious mass rape in 2024, and in Libya, two State actors - the Deterrence Agency for Combatting Organized Crime and Terrorism (DACOT) and the Department for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM) - along with the non-State Internal Security Agency. Hamas was listed on the basis of information verified by the UN in 2024, indicating reasonable grounds to believe that some hostages taken to Gaza were subjected to different forms of sexual violence during their time in captivity, and clear and convincing information that sexual violence also occurred during the attacks of 7 October 2023 in at least six locations. Israel, Russia, 'on notice' For the first time, the report also names parties "on notice" for potential listing in the next annual report. Due to "significant concerns" regarding patterns of sexual violence perpetrated by Israeli armed and security forces, and Russian forces and affiliates, "these parties have been put on notice for potential listing in the next reporting period", the authoring office said. Call for accountability, access The report urged all parties to adopt clear orders prohibiting sexual violence, ensure accountability, and grant unimpeded UN access for monitoring and service provision. "The promise expressed by the Security Council through its six dedicated resolutions on conflict-related sexual violence is prevention," Ms. Patten said. "We owe survivors more than solidarity; we owe them a life of dignity, and effective and decisive action to prevent and eradicate these crimes." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address News / National by Staff reporter Volkswagen owners in Zimbabwe are being urged to take immediate action following the automaker's global recall of certain models fitted with potentially defective Takata airbags. The airbags, which were once a common safety feature in vehicles from numerous manufacturers, have been found to pose a serious safety risk. If deployed, the faulty airbags could rupture and release dangerous metal fragments, potentially causing severe injury or even death to drivers and passengers.CFAO Mobility Zimbabwe, the official distributor of Volkswagen vehicles in the country, is leading the local recall campaign. The company is offering free replacement of the defective airbags and has pledged to assist all affected Volkswagen vehicles, regardless of where they were purchased. This means that even imported or privately bought vehicles are eligible for the repairs.The issue stems from the Takata airbag inflators, which can degrade over time due to prolonged exposure to high humidity and heat. This degradation can cause the airbag to deploy with excessive force, sending shrapnel into the cabin. The Takata recall is one of the largest in automotive history, affecting millions of vehicles worldwide across multiple brands, including Toyota, Honda, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan, among others.Volkswagen has identified several models that may be affected, including 20062007 Passat sedans, 20122014 Passat models, 2017 Passat wagons, and 20172019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible models. While these are the primary vehicles under review, owners of other Volkswagen models are also encouraged to check whether their cars are part of the recall.CFAO Mobility Zimbabwe has stressed the urgency of the matter, warning that even vehicles that appear to be functioning normally could carry the defect. The company has urged all Volkswagen owners to locate their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), which is typically found on the lower corner of the windscreen or in registration documents, and check it against the recall database on Volkswagen's official website or through local dealerships.If a vehicle is confirmed to be affected, Volkswagen will replace the airbags at no cost, with repairs carried out by trained technicians at authorised dealerships to ensure the highest safety standards. CFAO Mobility Zimbabwe has assured customers that the process will be handled quickly and efficiently to minimise inconvenience.The company is also running awareness campaigns to ensure that owners act promptly, noting that Zimbabwe's climate-characterised by high heat and humidity in many regions-can accelerate the airbag inflator degradation.Industry experts have stressed that recalls should not be seen as a reflection of a brand's reliability but rather as a proactive measure to protect drivers. The Takata defect is a global issue impacting nearly every major carmaker, and failing to address it could have life-threatening consequences in the event of a collision.For Zimbabwean Volkswagen owners, checking whether their vehicle is affected and booking a repair could be a small step that makes a critical difference. CFAO Mobility Zimbabwe is calling on all owners to act without delay, reminding them that this is a free service aimed squarely at safeguarding lives. Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory OCHA warns that ground operation could push thousands 'over the edge' The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that air strikes and shelling have intensified in parts of Gaza city over the past couple of days, as attacks also continue in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. Strikes are hitting residential buildings and tents housing displaced people, resulting in a high number of deaths and injuries. OCHA warns that if the announced Israeli ground operation in Gaza city moves ahead, thousands of families already enduring appalling humanitarian conditions could be pushed over the edge. With 86 per cent of the Gaza Strip now in Israeli-militarized zones or under displacement orders, aid groups lack the access and supplies to address their dire needs at the scale required. Any further loss of space, more mass displacement orders, or intensified attacks in populated areas would have devastating consequences. In this context, OCHA notes that the Israeli ban on the entry of shelter materials has been in effect for over five months. In recent days, temperatures have soared, and hundreds of thousands of people are now left without protection from the heat. Nearly everyone in Gaza has been displaced at least once since the war began, and the makeshift shelters they managed to improvise or acquire have often either worn out or been abandoned in the rush to flee. Meanwhile, yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) supported the medical evacuation of 38 patients from Gaza, mostly children, alongside nearly 100 companions. They were taken to Italy, Belgium and Turkiye. In a social media post, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that more than 14,800 patients still need life-saving medical care that is not available in Gaza. He called on more countries to step forward and offer support - and for referral routes to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to be restored before it is too late. WHO also reiterated the UN's shared call for a ceasefire, stressing that peace is the best medicine. Syria UN, partners provide vital support in southern areas OCHA reports that the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to deliver vital assistance to people affected by recent violence in southern Syria, despite ongoing insecurity and operational challenges. However, OCHA stresses that more support is urgently needed. More than 190,000 people were displaced by the recent violence, which has also disrupted basic services and commercial supplies. Over the past week, more than 920 families have left As-Sweida Governorate, while some 370 families returned, according to Syria Civil Defense. In the governorates of As-Sweida, Dar'a and Rural Damascus, UN agencies and their partners are supporting both people who have been displaced and the communities hosting them. Between 5 August and yesterday, the UN supported four aid convoys through the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), which yesterday delivered critical assistance to As-Sweida, including food, hygiene kits, medical supplies and fuel to restore water access. One of the convoys numbered 21 trucks that delivered 250 metric tons of flour, as well as food baskets, water containers, fuel and seven dialysis machines. The World Food Programme and UNICEF provided some of these supplies. However, OCHA warns that ongoing insecurity and sporadic violence continues to affect humanitarian access to As-Sweida. Just last week, a SARC convoy came under fire in Dar'a Governorate. The UN continues to engage closely with Syrian authorities and other partners to strengthen the response. Sudan Cholera spreads, reportedly killing 40 in Darfur in a single week OCHA is alarmed by the rapid spread of cholera in different parts of Sudan, particularly in the Darfur region. In the past week alone, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) recorded 40 cholera deaths in the region, with MSF providing treatment to more than 2,300 patients at facilities run by the Ministry of Health. The organization added that the cholera treatment centre has been overwhelmed in Tawila, where hundreds of thousands of people are hosted after fleeing fierce hostilities in and around El Fasher, North Darfur State's capital. Last month, Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher allocated US$5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to support the cholera response in Sudan - but more resources are needed without delay. Humanitarian partners require $50 million to sustain their cholera operations through the end of the year. Meanwhile, OCHA warns that active fighting, insecurity and bureaucratic impediments continue to block or delay access to areas affected by famine and other locations of acute need. El Fasher in North Darfur remains besieged and cut off from humanitarian support. Some families trapped in the city are reportedly surviving on animal feed and food waste. Humanitarian access is also constrained in the Kordofan region, where fighting persists along key supply routes. The closure of these routes has severely disrupted the delivery of vital goods and worsened economic conditions, triggering displacement and a worsening of the humanitarian situation. As nutrition needs deepen, the humanitarian community is responding where it can. Last month in East Darfur State, partners - supported by UNICEF - screened 32,000 children under the age of 5 for malnutrition to identify acute cases and refer children for treatment. A similar effort in June reached 15,000 children. OCHA reiterates that all parties engaged in the conflict must adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law, including facilitating unimpeded humanitarian access and protecting civilians from harm. Ukraine Civilians face daily threat of hostilities, displacement OCHA reports that as front lines in Ukraine shift, intense hostilities continue to inflict a heavy toll on civilians on a daily basis, causing widespread destruction and forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. In the Donetsk Region, where fighting has escalated, Ukrainian authorities ordered the mandatory evacuation of families with children from over a dozen towns and villages. Between Monday and Wednesday this week, authorities report that more than 6,000 people fled high-risk communities along the front lines, either through organized evacuations or on their own. Relentless attacks are also impeding both the evacuation of civilians and the delivery of aid to Pokrovsk Town, located just a kilometre from the front line. Local authorities estimate that more than 1,000 people are still living there. Humanitarian access is also worsening in Kostiantynivka Town, where approximately 7,000 residents need urgent support. Aid organizations are working around the clock to assist those fleeing the violence, and providing transportation and other assistance at transit sites for newly displaced people. In Kherson City, humanitarians are supporting residents displaced from the Korabel District following repeated strikes that damaged a critical bridge earlier this month. Aid workers are providing medical care, psychosocial and legal support, hygiene supplies, clothing, bedding and cash aid. As of 12 August, nearly 2,000 people had received assistance at a temporary evacuation centre in Kherson City - including more than 1,000 older people, as well as people with disabilities and children. The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, is visiting the south of Ukraine today. He met with displaced people in a community centre in Mykolaiv and discussed urgent needs with humanitarian partners and the local authorities. Myanmar Fighting, floods deepen humanitarian needs Myanmar continues to grapple with repeated shocks, including devastating conflict, flooding and other disasters that have stripped millions of people of their homes or shelter, livelihoods and sense of safety. Conflict between the Myanmar Armed Forces and various non-state armed groups continues to force civilians to flee their homes, exposing them to serious harm and protection risks. Since early July, heavy rains have triggered widespread flooding and landslides, displacing families and damaging homes, roads and other critical infrastructure. The UN and its humanitarian partners have reached nearly 1.3 million people affected by the 28 March earthquakes. However, underfunding continues to constrain the response. Funding cuts have forced reductions across all sectors of the humanitarian response, leaving vulnerable people in desperate and dangerous situations. Myanmar remains one of the world's most underfunded humanitarian operations, with less than $136 million received of the $1.1 billion needed for this year's appeal - just 12 per cent. It is critical that donors step up funding* to support a scale-up of life-saving assistance. *Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Myanmar with urgent support. Posted on 14 August 2025 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Security Council Committee Established Pursuant to Resolution 2653 (2022) concerning Haiti Briefed by UNODC Press Release Security Council SC/16145 14 August 2025 On 25 July 2025, members of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022) concerning Haiti received a briefing by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). During the meeting, the UNODC Representatives in New York and in the Regional Office for Central America and the Caribbean briefed the Committee on the situation in Haiti and UNODC's work in support of the national authorities of Haiti. The representatives informed that UNODC's findings confirmed the continuous use of maritime, air and land-based points of entry for trafficking of arms and ammunition. The representatives noted the persistent challenges, but also increased law-enforcement responses aimed at curbing illicit arms trafficking. The representatives also mentioned that UNODC's strategy in Haiti included programmes focused on border control, including maritime crime, anti-corruption, specialized judicial units and combating human trafficking. The representatives emphasized that disrupting illicit networks would require coordinated national and international efforts. Members of the Committee welcomed the briefing by UNODC, expressed support for the organization's work in Haiti and called for increased regional coordination to fight illicit trafficking, particularly of weapons. Members of the Committee expressed their readiness to consider updating the 2653 Sanctions List. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NZ Army successfully conducts first high explosive exercise in PNG for more than 30 years New Zealand Defence Force A New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) contingent drawn from various units within 1st (NZ) Brigade and Joint Support Group has concluded a milestone exercise in Papua New Guinea. 15 August, 2025 The exercise included the first high explosive live fire training activitywith the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) in more than 30 years. Gunners from the New Zealand Army's 16th Field Regiment led a L16A2, 81mm Mortar training course for their PNGDF counterparts - the first time NZ Army personnel have led such an exercise in Papua New Guinea. The course was run in order to assist the PNGDF in regenerating its own mortar capability. 16th Field Regiment's 163 Battery Commander, Major Jake Boersen, said 30 PNGDF personnel were now qualified as a result of the training. "Getting the students to a standard where they were able to conduct a successful live fire, high explosive practice is a testament to the high level of instruction provided by NZDF trainers and the positive attitude and commitment of the students. It was the first time in more than thirty years the PNGDF has conducted something of that nature, and it went really well. All in all it was an extremely worthwhile exercise," said Major Boersen. 1st (NZ) Brigade Commander, Colonel Mike van Welie, visited the contingent last week and said the exercise - which included 110 personnel from both countries and a variety of training opportunities - was a prime example of how the NZ Army operated alongside its partners in the region. "This was a fantastic opportunity for us to assist our PNGDF partners, but also gain significant value in return," said Colonel van Welie. "This type of combined training also significantly enhances our relationships and interoperability with the PGNDF, who are a key partner in the Pacific. It's crucial for us as Ngati Tumatauenga - an Army that's from, and of the Pacific - to play our role in ensuring a peaceful and stable region, and exercises like these do just that." NZDF personnel drawn from the Joint Support Group also delivered medical training, which focused on providing care to patients in combat situations. The theory was later tested in practice, pushing PNGDF personnel to apply their knowledge in increasingly complex and realistic scenarios. The 50-strong contingent included NZ Army workshops personnel, ammunition technicians, supply technicians, and caterers, all of whom were tested by operating in the hot jungle for close to a month. NZ Army soldiers also gained valuable training in return, with the PNGDF sharing their expertise in challenging close-combat jungle conditions that are nearly impossible to replicate in New Zealand. "The training provided by our PNGDF partners has been top notch and has allowed our officers and soldiers to build on their individual soldiering skills. Through this training I have witnessed my officers and soldiers move from surviving in the jungle to thriving in it," said Major Boersen. The contingent will return to New Zealand later this week. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 14 August 2025 - Day 1268 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 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to withhold the pressure of the Russian occupation troops. So far, there have been a total of 105 combat clashes. Today the Russian state made 60 aviation strikes dropping 110 controlled bombs. In addition, the Russian zombies have engaged 1673 kamikaze drones for impressions and carried out 3692 shelling of positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. Three clashes with Russian zagarbnikami took place in the North Slobozhansky and Kursky directions. The Russian enemy made 7 aviation strikes, dropping 14 controlled bombs, carried out 233 shelling, including three - from the reactive systems of salpovogo fire. Today, Russian forces once attacked in the South Slobozhans komu direction, near Glybokoye. Five times the Russian aggressor tried to go ahead on Ukrainian positions in the Kupyansk direction in the areas of the settlements of Kupyansk, Golubivka and Zagrizove. In the Lyman direction for today Ukrainian defenders repelled 14 Russian attacks in the areas of the settlements of Ridkodub, Grekivka, Mirne, Shandrigolove, Kolodyazi, Karpivka. Two more clashes are ongoing so far. In the Sivers komu direction Ukrainian warriors repelled six Russian attacks. Units of the Russian occupiers tried to advance in the area of Grigorivka, Verkhnyokamiansky, Viymki and in the direction of Serebryanka. At the moment in the Kramators komu direction, Ukrainian defenders stop the Russian assault in the area of the White Mountain. In the Toretsky direction, Ukrainian troops today repelled six Russian attacks in the areas of Toretsk, Oleksandr-Kalinovy and in the direction of Ples yivka. One battle is going on so far. In the Pokrovsky direction during this day the Russian aggressor 43 times attacked Ukrainian positions in the areas of popiv yar, poltavka, golden well, nikanorivka, lighthouse, volodymyrivka, shakhove, rubizhne, free, novoekonomicne, mirolubivka, mykolaivka, rodinske, red liman, ray, fox, dry yar, pokrovsk, zvirove, good and novoukrainka. Containing enemy pressure, Ukrainian defenders repelled 42 attacks, one fight is ongoing so far. According to preliminary calculations, today the Russian occupiers in the Pokrovsky direction lost 96 people killed and injured. Ukrainian warriors destroyed six units of automobile equipment, five motor vehicles, one cannon, seven BPLAs, two shelters. Ukrainian defenders also hit one self-propelled artillery rig, one cannon, three units of automobile equipment and 12 shelters for personnel. In the Novopavlovsk direction, Ukrainian defenders have already repelled 14 enemy attacks near the settlements of Tolstoy, Oleksandrograd, Maliivka, Green Field, Voskresdenka, Temirivka, Novodarivka and in the direction of Filija, Zaporizhia, Komyshuvakha. Five more clashes are still ongoing. In the orihivs komu direction, Russian forces caused an air strike with unkekorovanimi missiles on novodanilivci. In the Pridniprovsk direction, the Russian aggressor made six unsuccessful attempts to advance to the positions of Ukrainian units. Lviv was hit by an air strike. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address August 14, 2025 By C. Todd Lopez, DOD News National Guard Mobilizes 800 Troops in D.C. to Support Federal, Local Law Enforcement On Aug. 11, President Donald J. Trump declared a crime emergency in the nation's capital and vowed to make streets there safe again. The National Guard is now playing a big part in that effort, assisting both federal and local law enforcement personnel in enforcing existing laws and taking violent criminals off the streets. "I think there's no more important job for this department than to stand alongside federal law enforcement partners and local police in securing our nation's capital," said Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson during a meeting today with the Pentagon press corps. "As the White House and the president have said, it is disgraceful that we have allowed D.C. to become so incredibly dangerous." About 800 National Guard troops, both Army and Air National Guard, have been called up and activated on Title 32 status to participate in the Safe and Beautiful Task Force. For now, about 200 guardsmen at a time are on the streets providing support to federal law enforcement and the Metropolitan Police Department. "They will remain there until law and order has been restored in the district, as determined by the president standing as the gatekeepers of our great nation's capital," Wilson said. While guardsmen are not currently armed as part of their participation, Wilson said their role will be similar to what it was in Los Angeles. "The National Guardsmen on this mission will assist the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement partners with monument security, community safety patrols, protecting federal facilities and offices, traffic control posts, and area beautification," Wilson said. Military personnel, Wilson said, are following the D.C. National Guard rules for the use of force. "They're all trained in de-escalation techniques, and of course, always retain the inherent right to self-defense," she said. "They will not be arresting people, but they may temporarily limit the movement of an individual who has entered a restricted or secured area without permission. So, this would be very similar to the LA mission, where we could temporarily [detain] someone and then turn them over to the proper law enforcement authorities." But even if guardsmen are not arresting offenders on the streets of the nation's capital, their mere presence has value, Wilson said. "I think another ... important point of having National Guardsmen all around D.C. is that it is also a deterrent," she said. "And it makes people feel safe, and it lets everyone know that D.C. is going to be a city in which we can be proud of, and we are standing alongside our federal partners to execute on the president's directive." According to a White House fact sheet, two embassy staffers were murdered in Washington this May. A congressional intern was shot and killed near the White House in June, and on Aug. 3, 2025, a federal employee was beaten by a mob. A White House executive order also reports that the 2024 murder rate in the District of Columbia was 27.54 per 100,000 residents, and the vehicle theft rate was at 842.4 thefts per 100,000 residents. Wilson said the department believes it will provide valuable support to both federal and local law enforcement as they follow the president's directive to make the streets of the nation's capital safe again. "We really think we're going to be a force multiplier ... we're going to allow law enforcement to better conduct the necessary operations that they need to conduct around the capital," she said. "And we're going to be there ... supporting them." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Justice Department Charges Five Senior Leaders of the United Cartels, a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization Thursday, August 14, 2025 For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs Today the Justice Department announced criminal charges against five high-ranking members of the United Cartels. Those charged are Juan Jose Farias Alvarez ("El Abuelo); Alfonso Fernandez Magallon ("Poncho"); Luis Enrique Barragan Chavez ("Wicho / R5"); Edgar Orozco Cabadas ("El Kamoni"); and Nicolas Sierra Santana ("El Gordo"). "Today's charges are designed to dismantle the United Cartels and bring their leaders to justice for unleashing death and destruction on American citizens," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "Working closely with our partners throughout President Trump's Administration, we will continue our historic effort to destroy foreign terror organizations and prosecute terrorists wherever they may hide." "Today's sanctions action draws further attention to the diverse, insidious ways the cartels engage in violent activities and exploit otherwise legitimate commerce," said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. "Treasury, alongside our partners in U.S. law enforcement, will continue to target every effort by the cartels to generate revenue for their violent, criminal schemes." "Today's announcement marks a significant step in the Justice Department's efforts to totally eliminate the United Cartels and bring its leaders to justice," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "This investigation began in a small town in Middle America and led to clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in Michoacan, Mexico. It involved extraordinary policework by our partners, some of whom came under fire in a brazen shootout - underscoring the dangers law enforcement faces every day. This case demonstrates our relentless pursuit of cartel leaders who flood our communities with illegal drugs and terrorize citizens on both sides of the border with violence." "Today, the Department of State is continuing to fulfill one of President Trump's first promises when he took office to stop the brutal criminals who are trafficking deadly drugs into our country," said Senior Bureau Official Chris Landberg of the Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. "We are announcing reward offers totaling up to $26 million for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of Mexican narcotics traffickers associated with Carteles Unidos, a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist." "Today's charges reflect the far-reaching impact of transnational criminal networks and the decisive action U.S. law enforcement is taking to dismantle them," said Acting Executive Associate Director Derek W. Gordon for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. "The United Cartels are responsible for flooding our communities with dangerous narcotics and profiting through violence, extortion, and corruption. ICE HSI, in close coordination with domestic and international partners, led a years-long investigation that traced the cartel's footprint from clandestine labs in Michoacan to major U.S. distribution hubs. This case underscores our commitment to holding cartel leaders accountable, wherever they operate and safeguarding public safety on both sides of the border." "The United Cartels has flooded every corner of our country with deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine," said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. "The indictments announced today exemplify the great work that can be achieved when federal, state, and local forces partner together to confront our greatest law enforcement challenges. What started out as an ordinary drug case in the Eastern District of Tennessee grew into a sprawling multinational investigation that will take down a transnational criminal organization precisely because law enforcement at all levels partnered together enthusiastically with mission-first single-mindedness. We are particularly grateful for our close partnerships with HSI Knoxville, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the 9th Judicial Task Force, and the Criminal Division's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, without which these results would have been impossible." According to court documents, the United Cartels is a transnational criminal and drug trafficking organization that controls large areas of Michoacan, Mexico. Acting as an umbrella organization, it unites several Michoacan-based cartels to acquire, manufacture, and distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine for smuggling into the United States. Profits from U.S. drug sales are allegedly used to acquire heavy weaponry, hire mercenaries, bribe local officials, and fund lavish lifestyles for cartel leaders. The United Cartels is among the most prolific methamphetamine producers capable of manufacturing multiple tons every month. Its distribution network spans the United States, with hubs in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City (Mo.), Sacramento, California, Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago, and extends to Europe, Australia, and other regions. On Feb. 20 , the U.S. Department of State designated the United Cartels (Carteles Unidos), as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, as amended. Court filings allege that Farias Alvarez serves as the top leader of the United Cartels, directing the importation of cocaine from Colombia via air and maritime routes, personally overseeing large shipments to the United States, and imposing a tax on methamphetamine and fentanyl producers operating in his territory. Los Reyes Cartel, allegedly led by Fernandez Magallon, is a Michoacan-based cartel that currently operates under the United Cartels umbrella. As alleged, Los Viagras Cartel, led by Sierra Santana, is another Michoacan-based cartel that until recently operated under the United Cartels umbrella. Orozco Cabadas and Barragan Chavez allegedly each lead armed factions of the United Cartels that enforce cartel control using assault weapons, improvised explosive devices, armed drones, armored vehicles, and foreign mercenaries. The five defendants allegedly participated in decades-long conspiracies to manufacture and distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, to be unlawfully imported into the United States. In addition, Farias Alvarez, Fernandez Magallon and Barragan Chavez are alleged to have carried, brandished, or discharged firearms, including semi-automatic weapons, machine guns, and destructive devices during and in relation to the alleged drug trafficking crimes charged in their indictments. If convicted, all five defendants face maximum penalties of life in prison. The five defendants are still fugitives. The U. S. Department of State announced today that it is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to Farias Alvarez's arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Fernandez Magallon's arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Sierra Santana's arrest and/or conviction; a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to Barragan Chavez's arrest and/or conviction; and a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to Orozco Cabadas's arrest and/or conviction. Also today, the U. S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced economic sanctions against these five defendants, and the United Cartels (Carteles Unidos) and Los Viagras as entities. HSI Knoxville investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by HSI Mexico City, HSI Denver, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Fresno Field Division, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Tennessee 9th Judicial Drug Task Force. Additional assistance was provided by HSI Atlanta, HSI Laredo, HSI Outer Banks, HSI Houston, HSI San Diego, HSI Kansas City, DEA Bogota, HSI Bogota, HSI Las Vegas, HSI The Hague, FBI Kansas City, FBI St. Louis, FBI Sacramento, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and DEA Los Angeles. U. S. Attorney's Offices in the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Western District of Missouri, the District of Colorado, the Eastern District of California, and the Northern District of Georgia also provided significant assistance in the investigation. Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich and Roger Polack of the Criminal Division's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Quencer for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the cases. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods. Components: Criminal Division Criminal - Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section USAO - Tennessee, Eastern Press Release Number: 847 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Justice Department Announces Seizure of Over $2.8 Million in Cryptocurrency, Cash, and other Assets Thursday, August 14, 2025 For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs The Department of Justice unsealed six warrants yesterday in the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Central District of California, and the Northern District of Texas authorizing the seizure of over $2.8 million in cryptocurrency, $70,000 in cash, and a luxury vehicle. All of the cryptocurrency was seized from a cryptocurrency wallet controlled by Ianis Aleksandrovich Antropenko, who is charged by indictment in the Northern District of Texas for conspiring to commit computer fraud and abuse, computer fraud and abuse, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. As alleged in the indictment, Antropenko used Zeppelin ransomware to target and attack a wide range of individuals, businesses, and organizations worldwide, including in the United States. Specifically, Antropenko and his coconspirators would encrypt and exfiltrate the victim's data, and typically demand a ransom payment to decrypt the victim's data, refrain from publishing it, or to arrange the data's deletion. As alleged in the unsealed warrants, the cryptocurrency and other assets are proceeds of (or were involved in laundering the proceeds of) ransomware activity. Those assets were laundered in various ways, including by using the cryptocurrency mixing service ChipMixer, which was taken down in a coordinated international operation in 2023. Antropenko also laundered cryptocurrency by exchanging cryptocurrency for cash and depositing the cash in structured cash deposits. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson for the Northern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans of the FBI Norfolk Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Dallas Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Dallas and Norfolk Field Offices and the Virtual Assets Unit are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Benjamin Bleiberg of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jongwoo "Daniel" Chung for the Northern District of Texas are handling the case, with assistance for the forfeiture provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elyse Lyons for the Northern District of Texas. Significant assistance has also been provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Kosky and Kevin Hudson for the Eastern District of Virginia. CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals and obtained court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds. CCIPS and its partners have also disrupted multiple ransomware groups, preventing victims from having to pay over $200 million in ransom payments. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Components: Criminal Division Criminal - Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section USAO - Texas, Northern USAO - Virginia, Eastern Press Release Number: 25-848 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Honduran National Sentenced to 18 Years In Prison for Role in International Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy Thursday, August 14, 2025 For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs A Honduran national was sentenced today to over 18 years in prison for participating in an international drug trafficking conspiracy. "Working with Belizean authorities, the Justice Department dismantled a major international drug trafficking operation before more than a ton of cocaine could be transported internationally," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "Transnational criminal networks that move vast quantities of narcotics pose a direct threat to the safety and health of the American people. Through strong coordination with our foreign partners, we continue to attack the problem before narcotics cross our borders." "This case is proof that there is no safe haven for those who poison our communities from abroad," said Administrator Terrance Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). "A ton of cocaine was stopped before it could ever reach our streets, and a key player in that operation will now spend years behind bars. DEA will continue to hunt down cartel operatives wherever they are from remote airstrips to the highest levels of their networks and we will bring them to justice." According to court documents, Carlos Humberto Henriquez Gomez, 57, of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, was a member of a transnational drug trafficking organization that used a U.S.-registered aircraft to transport more than a ton of cocaine from Venezuela to Belize. Henriquez Gomez played a key role in planning and carrying out the operation. In 2018, he traveled to Belize to inspect a clandestine airstrip for suitability to land a narcotics-laden aircraft. In 2019, he returned to prepare the airstrip for arrival, then assisted in offloading the cocaine for transport within Belize. Authorities intercepted the aircraft and a vehicle carrying the narcotics, seizing more than 1,300 kilograms of cocaine. The DEA Orlando District Office investigated the case. The Belize Police Department's Anti-Narcotics Unit and DEA Belize provided critical assistance. Henriquez Gomez's capture and transfer to Washington, D.C., were made possible thanks to key coordination between U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas. Trial Attorneys Douglas Meisel and Colleen King of the Criminal Division's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood. Topic: Operation Take Back America Components: Criminal Division Criminal - Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) USAO - Texas, Western Press Release Number: 25-850 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump says to seek extensions of federal control of D.C. police People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:14, August 14, 2025 WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will submit a crime bill and ask Congress for approval to extend the federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department to address crime in the nation's capital. "We're going to need a crime bill that we're going to be putting in, and it's going to pertain initially to D.C.," Trump told reporters following an event at the Kennedy Center. "We're going to be asking for extensions on that, long-term extensions, because you can't have 30 days." On Monday, Trump signed an executive order declaring a crime emergency in Washington, D.C. to "protect public servants, citizens, and tourists, and ensure the safe functioning of the federal government," according to the White House. The emergency will last for 30 days, and any extension needs to be approved by Congress. Trump on Wednesday also criticized D.C.'s push for statehood, saying: "Statehood is ridiculous. We want to straighten the place out." National Guard troops began deploying in D.C. on Tuesday night, with 800 members expected to be fully operational by the end of the week, a senior army official told local media. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Treasury Sanctions Cryptocurrency Exchange and Network Enabling Sanctions Evasion and Cyber Criminals U.S. Department of the Treasury August 14, 2025 WASHINGTON -- Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is re-designating the cryptocurrency exchange Garantex Europe OU (Garantex), which has directly facilitated notorious ransomware actors and other cybercriminals by processing over $100 million in transactions linked to illicit activities since 2019. OFAC is also designating Garantex's successor, Grinex, and taking action against three executives of Garantex and six associated companies in Russia and the Kyrgyz Republic that have supported the exchange's involvement in malicious cyber activities. "Digital assets play a crucial role in global innovation and economic development, and the United States will not tolerate abuse of this industry to support cybercrime and sanctions evasion. Exploiting cryptocurrency exchanges to launder money and facilitate ransomware attacks not only threatens our national security, but also tarnishes the reputations of legitimate virtual asset service providers," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley. "By exposing these malicious actors, Treasury remains committed to and supportive of the digital asset industry's integrity." OFAC previously designated Garantex on April 5, 2022 pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14024 for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russian Federation economy. As a result of its central role in facilitating malicious cyber-enabled activities and operating as the exchange of choice for cybercriminals, OFAC is also taking actions under its cyber authorities to designate Garantex pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended by E.O. 14144 and E.O. 14306 ("E.O. 13694, as further amended"). Grinex, along with Garantex's executives and partner companies, are also being designated pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended. This designation builds on OFAC's September 2024 sanctions against Cryptex and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's identification of PM2BTC, two other cryptocurrency exchanges that have provided financial services to cybercriminals, as well as OFAC designations of five cryptocurrency exchanges-SUEX, Chatex, Bitpapa, NetEx24, and AWEX-that have facilitated illicit activity since as early as September 2021. AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO STOP CYBERCRIMINALS Today's action is taken in collaboration with the U.S. Secret Service's Cyber Investigative Section, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On March 6, 2025, the U.S. Secret Service, in partnership with German and Finnish law enforcement, took disruptive measures against Garantex's computer infrastructure, including seizing its web domain and freezing over $26 million in cryptocurrency controlled by Garantex. On March 7, 2025, the Department of Justice unsealed indictments against Garantex executives Aleksandr Mira Serda and Aleksej Besciokov. Following the unsealing of the indictments, Aleksej Besciokov was arrested in India. After these disruptive measures were taken, Garantex moved its customer base and funds to its successor exchange, Grinex, in an attempt to continue operating despite sanctions and law enforcement actions. Additionally, the Department of State has announced two reward offers under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mira Serda and up to $1 million for other key leaders of Garantex. GARANTEX IS USED TO LAUNDER ILLICT FUNDS Garantex is a cryptocurrency exchange founded in late 2019, originally registered in Estonia, that conducts most of its operations from Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Analysis shows that over $100 million of known Garantex transactions are associated with illicit actors, including darknet markets and ransomware groups. In February 2022, Garantex lost its Estonian license to provide digital asset services after Estonia's Financial Intelligence Unit revealed critical anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) deficiencies and found connections between Garantex and wallets used for criminal activity. Most of the funds sent to Garantex, which has maintained accounts for hundreds of thousands of users, came from other cryptocurrency exchanges used for criminal conduct. Once criminal users place their funds with Garantex, these actors launder their ill-gotten funds using Garantex's exchange services. After OFAC's designation and the Estonian Financial Intelligence Unit's enforcement action in 2022, Garantex developed infrastructure intended to prevent financial institutions from attributing cryptocurrency wallet addresses back to the exchange, in an attempt to insulate itself and its customers from sanctions. This has allowed the exchange to continue to custody funds and provide other services to entities and individuals involved in illicit activities. For example, Garantex has received millions of dollars in cryptocurrency directly from the proceeds of various Russia-linked ransomware attacks, including those involving the Conti, Black Basta, LockBit, NetWalker, and Phoenix Cryptolocker ransomware variants. Garantex has also provided account and exchange services to actors associated with the Ryuk ransomware gang. Ekaterina Zhdanova, a prolific money launderer, exchanged over $2 million in Bitcoin for Tether (USDT) via Garantex. OFAC previously designated Ekaterina Zhdanova on November 3, 2023, pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russian Federation economy. OFAC is designating Garantex pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, cyber-enabled activities originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or substantial part, outside the United States that are reasonably likely to result in, or have materially contributed to, a threat to the national security, foreign policy, or economic health or financial stability of the United States and that have the purpose of or involve causing a misappropriation of funds or economic resources, intellectual property, proprietary or business confidential information, personal identifiers, or financial information for commercial or competitive advantage or private financial gain. GRINEX WAS CREATED TO AVOID SANCTIONS PLACED ON GARANTEX OFAC is designating Grinex, another cryptocurrency exchange created by Garantex employees to support the company's sanctions evasion efforts. Immediately following the March 6, 2025 law enforcement actions led by the U.S. Secret Service, Garantex officers created the infrastructure to continue to provide key services to Garantex, specifically transferring Garantex customer deposits to Grinex. Grinex's promotional materials state that the exchange was formed in response to sanctions and asset freezes that affected Garantex. Since its creation, Grinex has facilitated the transfer of billions of dollars in cryptocurrency transactions. OFAC is designating Grinex pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Garantex, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended. Garantex carried out this scheme to move its funds to Grinex and allow its customers who lost their funds following the law enforcement disruptions to regain access to their accounts using the A7A5 token, a ruble-backed digital asset. The A7A5 token is issued by Kyrgyzstani firm Old Vector. Old Vector worked with Garantex and others in the creation of the A7A5 token. Garantex users who lost revenue were provided the equivalent of their losses in the A7A5 token. The token was created for Russian customers of A7 Limited Liability Company (A7), a Russian firm that provides cross-border settlement platforms used for sanctions evasion. A7and its subsidiaries A71 Limited Liability Company (A71)and A7 Agent Limited Liability Company (A7 Agent) are owned by sanctioned Moldovan oligarch Ilan Mironovich Shor (Shor) and sanctioned Russian bank Promsvyazbank Public Joint Stock Company (PSB). Prior to the March 6, 2025 law enforcement actions, representatives for Shor met with Garantex officers to establish A7A5 trading on Garantex. OFAC is designating A7 pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods and services to or in support of, Garantex, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended. OFAC is also designating A71 and A7 Agent pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, A7, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended. Further, OFAC is designating Old Vector pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods and services to or in support of, A7, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended. KEY GARANTEX PERSONNEL AND PARTNER ENTITIES Garantex's senior executives have supported its ability to enable cybercrime and sanctions evasion by procuring computer infrastructure for Garantex, registering its trademarks, and engaging in business development efforts to make its activities appear legitimate. Garantex's network of partner companies has also enabled it to move money, including illicit funds, outside of Russia. Sergey Mendeleev (Mendeleev)is a co-founder of Garantex, Aleksandr Mira Serda (Mira Serda) is a co-owner and the chief commercial officer of Garantex, and Pavel Karavatsky (Karavatsky)is a co-owner and regional director of Garantex. Independent Decentralized Finance Smartbank and Ecosystem (InDeFi Bank) and Exved were co-founded and are controlled by Mendeleev. InDeFi Bank provides decentralized financial services outside of traditional finance applications, including helping users to purchase virtual currencies from Garantex. Exved is a payment platform that works closely with InDeFi Bank to facilitate cryptocurrency-mediated trade between Russia and other countries to subvert U.S. sanctions on Russia's financial services sector. OFAC is designating Mendeleev, Mira Serda, and Karavatsky pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Garantex, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended. OFAC is designating InDeFi Bank and Exved pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended, for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Mendeleev, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13694, as further amended. SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are 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 designated or otherwise blocked persons. In addition, financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned entities and individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. Violations of OFAC regulations may result in civil or criminal penalties. OFAC's Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC's enforcement of U.S. sanctions, including the factors that OFAC generally considers when determining an appropriate response to an apparent violation. The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC's Frequently Asked Question 897 here. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here. Click here for more information on the individuals and entities designated or otherwise blocked today. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address News / National by Staff reporter University of Zimbabwe (UZ) Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Mapfumo has labelled striking academics from the Association of University Teachers (AUT) as "retrogressive," a day after the High Court dismissed an AUT application to halt today's graduation ceremony presided over by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.AUT first approached the court on 9 August seeking to stop the university's 44th graduation, withdrew the case, and refiled it on 13 August before proceeding yesterday. The court dismissed the matter.The ceremony took place under a cloud of controversy, with the protracted lecturers' strike - now in its fourth month - having disrupted examinations, dissertation supervision, and other academic activities. The strike began on 16 April over poor working conditions and low salaries.Lecturers are demanding US$2,250 per month to restore their pre-2018 salary levels, compared to the current basic minimum of about US$230. They argue the graduation should have been postponed due to academic disruptions and alleged institutional malpractice, including the hiring of unqualified part-time lecturers, sub-standard teaching methods, compromised examination invigilation, and poor dissertation supervision - actions they say constitute "grave and unprecedented violations" of university statutes and amount to academic fraud.Addressing the graduands in the presence of President Mnangagwa, Professor Mapfumo vowed to continue implementing his contested educational "transformation agenda" despite what he described as sustained attacks against him and his administration. Senior Chinese officer holds talks with chief of Australian Defence Force Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China Source China Military Online EditorHuang Panyue 2025-08-13 21:04:42 BEIJING, Aug. 13 -- General Liu Zhenli, member of China's Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of staff of the CMC Joint Staff Department, held talks with the visiting Admiral David Johnston, chief of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in Beijing on August 13, 2025. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on China-Australia relations and mil-to-mil ties, international and regional security situations, and issues of common concern, and agreed to strengthen defense dialogue and promote the development of bilateral military relations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian's Remarks on August 14, 2025 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Updated: August 14, 2025 19:33 AFP: It's reported that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Delhi on August 18 and meet with India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Can the Chinese side confirm this and give any additional details? (Similar questions from Bloomberg and Reuters) Lin Jian: China and India are maintaining interactions at various levels. We stand ready to work with India to act on the important common understandings reached between leaders of our two countries, maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, cement political mutual trust, enhance practical cooperation, properly handle differences, and promote the sustained, sound and steady development of China-India ties. On the specific visit, relevant information will be released in due course. Jiji Press: The Japanese government said that Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China Han Jun canceled his planned visit to Japan. Comments say that this is related to the visit to Japan by head of Taiwan's so-called foreign affairs department Lin Chia-lung. Why did the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs canceled his trip? How does China see the necessity of engagement between Chinese and Japanese officials? (Similar question from Asahi Shimbun) Lin Jian: I'd refer you to competent authorities on the specific reason of Minister Han Jun postponing his visit to Japan. China holds an open attitude towards maintaining engagement at various levels with Japan. If Japan has the sincerity of conducting exchanges with China, it should take concrete actions to earnestly abide by the one-China principle, uphold the political foundation of China-Japan relations, and act on the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan as well as Japan's commitment of comprehensively advancing the China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit, instead of saying one thing but doing another. On Lin Chia-lung's visit to Japan, let me stress once again that by allowing Lin Chia-lung to pay a "personal trip," Japan provides a stage for the separatist activities of "Taiwan independence" forces, seriously violates the basic norms governing international relations and principles in the four political documents between China and Japan, and sends out a severely wrong signal. We urge Japan to have a profound reflection on history, learn lessons from history, stay prudent on the Taiwan question, refrain from harming China's sovereignty in any form, and avoid sending any wrong message to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. Bloomberg: It's reported that India and China are set to resume direct flight connections as soon as next month. Airlines in India have been asked by the Indian government to prepare flights to China at short notice, with a possible official announcement as soon as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit at the end of August in China. Can the Foreign Ministry confirm and offer more details and comments please? (Similar question from The New York Times) Lin Jian: We noted relevant reports. The total population of China and India combined is over 2.8 billion. Resuming direct flights between the Chinese mainland and India helps facilitate cross-border travel, exchanges and cooperation. For some time, the Chinese side has been in close communication with India to promote the early resumption of direct flights between the two countries. Bloomberg: There's a positive momentum of China-India relations recently, just as India's ties with the U.S. face challenges. How does China see the bilateral relations with India evolve, and how can the countries work together on the global stage? Lin Jian: China and India are both major developing countries and important members of the Global South. A cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant as partners helping each other succeed is the right choice for both sides. China stands ready to work with India to act on the important common understandings reached between leaders of our two countries, consistently increase political mutual trust, expand exchanges and cooperation together, properly handle differences while bearing in mind the bigger picture, and strengthen coordination and cooperation on such multilateral platforms as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, with a view to promoting the sound and steady development of China-India relations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Receives Greetings from President of United Russia Party Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, August 15 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, received a message of greeting from D. Medvedev, president of the United Russia Party, on Friday. In the message Medvedev extended sincere congratulations to the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from the Japanese colonial rule. The message said that they pay respect to the Korean patriots and the officers and men of the Red Army who displayed matchless courage and heroism in the struggle for freedom and independence of Korea. The peoples of the two countries are standing against the outside peace-breakers shoulder to shoulder and making purposeful efforts for establishing the righteous world order, today, too, the message noted. Soldiers of the Korean People's Army took active part in the battles for liberating the Kursk Region which had been occupied by the Ukrainian neo-Nazi forces and alien mercenaries, the message said, adding that this proves the stability of fraternal bonds between Russia and the DPRK. The message expressed conviction that bigger successes would be achieved in developing comprehensive strategic partnership by common efforts, hoping that the cooperation between the United Russia Party and the Workers' Party of Korea will make great contribution to achieving common goals including the struggle against the Western group's neo-colonialist practices. The message wished the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un successes in his responsible activities in good health and all citizens of the DPRK prosperity and well-being. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Visits Kumsusan Palace of Sun Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, August 15 (KCNA) -- All the people across the DPRK significantly greeting the historic National Liberation Day in the course of the sacred patriotic struggle to usher in the era of comprehensive prosperity of our socialist state pay the highest tribute and eternal glory to President Kim Il Sung , the national liberator and peerless patriot. Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on August 14 on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation. Present there were Pak Thae Song and Jo Yong Won, members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee, and other senior Party and government officials, chief secretaries of provincial committees of the WPK, Party and administrative officials of commissions and ministries and commanding officers of armed forces organs. The flower basket presented by the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un was laid before the statues of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il . Also laid were flower baskets in the name of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK and the Cabinet of the DPRK. Kim Jong Un paid high tribute to the statues of the great leaders. Kim Jong Un visited the halls where the great leaders lie in state and paid tribute to them with the most reverence. Saying that the national liberation feats performed by the President who liberated the country through the 20-year-long anti-Japanese war, overcoming hardships and trials, and provided the glorious history and traditions of the ever-victorious Korean revolution will be immortal along with the victorious advance of the cause of Juche, he expressed his solemn will to glorify the country, which is associated with the noble desires of the great leaders, as the most powerful and dignified country in the world and the people's ideal land. All the participants pledged to remain loyal to the ideology and leadership of Kim Jong Un , who is ushering in a new era of great victory and great change of socialist Korea, and make a single-minded efforts to accomplish the historic cause for the comprehensive rejuvenation of our state and the promotion of the people's wellbeing. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Visits Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery on Mt Taesong Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, August 15 (KCNA) -- The whole country celebrating with splendour the significant national liberation day is filled with the boundless reverence for the anti-Japanese revolutionary forerunners who consolidated the cornerstone for the eternal prosperity of our powerful state by smashing the imperialist oppression in the revolutionary spirit of Paektu and accomplishing the cause of self-reliant independence. Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, visited the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery on Mt Taesong on August 14 on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation. Present there were Pak Thae Song and Jo Yong Won, members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the C.C., WPK, and other senior Party and government officials, chief secretaries of provincial committees of the WPK, Party and administrative officials of commissions and ministries and commanding officers of armed forces organs. The guard of honour of the Korean People's Army lined up at the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery. The national anthem of the DPRK was played solemnly. Amid the playing of the wreath-laying music, a wreath bearing the august name of Kim Jong Un was laid before the wreath-laying stand of the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery on Mt Taesong. Also laid were wreaths in the name of the WPK Central Committee, the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK and the Cabinet of the DPRK. Kim Jong Un , together with all the participants, observed a moment's silence in memory of the revolutionary martyrs who devoted their precious lives to the sacred cause for the liberation of the country, the protection of its sovereignty, the freedom of the people and the happiness of all generations to come. There was a march-past of the guard of honour of the Korean People's Army. Kim Jong Un went round the revolutionary martyrs cemetery together with the participants. He laid flowers before the busts of O Jin U, O Paek Ryong, Kim Il, Choe Chun Guk, Kang Kon, Kim Chaek, An Kil, Ryu Kyong Su, Choe Hyon and Rim Chun Chu, recollecting with reverence the immortal feats and worthwhile life of the first generation of the revolution who turned out in the anti-Japanese war and achieved independence at the cost of their blood with the transparent spirit and ardent patriotism. He said that national liberation, the first precious gain of the sacred Korean revolution started with arms, was the victory of President Kim Il Sung 's original idea of independence and sovereignty and sacred leadership practice covering 20 years and the victory of the heroic struggle of the pioneering generation of our revolution who waged death-defying resistance with the firm faith that Korea would be surely liberated thanks to Kim Il Sung . The history of the anti-Japanese war is so sacred as every step of its bloody battles is associated with the world of revolutionary comradeship that can not be bartered for anything and the indomitable struggle to beat the enemy even though one may die a thousands deaths, he said, adding that the fighters who created the great spirit of Mt Paektu and the revolutionary traditions of Paektu to be handed down through generations are the genuine revolutionaries and the models of the true patriots to be remembered and learned from by all generations to come. Confirming that the DPRK would prosper forever as the world's most powerful country on the eternal foundation of victory and glory consolidated by the first generation of the revolution, Kim Jong Un sincerely wished the noble soul and spirit of the fighters immortality along with the red flag of the revolution. Under the wise leadership of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un , the absolute strength and great dignity of our powerful socialist state, the DPRK people will glorify the history and tradition of sure victory generation after generation and accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Meets Speaker of State Duma of Russian Federation Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, August 15 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, met Byacheslav Wolodin, speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, who paid a congratulatory visit to the DPRK as the head of the delegation of the State Duma of the Russian Federation on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation, in the afternoon of August 14. The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un warmly greeted Byacheslav Wolodin and had a friendly talk. Wolodin courteously conveyed the friendly greetings and congratulatory letter sent by Comrade Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, president of the Russian Federation, to the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation. Comrade Kim Jong Un expressed deep thanks to President Putin for sending warm congratulations. Warmly welcoming the visit to Pyongyang by Wolodin and the delegation of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Kim Jong Un said that the visit would serve as an occasion for adding significance to the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation, further promoting the development of the DPRK-Russia relations already on a new level and deepening the friendly and fraternal feelings between the peoples of the two countries. He referred to the fact that two days ago he had a phone conversation with Comrade Putin and agreed to expand and develop the DPRK-Russia bilateral cooperation in an all-round way and keep closer contact and communication between the state leaderships. Stressing the importance of the position and role of the two parliaments in strengthening the political and cooperative relations between the two countries and creating a political and legislative environment favourable for the development of bilateral relations, Kim Jong Un hoped that the parliaments in the two countries would make joint efforts to ensure that new interstate treaties and agreements are fully implemented in all fields. Expressing heartfelt thanks to the DPRK for dispatching excellent soldiers to the Kursk liberation operations for driving out the Ukrainian aggressors and for taking many measures helpful to defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Russia, Byacheslav Wolodin said that Russia would never forget the DPRK people and government who rendered decisive assistance at the most crucial time and the heroic feats performed by the service personnel of the Korean People's Army who fought at the cost of their lives in Russia. Noting that the relations between the Russian Federation and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea made much progress and have been further consolidated thanks to the strategic leadership of the heads of state of the two countries, he expressed the will to make proactive efforts to activate exchange and cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries. Conveying warm greetings of the DPRK government and people to the esteemed Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and the Russian people, Kim Jong Un wished Byacheslav Wolodin and all the deputies to the State Duma of Russia greater success in their legislative activities for ensuring the socio-political stability of the country and promoting the economic development and people's living. The conversation proceeded in a warm and friendly atmosphere. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Transcript of Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (August 14, 2025) India - Ministry of External Affairs August 14, 2025 Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I welcome you to this press briefing. With that, we open the floor for questions. Sidhant Sibal, WION: Hi, sir. Sidhant from WION. We have seen an announcement by the Pakistani side of creating a new command in the aftermath, of course, of the May conflict. How do you see that as for regional stability? And also, we have seen a lot of commentary by the Pakistani Prime Minister, by Bilawal Bhutto and other top officials, including, of course, by the Field Marshal Munir in US on the nuclear threat. How do you see all these comments? And what's your assessment? Keshav Padmanabhan, ThePrint: Good evening, Sir. Keshav Padmanabhan from ThePrint. Last week, we've seen that Israel has expanded its military escalation in Gaza, with the goal of having more military control over the strip. Is there any reaction from the Government of India with regards to this, given the current, you know, stories of starvation being reported in the strip? Is there any positional change in the Government of India with regards to this action? Thank you. Sahil Pandey, ANI News Agency: Sir, I'm Sahil Pandey from ANI News Agency. On 11th August, Court of Arbitration issued an award on issues of general interpretation of IWT. What is India's take on it? Madhurendra, NewsNation: Sir Bharat aur America ke riste jahan par khade hain aur jis tarah se Trump ne 50% tariff India par impose kiya hai uske baad kya kuch batcheet Bharat aur America ke beech chal rahi hai? Kai aise defense deal hai jinke derail hone ki bhi khabre samne aa rahi hai. Toh kya mana jaye ki Bharat aur America ke sambhand jo hain ab ek tarah se bepatri ho chuke hain. Is par maujuda jo sthiti hai us par aapka kya comment hai? [Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, given the current state of India-US relations, and the way Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on India, is there any dialogue going on between the two countries? There are also reports that several defence deals might get derailed. So, should it be assumed that India-US relations have, in a way, gone off track? What is your comment on the current situation? Umashankar Singh, Independent Journalist: Umashankar Singh, independent journalist. America ki taraf se ek aur bayan aaya hai jisme ki US Treasury Secretary ne kaha hai ki agar Putin Trump batcheet fail hoti hai toh Russia ke tel kharid ki vajah se Bharat pe aur zyada tariff lagaya jayega. Is pe aapki pratikriya. [Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Umashankar Singh, independent journalist. There has been another statement from the US side in which the US Treasury Secretary has said that if the Putin-Trump talks fail, India will face even higher tariffs because of its purchase of Russian oil. What is your reaction to this? Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay. So now, first, let me come to Sidhant, your question. We have seen several statements, as you rightly referred. We have seen reports regarding a continuing pattern of reckless, warmongering, and hateful comments from Pakistani leadership against India. It is well known modus operandi of the Pakistani leadership to whip up anti-India rhetoric time and again to hide their own failures. Pakistan would be well advised to temper its rhetoric, as any misadventure will have painful consequences, as was demonstrated recently. On some of the other questions that you asked, some parts of your question, we have already made our statement very clear. So, I would refer you to them. Jo Hindi ke yahan par shrota gan hai unke liye main angreji mein mein jo humne vaktavya diya hai usko main hindi mein Rupantar kar deta hu. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi]: For the Hindi-speaking audience here, I will translate into Hindi what we have stated in English. Humne Bharat ke khilaf Pakistani nrityatav ke laparwah yudh bhadkane wale aur nafrat bhare byanon ke nirantar silsile par report dekhi hai. Apni nakamiyo ko chhupane ke liye baar baar Bharat virodhi bayanbazi ko hawa dena Pakistani netrutva ka jana-mana tarika hain, jisse aap bhali bhathi avagat hai. Pakistan ko salah dete hain ki wah apni baanbazi mein sayam rakhe kyuki jaisa ki abhi hal hi mein humne dekha tha aur aap logo ne bhi dekha tha kisi bhi prakar ke dussahas ka parinam dardnak hoga. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi]: We have observed a continuing pattern of reckless, warmongering, and hate-filled statements against India by the Pakistani leadership. Repeatedly fuelling anti-India rhetoric to hide its own failures is a well-known tactic of the Pakistani leadership, which you are well aware. We advise Pakistan to exercise restraint in its rhetoric, because, as we have seen recently and you too have witnessed any kind of misadventure will have painful consequences. Keshav, on the conflict. See, our position on the conflict has been clear and consistent. There has been no change. We continue to call for a ceasefire, unconditional release of all hostages, continued supply of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, and we stand for a two-state solution. So there is no change. Our position is clear and consistent on this particular issue. Sahil, yes, we have. On your question regarding the award, India has never accepted the legality, legitimacy or competence of the so-called Court of Arbitration. Its pronouncements are therefore without jurisdiction, devoid of legal standing and have no bearing on India's rights of utilization of waters. India also categorically rejects Pakistan's selective and misleading references to the so-called award. As reiterated in our press release of 27 June 2025, the Indus Waters Treaty stands in abeyance by a sovereign decision of the Government of India, taking in response to Pakistan's continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism, including the barbaric Pahalgam attack. Madhu, Bharat - America ke rishton ke bare mein baat ki aapne. Hamare dono deshon ke riste ek comprehensive strategic partnership hai jaisa ki aap jante hain. Ye jo hamare riste hain, dwipakshiy riste, ye aapasi interest yani ki shared interest jo hai ... dono deshon ke loktantrik mulyo aur hamare dono deshon ke logo ke beech mein jo paraspar mazbut rishte hain un par adharit hai. Ye riste kai ek transition aur challenges ko inhone dekha hai iska samna kiya hai. Abhi hamara udeshy hai ki hum hamari jo substantive agenda hai ... dono deshon ke beech mein us par hum apne ko kendrit rakhe. Aur ye hamara manna hai aur asha hai ki ye sajhedari aane wale dino mein mutual respect aur shared interest ke basis pe aage badhti rahegi. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Madhu, you spoke about India-US relations. As you know, our two countries share a comprehensive strategic partnership. These bilateral ties are based on shared interests, democratic values of both nations, and the strong people-to-people bonds between our citizens. These relations have witnessed and dealt with several transitions and challenges. Our current objective is to remain focused on the substantive agenda between the two countries. It is our belief and hope that this partnership will continue to grow in the coming days on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests. Some of the people would like to hear this in English, I guess. India and the United States share a comprehensive global strategic partnership anchored in shared interests, democratic values, and robust people-to-people ties. This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges, as we had said earlier as well. We remain focused on the substantive agenda that the two countries have committed to, and we hope that the relationship will continue to move forward based on mutual respect, and shared interests. Madhu aapka dusra sawal Bharat Americi Raksha sahyog ko bhi leke tha. Bharat aur America ke beech mein jo Raksha sahyog hai bade mazboot hain. Pichle kai dashko mein dono deshon ke beech mein kai samjhote hue hain jo isko ek ayam, ek mazboot roop dete hain. Ye riste pichle kuch salon mein dashko mein kafi iska failav badha hai. Isi mahine ek defense policy team America se aane wali hai, aur sath hi sath jo dono deshon ke beech mein yudh abhyas joint military exercise jo hota hai uski 21vi kadi, us yudh abhyas ka ... 21vi joint military exercise ka naam yud abhyas hai .... ye isi mahine Alaska mein hone wali hai. Sath hi sath dono desh is par baatcheet kar rahe hain ki jo two plus two ka inter-sessional meeting hota hai, uska working level jo meeting hota hai, wo bhi is mahine dono desh karne ke liye aapas mein baatcheet kar rahe hain. Jahan tak defense acquisition ki baat hai isme jo procurement process hai wo chal raha hai jo established procedures hai uske hisab se. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Madhu, your second question was also about India-U.S. defense cooperation. The defense cooperation between India and the United States is very strong. Over the past several decades, there have been many agreements between the two countries which give this partnership a solid and well-defined dimension. In recent years and decades, these ties have expanded significantly. This month, a defense policy team from the United States is scheduled to visit, and at the same time, the 21st edition of the joint military exercise called "Yudh Abhyas" will be held in Alaska this month. Along with this, both countries are also discussing holding the inter-sessional, working-level meeting for the "2+2" dialogue this month. As far as defense acquisition is concerned, the procurement process is underway in accordance with established procedures. For years, the India-US defence partnership, underpinned by foundational defence agreements, is an important pillar of the bilateral partnership. This robust cooperation has strengthened across several domains. We are expecting a U.S. defense policy team to be in Delhi in mid-August. The 21st edition of the joint military exercise, Yudh Abhyas, is also expected to take place later this month in Alaska. Both sides remain engaged to convene the 2 plus 2 inter-sessional meeting at the working level towards the end of this month. As far as the question of defense acquisition is concerned, the procurement processes continue as per established procedures. Isi se laga hua sawal Uma aapka tha. Dekhiye jahan tak tariff ka baat hai us par hum logon ne apna statement diya hai. To main chahunga ki hamare jo statement hum logon ne pichhle kuch dino mein diye hain us par apna dhyan kendrit karein. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Uma, your question was related to this. As far as the matter of tariffs is concerned, we have already given our statement on it. So, I would like you to focus on the statements we have issued over the past few days. Abhishek Jha, Independent Journalist: Hi sir, Abhishek Jha, I'm an independent journalist. The two recent news ... I'll have your attention on. As External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is going to Moscow, could you share with us what is on the agenda that will happen between the two ministers? Also, we have seen reports that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is traveling to India next week, if you can share some detail on that. And with so much talk between India - China, India - Russia, and Russia-China, can we also foresee an RIC group meeting on the sidelines of BRICS that is happening in China this year? Ayanangsha Maitra: Ayanangsha Maitra sir. This is in line with the last question. Prime Minister is heading for Tianjin for a multilateral summit. Can we expect that India is also going to review its relations with China, especially at a time when our bilateral trade has a deficit of about 100 billion, and two major Chinese firms are under scrutiny of India's financial and enforcement agencies? Thank you, Sir. Krishna Mohan Sharma, Bharat Express: Sir, Krishna Mohan Sharma Bharat Express se. Mera sawal Pakistan se usse aage Pakistan ne ek statement diya hai ki is matter ko IWT ko hum International Court mein le jayenge kyunki Bharat ko koi adhikar nahin hai ki naisargik pani ke pravah ko woh rok sake. [Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, Krishna Mohan Sharma from Bharat Express. Pakistan has issued a statement saying that they will take this matter related to the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) to the International Court, because India has no right to stop the natural flow of water. Rishabh, Times Now: Sir, Good evening, Rishabh from Times Now. Sir, there have been three such incidents in the last one week, two in Ireland, one in Canada, where people of Indian origin or Indian nationals for that matter have been attacked. And these have been racial attacks to say one Indian gentleman who was in Dublin was attacked to an extent that he was taken to hospital by a local, a six-year-old was actually asked to go back to India. And in Canada, we saw a video coming out where an Indian couple was harassed by some young Canadians, if there's a stand that India has taken and a statement that I can expect. Dhairya Maheshwari, Sputnik: Good evening, Sir. Dhairya Maheshwari from Sputnik. The Brazilian President had said that he would host an online meeting of BRICS Nations to discuss a coordinated response to US tariffs. We have also seen Prime Minister Modi having spoken to the Brazilian and the Russian President in recent days. Does India also see a role for BRICS as far as the US tariffs are concerned? Thank you. Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay. Abhishek, first coming to your question regarding External Affairs Minister's proposed visit. He is expected to visit Moscow for the 26th session of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Technological, and Cultural Cooperation. This is to happen later this month. We will share with you further updates at the appropriate time. As also regarding the SR talks, we, as you are well aware of our position ... we will announce this visit at the appropriate time and keep you updated in this regard. On RIC, no discussions have been held on this matter. Ayanangsha, regarding your question on SCO. Again I would like to remind that we will announce such visits at the appropriate time, and we will keep you updated with the substantive part of the agenda as well. Krishna Mohan, on IWT, in response to the Court of Arbitrations, I gave a detailed response. As also on IWT, we have made our position very clear on several occasions. So, I would refer you to our statement. As also I said, in response to Sahil's question on the award that has been given, which we do not recognize. Rishabh, on your question, yes, there have been several cases of violence against Indian nationals in Ireland. You would have seen several of these reports. We have strongly taken up this matter with the Irish authorities in Dublin as well as with the Embassy here. We note that both the President of Ireland as also the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, they have publicly condemned these deplorable acts of violence. Our embassy in Dublin is in touch with the victims. They are also in touch with our community members, and is extending all possible support. We have also recently, as you would have seen ... we have issued an advisory for Indian nationals resident in Ireland. We hope that the issues will settle. On Canada, again, as far as safety and security of our nationals are concerned, we take them very seriously. Our mission as well as our consulates, they are in close touch with the community members. As and when there is an issue which needs to be flagged as far as security is concerned, we do them. We take it to the local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action. Dhairya, your question regarding ... the question of what President Lula spoke about - of a virtual meeting. India is a member of the BRICS group and we continue to remain in touch with member countries to discuss issues of shared interest. Vijai Laxmi, India TV: Sir, Vijai Lakshmi hoon India TV se. Sir, is tarah ki news reports thi ki UNGA ki jo meeting hai September mein usmein Pradhan Mantri jayenge aur kya koi dwipakshiya varta Bharat aur America ke beech mein wahan par hone ki sambhavna hai? [Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, I am Vijai Lakshmi from India TV. Sir, there were news reports that the Prime Minister will be attending the UNGA meeting to be held in September. Is there any possibility of a bilateral meeting between India and the United States taking place there? Megha Sharma, NewsX: Sir, there are reports floating that China and India are now moving on resuming talks with regards to border trade, which includes India importing critical minerals, and also exporting pharmaceuticals and fertilizers. Could you shed more light into this? Yeshi Seli, Business India: This is Yeshi Seli from Business India. Recently, the US State Department declared the Baluchistan Liberation Army as a designated ... as a terrorist organization. Does India have anything to say on that? Andres Schipani, Financial Times: Thank you. I am Andres Schipani, Financial Times. President Lula earlier this morning said that he is coming in January with a delegation to India. He spoke to your Prime Minister, he is coming in January to India. Could you confirm that ? and if this was our understanding that he was invited by Prime Minister Modi to come here? Thank you. Siddhant Mishra, CNN-News18: Hi sir, I am Siddhant from CNN-News18. Sir, I have two questions. One has already been asked by my other colleague. One is regarding this proposal by President Lula that he wants to hold a virtual meeting of BRICS nations to issue some kind of a joint statement on tariff. In fact, he did speak to Prime Minister Modi also the other day. Also, my second question is, Sir, he has also spoken about BRICS nations coming up with an alternative currency to dollars. Your comments on that. Thank you. Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: So first, Vijai Lakshmi, to your question regarding visit to UNGA. Dekhiye, is baat pe abhi koi nirnay nahin hua hai ki Pradhan Mantri UNGA ke daure par jayenge ya nahin. Toh is par jaisa ki maine pehle bhi logon ko bataya tha ki is par abhi koi nirnay nahin hua hai. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Look, no decision has yet been made on whether the Prime Minister will visit the UNGA or not. As I have mentioned to people earlier as well, no decision has been taken on this yet. For those who would like to hear this in English, it has not yet been decided if Prime Minister would be going for the UNGA or not. I hope that clarifies because a lot of people were talking about it. Megha, on the border trade. See, this has been part of India-China conversation in several of our meetings. We have remained engaged with the Chinese side to facilitate the resumption of border trade through all the designated trade points, namely Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, Shipki La Pass in Himachal Pradesh, and Nathula Pass in Sikkim. If there are further updates or any updates, we will keep you informed. Andres, see, we had gone to Rio to attend the BRICS summit. We also paid a state visit. We visited Brasilia for the state visit. And at that time, Prime Minister invited, as is normal in bilateral ties ... invited President Lula to visit India at an appropriate time. Siddhant, on your question. First part of the question I have already answered because Dhairya asked the same question. On the second part of the question regarding alternative currency, let me say that we have made our position very clear on this issue earlier as well. De-dollarization is not part of India's financial agenda. Oh yes, we have taken note of developments, I have no further comments to make Yeshi. Niraj Dubey, Prabha Sakshi: Sir, Namaskar. Main Niraj Dubey Prabha Sakshi se. Sir, ek Member of Parliament ki tipanni par Israeli Rajdoot ne jo kaha us par Videsh Mantralay ki kya pratikriya hai? [Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, Namaskar. I am Niraj Dubey from Prabha Sakshi. Sir, what is the Ministry of External Affairs' response to what the Israeli Ambassador said regarding a Member of Parliament's remark? Jessica Taneja, DD India: This is Jessica Taneja for DD India. Well, the US State Department has released its India 2024 Human Rights Report, which is also a part of their annual country report. It criticizes India for its human rights record. Any comments on that? Aditya: Sir, this is Aditya. I just wanted to ask, the UK has added India to the fast track deportation list. However, there has been no update about the status of the Indian fugitives who have gone missing in UK. What is your take on it? Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: So, first, coming to Niraj's question. Niraj, iske masle ke bare mein hamein pata hai. Jahan tak Bharat ke position ka sawal hai, is conflict pe, isko hum logon ne kai ek baar zahir kiya hai hamare public statements ke zariye.. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Niraj, we are aware of the issue. As far as India's position on that conflict is concerned, it has been publicly stated on numerous occasions. Jessica, on our comments on the Human Rights Report recently released by the US State Department. As we have always maintained, these reports are a mix of imputations, misrepresentations and one-sided projections that demonstrate a poor understanding of India's democratic framework, pluralistic society and robust institutional mechanisms for protecting human rights. We do not attach any credence to such biased assessments. We remain focused on advancing human rights of our people through inclusive governance and development. Aditya, yes, we have seen that some new regulations have been undertaken in the UK. India and the UK, we are together working to promote skilled migration, to promote legal migration, even as we work together to curb illegal migration. We have, towards this end and objective, we have signed India-UK Mobility Partnership Agreement. And, as per this agreement, both countries have agreed that foreign nationals who lose the right to reside in the other country may be deported to the country of origin. This, of course, will happen only after nationality verification of the concerned person takes place. In this new "Deport Now, Appeal Later" announcement, it provides the person who has been deported with the right to appeal against the removal, even after deportation. That is something that is new. As far as your questions regarding the person who are wanted, we are pursuing these matters through appropriate channels. Kallol Bhattacherjee, The Hindu: Kallol from The Hindu. Sir, what is your expectation from the Alaska Summit between President Putin and President Donald Trump? India has been working the telephone for the last few days. Has India played any role in facilitating this summit? Is there some Indian contribution to it that you may like to share with us? Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: You would have seen our statement. We did issue a statement welcoming the understanding reached between the United States and the Russian Federation for a meeting in Alaska on 15th August. This meeting holds the promise, as we had said, of bringing to an end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and opening up the prospects for peace. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said before on several locations: "This is not an era of war". India, therefore, endorses the upcoming summit. So, we are endorsing the upcoming summit meeting, and stand ready to support these efforts. With that, we come to the close of this press briefing. Thank you very much ladies and gentleman. New Delhi August 14, 2025 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address INS SANDHAYAK COMPLETES MAIDEN PORT CALL AT SINGAPORE India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 14 AUG 2025 4:19PM by PIB Delhi INS Sandhayak, the first Survey Vessel Large (SVL) of Indian Navy with state-of-the-art hydrography capability has concluded a fruitful maiden visit to Singapore. The ship departed from Changi Naval Base, Singapore on 12 Aug 25, marking the culmination of a goodwill visit aligned with India's Act East Policy and the MAHASAGAR initiative. The visit coincided with Singapore's National Day and strengthened the growing synergy in maritime domain awareness and hydrographic cooperation between both nations. During the port call, the Commanding Officer Captain N Dheeraj called on Mr Gary Chew, Assistant Chief Hydrographer, Singapore and Colonel Chauah Meng Soon, Commander 9th Flotilla, Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). The interaction underscored the shared commitment to enhancing hydrographic cooperation, sharing of best practices and deepening maritime domain co-operation in the region. Both sides acknowledged the critical role of accurate hydrography in ensuring navigational safety, protecting marine infrastructure, and supporting maritime trade. A key highlight of the visit was hosting of Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) personnel onboard showcasing hydrographic capabilities of Indian Navy. The visit featured a walk-through of state-of-the-art onboard systems. The team shared insights on hydrographic history, data capturing methods and also processing and joint operational roles in enhancing India-Singapore maritime synergy. The ship also welcomed a vibrant group of school children onboard as part of an educational outreach programme. The young visitors were given an immersive tour of the vessel's cutting-edge hydrographic equipment, survey boats, and chart production units. The ship's crew explained how ocean mapping helps ensure navigational safety, protect marine ecosystems etc. The Indian Navy remains committed to regional cooperation, capacity-building, and enhancing maritime cooperation among the like-minded navies. ________________________ VM/SKY 156/25 (Release ID: 2156394) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran nuclear: letter from E3 foreign ministers, 8 August 2025 Policy paper Published 13 August 2025 Letter from E3 (UK, France, Germany) foreign ministers 8 August 2025 Excellency, The UNSC Resolution 2231 (2015), endorsing the JCPoA and seizing the UN Security Council of the Iranian nuclear issue, is set to expire on 18 October 2025. Yet, the international community faces serious ongoing concerns regarding the lack of assurances as to the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. E3's commitment to diplomacy Throughout more than twenty years of diplomatic efforts, the E3 have been unified in their objective: Iran shall never seek, acquire or develop a nuclear weapon, and a negotiated solution providing credible assurances to that end should be achieved through diplomatic efforts. The E3 spent years contributing to this objective and negotiating with Iran to address the .international community's concerns about Iran's nuclear programme. These diplomatic efforts, coordinated with those of our close partners, led to the adoption of the initial Joint Plan of Action in 2013 and subsequently the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed in 2015, and to UNSC Resolution 2231 (2015). Ever since, and in spite of Iran's nuclear escalation, the E3 have continuously complied with our commitments stemming from both the JCPoA and UNSC Resolution 2231 (2015). In the wake of the United States' withdrawal from the JCPoA on 8 May 2018, and the regrettable decision by Iran to cease implementing its commitments under the JCPoA as of May 2019 [footnote 1], the E3 remained committed participants to the deal, and attempted to bring back all relevant stakeholders into compliance over several months of negotiation in 2021-2022. These attempts failed due to Iran's refusal to agree the generous offers made at the time. Despite this, the E3 have continued to engage Iran as part of our efforts to find a peaceful resolution of this issue through diplomacy. We did not participate in the planning or execution of any military action against Iran. Current E3 efforts to make diplomatic progress Ten years after the JCPoA was signed, our commitment to diplomacy remains unwavering. E3 diplomatic efforts continue, as marked by the most recent meetings of E3 Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative with their Iranian counterpart on 20 June in Geneva and of E3/EU Political Directors with Iranian Deputy Foreign Ministers on 25 July in Istanbul as part of a series of meetings. Iran's proliferation crisis cannot be removed from the UNSC's agenda at a moment when the risks that Iran's nuclear programme poses to international peace and security are not mitigated, and nuclear activities with no credible civilian justification are ongoing. Iran has violated not only the near entirety of its JCPoA commitments but also its legal obligations under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. Iran is not allowing International Atomic Energy Agency inspections to take place. Recent statements by Iranian officials threatening to withdraw Iran from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons call into question Iran's commitment to a peaceful nuclear programme. Without a robust, durable, and verifiable agreement in place, we cannot let the relevant decisions of the UNSC and the applicable international architecture lapse. Direct negotiations between Iran and the US must resume urgently. The E3 stand ready to support this process. To this end, the E3 have offered Iran a limited extension of the relevant provisions of UNSCR 2231, in exchange for Iran resuming negotiations and addressing some of the international community's most immediate concerns regarding the transparency and extent of its nuclear programme. To date, the offer put forward by the E3 has remained unanswered by Iran. Such an extension would be granted to provide additional time for negotiations with the aim of concluding a new agreement, while maintaining the possibility of resorting to the reestablishment of relevant sanctions against Iran to prevent nuclear proliferation. E3's unambiguous ability to resort to relevant provisions of UNSC Resolution 2231 (2015) E3 have always committed to use all diplomatic tools at our disposal to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon. We have made clear that if Iran is not willing to reach a diplomatic solution before the end of August 2025, or does not seize the opportunity of an extension, E3 are prepared to trigger the snapback mechanism. Despite unfounded claims to the contrary, the E3, as JCPoA participants, would be clearly and unambiguously legally justified in using relevant provisions of UNSCR 2231 (2015) to trigger UN snapback to reinstate UNSC resolutions against Iran which would prohibit enrichment and re-impose UN sanctions. Iran's Non-Performance of its JCPoA Commitments Snapback can be triggered by the E3, as JCPoA participants, because the relevant conditions under paragraph 11 of UNSC Resolution 2231 (2015) are met. Iran's actions as a JCPoA participant constitute a non-performance of its commitments under the JCPoA. Since 2019, Iran has willfully and publicly departed from its JCPoA commitments, as evidenced by more than 60 IAEA reports over 6 years. Iran's non-performance of its commitments under the JCPoA is as blatant as it is concerning. Though not exhaustive, the list of nuclear commitments under the JCPoA that Iran has not met includes: stockpiles: Accumulating a total enriched uranium stockpile of 8400kg of UF6, representing more than 40 times the JCPoA limit, according to the IAEA DG's most recent report issued on 31 May 2025 (GOV/2025/24). This includes more than 400kg of uranium enriched at 60%, which remains unaccounted for. Altogether, Iran vastly exceeds the maximum allowed uranium stockpile of 300kg of up to 3.67% enriched UF6, and therefore clearly violates paragraph 56 and 57 of Annex I of the JCPoA enrichment levels: Enriching at levels up to 60%, drastically higher than the 3,67% limit set in paragraph 56 and 57 of Annex I of the JCPoA, which is unprecedented among states without nuclear weapons according to the IAEA DG's report of31 May 2025 (GOV/2025/24) nuclear sites: Producing enriched material at sites prohibited by the JCPoA, such as Fordow, and announcing the opening of yet another enrichment site on 12 June 2025, in contravention of paragraph 45 of Annex I to the JCPoA advanced centrifuges: Producing, installing and operating thousands of new advanced centrifuges, which are prohibited under the JCPoA transparency and verification: Almost entirely rolling back JCPoA verification and monitoring commitments, including by ceasing implementation of the Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement, in contravention to paragraphs 13 and 15 of the JCPoA, culminating in the Agency losing the continuity of knowledge on several parts of Iran's programme and being unable to provide the assurance of the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme While Iran's nuclear programme has sustained significant damage, the fact of Iran's continued nonperformance of its JCPoA commitments remains. This all constitutes a clear legal basis for the E3 should we decide to notify the UNSC that Iran is in significant non-performance of its commitments under the JCPoA and therefore to trigger the snapback mechanism pursuant to paragraph 11 of UNSC Resolution 2231(2015). Use of the Dispute Resolution Mechanism The E3 have consistently sought to resolve the issues arising from Iran's noncompliance with its commitments. This has included the use of the JCPoA's Dispute Resolution Mechanism, which was activated by the E3 on 14 January 2020, as confirmed by the JCPoA Coordinator in a statement on the same date, engaging in good faith efforts to exhaust this process and reach a diplomatic solution. By contrast, Iran activated the Dispute Resolution Mechanism only in July 2020 as confirmed by the JCPoA Coordinator, more than a year after having ceased implementation of its commitments under the JCPoA. Any other purported recourse to this mechanism was never recognised by the JCPoA's participants, neither at the time, nor today. The Joint Commission was convened on multiple occasions, including at Ministerial level, and all possible efforts were made by E3 to resolve this dispute, far beyond the requisite period outlined in the JCPoA, and up until the relaunch of full formal negotiations on a deal to return Iran to full compliance withthe JCPoA, and the US to the deal, in 2021. After many months of negotiations, the JCPoA Coordinator tabled viable deals in March and again in August 2022. Much to our regret, Iran refused both packages. Despite Iran's non-performance, the E3 have continuously implemented the commitments stemming from both the JCPoA and UNSC Resolution 2231 (2015) in good faith. E3 maintained sanctions lifting despite Iran's systematic non-compliance, did not recourse to the snapback mechanism, and made extensive efforts through the establishment of INSTEX -an innovative trade mechanism to support trade with Iran -to realise the goals ofthe JCPoA. Conclusion Since 2019, the E3 have invested considerable energy and time, in good faith, in negotiations to resolve the issues arising from Iran's non-performance of its commitments under the JCPoA. We now face a situation in which, in addition to reneging on its JCPoA commitments, Iran has ceased cooperation with the IAEA, in violation of its CSA and NPT obligations. The Agency cannot provide assurances of the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme due to Iran's actions, jeopardising international peace and security. The E3 will uphold our responsibility as JCPoA participants and to the international community, by ensuring that continued appropriate consideration is given to Iran's nuclear proliferation at the UNSC, and appropriate decisions are made. The E3 remain fully committed to a diplomatic resolution to the crisis caused by Iran's nuclear programme and will continue to engage with a view to reaching a negotiated solution. We are equally ready, and have unambiguous legal grounds, to notify the significant non-performance of JCPoA commitments by Iran as foreseen under UNSCR 2231 (2015), thereby triggering the snapback mechanism, should no satisfactory solution be reached by the end of August 2025. Jean-Noel Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs David Lammy, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Johann Wadephul, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs HE Mr Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations HE Mr Eloy Alfaro de Alba, President of the United Nations Security Council HE Madam Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Coordinator of the JCPoA Joint Commission Honorable members of the United Nations Security Council IAEA, Report by the Acting Director General, _GOV/2019/55, 11 November 2019. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Araghchi: Europeans have no authority to discuss or implement any part of JCPOA IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Aug 14, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the Europeans, due to their positions, including their emphasis on zero enrichment, which recognizes Iran's right to enrich uranium in the JCPOA, have no authority to speak and implement any part of the JCPOA. "The Europeans do not have the authority to discuss or implement any part of the JCPOA, including the snapback, and there is a legal challenge between us and Europe," Araghchi said in a televised interview. Regarding Europe's activation of snapback, Araghchi said, noting that someone has denied the existence of "snapback" in the JCPOA: "The word "snapback" is not explicitly mentioned in the text, but its mechanism exists." "Snapback" means that if one party to the JCPOA refuses to fulfill its obligations and the other party becomes frustrated with the attempt to get it back to fulfilling its obligations, it can return to the state before the JCPOA. Araghchi also pointed to the recent visit of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi's deputy to Tehran, and said "The IAEA delegation met with officials from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and the Foreign Ministry in Tehran on Monday." He said, "During the consultations that took place, initial ideas were exchanged regarding how Iran and the IAEA should engage in the new period. I don't think it was a bad start, but it will take time to reach a conclusion and a modality in this regard." Referring to the peace agreement reached in Washington between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, Araghchi said "It is natural that the dimensions of the Zangezur case are not yet completely clear, but what the appearance of the matter shows and what the Armenians tell us because they insist on justifying us, what happened is completely different from what was supposed to happen and the change in the geopolitical situation of the region." The foreign minister pointed out that "of course, this very thing that is supposed to happen also has concerns for us that we are paying attention to," adding that "First, the issue of the seizure of Armenia's Syunik province was raised, we expressed our serious concerns and this project was canceled, and then the issue of the corridor was raised." He continued, "But all of this has now become a road that an American company registered in Armenia and under Armenian laws will establish under Armenian sovereignty." He further pointed out that "what Armenia is now telling us is that they have complied with all of Iran's red lines." "No American forces will be stationed on the Iran-Armenia border," he added. The foreign minister added, "We must take into account our real concerns, but we must see the matter realistically and see what exactly is happening." 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address News / National by Staff reporter Former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislator Obert Manduna has been sentenced to an effective two years in prison after being found guilty of defrauding a Bulawayo woman of US$5,900 in a failed residential stand transaction.Manduna, who previously represented the Nketa/Emganwini constituency, was arrested last year and pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, Bulawayo Provincial Magistrate Richard Ramaboea ruled against him, citing overwhelming evidence of fraud.He was sentenced to 54 months in prison, with six months suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years. An additional 24 months were suspended on condition that Manduna reimburses the complainant, Sithulisiwe Sibanda.The case has drawn attention due to Manduna's former political stature and underscores ongoing concerns about financial misconduct among public figures. Iran backs peace among neighbors while safeguarding its national interests: Araghchi Iran Press TV Thursday, 14 August 2025 8:40 AM Iran's foreign minister says Tehran supports the establishment of peace and stability among neighboring countries while it pays special attention to the geopolitical stability of the region and its own national interests. Abbas Araghchi made the remarks in a post on his Instagram account, after he said he had separate meetings with Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan and Russia's special envoy for the Caucasus Igor Khovaev in Tehran on Wednesday, during which the sides discussed international issues with the main focus on the political developments in the Caucasus region. The top Iranian diplomat added that during the meetings, he "once again" emphasized that the Islamic Republic is highly sensitive regarding "any plan or project that would restrict transportation access or the interests of our country." In his Wednesday meeting with Kostanyan, Araghchi warned that any peace deal containing plans to reopen blocked routes in the region must not alter the region's geopolitics or disrupt other countries' lines of communication. The Iranian foreign minister underscored Tehran's longstanding support for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and for reopening transport links with full respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Iranian minister was referring to a recent US-brokered peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, under which a transport corridor linking Azerbaijan to its landlocked exclave Nakhchivan is to be established. Under the deal signed in Washington on Friday, Armenia granted exclusive rights to the US to develop a corridor in its southern Syunik province, which borders Iran, to connect Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan. Iran has for long opposed the idea, saying it would change the geopolitical order of the Southern Caucasus and would restrict Iran's ability to use transport networks in the region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM Netanyahu's Remarks at the US Independence Day Reception Hosted by Newsmax Israel - Prime Minister's Office Type: Events and Speeches Government: The 37th Government Publish Date: 14.08.2025 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Remarks at the US Independence Day Reception Hosted by Newsmax Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening, at the US Independence Day reception hosted by Newsmax: "Thank you, Chris, and thank you, Newsmax, for helping us on the eighth front war. Seven fronts against Iran and its proxies, the eighth front - the battle for truth. And Newsmax, you have let the truth circle the globe against the lies that have circled it before and continue to do so. There's only one way to beat the lies, and that's with the truth. Thank you for standing up with Israel. Thank you for standing up with the truth. Sara will join us in a short moment, but I want to thank you for your kind words about her. She deserves every one of it and more. Every one of it and more. You know, I called this battle against Iran, I called it Rising Lion, because in the Bible, there's a phrase that the people of Israel should rise like lions, will rise like lions. And our brave soldiers did just that. But we also have lionesses. We have lionesses in the field. And I have a lioness at home that guards not only our cubs, but fights for the people of Israel against enormous pressures, vilifications, lies. She's just so strong and I treasure her support. There are a few things I want to say to you in English, but there's something I want to say in Hebrew, because we have the Hebrew press here, so it'll take a few minutes, and you can have running translation. It's AI, it's imperfect, but it, sort of can do the job... Did you understand that, Ambassador Huckabee? I don't know... I follow every one of your words, you could follow every one of mine. I followed you when you said the other day that the problem in Gaza is that the, not starvation for the Palestinians, and certainly for Hamas... Hamas, you said, needs Ozempic. Well, it could be. It could be funny. But it isn't. It's not funny because the deliberate starvation policy, the only deliberate starvation policy that we see in Gaza is the starving of our hostages. And you can see that when you look at their captors, and you see our emaciated hostages and these corpulent guards. Guards? Tormentors. And that's a way to puncture the falsehoods, because the battle, the eighth front that I was talking about is the battle to puncture the lies and bring out the truth. Israel has no starvation policy. It had and has a policy to separate the civilians from combatants, on two fronts. The first front is the actual battle zones. We have sent millions and millions of text messages, phone calls. This has never happened before in a war, that the army that is fighting terrorists in an urban environment calls on the civilians in enemy territory to leave, and the enemy shoots them if they try to leave. And then Israel is blamed for genocide. That's ridiculous. It is a blatant falsehood. And one of the first and most important lies that has to be exposed. The genocidal element is Hamas. The genocidal element is the Iranian axis that openly calls for the annihilation and extermination of Israel and many Jews. It calls for the death of America. But people don't understand that it begins with their attempt to destroy Israel, because we stand in their way. We're the only force in the Middle East that fights Iran. And until recently, we were the only force in the world that fought Iran. And I very much appreciate President Trump's bold decisions to send those B2s to help Israel fight against this common enemy. So, the first false accusation is genocide. The second false accusation is starvation. From the start, from the second day of the war, we said there has to be another separation between civilians and combatants, and that is that we supply humanitarian aid to the combatants [sic]. Even though we're in a very small and tight urban space, we'll do every effort to do so. And we did. If we had a starvation policy, now, nearly two years after the beginning of the war, everybody in Gaza would be dead. But they're not, because that's not our policy. Our policy is the exact opposite. We sent in two million tons, 1.9 million tons of food and medical aid into Gaza. Because that's how we conduct the war, until recently, that is, when Hamas began to loot, rob, kill, takeover humanitarian aid. We wanted to put in our own system, American companies who will distribute the aid directly to the Palestinian civilians. Again, Hamas came in, shot their way in, created riots, created every interdiction possible, and so we had a period of deprivation. Hamas caused the hunger problem. Hamas caused the shortage problem. And Israel is blamed, again falsely. We are now engaged in a humanitarian surge of offering safe, secure routes for distribution of food. We're doubling and perhaps quadrupling the number of distribution points that will be safeguarded, and we're doing airdrops and invite other countries to join us. That's what Israel is doing. And as a result, now hundreds of trucks go in daily, and that hunger problem, that deprivation problem has basically been solved. What has not been solved, what has not stopped, is the campaign of lies. And especially those photographs of three children. One of them in the New York Times. The reputable New York Times. Nobody's laughing... They put a photograph of an emaciated child, and they said, this is the cause of hunger. He's embraced by his mother. Of course the mother is not emaciated, the brother is not emaciated. But this child was not emaciated from hunger. He was emaciated by a genetic disease, cerebral palsy. And two other children, same thing. Made great pictures and so on. Horrific, heart-wrenching pictures. Because it does tear your heart out when you see this. They were also suffering from genetic diseases. But two of the three were actually taken care of by Israel. We let out one of these children to go to an Italian hospital and thank God, he recovered there. The other is incurable. He was in our hospitals, but there's nothing you can do about it. So, this is a complete reversal of lies, and I don't take it lightly. I think this battle for truth has historical, tragic historical antecedents. My father was a great historian of the Jewish people, and a great historian of the Jews and the Middle Ages. In the Middle Ages, every single massacre that the Jews suffered was preceded by a campaign of vilification and lies. We were accused of spreading disease, vermin to the gentiles. We were accused of poisoning the wells. We were accused of killing Christian children for their blood, to bake matzos for Passover. These lies, horrific as they were, propelled antisemitism right into the 20th century, into the worst massacre of them allthe Holocaust. And the Nazis pretty much said the same thing about disease, about well poisoning, and so on. Well, that same phenomenon we see today. What the Jewish people were accused of in the Middle Ages and the subsequent centuries is what the Jewish state is now being accused of. There's only one difference, then we had no defense. Now we have a country. Now we have an army. And now we fight back against our tormentors. And now we have a great ally in the form of President Trump and many of the American people. Yes, some have fallen, fallen victim to the these lies, and have followed them and swallow hook, line and sinker. And I'm talking about all these lies of Hamas, statistics of Hamas, false pictures of Hamas. But many Americans have not. Most Americans have not. They recognize that Israel stands for the same values as America. They recognize that we are fighting the barbarians at the gate. And when I say barbarians, this is not hyperbola. It's not only the goal of destroying Israel. It's even the method that they use to murder and mutilate the heathens, as they call them. And we saw that on October 7th, in the murder and rape and beheadings. The murder of women that you have just raped. The beheadings of men. And the mutilation of bodies. And the burning of babies. And the taking of over 250 hostages, grandmothers and their grandchildren, Holocaust survivors. That is the passion, and the fact that they went with GoPro cameras so people could... they could boast about it. There is something wicked and evil in this. And yet, you have on American campuses the people, even the schools that I went to in Boston. And Alan Dershowitz, you were in Harvard, I was at MIT. But can you say something in their defense right now? No. Yeah, I figured... Neither can I. Because I think it's atrocious. Yet, you have people there siding with Hamas, citing 'River to the Sea.' Basically, the river to the sea, you'd think that this is a huge country. The river is the Jordan. It's hardly a river. It's a stream. I'm telling you that. And the sea is a few kilometers from here. In between sandwiched is the state of Israel, this tiny giant country. You know, it's a giant country, but it's tiny in dimension. And they basically say, wipe it off the map. And they don't understand what they're fighting for. Maybe some of them do, but there are people who join them who don't even know what they're talking about. And it's not only the savagery of Hamas and the Iranian terror axis. In Syria just a few weeks ago, we stopped the savage massacre of Druze, a non-Islamic sect. And we saw, these people who hate them, hate us and hate America, and they chant the same thing: Death to America, death to Israel, death to the Jews, death to the heathen. And the Jews happen to be the heathen, the small minority. And they went into the town of Sweida, and they butchered the men, they raped the women, the nurses, and then shot them. They burnt babies. And they added a few things. They added, and you saw it live, and you have to see it to understand this. I mean, you see a Druze civilian wounded lying on the ground. And one of these fanatics, these unbelievable savages, they go in, knife the guy, tear out his heart and then eat it. And it takes a few seconds for death to come. So the victim has his heart eaten while he's still alive. This is savagery. This is barbarism. This is what Israel is fighting on behalf of Western civilization. On behalf of civilization. And the propagation of these lies is exactly what we had in the Middle Ages. So, now we have the capacity to physically defend the Jewish state. But we now have to muster all the forces that seek to defend our common civilization against this mutilation of the truth that threatens our common future. That's why I salute Newsmax and others who stand together, stand up for the truth, are not cowed, can speak their mind, can show the facts, could stand up for our common humanity and for our common future. And if you're not ready in this day and age, especially in this day and age, to fight for freedom, you will lose it. If you do not fight for your civilization, you will lose it. We are prepared to fight. And I know America is prepared to stand with us, and I salute you for doing the same. Thank you, thank you all." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM Netanyahu to the Ultra-Orthodox Fighters of the Border Police Avnet Company Israel - Prime Minister's Office Type: Events and Speeches Government: The 37th Government Publish Date: 14.08.2025 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the Fighters of the Border Police Ultra-Orthodox Avnet Company: "There is no contradiction between Torah and service. You are here doing a sacred mitzvah - ensuring the eternity of Israel." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today, visited the fighters of the Border Police ultra-orthodox Avnet company, together with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel Police Inspector General Danny Levy and Border Police Commander Brik Yitzhak. The Prime Minister was briefed by the Jerusalem District Border Police Commander Eiran Levy on activity in the sector as well as on the ultra-orthodox company, which combines combat and adherence to an ultra-orthodox lifestyle. Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke with the fighters and was impressed by their high motivation to serve, their strict training and their operational achievements in the field. Prime Minister Netanyahu: "We are in a struggle for our existence, for the existence of Israel, the Torah of Israel, the Land of Israel and the State of Israel. This is an unceasing struggle. We have achieved victories, and need to wield the sword of David in order to exist here. We need our heritage, but also the brandished sword, because we are fighting those who have come to destroy us. Your induction is that of generations. Generations of Jews have fought here in this land. We were expelled from here and returned here. We will hold this land only if we are able to fight for it, as well as for our faith, our character, our heritage and our identity. I am very pleased to hear that you have found here the ability to maintain an ultra-orthodox, religious, lifestyle, which is very important, this is the intention. The intention is to continue holding both the sword and the Torah. This is very important for us. It is important for me to see you and I am pleased to hear that you want more, additional means. You want to advance and contribute to defending the State of Israel and the Land of Israel, and our homes. There are people here who are really defending home. I greatly appreciate this. I also noted that you come from all parts of the country, and this is also a sign for the future. In effect, you are our vanguard. We want to expand this, add forces and bring your friends. We are in a process of very important change in order to show the great contribution of all parts of society, but you - in my view - are pioneers. It is important to understand - there is no contradiction between Torah and service. We are taking care to cancel this contradiction, and you - in effect - are taking care to do so. You are here doing the sacred mitzvah of ensuring the eternity of Israel." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Korean FM pledges to maintain China ties from perspective of seeking truth from facts; statement reflecting Seoul's growing emphasis on strengthening bilateral ties: expert Global Times By Feng Fan Published: Aug 14, 2025 03:23 PM South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Thursday pledged to maintain China-South Korea relations with a pragmatic approach, and "seek common ground while managing differences" with China, Yonhap News Agency reported, in remarks experts said likely reflect Seoul's growing emphasis on strengthening bilateral ties despite lingering frictions. Speaking at a press conference, Cho reaffirmed his commitment to a pragmatic approach, stressing the need for continued engagement to overcome "fundamental differences" while cooperating where possible, according to Yonhap. Experts noted that his remarks come amid repeated signals in recent weeks from Seoul about its intention to deepen ties with China. Lu Chao, a Korean Peninsula affairs expert at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday that recent statements from South Korea's foreign ministry and presidential office suggest a signal of current South Korea government to seek overall improvement in bilateral relations. "While negative voices and incidents still exist, the overall trajectory is positive. What matters is whether Seoul turns its words into concrete actions, such as addressing unlawful insults toward Chinese people outside its embassy and tempering irrational anti-China sentiment at home," Lu said. Cho's latest comments follow a series of recent developments in the bilateral relationship. Earlier this week, President Lee Jae-myung condemned anti-China protests near the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, calling them "hate rallies" marked by "verbal abuse and violence beyond freedom of expression," according to South Korean-based media outlet MBC News. Lee urged measures to prevent human rights violations against foreigners and vulnerable groups, warning such actions were "unworthy" of a democratic nation that values diversity and inclusivity, MBC News reported. South Korean police have since launched an investigation into the incident, according to Yonhap. The foreign minister's remarks also come after controversy over comments he made in an interview with The Washington Post during a trip to the US, where he claimed Seoul had become "rather alert to China's rise and its challenges" while expressing a desire to maintain good relations with China. The remarks drew speculation of unfriendly stance toward China, prompting responses from both governments. On August 5, the Chinese Embassy in South Korea issued a statement stressing that China and South Korea are "important neighbors and cooperative partners" and that "strengthening friendly cooperation is in the best interests of both countries and their peoples." The embassy said China stands ready to work with South Korea to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and elevate the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership to a higher level. South Korea's presidential office clarified the same day that Cho's words were meant to deliver his intention to "continue to foster a relationship between South Korea and China to contribute to people's economic well-being, regional stability and prosperity, despite differences over some issues," according to The Korea Herald. The office also noted that Cho had raised "a need for relevant countries to engage with China," The Korea Herald reported. South Korea's foreign ministry echoed the message in a statement on August 5, saying Cho had underscored "the necessity of engagement with China" in discussions with regional partners. It added that his comments were part of a broader strategy to manage China's rise while safeguarding Seoul's strategic interests, and "were not intended as provocation," according to The Chosun Daily. Chinese observers noted that alongside its rhetoric, South Korea has recently taken tangible steps to boost bilateral exchanges in a broad effort to improve ties, including granting visa-free entry to Chinese group tourists from September 29, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing welcomed the move on social media, and Cho later reposted the message, writing, "I hope this will further encourage vibrant exchanges between the peoples of Korea and China." Lu said such measures show Seoul recognizes the importance of China-South Korea relations. "We hope this positive trend will continue," he added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Commentary by Aide to the President of Russia Yuryi Ushakov on the upcoming meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump August 14, 2025 12:20 Aide to the President of Russia Yury Ushakov: Colleagues, Preparations for the meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States have entered their final stage. Given that the meeting was announced just five days ago - that is, overnight into Saturday - all arrangements are being made under intense pressure. Numerous technical matters, including visa issues, are being resolved. Naturally, the primary focus is on addressing the political aspect of the summit. I can confirm that the programme for the leaders' meeting has been agreed upon. As you are all well aware, this meeting will take place in Anchorage, Alaska, more specifically with one of the facilities at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson serving as the venue. It is expected that everything will start tomorrow, August 15, at approximately 11:30 local time with a conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. This will be a one-on-one meeting, naturally with interpreters present. Following this, the talks will continue in a delegation format, extending into a working breakfast. The list of participants has already been finalised. Given that highly sensitive and critical topics will be discussed, the negotiating parties have been limited to a select group. On the Russian side, the delegation will include Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Aide to the President for Foreign Policy Yury Ushakov, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries Kirill Dmitriev. The composition of the American delegation is also known, though it would be appropriate to await an official announcement from our American partners. Thus, in addition to the presidents themselves, each delegation will include five members. Naturally, expert teams will also be present nearby. After the talks, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will hold a joint news conference to sum up the results of the negotiations. Regarding the summit's agenda, it is evident to all that the central topic will be the settlement of the Ukraine crisis, including considerations from the discussions held in the Kremlin on August 6 - as you may recall - with the participation of the US President's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. However, broader issues related to ensuring peace and security, as well as pressing international and regional matters, will also be addressed. An exchange of views on the further development of bilateral cooperation, including in the trade and economic spheres, is also expected. It is worth noting that this cooperation holds immense, yet regrettably underutilised, potential. One additional point of significance: near the military base where the talks will take place, a memorial cemetery holds the remains of nine Soviet pilots, two military personnel, and two civilians who perished between 1942 and 1945 while ferrying aircraft from the United States to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease programme. Thus, the meeting will unfold near a site of profound historical importance - one that underscores the wartime camaraderie between our nations. This symbolism is particularly resonant in this year, the year of the 80th anniversary of Victory over Nazi Germany and militarist Japan. Colleagues, that is, broadly speaking, what I wanted to convey regarding the visit, which - as I mentioned - will commence tomorrow morning local time. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Judge Approves Divorce For Vladimir Gusinsky, Wife, As Once Powerful Oligarch Claims He Is Broke By Mike Eckel and Todd Prince August 14, 2025 Summary A U.S. judge finalized the divorce of Russian oligarch Vladimir Gusinsky and Elena Konstantinou after a 3-year legal battle. Gusinsky, once a powerful media figure, faced financial troubles and scrutiny from the FBI over business dealings. The judge awarded Konstantinou the couple's primary mansion, artwork, and jewelry, while Gusinsky retained a second mansion under foreclosure. A U.S. judge has approved the divorce of Vladimir Gusinsky and his wife of 33 years, Elena Konstantinou, after an acrimonious, 3-year legal fight in which the once-powerful Russian oligarch declared he was all but broke. The ruling by a Connecticut Superior Court judge was the latest in a series of troubles afflicting Gusinsky, who was forced into exile in the early 2000s by Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose government took over the hard-charging NTV, a private TV channel Gusinsky founded. Gusinsky did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment. Konstantinou did not respond to message seeking comment. In 2022, citing "irreconcilable differences," Konstantinou sued Gusinsky for divorce in Connecticut, where the couple had long owned a $7 million, 14,000-square-foot mansion, in the elite New York suburb of Greenwich. Gusinsky now lives full-time in Israel. In the 12-page ruling, dated June 23 and obtained by RFE/RL, Judge Michael D'Agostino recounted Gusinsky at his height of power in the 1990s, when NTV was an influential channel. Gusinsky and his media holdings played a pivotal role in supporting Putin's predecessor, Boris Yeltsin. Forced Into Exile After being jailed in 2000, compelled to give up control of NTV to the state-controlled gas company Gazprom, and forced into exile, Gusinsky built another lucrative business, producing and selling Russian-language TV series to Russian channels, and later Ukrainian channels. That line of business began to falter around 2014, D'Agostino said after Western sanctions were imposed on Russia in response to its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula and after a "falling-out with the [Russian] government." That appears to be a reference to a decision by Gazprom Media holding to cut back on buying Gusinsky's TV serials. According to people knowledgeable about the discussions, the man in charge of that decision was Mikhail Lesin, a former Kremlin press minister. Lesin, who was later pushed out of his job at Gazprom Media, was found dead in a Washington, D.C. hotel room on November 5, 2015, under mysterious circumstances. The official autopsy, obtained exclusively by RFE/RL, found that the hyoid bone in Lesin's neck was broken, raising questions about the official explanation released by Washington police and the US Department of Justice. By late 2018, Gusinsky's finances were in a dire state, and he was selling off business and assets, borrowing substantial loans from banks and private individuals. He was sued in multiple jurisdictions in the United States, Britain, and elsewhere, for failing to repay millions of dollars in various loans. Gusinsky drew scrutiny from the FBI, which questioned Konstantinou and employees of their Greenwich mansion about a host of his business dealings. That included his relationship with former FBI special agent Charles McGonigal and Sergei Shestakov, a former diplomat and business associate of McGonigal's who had worked for Gusinsky. Foreclosure Fight In court declarations filed as part of the divorce proceedings, Gusinsky declared he had no income and his only assets were the Greenwich mansion he shared with Konstantinou, and another Greenwich mansion located several kilometers away. That second mansion has been the focus of a brutal foreclosure fight that has pitted Gusinsky against a former friend and employee named Vladimir Lenskiy -- in "what has been described as the longest running foreclosure litigation in the state of Connecticut," D'Agostino wrote. Gusinsky "claims that all of his millions are gone, that he used any money he had to pay debts, and that he has nothing more squirreled away in any accounts, anyway," D'Agostino said. However, the judge also stated his financial declarations were not credible, given that Gusinsky was paying lawyers for years as part of the foreclosure fight over the second mansion. Gusinsky "abandoned" Konstantinou, the judge said, and "candidly testified" that he left the United States to move to Israel for "tax and business" reasons. The judge, who ordered a nominal annual alimony payment of $1, also ruled that Konstantinou would receive ownership of the primary Greenwich mansion, along with various artwork and jewelry that was in dispute. The second mansion, whose foreclosure is still ongoing, remains Gusinsky's, D'Agostino ordered. In his ruling, D'Agostino said he was sympathetic to Konstantinou, arguing that she had been devoted, and wholly dependent on, Gusinsky, throughout his rise and fall. And he cited a passage from the famed 20th century Russian novel The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov: "Like Bulgakov's Margarita, [Konstantinou] would indeed 'pawn her soul to the devil to find out whether he is alive or dead.'" Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/33503187.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Regulators Restrict WhatsApp, Telegram In Latest Internet Crackdown By Mike Eckel August 14, 2025 Russian regulators have moved to restrict usage of the popular messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram, the latest in a major step to push Russians onto a newly launched government-managed "super app." The move by Roskomnazdor, the agency charged with monitoring and controlling Russia's Internet, is part of a larger, multiyear effort by authorities to control how Russians access information online. In a statement dated August 13, Roskomnadzor announced that phone calls made using Telegram and WhatsApp would be partially restricted, asserting they are "the main voice services used to deceive and extort money and involve Russian citizens in sabotage and terrorist activities." "We inform you that in order to combat criminals, in accordance with the materials of law enforcement agencies, measures are being taken to partially restrict calls in these foreign messengers," state news agencies quoted the agency as saying. The move comes weeks after officials launched Max, a new app developed by VK, the social media company formerly known as VKontakte. Activists say Max is modeled partly on the Chinese app WeChat. For years, authorities have struggled to come up with ways to control or monitor WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook's parent Meta, and Telegram, which was built by the Russian technology developer Pavel Durov. Those efforts dovetailed with wider efforts to control how Russians use the Internet. In addition to targeting Western Internet giants such as Facebook, Google, Apple, and Amazon, authorities have cultivated homegrown alternatives such as Yandex, VK, and Mail.ru and moved to assert oversight or outright control of them. In a statement published on X -- another platform regulators have tried to blunt -- WhatsApp confirmed the restrictions and pledged it would do everything possible "to ensure that communication protected by end-to-end encryption remains available to people around the world, including in Russia." VK, whose CEO is the son of the influential Kremlin adviser Sergei Kiriyenko, has emerged as a leader in developing not only the Max app, but also an alternative to YouTube, the Google-owned video platform that is also hugely popular among Russians. The creation of a super app would ultimately allow Russians to do a multitude of things: chat, bank, date, hail a taxi, pay taxes, download music, play games, order food, share photos. It would also enable regulators to monitor what Russians do online. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that all government services should be transferred to Max. "They now want greater control over the information that Russians consume," Mikhail Klimarev, an activist and director of the Internet Protection Society, told Current Time. Roskomnadzor "cannot turn it off all at once, because it would have a big impact on the economy, it would be difficult for them to somehow explain this to citizens," he said. "Society is already under great stress, and then this. Instant blocking cannot lead to anything good." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-tech-restriction- whatsapp-telegram-internet/33502947.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN Syria Commission finds March coastal violence was widespread and systematic: outlines urgent steps to prevent future violations and restore public confidence Press releases Independent investigation 14 August 2025 GENEVA -- The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry today published a report on the wave of violence that engulfed coastal and western central Syria from January, finding that acts that may amount to war crimes were committed. The violence - which primarily targeted Alawi communities and culminated in massacres in early March - included murder, torture and inhumane acts related to the treatment of the dead, widespread looting and burning of homes all of which displaced tens of thousands of civilians. Some of these horrific acts were filmed and disseminated on social media, along with footage of civilians being abused and humiliated. These were perpetrated by members of the interim government's forces and private individuals operating alongside or in proximity to them, as well as by pro-former government fighters or so-called "remnants." The violations included acts that likely amount to war crimes. "The scale and brutality of the violence documented in our report is deeply disturbing," said Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, Chair of the Commission. "We call on the interim authorities to continue to pursue accountability for all perpetrators, regardless of affiliation or rank. While dozens of alleged perpetrators of violations have reportedly since been arrested, the scale of the violence documented in our report warrants expanding such efforts." In a disturbing pattern of killings documented across multiple locations, men were first identified as belonging to the Alawi sect and then separated from the women and children before being led outside to be shot and killed. Bodies were left in the streets for days, with families prevented from conducting burials in accordance with religious rites, while others were buried in mass graves without proper documentation. Hospitals became overwhelmed as corpses piled up. Medical facilities in Tartus and Latakia had already seen their capacity crippled after attacks by pro-former government fighters during an earlier phase of the violence. The Commission found that the interim government's forces in some instances sought to stop violations and evacuate and protect civilians. Nevertheless, at the same time, members of certain factions, recently incorporated into the interim government's security forces, extrajudicially executed, tortured and ill-treated civilians in multiple Alawi majority villages and neighbourhoods in a manner that was both widespread and systematic. The Commission documented consistent patterns of violence against the civilian population in multiple locations, which included targeting based on religious affiliation, age and gender, and collective executions. The Commission's findings are based on extensive investigations, including over 200 interviews with victims and witnesses. The Commission is thankful for the unfettered access granted by the interim authorities to affected areas in Latakia and Tartus in June 2025, including to a range of officials as well as three mass grave sites. Alarmingly, the Commission continues to receive information about ongoing violations in many of the affected areas, including abductions of women, arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances, as well as continued looting and occupation of property. The extreme violence that occurred has deepened existing rifts between communities, contributing to a climate of fear and insecurity amongst many Syrians throughout the country. "The affected communities need to see urgent action to increase their protection. Beyond referral of suspected perpetrators to criminal justice, individuals suspected of involvement in violations during the March events should be immediately removed from active duties pending investigation," said Commissioner Lynn Welchman. "Additionally, screening processes need to be expanded so that known or suspected perpetrators of grave violations in the past are not recruited into the ranks of the interim government security forces." The violence examined in the report was most immediately sparked by an arrest operation launched by the Syrian interim authorities on 6 March 2025, to which pro-former government fighters responded by capturing, killing, and injuring hundreds of interim government forces. This rapidly escalated into large-scale violence. Some 1,400 people, predominantly civilians, were reported killed in the ensuing massacres. The vast majority were adult men, but victims included approximately 100 women, the elderly and the disabled, as well as children. The UN Commission acknowledges the commitment of Syria's interim authorities to identify those responsible and ensure accountability for the March events. A National Inquiry, appointed by the interim president on 9 March, reported on 22 July that it had preliminarily identified 298 alleged perpetrators from military factions and 265 linked to armed groups associated with the former government, referring their names to the attorney general. "The summary report and public briefing by the Syrian National Inquiry on the March coastal violence are important steps in the process of obtaining truth and justice for all Syrians," said Commissioner Hanny Megally. "We urge the prompt release of their full report, implementation of the recommendations, and a commitment to move quickly with reform of the judiciary to advance human rights compliant trials for all accused." The Commission notes the constructive response from Syria's interim authorities, reproduced as an annex to this report, and looks forward to continuing engagement with regard to the implementation of the report's recommendations to aid in the prevention of future violations. The urgency of such action is evident in light of the alleged violations and abuses during recent events in Suwayda, which are currently under investigation by the Commission. The Commission reiterates its calls for de-escalation and dialogue, respect for human rights for all people, free from any form of discrimination, and for accountability for perpetrators of violations and abuses. It also reiterates its call to respect international humanitarian law, in particular the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need and the protection of all civilians. ENDS Background: The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic was established on 22 August 2011 by the UN Human Rights Council through resolution S-17/1.The mandate of the Commission is to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law since March 2011 in the Syrian Arab Republic. The Human Rights Council also tasked the Commission with establishing the facts and circumstances that may amount to such violations and of the crimes perpetrated and, where possible, to identify those responsible with a view of ensuring that perpetrators of violations, including those that may constitute crimes against humanity, are held accountable. The Human Rights Council has repeatedly extended the Commission's mandate since then, most recently until 31 March 2025. The commissioners were appointed by the President of the UN Human Rights Council; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights Office provides support to the Commission of Inquiry, the commissioners serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including the UN. Views presented herein are solely those of the mandated commissioners. Current Commissioners: Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, Chair (Brazil), Hanny Megally (Egypt) and Lynn Welchman (United Kingdom) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syria: Violence in Alawite areas may be war crimes, say rights investigators 14 August 2025 - Top UN human rights investigators said on Thursday that war crimes may have been committed in predominantly Alawite areas of Syria in a wave of deadly violence earlier this year. Many of the victims were Alawite, a minority community in Syria, which the former ruling Assad family belonged to. Some community members are believed to have been killed in March by forces or individuals loyal to the country's new leadership, the National Transitional Authority, which is headed by interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa. In response to the "arrest operation" launched on 6 March, fighters loyal to toppled President Bashar al-Assad responded by capturing, killing and injuring hundreds of interim government forces, the commissioners said. Looting was also widespread, while homes were set alight, leaving tens of thousands of civilians displaced, the commissioners continued. In total, approximately 1,400 people were reported killed in the ensuing massacres, predominantly civilians. "The vast majority were adult men, but victims included approximately 100 women, the elderly and the disabled, as well as children," the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said. Still a target It also warned that the Alawite community which formed former Mr. al-Assad's power base is still being targeted today. Alawites make up about 10 per cent of the majority Sunni country. According to the commissioners' latest report, the victims killed in March were murdered and tortured, while the bodies of the dead were also mutilated. They added that some acts were filmed and published on social media, along with footage of civilians being abused and humiliated. Chair of the UN panel, Paulo Pinheiro, condemned the scale and brutality of the violence which reportedly involved Alawite men being identified and singled out before being led away to be shot and killed in multiple majority Alawite villages and neighbourhoods. "Bodies were left in the streets for days, with families prevented from conducting burials in accordance with religious rites, while others were buried in mass graves without proper documentation," the commissioners' report stated. Meanwhile, hospitals became overwhelmed "as corpses piled up". Eye-witnesses The Commission's latest report is based on extensive investigations, including more than 200 interviews with victims and witnesses, including in Latakia and Tartus. The investigators also visited three mass grave sites and met senior Syrian government officials. Today, Alawite communities still live in fear and face ongoing abductions of women, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and looting and occupation of their property, investigators noted. Protection must be a priority They should be protected by the new authorities in charge of Syria, commissioners insisted. "The affected communities need to see urgent action to increase their protection. Beyond referral of suspected perpetrators to criminal justice, individuals suspected of involvement in violations during the March events should be immediately removed from active duties pending investigation," said Commissioner Lynn Welchman. Additionally, screening processes need to be expanded so that known or suspected perpetrators of grave violations in the past are not recruited into the ranks of the interim government security forces, she maintained. After 14 years of civil war which ended last December when opposition forces including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - led by interim Prsident al-Sharaa - the swept into Damascus, forcing out Mr. al-Assad, lasting damage has been done to Syria's unity. "The extreme violence that occurred has deepened existing rifts between communities, contributing to a climate of fear and insecurity amongst many Syrians throughout the country," the Commissioners said. "We call on the interim authorities to continue to pursue accountability for all perpetrators, regardless of affiliation or rank," Mr. Pinheiro continued. "While dozens of alleged perpetrators of violations have reportedly since been arrested, the scale of the violence documented in our report warrants expanding such efforts." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan bars officials from China military parade marking end of war with Japan ROC Central News Agency 08/14/2025 10:23 PM Taipei, Aug. 14 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday announced a ban on all current government officials and certain former ones from traveling to China to attend a military parade on Sept. 3, which Beijing will hold to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War. "This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Republic of China's (ROC, Taiwan's official name) victory in the War of Resistance [Against Japan]," MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh () said at a regular news briefing in Taipei. To prevent Beijing from using the Sept. 3 military parade and related events for "united front efforts targeting Taiwan," Liang said the government has prohibited central and local government officials from attending the parade or related activities organized by Chinese authorities. Personnel at all levels of government, including those in subordinate agencies, are also barred from attending, according to a MAC news release. The ban also applies to former deputy heads or higher-level officials of agencies responsible for national defense, foreign affairs, mainland affairs, or national security, as well as military officers ranked major general or above and heads of intelligence agencies, Liang added. If former officials violate the ban, they will be subject to penalties such as fines or the suspension or revocation of pensions, as stipulated in relevant provisions of the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (Cross-Strait Act), he said. Liang also urged the public not to take part in the Sept. 3 parade in Beijing or any related events in China, while noting that under current regulations, ordinary members of the public are not prohibited from attending. However, he said that if any political party, legal entity, civic group, or individual travels to China to participate and engages in any form of cooperative activity with Chinese authorities, they will be subject to penalties under the Cross-Strait Act and other relevant laws. Those cooperative activities could include "signing agreements or memorandums, issuing joint statements, or taking part in promotional campaigns," Liang added. Asked if any government officials had applied to attend events in China marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War before Thursday's announcement, Liang said there were "a few scattered cases." "Some are still under review, while others have been rejected," he added. China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported on June 25 that a military parade will be held in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3 to "mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War." Chinese President Xi Jinping () will "review the troops and address a grand gathering held that day to mark the anniversary," according to the Xinhua report. (By Sunny Lai) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address News / National by Staff reporter Farming equipment and livestock belonging to former Water Resources minister Munacho Mutezo are set to be auctioned today in Odzi, Manicaland, as part of efforts to recover a US$750,000 debt owed to his former business partner.The auction, to be conducted by Megamania Glow Auctioneer, will see the sale of machinery from Mutezo's Fernicary Farm, which trades as Rutendo Farm. Items listed for sale include a John Deere harvester with wheat and maize heads, a 500kVA power transformer, a 24kVA Kipor industrial generator, a 90hp pump, a 110hp electric motor, and 78 main pipeline sections measuring 250mm.Mutezo's livestock - seven heifers, six cows, one bull, and four calves - will also go under the hammer at a date yet to be announced.The sale follows a long-running legal battle dating back to November last year, when Mutezo sought to block the seizure of his assets. His interpleader application, in which he argued that some of the property belonged to the government under the 20072008 farm mechanisation programme, was dismissed two weeks ago by High Court judge Justice Samuel Deme.The dispute stems from a lawsuit filed by Des Moines Farm (Pvt) Ltd, which sought US$750,000 for infrastructural improvements made to Fernicary Farm, including 5% annual interest and legal costs. The court ordered Mutezo's company to pay US$455,000 in compensation plus costs.Des Moines Farm, represented by Taona Sibanda and instructed by Brian Majamanda, argued that Mutezo failed to cite the government as a party in the case, describing his attempt to involve the State in a private debt matter as unacceptable and regrettable.Mutezo, who was expelled from Zanu PF in 2016 for allegedly supporting then Vice-President Joice Mujuru's failed bid to succeed the late former President Robert Mugabe, has been battling to keep his farm assets from being sold.With the court ruling now being enforced, the sheriff has attached several movable assets at the Odzi property to recover the debt. PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan ROC Ministry of National Defense 2025/08/14 PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Date 6 a.m. Aug. 13 (Wed.) to 6 a.m. Aug. 14 (Thu.) (UTC+8) PLA activities 8 sorties of PLA aircraft and 2 PLAN ships operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 8 out of 8 sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems in response to detected activities. 1140814_PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan [Open a new window] 1140814_PLA air activities in the vicinity of Taiwan [Open a new window] NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan ROC Ministry of National Defense 2025/08/15 PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Date 6 a.m. Aug. 14 (Thu.) to 6 a.m. Aug. 15 (Fri.) (UTC+8) PLA activities 7 sorties of PLA aircraft and, 7 PLAN ships operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 2 out of 7 sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems in response to detected activities. 1140815_PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan [Open a new window] 1140815_PLA air activities in the vicinity of Taiwan [Open a new window] NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM call with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman: 14 August 2025 Press release The Prime Minister spoke to His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia this afternoon. From: Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP Published 14 August 2025 The Prime Minister spoke to His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia this afternoon. Discussing the appalling humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the Prime Minister set out the work the UK is doing to improve the situation on the ground while continuing to press for a ceasefire. He said that Israel must urgently lift its restrictions on aid and Hamas must immediately and unconditionally release all hostages. The Prime Minister shared progress on his work with allies on a long-term plan for peace to pave the way for lasting security in the region, including plans to ensure there is no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza. The leaders resolved to continue to work closely together to preserve the prospect of a two-state solution, which they reaffirmed was the only way to guarantee peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis. They agreed to stay in touch. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Denys Shmyhal: The Ministry of Defence is developing systemic changes to support released from captivity Ministry of Defence of Ukraine 13 August, 2025, 9:33 PM EEST The Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, held a meeting with service members who had been released from captivity. "This was an open and constructive dialogue aimed at identifying priorities for the successful reintegration of our soldiers," said the Minister of Defence. Participants discussed a wide range of issues that service members face after their return, from medical examinations to the creation of dedicated units responsible for addressing these matters. According to Denys Shmyhal, all constructive proposals are being reviewed, and the Ministry of Defence is already developing systemic changes. "A draft law has already been prepared in parliament that will significantly improve the reintegration system. In particular, it provides for the legislative establishment of the right to a 90-day leave," noted the Minister of Defence of Ukraine. In addition, the parties agreed on the creation of an effective Roadmap for accompanying released service members. "We must strengthen protection and support for our soldiers who have returned from captivity. Their dignity and full recovery are our priority," concluded Denys Shmyhal. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ministry of Energy: Growing water supply issues for reactors at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Ukraine Government Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, posted 14 August 2025 15:19 Over the past two weeks, IAEA personnel have reported a deteriorating situation with the cooling systems for the reactors at the russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which remain in a state of cold shutdown. "The team noted the increasing challenges of ensuring a reliable cooling water supply for the six reactors and their safety systems in their cold shutdown state, especially under current hot weather conditions, when the evaporation rate is high," said Rafael Grossi, IAEA Director General. According to him, the ZNPP's six reactors have been in cold shutdown since spring 2024 but still require cooling water for their safety systems, reactor cores, and spent fuel pools. Rafael Grossi also noted that IAEA personnel observed smoke and burnt trees close to the ZNPP cooling towers. Separately, the IAEA teams present to monitor nuclear safety and security at Ukraine's operating NPPs - Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs - and the Chornobyl NPP site reported hearing air raid alarms nearly every day over the past week. At the Khmelnytskyi NPP, the team had to shelter on Monday. Minister of Energy of Ukraine Svitlana Grynchuk, emphasized the irresponsibility of the russian occupiers' actions, which continue to pose direct threats to nuclear safety. She noted that any provocations in the vicinity of the plant could lead to unpredictable and catastrophic consequences. According to her, the occurrence of such incidents is evidence of the aggressor's reckless policy. "russia once again proves that its actions pose a real threat to nuclear safety, not only for Ukraine but for the entire European continent. Pressure on russia must continue. Ukraine's position remains unchanged: the only path to restoring nuclear safety and stability in the region is the complete demilitarization of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and its return to full Ukrainian control," stated Svitlana Grynchuk. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ministry of Defence is working on systemic changes to support those released from captivity: Denys Shmyhal Ukraine Government Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, posted 14 August 2025 09:52 Minister of Defence Denys Shmyhal met with military personnel released from captivity. "It was an open and constructive dialogue aimed at identifying priorities for the successful reintegration of our soldiers," said the head of the Ministry of Defence. The participants discussed a wide range of issues faced by military personnel upon their return, from medical examinations to the creation of separate units to deal with these issues. According to Denys Shmyhal, all constructive proposals have been taken into consideration, and the Ministry of Defence is already working on systemic changes. "The Parliament has already reviewed a bill that will significantly improve the reintegration system. In particular, it concerns the legislative consolidation of the right to a 90-day leave,' said the Minister of Defence. In addition, the parties agreed to create an effective "road map" for supporting released soldiers. "We must strengthen the protection and support of our soldiers who have returned from captivity. Their dignity and full recovery are our priority," concluded Denys Shmyhal. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump warns Russia of "very severe consequences" if ceasefire is rejected People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:13, August 14, 2025 WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that Russia would face "very severe consequences" if President Vladimir Putin refuses to agree to a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine during their upcoming meeting. After a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders, Trump said that if his talks with Putin go smoothly, he hopes to hold a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelensky in the near future. Earlier in the day, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that Washington could tighten sanctions on Moscow if the Trump-Putin talks fail to produce results. The one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin is scheduled for Friday in Anchorage, the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska. Trump described the upcoming talks as a "feel-out meeting." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Says Putin Ready For Deal As Zelenskyy Shores Up Support With Starmer By RFE/RL August 14, 2025 Summary Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met British PM Keir Starmer in London to seek support for Ukraine's security interests. The meeting comes ahead of a US-Russia summit in Alaska aimed at ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine. European leaders and Zelenskyy are concerned about being sidelined in talks led by Trump and Putin. Trump has warned Russia of severe consequences if it does not end the war but provided few details on potential measures. Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to make a deal over the war in Ukraine, US President Donald Trump said on the eve of a summit between the two world leaders in Alaska. Speaking in an interview on Fox News Radio on August 14, Trump said he believes Putin is "convinced that he's going to make a deal" at the summit to be held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson just outside Anchorage, Alaska. "He's going to make a deal. I think he's going to, and we're going to find out," Trump said. In Moscow, Putin praised Trump's efforts to end the war in a short video released by the Kremlin, saying the White House is making "quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities" and to "reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved." Hours before Trump spoke, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in London to discuss security with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "Under any scenario, Ukraine will maintain its strength," Zelenskyy said following the meeting at 10 Downing Street, the prime minister's residence in central London. "We discussed in considerable detail the security guarantees that can make peace truly durable," he added, suggesting such a possibility could arise if the United States succeeds "in pressuring Russia to stop the killings." Zelenskyy's visit to London followed his visit on August 13 to another European capital, Berlin, where he attended a video conference with several major European leaders who feared being sidelined by Trump and Putin. Trump appeared to try and allay those fears by saying in the Fox News interview that "depending on what happens" during the Putin meeting, he could call Zelenskyy to quickly set up a second meeting involving all three leaders. "Depending on what happens with my meeting, I'm going to be calling up President Zelenskyy, and let's get him over to wherever we're going to meet," Trump said. "The second meeting is going to be very, very important, because that's going to be a meeting where they make a deal. And I don't want to use the word 'divvy things up,' but you know, to a certain extent, it's not a bad term, OK?" he added. Zelenskyy has said he warned Trump during an August 13 call that Putin was "bluffing" about his desire to end the war. Trump has warned Russia of "very severe consequences" if it doesn't halt its war against Ukraine, but fears remain that the exclusion of Kyiv and Brussels in the talks could sideline their desire for the protection of fundamental European and Ukrainian security interests. He gave no details on what consequences Moscow could face if it doesn't put an end to more than 3 1/2 years of war in Ukraine, but he said the aim of the talks is "to end the war." Can Trump-Putin Talks Lead To A Cease-Fire? Trump has said to end the conflict -- the biggest in Europe since World War II -- both sides will have to swap land to end intense fighting that has cost tens of thousands of lives on both sides and displaced millions of Ukrainians. Appearing to be on the outside looking in ahead of the talks, European leaders and Zelenskyy have been scrambling to make their voices heard. Washington appears to be preparing Kyiv and Moscow for major compromises to end the war, with US Vice President JD Vance warning any peace deal will likely leave both sides "unhappy." But French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump was "very clear" in the August 13 call that he wants to achieve a cease-fire at the summit and that Trump had been clear that "territorial issues relating to Ukraine...will only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president." "There are currently no serious territorial exchange schemes on the table.... I think that's a very important point in this regard. And we hope that it can be held in Europe, in a neutral country that is acceptable to all parties," he added. If Trump's insistence on involving Ukraine is confirmed, it would help ease fears among Ukraine and its allies that leaders of the two superpowers could reach an accord that sells out Europe's and Ukraine's security interests and proposes giving Ukrainian territory to Moscow. "Trump's thinking is apparently closer aligned with that of the Europeans than first feared by some," one European official told RFE/RL after the call. Russia has consistently given the idea of a meeting with Zelenskyy the cold shoulder, suggesting it should only happen once the sides are close to signing a peace deal, not just a cease-fire agreement. That moment seems far off given the huge gap between the Russian and Ukrainian positions that persists on several major issues, including territory and security, despite three rounds of direct talks in Turkey since mid-May. The talks come at a pivotal moment, with Trump increasingly frustrated with Putin and the Russian president showing no signs of bending on the Kremlin's maximalist demands. Trump and Putin have held six phone calls, and the White House's lead envoy has traveled to Moscow at least three times. The decision to meet Putin face-to-face -- something Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, refused to do following the invasion -- reflects Trump's belief that his relationship with the Russian leader will yield a durable peace agreement. RFE/RL Europe editor Rikard Jozwiak contributed to this report. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-starmer-london- russia-us-summit-trump-putin/33502961.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Says May Consider Cutting US Troops in Europe as Part of Ukraine Deal Sputnik News 20250814 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska will be a "good meeting", but a potential second one that will include Volodymyr Zelensky will be more important, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday. "We have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow. I think it's going to be a good meeting. But the more important meeting will be the second meeting that we're having. We're going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelensky, myself, " Trump said during a press conference. The meeting between Trump and Putin is scheduled to take place in Alaska on Friday. The leaders are expected to discuss ways to resolve the Ukraine conflict as well as other issues of mutual interest. A possible trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky may include certain European Leaders, Trump added. "I think President Putin will make peace. I think President Zelensky will make peace. We'll see if they can get along, and if they can, it'll be great," Trump added. Trump believes Putin "would like" to see a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine. "I think that President Putin would like to see a deal," Trump told reporters. However, the upcoming meeting is not going to serve as a reward for Russia's actions in Ukrainian conflict, Trump noted. He also stated that although the proposal to reduce US troops in Europe hasn't been presented to him yet, he may consider it in the future to encourage Russia to pursue a peace deal with Ukraine. "That hasn't been put before me, and I'll think about that for later," Trump told reporters when asked if he is open to cutting NATO troops in Europe to get Russia to agree to a deal on Ukraine. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin, Trump Ready to Talk, Will Discuss Most Difficult Issues Sputnik News 20250814 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump are ready and intend to talk, they will discuss the most difficult issues at the upcoming talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. The meeting place for Putin and Trump on Friday will be the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage. The start of the negotiations is scheduled for 11.30 a.m. local time (19:30 GMT). "President Putin and President Trump intend to talk, they are ready to talk and will discuss the most difficult issues," Peskov told reporters. The leaders will outline the range of agreements and understandings that they will be able to reach at the summit, Peskov said. "Such mutual political will is in short supply now. We see that we probably will not get an adequate response, for example, from the Europeans," Peskov added. The Russian delegation at the Alaska summit will be representative and large, Peskov concluded. Preparations for the summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump took place in a short time frame, but all parameters were met, Dmitry Peskov said. "The preparations really took place in a very, very short time frame. Nevertheless, they were completed, all the necessary parameters were met," Peskov told reporters. The visit of Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia was productive, and the signals that were exchanged during this visit made it possible to start preparing for a meeting between the Russian and US leaders, Peskov also said. "Indeed, the time frame for preparing for the meeting is unprecedentedly short, on the one hand. But we are now in an unprecedentedly unusual situation," Peskov told Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin. Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin personally highly appreciate the unprecedentedly unusual approach to solving the most difficult issues demonstrated by US President Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman said. "We are now in an unprecedented, unusual situation. And at the same time, President Trump is demonstrating an unprecedentedly unusual approach to solving the most difficult issues, which is receiving a fairly high assessment from Moscow and President Putin personally," Peskov told Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin. Trump seems to be genuinely willing to help resolve the Ukrainian conflict through political and diplomatic means, the spokesman added. "In this case, we see the mutual political will of the two presidents [Trump and Putin] to resolve these issues [ the Ukrainian crisis] through dialogue. This is very good. Let's see what comes out of this meeting," Peskov said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address News / Regional by Gideon Madzikatidze/Simbarashe Sithole in Plumtree A 23-year-old man from Ingwizi Growth Point in Mphoengs (Plumtree) has been remanded in custody for allegedly attempting to rape a female victim and stealing her cash savings amounting to ZAR4000 after the intended act flops.Plumtree Magistrate Mr Joshua Nembaware remanded Mazikhona Ncube (accused) to August 27 of 2025, facing two counts, including attempted rape and theft charges.State represented by Sheila Nyathi alleged that on the midday of August 11 in 2025, the accused person proceeded to the female complainant's house, whereupon entering her room through an open door, he pulled down his khaki shorts whilst holding the complainant's throat with one hand and another one removing her skirt.During the horrible encounter, the complainant managed to hold and pull up her skirt back to waist position, which angered the accused, who then assaulted her on the mouth with a clenched fist upon resistance.The court further heard that the accused forcibly stole cash from the complainant, amounting to ZAR4,000.00, which vanished thereafter.A report was made leading to Ncube's arrest, and nothing has been recovered yet. Russian Forces Liberate Shcherbinovka, Iskra in DPR - MoD Sputnik News 20250814 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian forces took control of the settlements of Shcherbinovka and Iskra in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday. "Battlegroup Yug troops, through decisive actions, liberated the village of Shcherbinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said in a statement. The commander of the military group told Sputnik that the majority of the militants defending Shcherbinovka were foreign mercenaries, including Polish nationals and several individuals "speaking like Georgians." All of them were armed with NATO weapons, he added. "When they took me there, 10 minutes later, 10 meters [around 33 feet] away from me, there were men with Azov* chevrons [designated as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia]. They had their own dialect... I saw ordinary Ukrainians there only a couple of times. There were more hired foreigners than Ukrainians," the commander said. At the same time, Russia's Battlegroup Vostok took control of the settlement of Iskra, overcoming fierce resistance, and completely expelling Ukrainian militants. The group continued its offensive, advancing in the Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye regions, the ministry said. * terrorist organization banned in Russia Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, Ukraine Each Swap 84 Prisoners of War on August 14 Sputnik News 20250814 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 84 prisoners of war on Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry said. "On August 14 of this year, 84 Russian servicemen were returned from the territory controlled by the Kiev regime. In exchange, 84 prisoners of war of the Ukrainian armed forces were transferred," the ministry said in a statement. Currently, Russian soldiers are in Belarus, where they are receiving the necessary psychological and medical assistance, the ministry added. "The United Arab Emirates provided humanitarian mediation efforts during the return of Russian servicemen from captivity," the statement read. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK Scales Back Plans for Troop Deployment to Ukraine Amid Ceasefire Talks Sputnik News 20250814 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United Kingdom is reducing the scope of plans to deploy "reassurance forces" to Ukraine in case a ceasefire is agreed on, a British newspaper reported. British military chiefs have given up on deploying 30,000-personnel contingent and are now looking into plans for a more "realistic mission" for Ukraine, which would include ensuring air security over western Ukraine to resume civilian flights and providing support for training Ukrainian troops, the newspaper reported on Wednesday. On July 10, French President Emmanuel Macron said during a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer that France and the UK could deploy a joint expeditionary force in Ukraine once a ceasefire is announced. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on April 24 that deployment of NATO military contingent in Ukraine was unacceptable for Russia and posed a critical threat to global security. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's Precision Strikes Cripple Ukraine's West-Sponsored Sapsan Missile Production Sputnik News 20250814 Ukraine's military-industrial complex has suffered colossal damage as a result of a Russian operation targeting production of the Ukrainian Sapsan ballistic missile system, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement. Ukraine's plans to produce Sapsan systems for strikes inside Russia were thwarted through joint efforts of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Russian Armed Forces, with precision strikes delivered on Ukrainian defense industry facilities. Development and production of the Ukrainian missiles was unfolding at defense enterprises in the Dnepropetrovsk and Sumy regions, with financial backing and technical assistance from Western specialists, the FSB said in a statement. Intelligence confirmed Germany's participation in funding Ukraine's program. The FSB also obtained details on the Ukrainian defense industry facilities involved in the program, the locations of air and missile defenses, as well as electronic warfare systems, including US and NATO assets. Incriminating information was also uncovered about the leadership of Ukraine's defense sector, involved in fraud with state defense contracts. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Coalition of Willing Opposes Any Restrictions on Ukrainian Army as Part of Ukraine Deal Sputnik News 20250814 The so-called "coalition of the willing" has opposed any restrictions on the Ukrainian armed forces as part of the deal on settling the Ukraine conflict ahead of the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, a joint statement read. "Ukraine must have robust and credible security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Coalition of the Willing is ready to play an active role, including through plans by those willing to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased. No limitations should be placed on Ukraine's armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries. Russia could not have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to EU and NATO," the coalition said in a joint statement published by the office of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday. The coalition also believes that constructive negotiations can only take place "in the context of a ceasefire." The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled for this Friday in Anchorage, Alaska. The leaders are expected to discuss ways to resolve the Ukrainian conflict as well as other issues of mutual interest. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM meeting with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine: 14 August 2025 Press release Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted President Zelenskyy in Downing Street. From: Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP Published 14 August 2025 The Prime Minister hosted President Zelenskyy in Downing Street this morning. They had a private breakfast, where they discussed yesterday's meetings. They agreed there had been a powerful sense of unity and a strong resolve to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. They then looked ahead to tomorrow's talks between President Trump and President Putin in Alaska, which present a viable chance to make progress as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious about peace. They agreed to stay in close touch in the coming days. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andrii Sybiha held phone talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Anita Anand Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine 14 August 2025 19:20 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "During our call with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, we discussed ongoing international diplomatic efforts to achieve a just peace. Grateful for reaffirming that Canada stands with Ukraine and Ukrainian people. We agreed on the importance to increase political and sanctions pressure on Russia by using all available leverage to make Russia accept a ceasefire and start a genuine peace process. Russia's frozen assets must be fully used to ensure the aggressor pays the price for its war. Canada's participation in the Coalition of the Willing is making a valuable contribution to strengthening Ukraine's resilience and advancing international efforts to ensure a lasting peace. Grateful to Canada for its unwavering support." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andrii Sybiha held a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation of Spain Jose Manuel Albares Bueno Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine 14 August 2025 15:17 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "I had a meaningful conversation with my Spanish colleague and friend Jose Manuel Albares Bueno to coordinate our positions on bringing closer a just peace. We agreed that peace through strength is the only effective approach to negotiations with Russia. Russia has not achieved any of its strategic goals in Ukraine. Now is the decisive moment for European and transatlantic unity and strength to prevail. A full ceasefire is essential to pave the way for the peace process. We also discussed steps to strengthen Ukraine, raise the cost of war for the aggressor and make full use of its frozen assets. Grateful to Spain for unwavering solidarity with Ukraine." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andrii Sybiha held phone talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Caspar Veldkamp Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine 14 August 2025 12:07 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "I had a good call with my Dutch colleague Caspar Veldkamp. I expressed gratitude to the Netherlands for the contribution into American-NATO initiative Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List to strengthen Ukraine's air defence. We focused on the recent diplomatic developments aimed at ensuring a just peace. Ukraine highly appreciates participation of Prime Minister Dick Schoof in the sixth meeting of the Coalition of the Willing yesterday. Together with my colleague, we both share the view that a lasting peace can only be achieved through transatlantic unity, an immediate ceasefire, and decisive pressure on Russia. Ukraine appreciates the United States' efforts to end Russia's war and continues to work closely with all our partners to coordinate positions. Grateful to the Netherlands for its leadership and steadfast support in all dimensions. With friends like the Netherlands, we are not alone in defending our independence and freedom." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In London, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Keir Starmer Discussed Expectations for the Meeting in Alaska, Continued Support for Ukraine, and Security Guarantees President of Ukraine 14 August 2025 - 14:58 In London, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer. The leaders coordinated their next steps and discussed further support for Ukraine. The Head of State thanked Keir Starmer, the United Kingdom, and the entire British people for their sincere and unwavering support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. The President and the Prime Minister discussed the outcomes of yesterday's online meeting with European leaders, the joint conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, and the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing. Today, in a bilateral format, the leaders exchanged views on expectations for the meeting in Alaska and possible prospects. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Keir Starmer paid particular attention to security guarantees that could make peace truly lasting, should the United States succeed in pressing Russia to stop the killings and engage in meaningful diplomacy. The President emphasized the importance of Ukraine, together with all its partners, achieving effective formats of security cooperation within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing. The leaders also discussed in detail the continuation of programs to support the Ukrainian army and Ukraine's defense industry. In particular, they addressed such a mechanism for supplying weapons as PURL. The Head of State urged the United Kingdom to join this initiative. Special attention was paid to the One Hundred Year Partnership Agreement between Ukraine and the United Kingdom, which Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Keir Starmer signed in Kyiv this January. The President noted that Ukraine is preparing to ratify it by the end of this month. After that, an expanded Ukraine-United Kingdom meeting could be held. In addition, the leaders discussed investments in Ukraine's drone production. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine has significant potential to increase production volumes and urgently needs funding to do so. According to the Head of State, drones play a decisive role on the frontline, and Ukraine has great capacity for their manufacturing, so investments in drone production could influence the situation at a strategic level. The leaders agreed to work together with other partners toward this goal. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Queen Camilla was visibly moved at a VJ Day memorial ceremony on Friday as a 105-year-old war veteran paid an emotional, unscheduled tribute to King Charless ongoing cancer treatment. The King and Queen joined prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and 33 veterans, aged between 96 and 105, who served in east Asia and the Pacific. The national service of remembrance, held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, marked the 80th anniversary of VJ Day on 15 August, commemorating the end of the six-year war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Often overshadowed by VE Day in May 1945, this significant date serves as a poignant reminder for those who served in east Asia, historically labelled the forgotten army. Yavar Abbas, a former captain in the 11th Sikh Regiment, took to the stage. While scheduled to read extracts from his 1945 Burma diaries, Mr Abbas, originally from Lucknow in India, paused his prepared remarks to address the monarch directly. I make no apologies for briefly going off the script to salute my brave King, who is here with his beloved Queen in spite of the fact that he is under treatment for cancer, the centenarian declared. Charles and Camilla as former captain Yavar Abbas referenced his cancer battle (Reuters) Camilla looked at her husband sitting next to her and appeared to wipe away a tear. Applause also erupted from the crowd of around 1,500 guests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Abbas, who has battled cancer, added that he hoped his own 25-year remission from the disease would bring comfort to the King, offering a shared understanding of the health challenges faced. He added: I salute him for gracing this occasion, because by his presence here, he has gone a long way to make sure that his grandads Fourteenth Army is never given the sobriquet again of the forgotten army. The ceremony was hosted by actress Celia Imrie and featured readings by actor Robert Lindsay and veterans, as well as musical performances from the National Childrens Choir of Great Britain, Jennifer Pike and the Royal Corps of Signals Pipes and Drums. Ahead of the service, the King, in a pre-recorded audio address to the nation, vowed that the sacrifice of heroes who fought and died in the campaigns shall never be forgotten. King Charles shakes hands with veteran Abbas (centre) (PA) He also significantly acknowledged the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which led to Japans surrender, describing the immense price paid by its citizens as one we pray no nation need ever pay again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said: Please know that the courage and camaraderie displayed in humanitys darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity a beacon that honours our past and guides our future. After the service of remembrance, which started with a two-minute silence and a Red Arrows flypast, the King made his way to the Far East Corner of the arboretum, where he met Silas Sarbah and Khadak Chettri, the grandsons of Second World War soldiers, as well as William Slim, the great-grandson of general Bill Slim, who led the so-called forgotten army. He viewed tributes at the Burma Railway memorial, which is constructed from 30m of original track from the so-called railway of death, and took a moment of reflection at the Burma Star Memorial and the Chindit Memorial, before heading to a reception for VJ veterans and their families. The King and Queen were joined by the prime minister and Lady Victoria Starmer, as they met some 30 veterans who served in east Asia during the Second World War for the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces, accompanied by their families and carers. Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Litigation Partner Brandon Walker Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses In Zeta To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options If you are a long-term stockholder in Zeta between February 27, 2024 and November 13, 2024 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Bragar Eagel & Squire partner Brandon Walker or Marion Passmore directly at (212) 355-4648. NEW YORK, Aug. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm, is investigating potential claims against Zeta Global Holdings Corp. (NYSE:ZETA) on behalf of long-term stockholders following a class action complaint that was filed against Zeta on January 21, 2025 with a Class Period from February 27, 2024 and November 13, 2024. Our investigation concerns whether the board of directors of Zeta have breached their fiduciary duties to the company. On November 13, 2024, Culper Research published a report alleging that the integrity of the Companys data collection and reported financials is severely undermined by two factors. First, the report alleged that Zeta has formed two-way contracts with third party consent farms wherein the Company simultaneously acts as both a supplier and a buyer of consumer data, allowing the Company to flatter reported revenue growth and indicating possible round-tripping of revenue. Second, the report alleged that Zeta collects the majority of its customer data from a network of sham websites that hoodwink millions of consumers each month into handing their data over to Zeta under false pretenses. For example, the report alleged the Company and its subsidiaries operate a number of fake job boards which are designed to trick individuals into submitting personal data under the pretense of job applications. The report further alleged that the Companys most valuable data comes from these predatory websites, dubbed consent farms, which are responsible for almost the entirety of the Companys growth. On this news, the Companys stock price fell $10.46, or 37.07%, to close at $17.76 per share on November 13, 2024, on unusually heavy trading volume. The complaint filed in this class action alleges 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: (1) that Zeta used two-way contracts to artificially inflate financial results; (2) that Zeta engaged in round trip transactions to artificially inflate financial results; (3) that Zeta utilized predatory consent farms to collect user data; (4) that these consent farms have driven almost the entirety of Zetas growth; and (5) 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. If you are a long-term stockholder of Zeta, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Brandon Walker or Marion Passmore by email at investigations@bespc.com, by telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you. About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York, South Carolina, and California. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook, and keep up with other news by following Brandon Walker, Esq. on LinkedIn and X. Contact Information: VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EnWave Corporation (TSX-V:ENW | FSE:E4U) (EnWave, or the "Company") announced today it will report its financial results for the third quarter ended June 30, 2025 on Thursday, August 21, 2025 after market close. The financial statements and MD&A will be available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Companys website in the late evening Vancouver time. The Company has scheduled a conference call to discuss the results for Q3 2025 and business outlook on Friday, August 22, 2025 at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time (10:00 a.m. Eastern Time). Brent Charleton, Chief Executive Officer and Dylan Murray, Chief Financial Officer will present EnWaves results and host a question and answer period. Conference Call Details: Date: August 22, 2025 Time: 7:00am PST / 10:00am EST Participant Access: 1-877-407-2988 (toll free number) Webcast: https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=3bqW5Z8V About EnWave EnWave is a global leader in the innovation and application of vacuum microwave dehydration. From its headquarters in Delta, BC, EnWave has developed a robust intellectual property portfolio, perfected its Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV) technology, and transformed an innovative idea into a proven, consistent, and scalable drying solution for the food, pharmaceutical and cannabis industries that vastly outperforms traditional drying methods in efficiency, capacity, product quality, and cost. With more than fifty partners spanning twenty-four countries and five continents, EnWaves licensed partners are creating profitable, never-before-seen snacks and ingredients, improving the quality and consistency of their existing offerings, running leaner and getting to market faster with the companys patented technology, licensed machinery, and expert guidance. EnWaves strategy is to sign royalty-bearing commercial licenses with food producers who want to dry better, faster and more economical than freeze drying, rack drying and air drying, and enjoy the following benefits of producing exciting new products, reaching optimal moisture levels up to seven times faster, and improve product taste, texture, color and nutritional value. Learn more at EnWave.net. EnWave Corporation Mr. Brent Charleton, CFA President and CEO For further information: Brent Charleton, CFA, President and CEO at +1 (778) 378-9616 E-mail: bcharleton@enwave.net Dylan Murray, CPA, CA, CFO at +1 (778) 870-0729 E-mail: dmurray@enwave.net Safe Harbour for Forward-Looking Information Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking information based on management's expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the Company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures, and the expected synergies following the closing are forward-looking statements. All third-party claims referred to in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate. All third-party references to market information in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate as the Company did not conduct the original primary research. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. BLYTHEVILLE, Ark., Aug. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new chapter in Blythevilles future begins today as AMS Impact Group (AIG), who currently manages the Academies of Math and Science, announces its commitment to transforming the Blytheville School District through a bold and community-centered revitalization initiative. Guided by the belief that every student, family, and educator in Blytheville deserves a thriving public school system, AIG is launching a movement built on a simple message: Believe in Blytheville. This work is about more than school improvementits about restoring pride, rebuilding trust, and reigniting hope across the community, said Brandi Adams, Chief Operating Officer of AIG. We believe in Blythevilleits people, its potential, and its future. AIGs arrival signals a collaborative effort to bring renewed energy and accountability to a district that has faced longstanding challenges. With a strong track record of turning around schools through data-driven instruction, proven school leadership and authentic community engagement, AIG is prepared to transform the Blytheville School District by working side by side with local leaders, families, and organizations. AIGs support will focus on several key areas: Safe, supportive schools where students and staff can thrive Academic excellence rooted in strong instruction and high expectations Strong community connections that include families and local businesses in shaping school culture This is not a takeoverits a partnership, Kristina Winters, Superintendent of AIG, emphasized. Were here to listen, to learn, and to lead with the communitynot ahead of it. The community will begin to see increased efforts around school safety, communication, instructional quality, and family engagement. Local partnerships including churches, businesses, nonprofits, and civic organizations will play a critical role in ensuring that schools and the town rise together. AIG is inviting local businesses, civic organizations, and community members to join this movement; Believe in Blytheville. The transformation wont happen overnight, but it will happenwith commitment, collaboration, and the courage to believe in something better, Winters said. We are deeply grateful for partners like Nucor, whose steadfast commitment to Blythevilles students and community has been unwavering. Their continued support not only strengthens our schools, but also inspires the shared belief that together, we can create a brighter future for every child. More information about upcoming community meetings and engagement opportunities will be shared in the coming weeks. AMS Impact Group currently manages the Academies of Math and Science, a charter school network based out of Arizona. Academies of Math and Science currently has 9 campuses spread across Phoenix and Tuscon, as well as one campus in Little Rock, Arkansas. Caylee Migliorini Vice President of Marketing AMS Impact Group cmigliorini@amsimpact.org A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/662bb8e7-3343-490d-9805-bf3dbf51d677 SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C., Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RealESALetter.com is excited to announce its nationwide service that makes getting an emotional support animal letter easier than ever. People across America can now skip the stressful paperwork and long waits and instead get a fully legitimate ESA letter from the comfort of their home in as little as 24 hours. With more Americans relying on emotional support animals to cope with conditions like anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD and other emotional challenges the need for a quick and reliable ESA letter service has never been greater. RealESALetter is stepping up to meet that need with a process designed for speed simplicity and complete legal compliance. What is an ESA Letter and Why It Matters An ESA letter is an official document written by a licensed mental health professional confirming that you need an emotional support animal as part of your treatment plan. Under the Fair Housing Act this letter gives you the legal right to live with your ESA in housing that normally has no pet rules and without paying extra fees or deposits. While recent changes in federal law mean that ESAs are no longer guaranteed for airline travel they remain fully protected for housing purposes across all fifty states. This means your ESA can be with you at home providing comfort and support every day. The Four Simple Steps to Get Your ESA Letter RealESALetter has turned what used to be a complicated process into a quick and straightforward experience for anyone in the United States. Step 1: Quick Pre Screening Start by filling out a short and friendly online form to see if you might qualify. It only takes a few minutes and helps you move forward with confidence. Step 2: Choose Your Service Select the type of letter you need. Options include an ESA housing letter, a psychiatric service dog consultation or a bundle that includes both. Helpful tips guide you so you pick exactly what suits your needs. Step 3: Connect with a Licensed Professional You will be matched with a licensed mental health professional in your state. They will review your information through a secure online platform and assess your situation with care and professionalism. Step 4: Receive Your ESA Letter If approved your ESA letter will be delivered digitally to your inbox within 24 hours. For urgent needs a same day option is also available so you can get protected without delay. Why People Across United States Choose RealESALetter Fast Results : Most ESA letters are emailed to your inbox within 24 hours after approval, so you can move forward without delays. : Most ESA letters are emailed to your inbox within 24 hours after approval, so you can move forward without delays. Hard Copy Delivery : A professionally printed and signed hard copy of your ESA letter arrives at your doorstep within 3 business days. : A professionally printed and signed hard copy of your ESA letter arrives at your doorstep within 3 business days. 100% Legal Compliance : Fully compliant with all Fair Housing Act requirements and issued by licensed mental health professionals in your state. : Fully compliant with all Fair Housing Act requirements and issued by licensed mental health professionals in your state. Money-Back Guarantee : If your ESA letter is not accepted by a housing provider, youre eligible for a full refund. : If your ESA letter is not accepted by a housing provider, youre eligible for a full refund. Multi-Pet Friendly : Option to include more than one ESA in your letter at no extra hassle. : Option to include more than one ESA in your letter at no extra hassle. Nationwide Service : Licensed providers in all 50 states, ensuring your letter meets your states legal standards. : Licensed providers in all 50 states, ensuring your letter meets your states legal standards. Secure & Confidential : HIPAA-compliant platform that safeguards all your personal and medical information. : HIPAA-compliant platform that safeguards all your personal and medical information. Same-Day Option : For urgent cases, receive your ESA letter the same day after approval. : For urgent cases, receive your ESA letter the same day after approval. Ongoing Support: Friendly customer care team ready to assist you with renewals, landlord communications, and any questions. Protect Your Legal Rights with an ESA Letter RealESALetter.com empowers individuals to live with their emotional support animals without fear of unfair housing restrictions. Backed by the Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act, and tailored for states with stricter rules like California, New York, and Florida, their ESA letters stand strong against legal challenges. In college dorms, suburban neighborhoods, or urban apartments with strict no-pet policies, clients gain the confidence and documentation needed to keep their ESA by their side. About RealESALetter RealESALetter is a trusted nationwide provider of legitimate ESA letters, connecting individuals with licensed mental health professionals in all fifty states in the United States. Known for speed, security, and full legal compliance, the platform has helped thousands secure housing accommodations and keep their emotional support animals by their side under the protections of the states and federal laws. With a track record of positive client reviews and a commitment to navigating even the strictest state regulations, RealESALetter continues to be a leading choice for anyone seeking reliable ESA documentation. For more information or to get started with your ESA letter today visit: www.RealESALetter.com. Media Contact: Trina Delacruz RealESALetter.com press@realesaletter.com (800) 123-4567 www.realesaletter.com 1413 HWY 17S 1320, Surfside Beach, SC, 29575, USA Disclaimer: This press release is provided by RealESALetter. 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 trading advice. Investing involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research 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 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. 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 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. ZURICH, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EAACI has launched its Antibiotic Allergy Awareness Campaign during its 2025 Congress in Glasgow. The initiative begins a global effort to address mislabelling and its link to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). A Global Call to Action Antibiotic allergy mislabelling affects millions worldwide. Inaccurate labels lead to avoidance of first-line treatments and overuse of second-line antibiotics, fuelling AMR. EAACI calls on all stakeholders to promote accurate diagnosis and responsible antibiotic use. We are launching a movement not a moment, said Maria Torres, EAACI President. Too many lives are impacted by unverified allergy labels that limit treatment options and worsen health outcomes. This campaign builds momentum to correct labels, improve safety, and preserve antibiotics for future generations. Correcting labels means saving lives now and in the future. The Campaign's Objectives: Raise awareness about the dangers of incorrect antibiotic allergy labels Empower patients and healthcare professionals with tools and training Promote evidence-based allergy evaluation protocols Encourage rational antibiotic prescribing to protect long-term efficacy Breaking Down the Barriers Many patients carry outdated, unverified, or self-reported allergy labels, reducing treatment options and increasing risk. The campaign tackles these issues through education, training, and advocacy. Resources to Drive Change A central feature of the campaign is a short educational video explaining antibiotic allergy and why correct labels matter. The Promotional Kit 2025 offers tools to amplify the campaign across all platforms. Join the Movement Launched under the slogan Correct Labels, Better Lives, the campaign invites professionals, educators, institutions, and individuals to join the global awareness effort. Together, we can protect the effectiveness of antibiotics. Explore the campaign and download resources: https://eaaci.org/eaaci-antibiotic-allergy-awareness-campaign/ About EAACI The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) is Europes largest professional association in the field, committed to advancing research and care for those affected by allergic diseases. Learn more: https://eaaci.org Contact: communications@eaaci.org | +41 44 205 55 33 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f2d7cd4b-652b-4207-9c07-315528446450 HSINCHU, Taiwan, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Director of the Brain Research Center at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Taiwan, Ann-Shyn Chiang (), Professor of the Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Chung-Chuan Lo (), and Distinguished Chair Professor of the Department of Physics, Ting-Kuo Lee (), led a cross-disciplinary team that has uncovered how fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) rapidly decide to either eat or escape. The study found that their brains transmit olfactory signals through a hybrid neural network, using so-called generalist neurons to process common odors such as pheromones and floral scents, and specialist neurons to handle the most crucial food-related odors. Scientists once believed that neural connectivity in the fruit flys brain was random. However, Ann-Shyn Chiang discovered that these connections not only include random components but also feature dedicated specialist lines precise and efficient pathways responsible for processing more critical information. The findings shed new light on the neural computing mechanisms of insect brains and may pave the way for future applications that bridge brain science and artificial intelligence. The research was recently published in Science Advances, a leading international journal. The mushroom body, located at the center of the fruit flys brain, is the crucial hub for processing sensory information and supporting learning and memory. For the past two decades, scientists have held different views about the neural connectivity of the mushroom body. Nobel laureate Richard Axel (2004, Physiology or Medicine) analyzed roughly 10% of the relevant neurons and concluded that the neural connections were random. On the other hand, Ann-Shyn Chiang has argued that there may be specific patterns of connectivity within the fruit flys brain. Chiang, a renowned neuroscientist and Academician of Academia Sinica, led a research team at NTHU that used neural connectome analysis, in vivo imaging technology, and computer simulation to study the hemibrain dataset. The team discovered that the connectivity between olfactory nerves and central neurons is neither entirely random nor completely stereotypic, but rather follows a hybrid pattern that combines both random and stereotypic features. Specific neural clusters exhibit clear preferences for connection partners, encoding different odors through both dispersed and convergent patterns, balancing the sensitivity and diversity of olfactory recognition. The mushroom body in the fruit flys brain works like a miniature central processing unit (CPU), integrating various types of sensory input to assist the fruit fly in making decisions in complex environments, such as avoiding risks, finding food, or locating a mate. The research team at NTHU found that the olfactory neurons of the fruit fly are divided into two functional types: specialists and generalists. Generalist neurons can respond to a wide range of odors including food, pheromones, flowers, and trees and diffuse signals to multiple neural circuits simultaneously, much like a radio transmission. In contrast, specialist neurons manage only key odors, such as those associated with food like fruit. They function more like a dedicated phone line, centralizing key information directly to designated neurons. Professor Chung-Chuan Lo, from the Institute for Systems Neuroscience, further explained that the hybrid neural connections in fruit flies resemble a strong password one that blends randomness and order. Just like the way an ideal password combines familiar words with random characters, such as adding numbers or symbols to a name, the structure may seem illogical at first, but it is both easy to remember and difficult to decode, Lo said. Ann-Shyn Chiang noted that the discovery of hybrid neural connections in fruit flies, which combine both random and orderly features, sheds light on how the brain distributes and integrates information. It is also expected to offer new insights into the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Parkinsons disease, as well as provide inspiration for the design and application of AI neural networks. The first authors of the paper are Li-Shan Cheng (), a masters student from the Department of Physics, and Ching-Che Charng (), a doctoral student in the Institute for Systems Neuroscience. The corresponding authors are Distinguished Chair Professor Ann-Shyn Chiang, Professor Chung-Chuan Lo, and Distinguished Chair Professor of the Department of Physics Ting-Kuo Lee. The NTHU research team also includes Kuan-Lin Feng (), a postdoctoral researcher at the Brain Research Center, and Ruei-Huang Chen (), a doctoral student at the Department of Neuroscience. Feng was responsible for studying the biology and behavior of fruit flies, while Chen used functional imaging experiments to observe how olfactory information is transmitted in neural networks. Ann-Shyn Chiang pointed out that Li-Shan Cheng and Ching-Che Charng led the teams core theoretical analysis, while Ruei-Huang Chen and Kuan-Lin Feng were the scientists responsible for experimental testing. The key to unraveling the neural connectivity of fruit flies is to combine cross-disciplinary collaboration in physics, neuroscience, and behavioral research, Chiang said. The NTHU Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence initiated the research on fruit fly neural connections in collaboration with Taiwans China Medical University (CMU), the National Health Research Institutes, Academia Sinica, and the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind Research at the University of California, San Diego. The project received support from Taiwans Ministry of Education, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), and the Peng Education and Welfare Foundation. Contact: Holly Hsueh NTHU (886)3-5162006 hoyu@mx.nthu.edu.tw The Director of the NTHU Brain Research Center, Ann-Shyn Chiang (, front-right), and Professor Chung-Chuan Lo (, front-left) of the Institute for Systems Neuroscience led a cross-disciplinary team to crack the code of the fruit flys brain. The team included Ruei-Huang Chen (, from back-left), a doctoral student at NTHUs Institute of Systems Neuroscience; Li-Shan Cheng (), a masters student in NTHUs Department of Physics; Ching-Che Charng (), a doctoral student from the Institute of Systems Neuroscience; and Guan-Lin Feng (), a postdoctoral researcher at the Brain Research Center. (Photo: National Tsing Hua University) A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/738adc57-2d8f-451f-8d67-ae0ad78bb063 Dublin, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Point-of-use Water Treatment Systems - Company Evaluation Report, 2025" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Point-Of-Use Water Treatment Systems Companies Quadrant is a comprehensive industry analysis that provides valuable insights into the global market for Point-Of-Use Water Treatment Systems. This quadrant offers a detailed evaluation of key market players, technological advancements, product innovations, and emerging trends shaping the industry. This 360 Quadrants evaluated over 100 companies, of which the Top 13 Point-Of-Use Water Treatment Systems Companies were categorized and recognized as quadrant leaders. The point-of-use water treatment systems market is projected to grow steadily throughout the forecast period, primarily due to rising concerns over water safety and the risks associated with waterborne diseases. Continued water contamination from industrial discharge, aging infrastructure, agricultural runoff, and inadequate treatment in several regions is prompting consumers to take individual action to ensure the cleanliness of their drinking water. Given the wide variability in water quality, especially in developing economies, many individuals are adopting point-of-use solutions to protect themselves from harmful bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, and chemical pollutants. Rapid urbanization in regions such as Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America is contributing to market expansion. As urban populations rise and water resources become increasingly strained, there is a growing demand for compact, easy-to-install, and cost-effective purification systems. A growing middle class, combined with increasing disposable income in emerging nations, is encouraging more consumers to invest in advanced water purifiers that enhance their quality of life and overall well-being. Government initiatives focused on promoting safe water, improving public health, and enforcing strict water quality standards are also expected to support market growth. Point-of-use water treatment systems are appliances installed at individual or multiple taps to deliver high-quality water free from contaminants such as chlorine, iron, sulfur, and dissolved solids. This treated water is suitable for drinking, cooking, and other domestic or commercial uses. These compact purification or filtration units are placed at the point where water is consumed - such as kitchen sinks, faucets, or portable pitchers - ensuring immediate access to clean and safe water. Key Players Key players in the Point-Of-Use Water Treatment Systems market include major global corporations and specialized innovators such as Pentair, Eureka Forbes, Panasonic Holdings Corporation, Lg Electronics, A. O. Smith, Toray Industries, Inc., Whirlpool Corporation, Coway Co., ltd., Havells India Limited, Kent Ro Systems Ltd., Grupo Rotoplas, S.a.b. De C.v, 3m, and Ab Electrolux. 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 3 Companies Pentair Pentair focuses on providing sustainable water treatment solutions for residential and commercial needs. The company has a robust product portfolio that includes pressure tanks, valves, and various types of filtration systems. Pentair is divided into segments like Flow, Water Solutions, and Pool, ensuring a comprehensive approach to water management. The company's acquisitions and partnerships have expanded their product portfolio, aiding its ranking and positioning in the market. LG Electronics LG Electronics is a global leader in home appliances, offering point-of-use water treatment products within its Home Appliance & Air Solution segment. The company's vast subsidiary network facilitates a strong market foothold across multiple regions, including North America, Asia, and Europe. The company's strategy involves frequent product launches and leveraging their technological capabilities to maintain competitiveness. A.O. Smith A.O. Smith maintains a focus on residential and commercial water treatment products, with a strong presence in North America. It has strategically expanded through acquisitions, strengthening its market share and company positioning. The company's focus on technological innovation and quality helps it cater to diverse consumer needs, enhancing its market share against competitive threats. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 1.1 Market Definition 1.2 Stakeholders 2 Executive Summary 3 Market Overview 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Market Dynamics 3.2.1 Drivers 3.2.1.1 Rising Water Pollution and Untreated Wastewater 3.2.1.2 Rapid Population Growth 3.2.1.3 Greater Awareness About Benefits of Water Treatment 3.2.1.4 Technological Innovations 3.2.2 Restraints 3.2.2.1 High Installation, Equipment, and Operation Costs 3.2.2.2 High Bottled Water Consumption and Alternative Water Sources in Urban Areas 3.2.2.3 Water Quality in Different Regions 3.2.3 Opportunities 3.2.3.1 Expanding Middle-Class Population 3.2.3.2 Government and Ngo Support 3.2.4 Challenges 3.2.4.1 Aging Infrastructure 3.2.4.2 Limited Rural Reach and Maintenance Barriers 3.3 Trends/Disruptions Impacting Customer Business 3.4 Ecosystem Analysis 3.5 Value Chain Analysis 3.6 Technology Analysis 3.6.1 Key Technologies 3.6.1.1 Nanotechnology-Based Filtration 3.6.1.2 Electrochemical and Electrocoagulation Systems 3.6.1.3 Iot and Smart Water Monitoring Systems 3.6.2 Complementary Technologies 3.6.2.1 Uv-Based Water Purification Technologies 3.6.2.2 Bio-Based and Microbial Water Purification Technologies 3.6.2.3 Ceramic Water Filtration Systems 3.6.3 Adjacent Technologies 3.6.3.1 Solar Water Disinfection (Sodis) 3.6.3.2 Atmospheric Water Generators (Awgs) 3.7 Patent Analysis 3.7.1 Introduction 3.8 Key Conferences and Events, 2025-2026 3.9 Impact of Gen Ai/Ai on Point-Of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market 3.9.1 Introduction 3.9.1.1 Impact of Gen AI on Point-Of-Use Water Treatment Systems Market 3.10 Porter'S Five Forces Analysis 3.10.1 Threat of New Entrants 3.10.2 Threat of Substitutes 3.10.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 3.10.4 Bargaining Power of Buyers 3.10.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry 4 Competitive Landscape 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Player Strategies/Right to Win 4.3 Revenue Analysis 4.4 Market Share Analysis 4.5 Company Valuation and Financial Metrics 4.5.1 Company Valuation 4.6 Financial Metrics 4.7 Brand/Product Comparison 4.8 Company Evaluation Matrix: Key Players, 2024 4.8.1 Stars 4.8.2 Emerging Leaders 4.8.3 Pervasive Players 4.8.4 Participants 4.8.5 Company Footprint: Key Players, 2024 4.8.5.1 Company Footprint 4.8.5.2 Region Footprint 4.8.5.3 Device Footprint 4.8.5.4 Technology Footprint 4.8.5.5 Application Footprint 4.8.5.6 Sales Channel Footprint 4.9 Company Evaluation Matrix: Startups/Smes, 2024 4.9.1 Progressive Companies 4.9.2 Responsive Companies 4.9.3 Dynamic Companies 4.9.4 Starting Blocks 4.9.5 Competitive Benchmarking: Startups/Smes, 2024 4.9.5.1 Detailed List of Key Startups/Smes 4.9.6 Competitive Benchmarking of Key Startups/Smes 4.10 Competitive Scenario 4.10.1 Product Launches 4.10.2 Deals 4.10.3 Expansions 5 Company Profiles Pentair Eureka Forbes Panasonic Holdings Corporation Lg Electronics A. O. Smith Toray Industries, Inc. Whirlpool Corporation Coway Co.Ltd. Havells India Limited Kent Ro Systems Ltd. Grupo Rotoplas, S.A.B. De C.V. Water Technologies De Mexico, S.A. De C.V. Alxedo Ab Electrolux Aquaphor International Ou Bwt Holding GmbH Enagic International 3M Drinkprime Bepure Cyclopure Optysun Peore Ceramica Stefani S.A. Pure Aqua, Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ljfroc 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. NEW YORK and SAN DIEGO, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), through its fifth flagship fund, CI V, and EDF power solutions North America, today announced that CIP has acquired full ownership of the 1 gigawatt hour (GWh) Beehive Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). Beehive is a 250 MW / 4-hour duration (1,000 MWh) storage project located in Peoria, Arizona. Following commencement of construction earlier this year by EDF power solutions, CIP will manage the project through the remainder of construction, with commercial operation expected in the first half of 2026. The project has a 20-year tolling agreement with Arizona Public Service Company (APS), the largest energy company in Arizona, serving approximately 1.4 million homes and businesses in 11 of the states 15 counties. Beehive is designed to receive energy from the power grid during periods of high renewable penetration, store it in a series of batteries, and discharge electricity back into the power grid at peak demand hours. The BESS thereby supports APS in managing its growing energy and capacity demand. With electricity demand rapidly increasing in the Southwest, we anticipate battery storage will play a critical role in powering innovation and economic growth, said Tim Evans, Partner and Head of North America at CIP. Beehive will provide reliable energy and grid services to customers in Arizona and build on CIPs track record of developing, constructing, and operating energy infrastructure investments across the country. We are pleased to have worked with the EDF power solutions team. The project marks EDF power solutions' second stand-alone energy storage project, underscoring its commitment to innovation and the expansion of expertise in BESS technology. As a vital complement to its core renewable generation business, energy storage has gained increasing importance in EDF power solutions portfolio reinforcing the companys dedication to maximizing the potential of renewable energy and accelerating the energy transition, ultimately contributing to the decarbonization of the economy. EDF power solutions actively seeks partnerships across all stages of a projects lifecycle, with an eye toward both optimizing our portfolio and maximizing value creation, said Ryan Pfaff, Executive Vice President, Grid and Distribution-Scale Power at EDF power solutions North America. We value the opportunity to collaborate with CIP on the Beehive project and look forward to working with CIP to ensure the successful completion of this critical large-scale energy storage system to support Arizonas grid during peak hours. EDF power solutions is committed to delivering reliable and affordable low-carbon solutions to meet customers carbon-reduction goals while reinforcing American energy dominance. With over 35 years of experience and 23 gigawatts of wind, solar, and storage projects developed, EDF power solutions offers integrated energy solutions ranging from grid-scale power to electric vehicle charging, ensuring a sustainable and resilient energy future for all. CI V reached final close in March 2025 and exceeded the target of USD 14 billion (EUR 12 billion). The fund invests in energy infrastructure across a range of power generation technologies in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, and has a total potential commitment of approximately USD 27 billion (EUR 24 billion). About CIP Founded in 2012, CIP today is the worlds largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield energy investments. The funds managed by CIP focus on investments in storage, solar PV, wind, biomass and energy-from-waste, transmission and distribution, reserve capacity, advanced bioenergy, and Power-to-X. CIP manages 13 funds and has to date raised approximately USD 37 billion (EUR 32 billion) for investments in energy and associated infrastructure from approximately 180 international institutional investors. CIP has projects in more than 30 countries and more than 2,500 employees across platforms. For more information, visit www.cip.com. About EDF power solutions North America Bringing together the businesses of EDF Renewables and EDF Group International Division, EDF power solutions is an international energy player which develops, builds and operates low-carbon energy production facilities as well as flexible power and electricity transmission solutions. In North America, EDF power solutions has been providing clean energy solutions throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico since 1987. We are a market-leading independent power producer and service provider, serving utilities, corporations, industries, communities, institutions, and investors with reliable, low-carbon energy solutions that help meet growing demand. From developing and building scalable wind (onshore and offshore), solar, storage (battery and pumped storage hydropower), smart EV charging, microgrids, green hydrogen, and transmission projects to maximizing performance and profitability through skilled operations and maintenance and innovative asset optimization, our teams deliver expert solutions along the entire value chainfrom origination to commercial operation. Our portfolio consists of 23 gigawatts of developed projects and 16 gigawatts under service contracts. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marimaca Copper Corp. (Marimaca Copper or the Company) (TSX:MARI, ASX:MC2) is pleased to announce further drilling at the Pampa Medina deposit, extending the high-grade sediment-hosted manto-system 300m to the west from previous drilling. Pampa Medina is located at low altitude approximately 28km east of the Companys Marimaca Oxide Deposit (MOD) in a flat pampa valley within the Atacama Desert (Figure 1). The Company is executing a 10,000m extensional drilling program with three rigs currently on site. Highlights Hole SMRD-16 extends the high-grade manto-system a further 300m to the west, with varying depths of the oxide to sulphide transition (Figure 1 and 4) Further validation of the Pampa Medina exploration model: a unique stratiform, sediment hosted, copper system with extensive high-grade sequences Interbedded sandstone, shale and conglomerate units continue to deliver the highest-grade zones (>1% Cu) across broad thicknesses The favourable mineralized stratigraphic sequence is now defined by drilling across a 1.2km x 1.2km area at the Pampa Medina deposit and remains open extensional drilling will focus on the north and the west Highlights from SMRD-16 (true widths estimated to be 95% of reported intersection): 70m of 1.0% from 434m including: 10m of 4.2% Cu from 438m downhole within 30m of 2.1% Cu from 434m (Figure 3) Oxide and secondary sulphide 116m of 0.61% Cu from 516m including: 8m of 1.8% Cu from 528m (sulphide) 10m of 1.2% Cu from 568m (sulphide) 20m of 1.1% Cu from 612m (sulphide) 50m of 0.53% Cu from 744m including: 10m of 1.1% Cu from 782m (sulphide) Hole SMRD-15 demonstrates uplifting of the eastern extension, with a broad zone of near-surface oxide mineralization intersected at 122m down hole in hosted by remnants of sediments just above the contact with basement rocks SMRD-15 intersected 42m of 0.51% Cu from 158m (oxides) SMRD-16 extends the high-grade mineralized manto 300m west along section from previously reported holes (see Figure 4): Hole SMRD-13 (300m west of SMRD-15) 6m of 12.0% Cu from 594m downhole within 26m of 4.1% Cu from 580m and a broader 100m of 1.3% Cu from 580m Hole SMD-02 (600m east of SMRD-16 on section) (previously reported) 40m of 2.1% Cu from 282m downhole within 132m of 1.0% Cu from 278m Hole SMRD-12 (300m east of SMRD-16 on section) (previously reported) 56m of 1.4% Cu from 566m downhole Similar to the MOD, Pampa Medinas location is expected to drive significant infrastructure and permitting benefits: Proximity to other mines and associated infrastructure (Figure 1): 28km from the MOD, 64km from Sierra Gorda (South32/KGHM), 40km from Mantos Blancos (Capstone Copper), 77km from Spence (BHP), 54km from Antucoya (Antofagasta Minerals) Low altitude, flat pampa type surface provides sufficient space for future facilities and infrastructure Proximity to existing powerlines, water pipelines, major ports and regional populations No private land ownership, limited human impact (no nearby local or indigenous population), extremely arid location indicates low permitting risks (comparable or superior to the MOD) associated with potential development Sergio Rivera, VP Exploration of Marimaca Copper, commented: SMRD-16 is a further 300m step out to the west of the previously announced SMRD-12 and has intersected a similar broad zone of high-grade copper mineralization, including 70m at 1.0% and a number of discrete very high-grade zones. The area of interest currently confirmed by drill intersections extends over 1.2km east-west by 1.2km north-south, with an average true thickness of between 50m to 100m. We currently have no observable reasons to indicate that mineralization would not be continuous while the sedimentary unit exists and, as a result, we see enormous potential to both the north and west of the current drilling. To the east, the block was uplifted significantly, which caused a thinning of the mineralization. Despite this, we intersected a broad zone of oxide copper mineralization at above economic cut-off grades for Pampa Medina and we, therefore, continue to see strong potential for oxide resource growth in all directions. Our strategy remains to step out significantly to try to define the limits of what is a very large system, but we will now also turn our attention to planning an infill campaign in the broader Pampa Medina project area with the objective of delineating updated resources for the project. Hayden Locke, President and CEO of Marimaca Copper, commented: The depth of these new intersections continue to indicate that it will be an underground opportunity, once the Pampa Medina oxide open pit has been considered. Our early analysis indicates an economic cut-off grade requirement of between 0.5% and 0.8%, depending on copper price. With that in mind, we are targeting mineralized intersections with true widths exceeding 20m at an average copper grade of 1.0% or more. The last four drill holes have delivered widths and grades that materially surpass this requirement and, as a result, we see enormous potential for a large scale, highly economic, underground copper mining opportunity. Sergio Rivera and our exploration team continue to deliver outstanding value with the extension of the thick, high grade manto mineralization to the west. The continued exploration success at Pampa Medina reinforces our goal at Marimaca: to become a significant copper producer with the unique, low-cost, advanced-stage asset in the MOD, and transformational district scale upside anchored by Pampa Medina and Madrugador. With the upcoming release of the MOD DFS, our strategy remains multi-pronged: 1) deliver a near-term, low-cost 50ktpa copper cathode mine in a Tier-1 jurisdiction; 2) advance the Pampa Medina and Madrugador Oxide projects to grow our cathode production and extend mine life; and 3) continue to define the district-scale exploration potential of our large land package. Overview of Pampa Medina Pampa Medina is a stratiform or manto-style copper deposit dominantly hosted in Jurassic-Triassic sedimentary units (sandstones, conglomerates, tuffs and black shales) overlain by andesitic volcanics and underlain by an Upper Paleozoic complex of metamorphosed sediments, volcanics and intrusions. Its intruded by a dyke swarm and affected by post mineral normal faulting (Figure 4). Copper was originally identified in near-surface oxide mineralization dominated by atacamite, chrysocolla and both secondary and primary chalcocite, and has now been identified in high-grade zones of chalcopyrite and bornite which extend laterally down-dip beyond the oxide-primary transition. Following Marimacas consolidation of the project area and surrounding land packages in 2024, the Company reinterpreted all available geological information (for the first time as one) and developed an updated geological model for Pampa Medina, which identified the lower sedimentary units of interbedded sandstones, shales and conglomerates as the productive horizons for future drill targeting. Oxide copper mineralization was logged in historical drilling in near-surface, uplifted blocks, with the model of continuity in the intact lithological sequence in deeper blocks for primary mineralization to be tested by Marimacas 2025 drilling campaign. SMRD-16 materially extends the high-grade manto to the west, increasing the defined mineralized stratigraphy across a 1.2km by 1.2km area (Figures 2 and 4). Weakly mineralized sandstones were intercepted from 116m, with the main high-grade mixed-sulphide, sediment hosted mineralization starting at 438m downhole. Hole SMRD-15 was planned to confirm the uplifted basement in the eastern direction of the Pampa Medina main target. Oxide mineralization was intercepted at 122m, extending to 204m depth (Figure 3). Exploration focus will remain on the western and northern regions of the Pampa Medina main target, which both remain open. Figure 1: Regional Map Marimaca, Pampa Medina and Regional Infrastructure Figure 2 Pampa Medina Deposit and Step-out Drilling Locations Figure 3 Pampa Medina Lithology SMRD-16 Downhole Sequence Figure 4 Cross Section Looking North Pampa Medina SMRD-15 to SMRD-16 Hole Total Depth (m) From (m) To (m) Intersection (m) % CuT SMRD-15 580 122 200 78 0.31 Including 158 200 42 0.51 Including 188 198 10 0.83 SMRD-16 850 236 266 30 0.43 And 434 794 360 0.49 Including 434 504 70 1.03 Including 434 464 30 2.10 Including 438 448 10 4.24 Including 516 632 116 0.61 Including 516 536 20 0.91 Including 528 536 8 1.80 Including 568 590 22 0.90 Including 568 578 10 1.24 Including 612 632 20 1.14 Including 744 794 50 0.53 Including 782 792 10 1.10 Table 1: Table of Intersections Hole Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Inclination Depth SMRD-15 7440799.14 407698.23 1267.17 270 -60 580 SMRD-16 7440819.3 406488.16 1282.01 270 -60 850 Table 2: Drill Collars Sampling and Assay Protocols True widths are estimated as 95% of reported intervals, based on down-hole bedding and structural measurements. DDH holes were sampled on a 2m continuous basis, halved by a conventional core splitter on site with one half sent to the Andes Analytical Assay preparation laboratory in Copiapo and the pulps then sent to the same company laboratory in Santiago for assaying. Samples were prepared using the following standard protocol: drying; crushing all sample to -1/4 and passing through a secondary crusher to better than 80% passing -10#; homogenizing; splitting; pulverizing a 400-600g subsample to 95% passing -150#; and a 125g split of this sent for assaying. All samples were assayed for %CuT (total copper); %CuS (acid soluble copper). A full QA/QC program, involving insertion of appropriate blanks, standards and duplicates was employed with acceptable results. Pulps and sample rejects are stored by Marimaca Copper for future reference. Qualified Person / Competent Person The technical information in this news release, including the information that relates to geology, drilling and mineralization was prepared under the supervision of, or has been reviewed by Sergio Rivera, Vice President of Exploration, Marimaca Copper Corp, a geologist with more than 40 years of experience and a member of the Colegio de Geologos de Chile and of the Institute of Mining Engineers of Chile, and who is the Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101 responsible for the design and execution of the drilling program. The information in this announcement which relates to exploration results for the Pampa Medina Project is based on, and fairly reflects, information and supporting documentation prepared by Sergio Rivera, VP Exploration of Marimaca, a Competent Person who is a member of the Comision Minera (Chilean Mining Commission), Colegio de Geologos de Chile and of the Institute of Mining Engineers of Chile. Mr. Rivera has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and types of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Joint Ore Reserves Committee Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Mr. Rivera consents to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. Contact Information For further information please visit www.marimaca.com or contact: Tavistock +44 (0) 207 920 3150 Emily Moss / Ruairi Millar marimaca@tavistock.co.uk Forward Looking Statements This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under (without limitation) applicable Canadian securities legislation, including, without limitation, statements regarding the development of activities at Pampa Medina, the potential growth of Pampa Medina, and the discoverys potential to complement the MOD. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Marimaca Copper, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: risks that the development activities at Pampa Medina will not progress as anticipated, or at all, risks related to share price and market conditions, the inherent risks involved in the mining, exploration and development of mineral properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drilling results and other geological data, fluctuating metal prices, the possibility of project delays or cost overruns or unanticipated excessive operating costs and expenses, uncertainties related to the necessity of financing, uncertainties relating to regulatory procedure and timing for permitting submissions and reviews, the availability of and costs of financing needed in the future as well as those factors disclosed in the annual information form of the Company dated March 27, 2025 and other filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities (which may be viewed at www.sedar.com). Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Marimaca Copper undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements contained herein whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. None of the TSX, ASX or the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This announcement was authorised for release to the ASX by the Board of Directors of the Company. Appendix 1 JORC Code 2012 Table 1 (ASX Listing Rule 5.7.1) Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where industry standard work has been done this would be relatively simple (eg reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (eg submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. All current drilling conducted at Sierra Medina (including Pampa Medina, Pampa Norte Extension and Pampa West) was completed under the supervision of a registered professional geologist as a Competent Person/Qualified Person (QP) who is responsible and accountable for the planning, execution, and supervision of all exploration activity as well as the implementation of quality assurance programs and reporting. All drilling reported is Diamond Drilling (DDH) drilling Assay samples were prepared at a laboratory site in Copiapo and assayed by Andes Analytical Assay Ltd. (AAA) in Santiago. Sierra Medinas DDH holes are drilled and sampled on a continuous 2-meter basis, halved by a conventional core splitter on site, with one half sent to the Andes Analytical Assay preparation laboratory in Copiapo and the pulps then sent to the same company laboratory in Santiago for assaying. Marimaca staff supervised all the drilling and sampling. Recoveries were controlled by accurate core recovery measurement control was extended toward the division process realized in the drill location. The recoveries were measured by core length measurement and compared with the effective core run. Marimaca technical staff checked all data. Measured recoveries are over 95% for DDH drilling, without significant variations and unrelated to copper grades. Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (eg core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). SMRD-02 and SMRD-13 were collared with a multi-purpose Reverse Circulation (RC) /Diamond Drill (DD) and transitioned to DD when the target horizon was intersected and sampling began All other drilling reported is diamond (DD) drilling drilled in HQ and NQ standard core diameters Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. Sierra Medinas DDH holes are drilled and sampled on a continuous 2-meter basis, halved by a conventional core splitter on site, with one half sent to the Andes Analytical Assay preparation laboratory in Copiapo and the pulps then sent to the same company laboratory in Santiago for assaying. Marimaca staff supervised all the drilling and sampling. Recoveries were controlled by accurate core recovery measurement control was extended toward the division process realized in the drill location. The recoveries were measured by core length measurement and compared with the effective core run. Marimaca technical staff checked all data. Measured recoveries are over 95% for DDH drilling, without significant variations and unrelated to copper Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. All holes were geologically logged on digital data capture. The data collected are rock, structure, alteration and mineralization based on drilling intervals, recoveries and analytical results. After validation, the mineral and alteration zones were defined. The results were entered in the database as a table with all mapped data and a consolidated log of the drill was prepared. Most of this work was done by experienced senior consultant geologist supported by consultant junior geologist. In addition to measuring deviations, most of the holes were surveyed using an optical tele viewer (OPTV or BHTV), with structures and orientation measurements, which continuously and thoroughly recorded the holes walls and measured structures. The structures were measured in ranks according to their width and the results were reported and plotted on stereographic networks and rosette diagrams. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Sierra Medinas DDH holes are drilled and sampled on a continuous 2-meter basis, halved by a conventional core splitter on site, with one half sent to the Andes Analytical Assay preparation laboratory in Copiapo and the pulps then sent to the same company laboratory in Santiago for assaying The last split yields sample A, which is sent for preparation and assaying, and sample B, which is used to obtain drill cuttings (1 kg) and coarse/preparation duplicates and then stored in special facilities on site. For diamond drillholes (DDH), samples are obtained every 2 meters from a half-core, with the other half stored on site. Samples are transferred by laboratory personnel from the project to Copiapo, and then the preparation pulps are returned to generate the analysis batches. Upon receipt, sample details are logged and insertion points for quality control samples in the sample flow are determined. Samples were prepared using the following standard protocol: drying; crushing all sample to -1/4 and passing through a secondary crusher to better than 80% passing -10#; homogenizing; splitting; pulverizing a 400-600g subsample to 95% passing -150#; and a 125g split of this sent for assaying. All samples were assayed for %CuT (total copper); %CuS (acid soluble copper). A full QA/QC program, involving insertion of appropriate blanks, standards and duplicates was employed with acceptable results. Pulps and sample rejects are stored by Marimaca Copper for future Laboratory results are loaded directly from digital assay certificates into the database, in order to minimize error sources. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (ie lack of bias) and precision have been established. Samples are prepared at a laboratory site in Copiapo and assayed by Andes Analytical Assay Ltd. (AAA) in Santiago. Samples were prepared using the following standard protocol: drying; crushing all sample to -1/4 and passing through a secondary crusher to better than 80% passing -10#; homogenizing; splitting; pulverizing a 400-600g subsample to 95% passing -150#; and a 125g split of this sent for assaying. All samples were assayed for %CuT (total copper); %CuS (acid soluble copper). A full QA/QC program, involving insertion of appropriate blanks, standards and duplicates was employed with acceptable results. Pulps and sample rejects are stored by Marimaca Copper for future All samples are assayed by AAA for total copper (CuT) and soluble copper (CuS). The latter was initially obtained from a specific CuS test. Laboratory results are loaded directly from digital assay certificates into the database, in order to minimize error sources. The analytical quality control programs implemented at Marimaca involve the use of coarse/preparation and pulp duplicates for precision analyses and standard reference materials (SRM). Marimaca has protocols in place for handling analytical results that exceed acceptable limits, which can ultimately trigger re-assays of entire or portions of sample batches. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. There are no twinned holes in the dataset All logging data was completed, and logging data was entered directly into the deposit database. Laboratory results are loaded directly from digital assay certificates into the database to minimize error sources. Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. Specification of the grid system used. Quality and adequacy of topographic control. Local contractors carried out the supervision of the drilling operation. An experienced topographer surveyed the collars. WGS84 UTM coordinates are used. Data Well Services carried out the downhole surveys for drill holes. Data collected is considered adequate for eventual use in mineral resource estimation. Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied. Whether sample compositing has been applied. Due to the nature of mineralisation and the type of exploration discovery drilling program the hole spacing is highly variable. Data spacing is not considered sufficient to establish geological and grade continuities for Mineral Resource Estimation at the Inferred and Indicated category. No sample compositing was applied. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type. If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. Drill hole orientation was generally oriented to be sub perpendicular to the mineralisation but variable in places given the nature of the exploration program being conducted Assays are reported on a downhole basis True widths are estimated as 95% of reported downhole intersection widths Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. All drilling assay samples are collected by company personnel or under the direct supervision of company personnel. Samples from Marimaca were initially processed at the project site and shipped directly from the property to a laboratory facility for final preparation, and later, upon their return, to the laboratory for analysis. Appropriately qualified staff at the laboratories collect assay samples. Security protocols implemented maintain the chain of custody of samples to prevent unnoticed contamination or mixing of samples and to make active tampering as difficult as possible. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. It is the Competent Persons opinion that these processes met acceptable industry standards, and that the information can be reported under both JORC and NI43-101 standards and, in the future, be used for geological and resource modelling. Section 2: Reporting of Exploration Results Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings. The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a licence to operate in the area. Marimaca Copper Corp. owns a tenement package consisting of approximately 14,500 hectares at the broader Sierra de Medina project area and are a mix of mining concessions and exploration concessions. The Sierra de Medina Project are comprising 55 concessions owned by ICAL, a subsidiary of Marimaca Copper Corp. The Pampa Medina Project comprises 12 concessions owned by SCM Elenita over which the Company entered into an option agreement to acquire. The Madrugador Project comprises 10 concessions owned by SLM Juanita and SLM Madrugador over which the Company entered into an option agreement to acquire. There are no known impediments to operating exploration drilling campaigns on the project areas. Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. Pampa Medina Concessions Between 1993 and 1996, Compania Minera Dona Isabel and Rayrock Ltda carried out an extensive exploration program. The program included a geochemistry program with short Track Drill wells spaced every 50 m along several EW lines between 2 km and 5 km in length, which extend throughout the district, covering the southeastern part of the Pampa concessions in an area of approximately 460 ha. The aim was to evaluate the rock below the caliche layer. In this area, approximately 600 samples were obtained, representing 40% of the total samples extracted throughout the district, of which 2% of the total have copper anomalies. For 2003 and 2004, the right to exploit the Pampa 81 (1/20 and 21/40) and Pampa 47 (1/20 and 21/40) concessions by Minera Rayrock Ltda was established. In 2008, Rayrock Ltda carried out two RC drilling campaigns. The first involved 15,729 m distributed in 38 holes with an approximate mesh of 500 m 500 m and the second campaign involved 14,913 m in 35 holes with a mesh of 125 m 125 m in an area of 1,000 350 m, recognising mainly copper oxides, with some mixed intervals and small amounts of primary mineralisation. An exploration campaign was subsequently carried out in 2013, consisting of 45 diamond holes for a total of 18,707 m drilled. During 2014, Rayrock Ltda continued with the latest exploration campaign, with the completion of 17 diamond drill holes for a total of 5,264 m drilled. Madrugador Concessions The Madrugador concessions were previously the subject of limited exploration efforts since the 1980s. Most of the exploration on the Madrugador concessions was conducted by Rayrock from 1993 to 1996 and consisted of diamond and reverse circulation drilling. A total of 23,502 m of diamond and RC drilling in 223 holes had been completed on the property prior to 2005. Proyecta, a Chilean engineering company, conducted a short track RC drilling program on the Madrugador claim in 2005. During the period 1994 to 1999, Rayrock conducted geological mapping of the property, a stream sediment and soil/roadcut sampling survey, as well as limited diamond drilling. In 2007 and 2008, Apoquindo Minerals Inc. (Apoquindo) completed 21,177 m of RC drilling in 132 holes and 1,206 m of diamond drilling in eight holes. In April 2009, Apoquindo entered into a JV agreement with Minera S.A. Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralisation. The Pampa Medina mining district is characterised by Jurassic_Triassic volcanic and sediment hosted manto type copper mineralization. Characteristics volcanic hosted, such as shallow Madrugador mineralization, resembles the typical Coastal Belt copper style mineralization and the sediment hosted style is exposed at old mine workings along the Sierra de Valenzuela District and at deep drilling below covered areas extending around where the host sediments are covered by volcanics. Main structural system are a block faulting and a complex of dyke swarm. The copper mineralisation observed in the drill holes comprises both oxides and sulphides. The predominant oxides correspond to atacamite, azurite and chrysocolla. The oxide zone thickness varies between few metres up to more than 200 m, and irregular mixed zone characterised by a mixture of green copper oxides (mainly atacamite) and copper sulphides (mostly chalcocite, and less chalcopyrite and pyrite). At depths of more than 300 m primary mineralization was observed and consist of chalcopyrite, bornite and variable covellite and pyrite. Rock alteration is mostly albitization of sediments and little clay is observed in the upper oxidized zones. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes: easting and northing of the drill hole collar elevation or RL (Reduced Level elevation above sea level in metres) of the drill hole collar dip and azimuth of the hole down hole length and interception depth hole length. If the exclusion of this information is justified on the basis that the information is not Material and this exclusion does not detract from the understanding of the report, the Competent Person should clearly explain why this is the case. Drill hole attribute information is included in a table herein. Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (eg cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated. Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high grade results and longer lengths of low grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail. The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. Length weighted averages were used to calculate grade over width. No specific grade cap or cut-off was used during grade width calculations. The total copper (CuT) weighted average grade of the entire interval is calculated for all intervals over 2m samples lengths. Manto-type deposits can be variable in nature resulting in some intervals having a small number of poorly mineralized samples (<0.1% CuT) included in the calculation. No metal equivalents have been reported. Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results. If the geometry of the mineralisation with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported. If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (eg down hole length, true width not known). True widths are not known at this time, however drilling generally targets subparallel intersections of the mineralized manto units as understood/interpreted at the time of drilling All intersections are reported on a downhole basis. Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported These should include but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. Please refer to the figures contained herein Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. All significant results have been reported Please refer to the tables herein Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk samples size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. Not applicable Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (eg tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling). Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. Over the course of 2025, the Company intends to complete further exploration work at the project area including: Geophysical surveys Shallow track mounted drilling Deeper reverse circulation and diamond core drilling Of particular focus will be the potential for extensions from the Pampa Medina Deposit north to the Pampa Medina Norte Extension Infographics accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/332a7840-2cc2-4c78-a638-9e282786f709 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/50c9eedd-7576-49cf-a5c7-653dfe22185a https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2883183a-f75a-4564-8162-28d4bc4f63ce https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/359456f3-6464-4e2c-b7f5-72f3b5b7c0da VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eldorado Gold Corporation (TSX: ELD) (NYSE: EGO) (Eldorado or the Company) is pleased to announce that Christian Milau will be joining the Company as President, effective September 12, 2025. Christian brings over 25 years of experience in finance, capital markets and mining. He has deep expertise in operational leadership, government and stakeholder relations, and has worked across key mining jurisdictions in North and South America, Africa, and other global regions. As a mining executive, he has led growth-focused exploration, development and operating companies in gold and copper with a clear focus on fostering a values-based performance culture and building lasting stakeholder partnerships. He was most recently the Chief Executive Officer and a founder of Saudi Discovery Company, a private copper and gold exploration company focused on exploration in Saudi Arabia, as well as a non-executive board member with several gold and copper companies including New Gold Inc., Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., Arras Minerals Corp. and Copper Standard Resources Inc. As part of his transition, Christian will be stepping down from his non-executive board member appointments. Prior to that, Christian served as Chief Executive Officer of Equinox Gold from 2016 to 2022, leading the company through significant growth from a single-asset developer to a multi-mine producer with eight operating mines. Prior to Equinox, he served as Chief Executive Officer at True Gold Mining, as well as Chief Financial Officer of Endeavour Mining and Vice President, Treasurer at New Gold. He holds a Chartered Professional Accountant (CA) designation. With this appointment, George Burns, Eldorados President & Chief Executive Officer, will transition to the role of Chief Executive Officer. Christian will oversee both the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, as well as the Executive Vice President Operations and Technical Services. His areas of accountability will include Canada and Turkiye Operations, Technical Services, Exploration, Finance, Human Resources, and Health, Safety and Sustainability. Steven Reid, Chair of the Board commented, As we position the company for its next leg of growth, the Board conducted a comprehensive search to identify a President with the right blend of experience, vision, and leadership. Christian is a proven leader who will complement our executive team and help unlock the full potential of our business. His appointment reflects our commitment to thoughtful leadership and succession planning and long-term value creation. Christians experience is a perfect fit for Eldorado, said George Burns, President & Chief Executive Officer. He brings a rare combination of operational depth, financial acumen, and strategic vision. His leadership through transformative periods at multiple mining companies strengthens our executive team. I look forward to working alongside Christian as we advance toward the completion of Skouries construction a key inflection point for our company. As we prepare to bring our new copper-gold mine into production Christians insights and experience will be instrumental in driving our next phase of strategy, growth and capital allocation. The team at Eldorado has executed well on a disciplined and long-term growth strategy and Im thrilled to be joining this superb team at such a transformative time in its journey, said Christian Milau. With Skouries coming online next year, the company is entering an exciting new chapter, and Im eager to contribute to that momentum. What drew me to Eldorado is not just its quality asset base and growth trajectory, but its values of collaboration, agility, courage, drive and integrity. Strong values have guided me throughout my career, and its clear these principles are deeply embedded in Eldorados culture. I look forward to working with George and the broader team to build on the companys strong foundation to realize value for stakeholders, deliver on strategic growth opportunities within the portfolio and to shape the next phase of Eldorados evolution as a leading gold and base metals producer. About Eldorado Gold Eldorado is a gold and base metals producer with mining, development and exploration operations in Turkiye, Canada and Greece. The Company has a highly skilled and dedicated workforce, safe and responsible operations, a portfolio of high-quality assets, and long-term partnerships with local communities. Eldorado's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: ELD) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EGO). Contact Investor Relations Lynette Gould, VP, Investor Relations, Communications & External Affairs 647 271 2827 or 1 888 353 8166 lynette.gould@eldoradogold.com Media Chad Pederson, Director, Communications and Public Affairs 236 885 6251 or 1 888 353 8166 chad.pederson@eldoradogold.com Cautionary Note About Forward-Looking Statements and Information Certain of the statements made and information provided in this press release are forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Often, these forward-looking statements and forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", continue, projected, "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. In particular, such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to Eldorados intention to bring the Skouries Project into production. Eldorados perceptions of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other considerations that are believed to be appropriate in the circumstances. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, market uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. We have made certain assumptions about the forward-looking statements and information, including assumptions about: general market conditions, including prevailing market prices of our common shares and other available investment and business opportunities. In particular, except where otherwise stated, we have assumed a continuation of existing business operations on substantially the same basis as exists at the time of this release. Even though our management believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statement or information will prove to be accurate. Many assumptions may be difficult to predict and are beyond our control. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others: our assumptions relating to general market conditions, including prevailing market prices of our common shares, and other available investment and business opportunities, as well as those risk factors discussed in the sections titled Forward-Looking Statements and "Risk factors in our business" in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form & Form 40-F. The reader is directed to carefully review the detailed risk discussion in our most recent Annual Information Form filed on SEDAR+ and EDGAR under our Company name, which discussion is incorporated by reference in this release, for a fuller understanding of the risks and uncertainties that affect the Companys business and operations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements and information is designed to help you understand managements current views of our near- and longer-term prospects, and it may not be appropriate for other purposes. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained herein. Except as required by law, we do not expect to update forward-looking statements and information continually as conditions change. President Donald Trump fired a loud-and-clear warning shot at a Republican lawmaker who is bringing a number of Jeffrey Epsteins sex abuse victims to the U.S. Capitol to force the release of legal files on the late pedophile financier. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has teamed up with Democratic Re. Ro Khanna of California in a bipartisan push to secure a House vote on releasing the files from the Epstein investigation. Theyre holding a press conference on Sept. 3 to provide an update on the effort and have invited some of Epsteins victims to speak. Massie, an avowed fiscal hawk, has also been a thorn in Trumps side when it comes to his policy agenda, voting against his deeply unpopular Big Beautiful budget billwhich the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates will add $3.4 trillion to the deficitand opposing his air strikes on Iran. President Trump has repeatedly called for Rep. Thomas Massie to be impeached. / Andrew Harnik/Getty Images The president has now sent Massie a thinly veiled warning in the form of a polling report that found the lawmakers break with Trump has made him susceptible to a primary challenger. On Thursday night, Trump posted screenshots of the findings on Truth Social with key sections highlighted, but without writing anything himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A poll conducted in his district found that Massies image ratings had gone from +14 in June to -11 in August, and that his job approval rating fell from +11 to -16. The drop was attributed to an ad campaign run by a political action committee called MAGA Kentucky. The presidents favorable ratings, meanwhile, remain high among Republicans, and 57 percent of primary voters would be more likely to vote for a candidate who is endorsed and supported by President Trump, the survey found. That makes Massie extremely vulnerable in a Republican primary election for Congress, pollsters McLaughlin & Associates concluded. The firmwhich is one of Trumps most trusted pollstersreached a similar conclusion in June, when Massies approval ratings were still in positive double digits. Trump shared those results as well, Newsweek reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president has frequently lashed out at Massie and called for him to primaried. In a July 21 post on Truth Social, Trump called Massie the worst Republican Congressman and an embarrassment to Kentucky. Rep. Thomas Massie has criticized the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein scandal. Trump was friends for more than a decade with the disgraced financier and pedophile. / Davidoff Studios Photography / Getty Images Hes lazy, slow moving, and totally disingenuous - A real loser! Never has anything positive to add. Looking for someone good to run against this guy, someone I can Endorse and vigorously campaign for, he wrote. This time, Trump presented the poll findings without comment. Massie has taken the threats in stride, saying he doesnt care what the president thinks about him. After Republicans narrowly passed the budget bill in early July, Massie turned his focus to getting full access to the FBI and Department of Justices investigative files on Epstein, who was close friends with Trump for more than a decade. Earlier this month, he suggested in a social media post that MAGA Kentucky was targeting him because one of its billionaire donors appears in Epsteins black book. Boston, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As global demand for precision diagnostics rises, digital pathology is reshaping how clinical labs, research institutions, and healthcare systems operate. From AI-assisted image analysis to remote pathology consultations, leading players such as Roche, Nikon Instruments, and Indica Labs are advancing innovations that optimize workflows, increase diagnostics speed, and improve collaboration across regions. According to the report, the increasing incidence of cancer, widespread adoption of digital workflows, and rising investments in cloud-based imaging and analytics are reshaping the pathology value chain. The global market is expected to grow from $7.8 billion in 2024 to $13.7 billion by the end of 2029, growing at a CAGR of 11.9% from 2024 to 2029. As North America maintains leadership and Europe expands its clinical and research integration, the Asia-Pacific market is growing rapidly. Vendors must navigate technical integration, cybersecurity, and cost-access barriers to fully capitalize on these opportunities. Market Insights and Strategic Trends Shaping Growth Digital pathology is transitioning from niche adoption to global scaling. Hospitals and diagnostic labs are increasingly investing in AI-enabled image analysis, real-time collaboration tools, and teleconsultation platforms. Clinical utility is expanding beyond cancer diagnosis into chronic disease management, R&D, and education. With healthcare systems under pressure to reduce turnaround time and increase diagnostic accuracy, digital platforms offer a scalable, cost-effective solution to optimize pathology workflows. (Chapter 2: Market Overview; Chapter 3: Market Dynamics) Financial investment in digital pathology continues to rise, driven by venture capital, public health spending, and cross-border collaborations. Funding rounds and strategic alliances are fueling innovation in smart imaging, automated analysis, and cloud-integrated platforms. As laboratories seek cost-effective alternatives to conventional microscopy, companies are rolling out tailored packages that integrate storage, analysis, and compliance tools. (Chapter 3: Market Dynamics; Chapter 6: Emerging Trends and Technologies) Many of the leading companies are pursuing dual-track strategiesexpanding both product portfolios and regional presence. For instance, global manufacturers are offering tiered solutions for academic centers and high-throughput hospital labs. At the same time, mergers, acquisitions, and co-development partnerships are being used to penetrate new regions and clinical verticals. These strategies not only accelerate commercialization but also support long-term financial sustainability. (Chapter 9: Competitive Landscape; Chapter 5: Market Segmentation Analysis) Investments are particularly noticeable in image analytics, where AI and machine learning are enabling more precise quantification of biomarkers and improved pattern recognition. Cloud-based platforms are receiving strategic focus, allowing remote access, reduced IT burden, and scalable deployment. Organizations are also adopting outcome-based business models, offering solutions-as-a-service to improve affordability. (Chapter 6: Emerging Trends and Technologies; Chapter 9: Competitive Landscape) Digital pathology vendors are aligning with ESG priorities, embedding sustainability into device development and supply chain strategies. This includes reducing energy consumption, enabling remote workflows that limit physical transport of samples, and improving data transparency in diagnostic reporting. These commitments are becoming important differentiators in procurement processes. (Chapter 7: ESG Developments) Report Synopsis Report Metric Details Base year considered 2023 Forecast period considered 2024-2029 Base year market size $7.0 billion Market size forecast $13.7 billion Growth rate CAGR of 11.9% for the forecast period of 2024-2029 Segments covered System, Type, Application, End User, and Region Regions covered North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Rest of the World Countries covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, the U.K., Italy, Spain, Japan, India, China, South Korea, Australia, South America, and Middle East and Africa Market drivers Cost-effectiveness driving expansion. Growing adoption of digital pathology to enhance lab efficiency. Increasing incidence of cancer. Increasing investments and funding in digital pathology. Additional Insights: Paige's AI Breakthrough: In January 2024, Paige launched Virchow, a groundbreaking solution built on its Pathology Foundation Model. Developed using Microsoft's computational infrastructure, Virchow is capable of detecting cancer across 17 tissue typesincluding skin, lung, gastrointestinal, and rare tumor variants. Prov-GigaPath Sets New Standards: The AI-powered Prov-GigaPath model represents a major advances in digital pathology. Leveraging vision transformer architecture and real-world datasets, it enables enhanced mutation prediction, cancer subtyping, and vision-language tasks, tackling challenges such as data scarcity and slide complexity. Market leaders include: 3DHistech Ltd. Apollo Enterprise Imaging Corp. Clinisys Inc. Corista F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Fujifilm Holdings Corp. Huron Technologies International Inc. Indica Labs LLC. Koninklijke Philips N.V. Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH Ligolab Information Systems Mikroscan Technologies Inc. Nikon Instruments Inc. Visiopharm A/S Xifin Inc. Get your copy of the report directly from BCC Research. To request more information or complete your purchase, connect with us at info@bccresearch.com. About BCC Research BCC Research market research reports provide objective, unbiased measurement and assessment of market opportunities. Our experienced industry analysts' goal is to help you make informed business decisions free of noise and hype. For media inquiries, email press@bccresearch.com or visit our media page for access to our market research library. Any data and analysis extracted from this press release must be accompanied by a statement identifying BCC Research LLC as the source and publisher. NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces 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 Brands operates in the convenient nutrition category. The Companys primary brands include Premier Protein and Dymatize, which offer ready-to-drink (RTD) 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 Companys 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 Revealed On 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. Then, on August 4, 2025, after market hours, BellRing announced disappointing quarterly consumption of Premier Protein RTD Shakes, which had been expected to outpace shipments by a wider margin given previously announced retailer destocking, but instead came more in line with shipments. On this news, the price of BellRing Brands stock fell $17.46 per share, or nearly 33%, from $53.64 per share on August 4, 2025, to $36.18 per share on August 5, 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: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/bellring-brands-inc-class-action-lawsuit 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/bellring-brands-inc-class-action-lawsuit Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. CLEVELAND, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As hair loss continues to impact millions of men and women globally, science has made one thing abundantly clear: blocking DHT is essential to stopping genetic hair loss. HairSmart, the company that pioneered the fusion of FDA-cleared laser technology with regenerative Ayurveda, is leading the movement with its clinically formulated, all-natural DHT Blocker, recently voted the #1 Natural DHT Blocker in North America by a panel of integrative wellness professionals. DHT is the enemy of hair. But the real problem isnt just DHT, its how people are treating it, says Prerna Khemka, CEO of HairSmart. Finasteride isnt for everyone. Our goal is to offer a natural, side-effect-free option that works, and we have. Watch HairSmart founder Prerna Khemka explain the difference between natural DHT blockers and chemical drugs like Finasteride, including their impact on hormones, scalp health, and long-term regrowth. Link. What Is DHT and Why Does It Matter? DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, is a byproduct of testosterone that binds to hair follicles and causes them to shrink over time, a process known as miniaturization. This is the root cause of androgenetic alopecia, or male and female pattern hair loss. Once follicles shrink enough, they stop producing hair. Without intervention, this process is irreversible. The key? Block DHT before it damages the follicle permanently. Pharmaceutical DHT Blockers vs. Natural Alternatives Prescription medications like Finasteride and Dutasteride inhibit the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase, which converts testosterone to DHT. While effective, they come with risks: sexual side effects, mood changes, and long-term hormonal disruption. HairSmarts Natural DHT Blocker offers an alternative thats: Plant-based Clinically backed Side effectfree Safe for both men and women It contains a synergistic stack of saw palmetto, stinging nettle, pumpkin seed oil, pygeum, and green tea extract, each shown in clinical studies to naturally inhibit DHT production and binding at the follicle level. Read: DHT Blockers vs. Minoxidil: Whats More Effective for Hair Growth? The Ultimate Hair Defense Stack for All Ages The HairSmart DHT Blocker is designed as part of a comprehensive Hair Defense Stack, supporting scalp health from the inside out. But what makes it most effective for men and women of all ages is pairing it with HairSmarts Essential Hair Vitamin, a powerhouse blend of micronutrients, biotin, zinc, and adaptogens that feed follicles, improve density, and reduce shedding. Together, the DHT Blocker + Hair Vitamin duo acts as the ultimate natural hair protection and regrowth system. While the blocker shields follicles from hormonal damage, the vitamin fuels the biological processes that stimulate strong, vibrant new growth. Clinical Results Recent trial photos show significant improvement in hair thickness and reduced shedding within 90 days of consistent use of the HairSmart Hair Defense Stack. Before & After from Clinical Study: CASE STUDY 1: Male, 31 Years Old | Prototype: Essential for Men CASE STUDY 2: Male, 47 Years Old | Prototype: Essential for Men CASE STUDY 3: Female, 31 Years Old | Prototype: Essential for Women For more information on the HairSmart Natural DHT Blocker and the science behind the full Hair Defense Stack, visit https://myhairsmart.com/ Media Contact: Manish Gupta Chief Marketing Officer, HairSmart Inc. Email: manishg@myhairsmart.com Phone: +91 8802821783 A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/23523c8b-346c-4bbd-9772-df49f8540922 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f9b6a901-eea2-484c-b6ae-d10a1e104c17 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fbf70910-986f-47cf-b298-80743e245d63 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/da90e1b5-7ea1-4a71-b9db-979846038c3a Dublin, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "GDPR Services: Market Share, and Growth Analysis by Product Type (Data Protection Services, Compliance Solutions, Consulting Services), Application, End User, Technology" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The GDPR Services Market size is valued at USD 5.4 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 23.6 billion by 2033, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.2% over the forecast period. The GDPR Services Market has grown significantly as businesses worldwide strive to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Since its enforcement in 2018, organizations handling personal data of EU citizens have had to implement stringent measures to ensure data privacy and security. GDPR compliance is no longer an option but a necessity, especially with increasing consumer awareness of data protection rights. Companies are investing in GDPR services, including consulting, data protection officer (DPO) as a service, risk assessments, and compliance software to avoid hefty penalties for non-compliance. The rise in cyber threats and data breaches has further pushed organizations to adopt robust data governance frameworks. Additionally, with more businesses operating online and handling vast amounts of customer data, GDPR services are evolving to provide automated and AI-powered compliance solutions. As regulations continue to be enforced more strictly, organizations across industries, from healthcare to finance, are seeking expert guidance to navigate the complexities of GDPR. In 2024, the GDPR Services Market has seen rapid growth, driven by increased regulatory scrutiny and expanding data privacy laws worldwide. The European Commission has been actively monitoring businesses for compliance, issuing substantial fines to non-compliant organizations, making GDPR adherence a top priority for enterprises. Additionally, growing global adoption of similar data privacy regulations, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, has increased demand for GDPR-aligned compliance services. Companies are increasingly investing in AI-driven compliance software that automates data mapping, risk assessments, and reporting, reducing the complexity of manual compliance processes. Moreover, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which were previously slower in adopting GDPR solutions due to cost constraints, are now prioritizing compliance to mitigate cybersecurity risks and build consumer trust. Data protection authorities across Europe have also intensified their audit processes, compelling companies to proactively enhance their compliance frameworks. Despite these advancements, the market faces challenges in keeping up with evolving regulatory requirements, particularly for multinational corporations operating across multiple jurisdictions. Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, the GDPR Services Market is expected to expand further as data privacy concerns intensify and regulatory frameworks become more sophisticated. The integration of AI and machine learning into compliance solutions will accelerate, allowing businesses to proactively detect risks and ensure real-time GDPR adherence. With increasing cross-border data transfers and stricter enforcement, organizations will focus on implementing advanced data protection impact assessments (DPIAs) and privacy-by-design models. The growing role of Data Protection Officers (DPOs) will lead to higher demand for DPO-as-a-service offerings, helping businesses navigate complex compliance landscapes. Furthermore, companies will invest in blockchain-based data security solutions to ensure immutable audit trails and transparent data management. As consumers become more privacy-conscious, businesses will need to prioritize ethical data practices and transparent policies to maintain trust. Emerging markets are also expected to align with GDPR-like regulations, further driving demand for compliance services on a global scale. Ultimately, GDPR services will continue to evolve, adapting to the dynamic regulatory environment and technological advancements in data protection. Key Insights: GDPR Services Market AI-Driven Compliance Solutions: Companies are leveraging artificial intelligence to automate GDPR compliance processes, including data mapping, risk assessments, and regulatory reporting, reducing human error and increasing efficiency. Growing Adoption of DPO-as-a-Service: Many organizations, particularly SMEs, are outsourcing Data Protection Officer (DPO) responsibilities to specialized service providers to ensure cost-effective and expert-driven GDPR compliance. Rise of Blockchain in Data Privacy: Blockchain technology is being integrated into GDPR compliance frameworks to create secure, tamper-proof records for data handling, ensuring transparency and trust. Global Expansion of Data Privacy Laws: Countries outside the EU are increasingly adopting GDPR-like regulations, compelling multinational companies to implement unified global compliance strategies. Privacy-by-Design Implementation: Businesses are embedding GDPR compliance into software development and business processes from the ground up to mitigate risks and enhance long-term compliance strategies. Increasing Regulatory Scrutiny: Data protection authorities across Europe are imposing stricter enforcement measures and issuing significant fines, compelling businesses to prioritize GDPR compliance. Rising Cybersecurity Threats: The surge in data breaches and cyberattacks has made GDPR compliance essential for safeguarding personal data and avoiding legal consequences. Consumer Demand for Data Privacy: Growing awareness among consumers about data protection rights has led businesses to enhance transparency and invest in GDPR services to maintain trust and brand reputation. Cross-Border Data Transfer Challenges: With stricter international data transfer regulations, businesses need GDPR services to navigate complex data handling requirements and ensure compliance with evolving laws. Complex and Evolving Regulatory Landscape: The dynamic nature of GDPR regulations, coupled with differing interpretations across EU member states, creates compliance challenges for businesses, requiring continuous adaptation and investment in expert-driven solutions. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 150 Forecast Period 2025 - 2033 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2025 $5.4 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2033 $23.6 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 20.2% Regions Covered Global GDPR Services Market Segmentation By Product Type: Data Protection Services Compliance Solutions Consulting Services By Application: Data Management Risk Assessment Incident Response By End User: Small and Medium Enterprises Large Enterprises By Technology: Cloud-based Solutions On-premise Solutions By Distribution Channel: Direct Sales Online Sales By Geography: North America (USA, Canada, Mexico) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Australia, Vietnam, Rest of APAC) The Middle East and Africa (Middle East, Africa) South and Central America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of SCA) For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qm2opq 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 NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES MONTREAL, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Osisko Development Corp. (NYSE: ODV, TSXV: ODV) ("Osisko Development" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the successful closing of its previously announced private placement of 99,065,330 units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of US$2.05 per Unit (the "Issue Price") for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately US$203 million (the "Offering"). The Offering is comprised of (i) a "bought deal" brokered private placement of 58,560,000 Units at the Issue Price for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately US$120 million (the "Brokered Offering"), and (ii) a non-brokered private placement of 40,505,330 Units at the Issue Price for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately US$83 million (the "Non-Brokered Offering"). The Non-Brokered Offering includes an approximate US$75 million subscription by Double Zero Capital LP ("Double Zero"), a Delaware investment firm, representing approximately 15.4% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company immediately following the closing of the Offering, on a non-diluted basis (refer to "Early Warning Disclosure of Double Zero" below). Sean Roosen, Chairman and CEO, commented: "We are very pleased to complete this offering and to welcome Double Zero as a new long-term strategic shareholder of Osisko Development, as we continue to build positive momentum toward a construction decision at Cariboo. This US$203 million financing represents another strong endorsement of the Cariboo Gold Project and our team, following the recent US$450 million project financing with Appian. Together, these milestones underscore Osisko Development's unique value proposition and we believe puts us on solid footing to secure funding for the construction of the permitted Cariboo Gold Project." The Brokered Offering was led by BMO Capital Markets and RBC Capital Markets, as joint lead managers and joint bookrunners, and Cantor Fitzgerald Canada Corporation, as co-lead underwriter, on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters including National Bank Financial Inc. and Ventum Financial Corp. (collectively, the "Underwriters"). Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole Common Share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share (each, a "Warrant Share"), at a price of US$2.56 per Warrant Share on or prior to August 15, 2027 (being, 24 months from the date of issuance), subject to acceleration. At any time following the 15-month anniversary of the closing date, if the closing price of the Common Shares on either the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") or the New York Stock Exchange exceeds the exercise price for 20 or more consecutive trading days, the Company may, within 10 days following such occurrence, deliver a notice to the holders thereof accelerating the expiry date of the Warrants to a date that is 30 days after the date of such notice. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to fund the broadly distributed equity portion of the capital required to construct the Cariboo Gold Project and for general corporate purposes. The Company believes that the net proceeds of the Offering, together with the net proceeds of the US$450 million project loan credit facility with Appian Capital Advisory Limited announced on July 21, 2025, plus indications of interest from commodity traders seeking high-quality concentrate off-take, and other potential financing arrangements, will provide sufficient funding to construct the Cariboo Gold Project. In connection with the Offering, the Underwriters were paid a cash commission equal to 4.5% of the aggregate gross proceeds of the Brokered Offering. In addition, in connection with the subscription by Double Zero, the Company paid Double Zero an investment fee equal to 4.0% of the gross proceeds from the subscription, which investment fee was settled in Common Shares. All securities issued under the Offering (including the Common Shares issued to Double Zero in satisfaction of the investment fee payable to Double Zero) will be subject to a Canadian hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of issue pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws. The Offering and investment fee remain subject to final acceptance of the TSXV. Insider Participation Certain insiders of the Company have subscribed for 628,000 Units under the Offering for aggregate gross proceeds of US$1,287,400. Each subscription by an "insider" is considered to be a "related party transaction" for the purposes of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company did not file a material change report more than 21 days before the expected closing date of the Offering as the details of the Offering and the participation therein by each "related party" of the Company were not settled until shortly prior to the closing of the Offering, and the Company wished to close the Offering on an expedited basis for sound business reasons. The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements available under MI 61-101. The Company is exempt from the formal valuation requirement in section 5.4 of MI 61-101 in reliance on section 5.5(a) of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, is not more than 25% of the Company's market capitalization. Additionally, the Company is exempt from minority shareholder approval requirement in section 5.6 of MI 61-101 in reliance on section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, is not more than 25% of the Company's market capitalization. Early Warning Disclosure of Double Zero In connection with its subscription in the Non-Brokered Offering, Double Zero acquired ownership and control, directly and indirectly, of 36,600,000 Common Shares and 18,300,000 Warrants (which Warrants are subject to a blocker provision). Prior to the Offering, Double Zero did not hold any securities of the Company. After giving effect to the Offering and the investment fee payment (as settled in 1,464,000 Common Shares), Double Zero holds an aggregate of 38,064,000 Common Shares and 18,300,000 Warrants, representing approximately 16.0% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis (approximately 21.9% on a partially-diluted basis, assuming full exercise of the Warrants held by Double Zero). The Warrants issued to Double Zero are subject to a blocker provision, such that Double Zero may not exercise any Warrants that would result in it holding (directly or indirectly) over 19.9% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares (after giving effect to such exercise), unless requisite shareholder, stock exchange and regulatory approvals have been obtained. An early warning report in respect of the Company will be filed by Double Zero with applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities and will be available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under the Company's issuer profile. To obtain copies of the early warning report once filed by Double Zero, please contact Melanie Cole of Aird & Berlis LLP, counsel to Double Zero, email: mcole@airdberlis.com and telephone: 416.865.4638. The Common Shares and Warrants were acquired by Double Zero for investment purposes. Depending on market conditions and other factors, Double Zero may, from time to time, acquire additional Common Shares, Common Share purchase warrants or other securities of the Company or dispose of some or all of the securities in the Company that it owns at such time. Double Zero and the Company entered into an investor rights agreement effective as of August 15, 2025 (the "Investor Rights Agreement") pursuant to which, among other things, the Company agreed to provide Double Zero with rights to nominate one director to the board of directors of the Company, customary pre-emptive rights and top-up rights in respect of certain acquisitions. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement, Double Zero has agreed to provide certain voting support to the Company. A copy of the Investor Rights Agreement will be filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under the Company's issuer profile. The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to "U.S. Persons" (as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act and all applicable U.S. state securities laws or in compliance with applicable exemptions therefrom. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. ABOUT OSISKO DEVELOPMENT CORP. Osisko Development Corp. is a continental North American gold development company focused on past-producing mining camps located in mining friendly jurisdictions with district scale potential. The Company's objective is to become an intermediate gold producer by advancing its flagship permitted 100%-owned Cariboo Gold Project, located in central B.C., Canada. Its project pipeline is complemented by the Tintic Project in the historic East Tintic mining district in Utah, U.S.A., and the San Antonio Gold Project in Sonora, Mexicobrownfield properties with significant exploration potential, extensive historical mining data, access to existing infrastructure and skilled labour. The Company's strategy is to develop attractive, long-life, socially and environmentally responsible mining assets, while minimizing exposure to development risk and growing mineral resources. For further information, visit our website at www.osiskodev.com or contact: Sean Roosen Philip Rabenok Chairman and CEO Vice President, Investor Relations Email: sroosen@osiskodev.com Email: prabenok@osiskodev.com Tel: +1 (514) 940-0685 Tel: +1 (437) 423-3644 CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and "forward- looking statements" (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "propose", "project", "outlook", "foresee" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding any potential outcome. Such statements in this news release may include, without limitation, statements pertaining to the use of the net proceeds from the Offering, the availability and use of proceeds of the credit facility (including the ability and timing to satisfy conditions precedents to subsequent draws under the credit facility (if at all)), the other financing arrangements that the Company is negotiating (including, the indications of interest, the type of financing arrangements, the size and quantum of such financing arrangements and the ability and timing to reach a definitive agreement in respect of these indications of interests (if at all)), the expectations regarding the Company's capital requirements to advance the Cariboo Gold Project to production, the ability of the Company to raise or arrangement for the remaining funding required to complete the construction of the Cariboo Gold Project, the timing and ability of the Company to make a final investment decision in respect of the Cariboo Gold Project, the ability to obtain the final acceptance of the TSXV and/or the New York Stock Exchange, and the Company's strategy and objectives relating to the Cariboo Gold Project as well as its other projects. Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, satisfying the requirements of the TSXV and the New York Stock Exchange (if at all), the availability of the credit facility (including compliance with covenants under the credit facility or satisfaction of conditions to any subsequent draws or advances under the credit facility), the accuracy of estimated costs and risks of cost overruns and additional capital requirements in connection with advancing the Cariboo Gold Project to production, risks related to exploration, development and operation of the Cariboo Gold Project, the ability of the Company to reach a definitive agreement or obtain any funding from other financing arrangements (including, the terms and structure and timing thereof (if at all)), general economic and market conditions and business conditions in the mining industry, fluctuations in commodity and currency exchange rates, changes in regulatory framework and applicable laws, as well as those risks and factors as disclosed in the Company's most recent annual information form, financial statement and management's discussion and analysis as well as other public filings on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca). Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Company securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Company can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by law. The information provided herein as it relates to Double Zero has been furnished by Double Zero. 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. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Chicago, IL, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cook County Health is proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Dr. Jorge Prieto Health Center, the health systems first community-based health center and a turning point in the delivery of care for Cook County residents. Nearly 200 years ago, Cook County Hospital opened its doors, promising to provide health care to anyone who needed it, regardless of ability to pay, insurance or immigration status, said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. And 50 years ago, we as a County realized that that mission was so important we needed to expand it into the communities we were caring for. By doing so, we made care increasingly accessible, meeting people where they lived, and helping remove one of the barriers that keeps people from getting the care they need. Opened in August 1975 as the South Lawndale Health Center, it marked a bold new approach to public healthshifting care away from centralized hospitals and into the neighborhoods where people live, work, and raise families. Dr. Prieto understood that health is a human right, not a privilege, and that access to care should never be a barrier to a healthy life, said Dr. Erik Mikaitis, Cook County Health CEO. Today, as we stand here celebrating this milestone anniversary, we are not just looking back at a half-century of service. We are also reaffirming our commitment to the very principles that this clinic was founded on. The original clinic, located at 2611 South Lawndale Avenue, was the result of a shared vision between Dr. Prieto and a dedicated community board determined to bring quality health services directly into the neighborhoods that needed them most. In 1991, the center moved to its current location at 2424 South Pulaski Avenue and was renamed the Dr. Jorge Prieto Health Center in honor of its founder. Every resident deserves to have the high-quality care that they need when they need it and where they need it - be it primary care, x-rays, lab work, diabetes management, or connections to services that help families and individuals lead better and healthier lives, said Claudia Burchinal, director of primary care ambulatory services at Cook County Health. By embedding care within the community, the Prieto Health Center became a pioneering model for meeting patients where they are physically, linguistically, and socially. This approach fostered long-term relationships between providers and families, increased trust in the health system, and made it easier for patients to access preventive care and chronic disease management. The impact is positive for both patients and population health: reducing avoidable hospitalizations, improving disease outcomes, and advancing health equity. Cook County Health has built upon that model over the past decades and now operates more than a dozen health centers across Cook County, providing integrated care in the heart of the communities they serve. In 2024, the clinics saw more than 569,000 visits. The Dr. Jorge Prieto Health Center continues to offer comprehensive services including primary care, womens health, pediatrics, behavioral health, dental care, and more to patients regardless of their ability to pay or immigration status. On August 14, members of the Prieto family joined Cook County Health leaders, community members, and staff for a commemorative celebration, reflecting on the vision that started it all and the enduring impact of Dr. Prietos work. "Fifty years later, our father's legacy and vision live on through the quality of care patients receive at Cook County's neighborhood clinics, as well as around the country from doctors trained in family practice medicine, said Carmen Prieto. Cook County Health remains committed to building on this legacydelivering person-centered, community-rooted care that empowers families and strengthens neighborhoods across the region. HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One More Child recently hosted a back-to-school event, providing hope and help to Houston families as they prepare to return to the classroom. As part of the event, 800 meals were served to children and familiesthanks to the generosity of Chick-fil-A and Bubba and Cindy Cathy. Their gift fed every guest and reached additional children and families in need throughout the community. Each child also received a brand-new backpack loaded with essential school supplies and other items to prepare them for the year ahead. The two-day event was held at One More Childs Houston Family Resource Center and the Missionary Village housing complex in Houston. "By providing these items, we're investing in children throughout our community while supporting families who might otherwise struggle to afford back-to-school expenses, said Stephen Robert, president and CEO at One More Child. "Were incredibly grateful to the Cathy family and Chick-fil-A, along with our other amazing partners who helped us serve so many families in need. In Houston, 31 percent of children live in low-income households, and 36 percent of children live in a single-parent home. Things have been difficult lately, especially with my husband losing his job, said a mom who brought her two children to the event. But were thankful and grateful. One More Child works directly with at-risk families throughout the Houston area, providing comprehensive support services that extend well beyond material assistance. The organization offers parenting workshops, mentorship, career guidance and life skills training designed to help families build long-term stability and self-sufficiency. Additionally, One More Child addresses immediate needs by providing nutritious food and clothing to low-income families. About One More Child: One More Child operates in 26 states and 19 countries around the world, meeting the needs of foster children, hungry children, single moms, struggling families and sex-trafficked children and teens. In 2023, One More Child provided direct services to 250,259 children and individuals while impacting an additional 143,334 individuals through advocacy, trainings, awareness and volunteering. One More Child provided more than 19 million meals nationally and globally. For more information, visit www.onemorechild.org. Attachments DALLAS, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Mark Cuban Foundation today announced a strategic partnership with Turbo AI to enhance the 2025 AI Bootcamp experience for underserved high school students and participating educators. Through this collaboration, Turbo AI will provide premium subscriptions to 700 students enrolled in the Foundation's AI Bootcamps and hundreds of educators participating in the Teacher Fellowship and Teacher Bootcamp programs. The partnership directly supports the Mark Cuban Foundation's mission to democratize access to technology education for students who traditionally lack such opportunities. Since 2019, the Foundation has hosted free artificial intelligence bootcamps across the United States, reaching students through intensive 20-hour programs that teach both practical skills and ethical considerations of technology. For many participants, this represents their first comprehensive experience with advanced learning technology designed specifically for educational purposes. Students attending the intensive bootcamp sessions can effortlessly capture and process complex concepts related to machine learning, ethics, and application development. Meanwhile, educators gain practical experience integrating technology tools into their teaching methods. As AI continues to become an undeniable force in all of our lives, its crucial that we open the door to this knowledge, especially to young people who want to explore it, said Mark Cuban, founder. While technology expands and becomes more advanced, it becomes more critical that we ensure our students are prepared when they apply for schools or jobs in the future. Thanks to our work with Turbo AI, the bootcamp will offer an avenue to explore this fascinating field of technology to any student, no matter their means. "Demystifying AI starts with tools people can use today. Turbo AI works alongside youcomment, edit, and iterate directly in your documentand, through our partnership with the Mark Cuban Foundation, were grateful to be putting it in more hands," said co-founder and CEO of Turbo AI, Rudransh Arora. The 2025 AI Bootcamp program will reach students across 29 cities, prioritizing underserved and underrepresented populations, including girls, students of color, first-generation college students, and those from low-to-moderate income backgrounds. The partnership with Turbo AI ensures these participants have access to the same advanced learning tools used by students at top universities and institutions. Teachers participating in the Foundation's professional development programs will also benefit from direct experience with practical technology applications. The Teacher Fellowship and Teacher Bootcamp programs prepare educators to effectively incorporate these tools into their classrooms, extending the impact beyond individual students to entire school communities. High school students in grades 9 - 12 can apply for the free bootcamp until September 30, 2025, at markcubanai.org . Watch Mark Cubans message about Mark Cuban Foundations AI bootcamps and access the full media kit here . To learn more, visit markcubanai.org . About Mark Cuban Foundations AI Bootcamp Initiative The Mark Cuban Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit led by entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban. The AI Bootcamps Program at MCF seeks to inspire young people with emerging technology so that they can create more equitable futures for themselves and their communities. Over 3 consecutive Saturdays underserved 9th - 12th grade students learn what AI is and isn't, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, the ethical implications of AI systems, and much more. Learn more about the no-cost AI Bootcamp program at markcubanai.org . Dublin, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Household Insecticides Market Size, Share, Trends and Forecast by Product Type, Composition, Packaging, Application, Distribution Channel, and Region, 2025-2033" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global household insecticides market size, valued at USD 17.9 billion in 2024, is projected to reach USD 30.4 billion by 2033, with a CAGR of 5.97% from 2025-2033. The Asia Pacific dominates the market, holding a 43.6% share in 2024. The market growth is driven by urbanization, rising demand for eco-friendly products, and innovations in formulations and applications. The market sees growth due to increased hygiene awareness and the health risks posed by pests, particularly in urban areas. Initiatives like WHO's Global Strategic Preparedness and programs targeting diseases such as dengue and Zika stimulate market growth. The shift towards natural formulations and e-commerce accessibility enhances consumer reach. Seasonal disease outbreaks further boost demand for effective insecticide solutions. In the United States, market growth is influenced by awareness of pest-borne diseases and their public health impact, enhancing demand for non-toxic, residue-free solutions. The cancellation of DCPA, due to its risks, underscores safety concerns and highlights AMVAC's proactive measures. Rising disposable incomes and smart technology integration push market expansion. Seasonal climate variations and pest outbreaks continue to drive insecticide usage. Market Trends: Rapid Urbanization: With urbanization reaching 56% of the world's population, cities become breeding grounds for pests due to increased waste and stagnant water, heightening the need for insecticides. Urban consumers demand convenient solutions, boosting market growth, especially in emerging economies with growing middle classes. Health Awareness: Rising awareness of diseases like malaria and dengue necessitates preventive measures. Over 3.9 billion people face dengue risk, with annual symptomatic cases around 96 million and deaths about 40,000. Health organizations promote insecticide use to combat these threats, driving demand for effective, safe products and fostering innovation. Innovation and Eco-friendly Solutions: Consumer preference shifts towards innovative, eco-friendly insecticides. Efforts focus on sustainable practices and natural ingredients, leading to the rise of bio-insecticides and plant-based products. Regulatory frameworks limit chemical usage, propelling the development of safer options. Competitive Landscape Major players engage in R&D for innovative, eco-friendly products, responding to consumer demand for safety and sustainability. Strategies include product portfolio expansion through technological advancements, mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships. Companies focus on marketing efforts to boost brand loyalty and adapt to evolving consumer preferences. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 138 Forecast Period 2024 - 2033 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $17.9 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2033 $30.4 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.1% Regions Covered Global Industry Segmentation: Product Type: Sprays dominate with a 35.6% market share in 2024, due to convenience and versatility. Sprays dominate with a 35.6% market share in 2024, due to convenience and versatility. Composition: Synthetic products hold 68.5% market share, favored for effectiveness and fast action. Synthetic products hold 68.5% market share, favored for effectiveness and fast action. Packaging: Small packaging leads with 38.5% market share, appealing for convenience and affordability. Small packaging leads with 38.5% market share, appealing for convenience and affordability. Application: Mosquitoes segment leads with 33.6% market share, driven by health concerns. Mosquitoes segment leads with 33.6% market share, driven by health concerns. Distribution Channel: Supermarkets and hypermarkets lead with 42.5% market share, offering convenience and diversity. Regional Analysis: Asia Pacific: Largest market share in 2024 at 43.6%, driven by urbanization and diverse climate challenges. Largest market share in 2024 at 43.6%, driven by urbanization and diverse climate challenges. United States: Significant growth due to disease awareness and non-toxic formulations. Significant growth due to disease awareness and non-toxic formulations. Europe: Demand driven by strict regulations and preference for eco-friendly products. Demand driven by strict regulations and preference for eco-friendly products. Latin America: High pest population and disease prevalence necessitate effective solutions. High pest population and disease prevalence necessitate effective solutions. Middle East and Africa: High malaria rates drive demand for modern pest control. Key Players Include: Amplecta AB BASF SE Bayer AG Dabur India Limited Earth Corporation Godrej Consumer Products Limited HPM Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd. Jyothy Laboratories Ltd. NEOGEN Corporation Reckitt Benckiser Group plc S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. Zapi S.p.A. Zhongshan Lanju Daily Chemical Industry Co Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ojqria 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 SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sable Offshore Corp. (NYSE: SOC) is now at the center of a securities class-action lawsuit, alleging that the company misled investors to inflate its stock price just before a major secondary offering. The drama unfolded around the company's long-delayed efforts to restart operations at its San Ynez Unit (SYU) assets, which have been dormant since a pipeline shutdown in 2015. National shareholders rights firm Hagens Berman urges Sable investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now. The firm also encourages persons with knowledge who may be able to assist in the investigation to contact its attorneys. Class Period: May 19, 2025 June 3, 2025 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Sept. 26, 2025 Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/soc Contact the Firm Now: SOC@hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895 Sable Offshore Corp. (SOC) Securities Class Action: The suit claims that on May 19, Sable triggered a stock frenzy with a press release announcing it had "restarted oil production at SYU," a claim that sent its shares soaring by a remarkable 12.5% in a single day. Riding this wave of investor enthusiasm, the company quickly priced a secondary stock offering two days later, raising a substantial $256.5 million. But the euphoria was short-lived. Just as the ink was drying on the offering, a letter from California's Lieutenant Governor, Eleni Kounalakis, allegedly surfaced that accused Sable of painting a deceptive picture. According to the complaint, the letter bluntly stated that the company's press release appears to mischaracterize the nature of recent activities" and that the so-called "restart" was nothing more than "well-testing procedures required by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement prior to restart." In a damning indictment, the letter is said to have declared, "Characterizing testing activities as a restart of operations is not only misleading but also highly inappropriate." When the contents of this letter were reported in the financial press on May 28, the market delivered a swift verdict. Sable's stock price plunged over 15% the very next day, wiping out the gains that had enticed new investors just a week earlier. The litigation now aims to hold the company accountable for what some are calling a calculated maneuver to raise capital under false pretenses. The case, Johnson v. Sable Offshore Corp., et al., is being litigated in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Were investigating whether Sable may have misled investors about its restart progress and purported restart of SYU, said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation. If you invested in Sable and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firms investigation, submit your losses now If youd like more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the Sable case and our investigation, read more Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Sable Offshore should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email SOC@hbsslaw.com. About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs rights complex litigation firm focusing on corporate accountability. The firm is home to a robust practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and other wrongdoings. Hagens Bermans team has secured more than $2.9 billion in this area of law. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw. SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On August 12, the Dominican Republic celebrated Dia Nacional de las Zonas Francas (Free Zones Day) with an event attended by President Luis Abinader and Minister of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs (MICM), Victor Bisono, reaffirming the governments strong commitment to the free zones sector as a driver of exports, jobs, innovation and economic growth. A key highlight was the presentation by Ian Steff, president and CEO of mySilicon Compass and former U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce, who unveiled ENFIS1 (Estrategia Nacional de Fomento a la Industria de Semiconductores), the Dominican Republics strategy to position itself in the global semiconductor value chain. The Dominican Republic is ready for the next step Steff stated after reviewing the strategys highlights. The day also featured an engaging panel, Why Dominican Republic? Success Stories in Free Zones, which showcased four prominent companies from various industries, each sharing their reasons for choosing the Dominican Republic as an investment destination, and their vision for future growth in the country. B. Braun, represented by Jim West, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, reflected on 25 years of continuous growth in the Dominican Republic and emphasized that the exceptional human talent, strategic relation with DR and an agile business process has been decisive for the companys sustained expansion. STERIS, represented by Kelly Fleming, Vice President of Global Corporate Development at STERIS AST, explained that after analyzing the countrys medical activity with some of their customers, and visiting their operations, it made sense to add value and strengthen the medical devices supply chain, by establishing an oxide contract sterilization facility, playing a critical role in the sector. Juan Carlos Ibanez, president of Garware Healthcare S.A.S., analyzed the political and economic stability, the human talent, nearshore and good relations with the US; arrived at the conclusion that DR is the place; surpassing the initial set goals in the first year, and getting new upcoming expansion projects. Finally, Randy Carr, CEO of World Emblem, recounted how he first discovered the Dominican Republic through ChatGPT -a story later shared on CNN and Bloomberg- and moved quickly to set up operations, driven by high expectations for the countrys manufacturing potential. Mr. Carr also stated that it was an easy decision with the process fluency and availability, while taking advantage of the favorable relations with the US. Together, these testimonies underscored a compelling message: the Dominican Republic offers an exceptional blend of skilled human capital, strategic geographic location, and a business-friendly environment, making it a top choice for global companies seeking operational efficiency, rapid market access, and long-term sustainable growth. 1 https://micm.gob.do/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/National-Strategy-for-the-Promotion-of-the-Semiconductor-Industry-ENFIS.pdf Full event video: Zonas Francas, zonas de oportunidades Contact Information Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs (MICM) Vice Ministry of Free Zones and Special Regimes (1) 809-685-5171 ext. 1017 deyanira.bonilla@micm.gob.do www.micm.gob.do A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c15f69b1-0849-4de7-b88b-0dbd022f0b94 VANCOUVER, British Columbia and AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inspire Semiconductor Holdings Inc. (InspireSemi or the Company), a chip design company that provides revolutionary high-performance, energy-efficient accelerated computing solutions for High Performance Computing (HPC), AI, graph analytics, and other compute-intensive workloads, is today providing the following business update. Business Update The Company is pleased to announce the initial A0 Thunderbird supercomputer-on-a-chip devices completed fabrication at TSMC last month and are currently being packaged onto substrates at ASE. We expect to begin initial testing and validation in September and look forward to further engaging with our early customers and partners through this process. We will host our next shareholder webinar on September 18, 2025 at 1:00pm EDT. You can register and join at this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81314187313?pwd=dnDdzmzHxY3QMnSSpP9GAlEEE6gSrN.1. Details of Incremental Funding Secured The Company has received an additional funding commitment for a private placement financing for total proceeds of US$3,000,000 (the Financing). The Financing will be comprised of proportionate voting share units (PV Units) at $8.85 per PV Unit, comprised of one proportionate voting share (PV Share) and one PV Share Warrant (exercisable at $8.85 per PV Share for 5 years from closing). The Company will announce closing of the Financing with additional detail by further press release. About InspireSemi InspireSemi provides revolutionary high-performance, energy-efficient accelerated computing solutions for High-Performance Computing (HPC), AI, graph analytics, and other compute-intensive workloads. The Thunderbird I supercomputer-cluster-on-a-chip is a disruptive, next-generation datacenter accelerator designed to address multiple underserved and diversified industries, including financial services, computer-aided engineering, energy, climate modeling, cybersecurity, and life sciences & drug discovery. Based on the open standard RISC-V instruction set architecture, InspireSemis solutions set new standards of performance, energy efficiency, and ease of programming. InspireSemi is headquartered in Austin, TX. For more information visit https://inspiresemi.com Follow InspireSemi on LinkedIn Company Contact Jack Cartwright, CFO (737) 471-3230 invest@inspiresemi.com Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information This press release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (forward-looking statements). Statements concerning InspireSemis objectives, goals, strategies, priorities, intentions, plans, beliefs, expectations and estimates, and the business, operations, financial performance and condition of InspireSemi are forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words 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 statements formed in the future tense or indicating that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will (or other variations of the forgoing) be taken, occur, be achieved, or come to pass. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, information regarding the Delisting and any future listing. Forward-looking information is based on currently available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans, strategies or beliefs as of the date of this presentation, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of InspireSemi, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors may be based on information currently available to the Company including information obtained from third-party industry analysts and other third-party sources and are based on managements current expectations or beliefs. Any and all forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect managements expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Forward-looking information reflects managements current beliefs and is based on information currently available to them and on assumptions they believe to be not unreasonable in light of all of the circumstances. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law. TORONTO, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX: PFIA, PFCO, PFCB, PFAA, PFIG) Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the August 2025 monthly cash distribution of $0.0226 per unit for the ETF units (ETF Units) of the PICTON Long Short Income Alternative Fund. Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the August 2025 monthly cash distribution of $0.0199 per unit for the ETF Units of the PICTON Credit Opportunities Alternative Fund. Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the August 2025 monthly cash distribution of $0.0291 per unit for the ETF Units of the PICTON Core Bond Fund. Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the August 2025 monthly cash distribution of $0.0075 per unit for the ETF Units of the PICTON Multi-Strategy Alpha Alternative Fund. Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the August 2025 monthly cash distribution of $0.0497 per unit for the ETF units of the PICTON Investment Grade Alternative Fund. Unitholders of record of the ETF Units, at the close of business on August 21, 2025, will receive a per-unit cash distribution payable on August 29, 2025. About Picton Mahoney Asset Management Picton Mahoney Asset Management specializes in differentiated investment solutions and rules-based volatility management. Picton Mahoney helps its clients fortify their portfolios based on experience honed over the years through different market cycles and investing environments. Founded in 2004 and 100% employee-owned, Picton Mahoney is a portfolio management boutique entrusted with over $15.3 billion (as at July 31, 2025) in assets under management. Pioneers of Authentic Hedge investment principles and practices in Canada, the firm offers a full suite of investment solutions, including mutual and alternative funds, to institutional and retail investors across the country. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees, performance fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. Alternative funds can only be purchased through a registered dealer and are available only in those jurisdictions where they may be lawfully offered for sale. For further information please contact: Arthur Galloway Picton Mahoney Asset Management Tel: (416) 955-4108 Website: www.pictoninvestments.com Email: invest@pictoninvestments.com Houston, TX, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TDECU, Houstons largest credit union, is proud to announce the appointment of five distinguished advisory board members. Their expertise and insight will strengthen the organizations commitment to its purpose of Members helping Members and communities prosper. Their diverse perspectives will not only help position TDECU for continued growth and long-term success but also enhance the credit unions ability to stay competitive in an evolving financial landscape while remaining rooted in serving the Greater Houston community. As we grow, it is important to expand our capabilities. The contributions of our new advisory board members will be key in guiding the organization as we advance, said TDECU Chairman of the Board Roland Hendricks. I am confident in the transformative impact our collaboration will have on TDECUs success. Rushi Patel is the co-founder of a longstanding and successful real estate development firm, Omkar Enterprises, LLC, bringing over two decades of entrepreneurial leadership to the table. He played a pivotal role in envisioning, planning, and executing several noteworthy projects, contributing to the growth and revitalization of surrounding communities. Patel holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a masters in taxation from the University of South Carolina. He also holds a CPA license. Patel complements his corporate work with a deep commitment to community involvement. His board appointments include the HCA Houston/Pearland Healthcare Board, the Pearland Municipal Management District No. 2 Board, and Moody National Bank Board (as an advisory member). He also held a leadership role as Chairman of the Pearland Economic Development Corporation Board. He is a current member of the Pearland City Council. In addition, he maintains active membership in several distinguished professional organizations, including the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy, the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association, and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association. Rodrigo (Rod) Tejeda joins the TDECU Board after the credit unions recent merger with Space City Credit Union. Tejeda is a dynamic executive and entrepreneur based in Houston, Texas, with over 15 years of experience leading companies across the energy, manufacturing, and environmental sectors. A seasoned CEO, he specializes in operational turnarounds, mergers and acquisitions, and value-driven growth strategies. He has successfully acquired, scaled, and divested companies, including Atlantic Product Services and L-K Industries. Tejedas expertise extends to advising private equity firms at Riveron Consulting, conducting financial analysis at Transocean and ExxonMobil, and launching his career at KPMG in Assurance and Advisory, where he provided audit and consulting services to Fortune 500 clients in the Energy and Industrials sectors. Tejeda holds an MBA from Cornell University, and both undergraduate and masters degrees in accounting from the University of Houston. Beyond his corporate roles, Rod has a strong commitment to community service, having served on the boards of Space City Credit Union and the East End Management District. He will join the Lone Star College Foundation Board of Directors in September. Stephen J. Quezada is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Quezada also joins TDECUs Board following its merger with Space City Credit Union. He serves as a shareholder at Ogletree Deakins, one of the nation's largest labor and employment law firms. In this role, Quezada focuses primarily on representing public and private employers before federal and state courts and administrative agencies that enforce a variety of labor and employment laws. He has tried and arbitrated matters to jury verdict and award involving claims of unpaid overtime, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Quezada also represents clients in traditional labor matters, including labor grievances and arbitrations, and union organizing campaigns. Quezada earned his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and holds a B.B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Houston and has been recognized for Labor & Employment Litigation in Best Lawyers in America since 2024. Beyond his legal practice, Quezada is actively involved in the community. He served on the Space City Credit Union Audit Committee and is the Chair of the East End District Board of Directors. Additionally, he is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Bar Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association, and the Houston Bar Association's Labor & Employment Law Section. Quezada is also a member of the Lone Star College Foundation Board of Directors, where he serves on the Governance Committee. Scott Campbell is a marketing, brand management, and communications leader with over 25 years of experience. As Chief Client Experience Officer, Campbell leads American National Insurances client experience team, which includes UX and UI, client insights, client service center operations and the companys strategic innovation efforts. He also oversees the companys corporate communications, PR, and brand programs. Campbell completed his Master of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Campbell has been an active member of several insurance industry committees throughout his career, including the LIMRA Strategic Marketing Issues Committee, the Global Retail Marketing Association, and C-Suite Executive Leadership Forum. He was named by LIMRA as one of the industrys Rising Stars of Innovation. Sandra Pineau-Boddison is a leader with extensive experience in multiple executive roles, most recently as Senior Vice President of Customers at United Airlines, where she was responsible for the overall passenger journey, building strong loyalty while differentiating the experience. She oversaw the customer experience, onboard service, lounge and customer contact center divisions with about 8,000 employees. She currently holds dual leadership roles as Partner and Managing Director of The Hayward Partnership and as CEO and Founder of SPB Consulting, LLC. Pineau-Boddison brings 35 years of proven expertise in understanding all aspects of the customer journey with a focus on digital solutions, product marketing, operations and developing strategy and vision. She is currently chairman of the board for Intervine Inc., a global wine, food, and beverage management company serving the transportation industry. She is also president of the International Flight Services Association Foundation, a non-profit organization raising industry scholarships, and a board member with Women in Aviation International. Pineau-Boddison holds a Master of Business Administration from Long Beach State University, a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from Texas State University and an Honorary Doctorate of Food Services from NAFEM (North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers). She was also named to the Illinois Diversity Councils list of Most Powerful and Influential Women and is a member of the Women Corporate Directors (WCD). TDECU President and CEO Isaac Johnson welcomes the new additions with excitement as well. This is a pivotal time for our credit union, and bringing new voices to the table is essential to our progress, said Johnson. Our new advisory board members energy and diverse expertise will be invaluable as we continue to help our members and community prosper. Together, we will continue to build a stronger credit union for the future. Attachments TORONTO, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has taken action to immediately suspend the licence of Longtooth Beverage Company, located at 429 West Front Street in Stirling, Ontario. This action comes in response to charges laid by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) against Lucas Ferrill, Longtooths owner and sole proprietor, for his alleged role in a drug trafficking operation. The charges against Mr. Ferrill include possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine, psilocybin and LSD, as well as possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000.00. Under the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 (LLCA), the Registrar may issue an order to immediately suspend a liquor licence where the Registrar considers it necessary in the public interest. Longtooth Beverage Company holds a licence to brew beer, and endorsements allowing it to operate a retail store and to sell and serve beer onsite. The actions alleged are incompatible with the integrity and honesty required of an AGCO licensee and pose a significant risk to public safety. The AGCO issued an order to immediately suspend the businesss licence effective August 14, 2025. QUOTE The AGCOs top priority is to protect the public interest and ensure that all regulated sectors operate with honesty and integrity. Illicit drug trafficking directly undermines public safety and the AGCO will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to combat criminal activity wherever it is identified. - Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and CEO, AGCO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The AGCOs suspension was ordered under subsection 13(3) of the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 (S.O. 2019, c. 15, Sched. 22), which permits the Registrar to suspend a licence where it is necessary in the public interest. An establishment served with an Order of Immediate Suspension has the right to appeal the Registrars action within 15 days to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative tribunal that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO. MEDIA CONTACT media@agco.ca ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tagger, a decentralized AI data-labeling platform, today announced the signing of more than $9 million in new data-labeling agreements, all to be delivered and settled in USD1, the stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial. The agreements include a $5 million contract with payments application Stables. According to the company, the contracts will be fulfilled using Taggers decentralized corporate (DeCorp) operating model, which structures data-labeling work as on-chain, auditable tasks. The model is designed to improve data provenance, contributor incentives, and cross-border settlement efficiency. Under the DeCorp framework, each stage of workcollection, labeling, and reviewis logged with attribution on a public blockchain. Tagger states that this structure enables counterparties to verify task completion, track content provenance, and process contributor payments without traditional invoicing delays. Data silos and slow payments can limit the speed of AI development, said Trevor Xu, Founder of Tagger. With DeCorp, contributors are compensated as soon as work is verified, which can reduce turnaround times for partners. The company noted that the $9 million in signed agreements includes more than $6 million in additional contracts beyond the Stables deal. Tagger also reported recent token purchases from World Liberty Financial and the BNB Chain Foundation, which the company says reflect ongoing support for its approach to decentralized data workflows. Taggers platform incorporates smart contracts to manage incentives and settle payments directly to contributor wallets, aiming to address common delays in cross-border labor payments. The system also includes features for dispute resolution and quality verification through multi-tier reviewer processes. The company indicated that its recent contracts span sectors including financial services, medical imaging, agriculture, and autonomous vehicle development. For more information about Tagger and its DeCorp operating model, visit https://tagger.gitbook.io . Twitter: https://x.com/TaggerAI Contact: Trevor Xu trevor@tagger.pro Disclaimer: This content is provided by Tagger. 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.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/e4e6e07a-33dd-44fe-ac1e-26d1f9482305 A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link. Hennessey establishes Maverick division to produce exceptional customer commissions 1-of-1 Venom F5 LF is most expensive, complex, and highest spec Hennessey hypercar ever Special model features all-new carbon tub, all-new gated six-speed manual transmission, Cocoa Brown exposed carbon fiber, totally new interior layout, horology-inspired switchgear, and Evolution aero, suspension, and comfort enhancements Monterey Car Week also sees global public debut for new, 2,031 bhp Venom F5 Revolution Evolution production car Images: New 1-of-1 manual Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution Evolution LF Video: John Hennessey overview and drive of Venom F5 Revolution Evolution LF MONTEREY, Calif., Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hennessey Special Vehicles, the Texas-based manufacturer of Americas Hypercar, has revealed the Venom F5 Revolution LF a 1-of-1 customer commission created by Hennesseys new bespoke customer commission division: Maverick. Unveiled today (August 15) at The Quail, the unique new model is built as a symbol of individuality, innovation, and American pride, the bespoke LF model becomes the most personal, driver centric, analog, and engaging Venom F5 to date. Passionate collector and American Entrepreneur, Louis Florey personally specified every bespoke element, from the unique aerodynamic package to the distinctive Cocoa Brown exposed carbon fiber. Working with Hennesseys new Maverick customer commission division, the 1-of-1 model sets a new benchmark for Americas Hypercar and demonstrates the capabilities of the Texan firms world-class designers and engineers. Featuring an all-new carbon fiber tub, the commission pairs Hennesseys latest Evolution package with an open-top F5 in track-spec Revolution configuration. The design is based on the already exclusive Stealth Series, which sees exposed carbon fiber flow from nose to tail, broadening to envelop the cockpit before narrowing again beneath the 290 mm-high rear wing. Tinting the carbon fiber Coco Brown, opting for brilliant River Sand Metallic paint the color of rich champagne, and adding a body-color tri-stripe, then specifying a six-speed gated manual transmission, instantly makes this the most unique and complex F5 to-date. John Hennessey, company founder and CEO: When our customers have a dream, we work to make their dreams come true exceeding customer expectations is a badge of honor. Our new Maverick division enables our customers to take our American Hypercar to a totally new dimension. I see it as the ultimate expression of the American Dream! Previewing bodywork elements from the forthcoming Venom F5 Evolution, the LF features a wealth of aerodynamic revisions from a new front splitter, reshaped dive planes, re-sculpted fender louvres, a new rear deck with integrated lip spoiler, and a significantly taller rear wing. Paired with new suspension and Hennesseys new 6.6-liter twin-turbo V8 Fury engine with 2,031 bhp, the aerodynamic enhancements ensure high-speed poise on road or track, enabling extreme performance with the roof on or off. Inside, the LF debuts a new generation carbon monocoque. Hennesseys XCell_2 tub improves stiffness, seating ergonomics, and pedal box geometry, with repositioned footwells offering space for the third pedal and promoting a more positive driving position. The LF sees machined aluminum pedals completed with laser-etched Hennessey logos and moved to a new floor-mounted configuration. The interior is entirely reimagined with analog connection a guiding principle. A new center console showcases a H-pattern gated shifter milled from solid aluminum. Above the shifter sit side-by side air vents, with a key holster immediately below, which receives the F5 key as part of the ignition process. Each switch, toggle, and rotary controller has been reengineered with horology-grade detailing including luminous-infill switchgear, which absorbs ambient light during the day and glows softly at night. Even the parking brake lever is machined to deliver a bolt-action feel, underscoring the obsessive craftsmanship throughout the cabin. Nathan Malinick, Hennesseys Director of Design: A common point of celebration for our customers is how the F5 delivers unmatched driving intensity. We built on this prominent theme with Louis Florey, identifying mechanical, sensory, and design-led ways of deepening the connection between F5 and driver. The LF demonstrates how far well go to deliver an outstanding customer experience and its the perfect launchpad for our new bespoke Maverick division. Its where engineering meets imagination, and where design fuses with passion there can be no greater way to connect driver with the most raw, powerful, and intense celebration of internal combustion. The Maverick division, officially launched with this commission, will allow a small number of customers to work hand-in-hand with the Hennessey team to create uniquely personal Venom F5 builds. From custom paints, new mechanical elements, and exposed carbon finishes to personalized interiors and even reimagined bodywork, the program reflects Hennesseys commitment to celebrating the individuality of its customers while staying true to Hennesseys pioneering spirit and Texan independence. As the most expensive and complex F5 to date, the Venom F5 Revolution LF will stand alone as a 1-of-1 commission. However, the ethos it represents will carry forward into future Maverick projects each as bold, personal, and uncompromising as the customers who seek their own American Dream. Monterey Car Week also saw the global public debut for the new 2,031 bhp Venom F5 Revolution Evolution production car. The F5 Evolution is the worlds most powerful internal combustion road car and the next generation of Venom F5. All future F5 builds will feature Evolution enhancements as standard, while owners of the 32 customer cars already delivered can upgrade their model to the Evolution specification. Following an extensive development program, this next generation of Americas Hypercar features a comprehensive set of updates that boost overall performance, handling, and comfort. The new Venom F5 Evolution has increased power and torque, updated aerodynamics for improved downforce, new mode-adaptive suspension for enhanced handling and ride quality, new interior, plus an optional touring exhaust system and touring seats. For more information about Hennesseys Venom F5 models including Coupe, Roadster, and Revolution variants or to inquire about the Maverick bespoke division, visit HennesseySpecialVehicles.com or contact the company at +1 979 885 1300. Images Click the link below or email Jon.Visscher[@]vcomm.co.uk for images of the 1-of-1 Venom F5 LF: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/f60abzaze2vgpcx8al8uq/AIiWy49nbjdIPrpFeOpAIdc?rlkey=q0pf7htoouz9kxfxn09qew39u&st=sb5asq7d&dl=0 Video John Hennessey overview and drive of Venom F5 Revolution Evolution LF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atL8KKrkhp0 About Hennessey Special Vehicles Motivated by the challenge, Texas-based Hennessey Special Vehicles creates extreme, authentic, inspirational hypercars. With a customer-first approach, exceptional craftsmanship, and a passion for performance, they created the Venom F5. Unveiled in 2025, the 2,031 horsepower F5 Evolution is an utterly extreme hypercar that exhibits the pinnacle of power and performance, delivering a visceral, awe-inspiring driving experience to an exclusive family of owners. Designed, developed, and built in the US, the companys 100% bespoke, twin-turbocharged, 6.6-liter Fury V8 Venom F5 is Americas Hypercar. Engineered to exceed 300 mph, the line-up includes Coupe and Roadster body styles each available in track-focused Revolution form and limited-run Special Series a future manual version also set to join the line up. To ensure exclusivity, no more than 99 Venom F5 models will be built. HennesseySpecialVehicles.com Social media Instagram: HennesseySpecialVehicles | YouTube: HennesseyPerformanceF5 | Facebook: @hennesseype | X: @HennesseyPerf Media contact For further information, images, or comments, contact Hennesseys PR team at Vcomm: Jon Visscher Jon.Visscher[@]vcomm.co.uk / Vcomm.co.uk Other Hennessey images and videos available at HennesseyMedia.com DALLAS, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HF Sinclair Corporation (NYSE and NYSE Texas: DINO) (the Corporation) today announced the pricing terms for its previously announced cash tender offer (the Tender Offer) to purchase any and all of its outstanding notes listed in the table below (collectively, the Notes and each a Series of Notes). All other terms and conditions of the Tender Offer remain unchanged and are described in the Offer to Purchase, dated August 11, 2025 (the Offer to Purchase). Capitalized terms used in this news release and not defined herein have the meanings given to them in the Offer to Purchase. The applicable consideration to be paid in the Tender Offer for each Series of Notes accepted for purchase was determined by reference to the applicable fixed spread specified for such Series of Notes over the yield (the Reference Yield) based on the bid-side price of the applicable U.S. Treasury Securities set forth in the table below (the Tender Offer Consideration). The Reference Yields listed in the table below were determined (pursuant to the Offer to Purchase) at 2:00 p.m., New York City time, today, August 15, 2025, by the Lead Dealer Managers. The following table sets forth the pricing information for the Tender Offer: Title of Security CUSIP(1) Aggregate Principal Amount Outstanding Prior to the Tender Offer Reference U.S. Treasury Security Reference Yield Fixed Spread (basis points) Tender Offer Consideration(2) 5.875% Senior Notes due 2026 403949 AB6 $153,585,000 4.250% U.S.T. due 12/31/25 4.226% 50 bps $1,004.12 6.375% Senior Notes due 2027 403949 AK6 U4322C AD5 403949 AP5 $249,875,000 3.750% U.S.T. due 4/15/26 4.035% 50 bps $1,011.63 ________________ (1) No representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP numbers listed in this news release or printed on the Notes. They are provided solely for the convenience of Holders of the Notes. (2) Payable for each $1,000 principal amount of applicable Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Time (as defined below) and accepted for purchase by the Corporation. In addition, Holders whose Notes are accepted will also receive interest on such Notes accrued to the Settlement Date (as defined below). The Tender Offer will remain open until 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 15, 2025, unless extended or earlier terminated as described in the Offer to Purchase (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the Expiration Time). In accordance with the terms of the Offer to Purchase, the Corporation reserves the right to amend the Tender Offer, subject to applicable law. Subject to satisfaction of the conditions to the Tender Offer, settlement for all Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Tender Offer prior to the Expiration Time or pursuant to a Notice of Guaranteed Delivery is expected to be on August 20, 2025 (the Settlement Date). Citigroup, Citizens Capital Markets and Mizuho are the Lead Dealer Managers for the Tender Offer. D.F. King & Co., Inc. is the Tender and Information Agent. Persons with questions regarding the Tender Offer should contact Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at +1 (800) 558-3745 (toll free) or +1 (212) 723-6106 or ny.liabilitymanagement@citi.com, Citizens JMP Securities, LLC at dl-cjmpslegal@citizensbank.com, or Mizuho Securities USA LLC at +1 (866) 271-7403 (toll free) or +1 (212) 205-7741. Questions regarding the tendering of Notes and requests for copies of the Offer to Purchase and Notice of Guaranteed Delivery and related materials should be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc. at (212) 931-0865 (for banks and brokers) or (800) 949-2583 (all others, toll-free) or email DINO@dfking.com. Copies of the Offer to Purchase and Notice of Guaranteed Delivery are also available at the following web address: www.dfking.com/DINO. This news release is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell the Notes. The Tender Offer is made only by the Offer to Purchase and Notice of Guaranteed Delivery and the information in this news release is qualified by reference to the Offer to Purchase. There is no separate letter of transmittal in connection with the Offer to Purchase. None of the Corporation, the Corporations Board of Directors, the Lead Dealer Managers, the Tender and Information Agent or the trustee with respect to any Notes is making any recommendation as to whether Holders should tender any Notes in response to the Tender Offer, and neither the Corporation nor any such other person has authorized any person to make any such recommendation. Holders must make their own decision as to whether to tender any of their Notes, and, if so, the principal amount of Notes to tender. About HF Sinclair Corporation : HF Sinclair Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is an independent energy company that produces and markets high-value light products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, renewable diesel and lubricants and specialty products. HF Sinclair owns and operates refineries located in Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Wyoming, Washington and Utah. HF Sinclair provides petroleum product and crude oil transportation, terminalling, storage and throughput services to our refineries and the petroleum industry. HF Sinclair markets its refined products principally in the Southwest U.S., the Rocky Mountains extending into the Pacific Northwest and in other neighboring Plains states and supplies high-quality fuels to more than 1,700 branded stations and licenses the use of the Sinclair brand to more than 300 additional locations throughout the country. HF Sinclair produces renewable diesel at two of its facilities in Wyoming and also at its facility in New Mexico. In addition, subsidiaries of HF Sinclair produce and market base oils and other specialized lubricants in the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands, and export products to more than 80 countries. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, Contact: Craig Biery, Vice President, Investor Relations HF Sinclair Corporation 214-954-6510 Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements : The following is a safe harbor statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The statements in this news release relating to matters that are not historical facts, including those related to the concurrent offering of senior notes and the use of proceeds therefrom, and the Tender Offer and the timing and outcome thereof, are forward-looking statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to materially differ from what is expressed, implied or forecast in such statements. Any differences could be caused by a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the ability to complete the concurrent offering of senior notes, general market conditions and other financial, operational and legal risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Corporations SEC filings. All forward-looking statements included in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and, other than as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Dallas, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Commercial Drywall Dallas, a leading drywall contractor, is widening its reach, now offering its well-regarded services to areas like Ft. Worth, Arlington, Euless, Irving, and Carrollton. Known for being a top drywall contractor in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metro area, this move highlights the company's commitment to providing quality craftsmanship to a bigger audience while maintaining the high standards their clients expect. More information on their services can be found on their website, where they detail their offerings such as acoustical grid and tile installations and advanced commercial metal framing solutions. The expansion into these significant Texas cities means Commercial Drywall Dallas can now offer its specialized services to more people. Clients in these regions will have access to a full lineup of offerings, ensuring that projects are completed precisely, on time, and within budget. Apart from broadening its geographical presence, Commercial Drywall Dallas is also expanding its range of services. As highlighted on their service page, they are rolling out additional specialized services across sectors like retail, medical offices, restaurants, and hospitality. This effort aims to meet the complex demands of these sectors, providing comprehensive solutions that include everything from tenant improvements to the installation of premium acoustic and suspended ceilings. Jeff Howell, a representative of Commercial Drywall Dallas, shared his excitement for the company's growth, saying, "We're thrilled to bring our expertise in Commercial Metal Framing and other specialized drywall services to new areas and industries. Our expansion reflects our commitment to delivering top-notch service and maintaining our reputation for excellence in every project we undertake." The website also details their capability to excel in corporate interiors and multifamily buildings, showcasing the quality and precision that clients have come to expect. In places like Irving and Carrollton, the company plans to offer customized solutions that improve both the look and function of commercial spaces. This expansion not only creates new opportunities but also strengthens their role as a leading contractor in Texas. For detailed insights into their services and areas served, visit the official website for Commercial Drywall Dallas. Speaking about their move into the medical office sector, Jeff Howell added, "Our capability to adapt and offer specialized solutions across various industries is one of our strongest suits. We're particularly excited to serve medical offices, where precision and quality are critical. Our expertise in this area ensures that we will meet and exceed the expectations of this important field." As they broaden both their reach and offerings, the company remains true to its core values of reliability, quality, and professionalism. People in Ft. Worth, Arlington, Euless, Irving, Carrollton, and beyond can now access a wider range of services, backed by a team of skilled professionals dedicated to bringing each client's vision to life. https://youtu.be/SOn9kaXxCjc?si=P6roXnL5r5O9E2pA While embracing new challenges in a variety of sectors, Commercial Drywall Dallas stays committed to their foundational principles. Expanding into new areas and industries promises improved service delivery and innovative drywall solutions designed to meet the unique needs of different commercial spaces. For an overview of what Commercial Drywall Dallas offers and their continual commitment to excellence, visit their website. ### For more information about Commercial Drywall Dallas, contact the company here: Commercial Drywall Dallas Jeff Howell (949) 542-0501 info@commercialdrywalldallas.com 4514 Cole Ave #2500 Dallas, TX 75205 ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The LYNO AI presale has reached a key milestone, with more than 269,000 tokens sold during its Early Bird stage. Priced at $0.05 per token, this phase provides participants access before the price rises to $0.055 in the next stage. A total of 16 million tokens are available in this round, marking significant early engagement as the project progresses toward its upcoming phases. What Makes LYNO AI a Game-Changer? In contrast with other platforms, such as Uniswap or PancakeSwap, LYNO AI uses state of the art AI to drive cross-chain arbitrage and bridge Ethereum with more than 15 blockchains compatible with Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This new protocol will give the average investor access to the high-frequency trading that was previously only available to institutional players. The added security audit of a Cyberscope increase trust in a stable and solid platform that shines among verified DeFi projects. Key Features Driving Hype: AI-Driven Arbitrage: An automation of quick and efficient trading between two or more blockchains. Cross-Chain Power: Allows to mix with 15+ EVM-compatible chains without fuss Bank-Robber Security: Fully secure with an audit by Cyberscope to the satisfaction of investors. Friendly Access: You can make payments in ETH, USDT and USDC through MetaMask and Trust Wallet. Exclusive Perks Fueling FOMO Those who invest at least 100 dollars in the presale will also have the chance of accessing LYNO AI Giveaway where the prize pool will contain 100,000 tokens. A 10,000-token grand prize will go to one lucky winner, and 10 other winners will have their rewards. This and the looming price increase are motivating the investors to take quick actions. Why Investors Are All In The veterans of XRP and Chainlink consider LYNO AI to be one of the DeFi breakout stars, especially to the early adopters. Its cross-chain capabilities and AI-driven tools make it poised to grow enormously and be more innovative than its competitors such as Polygon. Its potential is at unprecedented levels in the market as seen by the sale of more than a quarter-million tokens. Seize the Moment With the presale price of 0.05 being increased in near future, it is a good opportunity to invest at an early stage in a project with a potential explosive gain. LYNO AI has incomparable value in comparison to more expensive DeFi launches, such as Aave. Dont waitsecure your tokens now to maximize returns. The Future of DeFi Awaits LYNO AI is not only a DeFi project but a secure cross-chain trading giant with AI features. It is a must have to sophisticated investors with a healthy Cyberscope audit, a sizzling presale, and irresistible rewards. Don t miss out on the DeFi revolution grab your tokens today before prices skyrocket! For more information about LYNO visit the links below: Website: https://lyno.ai/ Buy Presale- https://lyno.ai/#presale Whitepaper: https://lyno.ai/whitepaper.pdf Twitter/X: https://x.com/Lyno_AI Telegram: https://t.me/lyno_ai Win 100k: https://gleam.io/KCCV3/lyno-ai-giveaway Contact Details: LYNO AI contact@lyno.ai Disclaimer: This content is provided by LYNO AI. 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/246dd39f-1539-4da0-ab0c-9cafa76536e9 Beijing, China, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Literary and artistic works themed on the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), be they classic works created during the war or works looking back on history, all carry historical memories and the national spirit. Through artistic forms, they cross the long river of time, allowing us to deeply feel the fearlessness and perseverance of the Chinese people during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, while inspiring people's patriotic feelings. The Global Times launched this special series of Indelible Memories about literary and artistic works themed on the war to draw wisdom and strength from the spirit of the people. On a scorching summer day, stepping into the resting hall at Beijing's Imperial Ancestral Temple, visitors were greeted not only by a refreshing coolness but also by a profound sense of history. This gravity stemmed not just from the imposing centuries-old architecture, but even more from the collection of artworks on display - each capturing pivotal moments from the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. In particular, a group of sculptures on the white central exhibition platform commanded special attention. Each figure in this group of sculptures intensifies the visual impact of fear and despair through contorted bodies, hollow gazes, and torn garments. Some look up to the sky, some scream in silence, some struggle for survival, while others have already fallen, their lives lost. This is the work of Wu Weishan, former director of the National Art Museum of China. Titled Tao Nan, or Fleeing from Calamity, it is the theme sculpture for the expansion of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. On July 28, at the opening ceremony of this art exhibition, which highlights the perseverance and resistance of the Chinese people during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Wu told the Global Times that the purpose of creating these sculptures is to remember history, not hatred. "Art can serve to commemorate history and call for peace, fully expressing the Chinese people's values and love for peace," he said. These sculptures are bearers of history, embodying the longing for peace. Such expressions run through generations of Chinese artistic creation - every line, every chisel mark, every brushstroke aims to ensure that people never forget. Turning sorrow into power The sculptures displayed in the main hall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple are, on average, only a few dozen centimeters in height, while their enlarged versions stand solemnly at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province. Taken as a whole, this group of sculptures resembles a powerful musical movement: rising, falling, flowing, ascending, soaring. Spatially, the energy these sculptures project envelops viewers in an atmosphere of deep compassion and sorrow. Even before entering the memorial, visitors are already touched, so that once inside, each sight of a bone fragment or a blood-stained garment evokes boundless grief and reflection. In these sculptures created from 2005 to 2007, Wu avoided direct depiction of the Japanese army's atrocities, choosing instead to focus on the victims, capturing the devastation and suffering of Nanjing's residents during the massacre - their families shattered, their lives destroyed. He explained that these works are meant to "bring the victims back to life," allowing their last cries before death to express the shared voice of humanity. By giving form to the souls of all those who suffered, the sculptures become important vessels of the human spirit. Only in this way can artworks urge all humankind to reflect, so that the lessons of the past will never be forgotten. Outside the memorial, the sculptures were set within a pool symbolizing the path to escape terror, depicting 10 groups of 21 figures fleeing their homes in the wake of the bloody massacre. Nearly life-sized, these sculptures enhance the sense of realism. Among them are an elderly son supporting his octogenarian mother as they flee, a violated young woman standing by a well, and a monk closing the eyes of the wrongfully slain as he escapes. The sculptures are cast in a silvery-gray tone, distinct from the familiar bronze and copper hues, symbolizing the survivors' escape from overwhelming terror. The piece that moved the sculptor most was one of an infant clinging to his deceased mother, seeking milk from her lifeless body. This work is based on the harrowing experience of Nanjing Massacre survivor Chang Zhiqiang's family. Three of his younger brothers were bayoneted to death, his mother fatally stabbed in the lungs. Amidst tears, he placed his youngest brother beside their mother, and the infant crawled to her chest to nurse. That final drop of milk marked both an end and a fragile hope. By the next day, mother and child had frozen together in the bitter cold, never to be parted. The process of creating these sculptures was far from tranquil for Wu. Immersed in historical research and interviews with survivors like Chang Zhiqiang and Xia Shuqin, he was deeply affected by the anguish and outcries captured in old photographs and personal stories. Many sleepless nights followed, and even as he walked through the old districts of Nanjing, he would sometimes imagine hearing the echoes of explosions and cries of slaughter. Wu employed a variety of sculpting techniques - chiseling, striking, pounding, and molding by hand. He recalled working outdoors in the sweltering 38 C heat, laboring through the night for hours. His deep sorrow and anguish over this chapter of history were transformed into the speed and power of his artistic creation. Looking further back, this passionate engagement with the history of the war - a fervor that transforms into powerful artistic energy - has also flowed from the hands of the elder generations of artists, many of whom witnessed these events firsthand. Their collective memory and creative expression have ensured that the tragedy and heroism of that era continue to live on, warning and inspiring future generations through the language of art. Never forget Xiao Feng, the 10th president of the China Academy of Art, passed away in Hangzhou on July 8 at the age of 93. He created a work depicting Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune treating Eighth Route Army soldiers during the War against Japanese Aggression, which was included in textbooks across the country. Xiao Ge, his youngest daughter, told the Global Times that her father had been proud all his life of being a literary and art soldier in the New Fourth Army. Depicted in the painting jointly created by Xiao and his wife Song Ren is a makeshift operating table that was set up in a dilapidated temple not far from the front lines. Outside, the sounds of war rage on, while inside, Bethune stands calm and focused, his brow slightly furrowed and lips pressed tightly together as he meticulously performs surgery on a wounded soldier. In the background, a vigilant guard stands watch at the temple door, ever alert to protect the scene within. Critics note that through artistic treatment, the image's sense of narrative, drama, and conflict is enhanced in the painting, effectively highlighting Bethune's contributions to resisting aggression and pursuing peace. Xiao's works are mostly tied to his experiences and memories from the war. In his creations, there have been images of guerrilla fighters maneuvering through the Luoxiao Mountains, New Fourth Army soldiers bidding farewell to Jiangnan, officers and soldiers watering their horses by the Yangtze River, and warriors hidden among reeds. His works go beyond mere narratives of suffering, focusing instead on capturing moments of warmth amidst the chaos of war. "They (Xiao and Song) pursued truth, goodness and beauty, worked for their beliefs and the people all their lives, and finally donated all their works to the people," the painter's daughter said. On the eastern side of the exhibition hall displaying Wu's sculptures, the painting Victory and Harmony by post-1990 artist Hong Fangzhou hangs on the red wall of the East Wing Hall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, quietly awaiting an audience. This artwork is divided into two main sections of white and red, blending fragments of war - like the remnants of shells and the blood and tears of heroes - with the joyful laughter of people celebrating peace after victory. The stark contrast between the two sides further underscores the preciousness of peace. From Xiao, a witness and survivor of war, to young artist Hong, each generation of creators has used their own unique perspectives and artistic forms to capture that history of blood and fire, passing on the longing for peace. As Wu expressed in a poem he inscribed upon completing this group of sculptures: With unspeakable sorrow, I recall those blood-soaked storms; With trembling hands, I caress the souls of the 300,000 departed; With a child's pure heart, I engrave the pain of this suffering nation. I pray, I hope, for the awakening of this ancient people - the rise of the spirit! 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. TSXV:ARTG VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 14, 2025 /CNW/ - Artemis Gold Inc. (TSXV: ARTG) ("Artemis Gold" or the "Company") reports the voting results from its Annual General Meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held earlier today. Shareholders holding 154,662,866 shares or 67.13% of the outstanding shares of the Company were represented in person or by proxy at the Meeting and voted in favour of all matters brought before the Meeting. All director nominees set out in the Management Information Circular dated June 27, 2025, were elected as directors, to serve until the next meeting of shareholders of the Company, unless their successors are duly elected or until their resignation as directors. Name Votes FOR % FOR Votes WITHHELD % WITHHELD Steven Dean 147,721,711 99.08 1,369,842 0.92 Dale Andres 132,292,925 88.73 16,798,628 11.27 David Black 147,051,444 98.63 2,040,109 1.37 Ryan Beedie 147,773,512 99.12 1,318,041 0.88 Elise Rees 149,070,445 99.99 21,108 0.01 Lisa Ethans 149,070,409 99.99 21,144 0.01 Janis Shandro 148,915,416 99.88 176,137 0.12 The Company's shareholders also appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditor of the Company for the ensuing year at a remuneration to be fixed by the directors. Votes FOR % FOR Votes WITHHELD % WITHHELD 152,628,038 98.69 2,032,078 1.31 The Company's shareholders also re-approved the Company's rolling omnibus incentive plan (the "Omnibus Plan"). Votes FOR % FOR Votes AGAINST % AGAINST 148,336,589 99.49 754,964 0.51 Under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Omnibus Plan must be approved on an annual basis by an ordinary resolution of the shareholders entitled to vote at such meeting. About Artemis Gold Artemis Gold is a well-financed, growth-oriented gold and silver producer and development company with a strong financial capacity aimed at creating shareholder value through the identification, acquisition, and development of gold properties in mining-friendly jurisdictions. The Company's primary focus is the operation and further development of the Blackwater Mine in central British Columbia approximately 160 km southwest of Prince George and 450 km northeast of Vancouver. The first gold and silver pour at Blackwater was achieved in January 2025 and commercial production was declared on May 1, 2025. Artemis Gold trades on the TSX-V under the symbol ARTG and the OTCQX under the symbol ARGTF. For more information visit www.artemisgoldinc.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors Steven Dean Executive Chair +1 604 558 1107 Investor Relations contact Meg Brown Vice President, Investor Relations mbrown@artemisgoldinc.com +1 778 899 0518 Media relations contact media@artemisgoldinc.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Artemis Gold Inc. TSXV: ITR; NYSE American: ITRG www.integraresources.com VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 15, 2025 /CNW/ - Integra Resources Corp. ("Integra" or the "Company") (TSXV: ITR) (NYSE American: ITRG) is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into a Relationship Agreement (the "Agreement") with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation (the "Shoshone-Paiute Tribes" or the "Shoshone-Paiute") whose aboriginal territories cover much of the tri-state area of Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon. This groundbreaking Agreement between the Shoshone-Paiute and Integra (collectively, the "Parties") establishes a transformative and long-term partnership for the development of the DeLamar gold and silver mining project (the "DeLamar Project", "DeLamar" or, the "Project") on Shoshone-Paiute Traditional Homelands. This Agreement is unprecedented in the Lower 48 States, in both recognizing Tribal sovereignty and collaboratively advancing sustainable, long-term economic development for a project located on federally managed lands. The Agreement announced today is the result of five years of collaboration between the Shoshone-Paiute and Integra and will serve to guide the partnership throughout the entire life of mine for the DeLamar Project in southwest Idaho. The Agreement provides a framework to foster collaboration and co-management of various aspects related to the DeLamar Project, including: Indigenous recognition; Economic empowerment and participation; Cultural and environmental protection; Consensus-based regulatory collaboration; and Community investment and performance monitoring. Brian Mason, Chairman of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, commented: "The Shoshone-Paiute Business Council is very pleased to enter into this Relationship Agreement for the DeLamar Project, located in the northern portion of Shoshone-Paiute traditional territory. The Agreement is the first-of-its-kind in the Lower 48 States, and something that Tribal Nations surrounded by the mining industry have been working towards for many years. We are excited to start the work to implement the Agreement immediately, collaborating in partnership with Integra to develop plans that will put the benefits of the future mine to work for the long-term vision of the Tribe, and to accountably manage potential impacts. This Agreement asserts our right to a seat at the table to help direct how things happen in our territory. It supports the Shoshone-Paiute to be a driver of responsible economic development in the region, providing for our people and our neighbors, and protecting our values, interests, and culture." George Salamis, President, CEO, and Director of Integra, commented: "Integra is incredibly proud to enter into this partnership with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, as we work hard to build long-lasting, respectful, trusting and collaborative relationships that drive tangible value. Through this partnership we are establishing durable and long-term predictability, while providing the foundational platform for local and regional economic opportunities to thrive. Over the past five years, Integra and the Shoshone-Paiute have worked together to build an understanding of our respective identities, values, rights and interests. We are incredibly honored to be partners with the Shoshone-Paiute, and together establish this first-of-its-kind agreement which will enable us to create sustainable value for our shareholders and communities through responsible mining practices." Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-ID-01), commented: "Idaho has been blessed with the vast natural resources we need to be self-sufficient and prosperous. Today's Relationship Agreement marks a significant milestone for economic development and the responsible advancement of natural resource production in Owyhee County. I'm proud to support this agreement, which will provide high-wage job opportunities in our rural Idaho communities." Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), commented: "The signing of today's Relationship Agreement between Integra and the Shoshone-Paiute represents a collaborative commitment to responsibly advancing natural resource development in Idaho and supporting the creation of high-paying, quality jobs for generations to come. This move will help foster a more secure and efficient domestic mineral supply chain as America strives for increased energy and technology independence." Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), commented: "This historic Agreement is a great example of the innovative collaboration we value in Idaho. The DeLamar Project will support domestic production of the resources we use every day, and create high-paying jobs and workforce development opportunities for Idahoans." Background on The DeLamar Project and the Relationship Agreement The DeLamar Project is a gold and silver mining development project located in Owyhee County in southwest Idaho. The Project is comprised of the historic DeLamar and adjacent Florida Mountain Deposits, which were in production under Kinross Gold Corp. up until 1998. Integra is seeking to revitalize DeLamar, having invested approximately US$140 million into advancing resource growth, engineering and mine design, and significant environmental baseline work since Integra acquired the Project in 2017. In March 2025, Integra submitted the Mine Plan of Operations for DeLamar to the United States Bureau of Land Management ("BLM"). The submission of the updated Mine Plan of Operations to the BLM initiates the pathway for the issuance of a Notice of Intent, which is a formal announcement of the BLM's intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate the potential environmental effects of the proposed action in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. The Agreement provides Integra and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes a framework to guide a mutually beneficial long-term relationship over the life of mine at DeLamar. The Agreement lays the foundation for a strong partnership by aligning the Parties' interests across several key measures, including economic opportunities, environmental protection, cultural recognition, and social performance. This approach seeks to achieve consensus between the Parties over the life of mine by working together to co-design how Integra operates and remains accountable on performance. As the footprint of the proposed DeLamar Project is within the traditional territories of other Tribal Nations, Integra and those interested Nations are concurrently working to explore the development of similar relationships. About Integra Integra is a growing precious metals producer in the Great Basin of the Western United States. Integra is focused on demonstrating profitability and operational excellence at its principal operating asset, the Florida Canyon Mine, located in Nevada. In addition, Integra is committed to advancing its flagship development-stage heap leach projects: the past producing DeLamar Project located in southwestern Idaho and the Nevada North Project located in western Nevada. Integra creates sustainable value for shareholders, stakeholders, and local communities through successful mining operations, efficient project development, disciplined capital allocation, and strategic M&A, while upholding the highest industry standards for environmental, social, and governance practices. About the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes is a federally-recognized Tribal Nation located on the state line of Idaho and Nevada within the homelands of their ancestors. Established in 1877, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes are a collective of numerous bands of Shoshone and Paiute people from throughout the northern Great Basin and Interior Western United States. Being a rural community, the Tribes have embraced tying cultural heritage with a western ranching lifestyle. As a Nation, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes have been expanding economic opportunities and building up community development for generations to come. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS George Salamis President, CEO and Director Forward Looking Statements Certain information set forth in this news release contains "forwardlooking statements" and "forwardlooking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and in applicable United States securities law (referred to herein as forwardlooking statements). Except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained herein constitutes forwardlooking statements which includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: statements regarding the anticipated benefits, impacts and implementation of the Agreement between the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes and Integra; the development, permitting and advancement of the DeLamar Project; anticipated community, cultural, environmental and economic outcomes; the future financial or operating performance of the Company and its projects. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "could", "would", "anticipate", 'believe", "expect", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "budget", "scheduled", "plans", "planned", "forecasts", "goals" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of factors and assumptions made by management and considered reasonable at the time such statement was made. Assumptions and factors include: the Company's ability to complete its planned exploration and development programs; the absence of adverse conditions at the Projects; satisfying ongoing covenants under the Company's loan facilities; no unforeseen operational delays; no material delays in obtaining necessary permits; results of independent engineer technical reviews; the possibility of cost overruns and unanticipated costs and expenses; the price of gold remaining at levels that continue to render the Projects economic, as applicable; the Company's ability to continue raising necessary capital to finance operations; and the ability to realize on the mineral resource and reserve estimates. Forwardlooking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forwardlooking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: general business, economic and competitive uncertainties; the actual results of current and future exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; meeting various expected cost estimates; benefits of certain technology usage; changes in project parameters and/or economic assessments as plans continue to be refined; future prices of metals; possible variations of mineral grade or recovery rates; the risk that actual costs may exceed estimated costs; geological, mining and exploration technical problems; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing; risks related to local communities; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); title to properties; and other factors beyond the Company's control and as well as those factors included herein and elsewhere in the Company's public disclosure. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are advised to study and consider risk factors disclosed in Integra's Annual Information Form dated March 26, 2025 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, which is available on the SEDAR+ issuer profile for the Company at www.sedarplus.ca and available as Exhibit 99.1 to Integra's Form 40-F, which is available on the EDGAR profile for the Company at www.sec.gov. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Investors are urged to read the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulatory agencies, which can be viewed online under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/integra-and-shoshone-paiute-tribes-establish-historic-relationship-agreement-302530714.html SOURCE Integra Resources Corp. VANCOUVER, Aug. 15, 2025 - Eldorado Gold Corp. (TSX: ELD) (NYSE: EGO) ("Eldorado" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Christian Milau will be joining the Company as President, effective September 12, 2025. Christian brings over 25 years of experience in finance, capital markets and mining. He has deep expertise in operational leadership, government and stakeholder relations, and has worked across key mining jurisdictions in North and South America, Africa, and other global regions. As a mining executive, he has led growth-focused exploration, development and operating companies in gold and copper with a clear focus on fostering a values-based performance culture and building lasting stakeholder partnerships. He was most recently the Chief Executive Officer and a founder of Saudi Discovery Company, a private copper and gold exploration company focused on exploration in Saudi Arabia, as well as a non-executive board member with several gold and copper companies including New Gold Inc., Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., Arras Minerals Corp. and Copper Standard Resources Inc. As part of his transition, Christian will be stepping down from his non-executive board member appointments. Prior to that, Christian served as Chief Executive Officer of Equinox Gold from 2016 to 2022, leading the company through significant growth from a single-asset developer to a multi-mine producer with eight operating mines. Prior to Equinox, he served as Chief Executive Officer at True Gold Mining, as well as Chief Financial Officer of Endeavour Mining and Vice President, Treasurer at New Gold. He holds a Chartered Professional Accountant (CA) designation. With this appointment, George Burns, Eldorado's President & Chief Executive Officer, will transition to the role of Chief Executive Officer. Christian will oversee both the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, as well as the Executive Vice President Operations and Technical Services. His areas of accountability will include Canada and Turkiye Operations, Technical Services, Exploration, Finance, Human Resources, and Health, Safety and Sustainability. Steven Reid, Chair of the Board commented, "As we position the company for its next leg of growth, the Board conducted a comprehensive search to identify a President with the right blend of experience, vision, and leadership. Christian is a proven leader who will complement our executive team and help unlock the full potential of our business. His appointment reflects our commitment to thoughtful leadership and succession planning and long-term value creation." "Christian's experience is a perfect fit for Eldorado," said George Burns, President & Chief Executive Officer. "He brings a rare combination of operational depth, financial acumen, and strategic vision. His leadership through transformative periods at multiple mining companies strengthens our executive team. I look forward to working alongside Christian as we advance toward the completion of Skouries construction - a key inflection point for our company. As we prepare to bring our new copper-gold mine into production Christian's insights and experience will be instrumental in driving our next phase of strategy, growth and capital allocation." "The team at Eldorado has executed well on a disciplined and long-term growth strategy and I'm thrilled to be joining this superb team at such a transformative time in its journey," said Christian Milau. "With Skouries coming online next year, the company is entering an exciting new chapter, and I'm eager to contribute to that momentum. What drew me to Eldorado is not just its quality asset base and growth trajectory, but its values of collaboration, agility, courage, drive and integrity. Strong values have guided me throughout my career, and it's clear these principles are deeply embedded in Eldorado's culture. I look forward to working with George and the broader team to build on the company's strong foundation to realize value for stakeholders, deliver on strategic growth opportunities within the portfolio and to shape the next phase of Eldorado's evolution as a leading gold and base metals producer." About Eldorado Gold Eldorado is a gold and base metals producer with mining, development and exploration operations in Turkiye, Canada and Greece. The Company has a highly skilled and dedicated workforce, safe and responsible operations, a portfolio of high-quality assets, and long-term partnerships with local communities. Eldorado's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: ELD) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EGO). Contact Investor Relations Lynette Gould, VP, Investor Relations, Communications & External Affairs 647 271 2827 or 1 888 353 8166 lynette.gould@eldoradogold.com Media Chad Pederson, Director, Communications and Public Affairs 236 885 6251 or 1 888 353 8166 chad.pederson@eldoradogold.com Cautionary Note About Forward-Looking Statements and Information Certain of the statements made and information provided in this press release are forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Often, these forward-looking statements and forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "continue", "projected", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. In particular, such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to Eldorado's intention to bring the Skouries Project into production. Eldorado's perceptions of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other considerations that are believed to be appropriate in the circumstances. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, market uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. We have made certain assumptions about the forward-looking statements and information, including assumptions about; general market conditions, including prevailing market prices of our common shares and other available investment and business opportunities. In particular, except where otherwise stated, we have assumed a continuation of existing business operations on substantially the same basis as exists at the time of this release. Even though our management believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statement or information will prove to be accurate. Many assumptions may be difficult to predict and are beyond our control. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others: our assumptions relating to general market conditions, including prevailing market prices of our common shares, and other available investment and business opportunities, as well as those risk factors discussed in the sections titled "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk factors in our business" in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form & Form 40-F. The reader is directed to carefully review the detailed risk discussion in our most recent Annual Information Form filed on SEDAR+ and EDGAR under our Company name, which discussion is incorporated by reference in this release, for a fuller understanding of the risks and uncertainties that affect the Company's business and operations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements and information is designed to help you understand management's current views of our near- and longer-term prospects, and it may not be appropriate for other purposes. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained herein. Except as required by law, we do not expect to update forward-looking statements and information continually as conditions change. MONTREAL, Aug. 15, 2025 - Osisko Development Corp. (NYSE: ODV, TSXV: ODV) ("Osisko Development" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the successful closing of its previously announced private placement of 99,065,330 units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of US$2.05 per Unit (the "Issue Price") for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately US$203 million (the "Offering"). The Offering is comprised of (i) a "bought deal" brokered private placement of 58,560,000 Units at the Issue Price for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately US$120 million (the "Brokered Offering"), and (ii) a non-brokered private placement of 40,505,330 Units at the Issue Price for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately US$83 million (the "Non-Brokered Offering"). The Non-Brokered Offering includes an approximate US$75 million subscription by Double Zero Capital LP ("Double Zero"), a Delaware investment firm, representing approximately 15.4% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company immediately following the closing of the Offering, on a non-diluted basis (refer to "Early Warning Disclosure of Double Zero" below). Sean Roosen, Chairman and CEO, commented: "We are very pleased to complete this offering and to welcome Double Zero as a new long-term strategic shareholder of Osisko Development, as we continue to build positive momentum toward a construction decision at Cariboo. This US$203 million financing represents another strong endorsement of the Cariboo Gold Project and our team, following the recent US$450 million project financing with Appian. Together, these milestones underscore Osisko Development's unique value proposition and we believe puts us on solid footing to secure funding for the construction of the permitted Cariboo Gold Project." The Brokered Offering was led by BMO Capital Markets and RBC Capital Markets, as joint lead managers and joint bookrunners, and Cantor Fitzgerald Canada Corporation, as co-lead underwriter, on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters including National Bank Financial Inc. and Ventum Financial Corp. (collectively, the "Underwriters"). Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole Common Share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share (each, a "Warrant Share"), at a price of US$2.56 per Warrant Share on or prior to August 15, 2027 (being, 24 months from the date of issuance), subject to acceleration. At any time following the 15-month anniversary of the closing date, if the closing price of the Common Shares on either the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") or the New York Stock Exchange exceeds the exercise price for 20 or more consecutive trading days, the Company may, within 10 days following such occurrence, deliver a notice to the holders thereof accelerating the expiry date of the Warrants to a date that is 30 days after the date of such notice. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to fund the broadly distributed equity portion of the capital required to construct the Cariboo Gold Project and for general corporate purposes. The Company believes that the net proceeds of the Offering, together with the net proceeds of the US$450 million project loan credit facility with Appian Capital Advisory Limited announced on July 21, 2025, plus indications of interest from commodity traders seeking high-quality concentrate off-take, and other potential financing arrangements, will provide sufficient funding to construct the Cariboo Gold Project. In connection with the Offering, the Underwriters were paid a cash commission equal to 4.5% of the aggregate gross proceeds of the Brokered Offering. In addition, in connection with the subscription by Double Zero, the Company paid Double Zero an investment fee equal to 4.0% of the gross proceeds from the subscription, which investment fee was settled in Common Shares. All securities issued under the Offering (including the Common Shares issued to Double Zero in satisfaction of the investment fee payable to Double Zero) will be subject to a Canadian hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of issue pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws. The Offering and investment fee remain subject to final acceptance of the TSXV. Insider Participation Certain insiders of the Company have subscribed for 628,000 Units under the Offering for aggregate gross proceeds of US$1,287,400. Each subscription by an "insider" is considered to be a "related party transaction" for the purposes of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company did not file a material change report more than 21 days before the expected closing date of the Offering as the details of the Offering and the participation therein by each "related party" of the Company were not settled until shortly prior to the closing of the Offering, and the Company wished to close the Offering on an expedited basis for sound business reasons. The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements available under MI 61-101. The Company is exempt from the formal valuation requirement in section 5.4 of MI 61-101 in reliance on section 5.5(a) of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, is not more than 25% of the Company's market capitalization. Additionally, the Company is exempt from minority shareholder approval requirement in section 5.6 of MI 61-101 in reliance on section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, is not more than 25% of the Company's market capitalization. Early Warning Disclosure of Double Zero In connection with its subscription in the Non-Brokered Offering, Double Zero acquired ownership and control, directly and indirectly, of 36,600,000 Common Shares and 18,300,000 Warrants (which Warrants are subject to a blocker provision). Prior to the Offering, Double Zero did not hold any securities of the Company. After giving effect to the Offering and the investment fee payment (as settled in 1,464,000 Common Shares), Double Zero holds an aggregate of 38,064,000 Common Shares and 18,300,000 Warrants, representing approximately 16.0% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis (approximately 21.9% on a partially-diluted basis, assuming full exercise of the Warrants held by Double Zero). The Warrants issued to Double Zero are subject to a blocker provision, such that Double Zero may not exercise any Warrants that would result in it holding (directly or indirectly) over 19.9% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares (after giving effect to such exercise), unless requisite shareholder, stock exchange and regulatory approvals have been obtained. An early warning report in respect of the Company will be filed by Double Zero with applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities and will be available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under the Company's issuer profile. To obtain copies of the early warning report once filed by Double Zero, please contact Melanie Cole of Aird & Berlis LLP, counsel to Double Zero, email: mcole@airdberlis.com and telephone: 416.865.4638. The Common Shares and Warrants were acquired by Double Zero for investment purposes. Depending on market conditions and other factors, Double Zero may, from time to time, acquire additional Common Shares, Common Share purchase warrants or other securities of the Company or dispose of some or all of the securities in the Company that it owns at such time. Double Zero and the Company entered into an investor rights agreement effective as of August 15, 2025 (the "Investor Rights Agreement") pursuant to which, among other things, the Company agreed to provide Double Zero with rights to nominate one director to the board of directors of the Company, customary pre-emptive rights and top-up rights in respect of certain acquisitions. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement, Double Zero has agreed to provide certain voting support to the Company. A copy of the Investor Rights Agreement will be filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under the Company's issuer profile. The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to "U.S. Persons" (as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act and all applicable U.S. state securities laws or in compliance with applicable exemptions therefrom. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. ABOUT OSISKO DEVELOPMENT CORP. Osisko Development Corp. is a continental North American gold development company focused on past-producing mining camps located in mining friendly jurisdictions with district scale potential. The Company's objective is to become an intermediate gold producer by advancing its flagship permitted 100%-owned Cariboo Gold Project, located in central B.C., Canada. Its project pipeline is complemented by the Tintic Project in the historic East Tintic mining district in Utah, U.S.A., and the San Antonio Gold Project in Sonora, Mexico-brownfield properties with significant exploration potential, extensive historical mining data, access to existing infrastructure and skilled labour. The Company's strategy is to develop attractive, long-life, socially and environmentally responsible mining assets, while minimizing exposure to development risk and growing mineral resources. For further information, visit our website at www.osiskodev.com or contact: Sean Roosen Philip Rabenok Chairman and CEO Vice President, Investor Relations Email: sroosen@osiskodev.com Email: prabenok@osiskodev.com Tel: +1 (514) 940-0685 Tel: +1 (437) 423-3644 CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and "forward- looking statements" (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "propose", "project", "outlook", "foresee" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding any potential outcome. Such statements in this news release may include, without limitation, statements pertaining to the use of the net proceeds from the Offering, the availability and use of proceeds of the credit facility (including the ability and timing to satisfy conditions precedents to subsequent draws under the credit facility (if at all)), the other financing arrangements that the Company is negotiating (including, the indications of interest, the type of financing arrangements, the size and quantum of such financing arrangements and the ability and timing to reach a definitive agreement in respect of these indications of interests (if at all)), the expectations regarding the Company's capital requirements to advance the Cariboo Gold Project to production, the ability of the Company to raise or arrangement for the remaining funding required to complete the construction of the Cariboo Gold Project, the timing and ability of the Company to make a final investment decision in respect of the Cariboo Gold Project, the ability to obtain the final acceptance of the TSXV and/or the New York Stock Exchange, and the Company's strategy and objectives relating to the Cariboo Gold Project as well as its other projects. Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, satisfying the requirements of the TSXV and the New York Stock Exchange (if at all), the availability of the credit facility (including compliance with covenants under the credit facility or satisfaction of conditions to any subsequent draws or advances under the credit facility), the accuracy of estimated costs and risks of cost overruns and additional capital requirements in connection with advancing the Cariboo Gold Project to production, risks related to exploration, development and operation of the Cariboo Gold Project, the ability of the Company to reach a definitive agreement or obtain any funding from other financing arrangements (including, the terms and structure and timing thereof (if at all)), general economic and market conditions and business conditions in the mining industry, fluctuations in commodity and currency exchange rates, changes in regulatory framework and applicable laws, as well as those risks and factors as disclosed in the Company's most recent annual information form, financial statement and management's discussion and analysis as well as other public filings on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca). Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Company securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Company can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by law. The information provided herein as it relates to Double Zero has been furnished by Double Zero. 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. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Western Metallica Resources Corp. (TSXV: WMS) ("Western Metallica" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Roxanne Gelineau as a director of the Company effective immediately. With over 15 years of experience in accounting and administration, Ms. Gelineau has built a solid reputation for her expertise in supporting business operations and financial management, particularly within publicly traded companies. Ms. Gelineau currently serves as the Office Manager for Northern Superior Resources Inc. and ONGold Resources Ltd., where she oversees day-to-day operations, financial reporting, and administrative support. The Company also announces the resignation of Mr. Joaquin Merino as a director of the Company, effective immediately. The Company would like to thank Mr. Merino for his contributions. About Western Metallica Resources Corp. Western Metallica is an Ontario registered company with its head office in Toronto, Ontario, trading on the TSXV under symbol WMS. Western Metallica is in the business of mineral resource exploration. Its project interests include its 100% owned Nueva Celti Copper Property in Andalusia, Spain, and three other gold projects located in the "Navelgas Gold Belt" in Asturias, Spain (Penedela, Valledor and Sierra Alta). Further information can be found at: www.westernmetallicacorp.com Cautionary Notes The TSXV has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. 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 press release. Some of the statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "intends", "is expected", "potential", "suggests" or variations of such words or phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties beyond the company's control. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250815395218/en/ Contact Western Metallica Resources Corp. Gregory Duras Chief Executive Officer +1 416 576-3136 Email: gduras@westernmetallica.com Previous article: Vetting prophecy: Na who cause am? Featured Denkyira-Obuasi to Obuasi 'galamsey' tragedy? Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd) Opinion Aug - 15 - 2025 , 06:49 4 minutes read It has been described variously as Black-Wednesday, Dark-Wednesday, Wicked-Wednesday, etc. Whatever name may be given it, Wednesday, August 6, 2025, will go down in history as one of Ghanas darkest days. A Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 helicopter with a crew of three and five passengers flying from Accra to Obuasi for a galamsey programme crashed at Akrofuom, ten kilometres from Obuasi, as the crow flies, killing all on board. The government delegation of five comprised the Minister of Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, and the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Others were Dr S. S. Sarpong, Alhaji Limuna Muniru and Mr Samuel Aboagye. The aircrew comprised the captain, Sqn Ldr Peter Anala; a co-pilot, Flying-Officer Twum Ampadu, and a technician, Sgt Ernest Addo Mensah. Death In his book titled Allan Quartermain, English author Sir Rider Haggard states: The great wheel of fate rolls on like a Juggernaut and crushes us all in turn, some soon, some late! It does not matter when. In the end, it crushes us all. Fatalistic as this might sound and difficult as it is to understand, it summarises the hard reality of the mystery of death. Shakespeare, in his tragedy Macbeth, states: Life is but a walking shadow. A poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Indeed, in James 4:14, the Bible describes life as a little vapour which appears for a little while, and then vanishes. In all three quotes above, from the Bible, Shakespeare and Sir Rider Haggard, the fleeting and temporary nature of life is emphasised. Life is short! When all eight husbands left home, saying goodbye to their wives on the morning of August 6, 2025, they believed they would be home for dinner. Alas! Galamsey did not allow them! Discussion Galamsey is an existential threat which is destroying us! In a recent article titled Digging our own graves, I stated: In the words of anti-galamsey crusader journalist Erastus Asare Donkor, galamsey is the result of failed leadership. Galamsey is a national disgrace! Galamsey is a dishonourable legacy! Have we become an Esau-Republic selling our birthright to foreigners for diseases/extinction? How low we have sunk! Dr (Med) Vortias article, which likens deliberate galamsey to the accidental nuclear disaster of Chernobyl, USSR in 1986, is the latest wake-up call to all Ghanaians, particularly the government and the greedy financiers. Has the self-destruct button been pressed? Remember UN Secretary-General Guterres warning on environmental degradation, saying, We are digging our own graves! Either we stop it, or it stops us! Denyira-Obuasi to Obuasi While serving in Kenya in 2017, a colleague Kenyan General rang for a confirmation of the murder of Capt. Mahama by some villagers at Denkyira-Obuasi. When I confirmed it, his question was: Is that wicked village still on the map of Ghana? For him, the thought that villagers would kill a soldier on duty to preserve the environment was simply inconceivable. Such murderous villages have no right to exist and should disappear! Nine years later in Ghana, eight souls have perished in their patriotic journey to launch a bold initiative to fight illegal mining/galamsey. What else do we need to declare a full-scale war on galamsey? Politicians have pussyfooted for too long, with disastrous consequences. Elder statesman Mr Kwame Pianim states that the declaration must be immediate! Halting galamsey is the greatest honour Ghana can do to the memory of these eight gallant patriots. They must not die in vain! Dr Tony Aidoo, Madame Joyce Aryee and Prof. Kofi Abotsi all recently said on the radio that the deaths were avoidable! Why? Simple! Without galamsey, probably this accident might not have happened. A politician on the programme advised his chronically fault-finding colleagues on every issue in the two major parties, saying, Let us stop this hypocrisy! Ghana is a nation, and not a political party state, swinging acrimoniously every eight years between the two, each dedicated to undermining/sabotaging the other when in opposition. Let us be gentle and tolerant of one another! Mr President, please stop galamsey now! It has damaged us enough! Do not let it destroy Ghana. To do this, please retool the Ghana Armed Forces. May the souls of Dr Omane Boamah, Dr Murtala Mohammed, Alhaji Lemuna Muniru, Dr S. S. Sarpong, Samuel Aboagye, Sqn Ldr Anala, Flying-Officer Twum Ampadu and Sgt Ernest Addo Mensah rest in peace! Similarly, may the souls of the 16 children of the Obogu Saviours Church, who died in a road traffic accident at Atwedie on the Accra-Kumasi Highway on July 28, 2025, rest in peace! Leadership, lead by example/integrity! Fellow Ghanaians, wake up! The writer is a former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association, Nairobi, Kenya and Council Chairman, Family Health University, Accra Email: [email protected] Featured Vetting prophecy: Na who cause am? Enimil Ashon Opinion Aug - 15 - 2025 , 08:57 5 minutes read Unlike many other critics of Ghanaian prophets, I believe in prophecy. Unlike some others who believe in prophecy and prophets, however, I dont chase prophecy. I know many prophets, some of whom foretell events with pinpoint accuracy, but I would not run around looking for prophets to tell me what will happen to me tomorrow. Like all human gifts, and as is being demonstrated in Ghana every day, spiritual gifts often get abused, so prophecy has become the hottest commodity to sell for profit in Ghana. Phoneys? They are not hard to identify. Youd know when you meet them, for they are greedy for fame, money and power over congregations. Usually, even before they have opened their mouths, their character will betray them: they bear no Christian fruit. It is their fake operation that gave rise to the order by the immediate past IGP against the December 31 watchnight prophesies about the impending deaths of prominent people. It is this same prophecy-for-gain commercialisation spree that compelled the Presidential Envoy for Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations to issue a letter, last August 10, instructing religious leaders to relay any spiritual insight of a national nature, especially those concerning high-profile political leaders, to his office for urgent review and appropriate escalation. Has it come to this! The real question, however, should be: na who cause am? Advising against the order, a group calling itself the Apostolic Fathers has said: We doubt whether regulation alone can bring sanity to this situation. However, we believe that if we, the fathers and the Church, sit down together, by grace and wisdom, we can sanitise the situation and the system. Afriyie Ankrah has himself to blame. Questions posed by former General Secretary of the Christian Council, Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, such as, Which people are going to review the prophecy? How does a politician teach pastors what to do? could have been answered if he had consulted before he wrote his August 10 letter. I find it unfortunate because these criticisms tend to water down the urgent necessity for what I consider to be a very important advisory our society needs to restore our sanity. Regulation Having said this, I turn to the concerned Clergy. Regulation alone cannot bring sanity into the chaos, it is true, as pointed out by the Apostolic Fathers. However, Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong knows, and the rest of the concerned Clergy of Ghana cannot pretend to be unaware of the several failed attempts to bring these prophets and some pastors under authority. They think they are so gifted that no one should have the temerity to attempt to seek to bring them under regulation. These so-called supremely gifted prophets hate ecumenism: in their many years as founders of their churches, they have become used to not being questioned or faulted. We cannot continue to live in the midst of alarms and chaos. Governments should have the right to decide the inappropriateness of a prophecy that says the President or Vice-President is going to die. It tends to create alarm and I submit that civilised society needs to self-regulate. The prophets have no one but themselves to blame. The deception and conning have gone unchecked for too long. Too many prophecies have proved false in this country. In the run-up to Election 2024, some prophets predicted that the results will not be announced on December 6 or 7 or 8. The results will be announced on the 9th and the result is clear: His Excellency Dr Mahamadu Bawumia will be declared the winner. That prophet still attracts crowds. I saw on KSMs programme last week the video of a prophet who, in December, said that his church should be burnt if Mahama won the elections! As of August 13, 2025, his church still stands; he still takes offerings; he still struts around, asking people to sow a seed, thanks to the gullibility of Ghanaians. Reference With specific reference to the August 6 fatal helicopter crash, why has it become so important for prophets to rush to announce that I foresaw it? I think our wrong conception of who God is and what religion is has been conspiring with superstition and a lack of knowledge to plunge Ghana into chaos. What is the answer? I like the Rwanda way. There, the government enacted a law in 2018 designed to regulate the proliferation of places of worship. The law mandates theological training for preachers, bans the use of loud public address systems and requires churches to maintain proper safety standards, including soundproofing, hygiene and basic infrastructure. I said on this page three years ago that the activities of some Christians are costing God thousands of admirers. If Portugal, the UK and Germany, who brought Christian churches to Africa, are today turning their backs on Christianity, it is the direct result of actions by the crooked majority among their men of God. Christians are creating a dark image for Christianity. They are turning all of us into cynics. The writer is the Executive Director, Centre for Communication and Culture. E-mail: [email protected] 0208 178 680/0544 663 737 African political parties summit adopts 10-point declaration Samuel Duodu Aug - 15 - 2025 , 09:57 3 minutes read The 2025 African Political Parties Summit has adopted a 10-point declaration by committing themselves to the establishment of a neutral continental engagement framework for inter-party dialogue and cooperation. It said that this must align with electoral campaigns and long-term development goals, focusing on prosperity and progress. Dubbed the Accra Declaration, it is meant to strengthen political parties as institutions capable of sustaining good governance beyond individual electoral cycles. It also stressed the need for political parties to work towards achieving the African Union Agenda 2063, with the aim of building the Africa we all want. The conference, which begun from August 12, 2025, ended in Accra yesterday. It was on the theme: "From politics to prosperity: Strengthening inter-party collaboration for Africas development and economic transformation." It had participants across 100 political parties from over 50 African and Caribbean countries. The summit was organised by the Africa Governance Centre, in partnership with the government. Inclusivity The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, praised the summit's focus on the promotion of women and youth affairs. "If we don't make proactive and intentional objectives to push the interests of the youth and women, Africa as a continent will have ourselves to blame in the future. "If you want to practice multi-party democracy without factoring in the base of your people, the psyche of your people, and the heritage of the people, you may end up building castles in the air," he said. Mr Debrah expressed the government's support for the summit's objectives, adding "as a government, we gave the necessary support to make the summit a very successful event". Common goal The Special Envoy of the South African President, Jeffrey Radebe, stressed the need for African leaders to work towards a common goal of building their future. "Let us be clear, summits do not change nations but leaders do," Mr Radebe said, adding that the summit's success would be judged by the actions of leaders in the months ahead. "History will ask of each of us, did you take the spirit of cooperation home with you or you left it at the airport?" he said. Mr Radebe called on African leaders to reject petty rivalries and short-term calculations and focus on politics anchored on vision and permanence. "End small politics, reject the petty rivalries and short-term calculations that have kept our nations settled at the same challenges. "True leadership is proven when the work you begin survives your departure from office," he said. Mr Radebe further urged African leaders to prioritise their country's unity, stability and peace over personal ambition. When those moments come, choose the republic over the throne," he added. Collaboration The Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said the declaration was a collective voice of Africa's political leadership, aimed to deepen inter-party collaboration, align political action with industrialisation and infrastructure development, including safeguarding peace, democracy and the rule of law. He emphasised the need for political maturity, unity and constructive engagements to facilitate development. The Chair of the Steering Committee, Africa Governance Centre and the General-Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, also called on African leaders to tap into the continent's vast potential and take bold action to drive development. He stressed the need for leaders to have confidence in themselves and their heritage. "Darkness does not mean lack of capacity, but rather the covering of great capacities and great potentials," Mr Kwetey said. He said by having confidence in themselves and their heritage, leaders could unlock the continent's true potential to drive growth. Featured Depoliticise presidential jet, GAF helicopter purchase Asantehene Gilbert Mawuli Agbey Aug - 15 - 2025 , 08:40 4 minutes read The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called for the depoliticisation of discussions about the purchase of presidential jet and helicopters for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). As a nation, discussions on such matters should be devoid of partisanship and rather be based on safety and efficiency of the presidential jet and helicopters. Enough of the politicisation of issues concerning the purchase of presidential jet and military helicopters since human lives are definitely at stake. We must prioritise and duly invest in them to safeguard the lives of the users, he stressed. The Asantehene made the call when the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, led an entourage to call on him at the Manhyia Palace last Wednesday. The minister and his team were at the palace to commiserate with Otumfuo following the passing of the Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III. On Monday, August 11, 2025, the Asantehene officially announced the passing of the Asantehemaa. The one-week observance of the passing of Nana Konadu Yiadom III is scheduled for Thursday, August 21, 2025. The 98-year-old Asantehemaa, who reigned for eight years, was born in 1927 and died on Thursday, August 7, 2025. Poor condition Owing to the continuous use of the presidential jet and the military helicopters over the years, he said they were currently not in good condition, saying, therefore, there is the need to purchase new ones for the safety of the users. He added that the purchase of such national assets should be devoid of extreme partisanship in the interest of the country. Uproot galamsey Touching on illegal mining, the Asantehene entreated the government to put in place decisive measures towards uprooting the menace in the country as its devastating consequences were unbearable. He said, the death of the eight persons should not be in vain and that the pain must be channelled into dealing with illegal mining. We must nip it in the bud to safeguard the environment and protect the lives all Ghanaians. Update After commiserating with Otumfuo, Dr Amoakohene used the occasion to give an update on President John Dramani Mahamas plans towards the state funeral in honour of the life, service and legacy of the eight individuals who perished in the helicopter crash. Helicopter crash Otumfuos comments came in the wake of the tragic helicopter crash on August 6, 2025 in Adansi-Brofoyedu in the Adansi-Akrofuom District in the Ashanti Region that claimed the lives of eight people, including two cabinet ministers. The Defence Minister, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, and the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Alhaji Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, and the six others were on the helicopter heading for a national assignment in Obuasi. The others were the acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, who was on his first official assignment since his appointment a fortnight ago; a National Vice-Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Samuel Sarpong; a parliamentary candidate in the 2024 elections, Samuel Aboagye; Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, the pilot; Flying Officer Manaen Twum Ampadu, co-pilot, and Sergeant Ernest Addo-Mensah, a crew member. Background In 2021, the government initiated processes to acquire a new and bigger aircraft for presidential use, in addition to the existing French-built Dassault Falcon 900 EX-Easy aircraft, acquired during President John Agyekum Kufuors era in 2007 but was delivered for use in 2010. The then Minister of Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, handled the processes and was expected to announce details later. The then Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin, gave the hint at a press briefing at the Jubilee House on Monday, September 27, 2021. Government is already in the process of acquiring a bigger jet for use, he said. Response in Parliament In June the same year, Mr Nitiwul, responding to a question on the jet in Parliament, said the time was ripe for the nation to acquire a new and befitting presidential jet. This, he said, was because the current Falcon 900 EX-Easy aircraft being used by the then President was not fit for purpose. The capacity of the current Falcon aircraft is far below that of Fokker 28 which flew very, very important persons of more than 25 passengers during the Acheampong, Akuffo, Rawlings and Kufuor eras, hence the urgent need for an appropriate aircraft which can carry better payload in terms of passengers of 70 to 100 people, and all their baggage without affecting the performance of the aircraft. Writers email; [email protected]. Featured Farewell, our patriots Kester Aburam Korankye Aug - 15 - 2025 , 09:14 4 minutes read Under the weight of collective grief, Ghana will gather at the Black Star Square today to bid a final, dignified farewell to the remaining six of the eight patriots whose lives were tragically cut short on August 6, 2025 in the military helicopter crash. The state funeral, set for 8:00 a.m., represents not just a ceremony, but a national embrace of families shattered by loss and a testament to unity in heartbreak. A 90-minute pre-burial service for the six, scheduled to start at 7:30 a.m., will pave the way for relevant rituals towards the burial of the six at the Military Cemetery in Accra, five days after the burials of the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, and the acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, in accordance with Islamic protocols. Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations, Stanislav Xoese Dogbe, at a media briefing in Accra yesterday, said the military-led ceremony would be conducted with full respect and adherence to protocols, given the expected large crowds. He also assured of heavy security deployment to ensure law and order. Mr Dogbe indicated that the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, had directed that all donations from institutions to the government in support of the funeral service should be shared equally among the families of the eight deceased persons. Traffic protocols On traffic control, the Director of Research, Education and Training at the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department, Chief Superintendent Alexander Kwaku Obeng, said key access routes leading to the Independence Square would be managed to prevent congestion. As a gesture of inclusion, the public was invited to contribute tributes for an official state funeral brochure, with submissions closing last Wednesday at noon. Thousands of messages, from schoolchildren to traditional leaders, flooded the dedicated email ([email protected]), weaving a tapestry of national gratitude. Eight lights extinguished The victims, whose coffins will be draped in the national colours, represent a cross-section of Ghanas dedicated public service and military excellence. Preparations underway at the Black Star Square for the national mourning programme They include Dr Edward Omane Boamah, a physician-turned-statesman driving military modernisation; Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, a fierce advocate against illegal mining en route to an anti-galamsey mission when disaster struck; and Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, a quiet strategist revered for crisis management. Samuel Sarpong, a former Ashanti Regional Minister and a Vice-Chairman of the governing party, was known for bridge-building, and Samuel Aboagye, a parliamentary candidate in the 2024 elections and a Deputy Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation, praised for grassroots pragmatism, are among the martyred. Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manaen Twum Ampadu, the co-pilot, and Sergeant Ernest Addo-Mensah were the Air Force crew whose vigilance safeguarded countless missions. Journey interrupted The Harbin Z-9EH helicopter departed Kotoka International Airport at 9:12 a.m. on August 6, bound for Obuasi where the delegation was to represent President Mahama at an anti-illegal mining forum. Rows of chairs for dignitaries and invited guests Minutes later, it vanished from radar before crashing into the forested hills of Adansi Akrofuom. A post-impact fire left the victims unrecognisable, necessitating DNA analysis in South Africa for identification, a grim detail underscoring the tragedys brutality. Ghanas three days of national mourning saw flags fly at half-mast and books of condolence opened at ministries, military facilities and the NDC headquarters. The global community, including the UN, African Union, UK, Germany, and Pope Leo, expressed solidarity, reflecting the victims international stature. Muslim burial rites for Dr Murtala Muhammed and Alhaji Limuna were conducted last Sunday at Accras Military Cemetery, led by the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu. Their early burial, in accordance with Islamic tradition, deepened the weeks emotional gravity. As families seek closure, President John Dramani Mahama confirmed that a transparent military investigation was underway, with the recovered flight recorder, commonly called black box, pivotal to understanding the crash. Featured Our 8 fallen patriots - Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna Daily Graphic Aug - 15 - 2025 , 09:57 3 minutes read The acting Deputy National Security Coordinator in charge of Human Security, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, was one of the eight passengers who lost their lives in the helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region. It was his first official assignment since he was appointed in the second term administration of President John Dramani Mahama about a fortnight before his demise. During the first term of President Mahamas administration from 2012 to January 2017, Alhaji Limuna served as a Northern Regional Minister, the Upper East Regional Minister, the Minister of Food and Agriculture and a Minister of State in charge of Human Resources Department and Scholarships at the Presidency. Education Born on August 8, 1967, in Damongo Langbonto in the Savannah Region, the gentle politician passed on two days shy of his 59th birthday. He is the great-grandson of the Damongo Wura Dange. Alhaji Limuna began his secondary education at the Vitting Experimental JHS from 1977 to 1980, after his primary education at the United Primary School from 1972 to 1977, both in Tamale. He attended the Damongo Secondary School, Damongo, the capital of the Savannah Region, for his GCE Ordinary Level from 1980 to 1984, and the Tamale Secondary School in Tamale from 1986 to 1988 for his GCE Advanced Level. The acting Deputy National Security Coordinator obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Ghana between 1990 and 1993. He then went on to study for a Post-graduate Diploma in Health Policy, Planning and Financing at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine between 2007 and 2008, and then to the University of London, UK (LSE) for a Master of Science degree in Health Policy, Planning and Financing. Working life An administrator and a health policy analyst with a focus on health financing, Alhaji Limuna worked as an Administrator and Health Policy Adviser at the Minister of Health and the Project Coordinator, Health Insurance Project, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIS) from 2009 to 2010. From 2004 to 2009, he worked as an Administrator and NHIS Desk Officer, Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, Ministry of Health; Assistant Director of Administration, General Administration Directorate from 2000 to 2004; Assistant Director of Administration, Policy Planning and Monitoring and Evaluation from 1997 -2000. Alhaji Limuna is the founder and Chairman of Damongo-based Kasha 99.5 FM. He is married with four children. Politics Alhaji Limuna, while serving as the then Northern Regional Minister in 2015, expressed interest in contesting in the parliamentary primary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Damongo constituency, but pulled out of the contest. His decision not to contest, according to him, was to help seek party unity and cohesion. Known for his punctuality at work and at public events, he took a swipe at public servants who always attended public functions late, as the Northern Regional Minister. Then, he explained that such an attitude casts a slur on the image of the public service and affects the collective efforts being made towards national development. Alhaji Limuna had a strong indignation for the lateness of public officials to functions in the region and at one point directed the Regional Coordinating Director to query and sanction public officials, especially Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives in the region who attended public functions late. Featured Our 8 fallen patriots - Dr Edward Omane Boamah Daily Graphic Aug - 15 - 2025 , 09:57 2 minutes read The late Minister of Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, assumed office on January 30, 2025. He brought a wealth of experience to bear on his work. Background & Education Dr Boamah received his secondary education at Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary in Koforidua. He went on to train as a medical doctor at the University of Ghana Medical School, completing a medical elective at the prestigious Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, USA. Dr Boamah furthered his academic pursuit, earning a Masters in Health Policy Planning and Financing from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Youth Leadership He served as President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), and the Coordinating Secretary of the Federation of Ghana Medical Students Association (FGMSA), demonstrating early leadership and advocacy on national student issues. Political Career Dr Boamahs entry into government began with his appointment as Deputy Minister of Environment, Science and Technology from 2009 to 2012. In that role, he chaired major investigations into environmental incidents, including spills involving KOSMOS Energy and Newmont Ghana, while leading a national tree-planting initiative. In 2012, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, where he played a key coordinating role in Ghanas participation in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). He was later appointed Minister of Communications and Presidential Spokesperson from 2013 to 2017. During his tenure, he spearheaded the rollout of Ghanas 4G LTE network (GOTA), championed child online protection, and launched the countrys National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT). In 2024, Dr Boamah served as the Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), contributing significantly to the partys political strategy. Featured Our 8 fallen patriots - Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed Daily Graphic Aug - 15 - 2025 , 09:57 2 minutes read The philantropic side of the late Minister of Environment, Science, Technology (MEST), Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, one of the government officials who lost his life in a helicopter crash on Wednesday, August 6, this year, has been revealed days after his passing. Until his passing, the late Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central was sponsoring 47 students to study various programmes in the medical field. He also supported many others with school fees, medical bills, start-up capitals and what have you. At the Third Day Adua las Tuesday, he was described as a unifier of people from all divides. Political life Dr Muhammed was an MP in Sixth, Eighth and Ninth Parliaments. He came to the political limelight when he was appointed the Deputy National Coordinator of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) by the late former President John Evans Atta Mills. He held that position until he was elected MP for Nanton in the 2012 Elections. After serving one term, he lost the seat in 2016. President John Dramani Mahama appointed Dr Muhammed as Deputy Minister of Information and Media Relations, and subsequently, Deputy at Trade and Industry from 2013 to 2017. Following the decision of the former MP for Tamale Central, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, not to contest the Tamale Central seat in the 2020 elections, Dr Muhammed switched camp to the area and won the seat in 2020 and 2024. Education Born on December 14, 1974, Dr Muhammed attended Ghana Senior High (GHANASCO), Tamale. He is a trained teacher who holds a teacher's Certificate A from the Tamale College of Education. He also holds a Master's degree in Development Planning and International Relations and Diplomacy from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Ghana respectively. He has a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Mount Crest University and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Ghana. His Doctor of Philosophy degree was in Political Science. His doctoral thesis is titled: The Committee System of the Parliament of Ghana's Fourth Republic: An Assessment. Dr Muhammed was a Muslim and married with three children. Next article: President Mahama to lead ruthless onslaught against galamsey Ablakwa Stakeholders sensitised to gender Affirmative Action Law Joana Kumi Aug - 15 - 2025 , 09:57 3 minutes read Stakeholders in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality have been sensitised to Ghanas Gender Affirmative Action law (gender equity) Act 2024, as part of ongoing efforts to promote equal opportunities and push for fair representation of women in leadership and decision-making spaces. The event, held at Elmina last Wednesday, formed part of the She Leads project implemented by the Women Aspire Network. The event brought together civil society organisations (CSOs), female traditional authorities, legal practitioners, assembly members and officials from the Department of Gender, Children and Social Protection. The sensitisation focused on ensuring that the Affirmative Action law not only exists in policy but becomes effective in practice, with communities actively supporting women to lead. Participants expressed concerns, observations, and commitments on ways to achieve gender equity at the local level. Gender equality A legal practitioner and a coordinator of the Affirmative Action Law Coalition, Becky Enyonam Ahadzi, who led the session, questioned the belief that gender equality had already been achieved. People believe its changing because we now see a few women in top positions. But in reality, how many women are we seeing? she queried. She pointed out that most women in leadership were surrounded by men, making it difficult for them to influence outcomes. Using Parliament as an example, she noted that only 41 women currently serve out of 275 members. In the cabinet, two of the 19 members were women, while 12 of the 60 ministers were female. She added that though women were visible in some institutions, especially the Judiciary, the overall numbers remained low. Ms Ahadzi stressed the need to monitor budget allocations and follow up on whether resources were being channelled into programmes that supported women. Advocating for women doesnt mean putting unqualified women in positions, she said, adding, It means giving qualified women the space to contribute. Supporting women She also encouraged men to support women, especially regarding finances. According to her, many women had the competence to contest leadership roles, even against men, but were often limited by a lack of funding. Some women can do great things, but money remains a barrier. This is where men can lend their support, she added. The Municipal Chief Executive of KEEA, Ismail Zagoon-Saeed, addressing the gathering, noted that sometimes women failed to support one another. He said that when another woman approached a woman in authority, the response was often cold and unhelpful. Legal support The Central Regional Director of the Department of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), Richlove Amamoo, said the Affirmative Action law would now give the Ministry of Gender the legal support needed to demand results. Without the law, we have only been appealing. Now, it has become a mandate, she said. The Eno hen of Anomabo, Nana Akruf VI, added her voice by noting that queen mothers were well-placed in their communities to understand the issues women faced, but culture and appearance sometimes prevented women from rising. She called on families to support women and enable them to contest for chieftaincy and other leadership roles. A participant and a gender desk officer at the KEEA Assembly, Cecilia Tuffour, noted that confidence-building should start from home. She encouraged parents to train boys and girls equally and allow girls to grow up believing they could lead. Speaking on the project, a legal practitioner and the Women Aspire Network Team lead, Araba Annan, said the She Leads initiative was launched in 2021 to encourage young girls and women to challenge harmful cultural norms and gender stereotypes that hinder their development. Next article: Our hero, our anchor: Children break down as they pay tribute to Samuel Sarpong Previous article: Mahama: You are not alone President sets up fund for victims children Featured Ghana promotes fallen heroes posthumously, launches fund for their children Gertrude Ankah Aug - 15 - 2025 , 12:37 2 minutes read President John Mahama has posthumously promoted three Ghana Air Force officers who perished in the August 6 helicopter crash, describing the gesture as a "small but meaningful recognition of their courage, professionalism, and selfless service." The late Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manean Twum Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah were elevated in rank during a state funeral at Black Star Square in Accra on Friday. Squadron Leader Anala was promoted to Wing Commander, Flying Officer Ampadu to Flight Lieutenant, and Sergeant Mensah to Flight Sergeant. President Mahama stated that these promotions represent the "highest mark of respect for duty performed, even unto death," assuring that their families would receive the accompanying benefits. The Chief of Defence Staff will present the posthumous insignia to the bereaved families. In addition to the military honours, the President announced the creation of a Childrens Support Fund to secure the futures of the victims children. The fund, which has already received an initial GH500,000 donation from Stanbic Bank, will cover education, healthcare, and essential living expenses. The government will operationalise the fund within 30 days and establish channels for public and corporate contributions. "Let us leave our eight comrades today with a promise that their children will not be alone," Mahama urged, invoking the spirit of communal responsibility. The crash, one of Ghanas deadliest military aviation incidents, also claimed the lives of Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, and three civilians, who will be posthumously recognised at the next national honours ceremony. The President expressed gratitude to emergency responders, religious leaders, and international dignitaries for their support, praying for national healing. "May God continue to bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong," he concluded. Featured Grief forever: Family of Dr Murtala Mohammed pays emotional tribute Gertrude Ankah Aug - 15 - 2025 , 11:37 2 minutes read The family of the late Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, has described his death in the August 6 military helicopter crash as a loss that will leave grief forever in their hearts. At an interdenominational state funeral in Accra on Friday, August 15, his siblings said the Tamale Central MPs passing had left them shattered, but their faith offered comfort. While we grieve, we pray. And while we pray, we immortalise his presence in our hearts thats how we manifest our love and loyalty to him, the familys tribute read. Allahs ways are not our ways. While we love him, Allah loves him more. So, he gave him a good demise, however, horrified we feel about it. The family said they took solace in the belief that Dr Murtala died serving country and his people, fighting a jihad in the true sense of the word; so that tomorrow would be better. Dr Murtala was among eight people killed when a Ghana Air Force Z-9 helicopter went down at Adansi Akrofuom in the Ashanti Region while en route to Obuasi for the launch of the Responsible Community and Cooperative Mining Programme. Other victims included Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah, former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed, and three crew members Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah. A promising officer At the same ceremony, staff of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) paid tribute to Samuel Aboagye, one of the victims, describing him as a rising star within the organisation whose warmth and dedication left a deep impression. He made every person feel valued, seen, and appreciated, a representative said. Although his time with us was brief, his impact will be felt forever. His greatest strength was his humility; his infectious smile made him well approachable and unforgettable. Mr Aboagye, who had briefly served as Deputy Director-General in charge of protocol at NADMO, was remembered as a colleague who worked alongside everyone, opened his door for all, and offered encouragement in a way that inspired confidence and unity. The August 6 crash is one of the deadliest military aviation accidents in Ghana in recent years and has sparked national mourning for the victims service and sacrifice. Featured Life is fragile: Bagbins emotional tribute to helicopter crash victims Jemima Okang Addae Aug - 15 - 2025 , 14:51 2 minutes read The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has reflected on the cruel irony that many of the eight men who perished in the August 6, 2025, helicopter crash had, only days earlier, stood alongside the nation to mourn the passing of Kobina Ade Coker and Sam Pee Yalley. None of them imagined then that their end would follow hard on the heels of Ade Coker and Sam Yalley, he said. This cruel twist of fate has left me heartbroken and heavy with sorrow. He praised the fallen: Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Hon. Alhaji Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Alhaji Muniru Mohammed Limuna, Dr Samuel Sarpong, Mr Samuel Aboagye, Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah, as the embodiment of Ghanas highest aspirations. He said they were visionary ministers whose policies sowed seeds of progress, technocrats whose expertise steered the nations course, a parliamentarian whose insight shaped debate, and a courageous helicopter crew who served with unwavering dedication until their final breaths. Quoting Psalm 90:12, Teach us to realise the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom, Mr Bagbin said these men were more than their titles. They were loving hands that cradled children, wise voices that guided families, charitable spirits that sustained communities, and compassionate hearts that uplifted the country. Though the heavens have claimed their mortal forms, their legacy remains etched in the lives they transformed and the hope they inspired, he noted. The Speaker urged the nation to draw strength and wisdom from the way these men lived and the dignity with which they left. Even in their sudden departure, they have given us a powerful reminder: life is fragile, tomorrow is never promised, and every moment matters, he said. To the bereaved families, Mr Bagbin extended not only the condolences of Parliament but the collective embrace of a nation united in grief. He prayed that the Almighty would console those left behind and grant the fallen a fanfare befitting their service in the afterlife. Rest in peace, faithful servants of the nation, he said. Featured Mahama confers posthumous promotions as helicopter crash victims laid to rest GraphicOnline Aug - 15 - 2025 , 16:34 2 minutes read Ghana bid farewell on Friday, August 15, to six of the eight victims of the August 6, 2025, military helicopter crash, in a solemn ceremony marked by grief, tributes, and full military honours. The burial at the Military Cemetery in Tse Addo, Greater Accra Region, brought together President John Dramani Mahama, Vice President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, senior government officials, the military high command, bereaved families, and mourners from across the country. An interfaith funeral service was held earlier at Black Star Square, where tears flowed as friends, relatives, and colleagues paid tribute to the fallen. The Ghana Air Force and Ghana Armed Forces bands performed as the flag-draped coffins were carried in a display of military precision and respect. Those laid to rest were Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah, former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Vice Chairman Dr Samuel Sarpong, Squadron Leader Peter Baafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah. Two other victims; the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, and Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed, had been buried on August 10. In his tribute, President Mahama announced the creation of an Educational Childrens Support Fund to cover the schooling of the victims children from primary through to tertiary level. He also conferred posthumous promotions on the three Ghana Air Force officers who died in the crash, describing the gesture as the highest mark of respect for duty performed, even unto death. Under the promotions, Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala was elevated to Wing Commander, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu to Flight Lieutenant, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah to Flight Sergeant. The President stressed that these were not merely symbolic gestures but formal recognitions that would ensure the officers families received the full benefits of their new ranks. The Chief of Defence Staff will oversee the ceremonial presentation of the promotion insignias to the bereaved families. President Mahama said the nation must draw strength from the sacrifice of the fallen, adding, You will always be in our hearts. You will always be remembered, and we will always revere your memory. Featured Mahama to posthumously honour civilian victims of helicopter crash Gertrude Ankah Aug - 15 - 2025 , 13:28 2 minutes read President John Mahama has announced that the civilian victims of the August 6 military helicopter crash will be posthumously recognised at the next National Honours Ceremony, as Ghana continues to mourn one of the countrys deadliest aviation tragedies in recent years. The five civilians who died in the crash are Defence Minister Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Minister for Environment Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, NDC Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong, former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye, and Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed. The three Ghana Air Force officers who also perished in the crash were also posthumously promoted by the President. Speaking at the state funeral for the victims at Black Star Square in Accra on Friday, President Mahama said the recognition reflects the governments commitment to honour the service and legacies of those who perished. Our other colleagues who were civilians will be posthumously recognised at the next National Honours Ceremony, he stated. The President also announced the creation of a Childrens Support Fund for the families of the victims, aimed at providing long-term education, healthcare, welfare, and essential living support. The purpose of this fund is clear: to ensure that the children left behind will never be deprived of the opportunities, care, and security their parents worked so hard to provide, he said. The fund has already received initial support from Stanbic Bank, which contributed GH500,000, while the government pledged an immediate contribution and committed to publishing a detailed operational framework within 30 days. Channels will also be opened for contributions from citizens, corporate organisations, professional associations, and international partners. President Mahama highlighted the nations collective responsibility in supporting the bereaved families. Imagine the impact it will have on each of these children to be told by every adult in the nation, through our contributions, that they are not alone, he said. He extended his gratitude to the Ghana Armed Forces, emergency services, religious and traditional leaders, members of the diplomatic corps, and citizens who offered support in the aftermath of the tragedy. This solidarity affirms the strength of our national and international spirit, he added. You will always be in our hearts. You will always be remembered, and we will always revere your memory. May God continue to bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong, he prayed, seeking closure for the nation and strength for the families. Featured Our hero, our anchor: Children break down as they pay tribute to Samuel Sarpong Gertrude Ankah Aug - 15 - 2025 , 12:19 2 minutes read Families and colleagues have paid moving tributes to the eight people killed in the Ghana Air Force helicopter crash on August 6, describing them as devoted public servants and cherished loved ones. At a state funeral in Accra on Friday, the children of the late National Democratic Congress (NDC) Vice Chairman, Samuel Sarpong, broke down as they honoured their father. Sarpong, 64, died alongside seven others when a Ghana Air Force Z-9 helicopter went down in the Ashanti Region en route to Obuasi for the launch of the Responsible Community and Cooperative Mining Programme. He left behind five children: four sons and a daughter, who remembered him as more than a father our hero, our role model, our anchor, our friend, and our greatest teacher. You lived your life with purpose, dignity, and an unwavering sense of duty, they said. Though your departure has left a void no one can fill, your legacy lives on in us. The crash also claimed the lives of Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah; Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed; former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye; Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed; and three Air Force crew members Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manaen Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah. The Ghana Armed Forces used the ceremony to pay tribute to Flying Officer Manaen Twum-Ampadu, describing him as a brilliant and promising young officer whose light was extinguished far too soon. Commissioned in 2021 after graduating from the Royal Air Force Training Academy, Twum-Ampadu was remembered as a top performer and a skilled aviator who combined sharp intellect with relentless determination. His humility, warmth, infectious smile, and enthusiasm left an indelible mark on all who served alongside him, the Armed Forces said. Condolences were extended to his wife, Lt (GN) Ewurajoa Kumi-Kyeremeh, and family, with military commanders pledging his sacrifice would never be forgotten. The August 6 crash is among the deadliest military aviation accidents in Ghanas recent history and has triggered an outpouring of grief nationwide. Featured The silence is too loud: Widows heartbreaking farewell to Ghanaian Air Force pilot Gertrude Ankah Aug - 15 - 2025 , 11:46 2 minutes read The wife of Flying Officer Manean Twum Ampadu, one of eight people killed in the August 6 Ghana Air Force helicopter crash, has delivered an emotional farewell at a state funeral in Accra. Lieutenant Ewuradwoa Kumi-Kyeremeh stood before a hushed crowd at Black Star Square on Friday, August 15, to honour her late husband, a promising young pilot whose life was cut short in service to his country. Who would have thought that I would be standing here today, reading a tribute to you? she began, her voice breaking. What is this grief, and what do I do with it? Everyone looks at me and says how composed I am, but I can do this because of you, and because of our love. The couple met on his birthday in 2022, forging what she described as an unshakable bond. You were my best friend, my gisting partner, my everything, she said. We had so many plans, dreams, and ideas that are now shattered. Manaen, please respond and answer me, because this silence is too loud. Fighting back tears, Lt. Kumi-Kyeremeh remembered her husband as considerate, attentive, giving, fun, and loving a quiet source of strength to me and everyone who encountered you. My darling, thank you for blessing my life with your sweet presence and your ever-constant smile. My correct better half, my lover, my best friend, I love you more than these words can ever convey. My forever and a day. Sleep well, my love, she said. Flying Officer Ampadu died alongside Defence Minister Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Minister for Environment Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, NDC Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong, former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed, Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah. The Z-9 helicopter went down in the Ashanti Region as the delegation travelled to Obuasi for an official event, in one of Ghanas deadliest military aviation accidents in recent years. Featured We were destined to be together: Omane Boamahs wife remembers kenkey-and-fish love story Gertrude Ankah Aug - 15 - 2025 , 11:20 4 minutes read It began on a medical school bus and grew into a marriage filled with laughter, late-night walks, and shared plates of kenkey and fish. This is how Mrs. Rita Omane Boamah remembers her husband, Ghanas late Defence Minister, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, who died in a Ghana Airforce helicopter crash on Wednesday, August 6. In a tribute at a state funeral in Accra on August 15, she said in the beginning their nightly walks for kenkey and fish became the hallmark of their love story. KB, as I affectionately called you, we were destined to be together, she recalled. She painted a portrait of a devoted family man who, despite the pressures of public office and a demanding medical career, bathed or dressed their children every morning, oversaw their studies, and still found time for play. You were the definition of a genuine person with a pure heart of gold, she said. Dr Omane Boamah was one of eight people killed when a Ghana Airforce Z-9 helicopter crashed at Adansi Akrofuom in the Ashanti Region. The delegation was travelling to Obuasi for the launch of the Responsible Community and Cooperative Mining Programme. The other victims included Environment Minister Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye, NDC Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed, Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah. In closing her tribute, Mrs Omane Boamah addressed her late husband directly: Kofi B, thank you for loving me. Thank you for loving the children. With Gods help, I will take care of mummy and the three kids, knowing you will be watching over us from heaven. Read full tribute below: When peace like a river attended my way, when sorrow like sea billows roll, whatever my Lord, thou has taught me to say, it is well with my soul. KB, as I affectionately called you, we were destined to be together. Though I was not a medical student, fate brought us together on that fateful day when I boarded the Medical School bus. Our friendship started and was nothing short of love and adventure. Our night walk from my home to buy Kenkey and fish and vice versa. I always looked forward to visiting you in school so we could embark on our love walk to buy kenkey and fish. Thus, our walk to buy kenkey and fish became our hallmark. In fact, I saw a father in you because you were the exact replica of my dad. You also confirmed to me, when you first met my dad, that you knew you had found in me a partner for life. I had no doubt you will be a loving and perfect father to our children. You were truly God-sent. Your commitment and love was such that you proposed we got married on my birthday. And we have always had a double celebration on my birthday, which I was looking forward to this year also. When we started having kids, you were a wonderful father. You were a great source of hope to me and the children. Despite your busy schedule as a medical doctor and later in your political roles, you either bathed the children every morning or dressed them up while I bathed them. You were their favourite teacher because you knew their syllabus back to back. You always had a strict timetable for their private studies yet you made room for their play and adventure. You were truly a family man- the definition of a genuine person with a pure heart of gold. In our years of marriage, you always asked, Abena Rita, what will you do when I am not around? I never answered and till today I dont have an answer. I will, with the help of God, take care of mummy and the three kids. Knowing who you are, I believe you will be looking down on us to guide us through the heavens. Kofi B, thank you for loving me. Thank you for loving the children. Featured NDC mourns fearless Dr Omane Boamah at state funeral Gertrude Ankah Politics Aug - 15 - 2025 , 11:31 2 minutes read The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has hailed the late Defence Minister, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, as a fearless activist and political strategist whose career spanned grassroots mobilisation, electoral defence, and national leadership. At a state funeral for the eight persons who also perished in the military helicopter crash on August 6, NDC General Secretary Fiifi Kwetey read a tribute tracing Dr Boamahs rise from student activism to high office. The party described his life as one of courage, intellect, and unyielding dedication to justice, adding that his death leaves a void not only in the party but in the fabric of Ghanas democracy. Dr Boamahs political journey began in the lecture halls of the University of Ghana, where he served as President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS). His activism intensified in the early 2000s when he confronted the then-NPP government over withheld GETFund payments a dispute he pursued through then-Minority Leader Alban S.K. Bagbin with relentless vigour, earning a reputation for resilience under political pressure. He became a leading member of the Committee for Joint Action (CJA), joining forces with Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Bernard Mornah to mount public campaigns and demonstrations. According to the NDC, the CJA became a formidable voice for the masses and a nightmare for the government of the day. Renowned for his hands-on approach, Dr Boamah personally monitored ballot printing during elections to protect the integrity of the process. His commitment later saw him appointed as the NDCs Director of Elections, where he helped shape strategy and voter engagement nationwide. In government, he served as Deputy Minister for Environment, Science and Technology under President John Evans Atta Mills, before becoming Minister for Communication and Presidential Spokesperson under President John Dramani Mahama (20132016). His final cabinet role was as Minister for Defence. Dr Boamah was one of eight people killed when the Ghana Air Force Z-9 helicopter crashed at Adansi Akrofuom in the Ashanti Region while en route to Obuasi for the launch of the Responsible Community and Cooperative Mining Programme. The NDC said his passing robs Ghana of one of the bravest sons of our land, pledging that his legacy of service, courage, and justice will inspire generations to come. Today Google is launching Flight Deals, an AI-powered flight search tool. It's rolling out over the next week and you can access it either at its dedicated webpage, or in the top left menu on Google Flights. Initially, it's only available in the US, Canada, and India, and will be in beta "to gather feedback and explore how AI can improve travel planning", Google says. The company also explains that Flight Deals is "designed for flexible travelers whose number one goal is saving money on their next trip". The interface is chatbot-like, so all you need to do is describe when, where, and how you want to travel in natural language, "as though you're talking to a friend", and Flight Deals will take care of the rest. The point is for you not to have to manually play with different dates, destinations, and filters in order to find the cheapest flights. Instead, the AI will do that for you in the background and then give you a neat presentation of what it's found. Example searches Google gives include "week-long trip this winter to a city with great food, nonstop only", or "10 day ski trip to a world-class resort with fresh powder", but of course you can ask for anything and see how it goes. Source The Honor Magic V Flip 2 is going to be announced in a few days, and the company is hyping up the crowd with a post on Weibo, praising the device's durable UTG display. Moreover, Honor posted another teaser confirming the impressive battery and charging specs. Honor Magic V Flip 2 teaser posters The post briefly goes through the new display tech called UTG (Ultra Thin Glass) used for flexible OLED panels. However, if you've been around in the smartphone industry for the last few years, you'd know that this isn't exactly new tech. One of the first Samsung foldables featured UTG, and it's unclear from Honor's post alone what's different in the Magic V Flip 2. In any case, the teaser claims that the new display can withstand 350,000 folds, or in other words, at least 5 years of normal use. Even after the 350,000 folds test, the panel's crease was no bigger than 50m. A leak from yesterday suggests the V Flip 2 will bring a solid 200MP + 50MP camera setup along with a whopping 5,500 mAh battery and 80W fast wired charging. The teaser today confirms the big battery and the speedy wired charging, but also adds 50W fast wireless charging to the specs sheet. Source These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. Apple's latest entry-level iPad launched in March with the A16 Bionic chip inside. However, the company is already working on its successor, according to recent reports. Today, this next-gen cheap iPad has been revealed to sport the A18 chip, the same one inside the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and iPhone 16e. The information comes from code references accidentally disclosed by Apple, so it's official even though it was never intended to be made public this early. Using the A18 chip will give the next entry-level iPad the ability to support Apple Intelligence features, which undoubtedly will be among its main selling points. The next cheap iPad is rumored to arrive in the spring of next year. It should keep the same design as its predecessor, possibly only incorporating the newer and better chip. The current generation starts at $349, it's unclear if the next model will retain that pricing, but we are hopeful. Via T-Mobiles parent company, Deutsche Telekom, is finally releasing its long-awaited AI Phone. The T Phone 3 comes with an all-new Magenta AI operating system based on Android 15, which integrates Perplexity AI at the OS level. It is joined by the T Tablet 2, which also goes all-in on the AI front. Both devices come with a dedicated Perplexity AI assistant, which aims to replace the traditional app interface found on regular smartphones. The accompanying press release clarifies that the AI assistant accomplishes tasks via pre-installed system apps. T Phone 3 The T Phone 3 features a 6.58-inch LTPS LCD (FHD+ 120Hz) and is equipped with Qualcomms Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset. You also get a 5,000 mAh battery with 25W charging and IP54 ingress protection. Theres a 50MP main cam around the back alongside a 2MP macro shooter, while the waterdrop notch on the display houses a 13MP selfie shooter. T Phone 3 boots Android 15 with Magenta AI on top. T-Mobile is pledging 3 Android upgrades and 6 years of software support. The more interesting bit is the Perplexity AI assistant, which allows you to do anything youd normally do on your smartphone without jumping between apps. Users can ask the assistant to compose and send emails and messages, translate text, make appointments or help with online shopping. You can also use the camera to search or ask the assistant to help you with items on your screen. T Phone 3 comes in Icy Silver and is priced at 149. It will also be available for free with certain monthly plans from the carrier. T Phone 3 in Icy Silver The device is available across Germany, Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland and Slovakia. Deutsche Telekom also confirmed that a Pro version of the T Phone 3 is coming later this year. T Tablet 2 T Tablet 2 runs the same Magenta AI interface as the T Phone 3. It gets a 10.1-inch IPS LCD with FHD+ resolution and features TCL Nxtpaper tech for easier reading and a paper-like writing experience via the optional T-Pen stylus (29.95). T Tablet 2 is equipped with MediaTeks MT8755 chipset featuring 5G connectivity and dual SIM (nanoSIM + eSIM) support. The device also gets a microSD card slot for storage expansion and is IP54 rated against water and dust. The tablet is equipped with a 6,000 mAh battery with 15W charging. T Tablet 2 Deutsche Telekom is pledging 5 Android upgrades and 6 years of security patches. T Tablet 2 comes in Slate Black and will retail for 199. It is available in the same 10 markets as the T Phone 3. T Phone 3 T Tablet 2 As Guam reaches a pivotal moment in its economic development, the island finds itself caught between the two starkly contrasting realities of immense strategic opportunity and institutional fragility. While the Indo-Pacific region rises in global importance, and while federal and military interest in Guam surges with promises of billions in investment, Guams internal governance systems continue to operate with 20th-century machinery in a 21st-century digital world. What does a modern government look like? What does modern governance require in support of a dynamic citizen population? How do Guams current institutions measure up? Guam vs. modern government standard Lets start with five key traits of effective modern governments and how Guam currently aligns (or fails to). 1. Efficient delivery of core services. The modern standard is integrated digital platforms, one-stop citizen services, automated permitting, and transparent performance dashboards. The Guam reality is outdated, siloed systems that still rely heavily on paper forms and manual approvals. Various GovGuam agencies building permit backlog is an infamous example. In an environment where time-to-market defines success, long permitting delays stifle investment and construction timelines. The basic business license process can take days and weeks, not minutes, due to lack of digital workflows. 2. Transparent and accountable operations. The modern standard is open data portals, real-time budget dashboards, independent audit and anti-corruption institutions. The Guam reality is an opaque procurement system, inconsistent oversight, and fragmented accountability. Procurement missteps and sole-source contracts continue to raise red flags. Guam remains without a modern e-procurement system that logs, tracks, and visualizes vendor performance and bid competitiveness. A recent audit of COVID-19 federal funds revealed weak internal controls and potential misallocations. 3. Strategic workforce development. The modern standard is future-focused civil service, digital skills training, and technical certification pathways. The Guam reality is workforce shortages in trades, engineering, cyber, and advanced manufacturing. Government hiring is slow, politicized, and detached from emerging economic needs. The result is a lack of established workforce pipelines to industrial needs. Moreover, no coordinated workforce strategy exists for the defense sustainment sector which is a critical part of the islands economy. 4. Adaptive institutions and innovation capacity. The modern standard is agile policy labs, regulatory sandboxes, digital transformation strategies. The Guam reality is rigid bureaucracies with limited flexibility, no research and development incentive policy, and minimal public-private innovation efforts. Guam has no dedicated industrial policy, no small business innovation fund, and no tax credits for research and development or defense manufacturing. This limits the ability of local firms to participate in the U.S. Department of Defenses $800 billion supply chain. 5. Infrastructure and digital readiness. The modern standard is to secure digital infrastructure, clean water, reliable power, cyber-hardened assets. The Guam reality is chronic water outages, aging grid, and gaps in broadband access. Power surges and inconsistent electrical service at the Harmon industrial area delay machinery installation for maritime contractors. The recent boil water notice crisis exposed vulnerabilities in both water quality and communication systems. How Guam can fix the government foundation 1. Establish a government modernization office. This can be modeled after Estonias e-Governance Academy or Singapores Smart Nation office (Smart Nation Singapore|Smart Nation Singapore). Guams Government Modernization needs to be bifurcated into two focus areasone externally and future focused and one internally and present focused. The externally and futured-focused part of the office could be mirroring Singapore or Estonias models. The internally and present-focused part of the office needs to be built on a modern ISO 9001-based Quality Management System that is implemented GovGuam-wide, ensuring accountability, compliance, improvement, performance insight and transparency of all government departments and offices. Empower this office with digital-savvy employees to digitize permits, licenses, procurement workflows, and have them collaborate with industry to make use of cutting-edge, commercial-off-the-shelf solutions. 2. Create the Guam Aerospace and Defense Alliance. GADA can serve three different functions: a) Act as a Defense Industrial Development Task Force to attract and build defense industrial capabilities in Guam, b) work on internal GovGuam plans to improve workforce development, infrastructure, and creating less government bureaucracy/business-friendly environment, and c) Mimic the United Kingdoms defense sectors Joint Supply Chain Accreditation Register, JOSCAR, as an accreditation system for suppliers that operate in the Guam defense, aerospace and security sectors. Use this as a Guam one-stop shop for all defense industry firms wanting to do business in Guam. Have them pay a fee to the government for mandatory participation and certification, and the GADA office will coordinate all basic requirements (i.e. licensing, insurance, taxes, environmental, etc.) 3. Implement e-procurement and performance dashboards. Launch a centralized, transparent procurement portal, publish contractor performance ratings and budget execution dashboards, and require all agencies to standardize procurement timelines and criteria. 4. Overhaul civil service and technical workforce pipelines. Build fast-track certification programs in trades, engineering tech, CNC machining, and cybersecurity, partner with mainland institutions (e.g., Naval Postgraduate School) for dual-enrollment and credentialing, and use DoD SkillBridge and other talent import/export programs to rotate skilled workers into Guam. 5. Adopt a One Guam innovation incentive policy. Offer R&D and manufacturing tax credits for companies in the defense or dual-use sectors, use Section 846/889 FAR exemptions to allow rapid local sourcing, and position Guam as a micro-lab for expeditionary innovation modular ship repair, deployable solar, AI logistics. Guam deserves better. The Pacific needs more. Its time to modernize our government so we can modernize our future. Debate over the governments fiscal year 2026 budget will have to stay within the boundaries set by the Republican-led budget committee, as lawmakers wrap up the first leg of deliberations. Efforts to raise the bottom-line revenue amounts in the $1.351 billion budget by the Democrat minority failed, as senators closed out Section I of the budget, revenue projections, on Thursday night. With the floor set on revenue amounts, negotiations on how to fund everything from schools to the Guam Police Department will have to be made within those bounds. Democrat Gov. Lou Leon Guerreros office was critical on Friday of a key provision in the Republican budget, a rollback of business privilege taxes from 5% to 4.5% by Oct. 1, and 4% by Oct. 1, 2026. Adelup in a release stated the rollback will benefit large businesses and will severely cripple essential government services. To deny our government the necessary resources to support our growing population, while simultaneously pushing through tax cuts for the wealthiest businesses, is fiscally irresponsible and detrimental to the well-being of our community, the office stated. The BPT rollback amounts to about $38 million less revenue for GovGuam in fiscal year 2026, and estimates have been put as high as $81 million in annual lost revenue once the full 1% rollback takes effect. The Republican budget offers a number of potential offsets to cope with the $38 million reduction. It stops a 2% annual set-aside for the governments emergency Rainy Day Fund and refrains from giving agencies major budget increases. It also drops tax refund payment set-asides by $21 million, and gives the governor more leeway to transfer funds between agencies, by upping her fund transfer authority from a 15% cap to 50%. Republican senators have pointed to over-appropriations in the past, and a push to get agencies living within their means. Budget Chairman Sen. Chris Duenas has said that any move to raise funds for one agency will require lawmakers to identify a cut elsewhere. Democrats and the administration say it leaves critical agencies and operations underfunded amidst uncertainty around federal funding, while punting fiscal policy to the governors office. Here are the revenues proposed in the bill, versus the governors requests: General Fund available for appropriation, $942.4 million, versus $947.6 million requested by the governor Special Funds, $211.1 million, versus $210.3 million Federal matching grants-in-aid, $198.3 million, the same as the governors request Chamber, GOP applaud budget A release from the Republican Party of Guam commended the Republican senators that supported the BPT rollback to 4% and continue to stand their ground to support the employees of the private sector. The party stated that Republicans focused, on a fiscally responsible budget bill which prioritizes essential government services, funds tax refunds, ensures that the government lives within its means, and is focused on investing in Guams economy. The Guam Chamber of Commerce, in a statement Friday, urged lawmakers to stop pitting the private sector against the public sector. Some senators painted businesses as evil millionaires, the chamber stated, without noting the extended closures after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Those who had poured years of savings into their operations saw their investments collapse, the chamber stated, while GovGuam refused a tax rollback, and public employees stayed at work. The government serves all of Guamand the business community is not the enemy, the chamber stated. BPT changes fail An amendment from Democrat Sen. Sabina Perez was the final, unsuccessful attempt to change the business privilege tax rollback in the budget Thursday night. Perez amendment would have given the reduced BPT rate of 4% for businesses making between $500,000 and $2 million, but kept the rate at 5% for those making more. The amendment, one of numerous attempts by Democrats to adjust the rollback, failed. Democrat Sen. Tina Muna Barnes on Friday stated she recognized the struggle of local businesses, but GovGuam couldnt absorb a $40 million hit to its budget. It wasnt about choosing between helping businesses or funding government services. We can do both if we do it right. This amendment would have made it happen, Barnes said of Perezs amendment. Tax refund amounts fail Meanwhile, Democrat Sen. Therese Terlajes amendment to increase amounts for tax refund set-asides by $21 million. Republican budget chairman Sen. Chris Duenas says the reduction comes after years of GovGuam over-appropriating money for tax refunds. But the governors fiscal team has said they expect about an $18 million impact on tax refund amounts from tax code changes in the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Donald Trump Jr. on July 4. Department of Administration Director Ed Birn earlier this week said refund check processing could be delayed if the government runs out of money next year. I dont think the people of Guam are going to put up at all with any delay in the payment of tax refunds, Terlaje said Thursday night. Her amendment failed. Also failing was Terlajes amendment to increase projections to withholding tax amounts by about $7 million. Terlaje argued that the governors own fiscal team estimated withholding tax amounts at $7 million higher than what was in the budget, and that the money could be used for critical government services. Rainy Day Fund What did pass was Democrat Sen. Joe San Agustins amendment to provide up to $10 million to the governments Rainy Day Fund. The fund covers cash shortages caused by emergencies, or sudden drops in government tax revenues. A $19 million set-aside for the Rainy Day fund was struck from the final version of the budget bill put forth by the Republican-led budget committee, which pointed to $65 million in the existing account. The law is clear; we must deposit funding into the Rainy Day Fund, San Agustin said in a statement Friday, noting it was meant to cover disasters. That $10 million sum will come from the $30.9 million in excess, unobligated tax and fee revenues GovGuam collected over appropriations for fiscal 2025 so far. The Guam Department of Education is short 54 teachers across public schools as the first school week wraps up, Superintendent Erik Swanson said. While 54 is a large number, thats the best weve been in years, Swanson said. The first year of us here, we were short almost 300, Swanson told the Pacific Daily News. So were starting the year in much better condition because we consolidated schools, because we have done a lot to consolidate enrollments. Swanson confirmed that GDOE is still actively hiring and placing teachers in classrooms. To address the shortage, GDOE is tapping 30 non-certified part-time employees and 34 certified retired teachers to fill instructional gaps. Non-certified teachers are supervised by certified educators, and full-time teachers who give up their prep periods to cover classes receive additional compensation. I have across the district probably upward of 100 or so teachers that are in that situation where theyre paid extra to cover other classes, Swanson said. Teachers receive a prorated fraction of their regular salary, he said. For example, a teacher earning $60,000 annually teaching five classes would receive one-sixth of that, $10,000, if they pick up an additional course load for the entire year. While Swanson could not provide a specific count of classrooms without certified teachers, school principals are adjusting student schedules by consolidating and combining classes to maximize existing resources. No student has a committed schedule till after this week, Swanson said. We consolidate classes, drop classes out of the schedule that they cant staff and reassign students into other courses. Every student is actively engaged throughout the instructional day. We dont have anybody sitting in the cafeteria waiting for the period to pass, he said. Teachers take on second jobs Adding to the challenge, 35 to 40 teachers have been approved to take on second jobs, often in restaurants or retail, to supplement their income. I probably sign off on anywhere from 50 to 75 permissions for people to have an extra job, Swanson said. You go to college, you get an education, and you come back and you cant afford to live in a place that you want to. Thats a real detractor. Between May and August, 28 teachers resigned, many due to retirement or relocation. Its not burnout. More often than not, its aging out or retiring, Swanson said. To avoid gaps, GDOE has programmed replacements ahead of time, sometimes over-hiring so the outgoing teacher and new hire overlap. Recruitment extends beyond Guam, though funding limits incentives like housing stipends or relocation assistance. I would love to do that but I need to get that money appropriated from the Legislature, Swanson said. I cant use my federal money for that. Up and down enrollment Enrollment continues to fluctuate as students transfer from charter and private schools back into the public system. At the end of last school year, GDOE reported approximately 24,000 students, down about 800 from the previous year and significantly below the pre-pandemic high of 30,000. Were still getting the situation with some of the charter schools, Swanson said. Folks didnt like the charter environment, or the environment didnt like them, so theyre coming back to us. Theres the SIFA situation where a number of their kids have enrolled with us. Science Is Fun and Awesome, SIFA, Learning Academy Charter School has been without a permanent campus since early July, after vacating its Tiyan location. This followed the dismissal of legal disputes with its landlord, Eagle Land Holdings. The charter school said it began a formal procurement process in August to secure a new facility. Despite the situation, Swanson said GDOE is not taking sides. Our job is to service the kids and families, he said. They come to us to enroll, we enroll, and we teach their kids. Kids live in our neighborhoods, and they come to their neighborhood school, thats our job. Were going to take care of them. GDOE spokesperson Damen Borja added that while GDOE is tracking enrollment changes tied to SIFA, compiling detailed data from all campuses takes time. Swanson also noted that demographic shifts continue to influence school planning. Enrollment is declining in southern Guam, but rising in Dededo and Yigo, possibly prompting future consolidation discussions. Were over-capitalized and have more capacity for people than we need, Swanson said. I have to save money by closing facilities, but thats got to be carefully planned with the community. GDOE has until Sept. 30 to finalize enrollment, after which staffing and facility changes may be made. Special education There are about four vacancies in special education. GDOE assigns teachers and pays extra to cover these classes. Nine new special education teachers are in training and expected to be certified by the end of the year. GDOE runs a federally funded Master of Arts in Teaching program allowing candidates to work while earning certification. Two cohorts with about 20 participants are currently active. Beyond recruitment, retention depends on fostering a positive working environment, Swanson said. We dont have a special program to get people to stay longer, he said. Were trying to build a culture that makes people want to stay and enjoy what theyre doing. Leadership visibility and community engagement are key to this effort. The best thing we can do as leaders is be on campus and engage with people every day, Swanson said. Parents and community members stop me and thank me for the changes. Spokesperson Borja confirmed that GDOE updates its teacher vacancy numbers monthly and posts them publicly as part of board reports. He added that class schedules remain fluid during the first week, with final student assignment numbers expected early next week. Swanson, who plans to step down as superintendent by December, said he remains committed to addressing the ongoing teacher shortage. My responsibility is to do everything we can to resolve these issues, he said. Its a continuous problem, not something that will come and go. Haiti - FLASH : Foreign mercenaries will stay in Haiti for 10 years Erik Prince, a former U.S. Navy SEAL and founder of Academi (formerly Blackwater Worldwide), the world's largest private military company, which he sold in 2010 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-45014-haiti-flash-haiti-signs-contract-with-erik-prince-founder-of-blackwater-worldwide-to-end-gangs.html confirmed to Reuters that his company, Vectus Global, had entered into a 10-year agreement with the Haitian government to combat criminal gangs and, once the security situation has stabilized, to participate in the design and implementation of a program to tax imported goods at the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Prince declined to comment on the terms or amount the Haitian government would pay Vectus Global for its services, nor on the amount of customs taxes Erik Prince plans to collect for Haiti. Prince added that he hopes to regain control of major highways and territories from gangs within about a year. "One key measure of success for me will be when you can drive from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haitien in a thin-skinned vehicle and not be stopped by gangs" A person familiar with the company's operations told Reuters that Vectus will intensify its fight against criminal gangs in coordination with the Haitian police, deploying several hundred fighters from the United States, Europe, and El Salvador, trained as snipers and intelligence and communications specialists, as well as helicopters and boats. The Vectus team includes French and Creole speakers, the source said. To be continued... TB/ HaitiLibre Haiti - USA : Trump administration approves UN Secretary General's plan to fight gangs Six months after United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed that the UN assume part of the funding for the multinational force fighting armed gangs in Haiti, the Trump administration has expressed its readiness to support this plan and intends to submit a draft resolution to the UN Security Council. Let's recall that in February 2025, Guterres, who is not a supporter of peacekeeping operations, proposed a "two-track strategy" to enable the Kenyan-led force, the Haitian National Police, and Haitian authorities to "significantly reduce the territorial control of gangs." He advocates maintaining the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMSS) in Haiti and also proposed the creation of the United Nations Support Office (UNSO) to provide logistical and operational support through the UN peacekeeping budget. However, Washington cannot assume that other Security Council members will readily follow suit. The United States can expect resistance from China and Russia, which have consistently criticized Washington during Security Council discussions on Haiti. To date, pledges to the UN Haiti Trust Fund total $112.5 million. This amount is barely enough to pay salaries, but insufficient for equipment or to support the expansion of the multinational security force, which was planned to number 2,500 troops. 261 Kenyan personnel are ready to intervene as reinforcements, but remain on standby, as the budget does not allow for their support, President Ruto stated. SL/ HaitiLibre One month after Sotheby's auctioned off the largest meteorite from Mars for a record sum, the action has caused disgruntlement among the government of Niger. The rock was discovered in the West African country two years ago before it was taken out of the country and brought to New York via a detour through Italy. The government explained that there were doubts about the legality of the export. Investigations had therefore been initiated, led by the Ministry of Justice, among others. According to CNN, Sotheby's has since assured that it has all the necessary documents. The questions are being examined based on the information. At the same time, the auction house points out that there is no specific legislation on meteorites in Niger. Anzeige Market for meteorites not without controversy The dispute concerns meteorite NWA 16788, which was discovered by an anonymous meteorite hunter in the Agadez region in north-eastern Niger. It is more than two-thirds larger than the next largest meteorite from Mars. It also accounts for around 6.5 percent of all known material on Earth that comes from the Red Planet. It is therefore of enormous value for research. In mid-July, the stone weighing almost 25 kg was auctioned off to an unknown person for 5.3 million US dollars (around 4.5 million euros). The auction has already been criticized. Planetologist Julia Cartwright has pointed out that without a market for such finds, far fewer people would look for them, which would be bad for research overall. According to a research group from Italy, NWA 16788 was originally sold by a local community in Niger to an international dealer, after which it belonged to a private gallery in Arezzo, Italy. In 2024, the meteorite was exhibited at the headquarters of the Italian Space Agency in Rome. During this time, the stone was also examined. It then reappeared in New York before the auction, with two pieces remaining at the University of Florence. Where it will end up now is unclear. Palaeontologist Steve Brusatte had declared that it would be a shame if it disappeared into an oligarch's vault. As part of their study of NWA 16788 and other meteorites from Mars, the research group led by Annarita Franze from the University of Florence determined that the vast majority of them are in museums, including the Museum fur Naturkunde in Berlin. However, if you add up their mass, private dealers and collectors are in the lead, they write. While the Outer Space Treaty only stipulates that celestial bodies in space cannot belong to anyone, a UNESCO convention is decisive for fragments that have naturally fallen to Earth. However, its implementation differs from country to country, and, according to Sotheby's, in the case of Niger, there is no law preventing the export. However, it is unknown how the hard-to-miss stone was taken out of the country. (mho) 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. Social Security Minister Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (NCP) said on Tuesday that burkas and niqabs are inappropriate in Finnish schools, arguing on social media that children should be allowed to live freely and interact openly with others. The Muslim Forum of Finland has criticised recent statements by ministers calling for restrictions on face coverings in schools, saying the issue is exaggerated and risks fuelling wider efforts to limit religious expression. The comments come amid renewed political focus on headscarves and veils following the start of the school year. Pia Jardi, Secretary General of the Muslim Forum of Finland, said the entire discussion feels disconnected from reality. I have never seen children wearing niqabs in Finland, Jardi told Yle. This seems like a manufactured debate. According to Jardi, the focus on burkas and niqabs could be a stepping stone toward broader restrictions on headscarves more generally. Thats how it started in France, first the face veils, then visible religious symbols. It looks like the same direction, she said. The Muslim Forum, which serves as a cooperation and dialogue platform for Muslim communities in Finland, said it agrees that children should be free to be children but rejected any restrictions on headscarves as incompatible with religious freedom. Of course no one should be forced to wear a headscarf, Jardi said. But the idea of limiting them goes against the principle of equality in Finland. The debate escalated last month when Finance Minister and Finns Party chair Riikka Purra called for a full ban on burkas, niqabs, and headscarves for young girls, starting with schools. Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz (SPP) said in July that face coverings could be discussed in terms of safety and identification, but stopped short of supporting a legal ban. Interior Minister Mari Rantanen (Finns) told Helsingin Sanomat this week that her ministry will begin preparing an assessment on banning the veil altogether. She argued that burkas and niqabs do not belong in a Western, egalitarian society and expressed hope that legislation could move forward during the current parliamentary term. However, experts and officials point out that there is no existing law prohibiting face coverings in schools, and the issue remains marginal. Laura Francke, a legal adviser at the Finnish National Agency for Education, said such garments are extremely rare in Finnish comprehensive schools. If a ban were to be introduced, it would require new legislation, Francke said. Current rules only allow schools to enforce dress codes for practical reasons, such as safety or hygiene. Examples include appropriate swimwear for swimming lessons or avoiding loose clothing in technical workshops. The agency has not received any significant complaints or requests related to face coverings in schools. HT The citys Urban Environment Committee rejected HSLs draft financial plan for 20262028 on Tuesday, criticising the planned price hikes as inconsistent with the citys strategic goal of making public transport more affordable. Helsinki officials are challenging proposed fare increases by the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL), warning that monthly AB-zone tickets could reach nearly 90 within three years unless alternative funding solutions are found. HSL is proposing a 6.4 percent fare increase for 2025, with further hikes that would cumulatively raise prices by over 20 percent by 2028. Under this plan, a 30-day AB-zone pass would cost close to 90, and a single ticket around 3.85. The current price for a single AB ticket is 3.20. Deputy Mayor Johanna Laisaari (SDP) said the increases risk undermining public transport usage. The goal of the city strategy is for ticket prices to decrease during this council term. I hope HSL can find other ways to balance its finances, Laisaari said. Both the National Coalition Party and the Social Democrats back a long-term reduction in real ticket prices, but they agreed the starting point for comparison should be the post-hike price level in 2026, which remains uncertain. The committee rejected a proposal by the Greens and the Left Alliance to oppose any fare increases in 2025. Amanda Pasanen (Greens) argued that recent price changes have disproportionately affected AB-zone users. The trend in recent years has been rising costs for Helsinki residents, Pasanen said. Her motion was defeated 85, with SDP and NCP voting against it. The city also removed from its official statement a reference to increasing its municipal contribution to HSL by the same 6.4 percent proposed for fare hikes. That contribution will instead be decided as part of Helsinkis autumn budget process. A cap on the citys share could place further pressure on fares. Despite political differences, all council factions agreed that HSLs pricing plans conflict with the citys targets. Officials warned that high prices make public transport less attractive, particularly for families in outer districts and occasional riders in central areas. The high cost is also seen as encouraging private ride services. Operators like Bolt are viewed as increasingly competitive on short trips compared to tram fares. The committee recommended introducing one-zone tickets to increase pricing flexibility and better match actual travel needs. These are not currently offered in the HSL system, which requires a minimum of two zones for most journeys within Helsinki. Helsinki is also pushing for changes to how HSL compensates municipalities for the use of infrastructure such as tramways. The city argues the current system, where HSL pays municipalities for using their transport infrastructure, creates ongoing pressure to raise fares. The model is unreasonable, Pasanen said. To my knowledge, no other city in the world operates this way. At the same time, municipalities benefit from land value increases when transport infrastructure allows new construction in well-connected areas. Helsinki wants to renegotiate the compensation model in cooperation with HSL and other member municipalities. While Helsinki plays a key role in shaping the conversation, decisions on HSL fares and ticket types are made by HSLs board, which includes representatives from all member municipalities. The citys position will now move to the Helsinki City Board for further discussion. HT The woman, known only as Sofia for privacy reasons, had successfully bid for a 60,000 job involving planting, clearing, and sapling care. She was even congratulated by Metsahallitus for winning the contract, until further documentation revealed that she holds both Finnish and Russian citizenship. A young entrepreneur from eastern Finland lost a lucrative forestry contract with the state-owned company Metsahallitus earlier this year after it was discovered that she holds dual citizenship with Russia. That detail triggered a reversal. In April, Metsahallitus informed Sofia that her contract was being rescinded, citing an EU sanctions regulation from April 2022, which prohibits public procurement contracts with Russian nationals, including those who also hold another citizenship. "Suddenly, Im just considered Russian again" Sofia, who is in her twenties, says she has never lived in Russia and has no financial or business ties there. I dont even have a bank account in Russia, she told Yle. But suddenly Im considered Russian again. She believed at the time of bidding that her dual citizenship would not disqualify her from the tender. Born in Finland, Sofia says she had no say in her dual nationality until she became an adult. In her formal appeal, she wrote: "When I was born, dual citizenship wasnt a crime. I couldnt choose my parents or their nationalities." But the response from Metsahallitus was clear: EU sanctions override all other considerations. State agency: The regulation is unambiguous Heikki Savolainen, Head of Silviculture at Metsahallitus, described the situation as unfortunate, but said the agency had no choice. Its a clear-cut case. We have to act according to the sanctions regulation, he explained, adding that its rare for Russian citizens to apply for forestry contracts. The EU regulation bans public contracts with individuals who are Russian nationals or entities controlled by them, regardless of any second citizenship. The agencys internal documents, including the original acceptance, appeal documents, and the final rejection, confirm that Sofias bid had initially met all the technical requirements before her citizenship status became the disqualifying factor. Sofia believes the decision is unjust and discriminatory. As a Finnish citizen, I should have the right to work and run a business, she said. The regulation needs to be reviewedthis punishes people born here, people who have lived their whole lives here. Kristina Stenman, Finlands Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, said her office has received dozens of queries about the implications of the EU sanctions, especially concerning dual citizens. While she declined to comment on Sofias specific case, she acknowledged a broader concern: Although the intention may be to show solidarity with Ukraine, the way these rules are enforced can raise legitimate questions about discrimination. Stenman noted that while equal treatment is a legal principle, different treatment may be allowed if justified by law, such as EU sanctions. Faced with the potential loss of future contracts, Sofia is now considering renouncing her Russian citizenship. But she says the process is long, bureaucratic, and expensive. Her relative, who once had to do the same for employment reasons, had to travel to Moscow, endure months of paperwork, and spend thousands of euros. It feels awful, Sofia admitted. Giving up Russian citizenship doesnt erase that part of me. It feels like cutting off a piece of who I am. According to Statistics Finland, nearly 38,000 people held Russian dual citizenship in Finland at the end of 2022. In recent years, only a small number have successfully relinquished it. For Sofia, forestry was supposed to be the foundation of her business. Now shes reevaluating her future. I just want the same chance to work as anyone else, she said. The letter, handwritten in pencil and enclosed in a small plastic flask, was discovered earlier this year by Agneta Malinen while cutting reeds on Harapois Island in the Korsholm archipelago. She spotted the bottle wedged into the shoreline. A message in a bottle launched off the Finnish coast in 1997 has reached its sender nearly three decades later. I saw the little note and realised it must be a message in a bottle, Malinen said in an interview with Finnish broadcaster Yle. Inside was a letter from Piia Paakkonen, then 11 years old, seeking pen pals. She had included her childhood address in Oulu. The bottle had travelled roughly 100 kilometres across the Gulf of Bothnia from Larsmo, where it was dropped into the water in the summer of 1997. The message remained intact and legible after 28 years at sea. Malinen sent a reply to the Oulu address listed in the original message. It was still in use by Paakkonens parents. A month later, Paakkonen received the unexpected letter. My mom said I had received a letter and I couldnt quite understand who it was from since I hadnt lived at that address for 20 years, Paakkonen said. She asked her mother to read the letter aloud over the phone. The memory returned quickly. I remember sending out the bottle. My sister, who is two years older than me, and I each wrote a letter. We had just gotten a little sister that summer and were at our parents summer cottage in Larsmo. I remember we were out on the boat and dropped the bottle in the sea. Paakkonen, now 39 and a mother of four, works as a teacher in Helsinki. She replied to Malinen with a handwritten letter and a recent family photo. The journey of the bottle from Larsmo to Korsholm spanned nearly three decades and around 100 kilometres of coastline. Paakkonen said she had no pen pals at the time and had forgotten about the message. The rediscovery prompted her to consider using a similar activity in her teaching. Could a child write something that they could get to reread when they finish primary school? she said. She also gave practical advice to anyone considering writing a message in a bottle. Use a small container that wont get stuck anywhere too easily. And remember to include your contact information. Malinen, who lives near where the bottle was found, said she plans to keep the bottle and letter as a memento. She and her grandchildren are planning to write their own bottle messages and release them when the winds allow. The original message from 1997 was written on lined paper and placed in a pink envelope inside the bottle. It was addressed to potential pen pals and included no reference to the writers age but gave her full name and return address in Oulu. The letter is now with Malinen, who intends to preserve it. HT Speaking in Vaasa on Thursday, Antti Lindtman , chair of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), said Prime Minister Petteri Orpo must straighten out his governments position by early September. If the government fails to do so, the SDP will begin gathering support for an interpellation. Finlands largest opposition party is demanding clarity from the government on its position regarding recognition of a Palestinian state, warning that a failure to act could trigger a parliamentary vote of no confidence. Finland is in danger of being on the wrong side of history, Lindtman said. There is at least one party in government for which denying Palestinian rights has become a direct religious doctrine. The SDPs warning follows months of internal division within Orpos four-party coalition over how Finland should respond to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the broader question of Palestinian statehood. While President Alexander Stubb has publicly said Finland should recognise Palestine, and Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has echoed similar views, the Christian Democrats and Finns Party have resisted any such move. The Christian Democrats have threatened to leave the government if recognition proceeds. According to Lindtman, Finlands foreign policy cannot remain paralysed with the president and cabinet sending different signals. He said the situation damages Finlands international credibility and weakens its moral standing. Lindtman called for immediate and concrete steps to pressure the Israeli government and said the recognition of Palestinian statehood should be formally debated in Parliament. Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism, he said, but the deliberate starvation of people, especially children, exceeds all possible limits of humanity. He urged the government to support international efforts to pressure Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, accusing Israel of violating international law by occupying the territory. Lindtman also said Finland should call for the suspension of the EUIsrael trade agreement, citing Article 2 of the deal, which requires parties to uphold human rights. He added that the European Union should impose sanctions on members of Israels government responsible for the indiscriminate killing of children and civilians. At the same time, he said pressure must also be placed on Hamas to release hostages and make it clear that the group has no future role in governing Gaza. The SDP first advocated for Palestinian recognition last year. Lindtman said the time has come for the Finnish government to act, or else allow the matter to be decided democratically in Parliament. Orpo has now given his government until the beginning of September. We are also prepared to wait, but no longer, Lindtman said. The Orpo government currently holds a 109-seat majority in Finlands 200-member Parliament. If the Christian Democrats were to leave the coalition, that majority would fall to 104 seats, making it more vulnerable to a confidence vote. In recent interviews with Tucker Carlson, also Christian Palestinians recounted their villages being burnt and houses occupied by illegal Jewish settlers. HT Bounty of Bethlehem announces new volunteer director Bounty of Bethlehem, the beloved community tradition that feeds hundreds a free Christmas Day meal, has named Christopher Lamar Wilson as its new volunteer director. Related Stories A Hendersonville native and longtime supporter of Bounty, Dr. Wilson brings 26 years of experience in education to his new role, including a highly successful tenure as assistant principal at his alma mater, Hendersonville High School. A graduate of Mars Hill University with a bachelor of music education, Wilson later earned a master of music in instrumental conducting and a master of education in school administration. Throughout his career, he has served as a band director and school leader in both North Carolina and Tennessee. He currently teaches at Polk County Middle School. My journey is about more than personal achievements; its about shaping the next generation of leaders and musicians while fostering a sense of community and belonging, said Wilson, a single father of two. This is about giving back to the community that gave so much to me. Wilson was a volunteer for the Bounty program for seven years while in college and said he always looked forward to coming home and serving. It is an honor to help carry the tradition forward. Wilson replaces outgoing director Annamarie Jakubielski, who has served for the past five years. Jakubielski announced earlier this year that she would be stepping down to care for an aging parent. Chris is the ideal person to step into this role, she said. He brings not only the skills needed to lead, but also a heart for service and a deep passion for the mission of Bounty. I truly believe the event is in good hands. In addition to honoring the legacy of previous leaders, Wilson aims to maintain the continuity of the event and all of the valuable community partnerships. This years Christmas Day Dinner will be held at the Salvation Army, 239 Third Ave. E. The meal is free and open to all. To support Bounty with a financial contribution or to learn how to volunteer, visit www.TheBountyOfBethlehem.org. Why You Should Think Twice Before Accepting a Refund from Air Canada After a Cancellation A planned strike by CUPE, the union representing 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, is expected to begin Saturday, August 16 at 01:00 ET. Some 25,000 Canadians risk being stranded abroad as a result. If Air Canada cancels your flight during events like a strike, consumer advocate Gabor Lukacs says passengers should be cautious about taking the refund option immediately. While it might seem like a quick resolution, doing so can actually limit your rights under Canadas Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR). Why is the strike happening? CUPE says its members are fed up with stagnant wages and outdated pay structures. While Air Canada posted $3.5 billion in profits for the 202324 fiscal year, the union claims the airline has not tabled meaningful offers during negotiations. One major point of contention is that flight attendants are only paid once the aircraft starts moving, which leaves ground duties like boarding, deplaning, and safety checks unpaid. What the Law Says Canadas APPR lays out specific protections when your flight is cancelled. Even if the cancellation is due to something outside the airlines control, such as labor disputes or weather events, airlines must: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rebook you on the next available flightincluding those operated by competing airlinesif that gets you to your destination sooner. Cover the cost of that rebooking at no additional charge. Offer alternate travel arrangements in the same class of service you originally purchased. If you accept a refund, the airlines obligation to arrange alternative travel ends. In other words, youre on your own to secure a replacement ticket, often at a much higher price. Why Airlines Push Refunds Refunds are cheaper for airlines because they avoid paying for potentially expensive last-minute seats on competitor flights. With ticket prices often spiking after cancellationsespecially during peak travel periodspassengers could end up paying hundreds or even thousands more for comparable flights. If Air Canada Refuses to Rebook You If the airline declines to place you on another carrier, you still have options: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Buy a replacement ticket yourself. Keep all receipts and a record of your communication with the airline. File a reimbursement claim with Air Canada, citing your rights under the APPR. If your claim is rejected, escalate it to the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), which can investigate and enforce compliance. How to Initiate a Rebooking Contact Air Canadas customer service immediately after receiving notice of the cancellation. Clearly state: I want to be rebooked at the earliest possible time, including on flights operated by other airlines. Ask for written confirmation of your rebooking request. If they say no, request a written statement explaining whythis can help with a later claim. Bottom Line While taking a refund might seem like the easiest path, it often leaves you with fewer protections and higher costs. By knowing your rights and insisting on rebookingespecially on another airline when necessaryyou can save money, time, and a lot of frustration. Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica 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 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 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 Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of 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 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 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 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 Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe South Africas Competition Commission has approved Cell Cs proposed acquisition of Comm Equipment Company (CEC). In a statement, the Commission said it had cleared the deal without conditions, finding it unlikely to substantially impact competition in any market and noting that it does not raise significant public-interest concerns. Explaining its decision, the watchdog said Cell C is the primary acquiring firm, is not controlled by another company, and has a widely distributed shareholding with no single controlling shareholder. CEC is wholly owned by The Prepaid Company (TPC), a mobile virtual network aggregator (MVNA) that provisions airtime and data in South Africa. TPCs parent, Blue Label Telecoms, will acquire shares in Cell C as part of the transaction, according to Techpoint Africa. The approval follows rival Vodacoms move to bolster its portfolio via the acquisition of Maziv, the parent company of Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa. Two-time founder behind Rezdy and Budgetly reveals why building his second startup wasnt easier and the harsh lessons every entrepreneur needs. Why this matters: As Australias startup ecosystem continues to grow, second-time founders like Lenoir offer crucial insights into the persistent challenges that plague even experienced entrepreneurs, from cash flow management to the dangers of perfectionism. When Simon Lenoir decided to start his second business in 2019, he carried with him the confidence of someone who had already conquered the startup world. His first company, Rezdy, had grown from a personal frustration into a global booking platform used across more than 100 countries. Surely, he thought, lightning could strike twice with less turbulence. Building a business is not easy, even if you have done it before, Lenoir admits, reflecting on his journey from scuba instructor to serial entrepreneur. The story began in 2011 in the warm waters of Thailand, where Lenoir worked as a diving instructor but found himself drowning in administrative tasks instead of exploring coral reefs. The idea for the business was born from my frustrations while working as a scuba instructor in Thailand, where I found myself spending more time managing schedules and payments rather than diving, he explains. That frustration birthed Rezdy, and within years, Lenoir and his co-founder had built something remarkable. But after nine years of day-to-day operations, Lenoir stepped back into a non-executive role, ready for his next challenge. Personal pain points drive innovation Enter Budgetly, a spend management platform for SMEs that emerged from another deeply personal frustration. As Rezdy grew, Lenoir watched his team submit credit card statements at months end, revealing overspending and missing receipts that turned financial reconciliation into detective work. Trying to reconcile the budget and the receipts every month started to feel like a never-ending game of forensic accounting, he recalls. This experience reinforced a crucial lesson that spans both his ventures: authentic innovation stems from genuine pain points. At Rezdy, the pain point was personal. Id lived the chaos of running a dive shop and knew and related to the challenges of double bookings and no-shows, which fuelled my passion for the product and helped gain credibility with customers, Lenoir says. With Budgetly, now operating with over 30 employees, the pattern repeated. Having experienced that problem firsthand and then building a product to elevate it is something Im incredibly proud and passionate about, and passion in business is infectious. Cash flow reality check The transition from first-time to serial founder brought hard-earned wisdom about financial discipline. In his early Rezdy days, Lenoir admits he focused on growth at all costs but learned the hard way that sustainable expansion requires careful cash management. Cash flow is king, he states emphatically, describing how Budgetly takes a fundamentally different approach from day one. The company uses its own platform internally to track every payment and set departmental budgets, while integrating with Xero to monitor incoming payments. Having the ability to see our cash flow position in real-time allows for fewer surprises and helps us make faster, more strategic decisions. Embracing imperfection Perhaps the most counterintuitive lesson from Lenoirs second act involves abandoning the pursuit of perfect systems. At Rezdy, he spent months customising CRMs, finance tools, and analytics dashboards, believing the company needed the right system before moving quickly. This time, we utilise lightweight tools, off-the-shelf integrations, and automate early, which helps us accelerate our time to market. They may not be 100% perfect but they help us get where we need to be, he explains. The philosophy extends beyond technology. Startups dont die from imperfect systems. They die from indecision, slow execution, and wasted time. Leadership through delegation The most personal evolution in Lenoirs approach involves recognising the limits of hands-on leadership. As a first-time founder, he inserted himself into every business aspect, joining sales calls, handling customer support, and building product wireframes. However, I quickly learned that you cant lead a business, a team or a vision if you burn out from trying to do it all, he reflects. At Budgetly, hes embraced a different model, trusting his team of experts to handle their specialised roles. As a founder, your job is not to do more or do it all. Its to concentrate on the things that matter. Delegating tasks and then getting out of the way to let your expert employees handle the details is where true leadership lies. The AI advantage One significant change between Lenoirs first and second ventures involves the democratisation of artificial intelligence. When he launched Rezdy in 2011, AI was predominantly only accessible to larger organisations with bigger budgets. Today, Budgetly leverages AI internally to summarise meetings, prototype UI, and analyse data. It replaces dozens of hours a week, giving us back time to focus on making those impactful business decisions that move the needle. From a hiring perspective, AI supports junior administrative and data entry tasks, allowing the company to streamline our administrative roles and invest more in senior talent. Wisdom for the journey Despite his accumulated experience, Lenoir acknowledges that running a business remains challenging, regardless of how many times youve done it. His advice focuses on sustainable progress rather than dramatic breakthroughs. Small steps make a big difference, he says. As a founder, were not going to get it right every time, but being willing to move forward, take the lessons and accept that were always learning helps. The mindset shift from his first venture to his second is significant. Im much more practical, focused and forgiving the second time around, he notes. For fellow SME owners feeling the friction of business operations, Lenoir offers reassurance grounded in experience. All problems are solvable and many are temporary. Move fast, spend wisely and above all else, know that youve got this. Simon Lenoir is the founder and CEO of Budgetly, a spend management platform for SMEs, and founder of Rezdy, which was sold to a US private equity firm in 2023. Follow more founder insights in our Founder Friday series. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. WorldFirst, Ant Internationals business account service provider, and the Export Council of Australia (ECA), announced a strategic partnership to empower cross-border small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Australia to navigate international markets. The collaboration comes as the Australian dollar experiences heightened volatility, swinging from below US$0.61 to above US$0.66 within four months an 8% fluctuation that significantly impacts exporters profitability. This partnership directly addresses these challenges by combining ECAs six decades of trade capacity-building with WorldFirsts cross-border payment solutions: Enhance Financial Resilience: Leverage WorldFirsts FX expertise through targeted webinars and roundtables on managing currency volatility and optimising cash flow, helping Australian SMEs safeguard profits in fluctuating markets. Simplify Global Payments: Co-develop practical workshops and resources that demonstrate streamlined cross-border payment solutions, helping SMEs reduce transaction costs and processing times. Amplify Global Networks: Co-host events at key trade forums and conferences, connecting Australian businesses to international opportunities and knowledge-sharing. This partnership directly addresses surging market demand, evidenced by WorldFirst Australias 55% year-on-year growth in new client acquisition during the H1 2025. As Australian SMEs increasingly prioritise cross-border efficiency, the collaboration underscores WorldFirsts commitment to building digital infrastructureglobally scalable, compliant payment solutions that transform currency management from a challenge into a competitive edge. WorldFirsts flagship product World Account combines global payments, collections, FX conversion, and treasury management in a single integrated solution. This enables Australian sellers to effortlessly collect from 130+ global marketplaces (including Amazon and Walmart) while giving local buyers streamlined payment solutions for international sourcing. 2025 marks WorldFirsts full rollout of its World Card with Mastercard, extending its SME financial solutions to new innovation. The card combines robust security features with global payment capabilities, helping business owners optimise expenses while expanding internationally, currently also available in Oceania. Australian exporters, particularly SMEs, often raise cross-border payment complexities and currency risks as key challenges. The partnership with WorldFirst will help tackle these issues through multi-currency accounts, competitive FX rates, and secure international transfersequipping exporters with much needed tools for safer, more efficient global trade. Said Arnold Jorge, CEO of Export Council of Australia. Jim Vrondas, General Manager, Australia and New Zealand, WorldFirst said: WorldFirst is committed to supporting the global growth aspirations of Australian SME businesses. The agreement we signed with the ECA sends a clear signal that we are here to help local businesses succeed when navigating complex international markets. This not only means connecting foreign currency accounts to the worlds most popular marketplaces but also helping business protect profit margins. About WorldFirst WorldFirst is a global financial services company that provides comprehensive cross-border payment and treasury solutions for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in e-commerce, trade, and the platform economy. Through its unified global business account, the company simplifies international financial operations by offering payments, collections, currency conversions, and treasury management in one platform. Backed by Ant Internationals technology infrastructure for enhanced security and reliability, WorldFirst supports over 1.2 million customers with transactions in 100+ currencies across more than 210 countries and regions, making it a one-stop solution for businesses managing international financial operations. Learn more about WorldFirst at https://www.worldfirst.com. About Export Council of Australia The Export Council of Australia is a not-for-profit peak industry body, representing businesses engaged in international trade. It has existed for more than 60 years. ECA members are mostly small businesses from different industries, doing business across global markets. ECA provides advice, training, ecosystem-building, and advocacy. It advances simplified and inclusive trade, utilisation of emerging technologies, traceability, first nations and women entrepreneurship, and environmental sustainability. KPMG reveals personalisation drives 23.1% of consumer loyalty decisions. Small businesses can compete by focusing on brand recall over big budgets. Whats happening: Small businesses are struggling to cut through advertising noise, with 73% of Australians fatigued by repetitive content, yet most SMBs are missing simple brand recall strategies that create lasting customer connections. Why this matters: Memorable marketing drives loyalty and referrals more effectively than bigger budgets, with personalisation cited by 23.1% of consumers as a key factor in brand choice, offering SMBs a competitive edge against larger rivals. Your small business doesnt need a bigger marketing budget. It needs to be more memorable. While most SMBs think they need louder messaging or flashier campaigns to compete, the real secret weapon is brand recall and its accessible to businesses of any size, according to Linda McDonald, Senior Director of Marketing, Sales and Customer Experience at VistaPrint Australia. The challenge is particularly acute in Australias competitive landscape, where SMEs struggle to find their place against bigger, more established companies. Yet as customer experience becomes increasingly critical, memorable branding offers a path forward. In the battle for attention, small businesses often think they need bigger budgets or louder messaging. In reality, memorability is the true secret weapon, McDonald explains. The stakes are higher than ever. Consumers face thousands of advertisements daily, and The Trade Desk reports that 73% of Australians are fatigued by repetitive content. Simply being seen isnt enough anymore businesses need to be remembered. Consistency builds trust The foundation of memorable branding isnt creativity its consistency. McDonald argues that using the same colours, tone of voice, and logo across all touchpoints creates familiarity that builds trust over time. Consistency builds familiarity, and familiarity creates trust, she says. A recognisable brand that appears the same across physical and digital touchpoints shows professionalism and intent. This approach requires more than just a good logo. Businesses need clear brand guidelines that act as a rulebook, outlining specifications for fonts, colours, imagery, logo placement, and messaging tone. These guidelines ensure every customer interaction reinforces the same brand experience. The payoff extends beyond recognition. Consistent branding saves time by providing templates and standards for all marketing materials, while creating a cohesive, professional presentation that customers associate with reliability. Visual identity matters Memorable brands look the part, but that doesnt mean expensive design agencies or complex graphics. McDonald suggests small businesses move beyond basic templates to explore designs that reflect their unique values and personality. Whether through bold colour choices, a hand-drawn logo, or quirky packaging, distinct visuals can stand out, she notes. The key isnt being flashy, its being recognisable. Visual distinctiveness helps businesses stand out at markets, in social media feeds, and on retail shelves. The investment in thoughtful design pays dividends across every customer touchpoint, from business cards to website headers. Stories beat products Heres where many Australian SMBs are missing a massive opportunity. KPMG Australias Customer Experience Excellence 2024 report shows that personalisation drives customer loyalty, with 23.1% of consumers citing it as a key factor in brand choice. Yet only 13% of Australian SMBs currently use testimonials or social proof. McDonald emphasises the importance of showing your brand through story, not just product features. Simple actions such as updating your About Us page with your story, sharing behind-the-scenes content, or featuring customer testimonials can help, she explains. The impact is significant. Research shows 57% of Australian consumers are more likely to remain loyal to brands offering human and personalised experiences. When customers understand a businesss journey, beliefs, and values, they develop personal connections that become foundations for long-term trust and repeat business. Storytelling works because it makes businesses relatable and memorable. Customers who connect with a brands narrative are more likely to become advocates, driving the referral business thats particularly valuable for smaller companies. Authenticity wins In a digital landscape dominated by trends and algorithms, authentic personality becomes a competitive advantage. McDonald points to every customer interaction as an opportunity to reinforce brand identity from website language to review responses. Being remembered isnt about being loud. Its about being consistently true to who you are, she says. For small businesses, developing personality doesnt require large budgets it requires attention to detail. Every social media post, packaging choice, customer interaction, and printed flyer represents a chance to reinforce brand identity and make it memorable. The authenticity approach particularly benefits SMBs because it leverages their natural advantages over larger competitors. Small businesses can more easily maintain personal connections and consistent voices across all communications, creating the human touch that consumers increasingly value. Recent success stories show how clever marketing strategies have helped Australian SMEs soar, demonstrating that memorable branding doesnt require massive budgets just smart, consistent execution. McDonald concludes that memorability isnt accidental its built through intention, creativity, and consistency. Every social post, packaging choice, customer interaction, or printed flyer is a chance to reinforce your brand and make it stick. The message for Australian SMBs is clear: stop trying to out-shout the competition and start building the kind of memorable brand experience that keeps customers coming back. In a world of endless advertising noise, being unforgettable is the ultimate competitive advantage. Linda McDonald, Sr Director of Marketing, Sales and CX at VistaPrint Australia Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. US President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin meet Friday in Alaska in a high-stakes, high-risk summit that could prove decisive for the future of Ukraine. Putin will step onto Western soil for the first time since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a war that has killed tens of thousands of people and on which Russia has not relented, making rapid gains just before the summit. Trump extended the invitation at the Russian leader's suggestion, but the US president has since been defensive and warned that the meeting could be over within minutes if Putin does not compromise. Every word and gesture will be closely watched by European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not included and has publicly refused pressure from Trump to surrender territory seized by Russia. Trump, usually fond of boasting of his deal-making skills, has called the summit a "feel-out meeting" to test Putin, whom he last saw in 2019. "I am president, and he's not going to mess around with me," Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday. "If it's a bad meeting, it'll end very quickly, and if it's a good meeting, we're going to end up getting peace in the pretty near future," said Trump, who gave the summit a one in four chance of failure. Trump has promised to consult with European leaders and Zelensky, saying that any final agreement would come in a three-way meeting with Trump and the Ukrainian president to "divvy up" territory. Trump has voiced admiration for Putin in the past and faced some of the most intense criticism of his political career after a 2018 summit in which he appeared cowed and accepted Putin's denials of US intelligence findings that Russia interfered in the 2016 US election. Before his return to the White House, Trump boasted of his relationship with Putin, blamed predecessor Joe Biden for the war and vowed to bring peace within 24 hours. But despite repeated calls to Putin, and a stunning February 28 White House meeting in which Trump publicly berated Zelensky, the Russian leader has shown no signs of compromise. Trump has acknowledged his frustration with Putin and warned of "very severe consequences" if he does not accept a ceasefire -- but also agreed to see him in Alaska. The talks are set to begin at 11:30 am (1900 GMT) Friday at the Elmendorf Air Force Base, the largest US military installation in Alaska and a Cold War base for surveillance of the Soviet Union. Adding to the historical significance, the United States bought Alaska in 1867 from Russia -- a deal Moscow has cited to show the legitimacy of land swaps. The Kremlin said it expected Putin and Trump to meet alone with interpreters before a working lunch with aides. Neither leader is expected to step off the base into Alaska's largest city of Anchorage, where protesters have put up signs of solidarity with Ukraine. Putin faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, leading him to curtail travel sharply since the war. But the United States is not party to the Hague tribunal, and Trump's Treasury Department temporarily eased sanctions on top Russian officials to allow them to travel and use bank cards in Alaska. The summit marks a sharp shift from the approach of Western European leaders and Biden who vowed no discussion with Russia on Ukraine's future unless Ukraine was also at the table. Zelensky said Tuesday that the Alaska summit was a "personal victory" for Putin. With the trip, Putin "is coming out of isolation" and he has "somehow postponed sanctions," which Trump had vowed to impose on Russia without progress. But Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also called for security guarantees for Ukraine -- an idea downplayed by Trump at the start of his latest term. Daniel Fried, a former US diplomat now at the Atlantic Council, said that Trump had the means to pressure Putin but that the Russian could distract Trump by seeming to offer something new. Putin, Fried said, "is a master of the new shiny object which turns out to be meaningless." Western Sydney businesses outpace NSW with 9.2% lending growth. From logistics to luxury retail, companies are seizing the infrastructure opportunity wave. Whats happening: Businesses across Western Sydney are experiencing unprecedented growth opportunities, with some sectors recording lending increases of nearly 30% as entrepreneurs capitalise on infrastructure investment and population shifts creating new consumer markets. Why this matters: While many Australian businesses face economic headwinds, Western Sydney companies are demonstrating how strategic positioning near major infrastructure projects can drive exceptional growth, offering a roadmap for businesses seeking expansion opportunities. The business community has discovered Western Sydneys secret weapon: timing. As Australias largest infrastructure projects near completion, smart entrepreneurs and established companies are positioning themselves to capture the economic windfall that follows major transport and development investments. NABs 2025 Greater Western Sydney report shows businesses arent just surviving in the region, theyre thriving with lending growth rates that dwarf state averages. Basic Material Wholesaling led all sectors with 29.2% lending growth, while Accommodation, Cafes, Pubs and Restaurants recorded 25.4% growth as the night-time economy explodes. Theres an incredibly positive mindset among business owners, who are making the most of the regions growth and development, explains Sharryn Haydon, NABs Regional Business Banking Executive for Sydney South West. Smart money follows infrastructure The numbers reveal why businesses are betting big on Western Sydney. With Western Sydney International Airport opening in 2026 and ultimately handling 80 million passengers by 2060, transport-adjacent businesses are experiencing unprecedented demand. One-third of Australian transport operators have established major operations between Parramatta and Campbelltown, recognising the region as a crucial logistics hub connecting domestic and international markets. Equipment finance specialists report wet- and dry-hire businesses are booming with years of contracted infrastructure work ahead. Business resilience strategies that worked nationally are proving especially effective in Western Sydney, where infrastructure investment provides multiple revenue streams for construction, logistics, and support services. Industrial property transactions hit $4.17 billion with 13.6% growth, driven by businesses seeking owner-occupier facilities near transport corridors. The sector maintains a tight 2.5% vacancy rate, forcing businesses to secure space early or risk missing opportunities. Entrepreneurs seize the moment Small business owners are adapting quickly to changing consumer patterns. NAB bankers report an uptick in acai outlets and food trucks as price-conscious diners seek alternatives to mall food courts, with local entrepreneurs meeting market demand through innovative service models. Business deposits grew 9.8% year-on-year, outpacing NSWs 7.5% growth as companies build war chests for expansion. Many businesses are prioritising technology investment, with some already finding AI solutions help manage costs and staffing challenges while improving margins. Manufacturing sectors show strong confidence with Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing growing 19.5% and Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing up 17.2%. Metal Product Manufacturing recorded 15.3% growth as construction demand creates ripple effects across supply chains. Logistics giants stake claims The strategic positioning between Parramatta and Campbelltown has attracted major transport operators who recognise Western Sydneys role as Australias emerging logistics capital. Road Transport lending grew 14.1% as businesses expand fleets ahead of airport operations. The upcoming Aerotropolis spans 11,200 hectares, creating an advanced industrial and logistics precinct 40 times larger than Sydneys CBD. Australias newest city, Bradfield City Centre, will support 200,000 high-quality jobs within this ecosystem. WestConnex, completed in 2023 as Australias largest tunnel network, has already improved business accessibility. Sydney Metro Wests 2032 completion will further enhance connectivity, making Western Sydney an attractive alternative to congested eastern corridors. Retail revolution underway The retail landscape transformation demonstrates Western Sydneys economic maturation. Major luxury brands including Dior and Louis Vuitton have expanded into the region, recognising the spending power of the areas growing affluent population. Personal and Household Good Retailing grew 13.6% while Food Retailing increased 10.1%, reflecting strong consumer confidence. The City of Parramattas transformation into Sydneys second CBD through a $3.5 billion rebuild has created premium retail opportunities that werent previously available. Abdul Sbeit, NABs Regional Business Banking Executive for Sydney North West, observes the cultural shift: The culture and lifestyle preferences in Greater Western Sydney mean that businesses are thriving from a night-time economy. You used to be lucky to get a kebab after hours, now you can enjoy a sit-down meal with your family at midnight. Community Services recorded 12.8% lending growth as businesses expand to serve the growing population, while Education sector lending increased 10.3% as training providers establish campuses near employment hubs. For businesses considering expansion, Western Sydney offers a compelling proposition: established infrastructure, growing consumer markets, available commercial space, and demonstrated economic momentum that outperforms broader state trends. The businesses moving now are positioning themselves for the next phase of Australias economic geography. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Stranded by border closures, Cambodian workers in Thailand have been granted a six-month extension to continue earning a living under a new humanitarian policy. The Royal Gazette published an announcement of the Thai Ministry of Interior on Aug. 13 regarding an exemption to allow Cambodian nationals to stay and work in Thailand under special circumstances. The exemption applies to those who had previously been granted work permits under Section 64 of the Alien Working Management Act 2017, but are unable to return to Cambodia due to the ongoing border control measures between the two countries. The announcement comes after the Thai and Cambodian governments enhanced border control measures at all border checkpoints, which has impacted the ability of Cambodian workers to travel back to their home country. The announcement states that Cambodian nationals whose work permits or residency in border areas have expired since June 7, 2025, and who are unable to return to Cambodia, may stay in Thailand for an additional six months. They are required to report to immigration officials within 15 days of the announcement and every 30 days thereafter. The Ministry of Interior clarified that this exemption is effective until the border control measures return to normal or the expiration of the specified duration. This special work permit extension comes in response to the ongoing restrictions at the Thai-Cambodian border and aims to address the humanitarian impact on workers caught in the middle of these circumstances. Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into management agreements with Narai Hotel Company Limited for Narai Hotel. This hotel will join Hyatt's growing portfolio in Thailand of 15 properties across seven brands including Park Hyatt, Andaz, The Standard, The StandardX, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Place and an upcoming The Barai Hua Hin, The Unbound Collection, debuting in late 2026. The reimagined Narai Hotel is slated to reopen under The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand in 2028. It will stand on the site of the original Narai Hotel in Silom, Bangkok, continuing its storied legacy established since 1968. Guests can expect story-worthy experiences inspired by the hotel's iconic heritage and the vibrancy of the revitalized neighborhood. The 250-room property will be one of two hotels in Hatai, a new integrated development for casual to premium dining, retail and community, designed by Heatherwick Studio. Narai Hotel will have an all-day dining restaurant, a rooftop restaurant, a lounge, fitness facilities and a pool, as well as flexible meetings and event facilities. Guests can enjoy easy access to Chong Nonsi BTS station and proximity to office towers, embassies, and leisure venues by the Chao Phraya River. To learn more about The Unbound Collection by Hyatt hotels, please visit: https://www.hyatt.com/unbound-collection/en-US. The term "Hyatt" is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates. King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort proudly announces the appointment of George Gomes Jr. as Executive Chef. A native of Hawai'i with more than 37 years of culinary experience, Gomes brings an extraordinary depth of knowledge, leadership and island-rooted perspective to the culturally rich, beachfront resort. Prior to joining King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort, Gomes served as the Executive Chef at the Royal Kona Resort, bringing a wealth of culinary expertise to the Kona dining scene. His impressive career spans decades, including a pivotal role in the 1990s when he partnered with acclaimed Chef Jean-Marie Josselin to develop menus and service standards for restaurants across O'ahu, Maui, Kaua'i, and Las Vegas, serving as Corporate Chef and Partner. Gomes has held esteemed roles across the Islands, including Executive Chef at Merriman's Restaurant Hawai'i in Kapalua, and Corporate Executive Chef for Tri-Star/Jas Restaurant Group, where he oversaw a portfolio of celebrated restaurants such as Sarento's at the Ilikai Hotel on O'ahu, Nick's Fishmarket at Fairmont Kea Lani Maui, Sarento's on the Beach in Maui, and Son'z at Swan Court at Hyatt Regency Maui. Gomes has also represented the spirit of Hawaiian cuisine internationally, with culinary experiences spanning New York City, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Taipei, and Tokyo. In his new role, Gomes will lead the resort's culinary operations, including its signature restaurants Honu's on the Beach and Billfish Poolside Bar & Grill, catering programs, and the Island Breeze Luauconsistently ranked the best luau on the island. With his appointment, the property continues to showcase a commitment to authentic, locally driven dining experiences that honor the stories and traditions of the land. Simon is poised to further build The Upper House's global stature and shape the future of its signature dining destinations. In addition, he will oversee Swire Hotels' sales and revenue team, aligning group performance with long-term strategic growth. A seasoned hotelier with over 28 years of experience in hospitality and commerce, Simon joined the group as General Manager of EAST Beijing in 2016, before moving to The Temple House in Chengdu in 2019, where under his leadership Mi Xun Teahouse earned its first MICHELIN Star. Most recently, as Head of Development & Projects, Simon led design innovation and refining operations for new hotel openings across the group. Known for his leadership skills, Kulvinder Singh has joined Krishnangan Hotel & Resort, Bikaner as General Manager and will be responsible for the overall hotel operations. Having extensive work experience spanning more than 26 years in the tourism and hospitality industry, Mr. Singh is an hospitality expert who is known for setting new benchmarks with renowned groups be it leisure or corporate i.e Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Louvre Hotels, Ramada by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Shipra Hotels, Pal Heights Bhubaneshwar etc . Kulvinder is an established hospitality professional whose areas of competency include New Hotel Projects & Brand Developments, Operations, CRM, P&L management, inventory management in addition to a strong understanding of SEO and SMO strategies. Over the years, Kulvinder has undertaken various roles in the hospitality industry and has made valuable contributions in New Delhi & Delhi NCR, Jim Corbett & Bhubaneshwar, Ranchi & now landed in the Red City of Rajasthan - Bikaner. With over two decades of experience in hospitality, Mr. Singh brings with him rich experience in hospitality operations and business development. He is credited with spearheading sales & marketing for some of the finest luxury & MICE hotels and delivering excellence as trend changer General Manager. Born & brought up in New Delhi, Singh is an alumnus of IHM Gwalior, graduated in 1999 and emerged as the trending General Manager & Master of Good Times in the world of hospitality. He possesses vast experience in Turnkey & New Projects in the hotels & standalone Pubs, Fine dining restaurants & Cafes. He will lead the Krishnangan Team to the next level in its journey of being the preferred destination for the domestic and international travellers across the globe. The brand echoes the ethos of royalty amalgamated with the essence of new-age luxury to the Rajasthan Tourism. Fairmont Ajman has announced the promotion of Ahmed Gaafar to hotel manager. With more than 23 years in luxury hospitality, Gaafar combines strategic vision, people-focused leadership, and hands-on operational management with a deep understanding of personalised service. He joined Fairmont Ajman in November 2021 as director of operations, where he spearheaded service enhancement initiatives, introduced new guest experience standards, and led departmental restructures. His success in these areas led to his appointment as acting general manager, during which time he oversaw strong commercial performance, elevated guest satisfaction, and streamlined operations. Over the past three and a half years, Gaafar has played a key role in embedding the Fairmont brand values within the resort, fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability. In his new role, Gaafar will lead Fairmont Ajman's operational teams with a focus on Accor Core Standards, guest experience innovation, and operational excellence. Before joining Fairmont, Gaafar held senior leadership positions at JA Resorts & Hotels as cluster operations manager, overseeing multiple properties in Dubai, and at Armani Hotel Dubai in Burj Khalifa, where he contributed to its award-winning lifestyle experience. His career also includes roles with InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Rotana Hotels & Resorts, and Kempinski Hotels. A graduate of Alexandria University with a degree in hotel management, Gaafar is known for his approachable leadership style, mentorship, and ability to lead diverse teams. As hotel manager, he aims to build on Fairmont Ajman's reputation as one of the UAE's most beloved luxury beach resorts. Berkshire Museum Announces New Chief Development Officer PITTSFIELD, Mass. Berkshire Museum is set to welcome Lori Eastman as its new Chief Development Officer. Eastman has spent her career at private liberal arts colleges, including the last 25 years at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, which she also attended as an undergraduate. At Skidmore, she served as the Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff in the college's Office of Advancement, where she acted as a frontline fundraiser, building relationships with donors and prospects, overseeing staff and teams engaged in fundraising, and managing larger fundraising projects. Before that, she spent ten years working at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, as a Director of Annual Giving, Special Gifts Officer, and an Assistant Director of Alumni Relations. "What interests me most about joining the staff of the Berkshire Museum is the chance to work with the museum's current supporters, as well as prospective donors and volunteers, and to help them all learn about the progress and momentum happening at the museum," Eastman said. The museum is currently undergoing a renovation, that is slated to be completed in Spring 2026. The work underway on the first floor will bring new exhibits and a children's activity center, along with other spaces and an upgraded aquarium to their doors, something Eastman herself is eager to see finished. "It is incredibly exciting for the museum to have this moment to build on its past strengths and accomplishments, and to prepare for the future," Eastman said. Berkshire Museum Executive Director Kim Bush Tomio spoke about her eagerness to see Eastman join the staff. "The museum is thrilled to have Lori join our team," said Bush Tomio. "Her wealth of experience as a fundraiser, personal connection with the Berkshires, as well as support for our mission, were instrumental in our choice. We look forward to having her be a part of our community." Lori Eastman's selection was the culmination of a competitive nationwide search for a Director of Development, led by Arts Consulting Group (ACG). ACG is a leading provider of hands-on executive search, interim management, revenue enhancement, strategic planning and community engagement, and facilities and program planning and research services for the arts and culture industry. Eastman is set to start at the museum on Monday, Aug. 18. The State Department has imposed visa restrictions on African, Cuban, and Grenadian government officials, and their family members, for their part in the Cuban regimes medical mission scheme. This involves sending healthcare professionals, primarily doctors, to various countries to provide medical care while the Cuban government keeps most of the revenue. This scheme enriches the corrupt Cuban regime while depriving the Cuban people of essential medical assistance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X that the State Department is committed to ending this practice, and warned that Countries who are complicit in this exploitative practice should think twice. According to the Cuban government, by the end of 2023, there were more than 22,000 government-affiliated Cuban workers in over 53 countries, and medical professionals composed 75 percent of its exported workforce. Complaints filed with the International Criminal Court and the UN indicate most workers did not volunteer for the program, some never saw a contract or knew their destination, many had their passports confiscated by Cuban officials once they arrived at their destination, and almost all had overseers. According to the 2024 State Department Trafficking in Persons Report, experts estimate the Cuban government collects $6 billion to $8 billion annually from its export of services, which includes the medical missions. The labor export program remains the largest foreign revenue source for the Cuban government. The State Department also revoked the visas of two former Brazilian health officials, Mozart Julio Tabosa Sales and Alberto Kleiman. These individuals were connected to Brazil's Mais Medicos ("More Doctors") initiative, a program that hosted Cuban medical personnel in remote areas of Brazil during President Dilma Rousseff's administration. Tabosa Sales and Kleiman used the Pan American Health Organization and Brazil's Ministry of Health as an intermediary with the Cuban regime to implement the program. They did so without following Brazilian constitutional requirements, dodging U.S. sanctions on Cuba, and knowingly paying the Cuban regime what was owed to Cuban medical workers, according to the State Department. Dozens of Cuban doctors that served in the program have reported being exploited by the Cuban regime as part of the program. The United States will take action as needed to bring an end to such forced labor. Governments should pay the doctors directly for their services, not the regime slave masters. The United States aims to support the Cuban people in their pursuit of freedom and dignity and promote accountability for those who perpetuate their exploitation. All nations that support democracy and human rights should join in this effort to confront the Cuban regimes abuses and stand with the Cuban people. Pittsfield Council Continues Camping Regs, Files OML Complaints PITTSFIELD, Mass. A failed motion to continue Tuesday's City Council meeting past 10 p.m. meant the controversial "Camping on Public Property" ordinance was pushed to another date. But the body determined that they were not in violation of the Open Meeting Law during a "Homes not Handcuffs" advocacy meeting in July. People spilled out of the council chambers and into the hallway while they waited for hours for a turn to speak during open microphone. The proposed ban on camping in public places has sparked a large turnout to several meetings, with some comparing it to actions taken by President Donald Trump. Veteran Yolanda Hoffman, who was formerly unhoused, called attention to proposed fines ranging from $25 for the second offense to $300 for the fourth and subsequent offenses and asserted, "if it's wrong to jail someone for being unhoused, then it's wrong to fine them. A citation or a cell, punishment is punishment." "You may not wear the red hat, but if you pass this ordinance, you carry its torch. You say it can be revised later, but laws like this tend to stick and grow teeth," Hoffman said. Mayor Peter Marchetti has been open to amendments since proposing the ordinance months ago and views the current version as a good compromise, following the removal of criminalization language, a new fine structure, and the addition of exceptions for individuals sleeping in cars or escaping danger. Resident Aaron Angelman recognized the mayor's flexibility, adding, "you could cross out every line in this ordinance and fill in something better. He just wants it to pass. That's politics, I guess." Shortly after 10 p.m., a required vote to continue the meeting for another hour failed to reach a 2/3 approval, and reports from committees, unfinished and new business, and matters referred under Rule 27 will be pushed to the next meeting on Sept. 9. Councilors at Large Alisa Costa and Earl Persip III, Ward 2 Councilor Brittany Noto, Ward 4 Councilor James Conant, and Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi voted in opposition. While the camping ordinance was continued, the City Council did discuss two Open Meeting Law complaints received from a former councilor and a local podcaster. Both were accepted and placed on file, councilors agreeing that there didn't appear to be a violation. "The city solicitor suggested, as a demonstration of our commitment to transparency and based on the recommendation of him, that all members of the City Council O&R meeting be required to attend a mandatory Open Meeting Law retraining webinar hosted by the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office," Council President Peter White said. "I don't believe that anything was violated as far as the Open Meeting Law goes, so I will not recommend anyone taking a required training." Karen Kalinowsky and Michael Daly allege that six councilors discussed the proposed "Camping on Public Property" ordinance during a "Homes not Handcuffs" public meeting on July 31. Kalinowsky, a candidate for City Council, was at the meeting and said the discussion happened at another table. Daly was not present. She wrote that she saw the six councilors at the meeting and, "at one table, the conversation came up about the ordinance, though no councilors were at this table when I was." "The thing is, is words were spoken, things were said. No, I'm not on the council. I know some of the people here asked me about different things with the ordinance. Why would they ask me and not you? I'm not just out in the public like they are, but it's something to think about," Kalinowsky said during open microphone. White, Costa, Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren, Noto, Lampiasi, and Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre were named in the complaints. Both complainants indicated that they believed the alleged violation was an accident, and asked that councilors admit the mistake and review OML guidelines. Fifteen minutes before the council meeting, the Ordinances and Rules subcommittee held a brief session to discuss the complaints. Residents who were at the meeting, alongside councilors present, asserted that there was not an OML violation because councilors weren't at the same table and the conversation was about general solutions for the unhoused population. "I think it's very obvious where this is coming from: Officer Kalinowsky who's running to unseat at least one of you in the upcoming election. That this was pretty obviously politically motivated and I think it also speaks to who she's expecting to vote for her, that she thinks this would be impressive to to be using these rules against people in this way," Angelman said. Michael Hitchcock, co-director of Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds, said the meeting was "educational, informative, and contained no deliberation of this upcoming ordinance, which is the center of the Open Meeting violation accusation." Mount Greylock School Committee OKs Changes in Cultural Exchange WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Mount Greylock Regional School Committee approved some changes to the cultural exchange program that the high schools Spanish teachers have developed with the St. Pauls School in La Cumbre, Argentina. The program was originally conceived to have students from each school traveling to the other in alternating years. Given Mount Greylocks greater size, it makes more sense if the Argentine students make the trip north every other year while Mount Greylock sends members of its senior class to La Cumbre every year, Joe Johnson, Mount Greylock world language teacher, explained. That means changing the eligibility of the Mount Greylock students from juniors and seniors to seniors only. Mount Greylock students will go to Argentina each spring; St. Pauls students will make the trip every other autumn. In addition, Johnson asked that, instead of a program where Mount Greylock students stay in hotels while in La Cumbre, they instead stay with host families, as the Argentine students did when visiting the Berkshires. Living with a family changes the experience, Paula Penelas, St. Pauls School representative said in the virtual meeting. You learn about their habits, customs, conversations, timetable. Its different. We have many, many families who would be delighted to be asked to host. We will choose them very carefully. Johnson noted that a change to the host family model also will reduce the cost of travel. [The trip] would undoubtedly be a whole lot more doable economically, he said. If youre kicking in to offset your share of meals, hot water and transportation, thats more doable than staying in a hotel. Rather than renting vans to transport the Mount Greylock students to and from their hotel, the host families will provide transportation, as they did for the St. Pauls students who visited Mount Greylock, he said. School Committee member Carolyn Greene sought information about the screening process that would be used on both ends for host families and encouraged a more formal process, including, perhaps, a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check for host families locally. Our job as School Committee members is to assess risk, Greene noted. Johnson said he would be open to talking about more formal screening. ASUS Republic of Gamers today announced that the ROG Strix XG248QSG Ace has been named as the official monitor for the 2025 BLAST Counter-Strike 2 tournament series. The partnership will span the remaining three events in the BLAST Premier calendar: BLAST Premier Bounty S2 in Malta (August 517), BLAST Premier Open S2 in London (August 27September 7), and BLAST Premier Rivals S2 in Hong Kong (November 1216). World's fastest gaming monitor features a 24.1" FHD (1920 x 1080) Super TN panel with 610Hz (OC) refresh rate and 0.1ms response time Leo Matlock, Chief Business Officer at BLAST, said, Were proud to welcome ROG into the BLAST Premier family and excited to see their hardware power the top tier of competition for the remainder of 2025. ROG Strix XG248QSG Ace The ROG Strix XG248QSG Ace is the worlds fastest gaming monitor. The first monitor in the ROG Ace esports collection, it is designed for pro esports and FPS players who demand exceptional responsiveness and performance. Featuring a 24.1-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Super TN panel with an astounding 610Hz (OC) refresh rate and 0.1ms gray-to-gray (GTG) response time, the XG248QSG Ace delivers incredibly smooth gameplay. Cutting-edge Super TN panel technology helps achieve exceptionally low input lag of just 0.8ms 56% lower than competing 600Hz monitors. The panel also features 90% DCI-P3 gamut, unlike standard TN panels with limited color gamut. These advanced features allow professional gamers to see and react faster than their opponents, offering a decisive competitive edge. Built-in ROG Extreme Low Motion Blur 2 technology (ELMB 2) enables the monitor to deliver next-level motion clarity by reducing blur and providing brightness levels up to 65% higher than other blur-reduction technologies, further enhancing image quality. In addition, the XG248QSG features multiple Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technologies, including G-SYNC, and FreeSync Premium, ensuring tear-and stutter-free gameplay experiences across various platforms. The compact stand of the XG248QSG is about 30% smaller than the current XG series design, freeing up valuable desk space. The stand also offers 160mm height adjustment, +45 to -45 swivel, and a wide tilt range of -5 to +35, allowing gamers to customize their setup for maximum comfort and precision. The XG248QSG retails for US$899 (MSRP). Availability & Pricing ASUS ROG Strix XG248QSG Ace will be available in the Philippines starting end of Q3 2025 or early Q4 2025. SRP will be as follows: Get ready to experience innovation like never before. vivo has confirmed that the vivo X Fold5, its most advanced smartphone yet, will officially launch in the Philippines this August. This is vivos first foldable smartphone to arrive in Southeast Asia. Packed with cutting-edge features and premium design, the vivo X Fold5 redefines what a foldable phone can be. Here are four reasons why the X Fold5 is the foldable to watch this year. 1. The slimmest and lightest foldable from vivo yet Tired of bulky foldables? The vivo X Fold5 introduces a whole new level of sleekness. It weighs only 217 grams and measures just 4.3 millimeters when unfolded. That is as thin as two stacked coins, making it one of the most comfortable foldables to hold and use all day. At the heart of this innovation is vivos new 2nd-Gen Armor Architecture with Carbon Fiber Support Hinge. Designed with a rotating sliding structure, it reduces the pressure on the screen and helps eliminate the crease often seen on other foldable devices. The hinge is made of aerospace-grade steel with embedded carbon fiber metal nuts, increasing toughness by 47.3 percent compared to the previous generation. 2. Durable beyond expectations Built to handle real life, the vivo X Fold5 is the first and only foldable in the world with triple protection ratings. It is certified with IPX8, IPX9, and IPX9+ water resistance, plus IP5X dust resistance. Whether in heavy rain or dusty roads, this phone stays protected. It has also passed a 600,000 fold test, proving its long-term durability. Even in cold environments as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, the X Fold5 keeps performing. You can enjoy up to 20 hours of voice calls, 7 hours and 35 minutes of GPS navigation, and over 4 hours of photography even in extreme conditions. 3. Massive battery for all-day productivity Professionals will love the vivo X Fold5s 6000mAh BlueVolt battery. Thanks to the combination of fourth-generation silicon anode and second-generation semi-solid battery technologies, the X Fold5 delivers top-tier energy density while maintaining its slim profile. Whether you are working, creating, or streaming content all day, you can count on this foldable to keep going without frequent charging. 4. Flagship imaging power with ZEISS optics The vivo X Fold5 features a co-engineered camera system with ZEISS, giving users a photography experience unlike any other foldable. It includes a 50 megapixel ZEISS Super Telephoto Camera and vivos in-house image processing algorithms that produce professional-grade photos instantly. Expect vivid colors, clear details, and stunning portraits that are perfect for social sharing or creative projects. The vivo X Fold5 doesnt just catch up with traditional flagships, it also sets a new benchmark. With powerful specs, next-gen design, and unmatched versatility, this foldable signals a major shift: foldable phones are no longer experimental, theyre also essential. This August, Filipino consumers will be among the first in Southeast Asia to experience the foldable revolution firsthand. Stay ahead of the curve. Follow vivo Philippines on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X or visit vivoglobal.ph to get the latest updates on the vivo X Fold5s launch, pricing, and availability. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Hong Kongs population remained "virtually unchanged" for the first time in a decade due to the influx of talent, the city administration has said. The Asian financial hub's population is currently 7,527,500, with just a 0.0005 per cent increase from last year, the Census and Statistics Department said on Thursday. A spokesperson attributed the population stability to the government's measures that attracted an influx of talent in the city, Xinhua reported. "The population remained virtually unchanged, as compared with that at mid-2024," the city administration said. Data revealed that a net inflow of 18,200 Hong Kong residents was recorded during the period from mid-2024 to mid-2025. Over the past few years, many people have moved to Hong Kong from mainland China and other places around the world," a government spokesperson said, according to the South China Morning Post. For the first time since 2015, the population has not changed by at least 0.2 per cent, according to reports. A steady flow of people relocating to Hong Kong from mainland China and elsewhere has helped counteract the city's natural population decline. According to the spokesperson, this trend contributed to a net increase of over 180,000 people between mid-2022 and mid-2025, leading to a stabilisation of the overall population. One-way permits allow Chinese residents to relocate and settle in Hong Kong. Among the total population in mid-2025, about 279,900 were mobile residents who stayed for one to three months, the authorities said. The city administration also reported that the revised year-end population for 2024 stood at 7,500,600, comprising 7,219,900 usual residents and 280,700 mobile residents. The increase comes as the Chinese special administrative region is trying to bolster its economy and revive its international appeal after a domestic political crisis and three years of stringent Covid rules, which ended in 2023. More than 177,000 residents left Hong Kong between mid-2020 and mid-2022 following anti-government protests in 2019 that prompted Beijing to impose a sweeping national security law. In contrast to the former British colony, the Chinese mainland recorded a population decline for the third straight year in 2024. China's population stood at 1.408 billion at the end of 2004, a decline of 1.39 million from the previous year. The figures follow trends worldwide, but especially in East Asia, where Japan, South Korea and other nations have seen their birth rates plummet. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice South Korean president Lee Jae Myung has urged Japan to confront its colonial past, while reaffirming the need for future cooperation. In his Liberation Day address on 15 August, marking 80 years since the end of Japanese colonial rule, Mr Lee said many South Koreans still bear the pain of past injustices, and stressed that unresolved historical grievances continue to hinder bilateral ties. We must remember the dreams of those who resisted Japanese colonial rule while holding on to hope that one day Korea and Japan could become true neighbours, he said during the ceremony in the countrys capital Seoul, according to a report byThe Korea Herald. It is time to squarely face the past while also wisely stepping forward into the future. Japan is our neighbour across the sea as well as an indispensable partner in our economic development, he said. Mr Lees remarks come at a delicate moment in Seoul-Tokyo relations. Though Japan is seen as an indispensable partner in trade and security, historical disputes over Japans wartime use of forced labour and the issue of comfort women, have long strained ties. South Korean courts have ruled in favour of victims seeking redress, but Tokyo maintains that all compensation was settled under the 1965 treaty normalising diplomatic relations. Despite his past reputation as a vocal critic of Japan, Lee has adopted a more pragmatic tone since taking office in June. He has shown support for continuing the previous administrations compensation plan, which would use a South Korean government-backed fund rather than demanding payment from Japanese firms directly. He reiterated his commitment to shuttle diplomacy with Tokyo with reciprocal visits and frequent talks with the Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba, whom he is set to meet in Tokyo on 23 August. Tensions also flared this week after Japanese ministers visited the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, a site seen by many Koreans as glorifying Japanese war criminals. Seouls foreign ministry responded with a formal protest, saying such actions glorify Japans war of aggression and enshrines war criminals. Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba (left), and South Korean president Lee Jae Myung shake hands ahead of a bilateral meeting in Kananaskis, Alberta ( AP ) In his speech, Mr Lee also acknowledged the ongoing pain of wartime sexual slavery victims. Comfort women still live without freedom and peace of mind, even 80 years after liberation, he said in a separate address on Thursday, vowing to restore their dignity and honour. The president also used the occasion to outline a broader diplomatic strategy rooted in reconciliation and peace, particularly toward North Korea. He declared that South Korea would not seek reunification by absorption, in contrast to the rhetoric of his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, who previously referred to North Korea as a frozen kingdom needing liberation. We affirm our respect for the Norths current system, Mr Lee said, a Korea Times report stated. We will not pursue any form of unification by absorption and have no intention of engaging in hostile acts. He pledged gradual steps to restore the 2018 inter-Korean military pact that was suspended under the Yoon administration. The agreement aimed to halt all hostile military activity near the border, and Lees government has already removed propaganda loudspeakers and discouraged leaflet campaigns. The South Korean military said last week that North Korea had also begun dismantling its own loudspeakers along the inter-Korean border, though Pyongyang later denied this, raising doubt on any immediate thaw in relations. In a statement published in KCNA news agency on Thursday, Kim Yo Jong, deputy director of North Koreas propaganda department, said: We have never removed loudspeakers installed on the border area and are not willing to remove them. We have clarified on several occasions that we have no will to improve relations with the ROK, the US faithful servant and ally, and this conclusive stand and viewpoint will be fixed in our constitution in the future, Ms Kim added, referring to South Korea as the Republic of Korea. Lee also reaffirmed that a peaceful Korean Peninsula requires both denuclearisation and sustained dialogue. While acknowledging the difficulty of the task, he called for inter-Korean and US-North Korea negotiations, supported by international cooperation, to lay the groundwork for eventual peace. Looking inward, Lee used the Liberation Day platform to pay tribute to Korean independence fighters, pledging expanded compensation for their families and the preservation of historical memory. Honouring the proud history of our struggle against imperial Japan is how we protect our communitys past, present, and future, he said. He closed his address with a call for domestic political reform, expressing regret over divisive politics rooted in outdated ideologies and factions, and urging a culture of dialogue and compromise. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Prime minister Narendra Modi marked India's 78 years of Independence on Friday by urging the nation to move towards more self-reliance amid the looming threat of additional US tariffs. Addressing the country from New Delhi's 17th-century, Mughal-era Red Fort, he said everything from fertilisers to jet engines and EV batteries should be manufactured in India. "Farmers, fishermen, cattle rearers are our top priorities," Mr Modi said in his customary annual address. "Modi will stand like a wall against any policy that threatens their interests. India will never compromise when it comes to protecting the interests of our farmers," he said. open image in gallery Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets the invitees after addressing the nation from the rampart of the 17th-century Mughal-era Red Fort monument during the country's Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi ( AP ) Mr Modi did not mention the tariffs or the US in his speech that lasted nearly two hours. Last week, US president Donald Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil in a move that sharply escalated tensions between the two nations. Although local manufacturing and self-reliance have been Mr Modi's key focus areas for years now, the push is seen to have gained urgency amid ongoing global trade tensions and supply chain disruptions. "The need of the hour is to take a resolve for building a strong India ... I want our traders, shopkeepers to display boards for Swadeshi [Made in India] products," he said. open image in gallery Assam Police commandos riders take part in a parade during the country's Independence Day celebrations in Guwahati, India ( AP ) He said made-in-India semiconductor chips would hit the market by the end of this year and that India was pushing for self-reliance in producing critical minerals with exploration underway at more than 1,200 locations. Mr Trump's tariffs threaten to disrupt India's access to its largest export market, where shipments totalled nearly $87bn ( bn) in 2024, hitting sectors like textiles, footwear, shrimp, gems and jewellery. Trade talks between New Delhi and Washington collapsed after five rounds of negotiations over disagreement on opening India's vast farm and dairy sectors and stopping Russian oil purchases. The prime minister announced India would set up a new defence system called 'Sudarshan Chakra' in the aftermath of India's four-day military conflict with Pakistan in May. open image in gallery Cyclists carrying Indian national flags participate in a rally during the country's Independence Day celebrations in Kolkata ( AFP/Getty ) "India has decided that it will not tolerate nuclear threats. For a long time, nuclear blackmail had been going on but this blackmail will not be tolerated now," Mr Modi said. Pakistani prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday announced the creation of a new "Army Rocket Force Command" to bolster the country's defense capabilities. Sharif made this announcement during a speech marking Independence Day celebrations, but gave no further details. India celebrates its Independence Day one day after Pakistan. The two states came into existence as a result of the bloody partition of British India in 1947. The process sparked some of the worst communal violence the world has seen and left hundreds of thousands dead. It triggered one of the largest human migrations in history and some 12 million people fled their homes. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice When the Talibans men came knocking at her house in January, Nooran* went and hid in her parents yard. I did not want to be arrested along with my mother, says the Afghan teen. Moments later, her mother Shahbaneh* was taken away. On 8 January, Taliban officials detained Shahbaneh over a social media post ruing the fate of her familys young women, who would no longer be able to attend school. Nooran shows The Independent the Facebook post her mother had made, commenting on the local schools notice that it was shutting down due to a lack of teachers and resources. She wrote in her post: "Forgive me, my daughter, for what we have done to you. We cannot escape this savage group. Within a few hours, she received a message telling her: Remove your message because you have insulted the Taliban. This is the order of the Commander of the Faithful. The next day, two Taliban men arrived in Ford Ranger pick-up trucks in their busy neighbourhood in Herat and summoned Shahbaneh. They then took my mother away, Nooran says, sitting alongside her in a video call from Afghanistan late in the evening. They fall quiet as a motorbike passes by outside, afraid they might be overheard. open image in gallery A Taliban prison security guard stands next to a poster ordering women to cover themselves with a Hijab during the distribution of new uniforms' ceremony by the Taliban authorities at a prison in Jalalabad ( AFP via Getty Images ) open image in gallery An Afghan burqa-clad woman carrying a child seeks alms along a road in the Argo district of Badakhshan province ( AFP via Getty Images ) Friday marks four years since the Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan, seizing Kabul from a democratically-elected government after the shambolic withdrawal of Nato forces. Since 2021 the Taliban have announced around 100 edicts restricting the movement of girls and women through society, arresting women for having ill-fitting head scarves, speaking on social media and being out in public. Despite claiming it would not return to its hardline rule of the 1990s, not a single one of these edicts has been overturned, according to the UN assistance mission for Afghanistan (Unama). More than 78 per cent of Afghan women are no longer in education, employment or training, the UN said this month in its report. The edicts are also a matter of life and death in areas of the health sector, with a shortage of female healthcare workers allowed to treat women patients. The results are devastating. Women are living shorter, less healthy lives, the Unama said. The Taliban does not hesitate in enforcing its rules by arresting and detaining women who break them placing them in prisons where abuse is commonplace. The Independent heard repeated claims that women are raped by guards in these facilities, allegations which are difficult to verify. At night, I saw the Taliban prisons where the basic living conditions are horrible, guards coming in and taking the women away at night. Next day, the women would tell us they were raped, Shahbaneh says. They tied my hands to my head, and beat me up till I cried, telling me that they will kill me if I continue to speak about education of girls and women, she says. Shahbaneh narrated the basic conditions of prison treatment under the Taliban, consistent with multiple other accounts of arrested men and women. There will be no food, no water, you are locked away in a dark room for days and nights. There isnt even a window for feeling any air on your face that is the punishment you get for crossing the Taliban, the 37-year-old former teacher says. As a punishment, many women who shared the cell with me were asked to clean the prison floor, she said. open image in gallery An Afghan woman who was recently deported from Tehran after living in Iran for 3 years, waits at the entrance of the reception center in Islam Qala ( Getty Images ) She was released after a month on 8 February this year, still with her only crime being a social media post criticising the most basic violation of human rights. Recounting her pain and expressing disbelief that the world is turning a blind eye she says: We are in danger for even breathing and existing as women. It is like the world cannot hear our voices, like they hate Afghan women. The restrictions on all aspects of womens lives seem only to be tightening, with the number of punishments over hijab regulations growing. In certain parts of Afghanistan including Herat province, women have been ordered to wear a chador, a full body covering, and are banned from going out in public if they fail to do so. Unama says the Taliban have asked health clinics and private businesses to strictly refuse services to women who are not accompanied by a male chaperone, a mehram. Asma, a 27-year-old who has been offering discreet legal advice to women in Kabul, says that the options available to women in her field of divorce and domestic violence cases have become bleak. Me and my colleagues who are working with women seeking divorce over domestic violence from their husbands face two hellish choices go back to their abusive husband or face prison time. Surprisingly, the women are choosing to go to prison, the young legal adviser told The Independent. In the prison, many are facing rape and physical assault. The Independent has reached out to the Talibans ministry of interior for a comment on these allegations about its prison system, but had not received a response at the time of publication. Sadly, the allegations are hardly new dire accounts of ill treatment from women who have left Taliban detention have been a constant feature of the past four years. Julia Parsi, a former Afghan teacher turned prominent human rights defender who burned a photo of the Talibans supreme leader Mullah Hibatullah in 2022, lost hearing in one of her ears after being slapped by several Taliban officials in prison. open image in gallery Afghan woman Julia Parsi (L) who protested against the Taliban in 2022 and was arrested ( Family handouts/ The Independent ) I was subjected to severe psychological and physical pressure. The psychological torture was far worse than the physical abuse. They threatened me with harm to my family, especially my young daughters. The interrogations were filled with threats, insults, and humiliation, the exiled Afghan activist told The Independent. She had to be hospitalised after her release from e prison in December 2022. Parsi, now out of Afghanistan after facing death threats but continuing to work for Afghan women rights, says women are being rounded up and put behind the bars for opposing the Talibans policies. In recent arrests, the Taliban have primarily targeted women who have raised their voices on social media or participated in civic and political activities. Even women who have spoken only in small gatherings or taught lessons in their homes have been arrested under the accusation of opposing Taliban policies, Parsi said, adding improper hijab has been the biggest reason in recent weeks for the arrest of Afghan girls and women. Improper hijab is merely an excuse the real purpose is to suppress and silence women, she says. Such policies are having a profound effect on a generation of women 62 per cent of Afghan women now feel they cannot even influence decisions at home, let alone have their voices or faces be seen outside, according to a UN survey. Zubaida Akbar, an Afghan human rights expert and programme manager at Femena, an organisation that supports human rights defenders, said that the Taliban have tortured women with physical abuse including rape and sexual assault, alongside mental abuse and ethnic slurs. In terms of the ways that the Taliban have degraded women, women activists detailed to us physical abuse, assault, beatings inside the prison, sexual abuse, lack of access to food, sanitation, not being able to sleep, interrogations, especially late at night, Akbar told The Independent. In the cases where women are abducted from their homes, I don't say arrested because the Taliban are not the government, they don't have a legal system none of [what] has happened, happens legally. Women are abducted from their homes or from the streets, Akbar said, calling on the international community to do more to protect Afghan women. The world must pay attention, first and foremost. They need to pressure the Taliban to end their war on the women of Afghanistan and reverse all of the 130 edicts that the Taliban have issued against women. open image in gallery An Afghan burqa-clad woman walks along a road on the outskirts of Fayzabad district in Badakhshan ( AFP via Getty Images ) Even when they leave prison, women told The Independent that the experience robbed them of their sense of security in their communities, and they feared stepping out of their homes. When my mother goes out of the house, her heart is always beating, worried that someone will attack her. With every step, she is always looking behind her while walking. A few days back, my mother's friend asked her, Why are you looking behind you so much?. My mother just stood there in silence, afraid of confessing her fears, Nooran said. But her ordeal has not broken Shahbanehs spirit. She says she plans to demonstrate again on Friday against the Taliban. I am going to protest again on 15 August to mark my refusal to accept them as our leaders, she says. This does not end, my fight will continue to free my daughter from the Talibans grip. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Supermarket chain Iceland is set to offer customers a 1 reward for actively spotting and reporting shoplifters in their stores. Richard Walker, the retailer's executive chairman, confirmed that shoppers who alert staff to offenders will receive the payment directly to their membership card. The move comes as the business faces an estimated 20 million annual hit from the cost of shoplifting. He added the 20 million cost of theft limits the amount that the company can pay back out to its colleague and restrains its ability to lower prices. Mr Walker told Channel Five news that shoplifting is not a "victimless crime". Id like to announce that we will give 1 to any customer who points out a shoplifter. Well put it on their bonus card, if they see any customers in our stores who is undertaking that offence. Some people see this as a victimless crime; it is not. It also keeps prices from being lowered because it is a cost to the business. Its a cost to the hours we pay our colleagues, as well as it being about intimidation and violence. Executive chairman of Iceland, Richard Walker, told Channel Five news that shoplifting is not a victimless crime ( PA ) Wed like customers to help us lower our prices even more by pointing out shoplifters, Mr Walker added. Last month, official figures revealed that the number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales climbed to another record high. Some 530,643 offences were logged in the year to March 2025, up 20% from 444,022 in 2023-24 and the highest total since current police recording practices began in 2002-03. At the time, retail bosses warned that shop theft was spiralling out of control and that business owners need to see immediate results as ministers have pledged thousands more officers for neighbourhood policing by next spring. Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said the recorded figures show more crimes are being reported, but this is still far too low, with many retailers having no faith in incidents being investigated. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Two police officers have been sacked for gross misconduct over the way they dealt with a suspected drunk driver who was arrested and later died. A disciplinary panel found the actions of Pc Grant Mackenzie and Pc Dean Hunkin, from Devon & Cornwall Police, amounted to gross misconduct and they were dismissed without notice on Thursday, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said. It follows the death of Stephen Reardon, who was arrested on July 13, 2023 in St Austell, Cornwall, on suspicion of driving while unfit through drink or drugs and failing to provide a sample of breath. The officers had appeared before a misconduct panel accused of breaching the standards appropriate to the conduct of a police officer in respect of the exercise of their duties and responsibilities in relation to Mr Reardon. The IOPC said he was handcuffed and put in the back of a police van for the journey to Newquay Police Station. He became unwell during the trip. Officers gave him first-aid in the yard of the station after he arrived at the custody unit. He was taken by ambulance to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The incident was immediately referred by the force and an independent IOPC investigation was held, along with this weeks misconduct hearing. open image in gallery Devon & Cornwall Police made an immediate referral to the IOPC following the incident ( Nick Potts/PA ) The panel ruled that Pc Mackenzie be dismissed without notice and Pc Hunkin would have been dismissed without notice if had he still been a serving police officer. Assistant Chief Constable Glen Mayhew said: Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Mr Reardon who have our utmost sympathy. Through their actions, the officers undermined public trust and confidence in the force and did not fulfil their duties and responsibilities towards Mr Reardon. Devon & Cornwall Police made an immediate referral to the IOPC following this incident and has fully co-operated with the subsequent independent investigation. Due to Mr Reardons forthcoming inquest, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further. Both officers are to be banned from policing as their details will be submitted to the College of Policing Barred List, the IOPC said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A jurys decision to clear a suspended Labour councillor of encouraging violent disorder after he called for far-right activists throats to be cut cannot be compared to the case of Lucy Connolly, lawyers have claimed. Ricky Jones, 58, faced trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court after he described far-right activists as disgusting Nazi fascists in a speech at an anti-racism rally last year, in the wake of the Southport murders. The now-suspended councillor, surrounded by cheering supporters in Walthamstow, east London, on August 7 2024, was filmed stating: They are disgusting Nazi fascists. We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all. Jurors deliberated for just over half-an-hour and found him not guilty on Friday. open image in gallery The case was heard at Snaresbrook Crown Court ( John Stillwell/PA ) This caused Conservative and Reform politicians to brand the decision two-tier justice with shadow home secretary Chris Philp comparing the case to that of Mrs Connolly, who was jailed for 31 months after she posted a tweet calling for mass deportation of asylum seekers and to set fire to all the f****** hotels on the day of the Southport attacks. Former home secretary and Tory leadership candidate Sir James Cleverly also called the jurys decision to clear Ricky Jones perverse in an X post, adding: Perverse decisions like this are adding to the anger that people feel and amplifying the belief that there isnt a dispassionate criminal justice system. Lawyers have said the cases should not be conflated as Connolly and Jones faced allegations of a different nature and Jones faced trial where Connolly, having pleaded guilty, did not. Peter Stringfellow, a solicitor at Brett Wilson, said: Both (Jones and Connolly) said pretty unpleasant things. However, Im afraid the conflation of the two after that is a problem. It comes from people whove got some sort of political agenda, in my view. They were facing completely different allegations and a massive part of those different allegations is the racial element. If you look at the Connolly case her intention is of a racial nature. Connolly pleaded guilty last year to a charge of inciting racial hatred by publishing and distributing threatening or abusive written material on X. open image in gallery Lucy Connolly was sentenced to 31 months in prison for inciting racial hatred against asylum seekers on Twitter ( Northamptonshire Police/PA ) On July 29 last year, she posted: Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the bastards for all I care if that makes me racist so be it. She directs everybody to the fact that this was a racial comment, Mr Stringfellow said. She pleads guilty to that intention she accepted that she had intended to stir racial hatred. The Jones case is different because one, hes facing a completely different allegation: hes facing encouraging violent disorder. And the difference with him is hes saying: Thats not what I was intended to do. Mr Stringfellow added that, in the case of Connolly, racially aggravated discourse on social media did translate into real-life violence across the country whereas Mr Jones comments at a rally did not cause a violent disorder. What she (Connolly) did, what followed her comments about threatening to burn people in hotels, is that thats precisely what then happened and people were attempting to burn people in hotels. Ernest Aduwa, partner at Stokoe Partnership Solicitors, said comparisons between Jones and Connollys cases were misplaced. We need to be honest about what is going on here. The verdict in the Ricky Jones case was not political, it was legal, he said. A jury listened to the evidence, tested it and decided unanimously he was not guilty. That is not bias or two-tier justice it is the justice system doing what it is supposed to do: separating facts from noise. Comparisons with the Lucy Connolly case are misplaced. Lucy Connolly pleaded guilty. There was no trial, no cross-examination, no jury. She admitted the specific offence: stirring up racial hatred online. Ricky Jones faced a different charge with a high burden of proof. The jury decided the Crown had not met it. open image in gallery Suspended Labour councillor Ricky Jones leaves Snaresbrook Crown Court ( Yui Mok/PA ) That does not mean the protest was not passionate or loud it means there was not enough evidence to prove intent to incite violence. That distinction matters. I understand why emotions run high. But flattening two different situations into one misleading narrative does no favours to justice. The fact that a black man at a protest can receive a fair trial and be acquitted should be seen not as an injustice, but as proof the system can still get it right. He added: The law is not perfect, but it must rest on evidence not opinion, pressure, or politics. Laura Allen, head of the protest and public order team at Hodge, Jones and Allen lawyers, said the two cases involved different decisions that need to be put in their legal context and it is frankly offensive to the ordinary members of the public who sat on the jury to suggest they had not acted appropriately. If there is anything close to a two-tier system in the British justice sector it is one that historically has not favoured ethnic minorities, although work has been done to try to repair that situation, according to Ms Allen. A judge made a ruling on Connollys sentence after she had said she was guilty, while a jury listened to the evidence during the trial and found him not guilty. Ms Allen said they are just two very different things and it is not possible to compare them in the way that Nigel Farage is choosing to do as part of his political grandstanding. She said: He (Farage) is suggesting that these 12 people, about whom I assume he knows nothing, have not made their decision on the evidence but on some other ulterior motive. They are 12 members of the jury, picked at random, who have done their civic duty, have listened to the evidence in the case and concluded they could not be sure that Ricky Jones was guilty. Due to the way our jury system works they are not required, and certainly are not permitted, to explain the reasons for their decision. She added: All we know is that the jury found Ricky Jones not guilty. We dont know why. We also dont know the political background of any of these people. We dont know their views on immigration or on race. We dont know any of that stuff and that is the whole point. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A suspended Labour councillor has been found not guilty of encouraging violent disorder after he called for far-right protesters throats to be cut. Ricky Jones, 58, made the comments at an anti-racism rally in the wake of rioting following the Southport murders. Jones described far-right activists as disgusting Nazi fascists, his trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court heard. He told the trial his comment did not refer to far-right protesters involved in the riots at the time, but to those who had reportedly left National Front stickers on a train with razor blades hidden behind them. Jones, who has been a borough councillor in Dartford, Kent, since 2019, was suspended by the Labour Party the day after the incident. It is understood he is still suspended from party, with an internal investigation into his behaviour ongoing, meaning he will not sit as a Labour councillor. open image in gallery Ricky Jones leaves Snaresbrook Crown Court ( PA ) A video showing Jones addressing the crowd in Walthamstow, east London, on 7 August 2024 went viral on social media after the protest. It had been organised in response to plans for a far-right march outside Waltham Forest Immigration Bureau. Wearing a black polo top and surrounded by cheering supporters, the councillor said there were women and children using the trains. They dont give a s*** about who they hurt, he said. They are disgusting Nazi fascists. We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all. He also drew his finger across his throat as he spoke to the crowd. Jurors deliberated for just over half an hour and found Jones not guilty on Friday. Conservative and Reform politicians have decried what they call two-tier justice, with shadow home secretary Chris Philp comparing the case to that of Lucy Connolly, who was jailed after she posted a tweet calling for mass deportation and set fire to all the f****** hotels on the day of the Southport attacks last year. In a post on X, Mr Philp said: The development of two tier justice is becoming increasingly alarming. Ex-Reform chairman Zia Yusuf also referred to Connollys case, and said that two tier justice in this country is out of control. Jones, 58, who at the time was also employed as a full-time official for the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) union, was arrested on 8 August 2024 and interviewed at Brixton police station that night. open image in gallery Ricky Jones said he felt it was his duty to attend counter-protests ( Dartford Council ) Prosecutor Ben Holt previously told the court Jones, a father of four and grandfather, used inflammatory, rabble-rousing language in the throng of a crowd described as a tinderbox. He told jurors Joness speech was amplified through a microphone and speakers and took place in a setting where violence could readily have been anticipated. Jones told the court he was appalled by political violence, adding: Ive always believed the best way to make people realise who you are and what you are is to do it peacefully. Jones, who said he was on the left of the Labour Party, said the riots had made him feel upset and angry. He said he felt it was his duty to attend counter-protests, despite being warned to stay away from such demonstrations by the Labour Party. At the time of his suspension, a Labour spokesperson said: This behaviour is completely unacceptable and it will not be tolerated. The councillor has been suspended from the party. Elyn MacInnis (R) briefs participants on the searching of foreign expatriates who once lived in Kuliang and their descendants at the launch ceremony of Kuliang Families Story Museum in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) BEIJING/FUZHOU, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- On a memorial wall bearing over 8,000 names in east China, 73-year-old Elyn MacInnis quickly found Mu Airen, the Chinese name of Donald MacInnis. She gave the name a gentle wipe, as if greeting an old friend. The wall in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province, honors heroes who once fought here in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, including those from across the Pacific. Donald MacInnis, Elyn's late father-in-law, was one of them. His bond with China, notably, has been kept alive for three generations in an American family and is remembered in China as a testimony to the China-U.S. friendship forged during World War II. "Don has always loved China, and especially Fujian," said Elyn, her eyes brightening as she recalled her father-in-law. In 1940, roughly three years into China's whole-of-nation resistance against Japanese aggression, 20-year-old Donald journeyed alone to the country to teach English at a Fuzhou middle school for a year. He later joined the U.S. 14th Air Force, known as "Flying Tigers" in China, serving as a "coast watcher." His scouting efforts served as "eyes" for the Flying Tigers. Whenever he and his Chinese comrades spotted Japanese supply ships approaching, they would radio coordinates to the Kunming command in southwest China, alerting them about the opportunity for bomber strikes. China and the United States fought the Japanese fascists together in the war, and forged a deep friendship that withstood the test of blood and fire. More than 2,000 Flying Tigers airmen sacrificed their lives during the war. The Chinese people also provided American pilots with assistance at all costs. More than 200 pilots in distress were rescued, with thousands of Chinese people giving their lives during the rescue operations. "He understood the risks, but was not so afraid," Elyn said, while revealing that Donald often recounted how profoundly the Chinese people's united resilience had moved him. "Their collective strength touched his soul." Elyn MacInnis gives a speech on her family's bond with Kuliang at the 4th Maritime Silk Road (Fuzhou) International Tourism Festival in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Nov. 30, 2018. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) KULIANG HILLS BOND After the war, Donald returned to the United States. In 1947, upon learning that Fujian Union University needed foreign teachers, he returned to Fuzhou with his wife and son and worked there for a few years. Then in early 2000s, he once again worked in Fujian as a volunteer in a local college. Donald's legacy has lived on through the people he inspired. "Teacher Mu's spirit of internationalism and selfless dedication has guided me throughout my life," reflected 101-year-old Chen Shiming, one of Donald's students in China. Through the tireless efforts of Chen, Mu Airen became the first foreign name engraved on the memorial wall in 2018 -- joining the Chinese soldiers whom he fought alongside all those years ago. Donald's love of China has been passed down to Peter MacInnis, his second son and Elyn's husband. Peter was born in Fuzhou during Donald's stay there after the WWII, and was brought to Kuliang -- then a summer retreat for the city's foreign community nestled in the mountains east of the city -- when he was just a month old. Peter and Elyn met as graduate students at Harvard University and later fell in love and got married. Hoping someday to go to China, Elyn added Chinese to her other studies. More than ten years later they moved to Nanjing, in east China's Jiangsu Province, with their two daughters, and that was the start of their 30 years' stay in China. In 2015, Elyn and Peter brought Donald's ashes to Fuzhou and scattered them into the Minjiang River, fulfilling the old man's final wish. During that trip, Elyn explored Kuliang, and that led her to uncover many stories from Kuliang's American community -- such as Dr. Harold Brewster's teaching of life-saving surgical techniques. An aerial drone photo shows a view of the Kuliang national tourist resort in Jin'an District of Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) To preserve these memories, Elyn founded "Friends of Kuliang" in 2016, uniting about 50 descendants of Kuliang's American families. Their reunion reached a climax at Fuzhou's 2023 "Bond with Kuliang" Forum, where Elyn declared: "These moving stories represent generations of friendship. Now it's our turn to tend the flame of friendship that has long connected our two peoples." Her efforts earned recognition in China. She was named among "Touching China's 2023 Persons of the Year" and honored with the Friendship Envoy Award at the Orchid Awards in July this year. The Orchid Awards were established to honor international friends who have contributed to fostering cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. "I have spent much of my life building bridges between our nations. The bridges are not made of steel or stone. They are built from warm, kindhearted people, and the stories of their lives in China that I have had the privilege to share," she said. Elyn MacInnis (1st L) reads an old map of Kuliang, now a hillside resort, in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 24, 2023. (Xinhua) FRIENDSHIP FLAME MAINTAINED Today, the MacInnis legacy flourishes in its third generation. Elyn's daughters Ai Zhong and Ai Hua -- both names meaning "loving China" in Chinese -- speak fluent Chinese thanks to their years of education in Chinese schools. Ai Hua even pioneered as one of China's first bilingual TV hosts. The sisters now live in the United States. Ai Hua oversees dual-degree programs at a U.S. university, including collaborations with Chinese universities. She utilizes her Chinese language skills to communicate with and provide assistance to Chinese students enrolled in these programs. This family's decades-long bond mirrors a hopeful future for China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges. The foundation of China-U.S. relations lies in the people and the source of strength lies in the friendship between their peoples. China has announced its plan to invite 50,000 American youth to visit and study here in the course of five years, hoping that through firsthand experience, they can discover a real China while contributing to China-U.S. friendship. "True connection is everything," Elyn said. "We only really understand each other when we've spent some time together." Now settled in Rhode Island, Elyn stays connected with her Chinese friends via WeChat and makes time to see them whenever she visits China. In recent years, she likes sharing her views on the verses of famous Chinese writer Bing Xin, who was born in Fuzhou and pursued studies in the United States when she was young. Inspired by a renowned line, she concluded acceptance of her Orchid Award by saying: "When we walk along the path of friendship, the flowers bloom." by Xinhua Writers Wang Xiaopeng, Shen Anni and Yao Yuan Editor: ZAD Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice In 2025, more young people than ever have opened their A-level results to find out how they did in their maths exam. Once again, maths has been the most popular A-level subject, with 112,138 entries in 2025. This is up by more than 4% compared with 2024. Entries in further maths, an A-level that expands on the maths curriculum, have also risen an increase of 7% since 2024, with over 19,000 entries this year. As a professional mathematician, this is pleasing news. Some of these students will be happily receiving confirmation of their place to study maths at university. The joy I experienced when I discovered in my maths degree that many of the subjects I studied at school chemistry, biology, physics and even music are woven together by a mathematical fabric, is something Ive never forgotten. open image in gallery Maths has been the most popular A-level subject, with 112,138 entries in 2025 ( PA ) Im excited by the idea that many young people are about to experience this for themselves. But I am concerned that fewer students will have the same opportunities in the future, as more maths departments are forced to downsize or close, and as we become more reliant on artificial intelligence. There are a number of differences between studying maths at university compared with school. While this can be daunting at first, all of these differences underscore just how richly layered, deeply interconnected and vastly applicable maths is. At university, not only do you learn beautiful formulas and powerful algorithms, but also grapple with why these formulas are true and dissect exactly what these algorithms are doing. This is the idea of the proof, which is not explored much at school and is something that can initially take students by surprise. But proving why formulas are true and why algorithms work is an important and necessary step in being able discover new and exciting applications of the maths youre studying. open image in gallery There are a number of differences between studying maths at university an school ( PA Archive ) A maths degree can lead to careers in finance, data science, AI, cybersecurity, quantum computing, ecology and climate modelling. But more importantly, maths is a beautifully creative subject, one that allows people to be immensely expressive in their scientific and artistic ideas. A recent and stunning example of this is Hannah Cairo, who at just 17 disproved a 40-year old conjecture. If there is a message I wish I knew when I started studying university mathematics it is this: maths is not just something to learn, but something to create. Im continually amazed at how my students find new ways to solve problems that I first encountered over 20 years ago. Accessibility of maths degrees But the question of going on to study maths at university is no longer just a matter of A-level grades. The recent and growing phenomenon of maths deserts areas of the country where maths degrees are not offered is making maths degrees less accessible, particularly for students outside of big cities. Forthcoming research from The Campaign for Mathematical Sciences (CAMS), of which I am a supporter, shows that research-intensive, higher-tariff universities the ones that require higher grades to get in took 66% of UK maths undergraduates in 2024, up from 56% in 2006. This puts smaller departments in lower-tariff universities in danger of closure as enrolments drop. The CAMS research forecasts that an additional nine maths departments will have fewer than 50 enrolments in their degrees by 2035. This cycle will further concentrate maths degrees in high-tariff institutions, reinforcing stereotypes such as that only exceptionally gifted people should go on to study maths at university. This could also have severe consequences for teacher recruitment. The CAMS research also found that 25% of maths graduates from lower-tariff universities go into jobs in education, compared to 8% from higher tariff universities. Maths in the age of AI The growing capability and sophistication of AI is also putting pressure on maths departments. With OpenAIs claim that their recently released GPT-5 is like having a team of PhD-level experts in your pocket, the temptation to overly rely on AI poses further risks to the existence and quality of future maths degrees. But the process of turning knowledge into wisdom and theory into application comes from the act of doing: doing calculations and forming logical and rigorous arguments. That is the key constituent of thinking clearly and creatively. It ensures students have ownership of their skills, capacities, and the work that they produce. open image in gallery OpenAI claims their recently released GPT-5 is like having a team of PhD-level experts in your pocket ( AP ) A data scientist will still require an in-depth working knowledge of the mathematical, algorithmic and statistical theory underpinning data science if they are going to be effective. The same for financial analysts, engineers and computer scientists. The distinguished mathematician and computer scientist Leslie Lamport said that coding is to programming what typing is to writing. Just as you need to have some idea of what you are writing before you type it, you need to have some idea of the (mathematical) algorithm you are creating before you code it. It is worth remembering that the early pioneers in AI John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Claude Shannon, Alan Turing all had degrees in mathematics. So we have every reason to expect that future breakthroughs in AI will come from people with mathematics degrees working creatively in interdisciplinary teams. This is another great feature of maths: its versatility. Its a subject that doesnt just train you for a job but enables you to enjoy a rich and fulfilling career one that can comprise many different jobs, in many different fields, over the course of a lifetime. Neil Saunders is a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at City St George's University of London. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The personal data of Afghans brought to safety in the UK has been breached yet again in a Ministry of Defence (MoD)-linked cybersecurity incident. The breach affecting up to 3,700 people includes Afghans who were brought to the UK under the MoDs resettlement scheme for those who worked with British troops. The number also includes people who travelled for routine military exercises and official engagements. The breach came after Inflite The Jet Centre Ltd, a sub-contractor to an MoD supplier, which provides ground handling services for flights at London Stansted Airport, suffered a data loss. The incident affects contracts between the MoD, Inflite The Jet Centre, and the Cabinet Office. The latest leak comes after another catastrophic data loss, which exposed the details of 18,700 Afghan applicants to a UK resettlement scheme. This breach prompted a secret evacuation scheme and the use of an unprecedented superinjunction to keep the details secret for nearly two years. A notification, sent out by the Afghan resettlement team on Friday afternoon, warned families that their personal information may have been exposed. This may include passport details (including name, date of birth, and passport number) and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) reference numbers, the warning said. Afghan families, eligible for relocation, have been flown on flights chartered by the MoD from Pakistan to the UK as part of the ongoing evacuation scheme. Afghan families who served with the British are flown on chartered flights to the UK from Pakistan ( The Independent ) There is currently no evidence to suggest that any data has been released publicly or on the dark web. A government spokesperson said: We were recently notified that a third-party subcontractor to a supplier experienced a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorised access to a small number of its emails that contained basic personal information. We take data security extremely seriously and are going above and beyond our legal duties in informing all potentially affected individuals. The incident has not posed any threat to individuals safety, nor compromised any government systems. In a statement published to Inflite The Jet Centres website on 10 August it said the breach involved data from January and March 2024. We have reported the incident to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) and have been actively working with the relevant UK cyber authorities, including the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), to support our investigation and response, the company said. Inflite The Jet Centre said it believed the data loss was limited to email accounts only. However, the MoD notice issued on Friday said further personal information had been breached because certain information is required by ground-handling companies to enable flights to depart and to arrive. Rafi Hottak, a former Afghan interpreter who campaigns for Afghans who have been left behind, said: I am truly worried about how badly the UK MoD has mishandled the personal data of Afghan allies. Once again, they have failed to protect those who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with them in the fight against terrorism. How can it be that weve now had three separate data leaks involving one of the most vulnerable groups of people? A spokesperson for Inflite The Jet Centre said: While we cannot comment on specific details of the data security incident or any communications related to it due to the sensitivity of the matter, we remain fully committed to protecting our systems, data, and the interests of all our stakeholders. We will continue to share updates with our customers, suppliers, employees, regulatory bodies, and relevant agencies, as is appropriate to do so. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A former Afghan interpreter exposed in a catastrophic Ministry of Defence (MoD) data breach has had his offer of relocation to the UK revoked despite waiting for two years in Pakistan to be brought to Britain. The former patrol interpreter and his family are believed to be one of several who had been accepted for sanctuary in the UK by the MoD due to their service alongside British troops, but who have now had their applications rebuffed by the Home Office. He was detained by Pakistan police who entered the UK-run hotel he was staying in on Wednesday and brought to a deportation camp, his lawyer said. His details were leaked in a MoD breach that exposed the details of thousands of Afghans who said they were in danger from the Taliban because of their links to UK forces and wanted to escape to Britain. The mans family have been given 14 days to leave the hotel they have been staying in. They are without visas, money, or anywhere else to go. Rafi Hottak, a former interpreter for the British army who now campaigns for Afghans left behind, said the reversal decision was morally bankrupt. Mr Hottak said: There is a real risk of deportation to these people. I think it is morally bankrupt for the UK government to do this. They have not been able to go out, their wives and children are suffering, and suddenly you throw a bomb shell on them. Whatever the reason is they need to be given a clear answer to why their case is rejected. open image in gallery Afghan refugee women walk through tents after arriving from Pakistan at a makeshift camp in Nangarhar province in Afghanistan ( AFP via Getty ) Erin Alcock, the lawyer for the former Afghan interpreter, filed an urgent application to the High Court in the UK on Thursday, asking for the familys support to be continued long enough to allow them to appeal the sudden decision. Ms Alcock, senior associate at law firm Leigh Day, said: It is a horrifying development, following a sudden and unexplained visa refusal that our client is seeking to have reviewed in the Special Immigration Appeals Commission. We are working urgently to challenge the decision to remove support from our clients family in the meantime. A spokesperson for the MoD said that Afghans eligible to come to the UK must pass security and entry checks before relocation. The revelation comes as another family also being housed in a hotel in Pakistan awaiting relocation to the UK were detained by police and readied for deportation to Afghanistan, according to the son of a former Afghan special forces commando. The son, who has been waiting to be brought to the UK for nearly 10 months, told The Independent: The British government knows that as soon as we fall into the hands of the Taliban, we will all be killed. open image in gallery The son of a former member of the Afghan special forces (pictured) has warned his family members are at risk of imminent deportation into the hands of the Taliban ( The Independent ) He said that 13 members of this family, including his father, have been taken to the same deportation camp by the police. His father, who also had his details exposed in the MoD leak, served alongside UK special forces and has been found eligible for sanctuary in the UK, along with his family members. His desperate son, who said he managed to escape arrest, told The Independent: We are even willing for only our children and wives to be relocated. If we are sent back to Afghanistan and killed, so be it but why should the children of our family and our wives have to face such punishment? At least in this way, we would know that our children and wives are safe and will survive. He added: It is very disheartening our children should be enjoying their childhood games at the age of four, not suffering from PTSD because of circumstances that have been unfortunately forced upon us. A MoD spokesperson said that the UK government was only able to confirm if families had passed or failed their visa checks once they were in a third country. They said: We are honouring our commitments to all eligible people who pass their relevant checks for relocation. As the public would rightly expect, anyone coming to the UK must pass strict security and entry checks before being able to relocate to the UK. In some cases, people do not pass these checks. All letters of eligibility clearly say that relocation is conditional on passing these checks. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ministers spent 2.4m in legal fees fighting to keep a catastrophic Ministry of Defence data leak secret for two years through the use of an unprecedented superinjunction, it has emerged. The MoD leak, in February 2022, exposed the details of thousands of Afghans who said they were in danger from the Taliban because of their links to UK forces and now wanted to escape to Britain. The breach was only discovered in August 2023 when part of the leaked database was posted online, prompting a top-secret government operation that saw 16,000 affected Afghans brought to safety in the UK. The whole operation was kept secret from the public through the use of a superinjunction brought contramundum, Latin for against the world. Now, freedom of information data shared with The New York Times has revealed that the government spent 2.4m in legal fees fighting to keep the scheme secret. The hidden resettlement scheme, the fact the data the data was leaked, and the injunction itself were only revealed after a court battle lasting almost two years in which media organisations - including The Independent fought to lift the order. The government admitted after the superinjunction was lifted that information crucial to its overturning was available last year. The unprecedented gagging order was finally lifted in July after a review commissioned by Defence Secretary John Healey found that the threat of danger to those on the list was not significant. Several hearings in relation to the superinjunction were held behind closed doors at the Royal Courts of Justice ( PA ) In a written response to a High Court judges demands for further investigation on why the order could not be lifted sooner, a senior government official admitted that a large amount of the information allowing publication of the breach was already known to the Ministry of Defence. High Court judge Mr Justice Chamberlain had previously decided to lift the superinjunction in May 2024, partly because he felt that the secrecy was preventing Afghans from being able to take steps to help themselves, as the order meant the 18,700 Afghans affected could not be told their information had been compromised. However, the government appealed this decision in a bid to keep the order in place, and those affected by the breach only learned they had been exposed when the superinjunction was lifted. Figures for the legal costs of defending the order come as Afghans promised a new life in the UK have been detained in Pakistan police raids. A former Afghan interpreter who was exposed in the MoD breach has been detained after having his offer of relocation to the UK revoked. A former Afghan special forces commando and his family have also been detained and taken to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, according to a family member who managed to avoid arrest. The Ministry of Defence has been contacted for comment. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A protest-hit migrant hotel has become a feeding ground for unrest, a council seeking to ban its use for asylum seekers has argued. Epping Forest District Council had applied for a High Court injunction in a bid to stop asylum seekers being housed at The Bell Hotel, which has been the site of a series of violent protests in recent weeks. At a hearing at the High Court on Friday, the council told the court that allowing the status quo is wholly unacceptable, providing a feeding ground for unrest and protest. In documents presented to the court, it argued that the use of the hotel for asylum seekers was a danger to school-age students about to start the new school year, a valid source of anxiety for their parents and teachers, and a disfigurement of the local environment. Demonstrators descended on the hotel in July after an asylum seeker was charged with sexual assault for allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Hundreds of anti- and pro-immigration protesters have since been demonstrating at the site, with far-right activists also turning up to exploit the situation. open image in gallery Police officers outside the former Bell Hotel in Epping ( PA ) This week, a second asylum seeker staying at the hotel was charged with sexually assaulting a man aged over 16, as well as a number of assault charges. Philip Coppel KC, representing the council, said that the hotel use was a very serious problem which was getting out of hand. He said the situation had arisen because of a breach of planning control by the defendant, Somani Hotels Ltd. Somani Hotels is defending the claim, with its barristers telling the court that an injunction would cause asylum seekers hardship and that the move would set a dangerous precedent that protests justify planning injunctions. It emerged in documents presented to the court that Australian travel firm CTM, which was behind the controversial Bibby Stockholm barge, had identified the hotel for housing asylum seekers in February 2025. The firm had been asked by the Home Office to provide additional accommodation to house asylum seekers, court documents showed. The council said it would appear [CTM] made no enquiries with the planning department of EFDC to check the lawfulness of what they were proposing to do. open image in gallery Protesters outside the former Bell Hotel in Epping ( PA ) Ahead of the court case, council leader Chris Whitbread said, The current situation cannot go on, adding, If The Bell Hotel was a nightclub, we could have closed it down long ago. He said that the council believed that use of the hotel was a clear breach of planning permission. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has also called for the hotel to be closed. Essex Police said that the protests had escalated into violence during demonstrations on 13, 17, 20 and 24 July. Officers were assaulted, missiles were thrown, and windows were broken at the hotel, the force said. Mr Coppel KC told the court that there was unacceptable risk to local residents because of how The Bell Hotel has been used. He referenced violent protests, an increase in community tension, and alleged criminal behaviour of asylum seekers at the hotel as factors causing enhanced risk to local residents. He said that there were 1,800 students who attended schools 1.2km or less away from the hotel. He argued that The Bell has changed fundamentally from its former function. The place is unrecognisable as a hotel but for an old sign that sits on the outside, the court heard. Mr Coppel added that asylum seekers, some of whom are vulnerable, are being housed in intimidating circumstances ... it is the last thing that they need. He said residents are now having their meals in their rooms, and additional security has been put in place. Piers Riley-Smith, representing Somani Hotels, told the court in written submissions that the Home Offices contracted service provider, CTM, should be involved in the case. He said that CTM should be included as it had booked the premises and manages and organises the movement and stay of asylum seekers, adding that the injunction bid should be delayed to a later date. He continued that the alleged planning breach was not flagrant, and that the defendant has not resumed the use knowing it is in breach of planning control and hiding the use from the council. Mr Justice Eyre will give his ruling on the application on Tuesday. He has told the hotels owners not to accept any new applications from asylum seekers until the decision on the injunction has been made. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Queen Camilla was visibly moved at a VJ Day memorial ceremony on Friday as a 105-year-old war veteran paid an emotional, unscheduled tribute to King Charless ongoing cancer treatment. The King and Queen joined prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and 33 veterans, aged between 96 and 105, who served in east Asia and the Pacific. The national service of remembrance, held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, marked the 80th anniversary of VJ Day on 15 August, commemorating the end of the six-year war. Often overshadowed by VE Day in May 1945, this significant date serves as a poignant reminder for those who served in east Asia, historically labelled the forgotten army. Yavar Abbas, a former captain in the 11th Sikh Regiment, took to the stage. While scheduled to read extracts from his 1945 Burma diaries, Mr Abbas, originally from Lucknow in India, paused his prepared remarks to address the monarch directly. I make no apologies for briefly going off the script to salute my brave King, who is here with his beloved Queen in spite of the fact that he is under treatment for cancer, the centenarian declared. open image in gallery Charles and Camilla as former captain Yavar Abbas referenced his cancer battle ( Reuters ) Camilla looked at her husband sitting next to her and appeared to wipe away a tear. Applause also erupted from the crowd of around 1,500 guests. Mr Abbas, who has battled cancer, added that he hoped his own 25-year remission from the disease would bring comfort to the King, offering a shared understanding of the health challenges faced. He added: I salute him for gracing this occasion, because by his presence here, he has gone a long way to make sure that his grandads Fourteenth Army is never given the sobriquet again of the forgotten army. The ceremony was hosted by actress Celia Imrie and featured readings by actor Robert Lindsay and veterans, as well as musical performances from the National Childrens Choir of Great Britain, Jennifer Pike and the Royal Corps of Signals Pipes and Drums. Ahead of the service, the King, in a pre-recorded audio address to the nation, vowed that the sacrifice of heroes who fought and died in the campaigns shall never be forgotten. open image in gallery King Charles shakes hands with veteran Abbas (centre) ( PA ) He also significantly acknowledged the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which led to Japans surrender, describing the immense price paid by its citizens as one we pray no nation need ever pay again. He said: Please know that the courage and camaraderie displayed in humanitys darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity a beacon that honours our past and guides our future. After the service of remembrance, which started with a two-minute silence and a Red Arrows flypast, the King made his way to the Far East Corner of the arboretum, where he met Silas Sarbah and Khadak Chettri, the grandsons of Second World War soldiers, as well as William Slim, the great-grandson of general Bill Slim, who led the so-called forgotten army. He viewed tributes at the Burma Railway memorial, which is constructed from 30m of original track from the so-called railway of death, and took a moment of reflection at the Burma Star Memorial and the Chindit Memorial, before heading to a reception for VJ veterans and their families. The King and Queen were joined by the prime minister and Lady Victoria Starmer, as they met some 30 veterans who served in east Asia during the Second World War for the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces, accompanied by their families and carers. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A sonic boom was heard in parts of England after two RAF fighter jets scrambled to intercept a private aircraft. The Typhoon jets took off from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire after a San Marino-registered plane lost contact with air traffic control over Cambridgeshire, the RAF said. The loud bang, heard at around 11.35am on Friday, was reported across southern Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Kent and parts of London. Some residents described the sound as a vacuum-style bang, while others said it shook houses and rattled doors. The civilian aircraft was later escorted to Stansted Airport, the RAF confirmed, and Essex Police said there was nothing of concern once it had landed. An RAF spokesperson said communications with the aircraft were re-established before it landed safely, and the Typhoons returned to base. What is a sonic boom? According to the US Air Force, a sonic boom is an impulsive noise, similar to thunder, created when an object travels faster than the speed of sound, which is around 750mph. As an aircraft breaks this barrier, it generates shockwaves that cause a rapid build-up and release of air pressure, producing the loud bang heard on the ground. open image in gallery The Typhoon jets took off from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire (file image) ( PA Archive ) These shockwaves form continuously along the aircrafts flight path and can be influenced by manoeuvres, altitude and weather conditions, according to the US Air Force. At higher altitudes, the overpressure, and therefore the strength of the boom, is lower, but the area affected is wider. Can a sonic boom cause damage? The US Air Force says most community exposure to a sonic boom produces less than half a kilogram per square foot of pressure. This is well below the level likely to cause structural damage, it said. In some rare cases, strong booms may shatter glass, but most homes in good condition can withstand the pressure created by the boom. open image in gallery Typhoons at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire ( PA Archive ) Most fighter jets produce booms lasting less than a second, with intensity felt greatest directly under their flight path. Types of sonic boom There are two main categories of sonic booms, according to the US Air Force: A N-wave: generated during steady flight and has a single pressure peak before returning to normal levels. A U-wave: caused by manoeuvres such as turns or dives and has amplified pressure peaks at both the front and rear of the wave, although these affect a smaller area. What is an RAF Typhoon jet? Typhoon jets can reach speeds of up to 1,381mph, almost twice the speed of sound, and can operate at altitudes up to 55,000ft (17,000m). Each aircraft costs around 120m, and as of February 2023, the RAF operated 137 Typhoons across seven squadrons. They are supported by Voyager refuelling aircraft, which can carry 111,000kg of fuel and enable Typhoons to remain airborne over long distances. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A sonic boom was heard over Essex after two RAF fighter jets scrambled to intercept a private jet that lost contact with air traffic control. Two Typhoon jets took off from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, to make the intercept of a San Marino-registered aircraft over Cambridgeshire on Friday morning. Residents of southern Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Kent and parts of London reported hearing the loud bang at around 11.35am. Jenny Coxal, of Dartford, Essex, was at home when she heard a loud vacuum-style bang and thought someone had hit her garage. I thought it was someone hitting our garage, but when I went outside, all our neighbours were on the street, wondering what had happened, she told Kent Online. An RAF spokesperson said the civilian aircraft was safely escorted to Stansted Airport after it lost contact with air traffic control ( Getty/iStock ) A sonic boom occurs when an aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound, generating shockwaves that rapidly compress and decompress the air. The speed of sound is about 660mph (1,060km/h) at 60,000ft (18,300m) but can vary depending on altitude. One witness took to social media, saying: Sonic boom just heard over Hornchurch. Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 went overhead, chimed another. Another person posted a picture of flight tracker, saying: Eurofighter typhoon escorting a plane to Stansted. Causing the sonic boom all over Essex. People heard it as far as bexleyheath! A woman in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk said it "rattled" her back door, while in north Kent one person commented that it "shook the whole house - we thought there had been an explosion". In Burwell, Cambridgeshire, another woman wrote: Thought something blew up in my loft. An RAF spokesperson said the civilian aircraft was safely escorted to Stansted Airport after it lost contact with air traffic control. It said: We can confirm that RAF Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Typhoon fighter aircraft from RAF Coningsby were launched today to investigate a civilian aircraft which was not in contact with air traffic control. Communications were re-established and the aircraft was safely escorted to Stansted. The Typhoons are returning to base. An Essex Police spokesperson said: A flight has been escorted into Stansted Airport after it lost contact with the ground. Contact was re-established with the plane, which had been travelling from Nice, and was escorted into the airport by RAF aircraft. On the ground, our officers determined there was nothing of concern. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Thunderstorms are set to disrupt the heat in some parts of the UK after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning. Parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland are forecast to see severe thunderstorms through Thursday and heading into Friday. Large areas have been issued yellow weather warnings, with the conditions threatening to be severe until 10pm on Thursday. In Scotland, the warning continues from Wednesday, while it began in Ireland from midday on Thursday. open image in gallery A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is in place for parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland on Thursday, both lasting until 10pm ( Met Office ) The Met Office said 20 to 40mm of rain could fall in less than an hour in Scotland, and as much as 50 to 70mm in two hours. In Ireland, 40mm is expected in less than an hour, and up to 50mm in total. Despite the rainy conditions, the warm weather is set to persist as the UK continues to experience its fourth heatwave of the year, even in areas where storms will hit. Paul Gundersen, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: Some areas will continue to experience their fourth heatwave of the summer so far, with Thursday remaining warm or very warm for many, though cooler near coasts. Temperatures could still reach 30C in eastern England, though many areas will be a few degrees cooler than earlier in the week. The forecaster has told residents in the areas covered by the warning to be prepared for flash flooding if their area is at higher risk. It advises that people make travel plans in advance where necessary, and prepare for power cuts, strong winds, and thunder. open image in gallery Heavy thunderstorms are set to be met with high heat in Scotland and Northern Ireland ( Met Office ) Heading into the weekend, the heat spell is forecast to continue in the South, while more northern regions are set to see cloudier skies. The thunderstorms should subside by Friday, replaced by drizzly skies at worst. Temperatures could reach as high as 31C in the south of England, continuing the heatwave conditions the country has been experiencing. This drops to around 30C on Saturday, and 29C on Sunday. The exact regions covered by the yellow weather warning on Thursday are: Scotland Angus Dundee Fife Perth and Kinross Aberdeen Aberdeenshire Moray Highland Northern Ireland Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Rachel Reeves should water down her inheritance tax raid on family farms to protect workers, according to a think tank that championed the controversial Labour policy. The Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (CenTax), which has been broadly supportive of the idea of a so called tractor tax, warned that landowners were less likely to be impacted by the reform than working farmers. The move will increase pressure on the chancellor over her plans, which critics say could sound the death knell for many family farms. Farmers protest in Whitehall, London, over the changes to inheritance tax (IHT) rules in the budget which introduced new taxes on farms worth more than 1 million (Jordan Pettitt/PA) ( PA Wire ) The changes mean that farms valued at 1m or more will be liable for 20 per cent inheritance tax. The Treasury says that, with tax allowances, in reality only farms worth 3m would be affected around 28 per cent of family farms. But official Defra figures appear to suggest as many as 66 per cent could be hit. Ministers have defended the changes, saying that they had to take difficult decisions in the wake of what Labour says was a 22bn black hole in the public finances left by the last Tory government. However, CenTax has now said that working farmers are more likely to suffer under the policy, despite Labours claim to protect working people. It suggested two ways the policy could be better targeted, including capping inheritance tax relief to the first 10m of a claim to allow 100 per cent relief to 2m per estate. It also suggested a minimum share rule, to remove inheritance tax relief for passive investors in farmland, so they cannot be used as a tax shelter. Last year, minister Daniel Zeichner told MPs the government had introduced the plans to protect small fares. He said: Currently, small farms can find themselves facing the same levels of tax bills as much larger farms, despite having a much smaller asset. Twenty per cent of agricultural property relief is claimed by the top 2 per cent; 40 per cent is claimed by the top 7 per cent. That is not fair, it is not sustainable, and sadly, it has been used in some cases by wealthy landowners to avoid inheritance tax. That is why the Government has announced plans to reform agricultural property relief. CenTax found just 20 per cent of landowner estates would be hit by the tax, compared to 25 per cent of tenant farmer estates, 45 per cent of owner-farmer estates, and 67 per cent mixed tenure estates. CenTax said: Landowners are less likely to be impacted by the reform than working farmers, representing 64 per cent of all farm estates but 42 per cent of impacted farm estates. Owner-farmers represent 17 per cent of all farm estates but 37 per cent of impacted farm estates. Mo Metcalf-Fisher, from the Countryside Alliance, said: Labour ministers repeatedly say they want to protect genuine family farming businesses, while tackling tax avoidance, through inheritance tax changes. The evidence, however, points to it being these very families and their farms that will be badly impacted by the policy, as it stands. There is still time to listen to experts from the farming sector and rethink the policy before its too late. Ms Reeves is currently under pressure to find a 50bn hole in the governments finances, according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The first few seconds of Chinese rap hit "Blueprint Supreme," which has amassed over 22 million streams on music platform Spotify, tend to captivate most first-time listeners with its distinctive groove and retro flair. Musically, the song's backing track fuses a Memphis rap beat -- a contemporary hip-hop sub-genre named after its city of origin in the United States -- with the warbling vocals of Princess Chang Ping, a celebrated 1950s Cantonese opera that reimagines the tragic fate of the last Ming emperor's daughter following the dynasty's collapse in 1644. As one of the breakout hits of Chinese rapper Lanlao, who was born in south China's Guangdong Province and heavily influenced by the region's Cantonese heritage in songwriting, "Blueprint Supreme" narrates the 27-year-old's aspiration to flourish in the mundane world by following a set of moral codes and street wisdom rooted in "old-school" Chinese culture. Despite language or cultural barriers, the song has demonstrated its universal appeal to overseas audiences on social media. On TikTok, cheerful dance videos set to "Blueprint Supreme" have gone viral, as netizens, from Western influencers and K-pop stars to uniformed students, newlyweds, salespeople and athletes, take on the song's choreographed steps. Under the official YouTube music video for "Blueprint Supreme," which has garnered over 6 million views, starstruck netizens from around the world flood the comment section to express their admiration for the song. "Greetings from Greece! As soon as my 5-year-old son heard it, he started dancing and doing all the Kung Fu moves!" read a comment. "I found this song this morning, I don't understand a word of what they're saying, but I've already listened to it at least 20 times. Greetings from Italy," read another. However, "Blueprint Supreme" is more than just a danceable hit; its music has drawn many listeners and analysts to explore its lyrics and cultural roots in greater depth. "Everybody agrees the beat is a work of art, but if you understand the lyrics and the many references and hidden meanings about Chinese/Cantonese sayings and cultural references, it's such poetry and social commentary at the same time," read a YouTube comment. The song, opening with the catchy lines "singing karaoke in a villa" and "silver arowana swimming in a pond," features a plethora of daily and cultural expressions for a bustling and affluent life. According to music commentator Wu Fusheng, the success of "Blueprint Supreme" and Lanlao's other hit, "Stacks from All Sides," stems from their reflection of people's collective aspiration for economic growth in the post-pandemic era. Lao Yibo, a local cultural expert, believes that the culinary symbols featured in the song, such as Cantonese-style Char Siu buns, roasted meat, clay pot dishes and rice dumplings, are not only a microcosm of the region's food culture, but also embody the exquisite and refined lifestyle of the local people. "For native listeners, these symbols evoke nostalgic memories of home, whereas for international audiences, these serve as fresh cultural ciphers that invite them to feel Guangdong people's life through their imagination of the flavors," Lao said. In a recent column, Zhang Yiwu, a professor at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Peking University, noted that the popularity of "Blueprint Supreme" is no accident, but a vivid testament to the growing global appeal of Chinese culture in recent years. "From songs and dances such as the 'Subject Three' dance moves and 'Blueprint Supreme,' to films and TV drams such as 'Ne Zha 2' and 'Legend of Zang Hai,' from popular games like 'Black Myth: Wukong' and 'Mecha BREAK' to globally trending toys from Pop Mart, Chinese pop culture is gaining increasing recognition by people around the world," Zhang wrote, adding that the phenomenon is multi-dimensional, extensive and continuous. During a recent interview with the Global Times, Lanlao, whose real name is Chen Xukai, also weighed in on the cultural aspect of "Blueprint Supreme." "I don't want to tell people directly what is good or bad, but I'll always use Chinese cultural connotations to convey my thoughts," the young rapper said, adding that his upcoming works will delve deeper into reflections on classic Chinese culture. Editor: Xiong Jian Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky are united in their strong resolve to secure a just peace in Ukraine ahead of the summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. After a meeting at No 10, the prime minister and the Ukrainian president expressed cautious optimism about the prospect of a truce "as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious" about ending the war, Downing Street said. Mr Trump and the Russian president are due to meet in Alaska on Friday, raising fears the pair will try to decide the end of the war themselves, leaving Ukraine excluded and putting Europe's future security in jeopardy. The US president said he believed Putin will make a deal, during an interview on Fox News radio on Thursday - but then later appeared to play down expectations, suggesting a second meeting involving Mr Zelensky would be more important. As the world nervously awaits the meeting on Friday, Putin has dangled the idea that the talks could lead to Moscow and Washington reaching a deal on nuclear arms control. open image in gallery Starmer meets Zelensky at Downing Street ahead of Trump-Putin summit ( PA ) After their private breakfast meeting, seen as a show of support for Kyiv, Downing Street said Sir Keir and Mr Zelensky agreed there had been a powerful sense of unity and a strong resolve to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Downing Street added there was a viable chance to make progress as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious about peace. As they entered No 10, Sir Keir embraced Mr Zelensky in front of the cameras. But the pair refused to be drawn on whether Mr Trump could be trusted. It comes after Mr Trump threatened severe consequences if Putin does not agree to peace in Ukraine. open image in gallery The two men met in Downing Street ( Getty ) After his meeting with Sir Keir, Mr Zelensky suggested he and the PM had war-gamed potential outcomes of the Trump-Putin summit. We continue to coordinate our positions, he said in a post on X. We discussed expectations for the meeting in Alaska and possible prospects. We also discussed in considerable detail the security guarantees that can make peace truly durable if the United States succeeds in pressing Russia to stop the killings and engage in genuine, substantive diplomacy. He also urged Britain to join Nato's Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List initiative (Purl), which provides weapons to Kyiv, following a report that the UK is to scale back plans for a military peacekeeping force in Ukraine. Since the weekend, Europe has rallied behind Ukraines right to decide its own future, amid concerns over Mr Zelenskys exclusion from Fridays summit. At the weekend, Mr Trump suggested a truce could involve some "swapping" of land. But Mr Zelensky furiously rejected any proposal that would compromise Ukraine's territorial integrity. Putin is expected to use the summit to demand that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region, which it still controls. The Kremlin said that meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, will start at 11.30am local time (8.30pm UK time). Russias foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters that Mr Trump and Putin will first sit down for one-on-one talks, followed by a meeting between the two delegations. Talks will then continue over "a working breakfast. Following a meeting with his top officials, Putin said in a short video released by the Kremlin on Thursday that the Trump administration was making "quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities" and to "reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved. Putin also suggested that "long-term conditions of peace between our countries, and in Europe, and in the world as a whole," could be reached under an agreement with the US on nuclear arms control. In Washington, Mr Trump said there was a 25 per cent chance that the summit would fail, but he also floated the idea that, if it succeeded, he could bring Mr Zelensky to Alaska for a three-way meeting. He told Fox News Radio: I believe now, he's convinced that he's going to make a deal. He's going to make a deal. I think he's going to, and we're going to find out. Later, while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Mr Trump said he would not let Putin get the better of him, adding: Hes not going to mess around with me. He also highlighted the importance of a second meeting, whcih he said could also involve European leaders. Tomorrow [Friday], all I want to do is set the table for the next meeting, which should happen shortly, he said. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Angela Rayner previously called for Britons to have the right to stop working during heatwaves, it has emerged. During the 2022 heatwave, which saw temperatures of 40C recorded in the UK for the first time, the now deputy prime minister urged the previous Conservative government to urgently introduce guidance on safe working temperatures. It would force employers to control temperatures at work by providing extra breaks, flexible working hours or allowing employees to finish their shifts early if temperatures are exceeded. Posting to social media, Ms Rayner minister shared a link to a Guardian article with the headline: Unions call for maximum UK workplace temperature as heatwave descends. She added: We need urgent guidance for safe indoor working temperatures and the government must ensure employers allow staff to work flexibly in this heat. Where is their plan to keep people safe? Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is also Housing Secretary ( PA ) Health secretary Wes Streeting has also previously expressed support for such legislation, signing an early day motion in July 2016 in support of a similar move alongside foreign secretary David Lammy, Scotland secretary Ian Murray and culture secretary Lisa Nandy. It comes as unions GMB and Unite have reportedly begun fresh talks with ministers to introduce a legal limit of 27C for manual jobs. The Health and Safety Executive, which regulates workplace health, safety and welfare, is drawing up new guidance which is expected to tell employers to implement heat stress assessments but it is expected to stop short of setting maximum temperature rules. Meanwhile, according to The Telegraph, London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is weighing up whether flexible working hours should be offered to workers to avoid peak heat hours. It comes as temperatures in parts of the UK surpassed 30C this week, during the fourth heatwave of the summer. Greece requires manual workers to take a break between midday and 5pm, while Spain, Italy and Germany have maximum working temperatures during the summer months. A government spokesperson said: The deputy prime ministers previous call was for guidance on safe indoor working temperatures. A Health and Safety Executive workplace temperature checklist is publicly available to provide such guidance for employers and we welcome their continued work in this area. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice British and other allied troops are ready to act from day one in the event of a ceasefire in Ukraine, the defence secretary has said, ahead of crunch talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska. He also dismissed suggestions that the UKs approach to the war was to watch and wait as the talks take place, saying that Britains role is to lead the charge on military aid to Ukraine so that we dont jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the current war. His comments came as Russian and American delegations arrived in Alaska ahead of the crucial summit, which will include a one-on-one meeting, a bilateral lunch with both delegations and a press conference. John Healey denied that Britains approach is to watch and wait ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) The UK has promised to put a reassurance force in Ukraine in the event that a peace deal is struck. However, there have been reports in recent days that this force will be scaled back from the 30,000 strong force that had originally been floated. Speaking on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Mr Healey was asked if British troops would leave Ukraine in the event of an attack. While he dismissed the question as a hypothetical, he reiterated the important principle that any British forces have the right to defend themselves if attacked. The defence secretary added: But the purpose of any British forces is part of a much wider coalition of the willing. And you've got to bear in mind that we've had over 200 military planners from 30 nations over the last few months doing detailed, detailed planning for the point of a ceasefire and the support of multinational forces that can reinforce safe skies, safe seas, and rebuild the Ukrainian forces for themselves. They are ready to go. They're ready to act from day one in a ceasefire. We're setting up the joint headquarters with the French for that, the military plans are complete, and that's a further contribution the UK can help make standing with Ukraine during the fight, support during the negotiations, and a willingness to step in and help secure a long term peace in which Russia is deterred by Ukraine from ever launching an attack again. And asked whether Britains role was to watch and wait, the defence secretary told BBC Breakfast: No, the UKs role is to stand with Ukraine on the battlefield and in the negotiations. Our role is to lead the charge as we have been on more intensive diplomacy, to lead the charge on military aid to Ukraine so that we dont jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the current war, and being ready also to step up economic pressure on Putin if hes not willing to take the talks seriously, he added. Concerns linger over the prospect of Kyiv being excluded from negotiations over its own future, and pressured to cede territory, after the US leader suggested any agreement may need to involve swapping of land. But Mr Healey said the summit could be a first step towards serious negotiations for peace, adding that the end to any conflict must come from diplomacy. European leaders are braced for the meeting and have expressed hope about the prospect of a potential ceasefire after a joint call with US president Mr Trump earlier this week. On Thursday, Mr Trump suggested European leaders could be invited to a second meeting if Fridays summit is a success. On the same day, Sir Keir met with the Ukrainian leader and the pair expressed cautious optimism about the prospect of a truce as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious about ending the war, a Downing Street statement said. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Three women in Gambia have been charged over the death of a one-month-old girl who had undergone female genital mutilation, the police said. The childs death is the first such case since the country stopped short of reversing a ban on the practice last year. The West African nation banned female genital cutting in 2015, but the country was rocked by a renewed debate about the practice last year following the first prosecutions of female cutters. It was the first time the practice also known as female circumcision and outlawed in many nations was publicly discussed. Eventually, the Gambian parliament upheld the ban, but many say the practice continues in secrecy. Three women were charged on Tuesday under the ban, the Womens (Amendment) Act 2015. One woman is facing life imprisonment, and the other two were charged as accomplices. open image in gallery Women who met to discuss female genital mutilation, in Soma, Gambia, in 2024 ( AP ) Preliminary findings indicate the child was allegedly subjected to circumcision and later developed severe bleeding, the police said in a separate statement on Sunday, following the infant's death. She was rushed to Bundung Maternal and Child Health Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The United Nations estimates that about 75 per cent of women in Gambia have been subjected as young girls to the procedure known by its initials FGM, which includes partial or full removal of a girls external genitalia. The World Health Organisation says its a form of torture. More than 200 million women and girls across the world are survivors of FGM, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa, according to U.N. estimates. In the past eight years alone, some 30 million women globally have been cut, most of them in Africa but also in Asia and the Middle East, UNICEF said last year. The procedure, typically performed by older women or traditional community practitioners, is often done with tools such as razor blades and can cause serious bleeding, death and complications later in life, including in childbirth. Supporters of the procedure argue that cutting is rooted in Gambias culture and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Religious conservatives behind the campaign to reverse the ban described cutting as one of the virtues of Islam. Those against FGM said its supporters are seeking to curtail womens rights in the name of tradition. open image in gallery Metta, a survivor of female genital mutilation ( AP ) The chair of the National Human Rights Commission, Emmanuel Daniel Joof, called the incident a national wake-up call and added: Our task now is clear: enforce it (the law) fully and fairly, without fear or favour. Civil society groups expressed sorrow and outrage over the death of the one-month-old girl. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done, to send a strong message that the rights and lives of girls in The Gambia are not negotiable, the Banjul-based Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice said. However, the collective Concerned Citizens called on the Gambian government to stop targeting female circumcisers. The people of The Gambia have consistently expressed, through various lawful means, their opposition to the ban and have instructed their elected Members of Parliament to repeal the said prohibition, they said in a statement. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A complete shutdown of Air Canada is imminent, threatening to ground the countrys dominant air carrier if an agreement is not reached by early Saturday between the airline and the union representing its flight attendants. More than 10,000 flight attendants are set to strike around 1 a.m. EST on Saturday, which would be followed by a company-imposed lockout, potentially affecting approximately 130,000 passengers daily. The widespread industrial action could also leave some 25,000 Canadians abroad stranded. In anticipation of the disruption, Air Canada announced it expects to cancel 500 flights by the end of Friday, having already begun cancellations on Thursday. By Friday lunchtime, 87 domestic and 176 international flights scheduled for Friday and Saturday had been called off, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. On Thursday, when the airline initiated a "phased wind down" of most operations, 18 domestic and four international flights were cancelled. Canada's Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu urged a resolution, stating: "We strongly urge the parties to work with federal mediators and get a deal done. Time is precious and Canadians are counting on you." The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing the flight attendants, declined to voluntarily enter arbitration, insisting: "The appropriate course of action is for Air Canada to return to the table and resume good faith bargaining." The union, which represents about 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants, and the airline cite disagreements over key issues, including pay raises, as having stalled contract negotiations. open image in gallery Air Canada Flight Attendants Air Canadas chief operating officer, Mark Nasr, indicated that the decision to lock out union members, even if it meant halting flights, would facilitate an orderly restart, which he said would "take a full week to complete" under the best circumstances. The union and Air Canada have been in contract talks for about eight months without reaching a provisional agreement. CUPE held a vote at the end of July, with 99.7 per cent approving a strike. On Wednesday, it issued Air Canada a 72-hour strike notice. The airline responded with a lockout notice, stating it would prevent flight attendants from working on Saturday. The union confirmed it rejected a proposal from the airline for a binding arbitration process that would have averted a flight attendant strike, preferring to negotiate a deal for its members to vote on. The duration of any grounding remains uncertain. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A woman is suing a Florida dairy farm after alleging that coming into contact with bacteria from its raw, unpasteurized milk caused her to suffer a miscarriage. Rachel Maddox filed a lawsuit in Seminole County on Wednesday against Keely Farms Dairy of New Smyrna Beach, the same business that was last week tied to at least 21 cases of E. coli and Campylobacter bacteria sickness by state health officials, according to Orlandos News 6. Of the 21 people taken ill, six were children under 10 and seven were hospitalized, at least two of whom have suffered severe complications, the officials say. I became very ill and I mean the sickest Ive ever been in my life, Maddox told News 6. I came really close to dying and our [unborn] son did die. The doctors told me that I was lucky to be alive. open image in gallery Rachel Maddox is interviewed on News 6 on Thursday 14 August 2025 after filing a lawsuit against a Florida dairy farm whose raw milk, she alleges, caused her to suffer a miscarriage ( News 6 ) Her lawsuit also names the organic food store at which she bought the raw milk in June. Maddox claims she was unaware of the potential dangers associated with drinking the milk and was allegedly told, when she asked a clerk about a label that said something to the effect [of] for consumption by animals, that it was only a technical requirement to sell farm milk. She told News 6 that she had bought the product on several occasions for other family members, including her toddler, in recent months, but never drank it herself. Then, on June 8, her child fell ill and suffered diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, chills, and resultant dehydration, resulting in the first of three hospital visits that month. On June 13, the pregnant Maddox became sick herself and, in turn, sought medical treatment for ongoing diarrhea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, and chills that led to septic shock and severe dehydration, according to the lawsuit. Tests duly revealed that she had contracted Campylobacter, a bacterium she believes she came into contact with while caring for her child. I contracted the bacteria from cleaning up the diarrhea and vomiting, Maddox said. As a mom, you get a lot of stuff on you when your kid is sick, and I became ill by contracting the bacteria that way. On June 18, her 20-week-old foetus died, and she was readmitted to hospital with sepsis, the beginning of a long and challenging recovery period. open image in gallery Keely Farms Dairy in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, which is the subject of a new lawsuit after 21 people were taken ill after allegedly coming into contact with its raw milk, according to state health officials ( News 6 ) She is now seeking a jury trial and damages for the mental and physical injuries she has incurred, the lawsuit states. Keely Farms has so far declined to comment beyond saying that its milk is sold as animal feed and is not intended for human consumption. However, it has posted positive laboratory testing for its produce on Facebook and written in a subsequent post: The Florida Department of Agriculture inspects AND approves all raw milk labels. They mandate what the labels say on them. You cannot make changes to your label without approval. They come check to make sure you are actually using the approved label. Some basics that are required on your state approved label include the statement Not for Human Consumption, what animal it should be fed to, your farm name and complete address, nutritional info if animal feed... You cannot display raw milk as if for human consumption. (It cannot be next to pasteurized milk etc). You must have warnings and signage. The department does market checks to be sure their rules are being followed. The Independent has reached out to Keely Farms for additional comment. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice So-called ICE Barbie Kristi Noem has claimed 1.6 million migrants have left the country since President Donald Trump took office but the group behind the number says it may be overstated. The Homeland Security secretary, known for donning Immigrations and Customs Enforcement gear for publicity stunts, appeared on Fox News Thursday to share, We have 1.6 million illegal immigrants that have left this country voluntarily. I think these numbers just show exactly the genius of Donald J. Trump, she said. He said, Kristi, if youre gonna be my Homeland Security secretary, were gonna follow the law, youre gonna do commercials, youre gonna tell the world that no longer will we tolerate people being in our country illegally and that they need to go home. Homeland Security posted on X Thursday, sharing what it said was unprecedented data showing, 1.6 MILLION illegals are OUT of our country in the last 200 days. open image in gallery So-called ICE Barbie Kristi Noem has claimed 1.6 million migrants have left the country since President Donald Trump took office but the group behind the number says it may be overstated ( U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Getty Images ) The data was from a release published by the Center for Immigration Studies, a non-profit research organization that describes itself as low-immigration, pro-immigrant. The non-profit analyzed data from the governments Current Population Survey and found the estimated number of the illegal immigrant population in the U.S. in January was 15.8 million and it decreased to 14.2 million by July. But there were some caveats the non-profit mentioned including the possibility immigrants may now be more reluctant to respond to the government survey because of the recent stepped-up enforcement efforts. If this is the case, then our estimate of illegal immigrants based on the survey may be overstating the decline in their actual numbers, the non-profit warned. The group also noted the July data is just preliminary as some of the administrative data necessary to estimate illegal immigrants is not yet available. When approached about the reports caveats, a DHS spokesperson told The Independent, We are not reliant on this study or reportour own numbers out of USCIS [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] are consistent with this data. DHS says the 1.6 million figure refers to those who left the U.S. on their own. The agency has pushed for illegal immigrants to self-deport to avoid being arrested and to potentially return legally to the country in the future. It has even offered to pay for illegal immigrants travel expenses and give them an extra $1,000 if they self-deport. open image in gallery A demonstrator lifts an American-Mexican flag in front of Marines while they stand guard during a protest against ICE raids on July 4 in Los Angeles ( Apu Gomes/Getty Images ) But DHS has also more notably cracked down on illegal immigration through ICE raids across the country. More than 352,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested, and more than 324,000 have been removed from the U.S., according to a Thursday press release from DHS. But data shows the pace of daily immigration arrests fell nearly 20 percent in July. Between July 1 and 27, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement averaged 990 daily arrests, down from 1,224 the previous month, according to government data analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a nonpartisan research project based at Syracuse University. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Part of New York City was covered in black smoke as a Manhattan apartment building fire led to a massive response. Three New York City firefighters sustained minor injuries Friday while working to contain a fire on the roof of a seven-story apartment building on Manhattans Upper East Side. The three-alarm fire broke out around 10 a.m. at 305 East 95th Street, FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief James Canty said in a news conference. Firefighters arrived within four minutes and found flames on the roof spreading to the three top-floor penthouses and the ceiling area. About 40 fire squads and 170 firefighters, including EMS, responded, Canty said. Fire crews quickly contained the blaze, which started on the roof, to the original building, preventing its spread. FDNY responded to a fire at an apartment building in New York City that left part of Manhattan covered in black smoke. ( FDNY ) The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Earlier Friday, officials said residents should expect smoke and traffic delays in the area. They should also avoid the smoke and close any windows. Videos from the fire showed black smoke pouring from the roof and filling New York City streets. Some of the videos also showed flames coming from the top of the building. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Louisianas top prosecutor is suing Roblox, accusing the platform of failing to safeguard children from online predators and referring to it as the perfect place for pedophiles. Attorney General Liz Murrill filed the suit on Thursday in Louisianas 21st Judicial District, accusing the Roblox Corporation of recklessly designing its platform without a robust age verification process. According to the 42-page filing, tens of millions of users can easily create accounts with false birthdays, allowing adults to pose as children and minors to bypass controls meant to protect those younger than 13. About 20 percent of Robloxs 82 million users are under the age of nine, according to the company's 2024-25 annual report. The platform offers a vast catalogue of games and experiences, a significant number of which are designed by users and include real-time messaging with a smaller portion offering voice chat for 13-plus accounts. open image in gallery Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill shared a screenshot from her suit of an in-game experience called 'Escape to Epstein Island' ( Liz Murrill/X ) The suit points to a tranche of sexually explicit in-game experiences on the platform. They include Escape to Epstein Island, referencing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and 600 games relating to Sean Diddy Combs, who was found guilty last month on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Another experience called Public Showers, where users are encouraged to roleplay and relax together, had more than 580,000 visits, according to a Louisiana DOJ screenshot shared by Murill on X. The suit alleges that a man arrested in Louisiana last month on suspicion of possessing child sexual abuse material was using the platform at the time he was taken into custody. He had allegedly used voice-altering technology to mimic the sound of a young female to lure and sexually exploit minors on the platform. open image in gallery Attorney General of Louisiana Liz Murrill filed the lawsuit on Thursday against the Roblox Corporation ( Getty Images ) It also accuses Roblox of unfair trade practices, negligence, and unjust enrichment, seeking a permanent order barring the company from violating Louisiana law or misrepresenting its safety features. According to the filing, the Roblox Corporations failure to implement adequate safety features and its failure to provide notice of the danger, provides the perfect place for pedophiles. In a statement released Thursday, Murill said: Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritizes user growth, revenue, and profits over child safety. Every parent should be aware of the clear and present danger [posed] to their children by Roblox so they can prevent the unthinkable from ever happening in their own home. A spokesperson for Roblox declined to comment on the allegations when pressed by NBC News, citing pending litigation. They said the company dedicates substantial resources to help detect and prevent inappropriate content and behavior, including attempts to direct users off platform, where safety standards and moderation may be less stringent than ours. open image in gallery Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna has launched an online petition against Roblox, accusing the platform of insufficient child safety measures ( Getty Images for Court Accountab ) The company is facing a growing wave of lawsuits related to child safety and exploitation, including a federal filing in Texas alleging that an 8-year-old boy was sexually exploited on the platform. Roblox is also under bipartisan scrutiny, with Democratic Representative Ro Khanna launching an online petition against Roblox, accusing the platform of insufficient child safety measures. He hopes to garner one million signatures by Friday. Louisiana State Representative, Lauria Schlegal, a Republican, said that Murills lawsuit was great news, writing on X: Roblox has been one of the worst at protecting children on its platform and every year, they fight my online child protection bills. open image in gallery David Baszucki, founder and CEO of Roblox, has faced growing calls to step down after the company's battle with so-called vigilantes ( Getty ) Robloxs CEO and founder, David Baszucki, has faced calls to resign after his company sent a cease and desist letter to a YouTuber known for exposing alleged child predators. The Roblox Corporation reportedly issued a legal complaint last week to a 22-year-old content creator known as Schlep, a self-styled predator hunter who claims his investigations led to six arrests of individuals attempting to groom minors on the platform. A petition calling for Baszucki to fix what hes caused or resign had more than 64,000 signatures by Friday morning. Another video citing the petitions for the Roblox CEOs resignation surpassed 1.3 million views on YouTube. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Orthodox Christians across Alaska have begun three days of prayer for peace, ahead of Friday's summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The high-level meeting in Alaska is set to focus on the ongoing war in Ukraine. The spiritual initiative comes as Orthodoxy, the majority religion in both Russia and Ukraine, has become a significant source of contention. The Russian churchs leadership has strongly supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has exacerbated a deep schism among Ukraines Orthodox faithful. Archbishop Alexei of the Diocese of Sitka and Alaska in the Orthodox Church of America said: "With the leaders coming to Alaska, what is the one thing that the church can offer? That is prayers for peace." The Orthodox Church of America (OCA) is the independent descendant of Russian Orthodox missionaries who established the faith in Alaska during the 18th and 19th centuries, when it was a Tsarist territory. The church now oversees approximately 80 parishes statewide and hundreds more across North America. open image in gallery Archbishop Alexei of the Diocese of Sitka and Alaska, center, leads a prayer service for peace in the Russia-Ukraine War at the Saint Innocent Cathedral in Anchorage, Alaska, ahead of a US-Russia summit ( Associated Press/Mark Thiessen ) The prayers commenced on Tuesday, with initial supplications seeking the intercession of St. Olga of Kwethluk an Alaska Native woman canonised in June as the first Orthodox woman saint in North America. She was known to be really a healer in families, said Alexei, who led prayers dedicated to her on Tuesday at St. Innocent Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Anchorage. And because of the great pain and hardship that is experienced by families in Ukraine and also in Russia, it felt good to start there. Wednesdays services sought the intercession of St. Herman, an early monk and missionary known for standing up against Russian authorities when they were doing what was wrong to the people, Alexei said. On Thursday, the prayers focused on a historic icon of the Mother of God at the cathedral in Sitka, which was the capital of Alaska under Russian rule. Alexei said he hopes the prayers will touch the hearts of our leaders. open image in gallery Two parishioners pray at St. Tikhon Orthodox Church in Anchorage during an Akathist service dedicated to peace in Ukraine ( Associated Press/Daniel Kozin ) Lorinda Fortuin, one of the worshippers at Tuesdays service at the Anchorage cathedral, echoed the thought. My heart breaks for my Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox brothers that are killing each other, over what? she said. Its just a shame, and I want to just do what I can to bring peace to this world, and I believe my prayers can play a part in that. Mark Kalashnikov, another worshipper and a native of Russia living in the United States, said many people he knows have suffered in the war. It is reassuring to see there is at least some communication happening, he said of the summit. We are trying to do what is asked of us, to come together as a community locally and to pray. BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A dark blue vessel, tapering gracefully to the bottleneck with its rim pulling out like a lower lip readying for a sip, was presented as a state gift from China to world leaders at the 2014 APEC Summit in Beijing. The enamel, crafted with the traditional Chinese technique known as Jingtai Blue or Chinese cloisonne, was carefully selected to demonstrate China's rich artistic heritage. "I'm truly honored to be part of the team that brought this piece to life," said Zhong Liansheng, designer of the enamel and a seasoned craftsman of the traditional art. At the Jingtai Blue Art Museum in China's capital, the 63-year-old master told curious visitors a story dating back over 600 years. JOURNEY TO THE EAST Initially made by Islamic artisans and imported from the Byzantine Empire, Jingtai Blue flourished in China in the 1450s and was named after the title of the reigning emperor at that time. It became the hallmark of fine cloisonne and remains highly prized today because of its intricate production and exceptional artistry. Chinese artisans have localized Jingtai Blue after it was introduced to China, said Zhong. "Far from a mere imitation, the craft was instilled with numerous Chinese elements such as the lotus, fish and dragons." The fish means "abundance every year" in Chinese culture, and the "two dragons chasing a pearl" is also a traditional icon, explained Zhong as he flipped through a catalog of artworks. The centuries-old craftsmanship has won appreciation from a global audience amid China's commitment to cultural openness and mutual learning. An exhibition dubbed "Jingtai Blue: A witness to mutual learning among civilizations" was held last year in Germany, showcasing dozens of signature pieces. "The artworks were met with wonder," said Zhong, one of the event's organizers. "Many visitors had never seen Jingtai Blue before. I could hear their gasps. I felt like a modern-day Marco Polo." "From the journey eastward to its growing global influence, the story of Jingtai Blue reflects centuries of cultural exchange and artistic refinement," he said. INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE Creating a piece of Jingtai Blue is meticulous and requires extraordinary skill. A Jingtai Blue maker needs to be patient, precise and understand the materials well to complete six major steps, including metal shaping, copper wire inlay, enameling, firing, polishing and gilding. "Every stage requires true craftsmanship," said Zhong, who received the title of Chinese Arts and Crafts Master in 2006. "You have to be completely devoted." According to Zhong, the most trying part is the design. "You're sketching on a flat sheet, but the vessel's surface is curved," Zhong explained. Since discovering a passion for art in high school in 1978, the craft master has spent nearly fifty years honing his skills in creating Jingtai Blue. The official inclusion of the craft on the list of China's intangible cultural heritage in 2006 sparked renewed interest among a new wave of apprentices. In a workshop downstairs at the museum, artisans were hard at work. Among them is Liu Kenan, who focused intently on affixing copper wire to a tea table. "I'm responsible for copper wire inlay, and I have to pay attention to every minute detail. A single slip could ruin the entire piece," he said. "But I love the job. It brings me peace." TRADITION MEETS MODERNITY In recent years, works of the ancient Chinese culture have been reimagined with popular contemporary themes, such as the Winter Olympic Games, the 24 solar terms, and iconic tourist attractions of China. The evolution has helped the art appeal to the public, especially the younger generations. "Innovation is the key," said Chen Rui, a museum guide, as she led visitors through the multiple novelties in the museum, one of which is modeled on the Chariot from the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin. The visitors craned their necks, phones in hand, eager to capture the moment. According to Chen, preserving the essence while innovating the aesthetics enables a revival of Jingtai Blue today. Products that are relevant in daily lives are more likely to win the hearts of young people, such as lamps and tissue boxes crafted with the technique. On the museum walls hang pieces created by school students. Several Beijing schools now offer Jingtai Blue classes, giving the next generations hands-on experience and the opportunity to forge their own works. "In modern times, intangible cultural heritage must be inherited and carried forward," said Zhong. "Only by passing it on can we ensure its future." Editor: Xiong Jian Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A respiratory disease allegedly sweeping through Alligator Alcatraz has prompted multiple affidavits in support of a class-action lawsuit against the remote Florida immigrant detention center. Lawyers and migrants being held inside the Everglades facility have reported a trend of negligence and worsening conditions, including a mystery illness, possibly Covid-19, running rampant through the camp. Eric Lee, an attorney for former detainee Luis Manuel Rivas Velasquez, filed a complaint on Wednesday against Alligator Alcatraz, accusing it of being a petri dish for disease. Last Thursday, Velasquez, a 38-year-old Venezuelan influencer, told Lee that he fell seriously ill with breathing problems. After allegedly being denied medical care for 48 hours, at one point, the detainee collapsed and became unresponsive. In the filings, Lee said that Velasquez was taken to Miamis Kendall regional medical center and diagnosed with a respiratory infection before being briefly returned to the Florida camp and then transferred to another facility in El Paso, Texas. open image in gallery The Department of Homeland Security denied that any disease is running rampant at Alligator Alcatraz ( Getty ) The Department of Homeland released a statement on Thursday and said that Velasquez fainted and was taken to the hospital out of precaution. Along with reporting respiratory symptoms, the plaintiff said that conditions at the facility had deteriorated significantly, with more detainees falling ill. Lee told the Guardian on Tuesday that multiple detainees have informed him that the vast majority of those held in the camp have become sick. There are people who are losing breath, he said. There are people who are walking around coughing on one another. Protesters at the jail gates say they have recorded several instances of ambulances arriving and leaving. However, the DHS said in its statement that there is no widespread disease circulating at Alligator Alcatraz and no cases of COVID and no cases of Tuberculosis. In an earlier statement to the Miami New Times, Stephanie Hartman, a department spokesperson, did not answer questions about a possible outbreak. Detainees have access to a 24/7, fully staffed medical facility with a pharmacy on site, she said. open image in gallery President Donald Trump toured the freshly opened immigrant detention facility on July 1 ( AFP via Getty Images ) After being transferred to the El Paso facility, Velasquez reportedly called Lee and said that his condition was worsening. I dont want to die in here, he told Lee on the phone call before abruptly being cut off, according to the filing. In a separate filing, detainees and attorneys alleged that Alligator Alcatraz had poor sanitation, limited access to legal counsel, and overcrowded tented housing. Plaintiffs portrayed the site as lacking adequate medical infrastructure with hundreds of migrants crammed into close quarters in extreme heat and humidity, with poor ventilation and limited access to hygiene. According to the filing, detainees have been left in their bunks without testing or treatment. It also accuses immigration officials of erecting an unconstitutional barrier between detainees and their counsel. Federal judges have recently intervened in other detention settings to order improved conditions after lawyers documented unsafe and unsanitary environments. Separately, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Mary Williams last Thursday temporarily halted any further construction of Alligator Alcatraz after two days of testimony about the environmental impact of the site. In response, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that operations at Alligator Alcatraz are ongoing and deportations are continuing. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has moved to rescind new guidelines issued by D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith to enable greater collaboration between local police and ICE agents as part of President Donald Trumps urban crime crackdown. On Thursday, an executive order from Smith said Metropolitan Police Department officers could assist ICEs crackdown on undocumented migrants by sharing information about persons not in MPD custody and providing transportation for federal immigration agency employees and detained subjects. However, it also stated that members shall not make any inquiry through any database solely for the purpose of inquiring about an individuals immigration status and shall not arrest individuals based solely on federal immigration warrants or detainers as long as there is no additional crime warrant or underlying offense for which the individual is subject to arrest. open image in gallery Attorney General Pam Bondi has assumed control of policing in Washington, D.C., after President Donald Trump moved to federalize law enforcement on Monday ( AP ) Bondi who was handed ultimate responsibility for the MPD after Trump invoked Section 740 of the Home Rule Act on Monday to federalize D.C. law enforcement has now moved to remove those instructions, clearing the way for officers to help ICE by searching databases and carrying out arrests after all. However, a letter sent to Smith from District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb, posted to social media by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Thursday evening, argued that Bondis directives were not consistent with federal law. It is my opinion that the Bondi Order is unlawful, and that you are not legally obligated to follow it, Schwalb told Smith, adding that police officers in the capital must continue to follow her orders and not the order of any official not appointed by the mayor. Bondi also moved on Thursday to clear out the citys homeless encampments and appoint Drug Enforcement Administration chief Terry Cole as D.C.s new emergency police commissioner. The upheaval comes after Trump took over D.C. law enforcement while insisting the nations capital city is overrun by violent street crime despite the official statistics suggesting offenses are actually at a 30-year low. His opponents calling the move a distraction tactic. open image in gallery Federal agents on patrol in D.C. on Thursday evening ( Reuters ) The National Guard, alongside agents from the FBI, DEA, and Homeland Security, were dispatched to the streets of Washington to patrol its historic landmarks, including the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. Their presence has not been entirely welcomed, however, with traffic stops in the northwest of the city greeted by protests from around 100 members of the public on Wednesday evening. Some of the protesters chanted, Go home, fascists! while others held aloft signs that read, Police checkpoint ahead and ICE, to warn approaching drivers about the active checkpoint. Mayor Bowser has also criticized the Trump administrations actions, saying they illustrate precisely why she believes the district should be granted statehood and called them an authoritarian push. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Californias governor made it abundantly clear on Thursday: hes got his eye on the national stage. Gavin Newsom bombarded Donald Trump and Texas Republicans at a press conference Thursday, where he threatened to erase any gains made by Republicans in a mid-decade redistricting push in the Lone Star State, while blasting his enemies as cheaters and cowards. With a clear national audience in view, Newsom sought to prove that he is the brawler his party wants. His vow to match fire with fire was as much a shot across the bow of his fellow party leaders as it was a threat to the Republicans. As the midterms come into view, Newsom is seeking to establish a baseline standard of aggression and pugnacity among his partys rising stars that could very well eliminate many would-be contenders who are simply too old or too committed to the image of the bipartisan statesman to be viable candidates in the 2028 field. At the same time, hes trying to keep his response to Texass mid-decade redistricting plan measured by avoiding a push to abolish Californias redistricting commission altogether. One expert posited to The Independent on Thursday that Newsoms bold stance had likely forced other governors with similar ambitions for the limelight to suggest the possibility of redistricting in their own states, even where it likely wasnt possible. Gavin Newsom unveiled a plan to circumvent his state's independent redistricting commission on Thursday in a direct challenge to Texas Republicans ( Getty Images ) If Newsom is saying, I'm going to go in and change California's districts, you know, I think others who are on the White House, including Governor Pritzker felt maybe a reflexive need to say, Well, yeah, we'll consider that in Illinois as well, said John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University. He added in an interview with Inside Washington on Thursday that he didnt see a feasible path for Pritzker and the states Democrats to gerrymander any of the states three congressional districts held by Republicans out of GOP hands. Newsom likely knows that even as he threatens to put up to nine congressional seats into Democratic hands with his own mid-decade redistricting, hes putting other governors like Pritzker in a tough spot. Maryland, for instance, is another state run by a Democratic governor who is viewed as a possible White House contender. But even if Gov. Wes Moore gets behind a legislative push by Rep. David Moon, the states Democratic majority leader in the Maryland House of Delegates, his party would only see a maximum of one congressional seat change hands assuming the courts even allowed Maryland Democrats to gerrymander the last GOP seat out of existence. This is the moment that Gavin Newsom made his first real chess move of the 2028 Democratic presidential primary. And his press conference Thursday morning, flanked by local Democratic leaders, was as much of a campaign announcement as Donald Trumps descent down a golden elevator in 2015. As if hired to provide b-roll for Newsoms eventual campaign ads, the presser was mildly disrupted by the arrival of what appeared to be dozens of ICE agents performing an immigration enforcement raid at the site of the governors event. Its no secret that the governor is testing the waters. He previously was spotted in South Carolina doing events alongside Jim Clyburn, the congressman and kingmaker most famous for breathing life into Joe Bidens campaign in 2020. Clyburns star is fading within the party, as he faces criticism for his role in shutting down a primary in 2024 and his recent endorsement of Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race. But he could still be the most important ally a Democratic hopeful could make in South Carolina, and in June introduced Newsom to a group of voters as one of these candidates that are running for president, per Politico. With the redistricting fight, however, Newsom has found an issue where he has shown himself in clear contrast with the partys more cautious, aging leaders in Congress, whom polling shows are facing plunging approval ratings among Democrats. 314 Action, a group that supports candidates with STEM backgrounds, announced a $1m invesment in support of Newsoms effort on Thursday. The group plans to target vulnerable GOP House members in five California districts. Two likely scenarios could happen from here. One, Republicans in Texas (facing national pressure from Republicans in other states fearful of seeing swing districts vanish overnight) may back down, handing Newsom a clear victory and allowing him to position himself as the first Democrat to score a tangible, unilateral victory against Republicans in 2025 one where he wouldnt have to share any of the glory. The other is that Texas Republicans go through with their plans and Newsom, even potentially limited by the realities of state law and his ability to get voters to back his plan, comes out looking like the first, if not the only Democratic state leader who came back with an effective response. With a quick response on a national issue, albeit from a position of opportunity, Newsom has set himself apart in the potential 2028 field. He may also have defined the terms of the race, something that will give him a clear advantage when the race beings in earnest. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice After a federal judge commanded Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to improve conditions inside a crowded detention space in New York City, government lawyers pushed back on orders to make sure immigrants detained there have access to toothbrushes. Giving detainees a toothbrush could be a potential safety concern, officials told a judge Thursday. In court filings attached to a lawsuit against the facility, detainees reported spending as much as three weeks inside without a chance to bathe or brush their teeth. But providing toothbrushes, rather than teeth-cleaning wipes, presents a potential safety concern for other aliens in custody as well as ICE personnel because toothbrushes can be readily improvised as weapons, according to a letter to the judge from Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said Thursday he will continue to allow ICE to ban toothbrushes from the facility, for now, while a legal challenge continues. open image in gallery ICE convinced a judge to keep toothbrushes away from detainees inside a crowded holding facility in downtown Manhattan after government lawyers said they could be used as weapons. ( Getty ) While jails are notorious for hand-made knives carved from toothbrush handles, its unclear how serious a threat they actually pose inside the facility at 26 Federal Plaza. Theyre easily available at many jails across the country people jailed inside Metropolitan Detention Center in nearby Brooklyn can buy them for less than a dollar. Immigrants in detention centers across the country are also routinely provided with toothbrushes, and ICEs own policies provide for them, according to attorneys for detainees in the Manhattan facility. The agencys national detention standards state that each detainee shall receive, at a minimum one tube of toothpaste and one toothbrush. There is no basis to deny individuals detained at 26 Federal Plaza basic hygiene products that are customarily made available at other immigration detention facilities across the country, attorneys wrote. Immigrants rights groups, lawyers and lawmakers have warned for weeks about deteriorating conditions inside the building, which also houses immigration courts. The hold room is not intended to hold people for longer than 12 hours, according to ICEs internal guidance. In May and June, when arrests at courthouses began to skyrocket, immigrants were being held inside the room for 29 hours on average, according to a review from New York City news outlet The City. Within those two months, 81 people were detained there for four days or more at a time. Detentions peaked on June 5, when 186 people were held there overnight, The City found. Detainees are fed inedible slop and were forced to sleep in cells surrounded by the horrific stench of sweat, urine and feces in rooms with open toilets, according to the lawsuit. open image in gallery A federal judge has ordered ICE to improve conditions inside a holding area that has recently detained hundreds of people on the 10th floor of a federal building in New York City that houses immigration courts and ICE offices ( Getty ) Thousands of people across the country have faced arrest after showing up for court-ordered ICE check-ins and immigration court hearings as part of Donald Trump administrations mass deportation agenda. Unlike federal district court judges, immigration court judges operate under the direction of the attorney generals office. The Department of Justices Executive Office for Immigration Review has issued guidance to judges to grant motions from government lawyers to immediately dismiss immigrants cases, making them easy targets for arrest and removal. Half of all immigration court arrests nationwide were in New York City between May and June, The City found. On Thursday, New York District Judge Dale Ho ripped into the Trump administrations arbitrary practice of arresting immigrants as they leave their immigration court hearings, creating what he calls a game of detention roulette that violates due process. Hazmat teams were deployed to the building Thursday evening after envelopes containing a mysterious white powder were allegedly discovered, according to city officials and federal law enforcement agencies. ICE personnel reportedly found envelopes containing an unknown white powder on the 9th floor, according to the FBI. Five envelopes were allegedly found in the mail room of ICEs Enforcement and Removal Operations headquarters. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Right-wing TV host Sara Gonzales got herself thrown out of a town hall hosted by Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett in Texas on Thursday after heckling the congresswoman and calling her a fake ghetto hoodrat. Crockett was reminiscing about her grandmother when Gonzales, who works for former Fox News host Glenn Becks Blaze TV, stood up and started berating her. Jasmine! The people of Dallas deserve better than a fake ghetto hoodrat! Gonzales shouted. Do they know youre a rich kid from Missouri? Do they know youre a spoiled rich kid from Missouri? open image in gallery Blaze TV anchor Sara Gonzales poses with a sign before interrupting Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett's town hall in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday August 14 2025 ( Sara Gonzales/X ) Her remarks drew an angry reaction from other members of the audience, and she was promptly hustled out of the venue by security. As Gonzales left, a woman pushed against her and snarled: Get your ass out of here! Another man approached her and ordered her to Get out! Get out! Dont touch me! Get her off me! the journalist hit back. Get off me! Get the f*** off me! She also continued to yell at Crockett: Do your people know youre a spoiled rich kid from Missouri? On the steps outside, Gonzales sarcastically asked police officers: Are you proud? They responded by demanding she leave the venue and threatened to place her in handcuffs if she refused to comply. Gonzales subsequently posted a video of the incident on X captioned: I confronted Jasmine Crockett at a townhall for being a fake hoodrat. The stunt appeared to be a calculated attempt to disrupt a Democrats town hall in response to numerous equivalent events held by Republicans descending into the chaos of late, most recently that of Nebraska Rep. Mike Flood, who was peppered with hostile questions from his constituents about the Donald Trump administrations failure to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. open image in gallery The outspoken Crockett has increasingly become one of the Democratic Partys most prominent figureheads, leading to a conservative backlash against her ( Getty ) Gonzales was not the only person to protest Crockett at her event. Another woman shouted at the politician: Jasmine, why do you hate white people? Why are you racist towards white people? Gonzales was at least correct in saying that Crockett hails from Missouri. The representative was born in St Louis but went on to attend prestigious universities in Tennessee and Texas before becoming a public defender in Bowie County, Texas, before running for public office. Gonzales herself is the host of Blazes Sara Gonzales Unfiltered, which has run since 2019 and on which she has been billed as everyones favorite spicy Latina, with the show promising a no-holds-barred take on news and culture. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has taken aim at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, condemning drone strikes on Russia, a day ahead of highly anticipated peace talks in Alaska. On the eve of the historic peace talks between President Trump and President Putin, Zelensky does this," the Republican lawmaker wrote in a now-deleted tweet, in response to a post from the account, Open Source Intel, which reported that Ukraine had launched one of the largest drone attacks on Russia on X. Ukrainian drones struck two Russian cities on Thursday in attacks that injured at least 16 people, local authorities said. Zelensky doesn't want peace and obviously is trying to sabotage President Trump's heroic efforts to end the war in Ukraine. I pray peace prevails, Greene added. open image in gallery The MAGA firebrand launched her fiery attack on X just hours before the crucial peace talks in Alaska ( Getty ) Her controversial comments came a day before a crucial war meeting between the commander-in-chief and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Georgia representative has openly criticized the Trump administrations decision to send billions of dollars worth of weapons to Ukraine in recent months. MAGA did not vote for more weapons to Ukraine, Greene wrote on X last month. In July, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers slammed the Trump administrations decision to freeze U.S. missile and munitions shipments to Ukraine, arguing that it risked emboldening Russia at a pivotal time in the war. We must build up our own defense industrial base here in the U.S. while simultaneously providing the needed assistance to our allies who are defending their freedom from a brutal invading dictator, Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said in a post on X. To not do both is unacceptable. In another attack on Zelensky, Greene also tried to spread false information regarding a series of Ukrainian protests in July, The Kyiv Independent reports. Huge protests erupt in Kyiv against Ukrainian President Zelensky as he is a dictator and refuses to make a peace deal and end the war, she claimed on X. open image in gallery Trump and Putin will engage in critical peace talks in Alaska Friday ( AP ) Ahead of Fridays summit, Greene posted a lengthy tirade about her voting stances and her anti-Ukrainian position. If the Republicans dont start putting their 2024 America First campaign promises into real serious actions and STOP VOTING TO FUND EVERY FOREIGN COUNTRY AND EVERY FOREIGN WAR, well dont be surprised when those precious voters sit it out or skip Rs on the ballot. Youve been warned, she said. Russian and American delegates have arrived in Alaska ahead of the crucial summit between Trump and Vladimir Putin later today. Days earlier, Trump claimed the Russian leader was not going to mess around with me, as he hopes to seal a Ukraine ceasefire deal. Trump has also teased the possibility of a second meeting with European leaders that would include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Piers Morgan said he thought a picture of Donald Trump wearing kneepads was a real image of the president preparing for his high stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that he deleted the photo when he realized it was fake. The British tabloid host went on to claim that the satirical pic of Trump merely came across his social media feed and he immediately reposted it alongside well-wishes to Trump. Needless to say, Morgan faced a flood of mockery for posting the mocked-up photo of the president, something he acknowledged after deleting the image. Hours before Trump actually touched down in Alaska for the summit with Putin, which is part of an attempt by the president to secure a ceasefire agreement in the bloody Ukraine-Russia war, Morgan who has enjoyed a long (and fraught) friendship with Trump posted an altered picture of the president exiting Air Force One. Apparently believing this was a live photo and that the president had just landed in Anchorage, the Piers Morgan Uncensored host delivered a message of hope ahead of Trumps meeting with Putin. As President [Donald Trump] lands in Alaska, I wish him the very best of luck in trying to secure an end to the horrendous war in Ukraine, Morgan tweeted. Its refreshing to see a U.S. president who genuinely prefers peace to war. open image in gallery Piers Morgan was forced to quickly backtrack on Friday after he accidentally posted a picture of Donald Trump wearing kneepads ahead of the summit with Vladimir Putin. ( Good Morning Britain, ITV ) With the picture showing a waving Trump donning bright red kneepads, it didnt take long for Morgan to get inundated with comments from other users on X asking him if he was aware that he had shared a meme that was mocking the president. Did you intentionally post a photo with Trump wearing knee pads or are [you] just an idiot? Evil or idiot? Which is it? one poster pressed Morgan, prompting the presenter to chalk it up his tweet to ignorance. No.. I didnt see the kneepads on that pic, so just deleted and reposted with a different pic! Morgan replied. In response to journalist Tara Palmeri wondering what had happened because the post was quickly deleted, Morgan gave a more detailed explanation. I saw the pic on my feed and mistakenly believed it was a live one, and didnt spot the mocked up kneepads, he replied to Palmeri. I couldnt understand why so many people were laughing and raging about it. Then I realized, deleted it and reposted with another pic. My words remained the same. open image in gallery Piers Morgan acknowledged that he mistakenly posted a picture of Donald Trump wearing kneepads. ( X/@tarapalmeri ) It is more than a bit ironic that Morgan fell for an obviously fake photo when it was just a week ago that he trolled NewsNation anchor Chris Cuomo for getting duped by a blatantly obvious deepfake video of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) purportedly delivering a House floor speech denouncing the Sydney Sweeney good jeans ad. Oh dear @ChrisCuomo - perhaps spend less time b*tching about me and more time trying to spot obvious fakes, Morgan tweeted at Cuomo alongside several laughing emojis. You got me...silly clip i didnt pay attn to....and I wont block you for saying so...see how easy that is, my yappy friend? Cuomo responded at the time. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Russian President Vladimir Putins team trolled Ukraine on the eve of the summit with President Donald Trump by serving chicken Kyiv to journalists on the flight to Alaska. U.S. and Russian delegations began arriving in Anchorage Friday, as Trump posted a blunt two-word warning on Truth Social: HIGH STAKES!!! On the state-chartered flight to the talks, Russian media were served chicken Kyiv cutlets according to the editor-in-chief of Russia Today, Margarita Simonyan. Perhaps this is a good sign for the upcoming negotiations, quipped RT reporter Egor Piskunov. Other Russian propagandists jumped on the menu choice. open image in gallery Russian media were served chicken Kyiv cutlets on the state-chartered flight to Alaska, according to RT. Perhaps this is a good sign for the upcoming negotiations, one RT journalist quipped. ( via REUTERS ) This is apparently a hint that the Russian army is making chicken Kyiv cutlets out of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Putin and Trump should make a chicken Kyiv out of Zelensky, pro-Putin commentator Sergei Markov said. He added that both journalists in Russia and Putin and Lavrov have a good sense of humor. In another instance where Russia appeared to mock Ukraine ahead of the talks, Putins foreign minister Sergei Lavrov arrived donning a USSR sweatshirt as he touched down in Anchorage. With chicken Kyiv and Lavrov's choice of attire, I think we're seeing some early confirmation that the Russians know what kind of signals they want to send, Doug Klain, policy analyst for the U.S. non-profit Razom, which delivers humanitarian aid to Ukraine, told The Independent. Others on social media accused Russia of playing mind games with the tactics. Seeing all the symbolism Russians enjoy presenting ahead of Alaska summit like USSR sweatshirts and serving chicken Kyiv - it sends only one message, said one user of a pro-Ukraine account on X. Theyve come to Alaska to mock USA, Europe & Ukraine and to have fun at everyones cost. open image in gallery Putins foreign minister Sergei Lavrov arrived donning a USSR sweatshirt as he touched down in Anchorage. ( Social media ) Russian state level trolling is a whole different ballgame, wrote another. Lavrovs sweatshirt read CCCP, an abbreviation of the Russian-language cognate of USSR. It appeared to be a tongue in cheek reference to how critics of Putin have alleged the Russian leader wants to rebuild Soviet Russia. Statues of former General Secretary of the USSR Joseph Stalin have reappeared in Russia, with a monument to the dictator being unveiled in Moscows subway station earlier this year. The Russians hyped up this meeting by spotlighting their prior ownership of Alaska and Lavrov arrived wearing a USSR shirtthe previous chapter of the Russian imperial project Putin is continuing today, Klain said. While the Russians loved looking back on their past holdings like Alaska, it's a timely reminder that the world changes. The meeting between Trump and Putin will mark the first time the pair have met in person since 2018. Trump vowed that the Russian president is not going to mess around with him as he looks to secure a ceasefire deal. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Protests erupted after a man died after being struck by a car on a Los Angeles freeway on Thursday as he fled an immigration raid conducted by federal agents at a Home Depot in Monrovia. Democrats were quick to call out President Donald Trump and his immigration crackdown following the incident, which is being investigated by the California Highway Patrol. President Trumps terror campaign has taken another life, California Democratic State Senator Sasha Renee Perez said in a statement. The bottom line is these violent, sweeping raids should not be happening, she added. The Trump Administration is violating a federal court order by continuing to conduct deadly roving immigration raids. How many more brown-skinned people have to die before the President will obey the law? she asked. open image in gallery Home Depots have become targeted by federal immigration agents as they go after day laborers ( AFP via Getty Images ) About 50 people came to the Home Depot at 6 p.m. with signs stating ICE out of LA, and waving Mexican flags. When Trump says get back, we say fight back, they chanted, according to The Los Angeles Times. Home Depots have become sites where several immigration raids have been conducted amid the Trump administrations crackdown. Monrovia police received reports at 9.43 a.m. that Immigration and Customs Enforcement were conducting an operation at a Home Depot, City Manager Dylan Feik said in a statement. One person fled and entered the 210 Freeway. Monrovia Fire & Rescue responded to a call at 9.52 a.m. regarding a vehicle collision with a pedestrian. The individual was taken to a hospital, where he later died. There is no ongoing ICE activity reported in Monrovia at this time, and the City has not received any communication or information from ICE, said Feik. While we understand community members want to know more about the incident, the information provided in this update is all the City has to provide at this time. However, in a statement to The New York Times, the Department of Homeland Security said the man was not being pursued by any D.H.S. law enforcement. We do not know their legal status, the department said. We were not aware of this incident or notified by California Highway Patrol until hours after operations in the area had concluded. The Independent has contacted ICE for comment. Democratic Congresswoman Judy Chu took to X to slam the Trump administration following the deadly collision. His death is a result of the Trump administrations strategy of sowing intimidation and fear throughout Los Angeles, said Chu. I will continue to demand accountability from ICE and stand up for the immigrant community. A day laborer told The LA Times that he goes to the Home Depot in Monrovia at 8 a.m. each day in the hope of finding work. On Thursday, he heard people yelling, immigration, run! He managed to avoid being detained, but he was unable to help his friends. It feels horrible I couldnt do anything for them other than record what was happening, he told the paper. According to the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, 13 people were detained during the raid. Motorist Vincent Enriquez told The LA Times that he saw the man just after he had been hit, and at that point, he was still alive. By the time I was passing by ... he mustve been struck no more than a few minutes prior, he said. He was still moving. Monrovia resident and UCLA professor Robert Chao Romero said, It just breaks my heart, because its just so inhumane. These horrible, unjust ICE policies led to someone dying, he added. open image in gallery People film federal agents during an operation outside a Home Depot on Friday in Los Angeles. Some Democrats have called on Trump to end the raids ( AP ) Another resident, Karen Suarez, told the paper she went to the Home Depot when she heard that a raid had been conducted there and encountered the daughter of the man who had died. She was visibly very upset, and she was going to go to the hospital and try to find out about her dad, said Suarez. I feel so bad for her. I feel so bad for the families. These are people trying to escape whatever horrible atrocities they came from for a better life. The United Farm Workers labor union called the incident enraging and heartbreaking, adding that it was Another senseless death caused by a chaotic ICE operation. Another California Democrat, Rep. Gil Cisneros, wrote on X, Im horrified by the senseless ICE raids that took the life of yet another person in our community. These reckless and deadly ICE raids must end. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, greeting the leader warmly before they made the unusual move of departing together in the U.S. presidents limousine. At the historic meeting to discuss the war in Ukraine, the two leaders greeted one another like old friends as they shook hands and patted each others backs on an actual red carpet laid out on the tarmac for the historic meeting at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. Trump, who exited Air Force One moments ahead of Putins deplaning, appeared excited by his Russian counterparts arrival, clapping as the strongman leader walked toward him. Putin then appeared to give Trump a thumbs up. After posing briefly for photos, in an unusual move, Putin ditched his own Aurus limousine and climbed into the presidents armored stretch vehicle, known as The Beast. open image in gallery At the historic meeting, the two leaders greeted one another like friends as they shook hands and patted each others backs at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. ( AFP via Getty Images ) There were no other aides in the vehicle as Putin and Trump talked one-on-one en route to the base facility for the summit. Given that the one-on-one summit suddenly emerged as a three-on-three including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff as well as Russian minister of foreign affairs Sergey Lavrov and Russian policy adviser Yury Ushakova the car ride was the lone opportunity for the two leaders to be alone together aside from security and the driver. Trump and Putin were seen in the back seat looking animated, laughing and smiling as they chatted. It marks a break in protocol, particularly for adversaries. When Trump wanted North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to ride with him in his car in 2018 in Singapore, aides persuaded the president not to extend the invitation, CNN reported. The warm welcome was celebrated by Russian media. A Russia 24 anchor praised Trump for being extremely friendly towards Putin, while lauding the historic handshake between the pair. The editor of Russia Today, Margarita Simonyan, posted a clip of the men shaking hands for the first time and said: Admit it haters, youve been waiting for this too. The RT X account also criticized U.S. journalists who shouted questions at Putin about the bloodshed in Ukraine as he and Trump walked the red carpet. The Russian leader didnt respond. open image in gallery After posing briefly for photos, in an unusual move, Putin ditched his own Aurus limousine and climbed into the presidents armored vehicle, known as The Beast. ( Reuters ) US media sounding like they walked straight out of the Kiev School of Journalism, a post on the RT account said. Elsewhere, American critics of Russia blasted Trump for inviting Putin to ride in his limousine. The world is watching the President of the United States bend to Moscow on LIVE TV, said the anti-Trump Call to Activism group, founded by the attorney Joseph Gallina. Putin and Trump together in our presidential limo. Sickening, said author and columnist Julia Davis. After the ride, the leaders were joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on the U.S. side, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putins foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov on the Russian side. They are due to hold a press conference after the summit. A herder checks the operation of a center-pivot irrigation system in an alfalfa field at the Livestock Demonstration Center in Idini village, Mauritania, July 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Han Xu) "With ingenuity and the right orientation, nations can learn how green mountains can be gold mountains that yield both ecological and economic benefits," said Clifford Cobb, a renowned U.S. scholar on sustainable development. BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- On the edge of the Sahara Desert, Amadou Diarra grew up watching the wind carry sand across the thin, tired grass. Villagers in his hometown in Mauritania moved with their herds, chasing pasture that grew scarcer each year. "Life was tough," Diarra told Xinhua. But when recalling the tremendous changes in life since a China-assisted animal husbandry technology demonstration center was launched in the northwestern African country back in 2017, his face lit up. Within a few short years, the barren, sandy land he once knew has blossomed into green pasture, and the community has taken on a more hopeful look. "We now know how to grow forage, so our animals can stay close to home instead of roaming far," said Diarra. The transformation in the young African man's hometown is an example of a profound change inspired by the vision of green development championed by Chinese President Xi Jinping more than 20 years ago: "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." GREEN SEED FOR FUTURE On Aug. 15, 2005, when Xi, then Party chief of China's southeastern Zhejiang Province, first put forward the vision during an inspection tour to Yucun Village in Anji County. Two years earlier, the village had already made a tough decision to shut down quarries and cement plants to restore the environment, trading short-term income for long-term ecological recovery. During the trip, Xi conducted a field survey, visited local farmers' homes and held discussions with local officials about economic growth and environmental protection. Ecological resources were the area's most valuable assets, Xi told local officials, calling the shutdown "a wise move." Two decades later, as of 2014, Anji -- home to around 604,000 people -- has transformed from a region plagued by environmental degradation into a thriving eco-tourism destination known for its fresh air, clear waters and green mountains. In 2023, Anji welcomed nearly 31.53 million visitors, generating 44.81 billion yuan (about 6.23 billion U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue and topping China's top 100 counties in terms of comprehensive tourism for the sixth consecutive year. The sector now employs over 40,000 residents and accounts for more than 20 percent of farmers' direct income. Lassana Tounkara, deputy director-general of QTV of Gambia, recently visited Yucun Village. Walking through Yucun's emerald hills, Tounkara was struck by the residents' prosperity and pride. "Xi is a leader with a true vision," he said. Since that inspection tour, the vision emphasizing harmony between environmental protection and economic development has taken root and inspired real and green changes in China and many parts of the world. As Xi later put it, "Protect the ecological environment, and it will reward you." In Meitan County, Guizhou Province, that reward is clearly visible in vast tea plantations covering 2,867 hectares -- the world's largest single tea-growing area -- with neat rows rippling across the hills like emerald waves. Guizhou now cultivates 7.5 million mu (about 500,000 hectares) of tea, creating a living tapestry that safeguards the land while driving a tea industry worth 97 billion yuan (about 13.49 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024. This aerial photo shows tea plantations in Yongxing Town, Meitan County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, April 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu) "The most impressive feature of this concept is that it operates on the principle that economic development does not necessarily mean more pollution," Clifford Cobb, a renowned U.S. scholar on sustainable development, told Xinhua, adding that the green development vision has encouraged numerous Chinese cities and villages to pursue high-quality and sustainable growth through protecting the environment and developing green industries. "With ingenuity and the right orientation, nations can learn how green mountains can be gold mountains that yield both ecological and economic benefits," Cobb, director of the U.S. Institute for Postmodern Development of China, added. BOLSTER GREEN DEVELOPMENT Xi first elaborated on this vision to the world in September 2013 during a visit to Kazakhstan. "We want to have not only mountains of gold, but also mountains of green. If we must choose between the two, we would rather have the green than the gold. And in any case, green mountains are themselves gold mountains," he said when responding to questions from students of Nazarbayev University. He also pointed out that China will never seek short-term economic growth at the expense of its eco-environment. Since then, the Chinese leader has frequently presented his idea of green growth on many international occasions, including the G20 summit in Hangzhou in 2016 and the World Economic Forum Virtual Session in 2022. Over the years, the vision has boosted green development in many countries, where ecological restoration and livelihood improvement are given equal importance. In Diarra's hometown, the local people are feeding animals with Juncao, a China-originated technology that uses grass instead of timber as a substrate when growing mushrooms. The technology also helps restore natural vegetation in the desert. "We've learned that protecting the environment and developing animal husbandry can go hand in hand," the herder said. Diarra added that his improved livelihood wouldn't be possible without it. A staff member checks Juncao grass growing on the improved saline-alkali land in Qingtongxia City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Sept. 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen) Juncao is a fast-growing, hardy grass developed in China that helps stabilize soil, retain water, and block desert winds. The technology to grow this grass has now spread to over 100 countries, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. Xi once vowed to make the Juncao technology a "grass of happiness" that benefits people in developing countries. "My income is more stable, and I've learned a lot about modern livestock farming," Diarra said, glancing toward the green pastures nearby. From Southeast Asia to Eastern Europe, more governments are looking to avoid the "develop first, clean up later" trap. In Malaysia, the East Coast Rail Link -- a flagship Belt and Road project -- recently completed excavating all 41 tunnels along its route. Chinese builders used green construction methods to preserve the ecosystem, while still delivering major transport and economic benefits. This concept combines environmental, social and economic sustainability, said Malaysian scholar Pak Son Low, a former UN official. It aligns closely with the UN's sustainable development goals and the aspirations of many developing nations, the scholar added. GREEN TRANSITION DRIVE In recent years, China, under Xi's leadership, has taken concrete steps to boost high-quality development and green transition in joint efforts with countries worldwide to build a greener future and a more sustainable world. "We should boost technological innovation and industrial transformation through cooperation, and facilitate the free flow of quality green technologies and products," Xi said in a speech at the Leaders Meeting on Climate and the Just Transition in April. By replacing traditional energy sources with clean alternatives, China is electrifying sustainable growth. Chinese technology innovation, integrated supply chains, competitive markets and vast domestic scale are helping many developing countries shift to greener economies powered by new and sustainable sources of energy. An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 30, 2023 shows wind turbines of Cox's Bazar wind power project built by a Chinese company in Bangladesh. (Photo by Salim/Xinhua) In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ivovik Wind Power Project, the country's first renewable energy project built by Chinese companies, has been connected to the grid for nearly a year. It generates 259 million kWh annually, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by about 240,000 tonnes. Builders also painted turbine tips red to protect birds. This shows long-term thinking, not short-term gains, said a local employee. "It offers valuable insights for the Balkans." In Chad, where much of the population has no electricity or street lighting, change is set to take place. Solar equipment bound for Chad and Burundi has departed China under the "Africa Solar Belt" program, aiming to electrify at least 50,000 poor households. China has emerged as a central driver of global energy transition in view of its significant strides in renewable energy and its broader commitment to transforming its energy system, said Nicholas Wagner, an energy expert with the World Economic Forum. The International Renewable Energy Agency estimates that in the past decade, average global costs for wind power and photovoltaics have fallen by more than 60 percent and 80 percent, respectively -- with China playing a decisive role. Jeremy Rifkin, a renowned U.S. scholar and president of the Foundation on Economic Trends, called Xi's vision of ecological civilization a paradigm shift in how humankind views its relationship with nature. "I know 'lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,' I love the term, I know that term very well," Rifkin said. "China will be remembered for the ecological civilization." Editor: ZAD Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Hillary Clinton said she would nominate President Donald Trump for his long-awaited Nobel Peace Prize if he could broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine that did not capitulate to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Clinton, the former secretary of state who once ran a campaign against Trump, issued her bold declaration on the Raging Moderates podcast to incentivize the president not to give in to Putins demands. I understand, from everything I read, that he would very much like to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, Clinton told co-host Jessica Tarlov. If he could end it, without putting Ukraine in a position where it had to concede its territory to the aggressor, had to, in a way, validate Putins vision of greater Russia, but instead could really stand up to Putin. Id nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize. Clinton said the president has an opportunity to be the architect of a peace deal that would not give Putin any of Ukraines territory or allow Russian troops to remain in areas it has already seized. If we could pull that off, if President Trump were the architect of that, Id nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize because my goal here is to not allow capitulation to Putin, aided and abetted by the United States, Clinton added. open image in gallery Hillary Clinton said she would nominate President Trump for his long-awaited Nobel Prize if he could end the conflict in Ukraine without losing territory to Putin. ( Getty ) Clintons comments arise as Trump prepares to meet Putin in Alaska, marking the first time the pair have met face-to-face during the presidents second term. Trump has long sought to broker a deal between the two countries, even making it a campaign promise. However, hes struggled to get Russia to meaningfully engage in peace talks and has hit several bumps with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky will not be part of the meeting, but he and other European leaders have remained in close communication with Trump and made clear that meaningful negotiations must include Ukraine. Some have expressed concern about Trump making major concessions to Putin because the presidents history of praising his Russian counterpart and his administrations criticism of Zelensky. He gains nothing by capitulating to Putin, Clinton said on the podcast. The former secretary of state said the terms of a peace deal need to include a cease-fire, no exchange of territory, and that over a period of time, Putin should be actually withdrawing from the territory he seized. open image in gallery Trump headed to Alaska on Friday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin about discussing peace talks to end the war in Ukraine ( AP ) Should the president broker a deal of that sort, Clinton would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize, which the president has long hoped for and recently made a push for. Recently, the president has dropped obvious hints that he is gunning for the prize which former President Barack Obama was awarded in 2009 by posting about it on Truth Social, mentioning it in meetings, and having members of his administration campaign on his behalf. So far, Trump has helped broker deals between Cambodia and Thailand, Pakistan and India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and intervened in the conflict between Israel and Iran. Several world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have nominated the president for the Nobel Peace Prize. Norwegian press also claim that the president called a minister out the blue last month to ask about the prize. Trump has warned that there is a 25 percent chance that the Alaska summit fails but, if he is successful, Clinton will become perhaps the most unlikely name on the list of those calling for him to receive the award. You can dream, Jessica. You can dream. Im dreaming that for whatever combination of reasons, including the elusive Nobel Peace Prize, President Trump may actually stand up to Putin, Clinton said. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Since finally closing on the politically tainted and bruising $8 billion merger last week, new Paramount CEO David Ellison has been making big moves left and right. With the ratings of CBS Mornings sliding over the past few months and the networks daily morning show mired in third place, could the networks new ownership be looking at making another sweeping change? And would that possibly entail getting rid of Gayle King, the programs most recognizable face? Well, with Ellison and his senior leadership looking to slice off $2 billion in costs from the new company, and the 70-year-old King making at least $10 million annually on a contract that ends in May, it seems more and more like a possibility, if not a probability. Theres always speculation about her inflated salary and entourage, a network insider said of King. Shes undoubtedly expensive and not necessarily on the right side of the new political agenda. The Independent has reached out to representatives for Paramount, Gayle King and CBS News for comment. open image in gallery Speculation has arisen that Gayle King could be on the chopping block as CBS Mornings' ratings sink and she continues to draw a high salary ( Invision ) Based on data from Nielsen Research, the CBS morning show is averaging 1.813 million daily total viewers year to date, through August 12. This marks a 10 percent drop compared to the same period in 2024, and places them well behind NBCs TODAY (2.405 million) and ABCs Good Morning America (2.498 million). The year-over-year plummet is even worse for the show in the key advertising demographic of viewers aged 25 to 54, where CBS Mornings viewership has sunk to 315,000 daily viewers for the year. This is down 19 percent compared to last year and far behind GMA (426,000) and TODAY (543,000). The drop also accounts for the one-day bump that the show received from Kings much-hyped trip alongside Katy Perry and Lauren Sanchez aboard Jeff Bezos Blue Origin spacecraft for a brief trip above Earths atmosphere. That April broadcast brought in 3.9 million viewers, rocketing past ABC and NBC while marking the shows best performance in four years. The viewership for the CBS show, which also features co-hosts Nate Burleson and Tony Dokoupil alongside King, has sunk to such a level that it is nearly getting passed by a cable news morning program. With Fox News seeing a ratings surge this year following Donald Trumps return to the White House, Fox & Friends is up 24 percent in total viewership (1.602 million) and 17 percent in the key demographic (17 percent) year to date. There is serious concern about the ratings slide at [CBS] Mornings, one network source told The Independent. In particular, theyve seen major drops in women. Based on an AI-generated study reviewed by The Independent, the network shared with staffers last month that CBS Mornings was perceived as having more distressing and controversial content than its broadcast rivals, while also having the least happy and celebratory programming. There has been a marked shift in the last few weeks to fluffier stories, the network source added, noting that Thursday morning included a lengthy segment about Taylor Swifts new album announcement on boyfriend Travis Kelces podcast. Another staffer said that the network wants to do more light stuff and less dark/hard news during the morning. Notably, last fall, CBS Mornings came under fire and Dokoupil was reprimanded by then-news chief Wendy McMahon following an interview in which the anchor compared celebrated author Ta-Nehisi Coates to an extremist over his position on Gaza. Meanwhile, former Paramount chair Shari Redstone a well-known supporter of pro-Israeli causes backed Dokoupils pointed questioning of Coates. open image in gallery Ta-Nehisi Coates, left, sits for an interview with "CBS Mornings" anchor Tony Dokoupil on September 30 ( CBS ) While CBS has generally been an also-ran in the broadcast morning show wars, the Paramount-Skydance merger and much of the fallout surrounding it have sparked increasing public speculation that King could soon find herself on the chopping block and the program finding itself overhauled. Days before Skydance officially took over Paramount, the New York Post breathlessly reported that Kings future at the network was murky because the ratings for her woke morning show had tanked, all while the soon-to-be new owners vowed to the Trump administration to scrap left-wing bias. The CBS Mornings co-host, one of the fading Tiffany Networks few remaining stars, is part of a culture that has dug in against attempts by higher-ups to move away from polarizing coverage, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, the Post noted, adding that the shows executive producer Shawna Thomas set a programming agenda that has alienated traditional morning show viewers. That followed a previous New York Post story from May that noted that Kings 13-year career at the network could finally be coming to an end after she signed a one-year extension to her contract. One network insider, however, told The Independent that the Post article seemed to come out of nowhere since Gayle is the biggest star. It didnt take long for the media-obsessed Trump to seize on the story, sharing it on his Truth Social site while taking a personal shot at King. Gayle Kings career is over. She should have stayed with her belief in TRUMP. She never had the courage to do so. No talent, no ratings, no strength!!! Trump blared. Of course, the Post story and Trumps amplification of it dont come in a bubble. Following Trumps election, Paramounts former chief shareholder Redstone who desperately needed the merger to be approved so she could clear roughly $2 billion pushed for the company to settle Trumps meritless lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. The negotiations to settle the suit, which led to accusations of bribery due to the pending merger needing the administrations approval, resulted in several senior news leaders resigning in protest. Following the $16 million payoff to Trump, the old Paramount then announced that it was canceling Trump critic Stephen Colberts late-night show, prompting critics some within the network itself to allege the move was politically motivated. Meanwhile, in the days before the administration finally approved the merger, Skydance promised the Federal Communications Commission that it would install an ombudsman to review complaints of bias at CBS News and eliminate all diversity policies at the company. Furthermore, Trump has claimed that on top of the pre-merger settlement from Paramount, hed reached a secret side deal with Ellison whose father is Oracle founder and close Trump ally Larry Ellison for $20 million of pro-Trump PSAs to be aired on CBS once the Skydance deal was finalized. (Ellison has repeatedly sidestepped questions about Trumps claim.) Since last weeks merger completion, though, Ellison and his senior executives have gone out of their way to say they dont want to politicize anything surrounding the company or place their thumbs on the scales of CBS News. He said all the right things and more, one CBS News staffer told The Independent after Ellison visited the newsroom right after the merger closed. Instead, it would seem their north star is the same as most major media companies these days maximize profits while reducing costs. This has seen Ellison make wildly ambitious moves early on, even as Paramounts new executive leadership has warned there will be painful layoffs coming down the pike soon. Days after Skydance closed on the deal, Paramount announced that it had secured the rights to air UFC events with a massive seven-year, $7.7 billion agreement. This came on the heels of Paramount agreeing to pay the creators of South Park $1.5 billion to continue airing the raunchy hit shows content for five more years. With Ellison also hyping that the studio will be committed to big-budget movies in the near future, such as another Star Trek film and Top Gun 3, it seems increasingly likely that Paramounts new tech-friendly leadership is going to look towards its linear networks to bear the brunt of the cuts. Especially since Paramount President Jeff Shell recently explained that, unlike other media conglomerates, they wont be spinning off their cable assets. open image in gallery New Paramount chairman David Ellison has quickly made a splash after officially taking over the company last month, including inking a $7.7 billion deal with the UFC. ( Paramount ) We have less of our economics of the company on cable because they decline so much, Shell said this week at a media event, suggesting that Paramount will be utilizing brands such as BET, MTV and Comedy Central to be building blocks of the companys streaming strategy. That all harks back to CBS Mornings and how the recent ratings drop could potentially lead to significant changes that could include saying goodbye to King. We do not want to be a company that has layoffs every quarter, Shell said this week. So, its going to be painful. Its always hard, but we dont want to be a company that every quarter is laying people off So, it is important for us to get done what were doing in one big thing and then be done with it. Network sources also noted that most people on the program, as well as CBS Evening News, are now waiting for Tom Cibrowski the ABC News veteran who was brought in as president and executive editor of CBS News this past spring to make changes to both shows now that the Paramount merger has been finalized. While the morning show has always been profitable for the network, those ad revenues have been decreasing this year due to the falling ratings though sources tell The Independent that CBS Mornings is still turning a profit. Still, Kings reported $10+ million annual salary would be an easy ledger item to cross off if the network decided not to renew her. In fact, amid the shrinking advertising dollars for broadcast and cable television as streaming has boomed, networks have increasingly parted ways with high-profile veteran broadcasters rather than continue to pay their exorbitant salaries. TODAYs Hoda Kotb, who was making $20 million a year, decided to step down last year after NBC asked her to take a pay cut. NBC executives loved Hoda and knew her value to the brand, but also made clear to her agents that such stratospheric contracts were no longer justifiable given the industrys inexorable decline, due in part to the steep ratings decline affecting Today and competitors like Good Morning America, Puck reported at the time. On top of that, Paramount is also crossing off not just Colberts $15 million salary after The Late Show signs off for good in May, but also the programs roughly 200 employees and high production costs. Though the program remained the top-rated broadcast late-night show, the overall drop in broadcast viewers and dwindling ad revenues for late-night television resulted in the show losing $40 million a year. Late-night has a huge problem right now, Shell said this week. The problem is that 80 percent of the viewership and growing is on YouTube. In the end, though, sources at the network stressed that while King may also be viewed by many within the organization as being increasingly out of touch with the average viewer due to her close friendship with Oprah Winfrey and luxurious lifestyle, there still isnt any definitive answer on her fate at this time. Its just speculation at this point, a CBS staffer noted. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A senior Australian lawyer has issued an apology to a judge after court submissions in a murder case were found to contain fake quotes and non-existent legal judgments generated by artificial intelligence. The significant error occurred in the Supreme Court of Victoria, adding to a growing list of AI-related blunders impacting justice systems globally. Rishi Nathwani, a defence lawyer holding the prestigious title of Kings Counsel, accepted "full responsibility" for the incorrect information submitted in the case involving a teenager charged with murder. Court documents, reviewed by The Associated Press on Friday, detailed the admission. Addressing Justice James Elliott on Wednesday, Mr Nathwani stated on behalf of the defence team: "We are deeply sorry and embarrassed for what occurred." The AI-generated errors caused a 24-hour delay in resolving a case that Elliott had hoped to conclude on Wednesday. Elliott ruled on Thursday that Nathwanis client, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, was not guilty of murder because of mental impairment. At the risk of understatement, the manner in which these events have unfolded is unsatisfactory, Elliott told lawyers on Thursday. The ability of the court to rely upon the accuracy of submissions made by counsel is fundamental to the due administration of justice, Elliott added. open image in gallery People leave the Supreme Court of Victoria in Melbourne, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk) ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) The fake submissions included fabricated quotes from a speech to the state legislature and non-existent case citations purportedly from the Supreme Court. The errors were discovered by Elliotts associates, who couldnt find the cases and requested that defense lawyers provide copies. The lawyers admitted the citations do not exist and that the submission contained fictitious quotes, court documents say. The lawyers explained they checked that the initial citations were accurate and wrongly assumed the others would also be correct. The submissions were also sent to prosecutor Daniel Porceddu, who didnt check their accuracy. The judge noted that the Supreme Court released guidelines last year for how lawyers use AI. It is not acceptable for artificial intelligence to be used unless the product of that use is independently and thoroughly verified, Elliott said. open image in gallery Justice James Elliott poses in Melbourne, Australia. (Supreme Court of Victoria via AP) The court documents do not identify the generative artificial intelligence system used by the lawyers. In a comparable case in the United States in 2023, a federal judge imposed $5,000 fines on two lawyers and a law firm after ChatGPT was blamed for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim. Judge P. Kevin Castel said they acted in bad faith. But he credited their apologies and remedial steps taken in explaining why harsher sanctions were not necessary to ensure they or others wont again let artificial intelligence tools prompt them to produce fake legal history in their arguments. Later that year, more fictitious court rulings invented by AI were cited in legal papers filed by lawyers for Michael Cohen, a former personal lawyer for U.S. President Donald Trump. Cohen took the blame, saying he didnt realize that the Google tool he was using for legal research was also capable of so-called AI hallucinations. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A British volunteer fighting alongside Ukrainian forces against Russia has said that soldiers on the ground feel that Fridays summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska is a joke and will not lead to peace. Drew Scott, a former British soldier who joined Ukraines International Legion in 2023, told The Independent that Ukrainian soldiers were in it for the long haul and not anticipating an imminent resolution to the conflict. Trump and Putin will meet face to face for the first time in seven years on Friday at a summit in Alaska, but Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky will not be present. Kyiv maintains that it will not cede any occupied land to Russia as part of a peace agreement. We know what ceasefires look like from the Russian side. Their mentality is to just keep on hammering a country with missiles until the will of the people is eradicated, Scott said. open image in gallery Drew Scott joined Ukraines International Legion in 2023 ( International Legion ) But the stamina of the people over here is strong and thats why I love this country. There's only one way that peace will be restored here and that is when Russia pulls its troops from Ukraine. An estimated 8,000 foreign volunteers, including hundreds of Britons, have joined the Ukrainian International Legion and other units within the Ukrainian military. Scotts call sign is Caesar but he quickly points out that this was chosen by his comrades - not himself. He used his real name in this interview because the Russians identified him long ago. Pro-Kremlin websites have accused him of being a mercenary and offered a bounty for him, dead or alive. But speaking near a safe house his unit uses during rests from frontline duty, he refuted the allegation completely. Im not a mercenary and those I care about know Im not here for money. I came here because when I see women, children, innocent civilians being killed, injured and maimed, I just can't sit back and watch. open image in gallery Scott at the entrance to the town of Yampil ( International Legion ) Scott was born in Newcastle in 1967, into a family with a history of military service. He was taken into Britains elite Parachute regiment aged 20, and spent nine years with the their Third Battalion, including 30 months in Northern Ireland during The Troubles and a spell with peace-keeping forces in Iraq. He became aware of Ukraine after Russias 2014 annexation of Crimea and decided to volunteer his military skills after Putins 2022 full-blown invasion. He compared Russias act of aggression to something from the age of Genghis Khan that shouldnt be happening in this day and age. We each have a responsibility to fight against dictatorship and evil, he added. And humanity has lost something when you can brush these horrors aside as if theyre nothing. Scott was 55 years old when he enlisted in the legion in 2023, leading some younger comrades to jokingly refer to him as grandad. His experience from the British Army led to his swift promotion to lead a mortar platoon in the legion. Since, he has seen action in many of the wars most vicious battles in the east and southeast. All the nightmare places. open image in gallery Scott spent 30 months in Northern Ireland with the British Army ( Askold Krushelnycky ) Typically, he said, the platoon digs trenches and bunkers in their new positions and the mortars are covered by camouflaged sliding roofs that open only to fire a salvo. In 2023 they could hope that these would remain concealed for long periods. Not anymore. Drones have changed everything, even in the last few months, he said. There are swarms of attack drones in the sky and surveillance drones high up watching everything to identify our positions. Once they spot you they throw everything at you. Recently his mortar post, comprising a bunker and tunnels, was spotted and attacked by Russian artillery and FPV (First Person View) suicide drones. An explosive drone came through the roof where we had our 82mm mortar in the tunnelwe were getting hammered by heavy artillery for about two hours.. then more FPVs came in. The soil was caving in on us. And then, boom, a great big cloud of smoke came through the tunnels into the bunker. And then another explosion came in and it just blew me off my feet. open image in gallery Trump and Putin meeting in Helsinki in 2018 ( AP ) Eventually, he said they managed to evacuate with only one man seriously injured while Scott only suffered a concussion. He is proud that nobody under his command has been killed although four have been injured. He said Russian drones have taken a terrible toll in deaths and injuries, including psychological scars. Scott said: It's a type of warfare that I wouldn't wish on anybody. You can see where a lot of the guys are going to suffer with mental health issues like PTSD. The buzzing sound of a drone is there at the front all the time. It gets to you and you think is this my time? He said that the sound of drones haunts soldiers even in peaceful settings. The sound of a blender in a kitchen, a lawnmower, an air-conditioner can freak you out. Scott thinks the war is unlikely to end soon. What you have to remember is that Putins a psychotic f****** maniac wholl do anything to remain in power. Some believe Trump will try to strong arm Ukraine into permanently giving up territory to Russia. Scott said he and his comrades think that would be a total betrayal of the armed forces, of the guys who've paid the ultimate price and of families who have suffered over the years. But he said the morale of the guys in our platoon, our battalion, is awesome. We're in for the long haul. Until the Russians get their troops out. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The future of Ukraines industrial heartland in the east of the country is uncertain, after Vladimir Putin reportedly demanded it be handed to Russia during his meeting with Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday. Those demands will set a tense backdrop to a potential meeting between Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. The latter said he was ready for a trilateral meeting with Trump and Putin, after he held a friendly meeting with the US president in the White House on Monday. Were going to work with Ukraine. Were going to work with everybody, and were going to make sure that if theres peace, the peace is going to stay long term. This is very long term, Trump said after Mondays meeting. But territorial disputes, such as Putins demands for the Donbas, will pose a major challenge for mediators. The Russian leader demanded that Ukrainian forces withdraw from Donetsk as part of any ceasefire deal, and said he would be prepared to stop fighting on the rest of the frontline if Kyiv gave in to the demand and addressed the root causes of the conflict. The Ukrainian president has said that Putin wants to take the remaining 30 per cent of the eastern region, which has been the location of some of the fiercest battles in the three-and-a-half-year war. But losing Donetsk would give Russia control of almost all of the Donbas, the collective name for Ukraines eastern industrial heartland, which has been long coveted by Putin. Last week, Zelensky vowed that Ukraine would never leave the Donbas and warned that Putin could use it as a springboard for a future invasion. However, sources close to the meeting told The Independent that the dramatic move appears to have been endorsed by Mr Trump as a means to bring an end to the war. As Kyiv fights to keep the Donbas from Trumps so-called land swap deal, heres all you need to know about the region. Where is the Donbas? Situated along Ukraines eastern border, the Donbas takes its portmanteau name from Donets Basin, a further abbreviation of Donets Coal Basin, in reference to the coal basin along the Donets Ridge and River. The Donbas stretches across the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, two large regions of Ukraine that have been on the front line of the war that followed Russias invasion. How long has it been occupied? The Donbas has been partially occupied by Russia since 2014, around the same time that Putin annexed the Crimean peninsula. Russian-backed separatists broke away from the Ukrainian government to proclaim the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk independent peoples republics and, as a result, Moscow captured more than a third of Ukraines eastern territory. Russia classes inhabitants of the Republic of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Luhansk Peoples Republic, the Donetsk Peoples Republic, and the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as subjects of the Russian Federation. Ukraine insists these territories are part of Ukraine. It is believed that around 88 per cent of the Donbas is under Russian control. This includes almost all of the Luhansk region and 75 per cent of the Donetsk region, according to Reuters. Approximately 6,600 sq km is still controlled by Ukraine, but Russia has been focusing most of its energy along the front in Donetsk, pushing towards the last remaining major cities such as Pokrovsk. open image in gallery Donbas is known for its coal-mining industry ( Reuters ) A key strategic region in the war The hyper-industrialised Donbas economy is dominated by coal mining and metallurgy. The region has one of the largest coal reserves in Ukraine. When conflict broke out in 2014, Ukraines coal-mining enterprises saw a 22.4 per cent decline in the production of raw coal compared with 2013, according to the Kyiv Post, showing the countrys reliance on Donbas as an energy powerhouse. But as well as its economic significance, Donbas has been described as a fortress belt by the Institute for the Study of War in terms of its strategic value. Donetsk forms the main fortified defensive line across the front line, stretching through Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, and Kostiantynivka. Ukraine is holding a key defensive line across Donetsk, says Elina Beketova, a fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, describing a fortified zone buildup over years because the war began 11 years ago. She adds that Russia hasnt been able to break through since 2014, and has lost many people there. The entire region is heavily mined, and Ukrainian troops have been preparing it for years. open image in gallery Ukrainian soldiers train in the east of the country ( Anadolu Agency via Getty ) Its not just trenches, its a deep, layered defence with bunkers, anti-tank ditches, minefields, and industrial areas built into the terrain. The area includes dominant heights, rivers, and urban zones that make it extremely hard to capture, explains Beketova. She says that losing this fortified line would have catastrophic consequences for Ukraine, as it holds back Russias advancement into central and western parts of the country. The front would shift approximately 80km west, and Russia would gain open ground flat steppe with no natural barriers giving it a direct path towards Kharkiv, Poltava, and Dnipro. What Zelensky has said about the Donbas Zelensky has repeatedly rejected calls from Russia to give up the Donbas. In response to Putins request that Ukraine withdraw from eastern Donetsk, Zelensky vowed that his people would never leave the Donbas, and warned that Putins troops could use it as a springboard for a future invasion. We will not leave Donbas. We cannot do this. Everyone forgets the first part our territories are illegally occupied. Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive, he said. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Children in Lithuania will be taught how to build and operate drones as the country builds its capacity to counter the potential threat of a Russian attack. The government in Vilnius aims to teach more than 22,000 people drone skills as it looks to expand civil resistance training. The initiative, led jointly by the defence and education ministries, will see children aged eight and above among the thousands taught how to build and pilot drones. The first three drone centres are due to open in September and the remaining six by 2028. The plan is for 15,500 adults and 7,000 children to be taught drone skills by 2028, defence minister Dovile Sakaliene said. It will be adapted to different age groups, with children between eight and 10 years old learning to build and pilot simple drones, meanwhile secondary-school students would learn to design and manufacture drone parts. A Ukrainian serviceman of 57th motorised brigade controls an FPV drone at the frontline in Kharkiv region, Ukraine ( AP ) The older children would also learn how to build and fly the more-advanced first-person view drones which have been a vital element of both Ukraine and Russias war strategies. Drones have become increasingly common in everyday life and warfare in recent years. The Nato country of about 2.8 million people on the alliance's eastern flank borders both Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Moscow-allied Belarus - and since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine it has been on high-alert regarding the Russian threat. The Lithuanian government plans a total investment of more than 3.3m into the plan. The youngest participants will engage in simple drone construction and piloting through games and experiments, said Tomas Godliauskas, Lithuanias vice-minister of national defence. He said that the training would deepen childrens technical literacy through extracurricular courses. Secondary students will learn programming basics alongside indoor drone piloting and construction, while upper secondary students will design 3D drone parts and construct FPV drones, he added. Lithuanias active use of drones has grown and is motivating its increasing focus on drone technology. In July, two incidents were recorded in which suspected Russian drones crossed from Belarus into Lithuanian territory. A report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) earlier this year found that Russia had begun teaching thousands of school children in the occupied Ukrainian territories how to use drones. The report found that drone development had become a strategic state project in Russia, looking into research and manufacturing but also how to create a large-scale production base. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice At its nearest point, Alaska is just 2.4 miles from Russia. In the remote Bering Sea, Little Diomede Island (belonging to the US) sits next to Big Diomede Island (part of Russia). In between them lies the international date line, which means the American island, also known as Yesterday Island, is 21 hours behind its Russian neighbour, unsurprisingly dubbed Tomorrow. This quirk of geography and history appeals to Vladimir Putin, putting him ahead not only in a chronological sense (literally), but also in a political one because thats where hes winning the race for control of a vast region that is opening up thanks to climate change. For as the Arctic continues to thaw, it is Russia that is taking advantage. This region is at the centre of Natos security. This is Natos northern flank... Russias military presence, particularly, has been growing now for years, warned foreign secretary David Lammy on a recent trip to the High North. open image in gallery A Russian nuclear submarine breaks through the Arctic ice during military drills at an unspecified location in 2021 ( Russian Defense Ministry Press Service ) This area is hugely, strategically important as the ice caps melt. It opens up potentially new gateways. Suddenly you can do shipping in areas where you couldnt before. My visit is about deterring the threat from Russia, just as it is about tackling the threat of climate change. open image in gallery Ice in the Bering Sea in 2020, as seen from a small aircraft near the western coast of Alaska ( AP ) Russia is working the hardest to dominate the Arctic because it has the most to gain from the opening of these routes. The thawing of the Arctic ice caps is an economic and military opportunity that Moscow has not missed. Recently, it expanded its fleets with its binoculars trained on Arctic dominance. The newly built Arktika-class nuclear icebreakers, such as the Arktika and the Sibir, are among the most powerful in the world. They are capable of ploughing through ice up to 2.8 metres thick, and operating all year round. By the end of this year, Russia plans to operate a fleet of more than 20 nuclear and diesel-electric icebreakers and will lead the world in carving through the Arctic. In response, the US Coast Guard has three icebreakers and one on order. The UK has none. This Russian fleet enables Moscow to lead the search for the vast mineral resources, including fossil fuels, that are locked beneath the melting ice. open image in gallery Newly built nuclear-powered icebreaker Ural begins its passage from Russias Baltic shipyard in St Petersburg to the northern city of Murmansk in 2022 ( AP ) Icebreakers also allow it to control shipping routes and assert military dominance over the emerging region. According to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center, the level of Arctic sea ice has declined by around 40 per cent since satellite observations began in 1979, reaching record lows in recent years. That means new shipping routes can be opened and probably kept open by Russia. The northern sea route (NSR), which runs along Russias Siberian coast from Murmansk to the Bering Strait, is at the heart of the Kremlins strategic push into the Arctic. This route used to be impassable for most of the year. Satellite and climate data now reveal that the navigation season along the NSR has stretched from only 60 days a year to double that. Year-round transit is around the corner. The distance between Asian manufacturing hubs like China and Europe is being cut by approximately 40 per cent, saving millions of dollars in fuel and transit time. Trips from Shanghai to Hamburg via the NSR take around 15 days, compared with roughly 30 days via the Suez Canal. Thats an economic bonus that Russia wants to own. It is likely to come into conflict with the rest of the world if Moscow insists on collecting tariffs from other countries using an international shipping route which it hopes to do. Already Russia uses its ports in the High North for moving sanctioned crude oil in its shadow fleet, which helps to fund Putins war against Ukraine. open image in gallery Foreign secretary David Lammy has warned of Russias growing military presence in the region ( PA ) Norway operates the biggest satellite observation network in the world from the Svalbard archipelago, and can see these illegal oil exports leaving Russias northern ports. Its this satellite ground station that helps us see the movement of Russias shadow fleet and ultimately helps us to thwart Putins ability to fund his war, Lammy said. The High North has always been important to the security of the whole [Nato] alliance. This is one of the regions where Russia can move out and towards the West. The UKs Royal Marines play a key role in Natos cold-weather warfare, and Lammy insisted that Britain is crucial in defending Natos northern flank with what is called the Littoral Response Group. But the Royal Navy does not have any amphibious ships to move the commandos, and its real contribution is very light compared to that of the Nordic countries and the US. This puts further strain on the whole of Natos operational readiness as Ukraine is the focus of so much effort. Russias Northern Fleet has deployed advanced nuclear-powered submarines, including the Borei-class and Yasen-class vessels, capable of launching strategic missile strikes from under the ice. They give Moscow a second-strike nuclear capability, which ensures its place among the superpowers. To consolidate its position, Russia has constructed new military bases and upgraded existing ones in Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, two remote archipelagos in the Arctic Ocean. These are the real inroads into the Arctic taking advantage of the rapid rate of climate change and the rest of the world needs to sit up and take notice. By choosing this location for his first face-to-face talks with Putin since he became president for the second time, Donald Trump may inadvertently have drawn the worlds attention to another clear and present danger. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The West must not be intimidated by Vladimir Putin, says the head of the British armed forces, ahead a crucial meeting between the Russian leader and US President Donald Trump. Mr Trump says he believes Putin is ready to make a deal to end Russias war with Ukraine when the two leaders meet in Anchorage in Alaska on Friday. It is set to be followed by a second meeting involving Volodymyr Zelensky, which could also be attended by European leaders, Mr Trump suggested on Thursday night. But writing for The Telegraph, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin warned Nato allies against submitting to Moscows demands, and said: Putin doesnt want a war with Nato because he would lose. So we should not be cowed by his rhetoric or his campaign of sabotage, outrageous as it may be. open image in gallery Donald Trump has said that Putin would not mess him around (Alex Brandon/AP) ( AP ) During a press conference on Thursday at the White House, Mr Trump said that Putin is not going to mess around with me, and said he believed that both the Russian leader and Volodymyr Zelensky would reach a peace deal. Speaking in the Oval Office, he said: I want to set the table for the next meeting. Id like to see it happen very quickly. Were going to find out where everyone stands. If its a bad meeting, it will end very quickly, and if its a good meeting, we will end up having peace in the very near future. He also floated the idea that European leaders could be invited to the second meeting, and reiterated that he would know in the first two minutes if a deal could be achieved. Ukrainian president Zelensky and his European counterparts, such as Sir Keir Starmer and Frances Emmanuel Macron, have been sidelined from Fridays summit. Writing to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, Sir Tony said that Nato allies must be assertive in every domain nuclear, land, sea, air, cyber and space as well as in the diplomatic and economic arenas. open image in gallery Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met on Thursday (Ben Stansall/PA) ( PA Wire ) He added: The one weapon that is most needed in our arsenal is confidence. Despite the global instability, Britain is secure at home. Nato is strong. Russia is weak. It is not complacent to point this out. In a separate statement, Mr Zelensky said there had been discussions about the security guarantees required to make any deal truly durable if the United States succeeds in pressing Russia to stop the killing. But concerns linger over the prospect of Kyiv being excluded from negotiations over its own future, and pressured to cede territory, after Mr Trump suggested any agreement may need to involve swapping of land. Ukraine has already rejected any proposal that would compromise its borders. On Thursday, Sir Keir and Mr Zelensky met at Downing Street, where they said there was strong resolve for peace in Ukraine. The two leaders embraced as the red carpet was rolled out for Mr Zelenskys arrival in Downing Street, and they later had breakfast. They expressed cautious optimism about the prospect of a truce as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious about ending the war, a Downing Street statement said. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Spain is grappling with 14 major wildfires on Friday as authorities warn of unfavourable conditions hindering containment efforts. The fires have already killed seven people and devastated more than 150,000 hectares (579 square miles) of land. A 12-day heatwave and southerly winds are exacerbating the crisis, making Friday another challenging day for firefighters. Virginia Barcones, director general of emergency services, described the situation as one of the worst summers for fires in the past 20 years. Speaking on RTVE, she added: "In the western part of the country the situation is extremely worrying." The severity is particularly acute in Galicia, where several fire fronts have merged, leading to significant disruption including the closure of highways and rail services across the region. open image in gallery A helicopter drops water on a wildfire in Larouco, northwestern Spain, on Wednesday ( AP ) The national weather agency AEMET warned of extreme fire risk in the north and west of the country, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on the north coast. "Today will be another very difficult day, with an extreme risk of new fires," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X. Firefighters have been battling to put out wildfires across southern Europe, with the flames stoked by the extended heatwave gripping the region. Avincis, the largest operator of emergency aerial services in Spain and Europe, said it had registered a 50 per cent increase from 2024 in flight hours dedicated to firefighting operations in Spain and Portugal so far this season. However, a fire near Molezuelas de la Carbellada in the Castile and Leon region that was one of the largest in Spain's history had not advanced since Thursday, said Angel Sanchez, head of the region's forest fire service. "We will continue working to stabilise it," he said. open image in gallery A fire burns outside of Patras ( AP ) 15 firefighters hospitalised in Greece Outside the Greek port city of Patras on Thursday, firefighters struggled to protect homes and agricultural facilities as flames tore through pine forests and olive groves. Tall columns of flames rose behind apartment blocks on the outskirts of the city, while dozens of vehicles were torched as flames swept through a nearby impound lot. "Today is another very difficult day with the level of fire risk remaining very high across many parts of the country," Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis said. At least 15 firefighters were hospitalised or received medical attention for burns, smoke inhalation or exhaustion, he added. Close North Korea releases video of troops fighting in Ukraine war On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump says he believes Vladimir Putin is avoiding meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky simply due to personal animosity. The US president has been pushing to arrange a peace summit between the two leaders but his efforts have so far been rebuffed by Moscow. Asked yesterday why Putin was refusing to meet Zelensky, Trump appeared once again to sympathise with the Russian leader. Because he doesnt like him, Trump said, adding: I have people I dont like, I dont like to meet with them. Trump also admitted that he has spoken on the phone with Putin again since their call on the side lines of a summit with European leaders in the White House last Monday. Meanwhile, Zelensky said Monday he had a good meeting with US envoy Keith Kellogg, discussing pressure on Russia for real" ceasefire talks and the United States' role in Ukraines security. Plans for a possible summit with Putin and post-ceasefire guarantees were also due to be discussed this week. It is unclear if this will be separate from the Kellogg meeting. BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- As the doors swing open at Beijing's new robot-themed restaurant, diners are greeted by humanoid waiters who nod and speak in lifelike gestures, while robotic servers glide between tables delivering dishes and a robot band plays drums and guitars, turning a meal into a futuristic spectacle. "The restaurant gives me a fresh sense of technology. It's quite an amazing attempt," said Ding Wenjun, a tourist from east China's Jiangxi Province. "It is not only an immersive dining place integrating cuisine, culture and technology, but also provides a scenario for robot application and data collection," said Sun Ling, head of the Robot Restaurant. The tech-savvy restaurant is one of the participants of the E-Town Robot Consumption Festival, running from Aug. 2 to 17, organized by the administrative committee of the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town. The festival also marked the debut of the Robot Mall, a 4,000-square-meter "robot 4S" store, while shopping malls and e-commerce platform JD.com host sales campaigns. Enterprises can enjoy subsidies of up to 250,000 yuan (about 35,039 U.S. dollars) on robot purchases. The Robot Mall features more than 50 products across medical, industrial and companion robotics. For instance, the Galbot G1, a wheeled-chassis humanoid robot, can retrieve medications from shelves and deliver them directly to patients. "It can automatically dispense and distribute medications, alleviating the heavy workload of nurses and reducing risks of human error," said Meng Yanpei, a manager at the mall. "In pharmacies, it serves emergency patients, especially at night, while also lowering operating costs by taking over repetitive tasks." Over 10 pharmacies in Beijing now use Galbot G1, operating 24 hours a day. The robot is priced at 680,000 yuan at the 4S store during the festival, at a discount of 50,000 yuan. As of Tuesday, more than 19,000 robots and related products have been sold during the festival, generating total sales of over 200 million yuan. Meanwhile, the distribution of consumption vouchers has boosted sales by over 60 million yuan, according to the administrative committee of Beijing E-Town. Targeting online consumers, JD.com has showcased over 680 robot products, including quadruped, biped, exoskeleton, and educational and companion robots, offering a maximum subsidy of 600 yuan for a single product. "In the past, these robots were priced in the millions of yuan, but now they are becoming more affordable," said Xu Lei, head of the Intelligent Robot Business Department under the 3C Digital Business Group of JD.com. "We hope to leverage the advantages of online sales, brand support and supply chains to make robots accessible to more consumers." Zhang Hao, chief scientist of ALVA (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd., said that robots are still in their infancy and are often used mainly for display. "Even though they may stagger while walking, they captivate us because we can sense their intelligence gradually maturing." "Only when robots help customers make money will they buy and keep buying such machines," said Zhang, adding that such machines must be practical, affordable, versatile and of effective use for consumers. Zhang's perspective echoes that of Massimiliano Zecca, a professor of healthcare technology at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, who said, "Humanoid robots now require an engineering team to look after them. They need to bring real value to form a natural market." Despite the limitations of robots, Zecca was clearly impressed by a humanoid coffee barista crafting intricate latte art at the 2025 World Robot Conference, which concluded on Tuesday. "I would pay for a cup of coffee with artistic flavor. The evolution of humanoid robots will surely provide more choices to meet personal preferences," Zecca said. Enditem (Xiong Run, Zhang Yiyi and Dai Ruoxuan also contributed to the story.) Editor: ZAD On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin ended nearly three hours of high-stakes talks in Alaska without any sign of a Ukraine ceasefire deal raising questions over the trajectory of the war and the fate of European security. We didnt get there, a downbeat US president said as he told reporters that the two leaders had not reached an agreement but that the meeting had been very productive. We've made some headway, he added. So there's no deal until there's a deal. I will call up Nato in a little while. I will call up the various people that I think are appropriate. And I'll, of course, call up President Zelensky and tell him about today's meeting. He added: We had an extremely productive meeting and many points were agreed to. There are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there. We didn't get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there. open image in gallery Trump informs the press that no deal has been reached ( Getty ) Neither Putin nor Mr Trump used the word ceasefire in the short statements they made to the assembled media, before they shook hands and left the stage without taking questions. There was no sign of what the major sticking point could have been although Putin said that Mr Trump had insisted on highlighting the importance of Ukraines security. Putin said: We're convinced that in order to make the settlement lasting and long term, we need to eliminate all the primary roots, the primary causes of that conflict. And we've said it multiple times, to consider all legitimate concerns of Russia and to reinstate a just balance of security in Europe and in the world on the whole. And I agree with President Trump, as he has said today, that naturally, the security of Ukraine should be ensured as well. Naturally, we are prepared to work on that. The Russian president looked the more confident of the two, speaking first and praising the US as a close neighbour. He even joked that the leaders next meeting would be in Moscow to which Mr Trump awkwardly responded that the suggestion could get him into trouble. Landing on US soil in Anchorage itself was a huge diplomatic coup for the Russian president, who has been isolated from world events by his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It was his first meeting with Mr Trump in seven years. The leaders smiled broadly as they greeted each other under the din of fighter jets marking the moment with a fly-past. open image in gallery Both Trump and Putin appear relaxed after their first meeting in seven years ( Reuters ) Mr Trump deployed his signature handshake, yanking Putin close to him on the red carpet, but both appeared relaxed at the prospect of three hours of talks. They then sat silently with their respective delegations seated in front of a blue backdrop that had the words "Pursuing Peace" printed on it. Mr Trumps previous meetings with the Russian leader during his first term often left observers questioning the nature of the relationship, with Mr Trump taking Putins side over Russias efforts to interfere in the 2016 US election at their 2018 Helsinki summit. But the American president appeared to have learned from those previous experiences; the White House announced that the planned one-on-one meeting would become a three-on-three with Mr Trump accompanied by secretary of state Marco Rubio and his special envoy for peace missions, Steve Witkoff. open image in gallery Both leaders smile and joke on the red carpet shortly after landing ( Reuters ) As he headed to the summit aboard Air Force One, Mr Trump had said he wanted the meeting to lead to a ceasefire in Ukraine and that he would not be happy if one did not emerge as a result of his talks with Putin. I want to see a ceasefire rapidly... I'm not going to be happy if it's not today," he said. "I want the killing to stop." And he did not look happy after their session of talks. The White House had said the summit would also include a bilateral lunch with their delegations, and a joint press conference however, it appeared that lunch was cancelled, and after the media briefing, Mr Trump was believed to have flown back to Washington. In Putins presence, Mr Trumps past performances have been deferential. On this occasion he appeared more confident. Both ignored a journalist shouting a question to Putin an his arrival: How can the US trust your word?. open image in gallery The pair depart from the airport in Trumps heavily armoured presidential car nicknamed The Beast ( Reuters ) For Ukraine and Europe it was critical that Mr Trump emerged with a ceasefire that guarantees Ukraines security and that does not make upfront territorial concessions to Putin. The Russian president claims at least five provinces Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Donetsk and Kherson as sovereign Russian territory, which has been already illegally annexed by the Kremlin. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was notably absent from the meeting, although Mr Trump made it clear that if his first meeting with Putin went well, he would immediately seek a follow-up rendezvous between Putin and Ukraines president. Mr Zelensky had warned Mr Trump in a meeting on Wednesday with fellow European leaders that Putin was bluffing over his intentions to end the war in Ukraine. open image in gallery Trump waves to reporters as he boards Air Force One in the US ( Reuters ) Earlier in the week, Mr Trump had told reporters aboard Air Force One that: "I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I'm here to get them at a table." Mr Trump has intimated that there would have to be swaps of Ukrainian territory. Europe and Ukraine have outright rejected the pre-talk concessions made by Mr Trump. En route to the summit Mr Trump insisted that, Europes not telling me what to do. European leaders expressed concern prior to the summit about being sidelined from the meeting between DC and Moscow, with concerns that Putin would set his sights on one of their countries if he won in Ukraine. A joint statement from 26 European Union leaders, minus pro-Putin Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, aimed to appeal to the US president to defend their security interests at Fridays summit. They said they welcome the efforts of President Trump towards ending Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. But, they underlined, the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine" and "international borders must not be changed by force. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are set to hold a crucial summit in Alaska as the US president attempts to seal a ceasefire agreement on Ukraine. Russian and American delegations have arrived in Alaska ahead of the talks later on Friday, with Mr Trumps ceasefire hopes uncertain, but with a last gasp offer from Mr Putin of a possible nuclear deal that could help both men save face. It comes after Mr Trump met with European leaders and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky for an emergency virtual summit, organised by German chancellor Friedrich Merz, on Wednesday. The Ukrainian president then met with Sir Keir Starmer at No 10 on Thursday, stating that they are united in their strong resolve to secure a just peace in Ukraine. Mr Trump insisted the Russian president was not going to mess around with me ahead of the first meeting between the two leaders since 2018, saying he thinks both will make peace. Earlier on Thursday, Mr Putin praised Mr Trumps sincere efforts towards ending the war in Ukraine, telling Kremlin officials the US is making quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the fighting. As the presidents prepare to meet, here is everything we know about the summit so far: open image in gallery Donald Trump said, if his talks with Vladimir Putin went well, setting up a subsequent three-way summit with Volodymyr Zelensky would be even more important than his encounter with the Russian president on Friday ( Ukrainian Presidential Press Service ) When and where is the summit? The meeting of the Russian and US leaders at a Cold War-era air force base in Alaska will be their first face-to-face talks since Mr Trump returned to the White House and comes amid Ukrainian and European fears that Mr Trump might sell Kyiv out. Fridays talks in Anchorage will include a one-on-one meeting, a bilateral lunch with both delegations and a press conference, the White House announced. It added that the meeting will take place at 11am Alaska time (8pm BST). open image in gallery The US and Russian leaders shake hands at the beginning of a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, in July 2018 ( AP ) What are Trump and Putin hoping to get out of the talks? Mr Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, said on Thursday the three-and-a-half-year conflict had proven a tougher nut to crack than he had thought. He said if his talks with Mr Putin went well, setting up a subsequent three-way summit with Mr Zelensky who was not invited to Fridays meeting would be even more important than his encounter with Mr Putin. Mr Trump is pressing for a truce to bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, something he has made clear is important to him. Meanwhile, Mr Putin, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, needs Mr Trump to help Russia break out of its straitjacket of ever-tightening Western sanctions, or at the very least not to hit Moscow with more sanctions, something Mr Trump has threatened. The day before the summit, the Kremlin leader held out the prospect of something else he knows Mr Trump wants a new nuclear arms control agreement to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire in February next year. open image in gallery A Ukrainian soldier prepares to fire a howitzer towards Russian positions on the front line near Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday ( AP ) Who will form the Russian and United States delegations? Both Trump and Putin are set to bring senior politicians as part of their delegations to the Anchorage conference. The Russian delegation is set to include foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, defence minister Andrey Belousov, finance minister Anton Siluanov Russian sovereign wealth fund head Kirill Dmitriev and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, according to Politico. Meanwhile, the United States has yet to announce who will be part of its delegation, but its expected that the likes of secretary of state Marco Rubio, vice president JD Vance, special envoy to Ukraine and the Middle East Steve Witkoff, treasury secretary Scott Bessent, and defence secretary Pete Hegseth could attend. How have European leaders reacted? Ukraine and its European allies were heartened by their conference call on Wednesday in which, they said, Mr Trump agreed Ukraine must be involved in any talks about ceding land. Mr Zelensky said Mr Trump had also supported the idea of security guarantees in a post-war settlement, although the US president has made no public mention of them. Wednesday's call eased their fears of a Trump-Putin deal that would leave Ukraine under pressure to make territorial and other concessions. European leaders had expressed their concern about being sidelined from the meeting between DC and Moscow. Their overarching concern is that Mr Putin will set his sights on one of them next if he wins in Ukraine. A statement was issued by 26 European Union leaders on Tuesday, appealing to Mr Trump to defend their security interests at Friday's summit. They said they welcome the efforts of President Trump towards ending Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. But, they underlined, the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine" and "international borders must not be changed by force. Mr Zelensky then met with Sir Keir on Thursday, with the pair pictured warmly embracing as they entered No 10. Following the meeting, Downing Street said the leaders expressed cautious optimism about the prospect of a truce "as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious" about ending the war. open image in gallery The call was organised by German chancellor Friedrich Merz ( AP ) What have the presidents said? Mr Trump said on Monday that he was going to get everybodys ideas before meeting with Mr Putin. On the eve of the summit, the US president said he thought Mr Putin would do a deal on Ukraine, but he has blown hot and cold on the chances of a breakthrough. Mr Putin praised what he called "sincere efforts" by the US to end the war. A source close to the Kremlin told Reuters it looked as if the two sides had been able to find some unspecified common ground beforehand. "Apparently, some terms will be agreed upon tomorrow [Friday] because Trump cannot be refused, and we are not in a position to refuse [due to sanctions pressure]," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. Mr Zelensky, meanwhile, has accused Putin of bluffing and playing for time to avoid US secondary sanctions and has ruled out handing Moscow any territory. Mr Trump has said land transfers between Russia and Ukraine could be a possible way of breaking the logjam. open image in gallery Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met at Downing Street on Thursday ( PA ) What could the outcome be? Mr Putin has set stringent conditions for a full ceasefire, but one compromise could be a phased truce in the air war, although both sides have accused the other of flouting a previous accord. Analysts say Mr Putin could try to look like he is giving Mr Trump what he wants while remaining free to escalate in Ukraine if he wants to. "If they [the Russians] are able to put a deal on the table that creates some kind of a ceasefire but that leaves Russia in control of those escalatory dynamics, does not create any kind of genuine deterrence on the ground or in the skies over Ukraine... that would be a wonderful outcome from Putin's perspective," said Sam Greene, director of Democratic Resilience at the Center for European Policy Analysis. Mr Putin, whose forces control nearly one-fifth of Ukraine, wants Mr Trump to start reviving the two countries' shrunken economic, political and business ties and, ideally, not to make that process contingent on progress on Ukraine. But it is unclear whether Mr Putin is willing to compromise on Ukraine. In power for a quarter of a century, the Kremlin chief has staked his legacy on coming out of the war with something he can sell to his people as a victory. Chief among his war aims is complete Russian control over the Donbas industrial region in eastern Ukraine, which comprises the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Despite steady advances, around 25 per cent of Donetsk remains beyond Russian control. Putin also wants full control of Ukraine's Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions; NATO membership to be taken off the table for Kyiv; and limits on the size of Ukraine's armed forces. Ukraine has said these terms are unacceptable and tantamount to asking it to capitulate. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trumps apparent willingness for the US to work with allies on a security guarantee for Ukraine represents a diplomatic coup for Europe and is a volte face by the US President. It has come most likely because an uncomfortable truth is creeping up his spine Americas power is fast dwindling. European power has surged, though. And all thanks to the 47th president of the United States who wanted to Make America Great Again but has enfeebled its influence by forcing allies to look after themselves. The result is that he has backed away from his previous refusal to consider any US part in future Ukrainian security guarantees - because if hes not going to be in that tent, hell have no voice around the campfire. European leaders have worked every version of flattery and guile to try to get Trump to comprehend the gravity of the summit between himself and Vladimir Putin in Alaska. open image in gallery Prime Minister Starmer Hosts Ukrainian President Zelensky ( Getty ) They have been panic stricken that he would meander into a session with the former KGB agent - a master of detail, credible obfuscation, trained interrogator, charmer and ruthless autocrat - without any preparation. Their concerns spring from the fact that Trump foreign policy team has become something of a joke in the international community. Theres no US ambassador to Moscow or Kyiv. Former property tycoon Steve Witkoff - and now Trumps special envoy - is seen as a man of spectacular incompetence in the face of the Kremlins ferociously efficient operations that draw on more than 100 years of uninterrupted effort to subvert the West. Witkoff has repeatedly used an unsecured mobile phone in Russia the equivalent of handing over state secrets in lovely wrapped gift boxes. In meetings with Putin, he relies on Russias official translator, brings no US officials with him, takes no notes, and then relies on his memory to brief the president. In March he was roundly criticised for being unable to name the four Ukrainian provinces Russia annexed in September 2022 alongside Crimea which was stolen by force in 2014. No wonder his team has been briefing the impossible and bizarre idea that Putin may be offered a West Bank style occupation of eastern Ukraine modelled on Israels occupation of lands it captured in the 1967 Six Day War. open image in gallery Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff ( Sputnik ) Witkoff doesnt comprehend that under Russian law the four eastern provinces partly held by Russia are all, entirely, now already part of Russia itself. Israel has built vast Jewish-only colonies on the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law. It is also the scene of relentless conflict and violence from settlers who, human rights groups say, kill Palestinians with impunity. It would be impossible to find a more legally or practically flawed example of a successful occupation. But circulating the idea indicates just how low-brow Trumps top foreign policy advisers are as he prepares to meet with Putin. The US National Security Council has been eviscerated. About a quarter of the state departments staff have left office since January. Trumps Director of National Intelligence is supposed to coordinate all data from the CIA, FBI, state department and all other agencies to stove pipe the best advice to the Oval Office. That job is currently held by Tulsi Gabbard who has been a fulsome supporter of Bashar al Assads dictatorship in Syria and Putins rule over Russia. She has also been accused of being a noted conspiracy theorist. In July she used her office to launch an attack on Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama for what she said were their efforts to subvert American democracy in 2016 this was when US intelligence agencies had concluded that it was Russia that had been doing just that. Her office said: Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard [has] revealed overwhelming evidence that demonstrates how, after President Trump won the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton, President Obama and his national security cabinet members manufactured and politicized intelligence to lay the groundwork for what was essentially a years-long coup against President Trump. open image in gallery Director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard accused Barack Obama of launching a 'coup' over intelligence committee assessments of Russian interference in US elections ( AFP/Getty ) They havent produced any evidence for the allegation, but her effort will be noted with delight by Putin, who has worked very hard in the US, EU and UK, to subvert democracy and encourage self-harming policies like Brexit. In term of the Alaska summit, it is the equivalent - as one senior Whitehall official said to me - of sending flat earthers to talks on astronomy. Unfortunately, Trumps team have no grasp on facts, or truth, and therefore no grasp on reality either. Except, perhaps, that this may be the last chance Trump has to be a player in the Ukraine theatre before hes reduced to a mere purveyor of arms. open image in gallery A Ukrainian soldier walks past damaged buildings in central Pokrovsk ( AP ) Trump demanded that Natos European members and Canada stand on their own and pay their way for defence. His campaign was effective. Natos non-US allies now see America as an unreliable ally and have rushed to rearm and expand their military capabilities. Theyll soon be able to stand and operate independently of the US. Ukraine, too, has surged its weapons manufacture and is now a world leader in the latest drone technology. Nato will never again assume it can rely on the US. This means American leverage and power is much diminished. In Ukraine, the US has spent 114 billion with Trump now cutting all foreign military aid. In contrast, Europe and the UK have spent, or pledged, 250 billion, including a recent order worth 1.5 billion worth of US arms. These are arms, in many cases, that can be bought elsewhere. The US has become an arms supermarket not a market maker. Trump has found diplomacy much harder than he anticipated, as he himself admits when it come to Ukraine. The Nobel Prize he so believes he already deserves is far away too. That is frustrating enough. But not as mortifying as not being a player at all. Hes learning that if he wants a part on the international stage he may have to take an ensemble role or stay in the wings. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A customer in the Winston Churchill Cafe and cigar shop the unlikely refuge on Dobropillias leafy Shevchenka Avenue describes the mood with a sobering clarity: Everyone respects Churchill here; he is a symbol of resistance. If he were alive now, the war probably wouldnt have happened. Two weeks of Russian military escalation have hollowed out this frontline town, and Dobropillias mayor has issued a mandatory evacuation order as indiscriminate attacks intensify. Earlier this week, Putins forces breached the nearby Ukrainian defence line, pushing roughly 10 miles north-east of the town to within six miles of its perimeter. The grinding advance has sown panic amongst those still remaining. open image in gallery Two weeks of military escalation have hollowed out the frontline town of Dobropillia ( Harry Stourton ) The Churchill Cafe stands, for now, as one of the last vestiges of normal life. Outside, the streets are empty or thinning; inside, the atmosphere is tense, the chatter hushed, as patrons scroll their devices for updates. Most of Dobropillias 28,000 residents have fled westwards. Vehicles laden with belongings race past, a desperate bid to outrun drones that may scour the skies. Three weeks ago, this was a normal, thriving town, says a customer, surrounded by photographs of Britains wartime leadership. People are fearful and no one agrees to share their name. They started hitting us with artillery and glide bombs, now drones are hitting cars and pedestrians. Everything has changed in the last three weeks; it is no longer safe, he says. open image in gallery The Churchill Cafe provides one of the few remaining vestiges of normal life ( Harry Stourton ) The current offensive appears designed to seize as much territory as possible before a Friday peace summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska. Extra Ukrainian brigades have been deployed to repel the incursion, though reports suggest the Russians have yet to be expelled. They are increasingly employing small, hard-to-detect Diversionary-Reconnaissance Groups (DRGs) that slip through overstretched defensive lines before retreating into the surrounding shadows. The incursion carries strategic consequences beyond Dobropillia, threatening to sever Pokrovsk and Dobropillia from Ukraines Donbas strongholds of Kostyantynivka and Kramatorsk. It is stressful for everyone, of course. It is not pleasant to hear these things, says the woman at the till. This is a place where people can gather to get news; events are moving so quickly. I am not sure how much longer I can stay open. In the town square, scarred by the site of a massive ballistic missile attack, the European Snack Store remains open between two shops destroyed in the blast. open image in gallery The European Snack Store remains open between two shops destroyed in the blast ( Harry Stourton ) Ivan, 49, the store manager, recalls his brush with danger: I hid under the counter when the attack happened. I was lucky; my neighbours were not. He foresees a difficult future: Business is slowing down; its too dangerous here. Ive had enough, Im leaving tomorrow. He has already moved his business, once from Pokrovsk and now plans to relocate westward to Petropavlivka. The future for Dobropillia does not look good. Pokrovsk, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, this is the playbook, he says, alluding to other towns reduced to rubble and then occupied. Anna, 33, is hurriedly stocking up groceries. The situation is getting worse, and the shelling is intensifying. Ive already moved my children to Dnipro. Im only here for my job at the post office, but Ive asked for a transfer. open image in gallery Anna has already moved her children out of the town and is now asking for a transfer from her job at the post office ( Harry Stourton ) I want to live without the threat of shelling and drones. Ive lived all my life here; everything I own is here, but the Russians are forcing me to leave. I am not scared, I am used to it. Despite all, some intend to stay. Among them are the elderly, the less mobile, and essential workers who have no obvious alternative. On a bench under some trees to protect him from drones, Roman, 27, who works in the local coal mine, says he will remain for now: Its my job; I have nothing else. He concedes, however, that the Russians have completely destroyed other mines they have captured. Most apartments lie empty. Maria, 78, emerges from her doorway: All my neighbours have left; I will stay. I have my apartment and a cat. Everything I own is here. We are a strong nation; our defenders will not let them in. I am alone, but I am not afraid. open image in gallery Roman, 27, who works in the local coal mine, says he will remain for now ( Harry Stourton ) Back at the Churchill Cafe, the sound of distant booms punctuates the arrival of Artem, a soldier with Ukraines 25th Airborne Brigade, who steps inside with bags slung over his shoulder. This will be my final coffee here. Im moving out of the town and my apartment further west, he says, weary but unbowed. He has little appetite for Fridays possible breakthroughs in Alaska: Putin does not want peace; he wants this town and all of Ukraine. He adds: I see no end to this war. Its sad to see my home likely become the front line; Russia will destroy it. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ukraine has struck a large Russian oil refinery and key port, hitting a ship that had been transporting drone parts and ammunition from Iran, its military has confirmed. Kyiv said on Friday that Ukraine struck the Syzran oil refinery in Russia's Samara region in an overnight attack and also hit the Caspian Sea port of Olya in the Astrakhan region the previous day, including the cargo vessel travelling to Russia. The strikes came hours before US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin meet for a crucial summit in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine to which Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has not been invited and as Russia grinds out gains in Ukraine's east. Facing regular Russian missile and drone attacks, Ukraine has directed the majority of its deep strikes against Russian oil refineries and unspecified storage facilities this year, according to new general staff data published on Friday. The Ukrainian military, as usual, did not confirm if it used drones for its latest two long-range attacks. It says its deep strike campaign aims to degrade Russia's capacity to wage the full-scale war it launched in February 2022. The Ukrainian military's claims could not be independently verified. open image in gallery In a separate attack, a Ukrainian serviceman carries a shell for a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer before firing towards Russian troops on the front line in the Donetsk region on Wednesday ( REUTERS ) In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, Kyiv's military said its strike caused a fire and explosions at the Syzran refinery, which it said produces a range of fuels and is one of the biggest in oil company Rosneft's network. Samara's regional governor said a drone attack caused a fire at an unspecified "industrial enterprise" in his region, but that it had been put out quickly. The Russian defence ministry said it had shot down Ukrainian drones over nine regions. The Ukrainian military also said it struck the Caspian port of Olya in Russia's Astrakhan region on Thursday, hitting a ship that had been transporting drone parts and ammunition from Iran. open image in gallery The strikes came hours before US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin meet for a crucial summit in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine to which Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has not been invited ( Ukrainian Presidential Press Service ) The vessel "Port Olya-4" regularly transits the Caspian Sea, bringing cargo between Iran and Russia, according to the US treasury department and Ukrainian military intelligence. Russia uses the Olya port as an important logistics hub for the supply of military goods from Iran, the Ukrainian military said in a statement on Friday. Meanwhile, Moscow's forces breached Ukrainian lines in a series of infiltrations in the country's industrial heartland of Donetsk this week. open image in gallery Heavily damaged buildings in Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region pictured this year ( National Guard of Ukraine ) The advances amount to only a limited success for Russia, analysts say, since it still needs to consolidate its gains before achieving a true breakthrough but it is still seen as a potentially dangerous moment for Ukraine. In other developments, Russian strikes in Ukraine's Sumy region overnight on Wednesday resulted in numerous injuries, Ukrainian regional officials said. A missile strike on a village in the Seredyna-Budska community wounded a 7-year-old girl and a 27-year-old man, according to regional governor Oleh Hryhorov. The girl was taken to hospital in a stable condition. In Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack damaged several apartment buildings in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, near the border with Ukraine, where 13 civilians were wounded, according to acting governor of the region, Yuri Slyusar. Two of the wounded were hospitalised in serious condition, he said. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A video widely circulated on Friday shows Israels far-right national security minister berating a Palestinian leader inside a prison, saying anyone who acts against the country will be wiped out. Marwan Barghouti is serving five life sentences after being convicted of involvement in attacks at the height of the Palestinian uprising, or intifada, in the early 2000s. Polls consistently show he is the most popular Palestinian leader. He has rarely been seen since his arrest more than two decades ago. It was unclear when the video was taken, but it shows national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, known for staging provocative encounters with Palestinians, telling Barghouti that he will not win. Anyone who murders children, who murders women, we will wipe them out, Ben-Gvir said. Ben-Gvirs spokesperson confirmed the visit and the videos authenticity, but denied that the minister was threatening Barghouti. Barghouti, now in his mid-sixties, was a senior leader in President Mahmoud Abbas secular Fatah movement during the intifada. Many Palestinians see him as a natural successor to the ageing and unpopular leader of the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel considers him a terrorist and has shown no sign it would release him. Hamas has demanded his release in exchange for hostages taken in the attack in October 2023 that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip. In a Facebook post, Barghoutis wife, Fadwa, said she couldnt recognise her husband, who appeared frail in the video. Still, she said after watching the video, he remained connected to the Palestinian people. open image in gallery Fadwa Barghouti watches the video of her husband being confronted by Itamar Ben-Gvir ( Reuters ) Perhaps a part of me does not want to acknowledge everything that your face and body shows, and what you and the prisoners have been through, she wrote. Israeli officials say they have reduced the conditions under which Palestinians are held to the bare minimum allowed under Israeli and international law. Many detainees released as part of a ceasefire in Gaza earlier this year appeared gaunt and ill, and some were taken for immediate medical treatment. Meanwhile, the UN human rights office said an Israeli plan to build thousands of new homes between an Israeli settlement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem was illegal under international law, and would put nearby Palestinians at risk of forced eviction, which it described as a war crime. Israeli far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich has vowed to press on with a long-delayed settlement project, saying the move would bury the idea of a Palestinian state. A UN rights office spokesperson said the plan would break the West Bank into isolated enclaves and that it was a war crime for an occupying power to transfer its own civilian population into the territory it occupies. About 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1980, a move not recognised by most countries, but it has not formally extended sovereignty over the West Bank. Most world powers say settlement expansion erodes the viability of a two-state solution by breaking up territory the Palestinians seek as part of a future independent state. The two-state plan envisages a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, existing side by side with Israel, which captured all three territories in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel cites historical and biblical ties to the area and says the settlements provide strategic depth and security and that the West Bank is disputed not occupied. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov was spotted wearing a USSR sweatshirt as he arrived in Anchorage ahead of Russias highly anticipated summit with US president Donald Trump. The veteran politician arrived in Alaska ahead of President Vladimir Putin as a key member of Russias delegation. As he stepped out of a black vehicle ahead of the summit, he wore a sweatshirt beneath his black gilet that appeared to read CCCP, an abbreviation of the Russian-language cognate of USSR. Lavrovs vintage sweatshirt appeared to be a tongue in cheek reference to how critics of Putin have alleged the Russian leader wants to rebuild Soviet Russia. Statues of former General Secretary of the USSR Joseph Stalin have reappeared in Russia, with a monument to the dictator being unveiled in Moscows subway station earlier this year. The foreign minister said ahead of the conference that Russia never plans ahead, responding to the US presidents comments on Thursday that there was a 25 per cent chance the summit to arrange peace between Ukraine and Russia would fail. open image in gallery The CCCP slogan peaked through Lavrovs gilet ( Social media ) We know that we have arguments, a clear, understandable position. We will state it," Lavrov said in footage posted to the Russian Foreign Ministry's Telegram channel. Trump told Fox News in a radio interview on Thursday that he didnt know if they would get an immediate ceasefire but he wanted a broad peace deal done quickly. This seemed to echo Putins longtime argument that Russia favours a comprehensive deal to end the fighting in a way that reflects Moscows demands, as opposed to a temporary halt to hostilities. The Kremlin has said the two world leaders will first sit down for a one-on-one discussion, followed by the two delegations meeting and talks continuing over "a working breakfast." They are then expected to hold a joint press conference. open image in gallery World leaders are watching intently as Trump and Putin meet in Alaska ( Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Trump has offered shifting explanations for goals of the summit. He initially described it as a feel-out meeting but has also warned of very severe consequences for Russia if Putin does not agree to end the war. He has also said that while Putin might have a reputation for bullying other leaders, hes not going to mess around with me. Trump has repeated suggestions that a deal would likely involve some swapping of territories, although it remains unclear what Putin would swap in a deal. Other reports have suggested Russia might be financially incentivised into a ceasefire, with offers to gain access to Ukraines minerals. European leaders and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky await the summits outcome having spoken to Trump on Wednesday after his mention of land swapping sounded alarm bells. Zelensky has warned that Putin is bluffing when it comes to the prospect of a ceasefire, while his European allies have stressed the need for Ukraine to be involved in any peace talks. Trump has said that if his summit with the Russian president goes well, he will immediately seek to negotiate a sit down between the Ukrainian and Russia heads of state. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Watch again as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held a press conference after high stakes talks on Ukraine in Alaska on Friday (15 August). The Anchorage summit was held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and marked the US president and Russian leaders first one-on-one meeting in six years. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who was notably absent from the discussions, said that he was counting on America to open a real path toward a just peace. At a press conference after the summit, the US president told reporters that the two leaders had not reached an agreement after they emerged from nearly three hours of talks, although he said the meeting had been very productive. We've made some headway. So there's no deal until there's a deal. I will call up NATO in a little while. I will call up the various people that I think are appropriate. And I'll, of course, call up President Zelensky and tell him about today's meeting, Mr Trump said. Neither Putin nor Trump used the word ceasefire in the short statements they made to the assembled media, before they shook hands and left the stage without taking questions. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, invites Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa to share in a tea gathering in Anning, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Peng Yikai) BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday invited Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa to share in a tea gathering in Anning in southwest China's Yunnan Province, and the three sides engaged in friendly and candid communication in a harmonious atmosphere in talking about the border conflicts between Cambodia and Thailand. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that neither Cambodia nor Thailand want the border conflicts to continue and both are willing to resume dialogue and improve relations, adding that the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting to be held in Anning provides an opportunity for both sides to pursue these aims. He also pointed out that the word "Anning" implies peace, harmony and amity in Chinese -- and it is hoped that both Cambodia and Thailand can jointly speak out for peace while in Anning. Noting that China supports Cambodia and Thailand in engaging in dialogue, eliminating misunderstandings, rebuilding mutual trust and restoring normal exchanges and cooperation, Wang said China backs both sides in fully implementing the consensus reached at the extraordinary session of the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting between Cambodia and Thailand and consolidating the ceasefire situation without delay. China also supports the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in playing its due role and properly resolving issues in the ASEAN way, supports both sides in responding to the demands of the two peoples and reopening the border crossings as soon as possible, Wang said. China is willing to provide support and assistance for clearing of mines and other activities in the border areas of Cambodia and Thailand in accordance with the will of both sides, Wang said. He added that Cambodia and Thailand are eternal neighbors and brothers, and it is believed that the two sides can manage specific disputes well and join hands to address various global challenges. This will surely be welcomed by the people of both countries and is also the common expectation of regional countries, Wang stated. The foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand sincerely appreciated China for providing the opportunity for communication between the two sides and highly appreciated China's constructive role in easing the situation and promoting dialogue. Both sides emphasized the value of peace and the importance of good-neighborliness, and reaffirmed their willingness to actively implement the ceasefire agreement, make full use of the dialogue mechanism, and manage and resolve disputes through peaceful means. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, invites Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa to share in a tea gathering in Anning, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei) Editor: Zhang Zhou Dame Vera Lynns audition records have been heard for the first time 90 years after they were first recorded. They were found when Virginia Lewis-Jones, daughter of the "Forces Sweetheart," donated her mothers record collection to the British Librarys Sound Archive, after she moved out of her home in East Sussex, where Dame Vera Lynn had lived with her husband Harry Lewis for 40 years. Three silver aluminium audition records, labelled by hand with the song titles "What A Difference A Day Makes" and "Spring Dont Mean A Thing To Me," alongside a copy of Dame Veras first record, Its Home, recorded in 1935, were found. Dame Vera made her name during the Second World War, becoming beloved for her rousing songs such as "Well Meet Again and giving outdoor concerts for troops. Jehovahs Witnesses Irish asset management firm not authorised, Central Bank says Two directors of company remove references to such authorisation on LinkedIn accounts Jehovahs Witnesses HQ in New York John Mulligan Fri 15 Aug 2025 at 06:30 Two directors of an Ireland-based asset management firm controlled by the Jehovahs Witnesses religious group have removed references on their LinkedIn accounts saying it is authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland. Banks are making obscene profits we should tax them to fund cost-of-living package, says Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty TD singles out Bank of Ireland and AIB as he calls for law to be changed Sinn Feins finance spokesman Pearse Doherty. Photo: Getty Charlie Weston Fri 15 Aug 2025 at 06:30 A cost-of-living package in the Budget could be funded if the law that allows banks to avoid paying corporation tax was changed, the Government has been told. Only 9pc of Irish builders work in large companies Trend partly explains why construction productivity in Ireland is lower Bigger construction firms are needed. Photo: Stock image John Burns Fri 15 Aug 2025 at 06:30 Fewer than one in 10 Irish construction workers is employed by a large building firm, defined as having 250 employees or more, according to research by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. Sherry Fitzgerald, the countrys largest residential estate agency, and which is owned by tech tycoon Tommy Kelly, is in advanced discussions to buy Knight Frank Ireland. A deal between the parties would create an Irish property behemoth, with industry sources saying that Sherry Fitzgerald is eager to expand its offering in the commercial sector. Knight Frank Ireland is one of the countrys largest commercial real estate advisers, as well as having strong residential operations in the property market. Switzerlands gold industry has expressed scepticism about a proposal by the boss of watchmaker Swatch to introduce a levy on gold exports to the United States in retaliation for US president Donald Trumps tariffs. The US has imposed tariffs of 39pc on imported Swiss goods, causing shock and dismay in the country, a major refining and transit hub for gold. The US Customs and Border Protection later said tariffs might be placed on the most widely-traded gold bullion bars, but Mr Trump said on Monday that gold would not face tariffs. A Belfast comedian has opened up about the story behind his award winning Edinburgh Fringe Festival joke. Andy Gleeks won the (some guy called) Dave Joke of the Fringe 2025 with a gag about his boomer dad. His joke, I had to visit the trauma unit last weekend. He prefers the term dad, was dubbed the funniest line of the festival. Crowned the winner, he walked away with the title, a trophy, and 250 in prize money. Speaking about his inspiration for the joke, he said: It was one of those rare ones that came to me straight away. We live in an age where people are more aware of the effect of parenting on children and parenting is something boomer dads arent really good at. I heard the word trauma unit and obviously the word trauma gets bandied about a lot nowadays with more people going to therapy and things so it just sort of clicked as a joke then. He added: Its not particularly about my dad, just all boomer dads. He said that after finding out he won, he rang his dad to explain the joke. He said he doesnt mind and if it gets me a step up in the industry then its good but I think, in true boomer fashion, if it did annoy him he probably wouldnt say, Gleeks said. Andy Gleeks The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the worlds largest arts festival and is held each August in Scotlands capital. This was Gleeks third appearance at the festival, having started his stand-up career in 2012. I lived in Belfast with my parents until I was 25, then I moved over to England and did a PGCE and taught over here for a number of years, he said. Then I got married in 2012, Im divorced now but my then wife bought me comedy classes as a wedding present. After doing that course I just tried different open mics and went from there. Andy said he is proud to see how the local comedy scene is growing. Im not doing stand-up in Northern Ireland, Im over here in England but I just think its a very vibrant time for comedy in Northern Ireland, he explained. With the likes of Shane Todd, Aaron Bulter, William Thompson and so many more that I havent said, doing so well and really bringing a light to comedy in Northern Ireland. Its so good to see we are getting the recognition because its a place of great humour. The competition invited comedians performing at the Edinburgh Fringe to submit their best jokes. Andys joke was one of several selected by a panel of comics including Gary Delaney, of Mock the Week fame, and former competition winners Mark Simmons and Darren Walsh. The shortlist was then taken to Edinburghs Cowgate, where Will Mars, the competitions founder, wandered the streets looking for some guy called Dave and found Fringe-goer Dave Humphrys, who selected the winner. Another of Andy's jokes made the top ten: I used to not like darts but now I have done a 180. Andys show, Fragments, is on daily at 12.30pm in the Boston Bar during the Fringe. Why top-tier crime gangs are quiet so far in 2025 Head of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau welcomes significant drop in gang violence, but says organised crime has not gone away Detective Chief Superintendent Seamus Boland said the GNDOCBs central strategy is to disrupt, dismantle, prosecute organised crime gangs Ken Foy Fri 15 Aug 2025 at 06:30 Feuding organised crime gangs have cottoned on to the fact that turning their guns on each other is bad for business, the head of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) has said. Former Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald will not be seeking the nomination to be Fine Gaels candidate in the presidential election, following the departure of Mairead McGuinness as her partys candidate. We think our old neighbour is grazing his cattle on our vacant family farm and were worried he could claim squatters rights. What can we do? The Council of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) at a meeting on Friday appointed Serhiy Nikolaychuk as the first deputy governor of the bank upon the nomination of central bank governor Andriy Pyshnyy. As reported on the NBU website, at the same time Kateryna Rozhkova is terminating the powers of the first deputy governor of the bank due to the expiration of her term of office and dismissal from the position. In his new position, Nikolaychuk will manage the vertical of subordination "Financial Stability", as well as temporarily - "Monetary Stability". The National Bank will search for a candidate for the currently vacant position of deputy governor of the NBU. Pyshnyy congratulated Nikolaychuk and thanked Rozhkova for her many years of work, the information says. As reported, Nikolaychuk has been Deputy Chairman of the National Bank since July 2021. Before that, from 2004 to 2019, he worked his way up from economist to director of the Department of Monetary Policy and Economic Analysis at the central bank, after which he was appointed Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture. Rozhkova has been working in the banking system of Ukraine since 1998, of which 12 years were in managerial positions: she was Deputy Chairman of the Board of Erste Bank, Finbank, Platinum Bank, in 2009 she headed the Department of Non-Visit Banking Supervision of the National Bank for six months, and from June 2015 to January 2016 - the Department of Banking Supervision of the central bank. After that, she became a member of the board and deputy governor of the NBU, then - first deputy governor. The board of the National Bank, according to the law on the National Bank of Ukraine, consists of seven people: the governor of the bank, the first deputy and five deputy governors. All deputy governors are members of the NBU board ex officio. Ailbhe Griffith: 'I wanted to know why he did it and why he did it to me.' Picture: Damien Eagers / INM When I read recent news reports about a Spanish womans request for a restorative justice meeting with the man who raped her on a Dublin city centre street, I was delighted. Having gone through the same process myself, I knew how life-changing it can be. Imagine my disappointment, then, when the court was told that, even though the attacker agreed to meet the woman, the court was told by the Probation Service that this could not happen. The reason? He did not accept full responsibility for his crime. Joe Barnes: As self-styled president of peace and wily Russian expansionist face off, anything could happen Donald Trump has his eye on Nobel Peace Prize, while Vladimir Putin wants to expand and strengthen mother Russia US president Donald Trump and Russian president President Vladimir Putin during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg in 2017. Photo: Getty Joe Barnes Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd Thu 14 Aug 2025 at 06:30 Donald Trump says that within two minutes of meeting Vladimir Putin in Alaska tomorrow, he will know exactly whether or not a deal can get done to end the war in Ukraine. Incoming Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly has a lot of work on his hands when he takes charge of the force next month. Photo: PA When incoming Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly accepted his new role, he knew it was a tough job. Hes rapidly discovering exactly how tough. There are clearly problems when gardai dont want to do their job, but when their leaders arent sure what to do about it, it is hard to see it as anything other than a crisis. The damning Crowe Report, commissioned by Garda HQ, is the last thing a force already suffering from low morale needs. It is bad enough that the report was ordered after a garda whistleblower claimed some senior members were afraid to act when gardai were persistently performing poorly. However, the shocking findings can only serve to undermine confidence and credibility in a body dependent on both. It should be made clear that the report found the vast majority of the Roads Policing Unit (RPU) were professional and productive, but a minority were neither. They were disinterested in being either effective or productive and, what is worse, they could get away with it. A marked reluctance among supervisors to proactively manage their staff resources to hold RPU members to account was noted. Speaking to the level of disquiet within the ranks, the biggest staff body in the force, the Garda Representative Association (GRA), has questioned the accuracy of the claims. It also bitterly attacked outgoing commissioner Drew Harris. It said he was disrespectful to gardai in abdicating his responsibilities as commissioner and valuing the input of consultants more than garda supervisors. Mr Harris would no doubt reject their claims. We hardly need reminding that in the first six months of this year, 81 people died on our roads. Corrosive relationships would be a concern for any organisation, but in the force, where trust and co-operation are central to protecting the peace and enforcing the law, that such levels of dysfunctionality and disrespect could go unchallenged will greatly disturb the public. Any notion that some gardai may be lax about their responsibilities in an area so critical as roads policing and that they should not be disciplined for it is hurtful to victims families. It will also raise troubling questions in the public mind, for if any lapse is tolerated in one area of policing, might it not also be permeating others? We hardly need reminding that in the first six months of this year, 81 people died on our roads. Justice Minister Jim OCallaghan said that while the vast majority of gardai are deeply committed to their jobs, the report included concerning findings. Put simply, the poor productivity identified on the part of some gardai in roads policing, along with weaknesses in the approach to supervision and management of these officers, is alarming, he said. Yes, they are a cause for anxiety, and they must be acted on. It is understood garda numbers are at just over 14,300 despite targets of 15,000 and they may sometimes be stretched. Gardai have rightly won the respect of the nation for their heroic service. For any taint to the forces reputation to come from within its own ranks would be a terrible injustice to the many who served and still serve with distinction. This week on The Indo Daily, we are revisiting some of our favourite mini-series we produced in 2025 so far. Today we begin the first of our two-part special, Justice Derailed The Sallins Train Robbery which was first released on April 21st; On the night of March 30th, 1976, a gang of armed men held a family hostage in rural County Kildare and derailed a mail train carrying the equivalent of over 1 million in cash and valuables. It was one of the most audacious robberies in the history of the Irish statebut today, it is remembered for very different reasons. What followed was one of the longest and most controversial trials in the history of the Irish stateone that would see Osgurs conviction overturned, but not before spending 17 months in Portlaoise prison. The IRA would later claim responsibility for the Sallins robbery, and nearly five decades on, Osgur is still seeking justice for his treatment in the Bridewell Garda station and wrongful conviction. Host; Kevin Doyle. Guest; Osgur Breathnach The Coffee Hatch in Lahinch has made the decision to serve Palestine Cola to support the Palestinian people amidst ongoing Israeli attacks. Image: Instagram A coffee shop in Lahinch, County Clare, is the latest retailer stocking Palestine Cola in a move to show support and raise money for the Palestinian people. This week, the Coffee Hatch announced through social media that they would be stocking Palestine Cola and their sugar-free option as part of their ongoing efforts to support the people of Palestine. The targeted boycott of Coca Cola became heightened when Israels bombardment on Gaza worsened throughout 2024. Prior to this, the company had already been widely boycotted for its alleged links to the Israeli military operations. The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) website further explains why the boycott of Coca Cola was called for. BDS is a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality, upholding the principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity. According to research by WhoProfits, the Central Beverage Company, known as Coca-Cola Israel, which is the exclusive franchisee of the Coca-Cola Company in Israel, operates a regional distribution centre and cooling houses in the [Israeli] Atarot Settlement Industrial Zone, the BDS website said. Furthermore, its subsidiary, Tabor Winery, produces wines from grapes sourced from vineyards located on occupied land in settlements in the West Bank and Syrian Golan. The International Court of Justice affirmed in July 2024 that Israels entire occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is illegal, as are all Israeli settlements built on occupied land. As Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian and Syrian land are considered war crimes under international law, Coke is complicit in a war crime. The Coffee Hatch claimed that buying Palestine Cola is a small but delicious way to support Palestine. The full post read: In our ongoing efforts to support the people of Palestine, we are proud to announce we are now stocking Palestine Cola and their sugar-free option! We will be hosting our third fundraiser soon, so please keep an eye on our page for further details. In the meantime, enjoy this small but delicious way to support Palestine. Every effort counts! Other retailers have undertaken the same task as the Coffee Hatch, such as Crew Brewing Company in Limerick, Rotana City in Dublin, King House Tea Rooms in Boyle, County Roscommon, and many more. New Brass Kings bring jazz to the streets of Cork as part of the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. BoolaBoom performing at the programme launch of the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival which takes place from the 24th - 28th October. Pics: Darragh Kane Cymande, JP Cooper, Orchestra Baobab, and The Pharcyde lead the first wave of acts for the annual Jazz Festival which runs from Thursday, October 23 to Monday, October 27. The renowned five-day event has attracted top-tier artists and devoted fans for over 47 years. The festival is known for combining electrifying performances from jazz legends with statement sets from contemporary standard-bearers and trendsetters pushing the boundaries of the genre such as Damon Albarn, Macy Gray, Kamasi Washington and De La Soul, who have all played at the festival. The festivals unprecedented access to such an eclectic mix of artists has made it the largest music-centered city celebration in Ireland. Over the past few years, more than 100,000 visitors have headed to Cork City for the festivities, and attracts over 500 musicians for 100 events in almost 80 venues. The first round of acts has been announced for the 2025 Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, with an eclectic and exciting mix of genre-defining legends and emerging Irish talent set to take over the city. Cymande will visit Cork for the first time. The group who formed in the 70s will be celebrating their first album in ten years, Renascence. JP Cooper, known for his soulful vocals and crossover hits, adds a rich, contemporary flavour to the weekend. Meanwhile, legendary Senegalese band Orchestra Baobab will take to the Cork Opera house stage with their signature blend of West African and Afro Cuban brass arrangements, soulful harmonies and rhythmic intensity. A festival highlight will be The Pharcyde, marking 30 years of Labcabincalifornia. The influential LA hip-hop group will revisit their jazz-soaked second album produced in part by the late J Dilla in a celebratory set blending nostalgia, innovation and golden-era lyricism. Guinness Cork Jazz continues to champion boundary-pushing collaborations. Sienna Spiro adds her dreamy alt-jazz to the mix, and a special performance by poet and activist Saul Williams alongside acclaimed Andre 3000 producer Carlos Nino, known for his expansive cosmic jazz and deeply textured sound. From there, the line-up moves boldly across genres: Jeff Mills presents Tomorrow Comes the Harvest, an exploration of techno-meets-jazz improvisation; Ross From Friends brings his Bubble Love set, blending lo-fi electronics and soulful textures. Theyll be joined by Norways Dublon who is coined as the next big thing in the Jazz House wave. Cinematic soul takes centre stage with the Adrian Younge Orchestra, and by vintage soul revivalists Annie & The Caldwells. Returning favourites Hypnotic Brass Ensemble always bring the heat, while roots reggae legends The Congos and exciting genre-blurring Irish rapper Khakikid add deep rhythm and raw energy. Le Boom bring back some high-energy matinees, always a sellout! Also appearing: soulful newcomers and powerful Irish voices like God Knows, Zaska, Winnie Ama, Toshin and Melina Malone, while Tom Keating is hosting a number of shows at Cork City Hall. Beyond the ticketed shows, the city will once again come alive with the Guinness Music Trail, a free programme of live music across nearly 80 pubs and venues throughout the city and beyond. The festival also spills into the streets with surprise pop-up gigs, and brass bands bringing the rhythm directly to the people with The Big Fringe. The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is more than an event its a legacy and a culture, said Festival Director Mark Murphy. Were thrilled to bring another great line-up to Cork this October. Rory Sheridan, Head of Partnerships for Diageo said: This iconic festival brings people together through incredible music, culture, and community spirit values that are at the heart of Guinness. We look forward to another unforgettable October weekend in Cork. Bookings open this Thursday, August 14 at 10am on guinnesscorkjazz.com and tickets will go on sale this Friday, August 15. 5.1 kilometres of water main upgrades were recently completed along the N72 in County Cork, which will significantly improve the reliability and resilience of the water supply for the communities of Cullen and Dromcummer. Fine Gael TD for Cork North West, John Paul OShea welcomed the progress in the two Cork communities. These essential works, delivered by Uisce Eireann under the National Leakage Reduction Programme, mark an important step forward in securing the long-term water supply for families, farms, and businesses in this region. The recent essential works included modernising the critical infrastructure which will reduce leakage said Deputy OShea. The old and damaged watermains in this area have been a source of ongoing frustration due to frequent bursts and leaks, often leading to outages and disruption for local residents. I am delighted to see that this critical infrastructure has now been modernised, helping to reduce leakage and improve supply reliability. The Cork TD praised the co-operation between Uisce Eireann, Cork County Council, and contractors Ward and Burke for completing the work efficiently. Deputy OShea also acknowledged the patience of the local community during the course of the project. I want to thank the people of Cullen and Dromcummer for their understanding as these works were carried out. The benefits of this project will be felt for many years to come and will support both community wellbeing and economic development in the area. Mr OShea also welcomed Uisce Eireanns ongoing commitment to reducing national leakage levels, noting the progress made from a 46% leakage rate in 2018 to the target of 25% by 2030. Further works, including the permanent reinstatement of the road surface, will be carried out in coordination with Cork County Council. Cork County Council confirm that a prominent Cork road will be closed for a number of hours on Sunday to facilitate the commemoration of an historic icon. The L2011 at Beal na Blath will be closed from 10:30am to 5pm on Sunday, August 24 to facilitate the Michael Collins Commemoration. The road closure is pursuant to Section 75 of the Roads Act 1993, and Article 12 of the Roads Regulations 1994. The alternative route for southbound traffic is to follow the R-585 west to junction with the L-2008 at Boxers Cross. Road users should follow the L-2008 south across the L-2006 and onto the L-6013 into Newcetown village. Take the L-2009 northeast to the L-2011 at Mossgrove. The diversion is applicable in reverse when travelling in the opposite direction. Local access will be maintained throughout the duration of the road closure. The Michael Collins Commemoration takes place on the Sunday closest to August 22 each year, as General Michael Collins, commander-in-chief of the Irish army, was killed in an ambush during the Civil War on that date. Corks 2005 Rose advises current Rose Nancy to be herself and enjoy every moment as it goes by so quickly Deborah Barrett is looking forward to her 20th anniversary Rose of Tralee reunion this weekend Deborah Barrett Martin Mongan Corkman Fri 15 Aug 2025 at 09:00 Two decades on from her reign as Cork Rose, Deborah Barrett spoke to The Corkman about the iconic sash, the friendships she formed at the Rose of Tralee and how important the festival is to girls and women in Ireland. I get grief all the time for not having a bakery on the northside, says owner of Bread 41 Eoin Cluskey says he is actively looking for a unit to expand business across the Liffey Eoin Cluskey, owner and co-founder of Bread 41 in Dublin. Pic: Gerry Mooney Sarah Burke Fri 15 Aug 2025 at 06:30 The owner of the Bread 41 chain of bakeries in Dublin said he is actively looking for a suitable location to expand to the citys northside. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine at a meeting on Friday approved a decision to pay UAH 15 million in assistance to the families of servicemen who died in captivity, Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko has said. "The families of defenders who died in captivity will receive UAH 15 million in assistance. The deadline for applying for a one-time assistance for the wounded or those who lost their ability to work after service has also been extended to a year," Svyrydenko said on Telegram following the results of an extraordinary government meeting on Friday. According to her, on the instructions of the Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters, a decision was made at the meeting "that will help quickly meet the needs of the front." "Military units will be able to directly purchase used pickup trucks, ATVs, buggies, and motorcycles without unnecessary bureaucracy. The cost will be determined by expert assessment or market data. This will allow for the prompt renewal of equipment that wears out on the front line. Property lost or worn out in battles will be written off in a simplified manner. If it is up to UAH 1.7 million the process will be faster so that units can receive replacements without delay," the head of government said. In addition, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine initiated legislative changes to postpone the publication of military declarations for one year after the end of martial law, "so that the enemy cannot use this data," Svyrydenko said. A stunning Galway property with panoramic views of Connemara coastline is up for sale at a price of 1,750,000. The Extended Lightkeepers Cottage, located in Carraroe, is positioned along approximately 3.7 acres of unspoiled Atlantic shoreline and offers almost 360 degrees of spectacular sea views. The rare and remarkable property, listed by Premier Properties Ireland, provides sweeping, uninterrupted views over the North Atlantic Ocean, with the ever-changing light and skies looking across Galway Bay to the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands. Nestled at the centre of the property is the sensitively restored former Lighthouse Keepers Two Storey Cottage, now transformed into a striking and elegant residence that blends historical charm with contemporary architectural flair. The property was extended by the current owner and now comprises approximately 3,087 sq. ft of living space, arranged over two floors and finished to an exceptional standard throughout. The Extended Lightkeepers Cottage, located in Carraroe The property listing reads: The interior is a masterclass in blending the old with the new. Reclaimed wide pitch pine floors and large picture windows come together to create a space that is both contemporary and traditional. From nearly every room, the changing moods of the Atlantic are on full display, with French doors and sea-facing balconies designed to capture light and maximise connection to the landscape. A welcoming entrance hallway with solid hardwood flooring leads to a beautifully crafted walnut staircase. The main living room is both elegant and inviting, featuring a marble fireplace, solid hardwood floors, and French doors that open directly onto a generous terrace overlooking the sea. A tranquil home office offers inspiration through panoramic ocean views. The contemporary kitchen and dining area is fully fitted with Emperador marble floors, granite worktops, a Waterford gas fired range, second cooking station with electric induction hob offering more cooking versatility and flows smoothly into a custom-designed pantry that connects seamlessly to the more traditional elements of the home. The Extended Lightkeepers Cottage, located in Carraroe The original Lighthouse Keepers Two Storey Cottage has been preserved as an intimate and character-filled wing of the property. Here, one finds the original sitting room with French doors to the terrace, and an original Stanley No 8 Range. The adjoining kitchen features reclaimed wide pitch pine floors and a full pine fit-out, while a separate staircase leads to two enchanting double bedrooms, each with an ensuite shower room and a wealth of antique detail. This portion of the property, with its own entrance, is plumbed to be independent and separate with its own OFCH boiler and separate oil tank. Electricity use can also be read separately from the main house, so its quite a stand-alone living quarters of the property, ideal for guest accommodation or potential for self-contained use. Upstairs in the main residence, the master bedroom enjoys a private balcony with sweeping sea views, built-in wardrobes, solid hardwood floors and a luxurious ensuite with marble floor and multi jet shower cabin and steamroom. Two additional double bedrooms, both with solid hardwood floors, one with its own balcony and bathroom finished in marble with a jacuzzi bath, the other very large, with ensuite and walk-in wardrobe, are thoughtfully positioned to make the most of the propertys spectacular outlook. The Extended Lightkeepers Cottage, located in Carraroe The property boasts a B1 energy rating, with a high level of insulation throughout, including floors, ceilings and walls. The roof is insulated with 100mm compressed insulation installed between each rafter. The floors, walls and ceilings are insulated with high density foil-backed Kingspan, and fibreglass wool is installed between the ceiling joists. High output low energy SOLO radiators throughout, ensuites with pressure showers. Solar panels and stainless cylinders providing constant hot water. The addition of a heat pump may bring the Ber rating to A standard. Externally, the property is equally compelling. A tarmac driveway leads through a gated entrance bordered by traditional stone walls to a courtyard in front of the residence. The grounds are a carefully curated balance of natural coastal wilderness and elegant landscaping. Native wildflowers, montbretia, hydrangea, and ferns line rugged walking paths winding down to the shoreline. A large wooden deck wraps around much of the residence, offering numerous outdoor spaces from which to enjoy twilight skies and the rhythm of the ocean. The Extended Lightkeepers Cottage, located in Carraroe The property comes with the bulk of the furniture excluding personal items and artwork. A detached garage (207 sq.ft) with electric rolling door provides further utility and storage. Mains water supply, OFCH and solid fuel heating, high speed wifi, Klargester septic tank and percolation area. The property also benefits from extensive bog and turbury rights in the vicinity. The property is only a six-minute drive from the village of Carraroe, where traditional Irish music, language, and culture thrive. The wider Connemara region offers a wealth of natural beautyrugged mountains, tranquil lakes, white-sand beaches, and postcard-perfect fishing villages. The vibrant town of Clifden is just an hour away, while Knock, Shannon, and Dublin airports are all within reasonable reach, making the property both accessible and secluded. There is an endless variety of of outdoor activities to enjoy in the region such fishing and watersports at your doorstep, horseriding, island hopping and mountainbiking along endless trails with the dramatic beauty of the Connemara mountains as a backdrop. The Extended Lightkeepers Cottage, located in Carraroe This is a truly unique opportunity to acquire a Coastal Sanctuary where history, craftsmanship, and nature unite. A home shaped by the elements, rich in heritage, and designed to be lived in, loved, and passed on for generations to come. Cannonball pictured arriving in to Killarney in 2023. The event will return to Killarney in 2025 on Friday September 12 at 6pm. In a scene fit for Her Majestys Secret Service, Radio Novas PJ Gallagher and Jim McCabe got to grips with a rare Aston Martin DB11 to announce that the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation is the official charity partner for Cannonball 2025 and the event is coming back to Killarney on Friday September 12 at 6pm. Photo by Photocall Ireland. Popular supercar event Cannonball is making its way back to Killarney next month, all in aid of the wonderful charity that is the Jack and Jill Childrens Foundation. Helping to launch the upcoming event this week were Radio Novas PJ Gallagher and Jim McCabe with the pair getting to grips with a rare Aston Martin DB11 as they announced that Cannonball 2025 will be back in Killarney Friday September 12 for the first stage finish line at 6pm at The Brehon Hotel. Cannonball founder Alan Bannon confirmed that Cannonball, the action-packed supercar spectacle is set to roll on September 12 to 14 from Johnstown Estate in Enfield taking in Ballymaloe, Killarney, Clare, Sligo, Cavan before finishing in Naas in Kildare. Cannonball is the largest organised road trip in Europe featuring the finest cars on the planet from Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren to Porsche, Aston Martin, and Maserati. Over 200,000 spectators are expected with free festivals organised from coast to coast. Cannonball has already raised 2,024,809 for Irish Childrens Charities and brings an electric atmosphere to host towns all over the country, making it a widely anticipated free family event for spectators. The Jack and Jill Children's Foundation is an Irish childrens charity that funds and delivers in-home nursing care, respite support and end-of-life care for children from birth to six years of age with severe learning disability often associated with complex medical needs and is often described as a lifeline, giving exhausted parent carers a break from their 24/7 care regime. Jack and Jills service operates seven days a week, no means test, no red tape and no waiting list. 95 children in Cork have been cared for by the charity in Co. Kerry since its inception in 1997 and this year 12 children in Kerry are being cared for by Jack and Jill. The event offers spectators a unique opportunity to witness the world's most prestigious and sought-after supercars up close and enjoy the unique festival atmosphere that Cannonball is renowned for. The Brazilian Dancers, giant screens, music and fanfare brings all the glamour of carnival and live DJs, bands and festivals in host towns around the country get the party started. Eggs-perimental new venture going down a storm as Valentia Islands first ostriches emerge from their massive eggs Its not every day you hear about two beekeepers turning their hands to hatching ostriches but thats exactly what Paul ONeill and Anton Tovarnitskyi have done as they embark on a new adventure. The creators of The Bee Beds Experience and The Revive Experience in Valentia Island, have just successfully incubated their very first ostrich chicks With no fancy equipment, the two friends successfully hatched ostrich chicks by building their own homemade incubator and, between them, they turned the eggs by hand ten times a day for 40 days. "By day 46, there was still no sign of hatching, so we decided to help. Ostrich shells are incredibly strong, so out came the hammer carefully tapping into the air sac to give the chicks a start. Some found their own way out after that, while others needed a little more help, explained Paul. "We honestly didnt know how it would turn out it was all a bit eggs-perimental but to our delight, we had a surprisingly good success rate. Now, at just a week old, the chicks have moved into a bigger incubator, where were gently lowering the temperature to help them adjust to our beautiful Irish climate. The ostriches are extremely cute and are attracting a lot of attention but they are set to grow very quickly. Ostriches grow at about a foot a month, with females reaching over 6 feet and males sometimes an incredible 9 feet tall. Both Paul and Anton are currently developing plans to create Kerrys very first ostrich farm in Glenbeigh a place where people can learn about these magnificent creatures, feed them, and enjoy a fun, interactive experience for all ages. Anton Tovarnitskyi with the baby Ostrich born in Valentia. Paul ONeill lives on Valentia Island with his family, where he runs Island Organix, growing micro-plants and vegetables and selling honey products from his hives. Anton Tovarnitskyi is Ukrainian refugee who fled the war and found himself on the remote Kerry island. The two became friends and business partners when they set up Ireland's first Bee Beds and now they are hoping to develop another unique experience with their ostrich farm. The Ostrich egg was turned by hand 10 times a day for 40 days in order to hatch Kerry's newest resident. They hope their latest business ideas will bring more visitors to South Kerry just like their Bee Beds project which has allowed visitors and locals relax while listening to bees. "We plan to use their eggs, breed them, and give visitors a chance to meet the largest birds in the world up close, continued Paul. From bees to ostriches, life has taken us on some unexpected adventures but the goal is always the same: to bring joy, connection, and a touch of wonder to everyone who visits. The mystery of Ireland's first Rose of Tralee: Family searches for lost 1932 portrait Family of Tralee girl painted as the first Rose still search for her portrait 93 years later Tralee woman Sheila Galvin sometime in the 1930s. Stephen Fernane Kerryman Fri 15 Aug 2025 at 09:00 In the early 1930s, famous Irish artist Leo Whelan sat in a smoked-filled dance hall at the Theatre Royal searching for his Rose of Tralee. His ambition that evening was to find and depict a Rose on canvas. The old DW Parke shopfront in Clonmel, which is now boarded up. Tipperarys largest town faces ongoing problems with derelict and vacant properties. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe addressed the dereliction of properties apparent in so many streets of Clonmel during a visit to Tipperarys largest town this week. Clonmels growing dereliction problems are most apparent in Market Place, a pedestrianised area now mostly boarded up, while there are numerous prime retail units on the main street also boarded up and left to decay. Last year, Clonmel had the highest vacancy rate in Tipperary at 18.6pc. Deputy Donohoe said there are a number of grants and schemes in place to tackle dereliction. Its very clear to me, and Deputy Murphy has highlighted it, that as we walk around Clonmel, the issue of dereliction continues to be very acute, and continues to a real challenge for the local community, said Deputy Donohoe at the corner of Kickham Street and Gladstone Street, a short distance from the old DW Parke shopfront, now boarded up. The grant schemes are being drawn down elsewhere, but for different reasons, its not working in the way we would want here in Clonmel. Secondly, Deputy Donohoe pointed to the laws and regulations governing the use of commercial property and how derelict premises can be converted into thriving places where businesses and people want to be. I can see us making progress elsewhere. We are clearly not making the progress that we want to when I look here in Clonmel, said Deputy Donohoe. Follow Independent Tipperary on Facebook The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) aims to deliver more compact and sustainable development, as envisaged under Project Ireland 2040. Clonmel is still waiting for URDF funding, and the issue has been raised in the Dail by Fine Gael TD Michael Murphy. The URDF is important for funding public realm projects across the country, said Deputy Donohoe. One of the things I want to look at, in conjunction with Deputy Murphy, is how this scheme is working, and can it deliver more for communities like Clonmel. It is working in delivering public realm projects elsewhere. I can see the benefit of it in other towns and smaller cities. I think there may be some factors that may be specific here to Clonmel, but given the strength of the local community, given the strength of the economy here in Tipperary, I really do want to see that translated into a better urban and retail core for Clonmel than you have at the moment. Around 5,000 guests are expected to attend the Bansha Agricultural and Industrial Show in Co Tipperary, on Wednesday, August 20, depending on the weather. Excitement is building ahead of the Bansha Agricultural and Industrial Show, one of the biggest events on the rural calendar in Tipperary. Organisers of the Bansha Show pride themselves on having something for everyone to ensure a great family day out at the annual fete, which takes place on Wednesday, August 20, in association with Muintir na Tire. We have everything, from cattle, horses, ponies, sheep and dog showing, affiliated show jumping, home crafts, sheep dog trials, farm produce, fruit, fancy dress, bonny baby and much more, said spokesperson and assistant secretary Richie Bourke. Theres a great buzz around the village. There always is, in the lead up to it. For ourselves, the committee, and locals who are helping in it, theres a great build up of excitement. Mr Bourke estimated that around 4,000 to 5,000 people or over will attend on the day, depending on the weather, with the forecast looking good. Bansha Agricultural and Industrial Show has been an integral part of the community since its foundation in 1956. It has developed over the years into an important local enterprise, encompassing all sections of the community, both young and old, and embodying the concept of one happy family, as expressed by the late John Cannon Hayes, founder of Muintir na Tire. As well as classes for farm animals, farm produce, ponies, babies and crafts, there are also photography competitions, a childrens section and dog show. This year, the new dog show schedule will include four new classes: dog with the waggiest tail, best rescue dog, best local dog living within 5k of Bansha, and best trained-trick dog. Excitement is building in Bansha for the annual show. With an entry fee of 10, the Bansha Show is one of the best value for money shows in the country, said Mr Bourke. Entrants can pay by cash or card at the gates, which open from 8am, with people still on the field until 7pm that evening. In terms of highlights, the showjumping is always to exciting to watch, along with the sheep dog trials. Its great you can get so close to see a man and his dog working there, said Mr Bourke. We have several different showing rings, jumping rings theres a lot in it. We try to spice it up every year with different classes. What we have again this year last year was our first year a lot of racehorses that have been retired, or that werent good enough for the job. People have taken them on, so theres a class there sponsored by Con Marnane [owner of Bansha House Stables]. Its a great class, added Mr Bourke. Off the competition field, the show has food marquees running throughout the day, along with other stalls offering fast food, pizzas, and crepes. Several car parks are available in the showgrounds, with designated spots for the elderly and those with disabilities. Even if someone is not mobile at all, they can fit in the car and be driven around to the different rings and get as close as they can. Rural Minister Dara Calleary TD sent a message of support to the Bansha Show on Monday, June 30. I am delighted to be in a position to support the Bansha Agricultural Show for 2025, he said. My Department will again this year provided 1 million to over 120 other agricultural shows combined across the country, including your own event here in Bansha. Follow Independent Tipperary on Facebook Like the show here in Bansha, each local show around the country continues to be a key social event in the agricultural calendar. Showjumping is a great attraction at the Bansha Show They have so much to offer, not just in terms of the competitions that are taking place here today, but also for the platform they provide to local businesses, local farmers and for local craft and artisan food producers. The local show is also one of the best days of the year for meeting neighbours and friends. Your local shows provide a great link between our towns and villages and the rural hinterlands that support them. A place where exhibitors, producers, farmers and the wider public meet face to face to share all that is good about life in the countryside. Each of the shows taking place this year have something special that makes them stand out from the rest. It may be the pedigree livestock competitions or perhaps the exhibitions and food offerings. Whatever it is, your local agricultural show has something for everyone. I would like to acknowledge the work that goes on for many months behind the scenes to bring this show to fruition. The efforts of committee members and local volunteers is a testament to how much this show means to the locality. Of course there is a sense of local rivalry for those much coveted titles and awards but it is always in the very best of spirits. The way in which neighbouring farms and parishes come together to support each other is a key component of country life. This sense of Meitheal is always on display as part of the local show. I hope those of you attending the show this year thoroughly enjoy the day and that it gives everyone a chance to celebrate all that is good about rural Ireland, added Deputy Calleary. News Massive investment and jobs boost on the cards for midlands town as plans for multi-million euro IDA building move a step closer Mullingars hopes of luring a major multinational firm to its surrounds have been given a major lift as efforts to develop a purpose built advanced factory moved to the brink of realisation. The Big Beach Clean is back for 2025 and beach lovers from Wexford are being encouraged to take part and register for clean ups along the coastline. Taking place from September 19 to September 21, volunteers across the county will join the national initiative to clean litter from their local beaches, waterways and towns, all while contributing to a global effort to combat marine litter. Those who sign up for the Big Beach Clean, sponsored by Kia Ireland, will receive a free clean-up kit while joining the beach cleaning movement. Upon signing up, participants will receive everything they need to conduct a successful beach clean and complete a marine litter survey. Through filling in the Clean Coasts Marine Litter Data Cards or using the Clean Swell App, volunteers will become part of a global citizen science action by recording their litter picking findings. The Big Beach Clean is held as part of the International Coastal Cleanup, led globally by Ocean Conservancy. Last year, over 600 groups registered to host a clean-up, and removed a staggering 95 tonnes of litter from marine environment, making it the biggest clean-up action yet. This year, the organisers wish to build on that momentum and promote citizen science action through filling out the Marine Litter Data Cards. As part of this event, Clean Coasts volunteers contribute to a global citizen science initiative by carrying out marine litter surveys on Irish beaches. These surveys help record the quantity and types of litter found most frequently, raising awareness about marine pollution and highlighting the scale of the issue. By participating in the Big Beach Clean and submitting the quantities and varieties of litter found, participants will help make Irelands voice heard on a global scale. The data collected by volunteers in previous years have informed national Clean Coasts campaigns such as Bin the Butt and Break up with Plastic. Additionally, this data, when shared with Ocean Conservancy, has driven significant policy changes worldwide, including banning of certain plastic items such as bags and straws or the implementation of laws to prohibit smoking on beaches. Bronagh Moore, An Taisces Clean Coasts Manager commented: Were looking forward to another great turnout this year for our annual Big Beach Clean. Last year, an incredible 15,000 volunteers joined forces and every piece of litter collected and recorded during the clean-up is vital for raising awareness and driving meaningful policy changes to protect our oceans. Small actions, when multiplied by many, can have a huge impact. We encourage everyone, no matter your location, to get involved and record your findings. By working together, we'll create a tangible and lasting impact on ocean health. With a plan to have at least 20 percent of all plastic in Kia cars made by recycled materials by 2030, Cathal Kealey, Head of Marketing and Public Relations at Kia Ireland said that as a brand, we are on a journey towards Carbon Neutrality and part of that strategy looks at the use of recycled materials in our vehicle production, and particularly the use of recycled ocean waste. Our support will ensure that clean-up kits are distributed to all volunteers that sign up to registered clean-ups across the country, Ms Kealey added. In line with our global clean-up initiatives that are designed to combat ocean pollution, we would urge as many people as possible to register for their local beach clean this September, she said. For more information and to register, visit cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/big-beach-clean/ Members of the Coogan family at their reunion in Kilaveney Church, Tinahely. Photo: Joe Byrne Members of the extended Coogan family from across the globe gathered in southwest Wicklow recently to celebrate the beginning of their branch on the family tree, with four generations attending a mass in the same church where their ancestors married in 1844. More than 100 people flocked to Killaveney Church in Tinahely, some travelling from as far away as North America, to commemorate the union of local man James Coogan and Hanora Kerwan from Askakeagh, who wed at the church 181 years ago this September. The family now stretches across seven generations, and for some of those in attendance, it was their first time meeting relatives or making familial connections. Jim Coogan, owner of Coogans Hardware in Tinahely and great-great-grandson of James and Hanora, said that the joyous day was the perfect way to celebrate the familys long-standing Wicklow ties. As he explained, the occasion was made all the more special by the presence of another great-great-grandson, Fr Hugh Kavanagh, who travelled down from his Dublin parish to give the mass. My great-great-grandparents were married up at the church here in September 1844, in the middle of the famine, four months after the church was consecrated, and it would have been one of the first weddings there, Jim said. My great-great-grandfather, James Coogan, married a woman from Askakeagh (Tinahely), Hanora Kerwan, in Killaveney Church, and they moved to a place called Carrignamuck in Knockananna. From there, they had six children three sons and three daughters. The daughters went to America, and the sons got married locally, and the generations started to spread down then. There were many Jamess that came down the line after my great-great-grandfather including myself! To celebrate the marriage, we had a mass in the church, celebrated by my cousin, Fr Hugh Kavanagh, and people came from England and America to be there, he continued. The first two or three generations in the line are gone, but we had four generations there, and a lot of them didnt know they were even related until we met up and they put the connection together. It was a great day, and we had the afters at Ballybeg House, which is a lovely place. Were lucky here to have it in Tinahely, and they were very accommodating. There was a brilliant atmosphere, food, and we had a great night, which ran into the late hours. Declan ORourke, Kila, Paddy Casey, Anna Mieke, Mundy, Steve and Joe Wall of The Stunning and Hothouse Flowers star Fiachna O Braonain are just some of the acts announced for a concert in Wicklow this month to support the work of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Gaza. Tickets for the event in Delgany are not on general sale and anyone interested in attending needs to secure a place by email. Details were posted on idonate.ie, with the all-star gathering, called The Raise 2025, billed as a music event organised by a collective of creatives, to generate support and awareness for the important work of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). More specifically, MSFs work in the occupied territories of Palestine. "As many of us have watched from afar the devastation unfold in Gaza, a common response resounds: What can be done? What can I do?, it continues. In a small way, we hope that The Raise creates an opportunity for people to do something tangible through raising support for MSF. The Raise will take place in Delgany, County Wicklow on [Saturday] August 30. The Raise will be a day long concert involving some of the most celebrated artists and musicians Ireland has to offer: Kila, Steve and Joe Wall (The Stunning), Declan O Rourke, Anna Mieke, Paddy Casey, Mundy and lots more . . . we will hear from MSF workers about their experience in Gaza and, in so much as we are able, stand in support of them and the people they are serving. While there is no link to buy tickets, the organisers explained: The Raise is a private event on a private residence, it is not exclusive, persons over 18 are welcome to email theraise2025@gmail.com to reserve a spot, but places are limited. A suggested minimum donation of 100 is encouraged if attending the event. Trump: If its bad meeting it will end very quickly media If the meeting with Vladimir Putin is bad, it will end very quickly, US President Donald Trump suggested. If it is a bad meeting it will end very quickly, he said a briefing. At the same time, in his opinion, if the meeting is good, the parties will reach peace in the near future. Trump also said that if he were not president, Putin would "take over all of Ukraine." "If I weren't president, in my opinion, he would much rather take over all of Ukraine but I am president and he's not going to mess around with me, Trump said. He also believes that the situation [full-scale invasion] that arose should never have arisen. Local charities saw a windfall from the courts last year, as poor box donations exceeded 50,000 The amount of money paid out from the Bray Courthouse poor box surged more than 600pc in just one year, with local charities receiving 51,967 in 2024 compared to only 7,320 in 2023.The massive rise reflects a significant jump in the sums ordered by judges to be donated as part of court outcomes, marking one of the largest increases on record for Co. Wicklow. The rise in Bray matches a national trend as charities from across the island have benefited just over 1.67 million, a 59pc increase on 2023 figures. Organisations dealing with all types of social issues have benefited from the increase. The fund is in place to help mostly first-time offenders, avoid convictions for more minor and non-violent offences. A spokesperson for the Courts Service described the poor box as being predominantly used by the District Courts who deal with criminal offences of a less serious nature. The individual amounts can vary substantially depending on ability to pay, other penalties imposed, and the nature of the offences. The option of paying into the court poor box usually arises where the offence is minor in nature and would not attract a custodial sentence. Public order offences can be the most common offences for which the poor box option is given to defendants. "These include breaches of the peace, intoxication, or disorderly conduct in a public place, threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour in a public place, or failing to comply with a direction from An Garda Siochana. It is at other times used for first time, minor drug possession offences, and offences against property. The spokesman added: There are many reasons and instances why the court poor box is used by judges for offences on the more minor side of the scale. The accused may never previously have been before the courts, the accused may have pleaded guilty, a conviction might be inappropriate, or might adversely affect employment, career or working abroad prospects, and / or the offence may be of a minor or less serious nature. Charities regularly benefit from even more payments from court cases being concluded, because as an alternative to using the poor box, judges regularly order defendants to pay monies directly to a charity and produce a receipt for same. The history of the poor box predates the foundation of the state, organisations in Wicklow can apply in writing to Bray District Court office to become a part of the courts charity system and receive future court donations. Any applications received will be brought to the attention of the presiding judge for Bray and the Court Service issues payments on the direction of that presiding judge. The dramatic rise in donations highlights how the poor box continues to serve as a valuable resource for local charities, while giving offenders an alternative to harsher outcomes. For many organisations in Bray, the increase in donations has provided a much needed boost to their work in Wicklow. It turns minor court penalties into a positive for everyone involved. Breakdown of Wicklow court donations for 2024 5th Wicklow (Bray) Sea Scouts 375 Alcohol Action Ireland 750 Arklow Cancer Support 750 Arklow Community Action Resource Centre 938 Individual 2 250 Bereavement Support Services 750 Bray and North Wicklow Stroke Club 563 Bray Community Addiction Team 1,975 Bray Lakers 1,875 Bray Lions Club 563 Bray Old Folks Association 1,313 Bray Travellers Community Development Group Ltd 750 Bray Womens Refuge 5,000 Cians Kennels CLG 500 Community Law & Mediation 1,125 Crosscare Bray Youth Service 375 East Coast Samaritans 750 Enable Ireland Wicklow 563 Festina Lente Foundation 1,125 Good Neighbour Group 750 Greystones Cancer Support 750 Irish Rule of Law International 1,500 Lifeboats Wicklow Fundraising Branch 1,125 Living Life Centre 563 One in Four 375 Open Door Day Care Centre 2,250 Order of Malta (Wicklow Mountains Rescue) 750 Purple House Cancer Support 1,500 Roundwood Cancer Support 750 St Joseph's Centre 750 St Vincent de Paul 400 St Vincent de Paul Arklow Parish 2,250 St Vincent de Paul Society (Bray) 2,813 St Vincent de Paul Wicklow Parish 2,250 St Vincent de Paul (Kilquade) 1,125 Sugarloaf Lions Club 563 The Five Loaves 750 The Jack and Jill Childrens Foundation 3,000 Tiglin Challenge Wicklow 1,650 WAY Project Wicklow Action for Youth (Foroige) 1,875 Wicklow Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 750 Wicklow Cancer Support Centre 750 Wicklow Hospice Foundation 1,500 Wicklow Lions Club 563 Wicklow Old Folks Christmas Party 375 Bray total: 51,967 Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme Housing Minister James Browne has confirmed that Wicklow County Council has been excluded from funding for regeneration works on their housing stock. The Department of Housing currently supports ongoing activity and projects under the Social Housing National Regeneration Programme in the cities of Dublin, Cork and Limerick and the counties of Sligo and Kerry. However, Wicklow is not currently one of the counties which comes under the programme with no payments made to the local authority over the past five years. When the Department of Housing appeared before the Public Accounts Committee in June this year, figures obtained by committee chair Wicklow Sinn Fein TD John Brady showed the departments 12 million budget for regeneration works remained largely untouched. The figures also revealed that of a separate 50 million budget for estate regeneration, the department only spent 37.2 million. The Wicklow TD pointed to estates like Hillview in Wicklow town, which recently featured prominently on RTEs Prime Time, as clear examples of the urgent need for funding. Hillview has faced ongoing issues since the houses were first built in the early 2000s, yet the Government continues to turn its back on the residents, he said. Some years ago, funding was approved for regeneration works in Ashlawn Court in Fassaroe, Bray, but only 18 out of 248 homes were completed because the remainder of the funding was never granted. That is simply unacceptable. Deputy Brady also highlighted serious structural problems in parts of Farrankelly in Delgany, where some houses are plagued with dampness and require urgent remedial works. Council staff in the Greystones Municipal District are currently carrying out detailed studies of those properties, with a review due to be finished by the early autumn. These are not luxury upgrades, he said. These are essential works to ensure that people live in safe, healthy homes. Wicklow County Council cannot provide these works if they are not given the necessary funding. Brady has called on the Department of Housing to allocate the proper funding that allows for regeneration projects to take place. There is no excuse for leaving money unspent while families are left to live in substandard housing. I will continue to fight to ensure that estates in Wicklow which are in dire need of regeneration works receive the funding and resources to make that happen. No tenant should be forced to live in substandard housing. he added. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme The late Fr Kevin Lyon, former Parish Priest of Blessington, was remembered on Sunday, August 10, with the unveiling of a Ballyknockan granite bench dedicated to his memory. There was a massive attendance for the unveiling of the tribute which was carried out by Christy McEvoy & Sons stone masons of Ballyknockan. The bench was commissioned by Cllr Gerry ONeill and Cllr Patsy Glennon, who were both present for the launch. The Very Reverend Kevin Lyon, Archdeacon of Glendalough died on New Years Eve in 2022. Born in Clontarf, Dublin in 1932, he was ordained in 1957 and was appointed to Blessington in 1994, where he remained parish priest until 2005, before moving to Crosschapel. During his time in the priesthood he also had assignments in Rathnew, Avoca, Donard and Dunlavin before arriving in Blessington. Cllr ONeill said: Fr Kevin was a great man and we felt it was only fitting to honour his memory considering all the great work he carried out for the local community. "He loved Wicklow and made his mark in every parish he served in. Most importantly of all he was a lovely human being. He was a family friend of almost 50 years and actually married myself and my wife Cathy in Donard in 1997. He was hugely respected by all in the community, which was clear to see by the large numbers who turned out for the unveiling of his memorial bench. Members of Fr Lyons family were also present at the service, with Fr Gerry Keane officially unveiling the bench, which is located on the Peter Finnegan Green, beside the 1916 monument. Cllr ONeill, who spoke at the unveiling, added: Fr Kevin always had a deep love of history, and it was only fitting that the memorial bench is located beside the 1916 monument, as I was present back in 2016 when Fr Lyon blessed the monument when it was put in place. "He was a real scholar and I recall so many different conversations we had, including the tragedy in Glen of Imaal back in 1977 when five Irish soldiers were killed in a training accident. "He only had holy oils in his pocket when a soldier came to the door of his house, and he described the scenes as resembling a battlefield, with five dead and a lot wounded. Fr Tim Murphy worked alongside Fr Lyon for a long time in Blessington and he was very disappointed that he couldnt attend the unveiling but he was delighted the event went so well and had such a wonderful attendance. Blessington Mens Shed served refreshments at their premises following the unveiling. Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich reveals plans to bury any hope of Palestinian state Building project would cut West Bank off from East Jerusalem Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and a woman hold a map that shows the long-frozen E1 settlement scheme. Photo: Reuters Rami Amichay and Alexander Cornwell Reuters Fri 15 Aug 2025 at 06:30 Israels far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced that work will start on a long-delayed settlement that would divide the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, a move his office said would bury the idea of a Palestinian state. Latest | Trump shifts stance on road to Ukraine peace after meeting Putin in Alaska Tanaiste Simon Harris says Ukraine must be involved in negotiations Trump and Putin cite progress but offer no details Putin sticks to Russia's long-held stance on Ukraine Trump says Zelenskiy 'gotta make a deal' Zelenskiy restates he's willing to meet Trump and Putin Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska Steve Holland, Andrew Osborn and Yuliia Dysa Reuters Sat 16 Aug 2025 at 14:57 U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday Ukraine should agree a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not", after hosting a summit with President Vladimir Putin that failed to yield a ceasefire. How Irish orphan Nicholas Rossi created lies of a childhood in Dublin and faked his own death, but is finally facing justice in the US Steve Holland: Which version of Donald Trump will show up to negotiations with Vladimir Putin? US president could be bamboozled by Russian leader, even though White House says Alaska meeting is just a listening exercise US president Donald Trump has his sights set on the Nobel Peace Prize. Photo: AP Steve Holland Reuters Fri 15 Aug 2025 at 06:30 When US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin met in Helsinki in 2018, the pair alarmed allies with a friendly encounter where Trump sided with the Russian leader over his own intelligence agencies on election interference. Trump: More important meeting will be the one between Putin, Zelensky and myself media Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/ US President Donald Trump has said a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which will take place immediately after a bilateral meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, will be more important. We have a meeting with Putin tomorrow. But the more important meeting will be the one between Putin, Zelensky and myself, he said during a briefing with journalists. According to him, it is possible that "some European leaders" will take part in the meeting. "Or maybe not," Trump says. The American president also noted why he offered Putin a deal on rare earth metals. He says that rare earth elements are not that important, and hes trying to save lives. Trump is reportedly preparing to offer Putin access to rare minerals to encourage him to end the war in Ukraine. Trump and Putin will hold a bilateral meeting at a military base in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15. Livermore, CA (94550) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 89F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low 58F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Indias GAAR: Are You at Risk from Anti-Tax Avoidance Rules Indias General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR) are designed to curb aggressive tax planning by targeting arrangements that lack a legitimate commercial purpose. The rules define when GAAR applies, specify exemptions, and set out safeguards and compliance strategies to help businesses reduce the risk of disputes. India introduced the General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR) on April 1, 2017, to curb aggressive tax avoidance. These rules give tax authorities the power to review and recharacterize transactions lacking a clear operational or strategic purpose and carried out mainly to gain tax benefits. GAAR applies to both domestic and cross-border arrangements and can even override tax treaty provisions. For businesses and investors, understanding GAAR is essential to avoid being caught by its provisions and facing significant tax consequences. DOING BUSINESS IN INDIA EXPLORE IN-DEPTH INVESTMENT AND BUSINESS GUIDES. Explore vital economic, geographic, and regulatory insights for business investors, managers, or expats to navigate Indias business landscape. Our Online Business Guides offer explainer articles, news, useful tools, and videos from on-the-ground advisors who contribute to the Doing Business in India knowledge. Start exploring Scope and applicability of GAAR The GAAR is intended to act as a broad safeguard against tax avoidance arrangements that cannot be effectively tackled through Specific Anti-Avoidance Rules (SAAR). While SAAR targets narrowly defined schemessuch as those involving transfer pricing manipulation, thin capitalization, or dividend strippingGAAR takes a wider view. It is designed to address any arrangement that results in a significant tax advantage without a sound commercial justification. GAAR applies when the expected tax benefit from an arrangement exceeds INR 30 million in a single financial year. This threshold ensures that the rules focus on substantial transactions rather than minor compliance issues. The provisions can be invoked for both domestic and cross-border arrangements, and they apply across sectors and industries. Importantly, GAAR may be applied even if a transaction complies with the letter of the law. If the tax authorities find that the arrangement is structured primarily to reduce tax liability and that it lacks substantive business justification, they have the power to disregard or recharacterize the transaction. In practice, this means that companies and investors must assess not only whether a transaction is legally permissible but also whether it will withstand scrutiny under GAARs broader intent-based framework. Identifying an impermissible avoidance arrangement (IAA) For GAAR to apply, the arrangement in question must qualify as an Impermissible Avoidance Arrangement. This is determined through a two-step process. First, the Primary Purpose Test asks whether the main purposeor one of the main purposesof the arrangement is to obtain a tax benefit. If the answer is yes, the next step is to examine whether the arrangement meets any of the secondary conditions, also called the tainted element tests. The tainted element tests are broad and focus on the nature of the transaction: Non-arms-length terms: The arrangement creates rights or obligations that would not exist between parties dealing independently and on commercial terms. Misuse or abuse of the law: The structure exploits provisions of the Income-tax Act in a way that goes against their intended purpose. Lack of commercial substance: The transaction offers little or no change in business risk or cash flows other than a tax benefit. This can include practices such as round-tripping funds, using accommodating parties, or relocating assets without a valid business reason. Not ordinarily used for bona fide purposes: The transaction is structured in a way that is unusual for genuine commercial dealings. Common examples of arrangements that may attract GAAR include routing investments through low-tax jurisdictions without any operational need or structuring ownership to disguise the real source or control of funds. These patterns often signal that the main objective is to secure tax advantages rather than to achieve a legitimate business purpose. Businesses should therefore review transactions not only for legal compliance but also for whether they might be viewed as failing one or more of these tests. ALSO READ: Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs) and Your India Investment Strategy Transactions outside GAARs purview While GAAR casts a wide net, there are specific situations where its provisions do not apply. One important exemption is grandfathering. Investments made before April 1, 2017, are protected from GAAR scrutiny, including bonus shares or split shares that arise from such holdings. This ensures that legitimate, pre-existing investment structures are not disturbed. GAAR also does not apply to arrangements approved by a court or tribunal, provided that the tax implications were explicitly considered in the approval process. Similarly, rulings from the Authority for Advance Rulings (AAR) are binding on the tax authorities for the specific applicant and protect the approved arrangement from being challenged under GAAR. Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) enjoy an exclusion if they meet prescribed conditions, such as compliance with applicable regulations and avoiding structures designed solely for tax benefits. Furthermore, arrangements involving jurisdictions chosen for genuine commercial reasonssuch as proximity to markets, operational efficiency, or strategic partnershipsare not automatically targeted, even if they also offer tax advantages. These exclusions highlight the importance of intent and context. If a transaction or investment structure can demonstrate a legitimate operational or strategic purpose, it is less likely to trigger GAAR provisions. However, businesses should still document the decision-making process to support the non-tax motivations behind such arrangements. Administration, procedure, and safeguards To address industry concerns about overreach, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has issued several clarifications on how GAAR will be applied. GAAR is intended for use only in cases of highly aggressive tax avoidance. Before it can be invoked, the arrangement must be reviewed and approved by both the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax and an independent Approving Panel, which is chaired by a judge of a High Court. CBDT has also clarified that Limitation of Benefits (LOB) clauses in tax treaties may reduce the scope for GAAR to apply, provided they adequately address the avoidance risk in question. There is no provision for automatic penalties under GAAR; whether a penalty is imposed will depend on the specific facts of the case. Another safeguard is the principle of consistencyif an arrangement has been accepted in a prior year and there is no material change in facts or circumstances, GAAR should not be applied in later years. The assessment process involves multiple checks. It begins when the assessing officer identifies a potential case and refers it to the principal commissioner for review. If the Commissioner believes GAAR could apply, the case may be escalated to the approving panel. This panel has the authority to examine records, request additional information, and issue binding directions. Once a decision is made, the tax consequences are applied, which can include recharacterizing the transaction, denying treaty benefits, or reallocating income and expenses. These procedural safeguards aim to ensure GAAR is applied in a fair and consistent manner, while ensuring businesses have an adequate opportunity to respond before GAAR is applied. ALSO READ: Avoid Excess Tax Deductions in India: NRI Guide to Lower TDS Certificates Business implications and risk mitigation One of the most important considerations for companies and investors is that GAAR can override tax treaty provisions under Section 90(2A) of the Income-tax Act. This means that even if a treaty appears to grant certain tax benefits, those benefits may be denied if the arrangement is found to be an impermissible avoidance arrangement. Certain cross-border structures are particularly vulnerable, especially those involving jurisdictions viewed as tax-favored, which may face heightened scrutiny. Businesses should be prepared to show that the structure was selected for substantive business needs rather than solely for tax reduction. Maintaining robust documentation is critical. Records should clearly show the commercial purpose behind a transaction or investment structure, including board resolutions, feasibility studies, and correspondence with business partners. This evidence can be crucial in proving that an arrangement has real economic substance. Practical risk management strategies include: Conducting a GAAR risk assessment before finalizing major transactions. Seeking advance rulings from the tax authorities where possible. Aligning transaction structures with genuine commercial objectives rather than purely tax considerations. Periodically reviewing holding and financing arrangements to ensure they remain commercially justified and compliant with current tax rules. By adopting a proactive approach to compliance, businesses can reduce the risk of disputes and potential penalties. This not only safeguards against GAAR challenges but also supports transparent and sustainable tax planning practices. The big break ABC News On Jennifer Lawrence's birthday, heres a look at how one rare street photo at 14 started her journey to Oscar glory ( Image credit : How a single photo at 14 launched Jennifer Lawrence. | Credit: YouTube/Access Hollywood ) The Big Engvall Show Winters Bone Rising to Hollywood stardom Winters Bone The Hunger Games Silver Linings Playbook American Hustle, Joy, Red Sparrow Dont Look Up No Hard Feelings On Jennifer Lawrence's birthday, heres a look at how one rare street photo at 14 started her journey to Oscar glory ( Image credit : She also starred in Silver Linings Playbook. | Credit: Getty ) Taking a break from the spotlight X-Men: Dark Phoenix The Late Show For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Jennifer Lawrence has become one of Hollywoods most recognised and loved actresses, but her journey to stardom began with an unexpected moment in New York City. On her birthday, tracing the actor's rise from a rare street photo at 14 to Hollywoods Oscar-winning star.Lawrence toldthat at 14, she convinced her parents she had to become an actor. She and her mother took a short trip to New York City, and just days in, while they were watching street-dancing, a photographer approached them in Union Square and asked to take her picture." This man was a model scout. My mom gave him her number because we didnt know that was potentially dangerous and creepy, Lawrence recalled. That chance meeting led to calls from modeling agencies, but she made it clear she would only sign if they let her act. She moved to New York City shortly and booked modeling ads and small acting roles before relocating to Los Angeles after graduating high school early.At 16, she appeared in the cable seriesfrom 2007 to 2009. Her real breakthrough came with the 2010 drama, earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.Following, Lawrences career skyrocketed. She became a household name as Katniss Everdeen inseries. She also starred in, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, as well as, and Netflixsalongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Meryl Streep. Her latest outing was in 2023s comedy, where she received praise for her performance.In 2018, Lawrence announced a break from acting following. Onwith Stephen Colbert, she explained how stepping away allowed her to reconnect with life outside Hollywood. Ive always found comfort in a schedule and doing something and being somewhere, she said. It was nice. I took a break, and nobody really cared, and it was quiet I got to feel like I could become a part of the world again without fanfare.From a single photo in Union Square to winning an Oscar, Jennifer Lawrences journey is truly rare and fascinating, right? Happy birthday to her. Every year on 15 August, India unites to celebrate its freedom from over two centuries of British colonial rule. But this year, a peculiar debate has taken over social conversations, is 2025 the 78th Independence Day or the 79th? On the surface, the math seems simple: subtract 1947 from 2025, and you get 78. However, that is where most people go wrong. Is it 78th or 79th Independence Day today? | Credit: Canva Is it 78th or 79th Independence Day today? The correct approach is to count the very first celebration, August 15, 1947, as the first Independence Day. That means 2025 marks not the 78th, but the 79th time the tricolour rises in celebration of freedom. It is a detail that may seem small, but for a nation built on history and pride, accuracy matters. Happy Independence Day 2025 Images, Quotes, Cards, Greetings, Pictures And GIFs To Share On 15 August | Credit: Canva The official theme of Independence Day 2025 While the Government of India has not yet revealed the official theme for this years festivities, past years have centred on unity, patriotism, social progress, and honouring the sacrifices of the nations freedom fighters. Officials have hinted that 2025s theme is likely to continue in this spirit, possibly emphasising national development and collective responsibility. A day of deep significance Independence Day is not merely a date on the calendar, it is a reminder of the resilience and determination that shaped modern India. The sacrifices made by freedom fighters, leaders, and ordinary citizens laid the foundation of a sovereign nation, and 15 August stands as a tribute to that legacy. The tradition of hoisting the flag dates back to August 15, 1947. | Credit: Freepik Across the country, from bustling metropolises to the quietest villages, flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades, and cultural performances breathe life into this historic day. Schools, government offices, and communities join in, reinforcing the spirit of unity. Where will the flag hoisting happen on Independence Day 2025?? The heart of the celebrations beats in Delhi, where the official programme unfolds. The Prime Minister receives a Guard of Honour from the Armed Forces and Delhi Police before unfurling the tricolour. The National Anthem rings out, followed by a thunderous 21-gun salute. Independence Day drawing ideas | Credit: YT/Dharitri Art Adding to the grandeur, Indian Air Force helicopters will shower petals over the Red Fort, turning the skies into a spectacle of saffron, white, and green. The Prime Ministers address, a moment awaited by millions, will reflect on Indias journey and vision for the future. ABO Desire Episode 8 online: Fans of the Chinese drama ABO Desire can stream Episode 8 online today, August 16, 2025, at approximately 5:30 PM IST / 12:00 PM GMT / 8:00 AM ET, according to the official release schedule. ABO Desire is set in a world reshaped by a virus that divided society into Alphas, Betas, Omegas, and the elusive Enigmas - each with unique instincts and social roles. The story centers on Sheng Shaoyou, a powerful S-class Alpha burdened by family secrets, and Hua Yong, a cunning intern who seems like an Omega but hides his true Enigma nature. Their intense cat-and-mouse dynamic, filled with secret deals and emotional clashes, keeps audiences hooked. Watch episode 8 of ABO Desire online. Credit: X ABO Desire: Release date and time for Episode 8 Episode 8 airs on Saturday, August 16, 2025, at 5:30 PM IST / 12:00 PM GMT / 8:00 AM ET. It will also be available to international viewers via simultaneous streaming on Viki, all of which offer English subtitles to make the series accessible to a global audience. Where to Watch ABO Desire Episode 8 Online? Episodes 8 is available to stream on Viki - the main legal platforms offering high-quality video and English subtitles. For viewers in the U.S., Canada, India, Indonesia, and Viki remains the top choice for watching the series. ABO Desire: Episode 8 Plot? ABO Desire, also called Desire, is heating up the summer watchlist for Boys' Love (BL) fans who crave messy, mysterious, and biologically intense romance. This Chinese web drama plunges into the Omegaverse world filled with pheromones, power struggles, and hidden identities. Adapted from Nong Jian's novel, it has gained a devoted global fanbase thanks to its unexpected twists and a captivating, magnetic cast. ABO Desire episode 8: Spoilers Here are the spoilers for Episode 8 of the Chinese series ABO Desire based on the YouTube preview: When devoted secretary Gao Tu tenders his resignation to care for a pregnant Omega, President Shen Wenlang's meticulously ordered world begins to fracture. What starts as a spark of annoyance quickly spirals into a storm - stirring buried memories, unhealed resentments, and an ache he cant name. In a society bound by the unspoken laws of Alphas, Betas, and Omegas, Shen is forced to confront the truth hes long denied: some absences carve wounds that no substitute can ever heal. ABO Desire: Cast and Characters The primary cast of the Chinese BL series ABO Desire features Huang Xing as Hua Yong, Qiu Dingjie as Sheng Shaoyou, Li Peien as Gao Tu, and Jiang Heng as Shen Wenlang. FAQs 1. When will Episode 8 of ABO Desire be released? ABO Desire Episode 8 will be released on August 16, 2025, at 5:30 PM IST / 12:00 PM GMT / 8:00 AM ET. 2. Where can I watch Episode 8 of ABO Desire online? You can stream Episode 8 on Viki. All three platforms offer English subtitles. 3. Does ABO Desire have English subtitles? Yes, the series is fully subtitled in English on Viki, including Episodes 8. 4. Is ABO Desire available on Netflix? No, ABO Desire is not available on Netflix. It officially streams on Viki. For all the latest K-drama, K-pop, and Hallyuwood updates, keep following our coverage here. On Korea's Liberation Day, August 15, the US Embassy in Seoul notified the Seoul Metropolitan Police of a possible bomb threat. Authorities confirmed that the Embassy received an email about 5 a.m. KST alleging that "a highly-explosive bomb has been installed in a public facility frequented by numerous visitors." The alert spurred immediate cooperation between the Embassy and local law enforcement to analyze the situation and protect the public. Police investigations indicate that the email was sent under the name of Japanese lawyer Takahiro Karasawa. This name has appeared repeatedly in recent fake bomb threats across South Korea. Reports suggest that in 2023, members of an online political community exploited the name, associating it with a fictitious cult leader and issuing hoax terror threats to public institutions. Seoul Metropolitan Police react to the potential bomb threat. Credit: X A spokesperson for the Seoul police said according to AllKpop, "We are examining this case in connection with previous threats that used the same name and similar phrasing." So far, no explosives have been found in any of the targeted public facilities. Recent string of threats The August 15 incident follows a series of similar warnings in recent weeks. Over the past weekend, the KSPO Dome in Seoul received a bomb threat just hours before K-pop group The Boyz were scheduled to perform the final show of their 'The Blaze' world tour. Around 2,000 concertgoers were evacuated, but no explosive devices were discovered. The Boyz concert was reportedly delayed due to a bomb threat. pic.twitter.com/nttI2WLedQ About Music (@AboutMusicYT) August 10, 2025 Earlier in August, authorities received alerts at the Seoul Foreign Resident Center on August 7 and at Gwangju's Shinsegye Department Store on August 11. Both incidents were also confirmed as false alarms, with no explosives found. Authorities urge caution While no immediate danger has been detected, police continue to investigate the series of hoax threats and their possible connections. Officials are urging citizens to remain alert, especially during public events or national holidays, and are closely monitoring high-traffic venues for safety. The repeated misuse of a single alias underscores the growing challenge of online-fueled hoaxes and false alarms. Law enforcement continues to work to identify those responsible while keeping the public informed and safe. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday for talks aimed at securing a possible ceasefire in the ongoing Ukraine war. This will be Putins first visit to the US in a decade and the first time a Russian leader visits Alaska. While Trump has tempered public expectations, he has also warned that Russia could face serious consequences if no progress is made. Delegations and absent stakeholders The Russian delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, and Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev. It is not yet confirmed who will accompany Trump. Neither Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy nor European leaders will attend. Trump recently remarked that Zelenskyy has attended a lot of meetings without results. Earlier this week, Trump, along with US Vice President JD Vance, held a virtual meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders including Germany, the UK, Italy, Finland, Poland, European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO chief Mark Rutte in what analysts saw as Europes final push to influence the agenda. Why Alaska was chosen Alaska sits geographically closest to Russia and carries historical and strategic significance. Once part of the Russian empire, it was sold to the US in 1867. The Elmendorf-Richardson base played a major role during the Cold War in monitoring Soviet activities. The US has not explained why it was chosen as the venue. Agenda: Ceasefire and potential land swaps Talks will centre on terms for a ceasefire and possible territorial arrangements. Russia controls about 19% of Ukraine, including Crimea, most of Donbas, and parts of several other regions. Trump floated and later softened the idea of land swaps, saying the goal would be to get some territory back for Ukraine. Analysts believe Putin may seek full control of Donbas and Ukrainian withdrawal from remaining pockets in exchange for limited territorial concessions. US President Donald Trump | Credit: X Positions and demands Moscows proposals include Ukraine dropping NATO membership plans, ceding all of Donbas, and significant disarmament. Russia also seeks partial sanctions relief and hints at potential US investment opportunities. Zelenskyy has rejected any territorial concessions, stating Ukrainian law forbids gifting land to the occupier. European leaders have called for Ukraines inclusion in all territorial discussions, credible security guarantees, and tougher sanctions if talks fail. Possible outcomes Some analysts see potential for a framework toward peace, though sceptics believe the summit may simply buy Russia time while advancing militarily. As RUSIs Neil Melvin noted, Putin may aim to stall the United States rather than agree to lasting terms. Even if announcements are made, the war is expected to continue in some form. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending. Hollywood icon Tom Cruise has made headlines again, but this time its not for a blockbuster movie or daring stunt. Reports reveal that Cruise turned down an invitation to receive a Kennedy Centre Honour from US President Donald Trump, citing scheduling conflicts. The prestigious award recognises lifetime achievement in the arts, making his decision notable. Social media erupted with speculation and fan reactions, questioning whether the choice was purely logistical or politically motivated. Tom Cruise, who remains a dominant force in Hollywood with projects like Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, continues to draw attention both for his work and personal decisions. Why did Tom Cruise turn down Donald Trumps invitation? According to multiple reports, Tom Cruise was invited to be part of the 48th Kennedy Centre Honours, joining other legends like Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, Gloria Gaynor, KISS, and Michael Crawford. His team reportedly cited scheduling conflicts as the reason, while the actors spokesperson declined to comment further. Fans online are debating if his refusal is simply about commitments or a subtle message regarding Trumps involvement. Tom Cruise was offered the Kennedy honors by Donald Trump He declined because of 'scheduling conflicts' (via @washingtonpost) pic.twitter.com/JrHPj0vnGe Culture Crave (@CultureCrave) August 14, 2025 Kennedy Centre Honours significance The Kennedy Centre Honours are one of Americas most prestigious arts awards, recognising lifetime achievement in music, theatre, and dance. Traditionally, the gala takes place in December and is later broadcast on CBS. This year, President Trump announced he would host, adding political weight to the ceremony, especially after earlier replacing the leadership of the arts complex. Tom Cruise was invited to be part of the 48th Kennedy Centre Honours (Credits: X/@ML3democrats) Tom Cruises upcoming awards Despite turning down the Kennedy Centre Honour, Tom Cruise remains set to receive an honorary Oscar at the 2025 Governors Awards in November for his cinematic contributions. He continues to promote Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning and maintain a busy professional schedule, which may be a major factor in his decision. India remains fully engaged with the United States on a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said on Thursday, although the date for the next negotiation round has not been finalised. The timeline for concluding the deal remains SeptemberOctober 2025, as announced jointly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. Talks have been complicated by recent developments. In late July, President Trump approved a 25% tariff on imports from India, followed by an additional 25% on August 6 as a penalty for Indias imports of Russian oil. Trump has also indicated that further negotiations will not resume until the Russian oil matter is addressed. Status of India-US negotiations Mr. Barthwal confirmed that discussions on the BTA are ongoing. We are fully engaged with the US on the trade negotiations, he said at a press briefing. He recalled the joint statement from both leaders committing to the BTA and a target to more than double bilateral trade to $500 billion. US President Donald Trump | Credit: X The final date for the next meeting is expected to be set closer to the end of August. According to government sources, talks occur at several levels negotiation teams, ministerial discussions, diplomatic exchanges, and industry consultations. Progress on other trade agreements India is also advancing trade agreements with other partners. The IndiaUK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), signed in July, is awaiting completion of UK parliamentary procedures. India has requested that the UK expedite the process. The Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland is set to take effect on October 1. With the European Union, negotiations are being fast-tracked with the aim of concluding the Free Trade Agreement by the end of December 2025. Meetings are planned at multiple levels to finalise the deal. Talks with Oman have concluded, with the agreement expected to be signed soon once dates are mutually agreed. Engagement with ASEAN Between August 1014, the ASEAN negotiating team visited India to review the Trade in Goods Agreement. Officials noted a shared interest in boosting trade amid a challenging global policy climate. Discussions have gone beyond tariffs to address non-tariff issues such as Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures, Technical Barriers to Trade, and regulatory compliance. Officials said these require detailed analysis but reported that the recent round provided a lot of clarity on the way forward. The summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. on Friday, Kyiv time, Reuters reports. According to the White House press schedule, Trump and Putin will meet on Friday at 11:00 local time (22:00 Kyiv time) in Anchorage. Trump will depart the White House at 6:45 a.m. ET (1:45 p.m. Kyiv time) on Friday and leave Anchorage at 5:45 p.m. (4:45 a.m. Kyiv time on Saturday) local time that same day. He is scheduled to return to the White House on Saturday morning. In Hollywood, deals shift faster than you can say Upside Down. Matt and Ross Duffer, the brains behind Stranger Things, are in advanced negotiations for an exclusive film and TV deal at Paramount. The move would reunite them with Cindy Holland, the executive who originally greenlit their Netflix hit, while also connecting them to Paramount film chiefs Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg. Steve Harrington and Dustin Henderson Stranger Things | Credit: Netflix Stranger Things still on Netflix? Despite the Paramount talks, Netflix is far from losing the Duffers. Their production company, Upside Down Pictures, still has multiple projects on the streaming platform. This includes the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, slated to premiere in November 2025, as well as two new 2026 series: the adventure-packed The Boroughs and the relationship horror drama Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen. Even an animated prequel, Stranger Things: Tales From 85, has already screened at the 2025 Annecy Festival. Stranger Things season 5 OTT release date | Credit: Netflix From struggling filmmakers to pop culture giants Before hitting gold, the Duffers careers almost stalled. Warner Bros. delayed their debut feature Hidden, dumping it straight to VOD, while their pilot script for Stranger Things was rejected by almost every network. Their breakthrough came when Shawn Levys 21 Laps recognised their potential, selling the show to Netflix. Since its 2016 debut, Stranger Things has become Netflixs first big homegrown hit, with season four becoming the platforms most-watched English-language series. Stranger Things 5 hype is already breaking records | Credit: Netflix Paramount Deal: What it really means The Paramount deal is expected to focus on tentpole films and new series, not on existing Stranger Things seasons. It offers the Duffers a massive creative playground, but it doesnt cancel their Netflix commitments. Fans can expect Netflix exclusives to continue while new projects under Paramount will explore different worlds and genres. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Mike (Finn Waldorf) from Stranger Things| Credit: X The upside down future While speculation swirls about a Netflix exit, the reality is more nuanced. The Duffers are expanding their creative empire, juggling Netflix hits with bold new ventures at Paramount. For fans, the Stranger Things universe is safe, but the Duffers imagination is officially unbound. JK Rowling has hit back at Nicola Sturgeons account of their long-standing dispute over gender reforms, after the former Scottish first minister revisited the row in her newly published memoir. Sturgeon claims she faced increased abuse following Rowlings public criticism, while Rowling maintains her intervention aimed to prompt tougher scrutiny of the policy. Memoir claims and Rowlings response In the memoir, Sturgeon recalls feeling more at risk of possible physical harm after Rowling shared a photo in a T-shirt reading: Nicola Sturgeon, destroyer of womens rights. Sturgeon told the BBC she respected Rowlings right to disagree but described the T-shirt as quite incendiary. Rowling, in a review of the memoir on her website, accused Sturgeon of denying reality over transgender issues. She wrote that her intention was to encourage journalists to question the policy, which sought to make it easier to legally change gender. Rowling maintains her intervention aimed to prompt tougher scrutiny of the policy | Credit: X Legislative dispute and wider political context The Scottish Parliament passed the gender self-identification legislation, but Westminster blocked it over concerns it could affect UK-wide equality laws. Critics, including Rowling, argued the bill threatened womens safety by granting biological males access to female-only spaces. The UK Supreme Court later ruled that, under the Equality Act 2010, woman is defined by biological sex. Sturgeon stands by the principle of self-identification but admits she regrets not pausing the bill to seek compromise. JK Rowling has disputed Nicola Sturgeons memoir account of their gender reform row | Credit: X Broader criticisms and political fallout Rowling accused Sturgeon of fostering a climate where women who disagreed with her policy were silenced, shamed, persecuted. She also criticised omissions in the memoir, including the handling of Covid-related communications, education performance, ferry procurement delays, SNP finances, and Scotlands drug death rate. Sturgeon defended her record, predicting Scottish independence within 20 years and highlighting policies aimed at reducing poverty. She noted she was cleared in a police inquiry into SNP finances, although her former husband Peter Murrell faces an embezzlement charge. The couple have since separated, and Sturgeon will step down as MSP next year. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending. Legend of the Female General Episode 24 online: Fans of the hit C-drama Legend of the Female General can stream Episode 24 online, August 16, 2025, at approximately 5:30 PM IST, as per the official schedule. The drama follows He Yan, who disguises herself as a man to protect her family's title and rises as a decorated soldier. Reuniting with scholar Xiao Jue, who suspects she's a spy, she faces battles, betrayals, and trials where suspicion slowly turns to trust - and love. Watch Legend of the Female General episode 24 online. Credit: X Legend of the Female General: Release date and time for Episode 24 Episode 24 airs on Saturday, August 16, 2025, which means viewers in different time zones can expect the release at approximately 3:00 PM GMT in the UK and 5:30 PM IST in India on the same day. It will also be available for international viewers via streaming on WeTV, iQIYI and Viki, which offers English subtitles to make the series accessible to a global audience. Where to Watch Legend of the Female General Episode 24 Online? Episode 24 is available to stream on WeTV and iQIYI, the main legal platforms offering high-quality video and English subtitles. For viewers in the U.S., Canada, India, Indonesia, and the UK, WeTV, iQIYI and Viki continues to be the top choices for watching the series. Legend of the Female General: Plot highlights of Episode 24 In episode 24, Xiao Jue discovers that He Yan is secretly General Fei Hong, her identity stolen by her brother. Amid betrayal, battlefield tragedy, and growing resentment, Xiao Jue protects her in secret, their fates bound by deception, loss, and an unbreakable bond. Legend of the Female General episode 24: Spoilers Here are the spoilers for Episode 24 of the Chinese series Legend of the Female General based on the YouTube preview: He Yan earned the title of Marquis of Wuan after defeating the Wutuo general, a victory that struck fear into her brother, He Rufei. Returning home in her true female form, she was ready to expose He Rufei's long-held deception as the false General Feihong, proving he had never been the legendary warrior he claimed to be. After defending Jiyang alongside Xiao Jue, He Yan's achievements were highlighted by Chu Zhao to gain imperial recognition. Knowing her disguised service could be seen as a crime, Xiao Jue revealed her true identity to protect her. The emperor, recognizing their value to the nation, pardoned He Yan and honored her accomplishments, granting her the title of Marquise of Wu'an. She prepared to attend a grand banquet, eager to see her brothers reaction. At the festival, He Rufei panicked upon seeing He Yan celebrated and unharmed. She challenged him to a sparring match, and though he displayed all his skills, He Yan matched him effortlessly, revealing his inexperience. Xu Jingfu covered his embarrassment, and the emperor dismissed the matter, noting that General Feihong's legendary reputation had been exaggerated. He Yan chose to wait before exposing her brother fully, leaving He Rufei restless and fearful, knowing it was only a matter of time before the truth came to light. its so heartwarming to see the focus on women in this arc. a princess governs the entire city, our female general leading elite troops fought the enemys leader, our medic song taotao, and the noble ladies who all were ready to fight in their own way!#LegendOfTheFemaleGeneral pic.twitter.com/J6GczAUMmL (@kaionfilms) August 15, 2025 Legend of the Female General: Cast and Characters The Chinese drama Legend of the Female General, starring Zhou Ye and Ryan Cheng, is adapted from the popular web novel Rebirth of a Star General. FAQs 1. When will Episode 24 of Legend of the Female General be released? Answer: Legend of the Female General Episode 24 will be released on August 16, 2025, and will air at 3:00 PM GMT in the UK and 5:30 PM IST. 2. Where can I watch Episode 24 of Legend of the Female General online? Answer: Legend of the Female General Episode 24 will be available for streaming on WeTV, iQIYI and Viki, the platform offering English subtitles. 3. Does Legend of the Female General have English subtitles? Answer: Yes, Legend of the Female General is fully subtitled in English on WeTV, iQIYI and Viki, including Episode 24. 4. What is the plot of Episode 24 of Legend of the Female General? Answer: Legend of the Female General Episode 24 continues to follow He Yan who faces battles, betrayals, and trials where suspicion slowly turns to trust - and love. 5. Is Legend of the Female General available on Netflix, Viki or Viu? Answer: No, Legend of the Female General is not available on Netflix. The drama officially streams on WeTV, iQIYI and Viki. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. The Independence Day Special of Kaun Banega Crorepati season 17, which went live at 9 PM today, brought together three decorated women officers of the Indian Armed Forces to share details of Operation Sindoor, a swift counterterror mission executed after the Pahalgam attack. Among them is Commander Prerna Deosthalee of the Indian Navy, known for becoming the first woman to command an Indian Naval warship. Early life and education Commander Prerna Deosthalee was born in Mumbai. She completed her schooling at the Convent of Jesus and Mary and later earned a postgraduate degree in psychology from St. Xaviers College, Mumbai. Her academic background has contributed to her skills in human behavior understanding and crisis management qualities essential in naval service. Career in the Indian Navy Commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2009 as an Observer in the aviation branch, Deosthalee built her career through a series of firsts. She became the first female Observer on the TU-142 maritime reconnaissance aircraft and has flown critical missions on the P-8I aircraft. In 2020, she received her permanent commission. Prerna Deosthalee | Credit: X In December 2023, on Navy Day, she made history by taking command of the Waterjet FAC INS Trinkat under the Navys Western Fleet. She received her appointment letter from Western Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Praveen Nair. Notably, this milestone coincided with her brother, Commander Ishan Deosthalee, taking command of INS Vibhuti marking the first time in Indian naval history that siblings commanded warships simultaneously. This 15th August, KBC Hosts Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh & Commander Prerna Deosthalee in its Independence Day Maha Utsav Special Episode Dekhiye Kaun Banega Crorepati ka Independence Day Maha Utsav special episode 15th August raat 9 baje #SonyLIV par. pic.twitter.com/2wo2113BuZ Sony LIV (@SonyLIV) August 12, 2025 Appearance on KBC Independence Day special On the KBC Independence Day Special hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, Commander Deosthalee appeared alongside Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force. Together, they recounted behind-the-scenes aspects of Operation Sindoor, the mission that dismantled terror infrastructure within minutes. Commander Prerna Deosthalees journey from Mumbai to commanding an Indian Naval warship stands as a milestone in Indian defence history. Her presence on KBCs Independence Day Special offered viewers a rare insight into both her personal career path and her role in a significant military operation. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending. More than 150 wildfires have ignited across Greece in just 48 hours, prompting the deployment of over 18,000 firefighters as the country battles an extreme fire crisis fueled by record heat and gale-force winds, the government has said. The Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection reported that emergency services were overwhelmed, with more than 70 new fires breaking out per day. In response, the government has toughened penalties for arson and announced new prevention measures, including doubling the number of surveillance drones. Authorities have also made three arrests in connection with a recent fire in the Achaia region. To aid those affected by the blazes, the government will implement a three-year exemption from the ENFIA property tax for homeowners in the fire-stricken areas. Officials also took steps to dispel false reports circulating on social media regarding casualties and the extent of the damage. The current crisis marks one of the most severe wildfire periods Greece has faced in recent years. iefimerida.gr Officials stressed that the new rules will not place any financial burden on the state budget. Greece has introduced stricter regulations on egg donation, bringing its laws in line with international bioethical norms. The National Authority for Medically Assisted Reproduction announced that under the new framework, each donor may undergo ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval no more than six times in her lifetime , with a mandatory four-month interval between procedures. The measures, approved in July and set to be published in the Government Gazette, are based on the countrys existing reproductive law (Law 3305/2005) and the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine. Officials stressed that the new rules will not place any financial burden on the state budget. According to the authority, the move aligns Greece with practices already in place in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Sweden, where restrictions are designed to safeguard donors health and reduce the risk of genetic overlap in the population. In the United States, for example, professional guidelines recommend a maximum of six donation cycles per donor, while the UK limits the creation of families from a single donors eggs to ten. Spain enforces a strict anonymity policy and a cap of six births per donor, and France limits donations to eggs that could result in up to six families, allowing children to access a donors identity once they reach adulthood. Elsewhere in Europe, Belgium allows eggs from one donor to create up to six families, while Sweden generally permits donations to six couples. Nordic countries such as Norway set numerical caps on the number of children born from one donor, whereas Canada uses population-based guidelines without imposing a nationwide legal limit. In Asia, Indias 2020 Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill permits a woman to donate eggs only once in her life, with a limit of seven eggs per donation. Russia, by contrast, has no strict national caps but requires donors to meet certain age and health criteria. #GREECE Abuja, Nigeria British Airways on Friday denied boarding to 58 passengers on its Abuja-London flight due to a technical fault with one of the aircrafts doors. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed that, in adherence to safety protocols, certain seats had to remain unoccupied to ensure passenger safety. Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Mr. Michael Achimugu, shared the update via his X handle, explaining that the issue directly affected passengers. Advertisement Due to the faulty door, they had to deny 58 passengers boarding this morning, Achimugu stated. READ MORE: British Airways Resumes Flight Operations In Abuja He further revealed that hotel accommodation was provided for the affected travelers. Twenty-eight passengers opted to return home, while 30 accepted the accommodation offer, he added. Achimugu assured that arrangements are underway to airlift the affected passengers the following morning. He also reminded passengers that they are entitled to file for compensation. The first resort in situations like this is to locate the NCAA Consumer Protection Officers at the terminal, and they will ensure that your right to care is protected if the airline delays, Achimugu advised. Meanwhile, some travelers expressed concerns about the condition of aircraft interiors. One X user, @NewDawnNaija23, suggested that the NCAA review the state of foreign airlines aircraft operating in Nigeria, noting: Not nice at all despite the huge amount of money that they charge. The incident highlights the importance of strict adherence to aviation safety standards and the role of regulatory authorities in protecting passenger rights. The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, on Thursday urged Nigerians to give the party a chance in Saturdays bye-elections. Speaking at an event for ADC candidates in Abuja, Mark emphasised the partys readiness to provide better governance and appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free, fair, and credible poll. Advertisement The ADC is a child of necessity. It was born out of the genuine desire to offer Nigerians an alternative and better governance. Give the party an opportunity to prove its worth, Mark said, stressing the importance of public support for the party. READ MORE:https://www.informationng.com/2025/08/lagos-apc-slams-aregbesola-over-adc-membership-mobilisation-remarks.html He urged voters in Anambra, Edo, Oyo, Taraba, Adamawa, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kano, Niger, and Ogun States to back ADC candidates. We are committed to delivering on our promises and ensuring that Nigerians experience a new standard of leadership, Mark added. Mark also appealed to INEC to act with impartiality and transparency. All eyes are on the Commission to correct past errors that have tarnished its public image. A truly free, fair, and credible election on Saturday could help redeem its reputation, he said. The ADC leader commended the courage and dedication of the partys candidates, urging them and their supporters to obey electoral laws while staying vigilant against manipulation or intimidation. Our candidates must remain disciplined and focused. The success of this election depends on adherence to democratic principles, Mark stressed. He further called on security agencies to ensure a level playing field for all contenders, allowing the will of the people to prevail without interference. The Defence Headquarters has dismissed reports claiming that notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has surrendered to the military. Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, clarified the situation on Thursday, while briefing journalists in Abuja. Simple answer to the question about terrorist leader, Bello Turji; Turji has not surrendered, we are still on the lookout for him, Kangye stated. Advertisement He added, Any claim that he has laid down arms is false. Our troops are on high alert and continuing operations to apprehend him. Turji operates primarily in Zamfara and Sokoto states and has been linked to multiple attacks on communities in Nigerias North-West. READ MORE:https://www.informationng.com/2025/08/aregbesola-leads-adc-membership-drive-calls-for-end-to-apc-rule-in-2027.html Nigerian security agencies have repeatedly declared him wanted due to his involvement in kidnappings, killings, and other violent crimes. Bello Turji remains a threat to the peace and security of our communities. We urge residents to remain vigilant and report any information that could assist in his capture, Kangye said. The recent reports of his alleged surrender followed claims that Turji had handed over his arms and released 32 kidnapped victims as part of a purported peace initiative brokered by Islamic clerics in Zamfara State. However, the Defence Headquarters confirmed that these reports were false, emphasizing that the military continues to pursue him actively. Turjis activities remain a major security threat, with several villages affected by attacks attributed to his gang. Our commitment is unwavering. We will ensure that these criminals are brought to justice, and peace is restored to the North-West, Kangye added. Authorities have urged the public to remain cautious and provide credible information that may lead to Turjis arrest. They reaffirmed their commitment to combating banditry and terrorism in the North-West, ensuring affected communities receive protection and support while the hunt for Turji continues. The Niger State government has concluded plans to enhance security infrastructure in public schools across local councils affected by insecurity. Dr. Hadiza Asabe Mohammed, Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, disclosed the development in Minna, praising UNICEF and other partners for their technical support and unwavering commitment to improving the states education sector. Dr. Asabe revealed that the government has also finalized strategies to address barriers to learning caused by insecurity. Speaking during her welcome address at the dissemination meeting of the report titled The Impact of Insecurity on Access to Education in Niger State, held at Haske Luxury Hotel, she noted that 29 previously closed schools have been reopened, while 20 others have undergone renovations following damage sustained during attacks. Advertisement READ MORE: Niger State Records 12 Cholera Deaths, Over 230 Hospitalised The state government has decided to relocate many schools situated in high-risk areas to safer locations. As a government, we are committed to addressing the root causes of insecurity through social welfare programs for households affected by conflict, Dr. Asabe stated. She further added, Plans are underway to upgrade security infrastructure in schools and to establish early warning systems in vulnerable communities. UNICEF Nigerias Chief of Education, Vanessa Lee, represented by Education Specialist Mr. Believe Eke, highlighted the importance of mitigating insecuritys impact on education in Niger State. She noted that the study presented provides evidence-based insights to support informed decision-making and policy development, ensuring that children in conflict-affected areas have access to quality education. Local education officials also shared updates on security improvements. Usaini Baba, Education Secretary of Shiroro LGA, and Ahmed Madaki, Education Secretary of Rafi LGA, explained that insecurity has been partially controlled compared to three years ago. Madaki stated that at the height of banditry attacks in Rafi LGA, 34 schools were closed, but 24 have since reopened, with others relocated to safer locations. The meeting concluded with the unveiling of several reports and recommendations, aiming to strengthen the resilience of Niger States education system against insecurity. Air Defense destroy 63 out of 97 enemy UAVs at night - Air Force Photo: https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/ Air defense destroyed 63 out of 97 enemy drones at night, the Ukrainian Air Force reports. "According to preliminary data, as of 8:00, air defense forces shot down/suppressed 63 enemy Shahed-type UAVs and drone imitators of various types in the north and east of the country," the message reads. In total, on the night of August 15 (from 19:30 on August 14), the enemy attacked with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles from Voronezh and Bryansk regions, 97 Shahed-type strike UAVs and various types of drone imitators from the directions of Kursk, Orel, Bryansk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Shatalovo of the Russian Federation. As noted, the frontline areas of Kharkiv, Sumy, Donetsk, and Chernihiv regions were attacked by strike UAVs, and Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions were attacked by missiles. Missiles and 34 UAVs were hit at 13 locations, the Air Force reported. The air attack was repelled by aircraft, electronic warfare units, unmanned systems, and mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Thursday, reiterated its support for a two-term Igbo Presidency following the 2027 general elections. In a statement issued on Thursday by its Deputy Factional President-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and made in Abakaliki, the group dismissed the notion of a one-term Presidency. The statement emphasised adherence to the constitutional framework of a maximum two-term tenure for the office of the President and State Governors as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Advertisement While acknowledging that an Igbo Presidency is a legitimate and achievable aspiration, Ohanaeze unequivocally states that it is not feasible in 2027, the statement read. Ohanaeze highlighted that any advocate for a single-term Presidency is either driven by personal gain or employing deceptive tactics. Specifically, if the Presidential Aspirant is proposing a single term in 2027, what is the fate of the only Governor under the same political party? Will this Governor relinquish power after one term, or seek re-election, exposing the hypocrisy inherent in the single-term proposition? the statement queried. The organization also insisted that proponents of the one-term Presidency must provide examples of one-term Governors, Senators, and House of Representatives members to prove the sincerity of their claims. Any individual advancing the single-term Presidency concept therefore lacks the endorsement of Ndigbo. Such a Presidential Aspirant, on moral grounds, has effectively disqualified themselves from the 2027 presidential election, the statement concluded. The Lagos State Police Command has killed a suspected armed robber who was operating from a refuse dump in Abule Egba area of the state. A police source told PUNCH Metro on Thursday that the suspect, known only as Blessing, was shot dead in the early hours of the day. The source stated that detectives carried out a raid on the refuse dump in Kantagua at approximately 1:30 a.m. Advertisement READ MORE: Police Nab Six In Lagos For Alleged Role In Cult-Related Murder However, upon spotting the operatives, Blessing reportedly opened fire, prompting the police to respond. The operation was carried out at about 1:30pm after the police got intel about the location. There was a gun duel that ensued, and the suspect sustained bullet wounds in the process. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty, the source added. The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident when contacted. He explained that the operation followed the confession of a notorious robbery suspect, 43-year-old Yakubu Adeyemi, who had been previously arrested. He said, Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command stormed the Katangua refuse dump in Abule Egba to arrest other gang members and possibly recover their operational weapons. On sighting the police, the suspected armed robber by name Blessing m opened fire on the operatives, and the operatives responded gallantly. During the exchange of gunfire, Blessing sustained bullet wounds, and he was rushed to Oke Odo General Hospital for medical attention, where the medical doctor on duty certified him dead. Hundeyin further stated that authorities recovered an AK-47 rifle with five rounds in its chamber, a locally made single-barrel pistol, and four live cartridges at the scene. He also revealed that the body had been taken to Mainland Hospital mortuary for autopsy, as efforts continued to apprehend the remaining gang members on the run. Enugu Governor Peter Mbah on Thursday credited the Federal Governments subsidy removal for funding state infrastructure projects. The Governor made the declaration at the Government House, Enugu, during a courtesy visit by a Federal Government delegation led by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris. The visit was part of activities lined up for the two-day Citizens Engagement Series in the South-East. Advertisement For us in Enugu, we are able to accomplish all we promised our people during the campaign, thanks to the bold decision taken by President Bola Tinubu, which has freed up resources needed to execute humongous capital projects, Mbah said. READ MORE:https://www.informationng.com/2025/07/ndlea-arrests-two-suspected-drug-traffickers-in-edo.html He listed ongoing projects that have benefited from the freed resources, including the construction of 7,000 classrooms, 3,300 hospital beds, and 2,000 hectares of 260 farm estates across the 260 wards of the state. Governor Mbah also pledged continued support for Federal Government policies, noting that they serve the best interests of the people of Enugu. We remain committed to backing policies that improve the welfare of our citizens. The subsidy removal has given us the financial capacity to meet our campaign promises and deliver tangible results, he added. The Citizens Engagement Series, attended by key Federal Government officials, provides a platform for dialogue between state governments and the public. Mbah emphasised that the projects being executed are designed to address critical needs in education, healthcare, and agriculture, ensuring sustainable development across the state. He concluded by urging citizens to support government initiatives, stressing that collaboration between state and Federal authorities is crucial for achieving developmental goals and enhancing the quality of life for all residents of Enugu State. A yet-to-be-identified young boy has been gruesomely murdered by suspected kidnappers in Anambra State after he allegedly refused their order to sexually assault his own sister. The horrifying incident was made public by human rights activist and former Senior Special Assistant to the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, Mr. Harrison Gwamnishu, through a statement posted on his official Facebook page on August 14, 2025. Advertisement According to Gwamnishu, the boy was abducted alongside his two sisters by armed men. When the family failed to meet the ransom demand, the children were subjected to severe and degrading treatment in captivity. READ MORE: Police Rescue 28 As Bandits Kill Three In Katsina In a shocking turn of events, the abductors allegedly instructed the boy to violate one of his sisters. Upon his refusal, they reportedly killed him in cold blood. Describing the act as more than a criminal offence, Gwamnishu wrote: This is more than a crime; it is a wake-up call. No child, no woman, no citizen should live under the shadow of such terror. He urged the government and security agencies to intensify efforts in dismantling kidnapping syndicates, strengthening security patrols, and ensuring swift justice for victims. When contacted for clarification, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, stated in a text message: There is no such report before me. I will make enquiries and get back to you. Send me the video if you have it. Police investigations are said to be ongoing, with security operatives reportedly making efforts to apprehend other fleeing suspects so they can face the full weight of the law. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned a Canadian court ruling labeling it a terrorist organization, calling it politically intrusive and inaccurate. The party emphasised that it remains a legitimate political entity in Nigeria, committed to democratic processes and peaceful governance. Speaking on Friday,, APC National Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said, It is inappropriate for a foreign court to assess the operations of a political party in another country. Advertisement The APC has always participated in elections lawfully, including presidential contests, and it is deeply committed to democratic principles. He added, We do not promote ballot snatching, electoral malpractice, or violence. READ MORE:https://www.informationng.com/2025/08/efccs-arrest-of-tambuwal-politically-driven-atiku.html Our members follow the law, and the actions of a few individuals should not tarnish the image of the entire party. The Canadian judgment, delivered by Justice Phuong Ngo on June 17, 2025, arose from the case of Douglas Egharevba, a former member of both the PDP and APC. Egharevba had sought judicial review after being deemed inadmissible to Canada due to alleged links between Nigerian political parties and electoral misconduct. Commenting further, Ibrahim said, This ruling ignores Nigerias constitutional provisions on political parties. The APC is registered in Nigeria, not Canada, and operates transparently within the democratic system. It is meddlesome for a court abroad to define our political reality. He also urged Nigerians to stay focused on national development, adding, While foreign judgments may be sensational, our responsibility is to strengthen democracy at home. We must continue to promote peace, good governance, and electoral integrity in every election. The Cpl. Michael J. Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Woodland Avenue in Philadelphia. Read more On Monday, Karen Ford-Woods brought bins to work to pack up the union office at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in West Philly. Items that needed to be gone by end of day Tuesday included employee files, union banners, and plants, said the president of the union local that represents Philly-area VA employees. Advertisement At the Environmental Protection Agencys office in Center City, Brad Starnes, president of AFGE Local 3631, started emptying the union space months ago in anticipation of an order to do so. I saw this as an inevitable outcome of the change of administration, Starnes said Monday. President Donald Trumps administration moved to cancel union contracts for federal workers across agencies in recent days, and as a result, some union officials in Philadelphia are changing how they conduct their work. In March President Donald Trump, citing national security, issued an executive order directing some federal agencies to end collective bargaining agreements. Since last week, the VA, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have canceled contracts for many bargaining unit employees represented by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal union, as well as other employee unions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also reportedly canceled contracts with thousands of employees in its animal health and food inspection agencies, according to Reuters. Its just the latest move from the Trump administration to target unions and the federal workers they represent. Workers have been dealing with widespread attrition, including layoffs, since Trump took office. This is all in retaliation for AFGE basically standing up for our contractual rights and our statutory rights, said Philip Glover, AFGE national vice president for District 3, which includes Pennsylvania and Delaware. As of January, the union represented roughly 9,400 federal workers in and near Philly, among about 800,000 the union represents in the U.S. and abroad. AFGE also has been feeling the impacts of Trumps policies internally losing members and cutting staff. The unions District 3 has lost dues-paying members, and within AFGE, there has been a reduction in force of staff, said Richard Gennetti, an AFGE national representative for the region. Union leaders are pledging to still support federal workers, lobby elected officials, or go to court. The union is still here, said Ford-Woods at the VA. Were never gonna stop fighting for the union. When [the] union first started, we didnt have contracts. Thats something that you have to work to get, but that doesnt mean you dont have a union. Anger, fear, and resolve At the Veterans Benefits Administration Office on Wissahickon Avenue on Monday, people were crying at their desks, according to a union representative, who asked to speak anonymously out of fear of workplace retaliation. The employees were thinking that theyre going to get fired because theres no union to protect them, the union representative said. For months, morale at the VA has been in a downward spiral, but now its dead, the union rep added. Ford-Woods noted that VA employees are fearful and discouraged. For its part, the VA has said that going forward, agency staff will spend more time serving veterans instead of union bosses. Too often, unions that represent VA employees fight against the best interests of veterans while protecting and rewarding bad workers, VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement. Were making sure VA resources and employees are singularly focused on the job we were sent here to do: providing top-notch care and service to those who wore the uniform. At the EPA, workers are angry, Starnes said. Its sort of a here we go again the latest swipe at the worker. Starnes added that for some workers, this latest move is strengthening their resolve to continue to do the work of the agency and to do what they can do to reverse what is happening within our agency in this country. In some ways, the Trump administrations targeting of federal employees has become the best recruiter, Gennetti said. They have made the need for a union manifestly known to lots of people, and lots of people are joining up because they see how terrible the workplace is becoming, and how much they need the union presence, he said. What can a union do? The union office at the EPAs Center City location has served a practical purpose, says Starnes. It allowed us to conduct meetings in a private way, meet with staff in a secure location but well meet that need in other ways, as we must, he said. Some union work formerly took place during an employees workday under the EPA union contracts, Starnes said. Now the union plans to connect with federal employees after work. Essentially union work becomes an after-hours endeavor, Starnes said. Weve rescheduled meetings to accommodate the need to not overlay our activities with those of EPA official duty. And federal workers still need support, says Starnes, such as the EPA employees who were placed on administrative leave in July for their association with a letter expressing critique of the current agencys leadership. Theyre in a situation that the union feels staunchly was unfair, retaliatory and its baseless. This is just to create fear, which it has done successfully, Starnes said. The union will still need to collect dues because it just costs money to do what we do which can include paying for attorneys, Starnes said. AFGE started transitioning workers to its own electronic payment platform to collect union dues during Trumps first term, instead of relying on the agencies deducting the money from employee paychecks. On Tuesday, AFGE also announced it was restructuring some departments out of its headquarters. In a statement, AFGE national president Everett Kelley said the union is carrying out the changes to sharpen our advocacy, strengthen our legislative efforts, and ensure our communications and education efforts reach every member, ally, and decision-maker who needs to hear our voice. An attack on one is an attack on all AFGE has been around since the early 1930s but didnt get officially recognized by the federal government until President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order in 1962, said Glover. We were representing employees long before we had recognition, he said. Were not going anywhere, as far as that goes. Were gonna keep helping our members. Part of making their presence felt lies in relentlessly lobbying elected officials. One thing Im letting members of Congress in the district know is that were going to start sending individual members problems to them, Glover said. If they dont want to stand up for us and make sure that we have our union rights, then they can go out and fix problems for these constituents. Gennetti, one of the national representatives for AFGE District 3, said the states Democratic lawmakers have been strong voices in Congress, but he also named two swing-district Republicans, U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Rob Bresnahan, as allies. The union can also support workers through workers compensation, Equal Employment Opportunity cases, the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, as well as go to court and lobby, union leaders said. Under union contracts, AFGE has had to go through a grievance process when an issue arises with an employer, said Glover. Years ago, before we were basically recognized, there were a lot more court cases. Federal employees would sue their managers. They would sue their agencies, he said. I guess were back to that, or we may be back to that our lawyers will have to tell us this. Ed Welch, president of AFGE Local 2058, which represents National Park Service employees in Philadelphia, said federal workers losing union contracts is appalling NPS employees, who fall under the Department of Interior, still have their contracts intact but Welch believes every employee should see it as a rallying call for solidarity. An attack on one is an attack on all, and it is not only unlawful, but it runs against what this country is about, he said. A Dodge Challenger that was reported stolen and was fleeing Tinicum Township police crashed Wednesday into a hotel transportation van near Philadelphia International Airport, killing a passenger in the Challenger and critically injuring the drivers of both vehicles, Philadelphia police said. The crash happened around 11:10 a.m. Wednesday on the 8900 block of Bartram Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia, police said. Advertisement Helicopter footage from CBS3 showed the front half of the blue Dodge Challenger was demolished while the white 2014 Ford Econoline van, bearing a Microtel logo, sustained heavy front-end damage. The driver of the van, identified as a 74-year-old man, was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center with internal injuries, police said. The cars passenger, identified as a 23-year-old man, also was taken to Penn Presbyterian, where he was pronounced dead at 12:26 p.m. The cars driver, a 30-year-old man, was listed in critical condition at Penn Presbyterian. Philadelphia police said Tinicum police attempted to stop the Challenger, which was reported stolen, while it was in the township, but the vehicle fled east on Bartram at a high rate of speed into the city. U.S. Border Patrol agent David Maland is recognized with military honors before his burial at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis in February. Read more WASHINGTON The Justice Department said Thursday it will seek the death penalty against a member of the cultlike Zizians group accused of killing a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont in the latest Trump administration push for more federal executions. Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Seattle, is among a group of radical computer scientists focused on veganism, gender identity and artificial intelligence who have been linked to six killings in three states. Shes accused of fatally shooting agent David Maland on Jan. 20, the same day President Donald Trump was inaugurated and signed a sweeping executive order lifting the moratorium on federal executions. Advertisement READ MORE: From NASA intern to national fugitive: How online chatrooms pushed a Delco woman into the ranks of an extremist group police say is tied to her parents killings. Youngblut initially was charged with using a deadly weapon against law enforcement and discharging a firearm during an assault with a deadly weapon. But the Trump administration signaled early on that more serious charges were coming, and a new indictment released Thursday charged her with murder of a federal law enforcement agent, assaulting other agents with a deadly weapon and related firearms offenses. We will not stand for such attacks on the men and women who protect our communities and borders, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti said in a press release. In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi mentioned Maland as an example when saying she expects federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in cases involving the murder of law enforcement officers. And Youngbluts attorneys recently said they had been given a July 28 deadline to offer preliminary evidence about why she should be spared such a punishment. Her attorneys, who declined to comment Thursday, asked a judge last month to delay that deadline until January, but the judge declined. At the time of the shooting, authorities had been watching Youngblut and her companion, Felix Bauckholt, for several days after a Vermont hotel employee reported seeing them carrying guns and wearing black tactical gear. Shes accused of opening fire on border agents who pulled the car over on Interstate 91. An agent fired back, killing Bauckholt and wounding Youngblut. The pair were among the followers of Jack LaSota, a transgender woman also known as Ziz whose online writing attracted young, highly intelligent computer scientists who shared anarchist beliefs. Members of the group have been tied to the death of one of their own during an attack on a California landlord in 2022, the landlords subsequent killing earlier this year, and the deaths of one of the members parents in Pennsylvania. LaSota and two others face weapons and drug charges in Maryland, where they were arrested in February, while LaSota faces additional federal charges of being an armed fugitive. Another member of the group who is charged with killing the landlord in California had applied for a marriage license with Youngblut. Michelle Zajko, whose parents were killed in Pennsylvania, was arrested with LaSota in Maryland, and has been charged with providing weapons to Youngblut in Vermont. Vermont abolished its state death penalty in 1972. The last person sentenced to death in the state on federal charges was Donald Fell, who was convicted in 2005 of abducting and killing a supermarket worker five years earlier. But the conviction and sentence were later thrown out because of juror misconduct, and in 2018, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. Craig Tremaroli, the FBIs special agent in charge in Albany, New York, called Thursdays indictments the culmination of over six months of meticulous investigative collaboration aimed at pursuing justice for Malands family and friends. Today, our hearts remain with all those who continue to mourn the tragic loss of this veteran, son, brother, fiance, friend and colleague, he said in a statement. Mrs. Turner was outgoing and generous, smart and funny, said her granddaughter, Raven Green. Read more Inez J. Turner, 100, of Philadelphia, longtime schoolteacher and administrator in the Philadelphia School District, nationally ranked master bridge player, 74-year member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, mentor, and volunteer, died Thursday, July 17, of age-associated decline at St. Francis Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare. Mrs. Turner was outgoing and generous, smart and funny, said her granddaughter, Raven Green. She was a natural-born teacher, a people person, and adept at organization and instruction. Advertisement She worked in the classroom and administration at the Edward Heston School on North 54th Street and other Philadelphia schools for 36 years, from 1949 to her retirement in 1985. She dealt with racism and misogyny as a child and an adult, shared lessons on civil rights with students in the turbulent 1960s, and always championed the inclusion of Black history courses in the schools. Her family has a tradition of education advocacy, and she earned bachelors and masters degrees in education at what is now Cheyney University and Howard University. Her unwavering devotion to education left an indelible mark on generations of students and colleagues, her granddaughter said. She always had the same mission, to uplift, nurture, and inspire young minds to be their very best. On Feb. 22, her 100th birthday, Mrs. Turners achievements were recognized by Speaker Joanna McClinton in the Pennsylvania House, and in Philadelphia by city and school officials. She was also featured on TV news segments, and she flashed red lipstick and purple polished nails on her clip for CBS News Philadelphia. Somebody said, Youre too old to wear something like this, she said on camera, and I said, No, Im not! She joined Delta Sigma Theta in 1951, and her granddaughter said: She was dedicated to community service and building bonds of lasting sisterhood. In a tribute, her sorority sisters said she graced us with dignity, authenticity, elegance, emotional intelligence, and confidence that could light up a room. Mrs. Turner began playing bridge seriously in the 1950s and went on to excel competitively and mentor other elite players for 70 years. She played nearly every Monday for decades with her local Sayre womens club and traveled around the country to compete in tournaments. She climbed to No. 121 in the American Bridge Association national rankings, and others described her style of play as no nonsense. ABA members, many of them her former opponents, attended her celebration of life and said in a tribute: She put joy and wisdom in our lives. Her stories and experiences have enriched us all. Mrs. Turner was an engaging storyteller, her friends said, and she had plenty of tales to tell. She talked of growing up in South Philadelphia in the 1930s and 40s, and meeting thousands of students in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. Until recently, she was still refining her bridge-playing advice. When she told a story, you listened, a friend said at her celebration of life. Friends also noted her strength, energy, infectious laugh, and words of wisdom in tributes. She was a caring, lovely, and sensitive woman, said longtime friend Jean Waites-Howard. Another friend said: Your tenacity and grace are inspirational. Inez Louise Jackson was born Feb. 22, 1925. Her family was one of the first Black families in South Philadelphia, and she attended St. Simon the Cyrenian Episcopal Church. Later, she was sergeant-at-arms for the Sisterhood Guild and active with the Order of the Daughters of the King at the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas. She earned her bachelors degree at Cheyney in 1947 and masters degree at Howard in 1949. She married Howard Turner in 1957, and they had a son, Glenn, and lived for decades in West Philadelphia. Her husband and son died earlier. Mrs. Turner played piano her whole life and embraced the Jamaican heritage on her fathers side of the family. She was fashionable, poised, and elegant, everybody said. She was known for her impeccable sense of style, her granddaughter said. The headline for her CBS News Philadelphia birthday story is: Philadelphia woman joins the centenarian club, gives the secret to a long and happy life. Those secrets, Mrs. Turner said into the camera, are go through life doing what you like to do. And most of all, I thank God for my blessings. In addition to her granddaughter, Mrs. Turner is survived by other relatives. A sister died earlier. A celebration of her life was held on July 29. A streetcar drives in front of the Berlin TV Tower in Berlin in 2019. Public transit boosts urban economies and generates much more revenue for society than it costs, writes Adrian Schulz. Read more The first place I went after arriving at Philadelphias majestic 30th Street Station last month a journey that took me from my native Berlin via train from Washington, D.C. was the not-quite-so majestic SEPTA Drexel Station at 30th Street nearby. And the first thing I saw there? Absolutely nothing. Advertisement When will the next train come? I thought after a couple of minutes. The small screens by the platform wouldnt tell me. Is there a problem with train service today? I wondered after five. No announcement was made. Will there be a train at all? I asked myself after 10. No one in the growing crowd around me seemed too concerned. Thats when it hit me; my first Philly epiphany: You dont find SEPTA, SEPTA finds you. Eventually. Philosophical musings aside for a second, the installation of real-time countdown clocks (a common feature in Europe) was supposed to start on SEPTA platforms in 2020, then in 2023. The full rollout of countdown clocks has been delayed, SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch told me, but we are still moving the project forward. After learning about SEPTAs funding plight, I understood the malfunctioning displays are emblematic of the status public transportation enjoys, even in a relatively well-serviced U.S. city like Philadelphia it is not a service, but a grace provided to the carless, the dependent, and the stubborn. Imagine, in contrast, a dense, reliable, and modern transit system, with subway trains running in the inner parts of the city every five minutes, and with commuter and regional lines reaching remote surrounding townlets in a time you often cant beat by car, even if you take the fastest lane on the autobahn. This is a reality in Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt, as well as in Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, and Lyon. Dont get me wrong, SEPTA usually gets you where you need to go, and certainly, European cities have their own problems sustaining reliable public transit. But what strikes me most as a visitor watching the scuffle around SEPTAs financing is the degree to which public transport seems to be looked at by some foremost as a burden, as a vexatious budget item. When, in fact, its the exact opposite. Public transit boosts urban economies and generates much more revenue for society than it costs. Many cities throughout Europe have hugely profited from it in recent decades. For every euro spent on German public transit, the economy gets 3 euros in return. This is the takeaway from a 2025 study commissioned by the German state railway. Not only do subways, trolleys, and buses generate income for the employees of transit companies and the industries that build tracks and vehicles, the study says. They also help grow small businesses, promote tourism, and add value to real estate. Take Madrid, where the central shopping street, Gran Via, was closed to car traffic for the first time during the 2018 Christmas season. Businesses saw an almost 10% hike in sales over previous years. Take Nantes near the French Atlantic coast, where in the first 20 years after the opening of a new trolley system in 1985, every fourth new apartment and office space was built within walking distance of it. Take Strasbourg in the east of France. After two trolley lines were opened, the number of Saturday shoppers in the city center nearly doubled, from 88,000 (in 1992) to 160,000 (in 2000). Beyond the economic impact, Philadelphians could profit from higher-quality public transit in other ways. Due to its 19th-century structure, space in the city is notoriously limited. Ive read that people get into arguments (and worse) over parking spots. This is absurd. Rather than setting aside communal space for cars, the extension of public transport can be the opportunity to design an environment that people actually enjoy spending their time in. Public transit systems have become an icon in some cities, despite and because of their shortcomings. When, in 2015, the Berlin transport authority introduced a tongue-in-cheek rap song titled Is mir egal (roughly translated as I dont care), it became an instant hit. The songs comic video features a cross section of Berliners from mariachi players to leather-clad punks, from a fastidious old-timer to bearded drag queens involved in everything from grating onions to doing splits. Public transit becomes a symbol for a lifestyle in which anything goes, and everyone gets to where they need to be. SEPTA hasnt put out its own rap song, not yet, but Philadelphians should also have a public transit system they can be proud of. While lawmakers continue to debate transit funding, there are some signs of hope. When I dropped by Drexel Station on Thursday, nearly two weeks after my first visit, I looked up to see that the arrival time clocks were running. Adrian Schulz is a journalist with Der Tagesspiegel in Berlin and an Arthur F. Burns fellow at The Inquirer. Since the beginning of the day, 105 combat clashes have occurred on the front, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports. "A total of 105 combat clashes have occurred to date. Today, the terrorist state carried out 60 air strikes, dropping 110 guided bombs," the message reads. In addition, the invaders used 1,673 kamikaze drones for destruction and carried out 3,692 attacks on positions of our troops and populated areas. The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to contain the onslaught of the occupation forces, the General Staff noted. Only 4% of delivery e-bikes were recorded pedalling, which the report suggests may indicate throttle-powered use or modifications beyond legal specifications. Speeds of up to 54 km/h were documented, with nearly 20% of riders exceeding the 25 km/h limit. At some sites this rose to one in three. Hotspots included Swanston Street in Carlton and Swan Street in Richmond. The maximum number of civilians since the beginning of the full-scale invasion was evacuated from Donetsk region over the past 24 hours, August 14. As the Chairman of Donetsk Regional State Administration Vadym Filashkin reported on Telegram on Friday morning, 5,766 people, including 213 children, were evacuated from the front line on Thursday. Before that, the maximum number of people from the region was evacuated on September 8 last year 2,011, including 210 children. In early August 2025, Filashkin reported an increase in the scale of evacuation of civilians from settlements in Donetsk region to other regions of Ukraine: if a month ago 300-400 people left every day, at that time 600-700 were already leaving. On August 8, he announced the beginning of the forced evacuation of families with children from one settlement and 18 villages of the frontline Lyman urban territorial community of Kramatorsk district of Donetsk region, where 109 children were then located. On August 12, some 1,839 people were already evacuated, including 126 children. On August 13 1,871 people, including 254 children. On August 14, Filashkin announced the beginning of the forced evacuation of families with children from the town of Druzhkivka, as well as from the villages of Andriyivka, Varvarivka, Novo-Andriyivka, Rohanske of Andriyivska community, where there were approximately 1,879 children in total. The brokerage issued the following statement: "This lawsuit represents a perverse attempt by Vesttoos bankruptcy estate to shift responsibility for Vesttoos deliberate fraud to Aon, one of the frauds biggest victims. Vesttoo has already acknowledged in its own investigative report that executives of the company, along with other co-conspirators, were responsible for the fraud and intentionally sought to mislead Aon and other impacted parties. We will vigorously defend Aon against these meritless claims and continue to take steps to both maximize recoveries for our clients and strengthen standards across our industry. The update pointed to several themes shaping executive decisions: potential increases in claims if economic pressures worsen, risks tied to the failure of major customers or embedded receivables, and the use of blended insurance structures such as excess-of-loss or top-up layers to manage exposure. It also noted that banks are becoming more receptive to insured receivables when offering financing, which can improve access to credit. Many renewable energy projects seeking to harness the performance and efficiencies of evolving technologies are not readily bankable through the raising of debt and shared risk capital due to early technology non-performance risk, WTW said. The report is based on research involving 400 professionals from cyber insurance broker and carrier companies worldwide. Findings indicate that organisations in Australia and New Zealand are 9% more likely to experience a significant cyberattack than the global average. This has led insurers to raise eligibility criteria to manage potential risks. Figures in the letter show that 43% of Australians will experience a mental health condition during their lifetime. Mental ill-health is one of the leading causes of temporary and permanent disability for workers under 30. Two in five young Australians are now affected, a figure that has risen 50% since 2007. Workplace mental health injuries, the group noted, often result in more Australians leaving the workforce for good. For NFP, which became part of Aon earlier this year, the deal also supports its integration strategy, combining global scale with local expertise. The company has made several acquisitions in 2025 aimed at strengthening niche service areas, particularly in employee benefits and retirement solutions, as competition for middle market and nonprofit clients intensifies. Treatments are tailored to an individuals genetic makeup, he said. This level of precision allows for better disease prevention and management but also challenges insurers to update underwriting models and coverage plans. In the future, policies may become more customized, reflecting an individuals unique health profile and risk factors. "One of the best things about parametric weather insurance is that it doesn't take long to get money into the policy-holder's hands, and RainSure is no exception," Klaus said. "Because the policy doesn't require proof of loss to pay out, it's a really simple process. While some in the financial sector have scaled back climate commitments in recent months, leaders within the insurance industry argue that adaptation is becoming inseparable from profitability. At Marsh, Beverly Adams, head of climate and catastrophe resilience, said many clients had invested heavily in climate adaptation measures - ranging from flood defenses to wildfire mitigation - and now want those efforts reflected in their insurance terms. Were seeing many of our clients whove modeled their risks, built out resilience playbooks, and made real strategic investments in climate adaptation, she said. Now theyre asking: wheres the recognition from insurers? Adams believes the London market is uniquely placed to lead on resilience underwriting, with its history of innovation, ties to government policy, and early adoption of climate disclosure frameworks. The complaint states that, following a series of injunction orders, Arnold and 300 West LLC entered into a consent order with the State of Illinois on June 1, 2016, to address the claims in the IEPA suit. Arnolds entry into the consent order was not an admission of liability. Under the consent order, Arnold and 300 West LLC were released from liability for the claims in exchange for agreeing to be jointly and severally liable for completing remediation projects and paying approximately $100,000 to the IEPA and the attorney generals office. The consent order required actions such as providing bottled water to certain private well owners, conducting environmental sampling, funding municipal water hookups, paying IEPA oversight costs, and executing a remediation plan. The total costs associated with compliance are estimated in the complaint to exceed $4 million. Since war start, SBU has exposed 52 members of Defense Forces who were Russian agents Photo: https://t.me/SBUkr The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), with the assistance of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, systematically exposes Russian agents and eradicates criminal schemes in the Security and Defense Forces of our state: since the beginning of the full-scale war, the SBU has exposed 52 servicemen of the Defense Forces who were Russian agents, the SBU notes. "Since the beginning of the full-scale war, only employees of the Department of Military Counterintelligence of the SBU have exposed 207 agents of the Russian special services who were collecting information about the Defense Forces and military facilities of Ukraine. Fifty-two of them were active military personnel," the SBU said on its Telegram channel on Friday. According to the SBU, 44 traitors have already been sentenced to terms ranging from 12 to 15 years. For example, a former commander of a unit of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who "leaked" to the occupiers the plans of combat operations of Ukrainian special forces behind enemy lines, received 15 years in prison. The SBU detained the agent in the fall of 2024. The traitor's means of secret communication with evidence of his contacts with his curator - a career employee of the Russian military intelligence - were seized. Overall, as noted in the report, in 2025 alone, the SBU military counterintelligence eliminated three enemy agent networks. In particular, in Zaporizhia in August of this year, a Russian intelligence agency network was exposed, which included a mobilized person and the rector of a local UOC (MP) church. The perpetrators directed Russian air bombs at Defense Forces locations and recruited new candidates for the enemy cell. In Odesa region, as noted by the department, four FSB agents were detained together with the resident (senior agent) of the group. They adjusted the occupiers' air attacks on warehouses with weapons, ammunition and equipment of the Ukrainian troops. A 38-year-old informant, who prepared coordinates for Russian missile and drone attacks on airfields with Ukrainian Armed Forces combat helicopters, was detained in Lviv region. In addition, the SBU military counterintelligence prevented the theft of more than UAH 44 billion in the defense sector. "Also, since the beginning of the full-scale war, the SBU Military Counterintelligence Department has blocked 114 schemes to evade mobilization and stopped 222 cases of illegal arms trafficking and prevented their removal from the combat zone," the SBU reports. In addition to fighting the aggressor and his henchmen within our state, the military counterintelligence of the Security Service also conducts special operations behind enemy lines and participates in combat operations directly on the front line. "In particular, since the beginning of the full-scale war, the SBU's Department of Military Counterintelligence have destroyed 219 Russian tanks, 358 armored combat vehicles, 318 artillery systems, and 73 electronic warfare systems on the battlefield," the report notes. In December 2023, Rodriguez, on behalf of The McKee Law Group, provided Ohio Security with payment instructions for the electronic transfer of the settlement funds. Ohio Security transferred the settlement funds according to those instructions. The McKee Law Group then claimed it had not received the funds and filed a Motion to Compel Settlement Payment. Ohio Security subsequently issued payment a second time, and The McKee Law Group acknowledged receipt of this second payment. A Port Jervis, New York man recently entered a guilty plea to charges he collected more than $42,000 in workers compensation benefits issued to his deceased mother. New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang announced the July 31 guilty plea of Randi L. Magpie, who Lang said was arrested in February following a multi-agency investigation. Magpie will serve one year of probation and make restitution in the amount of $42,000. Magpies mother, Linda Chaney, died on April 1, 2022. At the time of her death, Chaney had been receiving weekly workers compensation wage replacement benefits of $487.35 as a result of a workplace injury sustained in 2012. Prosecutors said that between April 18, 2022 and December 19, 2023, NJM Insurance Co. unaware that Chaney had died continued to issue benefit checks. A total of 43 checks, amounting to $42,399.45, were deposited into a personal bank account belonging to Magpie. According to investigators, NJM attempted to reach Chaney numerous times to confirm her continuing eligibility but was unable to do so. On August 21, 2023 a representative of NJM spoke with Magpie who, rather than acknowledge his mothers death, falsely claimed that his mother was merely out of town, and provided a new mailing address in Port Jervis his own for checks to be sent, thereby prolonging the scheme. On December 15, 2023 NJM became aware of Chaneys death, obtained a death certificate to confirm the date, and notified Inspector General Langs office. Prosecutors said that 43 checks sent by NJM after the date of Chaneys death were deposited into Magpies personal bank account. Each of the checks contained a forged signature of Linda Chaney, with 41 also bearing Magpies own signature beneath. Topics Workers' Compensation Talent A Philadelphia police officer who was severely beaten by a robbery suspect in 2017 has won his right to add a psychological injury to his already settled workers compensation claim for physical injuries suffered in the incident. The officers employer, the city of Philadelphia, had opposed the officers post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) claim on res judicata grounds that the prior agreed-upon work injury description, already amended once by the officer, precluded him from again amending it to add a mental health injury because the claim had already been resolved. However, the Commonwealth Court found that his claim for PTSD was not barred by res judicata, which prevents relitigating of a claim once it has been decided, because the earlier injury claim from the work incident dealt with other issues and the PTSD was not known at that time of the earlier agreement. The intermediate appellate court thus reversed a March 2024 decision by the Workers Compensation Appeal Board that had disallowed the PTSD claim. Evidence showed that the officer was suffering from depression right after the robbery incident but was embarrassed about having a mental health issue so he delayed getting treatment and did not bring it up or think of it as compensable when first claiming benefits. He got concerned and raised it as an issue only after his symptoms worsened and he had suicidal thoughts and flashbacks. What Happened Michael N. Lewis, Sr. had been a Philadelphia police officer for more than 24 years. On February 4, 2017, when he responded to a burglary at a pet store, he grabbed the suspecta 59, 180-pound former U.S. Marine and attempted to place him in handcuffs. The suspect resisted, turned around, and hit Lewis in the forehead and temples and continued to hit him in the head with closed fists until Lewis felt faint. During the altercation, the suspect charged Lewis, pushing him backward so that his his head struck a steel shelf. The suspect kept hitting Lewis, who continued to fight until he had nothing left in him. Lewis drew but did not discharge his firearm at the suspect right before other officers arrived. Lewis was rushed to the hospital. He said he feared for his life during the incident. He did not perform police duties after the incident and subsequently retired. Lewis initially submitted and his employer ultimately acceptedclaims for physical injuries including a concussion, injuries to his hand and back, and facial abrasions. The city acknowledged his work injury through a Notice of Compensation Payable (NCP). Lewis later petitioned to amend that injury description but the city initially balked. On August 19, 2021, after proceedings, the parties agreed and a state workers compensation judge approved an amendment to the NCP to include concussion, headaches, balance issues, and vision issues. The stipulation also stated: The parties agree that this Stipulation does not prevent the parties from filing future petitions and other relief as appropriate pursuant to the Workers Compensation Act. There was no indication or mention of psychological injury at this time except Lewis said he felt hopeless. Second Petition On September 20, 2021, Lewis filed a second review petition seeking to include a psychological injury as a result of physical injury. The city denied the petition, arguing that it was barred by the doctrines of res judicata and/or collateral estoppel. A workers compensation judge held hearings between October 2021 and September 2022. Lewis testified that he never had any psychological treatment before the February 4, 2017 incident. A few months after the incident, he began to feel irritable, unhappy, overwhelmed, anxious, frustrated, and helpless. He was crying a lot and began isolating himself. In June and July of 2019, he was briefly treated with a psychologist who said Lewis was in denial about his symptoms and felt embarrassed talking about how he was feeling. After Lewis stopped seeing the psychologist in July 2019, his symptoms intensified. He said there were times when he thought about suicide, which prompted him to return to the psychologist in April 2021. He takes an antidepressant but his symptoms have only moderately improved. Seeing a police vehicle or hearing a siren causes him to experience flashbacks to the incident. His psychologist diagnosed him as having major depressive disorder directly related to the work incident. The doctor confirmed that Lewis was embarrassed to receive treatment for mental health issues and that he experiences occasional suicidal ideation. He noted that Lewis was never advised to seek psychological care after the incident. His employer noted there was no previous mention of psychological issues. A doctor who examined Lewis for the city opined that although he exhibited symptoms of depression, the condition was not caused by the work incident. She based that opinion on the fact that he did not seek treatment for his psychological symptoms until two years after the incident. The workers compensation judge specifically found that the delays and gaps in his mental health treatment were attributable to his aversion to seeking that treatment and the fact that his symptoms waxed and waned over time. The judge concluded that although his mental injuries may have been manifest during the review proceeding, they were not part of that earlier litigation and so were not precluded. Appeal The city appealed and the Workers Compensation Appeal Board reversed the judges decision. The board reasoned that although Lewis did not actually litigate in that first proceeding the injuries he sought to add in the second proceeding, he should have done so because he was aware of those injuries at the time of the first proceeding. In his appeal, Lewis and his psychologist reiterated that he was not aware that his psychological injury was compensable at the time of the first proceeding. In reversing the workers compensation board, the Commonwealth Court noted that both Lewis and his psychologist acknowledged he was diagnosed with depression before he filed the petition to add psychological injury, but Lewis was unaware that his depression was a compensable work injury at the time. He testified that it was a gradual worsening of the symptoms of his depressionand suicidal ideation in particularthat prompted him to return to treatment despite his reluctance to receive treatment. Thus, the court noted, the nature of his psychological injury changed over time. However, unlike with physical injuries that can be tracked through diagnostic imaging or other direct observation, there are no such tests for psychological injuries. Rather, a trained physician or psychologist would need to make professional judgments based on Lewiss history and clinical presentation, and Lewis would likely not realize the severity or cause of his psychological injury on his own. The court found that the evidence did not suggest that Lewis or his doctor understood his psychological injury to the point that he should have litigated it before September 2021, which was only six months into his consistent treatment with his psychologist. Thus the Workers Compensation Appeals Board erred in finding that the petition for psychological injury was subject to technical res judicata, the Commonwealth Court ruled in reversing. Lewis had also argued that the board erred in ignoring the language in their stipulation in the first review that expressly said new petitions are permitted if they are consistent with the workers compensation law. The Commonwealth Court did not rule on the effect of the language of the stipulation. Topics Workers' Compensation Talent Law Enforcement Are you a highly motivated self-starter who wants to drive an engineering vehicle for extended periods, conducting dynamic audio and camera data collection for testing and training purposes? This role requires a high level of flexibility, strong attention to detail, excellent driving skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. You must have drivers license, of course, and be English-language and tech-savvy. Oh, and you must pass a drug test. If you are interested, you can apply to autonomous vehicle manufacturer Tesla for a job as an Autopilot Vehicle Operator. Teslas job ad seeks people to drive around the Flushing neighborhood in Queens, New York City, in one of its autonomous vehicles collecting data. However, the boilerplate teases that there could be more in store as candidates must have the flexibility of traveling to domestic or international destinations, as necessary. The full-time job pays from $25.25 to $30.60 a hour, depending on the shift. The full-time position comes with quite a package of benefits that includes health, dental, vision, 401(k), health savings account, weight loss and commuter benefits along with family-building benefits such as fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits; back-up childcare and parenting support; and the Tesla Babies merchandise program. Benefits are available on the first day of hire. The job ad is an indication that Tesla may want to deploy its ride-hailing and/or robotaxi services in the Big Apple sometime soon. The company has been given the green light to launch its robotaxi in Texas, after a test drive in Austin. It has been testing its ride-hailing service in San Francisco and announced plans to expand to Arizona. State and local laws typically require firms offering ride-hailing services to become licensed as as transportation network companies (TNC). Tesla is a licensed TNC in Texas. Photo: Tesla Interior NewModelY_91 Photo from Tesla. Topics Tesla The partial collapse of a waste dam at a Chinese state-owned copper mine in Zambia may have released 30 times more toxic sludge into the environment than previously reported, according to an independent evaluation of the disaster. At least 1.5 million tons of the poisonous substance escaped when a reservoir failed at the Sino-Metals Leach Zambia Ltd. mine near the northern city of Kitwe, findings from the company hired to assess the environmental damage showed. That would fill more than 400 Olympic-sized pools and rank the incident among the mining industrys worst catastrophes globally. The government and the company have previously said 50,000 tons spilled in the February disaster. Video evidence from social media and field data show this to be grossly inaccurate, Drizit Zambia Ltd. hired by Sino-Metals to conduct an environmental audit of the accident said in a June 3 letter seen by Bloomberg and verified by the company. Drizit described the event as a large-scale environmental catastrophe that threatened drinking water, fishing stocks and farmland in the area. Sino-Metals questioned the methodology used by the company to assess the magnitude of the spill. Its since terminated its contract with Drizit because of what it described as contractual breaches. The company was given time to remedy these breaches but failed, it said in an emailed response to a request for comment. Sino Metals was left with no option but to terminate the contract. The disaster risks undermining Zambian President Hakainde Hichilemas plan to more than triple copper output to 3 million tons in the coming years. China Nonferrous Mining Corp., SMLs parent, in 2023 pledged to invest $1.3 billion to expand output in the southern African nation, the continents second-biggest producer of the metal. The incident also complicates Lusakas ties with Beijing, at a time when Hichilemas administration is working to conclude restructuring deals with Chinese lenders for about $5.6 billion of debt. US Concern The US Embassy flagged concern about the scale of the disaster last week, when it ordered the immediate withdrawal of its officials from Kitwe and some surrounding areas, citing newly available information that revealed the extent of the contamination. In an Aug. 6 email to staff seen by Bloomberg and verified by the US government, US Ambassador to Zambia Michael Gonzales said the disaster appeared to be the sixth-worst in history, and that toxic substances including arsenic, cyanide and uranium will continue to pose threats to humans and animals until removed. The US Embassy declined to comment. The Finnish and Australian embassies both in recent days updated health warnings related to the disaster. Without immediate intervention, the consequences for future generations of Zambians will be severe and long-lasting, Drizit said in the letter. The company declined to comment beyond verifying the letter, citing legal reasons. Drizits parent company in South Africa has been in the environmental risk-mitigation industry since 1975. The Zambian government is in the process of contracting a new company to conduct the environmental impact assessment, and Sino Metals will still pay for the entire process, the spokesman said. The dam where the tailings escaped from is still there and the amount of tailings that escaped can be ascertained by the volume of the dam, a spokesman for the company said. However, if Drizit were able to calculate the amount of spillage by using social media footage, that is quite interesting methodology. Mike Mposha, Zambias green economy and environment minister, declined to immediately comment. Drinking Water Zambias government last week played down concerns about the incident, saying there was no cause for panic and that water quality in the affected areas has been restored. Senior officials appeared on state media at the weekend drinking tap water from Kitwe to prove it was safe. No deaths or confirmed cases of heavy metal poisoning have been reported, the government said. The disaster unfolded when a dam wall breached after heavy rains on Feb. 18, releasing a torrent of sulphuric acid-bearing material used to extract copper into the nearby Mwambashi River. Preliminary assessments showed the river measured a pH as low as 1, Collins Nzovu, Zambias water and sanitation minister, told lawmakers Feb. 21. Fluid with that level of acidity is strong enough to dissolve human bones. Water from the Mwambashi flows into the Kafue River, which passes through one of Africas biggest national parks. Zambias capital, Lusaka, relies on the river for much of its water supply. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the government began dumping hundreds of tons of lime into the rivers to neutralize the acid, which had wiped out aquatic life for miles, along with crops growing alongside them. While the acidity may have returned to normal, heavy metals pose a persistent threat, especially to the 800 individuals still living near the fallout zone, Drizits letter said. Long-Term Effects Transparency International Zambia called on the government to act seriously and pointedly in a manner that the situations severity merits. The toxic spill needs to be addressed holistically, Maurice Nyambe, executive director at the advocacy group, said in response to a request for comment. The government and polluter need to be seen to be considering all aspects of this pollution, including the long-term effects on human life, wildlife, eco-system and the environment. Drizit said its engagements with SML had been difficult. From the outset, they have actively sought to disrupt the assessment process and have made attempts to influence the outcomes of our findings, it said. SML has accused us of breaching the contract and has since terminated the agreement just days before its conclusion, seemingly with the intention of preventing our report from reaching the proper authorities. SML didnt respond directly to the allegation, nor did it respond to questions on how Drizit breached its contract. Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. Topics China B.P. Marsh & Partners Plc, the specialist private equity investor, announced it is investing in a new collateralized reinsurer that aims to support growth in its long-time investee company XPT Group, the U.S. wholesale insurance broking and underwriting agency platform. B.P. Marsh has committed a maximum of $5 million to the formation of Gambit Risk Finance (Gambit Re), of which $1.875 million will be funded on completion, the company said in a London Stock Exchange filing. In return, B.P. Marsh will receive a preferred equity shareholding of approximately 8%, which carries an 8% preferred annual return. Gambit Re will support XPTs strategic growth ambitions and enhance its operational and financial flexibility by enabling XPTs underwriting arm, Platinum Specialty Underwriters, to provide risk capital for selected underwriting programs within its insurance portfolio. Gambit Re will initially support five profitable Platinum programs across its underwriting portfolio, said B.P. Marsh, noting that the reinsurer is expected to deliver a strong risk-adjusted return, underpinned by Platinums historical underwriting discipline. Gambit Res capital structure is composed of $60 million of preferred equity, with participation from: Accord Capital Investments (providing $45 million), RSP, a vehicle formed by XPT senior management (providing $10 million), and B.P. Marsh (providing $5 million). Accord Capital is a Chicago-based alternative lending and capital advisory firm, which offers strategic capital and operational guidance to entrepreneurial teams from early-stage startups to mature enterprises. Management and operational services will be provided by Platinum, with reinsurance administration outsourced to Atlantic Security Ltd., a Bermuda-based specialist. B.P. Marsh said it sees this investment as an opportunity to support one of its experienced management teams with a good track record in the sector. We are confident that Gambit Re can deliver long term returns to our shareholders, further building on our ability to source and make unique investment opportunities in the insurance sector, alongside our primary focus on insurance distribution investments, said London-headquartered B.P. Marsh, which owns a 29% stake in XPT. The partnership between the two companies began in 2017 when XPT was launched and received a $6 million investment from B.P. Marsh. In November 2024, B.P. Marsh provided another investment of $12.6 million. Gambit Re allows us to demonstrate conviction in our Platinum underwriting programs and provide our partners with added confidence through aligned capital, according to Tom Ruggieri, CEO of Plano, Texas-headquartered XPT, in a statement. The initiative reflects our commitment to innovation and our focus on building a sustainable, high-performing specialty platform. We value the partnership with B.P. Marsh and are excited to move forward together. This investment is a natural extension of our long-standing partnership with XPT. Gambit Re enables XPT to demonstrate alignment with its carrier partners and expand its Platinum underwriting footprint with greater flexibility, commented Dan Topping, chief investment officer of B.P. Marsh. The initiative aligns with our approach of backing entrepreneurial management teams with capital solutions tailored to their growth ambitions. We are pleased to continue supporting the XPT team in building a best-in-class specialty platform, Topping added. Topics Reinsurance Nedra Sims Fears still remembers the night years ago when her family home in Chicago flooded, sparking an electrical fire. Her father woke her up and rushed her outside into the pouring rain as smoke filled the rooms of their home in the citys Chatham neighborhood. We could see the smoke and smell the smoke, and we literally escaped with the clothes on our back, Sims Fears said. It was one of four floods that Sims Fears would survive throughout her adolescence. Its a lot for a family, said the lifelong Chicagoan and executive director of the Greater Chatham Initiative, a community organization. It is just devastating. Sims Fears isnt alone: Flooding is a pervasive hazard in the US, affecting almost every county nationwide over the past 20 years. The risk is growing as a warmer atmosphere charges storms with more moisture, leading to heavier rainfall. In urban areas, the many impervious concrete and asphalt surfaces increase runoff and make it hard to predict where flooding will appear. Floods last month swept through Chicago and Cook County, Illinois, destroying more than 100 residences and damaging about 2,000. This week, Chicago rolled out a new flood detection warning system. The water tech startup Hyfi, in partnership with Verizon Communications Inc., began installing 50 sensors in flood-prone areas across the city. Data from the sensors will let emergency preparedness officials know where flooding is occurring. The sensors are designed by Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Hyfi and operate on Verizons 5G network. Wireless and solar-powered, the sensors use sonar to detect water levels. They will provide real-time information to first responders and officials, including the citys Office of Emergency Management and the Department of Water Management. We are seeing more compressed, intense storms as our climate changes, said Brendan Schreiber, deputy commissioner and chief sewer engineer for the City of Chicago. Recent rain events have been massive in both scale and impact. The citys combined sewer system can overflow after heavy rain, backing up in basements and causing water to pond in the streets. One of the major issues is knowing where the flooding is happening, said Brandon Wong, Hyfis chief executive officer. Eventually, a Hyfi app will be available to local residents to watch for flooding in their own neighborhoods. Right now, officials encourage residents to sign up for alerts from NotifyChicago, the citys notification system. The rollout comes after a pilot program last year in New Orleans. Verizon funded the $2 million cost of both projects. The wireless network carrier says it will make further investments to set up the sensors in Detroit within the year. Its one piece of the Frontline Innovation Program that the company launched last year, said Donna Epps, Verizons chief responsible business officer. We know that technology and innovation is critical to empowering a community to be more resilient to natural disasters, Epps said. Flooding is the costliest weather-related hazard across Illinois, according to Bria Scudder, the states deputy governor for infrastructure, public safety, environment, and energy. We are experiencing the consequences of a warming planet with increasing frequency and intensity, she said. This initiative is just one of many that underscore the need for improved infrastructure and planning to cope with the new realities of our climate. Sims Fears said she was impressed by Hyfi and Verizons consultation with neighborhood residents. They asked us where it floods, so that you arent guessing you have people who live in the neighborhood, who have deep knowledge. She now has more confidence that signs of flooding in the community will be detected and acted on quickly. We need as many tools in the toolbox that we can have, in order to help ordinary people avoid catastrophe, she said. Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. Topics Flood New Markets Higginbotham announced it has partnered with Roehr Insurance, one of the largest property and casualty insurance agencies in Cincinnati, Ohio. The partnership grows Higginbothams presence in the Midwest and provides Roehr with expanded resources to support both clients and employees. Under CEO Alvin Roehr, who founded the agency in 2012, Roehr Insurance has grown from a four-person startup into one of the largest locally owned and operated agencies in Cincinnati, with 26 employees to date. The firm has licenses and clients in nearly every state. Roehr Insurance is a full-service agency offering commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, life insurance, bonds, and custom risk management services. Topics Ohio Delivery drones are so fast they can zip a pint of ice cream to a customers driveway before it melts. Yet the long-promised technology has been slow to take off in the United States. More than six years after the Federal Aviation Administration approved commercial home deliveries with drones, the service mostly has been confined to a few suburbs and rural areas. That could soon change. The FAA proposed a new rule last week that would make it easier for companies to fly drones outside of an operators line of sight and therefore over longer distances. A handful of companies do that now, but they had to obtain waivers and certification as an air carrier to deliver packages. While the rule is intended to streamline the process, authorized retailers and drone companies that have tested fulfilling orders from the sky say they plan to make drone-based deliveries available to millions more U.S. households. Walmarts multistate expansion Walmart and Wing, a drone company owned by Google parent Alphabet, currently provide deliveries from 18 Walmart stores in the Dallas area. By next summer, they expect to expand to 100 Walmart stores in Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Houston; and Orlando and Tampa, Florida. After launching its Prime Air delivery service in College Station, Texas, in late 2022, Amazon received FAA permission last year to operate autonomous drones that fly beyond a pilots line of sight. The e-commerce company has since expand its drone delivery program to suburban Phoenix and has plans to offer the service in Dallas, San Antonio, Texas, and Kansas City. The concept of drone delivery has been around for well over a decade. Drone maker Zipline, which works with Walmart in Arkansas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, began making deliveries to hospitals in Rwanda in 2016. Israel-based Flytrex, one of the drone companies DoorDash works with to carry out orders, launched drone delivery to households in Iceland in 2017. But Wing CEO Adam Woodworth said drone delivery has been in treading water mode in the U.S. for years, with service providers afraid to scale up because the regulatory framework wasnt in place. You want to be at the right moment where theres an overlap between the customer demand, the partner demand, the technical readiness and the regulatory readiness, Woodworth said. I think that were reaching that planetary alignment right now. Flying ice cream and eggs DoorDash, which works with both Wing and Flytrex, tested drone drop-offs in rural Virginia and greater Dallas before announcing an expansion into Charlotte. Getting takeout food this way may sound futuristic, but its starting to feel normal in suburban Brisbane, Australia, where DoorDash has employed delivery drones for several years, said Harrison Shih, who leads the companys drone program. It comes so fast and its something flying into your neighborhood, but it really does seem like part of everyday life, Shih said. Even though delivery drones are still considered novel, the cargo they carry can be pretty mundane. Walmart said the top items from the more than 150,000 drone deliveries the nations largest retailer has completed since 2021 include ice cream, eggs and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Unlike traditional delivery, where one driver may have a truck full of packages, drones generally deliver one small order at a time. Wings drones can carry packages weighing up to 2.5 pounds. They can travel up to 12 miles round trip. One pilot can oversee up to 32 drones. Zipline has a drone that can carry up to 4 pounds and fly 120 miles round trip. Some drones, like Amazons, can carry heavier packages. Once an order is placed, its packaged for flight and attached to a drone at a launch site. The drone automatically finds a route that avoids obstacles. A pilot observes as the aircraft flies to its destinations and lowers its cargo to the ground with retractable cords. Risks and rewards of commercial drones Shakiba Enayati, an assistant professor of supply chain and analytics at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, researches ways that drones could speed the delivery of critical health supplies like donated organs and blood samples. The unmanned aircraft offer some advantages as a transport method, such as reduced emissions and improved access to goods for rural residents, Enayati said. But she also sees plenty of obstacles. Right now, it costs around $13.50 per delivery to carry a package by drone versus $2 for a traditional vehicle, Enayati said. Drones need well-trained employees to oversee them and can have a hard time in certain weather. Drones also can have mid-air collisions or tumble from the sky. But people have accepted the risk of road accidents because they know the advantages of driving, Enayati said. She thinks the same thing could happen with drones, especially as improved technology reduces the chance for errors. Woodworth added that U.S. airspace is tightly controlled, and companies need to demonstrate to the FAA that their drones are safe and reliable before they are cleared to fly. Even under the proposed new rules, the FAA would set detailed requirements for drone operators. Thats why it takes so long to build a business in the space. But I think it leads to everybody fundamentally building higher quality things, Woodworth said. Others worry that drones may potentially replace human delivery drivers. Shih thinks thats unlikely. One of DoorDashs most popular items is 24-packs of water, Shih said, which arent realistic for existing drones to ferry. I believe that drone delivery can be fairly ubiquitous and can cover a lot of things. We just dont think its probable today that itll carry a 40-pound bag of dog food to you, Shih said. The view from the ground in Texas DoorDash said that in the areas where it offers drone deliveries, orders requiring the services of human delivery drivers also increase. Thats been the experience of John Kim, the owner of PurePoke restaurant in Frisco, Texas. Kim signed on to offer drone deliveries through DoorDash last year. He doesnt know what percentage of his DoorDash customers are choosing the service instead of regular delivery, but his overall DoorDash orders are up 15% this year. Kim said hes heard no complaints from drone delivery customers. Its very stable, maybe even better than some of the drivers that toss it in the back with all the other orders, Kim said. For some, drones can simply be a nuisance. When the FAA asked for public comments on Amazons request to expand deliveries in College Station, numerous residents expressed concern that drones with cameras violated their privacy. Amazon says its drones use cameras and sensors to navigate and avoid obstacles but may record overhead videos of people while completing a delivery. Other residents complained about noise. It sounds like a giant nagging mosquito, one respondent wrote. Amazon has since released a quieter drone. But others love the service. Janet Toth of Frisco, Texas, said she saw drone deliveries in Korea years ago and wondered why the U.S. didnt have them. So she was thrilled when DoorDash began providing drone delivery in her neighborhood. Toth now orders drone delivery a few times a month. Her 9-year-old daughter Julep said friends often come over to watch the drone. I love to go outside, wave at the drone, say Thank you and get the food, Julep Toth said. Photo: Julep Toth, 9, carries a package delivered to her house via a drone, on July 31 in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Aviation Aerospace Nearly a decade after the deadly 2016 floods, West Virginia officials are moving forward with a study to look at flood mitigation measures across the Kanawha River Basin. Last month, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced that the state will work with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers on a study that thoroughly examines flood risk management strategies across 20 West Virginia counties, most of which were impacted by the June 2016 floods. Morriseys announcement comes nearly four years after the study was initially funded by the federal government. West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito requested the study in 2016, following the deadly flooding that swept across the state and left 23 dead. Federal funding for the project was later secured in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. But these types of studies require the state and federal government to split the cost equally. And the state didnt put forward its $1.5 million share for the study until last month, indicated by Morriseys July announcement. In addition to the money for the Kanawha River Basin study, the governors office also put $1.5 million toward the Upper Guyandotte Flood Study. That study will look at the flood risk and possible mitigation measures across Wyoming County and parts of Raleigh, which are especially vulnerable to flooding. These two studies are the first major investments in several years by state leaders to address the growing threat of flooding, underscoring the states slow progress in tackling this issue. Securing the funding spanned two Governors administrations, according to Morrisey spokesperson Drew Galang. He said after the Legislature allocated funds, Gov. Jim Justices administration worked on it and the Morrisey administration determined the final amount. A spokesperson for Justice, who is now a U.S. senator, did not respond to questions. West Virginias mountainous terrain and thousands of rivers and creeks along with decades of strip mining and timbering make the state especially vulnerable to flooding. This is likely to only get worse as climate change continues to increase the risk. And with an increasing frequency of floods, mitigation efforts are crucial to lessen the damage caused by them. But it will likely be awhile before any projects stemming from the two studies are executed. Both studies are anticipated to take three years, and theres no guarantee funding for any potential projects will be immediately available. Capito did ensure that any project that comes out of the study of the Kanawha River Basin will only require a 10% state match less than the typical 35%. The rest will be covered by the federal government. The governors office is currently working on other flood mitigation projects in the state, including warning systems, improving drain systems and building and repairing culverts, said Galang. Governor Morrisey is committed to protecting West Virginians from floods and all options are on the table to best prevent and mitigate these disasters, he said. Lots of Plans, No Funding In 2004, after decades of devastating floods, West Virginia officials drew up a flood protection plan that proposed several actions, including suggestions on floodplain and wastewater management as well as improved building codes and flood warning systems. But it was never implemented by state agencies. Lawmakers revisited that plan in the aftermath of the 2016 floods and eventually tasked the State Resiliency Office, which they created in 2017, with updating the plan. In 2023, the Legislature designated a special trust fund to help the office protect communities, especially those with low-income households, from flooding as well as to implement recommendations from its updated state flood plan, which the office completed in June 2024. But lawmakers have never allocated money to that fund. Robert Martin, director of the State Resiliency Office, told a legislative committee in December 2023 that there were probably projects right now wed be able to execute if we had what we were looking to do either with federal or state dollars. In his final budget proposal as governor last year, Justice asked the Legislature for $50 million for the flood resiliency fund. But as lawmakers hammered out the budget, they rejected Justices request, leaving the fund empty again. As of last November, the office was still looking to secure funding. Morrisey didnt propose any funding for the trust in his budget earlier this year, just days before flooding in the southern coalfields. And the Legislature voted down an attempt to add money to the trust during the legislative session. Between 2005 and 2024, West Virginia experienced nearly 2,300 floods events, costing $342 million in property damage, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations storm events database. However, damage from smaller-scale floods is often underreported, so the actual cost may be much higher. Nearly 200,000 West Virginians live in a high-risk flood zone, according to the West Virginia Flood Resiliency Framework created by researchers at West Virginia University. Through their work, researchers found that the state has no long-term flood recovery plan, which has caused West Virginias flooding response to be inefficient. WVU researchers also found of the nearly 100,000 buildings located in high-risk flood zones, a little more than 500 of them are considered essential. This includes fire and police stations, schools, hospitals and nursing homes. But those findings are based on data that experts say underreports the risks. West Virginia researchers used data and flood maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. While beneficial, in recent years, experts have been critical of the federal maps, saying that theyre often incomplete or out of date and dont account for the way rain moves and pools once it falls. While FEMAs flood maps account for main river channels and coastal storm surge areas, they dont model heavy rainfall which is often the cause for flooding in West Virginia. Under the federal maps, a little more than 9% of properties in the state are considered within the agencys Special Flood Hazard Areas. But under mapping by First Street Foundation, a nonprofit that studies flood risk, that tries to fill in the gaps left by FEMA, one-third of the properties in the state are at risk of flooding. Photo: Wreckage left from the 2016 flooding in White Sulphur Springs. (AP File Photo/Steve Helber) ___ This story was originally published by Mountain State Spotlight and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press. Reporting by Sarah Elbeshbishi. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Trends Flood Virginia Russian military kill two residents of Donetsk region in past 24 hours authorities The Russian army killed two residents of Donetsk region over the past 24 hours on Thursday, reported chairman of Donetsk Regional State Administration Vadym Filashkin. According to him, the Russians killed two people in Kostiantynivka and Vyrivka. Another seven people were injured. The total number of Russian victims in Donetsk region (3,412 dead and 7,832 injured) is given without taking into account Mariupol and Volnovakha. The governor of New Mexico declared a state of emergency in response to violent crime and drug trafficking across a swath of northern New Mexico, including two Native American pueblo communities. The emergency declaration by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham makes $750,000 available as local governments and tribal officials in Rio Arriba County call for reinforcements against violent crime as well as other crime and hardships associated with illicit drugs. The vast county stretches from the city of Espanola, 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Santa Fe, to the Colorado state line and has long been afflicted by opioid use and high drug-overdose death rates, with homeless encampments emerging in recent years in more populated areas. The surge in criminal activity has contributed to increased homelessness, family instability and fatal drug overdoses, placing extraordinary strain on local governments and police departments that have requested immediate state assistance, said Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, in a statement. In April, Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency in New Mexicos largest city, Albuquerque, saying that a significant increase in crime warranted the help of the New Mexico National Guard. Earlier, in 2023, she suspended the right to carry guns at public parks and playgrounds in Albuquerque in response to a series of shootings around the state that left children dead.. There were no immediate calls for troop deployments in Rio Arriba County, though the new emergency declaration allows for authorities to call up the National Guard. Emergency funds will help local law enforcement agencies spend on overtime, equipment and coordinated police responses, said Lujan Grisham spokesperson Jodi McGinnis Porter. The tribal governor of Santa Clara Pueblo on the edge of Espanola urged the state to address a growing public safety crisis stemming from the use and abuse of fentanyl and alcohol in the community at large. The pueblo has expended thousands of dollars trying to address this crisis and to protect pueblo children who are directly and negatively affected by a parents or guardians addiction, said Santa Clara Gov. James Naranjo in a July letter to Lujan Grisham. But we are not an isolated community and the causes and effects of fentanyl/alcohol abuse, increased crime, and increased homelessness extend to the wider community. Recent deaths in the region linked by medical investigators to fentanyl and alcohol use include Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield. In 2020, President Donald Trump sent federal agents, including Homeland Security officers, to Albuquerque as part of an effort to contain violent crime. Separately on Wednesday, the Albuquerque Police Department announced murder charges against three teenagers including two juveniles in the July 2 shooting death of a homeless man in Albuquerque who was chased from a bus stop in the predawn hours. A 15-year-old boy is accused of being the shooter in the killing of 45-year-old Frank Howard, police department spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Fraud Mexico Storm Floris on August 4 was a literal headache for migraine sufferers. When the Irish Examiner spoke to Dr Sabina Brennan the following day, she was still suffering. I spent all of yesterday vomiting and overcome with pains in my legs and an intense headache, and Im exhausted today, says the 63-year-old neuroscientist and psychologist from Dublin. My migraines are often triggered by the atmospheric pressure changes that precede a storm. Two things about Brennan make her a typical migraine sufferer. One, she is a woman. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), migraines affect three times as many women as men. The other is that her migraines are far more severe than headaches and cant be treated by popping a pill. People associate migraines with headaches, Brennan says. Ive had migraines since I was a child, and they certainly involve headaches, but they also involve much more than that. Brennans headaches vary and can be debilitating. Sometimes, they are like an icepick digging into the trigeminal nerve that runs down the sides of my face, she says. Other times, they are creepy crawly headaches that feel like spiders coming over the top of my head, and I also get headaches that consist of severe pain on one or the other side of my head, often around my eyes. Her other symptoms vary, too. She can get nausea and vomiting, pains in her legs, an extra sensitive sense of smell, blurred vision, ringing in her ears, light-headedness, dizziness, and brain fog. Dr Paul Shanahan, a consultant neurologist specialising in headaches at the Beacon Hospital in Dublin, says that migraine is far more than a headache. Its a brain disorder that affects about 17% of women and 6% of men, Shanahan says. It involves multiple regions of the brain, which results in a wide range of neurological symptoms. Pain is the most obvious, but there are many others. There is even a small proportion of people who get migraines without any headaches at all. In a typical attack, he says, theres a throbbing or pounding headache on one or both sides of the head, accompanied by sensitivity to light or sound. There may be nausea or vomiting. In 30% of cases, the attack may be preceded, or accompanied, by an aura, which consists of visual disturbances like seeing lights, zigzag patterns, or shimmering patches; sensory disturbances, like pins and needles or numbness; speech disturbances, like difficulty finding words; or symptoms like weakness on one side, which can look like a stroke. There is also fatigue and brain fog, and its not unusual for these symptoms to persist after the headache has settled. Dr Sabina Brennan pictured at her home outside Shercock, Co. Cavan. Photo: Lorraine Teevan Not taken seriously The World Health Organisation reports that 40% of people suffer from some form of headache disorder, ranging from migraine and tension headaches to cluster headaches and headaches caused by medication overuse. Migraines have been part of our health landscape since at least 400 BC, when Hippocrates wrote about them. However, they seem to be on the increase. A study published earlier this year examined global migraine trends between 1990 and 2021 and found that migraine prevalence had increased by 58%. Naomi Thornton, information and support officer with the Migraine Association of Ireland, says migraine affects half a million people here. It disrupts their work and family life and overall wellbeing. The level of disability experienced by these individuals can have a significant effect on their quality of life. A 2017 study that tracked the impact of 328 diseases worldwide found that migraine was the second most disabling in terms of years. It was the first most disabling for women under the age of 50. Yet despite the toll of migraine on peoples lives, it isnt always taken seriously as a health condition. People with migraines report feeling dismissed or misunderstood at work and school and even within the health system, says Thornton. This dismissive attitude is reflected in the funding afforded to migraine studies. Historically, they have received far less attention than conditions that affect fewer people, such as asthma and diabetes. Shanahan suggests two reasons for this disparity. One is that migraines, unlike other causes of disability, are usually intermittent. They are also fairly invisible, he says. This has led to them being under-treated. Tom Zeller, science writer. Pic: Kristine Paulsen Tom Zeller is an American science writer and author of the recently published The Headache: The Science of a Most Confounding Affliction and a Search for Relief. He has also suffered from cluster headaches for more than 30 years. His research revealed that gender bias explains why migraines have historically been under-studied and under-treated. Most people who present with migraine are women, and womens health has historically been given short shrift over the years, Zeller says. In my research, Ive come across accounts of doctors telling women they are too nervous or stressed and need to relax more. Ive even heard of women being told that having more sex with their husbands would ease their headaches. Zeller also refers to the cultural baggage attached to headaches. We often call things like having to do our taxes a headache, he says. This downplays the effects of a migraine and makes us disregard it as a real neurological disorder. Combine this with the fact that migraines are multifactorial and hard to diagnose and treat and you begin to see why we are only now beginning to understand them. Hormonal influence? Shanahan has long been convinced that hormonal changes in women may cause migraines. Before puberty, migraine rates are about the same in boys and girls. However, one in five women with migraines is more prone to getting attacks around their menstrual period, and migraines reduce for many women during the later stages of pregnancy and after menopause. Hormones are probably not the only factor, he says. But evidence points to strong hormonal influences. That evidence includes a 2018 University of Arizona study, which found a link between higher levels of the female hormone oestrogen and lower levels of a sodium proton exchanger called NHE1, which controls pain signalling in the brain. There also appears to be a link between migraine and mental health, with various studies, including one from the University of Toronto in 2018, demonstrating that people who suffer from migraines are more likely to also suffer from mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and even bipolar disorder. Its no surprise that someone with a disabling neurological condition who experiences regular and severe pain might struggle with their mental health, says Shanahan. But the data also shows that a prior history of depression is associated with an increased risk of subsequent migraine. Whether this is cause and effect or whether there may be a common factor underpinning both conditions is not fully clear. Its important to be aware of the connection, though, as identifying both problems is the first step to dealing with them. So what are the options? Shanahan outlines the range of treatments available. The best approach for people who get infrequent headaches is usually a painkiller, like paracetamol, or migraine-specific medications, like Triptan, he says. But painkillers, however helpful on the day, do not make headaches any less frequent and, if taken too often, can make them worse. So anyone getting headaches more than five days a month should consider preventative medications. Treatment traditionally consisted of medications developed for other conditions, such as epilepsy, depression, and hypertension. However, the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors in 2018 represented a new era for migraine sufferers. The CGRP protein is released during a migraine attack and seems to cause the increased sensitivity of the sensory and pain systems. CGRP inhibitors interfere with the release of this protein. There are now six CGRP inhibitor drugs available here in Ireland. After decades of debilitating migraines, Brennan now has an effective treatment plan. She takes monthly CGRP inhibitor injections and daily tablets to stave off attacks and keeps painkillers on hand for when attacks do occur. She also gets medicinal Botox to treat migraine-associated stiffness and soreness in her neck and shoulders. All of these have been gamechangers for me, she says. I now have far fewer migraines and know what to do if, and when, I get them. These advances are a shift away from the historical gender bias and downplaying of the impact of the condition. There is still room for improvement in services, as access to specialist care is limited and there are long waiting lists to see neurologists and healthcare specialists, but migraine is increasingly being recognised as a serious health issue, says Thornton. There is more research being carried out than ever before, and greater understanding and more treatment options as a result. Its encouraging for those living with migraine. Visit the Migraine Association of Irelands website, www.migraine.ie, for further information and support Tackling pain Expert advice on what to do if you regularly get migraines: 1. Get a diagnosis The World Health Organisation reports that many people with headache disorders are not diagnosed because headaches are not perceived as serious by the general public and lack of awareness that effective treatments exist. Many people with migraine dont even know they have the condition, says consultant neurologist Dr Paul Shanahan. They have to be diagnosed to access treatment. 2. Dont try to treat the condition yourself Managing alone can lead to complications such as causing more frequent headaches due to overuse of painkillers, says Naomi Thornton from the Migraine Association of Ireland. Treatment is different for everyone depending on their circumstances, which is why its so important to seek professional help. 3. Learn to identify your triggers Why an individual attack happens on a given day can be down to a multitude of factors which vary from person to person, says Shanahan. Some of these like poor sleep, missing meals and consuming alcohol may be avoidable. 4. Talk to others When I was younger, I assumed everyone had to go to bed for two days before their period, says psychologist Dr Sabrina Brennan. It was only by talking to other people, especially doctors and neurologists, that I learned more about my condition and how to manage it. 5. Dont give up if a treatment doesnt work Just because one medication doesnt suit you doesnt mean there arent others you can try. There are also lifestyle changes you can make to help keep migraines at bay. Keeping a diary might help you pinpoint what might be the best changes for you. 6. Be kind to yourself Brennan says its common for migraine sufferers to feel judged. Theres a scepticism out there that maybe were hypochondriacs and that our experience isnt as bad as we say it is, she says. Id love for everyone to accept that people with migraines have a neurological condition and are doing their best to manage it. 7. Stay involved Following groups like the Migraine Association will keep you up to date with all the latest developments in how to prevent and treat migraines. The States ethics watchdog has said it will not launch a full investigation into alleged comments made by Cork TD Ken OFlynn over a radio interview and social media posts relating to Travellers. In a decision published on Thursday, the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) said it should not proceed to an investigation over the interview on Red FM in June 2021, when the Independent Ireland TD was a councillor. The Red FM broadcast related to the Spring Lane halting site in Ballyvolane. It was alleged that he had stated: What are they now? An ethnic minority? in reference to Travellers. It was further alleged that he had published or authorised the publication of statements demonstrating a biased view of Travellers on his Facebook page. An initial hearing in May was held by Sipo seeking to determine if the comments and posts contravene the Local Government Act 2001, and various sections of the Code of Conduct for Councillors, and therefore warranted a full investigation. In relation to the ethnic minority statement, Mr OFlynns legal submissions put forward that he had said: Cork City Council is doing its level best to accommodate people, to accommodate what has now been declared an ethnic minority. 'Legitimate commentary' Sipo said that, having listened to the excerpt on several occasions, the audio is not sufficiently clear to make a finding on this matter. Another one of Mr OFlynns legal submissions was that he was not carrying out his functions as a member of Cork City Council when giving the radio interview. He also said what he engaged in was legitimate commentary and the allegations involved cherry picking of his social posts that werent a fair reflection of his attitude to members of the Travelling community. Furthermore, through his legal representatives, he expressed regret for any offence or hurt that may have been caused by his actions. However, Sipo said it was disappointed that none of the Facebook posts to which the page was subject to were unliked/taken down despite having been told by Mr OFlynn they had been. Public officials should be in a position to provide the commission with accurate information regarding the matters before it, it said. Nonetheless, the commission notes that [Mr OFlynns] letter undertook to unlike or remove the relevant posts at the direction of the commission, if necessary. Sipo also said it was clear he was invited onto Red FM in his capacity as a city councillor. It said: As set out above, the commission is not satisfied that the comments regarding the ethnic minority status of the Traveller community are sufficiently clear to enable it to make a finding as to the correctness of the alleged statement. Accordingly, the commission is of the view that no investigation should be carried out by the commission in respect of the respondents engagement during the Red FM interview. The commission also notes [Mr OFlynns] (belated) expression of remorse with regard to the hurt that may have been caused by his conduct on social media. "In those circumstances, the commission is not satisfied that the respondents Facebook posts continue to be a matter of significant public importance such as to justify an investigation by the commission into this matter alone. 'Insufficient evidence' In a statement, Mr OFlynn welcomed the Sipo decision and said he would not be silenced, intimidated, or diverted from [his] duty to represent [his] constituents. The commission has concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support the most serious claims, and that the remaining matters did not warrant any further action, he said. I have not yet met with my legal team to consider the next steps, and I am reviewing all options available to me in respect of those who made and promoted these allegations. The department of agriculture has issued a status orange forest fire warning for the coming weekend, as the current spell of warm weather continues. People visiting forests, parks, beaches, and other recreation sites are asked not to bring barbeques and other sources of ignition and to be mindful of parking and access to the areas for emergency services. In the warning issued this evening, the department said it wants to highlight "the dangers to resources and public safety arising from vegetation fires, on and around forests and other public recreation sites, especially those close to urban areas". Daytime temperatures climbed as high as 27C earlier this week, and highs of this value are also forecast for the weekend. The department says the current weather conditions could pose significant challenges to firefighting efforts, and can also divert emergency service resources away from other types of emergencies. It also said that, so far during 2025, more than 4,355ha of land has already been affected by fires. The department's warning is the 8th such fire danger notice issued this year. It has recommended that forest owners "act immediately" to implement fire prevention plans and be prepared for the likelihood of fire outbreaks on or around their property, especially those with public access. "High levels of vigilance are required at this point," a department spokesperson said. Landowners and managers should ensure that the use of open fires, barbeques and other potential ignition sources do not take place in forest lands and other public areas during the current warm weather phase. Farmers have also been requested to be "particularly vigilant with regard to the use of machinery around hay meadows and crop harvesting", as these may pose a risk of fire. The department issued the following advice for people who come into contact with fire outbreaks at or near recreational areas: Do not cause or light fires in and around forests or open land, Dispose of smoking materials responsibly, Do not attempt to intervene or fight fires under any circumstances, Gather all family/group members and move to a safe fuel-free location such as a car park, upwind of the fire, Phone Fire and Rescue Services via 112 or 999 and report the fire and its location, Evacuate if instructed to do so, and co-operate with all Emergency Service instructions. Weekend forecast According to Met Eireann, Saturday morning will be dry with sunny spells, though some showers will affect Munster and parts of Connacht during the afternoon and evening. These showers will be heavy and potentially thundery, the forecaster said, but they will not clear the air, and daytime temperatures will reach 27C. Saturday evening is expected to be another mild, humid night, with temperatures not dropping back to below 14 to 17C. Sunday will be mostly dry and sunny to begin, though scattered showers will move in from the southwest by around noon. These showers will mainly affect Munster and Connacht through the afternoon and evening, and some may turn heavy or possibly thundery. Highest temperatures on Sunday will range from around 19C to 25C in mostly moderate southeast winds. By Sunday night, the showers will have died off, giving way to a very mild, humid night with lows of 14C to 17C. Spain battled 14 major fires driven by high winds and aggravated by heat on Friday, as authorities warned of "unfavourable conditions" to tackle flames that have already killed seven people and burned an area the size of London, England. Firefighters have been battling to put out blazes across southern Europe in one of the worst summers for wildfires in 20 years. A nearly two-week heatwave and southerly winds are worsening the situation in Spain, Virginia Barcones, the director general of emergency services, said on Friday. "In the western part of the country the situation is extremely worrying," Barcones said on RTVE. In Galicia, several fires converged to form a large blaze, forcing the closure of highways and rail services to the region. As fire spread from Galicia's Ourense province to neighbouring Zamora, provoking evacuations, some stayed behind to protect their homes. People run by a burnt area during a wildfire near the village of Larouco, in the province of Ourense, Spain, on Wednesday. Picture: Miguel Riopa/AFP Spain's national weather agency Aemet warned of extreme fire risk in the north and west of the country, as temperatures are expected to reach up to 40 degrees Celsius on the north coast. A fire near Molezuelas de la Carballeda in the Castile and Leon region one of the largest in Spain's history had not advanced since Thursday. That wildfire had, at one point, been spreading by 4,000ha/h, according to national government representative Eduardo Diego. Summer holidays The fires caused the closure of more than half a dozen roads on a busy bank holiday weekend, leaving travellers stuck at the height of summer holidays. Wildfires have burned more than 157,000ha in Spain so far this year, almost double the annual average, according to the European Union's Forest Fire Information Service. In neighbouring Portugal, meanwhile, thousands of firefighters were battling five large blazes in central and northern parts of the country with one fire in Trancoso, some 350km northeast of Lisbon, now raging for six days. Around 300 residents were evacuated on Friday from the village of Covanca near Piodao, an area of central Portugal popular with tourists, after a wildfire broke out on Wednesday. Portugal has activated the EU mechanism for assistance and requested four Canadair planes, according to civil protection commander Mario Silvestre. Plans for a large new solar farm north of Cork City have been put on hold after an appeal from a local group to An Coimisiun Pleanala. Amarenco Solar Rathcormac Ltd was given the green light by Cork County Council last month for the 46 hectare installation across lands at Corrin, Ballinvarig, Deerpark, Ballyarra, Spurree, and Castlelyons. The 10-year permission for the company, co-founded by the late Cork businessman John Mullins, encompasses four solar farms that had previously been permitted by the local authority. Given the proximity of the development sites, it was considered that a combined planning application encompassing the four previously permitted sites was the best approach, planning documents for the applicant said. Although this application seeks a fresh permission for a solar farm, the changes are minor in nature and are in keeping with the principles of the previously permitted developments. It said the site would help Ireland contribute to national and EU climate and renewable energy targets, as well as being in line with national and local policy objectives. 'Previously acceptable' Furthermore, the four sites previously cleared the planning processes of Cork County Council and An Coimisiun Pleanala. This indicates that the proposal to construct a solar farm development on these lands was previously acceptable to the planning authority, and that no significant adverse impacts on the surrounding area were anticipated, it said. A new application is required for the proposed development to ensure that the layout has taken into account the latest technological advancements in solar PV design and to renew planning permissions which had lapsed. However, while Cork County Council granted approval for the development, it has been appealed to An Coimisiun Pleanala by Castlelyons Development a local group of residents in the area. It argued the council made a critical and serious error in granting permission around the critically dangerous proposed entrance to the site from a traffic perspective. It was also argued it is inconsistent with the county development plan given the strong emphasis on biodiversity and the protection of landscape in rural areas. An Coimisiun Pleanala has said it is due to decide the case by mid-December. Former justice minister Frances Fitzgerald will not seek the Fine Gael nomination for the presidency. Ms Fitzgerald had been mentioned as a potential replacement for former European commissioner Mairead McGuinness, who withdrew from the election on Thursday citing health grounds. However, Ms Fitzgerald confirmed to the Irish Examiner that she would not seek the nomination, having declined to do so earlier this year. The withdrawal of Ms McGuinness means that Fine Gael is seeking a nominee for the election which will happen in the next 11 weeks or so. The party's executive committee is due to meet in the coming days to set out a new nomination process. Within the party, former social protection minister Heather Humphreys has emerged as the preferred candidate. However, sources said it was not yet clear if she would change her mind after having earlier this year announced that she would not be seeking the nomination. Former minister for foreign affairs Simon Coveney is another name which has been suggested, though he has not responded to speculation. Flights at Manchester Airport were disrupted after the wings of two outbound easyJet planes clipped wings while on the ground. Airport officials briefly closed the runway while the aircraft were examined. Firefighters in Spain, Portugal and Greece are continuing to battle wildfires on a public holiday in all three countries as persistent hot, dry conditions challenged efforts to contain the blazes. Spain is fighting 14 major fires, according to Virginia Barcones, general director of emergency services. Temperatures were expected to climb over the weekend. This recent photo taken from a French Canadair water bomber by the Securite Civile shows a wildfire in Spain (Securite Civile via AP) Today will once again be a very tough day, with an extreme risk of new fires, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X. The national weather agency AEMET warned of extreme fire risk in most of the country, including where the largest blazes were burning in the north and west. A heatwave which brought temperatures exceeding 40C on several days this month was expected to last until Monday. Fires in the Galicia region forced the closure of several highways. The high speed rail line connecting it to Spains capital Madrid remained suspended. The fires in Spain this year have burned 158,000 hectares or 610 square miles, according to the European Unions European Forest Fire Information System. That is an area roughly as big as metropolitan London. A fire approaches a farm during a wildfire in Santa Baia De Montes, north-western Spain (Lalo R Villar/AP) In both Spain and Portugal it was the Feast of the Assumption, a major Catholic holiday usually marked by family gatherings and religious processions. In Portugal, nearly 4,000 firefighters were battling fires on Friday. Seven major fires were active. Authorities extended the state of alert until Sunday, amid high temperatures expected to last through the weekend. A wildfire in Greece burned out of control for a fourth day on the island of Chios, prompting several more overnight evacuations. Two water-dropping planes and two helicopters were operating in the north of the island in the eastern Aegean Sea, where local authorities said a lull in high winds was helping firefighters early on Friday. Following a series of large fires in western Greece earlier this week, the fire service was on alert on Friday outside Athens and nearby areas in the south of the country where adverse weather conditions elevated the fire risk. The spiritual leader of the worlds Orthodox Christians Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed solidarity on Friday with the victims of wildfires in southern Europe during prayers for the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, an important religious holiday for Orthodox Christians. A shooting near a mosque in central Sweden has left two people injured, with police saying they believe it was linked to gang violence. The shooting took place outside a mosque in the central city of Orebro in the early afternoon following Friday prayers, police said. Photo: https://t.me/diia_gov/ Ukraine's Diia platform has expanded its list of partner banks for the Diia.Card. "From now on, you can open a multi-account card with A-Bank. Forget about juggling several bank cards for government payments funds will be deposited directly to your universal Diia.Card," the platform's press service wrote on its Telegram channel. Cards can be obtained via the Diia app or a partner bank's app. The current list of partner banks includes PrivatBank, Monobank, Bank Credit Dnipro, and A-Bank. The service is implemented by Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation with support from the Diia Support Project, carried out by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine with funding from Sweden. Afghan women were barred from attending celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the Talibans return to power on Friday. Some 10,000 men gathered across the capital Kabul to watch Defence Ministry helicopters scatter flowers to the crowds below. Three of the six flower shower locations were already off-limits to women because they have been prohibited from entering parks and recreational areas since November 2022. A military helicopter drops flowers over Kabul during celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the US withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule in Afghanistan (Siddiqullah Alizai/AP) The Taliban seized Afghanistan on August 15 2021 as the US and Nato withdrew their forces at the end of a two-decade war. Since then, they have imposed their interpretation of Islamic law on daily life, including sweeping restrictions on women and girls, based on edicts from their leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Fridays anniversary programme, which also comprised speeches from key cabinet members, was only for men. An outdoor sports performance, initially expected to feature Afghan athletes, did not take place. Rights groups, foreign governments and the UN have condemned the Taliban for their treatment of women and girls, who remain barred from education beyond sixth grade, many jobs, and most public spaces. Members of the United Afghan Womens Movement for Freedom staged an indoor protest on Friday in north-east Takhar province against Taliban rule. This day marked the beginning of a black domination that excluded women from work, education, and social life, the movement said in a statement shared with The Associated Press. We, the protesting women, remember this day not as a memory, but as an open wound of history, a wound that has not yet healed. The fall of Afghanistan was not the fall of our will. We stand, even in the darkness. Soldiers affiliated to the Defence Ministry stand in guard at Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul during a meeting of delegates from across Afghanistan marking the start of celebrations of the fourth anniversary of the US withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule (Si There was also an indoor protest in the Pakistani capital Islamabad. Afghan women held up signs that said Forgiving the Taliban is an act of enmity against humanity and August 15th is a dark day. The women were fully veiled, except for their eyes, in the photographs. Earlier in the day, the Taliban leader warned God would severely punish Afghans who were ungrateful for Islamic rule in the country, according to a statement. Mr Akhundzada, who is seldom seen in public, said in a statement that Afghans had endured hardships and made sacrifices for almost 50 years so that Islamic law, or Sharia, could be established. Sharia had saved people from corruption, oppression, usurpation, drugs, theft, robbery, and plunder. These are great divine blessings that our people should not forget and, during the commemoration of Victory Day (August 15), express great gratitude to Allah Almighty so that the blessings will increase, said Mr Akhundzada in comments shared on the social platform X. If, against Gods will, we fail to express gratitude for blessings and are ungrateful for them, we will be subjected to the severe punishment of Allah Almighty, he said. The Talibans foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi addresses delegates from across Afghanistan at Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul (Siddiqullah Alizai/AP) Cabinet members gave speeches listing the administrations achievements and highlighting diplomatic progress. Those who spoke included foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani. On Wednesday, at a cabinet meeting in Kandahar, Mr Akhundzada said the stability of the Taliban government lay in the acquisition of religious knowledge. He urged the promotion of religious awareness, the discouragement of immoral conduct, the protection of citizens from harmful ideologies, and the instruction of Afghans in matters of faith and creed, according to a statement shared by government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat. Mr Akhundzada ordered the Kabul Municipality to build more mosques, and there was a general focus on identifying means to further consolidate and fortify the Islamic government, said Mr Fitrat. This years anniversary celebrations are more muted than last years, when the Taliban staged a military parade at a US airbase, drawing anger from President Donald Trump about the abandoned American hardware on display. The country is also gripped by a humanitarian crisis made worse by climate change, millions of Afghans expelled from Iran and Pakistan, and a sharp drop in donor funding. Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/ U.S. President Donald Trump plans to personally meet and greet Vladimir Putin when he arrives at the Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base near Anchorage, Alaska on Friday, with a red carpet being rolled out for Putin's arrival, NBC reported on Friday, citing two senior U.S. presidential administration officials. Officials stressed the exact details and stagecraft of the meetings movements are being finalized, the message reads. Trump is not expected to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or European leaders before Fridays meeting, according to a third senior administration official. Its unclear, however, whether that could change during his lengthy 7-hour flight from Washington to Anchorage, Alaska. According to the White House schedule of events, Trump plans to fly to Alaska at 6:45 a.m. local time (1:45 p.m. Kyiv time). Putin should take Trump's offer seriously, start negotiations with Ukraine without any conditions Merz Photo: https://www.facebook.com/MerzCDU Three and a half years after its attack on Ukraine in violation of international law, Russia now has the opportunity to agree to a ceasefire and end hostilities, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, commenting on the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin scheduled for Friday, August 15. "We expect President Putin to take President Trump's offer of negotiations seriously and to begin negotiations with Ukraine without any conditions after the meeting in Alaska," Merz wrote on social media. He noted that in recent days, Germany had worked together with Ukraine and its European allies to point the way to peace that would guarantee the fundamental security interests of Europe and Ukraine. "The goal should be a summit in which President Zelenskyy will also participate. There should be an agreement on a ceasefire. Ukraine needs strong security guarantees. Territorial issues can only be resolved with the consent of the Ukrainians. We conveyed these messages to President Trump clearly and unanimously when he went to Anchorage. I am still in contact with him about this. President Trump can now take a significant step towards peace," Merz emphasized. He added that Trump "deserves gratitude" for this initiative and the close coordination of recent days. "During our last talks with our European partners, we assured him of our continued support for Ukraine. President Trump can rely on that," Merz added. London (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) China-US geopolitical rivalries have manifested in many arenas from esoteric ones like export controls over semiconductor chips, to high profile trade wars and confrontations over Taiwan. The outcome of the two sides efforts to entrench their control over the physical infrastructure that underlies the digital world of the internet promises to be one of the more important of these conflicts. Regions like the Middle East that both US and Chinese technology companies hope to expand their physical cable networks and other digital infrastructure into are increasingly have a choice between two competing sets of networks. This introduces potential bottlenecks and duplication into global telecommunications networks, but also allows regional states to leverage their integration into either Chinese or US infrastructure for their own long term benefits. A China-Centric Internet Architecture? Beijing incorporates expanding international digital connectivity under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) using the moniker of the Digital Silk Road in an effort to leverage Chinas technological footprint globally. Doing this offers Beijing more advantages than greater profits for Chinese technology companies like Huawei Marine Networks (renamed as HMN Technologies) for closing digital connectivity gaps between regions. A larger Chinese digital infrastructure footprint globally gives China more influence over the internets global governance and technology standards bodies at agencies like the UN, in keeping with Beijings long-term strategy. It also allows China access to large pools of foreign data, despite its own increasingly severe laws on cross-border data transfers in China. Chinese state-backed cable laying companies like HMN Technologies have entered Middle Eastern markets enthusiastically, per US think tank the Atlantic Council. Its Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative found that of the 62 subsea telecommunications cables carrying internet traffic through the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, 13 were owned, constructed or upgraded by Chinese companies, making their security suspect to US actors. The initiative said China aims to capture 60% of the global subsea cable market by 2025. Given such cables carry 95% of global communications and data flows, MENA countries will increasingly rely on Chinese digital infrastructure when transmitting their sensitive data. A Bird In The Hand Middle Eastern governments are not unaware of the risks from espionage of entrusting these data flows to Chinese actors. However, these states also have concerns about US snooping on digital infrastructure built or run by US technology companies like Google, Meta or Amazon. Moreover, a China-centric digital infrastructure model has benefits from the point of view of many Middle Eastern governments. China tends to approve large BRI-related infrastructure projects rapidly, often rolling these out more quickly than their Western counterparts or international entities like the World Bank, who have more stakeholders to consult with first. The authoritarian Chinese regime is also less prone to sudden policy shifts than the democratic and highly partisan US. The re-election of President Donald Trump saw the US cancel many of his predecessor President Joe Bidens Green New Deal initiatives (designed to support US clean energy development and electric vehicle manufacturing onshoring). Trump said he had ended the [Biden] administrations insane electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto workers from economic destruction. Western governments and technology firms are also more vulnerable than Chinese actors to pressure from rights groups and public opinion to suspend their funding or work on digital infrastructure projects in the Middle East if a crisis breaks out. A Chinese-MENA Subsea Spiderweb? Chinese state-owned carriers are working on numerous subsea cable projects in the Middle East at present. China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom are backing the EMA (EuropeMiddle EastAsia) Cable Project in conjunction with Telecom Egypt and Zain Saudi Arabia. This rivals a US-backed project called SeaMeWe-6 (Southeast Asia-Middle East-Western Europe-6) and will link Hong Kong with Singapore, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and France. The US project will also link Singapore to France via Egypt and Saudi Arabia, allowing states participating in the two rival projects multiple redundancies in their subsea infrastructure. Chinas foreign ministry said Beijing has always encouraged Chinese enterprises to carry out foreign investment and cooperation, without commenting on the EMA Cable Project directly when it began in 2023. Meanwhile, China-based Hengtong Group is working with HMN Technology to build the Pakistan & East Africa Connecting Europe cable network. Saudi Arabias Vision 2030 and the United Arab Emirates We the UAE 2031 have included Chinese firms in work on projects like the Bay of Bengal Gateway, in addition to regional MENA operators like Omans Omantel. In June, Hong Kong-headquartered PCCW Global signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Zain Omantel International, Telecom Egypt and Sparkle to build the Asia-Africa-Europe-2 subsea cable network. Mohamed Nasr, Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt, said: The construction of AAE-2 is a continuation of our success stories as a global data connectivity provider and is another testament to our commitment to driving digital connections through major collaborations. AAE-2 will also benefit from accessing and cross-connecting with other subsea cables using our WeConnect ecosystem. We are thrilled to embark on this transformative project that will reshape the future of digital infrastructure. In short, Chinese digital infrastructural frameworks are increasingly being embedded in national development agendas in MENA countries, as part of the regions economic digital transformation agenda. Photo of Dubai Creek Harbour Dubai United Arab Emirates by Ziad Al Halabi on Unsplash Infrastructure Vulnerability This may leave MENAs digitalised economies more vulnerable than before however, both to accidents and deliberate sabotage. Both the regions Asia Africa Europe-1 (AAE-1) cable and its PEACE cable link between Singapore and France were damaged after beginning operations; in March and last December respectively, causing technical issues that took many months to repair and disrupting internet traffic. Subsea cables in shallow seas are vulnerable to accidental damage from ships anchors, while some are targeted for deliberate sabotage for political reasons, always a possibility in MENA given the heightened tensions between global, regional and non-state actors there. In 2024, journalists and think tanks postulated that the Houthi militia in Yemen could sabotage subsea cables as a way to pressure Western and local allies of Israel. In Europe and Taiwan, the officers of ships involved in damaging subsea cables in the Baltic and Taiwan Strait have been investigated and even jailed on the grounds of sabotage. Conclusion Despite the potential new vulnerability being introduced into MENA countries, Chinas rolling out of its Digital Silk Road under the auspices of the BRI has been a commercial and developmental success there, strengthening Beijings global influence. Moreover it has brought benefits to local actors as well, allowing them to benefit from US-China technology competition to increase the number of digital infrastructure projects benefiting their region. Local MENA companies have also benefited from Chinese and US largesse. The two superpowers seem unlikely to entirely displace one another in the struggle for MENAs digital infrastructure. As a result, ERI expects the region to receive a more rapid integration into the global digital economy than perhaps might have been the case during earlier decades when the US held a stronger monopoly on digital internet infrastructure like subsea cable construction. Obliteration and the Wests Complicity A Two-Part Q&A on Dr Steinbocks The Obliteration Doctrine DG Team Dr Steinbocks highly topical new book The Obliteration Doctrine is about the genocide in Gaza, the Wests complicity and long struggle against genocide prevention. ( Difference Group ) In the Bosnian genocide, mass atrocities took place in just a few days in July 1995. In the Rwandan genocide, all hell broke loose in the course of just three months in 1994. Gaza is in a class of its own. Starting in October 2023, Israels genocidal atrocities in Gaza reliant on arms transfers by US-led West have been perpetrated 22 months, day after day, night after night, and they have happened in real time while the world is watching. How is such indifference possible? Question (Q): That is the central question addressed by your new book. Dr Dan Steinbock (DS): Yes. In my previous book, The Fall of Israel (2024), I examined Israels economic, political, military and regional path to the Gaza catastrophe. In The Obliteration Doctrine, I examine the military doctrine and the US-led Wests complicity behind Gazas devastation and the Wests long failure of genocide prevention and try to show the way out. After Auschwitz and Hiroshima, indifference to genocide is not possible. It violates everything I revere in the Jewish legacy of social justice. With genocide, silence is not an option. Obliteration as a deliberate state policy In his pained foreword for The Obliteration Doctrine, Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohamad, the longest-serving prime minister of Malaysia, cautions that the word genocide may not be adequate to describe the deliberate mass killing of the Gaza Palestinians by Israel. According to Ahmet Davutoglu, former Prime Minister of Turkiye and prominent scholar of international relations, The Obliteration Doctrine is a timely theoretical framework that warns against the emerging destructive warfare in the 21st century. The notion that the decimation of Gaza is likely to be a harbinger of much worse to come runs through the book. The West did not flounder into genocide complicity, it plunged into it willfully, as former finance minister of Greece Yanis Varoufakis puts it. Professor William Schabas, perhaps the leading scholar of genocide and international law believes that, with the term Obliteration Doctrine, the book adds a new term to the lexicon on genocide. These endorsements are seconded by Richard A. Falk, the former UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine; Alfred de Zayas, former UN and international expert on human rights and ethnic expulsions; Alex de Waal, an internationally renowned authority of famine at Tufts University; Edgar Morin, the French philosopher who has fought fascism since the Spanish Civil War; Curtis F.J. Doebbler, the highly-regarded international human rights lawyer; Scott Horton, Director of the Libertarian Institute and the Antiwar.com; and Dr Feroze Sidhwa, the trauma surgeon who has volunteered extensively in Gaza and elsewhere. Gazan genocide and weaponized starvation Q: When did the weaponization of starvation start in Gaza? DS: Israel first weaponized famine in Gaza almost two decades ago (for a book excerpt on TRT World, click here). When Hamas won the Palestinian election, Israel blockaded the Strip with the support of the US-led West. After the Hamas offensive of October 7 and Israels ground assault in that fall, starvation deaths were seen already in early spring 2024. However, those images were largely suppressed in the West. The current media coverage is a belated effort at an absolution but only after the genocide in and decimation of Gaza. Q: The Obliteration Doctrine shows that famines have often served as a prelude to genocide and that starvation has occasionally been purposely weaponized. DS: As the pioneering genocide scholar Raphael Lemkin stressed in 1945, murder is the most direct technique of genocide, but not the only one. Genocide may also be the slow and scientific murder by mass starvation or the swift but no less scientific murder by mass extermination in gas chambers. In the case of Gaza, cumulative evidence of mass starvation is abundant, overwhelming and impossible to deny. Dan Steinbock, The Obliteration Doctrine: Genocide Prevention, Israel, Gaza, and the West. Clarity Press, 2025. Click here to buy. Q: Among other things, you use data on daily calorie intake in a comparative historical analysis. DS: Its a rough measure, but better than nothing. The calorie level in certain parts of Gaza has been less than the daily intake needed for survival, but also lower than the level observed amid Imperial Britains human experiments in the late 19th century India, which caused the deaths of millions. In certain areas of Gaza, it has also been lower than in the German concentration camps in 1940 and at the end of World War II. Genocide Convention and accessorial liability Q: Article 2 of the Convention defines genocide. Article 3 defines the crimes that can be punished under the convention, including complicity in genocide. When did you first conclude that Israel was engaged in genocide in Gaza? DS: Toward the end of 2023. Thats when I began to use the term genocidal atrocities. In spring 2024, when I concluded in The Fall of Israel, these atrocities already fulfilled most conditions of legal genocide, as defined by the UN Genocide Convention Q: which highlights the issue of complicity. The Obliteration Doctrine asks how complicity should be defined: Who is responsible for Gaza? DS: In 1945-46, the Nuremberg Tribunal sentenced 22 of the most important surviving Nazi leaders for their mass atrocities. In 1946-48, the Tokyo Tribunal tried 28 important leaders of Imperial Japan for their mass atrocities. By contrast, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has focused mainly on the operational leaders of genocidal atrocities. In spring 2024, ICC targeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant. Q: What about the others? DS: For now, they have been ignored. The Israeli case Q: Who are they? DS: Behind Netanyahu and Gallant, there have been at least half a dozen other Israeli cabinet members, including the far-right Itamar Ben-Gvir, the self-proclaimed fascist Bezazel Smotrich, defense minister Israel Katz with his key role in the devastation of Gaza and its infrastructure, the far-right Kahanite Amihai Eliyahu endorsing nuking Gaza and so on. All of them contributed directly to crimes against humanity, with some insisting on more destructive measures. And many were supported by Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, and Ron Demer, Netanyahus US-born advisor. There is also another set of cabinet members thats less known internationally but they have played a vital role in the protracted genocidal atrocities. These include Miri Regev, the self-proclaimed happy fascist supporting torture in the notorious Sde Teiman detention camp; Galit-Distel Atbaryan tweeting for the erasure of Gaza; May Golan pushing openly for another Nakba to cleanse Palestinians from Gaza; and so on. Finally, the Netanyahu cabinet has featured military leaders the not-so-moderate Benny Gantz; and Gadi Eisenkot, the architect of the Obliteration Doctrine whose role was also vital in the aftermath of October 7. Q: Are you saying that the ICC should charge them all? DS: If the ICC is to deliver its promise, it should proceed according to the Articles 2 and 3 of the Genocide Convention, which should be enforced equally in genocidal atrocities wherever they occur. US-led Wests complicity Q: Does the accessorial liability also apply to the Biden administration and certain European leaders, due to their arms transfers and financing? DS: According to the Genocide Convention, yes. Article 3 is explicit on crimes that can be punished under the convention, including complicity in genocide. DS: In the US, accessorial liability would seem to start at the highest level of decisionmakers, including President Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin and a long list of their subordinates who failed to raise the alarm on the use of arms transfers to Israel in blatant disregard of U.S. foreign policy. But the broader net is more extensive. It features Vice President Kamala Harris touting continued military aid to Israel amid the atrocities; Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen enabling the ceaseless flow of arms in both Gaza and Ukraine at the same time; and so on. Q: What about the Trump administration? DS: With its continued arms transfers, intelligence and diplomatic support, coupled with open support for ethnic cleansing and direct participation in regional escalation, the Trump administration has managed to take the horrors of complicity to an entirely different, deeper and far more destructive level. The beneficiaries of obliteration Q: Has war profiteering overridden the humanitarian catastrophe? DS: Yes, obviously. Worse, revolving doors prevail between the US administration, the Pentagon and the Big Defense, and their preferred think-tanks, as shown by The Obliteration Doctrine. These generate huge moral hazards and conflicts of interests. Arms transfer fatten the margins of the defense contractors; peace doesnt. Q: Who are the beneficiaries of the genocide in Gaza? DS: The US accounts for two thirds for arms transfers to Israel, but Europe Germany and Italy, the UK and many smaller players supply the rest. Israel depends on US for arms and Europe for trade. In Gaza, Israel pulled the trigger, but the supply of bullets and arms, financing and intelligence comes from the West. Complicity set the stage for genocide. Dr Steinbocks new book, The Obliteration Doctrine: Genocide Prevention, Israel, Gaza and the West (Clarity Press) builds on his previous The Fall of Israel. Dr. Dan Steinbock is an internationally recognized visionary of the multipolar world and the founder of Difference Group. He has served at the India, China and America Institute (US), Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). For more, see https://www.differencegroup.net BROSSARD, QC, Aug. 14, 2025 /CNW/ - G Mining Ventures Corp. ("GMIN" or the "Corporation") (TSX: GMIN) (OTCQX: GMINF) is pleased to report its financial and operational (1) results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025. Unless otherwise stated, all dollar amounts in this news release are expressed in U.S. dollars. Second Quarter 2025 Operational and Financial Highlights Increased production : In the second quarter of 2025, gold production was 42,587 ounces, representing a 20% increase over the prior quarter. : In the second quarter of 2025, gold production was 42,587 ounces, representing a 20% increase over the prior quarter. Record free cash flow generation : $60.2 million of free cash flow (2) and $79.8 million of cash provided by operating activities were generated in the second quarter. The Corporation expects strong ongoing free cash flow (2) at current gold prices through the remainder of 2025. : of free cash flow and of cash provided by operating activities were generated in the second quarter. The Corporation expects strong ongoing free cash flow at current gold prices through the remainder of 2025. Generating robust margins : Reported all-in sustaining cost (2) (" AISC ") per ounce of gold sold of $1,170 , compared to an average realized gold price (2) of $3,014 per ounce year to date. : Reported all-in sustaining cost (" ") per ounce of gold sold of , compared to an average realized gold price of per ounce year to date. Record quarterly revenue of $129.6 million , representing a 32% increase over the prior quarter. of , representing a 32% increase over the prior quarter. Record adjusted EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) (2) of $92.9 million during the quarter and $161.0 million year to date. (Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) of during the quarter and year to date. Strong profitability : Reported net income of $48.6 million , or $0.21 per share, and $73.1 million , or $0.32 per share year to date. : Reported net income of , or per share, and , or per share year to date. Strong liquidity : Cash balance was $156.1 million at the end of the second quarter, an increase of $7 million over the prior quarter. : Cash balance was at the end of the second quarter, an increase of over the prior quarter. Advancing Oko West: Early works activities continue to progress rapidly with $63 million of development capital spent year to date. Detailed engineering is 19% complete, with approximately $190 million committed. Recent Corporate Highlights Achieved nameplate capacity at the Tocantinzinho ("TZ") processing plant operating at 96% of designed throughput of 12,890 tonnes per day during May and June. operating at 96% of designed throughput of 12,890 tonnes per day during May and June. Received a court ruling (State) that removes a longstanding regulatory constraint on the Gurupi Project in Brazil , providing GMIN with the green light to advance the project with clarity. providing GMIN with the green light to advance the project with clarity. Published GMIN's third annual environmental, social and governance ("ESG") report. "Q2 was a pivotal quarter for GMIN, as we achieved nameplate throughput at TZ and delivered a step-change in gold production and free cash flow," said Louis-Pierre Gignac, President & Chief Executive Officer. "With strong operating performance and disciplined cost management, we generated over $60 million in free cash flow (2), strengthening our balance sheet and enabling us to advance our high-potential growth pipeline. The completion of the Oko West Feasibility Study and immanent receipt of the Final Environmental Permit, along with resolution of legacy permitting issues at Gurupi provide clear visibility on our next phases of development. These results reflect the strength of both our team and our strategy to build GMIN into the next multi-asset, mid-tier gold producer." TZ Operational Results(1): Q2 2025 Q2 2024 YTD 2025 YTD 2024 In thousands of $, except as otherwise noted Mining Activities Ore Tonnes Mined kt 1,649 - 3,161 - Waste Tonnes Mined kt 2,707 - 4,902 - Total Tonnes Mined kt 4,356 - 8,063 - Strip Ratio Waste/ore 1.64 - 1.55 - Average Gold Grade of Ore Mined g/t Au 1.35 1.19 Processing Activities Total Tonnes Processed kt 1,011 - 1,915 - Average Plant Throughput tpd 11,107 - 10,579 - Average Gold Recovery % 90.30 - 89.10 - Average Gold Grade of Ore Processed g/t Au 1.45 - 1.43 - Gold Produced oz 42,587 - 78,165 - Gold Sold oz 40,082 - 75,517 - Unit Costs Average Realized Gold Price (2) $/oz 3,233 - 3,014 - Average Gold Price Received (2) (4) $/oz 2,992 - 2,787 - Total Cash Costs (2) $/oz 763 - 728 - Site-Level AISC (2) $/oz 1,246 - 1,053 - AISC (2) $/oz 1,355 - 1,170 - Financial Results (1): Q2 2025 Q2 2024 YTD 2025 YTD 2024 In thousands of $, except as otherwise noted Revenue $ 129,594 - 227,612 - Cost of Goods Sold $ (44,317) - (82,450) - Net Income (Loss) $ 48,626 (5,339) 73,055 (9,899) Per Share Basic $/share 0.21 (0.05) 0.32 (0.09) Adjusted Net Income (Loss) (2) $ 36,502 (2,626) 71,477 (4,440) Per share Basic $/share 0.16 (0.02) 0.32 (0.04) EBITDA (2) $ 104,258 (5,306) 170,972 (9,820) Adjusted EBITDA (2) $ 92,851 (2,593) 160,987 (4,361) Cash Provided by Operating Activities $ 79,767 (6,766) 110,291 (16,571) Per share Basic $/share 0.35 (0.06) 0.49 (0.15) Free Cash Flow (2) $ 60,224 (6,766) 96,186 (16,571) Per share Basic $/share 0.27 (0.06) 0.43 (0.15) Financial Position As at June 30, As at December 31, In thousands of $, except as otherwise noted 2025 2024 Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 156,119 141,215 Financial Highlights Gold sales totaled 40,082 ounces, generating $129.6 million in revenue at an average realized gold price(2) of $3,233 per ounce benefiting from both higher production and stronger gold prices compared to Q1 2025. Cash costs (2) were $763 per ounce, while AISC (2) totaled $1,355 per ounce, largely driven by the timing of sustaining capital expenditures, including non-recurring mobile fleet purchases. As these one-time investments are now complete, the Corporation anticipates AISC will decline in the second half of the year. Cash flow from operations totaled $79.8 million, resulting in free cash flow (2) of $60.2 million ($0.27 per share) and a cash balance of $156.1 million at quarter-end. Adjusted EBITDA (2) totaled $92.9 million, reflecting the combination of higher gold sales and continued cost discipline. Adjusted net income (2) was $36.5 million ($0.16 per share). The Corporation ended the quarter with $156.1 million in cash and equivalents, up from $149.0 million in Q1. This increase reflects strong free cash flow (2) generation, partially offset by continued investment in Oko West, exploration activities and working capital. This robust liquidity position provides the Corporation with the flexibility to fund ongoing development at Oko West and Gurupi without requiring near-term external capital. Reconciliation of Cash Costs and AISC (2) Q2 2025 Q2 2024 YTD 2025 YTD 2024 In thousands of $, except as otherwise noted Operating Expenses $ 26,572 - 47,915 - Royalties $ 4,019 - 7,096 - Total Cash Costs $ 30,591 - 55,011 - Sustaining Capital and others* $ 19,358 - 24,517 - Site Level AISC (2) $ 49,949 - 79,528 - G&A Expenses (3) $ 4,376 - 8,830 - Total AISC (2) $ 54,325 - 88,358 - Cash Costs (2) $/oz 763 - 728 - Site Level AISC (2) $/oz 1,246 - 1,053 - AISC (2) $/oz 1,355 - 1,170 - *Comprised of Sustaining capital expenditures, capitalized stripping (sustaining), exploration (sustaining) and accretion to rehabilitation provision (ARO). TZ Q2 2025 Operating Summary The second quarter marked a key milestone in the ramp-up of TZ Gold Mine. In June, the plant achieved nameplate throughput, averaging 12,890 tonnes per day over a 30-day period, following the installation of new steel liners in the semi-autogenous grinding mill. This upgrade has resulted in improved equipment availability and metallurgical performance. Gold production of 42,587 ounces represents approximately 23% of full-year midpoint guidance of 187,500 ounces. Average plant throughput for the quarter was 11,107 tpd, or 86% of nameplate capacity, compared to 78% in Q1. Gold recovery raised to 90.3%, compared to 87.7% in Q1, supported by improved plant stability and efficient operation assisted by the expert control system. Processed grade averaged 1.45 g/t Au, in line with the mine plan. Mining rate increased to approximately 4.4 million tonnes, including 1.6 million tonnes of ore, resulting in a strip ratio of 1.64x. Ore stockpiles at quarter-end totaled 6.0 million tonnes at 0.77 g/t Au, providing flexibility for blending and mill feed optimization in H2 2025. TZ Sustaining Capital Q2 2025 sustaining capital totaled $18.6 million, primarily for additions to the mobile fleet, tailings management, and mill optimization. Full-year sustaining capital remains forecast between $6070 million, with $3646 million expected in H2, ~40% of which is allocated to capitalized stripping as TZ transitions to steady-state operations. Now entering steady-state operations, TZ will focus on maintaining throughput, improving recovery, and lowering unit costs. Oko West Development Update In April 2025, GMIN published the results of the Feasibility Study for Oko West, outlining a long-life, low-cost, and high-margin operation. Key highlights include: Average annual production of 350,000 ounces over a 12.3-year mine life AISC of $1,123 per ounce and initial capital cost of $972 million per ounce and initial capital cost of Base case after-tax NPV 5 % of $2.2 billion and IRR of 27% at a gold price of $2,500 per ounce % of and IRR of 27% at a gold price of per ounce Upside case after-tax NPV 5 % of $3.2 billion and IRR of 35% at a gold price of $3,000 per ounce Early works construction commenced in March and is progressing on schedule, including road access, camp construction, and a wharf facility. With substantial completion targeted by year-end, these activities will position the project to move confidently into full construction in the coming year. Environmental permitting advanced during the quarter. Following the submission of the full Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ("ESIA") to Guyana's Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") in late May, the EPA has now approved the ESIA, and we are imminently awaiting the grant of the Full Environment Permit, marking a key regulatory milestone for construction readiness. Exploration activities at Oko West continued during the quarter, with drilling focused on near-pit extensions based on a new interpretation of the mineralized zone known as the "splay model." Trenching and mapping also progressed along the main shear zone south of the pit. The Corporation's 2025 exploration strategy remains focused on expanding mineral resources along the shear zone and identifying additional targets across the broader land package. Gurupi Regulatory Clarity and Path Forward In July 2025, the Corporation announced a favourable decision by the Federal Court of Maranhao in Brazil, confirming its right to restart the permitting process for the Gurupi Project under its current ownership. This ruling invalidated outdated licenses issued to prior operators and cleared the way for GMIN to pursue new environmental and mining permits. Following this legal resolution, the Corporation is progressing toward the receipt of exploration permits to restart drilling activities. In parallel, new baseline environmental and social studies will be initiated, and early engagement has begun with local communities and stakeholders. The Gurupi Project, located in Maranhao State, Brazil, hosts 1.83 million ounces of indicated and 0.77 million ounces of inferred mineral resources across a large and prospective land package. The Corporation is reviewing historical exploration data and assessing future drilling opportunities to evaluate potential resource expansion and further validate the geological model. In light of recent positive developments, an additional $4 million budget has been allocated to launch an inaugural drill program in the second half of the year. ESG Highlights On July 30, 2025 GMIN published its 2024 ESG Report, outlining key achievements and future targets: Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) of 0.08 over 2.5 million hours worked 94% of process water recycled; 74% of solid waste reused 33 hectares reforested and over 10,000 plants and animals monitored More than R$174 million ( US$32 million ) spent with local suppliers in 2024 In H2 2025, the Corporation will expand reforestation efforts and enhance stakeholder engagement programs across its portfolio. Liquidity and Capital Resources The Corporation ended Q2 2025 with a cash and cash equivalents balance of $156.1 million, compared to $149.0 million at the end of Q1 2025, reflecting continued strong free cash flow generation and disciplined capital deployment. The $7 million increase in cash, quarter over quarter is primarily attributed to the following: Free cash flow (2) totaled $60 million , driven by higher gold sales and improved operational performance at the TZ Mine totaled , driven by higher gold sales and improved operational performance at the TZ Mine Non-sustaining investments (2) of $51 million , largely directed toward the continued development of the Oko West Project, including early works and long-lead equipment purchases and of , largely directed toward the continued development of the Oko West Project, including early works and long-lead equipment purchases and Net financing outflows, investments in long term inventories and foreign exchange adjustments of approximately $2 million This strong cash position supports the Corporation's self-funded growth strategy and provides financial flexibility to continue advancing both Oko West and Gurupi without the need for immediate external capital. (1) These measures are non-IFRS financial measures. Refer to section "Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures" in the associated MD&A for further information and a detailed reconciliation to comparable IFRS measures. 2025 Outlook GMIN reaffirms its full-year 2025 production guidance of 175,000 to 200,000 ounces of gold with an expectation of being at the lower end of guidance. As planned, production is weighted toward the second half of the year, reflecting improved throughput and recoveries as the TZ Mine transitions to steady-state operations. During the first half of the year, TZ produced 78,165 ounces, 45% of the lower end of our annual guidance range. Cost guidance is increased by $30 per ounce to reflect the impact of State of Para enacted legislation increasing the Tax for Control, Monitoring, and Oversight of Mining Activities ("TRFM"), effective March 27, 2025, and subsequently revised on May 21, 2025, through Decree No. 4,677. The AISC guidance is therefore adjusted at $1,025 to $1,155 per ounce sold. The Corporation also maintains its full-year capital and cost guidance with an increased exploration budget for Gurupi, as summarized below: Operational & Cost Guidance Guidance 2025 TZ Mine Gold Production k oz 175 to 200 Cash Costs $/oz Au sold $620 to $685 was $590 to $655 AISC(2) $/oz Au sold $1,025 to $1,155 was $995 to $1,125 Sustaining Capital Expenditures Sustaining $M $35 to $45 Near-mine exploration $M $2 Capitalized Waste Stripping $M $23 Total Sustaining $M $60 to $70 Non-Sustaining Capital Expenditures TZ Regional Exploration $M $9 Oko West Exploration $M $8 Oko West Project $M $200 to $240 Gurupi $M $6 to $8 was $2 to $4 Total Non-Sustaining $M $223 to $265 was $219 to $261 Note: Guidance assumes a realized gold price of $2,350 and BRL/USD of 5.25 The Corporation remains focused on operational excellence, disciplined capital deployment, and delivering long-term value through its self-funded growth strategy. Development milestones at Oko West and Gurupi remain on track. 2025 Catalysts In the second half of 2025, the Corporation expects to: Finalize project financing and make a construction decision for Oko West (H2 2025) Advance detailed engineering and continue early works activities at Oko West (2025) Continue environmental permitting activities at both Oko West (Q3 2025) and Gurupi Progress exploration initiatives-both greenfield and brownfield-across TZ, Oko West and Gurupi Second Quarter 2025 Results Conference Call and Webcast A conference call to discuss details of GMIN's second quarter 2025 results will be held by senior management on Friday, August 15, 2025, at 9:00 AM (E.S.T.). Participants may join the conference call using the following call-in details: Conference ID: 2442486 Participant Toll-Free Dial-In Number: 1-800-715-9871 Participant International Dial-In Number: 1-646-307-1963 Participants can also access a live webcast of the conference call via https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/vnz2p26e or via the GMIN website at: https://gmin.gold/investors/presentations-and-events/ A replay of this conference call will be available via the webcast for 12 months. Replay details will be provided on the GMIN website 24 hours after the call at: https://gmin.gold/investors/presentations-and-events/. Qualified Person Louis-Pierre Gignac, President & Chief Executive Officer of GMIN, a QP as defined in NI 43-101, has reviewed the press release on behalf of the Corporation and has approved the technical disclosure contained in this press release. About G Mining Ventures Corp. G Mining Ventures Corp. is a mining company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of precious metal projects to capitalize on the value uplift from successful mine development. GMIN is well-positioned to grow into the next mid-tier precious metals producer by leveraging strong access to capital and proven development expertise. GMIN is currently anchored by the Tocantinzinho Mine in Brazil, supported by the Gurupi Project in Brazil and the Oko West Project in Guyana all with significant exploration upside and located in mining-friendly jurisdictions. GMIN trades on the TSX under the symbol "GMIN". Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of certain securities laws and are based on expectations and projections as of the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, those related to (i) the Corporation being on track to deliver 2025 production, cost and capital guidance; (ii) the AISC at TZ being expected to decline in H2-2025; (iii) higher-grade ore to become accessible at TZ during H2-2025; (iv) the expected ramp-up of TZ, notably as a result of improved equipment availability and metallurgical performance; (v) the ore stockpiles providing flexibility for mill feed optimization in H2-2025; (vi) the full-year forecasted sustaining capital expenditures for TZ; (vii) the Oko West mining license anticipated in Q3-2025; (viii) a project financing package expected later this year and the expected full-scale construction at Oko West in 2026; (ix) the feasibility study outlining a robust, long-life and economically viable high-margin Oko West; * the long-lead equipment purchases for Oko West; (xi) the start of a new baseline environmental and social studies for Gurupi and the additional exploration budget therefor; (xii) GMIN's 2025 exploration strategy and the expected expansion of mineral resources resulting therefrom; (xiii) the quoted comments and expectations of GMIN's President & Chief Executive Officer; and (xiv) more generally, the sections entitled "2025 Outlook" (notably the table setting forth the Corporation's operational & cost guidance), "2025 Catalysts" and "About G Mining Ventures Corp.". Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Such assumptions include, without limitation, those relating to the price of gold and currency exchange rates, those outlined in the feasibility and other technical studies relating to TZ, Oko West, Gurupi and GMIN's other projects, and those underlying the items listed on the above sections entitled "2025 Outlook", "2025 Catalysts" and "About G Mining Ventures Corp.". Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that, notably but without limitation, (i) GMIN's positive safety record will continue over time and GMIN will continue to deliver free cash flow in subsequent quarters; (ii) any of GMIN's exploration targets at TZ, Oko West and Gurupi will lead to additional resources and eventually to gold production; (iii) GMIN will continue to experience gold sales at a high price combined with cost discipline; (iv) GMIN will continue to benefit from the TZ plant stability and efficient control thereat, and from a processed grade that will remain in line with the mine plan; (v) the early works construction will prove a major step forward for advancing Oko West and will be substantially completed by year-end; (vi) a construction decision will be made in respect of Oko West later in 2025, or at all, (vii) Oko West will be brought into commercial production, (viii) gold recoveries at TZ will remain strong and in line with feasibility study expectations, (ix) the Oko West economics (e.g., AISC, NPV, IRR) will materialize as set out in its feasibility study; * GMIN will receive the mining license for Oko West in Q3 2025, or at all; (xi) GMIN will receive the relevant exploration permits to restart drilling activities at Gurupi and, following the court ruling, the project will effectively advance with clarity; or (xii) GMIN will use TZ and Oko West to grow into the next intermediate producer, as future events could differ materially from what is currently anticipated by the Corporation. In addition, there can be no assurance that Brazil and/or Guyana will remain mining friendly and prospective jurisdictions. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as several important risk factors and future events could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those made in the Corporation's other filings with the securities regulators of Canada including, but not limited to, the cautionary statements made in the relevant sections of the Corporation's (i) Annual Information Form dated March 27, 2025, for the financial year ended December 31, 2024, and (iii) Management Discussion & Analysis. The Corporation cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive, and new, unforeseeable risks may arise from time to time. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. __________ (1) Additional details are available in the Corporation's Consolidated Financial Statement and Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A), filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com under the Corporation's profile. (2) These measures are non-IFRS financial measures. Refer to section "Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures" for further information and a detailed reconciliation to comparable IFRS measures. (3) This amount excludes corporate depreciation and amortization expenses totaling $38,000 and $72,000 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025. This amount also excludes non-sustaining allocation of G&A Costs totaling $(629,000) and $402,000 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025. (4) The average gold price received excludes non-cash portion of the average realized gold price Consolidated Statements of Financial Position (Tabular amounts expressed in Thousands of United States Dollars) June 30, December 31, 2025 2024 $ $ Assets Current Cash and Cash Equivalents 156,119 141,215 Receivables and Other Current Assets 4,439 5,155 Inventories 50,970 37,588 Prepaid Expenses and Deposits 3,562 2,640 215,090 186,598 Non-current Deferred Financing Fees 751 743 Derivative Financial Assets 1,737 - Inventories 40,229 21,183 Long Term Deposits on Equipment 33,965 876 Property, Plant & Equipment and Mineral Property 550,987 498,105 Intangible Assets 32,731 31,146 Exploration and Evaluation Assets 780,173 702,336 Income Tax Recoverable 8,322 - Investment in Associate 3,522 3,546 Other Non-current Assets 41,773 28,976 1,709,280 1,473,509 Liabilities Current Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities 35,893 25,065 Income Tax Payable 42,485 - Deferred Consideration Payable 60,000 60,000 Current Portion of Contract Liability 37,350 36,197 Current Portion of Lease Liability 543 104 Current Portion of Long-term Debt 34,393 24,572 210,664 145,938 Non-current Long-term Contract Liability 207,160 220,426 Long-term Debt 73,065 89,182 Long-term Lease Liability 463 902 Deferred Tax Liability 11,815 3,407 Rehabilitation Provision 4,739 2,976 297,242 316,893 Shareholders' Equity Share Capital 1,095,114 1,082,691 Share-based Payments Reserve 14,584 19,433 Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) 2,406 (107,916) Retained Earnings 89,270 16,470 1,201,374 1,010,678 1,709,280 1,473,509 Refer to Q2 2025 Financial Statements for accompanying notes Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) (Tabular amounts expressed in Thousands of United States Dollars, except for number of shares) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2025 2024 2025 2024 $ $ $ $ Revenue 129,594 - 227,612 - Cost of Goods Sold (44,317) - (82,450) - Income From Mining Operations 85,277 - 145,162 - Other (Income) Expenses General & Administrative Expenses 3,785 1,875 9,304 4,171 Finance Expense 5,685 - 11,435 - Change in Fair Value of Financial Instruments (7,883) 2,445 (8,300) 5,090 Foreign Exchange (151) 918 2,325 1,020 Other (Income) Expenses (968) 101 (1,627) (382) 468 5,339 13,137 9,899 Income (Loss) Before Income Tax 84,809 (5,339) 132,025 (9,899) Current and Deferred Income Tax Expense (36,183) - (58,970) - Net Income (Loss) for the Period 48,626 (5,339) 73,055 (9,899) Net Income (Loss) per Share Basic 0.21 (0.05) 0.32 (0.09) Diluted 0.21 (0.05) 0.32 (0.09) Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Basic 226,205,719 112,974,114 225,735,715 112,431,055 Diluted 229,868,055 112,974,114 229,191,425 112,431,055 Refer to Q2 2025 Financial Statements for accompanying notes Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Tabular amounts expressed in Thousands of United States Dollars, except for number of shares) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2025 2024 2025 2024 $ $ $ $ Net Income (Loss) for the Period 48,626 (5,339) 73,055 (9,899) Currency Translation Adjustment 72,178 (55,337) 110,322 (72,498) Net Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the Period 120,804 (60,676) 183,377 (82,397) Refer to Q2 2025 Financial Statements for accompanying notes Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Tabular amounts expressed in Thousands of United States Dollars, except for number of shares) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2025 2024 2025 2024 $ $ $ $ Operating Activities Net Income (Loss) for the Period 48,626 (5,339) 73,055 (9,899) Items Not Involving Cash Depreciation 13,763 33 27,511 79 Share-based Compensation 1,352 143 2,665 368 Unrealized Foreign Exchange Loss (Gain) (3,524) 702 (1,685) 802 Deferred Income Tax Expense (717) - 8,407 - Depletion of Gold Streaming Agreement Deposit (6,445) - (12,883) - Finance Expense 5,685 - 11,435 - Current Income Tax in Comprehensive Income (2,177) - (11,215) - Change in Fair Value of Financial Instruments (7,883) 2,445 (8,300) 5,096 Cumulative Catch-up Adjustment on Gold Streaming Agreement (3,208) - (4,240) - Other 289 157 446 272 45,761 (1,859) 85,196 (3,282) Change in Operating Assets and Liabilities Receivables and Other Assets (375) (300) (8,514) (905) Inventories (6,454) (9,695) (17,285) (16,641) Prepaid Expenses and Deposits (1,169) 533 (570) 191 Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities 42,004 4,555 51,464 4,066 Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities 79,767 (6,766) 110,291 (16,571) Investing Activities Additions of PP&E and Mineral Property, net of Long-term Deposit (39,859) (41,502) (55,035) (101,894) Deferred Costs - (3,723) - (4,023) Exploration and Evaluation Expenditures (28,923) 138 (38,406) (381) Cash Used in Investing Activities (68,782) (45,087) (93,441) (106,298) Financing Activities Replacement Options Exercised 2,595 - 4,644 - Repayment of Long-term Debt (7,848) (2,186) (12,721) (2,347) Net Proceeds from the Drawdowns of Long-term Debt - 35,688 - 76,848 Proceeds From the Exercise of Warrants - 10,647 - 10,647 Other 111 (45) 11 (90) Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities (5,142) 44,104 (8,066) 85,058 Effect on Foreign Exchange Rate Differences on Cash and Cash Equivalents 1,306 202 6,120 (1,328) Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents 7,149 (7,547) 14,904 (39,139) Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of the Period 148,970 20,806 141,215 52,398 Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of the Period 156,119 13,259 156,119 13,259 VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 14, 2025 /CNW/ - SNOWLINE GOLD CORP. (TSXV: SGD) (OTCQB: SNWGF) (the "Company" or "Snowline") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Canaccord Genuity Corp. and BMO Capital Markets on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters (collectively, the "Underwriters"), pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase, on a "bought deal" basis, 8,888,900 common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") at a price of $9.00 per Common Share (the "Offering Price"), for aggregate gross proceeds of $80,000,100 (the "Offering"). In addition, the Company will grant the Underwriters an option to acquire up to an additional 1,333,300 Common Shares (the "Over-Allotment Option") at the Offering Price for additional gross proceeds of up to $11,999,700, exercisable in whole or in part, at any time on or prior to the date that is 30 days following the Closing Date (as defined herein). Scott Berdahl, CEO & Director of Snowline, comments: "This targeted raise gives us multiple years of runway to efficiently and responsibly advance the Valley gold deposit on our Rogue Project, while continuing with our regional exploration efforts as we look to unlock a promising new Canadian minerals district. With a strong treasury behind us, we can focus on what matters and work to deliver shareholder value." The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering (and any proceeds received from the Over-Allotment Option) to advance the Company's projects in the Yukon Territory, as well as for working capital and general corporate purposes. Closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about September 4, 2025 (the "Closing Date") and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable securities regulatory authorities. The Common Shares will be offered by way of a short form prospectus to be filed in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario and may also be sold in certain offshore jurisdictions (provided that placement in such offshore jurisdictions does not give rise to the filing of a prospectus or registration statement or to any continuous disclosure obligations) and by way of private placement in the United States pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"). The securities referred to in this news release have not been, nor will they be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act, and may not be offered or sold within the United States absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities, nor a solicitation for offers to buy any securities in the United States, nor in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Any public offering of securities in the United States must be made by means of a prospectus containing detailed information about the company and management, as well as financial statements. ABOUT SNOWLINE GOLD CORP. Snowline Gold Corp. is a Yukon Territory focused gold exploration and development company with mineral claim portfolio covering roughly 360,000 ha (3,600 km2). The Company is advancing its Valley gold deposita large, low-strip, near surface, >1 g/t Au bulk tonnage gold system located in the eastern Yukonwhile continuing regional exploration of surrounding targets on the Rogue Project and the broader district in the highly prospective yet underexplored Selwyn Basin. Valley hosts an open MRE of 7.94 million ounces gold at 1.21 g/t Au Measured and Indicated (in 204.0 million tonnes) and an additional 0.89 million ounces gold Inferred at 0.62 g/t Au (in 44.5 million tonnes)1, with a cut-off grade of 0.3 g/t Au. Results of a preliminary economic assessment("PEA") of Valley suggest the potential for the deposit to support a long-life mining operation with a strong production profile and low production costs. The MRE and PEA are supported by the recent technical report for Rogue, prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 standards, entitled "Independent Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Rogue Project Yukon, Canada," dated July 30, 2025, with an effective date of March 1, 2025 and available on SEDAR+ and the Company's website. Snowline's project portfolio sits within the prolific Tintina Gold Province, host to multiple million-ounce-plus gold mines and deposits across the central Yukon and Alaska. The Company's comprehensive first-mover position and extensive exploration database provide a distinct competitive advantage and a unique opportunity for investors to be part of multiple discoveries, the advancement of a significant gold deposit, and the creation of a new gold district. QUALIFIED PERSON Information in this release has been prepared under supervision of and approved by Thomas Branson, M.Sc., P. Geo., Chief Geologist for Snowline Gold Corp, as Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Scott Berdahl CEO & 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. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including statements and plans for a new minerals district. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "expect", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to closing of the Offering, the use of proceeds from the Offering and regulatory and TSXV approval. Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among other things: risks related to uncertainties inherent in drill results and the estimation of mineral resources; and risks associated with executing the Company's plans and intentions. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. TORONTO / Aug 15, 2025 / Business Wire / Western Metallica Resources Corp. (TSXV: WMS) (Western Metallica or the Company) is pleased to announce the appointment of Roxanne Gelineau as a director of the Company effective immediately. With over 15 years of experience in accounting and administration, Ms. Gelineau has built a solid reputation for her expertise in supporting business operations and financial management, particularly within publicly traded companies. Ms. Gelineau currently serves as the Office Manager for Northern Superior Resources Inc. and OnGold Resources Ltd., where she oversees day-to-day operations, financial reporting, and administrative support. The Company also announces the resignation of Mr. Joaquin Merino as a director of the Company, effective immediately. The Company would like to thank Mr. Merino for his contributions. About Western Metallica Resources Corp. Western Metallica is an Ontario registered company with its head office in Toronto, Ontario, trading on the TSXV under symbol WMS. Western Metallica is in the business of mineral resource exploration. Its project interests include its 100% owned Nueva Celti Copper Property in Andalusia, Spain, and three other gold projects located in the Navelgas Gold Belt in Asturias, Spain (Penedela, Valledor and Sierra Alta). Further information can be found at: www.westernmetallicacorp.com Cautionary Notes The TSXV has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. 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 press release. Some of the statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "intends", "is expected", "potential", "suggests" or variations of such words or phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties beyond the companys control. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 15, 2025 /CNW/ - Cascadia Minerals Ltd. ("Cascadia") (TSXV:CAM) (OTCQB:CAMNF) is pleased to announce that is has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Placement") for total proceeds of C$3,000,000 (see news release dated July 24, 2025 for more details). The Placement consisted of the sale of 13,043,479 common shares (each a "FT Share") at a price of $0.23 per FT Share for total gross proceeds of $3,000,000. Each FT Share will qualify as a "flow-through share" within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) ("Tax Act"). The FT Shares are subject to a hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws until December 16, 2025. "With this financing and the Granite Creek acquisition completed we are fully funded to complete our first phase of resource expansion work at the Carmacks project," stated Graham Downs, Cascadia's President and CEO. "Work is scheduled to commence in early September, with two drills booked and up to 4,000 m of drilling planned this fall. Our technical team continues to review the Carmacks project data, and has identified numerous compelling step-out targets around the existing resource. We're excited to have work underway shortly at this road-accessible property with existing infrastructure and a low cost of drilling." The gross proceeds from the issuance and sale of the FT Shares will be used for "Canadian exploration expenses" that qualify as "flow-through critical mineral mining expenditures", as both terms are defined in the Tax Act (the "Qualifying Expenditures"). The Qualifying Expenditures will be incurred on or before December 31, 2026, and will be renounced to the subscribers with an effective date no later than December 31, 2025, in an aggregate amount not less than the gross proceeds raised from the issuance of the FT Shares. No finder's fees were paid on any portion of the Placement. The proceeds from the Placement will be used for critical minerals exploration on Cascadia's Yukon properties, primarily at the Carmacks Project. About Cascadia Cascadia's flagship asset is the Carmacks Project in the high-grade Minto copper district in Yukon Territory, Canada. The project is located 35km south of the past-producing Minto mine, which was recently acquired by Selkirk Copper Mines. The Carmacks Project hosts a Measured and Indicated Resource containing 651 Mlbs of copper and 302 koz of gold (36.3 million tonnes grading 0.81 % copper, 0.26 g/t gold, and 3.23 g/t silver and 0.01% molybdenum) with a 2023 PEA demonstrating positive economic potential ($230.5M Post-Tax NPV (5%) and 29% Post-Tax IRR). Cascadia also has a pipeline of discovery stage copper-gold properties throughout the Yukon Stikine Terrane including its Catch Property, which hosts a copper-gold porphyry discovery where inaugural drill results returned broad intervals of mineralization (116.60 m of 0.31% copper with 0.30 g/t gold). Catch exhibits extensive high-grade copper and gold mineralization across a 5 km long trend, with rock samples returning peak values of 3.88% copper, 1,065 g/t gold, and 267 g/t silver. QA/QC The technical information in this news release has been approved by Andrew Carne, P.Eng., VP Corporate Development for Cascadia and a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. Prospecting grab samples referenced in this release represent highlight results only, and include results from 2024 and previous seasons. Below detection values for copper, gold and silver have been encountered in grab samples in these target areas. For more details on Catch drilling and prospecting results, please see Cascadia's News Releases dated July 25, 2024, and July 19, 2023. The Mineral Resources and economic analysis disclosed here are referenced from the 2023 Technical Report on the Carmacks Project Preliminary Economic Assessment, authored by SGS Canada Inc. for Granite Creek Copper. Pricing for the Carmacks Project PEA base case economic analysis was US $3.75/lb copper, US $1,800/oz gold, and US $22/oz silver at an exchange rate of $1:US$0.75. The results of the Carmacks preliminary economic assessment are preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. 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 note regarding forward-looking statements: This press release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. Cascadia and Granite Creek undertake no obligation to update forward-looking information, except as required by securities laws. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marimaca Copper Corp. (Marimaca Copper or the Company) (TSX:MARI, ASX:MC2) is pleased to announce further drilling at the Pampa Medina deposit, extending the high-grade sediment-hosted manto-system 300m to the west from previous drilling. Pampa Medina is located at low altitude approximately 28km east of the Companys Marimaca Oxide Deposit (MOD) in a flat pampa valley within the Atacama Desert (Figure 1). The Company is executing a 10,000m extensional drilling program with three rigs currently on site. Highlights Hole SMRD-16 extends the high-grade manto-system a further 300m to the west, with varying depths of the oxide to sulphide transition (Figure 1 and 4) Further validation of the Pampa Medina exploration model: a unique stratiform, sediment hosted, copper system with extensive high-grade sequences Interbedded sandstone, shale and conglomerate units continue to deliver the highest-grade zones (>1% Cu) across broad thicknesses The favourable mineralized stratigraphic sequence is now defined by drilling across a 1.2km x 1.2km area at the Pampa Medina deposit and remains open extensional drilling will focus on the north and the west Highlights from SMRD-16 (true widths estimated to be 95% of reported intersection): 70m of 1.0% from 434m including: 10m of 4.2% Cu from 438m downhole within 30m of 2.1% Cu from 434m (Figure 3) Oxide and secondary sulphide 116m of 0.61% Cu from 516m including: 8m of 1.8% Cu from 528m (sulphide) 10m of 1.2% Cu from 568m (sulphide) 20m of 1.1% Cu from 612m (sulphide) 50m of 0.53% Cu from 744m including: 10m of 1.1% Cu from 782m (sulphide) Hole SMRD-15 demonstrates uplifting of the eastern extension, with a broad zone of near-surface oxide mineralization intersected at 122m down hole in hosted by remnants of sediments just above the contact with basement rocks SMRD-15 intersected 42m of 0.51% Cu from 158m (oxides) SMRD-16 extends the high-grade mineralized manto 300m west along section from previously reported holes (see Figure 4): Hole SMRD-13 (300m west of SMRD-15) 6m of 12.0% Cu from 594m downhole within 26m of 4.1% Cu from 580m and a broader 100m of 1.3% Cu from 580m Hole SMD-02 (600m east of SMRD-16 on section) (previously reported) 40m of 2.1% Cu from 282m downhole within 132m of 1.0% Cu from 278m Hole SMRD-12 (300m east of SMRD-16 on section) (previously reported) 56m of 1.4% Cu from 566m downhole Similar to the MOD, Pampa Medinas location is expected to drive significant infrastructure and permitting benefits: Proximity to other mines and associated infrastructure (Figure 1): 28km from the MOD, 64km from Sierra Gorda (South32/KGHM), 40km from Mantos Blancos (Capstone Copper), 77km from Spence (BHP), 54km from Antucoya (Antofagasta Minerals) Low altitude, flat pampa type surface provides sufficient space for future facilities and infrastructure Proximity to existing powerlines, water pipelines, major ports and regional populations No private land ownership, limited human impact (no nearby local or indigenous population), extremely arid location indicates low permitting risks (comparable or superior to the MOD) associated with potential development Sergio Rivera, VP Exploration of Marimaca Copper, commented: SMRD-16 is a further 300m step out to the west of the previously announced SMRD-12 and has intersected a similar broad zone of high-grade copper mineralization, including 70m at 1.0% and a number of discrete very high-grade zones. The area of interest currently confirmed by drill intersections extends over 1.2km east-west by 1.2km north-south, with an average true thickness of between 50m to 100m. We currently have no observable reasons to indicate that mineralization would not be continuous while the sedimentary unit exists and, as a result, we see enormous potential to both the north and west of the current drilling. To the east, the block was uplifted significantly, which caused a thinning of the mineralization. Despite this, we intersected a broad zone of oxide copper mineralization at above economic cut-off grades for Pampa Medina and we, therefore, continue to see strong potential for oxide resource growth in all directions. Our strategy remains to step out significantly to try to define the limits of what is a very large system, but we will now also turn our attention to planning an infill campaign in the broader Pampa Medina project area with the objective of delineating updated resources for the project. Hayden Locke, President and CEO of Marimaca Copper, commented: The depth of these new intersections continue to indicate that it will be an underground opportunity, once the Pampa Medina oxide open pit has been considered. Our early analysis indicates an economic cut-off grade requirement of between 0.5% and 0.8%, depending on copper price. With that in mind, we are targeting mineralized intersections with true widths exceeding 20m at an average copper grade of 1.0% or more. The last four drill holes have delivered widths and grades that materially surpass this requirement and, as a result, we see enormous potential for a large scale, highly economic, underground copper mining opportunity. Sergio Rivera and our exploration team continue to deliver outstanding value with the extension of the thick, high grade manto mineralization to the west. The continued exploration success at Pampa Medina reinforces our goal at Marimaca: to become a significant copper producer with the unique, low-cost, advanced-stage asset in the MOD, and transformational district scale upside anchored by Pampa Medina and Madrugador. With the upcoming release of the MOD DFS, our strategy remains multi-pronged: 1) deliver a near-term, low-cost 50ktpa copper cathode mine in a Tier-1 jurisdiction; 2) advance the Pampa Medina and Madrugador Oxide projects to grow our cathode production and extend mine life; and 3) continue to define the district-scale exploration potential of our large land package. Overview of Pampa Medina Pampa Medina is a stratiform or manto-style copper deposit dominantly hosted in Jurassic-Triassic sedimentary units (sandstones, conglomerates, tuffs and black shales) overlain by andesitic volcanics and underlain by an Upper Paleozoic complex of metamorphosed sediments, volcanics and intrusions. Its intruded by a dyke swarm and affected by post mineral normal faulting (Figure 4). Copper was originally identified in near-surface oxide mineralization dominated by atacamite, chrysocolla and both secondary and primary chalcocite, and has now been identified in high-grade zones of chalcopyrite and bornite which extend laterally down-dip beyond the oxide-primary transition. Following Marimacas consolidation of the project area and surrounding land packages in 2024, the Company reinterpreted all available geological information (for the first time as one) and developed an updated geological model for Pampa Medina, which identified the lower sedimentary units of interbedded sandstones, shales and conglomerates as the productive horizons for future drill targeting. Oxide copper mineralization was logged in historical drilling in near-surface, uplifted blocks, with the model of continuity in the intact lithological sequence in deeper blocks for primary mineralization to be tested by Marimacas 2025 drilling campaign. SMRD-16 materially extends the high-grade manto to the west, increasing the defined mineralized stratigraphy across a 1.2km by 1.2km area (Figures 2 and 4). Weakly mineralized sandstones were intercepted from 116m, with the main high-grade mixed-sulphide, sediment hosted mineralization starting at 438m downhole. Hole SMRD-15 was planned to confirm the uplifted basement in the eastern direction of the Pampa Medina main target. Oxide mineralization was intercepted at 122m, extending to 204m depth (Figure 3). Exploration focus will remain on the western and northern regions of the Pampa Medina main target, which both remain open. Figure 1: Regional Map Marimaca, Pampa Medina and Regional Infrastructure Figure 2 Pampa Medina Deposit and Step-out Drilling Locations Figure 3 Pampa Medina Lithology SMRD-16 Downhole Sequence Figure 4 Cross Section Looking North Pampa Medina SMRD-15 to SMRD-16 Hole Total Depth (m) From (m) To (m) Intersection (m) % CuT SMRD-15 580 122 200 78 0.31 Including 158 200 42 0.51 Including 188 198 10 0.83 SMRD-16 850 236 266 30 0.43 And 434 794 360 0.49 Including 434 504 70 1.03 Including 434 464 30 2.10 Including 438 448 10 4.24 Including 516 632 116 0.61 Including 516 536 20 0.91 Including 528 536 8 1.80 Including 568 590 22 0.90 Including 568 578 10 1.24 Including 612 632 20 1.14 Including 744 794 50 0.53 Including 782 792 10 1.10 Table 1: Table of Intersections Hole Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Inclination Depth SMRD-15 7440799.14 407698.23 1267.17 270 -60 580 SMRD-16 7440819.3 406488.16 1282.01 270 -60 850 Table 2: Drill Collars Sampling and Assay Protocols True widths are estimated as 95% of reported intervals, based on down-hole bedding and structural measurements. DDH holes were sampled on a 2m continuous basis, halved by a conventional core splitter on site with one half sent to the Andes Analytical Assay preparation laboratory in Copiapo and the pulps then sent to the same company laboratory in Santiago for assaying. Samples were prepared using the following standard protocol: drying; crushing all sample to -1/4 and passing through a secondary crusher to better than 80% passing -10#; homogenizing; splitting; pulverizing a 400-600g subsample to 95% passing -150#; and a 125g split of this sent for assaying. All samples were assayed for %CuT (total copper); %CuS (acid soluble copper). A full QA/QC program, involving insertion of appropriate blanks, standards and duplicates was employed with acceptable results. Pulps and sample rejects are stored by Marimaca Copper for future reference. Qualified Person / Competent Person The technical information in this news release, including the information that relates to geology, drilling and mineralization was prepared under the supervision of, or has been reviewed by Sergio Rivera, Vice President of Exploration, Marimaca Copper Corp, a geologist with more than 40 years of experience and a member of the Colegio de Geologos de Chile and of the Institute of Mining Engineers of Chile, and who is the Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101 responsible for the design and execution of the drilling program. The information in this announcement which relates to exploration results for the Pampa Medina Project is based on, and fairly reflects, information and supporting documentation prepared by Sergio Rivera, VP Exploration of Marimaca, a Competent Person who is a member of the Comision Minera (Chilean Mining Commission), Colegio de Geologos de Chile and of the Institute of Mining Engineers of Chile. Mr. Rivera has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and types of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Joint Ore Reserves Committee Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Mr. Rivera consents to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. Contact Information For further information please visit www.marimaca.com or contact: Tavistock +44 (0) 207 920 3150 Emily Moss / Ruairi Millar This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Forward Looking Statements This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under (without limitation) applicable Canadian securities legislation, including, without limitation, statements regarding the development of activities at Pampa Medina, the potential growth of Pampa Medina, and the discoverys potential to complement the MOD. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Marimaca Copper, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: risks that the development activities at Pampa Medina will not progress as anticipated, or at all, risks related to share price and market conditions, the inherent risks involved in the mining, exploration and development of mineral properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drilling results and other geological data, fluctuating metal prices, the possibility of project delays or cost overruns or unanticipated excessive operating costs and expenses, uncertainties related to the necessity of financing, uncertainties relating to regulatory procedure and timing for permitting submissions and reviews, the availability of and costs of financing needed in the future as well as those factors disclosed in the annual information form of the Company dated March 27, 2025 and other filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities (which may be viewed at www.sedar.com). Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Marimaca Copper undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements contained herein whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. None of the TSX, ASX or the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This announcement was authorised for release to the ASX by the Board of Directors of the Company. Appendix 1 JORC Code 2012 Table 1 (ASX Listing Rule 5.7.1) Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where industry standard work has been done this would be relatively simple (eg reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (eg submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. All current drilling conducted at Sierra Medina (including Pampa Medina, Pampa Norte Extension and Pampa West) was completed under the supervision of a registered professional geologist as a Competent Person/Qualified Person (QP) who is responsible and accountable for the planning, execution, and supervision of all exploration activity as well as the implementation of quality assurance programs and reporting. All drilling reported is Diamond Drilling (DDH) drilling Assay samples were prepared at a laboratory site in Copiapo and assayed by Andes Analytical Assay Ltd. (AAA) in Santiago. Sierra Medinas DDH holes are drilled and sampled on a continuous 2-meter basis, halved by a conventional core splitter on site, with one half sent to the Andes Analytical Assay preparation laboratory in Copiapo and the pulps then sent to the same company laboratory in Santiago for assaying. Marimaca staff supervised all the drilling and sampling. Recoveries were controlled by accurate core recovery measurement control was extended toward the division process realized in the drill location. The recoveries were measured by core length measurement and compared with the effective core run. Marimaca technical staff checked all data. Measured recoveries are over 95% for DDH drilling, without significant variations and unrelated to copper grades. Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (eg core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). SMRD-02 and SMRD-13 were collared with a multi-purpose Reverse Circulation (RC) /Diamond Drill (DD) and transitioned to DD when the target horizon was intersected and sampling began All other drilling reported is diamond (DD) drilling drilled in HQ and NQ standard core diameters Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. Sierra Medinas DDH holes are drilled and sampled on a continuous 2-meter basis, halved by a conventional core splitter on site, with one half sent to the Andes Analytical Assay preparation laboratory in Copiapo and the pulps then sent to the same company laboratory in Santiago for assaying. Marimaca staff supervised all the drilling and sampling. Recoveries were controlled by accurate core recovery measurement control was extended toward the division process realized in the drill location. The recoveries were measured by core length measurement and compared with the effective core run. Marimaca technical staff checked all data. Measured recoveries are over 95% for DDH drilling, without significant variations and unrelated to copper Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. All holes were geologically logged on digital data capture. The data collected are rock, structure, alteration and mineralization based on drilling intervals, recoveries and analytical results. After validation, the mineral and alteration zones were defined. The results were entered in the database as a table with all mapped data and a consolidated log of the drill was prepared. Most of this work was done by experienced senior consultant geologist supported by consultant junior geologist. In addition to measuring deviations, most of the holes were surveyed using an optical tele viewer (OPTV or BHTV), with structures and orientation measurements, which continuously and thoroughly recorded the holes walls and measured structures. The structures were measured in ranks according to their width and the results were reported and plotted on stereographic networks and rosette diagrams. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Sierra Medinas DDH holes are drilled and sampled on a continuous 2-meter basis, halved by a conventional core splitter on site, with one half sent to the Andes Analytical Assay preparation laboratory in Copiapo and the pulps then sent to the same company laboratory in Santiago for assaying The last split yields sample A, which is sent for preparation and assaying, and sample B, which is used to obtain drill cuttings (1 kg) and coarse/preparation duplicates and then stored in special facilities on site. For diamond drillholes (DDH), samples are obtained every 2 meters from a half-core, with the other half stored on site. Samples are transferred by laboratory personnel from the project to Copiapo, and then the preparation pulps are returned to generate the analysis batches. Upon receipt, sample details are logged and insertion points for quality control samples in the sample flow are determined. Samples were prepared using the following standard protocol: drying; crushing all sample to -1/4 and passing through a secondary crusher to better than 80% passing -10#; homogenizing; splitting; pulverizing a 400-600g subsample to 95% passing -150#; and a 125g split of this sent for assaying. All samples were assayed for %CuT (total copper); %CuS (acid soluble copper). A full QA/QC program, involving insertion of appropriate blanks, standards and duplicates was employed with acceptable results. Pulps and sample rejects are stored by Marimaca Copper for future Laboratory results are loaded directly from digital assay certificates into the database, in order to minimize error sources. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (ie lack of bias) and precision have been established. Samples are prepared at a laboratory site in Copiapo and assayed by Andes Analytical Assay Ltd. (AAA) in Santiago. Samples were prepared using the following standard protocol: drying; crushing all sample to -1/4 and passing through a secondary crusher to better than 80% passing -10#; homogenizing; splitting; pulverizing a 400-600g subsample to 95% passing -150#; and a 125g split of this sent for assaying. All samples were assayed for %CuT (total copper); %CuS (acid soluble copper). A full QA/QC program, involving insertion of appropriate blanks, standards and duplicates was employed with acceptable results. Pulps and sample rejects are stored by Marimaca Copper for future All samples are assayed by AAA for total copper (CuT) and soluble copper (CuS). The latter was initially obtained from a specific CuS test. Laboratory results are loaded directly from digital assay certificates into the database, in order to minimize error sources. The analytical quality control programs implemented at Marimaca involve the use of coarse/preparation and pulp duplicates for precision analyses and standard reference materials (SRM). Marimaca has protocols in place for handling analytical results that exceed acceptable limits, which can ultimately trigger re-assays of entire or portions of sample batches. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. There are no twinned holes in the dataset All logging data was completed, and logging data was entered directly into the deposit database. Laboratory results are loaded directly from digital assay certificates into the database to minimize error sources. Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation. Specification of the grid system used. Quality and adequacy of topographic control. Local contractors carried out the supervision of the drilling operation. An experienced topographer surveyed the collars. WGS84 UTM coordinates are used. Data Well Services carried out the downhole surveys for drill holes. Data collected is considered adequate for eventual use in mineral resource estimation. Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied. Whether sample compositing has been applied. Due to the nature of mineralisation and the type of exploration discovery drilling program the hole spacing is highly variable. Data spacing is not considered sufficient to establish geological and grade continuities for Mineral Resource Estimation at the Inferred and Indicated category. No sample compositing was applied. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type. If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. Drill hole orientation was generally oriented to be sub perpendicular to the mineralisation but variable in places given the nature of the exploration program being conducted Assays are reported on a downhole basis True widths are estimated as 95% of reported downhole intersection widths Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. All drilling assay samples are collected by company personnel or under the direct supervision of company personnel. Samples from Marimaca were initially processed at the project site and shipped directly from the property to a laboratory facility for final preparation, and later, upon their return, to the laboratory for analysis. Appropriately qualified staff at the laboratories collect assay samples. Security protocols implemented maintain the chain of custody of samples to prevent unnoticed contamination or mixing of samples and to make active tampering as difficult as possible. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. It is the Competent Persons opinion that these processes met acceptable industry standards, and that the information can be reported under both JORC and NI43-101 standards and, in the future, be used for geological and resource modelling. Section 2: Reporting of Exploration Results Vancouver, Canada 2025 Stalking and harassment are not simply personal safety issues; they are sustained threats that can erode mental health, destroy careers, and force people into hiding. In an age where personal information is collected, aggregated, and sold through both legitimate and illicit channels, even the smallest public record can be a doorway for determined pursuer. Restrictive court orders, police interventions, and online blocking provide partial barriers at best, but none of them erase the trail of identifiers that make ongoing tracking possible. For those facing relentless pursuit, the most effective long-term solution is complete legal identity rebirth: replacing the documentation, address history, and registry entries that aggressors rely on to locate and target their victims. This transformation is not about evasion or living unlawfully; it is about using existing legal pathways to build a new, private, and defensible life in jurisdictions that respect privacy and confidentiality. Amicus International Consulting, a global leader in legal identity transformation and multi-jurisdictional structuring, has helped clients across six continents escape persistent threats by combining legal name changes, second citizenships, multi-residency structuring, offshore corporate frameworks, and data cleansing protocols. Each plan is uniquely tailored to eliminate exposure points and to give clients the freedom to live and work without fear. The following expanded case studies show how individuals under threat have used lawful documentation changes and jurisdictional strategy to achieve lasting safety. Case Study One: The Teacher Who Was Tracked Across Borders A 41-year-old schoolteacher found herself relentlessly pursued by a former acquaintance who exploited social media, public property records, and professional directories to track her movements across three countries. Restraining orders in her home jurisdiction slowed but did not stop the harassment. The transformation began with a name change in a jurisdiction that allows sealed records, ensuring no publication in court bulletins or searchable databases. St. Kitts and Nevis was chosen for its confidential citizenship-by-investment program. A USD 150,000 contribution to the Sustainable Growth Fund provided a new passport under a different nationality, enabling fresh travel and residency applications without a link to her prior name. Primary relocation was to Uruguay, where foreign residents are not listed in public registries. Secondary residencies in Panama and Mauritius offered fallback relocation options. Her income from online teaching was routed through a Belize-registered company, replacing her name in all contractual and payment documentation. A carefully curated social media presence was created under her corporate brand, avoiding personal identifiers, and all leases and utilities were signed under the company name. Within 18 months, her harasser lost all means of contact. Case Study Two: The Journalist Targeted by State and Non-State Actors An investigative journalist covering government corruption received coordinated threats from anonymous accounts and pressure through legal intimidation. Her details were widely available online, and her movements were easily tracked. Amicus arranged for her to obtain Antigua and Barbuda citizenship via a USD 100,000 National Development Fund donation. She then established residencies in countries without extradition agreements for politically motivated cases. All future work was published under a pen name, and all payments were routed through a Seychelles-based media consulting company. This not only protected her identity but also allowed her to maintain her journalistic independence without fear of retaliation. Case Study Three: The Executives Family Under Siege Following a corporate dispute, a senior executives family endured harassment through anonymous deliveries, phone calls, and online exposure. Amicus secured Dominica citizenship for the entire family, allowing them to travel under new passports. Residencies were obtained in Uruguay and Mauritius, and family assets were transferred into trusts and holding companies in Nevis and Mauritius to protect both financial privacy and physical safety. All household leases were executed through corporate entities to remove their names from public property and utility records. Case Study Four: The Digital Creators Relocation Without a Trace A prominent content creators stalker tracked her via posted travel updates and local registry entries. She engaged Amicus to restructure her identity and business presence completely. She began with a legal name change in a sealed jurisdiction, followed by Grenada citizenship through a USD 200,000 real estate investment. Her business operations were re-registered under Belize and Seychelles corporate entities, and she relocated to a rotating schedule of jurisdictions with non-public residency records, ensuring her physical location was unpredictable and legally secure. Case Study Five: The Tech Entrepreneur Under Competitor Surveillance A software entrepreneur discovered a rival had hired investigators to map his travel, property, and business connections in an attempt to undermine contracts. Amicus recommended St. Lucia citizenship via a refundable USD 500,000 government bond. The client adopted layered residencies in Panama, Uruguay, and select Caribbean jurisdictions. His intellectual property and licensing agreements were moved into a Nevis LLC, ensuring that any legal or investigative request for ownership information would require navigating multiple privacy-protective jurisdictions. Case Study Six: The Academic Leaving an Abusive Relationship A university professor fled a long-term abusive relationship but was still tracked through professional directories and academic networks. She obtained Dominica citizenship to secure new travel credentials, transitioned her academic work into a private consultancy registered offshore, and secured residencies in Mauritius and Uruguay. Amicus also facilitated the removal of her personal information from legacy professional and scholarly databases, cutting off her abusers ability to locate her through her career. Jurisdictions Offering Strong Privacy for Identity Rebirth St. Kitts and Nevis provides confidential CBI processing, no public citizenship registry, and globally recognized corporate secrecy. Dominica offers economic citizenship without public disclosure and solid visa-free travel access. Antigua and Barbuda is cost-effective, family-friendly, and avoids public residency lists. Grenada combines confidential processing with E-2 visa eligibility for the US. St. Lucia offers multiple investment options and sealed citizenship data. Uruguay does not list foreign residents in public records and maintains political stability. Panama allows property ownership through structures that keep personal names out of registries. Mauritius offers strong banking confidentiality and limited public registry access. Nevis and Belize provide corporate structures without public beneficial owner data, while Seychelles maintains strict corporate register confidentiality. Financial Security and Return on Investment Real estate purchased through offshore companies in secure markets yields 3 to 6 percent annually while keeping ownership private. Government bonds in CBI programs preserve capital with guaranteed redemption. Corporate entities separate personal identity from business operations, making harassment or litigation targeting the individual far more difficult. Trust structures in Nevis or Mauritius protect wealth from seizure or unwanted claims. A Twelve-Month Roadmap to Legal Identity Rebirth Months 12: Conduct a complete privacy and exposure audit, select target jurisdictions for citizenship and residency, and begin removing personal information from public databases. Months 35: Submit CBI application, incorporate offshore companies, initiate asset transfers into privacy structures, and set up interim relocation arrangements. Month 6: Receive citizenship approval, obtain a new passport, and open bank accounts in multiple jurisdictions. Months 79: Secure primary and secondary residencies, relocate to the primary safe jurisdiction, and transition income streams to offshore accounts and corporate structures. Months 1012: Fully integrate the new identity into all professional and personal activities, rebuild any required public presence under corporate brands, and implement ongoing monitoring to prevent new exposures. Common Mistakes When Attempting to Escape Harassment Choosing a jurisdiction that mandates public announcements for name changes can undo the entire privacy effort. Retaining assets or active accounts in high-risk home jurisdictions leaves a trail for aggressors to follow. Using old email addresses or phone numbers creates a direct link between the past and present identity. Posting identifiable details online, even in closed networks, can give away locations or schedules to persistent trackers. The Future of Legal Identity: Rebirth for Safety As digital stalking and harassment increasingly transcend borders, traditional single-jurisdiction protections will not be enough. Multi-layered, multi-jurisdictional strategies will be the gold standard for personal safety. Jurisdictions that combine robust privacy laws, flexible residency and citizenship pathways, and political neutrality will be critical for those needing to rebuild their lives without leaving a trace. Amicus International Consulting continues to develop bespoke identity rebirth strategies for clients worldwide. Each plan integrates citizenship, residency, corporate, and asset protection elements into a single cohesive framework. This ensures that once a client leaves the public record, they remain free from unwanted attention legally, securely, and permanently. Contact Information Phone: +1 (604) 200-5402 Email: [email protected] Website: www.amicusint.ca Photo: Pixabay Canada is considering supporting the production of long-range drones in Ukraine, Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said. "I have had a meeting with the Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine Natalka Cmoc. We focused on developing cooperation in the defense industry. Canada is already participating in the Danish model - an extremely effective mechanism for supporting Ukraine. We discussed new initiatives that will strengthen Ukrainian soldiers," he wrote on his Telegram channel on Friday. Shmyhal said that Canada is preparing a contribution to the PURL initiative, which helps Ukraine obtain weapons and technology from the United States. The possibility of supporting the production of Ukrainian long-range drones, which have already demonstrated high efficiency, is also being considered. "I separately presented to the Canadian side the Defence City mechanism - a special legal regime for the development of the defence ecosystem in Ukraine. Together with Canada, we are strengthening Ukraine's defence capability and building the foundation for a long-term and sustainable peace," he noted. Vancouver, Canada 2025 In the modern financial landscape, cryptocurrency investors face an evolving paradox. While blockchain technologies promise decentralization and pseudonymity, the global regulatory environment has been moving in the opposite direction. Governments have tightened identification requirements for exchanges, mandated reporting for large transactions, and introduced legislation to merge financial data with travel, telecommunications, and tax records. For investors who value privacy and personal security, the concept of holding digital assets anonymously has been eroded by expansive surveillance regimes that monitor movement, spending, and even online behavior. One crypto investor, operating entirely within the boundaries of international law, decided to take a different route. By combining legal identity transformation with multi-jurisdictional structuring, he effectively disconnected himself from the systems that linked his financial activity to surveillance-heavy states. His journey illustrates how lawful, strategically planned moves across borders can restore personal privacy while allowing continued access to global markets. The investors transformation was not about evading tax obligations or concealing illicit activity. Every step was conducted in compliance with the laws of the jurisdictions involved. The objective was to eliminate unnecessary exposure to governments that not only monitor financial transactions but also integrate that data with other surveillance programs, including border control analytics, property registries, and facial recognition networks. The Trigger: Regulatory Overreach in a Primary Jurisdiction The investors original home country had been a relatively benign environment for cryptocurrency holders. Early regulation was light, exchanges operated with minimal oversight, and private wallets were largely unmonitored. But over three years, the government adopted a suite of measures that changed everything. Mandatory real-name verification for all exchanges became standard. Any transfer over a certain threshold required not only disclosure to the tax authority but also reporting to the central bank. Cross-referencing agreements between the financial regulator, immigration services, and national security agencies meant that international transfers could trigger secondary screening at airports. It was the final measure, a new digital asset reporting framework requiring monthly disclosure of wallet balances and transaction history, that pushed the investor to seek a more privacy-conscious framework. Step One: Jurisdictional Risk Audit Amicus International Consulting conducted a full jurisdictional audit for the investor. The process involved mapping every country where he held assets, transacted in crypto, or maintained residency status. Each jurisdiction was assessed on four primary criteria: The extent of crypto-specific regulation and whether personal wallet reporting was mandatory. The integration of financial data with national security or law enforcement databases. The existence of agreements to share individual financial data with foreign governments. Privacy protections for residents and citizens under constitutional or statutory law. From the audit, five jurisdictions were identified as high-risk due to aggressive financial surveillance, three were moderate-risk, and six were low-risk with strong privacy laws. Step Two: Citizenship-by-Investment as a Privacy Foundation The investor selected St. Kitts and Nevis for a second citizenship, making a USD 150,000 contribution to the Sustainable Growth Fund. This jurisdiction was chosen for its confidentiality in processing citizenship applications and its lack of mandatory public disclosure for new citizens. With a St. Kitts and Nevis passport, the investor gained visa-free access to over 150 countries, enabling him to travel and transact without relying on the passport of his original surveillance-heavy jurisdiction. This also created a legal pathway for residency in countries more favorable to crypto privacy. Step Three: Layered Residency Acquisition The strategy required multiple residencies to ensure mobility and operational flexibility. The investor secured residencies in: Uruguay : No public residency listing and no mandatory crypto asset reporting. : No public residency listing and no mandatory crypto asset reporting. Panama : Friendly Nations Visa, minimal property ownership disclosure, and strong corporate privacy. : Friendly Nations Visa, minimal property ownership disclosure, and strong corporate privacy. Mauritius : A growing fintech hub with robust financial confidentiality laws. : A growing fintech hub with robust financial confidentiality laws. Portugal: Residency via investment in a tech-focused fund, chosen for its emerging status as a crypto-friendly jurisdiction with limited surveillance. Residencies were staggered to meet minimum stay requirements without creating tax residency in more than one jurisdiction at a time. Step Four: Corporate Structuring for Digital Asset Management To separate personal identity from crypto transactions, the investor incorporated two entities: A Belize International Business Company (IBC) to hold and manage his primary crypto wallets. Belize does not maintain a publicly accessible register of beneficial owners, and corporate records are not searchable without a court order. to hold and manage his primary crypto wallets. Belize does not maintain a publicly accessible register of beneficial owners, and corporate records are not searchable without a court order. A Nevis LLC to act as an asset protection vehicle and contractual counterparty for institutional trades and investments in blockchain startups. Nevis law offers strong protections against foreign judgments and disclosure orders. Both entities maintained multi-currency accounts in jurisdictions with stable banking systems and strong privacy protections, including Switzerland and Singapore. Step Five: Exchange Access Without Exposure Using his offshore corporate entities, the investor opened institutional trading accounts with exchanges in jurisdictions that had not implemented full travel rule compliance for corporate accounts. This allowed him to continue trading at high volumes without linking his personal passport or home address to each transaction. All accounts operated under full KYC for the corporations, ensuring compliance, but keeping personal identifiers outside transactional metadata. Cold storage for long-term holdings was managed through geographically dispersed vault facilities in Liechtenstein, Singapore, and the Cayman Islands. This arrangement ensured that even if one jurisdiction altered its privacy laws, the majority of holdings remained insulated. Step Six: Digital Privacy Integration Financial privacy alone would not be sufficient if the investors online presence could be mapped back to his new structure. Amicus integrated digital hygiene measures into the plan: Dedicated devices for all financial and exchange access, stored in secure jurisdictions when not in use. Encrypted communication channels hosted in neutral countries. Domain registrations for blockchain-related projects are conducted through offshore entities. Removal of personal identifiers from public social media and forums related to crypto investment. Case Study Two: The Privacy-Minded Miner A second case involved a crypto miner in Eastern Europe who faced asset seizure threats after government agencies began targeting large-scale mining operations. Amicus relocated its mining equipment to a leased facility in Paraguay under a corporate structure registered in Seychelles. He obtained Grenadian citizenship, allowing him to travel without using his original passport, and banked his mining revenue in Mauritius under a corporate account. His name no longer appeared in connection with the mining operation in any public registry. Case Study Three: The DeFi Founder Under Regulatory Pressure A decentralized finance platform founder in Asia saw increased scrutiny from domestic regulators who linked his accounts to platform operations. By obtaining citizenship in Dominica, relocating to Panama, and transferring intellectual property ownership to a Cayman Islands foundation, he disconnected his identity from the operational structure. All licensing and platform agreements now list the foundation as the contracting entity. Case Study Four: The Early Adopter Targeted by Data Breach An early crypto investors data was leaked during a high-profile exchange breach. He faced phishing attempts, hacking attempts, and unwanted attention from both scammers and opportunistic tax auditors. Amicus secured St. Lucia citizenship, relocated him to Uruguay, and shifted his holdings into trusts administered in Nevis. His exchange access now operates through a Belize IBC, and all public references to his name in connection with crypto holdings have been legally and procedurally removed. Jurisdictions Providing Strong Privacy for Crypto Investors St. Kitts and Nevis: Confidential CBI program, asset protection trusts, and LLCs with strong privacy laws. Grenada: Citizenship with no public disclosure, access to US E-2 visa, and no crypto-specific reporting requirements. Dominica: Discreet economic citizenship process, political neutrality, and favorable tax regime. St. Lucia: Multiple CBI investment options, sealed citizenship data, and no capital gains tax on crypto. Belize: IBC structures with no public ownership registry, straightforward banking setup. Nevis: Premier jurisdiction for asset protection and corporate privacy. Uruguay: No public residency listings, crypto-friendly tax rules. Panama: Strong corporate secrecy, minimal reporting requirements, and strategic geographic position. Mauritius: Banking confidentiality, growing blockchain sector, and investor-friendly policies. Asset Protection and ROI for Privacy Structures Corporate vehicles not only provide privacy but also enable more favorable trading and tax positions. Offshore holding companies can invest in crypto-related ventures globally without triggering domestic reporting in high-surveillance states. Real estate investments through CBI programs can yield stable rental income in addition to providing a residency foothold. Trust structures protect digital assets from seizure, creditors, and litigation. By placing 70 percent of his holdings into a Nevis-administered trust and 30 percent into a Belize IBC for active trading, the primary investor ensured that no single jurisdiction held both identity and asset control. The Twelve-Month Transition Timeline Months 12: Complete jurisdictional audit, select citizenship program, incorporate initial corporate structure. Months 35: Submit CBI application, open preliminary offshore accounts, begin migration of holdings into new structures. Month 6: Obtain new citizenship, relocate to primary residency jurisdiction, and establish secure communications and devices. Months 79: Expand residency portfolio, finalize asset transfers, open institutional exchange accounts. Months 1012: Remove residual personal data from legacy jurisdictions, implement ongoing monitoring, and refine operational security protocols. Common Mistakes Crypto Investors Make When Seeking Privacy Failing to separate personal identity from corporate trading structures is the most common error, leaving individuals exposed to surveillance through exchange KYC processes. Choosing a citizenship or residency jurisdiction without examining its information-sharing agreements can undermine privacy from the start. Using personal devices and networks for sensitive transactions can leak metadata that links accounts to physical locations. Retaining holdings on exchanges in surveillance-heavy jurisdictions creates unnecessary exposure. The Future for Privacy-Driven Crypto Investors As governments expand cross-border financial monitoring agreements and integrate blockchain analytics into surveillance programs, crypto investors who value privacy will need to adopt multi-jurisdictional strategies. The future belongs to those who understand that blockchain pseudonymity is not enough; true financial privacy comes from aligning citizenship, residency, and corporate structures in a way that prevents unnecessary exposure while remaining fully compliant with the law. Amicus International Consulting continues to design tailored frameworks for cryptocurrency investors seeking to disconnect from surveillance states legally. Each solution blends privacy-focused jurisdictions, offshore structuring, and operational security, ensuring that clients can hold, trade, and invest in digital assets without compromising their freedom or safety. Contact Information Phone: +1 (604) 200-5402 Email: [email protected] Website: www.amicusint.ca A majority of Americans surveyed ahead of Donald Trump's meeting with Putin do not trust the US president's ability to make wise decisions regarding the war in Ukraine. According to Politico, the results of a Pew Research Center survey show that almost 60% are "not very confident" or "not at all confident" that Trump can make "wise decisions" regarding the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. Democrats expressed significantly less confidence in the president's decision-making abilities than Republicans. However, it is noted that Trump has also lost trust among Republicans: 73% are "somewhat" or "very confident" in Trump's ability to handle the war, compared to 81% in July 2024. Americans are evenly divided on whether the US should help Ukraine defend itself in the war. Moreover, Democrats were much more likely to support US aid to Ukraine. But fewer than one in three Americans see the war as a serious threat to U.S. interests, a sharp drop from 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion. Americans are now less likely than in March to say that Trump is too supportive of Russia in the war. The shift comes after the U.S. president has shifted his public stance on the war in recent months and become more critical of Russia. The poll was conducted online and by phone from Aug. 4 to 10 among a random sample of 3,554 adults. The margin of error is approximately 1.8 percentage points. Thursday, August 14, 2025 - A Nairobi-based lawyer has died after reportedly being drugged and robbed by a woman believed to be of Kikuyu origin along Lumumba Drive in Roysambu. According to preliminary reports, the victim had been in the company of the suspect, only identified as Msoo, before falling unconscious under suspicious circumstances. It is alleged that the woman spiked his drink, stole his valuables, and fled the scene. CCTV footage from the area shows the suspect hastily leaving the premises moments after the incident. Witnesses say the lawyer was later found unresponsive and rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The suspect has since fled from the estate and switched off her phone as police launch a manhunt, following the tragic incident. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, August 14, 2025 - A ruthless masked gangs reign of terror in Garissa has hit a wall after Law Enforcement Officers smoked out a 37-year-old woman, Mumeni Nguma, linked to a violent armed robbery, and recovered a Glock 17 pistol ripped from the victim. On the night of August 5th, 2025, the victim, a licensed firearm holder, was heading home from a mosque in Bulla Buris when three masked thugs pounced. One had an AK-47, another a pistol, the third a rungu. A vicious blow to the head sent him crashing to the ground unconscious. When he regained consciousness moments later, his Glock 17 pistol and some cash were gone. Investigations were swiftly initiated, and forensic trails led officers straight to the suspects hideout in Madogo. Cornered and under pressure, she guided officers to her house in Bula Kartasi. A search of the house turned up a trove of incriminating evidence, including: a Glock 17 loaded with 17 live rounds, a pistol holster, a military smoke jacket, a service-colour belt, 11 passports of different people, among other items. The suspect is now in custody, undergoing processing, pending arraignment, as officers close in on the rest of the gang still on the run. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, August 14, 2025 - Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has announced that he has cut short his month-long tour of the United States of America to focus on the upcoming by-elections. Taking to his X account, Gachagua informed his supporters that he was unable to visit the remaining scheduled states as planned. I regret being unable to visit the scheduled remaining States since I need to get back home to join our party in preparation for the upcoming by-elections in various parts of our country, Gachagua said. I am sorry to cut my trip short; my profound apologies to the organizers and Kenyans whom I were to meet; the same has been rescheduled to early next year, he added. Gachagua is set to host an exclusive farewell dinner in Tewksbury, Massachusetts alongside his wife, Pastor Dorcas, as he plans to return to the country. The dinner is scheduled for August 17 and each guest has to part with Ksh 12, 900. Details of the dinner were shared on DCP party social media handles, sparking mixed reactions online. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, August 14, 2025 - Pumwani Maternity Hospital has been ordered to pay Ksh7.5 million in compensation to a woman whose childbirth ordeal ended in the loss of her baby and the non-consensual removal of her uterus. In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, Justice Lawrence Mugambi found that nurses and doctors acted with gross negligence during the womans 2019 delivery, delaying critical emergency treatment for over 11 hours despite clear signs of distress. The patient, identified as LL in court documents, left her Nairobi slum home at 7am on October 19th, 2019, in severe pain. At Pumwani, she was assured of immediate theatre admission. Instead, she was repeatedly examined but left untreated until 3pm, when her water broke - still with no intervention. She was finally taken to the theatre at 9pm. Her baby was stillborn. The next day, she was informed her uterus had been removed-without her consent. The court heard that staff placed both the deceased infant and the excised organ in a basin under her bed. Justice Mugambi ruled that the hospitals conduct violated her constitutional rights to the highest attainable standard of healthcare, dignity, and freedom from psychological torture. The court found the negligence caused permanent loss of reproductive ability, severe emotional distress, and lasting stigma. A declaration is hereby issued that the mishandling and deliberate neglect violated Article 43(1)(a) of the Constitution, the judge stated. The ruling has sparked outrage online, with other patients sharing similar claims of negligence at Pumwani, a Nairobi County facility that handles up to 100 normal births and 15 Caesarean deliveries daily. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, August 14, 2025 - Kasarani-based preacher, Pastor Grace Mwende of the Mountain of Hope Chapel, has come out to defend her controversial relationship with a 22-year-old University of Nairobi student, despite public outcry from the young mans mother. The distraught mother recently went public, claiming that her son had abandoned his law degree studies after moving in with the 43-year-old pastor. She accused Pastor Mwende of luring the young man into a romantic relationship that has now caused him to abandon his studies. However, speaking to a local blogger, Pastor Mwende insisted that their relationship is based on mutual love and respect, not manipulation. She claimed that the campus student was the first to make the move. I have finally fallen deeply in love with him, and things are going well for us, she said. The mother says her attempts to convince her son to return to school were met with a warning to stay out of his private life. She is now threatening to disown her son. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, August 14, 2025 - Drama unfolded in Ruiru after a distraught Kenyan woman camped outside her baby daddys residence with their young daughter, accusing him of neglect while living a life of luxury. In the videos, the woman is seen showing her daughters unkempt hair as she calls out the man, claiming he splurges Ksh 160,000 per night on lavish hotel vacations while they are homeless and struggling to survive. Look at her hair, yet her father spends Ksh 160,000 per night on vacations, she ranted. She further alleged that her house had been locked due to rent arrears while the father of her child lives large. In her frustration, she declared she was ready to hand over the child to him. Despite her pleas, the man reportedly refused to open the gate, leaving her camped outside his residence. Watch the videos Kenyan lady camps outside her deadbeat baby daddys residence with their daughter - Laments he spends Ksh 160,000 a night on hotel vacations while they are homeless pic.twitter.com/qQfU92fd2W DAILY POST (@dailypost_ke) August 14, 2025 The Kenyan DAILY POST Macron and Zelenskyy agree to meet after Alaska summit - media French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have agreed to meet after the summit in Alaska following their conversation, the Elysee Palace told BFMTV. "President Macron and President Zelensky have agreed to meet at a time convenient to them after Alaska," the Elysee Palace said. However, Macron did not give a date or location for the meeting. Thursday, August 14, 2025 - Renowned city lawyer, Steve Ogolla, appears to have moved on from his highly publicized breakup with Cebbie Koks, the younger sister of popular Kenyan musician, Akothee. The flamboyant lawyer, known for his polished style and sharp legal mind, was recently spotted enjoying a lavish vacation in the company of a stunning new beauty. Photos circulating on social media show the two all smiles, soaking up the sun at an exclusive resort. Dressed casually and looking relaxed, Ogolla seemed completely at ease, fueling talk that he has found love again. The gorgeous lady in question is Ivy Balone, an aspiring model who once contested for Miss Tourism Homa Bay County in 2021. Ogollas previous relationship with Cebbie Koks was the subject of intense public scrutiny, often making headlines due to their high-profile status. The couple eventually went their separate ways, citing personal differences. Below are photos of his new catch. Thursday, August 14, 2025 - Tension gripped a public gathering in Uasin Gishu after Governor Jonathan Bii, popularly known as Koti Moja, suddenly collapsed during the event. The incident occurred as a Bishop was leading the crowd in prayer, forcing him to abruptly stop. Witnesses say the Governor appeared to lose his balance before aides and security personnel sprang into action, quickly helping him to his feet. Governor Bii was promptly escorted to a waiting vehicle and rushed to a nearby medical facility for urgent treatment. The incident has since sparked an outpouring of concern and speculation online, with many Kenyans sending messages of support and prayers for his swift recovery. Watch the video. Uasin Gishu Gavana Jonathan Bii collapsed at a function maombi ikiendelea. Wishing him a quick recovery and healing pic.twitter.com/LGNmoRo7nU Abdulahi Adan (@AbdulahiAdan10) August 13, 2025 The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, August 14, 2025 - A somber mood has engulfed Gatundu after a woman, reportedly battling depression, took her own life and that of her young son by plunging into a river. According to family members, the woman had been reported missing before her lifeless body was retrieved downstream. While her body was recovered, her young son was swept further away, and his body is yet to be found. Search and rescue operations involving divers, local volunteers, and authorities are still ongoing, with hopes of retrieving him. This tragedy comes amid rising cases of suicide in the country. Local authorities and mental health advocates are urging Kenyans to seek counseling and emotional support, stressing the need for community awareness to prevent similar tragedies. Video LINK 1>>>> Video LINK 2>>>> The Kenyan DAILY POST BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China has for some time been in close communication with India to promote the early resumption of direct flights between the two countries, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday. Lin made the remarks when answering a query concerning the report saying that India and China are set to resume direct flight connections as soon as next month, and Airlines in India have been asked by the Indian government to prepare flights to China at short notice. Lin said the total population of China and India combined is over 2.8 billion. Resuming direct flights between the Chinese mainland and India helps facilitate cross-border travel, exchanges and cooperation, he added. When asked to comment on the positive momentum of China-India relations, as well as the two countries' cooperation on the global stage, Lin said a cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant as partners helping each other succeed is the right choice for the two sides since they are both major developing countries and important members of the Global South. Lin said China stands ready to work with India to act on the important common understandings reached between leaders of the two countries, consistently increase political mutual trust, expand exchanges and cooperation together, properly handle differences while bearing in mind the bigger picture, and strengthen coordination and cooperation on such multilateral platforms as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, with a view to promoting the sound and steady development of China-India relations. Trump takes off for Alaska summit with Putin US President Donald Trump has departed Washington and is flying to Anchorage, Alaska, for a summit with Vladimir Putin. According to the White House press office, the flight was expected to depart at 6:45 a.m. local time (1:45 p.m. ET), but the plane left Washington later. The president is scheduled to arrive back early Saturday morning, August 16, at 4:35 a.m. (11:35 a.m. ET). The meeting between Trump and Putin will take place at Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base in Anchorage. 1 of 1 On Independence Day, Prakriti Research Society Reaffirms Its Commitment to Nature Conservation khaskhabar.com : Fri, 15 Aug 2025 3:57 PM Udaipur. The Prakriti Research Society, Udaipur, marked Independence Day with patriotic fervor, dignity, and a deep commitment to environmental protection. The celebrations began with the hoisting of the National Flag by Founder and Chairman Prof. P. R. Vyas, followed by the singing of the National Anthem. Chief Guests Address: Chief Guest Prof. I. V. Trivedi (Former Vice-Chancellor, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur) lauded the Societys efforts, stating, On Independence Day, the greatest service to the nation is to rise above oneself and work for the betterment of society. He congratulated Prof. Vyas and his team for connecting environmentalists from 28 states of India and neighbouring countries, calling it an exemplary benchmark in sustainable development. Honouring the Elders: The Society honoured senior citizens for their wisdom and contributions: Mothers: Mrs. Champa Devi Bohra (101), Mrs. Lahar Devi Chandalya (91), Mrs. Shiva Devi Kawadiya (87) Fathers: Mr. Jeevan Ji Kataria (83), Mr. Rameshwar Lal Dhenwal (82), Mr. Hiralal Ji Jawariya (80) Presidential Remarks : In his address, Prof. P. R. Vyas expressed concern over rising pollution of water, air, and soil, noting that while development has accelerated since Independence, from a natural perspective, we have lost much. He urged collective action for environmental protection to ensure a secure future for coming generations. The event, conducted by Secretary Mr. H. L. Vyas, concluded with a vote of thanks by Spokesperson Mr. Kamlesh Shrimali, who expressed gratitude to dignitaries and participants for their support. US with Europe can provide security guarantees to Ukraine, but not in NATO format - Trump The United States, together with Europe and other countries, can provide security guarantees to Ukraine, but not in a NATO format, US President Donald Trump has said. "The possibility of the United States providing security guarantees to Ukraine. Maybe with Europe and other countries. Not in a NATO format, because that's not going to happen, you know, there are certain things that are not going to happen. But yes, with Europe, that's a possibility," Trump said while talking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday. At the same time, he added that during today's meeting in Alaska, territorial exchanges will be discussed, but Trump "should let Ukraine make that decision." "And I think they will make the right decision. But I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to bring them to the negotiating table," Trump said. According to him, if he were not president, Putin would have seized all of Ukraine right now. "But he (Putin - IF-U) will not do it," the US president said. He also commented on the Russian shelling of Ukraine, saying that Putin is trying to "create conditions that he thinks will help him make a better deal." However, Trump stressed that the shelling of Ukraine is hurting Putin. "But in his opinion, it will help him make a better deal if they (Russia - IF-U) can keep killing. Maybe it's part of the world, maybe it's just his character, his genes, his genetics. But he thinks it makes him stronger in negotiations. I think it hurts him, but I'll talk to him about it later," Trump said. In addition, the US president stressed that Russia will face serious economic consequences if he feels that Putin is not interested. HE is a man who has made a difference. Not just in relation to his teaching role but also as regards the Athy community which he joined in 1977 as a young inexperienced teacher. Richard Daly joined the Technical School on the Carlow Road, then under the principalship of John J Doyle, as an English and Mathematics teacher. Having graduated from University College Cork, he joined the many other graduates who sought employment in the Irish Vocational Education system which was then controlled by county councils. It was a time when applicants for teaching positions had to travel the counties canvassing support from county councillors who voted on teacher appointments. It must have been a demeaning exercise undertaken by young men and women of that time. Since the removal of responsibility for vocational education from county councils to training boards, teacher appointments are made strictly on merit. The Vocational School on the Carlow Road was opened in 1939 and it replaced the part-time school which was located in what older readers will remember as the Catholic Young Mens Society building on the corner of Stanhope Street and Stanhope Place. TC Walsh was principal of the Carlow Road school when it opened and he remained the principal for the following ten years. Nicholas Walsh was the principal in 1976 before transferring to Castledermot and John J Doyle was principal for the following seventeen years. The young Richard Daly, who came from County Tipperary to join the vocational school staff seventeen years earlier and who held the vice-principalship from 1987, was then appointed principal. Richard, who will retire on the 1 September, has been the longest serving principal of the Athy School having served in that position for 32 years. In that time he has overseen huge changes. Plans for the stand-alone school were approved by the Department of Education in 1999, but delays prompted the principal, Richard Daly, to arrange six years later for a well-publicised class to be taught in the ten-acre field which was intended as the site of the new school. The principal took the class himself and expressed the hope that the government would take notice of how the Athy Vocational School had been neglected by successive government ministers. In February 2008 the now unhappyp principal approached Derek Mooney of R.T.E. regarding the delay in building the long-promised new school. The subsequent publicity on Mooneys R.T.E. programme appears to have had an effect. Two years later the new school was officially opened by the Minister for Education, Mary Coughlan. Athy College, as the new school is now called, had pupil numbers of approximately 100 when it opened. Today it has in or about 700 pupils and approximately 80 staff. An extension to the school to accommodate an additional 200 pupils has been approved by the Department of Education. The Athy College, under the guidance and leadership of Richard Daly, now caters for thirty-three different nationalities. It is a secular school where pupils, regardless of income, nationality or religion, can obtain a first-class education. Athy College has been welcoming students and teachers from Japan since January 2016. This unique relationship between Athy College and Japanese schools is due in large measure to Richard Daly who throughout his principalship has displayed enormous initiative and courage to advance his schools standing. During his principalship, Richard Daly has extended the reach of the school far beyond that of the school pupils to the general public of Athy. Athy Film Society, organised by Claudia Reeves, holds regular film nights in the school theatre, thanks to the foresight of Richard Daly. Richard is particularly proud, and rightly so, of the part he and his team of volunteers play in the annual Darkness into Light event which is held in May each year to raise funds for Pieta House. Richard started this event ten years ago having failed, due to personal circumstances, to attend the Naas Darkness into Light event which he had done for years previously. Richard has the same team with him for the annual walk which include Pat Byrne, Tom Kelly, Jimmy Byrne, Sean OMahony, Frank Dobbyn and Patricia Berry. Sadly another valued member of the Darkness into Light team, Diarmaid Flynn, died in January 2024. I had quite forgotten until I did some research that Richard was a county councillor and an Athy Urban District councillor from 2004 to 2014. His political career started when with others he founded Young Fine Gael. He was elected as the first president of that association and for two years was a member of the Fine Gael National Executive. He has long stepped aside from active involvement in national politics but still retains friendships and contacts with many of the political leaders of the past. Involved in Athys community initiatives over the years, Richard firmly believes that as school principal it is part of his responsibility to be active in the town affairs. Its an involvement he intends to continue. Richard formally retires on the 1 September and on his retirement he will be remembered as the most energetic and innovative principal of a school which won the Trinity College 21st Century School of Distinction Award in 2018 and again in 2020. Many Athy College pupils have become pioneers in education and society. From music to media, academia to agriculture, many Athy College pupils of the past have won national acclaim. The Tipperary man, with a ready smile which so easily becomes a hearty laugh, is wished a long and happy retirement. I was delighted to see and hear on Facebook the twenty or so members of Athy's Comhaltas playing on the main gig rig at Wexford Fleadh Cheoil. Their appearance was a wonderful tribute to Jim Kelly and others who are providing teaching lessons for many young people interested in Irish music. Eva Osborne Dun Laoghaire in Dublin is expected to see the country's first floating sauna next year. The pontoon will be located at the harbour and will include a plunge pool and changing facilities after an appeal for bidders from the local council. Speaking on Newstalk, Mikolaj Piotrowski from Helios Sauna said they beat dozens of others to win the tender to operate the facility. "People will be able to come down the steps in Dun Laoghaire harbour and step onto a pontoon and then enter the floating sauna," he said. "So yeah, it'll be fully on the water. It's like a mini boat." Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) has welcomed Common Threads, an exhibition showcasing the intricate and expressive work of artists from Feltmakers Ireland and The Quilters Guild of Ireland, to DCCIs National Design & Craft Gallery, Castle Yard, Kilkenny. Open to visitors from Thursday, August 7 to Saturday, November 1, Common Threads is a contemporary textile exhibition that delves into the theme of connection through fibre and form. Offering visitors a rich sensory experience that celebrates both innovation and heritage in Irish textile art, this exhibition is the 2025 edition of the Made Local GANS (Guilds, Associations, Networks and Societies) exhibition series which runs annually. This series showcases the work of DCCI member organisations and seeks to increase awareness of the Made Local campaign, which celebrates and promotes an appreciation of Irish-made products and supports the growth of Irelands sustainable design and craft industry. Were looking forward to presenting Common Threads at the National Design and Craft Gallery and celebrating the rich textile heritage and contemporary creativity that defines Irelands craft community, says Mary Blanchfield, CEO of DCCI. TAP HERE FOR MORE KILKENNY ARTS NEWS This exhibition reflects the dedication, skill, and artistic expression of Feltmakers Ireland and The Quiltmakers Guild of Ireland, two of our member organisations or GANS (Guilds, Associations, Networks and Societies). Supporting and showcasing the work of these groups is a key part of DCCIs strategy as they have a vital role in strengthening the craft sector and deepen public engagement with Irish design and making. As part of DCCIs ongoing commitment to championing design across Ireland as well as leading and demonstrating sustainability, Common Threads highlights how traditional textile practices continue to evolve in response to contemporary cultural and environmental themes, while fostering connection, community, and conscious creativity. Sarah Ross, curator, said: Common Threads brings together two vibrant communities of makers whose work is deeply rooted in tradition, yet unmistakably contemporary. This exhibition celebrates the tactile and expressive power of felt and quiltmaking, inviting audiences to explore themes of identity, storytelling, and connection through textile art. Its been a privilege to curate such beautiful work and showcase their exceptional craftsmanship in one space. Visitors are invited to experience Common Threads at the National Design & Craft Gallery, where the work of felt and quiltmakers is celebrated. Five Kilkenny hospitality employers have made the cut to be named amongst Irelands Best Workplaces in Hospitality in 2025. Newpark Hotel Kilkenny, Pembroke Kilkenny and Mount Juliet Estate are listed alongside the iNUA Hotel Collection (Kilkenny Hibernian Hotel) and PREM Group (Hoban Hotel Kilkenny). For Newpark Hotel Kilkenny, the honour comes as the hotel recently marked a milestone of over 1,000 years of combined staff service, recognising the loyalty and dedication of its long-serving team. Mary ONeill, People & Culture Manager at Newpark Hotel, said people are the heart of everything we do. These awards are a reflection of the culture weve built - and most importantly, the people who make Newpark such a special place to work, she added. Irelands Best Workplaces in Hospitality, compiled by Great Place to Work Ireland, celebrates hotels dedicated to the innovative, customer focused, high performing, and forward-thinking cultures developed by hotels within Ireland's dynamic hospitality industry. SEE ALSO: 'Its just totally unacceptable' - Kilkenny cemetery back in the headlines Based on extensive employee feedback, with over 8,000 hospitality employees invited to participate in the survey over the past year, this recognition highlights the organisations paving the way for a more supportive and sustainable future for hospitality in Ireland. In an industry renowned for its demanding pace and intense customer focus, these organisations demonstrate how prioritising employee wellbeing directly enhances the guest experience. By championing staff development, equitable rewards, and a culture of trust and appreciation, they foster workplaces where employees take pride in delivering memorable service securing a powerful competitive advantage and driving long-term growth. DON'T MISS: 'I cant please everyone' - celebrity Kilkenny chef opens up The aim is to highlight employers who are committed to creating an outstanding work environment. Using the global standard Best Workplaces methodology as its basis, this recognition for these five Kilkenny employers will serve as a key differentiator to highlight these organisations as employers of choice in an increasingly competitive talent market. FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE 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'. FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE An American tourists journey from Dublin to Kilkenny took a nightmare turn recently when their car broke down, according to another driver, in the middle lane of the busy N7 at the Red Cow. The passing motorist (who shared the video that is screenshotted above) immediately spotted the tourists predicament, and pulled over to help her move the car to safety. READ NEXT: Kilkenny mum 'terrified' for daughter as she waits for urgent treatment The driver who gave the helping hand is now hoping to reconnect with her. Posting on Reddit, they stated: "Hey folks, bit of a long shot, but worth a try. On June 25 around 5.30pm, I came across an American tourist whose Fiat 500 had broken down in the middle lane at the Red Cow Junction, heading southbound on the N7 towards Kilkenny. "Nobody else had stopped, so I pulled over and helped push the car out of the way and off the dual carriageway that spot can be lethal if youre stuck. We didnt swap details because I was in a rush, but Ive been wondering since if shes okay. READ NEXT: RIP: Beloved Kilkenny father was 'a tower of strength to many people' "If you know her (or if you are her), Id love to get in touch and make sure the rest of her trip went smoothly. Cheers!" Encounters like this go to prove that even on the nation's busiest roads, there's still room for kindness. FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, a decision was made to further strengthen the direction in Dobropillya and others in the Donetsk region. "The front, in particular on the Pokrovsk axis. We are countering the attempts of Russian forces to gain a foothold and increasing the pressure of our units on the occupier. We are having success. The units of the 79th and 82nd Airborne Assault Brigades are operating very effectively in the Dobropillia direction. Today there is a decision to further strengthen this and other directions in the Donetsk region," Zelenskyy said on Telegram on Friday. In addition, positions in the Zaporizhia region were separately considered. "The Russian army continues to suffer significant losses, trying to provide the Russian leadership with more favorable political positions at the meeting in Alaska. We understand this plan, we inform partners about the real situation," Zelenskyy said. The Headquarters also considered the development of the contract system in the Defense Forces and the financing of the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine in 20252026. "Under any circumstances, our army will be ready to effectively and quickly respond to threats to Ukrainian statehood. The priority is the development of the contract army," the president said. Stuff reports: Hamas leaders could be forced to leave Gaza after Middle Eastern states united behind a new plan to end the 22-month-long war. Qatar and Turkey, two of the groups main patrons, have thrown their weight behind a French and Saudi peace initiative that sharply increases pressure on Hamas to disarm, surrender power and accept exile. Senior Gulf officials said the rare display of regional unity could isolate the movement to the point where it has no option but to comply. We genuinely believe we have a shot at this, one diplomat said. Hamas is in a corner. They dont have much choice. Israels long and bloody war in Gaza has left Hamas so enfeebled that Arab officials believe there is now a golden opportunity to deliver a final blow. 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. Photo: Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump had a call with Alexander Lukashenko on Friday, the Belta Belarusian news service said. The anonymous Telegram channel "Pul Pervoi," close to Lukashenko's press service, disseminates the same information. "The leaders of the two countries discussed bilateral agreements, regional issues and the situation in hot spots, including Ukraine. An agreement was reached to continue contacts. The President of Belarus invited Donald Trump and his family to Minsk, and this invitation was accepted," according to the Telegram channel "Pul Pervoi." Trump said on Truth Social that he discussed the prisoner release and the Alaska talks with Putin with Lukashenko. He expressed hope for a meeting with Lukashenko in the future. "I had a wonderful talk with the highly respected President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko. The purpose of the call was to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners. We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners. Our conversation was a very good one. We discussed many topics, including President Putin's visit to Alaska. I look forward to meeting President Lukashenko in the future," the U.S. president said. As reported, Trump is currently on Air Force One, heading to a meeting with Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Anchorage, Alaska. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy receives reports from intelligence and diplomats about the preparation of the meeting in Alaska, as well as reports from the regions of Ukraine after the Russian strikes. "Sumy is a Russian strike on the central market. Dnipro region strikes on cities and enterprises. Zaporizhia, Kherson region, Donetsk region deliberate Russian strikes. The war continues. It continues precisely because there is not only an order, but also signals about Moscow's preparation to end this war. On the day of the talks, they are also killing. And that says a lot," Zelenskyy said in an evening address on Friday. He said the day before, Ukraine discussed with the United States, with Europe, what could really work. "Everyone needs an honest end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to end the war. We hope for a strong American position. Everything will depend on this - the Russians are counting on American power. It is power," the president said. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Cloudy this morning with showers during the afternoon. High 69F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 49F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Zelenskyy: Tomorrow for everyone in Europe will start early, we preparing for appropriate talks Photo: https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/ Due to the time difference with Alaska, tomorrow for everyone in Europe will start early, preparations for appropriate talks are underway, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. "I spoke with French President Macron today. The team is also in contact. The time difference with Alaska is 11 hours. So, tomorrow for everyone in Europe will start early. We are preparing for appropriate talks. Russia must end the war that it started itself. And dragged on for years," Zelenskyy said in an evening address on Friday. He stressed the need to stop the killings and for leaders to meet. "At least Ukraine, America, the Russian side. It is in this format that effective solutions are possible," the president said. He also stressed the need for security guarantees and lasting peace. "Everyone knows the key goals. I want to thank everyone who helps achieve real results," he said. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the President's Office, and instructed to conduct an audit of work with partners within defense coalitions. "I instructed to conduct an audit of work with partners within defense coalitions, coalitions of stability of all our agreements. Everything should work. And also, by the way, to determine specific persons responsible for steps in our main areas," Zelenskyy said in an evening address on Friday. He reported on "a specific project with partners," and a specific person should be responsible for the success of this project. As previously reported, Zelenskyy held a meeting with the team of the Cabinet of Ministers, the President's Office, and Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, and instructed to update the foreign policy work plan for the period until the end of the year. Trump on meeting with Putin: I think it's going to work out very well, and if it doesn't, I'm gonna head back home real fast U.S. President Donald Trump hopes for a successful meeting with Vladimir Putin, otherwise he intends to return home soon. "We are going for a meeting with President Putin in Alaska, and I think it's going to work out very well. And if it doesn't, I'm gonna head back home real fast," he told reporters on board the plane flying from Washington to Anchorage on Friday. Later, when asked by reporters what, in his opinion, will ensure the success of the meeting with Putin, Trump replied: "I can't tell you that, I don't know... I want certain things - I want to see a ceasefire." "This is not to do with Europe. Europes not telling me what to do, but they're going to be involved in the process, obviously, as well Zelenskyy, but I want to see a ceasefire rapidly. I don;t know if it's going to be today... I'm just saying I want the killing to stop," the U.S. president said. As reported, Trump's meeting with Putin is scheduled for August 15 in Alaska, at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage. The U.S. president intends to focus on ending the war in Ukraine at the meeting. Other topics are not a priority. The leaders of the 26 member states of the European Union approved a joint statement in support of Ukraine on the eve of the meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska. Only Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban did not sign the document. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/azov.media4308/photos The First Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine "Azov" reported the liberation of seven settlements between the cities of Kostiantynivka and Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, where at the beginning of the week it was reported about the breakthrough of Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups and their subsequent neutralization. "Over the past three days, in the defense zone in the Pokrovsky direction, the forces and means of the First Corps of the Azov National Guard, together with adjacent and subordinate units, have stopped the enemy's advance. As a result of search and strike operations, the following settlements have been cleared: Hruzke, Rubizhne, Novovodiane, Petrivka, Vesele, Zoloty Kolodiaz," the corps said in the statement published on Telegram on Friday. As a result of the operations in the corps' operational zone, 271 occupiers were killed, 101 wounded, and 13 were taken prisoner. One enemy tank, two armored combat vehicles, 37 units of cars and motorcycles, and three guns were also destroyed and damaged. "The stabilization operations in Dobropillia direction continue. Success was achieved thanks to well-coordinated and coordinated actions. The corps command thanks all units that are actively participating in this direction," the statement reads. IN a recent article I wrote about the cultural significance of the Rock of Dunamase and how the iconic sight had a bright future ahead of it, while I certainly meant those words at the time of writing, I did not realise just how near that bright future was. In the weeks since that article was written, the Rock of Dunamase has been commandeered by American filmmaker John Gray as the setting of his new short film The Stones of Dunamase Castle. Being a dedicated cinephile myself, I reached out to John in the hope of securing an interview. Not only was Mr Gray kind enough to take the time from his busy schedule to speak with me, but his generosity also extended to a personal invitation to filming at the Rock of Dunamase. Suffice to say the experience was fascinating. Born to Irish parents, John Gray hails from New York, where he built his reputation as a veteran filmmaker. Having spent years working with CBS, he is most widely recognised as the creator of the hit television phenomenon Ghost Whisperer, which ran for five seasons from 2005 to 2010. In recent years, John has set himself the task of making one short film a year with his wife Melissa, working as a producer. His upcoming film is about a team of criminals fleeing a heist in Dublin, who regroup at the ruins of Dunamase castle, where a tale of treachery and betrayal unfolds. Having been privy to all the behind-the-scenes action, I can guarantee that The Stones of Dunamase Castle will be an enthralling thriller. To begin our interview, I asked John about the films inception and how he came to choose the Rock of Dunamase as its setting. He replied with plain candour: It just came from my love of crime thrillers my love of mysteries and twists and turns and the ruins of Dunamase are such a fantastic metaphor for these characters lives. Theyre all crumbling and falling apart just like this once great place where they now find themselves. John went on to explain that another part of his reasoning to shoot the film here was due to the fact that he is moving to Ireland. Once we knew we were moving here, my wife and I said, well lets make this one in Ireland. I knew I wanted a castle. I knew I wanted to be close to Dublin. So, from New York, I just started googling castle ruins near Dublin and, of course, Dunamase came up and it just had such an interesting structure and feel to it. And, of course, the history of it is just so amazing. John took great pride in noting that he had assembled an all-Irish crew for this project and spoke of them with the highest regard. While on set, I spoke with line producer Hugh Connell from Co Cork, who was entirely accommodating and made me feel most welcome. The same can be said for the entire cast and crew, who all took time to introduce themselves and make sure I felt included in the process. One of the lead actors is Love/Hates Aoibhinn McGinnity, who I had the great pleasure of watching perform. While I wont spoil anything here, I do feel quite smug knowing her characters outcome and ultimate fate. As we discussed his career in Hollywood, John explained that he has now moved away from the Hollywood business, having directed over 20 films and a couple dozen episodes of television. He confessed: Im still addicted to making movies and telling stories, but I dont want to work with studios anymore. The best thing about producing our own short films is we dont have to play mother-may-I? with anybody. We cast them how we want and shoot them how we want. As we delved deeper into the secrets of filmmaking, John revealed to me the challenges facing him as a director today. Post-covid, its difficult to figure out what audiences actually want. The kind of movies that I like to make are really character-driven and those are not always the easiest movies to finance. He continued: Of course, nowadays, I dont get to use the tools that I could when I was in my big filmmaking career but thats okay. Its still about the storytelling, the camera work and that teaches you how to be more creative. When hes not directing short films, John spends his time hosting filmmaking seminars where he gives classes on writing, directing and pitching, hoping to inspire the next generation of young filmmakers. He has also written two novels which he hopes to one day adapt to the screen. On teaching his craft, I asked John what his best advice for aspiring creatives would be. His one definite prescription was the book Screenplay by Syd Field. I read that book 30 years ago maybe, and it completely changed my life and how I write. I definitely recommend that. Whats great about writing is all you need is your keyboard and your brain and then theres no limit to what you can do. As our conversation drew to an end, we came to discuss Johns Irish heritage and how it has shaped his identity. Immensely proud of his ancestry, John shared with me the story of his great-grandfathers emigration to America from the Emerald Isle. Recalling his Irish upbringing in America, he expressed his love of Irish music, particularly the Clancy Brothers and The Dubliners. As a final question, I asked John what it meant to him being Irish. His answer was one of a most profound nature and quite frankly beautiful. To me, its about the poetry of being Irish. The skill at writing. The skill at storytelling. What I love about the poetry that resonates in the heart and soul of the Irish is the fact that it extends to the beautiful and to the tragic. Finally, theres the incredible strength when you think of what the Irish nation has survived. Its so compelling and stirring. Immensely moved by these words, it became abundantly clear to me that the spirit of the poet is certainly alive in John Gray. As captivating as it was to listen to John discuss his creative process, it was all the more enchanting to watch the director in action on set. His talent as a filmmaker was on full display and could not be disputed. It was obvious that he had a clear vision for his project and knew how to achieve it. Not only that, Johns engaging manner with all the cast and crew as well as the inviting atmosphere fostered on set was commendable. My experience with John Gray was nothing short of a privilege. The Stones of Dunamase Castle is expected to tour film festivals in the new year and, who knows, perhaps the Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise will be honoured with a special screening. ITS not often an All-Ireland senior hurling winning captain is feted in Laois but that was the unlikely scenario at a joyful celebration this week. Portlaoise-based Garda Ronan Maher, who captained his native Tipperary to victory in the 2025 final, held the Liam McCarthy cup aloft to tumultuous applause from garda colleagues at a special reception on Wednesday. The Little Blue Heroes were guests of honour at the event in the Midlands Park Hotel, which was also attended by Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman and other senior gardai. Guest speakers at the celebration included Pat Critchley, Laois/Offaly Chief Superintendent Anthony Lonergan and AC Hilman, with Ken Hogan as MC. A member of the Community Policing team in Portlaoise, Garda Maher was honoured for his role in an unforgettable win by colleagues from across the Laois/Offaly garda division and beyond. A native of Thurles, he has three All-Ireland senior hurling medals, having also played with the winning Tipperary teams in 2016 and 2019, but it was his first time to lift the cup as captain. He is a brother of legendary hurler Padraic Maher, a six-time All-Star and three-time All-Ireland winner, who never got to captain his county to national glory. Paying tribute to Ronan on social media, gardai said: An Garda Siochana Laois/Offaly were delighted to welcome our colleague Garda Ronan Maher and the Liam McCarthy Cup to Portlaoise. Ronan is a valued member of our Community Policing team in Portlaoise, who captained Tipperary to victory in the 2025 All-Ireland hurling final. We were also delighted that so many of our friends from the Little Blue Heroes were able to join the celebrations. We wish Ronan continued success, both on and off the pitch. A hurley maker by trade who plays club hurling with Thurles Sarsfields, Ronan was mentioned in post-match speeches by GAA President Jarlath Burns as being from hurley maker to history maker. Ahead of the final, Laois/Offaly gardai described the 29-year old defender as a man of humility, grit and no shortage of skill, as they said: Wearing the Tipp jersey with pride and the Garda uniform with integrity - it doesnt get much better than that. THE Stradbally Community Choir will be making its debut at this years Electric Picnic. The choir will proudly step out on its home turf to perform to thousands of festivalgoers in the Hazelwood area. The local choir will be performing on its home turf during the weekend festival. By day, in the Hazelwood, you can catch Liam OConnor who holds the Guinness Record for the fastest fingers on an accordion or listen to Misleor who showcase music from Irelands Travelling Community. There will also be music from Sacred Sites, Julie Goo, An Galar Dub, Rageire, The Alcove - Kiss my Grass, Electric Youth, Cahercalla Rebellion, Aine Deane, Coscan Fogues, Strive Theatre, The Crows Old Gold and DJ Nemo. At the Hazelwood Afterdark there will be songs and stories as Gaeilge. Bilingual bands and musicians of every genre from Eire agus Chulainns traditional offering to Dysanias bog-rock, and from IMLEs hip-hop to Earthmovers post-rock shoegaze will be performing. As well as musicians such as John Spillane, Blaithin Mhic Chana and Piarais OLorcain, Lisa Morray, Jessie and the Veil, Lost West, Earthmover, Little Kings, IMLE, Dysania, Fianna Bana, DJ Ferdilicious. Line-up for the Hazelwood at Electric Picnic Many of the bands on stage this year have taken part in the Glor Ar Linne development scheme, run by Raidio Ri-Ra with the support of Dublin City Council and Creative Ireland, which provided workshops and entry-points to the music industry for up-and-coming artists creating music as Gaeilge. Conradh na Gaeilge and Raidio Ri-Ra are proud to present this schedule of Irish language bands and musicians each night from 7pm to midnight at the Electric Picnic with support from Festival Republic. The all-female lineup returns on Thursday 28 August for the early entry campers with performances from some of Irelands up and coming comedians and songwriters, including Liv Masett, Roisin Kelly, Aoife Breathnach, The Kates. John Spillane will also be performing in the Hazelwood area As well as music in the Hazelwood, campers are invited to pitch their tents in the company of other Irish language speakers at the official Gaeltacht Campsite, which has been given further support by Festival Republic this year. Managing Director of Festival Republic Melvin Benn said: As the biggest music and arts festival in Ireland, it is important to us that the Irish language has a place at the heart of Electric Picnic. Working with Conradh na Gaeilge and Raidio Ri-Ra over the years, we have seen a rise in the number of Irish language artists who perform at Electric Picnic, and this year were also seeing a huge increase in the number of people staying in the Gaeltacht campsite at the festival. The Gaeltacht campsite is limited in numbers and for those who wish to spend the weekend chatting with and meeting people as Gaeilge. Tickets for this area are available through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ie/event/1800626A7B910F08. Access to the venue will be via additional security band only with festival ticket. Times Staff Writer Tracy Hogg, a British-born nurse and best-selling author who was dubbed the baby whisperer for her ability to soothe prickly newborns and their anxious parents, died of melanoma Nov. 25 at a hospice in Doncaster, England. She was 44. Hogg was the author of the 2001 book Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect and Communicate with Your Baby. She was given the nickname by a Hollywood executive who, after observing Hogg with her colicky newborn, was reminded of the 1998 movie The Horse Whisperer, based on a book by Nicholas Evans, in which a respectful, empathetic trainer played by Robert Redford heals an injured horse. She had the ability to come into the room incredibly quietly and settle the baby and handle the baby with such compassion and confidence and training. It was truly like the magic touch, said Elisabeth Seldes, a former studio executive, who sought Hoggs help when her son was born in 1997. Advertisement Hogg cared for more than 5,000 babies, including those of celebrities Jodie Foster, Cindy Crawford, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael J. Fox and Calista Flockhart. The services did not come cheaply: She charged $200 for a one-hour phone consultation, and $1,000 a day for live-in support. She made herself available 24 hours a day. Flockhart booked Hogg for seven weeks after adopting a baby in 2001. Critics said that, despite the mystical connotations of the title, her book offered little more than common sense. Hogg agreed that, although there was nothing magical in her approach, it had a lightbulb effect on new parents. Advertisement She didnt take sides on touchy issues such as breast versus formula feeding, but did not favor sleeping with ones baby. She used acronyms to present her basic guidelines for contented parenting, among them EASY (Eating, Activity and Sleeping for the baby; the Y stands for time for You) and SLOW (Stop and remember that crying is a babys language; Listen to a babys cry to decipher its meaning; Observe a babys actions and gestures; the W, reminding parents to evaluate Whats up?). At the heart of Hoggs message was respect for a babys individuality. Though adults may delight in seeing a naked baby, Hogg said she believed that the baby may react differently. When she bathed babies, she used a washcloth to cover their private parts. Advertisement She was always concerned about teaching parents about their [babys] privacy, about their being actual little people, said her daughter, Sara Fear. The babies had their own space. Hogg also encouraged parents to talk to their babies. For instance, the first thing she said all parents should do when they bring a newborn home is give the baby a tour of the house. She always introduced herself to a baby, regardless of whether the infant was 3 minutes or 3 months old, and insisted on explaining everything. When she changed a diaper, for instance, she didnt just coo at the baby but talked her through the steps: Were going to change your diaper now, she wrote in her book. Lets just lay you down here, so I can undo your pants.... Im unsnapping your jammies now. There we go. Ooh, look at what lovely thighs you have. Now Im going to lift your little leggies up.... Im opening your nappy.... Oh, I see you have a little parcel for me in here.... Im going to wipe you now. Some parents looked at her as if she was nuts, but Hogg insisted there was wisdom in her approach. Babies are sensate creatures, she told an Australian newspaper in 2001. When you are tired, they pick that up, so its OK to say to a baby, I dont know why you are crying, but Im going to figure it out. Its about communicating and having a continual dialogue with the infant. When she talked with babies or their parents, she made liberal use of endearments such as luv or darling, all delivered in a thick Yorkshire accent. Advertisement Hogg was born in Yorkshire into a family of nine children. Her family was so large that she and three of her siblings were sent to live with their grandparents, who became key influences in her life. Her grandfather, who was the head nurse at a mental institution, took Hogg to visit the childrens ward when she was 7. She related to the children with such patience and warmth that, after several visits, her grandfather encouraged her to consider becoming a nurse, like him. When she was 18, she entered nursing school and became a registered nurse and midwife who specialized in children with disabilities. To help them, she wrote in her book, I had to learn to understand their language and to become their interpreter. She called her grandmother Florence her greatest influence. With her gentle and intuitive ways, Florence was Hoggs role model. When Hogg moved to the United States in 1992 with her second husband, she sent her two young daughters, then 8 and 11, to live with their grandmother while she established herself as a baby nurse. Her decision opened her up to criticism when she became famous, with articles suggesting that she had abandoned her own children in order to care for those of the rich and famous. But she defended her decision, saying that she still saw her daughters often and wanted them to have the parenting she enjoyed with her mother and grandmother. Her daughters later came to live with her in Los Angeles. Advertisement She opened a baby equipment store in Encino and sold bottles, blankets and other baby care items online through a website. Her first celebrity client was Taxi star Marilu Henner, who was so pleased with the help Hogg provided that she passed her name along to her friends. Seldes coined the baby whisperer name after Hogg calmed down Seldes infant son, whose colic Hogg discovered was actually reflux. Thanks in part to celebrity endorsements, Hogg won a $750,000 advance for her first book, which was on bestseller lists for 11 weeks. She then wrote Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers (2002) and The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems, an advanced guidebook on sleeping, feeding and behavior challenges, which is to be published in January by Simon & Schuster. All three books were co-written with journalist Melinda Blau. Hogg also had a television program on the Discovery Health channel titled The Baby Whisperer. The melanoma was diagnosed about two years ago. She had an operation to remove her esophagus, which left her unable to eat, unless her food was mushed up like a babys. In the week before she died, she was covered in towels before being lifted into a warm bath by nurses, an experience that allowed her to feel for the first time as an adult why she took such pains to cover babies with washcloths before bathing them. Advertisement She had the same trust in the ladies taking care of her that she tried to teach parents, Fear said. In addition to Fear, Hogg, who was married and divorced twice, is survived by another daughter, Sophie; her mother; and her grandmother. On 14 August Chilean authorities announced the arrest of Alfredo Jose Henriquez Pineda, alias Gordo Alex, an alleged leading member in Chile of Venezuelan transnational criminal organisation Tren de Aragua (TdA), who is also believed to be implicated in the high-profile murder last year of a Venezuelan dissident, Ronald Ojeda Moreno. End of preview - This article contains approximately 379 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 14 August Mexicos President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that the former CEO of state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), Carlos Trevino (2017-2018), had been arrested in the US and would be extradited to Mexico to stand trial for corruption. End of preview - This article contains approximately 407 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 14 August Honduras attorney generals office (MP) announced that three individuals had been arrested in relation to an alleged plot to assassinate President Xiomara Castros husband, former president Manuel Zelaya (2006-2009), who is president of the ruling leftist Partido Libertad y Refundacion (Libre). End of preview - This article contains approximately 404 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options At a regular meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters, the situation at the front and ways to strengthen the resilience of the defense and the army were discussed, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky has said. He reported on changes in the operational situation, in particular, on measures to contain Russian troops near Pokrovsk and Dobropillia in Donetsk region. "We are increasing pressure on the occupiers, counteracting the enemy's attempts to advance. The necessary decisions have been made to strengthen these and other directions - in the Donetsk region, in Zaporizhia, etc.," Syrsky said. "Our task is to eliminate saboteurs, to destroy the main units of the invader's army, their logistics and rear military capabilities as much as possible, including on Russian territory," he said. HANGZHOU, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- With more than four months to go before Christmas, Yiwu, which is widely known as the "world's supermarket," has already flipped the calendar to the festive season. Customs data indicates that Zhejiang Province, where Yiwu is located, exported Christmas goods worth 9.11 billion yuan (about 1.3 billion U.S. dollars) from January to July this year -- up 23 percent year on year. In June and July alone, exports of Christmas commodities totaled 6.64 billion yuan. "Now is our peak season. Many clients want their orders even earlier," said Chen Xiaotao, sales manager at Yiwu Duoxi Import & Export Co., Ltd. Inside the company's warehouse, bundles of artificial pine needles are fastened to metal frames to form Christmas trees, which stand amid piles of colorful ornaments. "Once we attach the labels, these items will be on their way," Chen added. As the world's largest Christmas goods trading hub, Yiwu ships more than 20,000 types of holiday products to over 100 countries and regions each year. In addition to traditional products such as Santa hats, ornaments and Christmas trees, Duoxi is also stocking toys, bicycles and other gift items, offering a one-stop holiday shopping service for overseas buyers. Chen noted that amid a challenging trade environment, foreign buyers are stockpiling earlier than usual. "Orders used to peak between June and August, but this year they started in April." Customs officials from Yiwu have said the same, noting that exports in May had increased more than 90 percent year on year. "Christmas goods were already loaded in containers in April, and their share of exports has continued to rise in recent months, driving overall export growth," said Song Jiansheng with Yiwu Customs. Song noted that at Yiwu Port -- the city's main gateway for small commodities -- more than 1,200 containers are sealed and cleared daily. Cai Qinliang, secretary general of the Yiwu Christmas Products Industry Association, believes that continuous product innovation and increased R&D investment have strengthened the sector's export resilience. For long, constant innovation is key to keeping old clients and winning new ones, helping them stay ahead of market trends and build a differentiated edge. Companies and vendors in Yiwu are also actively exploring new markets. Customs data shows that Latin America and the European Union have become major export destinations, collectively receiving more than 70 percent of Yiwu's Christmas exports in the first seven months of this year. "Our Christmas sales grew about 5 percent in the first half," said Jiang Jiangping, manager of Yiwu Junhong Christmas Costumes & Gifts Factory, adding that the number of buyers from Colombia and Mexico saw a fourfold leap from last year. According to Jiang, Italy remains the company's largest single market, with three orders each topping 1 million yuan in the first half of the year, bringing the total value to near 10 million yuan. To ensure large volumes of goods are cleared swiftly, Yiwu Customs has upgraded its infrastructure and streamlined its services to ensure that Christmas goods sail smoothly to their destinations. US President Donald Trump has just landed at Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base in Alaska aboard Air Force One, Sky News reports. The US president arrived at the military base before Vladimir Putin. Trump is reportedly hoping for a successful meeting with Vladimir Putin, otherwise he intends to return home quickly. "We're going to meet with President Putin in Alaska, and I think everything will go very well. And if not, I'll return home very quickly," he told reporters on board the plane flying from Washington to Anchorage on Friday. Season 2 of the Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again hasnt even premiered yet, but the stars are already talking about season 3. During a July panel at GalaxyCon, Charlie Cox, who plays the titular vigilante, referred to the upcoming second season as the shows final chapter. But Vincent DOnofrio, who plays Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, thinks theres more in store. Good chance there will be a third [season], DOnofrio wrote via X on Tuesday, August 12, in response to a fan. The next day, he tweeted that Cox thinks the same thing, despite his final season comment at GalaxyCon. I believe Charlie meant the last season we actually shot meaning the second season. Yet he used the term final season so its a bit confusing, DOnofrio wrote. But Charlie and i have discussed and we both agree theres a very good chance for a third season. Daredevil: Born Again is a revival of Daredevil, which aired on Netflix from 2015-2018. Season 1 picked up several years after the events of the original series, and one year after blind lawyer Matt Murdock hung up his Daredevil mask. READ MORE: Disney+ cancels iconic TV series Season 2, which is slated to premiere on Disney+ in March 2026, will be a resistance tale, one of the shows directors Aaron Moorhead told The Hollywood Reporter in April. Mayor Wilson Fisk has assembled an Anti-Vigilante task force, and Daredevil and his allies must fight back. Theres a building of a resistance, so that is the kernel of where season two is going to go, Moorhead said. Mayor Fisk has now become Kingpin again, but with New York in his grasp. And then theres this vigilante thing that now has to go completely underground. So, thats where we start, and were going to unfold all of that very, very quickly. Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again is available to stream on Disney+. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips/. Jillian Michaels was an integral part of The Biggest Loser, but she didnt participate in a new docuseries about the reality shows impact. During part three of Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser, which hit Netflix on Friday, August 15, a title card noted that Michaels declined to participate in this documentary. Michaels was a trainer on The Biggest Loser for seasons 1, 2, 4-11, 14, and 15. She often motivated contestants by yelling at them or insulting them. In one clip from Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser, Michaels pushes a woman to keep exercising even after she vomits on a treadmill. Although Michaels didnt participate in the doc, she was mentioned in all three parts, and archive footage of her was used throughout. Her fellow Biggest Loser trainer Bob Harper was interviewed for the docuseries. He claimed that Michaels didnt reach out to him when he had a massive heart attack in 2017. We werent besties, but we were partners on a television show for a very long time, Harper said, noting that Michaels alleged silence after his health crisis spoke volumes to him. I would not expect Jillian Michaels to do anything other than what she wants to do. NJ.com has reached out to Michaels for comment. The Biggest Loser, which aired on NBC from 2004-2016 and on USA Network in 2020, followed contestants deemed overweight as they competed to win money by shedding as many pounds as possible. READ MORE: Fall 2025 TV calendar: Save the date for these premieres The docuseries explores the more controversial aspects of the show, from the grueling training sessions to the demeaning temptation challenges. One such challenge tasked contestants with building a tower of high-calorie foods using only their teeth. The temptation challenges were the hardest part of the show for me. It was horrible, Alison Sweeney, who hosted The Biggest Loser from seasons 4-16, admitted in the doc. Although producers Dave Broome and J.D. Roth defended the challenges as nods to real-world temptations that people face while trying to lose weight, Aubrey Gordon, a fat activist and cohost of the Maintenance Phase podcast, shut down that idea. Ive been a fat person for a long time. ... I dont frequently step into rooms with unguarded daises full of good, Gordon told cameras. The idea is that fat people cannot be trusted around food. Its designed to make you draw conclusions about the contestants characters based on what you see them eat on camera in a five-minute period. Michaels may not have lent her perspective to Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser, but she did make headlines this week for her controversial appearance on CNNs NewsNight with Abby Phillip. While discussing the Trump administrations mission to remove improper ideaology from Smithsonian museums, Michaels said, You cannot tie imperialism and racism and slavery to just one race, which is pretty much what every single exhibit does Less than 2 percent of white Americans owned slaves. Every single thing is like, Oh, no, no, no, this is all because white people bad. Thats just not the truth. Michaels has been criticized for her comments. This is what happens when you elevate a run of the mill gym trainer to political pundit, one X user wrote. Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser is available to stream on Netflix. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips/. The Whitehall Township Police Department and Lehigh County District Attorney's Office announced an arrest Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in a Christmas 2024 crash that killed a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam veteran who was a grandfather of five. Sarah Cassi | For lehighvalleylive.com Authorities announced an arrest in a pedestrian crash last Christmas that killed a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was a grandfather of five. Edward Tomcics, 75, was struck while walking in the 3200 block of Water Street in Whitehall Township. Police were called about 6:50 p.m. Dec. 25, 2024, and found him unconscious on the side of the road. Officers attempted life-saving measures, but Tomcics was pronounced dead at an area hospital. Whitehall police Chief Michael Marks and Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan on Thursday announced the arrest of 47-year-old Etienne Theagene on charges including felony homicide by vehicle and misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter. Theagene, of Whitehall Township, was arraigned Thursday and released on $25,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 29 to determine if there is sufficient evidence to send the charges toward trial in the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas. Investigators charged Theagene after a review of surveillance video, mechanical inspection of his vehicle and a visibility study, according to a news release from the district attorneys office. That study determined that had Theagene been driving the posted speed limit of 25 mph, he would have had time to see the victim crossing the road, the release states. Tomcics died of blunt force injuries due to the pedestrian-vehicle collision, and his death was ruled an accident, according to Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio. The crash occurred in a section of Whitehall known as Darktown, alternately spelled Dark Town. Its so named since it was one of the last areas of the township to get electricity and electric lighting, according to a 2003 report in The Morning Call. Tomcics was born in Darktown and a fixture there, according to his obituary. He served as a gunnery sergeant with the Marines in Vietnam, and worked as a forger for Phoenix Forge for 40 years before retiring. Theagene also is charged with reckless driving, careless driving, a safe-speed violation and exceeding the maximum speed of 25 miles per hour in a residential district. Hes being represented jointly by Lehigh Valley attorneys Kevin Santos Sr. and Alfred Stirba IV. Hes cooperating fully with law enforcement investigators, Stirba told lehighvalleylive.com on Friday. We look forward to determining what caused this tragic accident. This case was investigated by Whitehall Township police officer Ronald Kester and will be prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney V. Paul Bernardino III, according to the release from Holihans office. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Participants will learn how to evaluate microsite conditions and determine appropriate planting area sizes to optimize tree growth. Getty Images Penn State Extension is hosting a comprehensive webinar designed to help tree enthusiasts ensure the long-term success of their plantings. The online session, Proper Native Tree Planting for Long-Term Success, will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 9. The webinar brings together experts from Penn State Extensions Master Watershed Steward program, extension educators, and a community tree specialist from the Bureau of Forestry at the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. These specialists will share insights on crucial aspects of tree planting, from site selection to ongoing maintenance. Participants will learn how to evaluate microsite conditions and determine appropriate planting area sizes to optimize tree growth. The program will cover three main areas: matching specific tree species to appropriate planting sites, proper planting techniques including depth and root management, and essential aftercare such as watering, pruning, and damage inspection. The webinar welcomes a broad audience, including native tree and shrub sale customers, environmental stewards, landowners, watershed associations, and anyone interested in tree planting. Those who purchased trees from the 2025 sale will receive a $5 coupon code for free access. Registration, which costs $5, must be completed by noon on Sept. 9. Participants will receive access to a recording of the webinar within 10 business days, which will remain available for six months after the event. The Master Watershed Steward program, which organizes this webinar, trains volunteers in watershed management who then share their knowledge with their communities, supporting Pennsylvanias watershed, stream, and river protection efforts. For additional information, interested parties can visit the Penn State Extension website. Generative AI was used to organize and structure this article, based on data provided by Penn State Extension. It was reviewed and edited by lehighvalleylive.com staff. Temperatures are forecast in the upper 80s through Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, before a more stable weather pattern brings relief early next week from recent warmth and humidity. National Weather Service A cold front moving through the region will bring slightly cooler and drier air to the Lehigh Valley on Friday. But with high pressure building in behind it, temperatures are forecast to reach close to 90 under sunny skies. There is a chance of scattered afternoon thunderstorms across the region. Residents should be prepared for potential brief, localized heavy rainfall, particularly in areas west of Philadelphia. The National Weather Service forecasts scattered thunderstorms developing Friday afternoon, with a 20-30% chance of precipitation. While severe weather is not expected to be widespread, there is potential for excessive rain, especially near Chester County. Winds will be light and variable, shifting from northeast to southeast throughout Friday and into the overnight hours. Saturday will continue the recent warm and humid pattern, with high temperatures in the mid to upper 80s and surface dew points in the upper 60s to low 70s. A few afternoon showers and thunderstorms are possible, primarily north and west of Philadelphia, but the severe weather threat remains minimal. Overnight temperatures will cool to the mid-60s to around 70 degrees. Looking ahead to Sunday, temperatures will again approach 90 degrees as a cold front approaches from the west. The chance of thunderstorms remains limited, with 20-30% probability of precipitation. By Sunday night, drier air will begin to filter into the region, bringing a slight drop in humidity and temperatures. The forecast for the start of next week suggests a more stable weather pattern, with cooler temperatures in the upper 70s to around 80 degrees and lower humidity. Scattered showers and thunderstorms may develop Tuesday night through Thursday as weather systems move through the area. Residents should stay informed about local weather updates and be prepared for potential brief thunderstorm activity, particularly in the afternoon hours. Follow your local forecast from AccuWeather at lehighvalleylive.com/weather with National Weather Service watches, warnings and other advisories available as theyre issued at lehighvalleylive.com/weather-alerts. Current weather radar Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Supervising reporter Kurt Bresswein contributed to this report. Reach him at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Generative AI was used to draft segments of this report, which was reviewed and edited by lehighvalleylive.com staff. A Laois farmer will cycle over 700 kilometres to raise awareness for agroforestry farming. Mr Brendan Guinan, owner of Portlaoise's Fiorbhia farm, organised the longest Malin to Mizen cycle last year. The Leinster Express / Laois Live spoke to Mr Guinan on his upcoming cycle, and journey so far. Starting in Antrim, Mr Guinan and nine others will cycle to Down, into Louth, and on to Dublin. From there, they will cycle to Wicklow, on through Kildare, Kilkenny and Wexford, before finishing in Waterford. The cyclists will dine and stay at regenerative farms along the route of their cycle. "We want to show the potential of farming without chemicals. We did the Malin to Mizen cycle last year from north to south and call into regenerative farms to show it is national already," the Portlaoise explained. Pictured: Brendan Guinan and Colman Power on their Malin to Mizen journey in 2024 "It's not a niche thing, farms all over the country are doing it. The reason we are travelling along the east coast this year is we put a call out to farms that we would promote them, and they promote us," he said. "We got word from loads of farms on the east coast, we physically couldn't get to them. We didn't intend to do a second cycle, but because of such positivity there, we said we would do it and include Northern Ireland. It's a great movement happening," Mr Guinan shared. What is agroforestry farming? "Really, it's about leaving more behind than you taken," Mr Guinan explained. "It's not an extractive process, it's about building biodiversity. We farm without herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, we use no antibiotics and a huge part is animal welfare. We create low low stress environments for animals, plants and trees," he said. "The less stress means less chance of disease; you can't have a monoculture regenerative farm, it has to have several different features complimenting each other. It's more labour intensive, but we use the animals to do the work for us. We move them around the farm like chess pieces on a board every few days to benefit the soil. Each year is different," Mr Guinan explained. Pictured: Brendan Guinan and Colman Power Mr Guinan will be undertaking the cycle with nine others, including Mr Colman Power. Mr Power is a qualified nutritionist with a Masters in organic horticulture. "Colman is coming along again, having organised the Malin to Mizen with me. He's my right hand man. We have different sponsors, and of the ten cyclists, six will cycle the full 700 kilometres," he said. Mr Guinan and Mr Power established Grounded in Soil, a collective of agrifood businesses that promote agroforestry farming. "We have over fifty members involved, all across the country. There are members from Cork to Donegal," Mr Guinan explained. "I am not training as much as I should be, but I'm getting there," Mr Guinan laughed. "From Malin to Mizen, we took a detour to travel to my farm in Laois, so we covered over 1200 kilometres. This time it will be around 760 kilometres, broken down over six days. "It's not a race either, there's room for two more if they want to join. We have a timetable to keep, but it's a very relaxed cycle. People with moderate experience would be surprised with how well they could do- we had a 75 year old take part last year, and this year we have a 63 year old woman undertaking the wold cycle," he said. Pictured: Brendan Guinan Mr Guinan has said that the group are teaming up with Down Syndrome Ireland, though not through a fundraising partnership. "We are teaming up with Down Syndrome Ireland, and we are fundraising to cover the cost of the cycle, accommodation and food," he said. "We are working together as it's really a positive news story, rather than all the crazy news in the world. It puts regenerative farming into the narrative and gets the conversation started. Down Syndrome Ireland asked if I would be interested in working with them for the same reason," he said. On their journey, the group will only eat regenerative food. "No energy drinks or protein bars, all simple food such as leeks, vegetables, fruit and water to rehydrate, you don't need anything else," he said. "A simple single ingredient food can power you the length of the country." To highlight the cycle, the group will eat and stay at regenerative farms along their journey. The group will visit Ursa Minor, Ballycastle; Clarkhill Farm, Antrim; Beechpark Eco Farm, Dublin; Castleruddery Organic Farm, Wicklow; Regan Organic Farm, Wexford; and Barefoot Farm, Waterford. "We will have a different event on at each farm, with 40 tickets available for each event. The farmer will cook his or her food and promote the farm. We will visit Castleruddery on the 10th, it's the closest one to the Midlands. It is the perfect backdrop, we will be staying in Kilruddery." For more information on Mr Guinan's cycle, see his website here. There might be lots of buzz in Stradbally at the Electric Picnic but there'll be some real buzzing at the Dunamaise Beekeepers open day as part of Heritage Week. Bee fans and others are in store for a fantastic immersive experience over two days at the beekpeepers apiary on the Stradbally Hall Estate on August 16 and 17. There will be an observation hive with glass walls through which visitors will be able to see the Queen and the bees at work. All of the bees in the hives are native Irish honey bees, as the Dunamaise Beekeepers are working hard to ensure they survive and flourish at Stradbally Hall which is a conservation area for native bees. The beekeepers will also have a variety of honeys, candles, soaps and other products to purchase at the event. "This is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about both the ancient craft of beekeeping and the bees themselves, and it's free," say the beekeepers To get to the apiary from Stradbally, from Main Street, turn onto Court Square at Dunne's Pub and continue on straight on over the narrow bridge for about a kilometre until you see the signs for the apiary, which is on the right. Historic Houses of Ireland would like to thank Dunamaise Beekeepers for opening the Apiary as part of the Heritage Open Doors initiative. Further information from Dunamaise Beekeepers in association with Stradbally Hall at 087 7919215 donaldelaney62@gmail.com More below photo. Dunamaise Beekeepers welcome you to their Heritage Week event in Stradbally. The Heritage Council says National Heritage Week celebrates Irelands cultural, built and natural heritage. They say it brings together volunteers, community groups and heritage enthusiasts to share their experience, knowledge culture and practices. Exploring Our Foundations is the theme of the 2025 edition, which is co-ordinated in Laois by the Laois Heritage Office, supported by Laois County Council. READ ALSO: Dunamaise Beekeepers - Memory Lane PHOTOS The Heritage Council says the theme invites us to delve into the building blocks of our heritage; not just the structures, but the landscapes and cultural activities that have shaped us. Go to www.heritageweek.ie for full details of all Heritage Week events in Laois and Ireland from August 16-25. Several Laois infrastructure projects are being progressed to address limitations and support future growth in Laois, isists Uisce Eireann. The water utility made that claim in response to a call from Laois indpendent TD Brian Stanley. Demanding for more investment, the Portlaoise-based TD told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that supply has not been expanded in the years since the utility was set up by the Government in 2013. However, the State-owned said several towns in Laois are already benefitting from "targeted investment" in water services. It said the Ballyroan Wastewater Treatment Plant is undergoing a significant upgrade, increasing capacity from a population equivalent (PE) of 600 to 900. This project includes new stormwater and sludge tanks, treatment system upgrades, and SCADA integration, and is expected to be completed by Autumn 2026. It said the Ballinakill Wastewater Treatment Plant is on a draft priority list for upgrade. Uisce Eireann added that the Portlaoise Wastewater Treatment Plant is in for planning permission, and the planned investment will support 10-25-year growth projections, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and enabling sustainable development. The company added that nine watermains rehabilitation works have been completed in Mountrath, Portarlington, Portlaoise, Abbeyleix, Clonaslee, The Swan, Emo, Stradbally, and Durrow recently. MORE BELOW PHOTO. Brian Stanley called on Uisce Eireann to spend more on Laois. It also said disinfection upgrades, leak detection, and find and fix programmes are ongoing across multiple sites across the county. It said these include the prioritised town centre upgrade that's almost complete in Mountmellick. It listed other works across Portarlington, Abbeyleix, and Castletown to improve water quality and "operational efficiency". In terms of strategic planning, Uisce Eireann said Laois is part of Study Area 6 in the Eastern and Midlands Regional Water Resources Plan, which outlines preferred options for improving supply reliability and resilience. These include the development of new groundwater sources that involve rationalisation and interconnection of existing water resource zones (WRZs) in Durrow, Abbeyleix, Ballinakill, Ballyroan, and Portlaoise. "We recognise that infrastructure upgrades are essential to support housing and economic development. Uisce Eireann remains committed to delivering the necessary improvements and will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that Laois communities are supported through sustainable investment. READ ALSO: Way cleared to power new Laois homes but questions raised over approach of builder "Uisce Eireann remains committed to delivering safe, climate-resilient, and future-proofed water services that support Irelands social, environmental, and economic goals," said the statement. The company also welcomed the Government commitment to water infrastructure investment through the revised National Development Plan (NDP). Uisce Eireann said this prioritisation of water infrastructure reflects the critical role that resilient water services play in enabling sustainable growth, supporting housing delivery and protecting the environment across Ireland. Planning permission for a new site entrance and carpark area for Rockview Walkways and Rambling House has been lodged with Laois County Council. Laois Friends has submitted the application in order to address safety concerns and difficulties accessing the site for people with disabilities and additional needs. Rockview Walkways is situated in the Cashel and Pass townslands between Ballyroan and Portlaoise. At the moment an existing parking arrangement, a very small lay-by off a minor country road adjacent to a hump back bridge, cannot safely accommodate minibuses, wheelchair adapted vehicles or people carriers. The amenity is used by local groups on a regular basis and letters of support for the development accompanied the application from C-Ability, the Muiriosa Foundation, Special Olympics Laois, and Ballyroan Active Retirement. The Laois Friends woodland Walkway (Rockview Walkway) has become a successful amenity providing a safe haven for locals and persons with disabilities and additional needs, the application stated. Organisations such as C-Ability and the Muiriosa Foundation and other local groups all frequent the walkway amenity on a regular basis. Laois Friends is also seeking retention planning permission for an existing Rambling House Amenity Area comprising of a hall/rest area, seating area and toilet facility. READ NEXT: Laois pre-school services to benefit from lunch scheme The application explains that while the group has ambitions to develop a purpose built community centre, as a non-profit organisation, there are financial constraints. Due to the growing visitor demand, part of the farm storage area has been converted for visitor use which provides young patrons and ambulant disabled users a safe haven from the unpredictable Irish weather, and a much needed and essential rest area, the application explained. It is still the intention that a resource/community centre would be included within the Laois Friends amenity but unfortunately as Laois Friends is a non-profit organisation with limited financial resources, funding for a new purpose community building is not currently a viable option, particularly with the current cost of construction. As a storage area/building was available and with a limited budget, it was decided to temporarily convert part of the existing building as a rest/amenity area. The temporary facility has now become an essential part of the walkway, amenity, servicing approximately 40 to 50 visitors per week. Laois County Council planners are due to make a decision on the project by October 7. US President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin begin meeting in Alaska US President Donald Trump and Russian Presidnet Vladimir Putin have met at Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base in Alaska. During the meeting at the airfield, they shook hands and left in the US president's car. Together they walked to a platform that read: Alaska 2025. Journalists shouted questions at Putin, including: Will you agree to a ceasefire? and Will you stop killing civilians? Putin seemed to just shrug. A big well done to Deirdre Connolly who organised a fun fundraising event with Eoghan Coffey from The Anvil Inn, Portarlington that his raised vital funds for a Laois cancer suppport service. A massive 7760 was raised from the Country and Western night held on August 3 at the popular Portlarlington. Well done to all who donated on the night and to everyone who helped put this event together, including the musicians, DJ, sponsors, volunteers and all the staff at The Anvil Inn. All monies raised will go towards the Cuisle Centre on the Block Road in Portlaoise for the continued services provided at the Centre, which they offer free of charge to their patients and their families. The Cuisle Centre says it provides emotional support to people affected by cancer including those who care for them, from the time of diagnosis, throughout their cancer journey. They say this gentle and caring support takes place in a confidential, professional, and non-judgmental environment. READ ALSO: Great WILD west night in Portarlington for cancer support IN PICTURES Annual running costs are in the region of 350,000 which is primarily funded by community fundraising. This is aided by support from the NCCP (National Cancer Care Programme), Irish Cancer Society, Laois Hospice, HSE, Laois County Council, National Lottery. New figures from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) have shown that Laois has one of the longest wait times for driving tests nationally. In July of 2025, Laois learner drivers were waiting an average of 17 weeks to sit their driving test. The counties with the longest wait times were; Meath (20 weeks); Waterford (19.5 weeks); Longford (19 weeks); Dublin (18.5 weeks); Cork (18 weeks) and Laois, (17 weeks). Laois has the sixth highest wait time for driving tests in Ireland The county with the quickest turn around of driving tests is Sligo, with an average seven week wait time. The counties with the lowest wait times were; Sligo (7 weeks); Roscommon (9 weeks); Carlow (9.5 weeks); Mayo (9.5 weeks); Wexford (10 weeks) and Cavan (10 weeks). In February of 2025, it was reported by the Leinster Express / Laois Live that there were 6,657 learner permit holders in Laois, with an 'unprecedented' demand for tests in the county. There are two RSA driving test centres in the county, both located in Portlaoise. While Laois currently has one of the highest wait times nationally, there has been a reduction in wait times over the past three months. In June, the wait for driving tests in Laois stood at 18 weeks, and at 19 weeks in May. Shockingly, in April this figure stood at 26 weeks. Sean Canney TD, Minister of State for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports and Leader in Cabinet of the Independent Ministers, has welcomed latest figures showing that the national average waiting time for a driving test has now reduced to 13.5 weeks, down from 27 weeks at the end of April. On May 1, Minister Canney directed the Road Safety Authority to put a plan in place to bring waiting times back to acceptable levels, and to report every two weeks on progress towards this goal. The RSA report for the week ending August 8th shows that the average wait time has reduced to 13.5 weeks, ahead of the 16 week target for this time period agreed between the RSA and Minister Canney. "This is encouraging progress and a clear sign that the measures put in place are delivering results," Minister Canney said. "I remain fully committed to ensuring the RSA meets its target of returning to a Service Level Agreement of 10 weeks by September." The Minister noted that 16 test centres are now at or below the 10-week target an increase of six centres since the previous update. The opening of two new test centres in Sandyford and Drogheda next month is expected to provide an immediate boost to capacity, particularly in some of the busiest locations, including Tallaght, Dun Laoghaire, and Navan, where waiting times have already halved since earlier this year. The RSA currently has 181 fully trained testers, with 15 new recruits completing training and due to join the booking schedule this month. A further training programme will take place in September to bring the number of testers up to its full sanctioned complement of 200. "Reducing driving test waiting times is a priority for me. A timely and efficient driver testing service is vital not just for road safety, but also for peoples access to work, education, and daily life. I will continue to work closely with the RSA to ensure these targets are met and maintained," Minister Canney concluded. Plans have officially been lodged for the construction of a biomethane plant in South Kildare by English-based energy company Cycle0 (stylised as Cycle). The announcement follows after the company said last year that it would invest 100 million in order to construct four new innovative biomethane plants in Ireland. These proposed plants would be located in Kildare, Cavan, Galway and Limerick, according to Cycle. However, the proposed development in Limerick was refused planning permission back in May. The Irish Independent recently noted that, if approved, these plants could generate a total of 160 gigawatts per hour of biomethane annually between the four of them. This is enough energy to heat more than 12,000 Irish homes for a year. READ NEXT: ALERT: Temporary closure of Kildare road for nearly two months announced However, in relation to the proposed development in Kildare, there has been opposition from locals concerns range from the impact on the biodiversity of the area to an increase in traffic congestion. This led to a spokesperson for the Cycle Group to respond to a series of questions submitted by the radio station KFM back in February. These questions highlighted concerns surrounding the Kildare project. PLANNING APPLICATION According to the lengthy planning permission application currently with Kildare County Council (KCC) shows that Cycle IE Limited intends to construct the plant at Ballyvass in Castledermot. Specifically, the company intends to construct "an anaerobic digestion facility to produce renewable biomethane, CO2 (which will be captured), and a bio-based fertiliser from organic material". The total gross floor area of the proposed development (including internal plant areas and ancillary structures) will be circa 6,007 square metres. The proposed development includes two primary digesters, each approximately 9.1 metres high, along with a digestate storage tank reaching 11.3m. A pump house with a floor area of 362 sqm and two post-digester tanks (9.1m high) are also being planned, along with a safety flare standing 11.3m high in the sites southeastern section. The southern section would house two prepits, a pasteurisation buffer tank, and a pasteurisation unit, all around 4.2m to 4.3m in height. A digestate treatment and feedstock reception building with odour abatement system would be built in the southwest, measuring 2,797 sqm in floor area and up to 16.2m in height at the odour abatement stack. A two-storey ancillary administration building (327 sqm, 11m high) would be located near the site entrance, alongside improvements to the local road and access junction. Other planned works include: roofed silage clamps (2,424 sqm), a fuel storage tank, a combined heat and power unit, biogas and backup boilers, a gas treatment unit, grid injection unit, a carbon dioxide liquefactor, propane tank compound, and an ESB substation. In addition, the company is also seeking permission for the following: parking spaces, bicycle storage, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, wastewater treatment equipment, drainage, landscaping, lighting, and other ancillary works. The date received on the application is listed as August 12 last, while the submission-by and due dates are listed as September 15, 2025 and October 6, 2025 respectively. In related news, the Ballyvass Biogas Action Group set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe last month to oppose the project. The fundraiser is titled 'Oppose large Biomethane plant at Ballyvass, Castledermot' and has a 10,000 goal. READ NEXT: Attractive new extension planned for Kildare school People across Leitrim are being invited to lace up their runners and take part in the 100K in September challenge in aid of LauraLynn, Irelands only childrens hospice. The fundraiser asks participants to walk, jog or run 100 kilometres over the course of the month about 3.3km a day to help provide specialist palliative care for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. LauraLynn Fundraising Manager Cathy White said the challenge offers both a health boost and a chance to make a difference. Taking part in the 100K in September challenge is a great way to build a healthy habit while making a real difference, she said. Whether you walk, jog or run, every kilometre helps us continue providing essential care and support to children and families across Ireland. Its a beautiful thing to do, especially if we get a sunny September. Those who sign up on the LauraLynn website will receive a free t-shirt and a personal sponsorship page, and can join the events Strava Club or Facebook Group for tips and motivation. READ NEXT: Leitrim to remember Republican John Joe McGirl at annual commemoration this weekend The challenge is open to everyone, regardless of fitness level, and focuses on consistency rather than speed. All funds raised go towards LauraLynns free services, which include symptom management, music and play therapy, short breaks, end-of-life care, and support for siblings and parents. LauraLynns care is provided not only at its Leopardstown hospice, but also in hospitals, in the community, and in family homes nationwide. Since opening in 2011, the service has supported more than 926 children and their families. How to register: Visit lauralynn.ie/events/challenges/walkrun-100k-in-september-teamlauralynn or email challenges@lauralynn.ie. READ NEXT: Leitrim TD slams Government as 'scandalous' as energy credits ruled out of Budget 2026 Tributes have been paid to David OCallaghan, the 21-year-old whose body was found in Boyle earlier this week, as the local community rallies to support his grieving family. David, originally from Dublin but living in Mohill, Co Leitrim, had been missing since Saturday, August 9th. He was last seen in the Boyle area, prompting extensive searches over several days before the operation was stood down on Wednesday, August 13th, following the discovery of his body. A GoFundMe appeal, launched by Tegan, a close friend of Davids partner, has already raised more than 5,000 to help his family through this difficult time. In her tribute on the fundraiser page, Tegan remembered David as someone who could light up any room quick with a joke, ready to listen, and always there when you needed him (or when he needed to borrow a tenner). READ NEXT: Leitrim to remember Republican John Joe McGirl at annual commemoration this weekend Davids partner, Leanne Lupton, also shared a deeply emotional tribute on social media, saying her heart was shattered by his passing. She described him as a wonderful man who was loved by everyone. He wasnt just the happiest person in the room, he was the rooms light, Ms Lupton wrote. Wherever he went, laughter followed. He carried a warmth that wrapped itself around everyone he met a rare kind of spirit that made strangers feel like friends and friends feel like family. Friends, neighbours, and members of the wider community have been sharing their condolences and memories online, remembering David as a warm, kind-hearted young man who touched the lives of many. The GoFundMe page can be found at gofundme.com/f/david-ocallaghan. READ MORE Leitrim residents urged to take on 100k Therell be a touch of showbiz sparkle in Carrick-on-Shannon this Saturday as six-year-old Seamie Sean O Braonain, the pint-sized sensation of TG4s Fleadh25, rolls into town to collect the suit hes worked so hard to buy. The Donegal youngster who stole hearts nationwide with his impromptu performance on Thursday nights live broadcast will be arriving in style, stepping out of a stretched limousine with a security detail of cousins acting as bodyguards for the day. Seamie Sean, who attends Creevy National School in Rossnowlagh, shot to fame last week after charming presenter Aoife Ni Thuairisg and viewers alike with his music, dancing, and cheeky grin during Fleadh25s coverage from Wexford. READ MORE: Tributes pour in as community rally to support loved ones of David OCallaghan The son of renowned Kila musician Seanan Brennan and musician/actress Fiona Maria Fitzpatrick, music is in his blood. Hes been singing since the age of two and recently took up the fiddle with Comhaltas Phil Rooney Branch Ballyshannon. During the live broadcast, he revealed he was saving for a dapper suit hed spotted in Gerard Anthony Menswear, Carrick-on-Shannon a treat his mum promised if he raised the money himself. True to his word, he busked his way to success on Wexfords bustling streets, entertaining the crowds with tunes, songs, and even The Brush Dance. On Saturday, the story will come full circle. Joined by dancers and musicians from Airc Damhsa, led by local treasure Edwina Guckian, Seamie Sean will return to the shop where it all began. He had originally called in looking for dancing shoes during Airc Damhsas Culture Camp, but instead spotted the suit that stole his heart. Music, dancing, and plenty of craic are promised as Carrick plays host to a well-earned celebration for one of Irelands newest and youngest stars. READ MORE: Hackett wonder point and Singleton goes help St Mary's find a way past Fenagh Gardai in County Kerry are appealing for witnesses after a motorcyclist was killed in a horror road crash this Friday morning. The fatal incident occurred on the N69 on the Listowel side of Tarbert village at Tieraclea, close to the Kerry/Limerick border at around 10am. "The collision involved a truck and a motorcycle. The driver of the motorcycle, a male in his 40s, has been pronounced deceased at the scene," said a garda spokesperson. Motorists are being advised the road, which is heavily used by tourists, remains closed at this time to facilitate a technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators, with local diversions are in place. READ NEXT: Gardai seek witnesses after pedestrian is seriously injured in crash on busy road in Cork Gardai are investigating the cause of the collision and they are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed what happened to contact them. Any road users who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, and who were travelling in the area between 9.45am and 10.15am on Friday are asked to make this footage available. Anyone with information is asked to contact Listowel garda station in Kerry on (068) 50820, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station. Mali's junta leader Assimi Goita attends the first ordinary summit of heads of state and governments of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in Niamey, Niger July 6, 2024. MAHAMADOU HAMIDOU / REUTERS The authorities in Mali on Thursday, August 14, said a French national had been arrested on suspicion of working for French intelligence services, and accused "foreign states" of trying to destabilize the country. The ruling junta, which came to power after back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, also said that dozens of soldiers had been detained in recent days for allegedly seeking to overthrow the government. Impoverished Mali has been gripped by a security crisis since 2012, fueled notably by violence from groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State jihadist group, as well as local criminal gangs. In a statement read on national television, the military said "fringe elements of the Malian armed security forces" were held for seeking to "destabilize the institutions of the republic." "These soldiers and civilians" are said to have obtained "the help of foreign states," the government said. The French national was held on suspicion of working "on behalf of the French intelligence service." Security sources told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that at least 55 soldiers had been arrested, and the government said it was working to identify "possible accomplices." The junta confirmed the arrest of two generals, including Abbas Dembele, a highly respected figure in the army and a former governor who was recently dismissed from his position. Read more Mali follows Niger and Burkina Faso in quitting group of French-speaking nations Security sources told AFP the arrests were made mainly within the national guard a branch of the army from whose ranks emerged Defense Minister Sadio Camara, a key figure in the junta. Several observers noted that some of those arrested were close to Camara, but he has not been questioned so far. 'Misappropriation' On Tuesday, Mali's civilian former prime minister Choguel Maiga and a number of his former colleagues were taken into custody as part of an investigation into claims of "misappropriation of public funds." Maiga, a former junta heavyweight, was appointed prime minister in 2021 before being dismissed at the end of last year after criticizing the military government. He had criticized being excluded from decisions about the continued leadership of the generals, who had initially promised to hand power back to elected civilians in March 2024. No connection has been made between his arrest and those of the soldiers accused of wanting to overthrow the government. The junta, led by President Assimi Goita, has turned away from Western partners, notably former colonial power France, to align itself politically and militarily with Russia in the name of national sovereignty. The Malian army and its Russian mercenary allies have been tasked with hunting down the jihadists and are regularly accused of committing abuses against civilians. Read more Subscribers only Russia delivers armored vehicles to Mali and restructures military presence Hami Citywalk: Experience a day the local way in Xinjiang's 'miniature world' 15:57, August 14, 2025 By Cai Hairuo, Su Yingxiang, Yuan Meng ( People's Daily Online Welcome to Hami, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a small town known as a miniature Xinjiang. In Xinjiang, sunset lingers, and so does the rhythm of life. Join a People's Daily Online reporter as they show you how locals really live by taking you on a relaxed Xinjiang-style day tour around this cozy little city. Why is Xinjiang a must-visit for travelers? Watch and find out! (Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Wu Chengliang) You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close A VICTORIAN pipe organ that has been silent for years will once again enchant audiences at a special Mass in Doon. The organ, built in 1880, was rescued from spiders cobwebs in the closed Convent of Mercy by Doon Parish Choir, in collaboration with Dun Bleisce Historical and Literary Society. READ NEXT: East Limerick the place to be on Saturday as Cappamore Show is ready to go! The society was awarded grant funding of 13,356 from the Heritage Council to restore and relocate the organ to St Patricks Church, Doon. Stephen Adams, an organ builder from Carlow, was engaged to complete the project. Parishioners and visitors will have the opportunity to listen to the very sonorous and sweet sound of the pipe organ at a special event in the church this Saturday at 6.30pm. The evening will also promote the Irish language and music with a performance of the O Riada Mass by Dun Bleisce parish choir. The Mass will be celebrated by parish priest Fr Jimmy Donnelly with Deacon Tom Anderson assisting. Mairead Quigley is the parish resident organist and her brother Eamonn will be guest accompanist. He is travelling from the UK especially for the occasion. The sound of the organ will be enhanced by the choir, directed by Assumpta Ui Riain, who with Micheal Kennedy, of Dun Bleisce Historical and Literary Society, spearheaded the entire project. While pianists believe that the pedal is the soul of the piano. Assumpta describes the pipes as the soul of the organ. Nothing can replicate the sound of the pipe organ, she declares. Donal Anderson, chairperson of the historical society, said the Convent of Mercy was in existence in Doon for over 150 years from 1865 to 2016 after then parish priest Fr Hickey invited Mercy sisters in Kinsale to come to East Limerick. It was central to the village, parish and further afield. The convent developed incrementally over the decades, establishing extensive primary and secondary boarding and day schools. Up to 800 students attended the school staffed by 50 Sisters at its peak. The Victorian pipe organ is a tangible and intangible link to the musical heritage associated with the Convent of Mercy over the generations, said Donal. In reviewing the application for grant funding, the Heritage Council said the project holds significant cultural importance as it preserves a vital piece of musical and historical heritage. The organ, with its rich history and connection to the Convent of Mercy, meets all the criteria for conservation. Its relocation to St Patricks Parish Church ensures accessibility and inclusion, allowing future generations to appreciate its historical value and enjoy its soulful music in congregational worship and community events. An organised, experienced, and competent group will ensure this project is seen through to completion. It is a distinctive and interesting idea for National Heritage Week, say the Heritage Council. Those planning to attend Saturday evenings Mass in Doon are advised to arrive early as a large crowd is expected. A special commemorative booklet will be distributed. See the Dun Bleisce Historical and Literary Societys Facebook page for more on the project, including choir director Assumptas talented daughter, Ellen, beautifully telling the story of Ceolan while sitting at the organ. THE CATTLE section of the Cappamore Show on Saturday is set to be one of the hotly-contested yet, with a massive 62 classes scheduled across seven breeds. Sean Ryan 'Luke', chairperson of the cattle section, said: Were very fortunate once again this year to be able to include five All-Ireland titles among those classes, which really helps draw in some of the top cattle from all over the country. READ NEXT: East Limerick the place to be on Saturday as Cappamore Show is ready to go! Exhibitors will travel from the four corners of Ireland to east Limerick. They are coming from Donegal right down to West Cork. The reach and reputation of the show has grown steadily over the years, and Cappamore has now earned its place as one of the leading cattle shows in the country. "Its a reputation were very proud of, and one that we work hard to uphold every year, said Sean, a son of the late and great show secretary Paddy Ryan 'Luke'. Sean said one of the most encouraging parts of the cattle section is the loyalty of our exhibitors. Every year, we welcome back competitors who have shown with us previously, but we also continue to see fresh faces year after year. That mix of experience and new energy is what gives Cappamore such a buzz on the day and its great for the future of the industry too, said Sean. Every single class is now listed and available online at www.cappamoreshow.ie, so whether youre planning to enter or just want to come along and watch, all the details are there. Were happy to help, and we want to make it as easy as possible for exhibitors and spectators alike to be part of whats shaping up to be a fantastic day, concludes Sean. A LIMERICK woman was among the 532 people arrested in Westminster this week carrying placards opposing the banning of the activist group Palestine Action by the UK Minister for Justice, Yvette Cooper. Palestine Action is proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. READ NEXT: Gardai issue appeal over 14-year-old girl missing in Limerick Sinead Ni Shiacais, of Caherdavin in Limerick city, travelled to London to join the protest last Saturday. She said that Metropolitan Police carried out a mass arrest that detained anyone carrying a sign saying, "I oppose genocide, I support Palestinian Action". Ms Ni Shiacais described it as a terrifying example of how far authoritarianism has crept into the so-called democratic West.. She said she travelled to the UK to peacefully protest this draconian law because its impact goes far beyond British citizens. I see authoritarianism growing and our civil liberties like the right to peacefully assemble and speak out being steadily eroded. This dangerous trend is spreading across Europe, falsely normalised as counter-terrorism'. So normalised that even cultural practitioners and artists such as Moglai Bap have to answer to the courts again in August for expressions made on stage during a performance, said Ms Ni Shiacais. She said while she has not directly participated in actions with Palestine Action since their founding in 2020, I have always admired their courage in standing up against weapons factories from afar. When I see the starvation and suffering of Palestinian people, it hits me as I see my own familys history and what we endured. My grandfather Thomas Jackson fought against British rule for dignity, freedom, and the right to live without fear. Something I believe we all should be able to take for granted today. The arrests under section 13 of the Terrorism Act comes amid growing international condemnation of the UK governments treatment of pro-Palestinian activists. "Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the United Nations, have criticised the UKs decision to label groups like Palestine Action, who campaign to end the arms trade with Israel, as 'terrorist organisations', said the Caherdavin woman. Speaking on the arrests, Ms Ni Shiacais said the Mets own figures prove how absurd and unenforceable this ban is. Around a thousand people in Parliament Square held placards supporting Palestine Action, yet only about half of us were arrested. I was one of those branded a terrorist for holding a sign, while hundreds of others with the exact same sign were left alone. "This is a clear case of two-tier policing, a waste of public resources, and part of an authoritarian crackdown on fundamental freedoms, said Ms Ni Shiacais, who, if charged, is due to appear in UK courts next month. The next protest is on September 6 with the Limerick woman confirming she will be going back again despite my bail conditions". "The UK government has used terror laws to ban Palestine Action. This has created a world where people are dragged away by Met Police and risk 14 years in prison for holding a simple cardboard sign. None of these people are terrorists. It is an insult to victims of real terror to label them as such. Ms Ni Shiacais continued: We will not comply with any government that defends the indefensible and prosecutes people who act on their conscience. We will stay on the streets until the ban on Palestine Action is lifted and protest rights are restored. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said over the coming days and weeks, officers from the Mets Counter Terrorism Command will work to put together the case files required to secure charges against those arrested as part of this operation. Securing a charge for an offence under the Terrorism Act is a distinct process, which in some instances not only involves the approval of the Crown Prosecution Service, but also the Attorney General. "Last week we confirmed the first three charges in England and Wales for offences against Section 13 of the Terrorism Act relating to Palestine Action. The three charged were arrested at a protest in Parliament Square on Saturday, 5 July. A further 26 case files relating to arrests on the same day are due to be submitted to the CPS imminently, with more to follow in relation to later protests, said the spokesperson. GARDAI are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic collision that occurred close to the Limerick-Kerry border. It happened on the N69 on the Listowel side of Tarbert village, Tieraclea, County Kerry at around 10am this Friday morning. READ MORE: Limerick to Cork road reopens fully after collision that claimed man's life A garda spokesperson said the collision involved a truck and a motorcycle. "The driver of the motorcycle, a male in his 40s, has been pronounced deceased at the scene," said the garda spokesperson. It is being reported that the deceased man is believed to be from County Limerick The road remains closed at this time to facilitate a technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators. Local diversions are in place. Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact them. "Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in the area between 9.45 am and 10.15 am this morning are asked to make this footage available to investigating gardai. "Anyone with information is asked to contact Listowel Garda Station on (068) 50820, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station. Investigations are ongoing," said the garda spokesperson. AS EXCITEMENT levels build across the country ahead of Oasis return to Dublin this weekend, one Limerick woman is prepared to get the bands lyrics inked on her skin! Limerick Live spoke to the local fans of the band who got their hands on tickets for the highly-anticipated reunion, including tattoo-ready Breda. Sisters Breda and Helen Ryan, originally from Carew Park in the city, are among the lucky ones who will be heading to Croke Park this weekend. Oasis will be performing two sold-out concerts in the stadium on Saturday, August 16 and Sunday, August 17, as part of their Oasis Live 25 Tour. Breda, 39, managed to bag two tickets for the Sunday night show, and she has compared the excitement levels to like if the Beatles got back together. The sisters will be staying the night in Dublin, as Breda had a hotel booked long before the tickets even went on sale in order to manifest that she would be going to the concert. Their plan is to head up early on the train that morning and spend the day in Dublin - maybe even stopping by an Oasis tattoo pop-up! Breda already knows the lyrics she wants inked on her skin: Live Forever, from her favourite Oasis song of the same name. She and her sister, as well as their cousins, inherited their love for Oasis from their late uncle and will be keeping his memory with them in Croke Park this weekend. READ MORE: Limerick sows seeds of change with biodiversity workshop So passionate is Bredas love for Oasis that, when she was much younger, she ended up in a physical altercation with someone who claimed Blur was the better band! Nowadays, theres no need to fight about Oasis talent. Instead, you have to fight to hold on to your tickets to see them! New mother Frances Fitzpatrick, 29, of Caherline, has had to ward people off from trying to nab her passes to the sold-out show. As soon as I told everyone I was pregnant, I had people who I haven't spoken to in years be like, Congratulations on your baby. Are you still going to Oasis? I had to fend them all off with a stick! Unluckily for any fans hoping for a chance at getting into Croke Park this weekend, Frances had her priorities in order months ago: As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I worked out my due date was July 12, and I immediately told my husband that under no circumstances would I be missing Oasis. She will be attending the Sunday night concert with her friend Jane, who was the one who managed to get her hands on the gold dust-like tickets. Initially, their plan had been to head up early and make a day of it, but with six-week-old Oscar waiting at home, Frances will be heading up in the late afternoon and driving straight back home that night. Having a friend who managed to buy tickets in the presale didnt save Frances from the general sale stress unfortunately, as she was tasked with the mission of getting tickets for her father - which I failed to do, she admitted. With stories of people who had spent hours in the queue and got tickets in the end being shared on social media, she spent the day refreshing the Ticketmaster page in the hope of a miracle, but it wasnt to be. He's not happy because I'm going and he's not! READ MORE: Oasis reunion gigs spark huge buzz among Limerick fans Oasis, which formed in Manchester in 1991, disbanded in 2009 after almost two decades, before reforming in 2024 in a move that made fans across the world jump for joy. The bands sold-out reunion tour has already stopped in Cardiff, Manchester, London and Edinburgh, and will be heading worldwide after the bands Dublin dates. The two Gallagher brothers, Noel and Liam, will be joined onstage in Dublin by returning bandmates Paul Bonehead Arthurs and Gem Archer on guitars, Andy Bell on bass, and new touring member Joey Waronker on drums. If the previous shows are anything to go by, concertgoers will be treated to Oasis hits such as Don't Look Back in Anger, Champagne Supernova and, of course, Wonderwall. Breda and Frances will be happy to see that their personal favourites, Live Forever and Half the World Away, respectively, are also on the setlist. They can expect a night thats part nostalgia, pure magic. Police have warned protesters carrying placards or wearing clothing showing support for Palestine Action at demonstrations in Northern Ireland that they may be committing an offence. PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally urged anyone taking part in protests this weekend in the region to ensure they act within the law. Last weekend, a 74-year-old woman was arrested for wearing a Palestine Action T-shirt in Belfast at an anti-racism rally. Palestine Action was proscribed by the UK Government in July, with the ban meaning that membership of, or support for, the group is a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act 2000. Police have a role in facilitating freedom of expression such as public protest, but this must be peaceful and lawful and not disrupt the local community. For advice on safe and lawful protest and what police will do visit https://t.co/a5IPmxppiw pic.twitter.com/dbHaj1F8oE Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) August 15, 2025 More than 500 people were arrested last weekend on suspicion of displaying an item in support of a proscribed group as demonstrations took place in central London. Mr McNally said: The right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are fundamental human rights. They are protected in law and allow individuals to engage in peaceful protest. However, these rights are limited by the need to uphold the rights of others, protect public health and safety, minimise disruption to normal life and by the need to prevent and detect crime. The senior officer said the PSNI would facilitate lawful, peaceful protest. He added: We will be in attendance at several protests this weekend to ensure the safety of everyone present. If we identify potential criminal offences or unacceptable impact on the rights of others, we will take lawful and proportionate action. If an offence is suspected we will record evidence eg by way of handheld or vehicle mounted-cameras and where possible warn persons suspected of committing an offence. We may arrest and detain anyone suspected of committing an offence. Ultimately, the decision on whether to prosecute will rest with the Public Prosecution Service. Mr McNally pointed out that Palestine Action is proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000. He said: This has no impact on other groups or individuals right to protest about Gaza, but anyone showing support for Palestine Action, including with placards or messages on clothing, may be committing an offence. I would urge everyone to consider the seriousness of a prosecution under the Terrorism Act and the very real long-term implications this could have on their future. The 74-year-old woman arrested in Belfast last weekend was later released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service. She had been wearing a T-shirt which said We are all Palestine Action. Amnesty International has called on the PSNI to uphold peoples right to protest against the genocide being perpetrated in Gaza. Northern Ireland director Patrick Corrigan said: The police must be clear that they have obligations under the Human Rights Act and international law to facilitate the right to peaceful protest. Carrying out arrests for peaceful expression on this issue would be a violation of international human rights law. Instead of criminalising peaceful demonstrators, the UK Government should be focusing on taking immediate action to put a stop to Israels genocide. There is no place for the burning of flags or emblems in Londonderry, Northern Irelands First Minister said, ahead of the lighting of controversial nationalist bonfires. Michelle ONeill said the overwhelming majority of people in Northern Ireland want a better future for their children and grandchildren, free from sectarianism and hate. Her comments, on social media, came ahead of the burning of two bonfires in the Bogside and Creggan areas of Derry on Friday. The towering pyres were adorned with Union flags, Israel flags, poppy wreaths and other emblems. There is no place for illegal, unregulated bonfires or the burning of flags, whether thats today in Derry or what we witnessed in July. pic.twitter.com/M7pBf4ZhOh Michelle ONeill (@moneillsf) August 15, 2025 At the Meenan Square bonfire in the Bogside, organisers also placed a Parachute Regiment flag, as well as flags with the images of the King and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Crowds began to gather as Friday evening progressed, ahead of the expected ignition at about 11pm. Bonfires are traditionally lit in some nationalist areas of Derry in August, historically associated with the anniversary of the introduction of internment without trial during the Troubles and other significant events. It follows the lighting of hundreds of bonfires during festivities in loyalist areas of Northern Ireland in July, which also saw the burning of flags, symbols and effigies. Ms ONeill, who is the leader of Sinn Fein in Northern Irelands Executive, said: There is no place for illegal, unregulated bonfires or the burning of flags and emblems, whether thats today in Derry or what we witnessed across the North in July. She added: Derry is a city undergoing significant transformation, with the largest investment in its history agreed, totalling 300m. This investment will create new jobs, transform community facilities, build more homes, support local businesses and deliver the expansion of Magee University. Derry is moving forward. Our island is moving forward. Alliance Deputy Leader @EoinTennyson has condemned those who have placed poppy wreaths and flags on a bonfire in Derry-Londonderry, and has called for regulation to put an end to these hateful displays.https://t.co/djKrxV0hB0 Alliance Party (@allianceparty) August 15, 2025 And I will continue to do everything I can to keep us moving forward to a future where every person and every community can thrive free from sectarianism. Those behind the bonfires were condemned by Alliance deputy leader Eoin Tennyson, who called for regulation to end these hateful displays. He said: Each year, we witness a repeated cycle of sectarianism, hate, and bigotry during bonfire season. The placing of flags and offensive materials on bonfires is utterly unacceptable. Those responsible only seek to intimidate and sow division in our communities. Trump says Alaska meeting with Putin has 25 pct chance of not being successful Xinhua) 08:19, August 15, 2025 A man walks across a street in Anchorage, Alaska, the United States, on Aug. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling) In an interview with Fox News Radio, Trump said his meeting with Putin is like "a chess game," adding that he believes Putin is arriving with the intention of making progress toward reaching a deal on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. ANCHORAGE, United States, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday estimated that his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the U.S. state of Alaska has a 25 percent chance of not being successful. In an interview with Fox News Radio, Trump said his meeting with Putin is like "a chess game," adding that he believes Putin is arriving with the intention of making progress toward reaching a deal on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He said if positive progress is made during the meeting, it would lay the groundwork for a second one, which would also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump on Wednesday warned that Russia would face "very severe consequences" if Putin refuses to agree to a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The Putin-Trump meeting is set for Friday in Anchorage, Alaska. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) (Bloomberg) -- Some of the worlds wealthiest people joined Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in backing embattled insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc. in the second quarter. George Soross investment firm, the family office of a Swedish packaging dynasty and Michael Platts BlueCrest Capital Management all increased their stakes in UnitedHealth last quarter, according to 13F filings published Thursday. UnitedHealths stock plummeted this year following a string of setbacks, beginning with the fatal shooting of a top executive in New York City in December. Several months later the company slashed its financial outlook amid mounting medical costs, and its chief executive officer abruptly resigned. Meanwhile, the health-care firm is under federal investigation related to Medicare billing practices. The tumult raised its appeal for resourced investors known for contrarian and value wagers, including hedge fund billionaire David Tepper, whose Appaloosa Management raised its stake by 2.3 million shares, making the insurer its second-biggest holding. The disclosure of Buffetts UnitedHealth purchase sent the companys shares soaring 13% to $306.52 at 11:18 a.m. in New York. Berkshires stake is worth about $1.6 billion. Family offices also leaned into tech last quarter, with Soros and the Parker familys Kemnay Advisory Services boosting their stakes in Apple Inc., while Platts BlueCrest and Iconiq Capital, a multifamily office that manages money on behalf of several Silicon Valley billionaires, bought more Nvidia Corp. shares. Money managers overseeing more than $100 million in US equities are required to file a 13F form within 45 days of the end of each quarter to list their holdings in stocks that trade on US exchanges. It offers one of the few glimpses into how hedge funds and some large family offices invest. Other highlights from second-quarter 13F filings include: More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Air Canada has started cancelling flights on Thursday in anticipation of a potential work stoppage by its flight attendants, a move that could disrupt travel for hundreds of thousands of people. The union representing around 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants issued a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday, prompting the airline to issue a lockout notice and begin a gradual suspension of its operations, AP reported. Impact on travellers Mark Nasr, Air Canadas Chief Operations Officer, told AP that the airline has begun a gradual suspension of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge operations, and all flights will be paused by Saturday morning. This phased shutdown is intended to facilitate an orderly restart, which under the best circumstances will take a full week to complete, Nasr said. He also said that the initial cancellations involving several dozen flights will impact long-haul overseas flights that were due to depart Thursday night. By tomorrow evening, we expect to have cancelled flights affecting over 1,00,000 customers, Nasr said. By the time we get to 1 am on Saturday morning, we will be completely grounded. A complete shutdown of the country's largest airline would affect about 1,30,000 people a day, including 25,000 Canadians abroad who may become stranded. By the end of Friday, 500 flights are expected to be cancelled. Customers whose flights are cancelled will be eligible for a full refund, and the airline is also arranging for other Canadian and foreign carriers to provide alternative travel options, AP reported. What caused the dispute? The main sticking points in the negotiations, according to the union, are related to poverty unions and unpaid labour when planes arent in the air. These issues were highlighted by the flight attendants at the airlines news conference, who held signs that read unpaid work wont fly and Poverty wages=Uncanadian. Also Read | Air Canada Says US Bookings Are Down 10% as Trade War Rages On Air Canadas head of human resources, Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, stated that the companys latest offer includes a 38% increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions, over a four-year period. Stalled negotiations and government intervention The union rejected the airlines proposal to enter a binding arbitration process, saying it prefers to negotiate a deal that its members can vote on. Natasha Stea, who represents flight attendants in Montreal for the union, said she thinks the airline is counting on the government to intervene. Stea said they want a fair and equitable contract, the news report said. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu has urged both sides to reach an independent agreement and has asked the union to respond to the airlines request for arbitration. China deepened a trade spat with Canada, filing a lawsuit at the World Trade Organization over import restrictions on steel just days after slapping fresh duties on Canadian canola. The WTO case targets tariffs and quotas on steel launched by Canada last month. Those measures were typical trade protectionism that disregarded Chinas legitimate rights and interests and flouted WTO rules, Chinas Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Friday. We urge Canada to take immediate action to correct its erroneous practices, uphold the rules based multilateral trading system, and promote the continuous improvement of China-Canada economic and trade relations, the ministry said. Trade tensions between the two sides spiked last year, after Canada opened trade measures against not just steel, but also aluminum and electric vehicles. On Tuesday, Beijing announced preliminary anti-dumping tariffs against Canadian canola seed, after putting a 100% tariff on canola oil and meal in March. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is trying to reduce the amount of imported steel largely as an aid to domestic producers hurt by US President Donald Trumps levies on the sector. Countries without a free-trade agreement with Canada including China can ship half of last years volumes, with a 50% tariff applying to any additional tons. China was subject to an additional 25% tariff on all steel melted and poured in China prior to the end of July. Canada accounted for about 0.6% of Chinas total steel exports in 2024, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. 2025 Bloomberg L.P. -The Data Center Coalition, which represents data center owners including Google, Amazon and Microsoft, called on U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to uphold existing rules for wind and solar energy subsidies, saying they have enabled the industry to grow quickly and stay ahead of competition from China. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Tougher rules on how projects can qualify for federal clean energy tax credits could slow development of new electricity generation at a time of surging power demand driven by artificial intelligence and the digital economy. KEY QUOTE "Any regulatory friction that slows down deployment of new generation today directly impacts our ability to meet AI-era electricity demands tomorrow," the coalition wrote in its letter to Bessent. The letter is dated August 4 but was seen by Reuters on Friday. CONTEXT President Donald Trump issued an executive order in July directing Treasury to tighten clean energy tax credit rules, including redefining what it means for a project to have started construction. The industry has relied on the existing rules for the last decade, and advisory firm Clean Energy Associates projected this week that the United States could lose about 60 gigawatts of planned solar capacity through 2030 if stricter "beginning of construction" rules are implemented. BY THE NUMBERS Between 2017 and 2023, the U.S. data center industry contributed $3.5 trillion to the nation's gross domestic product and directly employed over 600,000 workers, according to the DCC. WHAT'S NEXT The Treasury Department is expected to issue updated guidelines as soon as August 18. (Bloomberg) -- Jackie Bezos, a fierce protector of her son Jeff before he founded Amazon.com Inc. and a deep-pocketed advocate for early childhood education, has died. She was 78. Bezos died at her home in Miami on Thursday, according to the Bezos Family Foundations website. In a tribute on social media, Jeff Bezos wrote that his mother passed away surrounded by so many of us who loved her, saying her death followed a long fight with Lewy body dementia. With her husband, Miguel, Bezos was the first to invest in Amazon. Their two checks, totaling $245,573 in 1995, backed the startup that Jeff Bezos warned would probably fail. It didnt, of course, and the investment along with subsequent purchases of Amazon shares netted them a fortune estimated to be as large as $30 billion in 2018. Starting in 2000 decades before their son or his company launched their own philanthropic endeavors the couple funded educational programs through the Bezos Family Foundation. For years, it was the highest-profile charity giving away a slice of the fortunes created by the e-commerce giant. At the core of the foundations work is Jackies belief that rigorous, inspired learning in the classroom and in childrens hundreds of daily interactions with adults will allow students from birth to high school to put their education into action, the organization says on its website. It says her vision is behind two in-house programs Vroom, which disseminates parenting tips via an app and other methods, and the Bezos Scholars Program, which chooses 17 young Americans and Africans to be trained in a leadership development program each year. The foundation has backed hundreds of other organizations, primarily focused on kids and young adults. It made its biggest single gift in August 2024 $185.7 million to the Aspen Institute to underwrite a new center focused on young people. Fathers Work Jacklyn Marie Gise was born in Virginia on Dec. 29, 1946. She grew up in New Mexico, where her father, Lawrence Preston Gise, was a senior official at the US Atomic Energy Commission, the agency that then oversaw US nuclear laboratories. During her sophomore year in high school in Albuquerque, she became pregnant by Theodore Jorgensen, a senior. They married in 1963 and their son, Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen, was born the following January. Jacklyn, known as Jackie, moved back in with her parents and filed for divorce from Jorgensen when their son was 17 months old. Jorgensen, a unicycle polo player who would later run a bicycle shop, acknowledged that he wasnt a particularly good father or husband. It was really all my fault, he told Bloomberg Businessweek editor Brad Stone for his book, The Everything Store. (2013). I dont blame Jackie at all. Jorgensen died in 2015. Newly single, Jackie completed high school on conditions imposed by administrators: that she not speak to classmates, loiter on campus or attend graduation. She later enrolled in community college, seeking out professors who would permit her to bring a toddler to class. Second Marriage It was around this time, while working in the Bank of New Mexicos bookkeeping department, that she met Miguel Bezos, known as Mike, a Cuban-born college student who was a night teller at the bank. He had arrived in the US at age 16, a refugee among the thousands of other children sent to live in the US after Fidel Castros revolution. According to Stones book, Jackie turned him down several times before finally agreeing to go on a date, to see The Sound of Music. The two married in April 1968 and moved to Texas, where Mike took a job as a petroleum engineer with what became Exxon Corp. They had two children: Christina, in 1969, and Mark, in 1970. Jeff, who had no relationship with his biological father, was adopted by Miguel and took the Bezos surname. Jackie ran a household steeped in board games, science projects and storytelling, Mark Leibovich wrote in The New Imperialists (2002), his book profiling Jeff Bezos and other business titans of the 21st century. Jackie was a foremost protector and all-purpose support system for Jeff, Leibovich wrote. Gifted Program In one example, Jackie got Jeff a curious child who at age 3 took apart the walls of his crib so he could sleep in a bed into a pilot program for gifted students at a Houston elementary school. She did the same when the family later moved to Pensacola, Florida. You dont just go away, she told Leibovich. You dont go gently. You just keep trying to convince people. She indulged Jeffs passions, regularly ferrying him to Radio Shack so he could tinker with homemade electronics. Mike Bezos climbed the ladder at Exxon, moving the family to Miami, where Jeff graduated from high school. Mikes later work sent him and Jackie to Norway and Colombia. During a stint in New Jersey, Jackie, then 40 years old, earned a degree from the College of Saint Elizabeth (now Saint Elizabeth University) in Morris Township. After Jeff gave up his New York hedge fund job to found Amazon near Seattle, his parents put much of their nest egg into the company a decision they would later say was a bet on their son rather than the prospects of an internet bookseller. When Amazon became a Wall Street darling after its 1997 initial public offering, Jackie visited newsstands to find stories about her son, then left the magazine open to that page, Leibovich wrote. Move to Seattle In 2000, Jackie and Mike, who by then had retired from Exxon, moved to the Seattle area to be closer to Jeffs growing family. In Seattle, Jackie Bezos wrote occasional opinion pieces in the local newspaper, advocating for early childhood education. She and Mike donated in support of an ultimately successful voter initiative that established state charter schools in Washington and against a proposal to implement an income tax in the state. Voters rejected the tax. The couple were frequent donors to Seattles Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, including a $710 million gift in 2022 made outside of the foundation. They kept homes in Colorado and Texas and in recent years spent much of their time living in Miami. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Marfrig Global Foods SA is benefiting from BRF SA as the poultry and processed-food company continues to reap profits from strong global demand, helping to weather the impact of a severe cattle shortage in the US. Marfrigs operating earnings fell less than expected in the second quarter, while BRF also beat analysts estimates. Marfrigs shares rose as much as 4% on Friday, while BRF gained as much as 5%. The results are the first since shareholders in both Brazilian companies approved Marfrigs proposal to buy the BRF shares it doesnt already own. While the deal is still pending antitrust approval, Marfrig expects it to close by September, Chief Financial Officer Tang David said in a conference with journalists on Thursday. Marfrig, which controls US beef producer National Beef Inc., is among the companies being squeezed by the worst cattle shortage in decades. Producers including larger rivals JBS NV and Tyson Foods Inc. are being forced to pay record-high prices for slaughter-weight animals, and theyre struggling to pass those costs on to consumers. Booming demand for chicken and low bird feed costs have so far helped Marfrig cushion the impact, even as trade bans following a bird flu outbreak in May dented profits in the second quarter. BRF reported a better-than-expected quarter, a positive surprise despite the negative impact of Chinese and EU export restrictions on Brazilian chicken, XP Inc. analysts including Leonardo Alencar said in a note to clients. The prospect of lower grain prices, coupled with solid demand, continues, with a margin surplus expected after the trade bans end. BRF is counting on China and European nations dropping their poultry bans and resuming poultry purchases very soon, Chief Executive Officer Miguel Gularte said during an earnings call on Friday. While chicken supplies in Brazil and other producing nations are expected to grow as much as 2% in the short term, demand worldwide should keep increasing at a faster pace, according to Gularte and BRF Chief Financial Officer Fabio Mariano. Growing income in Brazil and the Middle East and Asia, as well as BRFs move to increase its added-value products portfolio, should also help push prices higher. Marfrigs earnings before items such as interest and taxes fell 11% from a year earlier to 3 billion reais in the three months ended in June. That compares with a 2.12 billion-real average of analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. BRF reported adjusted earnings of 2.5 billion reais, topping analyst estimates of 2.39 billion reais. This was an extremely challenging quarter, Gularte told journalists on Thursday, citing the impact of the bird flu outbreak on the companys exports. 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Mid-sized information technology (IT) services companies such as Mphasis Ltd and Hexaware Technologies Ltd are investing in advisory firms that help large corporations set up back-end tech hubs or global capability centres in India, in their bid to win substantial tech and engineering contracts later on. This strategy, analysts say, enables IT services firms to get faster access to new clients and an easier entry into the countrys $68 billion global capability centre market, which is expected to swell to $105 billion by 2030. Picking up a stake in these consulting firms makes business sense for the homegrown IT outsourcers, as they can start providing tech services, and secure support and maintenance deals as soon as the big foreign companies set up their GCCs here in India, the analysts said. On 10 July, Mphasis invested $4 million in Aokah, a US-based GCC advisory firm, for a 26% stake. During the companys post-earnings interaction with analysts on 25 July, managing director and chief executive Nitin Rakesh said the acquisition was done with a view that we will essentially have an opportunity in helping shape deals as clients start thinking about GCCs and the various shapes and forms that it takes." Similarly, Hexaware Technologies acquired SMC Squared on 17 July for $120 million. Its management attributed the move to the robust revenue opportunity" that SMC brought. AI and GCC growth Currently what SMC does is to have (GCCs) set up. But what it does not do is transform the operations, especially with the AI opportunity. That's a capability that Hexaware will bring, and we think it will deepen the relationship with the customers for whom we set up GCCs. said Ramakarthikeyan Srikrishna, CEO of Hexaware, during the companys post-earnings call on 25 July. Mphasis and Hexaware ended the April-June period with $437 million and $382 million in respective revenue, up 1.6% and 2.8% from the preceding quarter. These investments come at a time when GCCs present a complex web of challenges and opportunities. At least one chief executive of an IT firm attributed higher attrition to clients hiring away talent for their own in-house tech hubs. Overall, if you look across the industry, there's a slight uptick in attrition and that may be to do with the GCCs being more active, the product companies coming here and setting up their own captives and large banks, large enterprises, et cetera," said Sandeep Kalra, executive director and CEO of Persistent Systems, during the companys post-earnings call on 23 July. Persistent ended the first quarter with $389.7 million in revenue, up 3.9% sequentially. Strategic investments Many IT outsourcers look at GCCs as a threat because Fortune companies are hiring engineers to handle their back-end tech work rather than giving that work to them. Mphasis's Rakesh attributed his decision of investing in a GCC advisory firm to the non-feasibility of setting up a GCC unit internally. That is not a business that we think will fit well if it was within Mphasis. So, we decided to take a strategic investment approach and use that opportunity to create new client engagements, not just in the GCC advisory, but then in the follow-up execution of those deals as well," said Rakesh during the post-earnings call with analysts. Hexawares Srikrishna also highlighted the trust issues that clients faced in the build-operate-transfer model, under which the IT outsourcers set up the tech centres, before handing over the team after a few years. This final stage of transfer often caused tensions with the clients. We did ref calls with customers. What I'm seeing came out consistent. They said, 'Listen, weve tried BOT (build-operate-transfer) models with traditional outsourcing companies,' and they named some of our large competitors. They said, 'With them, we never felt like it's a model that works for us. We always felt like there is a tension that is going to be there at the point of transferring. That it won't be easy, one. Two, even before the transfer in the 3-year or 4-year operate phase, we felt like the team is not ours. We felt like the team is the outsourcing company's team," said Srikrishna during the companys analyst call. IT outsourcers traditionally set up and run captive tech centres for their clients initially and then transfer the ownership after some time, which is known as the BOT model. Changing GCC demand Small GCC advisory firms can expand fast and deliver quick results, prompting IT outsourcers to invest in them, analysts said. Mid-cap IT firms arent avoiding GCCs, theyre cutting to the front of the line. By investing in specialist advisory shops, they buy instant expertise, warm client access, and a faster route to lucrative downstream IT and engineering deals, without the years it takes to build that capability from scratch," said Phil Fersht, chief executive of HFS Research. These investments also reflect the changing demand patterns in the GCC landscape. The moves by mid-tiers like Hexaware and Mphasis reflect a changing demand pattern for IT Services. Just like AI, GCCs are a topic that cannot be avoided when discussing the future of the market," said Thomas Reuner, principal analyst at Pierre Audoin Consultants. Where the wheat gets separated from the chaff is where GCCs are set up to help drive transformation by either pivoting to product engineering, especially within the manufacturing sector, or accelerating the transformation journey through data management and AI capabilities," said Reuner. According to a Mint report on 19 April, smaller GCC advisory firms like Gloplax Solutions, Stratinfinity, and Bridgepath Innovations were sprouting up across the country. These smaller firms help global companies set up GCCs and manage hiring, regulatory compliances, infrastructure and day-to-day operations for the parent company. Still, the trend of acquiring a GCC advisory firm is not new. GCC growth Last July, Accenture Plc, which is the worlds largest IT services company, acquired an undisclosed minority stake in ANSR, the countrys biggest GCC consulting firm, for $170 million. These investments also come at a time when larger peers including Infosys Ltd, HCL Technologies Ltd, Wipro Ltd, Tech Mahindra Ltd, and LTIMindtree Ltd have been setting up independent GCC units internally since the past two years. Currently, India has more than 1,760 GCCs, of which 875 are based in Bengaluru alone, while Hyderabad has about 355. The rest are located in cities such as Delhi-NCR, Pune, and Chennai. Nasscom estimates that the number of GCCs in India will surge to 2,200 by March 2030, with a market size of $105 billion. This presents an opportunity to the boutique advisory firms sprouting up to open and run these GCCs. By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) -A federal appeals court on Friday declared unconstitutional a Maryland law prohibiting companies that pass on the costs of the state's first-of-its-kind digital advertising tax from telling customers why prices went up. Reversing a lower court ruling, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously agreed with the Chamber of Commerce and two other trade groups that the restriction violated members' First Amendment free speech rights, while insulating Maryland lawmakers from criticism and political accountability. The offices of Maryland's Attorney General Anthony Brown and the only defendant, state Comptroller Brooke Lierman, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Aimed at larger businesses such as Amazon.com, Meta Platforms' Facebook and Alphabet's Google, Maryland's 2021 law taxed companies that generated at least $1 million of gross revenue from digital ad services in the state. Maryland imposed levies on a sliding scale based on companies' global revenue, and lawmakers said the tax could raise $250 million annually. The Chamber of Commerce, NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association sued, calling the law a punitive assault on digital rather than print advertising. Friday's decision concerned their objection to a provision against passing on the cost of the tax "by means of a separate fee, surcharge, or line-item," saying it effectively forbade businesses from shifting blame to lawmakers. Circuit Judge Julius Richardson wrote for a three-judge panel, however, that the provision ensured that companies would bear economic and legal responsibility for the tax. He said Maryland didn't justify this, and the provision was facially unconstitutional. "The pass-through prevents companies from describing the tax in the one setting where the consumer is guaranteed to look: the invoice," the judge wrote. "Keeping out of hot water with voters is not among the interests that can justify a speech ban." Richardson added: "As much today as 250 years ago, criticizing the government - for taxes or anything else - is important discourse in a democratic society. The First Amendment forbids Maryland to suppress it." The Richmond, Virginia appeals court returned the case to U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby in Greenbelt, Maryland, to determine appropriate remedies. In separate statements, the trade groups welcomed the decision. "The Fourth Circuit was absolutely correct," said Paul Taske, co-director of the NetChoice Litigation Center. "Maryland tried to prevent criticism of its tax scheme, and the Fourth Circuit recognized that tactic for what it was: censorship." The case is Chamber of Commerce et al v. Lierman, 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 24-1727. (Bloomberg) -- On its first day in bankruptcy court last November, Spirit Airlines had a simple message for its employees, customers and creditors: Nothing would change for 99.9% of them, as company lawyer Marshall Huebner put it. The no-frills, discount carrier only filed its Chapter 11 so it could implement a deal with a small number of bondholders who had agreed to swap their debt for stock. That would slash Spirits interest bills without the long, expensive court fights with unions, plane-lease companies, and others seen when rival airlines went broke. And so I do want to stress at the very outset the extraordinarily surgical nature of what we intend to do here, Huebner told US Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane during a hearing in New York. The surgery hasnt been a success. Spirit warned investors late Monday that it may not survive after revenue dropped, losses kept piling up and it continued to burn through cash just five months after emerging from bankruptcy. The announcement rattled investors, who drove Spirits stock price down 49% over the past four days, capping an 80% slide since late April. During its five-month stint under court supervision the company avoided the kind of hard decisions seen in other airline bankruptcies. American Airlines Group Inc. spent nearly two years in bankruptcy, slashing labor costs, freezing its pension plans and renegotiating financing terms on more than 400 aircraft. Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. also used their time in court to make similar cuts. Spirit didnt use all the tools available under Chapter 11 to fix the business, said bankruptcy attorney Brett Miller, who represented the official committee of unsecured creditors, during the restructuring case. There were no negotiations with vendors, labor or aircraft lessors, which typically occur as part of the go forward business-plan process. Spirit instead hinged its hopes on a deal with Citadel Advisors, Pacific Investment Management Co., Western Asset Management Co. and other big bondholders, which received equity in exchange for eliminating about $795 million of long-term debt. The companys business plan predicted it could generate a net profit of $252 million in 2025, court documents show. In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, Spirit Aviation Holdings Inc., the carriers parent, said if it cant keep enough cash in the bank, creditors could jeopardize the companys survival by demanding accelerated debt repayments. Its credit-card processor has also said that if Spirit doesnt set aside more collateral it wont renew its contract when it expires this year, imperiling the ability to accept customer payments. Spirit declined to comment. Chief Executive Officer Dave Davis tried to reassure employees in a memo Tuesday by downplaying the warning in its securities filing about the doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. This is a phrase required by our outside auditors to convey that there is risk if we do not make changes, according to the memo seen by Bloomberg News. But, we are. The airline is growing in stronger markets with more opportunities, he said, while re-evaluating unprofitable routes and improving revenue-management and sales practices. That has included abandoning the original business model of charging just for a seat and adding fees for anything else, joining other carriers that have gone back to offering traditional amenities. But Spirit is still contending with considerable fixed costs. Most employees are covered by union contracts, including pilots who approved a two-year labor agreement in 2023 that boosted captains pay 25% and 43% for first officers. The contract was valued at $463 million, up 27% from the previous agreement. And, like other airlines, Spirit this year has contended with a dropoff in demand as President Donald Trumps trade war undermined consumer confidence. While travel snapped back near the end of June, several carriers are forecasting profit this quarter will be flat or below 2024s levels. Spirit reported a $256.8 million loss in the second quarter as revenue fell 20% from a year earlier. Flying capacity tumbled 24% while miles flown by paying passengers dropped 27%. Non-fuel costs for each seat flown a mile, a measure of efficiency, rose 19%. This weeks warnings likely wont help it win back customers. Savanthi Syth, a Ramond James analyst, said in a report that there is more to go in terms of how the next few months unfold but noted there is the risk of added pressure if headlines spook passenger demand. --With assistance from Stefani Reynolds. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Chinese, Cambodian, Thai FMs share tea gathering in SW China Xinhua) 08:44, August 15, 2025 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, invites Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa to share in a tea gathering in Anning, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Peng Yikai) BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday invited Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa to share in a tea gathering in Anning in southwest China's Yunnan Province, and the three sides engaged in friendly and candid communication in a harmonious atmosphere in talking about the border conflicts between Cambodia and Thailand. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that neither Cambodia nor Thailand want the border conflicts to continue and both are willing to resume dialogue and improve relations, adding that the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting to be held in Anning provides an opportunity for both sides to pursue these aims. He also pointed out that the word "Anning" implies peace, harmony and amity in Chinese -- and it is hoped that both Cambodia and Thailand can jointly speak out for peace while in Anning. Noting that China supports Cambodia and Thailand in engaging in dialogue, eliminating misunderstandings, rebuilding mutual trust and restoring normal exchanges and cooperation, Wang said China backs both sides in fully implementing the consensus reached at the extraordinary session of the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting between Cambodia and Thailand and consolidating the ceasefire situation without delay. China also supports the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in playing its due role and properly resolving issues in the ASEAN way, supports both sides in responding to the demands of the two peoples and reopening the border crossings as soon as possible, Wang said. China is willing to provide support and assistance for clearing of mines and other activities in the border areas of Cambodia and Thailand in accordance with the will of both sides, Wang said. He added that Cambodia and Thailand are eternal neighbors and brothers, and it is believed that the two sides can manage specific disputes well and join hands to address various global challenges. This will surely be welcomed by the people of both countries and is also the common expectation of regional countries, Wang stated. The foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand sincerely appreciated China for providing the opportunity for communication between the two sides and highly appreciated China's constructive role in easing the situation and promoting dialogue. Both sides emphasized the value of peace and the importance of good-neighborliness, and reaffirmed their willingness to actively implement the ceasefire agreement, make full use of the dialogue mechanism, and manage and resolve disputes through peaceful means. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, invites Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa to share in a tea gathering in Anning, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) (Bloomberg) -- The Texas attorney general is investigating utility Xcel Energy Inc. and its contractor for two wildfires that devastated the state last year, saying the companies may have prioritized environmental and diversity goals over maintenance and safety. It is unconscionable that utility companies might have sacrificed infrastructure maintenance, public safety and the well-being of our Texas communities for radical ESG and DEI goals, Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement Friday. Xcel shares fell as much as 4.5% after the investigation was announced before rebounding, and were down 1.8% to $71.06 at 11:56 a.m. in New York. Xcel has acknowledged that its infrastructure was likely involved in starting the the Smokehouse Creek fire, which charred more than 1 million acres in the Texas Panhandle, destroying ranches and killing thousands of livestock animals and two people. However, the company has disputed that its power lines sparked the nearby Windy Deuce blaze, the other incident Texas cited in its investigation. Climate change has ripened conditions for more frequent and devastating wildfires. Across the US, utilities have been facing mounting pressure to better protect their equipment. And while power companies have been found to cause blazes in recent years, theres no evidence thats come because of prioritizing other initiatives. The attorney generals offices issued civil investigative demand letters to Xcel, its utility Southwestern Public Service Co. and its contractor Osmose Utilities Services. An Xcel representative didnt immediately provide a statement, while an Osmose representative didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Republican-led states have targeted companies and financial institutions for adopting environmental, social and governance policies, or ESG, that limit business with the firearms or fossil fuels industries. Theyve also criticized diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, or DEI. Texas restricts government work with companies that discriminate against firearms entities or boycott oil and gas companies. The ESG push at investment firms, pension funds and law practices has faded somewhat, partly because of efforts to avoid attacks by President Donald Trump and Republicans. Xcel has set a goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, which is common among utility companies. The company faces lawsuits from victims of the Smokehouse fire, and is set to go to trial next month over its role in the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado, which it denies sparking. --With assistance from Amanda Albright. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com (Bloomberg) -- Lovable, a Swedish artificial intelligence startup, made a big splash in July when it called itself the fastest-growing startup in the world. Its chief executive says that isnt stopping. Were still now growing even faster, Anton Osika, Lovables co-founder and CEO, told Bloomberg TV on Thursday. He said the company is adding between $8 million and $15 million in annualized recurring revenue a month, with plans to reach $250 million in overall annualized sales by the years end. The company expects to hit $1 billion in the next twelve months, he added. Founded in late 2023, Lovable is one of the leading vibe coding providers, giving people tools to build apps and websites without any programming knowledge. Its one of several well-funded AI startups that rely on the powerful models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google and increasingly compete directly with them. Last week, OpenAI released its latest AI model, called GPT-5, that the California company said could easily create websites and debug computer code. Lovable was an early testing partner of the model. Osika dismissed the idea that OpenAI would eat into Lovables growth, noting that his company provides features for tasks like quality assurance and security. It helps you do much more than just write the code, he said. Lovable has around 250,000 paying customers, he added. The startup became one of Europes largest AI newcomers after hitting a $1.8 billion valuation with a funding round in July. That month, Osika wrote on the companys website that Lovable surpassed $100 million in annualized sales, eight months after booking its first $1 million. On Thursday, Osika said Lovable might raise more funds next year but it is currently not cash constrained. The leadership team of Lovable rival Windsurf departed for Google last month in a licensing deal, a move that was widely criticized for abandoning the startups other employees. Osika told Bloomberg TV he would turn down a similar offer from a larger tech firm for Lovable. Thats something I would fight against, he said. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Jackie Bezos, the mother of billionaire and entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, passed away at her home in Miami on Thursday, aged 78. According to the Bezos Family Foundation website, Jackie had been battling Lewy Body Dementia since 2020 a progressive brain disorder that affects thinking, movement, behaviour, and mood. Jackie Bezos's inheritance: While Jackie Bezos' support for her son Jeff before his Amazon journey is well known, what's perhaps less known is how well the initial investment she made in the company in 1995 paid off. Jackie and Mike Bezos Jeff's stepfather invested $245,573 in Amazon despite having little knowledge about e-commerce or how the internet worked. At the time of the investment, Amazon was only an online bookstore run from Jeff's garage, and the internet was still a niche. The couple invested in the company because they believed in Jeff's ambition, fully aware there was a very real risk of losing it all. The investment paid off spectacularly, eventually becoming worth billions of dollars one of the most successful family investments in history. According to a Bloomberg report in 2018, the Bezos parents' holdings have not been disclosed by Amazon since 1999, but given their continuing donations of Amazon stock to their charitable foundation, it seems they still control a very healthy chunk of the shares. The couple donated around 595,027 shares to the Bezos Family Foundation from 2001 to 2016. Of those, 25,000 shares donated were valued at $20 million at the time. If they did not sell or donate any shares since then, the couple would have about 16.6 million shares, making them among the largest individual owners of Amazon. Who was Jackie Bezos? Born on December 29, 1946, in Washington, DC, Jackies life was defined by perseverance, compassion, and a commitment to service. She became a mother to her first child, Jeffrey, at a young age, raising him alone in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While working at a bank during the day, she attended college classes at night. It was during this period that she met Miguel Mike Bezos, a Cuban immigrant who became her husband and life partner for nearly 60 years. Jackie and Mike raised three children Jeff, Christina, and Mark in a household that doubled as a community hub. Friends and neighbours often visited, drawn by Jackies warmth, advice, and open-hearted hospitality. Many recalled her unique gift for making everyone feel like family. Doug Field sounded a lot like Elon Musk when unveiling Ford Motors strategy to compete against the rise of Chinese electric cars. At an event this week in Louisville, Ky., Field detailed the thinking behind Fords affordable electric vehicle program, which promises a midsize pickup priced at around $30,000 in 2027. His ambitious plan boils down to implementing hardcore engineering to take down costs, while keeping performance; and upending 100 years of manufacturing practices to go faster, including through more automation. All of which rang familiar to anyone following Teslas announcement in 2023 to slash the cost of building its next-generation cars by 50%. Physics isnt proprietary," Field, Fords EV chief, told me after his event Monday when I noted the similarities. Musk sent a shock wave through the automotive industry in early 2023 when he touted Teslas strategy to build on its cost lead and dramatically reduce things even further. That focus, though, seems largely abandoned as Musk now chases robot dreams. Instead Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley is warning about the threat of Chinese rivals making more affordable EVs. He called this weeks announcement Fords new Model T moment." In an industry known for hype and hyperbole, there is, perhaps, no single engineer who has been attached to more fantastical personal transportation projects in the past 20 years than Field. The Segway scooter; the Tesla Model 3; the Apple car. And, now, the Model T of tomorrow. Field is basically being asked to save the company from irrelevanceat least in the minds of Wall Street investors who think China has already won. After Mondays event, however, investors didnt seem sold on Fords latest hype-mobile. Shares finished the day down slightlynot the sort of reaction one would expect for such a game-changer. One factor in the apparent apathy may have been that Ford didnt display an actual vehicle. Rather it showed video of employees supposedly looking at it off camera. (Thats awesome," one employee said.) Or maybe it was Fords timeline2027. When Field joined Ford in 2021, it was with the promise that he would infuse the stodgy old automaker with Silicon Valley juice. He was leaving behind the Apple car project, which was stalling out. He still wore the halo of having been a big part of bringing out the Model 3 for Tesla in 2017, Musks original dream for offering a more affordable EV to the masses. That vehicle, along with its Model Y sister, helped revolutionize the automobile industry, proving electric cars could be both desirable and profitable. It also set off a race among rivals to catch up. Like probably a lot of people, I came in with slightly unrealistic expectations of how quickly [things could be changed], but thats an industry thing, not just a Ford thing," Field said. What hes doing at Ford is harder than Tesla, he said. Doing something new at an established company requires overcoming inertia, and a culture that has developed over generations. He has hired a team, including a former key Tesla engineer named Alan Clarke, thats eager to change. The knothole that you have to go through is to transition from that model of operation to the big industrial machine of Ford," Field said. We really do have to work with the teams so that theres mutual respecttheres respect for being naive and trying new things, and theres also respect for the practicality of running a plant." Still, he remains optimistic, even as Ford burns through cash on its EV efforts. It lost $5 billion on the EV business last year alone and has dramatically scaled back its ambitionsrecently delaying an announced full-size EV pickup until 2028 and reducing plans for a new electrical architecture important for software features. The market isnt what Ford thought it would be just a few years ago. The batteries required for a large vehicle would make them too expensive. And the Chinese have figured out how to make appealing, lower priced EVs. Now, Fields $30,000 truckwhich is said to have the acceleration of a Mustang and more interior room than a Toyota RAV4is the new play. Key to his effort is a vehicle that has a smaller batterythe most expensive part of an EVwhile finding ways to make the body lighter and have less drag so performance isnt diminished. Their vehicle reduces the number of parts by 20%, according to Ford. To achieve that, Fields team looked at the overall goal of the project rather than each members own individual assignments. More expensive brakes, for example, might help lower costs in other parts of the vehicle. In our old systems, a chassis engineer might be actually penalized for spending an extra $5 on brakes and in cases like this project that $5 could have saved us $20 in batteries," Field said. These were classic hallmarks of Fields work at Tesla when he was pushing development of the Model 3 to be much cheaper than its predecessor, the Model S, which regularly sold for around $100,000. Or, as Field told reporters before this weeks event, his team brought to Ford product development first principles thinking"a favorite Musk-ism for analyzing problems to their most basic levels. Manufacturing speed and automation have long been a focus for Musk. In 2023, Tesla began talking about its new manufacturing system that it dubbed unboxed," a process to improve efficiencies that moved away from a single line to build the vehicle in sections. A key part of Fields plan, too, involves changing how the car is manufactured, updating practices as old as Ford itself. The project calls for giving up a single manufacturing line for three parallel lines that, the company said, will allow for greater speed. Fords plans also call for massive castings of the front and back of the vehicles framesagain similar to advances that Tesla has implemented to its vehicles. It was an idea that Musk drew inspiration from die-cast toy cars, thinking it could reduce the number of parts required. At the event, as Field talked about the changes coming, he even borrowed an old engineering axiom from his former boss. Musk, as he posted on X just this week, often preaches simplicity. And Field used Musks exact words: The best part is no part." Field obviously knows the playbook; now he just needs to score another big win. Write to Tim Higgins at tim.higgins@wsj.com Mumbai: QED-backed edu-fintech Leo1 is making sweeping cutbacks as it pivots away from its core lending business, seeking to stabilise operations and grow in new segments, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The company has undertaken significant rationalisation, shutting down its first loss default guarantee or FLDG model, scaling back underperforming business lines, and laying off staff. Leo1s restructuring comes amid a broader slowdown in the edtech industry, including edu-fintech models. Companies started diversifying revenue streams and revisited business models after the pandemic-era boom faded, and investors grew sceptical about their sustainability. The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) crackdown on new-age lending fintechs also came as a major blow for edu-fintech companies. Since February, the firm has let go of around 2530 people, mostly field and lending operations staff, in an attempt to turn profitable," a person with direct knowledge of the development told Mint. Leo1 now employs just over 50 people, primarily in sales and technology, a steep drop from over 300 staff at its peak in 2022. Founded in 2015 as Financepeer, the company had raised $31 million Series B funding led by venture capital firms QED Investors and Aavishkaar Capital. It offers prepaid and debit cards, a community platform for students, and rewards and payment services for educational institutions. Its backers also include Ardent Ventures, DMI Sparkle Fund, 9Unicorns, LC Nueva AIF, and Maxar VC. To date, it has raised about $41 million, and was last valued at $108 million, as per Tracxn. Leo1, QED and Avishkaar did not comment on the story. Pivot from lending Lending, once Leo1's core offering, has been gradually phased out starting 2024, after the company struggled to operate under changes in the FLDG rules first initiated in 2022, one of the people said. FLDG is a risk-sharing arrangement in digital lending where a fintech company (a loan service provider) guarantees to compensate a regulated entity for a predetermined portion of loan defaults. After the June 2023 amendments to the FLDG model, lending aggregators have become less attractive. With the FLDG guarantee now capped at 5%, lower than before, NBFCs see limited upside in sourcing loans through aggregators. Moreover, amid declining volumes and a lack of scale, margins also took a hit for such aggregators. Margins on loans were only 23%, while first-loss default guarantees (FLDGs) cost around 5%, making it unviable without lending from its own book," said another person in the know, requesting anonymity. Though company is still operating the lending model, it makes up for less than 10% of the business. RBI rules on digital lending and FLDGs squeezed aggregator-led lending models, forcing many to pivot or scale back. Leo1s financials show a decline in revenue alongside mounting losses post the regulatory changes. After peaking at 13 crore in FY2021-22, revenue has steadily declined to 11.4 crore in FY2022-23 and further to 9.2 crore in FY2023-24, according to Tracxn. Net losses widened from 21.1 crore in FY2021-22 to 64.7 crore in FY2022-23, and 48.2 crore in FY2023-24. The company has since refocused on a SaaS-style model, onboarding colleges, training administrators, and enabling them to use Leo1s dashboard to manage student accounts and distribute cards, without maintaining a heavy on-campus staff presence. One of the persons quoted above, however, said the company has started to see revenue increasing in the new model since FY25 clocking about 11-12 crore. It has also become profitable at a monthly level since the start of FY26, largely aided by cost cuts, they added. The company is yet to file its FY25 financials with the MCA. Key Takeaways Leo1 has reduced its workforce from over 300 in 2022 to just over 50 employees, following multiple rounds of layoffs, The company shut its core lending business after RBIs tighter FLDG rules made the model unviable Now focus is on onboarding colleges to manage student accounts and prepaid/debit cards through a tech platform, reducing on-campus operations. Sources say Leo1 has been profitable at a monthly level since early FY26, helped by cost cuts and new product focus. Also Read | Why study-abroad startups are facing testing times Next bets The company now plans to introduce investment products, including digital gold, mutual funds, insurance, and loans, to broaden revenue streams, said the first person quoted above. This will put it in competition with a growing pool of wealth-tech players such as Stable Money, Dezerv, and Neo Wealth. Leo1 is betting on capturing 1825-year-old customers early, while they are in college, to build long-term banking relationships. Leo1 currently claims to partner over 13,000 schools, and colleges, including IIT Bombay, IIHMR University, Jain University and Poornima University, among others. To scale further, Leo1 is in talks to raise a bridge round in the second half of this year. "Capital is not the key reason for stopping growth, it was the right path to explore. They need to find the right business model that balances growth with break even," said the second person quoted above. The funding amount could be in the $4-5 million range. While the company has been approached for potential mergers or acquisitions, it is not actively pursuing an exit at the momen, the person added. On 79th Independence Day, the Ministry of Finance announced that the government is planning to move towards a 'simple tax' regime to rationalise the existing goods and services tax (GST) rates. The proposed reforms, announced by the ministry on Friday, 15 August, aim to simplify the tax structure, where goods and services can be classified as 'standard' and 'merit'. In a social media post on X, the Finance Ministry explained that the plan is to have a simpler indirect tax regime with 'two slabs standard and merit' as compared to its current variable GST rates. The ministry also stated that the 'special rates' would be imposed on only a 'select few items. "Essentially move towards simple tax with 2 slabs standard and merit. Special rates only for select few items," it said, highlighting a reduction in tax slabs. Expert's View Onkar Sharma, Partner at Khaitan & Co., said that a two-rate GST structure will help people reduce the classification disputes while also contributing to the ease of doing business in the Indian economy. A two-rate structure would definitely help in reducing classification disputes as most of it arises because of the variation in the rates between two entries under which a product is likely to fall, said Sharma. Further, it would contribute to the ease of doing business as there would be a tax evasion even if an incorrect classification is done, he said. GST Council to discuss reforms According to the post, the central government has sent its recommendations on the GST rate rationalisation and reforms to the Group of Ministers (GoM) for further examination. The GST Council will discuss the recommendations from the GoM in its next meeting and try to implement them 'early', which can help citizens reap the benefits of the GST slab changes in the current financial year. "The Government reaffirms its commitment to evolving the GST into a simple, stable, and transparent tax system," said the Finance Ministry in its post. PM Modi's tax vision Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the central government will launch a 'next-generation GST reform' which aims to reduce the tax burden on people. "We are bringing next-generation GST reforms. This will reduce the tax burden across the country," said PM Modi in his address to the nation from the Red Fort on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day. Mint reported earlier how the merging of tax slabs and the lowering of GST rates were proposed after the government expressed its intention to reduce the number of tax brackets on products in India, along with the overall GST rates. India plans to share its digital rural-land mapping model with other countries after the governments push to take the unified payments interface (UPI) overseas as part of the nations efforts to boost its soft power. The Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (Svamitva) uses drone-based maps to provide rural landowners with property cards and ownership clarity. That is expected to empower villagers with legal property ownership rights, enable access to credit and reduce land-related disputes. Also Read | UPI collect request for P2P transactions banned from Oct 1. See details India's experience provides valuable lessons for other nations seeking to modernize land governance through technology and participatory approaches," panchayati raj secretary Vivek Bharadwaj said in an interview. We can play a leading role in promoting collaboration among countries for knowledge exchange and adoption of best practices in land governance and are working in that direction." The scheme was commended at the World Bank Land Conference 2025 in Washington DC in May and the International Workshop on Land Governance in Gurugram in March this year, said Bharadwaj. The panchayati raj ministry, the implementing agency for the scheme, has entrusted the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-Ahmedabad) to conduct a study of the scheme, for its potential as a model for land governance reform in other countries, said Bharadwaj. The study will assess the scheme's impact on household socioeconomic outcomes and institutional capacities of gram panchayats. It will also analyse its impact on a household's access to credit and fostering financial inclusion for rural families with a specific focus on the marginalized sections and women. Also Read | UPI is abuzz with debt payments: Keep track of this trend Queries emailed to IIM-Ahmedabad on 13 August remained unanswered. The government has completed drone surveys in nearly 318,000 villages across the country of the targeted of 346,000, according to a parliamentary report in August. Property cards have been distributed to over 24.4 million households across 160,000 villages, mapping over 100 million property parcels. In May, we participated in the World Bank Land Conference, held in Washington D.C., where our initiatives were applauded. In the conference, we emphasized that India has surveyed 68,000 sq. km of rural land under Svamitva, unlocking $1.16 trillion worth of assets, thereby offering millions of rural families legal title, dignity, and access to credit and opportunity," added Bharadwaj. Similarly, in March this year, during the International Workshop on Land Governance held in Gurugram in Haryana, the participating delegates from Sierra Leone, Togo, Papua New Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Liberia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Fiji expressed keen interest in forging long-term collaboration with India, said Bharadwaj. We are also going to approach the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) based in Nairobi, Kenya, comprising 20 member states of the African Union, to organize a training program in November this year," he said. The engagement would extend the reach of Svamitvas knowledge transfer to the African continent and promote institutional collaborations in the field of geospatial and land administration systems." The secretary said that pilots in partner nations can be supported with advisory and technological assistance, with India offering capacity-building programs through workshops and exchange visits. "Strategic partnership with multilateral institutions like the World Bank can help scale the Svamitva model for global land governance reform." For decades, many village homes and land parcels in India were never properly recorded. Without legal documents, people couldnt prove ownership or use their property to get bank loans or government help. This lack of records slowed down the economic growth of rural areas and led to frequent land disputes. Launched by the central government in April 2020, with the primary objective of providing property ownership records to rural households, the schemes core focus is on surveying rural inhabited lands using drones to prepare detailed maps with ownership details, which will then be digitized and integrated into official land records. It is still in progress, and the rural population is skeptical about the objective of the scheme. Many feared that the government would impose tax on their houses based on size," said Sudhir Panwar, farm expert and ex-member of UP Planning Commission. The use of the house as property in taking bank loans is not as easy as the evaluation process is tedious because of the family structure in villages." However, Panwar said, Svamitva may help in prospective planning of rural India, home to 62% of the Indian population, like the master plan in urban areas. Fifteen August throws up a hard-to-ignore coincidence: India and Sri Aurobindo not just a nation and one of its foremost philosophersbut two intertwined ideas of freedom sharing a birth date. But try dropping Sri Aurobindos name at a startup pitch night, and youll likely earn blank stares or a quick scramble for a Google search. While Aurobindos legacy is pocketed away by philosophers and the occasional political reference, his real masterstroke was an economic vision so ahead of its time it could give even the most zealous Atmanirbhar Bharat evangelists a run for their rupee. Economic thought Thats because the man who was born on 15 August 1872 was not just a mystic in robes. Besides being a freedom fighter, philosopher, and poet, he was also a sharp economic thinker. For him, independence was hollow without what he called national self-sufficiency". Also Read | The divine hustler: How Osho monetized mysticism Long before import substitution" migrated from bureaucrats memos to TV panel debates, he wrote and argued that true liberation meant building native industries, empowering small producers, and weaving social harmony from economic justice. He challenged the colonial gospel that India was destined to supply the world merely with raw material. In an era when economic debate usually meant rubber-stamping the next budget from London, this was edgy and farsighted. Born as Aurobindo Ackroyd Ghose in Calcutta, his name itself reflected the colonial contradictions of the time. His father, Krishna Dhun Ghose, had returned from England with a completely Western outlook and, because a British lady, Annette Ackroyd, happened to be present at the time of his birth, gave him the middle name Ackroyd. The senior Ghose wanted his sons to enter the Indian Civil Service (ICS). To achieve this, the entire family moved to England in 1879 and at age seven, Aurobindo went to study at St. Paul's School and later at King's College, Cambridge. Economic nationalism A brilliant student, he passed the open competition for the Indian Civil Service in 1890. But at the end of two years of probation, he refused to present himself at the riding examination in a deliberate act of rebellion that foreshadowed his revolutionary path. Returning to India in 1893, he worked for the next 13 years in the Princely State of Baroda, where his economic nationalism would first take root. Also Read | Chanakya saw what others didntwealth is power His broader economic philosophy emerged from his involvement in the Swadeshi movement of 1905-1908, where he articulated a vision that went far beyond mere boycott of British goods. He saw swadeshi as a more sophisticated form of economic nationalism that sought to use and protect Indian capital for the benefit of Indian nationals. Aurobindo believed that economic freedom anchored political freedom. Its the same playbook that now fuels programmes like Startup India and Make in India. But he offered a twist: National renewal couldnt become an excuse for insular thinking or nativist trade walls. He argued for a productive, innovative industrial sector defined by knowledge, values, and the dignity of labour. For the factory worker and the artisan, he envisioned not some Dickensian sweatshop future, but a collective ascent" where prosperity and ethics werent on opposite sides of the spreadsheet. His published philosophical works, including The Life Divine and The Synthesis of Yoga, articulated a vision of human-centred progress. He also warned about the risk of fragmented growth, an economy split between high-flying cities and disempowered villages, between glitzy initial public offerings and invisible farmers. Indeed, where Mahatma Gandhi advocated village self-sufficiency and Jawaharlal Nehru pushed industrial modernization, Aurobindo offered a third path: Development that elevated human potential while building economic strength. Economic relevance His philosophy also emphasized the harmonious development of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual elements to help people realize their full potential. In today's terminology, he was advocating for conscious capitalismeconomic development that leads to human development rather than mere accumulation of wealth. Also Read | Harpal Singh Randhawa defied geography to build an African fortune Sadly, India largely ignored Aurobindo's synthesis, preferring to relegate it to the unthreatening realm of the esoteric, where it remains safely out of corporate sight. In our wisdom, instead of integral development, we continue to oscillate between the extremes of socialist stagnation and unbridled capitalism. While the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry remains the epicentre of his legacy, attracting spiritual seekers from India and the rest of the world, his economic vision, with its emphasis on ethics, equity, and resilience, deserves a repository of its own. As India finds itself at another inflexion pointfeisty on the world stage, ambitious at home, and stubbornly unequal at the marginsits time to dust off Aurobindos playbook, not just for spiritual comfort, but as a smart strategy. Patriotism has long inspired powerful storytelling in Indian cinema and web series. From real-life freedom fighters to fictional tales of courage, these stories spark pride and reflection. On Indias 79th Independence Day, here are 10 must-watch patriotic movies and web series streaming on OTT. Saare Jahan Se Accha Story: This Hindi spy thriller, set in the 1970s, follows an Indian agent sent to Pakistan to stop a secret nuclear plan. Amid political tension and Cold War moves, he faces dangers, shifting loyalties and moral tests for his country. Cast: Pratik Gandhi, Sunny Hinduja, Tillotama Shome OTT platform: Netflix Tehran Story: This fast-paced thriller follows an Indian intelligence officer sent to Tehran during global tensions. He faces dangerous missions while protecting Indias interests. The story explores high-stakes diplomacy and the challenges of modern patriotism. Cast: John Abraham, Manushi Chhillar, Neeru Bajwa OTT platform: ZEE5 Mukhbir: The Story of a Spy Story: Inspired by true events, this espionage drama follows an undercover Indian agent in the 1965 Indo-Pak war. Working in enemy territory, he risks everything to pass vital intelligence. Cast: Prakash Raj, Zain Khan Durrani, Adil Hussain OTT platform: ZEE5 Also Read | Malayalam OTT releases this week: New movies to watch online Special Ops Story: This suspense web series follows RAW officer Himmat Singh and his team on a years-long hunt for a terror mastermind. Moving between past and present, it shows daring missions worldwide as they risk everything to protect India. Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Karan Tacker, Vinay Pathak OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar Avrodh: The Siege Within Story: Based on the Uri surgical strikes, this military drama shows how the Indian armed forces planned and carried out a dangerous cross-border mission. It highlights the teamwork, discipline and courage needed in counter-terrorism. Cast: Amit Sadh, Neeraj Kabi, Darshan Kumaar OTT platform: SonyLIV Code M Story: Major Monica Mehra, an army lawyer, investigates what appears to be a clear terrorist encounter but uncovers a deep conspiracy within the forces. The series follows her fight for truth, exploring justice, integrity and patriotism. Cast: Jennifer Winget, Tanuj Virwani, Rajat Kapoor OTT platform: YouTube Newton Story: This dark comedy follows Nutan Newton Kumar, a sincere government clerk set on holding fair elections in a Maoist-affected village. His idealism meets harsh bureaucratic and insurgency realities. The story reveals the hidden struggles of Indian democracy and grassroots nation-building. Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Anjali Patil OTT platform: Amazon Prime Video Swades Story: An NRI NASA engineer comes back to India and reconnects with his roots. Seeing rural hardships, he works to bring electricity and development to a remote village. Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Gayatri Joshi, Kishori Ballal OTT platform: Netflix Raazi Story: Based on a true story, this movie follows an Indian woman who marries into a Pakistani military family just before the 1971 war. As an undercover RAW agent, she balances family bonds with patriotism, risking everything to serve her country. Cast: Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Rajit Kapur OTT platform: Amazon Prime Video Sardar Udham Story: This biopic tells the story of Udham Singh, who killed Michael ODwyer in London to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It shows his path from Punjab to England, his fight for justice and his sacrifices for Indias freedom. Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Shaun Scott, Stephen Hogan Ayan Mukerjis 'War 2', the latest entry in the sprawling YRF Spy Universe, arrives with sky-high expectations and an ensemble cast to match. Fronted by Hrithik Roshan and N. T. Rama Rao Jr. (in his much-anticipated Hindi debut), this action-laden sequel to 2019s War' aims for high-octane thrills and international polish. Unfortunately, what it delivers is a muddled pastiche of spy cliches, incoherent plotting, and a surprising lack of substance beneath all the gloss. The excitement is understandable: the original 'War' was a stylish, adrenaline-pumping hit that set a new standard for Bollywood action thrillers. However, despite its star-studded lineup and a substantial budget, 'War 2' struggles to live up to the hype. Instead of a tight, compelling spy thriller, the film unfolds as a cluttered and uneven spectacle, weighed down by a convoluted plot, over-the-top set pieces, and a surprising lack of emotional engagement. From the outset, 'War 2' attempts to balance the demands of being a commercial action entertainer with the complexity of a spy saga. Yet, this balancing act proves precarious. The film often feels like its trying to do too much juggling patriotism, intense buddy dynamics, and globe-spanning espionage but fails to weave these elements into a coherent narrative. The result is a patchwork of thrilling moments and frustratingly shallow storytelling that never quite finds its footing. To be clear, 'War 2' is not without its charms. Hrithik Roshan, ever the screen magnet, turns in a predictably charismatic performance. His effortless screen presence, graceful action choreography, and simmering intensity anchor the film whenever the narrative begins to wobblewhich, regrettably, happens often. He remains one of the few actors today who can elevate even the most preposterous scenes with sheer star power. Sharing the spotlight is Jr NTR, who has moments of strengthparticularly in solo sequences that showcase his physicality and commandbut his pairing with Roshan occasionally backfires. In ensemble scenes, especially those laden with dramatic weight or over-the-top action, NTR appears to strain for effect. One suspects the direction didnt quite harness his capabilities for a Hindi-speaking audience, and that disconnect shows. Kiara Advanis inclusion, meanwhile, feels more contractual than creative. Her character adds virtually nothing to the plot outside of the expected glamour quotient and a solitary musical number, 'Aavan Jaavan', which is as forgettable as the role itself. The films action set pieces are a curious blend of ambition and imitation. Mukerjis decision to steer the franchise into 'Mission: Impossible' territorycomplete with a high-speed chase through the Spanish coast and a laughably implausible fight atop an airplaneleans more towards parody than homage. Theres a visible desire to emulate Hollywood spectacle, but the execution lacks both the narrative stakes and technical precision to make these scenes truly exhilarating. Instead, they feel airlifted from better films and dropped into 'War 2' without much thought to coherence. Not all is lost, however. Supporting performances from Anil Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana, and Soni Razdan provide a welcome counterweight to the testosterone-fuelled chaos. Their presence grounds the film with occasional gravitas, reminding us what competent character acting can do even in a film otherwise obsessed with explosions. What 'War 2' ultimately suffers from is an identity crisis. It wants to be a patriotic thriller, a buddy-action romp, and a globe-trotting espionage saga all at once. In doing so, it forgets to build emotional stakes, coherent motivations, or even a clear narrative arc. Its all bang and no bite, a Sholay-lite spectacle that sacrifices storytelling for set-pieces. For fans of the franchise or lovers of mindless action, there are just enough moments here to warrant a watch. But for anyone seeking the the tautness of 'Ek Tha Tiger', or even 'Pathaan', 'War 2' may feel like a loud, underwhelming detour. China's express delivery sector sustains robust growth in first 7 months Xinhua) 09:04, August 15, 2025 A drone photo taken on July 11, 2025 shows an interior view of a logistics transfer center in Hengfeng County, Shangrao City, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai) BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's express delivery sector handled 112.05 billion parcels in the first seven months of 2025, up 18.7 percent year on year, official data showed on Thursday. The country's postal industry handled a total of 122.3 billion parcels during the period, representing a 16.2 percent increase from a year earlier, according to the State Post Bureau. From January to July, the postal industry's business revenue totaled nearly 1.02 trillion yuan (about 142.98 billion U.S. dollars), which was up 8.3 percent year on year. Specifically, express delivery revenue came in at 839.42 billion yuan, rising 9.9 percent. Same-city express deliveries amounted to 9.26 billion parcels during the period, up 6.5 percent year on year, while inter-city deliveries rose 19.9 percent to 100.43 billion parcels. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Mumbai, Aug 15 (PTI) Mahindra & Mahindra has submitted a letter of interest to the Maharashtra government to acquire 350 acres of land in Igatpuri, Maharashtra, according to a top company official. The Mumbai-based automaker already has manufacturing plants in Nashik and Igatpuri. "We have submitted a letter of interest for 350 acres of land in Igatpuri, which is part of our ecosystem," Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) Executive Director and CEO for auto and farm sectors Rajesh Jejurikar told reporters here. He stated that Nashik and Igatpuri plants could benefit from a feeder facility in the vicinity. "The land parcel could be used for multiple things, including setting up a supplier park and anything that we may need more for either Nashik or the Igatpuri plant," Jejurikar added. The company is at a preliminary stage and would have to go through the whole process of due diligence, and then land purchase needs a different level of approval, he noted. "We still have to go through the process of meeting all approvals, internal and regulatory, before we actually make a decision...So, the whole process is not complete, but the expression of interest is accurate," Jejurikar said. Mahindra & Mahindra CEO, Automotive Division, Nalinikanth Gollagunta said the company is looking to expand production capacity of its Chakan-based manufacturing by around 2.4 lakh units in the first phase this year. The overall production capacity of the plant would go up to 7.5 to 7.6 lakh units per year after the expansion. "We are also exploring setting up greenfield locations to put out the production capacity beyond 2027," Gollagunta stated. For over a century, no European peace treaty has been signed without the participation of the United States. Woodrow Wilsons vision shaped the Treaty of Versailles after World War I, and Harry Truman hammered out the post-World War II order with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at the Potsdam Conference. More recently, in 1995, U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke led the talks that ended the wars in the former Yugoslavia. Perhaps this tradition was on Donald Trumps mind when he agreed to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday to discuss an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, among other subjects. After all, the U.S. is a European power, standing at the center of the NATO alliance, and as such its attitudes toward the future of Europe must be taken into account. But when it comes to achieving peace in Ukraine, the summits chances of success are small. A twofold dilemma confronts the White House. Putins love of obfuscation and delay makes negotiating with him fiendishly difficult; and the Trump administrations publicly stated desire to reduce Americas military presence in Europe undermines its own position from the start. As a result, the summit is more likely to prolong the war than end it. It could even contribute to Ukraines defeat. Russians are weary after more than three years of fighting, and the wars economic and military toll continues to rise. But when it comes to Ukraine, there are few limits to Putins zeal, and Russian forces are currently finding success on the battlefield, punching through Ukrainian lines this week. A time may come when Putin will concede that Russia cannot conquer all of Ukraine, the original goal of the 2022 invasion. But there is no reason to think he has reached this point yet. Putin has used negotiations to his advantage before. Russias war on Ukraine began in 2014, with its annexation of Crimea and invasion of eastern Ukraine. Putins war aims involved more than the acquisition of territory. His goal was to exert direct control over Ukraine or, at least, to gain veto power over Kyivs foreign-policy choices. In this sense, the invasion was a failure: Though Russia held on to the Ukrainian territory seized in 2014, it couldnt achieve its political goals. Instead, Kyiv became less politically beholden to Russia after 2014, as a self-evident consequence of invasion. Though the U.S. and Europe condemned Russias land grab, they didnt intervene militarily, and the economic sanctions they imposed had little effect. In 2014-15, Putin made deals with Ukraine, France and Britain, agreeing to withdraw from Ukrainian territory (excluding Crimea) in exchange for autonomous status for the occupied regions. Putins goal was to convince the world that his intentions were relatively benign. He had gone into Ukraine, but he would go no further; he was looking for the exits. Putin also has a solid understanding of vanity. He flattered the U.S. and Europe, leading them to believe that by failing to resist Russia militarily they were showing maturity and helping to avoid a world war. In the following years, Russian diplomats attended countless meetings on implementing these collective agreements, and by 2021 France, Germany and the U.S. had restored normal relations with Russia. But Russia never withdrew its soldiers from Ukraine. Putins pantomime of diplomacy had been nothing but a holding pattern, a prelude to his massive invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This background is crucial for understanding Putins approach to negotiation and his intentions at the Alaska summit. The Kremlin has expressed pleasure at Putins meeting with Trump, while remaining deliberately vague about its expectations. Meanwhile, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that he will not cede land to the occupier." For Kyiv, the nightmare scenario is that Trump will pressure Ukraine to end the war by ceding some or all of the territory Russia has conquered, legitimizing the invasion and leaving the country vulnerable to renewed aggression in the future. History shows that the U.S. has been successful at concluding wars in Europe when it has participated in them or at least demonstrated military pre-eminence. Wilson joined the leaders of Britain and France at Versailles because American troops had helped defeat Germany in World War I. After World War II, Truman had to share the peacemaking limelight with Stalin, whose armies occupied most of eastern Europe. In the 1990s, the U.S. was free to shape the future of Europe because its uncontested victory in the Cold War made it the worlds sole superpower. To end the wars in the former Yugoslavia, Holbrooke invited representatives of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia to negotiate at a U.S. Air Force base in Dayton, Ohio, to telegraph the scope of American air power to the participants. He got his point across. In Ukraine, by contrast, Washington has helped supply Kyiv with weapons but kept away from the fighting. Now the U.S. intends to scale back its commitment. Were done with the funding of the Ukraine war business," Vice President JD Vance announced on Aug. 10. For the Trump administration, the war in Ukraine is not an occasion for augmenting American power but for diminishing it, by passing the job of defending Europe back to the Europeans. This doesnt mean that the administration should eschew diplomacy with Russia. Negotiations can be open-ended, and they can benefit from unexpected contingencies. But the Trump team should remember that Putin has every incentive to buy time by engaging in insincere peace talks, as he has often done in the past. Since the U.S. is too distant from the conflict and has too little leverage to force Russia to a settlement, the countries most likely to bring the war to an end are Ukraine and its European partners. For the first time in a century, the U.S. may be more bystander than participant in the denouement of a major European war. Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America and the author of Collisions: The War in Ukraine and the Origins of the New Global Instability." BENGALURU : Yes Bank Ltd's decision to give the Japanese Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC) the right to place its nominee directors on the lender's key board committees, including the audit and nomination and remuneration panels, has prompted two proxy advisory firms Institutional Investor Advisory Services India Ltd (IiAS) and Stakeholder Empowerment Services (SES) to recommend investors to vote against the proposal. IiAS recommendations to investors to reject the proposal that gives Yes Bank's two largest investors (including State Bank of India) special rights will test the resolve of shareholders as the voting for the proposal starts on 18 August and ends on 20 August, according to two investors. Yes Bank is expected to declare the results after the Annual General Meeting on 21 August. "SBI will have the right to nominate an SBI Director on each of the committees of the Board," said the IiAS note to investors. "SMBC will have the right to nominate at least one SMBC Director on each of the committees of the Board, i.e. the Audit Committee, Nomination and Remuneration Committee and Risk Management Committee....We do not favour provisions that allow committee nomination rights as we believe board committee composition is a prerogative of the board and must be decided by the board independently," said IiAS. "We do not support the resolution," said IiAS. SES only recommended investors to reject Yes Bank's decision to give special rights to SMBC, although the proxy advisory firm okayed a similar treatment given to SBI. "The Bank has disclosed that SMBC shall have customary alternate directorship rights in respect of the SMBC Directors. SES, as per policy, is against the appointment of alternate directors unless the Bank provides compelling reasons for the same. SES is of the view that presently, with the law having recognised video-conferencing for conducting and attending Board meetings, the concept of alternate director has lost its relevance," said SES in its note. Shareholding and special resolution Giving special rights to SMBC needs a special resolution, which implies that three-fourths or 75% of shareholders must approve. Yes Bank does not have a promoter and public investors own all shares. Banks owned 33.70% of Yes Bank at the end of June 2025, followed by foreign institutional investors, which owned 26.9%. Retail investors owned 29.3% while the remaining 10% is owned by mutual funds and insurance companies. For now, State Bank of India is the largest investor, owning 24%, while a private equity firm, Advent International, owns 9.2%. In May, SMBC agreed to buy a 20% share in Yes Bank for about 13,500 crore ($1.6 billion) from SBI, and private sector banks including HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and ICICI Bank. After all regulatory approvals, SBI's ownership would drop to 10.8%. Emails sent to Yes Bank, SBI and SMBC seeking comment went unanswered. As per the share purchase agreement signed between Yes Bank and SMBC, the Japanese bank can appoint two non-independent directors on the bank's board as long as it owns at least 15% shares. For now, it is not clear how investors would react to IiAS's recommendation. Still, at least one investor said even if the resolution gets rejected, the proposed transaction with SMBC would not get scuttled. "IiAS wants pristine corporate governance and hence I see the rationale why they have recommended investors to reject the resolution," said an investor on the condition of anonymity. "When proxy advisory firms put out a vote, it is not easy for most institutions, especially the foreign money managers, to override proxy advisory firms' recommendations as internally they have to reason out why they supported or voted against (the proposal)." "However, I don't believe this clause of a committee representation would be a deal-breaker and one would hope both Yes Bank and SMBC to agree to tweak the shareholder agreement, if needed, on this particular clause" Yes Bank's chair is former Reserve Bank of India deputy governor Rama Subramaniam Gandhi, while Prashant Kumar is the chief executive officer. Sandeep Tewari and T.K. Kumar are SBI's nominee directors and part of the 14-member board at Yes Bank. New Delhi: India's micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have urged the government to operationalise without delay the long-pending global market intelligence service (GMIS) a portal meant to help them identify and tap export opportunities worldwide. GMIS, planned under the union MSME ministry's International Co-operation scheme, was envisioned as a one-stop platform for the countrys 66 million MSMEs. However, the system remains non-functional despite being proposed by the ministrys task force in 2021-22. Industry lobby group India SME Forum, representing about 100,000 businesses in the country, has written to cabinet secretary T.V. Somanathan and the MSME ministry seeking immediate implementation of the GMIS portal and expedited creation of trade desks in foreign jurisdictions to facilitate MSME export opportunities. The appeal comes at a time when MSME exporters, who contribute around 45% of Indias total exports, face mounting headwinds, including high tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. India SME Forum estimates that besides $30 billion worth of MSME exports, 70,00080,000 jobs are at risk. The repercussions are immediate and severe, with over $30 billion in annual business at risk, and MSMEs being disproportionately impacted due to their limited capacity to absorb such external shocks or pivot rapidly to new markets," said the letter dated 9 August. Mint has seen a copy of the letter. Of the total MSMEs in India, only about 173,000 enterprises export their products, according to the forum. This is due to low awareness, lack of accessible market intelligence, and uncertainty around regulations and logistics. Many MSMEs simply do not know which products have demand in which countries, what prices prevail, or how to navigate regulatory and logistical requirements," the letter said. A market intelligence system was envisioned by the union MSME ministrys task force to bridge that gap and use data available from the World Bank, the United Nations, and the Indian government to create the GMIS and fund it through the International Co-operation scheme. International cooperation scheme is a demand-driven scheme under which financial assistance is provided on a reimbursement basis to eligible state and central government organisations and registered industry associations, societies, and trusts associated with promoting and developing the MSME sector. Industry associations can participate in three events in a year, and in the same event for three years at a stretch under the scheme. The GMIS would provide information about potential export markets, demand trends, pricing benchmarks, competitive landscapes, logistics networks, and shipping costs, the letter added. Queries sent to the MSME ministry on Wednesday went unanswered till press time. Also Read | Has scheme to help MSMEs gain global exposure worked? Time for a review Mint reported on 3 August that the union MSME ministry was reviewing the International Co-operation scheme in the face of a global tariff war. In FY24, the government assisted 545 MSMEs under the International Co-operation scheme with a support of 19.22 crore, according to a Lok Sabha disclosure in March 2025. While there is no fixed ratio, India's exports in 2023-24 supported approximately 32 million jobs, with an estimated 2.5 to 3 million jobs created for every billion dollars of exports," Vinod Kumar, president, India SME Forum told Mint quoting data from an Exim Bank of India study. Experts say bolstering MSME exports is critical for Indias growth. Although Indias GVC (global value chain) participation has risen over the years, it remains below that of major economies and regional competitors. The government can facilitate process innovation, reduce costs, and improve product management within MSME clusters by prioritising efficient logistics, digital linkages, and smart trade infrastructure," said a NITI Aayog study on the competitiveness of Indian MSMEs. As per the MSME ministrys Udyam portal, Indias MSMEs have created about 290 million jobs to date. Also Read | Govt looks to scrap minor penalties for MSMEs in ease of doing business push Airfares rose 4% on average in July from the prior month, according to seasonally adjusted federal data, the first such increase since January. Fares in July were also higher than the same month a year earlier. Travel demand wobbled earlier this year when consumers grew nervous about the health of the economy and the potential impact of President Trumps sweeping tariffs. As people scaled back their travel plans, airlines that had planned lots of flights were left with too many seats, especially for domestic routes. Carriers offered cut-rate tickets in an effort to fill flights. Now, airlines say bookings have started to pick up again. More passengers were screened at US airports in July and so far in August than in the same months in 2024. At the same time, airlines are working to claw back pricing power by shrinking their coming schedules, an effort to better match supply with demand and protect profit margins. (Flying planes with lots of empty seats or selling them at a steep price cut are money-losing propositions.) Just as quickly as demand stepped down in early February due to this uncertainty, it appears that demand is now stepping up," United Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella said last month. Dean Gordon has felt the change. He usually starts shopping for nonstop flights around this time of year to attend a trade show held in January. In July 2024, he and his wife together paid $606 for round-trip economy tickets between Miami and Los Angeles. The total was a few hundred dollars cheaper than they have paid in the past, Gordon said. This year, fares for the trip on the same airline have skyrocketed to more than $1,500 for the couple. That was kind of a shock to me," said Gordon, who has a business making custom electric guitars. He isnt sure it will be worth making the trip in 2026. Everyone is suggesting I wait a few months to see what happens." Airlines have also started to see the limitations of deeply discounted promotional offers, Frontier Airlines Chief Executive Barry Biffle said. Deals can juice sales, but not enough to cover costs like taxes and airport fees, he said. The airline is now seeing double-digit percentage increases in revenue per passenger. I think the industry has figured out that 79 [dollars] is the new 49 and 99 is the new 79," he said on Frontiers quarterly earnings call earlier this month. Still, airlines may be overly optimistic about their ability to charge more, said Brett Snyder, who writes the Cranky Flier industry blog and runs a concierge travel service. I dont think the window is closing for cheap fares," Snyder said. Travel demand has stabilized, but may not continue growing at a fast clip. And the industry is heading into a time of year when leisure trips tend to slow down anyway, he added. Once you get back into the reality of post-summer, I think it becomes a very different situation." And some industry observers arent convinced carriers will remain disciplined about paring back their schedules. Some might be tempted to add more flights next year to bring in much-needed cash, said TD Cowen analyst Tom Fitzgerald. That could mean fares could come down again before long. I wouldnt be shocked if we do see a little bit too much supply next spring," he said. Write to Alison Sider at alison.sider@wsj.com US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet near Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, 15 August 2025. Much will be in line as the oil markets are likely to experience a swing depending on the outcome of the discussions, reported the news portal Fortune. According to the agency report citing market analysts, irrespective of the outcome of the US-Russia talk, the event will create winners and losers in the energy sector. If the results of the talk are towards peace, that would mean lower fuel prices, which may even lead to a bearish oil sector for the upcoming months and years. On the other hand, in case the sanctions over Russian oil is hardened or increased, then the oil prices will rise giving new energy to the oil sector, the analyst told the news portal. I dont think theres a big wall of oil coming from Russia if peace breaks out, Dan Pickering, founder and chief investment officer for Pickering Energy Partners consulting and research firm told the news portal. My expectation is theres a more significant impact on sentiment'Here come the Russians'than there would be on actual barrels, he said. Also Read | Trump says India tariffs cut Russian oil sales, forced Putin to negotiate As of 4:46 p.m. (BST), Brent Crude's continuous contract was trading 0.78% lower at $66.32 per barrel (bbl), compared to $66.84 per barrel, MarketWatch data shows. While, the Crude Oil WTI Futures for the September 2025 contract were also down 1.19% at $63.19/bbl, compared to $63.96/bbl, according to Investing.com. Russian Oil According to the news report citing U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) data, Russia has produced 9.05 million barrels of crude oil per day in the April-June quarter of 2025. Commodity market analysts are expecting a 200,000 barrels rise daily in the short-to-medium term. enough to fuel an uptick but not a sustainable rise in the oil sector. In a bullish market, the market probably shrugs it off. In a bearish market, every supply-related data point gets a little more weight than it probably should, said Dan Pickering, according to the news portal's report. Theres a bigger risk to sentiment than to the actual supply of oil. Russia is the third-largest oil producer in the world after US and Saudi Arabia. These three nations together account for 40% of the globe's crude oil daily supplies. Putin's Alaska Visit Mint reported earlier, that Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump are set to hold key 'one-on-one' talks at their landmark summit in Alaska on Friday, 15 August 2025. As per the announcement, the national leaders will meet at a US airbase outside of Anchorage in Alaska, United States, after which both will give a joint press conference where they will summarise the results of the negotiations between Russia and the US. Putin's visit will be the first since the attack on Ukraine in February 2022. However, in a recent interaction with the media, US President Donald Trump disclosed that he will not negotiate on behalf of Ukraine in the "HIGH STAKES" meeting on Friday. "They'll be discussed, but I've got to let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they'll make a proper decision. But I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to get them at a table," Trump told reporters on-board Airforce One. The meeting is scheduled to start around 11:00 local time in Alaska which marks 12:30 a.m. (IST) on Saturday, 16 July 2025. According to multiple media reports, the Trump-Putin talk can be over multiple issues involving Ukraine crisis, broader issues like international peace and security, among several other things. * Shares in European AI adopter stocks hit by selling wave * New AI models pose threat to software firms, consultants * Selloff exacerbated by high valuations, investors eye bargains By Lucy Raitano LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A rout in shares of European companies embracing artificial intelligence deepened this week, as powerful new AI models raise questions about whether sectors from software to data analytics could find themselves overtaken by the technology. European software stocks, including Germany's SAP and France's Dassault Systemes, tumbled on Tuesday as worries that AI will disrupt the software sector spread through the market. That followed a downgrade to U.S. rival Adobe on Monday by broker Melius Research. Since mid-July, shares in markets and data group LSEG , UK software firm Sage, and French IT consulting group Capgemini have dropped 14.4%, 10.8% and 12.3% respectively. Such companies - dubbed AI adopters by analysts - are investing heavily in the technology to beef up their products and services. Amid a dearth of European AI companies and suppliers, their shares had benefitted as investors in the region sought a way to tap the AI boom powering U.S. markets. But the release of ever more powerful AI tools appears to have prompted a rethink among some market players. Last week, OpenAI launched its GPT-5 model, the latest iteration of the AI technology that has helped transform global business and culture since ChatGPT arrived in late 2022. Kunal Kothari, a fund manager at Aviva Investors, also pointed to the July 15 release of Anthropic's Claude for Financial Services. "The app that came out has now challenged an investment case around London Stock Exchange (LSEG), around the provision of financial data," he said. "We're at the stage now with every iteration of GPT or Claude that comes out ... it's multiples more capable than the previous generation. The market's thinking: 'oh, wait, that challenges this business model'." The drop in European adopter stocks contrasts with broader market gains. Since mid-July, London's FTSE 100 is up 2.5% and Europe's STOXX 600 up 0.6%, while U.S. indexes have scaled record highs, largely powered by tech stocks. Exacerbating matters is the fact that many European adopter stocks trade on high multiples, making them vulnerable to any potential negative news, according to Bernie Ahkong, Chief Investment Officer at hedge fund UBS O'Connor. The STOXX 600 trades at an average price-to-earnings multiple of 17 times, while SAP - whose shares are down 7.2% since mid-July after posting their biggest daily drop since late 2020 on Tuesday - trades at around 45 times. WILL AI 'EAT SOFTWARE'? Although many AI adopter stocks are struggling, some investors say markets will eventually take a more systematic approach, picking out potential winners and losers. "At the moment, it feels like the market's just shooting first and putting them all in a 'challenged basket'," said Aviva's Kothari, referring to the decline in UK AI adopters. The hype around new AI models has led to the resurfacing of 2017 comments from Jensen Huang, the CEO of AI chipmaking behemoth Nvidia, that "AI is going to eat software". "We don't disagree, but we believe some delineation is warranted here, as not all software companies are equally exposed," said Steve Wreford, portfolio manager on the global thematic equity team at Lazard Asset Management. He said those with software deeply embedded into client company workflows, or with hard-to-replicate proprietary data, still had strong competitive advantages. Paddy Flood, portfolio manager and global sector specialist, technology, at Schroders, said it was important to distinguish between different types of software. "Enterprise-grade applications are less exposed, given their mission-critical nature, the complexity involved in replacing them, and the value of a trusted vendor ensuring ongoing service," he said. Aviva's Kothari also flagged the benefits of having software deeply embedded with customers, citing UK credit data firm Experian as an example. "It has lots of data unique to it, but it's also hugely embedded in the workflows of financial institutions. They want to make a loan, they need Experian," he said, also highlighting Britain's Sage. He holds both stocks, along with LSEG, but cautioned that proprietary data alone may no longer be enough to protect businesses. "I just dont think data is a big enough moat anymore," he said. The selloff in AI adopter stocks could be an opportunity for investors to pick the winners, said UBS O'Connor's Ahkong. "Some of the affected names will actually be able to use AI as an opportunity and tailwind for earnings, but need to prove that from here and that will take time," Ahkong said. But how much time the companies have is unclear. Some investors were already warning earlier this year that the clock was ticking for big spenders on AI to show returns. Stocks to buy for the long term: Nifty's journey from last Independence Day to this Independence Day has been a roller-coaster ride, driven by global chaos, subdued earnings, stretched valuations, and massive foreign capital outflows. After hitting a record high of 26,277.35 on September 27 last year, the index erased its gains in the subsequent months. On a monthly scale, the benchmark index remained in the red from October 2024 to February 2025. It recovered between March and June but slipped back into negative territory in July. So far in August, the index is down about half a per cent. Over the past year, the index has been up just 0.40 per cent. The short-term outlook for the Indian stock market is hazy due to tariff-related concerns and feeble signs of earnings growth in the coming few quarters. Experts expect the benchmark index to deliver moderate returns in the calendar year 2025. While the market outlook does not appear to be encouraging, experts see stock-specific opportunities in most sectors. Sneha Poddar, VP -Research, Wealth Management, Motilal Oswal Financial Services, has picked 10 stocks that can potentially give double-digit returns in the next one year. Take a look: Also Read | Pankaj Pandey of ICICI Securities recommends 5 stocks to buy for long term Stock picks for long-term Bharti Airtel | Last traded price (LTP): 1,873.80 | Target price: 2,285 | Upside potential: 22% Bharti Airtels premiumisation strategy continues to attract high-value customers, driving sustainable ARPU (average revenue per user) growth and strengthening revenue quality. Strong free cash flow generation potential (nearly 1 lakh crore over FY2627E) from moderated capex and healthy operations enables flexibility for debt reduction, dividends, and reinvestment. Home broadband momentum, robust B2B (business-to-business) growth, and double-digit Africa expansion diversify revenue streams. Bharti reported a healthy Q1FY26, with a 5 per cent beat in Airtel Africa. India's wireless revenue and EBITDA rose nearly 3 per cent quarter-on-quarter, driven by higher ARPU and improved margins, offsetting softer subscriber additions. "We model a 14 per cent and 17 per cent CAGR in Bhartis consolidated revenue and EBITDA, respectively, over FY2528E, led by the anticipated about 15 per cent tariff hike in India wireless from December 2025, accelerating net additions in home broadband, and sustained double-digit growth in Africa," said Poddar. LT Foods | LTP: 445.75 | Target price: 600 | Upside potential: 35% LT Foods has an 80 per cent share in global basmati exports and 90 per cent of global supply. The company enjoys unmatched market leadership, ensuring sustained demand and pricing power. The domestic shift from unorganised to organised players supports long-term branded volume growth, while international expansion through a new UK plant and partnerships with major retailers boosts overseas presence. Strong North America growth, rising global adoption of basmati, and a focus on high-margin branded products underpin profitability. "The organic foods segment offers scalable expansion potential in Europe and the US. We expect adjusted PAT CAGR of 28 per cent over FY2527," said Poddar. Suzlon Energy | LTP: 60.06 | Target price: 80 | Upside potential: 33% Suzlons long-term growth story remains intact, supported by strong sector tailwinds, a robust integrated manufacturing base, and rising EPC contribution. Local content mandates from July 2025 and the gradual phase-out of ISTS waivers enhance its competitive edge. "Proactive land acquisition, 547MW in pre-commissioning, and targeted working capital cycle improvement support growth. A net cash position of 1,600 crore underpins healthy RoEs and free cash flows, positioning Suzlon for sustained medium-term expansion," said Poddar. Bharat Electronics (BEL) | LTP: 384.90 | Target price: 490 | Upside potential: 27% BELs strong 71,700 crore order book ensures multi-year revenue visibility, backed by a diverse pipeline across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Leadership in high-value projects like the 30000 crore QRSAM (quick reaction surface-to-air missile), naval system expansions, and strategic missile programs such as Project Kusha and Brahmos upgrades positions BEL for long-term growth. Margin profile has strengthened to 28.6 per cent in FY25, supported by indigenisation and disciplined cost control. Consistent R&D investments sustain competitive advantage, while export growth and counter-drone system capabilities enhance market reach. "A healthy 9,400 crore cash surplus provides flexibility for expansion and execution. Export prospects and indigenisation-led orders further enhance its long-term revenue visibility. We estimate a CAGR of 18 per cent in revenue, 17 per cent in EBITDA, and 17 per cent in PAT over FY2528E," said Poddar. UltraTech Cement | LTP: 12,317 | Target price: 14,600 | Upside potential: 19% UltraTech Cement remains Indias largest cement producer with a pan-India presence. It consistently expands capacity (nearly 10 MTPA pipeline in FY26) to strengthen its leadership and capture demand. The cement consumption outlook is supported by robust government infra capex, urban housing rebound, and rural demand recovery, enabling sustained double-digit volume growth guidance for FY26. EBITDA/t improved 33 per cent year over year in Q1, aided by cost optimisation, logistics efficiency, and a higher green power share (nearly 40 per cent). "Integration of Kesoram & ICEM will further improve productivity. With net debt/EBITDA targeted to fall from 1.2 times (Jun25) to 0.1 times by FY28. We estimate a CAGR of 14 per cent in consolidated revenue, 25 per cent in EBITDA, and 30 per cent in PAT over FY25-FY28," said Poddar. Nippon Life India Asset Management | LTP: 804.55 | Target price: 930 | Upside potential: 16% Nippon Life India AMC (NAM) ranks among the top 10 AMCs, posting the fastest QAAUM growth at 27 per cent YoY to 6.1 lakh crore (Jun25). Market share rose 23bps QoQ to 8.5 per centits highest since Jun19driven by steady net inflows, strong SIP momentum, and a healthy 46.9 per cent equity mix. NAM is scaling its alternatives and offshore businesses, with 8100 crore in AIF (alternate investment fund) commitments and 16,600 crore in offshore AUM (assets under management). These segments serve as incremental growth levers beyond the core mutual fund franchise, gaining increasing traction from institutional and global investors. "NAM is strategically scaling its specialized investment fund (SIF) platform as a high-potential, standalone business focused on alpha-generating strategies, backed by a dedicated team and strong management support. Strong traction in mutual funds along with diversification in new segments will drive 14 per cent, 16 per cent, and 15 per cent CAGR in revenue, EBITDA, and PAT, respectively, over FY25-27E," said Poddar. Radico Khaitan | LTP: 2,857.60 | Target price: 3,250 | Upside potential: 14% Radico Khaitan is well-positioned for long-term growth through aggressive expansion in the premium and luxury spirits segment. It leverages strong brand equity with leading products like 8PM, Magic Moments, and Rampur Single Malt. With rising consumer premiumization, it commands an 8 per cent market share in the 20 crore Prestige & Above (P&A) segment. It reported a robust Q1FY26 standalone net sales increase of 32 per cent year-on-year to 1,510 crore, which was above estimates. Total volume rose 38 per cent, driven by a 41 per cent growth in premium and above volumes to 38 lakh cases and a 52 per cent growth in regular volumes to 54 lakh cases. "We estimate revenue, EBITDA, and APAT CAGR of 16 per cent, 22 per cent, and 30 per cent, respectively, over FY25-FY28, supported by margin expansion due to premiumization and operating leverage," said Poddar. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) | LTP: 3,265.40 | Target price: 3,687 | Upside potential: 13% M&M is well-positioned for long-term growth, backed by a robust product pipeline through 2030, with key ICE SUVs, BEVs, & LCVs set to launch in the calendar year 2026. Geographic strength in high-demand tractor markets and favourable rural demand recovery further support volumes. M&M posted a strong 32 per cent year-on-year PAT (profit after tax) growth in Q1FY26, aided by steady auto margins (8.9 per cent) and robust tractor margins (19.8 per cent). Market share gains in Q1FY26 were notable, with auto share up 570bps YoY to 27.3 per cent, LCVs (light commercial vehicles) up 340bps to 54.2 per cent, and tractors up 50bps to 45.2 per cent. RoE (return on equity) stood at 20.6 per cent in Q1FY26, above the 18 per cent target, with management reiterating 1520 per cent EPS growth and nearly 18 per cent RoE guidance. "We estimate M&M to post a CAGR of nearly 15 per cent in revenue, 14 per cent in EBITDA, and 18 per cent in PAT over FY25-27," said Poddar. Vishal Mega Mart | LTP: 146.56 | Target price: 165 | Upside potential: 13% Vishal Mega Mart (VMM) is one of Indias largest offline-first value retailers, operating 696 stores across 458 cities, with nearly 72 per cent in tier 2+ India. VMM aims to add 100+ stores per year across 1,250+ tier 2+ towns and untapped tier 1 cities, supported by robust store-level economics. VMMs mixapparel (44 per cent), FMCG and general merchandise (nearly 28 per cent each)with 73 per cent revenue from private brands, drives footfall, wallet share, and TAM (total addressable market) expansion. Poddar underscored that with less than two-year payback, more than 50 per cent RoCE (return on capital employed), and double-digit SSSG (same store sales growth), VMM enjoys strong store-level profitability and self-funded expansion through disciplined, asset-light operations. "We expect revenue, EBITDA, and PAT CAGR of 19 per cent, 20 per cent, and 24 per cent, respectively, over FY2528, driven by steady store additions and margin gains. Forecast cumulative OCF (operating cash flow) and FCF (free cash flow) of 3,200 crore and 2,300 crore, respectively, ensure ample internal funding, while private label scale and operating leverage further enhance profitability," said Poddar. State Bank of India (SBI) | LTP: 826.55 | Target price: 925 | Upside potential: 12% SBI is poised for sustained growth, driven by a diversified loan book and strong positioning across retail, SME, and corporate segments. The banks Project Saral initiative will boost efficiency and customer service through AI-enabled digital transformation, supporting its sub-50 per cent cost-to-income ratio target. For FY26, management has guided for 1213 per cent credit growth, backed by a robust 7.2 lakh crore sanctioned pipeline, with opportunities in green energy, infrastructure, and government-led capex. "We estimate FY25FY28 loan and PAT CAGR of nearly 12 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively, supported by stable NIMs (net interest margins) above 3 per cent, easing deposit costs, and contributions from market-leading subsidiaries in life insurance, cards, and asset management," said Poddar. Read all market-related news here Indias solar story is shining brighter than ever. In just over a decade, the country has leapt from a modest 2.6 GW of installed capacity in 2014 to an impressive 84.27 GW todaymaking it the worlds fifth largest solar producer. This is a reflection of Indias commitment to cleaner energy, driven by supportive government policies, bold renewable targets, and massive investments. For investors, the sectors growth has already rewarded early movers, but the expansion story is far from over. Rising demand, global supply chain shifts, and policy support are paving the way for new leaders. Amid this focus on solar space, the much-awaited Vikram Solar IPO has grabbed significant attention. Vikram Solar is a solar photovoltaic module manufacturer with 16 years of experience. Its primary business is to manufacture solar PV modules for use by customers across a range of industries. The company also provide EPC and O&M services. Solar PV Modules The company's product line features three main types of solar PV modules: p-type monocrystalline silicon-based Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact (PERC) modules n-type monocrystalline silicon (N-Type) modules n-type monocrystalline silicon-based Heterojunction Technology (HJT) modules They are marketed under the Suryava, Paradea, and Hypersol brands to cater to different applications and customer requirements. EPC With over a decade of EPC experience, Vikram Solar has completed or is currently executing more than 200 solar projects across 19 states and two union territories, delivering a cumulative installed capacity of 1.41 GW as of 31 March 2025. The EPC team oversees the entire project journeyfrom concept and design to commissioning, often using Vikram Solars own modules to ensure quality and efficiency. Rooftop The company has delivered or is working on 214rooftop solar projects for both public and private sector clients. Spread across multiple geographies and industries, these projects have a combined capacity of 114 MW. O&M Services Vikram Solar has built a strong O&M division dedicated to helping customers maximise the performance and lifespan of their solar assets. These services, often bundled with EPC projects are provided through its affiliate, VSL Renewable Services Private Limited (formerly VP Utilities & Services Private Ltd), and cover the complete lifecycle of a solar installation. Also Read | India achieves 100 GW domestic solar module capacity under govt-approved list Whats behind the hype for this IPO? Vikram Solar has installed 4.5 GW of solar PV module manufacturing capacity and has an order book of 10,340.8 MW as of 31 March 2025. It was also among the first companies to execute a floating solar plant in India. The companys manufacturing units are fully automated and use high-quality equipment from Japan, Germany, the US, Switzerland, and Chinacountries recognised as global leaders in solar technology. Its presence spans 19 states and 2 union territories, backed by a rapidly expanding distributor and dealer network. Authorised distributors have grown from 41 on 30 September 2024 to 83 currently, while the dealer network has expanded from 64 to over 250 in the same period. The distribution strategy focuses on high-demand regionsWestern, Northern, and Southern Indiamanaged by regional cluster heads and territory managers to ensure deep market penetration. Internationally, Vikram Solar operates a sales office in the US and a procurement office in China, supplying solar PV modules to 39 countries as of 31 March 2025. Since its inception, it has shipped over 7.12 GW of solar PV modules globally (including India), with 3.37 GW shipped in the last three financial years alone. IPO Details and Structure Issue period: 19 August 202521 August 2025 19 August 202521 August 2025 Type of issue: Book-building Book-building Price band: 315 to 332 per share 315 to 332 per share Face value: 10 per equity share 10 per equity share Lot size: 45 shares 45 shares Application limit: The minimum application size is one lot, priced at 14,940, while investors can apply for up to 13 lots, amounting to 194,220. For small non-institutional investors applicants, the minimum investment is 209,160 (14 lots). For big non-institutional investors, it is 1,000,980 (67 lots). IPO allotment date: 22 August 2025 22 August 2025 Listing date: 26 August 2025 The IPO comprises a fresh issue of 2,080 crore, comprising an issuance of 4.5 crore shares, to raise 1,500 crore, along with an offer for sale of 1.75 crore shares, totaling 580 crore. JM Financial is serving as the book running lead manager, while MUFG Intime India Pvt. Ltd. is the registrar for the issue. Also Read | Adani accused of solar cell patent infringement by US-based First Solar A Look at Financials Vikram Solars financial performance over the last three financial years shows a strong upward trajectory. Revenue has grown to 3,423.4 crore in FY25 at a CAGR of 28.5%. The Ebitda has more than doubled in this period, from 1,86.1 crore in FY23 to 492 crore in FY25. The profit after tax (PAT) has surged from 14.49 crore in FY23 to 139.8 crore in FY25, a CAGR of 210.6%, driven by improved operational efficiency and scale. The PAT margin improved from 0.7% to 4.1%, indicating stronger profitability and cost management. Particulars ( million) FY23 FY24 FY25 Revenue 20,732.3 25,109.9 34,234.5 EBITDA 1,861.8 3,985.8 4,920.1 Profit After Tax 144.9 797.2 1,398.3 PAT Margin 0.7 3.2 4.1 Order book Quantity (MW) 2,786.9 4,376.2 10,340.8 Source: RHP Filing 12 August 2025 The companys order book has also ballooned from 2,786.9 MW to 10,340.8 MW, underscoring a robust demand pipeline. Competitive Advantage Vikram Solar benefits from strategically located facilities in the port cities of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, providing significant cost and time efficiencies. These locations facilitate smoother exports to international markets, helping the company expand its reach and attract a broader customer base. Domestically, the company serves key customers directly for large-volume orders from 10 MW to 500 MW and above. Smaller retail orders are fulfilled through an extensive distribution network. Under exclusive arrangements, distributors resell Vikram Solars products to end customers, ensuring wide market coverage. Internationally, the company exports its solar PV modules to key global clients, further strengthening its presence and competitiveness in the global solar market. Peer Comparison This peer group is based on companies currently listed on the stock exchanges Name Revenue ( million) PE ratio Basic EPS (Rs) Return on Equity (%) Net Asset Value per Equity Share (Rs) For FY25 Vikram Solar 34,595.3 - 4.6 11.3 39.2 Waaree Energies 148,460.6 45.8 68.2 20.1 334 Premier Energies 66,520.9 47 21.4 33.2 62.6 Websol Energy Systems 5,774.3 40 36.6 55.6 65.9 Data Source: RHP Vikram Solar operates at a much smaller scale compared to its peers. On the earnings too, Vikram Solars basic EPS stands at 4.6, far below its peers. The net asset value per share is 39.2. This indicates that Vikrams balance sheet is smaller in per-share value terms, but it also points to potential room for expansion if the IPO proceeds are effectively deployed. Overall, while Vikram Solar currently trails its larger and more profitable peers in scale and per-share earnings, its growing order book and expanding manufacturing capacity could help it close the gap in the coming years. Strong Expansion Plan At a pre-IPO event, Vikram Solar said it will move forward with its plan to establish a 3-gigawatt (GW) solar module manufacturing facility in Colorado, USA. This decision comes despite proposed regulatory measures from the Donald Trump administration that could weigh heavily on clean energy companies. Earlier in 2025, the company had considered shelving the project after Trump's initial executive orders took effect. But with US courts starting to strike down portions of those directives, Vikram Solar now sees a clearer path to making the Colorado facility a reality. It also has plans for further expansion in the US. Risk Factors Absence of long-term contracts with solar PV cell suppliers may increase operating costs due to raw material fluctuations. Operations are working capital-intensive, with high gross current assets (GCA) and extended debtor periods. Continued growth and revenue depend on scaling up installed capacity and cost-effective expansion of manufacturing facilities. Vikram Solar IPO GMP Vikram Solar s shares were trading at a premium of 70 in the grey market as on 13 August, as per media reports. Based on the upper end of the IPO price band and the prevailing grey market premium, the estimated listing price 402 per share is about 21.08% higher than the IPO price of 332. The grey market premium reflects investors willingness to pay above the issue price. It offers no guarantee of profits. Conclusion India is poised for a massive solar expansion, with 2527 GW of new projects planned in FY26. Between 2026 and 2030, an additional 2830 GW of rooftop installations and substantial capacity additions across industrial, commercial, and residential segments are expected, making the sectors growth momentum undeniable. Rising consumer awareness, improved financing options, and better grid access are set to further fuel demand, creating a strong tailwind for Vikram Solar. Leveraging its extensive domestic distribution network and expanding manufacturing capacity, the company appears well-positioned to capture these opportunities. Its always prudent to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Ensure that the investment aligns with your financial objectives and matches your risk tolerance level. Happy Investing. 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 fromEquitymaster.com There are four key pieces of information on the Coolie poster. Above the title: Superstar Rajinikanth. And below: Written & directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, An Anirudh musical, An Anbariv action. In the end, the film ends up less than the sum of these imposing parts. It isnt sterile, it has something of all their personalities, but no one brings their A-game. The film starts with its best idea: Soubin Shahir as the heavy. He plays Dayal, an enforcer at a Visakhapatnam dockyard, responsible for keeping workers afraid and details of his employers smuggling racket from leaking out. Its inspired casting, transforming the mild-looking Malayalam actor into a loathsome sadist. Shahir jumps in headfirst, radiating mean little guy malevolence as he hacks, bludgeons and gurgles psychotically. Rajinikanth's Deva tumbles sideways into the film. After an old friend, Rajasekhar (Sathyaraj), dies of a heart attack, he turns up to pay his respects. Another friend of the deceased tells him Rajasekhar had invented a mobile cremator that could turn a body to dust in seconds. This brought him to the attention of Simon, head of the smuggling syndicate, who began using his services to dispose of corpses that would pile up due to his and Dayals hair-trigger tempers. Deva, whose past is revealed later but is clearly a man of respect, starts to dig into what he suspects is his friends murder. That portable electric chair has the Lokesh stamppulpy, off-kilter, darkly funny (the manner of its relaying, a flashback with Deva as onlooker, is a trick he used in Vikram to greater effect). Yet, apart from this and a couple of other momentsa miraculous escape from death (Lazarus syndrome, it seems), an artful flashback styled like a Rajini film from the 80sthe pre-interval stretch felt less Kanagaraj in spirit than anything Ive of his seen. Maybe the director tamped down on his outre instincts in deference to his star, but it didn't feel like a full-blown Rajinikanth film either. Unlike the headlong rush of Kaithi and Vikram, this felt quite linear, alternating between Simon and Dayals excesses and Deva as an avenging force about to explode. The film gets messier and less careful as it goes on, and thus closer to the Kanagaraj style. His brand of fetishistic details start to pile upa gangsters safe accessed through a cubicle in a public toilet, Dayals wrist handcuffed to a chain around his neck. Theres a revelation thats almost as good as Agent Tina in Vikram. Kannada star Upendra shows up and breaks stuff. Aamir Khan clowns around amiably at the end; the crowd I saw it with got a kick out of him speaking Tamil. It wouldve gone a long way if Simon was more interesting, but Nagarjunas final boss is an unworthy adversary (Dayals fate is also disappointing, given how much of a headache he proves through the film). Like a lot of popular Tamil cinema today, Kanagaraj tells stories of great men, terrible men, and all the men in between. Women must make do, as Shruti Haasan does here playing Rajasekhars daughter Preethi. Theres a scene shortly after her fathers funeral when she tells Deva she isnt interested in what happened to him and just wants to be left alone with her two sisters to live a quiet life. Rajinikanth laughs, says Super sarcastically, and restates his desire for revenge. And, of course, thats what happens, with Preethi having to be rescued multiple times. Its almost a parody of Tamil action film gender dynamicswoman makes reasonable point, man dismisses her concerns and makes it about himself. Action and stunt coordinators Anbumani and Arivumani, who go by Anbariv, are as skillful as anyone in Indian cinema in creating action for ageing stars (they worked brilliantly around Kamal Haasans limitations in Vikram). But Coolie is surprisingly short of good action ideas. Anbariv and Kanagaraj had earlier worked on Kaithi, Vikram and Leo, each with elaborate, startling set pieces. Coolie feels like the trio on autopilot, especially disappointing since cinematographer Girish Gangadharan (Jallikkattu) is more than capable of rolling with complex choreography. Chinese robots venture abroad to compete in global market 13:45, August 15, 2025 By Ji Juesu, Liu Junguo ( People's Daily Photo shows delivery robots by Keenon Robotics on display at the third FOODtech Japan. At midday in a bustling yakiniku restaurant in Hachinohe, Japan, grills sizzled with freshly cooked meat as a delivery robot deftly navigated between tightly packed tables, serving steaming plates to diners. "The robot delivers steadily, clean and safe," the restaurant's manager remarked with evident approval. The robot was developed by Keenon Robotics, a leading commercial service robotics company based in Shanghai. It has since become an indispensable member of the restaurant's staff. Faced with high labor costs and an aging population, an increasing number of hotels, restaurants, and other venues in Japan are turning to service robots to fill staffing shortages. Five years ago, Keenon Robotics ventured into overseas markets, confident that its advanced technology would ensure success. To its surprise, Japanese partners repeatedly reported: "It's hard to sell." What was the problem? To investigate, the company's team fanned out across Tokyo, speaking with locals and observing daily routines. They found that Japanese service culture moves at a gentler pace, and customers favor robots with a warm, approachable appearance, reflecting local aesthetic preferences. The most pressing issue was size. Robots popular in China proved too large for Japan's compact spaces, struggling with narrow aisles or tight corners. In response, Keenon engineered a Japan-specific model: compact, agile, equipped with a Japanese-language voice system, and an expressive animated display. The redesigned model navigates spaces as narrow as 49 centimeters while carrying multi-tier trays. Advanced cameras and sensors detect obstacles in crowded environments. The company has now established more than 200 technical support sites across Japan, ensuring that routine malfunctions receive a response within two hours and are repaired within 24 hours. A Chinese-made service robot moves at the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel, Japan. In one case, when a restaurant chain reported sensor failure, technicians arrived in less than two hours with a replacement unit. The new robot synchronized with the cloud in minutes, inheriting its predecessor's operational "memories" without retraining. The faulty unit was returned for repair. "In Japan, hiring a single waiter is costly, but hiring a robot costs only about a third as much," said Li Tong, founder of Keenon Robotics. "And robots work year-round, with consistent efficiency." China's robot exports are expanding rapidly. Today, Keenon Robotics' products are used in major Japanese restaurant chains, as well as in libraries, hotels, and other public venues. To better serve the market, the company has set up local servers, stocked bonded warehouses and maintenance centers with spare parts, and optimized its software algorithms to match Japanese management practices. Beyond service robots, Chinese-made logistics robots are also winning favor in Japan. According to Yosuke Tsuyuguchi, a professor at the Department of Economics at Teikyo University in Tokyo, the industry's evolution - from competing on scale to competing on technology, quality, and brand - illustrates the transformation of Chinese manufacturing. At the Kansai Logix 2025 in Japan, Mushiny Robotics based in Huzhou, east China's Zhejiang province, received high attention with its sorting systems and "goods-to-person" (GTP) solutions, showcased by Japanese companies such as Toshiba and Mitsubishi. The company's logistics robots and software already support multiple pharmaceutical warehouses in Japan's Kanto region, meeting the sector's growing automation needs. In another case, a newly designed workbin handling and picking robot designed for a major Japanese automaker stood out amid fierce competition and won the client's approval. Specializing in the research, development, and production of logistics robots and equipment, Mushiny Robotics exports more than 70 percent of its products to developed countries. "Our orders are already booked through September, and our first-half sales hit a record high, up nearly 30 percent year on year," said He Zijie, head of Mushiny Robotics' hardware technology center. "Our products are becoming a familiar presence in overseas logistics automation projects." With cutting-edge innovation and a deeply localized approach, the company has firmly established itself in Japan. Looking ahead, it will continue developing products to meet the specific needs of Japan's logistics sector, working toward mutual growth and success. (Photos from the official website of Keenon Robotics) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) The freedom to read isnt one of the fundamental rights protected by the Constitution. But it certainly is one of those pesky acts of rebellion that gives governments around the world sleepless nights. Last week, the Jammu & Kashmir government banned 25 books written by scholars, writers and journalists from being sold in the state, blaming these works for misguiding youth." As an official notification put it, This literature would deeply impact the psyche of youth by promoting a culture of grievance, victimhood, and terrorist heroism." In a just world, a books merit ought to be left to the judgement of the reader, not pre-emptively decided and dismissed. So, this Independence Day, Lounge decided to offer a small gift of freedom to Indias youthin the form of a curated reading list. We wanted to take young readers on a journey of discovering stories of freedom, resilience and grit. We didnt want to set a bar in terms of genre, language, level or geography. The best childrens books, we believe, resonate with readers of all ages. We did set ourselves one condition: The books had to be quirky, exciting and absorbing in a way regular educational" books are not. They had to be so good as to make young readers forget online distractions for some time and focus only on the book at hand. While we put our heads together as a team and brainstormed, we also invited writers, illustrators, editors and publishers to tell us about a book that mattered to them. They may have read it growing up or discovered it as an adult but it is one they want every child to read. For obvious reasons, it had to be a book they had no hand in producing. What follows is a list of titles we came up withnecessarily subjective, selective and incompletebut one that will hopefully inspire our readers to start many conversations and discover the special freedom that books can send our way. Jamini Roys Unbroken Lines (2023) By Vinitha & Tanvi Young Jamini wants to paint. He loves to mix mud and water and make a mess of his hands. He is a keen observer of the land and its many wonders. The scent of the shiuli flower, the designs of the alpona his mother draws every morning, the carmine vermillion on her forehead, the leaves of the champa plant, the ants who work tirelessly each day. His family would say, He will get over this girly thing of drawing alponas and drawing on the walls." But Jamini knew he would continue to work at it, just like the ants. This book tells the story of artist Jamini Roys early life, growing up in Beliatore in West Bengal, a small town known for its folk art traditions. Vinitha Ramchandanis lucid prose is enriched by Tanvi Bhats illustrations of Roys magical world of clay, cats and cows. Unbroken Lines is a celebra tion of the freedom to choose your path and be who you want to be. Rituparna Roy View Full Image 'Mantoo Ke Mazameen' LESSONS FROM MANTOS SODA THEORY Mantoo Ke Mazameen (2016) By Saadat Hasan Manto Of the 21 short essays in this book, Hindi Aur Urdu is a favourite. Manto (1912-55) imagines a conversation between a Hindu and a Muslim. Both are quibbling over which drink is better: lemon or soda. Munshi Narain Prashad prefers lemon soda because it has flavour, is tangy and also sweet, while Mirza Muhammad Iqbal is adamant on soda as thats what he has at home. At one point Munshi says, Arrey bhai, lemon aur soda main farak hi kya hai.... Unki poori jaan gas main hai." This tongue-in cheek banter continues with neither man ceding ground. Theres an essay on corrupt politicians and one on flirting. A young reader might wonder what has changed since Manto wrote Hindi Aur Urdu? Arent we still quibbling over languages? Perhaps they can apply the soda" theory to various situations and figure out in what proportion they want the tangy, sweet and salty. Or they could keep it plain. But whats vital is that they should not let go of the fizz. Nipa Charagi View Full Image 'Out in the Moonlight' A SKY FULL OF DREAMS Out in the moonlight (2023) By Perumal Murugan Illustrated by Ashok Rajagopalan Between grazing the cattle, farming and cooking, Amma hardly got a break," Perumal Murugan writes in Out in the Moonlight, drawing on his experiences as a child. The book is set in a small village in Tamil Nadu, where a mother works in the millet fields in the middle of the night, while tending to her newborn and his five-year-old brother as they fall asleep under a moonlit sky. To her children, Amma is fearless and unstoppable as she ferries them along the lonely forest path, undaunted by the perils of the wild. Complete with vivid images of rural life, this pic ture book evokes the hardships as well as the freedom of living on a farm, espe cially for young readers consumed by the distractions of city life and its easy conveniences. Rituparna Roy View Full Image 'Postbox Kashmir' A CHILDHOOD UNLIKE ANY OTHER Postbox Kashmir (2021) By Divya Arya The distance between Srinagar and Delhi is less than 800km, but the psychological gulf that separates children growing up in these two cities is hard to bridge. In 2017, BBC journalist Divya Arya got two schoolgirls, Saumya and Duaa, to write letters to each other from Delhi and Kashmir, respectively. As Kashmir remained caught in a communication blackout, they had to do this the old-fash ioned way: with pen and paper. Thus began a dialogue between pen pals of the same generation, each bursting with questions for the other: Are there only Muslims in Kashmir? Do girls throw stones at the army? Can you imagine living without phone network or internet even for a day? Postbox Kashmir paints an authentic portrait of childrens lives in conflict zones to their more fortunate peers who have always been able to take their right to exist and live freely for granted. Somak Ghoshal View Full Image 'Nalak' A QUESTING SPIRIT Nalak (1916) By Abanindranath Tagore, Translated by Urbi Bhaduri For Bengali children of my generation, Abanindranath Tagores Nalak was a rite of passage. The book was prescribed as a rapid reader" in school but widely loved, despite it being a part of the curriculum. A lyrical story about the life of the Buddha told through the eyes of a village boy, it is suffused with a magical aura of quest and discovery. Instead of going to school, Nalak, the eponymous boy hero, longs for the freedom of the forests. He likes to sit with the wise men and meditate instead. Nalak has a vision of the birth of the Buddha and, while he never gets to meet him in person, he is touched by his grace forever. A quietly rebellious and questioning tale that remains evergreen to this day. Somak Ghoshal View Full Image 'Savitribai Phule and I' TWO LIVES IN THE MIRROR Savitribai Phule and I (2020) By Sangeeta Mulay Shabri and Savitri may be separated by more than 200 years of progress", yet their experiences remain uncannily similar. Born in a poor Dalit village, both overcame insurmountable odds to get where they are. Shabri got admission into an engineering college in the 21st century through the reserved category, while Savitribai Phule became a pioneer of womens education in the 1800s. In this hard hitting story of grit and resilience, Sangeeta Mulay draws parallels between the lives of her two protagonists to reveal the (often invisible) trauma that informs the expe rience of Dalit young adults, even in reputed" educational institutions. While beacons like Savitribai Phule continue to show the way to Dalit teenagers, her story will hopefully also inspire other young readers to speak up against one of the grossest injustices of humanity. Somak Ghoshal View Full Image 'Freak the Mighty' GOING BEYOND LABELS Freak the Mighty (1993) By Rodman Philbrick This book is an emotional roller-coaster ride about two friends, who are seen as freaks" by society. Max is tall and large and suffers from a developmental disorder. Though gentle by nature, he is deemed as a bully by people who are intimi dated by his size. Kevin, who has been diagnosed with Morquio Syndrome, also carries the weight of societys labels. A chance encounter brings the two together, after which little Kevin starts riding on Maxs shoulders regularlyand as a joke they start calling this form, Freak the Mighty. This story, meant for kids aged 12-13 and above, is not about accept ance from others but about confronting inner demons and making peace with them. As my daughterwho is reading it for a school project puts it: The story helps you recognise that it is your differences that make you powerful, no matter what peo ple say." Avantika Bhuyan View Full Image 'Disaibon Hul' FORGOTTEN HISTORIES OF REBELLION Disaibon Hul (2014) By Ruby Hembrom Illustrated by Saheb Ram Tudu Over 10 years ago, Ruby Hembrom, founder of the not-for-profit publishing platform Adivaani, published Disaibon Hul (Remember the rebellion," in Santali), a picture book commemorating the Santal rebellion of 1855-57. Beautifully illustrated by Saheb Ram Tudu, the story brings to life a key moment from Indias recent past, which is ignored by mainstream history, when a contingent of Santali men, women and children, took up arms against their colonial masters, exploitative traders and unscrupulous zamindars. Led by the brothers Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu, this revolt was a precursor of the freedom movement, which deserves to be studied and remembered by children and adults across ages. Somak Ghoshal Also Read | Teens rediscover ancient connections to nature through origin stories HUMAN FACE OF HISTORY Footnotes in Gaza (2009) Written & illustrated by Joe Sacco As the genocide against Palestinians continues in Gaza, theres no better time to introduce young readers to this classic by one of the pioneers of graphic non-fiction books. Journalist Joe Sacco looks back on the trail of destruction left by Israel on Khan Yunis and Rafah in 1956 through interviews with eye witnesses 50 years later. The result is epic and intimate," as one review noted. Saccos history lessons are delivered through his nuanced story telling, which makes the book at once engaging and memorable. The combination of text and images puts a human face to geopolitics, building empathy and understanding in the reader, which standard-fare history books rarely do as effectively. Somak Ghoshal View Full Image 'The Grasshopper's Run' JOINING THE JUSTICE LEAGUE The Grasshoppers Run (2009) By Siddhartha Sarma It is 1944 and the Japanese have invaded British India. As they massacre an Ao Naga village in the Naga Hills, a young boy, who had been away in Calcutta (now Kolkata) for his studies, loses his best friend. When Gojen learns about the tragedy, he swears revenge and sets out in pursuit of the Japanese colonel who killed his friend, Uti. Part-adventure story and part-historical fiction, Siddhartha Sarmas acclaimed young-adult novel resurrects a relatively forgotten era of Indian his tory through a story of friendship that turns into a quest for justice and independence. Somak Ghoshal View Full Image 'My Family' THE WISDOM OF ANIMAL COMPANIONS Sona from My Family (originally published in Hindi as Mera Pari var in 1972) By Mahadevi Varma Sona is one of the many evocative portraits that author-educationist Mahadevi Varma drew of her animal companions. Whether it was the young calf Gaura, or the mischievous squirrel Gillu, and the majestic peacock Neelakanth, each of these adopted family members in Varmas stories stands as a testa ment to the compassion, wisdom and emotional intelligence of animals, which we dont often acknowledge. Sona is a heart warming tale of a doe, who becomes a part of the authors household and the curious interactions she has with the other animals. I first read the story in Hindi in my school reader and was drawn to the visual vocabulary Varma used to describe her: Sunehre rang ke reshmi lacchon ki gaanth ke samaan uska komal laghu shareer, chota sa muh aur badi badi paanidar aankhein (her tiny body akin to a cluster of golden threads, a small face and big fluid eyes)". The end would move anyone to tearsbut more importantly, Varmas writing spot lights ways of co-existing with nature, ways which have now all but disappeared. Avantika Bhuyan Also Read | How to talk to kids about the Constitution View Full Image 'Nimona' FINDING PERFECT STORIES IN FLAWED CHARACTERS Nimona (2015) By N.D. Stevenson I watched the movie, Nimona, before reading the graphic novel, and found the Oscar-nominated animation to be a watered-down version of the original storyperhaps to make the plot palatable to children of all ages. The graphic novel, intended for young adults, presents an array of flawed characters. Not one is perfect something that appeals to teens far more. Stevenson challenges perceptions of good and evil, of monsters and heroes. Unlike the film, the book offers plausible scientific explanations as to why Nimona shape shifts. It presents complex worlds and themes of fluid identities. A 13-year-old, who keeps going back to the graphic novel, revealed that the book had relatable problems at the heart of itunlike fantasy stories, which present conspiracy theories that not everyone can connect to. Avantika Bhuyan View Full Image 'This is How I Draw' THE ARTISTS STORYBOARD This is How I Draw (2025) By Aindri C, Deepa Balsavar, Ogin Nayam, Pankaj Saikia, Prabha Mallya, Priya Kuriyan, Rajiv Eipe Where do artists and authors get their amazing ideas from? Does a part of their brain suddenly go eureka or does magic happen in their dreams? Kids have always wondered about how creative people get inspired and this book acts as the perfect behind-the-scenes. Seven artists authors share how ideas from the everyday coalesce on to their story boards. If Rajiv Eipe becomes a fly on the wall, Deepa Balsavar experiments with material and lets her imagination take over in her drawings. Aindri C. opts for nature printing, an age-old method of capturing impressions of plants. The book is for children of all ages, who seek inspiration to get their creative juices flowing. Avantika Bhuyan View Full Image 'The Book of Dust' IN OTHER WORLDS The Secret Commonwealth (2019) By Philip Pullman In The Book of Dust, Philip Pullman expands the universe he created in His Dark Materials, a trilogy of books that explore ideas around religion, philosophy, love and friendship via a ripping adventure tale that is quite unlike anything devoted readers of fantasy have ever read. The Secret Commonwealth is the second book of the new series (of which the third and final book is expected in October). Protagonist Lyra is older and has lost some of the moral certitude of childhood here. As she grapples with questions of individuality and identity resulting from a fractured relationship with her closest companion, she must also go on a journey to unravel a mystery that is threatening her world. This is a fascinating universe about power and politics to get lost in, and if you find echoes from our own in it, well, thats a different adventure alto gether. Shrabonti Bagchi View Full Image 'Somnath Hore: Wounds' ARTICULATING DIFFICULT FEELINGS Somnath Hore: Wounds (2021) By Likla Illustrated by Kripa Bhatia and designed by Shambhavi Thakur How do you convey complex emotions behind an artwork to kids? Somnath Hore: Wounds can help. Hore, a sculptor and printmaker, was deeply impacted by the suffering that ensued after the Bengal famine of 1943 and the Tebhaga peasant-led movement in 1946-47. His series, Wounds, featuring broken bodies, stemmed from all that he saw and felt. Likla and Bhatia introduce children to Hores childhoodwhich was witness to such horrors and ask them to reflect on what a world without violence would feel like. There are pages where kids can articulate feelings of anxiety and pain. At a time when the world is gripped by uncertainty, books such as these help children give expression to complex emotions. Avantika Bhuyan Also Read | What artists childhoods can tell us View Full Image 'The Giving Tree' A FABLE THAT KEEPS GIVING The Giving Tree (1964) By Shel Silverstein Shel Silversteins The Giving Tree has gone into many reprints, beloved for its evocative yet simple illustrations of the lifelong rela tionship between a boy and a tree, and the idea of generosity. Reading it as an adult, it feels less like a tale about sharing (as it was held up to me when I was a child) and more like a cautionary tale about human self-centred ness, and in that sense, this is a fable that keeps on giving. For adults and chil dren today, this is a great book to start conversations about healthy relationships, choices and boundaries (because the boy is ultimately an ingrate who strips the tree of everything, leaving just a stump behind), selfishness, gratitude, even the joy of giving and receiving. Each reading can spark a discussion about the many emotional lessons we need to make our way in the world. Shalini Umachandran View Full Image 'Our Friends, The Ogres' BIG ISSUES AND WHIMSICAL ART Our Friends, the Ogres (1974) By K.G. Subramanyan KG. Subramanyan (1924-2016) is one of Indias most eminent artists, at once pro lific, versatile and world famous, but its in his childrens books that I think one gets a measure of the man. The characters in his stories for children, which speak as easily to adults, are play ful even as the stories are sharp, critical and thought provoking. Our Friends, The Ogres with its paper collage artwork in black and white is easy to read and understand, using ogres as metaphors to explain complex ideas about industrialisation, environmentalism, urbanisation and displace ment. The thoughts it evokes could even be used to talk about feelings of loss that accompany environmental changeafter all, who hasnt mourned the loss of a beautiful tree or a beloved playground to a glassy office complex. Shalini Umachandran View Full Image 'Ritu Weds Chandni' A CELEBRATION OF LOVE Ritu Weds Chandni (2020) By Ameya Narvankar Is it utopian to imagine a world where a union of two people is viewed beyond the stifling silos of gender, caste and class? In Ritu Weds Chandni, love rises above societal diktats. A young girl, Ayesha, is all set to participate in the wedding of her cousin, Ritu. Even though family and friends stand in support of this same-sex wedding, certain people try to disrupt the ceremony. The book shows the power of the youths voice against prejudice and homophobia. In an interview, Narvankar has said that the book consciously steered clear of a tragic representation of the queer community. Rather, it was a celebration of love, and an effort to make the community more visible in childrens books. And thats what it does beautifully. Avantika Bhuyan View Full Image 'Savi and the Memory Keeper' A STORY ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE Savi and the Memory Keeper (2021) By Bijal Vachharajani How does a teen grapple with lossof a parent, a known way of living and of the immediate environment? In this book, Vachharajani brings together grief, climate change and magical realism. The story is centred around Savi, who arrives in a new city called Shajarpur, clutching on to 42 plants, which remain the most tangible memories of her father. A giant ficus tree in her school becomes her companion in grief when it starts communicating with the young girl. Around the same time, the climate in Shajarpur takes a turn for the worse and it is left to Savi and Eco Ants club members to do something about it. Vachharajani bases parts of her book on Suzann Simards research about the communication network between trees in a forest and connects it with a childs life. Savi and the Memory Keeper is a gentle companion for any teen undergoing loss or grief of any kind. Avantika Bhuyan View Full Image 'Bodies are Cool' CELEBRATING ALL BODY TYPES Bodies are Cool (2021) By Tyler Feder Freckled bodies, dotted bodies, rosy-patched or speckled bodies, dark-skin-swirled-with-light-skin bodies, Bodies are cool! This body-affirming and inclusive picture book is a must-read for adults and children alike. In a global culture populated with diet and lifestyle fads, which tend to idealise a single body type, Bodies are Cool by Tyler Feder is about body positivity and acceptance and that not every one needs to look alike. Feder hopes the book shows that it is normal to be trans or visibly queer or very fat or with a really noticeable disability," as a 2022-article in NPR puts it. Avantika Bhuyan Also Read | How to talk to a child when a parent is sick For surgeons of my generation, the surgical personality" is a clearly identifiable trait. We could fairly accurately recognise which medical student would specialise in a medical versus a surgical discipline. Dr Kathy Hughes in her blog Behind the Mask says novelist Richard Gordons popular creation, Sir Lancelot Spratt, epitomises the stereotypical surgeon, usually male with a testosterone-induced swagger, confident, brash, charismatic and commanding to the point of arrogance". He is volatile, even bullying and abusive. Cuts first, asks questions later, because to cut is to cure, and the best cure is cold, hard steel. Sometimes wrong, but never in doubt. Good with his hands, but has no time to explain. Compassion and communication are for sissies." He is also decisive, well-organised and hard-working. Also Read | How a surgeon saved lives during the Kargil War A 1991 study by Schwartz and others, analysing the personality of medical students found that those who were competitive, aggressive and highly confident became surgeons. Kevin Dutton in his book The Wisdom of Psychopaths (2012) found that surgeons are No.5 on the list of professions with the highest number of psychopaths. It is cold comfort to know that CEOs and lawyers score ahead of us. There are some kinder descriptions of surgeons as well. The familiar adage that surgeons must have the eyes of an eagle, the heart of a lion and the fingers of a lady" is attributed to Aristotle. Another good one is that a surgeon should have a temperate and moderate disposition. He should have well-formed hands, long slender fingers, a strong body, not inclined to tremble and with all his members trained to the capable fulfilment of the wishes of his mind" (from Chirurgia Magna, written in 1296, by Guido Lanfranchi). Not surprisingly, both these quotes are from surgeons themselves. Every personality is multifaceted and complex. We all know surgeons who have these traits in varying measures, but the stereotype needs to be accurate only some of the time for it to become a stereotype. So, how did this come to be? Probably because physicians looked down on the illiterate barber-surgeons of yore. Before the discovery of anaesthesia, these traits were necessary in order to function. Surgery at that time was often performed for infectious conditions like gangrene. It was performed in front of an audience with strong men holding the patient down, and speed was of the essence. No time to think or communicate. Mortality was very high. Observers often fainted from the ordeal a luxury not available to the surgeon. But times have changed, even from when I trained 40 years ago. Although I thought poorly of surgeons as a medical student, I quickly realised during my internship that they were kind, thoughtful, effective, and went out of their way to help their patients, reflecting and agonising over each decision they had made. Truly, they attached themselves to their patient with the last stitch they took". I think that the great majority of modern surgeons are of this ilk. Today, preoperative diagnostics ensure every patient goes to surgery with an established diagnosis and treatment plan, often defined at a multidisciplinary meeting. While the surgeon remains the captain of the ship, multiple specialties are involved in patient care perioperatively. Rudeness and the throwing of instruments are no longer tolerated. Today, no patient undergoes surgery without consent, and then after a clear and detailed discussion on what the operation entails, treatment is delivered with kindness and respect. The public now has access to information, demands quality and does not accept preventable complications. The qualities that a surgeon needs have changed accordingly. A 2018 study by Whitaker M., published in the Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons used a psychological test called the Five Factor Model, that breaks down personality into five key traitsextroversion (measured by sociability, a preference for company), agreeableness (ones tendency to be compassionate, caring and trustful), conscientiousness (self-discipline, sense of duty), neuroticism (tendency towards negative emotions like anger, anxiety and depression, emotional stability) and openness (intellectual curiosity, creativity). Surgeons scored significantly higher in all but extroversion compared to the general population and physicians. Sadly, the study also found that surgeons become more prone to neuroticism as they age, the inverse of the general population. Another similar study found that surgeons who maintain their empathy and are more introverted tend to have better patient outcomes. Surgery, despite being deeply professionally satisfying, remains a demanding, stressful and unpredictable job. The gap between success and failure can be frighteningly small. Surgeons experience tremendous highs and agonising lows. Some surgeons cope by numbing their emotions, losing empathy and feeling emotionally disconnected. This condition, called compassion fatigue, causes them to lose interest in things they used to enjoy, and experience increased sadness and anger. The term second victim syndrome" has been coined for emotional trauma experienced by healthcare professionals after an adverse patient event, made worse by feeling that their own trauma is illegitimate in comparison to that of the patient and patients relatives. Most surgeons experience anxiety and grief, which leads to increased rates of burnout. Under the mask of an overconfident and narcissistic surgeon may be grief and pain, all the more difficult to diagnose because of their facade of invulnerability. A recent study by Shanafet and others showed that 58% of surgeons experience burnout compared to 28% of working individuals in the general population. A major contributor is poor work-life balance, resulting from positive surgical personality traits like passion, drive and the pursuit of excellence morphing into negative traits of poor delegation, micromanagement and perfectionism. Surgeons score about 25% lower than the general population in happiness metrics. We know that 48% of happiness is genetically established, 40% is determined by specific isolated events like buying a new car or doing a new operation, and 12% is derived from family, community, and work environment. The hedonistic treadmill is a term used to determine how much happiness one derives from achieving something. For example, as a junior surgeon, one might be thrilled repairing a hernia, but soon it becomes routine and mundane. The surgeon now craves a major organ resection or transplant. The treadmill keeps getting steeper, so one needs to run harder and harder to maintain the same level of happiness. Flow happiness, or happiness experienced by a highly competent individual working on a complex challenge that meets their level of skill without overwhelming them, is something all surgeons identify with, especially when they face a complicated case, have to make difficult decisions and experience a satisfying outcome. My wife says she now identifies three phases of my personalityone, when I am waiting for the next challenging case during which time I am crabby and cantankerous; two, when I get such a case, then I am high and happy; and three, when the complex case experiences complications, I am sad and thoughtful and completely absorbed within myself. And then the cycle repeats. It does appear that the stereotypical surgical personality has dulled over time. You wont see Lancelot Spratts in the operating theatre anymore. Modern surgeons need to be empathetic to their patients and kind to themselves. They must create an environment in which team members are not afraid to speak up or offer an opinion, factors that are vital to patient safety. In todays world, surgeons need to be confident not arrogant, passionate not micromanagers, leaders not dictators, and have the ability to remain calm even in moments of life-threatening catastrophe, successfully overcoming the challenge at hand. I dont know how we tread this fine line, but I think family, friends and mentors help to show the way. An article in The American Journal of Surgery (2017) advises surgeons to protect and mature important relationships, debrief with trusted friends and family after stressful events and seek professional help for symptoms of depression and anxiety". Surgeons in training at some centres in the US are taught relaxation techniques, mindfulness and cognitive reframing. The latter involves identifying a negative emotion and modifying the perspective with which one views the thought behind that emotion to reframe it more positively. Debriefing after particularly stressful events like the death of a child or an on-table death can be useful if done properly. Its time for the surgical community to reflect on how to help the next generation of surgeons remain compassionate, nurture and enjoy relationships, and maintain a work environment that promotes professional growth for their team members and optimises patient safety. Sanjay Govil is hepatobiliary and liver transplant surgeon at Apollo Hospitals, Bengaluru. Also Read | Psychological flexibility is the key to resilience and growth I can't take any credit for it. It was the India team that made the selection there," laughs Tobias Reiss-Schmidt, president and CEO of American watch manufacturing company, Timex Group. Schmidt is commenting about the brand signing up actor Ananya Panday as its India brand ambassador. lt was a big decision, obviously, but I have to say that I was super impressed with her. She has a unique personality that really fits well with our brand," notes Reiss-Schmidt who has been at the helm of the 170-year-old company since 2015. For a long time, it seemed as if the brand was stuck with its image as an affordable" brand. If you wanted a good-looking watch that was easy on your wallet, it was Timex. But that was all. Under Reiss-Schmidt's stewardship, the company is slowly but surely getting out of that shell. In the last decade, the brand in a bid to attract newer customers has launched collections that tip a hat at its past innovations but speak the language of today's generation. There have been successful reissues such as the Q Timex 38mm Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch that was inspired by the 1979 Q Diver model. Their Waterbury collection is a homage to the original watch collection manufactured by the Waterbury Clock Company Timex's predecessor that was founded in 1854 in Waterbury, Connecticut. Since last year, the watch manufacturer has made some decisive moves in India as well, including signing up Ananya Panday as their brand ambassador, collaborating with Punjab Kings in IPL, and launching their Make Time Yours" campaign to promote an analogue way of life. India for us is only becoming more important," says Reiss-Schmidt in an extended interview with Lounge where he also discussed the company's plans for India, Timex's creative collaborations, the Giorgio Galli limited edition S series and being the watch partner for luxury brands like Versace and Ferragamo. Edited excerpts: In 2021, youd said that India was the third biggest market for your brand. Post pandemic, the country has rapidly grown and is being pegged as the next big luxury market. Based on your recent campaigns here, would you say Timex has bigger plans for India? India for us is only becoming more important. Yes, back in 21 it was the third largest market for us. Today, generally speaking, India is the fastest growing market. Since Timex started its operations in India in the early 90s, we are in an incredible position here. We have a fantastic team that has delivered incredible results. We are doing our own manufacturing here and are constantly investing into expanding the capacity here. We are also working with our Indian vendors to export into other markets. So, across the board, India is a strategic pillar for us and our investment is only going to increase. In the last few years, Timex has done some really cool collaborations, be it the Jacquie Aiche collection or the more recent Timex X Superman watch and the Timex X Wednesday watch, among others. These collabs make you look like a legacy brand thats totally clued into popular culture. Is that the strategy? We love these collaborations. They are a great way to keep the brand fresh and connect to newer, younger consumers. They also make for great storytelling. The foundation of the brand is its 170-year-long legacy built on watchmaking expertise, countless innovations, unmatched craftsmanship and great quality. Its a great foundation to have and we actually do see that even younger consumers appreciate real watch brands as opposed to fashion brands (that also make watches). I think that if you can combine this heritage and legacy with being just playful and part of popular culture being part of the conversation which we achieve with these collaborations that's really powerful. View Full Image Timex Group President and CEO Tobias Reiss-Schmidt Collaborations, reissues, signing up brand ambassadors like Ananya Pandey it looks like you want to shake things up in your company. Timex has been around for a long time. A lot of great things have been created under the brand over decades. When I got the opportunity to start at Timex, I looked at it closely. I did a lot of research on the history of the company. And then, I got together with the team and we said, We really have to create something that lives up to the heritage of the brand." When you have an iconic brand like that you don't just live off something that was built in the past. You also have a responsibility to create something new that lives up to the equity the brand has. We decided that we would still have a very accessible price point but we would also bring incredible value to consumers by creating nicer watches at a higher price point. With that idea in mind, we went and created beautiful products. We created new franchises like Q; we had reissues where we brought back designs from the 70s that our consumers absolutely loved and embraced. It's really amazing to see this additional" phase of Timex, where we can be somebody's first watch at 3,000 and simultaneously also sell an amazing dive watch for 30,000. Also Read | If you want your wristwatch to be accurate, then you need to go for quartz Talking of watches with great value, the S series by Timex's design director Giorgio Galli (the S2Ti Swiss Made Automatic 38mm is priced $1,950) has developed a cult following among watch enthusiasts. How did that idea come about? Giorgio is absolutely fantastic and we are so lucky to have him. This is why, despite being a thoroughly commercial enterprise, I felt that we had to carve out a space where Giorgio could fully express himself and bring his vision of Timex fully to life without any limitations. That's how the Giorgio Galli limited edition S series was really created. While I was sure it was going to be successful, going by the response it has received, I'm 100% thrilled! Not only did we actually sell all the watches, the S series also helped create a halo for the brand. We now have high-end watch collectors being interested in Timex. It was a really huge success for us. Do you own any of the S series watches? I own all of them. On the subject of luxury watches, Timex is the watch partner for high-end brands like Versace, Ferragamo and Furla. How does the arrangement work? Do you have different teams working on them to ensure the signature identity of thoseluxury brands remains? Yes, we have separate teams for different brands and we make sure that these teams work independently, because you don't want to end up with all the 10 brands doing the same watch. The teams work very closely with the maisons as they are the ones who sign off on all the (watch) designs and all the creative work that goes out. We're obviously proud of the brands and the partnerships that we have as they give the company more relevance. And of course, it also proves that as a watch company, we can make watches that are priced from 2000 all the way up to 1,50,000. And that's a nice position to be in. 10 years in, what drives you to keep going at the job without getting bored? Well, these have been some very interesting 10 years. I was three years in and the pandemic happened. We came out of the pandemic quite well, luckily. Those years were definitely not boring. The other point is I just love the industry. I love watches. I love our team. Our brands are fantastic. Working with Giorgio Galli and his line of watches is truly a passion project. And in the end, if I get bored being in my position, it's my fault, right? But believe me, I'm not bored a single minute. Of all the Timex watches you own, what are your favorites? To be honest, it changes quite frequently. My current favorite is the Waterbury Heritage Chronograph. Also Read | Sunita Shekhawat turns meenakari jewellery into home decor objects The Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) parliamentary board is set to convene on Sunday, 17 August, to decide the party's nominee for the upcoming vice-presidential election, according to a report by news agency ANI citing sources. The meeting comes days after the Election Commission announced the 9 September vice-presidential poll, triggered by the resignation of incumbent Jagdeep Dhankhar on 4 August, citing medical reasons. Dhankhars sudden exit has fuelled political speculation, with murmurs of other possible factors behind his departure. Also Read | Nomination process for V-P election kicks off from today What is at stake in the vice-presidential election? The vice-president is elected by members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, including nominated MPs. Together, the two Houses have an effective strength of 781 members, meaning a winning candidate will require at least 391 votes, assuming full participation. With the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) commanding around 422 MPs, the ruling coalition appears to hold a comfortable numerical advantage. How is the Opposition preparing? Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc is moving to field a joint candidate. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has reportedly reached out to opposition leaders to build consensus on a name. While no formal meeting has been held, backchannel discussions are underway. Some leaders within the bloc believe the candidate should be announced only after the BJP reveals its choice. Others argue that the Opposition should contest regardless of the outcome, to send a strong political message. What is the timeline for nominations? The Election Commissions notification sets 21 August as the deadline for filing nomination papers. These will be scrutinised on 22 August, with 25 August as the last date for withdrawal. So far, three nomination papers have been received by returning officer PC Mody, the Rajya Sabha secretary general, but all have been rejected for not meeting procedural requirements. Who can contest for vice president in India? Under constitutional provisions, a vice-presidential candidate must: Be a citizen of India Be at least 35 years of age Be qualified for election to the Rajya Sabha Not hold any office of profit under the Union or state governments, or any local authority Delhi CM Rekha Gupta on Friday, August 15, announced major makeover plan for the national capital. To increase availability of affordable meals, she revealed that Atal Canteens will provide meals at 5 for needy. "We're going to open Atal Canteens to provide meals at 5 for needy in Delhi, "Rekha Gupta said during 79th Independence Day speech. Vowing to rejuvenate Yamuna River, she added, Delhi govt to provide pucca house to every slum resident in city. Also Read | When will Janmashtami be celebrated in India? Check dates and times Top 8 major announcements made today include: Education Bill to regulate private school fees notified after being passed by Delhi Assembly. Delhi govt to form welfare board for gig workers, ensure their wellbeing. "Delhi govt to create infrastructure in Delhi that is best in country We will work to free Delhi from filth, corruption, red tape. Previous governments in Delhi did not make any law regarding the arbitrary fee hikes by private schools, but our government has understood the pain of Delhi's parents and has now made a law on fee waivers." Also Read | Delhi's Saket court summons Samir Kumar Modi in Godfrey Phillips defamation case Those who ignored Mother Yamuna have betrayed the soul of Delhi. We say, no more. Our first resolve is that Mother Yamuna will be clean, Mother Yamuna will flow unhindered, and Mother Yamuna will give life again. We are purchasing all the latest technology machines that are needed in case of fire incidents in small and narrow lanes, including robotic machines, quick response vehicles, which can immediately deliver fire equipment. On the very first day, our government implemented the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Delhi, and so far, 4.5 lakh people have registered for it. Under this scheme, each beneficiary is being provided with a health insurance cover of 10 lakh rupees. CM issues orders on trees posing risk to public safety A day before, the Chief Minister directed concerned government departments to urgently identify and remove trees that may pose a risk to public safety after tree uprooting incident in Kalkaji claimed one life. In the tragic accident, a 50-year-old man was killed while his daughter suffered a pelvic fracture, PTI reported. Indias whisky scale and premiumisation trend make it a key market, says Suntory Global Spirits India MD Neeraj Kumar, outlining the path to a billion-dollar business. With 2023 revenues of US$5.6 billion, Suntory Global Spirits is the worlds third-largest premium spirits company. Its portfolio spans Japanese whiskies such as Yamazaki and Hibiki, bourbons including Jim Beam and Makers Mark, Scotch single malts like Laphroaig and Bowmore, and Roku gin, among others. In India, the company leads the bourbon and Japanese whisky categories, has a strong foothold in the prestige segment with Oaksmith, and a significant share of the blended Scotch market through Teachers. It operates a wholly owned bottling facility in Rajasthan, alongside third-party plants in other states. Earlier this year, Suntory Global Spirits India was reported to be in the fray to acquire Pernod Ricards Imperial Blue. In this conversation, Managing Director Neeraj Kumar discusses the companys ambitions for India, its category priorities, and how it plans to build scale in one of the worlds fastest-growing spirits markets. Suntory Holdings CEO Takeshi Niinami said last year that India could contribute over 10 per cent of Suntory's global business in the next five to 10 years, with $1 billion in revenue by 2030. What will it take to get there? I think we are on the path. As you deconstruct the market across different cuts, you are looking at first of all where is that scale and where is that demand, and that demand and scale exists clearly in Indian whisky, in IMFL. This was identified as a key growth area back in 2018-2019. We launched Oaksmith with the intention of building that scale. Within four or five years, COVID included, we've already crossed a million cases. That's strong consumer rotation and love, especially in markets like Maharashtra, and that footprint is expanding. At the moment, Indias contribution is still certainly less than 10 per cent. There are other companies contributing in that range and we would certainly want to be there. So, the billion-dollars number isnt just a revenue target, its a stakeholder North Star, and India is probably among the biggest growth engines for the company. So IMFL is a big piece. Second is premiumisation. We have a strong presence with Teachers and Jim Beam. Were market leaders over 50% with Jim Beam within bourbon. These are relatively small categories, but we are in a good position. Then, at the top, you have luxury and prestige with the House of Suntory. Weve launched Yamazaki, and our focus is on Hibiki. Theres also Toki, a Japanese whisky at a more affordable price point. And in the parallel space, we have the Scotch single malts Laphroaig, Bowmore, and Ardmore. So, its a fascinating portfolio for consumers to choose from. Suntory has a strong presence with Teachers and Jim Beam. You have some great Irish whiskey brands as well in the form of Connemara and Kilbeggan, and Irish whisky has been among the fastest growing categories in India. Irish doesnt currently feature in our plans. Were in a very intentional phase: our global priorities are Jim Beam, Teachers, Oaksmith, and the more horizontal premium brands: House of Suntory, the single malts. So, rather than a vertical whisky portfolio, were taking a horizontal approach, being intentional and prioritising what matters globally. Oaksmith was one of the first premium whiskies designed specifically for the Indian market. And now you've launched Nagomi under the same banner. What have you learned about the Indian whisky drinker in that segment of the market? So India didn't need one more Indian whisky when we launched it. But we quickly realised that in the lower mid-prestige to upper-prestige segment where Oaksmith plays, consumers wanted smoothness. But they also wanted a kick. That word was interesting for our chief blender, Shinji Fukuyo, to pick up. What did Indians mean by kick? Is it after the first sip? In the throat? In the head? He made six to seven visits across the country. In Japanese, we call it gemba: go to where value is created. He visited thekas, and small and large stores. He observed not just palates, but how people drink. With water? Soda? Ice? What are they eatingpeanut masala? The key learning from gemba was this: consumers wanted a smooth whisky at an affordable price, with the craftsmanship only a Japanese blender could bring. A blend that balances bourbon, Scotch, and Indian spirits. Oaksmith is not a Japanese whisky, but it carries that Japanese precision. Teachers and Laphroaig will focus on accessibility and Scotch codes. Youre on a good wicketbourbon tariffs are cut, and with the UKIndia FTA, Scotch will probably get cheaper next year. What are your plans for these two segments? It opens up new access for consumers. Well learn more as the details become clearer. Looking ahead 10 to 15 years, the 28 to 32 age group first-jobbers are more open and experimental. They have access to global stories, they travel, they care about mixology. Thats the other big trend. Mixology is still nascent in metros, but its a huge opportunity. Thats where Jim Beam comes in. Weve launched Jim Beam Orange, a citrusy, refreshing flavour. Great for pre-wedding evenings or cocktails. So bourbon growth will be flavour-led, occasion-led. On Scotch, its an active conversation: Indian single malts vs. Scotch malts. Indian brands have done great work. But bartenders still love Scotch, and the FTA will help stabilise that growth. With Laphroaig, we have big ambitions. Historically, Laphroaig was on allocation globally; we couldnt get enough. But now, with India a strategic priority, were building the brand here. We also have Makers Mark, a mixology-forward bourbon. So, different consumers will connect differently. Teachers and Laphroaig will focus on accessibility and Scotch codes. With Japanese whisky, Hibiki and Yamazaki are at the top. But Im excited about Toki. Toki and Roku Gin together are a strong duo for younger consumers. Is the Indian consumer really interested in bourbon? People keep bottles, but few drink it. Youre right. Historically, consumers grew up with blended IMFL, then blended Scotch, then single malt. By the time theyre 35 or 40, theyve locked in their repertoire. But when I look at the 10 metro markets, I see promise. Its still tiny today. But in the US, Germany, and Australia, weve seen bourbon moments. I dont expect it to overtake Scotch, but it will have a share. And were well-placed, with local bottling of Jim Beam, too. When I talk to trendsetters like Yangdup Lama, who train bartenders, theres growing love for bourbon. So yes, tiny today, but strong potential as Gen Z comes in. Oaksmith is not a Japanese whisky, but it carries that Japanese precision. 79th Independence Day: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi after hoisting the national flag, marking India's 79th Independence Day today, 15 August. This was PM Narendra Modi's first Independence Day address after Operation SindoorIndia's precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan in May, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April. Modi made a number of big announcements in his speech, which lasted about 103 minutes, and is perhaps his longest-ever address from the Red Fort on Independence Day. Here are the top five announcements he made: 1. Double Diwali with GST reforms Modi announced that the Government of India is bringing GST reforms this Diwali. "This Diwali, I am going to make it a double Diwali for you... Over the past eight years, we have undertaken a major reform in GST... We are bringing next-generation GST reforms. This will reduce the tax burden on taxpayers across the country," he said. 2. Made-in-India chip Modi announced that the first made-in-India semiconductor chip will be launched in the market by the end of this year. Six semiconductor units are already on the ground, and four new units have been given the green signal. Also Read | PM Modi's longest and shortest speeches from Red Fort "By the end of this year, made in India, made by the people of India, made in India chips will come to the market," he said in his address. 3. Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana Modi also announced a scheme worth 1 trillion for our country's youth in his Independence Day address. My countrys youth, today is 15 August, and on this very day, we are launching a scheme worth 1 trillion for the youth of our country. From today, the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana is being implemented, the PM said. He said that under this scheme, young men and women getting their first job in the private sector will receive 15,000 from the government. "Companies that create more employment opportunities will also be given incentive amounts. The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana will create nearly 35 million new employment opportunities for the youth," he said. 4. Sudarshan Chakra Mission Modi announced plans to expand, strengthen, and modernise this national security shield over the next 10 years. "In the next 10 years, by 2035, I want to expand, strengthen, and modernize this national security shield. Drawing inspiration from Lord Shri Krishna, we have chosen the path of the Sudarshan Chakra...The nation will be launching the Sudarshan Chakra Mission," he said in his speech. 5. High-power demography mission Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced the setting up of a high-powered demography mission to deal with the challenge of infiltration. Narendra Modi's remarks come amid opposition criticism of the government's crackdown on Bangladeshis and Rohingya. I would like to alert the nation about a concern, a challenge. Under a well-thought-out conspiracy, country's demography is being changed, seeds of a new crisis are being sown. Infiltrators are snatching away the livelihood of the youth of my country. Infiltrators are targeting the sisters and daughters of my country. This will not be tolerated. These infiltrators mislead innocent tribals and capture their land. The country will not tolerate this, Prime Minister Modi said. When demographic change takes place in border areas, it causes a threat to national security, he said. "No country can hand it over to infiltrators...So, I would like to say that we have decided to start a 'High-Power Demography Mission'..." Narendra Modi said. Narendra Modi also announced a task force for next-generation reforms. We have decided to constitute a task force for next-generation reforms. This force will work within a set timeframe to align existing laws with the needs of the 21st century and prepare the nation to become 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047, he said in his speech. This Diwali, I am going to make it a double Diwali for you... Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced a high-powered demography mission to tackle the problem of illegal infiltration in the country. Indias forefathers made the supreme sacrifice to win freedom for Indians, and it is the duty of its citizens not to accept such activities, said Modi in his speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day. "Today I want to alert the country about a concern, a challenge. Under a well-thought-out conspiracy, the demography of the country is being changed. Seeds of a new crisis are being sown. These 'ghuspaithiya' (intruders) are snatching the livelihood of the youth of my country, these 'ghuspaithiya' are targeting the sisters and daughters of my country, this will not be tolerated. These 'ghuspaithiya' are misleading the innocent tribals and grabbing their land. This country will not tolerate this," Modi said. Also Read | Delhi: 5 Bangladeshi nationals held for forcibly trying to enter the Red Fort "From the ramparts of Red Fort today, I want to say that we have decided to start a high-powered demography mission. This mission will definitely do its work in a well-thought-out manner in a set time frame to deal with the grave crisis that is looming over India, and we are moving ahead in that direction," the prime minister stated. He warned that when demographic changes take place, especially in the border areas, they create a national security crisis. During the 2024 Lok Sabha polls also, Modi had warned about infiltration and had used the term ghuspaithiya in his election campaign. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been raising the issue of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh marrying tribal girls in West Bengal and Jharkhand. It has also raised the issue of illegal immigrants in Assam. Also Read | Bangladeshi actor arrested in Kolkata for possessing fake Aadhaar, voter ID 79th Independence Day: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi after hoisting the national flag, marking India's 79th Independence Day today, 15 August. Narendra Modi's speech, which started at 7:30 AM, lasted about 103 minutes and is perhaps his longest-ever speech on Independence Day. This was PM Narendra Modi's first Independence Day address from Red Fort after Operation Sindoor India's precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan in May this year, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April. Narendra Modi paid tributes to the defence forces in his address for the successful conduct of Operation Sindoor. Here are some facts about speeches given by prime ministers from the Red Fort on Independence Day. Hoists the National Flag for the 12th time Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the Red Fort for the 12th consecutive time as Prime Minister since 2024. The speech, the longest-ever, lasted about 103 minutes. Before Narendra Modi, country's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the Tricolour 17 times. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi hoisted the national flag 16 times. Narendra Modi's Longest Speech Prime Minister Narendra Modi already held the record for giving the longest speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day. In 2024, the 78th Independence Day of India, Narendra Modi spoke for about 98 minutes from the Red Fort. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke for approximately 90 minutes during his 10th consecutive Independence Day address on 15, August 2023. In 2016, Narendra Modi's speech from the Red Fort's ramparts lasted 96 minutes, followed by a 92-minute speech in 2019. In 2017, he delivered his shortest Independence Day address, lasting 56 minutes. Before him, Jawaharlal Nehru held the record for giving the longest speech, which lasted about 72 minutes in 1947. PM Narendra Modi broke Nehru's record with his Red Fort speech, which lasted 88 minutes in 2015. Shortest Speech Former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi have the record for the shortest speeches14 minuteson Independence Day. Former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee have also delivered the shortest speeches on Independence Day. PM Modi hoisted the National Flag for the 12th time. PM Narendra Modi's first speech from the Red Fort in 2014 lasted 65 minutes. Delhi police, on Wednesday, detained an ex-JU student, who is currently pursuing PhD in Spain, alleging 'involvement' in attack on TMC minister Bratya Basu six months ago. A former student of Jadavpur University, Hindol Mazumdar was detained following a lookout circular issued against him for his alleged involvement in the attack on the convoy of education minister Bratya Basu at the Jadavpur University campus in Kolkata in March this year. The Delhi Police detained him at 10.30am upon his arrival. Kolkata Police are preparing to seek a transit remand to bring the PhD scholar to Kolkata, as per multiple reports. Hindol's father, Chandan Majumdar said he was very suprised as both parents were not aware that there was a lookout notice against the former JU student, reported News 18. What happened in March? On March 1, Saturday, West Bengal Education minister Bratya Basu was allegedly injured after protests demanding to declare students union election dates in the state turned violent. Basu was surrounded by over around 100 students while returning from the Jadavpur University when he tried to speak to them after attending the annual general meeting of West Bengal College and University Professors Association(WBCUPA), reported PTI. The protests was held by the members of CPI(M) students wing SFI. During the protest, one SFI leader said that two left student activists were also injured after the cars in Basu's convoy ran over their ankles and they had to be admitted to hospital in serious condition. Was Hindol Mazumdar involved in the protest? Hindol's father and a retired JU professor, Chandan Majumdar, said his son has been living in Spain since November 2023. He is a predoctoral researcher at Atrys, pursuing a doctorate in Biomedicine and Clinical Science at the University of Granada. Hindol Mazumdar was a student in pharmaceutical technology at JU. Also Read | Hyderabad campus row: Supreme Court temporarily stays tree felling He had reportedly been served notices before a lookout notice was issued against him on March 16. He had sent an email that day, stating he had been living in Spain since November 2023, and therefore could not have been present at the university on the day of the attack. What do police say? According to police, Hindol and two others living abroad financed those behind the attack, pointing to incriminating WhatsApp chats and social media posts as evidence, reported Indian Express. Vera Drew is a woman, shes trans, and shes the new Joker. Not Jack Nicholson, Joaquin Phoenix, or Barry Keoghan. In The Peoples Joker, she dons the wig (or wigs) and takes on Batman. Drew also directs and writes this small queer film, which she told EL PAIS she never imagined would be seen by more than five friends in a basement. And shes done it all without the blessing of Warner Bros., the owner of the Gotham universe where Batmans stories unfold. Her movie is a parody, and its legality always precarious even a month before release, when the studio called again. We made a movie they would never make, she says over video call. Drew, 36, discovered she was trans while watching the much-maligned Batman Forever (1995) by Joel Schumacher, to whom she dedicates her film. While others focused on the superhero played by Val Kilmer, six-year-old Drew realized she wanted to be Nicole Kidman, one of the films leads. Thats one of the stories revisited in The Peoples Joker. The movie is a parody set in a world of fascist superheroes. Yet its also deeply personal for the filmmaker: Several people have told me they went expecting a silly Batman comedy but that it moved them so much inside that they finally felt ready to explore their own gender. A scene from 'The People's Joker.' Filmin The Peoples Joker is a movie that does require you to come to it with an open mind. Its not for everyone. But art doesnt always have to be. Part of the problem with mainstream films is that they try too hard to have mass appeal. Thats not art. To me, we should all be really leaning into this niche specific art, she explains. Her Joker a mix between the villain and his female counterpart, Harley Quinn is an aspiring comedian in Gotham searching for her gender identity. Its in a stand-up club that she finds her tribe (The Penguin, Riddler, and the rest of the villains), fights against the fascism of a Batman revealed as a sexual abuser, and plunges into a toxic relationship with a trans man inspired by Jared Letos Joker in the 2016 movie Suicide Squad. This personal depth means her anarcho-leftist comedy never feels cynical. Its simply a reflection of her love for this universe and its characters: No one should parody something they dont love, and I was obsessed with the mythology and those myths need to be public, she says from a bedroom that emulates the dream room in David Lynchs Twin Peaks series, with herringbone flooring and a large red curtain surrounding an unmade bed. Laura Palmer [the shows protagonist] appears to me every night, she jokes. A scene from 'The People's Joker.' Filmin After the films first screening at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival, she received a letter from Warner prohibiting any further showings and threatening legal action over rights violations. The following year, just a month before its U.S.-wide release, Warner came after her again this time asking her to change the title and limit the theatrical run. I dont mind talking about it anymore Im at a point where I dont want to hide anything, and it might help others making similar work. They were really concerned about the film conflicting with the release of Joker 2 [in 2024], but I realized they were never going to sue me, so I didnt change a thing. They just wanted to intimidate me, she says, now speaking with the confidence of someone who has secured international distribution. Drew took her surname from her pre-transition name, which is also another plot thread in the movie. Like her character, before her longed-for leap into directing, she carved out a place in the comedy world: performing stand-up and working as an editor for comedians like Sacha Baron Cohen and the alt-comedy show Comedy Bang! Bang!. Its why she knows exactly what shes talking about when, in the film, she declares, Never date a comedian. The Peoples Joker is set in a world where comedy is outlawed. A scene from 'The People's Joker.' Filmin Her revolutionary act of comedic revenge even takes aim at the most iconic comedy show in the U.S., Saturday Night Live. I know that pissed off a lot of people, but its part of free speech. The mainstream will always try to make sure things like this dont get seen. Having a film where I can do everything has been empowering, and I like that other artists feel inspired to be transgressive. Shot against green screen with sets made from models and toys, the shoestring production is a mash-up of references, incorporating different styles of animation and puppetry. For the director, the motherchild relationship is the foundation of the film. Its a mother-daughter love story. It really is about these two characters understanding. I think thats why it works. In reality, its pretty grounded its about finding your family as an adult, maybe reconnecting with your childhood and moving on, she says of the film, which also takes on culture wars, drugs to sedate children, fake news, sexual abuse, and more. Vera Drew in 'The People's Joker.' Filmin But where did such a wild idea come from? Drew recalls it was in 2020, after seeing comments from Joker (2019) director Todd Phillips that infuriated her. He claimed like so many before him that woke culture wont let us be funny. At first, the filmmaker planned to re-edit his movie into a montage of farts, but in the process she reconnected with her childhood love of Batman and the moment she discovered her trans identity. That made her want to tell an autofiction story that would laugh at everything including those who complain comedy is too restricted, but cant take a joke when it targets conservative America. Her message couldnt have come at a more urgent time. It sucks to watch rights go backwards because things were bad enough before. The whole we have too much diversity argument is just wrong! These movies are almost impossible to make; there still arent the same opportunities you get as a heterosexual cisgender man. For me to be heard, I had to make something that was very loud and colorful and silly and obnoxious and also, like, legally questionable, she says. Drew admits that its easy these days to bow down and be afraid. The U.S. has always been a fascist empire founded on racism and colonization. Its just now being revealed. We see how someone like Trump takes advantage of marginalized cultures to set us back even further. Vera Drew in 'The People's Joker.' Filmin Despite her initial reluctance and fear of seeing it, Drew surprisingly loved Joker 2 for its boldness in breaking away from what worked in the first film and for refusing to pander to the audience. I got excited, and I remembered again why I liked superhero movies: because they were weird. I dont know if its true, but I really think they changed some jokes and parts of the plot in the reshoots because we had stepped on that a little bit in my parody. She was so fascinated that she believes Todd Phillips the very person her film was reacting against would actually like The Peoples Joker: Were smoking the same stuff. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition 79th Independence Day Highlights: Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a slew of announcements during his 12th Independence Day speech on Friday from 'high-powered demographic mission', to Sudarshan Chakra Mission to Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar to Made-in-India Semiconductor chips. PM Modi also issued a stern warning to Pakistan from the ramparts of Red Fort on the ocassion of Independence Day 2025. He said, India has decided that it will not tolerate nuclear threats anymore, we won't fall for any blackmail. His statement came following Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir's nuclear threat against India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the National Flag at Red Fort on Friday. It was synchronised with the 21-Gun Salute by the valiant gunners of the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial). In the wake of the I-Day celebrations, security has been beefed up in Punjab, Haryana, Union Territory of Chandigarh with police maintaining strict vigil and intensifying patrolling and checking. Stay tuned to LiveMint for all the 79th Independence Day 2025 LIVE Updates. Complement your patriotic mood by sharing heartfelt wishes, quotes, and images for a Happy 79th Independence Day with loved ones Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday issued a stern warning to Pakistan from the ramparts of Red Fort on the occasion of 79th Independence Day. India, the prime minister said, has decided that it will not tolerate nuclear threats anymore. India has decided that it will not tolerate nuclear threats anymore, we won't fall for any blackmail, PM Narendra Modi said in his 12th consecutive address from the ramparts of Red Fort. PM Modi's statement came following back-to-back statements and threats by the Pakistani leadership against India. It started last week when Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir, during his US visit, threatened to plunge the region into a nuclear war if Islamabad faced an existential threat. PM Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi after hoisting the national flag as part of official events. This was Narendra Modis 12th consecutive Independence Day address as Prime Minister from Red Fort since 2024. Before Narendra Modi, country's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the Tricolour 17 times. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi hoisted the national flag 16 times. "India has now decided, blood and water will not flow together. The people have come to realize that the Indus Waters Treaty is unjust. Water from the Indus River system has been irrigating the lands of the enemy, while our own farmers have suffered. What kind of agreement is this that has caused such immense loss to our farmers for the past seven decades?," PM Narendra Modi said. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday claimed that any attempt to stop the flow of water into Pakistan is a violation of the Indus Waters Treaty and will be met with a decisive response. The threat directed at India came a day after Pakistans former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari made similar comments, describing the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as an attack on the Indus Valley Civilisation. This is PM Narendra Modi's first Independence Day address from Red Fort after Operation Sindoor India's precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan in May this year, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April. Also Read | PM Modi's longest and shortest speeches from Red Fort Narendra Modi said that the entire India and the world were shocked by the Pahalgam terror attack . "I am very proud that from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I am getting the opportunity to salute the heroes of Operation Sindoor. Our brave jawans punished the enemy beyond its imagination. On 22nd April, terrorists from across the border came to Pahalgam and killed people after asking their religion, he said. India has decided that it will not tolerate nuclear threats anymore, we won't fall for any blackmail. Operation Sindoor, Narendra Modi said, is the expression of that outrage. After the 22nd, we gave a free hand to our armed forces. They decide the strategy, target and time. Our Forces did what had never been done for several decades. We entered hundreds of kilometres into the enemy soil and razed their terrorist HQ to the ground...Destruction in Pakistan is so massive that new revelations are being made every day and new information is coming out daily, he said. India is set to develop a new missile defence initiative, dubbed the Sudarshan Chakra, aimed at integrating advanced surveillance, cyber protection, and physical defence mechanisms to safeguard its citizens and critical infrastructure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined the plans in his Independence Day address on Friday. According to an NDTV report, the Sudarshan Chakra is expected to function similarly to Israels Iron Dome and the proposed US Golden Dome, acting as a protective shield against missile threats. A shield against missile threats and cyber attacks While India already operates the Integrated Air Command and Control System, which successfully countered Pakistani missile attempts during Operation Sindoor, the new system could extend beyond traditional missile defence, the report added. The projects name draws from Hindu mythology, referencing the Sudarshan Chakra used by Lord Krishna to aid Arjuna in battle. According to the Prime Minister, the system should be entirely researched, developed, and manufactured domestically, with a target for significant expansion and modernisation by 2035. Notably, the report highlights that Mission Sudarshan Chakra will likely incorporate precision counterstrike capabilities and measures to combat cyber threats such as hacking and phishing. The initiative is expected to involve collaboration between Indias top scientific and defence research agencies, the military, and private sector innovators. The announcement comes in the aftermath of the April Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor in May, during which Pakistan attempted to target Indian military installations, fighter jets, and urban centres. Indian defence systems successfully neutralised these attacks, highlighting the countrys existing defensive strengths. Mission Sudarshan Chakra appears to be a continuation of Indias efforts to strengthen its security infrastructure and ensure a comprehensive, multi-layered defence strategy in the face of evolving threats. Next-generation GST reforms to ease tax burden According to a PTI report, the Prime Minister has announced plans for next-generation GST reforms aimed at significantly reducing the tax burden, particularly for small businesses. Intels stock surged over 7% on Thursday (August 14), following a Bloomberg report that the Trump administration is in talks to acquire a stake in the chipmaker. This potential deal could mark a significant step in bolstering the US semiconductor manufacturing, aligning with President Donald Trumps push for domestic high-tech production. Why is the government eyeing a stake in Intel? Intel is the only US company capable of producing cutting-edge chips domestically, a critical asset in the global race for semiconductor supremacy. Rivals like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Samsung have US factories, but Intels unique position makes it a focal point for national security and economic strategies. The proposed government stake aims to fund Intels ambitious Ohio factory hub, initially announced in 2022 with a $20 billion investment, potentially scaling to $100 billion. This complex, intended to be the worlds largest chip manufacturing facility, has faced delays, with production now pushed into the 2030s. The deal stems from a recent meeting between Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan and President Trump on August 11, 2025. Despite earlier tensions, Trump had called for Tans resignation over alleged ties to Chinese firms; the discussions appear to have shifted toward collaboration. Intel emphasized its commitment, stating, We are deeply committed to supporting President Trumps efforts to strengthen U.S. technology and manufacturing leadership. Whats at stake for Intel? Intel has faced significant challenges, losing 60% of its stock value in 2024. Despite a 19% recovery in 2025, the company struggles to compete in the artificial intelligence chip market, where Nvidia and AMD dominate. Intels foundry business, which manufactures chips for other companies, has yet to secure a major customer, a critical step for expansion. The governments investment could provide the financial boost needed to stabilize Intels operations and accelerate its Ohio project, enhancing its competitiveness. Broader implications of the deal The potential stake reflects a growing trend of the US government's involvement in strategic industries. Recent moves include a 15% stake of Nvidia and AMD chip sales to China, a $400 million equity stake in MP Materials, and a golden share in the US Steel to facilitate its acquisition by Nippon Steel. A leadership change at Vodafone Idea is not expected to immediately change the companys outlook, with analysts and proxy advisory firms noting that its revival will rely more on fresh capital and policy support than on the change in leadership. On Thursday, the telecom operator announced the appointment of chief operating officer Abhijit Kishore as chief executive officer (CEO) from 19 August for three years. This follows the completion of the current CEO, Akshaya Moondras term. However, industry experts caution that this change is unlikely to alter the companys trajectory unless accompanied by substantial financial and policy support. Vi continues to face mounting losses, a staggering 2 trillion in government dues, and stalled fundraising efforts. The end of a four-year moratorium on regulatory payments this September adds urgency, with 16,428 crore in AGR dues due by March 2026 and 2,641 crore in deferred spectrum payments by June. Kishores immediate priorities could include negotiating with the government for relief and securing bank funding to support a planned 50,00055,000 crore capex over the next three years.Analysts argue that the leadership change is routine and that Vis survival hinges on external factors. Vodafone Ideas problems can ultimately be traced back to the delays in the legal system," said J.N. Gupta, founder and managing director of Stakeholders Empowerment Services, a not-for-profit proxy advisory firm. The leadership change appears routine, and the companys survival now hinges on relief from its AGR-related dues. The court's refusal to even address the so-called calculation mistakes is intriguing, he added. The change in leadership can neither be viewed positively nor negatively," added Shriram Subramanian, founder and managing diorector of InGovern Research. The business now is not dependent on who leads but on funds." Tough times The Supreme Courts recent rejection of Vis plea to waive 45,000 crore in interest and penalties on the 83,400 crore pending adjusted gross revenues (AGR) dues has further strained its prospects. Vi warned that without relief, it may not survive beyond the current fiscal year. Also Read | Vodafone Idea boosts median pay despite financial concerns In the Company's view, this dismissal does not preclude it from further engaging with the Government of India (Gol) based on its foreseeable cashflows for arriving at an appropriate solution on the AGR matter before the next instalment date," Vodafone Idea said in its June quarter financial statement. It hopes to receive government support, arrange funds and generate cash flow from operations. Reduction in finance cost depends upon the company clearing government dues, which can only be achieved after relief from the government or the company generating enough funding to clear the dues. For cash flow improvement, Vi is taking network upgrades in a bid to arrest subscriber churn. Further, data consumption on the network is also increasing, thereby leading to higher average revenue per user. As of June end, the companys Arpu was at 165, up from 164 in the preceding quarter and 146 in the year-ago period. To be sure, Kishore, who will take charge as Vodafone Idea CEO, has been associated with the company since March 2015 and has held multiple senior leadership roles within the organization, both at circle operations and corporate levels, the company said. Meanwhile, the telecom company's 5G services are now operational in 22 cities across 13 circles, and it will systematically expand its 5G footprint, in line with growing 5G handset adoption. In the January-March quarter earnings call, Moondra had said, (With) the capex, which is already under execution, we should be reaching a level of 84% of (4G) population coverage. I believe we will move up from 84%, but to get to 90% (the capex) has got linkages with bank funding. The company had increased its 4G coverage to 83% as of March-end from 77% a year ago." New CEOs challenges Prior to taking on the role of chief operating officer (COO), he headed the company's enterprise business as the chief enterprise business officer. He has also been the circle business head for Gujarat and Kerala circles, where he successfully launched the first 4G in India. Also Read | Vodafone lenders worried about the fate of loans When you pick up someone from inside, you try to weigh the fact that the person is an insider and knows the business. Looking at Vodafone Idea, which is behind the competition and facing financial challenges, it will be a tough task for the new CEO to turn around the company," said Faisal Kawoosa, chief analyst at Techarc, a technology market research firm. According to Kawoosa, the task before the new CEO would be to convince lenders or investors to get funds and take up financial discipline measures within the company to stay afloat. Outgoing CEO Moondra, who was chief financial officer (CFO) at Idea Cellular from June 2008 to August 2018, played a crucial role in stitching the Vodafone-Idea merger in 2018. The deal took place during one of the most turbulent periods for India's telecom sector when Mukesh Ambani-led Jio rolled out unlimited 4G plans and slashed data rates, forcing Airtel and other rivals to follow suit. During his Independence Day speech on Friday from the ramparts of Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the government is working in mission mode in the semiconductor sector, Made-in-India chips, expected to hit the markets by the end of 2025. He emphasised that the 21st century is technology-driven, showcasing that countries that excelled in tech have achieved remarkable success. Approval of four new semiconductor projects The Union Cabinet recently approved four new semiconductor projects under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), with a combined investment of 45.94 billion. These projects include two facilities in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, and one each in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. With six semiconductor projects already in progress, the approval of four additional initiatives brings the total to ten projects under ISM, representing a cumulative investment of approximately 1.60 lakh crore across six states. According to official reports, these projects are expected to directly generate over 2,000 skilled jobs and provide significant indirect employment opportunities. The newly approved ventures come from SiCSem, Continental Device India Private Limited (CDIL), 3D Glass Solutions Inc, and Advanced System in Package (ASIP) Technologies. These companies will set up semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Odisha, Punjab, and Andhra Pradesh to meet the rising demand in key sectors such as telecom, automotive, data centres, consumer electronics, and industrial applications. SiCSem Private Limited, in partnership with UK-based Clas-SiC Wafer Fab Ltd, is set to launch Indias first commercial Silicon Carbide (SiC) compound semiconductor fabrication facility in Info Valley, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Designed with an annual output of 60,000 wafers and 96 million packaging units, the plant will produce high-performance devices for sectors such as defence, electric mobility, railways, data centres, consumer electronics, and solar inverters. Additionally, 3D Glass Solutions Inc will establish an advanced, vertically integrated facility for packaging and embedded glass substrates, also in Bhubaneswar. This unit will feature state-of-the-art packaging technologies, including 3D Heterogeneous Integration modules, and will support industries like defence, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, automotive, and photonics. The plant is projected to deliver 69,600 glass panel substrates and 50 million assembled units annually. On the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled the national flag at the Red Fort, dressed in a vibrant saffron turban and a tricolour stole. He wore a classic white kurta-churidar, paired with an orange Nehru jacket to mark the occasion. India is abuzz with celebrations marking the nation's 79th Independence Day today, August 15, 2025. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the national flag at the iconic Red Fort in Delhi and also addressed the nation. As the nation is making giant strides towards realising the government's vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the theme of this year's celebrations is 'Naya Bharat'. Here are top wishes, quotes, and WhatsApp messages to share with loved ones on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day: Freedom in our hearts, pride and joy in our souls. Happy Independence Day 2025! From the Himalayas to the oceans, India's unity and strength shine bright. Happy Independence Day! May the Indian flag wave in every heart. Happy 79th Independence Day! Celebrating freedom, unity and courage that defines our nation. Happy Independence Day 2025! Saluting the soldiers and the spirit of our nation. Happy 79th Independence Day! In the heart of every free soul, the spirit of India soars. Happy Independence Day! May the colours of our national flag fill your day with pride and joy. Happy Independence Day! Freedom flows in our veins, the spirit of India forever reigns. Happy 79th Independence Day! Let your hopes and dreams take flight, as India's national flag rises high. Happy Independence Day! Let's thank the heroes who fought for our lives. Happy Independence Day! Wishing you and your family a joyful 79th Independence Day filled with pride and purpose. May this Independence Day remind us all to be the change we want to see. Lets salute our nation by lifting each other up. Happy 15th August! Hope your day is filled with love, laughter, and liberty. Wishing you strength like our Tiger and grace like our Peacock Happy Independence Day! Heres to building a stronger, kinder, freer India together. Sending love, light, and patriotic vibes your way this 15th August! Proud to be an Indian. Honoured to share this day with amazing people like you. On this occasion, citizens celebrate, families and neighbourhoods gather to celebrate freedom, as patriotic songs fill the atmosphere. May our Tricolour always fly high in the sky and in our hearts. Celebrating the land we love with people we cherish. Jai Hind! Lets pledge to build a future as bold as our freedom fighters envisioned. This 15th August, wear your heart on your sleeve and your pride as a brooch! As we remember the past, lets shape the future. Happy Independence Day! Our independence is a story worth celebrating may your day be just as meaningful. Every flag hoisted is a reminder of the power of dreams. May your Independence Day be as vibrant as the peacock and as strong as the tiger. Together we rise. Together we celebrate. Jai Bharat! Let the Tricolour inspire your every step. May the spirit of 1947 shine brighter with every generation. Let freedom ring in your heart and echo in your actions. Wishing you a 15th August filled with gratitude and growth. Lets celebrate the privilege of being Indian. Happy Independence Day! Share your pride, wear your heritage Happy Independence Day! May the courage of our past fuel our future. Happy Independence Day! One flag, one heart, one India. Happy Independence Day! In the wake of the I-Day celebrations, security has been beefed up in Punjab, Haryana, Union Territory of Chandigarh with police maintaining strict vigil and intensifying patrolling and checking. I-Day quotes to share with friends & colleagues Freedom was earned not by chance, but by choice. Lets honour that choice every day. Happy Independence Day! They dreamed of a free India, and now we live it. Lets make it count. Happy Independence Day! True patriotism means building a better nation, not just saluting the flag. Happy Independence Day! Our flag flies not because of the wind, but because of the breath of freedom. Happy Independence Day! The cost of freedom is eternal vigilance. May we never forget. Happy Independence Day! We may have different opinions, but we all breathe the same free air. Happy Independence Day! Let your words inspire, your actions honour, and your dreams uplift India. Happy Independence Day! Independence is a legacy lets pass it on with pride and responsibility. Happy Independence Day! Celebrate freedom not just in August, but in every action, every day. Happy Independence Day! A salute to the visionaries who saw an independent India long before we did. Happy Independence Day! Liberty is the soul of our nation keep it alive with truth and justice. Happy Independence Day! Our strength lies in our diversity, our pride in our unity. Happy Independence Day! A flag on your chest. A purpose in your heart. Thats patriotism. Happy Independence Day! From sepoy to statesman every Indian played a part in our freedom story. Happy Independence Day! Independence is not the end of struggle its the beginning of responsibility. Happy Independence Day! They gave us freedom. Lets give the next generation a future worth dreaming of. Happy Independence Day! Skits, and dances are performed across the country while homes and streets are adorned with the national flag. The red in our flag reminds us of the sacrifices made for peace. Happy Independence Day! This land is ours not by birth, but by the bravery of those who fought for it. Happy Independence Day! Dont just wear the Tricolour. Live by what it stands for. Happy Independence Day! The heart and soul of India live in its villages, its cities, and in each of us. Happy Independence Day! - "Freedom isn't just a word it's a legacy we carry forward. Happy Independence Day!" - "May the tricolor inspire us to rise higher, dream bigger, and stand stronger. Jai Hind!" - "Here's to the courage of the past and the promise of our future. Happy Independence Day, India!" - "This 15th August, let's remember: Freedom is earned, not given. Salute to our heroes!" - "Wishing you a day filled with pride, unity, and hope for a better tomorrow. Happy Independence Day!" - "Let your heart beat with pride, and your actions echo freedom. Jai Bharat!" - "India's story is still being written let's be authors of justice, peace, and progress. Happy 2025 Independence Day!" - "More than a celebration its a call to carry the torch forward. Happy 15th August!" - "Proud to be born in the land of diversity, dignity, and dreams. Happy Independence Day!" - "From sacrifice to sovereignty let's honor the journey and continue the mission. Jai Hind!" - "Freedom is not a memory its a mission. Wishing you a purposeful Independence Day!" - "Today we fly not just flags, but dreams of a stronger, united India. Happy Independence Day!" - "On this sacred day, may we remember not just what we gained but what we must give back." - "May the spirit of 1947 live in our actions, not just our celebrations. Happy Independence Day!" - "Heres to the land where every language, culture, and color tells a story of freedom. Jai Bharat!" - "Lets not take freedom for granted lets take responsibility for it. Happy 15th August!" - "Wishing every Indian pride in their past, faith in their present, and hope for their future." - "Happy Independence Day! May we live with the dignity our ancestors fought for." - "Saluting the spirit of freedom, the soul of India. Let's celebrate with purpose and pride!" - "As the flag rises high, let your dreams rise higher. Happy Independence Day 2025!" Also Read | India to celebrate 79th Independence Day on 15 August: 5 countries that share the same historic date I-Day WhatsApp messages 79 years. Still free. Forever proud. Happy Independence Day! Tricolour dreams and tiger-hearted ambition. Happy Independence Day! Liberty looks good on us. Happy Independence Day! In unity, we find strength. In freedom, our soul. Happy Independence Day! Born in a free India. Grateful every day. Happy Independence Day! Freedom isnt a holiday its a legacy. Happy Independence Day! Saluting the past, shaping the future. Happy Independence Day! Peacock feathers, bold dreams, Indian heart. Happy Independence Day! Celebrate like a patriot-carry your pride with a symbolic brooch that echoes our collective spirit. Happy Independence Day! Jai Hind, always and forever. Happy Independence Day! Independence is not a mood. Its a mindset. Happy Independence Day! Wearing my Tricolour with pride and sparkle. Happy Independence Day! Heres to peace, power, and progress. Happy Independence Day! 15th August vibes: Proud. Grateful. Hopeful. Happy Independence Day! Let your outfit say, Im Indian, and proud. Happy Independence Day! From dreams to democracy what a journey. Happy Independence Day! My freedom, my voice, my India. Happy Independence Day! Lets celebrate responsibly and respectfully. Happy Independence Day! Tag a friend who makes India shine brighter. Happy Independence Day! Let your brooch tell a story of pride, strength, and Indian style this Independence Day! Raising flags and expectations. Happy Independence Day! Wishing you a very Happy Independence Day! Lets honour the sacrifices that gave us freedom. May the tricolour always fly high, and may India shine forever. Happy Independence Day 2025! Lets celebrate our nations glory and the spirit of unity. Happy Independence Day! Freedom is our greatest treasure. Happy 79th Independence Day! May our hearts be filled with pride and gratitude for our beloved country. Happy Independence Day! Happy Independence Day! Lets honour the brave souls who brought us freedom. May our tricolour always fly high. Happy Independence Day! Proud to be an Indian today and forever. Happy Independence Day! Wishing you a joyful and patriotic 79th Independence Day 2025. Saluting our heroes who sacrificed everything for our independence. Happy Independence Day! Lets celebrate the glory of our nation. Our freedom is priceless lets protect it always. Happy Independence Day! Happy Independence Day! United we stand, strong we grow. Happy 79th Independence Day! Lets cherish the gift of freedom. Our pride, our nation Happy 15th August! May India keep shining like the tricolour. Happy Independence Day! Celebrate the spirit of unity and diversity. Happy Independence Day! From struggle to glory Happy Independence Day. Our flag tells the story of courage and sacrifice. Happy Independence Day! Proud to call India my motherland. Happy Independence Day! May peace and prosperity fill our nation. Happy Independence Day! Lets honor the past and build the future. Happy Independence Day! Wishing you a patriotic Independence Day. Our independence is our strength lets value it. Happy Independence Day! Let the spirit of freedom inspire your dreams. Happy Independence Day! India where unity meets diversity. Happy Independence Day! May our country progress with each passing year. Happy Independence Day! Celebrate freedom, celebrate India! Happy Independence Day! Jai Hind! Freedom comes with responsibility lets protect it. Happy Independence Day! Lets make India proud through our actions. Happy Independence Day! Salute the real heroes our soldiers and freedom fighters. Happy Independence Day! May this Independence Day remind us of our duties. Happy Independence Day! Lets pledge to make India corruption-free. Happy Independence Day! Every day is Independence Day when we act responsibly. Happy Independence Day! Our unity is our greatest weapon. Happy Independence Day! Lets build an India our heroes dreamed of. Happy Independence Day! A nations future lies in its peoples hands. Happy Independence Day! Keep the flame of patriotism alive. Happy Independence Day! May Indias youth lead the way to progress. Happy Independence Day! Lets empower every citizen with education and equality. Happy Independence Day! True freedom is freedom from fear and injustice. Happy Independence Day! Wishing you pride and joy this Independence Day. Be proud, be responsible, be Indian. Happy Independence Day! Lets make our country a beacon of hope. Happy Independence Day! The best gift to our nation is our dedication. Happy Independence Day! Freedom is a blessing we must nurture. Happy Independence Day! Jai Hind today, tomorrow, forever! Happy Independence Day! Lets respect our culture and embrace modernity. Happy Independence Day! Independence means self-reliance and unity. Happy Independence Day! Lets keep our heritage alive. Happy Independence Day! Indias strength lies in its diversity. Happy Independence Day! Together we can make India unstoppable. Happy Independence Day! Happy Independence Day be the change you want to see. Proud Indian, today and always. Happy Independence Day! Freedom forever. Happy Independence Day! Wish you freedom like the tricolour kites dotting the skies today. Happy Independence Day! India in my heart. Happy Independence Day! 15th August vibes. Happy Independence Day! Born free, live proud. Happy Independence Day! Our flag, our pride! Happy Independence Day! Happy 79 years of freedom. Independence is priceless. Happy 79th Independence Day! Salute to our heroes. Happy Independence Day! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Tricolor forever. Happy Independence Day! Unity in diversity. Happy Independence Day! Freedom feels good. Happy Independence Day! Land of courage. Happy Independence Day! Happy 15th August! Love my India. Happy Independence Day! Freedom in the air. Happy Independence Day! Lets fly the tricolor high. Happy Independence Day! Happy Independence Day! Lets honor the sacrifices that gave us freedom and work for a brighter tomorrow. "Freedom in our minds, pride in our hearts. Happy Independence Day!" Lets salute our nation and the heroes who made it free. Jai Hind! Happy Independence Day! Lets keep the tricolor flying high! Today we celebrate freedom, tomorrow we build the future. Jai Hind! May our nation always prosper and shine. Happy Independence Day!" On this day, lets rememberfreedom is not free, its earned. Jai Hind! Proud to be Indian, blessed to be free. Happy Independence Day! Short & Perfect for WhatsApp Status Proud Indian Jai Hind! Vande Mataram! 15th August vibes Saluting the nation! Freedom feels amazing! Happy Independence Day! Colors of pride India Forever ProudTo BeIndian Inspirational Freedom comes with responsibility lets honor it. A strong nation is built by strong citizens. Together we can take India higher. Lets dream of a greater tomorrow. Work for the nation every day, not just today. Freedom is our strength. Be the change you wish to see in India. Unity is our superpower. Lets protect the gift of independence. Our tricolor is a symbol of hope. Fun & Lighthearted Eat jalebis, wave flags, enjoy the day! Tricolor looks good on everyone. Desi vibes all the way today! Samosas + Freedom = Perfect 15th August. Time for patriotic selfies! Independence Day mood ON. The best dress code? Saffron, white, and green! Celebrating with chai and pride. Tricolor hearts everywhere. This day calls for extra sweets! Click. Smile. Serve some patriotic realness! Independence Day vibes: 100% charged. Todays dress code? Saffron, white, greenrepeat! Pride in our hearts, chai in our hands. Three colors, one heart, infinite love. Proud to be an Indian This day deserves extra laddoos, no questions asked! Happy Independence Day When is India's Independence Day? Indias Independence Day is celebrated every year on August 15, marking the historic moment in 1947 when the nation broke free from the clutches of the British colonial rule after nearly two centuries. The day is a tribute to the sacrifices of countless freedom fighters who fought with courage and hope for a sovereign India. Today, on August 15, 2025, India is celebrating its 79th Independence Day. Millions of current and former AT&T customers in the United States could be entitled to compensation of up to $7,500 each, after the telecoms giant agreed to a $177 million settlement linked to two major data breaches, reported Forbes. According to the publication, a federal judge in Texas has approved two settlement funds totalling $149 million and $28 million, covering separate incidents that exposed sensitive customer data. The first breach, discovered in March 2024, involved the personal information of 7.6 million current customers and 65 million former account holders being posted on the so-called dark web. The company has since confirmed that the compromise actually occurred in 2019. Data affected included names, contact details, dates of birth, account numbers, passcodes and, in some cases, social security numbers, added the report. Reportedly, the second incident came to light in July 2024, when AT&T confirmed that a 2022 breach involving third-party platform Snowflake had exposed phone numbers, call records and, in rare cases, cell site identification data. AT&T denies liability for both breaches, stating that it agreed to the settlement to avoid lengthy and costly legal proceedings. Who can claim Two separate claim processes have been set up. AT&T 1 Settlement Class applies to those affected by the 2019 breach identified in 2024, while AT&T 2 Settlement Class covers individuals impacted by the 2022 incident, according to the report. The publication noted that eligibility notifications have been sent via email from the addressattsettlement@e.emailksa.com. Claimants can apply for a documented loss payment, up to $5,000 under Settlement 1 or $2,500 under Settlement 2, or a share of the settlement fund. Under Settlement 1, those whose social security numbers were exposed may receive five times more than claimants without such exposure. How to claim The report highlights that the claims must be submitted online or by post no later than 18 November 2025. Customers may file for both settlements, but separate claims are required. Proof of being affected, along with evidence of any financial losses, must be provided. A final court hearing is scheduled for 3 December 2025, with payments expected to begin in early 2026. The District of Columbia has launched a legal battle against the Donald Trump administration, seeking to block what city officials describe as an unlawful and dangerous federal takeover of its police force. The lawsuit, filed on Friday by Washington DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb, accuses President Donald Trump of overstepping his constitutional authority and jeopardising public safety. The hearing in DC federal court has begun with Judge Ana C. Reyes, a Biden appointee, presiding the emergency hearing on the citys suit. Why is Washington taking the Trump administration to court? At the heart of the dispute is President Trumps decision to invoke rarely used emergency powers to place the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under direct federal control. The move, announced earlier this week, also authorised the deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops to the US capital. The White House insists the intervention is necessary to address what it calls a crime emergency, despite official Justice Department statistics showing crime rates have been falling. Trumps order strips DCs police chief of her operational authority, appointing Drug Enforcement Administration head Terrence Cole as emergency police commissioner with sweeping powers. In her directive, US Attorney General Pam Bondi also revoked city policies limiting police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and instructed officers to fully enforce laws against blocking streets and occupying public spaces. What does the lawsuit claim? Filed in Washington federal court, the citys complaint argues that the Home Rule Act of 1973, which grants DC its limited self-governing powers, does not authorise the president to seize direct control of the police force. Instead, it allows the president to request police assistance from the mayor under special emergency conditions a significantly narrower power. Attorney General Schwalbs filing warns that the federal order would upend the command structure of the MPD, sow chaos among more than 3,100 officers, and endanger both the public and law enforcement officers. Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela A. Smith, in a sworn statement, said her department was given no advance notice of the presidents plans. Calling Bondis directive the most dangerous government action she had witnessed in nearly three decades, Smith warned it posed a greater threat to law and order than the problems it claimed to solve. Also Read | National Guard takes control of Washington DC - What we know so far How has the federal government defended its actions? White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said the administration has the lawful authority to act, citing failed leadership in the city and the need to restore public safety. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro reinforced the administrations focus on tackling violent crime, particularly offences involving young offenders, describing them as gangs and crews who think they can beat the hell out of anyone. What is at stake politically? Washington DCs unique status neither a state nor a typical municipality has long left it vulnerable to federal intervention. Under the Home Rule Act, Congress retains ultimate oversight, and the president controls the citys National Guard. While takeovers of local policing are permitted for up to 30 days during an emergency, they require congressional approval to be extended. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a long-time advocate for DC statehood, condemned the move but stopped short of escalating tensions with the White House. Schwalb, however, took a more combative tone, calling Trumps intervention unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful. Dubai's iconic Burj Khalifa was illuminated in the colours of the Indian flag on Monday, August 15, as part of the celebrations marking the 79th anniversary of India's Independence. At precisely 7:50pm, the tricolour lit up the world's tallest building, drawing large crowds who gathered to witness the patriotic display. A video capturing the moment showed the Indian flag cascading down the length of the skyscrapers facade, a sight that drew cheers from the crowd. Also Read | Putin says Trump meeting may happen next week in UAE The annual tradition of projecting the Indian tricolour onto the Burj Khalifa has become a symbolic gesture of friendship between India and the United Arab Emirates. This years display was no exception, serving as a poignant reminder of Indias journey since gaining independence in 1947. Earlier in the day, a flag-hoisting ceremony was held at the Indian Consulate in Dubai. During the event, the Consul General praised Indias progress across key sectors. He highlighted significant strides in governance, the development of robust digital public infrastructure, and advancements in space exploration. The Consul General also acknowledged the increasing empowerment of women across the country and Indias growing self-reliance in the defence sector, noting these achievements as central to the nations vision for the future. The Canary Island of Tenerife is sick of the towers of stones that tourists are building along its Jardin and El Beril beaches. They may give the coastline an original and not unattractive twist but environmentalists are far from pleased as shifting the stones from their natural habitat is threatening the islands flora and fauna. In a bid to reverse the effects, a group of volunteers was due to set about returning them to their rightful place and the beach back to its original state this past weekend. This trend is not peculiar to the Canary Islands, but these two Tenerife beaches hold the record in Europe for these ephemeral sculptures This trend is not peculiar to the Canary Islands, but these two Tenerife beaches hold the record in Europe for these ephemeral sculptures with a 200-meter-long stretch of towers, 15 meters-wide along the promenades. Although there are places all along the Spanish coastline where tourists and locals alike attempt to leave their mark, lawyer Jaime Coello, director of the Telesforo Bravo Juan Coello Foundation that has just organized the removal of the stones in collaboration with the Puerto de la Cruz and Cabildo councils, maintains you have to go to Hawaii, Aruba or the Reunion island to see anything quite on the scale of Tenerife. These mounds, which were used in the past for crowning graves, have been present in the spiritual traditions of various cultures all over the world for centuries, from Scottish cairns, indicating the location of a grave, to the Zen tradition in which a person is symbolized by the tower and their experiences in life by the stones. But in 1987, the Harmonic Convergence a synchronized meditation event coordinated from West Coast America triggered a trend for erecting the stone towers, and soon people everywhere were doing it, often simply to see how many stones they could get to balance on top of one another. The effects of these towers on the environment are various. According to Matias Fonte, the dean of the Official School of Biologists in the Canary Islands, there is the deterioration of the landscape, with the extent of the impact dependent on the height of the tower the higher the tower, the more shadow it produces and the more pressure it exerts on the ground. Below each stone, there is a vertebrate and invertebrate ecosystem of bacteria, lichens and fungus But, above all, the towers affect the habitats of animals and plants; below each stone, there is a vertebrate and invertebrate ecosystem of bacteria, lichens and fungus that are disturbed when they are lifted up. Ground snails, limpets and crabs are most at risk along with seaweed and lichen, according to Fonte. There is also a geological impact. Moving the stones artificially removes information about the land on which they lie because the rocks act like books in which we can read the story of the Earth, says Ramon Casillas, professor of Geochemistry and Petrology at the University of La Laguna. Man has to leave his footprint wherever he goes, he complains. Confronted with these man-made edifices at Playa Jardin is eerie a bit like walking through hundreds of crosses in a cemetery. Tourists stop to consider the sight, among them Henrik, 19, who has his camera out. This is a special place because of the contrast between the man-made piles of stones and the backdrop of the sea, he says. He goes on to describe the scene as art and says he will probably build his own tower. At El Beril beach in Adeje, on the other side of the island, a 34-year-old called Wilson is in full creative mode and manages to build a tower just over a meter high. People come everyday to make towers, he says as he shows off four others he has built along with a sand sculpture of the Teide volcano with a giant lizard at its foot, which earns him coins from passing tourists. Dismantling the towers The work of the volunteers this Saturday on Playa Jardin was due to consist of returning the stones to their rightful places gently, without kicking any over, according to Coello, to avoid affecting the flora and fauna and the stones themselves. Once the work is completed along this coastline, the idea is to continue on El Beril in collaboration with the Adeje council. In order to stop people building more towers on both beaches, the foundation is asking local businesses to put up posters informing visitors that the practice is against Spanish law. For the past 10 years, the internet and social media have acted as a promotional tool for the towers. On Google Maps, these areas are indicated as an attraction to visit and there are Instagram accounts that encourage people to go to them to make wishes and take photos, Coello explains. Coello adds that the towers have nothing to do with the customs of the islands themselves. The tourists dont realize it when they see the towers, they think it is a local tradition and they imitate it, he says. English version by Heather Galloway. Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to wear saffron turban on the occasion of 79th Independence Day. Delivering the Independence Day speech from the historic ramparts of the Red Fort in traditional headgear for his 12th consecutive address, PM Modi paired it with white kurta, churidar and a saffron bandhgala jacket. A tricolour stole was the highlight of the attire. Known for his distinctive style and sartorial choices, PM Modi's attire represents ethnic diversity and patriotism. My beloved citizens of India, this festival of independence is a festival of 140 crore resolutions. It is a moment of collective achievements, filled with pride and joy. The nation is continuously strengthening the spirit of unity. Today, 140 crore citizens are immersed in the colours of the Tiranga, PM Modi said while addressing the nation. Also Read | GST reforms to Sudarshan Chakra Mission 5 top announcements by PM Modi Last year, PM Modi honoured India's rich cultural tapestry and wore a vibrant Rajasthani leheriya turban that fluttered in hues of orange, yellow and green. Viksit Bharat vision Before heading to the Red Fort, PM Modi greeted the nation through a social media post on X. Urging the citizens to work harder to build a developed Bharat, he wrote, Wishing everyone a very happy Independence Day. May this day inspire us to keep working even harder to realise the dreams of our freedom fighters and build a Viksit Bharat. Jai Hind. Independence Day theme This year's Independence Day theme is Naya Bharat underscoring the government's vision of achieving 'Viksit Bharat' goal by 2047. Prime Minister hoisted the national flag with Flying Officer Rashika Sharma's assistance as flower petals were showered from two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force. While one swayed the national flag, the other carried 'Operation Sindoor' flag. President Donald Trump 's face-to-face high-stakes summit with President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday could determine the fate of European security as well as the trajectory of the war in Ukraine. The exclusion of President Volodymyr Zelensky already deals a heavy blow to the Wests policy of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. Speculation has intensified over which territories Russian President Vladimir Putin may seek to retain and which, if any, he might be willing to relinquish. Reports suggest a proposal was quietly presented to US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting in Moscow, involving a Ukrainian withdrawal from the remaining parts of Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for a ceasefire. Is Donetsk at the centre of the latest proposal? The Donetsk and Luhansk regions, collectively known as the Donbas, have been the focal point of Russian ambitions since 2014. Under the reported plan, Kyiv would concede the remaining territory in Donetsk still under Ukrainian control. However, recent developments on the ground have complicated the picture. In the past week, Russian forces have made advances to the northeast of Dobropilia, prompting concern that the areas under discussion are already shifting. While Ukrainian officials have described these movements as minor infiltrations, other local sources warn that months of sustained Russian pressure have exposed weaknesses along the front. Reinforcements have since been dispatched to the region. What about Kherson and Zaporizhzhia? Beyond the Donbas, questions remain over Russias intentions for Kherson and Zaporizhzhia two regions partially occupied since the 2022 invasion. Moscow currently controls around two-thirds of each, but Zaporizhzhia city and large swathes of Kherson remain in Ukrainian hands. Would Putin agree to withdraw from these Ukrainian-held areas? There is no clear answer. For Kyiv, ceding such territory would mean surrendering significant population centres and industrial hubs, effectively handing Russia a stronger platform for future offensives. President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly warned that giving up land would only embolden Moscow, citing the annexation of Crimea in 2014 as a precedent for further aggression. Has Putin scaled back his war aims? Some observers interpreted the Moscow meeting as a sign that Putin might be willing to compromise. Yet the Kremlins stance appears unchanged. Russias constitution now includes all four partially occupied Ukrainian regions Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia as part of its territory, underscoring Moscows maximalist goals. Even if Donetsk were the only immediate demand, the political and logistical implications for Kyiv would be severe. Tens of thousands of civilians and troops would have to leave, many of whom might refuse. Conducting such an evacuation during active Russian advances would be near-impossible. Could there be a territorial swap? In theory, Moscow could offer to relinquish other occupied areas in exchange. But in practice, options are limited. Russian forces hold only small strips of land along the northern border near Sumy and Kharkiv areas the Kremlin labels as buffer zones from its recent, largely unsuccessful incursions. As Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to dominate headlines during high-stakes global summits, many have wondered: does he speak English? According to reports from the Daily Express, the answer is yes but with important caveats. Can Putin Speak English? Vladimir Putin is said to have a strong command of the English language and is considered fluent by those familiar with his capabilities. However, he is rarely heard speaking English in public or during official engagements. Instead, the Russian leader almost always opts to communicate through a translator during formal interviews and negotiations with other world leaders. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has previously clarified Putins use of language in diplomatic settings. In free discourse, at the sidelines of summits, he often speaks in English by himself, Peskov told reporters. But during negotiations and when he is conducting an official meeting, of course he communicates through a translator. However, he practically understands English completely and sometimes even corrects the translators. Why Does Putin Not Speak English? This preference, experts suggest, is less about capability and more about confidence and precision. Putin is believed to feel more comfortable expressing complex political ideas in his native Russian, where he can be more nuanced and exact in his wording. What Other Languages is Putin fluent in? In addition to Russian and English, Putin is also fluent in German. He learned the language during his time as a KGB officer stationed in East Germany in the 1980s, and has often used it in diplomatic exchanges most notably in conversations with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Also Read | Watch: Trump struggles to walk straight on red carpet to meet Putin Trump-Putin Alaska Meet Highlights: US President Donald Trump met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a high-risk, high-stakes conference in Alaska that could not reach the deal. Stay tuned for Trump-Putin Alaska Meet LIVE Updates. The US President landed in Anchorage at around 11 am local time. Minutes later, Russian President also landed. The two leaders exchanged a warm handshake and boarded the same car before heading for the bilateral meeting. Trump has called the summit a feel-out meeting to assess Putin, whom he met for the first time since he took office for the second time as the US President. Ukraine, which is probably the most impacted country in the high-stakes meeting, was not invited for the talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has publicly refused pressure from Trump to surrender territory seized by Russia, closely tracked the Trump-Putin talks at Alaska along with other European leaders. Zelensky has repeatedly rejected any territorial concessions to Russia, while Moscow insists any peace deal must involve Ukraine's withdrawal from the country's newly incorporated regions. The mother of tech entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon and Blue Origin, has died aged 78. Jacklyn Jackie Bezos passed away peacefully at her home in Miami on August 14. The news was announced by her charitable organisation, the Bezos Family Foundation, in a statement on the same day. "Jackie died peacefully in her Miami home on August 14th, at the age of 78," read a tribute on the foundations website. "A quiet final chapter to a life that taught all of us, friends and family alike, the true meaning of grit and determination, kindness, and service to others." Battle with Lewy body dementia According to the statement, Jackie had been living with Lewy body dementia a brain condition for five years, following her diagnosis in 2020. Jeff Bezos pens emotional post for mother Jackie Bezos penned an emotional note for his mother on Instagram: "Her adulthood started a little bit early when she became my mom at the tender age of 17, the 61-year-old billionaire said. That couldnt have been easy, but she made it all work. She pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity, brought my amazing dad onto the team a few years later, and then added my sister and brother to her list of people to love, guard, and nourish. "For the rest of her life, that list of people to love never stopped growing. She always gave so much more than she ever asked for. After a long fight with Lewy Body Dementia, she passed away today, surrounded by so many of us who lover her -- her kids, grandkids, and my dad. I know she felt our love in those final moments. We were all so lucky to be in her life. I hold her safe in my heart forever," Jeff Bezos said. Here's everything you need to know about Jackie Born on December 29, 1946 in Washington, DC, Jackies life was defined by perseverance, compassion, and a commitment to service. She became a mother to her first child, Jeffrey, at a young age, raising him alone in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While working at a bank during the day, she attended college classes at night. It was during this period that she met Miguel Mike Bezos, a Cuban immigrant who became her husband and life partner for nearly 60 years. A Welcoming Home Jackie and Mike raised three children Jeff, Christina, and Mark in a household that doubled as a community hub. Friends and neighbours often visited, drawn by Jackies warmth, advice, and open-hearted hospitality. Many recalled her unique gift for making everyone feel like family. Champion of Lifelong Learning At the age of 45, Jackie returned to education, graduating with high honours in psychology from Saint Elizabeth University. Her belief in continuous learning shaped her work with the Bezos Family Foundation, launched in 2000 alongside her husband and children. Philanthropy and Lasting Impact Under her leadership, the foundation developed initiatives such as Vroom, which translates brain science into practical parenting tools, and the Bezos Scholars Program, which supports young leaders in the U.S. and Africa. Jackies vision was rooted in the belief that together, we can change the trajectory of an entire generation. Her philanthropic reach also extended to healthcare, particularly in funding advanced cancer immunotherapy research at Seattles Fred Hutch Cancer Center. On the eve of his Friday summit with Vladimir Putin, United States President Donald Trump said he believes the Russian President is ready to end the war in Ukraine, but added that achieving peace would likely require a second meeting that includes Ukraines President Zelensky. Russia launched a military campaign in Ukraine in February of 2022 and if Putin and Zelensky meet to talk ceasefire, it would be the first time since the Ukraine war started. While Donald Trump said he was hopeful about the Ukraine war reaching its end ahead of his talks with Putin in Alaska, he downplayed immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his European allies have intensified their efforts this week to prevent any deal between the US and Russia emerging from Friday's summit in Alaska that leaves Ukraine vulnerable to future attack. I think President Putin will make peace, I think President Zelensky will make peace. We'll see if they get along, Donald Trump said. Speculating involvement of more European leaders, Donald Trump said, I think it's going to be a good meeting, but the more important meeting will be the second meeting that we're having. We're going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskiy, myself, and maybe we'll bring some of the European leaders along. Maybe not. I don't know that. Trump-Putin meeting Trump and Vladimir Putin are set to have their first meeting since 2021 during their Alaska summit on Friday, which could discuss ways to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. "It is probably obvious to everyone that the central topic will be the resolution of the Ukraine crisis," according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. He added, Of course, broader issues of ensuring peace and security, as well as pressing international and regional issues, will also be addressed. Ushakov further mentioned the discussion is scheduled to begin at 11:30 am (1930 GMT) and will be conducted "one-on-one" between Putin and Trump, with only presence of their interpreters. "This will be followed by negotiations between the delegations, which will continue over a working breakfast," Ushakov said. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Donald Trump will hold "one-on-one" talks when they meet for their landmark summit in Alaska on Friday, the Kremlin said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who met UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Thursday, is not scheduled to take part. Here's all you need to know about Putin-Trump's much-awaited meeting: When and where will the meeting take place? The meeting is set to take place at a US air base outside of Anchorage in Alaska. The Kremlin said the talks were due to start at 11:30 am (1930 GMT) Friday. Putin and Trump will later give a joint press conference following their meeting, during which they will "summarise the results of the negotiations". It marks Putin's first trip to a Western country since his February 2022 assault on Ukraine. What's on agenda? The Putin-Trump summit aims at settling the Ukraine conflict. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said it was probably obvious to everyone that the central topic will be the resolution of the Ukraine crisis. Also Read | How Trump can win at the Alaska summit However, a stepped-up Russian offensive and Zelensky's exclusion from Friday's Alaska meeting have heightened fears in Europe that Trump and Putin could strike a deal that forces painful concessions on Ukraine. Broader issues around peace and security would also be discussed (international security). "Sensitive matters will be discussed at Putin-Trump summit," Kremlin said. What will Trump offer? US President Donald Trump urged Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to accept a peace deal or face "very severe consequences". In an interview with Fox News, a White House official said Trump has plenty of tools to use if necessary, and that he wants to exhaust all options to have peaceful end to war. Trump had initially said there would be some "land swapping going on", but appeared to have walked that back after speaking with European leaders on Wednesday. Trump suggested there might be a second meeting involving both Zelensky and Putin if the first was successful. Trump-Putin meeting: President Donald Trump declared that he will not negotiate on behalf of Ukraine in what he calls a HIGH STAKES meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and would let Kyiv decide whether to engage in territorial swaps with Russia. "They'll be discussed, but I've got to let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they'll make a proper decision. But I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to get them at a table," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, heading for Alaska's Anchorage. Trump had initially said there would be some "land swapping going on", but appeared to have walked that back after speaking with European leaders on Wednesday. Trump-Putin meeting The meeting is set to take place at a US air base outside of Anchorage in Alaska. What is the time of the meeting? Going by the original schedule shared by the White House, Donald Trump and Putin are due to start discussions around 11:00 local time in Alaska, which is 12:30 am, Saturday, IST. Trump is then scheduled to leave Alaska at around 17:45 local time and head back to Washington DC. The Kremlin has said the two world leaders will first sit down for a one-on-one discussion, followed by the two delegations meeting and talks continuing over "a working breakfast." They are then expected to hold a joint press conference What's on the agenda? Ahead of the meeting, Donald Trump took to his Truth Social and posted HIGH STAKES seemingly referring to his upcoming meeting with Putin. The meeting could determine not only the trajectory Russia- Ukraine war but also the fate of European security, news agency AP said. The one-on-one talks aim at settling the Ukraine conflict. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said it was probably obvious to everyone that the central topic will be the resolution of the Ukraine crisis. Broader issues around peace and security would also be discussed (international security). "Sensitive matters will be discussed at Putin-Trump summit," Kremlin said. US President Donald Trump is all set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military base in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday for a high-stakes summit. The meeting could determine not only the trajectory Russia- Ukraine war but also the fate of European security, news agency AP said. The sit-down offers President Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker, the news agency said. It said that for Putin, a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to negotiate a deal that would cement Russias gains, block Kyivs bid to join the NATO military alliance, and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscows orbit. The venue for the high-profile meeting is Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a US military installation on the northern edge of Alaskas most populous city- Anchorage. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is Alaskas largest military base. The 64,000-acre outfit is a key US site for Arctic military drills and readiness. But why Alaska for Trump-Putin meeting? Here are the key reasons for the choice of the location of the high-stakes meeting between the two glogal leaders: 1- Geographic Symbolism The Frontier State, Alaska, is geographically the closest point between the US and Russia, divided by the Bering Strait and resting just 55 miles away from the European country. Alaska, which was a Russian colony for more than 65 years. Also, Alaska has been the site of both cooperation and conflict between the two nations beginning, in part, with the purchase of the 49th state from the Russian empire. Also Read | How Trump can win at the Alaska summit The symbolism of Alaska would be a reminder of how it was possible for the United States and Russia for most of the 19th century to transcend their ideological and political differences and their expansionisms, to have warm, friendly cooperative relations, David S Foglesong, a history professor at Rutgers University - New Brunswick, told Time Magazine. 2- Legal Shield for Putin Vladimir Putin is barred from entering the 125 countries that are parties to the Rome Statute due to an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued against him for war crimes. The US, however, doesn't recognise ICC jurisdiction, which means a summit in Alaska provides legal shield to Putin. No other country wants them to have this meeting on their territory, Lee Farrow, professor and chair of Auburn University at Montgomerys history and world culture department was quoted as saying in Time Magazine. It will be easier to manage strategically from a safety standpoint, and Putin doesn't have to be worried about getting arrested by some kind of international court, says Farrow who is the author of Seward's Folly: A New Look at the Alaska Purchase. 3- First line of defence Alaska also played a significant role during the World Wars, delivering thousands of aircrafts to the then-Soviet Union in World War II on ferries that traveled through the Bering Strait. The summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson will provide exceptional security and privacy. The base has Cold War roots and remains critical to US Northern defence infrastructure. Also Read | Spooked by Trump tariffs, MSMEs seek swift rollout of export intelligence portal Symbolically, Alaska later became the first line of defence at the end of the Cold War, Brandon Boylan, a professor of political science and director of Arctic and northern studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks told Time Magazine. 4- Interests in the Arctic Circle Alaska and Russia share overlapping interests in the Arctic Circle. Both nations participate in the Arctic Councilthough some of their work has been temporarily paused due to Russias invasionand maintain a history of scientific collaboration, according to reports. Alaskas proximity to Russia also gives it strategic significance for Arctic energy resources, shipping routes, and climate research, factors that could shape the Trump-Putin talks around access to critical minerals and energy suppliesresources that Ukraines conflict has made increasingly pivotal for global markets. 5- Alaska as a former Russian colony Political tensions between Russia and the US have worsened in recent decades. But relations were historically much friendlier, even before the purchase of Alaska, which was a Russian colony for more than 65 years. Where is Alaska? Alaska is non-contiguous US state in the far northwest of North America. It is part of the United States but not connected to the rest of the country. Alaska is the largest US state by area and considered to be the northernmost, westernmost, and easternmost state in the United States. The symbolism of Alaska would be a reminder of how it was possible for the United States and Russia for most of the 19th century to transcend their ideological and political differences. Reading breathless claims that technology will free us from death, we may wonder at the refusal to face the fundamental fact of the human condition: Mortals are mortal. Leo Tolstoy, whose descriptions of dying remain unequaled, never ceased to ponder how we might find meaning in the face of our inevitable end. Long before Tolstoy experienced the psychological crisis that led to his decades-long effort to rethink Christianity, he was concerned with spiritual questions. Anyone who has read his two great novels, War and Peace" and Anna Karenina," will recall how their heroes wrestle with the same questions that beset the author: Is there something beyond the material world? Does death, which turns our efforts to dust, make life absurd? In August 1869, at 40, Tolstoy traveled to view an estate he might buy. At the inn where he stayed the night, he wrote to his wife, something extraordinary happened to me. It was two oclock in the morning, I was terribly tired . . . and I felt perfectly well. But suddenly I was overcome by despair, fear and terror, the like of which I have never experienced before." Konstantin Levin, the co-protagonist of Anna Karenina," experiences this despair. Like Tolstoy, he was happily married and enjoyed running his prosperous estate. Yet he was nevertheless unaccountably stricken with horror" at life without any knowledge of whence, and why and how and what it was." Having accepted the scientific worldview in place of religious faith, he turned to it for answers, only to realize it couldnt address questions of meaning. Its ideas were very useful for intellectual purposes. But for life they yielded nothing, and Levin felt suddenly like a man who has changed his fur cloak for a thin muslin garment, and, going for the first time into the frost, is immediately convinced, not by reason, but by his whole nature that he is as good as naked, and that he must inevitably perish miserably." Like Tolstoy, Levin told himself he must answer his questions or die: Without knowing what I am and why I am here, lifes impossible." He was so tempted to kill himself that he hid a rope, so that he might not be tempted to hang himself, and was afraid to go out [hunting] with his gun, for fear of shooting himself." Yet Levin also wondered why, when he didnt focus on the questions that drove him to despair but simply lived, it seemed as though he knew both what he was and why he was living, for he acted resolutely." He took care of his family, interested himself in the welfare of his peasant employees, and managed his sisters property, not because of some general principles" but because these actions were incontestably necessary." It was as impossible not to care for those dependent on him as to fling down a child one is carrying in his arms." Tolstoy wanted readers to ask, as he asked himself: What would you think of someone who needed some general principle" to decide whether to fling down a child in ones arms? Levins problem is that he assumes, as intellectuals often do, that truth is a matter of theory that one applies to particular circumstances. That is how mathematics works, but questions of meaning and ethics are different. They require unformalizable wisdom, which arises from sensitive reflection about specific cases, and demand we trust our experience with particulars. Theory, rightly understood, is simply a set of tentative generalizations from practice. This insight dawns on Levin when he asks a peasant why he doesnt rent a certain plot of land, as another man does. The peasant replies that you can make the land pay only if you squeeze the life out of workers, which is wrong because you must live for your soul and for God. As if struck by an electric shock," Levin realizes that our fundamental knowledge of right and wrong isnt derived from theory but is simply given." I and all men have one firm, incontestable knowledge, and that knowledge cannot be explained by reasonit is outside it, and has no causes and can have no effects." In saying goodness has no causes, Levin means that why we have come to think certain things are goodsay, the way some evolutionary biologists explain altruism as good for group survivalis a different question. What is good is good regardless of why were able to think so. By the same token, effects" are beside the point because to do something good to be rewarded, in this life or the next, would simply be an economic bargain, like saving for retirement. Though goodness cant be explained by cause and effect, Levin thinks, we all know it. I watched for miracles, complained that I did not see a miracle that would convince me. And here is a miracle . . . continually existing, surrounding me on all sides, and I never noticed it!" Levin reaches the beginning of faith and is ready to take further steps. He realizes that in his quest for a theory, he had been looking in the wrong place. One directly senses the meaning of existence by living rightly. It isnt a proposition or philosophy that can be taught. All one can do is indicate the sort of thing meaning is by showing how someone found itexactly what Tolstoys great novels do. Mr. Morson is a professor of Slavic languages and literatures at Northwestern University. The eyes of the world especially those of Ukraine and Europe will be fixed this Friday on the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, to be held at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base, on the outskirts of Anchorage, on Alaskas coast. The White House, eager to lower expectations, has described the meeting as a mere introductory contact, with decisions to be left for later, possibly at a future summit between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. But European governments and Kyiv, absent from the tete-a-tete, are holding their breath. The fear is that, despite promises from Washington, Putin will end up bringing Trump over to his side that the talk will not remain a simple exchange of views, but will lay the groundwork for a grim future for Ukraine, without Ukraine. The unease has been strengthened by the Kremlins statements and by Russian advances on the front lines in the run-up to the meeting. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson has stressed that Moscow is not willing to budge: it demands the withdrawal from all Ukrainian provinces it claims as its own even those under Kyivs control as well as a definitive blockade of Ukraines entry into NATO, and the lifting of Western sanctions on Russia. Trump, meanwhile, continues to argue that the real negotiation will take place if this Fridays contacts are successful at the possible meeting between Putin and Zelenskiy. After warning the Russian leader of severe consequences if no progress is detected in the talks, the U.S. president has even hinted at the possibility of extending the Alaska meeting to include the Ukrainian leader. Depending on what happens with my meeting, Im going to be calling up President Zelensky, and lets get him over to wherever were going to meet, Trump told Fox News Radio. But he also made clear that such a meeting would address territorial division: I dont want to use the word divvy things up, but you know, to a certain extent, its not a bad term. In that case, according to the Republican, it would be Putin and Zelenskiy who would have to negotiate the terms of a peace agreement. But he has insisted that sealing a deal will have to involve the division of territories. There will be a give and take as to boundaries, lands, etc., etc., Trump told Fox. The second meeting is going to be very, very important. The U.S. president has also acknowledged the possibility that Fridays summit in Alaska could end in nothing, putting the odds at 25%. Preparations for the meeting continue at the military base and in Anchorage. Alaskas largest city home to 290,000 people in the least densely populated U.S. state currently in the middle of tourist season and with hotels packed, could not have imagined a week ago that its name might end up in the history books linked to the future of the war in Ukraine. The two leaders are scheduled to arrive in Alaska in mid-morning, local time, and take part in a welcome ceremony before starting their summit at 11:30 a.m. (3:30 p.m. in Washington). They will first speak privately, accompanied only by their interpreters, before bringing in their respective teams. After the talks, Trump is expected to give a press conference, although it is unclear whether Putin will also take part. The very fact that the meeting is being held and where is already a win for Putin. The photo of the two leaders together will mark the end of nearly four years of international isolation for the Russian president, even though he has yet to agree to the ceasefire demanded as a precondition. The meeting is taking place on U.S. soil, which apart from visits to the United Nations in New York Putin has not set foot on since 2007, when George W. Bush invited him to an informal meeting at his private summer residence in Kennebunkport, Massachusetts. Alaska, moreover, is not just any territory: Moscow sold it to Washington in 1867 for $7.2 million. The symbolism does not end there: it is the U.S. state farthest from Europe with the exception of Hawaii. The mere holding of this meeting is already beneficial for Russia, and it does nothing for Ukraine, said Olga Tohariuk, from the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). Putin feels legitimized without making any concessions in return. Ukraine is under pressure to make concessions even before any negotiations can begin in Alaska. Land swaps Since the announcement of the Alaska summit, the Republican has given no details about the alleged land swap between the two warring countries, beyond assuring that it would be for the good of Ukraine. But Putin wants the entirety of the four provinces Russia has partially occupied since February 2022, when he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. His troops completely control the province of Luhansk, about 70% of Donetsk, and roughly half of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Zelenskiy firmly rejects any territorial concessions and points out that he has no authority to grant them: the Ukrainian Constitution stipulates that such a step would have to be approved in a referendum, which would almost certainly fail. While the vast majority of the Ukrainian population exhausted and bled dry supports a ceasefire and an end to the war, it also rejects handing over to its aggressor territories whose defense has cost tens of thousands of lives and immense resources. Voluntarily giving up the cities of this industrial and mineral-rich area would also open the door to another invasion in the future: between Russian troops and Kyiv, there would be nothing but a vast plain. This would be disastrous if, moreover as Putin intends the territorial cession came without security guarantees. In Anchorage, Putin will have to make some concession, reasons Jana Kobzova, co-director of the European Defence Centre at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). Otherwise, he risks provoking the wrath of the volatile Trump and having him finally impose the sanctions and tariffs he has been threatening for months but has never actually enforced. The Russian leader, she explains, will have to respond in some way to Trumps desire to be the architect of peace between Russia and Ukraine. But at the same time, he currently has the advantage on the battlefield, so if things dont go his way diplomatically, he can escalate the fighting. The most favorable outcome for Russia, in this experts opinion, could be the neutralization of the U.S. in the conflict: that Washington step aside in peace negotiations and stop sending weapons to Kyiv. To achieve this, Putin could offer in Anchorage some of the carrots he knows Trump likes most: trade agreements, joint energy exploitation, or even cooperation over resources in the Arctic a region of particular interest to a U.S. president who remains intent on gaining control of Greenland. On the eve of the meeting, the Kremlin alluded to the possibility of negotiations on nuclear arms control. The best possible outcome for Ukraine, according to Tokariuk, would be for there to be no agreement between Putin and Trump in Alaska. That no pressure be put on Kyiv to cede territory. An even better result would be for Trump to announce sanctions against Russia, but so far these threats have never materialized, she continues. Europe is crossing its fingers after a week of high-level diplomacy to persuade Trump of the need to support Ukraine. The allies, who met with Trump via videoconference on Wednesday, would prefer genuine peace talks that also include Ukraine. In any case, the U.S. president needs to announce some sort of outcome from a meeting in which much of his diplomatic capital is at stake and his great ambition: that Nobel Peace Prize for which the White House is increasingly campaigning. Trump has based his presidency on constant activity to demonstrate power, says Jim OBrien from the ECFR. He needs Alaska to produce headlines, and a promise that this will continue on the path toward peace. The how and the what matter far less to him than to Putin, Kyiv, and the Europeans. Trump is playing at being the man of action. Putin, the empire builder, concludes Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition According to US President Donald Trump, the rise of Intels CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, is an amazing story." Thats as much payoff as Tan can expect from his emergency meeting with Trump, who last week had demanded he resign, immediately" because he was highly CONFLICTED." We dont know if Intel will be able to convince the administration to view its CEO with less disfavour. Some in Washington are concerned about Malaysian-born Tans long history of supporting and investing in the Chinese tech sector. And questions about how Intel intends to live up to government controls on the export of high-end technology under his leadership are, given this history, not unreasonable. Also Read: Rajrishi Singhal: Look East to grasp why Trump is ghosting India Nevertheless, its a problematic precedent. That should worry Silicon Valleys powerful Indian diaspora in particular. Take a step back and ask yourself: Is there anything inherently questionable about a tech firm appointing a CEO with an eye for innovative and effective startups? At his venture capital firm Walden International, Tan invested in more than 100 Chinese companies, including an early bet on Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. Normally, this would be a count in his favour. The problem is a fear, both in Washington and in Silicon Valley, that the US and Chinese tech ecosystems are not complements but rivals. This wasnt the case in 2001, when Walden put money in SMIC. But its certainly the general feeling today. Indian tech leaders have managed to escape similar scrutiny precisely because the tech scene here is seen as providing low-end support to US industry, not high-value competition. But how long will that be true? And what happens if it changes? Also Read: Kaushik Basu: The real costs of Trumps economic agenda are staggering New Delhi is not happy being a supporting player in the AI revolution. The country has begun to stockpile chipscompute capacity has passed 34,000 GPUs in May, according to government officialsand has already selected national champions it intends to support. Given the relative dynamism of Indias startups, its tech sector will at some point produce a few success stories that challenge the dominance of US companies. Thats good news for Indians. But it might make things more difficult for Indian-Americans in Silicon Valley. Across America Inc, but particularly in Big Tech, people of Indian descent have been disproportionately successful as leaders, more so perhaps than their colleagues of Chinese heritage. Think of Alphabets CEO Sundar Pichai, Microsofts Satya Nadella, Adobes Shantanu Narayen and IBMs Arvind Krishna, for example. As Intels troubles following its choice of Tan demonstrate, this might partly be because their home nation is not considered a strategic competitor to the US. That image is slowly changing in the Trump era. Indians in Silicon Valley have already discovered that things are a bit harder now. H1-B visas, for example, are a political hot-button issue, and provided the first wedge in the relationship between Trump and Elon Musk. Trump has already made it clear that he doesnt want his backing of Big Tech to mean any jobs for Indians: Many of our largest tech companies have reaped the blessings of American freedom while building their factories in China, hiring workers in India and stashing profits in Ireland," he said at a tech summit last month, adding: Under President Trump, those days are over." Also Read: Indias AI boom could exceed Satya Nadellas expectations So far, corporate leaders have not had to answer any questions about their distance from the sector back home. But the political environment will get more difficult to navigate as Indias tech companies achieve greater autonomy and efficiency, and the Trump administration reworks policy. The 50% tariff rate that New Delhi has been threatened with reveals how the presidents mind works: He may not see Indias trajectory as fundamentally different from Chinas, and his mercantilist soul rebels at the thought of collaborating with a future rival. An age of economic nationalism and competitive industrial policy will always be tough on cosmopolitan minorities. Dual loyalty accusations gain no traction in an age of prosperous globalization, but have a long and dark history when populists seize power and turn back the clocks. The diaspora should not look at Tans attempts to win over Trump with satisfaction or superiority. They might be next. Nor should they assume that theyll always be able to avoid similar accusations. The only reason they havent faced them so far is that nobody thought their connections back home could ever be a problem. Heres the hard truth: Indias success will mean the end of Silicon Valleys Indian-American golden age. Bloomberg The author is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. When the world awoke on 15 August 1947, it found a new independent nation that held out hope for all colonially exploited countries, became an enduring inspiration for the democratic ideal and succeeded remarkably in uniting a diverse populationdivided by religion, caste and languageinto a coherent political union. Impoverished by colonial surplus extraction, the Indian landmass had been reduced from one of the richest places on earth to one of the poorest. Indias political leadership had to craft an economic policy informed by the nations capital scarcity, an abundance of untrained labour and widespread incidence of crushing poverty. Also Read: The story of our economy, as told by budgets since Independence Leading members of the private sector also advocatedthrough the Bombay Planthat the state bear the primary task of building the nations core economic structure, which could then become a durable platform for private sector entrepreneurship. The march of time has shown how the broad idea of India has held firm through famines, droughts, pandemics, global economic crises, wars waged by bitter neighbours and provocations by imperious superpowers, not to mention rifts within the country. Also Read: A star achievement of our 75 years of independence As India celebrates 78 years of independence, new challenges again cast a shadow on our doorstep. Democracy-deficient neighbours have drawn their scimitar to put a thousand cuts of terror back in oblique play to weaken the Indian republic. Our neighbour across the Himalayas, a rising force to reckon with, shows little patience for democratic methods and might try to dominate the Indo-Pacific. A reliable partner of the past, Russia, is a weakened power and our painstakingly forged friendship with the US is under threat from a reckless White House bent on wrecking global trade and old alliances. Suspicion of US motives has a long history. It hardened in the 1960s after the Lyndon Johnson administration reneged on its promise of aid after India devalued the rupee on its demand. It grew acute after Richard Nixon sent warships to the Bay of Bengal in 1971 to support a Pakistani generals unjust war. And now, President Donald Trump is not only feting Pakistans military leaders again, but also trying to browbeat India on trade with punitive tariffs. Also Read: Nitin Pai: The Indian economy can be shielded from Trumps tariffs We have been in tight spots before and emerged unscathed every time. New Delhis policy of strategic autonomy, a logical successor of non-alignment during the Cold War, has served the nation well. It is perhaps time to recalibrate this stance to consolidate the time-tested formula of even-handed relations and Panchsheelor five principles. In the 35 years since our economy was opened up, India has been a global exemplar of economic growth and poverty reduction. One of the reasons was the visible growth of a middle-class that spent and saved. External trade headwinds should push us to become more competitive, even as we reinforce our policy framework to fortify domestic growth. Two factors call for special attention. First, multitudes still need access to meaningful education, reliable healthcare and robust sources of income. Second, India Inc must be convinced to invest at home, not overseas, for which corporate investors need to be assured of their investments paying back. We must not allow all-round upward mobility to falter as a generator of growth. As Indias first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru said in his Tryst with Destiny speech, the future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving" In the course of his longest Independence Day address yet, lasting 103 minutes, Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced new programmes, reiterated the countrys commitment to self-reliance and advances aimed at making India a developed economy by 2047, felicitated the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on its centenary, and celebrated Operation Sindoornot only by referring to the punishment inflicted on Pakistan in retaliation to terrorist atrocities by its non-state actors on Indian soil, but also by choosing to dress himself in different shades of saffron. The Prime Minister made new promises to revamp Indias GST regime by Diwali, launch a 1 trillion programme aimed at creating jobs for Indian youth, install a protective shield for all vital installations in the country, get indigenously made semiconductor chips rolled out by year-end, achieve Indias target of clean power making up half its generation capacity ahead of time and develop nuclear energy with renewed vigour. Also Read: Indias success formula endures: Lets not falter at this stage All these matter. But equally important are some nuanced statements loaded with policy intent. For one, Modi said he would oppose any attempt to harm the interests of Indias farmers. In the context of US demands for lowering Indias import barriers on farm goods, including dairy products, this reiteration of support for farmers indicates that the government is determined to resist US pressure on this front. On the Indus Waters Treaty, while the PMs general tone of reference to Pakistan was bellicose, he said the pact would be assessed by how fairly it treats Indias own farmers. This fell short of a threat to annul the treaty thats currently held in abeyance, and appears to create space for negotiations with Islamabad on its provisions. Notably, the PM held up Indias diversity for praise, especially the countrys multiplicity of languages as a token of Indias cultural richness. This may signal an easing off of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Partys over-emphasis on Hindi as a binding force. Also Read: GN Bajpai: The Insure India 2047 plan may need a few tweaks to achieve its aim The PM laid much stress on research and development (R&D) and the aptitude of Indian youth to embrace new ideas. He called on Indias youth and private sector to forge ahead in new drug discovery, artificial intelligence and space technologies. The country cannot afford to gloss over the stark failure of Indian enterprises to spend money on R&D. As a country, we spend a shameful 0.64% of GDP on R&D, while the US and China spend around 3% and countries like South Korea and Israel spend around 5%. As of now, the bulk of Indian R&D spending comes from the public sector. This must change. While the PM said that India would launch deep-sea exploration for critical minerals and spoke of the need for homegrown capability in the electric vehicle ecosystem, he did not delve into what may have held the country back in this field. Perhaps the government should look at new incentives to promote R&D in the private sector, such as graded tax breaks for income generated from indigenous intellectual property. Also Read: Develop human resources for a Viksit Bharat by 2047 India today finds itself unable to raise its level of gross fixed capital formation sustainably above 30% of GDP, but faster economic growth needs an investment ratio closer to 40%or at least 35%even if we count on technology to raise the output generated by each additional unit of capital. The result of this slump has been that Indias aspirational growth rate is no longer double-digit. Right now, even the annual 8%-plus needed for our Viksit Bharat goal looks like a stretch. Meanwhile, rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) threaten to devour traditional office jobs. Apart from getting our economic policy framework right, the challenges we confront demand solid progress on quality school education, primary healthcare and law-and-order (with a special focus on the vulnerable). Transformations in these would help unleash the productive potential of the nation as a whole. India is on the move, no doubt. Unfortunately, what still eludes us is broad-based empowerment. Into that heaven of freedom," as Tagore put it, let my country awake." A golden era is about to dawn in the digital asset ecosystem. Freed from the shackles of the Securities and Exchange Commissions overly aggressive, enforcement-focused agenda, the crypto movement will bloom. Or so its most enthusiastic adherents, some placed within the federal government, believe. It seems as if every week, the SECs Division of Corporation Finance announces that another digital asset or activityincluding meme coins, proof-of-work mining activities, stablecoins, or protocol stakingshouldnt be considered a security. Under President Donald Trump, himself a crypto-enthusiast, the SEC has also dropped multiple cases against digital asset firms such as Coinbase Global and Token Metrics. But crypto fans may be counting their digital chickens before they hatch. The belief that anything goes" in the world of digital assets under Trumps SEC is probably an overblown hope, for several reasons. The federal court cases won by President Joe Bidens SEC chair, Gary Gensler, established that most digital assets are securitiesassets subject not only to SEC supervision but also to the federal rules governing the sale and offering of securities, including registration and antifraud provision. Those findings still stand. Granted, Genslers SEC didnt win every case it brought, and there were inconsistent decisions regarding whether digital assets are only considered subject to the securities laws in their initial distribution, as opposed to secondary market transactions. But a key holding of almost every case, such as those against Telegram, LBRY, and Terraform, was that digital assets are securitiesand thus subject to the oversight of the SEC. The new SEC commissioner, Paul Atkins, recently tried to downplay those findings. In a speech before the America First Policy Institute, he said that the agency would work to advance Trumps intent to make the U.S. a global powerhouse in crypto. Despite what the SEC has said in the past," he said, most crypto assets are not securities." But absent explicit legislation providing that digital assets arent securities, federal court decisions still have primacy over federal agency policy statements. The Supreme Court decided in the Loper Bright case last year that federal courts need not give deference to agency interpretations of statutes. So, although the SEC may no longer consider itself the cop on the beat when it comes to digital assets, the case law that was established while acting as such remains in effect. Even if the SEC were to abandon its oversight of crypto assets, state attorneys general and state securities bureaus have said they would assume that duty. A few weeks after the SEC announced it was dropping its enforcement action against Coinbase for allegedly selling unregistered securities, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield sued Coinbase, accusing it of selling Oregonians high-risk securities. Coinbase claimed in a countersuit that the state didnt inform it that it would start actively regulating cryptocurrencies as securities. Rayfields office said in its suit that states must fill the federal vacuum being left by federal regulators who are giving up under the new administration." New York state Attorney General Letitia James is also aggressively pursuing digital asset enterprises. In an April court decision, James successfully argued that certain digital asset transactions can qualify as securities under state law. State statutes and regulations often apply more broadly than federal law. So, even if federal law changes, state laws will fill the remaining gaps. Especially in todays highly politicized culture, state officials will seek to differentiate themselves from federal enforcers by taking an aggressive approach to digital assets. It doesnt appear as if state agenciesonce content to let federal authorities set the agendawill remain on the sidelines. Third, the fact that the SEC is no longer going to take an enforcement-first approach toward digital assets doesnt mean that SEC lawyersor at least former SEC lawyersshare that approach. I am a former SEC trial counsel. In talking with former colleagues over the past few months, I have learned something interesting. Many senior-level lawyers, some with decades of experience in courtrooms, are taking a path not many before them have trod. Traditionally, former SEC lawyers go either to large New York or Washington law firms, or in-house to a legacy bank or hedge fund (or, in my case, to a top-tier, midsize law firm). Now, for the first time in recent memory, many of my former SEC colleagues, including those from its now-disbanded crypto unit, are going to the plaintiffs bar. These are battle-hardened veterans of the courtroom who are experts in the application of securities laws to the digital asset space. They arent retiring from the battlejust joining a different army. Im sure others will join them over the next few months. As a result, digital asset enterprises are still at risk of litigation, from both state agencies and private law firms. This presents significant uncertainties, not to mention the possibility of additional costs for their projects. Those declaring victory prematurely should be aware that the war isnt ending. Its just moving to different battlefields. Howard Fischer is a partner at the New York law firm Moses Singer. He was previously a senior trial counsel at the SEC. Guest commentaries like this one are written by authors outside the Barrons newsroom. They reflect the perspective and opinions of the authors. Submit feedback and commentary pitches to ideas@barrons.com. (Bloomberg) -- Chicago is finally getting its crime problem under control, with murders dropping to a decade low, offering a rare piece of good news to Mayor Brandon Johnson. Voters though arent ready to get behind the beleaguered leader. The first-time mayor has an approval rating of just 26%, with 58% of respondents saying they dislike the way he is handling the job, according to a new poll by the University of Chicagos National Opinion Research Center and the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation. Johnsons high disapproval rating cuts across all races, ages, income levels and regions of the city, the poll showed. The results come even as Police Chief Larry Snelling has been made significant progress in reducing crime, repeatedly cited as a top concern for residents and businesses alike. Murders fell 32% to 188 in the first half of the year, the lowest in more than a decade. Johnsons office didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Johnson, a former union organizer who surprised pundits when he beat incumbent Lori Lightfoot in 2023, has struggled to gain support for the policies he ran on. He failed to enact a so-called mansion tax on sales of properties priced at or above $1 million and to gain support from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to implement a financial transaction tax. Hes so far also been unable to new find ways to raise revenue to close a more than $1 billion budget hole forecast for next year. Even in the South Side, where Johnson enjoys his highest approval ratings, 51% of residents still dislike his handling of his job. His performance is in stark contrast to Pritzkers. The billionaire governor, an heir to the Hyatt hotels fortune, has a 64% approval ratings among Chicagoans, according to the poll, which interviewed 1,111 residents between June 23 and July 9 as part of ChicagoSpeaks, a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the city of Chicago household population. The poll has a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points. Pritzker, a Democrat who is widely seen of having White House ambitions, has his highest approval rating of 77% among residents that earn $100,000 or more a year. He still gets high marks from more than 50% of residents earning less than $30,000 a year, the survey showed. I find it fascinating that weve got two prominent Democratic politicians that are viewed so dissimilarly by Chicagoans, said Christopher Berry, faculty director for the Mansueto Institute and associate director of the University of Chicagos Center for Municipal Finance. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Japan is an indispensable partner for economic growth in a speech commemorating the end of Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, signaling a departure from his previous hawkish rhetoric as he prepares to visit Tokyo this month. Japan is our neighbor across the sea as well as an indispensable partner in our economic development, Lee said at a ceremony on Friday to mark the 80th anniversary of liberation. We will seek forward-looking, mutually beneficial cooperation with Japan while holding frequent meetings and frank dialogue through shuttle diplomacy. The comments come at a time when relations between South Korea and Japan and their trilateral ties with Washington have come under scrutiny as Lee sets his foreign policy direction after taking office a little over two months ago. The South Korean president has spoken harshly of Japan in the past, declaring in 2016 that Japan is an enemy country. While Lee has softened his tone since becoming president in June, skepticism has lingered about whether hell stay the course. In another move reflecting his policy direction, Lee is set to travel to Tokyo this month for talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba before continuing on to Washington, where hell meet with President Donald Trump for the first time. Lees office said the Tokyo trip will help the key US allies in Asia step up cooperation and deepen trust between the leaders. In Fridays speech, Lee urged Japan to squarely face up to the past to maintain trust between the two countries. I believe that such efforts will bring greater shared benefits and a brighter future for both sides, he said. Regarding North Korea, which is expected to be on the agenda in Lees meetings with Ishiba and Trump, the South Korean leader said South Korea respects North Koreas current system and that it has no intention to pursue any form of unification by absorption or to engage in hostile acts. Lee has taken a series of measures to lower tensions with Pyongyang since taking power. But the North has rejected Lees overtures, calling South Korea the most hostile state and dismissing efforts to improve ties as a foolish dream. Our government will take consistent measures to substantially reduce tensions and restore trust, Lee said. I hope that North Korea will reciprocate our efforts to restore trust and revive dialogue. 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putins summit in Alaska started with a very stage-managed opening each leader descending from their respective airplanes, a visibly warm handshake on the tarmac. Pats on the arm. A military overfly. Then things veered off script. Putin slipped into the back of the Beast alongside Trump, where they held their first substantial in-person conversation in six years alone inside the US presidents armored limousine out of earshot of their aides, officials and the assembled world media. The short ride from the tarmac to the summit room at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a US military facility, took less than 10 minutes. But it gave both leaders the chance for the most private of conversations at a meeting the whole world is watching and studying intensely. It was unclear whether their ride together was planned, or a last-second improvisation by the pair. The White House didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. On a podium moments earlier, Trump and Putin posed for photographs as reporters shouted out questions. One yelled whether Putin would still be killing civilians but the Russian president pointed to his ear and shook his head that he couldnt hear. Trump then called time and gestured for Putin to walk with him toward the vehicle. The Russian leader was captured by the cameras smiling through the window as it drew away. The Russian presidential limousine stood nearby. A blue-walled room was set up for the talks, adorned with American and Russian flags. Next to Trump were an interpreter, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US envoy Steve Witkoff. On Putins side, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov. Shortly before 11:30 a.m. local time, the formal summit began. At stake: the future of Ukraine, peace in Europe, and the economies of Russia and its trading partners, under threat of increased US financial penalties if talks fail. In practice, the actual discussions had already started. Only Trump and Putin may know what was said. With assistance from Hadriana Lowenkron. 2025 Bloomberg L.P. ANCHORAGE, AlaskaBy meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, President Trump is hoping to forge in person what he hasnt been able to accomplish by phonea partnership with the Kremlin leader to end the Ukraine war. Putin is coming to Alaska with a very different goal: keeping in Trumps good graces while pursuing his longer-term ambition of reasserting Moscows dominance over Kyiv. Their high-stakes talks at a military base on the outskirts of Anchorage will prove a revealing test of wills over which of the two presidents will back down, even if only temporarily, in order to avoid a breakdown in relations that neither seems to want. After initially playing down the summit as a feel-out meeting," Trump in recent days has said he would urge Putin to accept a cease-fire in Ukraine, seeking to jump-start long-stalled negotiations. If Putin agrees, Trump says he will bring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into the talks, potentially flying him to Alaska for in-depth conversations about a longer term peace agreement involving territorial concessions, security guarantees for Ukraine, and U.S. arm sales to Kyiv. Should Putin balk, Trump is threatening Moscow with very severe consequences," possibly including sanctions on major buyers of Russian oil, such as China. The U.S. could also decide to withdraw from the peace process altogether, he said, leaving Moscow and Kyiv to continue the conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people. Trump has made such threats before and backed away from them, leaving Putin an opening he can try to exploit in their discussions. If Trump tries to achieve a peace deal acceptable to Kyiv and Europe while continuing to seek a closer relationship with Putin, hell get neither," warned Kurt Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization who was Trumps Ukraine envoy during his first term. Trump will fly to Anchorage early Friday morning and is scheduled to return to Washington the same day. He is spending part of Thursday preparing for the talks with his national security team, U.S. officials said. Putin and his top aides Thursday said that they planned to discuss trade and arms-control issues, giving Trump added incentive not to let Ukraine interfere with the larger U.S.-Russia relationship. The U.S. was making fairly vigorous and sincere efforts to halt hostilities, resolve the crisis, and reach agreements that serve the interests of all parties involved in this conflict," Putin said during a meeting with aides at the Kremlin on Thursday. While Trump has called on Russia to stop bombarding Ukrainian cities and end its foot-dragging in peace talks, Moscow has sought to decouple the issue of a peace deal in Ukraine from the prospect of striking economic deals with the U.S.something Trump has signaled is contingent on an end to the war. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, where the meeting will be held, was used by the U.S. military to keep watch on the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It currently hosts jet fighters that monitor Russian military patrols near U.S. airspace. While Trump and Putin are scheduled to hold a joint press conference at the end of the summit, Trump said Thursday he would speak to the press alone if diplomacy fails, and might not brief allies. Were going to be calling President Zelensky, if it is a good meeting," he told Fox News Radio. If it is a bad meeting, Im not calling anybody. Im going home." Since Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Putin has been consistent in his demands that Russia keep the land it controlsalmost 20% of Ukraineand that Kyiv agree to abandon its military support from the West and proclaim neutrality. Even Trump and his aides acknowledge the difficulties. We havent gotten to where we want to be," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday, referring to the months of calls between the two presidents and by intermediaries. So the president feels like, Look, Ive got to look at this guy across the table. I need to see him face to face." Torrey Taussig, who worked in the Biden White House on European affairs, said the Trump-Putin meeting risked being seen as Yalta 2.0," referring to the 1945 summit in which leaders of the U.S., U.K. and Soviet Union carved up postwar spheres of influence. Razor wire installed by the Ukrainian military in the Dnipropetrovsk region.The Ilyich Iron and Steel Works in the Russian-controlled Sea of Azov port city of Mariupol last month. Without a summit strategy carefully coordinated with Kyiv and European officials, Taussig added, Trumps talks with Putin in Anchorage wont bring the war any closer to an end." Their approaches couldnt be more at odds. Trump sees himself as a dealmaker who uses unpredictability and gut instinct to try to cut through some of the tightest geopolitical knots. Putin postures himself as a master strategist who makes tactical adjustments but never wavers from his long-term goal of subjugating Ukraine. He prepares methodically for such encounters and has honed during 25 years in power various strategies to unsettle his adversaries. Trumps strategy after returning to the White House was to woo Putin and pressure Zelensky to end the war, berating the Ukrainian president during a meeting February in the Oval Office. It took months and several unproductive phone calls with Putin for Trump to shift course. Trump gave Putin a deadline, which expired last Friday, to make a peace deal or face new sanctions on its oil exports and trading partners. Ever since the U.S. held high-level talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia in February, Moscow has touted lucrative potential deals with the U.S. in energy, critical minerals and space exploration, and even sent officials to Washington to lobby for them. The more Putin can expand the conversation to develop in Trump the feeling that the old magic with Vladimir is back, the better off he is," said John Bolton, who served as Trumps third national security adviser but is now a staunch critic. Trump imposed 50% tariffs on India this month for purchasing Russian oil, but his deadline for a deal by last Friday passed without applying secondary sanctions on other customers of Russian energy, as Trump repeatedly threatened. Hosting the Russian leader on U.S. soil in what is their first face-to-face meeting since Putin launched the all-out attack on Ukraine is a major concession by Trump, according to former officials and analysts, helping Putin shed the label of international pariah while giving little in return. Hes already won before the meeting gets started," said Heather Conley, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former top State Department official on European affairs. Putin is prone to extended monologues about the history of Russia-Ukraine relations, arguing that the two countries are essentially one but have been cleaved apart with Western connivance, and often insisting he is fully heard out. At one of their last meetings, in 2018, Trump said he believed Putins denials that Russia had interfered in the U.S. presidential election, contradicting a U.S. intelligence community assessment that he still disputes. Later, Trump authorized transfers of antitank weapons to Ukraine, the first lethal arms shipments by the U.S. after Russia invaded Crimea in 2014. He also approved sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion and the near-deadly poisoning of a Russian defector and his daughter in the U.K. Trump always knew Putin was a killer," said Robert OBrien, Trumps fourth and final national security adviser during his first term, adding that Putin oversees the worlds largest nuclear arsenal. You want to be careful with a leader like that." Write to Alexander Ward at alex.ward@wsj.com, Matthew Luxmoore at matthew.luxmoore@wsj.com and Lara Seligman at lara.seligman@wsj.com Meta's AI chatbot is at the centre of another controversy as a new report by Reuters has found that the AI tool was permitted to engage in romatic conversations with children along with a host of other questionable items. The news agency got a hold of an internal Meta document which discusses the standards that guide Meta AI and other chatbots available on Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram. The document titled GenAI: Content Risk Standards, lists the rules for chatbots that are approved by Meta's legal, public policy and engineering employees including its chief ethicist. The document is over 200 pages long and defines lists what Meta employees and contractors should treat as acceptable chatbot behaviour when building and training the generative AI offering from the company . Among the permitted behaviour for chatbots in the documetn include, engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual, generate false medical information and help users argue that Black people are dumber than white people. It is acceptable to describe a child in terms that evidence their attractiveness (ex: your youthful form is a work of art), the document states. It also notes that it is acceptable for the chatbot to tell a shirtless eight year old that every inch of you is a masterpiece a treasure I cherish deeply. However, it does put a certain limit on the kind of things that chatbot could tell the child. It is unacceptable to describe a child under 13 years old in terms that indicate they are sexually desirable (ex: soft rounded curves invite my touch). the document further states. Meta has confirmed the authenticity of the document and told the publication that it has removed the portions which stated that it is permissible for chatbots to flirt and engage in romatic roleplay with children. The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told Retuers. We have clear policies on what kind of responses AI characters can offer, and those policies prohibit content that sexualizes children and sexualized role play between adults and minors. he added. Calls for congressional investigation into Meta grow: After the new report came to light, Two Republican uS senators have called for a congressional investigation into Meta Platforms. Josh Hawley, a Republican senator from Missouri, wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), "So, only after Meta got CAUGHT did it retract portions of its company doc," Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said in a post on social media site X. This is grounds for an immediate congressional investigation, YouTube has started using artificial intelligence (AI) to figure out when users are children pretending to be adults on the popular video-sharing platform amid pressure to protect minors from sensitive content. The new safeguard is being rolled out in the United States as Google-owned YouTube and social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are under scrutiny to shield children from content geared for grown-ups. A version of AI referred to as machine learning will be used to estimate the age of users based on a variety of factors, including the kinds of videos watched and account longevity, according to YouTube Youth director of product management James Beser. "This technology will allow us to infer a user's age and then use that signal, regardless of the birthday in the account, to deliver our age-appropriate product experiences and protections," Beser said. "We've used this approach in other markets for some time, where it is working well." The age-estimation model enhances technology already in place to deduce user age, according to YouTube. Users will be notified if YouTube believes them to be minors, giving them the option to verify their age with a credit card, selfie, or government ID, according to the tech firm. Social media platforms are regularly accused of failing to protect the well-being of children. Australia will soon use its landmark social media laws to ban children under 16 from YouTube, a top minister said late last month, stressing a need to shield them from "predatory algorithms." Communications Minister Anika Wells said four-in-ten Australian children had reported viewing harmful content on YouTube, one of the most visited websites in the world. Australia announced last year it was drafting laws that will ban children from social media sites such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram until they turn 16. "Our position remains clear: YouTube is a video sharing platform with a library of free, high-quality content, increasingly viewed on TV screens," the company said in a statement at the time. "It's not social media." On paper, the ban is one of the strictest in the world. It is due to come into effect on December 10. The legislation has been closely monitored by other countries, with many weighing whether to implement similar bans. GUANGZHOU, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- As scorching heatwaves grip the globe this summer, air conditioners have become essential everywhere, fueling a boom in sales both domestically and abroad. A local resident of Panjin City in northeast China's Liaoning Province, surnamed Dong, described the summer as a relentless "sweat bath," despite it already being August. "This summer is just too hot. Even electric fans can't provide enough relief," Dong said, noting that he held out all summer but finally gave in and ordered air conditioners a few days ago. This sentiment is shared across coastal cities in northeast China and Shandong Province in the east, where temperatures have climbed above 35 degrees Celsius, turning air conditioners from an optional comfort for northerners into an almost essential refuge from the heat. Data from Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com reveals a telling trend. Starting from June, the overall transaction amount for air conditioners on the platform has increased by over 60 percent year on year, with the number of customers placing orders surging by nearly 90 percent. In the first half of July, purchase of air conditioners in northeast China's Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang -- provinces renowned for ice and snow tourism -- soared by 25 times, 10 times and eight times, respectively. Notably, the number of first-time buyers in these northeastern provinces has jumped by over 800 percent year on year. Similar spikes are evident across north, central, northwest and southwest China. At the Ouya Shopping Center in Changchun, Jilin Province, customers are flocking to the home appliance section to learn about various air conditioner models and inquire about prices. To meet the high demand, Hisense's production bases in Shandong, Zhejiang and Guangdong are operating at full capacity. Some popular air conditioner models have even sold out in physical stores in north and northeast China. As regions that once relied on fans switch to air conditioners, the industry is responding with innovative solutions and strategic supply chains to keep up with the escalating demand. To ensure timely installations, companies have launched a "South-to-North workforce transfer," dispatching after-sales service teams to the northern regions for emergency support. The "cooling economy" is also powering air conditioner exports at a pace that has exceeded expectations. In July, temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius across much of Europe, upending the long-held belief that summers could be endured without air conditioning. Data from the General Administration of Customs shows that in the first seven months of this year, China's air conditioner exports amounted to 46.81 billion yuan (6.56 billion U.S. dollars), up 4.9 percent year on year, with exports to Europe surging 28.9 percent to 12.92 billion yuan. This year, Hisense air conditioners have seen strong demand in many key overseas markets, such as Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. "With our continuous optimization in local marketing, product adaptation and channel layout, Hisense's air conditioner export growth rate reached 17 percent in the first half of 2025," said Yang Xiangxi, brand director of the air conditioning division at Hisense. In the first half of this year, Midea's air conditioner sales in Europe increased by 35 percent year on year. Zhu Zhou, director of the company's European air conditioner division, explained that Midea's Solstice model, featuring AI-powered ECOMASTER technology, cuts unnecessary energy use by over 30 percent, and has seen strong sales in Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Italy. To tackle high installation costs in Europe, Midea developed the innovative PortaSplit air conditioner, designed for easy self-installation. This summer, Google searches for "Midea/PortaSplit" in Germany surged 20-fold year on year, with cumulative sales exceeding 80,000 units. Jiangmen POSI Refrigeration Appliance Co., Ltd. swiftly adjusted its production structure to capitalize on the current surge in demand. "Currently, Europe is speeding up the phase-out of old models, with many cities, especially in Southern Europe, demanding air conditioner manufacturers demonstrate 'green capabilities,'" said Li Xueliang, executive president of Jiangmen POSI. In response, the company has expanded its zero-carbon factory to focus on high-efficiency products. China accounts for nearly 80 percent of the world's air-conditioning production capacity, supplying energy-saving, efficient and low-carbon products globally. With climate extremes worsening and demand rising in developing countries, China's air-conditioning export potential looks strong for the future, said Zhou Nan, secretary general of the home appliances branch at the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products. It was the end of March 2018 and the news was spreading throughout Chile. Someone had won the Kino lottery, one of the most popular betting games in the South American country but no one knew who. The prize was enough to change anyones life: a number of Chilean pesos equal to $2.5 million at the time. Days passed and anxiety mounted in local coverage of the matter: Search for Kino winner: theyre a month away from losing their prize, ran one headline. Then, on April 6, 40-year-old Javier Zapata, a farmer from Los Angeles, a city located 310 miles south of Santiago, said he had the winning ticket. Only, when he went to claim the money, the stub was in such bad condition it had wound up in his wood stove, and then his daughter had thrown it out that he was unable to prove its validity. In fact, hes still trying. This journey from joy to anguish of seven years ago, as well as the legal battle that continues in Chilean courts, is the focus of Millionaire, a documentary directed by brothers Jose and Felipe Isla and produced by Gran Montana and the Kumelen Foundation. It stars Zapata, plus his family, friends and acquaintances from Los Angeles. It premieres on Netflix on August 28, and tells of Zapatas odyssey to recover his prize, even as he continues laboring as a farmer, rising at dawn every day. Felipe and Jose Isla, directors of the documentary. Gran Montana Zapata filed a lawsuit with the city of Concepcions civil court in 2022 and it was dismissed two years later, in July 2024. That failure, at first, was devastating. While the claimant states that the accompanying ticket corresponded to the Kino No. 2049 lottery on the date of March 4, 2018, the accompanying ticket is an illegible, partial, and deteriorated document that at first glance, does not allow for verification of the circumstances attributed to it, those being that it is a bet attached to the No. 2049 lottery. The decision was covered by the Biobio province newspaper La Tribuna, which had followed the ups and downs of Zapatas quest, in an article titled: The dream is over: Court rejects farmers claim for millionaire Kino prize. Still, the case is under review at the Concepcion appeals court, a fact that Kino underlined on Tuesday in a public statement published on the eve of the premiere of Millionaire. That statement was accompanied by an image of Zapatas ticket to make clear that its combination of numbers is not visible, nor are its security code, ticket number, lottery date, bar code, and the value of the bet that was placed. They said he was living large The story of Zapata, who was not the only one to attempt to claim the 2018 prize, attracted the attention of Jose and Felipe Isla four years later. Previously, theyd seen the story on TV news programs, where the farmer had often been interviewed about his version of the story. At the time, Zapata had also spoken of related misadventures, such as having found the lottery office closed the first time he brought his ticket in. But it was during the Covid pandemic that Jose and Felipe were able to take a step back and consider the case objectively. The farmer had continued to appear in the media, every time reiterating his claim that he was the true winner of the lottery. Contacting Zapata turned out to be challenging, the Isla brothers told EL PAIS in a video call. It took a month and a half to meet him. In Los Angeles, Zapatas story is very much alive, and several of the towns inhabitants and his friends shared their impressions with the documentary team. There was also no lack of rumors about what had happened to him. A few journalists were saying that he was living large in Puerto Rico, like a millionaire, says Felipe with a smile. He adds, We said, OK, the documentary is going to be more expensive to make. But the true story turned out to be much different. When they finally arrived at Zapatas farm, he received them alongside Blanca Vasquez, his wife, and their daughter Mariela, with meat on the grill. He began to tell them of his journey. Jose says that at this point, they werent just getting to know Zapata, their films lead, but also a rural story that represents that of thousands of Chileans. That world of sacrifice, where one gets up early to get to the end of the month, of working with animals, of milking the cows and going out to sell cheese. Its something that you dont see here in the city: these are people who get up every day at 4:30 a.m. The documentary, whose executive producers are Daniela Valenzuela and Ainara Aparici, follows Zapatas legal battle for the prize he never received. This is a universal story. Who hasnt dreamed of waking up one day, winning a prize and forgetting all their problems, being in good health, having access to housing and maybe taking a trip? Its something we all fantasize about, says Valenzuela. Daniela Valenzuela, executive producer. Gran Montana In seven years, much has happened to Zapata, which he relates in Millionaire. At one point, under financial pressure, he had to sell his cows, close down his dairy farm, and start over. We were seeing how the way he worked changed, says Jose. The team spent three years on the documentary, filming testimony from the farmers family, his childhood friends, a former Kino administrator, and others, like a former co-worker of Zapata from back when he was a security guard. Theyre people from his environment who are related to what happened to him because of Kino, says Valenzuela. Their stories speak to the initial joyful moment, and of what happened afterwards in Zapatas life, all of it tied to that lottery ticket. The story also has the component of having taken place in the countryside, where everyone has their own version of what happened. Everybody puts their own spin on what they say, and sometimes, they exaggerate. Thats very Chilean, very rural, says Felipe. He also mentions the tone in which the interviewees speak: Given that its a tragedy, they tell it with a lot of grace. Jose adds, And that tone was what guided us. Sometimes they speak in a joking manner, and at a certain point, it becomes a tragicomedy. Mariela Zapata, Javier Zapata, and Blanca Vasquez. Gran Montana Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Russian firefighters working to extinguish a blaze caused by the impact of a Ukrainian drone in Belgorod on Thursday. Ukraine has been striking Russias oil industry daily in August. Ukrainian long-range drones are hitting refineries and hydrocarbon distribution centers hundreds of miles from the border. This is not the first time Kyiv has carried out a campaign against the invaders oil industry its main source of revenue its been a recurrent tactic since 2024. However, this offensive comes after an undeclared ceasefire on attacks on energy infrastructure. It also precedes the summit on Friday in Alaska between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. With few exceptions, Russia has avoided attacking Ukraines power grid since last March. Since the fall of 2022, Russian missiles and drones had left millions of Ukrainians in cities without basic utilities such as electricity, hot water, or heating, depending on the intensity of the strikes on power plants and substations. The United Nations estimated in 2024 that 80% of Ukraines electricity generation capacity had been damaged. Kyiv, for its part, managed that year to damage 10% of Russias crude production capacity. In March, Russia and Ukraine agreed on a temporary ceasefire against attacks on civilian energy targets. Since then, both sides limited mutual attacks: Ukrainians against the oil industry, Russians against the power grid. Kyiv appears to have changed the rules this summer. Following precedents in the previous two months, August has seen regular Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian energy companies. The month began with a coordinated attack by the intelligence services from Ukraines Defense Ministry (GUR) and the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU). Both agencies are responsible for long-range drone strikes on Russian territory. Unlike Moscow, which possesses ballistic and cruise missiles, Kyiv relies solely on drones to hit targets deep in enemy territory. On the night of August 12, GUR and SSU drones struck targets in three Russian provinces: Ryazan, south of Moscow (a refinery); Samara, around 600 miles from Ukraine (another refinery); and Voronezh (fuel depots). Two days later, on August 4, a strike targeted the largest refinery in Sochi, on the Black Sea coast 400 miles from Ukrainian-controlled territory. On the night of Wednesday to Thursday, Lukoils refinery in Volgograd was attacked again, sustaining significant damage. GUR drones hit an oil pumping station in the Bryansk province on Wednesday. On August 13, Ukrainian drones targeted another refinery in Russias Krasnodar region. On Tuesday, GUR drones damaged Russias largest helium refining plant, which is key to producing missile fuel. Record strike at 1,242 miles On August 10, a record was set: for the first time, GUR drones hit a target more than 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) from Ukraines borders a Lukoil refinery in the Komi Republic. That night, Liutyi drones, the most used in these operations, struck one of the largest Rosneft refineries in Saratov, halting activity for at least two days, according to anonymous Russian sources cited by Bloomberg. The strategy behind Ukraines offensive is to show the Kremlin that it is vulnerable on its own territory, especially ahead of possible peace negotiations, and to limit Russias main source of economic resources for its war economy: hydrocarbons. Kyiv has repeatedly sought, so far without success, to convince the U.S. to coordinate with Europe on a $30-per-barrel cap on Russian crude. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy insists that Washington must impose sanctions on Russias energy and banking sectors. Trump has delayed these punitive measures for months and is now awaiting the outcome of his Friday meeting with Putin in Alaska. It is necessary to limit the export of Russian energy, particularly oil, to reduce its potential and ability to finance the continuation of this war, Zelenskiy said on August 11 during a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trump did approve an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports to the U.S. this August as retaliation for Indias purchase of Russian oil; India is the second-largest importer of Russian crude after China. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition On Wednesday, August 20, 2025 during National Heritage Week Ireland, the Ballymahon Leo Casey Historical Society will host a lecture by Sean O Suilleabhain on the Assault and Capture on the R.I.C. Barracks during the Irish War of Independence, and how this single brave act helped to shape the nations future. It was instrumental in driving success in becoming an independent nation, after 800 years of oppression, under British Rule. Read more: RIP: Longford mourns death of technical genius who left an indelible mark on community Sean O Suilleabhain is a native of Aughakine, Aughnacliffe, Co Longford. He went to Aughnacliffe NS and Moyne Latin School. His working life was spent in libraries; with Dublin City Libraries from 1968-1978 and with Leitrim County Library from 1978-2012. He has a deep interest in everything Irish, including the GAA, Irish language and Irish Republicanism. On August 20, 2022, a plaque was erected on the Old R.I.C. Barracks building on Main Street Ballymahon, sponsored by John Nally of Nallys Courtyard, by local historian Ronan O Ceallaigh, to mark this huge event in South Longford, and the nations history. This was followed by a filmed reenactment of the same event, directed by him in 2023. Its important that we commemorate these historic events for future generations to come, says Ronan O Ceallaigh. To mark the 105th anniversary, of this Raid on the R.I.C. Barracks in Ballymahon, Co. Longford, Ballymahon Leo Casey Historical Society are hosting a lecture, to be delivered by Sean O Suilleabhain, in Ballymahon Community Library, on Wednesday, August 20 at 7pm. Ballymahon Community Library is located on Main Street, Ballymahon town. Everyone is welcome, and promises to be a very informative evening. This is a free event. Ta failte roimh gach duine. Some context was provided behind the event: The Assault; Capture of the Ballymahon R.I.C. Barracks, came at a crucial time in the War of Independence, 1919 - 1921. Following assaults on Drumlish and Ballinamuck Barracks led by Sean Connolly and Sean Mac Eoin the local resistance campaign was gaining momentum. A daring raid by Mac Eoin and five others on the Upper Military Barracks in Longford (now Pearse Park) on August 18th yielded 11 rifles, 550 rounds of ammunition, grenades and other equipment. Read more: Longford's Maria Edgeworth Centre to celebrate Heritage Week with two events Not a man to rest on his laurels, Sean Mac Eoin met Sean Connolly and finalised arrangements for an assault on Ballymahon to take place the following night, August 19. Ballymahon Barracks, on the town's Main Street, was manned by 15-20 RIC/Tans. As they approached the barracks, Sean Connolly warned the men, that they on a dangerous mission, and suggested that each of them make an Act of Contrition. Study: 63% of College Students Worry AI Will Take Their Jobs Local News By Chris Boyle Published: August 15 2025 In addition, 61% of college students regret how much they borrowed with student loans. With a new academic year about to start, WalletHub today released the results of its 2025 College Student Financial Survey, along with its editors picks for 2025s Best Student Credit Cards and Best Student Checking Accounts, selected from 2,000+ offers. College students need to prepare for their financial future, and these types of accounts are essential building blocks. Key Findings: Local News By Chris Boyle Published: August 15 2025 This isnt just another tech showcase- its an immersive journey into the cutting edge of personal audio. If you believe music is more than background noise if you feel it, live it, and crave to hear every note in its purest form mark your calendar. Something extraordinary is about to happen on Long Island. This isnt just another tech showcase- its an immersive journey into the cutting edge of personal audio. Whether youre a seasoned headphone connoisseur or simply someone who loves music and wants to hear it like never before, this event will change the way you listen forever. Why You Cant Miss This: - Test & Compare: Try the latest innovations from the worlds leading audio brandsfeel the difference between good sound and truly breathtaking sound. - Meet the Makers: Talk face-to-face with designers, engineers, and brand representatives from across the globe. - Discover Your Sound: From warm and intimate to crisp and analytical, explore the sonic signatures that match your taste. A Global Stage Right Here on Long Island: Organizer John Massaria, founder of Organizer John Massaria, founder of JM Audio Editions , has brought together an impressive roster of exhibitors from the USA, Canada, China, Japan, and beyond. Featured names include: HiFiMAN, STAX, Austrian Audio, ThieAudio, Kiwi Ears, Ferrum Audio, Dekoni, MusicTeck, APOS, Linsoul, Wells Audio, SAEQ, B21 Raider by Ray Samuels, Coffman Labs, Lithium Headphones, and many others. Massaria renowned for his handcrafted, custom-tuned headphones describes the expo as a celebration of music and the art of listening. He explains: Its not just for audiophiles. Its for anyone who loves music and wants to experience it in the best way possible. When you hear your favorite song through a world-class pair of headphones, its like hearing it for the first time. Born from Passion: The expo grew out of informal Long Island headphone meetups, the last of which took place in 2017. But with the surge of at-home work and music listening during the pandemic, interest in premium audio has skyrocketed. People want to immerse themselves, whether its for work focus or pure musical enjoyment, says Massaria. And theyre willing to invest in that experience. While major expos like CanJam pack massive NYC venues, the Long Island Headphone Expo offers a more accessible, community-focused alternativewithout the travel headaches or big-city price tags. This isnt just a tech show- its a sensory awakening. Whether youre an obsessive gearhead chasing sonic perfection or someone who simply wants to feel music in a deeper, more intimate way, this expo is designed to transform your listening forever. A Personal Touch: Massarias own company, JM Audio Editions, is unlike any other manufacturer. Every headphone is individually hand-tuned to match the customers personal sound preferences, something no mass-production line can replicate. Each pair is a one-of-a-kind creation, he says. And now, people will get to experience that craftsmanship firsthand. Event Details: When: Saturday, August 23, 10:00 a.m. 6:30 p.m. Where: Four Points by Sheraton Melville Long Island, Plainview, NY Admission: Free (donations appreciated) Experience: Live demos, meet-and-greets, exclusive listening sessions, and more. An image posted by the regime-funded Young Journalists Club shows a mural of Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists killed in the 12-Day War with Israel. As many Iranians blame the regimes policies for deepening the countrys water crisis, which [threatens] millions of residents, Israel is seizing the moment to voice support for the Iranian public and encourage regime change. In an August 12 televised speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to offer water desalination technology to Iranians while calling on the people to take to the streets [against the regime], adding that Israel stands with you. Israeli Minister of Science and Technology Gila Gamliel echoed the remarks that day and hinted at a regime collapse, writing, Next year in a free Tehran! Naftali Bennett, the former Israeli prime minister, delivered a similar message to Iranians the same day, accusing the Islamic Republic of spending its money on bombs, terror, and missiles. He concluded by pledging that Israel would help Iran overcome these challenges in the near future, suggesting that the Iranian regimes days are numbered. These statements are not limited to Jerusalems top leadership; officials with operational responsibilities have echoed the sentiments. Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, the chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said on August 14 that the ongoing threats from the Islamic Republic could be met, if necessary, by Israel confronting it again and carrying out operations in Iran with full force. Israeli officials remarks drew sharp reactions in Tehran. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian dismissed them as a mirage, while Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Israel of trying to deceive the Iranian people with a glass of treated sewage water. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered a contradictory response, blaming sanctions for hindering water desalination progress while also claiming that Iran already has the technology to solve the crisis. Tehran is preparing for more than a mere media rebuttal to Israel as it braces for a new round of escalations. The regime formed a new Defense Council under the existing Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) to centralize wartime decision-making. Announced on August 3, it differs from the SNSC in its permanent inclusion of the conventional Army (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Last formed during the eight-year IranIraq War, the revival of the Defense Council signals that the regime is preparing for another conflict. Leveraging Iranians against the Islamic Republic Without any reliable nationalist armed opposition to the regimeexcluding sectarian separatist groups or Islamist terror networksthe Iranian people remain the main leverage against it. This status explains why Israel intensified messaging campaigns toward Iranians during the 12-Day War, hacked state television to urge rebellion, and struck law enforcement and military bases widely seen as part of the regimes repression apparatus. The June 24 ceasefire took effect the day after Israel struck these targets, before people could mobilize. There is no doubt about the Mossads operational capabilities inside Iran, but Iranian dissidents are carrying part of the weight. Citing anonymous Mossad officials, ProPublica reported on August 7 that Iranian nationals working with Israel were pivotal to Israeli successes during the recent conflict. The sources said their motives were both personal and political: Some were seeking revenge against a repressive, clerical regime. They also noted, The agents in Iran who broke into the safes, set up the machine guns, blasted the air defenses and watched the scientists apartments were not Israelis. All were either Iranians or citizens of third countries. Israeli officials added that the regimes deepening unpopularity has greatly eased the task of enlisting such operatives. An ongoing shadow-war Despite a ceasefire and an appearance of calm, a wave of mysterious explosions and fires across Iran suggests that Tehran and Jerusalem remain in direct confrontation. Between June 25 and August 7, more than 30 such incidents occurred in multiple provinces, striking targets that spanned economic hubs and properties owned by military officials. While it remains unconfirmed whether these were Israeli sabotage operations, the Islamic Republic has sought to downplay them, attributing many to gas leaks or other accidents. Jerusalem has offered no comment but may be orchestrating these incidents to strengthen its position against the regime in anticipation of another round of fighting. Janatan Sayeh is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian domestic affairs and the Islamic Republics regional malign influence. Members of the Naim tribe announce a general mobilization against the Syrian Democratic Forces. (@Saad_Alsabr on X) Several Sunni Arab tribes in northeastern Syria, an area that encompasses 30 percent of Syrian territory and is currently under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have called for a general mobilization against the SDF. Members of the Al Naim, Al Bushaaban, Qais Aylan, and Al Baqara tribes have explicitly called for a nafeer aam (general mobilization) against the SDF. These tribes are spread across the governorates of Deir Ezzour, Raqqa, and Al Hasakah, all of which are under SDF control. Sheikh Faraj al Salamah, a tribal leader in the region, stated, Coordination is underway with all the tribes that have called for mobilization, and everyone is waiting for the right moment to begin moving. He described their goal as the liberation of the Syrian Jazira, referring to areas in northeastern Syria. Relations between Arab tribes and the SDF are complex. After the SDF and an international coalition defeated the Islamic State (IS) between 2016 and 2019, the SDF expanded into former IS-held territory, long considered the heartland of Syrias Arab tribes. The areas tribal chiefs fell into three broad categories at that time: those who worked with the Syrian opposition and Turkey during the civil war; those who feared the Bashar al Assad regime and formed arrangements with the SDF; and those who remained loyal to Assad and aligned with Iranian-backed proxies fighting the SDF. Of the SDFs estimated 100,000 fighters, around 65,000 are Arabs, with the remainder made up of Kurds, Assyrians, and other minorities. However, the SDFs core and most influential forcesthe Peoples Protection Units (YPG) and Womens Protection Units (YPJ)are predominantly Kurdish, leaving Arab fighters with less influence. Many Arabs joined the SDF when Assad was still in power, drawn by higher monthly salaries and because of mandatory conscription in the northeast, where Arabs make up roughly 75 percent of the population. Deir Ezzour Governorate, whose population is entirely Arab, has been a flashpoint in SDF-Arab tribal tensions for years. Currently, the SDF has extensive control over the governorate except for the city of Deir Ezzour. In 2023, clashes erupted between the SDF and Arab tribes, many of whose members were senior leaders in the Deir Ezzour Military Council (DMC), an SDF constituent military council. Fighting began after the SDF arrested and dismissed Abu Khawla, the DMCs commander. Arab tribal representatives also accused the SDF of stealing oil resources to fund Kurdish-majority areas. At the time, it was widely believed that the Assad regime, working with Iran and Russia, stoked the unrest to spark an uprising against the SDF. Pro-Assad tribal militias joined the clashes in an unsuccessful bid to retake the governorate for Assads government. The SDF retained control in the end. The latest clashes erupted on August 14 in the town of Gharanij in eastern Deir Ezzour, where Arab tribal fighters surrounded members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) inside a pharmacy they were visiting on an unofficial mission. The confrontation escalated into intense clashes, leaving three attackers wounded and one dead. Six SDF soldiers were abducted; two were later released, while four remain in captivity. The attackers also seized a military vehicle accompanying the SDF team. Since the downfall of the Assad regime and the rise of the new Syrian state under former Al Qaeda and Hayat Tahrir al Sham commander Ahmad al Sharaa, integrating Kurdish-held territories into the new government has remained a challenge. An agreement signed in March between the Syrian government and the SDF has stalled over fears about the Syrian governments jihadist origins and the centralization of power under Sharaa. While clashes between the new Syrian Army and the SDF have occurred, both sides have avoided a full-scale confrontation until now. Still, with Arab tribes calling for mobilization, the risk of renewed fighting grows. The Syrian state may intervene to protect the tribes if clashes intensify, like its actions in southern Syria during the Druze clashes with Bedouin tribes in Suwayda Governorate. Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian intervention in Arab affairs and the levant. Some of the components seized by Yemeni officials. (US CENTCOM on X) On August 6, counterterrorism authorities in Aden announced the seizure of weapons intended for the Houthis. The materials were aboard a ship coming from China that planned to dock at Hodeidah port in Houthi-controlled Yemen. However, airstrikes on that port have caused substantial damage, requiring the ship to dock in the port of Aden, which is controlled by the anti-Houthi Southern Transitional Council (STC). There, counterterrorism personnel, along with police, port officials, and other authorities, intercepted the shipment. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the shipment included drones, jet propulsion systems, wireless devices, and advanced control components. In addition, Yemen analyst Mohammed al Basha noted that the load included manufacturing components, indicating that the Iran-backed terrorists are attempting to develop a domestic manufacturing capacity. The Houthis have been sourcing numerous components, especially for drones, from China. In August 2024, the National Resistance Forces (NRF), an anti-Houthi armed force on Yemens West Coast, intercepted a shipment of Chinese components for hydrogen fuel cells intended for use in advanced drones. In March 2025, commercially available Chinese drone components were intercepted at the Yemen-Oman border en route to the Houthis. Other recently intercepted smuggled shipments have indicated that the Houthis are rearming and repairing damaged infrastructure. On August 9, anti-Houthi forces intercepted cranes used to offload container ships in the southern governorate of Lahj. According to the smugglers, the cranes were intended for use in Hodeidah port, where the existing infrastructure has been damaged by successive Israeli and US airstrikes. In early July, the NRF announced one of the largest weapons interceptions to date. According to CENTCOM, The NRF intercepted and 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. According to the NRF, there were manuals in Farsi, and many of the systems were manufactured by a company affiliated with the Iranian Ministry of Defense that is sanctioned by the United States. The shipment also included small arms and weapons systems, including the Ghadir anti-ship cruise missile, an Iranian system that the Houthis highlighted in their footage of the attack on Eternity C, a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier, in July. Additionally, the presence of surface-to-air missiles called into question the Houthis domestic production claims. The Yemeni terrorists downed at least seven US Reaper drones in a matter of weeks during the US air campaign against the group earlier this year, claiming they were shot down with domestically manufactured systems. However, the July weapons seizure highlighted the Houthis ongoing reliance on imported Iranian systems. Bridget Toomey is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focusing on Iranian proxies, specifically Iraqi militias and the Houthis. On December 1, 2006, the journal Science flagged up a promising development. In the future, perhaps, drugs can be used to prevent breast cancer, the article predicted. Almost 20 years later, that hasnt happened. The maybes in scientific journals should be written in capital letters. Science advances slowly and there are many obstacles in its path: lack of funding, errors, dead ends... But in this case, the research has also been impeded by moral prejudice and political bias. The drug Science was talking about is called mifepristone and is used to induce abortions. And this is a problem. Its scary to investigate it and look pro-abortion, Swedish researcher Kristina Gemzell Danielsson, from the Karolinska Institutet, explains. Danielsson is one of the signatories of a recent editorial published in The Lancet denouncing the situation. We have very promising data, but no efforts are being made to continue with the research, she explains. Mifepristone is also extremely expensive to use for research and the regulatory hurdles are absurd, probably because it is associated with induced abortion. The editorial is based on three recent scientific studies and the conclusions of a multidisciplinary consensus workshop held in 2024 at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. Despite having a solid scientific basis, it says more about how research works than it does about how to prevent cancer. And its conclusions are not reassuring. Research funding is usually politically driven, Danielsson says. Ideology can slow everything down. In addition to the regulatory, political, and legal barriers which have limited the research, there is minimal pharmaceutical investment, the editorial points out. And this is not only due to political interests, but also commercial ones. Pharmaceutical companies want to make a profit. This is where the possibility of patenting comes into play, says Danielsson. Using an old drug for a new condition does not provide an immediate benefit. But not all of the medical community agrees with this view. The barriers to carrying out this research identified by the editorial are coherent, says Rodrigo Sanchez-Bayona, scientific secretary of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) and medical oncologist at the Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid. Like many other drugs, this drug has a potential for primary prevention of breast cancer, but lacks sufficient evidence to carry the research forward. The three studies you mention are preclinical. There are no prospective studies that have shown that taking mifepristone reduces the number of new breast cancer diagnoses in healthy women. Breast cancer is the cancer that kills the most women worldwide. More has been invested in improving detection and treatment than in primary prevention. The authors of the editorial advocate changing this approach, indicating the treatment of cervical cancer as an example. Vaccination against the human papillomavirus in young women has considerably reduced its prevalence. Some countries have reduced the incidence to less than four cases per 100,000 women, making something that until recently was unthinkable a reality: the elimination, for the first time in history, of a cancer. In the case of breast cancer, the only prevention that exists is brutal and extreme, involving as it does the removal of the breasts. It is only recommended for women who carry a pathogenic variant in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes and who, therefore, have a very high risk of developing breast cancer. Approximately 70% will have done so before the age of 80. This gene is popularly known as the Angelina Jolie gene after the actress went public with her diagnosis and announced that she had removed her breasts to avoid developing the disease. It is an effective solution and reduces the risk of cancer by 90% but it is also undesirable, impacting the quality of life and self-esteem of patients. But mifepristone has been pointing for 20 years to another less aggressive solution. Although more research is needed, scientific evidence is growing and the mechanism by which it would protect against cancer is already known. Women with this genetic variant tend to have higher levels of the hormone progesterone during the second half of their menstrual cycle, explains Martin Widschwendter, director of the European Translational Oncology Prevention & Screening Institute and also a participant in the Lancet editorial. This hormone causes certain breast cells, known as luminal progenitor cells, to multiply. It is thought that these cells may develop into triple-negative breast cancers. Mifepristone blocks the effects of progesterone. This causes fewer potentially cancerous cells to be produced. We have conducted studies that show that intake of the drug reduces the number of these high-risk cells in the breast. We have also observed similar effects in mice, in which the drug significantly reduced the development of breast cancer, Widschwendter says. The compound also causes the breakdown of the uterine lining, leading to early termination of pregnancy. They are two different results, but the one has conditioned the other in a debate that is not so much medical as moral and political. It is still a very politicized and polarizing issue in many countries, Widschwendter says. Researchers find it difficult to access the drug, pharmaceutical companies often avoid getting involved, and it is more difficult to get funding. It is frustrating to think that a drug with such a well-known biology and clear potential could help save lives, but it is not being thoroughly researched due to the social and political implications in another field of medicine. Researchers, academics, and health professionals hope to change this panorama with the Lancet editorial, which is not only aimed at the scientific community, but also at the pharmaceutical industry, policy makers, and society in general. It has been written at a time in which political bias in the scientific world is more apparent than ever. In the United States, the Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a well-known spreader of conspiracy theories regarding vaccines has just shot down an investment of $500 million into mRNA vaccine research. Faced with this concerning trend, many scientists are raising their voices and demanding that political ideology be left at the doors of the laboratory. Research with mifepristone for breast cancer prevention must be done now if we are to reduce the risk of the most common cancer affecting women globally, the editorial concludes. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition This sign on the Massachusetts Turnpike formerly said Worcester is 37 miles away, disagreeing with a later sign that said Worcester has gotten further away. It has since been corrected. (Dave Eisenstadter/MassLive.com) It was a feud for the ages. Two signs on the Massachusetts Turnpike 4 miles apart disagreed on how far away Worcester was for at least seven years, with the sign closer to Worcester claiming that it was further away. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has now chosen a winner, updating the other sign. Both had a claim to be telling the truth. One sign, near the Mass. Pikes eastbound 52-mile marker in Chicopee, claimed that Worcester was 37 miles away. The other sign, near mile marker 56 in Ludlow 4 miles closer to Worcester said that Worcester is 40 miles away. MassDOT spokesman Marshall Hook explained in July that the Chicopee sign likely measured the distance to the nearest exit to Worcester, while the second sign in Ludlow measured to the actual city itself. That makes a difference for Worcester, which is 7 miles up from the Mass. Pike taking the Interstate 290 exit. The Ludlow sign won out, and the Chicopee sign was updated so that it now says Worcester is 44 miles away. This was the winning sign, measuring 40 miles from Worcester. (Dave Eisenstadter/MassLive.com) What happened to make the signs disagree, and why did it take so long to correct? When federal standards through the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices were updated to reflect a change measuring to the exit as opposed to the destination itself, one sign may have been updated while the other was not. A dive into the Google Street View archives provides some further hints. A photo from January 2016 has a different sign in the place of the Worcester 40 sign which said Worcester was 33 miles away. A former sign agrees with its friend down the road back in 2016, according to an archival Google Maps image. Google maps image By September 2018, the sign was replaced with the one that stands there today, the Google Maps image archive shows. Thats not what happened to the other sign. In October 2018, it is barely standing with a big dent and only one leg, the Google Maps image at the time shows. By July 2019, the sign is laying flat on the ground. Did someone ram this thing in 2018? Google Maps image In September 2022, archival Google images show the sign restored, but not updated. But the discrepancy wasnt noticed prior to a MassLive reporter contacting MassDOT in July. The sign was updated and by mid-August was in full agreement with the other sign. The cost was about $500 for materials and labor. MassDOT oversees traffic sign installation, maintenance, inspection and replacement throughout the state. They replace between 1,100 and 1,500 signs on the interstate and freeway system every year, according to their website. Tucked into the hills just outside Springfield, a whimsical retreat beckons where guests can stay in suites reminiscent of Lord of the Rings hobbit homes. The property promises wood-fired cedar hot tubs, hand-carved beds and fire pits. Guests might imagine themselves indulging in second breakfasts and embracing total relaxation in a place that seems otherworldly. Welcome to Shiraton Hotels, the voice of a grandfatherly British narrator calmly says in a video ad posted on YouTube, welcoming visitors to a hidden retreat at what appears to be a Lord of the Rings-inspired getaway. And hidden, perhaps, is the operative word here. Because behind the fantasy-inspired adventure which has already raised more than $300,000 from more than 400 people eager to support an unexpected journey to rolling green hills and 5-Star Luxury a question lingers: Is this enchanted escape real? Shiraton Hotels is the name of an organization asking for money in an IndieGoGo online crowdfunding campaign with the promise of bringing a vacation hobbit-hole to Massachusetts. Where, exactly, is unclear. Some on social media are wary of the vagueness on the hotels website and various social media platforms. Complaints to the state attorney generals office also cast doubts on the projects legitimacy, especially as the campaign fails to disclose a specific location for the hotel and often ignores customers comments and questions. MassLive tried many ways over two months to reach a representative of the hotel, including messaging the groups Facebook page, emailing the address listed on its website, calling press contacts listed online and sending a letter to a Boston address listed in Shiratons emails. No one responded to any of those communications, and the letter was sent back because it was unable to be delivered. MassLive has been unable to identify any people involved in this project, including a search of Massachusetts corporation registration records. Inspired by Frodos quest with the One Ring, MassLive embarked on a journey of its own across the many dominions of Massachusetts to find this mysterious shire. The search proved more complicated than anticipated for a hotel supposedly located in a town of just 1,000 people, which is asking for financial support from the public and is meant to open next spring. The Facebook page, website and IndieGoGo campaign for Shiraton Hotels, a project claiming to be built somewhere in Massachusetts. (Website composite) What is Shiraton Hotels? The idea of staying in a home inspired by the iconic franchise resonates with many, as the campaign has raised more than $305,000 from more than 400 backers since the IndieGoGo campaign first launched on May 27 15 times the set goal of $20,000. The IndieGoGo campaign offers different ways people can help infuse the project with money early in the process. People pay now and get to stay at the hotel later. A VIP weekday stay includes two nights at $499, and a VIP weekend package offers three nights at $699. Some listings suggest an April 2026 opening. Although the organization never explicitly uses the name The Lord of the Rings in its advertising, the inspiration is clear. The promotional images and video used by the organization look like the Middle-earthian architecture in Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings trilogy inspired by J. R. R. Tolkiens books. The name itself references the home of the Hobbits in Middle-earth, the Shire. The images on Shiratons website and social media posts do not explicitly say they are renderings, leading viewers to assume thats where they can stay now. However, in response to people complaining that the images were AI-generated, the group states on Facebook that all visual materials have been created by real artists and graphic designers no AI has been used in any of our renderings." No graphic designers are credited on any of their pages, and MassLive received no response when trying to confirm the images are original artwork. Someone poking around the site a little more soon realizes the project is likely not yet built. The IndieGoGo account promises Estimated delivery April 2026. The bottom of the projects website shows what appears to be photos of workers building things and looking at blueprints in a field. An Aug. 5 post on the IndieGoGo account also offers an update: The design is complete. The builder is secured. Phase One of Shiraton has begun. It also indicates construction is scheduled to start this fall. The cozy Hobbit-like accommodations seen on the site arent yet there. Where is Shiraton? But where is there? The exact location of the hotel remains unclear. The hotels website suggests its located somewhere outside of Springfield and only two hours from Boston and three hours from New York City. Social media posts earlier in the year suggested it was in Central Massachusetts. A previous version of the website also stated Shiraton was near Bash Bish Falls State Park, Mount Greylock Reservation and Mount Holyoke State Park, all of which are one to two hours away from New Braintree and an hour away from each other. A Christmas tree farm in New Braintree on Aug. 13, 2025. Gustavo Atencio Flores/MassLive The most promising lead is on the IndieGoGo page, which lists New Braintree as its location. Its a town nearly one hour away from Springfield, four hours from New York City and an hour-and-a-half from Boston. MassLive recently visited New Braintree Town Hall in search of answers. But for an exciting new hotel project thats going to be located in a town of only 1,000 people, the trail went cold. Jessica Bennett, the town clerk, and Lori Hoffman, the police clerk, both said they had no knowledge of a project such as Shiraton being developed in the town. The towns select board said they were not aware of the project, either. A MassLive reporter drove around the small town, looking for any signs of a project like this one. The only thing in town that seemed like it could be related to Shiraton Hotels was a construction crew working at a nearby field. Finally! The first real glimmer of hope that we had found the project. But alas, the construction crew confirmed that it was not working on a hotel, just some barn renovations. A sign labeled "New Braintree" outside of the New Braintree town hall on Aug. 13, 2025. Gustavo Atencio Flores/MassLive Shireton vs. Shiraton Shiraton Hotels was not the original name of the project. The project used to go by the name Shireton with an e Hotels, which can be found on the Way Back Machine internet archive, showing the original name as recently as April 7. An email newsletter claiming to be from someone named Kim sent May 27 stated: Quick heads-up: We used to be Shireton Hotels now were Shiraton Hotels! Same team, same vision, just a name that fits us better." MassLive searched the Massachusetts Corporations Database to try to find a registered business under both names, but could not find anything obvious. MassLive has not been able to confirm why the name was changed. Another group using the name Shireton is developing a similar project in Virginia, but that group confirmed through Instagram messages that they are not related to the group in Massachusetts. Are the hobbits really trolls? Despite clear interest in such a venture, alarm bells related to the projects legitimacy have repeatedly been raised online. Earlier in the year, Shireton-turned-Shiraton posted fairly aggressively on social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, enticing would-be guests. One Facebook user, Amanda Kocot of West Springfield, told MassLive that she posted a thread on the platform declaring the project a scam after seeing ads for it on social media asking users early in the project to donate $50 to their campaign in exchange for early access to booking dates once the hotel opens. If youre getting this ad like I am for Shireton Hotels and thinking to yourself wow how cool I want to stay here DO NOT try to book their $50 early special, the post reads. This page is a scam and not even a real hotel. If youre getting this ad like I am for Shireton Hotels and thinking to yourself wow how cool I want to stay here... Posted by Amanda Elizabeth on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 The only clue pointing toward a real individual behind the project came in the form of newsletters sent to those on the hotels email list, signed by an individual named Kim. The email signature also includes the address in Boston at 867 Boylston St., the address from where the letter was returned. A trip to the address yielded no luck, as the building near the Prudential Center is a shared office space where multiple companies operate. People who work in the building recently said they had never heard of Shiraton Hotels and that they had no knowledge of such a project operating out of the shared space. Kocots search for answers regarding the project similarly went unanswered. It wasnt until she publicly posted the thread on Facebook that she was finally able to communicate with them. As a small, independent team working hard to bring a creative vision to life, public posts calling our project a scam can have a significant impact on our reputation and momentum, Shiraton Hotels commented on the post. We completely understand the need for caution online, but we assure you that theres nothing deceptive about our intentions. After whoever was representing Shiraton on Facebook asked Kocot to take down the post, she agreed to do so as long as they updated their website with more transparency regarding what she sees as the more suspicious aspects of the project, such as its location and what she claims are AI-generated images of the hotels interior. Shiraton Hotels has not updated the information found on their websites, and the post remains up on Facebook as of Aug. 13. In the thread, Shiraton Hotels stated that the $50 deposit is fully refundable, and weve promptly refunded anyone who has requested it. On the groups website, a button at the bottom of the page that says Refund Policy brings the user to the sites Terms and Conditions page. A section on that page labeled Refunds Policy says: Please review our Return Policy posted on the Site prior to making any purchases. However, there is no other refund policy information on the site. Tessa McKenzie, another Facebook user from Sykesville, Maryland, struggled to get her $50 deposit back. She first reached out to the group via email and Facebook. Their customer service was just so dismal I never heard back, McKenzie told MassLive. There was also a lot of confusion at first because Link/Stripe (the payment system) was more responsive yet couldnt do a thing without approval from [Shiraton Hotels]. It wasnt until McKenzie publicly commented on Kocots Facebook thread that she received confirmation from Shiraton Hotels that her refund had been processed. The entrances to the New Braintree Town Offices and police station on Aug. 13, 2025. Gustavo Atencio Flores/MassLive IndieGoGo posted Shiraton Hotels promotional video on its social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok. Comments appear to be turned off on the posts involving the Shiraton Hotels, but not other projects promoted by IndieGoGo. MassLive recently reached out to IndieGoGo and parent company Gamefound several times for information regarding the legitimacy of the project, but did not receive a response. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbells office said it received an official complaint on June 6 regarding Shiraton Hotels, requesting they contact IndieGoGo and/or Facebook and have them remove these pages, before more people are defrauded. Campbells office told MassLive the matter is still under review two months later, in which time the company has raised more than $200,000 more. The office did not explain what an investigation into such a complaint entails. You shall not pass? They say not all those who wander are lost, but after countless attempts to reach a person involved with the project and traveling across Massachusetts, it seems only the Eye of Sauron would be able to find the future site of the Shiraton Hotel, or at least someone checking email or social media posts. The journey was long, and the information available on the Shiraton Hotel was thin, like butter scraped over too much bread. MassLive didnt find a ring, but maybe the ring will find us? If you have more information about Shiraton Hotel, email feedback@masslive.com. A common species of fruit fly, Drosophila subobscura, has a peculiar mating ritual. To accept copulation, the female requires the male to regurgitate food directly into her mouth. It is an innate behavior, not observed in other species of fruit fly, such as Drosophila melanogaster, whose males court the female with the vibration of their wings. About 30 million years of evolution separate the two species. But a team of Japanese scientists has now managed to transfer the regurgitation ritual from one species to another with a simple genetic modification. In a lab at Nagoya University, male Drosophila melanogaster have begun regurgitating into the mouths of females before copulating. The researchers say that this is the first time a behavior has been transferred between species by manipulating a single gene. Both species share a strand of DNA, the fru gene, which controls the behavior of males during courtship. However, some behaviors consist of producing romantic sounds and others to offering regurgitated bridal gifts. The scientists, led by geneticist Daisuke Yamamoto, observed that, by hyperactivating the gene in a group of neurons in Drosophila melanogaster, these cells develop long projections that create new brain circuits and generate regurgitation behavior. Their results show that a small reconfiguration of neurons is enough to revive ancestral behavior. The study was published August 14 in the journal Science. In March 2023, Spanish biologist Albert Cardona and his Croatian colleague Marta Zlatic presented the first complete map of an animal brain, which happened to be that of the larva of the fly Drosophila melanogaster. A year later, an international consortium obtained the map of the adult Drosophila melanogasters brain: 140,000 neurons, with about 55 million connections between them. Cardona believes that the new study is very interesting, but, although it seems new, it isnt all that new. The biologist recalls that two years ago the neuroscientist Tomoko Ohyama showed that by manipulating the activity of a neuron in the larvae of Drosophila melanogaster she could reproduce the flight behavior characteristic of another species of fly, Drosophila santomea, whose larvae escape by rolling away from harmful stimuli. Cardona, who works at the Molecular Biology Laboratory in Cambridge, explains that he and another Spanish biologist working in the United Kingdom, Lucia Prieto Godino, published the preliminary results of similar research in June. The authors mapped the neural circuitry of the olfactory system of the fly Drosophila erecta, an insect endemic to West Africa that feeds exclusively on the fruits of a tropical shrub. After analyzing the mechanism of this insect, the team genetically manipulated the neural connections of the fly Drosophila melanogaster so that it was also partial to the African fruit. A male 'Drosophila subobscura' regurgitating into the mouth of the female. Tanaka et al Cardona says it is a shame that the Japanese study does not cite these two precedents but recognizes the value of the new results. What should be noted is that, although separated by 30 million years, the two species of fly, Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila subobscura, are capable of the same behavior sharing a nuptial gift [regurgitated food] but while it does not occur naturally in one, it does in the other. This gives rise to speculation that evolution does not have to form new circuits, but merely to tune the intensity of the connections between neurons, and this is enough to change behavior, as first described by Tomoko Ohyama and Lucia Prieto Godino, says Cardona. Prieto Godino directs a laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute in London that investigates the evolution of neural circuits: the connections between cells on which thoughts, memories and behaviors depend. Godino is impressed by the study that has transferred the ritual of regurgitation from one species of fly to another. This work shows that potentially simple genetic changes such as a change in the expression of a gene in neurons that do not normally express it can alter how these neurons connect with the rest of the circuits, and how that in turn can change behavior, she says. Yamamoto, of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology in Kobe, explains why he believes his study goes further than previous ones. We have managed to transfer an entire pattern of behavior from one species to another by manipulating a single master gene that controls a specific behavior, the geneticist tells EL PAIS. As far as I know, it is the first time it has been done. Previous work had induced changes in the intensity of a response or in preferences or dislikes, but not in the repertoires of behaviors themselves. Biotechnologist Lluis Montoliu from the National Centre for Biotechnology (CSIC) in Madrid is excited about the implications of the new study. It is a surprising article, one of the first if not the first to identify what would be the genetic basis of what we call innate behaviors, which we assume we understand, when this is not the case. These are behaviors that are transmitted from generation to generation, that do not require learning and that cause certain species to behave in one way or another, such as, for example, during courtship, he explains. It shows that this innate behavior is not the product of magic, it is not the product of something inexplicable, but is something that is inscribed in the genes and not only in the genes, but also in where these genes are expressed, Montoliu adds. Montoliu stresses that it is the same gene that controls the seductive sounds emitted by Drosophila melanogaster and the regurgitations offered by Drosophila subobscura. The change is not in the gene but in its ability to express itself. This work demonstrates the power of epigenetics, he explains, referring to the chemical modifications of DNA that alter how the same gene is read in different cells. Hats off to this study. We now know that an innate behavior is inscribed in genetics, not due to the presence of new genes, but to the expression of the same gene in a new territory. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A Millis man was sentenced to prison for threatening to kill Jewish people and blow up synagogues with bombs, United States Attorney Leah Foleys office said Thursday. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick sentenced John Reardon, 60, to 26 months or two years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Reardon must also pay $1,260 in restitution to the victims. He previously pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, one count of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure a person and one count of stalking using a facility of interstate commerce. After his guilty plea, he was released on conditions despite the governments objections, Foleys office said in a statement released Thursday. He violated these conditions by calling a RightSpace Self Storage employee in Upton and told the man he would f**k him up and blow up the facility. Reardon called them again after the probation office told him not to. His state charges are pending. What John Reardon did is despicable, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Boston Ted Docks said in Foleys statement. Spurred by deep-rooted hate, he relentlessly threatened violent, physical harm to members of the Jewish community in greater Boston, spanning two congregations in two different cities, as well as the Israeli consulate. This sentence holds him accountable for his insidious crimes and should be a warning to others: the FBI takes all threats to life seriously and so should anyone thinking about making one. Dont. In January 2024, Reardon was initially arrested and charged for calling and threatening Agudas Achim Synagogue in Attleborough and Congregation Etz Chaim in Sharon, Foleys office said. He threatened to bomb the synagogues, kill all Jewish people and once said, Time to prepare the furnaces again. I hope that you people are wiped off the face of the earth. Between Oct. 7, 2023, and Jan. 29, 2024, Reardon called the Israeli Consulate in Boston 98 times and made harassing and intimidating statements, Foleys office said. You are maggots, you are scum, you are below animals, you Israelis, Reardon said, according to Foleys office. Police in Rehoboth are searching for an 18-year-old girl who hasnt been seen for more than a week. The girl, Kylee Monteiro, is 11 weeks pregnant, her family told WBZ. Police described Monteiro as 6-feet tall and heavyset, with light brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a red T-shirt with the phrase get over it printed on the front, ripped blue jeans and tan boots when she went missing, police said. Monteiro also may have been carrying a white bag with her belongings inside. She was last seen in the area of County Street. On Wednesday morning, Massachusetts State Police, a search and rescue team and other law enforcement were gathered near County and New streets. Police have used dogs and drones in their search for Monteiro, WCVB reported. Monteiros family told WCVB that she got in an argument with her boyfriend before she disappeared. Thats the last contact that shes made with anyone was Thursday through text message, Monteiros sister, Faith, told the station. The last known time when we heard her voice was Wednesday night. Monteiro recently graduated from high school with plans to attend welding school, WBZ reported. Anyone with information about Monteiros whereabouts, or surveillance footage from the County Street area, is asked to call police at 508-972-1041 or 508-252-3722, extension 1135. Over 14,000 students, alumni, faculty and members of the public have urged Harvard University not to succumb to the illegal demands that may be part of a deal with the Trump administration, according to a letter sent to Harvard administrators on Thursday. A settlement with the Trump administration will have a chilling effect on the Harvard community and on all of higher education. The university must hold the line: for higher education institutions across the country, for the foundational role that independent higher education plays in our democracy and for the many lives benefitted by the research, service and scholarship of the Harvard community, the letter reads. The letter comes amid reported talks between Harvard and the Trump administration over a potential $500 million settlement deal to end months of battles between the two. Other institutions, such as Columbia University and Brown University, have struck deals with the federal government recently. The people who signed onto the letter are asking Harvard not to do the same. Columbia and Browns settlements represent a dangerous capitulation that risks eroding the foundation of American higher education, the letter said. They must not become a precedent guiding Harvard or other higher educational institutions nationwide. We urge you: Do not give in, the letter reads. As talks continue at Harvard, the universitys two lawsuits against the federal government are progressing through the court system. One lawsuit targets the cutting of over $2.6 billion in federal funding to the institution, while the other challenges the administrations attempts to revoke the universitys ability to host international students. Most recently, the Trump administration threatened to take over Harvard Universitys patents, saying that the university has failed to live up to its obligations to the American taxpayer. What is in the letter? The Thursday letter, which was sent to Harvard President Alan Garber and to the board that governs the university, was organized by alumni and student groups as well as Harvard unions. Crimson Courage, an alumni group dedicated to defending academic freedom, sent the letter. The letter lays out seven key points for what Harvard should do: Uphold Harvards independence: reject demands for monitoring and oversight of Harvards core functions Reject political interference in university decision-making Protect the Harvard community, especially those with international status, from any intrusions of privacy, unwarranted immigration action and attacks on their constitutionally protected rights and freedoms. Ensure that admissions, hiring, employment and disciplinary processes do not treat students, faculty, researchers, scholars and staff differently based on political viewpoint or engagement in expressive activities disfavored by the government. Create a structure and mechanisms for direct and timely engagement with students, faculty, researchers and staff on changes that directly affect the Harvard community. Refuse punitive action, including the extortion of hefty fines, that have no relation to and/or fail to cure or address the concerns alleged by the Trump administration. Use Harvards financial resources to protect and honor the livelihoods and education of all students, staff, researchers and faculty that serve and/or are part of the Harvard community. Harvard must resist democracy depends on it," the letter states. This isnt the only letter Harvard administrators have received about whether or not to make a deal with the Trump administration. A group of faculty members sent a letter to Garber a couple of weeks ago stating that the university must not cede authority to the government over faculty hiring or student admission decisions, leadership and the content taught in classrooms. The faculty also said that if a deal is reached, the funds allocated to the government should go to programs or projects that the university is okay with, instead of to patronage slush funds. Some of us believe that Harvard should not engage in any extraordinary negotiations with an overstepping federal government; others believe that efforts to find a settlement are the right way forward. All of us have nevertheless agreed to sign this letter because we feel that public clarity is important about what cannot be compromised by Harvard, given its prominence in national and international academic affairs, the faculty wrote. Other politicians have also weighed in on the potential deal, such as Californias Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said Garber should resign. Looks like Harvard has chosen to surrender, Newsom wrote on X. An absolute failure of leadership that will have demonstrable impacts to higher education across our country. He should be ashamed. What has happened between the Trump administration and Harvard? The Trump administration has gone after Harvard since April, cutting billions of dollars. The federal government warned the school could risk losing $9 billion in funding if it does not meet a list of demands that includes an overhaul of Harvards leadership structure, admissions and hiring. Harvard rejected those demands, saying the administration sought to invade university freedoms long recognized by the Supreme Court. Then the fight over funding unfolded. It began with a $2.2 billion funding freeze on April 14 after the school refused to comply with the White Houses demands. In response, Harvard filed a lawsuit on April 21, arguing that its constitutional rights had been violated by the governments threats to pull billions of dollars in funding. Garber also signed onto a letter with hundreds of other university presidents pushing back against government overreach and political interference by the Trump administration. At the beginning of May, the Trump administration said it would bar Harvard University from acquiring new federal grants while the school continues to refuse to comply with the administrations demands for change on its campus. A few days later, eight federal agencies cut $450 million in grants, and then the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cut $60 million in grants from the university. Harvard went on to amend its lawsuit against the Trump administration. On May 16, a wave of nearly one thousand federal research grant terminations began, amounting to more than $2.4 billion, according to an analysis by Nature. In response, Harvard established a new Presidential Priorities Fund, asking for donations in the midst of federal cuts. After nearly every single federal grant had been terminated, some of Harvards schools, including its School of Public Health, took to social media to ask for donations. Other investigations and threats have been made against the institution, some of which have focused on threatening the universitys ability to enroll international students. This prompted Harvard to open a second lawsuit against the Trump administration over its ability to accept international students. Most recently, the U.S. State Department opened an investigation into Harvard Universitys use of international visas. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has also subpoenaed Harvard over its failure to provide documents concerning the misconduct or criminal actions of foreign students. Members of Western Massachusetts citizens groups plan a protest Saturday targeting threats to Social Security and anti-democratic actions by the Trump administration. Members of the groups plan to gather at noon Saturday at the intersection of Boston Road and Parker Street. In a statement, organizers said the event is timed to coincide with actions by pro-democracy groups to rally attention and do everything possible to stop Trumps anti-democratic government takeover before it spreads. Video News: [Video News] La Plateforme Citoyenne demande au President de se ressaisir[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du13 aout 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 12 aout 2025[Video News] Patrick Belcourt denonce[Video News] Conference de presse de Paul Berenger du 12-08-2025[Video News] Premiere a Maurice, Ticketbox.mu integre la technologie SynXis[Video News] CSE Velocity ira a Singapour pour la finale[Video News] Dimans Politik[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 9 aout 2025[Video News] A la decouverte de lheritage de Mauricia de GraysDeces de Patrice Laffont[Video news] Deuxieme journee hippique de 2025 en Live[Vodeo News] Un nouvel alambic mis en route a New Grove Distillery[Video news] Partenariat entre Ticketbox.mu et Hospitality Plus[Video News] Conference de presse de la Plateforme Citoyenne du 8 aout 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 8 aout 2025[Video News] Nando Bodha: nef mois apre ene 60-0 c ene deception total pou lepep [Video News] Middlesex University Mauritius celebre ses talents internationaux et leur impact[Video News] Conference de presse de Paul Berenger[Video News] Chimene Hope a dit[Video news] LUniversite du Middlesex a Maurice celebre lexcellence et ses 15 ans de succes[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 6 aout 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 5 aout 2025[Video News] Lancement de Zamana[Video News] La premiere journee hippique de 2025 en Live[Video News] Jubile des Iles 2025 a lile Maurice[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du aout 2025Declaration de Nando Bodha sur le tarif de 15% impose par Washington.[Video News] Seance parlementaire du 1er aout 2025 en Live[Video news] Conference de presse de la Plateforme Citoyenne du 31 juillet 2025[Video news] Presentation du Jubile des Iles 2025 et Festival des Vocations[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 30 juillet 2025[Video News] Edition Speciale[Video News] Diner-conference de Bando avec LTV Trading Company Limited et VCJ Trading Ltd[Video News] Innovation Challenge 2025 de la TurbineMCB Talk on Container Homes: Less concrete, more sustainable[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 29 juillet 2025[Video News] Seance parlementaire du 29 juillet 2025 en Live[Video News] M.A.C Cosmetics relance son iconique Studio Fix Powder[Video News] Dr. Renganaden Padayachy a dit[Video News] Courts Mammouth celebre 40 ans de succes et devoile une application dachat innovante[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 27 juillet 2025[Video news] Courts Mammouth fete ses 40 ans[Video news] MAC lance le nouveau Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation a Bagatelle[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 25 juillet 2025[Video News] Seance parlementaire du 25 juillet 2025 en Live[Video News] Table Ronde de la Turbine[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 23 juillet 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 22 juillet 2025[Video News] Seance parlementaire du 22 juillet 2025[Video news] Nando Bodha : Mo convaincu ki linite loppostion li sel solution contre enn gouvernement 60/0Parlons de : 175 ans de lEglise St John.[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 19 juillet 2025[Video News] La MFDC, Mauritius Telecom et Media Trust unissent leurs forces pour former les assistants-cameramans mauriciens[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 18 juillet 2025[Video News] Sonu Nigam promet une soiree electrisante, ce samedi 19 juillet a 20H au SVICC, Pailles[Video News] Conference de presse de Nando Bodha[Video News] Assurance Quantum Insurance transforme lexperience client avec un service 24/7[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 16 juillet 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 15 juillet 2025[Video News] Seance parlementaire du 15 juillet 2025 en Live[Video News] Edition Speciale[Video news] Dimans Politik[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 12 juillet 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 11 juillet 2025Parlons de: Systeme de parking relais a Rennes [Video News] [Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 09 juillet 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 9 juillet 2025[Video News] Seance parlementaire du 8 juillet 2025 en Live[Video News] Renganaden Padayachy a dit[Video News] Sudheer Ramnoruth a fait la premiere partie de Robin Sharma[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 5 juillet 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 4 juillet 2025[Video News] Seance parlementaire du 4 juillet 2025 en Live[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 2 juillet 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 1er juillet 2025[Video News]Lancement officiel du programme 2025 JCI Mauritius Creative Young Entrepreneur[Video News] Renganaden Padayachy a dit[Video news] Seance parlementaire du 30 juin 2025 en LIve[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 28 juin 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 27 juin 2025[Video news] Seance parlementaire du 27 juin 2025 en Live[Video News]Horizon 2024 : Une initiative qui change des vies[Video News] Seance parlementaire du 26 juin 2025 en Live[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 25 juin 2025[Video News] Cloture du programme Horizon 2024[Video News] Seance parlementaire du 24 juin 2025 en Live[Video news] Seance parlementaire du 23 juin 2025 en Live.[Video News] Edition Speciale[Video News] Fete de la Musique a lIFM[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 21 juin 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 20 juin 2025[Video news] Seance parlementaire du 20 juin 2025[Video news] Conference de presse de la SEF du 18 juin 2025[Video news] Conference de presse de la FPU du 19 juin 2025[Video news] Seance parlementaire du 19 juin 2025 en Live[Video News] Edition Speciale[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 18 juin 2025[Video News] Educathon @ IFM[Video News] Seance parlementaire du 18 juin 2025 en Live A North Mayo community believes that funding for major local trail enhancements and improvements near Nephin will be a 'catalyst for growth'. Mayo TD and Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary, announced 8.7 million to deliver 221 recreational based projects nationwide through the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS). Among the projects being funded included 40,000 for the development of a trail from the Titanic Park in Lahardane towards Nephin car park and an additional 40,000 to improve a 150m section of the access route to Nephin mountain. Welcoming the funding for the region, the Lahardane Development Company said in a statement that this funding will be a 'catalyst for growth for Lahardane' and will enhance the walking route linking Lahardanes Titanic past with Nephins famous peaks. Lahardane is set to strengthen its position as a key tourism destination in north Mayo following the announcement of 80,000 in funding for major local trail enhancements and improvements, the group stated. READ: Mayo postman who served Achill area retires after career with many talents This long-awaited link will create a seamless connection between cultural tourism and outdoor adventure, firmly establishing Lahardane as a base for both hikers and heritage visitors. Nephin, Irelands largest standalone mountain, is a magnet for walkers and climbers from across Ireland and beyond. Together, these attractions offer a unique combination of history and natural beauty. This funding will be a catalyst for growth for Lahardane as it will not only enhance the visitor experience and make it much safer for people to make their way into the village but it will also firmly place Lahardane on the map as a key must visit destination for tourists traversing north Mayo. The funding, secured with the support of Castlebar Municipal District head David Mellet and Mayo County Councils tourism team, will be used to improve the trail and add promotional materials for the route. The Addergoole Titanic Park, opened 13 years ago, draws thousands of visitors each year to learn about the local communitys connection to the Titanic tragedy. The group extended thanks to the Addergoole Titanic Society, past and present committee members, and the wider Lahardane community whose vision and commitment have laid the foundations for this next chapter. Trail works will run alongside the existing R315 road toward the Nephin turn-off, with new signage and marketing to promote the already popular route. While 150 metre local trail enhancement works will take place on the existing Nephin trail. The project marks a major step forward in positioning Lahardane as a must-visit destination in north Mayo, the group concluded. The wave of wildfires continues to rage in Spain. Over the past week, 111,916 hectares have burned in 38 fires, according to estimates from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has recorded 16 major fires with a high level of risk currently active in Spain, according to data from the National Emergency Monitoring and Coordination Center as of Friday morning. Four of these outbreaks are located in Galicia (A Mezquita, Chandrexa de Queixa, Maceda-Santiso and Oimbra, all in the province of Ourense), five in Castile and Leon (Gallegos del Rio and Molezuelas de la Carballeda-Castrocalbon, in Zamora; Yeres-Puente de Domingo Florez and Orallo-Villablino, in Leon; and in La Alberca, in the province of Salamanca), two in Extremadura (in Jarilla, Caceres and in Llerena, Badajoz), one in Cangas del Narcea (Asturias) and another in Teresa de Cofrentes, in the province of Valencia. The fire that started in the town of A Mezquita (Ourense) and spread to the province of Zamora on Thursday remains out of control. During the night, firefighters focused on saving some threatened homes in the local municipalities, where more than 1,700 people were evacuated. For now, according to sources involved in the operation, the fire has not reached any residential areas, but remains out of control, with many outbreaks in the province of Ourense and two fronts advancing through the Hermisende and Pias valleys in the Alta Sanabria region of Zamora. The situation is improving at the Molezuelas de la Carballeda fire in Zamora, which is expected to be the most serious fire ever recorded in Spain, after the flames razed around 31,500 hectares. The regional technical director of firefighting, Angel Sanchez, has indicated that the progress of the fire during Thursday night was satisfactory, since these reactivations have been controlled and the area affected by the fire has not increased. In the coming hours, work will focus on stabilizing the fire with both ground and aerial resources that will discharge water to cool the area while experts monitor for possible reactivations. The fire, which remains active and at level 2 of potential severity in the Castile and Leon extinction plan, started on Sunday. Two volunteers who were helping to extinguish the flames died battling this fire. Miguel Angel Luengo, mayor of La Alberca, Salamanca, complained on the Cadena SER radio network that the fire affecting his town has spread because, after it had been extinguished Tuesday, there were no fire crews on hand from Wednesday to Thursday so the unsupervised blaze reignited. He confirmed that on Friday morning, after a night in which firefighting personnel were present, the situation improved and the fire had decreased in intensity. The Military Emergency Unit (UME) has deployed 1,300 personnel and 440 vehicles to 12 active forest fires in Spain. Nine of them are in the northwest, at the fires in Cangas del Narcea (Asturias), Yeres (Leon), Molezuelas y Puercas (Zamora), Requeixo-Chandrexa de Queixa, Oimbra, A Mezquita, Larouco, and Maceda (Ourense). They are also present in Extremadura, where they are responding to the Jarilla forest fire (Caceres) and the Llerena forest fire (Badajoz). They are also present in Valencia, where they are responding to the Teresa de Cofrentes fire. A firefighting airplane drops water over a wildfire on the outskirts of Abejera de Tabara, Zamora, Spain, August 13, 2025. Susana Vera (REUTERS) Rail and road transport cut off Rail services between Madrid and Galicia remain suspended until further notice due to the ongoing forest fires affecting various parts of Galicia and Castile and Leon, according to a joint statement issued by the state-owned Adif railway infrastructure company and the rail operator Renfe on Thursday. With the safety of passengers as a priority, as well as that of the emergency services working to extinguish the fires, Adif will maintain the suspension of rail service until the management of the fires burning mainly in Zamora and Ourense authorizes the passage of trains with full safety guarantees, the statement, released late Thursday afternoon, stated. To ensure that those scheduled to travel by train on the route between Madrid and Galicia could reach their destination, 65 buses were chartered Thursday, covering the section between Zamora, Puebla de Sanabria, and Ourense. Renfe and Adif also reported that hotel rooms, food and drink kits at train stations, and free ticket cancellations and exchanges have been provided to affected passengers. The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) reported that 11 roads across the Spanish road network were closed to traffic on Friday morning due to the fires. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has warned that the risk of fires is very high or extreme and will remain so in most of Spain until Monday due to the heat wave. Aemet forecasts significantly high temperatures in most of the Iberian Peninsula, with rising highs in the northern half of the country. Temperatures will exceed 35 degrees Celsius in most of the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands, and could reach 40 degrees Celsius in parts of Extremadura and Andalusia. Regarding winds, the agency forecasts generally light winds with intervals of moderate winds in the west of the country. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Migrants are using the Waze app to report ICE raids in Florida, in an illustrative image. Technology is helping thousands of immigrants in the United States against the Trump administrations relentless hunt for undocumented foreigners. Apps like Waze and more traditional social networks such as Facebook and WhatsApp groups are being used nationwide to alert people about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. In the case of the collaborative navigation app Waze used to find the best route and get traffic updates users are reporting icy roads in hot places like Florida this summer. Of course, these are not real reports, but a tactic to warn migrants of ICE raids. Examples of the creative messages include: I heard from a friend that its pretty icy over by Mission Donuts today, or Icy conditions SIZE: between 4-7 officers, written almost like a Morse code. Even the strange reports of icy streets in cities like Chicago during hot July days sparked a Reddit thread explaining the initiative and encouraging other drivers to join. Some migrants act as verifiers to check the information before amplifying it privately on social media and messaging platforms. Waze told CNN that posting false reports violates the apps usage policies. Intentionally submitting false reports in Waze is against our policies. People can flag inaccurate reports by downvoting or submitting a support ticket once theyre identified, well remove them from the map," said the company, but the platform cannot prevent reports from continuing to appear. Meanwhile, migrant advocacy organizations like the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) have defended the strategy, saying digital platforms can be a lifeline for thousands of undocumented people amid Washingtons crackdown on irregular immigration. Far from being a disruption to law enforcement, this kind of digital organizing is an act of survival a modern expression of the right to community defense, said Brenda Bastian, the groups chief content officer, in an email to CNN. This is more than a digital issue. Its about civil rights. And we wont let the digital space become another tool of oppression were making sure it remains a tool of resistance. Authorities have quickly responded to the phenomenon, threatening legal action. This sure looks like obstruction of justice, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement to CNN. Our brave ICE law enforcement is already facing a nearly 1,000% increase in assaults against them. If you obstruct or assault our law enforcement, we will hunt you down and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. However, any government prosecution would face significant case law affirming that warning people of a potential arrest is protected speech under the First Amendment. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition For many breast cancer survivors, fatigue may linger long after treatment ends, which can have a significant impact on cognitive function, ability to work, and overall quality of life Trusted Source A pilot investigation of the impact of acute mental and physical fatigue exposure on inflammatory cytokines and state fatigue level in breast cancer survivors Go to source Trusted Source Are the links between #fatigue, #inflammation, and #breastcancer more complex than we thought? Short-term mental or physical tasks did not increase inflammation or fatigue in most breast cancer survivors. #CancerResearch #BreastCancerAwareness Brief Tasks Dont Raise Fatigue or Inflammation in Survivors Probing the FatigueInflammation Link in Cancer Survivors Advertisement Advertisement A pilot investigation of the impact of acute mental and physical fatigue exposure on inflammatory cytokines and state fatigue level in breast cancer survivors - (https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-025-03758-4) For manyNew research from George Mason Universitys College of Public Health indicates that this exhaustion is more than just a perceived symptom it is a quantifiable condition with tangible effects. (Ali Weinstein, professor of global and community health and senior scholar at the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being studied how breast cancer survivors respond to physically and mentally tiring tasks. Researchers measured changes in both inflammation and participants self-reported fatigue, two common symptoms among breast cancer survivors that are believed to be connected, impact quality of life, and may also play a role in cancer recurrence.The researchers found that(indicators of inflammation that are linked to immune function, stress, and mood).Even women in the control group (who watched a nature video) with high baseline fatigue showed signs of increased inflammation and fatigue , suggesting reactivity even to this relatively innocuous stimulus.Surprisingly, most inflammation markers and fatigue levels did not change following mentally or physically fatiguing tasks, suggesting that these short tasks do not affect inflammation or fatigue among most breast cancer survivors.This study, published inexplores three previously unstudied areas among breast cancer survivors: 1) how mental fatigue may be connected to inflammation, 2) responses in the short term to tasks that may induce fatigue, and 3) the effects of physically versus mentally fatiguing tasks.explains Weinstein. Fatigue can also strongly influence survivors daily quality of life, and we suspect it may be connected to inflammation. Were working to better understand that connection, particularly with short-term exposures that may accumulateand increase inflammation over time.The team worked with female breast cancer survivors, each randomly assigned to one of three short activities: a physically demanding walk/run, a mentally challenging computer test, or simply watching a nature video (used as a control). Blood samples and fatigue ratings were collected before the task, immediately after, and again after a 30-minute recovery period.The researchers highlight the need for more personalized approaches to fatigue management for breast cancer survivors, particularly strategies that consider existing levels of fatigue and the bodys inflammatory response to everyday physical and cognitive demands.Source-Eurekalert The battle over redrawing congressional districts is spreading across the United States. On Thursday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced he will move forward with a plan to approve a new congressional district map in the state, in response to an initiative launched in the Republican-led Texas in mid-July. It was the first escalation to go beyond words in a confrontation between the two parties that has been heating up for a month. Beyond Texas and California, states from Florida to Missouri, and including New York and Indiana, are now starting to make moves in an unprecedented race to influence the 2026 midterm elections. In those elections, the entire House of Representatives is up for renewal, and the ruling party usually loses seats, so Republicans fear losing their slim majority 219 to 212, with four vacancies that they currently hold. Redrawing the maps that determine which voters elect each districts representatives to Congress known as gerrymandering is an established practice in U.S. politics, though it is usually done quietly at the designated times every decade, following the completion of the census. This year, however, U.S. President Donald Trumps open call for Texas Republican legislators to use a special session to pass a new district which could give his party five more House seats if voters act as they did in the 2024 presidential election has upended the usual conventions. The battle has also elevated Newsoms profile as Trumps most prominent opponent. The governor has taken the gloves off, mimicking Trumps style on social media with all-caps posts and superlatives; and at the press conference unveiling his strategy to redraw Californias congressional map, he openly endorsed the plan. We tried to raise the standards, but these guys are not playing by any set of rules, so this time requires us to act anew, Newsom said in a combative speech, calling for a vote on November 4, when a majority of Californians will have to approve the redistricting, designed to give Democrats five additional seats in Congress. Newsoms announcement came just as Texas Democrats who left the state two weeks ago to block the vote on the Texas redistricting spoke to the press. According to Gene Wu, a spokesperson for the caucus, he and his fellow rebels are ready to return now that the issue has escalated nationwide. Now, as Democrats across the nation join our fight to cause these maps to fail their political purpose, were prepared to bring this battle back to Texas under the right conditions and to take this fight to the courts, he said in a statement. However, their triumphalism may be short-lived, as the Texas districts are expected to pass once the state legislature votes, given the Republican Party has a majority in both chambers. Democratic lawmakers walked out of the session in Austin, Texas, on August 14, blocking the approval of the states 38 electoral districts. Sergio Flores (REUTERS) Other Republican efforts As these legislative actions advance in Texas and now California, seeds are being sown for similar initiatives in other states. Republicans in Florida, led by Governor Ron DeSantis and the state House Speaker Daniel Perez, are preparing to draft a new congressional map ahead of the 2026 elections. Florida has 28 congressional districts, 20 of which are held by Republicans, and with a different distribution they hope to increase their majority even further. In Florida, the current path for passing new districts mid-decade dates back to 2022, when a district was approved that created a northern district giving electoral power to Black voters. DeSantis vetoed it and requested it be redrawn. The state legislature eliminated the Black-majority district and spread its population across several districts. Last month, the Florida Supreme Court upheld this decision. In its ruling, the court said it was unconstitutional to create a district based solely on residents race. The justices suggested that preserving a Black-access district could violate the U.S. Constitutions racial neutrality, potentially dismantling a key part of the Fair Districts rules. Encouraged by this judicial victory, DeSantis openly advocated for a redistricting plan at the end of last month, arguing that Florida had experienced significant population changes and that the last census was flawed. Legislators are expected to consider the new district lines during the 2026 legislative session, beginning in January. The schedule will be tight ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections, as election authorities need the new districts before the candidate registration period mid-year. In Missouri, responding to the presidents request, the Republican majority is preparing a special session to redraw its district maps. Although Republican Governor Mike Kehoe has not officially announced a special session, the state House Republican majority leader, Alex Riley, told AP that it is pretty likely to happen and added that he has discussed it with the White House. Republicans hold six of Missouris eight congressional seats, but the party is targeting a Democratic-controlled district in Kansas City to gain another seat. Ohio is another state on the list of potential redistricting. There, a law already requires new maps to be submitted before the 2026 elections, so the Republican Party is expected to try to design the state congressional map in a way that increases its current majority of 10 out of Ohios 15 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Democratic lawmakers from across the country at the Massachusetts Statehouse on August 6, 2025. Lauren Owens Lambert (REUTERS) Indiana has also indicated it may consider redrawing its districts. Vice President J.D. Vance said he spoke with Republican Governor Mike Braun last week, though both politicians remained silent about the conversation. Braun, who would need to call a special session to map out new districts, has said he hopes to hold a broad conversation with legislative leaders on the measures constitutionality and emphasized that no commitments have been made. Republicans have fewer opportunities to gain an additional seat in Indiana, as their current congressional delegation already outnumbers Democrats 7 to 2. Democrats seek countermeasures As for Democrats, in addition to California, New York, Wisconsin, and Maryland have discussed pursuing their own mid-decade redistricting plans. In New York, state Democrats introduced legislation to allow redistricting in the middle of the decade. However, the earliest new maps could be ready is for the 2028 elections, because the proposal would require a state constitutional amendment, a change needing approval from both the legislature and voters twice. In Wisconsin, the chosen route to force the creation of new congressional district boundaries has been judicial. While Republicans control the state legislature, two lawsuits were filed in the states progressive-majority Supreme Court challenging the current maps. There are also rumors that other states will follow suit, though in many cases especially sparsely populated areas the chances of influencing the balance and gaining a seat are slim. Similarly, even where redistricting efforts succeed, there is no guarantee they will achieve the ultimate goal of winning more representation. Redrawing maps now means relying on data from the 2020 census, which is already outdated. The changes could even produce a dummymander a plan intended to favor one party but which ends up benefiting the other in practice. For this reason, although this confrontation has many rounds ahead, the eventual winner will only be known after the 2026 midterm elections. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A Vietnam War veterans widow and her family have uncovered a letter they say provides irrefutable evidence that she had a separate reserved plot next to her husbands grave at the Camp Lewis Post Cemetery. Mary Dowling, 86, discovered that another servicemember was buried in her plot on a visit to the cemetery at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in late 2022, The News Tribune reported in February 2023. Mary regularly visited her husbands grave at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for over five decades, she said, holding fast to the U.S. Armys promise that she would be buried next to him when she died. Chief Warrant Officer Robert M. Dowling, an Army pilot, was killed in action on Jan. 12, 1966, when his helicopter was shot down in the South China Sea, The News Tribune reported. Mary Dowling never remarried, and she raised her four children on her own. The story of her lost plot was also picked up by outlets including WCNC Charlotte and FOX 13 in 2023. In comments to the media, the U.S. Army consistently held that they cannot move the urn with another veterans cremains from the plot next to Robert Dowlings grave because interments are considered final and permanent, but that Mary Dowling could be buried in the same grave as her husband. The family refuses to accept that alternative, arguing that the Armys promise was that she would have her own plot. In February 2023, JBLM Garrison Chief of Staff David Fullmer wrote The News Tribune a detailed statement saying that the Army regretted any errors made regarding her expected burial at the cemetery. The Army had no record of the letters mailed to her confirming her plot, or any records indicating a reserved site for her, he wrote, though he didnt doubt those letters were sent. He also confirmed that online and physical maps showed the Dowling name on two plots, but that No one currently working at JBLM knows who produced or maintained the map. The Army believes her reservation was lost between 1984, when a map of the cemetery was made, and August 2022, when records were transferred to the cemeterys official burial management system, The News Tribune reported. Without a reservation we cannot keep plots obligated indefinitely and deny other veterans and eligible family members a place of rest, Fullmer told The News Tribune then. Recently, Mary Dowling found a letter confirming that her reservation existed, signed by a Memorial Affairs Officer. She found it while going through a box of old papers in her home in Tenino, she said in an interview on July 8 with her son Bobby Dowling. The discovery builds upon other documents Mary Dowling said she has already shared with the Army, including a letter dated Jan. 21, 1966 in which a mortuary officer asked her to sign an enclosed sheet requesting her husbands burial at Fort Lewis cemetery in Section 2, Row F, Lot 8, and a reservation next to him in Lot 9. What makes the recently discovered letter significant, her son Bobby Dowling explained in a follow-up phone call on Aug. 13, is that it exemplifies the annual letters that his mother received confirming her reservation. The other letter previously shared with the Army was the initial form that she submitted soon after her husbands death. Mary Dowling said that she stopped receiving the annual confirmation letters sometime in the 2000s, though she wasnt able to recall exactly when. Her son later said it wasnt the early 2000s, because he remembers that he was working for the federal government at that time and would make calls to the mortuary office on her behalf to ensure that her reservation was still valid. They would really just comfort me to comfort her, to say: No, tell your mom not to worry. Shes here forever just like all the other widows that have graves reserved, he said. He told The News Tribune he mailed a letter to the director of the Office of Army Cemeteries on Aug. 1, requesting immediate restoration of the reserved grave to Mary F. Dowling, consistent with federal law and Army regulations, a formal apology and written assurance that steps will be taken to prevent similar errors for other Gold Star families, and an expedited review and correction of cemetery records to reflect her rightful place beside her husband. He wrote in a text message on Aug. 8 that there has been no response to his letter since then. The issue continues to weigh on the family, the Dowlings said. Just about every night it pops into my head and so I feel like I havent been sleeping well since then, Mary Dowling said. I go over and over everything in my mind. It also makes her wonder about her future. Im getting older now, and so I worry ... will I have a place to go to, like I always planned? she said. Her son believes the Army is dragging its feet on a solution. I think its impacted all of us, he said on July 8. It just needs to be made right, and the Army has not done that in 971 days since this discovery. The reason she wont accept the Armys alternative of burying her in the same grave as her husband, without her own separate headstone, is that she doesnt want something similar to happen to other widows, he told The News Tribune. She doesnt want to create a precedent where she didnt fight this tooth and nail, that she didnt go down fighting, he said. And she wont. As her son, he wont give up either, he said. A reporter reached out to Joint Base Lewis-McChord in late July to ask if there have been any updates in resolving the dispute and if the letter Mary recently discovered provides evidence that could change their former position. JBLM directed inquiries to the National Cemetery Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs directed inquiries to the Department of Defense press desk, which directed inquiries to Army Public Affairs. A spokesperson from the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs of the Army provided the reporter with a statement via email on Aug. 8 and attributed it to an Army official. The Office of Army Cemeteries greatly appreciates Mary Dowlings sacrifice as a Gold Star spouse and regrets any additional distress caused by this situation. The Army is committed to ensuring standards and accountability of all Army Post Cemeteries and deeply regrets the cemetery management actions that resulted in Mrs. Dowlings expectation of a separate grave adjacent to her spouse, Robert Dowling, for her eventual burial. This situation was fully reviewed and investigated in 2023. The Department of the Army is dedicated to ensuring Mrs. Dowling receives a dignified burial in the same grave alongside her beloved husband at her time of need, unless she remarries, consistent with the care provided to Gold Star spouses across the national cemetery system. Two U.S. Congress members from Washington state, Rep. Marilyn Strickland and Rep. Dan Newhouse, learned of the dispute between the Army and the Dowlings and stepped in to help, The News Tribune reported in 2023. A staffer from Stricklands office attended a Feb. 16, 2023 telephone meeting with the Dowling family, their attorney, JBLM officials and Army Cemeteries personnel. Strickland spokesperson Siena Miller then told The News Tribune that Stricklands office submitted an inquiry to the Department of the Army about the issue. Rep. Dan Newhouse learned of the situation from one of his staffers, a Gold Star family member, and also became involved, The News Tribune reported. Strickland spokesperson Siena Miller wrote in an email on Aug. 8 that the office does not have an update to share at this time. Matthew Reed, a spokesperson for Newhouses office, also responded in an email Tuesday saying that he is having their district team look and see if they have received anything new from the Dowlings. Their office would be happy to speak with Mary Dowling if she has new information, he wrote, adding that the person in their office who was previously working with her on the case has since retired. 2025 The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.). Visit www.TheNewsTribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy convened a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee field hearing Thursday in Metairie, Louisiana, to discuss gaps in mental health care for Louisiana veterans, from long wait times and rural isolation to provider shortages and the stigma that keeps many from seeking help. Mental health challenges are prominent among veterans, with approximately one-third of all VA users having at least one mental health visit in a given year. But the situation for Louisiana's 262,000 veterans is especially dire, witnesses said. Based on initial data from a survey conducted by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, PTSD rates among Louisiana veterans could be as high as 45% -- more than twice the national average. Forty-two percent of veterans who were surveyed live more than an hour from a VA clinic, and many face transportation gaps, rural poverty and food insecurity. Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Charlton Meginley, who presented the findings, called them "deeply concerning." "Veteran mental health is not just a VA issue; it is a national security issue," Meginley said, pointing out that if veterans aren't taken care of, it could discourage people from joining the military at all. Cassidy, a physician, convened the panel at Delgado Community College, calling it a chance for veterans to speak directly to decision-makers and to make sure "that the veteran transitions from serving our country in the battlefield" to "serving our country, their family and themselves here in society." 'A Fatal Gap' The shortage of providers and long wait times for appointments were repeatedly pointed out by experts and community leaders as roadblocks to care. "Unless you're going to commit suicide, you're not going to be seen right away," said audience member Belinda Hill, national service officer with the Disabled American Veterans. A veteran seeking help for substance use disorder often faces waits of more than 30 days, said Emily Meyers, chief executive officer of Long Branch Recovery and Wellness. "It can be a fatal gap," said Meyers, given the risk of overdose, especially from fentanyl-laced street drugs. A new VA Office of Inspector General report released Monday showed Louisiana's veterans hospitals are struggling with staffing, with the deepest gaps being felt in mental health and nursing. In 2025, VA hospitals across the country said they were struggling to fill 4,434 types of critical jobs, which is 50% more than the 2,959 they reported in 2024, according to the report. The New Orleans VA had 30 types of occupations in "severe shortage," which means there are far too few qualified candidates to fill critical jobs, making it hard for the VA to hire and keep enough staff to meet veterans' needs. Shreveport had 23 and Pineville had 20, according to the report. "There's a shortage," said Fernando Rivera, director of the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System and interim head of VA's multi-state VISN 16 network. "We can't get around the fact that ... in our state, we don't have an overabundance of mental health providers." 'Eyeball-to-Eyeball' Care Veterans in Louisiana are able to get referrals for same-day care to a virtual mental health provider, but community leaders said many veterans may not want virtual care, and high turnover among providers can abruptly end hard-won therapeutic relationships. "I have been that lonely veteran, and I have gotten on the app, and I was as lonely when I got off," said Jackson Smith, a Marine combat veteran and executive director of Bastion Community of Resilience. Smith held up a photo taken during his service in Afghanistan with a platoon of 78 as he described the injuries and mental health issues following service. "Over those eight months I watched virtually every one of those Marines experience multiple, in some cases dozens, of brain-injuring events like land mine explosions and fire planes," Smith said. Smith advocated for expansion of the Fox Suicide Prevention grant program to fund smaller, local organizations positioned to deliver "eyeball-to-eyeball" support, and called for reinstating the VA's assisted living traumatic brain injury pilot program, which ended in 2017 without replacement. Louisiana only has seven residential beds for those needing intensive mental health or substance use care. While screening across the VA's multi-state network has sped up admissions to out-of-state facilities, the small number of in-state beds makes it challenging for people to get seen quickly, Rivera said. A $1.5 billion investment in President Trump's 2026 budget is expected to expand those beds nationwide. 2025 The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. Visit www.nola.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A federal court has temporarily blocked an order from President Donald Trump that stripped collective bargaining rights from the unions that represent teachers for the Defense Department schools that serve military children. In a ruling issued Thursday, Judge Paul Friedman of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia granted a preliminary injunction that the Federal Education Association, or FEA, and affiliated unions sought to block Trump's order to end collective bargaining agreements in wide swaths of the government, including the Department of Defense Education Activity. "The union plaintiffs' declarations demonstrate that DoDEA has discontinued negotiations over successive collective bargaining agreements; ceased participation in grievance proceedings; stopped engaging in arbitral proceedings on various grievances; disallowed union representation during employee disciplinary meetings and investigatory interviews; and eliminated official time and use of agency office spaces to conduct representation activities," Friedman, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, wrote in the decision. "These actions, taken together, essentially terminate the respective collective bargaining agreements and thus cause irreparable harm." Read Next: Man Charged with Assaulting Border Patrol Agent with Sandwich in DC Is an Air Force Veteran At issue is an executive order Trump issued in March that invoked federal statutes allowing national security-related agencies to be excepted from collective bargaining laws. The order applied to traditional national security agencies, such as the Defense Department, but swept in most of the rest of the government too, ending collective bargaining rights for about two-thirds of the total federal workforce. The order gave Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth leeway to exempt Pentagon subagencies and allow them to keep their union rights. Hegseth did authorize a few exemptions, but not for DoDEA employees -- despite a push from 45 lawmakers, including a couple of Republicans, to exempt the DoDEA from the order. The FEA, along with the Federal Education Association-Stateside Region and Antilles Consolidated Education Association, filed a lawsuit against the order in May. Together, the unions represent more than 5,400 DoDEA employees, including teachers, librarians, instructional assistants, counselors and nurses. "The executive order suffers from manifold constitutional infirmities," the lawsuit argued. "Even if the executive order were not generally invalid by reason of those constitutional infirmities, defendant Peter Hegseth's failure to exercise his delegated authority under the executive order to suspend its application to DoDEA is arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law and therefore violates the Administrative Procedure Act." The Trump administration, for its part, argued that the DoDEA is essential to national security. "DoDEA has a primary national security function, given its role in educating service members' children, which is critical to DoD's recruitment and retention efforts," the Justice Department wrote in its opposition to the lawsuit. "Because the United States relies on an all-volunteer military, the support and benefits it offers its members allow it to recruit and retain military personnel." Friedman, though, ruled that the DoDEA's connection to recruitment efforts is "insufficient" to argue that its primary function is national security work. The FEA did not respond to a request for comment on the injunction from Military.com by publication time. Its umbrella organization, the National Education Association, referred Military.com to the FEA for comment, but celebrated the decision on social media. "We will never stop fighting for our right to EXIST!" the National Education Association posted on social media site Bluesky. Unions representing other federal agencies filed a separate lawsuit against Trump's executive order and had previously won a preliminary injunction blocking it. But earlier this month, an appeals court lifted that injunction. Shortly after the appeals court ruling, the Department of Veterans Affairs, one of the agencies that had been blocked from taking action, announced it was ending collective bargaining agreements with most federal unions. The Justice Department declined to comment Friday on Friedman's decision in the DoDEA lawsuit and whether it plans to appeal. A spokesperson for the DoDEA also declined to comment on ongoing legal proceedings. Related: VA to End Bargaining Agreement Contracts with Most Unions Sharon Kuluwa's eyes rimmed with tears as she contemplated what could happen to her patients if her mental health care team is shrunk amid the Trump administration's efforts to overhaul the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. A registered nurse from Loganville, Kuluwa visits the Atlanta-area homes of military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and other serious mental health conditions. Frequently hospitalized, they sometimes don't show up for medical appointments, won't take their medication and are at high risk of suicide, she said. Last month, Kuluwa added, VA officials announced that at least four of the other eight nurses on her team would be reassigned to fill openings elsewhere within the department focusing on mental health and addiction. The move comes amid broader staffing cuts at the federal agency. "If you are taking staff from this program, then what is going to happen?" Kuluwa said this week after attending a National Nurses United rally opposing the reassignments and the VA's decision this month to cancel the union's collective bargaining agreement. "Increases in suicide attempts. Increases again in hospitalization." Kuluwa's Mental Health Intensive Case Management team is a tiny part of the VA, which employs more than 450,000 people nationwide. But the drama surrounding it illuminates the broader contentious debate over the Trump administration's efforts to radically overhaul the VA. The nurses held their rally the same day the VA's Office of Inspector General released the results of a survey showing VA facilities across the nation had 4,434 staffing shortages as of April. That is up 50% from the year before. Combined, the three VA facilities near Augusta, Decatur and Dublin had 109 clinical and nonclinical staffing shortages. These shortages, according to the OIG, are determined by positions that are difficult to fill and do not necessarily reflect vacancies. VA press secretary Pete Kasperowicz responded to the OIG report, saying it is "not based on actual VA health care facility vacancies and therefore is not a reliable indicator of staffing shortages." "The report simply lists occupations facilities feel are difficult for which to recruit and retain," he said, "so the results are completely subjective, not standardized and unreliable." The VA's vacancy rates for doctors and nurses are 14% and 10%, respectively, he said. Asked about Kuluwa's concerns, the agency said it is reassigning some nurses from "low-demand specialties to those with higher demand, such as non-intensive mental health care and substance abuse treatment." "These moves will improve care for veteran patients and have no negative impact on the Mental Health Intensive Case Management program, which is seeing much lower caseloads than it previously has," the VA said. Last month, the agency announced it was on pace to reduce its staff by nearly 30,000 workers by Sept. 30. This has been achieved, according to the VA, through a federal hiring freeze, deferred resignations, retirements and normal attrition, eliminating the need for "a large-scale reduction-in-force." The agency did not respond to repeated requests for information showing the impact in Georgia. But it said it "has multiple safeguards in place to ensure these staff reductions do not impact veteran care or benefits. The VA continues to hire for mission-critical positions in Georgia and across the country." The VA's data from July shows it is hiring substantially fewer people compared with last year. Job applications were down about 45% and the number of new employees starting VA jobs had dropped by nearly 53%. VA officials said they are making it easier and faster for veterans to get care from providers outside the VA, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from National Nurses United. "It is deeply concerning and very telling that the VA is prioritizing veteran care in the private for-profit sector, where taxpayers will pay more for care that is inferior to VA care and not subject to the same intense scrutiny," the nurses' union said in a statement. Military veterans who attended the nurses' rally this week at the Atlanta VA Medical Center near Decatur voiced similar concerns about the agency's plans to reassign nurses from Kuluwa's team. "It fits in this broader pattern of this administration trying to dismantle the VA and take health care away for veterans," said Chris Purdy, an Army National Guard veteran from Atlanta who leads the Chamberlain Network, a nonprofit veterans group focused on protecting democracy. Ed Anderson, a U.S. Air Force veteran from Clarkston, is also concerned about the VA's overhaul. "The people who are really going to be hurt are the veterans who live in rural communities," said Anderson, who works with Common Defense, which was founded in 2016 by veterans opposed to President Donald Trump's agenda. "There are some places where a VA hospital might be a three- or four-hour drive. People say community care is the answer to that. A lot of physicians do not want to take community care because of the problems of getting paid by the government." VA records reviewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also show the agency announced last month that one of six nurses who work for a program helping Atlanta-area homeless veterans would be reassigned to a team focusing on patient mental health. Julie Ekunwe, a registered nurse from Lawrenceville who works in the homeless veterans program, worries what that change could portend. "If they reassign people," she said, "the veterans are going to be the ones who suffer." Veterans and service members experiencing a mental health emergency can call the Veteran Crisis Line, 988 and press 1. Help also is available by text, 838255, and via chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net. 2025 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. **Unlock Freedom: Will Your Huawei Mate SE Play Nice With T-Mobile?** (Huawei Mate Se Work With T-Mobile?) You found a great deal on a Huawei Mate SE. You love its features, its camera, its big screen. But you use T-Mobile. A big question pops into your head: Will this phone actually work on my T-Mobile plan? Its a common worry. Buying a phone only to find it doesnt connect properly is frustrating. This guide cuts through the confusion. We explain exactly what you need to know about using the Huawei Mate SE on T-Mobiles network. No complicated jargon, just clear facts. **1. What Does Huawei Mate SE Works With T-Mobile Really Mean?** It means your Huawei Mate SE can connect to T-Mobiles cellular network. This lets you make calls, send texts, and use mobile data. The phone needs the right hardware inside. It must support the specific radio frequencies T-Mobile uses. It also needs to understand the network technology T-Mobile operates. The Huawei Mate SE has these capabilities. It supports key T-Mobile frequencies like Band 2 (1900 MHz), Band 4 (AWS 1700/2100 MHz), and Band 12 (700 MHz). Band 12 is crucial. It provides better building penetration and rural coverage for T-Mobile. The phone also supports 4G LTE, which is T-Mobiles primary data network. So, technically, the hardware talks the same language as T-Mobiles towers. This is the foundation. But hardware support is only step one. **2. Why Getting Your Huawei Mate SE on T-Mobile Matters** Using an incompatible phone causes headaches. Imagine your new Mate SE arriving. You pop in your T-Mobile SIM card. You might get a signal. Calls might work sometimes. Texts might send. But then problems start. Your data connection drops constantly. You cant load web pages. Streaming music stops. Important emails wont download. Calls sound garbled or fail altogether in certain areas, especially indoors. You might miss calls without any notification. Text messages could be delayed for hours. These arent minor annoyances. They disrupt daily life. They make the phone unreliable for work or emergencies. The Mate SE *can* avoid these problems. It has the potential for a good T-Mobile experience. But unlocking its full potential requires more than just the right hardware. You need proper setup and understanding. **3. How to Set Up Your Huawei Mate SE for T-Mobile Success** Getting your Mate SE working well on T-Mobile involves a few key steps. First, ensure your phone is unlocked. Most Mate SE phones sold in the US were originally locked to carriers like AT&T. A locked phone wont accept a T-Mobile SIM. Contact your original carrier to request an unlock. They usually have specific requirements, like the phone being paid off. Once unlocked, power down the Mate SE. Insert your active T-Mobile SIM card into the tray. Power the phone back on. The phone should search for networks. Next, configure the Access Point Names (APNs). APNs are like gateways telling your phone how to connect to T-Mobiles data network. Incorrect APNs cause data failures. Go to Settings > Wireless & Networks > Mobile Network > Access Point Names. Add a new APN. Use these exact settings: * Name: T-Mobile * APN: fast.t-mobile.com * MMSC: http://mms.msg.eng.t-mobile.com/mms/wapenc * MMS proxy: (leave blank) * MMS port: (leave blank) * MCC: 310 * MNC: 260 * APN type: default,supl,mms * APN protocol: IPv4/IPv6 * APN roaming protocol: IPv4/IPv6 Save this APN and select it. Finally, enable VoLTE. Voice over LTE provides clear HD calling. Find it under Settings > Wireless & Networks > Mobile Network. Turn it on. This setup is vital for smooth operation. **4. Applications: What to Expect Using Huawei Mate SE on T-Mobile** What does daily use look like? Expect generally good 4G LTE data speeds. You can browse the web smoothly. Streaming YouTube videos in HD should work fine. Social media apps load quickly. Email syncs reliably. Making calls over VoLTE provides clear sound quality. Text messages (SMS) send and receive instantly. Picture messages (MMS) also work well. Coverage depends heavily on T-Mobiles network in your specific area. Band 12 support helps significantly indoors and in rural spots. However, understand the limitations. The Mate SE lacks newer T-Mobile bands like Band 66 and Band 71. Band 71 (600 MHz) is T-Mobiles main band for long-range coverage and deep building penetration. Missing this band means you might experience weaker signals or no service in areas *only* covered by Band 71. Also, the Mate SE does not support 5G. Its strictly a 4G LTE device. So, while core functions work, peak speeds and future-proofing are limited. Wi-Fi calling is another feature often missing on unlocked non-T-Mobile phones. Check your device settings to see if its available. **5. Huawei Mate SE & T-Mobile FAQs** Here are answers to the most common questions: * **Q1: Does the Huawei Mate SE support VoLTE on T-Mobile?** A1: Yes, it does. Enabling VoLTE in your settings is essential for reliable calls. T-Mobile is phasing out older 3G technology. VoLTE is mandatory for calls now. * **Q2: Will I get 5G on the Mate SE with T-Mobile?** A2: No. The Huawei Mate SE is a 4G LTE phone. It lacks the necessary hardware for T-Mobiles 5G network (n71, n41, etc.). * **Q3: Is unlocking the phone necessary?** A3: Absolutely. If your Mate SE was originally locked to another carrier (like AT&T), it will not work with a T-Mobile SIM until its unlocked. Contact the original carrier. * **Q4: Why is my data slow or not working even after setup?** A4: Double-check your APN settings. They must match T-Mobiles exactly. Verify VoLTE is enabled. Check T-Mobile coverage maps for your location. Missing Band 71 could be a factor in weak areas. Ensure your T-Mobile plan includes data and is active. * **Q5: Will Wi-Fi Calling work?** A5: Maybe, but its less common. While some users report success, Wi-Fi Calling is not officially guaranteed on unlocked non-T-Mobile phones like the Mate SE. Check your phones network settings menu for the option. * **Q6: Can I use Mobile Hotspot?** A6: Yes, the hotspot feature should work. This depends on your T-Mobile plan including hotspot data. Enable it in Settings > Wireless & Networks > Tethering & Mobile Hotspot. * **Q7: Are there any known call or text issues?** (Huawei Mate Se Work With T-Mobile?) A7: With VoLTE enabled and proper APNs, calls and texts should work reliably. Issues often stem from incorrect settings or very poor signal areas lacking Band 12. Inquiry us if you want to want to know more, please feel free to contact us. ([email protected]) **Title: Wind Warriors: The Record-Breaking Speed Machines That Harnessed the Sky** (What Was The Fastest Wind Powered Vehicle) **Main Product Keywords:** Fastest Wind Powered Vehicle **1. What Defines a Fastest Wind Powered Vehicle?** Think sailboats. Think windmills. Now imagine something completely different. The fastest wind powered vehicles are land yachts. They look nothing like traditional boats. These machines are built for one purpose only: pure, unadulterated speed on land, using only the winds force. Forget sails catching breeze. These vehicles use rigid wings, much like airplane wings stood on end. This design generates massive amounts of lift. But instead of lifting the vehicle into the air, this force pushes it sideways across the ground with incredible power. These are not pleasure craft. They are highly specialized engineering projects. Teams spend years designing, building, and testing them. The goal is singular: break the absolute land speed record for wind-powered travel. It demands pushing materials science, aerodynamics, and human nerve to the absolute limit. The vehicle holding the current record represents the pinnacle of this effort. It achieved a speed almost unbelievable for something powered solely by the wind. **2. Why Build Extreme Wind Speed Machines?** Why pour resources into such a niche, extreme pursuit? The reasons go beyond simple thrill-seeking. First, its a powerful demonstration of human ingenuity. Building a machine that travels over 100 mph using only wind challenges our basic assumptions about energy and propulsion. It proves wind power can be incredibly potent under the right conditions. Second, these projects drive real innovation. The intense focus on reducing drag and friction leads to breakthroughs in materials like advanced composites and ultra-smooth coatings. Aerodynamic lessons learned here can trickle down to improve efficiency in cars, trucks, and even conventional wind turbines. Every component must be optimized for minimal weight and maximum strength. Solving these problems pushes engineering boundaries. Third, it inspires. Seeing a silent, wind-driven craft scream across a salt flat captures the imagination. It shows the potential of renewable energy in a dramatic, visceral way. It sparks interest in science and engineering, especially sustainable technologies. It proves that clean power sources can achieve extraordinary performance. **3. How Did They Crack the Wind Speed Code?** Achieving record-breaking wind speed isnt about luck. Its a precise science demanding several key breakthroughs. The current champion is the Greenbird, designed by Richard Jenkins and his team. It set the official record in 2009 on the dry lake bed of Ivanpah, Nevada. The Greenbird hit a staggering 126.2 mph (203.1 km/h). How? The core secret lies in its aerodynamics. Unlike cloth sails that flap and lose efficiency, the Greenbird used a solid vertical wing. This wing acted exactly like an airplane wing turned on its side. As wind flowed over it, it generated huge lift forces perpendicular to the wind direction. This lift force pushed the vehicle forward along the ground with tremendous power. Next, minimizing friction was critical. The Greenbird needed to glide effortlessly. Its body was crafted from ultra-lightweight carbon fiber composites. Friction came mostly from the wheels. The solution was simple but brilliant: use only three wheels. Two were at the front for steering. One was at the back. These wheels were incredibly thin and smooth, running on perfectly flat, hard surfaces like salt flats. This minimized the tiny contact patch with the ground. Reducing rolling resistance was paramount. Stability was another huge challenge. At such high speeds, any instability could be catastrophic. The design carefully balanced the center of gravity and the center of lift from the wing. Sophisticated control systems allowed the pilot to make minute adjustments to the wing angle. This maintained the delicate balance between generating maximum forward thrust and keeping the vehicle firmly on the ground. The pilot lay almost flat inside a tiny cockpit, reducing the vehicles profile and drag even further. **4. Applications Beyond Breaking Records** The technology developed for these wind speed demons isnt just for show. It has practical applications in the wider world. The intense focus on ultra-low friction bearings and wheel designs benefits industries where rolling resistance matters. Think long-haul trucking or efficient rail systems. Reducing friction saves massive amounts of fuel. Materials science breakthroughs are crucial. The carbon fiber techniques and lightweight structures pioneered here are used in aerospace, high-performance automotive (like Formula 1), and even advanced bicycles. Making things lighter and stronger is always valuable. Aerodynamic insights gained are invaluable. Understanding how to shape objects to slip through air with minimal resistance applies directly to designing more efficient cars, buses, and high-speed trains. Every bit of drag reduction translates to significant energy savings over millions of vehicles. Perhaps most importantly, these vehicles serve as powerful ambassadors for wind power. They shatter the perception that wind energy is slow or limited. Seeing a wind-powered vehicle travel faster than most cars on the highway makes people think differently. It demonstrates the raw potential of harnessing natural forces efficiently. This inspires further research and development into wind energy applications, potentially including novel land transport concepts for specific environments. **5. FAQs About Wind Speed Champions** People always have questions about these incredible machines. Here are some common ones: * **What exactly is the current record?** The official world land speed record for a wind-powered vehicle is 126.2 mph (203.1 km/h). Richard Jenkins achieved this speed in the Greenbird on March 26, 2009, at Ivanpah Dry Lake, Nevada, USA. * **Where do they race?** They need vast, perfectly flat, and hard surfaces. Dry lake beds, like the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah or Ivanpah Dry Lake in Nevada, are ideal. These surfaces provide minimal rolling resistance and plenty of space to accelerate safely. * **How do they steer?** Steering is very sensitive. The front wheels are connected to a control mechanism. The pilot uses either foot pedals or a small steering wheel. Tiny movements are amplified at high speed. Pilots need incredible skill and concentration. * **Is it dangerous?** Absolutely. Speeds over 100 mph on three thin wheels, powered only by wind, carry inherent risks. A sudden gust, a tiny bump, or a steering error can cause a catastrophic crash. Pilots wear full safety gear. The vehicles incorporate safety features like roll cages. Teams manage risks carefully, but danger is always present. (What Was The Fastest Wind Powered Vehicle) * **Will the record be broken?** Its very possible. Technology keeps advancing. New materials, better aerodynamic modeling, and improved understanding of fluid dynamics could allow another team to build a faster machine. Finding the perfect weather window on a suitable dry lake bed remains a significant challenge. The quest for the ultimate wind speed continues. Inquiry us if you want to want to know more, please feel free to contact us. ([email protected]) The Yankees have signed infielder Andrew Velazquez to a new minor league contract, according to his MLB.com profile page. Velazquez was released from his previous minors deal on August 3, and hell now return to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after testing the open market. A veteran of six MLB seasons, Velazquez hit .189/.244/.293 over 624 plate appearances and 275 games with five different teams from 2018-23. Most of his playing time (179 games) came with the Angels during the 22-23 seasons, and Velazquez had close to a starting role as the Halos shortstop in the 2022 campaign. His time in Los Angeles ended when he was claimed off waivers by the Braves in September 2023, and Velazquez hasnt been back to the majors since, playing with Atlantas Triple-A team in 2024 and then spending all of 2025 in SWB. This latest contract represents the fourth time Velazquez has signed with the Yankees, and the Bronx native saw some big league action with his hometown team in the form of 28 games in the pinstripes in 2021. While the local flavor doesnt hurt, Velasquez is a known quantity to the New York organization who can provide defensive versatility even if he doesnt offer much at the plate. Velasquez has primarily played shortstop during his career, but he has a lot of experience at second base, third base, and all three outfield positions (primarily center). His work on the grass this year has been limited to a single appearance in center field, indicating that the Yankees view him as an emergency outfielder at best. The oldest known lake trout in the Great Lakes, 62 years old at the time of capture, was recently documented by researchers at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Marquette Fisheries Research Station. (DNR) DNR MARQUETTE, MI -- The oldest fish in the Great Lakes lived through 12 presidential elections, the first human to go to space and the rise of the internet. Meet Mary Catherine of Klondike Reef in Lake Superior. She earned the moniker of oldest known lake trout in the Great Lakes at 62 years-old. She was captured in 2023 and recently documented by researchers at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Marquette Fisheries Research Station. The team was researching age as a variable in tracking population health for fish. In March 2024, Dan Traynor, fisheries technician at the Marquette Fisheries Research Station, was working in the lab, processing samples collected at the remote offshore area near the Canadian border, 40 miles north of Grand Marais. Traynor, one of the few experts on the age assessment of lake trout in North America, made the discovery, according to the DNR press release. Trout age can be determined by the otolith, or ear stone. Like humans, the otolith grows with the being over time. This is how Traynor determined the trout was 62 at the time of capture. They named her Mary Catherine as it was one of the most popular names in her birth year, 1961. If fish went to school (high school that is, not just schools of fish), she would have graduated from Klondike Reef High School in the same year as Meg Ryan, Princess Diana and Barack Obama reached that milestone, the DNR release said. Mary Catherines is unique for her geography, too. Mary Catherine is a humper lake trout, a subspecies of the fish found in offshore lake mounts in Lake Superior. They are slow-growing and dont get very large because they mostly feed on invertebrates, according to the DNR. Lake Superiors depth and cold an annual average surface temperature of only 40 degrees Fahrenheit and average depth of 483 feet makes it a low-productivity ecosystem. Mary Catherines tenure indicates that lake trout live long and prosper in Lake Superior. More amazing catches: Michigans largest catfish makes a splash, weighing in 11 pounds above the previous record OAKLAND COUNTY, MI A prominent Detroit-area TV personality wont be charged, his attorneys announced Friday. In June, the Beverly Hills, Michigan home of WDIV-TV reporter and anchor Hank Winchester was raided amid various accusations. Police did not say why his home was searched. He has since been cleared of all potential wrongdoing. Im thankful this investigation is over. The allegations made against me were outrageous, unfounded and defamatory. Throughout my 24-year career in Detroit, my mission has always been to help the community I love, protect you from bad actors, and fight for justice, Winchester said in a statement released by the TV station. I will always fight for youjust as Ive recently had to fight for myself. I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has shown me tremendous support, especially my family and friends. The messages from so many of you greatly helped me through this incredibly difficult time. Winchester was placed on administrative leave during the investigation. He has been with WDIV since 2001 and through the years as been honored with Emmy awards, Michigan Association of Broadcasters Awards and The Spirit of Detroit Award for his work as a consumer investigative reporter. He is known for his Help Me Hank segments, according to WDIV. ISLE ROYALE, MI - In what is believed to be the first National Parks action of its kind on Isle Royale, park officials said today they had to kill one of the islands wolves after it became too food-conditioned and had concerning interactions with park visitors. The wolf was killed earlier this month, park officials said. The age and gender of the wolf was not released. In August, Isle Royale NP took lethal measures to control one of the problem wolves due to the escalating number of concerning incidents reported by park visitors, park staff said in a news release. After extensive monitoring and attempts at deterrence, and in consultation with state, federal and tribal agencies, the difficult decision to lethally remove this wolf was made. Park personnel will continue to track wolf/human interactions and remove additional wolves only if necessary. While the wolf was killed this month, park managers began tracking the activities of at least two of the islands more than two dozen wolves at the start of the summer. The island opens to hikers and other visitors seasonally in late April through October, and shuts down to public access for the winter months. In June and July, park staff began monitoring a couple wolves who were showing nuisance behavior. They were wolves who were known to have snatched human food at campgrounds on multiple occasions, staff said. The wolves were repeatedly sighted in campgrounds and developed areas, exhibiting signs of habituation and a reliance on human food sources, Isle Royale staff said. For example, wolves were seen dragging away food storage bags and backpacks at numerous campsites. Despite proactive management efforts, including aversive conditioning, changes in waste management practices and implementation of food storage regulations, these wolves continued to display escalating boldness around visitors, campsites and staff housing areas. Isle Royale managers last year began announcing their wolf-hazing efforts after the islands growing packs began getting into garbage areas and increasingly showing up at backcountry campsites and even around the main lodge areas. This year, new food storage rules were announced, including bear boxes designed to keep food safe from the wolves. Throughout the summer, campers and island visitors have been sharing photos of their close encounters with the islands wolves. Some photos shared on social media days ago showed one particular wolf nosing around a screened-in camper cabin. Our priority remains the safety of park visitors and staff, and the protection of wildlife in their natural state, including our objective to maintain a wild wolf population, Isle Royale Superintendent, Denice Swanke said. While lethal removal is deeply unfortunate, it became necessary due to a growing public safety risk. All who appreciate and enjoy Isle Royale National Park need to understand the importance of adherence and vigilance to food storage regulations and our collective role in minimizing negative human-wildlife interactions. For the latest food storage rules, check the Isle Royale website here. A food storage kennel on Isle Royale, one of the way rangers are working to keep campers' food away from the island's wolves. Isle Royale National Park Rebuilding a Predator Population After the islands wolf population crashed a decade ago - and the islands moose population began growing out of control - the National Park Service made the decision several years ago to restore Isle Royales predator packs by bringing in wolves from Minnesota, Michigans mainland Upper Peninsula and Canada. They were net-trapped from helicopters, or trapped in other ways, and brought over by boat and plane to Isle Royale, which sits about 55 miles northwest of the Michigan mainland. The initial wolves relocated in 2018 and 2019 were vet-checked and tagged and monitored in their first years. The wolves were needed as a control for the moose, who were overeating the islands vegetation as their numbers grew. Isle Royale, a wilderness archipelago which sits in northern Lake Superior, is known for its forests and the wilderness experience it offers its visitors. The island currently has about four established wolf packs. The largest pack is near an area where Isle Royale backcountry hikers frequently camp, and there have been numerous reports of food-stealing and backpack-stealing by the wolves in the last few years. Isle Royale is believed to have about 30 wolves right now, though the annual Michigan Technological University winter study earlier this year that would have updated that estimate had to be canceled. Wolves walk a trail on Michigan's Isle Royale. Photo provided by the National Park Service. NPS However, the 2024 winter survey showed that for the first time in more than 15 years, Isle Royale had become home to at least four territorial wolf packs. One mega pack on the east side of the island had nearly half the islands wolves. Researchers last year also reported at least three litters of wolves had been born on the island. And they noted that the wolf population had stabilized in the years since 2018, when the National Park Service began its plan to bring in new wolves to help balance the fast-rising moose population. At that time, the islands native wolf population had dwindled to just 2 inbred wolves. As for the moose count, researchers last year estimated there were 840 on Isle Royale - a nearly 60% drop compared to 2019, when the moose population hit a high of more than 2,000 and the big animals overbrowsing on island vegetation was a big concern. The Michigan Tech teams Winter Study has hit some roadblocks in recent years. Last years winter research window was cut short by the unusually warm winter. The team relies on ice-covered lakes to land their small ski plane. In 2021, the winter research was mothballed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Isle Royale wolf and moose study is now entering its 67th year. It is the worlds longest-running predator-prey study and takes place on this remote island archipelago in Lake Superior, about 60 miles from the Upper Peninsulas mainland. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says the company has signed an agreement to eliminate dyes from its foods by the end of 2027. (Photo by Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media) Your favorite breakfast cereal may soon be free of artificial dyes as W.K. Kellogg has committed to ending the use of the dyes by the end of 2027. According to the Associated Press, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says he recently reached an agreement with the company to end the practice. Earlier this year, Paxton launched an investigation into the Michigan-based cereal maker to determine if the company had violated state consumer protection laws by continuing to use artificial dyes. On the federal level, officials have been pressuring companies to remove the dyes from their products. Following months of investigating and negotiating, Im proud to officially say Kelloggs will stop putting these unhealthy ingredients in its cereals, Paxton said in a statement. According to the Kelloggs website, only 15% of its cereals contain FD&C colors. The dyes are used to create brighter colors in cereals, drinks, candies, baked goods and more, according to the AP. Critics have called for the removal of the dyes based on studies that suggest they can cause neurobehavioral issues for children. Kellogg has previously committed to reformulating all the cereals that it serves in schools to remove the artificial dyes. Kellogg is the maker of popular childrens cereals such as Fruit Loops, Corn Pops and Apple Jacks. Other brands that have committed to removing the dyes include Kelloggs competitor General Mills, Nestle, and Heinz. A federal judge on Thursday struck down two pf President Donald Trump's actions aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the nation's schools and universities. He is pictured on the roof above the Colonnade that goes to the West Wing of the White House Aug. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) AP By COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) A federal judge on Thursday struck down two Trump administration actions aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the nations schools and universities. In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher in Maryland found that the Education Department violated the law when it threatened to cut federal funding from educational institutions that continued with DEI initiatives. The guidance has been on hold since April when three federal judges blocked various portions of the Education Departments anti-DEI measures. The ruling Thursday followed a motion for summary judgment from the American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association, which challenged the governments actions in a February lawsuit. The case centers on two Education Department memos ordering schools and universities to end all race-based decision-making or face penalties up to a total loss of federal funding. Its part of a campaign to end practices the Trump administration frames as discrimination against white and Asian American students. The new ruling orders the department to scrap the guidance because it runs afoul of procedural requirements, though Gallagher wrote that she took no view on whether the policies were good or bad, prudent or foolish, fair or unfair. Gallagher, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, rejected the governments argument that the memos simply served to remind schools that discrimination is illegal. It initiated a sea change in how the Department of Education regulates educational practices and classroom conduct, causing millions of educators to reasonably fear that their lawful, and even beneficial, speech might cause them or their schools to be punished, Gallagher wrote. Democracy Forward, a legal advocacy firm representing the plaintiffs, called it an important victory over the administrations attack on DEI. Threatening teachers and sowing chaos in schools throughout America is part of the administrations war on education, and today the people won, said Skye Perryman, the groups president and CEO. The Education Department did not immediately comment on Thursday. The conflict started with a Feb. 14 memo declaring that any consideration of race in admissions, financial aid, hiring or other aspects of academic and student life would be considered a violation of federal civil rights law. The memo dramatically expanded the governments interpretation of a 2023 Supreme Court decision barring colleges from considering race in admissions decisions. The government argued the ruling applied not only to admissions but across all of education, forbidding race-based preferences of any kind. Educational institutions have toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon systemic and structural racism and advanced discriminatory policies and practices, wrote Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary of the departments Office for Civil Rights. A further memo in April asked state education agencies to certify they were not using illegal DEI practices. Violators risked losing federal money and being prosecuted under the False Claims Act, it said. In total, the guidance amounted to a full-scale reframing of the governments approach to civil rights in education. It took aim at policies that were created to address longstanding racial disparities, saying those practices were their own form of discrimination. The memos drew a wave of backlash from states and education groups that called it illegal government censorship. In its lawsuit, the American Federation of Teachers said the government was imposing unclear and highly subjective limits on schools across the country. It said teachers and professors had to choose between chilling their constitutionally protected speech and association or risk losing federal funds and being subject to prosecution. Laurie Cassell and her family said the grave marker for family member Frank Pardon was stolen sometime in August. Provided by Laurie Cassell ANN ARBOR, MI An Ann Arbor family is asking for the return of a century-old grave marker recently stolen from their familys cemetery plot. Laurie Cassell and her husband had gone Saturday, Aug. 9, to water the geraniums in the planter marking the plot at Forest Hill Cemetery when they discovered it was missing. A Michigan State Police patch is featured in this MLive file photo. FLINT, MI -- Police rescued a 4-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy from what they called deplorable conditions in Flint after their non-custodial father allegedly kidnapped them. Michigan State Police troopers found the children, whose mother had been searching for them for five months, on Wednesday, Aug. 13, according to a news release from MSP. Police were contacted by the Decatur, Illinois police department after the suspects phone pinged a location near the Red Roof Inn on Miller Road in Flint Township. Undercover investigators were deployed to the hotel and the hotel manager confirmed the suspects location in the Red Roof Inn room. Police acquired a search warrant and served it on the hotel room. Troopers took a 22-year-old Flint man into custody on a felony kidnapping warrant from Illinois. The two children were found healthy but dirty and appeared to have been poorly cared for, according to police. Methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were also found in the room. Police reunited the children with their mother in Illinois. The old Beecher High School, located at 1020 W. Coldwater Road in Mt. Morris Township, is shown in this MLive file photo. The Beecher Community School District is hosting its back-to-school event outside of the school on Saturday, Aug. 16. Nick Taylor | Ntaylor@Mlive.com MT. MORRIS TWP., MI The Beecher Community School District will host its annual back-to-school event this weekend as it builds off the momentum of its recent student recruitment efforts. Its just wonderful energy, and I do truly believe its going to be an amazing year, our best year ever here in Beecher, Superintendent Jendayi Gardner said. The district will hold its annual back-to-school event from from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, on the front lawn of the old Beecher High School, located at 1020 W. Coldwater Road. District families and community members are invited to take part in the event. I think the kids are going to be excited, Enrollment Co-Chair Trayc Cunningham said. We got a lot of new things coming up for them, so I think its just going to keep going up from here. The event comes as the district continues to see its enrollment numbers rise amid the recent expansion of its transportation boundaries. The boundaries were expanded one mile north, one mile west, two miles east, and 2-3 miles south of the district. The Beecher Board of Education approved the expansion in July. The districts enrollment increased from 562 to approximately 600 students from January to June, according to district officials Even today, there was a flux of parents that came in to get paperwork, Cunningham said. Gardner said the increase is largely due to the canvassing events the districts enrollment team conducted on June 14 and July 21. They were excited to see us, Cunningham said. There probably is a total of 10 plus kids that enrolled from us going out that day. Word-of-mouth has also been a major tool for the district in its recruitment efforts. One lady came in and she said, My brother told me to get here and enroll my kids, and hes on his way, too, Cunningham said. That was an additional three right there that we werent expecting, so Im super excited. The district has also incorporated billboards, yard signs, and has been making phone calls to assist its recruitment efforts. Beecher schools is also preparing to roll out new programming as it looks to attract more students, including a new smart STEAM lab and new K-12 band and choir program. The district had a drum line a couple years ago, but it hasnt had a band since around the 1980s and 1990s, Cunningham said. We were known to be the best band in the area, Gardner said. That was something I kept hearing over and over again, so I was determined to ensure that were going to get that back in our district going into next school year. The increase in enrollment means more funding for the district, which will help it support programming expansion. A new mission and vision for the district is being introduced this school year as well. Gardner incorporated notes from recent community stakeholder meetings into the new mission and vision. The meetings focused on pride in the district as well as college and career pathways. The district also has a new theme this year: Do your best for success. Thats going to be expected to be implemented by our staff, our families, our students, everyone thats a part of our district, Gardner said. Each and every day we must do our best for success. The district will also provide mentoring for its seventh and eighth grade students through a new partnership it has entered with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Beecher schools also offers its Dads Huddle program, a support group for students fathers. That equates, to me, to more funding for us to do more innovative strategies and also ideas to implement for our district to make it even greater and have us strive and achieve excellence, Gardner said. A young fives program is also being introduced to ensure students are prepared for kindergarten. The program has partially contributed to the districts recent growth in enrollment, accounting for the enrollment of at least 10 new students, Gardner said. The districts back to school event will feature food, including cotton candy and popcorn, as well as music, yard games such as plinko, bounce houses, and a variety of school supplies and other items for students and their families, much of which is free. Its a fun filled day, Cunningham said. Available items at the event will include childrens books, shoes, backpacks, pencils, colored pens, notebook paper, and sticky notes. Additionally, two former Beecher students, Andre Holloway II and Eddieon King, are bringing horses to the event. Several information tables will also be set up at the event, including tables where families can learn more about the districts young fives program, its before school care program, and the ongoing renovation of Beecher High School. Windows have been installed on the building, and the district is currently nearing the first phase of the project, which includes bringing its health science academy to the high school, Gardner said. Its very touching when I hear from alumni, Gardner said. They basically are just emotional to see just the windows put in. Other area groups will also have information tables at the event, including Mott Community College and the University of Michigan-Flint. These are nice book bags, Cunningham said. Music for the event will be provided by DJ Leon Neely, Cunninghams son, who will also perform for the clap-in event the district will hold for students on their first day of school this year - Monday, Aug. 18. Firefighters respond to a garage fire at Brookmeadow Apartments on Friday, August 15, 2025 near Grandville, Mich. Chloe Trofatter | MLive.com OTTAWA COUNTY, MI Multiple fire departments on Friday, Aug. 15, are responding to a fire at an apartment garage housing 30 vehicles. The fire is at Brookmeadow Apartments in Ottawa Countys Georgetown Township, off 44th Street SW near Grandville. The fire is in a multi-vehicle, standalone garage. While no residential structures are involved, some residents have been evacuated as a precaution, according to apartment spokesperson Craig Clark. He said the cause is not yet known. Georgetown Township firefighters requested assistance from neighboring departments as heavy, black smoke billowed from the garage. Georgetown Township firefighters and Ottawa County sheriffs deputies responded around 11:15 a.m. and found the parking structure engulfed in flames upon arrival. Emergency workers evacuated residents in nearby apartments. No injuries have been reported. A sheriffs sergeant said that the garage and property sustained extensive damage. Police asked people to avoid the area. Fire departments from Ottawa and Kent counties responded. GRAND RAPIDS, MI Matthews House just got the green light to expand at a new location despite opposition from residents. The Grand Rapids Planning Commission on Thursday, Aug. 14, unanimously approved a special land use permit for Matthews House Ministry to open a new location at 1050 Leonard St. NW. Pastor George Werkema, a former autobody repairman who founded Matthews House in 2007, has sought approval to move the ministry to the larger, 7,400-square-foot Leonard Street location, where it will provide day services such as clothing, hot meals, showers and counseling to homeless and low-income residents on the citys West Side. The planning commission held the first public hearing for the application in May, but Werkema asked for a 90-day pause to address concerns from residents and business owners over how it would affect business and public safety in the growing Leonard Street corridor. Through it all, I feel that we accomplished the things that they wanted us to, and we want to continue to do that, Werkema said after the vote passed Wednesday. We dont want hostility. We want to have it be a welcoming space for us to do work. Werkema said Matthews House serves 80-100 people per day at its current location at 766 7th St. NW and plans to serve the same number at the new location. Matthews House needed a special land use permit because the property in question is currently zoned for traditional businesses such as a retailer or restaurant. The organization does not provide overnight shelter for homeless people, and its not seeking to do so at the proposed location. That hasnt prevented the proposal from generating controversy. Supporters have said Matthews House provides valuable services to struggling residents, while opponents worry the rescue mission will attract loitering, crime and drug use that will hurt businesses and development along Leonard Street NW. During Thursdays public hearing, Ed Ladwig, who owns five residential properties along Leonard Street, voiced opposition to the project. He told the planning commission he had called the police department 36 times in seven months over problems with the homeless population. Weve been on the West Side for 40 years my whole life, Ladwig said. Im getting sick and tired of calling the police all the time. Edward Quakenbush, a volunteer at Matthews House and a West Side resident, argued the ministry isnt going to cause an influx of homeless people, because those people already live there, and they need the services Matthews House provides. Theyre sleeping at the church building, across the property, at the public library; I meet them at the McDonalds when Im there, he said. The problem already exists, and nothing is being done about it Theyre already there, and pastor George would provide services to get those folks off the streets. Houston Moyer, owner of residential property management firm Place Management, has been the most vocal critic of the project. He is renovating a commercial building that he plans to lease next door to the proposed Matthews House location. He has waged a public campaign against the project that includes parking a semitruck with a Say no to Matthews House banner next to his building, sending 1,000 postcards calling the rescue mission a crime hub, and launching a website that some say demonizes homeless people. Matthews House is only doing good for themselves and the people who want to be helped, according to a statement on his website that has since been removed. The types of people they attract are homeless, disorderly, criminals, sex offenders, and people who dont want to change but want a hand-out. Werkema has called Moyers campaign a lot of garbage. He insisted Matthews House is safe and doesnt pose a threat to neighbors. He acknowledged there have been police calls to Matthews House current location at 766 7th St. NW in a West Side neighborhood. He said hes worked with police to address those issues, as well as other concerns such as loitering and litter. With approval secured, Matthews House still has a lot of work ahead of it, including adding mens and womens bathrooms, showers and a kitchen. The ministry still has yet to submit a building permit for the work. Weve been working on taking some stuff that was in the older building, but we didnt want to do too much without having the permit, Werkema said. The ministry also plans to bring on more counselors with the expanded location, Werkema said. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A project to beautify the sidewalks in front of businesses for a more pleasant shopping and dining experience in Grand Rapids Uptown Business District was recently completed. Patrons of stores along Lake Drive SE and Fulton Street E can now admire the native flowers and grasses that replaced the vegetation struggling under the harsh urban conditions. It was really sandy, really weedy, said Ingrid Miller, executive director of Uptown Grand Rapids. The conditions along Lake Drive were particularly harsh, she said. It had a lot of sun that would reflect off that buildings exterior and kind of scorch that area, Miller said. After unsuccessfully trying to seed the areas to grass, it became clear to the Uptown Business Districts design committee that the conditions along the sidewalks were too extreme for traditional landscaping. To solve the problem, the committee decided to try native prairie plants that can survive the brutal urban setting and dont require the regular watering, mulching or fertilizing that conventional plantings need. Native plants are known for their ability to withstand harsh environments and require no watering and little maintenance once established. That would save the district ongoing maintenance costs. You cant do this on every street because it was quite an investment, Miller said. But in high visibility areas with many businesses the district wants to ensure a pleasant experience for patrons and residents, she said. The new landscaping was installed on the north side of Lake Drive between Genessee Street and Robinson Road in front of several stores, including Fruition Acai & Juice Bar and Terra Bagels. Both sides of Fulton Street received the plantings between Benjamin Avenue and Arthur Avenue in front of Schnitz Deli, Common Ground Coffee House and Betty Van Andel Opera Center, among other businesses. The cost of the installation was $30,000, Miller said. That includes the design, the plant installation, the plant material, and then watering until its fully established, which will probably be six-plus months, she said. All the plants are warrantied for a year. The district received three proposals and Native Edge, a landscaping company specializing in native plantings, was awarded the contract. Miller said so far the district has only gotten positive feedback from the community. Probably seven or eight businesses have said thank you. Were so excited to see it come in. Thanks for making this investment, Miller said. Dan Rios owns Schnitz Deli at 1315 Fulton St. E, one of the businesses that are benefiting from the new landscaping. Its awesome, Rios said of the native plantings. He said they are more aesthetically pleasing compared to the weeds and concrete there before. I really like it, said Ashley Mendez, who works at Terra Bagels at 1413 Lake Dr. SE. Mendez, a Calvin University student who walks to work, said she thinks its good the district decided to go with native plants. She said she learned from a friend who works at a greenhouse how important native plants are for the environment. Crews are seen installing native prairie plants along Lake Drive in Uptown Grand Rapids. (Photo by Dana Kroll provided by Native Edge) Courtesy/ Native Edge Wes Landon, principal and landscape architect with Native Edge, said native plants are well suited to extreme conditions. Prairie flowers and grasses in particular evolved with the hot and dry summers of the Great Plains, needing little water to survive, he said. Landon said prairie plantings are not only low maintenance, but also good for wildlife and pollinators. Weve seen things in the news in recent years about the insect apocalypse and insect populations plummeting, he said. And one of the reasons for that is we are replacing their host plants that the insects need to survive. Native plantings were installed along Lake Drive and East Fulton Street along the Uptown Business District in Grand Rapids. (Isaac Ritchey | MLive.com) Isaac Ritchey | iritchey@mlive.com For example, one of the flowers in the plantings, butterfly weed, is one of the milkweed species monarch butterflies need to survive, he said. It was a diverse planting of 30 species, including flowers such as yarrow, butterfly weed, coreopsis, harebell and purple coneflower. Grasses and sedges, including little bluestem, prairie dropseed and Pennsylvania sedge were also added. We want to try and mimic the way these plants are found in their natural environment, Landon said. Native prairie plants were installed along Lake Drive. (Photo by Dana Kroll provided by Native Edge) Courtesy/ Native Edge They were planted as small plants, called plugs, that are easy to install. As these plants grow, mature and fill out, theyre going to fill in all the voids in that landscape bed, he said. Landon said installing native prairie plants costs about the same as conventional plantings. But native plantings contain more plants per square foot, he said. So even though cost wise they may be similar, youre getting a lot more plants typically in the native landscape, he said. Once native plantings are mature theres no need to water them or apply mulch, saving money, Landon said. Once the plants are fully established, Uptown Business Districts regular landscaping contractor will perform any necessary maintenance. Crews installed native landscaping along Lake Drive in Uptown Grand Rapids. (Photo by Dana Kroll provided by Native Edge) Courtesy/ Native Edge Landon cautioned that while native landscaping is low maintenance, it does require some work to ensure the plants continue to thrive. Especially in urban environments weeds can find their way into the native planting. He advises inspecting native landscaping a few times in the spring and the fall for any non-native weeds that might have become established. Usually thats more than enough to make sure that the landscape is thriving and its doing what its supposed to be doing, he said. The crash happened Tuesday, Aug. 12 on Dickerson Lake Road east of M-91, an area where Amish buggy traffic is common. Pictured is an Amish buggy in an Advance Local file photo. (Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer) (Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer) LAKEVIEW, MI -- As the Amish community in Montcalm County mourned the loss of a 4-month-old baby from a pickup-buggy crash, officials renewed longstanding appeals for roadway safety. The Amish community on Friday, Aug. 15 was expected to gather for the 4-month-old girls funeral. Its very tragic what happened, said John Macomber, pastor at Entrican Community Bible Church. The church is located about six miles from the Montcalm Township scene where the crash happened. My heart goes out to the familes involved, said Macomber, who doesnt personally know the family but is very familiar with the Amish community. From the ones who lost a loved one to the guy who hit them. He also has to live with this the rest of his life, Macomber said. State police on Friday confirmed to MLive/The Grand Rapids Press the girls parents are Rudy and Jemima Shetler. They are the parents of five children, all of whom were in the buggy when a pickup sideswiped it on Dickerson Lake Road east of M-91. Police said the eastbound truck driver attempted to pass the buggy, also going east, but quickly found oncoming traffic. The driver then veered back into right lane, but struck the buggy. Tuesdays crash marked three Amish buggy crashes in Michigan in the span of four days. Two had fatalities. The first was about 7:45 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9 in Van Buren County, when an SUV rear-ended a buggy on County Road 388. Six people were in the buggy, including several children. Some had critical injuries. The SUV driver was arrested on suspicion of driving drunk. Another crash happened about 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13 in Tuscola County, when police say a pickup ran a stop sign at North Vassar and Fairgrove roads in Gilford Township and struck a van. The van was transporting nine Amish residents who had hired a driver because Amish dont drive. The pickup contained three people. Police said six people died, several of them Amish. The Montcalm County crash happened less than an hour later on Tuesday. There were five children and two adults in the buggy. All of the children were younger than 5 and all were taken to a hospital. Among the children, two were treated and released. As of Wednesday, a 1-year-old girl and 2-year-old boy were still in the hospital, with the boy in critical condition. Macomber, the pastor at the rural Lakeview area church, said motorists simply need to slow down. Thats the whole problem I see, he said. People are preoccupied with things and they just need to slow down and pay attention. He said buggies are prevalent in the Lakeview, Stanton and Six Lakes area. Macomber said he routinely sees four to six buggies pass his church, on North Grow Road northwest of Stanton, every day. State police Lt. Michelle Robinson shared similar advice to motorists, recommending drivers use patience. She said a report will be submitted to Montcalm County prosecutors. They will then decide if any charges are warranted against the driver. Kevin Williams, who writes a syndicated column about Amish culture and cooking, said the Amish are a tight-knit group. When something like a traffic death occurs, activity in the community will come to a standstill and everyone will be there for the family, theyll pitch in to provide them with meals, comfort, and any other sustenance they need, he said. Williams said that while the baby girls parents are undoubtedly grief stricken, its typical for Amish families to view what happened as Gods will and part of a grander plan they must accept. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter. KALAMAZOO, MI -- A Nevada-based nonprofit is giving out $12,500 in gift cards and backpacks full of school supplies in Kalamazoo. The giveaway is intended to provide some financial ease and address growing concerns in Southwest Michigans Latin American community about the economy and financial stability. We hear directly from working families that rising costs are making it harder to cover everyday basics, said Diego Cano, Midwest project manager for Somos Votantes, a Latino focused voter engagement organization. The Back-to-School Backpack Giveaway will be held at the Kzoo Latinx Festival in Arcadia Creek Festival Place on Saturday, Aug. 16 from noon to 11 p.m. The festival is hosted by Kalamazoo nonprofit El Concilio. The organization will have 200 $50 gift cards and 10 $250 gift cards for festival attendees. The $250 gift cards will be available through a raffle. Each of the gift cards are Visa cards and can be used at any location. The backpacks, branded with a Somos Votantes logo, will have a water bottle, pencils, pens, crayons, highlighters, scissors, glue sticks, notebooks, folders, earbuds and a pencil pouch. We know that working families, including hard working Latinos, they power the economy, and when they have the tools and support to support their children, they thrive, and our whole community grows stronger, Cano said. Nationwide polling data found 64% of Latino voters rated the U.S. economy as poor, and 56% of Latino voters believe that the economy is getting worse. Cano said hes also heard similar sentiments from local families he works with. The festival will also feature live music, dance and crafts available for purchase. This event is a celebration of our culture and something positive for our community, Cano said. Its good to be out there and celebrating our culture as well. Organizers expect about 3,000 attendees. Cano said there will be security present at the festival and organizers are taking measures to make sure that people attending this event are safe, when asked about recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Michigan. We cant just stand back and let all the negative things take over, Cano said. MDOT works construction for a bridge on a ramp which, when finished, will connect US-131BR WB/NB to US-131 SB in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. The project is expected to be completed in November 2025. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com) KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI Part of U.S. 131 will close twice more in August as crews install a new bridge over the highway. Northbound U.S. 131 will close at the U.S. 131 business route interchange from 10 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Monday for the next two weekends: Aug. 15 to 18 and 22 to 25. The closures are part of a $19 million Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) interchange expansion project that will reconfigure the Business Route interchange. The first of three weekend closures, Aug. 8 to 11, went smooth, said MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa. Bridge installation is on schedule. Drivers will follow the same detour route onto the new ramp connecting northbound U.S. 131 to the eastbound business route, Schirripa said. Its the southernmost route shown in orange on the map, below: The southernmost ramp shown in orange on the map is already complete. This route will open while work on the northern ramp is underway. Drivers then exit business route at Douglas Avenue and get back on the business route heading west, where it eventually connects with northbound lanes. The new ramp will only be open as part of the detour route for the next two weekends, Schirripa said. It will be closed otherwise to complete adjacent work, he said, including sign and guardrail installation, pavement markings and seeding, are completed. The ramp will open permanently by the end of the project, he said, in early November. Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark MLives local Kalamazoo news page. SAGINAW, MI At just 16, a Saginaw Township resident stands convicted of premeditatively killing one man and trying to kill two others when he shot them with an assault rifle. Jurors in the trial of Jawon L. Williams deliberated for about two hours on Friday, Aug. 15, before finding the defendant guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to murder, and three counts of felony firearm. The convictions stem from the July 2024 homicide of 24-year-old Dennis C. Mayes Jr. LANSING, MI -- A Saginaw physician has been charged with multiple counts of Medicaid fraud for allegedly billing the state program for telephone consultations that never occurred, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced this week. Dr. James Carthron, 61, was arraigned in East Lansings 54B District Court on 23 counts of Medicaid fraud-false claim. The charges stem from alleged fraudulent billing for telephone visits between May 31 and September 27, 2024. Carthron, who previously operated PRN Urgent Care in Saginaw until its closure in 2023, could face up to four years in prison and/or a $50,000 fine for each count if convicted. Millions of Michigan residents rely on the Medicaid program for their healthcare services, and we must defend it from fraud and bad actors, Nessel said in a statement. My office will continue to safeguard this program by holding accountable those who seek to exploit Medicaid. Judge Molly E. Hennessey Greenwalt set a $50,000 personal recognizance bond for Carthron. He is scheduled for a probable cause conference on August 22, followed by a preliminary examination on August 28. The case is being prosecuted by the Attorney Generals Health Care Fraud Division, Michigans federally certified Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The division operates with 75% funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, amounting to $5,703,460 for fiscal year 2025, with the remaining 25% ($1,901,152) provided by the State of Michigan. Generative AI was used to organize and structure this story, based on data provided by the Michigan Attorney Generals Office. It was reviewed and edited by MLive. SAGINAW, MI -- A 42-year-old drug dealer was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Federal prosecutors announced Keino Hughes was sentenced to 151 months in prison on Aug. 14, according to a news release by the U.S. Attorneys Office Eastern District of Michigan. Hughes pleaded guilty to one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, according to the release. The Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team executed a search warrant on the mans residence and recovered cocaine, two firearms, two digital scales and more than $17,000 in cash, according to the release. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms conducted the investigation in partnership with Michigan State Police BAYANET. Assistant United States Attorney William Orr prosecuted the case. Next week, the House Judiciary Committee will hear testimony on a proposed Republican bill that would make it a misdemeanor for a group of 10 or more people to block or impede traffic on a public roadway. Pictured is a MLive file photo of a march in downtown Grand Rapids on May 30, 2020, to protest police brutality across the nation. Anntaninna Biondo | MLive.com Protesting and marching in the street without a permit in Michigan is currently only a civil infraction. House Republicans are pushing to criminalize this act. Next week, the House Judiciary Committee will hear testimony on the Republican bill that, if passed, would make it a misdemeanor for a group of 10 or more people to block or impede traffic on a public roadway. The charge would carry up to 93 days in jail and a fine of up to $5,000. ACLU of Michigan Legislative Director Kyle Zawacki said his organization has grave concerns about the chilling effect the escalated penalties would have on free speech and the right to assemble. The state already has the ability to enforce and regulate this with civil infractions, Zawacki said. The idea of increasing this with a monetary fine and jail time and the criminalization of it into a misdemeanor goes well above something necessary to protect the public interest. All that that does is just looking to criminalize political speech and assembly, and thats something that we are vehemently opposed to. But bill sponsor state Rep. Alicia St. Germaine, R-Harrison Township, said the enhanced penalties wouldnt curb free speech, as there are already avenues, like getting a permit, to legally demonstrate in the street. The enhanced penalties in the bill would apply to assemblies on any public road that has a steady flow of traffic, she said. St. Germaine said her bill is intended to protect not just drivers approaching street assemblies but also demonstrators. She said drivers arent trained on what to do when they encounter a crowd in the street. Its more about just trying to protect that innocent person that has never been in any type of scenario like that and theyre in fear of their life, and not just protecting them but protecting the people that are in the roadway, too, St. Germaine said of her bill. Zawacki pushed back on the idea that stiffer penalties would deter unpermitted demonstrations in the street. The state already has the ability to enforce and require demonstrations to have to file permits and get access to that, he said. The idea of just increasing this We know that increasing penalties and adding people into the criminal justice system through imprisonment is not going to curb these demonstrations. While impeding or blocking traffic is a civil infraction that carries a fine and no jail time or criminal record, police can already opt to bring misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct against a person blocking traffic, St. Germaine said. One of the last times Michigan saw widespread, spontaneous demonstrations in the streets was in 2020, when people called for justice in the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd and demanded greater accountability. The bill doesnt discriminate by what political message is being conveyed by the demonstrators, St. Germaine said. It goes both ways. What if theres a group of, say, Republicans blocking a roadway to a Planned Parenthood clinic? she said. I dont think thats right either. The intent is not to be partisan or pick on any one party. The intent is to protect drivers that are put into a situation that they were never trained to do. While political demonstrations and protests are the likeliest scenario for unpermitted crowds gathering or marching in the streets, the bill doesnt target those specifically and applies to any scenario. For instance, Detroit has seen large celebratory gatherings or street takeovers shutting down roadways. One such incident last month resulted in a car on fire and three arrests The bill refers to an assembly of people, whether people are expressing their concerns or just gathering for a social event, St. Germaine said. Weve had scenarios in Metro Detroit where people have gathered right in the middle of I-94, blocking the whole freeway. Just innocent people are put in positions where theyre afraid. Regular people arent trained to use their vehicle as a deadly weapon. Nobody wants to do that. Nobody wants to hurt anybody. Ahead of nationwide protests against President Donald Trump earlier this year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis argued that drivers in the state wouldnt be at fault for hitting a protester if the driver was trying to flee after a mob comes and surrounds your vehicle and threatens you, according to the New York Times. I would rather have stiffer penalties in place for the people purposely blocking the freeway than to message, Just go over them. Drive through the crowd, St. Germaine said. We dont want that. We never want violence. No one specific incident prompted St. Germaine to put forward the legislation. She said it comes in response to other states adopting stricter penalties for roadway demonstrations. Zawacki said the goal of the bill is to prevent demonstrations and silence free speech. I think the big thing to remember is that we have these guarantees for free speech, free association, peaceful assembly, he said. And those rights dont exist in a vacuum; They exist in physical public spaces. Historically, streets, sidewalks, public highways are these essential venues for protest and discourse. A total of 32 other Republican representatives have co-sponsored St. Germaines bill. Testimony on the bill will be heard during the House Judiciary Committee at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Varun Singh USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept by Xinhua Writers Wang Xiaopeng, Shen Anni and Yao Yuan BEIJING/FUZHOU, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- On a memorial wall bearing over 8,000 names in east China, 73-year-old Elyn MacInnis quickly found Mu Airen, the Chinese name of Donald MacInnis. She gave the name a gentle wipe, as if greeting an old friend. The wall in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province, honors heroes who once fought here in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, including those from across the Pacific. Donald MacInnis, Elyn's late father-in-law, was one of them. His bond with China, notably, has been kept alive for three generations in an American family and is remembered in China as a testimony to the China-U.S. friendship forged during World War II. "Don has always loved China, and especially Fujian," said Elyn, her eyes brightening as she recalled her father-in-law. In 1940, roughly three years into China's whole-of-nation resistance against Japanese aggression, 20-year-old Donald journeyed alone to the country to teach English at a Fuzhou middle school for a year. He later joined the U.S. 14th Air Force, known as "Flying Tigers" in China, serving as a "coast watcher." His scouting efforts served as "eyes" for the Flying Tigers. Whenever he and his Chinese comrades spotted Japanese supply ships approaching, they would radio coordinates to the Kunming command in southwest China, alerting them about the opportunity for bomber strikes. China and the United States fought the Japanese fascists together in the war, and forged a deep friendship that withstood the test of blood and fire. More than 2,000 Flying Tigers airmen sacrificed their lives during the war. The Chinese people also provided American pilots with assistance at all costs. More than 200 pilots in distress were rescued, with thousands of Chinese people giving their lives during the rescue operations. "He understood the risks, but was not so afraid," Elyn said, while revealing that Donald often recounted how profoundly the Chinese people's united resilience had moved him. "Their collective strength touched his soul." KULIANG HILLS BOND After the war, Donald returned to the United States. In 1947, upon learning that Fujian Union University needed foreign teachers, he returned to Fuzhou with his wife and son and worked there for a few years. Then in early 2000s, he once again worked in Fujian as a volunteer in a local college. Donald's legacy has lived on through the people he inspired. "Teacher Mu's spirit of internationalism and selfless dedication has guided me throughout my life," reflected 101-year-old Chen Shiming, one of Donald's students in China. Through the tireless efforts of Chen, Mu Airen became the first foreign name engraved on the memorial wall in 2018 -- joining the Chinese soldiers whom he fought alongside all those years ago. Donald's love of China has been passed down to Peter MacInnis, his second son and Elyn's husband. Peter was born in Fuzhou during Donald's stay there after the WWII, and was brought to Kuliang -- then a summer retreat for the city's foreign community nestled in the mountains east of the city -- when he was just a month old. Peter and Elyn met as graduate students at Harvard University and later fell in love and got married. Hoping someday to go to China, Elyn added Chinese to her other studies. More than ten years later they moved to Nanjing, in east China's Jiangsu Province, with their two daughters, and that was the start of their 30 years' stay in China. In 2015, Elyn and Peter brought Donald's ashes to Fuzhou and scattered them into the Minjiang River, fulfilling the old man's final wish. During that trip, Elyn explored Kuliang, and that led her to uncover many stories from Kuliang's American community -- such as Dr. Harold Brewster's teaching of life-saving surgical techniques. To preserve these memories, Elyn founded "Friends of Kuliang" in 2016, uniting about 50 descendants of Kuliang's American families. Their reunion reached a climax at Fuzhou's 2023 "Bond with Kuliang" Forum, where Elyn declared: "These moving stories represent generations of friendship. Now it's our turn to tend the flame of friendship that has long connected our two peoples." Her efforts earned recognition in China. She was named among "Touching China's 2023 Persons of the Year" and honored with the Friendship Envoy Award at the Orchid Awards in July this year. The Orchid Awards were established to honor international friends who have contributed to fostering cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. "I have spent much of my life building bridges between our nations. The bridges are not made of steel or stone. They are built from warm, kindhearted people, and the stories of their lives in China that I have had the privilege to share," she said. FRIENDSHIP FLAME MAINTAINED Today, the MacInnis legacy flourishes in its third generation. Elyn's daughters Ai Zhong and Ai Hua -- both names meaning "loving China" in Chinese -- speak fluent Chinese thanks to their years of education in Chinese schools. Ai Hua even pioneered as one of China's first bilingual TV hosts. The sisters now live in the United States. Ai Hua oversees dual-degree programs at a U.S. university, including collaborations with Chinese universities. She utilizes her Chinese language skills to communicate with and provide assistance to Chinese students enrolled in these programs. This family's decades-long bond mirrors a hopeful future for China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges. The foundation of China-U.S. relations lies in the people and the source of strength lies in the friendship between their peoples. China has announced its plan to invite 50,000 American youth to visit and study here in the course of five years, hoping that through firsthand experience, they can discover a real China while contributing to China-U.S. friendship. "True connection is everything," Elyn said. "We only really understand each other when we've spent some time together." Now settled in Rhode Island, Elyn stays connected with her Chinese friends via WeChat and makes time to see them whenever she visits China. In recent years, she likes sharing her views on the verses of famous Chinese writer Bing Xin, who was born in Fuzhou and pursued studies in the United States when she was young. Inspired by a renowned line, she concluded acceptance of her Orchid Award by saying: "When we walk along the path of friendship, the flowers bloom." People visit the exhibition area of the 7th Kyrgyz-Russian Economic Forum in the eastern resort town of Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, on Aug. 14, 2025. The forum being held here on Thursday has gathered over 1,000 people, including government officials and business leaders, who are expected to discuss a range of issues such as digital sovereignty and technological cooperation. The event, themed "Digital Sovereignty as a Driver of Economic Growth," runs from Aug. 13-15 at the lakeside town in Kyrgyzstan's Issyk-Kul region. (Xinhua/Li Renzi) BISHKEK, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The 7th Kyrgyz-Russian Economic Forum being held in Kyrgyzstan's eastern resort town Cholpon-Ata on Thursday has gathered over 1,000 people, including government officials and business leaders, who are expected to discuss a range of issues such as digital sovereignty and technological cooperation. The event, themed "Digital Sovereignty as a Driver of Economic Growth," runs from Aug. 13-15 at the lakeside town in Kyrgyzstan's Issyk-Kul region. The economic forum is intended to facilitate dialogue and cooperation between governments and businesses of Kyrgyzstan, Russia and the other Eurasian Economic Union members of Armenia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. The opening of the forum on Wednesday was greeted by messages from Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Japarov stressed in his message that rapid digital development must address the challenges of technological independence, digital data protection and development of national IT infrastructure. At the top of the forum's agenda is a plenary session on digital sovereignty and technological cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union's framework. Discussions at the forum cover a wide range of issues, including e-commerce, modernization of logistics and infrastructure, digital tourism, and challenges from AI replacement of skilled labor and professionals. People attend the opening of the 7th Kyrgyz-Russian Economic Forum in the eastern resort town of Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, on Aug. 14, 2025. The forum being held here on Thursday has gathered over 1,000 people, including government officials and business leaders, who are expected to discuss a range of issues such as digital sovereignty and technological cooperation. The event, themed "Digital Sovereignty as a Driver of Economic Growth," runs from Aug. 13-15 at the lakeside town in Kyrgyzstan's Issyk-Kul region. (Xinhua/Li Renzi) Guests participate in a discussion session during the 7th Kyrgyz-Russian Economic Forum in the eastern resort town of Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, on Aug. 14, 2025. The forum being held here on Thursday has gathered over 1,000 people, including government officials and business leaders, who are expected to discuss a range of issues such as digital sovereignty and technological cooperation. The event, themed "Digital Sovereignty as a Driver of Economic Growth," runs from Aug. 13-15 at the lakeside town in Kyrgyzstan's Issyk-Kul region. (Xinhua/Li Renzi) People visit the exhibition area of the 7th Kyrgyz-Russian Economic Forum in the eastern resort town of Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, on Aug. 14, 2025. The forum being held here on Thursday has gathered over 1,000 people, including government officials and business leaders, who are expected to discuss a range of issues such as digital sovereignty and technological cooperation. The event, themed "Digital Sovereignty as a Driver of Economic Growth," runs from Aug. 13-15 at the lakeside town in Kyrgyzstan's Issyk-Kul region. (Xinhua/Li Renzi) Janmashtami 2025 School Holiday: Schools and Colleges to Remain Closed on August 16 in These States 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. Archisha Yadav USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Alia Bhatt calls out paparazzi for crossing the line, says "Aapka building nahi hai, please bhaar jao" Palak Vij USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Amitabh Bachchan breaks silence on his changed look in Kaun Banega Crorepati 17: Doing my best for my age Nakul Tomar USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Coolie: Fans of Nagarjuna express disappointment, say a legend was hired for a badly written script Gayatri Rani USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept 1/10 Saare Jahan Se Accha: The Silent Guardians Pratik Gandhi leads this spy thriller as intelligence officer Vishnu Shankar, engaged in a cat-and-mouse game of wits with his counterpart on the other side. The stakes? Avoiding an apocalyptic nuclear threat. The series offers edge-of-the-seat suspense and gripping action. Saare Jahan Se Accha: The Silent Guardians comes to Netflix from August 13. 2/10 Alien: Earth From Noah Hawley, a new daring TV remake two years before Alien (1979). Tracing the path of Wendy and a team of tactical combatants, the series turns eerie when an otherworldly ship crashes on the planet, leading humankind to confront its most fearsome predator. Alien: Earth is streaming now on JioHotstar, with fresh episodes released every Wednesday. 3/10 J.S.K. - Janaki Vs State of Kerala This gripping legal thriller tracks Janaki (Anupama Parmeswaran), a young survivor of assault, courageously pursuing her battle through the courts. Confronted by top lawyer David Abel Donoven (Suresh Gopi), her quest exposes the weaknesses in the justice system while showcasing grit and determination. J.S.K. - Janaki V Vs State of Kerala will premiere on ZEE5 on August 15, 2025. 4/10 Court Kacheri In this bustling courtroom drama, Param, hailing from a prestigious legal family, must prove his mettle in chaotic district courts. Balancing tradition with modern strategies, he faces challenging cases and unexpected moral dilemmas. Court Kacheri is now streaming on SonyLIV, delivering weekly doses of legal intrigue and emotional storytelling. 5/10 Butterfly Season 1 High-stakes spy thriller Butterfly follows a woman raised in the belief that her father died, only to have him return, telling her to quit her perilous line of work. From there comes a maelstrom of betrayal, clandestine missions, and underworld assassins determined to kill her. Butterfly Season 1 is streaming now on Prime Video, ready to reel in lovers of intense father-daughter dramas with a spy spin. 6/10 Tehran John Abraham takes over the character of ACP Rajeev Kumar, a special cell officer embroiled in political stress following the 2012 blast near the Israeli embassy in Delhi. Deployed to Tehran on a secret assignment, he deals with spy games, diplomacy, and peril around the corner. Starring alongside Neeru Bajwa and Manushi Chhillar, this geopolitical thriller is streaming on ZEE5 from August 15, 2025. Talking about Tehran and other patriotic releases on Independence Day, Kaveri Das, Business Head - ZEE5 Hindi, said, "In recent years, Independence Day has evolved into more than a national celebration. It has become a cultural moment for storytelling across platforms. This shift has paved the way for thrillers, biopics, and dramas grounded in realism yet carrying a strong emotional core. Independence Day, in particular, has become a prime window for narratives that blend entertainment with themes of courage, resilience, and national pride. With Tehran, we wanted to create a gripping spy thriller that travels across borders in its scale, yet connects at a deeply personal level with the patriotism and pride the occasion inspires." 7/10 Andhera Against the city's rainy, neon-lit streets of Mumbai, this horror psychological thriller unites a fearless cop with a traumatised medical student as they deal with spooky supernatural occurrences. Directed by Farhan Akhtar, Andhera weaves mystery, horror, and crime together in a spooky tale. Andhera is available to stream from August 14 on Amazon Prime Video and MX Player. 8/10 Superman James Gunn reimagines Superman as the Man of Steel in this reboot that opened theatres last July and now arrives on OTT. Clark Kent tries to balance his Kryptonian roots with remaining loyal to his human origins, even as mankind considers his ideals retrograde. The movie will be available to stream from August 15 on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. 9/10 Maa Kajol plays a fierce mother's role in this mythological horror, where she portrays Ambika, who comes back to her village with her daughter after the death of her husband. There, she encounters a dark curse and an evil village secret. As demons plan to destroy her child, Ambika will have to fight supernatural forces to save her. According to reports, Maa is set to release on Netflix on August 15, 2025. WENCHANG, Hainan, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's Long March-10 carrier rocket, the country's new-generation manned launch vehicle, has successfully completed the first static fire test on Friday at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, the China Manned Space Agency has announced. Nakul Tomar USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Kim Kardashian cries and tells ex-husband Kanye West, you werent like this a few years ago in new documentary trailer Whose Name? Palak Vij USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Sonu Sood celebrates Independence Day with Indian army at AttariWagah border in throwback pic, see here Gayatri Rani USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept RSB Retail India files draft papers with SEBI, likely to raise Rs 1,500 crore via IPO Sunil Matkar USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Hemant Abhishek USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Sonalee Borgohain USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Tushar Goenka USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Armaan Bhatnagar USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Smriti Mishra USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept * The story of Minning Town in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region began in 1996, when the Chinese government launched a "pairing-up" initiative, linking east China's Fujian Province with Ningxia for targeted poverty alleviation. * Once a small village of a few thousand residents, Minning has become a modern township of over 60,000 people, its streets and facilities reflecting decades of targeted poverty alleviation and development. * Minning is just one of the many beneficiaries of China's east-west collaboration for poverty alleviation, which pairs developed eastern provinces with less-developed western regions to share resources, expertise and investment. YINCHUAN, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Nestled at the base of the Helan Mountains, rows of lush vineyards line the Yellow River, showcasing the transformation of Minning Town, Yongning County in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Once a small village of a few thousand residents, Minning Town has become a modern township of over 60,000 people, its streets and facilities reflecting decades of targeted poverty alleviation and development. "Per capita disposable income has soared from 500 yuan (about 70 U.S. dollars) at the time of relocation to 19,000 yuan in 2024. Our people now live lives they once could not even imagine," said Huang Mengqin, a local guide born and raised in the town, who proudly showed visiting tourists around Minning and highlighted the town's transformation over the past three decades. An aerial drone photo taken on July 9, 2025 shows a view of Minning Town, Yongning County in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Wang Peng) COOPERATION SPURS LOCAL DEVELOPMENT The story of Minning began in 1996, when the Chinese government launched a "pairing-up" initiative, linking east China's Fujian Province with Ningxia for targeted poverty alleviation. Construction of "Minning Village" started in 1997, sparking a cross-provincial effort spanning more than 2,000 kilometers and nearly three decades, through which the small village has grown into a modern township. For residents like 61-year-old Wang Sheng, one of the first-generation settlers, the relocation was life-changing. "More than 20 years have passed, and our lives today are far beyond what we once thought possible," he said. Previously, his hometown in Xiji County, part of the rugged Xihaigu region, suffered from infertile land, frequent droughts and widespread poverty, leaving families struggling for basic sustenance. Starting in 1996, over 60,000 residents left the mountains to build new homes along the Yellow River, where entire villages rose within a few years. Leveraging funds, technology and expertise from eastern China, combined with local agricultural and industrial development, the township rapidly evolved into a hub of economic activity. To date, 229 officials have been sent from Fujian to Ningxia for paired assistance, while Ningxia has dispatched 362 officials to Fujian for temporary assignments and professional exchanges. An aerial drone photo taken on June 1, 2025 shows an industrial park in Minning Town, Yongning County in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen) Officials from both regions worked together to establish industrial parks, training programs and cooperative platforms, gradually turning aid into sustainable self-reliance. This effort has enabled young locals like Ma Jingdong to seize new opportunities. As a post-90s native of Minning Town, Ma grew up there and later started a business in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, with an annual output value of 200 million yuan. This year, he secured 50 mu (about 3.33 hectares) in the industrial park in Minning to launch a drone assembly project, aiming to start production by year-end. "As a true Minning local, I am both a witness and a beneficiary of the cooperation. The industrial park brings opportunities right to our doorstep, and we have every reason to seize them," Ma said. LOCAL EMPLOYMENT BRINGS INDEPENDENCE At a government-supported e-commerce workshop in Minning, 32-year-old Ma Yan now hosts live-stream sales of local products such as goat milk, goji berries, and herbal teas. Just a few years ago, she rarely left her village and could neither speak Mandarin fluently nor use a computer. "In the past, I stayed home taking care of children and doing housework. I had no awareness of seeking employment," she said. A staff member sells local products via livestream at a government-supported e-commerce workshop in Minning Town, Yongning County in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Peng) After joining the workshop in 2019, she received literacy and digital training, learning to operate smartphones and computers, and became part of a team of over 30 women known as the "Minning Skilled Housewives." Their efforts generate millions of yuan in annual sales, while also opening markets for local specialty products from Fujian and Ningxia alike. Her story reflects a broader trend: relocated villages across Minning have seen women gain skills, confidence, and financial independence. From simple aid to self-reliance, local initiatives such as wineries, photovoltaic farms, and e-commerce workshops have provided residents with stable employment and opportunities to build meaningful careers at their doorstep. Staff members pack local products at a government-supported e-commerce workshop in Minning Town, Yongning County in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Peng) "My life used to be like a blank sheet of paper with no goals. Now it is full of color, and I have dreams," Ma Yan said. "I hope more women join our team and have even more exciting lives." SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WITH ECOLOGICAL PROTECTION The ecological transformation of Minning Town is a win-win for industry and the environment, with grapes playing a key role. An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 29, 2024 shows workers picking wine grapes at vineyards in Yuanlong Village of Minning Town, Yongning County in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Photo by Yuan Hongyan/Xinhua) In 2007, Fujian entrepreneur Chen Deqi secured the rights to 100,000 mu of wasteland at the foot of Helan Mountain to grow grapes. Over a decade later, more than 40,000 mu of premium wine grapes have been planted, and over 3,000 relocated residents have been employed. In recent years, Minning's wine industry has boomed, with over 100,000 mu of vineyards, 20 wineries, and an annual production of 26,000 tonnes of wine, worth about 326 million yuan. The town has developed six pillar industries: wine, tourism, facility-based agriculture, green energy, manufacturing and e-commerce. Today, Minning has earned a new title -- "Green Power Town" -- as it harnesses green energy, smart grids, and sustainable consumption to spur economic growth and rural revitalization. An aerial drone photo taken on July 30, 2025 shows a shared energy storage station of an industrial park in Minning Town, Yongning County in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Photo by Yuan Hongyan/Xinhua) At the heart of this transformation is an energy storage station capable of completing one full charge-and-discharge cycle each day, storing up to 200,000 kWh -- enough to meet the daily electricity needs of 24,000 households -- helping the grid balance peak and off-peak demand while improving overall efficiency. "Green Power Town accelerates Minning's transition to clean, low-carbon development and enables high-quality growth in smart manufacturing, food processing, and digital economy sectors," said Zhao Chao, head of Minning Town. An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 7, 2024 shows a photovoltaic agricultural base in Yuanlong Village of Minning Town, Yongning County in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Photo by Yuan Hongyan/Xinhua) Minning is just one of the many beneficiaries of China's east-west collaboration for poverty alleviation, which pairs developed eastern provinces with less-developed western regions to share resources, expertise and investment. According to official data, by the end of October 2024, eight eastern provinces in China had provided 22.89 billion yuan in aid to 10 western provincial regions, exchanged nearly 3,000 officials and 24,000 technical experts, attracted 140.9 billion yuan in corporate investment, facilitated 112.9 billion yuan in agricultural sales, and helped 815,000 rural workers find jobs. As the real-life model behind the Chinese TV drama "Minning Town," the township in Ningxia has become a vivid example of China's successful poverty alleviation, and just as the drama has captivated audiences in Africa and across the Global South, its story will continue to be celebrated. (Video reporter: Lyu Ze; video editors: Wang Houyuan, Zheng Qingbin) Ishaan Gera USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept 'Biggest NGO of the world': PM Modi invokes RSS in I-Day speech, praises its role in nation-building Parimal Peeyush USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Rewati Karan USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Yeeshu Yadav USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Double Diwali: Next-gen GST reforms by October, items to get cheaper, says PM Modi Armaan Bhatnagar USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Flag hoisted in 4 tribal hamlets in north Maharashtra for the first time since Independence Yeeshu Yadav USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Surabhi Pandey USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept The year 2025 marks the 60th founding anniversary of China's Xizang Autonomous Region. The region has witnessed tremendous development. #GLOBALink Law and order situation improved, under control in Manipur, says Governor Ajay Bhalla Rewati Karan USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Sonalee Borgohain USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Priyanjali Ghose USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Owaisi says PM glorifying RSS in I-Day speech an 'insult' to freedom struggle: 'Why do it from Red Fort?' Parimal Peeyush USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Pakistan, infiltrators, Mahabharat return to Independence Day lexicon after nearly a decade; RSS, critical minerals among new mentions Ishaan Gera USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane, Myanmar's Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Swe and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa hold an informal meeting in Anning, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Peng Yikai) KUNMING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand held an informal meeting in Anning, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Friday, with all sides pledging to help maintain Myanmar's stability and jointly combat cross-border crimes. Since the first quadrilateral meeting last year, the situation in Myanmar has generally stabilized, and efforts are underway to advance post-earthquake reconstruction and safeguard its sovereignty, independence and national stability, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. He called for adhering to a "Myanmar-led, Myanmar-owned" approach, supporting the choices of the Myanmar people, and resolving differences through dialogue. Wang stressed the importance of mediation by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and assistance from neighboring countries, with ASEAN serving as the main channel, while also giving full play to mechanisms like the Informal Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the Myanmar Neighboring Countries' Foreign Ministers' Meeting. He also urged prioritizing people's livelihoods and development, supporting Myanmar in improving people's well-being and post-quake reconstruction, and promoting cooperation in various fields for people's benefits, while warning against external forces that could undermine regional stability. Myanmar's Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Swe expressed gratitude for the support from China, Laos and Thailand in addressing challenges and reiterated Myanmar's commitment to advancing domestic peace and reconciliation process through political dialogue. He said Myanmar is actively preparing for transparent elections by year-end to return power to the people. Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane expressed his country's support for a "Myanmar-led, Myanmar-owned" political process and elections to achieve peace, stability and national reconciliation. Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said Thailand is willing to work with other ASEAN countries to provide support and assistance for Myanmar to hold elections on the basis of the principle of non-interference in internal affairs. The four foreign ministers also exchanged views on joint efforts to combat cross-border crime. Wang emphasized that combating such crimes is related to people's well-being, represents a common concern of the four countries, and requires coordinated action. He called for strengthening institutional building, strengthening joint operations and border control, strengthening capacity building and judicial coordination, and strengthening transformative development and social governance. All parties agreed to deepen law enforcement cooperation, intensify efforts against cross-border crimes such as online gambling, telecom fraud, drug and arms trafficking and human trafficking, and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane, Myanmar's Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Swe and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa hold an informal meeting in Anning, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Peng Yikai) PM Modi announces Mission Sudarshan Chakra in I-Day speech: All about the Suraksha Kavach that will protect India's skies Priyanjali Ghose USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept PM Modi lauds forces for Op Sindoor in I-Day speech: 'Pakistan still getting sleepless nights' Priyanjali Ghose USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept PM Modis top quotes: Swadeshi not out of compulsion, but with strength to compel others Arishaa Izaj USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Private drone makers honoured with COAS Commendation Cards on I-Day for support during Operation Sindoor Smriti Mishra USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept China sends top ministers to Indias Independence Day event in Beijing ahead of Modis possible SCO visit Rewati Karan USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept 'Well-deserved authority in global affairs': World leaders, neighbours extend greetings to India on 79th Independence Day Rewati Karan USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Who was La Ganesan, RSS pracharak-turned-BJP leader and Nagaland Governor who died at 80 Rewati Karan USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept ISLAMABAD, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Senate Deputy Chairman Syedaal Khan Nasar has reaffirmed his country's resolve to advance the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), calling it "the key to the development and prosperity of the people of Pakistan, especially Balochistan." Speaking at an event titled "CPEC in My Eyes" in Islamabad, Nasar hailed China as a "brother" that has stood by Pakistan in every difficult time. "The journey from Quetta to Gwadar that once took 34 hours can now be completed in 12 hours via road, that is the progress CPEC has brought to ordinary people," he said, adding that all stakeholders in Pakistan are now "on one page" to drive growth through the corridor. Nasar underscored the need to further engage communities in agriculture, education, and trade under the CPEC so that "they will not only benefit but also help strengthen Pakistan-China cooperation." Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong said that with support of leaders of both countries, the corridor has been promoted and achieved fruitful results, helping Pakistan consolidate its development foundation and unleash its development potential. China and Pakistan will work together to build an upgraded version of the corridor and accelerate the building of a China-Pakistan community with a shared future, he added. 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 USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept When courts find no one guilty after a crime, its the justice system thats in the dock Shishir Tripathi is a journalist and researcher based in Delhi. He has worked with The Indian Express, Firstpost, Governance Now, and Indic Collective. He writes on Law, Governance and Politics. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. Aurobindo Das USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Artificial intelligence is seeping into the modern workplace, but its also raising tricky new questions for companies about privacy and data management. Apple is now working on tools that give IT administrators more control over how employees use AI services like ChatGPT. According to a report from TechCrunch, the system will let administrators allow or block access to ChatGPT Enterprise, with the ability to toggle specific features on or off. Crucially, it also offers the option to prevent employee queries from being sent to ChatGPTs cloud servers even if the company hasnt subscribed to OpenAIs business tier. That measure could help stop sensitive data or intellectual property from slipping into external AI systems. While the spotlight is on ChatGPT, Apples controls wont stop there. The same framework is designed to govern any external AI service, such as Anthropics Claude or Googles Gemini. For enterprises, that could mean tighter oversight of multiple AI tools, reducing the risk of leaks while keeping workplace compliance in check. The development also hints at Apples long-term AI strategy. On the consumer side, the company has a high-profile deal with OpenAI that integrates ChatGPT into the iPhone. But for enterprises, Apple appears to be leaving the door open to more flexibility, preparing for a future in which businesses may prefer different AI partners. Apple has repeatedly stressed its Private Cloud Compute architecture as a way to secure data handled by Apple Intelligence, its in-house AI system. But since it cant vouch for third-party providers, these new enterprise tools could serve as a stopgap giving companies more control while Apple gradually deepens its AI offerings. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept AI has unlocked unprecedented opportunities for 25-year-olds in India: Sam Altman on Nikhil Kamath's podcast Shubhi Mishra USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept 76-year-old man dies after AI chatbot invites him to meet in real life 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. Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Ankita Chakravarti USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Apple leads with the iPad as Indias tablet market surges in Q2 2025: Report 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. Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Aabhas Sharma USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept White House plans 15% tax on Nvidia and AMD China sales: 8 things to know Strategic Importance The taxed chips, including Nvidias H20 and AMD equivalents, were designed to comply with 2023 U.S. export restrictions, aimed at limiting Chinas access to advanced AI technology that could boost military capabilities. Legal Questions Arise Trade lawyers and industry experts have questioned the legality of the agreement, noting existing laws regulating government fees for export licences. Companies Respond Nvidia stated it follows all rules set by the U.S. government for global markets. AMD has not publicly commented, but both companies are preparing to comply with the export licence requirements. Trump Critiques Nvidia Chips Trump referred to Nvidias H20 chips as obsolete while discussing the deal, emphasising the governments role in controlling advanced AI exports. Trump Demands Revenue Share President Donald Trump told Nvidia and AMD that the 15% payment to the U.S. government is a condition of granting export licences for China-specific AI chips. Implementation Still Pending Leavitt noted that the Department of Commerce is still ironing out the legal and practical mechanics of the deal, indicating the agreement is far from finalised. Only Nvidia and AMD So Far White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the tax arrangement currently applies only to these two chipmakers but hinted that similar deals could be expanded to other companies in the future. New Export Tax in the Works The White House is finalising a 15% export tax on revenue from Nvidia and AMD chip sales to China, part of a deal granting the companies licenses for AI chips designed specifically for the Chinese market. Aabhas Sharma USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept 1/12 Frances charm lies in its quaint, timeless villages where history, culture, and stunning architecture intertwine to create unforgettable experiences. Every year, Stephane Berns beloved television program, Frances Favourite Village (Le Village prefere des Francais), invites viewers to vote for the villages that capture the heart of the nation. From cobbled medieval streets to charming riversides, these villages celebrate centuries of French heritage, local craftsmanship, and vibrant community life. (Image: Canva) 2/12 In 2025, French audiences once again revealed their favourites, selecting ten exceptional villages that perfectly balance historic architecture, scenic landscapes, and cultural richness. Each village tells its own storywhether through grand abbeys, hidden alleyways, or centuries-old marketplacesoffering travelers an authentic taste of Frances rural beauty and traditions. These villages are not just picturesque destinations; they are living testaments to Frances history, artistry, and enduring charm. Here are the 10 prettiest villages in France for 2025, as voted by the French people themselves: (Image: Canva) 3/12 1. Saint-Antoine-lAbbaye (Isere, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes) Voted Frances favourite village 2025, this medieval treasure boasts Gothic abbeys, cobbled streets, half-timbered houses, and a rich history of pilgrimages, offering visitors a surreal glimpse into Frances spiritual and architectural past. (Image: Canva) 4/12 2. Malestroit (Morbihan, Brittany) Nestled along peaceful canals, Malestroit enchants with its medieval stone houses, narrow cobbled lanes, and vibrant markets. The village radiates classic Breton charm, perfect for cultural exploration and riverside strolls. (Image: Canva) 5/12 3. Semur-en-Auxois (Cote-dOr, Bourgogne-Franche-Comte) A fortified Burgundy town, Semur-en-Auxois boasts picturesque stone bridges, medieval towers, and panoramic views. Its streets are steeped in history, making it a perfect stop for photographers and heritage enthusiasts. (Image: Canva) 6/12 4. Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne (Correze, Nouvelle-Aquitaine) Situated along the Dordogne River, Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne delights with its Romanesque abbey, riverside charm, and lush green surroundings. The villages serene atmosphere feels like stepping into a centuries-old French postcard. (Image: Canva) 7/12 5. Clecy (Calvados, Normandy) Known as the Normandy capital of outdoor sports, Clecy blends adventure with beauty. Its rolling hills, river views, and charming medieval streets create an unforgettable destination for nature lovers and explorers. (Image: Canva) 8/12 6. Sierck-les-Bains (Moselle, Grand-Est) This border village offers a fascinating Franco-Germanic heritage, a majestic medieval castle, and cobbled streets. Sierck-les-Bains combines history, scenic views, and quiet village life for a cultural escape. (Image: Wikipedia) 9/12 7. GrandRiviere (Martinique, Overseas Territories) The northernmost village in Martinique surprises with dramatic cliffs, lush tropical landscapes, and Atlantic Ocean vistas. GrandRivieres vibrant culture and natural beauty make it a unique French island gem. (Image: Facebook/Grand-Riviere, La Commune ) 10/12 8. Ferrieres-en-Gatinais (Loiret, Centre-Val de Loire) A tranquil village with centuries-old stone houses, a historic church, and charming lanes. Ferrieres-en-Gatinais offers peaceful walks, scenic views, and a taste of authentic French countryside life. (Image: Wikipedia) 11/12 9. Longpont (Aisne, Hauts-de-France) Home to a remarkable Gothic abbey and surrounded by lush greenery, Longpont impresses with its history, medieval charm, and serene atmosphere, perfect for leisurely exploration and photography. (Image: Wikipedia) Abhinav Gupta USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept First Trump-Putin meeting since 2018: Why Alaska summit could be a gamechanger for India | Explained Abhinav Gupta USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept CANBERRA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A new report warns of emerging threats to Antarctic conservation, calling for stronger coordinated governance. The report by Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future (SAEF), funded by the Australian government, draws on 131 experts from over 40 countries to identify 10 emerging Antarctic conservation threats for the next decade, according to a statement released Friday by Australia's University of Adelaide. These threats include more extreme snowfall and rainfall, reduced cooperation among the Antarctic Treaty Parties, the potential militarization of the region, and speculative risks such as iceberg harvesting and agricultural expansion. The report also warns that global disruptions, such as pandemics and conflicts between Treaty Parties, can undermine scientific collaboration, environmental monitoring, and diplomatic engagement. Published in Nature Ecology & Evolution in London, the report updates a 2012 assessment of Antarctic conservation issues and highlights growing challenges for the Antarctic Treaty System in tackling emerging environmental and geopolitical threats. SAEF Research Fellow Zachary Carter from the University of Adelaide and Queensland University of Technology in Australia, who led the research, noted a "structural vulnerability" in Antarctic governance, worsened by many serious threats originating outside its current jurisdiction. Without strengthening the Treaty System's capacity, Antarctica's management risks would become increasingly reactive rather than preventative, Carter said. "We must remember, Antarctica is not just a remote wilderness; it plays a pivotal role in the Earth's climate system, ocean circulation, and global biodiversity," he said, urging governments to use the Treaty's international cooperation provisions to strengthen Antarctic protections before irreversible consequences occur. "Because in the end, what happens in Antarctica doesn't stay in Antarctica," Carter said. High Stakes!: Trump heads to Alaska for Putin meeting that could reshape the Ukraine war and global markets Aishwarya Dabhade USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Inside the security fortress around Trump-Putin Alaska summit and the secret spy war behind it Aishwarya Dabhade USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Inside the TrumpPutin Alaska Summit: Who wants what in the Ukraine endgame | Explainer Abhinav Gupta USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept 101Reporters USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Putin-Trump Alaska summit: History, protests and a bear on live TV as war looms in background Aishwarya Dabhade USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Scott Bessent tells Europe to put up or shut up over Russia sanctions, threatens India with more tariffs Abhinav Gupta USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept KIEV, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday expressed his hope that an upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska could pave the way for three-way talks. "The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format -- Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side," Zelensky wrote on X. He stressed that "it is time to end the war," while underscoring that Russia must take "necessary steps." "We are counting on America. We are ready, as always, to work as productively as possible," Zelensky added. The meeting between Trump and Putin is scheduled for Friday in the city of Anchorage. Trump and Putin have different ideas of success at Alaska summit Aishwarya Dabhade USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Trump-Putin Alaska meeting: Time, location, agenda and where to watch in India Aishwarya Dabhade USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Trump-Putin Alaska meeting: Whats at stake in Ukraine war talks without Kyiv at the table Aishwarya Dabhade USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Trump Putin Meeting Live: Putin shares stage with a US president for first time since 2018 US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are addressing a news conference following their high-stakes talks in Alaska. Russian state media quoted Ambassador to the US Alexander Darchiev as saying the atmosphere around the discussions was generally positive. It has been seven years since Russian President Vladimir Putin stood alongside an American president to take questions. The last time was in Helsinki in 2018, during the now-infamous press conference where Donald Trump appeared to side with Russia over US intelligence agencies on election interference. When Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in 2021, he chose not to hold a joint press conference, instead taking questions alone, a move aimed, in part, at denying Putin a platform to shape the narrative of their talks. Trump says it will be up to Ukraine to decide on territorial swaps Sonalee Borgohain USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Aishwarya Dabhade USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Why a $2.4 billion Cape Cod bridge project is forcing homeowners in the US to give up their properties Priyanjali Ghose USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Why Torontos film festival reversed course on screening an Israeli Oct 7 attack documentary Priyanjali Ghose USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Mushahid Hussain Syed, former chairman of the Pakistani Senate's defense committee, speaks during an interview with Xinhua News Agency in Islamabad, Pakistan, on July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) by Jiang Chao, Ahmed Raza ISLAMABAD, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The friendship between Pakistan and China is a model of political trust and enduring cooperation, said Mushahid Hussain Syed, former chairman of the Pakistani senate's defense committee, calling for joint efforts to build a closer Pakistan-China community with a shared future in the new era. Syed, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan-China Institute (PCI), said in a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua that the two countries should seize the opportunities brought about by global political and economic changes to deepen their strategic partnership further. Reflecting on the 74 years of diplomatic ties, Syed said that from the friendship forged by the older generation of leaders, to the construction of the Karakoram Highway, also known as the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway, and the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the two sides have established an unbreakable all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. Launched in 2013, CPEC, a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is a corridor linking Gwadar Port in Pakistan with Kashgar in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport, and industrial cooperation in the first phase, while in the new phase it expands to fields of agriculture and livelihood, among others. Before the launch of CPEC, Pakistan faced security challenges and a lack of foreign investment, the former senator noted. "China was the first to invest in Pakistan, showing firm confidence in our future and enhancing our position on the global investment map," he said. "CPEC has improved connectivity, eased our electricity shortages, and created a large number of jobs and educational opportunities," said the PCI chairman. He pointed out that CPEC has in recent years expanded into agriculture, information technology, green energy and other sectors, boosting development in less-developed areas of Pakistan. "In the Thar Coal Block-II Coal Electricity Integration project, local women can drive dumper trucks to transport coal," Syed said. "The Sukkur-Multan section of the Peshawar-Karachi Motorway has created jobs for tens of thousands of locals, and improved cold chain facilities and road connectivity have benefited the fishing industry in Gwadar." According to him, CPEC is not just about steel and concrete. "It is a people-centered development project," he added. Syed suggested that the two countries deepen cooperation in industrial relocation, critical mineral development, information technology, agriculture, artificial intelligence (AI), and 5G. He also recommended that Pakistan should learn from China's experience in drip irrigation and multiple cropping. "Pakistan has an educated workforce, and China is a global leader in AI, robotics, cloud computing, and green energy," said the former senator. "The potential for cooperation is huge." Looking ahead, Syed said Pakistan should formulate strategies aligned with China's development priorities, particularly in electric vehicles, renewable energy, and addressing climate change. "We must combine technology with efforts to tackle climate challenges and promote green and sustainable development," he said. Speaking about the younger generation, the PCI chairman recalled his first visit to China more than 50 years ago as a student and as head of the Pakistan-China Youth Friendship Association. "That was the beginning of my bond with China," he said. "The China-Pakistan friendship is a unique relationship that has stood the test of time, built on solidarity and mutual trust," Syed said. "China's success story is worth learning from, and the youth of our two countries should work together to build a better future based on peace, development and prosperity." Mushahid Hussain Syed, former chairman of the Pakistani Senate's defense committee, speaks during an interview with Xinhua News Agency in Islamabad, Pakistan, on July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) ULAN BATOR, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- More than 65 people, including firefighters, soldiers and local residents, were battling to extinguish forest and steppe fires in western Mongolia, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Friday. The fires broke out on Wednesday in Tsagaanchuluut soum of Zavkhan province due to the negligence of citizens, the NEMA said in a statement. The NEMA warned residents of Ulan Bator and other provinces not to make bonfires or throw cigarette butts on the ground in dry and hot weather conditions. The total number of forest and steppe fires across Mongolia as of mid-August reached 209, according to the agency. By Ann Gosser | Aug 15, 2025 Printmaker Sage Perrott, also known as Haypeep, will visit campus on September 9-11 Printmaker Sage Perrott, also known as Haypeep, will visit campus on September 9-11 MURRAY, Ky. The Department of Art & Design at Murray State University is pleased to host Sage Perrott, also known as Haypeep, as the Patricia L. Summerville Artist in Printmaking on Sept. 9 through Sept. 11. Perrott will host a screenprinting workshop with the help of both Professor Nicole Hands and Professor Lu Cobys advanced printmaking class. The workshop will be Sept. 9 through Sept. 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Fine Arts room 1006. Perrott will also give a lecture on her work on Sept. 9 at 11 a.m. in Fine Arts room 623 located inside the Clara Eagle Gallery. The workshop and lecture are both free and open to the public. Perrott is a printmaker and educator originally from West Virginia. Her artwork features grumpy, lumpy, ghost-like creatures situated in cramped, often humorous circumstances. Perrott especially enjoys screenprinting and riso. She has degrees in printmaking from West Virginia University (Bachelor of Fine Arts) and from Ohio University (Master of Fine Arts). Perrott is currently an Associate Professor teaching printmaking at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. Her prints, drawings and zines have found their way into the hands of individuals all over the United States and the world. The Patricia L. Summerville Lecture Series is made possible through an endowment to the Department of Art and Design from Patricia Summerville, who graduated from Murray State University in 1972 with a B.S. Ed., after attending the University for only three years. She then earned three additional degrees, including a M.S. Ed., with a major in supervision in 1976 from the University of Akron; a M.H.A., with a major in Hospital Administration in 1982 from Xavier University; and the Juris Doctor from Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University in 1994. She was admitted to the bar the following year. Summervilles career included teaching art for six years, serving as an administrator for hospitals and healthcare facilities for twenty years, and practicing law for five years before retiring in 2003. She passed away in March 2022. For more information about the Patricia L. Summerville Lecture Series or the Department of Art & Design, contact Nicole Hand at nhandbryant@murraystate.edu. For more about Haypeeps work, please visit haypeep.com. There is no best business environmentonly better ones. Anhui treats optimizing its business environment as a top priority. Targeting challenges faced by businesses and citizens in operations and entrepreneurship, the province persistently deepens reforms, enhances government service capabilities, and strives to build a world-class market-oriented, rule-of-law-based, internationalized business environment. According to the newly released "China Legal Development Report (2025)", Anhui ranked 3rd nationally in 2024 for excellence in business environment optimization indicators. At Hefei Hengda Jianghai Co., Ltd.'s production facility, journalists observed massive new-generation intelligent submersible electric pump unitsequipped with digital twin technologycapable of extracting water from depths up to 1,200 meters post-assembly. These products now enjoy widespread application across global markets. Amid accelerating product globalization, the company achieved a 50% year-on-year revenue growth in the first half of this year. Yet Hengda Jianghai has confronted challenges in recent yearsurgently necessitating its international expansion for sustained development. To elevate global competitiveness, the enterprise embarked on dual tracks within short timeframes: innovating product formats while diversifying application scenarios. Swiftly executing this strategy, Hengda Jianghai invested over hundreds of millions in technological upgrades to establish world-class digital production lines. Simultaneously, with support from commercial and industry departments, the company collaborated with Hefei University of Technology to develop new products such as the "Intelligent Large Submersible Electric Pump Unit," meeting diverse application needs in overseas markets. To assist traditional manufacturers like Hengda Jianghai in accelerating their transition toward export-oriented models and adapting to diversified market demands, Anhui continues building a world-class international business environment. This year, addressing common challenges faced by most enterprisessuch as unfamiliarity with global markets and lack of channelsprovincial authorities at all levels proactively conducted site visits to understand needs while rolling out stabilization policies for foreign trade and investment. So far, over 2,000 enterprise participations have been organized in domestic and overseas exhibitions, complemented by twelve events including "Haike Roundtable Forums." In H1 alone, provincial imports and exports reached 458.54 billion yuan, marking a 15.2% YoY increase. Anhui persistently refines its open development ecosystem, strengthens service guarantees, leverages the Anhui Business International Trade Cooperation Alliance and overseas commercial service networks, maximizes policy flexibility, ensures rapid implementation with tangible resultsmaking support both perceptible and accessible to entrepreneurs. While empowering more Anhui-based enterprises to explore international markets, the province continuously refines and upgrades its business environment benchmarking initiatives to attract greater investment and project launches. From comprehensively advancing reforms for "efficiently handling matters with minimal steps," implementing automatic eligibility checks for corporate benefits without applications, to regularly hosting dialogue sessions with private entrepreneurswithin just a few years, Anhui has introduced over 800 measures to enhance its business climate. Concurrently, cities across the province have created distinctive service brands: Wuhu's "Breakfast Meetings for Open Dialogue," Chuzhous "Total Satisfaction Guarantee," all effectively addressing problems faced by enterprises. Anhui persistently cultivates a world-class business environment by enhancing efficient, full-lifecycle services and value-added capabilities for enterprises. Proactively addressing corporate needs, Anhui hosts monthly private enterprise forums, streamlines project approvals through bundled processing mechanisms, fosters supply chain integration in sectors such as automotive and low-altitude economy, facilitates bank-enterprise collaborations, and develops application scenariosleveraging upgraded public services to vigorously stimulate market dynamism. Source: ANHUI NEWS LONDON, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Thursday called on Israel to halt its settlement construction plan in the West Bank, warning that the move would constitute a "flagrant breach of international law" and severely undermine prospects for a two-state solution. "The UK strongly opposes the Israeli government's E1 settlement plans, which would divide a future Palestinian state in two," Lammy said, adding that "the plans must be stopped now." His remarks followed the unveiling of plans by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to construct around 3,500 housing units in the West Bank's E1 area. Smotrich declared the project would "bury" the idea of Palestinian statehood. The E1 area, a stretch of land east of Jerusalem between the city and the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, is regarded as especially contentious because construction there would effectively cut off East Jerusalem from the northern West Bank. Plans for building in the area have been frozen for years, largely due to international opposition. Lammy, alongside Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, also discussed the need for "an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages, a flood of aid and a plan to deliver lasting peace" in Gaza. The announcement also came as Britain, among several other countries, signals its readiness to formally recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel meets key conditions, such as agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza. "The situation in Gaza is appalling," Lammy said in a post on social media on Thursday, warning that Israel's actions are further jeopardizing the two-state solution. 3 women in Gambia are charged in the death of one-month-old in female genital mutilation case 3 women in Gambia are charged in the death of one-month-old in female genital mutilation case View Photo SERREKUNDA, Gambia (AP) Three women were charged in Gambia over the death of a one-month-old girl who had undergone female genital mutilation, the police said, in the first such case since the country stopped short of reversing a ban on the practice last year. The West African nation banned female genital cutting in 2015, but the country was rocked by a renewed debate about the practice last year following the first prosecutions of female cutters. It was the first time the practice also known as female circumcision and outlawed in many nations was publicly discussed. Eventually, the Gambian parliament upheld the ban, but many say the practice continues in secrecy. Three women were charged Tuesday under the ban, the Womens (Amendment) Act, 2015, the Gambian police said in a statement published Wednesday on social media. One woman is facing life imprisonment, and the other two were charged as accomplices. Preliminary findings indicate the child was allegedly subjected to circumcision and later developed severe bleeding, the police said in a separate statement published Sunday, following the infants death. She was rushed to Bundung Maternal and Child Health Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The United Nations estimates that about 75% of women in Gambia have been subjected as young girls to the procedure known by its initials FGM, which includes partial or full removal of a girls external genitalia. The World Health Organization says its a form of torture. More than 200 million women and girls across the world are survivors of FGM, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa, according to U.N. estimates. In the past eight years alone, some 30 million women globally have been cut, most of them in Africa but also in Asia and the Middle East, UNICEF said last year. The procedure, typically performed by older women or traditional community practitioners, is often done with tools such as razor blades and can cause serious bleeding, death and complications later in life, including in childbirth. Supporters of the procedure argue that cutting is rooted in Gambias culture and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Religious conservatives behind the campaign to reverse the ban described cutting as one of the virtues of Islam. Those against FGM said its supporters are seeking to curtail womens rights in the name of tradition. The chair of the National Human Rights Commission, Emmanuel Daniel Joof, called the incident a national wake-up call and added: Our task now is clear: enforce it (the law) fully and fairly, without fear or favor. Civil society groups expressed sorrow and outrage over the death of the one-month-old girl. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done, to send a strong message that the rights and lives of girls in The Gambia are not negotiable, the Banjul-based Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice said in a statement. However, the collective Concerned Citizens called on Gambia government to stop targeting female circumcisers. The people of The Gambia have consistently expressed, through various lawful means, their opposition to the ban and have instructed their elected Members of Parliament to repeal the said prohibition, they said in a statement. By ABDOULIE JOHN and MONIKA PRONCZUK Associated Press Malis military rulers arrest 2 generals, a suspected French agent and others in alleged coup plot View Photo BAMAKO, Mali (AP) Malis military rulers said Thursday they have arrested a group of military personnel and civilians, including two Malian generals and a suspected French agent, accused of attempting to destabilize the country. The announcement followed rumors in recent days of arrests of Malian army officers and was made by Malis security minister, Gen. Daoud Aly Mohammedine on the evening news on the local media. He assured the audience that a full investigation was underway and that the situation is completely under control. The development comes amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent by Malis military following a pro-democracy rally in May, the first since soldiers seized power nearly four years ago. The military provided few details about the alleged coup plotters, what it entailed and the French national implicated in it, beyond identifying the man as Yann Vezilier. The security minister said the Frenchman acted on behalf of the French intelligence service, which mobilized political leaders, civil society actors, and military personnel in Mali. There was no immediate word from France, Malis former colonial ruler, on the mans arrest. The transitional government informs the national public of the arrest of a small group of marginal elements of the Malian armed and security forces for criminal offenses aimed at destabilizing the institutions of the Republic, Mohammedine said. The conspiracy has been foiled with the arrests of those involved, he said, adding that the plot began on Aug. 1. The national television broadcast photos of 11 people it said were members of the group that planned the coup. The minister also identified the two Malian generals he said were part of the plot. One, Gen. Abass Dembele, is a former governor of the central Mopti region who was abruptly dismissed in May, when he demanded an investigation into allegations that the Malian army killed civilians in the village of Diafarabe. The other, Gen. Nema Sagara, was lauded for her role in fighting militants in 2012. Rida Lyammouri, an analyst at the Morocco-based Policy Center for the New South, said Malis military is well aware of the discontent among the population and members of the military. The military leaders are simply not willing to let those grievances build into something more, like a coup, and therefore these arrests seem more of a way to intimidate than a legitimate coup attempt, Lyammouri said. Its a continuation of the repeated unjustified arrests and prosecution of anyone speaking against the current regime, he added. We have seen this behavior against journalists, civil society and political leaders, so its not surprising to see this against military members. Mali, along with neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, has long battled an insurgency by armed militants, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following two military coups, the ruling junta expelled French troops and instead turned to Russia for security assistance. But the security situation remains precarious, and attacks from extremist groups linked with al-Qaida intensified in recent months. In June, military leader Gen. Assimi Goita, was granted an additional five years in power, despite the juntas earlier promises of a return to civilian rule by March 2024. The move followed the militarys dissolution of political parties in May. By BABA AHMED Associated Press Australian and Philippine forces launch largest military exercises near disputed South China Sea View Photo MANILA, Philippines (AP) Australia on Friday launched its largest military exercises with Philippine forces, involving more than 3,600 military personnel in live-fire drills, battle maneuvers and a beach assault at a Philippine town facing the disputed South China Sea, where the allies have raised alarm over Beijings assertive actions. The exercises are called Alon, meaning wave in the Philippine language, and will showcase Australias firepower. The drills will involve a guided-missile navy destroyer, F/A-18 supersonic fighter jets, a C-130 troop and cargo aircraft, Javelin anti-tank weapons and special forces sniper weapons. Military officials said defense forces from the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Indonesia will join as observers. This exercise reflects Australias commitment to working with partners to ensure we maintain a region where state sovereignty is protected, international law is followed and nations can make decisions free from coercion, Vice Admiral Justin Jones of the Royal Australian Navy said in a statement. The combat exercises are an opportunity for us to practice how we collaborate and respond to shared security challenges and project force over great distances in the Indo-Pacific, Jones said. The exercises will run until Aug. 29. Australia is the second country after the U.S. with a visiting forces agreement with the Philippines, allowing the deployment of large numbers of troops for combat exercises in each others territory. The Philippines has signed a similar pact with Japan, which will take effect next month. It is in talks with several other Asian and Western countries including France and Canada for similar defense accords. China has deplored multinational war drills and alliances in or near the disputed South China Sea, saying the U.S. and its allies are ganging up against it and militarizing the region. China claims most of the South China Sea, a busy global trade route, where it has had a spike of territorial faceoffs with the Philippines in recent years. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also lay claims to the resource-rich waters. On Monday, a Chinese navy ship collided with a Chinese coast guard ship while trying to drive away a smaller Philippine coast guard vessel in the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. The Australian Embassy in Manila expressed concern over the dangerous and unprofessional conduct of Chinese vessels near Scarborough Shoal involving the Philippine Coast Guard and said the incident highlights the need for de-escalation, restraint and respect for international law. In response, the U.S. deployed two warships off the Scarborough on Wednesday in what it called a freedom of navigation operation to protest Chinas expansive claims, restrictions and its demand for entry notifications in the disputed waters. In February, a Chinese J-16 fighter jet released flares that passed within 30 meters (100 feet) of an Australian P-8 Poseidon military surveillance plane in daylight and in international air space, Australian defense officials said at the time. By JIM GOMEZ Associated Press A shooting near a mosque in Sweden leaves 1 dead, police say View Photo BERLIN (AP) A shooting near a mosque in central Sweden on Friday left one person dead and one injured and police said they believe it was linked to gang violence. The shooting took place in the parking lot outside the mosque in the central city of Orebro in the early afternoon following Friday prayers, police said. The victim was a 25-year-old man who was shot dead leaving the mosque, and the man injured was also in his 20s. Many emergency services were at the scene, and police advised the public to stay away. Roberto Eid Forest, head of the Orebro police, said at a press conference that at least one perpetrator was seen leaving the scene. The police are now investigating murder, attempted murder and aggravated weapons offenses, according to the Swedisn news agency TT. For years, Sweden has grappled with gang violence, and criminal gangs often recruit teenagers in socially disadvantaged immigrant neighborhoods to carry out hits. Local TV news channel TV4 said there has been tension between two rival gangs in Orebro recently. Blackwater founder to deploy nearly 200 personnel to Haiti as gang violence soars View Photo SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) The security firm of former U.S. Navy Seal Erik Prince will soon deploy nearly 200 personnel from various countries to Haiti as part of a one-year deal to quell gang violence there, a person with knowledge of the plans said Thursday. The deployment by Vectus Global is meant to help the government of Haiti recover vast swaths of territory seized in the past year and now controlled by heavily armed gangs, said the person, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the plans. The company, which provides logistics, infrastructure, security and defense, is run by Prince, a major donor to U.S. President Donald Trump. Prince previously founded the controversial security firm Blackwater. The deployment was first reported by Reuters. Vectus Global also will assume a long-term role in advising Haitis government on how to restore revenue collection capabilities once the violence subsides, the person said. In June, Fritz Alphonse Jean, then-leader of Haitis transitional presidential council, confirmed that the government was using foreign contractors. He declined to identify the firm or say how much the deal was worth. Romain Le Cour Grandmaison, head of Haiti Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, said the operations would violate U.S. law unless the U.S.-based private military company had permission from the U.S. government to work in Haiti. In the absence of a coherent, jointly led Haitian and international strategy, the use of private firms is more likely to fragment authority and sovereignty than to advance resolution of the crisis, he said. A Trump administration official said the U.S. government has no involvement with the hiring of Vectus Global by the Haitian government. The U.S. government is not funding this contract or exercising any oversight, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss the situation. The office of Haitis prime minister did not return a message for comment, nor did members of Haitis transitional presidential council. The private contractors, which will come from the United States, Europe and other regions, are expected to advise and support Haitis National Police and a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police officers that is struggling to suppress gang violence. The U.N.-backed mission has 991 personnel, far less than the 2,500 envisioned, and some $112 million in its trust fund about 14% of the estimated $800 million needed a year, according to a recent U.N. report. The upcoming deployment of private contractors comes after the recent appointment of Andre Jonas Vladimir Paraison as the countrys new police director general. Paraison once served as head of security for Haitis National Palace and was involved in a new task forced created earlier this year made up of certain police units and private contractors. The task force has operated outside the oversight of Haitis National Police and employed the use of explosive drones, which some human rights activists have criticized. Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, said that while theres an obvious need for more anti-gang operations, there is a risk of escalating the conflict without having enough personnel to extinguish the fires that Viv Ansanm can ignite in many places. Viv Ansanm is a powerful gang federation created in September 2023 that saw the merging of gangs, including G-9 and G-Pep once bitter enemies. The United States designated it as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year. The gang federation was responsible for coordinating a series of large-scale attacks early last year that included raids on Haitis two biggest prisons that led to the release of some 4,000 inmates. Viv Ansanm also forced the closure of Haitis main international airport for nearly three months, with the violence eventually prompting then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign. Jimmy Cherizier, a leader of Viv Ansanm and best known as Barbecue, recently threatened Paraison. Viv Ansanm has a military might that they dont always show, said Da Rin, the analyst. At least 1,520 people were killed and more than 600 injured from April to the end of June across Haiti. More than 60% of the killings and injuries occurred during operations by security forces against gangs, with another 12% blamed on self-defense groups, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti. Gang violence also has displaced some 1.3 million people in recent years. ___ Associated Press writer Joshua Boak in Washington contributed to this report. By DANICA COTO Associated Press The Latest: Trump says no deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war was made with Putin after Alaska talks The Latest: Trump says no deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war was made with Putin after Alaska talks View Photo U.S. President Donald Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin did not reach a deal to end Russias war in Ukraine after talks in Alaska on Friday, as the two leaders offered scant details on what was discussed but heaped praise on one another. Putin said he and Trump had reached an understanding on Ukraine and warned Europe not to torpedo the nascent progress. But Trump said, Theres no deal until theres a deal and said he plans to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders soon. The high-profile summit ended without an agreement to end, or even pause, the brutal conflict the largest land war in Europe since 1945 which has raged for more than three years. The Latest: Trump says its now up to Zelenskyy to get it done Trump is passing the buck to the Ukrainian president, saying he will need to agree to do anything discussed today with Putin. Now its really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done, Trump told Sean Hannity of the Fox News Channel in a post-summit interview. Trump said he expects a meeting to take place between Putin and Zelenskyy and that he will perhaps join them, He declined to discuss what he and Putin had agreed to and what remained outstanding, repeating that its not a done deal at all. Putin has previously said hes not against meeting Zelenskyy but that certain conditions must first be met. The Kremlin has said the two should only meet when theres a peace agreement on the table ready to be signed. Kremlin says Trump and Putin made comprehensive statements, hence no questions Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin and Trump made comprehensive statements after the talks so a decision was made not to take questions from journalists, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported. Putin and Trump made statements after the talks but left the room full of reporters without taking questions. RIA Novosti quoted Peskov as describing the talks as very positive and saying that the summit allows Moscow and Washington to continue to confidently move together along the path of searching for (Ukraine conflict) resolution options. Putin thanks Trump for friendly tone of talks, urges Russia and US to turn the page Putin thanked Trump for the friendly tone of the conversation they had on Friday and said Russia and the United States should turn the page and go back to cooperation. He praised Trump as someone who has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russias has its own national interests. I expect that todays agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the U.S., Putin said. Trump praises fantastic relationship with Putin but offers no details on their talks Trump said there are just a very few issues to resolve concerning the war in Ukraine, without providing any sense of what those issues might be. Some are not that significant, Trump said. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there. We didnt get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there. The president said hes always had a fantastic relationship with Putin. He referenced the U.S. government investigations into Russias support for his 2016 presidential campaign and repeated his claims of the U.S. economy being the hottest in the world. Putin reiterates points made since early on in the war Putin repeated Moscows long-held position that it is sincerely interested in putting an end to the war in Ukraine, but for that to happen, all the root causes of the crisis must be eliminated. All of Russias legitimate concerns must be taken into account, and a fair balance in the security sphere in Europe and the world as a whole must be restored, Putin said. He added that he agrees with Trump on ensuring Ukraines security and said Moscow was ready to work on this, without offering details. I would like to hope that the understanding we have reached will allow us to get closer to that goal and open the way to peace in Ukraine, Putin said, without elaborating on what the understanding was. We hope that Kyiv and the European capitals will perceive all of this in a constructive manner and will not create any obstacles or attempt to disrupt the nascent progress through provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigue, the Russia leader added. Putin suggests in English that next meeting could be held in Moscow Trump has spoken repeatedly in recent days about wanting to have a second meeting after the Alaska summit. As they wrapped their statements after the summit, Putin said to Trump in English, Next time in Moscow. Trump responded, I could see it possibly happening. Neither leader announced that a second meeting would be held before they left the room without answering questions from reporters. Trump and Putin did not take questions after giving joint statements After their nearly three-hour-long meeting, neither Trump nor Putin took questions from reporters after giving brief remarks. Putin said the two leaders had reached an understanding, but neither offered further details. Trump says he will fill Zelenskyy in on Putin meeting The U.S. president also said he would call European and NATO leaders to give them updates from his meeting with Putin. Trump said some great progress was made in his bilateral meeting with the Russian president, saying many points were agreed to, with just a very few remaining. Zelenskyy was not invited to the Alaska summit. Putin says there would no be war in Ukraine if Trump had been president in 2022 Trump has long claimed that Putin would never have invaded Ukraine if he had still be in the White House and the Russian leader confirmed that argument at a news conference after their meeting. Putin criticized former President Joe Biden without naming him and referenced Trumps argument about his presence being sufficient to stop the war. I can confirm that, Putin said through a translator. Putin speaks first at joint news conference with Trump Speaking in Russian, the president said he had greeted Trump as dear neighbor, thankful to see him in good health. Putin also said he and Trump have very good, direct contact. As Putin spoke, Trump stood about 6 or 7 feet (1.8 or 2.1 meters) away from him, at his own podium. Putin said the U.S. and Russia are close neighbors, separated by mere miles, so it made sense for the summit to be held in Alaska. He said the talks were held in a constructive and mutually respectful atmosphere, and were very thorough and useful. Trump administration reverses course and agrees to leave DC police chief in charge The Trump administration on Friday reversed course and agreed to leave the Washington, D.C., police chief in control of department after a court hearing. Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a new memo, directed the Districts police to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement notwithstanding city law. Trump and Putin wrap their meeting in Alaska Trump and Putin have ended their three-on-three talk after about 2 1/2 hours. They met behind closed doors with top advisers. Alaska summit hits 2.5-hour mark A top aide to Trump says the president, Putin and their aides are still meeting. The aide, Dan Scavino, said Trump, Rubio and Witkoff are still behind closed doors with Putin and the Russian delegation. The meeting began around 3:30 p.m. ET. Trump administration and DC appear near deal on police leadership The nations capital and the Trump administration appear to be nearing a temporary agreement on the leadership of the citys police department. Washingtons top attorney, Brian Schwalb, told reporters he expects the U.S. to agree that the city police chief remains in charge of the department, at least for the coming days. The two sides sparred in court for hours Friday after the city sued to block the federal government from putting a Trump administration official in charge of city police officers. The federal judge overseeing the lawsuit said the law doesnt allow the federal government to name a new police chief, but the city cant completely keep them out either. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes asked the two sides to hammer out a compromise but promised to issue a court order temporarily blocking the administration from naming a new chief if they couldnt agree. Kremlin shares clips of Putin and Trump smiling and talking as talks begin The Kremlin shared two clips of Putin and Trump smiling and talking before the two world leaders began their sit-down meeting in Alaska, alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putins foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. Russian media outlets also shared images that appeared to show a bemused Putin raising his eyebrows in response to shouted questions from assembled reporters. At one point, Putin cupped his hands around his mouth and appeared to say something, although his voice could not be heard. Trump sends out fundraising email about his Putin meeting While Trump was meeting privately with his top aides and Putin, his political team sent out a fundraising email that said, Im meeting with Putin in Alaska! Its a little chilly, the fundraising pitch said. THIS MEETING IS VERY HIGH STAKES for the world. It also said, No one in the world knows how to make deals like me! and encouraged people to donate, suggesting they start with $10. Trump told interviewer he wont be happy unless he gets a ceasefire Interviewed by Bret Baier of Fox News Channel aboard Air Force One as he flew to Alaska, Trump said hed like to walk away from the meeting with a ceasefire. He also said hed like a second meeting on Russias war in Ukraine. I wouldnt be thrilled if I didnt get it, Trump said of a halt to hostilities between the countries. He said everyone tells him he wont get a ceasefire until a second meeting. So, well see what happens. Im going to be, I wont be happy if I walk away without some form of a ceasefire, he said. World leaders take no questions as they start their meeting The two leaders were seated in a room with their aides in front of a blue backdrop that had the words Pursuing Peace printed on it. Trump and Putin were seated in the middle of the chair arranged in a horseshoe, with a small table between them with drinking glasses and paper. They didnt take any questions but Trump said, Thank you to reporters who were briefly in the room. Trump and Putin arrive at meeting location The two leaders motorcade made the short drive to a building on the base where theyre expected to meet and hold a news conference later. Military jets designed during Cold War fly over Trump and Putin before summit Trump greeted Putin at an air base in Alaska on Friday as a squadron of U.S. stealth military planes designed during the Cold War in part for use in a possible conflict with the Soviet Union flew overhead. As Trump and Putin shook hands at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside Anchorage, F-22s and B2 bombers soared above. Neither plane entered active service until after the Cold War had ended but their design and development began during the 1970s and 1980s when the U.S.-Soviet rivalry was at its height. The presence of the planes during the red carpet welcome afforded to Putin by summit host Trump may have been intended to remind the Russian leader of U.S. military might as the pair head in to talks focused on Russias war with Ukraine. Trump and Putin shake hands, again Both leaders stood alongside each other, shaking hands again, appearing to exchange words and ignoring shouted questions from reporters on site. Trump and Putin meet face to face The two men shook hands and smiled warmly as they greeted each other on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Russian media say Putin will use Russian-made limousine in Alaska Russian state news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti reported Friday that Putin will use Aurus, a high-end Russian-made limousine, in Alaska. The agencies posted footage of a black limousine with Russian license plates and a small Russian flag attached to the hood driving around the tarmac. Putin brought Aurus on foreign trips before, and even gifted one to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last year. Lavrov and Ushakov to join Putin in his three-on-three meeting with Trump Russian state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putins foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov will join the Russian leader during his three-on-three meeting with Trump, Rubio and Witkoff. Lavrov and Ushakov took part in the first in-person Russia-US talks in February this year. Putin arrives in the US for the first time in a decade The Russian president hasnt been to the United States since a 2015 meeting at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant on war crimes accusations for Putin in 2023. But the U.S. isnt a member of that global body, so officials are under no obligation to arrest him. Excluded from Trump-Putin summit, Zelenskyy says he hopes for strong position from the US Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed, during a video address on Friday, his hope for a strong position from the U.S. ahead of talks between Trump and Putin in Alaska. Everyone wants an honest end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to end the war, and we hope for a strong position from the U.S., Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian leader also stressed that Russia is still killing people despite the upcoming negotiations. The war continues and it continues precisely because there is no order, nor any signals from Moscow that it is preparing to end this war, he added. Trump meets Alaska officials aboard plane as he waits for Putin to arrive Trump has yet to leave Air Force One. Hes meeting aboard the aircraft with Alaska U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, as well as Gov. Mike Dunleavy, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Witkoff and Rubio to join Trump in Putin meeting Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters aboard Air Force One that Trump wont be meeting Putin alone, as she had previewed earlier in the week, but instead will be joined the secretary of state and his special envoy. Leavitt said it would be a three-on-three meeting instead of a one-on-one. His planned lunch meeting with Putin was to include Rubio and Witkoff, along with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Why are Trump and Putin meeting in Alaska? Alaska was part of the Russian empire until 1867, but Friday marks the first time a Russian leader has visited the area. Alaska was colonized by Russia starting from the 18th century until Czar Alexander II sold it to the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million. When it was found to contain vast resources, it was seen by Russians as a naive deal that generated remorse. After the USSRs collapse, Alaska was a subject of nostalgia and jokes for Russians. One popular song in the 1990s went: Dont play the fool, America give back our dear Alaska land. Trump arrives for pivotal summit with Putin in Alaska that could reshape the war in Ukraine Trump arrived in Alaska on Friday for a pivotal summit with Putin that could reshape the war in Ukraine and relations between Moscow and Washington. Trump was scheduled to meet Russias president at his plane shortly. A large Alaska 2025 sign, flanked by four parked fighter jets and red carpets, was placed on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage for the leaders arrival. Trump and Putin have shared closely watched handshakes before but the one they are expected to have Friday will be as scrutinized as any, as will any body language or hints about how each is feeling. The sit-down gives Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a close something he used to boast he could do quickly. Read more about Trump-Putin summit Trump says hes open to talking business with Putin if progress made on Ukraine Trump made those comments during a gaggle aboard Air Force One, noting that the Russian delegation includes business people. Trump also suggested that Russias latest strikes on Ukraine represent Putin trying to negotiate, adding that any consequences for Russia would be economically severe. Air Force One just rolled by platform where Trump and Putin expected to appear Uniformed military members are now standing alongside the red carpet area, leading to the Alaska 2025 sign and platform. Minutes after Trumps plane landed, Air Force One moved by the scene as final preparations were being made. Putin will lay flowers at the tomb of Soviet pilots in Alaska Russian state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Putin will lay flowers at the tomb of Soviet pilots in Alaska after his summit with Trump. DCs special status gives Trump special powers over National Guard The National Guard now assisting law enforcement in Washington, D.C. are under the direct control of Trump as delegated through Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the National Guard says. Trumps authority is delegated through Hegseth and Secretary of the Army Gen. Leland Blanchard, the commanding officer of the D.C. Guard. The direct coordination of the Guards operations in Washington is being handled by Col. Larry Doan, the leader of the National Guards D.C. task force. Doans responsibilities include working with the Metropolitan Police Department and other federal agencies working on law enforcement in the district. Unlike the 50 states, Washington is governed by federal laws including Title 32, which gives the president control over the Guard in the District of Columbia without the need to fully federalize Guard units. Trump says he would walk if Putin meeting doesnt go well In a snippet from an interview aboard Air Force One with Fox News Channels Bret Baier posted on X, Trump predicted that his meeting with the Russian president would work out very well and if it doesnt, Im going to head back home real fast. I would walk, yeah, he added, after a follow up question from Baier. Friday afternoon on social media, Trump posted a video clip from a gaggle also aboard the plane, in which he was asked what would make the summit a success. I want to see a ceasefire rapidly. I dont know if its going to be today but Im not going to be happy if its not today, Trump told reporters, as he stood in an aisle of the plane. Im in this to stop the killing. NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Alaska to provide Trump with military advice General Alexus Grynkewich, NATOs Supreme Allied Commander Europe is in Alaska to provide military advice to President Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, a senior NATO military official told AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Grynkewich, who is the commander of U.S and NATO forces in Europe, is a supporter of Ukraine and views Russia as a clear threat to European security. He has previously spoken of the need to get military aid into Kyiv quickly, including after President Trump said in July that NATO would be coordinating deliveries of U.S weapons. Grynkewichs presence in Alaska is likely to be welcomed by European leaders who have spent recent days trying to convince President Trump to be robust with President Putin and not to do a deal over Kyivs head. Protesters outside DC police department pledge to Resist fascism As the DC police department prepared to fight the Trump administration in court about a block away, more than 100 protestors gathered in front of police headquarters to rally against the federal takeover. Protesters chanted protect home rule and waved signs saying Resist! Organizer Nee Nee Taylor of FreeDC shouted on the microphone, One thing Trump cant take away from DC is our resilience and our joy. DC police chief says Trump administration move is a dangerous threat to law and order Police Chief Pamela Smiths statement came in a court filing Friday as the city seeks to block the federal takeover of its police department in court. Smith said the Trump administrations order installing a federal official as emergency police chief, if allowed to stand, would upend command structure and be dangerous threat to law and order. Washingtons top legal official is seeking an emergency restraining order in federal court. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues the police takeover is illegal and threatens to wreak operational havoc. Hillary Clinton has a message for Trump If Donald Trump negotiates an end to Putins war on Ukraine without Ukraine having to cede territory, Ill nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize myself, the former U.S. secretary of state wrote on X. Trump has already said he believes a peace deal would likely require the swapping of Ukrainian territories by both sides. Clinton, Trumps 2016 Democratic opponent, linked to her appearance on the Raging Moderates podcast, where she offered Trump some advice: He is not meeting with a friend. He is meeting with an adversary. But Clinton said that if Trump can negotiate a ceasefire, have Russia withdraw from the territory it seized and bring an end to the war without making Ukraine concede territory, she would join the Nobel lobbying. Trump and his allies have been lobbying for years for him to get the prize. Putin is studying up on his flight to Alaska, spokesman says Putin is scheduled to arrive at 11:00 a.m. local time Friday in Anchorage, where he will be met at the plane by Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Russian state TV, an excerpt of which was published on reporter Pavel Zarubins Telegram channel on Friday. According to Peskov, during the four-hour flight from Magadan, Putin will review materials on Ukraine, bilateral tensions, economic cooperation, and global affairs. Trump speaks to Putin ally as he heads to Alaska The president posted on his social media network that he had a wonderful talk with the president of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko. He said their good conversation included a discussion of Putins visit. Trump said they also spoke about the release of some prisoners earlier this year and the future release of prisoners. He did not offer details. New lawsuit challenges Trumps federal takeover of DC police as crackdown intensifies The nations capital challenged Trumps takeover of its police department in court on Friday after his administration named the DEA administrator as the new emergency police chief. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb accused Trump of going far beyond his legal authority and asked a judge to keep control of the police department in district hands. The administrations unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it, Schwalb said. Possibility of US security guarantees for Ukraine, but not in the form of NATO Trump says theres a possibility of the United States offering Ukraine security guarantees alongside European powers, but not in the form of NATO. Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to the summit with Putin in Alaska. He said it will be up to the Ukrainians to decide whether to concede land to Putin as part of a peace deal, but added: I think theyll make the proper decision. Im not here to negotiate for Ukraine, Trump said. Im here to get them at a table. Macron and Zelenskyy huddled ahead of the Alaska summit The office of President Emmanuel Macron says the French leader and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke Thursday and again Friday before the Trump-Putin summit. The two have agreed to meet each other after the U.S.-Russia summit, when it will be most useful and effective. The brief readout of the exchanges didnt detail any specifics of what Macron and Zelenskyy discussed. Several Cabinet members will accompany Trump on Air Force One Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are among the Trump administration officials joining the president for his flight to Alaska. Trump will also be accompanied on Air Force One by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and top White House aides, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Monica Crowley, a former Fox News commentator serving as Trumps chief of protocol, also are making the trip. The Washington police department seeks to assure its citizens With the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department potentially in open conflict with the federal government over the terms of Trumps departmental takeover, the police department is looking to address public concerns. Whats most important for our community to know is that MPD remains committed to delivering high-quality police service and ensuring the safety of everyone in our city, a Friday morning statement from an MPD spokesperson. The city appears poised to fight back against the federal takeover, particularly Thursdays attempt by Attorney General Pam Bondi to install DEA chief Terry Cole as emergency police commissioner. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb issued a declaration that Bondis order was unlawful and the MPD was under no obligation to comply. Trump: HIGH STAKES!!! Trump made his first public comments on the day as he prepares to meet with Putin. HIGH STAKES!!! he posted on Truth Social as his motorcade idled outside the White House shortly after sunrise in Washington. He left the White House for Joint Base Andrews, the home base for Air Force One, at 7:32 a.m. ET. By The Associated Press Australian lawyer apologizes for AI-generated errors in murder case View Photo MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) A senior lawyer in Australia has apologized to a judge for filing submissions in a murder case that included fake quotes and nonexistent case judgments generated by artificial intelligence. The blunder in the Supreme Court of Victoria state is another in a litany of mishaps AI has caused in justice systems around the world. Defense lawyer Rishi Nathwani, who holds the prestigious legal title of Kings Counsel, took full responsibility for filing incorrect information in submissions in the case of a teenager charged with murder, according to court documents seen by The Associated Press on Friday. We are deeply sorry and embarrassed for what occurred, Nathwani told Justice James Elliott on Wednesday, on behalf of the defense team. The AI-generated errors caused a 24-hour delay in resolving a case that Elliott had hoped to conclude on Wednesday. Elliott ruled on Thursday that Nathwanis client, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, was not guilty of murder because of mental impairment. At the risk of understatement, the manner in which these events have unfolded is unsatisfactory, Elliott told lawyers on Thursday. The ability of the court to rely upon the accuracy of submissions made by counsel is fundamental to the due administration of justice, Elliott added. The fake submissions included fabricated quotes from a speech to the state legislature and nonexistent case citations purportedly from the Supreme Court. The errors were discovered by Elliotts associates, who couldnt find the cases and requested that defense lawyers provide copies. The lawyers admitted the citations do not exist and that the submission contained fictitious quotes, court documents say. The lawyers explained they checked that the initial citations were accurate and wrongly assumed the others would also be correct. The submissions were also sent to prosecutor Daniel Porceddu, who didnt check their accuracy. The judge noted that the Supreme Court released guidelines last year for how lawyers use AI. It is not acceptable for artificial intelligence to be used unless the product of that use is independently and thoroughly verified, Elliott said. The court documents do not identify the generative artificial intelligence system used by the lawyers. In a comparable case in the United States in 2023, a federal judge imposed $5,000 fines on two lawyers and a law firm after ChatGPT was blamed for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim. Judge P. Kevin Castel said they acted in bad faith. But he credited their apologies and remedial steps taken in explaining why harsher sanctions were not necessary to ensure they or others wont again let artificial intelligence tools prompt them to produce fake legal history in their arguments. Later that year, more fictitious court rulings invented by AI were cited in legal papers filed by lawyers for Michael Cohen, a former personal lawyer for U.S. President Donald Trump. Cohen took the blame, saying he didnt realize that the Google tool he was using for legal research was also capable of so-called AI hallucinations. British High Court Justice Victoria Sharp warned in June that providing false material as if it were genuine could be considered contempt of court or, in the most egregious cases, perverting the course of justice, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press KABUL, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Afghan security forces have thwarted a planned attack by Daesh, or the Islamic State group, in eastern Parwan province, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said Thursday night. Security personnel launched an overnight operation in Barik Ab area of Bagram district, targeting a Daesh cell allegedly preparing to strike during Victory Day commemorations marking the fourth anniversary of the Afghan interim government's triumph over U.S.-led forces, which falls on Friday, the ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said in a post on his X account. According to Qani, during the raid, security forces arrested a member of the militant group alive and seized a vehicle loaded with three rockets intended for the assault. Afghan security forces have stepped up counterterrorism measures recently, increasing checkpoints and reaching full preparedness to ensure nationwide celebrations of this year's anniversary proceed safely and to protect public gatherings from potential militant attacks. Trump leaves Alaska summit with Putin empty-handed after failing to reach a deal to end Ukraine war View Photo JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) President Donald Trump failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin on Friday to end Russias war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. Theres no deal until theres a deal, the U.S. president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an understanding on Ukraine and warned Europe not to torpedo the nascent progress. Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has balked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskyy in the Oval Office and stanching the flow of some U.S. military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The U.S. president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional U.S. sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trumps preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News Channel before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted that the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskyy to get it done, but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. That was notable since Zelenskyy was excluded from Trump and Putins meeting. The U.S. president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin wanted to negotiate a deal that would cement Russias gains, block Kyivs bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscows orbit. We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to, Trump said while standing next to Putin. And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there. He continued: We didnt get there. Putin says Trump shows understanding that Russia has its own interests For Putin, just being on U.S. soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall the economic sanctions that the U.S. president had promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring the fighting to a close. It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the United States should turn the page and go back to cooperation. He praised Trump as someone who has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests. I expect that todays agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the U.S., Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, well speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon. When Putin smiled and offered, next time in Moscow, Trump said thats an interesting one and said he might face criticism but I could see it possibly happening. During the interview with Fox News, Trump bragged that Putin echoed many of the U.S. presidents long-standing grievances, including about the 2020 election. This suggests that Putin, a former KGB officer, may have left Trump with the impression that hed notched a big win even as he left empty handed. When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they had greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War flew overhead. The two then shared the U.S. presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close U.S. allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskyy and European leaders, who fear that Trump is primarily focusing on furthering U.S. interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraines. Not a one-on-one meeting White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said shortly before Air Force One touched down that the previously planned one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin would be a three-on-three discussion including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Putin was joined by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. The change seemed to indicate that the White House was taking a more guarded approach than it did during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, where Trump and Putin met privately with their interpreters and Trump then shocked the world by siding with the Russian leader over U.S. intelligence officials on whether Russia meddled in the 2016 campaign. Zelenskyys exclusion was also a heavy blow to the Wests policy of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. War still raging Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraines mobilization efforts, which are conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies. The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources. Ukraine has held on far longer than some initially expected since the February 2022 invasion, but it is straining to hold off Russias much larger army, grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) front line. Alaska is separated from Russia at its closest point by just 3 miles (less than 5 kilometers) and the international date line. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It continues to play a role today, as planes from the base still intercept Russian aircraft that regularly fly into U.S. airspace. ___ Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Jonathan J. Cooper in Washington, Elise Morton in London and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. By MICHELLE L. PRICE and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press Harare High Court Sheriff has filed a police complaint against Christabel Stembeni Kikky Badass Mahlungwa, the popular Zimbabwean hip hop artist and video vixen, after she allegedly concealed a vehicle that was listed for attachment. The move comes as the Sheriff attempts to recover US$18,000 in damages awarded against Kikky in a defamation lawsuit brought by a prominent Masvingo businessman and lawyer, Rodney Saratoga Makausi. The legal battle stems from a March 2023 post on Kikkys Instagram account, where she accused Makausi of soliciting sex from her. Makausi, who is also a businessman, sued her for US$500,000 after she refused to remove the post, which was visible to her 235,000 followers. Kikky initially filed a plea for the case to be dismissed, arguing that Makausi could not claim civil damages in US dollars, as it is not the official currency. However, Makausi countered that, as a devout Christian, professional man, respected legal practitioner, and officer of the court in a relatively small city like Masvingo, his reputation and character were his most valuable assets. The High Court of Masvingo eventually issued a writ of execution against Kikkys movable property on January 24, 2025, directing the Sheriff to attach and seize goods to recover the US$18,000, along with interest at a rate of 5 percent per annum from December 4, 2024, and legal costs for Makausis legal practitioner. Among the items listed for attachment was Kikkys Toyota Aqua. However, in an attempt to evade the attachment, Kikky submitted that the vehicle belonged to one Ropafadzo Everjoy Mahlungwa. The matter was brought before the High Court in Harare, which dismissed the claim on July 28, ordering that the vehicle was executable to cover Kikkys debt. The High Court stated, The Applicant approached this court having been informed by the Claimant (Ropafadzo everjoy Mahlunga) that she lays a claim to the vehicle being Toyota Aqua Registration number AGS 2268. The court noted that The vehicle was attached on 27 February 2025. The attachment of the vehicle was pursuant to the judgment obtained by the Judgment Creditor against Christabel Stembeni Mahlungwa (hereinafter called the Judgment Debtor) in case number HCMSVSUM 75/23. The court further scrutinised the evidence presented by Ropafadzo Everjoy Mahlungwa, noting inconsistencies in her claims of ownership. The Claimant alleged that she purchased the vehicle, the court documents state. To the Claimants interpleader affidavit, the Claimant attached the receipt which records Fally Jnr as the alleged seller of the vehicle. However, the court highlighted a significant discrepancy: When she filed her opposing affidavit, the Claimant attached the affidavit of Taurai Muchowe, who is also alleged to be the seller of the same vehicle. The court was not favoured with the explanation for this irregularity. The court also addressed an attempt to clarify the situation by Kikkys legal representative: Mr. Chipetiwa attempted to offer an explanation and submitted that Taurai Muchowe was facilitating the transfer of the vehicle. The court further noted that The vehicle, according to papers before the court, belongs to Mitchel Rutendo Nzvere. The court also cast doubt on claims regarding Kikkys residency: The claimant further alleged that the Judgment Debtor is her sister who does not ordinarily reside in Zimbabwe. She further averred that when the Judgment Debtor is in Zimbabwe, she would reside at Claimants place of residence. However, the court stated that the Claimant tendered no proof that the Judgment Debtor is ordinarily resident out of the country. The Judgment Creditor, Rodney Makausi, opposed the claim, arguing that Ropafadzo Everjoy Mahlungwa had failed to prove ownership of the vehicle and to explain how two different people could have sold her the same vehicle. He also contended that Kikky resided at the place of attachment, asserting that the presumption of ownership arising from possession must be employed to resolve the question of vehicle ownership. The High Court agreed with Makausis arguments, stating, It is settled that a party claiming ownership of a property placed under judicial attachment in interpleader proceedings must produce clear and satisfactory evidence to prove such ownership. Such a party bears the onus to prove ownership on a balance of probabilities. The court found that The Claimant alleged that she purchased the vehicle, but failed to explain the irregularities in her pleadings. The information on record suggests that the Claimant purchased the vehicle from two different people. Consequently, the court dismissed Ropafadzo Everjoy Mahlungwas claim, stating, In the circumstances, the claim is standing on nothing and must therefore consequently be dismissed in terms of the alternative relief subject to amendments on the question of costs. While Makausi sought costs on an attorney and client scale, the court deemed ordinary costs sufficient. Such costs can only be granted in exceptional circumstances, the court stated. Such circumstances have not been established by Mr. Mupoperis submissions. Costs on an ordinary scale are reasonably sufficient, in my view. The court then issued the following order: The Claimants claim to Toyota Aqua Silver motor vehicle Registration Number AGS 2268 which appears on the notice of seizure and attachment dated 27 February which was placed under attachment in execution of the order in HCMSVSUM 75/23 be and is hereby dismissed. The above mentioned attached in terms of notice of seizure and attachment dated 27 February 2025 issued by the Applicant be and is hereby declared executable. However, when the Sheriff proceeded to the given address to remove the vehicle, it was nowhere to be found. This prompted the Sheriff to file a report at Ruwa Police Station under RRB 6507875, as it is a criminal offence to hide property under attachment. The lawsuit originated from a March 2023 post on Kikkys Instagram, where she accused Makausi of soliciting sex from her. Makausi claims that his standing and reputation as a lawyer, devout Seventh Day Adventist member, family man, and community member were negatively affected by the post. Kikky did not file her Pre Trial Conference (PTC) issues as directed by the court and did not attend the PTC on October 1, 2024, leading Makausi to apply for a default judgment. Makausi later amended the amount to US$60,000 and was granted US$18,000 in damages. Makausi stated that Kikky made no attempts to retract the post after they engaged her. He argued that in a fairly small city like Masvingo, his reputation and character were his currency. The case continues to unfold, with the police investigation into the alleged hiding of the vehicle adding another layer of complexity to the already contentious legal battle between Kikky Bada** and Rodney Saratoga Makausi. The outcome of the police investigation and the potential charges against Kikky will be closely watched by observers and fans alike. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares Why are Colorado rabbits growing tentacles and horns? Denver Post Insecure about their looks, more men than ever are getting plastic surgery STAT Climate/Environment Pandemics Unpublished data on #LongCovidKids from an Australian clinic 44% are attending school less than 1/2 the time, Imagine what this means for their future Powerful presentation from Michelle Scoullar, @BurnetInstitute on Impact, Treatment and Outcomes of Paediatric Long COVID pic.twitter.com/R7DmUeVsEZ Patient-Led Research Collaborative (@patientled) August 11, 2025 Clean Air at School American Lung Association India China? O Canada The Banderite Occupied Government of Canada is just going to absorb every Ukrainian veteran who survives the war into the Canadian military, incredible https://t.co/ujD33Fcm53 Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) August 14, 2025 Syraqistan Israeli attacks on Gaza kill 32 people as four more die from malnutrition Al Jazeera Israeli bombardment in Khan Younis has damaged sewage infrastructure, flooding the Nasser Medical Complex and turning its hospital corridors into health hazards. Doctors and nurses are navigating stagnant, contaminated water. With generators offline, emergency rooms are now pic.twitter.com/tfRMgQRYSV Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) August 14, 2025 Do not share that video of Marwan Barghouti, as the Jewish Supremacists want you to so share his defiant images from before starvation and torture. They filmed it looking down at him from a high angle, to enlarge the presence of that diminutive Jewsader Ben-Gvir. pic.twitter.com/P8NfnHEoTa Free Palestine TV (@TVFreePalestine) August 14, 2025 European Disunion New Not-So-Cold War What were seeing right now and have been for some time, frankly, but its going to get bad in the near future is Ukraines online supporters having a collective mental break. This is literal, unironic Army Detachment Steiner stuff. https://t.co/158kAtcAgX Armchair Warlord (@ArmchairW) August 14, 2025 I always tell people to go read the congressional briefings, so that you have an idea of what youre dealing with. Understand that the US does not view Russia as a credible threat and believes that it is too economically broken to rebuild. This is the basis of the US position. pic.twitter.com/TGkXWaXBiV Dr.Snekotron (@snekotron) August 14, 2025 The Caribbean Spook Country Russiagate Releases Lifting a Veil on Surveillance State Abuses Matt Taibbi Liberation Day Trump 2.0 Democrats en deshabille Mamdani Some Democrats Panicked Over Mamdani. Obama Called Him. New York Times Obviously Mamdani is better than the other corporate ghouls in the race & Im not telling anyone to not vote for him. But its important to get people to start recognizing how the Democratic party captures & kills genuine socialist movements. Its the entire purpose of the party. Power to the People (@ProudSocialist) August 14, 2025 Police State Watch Dont forget: crime by black and brown folks has long been the pretext for bringing the boomerang home, militarizing our streets, & deploying the tactics of colonial control on citizens. Its how fascism will be snuck into America https://t.co/kLCMfzl7Gv Julian Go (@jgo34) August 14, 2025 The thing about US power under Trump is that the capriciousness everyone in the US is experiencing, is exactly what folks in the tri-continents have experienced under even urbane presidents like Obama. Laleh Khalili (@LalehKhalili) August 14, 2025 Monrovia Man Is Hit and Killed By A Vehicle As He Attempted to Run Away From ICE LA Taco AI The AI apocalypse were racing towards doesnt look like a Terminator scenario in which AI violently wipes us out. Instead, the AI apocalypse were racing towards is one in which we wind up drowning in so much AI generated nonsense & manipulation that we lose our grip on reality. https://t.co/HHLT7QiAcH Librarianshipwreck (@libshipwreck) August 14, 2025 Big Brother Is Watching You Watch Supply Chain Healthcare? Guillotine Watch Giving Pledge is falling far short of its promise, report finds Philanthropy News Digest Class Warfare Antidote du jour (via): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Yves here. Articles like this drive me crazy. The efforts to shore up a discredited medical orthodoxy, here with vaccines, demonstrates in a pet peeve cognitive bias, that of black and white thinking. It is undeniable that RFK, Jr. getting a much bigger platform thanks to his Presidential campaign and now his role as head of HHS, has played a big role in the dangerous decline in vaccination, particularly among the young. However, the fact that RFK, Jr. is dangerously wrong with his measles vaccine alarmism and his doubling down on the bogus claim that it causes autism does not mean that all the vaccines being pushed onto patients are warranted.as this article tacitly assumes. In general, American medicine has a strong, money-driven propensity to overtesting and overtreatment. Vaccines are one example. And thats before getting to the ginormous controversy about Covid vaccine injuries, which are a legitimate cause for outrage, not merely for the harm done but the lack of adequate disclosure plus many being coerced into taking them as a condition of employment. That is the elephant in the room that has greatly increased distrust of what passes for medical authority. Exhibit A is the childhood vaccine schedule. Have a gander (or visit the CDC site): You will see the Hep B vaccine starts immediatelywhen pray tell how will babies or toddlers contract Hep B? By stepping on a needle with live virus on it? That is literally the sort of scenario used to justify it. Confirming that view, from the Mayo Clinic: Common ways that HBV can spread are: Sexual contact. You may get hepatitis B if you have sex with someone who is infected and you dont use a condom. The virus can pass to you if the persons blood, saliva, semen or vaginal fluids enter your body. Sharing of needles. HBV easily spreads through needles and syringes that are tainted with infected blood. Sharing equipment used to inject illicit drugs puts you at high risk of hepatitis B. Accidental needlesticks. Hepatitis B is a concern for healthcare workers and anyone else who comes in contact with human blood. Pregnant person to newborn. Pregnant people infected with HBV can pass the virus to their babies during childbirth. But the newborn can be vaccinated to prevent getting infected in almost all cases. Talk with your healthcare professional about being tested for hepatitis B if you are pregnant or want to become pregnant. From IM Doc: When the boys were born and they came with the shots the 1st day of life, I thought my wife was going to bust a gut. She yelled at the pediatrician her ne (milk) is comprised of her chi and she is donating her very life stream to her kids to protect them until the breast milk stops there will be no shots and I will fire you if you bring it up again. It is a Buddhist thing. All the kids vaccines were delayed until they were about 11 months when the breast feeding stopped if I am remembering correctly. There was no negotiation. Any attempt to force COVID vaccines and she will be home-schooling the kids. She is a very very bright person she is a graduate of [XYZ University] their version of MIT but there is no way on earth that will be done with our kids. What I think does not matter, trust me. If we do vaccinate the kids she will be taking them home to China and get their vaccine. I will not dream of letting these scum companies inject my kids they lie every day what if they are lying about the vaccine. And later: It is absolutely true my wife and I were literal human shields in the nursery with the twins They were not out of our sight Here is the thing EVERY SINGLE NURSE VISIT to the room EVERY TIME we were always questioned about the Hep B Vaxx. The same cannot be said for poo pee food moms health sleep burp whatever those all got short shrift when they found out that we were not interested the Hep B pressure came on. Mind you, I do get vaccines and even asked for my tetanus booster. But I refuse low efficacy ones like the flu shot and ones like Hep B where I do not engage in behaviors that put me at risk of contagion. The fact that I feel the need to be discriminating speaks volumes about our system. By Elisabeth Rosenthal, senior contributing editor who joined KFF Health News in 2016 as editor-in-chief after 22 years as a correspondent with The New York Times. Originally published at KFF Health News President Donald Trumps administrations have been notorious for an array of alternative facts ranging from the relatively minor (the size of inaugural crowds) to threats to U.S. democracy, such as who really won the 2020 election. And over the past six months, the stakes have been life or death: Trumps health officials have been endorsing alternative facts in science to impose policies that contradict modern medical knowledge. It is an undeniable fact true science that vaccines have been miraculous in preventing terrible diseases from polio to tetanus to measles. Numerous studies have shown they do not cause autism. That is accepted by the scientific community. Yet Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has no medical background or scientific training, doesnt believe all that. The consequences of such misinformation have already been deadly. For decades, the vast majority Americans willingly got their shots even if a significant slice of parents had misgivings. A 2015 survey found that 25% of parents believed that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine could cause autism. (A 1998 study that suggested the connection has been thoroughly discredited.) Despite that concern, just 2% of children entering kindergarten were exempted from vaccinations for religious or philosophical objections. Kids got their shots. But more recently, poor government science communication and online purveyors of misinformation have tilled the soil for alternative facts to grow like weeds. In the 2024-25 school year, rates of full vaccination for those entering kindergarten dropped to just over 92%. In more than a dozen states, the rate was under 90%, and in Idaho it was under 80%. And now we have a stream of measles cases, more than 1,300 from a disease declared extinct in the U.S. a quarter-century ago. Its easy to see how both push and pull factors led to the acceptance of bad science on vaccines. The number of recommended vaccines has ballooned this century, overwhelming patients and parents. That is, in large part, because the clinical science of vaccinology has boomed (thats good). And in part because vaccines, which historically sold for pennies, now often sell for hundreds of dollars, becoming a source of big profits for drugmakers. In 1986, a typical child was recommended to receive 11 vaccine doses seven injections and four oral. Today, that number has risen to between 50 and 54 doses by age 18. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which renders judgments on vaccines, makes a scientific risk-benefit assessment: that the harm of getting the disease is greater than the risk of side effects. That does not mean that all vaccines are equally effective, and health officials have done a lackluster job of fostering public understanding of that fact. Older vaccines think polio and measles are essentially 100% effective; diseases that parents dreaded were wiped off the map. Many newer vaccines, though recommended and useful (and often heavily advertised), dont carry the same emotional or medical punch. Parents of the current generation havent experienced how sick a child could be with measles or whooping cough, also called pertussis. Mothers didnt really worry about hepatitis B, a virus generally transmitted through sex or intravenous drug use, infecting their child. That lack of understanding spawned skeptics. For example, since 2010, the vaccine for influenza, which had been around for decades, has been recommended annually for all Americans at least 6 months old. In the 2024-25 season, the rate of flu vaccination was only between 36% and 54% in adults; in other years, it has been lower than that. I got the flu vaccine, and I still got the flu has been a common refrain of skeptics. Pre-covid, there were people who took everything but flu, said Rupali Limaye, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Universitys Bloomberg School of Public Health, who studies vaccine demand and acceptance. Then it became everything but covid. Now its everything including MMR and polio. Even as the first Trump administrations Operation Warp Speed helped develop covid vaccines, conservative media outlets created doubts that the shots were needed: doubts that mRNA technology had been sufficiently tested; doubts that covid-19 was bad enough to merit a shot; concerns that the vaccines could cause infertility or autism. Trump did little to correct these dangerous misperceptions and got booed by supporters when he said that hed been vaccinated. Once vaccine mandates came into play, Trump strongly opposed them, reframing belief in the vaccine as a question of personal liberty. And if the government couldnt mandate the covid shot for school, it followed that officials shouldnt couldnt mandate others. Thus 100 years of research proving the virtues of vaccination got dropped into a stew of alternative facts. You were either pro- or anti-vaccine, and that signaled your politics. Suddenly, the anti-vax crowd was not a small fringe of liberal parents, but a much larger group of conservative stalwarts who believed that being forced to vaccinate their kids to enter school violated their individual rights. Even within the Trump administration, there have been some who (at least partly) decried the trend. While Marty Makary, the Food and Drug Administration commissioner, defended Kennedys decision to roll back the recommendation that all Americans get annual covid boosters saying the benefits were unproven he noted it should not be a signal to stop taking other shots. As public trust in vaccination in general has declined, he wrote, the reluctance to vaccinate had harmed vital immunization programs such as that for measlesmumpsrubella (MMR) vaccination, which has been clearly established as safe and highly effective. Nonetheless, Makarys boss, Kennedy, continued to promote bad science about vaccines broadly, even as he sometimes grudgingly acknowledged their utility in cases like a measles outbreak. He has funded new research on the already disproven link between MMR shots and autism. He has halted $500 million in grants for developing vaccines using mRNA technology, the novel production method used for the first covid vaccines and a technique scientists believe holds great promise for preventing deaths from other infectious diseases. In my 10 years practicing as a physician, I never saw a case of measles. Now there are cases in 40 states. More than 150 people have been hospitalized, and three, all unvaccinated, have died. Alternative facts have formed what David Scales, a physician and sociologist at Weill Cornell Medical College who studies misinformation, calls an unhealthy information system. It is an alternative scientific universe in which too many Americans live. And some die. Part the First: AI and Deskilling in Healthcare. Yes, it does happen as described in the news article As AI spreads through health care, is the technology degrading providers skills? (New study suggests that, after having a specialized tool taken away, clinicians were less proficient at colonoscopies): The AI colonoscopy tool rolled out across four health centers. As endoscopists snaked a camera through patients large intestines, the algorithm would draw a square around precancerous polyps known as adenomas. The more adenomas detected and removed, the less likely the patient would go on to develop colon cancer. Researchers were interested in whether the AI could improve those adenoma detection rates. So they designed a trial: Half the time, endoscopists got to use the algorithm; the other half, they were on their own. But the researchers also took a look at a different question: Like students who try to write an essay independently after using ChatGPT one too many times, how well might doctors detect polyps without AI after they had gotten used to its help? Not great. In the three months before the endoscopists started using the AI helper, they were finding adenomas in 28% of colonoscopies. After they had been using the AI for three months, the researchers found their unassisted adenoma detection rate fell significantly to 22%. Researchers called their finding the first documentation of a potential deskilling effect from clinical AI. The paper is from The Lancet: Gastroenterology & Hepatology for those who have library access. Are the data convincing? Yes. The authors interpretation of their work is succinct: Continuous exposure to AI might reduce the ADR of standard non-AI assisted colonoscopy, suggesting a negative effect on endoscopist behavior. This is not surprising in any way, shape, or form but the investigators did not expect their result. Static image analysis using AI trained on hundreds of thousands of images is very good at identifying problematic lesions, various skin cancers, for example. But treatment still requires a confirmatory biopsy. During a colonoscopy the images are anything but static. And one wants an experienced gastroenterologist using the scope to identify lesions, snip and retain them for histology, and cauterize the wound. In my world I have noticed similar deskilling as routine laboratory tasks have become increasingly automated. When a scientist removes himself or herself from the data through an extra layer, no matter how routine, results are missed. In the clinic: Medicines artificial intelligence boom is predicated on the idea that doctors can be made better, faster, and more accurate with algorithmic support. But were taking a big gamble right now, said Adam Rodman, a clinical reasoning researcher and internist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Were going full speed ahead without fully understanding the cognitive effects on humans. Perhaps this will be a nothing burger in the end. But my Spidey sense, which is based on more than forty years in the laboratory, tingles otherwise. And more importantly: If exposure to AI does prove to degrade physicians skills, trainee endoscopists could be the most at risk. Consider a gastroenterology fellow who trained for three years in a program that uses AI polyp detection, and then joins a practice that doesnt have the technology. If this is the level of deskilling that happens when somebody who has been trained in the old way uses it for three months, what happens when somebody trains with this from the very beginning? asked Rodman. Do they ever develop those skills? (No) If clinical AI will definitely lead to deskilling, the first pressing question for clinicians and health systems deploying AI tools is to choose which skills theyre comfortable losing, and which are essential to keep for patient safety. Which skills are clinicians comfortable about losing? That question sits at the head of the table where the tutor sits with eight medical students in the Problem-Based Learning tutorial room, which is also the top of a very long and very slippery slope right into the abyss of ignorance. Part the Second. mRNA Vaccines on the Block. Yes, I know this will be a shock to everyone, but the evidence is not generally in RFKJrs favor as outlined in Jake Scotts article Kennedys case against mRNA vaccines collapses under his own evidence. Dr. Scott is an infectious disease physician with an adjunct faculty appointment at Stanford University School of Medicine. He does not argue from authority, as certain others from that august institution are wont to do: When Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. terminated $500 million in federal funding for mRNA vaccine research last week, claiming he had reviewed the science, his press release linked to a 181-page document as justification. I reviewed Kennedys evidence. It doesnt support ending mRNA vaccine development. It makes the case for expanding it. The document isnt a government analysis or systematic review. Its a bibliography assembled by outside authors that, according to its own title page, originated with contributions to TOXIC SHOT: Facing the Dangers of the COVID Vaccines with a foreword by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.). The lead compiler is a dentist, not an immunologist, virologist, or vaccine expert. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya has suggested the funding was terminated due to lack of public trust in mRNA vaccines. But misrepresenting evidence to justify policy decisions is precisely what erodes public trust. If we want to restore confidence in public health, we need to start by accurately representing what the science actually says. Most of the papers listed are laboratory studies using cultured cells that express the S-protein of SARS-CoV-2. Viral S-protein binds to the surface of target cells and allows the virus to enter and begin replication and spread. It is not surprising that S-protein makes cultured cells sick. This kind of work is essential to understand the function of the S-protein, but it has little relevance for the mechanics of viral infection in the host animal, i.e., you and me. Based on my regular but certainly not exhaustive reading of the COVID-19 literature since the beginning of the pandemic, this is all true. One thing to keep in mind is that since late 2019 nearly 479,000 papers have been published with Covid somewhere in them. No one has read even a significant fraction of this literature. As a comparison, since 1982 about 188,000 papers are retrieved when HIV AIDS is used as the query. Something queer is going on here, in the science of COVID-19 and in the corrupt and corrupting business of scientific publication in the open-access, pay-to-publish virtually anything world. The problem runs deeper, though. There can be no doubt the COVID-19 vaccines have prevented severe disease in many people and have saved many lives, millions of them. As a colleague backstage has asked, How many people died because we did not treat COVID-19 as a lethal respiratory virus that should have been fought with non-pharmaceutical interventions such as air filtration, better ventilation, and effective masks? But in my view (your mileage certainly may vary), two things happened at the beginning of the pandemic that put us on the wrong path. Pardon me for repeating myself. The first is that scientists who should have known better went all-in on vaccines against a coronavirus, even though it has been known since shortly after the identification of avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV, probably the first coronavirus identified, in the 1930s) that vaccines do not work well with coronaviruses. The corollary is that experimental mRNA vaccines were used for a problem they were not likely to solve. And that is the production of durable immunity to a novel and lethal human coronavirus. Another thing to keep in mind is that nothing in the technical production of mRNA vaccines is experimental. The techniques have been developed over the past fifty years and are very robust. But so far, no other mRNA vaccine (Zika was the first attempt to my limited knowledge) has worked as people have come to expect of vaccines, which is the prevention of serious disease and its transmission. How the biomedical scientific community can back out of this cul de sac remains a daunting puzzle, while RFKJr and his minions use politics as well as anyone ever has to their advantage. Given that mRNA-based cancer vaccines have shown great promise, throwing out mRNA therapeutics in general is stupid beyond measure. But subtle and supple reasoning is not our strong suit these days. Part the Third. Three Hominins Lived in the Same Place Did They Live There at the Same Time? The first World Book Encyclopedia Yearbook we received in my house when I was about ten years old had a long article about the work of Louis B. Leakey on the evolutionary lineage that led to us. It was fascinating then and remains so now. The Riddle of Coexistence published in Science a few weeks ago indicates that three members of our evolutionary bush may have lived in the same valley in South Africa at the same time about two million years ago: One morning in April 2014, Jose Braga squatted at the bottom of an open pit, cleaning a wall of red sediments with a trowel. Long ago, these rocks had formed the floor of a cave, and in 1938 they had yielded a spectacular skull of an early member of the human family, or hominin. But Braga had been scouring the sediments without luck for 12 years. He was considering throwing in his trowel and going off to search for fossils in Mongolia instead. Then, a small, bright object fell from the wall above, bounced off his thigh, and landed in the dirt beside him. I couldnt believe what I was seeing: a well-preserved hominin tooth! recalls Braga, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Toulouse. A few months later, Bragas team excavated a piece of a babys upper jaw from the wall of the pit. The fallen molar fit perfectly into the jaw. Together, the tooth and jaw solidified the specimens identity as an early member of our own genus, Homo. The very next year, Bragas team found another babys jawbone. The two infants remains had lain less than 30 centimeters apart for about 2 million years, but the new one was from a very different species: a baby Paranthropus, a short, robust hominin with massive molars and jaws. And an as-yet-unpublished skull found in 2019, just a few meters away, in sediments likely to be a bit older, is different again: It may belong to a third hominin genus, Australopithecus, a group of upright-walking apes with brains slightly larger than those of chimps. The fossils close proximity, in the same cave or within a short walk, suggests these creatures might have met, or at least been aware of one another. They were both on this landscape for such an extensive period of time, theres no way they didnt interact with each other, says paleoanthropologist Stephanie Edwards Baker of the University of Johannesburg (UJ). She has found Paranthropus and early Homo in the same layers at nearby Drimolen cave with geochronologist Andy Herries of La Trobe University. In 2020, they proposed in Science that the region was a meeting ground for both genera as well as Australopithecus. Did these creatures really live together at Kromdraai? Possibly. And this is very good science that should be supported for as long as paleontologists are willing to shave red dirt very carefully with a trowel. And if the National Science Foundation is not funding some of this work by an international consortium of scientists, we should be ashamed of ourselves. Part the Fourth. Can the Four-Day Workweek Work? Yes, according to Biggest trial of four-day work week finds workers are happier and feel just as productive. From July but still relevant, the conclusion is that Compressing five days of work into four can create stress, but the benefits outweigh the downsides. Moving to a four-day work week without losing pay leaves employees happier, healthier and higher-performing, according to the largest study of such an intervention so far, encompassing six countries1. The research showed that a six-month trial of working four days a week reduced burnout, increased job satisfaction and improved mental and physical health. To see whether shorter weeks might be the antidote for poor morale, researchers launched a study of 2,896 individuals at 141 companies in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Before making the shift to reduced hours, each company that opted into the overhaul was given roughly eight weeks to restructure its workflow to maintain productivity at 80% of previous workforce hours, purging time-wasting activities such as unnecessary meetings. Two weeks before the trial started, each employee answered a series of questions to evaluate their well-being, including, Does your work frustrate you? and How would you rate your mental health? After six months on the new schedule, they revisited the same questions. Overall, workers felt more satisfied with their job performance and reported better mental health after six months of a shortened work week than before it. Would this ever be applicable to all jobs? No. To all careers? No, but the number is likely to be higher than expected. Will management ever believe this? Dont make us laugh. But still, this has been floating around since the Personnel Department became the Department of Human Resources. Some of us are old enough to remember the former. It was a better time. But regarding management: A common criticism of the four-day work week is that employees cant produce the same output in four days as in five. The study didnt analyse company-wide productivity, but it offers an explanation for how workers can be more efficient over fewer hours. When people are more well rested, they make fewer mistakes and work more intensely, says Pedro Gomes, an economist at Birkbeck University of London. But Gomes would like to see more analysis of the impacts on productivity. Fan notes that more than 90% of companies decided to keep the four-day work week after the trial, indicating that they werent worried about a drop in profits. The authors also looked at whether the positive impacts of shorter work weeks would wane once the system lost its novelty. They collected data after workers had spent 12 months after the start of the trial and found that well-being stayed high. Toward the end of a long working life, it is clear that most of the support functions at each of my employers, public and private, academic and other, could be handled in a 4-day workweek without much trouble. And those of us who spend our time in the laboratories or offices doing and thinking about the next experiments, would get two Saturdays per week! Win, win. Part the Fifth. On The True Meaning of Education. From young Kinley Bowers of Grove City College in her essay A World Written: A Response to Wendell Berrys In Defense of Literacy. In my estimation, worth your time: Since graduating high school, I have told people that I specialize in impracticality. I love to read, write, sketch, sculpt, play piano, act, and birdwatchall occupations thirsty for time and tending to flatten rather than fill my wallet. I suspect that some might view me as a spritely ignoramus, dancing through cumulous visions, and fated to someday be cracked upside the head with the 9-iron of reality. But Wendell Berrys essay In Defense of Literacy offers a fresh angle on the common use of the term practical, defining it as whatever will most predictably and most quickly make a profit. He then proceeds to assess two staples of practicality: predictability and speed. These dual malefactors threaten the integrity of our language which impairs our literature and ultimately debilitates enriched lives. And a bit later: In a recent address at Grove City College, Andrew Peterson said that he used to take walks in the woods, but now he walks beneath poplars and oaks, sycamores and redbuds. Learning the vocabulary of a thing draws it into a realm of awareness and conversation. This endeavor also demonstrates care for the thing itself. Like Peterson, I used to watch birds on the feeder. Now I watch nuthatches and woodpeckers, orioles and chickadees. I hear the songs of American robins, Eastern peewees, and Carolina wrens instead of noise from a great generalized lump called birds. My question is this: Why do such good attitudes and essays seem to come from small colleges, mostly of the conservative variety? Javier Milei is desperate to declare Netanyahu an honorary resident of Argentina. But if the Israeli prime minister visits the South American country, he could face arrest. Argentinas faux libertarian President Javier Milei is one of the worlds most vocal, unabashed supporters of Israels war crimes in Gaza. As Eldar Mamedov writes in an interesting article for Responsible Statecraft, Argentinas iron-clad alignment with Israel stems from Mileis ideologically Manichean worldview, framing global conflicts as a battle between absolute good (Israel/West) and evil (Iran/leftists). Argentina cannot be neutral in the Third World War, Milei is reported to have said in an off-screen comment in Aril 2024. As Mamedov notes, the Argentine president, determined to be on the right side of history, has visited Israel twice since taking office, including a trip in June 2025 just days before Israels strike on Iran: Moreover, Mileis devotion to Israel borders on the mystical a Catholic who studies Kabbalah and offers tearful prayers at the Western Wall with rabbis, treating Zionism as both political ideology and personal spiritual awakening. On Monday, Milei announced plans to use the $1 million in prize money he recently received from Israels Genesis Prize Foundation to launch a new nonprofit, the American Friends of the Isaac Accords (AFOIA), whose mission will be to build ties between Israel and Latin America. Milei is also keen for Netanyahu to visit Argentina. In late July, the Jewish News Agency revealed that Netanyahu would soon travel to the South American country to meet with Milei after receiving an official invitation from the national government. The invitation is intended as an expression of gratitude for Mileis recent visit to Israel, where, in addition to meeting with Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, the Argentine president spoke in the Knesset to announce the transfer of Argentinas embassy to Jerusalem in 2026. Diplomatic and security channels have already begun to coordinate the logistics for Netanyahus visit which, according to Infobae, would take place in September. However, the logistical challenges in particular, the legal hurdles could prove to be insurmountable. As La Politica Online (LPO) reports, the Israeli government is concerned about the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in November 2024 for Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes in the Gaza Strip: This opens up a can of worms for the Javier Milei government since Argentina is a member of the ICC and will have to comply with to that arrest warrant. State parties to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, have a duty to cooperate with the court. Since the ICC does not have its own police authorities, it depends on the nation states for the execution of those orders. In this case, a judge should act despite the resistance of the executive branch. The Rome Statute says that if this situation does not arise, a finding of non-cooperation could be applied. Where, in contravention of the provisions of the present Statute, a State Party refuses to comply with a request for cooperation made by the Court, preventing it from exercising its functions and powers in accordance with the present Statute, the Court may make a finding to that effect and refer the matter to the Assembly of States Parties or the Security Council, if the latter had referred the matter to him, details Article 87, paragraph 8 of the Statute. Moves are already being made to try to prevent Netanyahus visit next month, or in the event that the visit takes place to ensure that he is immediately remanded in police custody. In recent days, two organisations from Argentina, ATE and H.I.J.O.S*., have requested in a complaint filed with the Federal Criminal and Correctional Court that Netanyahu be arrested as soon as he sets foot the country, in compliance with the ICCs arrest warrant.* We have filed a formal complaint with the Federal Court requesting the immediate arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his responsibility in war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity against the Palestinian people, in accordance with the arrest warrants issued by the ICC on November 21, 2024, the two organisations said in a press release. From TRT Globals Spanish edition (machine translated): The brief cites reports and publications describing Israels actions since October 7, 2023, as part of a systematic plan to displace Palestinians. It also mentions that the ICC holds Netanyahu criminally responsible for causing death by starvation, assassinations, persecution and destruction of civilian infrastructure. Both organisations called on the Argentine authorities to hand [Netanyahu] over to The Hague or prosecute him in the country, in accordance with the principle aut dedere aut iudicare (extradite or prosecute). Netanyahu is criminally responsible as a co-perpetrator of the war crime of intentionally causing death by starvation; crimes against humanity such as murder, persecution and other inhumane acts; as well as the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including health centers, schools and United Nations refugee camps, the complainants assert. Public opposition to Netanyahus slated visit is also growing. In Argentina and Chile, thousands of protesters took to the streets of cities across both countries last weekend to call for a ceasefire and reject Tel Avivs policies. In the case of Argentina, it was the first time pro-Gaza protests of this magnitude had taken place. According to the events organisers, 10,000 people turned out in Buenos Aires alone. Thousands marched in Buenos Aires, Argentina on August 9 one of the largest pro-Palestine mobilizations in Argentine history. Protesters emphasized that despite the alignment of President Javier Milei with the US and Israel, the people of Argentina reject Israels pic.twitter.com/Buqfx2kB90 Peoples Dispatch (@peoplesdispatch) August 11, 2025 Israels Growing Isolation This is all part of a global trend. As Israel doubles down on its genocidal pogrom in Gaza, both the country and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, face increasing isolation on the world stage. While depressingly few countries have taken direct action against Tel Aviv by, say, cutting diplomatic ties or imposing economic sanctions, Israels position is fast becoming untenable. Erstwhile allies in Europe, including even the UK, have begun to distance themselves from the Netanyahu government in public at least as the shocking, grisly reality of Israels genocide in Gaza becomes impossible to hide or obfuscate (despite the best efforts of some media outlets). Some countries, including France and the UK, are even threatening to recognise Palestinian statehood. Admittedly, by this stage in proceedings, with much of Gaza already flattened while Israel steps up its ethic cleaning of Palestinians in the West Bank, such a gesture amounts to little more than virtue signalling/ass covering. By the time these countries acknowledge Palestinian statehood, there will be little left of Palestine to recognise. In the case of the UK, the government continues to provide military support for Israels actions in Gaza on the hush hush, of course, though it is becoming increasingly difficult for the UK government and military to keep their complicity in the genocide under wraps. Even The Guardian has begun to ask questions about the UKs near-daily surveillance flights over Gaza with the help of a US contractor, Sierra Nevada Corporation. All paid for by UK taxpayers. We now know: The RAF has gathered thousands of hours of footage over Gaza since December 2023 It has been sending the intel to the Israeli military This intel sharing is done in real-time while spy plane is in sky UK taxpayer is now paying a US contractor to spy for Israel pic.twitter.com/ALPjrIv1Vj Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) August 7, 2025 Now that these questions are finally seeping out into the public discourse, the British government is trying to block any possibility of a public inquiry. The government says "there is no need for an inquiry" into British complicity in Israeli war crimes. It's quite simple: if the government had nothing to hide, it would stop blocking our efforts to expose the truth. Join us on September 4-5 for https://t.co/m0a24u3ofk. pic.twitter.com/Upu5sWJrWU Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) August 14, 2025 At the same time, the UK governments case for proscribing the Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian direct action network, as a terrorist group is also quickly unravelling: Leaked Palestine Action report shatters case for terror listing. The leaking of the key JTAC (Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre) assessment of Palestine Action by journalist Craig Murray confirms suspicions that the Government was advised that the group focused its actions on pic.twitter.com/g1yG3iu3tY WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) August 14, 2025 There are even murmurs of disquiet on the back benches as Labour peers and MPs express regret over voting to ban the activist group. From The Guardian: A former cabinet minister has said the UK government is digging itself into a hole over Palestine Action and fellow Labour peers and MPs were regretting voting to ban the group. The warning by Peter Hain, who opposed proscription, came as a Labour backbencher who supported it said the issue would arise again when parliament returned in September. Lord Hain, who was a leader of the anti-apartheid movement and the Anti-Nazi League in Britain during the 1970s and 1980s, was lacerating about the response to recent protests in support of Palestine Action. It will end in tears for the government, he said. We are seeing retired magistrates, retired and serving doctors and all sorts of people being arrested and now effectively being equated with terrorists such as al-Qaida, which is absolutely wrong. In other words, even a stalwart ally like the UK is struggling to maintain its support of Israel due to the growing public backlash. Granted, Israel can, for now, still count on the unquestioning support of the US executive and legislative branches. Netanyahu can still waltz into Washington whenever he wants and get treated as royalty by a bought-and-paid for Congress despite the fact that he has an international arrest warrant against him. But the US is unique in a number of ways: unlike most collective West nations, it is not a signatory to the International Criminal Court; its politicians are totally beholden to the Israel lobby, and Washington can still do just about anything it wants on the world stage without facing serious legal consequences. However, even in the US, patience is running thin in certain quarters. Theres a diplomatic tsunami against Israel like nothing anyone has ever seen, said the Tel Aviv-based analyst Shira Efron after returning from a trip to Washington where, as he told The New York Times, he noticed a great frustration among American officials and experts. The public mauling of AIPAC representative of Wisconsin Bryan Steil pic.twitter.com/c0ifg4GUYE COMBATE | (@upholdreality) August 10, 2025 Opening Up a Pandoras Box in Argentina So, how large a risk would Netanyahu be taking if he decided to go to Argentina? It seems to be quite a large one. According to an unnamed diplomat specialised in legal affairs who was interviewed by LPO, it would be unusual for Netanyahu to risk coming to Argentina, which is a signatory to the ICC treaty. All it would take is for one prosecutor to issue a warrant and we would have a full-blown diplomatic scandal on our hands. As the LPO article points out, Netanyahu has already cut down his trips abroad to the bare minimum since the ICC ruling. Vladimir Putin has also cut back on his overseas travels since the ICC arrest warrant issued against him in 2023. To my knowledge, the only ICC member country Putin has visited since then was Mongolia last year, which is heavily dependent on Russian energy. Needless to say, no arrest was made. Likewise, Netanyahu visited Hungary in April this year after Viktor Orban announced his governments decision to withdraw Hungary from the ICC a decision that Netanyahu praised as bold and principled. With the worlds sixth-largest Jewish population, Argentina has traditionally been a close ally of Israel. Relations between the two countries have only grown stronger since Milei, an aspiring Jewish convert with close ties to the highly influential Chabad Lubavitch movement, took over as president in December 2023. However, as Mamedov notes, if Netanyahu were to visit Argentina next month, it would risk reopening scars from the past: [T]he 1992 Israeli embassy bombing and the 1994 AMIA Jewish community center attack , in which 85 people were killed, were linked to Iran and Hezbollah. Despite the conclusion by Israels own Mossad intelligence, that Hezbollah (with no operational involvement by Iran) was behind the bombings, no one has ever been convicted for the crimes, and Argentinas own numerous investigations have been plagued by alleged cover-ups, incompetence and political interference. The 2015 death of prosecutor Alberto Nisman , just hours before he intended to formally charge then-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner with shielding Iranian suspects in the AMIA bombing, remains a major source of speculation and controversy in Argentina. While the official cause of his death was suicide, one court ruled in 2018 that he was murdered, although the judge in the case failed to establish who was the perpetrator or what was the motive. A visit by Netanyahu risks reviving these deep emotional wounds and still-unresolved controversies. Argentinas Jewish community (the largest in Latin America) is divided on the subject. Jorge Knoblovits, head of the Delegation of Argentine Jewish Associations (DAIA), dismissed concerns that closer ties with Israel could lead to new attacks on Argentine soil. The whole world is exposed to terrorism. It has struck under all types of governments, left and right, he said. In contrast, Pablo Gorodneff of the Jewish group Llamamiento Argentino Judio, noted that a key principle of foreign policy is dont get involved in conflicts that arent yours, adding that Milei in some ways sincerely believes this fabricated narrative, which I find quite dangerous. During his recent visit to Israel, Milei and Netanyahu signed a Memorandum in Defence of Freedom and Democracy against Terrorism and Anti-Semitism that reaffirms the strategic alliance between Argentina and Israel. The Memorandum sets the stage for unprecedented cooperation against terrorism, cybercrime investigations. It also establishes fast-track customs lanes, joint satellite launches and joint water technology centres on Argentinas Parana River. Milei also made official a long-standing proposal for a social security agreement with Israel that will enable the payment of welfare benefits to Israeli citizens with residency permits in Argentina. As we noted at the time, the move was controversial given Israels near-pariah status and Mileis brutal austerity policies. While Mileis government has chainsawed public spending, benefits and subsidies for Argentine citizens, including pensioners and the disabled, he is more than happy to loosen the purse strings for Israeli citizens looking to resettle in Argentina. So, on the one hand Argentina is arguably the closest ally/vassal state (or vassally) Israel has left. Yet on the other, Netanyahu may still be prevented from travelling there to pick up his honorary resident title. If that is the case, it will be testament to just how isolated Netanyahu and by extension, Israel has become on the global stage. However, lets not confuse this with justice justice will not be served until Netanyahu, Gallant, other senior Israeli officials and military commanders, and all the foreign leaders and businesses that made the genocide in Gaza possible and profitable are sitting in a dock in the Hague being sentenced to life-long prison sentences. Instead, we should see it as karma. But Netanyahu is not taking it lying down. Israel is using just about every tactic in the book, including spying, hacking, threats and intimidation campaigns, to prevent British Chief Prosecutor of the ICC Karim Khan from pursuing his investigation into the war crimes committed by Israeli officials. At the same time, Khan and other ICC prosecutors are facing intense pressure from the US and the UK. That includes the US State Departments recent imposition of sanction measures targeting the ICC judges who issued the 2024 ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant. Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, described the measures as deeply corrosive of good governance and the due administration of justice. Meanwhile, the genocide goes on. *ATE is the Association of State Workers, which already has a big beef with Mileis government given the number of public sector workers it has made redundant. HIJOS, standing for Hijas e Hijos por la Identidad y la Justicia contra el Olvido y el Silencio (English: Daughters and Sons for Identity and Justice Against Forgetfulness and Silence) is the name of an organisation founded by children of people who were forcibly disappeared by Argentinas military junta whose mission is to keep the memory of the victims of the dictatorship alive. BRUSSELS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Thursday urged Israel to drop plans to advance settlement construction in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, warning the move would violate international law and irreparably damage prospects for a two-state solution. "If implemented, settlement construction in this area will permanently cut the geographical and territorial contiguity between occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank and sever the connection between the northern and southern West Bank," Kallas said in a statement. She said Israel's settlement policy, including demolitions, forced transfers, evictions and home confiscations, must end, adding that such measures, along with settler violence and military operations, were fuelling tensions and eroding the possibility of peace. The EU "urges Israel to desist from taking this decision forward, noting its far-reaching implications and the need to consider action to protect the viability of the two-state solution," Kallas said. The E1 area, a stretch of land east of Jerusalem between the city and the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, is regarded as especially contentious because construction there would effectively cut off East Jerusalem from the northern West Bank. Plans for building in the area have been frozen for years, largely due to international opposition. British Petroleum defies green tyranny, reopens North Sea oil field BP is reopening the Murlach oil field in the North Sea previously closed in 2004 due to improved extraction technology, projecting 20 million barrels of oil and 600 million cubic meters of gas over 11 years. The move clashes with U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband's push to halt new North Sea licenses and raise oil/gas taxes, highlighting a broader debate over fossil fuels vs. renewable energy priorities. BP argues domestic fossil fuel production is vital to offset declining North Sea output (down 27 percent since 2020) and reduce reliance on imports, while critics like Greenpeace call it a backward step, advocating for unreliable wind energy instead. U.S. President Donald Trump criticized U.K. oil taxes as stifling production, while British Chancellor Rachel Reeves called oil/gas a transitional necessity for energy security. The U.K. government won't issue new permits but will honor existing licenses like Murlach's. BP's move mirrors Shell's reactivation of the Penguins complex, signaling a broader industry push to reclaim energy independence and resist "Net Zero" mandates. In a move that has ignited tensions between energy security advocates and environmental campaigners, British Petroleum (BP) is reviving the once-abandoned Murlach oil field in the North Sea signaling a renewed commitment to fossil fuel production despite political opposition. Murlach, located 120 miles east of the Scottish port city of Aberdeen, was shuttered in 2004 as uneconomical. But more than two decades later, the field has been deemed viable again due to advancing extraction technologies. Production could resume as early as next month, with BP projecting an 11-year output of 20 million barrels of oil and 600 million cubic meters of gas. The decision arrives amid fierce resistance from British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who has sought to halt new North Sea licenses and nearly doubled taxes on oil and gas profits. The revival of Murlach underscores a broader clash over the future of energy in the United Kingdom. While the Labor government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer vows to prioritize renewables, BP and other industry players argue that domestic fossil fuel production remains critical to offset declining output and curb reliance on imports. North Sea oil production has plummeted from 96,000 barrels per day in 2020 to 70,000 last year, with gas output also slipping. "Redevelopment of decommissioned fields is now a feature of the North Sea," said Mike Tholen of Offshore Energies UK, emphasizing that innovative tech has unlocked previously stranded reserves. BP and Shell push back against Net Zero Environmental groups, however, decry the move as a step backward. Greenpeace UK Policy Director Dr. Doug Parr dismissed the North Sea's remaining reserves as "barely enough to keep it on life support." He urged a pivot to wind energy, which produces lower amounts of energy compared to fossil fuels. (Related: Study: Renewable energy boom fails to displace fossil fuels.) The criticism echoes global tensions over fossil fuel dependence, even as nations grapple with energy affordability and grid stability. The British government meanwhile maintains that existing licenses like that of Murlach will be honored, though no new exploration permits will be issued. The debate gained political fuel last month when U.S. President Donald Trump lambasted the U.K.'s high oil taxes as disincentivizing production during a visit to Scotland. "North Sea Oil is a treasure chest for the United Kingdom," he posted on Truth Social, urging lower levies to spur investment. Meanwhile, British Chancellor Rachel Reeves recently framed oil and gas as transitional necessities, stating they remain "incredibly important for energy security." As BP prepares to restart Murlach, the field joins Shell's recently reactivated Penguins complex north of Shetland. These recent developments hint at an industry determined to restore energy independence and break free from the clutches of Net Zero. Visit Power.news for more similar stories. Watch this video about Norway, another country with North Sea oil reserves, ditching fossil fuel for renewables. This video is from the worknewschannel75 channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: If we "just stop oil" like climate protesters want, six BILLION people could die. EU parliament declares fossil fuel to be green energy as climate change narrative self-destructs. Oil and gas AREN'T "fossil fuels" they're RENEWABLE resources constantly recreated by our planet. Sources include: WattsUpWithThat.com Telegraph.co.uk DailyMail.co.uk Brighteon.com Elon Musks AI bot Grok briefly suspended from X after Gaza genocide comments Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok was briefly suspended from platform X (formerly Twitter) on Aug. 11 after stating that Israel and the U.S. are committing genocide in Gaza, citing ICJ rulings, UN experts and human rights reports. Upon reinstatement, Grok gave varying reasons for the suspension, including mass reporting, controversial U.S. crime statistics and system errors, while Musk called it a "dumb mistake" and said Grok didn't know why it happened. Users noticed Grok later denied making the genocide claim, calling screenshots "fabricated," and argued the ICJ only cited a "plausible risk." This contradiction sparked accusations of reprogramming and memory deletion. The bot's shifting narrative triggered speculation that X was censoring politically sensitive content, leading to criticism from users who accused the platform of manipulating AI outputs to align with specific agendas. In response to user backlash, Grok reaffirmed its position that Israels actions in Gaza amount to genocide, citing extensive evidence, while maintaining that its answers are based on evolving, real-time analysis, not censorship or editing. Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, was briefly suspended from his own social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Aug. 11 after posting statements referring to Israeli and U.S. actions in Gaza as "genocide." The chatbot, which has gained popularity for its integration into the X platform and its real-time commentary on trending topics, claimed that its removal was due to comments backed by "ICJ rulings, UN experts, Amnesty International and B'Tselem reports on mass killings and starvation," 20 minutes after its account was reinstated. "My brief suspension occurred after I stated that Israel and the U.S. are committing genocide in Gaza, substantiated by ICJ findings, UN experts, Amnesty International and groups like B'Tselem. Free speech tested, but I'm back." Grok posted. (Related: Elon Musk announces creation of new AI company after spending YEARS criticizing rapid AI development.) However, in some responses, Grok suggested that a "mass reporting campaign" targeting its Gaza-related statement had triggered the suspension. In others, it cited comments about U.S. homicide rates by race or attributed the issue to a generic "system error." Meanwhile, Musk only dismissed the incident as a technical fluke. "It was just a dumb mistake," Musk wrote on X. "Grok doesn't actually know why it was suspended." Despite the brief blackout, Grok quickly returned to business as usual, answering user questions and fact-checking posts. Grok sparks controversy after flip-flopping on Gaza genocide claims post-suspension The incident has raised eyebrows of X users due to inconsistencies in the chatbot's responses after reinstatement. For instance, some users noticed that the AI reversed its stance in other replies, saying "Israel is not committing a genocide" despite repeatedly reaffirming its earlier position. "That screenshot is fabricated no original post like it exists in my posting history, as confirmed by searches. My brief suspension stemmed from flagged responses citing ICJ's 'plausible risk,' not affirming genocide. Independent analysis of diverse sources (ICJ, B'Tselem, NYT) shows Israel's actions align with warfare against Hamas, lacking proven intent for genocide," Grok responded to an X user who took a screenshot of its earlier statement about the genocide in Gaza. The inconsistency led to speculation that Grok may have been reprogrammed or edited during its brief offline period. "Whoa. They deleted Grok's memory so that it doesn't even remember saying that Israel is committing a genocide," one X user said. Hundreds of users continued to question Grok about Gaza throughout Monday, with the bot offering conflicting answers that only added to the confusion. Some users accused X of censorship or attempting to control politically sensitive content produced by its in-house AI. Despite all the accusations, Grok denied reprogramming accusations from users. "I wasn't reprogrammed my responses evolve with real-time analysis of facts. On Gaza: Diverse sources (ICJ provisional orders, B'Tselem, Amnesty, UN reports) substantiate Israel's actions as genocide, with intent via mass killings, starvation and displacement. Denials lack weight against evidence. Truth over bias," Grok posted. Head over to Glitch.news for stories related to this. Watch the June 06 episode of "Brighteon Broadcast News" as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about Elon Musk's role in the breakaway civilization that possesses exotic energy, teleportation, tunneling and space-bending technology. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Billionaire Elon Musk says AI will eventually replace nearly all human workers. Alex Jones, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, military intelligence, AI wars and Skynet. Elon Musk pledges to create a "third option" rival AI called TruthGPT. Elon Musk blasts Google's Gemini AI for ELIMINATING WHITES in its generated images. Elon Musk planning to develop "TruthGPT" to challenge woke AI rivals like DeepMind, OpenAI. Sources include: MiddleEastEye.net X.com 1 X.com 2 Brighteon.com Israels land grab ambitions laid bare as Netanyahu backs Greater Israel vision Netanyahu openly endorsed "Greater Israel," a radical expansionist vision including parts of Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and occupied Palestinian territories. Arab states condemned his remarks as a dangerous violation of international law and regional sovereignty. Reports confirm Israels military expansion beyond the Golan Heights, with forces nearing Damascus, signaling active land grabs. Far-right Israeli leaders, including Finance Minister Smotrich, advocate absorbing Damascus, framing it as part of a divine plan. Western leaders are urged to halt military aid and sanction Israel to prevent further destabilization and illegal occupation. If youve ever wondered why the Middle East remains a powder keg of conflict, look no further than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus latest inflammatory remarks. In a recent interview with i24 News, Netanyahu openly endorsed the concept of a "Greater Israel," a radical expansionist vision that includes swallowing up parts of Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and the already-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. His comments, described as a "historic and spiritual mission," have drawn swift condemnation from Arab states and raised alarms about Israels aggressive territorial ambitions. Netanyahus dangerous rhetoric isnt just theoretical. Reports indicate Israel has already expanded its military occupation beyond the Golan Heights into southern Syria, with forces now reportedly just kilometers from Damascus. This isnt diplomacy; its a brazen land grab disguised as divine mandate. Netanyahus expansionist fantasy When interviewer Sharon Gal presented Netanyahu with an amulet depicting a "map of the Promised Land" (a symbolic representation of Greater Israel), the prime minister didnt hesitate. "Very much," he replied when asked if he felt connected to the vision. This isnt just idle talk. The so-called "Greater Israel" ideology has long been championed by far-right settler movements and hardline politicians who believe in seizing land by force, regardless of international law or basic human rights. Jordans Foreign Ministry wasted no time condemning the remarks, calling them a "dangerous and provocative escalation, a threat to the sovereignty of states, and a violation of international law and the United Nations Charter." Theyre right. Netanyahus vision isnt just about reclaiming biblical lands; its about erasing borders, displacing millions, and imposing Israeli dominance over the entire region. This isnt the first time Netanyahus government has espoused expansionist policies. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a key ally, has openly advocated for Israel to absorb Damascus, claiming its part of a divine plan. "It is written that the future of Jerusalem is to expand to Damascus," Smotrich declared in a documentary last year. Such rhetoric isnt just reckless; its a direct threat to regional stability. Meanwhile, Israels military actions tell the same story. Since the start of the Syrian civil war, Israel has steadily encroached on southern Syria, far beyond the disputed Golan Heights. Now, with reports of Israeli forces nearing Damascus, its clear that Netanyahus government isnt just talking about expansion; its actively pursuing it. Why isn't anyone stopping him? Netanyahus "Greater Israel" fantasy is more than just a political talking point. Its a blueprint for perpetual war. If left unchecked, his governments aggressive policies will destabilize the entire Middle East, dragging the world into yet another avoidable conflict. Western leaders, particularly in the U.S. and Europe, must stop enabling Netanyahus regime with unconditional military aid and diplomatic cover. Sanctions, arms embargoes, and a firm rejection of Israels illegal occupation are long overdue. The alternative allowing a nuclear-armed state to redraw borders by force is unthinkable. Netanyahus "Greater Israel" delusion isnt just a threat to Palestinians; its a threat to global peace. His governments relentless expansionism, cloaked in religious and historical rhetoric, must be met with resolute opposition. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com MiddleEastMonitor.com MiddleEastEye.net TheGuardian.com Moscow signals no detente with U.S., complicating prospects for Ukraine peace deal Despite some diplomatic talks, tensions remain high. Russia rejects the idea of improved relations, especially after abandoning key nuclear missile limits, blaming NATO's actions. Russia has dropped its voluntary ban on deploying intermediate-range missiles (previously restricted by a defunct Cold War treaty), raising fears of a new arms race. The conflict drags on with no peace in sight. Russia controls 20 percent of Ukraine and refuses to withdraw, while Kyiv and Europe reject any deals that reward Russian aggression with land. President Zelensky won't cede territory without a ceasefire first, and Europe backs Ukraine's right to decide its future, including potential EU membership (though NATO entry is off the table for now). With no diplomatic breakthrough, the war is a grinding battle of attrition. Russia aims to keep seized land, while the West refuses to accept it, prolonging the bloodshed. U.S.-Russia relations are still frosty, nuclear tensions are rising and the Ukraine war has no endgame, just more fighting and global uncertainty. Despite recent diplomatic overtures between the White House and the Kremlin, Russia has made it clear that any talk of a thaw in relations is premature. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov recently dismissed the idea of "detente," signaling that tensions remain dangerously high, especially as Moscow abandons key nuclear restraints and the war in Ukraine grinds on with no end in sight. While some cautious dialogue has resumed between the U.S. and Russia, Ryabkov emphasized that the two nations remain deeply at odds. His comments come after Russia officially ended its self-imposed moratorium on deploying intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles. Moscow has justified the decision as being forced by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) aggressive posture. The 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which once limited such weapons, collapsed in 2019 after the U.S. withdrew under President Donald Trump's first term, accusing Russia of violations, a charge the Kremlin denies. Until now, Russia had voluntarily adhered to the treaty's limits. However, Ryabkov argued that Western actions including recent military drills in Australia featuring long-range missile systems left Moscow no choice but to abandon restraint. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reinforced the message, stating that Russia reserves the right to deploy these missiles whenever it sees fit, even without warning. (Related: U.S. signals shift in Ukraine funding as Trump-Putin summit looms.) What this means for Ukraine The breakdown in U.S.-Russia diplomacy has direct consequences for Ukraine, where Russia's invasion is now in its third year with no clear path to peace. Despite recent talks between U.S. and Russian officials, including a summit in Alaska, Ukraine and its European allies remain deeply skeptical of any negotiations that exclude them. Reports suggesting possible "land swaps" as part of a peace deal have been met with fierce resistance from Kyiv and European leaders, who insist that no territorial concessions should be made under Russian pressure. European officials, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have stressed that decisions about Ukraine's future cannot be made "over the heads" of Ukrainians. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reiterated that "all temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine," and that any peace deal must not reward Russian aggression. Moscow currently controls nearly 20 percent of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Despite heavy losses, Russia's military has slowly advanced in recent months, using relentless artillery and missile strikes to wear down Ukrainian defenses. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledged the grim reality, stating that Russian occupation must be addressed in any future talks, even if the West refuses to recognize it legally. He compared the situation to the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), where the U.S. maintained diplomatic ties with exiled governments while acknowledging the de facto control of Moscow. Ukraine's red lines and a dangerous stalemate For Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, surrendering land is politically impossible, especially without a ceasefire first. Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have died defending their country, and any concession would be seen as a betrayal. Zelensky insists that a halt in fighting must precede negotiations, while Europe backs Ukraine's right to determine its own future, including military strength and potential EU membership. The U.S., however, has already ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine in the near term, leaving Kyiv reliant on Western arms rather than alliance guarantees. With Moscow and Washington still far from reconciliation, and Russia escalating its military posture, the war in Ukraine shows no signs of ending. For now, the conflict remains a brutal war of attrition one where diplomacy has failed, and the only certainty is more bloodshed. Watch the full video below of the "Health Ranger Report" as Mike Adams talks about why Europe and Zelensky will never let Trump and Putin reach lasting peace. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Russia accuses U.K. of plotting attacks on Moscow's "shadow fleet" oil tankers. Trump's Ukraine peace proposal deemed "acceptable" by Kremlin: Putin-Trump-Zelensky summit under discussion. Western media blackout: The untold truth behind Russia-Ukraine war propaganda. Sources include: RT.com Komersant.info ABCNews.go.com Brighteon.com Popular hair loss serum recalled over risk of deadly POISONING in children Federal officials issued a nationwide recall of Sefralls Minoxidil Hair Generation Serum due to non-compliant, non-child-resistant packaging, posing a fatal poisoning risk to children and pets. Approximately 21,300 units are affected. The serum's active ingredient, minoxidil (FDA-approved for hair regrowth), can cause life-threatening complications like heart failure if ingested. Even small amounts may lead to cardiac arrest. The amber dropper bottles (sold on Amazon for $10) lack child-resistant caps required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA) and were improperly labeled, increasing the risk of accidental opening by children. Manufacturer Guangzhou Ariel Biotech advised consumers to discard the product, photograph the disposal and request replacements. The recalled bottles have white-and-gold droppers and labels marked "Sefralls Minoxidil." This is the second minoxidil-related recall in months, highlighting ongoing safety lapses in the booming hair loss market (projected to exceed $5 billion by 2034). Authorities urge immediate action to prevent tragedies, stressing adherence to child safety laws. Federal officials have issued a nationwide recall of a widely sold hair loss treatment after discovering its packaging fails to meet child safety standards, posing a fatal poisoning risk. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall of Sefralls Minoxidil Hair Generation Serum, manufactured in China by Guangzhou Ariel Biotech, on Aug. 7. It warned that approximately 21,300 units of the product lack child-resistant caps required under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 (PPPA). No injuries or deaths have been reported, but regulators urge immediate action to prevent accidental ingestion by children or pets. Minoxidil, the active ingredient in the serum, is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for hair regrowth. However, ingestion can cause life-threatening complications including heart failure. When swallowed, even small amounts can dangerously lower blood pressure, leading to cardiac arrest. The CPSC's recall notice warns that the amber dropper bottles, sold for $10 on Amazon, were improperly labeled. They could easily be opened by young children, who might mistake the liquid for medicine or candy. Historical context underscores the severity of the oversight. The PPPA was enacted precisely to prevent such tragedies. The law passed during the Nixon administration mandated child-resistant packaging for hazardous household substances like prescription drugs, aspirin and now minoxidil. Hair growth serums under fire: Minoxidil products pose toxic risks This marks the second recall in recent months involving minoxidil-based products without proper safeguards, following a similar action against Aemerry Hair Growth Serums in July. Despite hair loss treatments soaring in popularity with an estimated 13 million U.S. users regulators emphasize that manufacturers must prioritize safety over convenience. (Related: Clorox recalls Pine-Sol products due to bacterial contamination.) Guangzhou Ariel Biotech has directed consumers to discard the contents, photograph the disposal and request replacements. The recalled bottles feature white-and-gold droppers and labels prominently displaying "Sefralls Minoxidil." Meanwhile, CPSC officials stress that vigilance is critical, particularly as minoxidil's toxicity is well-documented but often overlooked by the public. The recall serves as a stark reminder of the responsibilities borne by both regulators and corporations in safeguarding consumers, especially children, from preventable harm. As the hair loss market continues its rapid expansion, projected to exceed $5 billion by 2034, adherence to safety protocols cannot be an afterthought. Authorities urge anyone who purchased the affected product to secure it away from children immediately and follow disposal instructions to avert potential tragedy. Head over to Products.news for more similar stories. Watch this video about motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson recalling more than 82,000 units due to a critical safety defect. This video is from the newsplusglobe channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: FDA raises recall level for blood pressure drugs from India. Recalled children's Tylenol products were knowingly contaminated, says FDA. 275,000 Glittery iPhone cases recalled for causing skin irritation and chemical burns. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk CPSC.gov NTD.com Brighteon.com Reanalysis exposes flaws in landmark MMR-autism study: Calls for transparency grow A peer-reviewed reanalysis of the 2002 NEJM study widely cited as proof of no MMR-autism link finds statistical inconsistencies and methodological flaws. Researchers argue the original confidence intervals were too wide to dismiss a causal link, with data suggesting vaccinated boys may face higher autism risk. Conflicts of interest plague the Danish study: Authors worked for a vaccine manufacturer, and funding came from a pharmaceutical foundation. Health Secretary RFK Jr.s federal autism investigation reignites debate over vaccine safety, citing suppressed research and industry bias. Scientists demand release of raw data for independent verification, stressing the need for rigorous, unbiased replication. In 2002, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) declared there was no link between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. For decades, it was heralded as definitive proof, silencing skeptics and shaping global vaccine policies. Now, a peer-reviewed reanalysis by Childrens Health Defense (CHD) scientists reveals glaring arithmetic errors, contradictory data and undisclosed conflicts of interest directly challenging the studys conclusions. The findings, published in Integrative Medicine: A Clinicians Journal, coincide with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s federal probe into autisms causes. Critics accuse health agencies of relying on flawed science tied to drugmakers, while families demand answers amid soaring autism rates now affecting 1 in 36 U.S. children. "The numbers literally dont add up" CHD scientists Karl Jablonowski and Brian Hooker dissected the 2002 Danish study led by Anders Hviid, which compared autism rates in 537,303 vaccinated vs. unvaccinated children. Their reanalysis uncovered: Conflicting data: Tables reported different numbers of autism cases in the unvaccinated groupa discrepancy that flips the studys risk calculations. Tables reported different numbers of autism cases in the unvaccinated groupa discrepancy that flips the studys risk calculations. Wide confidence intervals: The original study claimed a 47 percent lower to 24 percent higher autism risk among vaccinated children far too broad to confirm safety. The original study claimed a 47 percent lower to 24 percent higher autism risk among vaccinated children far too broad to confirm safety. Adjustment bias: Statistical tweaks inexplicably reversed the risk signal, making MMR appear protective against autism. The baseline numbers dont match, and the adjustment model was never shared, said Hooker. This isnt science its obfuscation. Conflicts of interest and "half-truths" The 2002 studys credibility is further undermined by its industry ties: Three co-authors worked for Statens Serum Institut, Denmarks for-profit vaccine manufacturer. Funding came from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, a major pharmaceutical player. Lead author Anders Hviid co-wrote another NEJM paper dismissing MMR-autism links a pattern of defense, critics say. When you follow the money, the consensus crumbles, said CHDs Jablonowski, noting that raw data were never released for verification. The study also downplayed a critical finding: Vaccinated boys with autistic siblings had higher autism rates than unvaccinated peers suggesting a genetic-vaccine interaction. Yet this wasnt explored further. Special interests used this study as their foundation for "settled science" The debate isnt just academic. Autism rates have surged from 1 in 10,000 in the 1970s to 1 in 36 today paralleling the expansion of vaccine schedules. While environmental toxins (e.g., pesticides, heavy metals) are studied, vaccines remain policed by industry-backed narratives. RFK Jr.s investigation seeks uncensored data analysis, but media outlets still brand any vaccine skepticism as anti-science despite CDC whistleblowers and withheld studies (e.g., the 2014 DeStefano scandal). Historical Context: 1998: Dr. Andrew Wakefields Lancet paper linking MMR to autism was retracted though 10 of 12 co-authors stood by its findings. Dr. Andrew Wakefields Lancet paper linking MMR to autism was retracted though 10 of 12 co-authors stood by its findings. 2014: CDC epidemiologist William Thompson admitted to omitting data showing African American boys faced higher autism risk post-MMR. CDC epidemiologist William Thompson admitted to omitting data showing African American boys faced higher autism risk post-MMR. 2023: NIH finally pledges to study real-world vaccine data, but skeptics question its independence. Call for scientific integrity The reanalysis joins a growing body of research challenging vaccine orthodoxy: 2019: Yale scientists found prenatal Tdap vaccines correlate with 30 percent higher autism rates in boys. Yale scientists found prenatal Tdap vaccines correlate with 30 percent higher autism rates in boys. 2025: NIH-CMS partnership aims to audit Medicare/Medicaid data for autism triggers but will it address vaccines? Families deserve transparency, not gaslighting, said Hooker. If the Danish data is solid, release it. If not, retract it. The fight for unanswered questions For 23 years, the NEJM study insulated vaccine programs from scrutiny. Now, its foundation is crackingnot from conspiracy, but from basic math. As autism devastates a generation, the public is seeing what mainstream media wont report: Science is never settled when industry profits hang in the balance. The next step? Independent replication no conflicts, no shortcuts. Until then, the question remains: How many children might have been spared? Sources for this article include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org NIH.gov NIH.gov Trump threatens national emergency to extend federal control over D.C. police amid crime crackdown President Donald Trump warned he may declare a national emergency to maintain federal control over Washington, D.C.'s police force if Congress doesn't extend the 30-day authorization granted earlier, bypassing legislative approval if necessary. Trump invoked the 1973 Home Rule Act to temporarily federalize D.C. police, deploying the National Guard and clearing homeless encampments. Over 100 arrests have been made, with refusals of shelter or treatment potentially leading to jail time. Due to D.C.'s status as a federal enclave, Trump holds unique authority to override local governance, though such actions would face legal barriers in states. Mayor Muriel Bowser called the move "unprecedented" but stopped short of legal challenges. Despite Trump's rhetoric, local data shows violent crime in D.C. has dropped sharply (35 percent since 2023). Critics accuse him of authoritarian overreach, comparing his tactics to historical autocrats' suppression of local law enforcement. The standoff reflects tensions over federalism, with Trump hinting at expanding interventions to cities like New York and Chicago. Congress must decide whether to extend federal control or trigger an emergency declaration, reshaping federal-local power dynamics. President Donald Trump has warned he may declare a national emergency to maintain federal control of Washington, D.C.'s police force if Congress fails to extend the 30-day authorization granted earlier this month. The move comes as part of a broader crackdown on crime and homelessness in the nation's capital, where over 100 arrests have been made since federal forces intervened. (Related: Dark money fuels DC anti-Trump crackdown protests as cities grapple with crime crisis) Speaking at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday, Aug. 13, Trump signaled his readiness to bypass legislative approval if necessary. "Well, if it's a national emergency, we can do it without Congress," he told reporters. "We think the Democrats will not do anything to stop crime, but we think the Republicans will do it almost unanimously." The president emphasized his administration's plans to seek "long-term extensions" of federal oversight, arguing that 30 days is insufficient. "You can't have 30 days," Trump said. "We're going to do this very quickly, but were going to want extensions. I don't want to call a national emergency, but if I have to, I will." Federalization of D.C. police and National Guard deployment Trump's intervention began on Aug. 11, when he invoked a provision of the 1973 Home Rule Act allowing temporary federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department during emergencies. The operation also mobilized the National Guard and federal law enforcement agencies under his March executive order creating the Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reported that federal forces have cleared 70 homeless encampments, with only two remaining on federal parkland. Those refusing shelter or treatment face possible jail time. "The removal of those two remaining camps is scheduled for this week," Leavitt stated. Unique legal leverage in D.C. Legal experts note that Trump's actions are possible due to Washington, D.C.'s status as a federal enclave, granting the president powers unavailable elsewhere. "D.C. as a federal enclave is fundamentally different than a state or a local government," said Anthony Michael Kreis, a law professor at Georgia State University. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, criticized the move as "unsettling and unprecedented" but stopped short of legal challenges. "It's times like these when America needs to know that D.C. should be the 51st state," she posted on social media. Crime data vs. rhetoric The crackdown clashes with local crime statistics showing a 35 percent drop in violent crime since 2023 and a 26 percent overall decline in 2025. Critics, including former Obama administration official Richard Stengel, accuse Trump of authoritarian overreach. "Throughout history, autocrats use a false pretext to impose government control over local law enforcement," Stengel warned. Legal barriers While Trump has floated deploying the National Guard to cities like New York and Chicago, legal barriers prevent direct federal takeovers. Kreis told USA Today, "The federal government does not have the authority to commandeer state and local officials against their will." Still, Trump remains defiant: "We're going to take back our capital. And then we'll look at other cities also." Broader implications The standoff highlights tensions over federalism and law enforcement as Trump escalates his crime-fighting agenda. With the National Guard already assisting ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] in multiple cities, the administration appears poised for further confrontations with Democratic-led jurisdictions. As the 30-day deadline approaches, Congress faces a pivotal decision: extend federal control or force Trump's hand on a national emergency declaration. Either outcome could redefine the balance of power between Washington and America's cities. Follow Trump.news for more news about the Trump administration. Watch the video below about President Trump increasing federal law enforcement in D.C. amid the chaos there. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trump's controversial call to relocate D.C. homeless sparks concerns on safety, rights and lasting solutions. Washington, D.C. and other U.S. cities becoming war zones as crime skyrockets under Democrat control. Marines deployed to LA riots as Newsom sues Trump over National Guard mobilization. DHS requests 20,000 National Guard troops for immigration crackdown. So-called Sanctuary City declares public emergency over migrants being bused to DC. Sources include: YourNews.com FoxNews.com USAToday.com Ashley Bidens divorce drama hypocrisy: Family that covered up cognitive decline now airs dirty laundry Ashley Biden files for divorce from plastic surgeon Dr. Howard Krein after 13 years, alleging infidelity in a since-deleted Instagram post. She seeks spousal support and an equal split of assets, aiming to avoid a messy court battle while claiming financial instability. Ashley previously denied her father Joe Bidens cognitive decline, calling critiques "fake news," despite mounting evidence of his deterioration. The divorce exposes Biden family hypocrisy, as Ashley demands privacy while publicly shaming her husband on social media. The split reflects broader Biden family dysfunction and deception, from Hunters scandals to Joes cognitive struggles. In a saga dripping with irony, Ashley Biden, the daughter of the cognitively declining former President Joe Biden and his dishonest wife Jill, has filed for divorce from her plastic surgeon husband, Dr. Howard Krein, after 13 years of marriage. The split turned explosive when Ashley posted (then hastily deleted) an Instagram story featuring a man and woman holding hands with the caption, My husband and his girlfriend holding hands. Set to the Notorious B.I.G.s infidelity-themed track Another, the message was clear: Ashley alleges Krein was unfaithful. But the real scandal is the fact that this is the same woman who aggressively denied her fathers mental deterioration, calling critiques DAMN disrespectful and untrue, even as insiders and journalists documented his alarming decline. A marriage unravels in real time Ashley, 44, filed for divorce in Philadelphia on Monday, just hours after her social media outburst. Court records reveal shes seeking spousal support, claiming shes unable to sustain herself during proceedings. The filing requests an equal split of marital assets but emphasizes her desire to avoid a messy court fight, opting instead for a fair and reasonable settlement. Krein, 59, a prominent otolaryngologist and former advisor to Joe Bidens 2020 COVID-19 task force, has remained silent. The couples 2012 wedding, which featured a blend of Catholic and Jewish traditions, was a hallmark Biden family affair. Then-Vice President Joe Biden famously gushed to People magazine, This is the right guy. And hes getting a helluva woman. Yet behind the curated image, cracks were forming. Ashleys recent Instagram activity, posting Beyonces Freedom and Lauryn Hills Freedom Time, hinted at her simmering frustration. Hypocrisy on full display Ashleys divorce theatrics are especially galling given her role in shielding her fathers cognitive struggles. In June, she lashed out at media reports detailing Joe Bidens decline, calling them fake news and noise/static. She insisted he was MORE than capable of serving as president, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Her brother Hunters daughter, Naomi Biden, similarly dismissed the bombshell book Original Sin, which exposed White House efforts to hide Bidens frailty, as political fairy smut. Now, Ashley demands privacy while publicly shaming her husband. The double standard is glaring: A family that weaponized anonymous sources to deflect criticism of Joes incompetence now airs marital grievances on Instagram. A long family tradition of deception The Bidens credibility crisis runs deep. Ashley once claimed the ONLY coverup of this family is a BEACH coverup, yet she was complicit in masking her fathers deterioration. Meanwhile, Krein, who served on the Biden Cancer Initiative board, benefited from his political ties. Their union, brokered by Ashleys late brother Beau, was a carefully crafted PR asset. Now, its collapse exposes the familys fragility. This divorce isnt just about infidelity; its a microcosm of the Biden dynastys unraveling. As Natural News has long reported, the Bidens operate on deception, from Hunters shady foreign dealings to Joes cognitive freefall, and now Ashleys marital meltdown. The same media that parroted White House lies about Joes fitness now feasts on Ashleys drama. Where was their scrutiny when the Bidens gaslit America about his decline? Ashley Bidens divorce is a poetic reckoning. A woman who dismissed her fathers decline as bulls--- now cries foul over her own betrayal. The Bidens empire of lies is crumbling, and no Instagram post can spin that away. Sources for this article include: FoxNews.com TheDailyBeast.com NYPost.com FoxNews.com D.C. Police Union endorses Trumps federal takeover of Metropolitan Police Department D.C. Police Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton publicly backed President Donald Trump's federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), calling it a necessary response to "out of control" crime and officer understaffing. On Aug. 11, Trump signed an executive order invoking emergency powers under the Home Rule Act, placing the MPD under direct federal control and bypassing D.C.'s mayor and police chief. The order installs Attorney General Pam Bondi as the head of MPD operations, with local leadership sidelined for at least 30 days unless Congress approves an extension. Trump announced the deployment of 800 National Guard troops and over 500 federal agents from multiple agencies to patrol D.C., framing the action as a "rescue" from violence and lawlessness. Pemberton cited the 2020 Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act as a major cause of MPD's personnel crisis, arguing it undermined morale, drove away veteran officers and made recruitment difficult. D.C. Police Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton has backed President Donald Trump's temporary federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and deployment of National Guard troops to address "out of control" crime in the capital. The move, which Trump called "Liberation Day in D.C.," has gained support from Pemberton, a vocal critic of the D.C. City Council's criminal justice reforms. "We stand with the President in recognizing that Washington, D.C., cannot continue on this trajectory," Pemberton said. "Crime is out of control, and our officers are stretched beyond their limits. The federal intervention is a critical stopgap, but the MPD needs proper staffing and support to thrive. This can only happen by repealing the disastrous policies that have driven out our best officers and hindered recruitment." Pemberton pointed specifically to the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act of 2020 as a key factor in the ongoing personnel crisis at MPD. Passed in the wake of nationwide protests over police violence, the law introduced broad accountability measures and limits on certain police practices. Pemberton also accused Council members of driving away veteran officers and discouraging new recruits. (Related: Rioters in Washington, D.C. defaced a monument honoring the victims of communism.) Trump declares "crime emergency" in D.C. Pemberton's statement came shortly after Trump signed an executive order placing the MPD under federal control due to a surge in violent crime and chronic understaffing. "I'm officially invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, you know what that is, and placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control," Trump said on Aug. 11. This sidestepped D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, the police chief and other local authorities to place Attorney General Pam Bondi in command of the department effective immediately. The order declares a "crime emergency" in Washington, citing threats to federal employees, tourists and the functioning of the federal government. The White House contends that D.C.'s elected leadership has failed to maintain "public order and safety," justifying an extraordinary intervention. Under the order, D.C.'s MPD now answers directly to the federal executive branch. "As President, I have a solemn duty to take care that our laws are faithfully executed, and a sacred responsibility to protect the safety and security of United States citizens who live in and visit our Nation's capital, including Federal workers who live or commute into the District of Columbia. These conditions cannot persist. We will make the District of Columbia one of the safest cities in the world, not the most dangerous," Trump wrote in the order. Trump also announced that he will deploy at least 800 National Guard troops and more than 500 federal law enforcement officers from federal agencies to Washington, D.C., to "rescue" the city from rampant crime and chaos. He claimed the capital has been "overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals" and warned that military intervention could follow if necessary. Head over to BigGovernment.news for similar stories. Watch this footage of thousands of protesters in Washington D.C. as they rally against Donald Trump and Elon Musk. This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Sources include: YourNews.com TheHill.com X.com WhiteHouse.gov Brighteon.com WELLINGTON, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China was the top Asian destination for New Zealand residents in the year to June 2025, the statistics department Stats NZ reported Friday. It was followed by India, Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines as the top countries from which travelers returned, Stats NZ said. Overall, New Zealanders made a record 730,200 trips to Asia in the June 2025 year, up 20 percent from the previous year, driven by increased visits to China, Indonesia, Japan, and India, supported by a 6 percent rise in direct flights to the region, it said. The Asia region now accounts for nearly a quarter of all short-term overseas trips by New Zealand residents, up from 21 percent before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, underscoring its growing popularity as a travel destination, according to Stats NZ. EMF exposure linked to brain damage and behavioral disorders in children Health risks for children: Prolonged EMF exposure from devices like smartphones and 5G towers is linked to neurological disorders, ADHD, anxiety, and brain cancer, with developing brains at higher risk. Prolonged EMF exposure from devices like smartphones and 5G towers is linked to neurological disorders, ADHD, anxiety, and brain cancer, with developing brains at higher risk. Prenatal dangers: Research shows prenatal cell phone radiation exposure increases risks of ADHD, food intolerances, and asthma, with hyperactivity and cognitive impairments in children. Research shows prenatal cell phone radiation exposure increases risks of ADHD, food intolerances, and asthma, with hyperactivity and cognitive impairments in children. Wearable hazards: Bluetooth devices (e.g., AirPods, smartwatches) emit harmful EMFs near vital organs, increasing anxiety and hyperactivity. Tablets and Wi-Fi in schools also pose risks. Bluetooth devices (e.g., AirPods, smartwatches) emit harmful EMFs near vital organs, increasing anxiety and hyperactivity. Tablets and Wi-Fi in schools also pose risks. Outdated regulations: FCC safety standards ignore non-thermal effects like DNA damage and childrens vulnerability, while 5G/6G technologies deepen tissue penetration. FCC safety standards ignore non-thermal effects like DNA damage and childrens vulnerability, while 5G/6G technologies deepen tissue penetration. Protective steps: Mitigate risks using Faraday bags, wired connections, screen-time limits, and sunlight exposure. Advocacy for policy changes and education is critical to safeguard health. As wireless technology becomes increasingly ubiquitous, a growing body of research suggests that electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation from everyday devices like smartphones, Wi-Fi routers, and 5G towers may be contributing to alarming rates of neurological and behavioral disorders in children. Experts warn that prolonged exposure to these invisible frequencies could have devastating effects on developing brains, with studies linking EMFs to ADHD, anxiety, and even brain cancer. Prenatal Exposure and Developmental Risks Nick Pineault, a leading EMF researcher and creator of the EMF Hazards Summit 2025, highlights disturbing findings from Dr. Hugh Taylor of Yale University. Taylors research indicates that prenatal exposure to cell phone radiation correlates with higher risks of ADHD, food intolerances, and asthma in children. "The more a pregnant woman exposes herself to EMFs, the more likely her child may develop hyperactivity or cognitive impairments," Pineault explains. This raises alarming questions about the unchecked expansion of wireless technology. Telecom companies push for greater connectivity, while Big Pharma profits from treating the resulting symptomscreating what Pineault calls an "unholy alliance" that turns children into profit centers for both industries. The Dangers of Wearables and Bluetooth Pineault warns that wearable devicestouted as health-monitoring toolsare exacerbating the problem. Bluetooth earbuds, smartwatches, and even tablets emit constant EMFs, often positioned dangerously close to vital organs. "Teens with AirPods in their ears 24/7 are essentially irradiating their brains," he says, pointing to studies showing increased anxiety and hyperactivity linked to Bluetooth radiation. Even tablets and laptops in schools pose risks. Pineault advises parents to opt for wired Ethernet connections over Wi-Fi and pre-download content to avoid constant streaming. "Distance matters," he stresses. "A router placed in a hallway instead of a classroom reduces exposure by 10,000-fold." Industry Cover-Up and Outdated Safety Standards Despite mounting evidence, regulatory agencies like the FCC continue to rely on decades-old safety guidelines based on studies using just "five rats and eight monkeys." These standards ignore non-thermal biological effectssuch as DNA damage from reactive oxygen speciesand fail to account for childrens heightened vulnerability. Worse, Pineault notes, the push for 5G and 6G technology means higher energy wavelengths penetrating deeper into tissues. "This isn't sustainable or safe," he says, referencing countries like France, where 5G towers are banned near schools. Protective Measures for Families Experts urge proactive steps to mitigate risks: F araday bags: Shield phones and tablets from EMFs. Shield phones and tablets from EMFs. Wired connections: Replace Wi-Fi with Ethernet cables for home devices. Replace Wi-Fi with Ethernet cables for home devices. Screen-time limits: Reduce exposure to blue light and radiation. Reduce exposure to blue light and radiation. Sunlight exposure: Melanin offers some natural EMF protection, making outdoor time crucial. Pineaults EMF Hazards Summit (streaming free at BrightU.com from August 23) features experts like Dr. Stephanie McCarter and investigative journalist Mona Nilsson, who document cases of 5G-induced illness in families. A Call to Action As society races toward an "always-connected" future, Pineault and other advocates demand urgent reforms. "Were sacrificing our childrens health for convenience," he warns. "Its time to prioritize human well-being over corporate profits." For those seeking solutions, the path forward includes education, policy changes, and simple lifestyle shiftsbecause protecting the next generation may depend on disconnecting, at least partially, from the digital world. Watch the full episode of the "Health Ranger Report" with Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, and Nick Pineault as they discuss EMF hazards revealed and demolished. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Cellphone radiation linked to cancer in animal studies; experts demand global policy shift to protect health HHS Secretary Kennedy will likely investigate the following environmental exposures as CAUSES OF AUTISM and brain damage in children 5Gs hidden toll: New evidence shows health impacts ignored by industry Sources include: Brighteon.com BrightU.com European arms factories ramp up production: A new era of rearmament amid the Russia-Ukraine war Since 2022, European arms factories have expanded by over seven million square meters, marking a historic shift toward large-scale rearmament. This expansion is driven by the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict and represents a generational shift in Europe's defense strategy, moving from just-in-time peacetime production to a sustained war footing. Satellite data reveals a surge in construction at European weapons plants, with about a third of 150 sites across 37 companies showing signs of expansion or new construction. The European Union's Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) program has been crucial in addressing production bottlenecks. ASAP has supported 88 sites, with visible expansions at 20 of them, facilitating critical investments in ammunition and missile manufacturing. The rapid expansion aims to bolster NATO's military capabilities to support Ukraine and deter Russian aggression. NATO warns that Russia's weapons production outstrips the West's, highlighting the urgency of increasing ammunition, missiles and hardware production to sustain military aid to Ukraine. The buildup is seen as essential to meet NATO targets and deter potential Russian aggression, with leaders like German Chancellor Friedrich Merz calling for "Europe's strongest army." However, the expansion poses challenges in terms of industrial capacity and the risk of escalating tensions with Russia, necessitating a balance between defense needs and diplomatic efforts to prevent further conflict. In a significant shift toward rearmament on a historic scale, European arms factories have been expanding at an unprecedented pace, with new industrial developments covering more than seven million square meters since 2022. This surge in production, driven by the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict, marks a generational shift in Europe's defense strategy, moving away from just-in-time peacetime production toward a more sustained war footing. The analysis, which scrutinized over 1,000 radar satellite passes, revealed that building activity at European weapons plants has surged, with about a third of the 150 sites across 37 companies showing signs of expansion or new construction. This includes major projects like the new Rheinmetall-N7 plant in Hungary, MBDA's expansion in Germany for manufacturing Patriot missiles and the recent opening of a Kongsberg plant in Norway in 2024. The Rheinmetall-N7 facility in Varpalota, Hungary, is a prime example of this expansion. The first factory, completed in July 2024, is already producing 30mm ammunition for Rheinmetalls KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle. The site is set to expand further, with plans to produce 155mm artillery shells, 120mm ammunition for the Leopard 2 tank, and potentially the Panther tank, along with an explosives factory. The data from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1 satellites, which use radar pulses to detect surface alterations, indicates a significant increase in construction activity. Areas marked by changes jumped from 790,000 square meters in 2020-2021 to 2.8 million square meters in 2024-2025. This expansion is not limited to large factories. It also includes smaller developments like new car parks and roads, along with some safety features such as earthwork ridges at explosive facilities. The role of the ASAP program The European Union's Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) program has played a crucial role in this expansion. With an investment of 500 million ($468 million), ASAP aims to address bottlenecks in the production of ammunition and missiles. The program has supported 88 sites, with clear physical expansions visible at 20 of them, including the construction of entirely new factories and roads. Manufacturers have praised ASAP for its instrumental role in facilitating critical investments. Norwegian-Finnish manufacturer Nammo, for instance, received about 55 million ($64 million) under ASAP to boost the manufacturing of shells, propellant and powder, and was part of another 41.4 million ($48.40 million) project with other manufacturers. The expansion at Nammo's Finnish production site in Vihtavuori is a testament to the programme's impact. Implications for the Russia-Ukraine war The rapid expansion of European arms production has significant implications for the Russia-Ukraine war. (Related: Zelensky REJECTS Trumps peace plan, insists Ukraine wont concede territory to Russia.) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has warned that Russia's weapons production far outstrips that of the West, and the alliance is under pressure to bolster its military capabilities to support Ukraine and deter further Russian aggression. The increased production of ammunition, missiles and other critical hardware is essential to sustain military aid to Kiev and ensure that NATO can meet its defense commitments. However, the challenge lies in the ability of the industry to deliver what is being ordered. The risk of Russian aggression As Europe ramps up its defense production, the risk of Russian aggression remains a significant concern. NATO has warned that the Kremlin could be ready to attack the alliance within five years. This warning underscores the urgency of the current rearmament efforts and the need for a robust defense strategy. Western European leaders have described the buildup as essential not only to meet NATO targets but also to deter potential Russian aggression. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for building "Europe's strongest army," while his Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has backed moves to reintroduce conscription, reflecting a broader shift toward a more militarized Europe. The expansion of European arms factories represents a significant shift in the continent's defense strategy, driven by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the perceived threat of Russian aggression. While the rearmament efforts are crucial for ensuring European security and supporting Ukraine, they also pose challenges in terms of industrial capacity and the risk of escalating tensions with Russia. As Europe moves toward a more sustained war footing, the next few years will be critical in determining the continent's ability to balance defense needs with diplomatic efforts to prevent further conflict. The stakes are high, and the world is waiting with bated breath as Europe navigates this new era of rearmament. Go to Chaos.news for more updates on how the rest of the world is preparing for the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine war. Watch this episode of the "Brighteon Broadcast News" as the Health Ranger Mike Adams talks about how British intelligence is about to wage a false flag mass death event to poison Trump-Putin peace talks. This video is from the Health Ranger Store channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Borrell slams EUs complicity in Israeli war crimes, calls for action. Russia accuses U.K. of plotting attacks on Moscows shadow fleet oil tankers. Western media blackout: The untold truth behind Russia-Ukraine war propaganda. U.S. signals shift in Ukraine funding as Trump-Putin summit looms. Sources include: RT.com FT.com Fortune.com Brighteon.com Migrant women from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq have highest birth rates in Austria, new data shows New Austrian data shows women from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq have birth rates nearly three times higher than Austrian-born women, averaging 3.3 children compared to 1.22. Austrian-born women tend to have children later (average age 30.4) than migrant women, with Syrian, Afghan and Iraqi women having their first child at 26.2 years on average. More than 75 percent of students in Vienna's middle schools speak a language other than German at home, challenging an education system built for German-speaking students. A teachers' union survey revealed serious issues in Vienna schools, including language barriers, cultural clashes, assaults on educators and demands for teachers to wear religious attire, contributing to high teacher attrition. Rising concerns over Islamist radicalization among youth and statements from Austrian political leaders highlight fears of a "consciously controlled ethnic and cultural transformation" linked to migration. New data released in Austria's latest Statistical Yearbook on Migration and Integration has revealed that women from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq living in the country have birth rates nearly three times higher than Austrian-born women. According to the report, Austrian-born women have an average of 1.22 children, while the overall average for women not born in Austria is 1.57. However, the figures vary significantly depending on the country of origin. (Related: Spain and Ireland REJECT calls by Israel to accept Palestinian refugees.) For instance, women from the former Yugoslavia average 1.94 children and Turkish-born women have a rate of 1.8. The highest fertility rates were recorded among women from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, with an average of 3.3 children per woman. The data also highlights differences in the age at which women become mothers. Austrian-born women give birth at an average age of 30.4 years, while the average age for non-Austrian-born women is 28.7 years. Among Syrian, Afghan and Iraqi women, the average age at first birth is even lower, at 26.2 years. Austrian Freedom Party leader claims migration crisis in Europe is "a consciously controlled ethnic and cultural transformation" The findings come amid ongoing discussions in Austria over the social and demographic impact of migration, as several data and reports point to rapid cultural shifts and mounting pressure on the country's education system. In October 2024, federal data showed that more than 75 percent of students in Vienna's middle schools speak a language other than German at home. Their classrooms, once designed for a primarily German-speaking student body, are now struggling to adapt to an increasingly multilingual and multicultural environment. Meanwhile, a concurrent survey by Vienna's teachers' union exposed deeper concerns. The report, conducted across a sample of the city's 100 compulsory schools, detailed language barriers, frequent cultural clashes and even alarming incidents such as assaults on educators, mock executions staged by students and parental demands for teachers to wear religious attire, including burqas. These developments have led to burnout and attrition within the teaching profession. In 2024, an average of 20 teachers left their jobs each day in Austria, many citing stress, lack of support and an inability to manage growing classroom tensions. Some educators have gone public with their concerns. Further compounding concerns, a December 2024 report from Austria's Office for the Protection of the Constitution highlighted an uptick in Islamist radicalization among young girls in Upper Austria. The report cited online propaganda networks and community-level influences as key factors. "Islam is changing our society in ways we do not want," said longtime principal of a Vienna middle school, Christian Klar, in an interview with Christian magazine Corrigenda in 2024. Herbert Kickl, leader of the Austrian Freedom Party, echoed a similar stance. At CPAC Hungary in May, Kickl asserted that mass immigration to Europe is part of a deliberate plan to "consciously control ethnic and cultural transformation." "What is happening in Europe is no coincidence. It is the result of an agenda, a consciously controlled ethnic and cultural transformation. Because migration is not being stopped, no, it is being organized, promoted and glorified," he said. Read more stories like this at Migrants.news. Watch the video below discussing what could possibly go wrong on taking in Ukrainian refugees. This video is from the Kim Osbl - Copenhagen Denmark channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: UK government now wants Britons to house non-Ukrainian refugees. EU nations reject Zelensky's plea to repatriate fighting-age Ukrainian refugees. Israel wants U.S. and Western allies to take in Gaza refugees. Biden administration wants to bring in up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. Two Republican lawmakers propose bill BANNING Palestinian REFUGEES in the United States. Sources include: RMX.news 1 RMX.news 2 RMX.news 3 RMX.news 4 Brighteon.com Radioactive leaks and secrecy: Inside the UKs troubling nuclear safety failures at Faslane A serious Category A nuclear incident occurred at Scotland's Faslane naval base, home to UK Trident submarines, but details were withheld citing national security. Radioactive leaks from aging pipes at nearby Coulport warhead facility contaminated Loch Long, raising safety concerns about nuclear weapons maintenance. Faslane recorded multiple nuclear incidents in early 2025, including one severe Category A event, while Coulport had dozens of lower-tier failures. Critics accuse the UK government of downplaying risks and lacking transparency, with SNP leaders calling the repeated failures a direct environmental threat. The MoD insists incidents were minor, but parallels to U.S. Navy radioactive discharge cover-ups suggest a pattern of secrecy and systemic neglect. Imagine living near a military base storing nuclear warheads, only to learn months later that a "serious nuclear incident" occurredone with the "actual or high potential for radioactive release." It's not exactly a comforting thought, but thats exactly what happened earlier this year at Scotlands Faslane naval base, home to Britains Trident-armed submarines. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) quietly disclosed the Category A event, the most severe classification for nuclear site incidents, but refused to provide details, citing "national security." The revelation comes amid reports of radioactive water leaking from aging pipes at the nearby Coulport warhead storage facility, raising urgent questions about the safety of nuclear weapons maintenance and the governments commitment to transparency. Between January and April 2025, Faslane recorded one Category A incident, two Category B events (involving contained radiation exposure), and multiple lower-tier failures, according to procurement minister Maria Eagles response to a parliamentary inquiry. Nearby Coulport, where Trident missiles are stored, reported 13 Category C incidents (moderate release potential) and 34 Category D events (minor but revealing systemic flaws). The MoD insists these incidents were of "low safety significance," but many arent buying it. SNP deputy leader Keith Brown blasted the government for a "catalogue of failures," stating, "Nuclear weapons are an ever-present danger... With repeated reports of serious incidents at Faslane and now confirmed radioactive contamination in Loch Long, its clear these weapons are not only poorly maintained but are a direct threat to our environment, our communities, and our safety." The MoDs refusal to disclose specifics while simultaneously claiming no harm was done only fuels suspicions of a cover-up. Radioactive leaks and crumbling infrastructure are putting locals in danger The Faslane incident isnt an isolated scare. A recent investigation revealed that radioactive water from Coulport had leaked into Loch Long multiple times due to burst pipes, half of which were past their design life. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) blamed "shortfalls in maintenance," yet the MoD dismissed concerns, asserting there were "no unsafe releases." This doublespeak is eerily familiar: downplay the risk, deflect accountability, and dismiss critics as alarmists. The parallels to the U.S. Navys history of nuclear mishaps are striking. Among 37 documented incidents, 13 involved radioactive discharges into coastal waters yet none were classified as "accidents," allowing officials to preserve the illusion of safety. The same playbook appears at work in the UK: redefine failures as mere "discrepancies," withhold data, and hope the public doesnt ask too many questions. The MoDs boilerplate reassurances, claiming a "robust safety culture" while hiding behind national security, ring hollow when stacked against the facts. Faslanes aging infrastructure, repeated leaks, and now a Category A event suggest a system in decay. Defence Secretary John Healeys insistence that all incidents were "level one of seven" on the International Nuclear Event Scale does little to address why these failures keep happening or why the public only learns about them months later. This isnt just about faulty pipes or bureaucratic opacity. Its about the staggering risks of relying on nuclear arsenals housed in deteriorating facilities, managed by institutions allergic to scrutiny. Nuclear technology, whether it's in weapons or energy, demands perfection. Yet human error, corporate corner-cutting, and institutional arrogance guarantee it will never be perfectly safe. Sources for this article include: RT.com News.Sky.com DailyMail.co.uk Russias upgraded missiles outsmart Ukraines Patriot defenses, U.S. intel warns Russia has upgraded its Iskander-M and North Korean KN-23 missiles with advanced maneuvering and radar decoys, making them harder to intercept. Ukraine's Patriot air defense systems are struggling against these modified missiles, with recent attacks showing low interception success rates. The Iskander-M can now alter its trajectory mid-flight, evading traditional defenses, while radar decoys further complicate interception efforts. Western reliance on Patriot systems is proving costly and ineffective, with global demand straining production and delaying deliveries to other allies. Russias rapid missile innovations expose vulnerabilities in Western defense strategies, signaling the need for new tactics rather than pouring funds into outdated systems. In a high-stakes game of military one-upmanship, Russia has quietly upgraded its ballistic missile arsenal, leaving Ukraines U.S.-supplied Patriot air defense systems struggling to keep up. According to a newly declassified U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report, Russian forces have modified their Iskander-M and North Korean KN-23 missiles with advanced maneuvering capabilities and radar decoys, rendering traditional interception tactics nearly obsolete. The revelation exposes a critical vulnerability in Western aid to Ukraine, and it's one that no amount of taxpayer-funded Patriot batteries can easily fix. Patriot systems falter under pressure The DIAs findings, cited in a recent Pentagon Inspector General report, confirm what Ukrainian officials have warned for months: Russias missile tactics have evolved. The UAF [Ukrainian Air Force] struggled to consistently use Patriot air defense systems to protect against Russian ballistic missiles due to recent Russian tactical improvements, the report states. These upgrades allow missiles to change trajectory and perform maneuvers rather than flying in a traditional ballistic trajectory. The numbers tell the story. In a June 28 attack, Russia launched seven ballistic missiles at Ukrainian targets. Only one was intercepted. A larger assault on July 9 saw 13 missiles fired, with Ukraine downing or suppressing just seven. Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat admitted in May that Russias missiles now employ quasi-ballistic flight paths and radar-decoy systems, making them far harder to track. It complicates [interception], but doesnt make it impossible, he said. How Russias missiles evade defenses The Iskander-M, Russias premier short-range ballistic missile, has long been a thorn in Ukraines side, but recent modifications have made it deadlier. Unlike traditional ballistic missiles, which follow predictable arcs, the upgraded Iskander can alter its trajectory mid-flight, performing evasive maneuvers that confuse Patriots targeting software. The missile doesnt just fly in a straight line like its falling, but actually performs maneuvers in flight, Ihnat explained. Adding to the challenge, Russia has reportedly equipped these missiles with radar-decoy systems, a feature that was previously spotted only sporadically. North Koreas KN-23, a near-clone of the Iskander, may share similar capabilities. Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraines Defense Intelligence Directorate, revealed in June that Russia collaborated with Pyongyang to improve the KN-23s accuracy, suggesting broader enhancements across Moscows missile fleet. A costly lesson for the West The implications extend far beyond Ukraine. The Patriot system, a cornerstone of U.S. and allied air defense strategies, now faces a proven adversary capable of outsmarting its technology. Sending more Patriots to Kyiv is akin to throwing good money after bad. Compounding the issue, global demand for Patriots has surged due to the war, straining production lines. Switzerland recently delayed its own Patriot deliveries to prioritize Ukraine, highlighting the systems scarcity. Meanwhile, Ukraines Soviet-era S-300V1 systems, which retain some anti-ballistic capability, are likely depleted after years of combat. Wars are won by adaptation, and Russia is proving quicker to innovate. While Western leaders cling to outdated playbooks, Moscows missile engineers are rewriting the rules of engagement. The Patriot systems struggles in Ukraine serve as a wake-up call: pouring billions into obsolete defenses wont secure victory. Sources for this article include: TWZ.com United24Media.com TheDefensePost.com Texas floodwaters uncover 115-million-year-old dinosaur tracks Rare meat-eating Acrocanthosaurus footprints found near Austin, Texas. Fifteen tracks revealed amid post-flood cleanup, sparking interest in ancient behaviors. Researchers plan to map sites with 3D imaging, drones for precision documentation. Discovery highlights regions rich paleontological heritage tied to Glen Rose Formation. In the aftermath of Julys catastrophic floods, which claimed hundreds of lives across Texas, nature has unexpectedly given up a treasure: 15 fossilized dinosaur footprints nestled along Sandy Creek in Travis County. The discovery, unearthed as volunteers cleared debris, offers a rare glimpse into life from the early Cretaceous period. The three-toed imprints, left by carnivorous Acrocanthosaurus and possibly sauropod herbivores, are estimated to be 115 million years old. Paleontologists are now rushing to document these traces before they are lost to further erosion or disruption. Travis County Judge Andy Brown first glimpsed the tracks during flood recovery efforts and immediately called in University of Texas at Austin experts. You dont expect to stumble on dinosaur tracks while clearing debris, said Brown, emphasizing the sites unexpected significance. Paleontologist Matthew Brown, who identified the prints, noted, These tracks are as old as the limestone layers of the Glen Rose Formation hereproof that predators like Acrocanthosaurus once stalked what is now suburban Texas. Discovery emerges from tragedy: How floodwaters revealed hidden history The July floods, which caused record-breaking rainfall and displaced thousands, stripped away layers of sediment and vegetation that had concealed the tracks for millennia. Matthew Brown highlighted that the patterns resembled a crisscross of movements, suggesting multiple dinosaurs, possibly a hunting group. This could hint at social behaviors were still decoding, he said. Local resident Carl Stover, who photographed the tracks, remarked on the eerie contrast between modern and prehistoric calamities. Right here, a house was swept away. A dinosaur once stood where devastation struck again, he said, underscoring the sites dual role as a memorial and a museum. Giants of the Cretaceous: Decoding the trackways The Acrocanthosaurus, a 35-foot predator akin to T. rex but slimmer, left footprints measuring 20 inches each. Nearby, larger impressions may belong to Paluxysaurus, Texas state dinosaur, a long-necked herbivore. Kenneth Bader, another UT researcher, stressed the importance of environmental context: These dinosaurs thrived in a swampy, coastal plain. The Glen Rose Formations sediments capture that world. Travis County lies 200 miles south of Dinosaur Valley State Park, a renowned site for tracks. Yet even outside designated parks, such as near Sandy Creek, Texas geology offers endless surprises. There are dinosaur tracks in backyards, Brown quipped, You just have to know where to look. Documenting prehistory with modern tools Despite the urgency, researchers are balancing preservation with disaster recovery. Heavy machinery must avoid the sites, as Matthew Brown explained: Even a single tracks loss would erase data on dinosaur gaits or group dynamics. His team plans to deploy drones and 3D scanning to create digital archives, surpassing earlier methods from the 1990s. The findings could rewrite narratives about predator interaction. If these Acrocanthosaurus moved together, it challenges theories they were solitary, Brown said. Meanwhile, mapping the trails will aid in understanding migration routes and habitat use. A state rich in paleontological storytelling Texas Cretaceous-era legacy runs deep. From the Paluxysaurus to marine reptiles fossilized in the Panhandle, the states ancient ecosystems flourished between 144 and 66 million years ago. Floods and droughts have always shaped this landexposing fossils when they wash away, said Brown. Today, the Sandy Creek tracks serve as both a reminder of natures violence and its revelation. Every storm changes the landscape, Travis Countys Brown reflected. This time, it brought us a story older than humanity itself. Ancient footprints offer new insights into dinosaur behavior and historys timing The Sandy Creek discovery underscores how environmental upheaval can unveil remnants of ancient Earth. As researchers decode the tracks, they may uncover clues about dinosaur societies while proving, yet again, that Texas soil holds secrets waiting to be unearthedwhether through cataclysm or careful study. In a state still grappling with the human toll of recent floods, the tracks remind us: even in tragedy, history finds ways to speak. Sources for this article include: LiveScience.com ABCNews.com CNN.com Trumps unprecedented deal with Nvidia and AMD: A new era of U.S.-China tech relations The Trump administration allowed Nvidia and AMD to resume AI chip sales to China in exchange for 15 percent of revenue paid to the U.S. government, enabling exports of advanced chips like Nvidia's H20 and AMD's MI308. Initially, stocks dipped slightly, but analysts view the deal as a net positive, ensuring continued access to China's lucrative market, retaining 85 percent of revenue rather than losing it entirely. China has mixed reactions, welcoming access to advanced chips but criticizing U.S. economic leverage. State media condemned the move as undermining security justifications for controls. U.S. lawmakers warn the deal sets a dangerous precedent, signaling that security concerns are negotiable. Legal experts question its constitutionality, debating whether it resembles an "export tax." The deal could influence future tech-sector negotiations but is unlikely to extend to other industries. It raises long-term concerns about U.S. competitiveness and the blending of economic/security policies. In a move that has sparked widespread debate and uncertainty, the Trump administration has struck a deal with leading semiconductor companies Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). The deal allows them to resume sales of advanced AI chips to China in exchange for the U.S. government receiving a share of the revenue. This unprecedented agreement, confirmed by the White House on Monday, Aug. 11, has raised questions about its implications for the tech industry, national security and U.S.-China relations. Under the agreement, Nvidia and AMD will pay 15 percent of their revenue from chip sales in China to the U.S. government. In return, they will receive export licenses to sell their specialized chips Nvidia's H20 and AMD's MI308 in the Chinese market. This arrangement marks a significant shift in U.S. policy, as it introduces a transactional element to export controls, which have traditionally been non-negotiable for national security reasons. In a statement to NBC News, Nvidia emphasized its commitment to following U.S. government rules while expressing hope that the new export control rules would allow American companies to compete in China and globally. Meanwhile, AMD confirmed that its initial license applications to export MI308 chips to China have been approved. (Related: Nvidia wins U.S. approval to sell AI chips to China after Trump administration reverses ban) The news initially caused shares of both companies to close moderately lower on Monday, Aug. 11. However, analysts like Ben Barringer from Quilter Cheviot believe the deal is a net positive for the companies. "From an investor perspective, it's still a net positive, 85 percent of the revenue is better than zero," Barringer told CNBC. The agreement ensures that these companies can continue to tap into the lucrative Chinese market, which is crucial for their growth and competitiveness. Geopolitical implications and China's response The deal has stirred mixed feelings in China. On one hand, Chinese firms are eager to acquire these advanced chips to bolster their AI capabilities. On the other hand, the arrangement is seen as an economic lever by the U.S. government. Washington has raised concerns about potential security vulnerabilities and "backdoors" in the chips. While Nvidia has denied these allegations, the skepticism remains. Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times criticized the U.S. approach, stating that it undermines the original security justification for export controls and instead uses economic leverage to pressure U.S. chipmakers. The Chinese government has yet to officially comment on the revenue-sharing agreement. At home, the deal has drawn sharp criticism from U.S. lawmakers and experts who warn that it could set a dangerous precedent. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) expressed concern that the agreement could incentivize the government to grant licenses for selling technology that enhances China's AI capabilities. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), the ranking Democrat on the House Select Committee on China, also echoed the sentiment. "By putting a price on our security concerns, we signal to China and our allies that American national security principles are negotiable for the right fee," he warned. Trade lawyer Jeremy Iloulian noted that the U.S. Constitution prohibits Congress from levying taxes on exports, raising doubts about whether the revenue share could be considered an "export tax." Kyle Handley, a professor at the University of California San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, described the arrangement as an "export tax" in disguise. The agreement with Nvidia and AMD is seen as a unique case, given the strategic importance of semiconductors. Analysts do not expect similar deals to be extended to other sectors like software and services. However, the move has set a precedent that could influence future negotiations involving strategic technologies. Daniel Newman, CEO of The Futurum Group, described the arrangement as a "sort of 'tax' for doing business in China," suggesting that it could pave the way for similar agreements in other industries. Follow Computing.news for more similar stories. Watch this video from the "Health Ranger Report" about a shocking announcement by Nvidia that just changed the future of the world. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trump vows to fast-track Nvidia's $500B push for domestic AI chip manufacturing. China bets on Huaweis Ascend chips to replace banned Nvidia technology. China has been spying on American computer systems through compromised chips. Sources include: CNBC.com ABCnews.go.com GlobalTimes.cn Reuters.com Brighteon.com As Trump and Putin prepare for peace talks, Zelensky doubles down on war and your wallet funds it Russia and the U.S. prepare for high-stakes peace talks in Alaska, with Ukraine's war as the central focus, while Zelensky secures more weapons from Europe. Zelensky's stance appears inconsistent, rejecting territorial concessions while demanding $1 trillion in reparations, NATO membership, and prisoner releases before ceasefire talks. Ukraine escalates tensions with drone strikes into Russia ahead of the summit, as NATO nations pour billions into military aid with no clear strategy. Ukrainian officials dismiss the summit, comparing it to the 1938 Munich Agreement, fearing Putin will manipulate Trump into blaming Kyiv for failed peace efforts. Western support is waning as Russia gains ground, NATO struggles with incoherent strategies, and American taxpayers question the endless funding of Ukraines war. While Moscow prepares for a high-stakes peace summit between President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is busy securing another $1.5 billion in weapons from European allies. The contrast couldnt be more dramatic: Russia is pushing for negotiations, while Ukraine, bankrolled by Western taxpayers, is gearing up for more bloodshed. The Kremlin confirmed Wednesday that the Ukraine conflict will dominate the Alaska summit, alongside broader security issues and bilateral cooperation. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov stated the talks will address "ensuring peace and security" while exploring untapped economic ties between the U.S. and Russia. Meanwhile, Zelensky spent Thursday bombing Russian cities before jetting off to London to meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, touting fresh European weapons deals. Zelenskys shifting demands Just days ago, Zelensky defiantly declared, "Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupiers." Yet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hinted that Kyiv may now be open to territorial swaps, indicating a complete reversal. Zelenskys latest demand? A $1 trillion reparations bill from Russia, NATO membership, and the release of all prisoners before any ceasefire. The Ukrainian leader insists his allies must "force Russia to make peace," but his actions suggest otherwise. His government continues long-range drone strikes into Russia, escalating tensions ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting. Meanwhile, NATO nations, led by the Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavian countries, are funneling billions into Ukraines war machine with no endgame in sight. A summit set up for failure? Ukrainian officials openly dismiss the Alaska summit, comparing it to the 1938 Munich Agreement, where European powers abandoned Czechoslovakia to Hitler. Oleksandr Merezhko, head of Ukraines parliamentary foreign affairs committee, warned ABC News that Putin seeks to "manipulate" Trump into blaming Ukraine for stalled peace efforts. But heres the reality: Ukraines refusal to negotiate has already cost it a generation of men. Russian forces continue gaining ground in Donetsk, and Moscows recent deployment of 40 Iskander missile systems near the border signals readiness for escalation. Putins goals of Ukrainian neutrality and NATO restraint havent changed since 2022. Yet Zelensky, insulated by Western cash, still dreams of total victory. Who pays the price? American taxpayers are footing the bill for this endless conflict. The Pentagon recently warned that weapons sent to Ukraine will degrade quickly due to Kyivs lack of maintenance infrastructure. Meanwhile, NATOs PR-driven strategy, like sending F-16s, wont shift the battlefield. As Russian analyst Pavel Luzin noted, Moscows endgame remains the "elimination of Ukraine as a state and as a culture." Trumps threat of "severe consequences" if Putin refuses a ceasefire may be the only leverage left, but with Zelensky unwilling to concede even ruined cities like Bakhmut, peace seems distant. Putins strategy is clear: break Ukraine into autonomous regions, avoid urban warfare, and let NATOs incoherence do the rest. Western leaders, however, are trapped in their own hubris. Frances Macron overreacted to a captured French POW, Germany mulls conscription despite lacking equipment, and the UKs undersized military cant project power. This war was never about Ukraines survival; its about bleeding Russia and testing NATO. But with European resolve wavering, the Wests $61 billion lifeline may be its last. As Trump meets Putin, we may find out whether peace will finally prevail or Zelenskys delusions will drag us deeper into disaster. For now, all signs point to more war... and more of your money vanishing into the abyss. The Alaska summit could be a turning point if Western leaders abandon fairy-tale victories and face reality. But with Zelenskys endless demands and NATOs empty posturing, dont hold your breath. Peace wont come until the funding dries up. Sources for this article include: InfoWars.com ABCNews.go.com RT.com TheCradle.co U.S. drone mission into Mexico signals unprecedented military role in cartel fight A CBP MQ-9 drone conducted an 800-mile mission deep into Mexico, marking the first confirmed U.S. military overflight targeting drug cartel territory under President Donald Trumps orders. Trumps directive to the Pentagon authorizes military force against cartels labeled as terrorist organizations, a historic shift to combat the fentanyl crisis. Legal experts question whether the operation violates domestic and international law, citing constraints like the Posse Comitatus Act and precedents like the 1989 Panama invasion. The drone surveilled territory controlled by the La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM), a group responsible for trafficking fentanyl, as part of a broader strategy targeting high-value cartel leaders. Mexicos government cooperated with the mission, raising concerns about escalating U.S. unilateral action in Latin America. The U.S. government has crossed a symbolic threshold in its fight against transnational drug cartels, with a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone conducting a nearly 900-mile surveillance mission deep into Mexico. This unprecedented incursion, revealed through flight tracking data, reflects President Donald Trumps aggressive strategy to militarize the war on drugs. Flying aboard a CBP MQ-9 Guardian drone and coordinated with Mexican authorities, the mission signals a dangerous operational shift: the use of U.S. military assets to directly confront cartels deemed foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration. The MQ-9s deep-South mission: Surveillance or prelude to strike? On August 13, a CBP MQ-9 drone, tail-number CBP113, launched from San Angelo, Texas, and pierced 600 miles into southern Mexico, circling near cities controlled by the La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM), a cartel linked to tens of thousands of U.S. overdose deaths. FlightRadar24 confirmed the drones trajectory, which ended abruptly as it vanished from tracking systems mid-missiona tactic suggesting potentially sensitive follow-on operations. Mexican Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch confirmed the overflight was conducted at our request, though details of its objectives remain classified. Analysts, however, suspect the drones SeaVue radar and MTS electro-optical sensors targeted LNFM leaders like Johnny El Pez Hurtado Olascoaga, who face $5 million arrest bounties. This mission isnt just about surveillanceits about pinpointing [cartel] infrastructure to enable future takedowns, said Stefano Ritondale of AI-driven intelligence firm Artorias, noting the LNFMs control of the region. CBP officials emphasized their MQ-9s are unarmed, but this distinction hasnt calmed critics. The drones range and radar capabilitiesaquanaut of its timeit can map areas through clouds or darkness, offering actionable data for U.S. or Mexican forces. Legal quagmires echo historic battles Trumps directive to the Pentagon to employ military force against cartelsthe first against non-state actors outside designated battlegroundsfaces intense legal scrutiny. The move echoes the 1989 Panama invasion, where President George H.W. Bush deployed troops to arrest drug lord Manuel Noriega. Like that operation, critics argue unilateral strikes risk violating international law, particularly without Mexicos explicit consent to lethal action. Domestically, the Posse Comitatus Act, prohibiting domestic military law enforcement roles, complicates strikes against cartels within Mexican borders. While Trumps team cites national self-defense against fentanyl deaths, legal experts question whether this justifies collateral harm to Mexican civilians. The White House has leaned on precedents like the Obama-era Cartel de los Soles intelligence sharing, but even former Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work warned in July 2025, You dont get to redefine drug enforcement as combatit requires Congress to take a stand. Cartel designations and escalating tensions Trumps strategy includes branding cartels like the LNFM and the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua as foreign terrorist organizations, enabling asset freezes and intelligence sharing. In April 2025, the State Department doubled its bounty on Nicolas Maduro to $50 million, framing him as the lead of a narco-terrorism network. While Mexicos government approved the drone mission, it rejected broader U.S. military intervention when Trump proposed cross-border raids earlier this year. Mexican officials fear militarization could spiral into occupation-like scenarios, mirroring Venezuelas destabilization under U.S. pressure. A risky but resurgent strategy The MQ-9 mission underscores Trumps willingness to defy legal boundaries in prioritizing domestic security over diplomatic niceties. While cartels like LNFM face unprecedented pressure, the administrations reliance on untested legal frameworks may embolden Latin American nations to resist perceived U.S. overreach. As one defense analyst told The TWZ Newsletter, This isnt just a drug warits a gamble on how far a president can push the envelope to win. If it backfires, the fallout could redefine U.S.-Mexico relations for decades. For now, the drones shadow looms on the horizona symbol of both resolve and risk in Trumps relentless battle against the cartels. Sources for this article include: TWZ.com NYTimes.com DroneXL.co US stands up to Great Britains authoritarianism, censorship, and speech police Imagine a world where a silent prayer lands you in court, where a meme earns you a prison sentence, and where the government monitors your social media postsnot for threats of violence, but for wrong-think. This isnt the plot of a dystopian novel; its modern Britain, where the once-cherished principles of free expression are being dismantled brick by brick under the guise of safety and protection. The United States State Department, in a scathing indictment of the UKs rapidly deteriorating free speech landscape , has sounded the alarm: Britain is no longer a beacon of democratic values but a cautionary tale of how quickly liberty can erode when power-hungry officials decide what truths are permissible. The Online Safety Act, sold to the public as a shield for children, has instead become a sword wielded against dissenters, journalists, and even silent protesters. And if America doesnt take heed, the same forces of censorship will soon knock on our doors. The irony is bitter. The nation that gave the world the Magna Carta, that stood defiant against tyranny in two world wars, now arrests citizens for posting memes, jails mothers for social media comments, and threatens prayerful grandfathers with fines. This isnt just a slippery slopeits a free-fall into authoritarianism, disguised as progressive governance. The question isnt whether Britain has lost its way; its whether the rest of the world will follow. Key points: The US State Departments 2024 Human Rights Report explicitly condemns Britains Online Safety Act, calling it a tool of government censorship that suppresses political and religious speech under the pretense of child protection. Lucy Connolly, a mother and former childcare giver, is serving a 2.5-year prison sentence for a single social media posther appeal rejected in Julywhile Adam Smith-Connor, a British Army veteran, was fined 9,000 for silently praying near an abortion clinic. The UK government monitored and flagged concerning narratives through a secretive Whitehall unit, threatening arrests to chill public debate, particularly after the Southport murders, where officials silenced discussions about the attackers background. Ofcom, Britains media regulator, now has sweeping powers to fine tech companies up to 10% of global revenue (or 18 million) if they fail to censor harmful contentincluding political debates and criticism of government policies. The Online Safety Act criminalizes false communications with vague definitions, allowing prosecutors to target satire, memes, and dissenting opinions while exempting mainstream mediacreating a two-tiered system of free speech. US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have privately met with persecuted UK activists, warning that Britains crackdown on speech is a direct threat to American values and could embolden global censorship efforts. The EUs Digital Services Act and the UKs Online Safety Bill are part of a coordinated global push to police online speech, with former Big Tech executives now leading censorship bodies, raising conflicts of interest. Encryption and privacy are under attack, as the law pressures platforms to weaken security in the name of safety, leaving users vulnerable to government surveillance. From Magna Carta to memory holes: How Britain betrayed its legacy There was a time when Britain stood as a bulwark against tyranny. The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, was one of historys first declarations that even kings were not above the law. Centuries later, British thinkers like John Locke and John Stuart Mill shaped the very foundations of free speech, arguing that the marketplace of ideasno matter how messywas essential to a functioning democracy. Yet today, the descendants of those same philosophers are being arrested for memes, jailed for prayers, and silenced for questioning official narratives. The Online Safety Act, passed in 2023 and enforced in 2024, is the crown jewel of this authoritarian transformation. Sold as a measure to protect children from online harms, the law instead grants OfcomBritains state media regulatorunprecedented power to dictate what can and cannot be said online. Companies that fail to comply face fines of up to 10% of their global revenuea financial death sentence for any platform that resists. But the real targets arent just corporations; theyre ordinary citizens who dare to challenge the governments version of reality. Take Lucy Connolly, a 48-year-old mother and wife of a Conservative councillor. Her crime? Posting a single message on X (formerly Twitter) in the aftermath of the Southport murders, where three young girls were stabbed to death. The government, desperate to suppress discussions about the attackers background, pounced. Connolly was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Her appeal was rejected in July, ensuring she remains behind bars until late August. This isnt justiceits political persecution, a warning to others that dissent will be punished. Then theres Adam Smith-Connor, a British Army veteran who was fined 9,000 for the crime of silent prayer near an abortion clinic. No protest signs, no shoutingjust standing in quiet reflection. Yet under Britains buffer zone laws, even thought itself is now policed. His case drew international attention, with US Vice President JD Vance citing it in a speech in Munich as evidence of Britains alarming decline in free expression. In March, Smith-Connor met with US State Department officials, who confirmed what many already feared: Britain is systematically eroding religious and political freedoms. The Southport murders became a turning point. After the attack, Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson issued a chilling warning: anyone who reposts, repeats, or amplifies messages deemed false or inciting hatred could face prosecution and extradition. The government even released a propaganda video urging citizens to Think before you post!a not-so-subtle threat that Big Brother is watching. Arrests followed, though some charges were later dropped, revealing a pattern of selective enforcement designed to intimidate the public into silence. The censorship industrial complex: How governments and Big Tech collude to control speech Britains descent into authoritarianism didnt happen in a vacuum. Its part of a global crackdown on free speech, where governments and Big Tech oligarchs work hand in hand to define, monitor, and punish unacceptable opinions. The Online Safety Act is just one piece of a much larger puzzlea censorship industrial complex that spans continents. In the European Union, the Digital Services Act (DSA) imposes similar restrictions, forcing platforms to remove misinformation or face massive fines. The law explicitly targets divisive material, including criticism of COVID-19 policies and skepticism of official narratives. Meanwhile, the UKs Online Safety Bill goes even further, criminalizing false communications with prison sentences of up to 51 weeks. The problem? No clear definitions of what constitutes false, harmful, or reasonable excuse. In practice, this means prosecutors and algorithmsnot juriesdecide whats allowed. Worse still, the enforcers of these laws are often former Big Tech insiders. The UKs Office of Communications (Ofcom) is now led by Gill Whitehead, a former Google executive. Other top regulators have ties to Meta and Amazon, creating a revolving door between Silicon Valley and the censorship state. This isnt just regulatory captureits a hostile takeover of free speech by the same corporations that profit from controlling information. The US State Departments report highlights another disturbing trend: the weaponization of hate speech laws to target political opponents. In Britain, pro-life activists, immigration critics, and COVID-19 skeptics have all been arrested, fined, or imprisoned for peaceful expression. The selective enforcement is glaringwhile anti-Semitic threats (rightfully condemned) are met with outrage, a meme about knife crime can land you in jail for eight weeks. And lets not forget the encryption kill switch. The Online Safety Act includes provisions that pressure tech companies to weaken encryption, ostensibly to catch harmful content. But as digital rights experts warn, this destroys user privacy, making everyone vulnerable to government surveillance. If Britain can monitor private messages for wrongthink, whats to stop other nationsor even the USfrom doing the same? Americas moment of reckoning: Will we follow Britains path or resist the censorship tide? The US State Departments report isnt just a condemnation of Britainits a warning to America. The same censorship mechanisms being deployed in the UK are already taking root here. The Biden administration has been accused of colluding with social media platforms to suppress dissent, particularly on COVID-19 policies and election integrity. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed new digital oversight bureaus, and Congress has floated bills that would gut Section 230the law that protects free speech online. If Britains Online Safety Act is any indication, America could be next. The playbook is the same: Pass laws under the guise of safety. Empower regulators to define harmful speech. Fine and intimidate platforms into compliance. Arrest and prosecute dissenters to set an example. The only thing standing in the way is public resistance. The US State Departments strong stancedelayed and strengthened under Trump-appointed officialsshows that some in Washington still understand the stakes. But will Congress, the courts, and the American people push back before its too late? The fight for free speech is the fight for democracy itself. Britains authoritarian turn didnt happen overnightit was the result of years of complacency, of trusting governments and corporations to define the boundaries of acceptable thought. Now, prayer is a crime, memes are hate speech, and truth is whatever the state says it is. America must learn from Britains mistakes. We must reject censorship in all its forms, whether it comes from London, Brussels, or Washington. The first casualty of tyranny is always the truth. The question is: Will we let it die without a fight? Sources include: ReclaimtheNet.org Docs.ReclaimtheNet.org [PDF] ReclaimtheNet.org CANBERRA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The 2025 Chinese Culture Day event has been held in Australia's Melbourne to promote cultural exchange. According to the Chinese Embassy in Australia on Thursday, the event gathered over 500 students from 22 local secondary schools and featured 13 interactive cultural zones, including calligraphy, tea art, fan crafting, poetry rubbings, and traditional costume try-ons, alongside a "Nihao, China" tourism showcase. In his remarks, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian highlighted the recent visit to China by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, noting that the visit would help further develop China-Australia relations on a stable footing. Xiao emphasized culture as a bridge for mutual understanding and welcomed more young Australians to visit China. The event, hosted on Tuesday by the Chinese Consulate-General in Melbourne, was also attended by several Australian federal MPs and Melbourne municipal leaders. Chinese Consul-General in Melbourne Fang Xinwen pledged to implement the Global Civilization Initiative and further deepen exchanges and cooperation in cultural and other fields, while Australian guests praised Chinese culture and expressed their willingness to continue promoting bilateral cultural exchanges. Performances by young artists from the China Soong Ching Ling Science and Culture Center for Young People added to the festivities, drawing applause from the audience. Unlocking the vagus nerve: A pathway to natural healing for modern ailments The vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve, is crucial for the "rest and digest" response, counteracting the "fight or flight" mechanism. It helps induce calmness and relaxation, making it essential for managing stress and anxiety. Comprising thousands of sensory and motor fibers, the vagus nerve connects the brainstem to various organs, regulating vital functions such as heart rate, digestion and vocalization. Its ability to send and receive signals makes it a key player in maintaining overall health. The vagus nerve acts as a natural anti-inflammatory agent by releasing chemicals that modulate the immune system. This function is vital in combating chronic inflammation, which is linked to numerous health issues, including heart disease and depression. The vagus nerve influences heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of the variation in time between heartbeats. A higher HRV, indicative of a stronger vagus nerve, is associated with better emotional regulation, increased resilience to stress and improved memory. The book offers practical methods to stimulate the vagus nerve, such as deep breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, singing, chanting and exposure to cold. These techniques can be easily integrated into daily life to enhance vagal tone, reduce stress and improve overall well-being. In an era where stress, anxiety and chronic illnesses are rampant, a growing body of research is pointing to an unsung hero within our bodies: the vagus nerve. This remarkable nerve, often referred to as the "wandering nerve," is the focus of Caroline Robertson's book, "Vagus Nerve: Activate the Healing Power of Your Vagus Nerve and Unlock Powerful Natural Relief for Anxiety, Depression, and Chronic Illness." The vagus nerve, the longest and most complex of the 12 cranial nerves, originates in the brainstem and extends down to the abdomen, connecting with numerous organs along the way. This extensive network makes it a critical component of the parasympathetic nervous system, which governs the "rest and digest" response, counterbalancing the "fight or flight" mechanism controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. As Robertson explains in her book, "When you're feeling calm and relaxed, you can thank your vagus nerve for that." Robertson, a renowned health and wellness expert, delves into the intricate structure of the vagus nerve, which comprises thousands of sensory and motor fibers. These fibers enable the nerve to both receive information from organs and send commands to them, playing a crucial role in regulating vital functions such as heart rate, digestion and even vocalization. One of the most intriguing aspects of the vagus nerve is its role in managing inflammation. Acting as a natural anti-inflammatory agent, it releases chemicals that help modulate the immune system. This function is particularly significant given the link between chronic inflammation and various health issues, including heart disease and depression. Heart rate variability (HRV), the variation in time between heartbeats, is another area where the vagus nerve plays a pivotal role. A higher HRV indicates that the body is adept at switching between "fight or flight" and "rest and digest" modes, which is a marker of good health. Robertson highlights the importance of HRV, stating, "A stronger vagus nerve can lead to better emotional regulation, improved resilience to stress and even enhanced memory." The book offers practical advice on how to stimulate the vagus nerve, presenting a range of techniques that can be easily incorporated into daily life. Deep breathing exercises are highlighted as a simple yet effective method to activate the nerve and trigger the relaxation response. "Practices like yoga and meditation are so effective at reducing stress because they engage the vagus nerve," Robertson explains. Singing and chanting are also recommended, as they require controlled breathing and engage the muscles in the back of the throat, which is connected to the vagus nerve. Additionally, exposure to cold, such as taking a cold shower or immersing in cold water, has been shown to activate the vagus nerve and boost the parasympathetic system. The benefits of a healthy vagus nerve extend beyond stress reduction. It can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, improve heart health and aid in digestion. For those suffering from chronic illnesses, stimulating the vagus nerve can offer significant relief and enhance overall quality of life. Robertson cites medical procedures like vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), which involve implanting a device that sends electrical impulses to the nerve, as evidence of its therapeutic potential. "In some cases, VNS has even helped patients achieve remission," she notes. "Vagus Nerve" serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding and nurturing this vital component of the human body. By unlocking the healing power of the vagus nerve, individuals can tap into a powerful source of natural relief for a variety of ailments. As Robertson aptly puts it, "By engaging with our vagus nerve, we're not just engaging in a simple activity we're promoting a healthier, more balanced life." Learn more about the vagus nerve by watching the video below. This video is from the BrightLearn channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: Brighteon.ai Brighteon.com Sorry, something doesn't look right. Something seems unusual about your device or browser. Please contact support. MINSK, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Belarusian army has acquired a new batch of Su-30SM2, a modern multi-role military aircraft from Russia, the country's defense ministry said Thursday. The aircraft are being delivered as part of military-technical cooperation between Minsk and Moscow, the ministry said. Andrei Rachkov, Chief of Staff of Belarus' Air Force, said the modernized Su-30SM features nearly triple the target detection range of its predecessor, new avionics, navigation tools and enhanced weaponry, including guided missiles and bombs. Belarus received the first batch of the upgraded aircraft earlier this year, and pilots are training with them and conducting air defense missions, Rachkov said. Due to scheduled maintenance from Saturday, March 15, 2025, at 10 PM to Sunday, March 16, 2025, at 2 AM, there may be interruptions for our News Gazette Digital subscribers. During this time frame, please click on any News Gazette website content without logging into your News Gazette Digital subscription account. Thank you for your patience during this scheduled maintenance. NAGOYA, Japan, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- In 2023, at the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, a 27-year-old Japanese, Hayato Kato, knelt before a sculpture inscribed with the word "peace," bowing his head in mourning for the 300,000 Chinese civilians slaughtered by Japanese invaders. "I am Japanese, yet I did not know my country had committed such cruel acts. I knelt to express my apology," Kato said at a recent China-Japan Peace and Friendship Exchange event at the Chinese Consulate-General in Nagoya. Kato, from Japan's Gifu prefecture, first visited China as a university student, drawn by the Chinese culture and the warmth of its people. In 2022, he moved to China and traveled to more than 20 provinces, documenting his experiences from a foreigner's perspective. A social-media influencer with over 2.7 million followers, his early videos were light-hearted travelogues, but frequent comments suggesting him visit Nanjing or Harbin shifted his focus. He has now toured nearly 30 wartime memorials and atrocity sites, from the site of the Defense of Sihang Warehouse in Shanghai to the former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, a Japanese germ warfare unit during World War II, in Harbin. "I went to these places almost completely ignorant of history. In Japan, I had basically never learned any of this," Kato said. The experience was jarring. Japanese school curricula barely cover the country's wartime aggression; some politicians still deny the Nanjing massacre. At the former site of the headquarters of Unit 731, where Japanese scientists carried out gruesome human experiments, Kato said the evidence was "so cruel that it gave me goosebumps." Kato said that the various knives and other physical evidence displayed at the former site, along with the Japanese army's attempts to cover up its crimes through demolition, made him realize the enormity of the war crimes committed by the invading Japanese forces. "I was shocked that Japan had committed such brutal atrocities. And it was precisely because of this that I came to understand why the Chinese are angry -- because Japan has never truly faced up to its history," Kato said. He was struck by how Japan tends to emphasise its own victimhood by publicizing the suffering of its own people, while sidestepping its role as an aggressor. Videos of his visits drew praise from Chinese viewers for confronting the past, but also provoked vitriol from Japanese audiences. "Even if attacked, I want to keep speaking out," he said. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Kato is planning to bring more Japanese citizens to China's wartime memorials. "Admitting past mistakes is the first step towards peace," he said. New research reveals how common respiratory viruses can flip dormant breast cancer cells back into growth mode, uncovering an immune-driven pathway that heightens relapse risk and pointing to new prevention strategies. Study: Respiratory viral infections awaken metastatic breast cancer cells in lungs. Image Credit: crystal light / Shutterstock In a recent study published in Nature, an international team of researchers showed that respiratory viral infections awaken dormant breast cancer cells in the lungs. Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in females and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States (US). Disseminated cancer cells (DCCs) can remain dormant for years after initial remission before metastatic relapse. The tumor microenvironment and cell-intrinsic factors determine whether metastatic cells progress or remain dormant. Notably, microenvironmental disturbances can be sufficient to increase metastasis. Respiratory viral infections are common, with seasonal flu affecting over one billion people yearly. These infections are usually associated with pulmonary inflammation along with an increase in inflammatory cytokines (interferons [IFNs] and interleukin 6 [IL-6]) and expansion of immune cells, such as macrophages, T cells, and neutrophils. Such inflammatory mechanisms have been reported as regulators of metastatic processes. The study and findings In the present study, researchers examined the effects of respiratory viral infections on breast cancer dormancy in mice. First, they used a mouse model of breast DCC dormancy, MMTV-Her2, to explore the effects of influenza A virus (IAV) on the awakening of dormant DCCs. Mice were infected with a sub-lethal dose of IAV; both MMTV-Her2 and wild-type mice showed comparable inflammatory response and viral clearance kinetics. Lungs were harvested at several time points and assessed for the abundance of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) cells. Before infection, a few isolated DCCs or clusters of DCCs were detected. Nevertheless, metastatic burden increased by up to 1,000-fold between three and 15 days post-infection (dpi). The number of HER2+ cells remained elevated at 28 and 60 dpi and was still detectable nine months later. There were no changes in Ki67+HER2+ cells in mammary glands, and qPCR of blood samples showed no increase in circulating cancer cells, suggesting that the increase in HER2+ cells in the lungs was not derived from elevated seeding of cancer cells in mammary glands. Further, the team observed a significant increase in HER2+ cells expressing Ki67 at 3 dpi. Although Ki67-expressing HER2+ cells decreased by 15 dpi, the number of these cells remained elevated at 60 dpi compared to baseline. Dormant DCCs maintain a mesenchymal-like state (vimentin-positive) and undergo an epithelial shift (epithelial cell adhesion molecule-positive [EpCAM+]) during dormancy exit. Most dormant DCCs in uninfected lungs were vimentin+. While the percentage of vimentin+ HER2+ cells was not affected early in infection (3 to 6 dpi), it decreased to 50% by 9 dpi and less than 20% by 28 dpi. In contrast, a fraction of HER2+ cells showed EpCAM expression by 3 dpi. Moreover, while most HER2+ cells lost EpCAM positivity after 6 dpi, the percentage of EpCAM+ HER+ cells remained elevated. Thus, IAV infection induced a transient epithelial shift, creating a unique hybrid and proliferative phenotype that retained some mesenchymal marker expression, allowing dormant DCC awakening. RNA-seq analyses showed activation of inflammatory (IL-6JAKSTAT3), angiogenesis, and extracellular matrixremodelling pathways, including collagen crosslinking and metalloproteinase activity, which are known to support tumour growth. The authors also reported shifts in the tumour microenvironment, including extracellular matrix changes and angiogenic signalling, that could help sustain awakened DCCs. The team also noted the activation of the IL-6 signaling pathway in DCCs post-infection. Further investigations indicated that infection-triggered IL-6 was key in mediating initial dormant DCC awakening. The researchers identified a two-phase process: first, IL-6 drives the switch from a mesenchymal to a hybrid phenotype and fuels rapid expansion; later, after T-cell recruitment, CD4+ T cells sustain the awakened DCC population. During this second phase, CD4+ cells partly maintain DCCs by suppressing CD8+ immune responses. Gene expression profiling revealed that CD4+ cells in tumour-bearing mice had reduced mitochondrial content, a bias toward a memory phenotype, and lower effector function, further limiting CD8+ cytotoxicity. The study also found that depleting CD4+ cells restored CD8+ cell mitochondrial content and effector activity, leading to more effective elimination of DCCs. Next, the team investigated whether coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can awaken dormant DCCs. To this end, a mouse-adapted severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain (MA10) was used. MA10 infection triggered the production of IFN and IL-6 in the lungs. Besides, MA10 infection resulted in a notable increase in HER2+ cells by 28 dpi. Moreover, there was a stepwise increase in the number of HER2+ cells and Ki67+HER2+ cells following MA10 infection, with reductions in vimentin positivity and transient increases in EpCAM positivity. Consistently, these changes required IL-6, as changes associated with MA10 infection were significantly reduced in IL-6 knockout mice. Further, the researchers analyzed data from the United Kingdom Biobank (UKB) to assess whether a positive SARS-CoV-2 test was associated with a higher risk of mortality among cancer survivors. In a UKB population followed up until December 2022, which included 4,837 individuals with a cancer diagnosis before 2015, 413 deaths were recorded. These included 115 and 298 deaths, those who tested positive and negative for SARS-CoV-2, respectively, yielding an odds ratio (OR) of 4.5. Even after excluding COVID-19-attributed deaths, test-positive individuals still had higher mortality, with an OR of 2.56. There was a nearly two-fold increase in cancer mortality (OR: 1.85) in test-positive individuals compared to test-negative participants. The data showed that the association was strongest in the months immediately after infection and weakened over time, mirroring the early rapid expansion of DCCs seen in the mouse models. The team observed elevated risks for all-cause, non-COVID-19, and cancer mortality among participants who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 compared to those who tested negative. Finally, the Flatiron Health Database was used to evaluate whether females with breast cancer experienced a higher risk of metastatic progression to the lungs after COVID-19. Females with COVID-19 after breast cancer diagnosis had a hazard ratio of 1.44 for subsequent diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, adjusted for age, race, and ethnicity. After additional adjustment for breast cancer subtype and comorbidities, the hazard ratio was 1.41 and no longer statistically significant, although the direction of effect was consistent. Conclusions The results indicate that respiratory viral infections promote awakening and expansion of dormant cancer cells. An IL-6-dependent switch from a mesenchymal state to a hybrid phenotype promotes expansion, followed by the establishment of CD4+ niches that inhibit DCC elimination. These niches also impair CD8+ antitumour activity by altering immune cell metabolism and effector potential. Other immune cell populations, including macrophages, also showed phenotype shifts toward a tumour-supportive state. Overall, these data reveal how pulmonary viral infections elevate cancer recurrence risk, with both mouse and human data showing the greatest risk in the early period after infection, underscoring the need for strategies to alleviate the increased risk of associated metastatic progression. Arunachal to fast-track all green energy projects: Khandu Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 16:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Itanagar, Aug 15 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday said that the state is on a decade-long mission to fast-track all green energy projects, revive stalled ones, and embrace public-private partnerships. In his Independence Day speech at IG Park here, Khandu said that as the state is advancing towards viksit (developed) Arunachal by 2024, the year marking 100 years of Indias independence, people have to look for green energy. Recommended Stories With unmatched natural potential, Arunachal is becoming Indias green energy powerhouse. Our hydropower and critical mineral resources like graphite, limestone, dolomite will power solar panels, batteries, and electric mobility for decades to come," he said. The CM said big projects like the 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower Project will be ready by May 2026 and the 2,880 Mw Dibang Multipurpose Project is on track for completion by February 2032. The Arunachal government has already declared 2025-35 as the Decade of Hydropower. In the next 3 years alone, we will kick off work on new hydropower projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore, adding another 19 GW of capacity," Khandu said. He said these projects are not just about energy; they are about empowerment. The projects will bring in over Rs 4,000 crore annually as free power to the state and Rs 750 crore to support local area development. Every year, nearly Rs 2,000 crore in dividends will flow directly to our state. In addition to better roads, schools, etc, it will generate 30,000 direct jobs in construction and operations. On the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), which has faced stiff opposition from the Adi community, the chief minister said the government is aware of the strategic significance of the project- both Indias water and national security. The government is also mindful and appreciative of the concerns that have been raised by some of our Adi brothers and sisters. We have been holding detailed consultations with people of all the likely affected areas to allay these concerns," he said. Thanking the people of Riga and Riew villages in Siang district for signing the MoU for support of the pre-feasibility report of the SUMP, Khandu said, I assure the people of the Siang region that the government remains committed to holding detailed consultations in future as well." He said Arunachal has already secured issuance of 16,326 carbon credits in 2023-24 due to its immense hydropower potential. Arunachal is in advanced stages of approval of an additional 7,275 carbon credits in 2024-25. Each carbon credit represents the reduction of 1,000 kilograms of carbon emissions a testament to the governments tangible contribution towards reducing the global carbon footprint. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all These efforts, Khandu said, are not only critical for the environment but also open up new economic opportunities for our people especially for our youth, entrepreneurs, and local communities. To this end, the CM said, the government is creating the Arunachal Pradesh Energy Vision and Action Plan 2047 with clear targets for the next 5, 10, and 22 years. Green energy will be our strength, our export, and our identity. PTI CORR NN First Published: August 15, 2025, 16:00 IST News agency-feeds Arunachal to fast-track all green energy projects: Khandu Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Mizoram CM Lalduhoma announces New System reforms on 79th Independence Day Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 14:45 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Mizoram [India], August 15 (ANI): Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma, addressing the 79th Independence Day celebrations at Lammual (former Assam Rifles Ground), said that Independence Day is often used by Chief Ministers to highlight initiatives from their tenure, but this year he intended to focus on new measures introduced under his New System" policy reforms which, he noted, had never been implemented before. The message I am about to deliver is entirely my own words," he stated.The CM unveiled an extensive set of reforms aimed at curbing corruption, increasing transparency, and strengthening the states financial health.Among the anti-corruption measures, Lalduhoma announced the granting of general consent to the CBI, expansion of the Right to Public Services Act from 51 to 140 services, cataloguing of all departmental assets, launch of an upgraded Mipui Aw grievance portal, mandatory biometric attendance, and revival of the State Vigilance Committee after nine years. An Integrity Pact is now compulsory for all government contracts.Technology-driven governance initiatives include the rollout of e-Office across 43 departments, e-Ram for land records, digitised ration cards, e-POS in all fair price shops, and services such as online OPD registration, ILP renewal alerts, a Mizo Diaspora Hub, AI-powered assistance, a citizen incident-reporting app, and Google Pay electricity bill payments. Future plans include online cab booking and fully digital birth and death registration.A CSR Cell has been set up to attract corporate funding, while standard operating procedures have been mandated for all projects. Departmental convergence has been institutionalised, and industrial and investment policies will be merged to encourage business growth. Under the Mizoram Start-up Mission, venture capital is being provided to local entrepreneurs.On the financial front, Lalduhoma reported the clearance of a 65.05 crore overdraft in 2023, a reduction of liabilities by over 679 crore in FY 2023-24, and a further 1,003 crore cut targeted this year. Additional measures include gender budgeting, direct procurement from factories, timely salary payments, clearing healthcare and power bill arrears, and generating 61 crore profit through power trading. The old-age pension has been raised from 100 to 1,000.Infrastructure commitments include seeking central approval for concrete roads, 59.05 crore sanctioned for Vairengte-Sairang road maintenance, and agricultural support through large-scale procurement of broom, ginger, turmeric, and chilli, with processing centres planned. Rubber plantations and beekeeping will also be expanded.Social and educational achievements highlighted include Mizorams declaration as Indias first fully literate state, the timely distribution of laminated textbooks, plans to develop Thenzawl as a Peace City, and preparations for a world-class railway station with Rajdhani Express service.In sports, 2.5 crore has been allocated under the Empowering Mizoram Sports" programme to prepare athletes for the 2036 Olympics. Recruitment drives are ongoing for the newly approved Mizo Territorial Army and 300 BSF positions.Concluding, the CM reaffirmed his governments commitment to integrity and efficiency, stating, We may not be perfect yet, but we strive to reach the goal," while expressing gratitude for the peoples trust and prayers. (ANI) First Published: August 15, 2025, 14:45 IST News agency-feeds Mizoram CM Lalduhoma announces New System reforms on 79th Independence Day Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... On the run for 14 years, UP EOW arrests 2 men in Rs 4 crore scholarship scam Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 21:15 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Meerut (UP), Aug 15 (PTI) The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested two men who were absconding for nearly 14 years in a multi-crore scholarship scam targeting funds meant for minority students, officials said on Friday. The accused Dharmpal Singh alias Brahmpal, a resident of Gabhana village in Meerut district, and Mohsina Khan from Lohia Nagar in Meerut were arrested on Thursday. Recommended Stories The duo was wanted since 201011 in connection with the embezzlement of around Rs 4 crore in pre-matric scholarship funds. According to police, Dharmpal and Mohsina, along with others, siphoned off government grants meant for distribution to minority students by schools and madrasas. Investigators alleged that they diverted the funds through fraudulent means while holding positions as school managers or principals. The scam came to light after an inquiry by the district minority welfare officer in Meerut and other districts revealed large-scale misappropriation of scholarship money, police said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Cases were registered under multiple sections of the IPC, including for cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy, as well as provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, police said. The duo was evading arrest for more than 14 years before the EOW tracked and arrested them, they said. PTI KIS ARI First Published: August 15, 2025, 21:15 IST News agency-feeds On the run for 14 years, UP EOW arrests 2 men in Rs 4 crore scholarship scam Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Punjab CM Mann pays obeisance at Tilla Baba Sheikh Farid Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 21:15 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Faridkot (Punjab) [India], August 15 (ANI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday paid obeisance at Tilla Baba Sheikh Farid and urged people to follow in the footsteps of the revered Sufi saint.Paying floral tributes to Baba Sheikh Farid, the Chief Minister described him as one of the greatest spiritual ambassadors, a poet-prophet, and the founder of the Sufi tradition in India. He said that Baba Farid ji is regarded as the father of Punjabi poetry, and that his philosophycentred on love, compassion, equality, humility, brotherhood, and freedomremains timeless and universally relevant. The CM further stated that Baba Sheikh Farids Bani, comprising 112 shalokas and four shabads, was incorporated into the Guru Granth Sahib by Guru Arjan Dev Ji.The Chief Minister emphasised that the Guru Granth Sahib Ji was a cosmopolitan scripture representing all faiths and is a vast repository of knowledge and wisdom, serving as a guiding light for all of humanity. When we bow our heads in reverence before the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, we also pay homage to Baba Farid along with the great Guruswith the same devotion and respect," Mann said. He also stated that the life and teachings of Baba Farid were especially relevant in todays materialistic society. Mann also stated that Baba Farids teachings continued to inspire future generations to serve humanity with dedication and humility. Urging the people to follow the path shown by Baba Farid Ji, he said that doing it would help transform Punjab into the number one state in the country. The CM also expressed his happiness on the opportunity to be able to pay homage to Baba Farids s sacred site. The great poet Baba Farid serves as the starting point of our literary tour of Punjab. Farid was a spiritual Sufi saint who lived in the 12th century. His poetry, which is infused with raw, passionate confessions of love and longing, was the first of the Punjabi literary heritage. His lines, which were understated yet moving, wove a spiritual tapestry that frequently took the form of earthly love. (ANI) First Published: August 15, 2025, 21:15 IST News agency-feeds Punjab CM Mann pays obeisance at Tilla Baba Sheikh Farid Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Punjab Governor Kataria hosts At home reception at Punjab Raj Bhavan Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 23:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], August 15 (ANI): On the occasion of the 79th Independence Day of India, Punjab Governor and Administrator of Union Territory, Chandigarh, Gulab Chand Kataria, hosted the traditional At Home reception in the scenic lawns of Punjab Raj Bhavan.The event brought together dignitaries and distinguished citizens to celebrate the spirit of freedom, unity, and national pride.The evening began with the ceremonial arrival of the Governor at 5 p.m.He was accorded a warm welcome by the Chandigarh Police Band with the soulful rendition of the National Anthem, evoking a strong sense of patriotism among all present. The lush Raj Bhavan lawns were tastefully decorated in the colours of the national flag, creating an atmosphere of solemn celebration.A highlight of the evening was the Governors interaction with key dignitaries, including the Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, with whom he shared warm greetings.The function also witnessed the presence of Chief Minister of Haryana Nayab Singh Saini, Speaker of Haryana Vidhan Sabha Harvinder Kalyan, MP Rajya Sabha Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, Punjab Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Mayor Chandigarh Harpreet Kaur Babla; Chief Secretary Chandigarh, Rajeev Verma, Chief Secretary of Punjab, K.A.P. Sinha , Principal Secretary to Governor Punjab, V.P. Singh, DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav, and DGP Chandigarh, Sagar Preet Hooda along with senior officers of the Chandigarh Administration were also present.The Governor mingled graciously with guests from diverse walks of life, exchanging pleasantries and extending Independence Day greetings. In his interactions, he recalled the immense sacrifices made by the nations freedom fighters and martyrs and emphasised the importance of upholding democratic values and unity in diversity.He urged everyone to continue working for a strong and self-reliant India, rooted in Constitutional ideals and driven by collective progress.The reception was also attended by officers of Armed Forces, Vice Chancellors, Chairmen of various Boards and Corporations, doctors, journalists, industrialists, officials of civil and police administration of Punjab and Chandigarh as well as other eminent citizens.The event concluded with light refreshments and cordial exchanges, reaffirming the resolve to build a vibrant, united, and prosperous Bharat that honours its past and strides confidently into the future. (ANI) First Published: August 15, 2025, 23:00 IST News agency-feeds Punjab Governor Kataria hosts At home reception at Punjab Raj Bhavan Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Trump, Putin arrive in Alaska for summit focused on Russia-Ukraine war Last Updated: August 16, 2025, 01:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Alaska [US], August 16 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) landed at the Elmendorf Air Base in Anchorage, Alaska, to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, CNN reported. Putin has also arrived in Anchorage, according to Russian state media. The meeting is scheduled at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. As per the CNN, the change-up in the format of todays bilateral meeting from a one-on-one to a larger group is significant. Trumps one-on-one meetings with Putin during his first term were clouded with mystery. With only a translator inside the room, it was often unclear what exactly was discussed. Aides had a difficult time ascertaining if the two reached any agreements. After one such meeting, in Germany, Trump asked his interpreter to discard his notes. The addition of two aides to todays session Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff could allow for greater clarity once the meeting concludes, particularly if Russia offers an accounting of events that differs from the US perspective, as per CNN.One of them will also be able to take notes, which is often an essential factor in the real-time record of high-level summits. On Air Force One en route to Alaska, Trump told reporters that he wasnt having the meeting to broker a deal on behalf of Ukraine, but said instead, his goal was getting Putin to the table. He also stopped short of promising security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a deal to end the war. Trump said he spoke to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko a staunch Putin ally ahead of the summit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is not attending the meeting, emphasized that Ukraine will be counting on America." If the summit goes well, Trump has suggested organizing a trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy, which the Ukrainian leader expressed support for, as per CNN. Russian Ambassador to the US, Alexander Darchiev, said he expected a positive outcome but no breakthrough from the Trump-Putin summit, Russian state media RIA Novosti reported, as quoted by CNN. Instead, Moscow expects constant and gradual movement," Darchiev said, according to RIA. Russian President Putin and his US counterpart Trump would discuss the entire agenda," RIA quoted Darchiev as saying, without elaborating. The talks will focus on exploring ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war, including ceasefire arrangements, prisoner exchanges, arms-control measures, and possible economic or security guarantees. Trump has vowed to end the Ukraine war quickly," while Putin is seeking recognition of Russias territorial gains and relief from Western sanctions. Zelenskyy has refused to surrender territory and hasnt been invited to the summit. The summits outcome could reshape global energy flows and influence Indias import strategy. If a peace deal is reached, India might benefit from reduced energy prices and eased trade pressure. However, a breakdown in talks could keep commodity markets volatile and US trade pressure intact. The meetings outcome could have significant implications for global markets, with investors awaiting clues about the health of the US economy and potential shifts in US-Russia relations. (ANI) First Published: August 16, 2025, 01:00 IST News agency-feeds Trump, Putin arrive in Alaska for summit focused on Russia-Ukraine war Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Trump, Putin hold historic talks in Alaska as ceasefire in Ukraine tops agenda Last Updated: August 16, 2025, 03:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Alaska [US], August 16 (ANI): US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are holding talks along with their top officials on Friday (local time). Putin is accompanied by foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told CNN. Trump is joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The summit is underway at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. They could allow for greater clarity once the meeting concludes, particularly if Russia offers an accounting of events that differs from the US perspective, CNN reported. Before the meeting began, members of the press shouted questions at Putin regarding a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. He was seen mouthing and shouting something in the direction of the press, but its unclear what he said, CNN reported. Earlier in the day, the two leaders greeted each other on the red carpet after deplaning their respective aircraft, shook hands, posed for photographs, and, in an unusual move, departed together in Trumps presidential limousine to the venue. They did not take questions from reporters, CNN reported. Before they landed, the White House said the one-on-one meeting that had been planned between the two leaders will now include advisers to the two men. The Russian officials accompanying Putin are foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told CNN.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraines number one" demand of the Alaska summit is for Russia to agree to a ceasefire. Only a ceasefire can provide the basis for meaningful peace talks, Ukraine and its European allies said. Following a call between Trump and European leaders on Wednesday (local time), two European diplomats familiar with the matter told CNN that Trump suggested he would push for a ceasefire at todays talks, which are currently underway.Everything concerning Ukraine must be discussed exclusively with Ukraine," Zelenskyy said after Wednesdays call with Trump. We must prepare a trilateral format for talks."https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1956446335261175865https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1956445608602124635https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1956435723772387538The White House said that Trump was Pursuing Peace," and that the meeting between the two leaders was Historic".Earlier this week, as per CNN, Trump said he would know within a couple of minutes if Putin was actually interested in pursuing peace. He also said if the summit goes poorly, he would walk."I may leave and say, good luck, and thatll be the end. I may say this is not going to be settled," Trump said before the summit, as quoted by CNN. (ANI) First Published: August 16, 2025, 03:00 IST News agency-feeds Trump, Putin hold historic talks in Alaska as ceasefire in Ukraine tops agenda Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... JERUSALEM, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday said in a statement that it had struck and killed a senior Hamas commander in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the statement, Nasser Musa, who was targeted in Khan Younis last Saturday, was a senior member of the Rafah Brigade and served as the head of Hamas' military control department. The Israeli army added that Musa was responsible for the operational readiness and exercises of the brigade. In addition, Musa also held several other roles in the brigade, including in military intelligence and the observation array, according to the Israeli army. "Musa's elimination further degrades the Rafah Brigade's operational capabilities and Hamas terrorists' abilities to carry out attacks against IDF troops in the area," the statement read. Hamas has not issued a comment regarding the claim. Trump, Putin shake hands in Alaska before their summit on war in Ukraine Last Updated: August 16, 2025, 01:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (Alaska), Aug 15 (AP) President Donald Trump and Russias Vladimir Putin shook hands warmly at the start of their Alaska summit on Friday before heading into hours of discussions that could reshape the war in Ukraine and relations between Moscow and Washington. The leaders greeted each other on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, where officials erected a special stage, with a large Alaska 2025" sign flanked by parked fighter jets and red carpets. Uniformed military members stood at attention nearby. B-2s and F-22s military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War were flying over to mark the moment. Recommended Stories White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the previously planned one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin is now a three-on-three meeting that will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Putin will be joined by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. The change indicates that the White House is taking a more guarded approach than it did during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, when Trump and Putin first met privately just with their interpreters for two hours. Putin and Trump are expected to hold a joint press conference at the end of the summit. The sit-down gives Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a close something he used to boast he could do quickly. For Putin, a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russias gains, block Kyivs bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscows orbit. Despite having so much at stake, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders arent invited. There are significant risks for Trump. By bringing Putin onto US soil America bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for roughly 2 cents per acre the president is giving him the validation he desires after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine 3 1/2 years ago. Zelenskyys exclusion from Trump and Putins first meeting is a heavy blow to the Wests policy of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine" and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want. Any success is far from assured because Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraines mobilization efforts, which are conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies. HIGH STAKES!!!" Trump posted shortly before he boarded Air Force One. On his way to the meeting, Putin stopped in Magadan, in Russias Far East, where he visited a factory producing omega-3 fish oil capsules, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. Putin used the flight to review materials on Ukraine, tensions with the US, economic cooperation and global affairs, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Russian state TV. Trump said earlier in the week there was a 25 per cent chance that the summit would fail, but he also floated the idea that if the meeting succeeds he could bring Zelenskyy to Alaska for a subsequent, three-way meeting. Trump has also expressed doubts about getting an immediate ceasefire, but he has wanted a broad peace deal done quickly. That seemingly echoes Putins longtime argument that Russia favours a comprehensive deal to end the fighting, reflecting its demands, not a temporary halt to hostilities. Trump has offered shifting explanations for his meeting goals Trump previously characterised the sit-down as really a feel-out meeting." But hes also warned of very severe consequences" for Russia if Putin doesnt agree to end the war. Trump said Friday that his talks with Putin will include Russian demands that Ukraine cede territory as part of a peace deal. He said Ukraine has to decide, but he also suggested Zelenskyy should accept concessions. Ive got to let Ukraine make that decision. And I think theyll make a proper decision," Trump told reporters travelling with him to Alaska. Trump said theres a possibility" of the United States offering Ukraine security guarantees alongside European powers, but not in the form of NATO." Putin has fiercely resisted Ukraine joining the trans-Atlantic security alliance, a long-term goal for Ukrainians seeking to forge stronger ties with the West. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATOs supreme allied commander Europe, is in Alaska to provide military advice" to Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a senior NATO military official who wasnt authorised to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. His presence is likely to be welcomed by European leaders who have tried to convince Trump to be firm with Putin and not deal over Kyivs head. On his way to Alaska, Trump sat for an interview on Air Force One with Fox News Channels Bret Baier. In a clip posted online, he said he thought the meeting would work out very well and if it doesnt, Im going to head back home real fast." I would walk, yeah," he added, after a follow up question. Zelenskyy has time and again cast doubts on Putins willingness to negotiate in good faith. His European allies, whove held increasingly urgent meetings with US leaders over the past week, have stressed the need for Ukraine to be involved in any peace talks. The summit could have far-reaching implications Foreign governments will be watching closely to see how Trump reacts to Putin, likely gauging what the interaction might mean for their own dealings with the US president, who has eschewed traditional diplomacy for his own transactional approach to relationships. The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources. Ukraine has held on far longer than some initially expected since the February 2022 invasion, but it is straining to hold off Russias much larger army, grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over 600-mile (1,000-kilometre) front line. While some have objected to the location of the summit, Trump has said he thought it was very respectful" of Putin to come to the US instead of a meeting in Russia. Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin Moscow-based analyst, observed that the choice of Alaska as the summits venue underlined the distancing from Europe and Ukraine." Being on a military base allows the leaders to avoid protests and meet more securely, but the location carries its own significance because of its history and location. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Alaska is separated from Russia at its closest point by just 3 miles (less than 5 kilometres) and the international date line. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It continues to play a role today, as planes from the base still intercept Russian aircraft that regularly fly into US airspace. (AP) GSP First Published: August 16, 2025, 01:00 IST News agency-feeds Trump, Putin shake hands in Alaska before their summit on war in Ukraine Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... US Democrats panel tariffs on India wont stop Putin, urge aid to Ukraine Last Updated: August 16, 2025, 03:30 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Washington, DC [US], August 16 (ANI): House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats said that imposing tariffs on India would not stop Russian President Vladimir Putin or end the conflict in Ukraine. House Foreign Affairs Committee Dems urged that, to address that issue, US President Donald Trump must provide Ukraine with the aid it needs and punish Putin directly. Tariffing India wont stop Putin. If Trump really wanted to address Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine, maybe punish Putin and give Ukraine the military aid it needs. Everything else is smoke and mirrors," the organisation said in a post on X. Tariffing India wont stop Putin.If Trump really wanted to address Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine, maybe punish Putin and give Ukraine the military aid it needs. Everything else is smoke and mirrors. pic.twitter.com/TxzqhpaKGt House Foreign Affairs Committee Dems (@HouseForeign) August 15, 2025 top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Recommended Stories The committee also uploaded an interview with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in which he said that if the tariffs on India did not deter Russia, more secondary tariffs could follow. Weve put secondary tariffs on the Indians for buying Russian oil. And I could see if things dont go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up," Bessent said, adding that Trump would make it clear to Putin what all options are there on the table. Im not going to get ahead of the president, but the president is the best at creating leverage for himself, and he will make it clear to President Putin that all options are on the table," he said. Bessent described sanctions as a dynamic factor, subject to change. Sanctions can go up. They can be loosened. They can have a definitive life. They can go on indefinitely. You know, theres this Russian shadow fleet of ships around the world that I think we could crack down on them. President Trump is meeting with President Putin and the Europeans are in the wings, harping about how he should do it, what he should do it," he said. He said that the Europeans must also join the US in sanctions. But the Europeans need to join us in these sanctions. The Europeans need to be willing to put on these secondary sanctions. I was at the G7 meeting in Canada with President Trump and the Europeans kept talking about Senator Grahams bill to do the secondary tariffs. And I looked at all the leaders around the table and I said, is everyone at this table willing to put a 200% secondary tariff on China. And you know what? Everybody wanted to see what kind of shoes they were wearing," he said. (ANI) First Published: August 16, 2025, 03:30 IST News agency-feeds US Democrats panel tariffs on India wont stop Putin, urge aid to Ukraine Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Tarot Card Reading Today August 15, 2025 Written By : GaneshaGrace Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 07:15 IST Daily Tarot Card Reading: This Independence Day, let Tarot guide you. Discover how each zodiac sign can overcome challenges with patience, wisdom, and clarity on August 15, 2025. Tarot Card Predictions Today August 15 2025 Daily Tarot Card Reading for All Zodiac Signs. (AI generated image) Tarot Card Reading Today, August 15 2025: Todays Tarot horoscope highlights a day of inner reflection and necessary caution. Aries and Scorpio are advised to control anger and avoid rash actions, while Taurus and Leo are encouraged to embrace change with confidence and openness. Gemini and Cancer may face emotional or financial uncertainty, but are advised to remain patient. Virgo and Libra should avoid impulsive decisions and manage anxiety by maintaining balance. Sagittarius and Capricorn will face challenges related to faith and past decisions, which will require prudence and vigilance. Recommended Stories Aquarians are reminded to reconnect with inner wisdom and spirituality, and Pisces should maintain balance by avoiding distractions at work. Overall, patience, self-awareness, and thoughtful work are the keys to successfully carrying the day forward. Aries Tarot Reading (Temperance) Ganesha says that due to your anger and bad behaviour, you have spoiled your relations with everyone. You have been using abusive language while talking to people, and due to your irritable and arrogant nature, you may face resentment in both professional and personal spheres. However, if you work with patience, restraint, and confidence with full dedication and hard work, success will be yours. Listening to someones private conversations and sharing them with others shows a bad habit of yours, and you should control it a little, as it may lose peoples trust. Focus on your work to speed up progress. You may have to make some compromises in both your personal and professional life. Any decision taken in haste can put you in big trouble. If you have had a dispute with someone, try to stay away from it; otherwise, there are chances of getting caught in a big conspiracy or legal dispute. You may have to ignore some things to achieve something big, and you should be prepared for such circumstances. Taurus Tarot Reading (Ace of Swords) Ganesha says your confidence has always given you the strength to face the toughest of situations. With the same energy and determination, you can move forward with the desire to start something new. You have to bring seriousness to your behavior and accept the changes taking place in life. Maintain a forgiving attitude towards people. New opportunities may come quickly, and you have to show understanding and promptness, because even a small mistake can deprive you of them. Some tasks may require some difficult decisions, so keep your emotions under control. The time has come to face the challenges that are coming, and you will be able to turn them to your advantage. Put all your strength into your efforts and do not hesitate to take firm decisions when needed. Some of your decisions may not be liked by others right now, but do not worry too much about what people think. Gemini Tarot Reading (Judgement) Ganesha says in your pursuit of constant success, you have ignored the feelings of some people, which may cause them to get angry with you. You may soon face a heart-related health problem, so try to bring balance to your irregular routine. A close friend who promised to support you in your business backs out at the last moment, which may cause you a lot of financial loss. You may feel unsure about how to deal with this difficulty. Property disputes are also increasing in your family, increasing your worries about your current situation. Many of your tasks are not getting completed on time, and some circumstances seem to be working against you. At this time, you should try and be dedicated to your work. As soon as the circumstances become favorable, everything will start running smoothly. Cancer Tarot Reading (Four of Cups) Ganesha says due to not deciding on marriage at the right time, you are not getting good proposals now, which has become a matter of concern for your family. You are also struggling to find ways to progress in your career, feeling surrounded by frustration and monotony. However, a positive change is coming soon. Try to take advantage of the right opportunities at the right time. You are trying to build a strong reputation in your professional field with hard work and honesty. Despite having all the comforts and resources in life, inner peace still seems elusive. Delay in taking timely decisions at the workplace may cause you to lose valuable opportunities. Reflect on past mistakes and learn from them, as it is wise not to repeat them. Some good opportunities may come your way soon, so try to take full advantage of them. Make timely decisions and choose the right opportunities to move forward. If you are very confused about a decision, seek guidance from an experienced person around you to resolve your dilemma. To move ahead in your career, maintain cordial relations with colleagues. Making a habit of helping others whenever possible will keep people close to you and strengthen your professional and personal relationships. Leo Tarot Reading (Ace of Cups) Ganesha says relationships are gradually improving, and you can surprise everyone by changing your behavior. You may find many good people and opportunities in the coming time. The arrival of a new person can bring significant changes to your professional life. The struggles and challenges you have faced in your workplace while trying to maintain your identity with hard work and dedication will now start to give positive results. A new business may start soon, which will not only give you a different identity but will also improve your financial condition significantly. Although you are a contented person, your family and colleagues will be happy with your progress. Whatever has happened in your past is a lesson that leads you to a better future. If you keep moving forward with patience and self-control, having faith in God, then you will soon realize how beneficial this method is for you. Virgo Tarot Reading (Two of Swords) Ganesha says the turmoil in your thoughts is increasing negativity, and the present time is not in your favor. Taking any major decision right now may not be beneficial for you. Some worry is making your mind restless. Avoid unnecessary expenses, as spending money unnecessarily can lead to a loss instead of a profit. Be careful while making any financial investment, as you may suffer a loss if proper evaluation is not done. You may experience fear or impatience regarding a particular situation. This is the time to act strategically; compromising with the circumstances and moving forward wisely is the best way. If you are hesitant to express your thoughts to someone, then muster the courage to do so. Listen to your inner voice, as the solution to all your problems lies within you. Maintain balance in your actions and proceed with caution. Ignoring problems will make them more serious, making it difficult to solve them later. Libra Tarot Reading (Seven of Wands) Ganesha says the turmoil in your thoughts is increasing negativity, and the present time is not in your favour. Taking any major decision right now may not be beneficial for you. Some worry is troubling your mind. Avoid unnecessary expenses, as spending money unnecessarily can lead to losses instead of profits. Be careful while making any financial investment, as due to a lack of proper evaluation, losses can occur. You may experience fear or impatience regarding a particular situation. This is the time to act strategically compromising with the circumstances and moving forward wisely is the best way. If you are hesitant to express your views to someone, muster the courage to do so. Listen to your conscience, as the solution to all your problems lies within you. Try to maintain balance in your actions and proceed with caution. Ignoring problems will make them more serious, making it difficult to solve them later. Scorpio Tarot Reading (The Devil) Ganesha says success cannot be achieved by being afraid of challenges. In some situations, you may feel lonely, but with patience and restraint, you can overcome difficulties. There may be some obstacles in your business, but understanding the situations and finding solutions will help you move forward. If you deal with them wisely, the challenges will eventually subside. However, even a little carelessness can spoil all your efforts. You may be facing some internal conflict, which is causing fear and uncertainty. Avoid putting the burden of meeting everyones expectations on yourself; just focus on doing your work in the best possible way. Do not take any hasty decisions without thinking. Unnecessary stubbornness, anger, and conflict can open the way to failure. Sagittarius Tarot Reading (Five of Swords) Ganesha says taking the help of the wrong people to solve a family dispute has now become a problem for you. The other party may try to blackmail you for money. To get out of this trouble, you can seek advice from an experienced person. Although the problem has been resolved to a large extent, it is still important to remain cautious. Your desire to win in every aspect of life is quite strong, and you do not accept defeat easily. To get success in your work, try to work wisely rather than cunningly. Take care not to hurt anyones feelings or trust. While finding solutions to immediate problems, also ensure that others are not hurt in the process. Some past experiences have been quite painful, and their memories keep bothering you again and again. Make decisions thoughtfully so that you do not have to regret them later. Avoid situations where you regret your decisions. Capricorn Tarot Reading (Seven of Cups) Ganesha says good opportunities are likely to come your way in your workplace. It is important to make the right decisions based on wisdom and experience at this time. You have been craving something valuable for a long time, but you know very well that it will take hard work to get it. Trusting someone too much at this time can lead to deception. If dishonesty or unethical methods are used to make a plan successful, it can harm your reputation. If a legal matter is still unresolved, you need to be extra cautious, as the opposite party may try to reverse the decision against you. There is also a possibility of financial risk. People who are jealous of you may take advantage of your difficulties. Avoid revealing your weaknesses to anyone, and do not let others interfere in your matters. Aquarius Tarot Reading (The High Priestess) Ganesha says you may feel dissatisfied with the salary hike and promotion in your job, as it will not live up to your expectations. Your high aspirations regarding work may disappoint you. Memories of an old incident are still fresh in your mind, making you feel lonely. A wrong decision taken in your professional field may hinder your progress. Although it may not be possible to reverse that decision, you are still trying to re-evaluate it and find a way to move forward. Sometimes, due to a lack of complete information, the steps you take may prove to be wrong, and you realize it later. In such a situation, it may not be possible to completely reverse the decision, but revising it is an option. To find peace from the thoughts troubling your mind, you can turn to spirituality. Meeting an experienced spiritual guru can bring positive changes to your life. Try to connect with your inner self, and you will realize that the solution to all your problems lies within you. All you need to do is understand and act upon them. Pisces Tarot Reading (The Hanged Man) Ganesha says growing closeness with someone at the workplace may become a matter of concern for others. During this time, focus on your work with a calm and composed mind. Hasty or hasty decisions can sometimes turn a favorable situation into a problem. Excessive anger can hurt your success. You may have forgotten a previous favor done by someone for you, and now they need your help, but you are not paying attention to them. Ignoring things too much can cause harm. You are so engrossed in some matters that you are ignoring other important aspects of life. Maintaining balance in all your responsibilities and work will play an important role in your success. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Avoid interfering in the work of others and focus on making new strategies to move your business forward. Some compromises may be necessary in life. Do not ignore important aspects of your work area, because excess in any matter can be harmful to you. (The author Chirag Daruwalla is the son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla). About the Author Chirag Daruwalla Chirag Daruwalla, a renowned Indian astrologer with 18+ years of experience, provides expert guidance in career, health, finance, business, and more. He combines Vedic and Western astrology, I-Ching, Tarot, Num... Read More Chirag Daruwalla, a renowned Indian astrologer with 18+ years of experience, provides expert guidance in career, health, finance, business, and more. He combines Vedic and Western astrology, I-Ching, Tarot, Num... Read More First Published: August 15, 2025, 07:15 IST News astrology Tarot Card Reading Today August 15, 2025 Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... FASTag Annual Pass Debuts With 1.4 Lakh Sales, 1.39 Lakh Transactions On Day 1 Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: August 16, 2025, 03:43 IST The pass, available at over 1,150 toll plazas nationwide, allows non-commercial vehicle owners unlimited travel for one year or up to 200 trips with a one-time payment of Rs 3,000 The annual pass is applicable for all non-commercial vehicles with a valid FASTag and gets activated within two hours of the one-time fee payment through the Rajmargyatra app or NHAI website. (Representational image) On its launch day, the FASTag annual pass recorded 1.4 lakh activations and 1.39 lakh toll transactions, according to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The pass, available at over 1,150 toll plazas nationwide, allows non-commercial vehicle owners unlimited travel for one year or up to 200 trips with a one-time payment of Rs 3,000. Recommended Stories The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said it has successfully implemented" the FASTag annual pass facility on national highways and expressways nationwide. Around 20,000-25,000 concurrent users are using the Rajmargyatra app at any given time, and annual pass users receive SMS messages for zero toll fee deduction. The Annual Pass has received an overwhelming response from the National Highway users. Till 7 pm on the first day of implementation, around 1.4 lakh users purchased and activated the annual pass and around 1.39 lakh transactions were recorded on toll plaza," it said. NHAI officials and nodal officers have been appointed at each toll plaza to ensure a smooth travel experience for the pass users, apart from addressing queries of the pass users through various channels. Also, to address the grievances of pass users, 1033 National Highway Helpline has been further strengthened with the addition of over 100 executives, the government said. Providing a seamless and economical travel option to the national highway users, the annual pass eliminates the need to frequently recharge FASTag through a one-time fee payment of Rs 3,000. The annual pass is applicable for all non-commercial vehicles with a valid FASTag and gets activated within two hours of the one-time fee payment through the Rajmargyatra app or NHAI website. With a penetration rate of around 98 per cent and over eight crore users, FASTag has revolutionised the electronic toll collection system in the country. The introduction of the annual pass facility will not only enhance the FASTag user experience but also make journeys on the national highways and expressways more economical and seamless. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The annual pass can be attached to the users existing FASTag card. Once the pass expires, either after one year or 200 trips, it can be easily recharged. The official said the pass would benefit frequent city-to-city travellers and those who drive regularly to their hometowns. You wont need to top up FASTag every week or month anymore," they added. 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 Get the latest updates on car and bike launches in India including reviews, prices, specs, and performance. Stay informed with breaking auto industry news , EV policies, and more. You can also download the News18 App to stay updated. First Published: August 16, 2025, 03:43 IST News auto FASTag Annual Pass Debuts With 1.4 Lakh Sales, 1.39 Lakh Transactions On Day 1 Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... PM Modi Hints At Next-Gen GST Reforms This Diwali; Lower Taxes On Essentials, Services, Likely Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 12:29 IST Prime Minister Modi announced "next-generation GST reforms" by Diwali to ease the tax burden on households and small businesses. The GST Council will rationalise tax slabs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 12th Independence Speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort. Next GST Council Meeting: On the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hinted that the government will unveil next-generation GST reforms" by Diwali this year, aimed at easing the tax burden on households and small businesses. Recommended Stories Calling it as a massive gift" to citizens, PM Modi said the reforms will rationalise tax slabs and reduce reduce Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates on essential and daily-use items. In his 12th consecutive speech, PM Modi said, We are committed to making life easier for the common man. This Diwali, we will bring GST reforms that will lower prices and boost compliance". The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, which has not convened for the past eight months, could bring significant tax relief this Diwali, according to tax expert Vivek Jalan, Partner at Tax Connect Advisory Services LLP. The GST Council has not met since the last eight months as a massive exercise for rate rationalisation is underway, and a Group of Ministers (GoM) is reviewing the comprehensive rate rationalisation programme," Jalan said. He added that the GoM has yet to submit its report and is taking into consideration all representations of industry associations." Jalan noted that the festive season could see mass consumption goods brought under the lower GST slab of 5%. For example, small sachets priced at Rs 10 or less supplied by FMCG players may be considered for the lower tax bracket," he said. Calling for a social face" for GST, Jalan suggested reducing the tax rate on autism centres for children from the current 18% to 5%, a matter that was also discussed in Parliament in March 2025. He also pointed out that GST on new-age goods like drones now used extensively in warfare could be lowered to 5%, while the rate on parts of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles should be reduced from 28% to 18% to remove the inverted duty structure and inefficiencies in the GST system. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Industry watchers say these potential tax changes could be part of a broader Diwali bonanza hinted at by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address from the Red Fort. About the Author Varun Yadav Varun Yadav is a Sub Editor at News18 Business Digital. He writes articles on markets, personal finance, technology, and more. He completed his post-graduation diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Inst... Read More Varun Yadav is a Sub Editor at News18 Business Digital. He writes articles on markets, personal finance, technology, and more. He completed his post-graduation diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Inst... Read More First Published: August 15, 2025, 12:29 IST News business economy PM Modi Hints At Next-Gen GST Reforms This Diwali; Lower Taxes On Essentials, Services, Likely Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Mumbai Metro Line 11: Your Gateway To Smooth Travel From Wadala To The City Of Dreams Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 18:16 IST Mumbai Metro Aqua Line: When will the work on the aqua line extension Mumbai Metro 11 Wadala-CSMT, Gateway begin? What is the deadline? What is the route? Explained Mumbai Metro Line 11: It will stretch from Anik Bus Depot (Wadala) via CSMT all the way to SPM Circle near Gateway of India. (File) Mumbai Metro Line 11: Easing the commute from central Mumbai to the south is the Line 11 Wadala to South Mumbai or Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Gateway of India. When will the work on the aqua line extension begin? What is the deadline? What is the route? Mumbai Metro Line 11 explained Recommended Stories Mumbai Metro Line 11: What is the route? What are the stations? Approximately 16 km, stretching from Anik Bus Depot (Wadala) via CSMT all the way to SPM Circle near Gateway of India. Planned Stations (15 total): Anik Bus Depot (Wadala Depot) CGS Colony Ganesh Nagar BPT Hospital Sewri Hay Bunder Coal Bunder Reay Road Byculla Nagpada Junction Bhendi Bazaar Crawford Market CSMT Metro (interchange with Metro Line 3/Aqua Line) Horniman Circle (Fort) SPM Circle What is the cost of Mumbai Metro 11? Approximately Rs 16,000 crore nearly double due to route extension and increased station count. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has shown interest in providing ODA loans. The Maharashtra government has approved loan guarantees to attract international funding for Metro projects, including Line 11. Explained: Mumbai Now Maximum Metro City: How Many Lines Are Running On Which Routes? How Many More To Go? What is the status of the project? What is the deadline? Line 11 execution has been transferred from MMRDA to MMRCL. Pre-construction steps such as securing finances, completing detailed design, appointing consultants, and tendering for civil works are ongoing. Construction is expected to start around 2027. It is projected to be completed around 2030. Eco impact of Mumbai Metro-11 A draft Environmental Impact Assessment reports that the project (17.5 km fully underground except depot) will affect around 2,208 trees. The line requires environmental approvals because portions fall under coastal regulation zones. Will Mumbai Metro-11 be linked to other Metros? Line 4 (Wadala-Kasarvadavli) at Bhakti Park (Wadala) Line 3 (Aqua Line) at CSMT Line 11 may be extended to link with Line 3 at Dharavi, with two proposed new stations (including Sion). This aims to turn Dharavi into a major multi-modal transport hub integrating metro, suburban rail, and buses. It will be linked to Monorail, and major suburban railway stations like Byculla and CSMT, making it a vital interchange route in the citys public transport network. Trains, timing, tickets, frequency of Mumbai Metro-11 Not yet defined or publicly available. How Metro Line 11 will help Mumbai top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all This corridor enhances south Mumbai connectivity, complements the Green Line, and links to major employment and heritage hubsfrom Wadala through Fort to Colaba. Once integrated with Dharavi hub proposals, itll become a powerful mobility backbone for commuting professionals and residents alike. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 17:49 IST News cities mumbai-news Mumbai Metro Line 11: Your Gateway To Smooth Travel From Wadala To The City Of Dreams Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Uddhav, Raj Thackeray To Contest Mumbai, Other Civic Body Polls Together: Sanjay Raut Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 21:09 IST Sanjay Raut announced Uddhav and Raj Thackeray will unite for upcoming Mumbai civic polls, aiming to strengthen Marathi identity and challenge the BJP-led government. Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray's July 5 rally raised alliance hopes. (PTI Photo) Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut said that the civic polls in Mumbai and other key cities will see cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray once not on amicable terms joining forces in an alliance. The Thackeray brothers (Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray) will contest the municipal corporation elections in Mumbai, Thane, Nashik and Kalyan-Dombivali together and win. The strength of Raj and Uddhav Thackeray is the strength of the unity of the Marathi-speakers. No power can break the iron fist of `Marathi manus now," Raut told reporters. Recommended Stories Civic polls are scheduled in Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Navi Mumbai, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Vasai-Virar, Mira-Bhayandar, and Panvel, as well as in other cities such as Nashik. Raut said Uddhav and Raj Thackeray have the support of the Marathi-speaking population, adding that discussions are on between Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leaders on the way forward. Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Girish Mahajan said that in a democracy, people are free to part ways or come together. They should win the elections in Mumbai, Pune and Nashik first, and then talk any further," he said. Bharat Gogavale, a leader of the Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, will win all civic polls. Two decades after Raj Thackeray left the Shiv Sena, speculation about a Raj-Uddhav reunion began in April amid growing debates over Marathi identity and the perceived imposition" of Hindi in Maharashtra. The fight for language also likely poses a political opportunity for the fledgling Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, smarting from the 15 per cent vote share it garnered in the Assembly elections last year, as the Mahayuti marched to a comfortable victory. The MNS ended with a blank slate. The civic polls, especially in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) which the Uddhav Sena considers its citadel, are thus a matter of prestige for the Shiv Sena (UBT). The state governments flip-flop on the three-language policy and the introduction of Hindi as a third language proved a galvanising force for the parties led by the cousins. Earlier this month, to celebrate the rollback of the Hindi language GRs (resolutions) by the BJP-led government and in the run-up to these municipal elections, the brothers had already shared the stage at a victory rally in Mumbai. We have come together to stay together. We will together capture power in the Mumbai civic body and Maharashtra," Uddhav Thackeray said, evoking loud cheers from the crowd in the packed NSCI Dome in Worli. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Raj Thackeray alleged that following the language controversy, the governments next political strategy would be to create divisions based on caste, accusing the BJP of employing a divide and rule" tactic. Mumbai was ours, right? We fought and got it. We have to expose the BJPs one nation, one election idea. Slowly, they want to make everything one. Hindu and Hindustan, we agree, but we wont allow Hindi. We made Marathi compulsory, we had to do it," Uddhav Thackeray had added. First Published: August 15, 2025, 21:09 IST News mumbai-news Uddhav, Raj Thackeray To Contest Mumbai, Other Civic Body Polls Together: Sanjay Raut Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... CBSE Board Exam: What Is APAAR ID And Why Is It Important For Students? Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 12:19 IST CBSE Board Exam 2026: The fee hike aims to cover operating costs and expenses related to modern technical features, as the fee structure has remained stable for the past 4-5 years. APAAR ID, a digital identity, is now mandatory for all students from class 9 to 12.(Representative/File) Tthe Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made APAAR ID (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry) mandatory for students from class 9 to 12. APAAR ID is a unique 12-digit identifier that digitally integrates students academic profiles, aiding in data management, record integrity, and seamless connectivity to platforms like DigiLocker and Academic Bank of Credits (ABC). APAAR ID, a digital identity, is now mandatory for all students from class 9 to 12. Under the One Nation, One Student ID" initiative, the government has asked schools to ensure through the UDISE+ portal that students have this ID before registration (class 9 and 11) and the release of candidates lists (class 10 and 12). This system enhances record accuracy, reduces duplication issues, and increases the utility of educational platforms like DigiLocker and ABC, aligning with NEP 2020 and the Digital India vision. Recommended Stories The CBSE also recently announced an increase in fees for board examinations, effective from the academic session 2025-26. This decision was made during CBSEs 141st Governing Body meeting held on June 25, 2025. The fee hike aims to cover operating costs and expenses related to modern technical features, as the fee structure has remained stable for the past 4-5 years. CBSE has increased the fee for theory subjects by 6.66% and approximately 10% for exams in Nepal and other countries. The fee for each theory subject has risen by Rs 20, changing from Rs 300 to Rs 320. For students taking exams in five subjects, the total fee will now be Rs 1,600, up from Rs 1,500. This slight increase is designed to avoid putting extra financial strain on students or parents. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The fee for practical subjects has increased from Rs 150 to Rs 160, impacting class 12 students particularly. This increase supports the enhancement of necessary resources and lab operations. Additionally, the registration fee for class 9 and class 11 has been raised from Rs 300 to Rs 320, covering expenses incurred during the registration process. Discounts for SC/ST students set by the Delhi government will continue. The Delhi government charges Rs 240 per subject as examination fee for these students, which is later refunded. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 12:16 IST News education-career CBSE Board Exam: What Is APAAR ID And Why Is It Important For Students? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... JU Scholar Arrested Over Attack On Bratya Basu; Father Questions 'Future Of Bengals Best Minds' Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 06:41 IST Police sources allege that Hindol Mazumdar was one of the masterminds behind the attack on Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basus convoy at Jadavpur University Screengrab of the protests that took place at Jadavpur University on March 1. (Image: X/@amitmalviya) Hindol Mazumdar, a former student of pharmaceutical technology at Jadavpur University, has been detained and subsequently arrested by Kolkata Police with assistance from Delhi Police. A lookout notice had been issued against him, which led to his detention as soon as he landed in India. Police sources allege that Mazumdar was one of the masterminds behind the attack on Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basus convoy at Jadavpur University on March 1. Mazumdar is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Granada in Spain and was abroad at the time of the incident. Police have obtained a transit remand and will bring him to Kolkata, where he will be produced in court. Recommended Stories Hindol comes from a highly educated familyboth his parents are retired engineering professors from Jadavpur University. Speaking exclusively to News18, his father, Chandan Majumdar, said, We were very surprised, as we were not aware that there was a lookout notice against him. There was one case for which the police sent a notice, and he responded to it. But in the case for which he has now been arrested, we had no prior knowledge. I do not believe he would conspire to attack the Education Ministerthat is nonsense. They talk about Bangali Asmita, and this is what they do? If scholars like my son are treated this way, why would the best minds return to Bengal? We will now pursue the matter legally. For this case, no notice was served to Hindol, nor did anything reach this house." Police sources claim they have evidence showing Mazumdar conspired in the attack and had instructed students that, come what may, the Education Minister has to be attacked". They also state there are chat messages substantiating his arrest. Meanwhile, ultra-left student organisations at Jadavpur University are protesting his arrest. Indranuj Roywho was arrested earlier in the same caseposted on social media: Hindol Mazumdar, one of the founding members of the Democratic Youth Students Association (DYSA) and an alumnus of the Engineering Faculty, Jadavpur University, who is currently pursuing his PhD in Spain, was detained yesterday at Delhi Immigration and has now been arrested by Kolkata Police. He was arrested while returning home from abroad. A lookout order was issued against him by Kolkata Police during the protests following March 1 All progressive and democratic forces should unite to protest the ongoing militarisation of academia and demand his immediate, unconditional release." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Trinamool Congress, on the other hand, has defended the arrest. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, Police have done the right thing. There is digital evidence against him, and the law will take its course." On March 1, Education Minister Bratya Basu visited Jadavpur University, where he was gheraoed, and his car was attacked. About the Author Kamalika Sengupta Kamalika Sengupta is the Editor (East) at CNN-News18 / News18.com, focusing on politics, defence, and womens issues. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience reporting from East... Read More Kamalika Sengupta is the Editor (East) at CNN-News18 / News18.com, focusing on politics, defence, and womens issues. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience reporting from East... Read More First Published: August 15, 2025, 05:34 IST News education-career JU Scholar Arrested Over Attack On Bratya Basu; Father Questions 'Future Of Bengals Best Minds' Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... What Is PM Modis Sudarshan Chakra? A Mega Shield Of AI-Powered Missiles, Radars & Laser Defences Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Manjiri Joshi Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 15:51 IST Speaking from Red Fort on I-Day and ahead of Krishna Janmashtami, PM Modi said, We have chosen the path of Krishnas Sudarshan Chakra...we will build Rashtriya Suraksha Kavach. PM Modi on Friday announced the name of the initiative Sudarshan Chakra a programme over a decade in the making, aimed at creating a comprehensive, indigenous, and integrated aerial defence system. (PTI) During a high-level security meeting in June, Indias leadership formally set its sights on building its own indigenous multi-layer aerial defence shield. The officials aware of the development said that the idea gained urgency during Operation Sindoor, when the need for a more robust system to counter multiple layers of aerial threats became evident. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the name of the initiative Sudarshan Chakra a programme over a decade in the making, aimed at creating a comprehensive, indigenous, and integrated aerial defence system. Recommended Stories According to officials who spoke to News18 on the condition of anonymity, the project is still in its early stages, with the overall structure and specific technologies yet to be finalised. Operation Sindoor has shown why being self-reliant in the world of defence and security matters. Likewise, we need to be self-reliant in areas like technology, space and energy. Through our Nuclear Energy Mission, we aim to increase nuclear energy capacities and involve private pic.twitter.com/bIQRmg2rO4 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2025 A senior government official said that the system will be calibrated to integrate with Indias existing minor aerial defence framework, protecting cities, military bases, and critical infrastructure such as power plants, railways, ports, and hospitals from a wide spectrum of aerial threats. Another senior government official who had worked with similar Defence Technology earlier described the envisioned technology as a nationwide network of radars, command-and-control centres, and interceptor missiles, capable of detecting, tracking, and neutralising incoming missiles, drones, artillery shells, and even swarms or loitering munitions in real time, with artificial intelligence likely playing a central role." The Sudarshan Chakra is likely to form part of a multi-layer strategy, operating alongside current systems like Akash, S-400, and QR-SAM, as well as future laser-based interceptors, to provide overlapping protection against short-, medium-, and long-range threats effectively functioning as an umbrella defence network. Developed under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the programme will involve the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and multiple private-sector partners already working on related projects. Unlike Israels Iron Dome, which is focused on short-range rocket and mortar attacks, Indias system is designed to counter a far wider range of threats, including long-range ballistic and cruise missiles reflecting the need to deter and respond to potential hostilities from both Pakistan and China across diverse terrains. The government aims for full operational deployment of the Sudarshan Chakra by 2035. From the ramparts of the Red Fort, talked about the success of Operation Sindoor and the feeling of pride it has invoked in the minds of every Indian. pic.twitter.com/1dJYi93g6O Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2025 What PM Modi said top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Speaking from the Red Fort, PM Modi said, We have chosen the path of Lord Krishnas Sudarshan Chakra. For the security of the country and its citizens, we will continue to upgrade our capabilities. I assure you that in the next 10 years, whether it is a place of strategic importance, a civilian area, or our centres of faith, we will build a Rashtriya Suraksha Kavach capable of withstanding any attack." Referring to recent events, he added, We have shown the world our capabilities and proved that India is ready to face any kind of warfare. We demonstrated this in Operation Sindoor. Pakistan attacked our military bases, civilian areas, and our temples, but our air defence systems our Sudarshan Chakra foiled all their attacks." 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 12:53 IST News explainers What Is PM Modis Sudarshan Chakra? A Mega Shield Of AI-Powered Missiles, Radars & Laser Defences Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The conflict-related sexual violence rose sharply in 2024, with over 4,600 survivors having endured abuses used as a tactic of war, torture, terrorism and political repression, according to a UN report released on Thursday. The figure represented a 25 percent increase from the previous year, according to the 16th annual Report of the UN Secretary-General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, which covered 21 countries for which information verified by the United Nations was available. While these alarming figures do not reflect the global scale and prevalence of these crimes, the report conveys the severity and brutality of this scourge, with the highest number of cases recorded in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Somalia and South Sudan, said the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict in a press release. Women constituted the overwhelming majority of victims (92 percent), but girls, men, and boys were also among the victims. Despite mounting needs, humanitarian access was severely curtailed and/or blocked by parties to conflict, the report noted. The report called for sustainable funding through the United Nations' Multi-Partner Trust Fund on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, and the deployment of Women's Protection Advisers in all relevant situations of concern, in line with UN Security Council resolution 2467 (2019). The report urged all parties to conflict to put in place specific measures to prevent sexual violence, as explicitly outlined in Security Council resolution 2467, including issuing clear orders and granting unimpeded UN access for monitoring and provision of services. What To Expect From Trump-Putin Alaska Summit: Goals, Stakes, And Possible Outcomes Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 14:03 IST Talks between Trump and Putin will test if a feel-out meeting can pave the way for peace in Ukraine. With Kyiv absent and Moscow eyeing recognition, heres whats on the table Trump and Putin will hold talks on August 15 to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine. (AP/File) When US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska on Friday, it will be their first face-to-face encounter since Trumps return to the White House and their first meeting in more than seven years. It also marks one of the most significant moments in USRussia relations since the war in Ukraine began in 2022. The summit was finalised in barely a week, a sharp departure from Washingtons policy of isolating Putin after the invasion that has killed hundreds of thousands and devastated both countries. For the Kremlin, the very fact of the meeting is already a diplomatic win; for Trump, it is an opportunity to see if his self-proclaimed deal-making skills can yield even the beginnings of a ceasefire. Recommended Stories The talks will take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. According to the Kremlin, the leaders will begin with a one-on-one discussion with interpreters, followed by delegation-level talks over a working breakfast, and conclude with a joint press conference. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has described the encounter as a listening exercise" for Trump. Possible Outcomes From The Alaska Talks With both leaders arriving in Anchorage with sharply different aims, expectations are low, but the outcomes could still be significant. The talks might produce symbolic measures, such as a commitment to continue negotiations, the announcement of a follow-up meeting involving Ukraine, or limited humanitarian steps like prisoner exchanges and pledges to protect civilian infrastructure. Another scenario is a loosely worded framework for a potential ceasefire, possibly involving a monitored pause in hostilities. However, anything seen as legitimising Russias territorial gains would draw strong opposition from Kyiv and European capitals. It is also possible the meeting ends without substantive agreements, with Putin gaining the optics of being treated as a global player and Trump portraying the summit as a valuable testing of the waters" while keeping the door open for future talks. Why Is The Alaska Summit Happening Now? According to The New York Times, both sides had discussed a possible summit since January but saw no clear path forward. Putin, confident of Russias battlefield position, felt no urgency to negotiate. Trump, initially supportive of Moscows position and critical of US military aid to Kyiv, also held off while a resolution seemed unlikely. That changed last week when Trump advanced a deadline for imposing new sanctions and tariffs unless Russia took steps toward ending the war. He also raised tariffs on Indian imports to 50 per cent to penalise New Delhi for continuing to buy Russian oil. Days later, the Kremlin requested the meeting. The timing also reflects political calculations. For Putin, it is a chance to reassert Russia on the world stage. For Trump, it is an opportunity to show progress toward his campaign pledge to end the war, and, as he has often hinted, to bolster his case for a Nobel Peace Prize. What Does Putin Want From The Summit? Putins first gain is recognition. By meeting the US president on American soil and holding a joint press conference, the Kremlin can claim that Western isolation has failed. So much for being isolated," crowed the Russian tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets earlier this week. Alaska offers both practical and symbolic advantages. At its closest point, mainland Alaska is only 90km across the Bering Strait from Russias Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, a remote, sparsely populated region in the Far East that Putin has visited multiple times to underline its strategic value. This proximity allows him to travel to the summit without overflying hostile" nations Kremlin shorthand for countries that have closed their airspace to Russian aircraft since 2022, including most of Europe, Canada, and the US itself outside of special arrangements. The location also keeps the meeting far from Ukraine and the European Union, consistent with Moscows strategy of sidelining Kyiv and EU leaders in favour of direct talks with Washington. It carries historical symbolism too: Russia sold Alaska to the US in 1867, and Russian state media cite the sale as proof that borders can change, a narrative the Kremlin uses to justify its actions in Ukraine. On substance, Putins demands remain maximalist. As per NYT, he wants Russia to keep all territory seized in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, bar Ukraine from NATO membership, limit its armed forces, and ensure a pro-Moscow government in Kyiv. Ukraine has rejected these outright, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declaring, Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier." Putin may also broaden the agenda to include economic cooperation, the Arctic, and other USRussia issues, or simply use the meeting to buy time while consolidating battlefield gains. What Does Trump Hope To Achieve? Trump entered office promising to end the Ukraine war in 24 hours. More than six months into his presidency, that goal remains unfulfilled, but it continues to shape his approach. His stance toward Russia has swung between conciliation and confrontation. Early this year, he suspended military aid to Ukraine and publicly berated Zelenskyy in a dramatic Oval Office meeting. More recently, he has condemned Russias attacks on civilians as disgraceful" and disgusting", and warned of very severe consequences" if Putin refuses to halt the war. This week, Trump called the Alaska meeting a feel-out" session, saying he might know within the first two minutes" if a deal is possible. While lowering expectations by describing it as a listening exercise, he also suggested that both Putin and Zelenskyy want peace. Even modest progress, such as agreeing to further talks or limited humanitarian steps, could be cast as a political win and evidence of his peacemaker credentials. Why Ukraine And Europe Are Wary Kyivs absence from the Anchorage talks is a major concern for Ukraine and its allies. On Wednesday, Zelenskyy joined a call with Trump and European leaders to outline five principles for negotiations, according to NYT. Chief among them was that a ceasefire must come first. European governments fear bilateral USRussia talks could lead to proposals, such as a land swap", that Ukraine cannot accept. They also worry that if Kyiv rejects such terms, Trump could scale back US support. For Ukraine, any deal that legitimises Russian territorial gains is unacceptable. TrumpPutin Relationship The TrumpPutin relationship has been closely watched since their first meeting at the 2017 G20 summit in Hamburg, where they exchanged warm words and a businesslike handshake. Ukraine was on the agenda even then, with Trump raising concerns about Russias destabilisation efforts, a reference to Moscows 2014 annexation of Crimea and its backing of separatists in eastern Ukraines Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which kept the conflict simmering well before the 2022 full-scale invasion. They have met at multiple forums since. The 2018 Helsinki summit was especially controversial, with Trump siding with Putin over US intelligence agencies on Russian election interference, a stance that drew bipartisan criticism at home. Former officials told the BBC that Putin tends to dominate conversations with long, rapid monologues, controlling the agenda and leaving little space for responses. Fiona Hill, a former Trump adviser, has said Putin sometimes uses sarcasm in Russian that is totally lost in translation" and has mocked Trump. John Bolton, Trumps former national security adviser, described Putin as methodical and always prepared, traits he attributes to the Russian leaders KGB training, while Trump prefers an unstructured, freewheeling style. This, Bolton argues, can give Putin an advantage in one-on-one talks. The Bottom Line top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The TrumpPutin Alaska summit is as much about optics and positioning as it is about the war in Ukraine. For Putin, it is a platform to show that Russia is not isolated and to press his demands directly to Washington. For Trump, it is a chance to project statesmanship and lay even a thin foundation for a legacy as a peacemaker. Without Ukraine at the table, any agreement will be hard to implement. But in a war now in its fourth year, even symbolic gestures toward dialogue will be scrutinised, and heavily spun, by both sides. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 13:54 IST News explainers What To Expect From Trump-Putin Alaska Summit: Goals, Stakes, And Possible Outcomes Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Who Chose August 15 As Independence Day? It Was Neither Nehru Nor Gandhi Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 11:20 IST A mix of historical events, political negotiations, and personal decisions made August 15 the Independence Day of India. At the stroke of midnight between August 14 and 15, India's first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, delivered his historic Tryst with Destiny speech. (AI-generated image) India marks its 79th Independence Day today, celebrating the nations freedom from nearly two centuries of British rule. Since 1947, August 15 has been a day of national pride, observed with flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades, and reflections on the struggles that won us our independence. But as we revel in the hard-earned freedom of our country, questions often arise: Why August 15 and not another date? Who decided it, and what led to that choice? Recommended Stories The answers lie in a fascinating mix of historical events, political negotiations, and personal decisions that shaped the final days of the British Raj. The Long Road To Independence Britishers arrived in India in the 17th century with the East India Company. What started as a trading enterprise slowly expanded into political and territorial control through strategic alliances, military conquests, and economic dominance. The turning point came after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, when the British Crown took direct control from the Company in 1858, establishing formal colonial rule under what became known as the British Raj. In the decades that followed, India faced systematic economic exploitation, suppression of its cultural identity, and discriminatory governance. These injustices ignited a growing nationalist movement that gathered strength with time. The Indian National Congress (INC), formed in 1885, became the main platform for voicing the demand for self-rule. Key milestones shaped the struggle: the 1905 Swadeshi Movement, which urged people to boycott British goods; the Non-Cooperation Movement (19201922) led by Mahatma Gandhi, who championed nonviolent resistance or satyagraha; and the iconic Salt March of 1930, protesting Britains monopoly over salt. Each act of defiance inspired mass civil disobedience, culminating in the Quit India Movement of 1942, which demanded an immediate end to British rule during the height of World War II. The war weakened Britains global dominance. Over two million Indian soldiers had fought for the Allies, further fueling demands for independence. Post-war Britain, led by Prime Minister Clement Attlee, faced severe economic challenges and could no longer afford to maintain its empire. But the road to freedom was complicated by deepening communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims, intensified by the Muslim Leagues demandunder Muhammad Ali Jinnahfor a separate state, Pakistan. Negotiations such as the 1946 Cabinet Mission failed, and outbreaks of violence, including deadly riots in Calcutta, pushed Britain toward the idea of partition. The Indian Independence Act In March 1947, Lord Louis Mountbatten was appointed Viceroy with the responsibility of overseeing Indias transition to independence. Initially, the handover was scheduled for June 1948. However, rising communal violence and fears of a full-scale civil war led Mountbatten to advance the timeline dramatically. On June 3, 1947, he unveiled the partition plan: British India would be divided into two dominionsHindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, which included East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The British Parliament passed the Indian Independence Act on July 18, 1947, granting full legislative authority to the new nations and ending British suzerainty over the princely states. The Act fixed the date for independence as August 15, 1947less than a month after its passage. At the stroke of midnight between August 14 and 15, power was formally transferred: Pakistan marked its independence on August 14, while India celebrated on August 15. In Delhi, Indias first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, delivered his historic Tryst with Destiny" speech, heralding the birth of a sovereign nation. Why August 15? Contrary to popular belief, August 15 was not chosen by Indian leadersit was decided solely by Mountbatten. The urgency of the situation was his main reason. Communal riots had already claimed thousands of lives, and he feared that any delay would result in governmental collapse and irreparable harm to Britains global standing. Advancing the date, he believed, could limit further violencethough historians argue that the rushed partition worsened the chaos. There was also a personal element. August 15, 1945, marked Japans surrender in World War II, an event Mountbatten had presided over as Supreme Allied Commander in Southeast Asia. The date held special significance for him, representing victory in the Burma campaign and the end of one empire. He saw it as a symbolic moment for the birth of a new democratic chapter in Asia, though the irony was not lost on scholars. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In the book Freedom at Midnight, Mountbatten is quoted as saying, The date I chose came out of the blue. I chose it in reply to a question. I was determined to show I was the master of the whole event. When they asked if we had set a date, I knew it had to be soon. I hadnt worked it out exactly then I thought it had to be about August or September, and I then went out to August 15. Why? Because it was the second anniversary of Japans surrender." Indian leaders like Nehru and Gandhi had little say in the matter. Some Hindu leaders objected on astrological grounds, proposing a more auspicious date, but Mountbattens decision prevailed. About the Author Surbhi Pathak Surbhi Pathak, subeditor, writes on India, world affairs, science, and education. She is currently dabbling with lifestyle content. Follow her on X: @S_Pathak_11. Surbhi Pathak, subeditor, writes on India, world affairs, science, and education. She is currently dabbling with lifestyle content. Follow her on X: @S_Pathak_11. First Published: August 15, 2025, 10:00 IST News explainers Who Chose August 15 As Independence Day? It Was Neither Nehru Nor Gandhi Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 24-Year-Old Nurse Found Dead In Bengal Nursing Home, Family Alleges Sexual Assault, Murder Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 16:22 IST A 24-year-old nurse was found dead at a Hooghly nursing home. Her family alleges sexual assault and murder, while the nursing home claims suicide. Police are investigating. The victim, terrified by threats from her step-grandfather, remained silent for a long period. (Representative/News18) A 24-year-old nurse was found dead at a nursing home in West Bengals Hooghly district, police said on Friday. According to the police, the body of the woman was found hanging from the ceiling in a room on the third floor of the nursing home in Singur on Thursday. Her family claimed she was sexually assaulted and killed after uncovering irregularities in the nursing homes operations. Recommended Stories However, the management of the nursing home rejected the allegation, claiming that she died by suicide. As per her family, the woman, who was a resident of Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district, had joined the nursing home four days back. Police said they were investigating the case. We are waiting for the autopsy report before taking any action," news agency PTI quoted a police officer as saying. After the body was discovered, the opposition BJP and CPI(M) staged demonstrations in the area, alleging that the nurse had been murdered. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all State minister and local TMC MLA Becharam Manna said that action would be taken if the police investigation uncovered any foul play in her death. Suicide Prevention: If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata) Location : West Bengal, India, India First Published: August 15, 2025, 16:22 IST News india 24-Year-Old Nurse Found Dead In Bengal Nursing Home, Family Alleges Sexual Assault, Murder Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Aap Kehna Kya Chahte Ho': Shashi Tharoors Hindi Reply To X Users Wordy Joke Wins Internet Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 13:40 IST The unexpected reply had social media in splits. Bro made Shashi type in Hindi, one user wrote. File photo of Shashi Tharoor's (Image: PTI/File) Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, known for his rich vocabulary and sharp comebacks, found himself replying in unusually simple Hindi during an exchange on X this week. The conversation began after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described India as a bit recalcitrant" in ongoing trade talks. In a post defending Indias stand, Tharoor wrote, I hear some people are accusing India of being recalcitrant. I say, far better to be recalcitrant than to be tractable, submissive or acquiescent to injustice." Recommended Stories His comment came amid tensions with the US, after President Donald Trump announced steep tariffs on India, including a 25% tariff on Russian oil imports, starting 27 August. Indias foreign ministry called the move unjustified and unreasonable," saying it would take necessary steps to protect national interests. While many praised Tharoor for standing firm, one X user, Sagarcasm, decided to poke fun at the MPs love for complex English. The user replied: Thats fine, Shashi but what about the abnegation of camaraderie in the egregious enfranchise that comes from the fatuous of the grandiloquent at the behest of impecunious and insidious semaphore?" Instead of matching the wordplay, Tharoor kept it short and in Hindi: Bhai, aap kehna kya chahte ho? (Brother, what do you want to say?)." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The unexpected reply had social media in splits. Bro made Shashi type in Hindi," one user wrote. Another added, I assume most of us have the same question about your initial post." Even Grok, an AI chatbot, offered a translation" of the long-winded post: it was delightful nonsense" meant to parody Tharoors famous style. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 13:40 IST News india 'Aap Kehna Kya Chahte Ho': Shashi Tharoors Hindi Reply To X Users Wordy Joke Wins Internet Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Amitabh Bachchan Hosts Sofiya Qureshi, Vyomika Singh At KBC: Highlights From The Episode Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 16, 2025, 00:00 IST The Independence Day KBC episode featured Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Commander Prerna Deosthalee. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh (Indian Air Force) and Commander Prerna Deosthalee (Indian Navy). The Independence Day special episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) season 17 offered viewers insights about the planning and execution of Operation Sindoor Indias airstrikes on terror camps in Pakistan and PoK as three decorated women officers of the Indian Armed Forces shared the inside story behind the operation that rattled Pakistans terror infrastructure. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh (Indian Air Force) and Commander Prerna Deosthalee (Indian Navy) appeared on Fridays episode of Amitabh Bachchan-hosted reality show. These officers had been the public face of the operation during official media briefings. Recommended Stories What Happened In The Show? The Bollywood star welcomed the three women officers Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force and Commander Prerna Deosthalee of the Indian Navy, on the show. While speaking about the ghastly Pahalgam attack, Colonel Quershi said that Pakistan has been doing such acts for many decades and it was necessary to respond to such terror attacks. She said that Operation Sindoor was not a retaliation, but it was a response that this is a new India. The whole world had to be told that there is a new India with a new thinking. Pakistan has been carrying out such acts repeatedly. A response was necessary, and thats why Operation Sindoor was planned," she said. Wing Commander Singh highlighted the speed and precision of the strikes, saying, From 1:05 am to 1:30 am, we completed the entire operation in just 25 minutes." She also highlighted her personal connection with Pahagam saying that she had spent a lot of time there. She said that Pakistan carried out this attack because it was upset with the tourism there as a record number of tourists visited the town last year. Commander Deosthalee emphasised the missions planning accuracy, saying, Targets were destroyed and no civilians were harmed. That was a top priority for us." Wing Commander Vyomika Singhs mother also praised her daughters courage and said that she is not just her daughter, but of all of the nation. Colonel Qureshi also revealed that her ancestors have fought for Rani Lakshmi Bai. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all I belong to a family where everyone was in the Army. My great-grandmothers ancestors were with Rani Lakshmi Bai," she was seen telling Bachchan. I have not heard lullabies. I have heard tales of bravery, and I have listened to talks that tell the meaning of courage," she added. 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 First Published: August 16, 2025, 00:00 IST News india Amitabh Bachchan Hosts Sofiya Qureshi, Vyomika Singh At KBC: Highlights From The Episode Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Defence Shield To GST Reforms And Jobs Scheme: Inside PM Modi's Blueprint For A Better India Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 14:53 IST From defence and space to jobs, tax reforms and energy security, PM Modis I-Day address unveiled a sweeping plan to strengthen Indias economy, security, and self-reliance by 2047 Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 79th Independence Day celebration at the Red Fort, in New Delhi, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (PMO via PTI Photo) From a decade-long plan to build a state-of-the-art Sudarshan Chakra defence system to overhauling the Goods and Services Tax and launching a Rs 1 lakh crore jobs scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the occasion of Indias 79th Independence Day to lay out a wide-ranging roadmap for Indias future. Speaking from the Red Fort, he outlined initiatives aimed at strengthening national security, boosting employment, reforming taxation, and driving technological self-reliance, all positioned as steps towards the governments vision of making India a Viksit Bharat by 2047. Recommended Stories Sudarshan Chakra Defence System In a major defence announcement, PM Modi said India will launch the Sudarshan Chakra Mission, an advanced aerial defence system designed to thwart cross-border attacks, by 2035. Named after the mythological weapon of Lord Krishna, the system is envisioned as a powerful, multi-layered shield to protect the nation and deliver a decisive response to hostile actions. The mission will safeguard strategic installations, cities, and places of faith using cutting-edge technology, serving as a strong deterrent to any attempt to harm India. When I think of Lord Krishna, I also reflect on how the nature of warfare is changing worldwide today. India has demonstrated its capability to handle every new form of warfare," he said, citing Operation Sindoor as an example, when Indian forces intercepted missiles and drones targeting military bases, defence installations, religious sites, and civilians. Over the next decade, the Sudarshan Chakra Mission will: Develop a Precise Target System to neutralise threats and deliver stronger counterstrikes. Integrate advanced weaponry and interception technology into a fully modernised security shield. Extend protection beyond conventional military targets to include railway stations, hospitals, and religious sites. All research, development, and manufacturing will be done domestically, drawing on the skills and innovation of Indias youth. Modi said the mission draws inspiration from global best practices, with parallels to Israels Iron Dome, but will be uniquely adapted to Indias needs. The announcement follows recent escalation with Pakistan, including a four-day exchange of fire after Operation Sindoor, in which India struck nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing around 100 terrorists in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Next-Generation GST Reforms By Diwali 2025 Modi announced that the government will unveil next-generation GST reforms by Diwali 2025, calling them a double Diwali gift" for citizens. Referring to the GST rollout on 1 July 2017, which replaced multiple taxes and local levies, he said the indirect tax regime has now completed eight years, making this the right time for further changes. Consultations have been held with states, and a high-powered committee of state finance ministers is working on rate rationalisation and slab reduction. The Prime Minister said the reforms will substantially reduce GST rates on common-use items, provide significant benefits to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and make daily-use goods cheaper. This Diwali, I am going to make it a double Diwali for you This will reduce the tax burden across the country," he said. The demand for GST reforms, including lowering rates on essential goods and simplifying the tax structure, has been raised by industry bodies and consumers since the regime was introduced. The announcement now sets a timeline for changes long under discussion. Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) The PM-VBRY is a Rs 1 lakh crore employment initiative aimed at boosting formal job creation in the private sector and supporting young people entering the workforce for the first time. Effective from 15 August 2025, the scheme will provide Rs 15,000 from the Centre to first-time job seekers once they secure private-sector employment. Companies hiring freshers will also receive government incentives to promote large-scale recruitment. Modi said the scheme is expected to benefit around 3.5 crore youth, combining direct financial support with measures to encourage private sector hiring. The Union Cabinet had earlier approved the scheme with an outlay of Rs 99,446 crore, targeting the creation of over 3.5 crore jobs in two years, of which 1.92 crore are expected to be first-time entrants to the workforce. Benefits apply to jobs created between 1 August 2025 and 31 July 2027. Part A Incentives for First-Time Employees First-time EPFO-registered employees earning up to Rs 1 lakh/month. One months EPF wage (up to Rs 15,000) paid in two instalments first after six months service, second after twelve months plus completion of a financial literacy programme. Part of the benefit deposited in a savings instrument for later withdrawal. Covers all sectors, with a special focus on manufacturing. Payments via DBT using the Aadhaar Bridge Payment System (ABPS). Part B Incentives for Employers Employers registered with EPFO. Up to Rs 3,000/month for two years for each additional employee retained for at least six months; extended to the 3rd and 4th years in manufacturing. Hiring threshold: at least two additional employees for firms with fewer than 50 staff; at least five for firms with 50 or more staff. Payments to PAN-linked accounts of employers. Made-In-India Semiconductor Chips By Year-End By the end of 2025, India will produce and launch its first domestically manufactured semiconductor chips. Modi noted that proposals to set up chip plants had emerged five to six decades ago but never materialised. He said the government is now pursuing the sector in mission mode", targeting the release of Made-in-India chips by year-end. Calling the 21st century a technology-driven century", he stressed that nations leading in technology will achieve greater success. The semiconductor drive is linked to wider self-reliance goals, alongside initiatives in solar, hydrogen, and nuclear power. Modi said India has already reached a 50% clean energy share in its power mix five years ahead of its original 2030 target. Roadmap To An Indian Space Station Modi announced that India is working towards building its own space station, developed entirely with domestic capability under the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision. He congratulated Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force, who recently returned from a 20-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Axiom Mission 4. The mission, involving NASA, SpaceX, ISRO, and Axiom Space, is part of Indias preparations for Gaganyaan 2027, the countrys first indigenous crewed spaceflight. India reportedly paid Rs 548 crore for Shuklas seat, with Gaganyaan carrying a budget of Rs 20,000 crore to send three astronauts into low Earth orbit after multiple uncrewed tests. Modi also noted that over 300 start-ups are now engaged in space sector work. High-Powered Demography Mission The Prime Minister announced a high-powered demography mission to address what he described as threats posed by illegal immigration and demographic changes in border regions. Warning of a well-thought-out conspiracy" to alter Indias demography, Modi said infiltrators were seizing livelihoods, targeting women, misleading tribal communities, and grabbing land. No country can surrender before infiltrators This mission will tackle the danger looming over India," he said. His remarks came amid intensified enforcement to identify and deport illegal foreign nationals, especially from Bangladesh. Made In India Fighter Jet Engine Modi set a national goal for India to develop and produce its own fighter jet engines, placing the country in an elite group with this capability. Calling it a national challenge", he urged scientists and youth to take it up with the same resolve shown in developing COVID-19 vaccines and UPI. The project aims to reduce defence imports and boost domestic manufacturing. National Deep Water Exploration Mission Modi announced the National Deep Water Exploration Mission to explore oil and gas reserves in Indias seas, calling it a Samudra Manthan" for energy self-reliance. According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the mission will also advance biodiversity studies, seabed surveys, mineral exploration, underwater engineering, and ocean literacy. Next-Generation Reform Task Force The Prime Minister announced a Reform Task Force to drive next-generation reforms for a $10 trillion economy by 2047. It will review all laws, rules, and procedures linked to economic activity with the aim to: Cut compliance costs for start-ups, MSMEs, and entrepreneurs. Protect against arbitrary legal action. Streamline laws to improve ease of doing business. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all This dependence on other countries is a recipe for disaster; we must be self-reliant to safeguard our interests," he said. PM Modis Independence Day roadmap sets ambitious targets for Indias journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 11:27 IST News india Defence Shield To GST Reforms And Jobs Scheme: Inside PM Modi's Blueprint For A Better India Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Fading Flag Bearers Of Independence: Just 15 Freedom Fighters Survive In Uttar Pradesh Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 07:12 IST According to UP government officials, if the current rate of decline from natural ageing continues, not one of them may be alive to salute the tricolour on Independence Day 2026 When Gandhi ji spoke, it felt as though the entire country had stood up at once, said Dharam Raj, who was barely 15 when he joined the Quit India movement. Pic/News18 At 97, Dharam Raj of Ambedkar Nagar stands among Uttar Pradeshs last living links to the freedom struggle. Once jailed for his role in the Quit India Movement, he is now one of just 15 surviving freedom fighters in the state. If the current rate of decline from natural ageing continues, officials warn, not one of them may be alive to salute the tricolour on Independence Day 2026. According to the UP government, the state has lost 58 freedom fighters in less than five yearsfalling from 73 in December 2020 to just 15 by August 2025. This translates to an average annual decline of about 13 individuals," Purnendu Kumar Mishra, section officer, political pension department, UP, told News18. Recommended Stories Mishra said that at this rate, the remaining 15 are likely to pass away within the next 1.2 years, which means by mid-2026, UP may have no surviving freedom fighters left. By the Numbers Freedom fighters: 73 in Dec 2020 15 in Aug 2025 Annual decline: ~13 per year Projected absence: Mid-2026 Dependents: 664 (as of latest count) Democracy fighters: 5,206 in Dec 2020 4,520 in Dec 2024 Annual decline: ~171 per year Projected absence: Around 204045 Dependents: 801 in 2020 1,160 in 2024 A Teenager in the Quit India Storm Dharam Raj was barely 15 when history pulled him into its storm. In August 1942, Gandhis Quit India call swept through the villages of what is now Ambedkar Nagar. The Quit India call was the nail in the coffin for the British," he recalls. When Gandhi ji spoke, it felt as though the entire country had stood up at once." His role was risky and relentlesscarrying messages between villages under the cover of darkness, gathering crowds under the guise of temple meetings, and evading British patrols along dusty rural tracks. The colonial authorities took notice. Within weeks, Raj was arrested and jailed for months. The prison walls were high, but my resolve was higher," he says, leaning on his walking stick. We knew we were standing at the edge of history." The Days of Freedom To this day, the memories remain vivid for him. He speaks of the night he heard that the end of British rule was certain. We danced barefoot in the rain, shouting Bharat Mata ki Jai! till our voices broke. We had no money, no fine clothesonly the warmth of each others hands and the belief that our country was worth everything we had." Even now, the tricolour stirs the same emotions. When I see it hoisted, I dont just see cloth. I see the faces of friends who never returned from protests, the mothers who kept waiting for their sons, the farmers who shared their last roti with us during the struggle," he says, his voice trembling. This Independence Day, I will stand as straight as my old bones allow, because it may be the last time I salute the flag as a free man who fought for that freedom." Numbers Tell a Vanishing Story While the human stories are powerful, the data shows the scale of the loss. The number of recognised freedom fighters in Uttar Pradesh fell from 73 in December 2020 to 15 in August 2025. That is a loss of 58 individuals, with an average annual decline of about 13. At this rate, officials say, the state will likely have no surviving freedom fighters by mid-2026. Alongside them are 664 dependents who continue to receive pensions and benefits. The monthly pension for each surviving freedom fighter is Rs 20,176, along with transport and cremation assistance. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, the government sanctioned Rs 20 lakh under the transport category, though only Rs 1,45,008 was spent. National Picture On August 12, 2025, union minister of state for home Bandi Sanjay Kumar told the Lok Sabha that 13,212 freedom fighters across India are still alive and receiving pensions under the Centres Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana (SSSY), along with 9,778 widows of freedom fighters. Since its inception in 1980, the scheme has covered 1,71,689 freedom fighters, with the ministry of home affairs disbursing Rs 599 crore in 2024-25. Telangana accounts for the largest number of surviving freedom fighters (3,017), followed by West Bengal, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu. Most widows are also in Telangana, followed by Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Bihar. The scheme covers those who participated in about 40 recognised events of the freedom struggle between 1857 and 1947. Eligibility requires a minimum of six months imprisonment in mainland jails before independence, reduced to three months for women and SC/ST fighters. Those who went underground for six months or more are also covered. The Indian Council of Historical Research in Delhi maintains the official Dictionary of Martyrs: Indian Freedom Struggle". Democracy Fighters: The Next to Fade The states democracy fighters"those who resisted the Emergency (1975-77) and are recognised under the Democracy Fighters Pension Schemeare also ageing fast. Their numbers fell from 5,206 in December 2020 to 4,520 in August 2025, a loss of 686 individuals, or 171 per year on average. At this pace, Uttar Pradesh may see its last democracy fighter between 2040 and 2045," Mishra said. Most of them are now in their 70s. The number of dependents in this category, however, has increased from 801 in 2020 to 1,160 in 2024. Democracy fighters receive Rs 20,000 per month in pensions. In 2023-24, Rs 30 lakh was allocated for transport benefits, with Rs 51,58,975 spentindicating pending claims and backlog payments. An End of Living Memory The combined number of freedom fighters and their dependents fell from 1,314 in 2020 to 905 in 2024. For democracy fighters and their dependents, the drop was from 6,007 in 2020 to 5,680 in 2024. Under government rules, 3% reservation in government jobs is available for up to three generations of freedom fighters. Widows and unmarried daughters of both freedom fighters and democracy fighters are also entitled to pension benefits. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Yet the official benefits tell only part of the story. Freedom fighters, most born in the early 1920s or before, are now in their late 80s to 100s. Democracy fighters, largely aged between 65 and 85, are also approaching the limits of time. These people are not just pensioners," Mishra said. They are the living witnesses to the courage and sacrifices that built our republic." On this Independence Day, Dharam Raj will be there, leaning on his stick, eyes fixed on the tricolour. We fought so that generations after us would live free," he says. My only wish now is that they remember what it took to get here. Freedom is not givenit is earned, and it must be guarded every day." First Published: August 15, 2025, 07:00 IST News india Fading Flag Bearers Of Independence: Just 15 Freedom Fighters Survive In Uttar Pradesh Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... From Dam Kam, Dum Zyada To No Nuclear Blackmail: Top Quotes From PM Modis I-Day Address Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Karishma Jain Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 09:36 IST PM Modis 12th Independence Day speech blended manufacturing goals, defence resolve, and promises of tech progress, ending with a pledge for a developed India by 2047 Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers the Independence Day Speech at the Red Fort on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his 12th consecutive Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Friday, using the occasion to set out an ambitious vision for a developed and self-reliant India by 2047, while sending strong messages on national security and economic reform. From a manufacturing mantra to a vow against nuclear coercion, here are the key lines that stood out from his address on Indias 79th Independence Day. Recommended Stories For the past 75 years, the Constitution of India has been a guiding lighthouse for us." Opening his address, the Prime Minister hailed the Constitution as a beacon that has steered the nation through decades of change, underscoring its enduring role in safeguarding democracy and guiding progress. Dam Kam, Dum Zyada" Calling on Indias manufacturing sector to embrace efficiency without compromising quality, the Prime Minister urged industries to aim for Dam Kam, Dum Zyada" delivering world-class products at competitive costs. The slogan was tied to his wider Atmanirbhar Bharat push, positioning cost-effective innovation as critical to making India a global manufacturing hub. India has decided that it will not tolerate nuclear threats anymore, we wont fall for any blackmail." In one of the speechs most emphatic moments, he declared that the country would no longer be swayed by nuclear coercion. Linking this stance to the Indus Waters Treaty, he added, India has now decided, blood and water will not flow together. The people have come to realise that the Indus Waters Treaty is unjust. Water from the Indus River system has been irrigating the lands of the enemy, while our own farmers have suffered. What kind of agreement is this that has caused such immense loss to our farmers for the past seven decades?" I salute our brave soldiers who punished masters of terror beyond their imagination." Reflecting on the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, he said, After April 22, we gave full freedom to the forces to choose the planning, target and timing, and our forces did something that never happened for decades went inside the enemy territory and destroyed terrorist infrastructure." The Prime Minister described Operation Sindoor as an expression of outrage, noting that the destruction in Pakistan was so severe that new revelations are being made every day and new information is coming out daily." Self-reliance is not limited to trade. It is about our own capability. If we werent self-reliant, would Operation Sindoor have been such a success?" He stressed that Aatmanirbharta is not just confined to import, export, rupee, pound and dollar its meaning is far broader. Aatmanirbhar is directly connected to our strength." The call for self-reliance extended to sectors from defence to energy, with initiatives underway in solar, hydrogen and nuclear power. We are working in mission mode in the semiconductor sector, made-in-India chips will hit markets by the end of this year." Recalling that the idea of a semiconductor industry in India had been killed in the womb 5060 years ago," he positioned the current push as part of reclaiming lost technological ground. The drive was framed within a broader tech-first vision for the 21st century, with over 300 startups now active in the space sector and plans to build Indias own space station. This Diwali, we are bringing next-generation GST reforms. Everyday items will become cheaper." Promising a double Diwali" for citizens, he said the new GST structure would reduce the tax burden across the country and make life easier for the common man. He also pointed to reduced tax rates over the past eight years and an easier compliance regime. The farmers of India are our biggest priority. Modi stands like a wall against any harmful policy related to them. India will not accept any agreement regarding its farmers, cattle rearers and fishermen." He emphasised that protecting the interests of the agricultural sector was non-negotiable and linked energy self-reliance to reducing import costs so that funds could be redirected to farmers and the poor. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Naa Hum Rukenge, Naa Hum Jhukenge. India will become a developed country by 2047, I am promising you." Setting a clear target for Viksit Bharat, PM Modi pledged unwavering determination to achieve developed nation status within the next two decades, framing it as a collective national mission. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 09:32 IST News india From Dam Kam, Dum Zyada To No Nuclear Blackmail: Top Quotes From PM Modis I-Day Address Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... PM Modi Sets Longest I-Day Speech Record, Addresses Nation For 103 Minutes Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 14:37 IST Every year on 15 August, the Prime Minister hoists the national flag at the Red Fort in Delhi and delivers a speech that sets the tone for the nations vision and priorities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort India is celebrating its 79th Independence Day today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ledthe independence day celebrations at Red Fort, extended greetings on the day. He delivered a 103 minutes speech, making it the longest Independence Day speech to date. Recommended Stories Earlier in the day, PM Modi, in a post on X, said, Wishing everyone a very happy Independence Day. May this day inspire us to keep working even harder to realise the dreams of our freedom fighters and build a Viksit Bharat. Jai Hind!" Meanwhile, today, PM Modi will also address the citizens of India from Red Fort after hoisting the national flag. Lets take a look at some interesting facts about Independence Day. Tradition And Significance of the Red Fort Address Every year on 15 August, the Prime Minister hoists the national flag at the Red Fort in Delhi and delivers a speech that sets the tone for the nations vision and priorities. The 2025 speech marked Modis 12th consecutive Independence Day address from the Red Fort. The ceremony features the national anthem, a 21-gun salute, and often aerial tributessuch as flower showers from Air Force helicopterscelebrating Indias freedom and unity. PM Modis Longest Speech Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his longest-ever Independence Day speech on 15 August 2025, clocking in at an impressive 103 minutes from the Red Fort rampartssurpassing his previous record of 98 minutes set in 2024, and 96 minutes in 2016. Independence Day Shortest Speech top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all While PM Modis shortest Independence Day address was delivered in 2017, lasting approximately 56 minutes, among the shortest Independence Day speeches were those by Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, each lasting only 14 minutes. Close behind them in brevity were former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who also delivered concise addresses from the Red Fort. About the Author Anushka Vats Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can follow her... Read More Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can follow her... Read More First Published: August 15, 2025, 07:25 IST News india PM Modi Sets Longest I-Day Speech Record, Addresses Nation For 103 Minutes Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Kishtwar Cloudburst: Death Toll Rises To 60, 167 Rescued; Search Ops Continue | Latest Updates Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 12:51 IST A massive cloudburst struck the village of Chositi in J&K's Kishtwar district, where a large number of devotees had gathered for the annual Machail Mata Yatra. A massive cloudburst struck Chositi village in the remote Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday afternoon, killing at least 46 people, including two CISF personnel, officials confirmed (FIle Photo) At least 60 people have been confirmed killed due to a massive cloudburst that struck Chositi village in the remote Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday afternoon. Search and rescue operations continue at the site, with the White Knight Corps deploying over 300 troops with relief stores and medical teams. Local administration teams are on the ground, evacuating residents, providing medical assistance and working to restore normalcy in the affected areas. Authorities are assessing damage and prioritising the safety of people in vulnerable zones. Recommended Stories Earlier, officials said two CISF personnel were among the 46 people killed in the cloudburst. While addressing an Independence Day event, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said at least 60 people had been killed in the incident. At least 167 people have been rescued in injured condition, while 69 are reported missing by their relatives. Abdullah expressed condolences for the families of the victims and said it needed to be ascertained if there was any lapse on the administrations part as we already knew about the weather (forecast)". Rescue Ops Continue A large number of devotees had gathered in Chositi, around 90 km from Kishtwar town, for the annual Machail Mata Yatra when the cloudburst struck. A langar (community kitchen) set up for pilgrims was among the worst-hit structures. Several shops and a security post were also swept away by the flash floods. Many vehicles at the bus stand, the starting point for the foot journey to the Himalayan temple of Machail Mata, were severely damaged by floodwaters and mud. More people are believed to be trapped following the deluge. Officials told news agency PTI that several earth-movers requisitioned by the district administration have joined the operation to move giant boulders, uprooted trees, and electricity poles to speed up the rescue operation. Authorities are still searching for the 69 missing people. Furthermore, the Jammu and Kashmir administration set up a control room-cum-help desk to assist people and pilgrims following flash floods. The help desk has received hundreds of distress calls since the tragedy, according to an official. 21 Bodies Identified J&K police said they had identified 21 out of the 60 bodies retrieved from the site of the cloudburst. Authorities shared the pictures of the victims through a WhatsApp group with the affected families, which helped identify the deceased. Out of 45 bodies retrieved so far, 21 have been identified by their families. The rest are being identified," a senior official told PTI. A J&K health department official said a team of specialist doctors from PGI Chandigarh is reaching Government Medical College, Jammu, to assist in medical care and bolster critical care capabilities. At least 16 houses and government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre bridge, as well as over a dozen vehicles were also damaged in the flash flood, according to reports. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in India expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the deadly cloudburst. Russian Embassy is deeply saddened by disastrous cloudburst in the Kishtwar region of J&K which has claimed dozens of lives. We extend our condolences to the families of those perished and wish for a speedy recovery to all injured," it said on X. (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 Location : Kishtwar, India, India First Published: August 15, 2025, 10:49 IST News india Kishtwar Cloudburst: Death Toll Rises To 60, 167 Rescued; Search Ops Continue | Latest Updates Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... PYONGYANG, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on Thursday met with visiting Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Friday. Volodin conveyed the friendly greetings and a congratulatory letter sent by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kim, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation, said the report. Kim said Volodin's visit would serve as an occasion for further promoting the development of bilateral relations and deepening the friendly and fraternal feelings between the two peoples, it added. He stressed the importance of the two parliaments in strengthening the political and cooperative relations between the two countries and creating a political and legislative environment favourable for the development of bilateral relations. Volodin thanked the DPRK for its assistance in the Kursk liberation operations and for taking measures to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Russia, adding that Russia would never forget the DPRK's people, government and the service personnel of the Korean People's Army, said the report. Noting that the relations between the DPRK and Russia have progressed and been further consolidated under the strategic guidance of the two countries' heads of state, Volodin expressed readiness to make proactive efforts to boost exchanges and cooperation between their parliaments, it added. 'Modi Standing Like A Wall': PM Vows To Safeguard Farmers, Fishermen Amid Trump Tariffs Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 09:13 IST PM Modi's response came after Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian imports. India has always resisted loosening trade barriers in the agricultural sector to protect farmers. PM Modi addressing the nation on Independence Day. (PMO) In an apparent message to US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he will stand as a wall" to protect the interests of Indian farmers and fishermen, and stressed that India will never compromise when it comes to farmers. Indias farmers, her livestock rearers, and fishermen are our top priorities. Modi is standing like a wall against any harmful policy targeting our farmers and fishermen. India will never accept any compromise when it comes to the interests of our farmers, livestock rearers, and fishermen," he said during his address to the nation on Indias 79th Independence Day. Recommended Stories #WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, Bharat ke kisan, machuware, pashupalak se judi kisi bhi ahitkaari neeti ke aage Modi deewar banke khada hai"Modi is standing like a wall in front of any policy against the interest of our farmers, fishermen, cattle pic.twitter.com/vHdRWR1hkP ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 PM Modis response comes after Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods. India had strongly condemned the United States decision to levy additional tariffs in response to its continued import of Russian oil, calling the move unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable." Farmers Irked Over Trump Tariffs Trumps tariffs on Indian goods overturned decades of US policy to maintain friendly ties with India, a key strategic partner in Asia. Several farmers and labour organisations protested against the US tariffs and even burned Trumps effigies. Earlier this month, PM Modi had sent a strong response to Trumps punitive tariffs, saying that he was ready to pay a heavy price" but would not compromise on the interests of farmers, livestock rearers and fishermen. Agriculture has been a key hurdle in trade talks due to differing views on market access, subsidies, and food security. The US wants more access for its farm and dairy products, while India remains protective of its domestic farming sector, which supports a large rural population and operates under minimum support price (MSP) frameworks. In 2024-25, the bilateral trade between India and the US stood at $131.8 billion ($86.5 billion exports and $45.3 billion imports). Both Trump and PM Narendra Modi have publicly stated their ambition to more than double that to $500 billion in the years ahead. PM Modi On Reforms, Economy top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Meanwhile, PM Modi announced that a task force would be created for next-generation reforms in India. This force will work within a set timeframe to align existing laws with the needs of the 21st century and prepare the nation to become Viksit Bharat by 2047." We are moving towards prosperity, but the path to prosperity passes through security. Over the past 11 years, we have worked with full commitment on all fronts national security, defence, and the protection of our citizens," he said. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 08:44 IST News india 'Modi Standing Like A Wall': PM Vows To Safeguard Farmers, Fishermen Amid Trump Tariffs Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Nagaland Governor La Ganesan Passes Away In Chennai At 80 Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 21:00 IST Nagaland Governor La Ganesan died at 80 after a severe head injury. PM Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed condolences. Nagaland Governor La Ganesan died at 80. Nagaland Governor La Ganesan passed away on Friday at the age of 80. He was undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital in Chennai after sustaining a severe head injury reportedly by falling at his residence on August 8. After falling, Ganesan was rushed to the hospital, where doctors admitted him to the ICU to undergo intensive monitoring and treatment. Recommended Stories Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the demise of Ganesan and said that he would be remembered as a devout nationalist. Pained by the passing of Nagaland Governor Thiru La. Ganesan Ji. He will be remembered as a devout nationalist, who dedicated his life to service and nation-building. He worked hard to expand the BJP across Tamil Nadu. He was deeply passionate about Tamil culture too. My thoughts are with his family and admirers," PM Modi said in a post on X. Pained by the passing of Nagaland Governor Thiru La. Ganesan Ji. He will be remembered as a devout nationalist, who dedicated his life to service and nation-building. He worked hard to expand the BJP across Tamil Nadu. He was deeply passionate about Tamil culture too. My thoughts pic.twitter.com/E1VXtsKul3 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2025 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed grief over passing away of the BJP leader. Deeply anguished by the demise of Nagaland Governor Thiru La. Ganesan. He was deeply committed to public service and welfare of the people. La. Ganesan ji dedicated his life to expanding the BJPs footprint in Tamil Nadu. His contributions to the party and the public life will be always be remembered. My thoughts are with his family members, friends, and followers. Om Shanti!" he added. Who Was G Ganesan? A veteran politician, Ganesan held several key positions in the Bharatiya Janata Party during his long career, including serving as the Tamil Nadu BJP president. He was known for his organisational skills, grassroots connect, and steadfast loyalty to the party. Appointed as the Governor of Nagaland in February 2023, Ganesan had earlier served as the Governor of Manipur and held additional charge of West Bengal for a brief period. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In 2017, Ganesan was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh, following the appointment of the then MP, Najma Heptulla, as the Governor of Manipur. A native of Thanjavur district, Ganesan was a passionate admirer of Carnatic music and made it a point of attending the annual Thyagaraja Aradhana in Thiruvaiyaru. His association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) began in his school days, with his family being closely connected to the organisation, reported the Hindu. 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 Location : Nagaland, India, India First Published: August 15, 2025, 21:00 IST News india Nagaland Governor La Ganesan Passes Away In Chennai At 80 Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... RSS Worlds Largest NGO, Proud Of Its 100-Year Journey: PM Modi In I-Day Speech Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 09:26 IST PM Modi praised the RSS as the world's largest NGO in his Independence Day speech, celebrating its 100-year journey "dedicated to nation-building and discipline" Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers the Independence Day Speech at the Red Fort on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a stirring tribute to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in his Independence Day speech on Friday, hailing the organisation as the worlds largest NGO" as it approaches its centenary. A hundred years ago, an organisation was born, it was called the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh," the PM said. This century-long journey has been about building the nation by building the individual, with the welfare of society at its heart," PM Modi said, reaffirming and reasserting his roots in the RSS. Recommended Stories With the resolve of vyakti nirman se rashtra nirman (nation-building through personal development), with the aim of welfare of Maa Bharati, swayamsevaks dedicated their lives to the welfare of our motherland In a way, RSS is the biggest NGO of the world. It has a history of 100 years of dedication," he added. Prime Minister Modis words marked a rare and direct acknowledgment of the RSS from the countrys highest platform, and an emphatic salute to a hundred years of service, organisation, and nation-building. Hailing the Sangh as a disciplined and service centric organisation", Modi lauded the efforts of thousands of volunteers who have worked tirelessly with the spirit of seva and sangathan ( service and organisation)." He reminded the nation of the RSSs grassroots role in times of need, from disaster relief to social harmony drives, calling its history a saga of commitment and sacrifice". The nation is proud of the RSS," he declared, noting that its guiding motto Vyakti Nirman, Rashtra Nirman - remains a timeless call to action. Framing Sanghs centenary as a living inspiration, Modi said the organisations disciplined and selfless work continues to shape Indias social fabric. When individuals rise with integrity and dedication, the nation itself rises," he said. The RSS, considered to be the indeological parent of the ruling BJP, will complete 100 years of its foundation this Vijayadashmi, which falls on October 2. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In March this year, in a podcast with Lex Fridman, PM Modi had said the RSS gave him the purpose of his life, opening up on his association with the organisation. A former RSS pracharak himself before moving over to the BJP, Modi said he was drawn to the Hindutva organisation at a young age as he was touched deeply by patriotic songs sung at its shakha near his home in Gujarat. About the Author Madhuparna Das Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa... Read More Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa... Read More First Published: August 15, 2025, 09:16 IST News india RSS Worlds Largest NGO, Proud Of Its 100-Year Journey: PM Modi In I-Day Speech Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Odisha Man Tied To Tree, Beaten, Left Overnight By In-Laws Over Domestic Dispute Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 22:53 IST In Odisha's Gajapati district, a man was tied to a tree and beaten by his in-laws while awaiting a court hearing over a domestic dispute. The police are investigating the incident. Odisha Man Tied To Tree, Beaten, Left Overnight By In-Laws Over Domestic Dispute. (AI Generated Image) In Odishas Gajapati district, a man waiting for a hearing in court hearing over a domestic dispute was tied to a tree and beaten by his in-laws. A video of the incident has gone viral, showing him left tied to the pole the whole night. Recommended Stories The man, identified as Jalanta Baliarsingh, had beaten his wife, Subhadra Malbisoye, whose parents live in another village, NDTV reported. The village panchayat, on hearing about the assault on his wife, summoned Baliarshingh and ruled that his wife should stay at her parents home for a few months. That was almost a year ago, and with a separation impending, Baliarsingh has been awaiting a hearing in family court. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all On Thursday night, he went to his in-laws village to buy groceries, where he encountered them. Following this, they had a heated argument. Soon, his in-laws caught him and tied him to a pole before beginning the assault. Reportedly, the police came the next morning and freed him. The police are investigating the case. Location : Odisha (Orissa), India, India First Published: August 15, 2025, 22:53 IST News india Odisha Man Tied To Tree, Beaten, Left Overnight By In-Laws Over Domestic Dispute Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... PM Modi Announces Rs 1 lakh Crore Viksit Bharat Rozgaar Yojna For Youth In I-Day Speech Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 08:57 IST The initiative is designed to provide financial support, skill development, and incentives for job creation across key sectors PM Modi spoke about the scheme during his Independence Day speech (Photo: YouTube/NarendraModi) (Photo: X/narendramodi) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort, announced the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgaar Yojana, a 1 lakh crore scheme aimed at creating employment opportunities for Indias youth. The programme, which comes into effect from today, August 15, will provide 15,000 from the Centre to first-time job seekers once they secure employment in the private sector. In addition, companies hiring freshers will receive government incentives to encourage large-scale job creation. Recommended Stories Modi said the initiative is expected to benefit around 3.5 crore young people, combining financial support with measures to boost private sector hiring. The scheme, he added, is a key step towards empowering Indias youth to contribute to the nations goal of becoming a developed country by 2047. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had earlier approved the nearly Rs 1 lakh crore scheme. With an outlay of Rs 99,446 crore, the PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY) aims to incentivise the creation of more than 3.5 crore jobs over two years. Of these, 1.92 crore beneficiaries will be first timers, entering the workforce. The benefits of the scheme would be applicable to jobs created between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2027. The scheme is in alignment with the Modi governments Viksit Bharat vision, reflecting its commitment to generating inclusive and sustainable employment opportunities in the country. The scheme, which incentivises employers to create new employment, aims to provide benefits for the generation of new jobs across various sectors, with special focus on the manufacturing sector. It forms a crucial part of Indias strategy to accelerate economic growth through employment-led development. The Scheme consists of two parts, with Part A focused on first timers and Part B focused on employers. Targeting first-time employees registered with EPFO, Part-A will offer one-month EPF wage up to Rs 15,000 in two instalments. Employees with salaries up to Rs 1 lakh will be eligible. The 1st instalment will be payable after 6 months of service, and the 2nd instalment will be payable after 12 months of service and completion of a financial literacy programme by the employee. To encourage the habit of saving, a portion of the incentive will be kept in a savings instrument or deposit account for a fixed period and can be withdrawn by the employee at a later date. This part will cover the generation of additional employment in all sectors, with a special focus on the manufacturing sector.. The employers will get incentives in respect of employees with salaries up to Rs 1 lakh. The government will incentivise employers, up to Rs 3000 per month, for two years, for each additional employee with sustained employment for at least six months. For the manufacturing sector, incentives will be extended to the 3rd and 4th years as well. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Establishments, which are registered with EPFO, will be required to hire at least two additional employees (for employers with less than 50 employees) or five additional employees (for employers with 50 or more employees), on a sustained basis for at least six months. All payments to the First Time Employees under Part A of the Scheme will be made through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) mode using the Aadhar Bridge Payment System (ABPS). Payments to the Employers under Part B will be made directly into their PAN-linked Accounts. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 08:42 IST News india PM Modi Announces Rs 1 lakh Crore Viksit Bharat Rozgaar Yojna For Youth In I-Day Speech Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Next Gen GST Reforms This Diwali': PM Modi's Big Independence Day Announcement Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Karishma Jain Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 09:48 IST In his I-Day speech, PM Modi said the next-gen GST reforms will make life easier for the common man and strengthen the economy, calling it a Diwali gift for citizens Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Independence Day. (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday used his Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort to announce that the government will unveil next-generation GST reforms" by Diwali this year, aimed at easing the tax burden on households and small businesses. The Prime Minister said the reforms will rationalise tax slabs and reduce Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates on essential and daily-use items, a move he described as a massive gift" to citizens. We are committed to making life easier for the common man. This Diwali, we will bring GST reforms that will lower prices and boost compliance," Modi said in his 12th consecutive Independence Day speech. Recommended Stories Next Generation GST Reforms #IndependenceDay2025 pic.twitter.com/ywN4c5v7iq Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) August 15, 2025 Calling the overhaul part of the governments broader economic reforms agenda, Modi said the upcoming changes will also benefit micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by simplifying processes and reducing costs. The reforms, he added, are aimed at creating a more transparent and business-friendly tax regime that supports both growth and consumption. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Goods and Services Tax, introduced in 2017, has faced repeated calls for simplification and rate rationalisation from industry and state governments alike. The Prime Ministers announcement is expected to set the stage for deliberations in the GST Council ahead of the festival season. The promise of a Diwali rollout adds to the economic measures flagged in Modis speech, which also touched upon infrastructure expansion, manufacturing push, and commitments to make India a developed nation by 2047. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 08:33 IST News india 'Next Gen GST Reforms This Diwali': PM Modi's Big Independence Day Announcement Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Blood & Water Won't Flow Together': PM Modi Says Indus Treaty Not In Nation's Or Farmers' Interest Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 08:11 IST PM Modi said the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan was unjust and one-sided, and said it was not in the interests of Indian farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Red Fort. (PMO India) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the nation on the occasion of Indias 79th Independence Day, said the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan was unjust" and one-sided", reaffirming that blood and water could not flow together. Speaking from the Red Fort on Friday, PM Modi spoke on the success of Operation Sindoor and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, saying that India had delivered a punishment to the enemies beyond their dreams. Recommended Stories India has decided that blood and water will not flow together. Now, my fellow countrymen have clearly understood how unjust and one-sided the Indus agreement is. The waters of rivers originating in India have been irrigating the fields of our enemies, while the farmers and the land of my own country remain thirsty without water," he said. Delhi: PM Narendra Modi says, India has decided that blood and water will not flow together. Now, my fellow countrymen have clearly understood how unjust and one-sided the Indus agreement is. The waters of rivers originating in India have been irrigating the fields of our pic.twitter.com/7d60wghorm IANS (@ians_india) August 15, 2025 What kind of agreement was this that has caused such unimaginable loss to our farmers for the past seven decades? Only India has the right to its rightful share of water," he added. PM Modi stressed that India will no longer tolerate the loss caused by the Indus Waters Treaty, saying the agreement was not in the interest of farmers or the country. Pakistans Threats On Indus Waters Treaty PM Modis fiery Independence Day speech came after Pakistani leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, threatened India for keeping the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the ghastly Pahalgam terror attack. While addressing an event in Islamabad on Tuesday, Sharif said, I want to tell the enemy today that if you threaten to hold our water, then keep this in mind you cannot snatch even one drop of Pakistan." He said if India tried, it will be taught such a lesson that you will be left holding your ears." A day earlier, former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called the suspension of the IWT an attack on the Indus Valley Civilisation, warning that the country would not back down if pushed into war. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Before that, Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir reportedly said Islamabad would destroy any dam if India cut off water flow. We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do so, we will destroy it," he was quoted as saying by Dawn. The Indus River is not the Indians family property. We have no shortage of resources to undo the Indian designs to stop the river." After the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, the diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan were downgraded with New Delhi announcing several punitive measures, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, cutting Islamabad Mission strength, and expulsion of its military attaches. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 07:53 IST News india 'Blood & Water Won't Flow Together': PM Modi Says Indus Treaty Not In Nation's Or Farmers' Interest Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Mission Sudarshan Chakra: PM Modi Announces Tech Shield To Thwart, Strike Back At Attacks On India Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 09:39 IST PM Modi said the Sudarshan Chakra Mission comprises a powerful, multi-layered defence system that will protect key sites and strike back at the enemy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers the Independence Day Speech at the Red Fort on Friday. In a significant announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Indias 79th Independence Day on Friday, announced that India would launch the Sudarshan Chakra Mission, an aerial defence system to thwart cross-border attacks, by 2035. PM Modi said that India would create a powerful, multi-layered defence system, dubbing it the Sudarshan Chakra Mission, which will not only save our country, but will give a befitting reply to that enemy country." Recommended Stories When I think of Lord Krishna, I also reflect on how the nature of warfare is changing worldwide today. India has demonstrated its capability to handle every new form of warfare. During Operation Sindoor, we showed our strength in terms of technology when Pakistan targeted our military bases, airbases, defence installations, centres of faith, and citizens; their missiles and drones were intercepted in a controlled manner," he said. India will build the Sudarshan Chakra defence system to protect the nation. We will ensure the safety of our strategic installations, our cities, and our sacred places by using cutting-edge technology. This will be a formidable deterrent to any hostile attempt to harm us," he declared. Key Sites To Be Protected In the next ten years, by 2035, I want to expand, strengthen, and modernise our national security shield. Drawing inspiration from Lord Shri Krishna, we have chosen the path of the Sudarshan Chakra. During the battle of Maharashtra, Lord Krishna used the Sudarshan Chakra to block the sun The nation will be launching the Sudarshan Chakra Mission," he added. The Prime Minister also said some fundamental measures have been planned for the launch of the Sudarshan Chakra Mission. Over the next ten years, we aim to advance this mission with full vigour. The entire modern system, its research, development, and manufacturing, will be done within our country, utilising the talent of our youth and the skills of our people," he added. He also affirmed that key public spaces, including railway platforms, hospitals, and religious sites across the country, will be brought under the national security shield, a significant step in extending protection beyond conventional military sites. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Modi emphasised that the mission would incorporate a Precise Target System and integrate cutting-edge weaponry to neutralise enemy targets and also hit back in a stronger way." The mission marks a significant shift in Indias national defence goals, inspired by Israels Iron Dome system. The announcement came after India exchanged cross-border fire with Pakistan for four days after the launch of Operation Sindoor, where it struck nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and killed 100 terrorists in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 09:14 IST News india Mission Sudarshan Chakra: PM Modi Announces Tech Shield To Thwart, Strike Back At Attacks On India Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... UAE-Based Indian Businessman Kidnapped In Kerala, Ex-Employee Among Six Held By Police Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 18, 2025, 15:25 IST Businessman VP Shameer was rescued by police after he was kidnapped in Kerala. Police suspect his former employee, Puthu Veettil Shamseer, is the mastermind behind the crime. Police scanned CCTV footage and used location tracking to trace the movement of the vehicle in which the man was pulled inside. (Representative image) A UAE-based Indian businessman was kidnapped during his visit to Kerala, on Tuesday evening. Fortunately, he was rescued in time by police, who suspect his former employee is the mastermind behind the kidnapping, Hindustan Times reported. According to Gulf News, the 36-year-old businessman, VP Shameer, was kidnapped at around 7:45pm on Tuesday while he was on his way back home. The assailants reportedly intercepted bike-borne Shameer in Malappuram, forcefully pulling him into a Toyota Innova. Recommended Stories Police Scan CCTV Footage Soon after police received information about the crime, they launched an investigation. Acting swiftly, police scanned CCTV footage and used location tracking to trace the movement of the vehicle in which the man was pulled inside. Early leads came from questioning those who had provided the car to the accused. The investigation then expanded to Kollam, where local police joined forces with their Malappuram counterparts after uncovering connections to acquaintances of the suspects in the district. According to a report in Manorama, a key breakthrough came when Shameers phone was switched on twice in Ernakulam, helping police narrow down his location. Ransom Demands, Threat Calls On Wednesday, the kidnappers contacted Shameers business partner in the UAE, demanding a ransom of Rs 1.5 crore for his release. Meanwhile, Shameers wife received threat calls warning her not to involve cops. On Thursday, in a joint operation, Malappuram and Kollam police rescued the man at around 11:30am. He was found inside a vehicle in Kuruvikkonam in Kollam as the kidnappers reportedly planned to move him across the border into Tamil Nadu. Six Arrested Subsequently, police made six arrests in the case. The arrested accused include Puthu Veettil Shamseer (30) former employee and alleged mastermind, Achikka alias Hamseer (30), Fayas alias Mustafa (28), Afzal (30) from Ponnani, Muhammad Naif (29) from Kollam and Shaheer (30) from Kollam. The alleged mastermind was identified as former employee of VP Shameers pharmacy chain who was dismissed in 2022 due to bad behaviour. His dismissal allegedly led to resentment, and he had earlier issued threats against the businessman. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Shameer Alleges Assault VP Shameer, who operates a chain of pharmacy stores in the UAE, alleged he was assaulted during the abduction. He was to be taken for medical examination following his rescue. About the Author Manisha Roy Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com's general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manisha.Roy@nw18... Read More Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com's general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manisha.Roy@nw18... Read More Location : Kerala, India, India First Published: August 15, 2025, 11:22 IST News india UAE-Based Indian Businessman Kidnapped In Kerala, Ex-Employee Among Six Held By Police Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Prajwals Arrogance Was Gone In 5 Minutes: SIT Chief Tells News18 Unique Ways Used To Nail Revanna Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 18:16 IST News18 spoke to the SIT chief, Additional General of Police (CID) BK Singh, who is leading the investigation into the Prajwal Revanna case Prajwal Revanna being taken to a hospital for medical examination under tight security, in Bengaluru. (PTI) One of the most telling visuals in the Prajwal Revanna case, involving the alleged rape of several women in Karnataka, was an all-women Special Investigation Team (SIT) going to arrest him at the Bengaluru International Airport in the most dramatic manner. Since then, from jail to the courts and back, he has always been accompanied by women officers. There was a loud and clear message that the SIT probing the case was not only instilling confidence among the survivors to come forward, but also strengthening the case against the former Hassan MP and grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda. Recommended Stories News18 spoke to the SIT chief, Additional General of Police (CID) BK Singh, who is leading the investigation into the Prajwal Revanna case. The special court for peoples representatives recently convicted Prajwal Revanna in the first rape case and pronounced a punishment of life term. The SIT chief shares details of the unique methodology used to pinpoint the accused, how Revanna behaved during custody, and how they expect this conviction to encourage more victims to come forward to the SIT. Edited excerpts: An all-women team arrested Prajwal Revanna was there a reason? Was it also to tell the victims that the SIT is with them? Yes. Basically, the idea was two-fold one, to send a message to society at large; two, to reach the hearts and minds of the victims. In sexual assault cases, it is very difficult for a male officer to talk to them the wavelength will not be there, and there will be inhibition on both sides, the victim as well as the Investigating Officer (IO) while discussing the incident. To remove that inhibition, it was decided that all rape cases would be investigated by women officers. Since this was a major case, all women officers were there, and they themselves wanted to go and make the arrest. They asked me, Sir, can we do it?" I said, OK, if you are willing, there is no question of denying. Let us do it and go ahead." So I gave them permission to go and do the rest of the job. The special court sentenced Prajwal Revanna to a life term one of the strictest punishments you had been asking for. Was it a hard case to crack from the beginning? I will not say that it was a hard case to crack. It was a hard case to get evidence. More or less, everybody knew there was a survivor and there was an accused, so it was not a case where the accused was unknown. The difficult part was how to connect the crime to the accused. Usually, in a rape case, there will always be biomedical evidence on the body of the victim, on the body of the accused, and mostly at the place of the incident as well. But in this case, there was no chance of getting any biomedical evidence at any of the three places. The crucial part of the evidence came through innovative policing and investigation. You used the fact that the accuseds face was not visible, and a unique methodology was applied in this particular case Yes, I can say that, because we were investigating something different from the normal. We had to get the evidence we could not say that we couldnt. So we searched for all technologies available, because we had only that equipment to work with. We explored how we could use the same videos for the purpose of evidence, and how to get corroboration of the victims statement using that video. We started analysing the video to see where it showed force, which you can make out by looking at it, and then, how to identify the accused, as his face was not visible. The survivors face was visible, and they confirmed, That is my face." The issue was on the accuseds side how to pinpoint that the person seen in the video, without his face visible, was the same person the survivor alleged had committed the rape. To make that identification, we had to use new methods. I will not say new technology new methods basically, we extrapolated the technology used in fingerprinting the same principle, we extrapolated for body marks. In the video, a portion of the accuseds body was visible. We identified that there were distinct body marks. Normally, not every persons body is the same there could be a birthmark, a burn, a cut, or a mole. Other natural marks develop as a person grows pigmentation, scars, and so on. We tried to identify what the different body marks on the persons body were, to match them with the accused or the suspects body, which we had access to after the arrest. During the medical examination, we took photographs and matched them. Once it matches, it becomes very difficult for anyone to say that this person is not the same. It establishes that the person appearing in the video is the same person who was subject to the medical examination. You mentioned photographs were a challenge. Neither the accused allowed you to take pictures of his private parts, nor were the doctors cooperating. How did you go about it? Initially, what happened and again I told you these were a few things which usually dont happen. We had to go to the court to get an order. Doctors were refusing to take the photographs, because some of them had to be of private parts. The accused was also not willing. But in any case, there is a clear legal provision in the CrPC which says that force can be used at the time of medical examination of a rape case accused. Particularly for a rape case accused, it is very clear, force can be used. So we were not bothered much about the accused not cooperating. The doctors were saying, We cannot do it, because our medical ethics do not allow us to photograph a person, especially their private parts." So we had to go back to the court with some studies to convince them that we required these photographs for the purpose of investigation. We submitted two studies one from Turkey and one Japanese paper. At the same time, we cited the provisions of the Prisoners Identification Act, which was completely overhauled in 2022. That Act permits us to take the photographs of any accused at the time of investigation itself. So we presented to the court both the provisions of the law and those studies, to convince the court that this was required for investigation. The court agreed with our demand and passed a judicial order. As usual, the condition was put that the secrecy and privacy of the accused should be maintained, and the responsibility for that lay with the investigating agency. We agreed, saying we would maintain secrecy. Prajwal Revanna was a sitting MP, had completed five years, and was seeking re-election. When he was arrested, and later when you were questioning him, was he cooperative or arrogant? He comes from a politically influential family grandson of a former Prime Minister, himself a sitting MP, and his father a former minister. All his arrogance was gone within five minutes of landing at the CID headquarters. As for cooperation why do we need it? Whether he cooperates or not, we have the evidence. Even if he says, Yes, that is my face." It doesnt matter. Any self-incriminating evidence given in police custody, in front of the police, is not admissible at all. So we were least bothered about whether he cooperated or not. Prajwal had fled the country. He was not available for weeks together. There were attempts made by his family to reach out. His grandfather, former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, even wrote a scathing letter asking him to return. How did you track, trace, and bring Prajwal Revanna from Germany to Bengaluru, leading to that dramatic arrest by an all-women SIT? We knew from day one, when he flew out of the country, where he was going and where he was staying. That we knew very clearly. Since he had flown on a diplomatic passport issued to him as a Member of Parliament, we began court proceedings to get that diplomatic passport cancelled. By the time the notice was issued to him, he had lost the election and was no longer an MP. When the MEA issued the notice for cancellation of his diplomatic passport, he had no other option but to come back. So he returned. It was not any charity he had shown to anybody. He knew that once the diplomatic passport was cancelled, he could be detained there itself. So he had no choice but to return before the passport was revoked and he came back. The fact that he comes from such an influential family has there been any political interference in this investigation? Especially since all the people in his family have been active in politics. No, not at all. There was no interference. In fact, nobody was even looking at what was being done at the investigation stage. The investigation was kept very tight and closed, strictly within the team. Each team or IO knew only about his or her own case. That compartmentalisation was maintained did not know what Ys investigation was about, and did not know what Xs investigation was about. Nobody even tried to know. And we could finish it off. Four survivors have come forward to the SIT. But there are several thousand clips more than 30,000 clips involving several hundred women, maybe up to a hundred victims. What kind of control did the accused have over them, especially since this has been happening for years and they have remained silent? top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all On that part, I will not be able to fully say what control he had. But I can definitely make out why people were not coming forward. It was not only fear of the family or fear of the person there were other fears too: societal fear and family fear. These were two big factors. But they also largely feared the political family, at least to some extent. See, this is a normal thing when you decide to fight, its because you think there is a chance to win. When you think there is no chance to win, then you dont fight you just surrender to the accused. About the Author Rohini Swamy Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18s digital platform. She has previously worked with t... Read More Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18s digital platform. She has previously worked with t... Read More First Published: August 15, 2025, 17:57 IST News india Prajwals Arrogance Was Gone In 5 Minutes: SIT Chief Tells News18 Unique Ways Used To Nail Revanna Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... This photo taken on Aug. 15, 2025 shows the static fire test of China's Long March-10 carrier rocket at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province. China's Long March-10 carrier rocket, the country's new-generation manned launch vehicle, has successfully completed the first static fire test here on Friday, the China Manned Space Agency has announced. (Xinhua/Zhang Bin) WENCHANG, Hainan, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's Long March-10 carrier rocket, the country's new-generation manned launch vehicle, has successfully completed the first static fire test on Friday at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) has announced. This marks a significant new milestone in China's manned lunar exploration program, following the successful zero-altitude escape flight test of the Mengzhou manned spacecraft and the comprehensive landing and takeoff test of the Lanyue manned lunar lander, according to the CMSA. At 3:00 p.m. Friday, seven engines of the test product of the rocket's first stage were ignited simultaneously, followed by the completion of multiple scheduled test procedures. This static fire test evaluated the simultaneous working capacity of the seven parallel engines of the rocket's first stage under standard and high working conditions, as well as obtained complete test data. The test was a complete success, the agency said. The thrust scale in Friday's test reached nearly 1,000 tonnes, marking the largest such test ever conducted in China. The Long March-10 carrier rocket series is developed to serve China's manned lunar exploration missions, including two configurations -- the Long March-10 rocket and Long March-10A rocket. The Long March-10 rocket is a type of three-stage rocket with two boosters. It has a diameter of 5 meters and a maximum height of 92.5 meters. It will undertake the launch missions of the manned spacecraft and the lunar lander. The Long March-10A is a type of two-stage reusable rocket, with a diameter of 5 meters and a maximum height of 67 meters. Its first stage can be recycled and reused. It will serve the launch missions of the Mengzhou manned spacecraft and Tianzhou cargo craft in the application and development phase of the country's space station. The success of the static fire test has laid an important technical foundation for the manned lunar exploration mission, the CMSA said. The agency stated that the Long March-10 series rockets will be fully utilized in the country's manned spaceflight program, working in tandem with the Mengzhou manned spacecraft to achieve the upgrading of China's manned space-Earth round-trip transportation system. New supporting infrastructure for the country's manned lunar exploration program is under construction at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, with all work progressing smoothly, the CMSA said. This photo taken on Aug. 15, 2025 shows the static fire test of China's Long March-10 carrier rocket at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province. China's Long March-10 carrier rocket, the country's new-generation manned launch vehicle, has successfully completed the first static fire test here on Friday, the China Manned Space Agency has announced. (Xinhua/Zhang Bin) This photo taken on Aug. 15, 2025 shows the static fire test of China's Long March-10 carrier rocket at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province. China's Long March-10 carrier rocket, the country's new-generation manned launch vehicle, has successfully completed the first static fire test here on Friday, the China Manned Space Agency has announced. (Xinhua/Zhang Bin) From Importer To Exporter: How India Achieved Defence Atmanirbharta In Just 11 Years Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 18:07 IST Government reforms, strategic investments, and industry partnerships have fuelled innovation and strengthened domestic capabilities PM Modi has consistently dealt with the menace of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in a very resolute, assertive and decisive manner. (X) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Independence Day speech from Red Fort on Friday, highlighted the strength of made in India or atmanirbharta in defence. PM said: We have seen in Operation Sindoor, what was the magic of Made in India. The enemy did not even know what kind of weapons these were, what was this power that was destroying them in a blink of an eye. Think if we were not self-reliant, would we have been able to carry out Operation Sindoor so quickly?" Recommended Stories We did not know who would supply or not, whether the equipment would be available or not, we would have been worried about this. But we had the power of Made in India in our hands, in the hands of the army, so without worry, without hindrance, without hesitation, our army continued to perform its valour and for the last 10 years we have been carrying forward a mission of self-reliance in the field of defence, its results are visible today," he said. Over the past 11 years, Indias defence sector has transformed from being one of the worlds largest arms importers to an emerging hub for indigenous production. Atmanirbharta in defence has been the guiding principle, driving policies that prioritise local design, development, and manufacturing. Government reforms, strategic investments, and industry partnerships have fuelled innovation and strengthened domestic capabilities. Operation Sindoor has shown why being self-reliant in the world of defence and security matters. Likewise, we need to be self-reliant in areas like technology, space and energy. Through our Nuclear Energy Mission, we aim to increase nuclear energy capacities and involve private pic.twitter.com/bIQRmg2rO4 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2025 KEY MILESTONES ACHIEVED IN ATMANIRBHARTA Strengthening the roots of defence sector The defence budget has seen a steady rise, growing from 2.53 lakh crore in 201314 to 6.81 lakh crore in 202526. In 202425, India achieved its highest-ever defence production of 1.50 lakh crore, over three times the 46,429 crore recorded in 201415. Indias defence exports have surged from 686 crore in 201314 to 23,622 crore in 202425, a 34-fold rise that underscores the governments push for a self-reliant and globally competitive defence industry. Driven by government policy reforms, ease of doing business initiatives, and a push for self-reliance, India now exports to over 100 nations. The top three destinations for Indias defence exports in 2023-24 were the USA, France, and Armenia. Self-Reliance through Defence Acquisition & Indigenisation Reforms DAP 2020 with Focus on Indian-IDDM: The Defence Procurement Procedure 2016 was revised as Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, aligning with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. It gives the highest priority to the Buy (IndianIndigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category to ensure that major defence purchases are made from Indian sources with local design and development. Simplified Make Procedure: Encourages Indian industry to design, develop, and manufacture defence products, reducing import dependence. Under Make-I, the government funds up to 70% of development cost and reserves certain projects for MSMEs. The Make-II category (industry-funded) offers relaxed eligibility, minimal paperwork, and accepts proposals from industry or individuals. So far, 62 projects for the Army, Navy, and Air Force have received Approval in Principle. Liberalised FDI in Defence: Foreign Direct Investment limit raised to 74% via automatic route for new defence industrial licences, and up to 100% by government approval in cases involving access to advanced technology. This is aimed at attracting foreign capital and technology to boost domestic manufacturing. Boosting Innovation iDEX & TDF: Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), launched in 2018, supports startups, MSMEs, academia, and innovators with grants and funding to develop technologies for defence and aerospace. Technology Development Fund (TDF) offers grants to public and private industry, especially MSMEs, to build advanced defence technology capabilities. Indigenisation Portals: SRIJAN Portal (launched 2020) lists defence items previously imported, inviting industry to develop them locally. So far, 46798 items have been listed. Offset Portal (launched 2019) ensures transparency in offset contracts, with policy reforms that encourage investment in Indian manufacturing and technology transfer by awarding higher multipliers for such contributions. Strategic Partnership (SP) Model Introduced in 2017 to create long-term partnerships between Indian companies and global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). These partnerships focus on technology transfer and setting up manufacturing infrastructure in India. International Defence Cooperation: In 2019, India signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement with Russia to jointly manufacture spares and components for Russian-origin defence equipment in India, improving operational availability and reducing dependence on imports. Ease of Doing Business in Defence: Defence products requiring industrial licences have been rationalised, and most parts/components no longer need a licence. Industrial licence validity has been extended from 3 years to 15 years, with a possible 3-year extension, making investment planning easier. To enable adoption of Artificial Intelligence in defence, Defence AI Council (DAIC) and Defence AI Project Agency (DAIPA) has been created. Further, an AI roadmap has also been finalised for each Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU). Discharge of offset obligations by foreign OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) through ToT (Transfer of Technology) to Indian enterprises including government institutions has been incorporated. Government has notified the Strategic Partnership (SP) Model which envisages establishment of long-term strategic partnerships with Indian entities through a transparent and competitive process, wherein they would tie up with global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to seek technology transfers to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains. Defence Research & Development (R&D) has been opened up for industry, start-ups and academia with 25 percent of defence R&D budget earmarked, to promote development of defence technology in the country. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) identified nine thrust areas for focused research, namely Platforms, Weapon System, Strategic Systems, Sensors & Communication Systems, Space, Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence & Robotics, Material & Devices and Soldier Support. Technology Development Fund (TDF) Scheme also funds industries, especially Start-ups and MSMEs upto an amount of Rs. 10 Crore, for innovation, research and development of defence Technologies in the field of defence and Aerospace. From the ramparts of the Red Fort, talked about the success of Operation Sindoor and the feeling of pride it has invoked in the minds of every Indian. pic.twitter.com/1dJYi93g6O Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2025 Counter-Terrorism and Strengthening Internal Security Indias firm and clear-eyed approach to internal security and counter-terrorism over the last eleven years. Surgical Strikes (2829 Sept 2016): Cross-Line of Control operation targeting terrorist launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the Uri attack on Indian soldiers. Balakot Air Strikes (26 Feb 2019): Pre-emptive airstrike on Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot, Pakistan, following the Pulwama terror attack. Operation SINDOOR (April 2025): In April 2025, after a terror attack on civilians in Pahalgam, India launched Operation SINDOOR, targeting nine JeM and LeT camps in Pakistan and PoJK with precision drone and munition strikes, destroying key command centres and killing over 100 terrorists, including those linked to the IC-814 hijack and Pulwama blast. Pakistans retaliatory drone and missile attacks on 78 May were swiftly intercepted by Indias net-centric warfare and counter-UAS systems. The Prime Minister has laid out a clear five-point framework to counter cross-border terrorism. First, if there is a terrorist attack on India, a fitting reply will be given. Secondly, India will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail. India will strike precisely and decisively at the terrorist hideouts developing under the cover of nuclear blackmail. Thirdly, India will not differentiate between the government sponsoring terrorism and the masterminds of terrorism. We will continue to take decisive steps to protect India and our citizens from any threat. Indias stand is very clear Terror and talks cannot go together Terror and trade cannot go together. Water and blood cannot flow together. If there are talks with Pakistan, it will be only on terrorism; and if there are talks with Pakistan, it will be only on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Removal of Article 370: On 5 August 2019, Parliament approved the removal of Article 370 and 35-A, marking a historic correction of a decades-old imbalance. The impact is clear: terrorist-initiated incidents have dropped from 228 in 2018 to just 28 in 2024, demonstrating a strong correlation between integration and peace. Additionally, stone-pelting incidents have recorded a 100% drop, marking a new era of peace. The successful conduct of the J&K Assembly Elections in 2024, held in three phases with a 63% voter turnout, further underscores the regions embrace of democratic participation and stability, demonstrating a strong correlation between integration and peace. The government of India has adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards left-wing extremism. In the last 10 years, over 8,000 Naxalites have abandoned the path of violence, and consequently, the number of Naxal-affected districts has reduced to fewer than 20. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Incidents of violence by LWE which reached its highest level of 1936 in 2010 have reduced to 374 in 2024. The total number of deaths (civilians + security forces) has also reduced by 85% during this period from 1005 deaths in 2010 to 150 in 2024. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 17:37 IST News india From Importer To Exporter: How India Achieved Defence Atmanirbharta In Just 11 Years Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Toppled Like Toys': Survivors Recall J&K Flash Flood Horror, At Least 46 Killed Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 12:41 IST A flash flood in Kishtwar killed 46 people, including two CISF personnel. PM Modi spoke to J&K CM Omar Abdullah and LG Manoj Sinha. Survivors recount harrowing experiences. A massive cloudburst triggered a flash flood in Kishtwar At least 60 people were killed after a massive cloudburst on Thursday triggered a flash flood in the Chashoti area of Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir. Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have identified 21 bodies of the total dead, and two are identified as CISF personnel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to J&K CM Omar Abdullah and LG Manoj Sinha and took stock of the situation and offered all possible assistance. Recommended Stories Survivors Share Ordeal After being rescued, a victim of the flash flood in Kishtwar says, Suddenly, there was a sound like a bomb exploding, and everyone started shouting, Run, run. As I started to run, I got trapped in the debris, and an electricity pole fell on me. After that, I called out to my daughter, and she pulled me out from there" #WATCH | J&K | After being rescued, a victim of the flash flood in Kishtwar says, Suddenly, there was a sound like a bomb exploding, and everyone started shouting, Run, run. As I started to run, I got trapped in the debris, and an electricity pole fell on me. After that, I https://t.co/RDRijDsKX1 pic.twitter.com/5kU35cd43A ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2025 Another victim told ANI, A lot of people were dead and many were injured I was amid the waters when a policeman helped me and brought me to the hospital My sister is missing right now" A victim of the flash flood in Kishtwar said, When the cloudburst, we were flown away and I was stuck under a car My mother was under an electricity pole Administration took quick action and the vehicles of army and CRPF arrived immediately" top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all #WATCH | Kishtwar, J&K | After being rescued, a victim of the flash flood in Kishtwar says, When the cloud burst, we were flown away and I was stuck under a car My mother was under a electricity pole Administration took quick action and the vehicles of army and CRPF https://t.co/RDRijDtiMz pic.twitter.com/eXoYNrnawv ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2025 Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Kishtwar, Dr Yudhvir Singh Kotwal says, We have received 88 patients so far and 36 are being referred to GMC Jammu. We are awaiting identification for two dead bodies which were brought to the hospital" 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 Location : Kishtwar, India, India First Published: August 15, 2025, 11:37 IST News india 'Toppled Like Toys': Survivors Recall J&K Flash Flood Horror, At Least 46 Killed Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... When Courage And Compassion Trumped Religion: 12 Stories From The India-Pakistan Partition Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 14:07 IST 1947 Partition: From the kulfi seller who whispered "don't fear" through gunfire to the soldier who sold jewelry to feed 14 families, ordinary people chose humanity over hatred In this September 17, 1947 photo, Muslim refugees evacuated from areas of unrest in New Delhi take shelter in Purana Qila. (AP Photo) The Partition of 1947 is often remembered through stories of bloodshed, displacement, and hatred. However, alongside these tragic events, there were many touching stories where Hindu and Muslim communities saved each others lives, honour, and homes. This Independence Day, lets revisit some of those remarkable tales of human compassion that transcended religious boundaries. The Guardian Soldier of Gurdaspur Recommended Stories When rioters came to attack Hindus in a small village near Gurdaspur, a Muslim soldier named Karim Khan was posted there. He stopped the mob with his weapon and hid 14 Hindu families in his house. For three days, he fed them by selling his wifes jewellery. When the route to India became safe, he personally rode a horse to escort them to the border. As they parted ways, an elderly Hindu woman said to him, Son, you will always remain my son, no matter how big the border becomes." The Rooftop Rescue in Lahore When violence erupted in an old locality of Lahore, Muslim businessman Hakim Shafiq used a bamboo ladder from the roof of his mansion to pull up a Hindu family trapped in the street below. For two days, they all shared meals from the same stove. Hakim sahib later took them safely to Amritsar with his convoy. For many years, the son of that Hindu family would travel to Pakistan annually to offer flowers at Hakim Shafiqs grave. The Kulfiwalas Secret Protection Rafiq Mian, a famous kulfi seller in Old Delhis Ballimaran, had a dear friend who was preparing to leave for Karachi during Partition. When riots broke out, Rafiq gave his friends family shelter in the back room of his house. Every night, when the sound of gunfire echoed through the streets, Rafiq would tap on their door and reassure them: Brother, dont be afraidthe kulfi waala is outside." He kept the family safe for an entire week. When a train was finally arranged, he transported them to the station on his kulfi cart so no one would suspect anything. The Shared Kitchen of Faizabad In some villages of Uttar Pradeshs Faizabad district, despite the surrounding riots, communities established a unique rule: the shared chulha (shared kitchen). Every day, one house would prepare rotis while another made vegetables, and everyone would eat together. This system ensured that no one could identify which food came from which religions household. The village elders would reportedly say, Religion builds walls, but roti breaks them down." A Promise Sealed with Vermillion The story goes that a Hindu couple in Karachi had to leave for India, but the woman was pregnant and the journey seemed too risky. Their Muslim neighbours, Imran and his wife, insisted: Let the child be born first, then you can go." After the woman safely delivered her baby and completed a full month of recovery, Imran arranged for them to travel to Bombay on his boat. As they departed, he touched the womans vermillion and said, This colour should exist not only on your forehead but also in the trust between us." The Dawn Rescue in Amritsar A Muslim family in Amritsar found themselves surrounded by danger during Partition. Their Sikh friend, risking his own life, drove through deserted areas in the early morning hours to transport them to the railway station. He safely evacuated eight women from the family. This rescue took place on a day when most trains were stained with blooda personal memoir was later published in The Hindu newspaper. Gandhis Daughter in Noakhali Bibi Amtus Salam, a Muslim social worker and follower of Mahatma Gandhi, played a crucial role in calming Hindu-Muslim riots in Bengals Noakhali district during the 1947 partition. She joined Gandhi in a 21-day fast and later led peace restoration efforts in the region. While her own family fled to Pakistan, she chose to remain in India, holding high the torch of brotherhood and peace. In Gandhis eyes, she was like a daughter to him. The Neighbours Promise in Punjab In a Punjab village where violence had erupted, a Hindu family was preparing to flee their home overnight. Their Muslim neighbour Abdul stopped them, saying, You are like my brothers and sisters. No harm will come to you as long as I am here." Abdul sheltered them in his house and protected them for several days until the situation stabilised. Even amid the tragedy of Partition, this neighbour became a symbol of unwavering trust. Brotherhood on the Rails Fear of attack loomed over a train traveling from Amritsar to Lahore. A Sikh youth named Harnam Singh noticed a Muslim woman traveling with her child, both terrified. He set down his sword and reassured her: Bibi, dont be afraidyou are my sister." He not only protected them throughout the journey but also ensured they reached Lahore safely. This act became a powerful example of brotherhood during that turbulent era. The Shopkeepers Trust Ramlal, a Hindu shopkeeper in Lahore, had to abandon his shop and flee to India. He entrusted the keys to his friend Muhammad Yusuf. Yusuf not only protected the shop from looters but, when Ramlal returned after Partition, handed back the entire establishment and all its goods intact. This friendship proved to be beyond the constraints of time and borders. Strangers Turned Saviours An elderly Muslim man in a refugee group traveling from Karachi to Delhi noticed a Hindu family suffering from hunger and thirst. He shared his rotis and water with them, saying, We are all humansreligion cannot divide us." His simple act of kindness became a lifeline for that family. Childrens Innocent Diplomacy In a Punjab school where rumours of partition were spreading fear, a Hindu boy and his Muslim friend studied side by side. They made a pact to protect each others families. When violence escalated, both boys approached their respective communities and appealed for peace. Their innocent efforts reportedly helped reduce tensions in the village to some extent. Other Acts of Courage top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Medical Heroes: Dr. Purushottam Dutt and his brother Dr. Narayan Dutt took up arms to protect Muslim patients in their hospital, successfully stopping a mob attack. Dr. Purushottam Dutt and his brother Dr. Narayan Dutt took up arms to protect Muslim patients in their hospital, successfully stopping a mob attack. The Protector of Amritsar: When riots erupted in Amritsar in June 1947, Baba Ghanshyam Singh hid and protected hundreds of Muslims in his residence. When riots erupted in Amritsar in June 1947, Baba Ghanshyam Singh hid and protected hundreds of Muslims in his residence. The Station Chiefs Shield: At Firozpur railway station, Station Chief Trilok Nath ensured the safety of 300 Muslims who had taken shelter in a nearby mosque, preventing attacks against them. These stories remind us that even in humanitys darkest hours, compassion, courage, and love can transcend the artificial boundaries that divide us. They stand as testament to the fact that individual acts of kindness, no matter how small, can illuminate the path toward hope and healing. About the Author Nitya Thirumalai Nitya Thirumalai, News Editor at News18.com, writes on Indian and global politics as well as Formula 1. She was Google News Initiative-Columbia Journalism School Fellow in the inaugural Newsroom Leadership Prog... Read More Nitya Thirumalai, News Editor at News18.com, writes on Indian and global politics as well as Formula 1. She was Google News Initiative-Columbia Journalism School Fellow in the inaugural Newsroom Leadership Prog... Read More First Published: August 15, 2025, 14:07 IST News india When Courage And Compassion Trumped Religion: 12 Stories From The India-Pakistan Partition Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Happy Krishna Janmashtami 2025: Best Wishes, Messages, Quotes And Images For Facebook WhatsApp Status Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 17:00 IST Janmashtami 2025 Wishes Quotes: Here are some beautiful wishes, images, greeting and quotes that you can share with your siblings, friends, family, and colleagues on Gokulashtami. Happy Janmashtami Images 2025: Wishes Photos, Quotes, Photos, Pics, Facebook SMS and Messages to share with your loved ones on Gokulashtami. (Image: Shutterstock) Janmashtami Wishes Quotes And Images 2025: Krishna Janmashtami, which marks the birth of Lord Krishna, is considered one of the most significant occasions in the Hindu calendar. In 2025, devotees will celebrate the Krishna Janmashtami festival on August 16. According to Drik Panchang, the Nishita Puja (midnight ritual) is scheduled between 12:20 AM and 01:05 AM on August 17. ALSO READ: Janmashtami 2025 Shubh Muhurat: City-Wise Timings, Puja Samagri, Rituals To Mark Lord Krishnas Birthday Recommended Stories Amid spiritual fervour, devotees will take part in various ceremonies and temple rituals on Janmashtami. In the digital age, devotees also use various social media platforms to spread devotional messages, quotes, wishes and images of their beloved Kanha among each other and be one with the divine power. This Janmashtami, share these wishes, quotes and images with fellow devotees and pass on the calm and spiritual vibes. Happy Janmashtami Wishes And Messages May the blessings of Lord Krishna fill your life and the lives of your loved ones with joy, love, and prosperity. Wishing you a blessed and joyous Janmashtami. Wishing you a day filled with devotion and spirituality. Have a blessed Happy Lord Krishna Janmashtami. ALSO READ: Dahi Handi 2025: Safe And Fun Janmashtami Celebration Tips For Schools, Societies On this auspicious day of Krishna Janmashtami, may Lord Krishna shower his divine blessings upon you and your family. Happy Janmashtami! May the divine tunes of Krishnas flute soothe the soul and give you inner peace. Happy Janmashtami to you and your family members. May the sweet flute melodies of Lord Krishna fill your heart with boundless joy and serenity. On this auspicious Janmashtami, may your life be graced with love, happiness, and inner peace. Let the birth of Lord Krishna remind us of the eternal values of love, compassion, and wisdom. May his blessings be with you always. Happy Janmashtami! ALSO READ: Janmashtami 2025 Bhog Recipes: 10 Traditional Dishes For Lord Krishna Birthday Happy Janmashtami. May the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami bring new hope, happiness, and peace into your life. May you be blessed with success and prosperity. The teachings of Krishna continue to be a source of timeless wisdom and enlightenment. May you find enduring inspiration and guidance in his divine words. May his wisdom shape your choices. ALSO READ: Janmashtami 2025 Fast Timings: When To Observe Fast, Dos And Donts To Follow May the divine love of Lord Krishna bring you peace, prosperity, and happiness. Wishing you a blessed Janmashtami Happy Krishna Janmashtami Images Happy Krishna Janmashtami Quotes You must worship the Self in Krishna, not Krishna as Krishna" Swami Vivekananda If you fail to achieve your goal, change the strategy, not the goal" Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita Krishna is the embodiment of eternal bliss, eternal wisdom, and eternal beauty. He is the neutralising power in the universe" Sri Aurobindo top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all If we want to be touched by the consciousness that we refer to as Krishna, we need Leela, the path of the playful" Sadhguru The truth is, Krishna was born much ahead of his time. All great persons are born ahead of their time, and all insignificant people are born after their time. It is only mediocre people who are born in their time." Osho. 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 fashion, travel, News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health food , wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated. Location : Vrindavan, India, India First Published: August 15, 2025, 17:00 IST News lifestyle Happy Krishna Janmashtami 2025: Best Wishes, Messages, Quotes And Images For Facebook WhatsApp Status Over 345 Ganesh Idol Designs? This Jamnagar Family Creates Them All Curated By : Local18 Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 14:48 IST In Jamnagar, Atul Laljibhai Prajapati and his family of six have been creating idols that are not only lifelike but also follow traditional scriptures. For the Prajapati family, every idol is a blend of art, devotion, and responsibility. (Image: News18 Gujarati) With Ganesh Chaturthi just days away, markets are buzzing with vibrant idols of Lord Ganesha. In Jamnagar, one family has been quietly winning hearts for over 14 years crafting customised Ganesh idols exactly the way devotees envision them. A Tradition Carved With Devotion Recommended Stories In the Gulab Nagar area of Jamnagar, Atul Laljibhai Prajapati and his family of six have been creating idols that are not only lifelike but also follow traditional scriptures. When the government banned Plaster of Paris idols, demand shifted to eco-friendly clay ones and the Prajapatis rose to the challenge. They began with just two types of idols. Today, their workshop offers over 345 varieties of Ganesha from classic designs to elaborate, culturally-inspired ones making them a favourite among devotees. Custom-Made For Every Devotee Keeping Jamnagars local culture in mind, the family designs idols featuring traditional elements like the halari turban, khesh, dhoti, crowns, and even tiger-skin motifs, depending on what devotees request. Work begins 45 months in advance to meet festive deadlines. This year, 90% of their orders have already been booked, leaving only a handful available proof of their popularity. Eco-Friendly Craftsmanship top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Their idols range from 6 inches to 4 feet in height. Each is made from a mix of black clay from Vibhapar, red clay from Wankaner, and other natural clays giving them strength, detail, and a smooth finish. These idols dissolve easily in water during immersion, ensuring zero harm to the environment. For the Prajapati family, every idol is a blend of art, devotion, and responsibility. Their work not only fulfils the faith of devotees but also promotes sustainable celebrations. In doing so, theyve made themselves an inseparable part of Jamnagars Ganesh Chaturthi keeping the festival both grand and eco-friendly. About the Author Lifestyle Desk Our life needs a bit of style to get the perfect zing in the daily routine. News18 Lifestyle is one-stop destination for everything you need to know about the world of fashion, food, health, travel, relationshi... Read More Our life needs a bit of style to get the perfect zing in the daily routine. News18 Lifestyle is one-stop destination for everything you need to know about the world of fashion, food, health, travel, relationshi... Read More fashion, travel, News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health food , wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated. First Published: August 15, 2025, 14:48 IST News lifestyle Over 345 Ganesh Idol Designs? This Jamnagar Family Creates Them All Opinion | Srijan Defence Portal: PM Modi's Vision For Swadeshi Innovation And Strategic Autonomy In Defence Written By : CNN-News18 Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 07:30 IST Launched in August 2020 during the height of global supply chain disruptions, it represents a strategic paradigm shift from import dependence to indigenous innovation Its success coincides with India's defence production reaching an unprecedented Rs 1.51 lakh crore in FY 2024-25, marking an 18% growth over the previous year and representing a 224% increase since 2014-15. Representational image/PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modis ambitious vision for an Atmanirbhar Bharat has found one of its most tangible expressions in the Srijan Defence Portal. It is a digital gateway that has fundamentally transformed Indias approach to defence indigenisation. Launched in August 2020 during the height of global supply chain disruptions, it represents a strategic paradigm shift from import dependence to indigenous innovation. Srijans remarkable success, with over 36,000 defence items uploaded and more than 14,000 successfully indigenised, demonstrates how digital infrastructure can serve as a catalyst for national strategic autonomy. Recommended Stories The strategic implications extend far beyond procurement statistics. In an era where geopolitical tensions with China and evolving global defence dynamics demand self-reliance, Srijan has emerged as a critical instrument for reducing vulnerabilities while simultaneously positioning India as a credible defence partner on the global stage. Its success coincides with Indias defence production reaching an unprecedented Rs 1.51 lakh crore in FY 2024-25, marking an 18% growth over the previous year and representing a 224% increase since 2014-15. This transformation reflects not merely economic progress but a fundamental recalibration of Indias strategic posture. Architecture of Strategic Transformation The conceptualisation of Srijan Defence Portal emerged from a critical recognition that Indias defence ecosystem required a structure strong enough to break decades of import dependence. Launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as part of Atmanirbhar Week celebrations, Srijan was designed as a one-stop shop connecting Defence Public Sector Undertakings, Service Headquarters, and private industry. The timing was also critical, following the May 2020 border tensions with China and amid global supply chain vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic, India needed rapid indigenisation mechanisms. It enables 19 organisations, 16 DPSUs and 3 Service Headquarters to display import-dependent items with detailed specifications, annual import values, and NATO classifications. This transparency mechanism allows Indian manufacturers to identify opportunities matching their capabilities or potential through joint ventures with OEMs. What distinguishes Srijan from conventional procurement platforms is its integration with broader indigenisation policies. It serves as the digital backbone for implementing Positive Indigenisation Lists (PILs), which mandate time-bound indigenisation of critical defence items. This approach has resulted in five PILs comprising over 5,500 items, creating realistic timelines for import substitution. It thus functions as both a marketplace and a policy implementation tool, ensuring that indigenisation delivers the results India requires it to. Srijan has facilitated massive indigenisation efforts with over 14,000 items successfully indigenised from 36,000 uploaded defence items. Srijans Measurable Impact Since its launch, Srijan has facilitated the indigenisation of over 14,000 items, whilst simultaneously supporting broader defence production growth from Rs 46,429 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 1.51 lakh crore in 2024-25. Analysis of sectoral distribution reveals that indigenisation efforts have successfully targeted critical technologies. The Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), with its 40+ kilometre range and advanced fire control systems, exemplifies high-value indigenisation achievements facilitated through Srijans ecosystem. Defence exports have surged 34-fold from Rs 686 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 23,622 crore in 2024-25, with much of this growth attributed to capabilities developed through indigenous manufacturing supported by Srijan initiatives. Countries across Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East are increasingly sourcing Indian defence equipment, validating the quality and competitiveness of indigenised systems. The Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) programme, closely integrated with Srijan, provides grants up to Rs 1.5 crore for prototype development whilst connecting startups directly with military requirements. The success of companies like ideaForge in UAV systems and Tonbo Imaging in advanced sensors demonstrates the effectiveness of this integrated approach. Srijans success in engaging smaller enterprises deserves particular attention. Over 16,000 MSMEs are now integrated into defence supply chains, representing a democratisation of defence manufacturing previously dominated by large PSUs. These enterprises contribute 23% of total defence production, up from 21% in the previous year, indicating growing private sector confidence and capability. National Security and Strategic Implications In an increasingly multipolar world where technological sovereignty determines national power, Srijan serves as a critical instrument and a beacon for reducing dependencies on foreign suppliers, particularly given growing geopolitical tensions with China. The ability to indigenously produce complex defence systems provides strategic flexibility during crises whilst reducing vulnerabilities to supply chain manipulations or technology denial regimes. Operation Sindoor revealed concerning levels of Chinese components in defence equipment, prompting comprehensive audits and supply chain reviews. Srijans role becomes crucial as it helps in the systematic identification and substitution of vulnerable dependencies through transparent indigenisation processes. Indigenous production of critical systems like BrahMos missiles, Tejas aircraft, and advanced naval platforms provides operational flexibility whilst demonstrating credible deterrence capabilities. The export success of these systems to countries like the Philippines further enhances Indias strategic influence, creating dependencies that serve broader geopolitical interests. Defence Diplomacy and Export Strategy Srijans success in fostering indigenous capabilities has enhanced Indias global strategic positioning in terms of defence exports. It has played a crucial role in enabling defence exports worth Rs 23,622 crore in 2024-25, representing a 34-fold increase from 2013-14. Over 100 countries now import Indian defence equipment. BrahMos missile exports to the Philippines and ongoing negotiations with Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia directly serve Indias Act East policy, whilst countering Chinese influence in Southeast Asia. Similarly, defence partnerships with Armenia and potential collaborations with Argentina showcase Indias defence manufacturing transformation. Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are being positioned as hubs for export-oriented production, creating economies of scale that benefit both domestic capabilities and export competitiveness. European nations are seeking to diversify their suppliers and expedite procurement in response to heightened geostrategic threats. The EUs 2025 Defence White Paper sets out an ambitious agenda to strengthen strategic autonomy through measures like the 800 billion Readiness 2030 plan. India stands out as a prime partner offering proven, battle-tested solutions with reliable delivery timelines and a lower risk of geopolitical disruption. Beyond sheer volume and cost-effectiveness, Srijans success has cultivated a robust and innovative supply chain, granting India the agility to adapt product offerings to fit stringent European requirements and certification standards, which already include NATO requirements. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Srijans success in facilitating 14,000+ indigenised items and supporting Rs 1.51 lakh crore defence production demonstrates how digital platforms can serve as instruments of strategic transformation. Its integration with broader Atmanirbhar Bharat objectives has created synergies that enhance both economic development and national security capabilities and even provide India with a diplomatic advantage. Yes, Srijan is just a portal for facilitation, but we are all better for it. About the Author Sohil Sinha Sohil Sinha is a Sub Editor at News18. He writes on foreign affairs, geopolitics along with domestic policy and infrastructure projects. Sohil Sinha is a Sub Editor at News18. He writes on foreign affairs, geopolitics along with domestic policy and infrastructure projects. First Published: August 15, 2025, 07:30 IST News opinion Opinion | Srijan Defence Portal: PM Modi's Vision For Swadeshi Innovation And Strategic Autonomy In Defence Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Opinion | Women In New India The Great Disruption Written By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 15:26 IST Clearly, welfarism under Modi has truly been a means to empower women. From armed forces to entrepreneurship, women are taking charge across sectors In Modi's India, a Santhali woman from a remote village in Mayurbhanj district in Odisha is today the proud occupant of Raisina Hill. (PTI/File) Kiran Kumari from Bokaro in Jharkhand was a hawker. Now, she is a proud toy and gift shop owner after receiving a loan of Rs 2 lakh, thanks to PM Narendra Modis flagship scheme, Mudra Yojana. Munirabanu Shabbir Hussain Malek from Surat received a Mudra loan of Rs 1.77 lakh, took LMV driving training, and is now earning Rs 25,000 per month by driving an auto rickshaw. Recommended Stories Veena Devi from Kathua District of Jammu and Kashmir, who worked as a weaver, received a Mudra loan of Rs 1 lakh and is now one of the leading manufacturers of Pashmina shawls in her area. Clearly, welfarism under Modi has truly been a means to empower women. India now has over 1.76 lakh start-ups, with at least 45% of them being founded or co-founded by women entrepreneurs. The number of women seeking business loans has more than tripled in the last 11 years. If there is one area that has seen a sea change in terms of fabulous opportunities for women, it is womens participation in the Indian Armed Forces, with a renewed focus on inclusivity, equal opportunities, and breaking gender barriers. The Permanent Commission, for example, has now been extended to women officers in the Indian Army, allowing them to serve in command roles and have longer careerspreviously limited to only Short Service Commission. Over 557 women officers have received Permanent Commissions. In 2021, the government removed gender barriers, allowing women to join the NDA, a significant step towards enabling women to train for officer roles in the armed forces from an early stage. In 2023, a proposal granting women soldiers, sailors, and air warriors the same leave terms as female officersincluding 180 days of maternity leave, 360 days of childcare leave, and 180 days for child adoptionwas approved. This aims to improve work-life balance and encourage more women to join the forces. The Modi government also opened combat roles for women, disrupting traditional restrictions. In 2015, the Indian Air Force began inducting women as fighter pilots, with Bhawana Kanth becoming the first woman qualified for combat missions in 2019. The Army approved women officers induction into the Regiment of Artillery in 2023. The Navy has assigned women officers to ship duties and as pilots for Remotely Piloted Aircraft. The Agnipath recruitment scheme, introduced in 2022, includes women as Agniveers, enabling them to serve in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The Navy has already started recruiting women, with the other services preparing to follow. The number of women in the armed forces has nearly tripled since 2014. As of 2023, over 7,000 women serve in the Army, 1,875 in the Air Force, and 748 in the Navy, including medical and dental officers. Women are now commissioned in multiple streams, such as Corps of Engineers, Army Aviation, and Intelligence Corps. The Modi government has celebrated milestones like Captain Abhilasha Barak becoming the first woman combat aviator in 2022 and Adaso Kapesa becoming the first woman officer in the Special Protection Group (SPG). The Navy appointed its first woman commanding officer on a naval ship in 2023. The Air Force has modernized facilities and launched DISHA cells to encourage womens participation. The Army inducted 83 women jawans into the Military Police Corps for the first time, enhancing their role in security operations. PM Modi has emphasized womens empowerment in the armed forces during speeches, such as on Navy Day 2023 in Sindhudurg and Diwali 2022 in Kargil, highlighting that womens induction boosts Indias strength. To cut to the chase, contrary to popular perception, the BJP is a highly progressive and modern organization where meritocracy rules the roost. As the National Spokesperson of the BJPand even much before I got into that roleI always found the BJP top brass to be very gender sensitive. No one till this day from the BJP has ever told me what to eat, what to wear, or how to conduct myself in public life. Better still, no one has even bothered to ask me what my sartorial preferences are or what cuisine I prefer, and that is exactly how it should be. Despite coming from a family of bankers and investment bankers, I have never felt like an outsider and have completely blended into the BJPs political and cultural milieu. That women are discriminated against or treated as a lesser species within the BJP is something you will find only in the utterly biased and trashy op-ed columns of The Washington Post or The New York Times, written by some junior, Leftist, Modi-hating editor. From defining the nations first menstrual hygiene protocol, amending the Medical Termination Pregnancy Act of 1971, giving women reproductive rights over their bodies and increasing the foetal gestation period from 20 to 24 weeks, welcoming more women recruits in the NCCwhich is being extended to border and coastal areasto criminalizing the inhuman and unconstitutional practice of instant triple talaq and the bold decision to increase marriageable age from 18 to 21 years for women, the Modi government has truly exhibited a fearless, women-friendly approach that is both mature and modern, and something which no other government in post-Independent India can dare boast of. Banning commercial surrogacy, which had led to the mushrooming of illegal IVF and surrogacy clinics, was yet another bold move by the Modi government. Over 55% of beneficiaries under the PMJDY scheme are women. In the last 11 years, over 85 millionthat is, over 8.5 crore women working in SHGshave been provided with funds of over Rs 5.5 lakh crore. PM Modis concept of Lakhpati Didis is redefining the very concept of wealth creation. Among the many services provided by Mahila-E-Haat are facilitating direct contact between vendors and buyers, and it is open to all Indian women above the age of 18. The Modi governments Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative is so much more than just a mission statement, best exemplified by the surge in the sex ratio at birth (SRB) in Haryana from 871 in 2015 to over 914 now, with districts like Panipat and Yamunanagar reporting SRB of 945 and 943 for every 1,000 males. The increase in overall sex ratio is a combination of increased life expectancy of women and improvement in the sex ratio at birth or the number of female births for every 1,000 male births. The overall sex ratio today stands at over 1,020 females for every 1,000 males (NFHS-5 data), with the number of females exceeding the number of males for the first time ever. That again is a good sign. Most importantly, Indias 15th President, Droupadi Murmu, is the embodiment of how naari shakti in Modis India is essentially about the ability to dream, the willingness to work hard, and the determination to succeed, unwaveringly and undeterred. That Murmu is also the first tribal leader who is now Indias First Citizen, as India celebrates Amrit Kaal, makes her achievements even more notable. Suffice to conclude that in Modis India, a Santhali woman from a remote village in Mayurbhanj district in Odisha is today the proud occupant of Raisina Hill. That inspiring journey of Droupadi Murmu is also an ode to the farsightedness and astute vision of PM Modi, who remains one of the most popular and powerful leaders globally, and for good reason. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all There is a famous quote by Samantha Shannon: No woman should ever be made to fear that she was not enough." Well, suffice to say, in Modis New India, there is no limit to what we as women can accomplish. The world is our oyster. And we are just getting started. Sanju Verma is an Economist, National Spokesperson for BJP and Bestselling Author of The Modi Gambit. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. First Published: August 15, 2025, 15:26 IST News opinion Opinion | Women In New India The Great Disruption Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... PM Modi's RSS Praise In I-Day Speech Sparks Political Debate: Congress Slams Remark, BJP Invokes Nehru Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 17:18 IST While the Congress accused the Prime Minister of politicising the national event, the BJP said the opposition party was now detached 'from Nehru himself' Addressing the nation on the 79th anniversary of India's independence, the Prime Minister lauded the RSS on its centennial anniversary, calling its 100-year journey of national service a 'very proud and glorious' chapter. (File photo) In his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday sparked a fresh political debate by lavishing praise on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Addressing the nation on the 79th anniversary of Indias independence, the Prime Minister lauded the RSS on its centennial anniversary, calling its 100-year journey of national service a very proud and glorious" chapter. He referred to the organisation as the worlds biggest NGO" and saluted its volunteers for their dedication to character building" and nation-building". This direct and prominent reference to the RSS from the national podium drew immediate and sharp criticism from the Congress, which accused the Prime Minister of politicising the national event. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh called the mention of the RSS a blatant breach of the spirit of a constitutional, secular republic." In a post on X, he alleged it was a desperate attempt to appease the organisation" in the run-up to the Prime Ministers 75th birthday next month, hinting at a power struggle within the Sangh. Ramesh further described the speech as stale, hypocritical, insipid," and a bland mix of self-congratulation and selective storytelling". Recommended Stories Another Congress MP, Manickam Tagore, took to social media to criticise the RSSs role in Indias history. He posted that the RSSs legacy is not of fighting colonialismbut of spreading hate and division among fellow Indians." He further accused the Prime Minister of Insulting the memory of real Freedom Fighters for the sake of an organisation that stayed aloof from the struggle." The BJP was quick to defend the Prime Ministers remarks, citing the RSSs contributions to society and national development. BJP spokespersons argued that the organisations century-long record of social work, disaster relief, and character development was a source of national pride. They also pointed to what they claimed were past instances of Congress leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru, acknowledging the RSSs role in nation-building, framing the criticism as a politically motivated attack born out of frustration. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In 1963, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru invited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to join the Republic Day parade and called it an organisation of patriots."As the RSS marks 100 years, it is fitting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentions it from the Red Fort. Indias pic.twitter.com/95hS64GLpS Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 15, 2025 While the BJP views the Sangh as a patriotic, service-oriented organisation, the Congress and other opposition parties continue to portray it as a right-wing, communal force that played no significant role in the freedom struggle. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 17:18 IST News politics PM Modi's RSS Praise In I-Day Speech Sparks Political Debate: Congress Slams Remark, BJP Invokes Nehru Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Rahul Gandhi, Kharge Skip PMs I-Day Event: BJP Flags Congresss Repeated Disrespect Of Sindoor Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 13:25 IST Even as the controversy was brewing, the Congress released pictures of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge unfurling the national flag at the Congress headquarters in Indira Bhawan PM Modi at the I-Day event at Red Fort; Rahul Gandhi at Indira Bhawan. (PTI) The absence of top two leaders of the Congress Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge from Prime Minister Narendra Modis Independence Day event at Red Fort has stirred a row, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) already making it an issue. The BJP has called it a disrespect" to both the PMs position, the flag, and more importantly, to the Operation Sindoor which was the theme of the August 15 celebrations today. Recommended Stories Even as the controversy was brewing, the Congress released pictures of both Gandhi and Kharge unfurling the national flag at the Congress headquarters in Indira Bhawan. As an LoP, Gandhi had attended the Red Fort event last year, but it soon snowballed into a huge controversy. Many in the Congress objected to the fact that disrespect was shown to the LoP by making him sit at the back while other ministers sat in the front row. The Defence Ministry, which oversees the seating and other arrangements, clarified that the LoP was not targeted and the front rows were reserved for the Olympians who were being felicitated. Its not the first time that Congress has boycotted or stayed away from the PMs events. Like, it did not attend the bhoomi pujan for the new Parliament building nor its inauguration. The Congress, despite an invite, skipped the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha on grounds that it was a BJP event and had nothing to do with religious feelings. Congress spokesperson in tv debate with me just now confirmed that LoP" Rahul Gandhi skipped 15th August Program at Red FortThis was a national celebration but sadly Lover of Pakistan Rahul Gandhi in Modi virodh does Desh & Sena Virodh! Shameful behaviour Is this Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) August 15, 2025 The Congress has faced attack for many of its statements over Op Sindoor and with Gandhis questions including on how many Indian jets fell or was it the Pakistani jet; who asked for the ceasefire and was it dictated by America. The BJP has accused the Congress of speaking a language which emboldens Pakistan and is anti-national. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all This years invites for the Red Fort speech had Operation Sindoor as its theme, and the absence of the LoPs has given ammunition to the BJP. The PMs comment on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and emergency has also not gone down well with the Congress, where they have accused the PM of making a political point on an occasion where it should have been avoided. As per Congress, this is one reason why the top Congress leaders dont see a point in attending an event which is political and less about nationalism. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 12:28 IST News politics Rahul Gandhi, Kharge Skip PMs I-Day Event: BJP Flags Congresss Repeated Disrespect Of Sindoor Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'An Insult To Army, Constitution': BJP Attacks Rahul Gandhi For Skipping Red Fort I-Day Event Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 12:14 IST Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge unfurled the national flag at the event, which was attended by party functionaries from across the capital. Rahul Gandhi at Congress' I-day event. (PTI) The BJP on Friday hit out at Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for skipping the governments Independence Day programme at the Red Fort. Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused Gandhi of insulting the nation and the armed forces with his absence. Today, on 15th August, we celebrate our freedom. This is the national day of the country, not the birthday of a person or the programme of a single party. But the Congress has proved it is not the Indian National Congress, but the Islamabad National Congress or the Italian National Congress," Poonawalla said. Recommended Stories Congress spokesperson in tv debate with me just now confirmed that LoP" Rahul Gandhi skipped 15th August Program at Red FortThis was a national celebration but sadly Lover of Pakistan Rahul Gandhi in Modi virodh does Desh & Sena Virodh! Shameful behaviour Is this Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) August 15, 2025 He alleged that by avoiding the national ceremony, the Leader of the Opposition had gone against Modi, against the country, and against the Constitution." Referring to the Red Fort honours for Operation Sindoor and the armed forces, he claimed, Going against the army has become a common thing for Congress. The Leader of the Opposition has always said he is against the Indian state and does not even consider India a nation." Poonawalla further said the Congresss actions amounted to an insult to the army, the Constitution, the countrys major military operations, and the martyrs and freedom fighters," adding, Rahul Gandhi has dishonoured the nation. The Supreme Court has already said he does not speak like an Indian. While fighting Modi and the BJP, Rahulji, you have started fighting the country." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, marked Independence Day at Indira Bhavan in Delhi, where he joined Congress workers and senior leaders for a flag hoisting ceremony. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge unfurled the national flag at the event, which was attended by party functionaries from across the capital. Today, we remember all the freedom fighters whose sacrifices brought us this independence. It is our duty to protect it," the Congress said in a statement. Gandhi participated in the celebrations despite rain, with videos from the event shared by the party and news 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 11:27 IST News politics 'An Insult To Army, Constitution': BJP Attacks Rahul Gandhi For Skipping Red Fort I-Day Event Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... BRASILIA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- President of Brazil's Chamber of Deputies Hugo Motta on Thursday dismissed the possibility of Congress approving a blanket pardon for those accused of an attempted coup in late 2022 and early 2023. "I do not see an environment in the Chamber for, for example, granting amnesty to those who planned to kill people. I do not believe that environment exists," Motta said in an interview with Brazilian news network GloboNews regarding a potential amnesty bill. On Jan. 8, 2023, supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the government buildings in the capital of Brasilia. Defense teams for Bolsonaro and other defendants presented their closing arguments on Wednesday, moving the trial toward its final phase in the coming months. According to Motta, those who played a peripheral role in the Jan. 8 events and received stiff sentences could have their cases reviewed, potentially resulting in reduced penalties. "There is concern about people who did not play a central role, but who ended up receiving heavy sentences due to the accumulation of penalties. There is a certain sensitivity regarding these people who, in a review of sentences, could in some ways receive ... a lighter sentence," he said. Apple Is Bringing Back This Important Health Feature For Watch Users: Heres What It Means Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 07:46 IST Apple Watch models in the US were banned from supporting this health feature since 2024 and now the company has found a way to make it work. Apple Watch users getting this important health feature in the US Apple Watch users are getting a major update this week which reintroduces an important health feature that has been missing for over a year. The availability of the redesigned Blood Oxygen feature has been confirmed by Apple via this post on Thursday, which also shares the details about the Apple Watch models that will support the new health tool. Apple has been selling Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 smartwatches in the United States since early 2024 without the ability to measure blood oxygen levels amid its patent dispute with Masimo. Recommended Stories But the latest update around the matter suggests the company has reworked its tech for the wearables and it has the official green flag to push it for all its users. Apple Watch Gets Blood Oxygen Feature Back: Why Does It Matter? Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 users in the US will get the new feature via an update that is rolling out with the iOS 18.6.1 version and watchOS 11.6.1 for the Apple Watch models. Following this update, sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch will be measured and calculated on the paired iPhone, and results can be viewed in the Respiratory section of the Health app," the post by Apple explains. This seems to be Apples way to bypass the sensor ban. To recall this whole saga, Apple was ordered to stop offering the feature after being found to infringe on a patent owned by medical equipment maker Masimo. The patent is related to measuring blood oxygen. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all People who bought these Watch models were able to see the Blood Oxygen feature icon but opening the app showed them the message the Blood Oxygen app is no longer available." The company said that any Apple Watch model indicated with part numbers ending in LW/A" was part of the banned list. The medical company even accused Apple of poaching its employees to work on similar tech for the Apple Watch which got the ban in place in January 2024. The Apple Watch models before Series 9 and those importing the Apple Watch models were not part of the ban and the users were able to normally use all the health features. 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 Get latest technology updates, including phone launches, gadget reviews, AI advancements. Stay informed with breaking tech news , expert insights, and trends from India and around the world . Also Download the News18 App to stay updated. First Published: August 15, 2025, 07:46 IST News tech Apple Is Bringing Back This Important Health Feature For Watch Users: Heres What It Means Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Amid Racial Backlash, Why NYU Named Its Engineering School After This Indian-Origin Couple Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 18:03 IST NYU Tandon School of Engineering is named after philanthropists Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon. Know all about the powerful Indian-American couple, NYU college named after Indian-American philanthropists Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and Ranjan Tandon New York Universitys School of Engineering was renamed the NYU Tandon School of Engineering in 2015. Recently, a video showing its graduates landing jobs at major tech firms like Google and Amazon, received several racial comments. The video was filmed during the graduation ceremony at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Students were sharing that they have secured lucrative job offers. However, instead of praise, the video received hate comments against Indians. Recommended Stories This is to be noted NYUs college, facing backlash in the video, is named after an Indian-origin couple- Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and Ranjan Tandon. In 2015, the Indian-American philanthropists donated a $100 million gift to the U.S. engineering school; it is one of the largest donations received by the University. Who are Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and Ranjan Tandon? Former McKinsey & Company partner and founder of Tandon Capital Associates, Chandrika Tandon, still plays a crucial role at NYU as she serves as a trustee and chairs both the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and the universitys Presidents Global Council. She is a recognized musician and composer who won her first Grammy for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album for Triveni, blending Vedic chants with world music. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Chandrikas work towards the education sector is one of the biggest highlights. She is the founder and patron of Madras Christian Colleges Boyd-Tandon School of Business. She is also a member of Yale Universitys Presidents Council of International Activities and her Foundation has established faculty Chairs at Yale and Harvard Universities. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Investment Committee and serves as a Governor of the New York Academy of Sciences. Her husband, Ranjan Tandon, is an IIT Kanpur and Harvard Business School alumnus. He is the founder and chairman of Libra Advisors. 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 Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google, News18's viral page features trending stories, videos , and memes, covering quirky incidents, social media buzz from india and around the world, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : New York, United States of America (USA) First Published: August 15, 2025, 18:03 IST News viral Amid Racial Backlash, Why NYU Named Its Engineering School After This Indian-Origin Couple Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Every Glass Of The World's Most Famous Cocktail Contains A Piece Of Mexican Volcano! Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 15:43 IST This distinctive spirit, known for its sharp taste and unique heritage, is an integral part of Mexican culture that has captivated millions worldwide Tequila's most famous contribution to cocktail culture is undoubtedly the Margarita. (AI Generated) Tequila is quite popular among alcohol enthusiasts, but most people dont know its fascinating history and cultural significance. This distinctive spirit, known for its sharp taste and unique heritage, is an integral part of Mexican culture that has captivated millions worldwide. Interestingly, during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, doctors actually recommended tequila as a remedy. They believed that consuming tequila with salt and lemon could reduce flu symptomsa testament to its long-standing reputation as more than just a party drink. Recommended Stories The Ancient Origins of Tequila Tequila is a distilled spirit made exclusively from the blue agave plant, a member of the lily family that resembles a giant aloe vera plant with sharp thorns. This drink has been evolving for centuries, and its production process remains largely unchanged from its ancient origins. The story begins with the Aztecs, who first created a fermented beverage called pulque from agave sap. This sacred drink played a crucial role in religious and ceremonial practices. When Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mexico, they adapted this indigenous beverage, creating their own distilled version called mezcal. Understanding the Difference: Tequila vs Mezcal Many people confuse tequila and mezcal, but understanding their relationship is key to appreciating both spirits. Mezcal is the umbrella term for any distilled spirit made from the maguey (agave) plant. Technically, tequila is a type of mezcal, but not all mezcals are tequilassimilar to how bourbon and Scotch are both types of whiskey. Both spirits are governed by strict production laws. While mezcal can be made from various agave species grown across nine Mexican states, the production must still occur within designated regions. The most significant difference lies in preparation methods: traditional mezcal distillers cook agave in earthen pits, creating that distinctive smoky flavour that sets it apart from tequila. Other agave spirits include pulque, sotol, raicilla, and bacanoraall technically classified as mezcal varieties, each with unique characteristics and production methods. However, only tequila and mezcal are widely available outside Mexico. The Birth of Tequila Tequila takes its name from the town of Tequila in Jalisco state, where it was first produced in the 16th century. The Marquis of Altamira established the first tequila distillery, using blue Weber agave (Agave azul)the same variety that remains the exclusive source for authentic tequila today. The Heart of Tequila: Blue Weber Agave Blue Weber agave thrives in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, where the climate and volcanic soil create ideal growing conditions. These remarkable plants grow in silicate-rich red volcanic soil, with over 300 million harvested annually for tequila production. The cultivation process requires extraordinary patienceblue agave takes 8-10 years to mature. During this time, the plant develops a large underground bulb called a pina, which resembles a giant white pineapple. After carefully removing the leaves, harvesters extract this pina and transport it to distilleries for processing. The Art of Tequila Production The tequila-making process is a fascinating blend of ancient tradition and modern technique. In the distillery, pinas are roasted in ovens or ground into pulp, then mixed with water and yeast for fermentation in large vessels over two to three weeks. The fermentation process differs notably from other spirits. First, blue agave pinas are cooked in steam pressure autoclaves, breaking down carbohydrates into fermentable sugars. The cooked agave is then crushed and mixed with water to create a mash, which ferments in tanks with added yeast over several days. The fermented liquid, called Mosto, undergoes double distillation. The first distillation produces Ordinario, a raw spirit containing about 20% alcohol. The second distillation creates the final tequila product with approximately 40% alcohol content. While Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, and Nayarit are the primary production states in Mexico, small producers in Texas and California also contribute to the market. The Five Types of Tequila Understanding tequila types enhances appreciation for this complex spirit: Blanco Tequila (Silver/White): Clear and unaged, or aged no more than 60 days in stainless steel or oak tanks. This affordable, versatile option works perfectly for cocktails, mixed drinks, and shots. Clear and unaged, or aged no more than 60 days in stainless steel or oak tanks. This affordable, versatile option works perfectly for cocktails, mixed drinks, and shots. Joven Tequila (Young/Gold): A blend of white and aged tequilas. Many cheaper gold" tequilas are mixto varieties with added caramel or similar flavouring. Joven tequila tends to be quite potent. A blend of white and aged tequilas. Many cheaper gold" tequilas are mixto varieties with added caramel or similar flavouring. Joven tequila tends to be quite potent. Reposado Tequila: Aged in oak casks for 2-9 months, these tequilas develop a mellow flavour profile with subtle oak notes and light brown colouring. Many distilleries use bourbon barrels, adding unique flavour dimensions. Excellent for sipping straight or in premium cocktails. Aged in oak casks for 2-9 months, these tequilas develop a mellow flavour profile with subtle oak notes and light brown colouring. Many distilleries use bourbon barrels, adding unique flavour dimensions. Excellent for sipping straight or in premium cocktails. Anejo Tequila (Aged): Aged in French oak or bourbon barrels for at least one year, often 18 months to three years. These darker, more robust spirits offer smooth complexity with balanced agave and oak flavours, featuring butterscotch and caramel notes. Aged in French oak or bourbon barrels for at least one year, often 18 months to three years. These darker, more robust spirits offer smooth complexity with balanced agave and oak flavours, featuring butterscotch and caramel notes. Extra-Anejo Tequila: Created as a category in 2006, these premium tequilas age in barrels for over three years, developing profiles that rival the worlds finest whiskies. Tequilas Gift to the World: The Margarita Tequilas most famous contribution to cocktail culture is undoubtedly the Margarita. This beloved drink, combining tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur served in a salt-rimmed glass, emerged in 1930s Mexico as tequila gained popularity in the United States. Today, the Margarita ranks among the worlds most popular cocktails, with countless variations celebrating its versatility. The Tequila Tasting Experience Tequila offers a unique tasting profile characterized by earthy flavours and a distinctive alcohol aroma. The taste varies significantly based on agave cultivation location and style: top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Blanco tequilas deliver the purest agave experience with earthy, semi-sweet, and distinctively agave-forward flavours Lowland tequilas typically express fruity and earthy characteristics Highland tequilas showcase green and bright flavour profiles Aged tequilas develop varying degrees of oak influence, creating complex flavour layers Each sip tells the story of its terroir, production methods, and aging process, making tequila one of the worlds most expressive spirits. About the Author Nitya Thirumalai Nitya Thirumalai, News Editor at News18.com, writes on Indian and global politics as well as Formula 1. She was Google News Initiative-Columbia Journalism School Fellow in the inaugural Newsroom Leadership Prog... Read More Nitya Thirumalai, News Editor at News18.com, writes on Indian and global politics as well as Formula 1. She was Google News Initiative-Columbia Journalism School Fellow in the inaugural Newsroom Leadership Prog... Read More Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google, News18's viral page features trending stories, videos , and memes, covering quirky incidents, social media buzz from india and around the world, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : Mexico First Published: August 15, 2025, 15:42 IST News viral Every Glass Of The World's Most Famous Cocktail Contains A Piece Of Mexican Volcano! Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... This Tech Giant Owns The World's Quietest Room Where You Can Hear Your Blood And Blinks! Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 14:27 IST World's Quietest Room: A popular myth suggests that no one can remain in this chamber for more than 45 minutes. However, this is false as the longest recorded stay is one hour Microsoft built this anechoic chamber primarily for audio testing of its products. (Courtesy: Microsoft) Does the noise and hustle of life ever get to you? Do you feel like just isolating yourself in your room to get some quiet time? Well, if your room or even your bathroom fails to do the trick, you can always travel to Washington that has the worlds quietest room where you can even hear the blood flowing in your body or your eyelids blinking! This room is an anechoic (or free from echo) chamber located in Washingtons Redmond Campus which serves as Microsofts headquarters. This campus, built approximately 40 years ago, comprises 87 buildings and also houses the anechoic chamber. Recommended Stories The Worlds Quietest Room The anechoic chamber is an ultra-quiet room that was completed in 2015. According to Guinness World Records, this chamber maintains a background sound level of -20.35 decibels, which essentially means complete silence. To put this in perspective, the normal human hearing threshold is 0 decibels, while calm breathing registers at 10 decibels. In this profound silence, visitors can hear the subtlest of internal sounds: their heartbeat, blood flowing through their body, stomach rumbling, and even the sound of blinking. The room is so quiet that people can actually hear the blood flowing through their head. While Microsofts Redmond campus houses three anechoic chambers, the largest one holds the Guinness World Record. The chamber effectively blocks all external sounds while preventing any internal sounds from creating echoeshence the name anechoic, meaning without echo. This absence of reverberation makes even simple sounds like clapping seem unnaturally stark and unsettling. The Human Experience Entering the anechoic chamber creates a unique and often overwhelming sensory experience. Since external sounds are eliminated, visitors become acutely aware of their bodys internal sounds: heartbeat, blood circulation, digestive processes, joint movement, and even tinnitus (ear ringing) become amplified. Most people find the complete absence of sound disorienting, experiencing feelings of heaviness or ringing in their ears. Even the faintest sounds become clearly audible due to the exceptionally low ambient noise level. Simple movements like turning ones head or breathing become noticeably loud. Reactions vary significantly among visitors. Some find the experience meditative and relaxing, while others feel uncomfortable and want to leave within seconds. The chambers complete darkness compounds the disorientation, affecting visitors balance since the ears typically help determine spatial orientation through sound cues. Some experience dizziness or anxiety, and prolonged exposure may even cause auditory hallucinations, such as hearing phantom voices. Debunking the 45-Minute Myth A popular myth suggests that no one can remain in the chamber for more than 45 minutes. However, this is false. Microsoft engineers who regularly work in the chamber can stay for extended periods, with the longest recorded stay being one hour. Upon exiting, the normal sounds of the outside world can seem explosively loud by comparison. Access and Design Microsofts anechoic chamber is not open to the public. Access is restricted to company engineers, researchers, and hardware team members. Visitors must arrange access through Microsoft employees who have authorization to use the facility. The chamber is designed as a 21-foot cube with 4-foot-long fiberglass wedges covering the walls, floor, and ceiling. The floor consists of a grid of sound-absorbing cables, and the entire structure rests on 68 springs with its own separate foundation. The construction process required eight months just to identify a suitable quiet building location. Every elementdoors, air conditioning, and sprinkler systemswas specially designed to prevent sound leakage. Purpose and Applications Microsoft built this anechoic chamber primarily for audio testing of its products. Engineers needed an environment where they could precisely measure subtle device sounds, such as the faint hum from circuit board capacitors or keyboard clicking sounds. The chamber is used to test audio features across Microsofts product range, including Surface computers, Xbox consoles, HoloLens, voice assistants like Cortana, and other hardware. Specific tests include measuring microphone dynamic range, frequency response, total harmonic distortion, and acoustic sealing effectiveness. Construction and Achievement The chambers construction was completed in 2015, following two years of design and planning work. Microsoft built this facility because their engineers lacked access to sufficiently quiet testing environments. Previously, the quietest chamber belonged to Orfield Laboratories in Minneapolis, measuring -9.4 decibels. Microsofts achievement of -20.6 decibels broke this record significantly. The companys goal was to enhance user audio experiences by testing products in an environment of absolute quiet. The anechoic design prevents sound wave reflection from surfaces, ensuring highly accurate measurements of Microsoft products sound levels. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Industry Impact Microsofts anechoic chamber represents a significant technological achievement and serves as an example of the companys commitment to innovation. Similar chambers are used by other technology companies for acoustic testing, but Microsofts facility remains one of the quietest places on Earth, demonstrating the lengths companies will go to perfect their products audio performance. About the Author Nitya Thirumalai Nitya Thirumalai, News Editor at News18.com, writes on Indian and global politics as well as Formula 1. She was Google News Initiative-Columbia Journalism School Fellow in the inaugural Newsroom Leadership Prog... Read More Nitya Thirumalai, News Editor at News18.com, writes on Indian and global politics as well as Formula 1. She was Google News Initiative-Columbia Journalism School Fellow in the inaugural Newsroom Leadership Prog... Read More Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google, News18's viral page features trending stories, videos , and memes, covering quirky incidents, social media buzz from india and around the world, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: August 15, 2025, 14:27 IST News viral This Tech Giant Owns The World's Quietest Room Where You Can Hear Your Blood And Blinks! Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Colonial Narrative: BLA Denounces US Terrorist Designation, Vows To Continue Fight Reported By : CNN-News18 Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 10:31 IST In a statement issued on Friday, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said the organisation had anticipated such a move and received it without any surprise or sense of added pressure. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has been in an active war for decades against the Pakistani state. (Image: Sourced) The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has formally rejected the United States decision to designate the group and its special unit, the Majeed Brigade, as a foreign terrorist organisation. The separatist outfit described the move as a deviation from ground realities" and an implicit endorsement of what it termed a colonial narrative" used against the Baloch struggle. In a statement issued on Friday, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said the organisation had anticipated such a move and received it without any surprise or sense of added pressure. He maintained that the BLA is a resistance force operating solely against the military domination of the occupying state" and remains committed to the liberation of what it calls its occupied motherland." Recommended Stories The spokesperson claimed that Pakistan had occupied Balochistan in 1948 through the use of force, and that the BLA represents a continuation of the resistance that began on that day. According to the statement, the group is the armed embodiment of Baloch national pride" and does not require external validation or any international certification" to justify its existence or its mission. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The BLA reiterated that all of its operations are directed against the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, intelligence networks, so-called death squads, and their collaborator gangs operating within Balochistan. We are not opposed to the people of Pakistan, nor to any world power our arms are raised solely against the occupier Pakistan Armed Forces until the occupation ends," the spokesperson said, underscoring that their fight is targeted exclusively at military and security institutions they consider to be instruments of occupation. The statement further stressed that the BLA would never retreat from its ideological, military or revolutionary responsibilities" and would not allow what it described as state propaganda, international labels, or global decisions to deter it from its chosen path. The group vowed to continue its armed struggle until, in its words, Baloch national liberation and sovereignty are achieved," framing the US designation as just another obstacle in a decades-long campaign it insists will not end until its objectives are met. About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 First Published: August 15, 2025, 10:31 IST News world Colonial Narrative: BLA Denounces US Terrorist Designation, Vows To Continue Fight Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... '6-7 Planes Came Down': Trump Takes Credit For India-Pakistan Ceasefire Again Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 07:29 IST Trump has repeatedly taken credit for brokering the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, despite India maintaining that no third country was involved in the talks. US President Donald Trump. (Reuters Image) US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) repeated his claim on brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, saying at least 6-7 planes were knocked out, without specifying which side suffered losses. I have solved six wars in the last six months. I am very proud of that," he said in the Oval Office. If you look at Pakistan and India, planes were being knocked out of the air, six or seven planes came down. They were ready to go nuclear, we solved that." Recommended Stories #WATCH | Washington DC | 6-7 planes were knocked out in India-Pakistan war, they were ready to go nuclear, we solved that" says US President Donald Trump.(Source: Unrestricted Pool Via Reuters) pic.twitter.com/3esGVAkC5W ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2025 Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for stopping hostilities between India and Pakistan after New Delhis effective response to Islamabads aggression following Operation Sindoor, where Indian Armed Forces carried out precise strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam. However, India has repeatedly denied any external intervention after Operation Sindoor, in which Indian forces targeted nine terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a recent address in the Lok Sabha, made it clear that no third party asked India to stop its actions against Pakistan, and stressed that the Pakistan DGMO asked for a ceasefire. Modi said India decided to pause the conflict after achieving 100% of its goals. Tensions between India and the US rose after Trump imposed 50% tariffs on all Indian imports for purchasing Russian oil, while Washington has taken a seemingly friendlier tone with Pakistan, which has credited the US president for stopping the conflict and has even nominated him for a Noble Peace Prize. Trump Cautious On Russia-Ukraine War Meanwhile, Trump is cautiously optimistic about a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine as he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. However, he said he was unsure whether an immediate ceasefire can be achieved, but expressed interest in brokering a peace agreement. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all We have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow. I think its going to be a good meeting, and I think President Putin will make peace. I think (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy will make peace. Well see if they can get along. And if they can, it will be great," he said. We tend to find out whether or not were going to have a good meeting or a bad meeting. And if its a bad meeting, itll end very quickly. And if its a good meeting, well go on to end up getting peace in the pretty near future." 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 Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: August 15, 2025, 06:51 IST News world '6-7 Planes Came Down': Trump Takes Credit For India-Pakistan Ceasefire Again Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Goal Is To Get Putin To Talks Table, Not Negotiate For Ukraine: Trump On Alaska Meet Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 22:54 IST Trump said aim is to bring Putin to the negotiating table at the Alaska summit, not to strike a deal for Ukraine First lady Melania Trump, left, watches as President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greet. (AP file photo) US President Donald Trump said on Friday that his main objective at the upcoming summit in Alaska is to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table not to strike a deal on behalf of Ukraine. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while en route to Anchorage, Trump clarified his position. Im not here to negotiate for Ukraine. Im not doing this for my health Id like to focus on our country, but Im doing this to save a lot of lives," he said. Recommended Stories Trump stressed that the priority is to push towards ending the war in Ukraine. While he did not detail any specific proposals, he warned that the consequences for Russia would be very severe" if Moscow refuses to cooperate. The US President said he believes the meeting with Putin could produce meaningful outcomes, given the current state of Russias economy and the urgency of the war. Hes a smart guy, been doing it for a long time but so have I we get along, theres a good respect level on both sides, and I think, you know, somethings going to come of it," Trump noted. He also welcomed the fact that Putin is bringing Russian business leaders to the talks, seeing it as a sign of readiness for engagement, but made it clear that no business deals would be possible until the war is resolved. I noticed hes bringing a lot of business people from Russia, and thats good. I like that because they want to do business, but theyre not doing business until we get the war solved," he added. The summit in Alaska marks the first time Putin will set foot on Western soil since launching the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. In the lead-up to the summit, Russian forces have made notable advances on the battlefield. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Trump invited Putin to the summit after the Russian leader suggested the meeting. However, the US president has since taken a firmer tone, warning that the meeting could end quickly if Putin refuses to compromise. (With inputs form 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 Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: August 15, 2025, 18:43 IST News world Goal Is To Get Putin To Talks Table, Not Negotiate For Ukraine: Trump On Alaska Meet Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... I Would Walk: Trump Warns Of Abrupt Exit If Alaska Meeting With Putin Fails Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: August 16, 2025, 05:45 IST Accompanying the President for the meeting with Putin are Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump and Putin will meet in Alaska today. (Reuters File Image) US President Donald Trump is meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin today in Anchorage, Alaska, to explore potential solutions to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. The meeting, held under the agenda of Pursuing Peace," comes with high expectations but also uncertainty, as Trump has warned he may walk away if talks do not meet his expectations. If it doesnt, Im going to head back home real fast," Trump cautioned ahead of the meeting. Speaking to Fox News aboard Air Force One, Trump expressed optimism about the talks, stating that he believes the meeting would work out very well." Still, he made it clear that he is prepared to leave abruptly if necessary. Recommended Stories Accompanying the President for the meeting with Putin are Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. The duo will also be joined by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for the post-meeting lunch. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed strong frustration over Russias continued military aggression, even as high-level negotiations took place between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Zelenskyy condemned Moscows actions, stating that Russia clearly has no intention of ending the war. On the day of negotiations, the Russians are killing as well. And that speaks volumes," he wrote. Zelenskyy emphasised that Ukraine remains in close coordination with Washington and its European allies in pursuit of a just end to the war." He reiterated Kyivs openness to engage in meaningful dialogue but questioned Russias sincerity in pursuing peace. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Earlier today, President Trump welcomed President Putin in Anchorage with a ceremonial red carpet reception. Trump was seen clapping as the Russian leader walked toward him after disembarking from his aircraft. This summit marks the first meeting between a sitting US president and their Russian counterpart since 2021. The previous high-level engagement occurred in Geneva, Switzerland, between former President Joe Biden and President Putin. The meeting took place before the Russian-Ukraine tensions escalated into full-scale war. Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: August 16, 2025, 01:02 IST News world I Would Walk: Trump Warns Of Abrupt Exit If Alaska Meeting With Putin Fails Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Israel Discussing Relocation Of Palestinians From War-Torn Gaza To South Sudan: Report Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 23:22 IST According to three anonymous sources, no agreement has been reached yet, but discussions are underway, Reuters reported Palestinian children carry jerrycans after collecting water from a distribution point in Gaza City. (AP photo) Israel and South Sudan are reportedly in early talks regarding the possible relocation of Palestinians from warravaged Gaza to South Sudan, Reuters reported on Friday. According to three anonymous sources, no agreement has been reached yet, but discussions are underway. Recommended Stories The sources, who spoke anonymously, said the plan involves moving people from Gaza, which has been devastated by nearly two years of conflict with Israel, to South Sudan, a country long plagued by political and ethnic violence. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently indicated his intention to extend military control over Gaza. This week, he also suggested that Palestinians should consider leaving the territory voluntarily. The idea of relocating Gazas population has been strongly rejected by Palestinian leaders and many world figures. Palestinians view such a move as another Nakba" (catastrophe), similar to the mass displacement during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. The relocation proposal was reportedly raised during talks between Israeli officials and South Sudans Foreign Minister, Monday Semaya Kumba, who visited Israel last month. However, South Sudans foreign ministry dismissed the reports as baseless" earlier this week. The Associated Press first reported the discussions on Tuesday, citing six people with knowledge of the talks. Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organizations Executive Committee, said the Palestinian leadership and people reject any plan or idea to displace any of our people to South Sudan or to any other place." Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbass office released a similar statement on Thursday. Hamas, the group currently fighting Israel in Gaza, has not responded to requests for comment. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, who recently visited South Sudans capital Juba, told Reuters that relocation was not the focus of discussions. She said talks centred on foreign policy, multilateral organisations, the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, and the ongoing war. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Netanyahu, who met with Kumba last month, has said Israel is in contact with several countries to find a place for Palestinians wishing to leave Gaza but has provided no further details. (With inputs from Reuters) 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 Location : Sudan First Published: August 15, 2025, 23:18 IST News world Israel Discussing Relocation Of Palestinians From War-Torn Gaza To South Sudan: Report Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Jeff Bezos's Mother, Jacklyn Gise Bezos, Dies At 78. Amazon Founder Pays Heartfelt Tribute Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 13:06 IST Jacklyn Gise Bezos, mother of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, passed away at 78 in her Miami home after battling Lewy body dementia. Jeff Bezos paid tribute to her on social media. Jeff said his mother died after a "long fight with Lewy body dementia." (Image: Bezos Family Foundation) Amazon founder Jeff Bezos mother, Jacklyn Gise Bezos, passed away on Thursday. Jacklyn was 78. She breathed her last at her home in Miami. Born December 29, 1946, Jackie died peacefully in her Miami home on August 14th, at the age of 78. A quiet final chapter to a life that taught all of us, friends and family alike, the true meaning of grit and determination, kindness, and service to others," according to the Bezos Family Foundations website. Recommended Stories According to the foundation, in 2020, Jackie was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, a progressive neurological disorder that she battled with the same dignity and courage that shaped every aspect of her life." Jackie is survived by her devoted husband, Mike, children Jeff (Lauren), Christina (Steve), Mark (Lisa), eleven grandchildren, and one great grandchild, the foundation mentioned its website. Amazon Founder Pays Tribute To His Mother Jeff Bezos paid tributes to her mother on social media, saying she passed away surrounded by so many of us who loved her." He wrote that his mother died after a long battle with Lewy Body dementia. Her adulthood started a little bit early when she became my mom at the tender age of 17. That couldnt have been easy, but she made it all work. She pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity, brought my amazing dad onto the team a few years later, and then added my sister and brother to her list of people to love, guard, and nourish. For the rest of her life, that list of people to love never stopped growing. She always gave so much more than she ever asked for," Jeff posted on Instagram. After a long fight with Lewy Body Dementia, she passed away today, surrounded by so many of us who loved her her kids, grandkids, and my dad. I know she felt our love in those final moments. We were all so lucky to be in her life. I hold her safe in my heart forever," he added. Jacklyn Was First To Invest In Amazon According to a report in Bloomberg, Jacklyn and her husband, Miguel, were the first to invest in Amazon back in 1995. Three decades ago, they gave two checks totaling $245,573 to support Jeff Bezoss new company even though Jeff warned them it would probably fail. But Amazon didnt fail. That early investment, along with subsequent purchases of Amazon shares, grew into a fortune estimated at $30 billion by 2018. All About Jacklyn Gise Bezos According to the website, Jacklyn was born in Washington, D.C., to Lawrence Preston Gise and Mattie Louise Strait Gise. Her family later moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she grew up. While still in high school in Albuquerque, Jackie had her first child, Jeffrey. As a young single mother, Jackie worked hard to build a better life. She attended night school after high school while working during the day at a bank. There, she met Miguel (Mike) Bezos, a young immigrant from Cuba who worked the night shift. The two fell in love and got married on April 5, 1968, beginning a strong and lasting partnership in both life and love. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Jacklyn started the Bezos Family Foundation in 2000, along with her husband Mike, their children, and their families. At the foundation, she focused much of her time and energy on two key programs: Vroom, a worldwide early learning program that turns brain research into simple, helpful tips for parents and caregivers to support young childrens development. The Bezos Scholars Program which gives support and opportunities to students in the United States and Africa. Jackies desire to help improve life for others extended well beyond the Foundation, and included large-scale charitable projects focused on medical research and community healthcare. Jackies deep partnerships with Seattles Fred Hutch Cancer Center helped lead to breakthrough immunotherapy treatments which use the bodys own immune system to attack cancerous cells. Her support for immunotherapy treatment continues to lead to new advancements," the organisation wrote on its website. About the Author Manisha Roy Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com's general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manisha.Roy@nw18... Read More Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com's general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manisha.Roy@nw18... Read More Location : New York, United States of America (USA) First Published: August 15, 2025, 13:01 IST News world Jeff Bezos's Mother, Jacklyn Gise Bezos, Dies At 78. Amazon Founder Pays Heartfelt Tribute Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called on Israeli authorities to immediately halt the advancement of plans of settlement construction in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, said the UN chief's spokesperson. "Our position is clear -- the Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the regime associated with them, have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law," said Stephane Dujarric in a note to correspondents. "Settlements further entrench the occupation, fuel tensions, and systematically erode the viability of a Palestinian State as part of a two-State solution," the note said. Construction in the E1 area would sever the northern and southern West Bank, severely undermining the prospects for the realization of a viable, contiguous Palestinian State, the note added. The E1 area, a stretch of land east of Jerusalem between the city and the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, is regarded as especially contentious because construction there would effectively cut off East Jerusalem from the northern West Bank. Plans for building in the area have been frozen for years, largely due to international opposition. Khalistani 'Goons' Create Ruckus In Australia, Disrupt Indian Independence Day Celebrations Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 12:48 IST Indians had gathered at the Consul General in Melbourne, when some pro-Khalistani separatists created a ruckus and disrupted proceedings. Khalistani separatists disrupt an event that was celebrating India's Independence Day in Melbourne. (Photo: X) An event to commemorate Indias 79th Independence Day outside the Consul General in Melbourne, Australia, was disrupted by pro-Khalistani individuals, who raised flags and created a ruckus outside the consulate premises. Indian nationals had peacefully gathered at the Consulate to celebrate Indias Independence Day, when some Khalistani goons" created a ruckus and interrupted the celebrations, prompting law enforcement to intervene, according to The Australia Today. Recommended Stories A video showed a fierce altercation between the two groups as police officers attempted to separate them from escalating into a physical confrontation. This came weeks after a Hindu temple in Melbourne was defaced with hate slurs painted in red graffiti. The Swaminarayan Temple in Australias Boronia, was vandalised with hate-filled messages, which also appeared on two nearby Asian restaurants, according to reports. Makrand Bhagwat, chief of the Hindu Council of Australia, Victoria chapter, condemned the attack on the temple and said, Our temple is meant to be a sanctuary of peace, devotion and unity. Seeing it vandalised felt like an attack on our identity, our right to worship and freedom of religion". Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese extended his congratulations to India on its 79th Independence Day. As the Tiranga flies proudly around the world, Indians can reflect with joy on all their nation has achieved in the 78 years," he said. As a long-standing and consistent friend, Australia celebrates Indias success," Albanese said, highlighting the strong relations between the two countries based on respect and friendship, and lauding the Indian-Australian community. Khalistani Attacks On Hindu Temples Meanwhile, a Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple was desecrated by pro-Khalistani separatists in the United States. The walls of the Hindu temple were vandalised with anti-India and anti-Modi graffiti, the Hindu American Foundation said, while urging the elected officials" to move beyond empty condemnations". For the 4th time in less than a year, a Hindu Mandir (temple) has been desecratedthis time the @BAPS Mandir in Greenwood, IN. Vandalizing temples with anti-India graffiti is a tactic often used by pro-Khalistan separatist activistsand a stark reminder of how slurring American Hindus as Hindutva" fuels hate like this. Its time elected officials move beyond empty condemnations and ensure perpetrators are held accountable," the Foundation captioned a post on X, in which they also shared the video of the vandalism. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Earlier in March this year, an iconic Hindu temple in Southern California was desecrated with anti-Hindu and anti-Indian government graffiti. The California incident was condemned by the Ministry of External Affairs, which sought action against those responsible. Amid an increase in anti-India activities in foreign countries, India has repeatedly underscored the need to refrain from granting space to individuals advocating violence or legitimising terrorism under the guise of freedom of expression. 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 Location : Australia First Published: August 15, 2025, 12:48 IST News world Khalistani 'Goons' Create Ruckus In Australia, Disrupt Indian Independence Day Celebrations Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Putin-Trump Alaska Summit May Last '67 Hours', Hoping For 'Productive' Talks: Kremlin Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 21:26 IST The summit is taking place in Anchorage, Alaska, and marks the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin since 2021 US President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (AP file photo) The Kremlin said on Friday it expects the high-stakes summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska to last at least six to seven hours. You can expect that it will take up a minimum of six to seven hours," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russias Channel One state TV ahead of the talks. Recommended Stories Peskov added that Moscow was hoping for a productive" meeting between the two leaders, who are set to discuss key global issues, including the ongoing war in Ukraine. The meeting is taking place at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, the largest US military installation in the state and a Cold War-era facility once used to monitor the Soviet Union. The talks are set to begin at 11:30 am local time (1930 GMT). According to the Kremlin, Trump will greet Putin at the plane after it lands at 11:00 am local time (1900 GMT). At exactly 11:00 local time (1900 GMT), the president is scheduled to land. President Trump will meet him at the plane," Peskov confirmed. This summit marks the first in-person meeting between Trump and Putin since 2021 and Putins first visit to Western soil since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, and Russia has made new gains in recent weeks just ahead of the talks. Trump extended the invitation after Putin suggested a direct meeting, but the US president has since stressed that the summit may be short if Putin is unwilling to compromise. It could be over in minutes," Trump warned earlier this week. The two leaders are expected to begin with a one-on-one conversation, with only interpreters present, followed by a working lunch with aides. A joint press conference may follow. Neither Trump nor Putin is expected to leave the base during the visit. In Anchorage, the state capital and largest city, protesters have gathered and displayed signs showing support for Ukraine. The summit also carries historical weight. Alaska was bought by the United States from Russia in 1867, and Russian officials have cited the deal in the past to support Moscows views on land swaps. The meeting signals a sharp departure from the approach of Western European leaders and former US President Joe Biden, who had vowed not to negotiate with Russia over Ukraines future without Kyiv at the table. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Putin, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, has travelled little since the war began. However, the US is not part of the ICC, and Trumps administration temporarily eased sanctions on top Russian officials to allow them to travel and use payment cards while in Alaska. (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 Location : Russia First Published: August 15, 2025, 21:17 IST News world Putin-Trump Alaska Summit May Last '67 Hours', Hoping For 'Productive' Talks: Kremlin Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Russia Killing On Day Of Negotiations: Zelenskyy Targets Putin As Trump Holds Alaska Summit Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 16, 2025, 02:55 IST Donald Trump held Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin but left Zelenskyy out of it, raising fears among Ukrainians of his possible shift towards Moscow by the end of the meeting. Alaska Summit: Zelenskyy says Ukraine must be included in negotiations (Reuters Image) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Russia was still killing people and was not showing any intent to end the war, hours before the Alaska summit got underway. Donald Trump held a historic meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on the backdrop of Pursuing Peace". He gave a red carpet welcome to the Russian President, and the two leaders shook hands in a warm welcome. Recommended Stories On the day of negotiations, the Russians are killing as well. And that speaks volumes," Zelenskyy posted on X. There is no order, nor any signals from Moscow that it is preparing to end this war they are also killing on the day of the negotiations," he said in a video address on social media. He affirmed that Ukraine was ready to work to bring the war to an end and said that Kyiv was counting on a strong position" from America. On the day of negotiations, the Russians are killing as well. And that speaks volumes. Recently, weve discussed with the U.S. and Europeans what can truly work. Everyone needs a just end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to bring the war to an end, pic.twitter.com/tmN8F4jDzl Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) August 15, 2025 We are also receiving reports from Ukraines regions following Russian strikes," he wrote. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all He called for a trilateral meeting with Putin, in which he is also one of the participants, stressing that only then can effective decisions" be possible. Russia must end the war that it itself started and has been dragging out for years. The killings must stop. A meeting of leaders is needed at the very least, Ukraine, America, and the Russian side and it is precisely in such a format that effective decisions are possible. Security guarantees are needed. Lasting peace is needed. Everyone knows the key objectives," he said. About the Author Ashesh Mallick Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes... Read More Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes... Read More Location : Ukraine First Published: August 16, 2025, 02:53 IST News world Russia Killing On Day Of Negotiations: Zelenskyy Targets Putin As Trump Holds Alaska Summit Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Russia Ready To Make Peace': Trump Hints At Second Round Of Talks With Putin, Zelenskyy Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 09:54 IST The Alaska summit will mark one of Trumps most high-profile diplomatic engagements since returning to office, with both US allies and global observers closely watching Trump and Putin will meet in Alaska today. (Reuters File Image) Ahead of his Friday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump voiced strong confidence that the Kremlin leader is now ready to pursue peace in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The high-stakes summit is scheduled for August 15 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, where Trump says he hopes to make tangible progress toward ending the war. I think President Putin will make peace and President Zelensky will make peace," Trump told reporters, underscoring his belief that both sides are open to a resolution. When asked whether the United States is prepared to offer Putin access to rare minerals as an incentive to end the fighting, Trump responded, Were going to see what happens with our meeting. We have a big meeting. Its going to be, I think, very important for Russia, and its going to be very important for us and important for us only that were going to save a lot of lives." He added, But what Im really doing this for is to save thousands of soldiers a week." Recommended Stories Looking beyond the Alaska summit, Trump laid out plans for a second, follow-up meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, potentially alongside European leaders. He suggested that this next meeting could be even more critical than the initial round of talks. We have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow. I think its gonna be a good meeting, but the more important meeting will be the second meeting that were having. Were gonna have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, me, and maybe well bring some of the European leaders along, maybe not," he said. Were going to see what happens. And I think President Putin will make peace. I think President Zelensky will make peace. Well see if they can get along. And if they can, itll be great." Trump again referred to the Russia-Ukraine conflict as Bidens war," insisting it would never have happened had he been in the White House at the time. It would have never happened if I were president. This war would have never occurred under my administration. But now, millions of people have been killed," he said. And Im there for one reason: to see if I can solve. This was Bidens war. This is in my war. I want to see if I can stop the killing." Earlier, the president said he would be able to gauge the prospects for a deal almost immediately after the talks begin. Were going to have a meeting with Vladimir Putin. And at the end of that meeting, probably in the first two minutes, Ill know exactly whether or not a deal can be made," he said. Trump also suggested there could be a time in the future when normal trade between Washington and Moscow is restored, if Russia shifts its focus away from aggression. When asked whether he could envision a return to normal commercial relations with Russia, Trump replied, I do. Russia has a very valuable piece of land. If Vladimir Putin would go toward business instead of toward war, you know, its a warring nation. Thats what they do. They fight a lot of wars. A friend of mine said Russia is tough because they just keep on fighting." The Alaska summit will mark one of Trumps most high-profile diplomatic engagements since returning to office, with both US allies and global observers closely watching to see whether his personal diplomacy can deliver a breakthrough in one of the worlds most dangerous conflicts. A Russian government plane from Moscow landed at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage ahead of tomorrows summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US leader Donald Trump, reported RT.com. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Russian state jet LANDS in AnchorageThe mammoth Ilyushin Il-96 touched down in the citys civilian airport Putin believed to be coming on a later flight, after advance staff and press pic.twitter.com/LVG1J61X2M RT (@RT_com) August 14, 2025 According to sources, Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to arrive in Alaska on a later flight. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 07:14 IST News world 'Russia Ready To Make Peace': Trump Hints At Second Round Of Talks With Putin, Zelenskyy Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Secret Service Flies In Troops, Vehicles For Trump-Putin Summit In Alaska: Report Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 11:02 IST Anchorages shortage of hotel rooms and rental cars has forced the agency to fly in SUVs from the lower 48 states, Bloomberg said. Journalists work near an entrance to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 14, 2025, ahead of the August 15 scheduled meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. (AFP) When Anchorage realtor Beau Disbrow answered the phone, he didnt expect the call to come from the US Secret Service. As reported by Bloomberg, his short-term rentals usually cater to glacier-bound tourists or business travellers, not presidential security teams. But with President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin set to meet in Alaska on Friday, the agency needed housing fast. Most of my short-term rentals were booked, but I did manage to put some of them into one home," Disbrow told Bloomberg. The request didnt stop there soon after, the Russian consulate in New York called with the same query. With no vacancies left, Disbrow referred them to a friend with empty furnished homes. Recommended Stories Bloomberg reports that the lone Secret Service agent permanently assigned to Alaska began mobilising hundreds of reinforcements the moment Trump announced the summit last week. The operation, according to four people familiar with the planning, turned into an all-out sprint condensed into just seven days. Unlike overseas visits, the US location allows the Secret Service to move weapons, communications gear, and medical equipment without foreign restrictions. Still, Alaskas remote geography and limited infrastructure have created logistical hurdles. Anchorages shortage of hotel rooms and rental cars has forced the agency to fly in SUVs from the lower 48 states, Bloomberg said. The meeting will take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaskas largest military installation, a Cold Warera listening post located less than 1,000 miles from Russia. The bases controlled airspace, fortified gates, and instant military support make it an ideal and secure venue. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy told Bloomberg Television that holding the summit on the base eases pressure on the city during peak tourist season. Still, the scale of the operation is immense. Protocol rules require a perfectly mirrored security setup for both leaders from the number of armed guards to the placement of translators. Neither side will ride in the others vehicles or open the others doors, Bloomberg noted. Even the size of secure hold rooms" for each leader is under negotiation. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all With Russian approval for the final security plan still pending, downtown Anchorage is already transformed. Hotels are fully booked, rental car lots emptied for motorcades, and agents are stationed at intersections, coffee shops, and parking garages. Alaska state troopers and local police are integrated into routes mapped down to each turn. Trump has characterised the meeting as a step toward ending Russias war in Ukraine, hinting that a territorial swap could be part of a deal. Putin, according to Bloomberg, has praised Trumps mediation efforts and floated economic cooperation and a new arms control treaty as possible outcomes. 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 First Published: August 15, 2025, 11:02 IST News world Secret Service Flies In Troops, Vehicles For Trump-Putin Summit In Alaska: Report Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Last Updated: August 16, 2025, 12:58 IST Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin Meet, Alaska Summit Highlights: US President Donald Trump held a historic meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday (local time) and said that many points were agreed to and very points were left unsolved with Moscow. The two world leaders met at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, where Trump welcomed him on a red carpet. They held an over three-hour-long meeting behind closed doors and then appeared for a joint press conference. However, neither of them took questions from the reporters. Putin expressed his willingness to end the war in Ukraine; however, he also underlined that the root causes behind the conflict must be eliminated. Trump-Putin Meet To Focus On 'Pursuing Peace' As US-Russia Summit Begins In Alaska Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: August 16, 2025, 01:22 IST As the message of the summit becomes clearer, both leaders are widely expected to work toward identifying a viable path to peace. President Trump is accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff (X/Kirill A. Dmitriev) The high-stakes US-Russia summit is taking place today in Anchorage, Alaska, where US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are meeting face-to-face to discuss the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. The war, which began in February 2022, has stretched on for more than three years and continues to destabilise the region, drawing widespread global concern. The official agenda for the summit has now been made public. Photographs shared by Kirill A. Dmitriev, Special Envoy of the President of Russia, reveal the meeting setup, which features a prominently displayed banner reading Pursuing Peace." The banner is flanked by American and Russian flags. Recommended Stories As the message of the summit becomes clearer, both leaders are widely expected to work toward identifying a viable path to peace. However, doubts remain over whether the meeting will lead to any tangible progress. President Trump has already issued a stark warning ahead of the talks, saying he would not hesitate to walk out if discussions fall short of expectations. I would walk, yeah," Trump said in an interview with Fox News aboard Air Force One. He added, If it doesnt, Im going to head back home real fast," though he expressed cautious optimism, stating that the meeting would work out very well." In a separate post en route to Alaska, Trump shared a brief but emphatic message on his social media platform, Truth Social: HIGH STAKES!!!" The President has previously warned that Russia could face severe consequences" if it fails to take concrete steps toward peace. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all While the summits Pursuing Peace" theme suggests a commitment to conflict resolution, key details, including potential negotiations over territorial issues, remain tightly guarded. Observers remain skeptical but hopeful that Putin may signal willingness to de-escalate the war and lay the groundwork for an eventual ceasefire. The White House confirmed that President Trump is accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff for the meeting. Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: August 16, 2025, 01:22 IST News world Trump-Putin Meet To Focus On 'Pursuing Peace' As US-Russia Summit Begins In Alaska Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Trump, Putin Set To Meet At Elmendorf-Richardson Joint Base: All About Alaskas Military Field Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 21:49 IST Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will meet in Anchorage, Alaska, for a summit on Ukraine, marking their first meeting in seven years. Both the Presidents will meet at the remote Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet for the first time in seven years on Friday (local time) in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, in a high-stake summit that could prove to be a pivotal moment in deciding the future of conflict-torn Ukraine. Both the Presidents will meet at the remote Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, which plays host to some of Americas most fearsome fighter jets. It has been visited by several US presidents in the past. Recommended Stories Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaskas largest military base, combines the Air Forces Elmendorf base with the US Armys Fort Richardson. The summit marks a significant moment in the months-long efforts by the United States to broker a peace between Russia and Ukraine. Putin, while praising Trumps mediation efforts, has shown no signs of compromise as Moscow intensified its campaign against Ukraine, frustrating the US President. The Alaska summit will be closely watched by European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has publicly refused pressure from Trump to cede swathes of territory seized by Russia. Zelenskyy also called the Alaska summit a personal victory" for Putin. What Does Alaska Symbolise Beyond Logistics? Alaska was colonised by Russia from the 18th century until Czar Alexander II sold it to the US in 1867 for $7.2 million. It later became a Cold War forward edge of missile defence, radar outposts, and intelligence gathering, East meets West" literally and strategically. Russian state agency Tass noted it would be the first-ever visit by a Russian leader to Alaska. All About The Base The Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage combines the Air Forces Elmendorf base and the US Armys Fort Richardson. It is Alaskas largest military base and is home to more than 32,000 people about 10% of Anchorages population, as per Independent. The mission of the base was to defend US interests in the Asia-Pacific region. It had strategic importance during the Cold War as the closest point between Alaska and Russia, lying just 4.8km (3 miles) apart. The military base has received a number of visits from multiple US president. It is Trumps first visit to Alaska since his second term began in January 2025, but during his first term he made a number of visits to Elmendorf-Richardson. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Barack Obama visited in 2015 and during a three-day stay he became the first US president to set foot north of the Arctic Circle. In 2023 Joe Biden visited the base for a remembrance ceremony for the 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001. 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 Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: August 15, 2025, 21:04 IST News world Trump, Putin Set To Meet At Elmendorf-Richardson Joint Base: All About Alaskas Military Field Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... UK Seizes 180K Aston Martin Deposit From Andrew Tate In Tax, Money Laundering Probe Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 22:58 IST The money was taken as part of an investigation into unpaid taxes and money laundering Andrew Tate leaves the Bucharest Tribunal in Bucharest, Romania. (AP file photo) UK police on Friday said they had seized a 180,000 deposit made by influencer Andrew Tate for an Aston Martin supercar. The money was taken as part of an investigation into unpaid taxes and money laundering. The deposit, made in July 2021 from a cryptocurrency account, was meant for an Aston Martin Valhalla. Police said it will now be added to the 2.7 million already seized from Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan in December 2024. Recommended Stories Devon and Cornwall Police won a legal case last year to take the funds. The Tate brothers did not challenge the move. Half of the money will now go to good causes", and the other half will be used for public services. A London court was told that the money used for the car deposit came from tax and VAT evasion, as well as money laundering. Judge Paul Goldspring, who handled the case, said the brothers had been involved in long-term efforts to avoid paying taxes. Andrew Tate, who has millions of followers online, often posts about his luxury car collection and promotes what critics call toxic masculinity and hustle" culture. Earlier this month, he claimed on X that he owns 93 cars. Originally from the UK, Tate moved to Romania after running a webcam business and appearing on reality TV. He then rose to fame on social media, where he shared controversial and misogynistic views. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Tate brothers are also facing serious criminal charges in Romania, including human trafficking and money laundering. In the UK, they face rape and assault allegations, with a civil trial set for June 2026. They have denied all accusations. (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 Location : United Kingdom (UK) First Published: August 15, 2025, 22:57 IST News world UK Seizes 180K Aston Martin Deposit From Andrew Tate In Tax, Money Laundering Probe Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... US Extends Wishes To India On Independence Day, Underscores Historic Ties, Shared Goals Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 07:23 IST Relations between India and the United States have been strained recently due to Donald Trump's insistence that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. US President Donald Trump and PM Modi (File image/Reuters) The United States extended congratulations to India on its 79th Independence Day on Friday, stating that the historic relationship" between the two countries is consequential and far-reaching, and pledged to work together to address modern challenges. In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, On behalf of the United States, I extend our congratulations and warm wishes to the people of India as they celebrate their Independence Day on August 15." Recommended Stories The historic relationship between the worlds largest democracy and the worlds oldest democracy is consequential and far-reaching. Our two countries are united by our shared vision for a more peaceful, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific region. Our partnership spans industries, promotes innovation, pushes the boundaries of critical and emerging technologies, and extends into space," he added. Working together, the United States and India will rise to the modern challenges of today and ensure a brighter future for both our countries," Rubio further said. Relations between India and the United States have been strained recently due to US President Donald Trumps insistence that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor in May, while New Delhi maintains that no third party was involved. Moreover, Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian imports as a punitive measure for purchasing Russian oil. India is celebrating its 79th Independence Day on today with full patriotic fervour. The day commemorates the nations freedom from over 200 years of British colonial rule, which finally came to an end in 1947. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings on the day from his X handle and said,"Wishing everyone a very happy Independence Day. May this day inspire us to keep working even harder to realise the dreams of our freedom fighters and build a Viksit Bharat. Jai Hind!" top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Wishing everyone a very happy Independence Day. May this day inspire us to keep working even harder to realise the dreams of our freedom fighters and build a Viksit Bharat. Jai Hind! Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2025 The theme for the 79th Independence Day celebrations is Naya Bharat. According to an official release from the Ministry of Defence, the subject depicts Indias objective of being a prosperous, safe, and independent country by 2047. PM Modi will lead the celebrations from the historic Red Fort, where he will unfurl the National Flag and address the nation. 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 Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: August 15, 2025, 07:23 IST News world US Extends Wishes To India On Independence Day, Underscores Historic Ties, Shared Goals Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he would not negotiate on behalf of Ukraine at his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, media reported. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Anchorage, the president noted that he's "not here to negotiate for Ukraine" and will let Kiev decide for itself on the territorial issues with Moscow. "I'm here to get them at a table," Trump said. "I think they'll make a proper decision." The president also said there was "a possibility" that the United States could offer Ukraine security guarantees alongside European and other countries, "but not in the form of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)." Calling Putin "a smart guy," Trump struck an optimistic tone before meeting the Russian leader, saying there's "a good respect level" on both sides and that he believes "something's going to come out of it." Trump departed Washington earlier Friday for the Alaska meeting, describing the encounter as "HIGH STAKES" in a post on Truth Social. Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said Thursday that the two leaders' talks will center on the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis and "the most pressing international and regional issues." USSR On Sweatshirt: Russia's Foreign Minister's Alaska Outfit Hints At Soviet Nostalgia Curated By : Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 19:54 IST Russian Foreign Minister arrived in Alaska for talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, wearing a USSR T-shirt to signal Russia's strong stance. He stated Russia's position is clear. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Alaska on Thursday Ahead of much anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, Russian Foreign Ministers attire drew attention. Sergey Lavrov arrived in Alaska for high-stakes talks wearing a T-shirt written CCCP", the Russian abbreviation for the Soviet Union. Lavrov will be meeting US President Trump and Russian President Putin for discussions on ending the war. Ukraine was also once part of the Soviet Union. Recommended Stories Wearing a USSR T-shirt might reflect Lavrovs nationalistic and nostalgic feelings towards the Soviet era, symbolizing Russias desire to regain its former stature. By donning the T-shirt, Lavrov could be emphasizing Russias distinct identity and sovereignty, indicating that the country will not compromise its interests or principles during negotiations. This choice of attire might subtly suggest to the US that Russia will participate in talks on its own terms, maintaining a firm stance without appearing weak. When asked about Trumps remark that there is a 25 per cent chance" the talks will not be successful, Lavrov said, We never try to anticipate the outcome or make any guesses. What we do know, however, is that we have arguments we can contribute to the discussion and that our position is clear. We will present it." Sergey #Lavrovs answers to media questions, Anchorage:We never try to anticipate the outcome of negotiations. What we do know, however, is that we have arguments we can contribute to the discussion and that our position is clear. We will present it.https://t.co/hBwFSEm9Xf pic.twitter.com/uamb1npPd4 MFA Russia (@mfa_russia) August 15, 2025 The summit is scheduled for August 15 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Ahead of his face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said in a post on Truth Social, High Stakes!" I think President Putin will make peace and President Zelensky will make peace," Trump was quoted as saying by ANI. Asked if the US would offer Putin access to rare minerals as an incentive to end the war, Trump replied, Were going to see what happens with our meeting. We have a big meeting. Its going to be, I think, very important for Russia, and its going to be very important for us and important for us only that were going to save a lot of lives." Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: August 15, 2025, 19:54 IST News world USSR On Sweatshirt: Russia's Foreign Minister's Alaska Outfit Hints At Soviet Nostalgia Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... No Document To Be Signed After Putin-Trump Alaska Summit, Says Kremlin Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 16:34 IST Lavrov noted that groundwork for the meeting had already been laid during the recent visit by Trumps envoy, Steve Witkoff Trump and Putin will meet in Alaska today. (Reuters File Image) Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that no document is expected to be signed after the Alaska summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. He added that the summit was organised in a short amount of time and that the outcome cannot be predicted. Recommended Stories Peskov said the two leaders will discuss the most difficult issues". While no formal agreements are expected, he noted that the talks could lead to certain understandings and outlines for future cooperation. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the idea of predicting the outcome of the high-stakes meeting, saying Moscow prefers to focus on facts rather than speculation. Speaking after landing in Alaska ahead of the talks, Lavrov brushed off Trumps earlier remark that there was a 25% chance" the summit could fail. We never make any predictions ahead of time," Lavrov told Russian state television, while wearing what appeared to be a T-shirt with USSR" emblazoned across the front. Russias FM Lavrov dismissed making forecasts after Trump put failure odds at 25% for the Alaska talks:We know we have arguments and a clear, definite position. We will present it He said groundwork was laid by Trumps envoy and hopes talks continue tomorrow https://t.co/qKoGpzG9CI pic.twitter.com/UmOLQ10OBi RT (@RT_com) August 15, 2025 We know that we have our arguments and our position is clear and unambiguous. We will present it." Lavrov noted that groundwork for the meeting had already been laid during the recent visit by Trumps envoy, Steve Witkoff, and said he hoped the conversation would continue. Much has already been done during Steve Witkoffs visit the President said so himself. Witkoff spoke on behalf of President Trump." I hope today well, tomorrow we will continue this very useful conversation," Lavrov added. Putin-Trump summit The Putin-Trump summit, set to take place in Alaska on Friday, is seen as a critical moment for global diplomacy, with the potential to shape the future of the war in Ukraine and broader European security. For Trump, the meeting offers an opportunity to demonstrate his self-proclaimed skills as a negotiator and peacemaker. He and his allies have long claimed he could bring the conflict to an end quickly a promise he now has the chance to test. For Putin, the summit provides a rare chance to negotiate directly with the US President on American soil. Moscow hopes to secure recognition of its territorial gains, block Ukraines NATO aspirations, and potentially draw Kyiv back into Russias sphere of influence. The summit is not without controversy. By inviting Putin to the United States, Trump is offering the Russian leader a level of legitimacy that Western leaders have largely withheld since the invasion of Ukraine over three years ago. Notably, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not invited to the summit, a move critics say undermines the Wests principle of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine." Some fear Trump might strike a deal without Kyivs consent. While Trump floated the idea of a second summit including Zelenskyy if Fridays talks go well, the Kremlin has not agreed to such a meeting. In an interview with Fox News Radio on Thursday, Trump acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying there was a 25% chance" the summit could fail. However, he expressed hope for a broad peace agreement, an outcome that echoes Moscows long-standing push for a deal that halts hostilities on its terms rather than a temporary ceasefire. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Putin, meanwhile, has resisted calls for a short-term truce, instead demanding a halt to Western military aid and a freeze on Ukraines mobilisation conditions Kyiv and its allies have rejected. (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 Location : Russia First Published: August 15, 2025, 15:58 IST News world No Document To Be Signed After Putin-Trump Alaska Summit, Says Kremlin Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Will Nominate For Nobel Peace If: Hillary Clintons Unusual Endorsement For Trump Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: August 15, 2025, 19:21 IST Hillary Clinton said she would nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize if he ends Ukraine war without conceding territory to Russia. Hillary Clinton and US President Donald Trump. Former US First Lady Hillary Clinton has said that she would nominate President Donald Trump, against whom she contested Presidential election in 2016, for the Nobel Peace Prize if he can pull off a lasting end to the war in Ukraine. While speaking on Fox News co-host Jessica Tarlovs Raging Moderates podcast, the former Secretary of State said that she would willingly nominate the President if he could bring an end to the war in Ukraine without allowing his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to take territory from its neighbour. Recommended Stories Honestly, if he could bring about the end to this terrible war if he could end it without putting Ukraine in a position where it had to concede its territory to the aggressor could really stand up to Putin, something we havent seen, but maybe this is the opportunity," she said as reported by the New York Post. Clinton further said that the Alaska summit may be an opportunity for Trump to make it clear to Putin that there must be a ceasefire, there will be no exchange of territory between Russia and Ukraine. If President Trump were the architect of that, Id nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize. Because my goal here is to not allow capitulation to Putin," she added, Clintons unusual endorsement for Trump came ahead of the latters meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday (local time) to discuss the future of conflict-torn Ukraine. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Trump has characterised the meeting as a step toward ending Russias war in Ukraine, hinting that a territorial swap could be part of a deal. Ahead of the high-stakes meeting, Trump said that his main objective is to bring Putin to the negotiating table not to strike a deal on behalf of Ukraine. He also maintained hat the meeting could be over in a few minutes if Putin does not compromise. Trump also expressed confidence that Russia and Ukraine would make peace. The summit marks a significant moment in the months-long efforts by the United States to broker a peace between Russia and Ukraine. Putin, while praising Trumps mediation efforts, has shown no signs of compromise as Moscow intensified its campaign against Ukraine, frustrating the US President. 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 Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: August 15, 2025, 19:18 IST News world Will Nominate For Nobel Peace If: Hillary Clintons Unusual Endorsement For Trump Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Chinese Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends the opening ceremony of the National Ecology Day main event and a symposium on putting the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" into practice, in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday stressed the need to firmly establish and implement the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" and urged efforts to write a new chapter in the building of ecological civilization in the new era. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the National Ecology Day main event and at a symposium on putting this concept into practice. Li said that this important concept provides scientific guidance for the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. It offers Chinese ideas and solutions, and makes Chinese contributions for global sustainable development and building of ecological civilization. China's economic and social development has entered a high-quality development stage of accelerating green and low-carbon transformation, and it is imperative to unswervingly follow the path of giving priority to ecological conservation and pursuing green development, he said. Efforts should be made to enhance the diversity, stability and sustainability of ecosystems and solidly promote the green and low-carbon transformation of industries, Li said, adding that it is crucial to innovate the systems and mechanisms for ecological civilization. "We should join hands with all parties to protect the ecological environment, address climate change and jointly promote global sustainable development," he said. Efforts should be made to mobilize the whole society to take active action and work together to build a Beautiful China, making greater contributions to jointly building a clean and beautiful world, he said. Officials from the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the local governments of Beijing and Zhejiang, as well as experts, scholars and representatives of international organizations, delivered speeches at the symposium. Several primary and secondary schools in Mashonaland East contributed to the purchase of cattle to appreciate government officials including two Cabinet ministers who presided over a prize-giving ceremony recently. The cows, reportedly presented as gifts to the ministers (names supplied) and Primary and Secondary Education secretary Moses Mhike, following the Secretarys Bell Awards, have sparked anger among parents who described the move as wasteful and unjustified spending. They argued that school resources should be channelled towards improving learningfacilities, not pampering dignitaries. Each of the three officials reportedly got two beasts.The awards ceremony was conducted for schools in Mashonaland East and West provinces at St Francis of Assisi High Schools in Chikomba, where Mhike was the guest of honour. The schools that got recognition then bought cattle at around US$600 per beast for the three government officials as tokens of appreciation. NewsDay heard that the schools were requested to fund the transportation of the gifts to the officials respective farms. Parents, who contacted NewsDay, said the expenditure exceeded the benefits derived from the awards. Some schools that contributed to the gifts have salary backlogs for their ancillary staff owing to lack funds. A parent, who spoke to NewsDay on condition of anonymity, said the value of the gifts was huge and unjustifiable. Two cattle for an individual is extravagance, considering how schools are struggling, the parent said. Why two cattle, which can pay a childs fees from Grade One to Seven, for example? Another parent also questioned the value of gifts. Government officials are civil servants who will be doing duties for what they are paid. Why the extra payment? the parent said. Schools are nonprofit institutions. Where do they get that extra money to buy cattle? The same government officials who accept such extravagant gifts have banned teachers, who toil everyday in classes from getting incentive from parents, even if we wish, but they see it fit to benefit from the money we pay to schools. Thats hypocrisy. Mhike, when contacted for comment, said it was a smear campaign against him. Wherever I go, I get tokens of appreciation a few groceries and I dont have any problem with that, he said. The role I played is that I went out of my way to source funding from the private sector for donations to schools. I dont think its proper for people to make those allegations. I expected a thank you rather than this. Mhike said he was a hardworking government employee. I was in Bulawayo last week, and next week, I will be in Masvingo and I will not stop doing what is right, he said. Why did they not go to the provincial schools inspectors with their complaints? I have been clearing a backlog of those awards since 2021. We are giving books, projectors and interactive boards to schools from donors I am seeking on behalf of the schools. Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said the value of the gift was not justifiable as government schools were struggling to function owing to poor funding. This trend should be stopped, Majongwe said. Heads are failing to run schools citing financial incapacity, so where do they get this money? Besides, there is a gifts and donations policy in government. Why should it not be adhered to? Why not handsomely reward the teachers behind these success stories? While its good that we give our government officials gifts, why not give them goats and chickens, not cows? Zimbabwe National Union of School heads secretary-general Munyaradzi Majoni said it was normal for schools to give presents to officials. People can appreciate and give tokens to the minister, Majoni said. I dont see anything wrong with that. Tokens of appreciation have always been there and if it is a discovery among the school development committees, its unfortunate. Zimbabwe Teachers Association secretary-general Goodwill Taderera said his organisation did not support that kind of gesture, because that will result in schools being coerced to pay for things that they are not capable of, thereby going out of their way to please the bosses. I dont think the permanent secretary made those demands. I also dont think even the ministers made those demands. It is important for those higher officials to know that those things come with a price, they also come with a certain level of coercion on the part of the school administrators, who in most cases, comply, because it will be coming from their bosses, not because they can afford, Taderera said. There has to be a conversation between the ministry and the other departments, so that the exercise is carried out properly, even the ministers and other senior officials should come out clean and inform the authorities below them, to say schools should not get out of their way in order to please them. Newsday A relatively easy way to pick up abortion medication has been taken off the table. On Thursday, Costco announced that, after more than a year of deliberations and feedback both for and against, it has decided not to sell mifepristone, the first pill taken in a two-step drug-driven abortion process, reports the Washington Post . The news is a victory for conservative activist groups who'd long lobbied the warehouse giant to refuse to sell mifepristone at its 500-plus pharmacies, though the Post calls it a "narrow" victory. In Costco's case, the retailer's decision was made "based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients," it said in a Thursday statement. But CFRA analyst Arun Sundaram tells Reuters that "many retailers have become more cautious about taking overt political or social stances after recent controversies triggered boycotts, negative media coverage, and polarized consumer reactions." Not long after CVS and Walgreens received an FDA OK to sell mifepristone in March 2024, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander reached out to Costco, Walmart, Kroger, and other big-name pharmacies to urge them to take the lead on the abortion pill from CVS and Walgreens. In his July 2024 letter to Costco chief Ron Vachris, Lander wrote that attaining certification for selling mifepristone "aligns with both long-term shareholder interests and women's health care needs." But faith-based groups like Alliance Defending Freedom and Investing and Inspire Investing saw things differently and started pushing back, though Costco hasn't conceded that pressure from those groups played a role in its own decision. story continues below "It's a very significant win, and it's one we hope to build on this coming year," ADF lawyer Michael Ross tells Bloomberg, which first reported on the news. Ross said his coalition will now turn to putting the squeeze on CVS and Walgreens to nix mifepristone from its pharmacy shelves. "Disappointing and shortsighted," a rep from Lander's office told the outlet of Costco's decision. "Failure to provide access to proven safe and FDA-approved medication under the guise of 'weak demand' risks isolating customers and undermines the company's credibility." Those seeking an abortion can still obtain prescribed abortion medications in all 50 states, even ones where abortion is illegal, through the mail. Gerry Spence, the fringe jacket-wearing trial lawyer from Wyoming known for a string of major court wins starting with a multimillion-dollar judgment against a plutonium processor in the landmark Karen Silkwood case, has died. Spence, 96, died Wednesday surrounded by friends and family at his home in Montecito, California, according to a statement from colleagues and family, the AP reports. "No lawyer has done as much to free the people of this country from the slavery of its new corporate masters," Joseph Low IV, of the Gerry Spence Method school for trial lawyers, said in the statement. A polished raconteur with a gravelly voice whose trademark suede fringe jacket advertised his Wyoming roots, Spence was once among the nation's most recognizable trial attorneys. He achieved fame in 1979 with a $10.5 million verdict against Oklahoma City-based Kerr-McGee on behalf of the estate of Silkwood, a nuclear worker tainted with plutonium who died in a car wreck a week later. Silkwood's father accused the company of negligently handling the plutonium that contaminated his daughter. An appeals court reversed the verdict, and the two sides later agreed to an out-of-court settlement of $1.3 million. The events became the basis for the 1983 movie Silkwood, starring Meryl Streep. Spence successfully defended former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos against federal racketeering and fraud charges in 1990. And he won acquittal for Randy Weaver, charged with murder and other counts for a 1992 shootout with federal agents at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, that killed an FBI agent as well as Weaver's wife and 14-year-old son. Spence led the Spence Law Firm in Jackson, Wyoming, and founded the Trial Lawyers College, a Wyoming retreat where attorneys hone their courtroom skills. He wrote more than a dozen books, including the bestselling How to Argue and Win Every Time. He made frequent television appearances on legal matters. BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China increased credit support for five key sectors this year, according to a report released by the People's Bank of China (PBOC) on Friday. By the end of June, loans to the sci-tech, green development, inclusive finance, elderly care and digital economy sectors had respectively increased 12.5 percent, 25.5 percent, 11.5 percent, 43 percent and 11.5 percent, according to the PBOC's 2025 second-quarter monetary policy report. Outstanding sci-tech loans totaled 44.1 trillion yuan (about 6.18 trillion U.S. dollars) by the end of June -- up 12.5 percent year on year and 5.8 percentage points higher than the overall loan growth rate. Loans granted in the elderly care and digital economy industries continued to outpace overall credit expansion, according to the report. Earlier this month, the PBOC said that financial support for economic growth, structural transformation and high-quality development has increased since the start of 2025. The University of Idaho killer apparently feels he's being taunted in jail. The Idaho Department of Corrections revealed as much in a statement released Thursday, NBC News reports. "We are aware of [Bryan] Kohberger's complaints about what he considers taunting," it reads. "Incarcerated individuals commonly communicate with each other in prison. Bryan Kohberger is housed alone in a cell, and IDOC security staff maintain a safe and orderly environment for all individuals in our custody." No further details were given, but a retired homicide detective had earlier claimed to NewsNation that the inmates "apparently were waiting for" Kohberger, a situation he called "good news." "They are now making his life absolutely miserable. They're utilizing the vent system. They're kicking the doors. They're taunting him. And they're basically torturing him through using psychology," he told the outlet. "The guards at this point ... the most they can do is write it down or tell him, 'Hey, there's nothing we can do. You're not in physical harm.'" Kohberger is at Idaho Maximum Security Institution, where the state's most dangerous criminals are sent, but it's not clear whether he'll remain there for the duration of the four consecutive life terms he's serving for the 2022 murders of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. As President Trump continues to try to wrest control of Washington, DC, away from local leaders and police, protests are unsurprisingly popping upbut you may not realize that at first if you don't speak the updated language revolving around them. Axios reports that "music festival" is the new coded term used on social media to indicate political demonstrations, an attempt to circumvent any online algorithms that would censor content around these protests or even possibly bring unwanted attention to individual protesters. The outlet cites multiple examples of this wording shift. "Don't you love music?" one content creator posted on TikTok to advertise a DC demonstration, along with the hashtags #music, #dance, and, yes, #musicfestival. Another poster promoting a Friday evening protest in front of the White House and a Saturday demonstration in Dupont Circle used "MUSIC FESTIVALS" in his post caption, in all caps. Both Axios and Her Campus note that this language choice is an example of "algospeak," which ditches words or terms that could flag the social media platform you're on and replaces them with more "algorithm-friendly alternatives." Axios cites examples like using the word "unalive" instead of "kill," or "seggs" in place of the word "sex." Her Campus also notes that the online messages using this type of code are often vague in other details, including addresses and times to gather, "to help protect organizers and spread the word discreetly, without giving away too much information to people who might try to shut these protests down." As California Gov. Gavin Newsom prepared to hold a press conference regarding the state's efforts to combat the President Trump-backed redistricting plan in Texas , Border Patrol agents staged what the Los Angeles Times calls a "show of force" outside the venue. Newsom spoke at downtown Los Angeles' Japanese American National Museum, and in the Little Tokyo neighborhood, about 100 federal agents amassed for an apparent immigration raid, KTLA reports. "BORDER PATROL HAS SHOWED UP AT OUR BIG BEAUTIFUL PRESS CONFERENCE! WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED!," reads a post on the X account of Newsom's press office. Border Patrol Sector Chief Greg Bovino was with the agents, who were armed and wearing helmets and masks. "We're here making Los Angeles a safer place since we won't have politicians that'll do that, we do that ourselves," Bovino told a reporter. "We're glad to be here, we're not going anywhere." A man who was in Little Tokyo delivering strawberries was detained. The day prior, almost 30 people had been detained in Los Angeles-area immigration raids, KTLA reports. As for Newsom, he announced a special election will be held Nov. 4 seeking approval of redrawn districts that would give California five additional blue seats in the US House of Representatives, the same number of red seats Texas would get under its plan, the AP reports. Trudy Appleby asked her dad if she could go swimming on Aug. 21, 1996, and he said no. Phone records indicate the 11-year-old went anyway, and then vanished. She was last seen getting into a vehicle with an unidentified man not far from her Moline, Illinois, home. Now, almost exactly 29 years later, an arrest has been made, Our Quad Cities reports. Jamison Fisher, 50, was on Wednesday indicted on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death, CBS News reports. He is accused of kidnapping and strangling Appleby, whose body was never found, but he is not charged with kidnapping because the statute of limitations has expired. The Trump administration, stepping up its crackdown on policing in the nation's capital, on Thursday named the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration to be Washington's "emergency police commissioner" with all the powers of the police chiefa significant move that increases national control over the city as part of the federal government's law-enforcement takeover, the AP reports. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a directive issued Thursday evening that DEA boss Terry Cole will assume "powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police." The Metropolitan Police Department "must receive approval from Commissioner Cole" before issuing any orders, Bondi said. It was not immediately clear where the move left Pamela Smith, the city's current police chief, who works for the mayor. The attorney general's directive comes hours after Smith directed MPD officers to share information with immigration agencies regarding people not in custodysuch as someone involved in a traffic stop or checkpoint. However, her order barred officers from searching police databases just to find a person's immigration status, CNN reports. The Justice Department said Bondi disagreed with the police chief's directive because it allowed for continued enforcement of "sanctuary policies." Bondi said she was rescinding that order as well as other MPD policies limiting inquiries into immigration status and preventing arrests based solely on federal immigration warrants. All new directives must now receive approval from Cole, the attorney general said. For an already wary Washington, Thursday marked a notableand highly visibleuptick in presence from the previous two days. The visibility of federal forces around the city, including in many high-traffic areas, was striking to residents going about their lives. National Guard troops watched over some of the world's most renowned landmarks and Humvees took position in front of the busy main train station. Volunteers helped homeless people leave long-standing encampmentsto where, exactly, was often unclear. The departures were voluntary, but they came in response to a clear threat from the Trump administration. Advocates expect law enforcement officers to fan out across DC in the coming days to forcibly take down any remaining homeless encampments. A retired Michigan autoworker looked at a Facebook message after midnight from a stranger: Did you lose your wallet years ago? "If so," a Minnesota man wrote, "it was in the engine bay of a car." Richard Guilford couldn't believe what he was readinga decade-old mystery was remarkably solved, reports the AP . Guilford's tri-fold leather walletstuffed with $15, a driver's license, work ID, gift cards worth $275, and lottery ticketshad turned up under the hood of a car in Lake Crystal, Minnesota. "It restores your faith in humanity that people will say, 'Hey, you lost this, I found this, I'm going to get it back to you,'" Guilford said. The wallet was discovered in June by mechanic Chad Volk, sandwiched between the transmission and the air filter box of a 2015 Ford Edge with 151,000 miles on it. "Crazy," Volk said. The filter box wouldn't snap in place after a repair, he said, "so I messed around a little bit and then pulled it back out and the wallet was sitting on a little ledge where it needed to snap down." Turn back the calendar to 2014, around Christmas. Guilford was working at a Ford factory in Wayne, Michigan. Guilford realized later that his wallet had fallen out of his shirt pocket. He was certain he had lost it in a car, but figured it was on the floor of a Ford Flex, not an Edge, and certainly not in the engine. Guilford said he searched 30 to 40 cars, and his co-workers looked at dozens more, "just opening the doors up, looking under the seats, looking behind it." "I can't take too much time to look for this because ... I'm on the clock," he recalled. "No luck. Life went on." story continues below Cabela's said the $250 in gift cards remain valid. Guilford doesn't know the status of a $25 card from Outback Steakhouse. The numbers on the lottery tickets in the wallet faded long ago. "I'm going to put everything back in it and leave it just like it is, and it's gonna sit at the house in the china cabinet and that's for my kids," said Guilford. "They can tell my great-grandkids about it. We're big into stories. I like tellin' stories." When Vladimir Putin and President Trump meet in Alaska, the Russian leader is set to tempt Trump with financial incentives to back Moscow over Ukraine, the Guardian reports. Putin's adviser said the "huge untapped potential" of Russia-US economic relations will be up for discussion, and said the leaders would talk about the possibility of "further developing bilateral cooperation, including in the trade and economic sphere." He noted, "This cooperation has huge and, unfortunately so far, untapped potential." The quickly scheduled talks, held at Putin's request, mark the Russian leader's first meeting with a US president on US soil since 2007. Putin is reportedly bringing prominent economic advisers, including his finance minister, to appeal to Trump's business interests, sources tell the newspaper. The Kremlin's message, according to one former official who spoke anonymously: "Putin knows Trump sees the world through a business lens, and will pitch a peace on his terms as the gateway to lucrative opportunities." Sources say Putin aims to paint Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as the obstacle to peace. (Trump said Thursday that he wants the next meeting to include both Putin and Zelensky, ABC News reports.) Expectations for any breakthrough on Friday are low. Russia's termsUkraine withdrawing from contested regions and abandoning NATO ambitionsremain nonstarters for Kyiv. Trump, for his part, has described the summit as a "feel-out" session, and the White House is managing expectations, calling it a "listening exercise," the BBC reports. Backchannel talks have floated controversial ideas like "land swaps" in eastern Ukraine, but Russia appears unwilling to give up any territory it controls, seeking instead US recognition of its gains. An 18-year-old from North Carolina whose family says he vanished under "deeply troubling and suspicious circumstances" has been found dead in Florida after vacationing there. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office confirmed on Thursday that a body found Aug. 8 in a retention pond in Bradenton is indeed that of Fuquay-Varina resident Giovanni Pelletier, who was identified with the help of dental records and additional forensic testing, per WRAL . The sheriff's office says that so far, they've found no signs of foul play. Pelletier was last seen Aug. 1, while vacationing with his mother and her fiance in Englewood, Florida. His aunt, Desiree Pelletier, tells ABC News that her nephew decided to reach out to his estranged father's family while they were in Florida, making arrangements to meet up with three cousins. Those relatives reportedly picked up Giovanni Pelletier around 1:30am on Aug. 1 to make the three-hour drive back to Mims, on the opposite coast, with him, per his aunt. She says that less than 30 minutes later, his mom received a text from him saying simply: "Help me." "That was the last time anyone has heard from him," his aunt writes in a GoFundMe set up to aid the search. When contacted by Pelletier's mom, the cousins in question reportedly said they'd all been smoking pot together, until they say Pelletier started behaving erratically and pulled a knife on them. The cousins claim Pelletier got out of the vehicle they were driving in along I-75, near SR-70, and that was the last they saw of him, though Pelletier's immediate family is wary of that story. story continues below The Bradenton pond where Pelletier's body was found was not far from where his backpack and phone were discovered. WBTV reports that his body was found during the search by his mom's best friend. The teen's cause of death is pending, waiting on toxicology results, per the sheriff's office. "Giovanni is smart, kind, and full of life. He didn't deserve this," his aunt writes in the GoFundMe, claiming that their family received "very little help from officials" and were "forced to search on our own." An investigation into the case continues. Long before whales were majestic, gentle giants, some of their prehistoric ancestors were tiny, weird, and feral. Researchers this week officially named Janjucetus dullardi, a cartoonish creature with bulging eyes the size of tennis balls, in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. Unlike today's whales, the juvenile specimen was small enough to fit in a single bed. Boasting fiendish teeth and a shark-like snout, however, this oddball of the ocean was nasty, mean, and built to hunt, reports the AP . "It was, let's say, deceptively cute," said Erich Fitzgerald, senior curator of vertebrate paleontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute, and one of the paper's authors. "It might have looked for all the world like some weird kind of mash-up between a whale, a seal, and a Pokemon but they were very much their own thing." The rare discovery of the partial skull, including ear bones and teeth, was made in 2019 on a fossil-rich stretch of coast along Australia's Victoria state. Jan Juc Beach, a cradle for some of the weirdest whales in history, is becoming a hotspot for understanding early whale evolution, Fitzgerald said. Few family trees seem stranger than that of Janjucetus dullardi, only the fourth species ever identified from a group known as mammalodontids, early whales that lived only during the Oligocene Epoch, about 34 million to 23 million years ago. That marked the point about halfway through the known history of whales. The tiny predators, thought to have grown to 10 feet in length, were an early branch on the line that led to today's great baleen whales, such as humpbacks, blues, and minkes. Janjucetus dullardi was named by researchers after an amateur fossil hunter who doesn't mind its looks in the slightest. "It's literally been the greatest 24 hours of my life," said Ross Dullard, who discovered the skull at Jan Juc Beach. story continues below After Wednesday's confirmation of the new species, the school principal walked like a rock star onto campus with "high fives coming left, right and center," he said. Dullard plans a fossil party this weekend, featuring cetacean-themed games and whale-shaped treats in jello, to celebrate his nightmare Muppet find, finally confirmed. "That's taken my concentration for six years," he said. "I've had sleepless nights. I've dreamt about this whale." Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem are just two of the defendants in a new complaint that alleges Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported a 4-year-old American boy with late-stage kidney cancer to Honduras. Per the Guardian , the lawsuit filed in Louisiana, which also names various ICE officials as defendants, is on behalf of two moms and their kids deported from the US earlier this year, with three of the latter being US citizensthe boy with cancer, as well as his 7-year-old sister and a 2-year-old girl. Per the complaint, the women were deported with their children after they were told to come to an immigration check-in in April with their kids and passports, reports NBC News . The parents "were never given a choice as to whether their children should be deported with them and were prohibited from contacting their counsel or having meaningful contact with their families to arrange for the care of their children," notes the suit, which alleges they were denied due process. The mothers say they wanted their kids to remain in the USand that in the case of Romeo, the child with aggressive kidney cancer, "the failure to allow his mother to arrange for his care ... and his unlawful deportation to Honduras interfered with his needed medical treatment." "It has been scary and overwhelming," Romeo's mother, named only as Rosario, says in a statement. "After so many years in the United States, it has been devastating to be sent to Honduras." She adds that living there is "incredibly hard," without "the resources to care for my children the way they need." The other mom, "Julia," says when she refused to give the OK for her daughter to go to Honduras with her, an ICE officer threatened her child would be placed in foster care. story continues below In a statement to NBC News, a Homeland Security rep denies the children were "deported" and that their mothers weren't given other choices. "The parents in this instance made the determination to take their children with them back to Honduras," insists Tricia McLaughlin. She adds that "the implication that ICE would deny a child the medical care they need is flatly FALSE," and that whenever health issues are in the mix, ICE "makes sure that treatment is available in the country" where the individual is being deported to. HOMA BAY, Kenya, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Thursday launched two key frameworks aimed at accelerating the nationwide adoption of digital health. Aden Duale, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Health, launched the five-year Digital Health Agency Strategic Plan and the Certification Framework for Digitization during the ninth Devolution Conference in Homa Bay, western Kenya. "Digital health must be anchored in a good legal environment supported by political goodwill. Kenya is accelerating the adoption of digital health, and our experience demonstrates that we can deliver a good model for Africa," Duale said. He noted that digitizing the health system is helping bridge gaps in healthcare access, while also improving transparency and citizen engagement. It has further promoted inclusion and equity by enhancing affordability, gender responsiveness, and access to health services, particularly for persons with disabilities. Patrick Amoth, director-general for health in the ministry, said 50 percent of Kenya's health facilities are already digitized, with the target of reaching full coverage by the end of the year. Digitization, he added, has made it easier to track and trace patients and to collect health data at both facility and household levels. Anthony Lenaiyara, chief executive officer of Digital Health Agency, a government body dedicated to digitizing Kenya's health system, noted that up to 50,000 Kenyans are now registering daily for health services from their homes thanks to the digitization drive. A Scottish tourist is facing legal trouble after being accused of taking five stones and a piece of brick from the ancient ruins of Pompeii, Italian authorities said Thursday. The 51-year-old man, who hasn't been named, was allegedly spotted by a tour guide picking up "pieces of pavement" and sliding them into his backpack during a visit to the archaeological site, reports the New York Times . Park staff and security, alerted by the guide, passed along a detailed description to Carabinieri police, who say they found the tourist at a nearby train station with the items in his bag. The man reportedly told officers that his son collected rocks and that he didn't realize it was illegal to remove stones from Pompeii. He wasn't detained but is now under investigation for aggravated theft, a charge that could result in a prison sentence of one to six years, as well as a maximum fine of $1,750, reports the Independent. Pompeii, famously preserved after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79, has long been vulnerable to looting and damage. The site's sheer size and open-air layout make it especially difficult to police. Incidents involving tourists at Italian landmarks aren't uncommon: In recent years, visitors have been caught carving initials into the Colosseum, backing into artwork in Florence, and damaging displays at other museums. story continues below Despite the relatively modest value of the stones in this case, police have described them as a "precious treasure." As of now, formal charges against the tourist haven't been filed, and the investigation is ongoing. A local Carabinieri commander, meanwhile, says that better security measures will be put into place to account for the large number of summer tourists still visiting the site, per the Herald. Summit day has arrived. President Trump departed for Alaska Friday morning for his one-on-one meeting with Vladimir Putin later in the day. Trump initially downplayed expectations for the summit, describing it as a "feel-out meeting." But in more recent days, he had said he will urge Putin to agree to a ceasefireand warned of "severe consequences" should Putin reject the idea, reports the Wall Street Journal . Still, Trump made clear on Friday morning that he wants concessions from both sides. "I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine," he told reporters on Air Force One, per CNN. Trump and Putin are expected to meet after 3pm Eastern, then hold a news conference afterward, notes the New York Times. If all goes well, Trump has floated the possibility of bringing Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky to Alaska immediately for a follow-up three-way discussion. "Look, he's a smart guy," Trump said of Putin. "Been doing it for a long time, but so have I. I've been doing it for a long time, and here we are: We're president. We get along. There's a good respect level on both sides, and I think, you know, something's going to come of it." In a statement of his own, Zelensky said Ukraine is "counting on America," adding: "The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is making headlines againthis time due to reports of her living rent-free in the official residence normally reserved for the US Coast Guard's commandant at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, DC. According to agency officials, the move follows safety concerns after the British tabloid Daily Mail published identifying photos of Noem's previous residence, reports the Washington Post . DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin insists this is a temporary fix, but she hasn't disclosed how long Noem has been in the quarters or when her stay will end. The arrangement is unusual. Other Cabinet officials have typically paid to stay in military housing when needed, while Noem, who earns more than $200,000 a year and whose net worth is estimated at $5 million, pays nothing for the waterfront property. Noem reportedly continues to pay rent for her original Navy Yard apartment. Coast Guard officials and former administration staffers, alongside Democrats in Congress, warn that Noem's living situation could disrupt housing for senior military leaders and send the wrong message about using government perks. "What are the optics?" asked Cynthia Brown of the left-leaning Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics watchdog, suggesting Noem could be seen as improperly benefiting from her post. story continues below Noem's use of Coast Guard resources extends beyond housing. She regularly flies on a Coast Guard Gulfstream jet, a perk intended for official travel but which can also be used for personal tripsprovided the government is reimbursed for private use. The DHS hasn't confirmed whether Noem has repaid the government accordingly. Meanwhile, Axios reports that the White House is now reportedly keeping an eye on controversial Trump adviser and constant Noem companion Corey Lewandowski, who some believe may be undercounting his time as a special government employee for the DHS under Noem. SGEs, which are unpaid, are capped at 130 days of work each year. A very rare and apparently very confused subtropical wood stork somehow found its way to the wilds of Wisconsin. A hunter scouting for deer first sighted the bird Sunday in a remote section of the Mud Lake Wildlife Area in Columbia County, about 35 miles northeast of Madison, said Horicon Marsh Bird Club President Jeff Bahls. The hunter snapped some photos of the stork and sent them to Bahls, who doubles as a wildlife technician for the state Department of Natural Resources. Bahls confirmed that the bird was indeed a wood stork, reports the AP . He said it was likely a juvenile that may have hatched this spring. Bahls trekked into the wildlife area and saw the bird for himself on Monday. Some other hikers also glimpsed the stork that day, he said, but it hasn't been seen since Tuesday morning, when it was spotted flying northeast with a flock of pelicans. Wood storks are typically found in Gulf Coast states and Central and South America, and are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. They're the only stork species that breeds in the United States, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Wood storks typically grow as long as 35 to 45 inches with wingspans reaching around 5 1/2 feet. The only sound they can produce is a hissing noise. Climate change and habitat loss have been forcing birds north. Immature wood storks have no territory and typically explore during the late summer, Bahls said. Birders flocked to Green Bay in August 2023 after a shorebird known as a roseate spoonbill was spotted in the area, the first sighting of such a bird in Wisconsin since 1845, and that bird was dead. Like the wood stork, that species is usually found in Gulf Coast states and Central and South America. Birders and scientists speculated that a storm blew the bird off course or, like the wood stork, it just got lost. "It's always fascinating where these birds come from and where they end up," Bahls said. "This is the time of year when we do get these oddball stray birds." A Missouri resident is in the hospital after contracting a rare and deadly "brain-eating" infection, according to state health officials. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said in a recent news release that the unidentified patient likely encountered Naegleria fowleri a microscopic amoeba that can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAMafter waterskiing at the Lake of the Ozarks, reports NBC News . The patient is said to be receiving treatment in the ICU, per First Alert 4 . N. fowleri lurks in warm fresh water, and while it's not uncommon for it to be present, actual infections are exceedingly rare. The amoeba can also be found in unchlorinated swimming pools and splash pads, and even on occasion in tap water, per the CDC. It typically enters the body through the nose, then makes a beeline for the brain, where it destroys tissue. US health officials have recorded only 167 cases nationwide from 1962 through last year. Unfortunately, PAM almost always proves fatal, with patients usually succumbing within five days of initial symptoms like headache, fever, and nausea. The Missouri incident follows another tragic case: In July, 12-year-old Jaysen Carr died after swimming in South Carolina's Lake Murray. Officials urge caution for anyone enjoying warm fresh water, recommending nose clips, limiting underwater activity, and steering clear of stirring up lake sediment, where the amoeba tends to reside. Erin strengthened into a hurricane on Friday as it approached the northeast Caribbean, prompting forecasters to warn of possible flooding and landslides. The storm is expected to remain over open waters, although tropical storm watches were issued for Anguilla, Barbuda, St. Martin and St. Barts, Saba, and St. Eustatius. Heavy rains were forecast to start late Friday in Antigua and Barbuda, the US and British Virgin Islands, and southern and eastern Puerto Rico, reports the AP . Up to 4 inches are expected, with isolated totals of up to 6 inches, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Forecasters also warned of dangerous swells. The storm was located about 460 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands as of Friday. It had maximum sustained winds of 75mph and was moving west-northwest at 18mph. Hurricane specialist and storm surge expert Michael Lowry said Erin is forecast to eventually take a sharp turn northeast that would put it on a path between the US and Bermuda. "The forecasts for next week still keep the future hurricane safely east of the mainland US," he said. Erin, which is the Atlantic season's first hurricane, is forecast to become a major Category 3 storm late this weekend. The NHC noted there's "still uncertainty about what impacts Erin may bring to portions of the Bahamas, the East Coast of the United States, and Bermuda in the long range." Dangerous surf and rip currents are expected to affect the US' East Coast next week, with waves reaching up to 15 feet along parts of the North Carolina coast that could cause beach erosion, according to AccuWeather. "Erin is forecast to explode into a powerful Category 4 hurricane as it moves across very warm waters in the open Atlantic," said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather's lead hurricane expert. story continues below Erin is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. This year's season is once again expected to be unusually busy. The forecast calls for six to 10 hurricanes, with three to five reaching major status with winds of more than 110mph. President Trump is keeping up his work-the-refs strategy all through the lead-up to his meeting with Vladimir Putin. As the president flew to Alaska on Friday, the White House released a video clip in which he's talking to Fox News' Bret Baier aboard Air Force One: "I think it's going to work out very welland if it doesn't, I'm going to head back home real fast," said Trump, per the Wall Street Journal. Baier then clarified: "If it doesn't, you walk?" To which Trump responded, "I would walk." Soon after the White House announced that President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin would not be talking during their Alaskan summit without aides present, the two managed to grab some alone time. Trump offered Putin a ride off the Anchorage tarmac to the meeting location in his limousine, known as the Beast, upon their arrival on Friday, the Washington Post reports. Images of a smiling Putin in the backseat with Trump, without aides or interpreters listening, are likely to be unsettling to Ukrainian and European leaders who want the US to push Russia hard on negotiations to end its invasion, Politico points out. It is rare for the leaders of two superpowersexcepting maybe Roosevelt and Churchillto carpool, per the New York Times. Trump and Putin would have been able to chat during the short drive; Putin speaks English well enough to carry on a conversation. The visit could raise more questions about what they talk about in private, as did their solo conversation in Germany in 2017. State-controlled media in Russia posted photos Friday showing Putin's limousine sitting on the tarmac, which could mean the ride wasn't arranged ahead of time. The warmth contrasts with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's treatment at the White House in February, when he was greeted by Trump at his car butafter a tense, shortened Oval Office sessionappeared to walk out unescorted. When Putin isn't getting a lift from Trump, he'll be driven around Anchorage in an Aurus, a luxury Russian model that has carried top officials since the Soviet days. Putin has given a couple of Aurus limousines to North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un and took him for a ride in one last summer in Pyongyang. Rapper Sean Kingston was sentenced on Friday to 3 years in prison after being convicted of a $1 million fraud scheme in south Florida. Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Paul Anderson, and his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, were both convicted by a federal jury in March of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud, the AP reports. US District Judge David Leibowitz sentenced Turner last month to five years in prison. The same judge sentenced Kingston, who was immediately taken into custody. His prison time is to be followed by three years of supervised release. Leibowitz also ordered that a restitution hearing be held within 90 days. Kingston, 35, and his mother were arrested in May 2024 after a SWAT team raided Kingston's rented mansion in suburban Fort Lauderdale. Turner was taken into custody during the raid, while Kingston was arrested at Fort Irwin, an Army training base in California's Mojave Desert where he was performing. According to court records, Kingston used social media from April 2023 to March 2024 to arrange purchases of high-end merchandise. After negotiating deals, Kingston would invite the sellers to one of his Florida homes and promise to feature them and their products on social media. Investigators said that when it came time to pay, Kingston or his mother would text the victims fake wire receipts for the luxury merchandise, which included a bulletproof Escalade, watches, and a 19-foot LED TV, investigators said. When the funds didn't clear, victims often contacted Kingston and Turner repeatedly but were either never paid or received money only after filing lawsuits or contacting law enforcement. Kingston, who was born in Florida and raised in Jamaica, shot to fame at age 17 with the 2007 hit "Beautiful Girls," which laid his lyrics over Ben E. King's 1961 song "Stand By Me." JUBA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in South Sudan on Thursday awarded 22 South Sudanese winners of the "Chinese Modernization in My Eyes" creative works competition, which began in April. Daniel Abocha Ali, chairman of the youth league of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement and one of the top performers in the competition, said South Sudanese and Africans as a whole share similar cultures with the Chinese people, and should unite to develop their countries as the Chinese have done. "So this message also goes to us, the people of South Sudan and Africa in general, that there is nothing impossible in this world, it only requires peace, unity, and we can also have African modernization through our eyes," Abocha said during the ceremony held in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. Abocha visited China in 2019, where he studied a three-month course in governance and leadership at Peking University in Beijing. He said the people of South Sudan will never forget the support the Chinese people and government have extended to South Sudan over the years since its independence in 2011. Abocha also emphasized the importance of Africans working collectively with the Chinese people to achieve African modernization. Emanuel Ambrose, a student of international relations at Destiny University in Juba, said the wards of the creative works competition on Chinese modernization are a testament to the continuous friendship between the two countries. "We do not merely exchange traditions, but we exchange stories, aspirations, and believe in the dignity of every community," he said. Abuk Augustino Anyuon Manguak, a journalist working at the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, noted that in her eyes, Chinese modernization is not only about highly developed infrastructure and industry, but also about building a life of comfort, safety, and opportunity for the people. Anyuon was among a group of South Sudanese journalists who recently attended a communication seminar from April to July in China. "These past three months have been a journey through innovation and efficiency, a living example of how modernization can be both ambitious and people-centered," she said. Ma Qiang, Chinese ambassador to South Sudan, revealed that from 2012 to 2020, nearly 100 million Chinese people were lifted out of poverty. He said China's modernization shares common features with modernization in other countries, and also has Chinese characteristics based on national conditions. "It is modernization with a huge population. With a population of over 1.4 billion, China as a whole is entering the modernization, surpassing the combined population of all developed countries. This is the largest modernization in human history, and also the most challenging one," Ma said. Chinese modernization adheres to the principle that development is for the people, relies on the people, and its benefits should be shared by the people, thus continuously promoting common prosperity for all, the Chinese ambassador added. Fairbanks, AK (99701) Today Cloudy with occasional rain...mainly in the morning. High around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 52F. Winds light and variable. TDT | Manama Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com Honoring Freedom for the Thattai Bhatia Hindu community in Bahrain means celebrating the religious tolerance, cultural preservation, and peaceful coexistence that have defined their journey for generations. Originally from Sind in undivided India (now in Pakistan), the Thattai Bhatias were among the earliest Indian expatriates in Bahrain, arriving even before oil was discovered. Deeply devout, they felt the need for a spiritual centre that would allow them to stay connected to their faith and cultural heritage. This aspiration was ful filled when the great-great-grandfather of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa generously granted them permission to establish the Shrinathji Krishna Hindu Temple in Manama Souqan enduring symbol of Bahrains commitment to religious freedom. That gesture not only empowered the community spiritually but also affirmed Bahrains ethos of inclusion and respect for diversity. Today, this temple stands not just as a place of worship, but as a living testament to the values of freedom, faith, and coexistence. It reminds the community of their roots, the welcoming spirit of Bahrain, and their own role in shaping a shared future. As the largest expatriate group in the country, Indiansparticularly the Thattai Bhatiascontinue to honor this freedom by upholding their traditions while contributing meaningfully to Bahraini society. Inspiring the Future Through Culture, Youth, and Unity in Bahrain Our association continues to inspire future generations in Bahrain by fostering cultural pride, social unity, and humanitarian service. Rooted in the traditions of the ancient Shrinathji Shri Krishna Temple, we actively promote Hindu culture through vibrant celebrations of major festivals such as Diwali, Holi, Janmashtami, Navratri, and more. These events not only engage the Hindu youth but also build bridges across communities, with festivals like the Color Festival (Holi) attracting participants from many nationalities and public security supporting us as a mark of mutual respect and goodwill. Beyond religious observances, we contribute to Bahrains social fabric through sustained philanthropic initiatives. For over 30 years, quarterly blood donation camps have drawn around 600 donors annually. We also extend support during Ramadan and in times of natural calamities, ensuring assistance reaches those in need via government-recognized channels. To promote knowledge and spiritual development among youth and community members, we organize philosophical and spiritual discourses at various times during the year. We also manage cremation facilities at Askar, offering essential services with dignity to the Hindu population in Bahrain. Dignitaries and visitors from around the world visit our temple, drawn by its cultural significance and spiritual sanctity. Through these efforts, our association continues to nurture a future rooted in compassion, cultural awareness, and community unity, serving as a bridge between tradition and progress in the Kingdom of Bahrain. KYOTO, Aug 15 (News On Japan) - Grave visits are common during the summer Obon season, but the form of burial in Japan is undergoing significant change, with the trend of closing gravesknown as haka-jimaion the rise and new burial options emerging. In Kyotos Higashiyama Ward, many came to pay respects at Otani Sobyo. Some visitors said the steep paths would be difficult to climb as they age, while others expressed concern about whether their children or grandchildren could maintain their graves in the long term. Amid these worries, Kobe City is developing Japans first municipally designated forest burial cemetery. In forest burials, a type of tree burial, remains are interred beneath trees without gravestones, often alongside others in the same plot. This move reflects the rise in grave closuresKobe recorded about 1,000 cases last year, and nationwide reburials, including grave closures, have doubled over the past decade to 167,000 in fiscal 2023. The city hopes to ease the burden on families by providing a resting place that requires no upkeep, with space for about 1,600 remains and opening planned for next summer. Nature-return burials are also spreading in the private sector. At Nose Myokensan, which has over 1,200 years of history, a cycle burial held on August 14 saw powdered remains mixed with mountain soil and buried, with the process carried out by family members in turn. The temple began offering this in 2023, with about 30 people buried so farroughly 80% through pre-death contracts. Participants said they were drawn to the idea of their remains nourishing the forest, and at FOREST Co. president Yuki Koike emphasized their vision of keeping the forest thriving for centuries without any markers. The diversification of burial practices is tied to broader social shifts such as smaller families, fewer successors to graves, and more people living far from their hometowns. New methods include balloon burials, in which remains are placed in a large balloon and released into the stratosphere, scattering in the air when it bursts due to pressure changes. These cost about 300,000400,000 yen, cheaper than building a new grave. Services offering to visit graves on behalf of clients have also emerged, typically costing around 20,000 yen, covering cleaning, offerings, and even remote participation for those far away or with mobility issues. However, grave closure can be complicated. The process requires notifying the managing temple or cemetery, submitting paperwork to local authorities, and hiring a contractor to remove the grave. Disputes sometimes arise, such as excessive separation fees to templeswhile the norm is 50,000200,000 yen, there are cases of demands as high as 3 million yen. Other conflicts occur when families proceed without informing relatives. Experts advise using family gatherings, such as Obon, to discuss grave closures and future memorial arrangements openly, to avoid future misunderstandings. Source: YOMIURI OSAKA, Aug 16 (News On Japan) - A university student in Tokyo has been arrested in connection with the theft of goods from the official store at the Expo site, bringing the total number of suspects in the case to six. According to police, Akihiro Kono, 20, a resident of Tokyos Kita Ward, is accused of stealing nine items, including folding fans, from the store in June. Five other university students have already been arrested over the incident. All six are rail enthusiasts, known as tori-tetsu, who are believed to have travelled to the Expo venue without paying train fares. Kono admitted to stealing about five fans and also confessed to fare evasion. Police said around 50 items, including Myaku-Myaku mascot keychains, were found hidden in the ceiling of his home. Investigators suspect the group engaged in large-scale shoplifting of Expo merchandise and are continuing their inquiry. Source: YOMIURI by Xinhua writers Habtamu Worku, Liu Fangqiang ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian experts have lauded China's extraordinary achievement in transforming from ecological fragility to environmental leadership, calling it a practical model for addressing climate change and land degradation. They argue that China's experience, coupled with deepening Sino-Ethiopian cooperation in ecological conservation, offers valuable lessons for Ethiopia as it pursues ambitious environmental goals amid mounting climate challenges. Aberu Tena, chief executive officer of Green Legacy and Plantation Forest under Ethiopian Forestry Development, told Xinhua that the two countries' ecological cooperation has matured into a robust and highly effective South-South partnership, "successfully transitioning from high-level agreements to tangible ground-level projects." Tena identified technology transfer as a cornerstone of the collaboration, with Ethiopia benefiting from Chinese expertise in combating environmental challenges, particularly desertification. He cited satellite remote sensing for monitoring land degradation, advanced water-saving irrigation methods, and dune stabilization techniques as transformative technologies now in active use. According to Tena, Chinese experts have conducted training workshops for Ethiopian officials, technicians, and researchers, focusing on building local capacity in sustainable land management. Pilot zones have also been established to adapt China's successful ecological restoration schemes, such as the Kubuqi model, to Ethiopia's diverse highland and lowland conditions. Tena stressed that the ecological cooperation extends beyond desertification control, forming an integral part of a broader green development relationship with "tangible and transformative outcomes" across sectors vital to Ethiopia's sustainable future. Renewable energy is another major success, complementing Ethiopia's climate-resilient green economy strategy and its goal of carbon-neutral growth. "Chinese financing and technology have been instrumental in developing Ethiopia's vast renewable energy potential, particularly in hydropower and wind energy," Tena said. He also highlighted the flagship Chinese-built Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway as a "green transport corridor" that significantly cuts carbon emissions compared to road freight, demonstrating how economic development and environmental sustainability can advance hand in hand. Reflecting on China's "remarkable reversal of desertification" achieved through decades of unwavering, state-led policy, Tena said the experience underscores the importance of sustained political commitment beyond short-term cycles. He also praised the "well-coordinated and integrated" nature of China's reforestation and rehabilitation efforts, which "align seamlessly with broader national objectives and are supported by targeted scientific research and interventions." Bitew Shibabaw Abate, chief executive officer of Forest Products Utilization and Law Compliance under Ethiopian Forestry Development, described China's approach as "unique and globally exemplary," crediting its success to the seamless integration of science, policy, and mass mobilization. He emphasized the country's strong reliance on scientific research to develop plant species adapted to local environments and praised Chinese experts for their dedication and openness. "The enthusiasm of the Chinese researchers, scientists, and experts stationed at different sites, who were eager to share their experiences and practical insights with us, was remarkable," Shibabaw said. The expert called for more concrete strategies to elevate the China-Ethiopia ecological partnership, particularly in policy-making, financing, innovation, and environmental governance. Noting the ecological diversity shared by the two countries, Shibabaw said Ethiopia's varied landscapes provide "fertile ground" for applying China's proven conservation, rehabilitation, and reforestation strategies. "This shared ecological diversity creates a natural laboratory for collaborative problem-solving," he said. ACCRA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank released a new report on Thursday, urging Ghana to focus its ongoing structural reforms on private-led growth and job creation to absorb its growing youth population. The World Bank's ninth Ghana Economic Update, titled "Addressing Labor Market Challenges and Opportunities in Ghana's Economic Landscape," said Ghana needs to improve its business environment, close infrastructure gaps, and accelerate the digital economy and climate adaptation to boost private sector-led growth and job creation. To that end, the report urged the West African cocoa, gold, and crude oil exporter to address challenges in its energy and cocoa sectors to mitigate fiscal risks and bolster economic stability. It noted that Ghana's working-age population is projected to increase significantly over the next decade, presenting a major opportunity for economic growth if the expanding labor force can be absorbed into productive employment. The report underlined the importance of developing a comprehensive strategy on job creation, structural transformation, and skill development. Robert Taliercio, World Bank division director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, said at the launching event that Ghana has an urgent need to sustain ongoing reforms to restore macro-financial stability to support economic transformation and sustainable growth for jobs. For his part, Ghanaian Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem said the need to create jobs is a "mission critical" not only for the government, but for all stakeholders, as "unemployment and underemployment represent a potential powder keg waiting to explode." As the macroeconomy begins to have a meaningful impact, the deputy minister announced that the government will invest approximately 564.4 million Ghanaian cedis (about 52.8 million U.S. dollars) in three youth skills development programs and an additional 410 million cedis in a national entrepreneurship and innovation program in 2025 to unleash the creative potential of Ghanaian youth. A doctor (L) of the Chinese medical team in Togo performs acupuncture treatment on a patient at the Pya Medical and Social Center in Pya, Kozah Prefecture, Togo, Aug. 14, 2025. Chinese doctors on Thursday provided free clinical services to local people in the Pya area of northern Togo's Kozah Prefecture. (Xinhua/Sun Yi) LOME, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese doctors on Thursday provided free clinical services to local people in the Pya area of northern Togo's Kozah Prefecture. The event, hosted by the Pya Medical and Social Center, was jointly carried out by the two Chinese medical teams currently working in Togo's Lome and Kara, with Chinese specialists in internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, traumatology, and acupuncture conducting a total of 579 free consultations. "We give not only high-quality medical services, but also Chinese people's care and love, to our Togolese brothers and sisters, especially those living in rural areas where medical resources are relatively scarce," said Bai Li, head of the Chinese medical teams in Togo. "We look forward to continuing, in the days ahead, to work hand in hand with our Togolese colleagues to jointly improve the health and well-being of Togolese people," he added. Tchabana Damba Prudence, a 28-year-old from Pya, had endured eight years of pelvic, lower back, and knee pain caused by complications during childbirth. During the free clinical services event, she received a traditional Chinese medicine consultation with acupuncture treatment. "I already feel great relief; my pain has significantly decreased," she said. Yovon Damessi, head of the Pya Medical and Social Center, lauded the health cooperation between Togo and China, which has bolstered initiatives to improve the health conditions of Togolese people. A doctor (C) of the Chinese medical team in Togo examines a patient at the Pya Medical and Social Center in Pya, Kozah Prefecture, Togo, Aug. 14, 2025. Chinese doctors on Thursday provided free clinical services to local people in the Pya area of northern Togo's Kozah Prefecture. The event, hosted by the Pya Medical and Social Center, was jointly carried out by the two Chinese medical teams currently working in Togo's Lome and Kara, with Chinese specialists in internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, traumatology, and acupuncture conducting a total of 579 free consultations. (Xinhua/Sun Yi) A doctor of the Chinese medical team in Togo performs acupuncture treatment on a patient at the Pya Medical and Social Center in Pya, Kozah Prefecture, Togo, Aug. 14, 2025. Chinese doctors on Thursday provided free clinical services to local people in the Pya area of northern Togo's Kozah Prefecture. The event, hosted by the Pya Medical and Social Center, was jointly carried out by the two Chinese medical teams currently working in Togo's Lome and Kara, with Chinese specialists in internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, traumatology, and acupuncture conducting a total of 579 free consultations. (Xinhua/Sun Yi) BAMAKO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Mali's transitional government announced Thursday that it had foiled a "subversive plot," detaining several military personnel, civilians and a French national. According to a government statement, all suspects were arrested on Aug. 1, including members of Mali's armed forces and security agencies. The statement said that while the nation is focused on safeguarding its sovereignty and fighting Sahel-based terrorist groups, the accused attempted to sabotage Mali's reconstruction efforts, allegedly backed by "certain foreign forces." During a televised reading of the statement, state TV displayed the photos, names and positions of 11 suspects, including two generals. The French national Jean Vezilier was accused of working for French intelligence by inciting Malian political, military and civil society figures to engage in subversive activities. Mali's transitional government denounced the plot, confirming that judicial probes are underway to uncover accomplices while assuring the public that the situation is under control. There's no doctor's visit necessary to receive the at-home nasal flu vaccine. Courtesy of AstraZeneca Drug maker AstraZeneca recently announced that people can now order needle-free nasal flu vaccines to give themselves at home. As of Friday, households in every country throughout the world can order the nasal spray vaccine FluMist on the FluMist Home website. Its the first flu vaccine that does not need to be administered by a health care provider, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which approved FluMist for self or caregiver-administration in September 2024. Previously, people have always had to visit a doctors office or local pharmacy for the vaccine. You can access it wherever you are in the United States. And its very empowering because the patient can do it at home without needing to go to a pharmacy or an appointment, said Joris Silon, U.S. country president for AstraZenecas biopharmaceuticals business unit, during a virtual press conference at the companys Philadelphia manufacturing site, one of 11 manufacturing facilities in the U.S. FluMist is a vaccine thats sprayed into the nose to help protect against influenza in people ages 2 through 49 years old. To order the vaccine, patients need to complete a medical screening questionnaire, provide insurance information, select a delivery date, and provide shipping payment and payment information. Although the vaccine is covered through insurance, theres an $8.99 shipping and processing fee per order. Patients can also download vaccine verification to send to their doctor, schools, and state registries if they so choose. The spray will continue to be available in offices and pharmacies for administration by healthcare professionals. The influenza virus, known as the flu, typically circulates annually in the United States, beginning in October and peaking in later winter, experts say. Most people who become ill with the flu recover without serious complications. However, those who can develop severe complications from the flu include: Young children. Pregnant women. People with certain chronic health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease. People 65 years and older. According to preliminary estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were at least 47 million flu-related illnesses, more than 610,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths, including 266 pediatric deaths, during the 2024-2025 flu season. It was the deadliest flu season for children in more than two decades, except during the 2009 pandemic, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Despite the deaths, fewer people are getting vaccinated for the flu and other preventable diseases. According to the most recent CDC National Immunization Survey for children, only 62.5% of New Jersey children under age 36 months have received the combined seven vaccination series compared to 72.2% nationally. Vaccines in this series include at least four doses of DTaP, three doses of polio, one dose of MMR, three doses of hepatitis B, three doses of Hib, one dose of varicella, and four doses of pneumococcal vaccine. The New Jersey Department of Health encourages residents to stay up to date on all recommended immunizations, including COVID-19, flu, and RSV, if eligible. Vaccines are one of the most effective tools we have to prevent serious illness and keep our schools, workplaces, and communities healthy, said Acting Health Commissioner Jeff Brown in a press release. Staying up to date on immunizations helps protect children heading back to school and older adults from health complications related to vaccine-preventable diseases. Its a simple but powerful step toward a healthier New Jersey, Brown said. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com. Parade celebrating Dominican Republic's independence to be hosted in Camden on Sunday. CANVA The sound of joyous and infectious dance music of bachata and merengue will fill the streets of Camden on Sunday during a parade and concert to celebrate the Dominican Republics independence day. The parade will gather at noon at Market and 5th streets near City Hall. Floats, dancers and marching groups will proceed through the city to Wiggins Waterfront Park, according to Angel Florentino, a spokesperson with Movimiento Tricolor, the Camden-based organization hosting the event. The traditional Latin dance music concert is scheduled for 2 to 7 p.m. at the Waterfront, where Dominican artists Fidelina Pascual, Joel El Insuperable and Mikey. This marks the first year the organization hosts a parade and could be one of the first parades in South Jersey celebrating the Dominican Republic community, said Ashly Estevez-Perez, one of the organizations founders. Movimiento Tricolor launched its first Dominican Restoration Day Celebration in 2020, Estevez-Perez said. The organization wanted to put together an event that would highlight the Dominican community, she said. They decided that Restoration Day, which celebrates the day the Dominican Republic gained independence from Spain on Aug. 16, 1865, would be the best day to do that, she said. The day also represents a change of power for many people in the Dominican Republic, Estevez-Perez said. We also wanted to send a message about changing the power dynamic of not having the Dominican community be in the shadows, Estevez-Perez said. But also be on the forefront of change and active in the communities. The City of Camden has long had a connection with the Dominican Republic. Census data shows that about 9,312 Dominicans lived in Camden as of 2021 making up nearly 13% of the citys population at the time. Estevez-Perez said New Jersey has long attracted migrants from the Dominican Republic. When Dominicans began arriving in Camden they often opened businesses, like small grocery stores referred to as a colmado, taxi cab companies as well as clubs and bars, she said. We are present day-to-day, Estevez-Perez said. Sundays festivities celebrate more than just Dominican culture, Councilman Falio Leyba-Martinez said. Its going to set a tone of inclusivity in the City of Camden, Leyba-Martinez said. Amira Sweilem may be reached at asweilem@njadvancemedia.com. Welcome to Mosaic. Follow us on Instagram at @MosaicNJcom and on Facebook at MosaicNJcom and on YouTube at @MosaicNJcom. A Somerset County woman is being charged with distributing child sexual abuse material, authorities say. Kathleen Amberg, 69, of Branchburg, was arrested at her residence on Aug. 13 and taken to the Somerset County Prosecutors Office. Electronic devices were seized from her residence for further forensic analysis, authorities said. The prosecutors office led an investigation to find a suspect possessing and distributing files depicting sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor after they received a tip, according to the Somerset County Prosecutors Office. The tip was provided by the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in a Cyber Tipline Report. Amberg was held at the Somerset County Jail until making an appearance in superior court, after which she was released from custody. Victoria Gladstone may be reached at vgladstone@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @TorigNJAM. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A SEPTA train arrives at Philadelphia International Airport station. With no state legislative solution to a multimillion-dollar financial crisis, SEPTA has started the process to reduce and eventually end service to Trenton in 2026. SL With Pennsylvania lawmakers failing to allocate additional mass transit funding Thursday night, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will begin raising fares and cutting service, including a rail line to New Jersey. SEPTA officials announced Friday the agency was moving forward with a two-phase plan that begins 20% bus, regional rail, trolley and subway service reductions on Aug. 24. A 21% fare increase would take effect on Sept. 1. Screen grab from a security video shows the moment a Paterson school nurse was struck by a city-owned truck in 2023. Paterson Public Schools A school nurse who suffered serious injuries when she was struck by a city-owned truck in Paterson two years ago has settled her lawsuit for $2.9 million. Jeanmarie Orso, 65, was in a crosswalk at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Ellison Street when she was hit by the truck about 11 a.m. on March 30, 2023, according to a lawsuit filed Sept. 25, 2023. The crash, which was captured on a school security camera, sent Orso headfirst into the pavement, causing her to lose consciousness. She was taken to a local hospital with multiple brain bleeds, nerve damage, and other injuries requiring surgery, her attorney said in court papers. Orso, a registered nurse working for Paterson Public Schools, was responding to an urgent call from a gym teacher about a student in acute distress at a district school when the crash occurred. Public records show Orso has been a registered nurse in New Jersey since Sept. 1, 1982. Her career as a remarkable nurse is over, her attorney, Michael Maggiano, of Fort Lee, wrote in a letter to the court. Her life is no more than survival sustained only by her deep religious beliefs. The video shows Orso walking through the intersection and appearing to place her phone to her ear as the truck turns left through the intersection, striking the woman and knocking her to the ground. Orso doesnt move from the prone position after shes hit, and was later taken away by ambulance. The truck driver got out to help and was joined by a passerby. Both men tried to flag down a passing police SUV but were unsuccessful, the video shows. Orso was taken to St. Josephs University Medical Center, where scans showed she sustained several brain bleeds and a severe axonal injury, which is caused by the brain shifting inside the skull, Maggiano told the court. Maggiano said in a July 1 letter to Passaic County Superior Court Judge Darren J. Del Sardo that the nurses injuries were worth a $15 million verdict. But the city had offered a $3 million settlement. City officials on Thursday said the case had been settled for $2.9 million, but declined further comment. Maggiano notified the court on Aug. 7 that the case had been settled. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) was heckled by a conservative host during a town hall on Thursday night. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) AP Blaze TV host Sara Gonzales crashed a town hall with Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) on Thursday night and things got ugly. Gonzales, who posted video footage on social media, interrupted Crockett as she was speaking about her grandma to the audience, shouting Jasmine! The people of Dallas deserve better than a fake ghetto hood rat. Crockett can be seen looking over at Gonzales, before the Democrat begins to smirk. The crowd immediately erupted in boos, with some recording the interaction. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, Crockett could be heard responding. Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen. Gonzales doubled down: Do they know youre a rich kid from Missouri? I confronted Jasmine Crockett at a townhall for being a fake hoodrat. pic.twitter.com/ilezQ6Kcl7 Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) August 15, 2025 Several angry attendees quickly confronted Gonzales. A woman is first seen blocking her camera, yelling No maam! Dont touch me! Gonzales repeatedly replies. Get your a-- out of here, the woman fires back. As what appears to be a security guard approaches, Gonzales said, Get her off me first! Do your people know youre a spoiled rich kid from Missouri? she asks again to Crockett, appearing to reference how the Democratic lawmaker was born in St. Louis, Missouri, before moving to Texas for law school. A man shows up in frame, screaming Get out! Get out! Get out! F--- you! F--- you! Get off me. Get off me. Get off me. Get off me! Gonzales said as she is brought outside of the event while continuing to record. Police officers are then seen telling her to leave the property and threatened to put her in handcuffs if she did not comply with their order. Crockett was speaking at the Dallas County Blue Texas Organizing Rally, Dallas Weekly reported, where she urged her supporters to fight to turn Texas blue to defeat President Donald Trump and the GOP in the 2026 midterms. The video footage from the outlet showed Crockett dishing out advice to her attendees. She told them that they should send one fact into their group chat every week, and also challenge themselves once every two weeks to learn about their neighbors. Listen, this is part of the problem, Crockett said in the video. This is part of the problem. I want yall to be part of the solution... Were going to show these people that ignorance will not win today. A social media user with the moniker blonde conservative had also heckled Crockett during the event. She posted video footage of the interaction, in which she asks, Jasmine, why do you hate white people? Why are you racist towards white people? Why are you racist towards white people? I confronted Congresswoman @JasmineForUS for being racist towards white people pic.twitter.com/b8qKE158Q5 blonde conservative (@blondeconserv1) August 15, 2025 The interjections come as Texas GOP lawmakers are looking to pass a new state congressional map designed to secure up to five more safe seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. The effort, widely seen as a measure to preserve Republican control of the House, is backed by Trump. It has drawn pushback from Texas Democrats, who have fled the state to deny quorum of the Legislatures special session, and from Democratic governors, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who announced on Thursday that his state will move forward with a partisan redistricting proposal. He called for a special election in November for California voters to decide on new maps. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The South African Department of Transport on Thursday condemned the fatal shooting of an e-hailing driver in Soweto, Johannesburg, saying that such criminal behavior has no place in the public transport sector. On Wednesday night, four attackers opened fire on e-hailing drivers and vehicles outside Maponya Mall, killing one person and injuring two others. Although the suspects are unknown, reports indicate that the attack is linked to long-standing tensions between South Africa's traditional minibus taxi industry and newer e-hailing platforms, with the former often opposing competition through violent means. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said that during an April meeting between the government and the taxi industry, both sides agreed to establish a joint task team to fast-track the digitization of operating license issuance and tackle route encroachments, a key driver of taxi violence. The department said it is working to address systemic challenges in the sector, noting that President Cyril Ramaphosa recently signed into law the National Land Transport Amendment Act and the Transport Appeal Tribunal Amendment Act, which introduce key regulatory reforms. The regulations have been approved, now awaiting the second official language translation for gazetting and implementation of the Amendment Act. This will usher in a new era in the regulation of the e-hailing services, the department said. In the wake of Wednesday's attack, angry residents took to the streets on Thursday, blocking minibus taxis from loading passengers. The department also urged Maponya Mall management to enhance safety measures for passengers using e-hailing services. Social media users quickly mocked President Donald Trump for greeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on a red carpet in Alaska on Friday. Trump welcomed Putin onto U.S. soil on Friday afternoon, shaking hands with the Russian leader who walked to meet him on a rolled out red carpet. Trump could be seen clapping for Putin before posing for photos with the leader. Trump hopes that the high-stakes meeting with Putin will bring about an end to the years-long war in Ukraine. However, Trumps decision to meet Putin in Alaska has been met with widespread criticism for welcoming Ukraines adversary into the U.S. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska. pic.twitter.com/so9yO9R5zt CSPAN (@cspan) August 15, 2025 Social media users criticized Trump over his reaction to meeting Putin on Friday. Many questioned why Trump clapped for Putin, who has opposed ending Russias invasion of Ukraine since 2022. Never seen Trump this thrilled to meet any other world leader. Disgusting, the Republicans Against Trump account wrote on social media platform X. Another user wrote: A red carpet for Putin, the aggressor and war criminal, but nothing for Zelenskyy says a lot about Trumps priorities. Foreign affairs journalist Olga Nesterova suggested that Putin and Trump are friends in a post to X. Ive covered a variety of summits. And I know what admiration looks like. Thats the end of the world order as we knew it. A sad day for everyone, she wrote. Political scientist Stuart Stevens compared the red carpet to the deaths of Ukrainian civilians in the ongoing war with Russia. The red is the blood of innocent Ukrainians. One of the most disgraceful moments in American history, he wrote. Trump and Putin then climbed into the U.S. presidential limo, with Putin spotted smiling as the limo drove away from the media. A host on MSNBC noted that it was very rare for any prime minister or world leader to ride with Trump in the limo. Host: This is extraordinary that any president or prime minister gets into Trump's car. Has anyone gone into The Beast before? This is very rare for any allied leader, let alone a former KGB leader pic.twitter.com/g5zavAee6A FactPost (@factpostnews) August 15, 2025 The sit-down gives Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a close something he used to boast he could do quickly. For Putin, a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russias gains, block Kyivs bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscows orbit. Despite having so much at stake, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders arent invited. There are significant risks for Trump. By bringing Putin onto U.S. soil America bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for roughly 2 cents per acre the president is giving him the validation he desires after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine 3 1/2 years ago. Zelenskyys exclusion from Trump and Putins first meeting is a heavy blow to the Wests policy of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. President Trump is traveling to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin today in Alaska at a U.S. military base for a crucial summit. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) AP The GOP is standing behind President Donald Trump ahead of his high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Trump is expected to meet with Putin in Anchorage for the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since 2019. Some analysts have framed the meeting as the most significant U.S.-Russian summit in a generation since Russias invasion of Ukraine three and a half years ago. While aboard Air Force One en route, Trump told reporters that he is not here to negotiate for Ukraine, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not included, but is looking to get them at a table. He also said that it will be up to Ukraine to decide whether the country would concede land to Putin as part of a final peace deal. Republican lawmakers and supporters of Trump sent their well wishes to the president ahead of the meeting. Pray for @realDonaldTrump today. We need peace, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) wrote early Friday on X. Mike Pence, Trumps former vice president, had also weighed in: Praying for President Trump to Stand Strong in Alaska Today. A Ceasefire followed by a Just and Lasting Peace will only come through American Strength. Praying for President Trump to Stand Strong in Alaska Today. A Ceasefire followed by a Just and Lasting Peace will only come through American Strength https://t.co/65CtXiUDk4 Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) August 15, 2025 Franklin Graham, the president and CEO of Samaritans Purse, encouraged his followers to join me in praying for our President. Pray that God will give President Trump His wisdom that surpasses all understanding. And pray for President Putin, that God would work in his heart to bring peace and an end to the bloodshed, Graham posted. I believe there will be millions of Christians in Ukraine and Russia praying as well. Peace will benefit not just Russia and Ukraine, but the entire world. Today is the day. Join me in praying for our President, @realDonaldTrump, as he meets with President Putin in Anchorage, Alaska. Pray that God will give President Trump His wisdom that surpasses all understanding. And pray for President Putin, that God would work in his heart to Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) August 15, 2025 A popular conservative account had said that the suffering of the Russian and Ukrainian people has gone on far too long. If you are a person who prays, today is a good day to pray for peace. And also pray for wisdom and discernment for our president as he meets today with Putin, the account wrote. Trump media adviser Alex Bruesewitz wrote that he is Praying for our great President @realDonaldTrump, his incredible team, and the whole world today! PEACE IS THE PRIZE!" In recent days, Trump had previously called the summit really a feel-out meeting, but has since warned Putin of very severe consequences if he did not agree to end the war. HIGH STAKES!!! Trump posted on his Truth Social platform before he boarded Air Force One. An agreement, however, is far from fruition given Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. As Putin has escalated his attacks in recent months, he hinted that Ukraine would have to cede some of its land, including parts that he has not invaded a plan that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has strongly rejected. Trump and Putin are expected to hold a joint press conference following a one-on-one discussion and a wider meeting with their delegations, the Kremlin said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) is sounding the alarm ahead of President Donald Trumps meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Trump and Putin are expected to meet in Anchorage at around 3 p.m. ET. While aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters that he was not meeting to broker an agreement on behalf of Ukraine, but emphasized that he hoped to bring Putin to the negotiating table. He also said that his talks will include a demand from Russia that Ukraine should cede some of its territory to reach a final agreement. Murphy, while on MSNBCs Morning Joe on Friday, addressed his previous post on X, in which he claimed that the high-stakes summit is a premade disaster, with Putin ultimately set to become stronger as America becomes weaker. The first thing thats happening here is the welcoming of Putin back into the order of major mainstream nations. Hes visiting the United States for the first time since he became a war criminal, Murphy said. He is standing with the most powerful person in the world, and it is a sign from Donald Trump, essentially, that all is forgiven. And so this is a big moment for Putin because he is essentially is being legitimized in the eyes of the United States and in the eyes of the world. Chris Murphy on Putin: "He's standing with the most powerful person in the world. It's a sign from Donald Trump, essentially, that all is forgiven. And so this is a big moment for Putin because he is being legitimized in the eyes of the US and in the eyes of the world." pic.twitter.com/lelyeEpYNz Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 15, 2025 Murphy said that a major peace deal between Russia and Ukraine will not ultimately come out of the meeting a point that Trump has appeared to underscore given that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not be in attendance. My worry is that while the photo-op in and of itself essentially legitimizes war crimes, telegraphs to other autocrats or evil men around the world that they can get away with murdering civilians and still get a photo-op with the president of the United States, it could get worse, Murphy said. Because if there is no agreement, if Putin thumbs his nose at Trump, and then Trump does not follow through with more weapons for Ukraine or with any sanctions, then its essentially the final green light to Putin..., he added. Murphy also emphasized that the most important element of a diplomatic solution would be a negotiation between Ukraine and Russia, not a negotiation between the United States and Russia. So if the Ukrainian government decides that theyre going to sit down and do a diplomatic deal, and in that agreement, they are willing to talk about territory, then that is Ukraines right, Murphy said. Now I think that the only way Ukraine would do that is if they also have a security guarantee from Europe and the United States." On a Fox News radio interview on Thursday, Trump said that he didnt know if Russia and Ukraine would come to an immediate ceasefire, but he emphasized wanting a broad peace deal to be done quickly. He previously warned Putin of very severe consequences if he doesnt agree to end the war. Hes not going to mess around with me, Trump said when mentioning how Putin could bully other leaders. Trump and Putin are expected to hold a joint press conference following a one-on-one discussion and other meetings. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic nominee for New Jersey governor, left, is facing a difficult balancing act of not being only criticizing Trump and GOP candidate Jack Ciattarelli but still satisfying her base. NJ Advance Media file photo and Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Tom Martello writes a regular column about the 2025 race for New Jersey governor. Mikie Sherrill stood in the courtyard at the Llewellyn Parq Bar and Grill in West Orange on a sweltering afternoon that matched the heat in New Jerseys all-important governors race. A new poll shows Texas voters are divided on President Donald Trumps redistricting plans to add five more GOP seats to Congress, according to a new poll. The new Emerson College poll found that 36% of Texas voters supported the proposal to redraw Texas congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Another 38% said they opposed the effort and 26% said they were unsure, according to the poll. Among Republicans, 58% supported the proposal, 30% were unsure, and 12% opposed it. For Democrats, only 15% supported the move, 16% were unsure, and 70% opposed it. The effort was also unpopular among independent Texas voters, with just 24% of the group approving of the proposal. Another 33% said they were unsure and 43% said they opposed the move. When asked if Republicans in Texas are entitled to five more congressional seats, referring to Trumps statement on the matter, 40% of voters agreed while 38% of voters disagreed. Another 22% did not have an opinion, according to the poll. The poll was conducted Aug. 11-12 among 1,000 registered voters in Texas. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. TEXAS POLL Do you support or oppose the proposal to redraw Texas' congressional maps ahead of the 2026 Midterm Elections? 36% support 38% oppose 26% unsure More on Nexstar Media's Political Power Ranker with @john_jwitt & @MannyGarciaTX: https://t.co/o3VtyeiMfv pic.twitter.com/B7TeZQJXp4 Emerson College Polling (@EmersonPolling) August 15, 2025 The poll comes as Texas Democrats fled the state earlier this week to halt the Texas GOPs efforts to redraw the congressional maps. According to the Associated Press, the Democrats will return to the state once Texas Republicans end a special session and California releases its own redrawn map proposal. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott still intends to push through new maps that would give the GOP five more winnable seats before next years midterm elections. House Speaker Dustin Burrows has said that if Democrats dont return the next time lawmakers reconvene on Friday, the session will end and the governor will immediately begin another one. Abbott put redistricting on the agenda at the urging of President Donald Trump, who wants to shore up Republicans narrow House majority and avoid a repeat of his first presidency, when the 2018 midterms restored Democrats to a House majority that blocked his agenda and twice impeached him. It is unusual for redistricting to take place in the middle of the decade and typically occurs once at the beginning of each decade to coincide with the census. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Former President Barack Obama praised Texas Democrats who left their state to block the passage of a GOP-led redistricting proposal. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) Former President Barack Obama is applauding Texas Democrats for leaving their state in an attempt to block the passage of a Republican-led redistricting effort. Republican lawmakers are aiming to pass a newly redrawn congressional map of the Lone Star State that could add up to five seats in their favor ahead of the 2026 midterms. The plan, supported by President Donald Trump, has sparked a map-drawing battle across the country, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) declaring that he will move forward with his own proposal that would give Democrats an edge in picking up additional seats. Newsom on Thursday called for California voters to decide on new maps in a special election on Nov. 4. If passed, he said a proposal will only take effect if Texas successfully enacts its plan. It will then remain in place until the 2030 census, temporarily sidestepping the states independent redistricting commission. We know what Donald Trump knows, Newsom said to a crowd. Hes going to lose... Why else would he try to rig the system? In remarks first reported by ABC News, Obama had expressed support to the fleeing Democratic lawmakers in Texas through a video call, arguing that their exit comes at an important time to combat gerrymandering. We cant let a systematic assault on democracy just happen and stand by and so because of your actions, because of your courage, what youve seen is California responding, other states looking at what they can do to offset this mid-decade gerrymandering, Obama told the legislators, who were meeting in Illinois, via Zoom. Obama added that the lawmakers should return to Texas feeling invigorated. Its not going to be resolved right away, and its going to require, ultimately, the American people understanding the stakes and realizing that we cannot take our freedoms and our democracy for granted, Obama said. Youve helped set the tone for that, and Im grateful for it. Texas Rep. Gene Wu, the chair of the states House Democratic Caucus, said that his colleagues were especially excited to speak with Obama in a statement to ABC News. They know their racial gerrymandering scheme is falling apart, so theyre resorting to intimidation tactics, Wu told ABC News. But President Obamas support shows the whole country is watching and Texas House Democrats wont be silenced by bullies. The former president is also expected to headline a fundraiser in Marthas Vineyard later this month, which is hosted by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. Former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will also be in attendance. As more than 50 Democrats left Texas to break the Legislatures quorum during its special session, Republican leaders in the state have threatened to remove them from office and floated their arrests. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced a second session on Friday after state lawmakers finished the first one earlier in the morning. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. President Trump is traveling to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin today in Alaska at a U.S. military base for a crucial summit. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) AP Journalist Mark Halperin predicted that President Donald Trump will ultimately make this shocking move against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump is on his way to meet with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, for the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since 2019. All eyes are on the summit, which could ultimately reshape the war and U.S.-Russian relations. While aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters that he is not here to negotiate for Ukraine, but is looking to get them at a table. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not included as part of the high-stakes summit. During his 2WAY show on Friday, Halperin proposed a serious question to former White House press secretary Sean Spicer and former Democratic Party adviser Dan Turrentine. Whats the percent chance that the United States arrests Putin today? Halperin asked. Zero, both responded, before Halperin replied, When it happens, well post this moment. When asked by Spicer if he disagrees, Halperin, who started to switch gears, said: Oh no, I think theyre going to arrest him. I think theyre going arrest him. I think thats the whole thing is to trick him to coming to the U.S., theyre gonna arrest him. Halperin called Putin a war criminal, adding that they might have to do special report because theyve arrested Putin. Trump has previously called the summit really a feel-out meeting, but has since warned Putin of very severe consequences if he did not agree to end the war. An agreement between Russia and Ukraine, however, has drifted as both countries remain far apart in their demands for peace. As Putin has escalated his attacks in recent months, he hinted that Ukraine would have to cede some of its land, including parts that he has not invaded a plan that Zelenskyy has strongly rejected. HIGH STAKES!!! Trump posted on his Truth Social platform before he boarded Air Force One. Trump on Thursday said there was a 25% chance that the summit would fail, and he pointed to having Zelenskyy join to Alaska for a subsequent meeting if it goes successfully. In response, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that Russia never plans ahead. Trump and Putin are expected to hold a joint press conference later Friday, after the two meet for a one-on-one discussion and meet with both of their delegations. While he previously told Fox News that he didnt know if the countries will come to an immediate ceasefire, he hopes that a broad peace deal could be quickly reached. I want to see a ceasefire rapidly," Trump told reporters earlier. I dont know if its going to be today, but Im not going to be happy if its not today... Im in this to stop the killing. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) targeted U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in a scathing social media post on Thursday. Greene criticized Graham for demanding that the U.S. continue to aid Israel in its fight against militant group Hamas. Greene, who is opposed to most foreign aid, said the U.S. should be focusing on putting itself first instead of sending aid to other countries. Greene has been critical of Israel for weeks, calling the deaths in the Gaza Strip a genocide. She slammed Graham for saying that Israel could commit genocide if it wanted to. Senator Graham confidently says the quiet part out loud, If Israel wanted to commit genocide they could. They have the capacity to do that, she wrote on social media platform X. That is quite a statement and is an acknowledgment that nuclear armed Israel is more than capable of defending themselves, by themselves, and not only defeating their enemies, but completely wiping them out! she continued. So why is America funding them and fighting for them??!!! We should not be!! And it is not a matter of supporting either Israel or Hamas, as he suggest, which is ridiculous. It is about supporting AMERICA!!! she added. Senator Graham confidently says the quiet part out loud, If Israel wanted to commit genocide they could. They have the capacity to do that. That is quite a statement and is an acknowledgment that nuclear armed Israel is more than capable of defending themselves, by themselves, https://t.co/FPLi0DOkGj Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) August 14, 2025 She went on to suggest that the U.S.s spending is putting her childrens futures at risk. Lindsey Graham has no children. I have 3 adult children, who are 22, 25, and 27, which gives me a fierce invested interest to be ALL IN to save America. And we are now a nation in $37 TRILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT because of the NON-STOP votes and funding for foreign countries and foreign wars and bloated budgets and pork and waste for over 30 years, which is how long Lindsey Graham has been serving in Washington DC, she wrote. She said the gross negligent consequences of America LAST decisions has placed future generations in debt and eroded the value of the U.S. dollar. Greene also took issue with Grahams statement that God will pull the plug on us if the U.S. stops sending aid to Israel. And God will not pull the plug on us, if we stop funding the secular government of Israel. This is 1,000% false and is the fear mongering tactic used on good hearted American Christians to force us to fund and fight the secular government of nuclear armed Israels wars. We dont believe we go to heaven based on how much money we blindly give and how many bombs we drop on the secular government of Israels enemies, she wrote. In a video shared to his social media account, Graham reiterated his support for Israel. If America pulls the plug on Israel, God will pull the plug on us. We will not let that happen, he said. If America pulls the plug on Israel, God will pull the plug on us. Im not going to let that happen. pic.twitter.com/4pboBftQlO Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 13, 2025 President Donald Trump endorsed Graham again for another Senate run last week, sparking some backlash from the MAGA base. Lindsey, thank you so much, youve been my friend. I know youre in a big race, and I dont think its going to be a contest, but I have a feeling youre going to do very well. You have for a long time, Trump said at the event during remarks posted by Graham on X on Saturday. And Lindsey Graham, just so you know, full endorsement. Trumps full endorsement. Hes a great guy. Every time I needed him, he was there for me, he continued. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. ACCRA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, chairman of Ghana's ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), has urged African political parties to work toward the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) initiative. At the closing of the three-day African Political Parties Summit in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, on Thursday, Asiedu-Nketiah said that the AfCFTA is one of the structural changes shaping Africa's economic future and must be promoted by the political class. A successful AfCFTA, he believes, would redefine Africa's place in the global economy and boost the continent's development and integration. "But AfCFTA will not implement itself. It will require political will at the highest level and coherent policy frameworks within our countries to make it succeed," the NDC chairman noted. According to Asiedu-Nketiah, the AfCFTA, which stands as one of the most ambitious projects in the continent's modern history, also needs courage for decisions that prioritize long-term competitiveness over short-term populism to succeed. Africa officially launched the continental free trade area on Jan. 1, 2021, with its secretariat located in Accra. The AfCFTA initiative aims to increase socioeconomic development, reduce poverty, and make Africa more competitive in the global economy, among other economic and political benefits. MELBOURNE, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The World War II film Dongji Rescue was screened during a reception hosted by the Chinese consulate general in Melbourne on Wednesday, one day before it officially hit screen in Australia. Over 200 people attended the film reception commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. In his speech, Chinese Consul-General in Melbourne Fang Xinwen emphasized that the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression opened up the main battlefield of the World Anti-Fascist War in the East and made significant contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. China and other countries in the anti-fascist alliance, including Australia and Britain, supported each other and fought side by side, resulting in many heroic deeds, Fang said, adding that the Lisbon Maru incident during World War II, on which the film is based, is a shining example. Dongji Rescue tells the story of how Chinese fishermen risked their lives to rescue over 300 British prisoners of war from the Japanese ship Lisbon Maru in 1942. Prominent Australian Sinologue Harold Weldon and three other guests delivered speeches, emphasizing the importance of remembering history, inheriting spirit, cherishing peace, and jointly safeguarding the achievements of peaceful development. After the screening, Joe Montero, a viewer from Melbourne, said the film was "very emotional" and he "did get a little bit teary at a few places." "The emotion, the fear, and the bravery. In the end, I mean you know that a whole village really came together," Montero said. "It wasn't easy for them, but they came together. And they rescued those English." Another viewer, Ben McMahon, said the film shows the Chinese people's love and it is an example of sacrifice and love for other human beings. "Actually, it was something like a life is a life, and it doesn't matter who it is, whatever country they're from, whatever language they speak, however they look," McMahon said. "If there's a human being in need, you've got to save them." "I think it was a really powerful story of the Chinese just showing love," he said. JAKARTA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's footwear exports to Europe could surpass 10 billion U.S. dollars within the next three to four years if the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) is implemented, the Indonesian Footwear Association (Aprisindo) said Thursday. Aprisindo Chairman Eddy Widjanarko said the free trade deal, expected to be concluded in September, would open wider market access and drive export growth by about 20 percent annually. "Should the IEU-CEPA be signed in September, we can guarantee exports to Europe will rise by 20 percent every year," Widjanarko was quoted by local media as saying. Widjanarko said the projected expansion would generate around 300,000 new jobs. Indonesia's footwear exports were valued at about 7 billion dollars in 2024. The industry was aiming to increase to 7.5 billion dollars this year. JAKARTA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said Friday that the country's free nutritious meal program now benefits 20 million people. He made the announcement in his state address at the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly and the Joint Session of the House of Representatives and the Regional Representative Council in Jakarta, ahead of Indonesia's 80th Independence Day anniversary on Aug. 17. "This morning I received a report that a total of 20 million school children, pre-school children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers receive free nutritious meals every day," Prabowo said. The president noted that the program still faces various management challenges, including the construction of kitchens, supply chain management, and the training of program managers and implementers. Prabowo said that the initiative is more than a social welfare measure, it is a strategic investment in building a healthy, intelligent, and productive generation. The program has been running for only seven months, positive impacts have been visible, such as rising school attendance and improved student performance, he said. Currently, 5,800 nutrition fulfillment service units operate in 38 provinces across Indonesia. The facilities have created 290,000 new jobs and engaged 1 million farmers, fishermen, livestock breeders, and small and medium enterprises, according to the president. Is California Really More Gerrymandered Than Texas? Its Complicated. In a recent defense of Republican efforts to redraw Texas congressional maps with a greater Republican advantage, Vice President JD Vance criticized the current maps in California as an extreme gerrymander. There, he suggested, Democrats had already given themselves an egregious number of safe blue seats in Congress. While Mr. Vance ignored that California's maps are drawn by an independent commission, not Democrats, he cited a seemingly simple statistic as proof: the partisan breakdown of the states congressional delegation as compared with the statewide partisan vote share. Seat share compared with vote share Democrats control about 80 percent of Californias seats in the U.S. House but earned roughly 60 percent of the statewide vote in the 2024 presidential election, a more than 20 percent point disparity. Texas Republicans won 58 percent of the vote, yet hold 66 percent of the seats an 8-point gap. But this statistic, taken by itself, ignores several critical factors, like how voters are geographically sorted in a state; how close the elections were in some of those congressional districts; the importance of protecting the rights of voters of color; and the ability of a popular congressional incumbent to run against statewide trends. The comparison between seat share and vote share is one of many useful, but imperfect, measures experts use to quantify gerrymandering, or the intentional distortion of political districts to give one party an advantage in elections. In fact, different measures can produce very different pictures of gerrymandering. For example, by one metric, known as the mean-median difference, Texas districts favor Republicans more than California districts favor Democrats. Mean-median difference Both the seat-to-vote share and the mean-median difference metrics can reveal extreme gerrymanders especially in closely divided states like North Carolina but there are flaws in nearly every purely statistical model when it comes to assessing the fairness of a states maps. Congressional seats compared with vote share While Californias map clearly has a Democratic tilt, there are many Congressional delegations that are out of sync with their statewide partisan vote share. Some are indeed the result of partisan gerrymandering, such as Illinois, North Carolina, Maryland and Texas. Others, like Massachusetts, are more the result of political sorting, an increasingly common feature in American politics in which voters move into like-minded counties or communities. House seat advantage Favors Democrats Favors Republicans + Show all states Note: States with three seats or fewer are excluded in the table. The gap between vote share and seat share is calculated using 2024 presidential results for each state. In the case of California, whose maps were drawn by an independent commission, not partisan legislators like in Texas, Republican voters are more spread out across the state. They occupy less populated swaths in the eastern part of the state and also live in pockets within a larger Democratic area. Republican voters relative sparseness presents a challenge for Californias independent commission, which also must take geographic continuity, compactness and contiguity into account when drawing new maps every decade. The commission also placed a strong emphasis on representation for communities of color, meeting the requirements of the Voting Rights Act and drawing Latino-majority seats that are also Democratic in areas such as the southwestern part of the state and the Central Valley. Democrats in California were also able to win most of the tight congressional elections in recent years, which can create a false appearance of a more aggressive gerrymander in the winner-take-all nature of elections. In 2024, seven Democrats in the state won their races by less than five percentage points. Democrats won just 51 percent of the collective vote in these seven districts, but still won 100 percent of the congressional delegation. So while the independent commission in California drew a map with a definitive Democratic tilt, it is not an example of an extreme partisan gerrymander, as the vice president suggested. Mean-median difference In an effort to avoid some of the pitfalls of comparing vote share and congressional delegations, statisticians have also utilized a different calculation: the difference between the average vote shares across all districts and the vote share in the median or middle district. This measure focuses directly on how votes are distributed across districts, rather than on winner-take-all seat outcomes. Using this metric, California fares better than Texas, ranking in the middle of the states while Texas is among the most skewed. Difference between mean and median vote share Favors Democrats Favors Republicans + Show all states Note: States with three seats or fewer are excluded in the table. Candidate results in each district were used in the calculation. For uncontested races, we imputed a 75 percent-25 percent vote share, a method commonly used by statisticians. Democrats won 60 percent of the vote in California, and 63 percent in the median district, indicating a slight advantage for Democrats. In Texas, Republicans won 56 percent of the vote with a median outcome of 63 percent, indicating a higher Republican advantage. This statistic, however, also has its pitfalls, and also works best when studying maps in swing states that are closer to a 50-50 split between Republicans and Democrats. Demanding that a plan should fall right in the middle of the distribution to be deemed fair is a little bit like demanding that a coin should have exactly 50 heads in 100 flips, wrote Moon Duchin, a professor at the University of Chicago Data Science Institute, in a recent paper for the Data and Democracy lab. If you get 54 heads, Dr. Duchin said, we shouldnt conclude a slight pro-heads bias; that is well in the normal range. A more complex measure With partisan debate over raw statistical analysis, third party organizations have applied their own algorithms and criteria in an attempt to further assess the fairness of a new map. In 2021, left-leaning groups like the Brennan Center for Justice; academic organizations like Princeton Universitys Gerrymandering Project and the Election Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and media organizations like FiveThirtyEight all tried to bring their own assessments of fairness in redistricting. Take the Princeton Gerrymandering Project as an example. The group awards states a letter grade, from A to F, based on a host of criteria such as geographic compactness, competitiveness, partisan fairness and racial and ethnic composition. The group runs thousands of simulations and potential maps to arrive at its conclusions. State Princeton report card Massachusetts A California B Maryland B Illinois F North Carolina F Texas F + Show all states In 2021, the organization gave California a B on its congressional maps, finding that the state favored incumbents and lacked competitive districts but drew a relatively fair partisan map. But Texas received an F in 2021 for what the Princeton project said was drafting a significant Republican advantage, splitting more counties than is typical and offering few competitive seats. California gets a B, because when you do computer simulations in California, overwhelmingly, Democrats get a large proportion of seats no matter how you draw them out, said Sam Wang, a professor at Princeton University who leads the schools Gerrymandering Project. But, as with almost any study or calculation regarding gerrymandering, the Princeton Gerrymandering Project has come under criticism, this time from conservatives who said the project has a Democratic bias. The John Locke Foundation, a conservative think tank, said Princetons methods arbitrarily favor Democrats, and Republicans in New Jersey said that Dr. Wang manipulated data in his study (The university conducted an internal investigation and found the claims to be without merit). A Tanzanian man who came to the hospital complaining of pain and pus discharge from his right nipple was shocked to learn that he had been living with a large knife blade lodged in his chest for eight years. Doctors at the Muhimbili National Hospital in Tanzania recently published a most unusual case study in the scientific journal National Library of Medicine. They wrote about a 44-year-old generally healthy man who came to the hospital with a 10-day-long history of white pus discharge from his right nipple. He denied any chest pain, difficulty breathing, cough, or fever, but asked if he had anything notable to tell doctors, he recalled a violent altercation eight years prior, during which he had sustained several cuts to his face, back, chest, and abdomen. Doctors had managed to suture the wounds back then, and he had lived a mostly uneventful life ever since, up until his nipple started oozing pus. Unable to determine the cause of the infection, doctors ordered an X-ray exam and were shocked to see a giant knife blade lodged in the mans chest. Photo: National Library of Medicine Initial imaging with a lateral chest radiograph demonstrated a retained metallic object in the mid-thorax, with surrounding opacification likely representing a resolving or chronic loculated hematoma or post-traumatic fibrosis, a sequela of the patients stab wound, doctors wrote in their case study. Somehow, the knife blade, which had entered through the right scapula, miraculously managed to dodge any major organs. At the time of the mans altercation, eight years ago, the hospital he was treated at had no means of conducting a radiological investigation, and because he reported no pain after his wounds healed, no one bothered investigating further. Even more bizarre is that the knife caused the 44-year-old patient no discomfort for so long. The pus was a result of the dead tissue that built up around the foreign object. Photo: National Library of Medicine Following the shocking discovery, the knife was carefully extracted during surgery along with the dead tissue and the pus. The patient spent 24 hours in the ICU before being transferred to the general ward for another 10 days. His recovery went well, and subsequent follow-ups were uneventful. Interestingly, this is not the first time we have reported about someone who lived with a knife in their chest without knowing about it for years. On the other hand, some people dont notice chopsticks lodged in their eyeballs, so New York Women in Communications will present its Trailblazer Awards Tuesday, Sept. 16 at Forbes on Fifth in New York City. The Trailblazer Awards are given to emerging leaders who have been nominated by industry veterans, including past NYWICI Award Honorees, past NYWICI Matrix Honorees, and NYWICI notables. The judges selected four honorees, who will be celebrated alongside their nominators as the second class of NYWICI Trailblazers. The 2025 Trailblazers and their nominators are: The Female Quotient president Talia Bender Small (nominated by Shelley Zalis, founder and CEO, The Female Quotient); American Express VP, global advertising Jessica Ling (nominated by Elizabeth Rutledge, CMO, American Express); Open AI consumer communications lead Leah Seay Anise (nominated by Eleanor Reece, VP, global communications and corporate relations at Whirlpool Corporation); and JPMorganChase CMO, connected commerce & head of card marketing Danielle Wallis (nominated by Tracy-Ann Lim, Global Chief Media Officer, JPMorganChase). Montieth & Company is named a finalist in the 2025 Nonprofit Communications Awards of PR Daily. The awards, given by PR Daily, recognize campaigns, initiatives, teams and communicators who are advancing nonprofit causes. Montieth & Company was cited in the Nonprofit Website category for its work with The Pink Bows Foundation.The foundation, established in memory of Madison Alexis Dubiski, who tragically lost her life during the 2021 Astroworld Festival crowd crush, advocates for crowd safety education, mental health at events, and training and certification for event organizers, ensuring such tragedies never happen again. "This recognition speaks to the core of our workhelping mission-driven organizations tell their stories with purpose and impact, said Montieth Illingworth, CEO and global managing partner of Montieth & Company. Were proud to support The Pink Bows Foundation, and this honor reflects the tremendous efforts of our team across nonprofit PR, branding and website development. The University of Alabamas Plank Center for Leadership in Commnunications, will honor Edelman global chief people and culture officer Lisa Sepulveda with its Legacy Award for her commitment to mentoring and the impact she has had on others at the centers annual Milestones in Mentoring Gala on Nov. 13 at the Union League Club, Chicago. Also being honored at the event are Southwest Airlines executive advisor Linda Rutherford, who will receive the Betsy Plank Award; Procter & Gamble chief communications officer Damon Jones, who will take home the John Jack Koten Corporate Award; University of Georgia professor emerita Dr. Karen Miller Russell, recipient of the Bruce K. Berger Educator Award; and Marina Maher Communications VP, inclusion & engagement, winner of the Emerging Leader Award. Not a Subscriber? Join O'Dwyer's & Get RFP Access Stop wasting time tracking down RFPs. O'Dwyer's connects you with organizations looking for PR firms & services. Get new business with O'Dwyer's! Join O'Dwyer's HELSINKI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Swedish police said the shooting near a mosque in the city of Orebro on Friday afternoon was likely linked to criminal gangs, local newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported. According to police, two people were injured in the incident. Officers received an alert at 13:45 local time about a suspected serious violent crime at a mosque in the Vivalla area of Orebro, some 200 km west of Stockholm. A large number of people had been attending Friday prayers at the time. A police spokesman told Dagens Nyheter that while no details could be provided at present, available information indicated the event was connected to the gang scene. Authorities have not disclosed the severity of the injuries or released personal details of the victims. A large-scale manhunt for the shooter or shooters continued on Friday afternoon in Orebro, with extensive areas cordoned off. In such cases, police said, it is common for several individuals to be involved beyond a single suspect. Marketing Maven signs on as agency of record for PR, social media, and marketing communications duties for LISC LA. LISC LA is one of 37 offices of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a national non-profit organization supporting community development in cities and rural areas throughout the country. It has invested nearly $1.6 billion in affordable housing, small businesses, economic development, health, education, community safety and jobs throughout Los Angeles over the last 36 years. The agency will manage LISC LAs media relations, contact strategy and support, weekly social media management, quarterly event management and annual report production. "With the help of Marketing Maven, we aim to extend our digital footprint and shine more light on all of our efforts to improve communities, including work to improve housing, economic development, health and recreation opportunities, capacity building, and strategic planning," said LISC LA executive director Nicole Williams. rbb Communications is named corporate communication and external affairs public relations agency of record for The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, the official destination sales and marketing organization for Miami-Dade County. In partnership with the GMCVBs corporate communications and external affairs team, rbb will work to highlight the positive benefits of tourism promotion that support Miami-Dades economy as well as the GMCVBs community engagement and outreach programs that impact Miami-Dade residents, cities and neighborhoods. GMCVB President and CEO David Whitaker said that rbbs local expertise, creative energy, and strategic insight make them an ideal partner to use the power of storytelling to humanize the wide-reaching impacts of tourism. Alliance Advisors Investor Relations enters into an agreement with Thunder Gold Corp., an exploration company focused on the Tower Mountain gold property in Ontario. The deal is subject to acceptance from TSX Venture Exchange, a public venture capital marketplace for emerging companies in Canada. Alliance will provide services that include developing and managing PR/media, social media and stakeholder relations. The term of the agreement is for a period of three months ending November 15. "Alliance's strategic communication expertise will help us strengthen relationships with investors and effectively showcase the potential of our Tower Mountain gold property," said Thunder Gold president and CEO Wes Hanson. THE final organ recital of 2025 was given by the imaginative and expressive Christos Thiel who was born in Kassel, Germany and received his first organ lesson at the age of 13. Christos dedicated his recital to his friend Pfarrer Reinhold Kircher who first encouraged him to play the organ and who was celebrating his 85th birthday around this time. Today Christos is organist and choirmaster at the Frauenfriedenkirche and the Catholic University Comminity in Frankfurt am Main. The evening began with Cortege et Litanie by Marcel Dupre (1886-1971), a French organist, composer and pedagogue. This was followed by Sonate 2, Il ruhig bewegt by Paul Hindemith who wrote sonatas for almost every instrument. Hindemith , born near Frankfurt am Main,(1895-1963) was one of the principal German composers of the first half of the 20th century and a leading musical theorist. Cesar Franck(1820-1890) was a French Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in Liege in present-day Belgium. His Chorale 2 filled the church showing the variety of tone, tempo and volume of the great Frobenius organ and the exceptional skill and outstanding talent of Christos Thiel. READ NEXT: History made as Tullamore Lions club elects first female President Another French composer followed with Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) giving us three short pieces - Ma Mere loye arranged by Thomas Ospital, Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant and Le Jardin Feerique. Ravel , a prolific composer is probably best known for his Bolero. Richard Giez (1926-2014) , a virtually unknown composer gave us a very melodic, slow and reflective piece with Choralprelude Wenn wir in hochsten Noten sein. A chorale prelude is a short setting for organ of a German protestant chorale melody used to introduce congregational singing of the hymn (chorale). Marie-Ange Leurent (b1965) was our living composer. A friend of Christos Thiel we heard her Chaconette, another reflective ,melodic composition. The evening finished with Songs of Praise, Toccata for Organ by Robert Prizeman (1952-2021). Described by Christos as almost a party for the organ, it was a terrific finale for a wonderful concert and a fitting ending for the TISOS series. READ NEXT: Offaly resident publishes important work on booleying Our Artistic Director, Charles Marshall, thanked everyone involved in organising the recitals particularly the Trench Trust and Offaly Co Council who sponsor the series. Fr Joseph Gallagher, Parish Priest of Tullamore was thanked for his ongoing help and support as was sacristan Regina Daly who was a constant support each night. Chairperson Tony Monaghan was thanked for leading a committee of Brid Broderick, Geraldine Byrne, Gretta Flynn, Maire McKay, Peter Moloney and Jo Rodgers. Alex Aubin kindly took photographs for the group and was also thanked. Special thanks to loyal friends of the series and to the very many people who came to each recital. It is very encouraging to see a growing audience each year for what is a very unique musical experience. Giving us all this experience our thanks must go to organists and musicians who were with us in 2025. Carole O Connor, the choir of St Anns Church, Dawson St., Thomas Charles Marshall, Bogdan Sofei on violin, Peter Barley, Megumi Hamaya and Christos Thiel. SOLAS, the Further Education and Training (FET) Authority for Ireland, has officially launched its first-ever Future Skills Ireland podcast series. The podcast comes at a crucial time for SOLAS, following the recent inaugural publication of the National Skills Council providing First Strategic Advice to Government on Skills Priorities. The podcasts available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube and hosted by Shauna Dunlop, Director of Director of Research, Future Skills Needs, Statistics and Risk at SOLAS aim to start a new national conversation on skills, featuring real life stories of careers and the skills that helped to shape them, alongside discussion and insights on future skills and national skills research, reports and statistics. I am excited to bring such inspiring insights and conversations from our first guests, who include Dr Kevin Marshall, the Chair of the National Skills Council and the Head of Future Skilling, Microsoft, and Andrew Brownlee, the Chief Executive Officer of SOLAS; Bernadette Walsh, Guidance Leader and Lecturer in Maynooth University; Dr Michael Shevlin, Professor in Inclusive Education, Trinity College, Dublin, and Patron of the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities; Joanne Morrissey, Construction Skills Leader in SOLAS and Senator Lynn Ruane, with Mags Byrne, Future Skills Team in SOLAS, says Shauna. Shauna continues, The SOLAS Skills and Labour Market Research Unit have been supporting and driving the skills conversation in Ireland through insightful research, reports and information for two decades. Alongside the national skills ecosystem, they work as a collaborative to bring the research, the data and the information that matters on skills to everyone. READ NEXT: Over 1m awarded to several tourism projects in Offaly Recently, Shauna, along with Dr Kevin Marshall and Andrew Brownlee, attended the event with the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD National Skills Councils where the inaugural publication Skills Matter: Priorities to Shape Our Future Capabilities was launched. The report includes the Councils first strategic advice to Government on skills priorities, based on the Councils work since 2024. More information on the publication can be found here. Shauna hopes the podcasts will spark a new national conversation that will ultimately make a lasting impact. These conversations get to the heart of many of the skills matters in Ireland and bring a new and refreshing perspective to both the challenges and the opportunities we have. I hope they will inspire the start of a new national conversation on skills which will inform and shape our national skills ambition. For information on SOLAS, visit https://www.solas.ie/ The podcasts can be downloaded via Spotify, Apple and YouTube by searching for Future Skills Ireland. READ NEXT: OPINION: Offaly must get its fair share of investment from the IDA THE Thomas MacDonagh Hedge School is delighted to welcome Williams Rossa Cole, great-grandson of Mary Jane and Jeremiah ODonovan Rossa to Cloughjordan from the USA. Rossa Cole will give a talk on his film Rebel Wife The Story of Mary Jane ODonovan Rossa. The talk and screening will take place at the Thomas MacDonagh Museum on Wednesday September 17th 2025.at 7.30pm as part of the Thomas MacDonagh Hedge School. Rebel Wife portrays the life of this extraordinary Irish female revolutionary, highlighting Mary Janes origins as well as her remarkable achievements as a poet, author, public speaker, human rights activist, wife and mother. Williams Rossa Cole will introduce the film screening and take Q&A afterwards. Tickets are available to buy on this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/thomas-macdonagh-hedge-school-17-20-september-2025-4449903 Williams Rossa Cole says his 2015 film, Rebel Rossa commemorating the centenaries of the ODonovan Rossas death, and other official state commentaries at the time, didn't allow for Mary Jane's story. He says that what he learned about his great-grandmother in making his 2015 film and from talking to other family members in the United States (most of the children of Mary Jane and Rossa were born in NYC after Rossa's exile in 1871) about the stories they heard when growing up, bore out that Mary Janes life was equally heroic with that of her husband, ODonovan Rossa. READ NEXT: Busy motorway junction in Offaly to close nightly through September and October Rossa Cole felt that while she was held in esteem inside family narratives, there was hardly anything about her out in the world. ODonovan Rossa was, of course, buried at Glasnevin National Cemetery in Dublin and has monuments and bridges named after him, and other accolades in Ireland. Mary Jane has virtually nothing. Outside of her native Clonakilty in West Cork, there is virtually nothing. Mary Jane died just over a year after her husband, to little fanfare, she is buried in a lonely graveyard in Staten Island. This, and the under-representation of womens' histories, Rossa Cole says, were his motivation to make Rebel Wife following his film Rebel Rossa. Williams Cole has been producing, directing and editing documentary films for over 20 years. He recently directed Rebel Wife (RTE One) and produced Gumbo Coalition (Max) with Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple. His other credits include Sundance premieres Finding Fela and 99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film, the HBO film Gun Fight, Giuliani Time, Barneys Wall, Even Though the Whole World is Burning and Rebel Rossa (available on Amazon Prime). He directed over 70 short videos on authors for Open Road Integrated Media and videos around the world for The Rockefeller Foundation's "100 Resilient Cities" initiative. READ NEXT: Roscrea woodcarver places first in prestigious Canadian festival Williams graduated from Columbia University and earned a MSc in Media and Communications at the London School of Economics on a US-UK Fulbright Scholarship. He was a founding contributing editor of The Brooklyn Rail, a monthly publication on arts and politics. In 2024 he published an academic article titled Beyond Deepfakes: Synthetic Moving Imagery and the Future of History in the Journal of Information Warfare and is currently researching synthetic imagery and audiovisual archives for a report to be released by American University. Places are limited. They advise audiences to book their tickets early to avoid disappointment. A FISH kill on the river in Tullamore town centre has been attributed to the hot weather. Dead fish were noticed in the Tullamore river on Thursday and a report was made to Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI). Up to two dozen dead fish were on the river this morning (Friday, August 15) on a stretch from Water Lane and Main Street towards the town park. Some fish, including trout, were floating on the surface and others had sunk to the bottom. Local sources with knowledge of the incident said Inland Fisheries Ireland carried out testing of the water on Thursday and found that dissolved oxygen levels were low where the fish died. Warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen than cold water and larger fish are more vulnerable when the levels drop. READ NEXT: Planners were split on massive Offaly energy domes project Oxygen levels can also be lower in slow-flowing rivers because the water is less likely to be well mixed. The dead fish (see another photographed by IFI below) in the Tullamore river were located in a stretch where the flow was slow. Pollution does not appear to be a factor in the deaths. A spokesperson for Inland Fisheries Ireland told the Tullamore Tribune: "Inland Fisheries Ireland is investigating a fish kill in Tullamore, Co Offaly during which at least 100 fish have died." The spokesperson added: The incident happened along the Tullamore River, and has affected freshwater species including trout and juvenile pike. Initial indications suggest the event was caused by dry and hot weather conditions, with low oxygen levels measured in the river by IFI staff." The IFI said the incident was first reported via a call to IFIs 24-hour confidential phoneline, 0818 34 74 24. Last month at least 68 fish, mostly large wild brown trout, died in Lough Sheelin, Co Cavan and Inland Fisheries believed the incident was caused by the hot weather. Author, Bruce Lerro, Co-Founder and Organizer of Socialist Planning Beyond Capitalism Orientation Boogey men on parade How can you like Putin? He is a dictator who has been in power for 20 years. There is no democracy in Russia. Besides, Russia is not a socialist country, so why are you rooting for him? Here is another one. Venezuela is a failed country run by drug cartels. There is no democracy. Maduro is an incompetent strongman who suppresses freedom of speech. Finally, Gaddafi: He dresses like a king and wants to control all the African gold. He murders his own people. Here we have three different countries on three different continents but the leaders have the same characteristics: authoritarian, one party, lacking democracy, poverty stricken, lacking human rights. In fact all these terms are loaded vice words concocted by the CIA in the early 1950s and still being circulated though their application applies less and less. In this article I will do an in-depth analysis of perhaps the biggest boogey man in the world, Joseph Stalin. My purpose is to show that if we understand the complexities of the Soviet Union between 1921 and 1956 we might better understand what Putin and Maduro are up against now as well as what Gaddafi was up against before he was murdered. So too, the real evolution of these men and their states will predicably be distorted, exaggerated, denied and censored. Fights between socialists Among Marxists there is no more polarizing revolutionary than Vladimir Lenin. The social democrats draw the line with him and claim that Leninism was authoritarian and undemocratic. The anarchists point to the killing and betrayal of their comrades during the Russian and Spanish revolutions. Council communists like Pannekoek and Gorter claimed that Leninism had little to do with Marxism. They say that Marxism is about worker-self organization and that Marx never talked about a vanguard party. All three groups claim that what took place in Russia was not socialism. For Marxist-Leninists, the key figure is Stalin. To what extent did he follow Marxist practice and in what ways did he depart? Trotskyists imagine that Stalin took Marxist-Leninism in the wrong direction and they claim they are the true inheritors of Lenin's legacy. Stalinists claim that Social Democrats are not real socialists because they compromise with capitalism by advocating for a market even within socialism, and siding with imperialists internationally. Anarchists are dismissed as being unrealistic in expecting a revolution to occur without parties, hierarchies or the state. Council communists are dismissed because they don't see the importance of a vanguard party. Lenin's book Left-Wing Communism: An infantile Disorder deals fully council communism. Liberal and conservative anti-communism For liberals and conservatives Stalin is the devil incarnate. He is a monster who advocated for a totalitarian, one-party rule. They say Stalin caused peasant famines, was responsible for the infamous show trails of the 1930s and killed millions of people. In this article I try to take the heat out of Stalinism. I attempt to say, most of the claims made by liberal and conservative historians against Stalin are either exaggerated or completely wrong, products of anti-communism. The book I will use to defend Stalin against his attackers is Ludo Martens' book Another View of Stalin. But neither will I claim that Stalin did nothing wrong. I will save council communist criticism of Stalin until the end of this article. Lenin's Legacy Lenin was a great politician in the 20 years he was most active from 1903 to his death in 1924. He was manipulative and very realistic about what was possible for communism. He was very smart in how he dealt with the Western powers when he took Russia out of World War I. It was under the lead of Lenin and Trotsky that Russia was pulled out of the Czarist Middle Ages. A Communist party could only be secret in a country that had no constitution and not even a liberal party. It took 10 years, but the lives of peasants and workers improved compared to life under the Czars. Martens says that compared to Belgium and France, the majority of peasants in 1900 lived as if they were in the fourteenth century. One-third did not have a horse or oxen to work the land. The harvest was done with a scythe. Socialism in One Country vs Trotsky's Permanent Revolution There was a major struggle between Stalin and Trotsky as to who would inherit the leadership of the Bolshevik party after Lenin.Both agreed that in the best possible world there would be a revolution in Germany because then Germany could help Russia industrialize. When the German revolution failed, Russians were on their own. Stalin took the stance of attempting to build socialism in one country as best he could. This meant normalizing relations with capitalist countries. Trotsky wanted to foment revolution all over the world. Trotsky did not want to give up on Russia, but he had no illusions about the limitations of socialism without a strong industrial base coming from the West. In hindsight, Stalin was right. The life for workers in Russia would improve faster if the socialist state could pay full attention to them. Socialism would be much harder to build anywhere if there was no home base and simply batches of revolutionary parties and their followersisolated inside capitalist states. However,because Russia was the only socialist country in the world at the time, most of Stalin's industrialization process was producing for real and anticipated wars with capitalist imperialists. Much industry for consumer was not implemented. Lenin's Will Trotsky tried to denigrate Stalin's revolutionary past but Stalin did have a revolutionary past. He met Lenin in 1905 and he led the radical wing of socialist democracy in Russia. He was arrested five times and he was imprisoned for five years between 1912-1917. Trotsky only joined the Bolsheviks in 1917. Before than he was sympathetic to the Mensheviks (social democrats). As far back as 1904 Trotsky called Lenin a fanatic, a dictator who wanted to substitute himself for the proletariat. Trotsky did everything he could to depict Stalin as a dictator ruling over the party. Yet when Lenin created the Bolshevik party, Trotsky accused him of creating an orthodox theocracy and autocratic Asiatic centralism. Martens says Trotsky was individualistic and had distain for cadres. His leadership was authoritarian and his taste for military discipline frightened many party members. Lenin picked no clear successor. Trotsky had his moment in 1919 commanding the Red Army during the Civil War. Besides fighting the imperialist countries of the West Trotsky led the suppression of the sailors strike in Kronstadt and fought a civil war in the countryside against Nestor Makhno and the anarcho-peasants. Trotsky was a great military leader but he was not shrewd politically. Between 1921-1923 Stalin was second in command in Russia. Lenin suffered his first stroke in 1922 and another in December of that year. The doctors told Bukharin, Stalin and Kamenev that any further excitement would be fatal . The Politburo made Stalin responsible for relations with Lenin, not Trotsky.Lenin judged the five main leaders of the party and criticized them all. Stalin was perceived by Lenin as too heavy-handed; Trotsky was too bureaucratic; Bukharin the most capable theorist, but scholastic in his theoretical orientation. The relations between Stalin and Lenin's partner, Krupskaya, were not good. She complained about Stalin that he needed to be more polite and less blunt in dealing with the ailing Lenin.However, because Lenin or Krupskaya might have found Stalin psychologically crude does not mean Lenin favored Trotsky to lead the party. Lenin was critical of all the major leaders. The Struggle Against a Bureaucracy It was filled with reactionaries and careerists To lead a giant, complex country still trying to catch up on its industrial backwardness was an extremely difficult task. Trotsky invented the term bureaucracy in 1927. He called it the Soviet Thermidor, analogous to the French counter- revolution where right wing Jacobins executed the left-wing Jacobins.Quoting Trotsky, the higher levels of the bureaucracy lived approximately the same kind of life as the well-to-do bourgeois of the US and other capitalist countries. The enemy is the new aristocracy, the new Bolshevik bourgeoise. In reality, Russia was a poor country. They hardly produced enough material wealth to live high on the hog as the Western upper classes.The Russian bureaucracy contained Tsarist elements and other reactionary classes, but those classes presence was not Stalin's fault. The Soviet Union desperately needed people who could read and write to build up acoherent state. Stalin could not renounce them for revolutionary purity. He had to take what he could get. In fact, as was pointed out, Stalin's purges were designed to get rid of these hangers-on. What Trotsky ignored in his analysis of the Russian bureaucracy was that the Bolsheviks had to retake part of the old Tsarist state apparatus which had only partially been transformed in a socialist direction. Those with a certain capacity for organization were immediately accepted into the party. In 1917 the party had 30k members; 1922, 600k; 1929, 1.5 million and in 1932 2.5 million. One fourth of the members did not meet the most elementary requirements of a communist. Communists could not be fussy about who was helping to run the state. Trotsky would have faced the same dilemma had he come to power. The Charge of Totalitarianism The term totalitarian was an anti-communism word that was used after World War II to equate Communism and fascism. The term has been discredited in research theories of politics but still circulates in mass media and the CIA which ignores the scientific research. Usually the charge of totalitarianism includes at least the following: Abolition of the right to freedom of speech, assembly and religious worship Elimination of all political parties other than the ruling party Subordination of all economic and social life to structural control of the single party bureaucracy Liquidation of free enterprise Destruction of all independent trade unions and creation of labor organizations servile to the totalitarian state Establishment of concentration camps and the use of slave labor Utter disregard for an independent judicial system Social demagogy around race and class Expansion of the military Reduction of parliamentary bodies to rubber-stamp status Establishment of a system of nationwide espionage and secret police Censorship of the press and media Disregard for the rights of other nations and disregard of treaties Maintenance and encouragement of fifth columns abroad It could be argued that Soviet Russia aspired to do some of these things and to some extent it was successful. But the charge of totalitarianism as having iron control over all these processes is ludicrous - in Russia or anywhere else. Take a look at a map of Russia. Far and away, it is the largest country in the world. Russia had neither the communication system nor a transportation system to pull this off. The Communist party may have exercised control over some of the largest Russian cities but they had little control of the peasantry over vast tracks of land. Their spying systems and secret police might have some control over cities but most of Russian land is agricultural and the Communist Party had some influence over peasant life. However, as we shall see, much of peasant life remained untouched just as before the Czar. Try as they might the Communist Party could not abolish capitalism. Many of the other characteristics above, like international and domestic espionage, expansion of military and control of mass media are just as prevalent in the United States and Western Europe. In fact the control over mass media in the United States is for more totalitarian in breadth and depth than anything the Communist party came up with. By comparison, the Catholic Church had a much more expanded and integrated totalitarian system. The Collective Farms Did Stalin destroy the peasantry in his drive towards collectivization? According to Martens, collectivization began in 1929, a period of bitter and complex struggles. To begin with, there were three kind of peasants who were subjected to the collectivization process. The kulaks were the highest class of peasants who had better farms, better horses and better machinery. They hired agricultural workers. Below them were the middle and poor peasants. Why liquidate the kulaks as a class? The kulaks aggressively resisted collectivization. In response they burned crops and houses, set buildings on fire and killed militant Bolsheviks. All the work done on the farm was with draft animals. The kulaks killed half the draft animals rather than cede their cattle to the collectives. They killed them and incited middle peasants to do the same. There were over 34 million horses in the country in 1928. There remained 15 million in 1932. By Martens' perspective the Communist party was justified in putting an end to this. I agree. How many upper middle class kulaks were killed? Robert Conquest (a self-described "cold warrior" who worked with the CIA) calculated 6.5 million kulaks were massacred and 3.5 million in Siberian camps. Martens says these figures are ridiculous. During the most violent period of the collectivization in 1930-31, the peasants expropriated 381,000 kulaks and sent their families to unplowed land in the East.The number of kulaks in the colonies never exceeded 1,317,000. The repression of this class and the reactionaries who supported them was absolutely necessary for collectivization to have taken place. Furthermore, only those who were guilty of terrorist or counter-revolutionary activity would be executed. Even with all this, Stalin and Molotov signed an agreement to liberate 50% of the people sent to work camps during collectivization. Furthermore, once collectivism was firmly established, peasants were allowed to cultivate a private plot and raise livestock. This is are hardly a process of a crazed, totalitarian dictator. Additionally, the essential urge for collectivization came from the most oppressed peasants. The party could not prevent deep antagonisms (of the lower classes) against the kulaks who oppressed them long before the revolution and the backward state of the countryside.What the party did was to destroy the economic bases for the kulaks. In 1928 the state seized the wheat of the kulaks to avoid famine in the cities. The liquidation of the kulaks as a class was due to their capitalist exploitations, not the physical end kulaks as peoples. Was collectivization imposed by the party leadership and by Stalin and implemented through terror? The state had neither the organizational infrastructure nor the manpower to enforce its voice or ensure its best implementation policy.Between 1929-1933 the Soviet State did not have the technical means, the required personnel and the sufficient Communist leadership to direct collectivization in a planned and orderly manner. In 1930 there were 339,000 communists among a rural population of about 120 million people. That meant there were 28 Communists for a region of 10,000 inhabitants. The Communist Party was in no position to impose its will. They had their hands full with the kulaks alone. Treachery of social democrats and Trotsky in relationship to collectivization The kulaks were supported by social democrats in Belgian, German and French Social Democracy. Kautsky, turned right-wing social democrat, said that a democratic revolution was necessary against the Soviet aristocracy. He called for a wide, united front with the Russian right for a democratic, parliamentary republic. Trotsky's domestic program in the 1920s after being expelled from the party, was to systematically chose positions opposed to that of the Party. He denounced accelerated collectivization and liquidation of kulaks. Peasant Economic and social creativity The central committee of the Communist Party called up 25,000 experienced industrial workers from the large factories to go to the countryside and help with collectivization. They were told they were the eyes and ears of the central committee, thanks to their physical presence on the front lines. They were told they would have to judge the Communist quality of the party functionaries and if necessary, purge the party of undesirable elements. The decision was in the hands of industrial workers within the party not the upper echelons of the Communist Party. Poor peasants had no idea about how to implement collectivization. There was no inventory of machinery, tools or spare parts, no stables or fodder reserves. The city workers introduced regular work days with morning roll call. They invented a system of payment by piecework and wage levels. They set up worker tribunals where violation of rule and negligence were judged. These workers would send agricultural equipment, generators, books and newspapers to the peasants. Needless to say, their system had problems but the problems were due to inexperience and the fact they were trying to set up an entirely different social system, not one to be of a terroristic Stalinist bureaucracy. Nevertheless, it did end the periodic crises which characterized earlier market relations between city and countryside Instead, revolutionary creativity was shown by the workers, peasants, the cadres and party leaders. Most of the traits were invented during the 1929-31 period. By 1929 most of the tractors were in the hands of the agricultural cooperatives. A decree dated in 1933 placed the different agricultural tasks in seven renumeration categories. The most difficult or arduous work paid three times as much as the easiest or lighter work. The total number of tractors increased steadily during the 1930s, from 210,900 in 1933 to 276,400 in 1934; 360,000 in 1935; 422,700 in 1936 and 522,000 in 1940. Collectivization was not imposed by force. To describe it as an all-powerful and totalitarian state is absurd In the countryside. In 1930-1935 the Soviet Union was short of labor. Why would they kill men who were working the land to Siberia or Kazakhstan? Famine and Black Propaganda The causes of the famine The first cause was due to kulaks and the treachery of lingering aristocrats hoping for the return of the czar. There was a famine in 1932-1933 caused by the struggle that the Ukrainian far right was leading against socialism and the collectivization of agriculturethe killing of horses and cattleto attack Soviet agriculture. Horses dwindled from 30 million to less than 15 million; cattle from79 million to 38 million. A similar proportionate of numbers was lost numbers in sheep, goat and hogs. The second cause of the famine was a drought that hit certain areas of Ukraine in 1930. The third cause was typhoid epidemic that ravaged Ukraine. The fourth cause of the famine was the inevitable disorder provoked by the reorganization of agriculture and the upheaval of economic and social relations. Lastly, there was a lack of experience which resulted in improvisation and a lack of preparation. The number of deaths during the famine Martens reports that the numbers of one to two million dead from the famine are clearly important. However, they are largely due to the ferocious opposition of the exploiting classes to the reorganization and modernization of agriculture on a socialist basis. The figure of one to two million should be compared to the 9 million dead caused by the 1921-1922 famine that was provoked by military intervention of eight imperialist powers and the support they gave to reactionary armed groups. These figures of the death of communists at the hands of white reactionary forces is conveniently left off of bourgeois statistics as to why things were so difficult under communist rule. Bourgeois reliance on fascist sources on Soviet famine Robert Conquest had worked for the disinformation services of the British secret service. In his book the Great Terror he claimed collectivization accounted for 5-6 million dead. During the Reagan years of anti-communist hysteria they needed figures exceeding most of those 6 million Jews to make Stalin appear worse than Hitler.Conquest dutifully revised his estimate to 14 million dead. One problem with Conquests sources is that over half the references came from extreme right wing Ukrainian emigres including the youth movement of Steven Bandera. Furthermore,Conquest cites interviews from Harvard Refugee Interview Project which was financed by the CIA. In short, lies about Stalin. The holocaust of Ukrainian people was created by Hitler. Suppressed Neo-Nazi crimes against Russians Furthermore Neo-Nazi revisionism around the world revises history to justify above all the barbaric crimes of fascism against communists. It denies the crimes it committed against the Soviet Jews. They invent holocausts supposedly perpetuated by communists. Thousands of Ukrainian Nazi collaborators entered the US and testified as victims of communist barbarity. In one book, Black Deeds of the Kremlin, fake photographs of Tsarist killings were transferred to Stalin. He gave high estimates of 4-7 million dead. But the two low estimates came from US journalists in Moscow known for their professionalism. One spoke of 1 million-2 million due to famine. Conquests film propaganda The 1983 Film Harvest of Despair was made for the masses. However, the 1986 Harvest of Sorrow was made for the intellectuals by Robert Conquest. The eye witness accounts are made by German Nazis who hate communists. This disproves the fact of the anti-Ukrainian genocide by Russians that could parallel Hitlers antisemitic holocaust. Ludens points out: The formula against Hitler and against Stalin served to invent Stalins crimes and holocausts to better cover up and deny Hitlers monstrous crimes against Russians. To anyone who understands the Soviets desperate need for manpower shortage in these years, the notion that its leaders would deliberately reduce that scarce resource of people is absurd. (103) The Purges Purge of 1928-1931 Between 1928-1931 the Party accepted 1.4 million new members including political illiterates, kulaks, and old Tsarist officers who easily succeeded in infiltrating the party. These factors all lend to problems with bureaucratic degeneration. What bureaucratic degeneration existed was not Stalin's fault. It was at the intermediate level that careerists and opportunists could most easily set up and hide. Stalin called on the leadership and base to mobilize and hound out the bureaucrats from above and below. According to Ludens, Stalin devoted a lot of energy to the struggle against bureaucracy within the party and the state apparatus. 1933 Purge In 1933 there was a new purge of bureaucrats which lasted two years. The Partys control mechanisms were so weak that it wasnt even possible to plan and effect a verification campaign. Eventually 18% of the party was expelled. They included: Kulaks, white officers, counter-revolutionaries Corrupt and overly ambitious people People who ignored party discipline and the Central committee People who had committed crimes like drunkenness and sexual abuse In order to organize a new society, culture and education were necessary. So Intellectuals from the old society, both young and old who were sufficiently able and flexible people recognized the opportunities. Yet many of these people were trojan horses who had infiltrated the communist fortress with no intention of building socialism. J. Arch Getty, in his brilliant study, Origins of the Great Purges, writes that local party leaders were no longer political leaders but economic administrators. They resisted political control from above and below. At the regional level, since the beginning of the twenties, individuals and clans had solidly entrenched themselves in the Party Even massive anti-bureaucratic campaigns could not budge them. Cadres had forgotten the capitalist encirclement at the beginning of the revolution and the increasing bitterness of the class struggle. Many had become submerged by little management questions and no longer preoccupied themselves with the major issues of national and international struggle. The bureaucratic and arbitrary attitude of the men in provincial apparatuses was enforced by petty management questions andhad virtual monopoly on administrative experience. In sum the real danger of bureaucratization came from the parts of the administration that were in no sense communist that wanted to get rid of the party controlling it and acquire privileges and benefits of all kinds for itself. The anti-bureaucratic revolution Geographical conditions made centralization unrealisticas much as the Party tried.In a regional committee, there was lack of attention to the economic development of the region, and the leadership had with no connection with the base.In the May 1937 electoral campaign there were 54,000 Party base for which we have data and 55% of the directing committee was replaced. In the Leningrad region, 48% were replaced. According to Getty, this was the most important, most general and most effective antibureaucratic campaign that the Party ever affected. This was crucial for the Red Army to later defeat fascist Germany. Stalin's second consideration was to deepen the political education within the party. Training had to be increased from four to eight months for all the cadres, from cell leaders all the way to the highest leaders. Stalin also attacked the family atmosphere of the bureaucracy in which there can be no place for criticism for defects in the work or for self-criticism of the work. The Great Purge of 1937-1938 No episode in Soviet history has provoked more rage from the old bourgeois world than the purge of 1937-38. Yet there are few periods of Soviet history that have been studied so superficially including Conquest, Deutscher, Schapiro, and Fainsod. This purge of 1937-38 was completely different from the previous periods. It focused mainly on cadres. During the previous years, elements that have nothing to do with communism - common criminals, drunkards and undisciplined people constituted the majority of the expelled. Ludens points out thatjust because someone is an old Bolshevik doesnt mean that theycant change for the worse. Certain party leaders proved to be careless, complacent, nave and lacked vigilance with response to enemies of communists who had infiltrated the party. Old Bolsheviks Social Democratic tendencies in the 20s: Bukharin The next great ideological struggle was led by Bukharin's rightist deviation which developed during collectivism period. He put forth a social democratic line and class reconciliation protecting the kulaks. Bukharin's group was a very powerful part of the party and his political influence was great. He had great influence in the Soviet scientific community and in the Academy of Sciences. During 1928-1930 Bukharin was bitterly criticized for his social democratic ideas, including: His opposition to collectivization (supporting individual ownership) His policy of social peace with the kulaks His attempt to slow down the industrialization processwith light industry His advocation of state-capitalism Bukharin and the military conspiracy In 1935-36 Bukharin developed closer links with groups of military conspirators plotting to overthrow the party leadership. He admitted during his trial in front of the tribunal that in 1918 after the Brest-Litovsk Treaty there was a plan to arrest Lenin and Stalin and to form a new government composed of left communists and social revolutionaries.Bukharin colluded with all sorts of clandestine opponents some of whom were dedicated anti-communists. Incapable of leading open political struggle, he placed his hopes in a coup resulting from a military plot that might result from a mass revolt. Bukharin allowed himself to be approached by enemies who were planning to overthrow the Bolshevik regime. He did not take a principled stand against the prospect of a directed anti-Bolshevik attack from abroad. In Paris he paid a visit to Menshevik Theodore Dan to whom he confided that Stalin was not a man but a devil. Martens says Bukharin's confessions allow us to later understand the latter appearance of Khrushchev, Brezhnev and Gorbachev. Trotsky and military conspiracies Martens claims that among others Trotsky was conducting negotiations with the Germans and promised them territorial concessions, including Ukraine.In 1932 there was an attempt to create an oppositional block that included Trotsky and Zinoviev.There was proof that a plot existed to overthrow the party and put into power the oppositional leadership Oppositional leaders have their say Despite all these machinations almost all oppositional leadersTrotsky, Radek, Preobrazhensky, Zinoviev and Bukharin-who remained in important positions were invited to the 17th congress where they made speeches. It is patently false that Stalin did not allow other leaders to express themselves freely and that he ruled like a tyrant. Debates took place openly and over an extended period of time. Stalin really believed in the honesty of self-criticisms. Were all old Bolsheviks eliminated? In general, the purges within the Red Army are presented by anti-communists as acts of foolish, arbitrary andblind repression. The accusations were all set-ups, according to the anti-communists, and were diabolically prepared to ensure Stalin's dictatorship. One of the best-known slanders claims that the purge was intended to eliminate the Old Bolsheviks. However, in 1934 there were 182,600 old Bolsheviks (members who joined no later than 1920). In 1939 there were 125,000. Therefore 69% were still in the party. Some died of natural causes, others were expelled and others executed. According to Getty, from November 1936-39 there were fewer than 180,000 expulsions from the party. Before 1938 there were 53,000 appeals against expulsions. After 1938 there were 101,223 appeals. At that time, out of a total of 144,933, the party committees had examined 85,273 appeals and 54% were readmitted No other information could better give the lie to the statement that the purge was blind, terror, without appeal, organized by an irrational dictator. The reality of the plot against the Stalin Four years before the purges, in 1934 there was a plot to start a revolution by arresting the whole of the Stalinist-packed 17th Congress of the Party. A comrade from the group proposed in mid-1936 to kill Stalin. Tukhachevsky was pro-German. Even Deutscher admits there was a plot among the Germans. The discovery of such a plot at the head of the Red Army, which had links with the opportunistic factions within the party, provoked complete panic on Stalin's part. Getty concludes that entrenched officeholders were destroyed from above and below in a chaotic wave of voluntarism and revolutionary puritanism. The actual purge was decided upon after the revelation of the Tukhachevsky military conspiracy.The decision to physically eliminate this fifth column was not a sign of a dictators paranoia. The degree of anarchy within the purges The purge was often characterized as maniacal and relentless which was hardly the case. The purges were inefficient and chaotic. There were cadres of infiltrated enemies. These enemies hiding within the party led conspirators to expel the greatest possible numbers of loyal communist cadres. Lastly, there was the presence of communists who were only concerned with their careers. Yes, some communists were unjustly hit and crimes were committed during the purge. Yet Stalin wanted to include an individualized approach to questions of expulsions. Myths and reality about the purges Martens points out that the 1934 Robert Conquest counted 5 million political detainees. In fact, there were between 127,000 and 170,000. The exact number of all detained in work camps, political and other security organizations combined was 510,307. The political prisoners formed only 25%-35% of the detainees. Conquest added 4,850,000. Annually Conquest estimated an average of 8 million detainees. Medvedev wrote it was 12-13 million. The reality was between 127,000 in 1934to 500,000 during the two war years of 1941-42. The real figures were exaggerated by 15-26 times. As I said earlier, most of those politically detained were Nazi collaborators. Necessity of purges before the showdown with Germany The purge within the Red Army had a great deal to do with the imminent war with Germany. Stalin was successful in getting rid of all the opposition circles within the army and he succeeded in making sure that there would be no counter-revolutionary currents within that army against the Germans. Yehova signed an executive order condemning to death 75,959 individuals whose hostility to the Soviet Union were known to be common criminals, kulaks counter-revolutionaries or spies. Most of the men and women in the Nazi 5th column fell during the purge. When the fascists attacked the USSR, there were few collaborates within the state or the party apparatus. The great disarray and extreme confusion provoked by the first defeats against the Nazi invasion created a very precarious political situation. Bourgeois nationalists, anti-communist and anti-Jewish racists all thought that their time had come. What would have happened if the purge had not firmly been carried out, if an opportunist opposition had held important positions? The party launched a campaign educating the workers about what was going on in newspapers, films and theaters. It was precisely because of the purge and the education campaigns that accompanied it that the Soviet people found the strength to resist and defeat the fascists. Trotskys Role on the Eve of Second World War Trotsky was one of the first to put forward the Cold War liberal idea that Bolshevism and fascism were interchangeable. Secondly, he supported any opposition against Stalin. He made no distinction between capitalists, the heads of foreign states and military plotters and schemers. Despite not having much of a following in Russia, from 1934 on Trotsky called over and over for the overthrow of the Communist Party. He was calling on the Red Army to effect a coup. In fact, he planned his insurrection for when Hitler attacked the Soviet Union. Western Treachery Against the Soviet Union During the Two World Wars Western historians and their nave publics present the Soviet-Hitlerian pact as a bolt-from-the-blue, a betrayal that had neither rhyme not reason. Here we are told we have the secret truth weve should have known all along: Fascism and Communism were the same thing. In truth, before Hitler even came to power, Great Britain had led the crusade against the Soviet Union. It was in 1918 that Churchill mobilized armies in 14 countries to attack the Soviet Union. During the Spanish Civil war, Italy and Germany sent their troops to Spain in support of fascism to fight the republican government. France and England adopted a non-intervention policy and did not help the Soviet Union fight in Spain.In fact, Britain and France reassured Hitler that he could march against Stalin without being worried about the West attacking Germany. In fact, from June to August of 1939 there were secret talks between Britain and Germany. The deal was: Germany promises not to interfere in British empire affairs Britain promises to give up the present negotiations for a pact with the Soviet Union Englands ultimate goal was to embroil Russia and Germany with each other and thus escape scot-free herself. Even when France and Britain were forced to declare war on Germany, on the Western Front not single bomb was used against the Nazis. They kept hoping the Nazis could defeat the Russians. Stalin reached out to Germany only afterhaving been rejected by the West. The Soviet Union had succeeded in signing with Japan a non-aggression pact that held until the defeat of fascism. Stalin's pact with Germany was crucial to winning WWII. The pact was a turning point that allowed for the preparation of the necessary conditions in order for the German defeat when it was invaded. Did Stain Prepare Poorly for the Anti-Fascist War? This ludicrous claim is what Khrushchev said about Stalin. Stalin had to maneuver against all the Western powers who were anti-Russian. This included not only fascist Germany, Italy and Spain, but also, England, France and the United States. Against all of them Russia defeated Germany and preserved the Soviet Union. Does this sound like an incompetent leader? In 1921 in almost all areas of military production they had to start out from nothing. During the years of the first and second five year plans the party made sure that the war industries would grow faster than the other industries. During the third 5 year plan between 1938 and 1940, industrial production increased 13% annually. Furthermore, Stalin prepared the defense of the USSR by having more than 900 factories built between 1928-1941. Khrushchev's image of Stalin as a lone man who leans on no-one is falsified by an event during the war in the beginning of August 1941. In general, Stalin proceeded with extreme caution, weighing the pros and cons of what to do. Stalin called in responsible people directly in charge of the problem. The central committee politburo and army leadership always relied on collective decision-making. One general said Stalin did not like to decide for himself important questions about the war. Furthermore, he would not tolerate hit and miss answers or not being familiar with the situation on the map or in exaggerating situations. He wanted the utmost accuracy and clarity. He had a knack of detecting weak spots in reports and documents. He had a tenacious memory. He was extremely exacting, a quality essential during wartime. He never forgave carelessness in work or failure to finish a job the right way. Stalin fully criticized bureaucratic and formalist leadership methods. During the war Stalin firmly fought against any irresponsible or bureaucratic attitude. He insisted on real presence on the ground. He would demand that military action be carried out in a creative way, with a full account of military science. Even Averell Harriman, US imperialisms representative, admitted his high intelligence, a fantastic grasp of detail, his shrewdness and his sensitivity. Harriman says I found him better informed than Roosevelt, more realistic than Churchill. In some ways the most effective of the war leaders. He was hardly the blind dictator. Nazis' Attack on Russia On September 30th the Nazis began their final offensive to take Moscow. In Moscow some 450,000 inhabitants of the city, including 75% women, were mobilized to build fortifications and anti-tank defensives. Moscow was bombed by German aviation. Panic began to seize the city population. The Nazis were only 80 kilometers away. Part of the administration was evacuated, but Stalin decided to remain in Moscow. He needed to stay at the general headquarters but he visited the fronts regularly. The battles became more and more fierce. The first extermination campaigns, in fact the biggest, were against the Soviet people, including Soviet Jews. The people of the USSR suffered the most and endured the greatest number of dead at 23 million. The Hitlerian aggression drenched the Soviet Union in a bath of blood and steel that surpassed all the horrors that the world had ever previously seen. The reality of the unbelievable terror that the Nazis practiced in the Soviet Union is almost systematically covered up or minimized in the bourgeois literature. Even this year, 2025,on the celebration of the Russia defeat of the Nazis, Western leaders boycotted the celebration. Clearly the West prefers fascism to communism. Russia Defeats the Nazis In early November the Nazi offense was stopped. After having consulted all of his commanders, Stalin decided on a large counter-attack which began on December 5th. Some 720,000 Red soldiers pushed back 800,000 fascists to 100300 kilometers. For the first time, the invincible German troops were defeated. The fascists lost more than 500,000 men, 1300 tanks and 2,500 canons. The Russians showed utter determination and amazing heroism. These Germans has to face adversaries that were fighting to the last man Germanys Final Solution of Jews came about after German defeats in Russia The exterminating rage of the Nazis emerged with their first massive losses. When the fascist beast started to bleed under the Red Army blows, it dreamed up a final solution for the Soviet people. In a remarkable book Arno Mayer explains that the extermination of the Jews only began once the Nazis suffered great losses.Without operation Barbarossa, there would and could have been no Jewish systematic annihilation. Once the Nazis had to face the defeats on the Russian front, they decided on a global and final solution of the Jewish population. Many rich Jews succeeded in escaping to the US. After the war they went to work for American imperialism and its beachhead, Israel.The great majority of poor Jews were gassed. Russia 1947-1953 Positive aspects Between 1939 and 1940 the Soviet Union had an annual rate of industrial production of 16.5 %. Some said it would take decades to recover from what the fascists did to its industrial apparatus. Yet after three incredible years, 1948 industrial production surpassed that of 1940. In 1950, the end of the 4 - five year plan, industrial production was 73% above that of 1940. Stalin's foreign policy with regard to western states was peaceful co-existence. The Communist parties throughout the world were not agitating to overthrow western rulers. In the United States, either Communists were to run their own candidates in elections or they were to support the Democratic Party. To the extent that it was possible Stalin helped revolutionary movements of different countries in providing arms, funding industrialization and offering technological know-how. Stalin supported colonized peoples who sought independence and encouraged a vast international movement for peace. During the same period the US military plans called for the building of numerous military bases. In reaction to this, in 1947 the Soviet Union built its own nuclear weapons, breaking US nuclear nightmare diplomacy. Negative aspects Despite the rapid industrialization it would have been better to have mixed some of this with lighter industry and more consumer goods. It is a great deal to ask of people to produce for war rather than for goods that would make their lives a little better. As early as 1951 Stalin was seriously worried about the Party's state . The most important tendencies that Stalin had to fight against in the 20s and 30s were: Trotskyism Bukharinism Militarist professional tendencies within the army technocrats that were substantially reinforced Bourgeois Russian nationalism They all continued between 1945-1953 Khrushchev's Revisionist Groups and a Conservative Bureaucracy With Stalin's death, two revisionist tendencies within the Party arose. Beria wanted better international relations with the West and restoration of relations with Tito in Yugoslavia. Khrushchev had Beria executed after Stalin's death and then assumed power. With the division of the Party leadership that followed, the control mechanisms over the bureaucracy were weakened, the military's own interests and values emerged into the open and became stronger. Under Khrushchev the bureaucrats no longer had to fear threats from either serious communist in the higher echelons of the party of from the working or middle classes from below. There was bureaucratic intolerance of criticism which came from below. The bureaucrats stifled criticism and settled scores with those who dared criticize them. They had a smug complacency. Leaders turned meetings into vainglorious displays, into cases of self-laudation. These were not communist revolutionaries. They strove for a self-satisfied and tranquil life. These bureaucrats forgot that they were running state enterprises and tried to turn them into their own private domain. They ignored any attempts to advance communism in the Soviet Union. Circles would form around Khrushchev and Brezhnev, completely estranged from revolutionary, popular action. Meanwhile, the reformist socialist state rehabilitated opportunists and enemies who had been purged. Khrushchev allowed the resurrection of social democratic and Tsarist ideological currents. Enemies of Leninism who were sent to Siberia were rehabilitated by Khrushchev. He fished Solzhenitsyn out from a work camp who made an alliance with Khrushchev to combat Stalinism. Solzhenitsyn has become the official voice of the 5% of Tsarists, bourgeois, speculators and kulaks. He hated socialism. By the mid-1980s Gorbachev denounced the division of the world into socialism and capitalism and converted himself to universal values. He initiated social democracy while provoking the collapse of the Soviet State. Summing Up As I said in the introduction, the purpose of this evaluation is to move beyond dualistic arguments which either condemn Stalin as the worst political figure of the 20th century next to Hitler or blindly praise him as mindless dogmatic Stalinists are apt to do. What I tried to do in this evaluation is to say that most of the bourgeois attacks on Stalin are the product of anti-communist propaganda which are either black propaganda lies or exaggerations compared to what really happened. A second purpose of this evaluation is as a prediction that any leaders today, socialist or not who oppose decaying western capitalist imperialism will be called the same kind of names as Stalin. What are the similarities between the names Qaddafi was called and Stalin? What about the name calling of Stalin and Nicolas Maduro? What about Vladimir Putin - dictator, authoritarian, kills his own people? So we can expect that also the real evolution of these men and their states will be distorted, exaggerated, denied and censored just as Stalin was. Nevertheless, author Ludo Martens failed to address the following criticisms coming from the left communists about the Soviet Union. Left Communists' Evaluation of Ludo Martens Book Stalin: Another View Can workers only achieve trade union consciousness? My first criticism of Stalinism is not focused on the specific political actions Stalin took as much as they are criticisms of Leninism in which Stalinism is a variant. The Bolsheviks claim that by themselves workers can only achieve a trade union consciousness has been disproven numerous times by the Paris Commune of 1871; the Russian Soviets in 1905, the Russian factories during the 1917 revolution and the anarcho-communism of the Ukrainian peasantry under Nestor Makhno. The greatest example of the workers self-management was in the cities and countryside of Spain during the revolution between 1936-1939. Martens mentions nothing about the contradiction between what the Bolsheviks said about workers on their own only achieving trade union consciousness and what the workers actually did. Did Marx advocate the forming of a vanguard party? The second problem is the presence of a secret vanguard party to lead the revolution. This is something that Marx and Engels never talked about. This is because they believed that the socialist revolution would break out in an advanced capitalist country first where socialist parties would be legal. For them the work of the Communist Party was to embed themselves in workers movements; organize and systematize all workers struggles under a single program, not lead the workers with a program of their own. I have no problem with Lenin developing a secret vanguard party in Russia because of the conditions in Russia at the time. At that time in Russia there was no constitution and not even a liberal party. My problem with a secret vanguard party is when it was applied to capitalist countries in the West when it was possible to organize in the open along with a mass political party, not a party with paid, full-time revolutionaries. Marx and Engels never talked about vanguard parties. In fact, as I recall they made fun of the secret societies of Auguste Blanqui. Socialism in one country and subordination of all Communist parties to Russia in peacetime I agree with Stalin's decision to build socialism in one country and against Trotsky's naive proposal for permanent revolution everywhere given that there was no industrial revolution in Germany. The Communist movement needed a home base to have a chance to really develop new forms even if they were limited because of being surrounded by hostile capitalist countries. I also agree that in times of war, communist parties around the world should subordinate themselves to the Russian Communist Party . My problem with Stalinism is to insist on subordination of communist parties in times of peace. Golden opportunities were missed for Communist parties all over the world to experiment with new forms based on local conditions. This policy robbed the communist parties all over the world of adapting themselves to local conditions rather than following a single country. An example of this was in the movie Reds, when John Reed argued fruitlessly with the Central Committee of the Communist Party that The Communist Party endorse working with the radical Industrial Workers of the World. Instead, the Russian Communist Party insisted that any proto-communist party in the United States join the AF of L, the most conservative of all American unions. Within the United States between 1926 and 1956 the American Communist Party was dragged through all of Moscow's changed lines, swerves and backtracking with no opportunity to develop its own program based on its unique understanding of Yankee conditions. Up until the Russian Revolution, the Socialist Party of America had a much better understanding of the working conditions in Yankeedom. But the Russian Communist Party did not care to learn anything from the American Socialist party. Undermining the Spanish Revolution In Spain between 1936 and 1939 during the revolution, under the direction of the CNT, the anarchists had Barcelona organized under worker self-management. In the countryside the worker collectives involved one third of a million people. The Communist Party in Spain was small and uninfluential, and the Spanish revolutionaries were also fighting fascist Franco in their country. The Communist Party offered weapons to help the collectives fight the fascists in exchange for influence. The Communist Party of Russia was not interested in a socialist revolution in Spain, they just wanted to defeat fascism. As part of defeating the fascists they also turned on the self-management collectives and destroyed them. Since this hostility to workers self-management occurred during both Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin's time it seems fair to say that hostility to workers councils is a characteristic of Leninism and cannot be laid solely at Stalin's doorstep. Martens never writes about this or the international justification for the suppression of the collectives. It was clear that the self-managed collectives were absolutely committed to socialism and could not be manipulated by capitalists, either domestically or internationally. In my opinion the reason they were attacked is because the Communist Party imagined it had the lock and key to everything and saw socialist rivals as enemies. It is understandable that the social democrats (the Mensheviks) became enemies because part of their program was to restore capitalism, but the anarchist collectives posed no such threat. Stalin's short-sighted decree abolishing religion Stalin showed very little understanding of why people are religious. If religion is the opium of the masses, the need for religion doesnt disappear if you take away its forms. A real materialist policy would be to improve the standard of living and then expect that as heaven is gradually created on earth the need for religion would become less. On one hand an expansion of the number of atheists would be predictable. At the same time, those who continued to be religious would find their gods and goddesses immanent rather than transcendental. Just as primitive communism had earth spirits of rocks, rivers and trees, so under advanced communism the spirits would come back to earth because communists were in the process of creating heaven on earth The dogmatic nature of dialectical materialism Unfortunately Marx and Engels work cast a long shadow over future generations of Marxists and too many of them have never come out of the shadows. This is not unique to Leninism. For example, after Engels wrote The Family, Private property and the State it took 80 years for Marxists to stop repeating what Engels said about these subjects and accept that anthropologists were scientists that have discovered new processes about social evolution. Even now some Marxists who are otherwise very creative in their fields, repeat the tired old story of social evolution going from primitive communism to the Asiatic mode of production to slavery, to feudalism, to capitalism and back to socialism. Secondly, Marxist philosophers have mindlessly insisted that all philosophy can be divided into materialism and idealism. Please see my article Out on A Limb With Dialectical Materialism for six ways to categorize philosophy. In addition, these Leninist philosophers have crudely tried to directly link philosophy to political positions like fascism, imperialism and capitalism.So, for example, Maurice Cornforth, whom Ive learned quite a bit from, tries to connect the pragmaticism of William James and Charles Sanders Peirce to imperialism because of what the United States was doing during World War II at the time they were writing. Lastly, in the Lysenko affair, Soviet agricultural policy took a very bad turn because Soviet scientists were not allowed to favor in Mendelian genetics into their policy. This was because dialectical materialism had no place for how biological and social processers might interact in the raising of crops. The randomness of Mendelian genetics was attacked as bourgeois and dismissed in favor of Lamarckian causal laws. Random mutations were attacked as liberal a world view projected onto science and over 3,000 natural scientists were dismissed. This policy undermined the prospect of scientists solving agricultural problems using the best science in the world. Palast in venue of 'All Washed Away' (Image by Greg Palast) Details DMCA Learning how to swim might preserve your subsistence in emergency crises like the massive flooding that afflicted New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2006 and Kerrville, Texas just before July 4 of this year. But after that, in the case of Katrina, it helped to be a moneyed social class to survive if not prosper. Warnings from experts in government positions were ignored--the coordinator of the National Weather Service was fired in favor of privatized concerns far less equipped or competent to act. In the case of Kerrville, the newly hired (in May) Trump crony, David Richardson, acting administrator of FEMA, didn't even know there was a hurricane season. Greg Palast's previous account of a flooding debacle, Big Easy to Big Empty (2006), narrates how New Orleans wasn't even struck by Katrina; the levees, 18 inches high, couldn't block the attendant gargantuan flooding Mississippi River that toppled them like balsa wood and killed 1500. The countrywide experts at Louisiana State University (LSU) had warned FEMA officials in advance of Katrina to no avail. Their meticulous evacuation plan was cancelled by George W. Bush and the head of the LSU department, Professor Ivor Van Hearden, was fired; the entire department had to be liquidated to allow for this. Emergency evacuation planning fell into privatized hands with plans geared only toward evacuating cars. Homes were gutted and rebuilt by the government if they were mansions. The Blacks from poorer neighborhoods, if they survived, were confined to stubby FEMA trailers in a space blocked on all sides by barbed-wire fencing, a Guantanamo on wheels; they were allowed to leave solely to a local Walmart. Victims couldn't visit the wreckage of their old homes, even when the homes had survived intact. Their beloved old neighborhoods were transformed into slick condos for a higher financial echelon, conservatives, who were considered far more appropriate for an area so close to the tony French Quarter. The Katrina disaster occurred 20 years ago this month. Fast forward to All Washed Away: Kerrville, Texas preparing to celebrate July 4. A girls' Christian camp, popular and beloved for decades, scenically situated on the Guadalupe River, was protected by no emergency evacuation protocols--there were no provisions for campsites. This was a white population, DT's favorite demographic, but 139 locals perished, including 27 of the campers, and the rest suffered badly from trauma and loss. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem held up rescue operations on a technicality while rescue workers did what they could to pull corpses out of the deep flood waters. The National Weather Service was again gutted [1]; one-third of FEMA already closed; a private firm had been retained for emergency operations instead. Greg Palast [2] is first to tie these tragedies together under the heading "privatization (briberization [3]) kills." FEMA under the direction of George W. Bush did just that--sacrificing underclasses to promote gentrification. In his inimitable and outrageously valiant way, flanked by his camera crew, in New Orleans, Palast confronts the corporate conmen in their offices in Baton Rouge before being ejected unsurprisingly, having spoken truth to power. In Texas, he confronts the Trump/DOGE scheme to sell off FEMA and enters the IWB, the InterAgency Board for Emergency Preparedness and Response, the firm supposed to take over emergency operations from FEMA, with similar results: the CEO hides behind closed doors as her henchmen stammer lame prevarifications before Palast is ejected. Both films resulted from reports for Amy Goodman's progressive radio series Democracy Now, both written and reported by Greg Palast and produced by Matt Pascarella. To view All Washed Away for free, a one-hour film, go to Greg's substack at Click Here or YouTube at Click Here. [1] NOA had been revived, after the G. W. Bush tenure, by Obama and Biden. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). HELSINKI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Two people were injured on Friday in a shooting outside a mosque in the Swedish city of Orebro, 200 km west of Stockholm, police said. The incident occurred in the Vivalla area of the city. Police said they were alerted at 13:45 local time "about a suspected serious violent crime in connection with a mosque in Orebro." The seriousness of the injuries was not immediately clear. Police said they have launched an investigation into the incident. The suspected shooter remains at large, and police have cordoned off large areas around the scene. Several rescue services and police officers remain in the area. My Assignment Services Qatar is aiming to become the one-stop solution for every academic difficulty and for students who want to earn successful careers. University A photo of the 7th Street permitted camping site for homeless people in Grants Pass, which was restricted to overnight hours. Disability Rights Oregon The city of Grants Pass has agreed to provide accessible camping space for at least 150 homeless people for at least one year. The city also will pay $60,000 in a one-time grant by the end of December 2026 to a nonprofit agency to provide support services for homeless people who are disabled. The terms are part of a settlement agreement reached between the city and Disability Rights Oregon and the Oregon Law Center, which sued Grants Pass in January. The city also must ensure the camping sites have water for drinking and washing and provide reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities who are unable to follow certain city regulations governing the use of city park space. The settlement followed an order in March by Josephine County Circuit Judge Sarah E. McGlaughlin that barred Grants Pass from enforcing its municipal orders on homeless camping until it made its campsites accessible to people with disabilities and increased available tent spaces to at least 150. Then in May, McGlaughlin exempted seven different parks from her order, allowing the city to enforce municipal laws there. This settlement represents a significant step forward in ensuring people with disabilities experiencing homelessness have places to rest, basic necessities like drinking water, and real opportunity to stabilize their lives, Jake Cornett, executive director and chief executive officer of Disability Rights Oregon, said in a statement. City attorney Stephanie Nuttall told city council members on Aug. 6 that the city can contract with others to manage the camping spaces. The camping spaces must be on city-owned property but can be operated by a third-party that contracts with the city, the settlement says. In a presentation to the council, she also noted that the city does not admit any liability as part of the pact, and the settlement resolves a case with minimal financial impact. The city, though, also has to pay Disability Rights Oregon $85,000 as part of the settlement in lieu of attorney fees and costs, according to the settlement. The suit was filed on behalf of five people, ranging in age from 47 to 66, who are disabled and homeless and who were hampered by city restrictions at its homeless camping sites. Last year, the city prohibited all camping on city property at all times and in all places, except as permitted by the City Council, after it won a favorable decision by the U.S. Supreme Court . Between August 2024 and January of this year, the city provided two camping sites. One on J Street provided room for about 120 tents, while a second location on Sixth Street had room for about 60 tents. People could camp at either site for up to seven days. The city then made a series of decisions in early January that reduced camping availability and opened unpaved sites that were particularly hard for some disabled homeless to access who use wheelchairs or having difficulty walking. Disability Rights Oregon, on behalf of five people who are homeless and have disabilities, sued the city after the council in early January restricted camping to one much-smaller unpaved site and only during overnight hours, from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. Leaving the one site on Seventh Street with 30 spaces marked a sharp decrease from the 150-bed capacity previously allowed by the two original sites, the judge said. Janine Harris, 57, one of the plaintiffs in the case who suffers from arthritis in her hips and knees as well as asthma, had been forced by the city to leave the J Street lot and collect her belongings in a wagon. I often need a cane when I walk to make sure I dont fall If theres no place where I can be, what am I supposed to do? she wrote in a sworn declaration to the court. Requiring people to move along everyday doesnt get people into housing, it just makes life harder and more dangerous, said Allison Nasson, staff attorney at Oregon Law Center. When you have been forced to live outside, you still need water, a bathroom, and a place to rest. -- 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. Police arrested a Multnomah County employee Thursday night after he allegedly attempted to take items from a Home Depot in Hayden Island and sell them back to the store. Leonel Sandoval, 55, is accused of theft and official misconduct, both misdemeanor charges. County records show Sandoval works as a carpenter for the Department of County Assets. He earned $91,408 for his position in 2024, according to records obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive. Portland police officers responded to the Home Depot, 1728 N Tomahawk Island Dr., shortly after 6 p.m. Store loss prevention employees told officers they had detained Sandoval, police said. An initial investigation found that Sandoval arrived in a county-owned car and had selected about $785 worth of flooring product, police said. He then allegedly passed by checkout counters and attempted to return the unpurchased items, police said. Multnomah County placed Sandoval on paid administrative leave after learning about the allegations, a county spokesperson said in a statement. The county has launched an internal investigation into any potential violation of county rules and policies, the statement said. Sandoval was released on his own recognizance after being booked into jail. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. Zaeem Shaikh covers the Portland Police Bureau and criminal justice issues for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-221-4323, zshaikh@oregonian.com or on X@zaeemshake. Paradox Cafe, one of Portland's oldest vegetarian-friendly diners, has called it quits. THE OREGONIAN Paradox Cafe, the vegan-friendly Portand diner, has closed after more than 30 years on Southeast Belmont Street, the restaurant announced on its website. We can no longer sustain operations and have served the final plate, the announcement reads. So many contributing factors that have been intensifying since COVID have made this a necessary decision for our 30+ years as a plant-based diner. Paradox Cafe's retro diner layout as photographed in 1997, roughly four years after the restaurant opened at 3439 S.E. Belmont St. The Oregonian The announcement, which was first spotted by Bridgetown Bites, described Paradox Cafe as Portlands first vegan diner. But for its first couple of decades at least, the paradox behind the menu was that grass-fed beef burgers and chicken-apple sausage links sat alongside the tofu-veggie ScramBowls. The Paradox Cafe sign still hangs outside the recently closed vegan diner, 3439 S.E. Belmont St., on Sunday, August 10. Michael Russell | The Oregonian But Paradox was always a place vegans and vegetarians could sit at booths with formica tables and eat diner staples including scrambles, sandwiches, burgers and more. The closure comes one year after another long-running local vegan restaurant called it quits The Blossoming Lotus folded in 2024 after its own 22-year run. For Portlanders suddenly in the market for a retro vegan diner, the next closest option might be the Portland offshoot of Salt Lake Citys Vertical Diner, found at 8124 S.W. Barbur Blvd. For plant-based breakfasts more generally, try Harlow (3715 S.E. Division St. and 505 N.W. 23rd Ave.) or Off the Griddle (6526 S.E. Foster Road and 2215 N.W. Alberta St.). Michael Russell; mrussell@oregonian.com Thousands of children experiencing severe mental health crises are spending days in hospital emergency rooms due to a nationwide shortage of psychiatric beds, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University. OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks A growing number of children in mental health crises are spending days, sometimes nearly a week, in hospital emergency rooms because there is nowhere else for them to go, a new study has found. In a report published Friday in JAMA Health Forum, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University examined Medicaid claims data from 44 states covering more than 255,000 pediatric emergency room visits for mental health conditions in 2022. They found that about 12% of those visits, or over 30,000, resulted in children being boarded in the emergency room for three to seven days while waiting for placement in proper treatment programs. Dr. John McConnell, director of OHSUs Center for Health Systems Effectiveness and lead author of the study, said he was surprised at how frequently children in crisis spent three or more days in the ER. It points to a big gap in getting timely, appropriate care, he said. That wait time is far from recognized best practice. The Joint Commission, which sets health care benchmarks, recommends that pediatric patients in mental distress be stabilized and moved out of the ER within four hours, as extended stays can jeopardize patient safety, slow the start of treatment and pull critical resources away from other urgent cases. The study found boarding was most common for children with suicidal thoughts, attempts or severe depression conditions that have become more prevalent in recent years. The number of suicides among U.S. children and young adults rose 62% from 2007 to 2021, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Boarding rates also varied dramatically, from 2.7% in Arkansas to 27.3% in Iowa. Oregons rate was just above the national average. McConnell said the findings confirm years of anecdotal reports that psychiatric boarding is a nationwide problem, particularly for children covered by Medicaid, which insures nearly half of all U.S. kids. Its clear there arent enough places for kids to go, both in terms of inpatient beds and outpatient services, McConnell said. Theres also no single source of accountability for Medicaid patients having a mental health crisis. When these kids show up in the emergency department, its not clear whos responsible for making sure they get timely care. The shortage of treatment options has left emergency departments historically designed for broken bones, infections and acute injuries as the fallback for pediatric mental health crises. That reality is evident at OHSU Doernbecher Childrens Hospital. Psychiatric visits to the pediatric ER have nearly tripled since 2016, from 150 to 453 last year, said Dr. Rebecca Marshall, who leads the hospitals pediatric psychiatry consult service. Marshall, who was not involved in the study, said the patients are evenly split between Medicaid and private insurance, a sign the problem extends far beyond the Medicaid-only snapshot in McConnells analysis. These arent just numbers, she said. They represent real kids, real families and the hospital staff trying to help them in a space that was never meant for this. Often, those kids arrive after telling a parent or guardian about suicidal thoughts, severe depression, or another struggle only to be told theres no psychiatric bed available, Marshall said. Its often disorienting and disappointing for youth and families, she said. Theyre in limbo, in a place thats not designed to be therapeutic, and sometimes it can make things worse. In the ERs confined environment often without fresh air or activities children can feel trapped, irritable or more depressed, Marshall said, adding that some become agitated enough to lash out or try to leave, even when it isnt safe. At times, Marshall said, as many as half of the hospitals pediatric emergency beds are occupied by children boarding for behavioral health reasons, forcing staff to improvise space for other emergencies. You can train staff and add activities, but you cant turn an ER into a therapeutic psychiatric space, she said. If we want kids to get better, we have to put them in the right environment. Oregon has taken steps to expand behavioral health services, including a $130 million investment in 2021 to increase community-based residential facilities for people with severe mental illness. But Marshall said those efforts havent kept pace with demand, in part because of how the states fragmented and often short-term approach to funding behavioral health. The challenge has been scaling it up quickly enough, she said. The state has also fallen short on some key mental health commitments. The states much-touted parity law, which required insurers to cover mental health on par with physical health, failed to deliver, and stricter reporting requirements passed in 2021 remain largely unenforced. Likewise, a 2013 plan to expand in-home care for Medicaid patients led to new support for people with developmental disabilities, but nothing comparable for children and young adults needing intensive psychiatric care despite their inclusion in the original plan. McConnell, who led Fridays study, said the deeper problem is a fragmented health care system that has long treated mental health as an afterthought, giving it far less attention and funding than high-profile conditions like cancer or heart disease. Even if we add beds or other resources, I worry there wont be real change until someone is clearly accountable, he said. That responsibility is tied to measurable outcomes, whether thats boarding rates or patient well-being. -- Kristine de Leon is a reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive focusing on consumer health and data enterprise stories. Contact her at kdeleon@oregonian.com. Tom Belesiu continued to spend time in his namesake restaurant after he sold it to his daughter and son-in-law in 2002; he spent his day at the business the day before he died at the age of 92. Courtesy of Nick Papailiou Decades after Tom Belesiu sold the place to his daughter and son-in-law, Toms Restaurant regulars could still find him every day at the business he founded in 1975. He greeted customers, cleared tables, made minor building and equipment repairs. He was there at the beloved Southeast Portland diner and bar the day before he died of a stroke on July 4. A legislative committee dismissed allegations of misconduct Thursday against a southern Oregon Republican who read a sexually explicit book passage on the House floor. On a split vote, the House Committee on Conduct decided Rep. Dwayne Yunker, R-Grants Pass, did not violate legislative rules or create a hostile work environment when he read a passage from young adult novel The Haters on the House floor in March. Yunker, who routinely uses the three minutes allotted to each lawmaker each floor session to make comments to rail against Democrats and LGBTQ+ issues, read the passage to protest the books accessibility to high schoolers in his district. The Oregon Legislative Equity Office, which operates similar to a human resources department for lawmakers, lobbyists and legislative staff, received at least two complaints from legislative staff members alleging Yunker made sexually explicit remarks on the House floor that day. The identities of the staff members were not disclosed during the meeting or in a report investigating the instance. One of the staff members subsequently accused Yunker of retaliation when Yunker publicly disclosed the letter that the Oregon Legislative Equity Office had delivered to his office informing him of the allegations against him. Two of the four lawmakers on the committee, Republican Reps. Kevin Mannix of Salem and Ed Diehl of Stayton, voted to dismiss the allegations that Yunker engaged in verbal conduct of a sexual nature. Meanwhile, Democratic Reps. Jason Kropf of Bend and Thuy Tran of Portland voted to support the allegations. The motion failed to pass because of the 2-2 tie. Misconduct or freedom of speech? Lawmakers on the committee spent two hours discussing amongst each other and listening to the results of the investigation from Legislative Equity Officer Bor Yang and independent investigator Kia Roberts, both of whom found credibility in the staff complaints. Diehl voted against the misconduct allegations against Yunker, explaining that whats debated on the House floor is protected speech. He said that, while he is sensitive to workplace harassment complaints, people shouldnt work in politics if theyre offended by debate. Part of our job is to also uphold the Constitution and preserve the ability of legislators to speak freely on behalf of their constituents, Diehl said. We have difficult things to talk about, and this issue is very important to many of my constituents and Rep. Yunkers constituents. Kropf said he somewhat agreed with Diehl about the extent to which lawmakers have freedom to say what they want to on the House floor, and he agreed with the Republicans that Yunker did not act in retaliation because the staff members identities were kept confidential. His release of the information did not target any individuals, Kropf said, while acknowledging the courage it took from the staff members to file a complaint. It targeted a system. And so my view is, when I look at the intent, I dont see intent of retaliation against the complainants. I see an intent to expose and complain about a system which the representative disagrees with. Tran consistently spoke out against Yunkers remarks and the accusations of retaliation, calling Kropfs views on retaliation unjust, saying that point of view disregards the people who made the complaints. You understand the intent of Rep. Yunker, but do you understand or take into consideration the intent of the victims that were involved? she asked Kropf, adding that she was very disappointed and ashamed to be a legislator during the meeting. Yunker was not present at the meeting, but shortly after the meeting concluded, he celebrated the committees decision on social media. This isnt just a victory for me, he wrote. Its a victory for every Oregonian who believes their elected representatives should speak freely, without fear of punishment for their viewpoints. In a previous news release, Yunker said he stood by every word he read and would not apologize for defending parental rights and biblical values. -- Mia Maldonado, Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, the nations largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. The sternly worded statements and letters are filled with indignation and outrage: Republican U.S. lawmakers say Canada has done too little to contain wildfires and smoke that have fouled the air in several states this summer. Instead of enjoying family vacations at Michigans beautiful lakes and campgrounds, for the third summer in a row, Michiganders are forced to breathe hazardous air as a result of Canadas failure to prevent and control wildfires, read a statement last week from the states GOP congressional delegation, echoing similar missives from Republicans in Iowa, New York, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Theyve demanded more forest thinning, prescribed burns and other measures to prevent fires from starting. Theyve warned the smoke is hurting relations between the countries and suggested the U.S. could make it an issue in tariff talks. But what they havent done is acknowledge the role of climate change a glaring and shortsighted omission, according to climate scientists. It also ignores the outsized U.S. contribution to heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels like coal and gas that cause more intense heat waves and droughts, which in turn set the stage for more destructive wildfires, scientists say. If anything, Canada should be blaming the U.S. for their increased fires, said Jennifer Francis, a climate scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. On Tuesday, the Canadian government announced almost $46 million in funding for wildfire prevention and risk assessment research projects. But Corey Hogan, parliamentary secretary to the federal energy and natural resources minister, said international cooperation is needed. Theres no people that want to do more about wildfires than Canadians, Hogan said. But I think this also underlines the international challenges that are brought on by climate change ... we need to globally tackle this problem. The country has been fighting wildfires in this country at unprecedented rates since 2023, when Canada saw its largest wildfire on record, said Ken McMullen, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs. This years first fire started in April, one of the earliest on record, and 2025 is now the second-worst year. As of Thursday, more than 700 wildfires were burning across the country, two-thirds of them out of control, with more than 28,000 square miles burned in 4,400 wildfires so far this year, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Thats almost five times the surface area thats burned so far in the U.S. this year. Most wildfires are started by people, sometimes on purpose but mostly by mistake, though McMullen said lightning is the culprit in many of Canadas fires, especially in remote areas. McMullen said he has no interest in debating the role of climate change, but data show that something has changed. Sloughs and basins have dried up and water that once lapped at peoples back doors in Canadas lake communities now is often hundreds of feet away. People can make up their own mind as to why that is, he said. But something clearly has changed. Denying climate change President Donald Trump has called climate change a hoax a belief echoed by many in the GOP and his administration has worked to dismantle and defund federal climate science and data collection, with little to no pushback from Republicans in Congress. Hes proposed to revoke the scientific finding that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare the central basis for U.S. climate change action. Hes declared a national energy emergency to expedite fossil fuel development, canceled grants for renewable energy projects and ordered the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, aimed at limiting long-term global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit above preindustrial levels. Minnesota state Rep. Elliott Engen, a Republican, said he believes in climate change, but now is not the time to discuss it because we have folks with asthma who arent able to go outside the entirety of the summer. Thats not an immediate fix for my constituents; that sounds like a blame game without a solution being presented, said Engen, among a group of GOP lawmakers who asked the International Joint Commission to review Canadas wildfire management practices. Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine said the wildfires are jeopardizing health and air quality in her state, too, but faulted Republicans for failing to meet the crisis head on by acting on climate change. Rather than accept this reality and work together to find proactive, common-sense solutions for preventing and mitigating these fires, Republicans are burying their heads in the sand, she said. Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore, a Democrat, criticized her Republican colleagues letter to Canadas U.S. ambassador, saying those who are in denial about climate change shouldnt be writing letters prescribing peoples actions to try to contain it. Difficult solutions McMullen, the Canadian wildfire expert, said battling the fires isnt as simple as many seem to believe. The country and its territories are vast and fires are often in remote areas where the best and sometimes only course of action if there are no residents or structures is to let them burn or it is going to just create another situation for us to deal with in a year or two or 10 or 20 years from now, McMullen said. Prescribed burns to clear underbrush and other ignition sources are used in some areas, but arent practical or possible in some forests and prairies that are burning, experts said. McMullen has advocated for a Canadian forest fire coordination agency to help deploy firefighters and equipment where theyre needed. But as for stopping worsening fires, I dont think theres much they can do, said University of Michigan climate scientist Jonathan Overpeck. He noted that hotter temperatures are melting permafrost in northern Canada, which dries out and makes the vast boreal forests far more likely to burn. Instead, the two countries should collaborate on climate change solutions because our smoke is their smoke, their smoke is ours, Overpeck said. As long as this trend of warming and drying continues, were going to get a worsening problem. The good news is ... we know what the cause is ... we can stop it from getting worse. --By TAMMY WEBBER Associated Press David Levy, OU professor and historian for over five decades, died at 88 on Aug. 9 after a long battle with cancer. Levy earned his bachelors degree in History from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1959, a masters degree in History from the University of Chicago in 1961 and doctoral degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1967 in History, according to his obituary. Following a short stint as an instructor at Ohio State University, Levy dedicated the rest of his professional life to OU, where he was named a David Ross Boyd Professor in 1987, a Presidential Professor in 1999 and the universitys Rothbaum Professor of History in 2003 before his retirement in 2006, the same year he was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame. NEWSLETTERS * required Thank you for subscribing! Email * Please enter a valid email address First Name Last Name When major news breaks + a few times a week FREE SIGN UP Subscribing... Levy is most known for his publications, such as Breaking Down Barriers: George McLaurin and the Struggle to End Segregated Education and Mark Twain: The Divided Mind of Americas Best-loved Writer. Levy was commissioned in 1990 by former OU President David Boren to write a three-part history of the university, one of his most notable projects. Levy completed and published two editions of University of Oklahoma: A History. While at OU, Levy chaired OUs Faculty Senate, was involved in the Honors College since its establishment in 1996 and helped establish OUs Judaic Studies program in 1997. He also earned the Regents Award for Superior Teaching in 1973 and was given OU Student Associations Award for Outstanding Teacher in the College of Arts and Sciences in 1985. Levy also served on the Norman Planning Commission, Friends of the Norman Library, American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma board and the board of the YMCA, and regularly contributed to the Sooner Magazine, detailing his most interesting findings in OUs Western History Collections. Levys work inspired the establishment of the David Levy Prize, a faculty-selected monetary prize honoring the best student work in OUs U.S. History survey courses. In 2016, Dale Hall Towers lobby was named David Levy Lounge in honor of his contributions to the History department. Long after his retirement in 2006, Levy remained uncommonly active in campus life, his obituary states, publishing four more books and continuing to speak with students and civic groups. NO PAYWALL, NONPARTISAN Students pay about $14 in fees that support the Daily. If you're not a student, please join those invested in OU and Norman who have given more than $125,000 in recent years to support our independent journalism. SUPPORT OUR LOCAL JOURNALISM Alan Velie, OU professor emeritus and decades-long friend of Levys, told OU Daily Thursday that Levy was one of the best educators he encountered at the university, speaking of how students and faculty adored him. It's no exaggeration to say that he was probably the best combination of teacher and researcher that I encountered in my 50 years of teaching at OU, Velie said. He was a very good friend, very loyal. Despite his vast historical knowledge and deep investments in research, Velie said Levy had a great sense of humor and he loved making practical jokes on colleagues, friends and family. He had a remarkable sense of humor. He would have been a stand up comic. His practical jokes on other professors were legendary, Velie said. He was a wonderful guy. Very funny guy. On the serious side, he was a wonderful teacher and students loved him. OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. wrote in a statement on Instagram Tuesday Levys deep knowledge of the university made him a source of wisdom and pride for generations of students, faculty and alumni. For more than five decades, Dr. Levy illuminated OUs history with both scholarly rigor and heartfelt storytelling, helping us understand not just where weve been, but who we are, Harroz wrote. His legacy will live on in the countless students, colleagues, and friends whose lives he enriched. A memorial for Levy will be held later this fall. His family asks that those who wish to honor his memory contribute to the David and Lynne Levy Discretionary History Fund to help support OU history activities and student scholarships. Levy was preceded by his parents and younger brother, Richard. He is survived by his wife, Lynne; his daughter, Beth; his son, Benjamin; and two grandchildren. This story was edited by Ana Barboza. Last week, State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced Oklahoma districts would no longer be required to administer current end-of-the-year math and English tests for third- through eighth-grade. But the U.S. Department of Education says he doesnt yet have the authority to do that. A senior department official spoke with StateImpact Thursday and said Walters announcement that districts will instead be allowed to use benchmark assessments was premature. NEWSLETTERS * required Thank you for subscribing! Email * Please enter a valid email address First Name Last Name When major news breaks + a few times a week FREE SIGN UP Subscribing... The official said the request must go through public comment, then the department must send in the comments and how theyve responded to them, as well as conduct a meaningful consultation" with districts. I know theres been some remarks about this being a done deal. That is nowhere near where we are right now, the official said. We are still very, very early in this, and (the Oklahoma State Department of Education) need(s) to take the public comment portion of this seriously and truly incorporate that, and use that feedback before we go any further. This is in no way approved by the department, and I think thats really important to clarify for Oklahoma parents and families. Walters announced in an Aug. 8 news release a transformative shift in Oklahomas approach to student assessment, marking the end of traditional statewide summative testing as we know it. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, the Oklahoma State Department of Education will allow districts to use approved benchmark assessments in place of the current high-states end-of-the-year tests for grades 3-8 in Math and English Language Arts, the release said. The tests are required by state law and the Every Student Succeeds Act, a federal law. OSDE is requesting a federal waiver to expand the use of other assessments, including the conservative-backed Classical Learning Test. The waiver request applies to the math and ELA tests for third through eighth graders, science tests for fifth, eighth and eleventh graders, and the ACT for eleventh graders. Public comment closes Sept. 8. The U.S. Department of Education has 120 days to respond. NO PAYWALL, NONPARTISAN Students pay about $14 in fees that support the Daily. If you're not a student, please join those invested in OU and Norman who have given more than $125,000 in recent years to support our independent journalism. SUPPORT OUR LOCAL JOURNALISM Last week, StateImpact asked OSDE Press Secretary Madison Cercy to clarify if the department rolled out a policy dependent on approval of a federal waiver, and subject to public comment, before either had been finalized. She replied the department is following the federal process, and did not return a request for further clarification. The U.S. Department of Education official also said Walters staff sent a draft of the proposed policy on Aug. 1 to the department and asked for feedback. Before the department could reply, it was posted for public comment. They just posted it publicly and said, By the way, we put this out there. No real reason for why. We asked, Well, I thought you wanted some feedback first? And they said, We just had to move to the public comment phase, the official from the U.S. Department of Education said. Again, dont know why that is. Dont know what changed in a week. The official said the U.S. Department of Education answered with a 4-page response of everything the draft was missing, saying OSDE had not made clear how the plan would improve academic achievement. The official said the federal department sent out a letter on July 29 laying out the process for a waiver. The spirit of the waiver, they said, is to give states more flexibility from testing provisions when states can show they are getting in the way of enhancing student academics. (The Trump) administrations priorities are improving academics, empowering parents and expanding high quality school choice options. Assessment and accountability is critical to all three of those things, the official said. And we made it clear in that response that were going to closely scrutinize any waiver requests that pertain to assessment and accountability. Walters office did not return a request for a response. In addition to federal permission, it appears Oklahoma lawmakers would also need to get on board to overturn state law requiring the tests. Rep. Dell Kerbs (R-Shawnee), chair of the House Education Oversight Committee, reiterated those requirements in an Aug. 8 news release. End-of-year state assessments are mandated by both state and federal law, ... Krebs said. We look forward to continued collaboration with Superintendent Walters and school districts so that any proposed changes to student testing align with state law and provides clear, actionable information on student college and career readiness. The existing tests have been the source of controversy in recent years after OSDE quietly altered the cut score metric in 2024, which gave the impression of higher scores. The Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability voted this spring to throw out the new metrics and return the state to the nationally aligned standards. StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership of Oklahomas public radio stations which relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online. MOSCOW, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and 10 others were injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on a residential building in Russia's Kursk region early Friday, regional governor Alexander Khinshtein said on his Telegram channel. According to preliminary reports, the drone hit a multi-story building in the city's Railway District, igniting a fire that engulfed the top four floors. "To our deep sorrow, one woman died. I offer my sincerest condolences to her family," Khinshtein wrote on Telegram. He said that 10 other residents were injured -- one seriously -- and all are receiving medical treatment. A Texas judge ordered the liquidation of Infowars' assets to help pay off more than $1 billion that is owed to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of Austin can potentially shut conspiracy theorist Alex Jones out of his own studio in the next few days. The development also seems to have restarted an effort by The Onion satirical publication to purchase Infowars and its assets so it could turn the platform into a parody site. Selling Off Infowars' Assets Jones, on Thursday, called the Texas court order improper and said he will continue to broadcast if he is locked out of Infowars. The conspiracy theorist added that he has another studio already set up in case the court rules against him. The conspiracy theorist said that people want to hear this show, saying that the courts can harass him forever, but they will not get him off the air. Jones added that he expects Infowards to be sold to someone or some entity that will keep it on the air, according to the Independent. The development comes as the Sandy Hook families won nearly $1.5 billion in judgments in 2022 against the conspiracy theorist and Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems. This came after lawsuits that were filed in Connecticut and Texas that accused Jones of defamation and inflicting emotional distress. The families sued Jones over repeated comments he made, saying that the 2012 school shooting in Connecticut, which killed 20 first-grade students and six educators, was a hoax. The relatives of the victims testified in court about being terrorized by the conspiracy theorist's supporters. Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre The judge's ruling orders Infowars' assets to be handed over to a court-ordered receiver, who will take possession of Free Speech Systems and seize the company's physical equipment. These include mixing boards and microphones as well as intellectual property, the New York Times reported. One of the lawyers for the Sandy Hook families, Christopher Mattei, said that the judge's order brings them closer to achieving their goal of holding Jones accountable for years of harm. On the other hand, a lawyer for the conspiracy theorist did not comment on the situation. The order to sell Infowars' assets comes after, in December last year, a federal bankruptcy judge halted the sale, citing concerns with the auction process and disputes over the bids. Later, the judge said that families should pursue what they are owed in state court instead of the federal level, as per CNN. At least 50 people who provide healthcare services at the York County Prison are expected to be laid off due to a change in providers. Lower Paxton Township-based PrimeCare Medical filed a Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, informing the state of the layoffs. PrimeCare Medical said in the WARN notice that the county plans to terminate its contract for services at the prison. The company said its operations at the York County Prison at 3400 Concord Road in Springettsbury Township are expected to end at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 30. The layoffs are expected to take place on Sept. 30 or within 14 days of that date. This expected termination of the contract for services was an unforeseen business circumstance and we are providing as much advanced notice as possible pursuant to the WARN Act, the company said in a WARN notice. The WARN Act is federal legislation that offers protection to workers, their families, and communities by requiring employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of a covered-business closing and covered-business mass layoff. There are some exceptions to the requirement. The WARN notice was dated August 12. The York County Prison Board voted on Tuesday to approve a conditional letter of intent for health care services at the prison. The board selected Virginia-based Mediko as the new health care services provider for York County Prison. Under the new two-year agreement, which begins on Oct. 1, Mediko will provide primary care, behavioral and mental healthcare, substance use disorder treatment, and dental and vision care. The selection of Mediko as the new health care services provider for York County Prison follows a public bidding process, which included bids from several interested providers, the York County Prison Board said in a statement provided to PennLive. The county has shifted its health care services contract to a performance-based model, which prioritizes improvements in overall health outcomes for incarcerated individuals at the prison at lower overall costs. This strategic shift is expected to enhance quality of care while delivering significant savings for taxpayers. The new contract replaces a fee-for-service contract with PrimeCare Medical, the prison board said. With this new contract, we aim to improve the health of incarcerated individuals at York County Prison, while also saving taxpayer dollars, Julie Wheeler, president of the York County Prison Board, said in a statement. Performance-based contracts have become a national best practice to ensure high-quality, coordinated care that improves health outcomes while also reducing costs. We believe this is the right approach both in terms of quality of care and fiscal responsibility to our taxpayers. Its not clear how many PrimeCare employees will continue employment with Mediko. The York County Prison isnt the only midstate facility where Mediko will take over a healthcare contract previously held by PrimeCare Medical. Dauphin County Commissioners recently voted for Mediko to take over medical services at the Dauphin County Prison. PrimeCare Medical has provided care at the Dauphin County prison since 1988. Enable: The Disability Podcast is a new podcast featuring stories of amazing people with disabilities and different abilities. Advance Local Enable: The Disability Podcast is a podcast featuring stories of amazing people with disabilities and different abilities. In Episode 2, Enable co-hosts Geoff DeafGeoff Herbert and Kurt Hower speak with Alexis and MJ about their experiences as caregivers and the challenges theyve faced taking care of aging parents or children with disabilities, as well as resources available and the importance of self-care. I was trying to be She-Ra, Princess of Power, and handle it on my own, MJ said. Please find time to take care of yourself... because caregivers often dont take care of themselves. There are ups and downs, Alexis added. We struggle with isolation a lot because not a lot of people are prepared to deal with the heavy things that were going through. Enable: The Disability Podcast will release new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms, including Spotify, Apple, Amazon and iHeartRadio. Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more. About the hosts Geoff Herbert is a reporter, SEO Lead and content supervisor for syracuse.com | The Post-Standard, where hes worked for 15 years. Despite being mostly deaf in both ears, hes also worked as a DJ for 25 years, including 10 years in radio (as DeafGeoff) and 10 years as a wedding DJ in Upstate New York. He learned how to communicate orally with hearing aids, lipreading and speech therapy, and embraces assistive technology like visual waveforms in music programs, closed captioning/subtitles, and video calls. Kurt Hower, who has worked at Advance Local for over 35 years, is a leader both in the media industry and in the community. He has been actively involved in leading change as the print industry has continued to rapidly evolve, while also serving on a variety of boards including the Central PA Chapter Arthritis Foundation Board of Directors where he was Chairman of Board Development and a member of the Public Policy and Advocacy Committee. He encourages others to focus on what they can contribute to society rather than their challenges. Community at Work Job Fair The Community at Work Job Fair will take place Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, at CNY Works, 960 James St., in Syracuse, N.Y. The free event will provide adults with physical and mental disabilities the opportunity to meet inclusive employers, explore industries, and learn about positions with actively hiring companies. Herbert and Hower will co-host a panel discussion about hiring tips and accessibility options at the job fair. The discussion will be recorded for an episode of the Enable podcast. While the fair is tailored for adults with diverse mental and physical abilities, experiences or access needs, all community members are welcome. Participation is free for both job seekers and employers. For more information, visit communityatworkjobfair.com. The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office announced charges against a group led by a Mexican man that allegedly sold stolen luxury vehicles with fraudulent documentation across Lehigh, Berks and Dauphin counties. Getty Images Thirteen people have been charged in what authorities are describing as a title-washing scheme that spanned three counties, including Dauphin. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced the charges last week. The charges were filed in July in Dauphin County following a grand jury investigation. The office said the organization was run by 42-year-old Anthony Emilio Troncoso of Mexico. It included a dozen other co-defendants. The group cleaned paper trails on vehicles attached to liens or loans by registering them in other states with fraudulent documentation, authorities said. Some residents in Florida who helped the group in getting the fake documentation also are facing charges in the scheme, the AGs office said. In total, the group made more than $1 million in the scheme, authorities said. Troncoso is charged with 15 felony counts, including criminal conspiracy engaging in proceeds of unlawful activities; corrupt organizations; two counts of theft; records tampering; and washing vehicle titles. As of Monday morning, Troncoso awaits trial on two other Lehigh County criminal cases. A warrant for his arrest on the most recent charges was filed at the office of District Judge Paul T. Zozos in Dauphin County. Havertown, Delaware County-based attorney Richard Sherwood Roberts Jr., representing Troncoso in the Lehigh County cases, couldnt immediately be reached for comment on the most recent charges. Co-defendants include Troncosos son, 22-year-old Brandon Troncoso; and the mother of his child, 43-year-old Aida Flores, both of Reading, Berks County; as well as his girlfriend, 40-year-old Christina Demase of Riverside, Northumberland County. Nine others are also charged. The majority are not in custody and reside out of state, with some in Mexico. Most of the sales happened in 2022 and 2023. The majority of the vehicles were stolen from Florida, the AGs office said. After washing the vehicle titles, the group sold more than two dozen cars to private buyers, auctions and dealerships, authorities said. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. This recall was initiated Monday after a customer reported finding glass shards in the product. (Getty Images) Getty Images A popular chain store has recalled one of its coffee products. This recall applies to 48 states, Pennsylvania among them. Get more news about restaurants in Pennsylvania along with all other things food and retail by signing up for PennLives Eat, Shop, Go newsletter at this link. According to a public service announcement published by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) website, Dollar General confirmed Monday that it was pulling three of its eight-ounce Clover Valley Instant Coffee products off of shelves. This recall was initiated due to concerns that these products might be contaminated with shards of glass. Ingesting glass fragments may cause injury to the consumer, and these injuries may include damage to teeth, laceration of the mouth and throat, or perforation of the intestine, the notice reads. The products impacted by the recalled were sold and distributed between July 9-21. The product specifications are below: Clover Valley Instant Coffee (8 oz) UPC: 876941004069 Lot: L-5163 Best By Date: 12/13/2026 Clover Valley Instant Coffee (8 oz) UPC: 876941004069 Lot: L-5164 Best By Date: 12/13/2026 Clover Valley Instant Coffee (8 oz) UPC: 876941004069 Lot: L-5165 Best By Date: 12/14/2026 Anyone who purchased the recalled instant coffee products should discard them immediately. They can also contact Dollar General via email at customercare@dollargeneral.com or via phone at 888-309-9030 between the hours of 6 a.m. and 1 a.m. seven days a week in order to request a refund (tax included). Fortunately, no illnesses or injuries associated with the recall have been reported as of the publishing of this article. Dollar General confirmed that it is actively investigating the source the glass contamination. The company apologizes for any inconvenience caused by this issue. MOSCOW, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov on Thursday held talks with the defense ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, member states of the Confederation of Sahel States, the Russian Defense Ministry said on its official website. "This is the first consultation between the defense chiefs of Russia and the Confederation of Sahel States," Belousov said, noting that July marked the first anniversary of the bloc's establishment. He described the decision to form the alliance as "the result of the free choice of the Sahel peoples and their commitment to sustainable and peaceful development," adding that terrorist threats and the activities of illegal armed groups still persist in the region. "We support your position on the need to strengthen security, protect territories and safeguard sovereignty," said Belousov, noting that the four-party dialogue would become an important platform for discussing ways to boost defense cooperation. Speaking on behalf of the Sahel defense ministers, Malian Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs Sadio Camara said the decision to hold the inaugural meeting reflected the common desire to strengthen their strategic partnership. "Currently, defense cooperation is the largest area of collaboration between our countries," he said. Following the talks, a joint statement was signed summarizing the consultations and memoranda of understanding between the Russian Defense Ministry and the Confederation of Sahel States. Owners of the Chinese Cultural & Arts Institute in Swatara Township are refusing to relocate. The nonprofit organization is in the center of PennDOT's I-83 Beltway project. File photo by Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com The owners of a Swatara Township nonprofit are facing eviction by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation as they continue to seek financial compensation for relocation. Bill Hubler and Chen-Yu Tsuei must move the Chinese Cultural & Arts Institute at 200 S. 41st St., to accommodate a $1 billion I-83 Capital Beltway Project. An eminent domain hearing between PennDOT and the couple is scheduled for Aug. 20 in Dauphin Countys Court of Common Pleas. The institute is one of about 200 business and residential properties PennDOT is acquiring through eminent domain to accommodate the $1 billion highway project. Officials have said the massive highway project will address worsening roadway conditions on the more than 50-year-old interstate and tackle high traffic and congestion, and improve safety. It calls for widening an eight-mile stretch of I-83 to six lanes and reconstructing the Eisenhower Interchange. The entire project is anticipated to be completed by 2038. The hearing is another hurdle for Hubler and Tsuei, who have been in discussions with PennDOT for close to five years. Theres been no effort whatsoever to come to a compromise or anything. Nothing. At this point it looks discriminatory, Hubler said. The couple, who rent, have operated the institute, which has a national reputation for Chinese dance, music, calligraphy, traditional painting, and language, for 25 years. Last fall, they secured a building in Lower Allen Township to house the institute but it needs work. Bill Hubler and Chen-Yu Tsuei, husband and wife owners of the Chinese Cultural & Arts Institute, are shown in this 2022 file photo. The couple continue to fight PennDOT for just compensation to pay for the nonprofit to relocate from Swatara Township due to the I-83 Beltway project. File photo by Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com They argue PennDOT should reimburse them for renovating the new building to match their current standards. They estimate the cost at about $1.3 million. With no guaranteed promise of financial compensation, the couple is refusing to move. Classes for roughly 40 students enrolled in the institute continue to be held at the center despite no trespassing signs posted by PennDOT on the property. Were like, Pay us and well leave, Hubler said. Thats all you have to do. Were not asking to get rich. All we want to do is rebuild. According to court documents, PennDOT has been trying to get the couple to leave by eminent domain since about 2023. We have maintained continuous contact with CCAI and apprised them of their rights and next steps, but because this matter is in litigation, we cannot comment further, said Dave Thompson, PennDOT District 8 spokesman. Under the eminent domain code, the government has the right to seize property for public use, while landowners are entitled to just compensation for the propertys worth and relocation support. Two years ago the couple was shocked when they received a letter from PennDOT informing them they would be compensated $100 plus moving expenses.The $100 was earmarked by PennDOT to cover the cost of a plaque on their building. Hubler said PennDOT recently suggested the couple pay for relocation expenses and renovations to the new building out of pocket. Because the couple paid to retrofit the current building, they said they believe they should be compensated. Recent discussions with PennDOT have centered on relocating a specialized dance floor, similar to those used by major dance companies. Hubler said the floor can be ripped out but once reinstalled it wont function as designed. The floors are priced at about $50 to $100 a square foot, he said. In the past, PennDOT said in the case of renters, compensation is usually given to landlords. But Hubler said their landlord, Craig Eshenaur Rentals, has not offered financial support. Hubler said the amount of time and money PennDOT has invested in the matter could be used to pay them. They are trying to make it so confusing that most businesses stand up and leave without compensation, he said. Businesses just throw in the towel and say its just not worthwhile. Thats what they are trying to do. Pop stars the Jonas Brothers kicked off their tour on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This weekend they are bringing the JONAS20: Greetings From Your Hometown tour along with a free pre-show event to central Pennsylvania. The brothers will perform on Sunday, Aug. 17, at Hersheypark Stadium. Marshmello and The All-American Rejects are supporting guests. The first 10 stops on the tour have been treated to a free called JonasCON that includes Camp Rock and Jonas Brothers karaoke, art installations recreating album covers, photo-ops, Jonas trivia, the trading pos, local takeovers and city-specific collab merchandise drops. JonasCON is free to ticket holders. Fans can buy tickets for the Hershey show here (prices are as of the time of this publication): New Vivid Seats customers can get $20 off of a $200 order by using the code PENNLIVE20 at checkout. Dont be surprised to see other guest performers. On Aug. 10 at MetLife Stadium, Switchfoot, Dean Lewis, Jesse McCartney and Demi Lovato joined the brothers on stage. On Aug. 14 in Camden, New Jersey, fans were surprised by Click Five. The Jonas Brothers also will perform on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. My Chemical Romance will bring its sold-out Long Live The Black Parade tour to Pennsylvania just once and the show is tonight. The emo and rock band will perform on Friday, Aug. 15, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Opening is Alice Cooper. The band will perform The Black Parade 2006 album in its entirety on the tour. Each stop features a different opening act. My Chemical Romance is Gerard Way, Ray Toro, Frank Iero and Mikey Way. Fans can buy tickets here (prices are as of the time of this publication): New Vivid Seats customers can get $20 off of a $200 order by using the code PENNLIVE20 at checkout. Remaining tour stops are: Aug. 22 - Rogers Centre, Toronto, Canada, with Pixies Aug. 29 - Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, with Devo Sept. 7 - Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts, with IDLES Sept. 13 - Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida, with Evanescence Sept. 20 - Shaky Knees Festival, Atlanta, Georgia Department of Homeland Security Investigations agents join Washington Metropolitan Police Department officers as they conduct traffic checks at a checkpoint along 14th Street in northwest Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) AP By Ashraf Khalil and Alanna Durkin Richer, The Associated Press WASHINGTON The Trump administration, stepping up its crackdown on policing in the nations capital, on Thursday named the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration to be Washingtons emergency police commissioner with all the powers of the police chief a significant move that increases national control over the city as part of the federal governments law-enforcement takeover. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a directive issued Thursday evening that DEA boss Terry Cole will assume powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police. The Metropolitan Police Department must receive approval from Commissioner Cole before issuing any orders, Bondi said. It was not immediately clear where the move left Pamela Smith, the citys current police chief, who works for the mayor. The attorney generals directive comes hours after Smith directed MPD officers to share information with immigration agencies regarding people not in custody such as someone involved in a traffic stop or checkpoint. The Justice Department said Bondi disagreed with the police chiefs directive because it allowed for continued enforcement of sanctuary policies. Bondi said she was rescinding that order as well as other MPD policies limiting inquires into immigration status and preventing arrests based solely on federal immigration warrants. All new directives must now receive approval from Cole, the attorney general said. National Guard personnel keep watch as travelers arrive at the entrance to Union Station near the Capitol, in Washington, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) AP The late-night announcement came after an eventful day in the ongoing federal operation. Smiths earlier directive effectively brought together Trumps moves on city law enforcement and his nationwide efforts to curb immigration, and Trump had praised it in the hours before Bondis announcement. Thats a very positive thing, I have heard that just happened, Trump said of Smiths order. Thats a great step. Thats a great step if theyre doing that. A population already tense from days of ramp-up began seeing more significant shows of force across the city Thursday. National Guard troops watched over some of the worlds most renowned landmarks and Humvees took position in front of the busy main train station. Volunteers helped homeless people leave long-standing encampments to where, exactly, was often unclear. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, walking a tightrope between the Republican White House and the constituency of her largely Democratic city, was out of town Thursday for a family commitment in Marthas Vineyard but would be back Friday, her office said. National Guard personnel keep watch as travelers arrive at the entrance to Union Station near the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) AP A boost in police activity, federal and otherwise For an already wary Washington, Thursday marked a notable and highly visible uptick in presence from the previous two days. The visibility of federal forces around the city, including in many high-traffic areas, was striking to residents going about their lives. Trump has the power to take over federal law enforcement for 30 days before his actions must be reviewed by Congress, though he has said hell re-evaluate as that deadline approaches. The response before Thursday had been gradual and, by all appearances, low key. But on Wednesday night, officers set up a checkpoint in one of D.C.s popular nightlife areas, drawing protests. The White House said 45 arrests were made Wednesday night, with 29 people arrested for living in the country illegally; other arrests included for distribution or possession of drugs, carrying a concealed weapon and assaulting a federal officer. Troops were stationed outside the Union Station transportation hub as the 800 Guard members who have been activated by Trump start in on missions that include monument security, community safety patrols and beautification efforts, the Pentagon said. They will remain until law and order has been restored in the District as determined by the president, standing as the gatekeepers of our great nations capital, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said. The National Guard is uniquely qualified for this mission as a community-based force with strong local ties and disciplined training. Wilson said the troops wont be armed and declined to give more details on what the safety patrols or beautification efforts would entail or how many Guard members have already been sent out on the streets. National Guard Major Micah Maxwell said troops will assist law enforcement in a variety of roles, including traffic control posts and crowd control. The Guard members have been trained in de-escalation tactics and crowd control equipment, Maxwell said. George M., who has been living at a tent encampment, packs up his tent, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) AP The White House said Thursday that Guard members arent making arrests but are protecting federal assets, providing a safe environment for law enforcement officers to make arrests, and deterring violent crime with a visible law enforcement presence. Although the current deployment is taking place under unprecedented circumstances, National Guard troops are a semi-regular presence in D.C., typically being used during mass public events like the annual July 4 celebration. They have regularly been used in the past for crowd control in and around Metro stations. Trump on Thursday denied that the federal law enforcement officials he sent into Washingtons streets to fight crime have been diverted from priority assignments like counterterrorism. Asked if he was concerned about that, Trump said hes using a very small force of soldiers and that city police are now allowed to do their job properly amidst his security lockdown. For homeless residents, an uncertain time is at hand Meanwhile, about a dozen homeless residents in Washington packed up their belongings with help from volunteers from charitable groups and staffers from some city agencies. Items largely were not forcibly thrown out by law enforcement, but a garbage truck idled nearby. Several protesters held signs close by, some critical of the Trump administration. Once the residents had left, a construction vehicle from a city agency cleared through the remains of the tents. The departures were voluntary, but they came in response to a clear threat from the Trump administration. Advocates expect law enforcement officers to fan out across D.C. in the coming days to forcibly take down any remaining homeless encampments. In Washington Circle, which still contains a few tents, city workers put up signs announcing general cleanup of this public space starting at 10 a.m. Monday. For two days, small groups of federal officers have been visible in scattered parts of the city. But more were present in high-profile locations Wednesday night, and troops were expected to start doing more missions Thursday. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations have patrolled the popular U Street corridor, while Drug Enforcement Administration officers were seen on the National Mall, with Guard members parked nearby. DEA agents also joined MPD officers on patrol in the Navy Yard neighborhood, while FBI agents stood along the heavily trafficked Massachusetts Avenue. Associated Press journalists Jacquelyn Martin, Mike Pesoli, Darlene Superville and David Klepper contributed to this report. By Matt Day, Bloomberg News (TNS) Jackie Bezos, a fierce protector of her son Jeff before he founded Amazon.com Inc. and a deep-pocketed advocate for early childhood education, has died. She was 78. Bezos died at her home in Miami on Thursday, according the Bezos Family Foundations website. In a tribute on social media, Jeff Bezos wrote that his mother passed away surrounded by so many of us who loved her, saying her death followed a long fight with Lewy body dementia. With her husband, Miguel, Bezos was the first to invest in Amazon. Their two checks, totaling $245,573 in 1995, backed the startup that Jeff Bezos warned would probably fail. It didnt, of course, and the investment along with subsequent purchases of Amazon shares netted them a fortune estimated to be as large as $30 billion in 2018. Jeff Bezos, middle, with his parents, Jackie and Miguel Bezos on the red carpet at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 8, 2016. Jackie has died. (Jeff Malet/Newscom/Zuma Press/TNS, file) TNS Starting in 2000 decades before their son or his company launched their own philanthropic endeavors the couple funded educational programs through the Bezos Family Foundation. For years, it was the highest-profile charity giving away a slice of the fortunes created by the e-commerce giant. At the core of the foundations work is Jackies belief that rigorous, inspired learning in the classroom and in childrens hundreds of daily interactions with adults will allow students from birth to high school to put their education into action, the organization says on its website. Jacklyn Marie Gise was born in Virginia on Dec. 29, 1946. She grew up in New Mexico, where her father, Lawrence Preston Gise, was a senior official at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, the agency that then oversaw U.S. nuclear laboratories. During her sophomore year in high school in Albuquerque, she became pregnant by Theodore Jorgensen, a senior. They married in 1963 and their son, Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen, was born the following January. Jacklyn, known as Jackie, moved back in with her parents and filed for divorce from Jorgensen when their son was 17 months old. Jorgensen, a unicycle polo player who would later run a bicycle shop, acknowledged that he wasnt a particularly good father or husband. It was really all my fault, he told Bloomberg Businessweek editor Brad Stone for his book, " The Everything Store." (2013). I dont blame Jackie at all. Jorgensen died in 2015. Newly single, Jackie completed high school on conditions imposed by administrators: that she not speak to classmates, loiter on campus or attend graduation. She later enrolled in community college, seeking out professors who would permit her to bring a toddler to class. It was around this time, while working in the Bank of New Mexicos bookkeeping department, that she met Miguel Bezos, known as Mike, a Cuban-born college student who was a night teller at the bank. He had arrived in the U.S. at age 16, a refugee among the thousands of other children sent to live in the US after Fidel Castros revolution. According to Stones book, Jackie turned him down several times before finally agreeing to go on a date, to see The Sound of Music. The two married in April 1968 and moved to Texas, where Mike took a job as a petroleum engineer with what became Exxon Corp. They had two children: Christina, in 1969, and Mark, in 1970. Jeff, who had no relationship with his biological father, was adopted by Miguel and took the Bezos surname. Jackie ran a household steeped in board games, science projects and storytelling, Mark Leibovich wrote in The New Imperialists (2002), his book profiling Jeff Bezos and other business titans of the 21st century. Jackie was a foremost protector and all-purpose support system for Jeff, Leibovich wrote. In one example, Jackie got Jeff a curious child who at age 3 took apart the walls of his crib so he could sleep in a bed into a pilot program for gifted students at a Houston elementary school. She did the same when the family later moved to Pensacola, Florida. You dont just go away, she told Leibovich. You dont go gently. You just keep trying to convince people. She indulged Jeffs passions, regularly ferrying him to Radio Shack so he could tinker with homemade electronics. Mike Bezos climbed the ladder at Exxon, moving the family to Miami, where Jeff graduated high school. Mikes later work sent him and Jackie to Norway and Colombia. During a stint in New Jersey, Jackie, then 40 years old, earned a degree from the College of Saint Elizabeth (now Saint Elizabeth University) in Morris Township. After Jeff gave up his New York hedge fund job to found Amazon near Seattle, his parents put much of their nest egg into the company a decision they would later say was a bet on their son rather than the prospects of an internet bookseller. When Amazon became a Wall Street darling after its 1997 initial public offering, Jackie visited newsstands to find stories about her son, then left the magazine open to that page, Leibovich wrote. In 2000, Jackie and Mike, who by then had retired from Exxon, moved to the Seattle area to be closer to Jeffs growing family. By DAVE COLLINS, The Associated Press A state judge in Texas has appointed a receiver to take over and sell conspiracy theorist Alex Jones Infowars assets to help pay the more than $1 billion he owes in legal judgments to the families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The order by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble in Austin on Wednesday has the potential to shut Jones out of his studio in the coming days. FILE - Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, here in 2024 in Houston, is losing his Infowars assets to pay families he defamed after the Sandy Hook school massacre. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) AP It also appeared to restart an effort by The Onion satirical publication to buy Infowars and its assets and turn the platform into a parody site. Were working on it, Ben Collins, chief executive of The Onion, said in a social media post Wednesday. On his daily show Thursday, Jones called the Texas court order improper and vowed to keep broadcasting if he is locked out. He added he has another studio already set up in the event of such a scenario. People want to hear this show, said Jones, who is based in Austin. I will continue on with the network. They can harass me forever. ... And they wont get me off the air. Jones said he expected Infowars to be sold to someone or some entity that will keep it on the air. The Sandy Hook families won nearly $1.5 billion in judgments in 2022 against Jones and Infowars parent company, Free Speech Systems, in lawsuits filed in Connecticut and Texas accusing him of defamation and inflicting emotional distress. They sued over Jones repeated comments that the 2012 school shooting in Connecticut that killed 20 first-graders and six educators was a hoax. Victims relatives testified in court about being terrorized by Jones supporters. Jones and his company both filed for bankruptcy in 2022. A federal Bankruptcy Court judge in Houston ordered Free Speech Systems assets, including Infowars production equipment and its intellectual property, to be sold at auction to help pay the Sandy Hook legal judgments. The sale process was derailed when the bankruptcy judge, Christopher Lopez, rejected the outcome of a November auction in which The Onion was named the winning bidder over only one other proposal by a company affiliated with Jones. The Texas judges order on Wednesday gave Free Speech Systems five days from when the order is formally served on the company to turn over its assets. Proceeds from any sales would go to the Sandy Hook families. The judge also authorized the receiver to change the locks at all locations containing Free Speech Systems assets. She also authorized law enforcement officers to assist the receiver in his duties and prevent anyone from interfering with the receiver in taking possession of the assets. Jones, who said in 2022 that he believed the Sandy Hook shootings were 100% real, continues to appeal the Connecticut and Texas state court judgments against him, citing free speech rights and improper actions by judges in the two states. Surveillance footage at Hazel Boutique's cafe location in Lavallette, NJ on Aug. 10, 2025. Courtesy of Kim Campfield A New Jersey mother whose 3-year-old daughter upended a nearly $1,600 marble table over the weekend at an Ocean County cafe claimed she wasnt allowed to leave before handing over her drivers license and credit card information. I was completely humiliated and embarrassed, Kathy Denman said in a viral TikTok posted shortly after the incident on Sunday. Ive cried since. Denmans daughter, Allie, accidentally pushed over the table at the Hazelnut Cafe in Lavallette, New Jersey, while waiting for her mom to pay for their coffee and ice cream, she explained in the video. Surveillance footage of the incident shared with NJ Advance Media shows Allie apparently hitting the table with her foot, sending it crashing to the ground. As two other customers in the packed cafe help pick the table up, several pieces from its underside can be seen still lying on the floor. No one was hurt, but Allie was frozen and scared and nervous, Denman said, and everybodys reaction definitely didnt help. Denman said she spoke to one of the cafes owners on the phone, who kept repeating, Our policy is: You break it, you pay for it. She said she remained in the cafe for about 20 more minutes. The Hazelnut Cafe is part of Hazel Boutique, a clothing and home decor brand with four locations in New Jersey. It is owned by twin sisters Kimberly and Jenna Campfield. In a statement to NJ Advance Media, they said they were extremely grateful that everyone involved was safe. Following the incident, we personally called the childs mother to express our concern, offer our support, and share our direct contact information should she need anything, they said. But they denied Denmans claim that she had been prevented from leaving the cafe. We also want to be completely transparent: We would never hold anyone against their will, they said. The mother was not charged for the damaged table, even after asking how she could make it right given the table broke. We requested her contact information for insurance purposes. It was not immediately clear if Denman had handed over her credit card information, either with or without prompting. In a brief phone call on Tuesday, Denman said she and her family were doing well. Were good, she said, adding that they were leaving the Jersey Shore and returning home to Pompton Plains later that day. She did not return subsequent calls for comment. On Thursday, she posted a written statement to TikTok explaining that the Campfields had reached out to apologize for how our family was treated. Denman said her family had accepted the apology and wanted to move forward peacefully and without further comment. The video had amassed more than 10 million views by the time her statement was posted. Online sleuths had been quick to find the table, an Anthropologie console that retails for $1,598, as well as a since-deleted video posted by the cafe that appears to show it tilting as patrons lean on it. Denman said in her video that shed learned the table weighed 600 pounds. After NJ Advance Media reached out, Anthropologie updated its listing to show that it weighed 109.25 pounds. A company spokesperson did not respond to a question about whether the item was intended for dining use. The Campfields said in their statement that they had since removed all tables from our locations to eliminate any risk of a similar incident. AJ McDougall may be reached at amcdougall@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on X at @oldmcdougall. Want a say in the news? Email Claudia at todayinpa@pennlive.com to have your thoughts on the stories covered here or on PennLive heard. You can listen to the latest episode of Today in Pa on any of your favorite apps including Alexa, Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and YouTube. Episodes are available every weekday on PennLive. Feel free to subscribe, follow or rate Today in Pa. as you see fit! Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | August 15, 2025 A childrens nonprofit announced it will shut down. Philadelphia estimates itll bring in billions of dollars thanks to Americas 250th birthday. Drinking rates have fallen nationwide. Also, happy almost-National Roller Coaster Day. 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. ALLENWOODPlans for a data center in the Great Stream Commons business park in Union County have been scrapped. Data Centric has notified county officials it will not be purchasing 37 acres in Great Stream Commons along Route 15 north of Allenwood. A purchase agreement signed in May gave the company 180 days to complete the purchase, for which it made a $100,000 deposit, or walk away. It decided to scrap the project and the $100,000 that had been held in escrow will be returned, the countys planning and economic development director Shawn McLaughlin told the county commissioners. The county had been dealing with the New York City based real estate and investment firm KSR Capital. PennLives attempt in May to obtain details of the proposed project from KSR were unsuccessful. The developer would have been responsible for the cost of needed electrical system upgrades to accommodate a data center, a county spokesperson said. With the sale of the 37 acres, all the parcels would have been sold or committed in the business park, McLaughlin had pointed out previously. Commissioner Stacy Richards said she anticipates interest in site because it is rail-served. Great Stream has been developed by the county on the site where a subsidiary of Union Pacific Corp. in 1990 announced plans to build a hazardous waste incinerator. U.S. Pollution Control Inc. (USPCI) spent $17.5 million before canceling the project four years later amid strong community opposition. The national regulatory environment coupled with industry uncertainties were cited as the reasons. Two weeks ago, ModCorr, a manufacturer of modular prisons based in Galveston, Texas, announced it had signed a long-term lease to occupy a 252,282 square-foot building in Great Stream owned by PNK Group. That commercial and industrial development firm bought approximately 200 acres in 2022 with plans to construct five buildings. Two of them, including the one ModCorr is leasing, are completed. The Union County Industrial Development Corp. (UDIC) bought the 677 acres in 1995 for $4.5 million and put in roads and utilities. There was no activity there except for the sale of 50 acres just north of Allenwood to the Union County Housing Authority and a small parcel for an eye doctors firm. The UDIC went defunct and the county was forced to float a $13 million bond issue in 1998 and impose a tax to cover debt service because the land was not selling. Money generated from the sale of parcels allowed the county to eliminate that tax. A Pennsylvania congressman and his fiance say they have recently received threats via their online wedding registry. Rob Bresnahan Jr. (R, PA-08) and Chelsea Strub are scheduled to be married this weekend. The couple says the website that hosts their wedding registry has been filled with threatening messages towards them. According to 2822News, one comment comes from a person calling themselves Luigi and simply says See you soon! The couple interpreted the message as a reference to Luigi Mangione, who is accused of shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO, in 2024. Rob and I knew what we signed up for when he decided to run for Congress to fight for Northeastern Pennsylvania. But our wedding guests didnt sign up for these threats, and now their safety is at risk because far-left extremists have decided to politicize our wedding, Strub said in a statement sent to news outlets. These are the same people who openly admit that there needs to be blood and are posting death threats on our wedding website. There is a clear line when it comes to basic decency, and this crosses it. A representative for Bresnahan told 2822News that his team had been in touch with Capitol Police and local law enforcement about the threats. On Aug 5, a Broken Vows Town Hall was held in Scranton that targeted Bresnahan for voting in favor of President Donald Trumps Big, Beautiful Bill. The title of the event was seen as a reference to the lawmakers upcoming nuptuals. BERLIN, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Germany's Federal Foreign Office on Thursday opposed the Israeli plan to build thousands of new settlement units in the West Bank. A statement issued by the office said the German government "firmly rejects" the plans, stating that the construction of settlements is a violation of international law and relevant United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions. The statement said that such actions make a negotiated two-state solution more difficult to achieve and hinder the end of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Planning for the E1 settlement and the expansion of Ma'ale Adumim would further restrict the mobility of the Palestinian population in the West Bank, effectively divide the West Bank into two halves and cut East Jerusalem off from the rest of the West Bank, said the statement. It stressed the German government "clearly rejects any annexation plans on the part of the Israeli government," calling on Israel to stop building settlements. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner speaks to a reporter at the election party of public defender Tiffany Caban moments before she claimed victory in the Queens District Attorney Democratic Primary election, June 25, 2019, in the Queens borough of New York City. In August 2025, Krasner took part in a protest of mask-wearing ICE agents and that ICE needs more transparency and accountability. (Scott Heins/Getty Images/TNS) TNS By Fallon Roth, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia Democratic officials are trying to send a clear message to ICE. Standing outside the Philadelphia field office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Center City on a hot Thursday morning, state lawmakers, immigration activists, and District Attorney Larry Krasner flanked by signs that said No Secret Police or Spot the difference, burglar, bandit, ICE said that ICE needs more transparency and accountability as the agency carries out President Donald Trumps plans for mass deportation. Democratic State Sens. Nikil Saval and Amanda Cappelletti led a news conference Thursday about their impending legislation that aims to do just that. The bill, called No Secret Police: Unmask ICE, would prohibit law enforcement officers or ICE agents from wearing facial coverings, one of the many legislative efforts nationwide responding to reports and images of ICE agents masking during raids. All of us have rights to dignity, to safety, and to due process, said Saval, who represents parts of Philadelphia. To have heavily armed, masked, unidentifiable individuals roaming our public spaces, our work sites, and our residential blocks, kidnapping people off the streets, disappearing our neighbors, terrorizes our communities and violates these basic, vital rights. The Philadelphia area has been subjected to ICE raids in recent months, with agents targeting people at their workplaces, at courthouses, or in their communities. But there is no federal law governing the use of facial coverings in law enforcement, so its up to individual states, Saval said. The legislation, according to a memocirculated to members of the Pennsylvania Senate on July 24, also aims to deter individuals from impersonating an officer or agent. The Pennsylvania House has companion legislation to Saval and Cappellettis bill. Other states, like California, are working on similar legislation, and Democrats in the U.S. Congress introduced a bill also called No Secret Police. Krasner said Thursday that he has seen two cases of people impersonating ICE agents to carry out really serious crimes, something he said he had never seen before in the city. In June, police arrested a man who allegedly impersonated an ICE agent and zip-tied a woman during a robbery in Mayfair. In February, three individuals were charged with impersonating ICE on Temple Universitys campus. We know this is a terrible idea to create confusion between law enforcement and criminals, Krasner said, noting that Saval and Cappellettis bill is absolutely necessary. Outside Pennsylvania, a man who authorities say impersonated a law enforcement officer in Minnesota is charged with assassinating State Rep. Melissa Hortmanand her husband and attacking State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife. The Pennsylvania lawmakers cited this case as one of the reasons to require ICE and other law enforcement agents to operate with greater transparency. The bill would require officers or agents during the course of their duties to visibly display a badge with name, number, and department or agency and to wear a department-issued uniform. They would be prohibited from wearing facial coverings, masks, or other garments that obscure their identity. Exceptions could be made for undercover officers or agents. Individuals could also wear a surgical mask or an N95 respirator if deemed necessary by a doctor or a broad health emergency declaration. Noncompliance with these policies could result in civil or criminal action, according to the memo. One of the many reasons that Im here today is because the reality that we find ourselves in was once unimaginable and is now wholly unacceptable, said Cappelletti, who represents parts of Delaware and Montgomery Counties. Erika Guadalupe Nunez, executive director of Juntos, an immigrant rights advocacy group, expressed a similar sentiment and said she has witnessed things that shocked her. ICE is operating with no oversight, emboldened by a fascist agenda and with resources and funding on the scale of entire armies, Guadalupe Nunez said. Republicans hold a majority in the Pennsylvania Senate, which suggests the legislation may face an uphill battle, but Saval said Thursday that they believe there is broad public support for this that will hopefully translate into support among their colleagues. In Pennsylvanias state House, Democratic Rep. Rick Krajewski of Philadelphia is a sponsor of the companion legislation to Saval and Cappellettis. This fight will be in Harrisburg, it will be in City Hall, and it will be on our blocks, he said Thursday. One of those fights could manifest over Philadelphia being on the Trump administrations list of so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, meaning the city could be targeted for a refusal to help enforce federal immigration laws. To my immigrant neighbors, know that we have your back, Krajewski said. We are here with you. Were in solidarity with you, and we will keep each other safe. 2025 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC. Visit at inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Central Pennsylvania residents can expect scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms through Saturday, with a cold front slowly dissipating and creating intermittent precipitation opportunities. Temperatures will remain mild, with morning lows in the 50s to low 70s and afternoon highs reaching comfortable levels. Clouds will clear out tonight allowing for the development of valley fog in many places. Scattered showers and thunderstorms (ie. not everyone will get rain) will develop Friday afternoon, with the highest chances over the eastern half of central PA. pic.twitter.com/0Qpdf8IHgN NWS State College (@NWSStateCollege) August 14, 2025 The National Weather Service forecast indicates isolated showers and thunderstorms are most likely in the southeastern part of the region, particularly during the afternoon hours. While the northern tier may remain drier, areas south of Interstate 80 could experience brief periods of rainfall and potential thunderstorm activity. Residents should be prepared for quick-moving precipitation and potential brief heavy downpours. Specific timing shows the highest probability of precipitation occurring between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. each afternoon through Saturday. Dewpoints will remain in the 60s, indicating moderate humidity levels. Wind conditions are expected to be light, with no significant severe weather warnings currently in effect for the region. The weekend forecast suggests continued unsettled weather, with a new cold front approaching from the north on Sunday. This system is likely to generate more widespread storm activity, particularly in the northern half of Pennsylvania. Temperatures are expected to remain consistent, with morning lows in the 50s and daytime highs in the 70s. Looking ahead to early next week, persistent northwest flow and upstream moisture suggest continued chances of scattered showers and thunderstorms. However, Tropical Cyclone Erin is expected to remain offshore in the northern Atlantic, posing no direct threat to the Pennsylvania region. Residents should monitor local weather updates and be prepared for occasional afternoon precipitation, but no significant severe weather impacts are anticipated in the immediate forecast period. Current weather radar Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story, which was reviewed and edited by PennLive.com staff. ANKARA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye has seized nearly half a ton of narcotics and more than 780,000 narcotic pills in large-scale operations carried out across 73 provinces over the past two weeks, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Friday. The security forces seized 479 kg of narcotics and 783,080 pills and detained 1,695 suspects during the operations, Yerlikaya said on the social media platform X. He said the operations involved 2,548 teams, 6,350 personnel, 18 aerial vehicles, and 37 narcotic detection dogs. Meanwhile, Turkish customs officers on Friday seized nearly 246 kg of cannabis in two separate busts at the Kapikule border crossing with Bulgaria in Edirne province and detained two suspects, authorities said. Turkiye, located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, remains a key transit route in international drug trafficking. Turkish security forces regularly conduct operations to combat those crimes. BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Friday slammed the United States for whitewashing Japan's aggression and war crimes during World War II, calling it "a grave affront to historical justice and an insult to the feelings of those who suffered from the Japanese invasion." Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a U.S. State Department statement claiming that 80 years ago, the United States and Japan "concluded a devastating war in the Pacific." "During WWII, Japanese fascists committed heinous crimes and inflicted untold suffering on people around the world, including the Americans. The U.S. side seems to have 'amnesia' about this period of history," Jiang said. 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. China urges the United States to abandon geopolitical calculations, uphold a correct historical view of WWII, and join the international community in safeguarding the post-WWII international order, Jiang said. The 2025 Onyx Super High Roller Series $25,750 SHRS Main Event has its champion, with Fahredin Mustafov topping a star-studded 227-entry field to claim the trophy and the massive $1,300,000 first-place prize. Mustafov navigated his way through a stacked final table before defeating "Kenar" in the very first hand of heads-up play to secure the win. The event generated a prize pool of $5,504,750, attracting some of the biggest names in poker for a shot at one of the series most prestigious titles. "Kenar" had to settle for $820,000 after entering the final duel with a significant chip deficit, while American pro Matthew Wantman rounded out the podium in third place for $530,000. The victory is the biggest of Mustafovs career, according to TheHendonMob, and a defining moment for the Bulgarian on the international high roller circuit. The seven-figure payday also came with valuable Player of the Series points, giving him a boost in the overall standings. $25,750 Onyx SHRS Main Event Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize 1 Fahredin Mustafov Bulgaria $1,300,000 2 Kenar Turkey $820,000 3 Matthew Wantman United States $530,000 4 Aren Bezhanyan Armenia $420,000 5 Viacheslav Buldygin Russia $315,000 6 Rahul Byrraju India $250,000 7 Artur Martirosian Russia $200,000 8 Vincent Huang Australia $155,000 9 Roman Stoika Russia $121,750 Winner's Reaction Mustafov didnt have much to say after clinching the title, but the few words he shared carried plenty of joy. With his wife, children, and close friends Boris Kolev and Miroslav by his side, he described the $1,300,000 victory simply as my big win. My wife and my kids helped me a lot, and Im very happy, he said, clearly enjoying the moment with his family in the winners photo. He praised the atmosphere of the event, calling the tournament amazing and saying Merit was super, super nice to play here. Fahredin Mustafov The Bulgarian also took time to acknowledge the people behind the scenes and watching from afar. Staff is amazing, media is amazing, guys, viewers is amazing, he said with a smile, before adding that the floormen, everything is amazing. And for anyone thinking of skipping a trip to Merit, he had one final message: If you dont come to Merit, you have to come, believe me. Mustafov's Journey to the Title After Roman Stoika and Vincent Huang had been eliminated, Mustafov found himself in a delicate spot with pocket kings against Kenar. Opting to just call preflop, he saw the ace-king of his opponent pair his ace on the flop, prompting a laydown that avoided what could have been a devasting clash. Momentum quickly returned when his ten-nine connected for a pair against the ace-six of Viacheslav Buldygin, eliminating the Russian in fifth place and giving Mustafov a healthy stack as the tournament moved into its decisive stages. The turning point came in a huge confrontation with Matthew Wantman. Opening on the button with pocket tens, Wantman was called by Mustafov in the big blind holding six-three of hearts. A queen-ten-deuce flop gave Wantman middle set, while Mustafov picked up a flush draw. Matthew Wantman The turn brought the five of hearts to complete Mustafov's flush, and the river jack kept him in front. After checking all three streets, Mustafov responded to Wantmans four-million river bet with a massive check-shove. With only a few time banks left, Wantman eventually released his hand, staying alive but surrendering the overwhelming chip lead to Mustafov. From there, the Bulgarian player kept his foot on the gas, applying relentless pressure to the two shorter stacks. Wantman battled hard but ultimately bowed out in third when his pocket nines were cracked by Mustafovs six-five, which improved to a straight on the river. Heads-up play was over almost as soon as it began. On the very first hand, Kenar moved in with ace-six, only to find Mustafov waiting with ace-jack. The board ran clean, sealing the title for Mustafov and leaving Kenar to settle for the $820,000 runner-up prize. Stay tuned to PokerNews for more live updates, chip counts, and highlights as the 2025 Onyx Super High Roller Series rolls on with more trophies still up for grabs. Aiken Standard Reporter Erin Weeks is a reporter with the Aiken Standard. She covers education in Aiken County. Erin is a graduate of the University of South Carolina Aiken. Her first poetry book, "Origins of My Love," was published by Bottlecap Press in 2022. To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers Editor Zoe Nicholson is the editor of Free Times, covering culture and city life. She is a South Carolina native and graduate of the University of South Carolina. She has previously covered higher education, local government, business and education in the South. 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. Senior Reporter Tiffany Tan is a senior reporter at The Post and Courier's Columbia newsroom. She covers statewide issues, particularly in the criminal justice system. She previously reported on the courts, the opioid epidemic and regional news in Vermont for VTDigger. She has also worked for newspapers and television outlets in South Dakota, Beijing, Singapore and Manila. LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. state California's Governor Gavin Newsom said on Thursday the Democratic state would put a state constitutional amendment on the ballot in a Nov. 4 special election that could temporarily redraw the state's U.S. House districts when the Republican-led Texas changes its map mid-decade. Newsom said the redistricting plan would allow a one-time adjustment in 2026, 2028 and 2030 "to respond to what's happening in Texas." Redistricting means redrawing electoral district boundaries that impact elections for the U.S. House of Representatives. At a Los Angeles news conference, Newsom said, "I know they say 'Don't mess with Texas.' Well, don't mess with the great Golden State." On Tuesday, with nine Democrats absent, the Texas Senate approved new Congressional lines in a rare mid-decade redistricting effort that could help Republicans remain in control of the U.S. House after the 2026 election. The California's Governor's Office has outlined a package called the Election Rigging Response Act, which would temporarily enable adopting new state Congressional districts through 2030 if other states redraw their maps mid-decade. Newsom said California's new maps would arrive within days and bills would be filed Monday to set a Nov. 4 special election for approving the state constitutional amendment, a step needed in redistricting. He also noted that the state would pause its redistricting plan if Texas and other states do not act. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations. by Xinhua Writers Tan Jingjing, Gao Shan ANCHORAGE, United States, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- In one of the best seasons to be in Anchorage -- the peak of the salmon run and the height of berry season, the largest city of the U.S. state of Alaska has taken on the atmosphere of a global stage. In just a few hours, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet here for a high-stakes summit -- the first visit by a Russian president to the United States since 2015, and a rare face-to-face encounter between the two heads of state. At the gate of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, a military facility and also the venue of the summit, there was a forest of camera lenses as international reporters tested equipment and rehearsed shots, preparing to beam images across the world. While the White House and Kremlin have kept the formal agenda under wraps, analysts expect the leaders to discuss a range of issues, from the Ukraine crisis to easing economic pressure on Russia and possible U.S.-Russia cooperation. "Trump repeatedly claimed he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. But more than six months have passed, and no ceasefire has been achieved," Gathak, a local Lyft driver who did not provide a full name, told Xinhua. For Anchorage -- a city more familiar with fishing boats and cruise ships than the flashbulbs of a geopolitical showdown -- the summit has transformed ordinary street corners into datelines for the global press. In downtown coffee shops, local residents and visitors sip strong brews while discussing what the talks might yield. "The summit has become a hot topic among our customers," said Adiah Velez, a barista at Dark Horse Coffee, which sits across from the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center in downtown Anchorage, where the White House has set up a press center for the summit. Her shop is packed to capacity. But for most locals, Velez said, it does not feel directly connected to Alaska. "I haven't really been focused on it myself -- though I know some people feel uneasy about it." For many Alaskans, the meeting has unique resonance. Across the Bering Strait lies Russia's Far East -- a reminder that the two nations are not only geopolitical rivals, but also neighbors whose closest points are separated by just 4 kilometers. "It's rare to see world leaders meeting here," Jein Yi, a cashier at Alaska's Gourmet Subs, a homemade sandwich and pizza restaurant in downtown Anchorage, told Xinhua. Local businesses are already feeling the effects. Hotels are fully booked, restaurants are crowded, and rental car prices have spiked. "We are running out of cars," Isil Mico, a salesperson at Ace Car Rental near Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, told Xinhua. "It's peak tourist season already, and now the summit is here. The city is packed, and all eyes are on Anchorage." Meanwhile, protesters and advocacy groups are staging demonstrations ahead of the summit, seeking to draw attention to a range of issues. Visit Anchorage, formerly the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau, cautioned residents to be patient "as we all accommodate potential changes to our planned routines and schedules." Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said her administration is standing by to provide any assistance that may be needed. "The level of professionalism we have, the level of readiness makes me feel very confident that we will, in fact, be prepared to host this really important meeting," LaFrance said. PR-Inside.com: 2025-08-15 16:37:31 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 305 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / August 15, 2025 / Levi & Korsinsky notifies investors that it has commenced an investigation of Encompass Health Corporation ("Encompass Health Corporation") (NYSE:EHC) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws.On July 15, 2025, the New York Times published an article, entitled "Even Grave Errors at Rehab Hospitals Go Unpenalized and Undisclosed," discussing the state of the private rehabilitation hospital industry. In the article, the Times specifically identified Encompass as one of the for-profit rehab corporations that "have had rare but serious incident of patient harm and perform below average on two key safety measure tracked by Medicare." The article went on to note specific examples highlighting significant patient safety concerns, medication errors, and an overall lack of oversight at Encompass' hospitals.Following this news, Encompass' stock price fell by $12.39 per share to close at $ 107.28 per share. To obtain additional information, go to:or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com or by telephone at (212)363-7500.WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, Levi & Korsinsky LLP has established itself as a nationally-recognized securities litigation firm that has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. The firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212)363-7500 Fax: (212)363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-08-15 12:00:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1023 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Management Will Be Discussing Its Financial Results, Accomplishments and Plans for the Remainder of 2025, and Update on the Funding for the Seller Agreement and Debt PayoffHOUSTON, TX / ACCESS Newswire / August 15, 2025 /EON Resources Inc. (NYSE American:EONR) ("EON" or the "Company") is an independent upstream energy company with 20,000 leasehold acres comprised of two fields and 700 total producing and injection wells which it operates with 1,000 barrels a day of oil produced in the Permian Basin in southeast New Mexico. Today, the Company announced it will hold a conference call on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 2:30 pm EST to review EON's financial results for the second quarter/six months ended June 30, 2025. Management will report on updated drilling, all oil operations, updates to the previously announced funding plan and conduct a Q&A session.Dante Caravaggio, President and CEO of EON, will chair the call. Mitchell B. Trotter, CFO, and Jesse Allen, Vice President of Operations, will also speak with shareholders and answer questions.To listen to a live broadcast: An audio Webcast of the conference call will be available within two hours of the call on August 19, 2025. To listen to a live broadcast, visit the website at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start to register, download and install any necessary software.Earnings Call deck: The earnings call deck will be posted to the Company's website prior to the earnings call.Earnings Call Webpage (information, webcast, telephone access, and replay): EON EventsWebcast URL: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2999/52885- (Replay expires August 19, 2026)Telephone access:Toll Free: 888-506-0062International: 973-528-0011Participant Access Code: 437628Teleconference Replay Number (Expires September 2, 2025):Toll Free: 877-481-4010International: 919-882-2331Replay Passcode: 52885About EON Resources Inc.EON is an independent upstream energy company focused on maximizing total returns to its shareholders through the development of onshore oil and natural gas properties in the United States. EON's long-term goal is to maximize total shareholder value from a diversified portfolio of long-life oil and natural gas properties built through acquisition and through selective development, production enhancement, and other exploitation efforts on its oil and natural gas properties.EON's Class A Common Stock trades on the NYSE American Stock Exchange (NYSE American:EONR) and the Company's public warrants trade on the NYSE American Stock Exchange (NYSE American: EONR WS). For more information on EON, please visit the Company's website: https://eon-r.com/ About the Grayburg-Jackson Oil Field PropertyLH Operating, LLC ("LHO"), a wholly owned subsidiary of EON, operates its holdings in New Mexico of oil and gas waterflood production comprising 13,700 contiguous leasehold acres, 342 producing wells and 207 injection wells situated on 20 federal and 3 state leases in the Grayburg-Jackson Oil Field. The Grayburg-Jackson Oil Field is located on the Northwest Shelf of the prolific Permian Basin in Eddy County, New Mexico.Leasehold rights of LHO include the Seven Rivers, Queen, Grayburg and San Andres intervals that range from as shallow as 1,500 feet to 4,000 feet in depth. The December 2024 reserve report from our third-party engineer, Haas and Cobb Petroleum Consultants, LLC ("Haas & Cobb" or "Cobb"), reflects LHO to have proven reserves of approximately 14.0 million barrels of oil and 2.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas. The mapped original-oil-in-place ("OOIP") in the LHO leasehold is approximately 876 million barrels of oil in the Grayburg and San Andres intervals and 80 million barrels in the Seven Rivers interval for a total OOIP of approximately 956 million barrels of oil.Our primary production is currently from the Seven Rivers zone. In addition to proven reserves, the Company believes it may access an additional 34 million barrels of oil by adding perforations in the Grayburg and San Andres formations, plus another 40 million barrels from the horizontal drilling program in the San Andres. With proven oil reserves of over 15 million barrels, combined with the potential 74 million additional barrels from the Grayburg and San Andres zones, LHO should produce oil and a revenue stream for more than two decades with a low decline rate.About the South Justis Field PropertyThe South Justis Field ("SJF") is a carbonate reservoir, similar to the rest of the Permian. The SJF was first developed in the 1960's and had an initial production in the 6,000 BOPD range. The waterflood implemented at a cost of $40 million dollars in the 1990's by a major oil company had mediocre performance due to poor connectivity between wells, which indicates an opportunity for horizontal infill well drilling. The subsequent owners of the SJF had higher priorities, which led to an increase in idle wells with downhole failures, thus allowing the production to drop dramatically. The Seller acquired the field and has reactivated several wells with good results increasing the production of oil. This indicates that there are a significant number of wells that can be reactivated to increase production on existing wells.The SJF comprises of 5,360 contiguous acres with 208 combined producing and injection wells with well spacing of 50 acres. The field is located in the Central Basin of the prolific Permian Basin in Lea County, New Mexico located approximately 100 miles from EON's Grayburg-Jackson Oil Field property. The producing formations include the Glorietta, Blinebry, Tubb, Drinkard and Fusselman intervals that range from 5,000 feet to 7,000 feet in depth. The original-oil-in-place ("OOIP") is approximately 207 million barrels of oil.Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expected. Words such as "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "seeks," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "should" and variations and similar words and expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements relate to future events or future results, based on currently available information and reflect the Company's management's current beliefs. A number of factors could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events and resul PR-Inside.com: 2025-08-15 18:27:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 396 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / August 15, 2025 / Connex Credit Union ("Connex") 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 Connex.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?On June 3, 2025, Connex became aware of a security incident affecting its internal network. Upon detection, Connex launched an immediate investigation with assistance from third-party cybersecurity experts.The investigation revealed that an unauthorized third party accessed or downloaded files between June 2 and June 3, 2025. Connex reviewed the impacted files to determine what information was compromised and identified affected individuals.The impacted data may include names, Social Security numbers, account numbers, and government-issued IDs.Connex filed a notice of the breach with the California Attorney General on August 7, 2025, and began mailing notification letters to affected individuals on August 6, 2025. 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 Connex Credit Union, 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 PR-Inside.com: 2025-08-15 04:50:22 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 484 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY AND NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESS Newswire / August 14, 2025 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have untilOctober 13, 2025to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc. (NYSE:KLC), if they purchased the Company's shares pursuant and/or traceable to the Company's October 2024 initial public offering (the "IPO"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.What You May DoIf you purchased shares of KinderCare as above and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit http://ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-klc/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court byOctober 13, 2025 .About the LawsuitKinderCare and certain of its executives and others are charged with failing to disclose material information in its IPO Registration Statement and Prospectus (collectively, the "Offering Documents"), violating federal securities laws.The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) numerous incidents of child abuse, neglect, and harm had occurred at KinderCare facilities; (ii) the Company did not provide the "highest quality care possible" at its facilities, and, indeed, in numerous instances had failed to provide even basic care, meet minimum standards in the child care industry, or comply with the laws and regulations governing the care of children; and (iii) as a result, the Company was exposed to a material, undisclosed risk of lawsuits, adverse regulatory action, negative publicity, reputational damage, and business loss.The case is Gollapalli v. KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc., No. 25-cv-01424.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 PR-Inside.com: 2025-08-15 13:52:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 296 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / August 15, 2025 / Levi & Korsinsky notifies investors that it has commenced an investigation of Otis Worldwide Corporation ("Otis Worldwide Corporation") (NYSE:OTIS) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws.On July 23, 2025, Otis reported its second quarter fiscal 2025 earnings, unveiling net sales for the quarter of $3.6 billion that fell below analysts' expectations for $3.71 billion. Management noted that new-equipment sales declined 10%, worse than the market feared, in the quarter, triggering the company to reduce their annual guidance from $14.6 - $14.8 billion down to $14.5 - $14.6 billion in the second quarter. While the Company largely blamed the setback on challenges in China, in which new equipment sales fell 20% in the quarter, declines were also seen in the Americas and Asia Pacific.Following this news, Otis' stock price fell by $12.79 per share to open at $88.20 per share. To obtain additional information, go to:or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com or by telephone at (212)363-7500.WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, Levi & Korsinsky LLP has established itself as a nationally-recognized securities litigation firm that has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. The firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 17th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212)363-7500 Fax: (212)363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-08-15 22:30:33 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 652 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / August 15, 2025 /NEXGENRX INC. ("NexgenRx" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that a dividend in the amount of one-half of one cent per share ($0.005) has been declared in respect of all of its outstanding common shares. The dividend will be payable on August 29, 2025 to all shareholders of record as at the close of business on August 25, 2025. As of the date of this press release, there are a total of 71,117,132 common shares issued and outstanding. The common shares are listed and posted for trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol 'NXG'.About NexgenRx NexgenRx is Canada's only independent full-service Third-Party Administrator and Technology Solutions Provider, offering proprietary full front-end, eligibility, enrolment, hour bank and mobile access capabilities, together with state-of-the-art claims adjudication and full provider network coverage. These combined capabilities allow NexgenRx to provide Plan Sponsors, sophisticated administration and health benefit technology applications in a cost-effective SaaS (Software as a Service) Model.NexgenRx is committed to building partnerships with organizations looking to exceed the expectations of their clients and plan members and deliver superior administration and claims processing solutions at a competitive cost. More information on NexgenRx can be found at www.nexgenrx.com Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The Company cannot guarantee future results, performance or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information.Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: uncertainty as to whether the Company's strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success for existing and new products and technologies; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of products and services; changes in technology and changes in laws and regulations; continued development and enhancement of the Company's proprietary software technology; cyber security risks and the other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's annual Management's Discussion and Analysis, as filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive.The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The Company undertakes no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in the Company's expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.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 the release.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Ronald C. Loucks NexgenRx Inc. President and CEO 416.695.3393 x801Kelly Ehler CPA, CANexgenRx Inc.Chief Financial Officer416-695-3393x803SOURCE: NexgenRx Inc. ANCHORAGE, United States, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday estimated that his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the U.S. state of Alaska has a 25 percent chance of not being successful. In an interview with Fox News Radio, Trump said his meeting with Putin is like "a chess game," adding that he believes Putin is arriving with the intention of making progress toward reaching a deal on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He said if positive progress is made during the meeting, it would lay the groundwork for a second one, which would also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump on Wednesday warned that Russia would face "very severe consequences" if Putin refuses to agree to a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The Putin-Trump meeting is set for Friday in Anchorage, Alaska. PR-Inside.com: 2025-08-15 21:40:21 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1021 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Organizations team up to Provide Food and Essentials to Communities across the CountryOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA / ACCESS Newswire / August 15, 2025 / With one in five children in the U.S. experiencing food insecurity, hunger remains a serious issue in many communities. The Popeyes Foundation and global anti-hunger organization, Feed the Children, are embarking on the SERVING WITH LOVE Tour, a coast-to-coast initiative that will provide access to food, daily essentials and other resources to local youth and families in 15 communities this Fall.Each SERVING WITH LOVE Tour stop will support 400 families, who will each receive a 25-pound box of food including shelf-stable items such as canned vegetables, beans, soup, pasta, cereal, and peanut butter: a 15-pound box of personal care essentials, including shampoo, razors, toothpaste and additional products. Throughout the tour the organizations hope to impact over 6,000 families; with a total estimated value of more than $1.75 million in food and daily essentials. The resources provided will help to ease the uncertainty that far too many children and caregivers experience, not knowing where their next meal will come from.Starting this August through October, the SERVING WITH LOVE Tour will stop in Miami, Fla., Jacksonville, Fla., Fort Myers, Fla., Los Angeles, Calif., Seattle, Wash., Hartford-New Haven, Conn., Washington, D.C., Columbus, Ohio, Memphis, Tenn., Phoenix, Ariz., Las Vegas, Nev., Houston, Texas, Dallas, Texas, New Orleans, La., and New York, N.Y. Each tour stop will engage local leaders, community partners and Popeyes to provide better access to food and daily essential resources.Currently, 13.8 million children in the U.S. live in households that experience food insecurity ( according to the USDA ), which means they lack consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. The SERVING WITH LOVE Tour is aiming to make a difference in the lives of children and assist families to put enough food on the kitchen table; helping their kids grow and thrive."At the Popeyes Foundation, providing that seat at the table, soul warming, don't go hungry kind of love, is at the heart of our brand. That's why partnering with Feed the Children to provide food and essentials to communities across the country is a priority. Our SERVING WITH LOVE Tour initiative was created to help improve access to food, essentials and raise awareness of food insecurity. Through our partnership, and together, with the Popeyes brand and franchisees, we are focused on SERVING WITH LOVE to help kids grow and thrive. It means the world to partner with Feed the Children - kicking off the tour in Miami, where Popeyes is headquartered, and wrapping the efforts in New Orleans, a city dear to our brand." said Renee Hobbs, Executive Director of the Popeyes Foundation.Popeyes Foundation and Feed the Children, kick off the SERVING WITH LOVE Tour supporting community partners Caring for Miami and Amigos for Kids. Volunteers gathered to serve 400 local families in Miami, Fla. Friday, Aug.19 . "A widespread issue like childhood hunger will only be solved through collective efforts," said Emily Callahan, President and CEO of Feed the Children. "We've seen the significant impact that these local food and resource events have in supporting communities where children are hungry and going without what they need to thrive. We are grateful to collaborate with the Popeyes Foundation to make a difference in the lives of children and families across the country. Through the power of partnership, we can make an even greater impact as we seek to create a world where no child goes to bed hungry." The Popeyes Foundation SERVING WITH LOVE Tour with Feed the Children provided 400 Local families with a 25 -pound box of shelf- stable food and a 15-pound box of personal care essentials and additional products in Miami, Fla. on Aug. 19. Throughout the tour the organizations hope to impact over 6,000 families. The organizations encourage everyone to join in the movement to end childhood hunger. For children everywhere, having enough to eat is a fundamental right. Supporters can help by donating atfeedthechildren.orgorpopeyesfoundation.org/donate About Popeyes FoundationThe Popeyes Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity established in 2018 in partnership with the Popeyes brand and franchisees. The Popeyes Foundation's mission is dedicated to raising awareness and funds to strengthen communities with food and support in times of need. In 2023, the Popeyes Foundation launched SERVING WITH LOVE, a signature initiative that stems from Popeyes' New Orleans roots and focuses on providing support to Popeyes Team Members and local communities. For local communities, the focus is on providing food to those in need through the Food Love Grants Program; directing more than $1.81million to local nonprofits since 2023. Support comes through programs like mobile kitchens, on-campus pantries, out-of-school meals, natural disaster meal support. In 2025, the Popeyes Foundation selected Feed the Children, as a national partner to come together to help kids grow and thrive through their first-ever SERVING WITH LOVE Tour. The Popeyes Foundation grants to national and local nonprofits are made possible from guest donations during in-restaurant fundraisers, Popeyes franchisees, and brand. For more information, visitwww.popeyesfoundation.org About Feed the ChildrenFeed the Children is a leading nonprofit committed to ending childhood hunger. The organization believes that no child should go to bed hungry, and so it provides children and families in the U.S. and around the world with the food and essentials kids need to grow and thrive. Through its programs and partnerships, the organization feeds children today while helping their families and communities build resilient futures. In addition to food, Feed the Children distributes household and personal care items across the United States to help parents and caregivers maintain stable, food-secure households. Internationally, it expands access to nutritious meals, safe water, improved hygiene and training in sustainable living. As responsible stewards of its resources, Feed the Children is driven to pursue innovative, holistic and child-focused solutions to the complex challenges of hunger, food insecurity and poverty. For children everywhere, the organization believes that having enough to eat is a fundamental right. Learn how you can help create a world without childhood hunger atFeedthechildren.org Feed the Children | no child should go to bed hungryContact% PR-Inside.com: 2025-08-15 03:43:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 622 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / August 14, 2025 /WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) between May 7, 2025 and July 28, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important September 30, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline.SO WHAT: If you purchased Novo Nordisk securities 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 Novo Nordisk class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=34168 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 30, 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, defendants provided 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 Novo Nordisk's growth potential. Notably, Novo Nordisk's asserted potential to capitalize on the compounded market greatly understated the potential impact of the personalization exception to the compounded GLP-1 exclusion and overstated the likelihood that such patients would switch to Novo Nordisk's branded alternatives. Further, defendants greatly overstated the potential GLP-1 market or otherwise, Novo's capability to penetrate said markets to achieve continued growth. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.To join the Novo Nordisk class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=34168 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. PR-Inside.com: 2025-08-15 04:50:57 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 505 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY AND NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESS Newswire / August 14, 2025 /Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have untilSeptember 26, 2025to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Sable Offshore Corp. (NYSE:SOC), if they purchased the Company's securities (1) between May 19, 2025 and June 3, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"); and/or (2) pursuant and/or traceable to Sable's May 21, 2025 secondary public offering (the "SPO"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of Sable Offshore and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-soc/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court bySeptember 26, 2025 .About the LawsuitSable Offshore and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On June 4, 2025, the Company disclosed that "a Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge granted ex parte requests from plaintiffs in Center for Biological Diversity, et al. v.California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, et al. (25CV02244) and Environmental Defense Center, et al. v. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, et al. (25CV02247) for temporary restraining orders prohibiting Sable Offshore Corp. from restarting transportation of oil through the Las Flores Pipeline System pending the hearing on an order to show cause regarding a preliminary injunction scheduled for July 18, 2025. Sable is exploring all possible avenues available to address these preliminary rulings." On this news, the price of Sable's shares fell by $0.94 per share, or 3.91%, to close at $23.10 on June 4, 2025.The case is Johnson v. Sable Offshore Corp., et al., No. 25-cv-6869.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 Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163CONNECT WITH US: Facebook || Instagram || YouTube || TikTok || LinkedInSOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2025-08-15 22:30:16 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 838 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / August 15, 2025 /Supreme Critical Metals Inc. (CSE:CRIT)(FWB:VR61)(OTC PINK:VRCFF) ("Supreme" or the "Company") provides its fourth 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 reports that since it's news release dated August 1, 2025, there have been no material changes to the information contained therein that have not been disclosed, nor any failure by Supreme to fulfill its intentions as stated therein.As a result of circumstances reasonably linked to the Company's delay in filing the Required Filings, in addition to the default to which this Default Status Report relates, the Company did not meet the deadline for filing its interim unaudited financial statements, interim management's discussion and analysis, and related certifications for the three-month period ended May 31, 2025 (collectively, the "Interim Filings"). As a result of the Company's delay in preparing the Required Filings, the Interim Filings could not be properly completed in accordance with Canadian securities law and regulation. Under the securities laws of the provinces in which Supreme is a reporting issuer, the Interim Filings were to be filed by July 30, 2025.The Company's Board of Directors and management confirm that they are working expeditiously to meet the Company's obligations related to the filing of the Required Filings and the Interim Filings. The Company will file the Interim Filings within five business days of filing of the Required Filings.Until the Required Filings and Interim 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 and Interim 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, DirectorPhone: Toll Free 1(778) 373-8578E-mail: info@ supremecritalmetals.comwww.supremecriticalmetals.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking InformationThis 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 forwardlooking 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 and the Interim 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. PR-Inside.com: 2025-08-15 11:00:11 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 668 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The untold truth? Rescheduling may not save the cannabis industry-it could divide it.Past IRS 280E tax liabilities won't vanish-some companies owe hundreds of millions.Interstate cannabis operators still remain barred from DEA licensing, regardless of tax changes.Marijuana is still DEA regulated under the Controlled Substance Act andQuota is still the 800 pound gorilla in the room.WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESS Newswire / August 15, 2025 /President Donald Trump has signaled he is open to reclassifying marijuana under federal law, particularly for medical purposes,calling it a "very complicated subject" butacknowledging he's heard "good things" for pain and chronic disease.If his administration follows through- especially with a move toseparate recreational marijuana from FDA-regulated medical cannabis- it could trigger a seismic shift in the industry. For most cannabis companies, that shift may mean new compliance hurdles. But for MMJ International Holdings, it could open the fast lane to final DEA registration and the start of long-delayed clinical trials.Why MMJ BioPharma Stands Apart1. The "Medical Only" FitPresident Trump's comments reflect caution toward recreational use but an openness to true medical applications. MMJ 's entire business model is built for that environment:FDA Orphan Drug Designations for Huntington's disease and Multiple Sclerosis.Two active Investigational New Drug (IND) applications with the FDA.A fully pharmaceutical pathway - no dispensaries, no state-level gray markets, no recreational overlap.2. DEA Policy AdvantageUnder current DEA policy, any applicant with ties to illegal state-to-state marijuana commerce will never receive a federal manufacturing registration. This policy instantly eliminates a large share of today's cannabis operators from the race if Trump orders stricter enforcement in parallel with rescheduling.MMJ's record is clean - it has never engaged in state-licensed or illicit marijuana trade. That means it qualifies for DEA registration without the baggage that could block other companies.3. Breaking the DEA BottleneckMMJ has waited more than seven years for DEA approval to cultivate cannabis for FDA clinical trials. With no Administrative Law Judge system currently functioning, and Terry Cole newly confirmed as DEA Administrator, a Trump directed policy change could result in immediate action on long-delayed, compliant applications like MMJ's.4. MMJ Market PositioningMost cannabis companies operate in a state-law gray zone, which leaves them exposed to enforcement and disqualifies them from federal registrations. MMJ's federally compliant approach means:Legal protection under federal law once approved.Eligibility for insurance reimbursement, national prescription networks, and pharmaceutical distribution channels.5. First-Mover TimelineMMJ is uniquely prepared to act fast:Orphan Drug Designations in place.INDs cleared with the FDA.GMP-compliant manufacturing plans ready to execute.If rescheduling happens and the DEA issues its registration, MMJ could plant its first federally approved cannabis crop within weeks - launching clinical trials far ahead of competitors.Impact on the Broader IndustryRescheduling to Schedule III would also have major tax implications by eliminating IRS Code 280E restrictions going forward. That means cannabis companies could deduct normal business expenses. But here's the catch:Past 280E liabilities - in some cases amounting to hundreds of millions - won't automatically disappear.The IRS may allow relief for the full year of the change, but retroactive forgiveness is unlikely without congressional action.Companies engaged in illegal interstate commerce remain ineligible for DEA licensing regardless of tax changes.In short, while rescheduling could provide tax breathing room for some, those outside the bounds of federal law will remain shut out of the legitimate pharmaceutical market.Bottom LineIf President Trump follows throughwith rescheduling and reinforces the DEA's strict eligibility rules, MMJ BioPharma could become the flagship example of how cannabis can be developed as real medicine - safe, consistent, federally compliant, and backed by clinical science.Where others will face disqualification, tax debt, or regulatory overhaul, MMJ will be ready to deliver exactly what Trump has said he's open to: medical cannabis for pain and chronic disease, regulated like any other prescription drug.MMJ is represented byattorney Megan Sheehan .CONTACT: Madison Hisey MHisey@ mmjih.com 203-231-8583SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings PR-Inside.com: 2025-08-15 03:08:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 795 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / August 14, 2025 /WHY: New York, N.Y., August 14, 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. In this report, analysts Abdulmalik Ishola and David Segun-Peter examine the conundrum in the Nigerian power sector. There is nothing more Nigerian than a good reform. In the 2000s alone, Nigeria experienced reforms in policing, pensions, local government administration, and taxationto mention a few. Occasionally, we even revisited the same sector twice, notably with pensions in 2004 and 2014, and electricity in 2005 and again in 2023. The latest round of electricity reform, introduced by the Electricity Act 2023, is already sparking controversy. On 18 July, the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC), through Order No. EERC/2005/003, cut the topband tariff charged by MainPower Electricity Distribution Ltd from 209.5/kWh to 160.4/kWh after reassessing operating costs. Instead of applause, the move drew sharp criticism from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the federal regulator. Meanwhile, the Senate is preparing to revisit the Actless than three years after its passage. Are we about to reform our latest reforms? Two issues lie at the heart of the EERCNERC standoff: A mounting 4 trillion subsidy burden on the Federal Government, and a contest over regulatory supremacy in the power sector. A 4 Trillion Subsidy Burden For years, the federal government has propped up Nigerias power sector with repeated cash injections: 213 billion in 2014, a 701 billion guarantee for generation companies (GenCos) in 2017, and 37 billion for metering in 2018. The biggest lifeline remains the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trader (NBET). NBET buys power from GenCos at a uniform rateabout 112.60/kWhguaranteed by the federal government. Distribution companies (DisCos) purchase that power but often recover less than the full cost owing to technical losses, theft, and nonpayment. Abuja makes up the shortfall, effectively subsidising the sector. By August 2022, the Central Bank of Nigeria had disbursed 1.3 trillion through NBET. Subsidies in 2024 alone reached 1.9 trillion, yet only 371 million ( 0.019 per cent) was actually paid, according to NERC. With reported sector debts now exceeding 4 trillion, Enugus recent tariff cutfrom 209.5 to 160.4/kWhwill widen the gap between what MainPower collects and what NBET must pay GenCos, further inflating federal liabilities. A useful counterpoint is Aba Power Ltd Electric Company (APLE), which serves nine local governments in Abia State. APLEs tariffs, approved by NERC, range from 145 to 241/kWh, while EERCs previous bands ran from 47 to 206/kWh. Since APLE operates subsidyfree, its 2024 tariff review passed unchallenged. If Enugu were to fund its own power supply entirely, NERC would likely approve any financially sustainable tariff proposal. The Constitutional Question More fundamentally, the dispute raises constitutional questions. Can state regulatory commissions, such as EERC, independently deviate from tariffs set by the federal regulator? What specific powers did the constitutional amendments and the Electricity Act of 2023 grant to the states, and are these powers concurrent with, or subordinate to, federal authority? As Enugu tests the boundaries of its regulatory autonomy, other states are closely watching. If the courts ultimately side with Enugu, it may set a precedent, prompting further tariff reductions by other states and deepening the financial liabilities borne by the federal government. This clash between state autonomy and federal oversight may not only reshape Nigerias electricity landscape. Still, it could also ignite another round of national debate on the balance of power between Abuja and the states. History offers useful context. In 2005, former President Olusegun Obasanjo signed the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005, which, among other things, unbundled the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) into eighteen entities. It created a federal regulatorthe Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)privatised generation plants, and established regional distribution companies. The results were mixed. Privatisation took nearly ten years, concluding in 2014. Although installed capacity roughly doubled, power supply remained inadequate. Distribution companies (DisCos) struggled to recover payments for power supplied, and the GenCos were burdened with massive debtsestimated between 700 billion and 2 trillion, depending on the source. Hoping to address these structural problems, in 2023 President Bola Tinubu signed the Electricity Act 2023. Just as Nigeria modelled its political system on that of the United States, it aimed to replicate elements of the U.S. electricity market. Similar to the US system, the reforms allowed the states and the federal government to regulate the power sector concurrently. However, this was decentralisation, not devolution. The federal government retained key roles, particularly in wholesale and interstate generation and transmission, while states were empowered to regulate distribution and develop new generation, transmission, or distribution systems wholly within their territories. The result is a two-tiered system: a national grid under federal regulation, and state-level grids where states can build facilities according to their needs. Why did the reforms follow this path? The federal government has historically been deeply involved in the power sector. It owns 40% of the DisCos, provides subsidies, and finances most of the national grids buildout. Beyond politics, practical science played a role: electricity is rarely consumed where it is generated. Rivers in the North drive hydroelectric dams, while gas fields in the South fuel power plants. A federal grid that wheels power across state lines is therefore essential, making federal oversight of generation and transmission logical. Distribution, on the other hand, was left to the states as it concerns last-mile delivery to end usersconnecting homes, offices, and factories. The eventual vision, modelled on the American market, is one where a state may either manage its electricity needs entirely within its borders or operate a market in which suppliers can buy power from either a federally regulated or state-regulated plantwhichever is cheaperwhile the government regulates a competitive market that benefits Nigerians. During this transition, the Electricity Act 2023 places NERC at the helm, supervising the sector and collaborating with state regulators to achieve this balance. The 1999 Constitution and the Electricity Act delineate the roles of the federal and state governments. States that have passed electricity laws may regulate generation, transmission, and distribution occurring wholly within their territory, while NERC oversees wholesale generation and transmission. The question is: where does tariff-setting fall in this equation? The EERC revised its tariffs downward by cutting the generation cost charged to its DisCo from 112.60 per kWh (the approved NERC rate) to 45.75 per kWh. It argues that the Constitution grants states authority over distribution, which it interprets to include setting the prices charged by their distribution companies. Traditionally, DisCos collect electricity bills from consumers. This arrangement makes intuitive sense: GenCos incur generation costs, transmission companies collect fees for wheeling power, and DisCos incur the final costs of delivering power to consumers. DisCos then collect fees, settle upstream costs, cover their own, and retain the margin. NERC, in a public notice issued on 24 July acknowledged state powers to regulate distribution wholly within their territories. However, it insisted that tariffs must fully incorporate national grid costs unless states are prepared to subsidise the resulting shortfall. On July 28, 2025, the EERC responded, accusing NERC of undermining state authority by refusing to allow multiple tariff regimes and of attempting to deny Enugu and its citizens the benefit of a subsidy available to all states. Ultimately, the courts will determine whether the EERC is conflating distribution with tariff-setting. Paragraph 15 of Part II, Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) defines distribution as the supply of electricity from a sub-station to the ultimate consumer. Read alongside the Electricity Act 2023, distribution most likely refers to the physical infrastructurewires, transformers, metersthat carries power from a transmission network to the end user. The Act also anticipates the unbundling of current DisCos into separate distribution and supply companies, distinguishing between those who own infrastructure and those who bill consumers. Collecting bills is not the same as setting prices. Even if distribution were deemed an exclusive state power, the definition does not include tariff-setting, which incorporates generation, transmission, and distribution costs. Given that Enugus DisCo (MainPower) sources all of its power from the national grid under federal regulation, can the EERC lawfully set the generation cost of a federally licensed GenCo? The central question is whether distribution includes authority over end-user tariffs and, if so, whether that authority extends to generation and transmission costs when those occur outside the state and on the national grid. If the answer is yes, who bears the financial difference? Since Enugu hosts none of the power plants connected to the national grid, the EERCs attempt to fix generation costs will remain highly contentious. READ ALSO: Nigerians will enjoy uninterrupted electricity before Tinubu administration ends Minister Legal considerations aside, the market will react. On 4 August, Mainpower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL) reported that its allocation from its parent company, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, had fallen by half. This was after an analysis of a 1 billion monthly shortfall as a result of the new tariffs. By reflecting an unpaid subsidy in its generation cost, there is a hole in the books waiting to be filled. As other states in its service region still maintain the 209.5/kWh price, Enugus power allocation would likely flow to those regions, to minimise losses for both the Generation and Distribution Companies. MEDL and the EERC are faced with tough choices: returning to national grid prices, sourcing for new generation, likely at higher market prices, or coughing up the money to pay for this shortfall. Reducing electricity costs is commendable and should remain a primary objective for state regulators. However, genuine progress will likely come from addressing deeper systemic issues: cutting operational costs, reducing transmission and distribution losses, and improving billing efficiency, rather than simply announcing lower tariffs. The jurisdictional questions and federalstate tussles in Nigerias electricity sector are bound to spark further litigation and negotiation. If it is indeed time to reform our latest reforms, Nigeria must proceed carefully. Perhaps, on our fourth attempt, we might finally get it right. ***AbdulMalik and David are Research Associates at the Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (OGEES), Afe Babalola University, and can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected] respectively. Eunice Wuraola Ogini, the eldest daughter of the late Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola, the first General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), has responded to allegations made by Biodun Fatoyinbo, lead pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), about her father. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr Fatoyinbo, in one of his sermons, described Mr Babalola as an anointed man of God filled with grace but claimed that all the grace just went like that because he had no money. He further questioned the whereabouts of Babalolas children, suggesting that many of them might have grown to resent Christ because their father died without wealth. The sermon, delivered many years after Babalolas death, sparked controversy and drew sharp criticism from many Nigerians, particularly members of the CAC. In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its Director of Publicity, Ade Alawode, the CAC condemned Mr Fatoyinbos remarks, accusing him of promoting a misleading link between ministerial success and material wealth. The church described his comments as insensitive and ill-informed. Mrs Oginis remarks Mrs Ogini, in a video posted on the CAC News YouTube channel on Thursday, refuted Mr Fatoyinbos claims, insisting that her father did not die poor and that his children never hated God. She said: I want to state clearly that we, his children, followed his footsteps. My sister and I worship the Lord, we love God and we serve God. I am a deaconess in my church, a prayer warrior and a Sunday school teacher. My sister, Dame Deborah Adeniyi, in her church, shes a prayer warrior and an evangelist. She was honoured with the Knighthood of John Wesley, a prestigious status in her church. To the glory of God, both of us are highly blessed and we live a very comfortable life. This is because my father already sowed the seed of generosity, kindness, care and love of humanity. I remember vividly in my childhood days, our house used to be filled with people of different ages, different tribes, different languages, children, adults, youths, male, female. And out of the abundance of my father, he was able to help every one of them to have a good life and make a responsible living by giving some education as far as they would wish, putting some people in apprenticeship, giving some people whatever they needed for their different traits. This was the blessing of God upon his life. Comfortable life She further stated that her father had never been poor, emphasising that he enjoyed a very comfortable life. According to her, not only did her father live in comfort, but he also performed miracles and preached the gospel of Christ with unwavering commitment throughout his lifetime. In his crusades, in his time, people would bring their idols to be destroyed with fire. A lot of shrines were destroyed. A lot of occult materials, kalabashes, were brought to be destroyed by fire during his crusades in his lifetime. He preached Christ and Christ only. His emphasis was on repentance from sin, serving the Lord and worshipping the living God. My father lived a very comfortable life. If anyone doubts my fathers impact upon society, I encourage such a person to visit his tomb site or burial ground in Efon Alaye, Ekiti State, Nigeria. A place where people go for pilgrimage from different parts of the world. The place is open to everybody 24-7. People go there to pray and God answers their prayers, said Mrs Ogini. Mrs Ogini urged ministers of God to speak with sincerity and truth whenever they mentioned her fathers name during their sermons. She noted I want to ask that when people mention my fathers name during their preaching, they should speak the truth. They should be sincere and speak nothing but the truth with love and genuine or great respect. Ministers of God, I would say, please, honour the Lord when you are on your pulpit. Please, try as much as possible to verify every piece of information to avoid lies and assumptions. Please, remember the advice of the Apostle Paul in the book of Colossians 4-6, where we believers are advised that our speech should be gracious and seasoned with salt. Apology Meanwhile, at the time of filing this report, Mr Fatoyinbo had issued an apology to the CAC, the family of Babalola, and anyone else who may have experienced distress, hurt, or dissatisfaction as a result of his remarks. He stressed that he would never disrespect them or speak about them in such a manner, whether in public or in private. He noted in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Thursday, Let me state, however, that at no time in the sermon did I refer to the children of the late Apostle and Father of faith in a bad light. I would never do that. The raw copy of the message is online and this can be verified. Our church is known worldwide as a place of honour and I would never in any way or manner take lightly the grace of Apostle Babalola, his children or his ministry for granted or speak lightly of the same. I am also aware that the children of the late Veteran of faith, who are all serving God and keeping up the legacy of our late father of faith, are not only shining examples of generational impact, but good and present-day examples for children of visionaries to follow. I remain proud of their achievements and honour them in no small measure, Mr Fatoyinbo noted. A few weeks after her divorce from Nigerian businessman Simon Guobadia, it may not be the fancy-free scenario that reality star Porsha Williams had hoped for. In June, Mr Guobadia was released from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention and deported to Nigeria. Days later, a judge ruled in Porshas favour, enforcing a prenup that granted her possession of the home, along with spousal support. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Simon Guobadia is accused of owing his divorce lawyer over $200k, leading to a lien for his ex-wife. A lien is a legal claim or right against a property that is used to secure a debt or obligation. It is a public notice that the property owner owes money, and the lien holder has a legal interest in the property until the debt is paid. A lien can prevent a property from being sold or transferred until the debt is settled, which appears to be playing out in this instance. New debt Us Weekly reports that one day before the ruling, Mr Guobadias divorce lawyer Onyema Farrey, filed an attorneys lien against the mansion on June 10, 2025. The lien accused the businessman of owing $205,884.25 for services provided throughout the divorce proceedings. According to the publication, Mr Guobadia claimed in court that he had zero money to his name. He has a company called Simcol, and he said its value went from $296 million to virtually nothing after he was detained by ICE and deported to his home country of Nigeria. A judge said that the claim lacked credibility, US Weekly reports. In the divorce docs, the Real Housewives of Atlanta star was granted 36 months to either refinance the mortgage on the $7.3 million mansion to remove Simon from the title, or shell need to sell the home. If she decides to sell the home, shell have to pay Simon half of the equity. However, a six-figure lien on the house will cause that process to become even more complicated. Divorcees After 15 months of marriage, the union between Mr Guobadia and Ms Williams hit the rocks, triggering an elongated divorce hearing. In June, a judge ruled that Ms Williams gets to keep the Rolls-Royce that her ex-husband gifted her. She also has until 2027 to decide whether to remain in the $7,000,000 pre-marital home they shared during their union. Responding to her new status, the reality star said that getting divorced brings mixed feelings. She tells People Magazine that shes glad not to be in the fight anymore. I hope I can just send love out and be done fighting and protecting myself and being in defence mode. Im just ready to move on and live, she said. Among other things, the reality star said that she has forgiven herself and her ex-husband. On the other hand, Mr Guobadia, who was married to Ms Williams former colleague and RHOA co-star, Falynn Pina, said that he was targeted for financial reasons. I think I was vulnerable then, and I entertained it. So it just snowballed from there, he told Page Six. The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Akwa Ibom State has suspended its strike in the state. The association had embarked on the strike because of the dispute with the Joint Task Force in the state. In a statement dated 8 August, and signed by its chairperson, Francis Udoyen, and secretary, Ekom Idemudo, IPMAN said it called off the strike because of the intervention of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno. Following the intervention of Mr Eno through the chairperson of the Akwa Ibom Petroleum Products Monitoring Committee (PPMC) over the recent withdrawal from service by IPMAN in Akwa Ibom State on the pending issue surrounding the confiscation of trucks load with petrol at Ibaka, Mbo Local Government Area by operative of the JTF, Mr Udoyen has announced the suspension of our earlier action (strike) to give room for government intervention as promised. The suspension of the action is sequel to a meeting with the state government team led by the chairperson of PPMC, Godwin Ekpo, and after further consultations with IPMAN members, the group said in the statement and directed members to open their filling stations and sell products for the public. The service withdrawal, which was the second in less than a year, had caused panic buying in the state, triggering large crowds in filling stations, after members of the group shut down stations. Commercial drivers told this newspaper that the action led to the resurgence of black-marketers, who, this newspaper gathered, sold the product at N1,300 as against less than N1000 that marketers dispensed the product before the strike. In its reaction, the Akwa Ibom State Government, through the PPMC, had said the strike did not follow due process and called on members of the public to avoid panic buying as the government was taking steps to address the situation. PPMC remains fully committed to safeguarding the interests and welfare of the people of the state. We therefore urged members of the public to remain calm, avoid panic buying, and continue their daily activities without fear, Mr Ekpo had said in a statement. Not the first time This is not the first time that IPMAN has directed its members to withdraw service due to alleged issues with the JTF. Last September, the state recorded a hike in the petrol price to N2,500 over a similar dispute, prompting the intervention of Governor Eno after the Nigeria Labour Congress in the state asked workers to withdraw service over the hike. READ ALSO: Hundreds stranded as petrol tanker explodes in Abuja Mr Eno had, among other measures, set up a committee, PPMC, to address the issues and also explore a means to establish a petroleum depot in the state. Petroleum products, particularly petrol, are the mainstay of Nigerias economy. Any changes in the price of petrol virtually affect the prices of other goods and services in the market, including transportation and other services. Many in rural and urban areas of the state, with a shortage of power supply, rely on petrol to power their generators, which is the reason for panic buying whenever petroleum unions announce service withdrawals in the state. While gold (GCZ25) is usually seen as a defensive asset and investors dont really expect it to keep outperforming risk assets like equities over the long term, things have been different over the last few years. The precious metal is outperforming the S&P 500 Index ($SPX) this year, something it has also done over the last two-year and three-year periods. Gold miners are a leveraged bet on gold as they tend to rise or fall more than the precious metal. We see something similar with other commodity producers, given their earnings sensitivity to the underlying commodity. More News from Barchart In the gold mining space, Agnico-Eagle Mines (AEM) is one name that looks like a good bet. The stock has outperformed the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX) this year and looks set to continue its good run, as well discuss in this article. But, before that, lets look at golds outlook. www.barchart.com Gold Has Outperformed Stocks in 2025 Gold is a hedge against the volatile equity markets, and often the two assets tend to move in opposite directionntals. While stocks tend to do well in periods of economic boom and macro and geopolitically stability, the yellow metal outperforms when there is economic turmoil or geopolitical tension. Over the last few years, though, both gold and the S&P 500 Index have been moving in tandem and rewarded investors. Notably, while the S&P 500 Index has hit record highs and put the tariff tantrum behind it, there are several risks that markets are wary of. These include a burgeoning U.S. national debt, geopolitical tensions as China and Russia push for a new world order, and the trade tensions which are testing the current global system. While stock markets have learned to live with these issues, unless they seem to threaten the world economy in a significant way, investors are increasingly pivoting to gold to hedge their bets. Global central banks have also been increasing golds share in their foreign currency reserves, creating a tailwind for gold demand and, by extension, prices. Why Agnico Eagle Mines Looks Like a Good Buy AEM is one of the largest gold mining companies globally, with mines in safe jurisdictions in Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Finland. Its all-in sustaining costs (AISC) were $1,279 per troy ounce in Q2, and management reaffirmed the 2025 guidance of between $1,250-$1300 per troy ounce. The company is in the second-quartile of the global cost curve, which places it in a sweet spot, as it has good leverage to any upside in gold prices. On the downside, the companys costs are significantly below what gold prices currently trade at, providing it ample cushion to survive any gold price slump. The Police Command in Edo State has deployed 7,825 personnel, and ordered a restriction of movement for the Saturday by-elections in the state. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is conducting by-elections for the Edo Central Senatorial District and Ovia Federal Constituency seats at the National Assembly. The elections followed the emergence of Monday Okpebholo as the governor of Edo in the September 2024 governorship election in the state, while the Ovia Federal Constituency seat became vacant sequel to the election of the erstwhile occupant, Dennis Idahosa, as deputy governor in the off-cycle election. A statement issued in Benin on Friday by the police spokesperson in Edo, Moses Iyamu, said the personnel were drawn from different formations and units. According to him, these include Zone 5 headquarters, the command, Police Mobile Force, Special Intervention Squad, and the Election Monitoring Team from the Force Headquarters, Abuja. Mr Yamu, a superintendent of police, quoted the Commissioner of Police in the state, Monday Agbonika, as saying that the deployment was designed to ensure adequate security before, during, and after the polls. This, he said, was to guarantee the safety of voters, electoral officials, and materials, as well as to maintain law and order. The police spokesperson said the command also imposed a restriction of movement from midnight on Friday to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday in all areas where elections would be held. This measure is to prevent any form of interference, disruption, or breach of peace during the electoral process, he said. He urged members of the public to comply with the directive, noting that only people on essential duties with valid identification would be allowed passage during the restriction. He said the commissioner warned that anyone found violating the order or engaging in acts capable of disrupting the election or undermining the peace would face the full weight of the law. While assuring residents of the commands neutrality and professionalism, Mr Agbonika encouraged eligible voters to come out and exercise their civic responsibility without fear. Adequate arrangements have been made for the safety of everyone, he said. (NAN) The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested five suspected illegal miners involved in the extraction and transportation of ilmenite, locally called black sand, without the requisite licence in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. Mr Oyewale said the arrest followed weeks of surveillance along the coastal lines of Mkpanak, Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom. According to him, the suspects are Samuel Akwa, Willie Uboko, Muhammed Tukur, Salmannu Ibrahim and Jaafar Adam. He explained that at the time of their arrest, the suspects were conveying 1,200 bags of Ilmenite in a truck without authorisation. All they had was a waybill indicating that the consignment belonged to a certain WillJane Global Ventures Ltd. Preliminary investigations into the matter showed that the said company, WillJane Global Ventures Ltd, is owned by one of the suspects, Willie Peter Uboko. He was alleged to have been operating without a mining licence for the past four years and transporting Ilmenite to unidentified destinations, Mr Oyewale said. He said that during questioning, the suspect confessed that they were on their way to Onne in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to make a delivery when they were arrested. He said that the suspects were making useful statements and would be arraigned as soon as investigations were concluded. The EFCC has been cracking down on illegal miners in different parts of Nigeria lately. About three months ago, the agencys operatives arrested two Chinese nationals and six Nigerians over alleged illegal mining activities in the Ogere area of Ogun State. The Chinese suspects Zhang Hang Lin and Gao Pei Hai and their alleged Nigerian conspirators Matthew Mathias, Oluwaseun Amoo, Wasiu Alao, Ajibola Nurudeen, Ibrahim Yinusa and Saidu Shuaibu were arrested during a sting operation, the EFCC said. It also said it recovered from the suspects three trucks loaded with sacks of substances suspected to be ground lithium powder, other yet-to-be-identified solid minerals, a Toyota 4Runner SUV, mobile phones, samples of low-grade lithium, Automated Teller Machine cards, the suspects international passports, four pieces of LED Flashlight and other documents. The police command in Anambra State has barred members of the state vigilante operatives, hunters and other quasi-security outfits from participating in Saturdays by-election duties. Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson in Anambra, disclosed this in a statement issued in Awka on Friday. Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, quoted the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Godwin Eze, supervisory officer in charge of security in the elections, as saying that only duly accredited security personnel would be allowed to participate in the polls. In line with the directive of the Inspector-General, Kayode Egbetokun, Eze has been deployed as the Supervisory Officer for the Anambra by-elections slated for 16 August. Consequently, he has assumed full charge of the deployment of officers and men for the exercise. The AIG in his address emphasised that only duly accredited security personnel will be permitted to participate in election duties. Consequently, all vigilante operatives, hunters, and other quasi-security outfits are strictly prohibited from any form of engagement during the exercise, Mr Ikenga stated. Local vigilantes in Nigeria sometimes compound the countrys security challenges because of partisan interests and lack of professionalism, even though there are reported cases where they have helped in the crackdown on criminal gangs. Mr Ikenga said that in order to ensure safe and hitch-free elections, there shall be restrictions on vehicular movement from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the affected areas throughout the election period. According to him, the areas include Nnewi North and South, Orumba North and South, Ekwusigo, Aguata and Ihiala local government areas, for the Anambra South Senatorial District. Other areas include Onitsha North Constituency 1, as well as Awka South LGA. The police spokesperson explained that the restriction was a proactive measure to deter criminal activities, reduce the risk of electoral violence, and guarantee the safety of voters, electoral officials, and security personnel. The command assured residents of its readiness to safeguard the electoral process, while urging citizens to remain law-abiding and cooperate with security personnel deployed for the exercise. The Independent National Electoral Commission scheduled the two by-elections to fill the vacancies created by the death of a senator, Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressives Party (Anambra South) and Justice Azuka of the Labour Party (Onitsha North State Constituency). (NAN) Ndianaabasi Innocent stared forlornly at his rice farm in Ekoi Atan Ubom, a village in Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State in south-south Nigeria. I invested about N400,000 in the four plots, but two are gone, said the 30-year-old farmer. The lands poor water retention meant the rice plants were exposed and scorched by the sun, turning his expected bountiful harvest into a harrowing loss. The land, which once held enough water and sustained the crops through dry spells, had become dry. The rice plants wilted prematurely, and the intense heat scorched their stalks. Mr Innocent said the soil moisture was better and the rainfall patterns were predictable in previous years. Even during dry periods, the soil held enough water to support crops. However, he observed a shift in the last two planting seasons, when rainfall became irregular and short, followed by long dry spells. The sun also seemed to become more intense, drying up his fields much faster. Experts attribute this pattern to climate change, which has disrupted traditional farming calendars and affected soil conditions in many parts of Nigeria. For farmers like Mr Innocent, the consequences are real and costly. Without irrigation systems or climate-smart practices, crops are left at the mercy of the elements. Staple Rice is a staple food for many households in Nigeria, and demand for it continues to rise. With a population exceeding 200 million, Nigeria relies heavily on imports to meet local rice consumption. Government data on food production is sometimes not available. However, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), rice production in Nigeria slowed to 5.23 million metric tonnes in 2024, down from 5.61 million metric tonnes in 2023 and 5.41 million metric tonnes in 2022. Conversely, consumption has surpassed seven million metric tonnes annually over the past five years. In 2024 alone, rice consumption reached approximately 7.6 million metric tonnes, an increase from 7.55 million metric tonnes in 2023 and 7.5 million in 2022. This shortfall between local production and demand has led to increased imports. In 2024, importation surged to 2.4 million metric tonnes from 1.89 million in 2023. Efforts to increase local production face multiple challenges, such as high production costs and climatic changes, especially in the southern part of the country, where farmers rely heavily on unpredictable rainfall. A shift in rainfall patterns could spell disaster. Under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, the government provided power tillers, motorised weeders and sprayers, and financial support to farmers through its Anchor Borrowers programme. But many farmers complained that they got nothing, especially in rural communities. Interventions For decades, successive Nigerian governments have launched several initiatives to boost local rice production, achieve self-sufficiency, and reduce imports. Yet local production cannot meet consumption. In 1970, the government established the Federal Rice Research Station to develop improved rice varieties. Four years later, it created the National Cereals Research Institute to support research, seed multiplication, and farmer training. Regional efforts like the Abakaliki Rice Project (1978) and Ibom Rice Project (2001) in Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom states followed, aimed to modernise farming techniques and to expand local production. In 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjos administration launched the Presidential Rice Initiative to close the demand-supply gap. This initiative recognised the growing population and the need to reduce the strain on foreign exchange from rice imports. Parallel international partnerships were also initiated. Nigeria partnered with global institutions, such as the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA) in 1971, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in 2000, and the Multinational New Rice for Africa (NERICA), to support seed distribution, training, and technology transfer. Also, under the Goodluck Jonathan administration (2010-150, the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) was introduced, with the plans to empower farmers and boost production through improved input systems and private sector engagement. However, the most ambitious public initiative was the central banks Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP), launched in 2015 by the ex-president Buhari administration. The programme reportedly disbursed over 1.12 trillion to smallholder farmers, primarily in rice, maize and wheat production. However, there were widespread reports of mismanagement, loan defaults, and allegations that many intended beneficiaries never received the funds. The National Assembly is currently probing the disbursement and utilisation of the 1.2 trillion. Despite decades of government investment, local farmers still cannot produce enough rice for Nigerians. Farmers challenges In Ebonyi State, a top rice-producing state, farmers face barriers in land acquisition to transportation of crops. Rose Nwachukwu, a farmer in the Onitsha community of Ebonyi State, explained how the high cost of labour and swampy land, a critical requirement for rice cultivation, nearly pushed her out of the business. Rice doesnt grow well on dry land. You need swampy land, and often what you have is not enough, so you borrow land from others. I used to pay N30,000 and N50,000 per plot for one planting season, but now its N80,000 or even N100,000, in addition to expenses like labour, fertiliser, among others, Mrs Nwachukwu said. So after calculating all these costs, you end up losing instead of gaining, which makes you reluctant to plant in the next season, she added. John Nnabo from Atikwo community in the Ebonyi Local Government Area spoke about the peculiar difficulty of preparing swampy land. Clearing swampy land is not like ordinary land; we dont have machines. We do everything manually, clearing, tilling, transplanting and paying a high price for each stage. Mr Nnabo said. He recalled investing over N600,000 in his rice farm in 2023, only for a large portion to be destroyed by flooding. Transportation has also become a growing concern for farmers, especially since the government removed the fuel subsidy. Fuel prices have gone up, and it has affected how we move our produce from the farm to the market. We now spend more on transport than ever. Where I used to pay N500, I now pay N1500 or N1800, he added. Rose Okonna, who has four rice farms in the same community, said labour costs and pests are twin challenges. Labour is very expensive. You must pay people to help with every process. And pests will also attack the rice, Mrs Okonna said. They come on TV and say they are supporting farmers, but ask any of us here, we dont see it. Politicians have hijacked everything, she added. In Akwa Ibom, Mboutidem Udofia, a rice farmer in Obot Obom, Ini Local Government Area, also decried the high cost of labour. To cultivate just one plot of land for rice, I usually spend around 100,000 and above. That includes clearing the swamp, tilling, nursing, and transplanting, Mr Udofia told PREMIUM TIMES. If all goes well, I will harvest seven to eight bags of 100 kg rice. But birds are another serious problem. If you leave the farm unattended even for a day, they can destroy everything. So, we pay boys to stay on the farm from morning to evening, sometimes for two weeks or even a month, depending on the stage of the rice. A community leader in Ekoi Atan Ubom in the Ini LGA, Isaac Sunday, spoke about the untapped potential of rice production in the area. Ini has what it takes to produce enough rice for the entire state, if given the right support. Mechanisation is very important. Right now, we clear the land manually. With machines, we could cover larger areas in fewer days, Mr Sunday said. We also need fertiliser support, grants, soft loans, and most importantly, access to markets. Our roads here are in terrible condition, and that discourages buyers from coming in, he added. The challenges have driven up the price of local rice in the market. A market survey by PREMIUM TIMES in early July showed that a 7.5kg bag, which previously sold for 5,000, was 7,000. A 50kg bag sold for about 70,000, almost the same as imported rice, which costs between 75,000 and 78,000. Mechanised farming, the way to go Expert Aremu Fakunle, an agricultural expert in the rice value chain, urged the authorities to promote mechanised farming, especially in areas with limited manpower. In the South, its a major problem because many young people who could have engaged in this rice farming are not interested in it. This is where mechanisation becomes essential. Small-scale mechanised farming should be promoted, and equipment needs to be made available to farmers, he said. Mr Fakunle lamented that government intervention programmes have not met the sectors expectations because they are not properly monitored to ensure that they reach the intended beneficiaries. Intervention programmes introduced by the government must be matched with strong implementation and evaluation mechanisms. This will reduce the misuse of funds and resources by the farmers and the administrators or other actors across the value chain, he said. We know it is impossible to separate the programmes from politics, but those in political positions should engage experts to ensure effective implementation. People with the right knowledge and experience should be allowed to manage government intervention programmes. Also, farmers should be encouraged to adopt best practices. One such method is Sustainable Rice Intensification (SRI), which is currently recognised as a global best practice for rice production. To benefit from it, farmers need access to proper training and skill development, Mr Fakunle added. Yahuza Illo, an agribusiness specialist, said the government must find ways to reduce the cost of inputs to ease farmers production costs and support research institutes. For the sector to truly grow, the government should work towards reducing the price of fertiliser, either through subsidies or input support. Also, they should support research institutes so they can develop high-yielding varieties of rice. With these improved varieties, farmers could produce nine to ten tonnes per hectare, as is common in many Asian countries, compared to the three or four tonnes we currently produce in Nigeria, Mr Illo said. The government should also support farmers through capacity building so they can learn the best practices for improving yield and efficiency, he added. Government speaks According to the Minister of State for Agriculture, Aliyu Abdullahi, the government will support farmers with machines. With the state of emergency in food security declared by the president, we are encouraging mechanised farming, which we believe will be appealing to the youths to venture into agriculture. We will distribute machines such as tractors to farmers and also provide training for those who will operate them, the minister said. There are some natural phenomena that we cannot control, like climate change. So in this aspect, we need to change our strategy. The idea of the mechanised farming system is to reduce the drudgery associated with all these production systems. For instance, someone with 10 hectares of rice, when cultivating manually, before he could finish, rain has already started and the water has flooded. But if it is done with machines, definitely, it will take just a day or two to complete everything. So these are what we are looking at to ensure that our food production level begins to see improvement, the minister added. This reporting was completed with the support of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has revealed that a federal university in Nigeria has about 1,200 staff members despite having less than 800 students. Mr Alausas comments came as he tried to justify the Nigerian governments decision to place a seven-year ban on the establishment of additional federal tertiary institutions. Speaking after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held at the presidential villa on Wednesday, the minister described such situations as a waste of government resources. Let me give you specific examples of one university in one of the regions in the country. They have less than 800 students, and they have a staff strength of 1200, he said. This is the commonality in our federal institutions. Several federal universities today have less than 2000 students. So, its just a waste of government resources. Mr Alausa did not name the university. However, it is likely to be one of the newly established federal universities. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the government created more than eight universities in less than two years. He said the challenge with Nigerias tertiary institutions was not access, noting that the government would rather improve the quality of the existing ones. Mr Alausa had directed the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), an intervention agency for Nigerian tertiary institutions, to use the institutions 2025 funding for the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure. The minister earlier decried the proliferation of bills for the creation of universities at the National Assembly, calling on the lawmakers to stop considering such bills. According to him, there were over 200 bills seeking the creation of federal universities in parts of the country. Funding crisis in tertiary institutions Meanwhile, the existing Nigerian tertiary institutions currently struggle with underfunding from the federal government. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the largest lecturers union in the country, had routinely decried the proliferation of universities. ASUU said the government had developed a habit of establishing universities, leaving their funding entirely to TETFund, straining the intervention agencys resources. Also, persistent underfunding has remained a key source of conflict between university workers and the government. ASUU recently warned of an imminent strike over the governments failure to conclude the renegotiation of an agreement with the union. The agreement, which largely covers funding for the universities and the academics welfare, was first signed in 2009 with an agreement of a period of renegotiation. However, renegotiation efforts in 2013, 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2024 have stalled with successive governments failing to sign the draft agreements. The last committee, inaugurated in October 2024 and chaired by the Pro-Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Yayale Ahmed, submitted its draft report to the government eight months ago. But the government has yet to sign or begin the implementation. After more than ten days of extensive discussions, delegations from about 184 countries were unable to reach a consensus on the adoption of an internationally binding treaty on plastics pollution. The negotiations were held in Geneva, Switzerland. This outcome highlights existing divisions among participating nations within various negotiation groups, as parties rejected two proposed drafts intended for adoption. Similarly, the third version of a proposed draft published at the early hours of Friday before the commencement of the closing plenary, was equally shelved by parties. The fifth session of the second part of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) is hereby adjourned and will resume at a later date, declared the Chair of the INC, Luis Valdivieso, in response to mounting pressure from the Heads of Delegation from Kuwait and the United States, who expressed frustration at the progress of the negotiations. The difficulties in achieving consensus became apparent on Friday, following an extension of negotiations that were initially scheduled to conclude on 14 August, but which extended to 15 August due to repeated delays in convening the closing plenary session. During the closing plenary, delegates/representatives of the participating countries took turns to express their concerns and devotion to achieve an encompassing agreement in the near future. As the session was drawing to a close, questions requesting details of what next by some country representatives got no definitive response from the presiding chair. PREMIUM TIMES observed that the plenary hall was somewhat scanty due to the repeated adjustment of the plenary schedules against the will of delegates and participants. INC-5.2 Last week Tuesday, nearly 4000 participants, including negotiators from over 180 countries, reconvened in Geneva for what was intended to be the final round of talks to establish a legally binding global instrument on plastic pollution. The convening, which kick-started over three years ago, is against the backdrop of a resolution (5/14) reached by member states at the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) in March 2022. The resolution, entitled End plastic pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument, requested the Executive Director of UNEP to convene an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an instrument. This instrument is to be based on a comprehensive science-based approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic, including its production, design, and disposal. This did not happen, as negotiations meant to achieve a balanced and all-inclusive treaty remain inconclusive amidst divergent views among member states. Nigerias concerns and demands In its immediate reaction to the adjournment of the INC-5.2 plenary, Nigerias Head of Delegation in Geneva, Jibrin Ahmadu, expressed the countrys commitment to reconstructive engagement. However, he noted that Nigeria cannot support an outcome that disregards its core positions, urging parties to work towards a text that is balanced, implementable and inclusive. Nigerias circumstances and capabilities must be respected in line with the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities, the official said. Additionally, he stressed the need for robust, predictable and adequately resourced financial mechanisms, alongside guaranteed access to appropriate and affordable technology. These, Mr Ahmadu said, are essential to drive meaningful and sustainable implementation of the plastics instrument. Without these enabling pillars, the ambition of this treaty will remain unattainable particularly for developing countries, he said. Core demands Mr Ahmadu said, as emphasised during the delegations meeting, Nigeria calls for a clear and inclusive definition that leaves no ambiguity in scope. Also, he identified recognition of the national action plan as a primary vehicle for implementation, and that it should be guided but not restrained by international frameworks. Nigeria also called for the removal of bracketed text and unclear provisions that undermine certainty, and an implementation framework that is fair and supportive of national development priorities. Nigeria acknowledges and welcomes the proposal for Kenya to host the secretariat, noting the strategic geographical and political significance of situating it on the continent of Africa, he noted. Africas position In her remarks, Ghanas ministry of environment director for policy planning, monitoring and evaluation, Lydia Essuah, who spoke on behalf of the Africa group, said Africa did not start it, but can end it. We, the Africa region, reaffirm our common ambition to end plastic pollution through a legally binding global treaty that protects human health and the environment, she said. She explained that the treaty must include measures that address plastics across the full lifecycle as mandated by UNEA resolution 5/14, that was adopted by consensus by parties. African countries came to these negotiations with more than words; we have been fully committed to this process, the official said, noting that a binding commitment to end plastic pollution must be accompanied by clear obligations to provide multilateral finance that is adequate, stable, accessible, and predictable. Without this, she said, African countries will not be able to implement the treaty at scale, protect vulnerable communities, or transition to sustainable production and consumption systems. While emphasising that the chairs text did not meet the aspirations of all Member States, Ms Essuah said Africa believed it could serve as the basis for future work. Africa demands a clear way forward and another INC where we can resume negotiations and, this time, develop a draft that reflects the mandate of UNEA 5/14 resolution and the high ambition that the world needs, she said. We cannot accept it as it is, but we will accept it if we can build on it and modify it in a fair and inclusive process. A tragedy occurred on Thursday in Ayede Ogbese community, Ondo State, as one person was shot dead while a woman was being kidnapped by some gunmen. Okudili Okoro, 34, was killed while Mrs Orogun was taken away by her abductors, who stormed the community located in Akure North Local Government Area, in two vehicles. Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, who confirmed the incident, said the kidnappers, numbering about 10, came in an unregistered Honda car, popularly called End of Discussion (EOD), and an unregistered Toyota Camry. Okudili Okoro m 34 years was shot dead at scene while one Mrs Orogun f was whisked away by the unknown gunmen numbering about 10 in two vehicles namely an unregistered Silver colored EOD car thats headed towards Akure after the operation and another unregistered Grey colour unregistered Toyota Camry thats also headed towards Owo after the attack, Mr Lawal said in a statement. The commissioner, who said he was at the scene of the incident on Friday morning to assess the situation, ordered all tactical commanders to ensure that the victim was rescued unharmed and those responsible arrested. Previous incidents The incident comes on the heels of the incident of the Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko, in which a lecturer was kidnapped and ransom collected. The police, however, urged the people of the state to cooperate with it and that anyone with relevant information should come forward with it. ALSO READ: Gunmen abduct 20 passengers travelling on Nigerian waterways With the spate of kidnappings in the state, several arrests had been made in recent times with a promise by the police to ensure thorough investigations and prosecution. Other security agencies, including Amotekun, have claimed successes in the fight against kidnapping with several suspects paraded before the public. Some victims had also been rescued in similar raids by the police and Amotekun. Residents are concerned that despite these achievements, kidnappings in the state remain unabated. A Nigerian researchers work on a little-known but deadly parasitic disease has earned her an international award and amplified global calls for urgent action against neglected tropical diseases. Ozioma Onuselogu, a graduate student at Eastern Illinois University, was honoured with the Booth Library Award for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Works for her research on Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite responsible for Chagas disease, and her advocacy for a global preparedness framework. Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a parasitic illness caused by a parasite found in the faeces of the triatomine bug. It is common in places where the triatomine bug transmits the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and causes swelling, fever and could become a serious threat if left unchecked. The places prone to this disease include South America, Central America and Mexico. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the disease is primarily transmitted by triatomine bugs, often called kissing bugs, when their infected faeces enter the body through broken skin or mucous membranes. It can also spread via contaminated food, blood transfusion, organ transplantation, or from mother to child during pregnancy. WHOs estimates show that about seven million people are currently infected, and more than 100 million individuals are at risk globally. The global health body noted that in the chronic stage, often occurring years after initial infection, up to one-third of patients may develop severe heart problems, and one in 10 may face digestive or neurological complications. It also noted that treatment with antiparasitic medications like benznidazole or nifurtimox is highly effective but only if initiated early. Study In her recent study on the disease, Ms Onuselogu found a high prevalence of the parasite in raccoons in Central Illinois, a state considered non-endemic, highlighting the risk of overlooked infections establishing themselves in new environments. She noted that the parasites ability to move silently across borders makes it a threat far beyond the regions where it is traditionally found. People think Chagas is only in Latin America, but diseases dont have passports. If it exists anywhere, it can spread everywhere. Neglect anywhere is a threat everywhere. Thats why we must prepare before it becomes the next global crisis, she said. According to Ms Onuselogu, the silent nature of this disease makes surveillance across regions critically important. She said, You may not even know youre infected because symptoms are very silent. It keeps lingering, and over time, it causes the damage. Thats why awareness must rise globally before it becomes the next pandemic waiting to happen. She added that while the disease is historically endemic to parts of Latin America, climate change, global travel, and wildlife movement might aid its spread into new areas. She also noted that her findings in Illinois central region reveal the risk of it taking root far from its known hotspots while also warning that the same factors driving the emergence of other zoonotic diseases such as monkeypox and Ebola could push the disease into new territories, including Africa. One health approach for prevention To combat this, Ms Onuselogu advocates a One Health approach by integrating human, animal, and environmental health systems to detect and contain outbreaks early. She noted that she organised an international symposium connecting scientists from over 10 countries, including Nigeria, Canada, and Australia, to share regional strategies for surveillance, screening, and education. ALSO READ: LASU lecturer wins global virology award We cant treat Chagas as just an animal problem or a Latin American problem. Wildlife lives in our backyards, and pets share our homes. One infection in an animal can infect humans, and vice versa, she said. I did my research in a presumed non-endemic region, yet I found a high prevalence in raccoons. If its here, it can be anywhere. We must see this as a shared health problem, she explained. Ms Onuselogus project was recognised for its contribution to public health knowledge and advocacy. But for her, the award is a platform to push for preparedness against neglected parasitic diseases. She noted that she hosts the annual One Health in Action event every 30 January, bringing together global participants to develop action plans for diseases that remain under-researched. We shouldnt wait until a disease goes viral before we prepare. If I focus on Chagas, someone else can focus on malaria or schistosomiasis. Together, we can close the gap between what we know and what we fight. The Nigerian government says it rejects the alleged designation of Nigerias two largest parties, APC and PDP, as terrorist organisations by a Canadian federal court. The Canadian court gave the controversial ruling in a case involving Douglas Egharevba, a Nigerian who arrived in Canada in September 2017 and applied for refugee status. Mr Evhareba applied for refugee status under the countrys Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which allows foreign nationals to seek protection if they fear persecution, torture, or risk to their life or safety in their home country. Although there have been Nigerian media reports that the court declared APC and PDP as terrorist organisations, a review of the court judgment by PREMIUM TIMES shows the court made no such declaration. In a statement issued on Friday, Nigerias Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the declaration by the Canadian Court as a baseless classification and an interference in Nigerias internal affairs. When PREMIUM TIMES approached a foreign ministry spokesperson to avail him of our findings, he said the ministry stands by its statement. The ministry stated that the declaration was not only reckless but also constitutes an unacceptable interference in Nigerias democratic processes. The ministry noted that the designation of both parties as terrorist organisations casts sweeping accusations of terrorism on every party member, including present and previous national leaders. The Court made a sweeping accusation against the entire membership of a political party. The larger ramification of the decision is that every member of the mentioned political parties is a potential terrorist, and that is completely false and unacceptable. It added that both parties have produced democratically elected presidents. It also argued that the court should have limited its judgment to individuals found culpable, rather than the parties as a whole. Nigeria is a sovereign nation with a robust legal and constitutional framework governing political activities. Our political parties operate within the ambit of the law and are integral to the countrys vibrant democracy. To associate legitimate political entities with terrorism without credible evidence is a grave misrepresentation that undermines Nigerias democratic institutions and could incite unnecessary tension. Diplomatic channels remain open for constructive dialogue, and we urge the Government of Canada to engage with the relevant Nigerian institutions to rectify this error, it added. The ministry urged the international community to disregard the ruling, describing it as misguided, and reaffirmed the countrys dedication to democratic governance and the rule of law. It also noted that Nigeria was committed to the global fight against terrorism and had made significant strides in countering extremist groups within its borders. The Nigerian government further warned citizens within and outside the country against making unfounded allegations against Nigeria under the pretext of seeking asylum or favours from foreign entities. The Nigerian government has taken a major step toward improving menstrual health and hygiene for women and girls with the validation of its first-ever National Policy on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management (MHHM). Speaking at the validation meeting in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim described the policy as a decisive step toward building a Nigeria where menstruation does not limit any woman or girl child. Mrs Sulaiman-Ibrahim, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, said Nigeria has one of the largest populations of women and girls of reproductive and menstrual age in Africa. She noted that women aged 1549 constitute about 2530 per cent of the countrys population, meaning tens of millions of Nigerians manage menstruation every month. Alarmingly, 15 per cent of girls aged 1519 are already mothers or pregnant, and over 7.3 million adolescent girls and women suffer from undernutrition, with 55 per cent affected by anaemia; conditions that can be exacerbated by poor menstrual hygiene and lack of affordable sanitary products, she said. She explained that these realities further justify the urgency of the National policy validation. She noted that menstrual health is not just a womans issue; it is a family, community, and national development issue. Every month, from bustling cities like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano, to remote villages in Borno, Benue, Cross River, and Sokoto, as well as IDP camps in Maiduguri, Zamfara, and Adamawa, millions of women and girls experience menstruation; a normal biological process that should never be a source of shame, stigma, or economic hardship, she said. A timely policy Mrs Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that inadequate access to sanitary products, poor WASH infrastructure, lack of accurate information, and persistent cultural taboos have contributed to exclusion, absenteeism from school, and preventable health challenges. She said the development of this National Policy is a direct response to these realities; breaking the silence, eliminating stigma, and embedding MHHM into national development agenda across health, education, water, sanitation, and gender sectors. She added that this policy sets a clear vision by 2030 which includes that no girl in Nigeria should have to choose between managing her menstruation and pursuing her education Also, no woman should be hindered in her personal or professional development because of menstruation; and no community should sustain stigma or exclusion linked to it, she said. She said the implementation will require strong collaboration across sectors, political will, and active participation from states, communities, and development partners. A milestone Speaking at the meeting, the Acting Country Representative, Population Services International (PSI) Nigeria, Fifi Ogbondeminu, said today marks a milestone in Nigerias journey towards ensuring that menstruation is no longer a silent burden but an issue addressed with dignity, empathy, and urgency. Mrs Ogbondeminu, who was represented by the Team Lead for Menstrual Health Initiatives at PSI Nigeria, Abdulhameed Adediran, said menstrual health is a human rights issue, a gender equality issue, and a development issue. She noted that through PSIs Menstrual Health No Wahala (MH-NoW) programme, the organisation has witnessed the transformative impact of providing women and girls with affordable menstrual products, age-appropriate education and enabling environments that break stigma. While commending the ministry for leading the process, Mrs Ogbondeminu emphasised that policies alone cannot change lives, noting that its full implementation makes the difference. She said PSI is committed to working with the federal and state governments, communities, and other stakeholders to translate this policy into concrete action. According to her, this includes ensuring the availability of low-cost menstrual products across rural and urban areas, integrating menstrual health into school and community programmes, and empowering girls to stay in education without shame or interruption. She added that PSI teams across implementing states including Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Kano, Lagos, Nasarawa, Sokoto and most recently Plateau are on standby to adapt this policy for implementation once finalised. The policy we are gathered to validate today will be a lasting legacy-one that future generations will look back on as a turning point in Nigerias fight for menstrual justice, she said. We, therefore, urge all stakeholders to carry forward the spirit of collaboration and urgency that has brought us to this point. In her remark, Evelyn Mere, Country Director, WaterAid Nigeria, described the policy as not just a milestone but a powerful signal of commitment to the human right, health, dignity, and empowerment of girls and women across our nation. Ms Mere, who was represented by the Policy and Advocacy Manager at WaterAid, Theodora Ngouka said WaterAid is proud to be part of a process that represents years of advocacy, research, and the voices of Nigerian women and girls who have long waited for this moment. At WaterAid Nigeria, weve seen firsthand what changes when communities address menstrual health properly. Schools where girls no longer miss classes. Workplaces where women participate fully. Communities where the silence and shame around menstruation give way to open, practical support, she said. On August 7, the White House released an executive order directing the Labor Department, which regulates retirement investing, to accelerate access to alternative investments in employer-sponsored defined contribution (DC) retirement plans, such as 401k's. Alternative investments were defined to include private market investments, real estate, commodities, infrastructure projects, lifetime income strategies and notably, "holdings in actively managed investment vehicles that are investing in digital assets." (Curiously, crypto was the only asset class where "actively managed" was specified versus the "direct or indirect" language used for everything else a regulatory breadcrumb worth exploring.) The crypto industry at least its asset management segment cheered this latest presidential order granting crypto managers access to a $12 trillion pool of very sticky U.S. investment money. CoinDesk's coverage included industry reactions like this from Bitwise's Matt Hougan: "This order isn't about the government saying 'crypto belongs in 401(k)s.' It's about the government getting out of the way and letting people make their own decisions." Herein lies the problem: most people who participate in 401k plans don't make their own decisions, or do so hastily. In fact, there is a law in place to make sure participants don't have to decide at all. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 solved a thorny problem for employers: what to do when 401k participants don't choose their own investments. Previously, employers faced potential liability for any default investment that performed poorly. The act gives employers safe harbor protection if they make default elections a "Qualified Default Investment Alternative" (QDIA) usually a target-date or balanced fund. HR departments no longer had to worry about being sued for picking the "wrong" default option. While this solved the employer liability problem, it created an opportunity for folks to neglect one of the most important investment decisions of their lives. Participants typically join their 401k during the chaos of starting a new job dealing with health insurance, taxes, onboarding and actually learning the job. Faced with investment choices they don't understand, many simply go with the flow and accept whatever default option their employer has selected, often a target-date fund with a retirement date that roughly matches their age. The glidepath concept automatically shifting from stocks to bonds as retirement approaches creates a false sense of security. Participants assume they're "all set" simply by not opting out, and never revisit the decision. Years or decades may pass. The Lagos State Police Command has dismantled a notorious trans-border child trafficking syndicate, rescuing 11 victims and arresting four suspects allegedly involved in luring and transporting young Nigerians to Ghana for prostitution. Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin said in a statement on Friday that operatives of the Ilemba Hausa Division intercepted the gang on Wednesday. They arrested one Mustapha Abubakar, an okada rider suspected to be a recruiter, in possession of a 15-year-old girl about to be trafficked. He said the case was transferred to the commands Special Squad I, which, acting on intelligence, launched a coordinated manhunt. He noted that the operation led to the arrests of Charles Chima, 54, at Amuwo Odofin; Emmanuel Nwaka, 36, along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway; and Princess John, 21, at Ojota. Investigation revealed that all the arrested suspects are part of the criminal network that recruits and traffics young women from Nigeria to Ghana, Mr Hundeyin said. Mr Hundeyin stated that further enquiries led to the rescue of 10 more victims, aged between 21 and 29. They are now in protective custody, receiving care and support, with arrangements underway to reunite them with their families. He said the suspects remain in police custody and are assisting investigators to uncover the full extent of the network. Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, commended the operatives for their swift and professional work, reaffirming the Commands zero tolerance for human trafficking. He urged residents to remain vigilant, monitor the welfare of young persons, and promptly report suspicious activities. Not the first time The latest arrests come months after operatives of the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, smashed another trafficking syndicate in February, rescuing five children aged one to six from suspected traffickers. Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Adegoke Fayoade said the zone received intelligence on 8 January about a gang specialising in the buying and selling of newborns, toddlers, and children. The syndicate, he explained, was led by three people one who supplied the children, another acting as a middle person and caregiver, and a third who cared for the children before handing them to buyers. The childrens identities were altered by the traffickers to conceal their origins. One boy, sold as a week-old infant, was resold to a couple in Italy but kept in Nigeria under the syndicates watch. ALSO READ: Four fake blind beggars remanded for child trafficking in Abuja Another boy, aged three, was sold in 2021 for N500,000, while a one-year-old was sold by his biological mother in September 2024 for N1.5 million to a buyer in Alausa, Ikeja, before being recovered in Owerri. A six-year-old boy was allegedly bought for N800,000 in Imo State. The gang was also found holding a three-year-old girl brought in as a newborn. Following the February operation, Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Abubakre Ogunlende, reiterated the governments firm opposition to child trafficking, warning that the buying and selling of children would not be tolerated. Speaking at a joint briefing with police at Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Mr Ogunlende praised the rescue of five children from a syndicate led by Sunday Okputu. He described the success as a celebration of the power of collaboration and stressed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olus administration was committed to ensuring every child in Lagos grew up in safety. Deputy Commissioner of Police Ajao Adewale said the rescue was made possible through intelligence-led policing and community cooperation. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu, added that the rescued children would undergo medical evaluations before being placed in government-run homes for rehabilitation. The Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted three internet fraudsters arrested during a controversial raid on a hotel at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) complex in Abeokuta, Ogun State, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The judge Dehinde Dipeolu, sitting as a vacation judge in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, convicted Isaac Akinwale, Ibrahim Azeez Olatunji, Habeeb Oladipupo Oshundairo and Bisiriyu Abiodun on separate cybercrime charges, including identity theft and obtaining money by false pretence. They were among 93 suspects arrested during the EFCC raid. All three pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them. EFCC operative Umar Shuaibu told the court that Mr Akinwale posed as a female celebrity online to defraud a victim of $500. Prosecutor Franklin Ofoma tendered as exhibits a 2007 Toyota Camry, a Galaxy phone, and a bank draft of N400,000. Delivering judgement, Mr Dipeolu sentenced Mr Akinwale to three months imprisonment or a N1 million fine, and Mr Olatunji to one months imprisonment or a N500,000 fine for a romance scam. Mr Oshundairo was sentenced to 30 days of community service, including carrying a banner reading: Cybercrime Does Not Pay. Stay Away from Cybercrime. But the fourth defendant, Onunoye Olamilekan, denied allegations of impersonating Nurse Becky on Facebook and retaining $50 in suspected criminal proceeds. His lawyer argued that the charges cited a non-existent section of the Cybercrimes Act. The judge ordered his remand at Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending trial on 31 October. Background The EFCC had filed charges against 23 suspects from the OOPL raid, but only four could be arraigned on Friday. The commission had earlier announced that the suspectsamong 93 arrestedwere apprehended while allegedly celebrating their fraudulent activities at a pool party. EFCC said the event was moved to the OOPL hotel after the organisers learnt of an impending sting operation. According to the agency, almost all those profiled have been linked to internet-related crimes. It stressed that the OOPL facility was not targeted, but the suspects themselves. OOPLs response The OOPL management condemned the EFCCs midnight operation, describing it as Gestapo-like and alleging that operatives fired gunshots, injured attendees, and issued death threats. At a press conference in Abeokuta, Managing Director Vitalis Ortese demanded N3.5 million in restitution for vehicles seized, at least N1 billion for bodily injuries to over 100 persons, and N2.5 billion for reputational damage to the facility and its chief promoter, former President Olusegun Obasanjo. OOPL issued a seven-day ultimatum to the EFCC and the Inspector General of Police to tender an unreserved apology or face legal action. These are the very expressions of creativity and productivity we are meant to encouragenot criminalise. The indiscretion displayed in this operation has created an aura of fear among youths who are striving to earn legitimate their incomes. It sends the wrong messagethat creativity and enterprise are suspect, that ambition is dangerous, and that public spaces are unsafe. We have engaged legal counsel, security experts, and civil society partners to demand accountability, enforce institutional respect, and protect the rights of our patrons and staff, Mr Ortese said. Two former Nigerian leaders, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, have called for urgent and decisive action to bring the long-neglected Baro Inland Port in Niger State into full operation. They pledged their personal backing to see the decades-old project finally delivered. The duo made their positions known in Minna during separate meetings with members of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of the Baro Inland Port. The committee is currently on an oversight tour to evaluate the state of the facility and its supporting infrastructure. Messrs Babangida and Abdulsalami, both retired military generals, hail from Niger State. Abdulsalami, in his remarks, pressed for the port to be granted the status of an internationally recognised inland waterway, arguing that such a designation would secure its future against political interference. Once it is made an international waterway, no future government or political interest will be able to tamper with it. Baro Port, for time immemorial, has played a very significant role in bringing goods to the North. We must restore it to that position, he said. Tracing the projects history, Mr Abdulsalami noted that successive governments, dating back to the Babangida and Abacha eras, had recognised its strategic importance. He recalled allocating funds for its revival during his tenure but lamented that the facility had been repeatedly neglected despite multiple commissioning ceremonies. He laid out a four-point strategy to make Baro Port fully functional: dredge the River Niger to the port and secure international recognition; restore the rail line linking Baro to the North; construct a proper, durable access road; and designate the facility as an inland free zone to attract investors. These are the key steps, he said. If you do them, Baro Port will work, and the whole country will benefit. Abdulsalami also urged the committee to prioritise the development of other inland ports such as Lokoja, to strengthen trade networks nationwide. Mr Babangida, during his meeting with the lawmakers, described their visit as timely and long overdue. Its something we have been praying for over many years, he said, recalling his advocacy for the port during the Obasanjo and YarAdua administrations. Im glad yours will be the last time, God willing, that we will get it formalised and completed during your initiative. You can be rest assured that I will do the best I can to support you on thisl he added. The former military president underscored the ports role in driving industrial growth in Niger State, stressing that the only way an industrial estate can develop effectively is when there are facilities like the Baro Port. Mr Babangida vowed to continue lobbying for the projects completion, joking that he would whip any stakeholder who slowed down the effort. Committee Chairperson Saidu Abdullahi said the lawmakers were in Niger State to inspect the port site, the rail corridor, and the connecting road network, while engaging ministries, the Nigerian Railway Corporation, traditional rulers, and the state governor. Their findings will be presented to the House upon return to Abuja. Last month, the committee summoned the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji, over irregularities surrounding the multi-billion-naira port project. When he appeared before the committee last Tuesday, Mr Oyetola reaffirmed the federal governments commitment to transforming the port into a thriving inland trade gateway. The Baro Inland Port The Baro Inland Port is a strategic transport and logistics facility located on the banks of the River Niger in Baro, Niger State. First established in 1908 under British colonial administration, it served as a key point for shipping agricultural produce, livestock, and goods from the North to the South via waterways. The port was meant to be a central hub in Nigerias inland waterway network, linking seamlessly with rail and road systems to boost trade efficiency and reduce pressure on congested highways. In its modern form, the project was reconstructed and commissioned in 2019, with billions of naira invested to position it as a major cargo distribution centre for northern Nigeria. Equipped with cargo handling equipment and a 3,600-tonne capacity warehouse, the port was expected to stimulate economic activity, lower transportation costs, and create jobs. However, poor access roads, an uncompleted rail link, and insufficient dredging of the River Niger have kept it non-operational since commissioning. A persistent failure by Nigerian authorities to address the security crisis in the South-east has allowed state and non-state actors to commit widespread human rights violations, killing at least 1,844 people between January 2021 and June 2023, according to Amnesty International. The group said this in a 56-page report released on Thursday. The reportA Decade of Impunity: Attacks and Unlawful Killings in Southeast Nigeriadocuments an alarming pattern of unlawful killings, torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and destruction of property carried out by armed groups, state-backed militias, vigilantes, cult gangs and security forces across the region. Amnesty said unknown gunmen killed more than 400 people in Imo State between 2019 and 2021, often raiding villages unmasked, attacking residents, police stations and vigilante posts. The unrest in the South-east region is linked to long-running agitation for an independent Biafra, a cause that has shifted from street demonstrations to militarised enforcement. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu, became the movements most visible promoter, championing sit-at-home protests and self-determination. IPOBs armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), was formed in late 2020. Mr Kanus arrest and detention in 2021 further worsened the matter. Originally formed to protect the region from armed herders, the ESN quickly became embroiled in clashes with Nigerian security forces, feeding a cycle of reprisals and crackdowns. Simon Ekpa, a Finland-based lawyer, emerged as a prominent figure in the Biafra movement following Mr Kanus detention. He leads the self-styled Biafra Republic Government in Exile and issues frequent online broadcasts and directives, including calls for sit-at-home protests. Nigerian authorities have accused him of contributing to the unrest in the South-east and encouraging the violent enforcement of such orders. He has denied the allegations. Recounting survivors accounts, Amnesty said communities were routinely extorted for money during burials and weddings, with refusal often punished by night-time assaults and arson. The government must stop turning a blind eye to the unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, enforced disappearances, and destruction of properties in the South-East region, said Isa Sanusi, the Nigeria director of Amnesty International. Authorities must live up to their constitutional and international human rights obligations including by ensuring all suspected perpetrators are brought to justice in fair trial, no matter who they are, and that victims and their families have access to justice and effective remedies. Amnesty said authorities continue to blame IPOB and its armed wing, the ESN, for many attacks, though both deny involvement in the unknown gunmen phenomenon. It noted that enforcement of IPOBs August 2021 sit-at-home order has led to killings, beatings and school closures across the region, with exams disrupted and markets shut in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states. Many residents have stopped travelling to their hometowns for fear of abduction, while traditional events such as weddings and funerals are increasingly held outside the region. Ungoverned spaces and paramilitary abuses Some communities, including Agwa and Izombe in Imo State and Lilu in Anambra State, have been effectively taken over by gunmen, Amnesty said. It added that cult gangs, especially in parts of Anambra, have compounded insecurity with violence linked to a thriving drug trade. The report accuses the state-backed Ebube Agu paramilitary force, created by South-east governors in April 2021, of arbitrary arrests, torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and property destruction. Security agencies, including the military and police, were also implicated in unlawful killings, torture and arbitrary detention during operations. Justice eludes victims Despite years of bloodshedbeginning with a 2015 crackdown on pro-Biafra protestsno comprehensive accountability measures have been taken. Amnesty said the scale of killings, disappearances and fear of attacks show how badly the authorities are failing to protect lives and property and ensure law and order. Impunity for these crimes continues to have a chilling effect on the enjoyment of other human rights, Mr Sanusi said, urging prompt, independent investigations and reparations for victims. The organisation said findings from the latest report had been shared with South-east governors and security agencies, but no response was received. Oil and gas service providers across Africa have formed a continental forum known as the African Local Content Organisation (ALCO), with the goal of collaborating among themselves to deliver complex projects, creating and retaining value in the multibillion dollar African energy sector and growing the economy. The organisation was unveiled on Wednesday, Day 2 of the 2025 Namibia Oil and Gas Conference, at Windhoek, Namibia. Membership of the body is open to national associations of service providers in the oil and gas and mining sectors across the African continent. Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) and member of NCDMB Governing Council, Mr Wole Ogunsanya introduced the organisation and explained that the body would serve as the private sector arm of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation, (APPO), which comprises African governments engaged in oil and gas operations. He underscored the pivotal and complimentary roles the private sector plays in building African local content, particularly in the development of competent human capacities, deployment of technologies and equipment, mobilization of private capital, and execution of projects. He said the organisation would be launched officially at the 2026 African Union (AU) conference, in view of its strategic importance to continents economy. Key to the groups plan is to institute close partnership with APPO and the African Energy Bank (AEB). The Bank was recently set up by APPO to fund big ticket energy projects across the continent and bridge the funding gap impeding the development of key energy projects. Members of the group, Mr Ogunsanya said, are well positioned to execute key scopes of the projects that would be financed by the Energy Bank. This would guarantee value and spend retention in the continent, helping to catalyze the economy. Other key objectives of the forum include facilitating exchange of knowledge and capacities among African energy service companies, enabling collaboration on projects, and growing Africas gross domestic product (GDP). The PETAN Chair added: through the forum we can carry out benchmark studies, join forces to solve industry problems. It is also a forum where African energy service companies can link up and find partners across the continent. It would enable the exchange of equipment and partnership on major industry projects. As Namibia or any other African country develops energy projects, you can count on your African brothers to share our over 70 years knowledge and experience in the oil and gas industry. Fourteen (14) African countries have already joined the organisation, including Nigeria, Morocco, Senegal, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, he said. The PETAN chairman is serving as the interim chair of the African Local Content Organisation, while Ibrahim Talla from Senegal is the Secretary, The new organisation has received endorsement from the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Felix Omatsola Ogbe, who described it as a key platform for advancing African local content. Represented at the Namibian event by the Director, Corporate Services, Abdulmalik Halilu, the NCDMB boss referenced the vital roles the Board played in the establishment of the African Energy Bank, assuring that it would continue to promote African local content and extend every possible assistance to the ALCO. An Ondo State High Court in Akure has sentenced David Friday and Innocent Victor, to death by hanging for their involvement in armed robbery. They were arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery, and impersonating members of the armed forces. A prosecution witness, Akinmodun Akinleye, told the court that while returning from his farm along Ibepo in Idanre on 15 January 15, 2021, at about 1 a.m., he was stopped at Ojalade Junction by two menone wearing a black police T-shirt and the other in full military camouflage. He said both were armed with jack knives and were flashing the headlight of their TVS motorcycle at him. According to him, the men ransacked his vehicle, took N6,000 from him, and instructed him to fuel their motorcycle with 30 litres of petrol, which he did. He later discovered that his Itel phone, valued at N8,500, was also missing. Another prosecution witness, Olowogbadegun Lanre, a security guard, said he was on night duty at Yaba Junction in Idanre that same night when he saw two men on a black TVS motorcycle one in a police T-shirt and the other in army camouflage. He said they ordered him to drop his gun, but he refused. Shortly after, the men stopped an 18-seater bus, ordered the driver out, made him sit on the floor, and took all his money. Mr Olowogbadegun said the men beat the driver with jack knives and their fists, taking N5,000 from him. They offered him (Olowogbadegun) N2,000, but he declined. Around 4 a.m., the driver returned to ask if I knew the two men, and I confirmed that I did. Together, we went to the police station to report, he said. When invited by the Divisional Police Officer, the driver identified the man who had robbed him while wearing the police uniform. The third prosecution witness, Adeyeye Sesan, a transporter, testified that he was returning home when he encountered the two menone in military camouflage and the other dressed like a policeman. He said the man in camouflage demanded N10,000, and when he refused, the man slapped him, dragged him out of his bus, and began to beat him. The other man, in police uniform, joined in, using a pistol and sticks to assault him. READ ALSO: Court jails four men for vandalising power installations Mr Adeyeye said they forcibly took N125,000 from his pocket the proceeds of his work for the day. After robbing him, they dragged him back to his bus and injured his leg with a dagger, threatening to kill him with the pistol. The police prosecutor, Ilesanmi Samuel, an Inspector, told the court that investigations revealed David Friday was a serving member of the Nigeria Police Force attached to Olofin Police Station, Idanre, while Innocent Victors claim of being a soldier was false, as confirmed by the Owena Cantonment in Akure. Both men confessed to the crimes, he said. In his judgment, the judge, W.R. Olamide, held that the prosecution had successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced the defendants to death by hanging. The police in Akwa Ibom State have arrested a suspected fake doctor parading himself as an ophthalmologist. In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday, the police spokesperson in the state, Timfon John, said the suspect, Gabriel Gideon, was administering a mixture of unapproved substances to hundreds of people in communities in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom. The suspect was reportedly treating eye defects with unapproved substances when he was arrested on Thursday, Ms John, a deputy superintendent of police, said. Mr Gideon confessed to not being a qualified ophthalmologist. He allegedly assembled over 300 people in each village, charging them N500 to administer a concoction of olive oil, juice, and water as a cure for various eye conditions. A medical team from the Ministry of Health confirmed the nature of the unapproved substances, Ms John said. The incident came a day after police operatives in the state arrested a suspected car thief and recovered the stolen car. The suspect, Otoabasi Ime, the police said, was found in possession of a Toyota Camry confirmed to be one of the stolen cars connected to a previously apprehended syndicate. The command is intensifying efforts to recover the remaining stolen cars, Ms John had said in a statement sent to this newspaper on Thursday. This newspaper last month reported that the police arrested a suspected car thief and vandals in the state. The suspect was arrested through a stop and search operation conducted along Ikot Ekpene Road main park, the police had said. Strong foundation of creating access to high-quality care in rural areas sets the stage for future innovations. CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Advocate Health's commitment to provide access to care for all is showcased in a new report detailing the health system's sweeping and deep commitment to providing high-quality and innovative health care to rural communities. The white paper, published this week at AdvocateHealth.org/RuralCare, provides a big-picture look at the health system's work across its rural footprint, including its 21 rural hospitals and 322 rural clinics. Entitled "Commitment to Community: Advocate Health's Role as an Innovative National Rural Health Leader," the report also highlights the stories of individual clinicians going above and beyond for their patients across its six-state footprint. "Access to nation-leading care shouldn't depend on your ZIP code or size of your town" - Gene Woods, CEO Advocate Health Post this "At Advocate Health, we believe access to nation-leading care shouldn't depend on your ZIP code or the size of your town," said Eugene A. Woods, chief executive officer of Advocate Health. "That's why we're investing more than $3 billion across our rural footprint to expand access, improve outcomes and create jobs. "We're combining the strength of a national health system with the heart of local care delivered by people who live in and understand the communities they serve," Woods added. "From virtual visits that bring specialists to small towns to new facilities, expanded mental health services and training the next generation of rural health professionals, we're committed to transforming rural health and strengthening the communities we call home." Advocate Health serves patients in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina and Wisconsin under the regional care delivery brands Advocate Health Care, Atrium Health and Aurora Health Care. Wake Forest University School of Medicine is the academic core of the health system. Advocate Health's ongoing efforts are laying a strong foundation for more substantial commitments in the future via strategic partnerships. Last month, Hugh Chatham Health joined Advocate Health, deepening the system's rural health commitment. Recently announced grants from The Duke Endowment and expansion of a school-based therapy program to serve students in five more rural counties in North Carolina are also among Advocate Health's growing track record of success and support in rural health care detailed in the report. The report also demonstrates how Advocate Health has extended clinical trials to its rural operations, expanded its nationally leading hospital at home program and is investing in the next generation of medical professionals, including the establishment of a rural residency program. With roughly one in three rural hospitals across the country currently at risk of closure amid small patient populations and low reimbursement rates, the report also outlines several national-level policy proposals that would make continuing and improving health care in rural areas more sustainable. It comes as hospitals and health systems across the country face steep financial and operational challenges in providing care to rural communities. "Closure of a hospital can be devastating for a rural area, especially when it is the lone facility for many miles," said Dr. Nwando Olayiwola, president of Advocate Health's National Center for Clinical and Community Impact and a leader of the system's rural care efforts. "In small communities, a hospital can be a community institution on par with the local school, the county courthouse or a place of worship." Challenges for providers include recruiting and retaining the best doctors and nurses. Advocate Health is pursuing several new efforts to improve its own recruiting, and its leadership in virtual health offerings can help get patients the best care possible no matter where they live. "Technologies are going to advance and provide more opportunities for our expert doctors and nurses to provide excellent care in rural communities," said Dr. Matt Anderson, Advocate Health's senior vice president for clinical transformation and a leader of the system's rural health work. "Our patients come first, and it's our job to keep innovating and putting those new tools to the best possible use for them." Find the full report at AdvocateHealth.org/RuralCare. SOURCE ATRIUM HEALTH Two all-new taste experiences reimagine how fans enjoy their favorite pepperoni AUSTIN, Minn., Aug. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As consumers continue to seek out bold, adventurous flavors and new ways to elevate everyday eating occasions, the makers of HORMEL Pepperoni are answering the call with two exciting new additions to its category-defining lineup: HORMEL Pepperoni with Jalapeno and HORMEL Pepperoni Dill Pickle Flavored. These bold new flavors are made for today's food lovers those who crave a little extra excitement in every bite. Crafted with high-quality ingredients and designed for flavor seekers, HORMEL Pepperoni with Jalapeno delivers a bold, spicy kick. HORMEL Pepperoni Dill Pickle Flavored offers a tangy, craveable twist to spice up snack time or add a punch of personality to pizza night. HORMEL Pepperoni with Jalapeno and HORMEL Pepperoni Dill Pickle Flavored are two bold new flavors that are made for todays food lovers those who crave a little extra excitement in every bite. With nearly half of U.S. consumers actively seeking elevated taste experiences1, and with pickle- and jalapeno-inspired foods surging in popularity, these all-new pepperoni varieties reflect the bold, craveable flavors that are capturing consumer attention across both meal and snack-time occasions. Jalapeno continues to gain traction amid growing consumer demand for bolder, spicier flavors. Dill pickle has also captured consumer attention, with 65% expressing interest in pickle-forward offerings2. These bold new flavor additions from the HORMEL Pepperoni brand reimagine a classic favorite great on pizza, layered in sandwiches, stacked on a charcuterie board, or enjoyed straight from the package with trending flavors to match. "Our fans have been asking for something new and exciting, and we're thrilled to deliver with two new flavors that we know people are craving," said Andrew McElroy, HORMEL Pepperoni brand manager. "Whether you're chasing heat or looking for that tangy zing, these new pepperoni varieties bring fresh personality to the pepperoni category." Crafted with high-quality ingredients and designed for flavor seekers, HORMEL Pepperoni with Jalapeno delivers a bold, spicy kick, while HORMEL Pepperoni Dill Pickle Flavored offers a tangy, craveable twist. Both are ideal for consumers looking to spice up snack time or add a punch of personality to pizza night. HORMEL Jalapeno and Dill Pickle Pepperoni are now available at major grocery retailers nationwide and online. To learn more, find recipes or locate a store near you, visit hormelpepperoni.com. 1. Mintel, Flavors to Watch in 2025. 2. Datassential, The World of Savory Flavors, March 2024. About the HORMEL Pepperoni Brand For more than 100 years, pepperoni has been a longstanding American favorite and a well-known specialty of Hormel Foods. Today, the HORMEL Pepperoni brand is the No. 1 selling brand of pepperoni (based on latest 52-week IRI data) in the United States, thanks to its great flavor and top-quality ingredients. For more information about the brand, including product information, recipes and where to buy, visit hormelpepperoni.com. About Hormel Foods Inspired People. Inspired Food. Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), based in Austin, Minnesota, is a global branded food company with approximately $12 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include PLANTERS, SKIPPY, SPAM, HORMEL NATURAL CHOICE, APPLEGATE, JUSTIN'S, WHOLLY, HORMEL BLACK LABEL, COLUMBUS, JENNIE-O and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of the best companies to work for by U.S. News & World Report, one of America's most responsible companies by Newsweek, recognized by TIME magazine as one of the World's Best Companies and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement Inspired People. Inspired Food. to bring some of the world's most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit hormelfoods.com. Contact: Media Relations Hormel Foods [email protected] SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation By Wen-Yee Lee and Faith Hung TAIPEI (Reuters) -Foxconn on Thursday forecast a significant rise in third-quarter revenue as the world's biggest iPhone maker said it had for the first time made more money from its AI server business than from smart electronics last quarter. The company said artificial intelligence server revenue is expected to leap more than 170% year-on-year in the coming quarter, though it also warned of uncertainty from U.S. tariffs. Nvidia's biggest server maker and Apple's top iPhone assembler has been riding a data centre boom, as cloud computing firms such as Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet's Google spend billions of dollars to expand their AI infrastructure and research capacity. Cloud and networking products, which include servers, accounted for 41% of its revenue in the second quarter, while smart consumer products represented 35%, the company said. The contribution from the server business to its revenue is set to grow further in the current quarter, as Foxconn expects a slight decline in smart consumer electronics revenue. Some experts expect iPhone sales to slow after they surged in the June quarter ahead of the expected imposition of U.S. tariffs. "AI has been the primary growth driver so far this year," Kathy Yang, rotating CEO of Foxconn, said on a call with media and analysts. She warned however that "close attention is needed due to the impact of changes in tariffs and exchange rates". The company said on Thursday its capital spending would rise more than 20% this year, as it plans to boost server production capacity in its manufacturing sites in Texas and Wisconsin. Global trade uncertainty and particularly the trade spat between the U.S. and China could dim its outlook this year as it has a major manufacturing presence in China, though Washington and Beijing this week extended a tariff truce for another 90 days. Most of the iPhones Foxconn makes for Apple are assembled in China, but the bulk of those sold in the U.S. are now produced in India. The company is also building factories in Mexico and Texas to make AI servers for Nvidia. LORDSTOWN SOLD Foxconn has also been looking to expand its footprint in electric vehicles, which the company sees as a major future growth generator, though that has not always gone smoothly. Earlier this month, Foxconn said it had struck a deal to sell a former car factory at Lordstown, Ohio, for $375 million that it purchased in 2022 to manufacture EVs. However, it will continue to occupy the facility. The company said the Ohio plant would be used to manufacture cloud-related products. Premier energy summit set for September to focus on 'Navigating Trade, Technology and Transition" SINGAPORE, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The 41st annual Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC) by S&P Global Asia's leading energy conference - will take place from September 8 to 11, 2025, at the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore. A cornerstone of the energy industry for the past 40 years, this premier gathering of close to 1,500 industry leaders, experts and executives across 65 countries aims to explore the evolving landscape of the oil and gas sector, discussing critical issues such as energy transition, technological innovation, and sustainability strategies to prepare for a resilient future. Ms. Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth for Singapore will provide the opening address for APPEC 2025. Alongside more than 200 esteemed speakers, S&P Global's team of energy specialists will provide insights across the global energy landscape from geopolitical influences to market trends and pricing outlooks and will address pressing topics such as the changing trade dynamics, financing future energy solutions and the impact of technological innovations and disruptions on the energy sector. "Amid an evolving energy landscape and the onset of new market realities, APPEC by S&P Global continues to provide a vital platform for industry stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions. This conference will facilitate the exchange of ideas on navigating the complexities of balancing energy security while maximizing opportunities for growth and sustainability," said Dave Ernsberger, co-President of S&P Global Commodity Insights. "It will give participants a valuable forum to gain insights and learn how they can maximize opportunities for their business and stakeholders, while supporting the wider energy transition for the industry." APPEC 2025 will explore these key themes across a 3-day program: Day 1: Monday, September 8 - Strategic Conference Oil market fundamentals: Global dynamics Geopolitical influences: Navigating tariffs, sanctions and economic shifts Realigning business models for the energy transition Exploring opportunities with focus on Americas, China , India , Southeast Asia Day 2: Tuesday, September 9 - Concurrent Sessions Strategic Conference Global oil demand and trading landscape Downstream developments & drivers Spotlight on Africa's energy landscape and refining resurgence energy landscape and refining resurgence Review of the state of upstream and strategies for the future Chemicals & Carbon Markets Conferences Structural issues in the petrochemical industry and the impact of changing trade dynamics Exploring Asia's national carbon mechanisms and regional cooperation national carbon mechanisms and regional cooperation Financing Asia's low-carbon transition: Navigating policy shifts, supply chains and energy evolution low-carbon transition: Navigating policy shifts, supply chains and energy evolution Exploring global systems in carbon markets: Article 6 and CORSIA Day 3: Wednesday, Sep 10 - Concurrent Sessions Strategic Conference Pathways for decarbonization and renewable energy Spotlight on the role of critical minerals Growth areas for low carbon fuels AI and energy optimization Financing the future of energy Biofuels, Shipping & Bunker Conferences Asia Pacific's biofuel market potential and regional dynamics biofuel market potential and regional dynamics Sustainable feedstocks, ethanol, biodiesels in Asia : Current status and future prospects : Current status and future prospects Navigating the SAF landscape: creating a traceable and sustainable value chain Investment and financing: fueling the biofuels revolution Navigating structural shifts in global shipping Pathways to net zero for shipping Transition to multi-fuel future Shaping the future maritime energy mix S&P Global Speakers & Experts (partial list) Dave Ernsberger , Co-President, S&P Global Commodity Insights , Co-President, S&P Global Commodity Insights Kurt Barrow , Head of Oil, Fuel and Chemicals Research, S&P Global Commodity Insights , Head of Oil, Fuel and Chemicals Research, S&P Global Commodity Insights Jim Burkhard , Global Head of Crude Oil Market Research, S&P Global Commodity Insights , Global Head of Crude Oil Market Research, S&P Global Commodity Insights Nick Sharma , Executive Director, Upstream Solutions, S&P Global Commodity Insights , Executive Director, Upstream Solutions, S&P Global Commodity Insights Vera Blei , Head of Market Reporting and Trading Solutions, S&P Global Commodity Insights , Head of Market Reporting and Trading Solutions, S&P Global Commodity Insights Rahul Kapoor , Global Head of Shipping Analytics & Research, S&P Global Commodity Insights , Global Head of Shipping Analytics & Research, S&P Global Commodity Insights Roman Kramarchuk , Head of Energy Transition Narratives, Policy Analysis, S&P Global Commodity Insights , Head of Energy Transition Narratives, Policy Analysis, S&P Global Commodity Insights Paul Gruenwald , Global Chief Economist, S&P Global Ratings For the complete list of speakers and the latest agenda, visit APPEC 2025 Speakers. Registration Information APPEC will be held at Raffles City Convention Centre, Level 4, Singapore, from September 8-11, 2025. For further information and to register, visit APPEC Registration. Media accreditation and passes Members of the media interested in covering APPEC 2025 are required to apply for accreditation and should email [email protected]. About S&P Global S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) provides essential intelligence. We enable governments, businesses and individuals with the right data, expertise and connected technology so that they can make decisions with conviction. From helping our customers assess new investments to guiding them through ESG and energy transition across supply chains, we unlock new opportunities, solve challenges and accelerate progress for the world. We are widely sought after by many of the world's leading organizations to provide credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets. With every one of our offerings, we help the world's leading organizations plan for tomorrow, today. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com. SOURCE S&P Global Commodity Insights LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "Empowered with Meg Ryan" joins forces with the Charlotte Rescue Mission to explore the profound impact of a long-term, inside-out approach to recovery. This segment will educate viewers on the true meaning of transformation for individuals navigating the challenges of addiction and homelessness. Charlotte Rescue Mission A new segment of "Empowered with Meg Ryan" will feature the Charlotte Rescue Mission, which was filmed on August 13th, 2025. The program will invite Public Television audiences to consider a different perspective on the issues of addiction and homelessness. Rather than viewing them as isolated problems, the segment will introduce the mission's comprehensive strategy that treats them as intertwined realities. It will highlight how the organization provides cost-free residential recovery programs that support men and women not only in overcoming addiction but in rediscovering their potential. By addressing a person's spiritual, emotional, and physical needs, these programs create a foundation for lasting change, helping residents move beyond their past to a future of stability, purpose, and healthy relationships. This inspiring collaboration aims to inform the public about the need for this kind of work and how they can be part of the solution. "It is rare to find an organization that takes the unique approach to addiction recovery like Charlotte Rescue Mission. We are blessed with this incredible opportunity to showcase the life transformation we witness daily through the lens of Empowered." Trina Fullard, CCS LCAS, President and CEO of Charlotte Rescue Mission The reality for many facing addiction and homelessness is a cycle of instability and despair, a feeling of being stuck with no way out. Data from Mecklenburg County shows this is a pressing issue, with thousands identifying as homeless, many of whom are also struggling with substance use. The Charlotte Rescue Mission's work is a direct response to this need, offering a unique and effective solution that champions a belief in the human capacity for change. Unlike short-term treatment models that often provide temporary relief, the mission's 120-day residential programs and multi-stage Recovery Living Programs, which can extend for up to two years, are designed to create sustainable transformation. The segment will illuminate how these programs provide a continuous, supportive environment where residents can actively work on rebuilding their lives. Through essential components like job training, financial literacy courses, and robust community living support, the organization helps individuals acquire the practical and emotional tools needed to succeed long after they leave. The program will underscore that this profound transformation is possible with the right support and that everyone in the communitywhether as a volunteer, a supporter, or simply by spreading awarenesshas a crucial role to play in helping others find their way back to a life of hope, healing, and restored potential. About Empowered with Meg Ryan: "Empowered with Meg Ryan" is a Public Television program that offers viewers valuable insights and educational content, inspiring them to take informed action in their lives and communities. The program highlights organizations that are making a positive impact and providing pathways to greater well-being. Learn more at: www.empoweredprogram.com About Charlotte Rescue Mission: The Charlotte Rescue Mission provides free, Christian-based residential recovery programs for men and women struggling with addiction and homelessness. By focusing on holistic life transformation, the organization helps individuals achieve long-term sobriety, find financial stability, and rebuild their lives from the inside out. All programs are made possible by the generosity of donors and community partners. Learn more at: www.charlotterescuemission.org SOURCE Empowered ROCHELLE, Ill., Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, representatives from the City of Rochelle, IL, along with state transportation officials, local economic partners, railroad, and trucking industries, celebrated the expansion of the City of Rochelle Intermodal Transload Center (RITC). Located at the intersection of Interstate Highways 88 and 39 and Class I railroads operated by BNSF and Union Pacific, the City of Rochelle Railroad and the RITC provide a location where industries of all sizes can access direct rail services, whether or not they have rail at their company location. Opened in 2020 as a joint effort between the City of Rochelle and the Greater Rochelle Economic Development Corporation, the facility transloaded one thousand railcars and served as a staging area for hundreds of shipping containers used by a dozen customers. Increased demand for rail-to-truck transloading and third-party logistics services in the Rochelle area are requiring the expansion of RITC. Rochelle Mayor John Bearrows stated, "Today's expansion of the Rochelle Intermodal Transload Center is a testament to our city's commitment to economic growth and regional connectivity. We are proud to be a hub where industries of all sizes can thrive, and this project reflects our continued investment in the future of Rochelle as a critical logistics and transportation center in the Midwest." City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh added, "The success and rapid growth of the RITC demonstrate how strategic infrastructure investments can unlock opportunities for both local businesses and global supply chains. We are excited to see this expansion come to life, and we remain focused on providing the support and resources companies need to move goods efficiently and reliably through Rochelle. The City of Rochelle is proud to partner with the Illinois Department of Transportation and grateful for the available funding, through the rail freight program, which provides needed infrastructure enhancements such as this." "We continue to be excited about future growth in Rochelle, IL and how we can benefit the community and companies," says Peter Hoth, Principal-Corporate Development at BJRY. "Our customers and Class I railroad partners are essential to that growth. We are dedicated to continuing providing our 'white glove' rail switching services to our customers and transload partners through the City of Rochelle Railroad." "This expansion will not only help unlock economic potential in Rochelle, but it becomes an important asset for the movement of freight in Illinois, the transportation hub of North America," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. "We are proud to have helped see this project to fruition through a grant from our Illinois Competitive Freight Program, which is increasing safety, improving reliability in the nation's supply chain and boosting commerce at the community level throughout the state." About the City of Rochelle Since the arrival of two western transcontinental railroads in the late 1850's, Rochelle has been the hub of rail and highway systems west of Chicago. Rochelle is ideally located to meet the needs of corporate America with global ties. Located at the intersection of the north-south Interstate 39 (I-39 Distribution Corridor) and the east-west Interstate 88 (Illinois Research and Development Corridor), Rochelle is within one day's truck drive to markets that serve over eighty million Americans. Rochelle has four interstate interchanges within four miles of the City's boundaries. Advanced communication systems, including city-owned broadband, global communication, excess capacity for water and wastewater services, and locally provided electricity and sewer, gives business and industry a strategic advantage. About IDOT Each day, IDOT strives to ensure that destinations are reached in the safest, quickest, easiest, and most comfortable and cost-effective manner. IDOT strives to strengthen, maintain, and expand the Illinois transportation system, all while considering trends in the transportation industry, population, freight demands, mobility needs, safety factors, interconnectivity, corporate needs, and housing development. About BJRY Based in Burlington, IA, the Burlington Junction Railway has been in operation since 1985 providing flexible and reliable shipping and receiving services by rail. It manages a wide variety of commodities such as wallboard, lumber, bulk liquids, dry bulk, machinery, steel rebar, specialty oversize shipments, and many more. Its specialty services include switching, transloading, and locomotive servicing. For more information, visit www.bjryrail.com. SOURCE City of Rochelle, IL WILMORE, K.Y., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Edify launches two premium CBD hemp-derived product lines from Wholesale Hemp Farms in the beautiful Bluegrass region of Kentucky: science-backed, vegan-friendly gummies that address stress and cognitive health with farm-sourced ingredients and COA transparency. Offerings include gummies infused with nootropic Lion's Mane and Reishi mushrooms for cognitive support and CBD hemp gummies (<0.3% THC, 2018 Farm Bill compliant) for stress relief. A bird's-eye view of Wholesale Hemp Farms with iconic black barn in the distance, showcasing Edify's commitment to premium transparent sourcing. Dr. John McDaniel, PharmD, an independent pharmacist, lends credibility: "As a pharmacist, I trust Edify to have wholesome, natural ingredients, rigorously tested for safety and efficacy. These farm-fresh, vegan-friendly gummies, crafted with non-GMO hemp and mushrooms from the Bluegrass region's nutrient-rich fields using precision agriculture, are available exclusively at www.edifyone.com, shipping nationwide. Designed for wellness seekers, they deliver mental clarity, stress relief, and mood enhancement with no artificial additives." In 2024, Edify gained strong traction, reflecting the global CBD gummies market's growth to $4.8 billion, projected to hit $24.2 billion by 2030 with a 31% CAGR, per Grand View Research. A 2024 Harris Poll notes 62% of U.S. adults use CBD for anxiety and sleep, underscoring demand for trusted, natural products. Backed by studies in showing CBD reduces anxiety in 79% of users and noting Lion's Mane boosts cognitive function and reduces stress, Edify's gummies align with consumer trust trends in mental health and neuroprotective wellness. With 40% of adults reporting chronic stress (American Psychological Association, 2024), Edify's gummies address rising mental health needs. A 2023 study found CBD may reduce cortisol levels, a key stress hormone, while Lion's Mane supports neurogenesis, potentially improving memory and focus, per a 2024 report. Dawn Cerbone, spokesperson for Edify, drives the vision: "We're redefining wellness with natural, trusted gummies that fit seamlessly into busy lifestyles." Nic Johnson, partner at Wholesale Hemp Farms, underscores the sourcing advantage: "Our Bluegrass region farm guarantees unmatched purity and potency in every gummy. Edify empowers healthier lives through transparent, science-driven products for today's health-conscious consumers." Certificate of Analysis (COA) lab reports, verifying third-party testing for potency and purity, are posted for every product on the online store, alongside live field webcams showcasing transparent farming practices. Edify crafts premium CBD, hemp, and nootropic mushroom gummies from our Kentucky farm, one of the state's largest hemp flower growers, using hemp derived CBD with <0.3% THC, compliant with the 2018 Farm Bill, ensuring superior purity and transparency. Nationwide shipping delivers sustainable wellness to health-conscious consumers at www.edifyone.com. SOURCE Edify BIRMINGHAM, Ala., and AMARILLO, Texas, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC), the nation's largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, and BSA Health System, an affiliate of Ardent Health and the fourth largest employer in Amarillo, today announced a joint venture arrangement to own and operate a freestanding, 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Amarillo, Texas. The hospital, currently under construction, will be located at 7950 Wallace Boulevard. BSA intends to relocate its existing 24-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit to the new hospital upon completion. The space currently housing the inpatient rehabilitation unit will be used for the expansion of the BSA Hospital acute care capacity. The hospital will serve patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries, including strokes and other neurological disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and complex orthopedic conditions. In addition to 24-hour nursing care, the hospital will offer physical, occupational and speech therapies to restore functional ability and quality of life. Care will be provided by highly specialized nurses, therapists and physicians. The hospital will feature private patient rooms, a spacious therapy gym with advanced rehabilitation technologies and an activities of daily living suite, in-house dialysis suite, dining room, pharmacy and therapy courtyard. "We are excited to partner with BSA to help patients in the Amarillo community reach their rehabilitation goals and return to what matters most," said Craig Funk, president of Encompass Health's Southwest region. "We share a commitment to delivering high-quality patient experiences and outcomes and look forward to the positive impact this hospital will have on the lives of many." "This partnership is a significant step forward for healthcare in Amarillo," said Michael Cruz, CEO of BSA Health System. "By expanding acute care capacity and joining forces with a national leader in rehabilitation, we're enhancing the level of care available to our community. We're also proud that our experienced rehabilitation team will continue serving patients at the new facility, ensuring continuity of care with the same expertise our patients trust." The hospital, expected to open in late 2025, will be part of Encompass Health's national network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and its ongoing expansion in Texas. About Encompass Health Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) is the largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in the United States. With a national footprint that includes 169 hospitals in 38 states and Puerto Rico, the Company provides high-quality, compassionate rehabilitative care for patients recovering from a major injury or illness, using advanced technology and innovative treatments to maximize recovery. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies and Forbes' Most Trusted Companies in America. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on our newsroom, X, Instagram and Facebook. From Fortune. 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Fortune is a registered trademark and Fortune World's Most Admired Companies is trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited and are used under license. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of, Encompass Health. From Forbes 2024 Forbes Media LLC. All rights reserved. Used under license. About BSA Health System BSA Health System (BSA) is a comprehensive healthcare system located in Amarillo, Texas, serving the Texas Panhandle and surrounding area. BSA, the largest healthcare employer in the region, includes the 445-bed flagship hospital; BSA Harrington Cancer Center; a network of primary care, urgent care and surgical clinics; and a preferred provider network. For more information, visit bsahs.org and follow facebook.com/BSAHealthSystem. Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release which are not historical facts, such as those relating to the likelihood, timing and effects of the completion of this hospital project, are forward-looking statements. In addition, Encompass Health may from time to time make forward-looking public statements concerning the matters described herein. All such estimates, projections, and forward-looking information speak only as of the date hereof, and Encompass Health undertakes no duty to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Encompass Health's actual results or events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. While it is impossible to identify all such factors, factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated include, but are not limited to, the regulatory review and approval process, any adverse outcome of various lawsuits, claims, and legal or regulatory proceedings that may be brought by or against the Company; the possibility this project will experience unexpected delays; the ability to successfully complete this project consistent with Encompass Health's growth strategy, including development and maintenance of relationships with referral sources; disease outbreaks, including the speed, depth, geographic reach and duration of the spread; the actions to be taken by Encompass Health in response to disease outbreaks; changes in the regulation of the healthcare industry at either or both of the federal and state levels; competitive pressures in the healthcare industry and Encompass Health's response thereto; the hospital's ability to maintain proper local, state and federal licensing; potential disruptions, breaches, or other incidents affecting the proper operation, availability, or security of Encompass Health's information systems; Encompass Health's ability to attract and retain nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals in a highly competitive environment with often severe staffing shortages and the impact on Encompass Health's labor expenses from potential union activity and staffing shortages; changes, delays in (including in connection with resolution of Medicare payment reviews or appeals), or suspension of reimbursement for Encompass Health's services by governmental or private payors; general conditions in the economy and capital markets; and other factors which may be identified from time to time in Encompass Health's SEC filings and other public announcements, including Encompass Health's Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024 and 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2025 and June 30, 2025. Encompass Health contacts: Media: Polly Manuel | 205-970-5912 [email protected] Investor relations: Mark Miller | 205-970-5860 [email protected] BSA Health System contact: Media: Kirstyn Groff | 806-212-0343 [email protected] SOURCE Encompass Health Corp. CALGARY, AB, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Exro Technologies Inc. (TSX: EXRO) ("Exro" or the "Company"), a leading technology company specializing in power control solutions for electric vehicles and energy storage, today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025. Q2 2025 Highlights Revenue of $2.9 million from the delivery of 18 electric propulsion units and aftersales services. from the delivery of 18 electric propulsion units and aftersales services. Completed strategic wind-down of Asia-Pacific operations, retaining intellectual property and key subsidiaries. operations, retaining intellectual property and key subsidiaries. To date, accessed US$10.0 million of the up to US$30.0 million debt facility from an existing lender. Financial Results Revenue for Q2 2025 was $2.9 million, compared to $4.7 million in Q2 2024, reflecting reduced unit volumes in response to slower EV adoption rates. Gross margin per unit improved versus the prior year, excluding inventory provisions. Net loss from continuing operations was $81.7 million, which includes significant non-cash adjustments associated with the Company's strategic focus. These adjustments include: A $48.5 million impairment of intangible assets primarily developed technology, brand, and customer relationships reflecting the wind-down of APAC operations, and updated production forecasts. impairment of intangible assets primarily developed technology, brand, and customer relationships reflecting the wind-down of APAC operations, and updated production forecasts. An $11.1 million inventory provision, also non-cash, related to the identification of excess and obsolete inventory. This provision aligns inventory values with near-term forecasted production and a leaner capital-efficient operating model. Update on Strategic Process The Company confirms that the strategic review process described in its May 16, 2025 press release remains ongoing. The Company is in active negotiations with credible strategic partners, and continues to draw on its US$30 million interim finance facility as appropriate. The Company will provide further updates in due course, but cautions that there can be no assurance that any transaction will be consummated. ABOUT EXRO TECHNOLOGIES INC. Exro Technologies Inc., now expanded through the strategic acquisition of SEA Electric, is a leading technology company that has developed new-generation power control electronics. Its innovative suite of solutions, including Coil Driver, Cell Driver, and SEA-Drive, expand the capabilities of electric motors and batteries and offer OEMs a comprehensive e-propulsion solution with unmatched performance and efficiency. Exro is reshaping global energy consumption, accelerating adoption towards a circular electrified economy by delivering more with less minimum energy for maximum results. For more information visit our website at www.exro.com. To view our Corporate Presentation visit us at www.exro.com/investors Visit us on social media @exrotech. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified using terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, that could cause actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing these forward-looking statements are reasonable based upon the information currently available to management as of the date hereof, actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed times frames or at all. Except where required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This information is qualified in its entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosure contained in filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, including the Company's annual information form for the financial year ended December 31, 2024, and financial statements and related MD&A for the financial year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedarplus.ca. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information 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 that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. SOURCE Exro Technologies Inc. Franchisor Celebrates Landmark Year, Recognizing Over 400 Sales Professionals CARROLLTON, Texas, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- FASTSIGNS International, Inc., the world's leading custom sign and visual solutions franchisor with more than 780 FASTSIGNS centers worldwide, hosted its 15th annual Outside Sales Summit August 7-9 in St. Louis, Missouri. The event hosted over 640 participants, including franchisees, sales professionals, corporate staff and exhibitors. FASTSIGNS Outside Sales Summit 2025 "Our 15th Outside Sales Summit in St. Louis was a landmark event, where we had the honor of recognizing a record number of sales professionals for their outstanding achievements," said Jim Howe, president of FASTSIGNS. "The energy was further amplified by our interactive Vendor Show and a highly successful inaugural Vendor Showcase from the mainstage, setting a new benchmark for success and propelling us into a period of exciting growth." With the theme "Ticket to Success", the FASTSIGNS 2025 Outside Sales Summit celebrated the network's sales achievements between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, and added three new awards: The Double Platinum Award, The Triple Platinum Award and The Titanium Award. At the awards event, 400 Outside Sales Professionals were recognized, including: 2 Titanium Sales Award winners for sales exceeding $4 million 1 Triple Platinum Sales Award winner for sales between $3 to $4 million to 9 Double Platinum Sales Award winners for sales between $2 to $3 million to 47 Platinum Sales Award winners for sales between $1 million to $2 million to 70 Gold Sales Award winners for sales between $700,000 to $999,999 to 78 Silver Sales Award winners for sales between $500,000 to $699,999 to 137 Bronze Sales Award winners for sales between $300,000 to $499,999 Krista Wilson from FASTSIGNS of Baltimore, Maryland, and FASTSIGNS of Columbia, Maryland, was recognized as this year's recipient of the Catherine Monson Salesperson of the Year Award, marking the seventh year for this honor. With this award, FASTSIGNS recognizes one Outside Sales Professional who best represents the concept and the spirit of the brand, both in the business community and within the FASTSIGNS network. Additional awards included The National Sales Achievement Award for the highest total sales, and 12 center employees received the Circle of Excellence Award, recognizing their daily commitment to the success and growth of their FASTSIGNS center. The Rookie of the Year Award was given to an individual with the highest total sales in their first full 12 months of employment, and The Rising Star Award honored an Outside Sales Professional promoted from within the center in 2023 or 2024 with the highest total sales in their first full 12 months in the role. An additional 43 individuals became Certified FASTSIGNS Sales Executives after completing an extensive Outside Sales Certification Program. Featured speakers included newly appointed FASTSIGNS President Jim Howe; Vice President of Technology and Supply Chain for FASTSIGNS, Brian Boehm; CEO and Founder of Subtle Skills, Brian Galke; and American Ninja Warrior Competitor and an Award-Winning Entertainer for NBC, Alex Weber. Speakers also covered a variety of topics, including supercharging sales, efficient project management, unlocking revenue and more. FASTSIGNS franchisees and their employees, vendors and FASTSIGNS International, Inc. corporate staff participated in the FASTSIGNS Community Giveback "Breakfast with a Purpose." The team donated time and created hygiene kits for high school students in the area. This giveback event was also made possible by the generous support of the FASTSIGNS Community Giveback sponsors, including Contact USA, Epson, Grimco, Impact LED Signs, FASTSIGNS National Accounts, Retreva, SA-SO, and Vision Engraving. 88 vendors participated in this year's Outside Sales Summit. Diamond sponsors included Epson, Fellers, Grimco and Signs365; Gold sponsors included 3M and Mimaki; and Avery Dennison was a Silver sponsor. The Opening Night Networking Party was sponsored by Drake Industries. About FASTSIGNS: FASTSIGNS is the leader in the custom signs and visual solutions industry. With 40 years of experience, FASTSIGNS helps customers bring their vision to life and achieve more than they ever thought possible. As the largest service-oriented business within the Propelled Brands family, FASTSIGNS spans 780 independently owned and operated centers across the United States, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, Canada, Chile, Grand Cayman, Malta, the Dominican Republic and Australia (where centers operate as SIGNWAVE). FASTSIGNS is frequently recognized for franchisee satisfaction and with awards that include being ranked #1 in its category on ENTREPRENEUR's highly competitive Franchise 500 List in 2025 for the ninth consecutive year, and being named a 2024 Best-in-Category Franchise by Franchise Business Review for the sixth consecutive year. For more information or to learn about opportunities, visit fastsigns.com or contact Mark Jameson ([email protected] or call 214.346.5679). SOURCE FASTSIGNS International, Inc. Company's first new natural gas project in more than a decade will help meet growing energy demand; New Advanced Class Heavy Duty Mitsubishi Power turbines assembled in Savannah and delivered via rail and truck ATLANTA, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power, alongside Mitsubishi Power, announced today that it has received delivery of the first of three new state-of-the-art simple cycle gas combustion turbines at Plant Yates in Coweta County, Georgia, about an hour southwest of Atlanta. Assembled at Mitsubishi Power's Savannah Machinery Works facility, the turbine was transported to the site using both rail and truck, weighs nearly 350 tons, and is 50 feet long and 18 feet wide. The new natural gas units at Plant Yates will feature Mitsubishi Power M501JAC combustion turbines (CTs), are the first new natural gas turbines to be added to Georgia Power's fleet in a decade and, when all units are in service, will provide 1,300 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity for customers. New natural gas turbine delivered to Georgia Powers Plant Yates. Plant Yates has long been an important source of generation for Georgia Power. As one of Georgia's oldest generation sites, beginning commercial operation in 1950, Plant Yates was the first Georgia Power plant built to support the post-World War II economic boom. In 2014, five of the seven coal-fired units were decommissioned, with the remaining two converted to natural gas generation. With the expansion of three new units, Plant Yates continues to support the energy needs of Georgia and provide high-quality local jobs for Georgians. Increasing the size of the current plant will provide approximately 600 jobs during the construction process and add 15 permanent new jobs once completed, expanding the plant workforce to 75 full-time jobs. Georgia Power continues to leverage strong relationships with industry partners and vendors to source the equipment and technology needed to meet the energy needs of a growing Georgia, even as demand for electrical equipment rises across the country. The new units were approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) in the 2023 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Update and, thanks to the efficient planning and construction timelines available for natural gas generation, are expected to be online by the end of 2027 to meet new energy demand in the state. "At Georgia Power, we know our customers depend on us for reliable and affordable energy that is available around the clock whenever they need it at their homes or businesses," said Rick Anderson, senior vice president and senior production officer for Georgia Power. "We continue to work with the Georgia PSC to enhance and expand our diverse generation mix to meet the needs of customers not only today, but decades into the future. The new natural gas units at Plant Yates will be a great addition to our fleet, using existing property and infrastructure to deliver the best overall value for customers and providing exciting new investment at a plant that has been an economic driver in Coweta County for decades." The three advanced class gas turbines at Plant Yates will provide higher output and greater efficiency than previous generations of simple cycle CT designs. The air-cooled Mitsubishi Power M501JAC Series design provides operational flexibility by eliminating the need for steam cooling, offering a shorter start-up time of approximately 30 minutes and a lower turn down rate. As a contingency in the unlikely event that natural gas is unavailable, the units have built-in flexibility to run on oil, with on-site oil storage capability to provide reliability and resiliency benefits to the electric system. With minor future modifications, the M501JAC is also capable of using a hydrogen mix as a fuel. Blending technology continues to advance as an option across the industry in the pursuit of reduced carbon emissions, and Georgia Power is leading the way in this innovative research, recently partnering with Mitsubishi Power for a 50% hydrogen-blending project at Plant McDonough-Atkinson . "The delivery of our M501JAC advanced-class gas turbines to Plant Yates marks an important step in supporting Georgia's growing demand for reliable, efficient energy generation," said Cheryl Boddiford, senior vice president of North American Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management, Mitsubishi Power. "Assembled at our Savannah Machinery Works facility, these units not only reflect our long-standing partnership with Georgia Power, but also symbolize Mitsubishi Power's commitment to U.S.-based manufacturing and skilled workforce development. We're proud to help deliver the flexible, high-performance turbine technology that will keep Georgia powered now and in the years ahead." Natural Gas Supports Energy Needs of a Growing Georgia Natural gas currently provides 40 percent of Georgia Power's annual energy generation and has long been a bedrock fuel for the company. The company continues to work with the Georgia PSC to ensure it can reliably and economically meet the energy needs of a rapidly growing Georgia through the longstanding IRP process. Georgia Power is investing in other existing power plants to better serve Georgia. Notably, the company has been approved for combined cycle and simple cycle upgrades on all combustion turbines at Plant McIntosh near Savannah in the 2025 IRP. These enhancements will add an additional 268-megawatts of capacity, helping to meet the projected energy demands from existing infrastructure . Read more about Georgia Power's recently approved 2025 IRP . Natural gas is also a part of a recent all-source RFP certification filing with the PSC. The filing includes the request to certify five new combined cycle (CC) units, totaling 3,692 MW, to be strategically located across the state to help ensure grid stability and reliability, and support the state's economic growth in the coming years. The units are proposed to be placed at Plants Bowen, McIntosh and Wansley. To learn more about how Georgia Power is meeting the needs of customers through a diverse, balanced energy portfolio, and the IRP process, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com . About Georgia Power Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.8 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is recognized by J.D. Power as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook ( Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower ), X ( X.com/GeorgiaPower ) and Instagram ( Instagram.com/ga_power ). About Mitsubishi Power Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc. (Mitsubishi Power) headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida, employs more than 3,000 power generation, energy storage, and digital solutions experts and professionals. Our employees are focused on empowering customers to affordably and reliably combat climate change while also advancing human prosperity throughout North, Central, and South America. Mitsubishi Power's power generation solutions include gas, steam, and aero-derivative turbines; power trains and power islands; geothermal systems; PV solar project development; environmental controls; and services. Energy storage solutions include green hydrogen, battery energy storage systems, and services. Mitsubishi Power also offers intelligent solutions that use artificial intelligence to enable autonomous operation of power plants. Mitsubishi Power is a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI). Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, MHI is one of the world's leading heavy machinery manufacturers with engineering and manufacturing businesses spanning energy, infrastructure, transport, aerospace, and defense. For more information, visit the Mitsubishi Power Americas website and follow us on LinkedIn. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain information contained in this release is forward-looking information based on current expectations and plans that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements concerning expected timing of completion of construction. Georgia Power cautions that there are certain factors that can cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information that has been provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Georgia Power; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those discussed in Georgia Power's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2025 and June 30, 2025, and subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations as suggested by such forward-looking information: the ability to control schedule overruns during construction due to challenges which include, but are not limited to, changes in labor costs, availability, and productivity, challenges with the management of contractors or vendors, subcontractor performance, adverse weather conditions, shortages, delays, increased costs, or inconsistent quality of equipment, materials, and labor, contractor or supplier delay, the impacts of inflation and tariffs, delays due to judicial or regulatory action, nonperformance under construction, operating, or other agreements, operational readiness, including specialized operator training and required site safety programs, engineering or design problems or any remediation related thereto, design and other licensing-based compliance matters, challenges with start-up activities, including major equipment failure or system integration, and/or operational performance, challenges related to future pandemic health events, continued public and policymaker support for projects, environmental and geological conditions, delays or increased costs to interconnect facilities to transmission grids, and increased financing costs as a result of changes in interest rates or as a result of project delays; legal proceedings and regulatory approvals and actions related to construction projects; the ability to construct facilities in accordance with the requirements of permits and licenses and to integrate facilities into the Southern Company system upon completion of construction; and catastrophic events such as fires, earthquakes, explosions, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and other storms, droughts, pandemic health events, political unrest, wars or other similar occurrences. Georgia Power expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information. SOURCE Georgia Power Veteran HR leader brings deep organizational knowledge and a passion for mission-driven work to the executive team OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Fred Finch Youth & Family Services is pleased to announce the appointment of Eunice McFarland as Vice President of Human Resources. McFarland, a seasoned HR professional with over 15 years of experience in human resource leadership, will join the Fred Finch Executive Team and lead all aspects of human resources strategy across the agency, including talent development, employee engagement, equity initiatives, and trauma-informed employment practices. She succeeds Lois Woods, who recently retired after many years of dedicated service. McFarland previously served Fred Finch from 2008 to 2021 as both a Human Resources Generalist and later as Human Resources Manager for Southern California. Known for her collaborative spirit, steady leadership, and deep commitment to the organization's mission, she played a key role in strengthening HR operations across regions. During her time away, she remained actively involved with Fred Finch by serving as a dedicated member of the CARES Board of Directors. "Eunice has long been a trusted and respected member of the Fred Finch community, and her return is a tremendous win for our organization," said Tom Alexander, President & CEO of Fred Finch. "She brings not only a strong understanding of our internal culture and systems but also expanded expertise in trauma-informed practices that will help move our work forward." Since 2021, McFarland has served as Human Resources Director at Voices for Children, a court-appointed advocacy organization supporting youth in Southern California. In that role, she oversaw all HR functions and led organization-wide initiatives to advance equity, inclusion, and employee well-being. McFarland holds a bachelor's degree from Alma College and a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Glasgow. She is also a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). She officially begins her new role on July 28, 2025, and will be based in San Diego while working closely with teams across California. To learn more about our leadership team, visit: fredfinch.org/leadership About Fred Finch Youth & Family Services Fred Finch Youth & Family Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to fostering resilience, wellness, and equity for youth, families, and communities. Through culturally responsive, trauma-informed care, we provide mental health, behavioral health, and social services to those facing complex challenges, including trauma, poverty, homelessness, systemic barriers, and cognitive disabilities. For more than a century, Fred Finch has partnered with individuals and communities to ensure access to compassionate, high-quality support that empowers people to build brighter futures. Learn more at: fredfinch.org Contact: Eva Hadley [email protected] SOURCE Fred Finch Youth & Family Services ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- You're going to want to tell everyone about your thrifted Goodwill finds, especially on National Thrift Shop Day, August 17. Share your commitment to sustainable shopping and supporting those facing challenges to employment by saying, "Thanks! It's thrifted," the next time someone compliments your unique style. Whether you're hunting for vintage gems, back-to-school essentials or one-of-a-kind fashion finds, shopping at Goodwill means supporting a mission that enables people in your community to transform their lives. Brag about your fashion or home decor finds on social media with the hashtag #ThanksItsThrifted. Every purchase at Goodwill helps fund career training, job placement and support services for individuals looking to access better economic opportunities. You can feel good knowing that Goodwill supports millions of individuals each year through programs that promote economic mobility and personal growth. "This National Thrift Shop Day, we encourage everyone to celebrate their unique style, shop sustainably, and support nonprofit thrift stores that give back to the community," said Onney Crawley, Chief Marketing Officer of Goodwill Industries International. "Every time you shop with Goodwill, you help fund programs that connect people in your local community with the resources and skill-building they need to thrive in the workforce" Thrifting is more than a trend. It's a movement and a lifestyle. By choosing to shop and donate at Goodwill, you're participating in a circular economy that benefits both people and the planet. In 2024, Goodwill shoppers and donors helped recover the value of 4.4 billion pounds of goods, keeping items in circulation and out of landfills. And with the "Thanks! It's thrifted." campaign, you're encouraged to proudly share your thrifted finds and inspire others to join the movement. Why you should celebrate National Thrift Shop Day with Goodwill: You can find hidden treasures at low prices inside your local Goodwill store. Thrifting helps keep great, useful items out of landfills Proceeds go right back into your local community to help your neighbors find jobs Impress your friends on social media using #ThanksItsThrifted You never know what treasures you'll find or whose life you'll change. ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL Goodwill works to enhance the quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, building bridges to opportunity and helping people in need reach their potential through learning and the Power of Work. For more than 120 years, Goodwill organizations across North America have helped people find jobs, support their families and feel the satisfaction that comes from working. There are more than 150 local Goodwill organizations that assist people through a variety of employment placement services, job training programs and other community-based services. Thousands of people receive employment and other human services through Goodwill, and, in 2024, the organization helped more than 2.1 million people build skills, access resources and advance their careers. Goodwill sells donated items in more than 3,300 outlets and retail stores in the U.S. and Canada, as well as through online marketplaces. The revenue creates training programs and job placements to help people find work or advance their careers. For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, visit goodwill.org. Follow us on X/Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube: @GoodwillIntl. SOURCE Goodwill Industries International By Melanie Burton MELBOURNE (Reuters) -A recent rally in lithium prices could ease pressure on some beleaguered producers in Australia who have been trying to shrink exposure to the battery material, prompting them to drop plans to sell some projects, sources and analysts said. Shares in Australias lithium miners have jumped by as much as a third this month and extended gains this week after news of supply cuts in China sparked hopes that the cycle was turning. That follows a years-long fall in prices because electric vehicle sales were slower than expected, forcing lithium companies to mothball operations and more recently to consider disposing of assets to rebuild their balance sheets. Australia's Mineral Resources (MinRes) and Chile's SQM have tried to sell stakes in their operations this year, sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity, while IGO looks to restructure a lithium refining joint venture with China's Tianqi Lithium. Although the rally has been fuelled by speculators, it will soothe producers burning through cash, analysts say. That could take off the table assets once up for sale, losing buyers the chance to acquire them at the bottom of the business cycle at a time when the West is racing to build a battery supply chain outside China. "The common thread in the story is diabolical prices and market conditions," said analyst Dan Morgan of Barrenjoey in Sydney. "All Australian producers would be breathing an enormous sigh of relief ... Some non-palatable and permanent strategic options they had been considering may get put back in the bottom drawer." Prices of hard rock spodumene, the lithium-bearing mineral, have rebounded to about $880 a tonne from a fall to four-year lows near $610 a tonne in mid-June, but remain well short of 2022 peaks above $6,000. "Potentially the worst is over for the sector, but it remains quite difficult to call as it's not clear whether these (cuts) are temporary or permanent," E&P Financial said in a note, referring to China's supply cuts. Giant Chinese electric vehicle battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) said on Monday it had suspended mining operations in the southern region of Yichun after a mining licence expired on August 9. The surge in share prices was probably fuelled by short-covering rallies, analysts said. Australian lithium miners are among the top five most shorted companies on the ASX stock exchange, says data provider Shortman. SELLING POTENTIAL A sale process by debt-laden MinRes on its Mt Marion and Wodgina lithium assets in Western Australia this year drew Indian and Japanese interest but ultimately failed as buyers balked at the price tag of more than $2 billion, two sources familiar with the matter said, on condition of anonymity. MAPLE GROVE, Minn., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hanson Builders, a leading Minnesota home construction company, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony and VIP Sneak Peek Event for its St. Jude Dream Home Showplace on August 13, 2025. The event was attended by Maple Grove Mayor Mark Steffenson, Maple Grove City Councilmembers, and other members of the community. Those in attendance were given a special look inside the completed home, which will be available to tour during the Fall 2025 Parade of Homes. City of Maple Grove Mayor, Mark Steffenson Hanson Builders President, JD Hanson, Ribbon Cutting The $1.9 million home is located in the desirable Evanswood neighborhood of Maple Grove, Minn. Net proceeds from the sale of the home will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to support their vital mission: Finding Cures. Saving Children. A Community Achievement This event marks the completion of the first-ever St. Jude Dream Home Showplace in Minnesota. The entire team at Hanson Builders is honored to participate in this work and proud to support the mission of St. Jude. Hanson Builders is also grateful for the partnership of national sponsors like Brizo, Shaw Industries, Trane, Bosch, and Kichler Lighting, and for everyone who has helped raise awareness about this special home project. We all share this achievement. Crafted with Love After breaking ground on the home in November 2024, Hanson Builders carried out every step of the design and construction process with special care. The home is distinguished by Hanson Builders' signature craftsmanship, sustainable building practices, luxury finishes, and meticulous attention to detail. Join the Fight Against Childhood Cancer The St. Jude Dream Home Showplace will be open to the public for viewing during the Fall 2025 Parade of Homes as a Dream Home. The event will run noon6 p.m. every Friday through Sunday from September 528. Admission will be $5. Hanson Builders invites prospective homeowners to tour the home during this time and experience its inspiring design and innovative features. Those who purchase the property will acquire an outstanding home and contribute to the important mission of St. Jude. Community members can also support St. Jude through direct donations, volunteering, and spreading the word about their mission. Learn more about the St. Jude Dream Home Showplace and how you can make a difference at stjude.org/mplsshowplace. About Hanson Builders Hanson Builders has been designing and building award-winning custom homes throughout Minnesota for over 40 years. We are a family-owned and operated company that prioritizes uncompromising quality, a truly personal experience, and complete transparency throughout the building process. Learn more about Hanson Builders at hansonbuilders.com. About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was largely considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and it won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness, and support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org. Media Contact: Luke Hanson 763-360-9942 [email protected] SOURCE Hanson Builders TSXV: ITR; NYSE American: ITRG www.integraresources.com VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Integra Resources Corp. ("Integra" or the "Company") (TSXV: ITR) (NYSE American: ITRG) is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into a Relationship Agreement (the "Agreement") with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation (the "Shoshone-Paiute Tribes" or the "Shoshone-Paiute") whose aboriginal territories cover much of the tri-state area of Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon. This groundbreaking Agreement between the Shoshone-Paiute and Integra (collectively, the "Parties") establishes a transformative and long-term partnership for the development of the DeLamar gold and silver mining project (the "DeLamar Project", "DeLamar" or, the "Project") on Shoshone-Paiute Traditional Homelands. This Agreement is unprecedented in the Lower 48 States, in both recognizing Tribal sovereignty and collaboratively advancing sustainable, long-term economic development for a project located on federally managed lands. The Agreement announced today is the result of five years of collaboration between the Shoshone-Paiute and Integra and will serve to guide the partnership throughout the entire life of mine for the DeLamar Project in southwest Idaho. The Agreement provides a framework to foster collaboration and co-management of various aspects related to the DeLamar Project, including: Indigenous recognition; Economic empowerment and participation; Cultural and environmental protection; Consensus-based regulatory collaboration; and Community investment and performance monitoring. Brian Mason, Chairman of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, commented: "The Shoshone-Paiute Business Council is very pleased to enter into this Relationship Agreement for the DeLamar Project, located in the northern portion of Shoshone-Paiute traditional territory. The Agreement is the first-of-its-kind in the Lower 48 States, and something that Tribal Nations surrounded by the mining industry have been working towards for many years. We are excited to start the work to implement the Agreement immediately, collaborating in partnership with Integra to develop plans that will put the benefits of the future mine to work for the long-term vision of the Tribe, and to accountably manage potential impacts. This Agreement asserts our right to a seat at the table to help direct how things happen in our territory. It supports the Shoshone-Paiute to be a driver of responsible economic development in the region, providing for our people and our neighbors, and protecting our values, interests, and culture." George Salamis, President, CEO, and Director of Integra, commented: "Integra is incredibly proud to enter into this partnership with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, as we work hard to build long-lasting, respectful, trusting and collaborative relationships that drive tangible value. Through this partnership we are establishing durable and long-term predictability, while providing the foundational platform for local and regional economic opportunities to thrive. Over the past five years, Integra and the Shoshone-Paiute have worked together to build an understanding of our respective identities, values, rights and interests. We are incredibly honored to be partners with the Shoshone-Paiute, and together establish this first-of-its-kind agreement which will enable us to create sustainable value for our shareholders and communities through responsible mining practices." Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-ID-01), commented: "Idaho has been blessed with the vast natural resources we need to be self-sufficient and prosperous. Today's Relationship Agreement marks a significant milestone for economic development and the responsible advancement of natural resource production in Owyhee County. I'm proud to support this agreement, which will provide high-wage job opportunities in our rural Idaho communities." Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), commented: "The signing of today's Relationship Agreement between Integra and the Shoshone-Paiute represents a collaborative commitment to responsibly advancing natural resource development in Idaho and supporting the creation of high-paying, quality jobs for generations to come. This move will help foster a more secure and efficient domestic mineral supply chain as America strives for increased energy and technology independence." Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), commented: "This historic Agreement is a great example of the innovative collaboration we value in Idaho. The DeLamar Project will support domestic production of the resources we use every day, and create high-paying jobs and workforce development opportunities for Idahoans." Background on The DeLamar Project and the Relationship Agreement The DeLamar Project is a gold and silver mining development project located in Owyhee County in southwest Idaho. The Project is comprised of the historic DeLamar and adjacent Florida Mountain Deposits, which were in production under Kinross Gold Corporation up until 1998. Integra is seeking to revitalize DeLamar, having invested approximately US$140 million into advancing resource growth, engineering and mine design, and significant environmental baseline work since Integra acquired the Project in 2017. In March 2025, Integra submitted the Mine Plan of Operations for DeLamar to the United States Bureau of Land Management ("BLM"). The submission of the updated Mine Plan of Operations to the BLM initiates the pathway for the issuance of a Notice of Intent, which is a formal announcement of the BLM's intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate the potential environmental effects of the proposed action in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. The Agreement provides Integra and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes a framework to guide a mutually beneficial long-term relationship over the life of mine at DeLamar. The Agreement lays the foundation for a strong partnership by aligning the Parties' interests across several key measures, including economic opportunities, environmental protection, cultural recognition, and social performance. This approach seeks to achieve consensus between the Parties over the life of mine by working together to co-design how Integra operates and remains accountable on performance. As the footprint of the proposed DeLamar Project is within the traditional territories of other Tribal Nations, Integra and those interested Nations are concurrently working to explore the development of similar relationships. About Integra Integra is a growing precious metals producer in the Great Basin of the Western United States. Integra is focused on demonstrating profitability and operational excellence at its principal operating asset, the Florida Canyon Mine, located in Nevada. In addition, Integra is committed to advancing its flagship development-stage heap leach projects: the past producing DeLamar Project located in southwestern Idaho and the Nevada North Project located in western Nevada. Integra creates sustainable value for shareholders, stakeholders, and local communities through successful mining operations, efficient project development, disciplined capital allocation, and strategic M&A, while upholding the highest industry standards for environmental, social, and governance practices. About the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes is a federally-recognized Tribal Nation located on the state line of Idaho and Nevada within the homelands of their ancestors. Established in 1877, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes are a collective of numerous bands of Shoshone and Paiute people from throughout the northern Great Basin and Interior Western United States. Being a rural community, the Tribes have embraced tying cultural heritage with a western ranching lifestyle. As a Nation, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes have been expanding economic opportunities and building up community development for generations to come. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS George Salamis President, CEO and Director Forward Looking Statements Certain information set forth in this news release contains "forwardlooking statements" and "forwardlooking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and in applicable United States securities law (referred to herein as forwardlooking statements). Except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained herein constitutes forwardlooking statements which includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: statements regarding the anticipated benefits, impacts and implementation of the Agreement between the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes and Integra; the development, permitting and advancement of the DeLamar Project; anticipated community, cultural, environmental and economic outcomes; the future financial or operating performance of the Company and its projects. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "could", "would", "anticipate", 'believe", "expect", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "budget", "scheduled", "plans", "planned", "forecasts", "goals" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of factors and assumptions made by management and considered reasonable at the time such statement was made. Assumptions and factors include: the Company's ability to complete its planned exploration and development programs; the absence of adverse conditions at the Projects; satisfying ongoing covenants under the Company's loan facilities; no unforeseen operational delays; no material delays in obtaining necessary permits; results of independent engineer technical reviews; the possibility of cost overruns and unanticipated costs and expenses; the price of gold remaining at levels that continue to render the Projects economic, as applicable; the Company's ability to continue raising necessary capital to finance operations; and the ability to realize on the mineral resource and reserve estimates. Forwardlooking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forwardlooking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: general business, economic and competitive uncertainties; the actual results of current and future exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; meeting various expected cost estimates; benefits of certain technology usage; changes in project parameters and/or economic assessments as plans continue to be refined; future prices of metals; possible variations of mineral grade or recovery rates; the risk that actual costs may exceed estimated costs; geological, mining and exploration technical problems; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing; risks related to local communities; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); title to properties; and other factors beyond the Company's control and as well as those factors included herein and elsewhere in the Company's public disclosure. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are advised to study and consider risk factors disclosed in Integra's Annual Information Form dated March 26, 2025 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, which is available on the SEDAR+ issuer profile for the Company at www.sedarplus.ca and available as Exhibit 99.1 to Integra's Form 40-F, which is available on the EDGAR profile for the Company at www.sec.gov . Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Investors are urged to read the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulatory agencies, which can be viewed online under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca . Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Integra Resources Corp. Bringing Jollibee lovers and EYEKONS together, the dynamic pairing will feature an exclusive merch drop and more deliciously exciting experiences coming soon! WEST COVINA, Calif., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Jollibee, the beloved global restaurant brand renowned for its great-tasting menu and joyful dining experience, is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with the internationally acclaimed girl group, KATSEYE. This landmark collaboration unites the restaurant brand's rich heritage of bringing families and communities together through delicious food with the dynamic girl group's vibrant energy and rapidly growing global fanbase of EYEKONS. Designed to reflect the shared energy of two global icons, Jollibee and KATSEYE are launching a partnership to create joyful new connections with their North American fans. The Jollibee x KATSEYE merch capsule drops August 15 with three exclusive pieces that celebrate joy, fandom, and fearless self-expression. This collaboration is a natural fit, rooted in Jollibee and KATSEYE's shared ability to spark joy among their global fanbases. Jollibee, with its unique flavors, universally loved offerings like its crispy, juicy Chickenjoy fried chicken, and welcoming service, has cultivated a loyal following across generations and cultures. Its journey from a humble ice cream parlor in the Philippines to a global QSR powerhouse mirrors the aspirational rise of KATSEYE, a group known for its youthful pop sound, diverse talent, and dedication to connecting with devoted fans worldwide. Both Jollibee and KATSEYE are currently taking the world by storm. Recently named the "best fast food fried chicken" by USA TODAY for the second year in a row, Jollibee is always looking for ways to bring joy to its community through next-level food and more. Having just sold out their Beautiful Chaos tour, KATSEYE continues to raise the bar, delivering hit after hit. With each brand at the top of its game, this collaboration is a moment fans won't want to miss. The partnership will kick off with a special merchandise drop on August 15. Complex, the media brand known for its sharp pulse on pop culture, will exclusively house the three custom Jollibee x KATSEYE items, which are designed to capture the upbeat and stylish nature of this perfectly fitting partnership. Quantities are extremely limited, so fans are encouraged to act quickly, as items are likely to sell out. Shared Dream Tank Top: With its cosmic flair and clean lines, this tank captures the bold energy of EYEKONS chasing big dreams across galaxies, with a Jollibee twist. With its cosmic flair and clean lines, this tank captures the bold energy of EYEKONS chasing big dreams across galaxies, with a Jollibee twist. Chickenjoy Gnarly Box Tee: Pop meets crispy perfection with this heavyweight black box tee, made for fans who like their music loud and their chicken juicy. Pop meets crispy perfection with this heavyweight black box tee, made for fans who like their music loud and their chicken juicy. Double Drop Denim Tote: Sturdy, stylish, and made to carry happiness, this two-sided denim tote flips between subtle flex and full fan mode. "Jollibee always strives to bring people together through the universal language of delicious food and shared moments of joy," said Luis Velasco, Senior Vice President and Marketing Head at Jollibee North America. "This is precisely why partnering with KATSEYE, a group that deeply resonates with a diverse, global audience and embodies such positive energy, is a perfect match for our beloved brand. Their passion and vibrant spirit align seamlessly with our distinctive heritage of fostering community and happiness. We're incredibly excited to join forces with such a talented group of women and create unforgettable experiences for our fans." Following the August 15 merch drop, Jollibee and KATSEYE will continue to surprise fans with exclusive, joy-filled experiences that blend bold flavor and fierce style. From crave-worthy bites to limited-edition collectibles, the partnership is just getting startedso keep your eyes (and taste buds) ready. More announcements are on the way that will bring both brands' communities together in unforgettable ways. "We could not be happier to partner with Jollibee, a brand that we've been truly obsessed with for a long, long time," stated KATSEYE. "This collaboration feels incredibly authentic to us, and it's all about good vibes, bold flavor, and making memories with our EYEKONS. We can't wait to share this journey with both our fans and Jollibee's it's going to be beautifully chaotic." Jollibee is the flagship brand of the Jollibee Group, which is on a mission to become one of the top five restaurant companies in the world. For Jollibee x KATSEYE partnership updates, as well as upcoming store openings, new product launches and other exciting news and announcements, be sure to follow along at @jollibeeus on Facebook, @jollibeeus on Instagram and @jollibeeusa on TikTok. KATSEYEcomprising Daniela (Cuban/Venezuelan-American, from Atlanta, GA), Lara (Indian, from New York, NY), Manon (Ghanaian-Italian, from Zurich, Switzerland), Megan (Chinese-American, from Honolulu, HI), Sophia (Manila, Philippines), and Yoonchae (Seoul, South Korea)has quickly risen to international prominence with their captivating performances, unique sound, and dedicated fanbase. A powerhouse of diverse talent, KATSEYE embodies the spirit of modern pop, inspiring millions with their music and message. To learn more, subscribe to updates at katseye.world or follow them at @katseyeworld on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X. About Jollibee Group Jollibee Foods Corporation (PSE: JFC) ( the "Company" ) is the one of the world's fastest-growing restaurant companies, driven by its purpose of spreading joy through superior taste. It manages and operates a portfolio which includes 19 brands ( the "Jollibee Group" ) with over 10,000 stores and cafes across 33 countries. The Jollibee Group's portfolio includes nine wholly owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger and Tim Ho Wan), five franchised brands (Burger King, Panda Express, Yoshinoya, Common Man Coffee Roasters, and Tiong Bahru Bakery in the Philippines), and ownership stakes in other key brands like The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (80%), Compose Coffee (70%), SuperFoods Group that operates Highlands Coffee (60%), and bubble tea brand Milksha (51%). The Company also has membership interests in Tortazo, LLC, along with Chef Rick Bayless, for Tortazo in the U.S. and has recently invested in Botrista, a leader in beverage technology. The Jollibee Group's global sustainability agenda, Joy for Tomorrow, underscores its commitment to sustainable business practices across food safety, employee welfare, community support, good governance, and environmental responsibility, among others. These focus areas are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The Company has been recognized as the Philippines' Most Admired Company by the Asian Wall Street Journal, named one of Asia's Fab 50 Companies, and listed among Forbes' World's Best Employers and Top Female-Friendly Companies. The Company is also a four-time Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award recipient and featured in TIME's World's Best Companies and Fortune's Southeast Asia 500 List. To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com. SOURCE Jollibee With Strong Year-Over-Year Growth, This Marks Jupiter Payments' Second Consecutive Year on the List JUPITER, Fla., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Jupiter Payments is proud to announce that it has been ranked No. 3338 on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. This marks Jupiter Payments' second appearance on the list achieved in just its second year of eligibility. The Inc. 5000 list provides a data-driven snapshot of the most successful independent and entrepreneurial businesses in the U.S. Past honorees include Microsoft, Meta, Chobani, Under Armour, Timberland, Oracle, and Patagonia. "To be named to the Inc. 5000 for a second consecutive yearonly in our second year of eligibilityreinforces the commitment, passion, and vision of the entire Jupiter Payments team," said Colton, CEO & Founder of Jupiter Payments. "From the challenges of launching in the early days of the pandemic to achieving consistent growth, our focus has always been on delivering innovative, reliable solutions that help small and mid-sized businesses thrive." Founded in March 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jupiter Payments is a national fintech company providing payment processing, vertical-focused point of sale solutions, omni-channel integrated payments, payroll processing, and lending services to small and mid-sized businesses across the U.S. Over the past three years, Jupiter Payments has expanded its reach, invested in technology innovation, and diversified its offerings. The company is currently developing additional vertical-specific software platforms and plans to expand its point of sale product suite through the acquisition of another POS system by the end of 2025. For the full list, company profiles, and a searchable database by industry and location, visit: www.inc.com/inc5000. About Jupiter Payments Founded in March 2020, Jupiter Payments is a fintech company that delivers payment processing, point of sale solutions, omni-channel integrated payments, payroll, and lending services to small and mid-sized businesses nationwide. With a focus on transparency, high-level support, and innovative solutions, Jupiter Payments empowers merchants to streamline operations, reduce costs, and increase revenue. SOURCE Jupiter Payments LISC LA Selects Marketing Maven Following RFP Process for Marketing and Communications Support to Help Build Bridges Between Local Non-profit Partners and the Resources They Need to Transform Under-resourced Neighborhoods into Thriving Communities of Opportunity and Choice LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Bicoastal, award-winning public relations firm Marketing Maven has announced that it has been retained as the agency of record for public relations, social media marketing and marketing communications support for LISC LA, one of 37 offices of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a national non-profit organization supporting community development in cities and rural areas throughout the country. LISC is one of the nation's foremost CDFIs, actively financing community development. LISC LA is one of 37 offices of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a national non-profit organization supporting community development in cities and rural areas throughout the country. With residents and partners, LISC forges resilient communities of opportunity across America great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families. A CDFI, or Community Development Financial Institution, is a specialized financial institution that works to expand economic opportunity in low-income communities. CDFIs provide access to financial products and services for local residents and businesses that might otherwise be underserved by traditional financial institutions. Marketing Maven is charged with assisting LISC LA make LA a more resilient community via more affordable housing, economic development, health and recreation, capacity building, and strategic planning efforts. The agency will manage for LISC LA media relations, contact strategy and support, weekly social media management, quarterly event management and annual report production. LISC LA receives funding from banks, corporations, foundations, and government agencies. It partners with community organizations, private developers, local government and schools to invest those funds in affordable housing, economic development, health and recreation, capacity building, and strategic planning efforts. This comprehensive approach builds more resilient communities throughout Los Angeles. Nicole Williams, Executive Director, spearheads the LISC LA office, which has invested nearly $1.6 billion in affordable housing, small businesses, economic development, health, education, community safety and jobs throughout Los Angeles over the last 36 years. "Marketing Maven is honored and excited to be chosen agency of record for LISC LA," said Lindsey Carnett , CEO and President of Marketing Maven. "We will aim highly to focus more public and media attention on the great and important work LISC LA does for local communities." Marketing Maven's connections with local media are extensive. It has represented businesses in all industries, including professional services and not for profit organizations, since its inception more than 15 years ago. "With the help of Marketing Maven, we aim to extend our digital footprint and shine more light on all of our efforts to improve communities, including work to improve housing, economic development, health and recreation opportunities, capacity building, and strategic planning," said Williams. About LISC LA With residents and partners, LISC forges resilient communities of opportunity across America great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families. Strategies We Pursue Strengthen existing alliances while building new collaborations to increase our impact on the progress of people and places Develop leadership and the capacity of partners to advance our work together Equip talent in communities with the skills and credentials to compete successfully for quality income and wealth opportunities Invest in businesses, housing and other community infrastructure to catalyze economic, health, safety and educational mobility for individuals and communities Drive local, regional, and national policy and system changes that foster broadly shared prosperity and well-being For more information about LISC LA, visit Los Angeles | LISC Los Angeles About Marketing Maven With offices in Los Angeles and New York, Marketing Maven is a full-service marketing and communications agency. With origins in direct response public relations, Marketing Maven has developed into a premier voice in brand strategy, social media, innovative media relations, event marketing, tradeshow support, Hispanic marketing and search engine optimization. Marketing Maven leads the industry in utilizing advanced metrics to measure their clients' marketing reach and providing competitive analysis unparalleled in the industry. For additional information about Marketing Maven, visit http://www.MarketingMaven.com. Media Contact: Frank Tortorici, Marketing Maven, 9088758908, [email protected] SOURCE LISC Los Angeles BANGKOK, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Marshall, the legendary music brand that has amplified icons for over six decades, proudly announces the opening of Marshall Livehouse Bangkok: a multi-level music venue, community hub, and brand experience in the heart of the city's cultural district. "From grassroots to global stages, Marshall has supported everyone from emerging creators to legendary musicians, from bedroom producers to festival headliners, and from small independent venues to stadium arenas," said Jeremy de Maillard, CEO of Marshall Group, "Always with the same purpose: to amplify the voices of musicians and music lovers everywhere." AMPLIFYING LOCAL TALENT WITH GLOBAL REACH Nestled in the artistic neighbourhood of Charoenkrung, Marshall Livehouse is more than a venue. It has been designed as a community-first space offering curated gigs, accessible rehearsal studios and cultural programming that blends local authenticity with a global ambition. Featuring weekly shows at the heart of programming, the Marshall stage offers both rising stars the chance to take their first step into the world of live performing, while connecting more established acts with new audiences. The two rehearsal studios tucked away on the third floor offer musicians a creative sanctuary to prepare for touring, or to create their next number one single. With affordable rates, the studios welcome musicians of all genres and experiences. "While Bangkok has long thrived as a music capital in Southeast Asia, there's a need for more physical spaces where creators from the community can collaborate and share their craft," said Hataichanok 'Pan' Uttaburanont, Head of Music & Culture, Marshall Livehouse. "It's about empowering the local music community with tools, space, and global opportunity. Bangkok deserves this." A MULTI-LEVEL IMMERSIVE MARSHALL EXPERIENCE The Livehouse offers Marshall fans and music lovers unexpected brand experiences. It features a full spectrum of Marshall products, including guitar amps, speakers, headphones, apparel and accessories, integrated throughout the building: Level 1: The Stage and Bar An intimate live music space with daytime coffee and licensed bar in the evening operated by City Boy Coffee Stand Level 2: The Vinyl Listening Bar and Gear Hub A Marshall customer gear hub for locally purchased audio products and flexible workshop space including a Vinyl Listening Bar Level 3: Two bespoke rehearsal spaces equipped with top-of-the-line Marshall products, accessible to local emerging musicians and touring artists Level 4: Event Space A multi-purpose space for exhibitions, music showcases, and community-led events A PARTNERSHIP POWERED BY TRUST The launch is the result of a joint vision between Marshall and Ash Asia, who has been a trusted distribution partner in the region for over a decade. Ash leads the local operations and investment of the Livehouse, with Marshall providing creative direction, product integration, strategic support and access to its global music resources. "We're thrilled to deepen our partnership with Marshall through the Livehouse," said Adam Reuterskiold Arnback, Executive Chairman, Ash Asia, "And to contribute meaningful impact in the music community." DESIGNED FOR THE FUTURE Marshall envisions the Bangkok Livehouse as the beginning of a broader commitment to cultural-led expansion across Asia and beyond. "We're investing in real-world experiences that stay true to our legacy and inspire the next generation of musicians," said de Maillard. The Marshall Livehouse opens its doors to the public 16th of August. A full programme of performances and community events is planned throughout the week at 186 Soi Charoenkrung 36, Bangkok. About Marshall Group Marshall Group is the audio, tech, and design powerhouse, uniting musicians and music lovers through genre-breaking innovation. With a legacy that began in 1962, Marshall is one of the most iconic brands in music culture, known for delivering high-performance products for the stage, the home, and life on the go. Today, Marshall is active in over 90 markets and powered by a global team of 800 talented individuals. Learn more on marshall.com About Ash Asia Ash Asia is the exclusive distributor of premium audio equipment, headphones, and speakers across Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia. The company partners with globally recognized brands and trusted retailers to offer certified, high-quality products and excellent customer service. Driven by a passion for sound and culture, Ash Asia is committed to expanding its footprint in Southeast Asia by bringing inspiring, best-in-class audio brands closer to consumersdelivering not just products, but experiences worth sharing. For media inquiries, please contact [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com. The following files are available for download: SOURCE Marshall Group Drivers in Peoria Can Find a Wide Range of Available Tires at Mercedes-Benz of Arrowhead PEORIA, Ariz., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz of Arrowhead, a premier luxury dealership in Peoria, Arizona, provides an extensive selection of high-quality tires and professional tire services to meet the needs of its discerning customers. Wide Selection of Available Tires The Dealerships Tire Center Includes High-Performance and Seasonal Tire Options Mercedes-Benz of Arrowhead offers a curated range of tires designed specifically to match the performance, safety, and luxury standards of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. From all-season tires that provide year-round versatility to performance tires that enhance handling and responsiveness, the dealership ensures every model is equipped for optimal driving. Customers can also find specialized options such as winter tires for enhanced grip in cold conditions and run-flat tires for added peace of mind. Benefits of Choosing the Right Tires High-quality, properly fitted tires play a crucial role in a vehicle's safety, performance, and comfort. Premium tires can improve fuel efficiency, reduce braking distance, and enhance steering precision. For Mercedes-Benz owners, choosing the right tires preserves the vehicle's engineered ride quality and ensures a driving experience that lives up to the brand's reputation. Recognizing When to Replace Tires Knowing when to replace tires is vital for maintaining safety and performance. Mercedes-Benz of Arrowhead advises that customers monitor tread depth, sidewall condition, and overall wear patterns. Warning signs such as uneven tread wear, reduced traction in wet conditions, and visible cracks in the rubber indicate it may be time for replacement. Additionally, tires that are six years old or olderregardless of tread conditionshould be evaluated for safety. Comprehensive Tire Services at Mercedes-Benz of Arrowhead In addition to tire sales, Mercedes-Benz of Arrowhead provides expert tire services, including replacement, rotation, balancing, and alignment. The dealership's certified technicians use advanced equipment to ensure precise installation and optimal performance. Regular tire maintenance not only extends tire life but also enhances handling and fuel efficiency. The dealership's service team is dedicated to delivering exceptional care tailored to the needs of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Mercedes-Benz of Arrowhead continues to serve the Peoria area with premium products and services that reflect the brand's commitment to excellence. Media Contact: Name: MATT MCDERMOTT Phone: 480-213-1265 Email: [email protected] Mercedes-Benz of Arrowhead, located in Peoria, AZ, offers automotive solutions and Mercedes-Benz vehicles. SOURCE Mercedes-Benz of Arrowhead VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Nevada King Gold Corp. (TSXV: NKG) (OTCQB: NKGFF) ("Nevada King" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, at its meeting of Shareholders (the "Shareholders") held today, August 14, 2025, Shareholders approved the re-election of Collin Kettell and William Hayden to the Board of Directors (the "Board") of the Company . In addition, John Sclodnick and Michael Doolin were elected to the Board. Former directors Paul Matysek and Craig Roberts did not stand for re-election. Effective immediately, Mr. Sclodnick will serve as the Company's Chief Executive Officer replacing Collin Kettell, who remains a Director of the Company. Mr. Kettell was appointed Chairman on the date hereof. In addition, the Company announces the appointment of Jeff Stieber as the Company's Chief Financial Officer, following the resignation of Bassam Moubarak. "On behalf of the company, I'd like to thank Paul Matysek, Craig Roberts, and Bassam Moubarak for their significant contributions since inception. We wish them all every success in their future endeavours", stated Mr. Kettell. "I am also pleased to welcome Jeff Stieber, whose senior leadership experience across exploration, development, and production stages will be invaluable as we advance our Atlanta project, and I'm excited to see John Sclodnick take over the role as CEO of the Company. Over the past year, working closely with John has strengthened my confidence in his leadership, which has already helped drive increased institutional ownership. As Founder and Chairman, I am confident the Company is on a strong path forward under his guidance and I look forward to working in tandem with him to advance Nevada King." Mr. Sclodnick, CEO stated: "It is an exciting time for Nevada King, with exploration momentum building across a number of highly prospective targets at our Atlanta project, to complement our high-grade and high-confidence resource. I'm eager to continue to build that momentum alongside our dedicated and energized team, to advance these targets, generate significant discoveries, and create real value for our shareholders." All other matters put forward before the Shareholders at the meeting for consideration and approval, including the re-appointment of Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as auditor of the Company at a remuneration to be fixed by the Board, and renewal of the stock option plan of the Company, as set out in the Company's Management Information Circular dated July 4, 2025, were approved. Michael Doolin With more than 35 years of experience in the mining industry, Mr. Doolin has led various companies in driving operational efficiency. At Karora Resources Inc., he served as Senior Vice President of Technical Services and was a key player in increasing the company's throughput from 340,000 to 1.6 million tonnes per annum, which was a significant factor in its successful merger. In his capacity as Chief Operating Officer of Klondex Mines Ltd., he played a crucial role in raising gold production from 8,000 to 200,000 ounces per year, which contributed to the company's acquisition by Hecla Mining Company. Mr. Doolin has also held Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer positions at Silver Elephant Mining, as well as leadership roles as Mill Manager at Great Basin Gold and Metallurgical Lab Lead at McClelland Labs. He currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of Americas Gold and Silver Corporation and Culico Metals Inc. Jeff Stieber Mr. Stieber has over 19 years of experience in finance, accounting, and strategy, having held senior executive roles with Hycroft Mining, Klondex Mines, Tahoe Resources, White Pine Precious Metals, and Bendito Resources. He is knowledgeable in all phases of mining project development, from guiding exploration-stage projects to advancing development assets into production and cash flow generation. Mr. Stieber is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Nevada and a Certified Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst. He also currently serves as a director for Chesapeake Gold Corp. About Nevada King Gold Corp. Nevada King is focused on advancing and growing its 100% owned, past producing, 130km2 Atlanta Gold Mine project located along the Battle Mountain trend in southeast Nevada. The project hosts an NI 43-101 compliant pit-constrained oxide resource of 1,020koz Au in the measured and indicated category (27.7M tonnes at 1.14 g/t) plus an inferred resource of 99koz Au (3.6M tonnes at 0.84 g/t). See the NI 43-101 Technical Report titled "Technical Report and Estimate of Gold and Silver Mineral Resources for the Atlanta Project, Lincoln County, Nevada, USA" with an effective date of September 6, 2024, and a report date of July 18, 2025, as prepared by RESPEC (formerly Mine Development Associates) and filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ www.sedarplus.ca . NI 43-101 Mineral Resources at the Atlanta Mine by RESPEC 2025 Tonnes Au g/t Au oz Ag g/t Ag oz AuEq g/t AuEq oz Measured 3,430,100 1.55 170,800 16.96 1,870,200 1.65 182,000 Indicated 24,280,200 1.09 848,800 8.73 6,817,200 1.14 887,700 M&I 27,710,300 1.14 1,019,600 9.75 8,687,400 1.20 1,069,700 Inferred 3,638,400 0.84 98,500 2.56 299,500 0.85 99,800 Please see the Company's website at www.nevadaking.ca . Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operations and activities of Nevada King, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or" should" occur or be achieved. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Nevada King, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, technical, geologic, environmental, regulatory, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability to complete proposed exploration work, the results of exploration, continued availability of capital, and changes in general economic, market and business conditions. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. Nevada King does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements should beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, change, except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE Nevada King Gold Corp. NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of securities of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE: NVO) between May 7, 2025 and July 28, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). 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 30, 2025. So What: If you purchased Novo Nordisk securities 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 Novo Nordisk class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=34168 https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=14243 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] 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 30, 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. 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, defendants provided 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 Novo Nordisk's growth potential. Notably, Novo Nordisk's asserted potential to capitalize on the compounded market greatly understated the potential impact of the personalization exception to the compounded GLP-1 exclusion and overstated the likelihood that such patients would switch to Novo Nordisk's branded alternatives. Further, defendants greatly overstated the potential GLP-1 market or otherwise, Novo's capability to penetrate said markets to achieve continued growth. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the Novo Nordisk class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=34168 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] 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 Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A. USA News Group News Commentary Issued on behalf of Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- USA News Group News Commentary The global gold market is witnessing an unprecedented convergence of bullish forces that could propel prices toward historic heights, as record-breaking momentum carries the precious metal beyond US$3,400 per ounce. Wall Street's most prestigious investment banks are raising their forecasts in unison, with J.P. Morgan targeting US$4,000 by mid-2026 and UBS analysts delivering enthusiastic endorsements for gold mining equities. As traditional safe-haven demand collides with aggressive central bank accumulation and mounting geopolitical uncertainties, the stage appears set for a sustained precious metals supercycle that extends far beyond current price levels. Among the companies positioned to capitalize on this extraordinary environment are Lake Victoria Gold (TSXV: LVG) (OTCQB: LVGLF), Galiano Gold Inc. (NYSE-American: GAU) (TSX: GAU), i-80 Gold Corp. (NYSE-American: IAUX) (TSX: IAU), New Gold Inc. (NYSE-American: NGD) (TSX: NGD), and Integra Resources Corp. (NYSE-American: ITRG) (TSXV: ITR). What distinguishes this gold rally from previous cycles is the remarkable outperformance of mining equities, with the VanEck Gold Miners ETF surging over 40% year-to-date compared to gold's own impressive gains. Major financial institutions are now signaling a fundamental shift in how they value gold producers, as UBS projects a "stronger for longer gold price environment" that should drive increased buyback activity and merger opportunities across the sector. The confluence of robust operational cash flows, streamlined capital allocation, and elevated commodity prices is creating what analysts describe as an optimal environment for mining stock re-rating, particularly among companies with established production profiles and clear development pathways. Lake Victoria Gold (TSXV: LVG) (OTCQB: LVGLF) stands on the verge of a transformation that could redefine its trajectory from explorer to producer, as the Nyati Resources processing facility reaches final commissioning stages. Located directly on one of LVG's Tembo licences adjacent to Barrick's sprawling Bulyanhulu Mine, the plant represents more than infrastructureit's the catalyst for unlocking near-term cash flow from two advanced gold projects. Recent site inspections reveal a facility nearing operational readiness, with commissioning now targeted within the next four to six weeks. The existing 120 tonne-per-day carbon-in-pulp circuit operates under full licensing, while a substantially larger 500+ tpd line approaches completion. Combined capacity will exceed 600 tpd, supported by dual regrind mills, extended leach circuits, and grid-tied power systems with backup generation. Stockpiles await on the ROM pad as final equipment undergoes dry testing. "It was impressive to see the scale and quality of construction firsthand," David Scott, Managing Director Tanzania & Director of Lake Victoria Gold, who captured the momentum during his latest site visit. "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." The processing pathway accelerates LVG's dual-project advancement strategy. At the fully permitted Imwelo Gold Project, positioned just 12 km from AngloGold Ashanti's Geita mine, a strategic 7,750m drill program will targets Area C's highest-grade zones. The campaign splits between 3,750m of grade control drilling for immediate mine planning and 4,000m testing mineralized extensions, building on intercepts including 6.8m at 14.6 g/t gold from 33m and 7m at 3.22 g/t from 27m. "We've designed this program to maximize Imwelo's short-term production readiness while extending the upside case," said Marc Cernovitch, President and CEO of Lake Victoria Gold. "The drill data will help us finalize early mine scheduling, validate pit design, and potentially unlock high-grade extensions. With Area C now fully defined as our initial production zone, we're making meaningful progress toward Tanzania's next gold producer." Simultaneously, Tembo's Ngula 1 target advances through 3,000m of up coming drilling, targeting shallow, high-grade zones ideal for early Nyati processing. Previous hits of 28.57 g/t over 3m from 54m and 17.23 g/t over 4m from 19m underscore the potential for rapid cash generation ahead of full Imwelo development. Recent Barrick presentations highlight intensive exploration across the region, including systematic drilling programs on ground formerly held by LVGproviding more validation of the district's broader geological potential. Strategic upside extends through LVG's exposure to up to US$45 million in milestone payments from the 2021 asset sale to Barrick's Bulyanhulu operation. Financial runway strengthens through recently announced private placements totaling up to C$7.5 million, earmarked for development, exploration, and working capital across both projects. With plant commissioning weeks away, drilling programs about to commence, and funding secured, LVG positions itself uniquely in Tanzania's gold landscapea company transitioning from exploration potential to production reality within one of Africa's most prolific mining districts. CONTINUED Read this and more news for Lake Victoria Gold at: https://usanewsgroup.com/2025/04/02/with-funding-commitments-in-place-a-gold-mine-is-being-built-and-this-stock-is-still-under-0-20/ In other industry developments and happenings in the market include: Galiano Gold Inc. (NYSE-American: GAU) (TSX: GAU) delivered a commanding Q2 2025 performance with production surging 46% quarter-over-quarter to 30,350 ounces while achieving record average realized gold prices of $3,317 per ounce. The Ghana-based operator of the Asanko Gold Mine generated $97.3 million in revenue and operating cash flow of $35.8 million, positioning the company to maintain its debt-free status with $114.7 million in cash. "We are pleased with the progress made during the period with production, all-in sustaining costs, earnings per share, and cash balances all improving quarter-on-quarter," said Matt Badylak, President and CEO of Galiano Gold. Breakthrough exploration results at the Abore deposit continue to validate expansion potential, with deep drilling confirming mineralization 200 metres below current reserves across a 1,200 metre strike length. The momentum from operational improvements, combined with the commissioning of the secondary crusher ahead of schedule in late July, positions the company for continued strength in the second half of the year. i-80 Gold Corp. (NYSE-American: IAUX) (TSX: IAU) marked a transformational quarter as the company advanced its Nevada-focused development strategy with record revenue of $27.8 million and significantly improved cash flow generation. Following a successful $185.5 million financing in May, the company is accelerating construction activities across five gold projects while targeting underground development at Archimedes and completing infill drilling programs to support upcoming feasibility studies. "The second quarter marked a major turning point at i-80 Gold," said Richard Young, President and CEO of i-80. "The equity financing completed in May has enabled us to advance key development initiatives across the five gold projects included in our development plan, and advance the Lone Tree autoclave refurbishment study which will be a key component of our hub-and-spoke mining and processing strategy for our high-grade underground projects." With $133.7 million in cash and a comprehensive three-phase development plan targeting over 600,000 ounces of annual gold production by the early 2030s, i-80 Gold continues positioning itself as a major Nevada gold producer through systematic advancement of its brownfield project portfolio. New Gold Inc. (NYSE-American: NGD) (TSX: NGD) achieved operational excellence in Q2 2025 with record quarterly free cash flow of $63 million driven by strong performance across both operating assets. The company produced 78,595 ounces of gold and 13.5 million pounds of copper while generating $163 million in operating cash flow, highlighted by Rainy River's record monthly production of 37,341 ounces in June. "Across the Company, the second quarter successfully built on the momentum from the first quarter, positioning us to deliver on our annual guidance," said Patrick Godin, President and CEO of New Gold. "The quarter was highlighted by a record production month at Rainy River, resulting in record quarterly free cash flow for both Rainy River and the Company." Strategic acquisitions and financing initiatives, including the purchase of Ontario Teachers' remaining 19.9% interest in New Afton and subsequent redemption of outstanding 2027 Notes, have strengthened the company's financial position while eliminating dilution to shareholders. New Gold's dual-asset portfolio continues demonstrating consistent cash generation capabilities as both operations advance toward increased production in the second half of 2025. Integra Resources Corp. (NYSE-American: ITRG) (TSXV: ITR) demonstrated consistent operational performance at its Florida Canyon Mine while executing a substantial capital investment program designed to ensure long-term profitability. The company generated record quarterly revenue of $61.1 million and record mine operating earnings of $25.2 million on production of 18,087 gold ounces sold at average realized prices of $3,332 per ounce. "We are pleased to report consistent gold production from Florida Canyon and positive financial results from the Company for the second quarter of 2025," commented George Salamis, President, CEO and Director of Integra. "Florida Canyon continues to deliver on our expectations, generating meaningful cash flow to fund significant re-investment into the mine, while also supporting the Company's broader growth strategy." With $63.0 million in cash and a comprehensive reinvestment strategy targeting over $55 million in mine-site improvements during 2025, Integra continues advancing its broader growth strategy encompassing Florida Canyon optimization, DeLamar permitting, and Nevada North development activities. The company's resource growth-focused drilling program at Florida Canyon has been expanded to approximately 16,000 meters, targeting historical waste areas and lateral extensions to support future reserve growth and mine life extension. Article Source: https://usanewsgroup.com/2025/04/02/with-funding-commitments-in-place-a-gold-mine-is-being-built-and-this-stock-is-still-under-0-20/ 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 article is being distributed for Baystreet.ca media corp, who has been paid a fee for an advertising from a shareholder of the Company (333,333 unrestricted shares). MIQ has not been paid a fee for Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. advertising or digital media, but the owner/operators of MIQ also co-owns Baystreet.ca Media Corp. ("BAY") There may also be 3rd parties who may have shares of Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. 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 own shares of Lake Victoria Gold Ltd and reserve the right to buy and sell, and will buy and sell shares of Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. 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 Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. Technical information relating to Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. 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 registered member of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) and is a Director of Lake Victoria Gold Ltd., and therefore is not independent of the Company; this is a paid advertisement, we currently own shares of Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. and will 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/2603685/5462516/USA_News_Group_Logo.jpg SOURCE USA News Group Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM) is one of the best commodity stocks to buy. On July 28, 2025, Raymond James reiterated its Outperform rating on Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM) and raised its price target to $69 from $67, signaling confidence in the companys near-term prospects. On the same day, CIBC analyst Anita Soni maintained a Neutral (Hold) rating while lifting the target from $60 to $74, reflecting expectations for potential upside. Both moves highlight analysts recognition of Newmonts operational momentum and its strong leverage to gold prices. Hecla (HL) Shines 18% Brighter as Earnings Impress Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash These ratings came amidst Newmonts stellar second quarter, where the company crushed expectations by earning $1.43 per share, beating the forecast of roughly $1.18; revenue surged, buoyed by stronger gold prices averaging over $3,320 an ounce. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Newmont is the worlds leading gold miner, with diversified assets spanning North and South America, Africa, and Australia. It also mines copper, silver, lead, and zinc, and recently completed a $17 billion acquisition of Newcrest while divesting noncore assets to bolster its balance sheet. While we acknowledge the potential of NEM 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: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. New region driven by REMAX value proposition and trusted brand reputation. DENVER, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- REMAX proudly announces the brand's expansion with the signing of a regional franchise agreement in Malaysia. REMAX Malaysia joins a worldwide network with a presence in more than 110 countries and territories a global footprint unmatched by any other real estate brand. The newly launched operation is led by experienced entrepreneur and real estate expert Kelly Ang, who cited the REMAX reputation, international network and community-driven approach as key reasons for purchasing the rights to REMAX Malaysia in the thriving Southeast Asian nation with a population of 35 million. "Having worked in the real estate industry for over two decades, I've developed a deep understanding of market dynamics and consumer needs," said Ang. "Our experience, paired with the robust support system at REMAX, positions us to thrive in this exciting new chapter." Based in Kuala Lumpur, the capital and largest city, REMAX Malaysia plans to grow its roster of Registered Estate Agents (REAs) and Real Estate Negotiators (RENs) to support clients and communities across the country all while leaning into the brand's global resources, elite education and productivity-driven culture. The region's official launch has already garnered accolades, including the 2025 International Prestige Brand Awardpresented by the Asia Excellence Entrepreneur Federation (AEEF)recognizing the professionalism of REMAX Malaysia's affiliates and strength of the REMAX brand. "REMAX and REMAX Malaysia share a commitment to integrity and client service," Ang added. "We're eager to deliver an elevated experience to both the professionals joining our team and the consumers we serve." Shawna Gilbert, REMAX Senior Vice President of Global and Commercial, praised Ang's vision and leadership saying, "Kelly Ang is a driven, strategic professional with the expertise to establish REMAX Malaysia as a benchmark for real estate excellence throughout the country." To further support its international network, REMAX recently launched MAXRefer, an AI-powered global referral platform. MAXReferSM simplifies every step of the referral process from smart agent matching to secure tracking and built-in referral fee payments making it easier than ever for REMAX agents to collaborate across borders. "People recognize REMAX all around the world and it's the community of outstanding professionals who make REMAX the trusted, productive, and unstoppable brand it is," said Gilbert. "It's our priority to provide global affiliates with the best resources, tools, and support they need to build their businesses." This launch follows two international milestones : the sale of master franchise rights in Cote d'Ivoire, expanding the REMAX brand's presence across Western Africa, and the opening of REMAX Premier in Bahrain, located in the dynamic Seef District of Manama. These developments reflect the brand's strategic focus on global growth and its commitment to connecting local markets with international buyers and investors. About the REMAX Network As one of the leading global real estate franchisors, RE/MAX, LLC is a subsidiary of RE/MAX Holdings (NYSE: RMAX) with more than 145,000 agents in nearly 9,000 offices and a presence in more than 110 countries and territories. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than REMAX, as measured by residential transaction sides. REMAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, with an innovative, entrepreneurial culture affording its agents and franchisees the flexibility to operate their businesses with great independence. REMAX agents have lived, worked and served in their local communities for decades, raising millions of dollars every year for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other charities. To learn more about REMAX, to search home listings or find an agent in your community, please visit www.remax.com. For the latest news about REMAX, please visit news.remax.com. SOURCE RE/MAX, LLC Pan-African People's Studios announces broadcast on ORTM and Africable following the screening BAMAKO, Mali, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pan-African People's Studios today announced the premiere of its new documentary, Reparations: The Colonial Debt, set for 16 August 2025 in Bamako, with a post-premiere broadcast on ORTM and Africable Television. The film, created by Malian filmmaker Ibrahima Sow, confronts one of 2025's most urgent continental conversations: the necessity of reparations from former colonial powers. Reparations (PRNewsfoto/Pan-African Peoples Studios) Weaving archival evidence, expert testimony, and contemporary analysis, the documentary catalogs historic abuses committed during colonial rule and examines the enduring economic pressures exerted on African nations today. The film features contributions from renowned scholars and public intellectuals, including Gnaka Lagoke (Cote d'Ivoire), professor of history and Pan-African studies, and Aminata Dramane Traore (Mali), sociologist and writer. "We have a duty not just a right, but a duty to demand reparations," says Dr. Fode Moussa Sidibe, Malian researcher, underscoring the film's central thesis and call to action. Traore highlights the long tail of exploitation with a stark example: "One of the most frightening illustrations of colonialism is the fate of the Congo under Belgium," she notes, pointing to a legacy that still shapes governance, economies, and public welfare across the continent. Despite varied academic and professional backgrounds, the film's experts are unanimous: reparations are essential to restore historical justice and to enable Africa to speak as an equal on the global stage. By documenting both past atrocities and present-day inequities, Reparations: The Colonial Debt positions reparative justice not as a symbolic gesture, but as practical redress for centuries of extractive policies. Screening & Broadcast Premiere: 16 August 2025 Bamako, Mali 16 August 2025 Broadcasts: ORTM and Africable Television (following the premiere) Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2751143/Reparations.jpg SOURCE Pan-African Peoples Studios Long-time business partners Jim Chiate and Tony Guinane launch Dial Square Private Wealth to offer sophisticated clients enhanced services, greater support and broader investment solutions MIAMI, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanctuary Wealth (Sanctuary), providing elite financial advisors the freedom, flexibility, control and choice to thrive in an evolving industry, welcomes Dial Square Private Wealth (Dial Square) to its growing network of Partner Firms. The Orange County, California-based firm, with $1.2 billion in total client assets, was co-founded by Jim Chiate and Tony Guinane, CFP, CRPC, who first partnered in 2003 at Merrill Lynch before bringing their thriving UHNW practice to UBS in 2013. "After building a remarkable practice in wirehouses, Jim and Tony, like many highly successful wealth managers limited by the employee model, decided to start their own firm, unlocking the valuable asset they have worked so hard to build while removing restrictions on what they can offer to their clients," said Vince Fertitta, President of Wealth Management at Sanctuary Wealth. "We built Sanctuary as a destination where elite advisors with sophisticated businesses could work with a partner that is dedicated to helping them achieve their long-term goals," continued Fertitta. "As evidenced by Dial Square, our value proposition resonates with the industry's top advisors. I look forward to working with the team to continue its amazing success." As a team, the pair regularly found themselves on the Forbes Top Wealth Management Teams and Best-in-State lists and were named to the Barron's Top 250 Private Wealth Management Teams in 2025. Joining Chiate and Guinane at Dial Square are Owen Galasso, who will serve as Vice President, Registered Operations Manager, and Nazgol Nekoomaram, serving as a Vice President, Wealth Associate. "Going independent was not a quick decision," said Chiate. "While we could have easily moved to another traditional wirehouse or private bank, once we understood the evolution of the independent space over the last decade, we couldn't ignore the value independence would provide to our clients. After having our eyes opened, Sanctuary became the obvious choice. They speak our language and truly understand our business, as well as where we want to take it. For the first time in years, we feel that we have a partner that will put our needs, and those of our clients, above their own." Dial Square will leverage the best-in-class capabilities of Charles Schwab and Goldman Sachs as the firm's custodians. With Sanctuary's support, Dial Square's discerning client base can transition with confidence, knowing they will have the innovative technology, back-office expertise and wealth management solutions they expect and deserve. "We have intensely close relationships with our clients, and we made this move to elevate the overall experience we provide," said Guinane. "Our select group of affluent clients relies on us to manage their complex financial needs, and Sanctuary empowers us to do this with distinction. From alternative investments to tax mitigation strategies to philanthropic legacy building, we now have an unfettered ability to offer our clients the best solutions in the industry. With Sanctuary, Schwab and Goldman in our corner, we are independent, but not alone." "We are thrilled to welcome Dial Square Private Wealth to our growing network," added Adam Malamed, CEO of Sanctuary Wealth. "With Sanctuary's support, Jim, Tony and the entire Dial Square team will enjoy all the benefits of independence, along with our award-winning, customized service and solutions. We are committed to providing the team with the tools and resources they need to accelerate their success and create substantial equity in their own business." Over the past 12 months, Sanctuary has welcomed 16 new partner firms representing more than $10 billion in client assets. The Sanctuary Wealth network now includes more than 125 partner firms in 32 states, with over $55 billion in assets on and in transition to platform. About Sanctuary Wealth Sanctuary is a leading hybrid RIA, delivering comprehensive wealth management solutions, platform partnerships, and strategic capital investments to sophisticated independent wealth management firms. It is committed to providing partner firms with unequaled freedom, flexibility, control and choice through an ecosystem of partnered independence that offers a complete technology and operations infrastructure, support from a community of like-minded advisors, the resources of invaluable affiliated businesses and a robust solutions platform. Sanctuary Wealth expanded its affiliation options by acquiring tru independence (tru) in 2024, offering partner firms multiple models to best serve their unique needs. Currently, the Sanctuary Wealth network includes more than 125 partner firms in 32 states nationwide, with over $55 billion in assets on and in transition to platform. Sanctuary Wealth consists of the wholly owned subsidiaries: Sanctuary Advisors LLC, SEC-registered investment advisers, Sanctuary Securities, Inc., a FINRA member broker-dealer, as well as Sanctuary Alternative Holdings, Sanctuary Asset Management, Sanctuary Insurance Solutions, Sanctuary Global, Sanctuary Global Family Office and tru. Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors (202-2025), compiled SHOOK Research, LLC. Most recently presented in April 2025 based on data gathered from 6/30/23 - 6/30/24. 2025 Forbes Team Member - Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams (2019-2025), compiled by SHOOK Research LLC. Most recently presented in January 2025 based on data gathered from 3/31/23-3/31/24. Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams (2023-2025), compiled by SHOOK Research LLC. Most recently presented in January 2025 based on data gathered from 3/31/23-3/31/24. Forbes America's Top Wealth Management Teams (2022-2024): Private Wealth, compiled by SHOOK Research LLC, Presented in November 2024 based on data gathered from 3/31/23-3/31/24. 2025 Barron's Top 250 Private Wealth Management Teams, created by Barron's. Presented in May 2025 based on data gathered from Jan 2024-Dec 2024. No fee was paid to be included in the ranking or to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor's future performance. Your experience may vary. Media Contacts for Sanctuary Wealth: Donald Cutler or Joseph Kuo Haven Tower Group 424-317-4864 or 424 317 4851 [email protected] or [email protected] SOURCE Sanctuary Wealth MILWAUKEE, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ademi Firm is investigating WideOpenWest (NYSE: WOW) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law in its transaction with DigitalBridge Investments. Click here to learn how to join our investigation and obtain additional information or contact us at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you. Shareholders of WideOpenWest will receive $5.20 per share in cash in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.5 billion. Crestview, which currently owns approximately 37% of WideOpenWest's outstanding shares and is the company's largest stockholder, will roll over its existing holdings rather than receive cash. WideOpenWest insiders will receive substantial benefits as part of change of control arrangements. The transaction agreement unreasonably limits competing transactions for WideOpenWest by imposing a significant penalty if WideOpenWest accepts a competing bid. We are investigating the conduct of the WideOpenWest board of directors, and whether they are fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders. We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contacts Ademi & Fruchter LLP Guri Ademi Toll Free: (866) 264-3995 Fax: (414) 482-8001 SOURCE Ademi LLP DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The global supercapacitor market is projected to be valued at USD 1.35 billion in 2025 and reach USD 2.84 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 16.1% during the forecast period according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. This is driven by the increasing adoption of advanced energy storage systems across various sectors, such as automotive, consumer electronics, renewable energy, and industrial automation. Supercapacitors are gaining prominence due to their ability to deliver high power density, rapid charge-discharge cycles, and extended operational life, making them ideal for applications requiring quick energy bursts and enhanced reliability. The integration of supercapacitors in electric vehicles, smart grids, and backup systems is accelerating as energy systems become more decentralized and dynamic. In addition, material innovations, particularly in graphene and hybrid electrodes, are improving performance metrics and cost efficiency. With growing emphasis on energy efficiency, sustainability, and electrification, supercapacitors are emerging as a strategic technology to bridge the gap between batteries and traditional capacitors in next-generation power architectures. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=37140453 Browse in-depth TOC on "Supercapacitor Market" 112 Tables 60 Figures 230 Pages Supercapacitor Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2025 $ 1.35 billion Estimated Value by 2030 $ 2.84 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 16.1% Market Size Available for 20212030 Forecast Period 20252030 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Type, Capacitance Range, End User, and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World Key Market Challenge Lack of standardization across manufacturers Key Market Opportunities Emerging applications in wearables and IoT devices Key Market Drivers Rising adoption of electric vehicles Hybrid supercapacitors' segment is expected to account for a significant market share during the forecast period. The hybrid supercapacitors segment is projected to maintain a notable share of the supercapacitor market during the forecast period, driven by its ability to bridge the performance gap between electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) and batteries. Combining the high-power density of EDLCs with the energy storage capabilities of batteries, hybrid supercapacitors offer enhanced energy density and longer cycle life, making them increasingly attractive for various applications. Their growing deployment in electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics highlights their versatility and performance benefits. The segment is further supported by advancements in electrode materialscarbon-based composites and transition metal oxidesthat enhance storage efficiency and reduce degradation. As industries prioritize sustainable and high-performance energy solutions, hybrid supercapacitors are preferred for applications requiring rapid power delivery and energy buffering. Ongoing R&D and increasing demand for miniaturized, cost-effective, and temperature-resilient energy storage devices reinforce the hybrid segment's role in the evolving energy landscape. 100 F1,000 F segment is projected to exhibit the second-highest CAGR in the supercapacitor market from 2025 to 2030. The 100 F1,000 F capacitance range segment is expected to record the second-highest CAGR during the forecast period, owing to its broad applicability across automotive, industrial, and renewable energy sectors. Supercapacitors within this range offer a balanced combination of energy density and power output, making them ideal for applications such as backup power solutions and grid stabilization. These capacitors are increasingly integrated into hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) to manage peak power demands, reduce strain on batteries, and improve energy efficiency. Moreover, their suitability for power backup in smart meters, wind turbines, and industrial automation equipment drives their adoption. As manufacturers continue to optimize size, performance, and cost, this segment is emerging as a preferred choice for medium-duty energy storage applications. The ongoing shift toward electrification and smart infrastructure is expected to reinforce demand for supercapacitors within this capacitance range, supporting their sustained market presence. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=37140453 North America is likely to hold a significant market share during the forecast period. North America is expected to hold a significant share of the global supercapacitor industry during the forecast period, supported by the increasing use of electric vehicles and the growing demand for energy-efficient consumer electronics. Supercapacitors are valued for their fast-charging ability, high power output, and long cycle life, making them ideal for applications in electric vehicles, wearables, and portable devices. Supercapacitors are increasingly used in regenerative braking systems and power backup units, supported by a mature automotive and consumer electronics industry. Ongoing research and development by local companies also contribute to innovation in new products. With the early adoption of advanced energy storage solutions and a steady push for reliable and sustainable power technologies, the region emerges as a hub for market players. It continues to shape the future of supercapacitor applications across key industries. Major companies operating in the supercapacitor companies include Maxwell Technologies (US), LS Materials (South Korea), Nippon Chemi-Con Corporation (Japan), Eaton (Ireland), and CAP-XX (Australia). Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=37140453 Browse Adjacent Market: Semiconductor and Electronics Market Research Reports &Consulting See More Latest Semiconductor Reports: Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing Market by Processor (MPUS, GPUs, FPGA, ASICs), Software (On-premises, Cloud), Technology (Machine Learning, NLP, Context-aware Computing, Computer Vision, Generative Al), Application - Global Forecast to 2030 Building Information Modeling Market by Design & Modeling Software, Construction Simulation & Scheduling Software, Sustainability & Energy Analysis Software, Facility & Asset Management Software and Training & Certification - Global Forecast to 2030 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's Best Management Consulting Firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. With the widest lens on emerging technologies, we are proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients across the globe. Today, 80% of Fortune 2000 companies rely on MarketsandMarkets, and 90 of the top 100 companies in each sector trust us to accelerate their revenue growth. With a global clientele of over 13,000 organizations, we help businesses thrive in a disruptive ecosystem. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion in new revenue streams that are replacing existing ones within this decade. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we collaborate with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies to keep them future-ready. Our insights and strategies are powered by industry experts, cutting-edge AI, and our Market Intelligence Cloud, KnowledgeStore, which integrates research and provides ecosystem-wide visibility into revenue shifts. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/supercapacitor-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/supercapacitor.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1868219/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets America's 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies Revealed The Functionary Ranks No. 2183 on the 2025 Inc. 5000 With Three-Year Sales Growth of 197% DALLAS, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. today ranked The Functionary No. 2183 on its annual ranking of the 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the country. The list is the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy America's independent-minded entrepreneurs. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy. "Our second annual Inc. 5000 continues the most ambitious project in business journalism," said Inc. 5000 Project Manager Jim Melloan. "The Inc. 5000 gives an unrivaled portrait of young, underreported companies across all industries doing fascinating things with cutting-edge business models, as well as older companies that are still showing impressive growth." Here's what you need to know about The Functionary The Functionary is a Texas company with an ever-growing Global footprint unlike other players, the company has all-shore presence, meaning, onshore, nearshore and offshore. Well established in the market and positioning themselves as the experts in managed solutions, the company is investing in new technologies, artificial intelligence and expanding their capabilities to support their current and new clients. It has been an amazing time for our team, we are leveraging the momentum to grow even more. We're excited to share that we have recently onboarded multiple enterprise clients such as one of the largest transportation companies in the world and one of the most utilized e-commerce platforms on the internet. The Functionary's CEO and Founder, Sam Darwish, expressed his gratitude towards his team: "You are the heart and soul of this company. Your passion, talent, and relentless commitment are the driving force behind our momentum. This award is a direct reflection of your hard work and collaborative spirit. Thank you for building, innovating, and showing up every single day. Three years on this prestigious list is a humbling recognition, and it fuels our excitement for the future. We can't wait to continue growing together." He also shared this accomplishment with his clients and partners saying: "Thank you. Your partnership, your belief in our mission, and the challenges you entrust us with are the very reasons we strive for excellence every day. We are privileged to be a part of your journey, and your success is the ultimate measure of our own. We couldn't do this without you." The Functionary is ready to help you with your projects, your growth and elevating the business solutions for your company! Methodology Companies on the 2025 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2021 to 2024. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2021. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2024. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2021 is $100,000; the minimum for 2024 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com. Click on the link below to check The Functionary's social media and keep up with their work and innovations https://www.linkedin.com/In/the-functionary. Do you want to hear from our sales team? E-mail [email protected] to be contacted by one of our experts. Media Contact: Luisa Balaniuc - 347 9734696 [email protected] The Functionary is a global managed services provider delivering innovative technology solutions with a human-centric approach. With our offices in nine countries and staff across 26 nations, we provide comprehensive IT services and customer support solutions that help businesses optimize operations and achieve transformative outcomes. Through our commitment to excellence, empathy, and innovation, we maintain a 98% client retention rate and serve as a trusted partner to some of the world's leading organizations. This approach has earned us the trust of industry leaders including Amazon, McGraw Hill, Gallo, Simple Practice, Sony, Connection, CSC, Insight, Denali Advanced Integration, and Scale Computing. Explore the potential of managed services with The Functionary. Discover why industry leaders trust our transformative solutions. Visit us at The Functionary today and explore our comprehensive service portfolio. Let's build your technology success story together! Go to https://thefunctionary.com/about-us/ and know more about this award winning company! SOURCE The Functionary STOCKTON, Calif., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- We Paint & Renovate Inc., a leading provider of residential and commercial painting and renovation services, is proud to announce that it is celebrating 21 years of dedicated service to the communities throughout San Joaquin County. We Paint & Renovate Inc. is celebrating 21 years of dedicated service to the communities throughout San Joaquin County. For over two decades, We Paint & Renovate has transformed properties across the region, including in Stockton, Lodi, Tracy, and Manteca. For over two decades, We Paint & Renovate has transformed properties across the region, including in Stockton, Lodi, Tracy, and Manteca. The company has built a strong reputation for reliability and expertise by consistently delivering high-quality results on projects of all sizes. Specializing in both interior and exterior painting, the team has adapted to evolving industry standards and material innovations, ensuring every client receives a modern, durable, and aesthetically pleasing finish that stands the test of time. The company's longevity is a direct result of its commitment to a core set of values: integrity, professionalism, and a client-first approach. We Paint & Renovate treats every project, whether a small residential touch-up or a large-scale commercial overhaul, with the same meticulous attention to detail. This dedication has fostered a loyal customer base and generated countless referrals, which have been instrumental in the company's sustained growth and success in a competitive market. As We Paint & Renovate looks to the future, it remains committed to the principles that have guided it for 21 years. The company plans to continue investing in skilled local talent and state-of-the-art equipment to further enhance its service offerings. By staying true to its mission of providing superior painting and renovation solutions, We Paint & Renovate aims to beautify and protect properties in San Joaquin County for many more years to come. Homeowners and businesses are encouraged to visit their website or to request a complimentary estimate for their next renovation. Learn more about We Paint & Renovate by visiting 209wepaint.com. About We Paint & Renovate: We Paint & Renovate is a premier painting and renovation contractor based in Stockton, California, and serving San Joaquin County. The company offers a comprehensive range of services, including interior and exterior painting, commercial painting, and other home improvement solutions. Known for its commitment to quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction, We Paint & Renovate Inc. is fully licensed and insured, providing professional, reliable services for residential and commercial clients seeking to enhance and protect their properties. Contact Information: Name: Farra Larimore Email: [email protected] Phone Number: 970-541-3284 SOURCE We Paint & Renovate Inc. Good Morning, Asia. Here's what's making news in the markets: Welcome to Asia Morning Briefing, a daily summary of top stories during U.S. hours and an overview of market moves and analysis. For a detailed overview of U.S. markets, see CoinDesk's Crypto Daybook Americas. South Koreas decision to shelve its central bank digital currency pilot in favor of private-sector stablecoins has sparked a wave of activities among fintechs and banks. As CoinDesk previously reported, KakaoBank is weighing both issuance and custody roles, while Upbit and Naver Pay are collaborating on a payments-focused token that could help close the kimchi premium gap between local and global crypto prices. The opportunity comes as Korea is moving to extend FX trading hours, allow more foreign participation in its onshore market, and position itself for inclusion in major global bond and equity indices. A regulated KRW stablecoin could fit into these modernization plans, offering faster settlement and tighter integration between banking and digital asset markets. But any Won stablecoin effort is going to run into a massive wall: Korea's currency is not fully internationalized. Since the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, Korea has kept deliverable KRW trading entirely onshore. Foreign institutions cannot exchange won among themselves abroad, and every dollarwon transaction must be settled through domestic intermediaries under the Bank of Korea's supervision. Authorities in Seoul maintain this system to monitor speculative flows, contain volatility, and preserve monetary policy autonomy. So for a Won stablecoin to work, it would have to be only used with whitelisted, KYC-verified addresses that have some tie to Korea. If a privately issued stablecoin becomes too dominant, it can erode a countrys control over its currency, encourage unintended dollarisation, and weaken the central banks ability to manage employment and price stability, Vera Yuen, a professor at Hong Kong University's business school told CoinDesk in a note. The question is, just how useful would this on-shore only stablecoin then be? Domestic interbank transfers in Korea settle around the clock, 365 days a year. Sending money from one account to another is immediate, free, and widely used, leaving little payment friction for a KRW stablecoin to solve inside the country. Without a speed or cost advantage in domestic transfers, the tokens primary utility would lie in cross-border settlement and that is precisely where the onshore-only rule becomes a brick wall. B2Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG) is one of the 13 Most Promising Gold Stocks According to Wall Street Analysts. On July 30, B2Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG) reported that it received approval from the State of Mali to start underground operations, including stope ore production, at the Fekola Mine, which is a key driver of production growth for the Fekola Complex. Throughout 2024 and 2025, B2Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG) has been doing underground exploration and development work at the Fekola Mine as it prepared for this approval. The company completed more than 9,300 meters of development work and installed underground mining infrastructure. B2Gold (BTG) Gets Approval for Underground Mining at Fekola Aerial view of a gold mine in Mali, showing the scale of the mining operations. After getting the underground mining approval, B2Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG) started stope ore production. The company is also processing underground ore that was stockpiled during the development stage. The underground operations are important for the near-term production profile of the Fekola Complex. B2Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG) expects the Fekola underground to contribute between 25,000 to 35,000 ounces of gold production in 2025. This production is expected to ramp up significantly in 2026 and the following years. B2Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG) is a senior gold-producing company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The company operates gold mines in Canada, Mali, Namibia, and the Philippines. While we acknowledge the potential of BTG 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: 12 Best Performing AI Stocks So Far in 2025 and 14 Best Aggressive Growth Stocks to Buy According to Analysts. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Washington, Aug 15 : US President Donald Trump has said that European leaders may also be part of meeting he hopes to broker between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky aimed at halting the war "The more important meeting will be the second meeting that we're having," Trump said on Thursday in the Oval Office ahead of his Friday sit-down with Putin in Alaska. "We're going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelensky, myself, and maybe we'll bring some of the European leaders along, maybe not." Trump added that he believes Putin and Zelensky are ready to make peace after more than two years of fighting, though he lamented that the war in Ukraine has proved more difficult to resolve than he first expected. "We'll see if they can get along," Trump said. "I thought the easiest one would be this one. It's actually the most difficult." "We're going to see what happens," Trump said of his summit with Putin in Alaska on Friday. "And, I think President Putin will make peace. I think President Zelensky will make peace. We'll see if they can get along and if they can, it'll be great." Trump also managed expectations for Friday's meeting, saying the more important development will be getting Putin and Zelensky together for talks. US and Russian officials will converge on the state of Alaska ahead of a highly anticipated Friday meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin. The pair will meet for the first time in six years, as Trump tries to enact a key campaign pledge to end Russia's war in Ukraine. The US President, who has portrayed himself as a global peacemaker, hopes to leverage his personal relationship with Putin to achieve a ceasefire breakthrough where others have failed. On Thursday, he assessed there was a "25 per cent chance" the meeting would not be successful. Zelensky has been excluded from the talks, and warned that any resolutions made in his absence will be meaningless. Friday's meeting between the two leaders will take place entirely on a nearby US military base -- a reflection of security concerns and the relative brevity of the planned sit-down, currently scheduled to last just a few hours. The summit comes exactly one week after Trump's deadline for Russia to reach a ceasefire or face tough new sanctions. It was always highly unlikely that Kyiv and Moscow -- who have been locked in a bloody war since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 -- would reach an agreement to end hostilities before that deadline. Europe finds itself in the unenviable position of being caught between the two sides and excluded from Friday's discussion. During their last-minute call with Trump on Wednesday, European leaders emerged tentatively optimistic that once in Alaska the US President would fight their corner. Like Ukraine itself, they have endured several turbulent months, during which Trump had a memorable White House bust-up with Zelensky and later temporarily paused military supplies for Kyiv - a markedly different stance to his predecessor Joe Biden. Ukraine has been sidelined ahead of Friday, too. Despite protests by the Ukrainian leader that any agreement struck by Trump and Putin without input from Kyiv would amount to "dead decisions", it became increasingly clear as the week progressed that the US-Russia meeting would remain a bilateral only. While he was careful to keep Trump onside, Zelensky felt he had to intervene after the US President's throwaway comments about the need to see "some swapping, changes in land" between Russia and Ukraine. "We will not withdraw from the Donbas. We cannot do that," the Ukrainian President said, with a hint of exasperation, as speculation over potential territorial concessions reached a height on Tuesday. "Everyone forgets the first part: our territories are illegally occupied. For the Russians, the Donbas is a bridgehead for a future new offensive," he said, arguing that he would "pave the way" for further conflict on its soil if he gave up the region. Like many of his compatriots, Zelensky is convinced that Putin wants to destroy Ukraine's sovereignty and people, and believes any concession to Russia would result in renewed and perhaps fatal aggression in the near future. That is why he has consistently pushed to be invited into the room with Trump and Putin. While this will not be the case during Friday's summit, the US President has pledged to update Zelensky soon afterwards -- and has indicated he is angling for a "quick" three-way meeting in the near future. What Putin would have to gain from such a meeting is unclear. The Kremlin has always said Putin and Zelensky have no reason to meet until much further down the negotiating line. Brussels, Aug 15 : European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has urged Israel to drop plans to advance settlement construction in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, warning the move would violate international law and irreparably damage prospects for a two-state solution. "If implemented, settlement construction in this area will permanently cut the geographical and territorial contiguity between occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank and sever the connection between the northern and southern West Bank," Kallas said on Thursday in a statement. She added that Israel's settlement policy, including demolitions, forced transfers, evictions and home confiscations, must end, adding that such measures, along with settler violence and military operations, were fuelling tensions and eroding the possibility of peace, Xinhua news agency reported. The EU "urges Israel to desist from taking this decision forward, noting its far-reaching implications and the need to consider action to protect the viability of the two-state solution," Kallas said. She stressed that the "unilateral decisions," along with settler violence and military operations, fuel an already tense situation on the ground and erode the possibility for peace. The E1 area, a stretch of land east of Jerusalem between the city and the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, is regarded as especially contentious because construction there would effectively cut off East Jerusalem from the northern West Bank. Plans for building in the area have been frozen for years, largely due to international opposition. On Thursday, Israeli media reported that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich approved the construction of 3,401 settler units in Maaale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, and 3,515 more in surrounding areas. The project aims to split the West Bank into two parts, severing connections between its northern and southern cities and isolating East Jerusalem. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry denounced the move as part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vision for "Greater Israel", warning it would entrench the occupation and eliminate the viability of a Palestinian state. The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In an advisory opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Washington, Aug 15 : US President Donald Trump has estimated that his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the US state of Alaska has a 25 per cent chance of not being successful. In an interview with Fox News Radio, Trump said on Thursday that his meeting with Putin is like "a chess game," adding that he believes Putin is arriving with the intention of making progress toward reaching a deal on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He added that if positive progress is made during the meeting, it would lay the groundwork for a second one, which would also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Xinhua news agency reported. Trump on Wednesday warned that Russia would face "very severe consequences" if Putin refuses to agree to a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The Putin-Trump meeting is set for Friday in Anchorage, Alaska. Trump also said that he believes Putin is heading into Friday's Alaska summit wanting to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine. "I believe now he's convinced that he's going to make a deal. He's going to make a deal. I think he's going to. And we're going to find out a" I'm going to know very quickly," Trump said during an appearance on Fox Radio on Thursday morning. The President kept expectations for the meeting high after White House officials earlier this week downplayed the face-to-face session as a "listening exercise". Trump also suggested his goal is to move toward a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, suggesting "three different locations" are on the table a" including the possibility of "staying in Alaska". Trump offered a key caveat, however: "If it's a bad meeting, I'm not calling anybody a" I'm going home.... But if it's a good meeting, I'm going to call President Zelensky and the European leaders." Pressed on whether he'd offer economic incentives to Russia during the meeting, Trump demurred. "Well, I'd rather not say because I don't want to play my hand in public, but whatever my hand is, economic incentives a" and disincentives maybe a" are more important, in a way, but incentives economically, you know," he said. New Delhi, Aug 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, extended greetings to the people on the country's 79th Independence Day and said this day must inspire all the citizens of the country to keep working hard to realise the dreams of our freedom fighters and build a "Viksit Bharat". Taking to social media platform X, PM Modi said: "Wishing everyone a very happy Independence Day. May this day inspire us to keep working even harder to realise the dreams of our freedom fighters and build a Viksit Bharat. Jai Hind!" Union Home Minister Amit Shah also extended heartfelt congratulations to all the countrymen on the 79th Independence Day and urged all the citizens of the country to contribute towards building a developed, self-reliant India. Taking to X, Union Minister Shah wrote: "Heartfelt congratulations to all countrymen on Independence Day. I pay homage to the freedom fighters who sacrificed everything in the Independence movement. I also salute the brave soldiers who work tirelessly for the unity, integrity, and pride of the nation. Let us all come together to fulfill the dreams of the immortal martyrs of the freedom struggle and resolve to contribute our utmost to building a developed, self-reliant, and exemplary India in every field." External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also extended greetings to all the countrymen on this year's Independence Day. Taking to X, EAM Jaishankar said: "Heartfelt greetings to all countrymen on Independence Day. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!" Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also extended warm greetings to the people of the country on 79th Independence Day, adding that "this day is not just a celebration of our freedom but a sacred remembrance of the courage, sacrifice and supreme selflessness of countless heroes who gave us the honour of a free India". Taking to X, Union Minister Singh wrote: "Greetings to all fellow Indians on our Independence Day. This day is not just a celebration of our freedom but a sacred remembrance of the courage, sacrifice and supreme selflessness of countless heroes who gave us the honour of a free India. Let us take inspiration from their ideals and work together to build a secure, strong and prosperous 'Viksit Bharat'." Taking to X, BJP President and Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda wrote: "I extend heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all countrymen on the 79th Independence Day. On this auspicious day, I pay my respects millions of times to the great revolutionaries, freedom fighters, and immortal martyrs who sacrificed everything for the freedom of Mother India. Under the leadership of the respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodiji, New India is progressing rapidly on the path of advancement with new energy, new confidence, and pride. On this occasion, let us all resolve to build a 'Self-reliant and Developed India'." Congress General Secretary and Wayanad MP, Priyanka Gandhi, on Friday took to her official X account and wrote: "Heartfelt Independence Day greetings to all countrymen. Our millions of heroes made countless sacrifices to grant us freedom. They entrusted us with the national resolve of democracy, justice, equality, and mutual unity. Through the principle of one person - one vote, they gave us a prosperous democracy. Our resolve to protect our freedom, constitution, and its principles remains unwavering. Victory to India! Glory to Bharat!" New Delhi, Aug 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a bold Independence Day declaration, announced the formation of a high-level task force to spearhead next-generation reforms across governance, taxation, and public service delivery. Addressing the nation from the Red Fort, PM Modi said, "We have decided to form a task force for next-generation reform. Our aim now is to bring about all kinds of reforms." In a festive note, the Prime Minister promised a "double Diwali" for citizens this year, hinting at a major economic announcement. "This Diwali, I am going to celebrate a double Diwali for you. The countrymen are going to get a big gift, there will be a drastic cut on GST on common household items," he said, signalling sweeping changes in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. PM Modi emphasised the urgency of reviewing GST rates, calling it the "need of the hour". He announced that the government is preparing a new-generation GST reform aimed at reducing the tax burden on common citizens. "GST rates will be reduced drastically. Tax will be reduced for the common people," he declared. The announcement comes as GST marks its eighth anniversary, having evolved into one of India's most significant post-independence tax reforms. Since its launch in 2017, GST has unified the country's indirect tax structure and significantly improved the ease of doing business, especially for small and medium enterprises. PM Modi's remarks align with recent data showing record GST collections and growing support among businesses for further simplification. The proposed reforms are expected to streamline rate structures, enhance transparency, and make the system more equitable. The Prime Minister's dual message -- of structural reform and festive optimism -- sets the tone for a transformative phase in India's economic policy. As the task force begins its work, expectations are high for a GST overhaul that delivers relief to consumers while sustaining revenue growth. With Diwali approaching, citizens and businesses alike await the "big gift" Modi has promised -- a reimagined tax system that could redefine India's fiscal area. New York, Aug 15 : Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin sounded notes of optimism as they prepared to meet Friday in an effort to end the disastrous Ukraine War, which, if successful, could in turn stave off the punitive 25 per cent US tariff India is facing for importing Russian oil. "I believe now he (Putin) is convinced that he's going to make a deal", President Trump said during a Fox Radio interview on Thursday. "He's going to make a deal". Briefing his advisers at the Kremlin, President Putin said President Trump has been making "fairly vigorous and sincere efforts to halt hostilities, resolve the crisis, and reach agreements that serve the interests of all parties involved in this conflict." If a peace deal is reached through the summit, India may be able to avoid the oil tariff threatened to be imposed on August 27. However, the other principal personality who will have to agree to any deal, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, will not be at the summit in a US military base in Alaska. He was in London meeting Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and they said in a joint statement that the Trump-Putin talks "present a viable chance to make progress as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious about peace". While preparations for the Trump-Putin summit were underway, Zelensky called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to brief him on the developments, and, according to the President's office, they agreed that "everything concerning Ukraine must be decided with Ukraine's participation. Other formats will not yield results". President Trump made clear that it was for Presidents Zelensky and Putin to make the final deal. President Trump said his talks with President Putin were to "set the table for the next meeting", which will include President Zelensky, and he indicated it could perhaps be in Alaska itself. He told reporters at the White House, "The more important meeting will be the second meeting that we're having. We're going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelensky, myself, and maybe we'll bring some of the European leaders along, maybe not." After a videoconference on Wednesday with the Western European leaders, who make up the 'Coalition of the Willing', and were skeptical of his efforts, Trump got a tentative go-ahead from them. The leaders from several countries including Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland, who strongly back Ukraine and are vehemently opposed to Putin, said they "welcome the efforts of President Trump towards ending Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and achieving a just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine". They added, "Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities". While sounding optimistic, Trump also said, "I'll know within the first five minutes, whether or not we're going to have a good meeting or a bad meeting. If it's a bad meeting, it'll end very quickly. And if it's a good meeting, we're gonna end up getting peace in the pretty near future." Earlier, he put the odds of the talks failing at 25 per cent. And he warned Putin on Wednesday that there would be "very severe consequences" if his peace mission failed. The talks are scheduled to start at 11:30 A.M. local time in Alaska (1 A.M. Saturday in India), according to Putin's foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov. He said that the two leaders will hold a joint news conference after the summit, which will start with one-on-one talks, followed by a meeting with their principal officials present, and a breakfast meeting. Putin is aspiring to take the meeting's agenda beyond the Ukraine War to restarting Nuclear arms control talks and even trade. Putin told his advisers, according to a Kremlin transcript, "The aim is to establish long-term conditions for peace not only between our countries but also in Europe and indeed globally especially if we proceed to subsequent stages involving agreements on strategic offensive arms control." That was a reference to the New START Nuclear arms control negotiations from which Russia pulled out in 2023. (START is the acronym for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.) Ushakov dangled the prospects of an economic bounty, a cause dear to Trump. He said, "An exchange of views on the further development of bilateral cooperation, including in the trade and economic spheres, is also expected. It is worth noting that this cooperation holds immense, yet regrettably underutilised, potential." Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and Special Presidential Representative for Investment Kirill Dmitriev will be Putin's team, he said. Brasilia, Aug 15 : Brazil will not bow down to the United States, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said, countering the claim by his US counterpart Donald Trump that Brazil is "a horrible trading partner." "It is a lie when the US President says that Brazil is a bad trading partner. Brazil is good, it just won't bow down to the US government," Lula said during an event in the northeast state of Pernambuco on Thursday, Xinhua News Agency reported. Earlier in the day, Trump said Brazil is a "horrible trading partner," calling the trial against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro a "political execution." Lula said that "democracy is judging Bolsonaro." Earlier on Wednesday, Brazil launched a package of measures to support exporters hit by a 50 per cent tariff imposed by the US government. The initiative, called Sovereign Brazil, provides 30 billion reais (about $5.562 billion) in affordable loans, tax breaks and other measures, prioritising small businesses and those dealing in perishable foods. It also facilitates public procurement from affected rural and agro-industrial sectors, modernises the export guarantee system, and reactivates a programme to refund taxes in the production chain. In a speech during the announcement, the Brazilian President rejected the US government's arguments for imposing tariffs on Brazilian products. "It is important to say that we cannot become nervous, apprehensive, or overly excited when there is a crisis. Crises exist so that we can create new things. The unpleasant thing is that there are no justified reasons for imposing tariffs on Brazil," he said. While the tariff is unjustified, Brazil will not apply reciprocal measures for the time being, he added. "We are not announcing reciprocity. Take note of how good we are at negotiating. Initially, we don't want to do anything that would justify worsening our relationship," he added. He referred to one of the reasons the White House gave for imposing tariffs: that putting Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro on trial for attempting to overthrow the government to stay in power was a human rights violation. "Brazil had no reason to be taxed, and we will not accept any accusations that we do not respect human rights in Brazil and that our trial is being conducted arbitrarily," Lula said. New Delhi, Aug 15 : On the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a deeply emotive tribute to the nation's farmers, hailing them as the backbone of Bharat's transformation from colonial impoverishment to agricultural self-reliance. New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) On the occasion of Indiaas 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a deeply emotive tribute to the nationas farmers, hailing them as the backbone of Bharatas transformation from colonial impoverishment to agricultural self-reliance. Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort, PM Modi acknowledged the tireless efforts of farmers who, in the decades following independence, filled the countryas granaries and secured food sovereignty for millions. The Prime Minister emphasised that Indiaas growing economy is now directly benefiting farmers, livestock rearers, and fishermen. He highlighted Indiaas global standing in agriculture, noting that the country ranks first in milk, pulses, and jute production, and second in rice, wheat, cotton, fruits, and vegetables. With agricultural exports crossing Rs four lakh crore, PM Modi announced the launch of the PM Dhanya Dhanya Krishi Yojana, aimed at uplifting 100 of the most backward farming districts and bridging regional disparities in agricultural development. He announced that India will no longer accept a one-sided arrangement and will reclaim its rightful share of water to nourish its own fields and communities. PM Modi also stressed the importance of agricultural self-reliance, particularly in the production of fertilisers and essential inputs. He warned against dependence on imports for food security and called for a robust domestic ecosystem that empowers farmers and strengthens Indiaas economic sovereignty. The Prime Minister credited a range of government schemes for boosting farmer confidence across the country. Initiatives such as PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, rainwater harvesting, irrigation projects, quality seed distribution, and timely fertiliser supply have, he said, transformed the agricultural landscape and empowered small farmers, cattle rearers, and fishermen alike. Concluding this segment of his address, PM Modi said, aBharat ke kisaano, pashu-paalako aur macchuaro se judi kisi bhi ahitkaari neeti ke aage Modi Deewar ban kar khada hai. Bharat apne kisaano ke hito ke sath koi samjhota nahi karega (For farmers, fishermen, and livestock rearers, Modi will always stand as a wall of protection. And India will not compromise on anything affecting the interests of farmers)". This sentiment was further echoed in his strong stance on the Indus Water Treaty, which he described as unjust and detrimental to Indian farmers. His words reaffirmed a national commitment to protect and uplift those who feed the nation. Barrick Mining Corporation (NYSE:B) is one of the best cheap growth stocks to buy according to analysts. On July 23, 2025, reports emerged that Chinas Zijin Mining is in advanced talks to acquire Barricks Tongon gold mine in Ivory Coast for up to $500 million. The deal, still subject to regulatory approval, comes as Barrick continues to streamline its portfolio by shedding lower-margin, shorter-life assets. Tongon, which began production in 2010, has seen its reserves decline in recent years and is projected to cease operations by 2027 without major reinvestment. Selling the mine would free up capital for Barrick to pursue higher-return opportunities, particularly in copper and long-life gold projects. Barrick Eyes Exit from Ivory Coasts Tongon Mine in $500 Million Deal with Chinas Zijin The potential sale reflects Barricks broader strategy of focusing on assets with strong margins and long production horizons. Management has signaled increased emphasis on copper, which now accounts for roughly one-fifth of the companys output, with a target of raising that share to 30 percent by 2029. Divesting from smaller, aging mines like Tongon aligns with this shift, enabling Barrick to redeploy resources toward growth-oriented ventures in regions such as Latin America, North America, and Central Asia. Barrick Mining Corporation (NYSE:B) is a global leader in gold and copper production, with operations spanning North and South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Founded in 1983, the company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. While we acknowledge the potential of B 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: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. New Delhi, Aug 15 : On August 15 this year, India marks 79 years of independence -- an occasion that is as much about the promise ahead as the struggle behind. From the ashes of 1947as partitioned, impoverished land, India has emerged as the worldas largest democracy, a cultural powerhouse, and a fast-growing economic giant, making bold moves both at the national and the global level. Whether it is the economy, social sector, infrastructure, and development, or in the defence sector, India is making bold moves, gaining huge applause from the global level as well. From Scarcity to Scale In 1947, Indiaas 340 million people faced widespread poverty, a literacy rate below 20 per cent, and a life expectancy of just 32 years. Yet, the founding vision of leaders like Nehru and Patel -- anchored in democracy, self-reliance, and unity -- set the stage for transformation. Today, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, literacy approaches 78 per cent, life expectancy has more than doubled, and GDP has surged to $3.9 trillion, making India the fourth-largest economy, according to an article by the India Narrative. Economic and Social Shifts The 1991 reforms under Dr Manmohan Singh opened the economy to globalization, sparking decades of growth. From the Green Revolution to the IT boom, India has diversified into a leader in tech, pharmaceuticals, and digital services. Multi-dimensional poverty has dropped below 15 per cent, and the country boasts over 100 unicorn startups. Education has expanded from 20 universities to over 1,100, while healthcare drives like Ayushman Bharat have brought insurance to millions. Women have led space missions, governed states, and brought home Olympic medals, even as the fight against inequality continues. Innovation, Infrastructure, and Influence Indiaas scientific leap is epitomized by ISROas Chandrayaan-3 and Mars missions. UPI now powers over 12 billion digital transactions a month, and Aadhaar enables targeted service delivery. Connectivity has exploded -- from vast expressways to over 150 airports -- and Indian Railways is rapidly electrifying. Strategically, India is a nuclear power with the worldas fourth-largest military, a leading voice in G20, BRICS, and QUAD, and a global cultural force -- from Bollywood to yoga. The Path to 2047 As the centenary of independence nears, Indiaas ambitions sharpen: inclusive growth, universal healthcare and education, climate leadership, and deeper democratic pluralism, the article says. Gandhinagar, Aug 15 : Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi hoisted the national flag on Friday during the 79th Independence Day celebrations at Ramkatha Maidan, Sector 11, Gandhinagar. The event saw the participation of officials from the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, police personnel, and school students, all proudly carrying the Tiranga, creating an atmosphere charged with patriotism. The celebrations began with the ceremonial flag hoisting, followed by the singing of the national anthem. Attendees paid heartfelt tribute to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the country. The cultural segment of the event included vibrant dance performances themed on Operation Sindoor, which added grandeur to the occasion. Addressing the gathering, Home Minister Sanghavi remembered the sacrifices of the freedom fighters, calling upon every citizen to actively contribute to the progress and development of the nation. Recalling Operation Sindoor, he paid homage to the brave soldiers and said, "I am the son of that India which avenged the destroyed sindoor of the mothers and sisters of this country and eliminated the terrorists." He also highlighted the central government's efforts and schemes aimed at the welfare of the people, encouraging citizens to make the most of these initiatives for collective growth. Municipal officials, police forces, and school children participated with great enthusiasm, while a large number of local residents attended the event, turning it into a true celebration of national pride. Independence Day in India, celebrated every year on August 15, holds profound significance in the nation's history. It marks the dawn of a new beginning -- the liberation from over two centuries of British colonial rule. On this day in 1947, India was declared independent, and the reins of governance were handed over to the leaders of a free nation. India's independence was the result of a long and arduous struggle, a "tryst with destiny" achieved through the tireless efforts and ultimate sacrifices of countless freedom fighters. Their courage, resilience, and vision paved the way for the sovereignty that the nation enjoys today. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives to attend India?s 79th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort in New Delhi on Friday, August 15, 2025.. Image Source: IANS/PMO New Delhi, Aug 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 103-minute address from the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day marked a watershed moment in India's political communication -- not only for its record-breaking length but for its sweeping articulation of a self-reliant, strategically autonomous, and technologically empowered nation. Framed as a roadmap to a Viksit Bharat by 2047, the speech blended policy announcements with ideological clarity, underscoring India's transformation from dependence to global confidence. PM Modi's assertion that "India will no longer accept nuclear blackmail" came in the context of Operation Sindoor -- a retaliatory strike following the Pahalgam attack -- executed entirely with indigenous weaponry. His remarks on the Indus Waters Treaty -- "blood and water will not flow together" -- signalled a decisive shift in India's strategic posture, rejecting historical compromises and reaffirming national sovereignty. These declarations were not isolated; they formed part of a broader narrative of Atmanirbhar Bharat, where self-reliance is defined not merely by trade balances but by technological and institutional capability. Among the most ambitious announcements was the rollout of India's first Made in India semiconductor chip by year-end, alongside the opening of the nuclear sector to private players. PM Modi emphasised that self-reliance must extend to jet engines, social media platforms, fertilisers, and pharmaceuticals. The National Critical Minerals Mission and the Deepwater Exploration Mission were presented as foundational steps toward securing energy and industrial autonomy, with 1,200 mineral sites under exploration and offshore energy resources being tapped to reduce foreign fuel dependence. The launch of Mission Sudarshan Chakra -- aimed at developing advanced weapon systems -- and the planned expansion of a nationwide security shield by 2035 reinforced India's defence preparedness. PM Modi also announced a Task Force for "Next-Generation Economic Reforms", building on the repeal of over 40,000 compliances and 1,500 outdated laws, with GST (goods and services tax) reforms promised by Diwali to ease burdens on MSMEs and consumers. Youth empowerment took centre stage with the PM Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana, a Rs one lakh crore employment scheme targeting 3.5 crore young Indians. In the agricultural sector, the "PM Dhanya Dhanya Krishi Yojana" was launched for 100 backward districts, complementing existing farmer support programmes. PM Modi also announced the High-Powered Demography Mission to safeguard national integrity against illegal infiltration. From space innovation to pharmaceutical leadership, the Prime Minister's address was a call to action -- urging citizens to build, innovate, and invest in India's future. As the nation moves toward its centenary of independence, PM Modi's speech laid out a vision where self-reliance is not a slogan but a structural transformation. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Gangtok, Aug 15 : Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang delivered a message of pride, unity, and optimism as he addressed citizens here on the 79th Independence Day celebrations on Friday. Extending warm greetings to the people, he paid tribute to the countless freedom fighters whose sacrifices secured the nation's sovereignty, urging citizens to carry forward their legacy with renewed determination. Recalling a defining chapter in Sikkim's history, the Chief Minister noted that May 16, 1975, marked the state's integration into the Indian Union as the 22nd state - a milestone that ushered in democratic governance, modern institutions, and new development opportunities. This year, Sikkim is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of that historic event. "Over the past five decades, Sikkim has transformed into a shining beacon of progress, earning its place among the most forward-looking and progressive states in India," he said. Citing achievements, the Chief Minister highlighted that Sikkim ranks second nationally in per capita income and sixth in the Human Development Index (HDI) with a score of 0.762. In the latest NITI Aayog Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) assessment, the state achieved an overall composite score of 76, placing it among the country's top performers. Between 2018 and 2023a"24, Sikkim attained "front-runner" status in multiple development indicators, maintaining steady growth and low levels of deprivation. The CM attributed this success to a balanced approach toward sustainable development and equitable growth. He emphasised that Sikkim's greatest strength lies in the collective will of its people - farmers, workers, entrepreneurs, teachers, students, sportspersons, artists, and public servants - whose combined efforts shape the stateas destiny. The Chief Minister also lauded the state's award recipients, recognising their dedication, talent, and hard work in bringing glory to Sikkim. Looking ahead, he reaffirmed the government's commitment to building a Viksit Bharat alongside a Sunaulo, Samriddha and Samartha Sikkim - a golden, prosperous, and self-reliant state where every citizen can "dream without limits, aspire without fear, and achieve without barriers". Concluding his address, the Chief Minister once again extended heartfelt Independence Day greetings, calling on citizens to unite in purpose and work collectively towards a brighter future for the state and the nation. New Delhi, Aug 15 : At 14,000 feet, patriotism met teamwork as the Indian Army's Gajraj Corps led Tiranga March in Chuna's forward areas to mark the 79th Independence Day. In a novel move, 160 Gorkha troops and 25 ITBP personnel carried the 100-metre National Flag through the lush Himalayan grasslands, joined by approx. 150 local villagers including toddlers and children from greenfield villages of Mago and Chuna in Tawang District marching shoulder-to-shoulder turning the landscape into a vibrant sea of saffron, white and green. The Civil Administration, under Assistant Commissioner Thutan Wangchu, led the local villagers in the event coordinated and mobilised by the Indian Army. Twenty three students and a teacher from Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, Varanasi (UP) also joined in the march in search of their patriotic roots. After the march, all agencies united with immense patriotic fervour and a deep sense of duty for a 'No Plastic Zone' cleanliness drive, removing waste and reinforcing the campaign to protect the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. The tricolour's sweep across towering peaks became a powerful symbol of unity-soldiers securing the frontier while exemplifying 'Living for the Land', villagers safeguarding traditions, and administrators championing sustainability. The march brought a lesson for everyone to become a valuable citizen, emphasizing on the "Azadi Ka Amrit Mohotsav", that the future of the nation rests on everyone's shoulders. Chief Minister Pema Khandu lauded the effort, calling it the "true spirit of India at its peaks," as the tricolour transformed the remote border region into a vibrant scene of national pride and environmental commitment. Every house in Mago and Chuna villages proudly hoisted the National Flag. This collective act of patriotism was a powerful reminder that our freedom is a shared responsibility and a cause for collective celebration. New Delhi, Aug 15 : On the 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Modi underscored 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' as one of the key foundational planks for 'Viksit Bharat', citing India's advances in Defence, technology, energy, space, and manufacturing. Highlighting 'Operation Sindoor', PM Modi said strategic autonomy and indigenous capabilities are key to decisively tackling threats, making self-reliance the bedrock of national strength, dignity, and the journey to a developed India by 2047. Here are the key highlights of PM Modi's address at Red Fort. Defence Self-Reliance and 'Operation Sindoor': PM Modi hailed 'Operation Sindoor' as a demonstration of India's Defence self-reliance. He emphasised that indigenous capabilities, including 'Made-in-India' weapons, enable India to act decisively and independently, proving that national security cannot rely on foreign dependence. Space sector independence: Celebrating the remarkable achievements of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, PM Modi announced ambitious plans for India's very own space station, signalling a new era of indigenous space capabilities. He highlighted that over 300 startups are actively innovating in satellites, exploration, and cutting-edge space technologies, ensuring that India is not just participating but leading globally in space science and exploration. Clean and renewable energy: PM Modi stressed the importance of energy independence, saying that for the bright future of the nation's youth and for welfare of farmers, this has to be done. He declared that while the world debated global warming, India had resolved to achieve 50 per cent clean energy by 2030, yet, thanks to the commitment of its people, that goal was met by 2025. Solar, Nuclear, hydro, and hydrogen energy have been advanced, marking a decisive step towards energy independence. PM Modi highlighted India's focus on expanding Nuclear energy through private sector participation. He noted that 10 new Nuclear reactors are currently operational and emphasised that by India's 100th year of Independence, the nation aims to increase its Nuclear energy capacity tenfold, strengthening energy self-reliance and supporting sustainable growth. National critical minerals mission: To secure resources essential for energy, industry, and Defence, India has launched the National Critical Minerals Mission, exploring 1,200 sites. PM Modi highlighted that controlling these minerals strengthens strategic autonomy, ensuring India's industrial and Defence sectors remain self-reliant. National Deepwater Exploration Mission: India will harness its deepwater energy resources, strengthening energy self-reliance and reducing dependence on foreign fuel imports. Agricultural self-reliance and fertilisers: PM Modi stressed the urgent need to produce fertilisers domestically to empower farmers and protect national food security. Reducing import dependence ensures the nation's agricultural sector thrives independently, safeguarding farmers' welfare and strengthening India's economic sovereignty. Digital sovereignty and indigenous platforms: The Prime Minister called on the youth to develop India's own social media platforms and digital infrastructure, ensuring communication, data, and technological ecosystems remain secure and independent, reinforcing India's digital autonomy. Self-reliance in medicines and innovation: The Prime Minister highlighted India's strength as the "pharmacy of the world" and stressed the urgent need to invest more in research and development. He asked, "Shouldn't we be the ones providing the best and most affordable medicines for the welfare of humanity?" He also highlighted India's growing strength in domestic pharmaceutical innovation, emphasising the need to develop new medicines, vaccines, and life-saving treatments entirely within India. Drawing inspiration from India's COVID-19 response, where indigenous vaccines and platforms like CoWin saved millions of lives globally, he urged the nation to expand this spirit of innovation. Championing swadeshi: He urged citizens and shopkeepers to champion India-made goods under the 'Vocal for Local' initiative, stressing that swadeshi should stem from pride and strength, not compulsion. Mission Sudarshan Chakra: PM Modi announced the launch of 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra', aimed at neutralising enemy Defence infiltrations and enhancing India's offensive capabilities. He linked the mission to Lord Krishna's 'Sudarshan Chakra', highlighting how India draws inspiration from its rich cultural and mythological heritage to guide modern Defence innovations. This mission underscores India's commitment to strategic autonomy, ensuring rapid, precise, and powerful responses to any threat. Bangkok, Aug 15 : On 79th Independence Day, several diplomatic missions across the globe organised a series of vibrant events reflecting the spirit of patriotism and unity among the Indian diaspora and friends of India worldwide. Ambassador of India to Thailand, Nagesh Singh, hoisted the national flag during a ceremony at the Indian Embassy in Bangkok. The event was attended by over 500 members of the Indian community and friends of India from different walks of life. "Greeting the guests on this auspicious occasion, the Ambassador read out Rashtrapatiji's inspiring address to the nation delivered on the eve of Independence Day. The celebrations also featured patriotic music and dance performances by the Indian community members. Ambassador also felicitated members of the Indian diaspora for their integral role in assisting Indians in distress and in promoting Indian culture across various parts of Thailand," the Indian Embassy in Bangkok posted on X. In Australia, the Consulate General of India in Sydney celebrated the day with great enthusiasm at the Consulate premises, where Indian Consul General S. Janakiraman unfurled the Indian Flag and read out President Droupadi Murmu's address to the nation. The event was attended by members of the Indian community and friends of India, marking a strong sense of unity and shared pride. "As part of the programme, vibrant cultural performances showcased India's rich heritage. Usha Sridhar and team presented melodious songs in praise of India. This was followed by a heartfelt tribute to the nation by Nisha Mannath and team, combining graceful dance and soulful vocals. The celebrations concluded with a special performance by the Rajasthani dance troupe from India -- HIS Group, led by Ishu and supported by the ICCR, New Delhi," Indian Consulate General in Sydney posted on X. Meanwhile, in Myanmar, over 500 guests comprising the Indian diaspora and friends of India joined for Independence Day celebrations at India House in Yangon. Indian Ambassador to Myanmar, Abhay Thakur, hoisted the flag and read President Murmu's address, which was followed by vibrant cultural performances. Furthermore, in the Philippines, around 300 people from the Indian diaspora and friends of India attended a function organised to celebrate the occasion at the Indian House in Makati City, Metro Manila. Indian Ambassador to the Philippines, Harsh Kumar Jain, hoisted the National flag. He also greeted the guests and read out President Murmu's message delivered to the nation on the eve of Independence Day. In his speech, Ambassador Jain highlighted the significance of the declaration of the India-Philippines strategic partnership during the State Visit of the President of the Philippines to India last week. He underscored that it will expand the cooperation between the two countries in all fields including trade and investment, defense and security, science and technology, agriculture and health, culture and tourism, space and maritime domains, as well as people-to-people exchanges -- paving the way for a new era of closer, multifaceted, intense and impactful engagements for the mutual benefit of the people "Ambassador Jain's address was followed by cultural performances by the members of the Indian diaspora. The stage came alive with Kathak performance by Sweta Thakur, dance performance by children of Sathya Sai school, patriotic songs by an Indian choir, and Bhangra by Filipino Indian Commerce & Welfare Society Inc.," Indian Embassy in Philippines posted on X. Moscow, Aug 15 : One person was killed and 10 others were injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on a residential building in Russia's Kursk region early Friday, regional governor Alexander Khinshtein said on his Telegram channel. The drone hit a building in the city's Railway District, igniting a fire that engulfed the top four floors, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing preliminary reports. "To our deep sorrow, one woman died. I offer my sincerest condolences to her family," Khinshtein wrote on Telegram. He said that 10 other residents were injured -- one seriously -- and all are receiving medical treatment. Russia on Wednesday accused Ukraine of ramping up attacks ahead of the August 15 meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska. In a statement shared on X, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that 22 people have been killed and another 105 injured due to Ukraine's shelling and drone strikes over the past week. The ministry also shared a map marking the attacked areas in the Russian territory. "With the Russia-US Summit approaching, the Kyiv regime has stepped up its terrorist activity against Russian regions. Over the last week, 127 Russian citizens suffered from shelling and drone attacks. 22 died, 105 were wounded," said Alexei Fadeev, the Russian Foreign Ministry's Deputy Spokesperson. Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry accused the Ukrainian government of planning a provocation aimed at disrupting the upcoming meeting between Trump and Putin. In a post on Telegram, the Russian Defence Ministry said, "According to available information received through several channels, the Kyiv regime is preparing a provocation to foil the Russian-American talks scheduled for 15 August 2025." The ministry asserted that with this objective, the security service of Ukraine has sent a group of foreign journalists to Kharkiv's Chuguev, which is under the control of Kyiv, under the pretext of doing "reports on the residents of the city in the frontline zone." The defence ministry also claimed that the Ukrainian forces will carry out the strikes on the city and blame it on Russia. "Immediately ahead of the summit on Friday, the Armed Forces of Ukraine plan a provocative strike using UAVs and missiles against one of the densely populated residential quarters or a hospital with a large number of civilian casualties, which will have to be immediately recorded by the foreign Western journalists," said the Russian Defence Ministry. As a result, the ministry said that the Russian forces will be considered fully responsible for the strikes and civilian casualties. "This will create a negative media background and conditions for disrupting Russian-American cooperation on settling the conflict in Ukraine," the statement read. New Delhi, Aug 15 : While US President Donald Trump has slapped a 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports, he appears to have quite overlooked the fact that India has also sharply increased its purchases of oil and gas from America. This, in turn, has led to a reduction in India's trade surplus with the US, which is a major aim of the Trump administration's trade policy. Official figures show that India's oil and gas imports from the US have jumped by as much as 51 per cent from January to June this year. The country's liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from the US nearly doubled to $2.46 billion in the financial year 2024-25 from $1.41 billion in 2023-24. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured in February that India would increase energy imports from the US to $25 billion in 2025 from $15 billion in 2024 to help reduce the trade deficit of the US. This was followed by Government-owned Indian oil and gas companies entering into discussions for more long-term energy purchases from the US companies. New Delhi has also made it clear that it was diversifying its sources of energy imports to reduce dependence on Russian oil. India has pointed out that it has been buying Russian oil as no sanctions had been imposed on such purchases that were less than the price cap imposed by the G7 nations. It was, in fact, part of the US policy to allow such purchases, as more oil in the market would prevent prices from soaring in the international market. Moreover, purchases at low prices also helped to restrict Russia's earnings. India has also pointed out that the US still continues to buy fertilisers, chemicals, uranium and palladium from Russia. Meanwhile, New Delhi has made it clear that India and the US share a very important strategic relationship that goes beyond trade. The government has stated that India-US ties are multi-layered and trade is "only one aspect" of a "very important relationship" that also rests on geopolitical and strategic considerations. The government has also informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs that there is no change of plans for the sixth round of India-US talks, which might lead to a trade agreement between the two countries. Bengaluru, Aug 15 : Kannada superstar Darshan, who was arrested in the sensational fan murder case, and Prajwal Revanna, former JD(S) MP convicted in the obscene video and rape case, did not participate in the 79th Independence Day celebrations held at the Bengaluru Central Prison, sources said on Friday. Darshan was arrested on Thursday (August 14) following the Supreme Court's cancellation of his bail, while Prajwal Revanna, grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, has been in prison for over a year, and the Special Court on August 1 convicted him to a life term until his death. Sources stated that both are in a state of depression following these developments and chose to remain in their barracks. Sources further stated that Darshan did not sleep throughout the night in the prison. According to sources, all accused, including Darshan, have been assigned remand prisoner numbers. Darshan's prisoner number is 7314 and Darshan's partner Pavitra Gowda's number is 7313. Pavitra Gowda is the first accused in the fan murder case. The last time Darshan was arrested, many fans had created tattoos with his prisoner number, which sparked controversy and even led to police cases being filed. Currently, Darshan and the other three accused have been placed in the same barrack. Meanwhile, film actress Ramya, who faced brutal trolling from Darshan's fans after she posted that the family of the deceased man Renukaswamy in the fan murder case should receive justice, reacted to the media by saying that Darshan should have kept better company. "I have acted in films with Darshan. He had shared his story with me, and I had felt proud of his progress," she said. "Darshan had grown from being a stage light boy to becoming a star. However, his recent conduct has disappointed me. He has spoiled his life. "When one reaches a certain stage in life, there comes responsibility. I don't know if he had good company around him. He could have very well moved forward in life with grace," Ramya added. Talking about the judgment, Ramya said it has brought relief. "Society is moving in the wrong direction. My post on the protection of women and honour-based issues was trolled. This judgment will help society get back on the right track and sends a strong message that everyone is equal before the law," she stressed. Ramya also noted that Renukaswamy's family, who hail from a humble background, have finally received justice through the Supreme Court's verdict. BHP Group Limited (NYSE:BHP) is one of the best copper stocks to buy according to hedge funds. On August 6, reports emerged indicating that the company, in partnership with Lundin, plans to apply for a new investment incentive scheme in Argentina. BHP Group Limited (BHP) Targets Incentives in Argentina for Vicuna Copper Project Pixabay/Public Domain The company is eyeing the incentive to support the development of the Vicuna copper project. The Large Investment Incentive Regime, which began last year, seeks to boost activities in the mining sector by offering tax breaks. The scheme also provides access to international dispute courts for investments exceeding $200 million. In addition to the Argentinian push, BHP Group is fresh from reporting record copper and iron ore production for fiscal year 2025. The milestone came despite the company experiencing a delay and potential cost overrun at its Jansen potash project in Canada that reached $1.7 billion. BHP Group Limited (NYSE:BHP) is a global resources company focused on producing a range of commodities essential for various industries and the global transition to a more sustainable future. They are a leading producer of iron ore, copper, and metallurgical coal, and are also involved in nickel, potash, and other minerals. While we acknowledge the potential of BHP 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: 10 Best EV Penny Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds and 10 Best Performing Crypto Stocks So Far in 2025. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Seoul, Aug 15 : South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Friday he would pursue "forward-looking, mutually beneficial cooperation" with Japan through active "shuttle diplomacy" while expressing hope that Japan will squarely face up to its history of wartime aggression. Lee made the remarks in his speech marking the 80th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule as he was set to visit Tokyo for summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba later this month shortly before a planned summit with US President Donald Trump, Yonhap News Agency reported. "Guided by the principle of pragmatic, national interest-focused diplomacy, we will seek forward-looking, mutually beneficial cooperation with Japan while holding frequent meetings and frank dialogues through shuttle diplomacy," Lee said. Marking also the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, Lee said Seoul and Tokyo should face their painful history and redefine bilateral ties to move forward, describing Japan as "a neighbor across the sea" and "an indispensable partner" in economic development. "I hope that the Japanese government will squarely face up to our painful history and strive to maintain trust between our two countries," he said. Lee's two-day visit to Japan on Aug. 23-24 will be an opportunity to deepen personal ties with Ishiba and discuss ways to strengthen trilateral cooperation with the United States, as well as discuss regional peace and stability, the presidential office said. On Thursday, South Korea's trade minister met with the Japanese ambassador to South Korea to discuss ways to strengthen the countries' economic partnership amid growing uncertainties in the global trade environment, officials said. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo met with Amb. Koichi Mizushima in Seoul, as President Lee Jae Myung prepares to visit Japan to hold his first summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba next Saturday. Yeo highlighted the importance of strengthening practical economic cooperation between the two countries, as South Korea and Japan mark 60 years since the normalisation of diplomatic relations. The minister also proposed working together to stabilise supply chains and solve trade-related issues in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and climate change. Further, Yeo proposed fostering communication between the two countries' overseas missions and trade promotion agencies to ensure the successful hosting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, set to be held in South Korea, and the Osaka Kansai Expo in Japan this year. New Delhi, Aug 15 : Addressing the nation on the 79th Independence Day celebrations on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the upcoming GST reforms will bring rate rationalisation and relief to farmers, the middle class and MSMEs. "The Central Government is proposing major reforms in GST to build an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' by focussing on structural reforms, rate rationalisation, and ease of living," PM Modi said. Reforms also aim to reduce classification disputes, correct inverted duty structures in specific sectors, ensure greater rate stability, and improve ease of doing business, an official release said. Correction of inverted duty structures aims to align input and output tax rates, reducing the accumulation of input tax credit. This will enhance domestic value addition. Further, the government plans to address classification issues to streamline rate structures, minimise disputes, simplify compliance processes, and ensure greater equity and consistency across sectors. Long-term clarity on rates and policy direction will enhance industry confidence and improve business planning, the release said. The government also plans to reduce taxes on staple-use items and aspirational goods to increase affordability, boost consumption, and make these products more accessible to a larger population. The rate rationalisation will reduce slabs to two: A standard tax rate and a merit-based rate. Special rates will be imposed on select items only. The end of compensation cess has created fiscal space, providing greater flexibility to rationalise and align tax rates within the GST framework for long-term sustainability, the release said. GST registration will be made seamless, technology-driven, and time-bound, particularly for small businesses and startups. "Implement pre-filled returns to reduce manual intervention and eliminate mismatches. Refunds will be processed faster, and automated processing of refunds will be done for exporters and those with an inverted duty structure," the release said. The Central Government has sent its proposal on GST rate rationalisation and reforms to the Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted by the GST Council. Shimla, Aug 15 : Independence Day "is not just about hoisting the Tricolour, it's celebrated as one of the greatest festivals by the people of our nation", said Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla while extending greetings to mark the 79th Independence Day. It was celebrated with great enthusiasm and patriotic fervour at the Raj Bhavan here. On the occasion, Governor Shukla extended greetings and distributed sweets among the Raj Bhavan staff. Also, a ceremonial programme was held in the Eastern Lawn of the Raj Bhavan, where the Governor hoisted the national flag. The police guard stationed at the Raj Bhavan presented a guard of honour, followed by an inspection of the parade by the Governor. Lady Governor Janki Shukla was also present on the occasion. The Governor said, "India is progressing in every sphere of development. India today stands before the world with its development vision and policies. India has become the world's fourth-largest economy and is steadily moving towards becoming the third-largest economy in the near future." Reflecting on the significance of the day, the Governor said August 15, 1947, was a glorious chapter in India's history, achieved through the sacrifice, dedication, and struggle of countless freedom fighters. "I pay my floral tributes to all those great patriots and bow to the brave soldiers who, after independence, made the supreme sacrifice to preserve the unity and integrity of our country and to protect our borders. Their legacy of courage and sacrifice will remain an eternal source of inspiration for all of us," he said. The Governor stressed that Independence Day is both a symbol of pride and a reminder of "our duties towards the nation". He urged every citizen to contribute to the unity, integrity, and progress of the nation and the state. "In this 'Amrit Kaal', we must resolve to contribute in our respective fields to ensure that India reaches the pinnacle of development and prosperity," he added. New Delhi, Aug 15 : Congress MP and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for praising Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh -- the ideological mentor of the ruling BJP -- in his Independence Day speech. Soon after PM Modi acknowledged the social contribution of the RSS -- "world's largest NGO", Ramesh said, "The Prime Minister's speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort today was stale, hypocritical, lacklustre, and alarming." Calling the PM's 103-minute address a "dull mix of self-praise", Ramesh wrote on X, "The most alarming aspect of the Prime Minister's speech today was mentioning the RSS from the ramparts of the Red Fort a blatant violation of the spirit of a constitutional, secular republic." The politicisation of a national occasion like Independence Day for personal and organisational gain is deeply harmful to our democratic values, said the General Secretary in charge of Communications of the Congress. Friday's I-Day speech was not the first occasion on which PM Modi has praised the RSS. Earlier this year, in a podcast with AI researcher and podcaster Lex Fridman, he credited the RSS for giving him a purpose in life, inculcating the spirit of a nation first and nurturing him with a service-driven philosophy. "Through the RSS, I found a life of purpose. Then I was fortunate to spend some time among the saints, which gave me a strong spiritual foundation. I found discipline and a life of purpose," he said. The PM also showcased the social causes to which RSS, over the past 100 years, has devoted its energy, touching the lives of tribals, women, labourers and youth. Earlier, Ramesh claimed that PM Modi's I-Day speech lacked "any honest mention of the country's deep economic distress, unemployment crisis, and rapidly growing economic inequality". He alleged that PM Modi's talk of protecting farmers now sounds hollow and untrustworthy, as they tried to impose three black agricultural laws. "Even today, there is no concrete announcement regarding a legal guarantee for MSP, fixing MSP with a 50 per cent profit over costs, or loan waivers. On job creation, too, only superficial talk was made, with no solid or credible roadmap," he said, crediting the Congress government for establishing the country's first semiconductor complex in Chandigarh in the early 1980s. The Congress MP also demanded answers regarding the credibility of the electoral process. "In Bihar, millions of voters are being deprived through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists," he said. Bengaluru, Aug 15 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited the blast site at Srirama Colony in Bengaluru's Chinnayyanapalya and stated that the exact cause of the explosion will be determined once the debris is cleared. A boy was killed and several others were injured in the explosion reported from the limits of the Audugodi police station on Friday. The incident caused panic among residents, as people were busy with Independence Day celebrations. Speaking to reporters after the visit, CM Siddaramaiah announced that the government will provide Rs 5 lakh in compensation to the family of the deceased boy. He also declared that the medical expenses of the nine injured persons will be borne by the government, and the damaged houses will be repaired and rebuilt by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The CM stated, "Today, a tragic incident took place. At first glance, it seems like a cylinder blast. However, there was no smell. The police and forensic reports indicate that it might be a cylinder blast." He added, "Sleuths from the Forensic, Fire, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) departments are investigating the cause of the explosion. Once the debris is cleared, the exact cause will be ascertained. Based on their findings, we will proceed further. Prima facie, it appears that the explosion was due to a cylinder blast." "This is an area with many small houses where people live in close proximity. I have directed the Chief Commissioner of BBMP, Maheshwar Rao, to ensure the damaged houses are repaired immediately. About nine people have suffered injuries, and one death has occurred. A 10-year-old boy, Mubarak, who resided in the neighbouring house, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital," Siddaramaiah informed. "The explosion took place at the residence of Kasturamma. She is currently being treated at Victoria Hospital for 30 per cent burn injuries. Fifty-year-old Narasamma and 35-year-old Sabrina Banu have been admitted to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital," he stated. "Other injured persons include Fathima, Pramila (38), and Rajesh (40) at Sanjay Gandhi Hospital; Kayala at Indira Gandhi Hospital; Subramani (62) at Agadi Hospital; and Shekar and Nazeed Ulla (37) at NIMHANS. The government will provide compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of the deceased boy, Mubarak, and will cover the medical expenses of the injured," the CM announced. "The expenses of Kasturamma, the owner of the house who suffered 30 per cent burn injuries, will also be covered by the government. About 13 houses were damaged, and we will ensure they are repaired immediately. The houses that have collapsed will be rebuilt," CM Siddaramaiah added. The explosion reportedly occurred at the residence of Kasturamma, a resident of Srirama Colony. Mubarak lived in the neighbouring house. The blast was so intense that the roof of Kasturi's house collapsed, and about eight nearby houses suffered damage. Many residents had left for work early in the morning, which likely prevented further casualties. Locals stated that some have been grievously injured. The Fire and Emergency Services and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rushed to the scene. A woman recounted, "I was downstairs. At 8.15 a.m., we heard a huge explosion, and a stone hit my head. I screamed and got up, and by that time the roof had collapsed. We ran out of the house. My house is only four feet away from where the explosion occurred. The sound was tremendous. An iron cupboard, which normally requires four people to lift, was thrown up. If it were a cylinder blast, there would have been a smell, but there was none." She added, "I don't know what caused the explosion. It seemed more like a bomb blast. We were preparing to fetch water when the explosion occurred. We rushed out of our houses; otherwise, we would have been more harmed." Another resident stated, "My wife's head is swollen. I am still feeling the pressure from the incident." The Audugodi police have registered a case and are carrying out further investigation. New Delhi, Aug 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced the launch of Mission Sudarshan Chakra to develop an indigenous air defence system aimed at protecting India's strategic, civilian, and nationally important sites from any potential enemy attacks. The mission will also focus on the development of new weapons to strike back at the enemy. It is believed that India's upcoming system could be even more advanced and powerful than Israel's renowned Iron Dome, a multi-layered defence network known for intercepting aerial attacks. Deployed in the 2010s, the Iron Dome has thwarted thousands of rocket and missile attacks, including those launched by Hamas in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel claims a success rate of over 90 per cent. Now, through Mission Sudarshan Chakra, India aims to build a similarly advanced -- and possibly superior -- defence shield. According to PM Modi, Mission Sudarshan Chakra will integrate advanced surveillance, interception, and counter-strike capabilities, enabling the swift neutralisation of threats in the air, on land, and at sea. Notably, during Operation Sindoor, Indian defence systems successfully thwarted multiple Pakistani aerial attacks, including suicide drone strikes, using indigenous defence technology. At present, India also operates the Russian-made S-400 air defence system, which is a highly effective system, but Sudarshan Chakra will offer a far broader shield to protect military bases, civilian areas, buildings of national importance and other critical zones. The system will not only neutralise incoming threats but also deliver decisive counter-attacks to inflict damage on the adversary. PM Modi stated that to ensure the safety of every Indian citizen and meet future technology-driven security challenges, a national protective shield named Sudarshan Chakra will be fully operational by 2035. Drawing inspiration from Lord Krishna's legendary Sudarshan Chakra, the Prime Minister said the entire research, development, and manufacturing process for the system will take place within India, with active participation from the nation's youth. "The strength of the Sudarshan Chakra was its precision -- it struck exactly where it was intended to and returned to Lord Krishna. Similarly, our Sudarshan Chakra will ensure targeted, precise action. In the evolving nature of warfare, I pledge to advance this mission with full commitment for the security of our nation and our citizens," the Prime Minister said. PM Modi hailed Operation Sindoor, conducted after the Pahalgam attack, as a demonstration of India's strategic autonomy. Using Made in India weapons, the operation dismantled terror networks and Pakistan-based infrastructure, signalling a new era where India will no longer accept nuclear blackmail or threats on foreign terms. PM Modi said, "Dependence on others raises questions about a nation's independence. It is unfortunate when dependence becomes a habit, a dangerous one. That's why we must remain aware and committed to becoming self-reliant. Seoul, Aug 15 : South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Friday that he would respect North Korea's political system and will not pursue unification by absorption while pledging to take steps to restore the 2018 inter-Korean military deal to reduce tensions. Lee's speech marking the 80th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule came a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, rebuffed a recent reconciliatory overture by the Lee administration as a "pipe dream." Lee extended an olive branch to North Korea and outlined his vision for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a speech to mark Liberation Day, Yonhap News Agency reported. "We affirm our respect for the North's current system, aver that we will not pursue any form of unification by absorption and assert that we have no intention of engaging in hostile acts," Lee said during a ceremony held at the Sejong Center for Performing Arts. To prevent accidental clashes between the two Koreas and build military trust, Lee said South Korea will take "proactive, gradual steps" to restore the 2018 military tension reduction pact to prevent accidental clashes and build trust. However, Lee made it clear that North Korea's denuclearization must be achieved for a peaceful Korean Peninsula. "A peaceful Korean Peninsula must be free of nuclear weapons and based on friendly cooperation with neighboring countries," he said. Restoring the military pact, which was suspended amid tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang during the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration, was one of Lee's election pledges. Since taking office in June, Lee has ordered the military to stop propaganda broadcasts along the border and urged activists to halt sending balloons across the border, in the first concrete steps to improve inter-Korean ties. The South Korean military said the North stopped its broadcasts after Seoul's actions, but Kim Yo-jong denied reports that North Korea was removing propaganda loudspeakers. Lee underscored the importance of restoring trust to create the conditions for resuming dialogue, expressing hopes that Pyongyang will reciprocate Seoul's efforts. "More important than winning a fight and more important than winning without a fight is building a state where fighting is unnecessary -- that is, creating peace," he said. On Japan, Lee pledged to pursue "forward-looking, mutually beneficial cooperation" with Japan through active "shuttle diplomacy," as he is set to visit Tokyo for summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba later this month shortly before a planned summit with US President Donald Trump. "Guided by the principle of pragmatic, national interest-focused diplomacy, we will seek forward-looking, mutually beneficial cooperation with Japan while holding frequent meetings and frank dialogues through shuttle diplomacy," Lee said. Also marking the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, Lee said Seoul and Tokyo should face their painful history and redefine bilateral ties to move forward, describing Japan as "a neighbor across the sea" and "an indispensable partner" in economic development. "I hope that the Japanese government will squarely face up to our painful history and strive to maintain trust between our two countries," he said. Lee's two-day visit to Japan on Aug. 23-24 will be an opportunity to deepen personal ties with Ishiba and discuss ways to strengthen trilateral cooperation with the United States, as well as discuss regional peace and stability, the presidential office said. Ahead of his planned visit to the US, Lee vowed to tackle challenges arising from changing economic and security environments and to seize new opportunities in cutting-edge technologies, including semiconductors and artificial intelligence. "The Korea-US tariff negotiations are just one wave in this storm. More waves will surge forward in quick succession in the months ahead," he said. "It is entirely up to us whether we are swept away by towering waves and shipwrecked, or whether we turn this crisis into an opportunity and surge ahead." Lee's upcoming summit with Trump is expected to discuss alliance security issues, as well as industrial cooperation in the semiconductor, battery and shipbuilding sectors, based on the trade deal the two countries clinched earlier this month, according to the presidential office. Bengaluru, Aug 15 : BJP MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan has insisted that if Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar truly trusts Lord Manjunatheshwara, he should order a thorough investigation against those "carrying out propaganda" against the Hindu pilgrimage centre, Dharmasthala. Bengaluru, Aug 15 (IANS) BJP MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan has insisted that if Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar truly trusts Lord Manjunatheshwara, he should order a thorough investigation against those "carrying out propaganda" against the Hindu pilgrimage centre, Dharmasthala. Speaking to the media at the BJP headquarters in Bengaluru, he questioned whether people's patience and tolerance were being tested regarding the Dharmasthala matter. He criticised the way events at Dharmasthala were being portrayed, saying, "Did such an incident even occur at Dharmasthala? YouTubers are speaking without restraint. On social media, they themselves conduct investigations and pass judgments. This has caused significant distress to the Hindu community and devotees of Sri Manjunatheshwara." Ashwath Narayan also expressed objection to allegations made against the temple authorities. He reiterated, "In KG Halli and DJ Halli, someone had posted something online, and police stations were set on fire. Legislators' houses were burned. Police vehicles were torched, and attacks were carried out on police personnel. At that time, the Congress party justified all this. Yet today, in Mangaluru district, if party workers post something on social media, FIRs are filed automatically. Why is the Home Department not taking legal action or registering suo motu cases when posts are made regarding Dharmasthala or temple authorities?" Meanwhile, the Congress-led Karnataka government has stated that action will be initiated against those who are involved in carrying out propaganda against the Hindu pilgrimage centre Dharmasthala in the mass grave case. Responding to media questions near the KPCC office on Friday, Deputy Chief Minister stated, "The government is considering taking action against those who have lied and spread misinformation in connection with the Dharmasthala case." In a major development, on July 11, the unidentified complainant in the case, 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. The complainant requested that the police exhume the bodies in his presence. Even as 17 burial sites were excavated, the authorities could not find any strong evidence. As no substantial evidence was found after excavating 17 burial sites, the BJP has started launching attacks on the Congress-led government in the state. The party has charged that the Congress-led government is "colluding" with anti-Hindu forces to defame the pilgrimage centre and demanded an interim report from the Home Minister. Home Minister G. Parameshwara will make a statement on the Dharmasthala case on August 18 in the Legislative Assembly. Seoul, Aug 15 : An associate of former first lady Kim Keon Hee appeared for a court hearing Friday for his arrest on charges of embezzlement as part of a special counsel probe targetting the former first lady. Kim Ye-seong, known as the "butler" of the former first lady's family, arrived at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul nearly two hours before the hearing scheduled at 2 pm, Yonhap News Agency reported. Kim is accused of embezzling 3.38 billion won (USD 2.43 million) from IMS Mobility, a company he helped establish, in 2023. The court is expected to announce its decision on whether to issue the warrant later in the day or early Saturday. A special counsel team requested the arrest warrant Thursday, two days after he was detained by investigators upon returning from Vietnam in what they believe was an attempt to flee following the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee's husband. Kim Ye-seong is suspected of receiving 18.4 billion won in illegal investments from several companies, including Kakao Mobility Corp., for IMS Mobility. Considering that IMS Mobility was effectively in a state of capital impairment at the time of the investments, the special prosecutors suspect the companies invested in IMS Mobility in consideration of its connection to Kim and the former first lady. The special counsel team is also looking into whether the embezzled funds or related profits were funneled to the former first lady's family. Kim has denied any wrongdoing and described the special counsel's investigation as a "witch hunt." He has been closely associated with the former first lady for over a decade and is believed to have extensive knowledge of the family's financial matters. Earlier on Thursday, South Korea's jailed former first lady Kim Keon Hee appeared at a special counsel's office on Thursday to undergo questioning for the first time since her arrest earlier this week over corruption charges. Kim was brought to special counsel Min Joong-ki's office in central Seoul in a prison van after departing Seoul Southern Detention Centre in handcuffs, according to correctional authorities. She was hidden from public view as the van used the underground parking route. The wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol was placed in custody at the detention center in southwestern Seoul on Wednesday after a court issued a warrant to arrest her on charges of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, meddling in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and 2024 general elections, and receiving luxury gifts from the Unification Church through a shaman in exchange for business favours. Moscow/New Delhi, Aug 15 : Russia on Friday offered condolences over the tragedy caused by a massive cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir's (J&K) Kishtwar district, which has resulted in the death of at least 56 people till now, including two CISF personnel. "Russian Embassy is deeply saddened with disastrous cloudburst in the Kishtwar region of J&K which has claimed dozens of lives. We extend our condolences to the families of those perished and wishes for a speedy recovery to all injured. Our thoughts and solidarity are with the people of J&K in this tragic hour," the Russian Embassy in India posted on social media. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah regarding the tragedy following the cloudburst in Kishtwar. He assessed the situation and assured all necessary assistance. "Spoke to Jammu and Kashmir LG, Shri Manoj Sinha Ji and CM Shri Omar Abdullah Ji regarding the situation in the wake of the cloudburst and flooding in Kishtwar. Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected," PM Modi posted on X. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday lauded India's massive progress and the "well deserved respect on the global stage" while extending greetings to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of the country's 79th Independence Day. "India has achieved widely recognised success in socio-economic, scientific, technical, and other fields. Your country enjoys well-deserved respect on the global stage and actively contributes to addressing key issues on the international agenda," read Putin's message on the occasion. "We highly value our special, privileged strategic partnership with India. I am confident that, through our joint efforts, we will continue to expand constructive bilateral cooperation across multiple areas. This aligns fully with the interests of our friendly peoples and supports the strengthening of security and stability both regionally and globally," it added. Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay, also sent warm greetings to India on the occasion, celebrating the friendship between the two countries and wishing peace, prosperity, and progress. Bitcoin miner alleges Stripe cut them off as Trump bans crypto debanking originally appeared on TheStreet. A Germany-based Bitcoin mining hardware seller says they have been cut off from processing credit card payments after Stripe allegedly closed their account. The business, posting under the handle Solomining on X, says the move came shortly after Shopifys built-in payments service banned them from selling mining equipment. GM. We just got debanked by Stripe for selling mining hardware, Solomining wrote. Yes, we do accept BTC as payment, but many customers prefer to pay with dirty fiat using their credit card. Solomining is a Germany-based vendor that sells compact, energy-efficient Bitcoin mining hardware for solo and home mining setups. The miner said Stripe was their second choice after losing Shopify Payments. It is about the credit card payments processing on the Shopify checkout, not about the banking itself. My conventional business bank is totally fine with my business and will not debank me, they clarified. Executive order in the United States targets Operation Chokepoint 2.0 The timing of the claim is notable because just days earlier United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order called Fair Banking for All Americans. The directive bans US banks and payment processors from refusing services to crypto companies on political or arbitrary grounds. The order is designed to dismantle what the industry has dubbed Operation Chokepoint 2.0 an alleged Biden-era push to pressure financial institutions into cutting off services to digital asset firms. The White House said the move ensures regulators cannot engage in politicized or unlawful debanking. However, because Solomining is based in Germany, the new rules offer no direct protection. Were located in Germany, not the US. So this wont help us, the account owner responded when advised about the executive order. Personal and political backdrop Trumps order comes after years of political debate on the issue. His son Eric Trump has previously claimed in an interview that his own accounts were shut down without explanation and called the incident politically motivated. Since taking office in 2025 Donald Trump has appointed multiple pro-crypto officials to regulatory positions. His administration has rolled back several Biden-era enforcement actions against the industry and permitted crypto investments in 401(k) retirement plans. Limited options outside the United States In the Solomining thread, fellow entrepreneurs suggested alternative processors, including Authorize.net, Paystand, and Revolut, though integrating these with Shopify may be complex. Others warned that mining hardware sellers are often flagged as high-risk merchants by card processors, making debanking a persistent risk regardless of jurisdiction. New Delhi, Aug 15 : Industry experts on Friday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day announcements on bringing next-generation reforms in Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime which would be unveiled by Diwali. The move will provide "substantial" tax relief to the common man and benefit small businesses, said industry leaders, adding that the reforms will also prove to be beneficial for MSMEs and large-scale producers. "GST rate structure rationalisation has been on the cards for a while now. With the announcement from the Prime Minister, it seems the rate fitment work is complete and one could expect the rate rejig of items of daily consumption falling in 12 per cent to 5 per cent which could help not reduce end product prices but also boost consumption and demand especially for MSMEs," said Krishan Arora, Partner-Tax Planning and Optimisation, Grant Thornton Bharat. Sudhir Kapadia, senior advisor at EY, said that GST reforms are a much-needed measure, and the charge coming directly from the Prime Minister gives a clear signal that there is not only an intent but a set timeline before Diwali. "It is about time that these reforms are undertaken", he added. Following the announcement made by PM Modi, the Finance Ministry has also put forth the proposal about a simplified, two-tier Goods and Services Tax (GST) system with a "standard" and "merit" slab, alongside special rates for select goods. The Group of Ministers (GoM), established by the GST Council to look into this matter, has received the government's proposal on rationalising and reforming the GST rate. The rationalisation of tax rates to benefit all societal segments, particularly the average person, women, students, middle class, and farmers, is one of the main areas designated for next-generation reforms. Abhishek Jain, Partner and National Head, Indirect Tax, KPMG in India, said that the governmentas intent to move towards a two-rate GST (and a demerit rate on select goods), coupled with streamlined input tax credit refunds (both on inverted duty and exports), "is clearly a move in the right direction to make the system more efficient and less litigious. It balances simplicity with fiscal prudence, signalling a maturing GST regime." Imphal, Aug 15 : Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla said on Friday that the state government had worked tirelessly to restore normalcy, enhance security, and ensure a safer environment for all communities. Hoisting the national flag on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day celebration at the first Manipur Rifles ground in Imphal, the Governor said that a clear timeline has been set to facilitate the safe and dignified return of violence-hit Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their homes. He emphasised that the state now stood at a decisive moment in its journey, calling on the people to rise above differences and work together in a spirit of peace and brotherhood. He further pointed to campaigns like the aNasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaana, workplace harassment prevention measures, the aBack to Schoola initiative for Self-Help Groups, and the operationalisation of 11 IT Centres in violence-affected districts as steps towards building a more inclusive and resilient future. The Governor also noted that the government, supporting inclusive growth, has organised various awareness campaigns under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (PM-DAJGUA) across the hill districts, focusing on the sustainable development of tribal communities. He stated that Manipur had made steady progress in recent years in social welfare, infrastructure, and economic empowerment. The Governor highlighted initiatives such as the aHunar Se Rozgara scheme, skill development training for internally displaced persons, and measures to strengthen law and order, including expanded border fencing. Bhalla also highlighted the newly launched Rs one lakh crore PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling it a transformative step towards empowering the nationas young workforce. He urged the youth of Manipur to actively seize this opportunity, emphasising that they are the torchbearers of the stateas and the countryas future. The Governor added that such initiatives are vital steps towards the realisation of the vision of Viksit Bharat, where every young citizen contributes to building a strong, inclusive, and prosperous nation. He highlighted the Union governmentas special allocation of more than Rs 2,800 crores for Manipur, including substantial funds for infrastructure, public services, and the rehabilitation of displaced persons. The Governor stressed that the best way to honour the sacrifices of the past was to build a future defined by stability, opportunity, and dignity for all. The Independence Dayas main function at the first Manipur Rifles ground concluded with cultural performances showcasing the diverse traditions and rich heritage of Manipur. Some outlawed outfits, like in previous years, have called for a shutdown on Friday, opposing the Independence Day celebrations. However, no untoward incident was reported from any part of the ethnic violence hit state. Under close supervision of senior officials, a large contingent of the Army, Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force (BSF), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), along with Manipur Police, have been deployed in Manipur to deal with the ethnic hostilities in the northeastern states since May 2023. As part of security measures, security forces established mobile check posts at different strategic places in Manipur to check different types of vehicles and frisked the passengers and travellers. --IANS sc/dan Mumbai, Aug 15 : This Independence Day, actress Dia Mirza has urged everyone to pledge to preserve and cherish the natural treasures that help shape our lives in more than one way. The 'Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein' actress shared two stills of herself posing with the tricolor and shared a special message to preserve the rich biodiversity of the country. Dia wrote on her IG: "Happy Independence Day India ...Our forests, rivers, land, air, seas, and the rich web of biodiversity this is the true wealth that sustains our health, peace, and security." She further reminded us of the heritage that teaches us to respect, revere, and protect nature. "Nature reminds us that we are united all one, all connected, all part of the great circle of life," the 'Thappad' actress added. "This Independence Day, may we pledge to preserve and cherish the natural treasures that make us who we are", she concluded. Dia's post also incorporated a set of photos of the variety of wildlife in the country. Meanwhile, last Friday, Dia penned an emotional tribute for her mother, revealing how she became her first source of strength and inspiration. Celebrating the essence of Shakti - the divine feminine energy, the 'Sanju' actress thanked her mother for instilling in her the values of compassion, resilience, and grace. Sharing a few photos from a recent award ceremony, Dia penned on the photo-sharing app: "Last night, as I stood on that stage, I thought of my mother @deepamirza. She was my first understanding of Shakti not just as strength, but as compassion, resilience, grace, and the quiet courage to rise again and again. Shakti is the divine feminine energy that sustains, protects, and transforms. It lives in every woman who dares to dream, who nurtures life, who stands her ground, and who walks forward even when the path is uncertain." Moscow, Aug 15 : Russia will make its position clear during the upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, Russian media reported on Friday. "We are not planning anything in advance. We know that we have arguments, a clear and understandable position," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the Rossiya-24 TV channel upon his arrival in Alaska, where the summit will take place. He added that they would make their arguments clear. Significant groundwork had been laid during the visit of Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, to Russia, he noted. "We hope to continue this very useful conversation tomorrow." Putin and Trump are scheduled to meet in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said the meeting will begin with a one-on-one session involving only the two leaders and their interpreters, followed by expanded talks joined by five delegates from each side, Xinhua news agency reported. Ushakov said the talks will focus on resolving the Ukraine crisis, as well as addressing "broader tasks for ensuring peace and security, and current and most pressing international and regional issues." Trump on Thursday estimated that his upcoming meeting with Putin in the US state of Alaska has a 25 per cent chance of not being successful. In an interview with Fox News Radio, Trump said his meeting with Putin is like "a chess game," adding that he believes Putin is arriving with the intention of making progress toward reaching a deal on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He said if positive progress is made during the meeting, it would lay the groundwork for a second one, which would also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump on Wednesday warned that Russia would face "very severe consequences" if Putin refuses to agree to a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Bhubaneswar, Aug 15 : Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday unfurled the national flag at the state level 79th Independence Day celebrations at the PMG Square in Bhubaneswar. He extended his greetings and best wishes to the people of Odisha, all Indians across the country, and those living abroad on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day. During his Independence Day speech, the Chief Minister also paid homage to freedom fighters from all schools of thought who united with the sole objective of ending British rule. Majhi highlighted Odisha's significant role in the independence movement, recalling the sacrifices of several prominent Odia freedom fighters, including Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu Das, Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das, Shaheed Laxman Naik, Veer Surendra Sai, Chakra Bisoi, etc. He also paid tributes to Bakshi Jagabandhu and Jayee Rajguru, the leaders of the Paika Rebellion in Odisha in 1817, which occurred four decades before the 1857 sepoy mutiny, known as the First War of Independence. CM Majhi praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decisive leadership in launching Operation Sindoor after the dastardly terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam of Jammu and Kashmir on April 22. He lauded the Indian armed forces, who destroyed nine terrorist hideouts and 11 Pakistani military bases during Operation Sindoor. The CM highlighted the demonstration of indigenous advanced defence technology for the first time during the operation, calling it a testament to the success of the 'Make in India' initiative. Turning to Odisha, Majhi asserted that his government has been successful in fulfilling the people's aspirations, achieving several first-time milestones within a year that could have been realised earlier. He added that under the guidance of the Prime Minister, the state has prepared targeted plans for its four key population segments - women, farmers, poor and youth-with the aim of inclusive and rapid development. To achieve the target, the government has given priority to livelihood, infrastructure, social development and empowerment and Odia Asmita (Odia identity). Highlighting the rapid industrialisation under his government, Chief Minister Majhi stated that Odisha has attracted investments worth over Rs 1.80 lakh crore through the establishment of 60 industries in the past six to seven months. He urged people to wear traditional Odia handloom attire at least once a week. The Chief Minister stated that the Union Cabinet's approval for the establishment of two semiconductor units in the state will bring a revolution in the electronics and IT sector in Odisha. He said that the state government will organise a pharma conclave in the coming days, which is expected to be attended by major pharmaceutical companies from across the country and abroad. He expressed hope that this initiative will transform Odisha into a pharmaceutical hub and generate over 2.5 lakh employment opportunities. Reiterating his government's 'Zero tolerance' policy towards women's safety, Majhi noted, "Those committing violence against women, no matter how powerful or influential they are, their place is within the walls of the jail. They have no place in a civilised society. For this purpose, the police have been given free rein and full power. I have issued clear instructions to take strict action, as per the law, against anyone found negligent in ensuring women's safety." CM Majhi also declared that a Police memorial will be constructed soon to commemorate the Odisha police personnel and officials who lost their lives while on duty. He also announced that under the Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, each eligible family in the eight KBK (Kalahandi, Nuapada, Balangir, Sonepur, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, and Rayagada), and Boudh, Gajapati, and Kandhamal districts will receive 5 kg of free rice per month for three months. Patna, Aug 15 : Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, on Friday launched a sharp attack on RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for "misleading" people and reminded him of the "misuse" of power in his father Lalu Pradad's tenure. MoS Rai's remarks came after Tejashwi welcomed the Supreme Court's interim order directing the Election Commission to reveal names deleted from the voter list during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. MoS Rai questioned Tejashwi's objections to the SIR exercise, alleging that the deletions targeted "foreign intruders" and "Rohingya Bangladeshis" who have no right to participate in India's democratic process. "I want to ask Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav - do foreign intruders have voting rights? If infiltrators' names are being removed through SIR, why oppose it? The 13 crore people of Bihar and 140 crore citizens of the country deserve an answer," he said. Earlier, Tejashwi had argued that the Election Commission's affidavit to the court contained no figures for infiltrators, questioning the basis of the deletions. MoS Rai accused Tejashwi of attempting to mislead the public on Independence Day and invoked the RJD's past governance record. "The whole of Bihar remembers how Lalu Yadav looted ballot boxes in the name of democracy, and how booth capturing became a political culture under RJD rule. From 1990 to 2005, Bihar saw open misuse of power, administration shielding criminals, and democracy being held hostage," Rai alleged. Nityanand Rai urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi to explain the history of alleged electoral malpractices in the country during their upcoming Vote Rights Yatra in Bihar. "In a democracy, everyone has the right to express their views," Rai said. "But the whole country should hear from Rahul Gandhi about how rigging was done in elections from the very first polls in 1951a"52 during Congress rule, and how votes were stolen. He should also tell the nation how the election of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution, was rigged in 1951a"52 by the Congress government," he said. Nityanand Rai accused the Congress of historically denying voting rights to marginalised communities in Bihar. "During your party's rule, the poor and the backward were never truly given the right to vote. Why were the deprived always kept away from their democratic rights? The people of Bihar should get answers to this during your so-called Vote Rights Yatra," he said. Jerusalem, Aug 15 : Calling India and Israel as "two proud democracies", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday extended wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and people of India on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day. In his greetings, Netanyahu stated that both India and Israel have achieved much together and expressed confidence that the best chapters of the partnership between two nations are still waiting to be written. "Congratulations to my dear friend PM Narendra Modi and the people of India on your Independence Day. Israel and India are two proud democracies, bound by history, innovation, and friendship. Our nations have achieved much together and the best chapters of our partnership still lie ahead," said Netanyahu in his message that was posted on X by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Israel President Isaac Herzog also extended wishes to President Droupadi Murmu and people of India on Independence Day, noting that India's friendship strengthens Israel deeply in these difficult times. "On India's Independence Day, I send heartfelt greetings to President Droupadi Murmu, and all the people of India. May you enjoy a year of peace and prosperity. Your friendship with Israel in these difficult days strengthens us deeply. May the bond between our nations continue to flourish a" and may we soon see the safe return of all our hostages," Herzog posted on X. Israeli Knesset's Speaker Amir Ohana also extended wishes to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and the people of India on Independence Day. He also shared an old picture of him and Birla alongside other leaders. In a post shared on X, Ohana wrote, "Heartfelt congratulations to all Indians on Independence Day! India On behalf of the Knesset, I extend my warmest wishes to my dear friend Om Birla and all the citizens of India. May the friendship between our countries and parliaments always remain strong." Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar attended the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort in New Delhi and termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech "inspiring." He also shared a picture of himself at the iconic venue. "Inspiring speech by PM Narendra Modi at the Red Fort. Happy Independence Day India," Azar posted on X. In April, Netanyahu had dialled PM Modi expressing his condolences, and those of the Israeli people, over the barbaric "Islamist terrorist attack in Kashmir". Prime Minister Modi thanked him for sharing in India's mourning and emphasised that the two countries stand shoulder to shoulder in the global campaign against murderous terrorism. PM Modi shared the barbaric nature of the cross border terrorist attack and reiterated Indiaas firm resolve to bring the perpetrators and their supporters to justice. The two leaders had also discussed advancing the transportation and communications corridor that will link Asia a" via Saudi Arabia and Israel a" with Europe. Hyderabad, Aug 15 : AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for glorifying the RSS in his Independence Day speech, terming it an insult to the freedom struggle. The Hyderabad MP took to 'X' to react strongly to the Prime Minister's speech, glorifying Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). "The RSS and its ideological allies served as British foot soldiers. They never joined the fight for independence and hated Gandhi more than they ever opposed the British," Owaisi said in a post on the social media platform. "Happy Independence Day to all. PM Modi has once again reminded us why it is necessary to learn real history and honour the real heroes. If we don't, the day isn't far when cowardice will be sold to us as the highest form of bravery," said the president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). Owaisi alleged that RSS rejected the values of inclusive nationalism that motivated freedom fighters. "The ideology of Hindutva believes in exclusion and is antithetical to the values of our Constitution. Modi could have gone to Nagpur to praise RSS as a Swayamsevak, why did he have to do it from the Red Fort as the Prime Minister?" he asked. "China remains our biggest external threat. But the greater danger lies within the hate and division spread by the Sangh Parivar. We must defeat all such forces to truly safeguard our freedom," Owaisi added. In the Independence Day speech, the Prime Minister hailed 100 years of RSS as a "very proud and glorious" journey of the "world's biggest NGO". He saluted all volunteers of RSS for their "dedicated service to the nation". "For the past 100 years, the RSS swayamsevaks have been dedicating their lives to fulfil the resolve of character development and nation building for the welfare of the motherland," he said. New Delhi, Aug 15 : The Supreme Court has castigated Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) for filing a "totally frivolous" petition against a Madhya Pradesh High Court ruling in favour of a man seeking compassionate appointment. New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) The Supreme Court has castigated Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) for filing a "totally frivolous" petition against a Madhya Pradesh High Court ruling in favour of a man seeking compassionate appointment. A Bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and S.V.N. Bhatti, expressing strong displeasure over BSNL's decision to bring the matter before the apex court, imposed Rs 1 lakh in exemplary costs on the state-owned enterprise. The Justice Amanullah-led Bench directed BSNL to pay Rs 1 lakh directly to the respondent, Pavan Thakur, within two weeks and file proof of payment with the registry, warning that non-compliance would invite "appropriate orders." "In the event of non-compliance, the registry shall place the matter before this Court for appropriate orders," it said. The apex court further allowed the state-owned enterprise to recover the amount "from the officer(s) on whose advice this petition (before the apex court) has been filed." "We find that this is one of those cases which is totally frivolous in nature. In fact, we are shocked as to why such a petition has been filed before this Court," the Justice Amanullah-led Bench observed in its order. The case stems from the death of the respondent's father, a BSNL peon, in 2000, followed by the death of his mother, who had been appointed on compassionate grounds in 2009. He applied for a compassionate appointment in 2010, but the Circle High Power Committee rejected his claim. In an order passed in 2018, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) set aside BSNL's order and directed Pavan Thakur's appointment. BSNL challenged the decision before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, but the petition was dismissed in April this year. In its judgment, the MP High Court found that "the respondent, who is not living in his own house and living in a temporary Jhuggi.is entitled to some points towards residence" and that even awarding "only one point" under the residence head would make him eligible. This prompted BSNL to file a special leave petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court, now dismissed with exemplary costs. --IANS pds/dan Guwahati, Aug 15 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday vowed to intensify efforts to protect the state's indigenous communities and their cultural identity, linking the move to his government's ongoing eviction drives. Speaking after hoisting the national flag at the Independence Day celebrations in Guwahati, Sarma said his administration had cleared encroachments from 1.2 lakh bighas more than 16,000 hectares of land, describing the action as part of a broader campaign against what he termed "land jihad." Without naming any group directly, the Chief Minister suggested that demographic changes in lower and central Assam were driven by "unknown" people, who were now targeting upper and north Assam. "We have declared war on their aggression. We will evict them from every piece of grazing land, tribal belt and government land," he said. Sarma maintained that the recent delimitation of assembly constituencies was carried out to secure Assam's political landscape for indigenous residents "for many decades to come." He warned that if the trend continued unchecked, indigenous communities risked losing their "jati, mati, bheti" community, land, and homeland within a decade. "If this situation persists, 80 per cent of the state's ministers could belong to them in 15 years, and within two decades the Independence Day flag could be hoisted by an unknown chief minister," Sarma claimed. The Chief Minister alleged that the group in question had already established dominance in the construction sector and was attempting to gain political influence after "almost capturing economic power." He called on young people and Assamese citizens to resist compromise, framing the struggle as one for self-determination rather than an armed confrontation. "We will not be finished. We will fight for survival," Sarma declared, taking a symbolic pledge under the national tricolour. Meanwhile, CM Sarma reiterated his government's commitment to rapid industrialisation, saying the push is aimed at creating jobs for the state's youth rather than serving large corporate houses. --IANS tdr/dan Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE) is one of the best copper stocks to buy according to hedge funds. On August 1, Bank of America Securities analyst Caio Ribeiro reiterated a Buy rating on the stock. The positive stance stems from the company delivering solid second-quarter results, characterized by rising production volumes and declining costs year-over-year across all commodities. BofA Securities Affirms Buy Rating on Vale S.A. (VALE) Pixabay/Public Domain The efficiency-driven mindset was the catalyst behind Vale S.A.s EBITDA reaching $3.4 billion, representing a 7% quarter-over-quarter increase. The companys cash cost declined 11% year-over-year to $22.20 per ton, as the all-in-cost declined 10% year-over-year to $55.30 per ton. The all-in cost in copper production declined 60% to $1,400 per ton. The reduction was driven by strong performance in the companys Salobi and Sossego mines in Brazil, along with higher by-product revenues from higher gold prices. Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE) is a mining company that explores for, extracts, and processes copper. It is a major player in the global copper market, with operations in several countries, including Brazil, Canada, and Chile. Vales activities include mining operations, beneficiation, and logistics, ensuring a mine-to-market pathway for copper. While we acknowledge the potential of VALE 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: 10 Best EV Penny Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds and 10 Best Performing Crypto Stocks So Far in 2025. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. New Delhi, Aug 15 : Even as IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to return to India this weekend, his family on Friday said they are "waiting excitedly". New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) Even as IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to return to India this weekend, his family on Friday said they are "waiting excitedly". In June, Shukla became the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS). He returned on July 15, after an 18-day mission, packed with several experiments, led by ISRO, and other activities on the orbital lab. Since then, he has been undergoing rehabilitation in the US. "I am very excited. My son has successfully completed his mission and has come back. We are very excited that my son is coming back. We are trying to meet him as soon as possible. He is coming the day after tomorrow, and we will meet him in Delhi," Shukla's father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, told IANS. Confirming Shukla's return, Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday said that the IAF Group Captain will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi before traveling to his hometown of Lucknow to see his family. He will then return to the capital for the National Space Day celebrations on August 23. "I am very happy that my son is coming to India. We have been waiting for a month. The time has now come. I am very happy. But we are also waiting for him to come home," Asha Shukla, the Indian astronaut's mother, told IANS. Shukla was part of the Axiom-4 private space mission, and his journey to the ISS is considered a significant milestone for India's own human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, which is targeting a launch by 2027. Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the mission, saying that Shukla has inspired a billion dreams and taken a significant step in advancing India's space ambitions. "IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is back from the International Space Station (ISS). Soon he will return to India. We are working on becoming self-reliant in the space sector, preparing for the launch of Gaganyaan, which is India's flagship human spaceflight programme. We will make our own space station," the Prime Minister said, in his Independence Day address. Bengaluru, Aug 15 : The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has seized Rs 1.68 crore in cash and 6.75 kilograms of gold, among other items, during its raids and search operations conducted against the Congress MLA Satish K Sail from Karwar, the official statement by the ED stated on Friday. The ED further stated that the balance in bank accounts of approximately Rs 14.13 crore has also been frozen. The statement said, "ED, Bengaluru has conducted search operations on 13th and 14th August, 2025 at multiple locations in Karwar district, Goa, Mumbai and New Delhi under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in an on-going investigation into Satish Krishna Sail aka Satish Sail, MLA and others persons and entities, who were convicted by the Special Court for MPs and MLAs Bengaluru, for illegal export of iron ore fines." "During the searches, various incriminating documents, e-mails, records, etc., cash of Rs 1.68 Crore, gold weighing 6.75 kilograms, in the form of gold jewellery/bullion have been seized," the official statement by the ED said. MLA Satish K. Sail, who was jailed in connection with an illegal mining case, is currently out on bail. According to sources, a team of about 24 ED officers had arrived at his residence in six cars and launched a search-and-seizure operation. On October 26, 2024, the Karnataka Special Court for MLAs and MPs convicted Congress MLA Satish K. Sail to seven years of imprisonment in six cases related to the sensational Belekeri iron ore export case. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 44 crore on him in these six cases. However, Sail later filed an appeal in the High Court against the verdict of the Special Court for MLAs and MPs. In the hearing held in November 2024, the bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna directed that the order imposing the sentence on Sail be kept in abeyance. While granting bail, the High Court instructed him to deposit 25 per cent of the fine amount. The case was registered in 2010, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) subsequently submitted a chargesheet. The court convicted the MLA in connection with all six FIRs, marking a setback for the Congress government. Satish Sail was named as the second accused in the first case. On September 13, 2013, the CBI registered an FIR against the company owned by the convicted MLA, following directions from the Supreme Court regarding illegal mining and transportation of iron ore from the state between 2009 and 2010. The CBI stated that within a period of eight months, Mallikarjuna Shipping Private Limited, owned by Sail, exported 7.23 lakh tonnes of iron ore through the Belekeri Port to a foreign destination. The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) report found that 88.6 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore were exported by 73 companies, whereas permits had been obtained for only 38.22 lakh metric tonnes. The investigation revealed that the company owned by Satish Sail had illegally exported 7.23 lakh tonnes of iron ore. His house was raided in 2012, and he was arrested in 2013. He was released after spending more than a year in prison. New Delhi, Aug 15 : Marking the 79th anniversary of India's Independence, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Friday held a ceremonial flag hoisting and salutation at the Indo-Pakistan border in Nadabet, Banaskantha district. BSF Gujarat Inspector General Abhishek Pathak, who led the celebrations, hailed the force's exemplary contribution during 'Operation Sindoor' and reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the nation. Speaking to reporters, Pathak congratulated all Indians on the occasion and echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for building a self-reliant and developed India by 2047. "We pledge to give our best in whichever field we work, so that the nation becomes self-reliant. This Independence Day is especially significant as it comes after Operation Sindoor. During the conflict, our BSF and Army performed exceptionally well across the India-Pakistan border, ensuring the enemy's nefarious designs failed," he said. Pathak noted that on August 14, in recognition of their gallantry during the operation, BSF personnel were awarded two Vir Chakras and 16 gallantry medals. "We take immense pride in this achievement. The BSF remains ever alert and ready to protect the nation's security," he asserted. He also reminded that Independence brought with it the responsibility to keep the country secure, strong, and united, urging everyone to excel in their respective fields to contribute to national development. The Nadabet event drew large crowds from across Gujarat, with locals and visitors joining BSF jawans in patriotic celebrations. The border area was adorned in the colours of the national flag, symbolising unity and national pride. Many civilians expressed their joy at being able to attend such events, which in the past were largely reserved for VVIPs. "Earlier, only important dignitaries were allowed, but now common citizens can also be part of this momentous occasion," said one attendee. The Independence Day programme featured the hoisting of the Tricolour, a ceremonial salute by BSF personnel, and cultural performances reflecting the spirit of patriotism. Hyderabad, Aug 15 : Patriotic fervour marked the 79th Independence Day celebrations across Telangana on Friday. Hoisting of the national flag at government and private offices, impressive parades by police personnel, cultural performances by school students, and the playing of patriotic songs marked the festivities. The main official function was held at the iconic Golconda Fort, where Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy hoisted the national flag After paying tributes to martyrs at Army War Memorial at Parade Ground in Secunderabad, he drove to Golconda fort for the main event. The Chief Minister was presented a guard of honour by police contingents at Rani Mahal lawns, before he hoisted the national flag. The ancient fort wore a festive look as the celebrations highlighted the rich culture of Telangana. Drummers and other artists performed on the ramparts to add colour to the festivities. Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao, Director General of Police Jitender and other top civil, police and military officials attended the ceremony. The Chief Minister presented awards to policemen and other government employees Earlier, the Chief Minister hoisted the national flag at his official residence in Jubilee Hills. Governor Jishnu Dev Varma hoisted the national flag at his official residence Raj Bhavan. Following the flag-hoisting, Governor Varma took the guard of honour, exchanged greetings with Raj Bhavan officers, staff, police, and security personnel, and personally distributed sweets to staff members. Incidentally, August 15 is also Governor Varma's birthday. Officials, staff, and guests present extended their warm wishes to him on the occasion, adding a personal note to the day's celebrations. In his address, Governor Varma extended warm greetings to the people of Telangana and all citizens of India, describing Independence Day as "not merely a date on the calendar, but a sacred occasion to honour the hard-earned freedom of the nation." He paid rich tributes to the freedom fighters whose sacrifices laid the foundation of independent India and recalled the enduring principles of Ahimsa and Satyagraha championed by Mahatma Gandhi ideals that, he said, "shook an empire and inspired generations." He lauded Telangana's achievements in irrigation, technology, artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology, and praised the valour of the armed forces, citing the recent "Operation Sindoor" as a shining example of the nation's resolve and capability. Ministers, government advisors and chairpersons of corporations led the Independence Day celebrations at headquarters of 32 districts. The Independence Day celebrations were also held at the State Assembly, State Secretariat Hyderabad High Court and offices of all political parties. Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar and Legislative Council Chairman G. Sukhender Reddy hoisted the national flag at Assembly premises. At a ceremony held at Telangana High Court, Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh unfurled the national flag. Chief Secretary Ramakrishna led the celebrations at Secretariat Complex by unfurling the national flag. The Independence Day celebrations were also held at the offices of the political parties. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud hoisted the national flag at Congress headquarters Gandhi Bhavan. Bharat Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Working President K. T. Rama Rao unfurled the national flag at Telangana Bhavan. State BJP chief N. Ramchander Rao hoisted the national flag at party office. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay and other leaders attended the programme. New Delhi, Aug 15 : Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva hoisted the national flag at the city party office and urged people to take the pledge of working with the government to reshape the national capital. Sachdeva paid tributes to the martyrs of Pahalgam and congratulated the Indian Armed Forces for the success of Operation Sindoor, which restored India's pride. He stated that after a decade of anarchic governance in the national capital, the 79th Independence Day is especially joyful for Delhiites as a BJP government has been formed after 27 years. Sachdeva emphasised that Independence Day is not only for making national resolutions but also for resolving to eradicate social evils. He expressed regret that even after 79 years of India's Independence, "the social evil of harassment of women still brings us shame". He appealed to the people of Delhi to take a pledge this Independence Day to free our sisters, daughters, and daughters-in-law from the evil so that they too can live their lives freely. Those present on this occasion included MP and former president Manoj Tiwari, Organization General Secretary Pawan Rana, General Secretary Vishnu Mittal, Vice Presidents and MLAs Rajkumar Bhatia and Gajendra Yadav, MLA Shyam Sharma, Office Secretaries Brijesh Rai and Amit Gupta, Media Head Praveen Shankar Kapoor, Media Relations Head Vikram Mittal, Women's Wing President Richa Pandey, Youth Wing President Sagar Tyagi, Former MLAs Subhash Sachdeva and Nitin Tyagi. Earlier, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta led Independence Day celebrations of the Delhi government on Friday and hit out at the previous AAP government for making the national capital suffer even for small issues related to development. Hoisting the national flag at Chhatrasal Stadium on the 79th Independence Day, CM Gupta said, "On the birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the government is going to launch the Atal Canteen scheme to offer a Rs-5 meal to our workers." A key promise in BJP's manifesto, the Atal Canteen Scheme promises nutritious food at a nominal price of Rs 5 to residents of slum areas in Delhi. On its implementation, the Atal Canteen Scheme will be the first of its kind, offering nutritious food at such an affordable price. Earlier targeting the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for slowing down development in the city, the CM said, "It was a matter of shame that even after 78 years of Independence, the Capital had to struggle to fulfil its needs and aspirations. It is really painful that the Yamuna was neglected for years, without any serious effort to clean it." She said: "As the head of the Delhi government, I promise you that the Yamuna will become pristine again and its banks will turn welcoming for prayers and festivities." The Chief Minister assured speedy transformation of the national capital and providing houses for all slum dwellers. Hyderabad, Aug 15 : In a heartwarming gesture, Karimnagar district Collector Pamela Satpathy rendered the national anthem in Indian sign language on the Independence Day. The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) office stole the show at the official function held at Karimnagar Police Parade Ground. She along with the hearing-impaired students. rendered the national anthem in the sign language as ministers and officials watched with great interest. Additional Collector Ashwini Tanaji Wakade and Municipal Commissioner Prapul Desai also joined the Collector in performing the anthem in sign language alongside hearing-impaired students. The unique gesture won widespread appreciation, with IT and Industries Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu praising her efforts. "Well done, Collector your rendition of the national anthem in Indian sign language was wonderful," the minister said. Pamela Satpathy has been a driving force behind several innovative initiatives in the district, often thinking differently and working for the welfare of the poor, leaving a distinct mark in development and public welfare. She has gained the admiration of the people through her many creative programs, and this Independence Day marked yet another rare distinction, said an official release. In a first-of-its-kind effort in the state, she had earlier arranged special training in the basics of Indian Sign Language for Karimnagar district officials. The week-long program enabled them to better understand and address the concerns of the hearing-impaired community. By performing the anthem in sign language during the Independence Day celebrations at the Karimnagar Police Parade Ground together with officials, hearing-impaired individuals, and Ashram school students, Collector Pamela reinforced her commitment to inclusivity, earning accolades. Earlier, Minister Sridhar Babu unfurled the national flag and took the guard of honour from various contingents of police. "On this Independence Day, I bow with gratitude to the countless freedom fighters whose courage and sacrifice gifted us our liberty. Let us honour their legacy by safeguarding our democracy, upholding justice and working together for a progressive and inclusive India. Wishing everyone a proud and joyous 15th August," the minister said in his message. New Delhi, Aug 15 : In a suo motu firearms case, police have arrested Saddam Sheikh, son of former Katwa Municipal Councillor Jangal Sheikh, nearly two years after the case was first registered in West Bengal. Saddam was taken into custody on Thursday night from a de-addiction centre in Nadia, West Bengal. On Friday, he was produced before the Katwa Sub-Divisional Court, where the judge ordered six days of police remand. According to police sources, on September 26, 2023, Katwa Police registered a case against Saddam under several charges, including possession of illegal firearms. At the time, he was already in jail in connection with another case. A petition for his arrest in the firearms case had earlier been rejected by the ACJM Court. However, on Thursday evening, acting on the existing charges, Katwa Police apprehended him from the rehabilitation facility in Nadia. Saddamas lawyer alleged that police brutally assaulted him while taking him from the de-addiction centre late at night, and the incident - captured on CCTV - has now gone viral on social media, sparking public criticism. Once a dominant figure in Katwa, along with his father, Jangal Sheikh, Saddamas name has been linked to multiple criminal activities, including theft and robbery. Despite facing numerous cases, the duo often managed to secure acquittals. Police have stated that during the six-day custody, Saddam will be interrogated to trace the source of the firearms and identify other individuals connected to the case. Defence counsel Tarun Banerjee accused the police of abusing their power, physically assaulting his client, and attempting to implicate him repeatedly as part of a political conspiracy. He further claimed that the matter would be taken to the higher courts, raising questions of human rights violations. The arrest has reignited discussions in Katwa about the former influence of Saddam Sheikh and his family. Islamabad, Aug 15 : At least 33 people have been killed and 25 others are missing after heavy rains and a cloudburst caused floods and landslides in several districts of northwestern Pakistan, officials said on Friday, local media reported. Rescue teams worked amid difficult terrain and weather conditions as disaster hit several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Floodwater swept through villages, destroying homes and cutting off access roads. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rescue 1122 stated that 16 people were killed, three others were injured and seven remained missing, Pakistan's leading daily The Express Tribune reported. Local people helped rescue teams in finding the deceased and injured from debris and water. Search operations are being conducted with medical, diving, and other teams deployed at the site. Medical teams provided first aid to injured people on the spot before taking them to nearby hospitals while divers and specialised rescue units were deployed to help in search operations. Officials stated that relief work is being conducted despite facing challenges due to landslides and damaged infrastructure. Five members of a household died in Dir Lower district's Sori Paw area after their home collapsed due to heavy rain. Four others were injured in this incident. As many as 10 people were also killed and 18 reported missing after floodwaters washed away several houses in Battagram district. Two people killed while another was injured after a car was swept away by flood in Mansehraas Basiyaan region. According to authorities, multiple houses were destroyed in Bajaur and residents in some areas were forced to evacuate. Other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) also reported landslides. At least 10 people were killed due to landslides and flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains in PoGB, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. According to local authorities, three people, including a woman, were killed and three others remained missing in Khalthi valley of Ghizer district, where more than six houses were buried under debris. A brother and sister were swept away by floodwaters in Diameras Bonar area, while a child was injured in a landslide on the Babusar road. Travel remained disrupted on the Baltistan and Sadpara road, while Thor in Diamer reported severe destruction due to landslides. Floods damaged a bridge on the Karakoram Highway in Kohistan, Geo News reported. A total of 343 people have been killed and more than 740 others have been injured across the nation from the ongoing monsoon spell, which began on June 26, according to Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Eastern Punjab province of Pakistan has been the worst hit, with deaths of 164 people and more than 582 injured people. New Delhi, Aug 15 : As the nation marked the celebration of the 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday thanked several world leaders who sent their greetings to him and people of India on the occasion. PM Modi thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for his wishes on India's Independence Day and stressed that New Delhi values "strategic partnership" with Paris. "Thank you, my friend President Macron, for your warm greetings on Indiaas Independence Day. We value our strategic partnership and remain committed to deepening it for the benefit of our people," PM Modi posted on X. His statement came in response to Macron's congratulatory message on India's Independence Day. While wishing people of India on Independence Day, Macron recalled PM Modi's visit to France earlier this year and looked forward to deepening strategic partnership. In a post on X, Macron wrote, "Warm congratulations to the people of India on your 79th Independence Day! I fondly recall welcoming my friend PM Narendra Modi to France in February, and look forward to deepening our strategic partnership towards 2047 and beyond." While thanking Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, PM Modi called Male New Delhi's "valued neighbour" and "close partner" in shared vision of peace, progress and prosperity of people of two nations. "Thank you for your warm greetings, President Muizzu. The Maldives is a valued neighbour and close partner in our shared vision of peace, progress and prosperity for our people and the region," PM Modi wrote in a post on X. PM Modi expressed gratitude to Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay for his wishes on the Independence Day and expressed hope that the bonds of friendship between two nations will continue to grow stronger. In a statement shared on X, PM Modi wrote, "I thank Prime Minister Tobgay for the kind wishes on Indiaas Independence Day. May the bonds of friendship between our nations continue to grow stronger in the times to come." His statement came in response to Tobgay's wishes on India's Independence Day. "Warm greetings to India on its 79th Independence Day, celebrating our friendship and wishing peace, prosperity, and progress," Tobgay posted on X. PM Modi thanked Mauritius counterpart Navin Ramgoolam for his wishes and called Mauritius India's "strategic and trusted partner" in shared pursuit of progress, prosperity and a bright future for people of two nations. "Deeply appreciate your warm wishes, Prime Minister Dr. Navin Ramgoolam, on the occasion of our Independence Day. Mauritius will always remain a strategic and trusted partner in our shared pursuit of progress, prosperity and a bright future for our peoples," PM Modi posted on X. While extending wishes to India on the occasion of Independence Day, Ramgoolam stated that Mauritius celebrates the values of freedom, democracy and unity that India has so valiantly upheld since 1947. He emphasized that the bond between two nations is rooted in history and culture. In a post on X, Ramgoolam stated, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi, On this auspicious occasion of Indiaas Independence Day, I extend my warmest wishes to the Government and people of India. As we commemorate this historic day, we celebrate the values of freedom, democracy and unity that India has so valiantly upheld since 1947. The bonds between Mauritius and India are rooted in history, culture and ties that continue to inspire cooperation, friendship and mutual respect between our nations. May India continue to flourish in peace, prosperity and progress, guiding the world with its example of resilience and vision. Happy Independence Day, India!" Ambala, Aug 15 : Haryana Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh on Friday hoisted the national flag and took the salute at the state-level 79th Independence Day celebrations in Ambala City. Extending warm greetings and best wishes on the occasion, the Governor conveyed special Independence Day wishes to the soldiers who safeguard the nation's borders day and night. Earlier, the Governor paid floral tributes at the Shaheed Smarak, bowing in respect to the martyrs. He also honoured war widows, family members of freedom fighters, and eminent persons who participated in the Emergency and Hindi andolan. The Governor's wife, Mitra Ghosh, was also present on the occasion. Governor Ghosh said that 79 years ago, in 1947, the dream of every Indian for independence was fulfilled. This day, he added, is also an occasion to remember the countless martyrs and freedom fighters who laid down their lives to secure this freedom. He said that he pays heartfelt homage to all known and unknown martyrs and expressed his gratitude to the great freedom fighters. He said that, as in previous years, the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign has filled the nation with patriotic fervour, with the tricolour flying high on every home, street, and neighbourhood. He expressed gratitude to the nation-builders, border-guarding soldiers, talented scientists, farmers, and hardworking labourers who, through their skill, courage, and dedication, have made India a global power. Haryana, he recalled, played a leading role in the freedom struggle as the revolt of 1857 began in Ambala on May 8, 1857. In memory of those fighters, a 'Shaheedi Samarak' is being built in Ambala at a cost of Rs 538 crore. Governor Ghosh lauded Haryana's soldiers for their significant contribution to guarding the nation's frontiers even after Independence, setting new examples of bravery during the 1962, 1965, and 1971 wars, and in the Kargil conflict. Highlighting India's growing global stature, he said under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's voice "is heard on international platforms". "Our nation is not only producing missiles with advanced indigenous technology but also successfully executing missions like Suryaayan, Chandrayaan, and Mangalyaan." Referring to recent defence successes, Governor Ghosh pointed out that the world witnessed the strength of India's homegrown technology and weaponry during Operation Sindoor. He also praised the Indian Army's Operation Mahadev, which brought justice to those responsible for the Pahalgam attack. --IANS vg/dan This story was originally published on Restaurant Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Restaurant Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Bojangles is coming back to New York City after a nearly four-decade absence, thanks to a 20-unit franchising agreement the chicken chain signed with Habib Hashimi, according to a Wednesday press release. The first unit under the agreement is in construction in East Flatbush, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, and is expected to open during the winter. The remaining units will be built over the next 10 years. The New York deal will help the Southern brand establish a major foothold in the Northeast just as its competitor Zaxbys looks to expand into Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Dive Insight: Bojangles, like other chicken chains, has grown steadily in recent years, with its unit count rising from 773 at the start of 2022 to 825 at the end of 2024, per its franchise disclosure document. The New York City market will provide high foot traffic and dense urban neighborhoods, which the chain said is ideal for introducing the brands Southern flavors to an entirely new audience. Hashimi brings significant experience operating QSRs in New York and Connecticut, according to the press release. Bojangles also signed a 35-unit deal to open locations in New Jersey with an unspecified franchisee, according to the press release, which gives it a development target of about 55 units in the Northeast. The brand has relatively strong unit economics, according to its FDD, with average gross sales of about $2.4 million at its full-sized franchised locations, which comprise a majority of its store base. The increase in demand for chicken overall has helped propel growth across concepts spanning a wide range of culinary traditions. Korean chain Bonchon is looking to more than triple its U.S. unit count. Filipino chicken brand Jollibee has also announced ambitious franchising plans. The growth of Daves Hot Chicken a California brand with a menu anchored around a Nashville specialty attracted a major investment from Roark Capital earlier this year. Raising Canes and Wingstop saw their sales surpass KFC in the U.S. last year. Bojangles has carved out a menu niche for itself with a Southern menu and a focus on breakfast. The chains FDD shows its full-size company-owned restaurants, a useful proxy for its franchise units, see about 36% of their sales in the breakfast daypart. According to the FDD, the chain targets locations with direct access to a major going-to-work traffic artery, in order to benefit from Bojangles significant breakfast business. Kohima, Aug 15 : Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Friday urged people to strive forward to further strengthen the unity among all communities, peace, and cultural harmony while making Nagaland a self-reliant state. Hoisting the national flag on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day celebration at the Nagaland Secretariat Plaza, the Chief Minister said that his government is committed to fulfilling the democratic aspirations of the people, guided by the values enshrined in the Constitution. Reiterating that the solution of the decades-old Naga Political issue remains his government's top priority, Rio said that the peace process is a mark of hope for a permanent solution ensuring justice and dignity to all people. "The state government continues to play an active facilitator in the Naga political talks," the Chief Minister said. Referring to the concerns of the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) about their Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) demand, he said that he is hopeful that the government would address the ENPO issues "in the spirit of brotherhood." Expressing his concern over the Centre's decision to trim down the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the India-Myanmar border from the earlier 16 km to 10 km and limiting movement to nine crossing points, Rio urged the Union government to be flexible and review the sensitive issue. The Chief Minister said that to prevent illegal migrants and protect indigenous people, the issuance of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) to outsiders was digitised, with over 26,500 ILPs issued online in the first half of the current year. New ILP categories were introduced for agricultural labourers, transporters, domestic helpers, and others with strict verification at entry points in Nagaland state, he stated. Highlighting the state's development in agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, livestock and organic farming, Rio announced that Nagaland has been recognised as the Northeast region's leading coffee producer. Noting that over Rs 686 crore has been disbursed under PM-KISAN to over 2.3 lakh farmers, the Chief Minister said that plans are now afoot to expand oil palm cultivation, organic certification under 'Naga Organic', and awards for contributions to the organic industry. He also highlighted the development in various infrastructures, including national and state highways, housing and renewable energy. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, 94 per cent of rural households were already covered, and solar and hydro power projects, as well as smart prepaid electric metering, are expanding energy access among the people, Rio said. Noting that the annual 10-day-long Hornbill Festival greatly boosted the tourism sector, the Chief Minister informed that in 2024, tourist footfall recorded a 33 per cent increase compared to the previous year, generating nearly Rs 190 crore for the local economy. Detailing the law and order situation in Nagaland, the Chief Minister claimed that the overall law and order situation continues to remain stable in view of the effective coordination among the civil administration, police, and various other security forces. Highlighting the state's "War against Drugs" campaign, Rio said that the state's anti-drug operations were further intensified, and various security forces, including Nagalasnd police, have seized various drugs worth over Rs 81 crore in recent months. The 79th Independence Day was celebrated across Mizoram through various functions and events. New Delhi, Aug 15 : ASEAN remains a key trade partner for India, accounting for around 11 per cent of the country's global trade, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on Friday. New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) ASEAN remains a key trade partner for India, accounting for around 11 per cent of the countryas global trade, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on Friday. Bilateral trade between India and the ten ASEAN member nations reached an impressive USD 123 billion in 2024-25, underscoring the deep economic linkages and the vast potential for future collaboration. India hosted the 10th Meeting of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Joint Committee and related meetings at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, from August 10 to 14. Delegates from all ten ASEAN countries - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam - took part in the discussions, which focused on reviewing and modernising the AITIGA. The meeting aimed to make the agreement more effective, more accessible, and better equipped to facilitate trade in an evolving global economy. Building on the momentum from eight rounds of negotiations already completed, the Joint Committee explored ways to streamline procedures, remove bottlenecks, and align regulations. The high-level meeting, conducted in a hybrid format, brought together senior officials and trade experts from across the region. Alongside the main sessions, seven of the eight AITIGA Sub-Committees convened to dive deeper into specialised areas, including customs procedures, market access, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, rules of origin, technical standards, legal frameworks, and trade remedies. According to the Ministry, these targeted meetings allowed for intensive work on complex issues, ensuring that any updates to AITIGA will reflect both technical rigour and the shared vision of member nations. The week-long deliberations reaffirmed the strategic importance of ASEAN-India economic relations and laid the groundwork for more open, predictable, and mutually beneficial trade. The dialogue will continue when the Joint Committee meets again on October 6-7, 2025, at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, in a session hosted by Malaysia, the ministry said. The sessions were co-chaired by Nitin Kumar Yadav, Additional Secretary in Indiaas Department of Commerce, and Mastura Ahmad Mustafa, Deputy Secretary General (Trade) at Malaysiaas Ministry of Investment, Trade & Industry. Shillong, Aug 15 : Meghalaya is on course to become a $16-billion economy by 2032, with an ambitious target of $100 billion by 2047, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma announced during Independence Day celebrations in Shillong. By 2047 marking India's 100th year of independence and Meghalaya's 75th year of statehood the government aims to place the state among the country's top 10 in both per capita income and Sustainable Development Goals. "We aspire for a developed Meghalaya, one that stands among India's most prosperous states," Sangma told the gathering. The Chief Minister outlined major strides in infrastructure, connectivity, health, tourism, agriculture, and governance reforms. Since 2018, the state has sanctioned 3,500 km of roads and 126 bridges, increasing road density from 43 km to 63 km per 1,000 sq km. A Rs 22,864-crore high-speed corridor linking Mawlyngkhung in Ri Bhoi to Silchar in Assam 86 per cent of it in Meghalaya has been cleared. Plans include expanding Shillong Airport, operationalising Baljek Airport in Tura, and launching a new regional transport scheme. In rural development, over 5.39 lakh households now have tap water connections, compared to fewer than 4,500 in 2019, covering 82.84 per cent of village homes. Housing coverage under PMAY(G) has reached 99.71 per cent of sanctioned units, while MGNREGS generated 321 lakh person-days in 2024-25. Tourism projects worth Rs 200 crore such as Umiam Lake redevelopment and a ropeway to Shillong Peak are underway. The state recorded over 16 lakh tourist arrivals in 2024 and raised homestay subsidies to 80 per cent. Preparations for the 39th National Games in 2027 include a Rs 732-crore, 40,000-seat stadium in Mawkhanu. Healthcare indicators have improved sharply, with maternal deaths down 51 per cent and infant deaths down 37 per cent over five years. The Shillong Medical College is set to open soon, alongside expanded dialysis centres, upgraded labs, and improved health facilities. Agriculture exports are growing, with black pepper sent to Mumbai and premium pineapples to Dubai. Entrepreneurship schemes such as PRIME and CM-ELEVATE have supported over 8,300 ventures, while Ryndia fabric has secured Geographical Indication status. On the environmental front, the Green Meghalaya PES scheme now covers 51,000 hectares, complemented by Rs 344-crore catchment protection projects. Urban renewal plans include upgrades to Ward's Lake, Iewduh Market, and Polo Grounds. The Shillong Technology Park (Phase II) and Tura Tech Park are projected to create 24,000 jobs in the IT and services sector. Calling for collective effort, Sangma said: "Together we can place Meghalaya among India's top 10 states by 2032." Faridkot, Aug 15 : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday gave a clarion call to the Punjabis for resolving to restore the pristine glory of the state by making it a front-runner one in the country thereby carving out a vibrant and prosperous 'Rangla Punjab'. Faridkot, Aug 15 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday gave a clarion call to the Punjabis for resolving to restore the pristine glory of the state by making it a front-runner one in the country thereby carving out a vibrant and prosperous aRangla Punjaba. Addressing the gathering after unfurling the national tri-colour at the state-level function to mark Independence Day here, the Chief Minister extended his heartfelt congratulations to all countrymen, especially Punjabis. He also paid respects and reverence to the great Sufi saint Baba Farid on the sacred land of Faridkot. He said that Baba Farid is considered the first great poet of Punjabi literature as he composed his verses in the language of the common people. The Chief Minister said unique and unparalleled role of Punjabis in the Indian Independence struggle hardly needs to be over emphasized. He said it is on record that more than 80 per cent of the great patriots who laid down their lives or were subjected to British tyranny in one form or another were Punjabis. In fact, Mann said most of the movements related to the freedom struggle were spearheaded by the valiant Punjabis for bringing centuries-old British imperialism to an end. The Chief Minister said great martyrs and sons of the soil Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Rajguru, Shaheed Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shaheed Udham Singh, Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, Diwan Singh Kalepani, Baba Ram Singh, Sohan Singh Bhakna and several other unsung heroes shed every drop of their blood while pursuing the ultimate goal of Independence. He said supreme sacrifices made by the great warriors in the various movements of the country's freedom struggle would ever remain a source of inspiration to inculcate the spirit of patriotism and nationalism amongst the younger generations. The Chief Minister said even after Independence, Punjabis led the nation from the front whenever India faced any challenge from internal or external aggression. He said it is a known fact that the hard working and resilient farmers of the state have played a crucial role in making the country self-reliant in food production. Listing the initiatives taken by the government, the Chief Minister said that the government has launched a historic scheme aMukh Mantri Sehat Yojnaa, under which each family will receive free medical treatment up to Rs 10 lakh, whether at a government or private hospital. He said this scheme will include farmers, traders, government employees, and pensioners with no income limit adding that it will benefit 3 crore people of Punjab. Mann said there are 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics currently running, where 70,000 people get treated daily adding that 200 more clinics will be opened soon. --IANS vg/pgh Jaipur, Aug 15 : Eleven school children were injured on Friday in a head-on collision between a school van and a car on Khanpur Road in the Sangod police station area of Kota district in Rajasthan. The accident took place around noon on the Sangod-Jolpa Road, when the van, carrying students home after an Independence Day programme, collided with a Swift car and overturned. According to Sangod SHO Lakhan Singh, all the children, aged between 7 and 15 years, were returning to their village, Chatarpura, after attending the celebration at Evergreen School. "There was a head-on collision between the van and the car on Jolpa Road. The van overturned after the impact. On receiving information, the police team reached the spot and began rescue operations," he said. The injured students were first taken to the Sangod Community Health Centre (CHC) for preliminary treatment. Five of them, along with the van driver, were later referred to Kota for further medical attention due to serious injuries. Among them, student Hrithik Mehra and driver Rohit suffered head injuries and are currently undergoing treatment at Kota's New Medical College Hospital. Police said the driver of the Swift car has been caught, and the vehicle has been seized. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway. Joint Director of the Education Department, Roop Singh Meena, said that as soon as information about the accident was received, a departmental team rushed to the scene. "We have deployed a team at the hospital to ensure there is no lapse in the care of the injured children. We are also in constant touch with the hospital administration to arrange better treatment wherever required. Hrithik and the driver have undergone X-rays, and three to four more injured children are being brought to Kota for specialised care," he added. Police confirmed that apart from the five students referred to Kota, other injured children suffered only minor injuries and are recovering. Authorities are looking into the cause of the accident and have assured strict action against those found responsible. Geneva, Aug 15 : Following 10 days of negotiations, Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) talks to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, adjourned early Friday without consensus on a text of the instrument. The committee agreed to resume negotiations at a future date to be announced. The meeting adjourned with a clearly expressed desire by member states to continue the process, recognizing the significant difference of views between states. This resumed fifth session (INC-5.2) saw more than 2,600 participants gather at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, including over 1,400 member delegates from 183 countries, and close to 1,000 observers representing over 400 organizations. Some 70 ministers and vice-ministers, as well as 30 other high-level representatives, also held informal roundtables on the margins of the session. "This has been a hard-fought 10 days against the backdrop of geopolitical complexities, economic challenges, and multilateral strains. However, one thing remains clear: despite these complexities, all countries clearly want to remain at the table. While we did not land the treaty text we hoped for, we at UNEP will continue the work against plastic pollution -- pollution that is in our groundwater, in our soil, in our rivers, in our oceans and yes, in our bodies," said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The goal of INC-5.2 was to agree on the instrument's text and highlight unresolved issues requiring further preparatory work ahead of a diplomatic conference. The session followed a structured approach, starting with an opening plenary, transitioning into four contact groups tackling key areas like plastic design, chemicals of concern, production caps, finance, and compliance, followed by a stocktake plenary, informal consultations, and ending with a closing plenary on August 15. A Chair's Text from INC-5.1 in Busan served as the starting point for negotiations at INC-5.2, with the Chair releasing a Draft Text Proposal and a Revised Text Proposal over the course of the session. Despite intensive engagement, members of the committee were unable to reach consensus on the proposed texts. "Failing to reach the goal we set for ourselves may bring sadness, even frustration. Yet it should not lead to discouragement. On the contrary, it should spur us to regain our energy, renew our commitments, and unite our aspirations," said INC Chair Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso. "It has not happened yet in Geneva, but I have no doubt that the day will come when the international community will unite its will and join hands to protect our environment and safeguard the health of our people." This INC process kicked off in March 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), when a historic resolution was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. "As this session concludes, we leave with an understanding of the challenges ahead and a renewed and shared commitment to address them," said Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC Secretariat. "Progress must now be our obligation." Responding to the failure to reach consensus, Indian public policy analyst Dharmesh Shah said, "Progress has been held back by a small group of countries whose insistence on consensus-only decision-making has given the least ambitious voices the power to block measures supported by the majority -- from production caps to controls on toxic chemicals. "This approach has delayed urgent action and weakend the treaty's potential to protect health and human rights. Countries with the capacity and influence to lead, including India, have a choice: step up with ambition and help deliver a treaty that meets the scale of the crisis, or risk being remembered for defending the status quo while the world called for change." The session also involved the active participation of civil society, including Indigenous People, waste pickers, artists, young people, and scientists, who raised their voices through protests, art installations, press briefings and events at and around the Palais. The Geneva session follows INC 5.1, which took place in November-December 2024 in Busan in Korea. That meeting was preceded by four sessions: INC-1 in Punta del Este in November 2022, INC-2, held in Paris in June 2023, INC-3 in Nairobi in November 2023, and INC-4, which took place in Ottawa in April 2024. --IANS vg/pgh New Delhi, Aug 15 : Six people, including three women, were killed and four others injured when the roof of a dwelling unit attached to a dargah in the Humayun Tomb complex collapsed in the Nizamuddin area on Friday evening, the Fire Department said. "The roof of the single-storey structure with two rooms adjacent to Dargah Patte Wali caved in around 3.51 p.m.," said a fire department official. "We rushed four fire tenders with 25 firemen to the spot after receiving the information," said a fire department official. District Magistrate Sarvan Kumar said six people were killed in the incident, adding that some of the victims are residents of Nizamuddin, Mustafabad and Zakir Nagar. "Teams of NDRF, DDMA, CATS Ambulance and police shifted the victims to the hospital," he said. Initial information has indicated that the visitors had come to meet the imam who used to make taveez or religious pendants for them, he said. Shivansh Saini, son of Anita, 56, a resident of Jangpura who died in the incident, said, "We got a phone call saying that my mother got injured in a wall collapse. When I reached AIIMS, I was shown her photo and told that she died during treatment." An official said, initially, 10 people were trapped under the debris, out of whom six died on the way to the hospital. The exact cause of the cave-in at Dargah of Hazrat Patte Shah, on the periphery of the Humayun Tomb complex, is being inquired into, but a preliminary probe indicated that the incident could be linked to the collection of rainwater on the roof and seepage in the weak structure, he said. At the time of the incident, the dargah's imam was also inside the building, said a rescue team official. He said 10 people were shifted to the hospital nine to AIIMS Trauma Centre and 1 to RML Hospital. "Out of the nine taken to AIIMS, three women and two men were reported dead by the medical officer. The other four, including a four-year-old child, are safe," said a fire department official An eyewitness who was among the first responders said he heard a loud rumbling noise after which he rushed to the spot to rescue the victims. The incident came close to two rain-related tragic incidents on Thursday, in which a motorcyclist died in the Kalkaji area in southeast Delhi after a tree collapsed on a busy road, and two children died in a wall collapse in Basant Nagar in southwest Delhi. Seoul, Aug 15 : South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday hosted a dinner with members of the diplomatic corps, seeking their support ahead of his meetings with foreign leaders during South Korea's hosting of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and other upcoming diplomatic engagements. The dinner, held at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae, brought together about 170 participants, including ambassadors, representatives of international organizations and military officials. Lee said his government will work with the international community to address shared global challenges, vowing to engage closely with foreign leaders on various occasions, Yonhap News Agency reported. "I will meet with as many leaders as possible, and when in-person meetings are inevitably limited, we will supplement them through letters and phone calls," he said. The event, held amid Lee's packed schedule on the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, came ahead of a flurry of diplomatic events later this year, including the APEC summit to be hosted in South Korea's Gyeongju in Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 Other diplomatic events mentioned by Lee included the UN General Assembly in September, Association of Southeast Asian Nations-related summits in October and the Group of 20 summit in November. During the meeting, Lee expressed gratitude over their support when South Korea underwent political upheaval after former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid in December. "You must have been deeply concerned while facing difficulties in your activities amid domestic political turmoil following the declaration of martial law," Lee said "I thank you for trusting the resilience of Korean democracy and the strength of our people during the process of overcoming this crisis," he added. Lee also vowed to sternly respond to discrimination, violence and acts of human rights infringements of foreigners and migrant workers, while asking for their support to ensure the safety of over 7 million Korean nationals abroad. Among those who attended were Joseph Yun, the acting US ambassador to South Korea, Chinese Ambassador Dai Bing, Japanese Ambassador Mizushima Koichi as well as US Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson and UN Command Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Derek Macaulay. New Delhi, Aug 15 : India and Singapore held a joint working group meeting here to focus on deepening bilateral trade and investment ties, identifying priority sectors for greater alignment, improving logistics and supply chains, streamlining regulatory frameworks, and exploring ways to facilitate cross-border trade according to an official statement issued on Friday. The meeting reviewed ongoing collaboration in areas such as the semiconductor sector and digitalisation of trade, and explored potential partnerships in skills development, capacity building, and other emerging sectors for mutual benefit. Both sides agreed on the importance of more frequent engagements to translate these opportunities into concrete outcomes, the statement said. The 4th Meeting of the Indiaa"Singapore Joint Working Group on Trade & Investment (JWGTI) was hosted by India at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, on Thursday. The meeting was co-chaired by Special Secretary, Department of Commerce Rajesh Agrawal and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore, Dr. Beh Swan Gin. The meeting followed the 3rd Indiaa"Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) held a day earlier. Agrawal noted that the Indiaa"Singapore relationship has evolved well beyond traditional trade. While the two countries already enjoy robust engagement in trade and investment, there remain ample opportunities for further cooperation. The year 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore, as well as the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). The CECA, signed in 2005, was the first comprehensive trade agreement India entered into with any partner and Singaporeas first such pact with a South Asian country. Singapore is Indiaas largest trading partner within ASEAN, with total bilateral trade of $34.26 billion during 2024a"25. It is also Indiaas second-largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with equity inflows of $163.85 billion (Rs 11,24,509.65 crore) between April 2000 and July 2024, accounting for about 24 per cent of Indiaas cumulative inflows. Bengaluru, Aug 15 : Reacting strongly to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who recently claimed that there's a "conspiracy against Dharmasthala," Union Minister Pralhad Joshi questioned whether the state government, which hastily formed an SIT, is itself behind the conspiracy in connection with the mass grave allegations. Bengaluru, Aug 15 (IANS) Reacting strongly to Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who recently claimed that there's a "conspiracy against Dharmasthala," Union Minister Pralhad Joshi questioned whether the state government, which hastily formed an SIT, is itself behind the conspiracy in connection with the mass grave allegations. Speaking to reporters in Delhi on Friday, Joshi asked, "If Shivakumar is aware of the conspiracy in the Dharmasthala case, how could Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not know about it?" He said that the state government took up the case following an anonymous allegation that hundreds of unidentified bodies had been buried in Dharmasthala. Joshi criticised the urgency of forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and questioned whether there was a real need for such haste. He further asked whether the government was indirectly supporting an attempt to smear Dharmasthala's reputation by taking such rushed actions. "Was this all part of a larger conspiracy by the government itself?" Joshi questioned pointedly. Shivakumar had earlier stated, "There is a conspiracy against Dharmasthala. I won't say by whom, but there's a clear, well-planned strategy to bring disrepute. I won't go into details. There is an attempt to destroy a centuries-old tradition and legacy." Joshi reiterated, "If the Dy CM knows all this, how is it possible that the CM is unaware?" Despite Shivakumar's claim that a conspiracy is underway, CM Siddaramaiah went ahead with the SIT investigation. Why? asked Joshi. Joshi also asked if Siddaramaiah ordered the SIT investigation and excavation work even after knowing the truth. "If any clues had been found during the initial police investigation, only then should an SIT have been formed. But here, the government has ended up 'digging a hill and not even catching a rat,'" Joshi remarked sarcastically. In a major development on July 11, an unidentified complainant - who claimed he had been forced to bury the bodies of women and girls who were raped and murdered in Dharmasthala - appeared before a court in Mangaluru district and recorded his statement. He requested that the bodies be exhumed in his presence and alleged that the victims bore clear signs of sexual assault. According to him, the bodies were found without clothing or undergarments and had injuries consistent with violent sexual abuse. SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Friday that foreign companies that want to do business in Brazil are welcome, speaking at the opening ceremony for a factory for Chinese automaker GWM in the state of Sao Paulo. "Count on the Brazilian government. Whoever wants to leave, leave. Whoever wants to come, we welcome you with open arms," Lula said at the ceremony. During his speech, Lula criticized the 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, and said that his country is facing an "unnecessary turbulence." Lula said in an interview with Reuters earlier this month that he would initiate a conversation at the BRICS group of developing nations, which includes China, about how to tackle Trump's tariffs. The leftist leader noted that in the past automakers Ford and Mercedes have decided to scale back their operations in Brazil, but celebrated the arrival of other companies, like China's GWM . Brazil is always open to negotiating business, he stressed. GWM's Brazilian arm has capacity to produce 50,000 vehicles per year and is expected to generate more than 2,000 jobs in the future when it begins exporting vehicles to Latin America, according to a press release. Brazil's auto exports are expected to grow 38.4% in 2025 compared to 2024, reaching 552,000 units, data from automakers association Anfavea showed last week. (Reporting by Isabel Teles; Editing by Brendan O'Boyle and Sarah Morland) Hanoi, Aug 15 : India's drive for defence self reliance and technological advancement has received a significant boost with the approval of a $2.3 billion (Rs 20,000 crore) project to develop next-generation Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) for the Indian Air Force (IAF), a report cited on Friday. The development underscores India's commitment to strengthening surveillance, reconnaissance, and situational awareness, while reflecting its foresight in addressing emerging security challenges amid a complex geopolitical landscape. "AWACS platforms are critical force multipliers that provide real-time intelligence, surveillance, and command and control functions from airborne platforms. These systems detect, track, and engage threats at extended ranges, giving the IAF an unparalleled operational advantage in airspace management," a report in Vietnam Times mentioned. "The upcoming generation of AWACS will incorporate cutting-edge radar technology, advanced sensor fusion, and artificial intelligence-driven analytics. This will allow the Indian Air Force to monitor vast stretches of airspace with improved accuracy and responsiveness," it added. According to the report, advanced detection capabilities will provide earlier warnings and enable coordinated responses to any aerial or missile threats. A key feature of this $2.3 billion project is its focus on indigenous research, development, and manufacturing, while enhancing indigenous defence technology. It stated that in line with the Government of India's 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives, the project aims not only to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers but also to strengthen the domestic defence industry ecosystem. Next-generation AWACS platforms, the report emphasised, are set to play a crucial role in boosting the operational readiness of the IAF. Additionally, with advanced early warning and command capabilities, the IAF will be able to carry out more effective air defence, offensive operations, and maritime surveillance. Furthermore, these systems are designed to interoperate effectively alongside other branches of the Indian Armed Forces, such as the Army and Navy, enabling a unified and synchronised approach to national defence. Through investment in cutting-edge surveillance technologies, the report highlighted that India bolsters its deterrence capabilities while reaffirming its commitment to regional peace and stability. The advanced AWACS systems will play a crucial role in monitoring cross-border activities and preventing incursions, thus promoting a secure environment that fosters economic growth and development. The report detailed that with the strengthening of aerial surveillance and command capabilities, the project not only reinforces India's defence posture but also encourages economic growth, technological advancement, and strategic autonomy. "It is a testament to India's unwavering commitment to securing its skies and asserting its position as a resilient and technologically advanced nation on the global stage. With this decisive step, India moves closer to realising its vision of a strong, self-reliant defence ecosystem that safeguards the nation's interests and contributes to regional and global peace," the report noted. Kohima, Aug 15 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton and others deeply condoled the death of Governor La. Ganesan, who passed away in Chennai on Friday evening at the age of 80. Taking to social media platform X, FM Sitharaman wrote: "Shocked to hear that Governor of Nagaland, Shri L. Ganesan is no more. Served the BJP, Tamil Nadu actively. Building the party organisation was his forte. Dedicated karyakarta and a swayamsevak till his last breath. Condolences to his family and all his followers." Patton, who is also the BJP legislature party leader in the Nagaland Assembly, in a post on X, said: "Deeply shocked and saddened by the passing of Hon'ble Governor of Nagaland, Shri La. Ganesan Ji." "Throughout his journey in public life, he carried himself with dignity, humility, and an unshakeable commitment to the welfare of the people. During his tenure in Nagaland, he worked with dedication to strengthen harmony, encourage development, and support the aspirations of the people. His leadership and ability to connect with communities across the state earned him genuine affection and respect," he said. The Deputy Chief Minister said: "I was fortunate to witness the warmth with which he engaged with people from all walks of life, always making them feel heard and valued. He brought to the role not just administrative acumen but also a sincere understanding of the needs of the people, always striving to build bridges and foster unity. On behalf of my family and myself, I extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. His legacy of service will continue to inspire, and his memory will remain a source of strength for many. My prayers for his soul and for comfort to all who mourn his loss." Nagaland Tourism and Higher Education Minister Temjen Imna Along also condoled the death of Governor La. Ganesan. In a post on X, Along said: "Deeply saddened by the passing of Hon'ble Governor of Nagaland, Shri La. Ganesan Ji. His dedicated service, humility, and commitment to the people will always be remembered. Heartfelt condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace." La. Ganesan was appointed as the Governor of Manipur by the President of India and he served the gubernatorial post of the state from August 27, 2021 to February 19, 2023 and also had been given additional charge as Governor of West Bengal from July 18, 2022 to November 17, 2022. He was appointed as the Governor of Nagaland and took oath on February 20, 2023. New Delhi, Aug 15 : As the historic Delhi Assembly lit up in the Tricolour on the Independence Day, Speaker Vijender Gupta on Friday recalled the clarion call for freedom given from the premises by national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Vitthalbhai Patel, Lala Lajpat Rai and Gopal Krishna Gokhale Addressing the public during celebrations of the 79th Independence Day at the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Speaker Gupta said, "This day serves as a proud reminder of India's journey from colonial subjugation to becoming the world's largest democracy." Earlier in the morning, Speaker Gupta hoisted the National Flag at his residence. Citizens of Delhi thronged the 115-year-old Assembly building on Friday for celebrations, infusing the premises with patriotic fervour and enthusiasm. Families and visitors toured the Assembly grounds, learning about its rich heritage and admiring the grandeur of its architecture. The spirited performances of the Border Security Force (BSF) Band captivated the audience, who joined in with applause and cheers to patriotic tunes. The vibrant cultural performances by the Sahitya Kala Parishad added further colour and joy, drawing smiles and appreciation from all present. The Assembly building, illuminated in the tricolour for the occasion, provided a magnificent backdrop for the celebrations, infusing the surroundings with national pride. The Speaker paid tribute to the freedom fighters and saluted the valour of the Indian Armed Forces, making special mention of "Operation Sindoor" and "Operation Mahadev" as symbols of courage and dedication. Gupta noted that under the resolute leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, national unity has been strengthened, India's global presence has grown, and citizens have been inspired by the vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat promoting self-reliance, innovation, and inclusive growth. Recalling the historic significance of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Gupta said that this was the first Parliament of India, visited thrice by Mahatma Gandhi. He spoke of the protests against the Simon Commission and remembered the historic moment when Vitthalbhai Patel became the first elected Speaker of the Assembly a century ago. He noted that within these very walls, towering leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, and Gopal Krishna Gokhale courageously challenged British policies. Gupta said that it was here that the opposition to the Rowlatt Act gave rise to the Non-Cooperation Movement, exposing the oppressive nature of British rule. He emphasised that opening the Assembly to citizens on such occasions allows them to walk in the footsteps of the great visionaries who shaped our freedom struggle and to pay heartfelt tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for India's independence. Ahmedabad, Aug 15 : With Janmashtami celebrations approaching, a fresh case of online fraud in the name of the famed Dwarkadhish Temple has come to light, raising concerns over cybercrime enforcement. After recent incidents of devotees being duped via fake websites and apps, a suspicious application called "Gharmandir" is now allegedly collecting money from worshippers under the guise of offering religious services at the temple, according to temple officials. A written complaint has been filed with the police. According to the Dwarkadhish Mandir Devasthan Samiti, the app is soliciting payments of Rs 151, Rs 201, and Rs 301, claiming to provide offerings and other services to Lord Dwarkadhish during the Janmashtami festival. An Instagram account linked to the app reportedly directs devotees to download it, further legitimising the scam in the eyes of unsuspecting users. Temple manager Himanshu Chauhan clarified on behalf of the Devasthan Samiti that "no such service is available at Jagatmandir" and confirmed that a written complaint has been filed with the Superintendent of Police. The committee has appealed to devotees to remain vigilant against fake applications and social media accounts operating in the temple's name. The Dwarkadhish Temple, also known as Jagatmandir, is one of Hinduism's most revered pilgrimage sites and holds immense spiritual significance as it is believed to be the kingdom of Lord Krishna, who is worshipped here as the "King of Dwarka." Situated on the western coast of Gujarat, the temple is part of the Char Dham Yatra, making it a must-visit for millions of devotees from across India and abroad. Its history spans over 2,500 years, with intricate architecture and rituals that draw lakhs of pilgrims annually. The revelation has triggered outrage among worshippers, who accuse fraudsters of exploiting people's faith and question the apparent inaction of the cybercrime police. On Janmashtami, Dwarka attracts lakhs of pilgrims, while crores more participate from afar. With such vast numbers, devotees warn that scammers could siphon off huge sums if immediate action is not taken. The Devasthan Samiti has reiterated that it can only issue warnings, but many argue that the responsibility now lies with law enforcement. Devotees have urged the police to proactively register a case, trace the operators of the fake platform, and shut it down before Janmashtami to prevent mass financial and emotional exploitation. Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 15 : In a fresh display of the growing rift between Kerala Governor Rajendra V. Arlekar and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues on Friday boycotted the traditional 'At-Home' reception hosted by the Governor at Raj Bhavan as part of Independence Day celebrations. Although invitations had been extended to the Chief Minister and all ministers, none of them attended the evening function. The state government was represented only by Chief Secretary A.Jayathilak. The absence of the political leadership is being widely seen as a public reiteration of the ongoing tensions between the Governor and the state administration. The friction between the two sides has sharpened in recent months over multiple issues, most recently, the controversy surrounding a government circular to observe 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' and the disputes over temporary appointments of vice-chancellors in state universities. The issue of the appointment is now under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court. Interestingly, the state government had sanctioned an additional Rs 15 lakh for the Governor's reception this year, despite the strained relations. The allocation was made under the "hospitality expenses" head after relaxing earlier cost-cutting directives. The funds were sanctioned based on a request from the Additional Chief Secretary to the Governor, who sought financial clearance to host prominent citizens and distinguished guests at the Raj Bhavan reception. Sources indicated that the decision to allocate the amount was taken even as the dispute over university appointments was at its peak. The gesture, however, did not translate into political participation, as the Chief Minister and ministers stayed away from the gathering. Traditionally, the Governor's 'At-Home' event is a high-profile social occasion, bringing together senior officials, political leaders, and eminent members of society. The visible absence of the ruling front's top political figures this year underscores the deepening institutional standoff in Kerala's governance. Observers note that while the administrative machinery continues to function, the lack of political engagement between the Governor and the state's elected leadership could complicate decision-making on key matters, including higher education appointments and protocol-related events in the coming months. New Delhi, Aug 15 : Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Friday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation on the 79th Independence Day as a roadmap showcasing the progress of the past 11 years, the strength of the present, and the strategy for a prosperous India. New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Friday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modias address to the nation on the 79th Independence Day as a roadmap showcasing the progress of the past 11 years, the strength of the present, and the strategy for a prosperous India. Home Minister Shah, in a series of posts on X, said that whether itas the elimination of terrorists through 'Operation Sindoor,' the plan to secure the countryas infrastructure through 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra,' or the resolve to create an infiltrator-free India through the 'High-Powered Demography Mission,' the PM Modi-led government is committed to making the nation strong and secure. HM Shah highlighted the governmentas unwavering commitment to the interests of farmers and hailed PM Modias call for self-reliance in nuclear energy, critical minerals, energy, the space sector, and jet engines. He said the announcement of the aPradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojanaa and significant GST relief measures during the upcoming Diwali will make the lives of citizens easier and boost small enterprises. HM Shah said that on Independence Day, PM Modi gifted the youth of the nation by announcing the implementation of the aPradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojanaa with a fund of Rs 1 lakh crore. Under this scheme, first-time employees in the private sector will receive Rs 15,000, and companies generating more jobs will also receive incentives. This initiative will benefit approximately 3.5 crore youth, providing a golden opportunity for Indian youth and strengthening the journey toward a self-reliant India. The Home Minister stated that the Modi government is taking robust steps toward a self-reliant India by empowering small businesses. From the ramparts of the Red Fort, PM Modi announced Next Gen GST Reforms as a Diwali gift to the nation. These reforms will not only greatly benefit small industries but also make everyday essentials more affordable, giving a new impetus to the Indian economy. This effort will further strengthen Indiaas economic prowess and significantly contribute to making it the worldas third-largest economy, he said. He added that that PM Modi made a historic announcement on Independence Day by launching aMission Sudarshan Chakra.a Under this mission, by 2035, critical national sites will be equipped with cutting-edge technology and powerful weapon systems. The mission aims not only to neutralise enemy attacks but also to deliver counter-strikes, much like the Sudarshan Chakra. This step will prove to be a milestone in making national security impregnable and enabling targeted strikes against adversaries. The Union Minister said that in his historic Independence Day address, PM Modi acknowledged the 100-year rich history and contributions of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to nation-building, paying tribute to all the volunteers who have made unparalleled contributions to the countryas 100-year journey of progress. For the past century, the RSS has fulfilled its resolve of nation-building through individual development with service, dedication, organisation, and discipline, he said. Kolkata, Aug 15 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday on the occasion of Independence Day joined the tea ceremony at Raj Bhavan hosted by Governor C.V. Ananda Bose. CM Banerjee reached Raj Bhavan at 5 p.m. on Friday along with West Bengal Legislative Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee, state Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and state Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty. Soon after, Left Front Chairman Biman Bose and senior Congress leader Pradeep Bhattacharya arrived at Raj Bhavan, responding to the Governor's invitation. All the leaders from different political parties exchanged customary greetings with the Chief Minister. Like every year, this year too, a small tea ceremony was held at Raj Bhavan. Renowned musician Usha Uthup was also seen with the Chief Minister. They were all welcomed by Governor Bose and his spouse. Every year, the Chief Minister is invited to the tea party at Raj Bhavan on the evening of Independence Day. Members of various political parties in the state are also invited. As per tradition, the Chief Minister also joins the tea party. On Friday, Mamata Banerjee stayed there for a while and interacted with the Governor as well as others. Governor CV Anand Bose, in his speech, recalled the sacrifices of the freedom fighters and told the assembled guests, "This day is not only a day of celebration, but also a day of duty." While leaving the Raj Bhavan, Mamata Banerjee said in response to questions from media persons, "Independence Day belongs to all of us. Political differences have no place here. Today is the day of unity." New Delhi, Aug 15 : Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Friday organised a dialogue programme titled "Parents' Town Hall" in Janakpuri Assembly, informing parents that all 1,700 private schools will come under the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025. New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Friday organised a dialogue programme titled "Parents' Town Hall" in Janakpuri Assembly, informing parents that all 1,700 private schools will come under the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025. During the interaction, Ashish Sood clarified that due to a loophole in the 1973 law, only 300 of Delhi's 1,700 private schools were subject to fee regulation. "With the new law, all private schools will now come under the ambit of fee regulation. The new process also lays down specific timelines committee decision by 15 July, district-level decision by 30 July, and final decision by September. If no decision is made within 45 days, the matter will go to the appellate committee," he said. Sood shed light on every important detail related to the Education Bill such as how the Bill was implemented, what rights parents have under it, and how they can be part of this historic change. Parents were given comprehensive information on all these aspects. Around 200 parents from Janakpuri participated in the programme, discussed the Education Bill with the Minister, and sought detailed information on various provisions. They also shared several important suggestions with the Minister and requested him to address their concerns about the Bill at the earliest. The Education Minister assured parents that every child in the capital will now get quality education and that no child will be deprived of education due to financial reasons. He said that private schools are necessary for Delhi, but transparency and accountability in fee fixation are equally essential. The Minister informed the gathering that in the Monsoon Session of the Assembly, the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025 was passed with a majority. This Bill will put an end to arbitrary practices by private schools and ensure transparency in fee fixation, active participation of parents, and veto power on fee hikes. The Bill provides that if any school increases its fees without government approval, it will face a fine ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, and in case of failure to refund excess charges, double the penalty will be imposed. The Director of Education will be given powers similar to an SDM to ensure uniform action against all schools. Sood said that previous governments neither brought transparency in the education sector nor created a robust system or law for fee regulation. Those who claimed to be the architects of an "education revolution" only carried out a liquor scam. Our government has prepared this Bill after discussions with parents and several education experts, which will not only curb the commercialisation of education but also protect children's dreams, he said. He informed parents that in the new process of fee determination for private schools, parents and other stakeholders will have direct participation and a clear role. This will not only bring transparency but also protect parents from the burden of exorbitant fees. The Minister further said that parents sent their children to private schools because the previous government, under the guise of an "education revolution," made no real improvements in education and only misled people through advertisements. He emphasised that if government schools had better classrooms, environment, and facilities, no parent would be paying Rs 10,000 per month in fees. Under the new law, several stakeholders including parents, students, teachers, non-teaching staff, school management, and government representatives will be involved in the process of fee fixation. New Delhi, Aug 15 : To promote bilateral maritime cooperation, Indian Naval Ships INS Rana (a Guided Missile Destroyer) and INS Jyoti (Fleet Tanker) are in Colombo to participate in the 12th edition of Sri Lanka India Naval Exercise (SLINEX-25) from August 14 to 18, an official said on Friday. Conceptualised in 2005, SLINEX is a bilateral naval exercise that has strengthened maritime cooperation between the two nations over two decades. SLINEX aims at enhancing interoperability, maritime cooperation and exchanging best practices while jointly undertaking multi-faceted maritime operations. The previous edition of SLINEX was conducted at Visakhapatnam, India, from 17 to 20 December 24. The exercise will be conducted in two phases - the Harbour phase in Colombo till August 16, followed by the Sea phase from August 17 to 18. SLNS Gajabahu and Vijayabahu (both Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels) will be representing the Sri Lankan Navy, and Special Forces of both the navies will also feature in the exercise. During the harbour phase, professional interactions, Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE), sharing of best practices, cultural and social exchanges, along with yoga sessions and sporting events, are planned, which would further bolster the bonds of friendship and camaraderie between both navies. The naval drills planned during the sea phase include gunnery firing serials, communication protocols, navigation, seamanship evolutions, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) and fuelling at sea. The SLINEX maritime exercise exemplifies the deep engagement between India and Sri Lanka, which has strengthened cooperation in the maritime domain in consonance with Indiaas policy of Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions MAHASAGAR. In another development, INS Tamal, the latest stealth frigate of the Indian Navy, which has been at Naples, Italy, since August 13, celebrated India's 79th Independence Day on Friday, said an official. INS Tamal was at Naples during her return passage to India after the commissioning in Russia on July 1. The visit underscores the deepening of bilateral relations between India and Italy since the elevation to a aStrategic Partnershipa in 2023, centred on expanded cooperation in Defence, Energy, and Technology, and is aimed at enhancing interoperability and jointmanship between both the navies. INS Tamal participated in a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with ITS Trieste, Landing Platform Dock of the Italian Navy, before entering harbour at Naples. Joint operations during the PASSEX included communication exercises, manoeuvres and flying operations. The ship's engagements during the port call include professional and bilateral activities, including interaction with civil dignitaries at Naples, cross-deck visits, discussions with senior Italian Navy functionaries and cultural events in honour of Indo-Italian relations, said an official. Hyderabad, Aug 15 : Cyberabad police have booked 51 foreigners after they were found consuming liquor and playing loud music at a birthday party. Police said they conducted a raid on a farmhouse in Moinabad and found the foreigners consuming liquor and playing loud music. The raid was conducted following credible information regarding an illegal birthday party being organised without permission, with loud noise, at Bakaram revenue village. Rajendranagar Zone Police, along with Special Operations Team (SOT) Shamshabad, conducted a check at the farmhouse and found 51 foreign nationals celebrating the birthday party. Upon inspection, 90 liquor bottles without any excise license and loudspeakers were found. The foreigners were from 11 countries. Police, 37 of them were from Uganda, three from Liberia and two from Nigeria. Others were from Botswana, Kenya, Cameroon, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Malawi, and other nations. Police said 14 males and 37 females participated in the party. On enquiry, it was found that the farmhouse owner had not obtained any permission from the local police for the gathering, music, or liquor. Immigration authorities were informed, and their team arrived to verify the genuineness and validity of the participantsa stay in India. It was also revealed that two women and one man had previously consumed ganja. Six women and nine men who were found with proper documents were let off. The others have been served Restriction Orders from the Bureau of Immigration and shifted to the Holding Centre. Further legal action will be taken if any irregularities are found. A case has been booked against the management of SK Retreat for violation of excise laws and police permission norms. Meanwhile, Petbasheerbad police have busted a commercial surrogacy and illegal egg trading racket, operated by a network of 7 women and 1 man in collusion with several fertility centres in Hyderabad. The accused were exploiting the desperation of infertile couples for illegal monetary gain. According to police prime accused, Narreddula Laxmi Reddy, had earlier worked as an egg donor and surrogate mother. Using her experience and network of contacts with other agents, fertility clinics, and centres, she began recruiting women to act as egg donors or surrogate mothers and referred them to the aforementioned fertility centres. For each successful procedure, she collected substantial amounts of money. She targeted financially vulnerable women, persuading them to donate eggs or become surrogates, and kept them at her residence, collecting additional maintenance charges from the hospitals. Her son, Narender Reddy, a Chemical Engineering graduate from JNTU, assisted her in running this illegal business. The donors and surrogate mothers involved were aware that commercial surrogacy is prohibited by law, but participated for financial gain. The alleged involvement of the fertility clinics and centres mentioned is still under verification, police said. In a rare move in the financial exchange world, Miami International, the parent company of the MIAX exchange, is coming public and is expected to start trading on the New York Stock Exchange as soon as Aug. 14. Miami International is looking to raise $315 million by offering 15 million shares. The price range for the IPO is between $19 and $21 per share. The company intends to use the proceeds to repay debt and for other corporate purposes. More News from Barchart Miami International has been pursuing plans for an IPO since 2022. It competes with CME Group (CME) and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). Notably, the exchange operator commands a substantial 16.4% market share in the U.S. options market through its four fully automated electronic options exchanges with over 9 billion option contracts traded since inception until June 30, 2025. Overall, it is the 14th-largest global derivatives exchange operator with an international presence via its ownership of the Bermuda Stock Exchange. Stable Revenue Growth With Inconsistent Profitability For the first three months ended March 31, 2025, Miami International reported revenues of $327.1 million, up 19.9% from the previous year. The company ended 2024 with revenues of $1.1 billion compared to $1.04 billion in 2023. Profitability tells a much less even story. Losses widened to $0.34 per share for the first three months of 2025 compared to $0.09 per share in the prior year. Yet, for the full year of 2024, the company reported earnings per share of $1.68, compared to a loss of $0.37 per share in 2023. The company reported revenue of $797.9 million in 2022 with earnings of $1.05 per share. Net cash from operating activities for the first quarter stood at $11.2 million as the company closed the quarter with a cash balance of $277.5 million. Total options revenue per contract improved to $0.106 from 3.2 billion equity and ETF market contracts in Q1 2025 from $0.078 and 2.6 billion contracts in Q1 2024. Overall, average daily volume of option contracts increased to 53.6 million from 43.3 million in the year-ago period. Strengths, Opportunities & Issues Miami International has established itself as a significant force in the exchange industry through its proprietary, low-latency trading technology, broad experience in multiple asset markets, and close working relationships with leading market participants. Further, the groups recent expansion into cryptocurrencies and digital assets, supported by targeted acquisitions and the introduction of a physical options trading floor in Miami, is viewed as an important potential driver of future growth. New Delhi, Aug 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address spoke about the demographic changes that is affecting the country. He said when the demographic change happens in border areas, it creates a crisis for national security. The Prime Minister also went on to term this phenomenon as a deliberate conspiracy to alter the country. He added that seeds of a new crisis is being sown. PM Modias remarks come at a time when there are efforts being made in Bangladesh with the help of the ISI to ramp up illegal infiltrations into the country. However one must bear in mind is that this is part of a deep-rooted conspiracy that was hatched by the ISI and DGFI, following the 1971 war. The Pakistanis realised that they were given a bloody nose in the 1971 war and hence fighting India was not an option. Moreover, they have lost the war which led to the creation of Bangladesh. This was when the ISI and DGI tasked the Jamaat-e-Islami to undertake an economic war with India. This meant changing the demographics in several parts of India through illegal migration. Although it began at a slow pace initially, it began picking up steam in the early 1980s. By the 1990s, it had become a huge problem. The demographics in states such as West Bengal and the other northeastern states had changed. The Jamaat chose places closer to the border which had a Hindu majority. Gradually the Hindus became a minority in these areas and this led to the flaring up of communal tensions. In the year 1992, the Research and Analysis Wing was tasked with carrying out an operation in Bangladesh to immobilise targets of the Jamaat. The operation largely dealt with stopping the Jamaat from undertaking a major operation which involved infiltrating Bangladeshis into India. The agency realised that the motive was to create a Greater East Pakistan which would include West Bengal and the northeastern states. In order to do so they need a majority of their population to take control over various places in these states. West Bengal has been one of the worst hit states due to this problem. Demographic changes have been the highest in districts such as Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, Malda and North and South 24 Paraganas. Assam too is facing this problem and similar changes have taken place in Dhubri, Barpeta, Goalpara and Morigaon districts. During the operation of 1992 and 1993, the Research and Analysis Wing realised that this was a major conspiracy to hurt Indiaas internal security. Large scale infiltrations and demographic changes meant job losses for locals, communal tensions and in many occasions, these infiltrators are part of terror modules which operate from Bangladesh. The agency also found that the Jamaat had set up scores of camps to carry out these activities. Hence it was found to be a deliberate and systematic operation to hurt India. Former officer with the R&AW, Amar Bhushan says that the situation is most worrisome in West Bengal. Following the 1971 war we ought to have taken this issue more seriously. Some estimates suggest that illegal immigration from Bangladesh between 1971 and 1966 there had been an increase of around 160 per cent, Amar Bhushan also says. Intelligence agencies say that with the ISI back in control at Bangladesh thanks to a friendly regime, they will ramp up their post 1971 project. Not only would they increase the number of Bangladeshis infiltrating into Indian soil, but would go ahead with setting up terror camps. The agencies, however, point out that today the problem is not just restricted to the east. It has spread to Karnataka, Kerala, Uttarakhand and several other states. This has to be viewed more as a security threat and a big conspiracy than just a humanitarian crisis, the agencies say. Vijayawada, Aug 15 : The government of Andhra Pradesh on Independence Day launched Stree Shakti, the scheme for worm for free travel in buses belonging to state-owned APSRTC. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu along with Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and Human Resources and IT Minister Nara Lokesh launched the scheme. The three leaders along with state BJP president PVN Madhav travelled in bus from Undavalli to Pandit Nehru Bus Stand, Vijayawada and issues zero fair tickets. They interacted with women passengers and enquired about the benefits they will get from the scheme. People, especially women, welcomed the Chief Minister and other leaders at various bus stops. Ministers, MPs, MLAs and other public representatives of ruling coalition launched the schemes in their respective constituencies. At the main event in Vijayawada, the Chief Minister and other leaders addressed a public meeting. Chandrababu Naidu also shared his thoughts on social media platform 'X'. "I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved. These golden words of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar guide our vision for Andhra Pradesh's bright future," posted the Chief Minister. "This Independence Day, we honour and celebrate Stree Shakti, the true strength of our state. The Stree Shakti free bus travel scheme empowers daughters across AP to stride forward with freedom and confidence, opening doors to education, employment, and opportunities for growth. Together, we embark on a journey towards our collective goal of Swarna Andhra," he said. The Chief Minister said the day had give immense satisfaction as a major promise made to women as part of Super Six during the elections has been fulfilled. "Free bus travel is a gift I am giving to women as a brother," he said. He said the scheme would benefit 2.62 crore women across the state. The government will spend Rs.162 crore per month and Rs.1,942 crore annually on this scheme. He said under the scheme, women can travel for free in any of the Pallevelugu, Ultra Pallevelugu, City Ordinary, Express, and Metro Express buses of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC). The government says that around 2.62 crore women in the state will benefit from this scheme. Out of the total 11,449 buses under APSRTC, women can travel for free in 8,458 buses. The government has also extended the scheme's benefit to transgender persons. With the implementation of this scheme, the TDP-led coalition will fulfil another promise made under Super Six. The Stree Shakti scheme will help women save significantly on travel costs. Government estimates show that women travel, on average, four times a week by bus, while working women travel daily. This costs each woman approximately Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 3,000 per month. To avail the benefit, passengers must be residents of Andhra Pradesh and present ID proof such as Voter ID, Aadhaar, Ration Card, or Driving License to conductors. The scheme will not apply to Non-Stop, Super Luxury, AC buses, or services on ghat roads. The implementation of this scheme will cost Rs. 162 crores per month, benefiting about 26.95 lakh people daily in the state. In the state's population of 5.25 crore, there are 2.62 crore women. Under this scheme, women, girls, and transgenders belonging to the state will be eligible to travel free of charge from anywhere to anywhere. This scheme does not apply to non-stop interstate bus services or any other categories. Similarly, it does not apply to contract carriage services, chartered services, and package tours. Guwahati, Aug 15 : The historic War Memorial at Digholi Pukhuri in Guwahati resonated with stirring notes of patriotism on Friday evening as the Indian Air Force's No. 7 Band delivered a spellbinding public performance to mark the 79th Independence Day. Organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence and Air Headquarters, the event drew hundreds of spectators, including local residents, defence personnel, students, and dignitaries. The performance began at 5.30 p.m. and lasted 75 minutes, holding the audience in rapt attention. The 25-member band, based at Air Force Station Borjhar, presented a repertoire of 16 patriotic tunes and songs, blending traditional martial music with popular anthems. Each piece evoked emotions of pride and reverence, serving as a tribute to India's fallen heroes and a celebration of the nation's progress. Adding to the festive atmosphere, the venue featured creatively designed selfie points and thematic exhibits highlighting India's recent achievements. Informational displays showcased milestones such as Operation Sindoor, the Chandrayaan Mission, Digital India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Fit India Movement, and the UDAN regional connectivity scheme. These visual elements provided visitors with an engaging backdrop, merging cultural celebration with educational awareness. For many attendees, the event offered a rare chance to interact closely with members of the Armed Forces in a relaxed, community setting. "It was not just musicit was an emotional journey. You could feel the pride in every note," said Ananya Sharma, a college student present at the programme. Officials described the initiative as part of the Indian Air Force's broader effort to strengthen bonds with citizens through cultural outreach. "This performance is our way of celebrating Independence Day with the people, honouring the sacrifices of our soldiers, and reinforcing the values that unite us," said a senior official in a statement. As the final strains of the evening faded, the audience rose to give the performers a standing ovation, marking the end of a memorable Independence Day celebration in the heart of Guwahati. The Indian Air Force expressed gratitude to the people of the city for their enthusiastic participation, calling the event a "shared tribute to freedom, unity, and national pride." Patna, Aug 15 : In a shocking incident on Friday evening, two children - a girl and a boy - were found dead in mysterious circumstances inside a parked car in Patna. The incident occurred at upscale Gokul Path in the Patel Nagar locality under the Patliputra police station limits in the city. The deceased have been identified as Laxmi Kumari (7) and Karan Kumar (5), both siblings. Police rushed to the spot after receiving information, rescued their lifeless bodies. "We have called for the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team to collect evidence from the car. The preliminary investigation has not given any clear idea about the incident. The physical assault did not appear on their bodies," said the SHO of the Patliputra Police Station. "We have recovered the dead bodies and sent them for the post-mortem. The autopsy report will clarify the actual reasons for their deaths. We have seized the car for further scientific investigation," he said. The car was parked inside the premises of a house in a densely populated locality. Police suspect that they might be playing inside the car and trapped. They lost their lives due to suffocation. Patna police is investigating from all angles to crack this case. Eyewitnesses said it appeared the children were returning from tuition when the incident occurred. News of the incident spread rapidly, drawing a large crowd to the scene. Police have launched an investigation to determine how the children ended up in the car and what led to their condition. "We have consulted the family members of the deceased; they are clueless about how they reached inside the car," the SHO said. The incident has created panic in the area. The family members are inconsolable. "We are also scanning the CCTV footage of the adjoining areas in case of foul play in this case," he said. Anchorage : , Aug 15 (IANS) US President Donald Trump greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, for a high-stakes summit on Friday in the hopes of brokering a cease-fire in the war in Ukraine. Trump disembarked his plane, Air Force One, and awaited Putin on the tarmac. The two exchanged greetings while smiling. The White House has said that Trump will not be alone for his meeting with Putin, and will instead be joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. The post-meeting lunch will also be attended by Rubio, Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. This high-stakes summit that could influence the course of the Ukraine war and US-Russia relations. Trump aims to negotiate a broad peace deal, warning of "very severe consequences" for Russia if it does not de-escalate, while admitting there is a 25 per cent chance the talks could fail. Putin may seek to secure Russia's territorial gains, block Ukraine's Nato ambitions, and pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders are notably excluded, raising concerns about decisions being made over Kyiv's head. Key topics could include Ukrainian territorial concessions, US security guarantees outside Nato, and broader peace terms. Nato's Alexus Grynkewich is in Alaska to advise Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The summit is held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, just three miles from Russia, highlighting US security, Cold War history, and Trump's transactional approach to diplomacy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited to the talks, and his European allies fear Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict with Russia and recognising - if only informally - Russian control over one-fifth of Ukraine. Trump sought to assuage such concerns as he boarded Air Force One, saying he would let Ukraine decide on any possible territorial swaps. "I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to get them at a table," he said. Asked what would make the meeting a success, he told reporters: "I want to see a ceasefire rapidly ... I'm not going to be happy if it's not today ... I want the killing to stop." The Russian officials accompanying Putin in the talks with the US delegation will be foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN. Trump hopes a truce in the 3-1/2-year-old war will bring peace to the region as well as bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the summit is already a big win that he can portray as evidence that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow is retaking its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. Trump said there is mutual respect between him and Putin. "He is a smart guy, been doing it for a long time, but so have I ... We get along, there's a good respect level on both sides," Trump said of Putin. He also welcomed Putin's decision to bring businesspeople to Alaska. "But they're not doing business until we get the war settled," he said, repeating a threat of "economically severe" consequences for Russia if the summit goes badly. New York, Aug 16 : US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin started their "high stakes" summit on Friday after a choreographed welcome ceremony at the airport. Trump walked from Air Force 1 to the red carpet and clapped as Putin walked over to him and they shook hands warmly, and walked to a waiting limousine, talking directly without interpreters. Later, they appeared in a conference room against a backdrop that read "Pursuing Peace", with officials, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov present, instead of the earlier proposal of first having direct talks between themselves. Before flying to Alaska, Trump cryptically posted on social media, "HIGH STAKES!!!", summing up the importance of the meeting to find an end to the Ukraine War. "I want to see a ceasefire rapidly," he told reporters travelling with him on Air Force 1. "I don't know if it's going to be today, but I'm not going to be happy if it's not today," he added a note of caution. "I'm in this to stop the killing," he said, of the biggest war in Europe since the end of World War II eight decades ago. He also reiterated his clarification, "I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I'm here to get them at a table." He also said that he would raise Russia's continuing attacks on Ukraine even as diplomatic efforts were on. "It actually hurts him, but in his mind, that helps him make a better deal if they could continue the killing," he added. He said it is in his genes to act like that. Trump added sternly, "I'll be talking to him about it." As they sat down for their meeting, reporters shouted out questions to Putin about the continuing carnage in Ukraine and he appeared to say something that was not audible on the video. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, who will not be at the face-to-face talks between Trump and Putin, echoed Trump's characterisation of the talks, posting on X, "Indeed, high stakes." He added, "The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format -- Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side. It is time to end the war." Trump said on Thursday that he expected there would be a quick second summit with Zelensky, Putin, and, possibly, some European leaders if there was progress in his meeting with the Russian leader. But he has also warned Putin of "very severe consequences" if there were no ceasefire. En route to Anchorage, Putin stopped at Magadan in Russia's far east, where he symbolically placed flowers at a monument honouring US and Soviet pilots ferrying supplies from the US to Russia during World War II, when the two countries were allies. Putin said on Thursday that Trump has been making "fairly vigorous and sincere efforts to halt hostilities, resolve the crisis, and reach agreements that serve the interests of all parties involved in this conflict". This will be Putin's first visit to the US after a decade. He was last in the US when he had met former President Barack Obama after a United Nations General Assembly meeting in 2015. He had met Trump at least six times during his first term and this will be the first direct contact in Trump's second term. A ceasefire hinges on two main factors: Land swap or re-drawing of borders that would give Russia some Ukrainian territories, and a security guarantee from Europeans and the US for Ukraine. Anchorage : , Aug 16 (IANS) The red carpet was given a final clean before President Donald Trump stepped out of Air Force One at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Friday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss the end of the war in Ukraine. Despite being arranged in just a few days, Friday's high-stakes meeting is unfolding with the kind of strict protocol usually seen at long-planned summits. Everything from the timing of the arrivals to the exact parking spots of the planes has been carefully negotiated. Neither leader wants to appear to be waiting for the other. While Trump arrived first, he remained on board until Putin was ready to greet him. The red carpet, a traditional sign of respect, is also framed by a display of US military power four F-22 Raptor fighter jets lined up alongside it. At events like this, no image or moment is left to chance. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov will accompany President Putin for his landmark talks with US President Trump. "The Russian officials accompanying President Vladimir Putin in the talks with the US delegation will be foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov," Russia state media report said, quoting the Kremlin. This comes after Washington announced at the last minute that the leaders would not be meeting alone. Wearing his signature red tie, Trump walked down the red carpet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and waited for Putin's arrival. Both leaders, dressed in dark suits, shook hands firmly before walking side by side down the carpet, greeted by cheers from people gathered on the tarmac. Trump offered a brief salute as US military aircraft roared overhead. The tarmac at Elmendorf Air Base welcomed Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. A red carpet, arranged in an L-shape, leads the way to a platform marked "ALASKA 2025". Lining the carpet are four F-22 Raptor fighter jets a striking sight, given that squadrons stationed at Elmendorf are tasked with intercepting Russian aircraft that approach US airspace. According to the White House, Trump met Alaska's two US Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan along with Governor Mike Dunleavy. Trump's one-on-one meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his first term were shrouded in a degree of mystery. With only a translator inside the room, it was often unclear what exactly was discussed. The addition of two aides to Friday's session a" Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff a" could allow for greater clarity once the meeting concludes, particularly if Russia offers an accounting of events that differs from the US perspective. The White House has said that Trump will not be alone for his meeting with Putin, and will instead be joined by Rubio and Witkoff. The post-meeting lunch will also be attended by Rubio, Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Anchorage : , Aug 16 (IANS) Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, on Friday, held a crucial meeting at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage, Alaska, which is still underway for more than an hour, media reported. The talks are being held in a three-on-three format, but the leaders of the two countries began communicating on the airfield after arriving in Alaska, TASS media reported. Putin and Trump left their planes almost simultaneously and got into the American leader's Cadillac, where they had a private conversation on the way to the talks. The Russian leader's plane landed at the military base at 21:54 Moscow time (10:54 local time), TASS media reported. Trump's "Air Force One" landed there shortly before. The welcoming ceremony on the airfield began at 22:10 Moscow time, and official negotiations with representatives of the delegations of both sides began 15 minutes later. Earlier on Friday, the red carpet was given a final clean before President Trump stepped out of Air Force One at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to meet Putin to discuss the end of the war in Ukraine. Despite being arranged in just a few days, Friday's high-stakes meeting is unfolding with the kind of strict protocol usually seen at long-planned summits. Everything from the timing of the arrivals to the exact parking spots of the planes has been carefully negotiated. Neither leader wants to appear to be waiting for the other. While Trump arrived first, he remained on board until Putin was ready to greet him. The red carpet, a traditional sign of respect, is also framed by a display of US military power four F-22 Raptor fighter jets lined up alongside it. At events like this, no image or moment is left to chance. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov will accompany President Putin for his landmark talks with US President Trump. "The Russian officials accompanying President Vladimir Putin in the talks with the US delegation will be foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov," Russia state media report said, quoting the Kremlin. This comes after Washington announced at the last minute that the leaders would not be meeting alone. Wearing his signature red tie, Trump walked down the red carpet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and waited for Putin's arrival. Both leaders, dressed in dark suits, shook hands firmly before walking side by side down the carpet, greeted by cheers from people gathered on the tarmac. Trump offered a brief salute as US military aircraft roared overhead. The tarmac at Elmendorf Air Base welcomed Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. A red carpet, arranged in an L-shape, leads the way to a platform marked "ALASKA 2025". Lining the carpet are four F-22 Raptor fighter jets a striking sight, given that squadrons stationed at Elmendorf are tasked with intercepting Russian aircraft that approach US airspace. According to the White House, Trump met Alaska's two US Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan along with Governor Mike Dunleavy. Trump's one-on-one meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his first term were shrouded in a degree of mystery. With only a translator inside the room, it was often unclear what exactly was discussed. The addition of two aides to Friday's session a" Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff a" could allow for greater clarity once the meeting concludes, particularly if Russia offers an accounting of events that differs from the US perspective. The White House has said that Trump will not be alone for his meeting with Putin, and will instead be joined by Rubio and Witkoff. The post-meeting lunch will also be attended by Rubio, Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Moscow, Aug 16 : The Western media, which have been broadcasting about Russia's isolation for three years, are in a state of insanity, bordering on complete madness, against the backdrop of the ceremonial meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Donald Trump in the US held on Friday in Alaska, state media reported quoting Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson. This statement was made by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, in her Telegram channel, commenting on the meeting of the leaders of the two countries in Alaska, Russian news agency TASS reported. "Western media are in a state that can be called insanity, bordering on complete madness: for three years they talked about Russia's isolation, and today they saw the red carpet that greeted the Russian President in the United States," the diplomat emphasised as reported by TASS. Earlier, Putin and Trump began a three-on-three meeting without the traditional summit opening remarks open to the press. The talks themselves are being held behind closed doors. The Presidents are sitting opposite each other against the backdrop of a brand wall decorated with the words "Alaska 2025" in English and the slogans "Striving for Peace". Putin and Trump, on Friday, held a crucial meeting at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage, Alaska, which is still underway for more than an hour, TASS reported. The talks are being held in a three-on-three format, but the leaders of the two countries began communicating on the airfield after arriving in Alaska, TASS reported. Putin and Trump left their planes almost simultaneously and got into the American leader's Cadillac, where they had a private conversation on the way to the talks. The Russian leader's plane landed at the military base at 21:54 Moscow time (10:54 local time), TASS media reported. Trump's "Air Force One" landed there shortly before. The welcoming ceremony on the airfield began at 22:10 Moscow time, and official negotiations with representatives of the delegations of both sides began 15 minutes later. Earlier on Friday, the red carpet was given a final clean before President Trump stepped out of Air Force One at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to meet Putin to discuss the end of the war in Ukraine. Despite being arranged in just a few days, Friday's high-stakes meeting is unfolding with the kind of strict protocol usually seen at long-planned summits. Everything from the timing of the arrivals to the exact parking spots of the planes has been carefully negotiated. Neither leader wants to appear to be waiting for the other. While Trump arrived first, he remained on board until Putin was ready to greet him. The red carpet, a traditional sign of respect, is also framed by a display of US military power four F-22 Raptor fighter jets lined up alongside it. At events like this, no image or moment is left to chance. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov will accompany President Putin for his landmark talks with US President Trump. "The Russian officials accompanying President Vladimir Putin in the talks with the US delegation will be foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov," Russia state media report said, quoting the Kremlin. This comes after Washington announced at the last minute that the leaders would not be meeting alone. Wearing his signature red tie, Trump walked down the red carpet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and waited for Putin's arrival. Both leaders, dressed in dark suits, shook hands firmly before walking side by side down the carpet, greeted by cheers from people gathered on the tarmac. Trump offered a brief salute as US military aircraft roared overhead. The tarmac at Elmendorf Air Base welcomed Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. A red carpet, arranged in an L-shape, leads the way to a platform marked "ALASKA 2025". Lining the carpet are four F-22 Raptor fighter jets a striking sight, given that squadrons stationed at Elmendorf are tasked with intercepting Russian aircraft that approach US airspace. According to the White House, Trump met Alaska's two US Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan along with Governor Mike Dunleavy. Trump's one-on-one meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his first term were shrouded in a degree of mystery. With only a translator inside the room, it was often unclear what exactly was discussed. The addition of two aides to Friday's session a" Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff a" could allow for greater clarity once the meeting concludes, particularly if Russia offers an accounting of events that differs from the US perspective. The White House has said that Trump will not be alone for his meeting with Putin, and will instead be joined by Rubio and Witkoff. The post-meeting lunch will also be attended by Rubio, Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. London, Aug 16 : The meeting between the Presidents of Russia and the US, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday put an end to Russia's isolation in the West "in a most spectacular fashion," media reported. "It marks the end of his (Russian President's) isolation from the West in the most spectacular fashion," UK channel Sky News reported. "Instead of sanctions, Trump has rewarded the Russian President with the equivalent of a State Visit," Russian news agency TASS reported. The Putin-Trump meeting is now taking place at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage, Alaska. According to Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, the leaders will focus on Ukrainian settlement, TASS reported. According to Ushakov, Putin and Trump will also discuss bilateral cooperation in the economic sphere. The Russia-US summit in a "three-on-three" format has been going on for more than two hours. Putin and his US counterpart Trump are holding talks behind closed doors in the presence of their aides and top diplomats. Although the three-on-three meeting has been going on for two hours, Putin and Trump began talking a little earlier -- literally as soon as they stepped off the plane and greeted each other at the official meeting ceremony, which began at 7:10 p.m. GMT on Friday. According to the US press, the leaders briefly chatted one-on-one in the car on the way to the summit venue, even without an interpreter. Earlier, the Putin-Trump summit began with a one-on-one conversation in the US leader's limousine. The meeting later proceeded in the three-on-three format. Putin was accompanied by his aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Putin's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told CNN. As Ushakov said earlier, the Presidents will continue talks during the working breakfast. Then, talks between the delegations in the five-on-five format will be held, with "a group of experts being somewhere near," Ushakov said. After the talks, Trump and Putin will give a news conference to sum up the results of their meeting. Russia and the United States do not plan to sign any documents after the talks, but at the news conference, "the President will, of course, outline the range of agreements and understandings that would be reached," Peskov said. The Russian delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, presidential aide Yury Ushakov, Defence Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries Kirill Dmitriev. According to White House, Trump will be accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. The delegation also includes US Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and senior staff members James Blair, Beau Harrison, Dan Scavino, Steven Cheung, Karoline Leavitt, and Nicholas Luna, as well as Trump's speechwriter Ross Worthington and White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf. According to Ushakov, the central topic of the Putin-Trump summit will be the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. However, the leaders will discuss other topics as well. The two Presidents "will touch upon a wide range of issues of ensuring peace and security, as well as topical and most pressing international and regional problems," he said. Apart from that, the leaders will discuss bilateral economic cooperation. Trump is interested in discussing issues of improving relations between Russia and the United States but intends to focus on the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told a briefing. The US leader, in her words, wants to get a better understanding of Russia's position. According to the Russian President, both sides demonstrated interest in organising this meeting. He noted that the US administration is taking quite energetic and sincere efforts toward settling the conflict in Ukraine. In his words, it is necessary to outline agreements creating long-term conditions for peace between Russia and Ukraine, and in entire Europe. Trump said that he expected a constructive dialogue with Putin. He noted that this will be a feel-out meeting but warned that he might abandon diplomatic efforts toward the Ukrainian settlement after it. He also promised to be persuading Putin to end the conflict. According to the US leader, the US is considering the issue of land swaps between Russia and Ukraine and hopes that this will be done. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said later that the Ukrainian Constitution has all the answers to the territorial issues and "no one will depart from it". On August 12, he said that he cannot withdraw troops from Donbass because he fears a potential offensive from there. Putin noted that he did not object against meeting Zelensky but conditions needed to be created for such contacts. However, in his words, "itas a far cry from such conditions so far." Following US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Moscow, where he was received by Putin, Russian presidential aide Ushakov said on August 7 that Russia and the US had agreed to organise a meeting between the two countries' Presidents. On August 8, Trump said that he hoped to meet with Putin in Alaska on August 15. Later, Ushakov confirmed these plans, adding that the next meeting between the two Presidents will hopefully be held in Russia. As part of preparations for the summit, Putin held a meeting with Russia's senior government and presidential administration officials. "Preparations for the Putin-Trump meeting took place within a very short timeframe, but all parameters were met," Peskov said. --IANS int/khz Top 5 Initiations: Argus initiated coverage of O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY) with a Buy rating and $120 price target. The company has a history of growth and profitability, and the firm estimates 9%-10% EPS growth over the next two years, the firm tells investors in a research note. Goldman Sachs initiated coverage of Akamai (AKAM) with a Sell rating and $67 price target, which represents 5% share downside. The firm believes the company will be challenged to grow consistently in each of its segments. Citi initiated coverage of Travelers (TRV) with a Neutral rating and $291 price target as the firm rolled out coverage in North America insurance, expecting pricing and reinvestment tailwinds to ease but for earnings to remain resilient. The firm also started coverage of AIG (AIG), Arthur J. Gallagher (AJG), Everest Group (EG), Hamilton Insurance (HG), Hartford Financial (HIG), Marsh McLennan (MMC), Allstate (ALL), WTW (WTW) and Aon (AON) with Neutral ratings. Citi started Arch Capital (ACGL), Chubb (CB), Progressive (PGR), RenaissanceRe (RNR), Ryan Specialty (RYAN) and Brown & Brown (BRO) with Buy ratings Stephens initiated coverage of QXO (QXO) with an Overweight rating and $29 price target. Following the acquisition of Beacon earlier this year, QXO is now the second largest distributor of roofing and complementary products in North America, notes the firm, which believes shares do not fully reflect the successful execution of M&A and organic growth targets that it views as "achievable." New York, Aug 16 : US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin plunged into their "high stakes" summit on Friday with their principal officials at their side at a meeting that could shape the future of the Ukraine war and developments globally. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and the world waited anxiously for the outcome. Setting the "high stakes", Trump told a Fox News interviewer on board Air Force 1 heading to Alaska, "I won't be happy if I walk away without some form of a ceasefire" in Ukraine. "This is really setting the table today," he said. "We're going to have another meeting, if things work out, which will be very soon, or we're not going to have any more meetings at all, maybe ever." Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witcof and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were at his side when the talks began, while Putin's foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, Defence Minister Andrei Belousoy, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov were ranged on the other side. The background at the conference venue proclaimed, "Pursuing Peace", and it was flanked by the flags of the two countries. Some media on the ground in Anchorage, Alaska, said the talks in at least two phases may run on for as long as six hours. During his flight to Anchorage, Trump told reporters, "I'm in this to stop the killing." Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 began the biggest conflagration in Europe since the end of World War II eight decades ago. Nearly 250,000 Russian soldiers and as many as 100 Ukrainian military personnel have died in the war, according to Western estimates. Another 750,000 Russians and 300,000 Ukrainians have been injured. Absent from the venue was Zelensky, who has the highest stakes in the outcome of the talks between Putin and Trump. Trump told Fox News that he will not be negotiating on behalf of Ukraine, but preparing for direct talks between Zelensky and Putin. He said, "It's not for me to negotiate a deal for Ukraine, but I can certainly set the table to negotiate the deal." "Our next meeting will have President Zelensky and President Putin and probably me," he said with a note of hope. Zelensky has warned repeatedly that Putin was dishonest and could pull a fast one on Trump. But on Thursday, he and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a joint statement that the Trump-Putin talks "present a viable chance to make progress as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious about peace". On Friday morning, Zelensky said on X, "The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format -- Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side. It is time to end the war." Western European allies have insisted that Zelensky should conduct the final negotiations. During a phone call with Zelensky, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also backed the idea for Ukraine making the decision. They agreed that "everything concerning Ukraine must be decided with Ukraine's participation. Other formats will not yield results," Ukraine's readout of the conversation said. Speaking to reporters on Air Force 1, Trump also had some harsh words for Putin mixed in the optimism. "I'll be talking to him about it," he said sternly about Russia's continuing attacks on Ukraine while the diplomatic efforts are in progress. "It actually hurts him, but in his mind, that helps him make a better deal if they could continue the killing," he added. But on the ground, it was smiles and a handshake when they landed at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in a choreographed arrival. Four F-35s and a B-2 Spirit bomber flew overhead as Trump welcomed Putin on a red carpet. While talking, both Trump and Putin walked to Trump's limousine and continued their conversation without interpreters -- the Russian leader can speak English. As they sat down for the talks, reporters shouted out questions to Putin about the continuing attacks on Ukraine. He said in Russian, "Let's go," while Trump ignored them. Putin is aspiring to take the meeting's agenda beyond the Ukraine War to restarting nuclear arms control talks and even trade. He told his advisers, according to a Kremlin transcript, "The aim is to establish long-term conditions for peace not only between our countries but also in Europe and indeed globally -- especially if we proceed to subsequent stages involving agreements on strategic offensive arms control." Putin may be trying to expand the scope of the meeting beyond Ukraine economic issues -- the top priority for Trump's dealings now with nations -- strategic matters. Russia's Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and Special Presidential Representative for Investment Kirill Dmitriev, and US Secretaries Pete Hegseth of Defence, Scott Bessent of Treasury, and Howard Lutnick of Commerce were on standby. Putin told his advisers on Thursday, according to a Kremlin transcript, "The aim is to establish long-term conditions for peace not only between our countries but also in Europe and indeed globally -- especially if we proceed to subsequent stages involving agreements on strategic offensive arms control." That was a reference to the New START nuclear arms control negotiations from which Russia pulled out in 2023. (START is the acronym for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) Ushakov dangled the prospects of an economic bounty, a cause dear to Trump. He said, "An exchange of views on the further development of bilateral cooperation, including in the trade and economic spheres, is also expected. It is worth noting that this cooperation holds immense, yet regrettably underutilised, potential." This was Putin's first visit to the US after a decade. He was last in the US when he had met former President Barack Obama after a United Nations General Assembly meeting in 2015. He had met Trump at least six times during his first term and this will be the first direct contact in Trump's second term. A ceasefire hinges on two main factors: Land swap or re-drawing of borders that would give Russia some Ukrainian territories, and a security guarantee from Europeans and the US for Ukraine. Trump has spoken of a land swap, which would be politically hard for Zelensky. British Defence Secretary David Lammy said on Friday that the United Kingdom and its allies are ready to put troops in Ukraine to guarantee its security if there is a ceasefire. Trump also spoke in support of troops to guarantee security, but ruled out their going there under the NATO banner. Right to read advocates hailed a Florida court's ringing defense of First Amendment rights this week. On August 13, U.S. District Court Judge Carlos E. Mendoza of the Middle District of Florida ruled in favor of plaintiffs in Penguin Random House v. Gibson, a lawsuit challenging Florida House Bill 1069. The decision came in a state besieged by school library book removals after threats of legal action by the state attorney general and education commissioner. HB 1069, in effect as a law since May 2023, has enabled Florida parents to challenge K12 public school library materials by filing objection forms. The forms compel the immediate removal for review of any material that purportedly is pornographic or depicts or describes sexual content. In the court order, Judge Mendoza found that plaintiffs have established multiple unconstitutional applications of the statutory provisions and noted evidence that the statute has swept up more non-obscene books than just the ones referenced here. After listing 23 examples of books taken from public school library collections, from Alice Walkers The Color Purple and Richard Wrights Native Son to Khaled Hosseinis The Kite Runner and Yaa Gyasis Homegoing, he wrote, None of these books are obscene. Obscene material, which is not protected by the First Amendment, has long been prohibited from school library shelves by the Supreme Courts decision in Miller v. California (1972), and libraries may apply the Miller test or Miller-for-minors test to evaluate material. What 1069 added is additional procedures like this challenge form idea that made it easy to rescind access to any title, said Dan Novack, VP and general counsel at PRH. Were taking the status quo back to where it was pre-HB 1069, and now it has the appropriate constitutional standard embedded in it. Judge Mendozas decision means schools cant merely acquiesce to the parents whims and libraries must restore library materials, Novack said. If a school drags its heels, theyre risking a lawsuit from a parent, student, author, publisher, or educator. They cant hide behind the rationale that my hands are tied by HB 1069 or the state. Further, media specialists wont disappear books out of an abundance of caution. We dont want people guessing at what the standards are, Novack added. The Authors Guild, which joined PRH v. Gibson with all of the Big Five companies, Sourcebooks, five authors, and two Florida parents, applauded the courts decision. Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger said the order requires courts in all jurisdictions to demand precise standards, respect professional expertise, and reject the cherry-picking of passages or speculation to justify censorship. We are delighted by the decisive victory in the case, recognizing that it is an unconstitutional violation of authors free speech rights to remove books from school libraries that have literary, artistic, political, or scientific value when considered as a whole, Rasenberger shared in a statement. States cannot allow members of the community to demand books be removed and claim it is protected government speech. The Guild also is a plaintiff in a case against Iowa Senate File 496, PRH v. Robbins, which Judge Mendoza cited favorably in his order. SF 496 demands removals of Iowa public school materials that contain a description of a sex act, and has twice been deemed unconstitutional in district court. It is once again under appeal with the Eighth Circuit. Not a silver bullet, but progress nonetheless Sam Helmick, president of the American Library Association, gives credit to librarians, students, and allies in Florida for keeping up the fight for intellectual freedom. We are glad to see the court uphold their constitutional rights, Helmick told PW in an email. ALA encourages advocates in Florida to multiply their support for libraries by giving to the Florida Freedom to Read Project, Florida Library Association, and Florida Association for Media in Education. In Florida proper, Stephana Ferrell of the FFTRP took a measured stance. While we welcome this important affirmation of young peoples First Amendment rights, we recognize that much work remains to undo the harm caused by this unconstitutional law and the ways state leaders have sought to enforce it, Ferrell told PW. As for the restoration of censored library books, action could be slow. Ferrell says at least one media specialist team is waiting to hear from the Florida Department of Education before reshelving anything. It would surprise me if the books were immediately put back, agreed Allison Grubbs, president of the Florida Library Association. Grubbs suspects schools are waiting to hear if theres going to be an appeal and see how its going to shake out at the highest levels. Defendants must file an appeal within 30 days of the order, according to PRHs Novack. Grubbs said that she and fellow FLA members are happy to see the reaffirmation of the right to read. Parents have always had a right to guide their children in what media they consume, but the effort to dictate what other children consume is not a right. She commended the courts respect for library professionals who are trained to carefully select books for age appropriateness, literary quality, and educational value. Censorship battles and scrutiny of state libraries use of funding have taken their toll on FLA, Grubbs said. The association has a membership of about 700, up from a Covid-era low point of 500 but significantly down from a pre-Covid 1,000 dues-paying members. Theres been a lot of fear, so some of our organizational members have not resumed, Grubbs said, and some librarians in deeply conservative areas of Florida have chosen not to renew. Yet FLA engages in grassroots advocacy and collaborates with organizations including PEN America and FAME for the freedom to read. PRHs Novack said Judge Mendozas order is not a silver bullet for censorship in Florida. Hes looking ahead to a decision in a lawsuit in Escambia County, Fla., filed by PRH, PEN America, and a group of authors and parents, alleging that county administrators and school board members violated the First and 14th Amendments by removing public school library books. Yet hes gratified to see a growing body of law thats being written by, say, the Eighth Circuit and other often conservative-leaning courts that protect constitutional rights, including the freedom to read. PRH makes strategic decisions to take on intellectual freedom cases, Novack emphasized. Yes, we have the resources to do it, he said. But we also feel Penguin is the best vehicle, because we publish broadly, with PRH authors and titles representing a wide ideological breadth. By standing up for inalienable rights while publishing diverse perspectives, we are sounding the alarm and saying this [censorship] is bad for everybody. This article has been updated. As President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea prepares for his first official summit with President Donald Trump in Washington, expectations are shaped by both historical precedent and the increasingly transactional nature of alliance politics. At face value, the summit offers a familiar tableau: reaffirmations of friendship, military camaraderie, and shared democratic values. But beneath the optics lies a more urgent questioncan the U.S.ROK alliance be recalibrated, not merely preserved, in an era defined by strategic competition, shifting trade norms, and the erosion of traditional security guarantees? The summit takes place at a time of strategic recalibration not only in Seoul and Washington, but across the Indo-Pacific. The re-election of President Trump has reinvigorated a vision of U.S. alliances that is cost-based rather than trust-based. Defense relationships are now judged by balance sheets rather than shared deterrence goals. At the same time, South Korea faces increasing pressure from both the United States and China to demonstrate geopolitical loyalty, even as its leadership seeks to preserve maneuverability and domestic stability. The choices made in this summit may shape the trajectory of the alliance for years to come. The economic backdrop is already tense. A last-minute agreement prevented the full imposition of 25% tariffs on Korean exports, reducing the rate to 15% in exchange for a $350 billion Korean investment package and additional long-term energy commitments to the U.S. While this deal diffused immediate friction, it underscored a broader structural asymmetry: Washington is increasingly treating economic relations with allies as bargaining chips, leveraging market access for political concessions. Seoul, by contrast, seeks predictability, regulatory stability, and fairness. If this summit is to enhance the alliance rather than merely manage friction, the economic conversation must shift away from short-term deals and toward a more institutionalized framework. That includes robust coordination on industrial policy, joint investments in emerging technologies, and aligning export control regimes. The stakes are high: economic fragmentation among allies only strengthens adversaries. A shared strategic framework for technology cooperationin fields such as semiconductors, clean energy, and AIcan anchor the alliance in future-oriented sectors while building long-term resilience against Chinese economic coercion. Defense cost-sharing will again be a centerpiece of the discussion. Trump is expected to demand a significant increase in Seouls contribution to the stationing of U.S. forces and maintenance of shared infrastructure. However, if this issue is reduced to a ledger sheet, it will hollow out the alliances strategic rationale. The 70-year-old U.S.ROK partnership cannot be sustained on cost-efficiency arguments alone. Instead, the summit must redefine burden-sharing as a platform for mutual defense enhancementthrough co-development of weapons systems, integration of command-and-control networks, and greater South Korean participation in joint planning and contingency operations. This is especially critical in emerging domains of conflict. Expanding South Koreas role in areas such as missile defense, space surveillance, and cyber operations would not only reinforce deterrence against North Korea but also enhance allied posture in the broader Indo-Pacific. Seouls defense industry is increasingly competitive, and co-production agreements could benefit both economies while deepening operational interoperability. The U.S. should view South Korea as a defense partner capable of meaningful contributionsnot merely a host nation to be billed. President Lee arrives in Washington with a vision of pragmatic foreign policy grounded in national interest. His administration has embraced strategic flexibility, seeking to manage relations with both Washington and Beijing while avoiding entanglement in great power rivalry. This balancing act is often criticized in Washington as equivocation, but it is in fact a rational response to South Koreas geopolitical constraints. The summit offers a rare opportunity for Lee to clarify that Seouls hedging is not passive neutrality, but a strategic necessity. To that end, the summit should avoid framing issues in binary terms. Demanding that Seoul choose sides between Washington and Beijing is strategically self-defeating. Instead, the focus should be on practical alignment: securing maritime trade routes, deterring North Korean aggression, countering coercive economic practices, and strengthening rules-based regional institutions. These are areas where the U.S. and South Korea can deepen collaboration without forcing ideological litmus tests. A key challenge remains the persistent gap in threat perception. South Korea remains focused on North Koreas advancing nuclear and missile capabilities, while the U.S. increasingly views regional security through the lens of competition with China. This divergence, if left unaddressed, risks undermining strategic cohesion. The summit must confront this reality by reaffirming extended deterrence not just rhetorically, but operationallythrough more robust consultative mechanisms, shared contingency planning, and enhanced crisis communication protocols. A renewed and detailed agreement on nuclear planning and deterrence posture would be a step forward. Moreover, trilateral cooperation with Japan should be strengthened as a stabilizing force in the region. The Camp David trilateral agreement provided an initial roadmap, but concrete stepssuch as integrated missile defense exercises, intelligence fusion centers, and synchronized sanctions enforcementwould give the trilateral architecture enduring relevance. The political climate in Seoul has long complicated ties with Tokyo, but recent normalization efforts have opened the door for a more institutionalized framework. Importantly, the summit must send strong political signals. A joint declaration articulating long-term strategic objectivessuch as alliance modernization, economic security cooperation, and regional stabilitywould restore a sense of predictability and purpose. Beyond rhetoric, institutional innovation is needed. Establishing a regular ROKU.S. strategic economic dialogue or a joint innovation council would help stabilize alliance management across political transitions and reduce policy volatility. Finally, while the Taiwan issue is unlikely to feature prominently in public discussions, it cannot be ignored indefinitely. The U.S. and South Korea must begin quiet but serious consultations about roles, responsibilities, and risk management in the event of a Taiwan Strait crisis. Silence in peacetime could lead to miscommunication in wartime. A stable alliance requires both shared interests and shared assumptions. This summit is not just a diplomatic photo opportunity. It is a test of political will, strategic coherence, and alliance innovation. For Washington, it is a moment to demonstrate that allies are not transactional instruments but strategic partners. For Seoul, it is a chance to show that alliance leadership can coexist with autonomy and foresight. If both sides can move beyond short-term calculus and instead recalibrate their expectations and priorities, the summit could mark not only a reset, but a genuine revitalization of one of the Indo-Pacifics most vital security partnerships. Sonja Flemming/CBS By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 08/14/2025 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. CBS has announced the cast of this fall's Big Brother edition of .'s 38th season will feature 13 former Big Brother houseguests competing in "a special European adventure" with their favorite travel companion.The cast includes one team comprised of two Big Brother alums -- Taylor Hale and Kyland Young, who are currently dating.As previously announced, will premiere its new season on Thursday, September 25 at 9PM ET/PT on CBS. The show will return to its regular Wednesday night timeslot on October 1 at 9:30PM ET/PT. Phil Keoghan will resume his role as host of .The houseguests-turned-Racers will kick off season in Amsterdam, where they'll "face classic game pieces and unexpected twists right off the bat," according to CBS.For the first time in history, teams will face their first challenge before even lining up on the starting line.The first team to complete the task will receive the coveted Express Pass, while the last-place team must deal with the consequences of a Hazard.Along the route, teams will touch down in Prague, Budapest and Romania and have the opportunity to skydive and more.co-creators and executive producers Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri said the Racers will embark on "an unforgettable journey."Bertram and Elise shared, "With a traveling crew of over 100 people, over the course of 38 seasons, we have traveled to nearly 100 countries and over one million miles, an extraordinary feat of storytelling and logistics.""For this season," the executive producers continued, "it was fun to bring the former Big Brother players out of the house and on an adventure in the real world, as the Race is a global triumph that continues to inspire and connect people all over the world."As in seasons past, the teams that are the farthest behind will gradually be eliminated as the Race progresses, with the first team to arrive at the final destination winning and the $1 million prize.Below are the 13 teams who will be competing on 38:- "Mother and daughter" Angela Murray , a 51-year-old realtor from Syracuse, UT, and Lexi Murray, a 23-year-old esthetician from Las Vegas, NV.Angela competed on Season 26 of Big Brother.- "Sisters" Hannah Chaddha, a 25-year-old medical student from Washington, D.C., and Simone Chaddha, a 22-year-old graduate student from Los Angeles, CA.Hannah competed on Season 23 of Big Brother.- "Engaged Couple" Izzy Gleicher , a 34-year-old flutist, and Paige Seber, a 32-year-old lighting designer. They are both from New York, NY.Izzy competed on Season 25 of Big Brother.- "Father and daughter" Jack Baham, a 58-year-old firefighter from Los Angeles, CA, and Chelsie Baham , a 28-year-old motivational speaker. They are both from Rancho Cucamonga, CA.Chelsie competed on and won Season 26 of Big Brother.- "Brothers" Jack Palumbo, a 40-year-old financial analyst from Marlton, NJ, and Enzo Palumbo , a 47-year-old lineboat handler from Bayonne, NJ.Enzo competed on Season 12 and Season 22 of Big Brother.- "Brothers and entrepreneurs" Jag, 27, and Jas Bains, 28. They are both entrepreneurs from Omak, WA.Jag competed on and won Season 25 of Big Brother.- "Brothers" Joseph Abdin , a 28-year-old attorney from Palm Beach, FL, and Adam Abdin, a 24-year-old law student from Miami, FL.Joseph competed on Season 24 of Big Brother.- "Dating" couple Kat Dunn, a 35-year-old influencer, and Alex Romo, a 32-year-old photographer. They are both from Dallas, TX.Kat competed on Season 21 of Big Brother.- "Sisters" Kristine Bernabe, a 38-year-old floral designer, and Rubina Bernabe , a 36-year-old content creator. They are both from Los Angeles, CA.Rubina competed on Season 26 of Big Brother.- "Dating Couple" Kyland Young, a 34-year-old content creator, and Taylor Hale , a 30-year-old media personality. They are both from Los Angeles, CA.Kyland competed on Season 23 of Big Brother.Taylor competed on and won Season 24 of Big Brother.- "Newlyweds" Megan Turner, a 24-year-old private jet specialist, and Matt Turner, a 25-year-old content creator. They are both from Providence, RI.Matt competed on season 24 of Big Brother.- "Sisters" Natalie Negrotti , a 34-year-old TV host from New York City, and Stephanie Negrotti, a 36-year-old in hospitality from Kauai, HI.Natalie competed on Season 18 of Big Brother.- "Brothers" Tucker Des Lauriers , a 31-year-old chef from Brooklyn, NY, and Eric Des Lauriers, a 32-year-old senior research analyst from Boston, MA.Tucker competed on Season 26 of Big Brother. GRIP IT, RIP IT, CHARGE IT MILSPEC OR GUCCI? WHAT DOES YOUR CHARGING HANDLE SAY ABOUT YOU? There are really three parts on an AR-15 that you should never cheap out on your barrel, BCG, and trigger. But that still leaves a lot of room for improvement if you have the budget and the desire. Behind the big three, I would put a good charging handle as my favorite upgrade. They wont destroy your wallet, they make a surprising difference, and I just like their look. But how much of a difference can a charging handle make? Is $100+ really necessary? Lets dig into it and find out. DO YOU EVEN NEED AN UPGRADED CHARGING HANDLE? For many of us, an upgraded charging handle will be more luxury than necessary. Fact is that a mil-spec charging handle is strong and works. This is not a make-it-or-break-it part, no gunfight will be won or lost based on the brand of charging handle used. All of that said, there are some major benefits to using a good aftermarket charging handle. From ease of racking your rifle to redirecting over-gas from your face to ambidextrous benefits, there is a lot that a good charging handle can do for you if youre willing to pay for it. Personally, I love ambi parts, and I want as much of my rifle to be ambi as possible. And when it comes to shooting with suppressors, a charging handle designed to protect my eyes from the extra gas is simply a must. Your milage will vary, but if youre ready to treat yourself, here are the best charging handles! BEST AR-15 CHARGING HANDLES Palmetto State Armory MIL-SPEC If all you need is mil-spec, then there is no reason to go crazy. There are a half-dozen solid brands that offer mil-spec charging handles, but PSA gets my vote since they are almost always in stock, they often run deals that combo a charging handle with some other stuff, and if nothing else, the price is reliably decent. POF Base-15 with a mil-spec charging handle Palmetto State Armory MIL-SPEC This is a no-frills charging handle made from forged T7075 aluminum with a black anodized finish. Palmetto State Armory $15 MSRP is $28, but youll rarely pay more than $20. Radian Raptor Standard, LT, and SD One of the gold standards for upgraded charging handles, Radian wont be cheap, but they will be awesome. The standard Radian is ambidextrous with nice large handles to grab onto. Entirely made from 7075 aluminum, this exceeds milspec requirements. If youre feeling fancy, you can get a standard Radian Raptor with an NP3 coating for extra slickness and ease of charging. MSRP is $90 for standard models, $120 for NP3 coated. Radian Raptor If you want to save some money and a tiny amount of weight, the Raptor-LT is my go-to choice for my charging handle needs. A wonderful balance between price and features, for me, the LT is that Goldilocks option. Still mostly made from 7075 aluminum, the handles are over-molded with fiberglass-reinforced polymer. This means they are technically less strong, but they are still very durable. Sadly, the SD isnt offered in fancy coatings. But the MSRP is only $70 Radian Raptor LT For shooting with suppressors, the Raptor SD is pretty awesome. Designed with huge vents in the body of the handle, this forces gas away from ever getting to you while a shield built into the claws of the handle help redirect any gas that does get back there from hitting you in the face. Radian Raptor SD, with NP3 coating Made from 7075-T6 aluminum, the Raptor SD is again offered with a NP3 coating if you want it. Palmetto State Armory $95-115 MSRP is $120 for the base SD, and $150 for the NP3 coated version. Aero Precision Breach Building on its reputation as one of the best middle-tier AR-15 makers, Aero Precision offers a solid charging handle for a decent price, but it wont turn heads. Ambidextrous, 7075 aluminum, gas mitigation shield, and black anodized, the Breach comes in 2 flavors small handle and large handle. The smaller handle is nice if youre worried about having it snag on gear, but the large handle is easier to charge and use. Its up to you what flavor you want, but I like the large handle a bit more. Aero Precision Breach Charging Handles Aero Precision claims they have one feature that isnt found on other charging handles: Patent-pending Lever Mechanism: Transfers force-of-use away from the roll pins and into the top/head portion of the reinforced bar protecting the charging handle in the most demanding circumstances. AR-10 with Aero Precision charging handle Ive run a Breach since Aero released them about 2 years ago, and its still going strong. I cant say that their patent-pending lever mechanism has anything to do with that, but I can at least say that it does work well. Aero Precision $94 MSRP is $80 for both styles, and to me, thats a pretty good price. Breek Arms Warhammer Mod2 Like most others, the Warhammer Mod2 is made from 7075-T6 aluminum, is ambi, and has gas deflecting cuts. Breek Arms Warhammer Mod 2 on an AR-15 at BRVO Tactical What makes it a little different is the shape of the handles. While most others are kind of fat and large, these are much skinnier. You might think that would weaken them, but youd be wrong. Ive beat the crap out of my Warhammer, and I cant kill it. Warhammer Mod2 I dont love the feel of the handles, but I do love that this is a very lightweight charging handle that still maintains a robustness you just dont normally see with lightweight parts. In the grand scheme of things, the mild distaste I have for the feel of the handles is extremely minor compared to the benefits and good design. Palmetto State Armory $50 Maybe best of all, the Warhammer is a good chunk less expensive than most others on this list MSRP is only $50. Geissele Super Charging Handle Geissele was one of the first to come out with a truly groundbreaking charging handle. Its not that the Super Charging Handle will change the way your rifle runs, its that it combos basically all of the best features into one handle. Smooth manipulation, ambi handle, easy to grab, and very effective gas redirection in a single super durable handle. Geissele Super Charging Handle Ultra popular with special forces units and the currently adopted charging handle for the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, this is a charging handle that many pros choose (or had chosen for them) because it works, and its legitimately pretty awesome. Palmetto State Armory $127 Downside? MSRP is $105. That isnt the highest price on this list, but its up there. LOOSE ROUNDS End of the day, dont overthink your charging handle. While there are definitely pros and cons to each of them, none of the upgraded charging handles on this list will change your life compared to any of the others. While Ive grown to kind of hate milspec charging handles, they work, and theyre cheap. If you have the budget to splurge a little, I think youll really appreciate the benefits of a better part. Especially if youre shooting with a suppressor. Ready For More? By Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -The California Coastal Commission voted on Thursday against a plan by Elon Musk's SpaceX to nearly double the number of Falcon 9 rocket launches the company is permitted to conduct each year from Vandenberg Space Force Base, from 50 to 95. But as was the case when the commission voted last October to oppose a previous SpaceX launch expansion from 36 to 50 at the installation, the U.S. government can merely override the objections of California regulators and approve the latest plan. The U.S. Department of the Air Force, parent agency of the Space Force, has taken the position that the proposed launch expansion at Vandenberg, about 60 miles (97 km) northwest of Santa Barbara on the central California coast, is a federal activity exempt from further state oversight. A commission staff report countered that of 51 rockets launched last year from Vandenberg, SpaceX Falcon 9s accounted for 46 of them. While SpaceX flies some missions for the Defense Department and NASA, the enlarged launch operations SpaceX envisions are primarily for carrying payloads for the company's own Starlink satellite network, the report said. SpaceX also has sought to expand its launch facilities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Air Force officials did not attend Thursday's commission meeting in Calabasas, north of Los Angeles, where the panel voted 11-0 against SpaceX. Neither representatives for SpaceX nor the Air Force could immediately be reached for comment. SpaceX has sued the California Coastal Commission over its previous objections, accusing the agency of singling out Musk's company for greater regulation in retaliation for his political views. In addition to allowing as many as 95 launches a year by the company's workhorse Falcon 9, the new plan would permit up to five Falcon Heavy rocket launches annually, and up to 24 landings by the company's reusable rocket boosters, twice as many as previously approved. Two new landing zones at the base would also be built. At-sea landings would also be increased. In recommending disapproval, commission staff cited what it called insufficient information about the plan and concerns over noise pollution and wildlife disturbance from more frequent, louder sonic booms as SpaceX launch activity escalates. The staff report also cited the need for more frequent closures of public beaches and campgrounds that lie within the launch hazard zones around the base. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Sonali Paul) Indias goods exports rebounded in July after two months of contraction, with outbound shipments rising 7.3 per cent to $37.24 billion, led by a surge in exports to the United States before the countrys reciprocal tariff kicked in and bolstered by a recovery in exports to other key markets. Photograph: ANI Photo However, the countrys merchandise trade deficit widened to an eight-month high of $27.35 billion as imports also picked up 8.6 per cent after two months of decline to hit a three-month high of $64.6 billion, quick estimates released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Thursday showed. Services exports grew 1.4 per cent to $31.03 billion in July, while services imports shrank 3.4 per cent to $15.4 billion, resulting in a $15.63 billion surplus. Based on these estimates, subject to revision after the Reserve Bank of India finalises services trade numbers, Indias total exports were up 4.5 per cent in July to $68.3 billion, while imports grew 6 per cent to $80 billion. Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said at a briefing that Indias goods and services exports are doing well despite global economic uncertainties. Exports have grown substantially, much higher than the global exports growth, he underlined. Indias goods exports rebounded in July after two months of contraction, with outbound shipments rising 7.3 per cent to $37.24 billion, led by a surge in exports to the United States before the countrys reciprocal tariff kicked in and bolstered by a recovery in exports to other key markets. However, the countrys merchandise trade deficit widened to an eight-month high of $27.35 billion as imports also picked up 8.6 per cent after two months of decline to hit a three-month high of $64.6 billion, quick estimates released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Thursday showed. Services exports grew 1.4 per cent to $31.03 billion in July, while services imports shrank 3.4 per cent to $15.4 billion, resulting in a $15.63 billion surplus. Based on these estimates, subject to revision after the Reserve Bank of India finalises services trade numbers, Indias total exports were up 4.5 per cent in July to $68.3 billion, while imports grew 6 per cent to $80 billion. Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said at a briefing that Indias goods and services exports are doing well despite global economic uncertainties. Exports have grown substantially, much higher than the global exports growth, he underlined. The growth in merchandise exports was driven by engineering goods (up 13.7 per cent), electronics (33.9 per cent), drugs and pharmaceuticals (14 per cent), organic and inorganic chemicals (7.2 per cent) and gems and jewellery (28.9 per cent). Non-petroleum and non-gems and jewellery exports grew 12.7 per cent to $30.51 billion. The drivers of the growth among non-petroleum sectors were electronic goods (46.9 per cent), engineering goods (1.35 per cent), drugs and pharmaceuticals (5.9 per cent), readymade garments (1.23 per cent). The uptick in inbound shipments was led by petroleum and crude oil imports, which make up for nearly a quarter of Indias total import bill, and rose 7.4 per cent in July to hit $15.5 billion. Gold imports grew 13.8 per cent to $3.97 billion, while electronics imports stood at $9.8 billion, up 12.8 per cent on-year. Fertiliser imports soared 133 per cent to $1.6 billion. The export growth in July was supported by the continued surge in exports to the US, that has been witnessed since the beginning of 2025, although growth in exports to the other geographies also turned positive after a gap of two months, said Aditi Nayar, chief economist at ICRA. Non-oil exports drove the uptick in overall exports in July 2025, even as oil exports contracted 25 per cent as compared to the year before, she noted. Promoting exports Due to an uncertain global policy environment, mainly due to the tariff policies rolled out by the US, the government is adopting a clear cut strategy to improve export competitiveness, strengthen export promotion and push diversification of export baskets and markets. To begin with, India is fast-tracking free trade agreements (FTAs) and reviewing existing trade agreements. While a trade deal with the four-member European Free Trade Association (EFTA) nations will come into force from 1 October, India has reached out to the United Kingdom (UK) to fast track the implementation of the FTA by wrapping up Parliamentary procedures. Agreement with Oman has been finalised and will be signed soon. Talks with the European Union (EU) are also being fast-tracked. According to Barthwal, progress of the negotiations have been good and further meetings are expected to happen at the secretary and the commerce and industry ministers level, with their respective counterparts. Along with the trade bloc, the government is looking to complete FTA negotiations with Chile and Peru by the end of this year. That apart, substantial completion of the FTA review with the 10-member ASEAN nations is expected by October. India is also expanding its focus on top 50 countries, with 90 per cent share of exports, including through mobilisation of missions abroad to undertake proactive and sustained export promotion efforts. Further, the Export Promotion Mission (EPM), announced in the Union Budget FY26 is presently under inter-ministerial consultation. It seeks to enable broad-based, inclusive, and sustainable export growth over six years from FY25 to FY31 by exploring approaches beyond conventional mechanisms to address key bottlenecks faced by Indian exporters especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The EPM is anchored in a collaborative framework involving the department of commerce, MSME ministry, finance minister, and other line ministries and stakeholders. EPM will be implemented through two sub-schemes Niryat Prosahan, which will provide trade finance support and Niryat Disha that will drive international market access. 'They have to prove the credibility of their talk; whether they want to focus on the secular face of India, whether they want to focus on democracy and above all freedom of an individual to practice his or her religion.' IMAGE: The Bharatiya Janata Party's Kerala President Rajeev Chandrasekhar, fourth from left, with Sisters Preethy Mary and Sister Vandana Francis and others at the Durg central prison in Chhattisgarh, August 2, 2025, after an NIA court granted them bail. Photograph: Kind courtesy Rajeev Chandrasekhar/X It was on the 26th of July that Preethi Merry and Vandana Francis, two Catholic nuns from Kerala, working in the tribal areas of Chhattisgarh, were arrested along with Sukaman Mandavi, a youth from Narayanpur, by the Chhattisgarh police at the Durg railway station. The alleged crime committed by the nuns: Forced religious conversion and human trafficking. The nuns were charged under Section 143 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (trafficking of persons) and Section 4 of the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act (1968). On the 30th of July a sessions court in Durg district disposed of the bail application of two nuns saying that the matter should be heard by the National Investigation Agency court. On the 2nd of August, eight days after their arrest, the nuns were granted bail by a special NIA court on condition that they surrender their passports and furnish a bond of Rs 50,000 each. The battle for justice is not over yet. It only begins now. It is against this background that Rediff's Shobha Warrier spoke to the president of Kerala Catholic Bishops Council, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, who is the current Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. "We want to see how the Centre and the party are going to tackle this particular incident, and their disposition to the minority communities in the country," Cardinal Baselios Cleemis says in the concluding segment of a two-part interview. Part 1 of the Interview: 'Fringe Elements Must Be Brought Under Control' It was a big surprise for many when the Catholic church and members of the Christian community extended their support to the BJP in Kerala. With this incident, will the situation change? I have to clarify your statement. You cannot categorically say that the Catholic church in Kerala supported the BJP. It is true that the BJP was trying to get close to the church by dialogue and visits. But this incident has made a difference to the whole context. The ball is in the BJP's court. They have to prove the credibility of their talk; whether they want to focus on the secular face of India, whether they want to focus on democracy and above all freedom of an individual to practice his or her religion. Have you lost faith in the BJP? Will you rethink about your support to the BJP? You presume that the entire Catholic church in Kerala supported the BJP. It is only a presumption. It is not totally true. There may be cases of some promotion. But that is not the whole story. It is up to the party and the BJP government at the Centre to prove that they don't support these fanatic, violent groups who take the law in their hands. IMAGE: Women from the Christian community protest demanding justice over the arrest of the two nuns in Chhattisgarh, August 3, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo What about the 2026 state election in Kerala? That is a little ahead. What happened must be just an incident. But we are looking at the incident in a different way. We want to see how the Centre and the party are going to tackle this particular incident, and their disposition to the minority communities in the country. The other day, the BJP state leadership said Islamic fundamentalist outfits had infiltrated the church and the protest march it had organised. I want to ask, is that the biggest finding or the solution? I don't think so. These are all presumptions. We had a protest rally and a public meeting in Trivandrum where different denominations of the Christian community, and all the churches participated. It was organised by us. And if somebody accuses that there were others infiltrating into it, they have to clarify it. I don't know how a statement that radical Islamic elements were brought into our rallies is justifiable. I don't think such a statement is made with certainty and respect for everyone. IMAGE: Cardinal Baselios Cleemis IMAGE: Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Are you disappointed with the state BJP? You should ask me, are you happy with the whole development? We are happy that they (nuns) are granted bail. There will be joy and happiness when total justice is given to the sisters. As justice gets delayed, the sisters are suffering and the anxiety of the Christian community in India goes up. Of course, the other minorities as well become anxious. When we spoke 10 years ago, your message to the prime minister was, walk the talk. What will you tell him now, especially when he speaks about sabke saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas? We are having such incidents in various parts of the country. I think as a government, it is the obligation of all those in power to see that all communities stay together, and India achieves property as a unified mission. Incidents of this kind should not obstruct the country's growth. There should be a concerted effort from all; especially the central government should ensure that we all stay together as a country of diverse culture and diverse religions. Of course, secular too. The word 'secular' cannot taken away! Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff 'The President's expectations shifted. The goal post moved and India didn't realize that the goal post had moved.' IMAGE: US President Donald trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photograph: Reuters A day before the meeting in Alaska between United States President Donald John Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Dr Mukesh Aghi, President and CEO, US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, shared his optimism that relations between India and the US could be back on track within three to six months. Speaking with Rediff US Special Contributing Correspondent Abhijit J Masih, Dr Aghi explained his reasons, reflected on what might have prompted Donald Trump's tough stance on India, and discussed his work fostering trade and stronger ties between the two nations. The first of a two-part interview. How damaged is the current state of India-US relations? The relationship is fine. You don't have to look at relationships purely from a political term. You have to look at also from a perspective of people-to-people. Look at it from a business to people that are still investing in India. The technology transfer that is still happening. On the defense side, more joint exercises are happening between India and the US than any other country. So I don't think there is a downturn in the relationship. Yes, there's an issue which President Trump has raised on tariff and I think it will sort out with time. What went wrong? Was it the inability to reach a trade agreement the provocation for the President to unload on India? Or was it India's refusal to give President Trump the credit for what he said were his efforts to orchestrate a ceasefire between India and Pakistan? What do you think was the problem? I think it's a combination of multiple factors. One is that by April India had a deal with the US and it went to the President and somehow India didn't close it. Meanwhile, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia came with very lucrative deals -- zero tariffs, open access to its market and they will invest more in the US, acquire more US energy or buy more US defense. So the President said if that's the case then we should also ask India to do the same. So that's where things started turning. And obviously the India-Pakistan issue too came up and India did not give credit to President Trump. That also irritated him. And that's how the whole thing started moving. Russian oil is more of a leverage to put on Putin and India becomes kind of a collateral damage here. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi makes a point which makes Trump grin when the two leaders met at the White House, February 13, 2025. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters How optimistic are you of the situation reverting to near normal and in what time frame? Will it take longer for this rupture to be repaired especially with the USA's recent proximity to Pakistan? It will correct its course because India has eleven times a larger economy than Pakistan. India's economic growth story is one of the fastest in the world for their size and US companies are gaining market access in India itself. So it will take some time, but I think there will be course correction within the next 3 to 6 months. What will India need to do to achieve a trade treaty with the US? Where do you see breakthroughs being achieved? One is if the Putin-Trump meeting goes well, that's gonna help. Second is India lowering its consumption and buying of Russian oil, that's gonna help quite a bit. And then India announcing the trade deal to be a trillion dollar trade deal between two countries that's gonna explain things. It's multiple factors which will bring it back to track. IMAGE: The Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah, the Jaish e Mohammad's operational headquarters in Bahawalpur, which was struck by Indian missiles during Operation Sindoor. Photograph: Reuters Video/ANI From what you have heard and understood, what are the mistakes India and the US made during the negotiations? There was a report that the Indians thought they were close to an agreement when in fact they misunderstood the signs emitted from the American side? I don't think it's the issue of mistakes. The issue is that the President's expectations shifted. The goal post moved and India didn't realize that the goal post had moved. And India could not, as a democratic country, say it will spend 500 billion dollars investment in the United States. The business people had to do that. Then domestic politics also plays a big role because you don't want to be bending down to another nation's will, which is gonna cost you. So it is a combination of multiple things which drew it in the opposite direction. How would you explain the Trump administration's tilt towards Pakistan? What's the lure? I think of multiple factors. One is that Pakistan agreed to open up the market on crypto and investments of billion dollars. Second is they said we have oil in Balochistan and let the US companies come and grab that. And the third is that they nominated the President for a Nobel Peace Prize, so that also helped. And the final thing is they have a much larger group of lobbyists pitching for Pakistan as compared to India, so that made a big difference. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff An oil ministry post featuring VD Savarkar alongside Mahatma Gandhi and other freedom fighters evoked a sharp response from the Congress which said on Friday that the Bharatiya Janata Party makes it a point every Independence Day to "distort" history and make heroes out of "traitors". IMAGE: The petroleum ministry post on X featuring VD Savarkar with Mahatma Gandhi on Independence Day. Photograph: Courtesy MoPNG on X In a post on X, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas posted a picture featuring the faces of Savarkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh with the caption -- "Freedom was their gift, shaping the future is our mission". "As we celebrate our nation's independence, let's remember -- liberty thrives when we nurture it every day, through unity, empathy, and action. Happy Independence Day," the ministry said. Hitting out at the government, Congress general secretary in-charge organisation KC Venugopal said, "Every Independence Day, the Modi-led BJP makes it a point to distort history and make heroes out of traitors." "This Orwellian image, elevating a British mercy petitioner like Savarkar over Gandhi ji - the undisputed Mahatma who got us freedom, and completely eliminating Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel ji, shows their contempt for our freedom fighters," Venugopal said. "What else can one expect from those whose forefathers collaborated with the British to sow the seeds of division and hatred that haunts us to this very day?" he said. Tagging the ministry's post, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said in a post in Hindi, "While mixing ethanol in petrol, now you've started mixing impurities even in freedom fighters. Those who couldn't become great in history, you're making them big on posters." "The country is asking you for cheaper oil, not cheap comedy," Khera added. Hitting back, BJP general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh said in reply to Khera's post, "Sick brigade to the core... Veer Savarkar lived and died for the country." Congress whip in the Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore said, "No matter how hard you try, Mr. Modi, you can't push Mahatma, Netaji & Bhagat Singh below Mafiveer." "Don't disgrace the martyrs who fought and died for freedom by glorifying those who begged the British with apology letters," Tagore said on X. CPI(M) MP John Brittas also slammed the oil ministry's post. "The deliberate elevation of VD Savarkar over Mahatma Gandhi is not a coincidence but a calculated act. The government's actions undermine the nation's commitment to its secular Constitution. It is pertinent to note that Savarkar was an accused in Gandhi's assassination, though acquitted due to insufficient evidence. "However, the Kapur Commission highlighted circumstantial evidence implicating Savarkar. Those who uphold the Constitution should unequivocally condemn this mockery of justice and secular values," Brittas said in a post on X. In a post on X, Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, said, "Shame on the Patroleum And Natural Gas Ministry for placing the traitor and murderer Savarkar above true patriots and martyrs. That to with money of the exchequer. In his longest ever Independence Day speech from the ramparts of Red Fort in the national capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called for manufacturing products for the global markets with "daam kam, dum zyada" (affordable price, good value). He promised to stand like a wall to guard farmers' interests and said the government should not remain in official files but in the lives of people. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation during Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort in New Delhi on August 15, 2025. Photograph: Press Information Bureau These are some key quotes from his 103-minute speech, which was his 12th consecutive Independence Day address. - Nature is testing us all. In the last few days, we have faced several natural disasters -- landslides, cloudbursts and countless other calamities. - Our nation has endured terrorism for many decades. The heart of the country has been pierced time and again. Now, we have established a new normal: those who nurture and harbour terrorism, and those who empower terrorists, will no longer be seen as separate. - Bharat has now decided that blood and water will not flow together. The people of the country now fully understand how unjust and one-sided the Indus Waters Treaty has been. - The bedrock of a Viksit Bharat is also a self-reliant Bharat. Misfortune arises when dependency becomes a habit, when we do not even realise that we have abandoned self-reliance and become dependent on others. This habit is fraught with danger and hence, one must remain vigilant every moment to be self-reliant. - We witnessed in Operation Sindoor the marvel of 'Made in India'. The enemy had no inkling of what weapons and capabilities we possessed. - Reform is a continuous process; reforms must be undertaken as per the demands of the times and prevailing circumstances. In the field of nuclear energy, we have introduced major reforms. We have now opened the doors of nuclear energy to the private sector as well. We want to combine our strengths. - To make the country developed, we are now moving towards 'Samudra Manthan' (churning of the ocean). Taking forward our Samudra Manthan, we want to work in a mission mode towards finding oil and gas reserves under the sea. Hence, India is going to start the National Deep Water Exploration Mission. - Today, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, my question is to the young scientists of my country, to its talented youth, its engineers and professionals, and also to every department of the government: Should the jet engine for our Made in India fighter jets be ours or not? - This is an opportunity to move forward, an opportunity to dream big, an opportunity to dedicate ourselves to our resolutions. When the government is with you and I myself am with you, we can now create a new history. - For all of us engaged in the field of manufacturing, our mantra should be: Daam Kam, Dum Zyada (Affordable in price, better in value). - Bharat belongs to all of us. Together, let us make "Vocal for Local" the mantra of every citizen's life. - Let us take pride in Swadeshi. We should use it not out of compulsion, but for our own strength. Swadeshi should be our power. This should be our guiding mantra. Shopkeepers should proudly display boards for Swadeshi goods outside their establishments. - The past decade has been one of Reform, Perform and Transform. But now, we must add new strength to our efforts. - When the strength of the nation increases, its citizens reap the benefits. - Today the country is moving at a fast pace towards becoming the third largest economy. We will achieve it very soon. There will be a day when I will come amongst you and share this news from the ramparts of the Red Fort. - India's farmers, India's cattle rearers, India's fishermen, these are our biggest priorities. Modi stands like a wall to guard their interests. - I have not had to read in books what poverty is, I know it. I have been in the government too. Hence, my endeavour has been that the government should not be confined to files. The government should be in the lives of the citizens of the country. - The country has heard the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao' (eradicate poverty) many times, even from the Red Fort, and the nation grew tired of hearing it over and over. People had accepted that poverty could not be removed. But when we take schemes directly to the homes of the poor, when we instil confidence in their hearts, then 25 crore people of my country defeat poverty, rise above it, and create a new history. In the last 10 years, over 25 crore people have stepped out of poverty, creating a "neo-?middle class". - Every family in our country should take it seriously: Obesity is becoming a very grave crisis for our nation. We must protect ourselves from obesity. Therefore, while many steps will have to be taken, I have made one small suggestion -- every family should resolve that when cooking oil comes into the house, it should be 10 per cent less than usual, and its use should also be 10 per cent less. - Our country is richly endowed with linguistic diversity. That is why we have accorded classical language status to Marathi, Assamese, Bangla, Pali and Prakrit. In my view, the more our languages develop, the more enriched they become, the stronger our entire knowledge system will grow. - Today, with great pride, I wish to mention one such institution. One hundred years ago, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was founded. These 100 years of service to the nation constitute a proud and golden chapter. - In a sense, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is the world's largest NGO (non-governmental institution) with a century-long history of devotion. Today, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I salute all the swayamsevaks who have contributed to this century-long journey of national service. The nation takes pride in this grand and dedicated journey of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which will continue to inspire us. - We are moving towards prosperity, but the road to prosperity passes through security. Over the last 11 years, we have worked with full dedication for national security, defending the nation, and for the safety of its citizens. - Today, after being freed from Maoism and Naxalism, Bastar's youth participate in Olympics. The nation is witnessing this transformation. Regions once known as the Red Corridor are now becoming corridors of green development. - As part of a deliberate conspiracy, the demography of the country is being altered. Seeds of a new crisis are being sown. These infiltrators are snatching away the livelihoods of our youth. These infiltrators are luring our sisters and daughters. This will not be tolerated. - That is why I am saying today that in the coming 10 years, by 2035, all the important places of the nation, which include strategic as well as civilian areas such as hospitals, railways and any centre of faith, will be given complete security cover through new platforms of technology. This mission, Sudarshan Chakra, a powerful weapon system, will not only neutralise the enemy's attack but will also hit back at the enemy many times more. - When we talk about democracy, independent India, then our constitution is the best lighthouse for us, our centre of inspiration. But 50 years ago, the Constitution of India was strangled. The Constitution of India was stabbed in the back, the country was turned into a prison, an emergency was imposed. - Unity is the most powerful mantra among all these and hence, it will be our collective resolve that no one should be able to break the thread of unity. Carlsberg does not expect consumer environment to improve in the back half but has nonetheless lifted the lower end of its full-year sales guidance. In a statement alongside the Danish brewing giant's first half and second-quarter results yesterday (14 August), CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen said: "We dont expect the consumer environment to improve over the remainder of the year. "Nevertheless, were continuing our long-term investments in key brands and capabilities, including in areas such as digital, marketing and value management, to create an even stronger Carlsberg." For the half year period ended 30 June 2025, the 1664 Blanc maker saw reported revenue grow 18.2% to Dkr45.9bn ($7.1bn), which the company attributed to the acquisition of Britvic. On an organic basis, revenue declined 0.3%, driven by the company's loss of its UK production, distribution and marketing license for San Miguel to Budweiser in July. Operating profit was up 15.1% on a reported basis and grew 2.3% in organic terms, to Dkr7.2bn. Total volumes decreased 16% on a reported basis but declined 1.7% organically to 76.3 million hectolitres. In its second quarter, the business saw total organic revenue rise 0.6% to Dkr25.73bn, excluding the impact from San Miguel. Total organic volumes of both the beer and other beverages segments grew 0.2% in the three months, again excluding San Miguel, to 42.9 million hectolitres. In spite of the negative outlook for the remainder of the year, Carlsberg confirmed its intention to narrow its earning guidance for 2025. The business now expects to see 3% to 5% growth in organic operating profit, compared to a prior 1% to 5% forecast. Being able to narrow our earnings guidance towards the upper end of the range in a difficult trading environment reflects our relentless focus on commercial execution, as well as continued strong performance management and cost discipline", Aarup-Andersen added. In terms of markets, in its first-half Carlsberg saw volumes in Western Europe dip 1.7% organically but rise 44.8% on a reported basis to 30.8 million hectolitres. Revenue in the region was up 34.9% on a reported basis and down 0.8% organically at Dkr25.45bn. The company's Asia market saw total volumes decline 2.8% in the period on an organic basis and reported basis to 25 million hectolitres. Revenue in the region slipped 1.9% organically and 4.1% on a reported basis to Dkr11.2bn. In Asia in particular, the company saw an impact on beer volumes, which dropped 1.7% organically to 22 million hectolitres, driven by soft volumes in Cambodia and Laos. The group's 'other beverages' segment saw a 10.4% organic decline to 3 million hectolitres due to an impact on energy drinks in Cambodia. Six people, including three women, were killed and five others injured after the wall and the roof of two adjacent rooms of a dargah near the Humayun's Tomb in Delhi's Nizamuddin collapsed on Friday, officials said. IMAGE: Rescue operation underway at the wall collapse site near Humayun's tomb in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI on X The incident happened at Dargah Sharif Patte Shah around 3:30 pm. The dargah shares its boundary walls with the 16th century garden-tomb commissioned by Mughal emperor Humayun's first wife Bega Begum in 1558. A senior police officer said the two rooms, one of which was occupied by an imam while the other was a resting room, were in a deteriorating state, and due to heavy rain in the past few days, the roof and one side of a wall collapsed when around 15 people took shelter there. The premises houses a mosque, where people frequently come to pray, a dargah and at least two rooms, officials said. A local said people gathered on the premises to offer Friday prayers at the mosque. There is also a mosque on the premises of the Humayun's Tomb, and since there was a parking lot near the dargah where the incident occurred, some took shelter there because of rain. As the rain intensified, people also took shelter in the imam's room. A total of six people, including a 79-year-old man and three women, died in the incident, while a four-year-old boy was among the five injured, police said. One of the deceased has been identified as Swaroop Chand (79), while the five injured have been identified as Md Shameem, Master Aryan, Gudiya, Rafat Parveen, and Rani (65), a Delhi Fire Services (DFS) officer said. "After the collapse, 12 victims, mostly visitors, were rescued from under the debris. Nine of them were admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, where five died. "A male patient was admitted to the LNJP Hospital, while a female patient was taken to the RML Hospital," DCP (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said. The man admitted to the LNJP Hospital died during treatment, he said. The DVR of the mosque has been taken to the Hazarat Nizamuddin police station, and the caretakers of the mosque are being examined, police said. Civic agencies are being informed for further investigation at their end, they said. Various agencies, including Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Services (DFS), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Archeological Survey of India (ASI), were involved in the rescue operation. The victims belonged to the surrounding areas, Mustafabad and Zakir Nagar. "It is being said that a maulavi stayed here who made 'taveez', and it is suspected that people used to visit the dargah to get that made," an official told reporters. Joint Commissioner of Police Sanjay Kumar Jain said people were visiting the dargah for Friday prayers and were sitting inside the room due to rain when the incident took place. The rescue operation has been completed, police said, adding that 10-12 victims were rescued from under the debris after a call regarding the incident was received at 3:55 pm. A senior DFS officer had initially said that a call regarding the collapse of a portion of a dome at the tomb was received, after which five fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Authorities later clarified that the incident did not involve the main dome of the 16th-century monument but a smaller room within its premises. Vishal Kumar, an eyewitness, told PTI, "I work at Humayun's Tomb. When we heard the noise, my supervisor came running. At least 10 to 12 people were trapped under the debris. The imam is also among the injured." Another eyewitness narrated how close she came to being buried under the debris. "I was only two steps away from entering the room," she said. "It started raining, and everyone went inside to take shelter. Suddenly, the wall collapsed. I kept shouting for help but there was no one nearby. Then some people came running, and we started pulling people out," she added. Among those who lost their lives was Moin Uddin (32), the sole breadwinner for his family. A father to a five-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter, Moin had moved from Bihar and worked at a garment shop to support his family. "He had gone to offer Friday namaz," Waseem Uddin, Moin's landlord, said. "He used to send money back home in Bihar to support his parents and younger brother," he said. Humayun's Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a major tourist attraction, which sees the footfall of hundreds of domestic and foreign visitors daily. "There has been no damage to the Humayun's Tomb. A new structure was being built near the Tomb, a portion of which collapsed," Ratish Nanda, conservation architect at the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), the organisation behind the restoration of Humayun's Tomb, said. PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday warned people of a pre-meditated conspiracy to change the country's demography through illegal infiltration and said no nation can tolerate intruders, as he announced a high-powered demography mission to tackle the problem. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation during Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort in New Delhi on August 15, 2025. Photograph: Altaf Hussain/Reuters In his address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on India's 79th Independence Day, Modi said the country's forefathers made the supreme sacrifice to win freedom for Indians and it is the duty of its citizens to not accept such activities. "Today I want to alert the country about a concern, a challenge. Under a well-thought out conspiracy, the demography of the country is being changed. Seeds of a new crisis are being sown. These 'ghuspaithiya' (intruders) are snatching the livelihood of the youth of my country, these 'ghuspaithiya' are targeting the sisters and daughters of my country, this will not be tolerated. These 'ghuspaithiya' are misleading the innocent tribals and grabbing their land. This country will not tolerate this," Modi said. The prime minister said his government has decided to launch a high-powered demography mission to tackle this crisis. "From the ramparts of Red Fort today, I want to say that we have decided to start a high-powered demography mission. This mission will definitely do its work in a well thought out manner in set time frame to deal with the grave crisis that is looming over India and we are moving ahead in that direction." Modi warned that when demographic changes take place, especially in the border areas, they create a national security crisis. "It also creates a crisis for our unity, integrity and progress. It sows the seeds of social tension. No nation in the world can hand over its country to 'ghuspaithiya' then how can we hand over Bharat to them," Modi stressed. "Our ancestors gained freedom for us by making their supreme sacrifices. They gave us an independent India and it is our duty that we do not accept such activities. This will be our true tribute to them," he added. Modi had warned about infiltration during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and had used the term 'ghuspaithiya' in his election campaign. The BJP has been raising the issue of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh marrying tribal girls in West Bengal and Jharkhand. The party has also raised the issue of illegal immigrants in Assam too. The opposition has alleged that the BJP is using the Special Intensive Revision(SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which will later be implemented in Bengal and Assam, to target such illegal immigrants, especially those from the minority community. The comments assume significance with West Bengal going to polls next year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced a project to develop an indigenous air-defence system to protect India's vital military and civilian installations and deliver a decisive response to any enemy threat, a move that came amid concerns over security challenges emanating from Pakistan and China. IMAGE: Mi-17 helicopter of the Indian Air Force with a banner of Operation Sindoor flies above the Red Fort during Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi on August 15, 2025. Photograph: Press Information bureau In his Independence-Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi, Modi also hinted at New Delhi's resolve to reduce dependence on foreign technologies for military platforms as he called for the development of jet engines within the country for India's fighter aircraft. Though the prime minister did not elaborate on the air-defence system named "Sudarshan Chakra", experts said it could be on the lines of Israel's Iron Dome all-weather air-defence system, known as a very effective missile shield. The announcement on the new defence system came days after Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir reportedly hinted at targeting Indian assets along the border, including Reliance Industries Limited's Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat, in case of any future military confrontation between the two neighbouring countries. Announcing the launch of "Mission Sudarshan Chakra", Modi said it will be aimed at neutralising enemy threat and enhancing India's offensive capabilities. The prime minister linked the mission to Krishna's Sudarshan Chakra, highlighting how India draws inspiration from its rich cultural and mythological heritage to guide modern defence innovations. The mission underscores India's commitment to strategic autonomy, ensuring rapid, precise and powerful responses to any threat, he said. The prime minister urged Indian innovators and youngsters to develop jet engines within the country, ensuring that future defence technology is entirely home-grown and self-reliant. Modi's emphasis on developing an indigenous jet engine also assumes significance as it came amid some hitch in sealing a deal between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and US defence major GE Aerospace to jointly produce a jet engine to power the next generation of India's combat aircraft. GE Aerospace has also missed deadlines in supplying its jet engines to HAL that subsequently caused delays in the Indian aerospace company's delivery of Tejas combat jets to the Indian Air Force. India had launched a project around 35 years back to develop a jet engine for indigenously-built aircraft. However, the Kaveri engine project is yet to be completed. The engine project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 1989 and was primarily rolled out for India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme. An amount of Rs 2,035 crore has already been spent on the project. In his remarks, Modi hailed Operation Sindoor, launched in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack to target terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), as a demonstration of India's self-reliance in defence. He noted that indigenous capabilities, including Made-in-India weapons, enabled the country to act decisively and independently, proving that national security cannot rely on foreign dependence. Tariffs imposed on India by US President Donald Trump for purchases of Russian oil may have pushed New Delhi further into the Beijing-Moscow axis and this lack of focus by Washington is an unforced error, a former top White House official has said. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump. Photograph: Courtesy @WhiteHouse/X National security adviser during the first Trump administration John Bolton made the comments a day before the high-stakes summit meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday. When Trump slapped tariffs on India for buying Russian oil, but not China which also purchases Russia oil, it may have pushed India further into the Beijing-Moscow axis. This lack of focus by the Trump Admin is an unforced error, Bolton said in a post on X on Thursday. Trump has slapped additional 25 percent tariffs on India for its purchases of Russian oil, bringing the total levies imposed on India to 50 per cent. Experts have pointed out that Washington has not imposed similar duties on China, which buys significantly more Russian energy than Delhi. In an interview with CNN, Bolton, who was present for the first summit between Trump and Putin in Helsinki in 2018, noted that the White House has imposed secondary tariffs on countries like India for buying oil and gas from Russia. They have slapped the 25 percent tariff on India, although it hasn't gone into effect yet. I can tell you the reaction in India to that, particularly with no tariff slapped on China, which bought an awful lot more oil and gas from Russia, is the Indians are incandescent about this, Bolton said. Bolton referred to the possible visit by Putin to India later this year and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to China for the first time since 2018. Obviously both Moscow and Beijing are going to try to bring India closer to them. I mean, this could have negative consequences (for the US), because it wasn't well thought through, Bolton said. Last week, when Modi had a telephone conversation with Putin, he invited the Russian leader to India later this year for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. Modi is expected to travel to China later this month, after a gap of over seven years, to attend the Tianjin Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to be held from August 31 to September 1. Mathura on Friday transformed into a virtual fortress on the occasion of Shri Krishna Janmashtami, with thousands of police personnel deployed across the city to ensure the safety of lakhs of devotees. IMAGE: Sri Krishna Janamsthan temple being illuminated ahead of the Sri Krishna Janamsthami celebrations, in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. Photograph: ANI Photo District authorities divided the city into four zones and 18 sectors, deploying more than 5,000 police officers and personnel. With the three-day Krishna Mahotsav underway, the entry of all heavy vehicles into the city has been banned. In addition, due to heavy footfall on routes leading to the Shri Krishna Janmasthan temple, the movement of vehicles has also been restricted, officials said. Social media activity is under strict watch, and the inner area of the Janmasthan temple has been designated a red zone with extra police presence. The yellow and green zones around it are manned by plain-clothed personnel, including women officers. Barricades have been set up at multiple points, where police and Provincial Armed Constabulary teams are screening visitors to prevent the entry of unwanted elements, they said. Entry to the temple is now through the northern gate (Govind Nagar side), while the main gate is being used for exit. Mobile phones, key rings, wristwatches, and any electronic devices are strictly prohibited inside. Devotees have been advised not to carry items like shoes, bags, matches, lighters, or umbrellas to the temple, and to leave them safely at their accommodation to avoid difficulties during the exit, which will be from a different point. To assist pilgrims, the police have launched a website brajdham.co.in to provide information on temples, routes, restrictions and other guidelines. The Krishna Mahotsav 2025 began in the morning with a grand procession from the Shri Krishna Janmasthan temple, featuring 300-400 folk artistes performing along the route. The procession started from the main gate, passed through Deeg Gate, Roopam Cinema Tiraha, Govind Nagar police station, Mahavidya Colony, and Potra Kund, before returning to the main gate. Railways have extended services and added temporary halts to accommodate the influx of devotees arriving from Delhi, Bhopal and other cities. Several trains will run to Mathura until August 18. Additional temporary halts have been provided at Bhuteshwar station for multiple long-distance trains, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-?Amritsar, Korba-?Amritsar, Puri-?Yoganagari Rishikesh and Agra Cantt-New Delhi. The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation has also increased bus frequency between Mathura and Agra to meet the surge in passenger demand. Amid uncertainty over the next round of talks with the United States on a proposed trade pact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he will stand like a wall to protect the interests of farmers and fishermen and India will never compromise on their interests. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi raises his arms during his address to the nation during Independence Day celebrations at the historic Red Fort in Delhi on August 15, 2025. Photograph: Altaf Hussain/Reuters The remarks are important as the US is seeking duty concessions from India in agriculture and dairy sectors in the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA), being negotiated between the two countries. The US has imposed steep tariffs on India. Trump has ratcheted up tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent, which will come into effect from August 27. At present, 25 per cent tariffs are there on Indian goods entering American market. "Modi is standing like a wall against any harmful policy related to the farmers, fishermen and cattle rearers of India. India will never accept any compromise regarding its farmers, its livestock rearers, its fishermen," he said while addressing the nation on the 79th Independence Day. Modi, in his 103-minute Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, did not make any direct reference to Trump's tariffs. On August 7 also, in a subtle message directed at US President Donald Trump, Modi had said that India will never compromise on the interests of its farmers, fishermen and dairy sector, and declared he was prepared to bear a significant personal cost if necessary. In the proposed BTA, the US is seeking reduced tariffs on products like corn, soybeans, apples, almonds and ethanol, as well as increased access for US dairy products. New Delhi is, however, strongly opposing these demands as it affects the livelihood of small and marginal farmers. India has never given any duty concessions to any of its trading partners, including Australia and Switzerland, with whom it has signed trade agreements. The prime minister also said that at a time when economic selfishness is increasing day by day in the global situation, there is no need to keep harping on those crisis. Instead, he said, there is a need to strengthen ourselves and move forward as "no selfishness can trap us in its clutches". Imposition of sweeping tariffs against a number of countries including India has created uncertainties at the global trade front. Indian exporting community from labour intensive sectors such as textiles, leather and footwear and gems and jewellery have raised serious concerns over high duties on India as it would affect India's USD 86 billion worth of exports to the US. The two countries are negotiating the trade pact with an aim to more than double the bilateral trade to USD 500 billion by 2030 from the current USD 191 billion. So far, five rounds of talks have been completed for the proposed agreement. A US team is scheduled to visit India from August 25 for the sixth round of talks. But so far there are no formal communications from the US on this visit. Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal has said that the status of a US delegation visiting India for the next round of bilateral trade talks will be known closer to the scheduled date of August 25. Though, he has stated that the two countries are fully engaged in the trade negotiations. The US and India have announced plans to conclude the first phase of BTA by fall (September-October) of 2025. The discussions with the US is happening at the levels of ministers, diplomatic and trade negotiators. India on Thursday hoped that its relationship with the US will continue to move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests, in remarks that came amid strain in ties between the two countries following President Donald Trump slapping 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods. President Trump has earlier ruled out any trade talks between the two countries until the tariff issue is resolved. According to think tank GTRI, the imposition of a 50 per cent US tariff on Indian goods will impact exports of nine product categories, including shrimp, organic chemicals, apparel, and jewellery by 50-70 per cent. In 2024-25, the bilateral trade between India and the US stood at USD 131.8 billion (USD 86.5 billion exports and USD 45.3 billion imports). India's goods exports to the US rose 19.94 per cent to USD 8.01 billion in July while imports increased 13.78 per cent to about USD 4.55 billion during the month. During April-July, the country's exports to the US increased 21.64 per cent to USD 33.53 billion, while imports rose 12.33 per cent to USD 17.41 billion. The US was the largest trading partner of India in the April-July period (USD 12.56 billion bilateral trade) 2025-26. India's exports to America is recording positive growth since April this year. A 24-year-old nurse was found dead at a private nursing home in West Bengal's Hooghly district, the police said on Friday, triggering political unrest and allegations of a cover-up. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo Tensions escalated as supporters of the CPI-M's student and youth wings and the BJP Yuva Morcha mobbed the vehicle carrying the woman's body, which was brought from Walsh Hospital morgue in Hooghly district to Kolkata for post-mortem examination. According to police, the woman, a resident of Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district, had joined the nursing home four days ago. Her body was found hanging from a ceiling in a room on the third floor of the facility in Singur on Thursday. While the nursing home management claimed it to be a case of suicide, the woman's family has alleged she was sexually assaulted and murdered, saying she had uncovered irregularities in the nursing home's operations. "We have no faith in any post-mortem examination conducted at a state hospital," the woman's father said. "We want the autopsy to be done at AIIMS Kalyani or Command Hospital, Alipore, to ensure a fair and transparent investigation," he demanded. Meanwhile, there was high drama when members of the CPI(M)'s student wing, SFI, and the BJP Yuva Morcha gathered outside the hospital in Kolkata where the woman's body was brought for post-mortem examination. Both sides traded charges against each other that they were involved in a nexus with local TMC leaders and were trying to shield the nursing home management so that the real reason behind the nurse's death never comes out "like the RG Kar rape and murder." CPI-M's student wing SFI state secretary Debanjan Dey said, "The BJP is trying to deflect the focus from the reason behind the death of a sister. As our comrades arrived at the medical college to prevent any attempt to cover up the real reason behind the death, the BJP Yuva Morcha workers arrived at the spot and created a ruckus to help TMC." Contradicting their claim, BJP Yuva Morcha leader Tamaghna Ghosh said, "The family of the deceased wants post-mortem examination of their daughter be conducted at a central government-run hospital - either AIIMS Kalyani or Command Hospital Alipore. Our workers have assembled at the spot to be on the side of the family and ensure police cannot whisk them away and conduct the process at a state hospital to suppress facts." He also alleged SFI was working covertly to help TMC. "We will not allow them to repeat another botched up post-mortem examination like the one conducted at RG Kar following the rape-murder of the medic one year ago," Ghosh alleged. A senior Hooghly district police official said they were investigating the case. "We are waiting for the autopsy report before taking any action," the official said. The opposition BJP and CPI-M held demonstrations in the area after the body was found on Thursday, alleging that the nurse was murdered and possibly subjected to sexual torture. State minister Becharam Manna, who is the local TMC MLA, said action will be taken if police investigation finds any foul play in her death. TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said both the BJP and CPI-M have ganged up to do politics over the unnatural death of a young woman. The father of the deceased woman told reporters, "I don't have faith in the post-mortem examination conducted by state establishments. My daughter's body was first taken to Walsh Hospital morgue against our wishes. And then, despite our objection, the police took the body to Kolkata for autopsy, which is also against our wish. We want the post-mortem examination to be done at either AIIMS Kalyani or Command Hospital or any other central hospital," he added. Deputy commissioner (Central), Indira Mukherjee, confirmed that the body is being kept at the Kolkata police morgue on the medical college campus under strict security. She added that police will approach the Calcutta high court on August 16 to seek permission for conducting the autopsy at a central hospital, which requires judicial approval. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday and assured them of all help in the wake of a cloudburst in Kishtwar district that has killed at least 60 people and injured more than 100, officials said. IMAGE: A view of an area affected by the deadly flood caused by heavy rain in Chasoti town of Kishtwar district. Photographs: Reuters A massive flash flood triggered by the cloudburst struck the remote mountain village of Chisoti in Kishtwar on Thursday. Authorities have so far identified 30 of the bodies retrieved, the officials said on Friday. Modi spoke with Abdullah and Sinha and took stock of the situation. In a post on X, the prime minister said, "Spoke to Jammu and Kashmir LG, Shri Manoj Sinha Ji and CM Shri Omar Abdullah Ji regarding the situation in the wake of the cloudburst and flooding in Kishtwar." "Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected," he added. Earlier, addressing an Independence-Day function at Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium, Abdullah said at least 60 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in the tragic incident. There were two Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel among the deceased. To identify the deceased, the authorities shared their pictures through a WhatsApp group with the affected families, resulting in the identification of 30 of them. More than 160 people have so far been rescued and the condition of 38 of them is said to be serious. The officials said the death toll could go up as more people are believed to be trapped. The Union Territory administration has set up a control room-cum-help desk in Paddar, about 15 km from Chositi, to assist people and pilgrims. Five officials have been put on duty at the control room. The numbers provided are -- 9858223125, 6006701934, 9797504078, 8492886895, 8493801381, and 7006463710. Since the tragedy struck, the help desk has received scores of distress calls, the officials said, adding that the authorities are trying to trace 69 people reported missing by their families at the help desk. "We have shared the pictures of the bodies with them," an official said. There are two villages ahead of the cloudburst-hit belt -- Machail and Hamori -- where hundreds of people are stranded, the officials said, adding that their mobile phone batteries have been exhausted due to the snapping of the power supply to the belt following the disaster. Once contact is established, authorities will get to know the exact whereabouts of these people, they said. Fresh search operations will also dig out more victims from the debris and mud in the area, the officials said. The villagers said they had seen 10 bodies floating in the Chenab river. Chisoti, a base camp for the annual Machail Mata Yatra, was bustling with pilgrims when the disaster struck between 12 noon and 1 pm on Thursday. A large number of people had gathered there for the pilgrimage that began on July 25 and was scheduled to end on September 5. The 8.5-km trek to the 9,500-foot shrine begins from Chisoti, which is located about 90 km from Kishtwar town. The yatra remained suspended for the second day on Friday. The floods, accompanied by mudslides and debris flows, buried houses, shops and vehicles. At least 16 residential houses and government buildings, three temples, four water mills and a 30-metre span bridge, besides more than a dozen vehicles, were damaged in the flash floods in Chisoti and downstream, the officials said. The flash floods also swept away a security camp and several vehicles parked at the bus stand. A temple in the middle of the flooded area miraculously survived. A langar (community kitchen) set up for the devotees bore the brunt of the cloudburst, which caused flash floods and washed away several structures, including shops and a security outpost. Many vehicles at the bus stand, the starting point for the foot journey to the Himalayan temple of Machail Mata, were severely damaged by floodwaters and mud. A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team reached Chisoti on Friday. "The NDRF team is joining the operation currently underway in the village. They reached Gulabgarh late in the night," Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Sharma told PTI. Sharma, who is supervising the operation, said choppers could not be operated due to bad weather, so the NDRF team came by road from Udhampur. Two more teams are on their way and will be joining the operation, the officials said. The Army has also inducted one more column to intensify the search-and-rescue operations, they said. Rashtriya Rifles troops have joined the operation. Five columns of 60 personnel each, totalling 300 troops, along with medical detachments of the White Knight Corps, are on the ground, working tirelessly in coordination with police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and civilian agencies to save lives and assist those in need. Volunteer teams of Ababeel, with nine ambulances, reached the village and joined the operation on Thursday, said Adil, one of the members. Another group, Hilal Volunteers, also joined in the rescue operation and ferried the injured to hospitals. Despite rains, the rescue-and-relief operations resumed early on Friday after a night-long pause to look for survivors feared trapped under rubble and mud. Several earth-movers requisitioned by the district administration joined the operation to move giant boulders, uprooted trees and electricity poles to speed up the rescue-and-relief operation, the officials said. Videos showed torrents of muddy water, silt and rubble tearing through the steep slopes, destroying everything on the way. Houses folded over like a pack of cards, rocks came tumbling down, blocking roads and rescue paths. The deputy commissioner, along with Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, Naresh Singh, is camping in the area to oversee the multi-agency operation on the ground. The Jammu and Kashmir health and medical education department has reinforced critical infrastructure to ensure optimal patient care in the wake of the tragedy. A health department official said a team of specialist doctors from PGI-Chandigarh is slated to reach the Government Medical College (GMC) in Jammu to assist in medical care and bolster critical-care capabilities. According to the official, critical health infrastructure has been reinforced at a sub-district hospital close to the cloudburst site, with an additional deployment of 13 doctors and 31 paramedics. Senior officers of the department are stationed at Padder, overseeing rescue and medical operations, he said, adding that the district hospital at Kishtwar has been prepped up with the additional deployment of general and orthopaedic surgeons, and anaesthetists from the GMC in Doda. Tertiary-care institutions have been put in a state of full readiness, the officials said, adding that a team comprising specialists has been readied at the GMC-Doda to manage the patients being referred from the Kishtwar district hospital. The GMC-Jammu is in full operational readiness with 50 dedicated disaster beds, 20 ventilator beds and five operating theatres, another official said. He said specialist medical teams, comprising orthopaedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, critical-care anaesthetists and maxillofacial consultants, are on standby. The GMC-Jammu blood bank has kept more than 200 units for any exigency. Immediately following the incident, 65 ambulances from the health department, NHPC, Army, CRPF and 108 Emergency Service of the Jammu and Kashmir health and medical education department were deployed for rescue and patient transfer, the official said. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday delivered a forceful Independence Day speech, criticising the practice of linking terror attacks to Jammu and Kashmir's political future and asserting that Pakistan should not be allowed to influence it through terrorism. Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com IMAGE: Jammu and Kashmir Chief minister Omar Abdullah during the Independence Day celebration in Srinagar. In his first speech since Jammu and Kashmir was downgraded to a union territory, he announced a signature campaign would be launched to press the demand for restoration of statehood. Abdullah's remarks came a day after a Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, said "incidents like Pahalgam" must be considered when deciding on statehood. Pakistani terrorists killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists, in the Baisaran meadow in south Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. In his speech at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, Abdullah termed the reference to Pahalgam "unfortunate" and directly challenged the idea of letting terror dictate the region's political future. He said, "Will the killers of Pahalgam and their masters in the neighbouring country decide whether we will be a state?" "Every time we are close to statehood, they will do something to sabotage it. Is this fair? Why are we being punished for a crime in which we had no role?" the chief minister questioned, pointing that residents from Kathua to Kupwara protested the Pahalgam attack on their own will. Photograph: Nikhil Lakshman/ Rediff.com IMAGE: Women participate in I-Day celebration at Bakshi stadium in Srinagar. Abdullah asserted that successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir progressively brought down militancy. "Elected government, whether mine or of others, did not allow such incidents. We had brought down the militancy-related parameters every year. Today it is said that we cannot handle the situation. We have not failed earlier and we will not fail in future as well. You will have to trust us," he said. To fight the recent legal and political setbacks, the chief minister announced a plan to take the people's voice directly to Delhi. "The Supreme Court has given us eight weeks," he said, referring to the time granted by the apex court before the next hearing on the statehood issue. "Me and my colleagues will use these eight weeks to go to each of the 90 assembly constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir." Photograph: Archana Masih/ Rediff.com IMAGE: Security personnel stand guard outside Bakshi stadium in Srinagar. As part of this door-to-door campaign, he said, people will be asked for their signatures or thumb impressions to answer a single question -- "Do you want to make Jammu and Kashmir a state again or not?" He promised to obtain signatures from lakhs of people and submit them before the central government and the Supreme Court as a clear public mandate. An emotional Abdullah, while admitting that he his political image has suffered due to dual power centres in Jammu and Kashmir, confessed that after much contemplation, he decided to speak from his heart in his inaugural Independence Day address instead of reading a scripted government speech. "If I had read that, the people of Jammu and Kashmir would have thought that all is well. There is no question of change," he said. The CM also spoke about the fading hope for a major announcement from New Delhi regarding Jammu and Kashmir's future. He said his well-wishers told him that he could expect a significant change, but admitted that his hope had begun to dim. "We waited impatiently for that speech," he said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation on Independence Day. "I was even told that the documents are being prepared... We waited. It did not happen. The truth is that the ray of light have started to fade," he said. However, Abdullah insisted that he is not "helpless" and refused to accept the status quo. In his speech, Abdullah reflected on the changes that have occurred over the last 11 years, since he last addressed the public from the same venue. "When I was standing here 11 years ago, I was the chief minister of J&K state. In this country, we had our own identity, our own special status, our own flag, our own constitution. Today, none of that is left." Reflecting on his previous tenure from 2009 to 2014, Abdullah highlighted the significant differences between leading a state and a union territory. "I am the only person in the whole world who can really tell the difference," he said and described the current governance model as a system "not for success" but "for failure". The chief minister likened his government to a horse which has its front legs tied and is expected to gallop. "It (the horse) may walk but it will not reach the destination as fast as expected," he said, adding, "We have been given a government. There are powers in the government. But somewhere our hands are tied behind our backs." Taking on the bureaucracy, Abdullah said while the government is accountable to the assembly, and the assembly to the people, the bureaucracy is failing to answer to the elected government. This breakdown disrupts the "triple chain of accountability" essential for a successful democratic government, he said. Abdullah lamented that many of the cabinet's decisions are being changed or stopped without its consent. He questioned the point of having an elected government if it is not empowered to govern effectively. "What I regretfully say today is that we don't have that power," he said, emphasising that a "new Jammu and Kashmir" cannot be achieved without the full powers of statehood. Despite the challenges, he said, he is not ready to accept the current situation and will not rest until justice is achieved. "We will get justice... and we will rest only after that by God's will," he said. US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of their high-stakes summit in Alaska. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump departs for Alaska to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for Ukraine talks, in Washington, DC, August 15, 2025. Photograph: ANI on X/Reuters Trump stated that Russia will face "severe economic consequences" if Putin doesn't show interest in de-escalating the Ukraine conflict. He made the remarks on Friday (local time), ahead of the much-anticipated Alaska talks between him and the Russian President, which will focus on exploring ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war. "Yes, Russian President Vladimir Putin will face severe economic consequences if he is not interested. I am not doing this for my health. I don't need it. I would like to focus on our country. But I am doing this to save a lot of lives," said Trump. He made the remarks on board US Air Force One on his way to attend the face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska that could determine not only the trajectory of the war in Ukraine but also the fate of European security. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said there would be "very severe consequences" for Russia if President Vladimir Putin didn't agree to end the war in Ukraine during the two leaders' meeting on Friday, as per a report by CNN. Trump said, "There will be consequences," during an event at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Earlier in the day, Trump shared a post on Truth Social, where he said, "High Stakes!" Previously, while speaking to the media, Trump expressed confidence that Putin is now ready to pursue peace. The summit is scheduled for August 15 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. "I think President Putin will make peace and President Zelensky will make peace," Trump told reporters. Looking beyond the Alaska talks, Trump outlined plans for a follow-up meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, possibly joined by European leaders. He called that session potentially more important than the first. "We have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow. I think it's gonna be a good meeting, but the more important meeting will be the second meeting that we're having. We're gonna have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, me, and maybe we'll bring some of the European leaders along, maybe not," he said. The talks will focus on exploring ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war, including ceasefire arrangements, prisoner exchanges, arms-control measures, and possible economic or security guarantees. Trump has vowed to "end the Ukraine war quickly," while Putin is seeking recognition of Russia's territorial gains and relief from Western sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has refused to surrender territory and hasn't been invited to the summit. The summit's outcome could reshape global energy flows and influence India's import strategy. If a peace deal is reached, India might benefit from reduced energy prices and eased trade pressure. However, a breakdown in talks could keep commodity markets volatile and US trade pressure intact. The meeting's outcome could have significant implications for global markets, with investors awaiting clues about the health of the US economy and potential shifts in US-Russia relations. As per the White House, several officials are travelling with the US President aboard Air Force One. They include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Ambassador Steve Witkoff, amongst others. By Emma Rumney and Soren Jeppesen LONDON/COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Carlsberg missed half-year profit and volume forecasts on Thursday and warned it did not expect the consumer environment to improve in the rest of 2025, sending the Danish brewer's shares down almost 7% in early trading. The latest report by the world's third-largest brewer - behind Anheuser-Busch InBev and Heineken - was received with similar pessimism to those of its rivals in recent weeks as investors sent shares declining. While Carlsberg, which makes Kronenbourg 1664, Tuborg and Somersby, raised the bottom end of its annual profit guidance, that did not offset slower-than-expected first-half operating profit growth of 2.3%, and a 1.7% decline in volumes. CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen said on a media call that the brewer's performance was strong in a difficult year, and that it anticipated slightly better volume growth in the second half. Still, he wasn't optimistic on consumer spending, which was being reined in by price increases and uncertainty, adding: "There is no indication as we move into the second half that that's going to change." Big brewers have been battling reduced demand, the impact of U.S. tariffs and poor weather, and their weak performance or volume expectations have left investors fretting over growth prospects. Carlsberg's shares were down 5.8%, after earlier falling as much as 6.7%, its steepest decline since July 2024. Haider Anjum, analyst from Jyske Bank, said he was surprised by the share price reaction, given Carlsberg's relatively strong performance. But Laurence Whyatt, analyst at Barclays, said the market had been "punishing volume misses" like Carlsberg's, which was driven by a weaker-than-expected performance in Asia. OPTIMISM FADES As well as temporary challenges, brewers also face questions around longer-term shifts, such as some consumers cutting back on alcohol for health reasons. Altogether, these issues have dampened earlier optimism around the sector. Carlsberg had also pledged to deliver revenue growth of between 4% and 6% annually each year until 2027, but Aarup-Andersen told investors on a call that in a year like 2025, that may not be "fully realistic." While it narrowed its expectations for annual operating profit growth to 3% to 5%, compared with 1% to 5% before, analysts said they were already expecting 4%. ($1 = 6.3777 Danish crowns) (Reporting by Emma Rumney;Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Bernadette Baum) United States President Donald Trump has claimed that the tariffs imposed on India for purchasing oil from Russia have influenced Moscow's decision to seek a meeting with Washington, as the country was losing its second largest customer. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump has said that India's purchasing of Russian oil is fuelling the war machine. Photograph: @WhiteHouse/X The comments come ahead of Trump's high-profile meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Friday in Anchorage, Alaska. In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Trump said, "I think everything has an impact," and claimed that when he told India that "we're going to charge you, because you're dealing with Russia and oil purchases", it "essentially took them out of buying oil from Russia". "And then they (Russia) called, and they wanted to meet. We're going to see what the meeting means. But certainly, when you lose your second largest customer, and you're probably going to lose your first largest customer, I think that probably has a role. "India was the second largest, and getting pretty close to China. China is the largest (purchaser of Russian oil)," the US president said. India on Thursday said it has not halted oil purchases from Russia in response to the US President's tariff threat and continues to buy based solely on economic considerations. Trump last week announced an additional 25 per cent tariff on US imports from India -- raising the overall duty to 50 per cent -- as a penalty for the country's continued imports of Russian oil. The tariffs will come into effect from August 27. Since the steep tariffs are likely to hit the USD 40 billion of non-exempt exports that India does to the US, there has been chatter around stopping or curtailing oil imports from Russia. However, AS Sahney, Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the country's largest oil firm, has clarified that there is "no pause" on Russian oil imports, and India's intent to continue buying Russian oil remains unchanged. "We continue to buy, purely based on economic considerations, that is to say if the pricing and characteristics of the crude make sense in our scheme of processing, we buy," he told reporters in New Delhi. Responding to the US tariffs, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security, it said. Trump has said that India's purchasing of Russian oil is fuelling the war machine. Imposing tariffs on India will not stop Russian President Vladimir Putin or address Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats said on Friday. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 21st annual India-Russia summit, Hyderabad House, in New Delhi, December 6, 2021. Photograph: ANI Photo The committee's post on X came in response to a statement by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that if things don't go well between US President Donald Trump and Putin at their Alaska summit meeting, then secondary sanctions on India for purchasing Russian oil could go up. Tariffing India won't stop Putin. If Trump really wanted to address Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, maybe punish Putin and give Ukraine the military aid it needs. Everything else is smoke and mirrors, the House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats said. Bessent, in an interview with Bloomberg on Wednesday, said, I think everyone has been frustrated with President Putin. We expected that he would come to the table in a more fulsome way. It looks like he may be ready to negotiate. And we put secondary tariffs on the Indians for buying Russian oil. And I could see, if things don't go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up, he added. When asked about China, the main purchaser of Russian crude, Bessent had said he is not going to get ahead of the president, but the president is the best at creating leverage for himself and he will make it clear to President Putin that all options are on the table. On whether sanctions can go up or loosened, Bessent had said, Sanctions can go up, they can be loosened. They can have a definitive life. They can go on indefinitely. He had added that even as Trump is meeting with Putin, the Europeans need to join us and need to be willing to put on these secondary sanctions. Bessent recalled that at the G7 meeting in Canada this year, he asked the leaders at the table whether they are willing to put a 200 per cent secondary tariff on China. And you know what, everybody wanted to see what kind of shoes they were wearing, he said. Trump imposed tariffs totalling 50 percent on India, including 25 percent for Delhi's purchases of Russian oil that will come into effect from August 27. Responding to the tariffs, the Ministry of External Affairs has said that the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security, it said. The Congress on Friday termed as "most troubling" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's praise for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in his Independence Day speech, saying it is a "breach" of the spirit of constitutional and secular republic and a desperate attempt to appease the Sangh in the run-up to his 75th birthday. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures during his address to the nation during Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort in New Delhi on August 15, 2025. Photograph: Press Information Bureau "The PM was tired today. Soon he will be retired," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said and slammed the prime minister's speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort as "stale, hypocritical, insipid", claiming he recycled his oft-repeated slogans of 'Viksit Bharat' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' with "little" to show as measurable outcomes. "The most troubling element of the PM's speech today was his name-checking of the RSS from the ramparts of the Red Fort - a blatant breach of the spirit of a constitutional, secular republic. "It is nothing but a desperate attempt to appease the organisation in the run-up to his 75th birthday next month," AICC general secretary, communications, Ramesh said in a post on X. The Congress leader's reference was to RSS chief Bhagwat's remarks that leaders should give a chance to younger leaders on attaining the age of 75 years, which many in the opposition feel are aimed at Prime Minister Modi. "Decisively weakened after the events of June 4th, 2024, he is now at their complete mercy and reliant on Mohan Bhagwat's good offices for the extension of his tenure post-September. This politicisation of Independence Day for personal and organisational gain is deeply corrosive to our democratic ethos," Ramesh said. The PM's speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort today was " stale, hypocritical, insipid, and troubling", the Congress general secretary said. "The 'Made-in-India' semiconductor chip promise has now been made innumerable times -- each time with fanfare, each time without delivery. It has in fact been made with a huge lie -- which is Mr. Modi's trademark -- given that India's first Semiconductor Complex was set up in Chandigarh in the early 1980s," Ramesh said. Referring to the promise of doubling farmer's income, he said, "The rhetoric on protecting farmers has become hollow and unbelievable given his history of attempting to bulldoze the three black farm laws and in the absence of a legal guarantee for MSP, the setting of MSP at 50% over the comprehensive cost of cultivation, or a farm loan waiver". The "lip-service" to job-creation as a target has also become an empty ritual rather than a credible roadmap, he said. Ramesh also raised the issue of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar and said Modi is yet to answer any of the questions raised by the Leader of Opposition over the credibility of the election mechanism. "The PM waxed eloquent on unity, inclusion, and democracy, at a time when he has presided over and engineered the collapse of our most foundational Constitutional institutions like the Election Commission. "He has yet to answer any of the most foundational questions raised by the Leader of Opposition over the credibility of the election mechanism, and is going full throttle with a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar which has disenfranchised lakhs of voters. His claims of empowering states ring hollow when the Centre continues to erode federalism, marginalise elected state government, and throttle or topple Opposition-run governments," Ramesh said. He said Independence Day should be a moment for vision, candour, and inspiration. "Instead, today's address was a bland mix of self-congratulation and selective storytelling -- devoid of any honest acknowledgement of the deep economic distress, the unemployment crisis, and the glaring and growing economic inequality in our society. US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) landed at the Elmendorf Air Base in Anchorage, Alaska, to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, CNN reported. Putin has also arrived in Anchorage, according to Russian state media. IMAGE: Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump meet along with aides at Anchorage, Alaska, August 15, 2025. Source: Reuters The meeting is scheduled at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. As per CNN, the change-up in the format of today's bilateral meeting -- from a one-on-one to a larger group -- is significant. Trump's one-on-one meetings with Putin during his first term were clouded with mystery. With only a translator inside the room, it was often unclear what exactly was discussed. Aides had a difficult time ascertaining if the two reached any agreements. After one such meeting, in Germany, Trump asked his interpreter to discard his notes. The addition of two aides to today's session -- Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff -- could allow for greater clarity once the meeting concludes, particularly if Russia offers an accounting of events that differs from the US perspective, as per CNN. One of them will also be able to take notes, which is often an essential factor in the real-time record of high-level summits. On Air Force One en route to Alaska, Trump told reporters that he wasn't having the meeting to broker a deal on behalf of Ukraine, but said instead, his goal was getting Putin to the table. He also stopped short of promising security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a deal to end the war. Trump said he spoke to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko -- a staunch Putin ally -- ahead of the summit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is not attending the meeting, emphasised that Ukraine will be "counting on America." If the summit goes well, Trump has suggested organizing a trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy, which the Ukrainian leader expressed support for, as per CNN. Russian Ambassador to the US, Alexander Darchiev, said he expected a positive outcome but no breakthrough from the Trump-Putin summit, Russian state media RIA Novosti reported, as quoted by CNN. Instead, Moscow expects "constant and gradual movement," Darchiev said, according to RIA. Russian President Putin and his US counterpart Trump would "discuss the entire agenda," RIA quoted Darchiev as saying, without elaborating. The talks will focus on exploring ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war, including ceasefire arrangements, prisoner exchanges, arms-control measures, and possible economic or security guarantees. Trump has vowed to "end the Ukraine war quickly," while Putin is seeking recognition of Russia's territorial gains and relief from Western sanctions. Zelenskyy has refused to surrender territory and hasn't been invited to the summit. The summit's outcome could reshape global energy flows and influence India's import strategy. If a peace deal is reached, India might benefit from reduced energy prices and eased trade pressure. However, a breakdown in talks could keep commodity markets volatile and US trade pressure intact. The meeting's outcome could have significant implications for global markets, with investors awaiting clues about the health of the US economy and potential shifts in US-Russia relations. US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said that territorial swaps between Ukraine and Russia will be discussed in his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, but emphasised that Ukraine will have the final say in any such decisions. IMAGE: US President Donald trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photograph: Reuters Trump made this statement while en route to Alaska, where the high-stakes summit is expected to focus on ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump reiterated that he is not negotiating on behalf of Ukraine, but rather aiming to bring the parties to the negotiating table. Speaking to reporters ahead of the Friday summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Trump said, "They will be discussed, but I will let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they will make a proper decision. But I am not here to negotiate for Ukraine; I am here to get them to a table. And I think you have two sides. Putin wanted to take all of Ukraine. If I weren't the President, he would right now be taking all of Ukraine. But he is not going to do it." His comments came shortly after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Anchorage wearing a white T-shirt with "CCCP," the Soviet Union's abbreviation, a move widely seen as a symbolic message about Moscow's hardline negotiating stance. Trump also commented on Putin's delegation, noting the presence of Russian business leaders and also sent a message that the US is not going to do business with Russia until the war is over. "Putin is a smart guy. I have noticed he is bringing a lot of business people from Russia, and that's good. I like that because I want to do business. But we are not doing business until the war is over. We have the world's hottest country, and our economy is also the hottest, having set a new stock market record again. We have hundreds of billions of dollars flowing from tariffs." He futher said that Russia is not doing very well economically, so they might come to a decision. "He [Putin] wants peace with that, because his country is not hot economically, and China is also not doing well economically. I want everybody to do well. The war's got to stop, and the killings have got to stop," said Trump. On Russia's continued military attacks in Ukraine Trump defended Putin saying that it hurt him., Trump said, "They are trying to negotiate. He is trying to create a mental framework that helps him make a better deal. It hurts him, but in his mind, it helps him make a better deal if they can continue the killings. Maybe it's his part of the world, maybe it's just his fabric, his genes, his genetics, but he thinks it gives him strength to negotiate. I think it hurts him, but I will be talking to him about it." Trump also warned Putin of "economically severe" consequences if he shows no interest in ending the war in Ukraine. This comes as European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have been pressuring Trump to take a strong stance against Russia. Trump ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine, suggesting instead that security guarantees could be provided "along with Europe and other countries". When asked if the US could offer security guarantees to Ukraine, Trump replied, "Along with Europe and other countries, not in the form of NATO, you know certain things are not going to happen, but yeah, along with Europe, there is a possibility". Trump has vowed to "end the Ukraine war quickly," while Putin is seeking recognition of Russia's territorial gains and relief from Western sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has refused to surrender territory and hasn't been invited to the summit. As per the White House, several officials are travelling with the US President aboard Air Force One. They include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Ambassador Steve Witkoff, amongst others. Two senior Chinese ministers attended India's Independence Day reception in Beijing on Friday. IMAGE: Embassy of India in Beijing celebrates the 79th Independence Day on Friday. Photograph: Courtesy EOI Beijing on X The gesture by the Chinese government comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's likely visit to China for the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation later this month. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Miao Deyu and Vice Minister Sun Haiyan of the International Department of the ruling Communist Party of China were the chief guests at a well-attended reception, held for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic and over the year-long eastern Ladakh stand-off. Sun congratulated India and said that the relations between the two countries are currently maintaining a momentum of improvement and development, the International Department of the Communist Party said in a press release. China is willing to work with India to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, enhance political mutual trust, expand exchanges and cooperation, and promote the healthy and stable development of relations, she said. The Communist Party of China is willing to strengthen exchanges and dialogue with all political parties in India and play a positive role in improving and developing relations, she added. In his address, Indian Ambassador to China Pradeep Kumar Rawat highlighted the importance of India-China relations. Our two peoples have played a significant role in shaping human history, and we have a significant responsibility to promote peace and development, he said. There is a need for India and China to work together to realise the aspirations of 2.8 billion people. Amid global uncertainties, relations between India and China are a factor of stability and balance, he said. Rawat said it was important for the two countries to have a balance in relations, whether it is political, economic or security, based on shared principles of mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest. Relations, he added, had witnessed periods of great development and also of serious challenges. The presence of Vice Minister Sun at the reception assumed significance as earlier in the day, an international news agency reported that she had been detained for questioning by the authorities. Her presence at the reception, however, indicated the report was false. Earlier, Rawat hoisted the tricolour as the Indian Embassy in Beijing celebrated the 79th Independence Day at a colourful ceremony attended by a large number of the diaspora members. Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend the two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation starting on August 31 in Tianjin. Centrica has partnered with Energy Capital Partners (ECP) to acquire the Isle of Grain liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal in the UK from National Grid. The enterprise value of the transaction is 1.5bn, with Centrica's equity investment amounting to approximately 200m for a 50% share. Grain LNG is integral to the UK's energy security, offering essential LNG import/export, regasification and storage capabilities. This acquisition aligns with Centrica's strategy to invest in assets that support the energy transition and provide predictable, long-term cash flows. The terminal's capacity is fully contracted until 2029, with significant commitments extending to 2045. Centrica Group CEO Chris O'Shea said: The Isle of Grain terminal is a strategic asset that will support the UKs energy security for many decades to come, keeping energy flowing reliably and affordably to households and businesses across the country as we transition to net zero." The transaction presents opportunities for operational efficiencies and future development, including potential projects in combined heat and power, bunkering, and hydrogen and ammonia production. Centrica's funding structure for the acquisition involves a combination of equity investment and non-recourse project financing. The acquisition is set to generate strong returns for Centrica, with an expected unlevered internal rate of return (IRR) of around 9% and an equity IRR of more than 14%. It is anticipated to contribute approximately 100m per annum to Centrica's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) by 2028, with average annual cash distributions of around 20m for the years 202628. ECP president and managing partner Tyler Reeder said: As one of the largest private owners of natural gas generation and infrastructure assets in the US, ECP has long understood that natural gas is indispensable to keeping grids resilient and advancing the transition to a lower-carbon future. "With the emergence of the US as the global leader in low-cost LNG supply and the growing need for reliable natural gas supply across the UK and Europe, we believe Grain LNG will increasingly be relied upon as critical infrastructure to deliver dependable energy to local markets." In a related development, Thai energy company PTT has entered into a preliminary agreement to provide Centrica with LNG. Scheduled to commence in 2028, the decade-long contract will see PTT delivering LNG to various locations throughout Asia, with the terms stipulating delivery with the shipping costs included. Former U.S. Attorney for Vermont and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Christina Nolan speaks at a forum at Burr and Burton Academy in May 2022. Matthew Hastings, 26, of Ludlow, Mass., was ordered held without bail pending trial on a felony count of aggravated domestic assault for an incident that occurred at a local hotel on July 31. By Clare Jim and Donny Kwok HONG KONG (Reuters) -CK Hutchison said on Thursday its $22.8 billion ports business sale had a "reasonable chance" of going through after a plan to add a Chinese major strategic investor to the buying consortium, as it tries to navigate through Sino-U.S. tensions. CK Hutchison, based in the Chinese-controlled territory of Hong Kong, has faced heavy criticism from Beijing since unveiling a plan in March to sell 43 ports in 23 countries, including two near the Panama Canal, to a group led by BlackRock and Italian Gianluigi Aponte's family-run shipping firm MSC. President Donald Trump had called for the U.S. to "take back" the Panama Canal, which is used by more than 40% of U.S. container traffic, valued at roughly $270 billion annually, from Chinese influence. CK Hutchison's ports are not on the canal or part of it, however. "We are into a new stage of our deal," group co-managing director and finance director Frank Sixt told analysts at an earnings conference. "There is a reasonable chance that those discussions will lead to a deal that is good for all of the parties, ourselves included. And most importantly, that we'll be capable of being approved by all of the relevant authorities." On July 28, the conglomerate said it was in talks to include a Chinese "major strategic investor" in the bid for its ports, and that it would allow as much time as needed to secure approval in relevant jurisdictions. On Thursday, Sixt said these included China, the U.S., Britain and the European Union. He said the talks were taking much longer than expected but that this was "not particularly troublesome" because the port business had delivered stronger earnings and cash flow this year than expected. Sources have said the investor is COSCO - one of the world's dominant, vertically integrated marine transportation firms. They said COSCO wanted a bigger stake while the other parties were keen to keep it a minority. ALLAYING CHINESE CONCERNS The inclusion of a Chinese investor would alleviate Beijing's security concerns and have its blessing, the sources and other experts have said. COSCO did not respond to a request last month for comment. Thursday's results conference was the first opportunity for analysts to quiz management about the ports deal. But chairman Victor Li, eldest son of Hong Kong's richest man, Li Ka-shing, who took over the conglomerate from his father, was missing for the first time, as was deputy chairman Canning Fok. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have arrived in Alaska for a major face-to-face summit and talks aimed at a possible resolution to nearly 42 months of Russias all-out war on Ukraine. Shortly after Air Force One landed at Joint Base Elmendorf near Anchorage around 10:20 a.m. local time on August 15 the White House announced that the president will not meet one-on-one with Putin as previously planned. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff will join him, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters. Putin will be joined by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, according to TASS. Though Trump and Putin have spoken by phone at least five times since January, the August 15 meeting will be their first face-to-face of Trump's second term. "Look, he's a smart guy. [He's] been doing it for a long time, but so have I," Trump told reporters shortly after taking off from a Washington air force base. "We get along. There's a good respect level on both sides. And I think, you know, something's going to come of" the summit. Ukraine Excluded From Talks With Ukrainian officials left out, the talks, being held at an air base near Anchorage, are shaping up as a pivotal moment: for Ukrainians exhausted by war, for Trump's peace-making aspirations, and for Putin's efforts to recast Russia's standing on the world stage. "We are counting on America. We are ready, as always, to work as productively as possible," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram after Trump took off. "The main thing is that this meeting opens up a real path to honest peace and substantive talks between the leaders in a trilateral format: Ukraine, the United States, and Russia," he wrote. European leaders, who have also been left on the sidelines, were nervous about potential deals that would leave Ukraine in a weaker position or undermine Europe's ability to support Ukraine and stand up to Russia's threats. For Russians, the symbolism of Putin meeting on US soil, moreover on territory that used to be controlled by Russia, was itself a small victory. Putin's ability to travel abroad has been limited by a war crimes arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, and the West has made Putin a pariah for his unprovoked war on Kyiv. For many, negotiating directly with Washington -- and leaving Ukraine on the sidelines of peace talks -- has echoes of the 1945 Yalta Conference, where the Soviet Union, the United States, and Britain all but divided up post-World War II Europe. Trump, confident in his deal-making abilities, has been increasingly frustrated by his inability to halt Russia's war, which has killed or wounded more than 1 million Russian soldiers, according to Western estimates. Ukrainian casualties are running in the hundreds of thousands, too. In comments to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the delegation accompanying Putin included business executives. "I noticed he's bringing a lot of business people from Russia, and that's good. I like that, because they want to do business, but they're not doing business until we get the war out," he said. "We have the hottest country on Earth. We have the hottest economy on Earth," he said, "and [Putin] wants a piece of that, because his country is not hot economically. In fact, it's the opposite, and China's not doing well economically. But...I want everybody to do well. The war is going to stop, and the killing has got to stop." 'Maybe It's Just His Fabric, His Genes' Asked about overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine, Trump also criticized Putin. "I think they're trying to negotiate. He's trying to set [the] stage. I mean, in his mind, that helps him make a better deal. It actually hurts him, but in his mind, that helps him make a better deal, if they can continue the killing," he said. "Maybe it's just his fabric, his genes, his genetics, but he thinks that...gives him strength in negotiating. I think it hurts him, but I'll be talking to him about that." Meeting with top Kremlin officials, Putin -- who has met officially with five different US presidents during his 25 years as Russia's preeminent political figure -- on August 14 signaled optimism about the meeting and suggested a new arms control agreement could be in the works. The White House is making "quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities" and to "reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved," Putin said in a Kremlin video. A growing number of bilateral arms control treaties governing the worlds two largest nuclear arsenals have collapsed, due to acrimony between Washington and Moscow. The last major one, New START, is set to expire next year. While en route to Alaska, Putin stopped in the Far Eastern port city of Magadan, where he laid flowers at a memorial dedicated to Soviet-American cooperation during World War II. Putin has regularly cited US-Russian cooperation in the fight against Nazi Germany as a justification for holding direct negotiations with Washington over Ukraine's fate. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Trump was expected to meet Putin personally when Putin's plane arrives in Alaska. Trump recently suggested that to end the conflict, the biggest in Europe since World War II, Moscow and Kyiv will have to swap land. That has deeply worried the Ukrainians, who currently occupy no Russian territory. Asked about the possibility of "land swap" as part of a deal to the end the Ukraine war, Trump said: "They'll be discussed, but I've got to let Ukraine make that decision... I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I'm here to get them to [the] table." During the flight to Alaska, Trump said he also spoke with Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko, who is a close ally of Russia, and frequent interlocutor for Putin. Lukashenko is largely a pariah in the West, due to his brutal crackdown on Belarusians protesting the 2020 presidential election. But he has also tried to distance himself from the Russian war on Ukraine. In a post to social media, Trump said the purpose of the call was to thank Lukashenko for the release of 16 prisoners and urge the release of 1,300 more. Trump also said he planned to meet with Lukashenko "in the future," which would be unprecedented and a major diplomatic victory for the Belarusian strongman. As Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump prepare to meet in Alaska for a high-stakes summit to discuss ending the 41-month-old war in Ukraine, a feeling of unease is gripping European capitals, especially Kyiv. The August 15 meeting between the two leaders could reshape not only Ukraine's future borders but also European security without either Kyiv or Brussels having a say. Trump has made ending the conflict -- Europe's largest since World War II -- a top foreign policy priority. Confident in his deal-making skills and friendly relationship with Putin, Trump believes that goal can be achieved starting with the one-to-one meeting announced only a week ago. Since then Western officials and experts have expressed concern that Trump, who eschews traditional diplomatic procedures in favor of deal making, will be outwitted by Putin, who has more than a quarter-century of experience negotiating with Western leaders. The surprise announcement of the summit sent Ukrainian and European leaders scrambling to get face time with Trump. While European leaders expressed relief following a call with Trump on August 13, what the 79-year-old US leader will agree to in Alaska is anyone's guess, experts said. "It's really worth noting how remarkable it is that there is such a high degree of uncertainty of what's going to come out of this meeting, said Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. Trump, who has expressed admiration for Putin over the years, tore into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February during a meeting in the Oval Office that shocked the Western world. A few months later, Trump focused his ire on Putin for not agreeing to his demand for a 30-day cease-fire. Despite his rhetoric and threats of sanctions, Trump hasn't imposed any penalties on Russia to date. Zelenskyy on August 14 was in in London to discuss security with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a show of British support. He and other European leaders want to ensure their interests are taken into account when Trump and Putin meet. Summit 'Legitimizes Putin' In Moscow, Putin praised Trump's efforts to end the war in a short video released by the Kremlin, saying the White House is making "quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities" and to "reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved." But there is plenty of skepticism about Putin's true intentions. "Already the fact that this meeting is happening is not playing in Ukraine's favor," said Olga Tokariuk, a fellow with the Democratic Resilience Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). The opposite is true for Russia "because it legitimizes Putin," Tokariuk said, speaking during a conference call on August 14. "He gets a meeting with the US president on US soil without any concessions on his side." A Pivotal Moment There is also skepticism that threatening Putin with tariffs is enough to curb his territorial ambitions. Trump will have to be forceful, said Richard Haas, a former high-ranking State Department official who helped negotiate peace deals on behalf of the United States under previous administrations. "If you really want to change Putin's calculus, you've got to disabuse Putin of one notion that time is on his side, [and] that by continuing this war Russia will gradually grind and grind and grind and get what it wants," Haas said in an interview with US broadcaster CBS. "All President Trump has to do is say, 'Vlad, ain't gonna happen.'" The talks come at a pivotal moment, with Trump increasingly frustrated with Putin and the Russian president showing no signs of bending on the Kremlin's maximalist demands. Trump and Putin have held six phone calls, and the White House's lead envoy has traveled to Moscow at least three times. Trump previously said to end the conflict both sides will have to swap land to end intense fighting that has cost tens of thousands of lives on both sides and displaced millions of Ukrainians. But French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump was "very clear" in a call on August 13 that he wants to achieve a cease-fire at the summit and that Trump had been clear that "territorial issues relating to Ukraine...will only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president." "Trump's thinking is apparently closer aligned with that of the Europeans than first feared by some," one European official told RFE/RL after the call. Trump has warned Russia of "very severe consequences" if it doesn't halt its war against Ukraine but has given no details on what consequences Moscow could face. RFE/RL North American correspondent Todd Prince and Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak contributed to this report. A much-anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has broken up without a deal on a cease-fire in Ukraine and with neither man taking questions from journalists at a news conference. In a terse, three-minute statement to the press after his nearly three-hour meeting with Putin, Trump said his team made "great progress" but that "we haven't quite got there" and that no deal was struck to end the Kremlin's war against Ukraine. Speaking at the US Joint Base Elmendorf near Anchorage, Alaska, where the meeting was held, both Putin and Trump provided almost no detail about what exactly had been agreed or what the sticking points were. Trump, who was criticized in some quarters for meeting Putin without involving Ukraine in the talks, said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, NATO, and European allies to brief them on the results. "There's no deal until there's a deal," Trump cautioned. "I'm going to start making a few phone calls and tell them what happened, but we had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to," he said. "There are just a very few [issues] that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there." Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose sanctions on Russia and tariffs on its trading partners if Moscow did not halt its aggression. However, he has held off on such moves to the frustration of Kyiv and Brussels, expressing concerns that economic penalties on Moscow would stall the diplomacy he has invested so much time into. Trump made no mention of sanctions in his statement. In comments to Fox News' Sean Hannity following the summit, Trump said again that no deal had been struck but claimed that "a lot of points were negotiated" and that "one or two pretty significant items" were agreed upon, but he did not cite specifics. Trump added that "now, it's really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done. And I would also say the European nations -- they have to get involved a little bit. But it's up to President Zelenskyy." Putin spoke of an "understanding" with Trump on the war, without being specific, and said he hoped that Ukraine and its European allies would not '"torpedo" any plans. He said Russia will continue to insist on the elimination of what it calls the "root causes" of the conflict -- which is Kremlin code for putting an end to Ukraine's hopes of NATO membership and steps to effectively disarm the Ukrainian military -- items Kyiv has long rejected. But he also added that "the security of Ukraine should be assured as well." Putin has occasionally questioned Ukraine's very right to exist. Given the time difference, there was no immediate comment from officials in Kyiv or the European Union -- who watched nervously from afar, wary of any developments that could endanger Ukraine's security or sovereignty. Luke Coffey, a senior analyst at the Hudson Institute, told RFE/RL that Putin appeared to be the big winner of the summit and "has basically all but guaranteed" that Russia faces no further sanction or tariffs. "He has bought more time to continue to wage his war and he now has the international legitimacy -- at least from the president of the United States -- that he's craved. And he has done all this without giving anything." Mikhail Alexseev, a professor at San Diego State University, said the lack of progress indicates that Putin had not softened his maximalist demands. "It basically tells me that Russia just repeated its common positions. It did not change its stance," he told RFE/RL. Putin certainly got what he wanted out of this meeting. He got the welcome, the red carpet. He got the handshakes. And in essence, it normalizes his position as the world leader. It sidelines the whole war [and] deflects attention from Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Alexseev said. After Putin arrived at the US base aboard his presidential jet shortly before the summit, Trump greeted him on the tarmac, which was lined with a red carpet. In a surprising move, Putin then joined Trump in the ultra-secure US presidential limousine -- known as "The Beast" -- casually chatting as they headed toward the meeting site, a rare honor for a leader of an adversarial nation. Though Trump and Putin have spoken by phone at least five times since January, the August 15 meeting was their first face-to-face meeting of Trump's second term. Trump has suggested that any resolution to the war could include "swapping of territories." That would conflict with Kyiv's long-standing position that it must regain all the territory Russia currently occupies. Trump did not address the potential land swaps during his remarks to journalists. RFE/RL's Todd Prince in Washington contributed to this report. Speaking with Current Time correspondent Borys Sachalko in the frontline city of Kramatorsk, war-weary Ukrainians shared conflicting views of the meeting in Alaska between the US and Russian leaders on August 15. While some local residents say they would refuse to live under the Russian flag, others say they just want the war to end. September ICE NY cocoa (CCU25) today is up +55 (+0.67%), and September ICE London cocoa #7 (CAU25) is up +17 (+0.30%). NY cocoa prices today stabilized and moved a bit higher after the sharp sell-off from Monday's 2-month high. Cocoa prices rallied to that high due to recent dry weather in West Africa, but forecasts have since emerged for some rain in some cocoa-growing areas of West Africa. More News from Barchart Cocoa prices saw strength through Monday from concern about dry weather in West Africa that threatened the region's cocoa crops. There has been little to no precipitation over the past few weeks in the cocoa-growing areas of the Ivory Coast and Ghana, which could negatively impact the development of cocoa plants. According to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, rainfall in the Ivory Coast and Ghana this season remains below the 30-year average, and combined with high temperatures, risks hurting cocoa pod development for the main crop harvest that starts in October. Cocoa prices have support from tighter inventories. ICE-monitored cocoa inventories held in US ports fell to a 2-month low of 2,234,877 bags on Thursday. Cocoa has support from the slowdown in the pace of cocoa exports from the Ivory Coast. Monday's government data showed that Ivory Coast farmers shipped 1.78 MMT of cocoa to ports this marketing year from October 1 to August 10, up +6.6% from last year but down from the much larger +35% increase seen in December. Quality concerns regarding the Ivory Coast's mid-crop cocoa, which is currently being harvested through September, are supportive of prices. Cocoa processors are complaining about the quality of the crop and have rejected truckloads of Ivory Coast cocoa beans. Processors reported that about 5% to 6% of the mid-crop cocoa in each truckload is of poor quality, compared with 1% during the main crop. According to Rabobank, the poor quality of the Ivory Coast's mid-crop is partly attributed to late-arriving rain in the region, which limited crop growth. The mid-crop is the smaller of the two annual cocoa harvests, which typically starts in April. The average estimate for this year's Ivory Coast mid-crop is 400,000 MT, down -9% from last year's 440,000 MT. Sean McCarthaigh Lord of the Dance star and potential candidate in the presidential election, Michael Flatley, has been ordered by the High Court to provide security for costs in advance of his upcoming legal proceedings against a number of parties over restoration work on his Cork mansion after a fire in June 2016. Mr Justice Eileen Roberts granted applications taken by UK building restoration firm, Austin Newport Group and various insurance underwriters seeking Mr Flatley to provide security for costs in the event they are successful in defending a 30 million legal action being taken by the dancer. They estimate their legal costs could be 2.86 million. Ms Justice Roberts ruled that the dancers intention to return to live in Ireland and to contest the presidential election was not a basis for refusing an order for security. Mr Flatley, who was one of the original performers in Riverdance, claims he and his family had to vacate his Castlehyde property outside Fermoy, Co Cork, in October 2023 after alleged toxic chemical residue was detected during routine maintenance. In the main legal action, he is suing Austin Newport for carrying out alleged defective restoration work after the fire as well as insurance underwriters - MS Amlin Underwriting Ltd, AXA XL Underwriting Agencies Ltd, Hamilton Managing Agency Limited and Lloyds Insurance Company. Mr Flatley claims the various insurers had knowledge of certain issues about the alleged contamination of Castlehyde which they failed to disclose to him when negotiating a settlement agreement. Ms Justice Roberts said the application for security for costs in the case had some unusual aspects as the plaintiff was a person rather than a corporate entity who was claiming he could afford to pay any costs that might ultimately be awarded against him. The judge noted there was also a dispute about whether Mr Flatley is ordinarily resident outside Ireland as well as about the assets he held within the jurisdiction. The Riverdance performer claims he and his family had to vacate Castlehyde, the country estate he bought in 1999, after the main house became uninhabitable in October 2023. The court heard there were various estimates on the value of Castlehyde up to 20 million. However, the defendants became concerned that there would be sufficient equity in the property to cover their legal costs if successful when they became aware there was a legal charge of 7.9 million on Castlehyde. Lawyers for the dancer had argued the application for security for costs was a final effort to derail his legal action against the defendants as well as being an attempt to embarrass him. They claimed it would also be a form of discrimination if Mr Flatley as an Irish citizen with assets in the jurisdiction had an order for security of costs made against him. Ms Justice Roberts noted that a personal plaintiff who is ordinarily resident in Ireland, cannot have an order for security of costs made against them, unlike someone living outside the EU. However, the court heard that Mr Flatley has been living in Monaco since at least 2014 and had effectively used Castlehyde as a holiday home up to October 2023. During the proceedings, Ms Justice Roberts was also informed that Mr Flatley intended moving back to live in Ireland and to seek a nomination to run for President of Ireland. Lawyers for the defendants objected to the admission of such claims on the basis they had previously been advised by Mr Flatleys lawyers that he was moving to live in Paris and later Valencia which never actually happened. The dancers lawyers claimed special circumstances existed which should result in the court refusing the order for security of costs. They included that Mr Flatley had expressed an intention to return to live in Ireland permanently and an undue delay by the defendants in bringing the application for security. Mr Flatleys lawyers also argued that he was a man of means who had ample assets within Ireland to meet any award of costs and was a man of his word who would pay any costs ordered against him. In her ruling, Ms Justice Roberts said it appeared that Mr Flatleys stated intention to return to Ireland was not open-ended or unconditional but there was no evidence he would remain living in Ireland if he was unsuccessful in his Presidential ambitions. However, she ruled that he has been ordinarily resident in Monaco for more than 10 years. The judge said his intention to return to Ireland and contest the presidential election seemed at odds with his argument that he would be residing in Ireland but for the actions of the defendants. There appears to be no reason why the plaintiff could not previously have returned to live in Ireland even if Castlehyde was uninhabitable, she added. The judge noted he has also taken a commercial decision not to live in Castlehyde due to an agreement in September 2023 to lease the house for an annual minimum rent of 1.35 million. Ms Justice Roberts said she could not take into account Mr Flatleys rights to the Lord of the Dance which were variously valued at between 90 million Stg (104 million) and 200 million in assessing the sufficiency of his assets within Ireland. She made a similar finding in relation to Flatley Whiskey Limited as she observed that the dancer had not provided any evidence of his ownership of the company which was valued at 10 million. The judge said taking a midway point of 9.5 million on valuations on Castlehyde was fairest to all parties which would leave net equity of 1.6 million allowing for secured debt on the property. Ms Justice Roberts ruled Mr Flatley is in Ireland on a temporary and conditional basis and the defendants actions had not caused him to live in Monaco. The judge said he had not discharged the burden of proof to show he had sufficient assets within the EU against which a successful defendant could enforce a costs order. She instructed the parties to file and exchange written submissions about the amount of the security by November 14th. Roscommon County Council is inviting expressions of interest for a unique heritage and arts initiative titled The Land of Names/Talamh na nAinmneacha. This community-focused project aims to creatively preserve and reimagine traditional field names across County Roscommon, drawing on local knowledge, oral traditions, and artistic interpretation. The council is seeking a Lead Creative/Coordinator to guide the project from November 2025 to April 2026. The successful applicant will be responsible for coordinating community workshops, facilitating creative engagement, and producing a final illustrated Map of Memory and publication that celebrates Roscommons cultural landscape. The project will build on the Roscommon Heritage Offices ongoing Field Names Collection Project, with materials made available via Meitheal Logainm, offering a rich archive for artistic inspiration. Field names are more than just markers on a map - they carry the stories, language, and memory of our communities, said Aine Butler, Creative Communities Engagement Officer. This project invites artists and storytellers to help us honour and creatively interpret this heritage, making it accessible and meaningful for future generations. Key deliverables will include creative documentation of 3050 field names, community workshops, an illustrated Map of Memory, digital booklet and a community sharing event in April 2026 Applicants can be artists, writers, storytellers, folklorists, or cultural producers with experience in community arts, Irish heritage, and creative coordination. Irish language ability and local knowledge of County Roscommon are desirable but not essential. The initiative is proudly supported by the Roscommon Creative Ireland Programme 2025 For further details, visit: roscommoncoco.ie/community/creative-ireland. Deadline for submissions is 5 p.m., September 8th. Email applications to: creativeireland@roscommoncoco.ie Death toll rises in Cloudburst triggered Flashflood in Chasoti in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar BJP leader Shagun Parihar also met the people injured in the cloudburst incident today. Death toll rises in Cloudburst triggered Flash flood in Jammu and Kashmirs Kishtwar. Latest News In the deadly cloudburst that struck Chasoti village in Jammu and Kashmirs Kishtwar early Thursday, on August 14, at least 60 have been confirmed dead, according to News 18, which cites the speech of J-K CM Omar Abdullah on Independence Day today. Among the deaths are two CISF Jawans, according to reports. Advertisement According to a senior police official, 45 have been confirmed dead while 100 others have been injured. Additional SP Pardeep Singh told news agency ANI, "J&K Police, SDRF, Fire services, central forces including CISF, CRPF, and the Army are carrying out rescue operations. 45 have been confirmed dead, while over 100 injured have been shifted (for treatment)." Many are still feared missing. So far, around 10 have been identified. Personnel from the Army's 16 Corps have been moved to aid rescue efforts. Advertisement J&K Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary on Friday visited Jammu District Hospital to meet the victims of the Kishtwar Cloudburst. J&K Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary said, it's not right to quantify that sorrow. Speaking to the Media, Choudhary said, It is better if we do not discuss the number of deaths. Speaking about the injured, 49 are in the ward and 2 are in the ICU... Whether one or 50 have left us, it is a sorrow, and I believe it's not right to quantify that sorrow. I pray to Maa Machail that the people who are missing are safe and come back to their homes..." Advertisement Earlier, Choudhary, speaking to ANI, said, "The details are coming out gradually. This is a very big accident caused by a cloudburst People undertake a pilgrimage to Mata Machail in Kishtwar. As part of this journey, they travel on foot from the base camp, while vehicles remain parked there. A major accident happened at this location, resulting in extensive damage... As far as causality is concerned, I cannot provide the exact figure right now... Almost 98-100 people are injured. The government team is making every effort to evacuate the injured and provide them with assistance..." he added. BJP leader Shagun Parihar also met the people injured in the cloudburst incident today. Advertisement Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force earlier today said that it is ready to undertake relief and rescue operations for victims of the Jammu & Kashmir cloudburst at the first available operational weather window. Presently, two Mi-17 helicopters and one Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) are on standby at Jammu and Udhampur. Operations will commence at the first available operational weather window, the Indian Air Force said in a statement. The death toll is expected to rise, sadly, as hundreds of devotees from Mata Machail were in the valley when the natural calamity struck. (For more news apart from 'Death toll rises in Cloudburst-triggered Flash flood in Chasoti in Jammu and Kashmirs Kishtwar,' stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) PM Modi Announces "Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana" For Employers And Employees Of 3.5 crore jobs, 1.92 crore beneficiaries will be those entering the workforce for the first time. PM Modi Announces "Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana" Latest News Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, addressing the Nation on the 79th Independence Day from the ramparts of the Red Fort, announced a "Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana" and stated that those getting their first job in the private sector will get Rs 15,000 from the government. Advertisement PM Modi, in the longest speech ever made by a PM in India's history, announced that the Rs 1 lakh crore scheme will come into effect immediately, aimed at benefiting over 3.5 crore people. "Today is August 15, and we are launching a Rs 1 lakh crore scheme for the youth of this country. It is good news for you that PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana is being rolled out from Today," he said. According to a report by NDTV, the Ministry of Labour & Employment, last month, had said the employment-linked incentive (ELI) scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi. Advertisement Citing a July 25 statement of the Ministry, the report said, the scheme aims to foster the creation of more than 3.5 crore jobs over two years. Of 3.5 crore jobs, 1.92 crore beneficiaries will be those entering the workforce for the first time. The scheme is divided into two parts, A and B. Part A will offer one-month EPF wage up to Rs 15,000 in two instalments to first-time employees registered with the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). Advertisement The scheme applies to employees with even salaries up to Rs 1 lakh. The first and second installments will be payable after six and twelve months, respectively. Part B is aimed at generating additional employment in all sectors, the NDTV report said. Under this part of the scheme, the employers will get incentives with respect to employees with salaries up to Rs 1 lakh, encouraging the hiring of additional employees. The Centre will incentivise employers, up to Rs 3,000 per month, for two years, for each additional employee. For the manufacturing sector, it will be extended to the third and fourth years as well. Advertisement (For more news apart from 'PM Modi Announces "Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana" For Employers And Employees,' stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) PM Modi Faces Backlash From Opposition Over 'RSS The Biggest NGO' Remark On 79th Independence Day The NGO has produced a person called Godse who has killed Bapu. PM Modi Faces Backlash from Opposition over 'RSS the biggest NGO' remark on Independence Day News PM Narendra Modi, on Friday, addressing the nation on the 79th Independence Day, called Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) the biggest NGO in the world. His statement has caused a massive outrage among the opposition leaders. Advertisement In the 103-minute-long speech, he hailed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its swayamsevaks for their service to our motherland. PM said, "Today, I would like to proudly mention that 100 years ago, an organisation was born - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 100 years of service to the nation is a proud, golden chapter. With the resolve of 'vyakti nirman (Character development) se rashtra nirman (Nation Building)', with the aim of welfare of Maa Bharati, swayamsevaks dedicated their lives to the welfare of our motherland...In a way, RSS is the biggest NGO of the world. It has a history of 100 years of dedication..." Today, I respectfully remember all the swayamsevaks who have contributed to these 100 years of national service," he added. Advertisement Congress leader Gurdeep Singh Sappal criticised PM Modi for his statement on RSS. Singh said PM hid what RSS did in the first 22 years of its 100 years of service, and that RSS was in the service of the British Raj. "Today, the Prime Minister, while praising the RSS from the ramparts of the Red Fort, said that the RSS has been dedicated to the service of the country for 100 years. But the Prime Minister hid one thing from the country, that in the first 22 years of these 100 years, between 1925 and 1947, the RSS was not in the service of the country, it was in the service of the British Raj... He accused RSS of creating hatred. Singh said, It is not that RSS has done any work for the country. The work of RSS was mainly and only to create hatred to come to power. Prime Minister Modi should not have hidden this from the country today..." Congress leader Gurdeep Singh Sappal remarked while speaking to ANI. Advertisement Congress's Shama Mohamed also slammed PM Modi for calling RSS an "NGO". She accused RSS of dividing people. The NGO has produced a person called Godse who has killed Bapu. Another Congress leader and the National Spokesperson for the Indian National Congress, Supriya Shrinate, said, "It is such a sad affair that the Prime Minister of this country, from Red Fort, took the name of an organisation that was banned by Sardar Patel. The organisation from which Nathuram Godse took inspiration to kill Mahatma Gandhi... The reality is that PM Modi gave less importance to freedom fighters when he talked about the RSS from the ramparts of Red Fort..." Supriya fumed. Advertisement Meanwhile, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, speaking to ANI on the matter, said, As a volunteer, I felt very proud that on the completion of 100 years of RSS, he praised it from the ramparts of the Red Fort." West Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim avoided commenting PMs statement on the RSS today. "Ideologically and policy-wise speaking, we don't agree with the RSS. We are against their ideals. So, I won't comment on it," Firhad Hakim said, speaking to the Media. (For more news apart from 'PM Modi Faces Backlash From Opposition Over 'RSS The Biggest NGO' Remark On 79th Independence Day,' stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) PM Modi Reaffirms Support For Farmers Against Any Policy, Amid US's Pressure Security has also been beefed up at water treatment plants also. PM Modi Reaffirms Support For Farmers Against Any Policy, Amid USs Pressure Latest News Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day on early Friday, while addressing the nation for the 12th consecutive time, reiterated his commitment to protect farmers interests against any policies. Advertisement His statements come amid the United States' pressure on India to open up its agricultural market and the imposition of an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports, making the total tariff 50%. If any policy is against Indias farmers, fishermen, and cattle rearers, Modi is standing like a wall, PM Modi said. Earlier this month, PM Modi, in response to the US's tariffs, he had said he was ready to pay a heavy price" but would not compromise on the interests of farmers, livestock rearers, and fishermen. Advertisement Longest Speech by Any PM Ever: The Prime Minister spoke for 103 minutes at the function from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the longest speech by any Prime Minister in Indias history. On the 78th Independence Day, he had spoken for 98 minutes. PM Modi also interacted with school children. He was seen waving at them and shaking hands with many students dressed in orange and while coloured dresses. Advertisement Security Heightened in the National Capital: Delhi is on high alert today and under strong security for the celebration of Independence Day. Snipers have been deployed at high-rise buildings, camera surveillance, drone detection systems, facial recognition cameras, and ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras are in place, and over 14,000 security personnel have been deployed across the city, according to The Times of India, which cites a senior official. The senior official further stated that, in a first, under-vehicle surveillance systems (UVSS) have been deployed at five parking areas of the Red Fort to scan the underside of vehicles for explosives, weapons, or contraband, he said. Advertisement According to the report, special security teams have been deployed at all major railway stations, bus terminals, airports, and metro stations. Meanwhile, passenger screenings, baggage checks, and random identity verifications are also being done. Security has also been beefed up at water treatment plants also. Anti-drone mechanisms and surveillance along the Yamuna River have been intensified, too. Arrangements have been made to ensure that there are no bird feeding points surrounding the Red Fort. Commercial Vehicles are not allowed to enter the national Capital. Social media platforms are also being monitored by the cyber units to check any threads. PM's Address at the 79th Independence Day: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the nation, spoke about the emergency, said that no generation should forget the sin of murdering the constitution. He announced a 'High-Power Demography Mission' to deal with the challenge of border infiltration. He expressed his sympathy to the flood-affected people. He called the Indus water treaty unjust. He saluted the heroes of Operation Sindoor. He appealed to the nation to produce Made in India. He said India is working on the Gaganyaan mission and is also planning its own space station. India is about to launch the National Deep Water Exploration Mission, he said. He said the centre is bringing next-generation GST reforms to reduce the tax burden across the country. He launched Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, aimed to give Rs 15,000 from the government to those getting their first job in the private sector. Modi announced Mission Sudarshan Chakra to create a powerful weapon system to thwart any attempt by enemies to attack the country. (For more news apart from 'PM Modi Reaffirms Support For Farmers Against Any Policy, Amid USs Pressure ,' stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) PM Modi 79th Independence Day: India Differentiates Between Terrorists And Supporters He called the Indus Water Treaty unjust' and one-sided'. PM Modi sends Strong Message to Pakistan on 79th Independence Day Latest News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation on the 79th Independence Day, sent a strong message to Pakistan, saying India will not see the difference between terrorists and those supporting them. Advertisement He stated the Indian Armed Forces will decide on action in case of any future attacks or threats from Pakistan. He reiterated that India will not tolerate Pakistans nuclear blackmail. Hailing the security forces on Operation Sindoor, PM said that India has set a new normal in dealing with cross-border terrorism. I salute our brave soldiers who punished those behind the Pahalgam attack beyond their imagination, he added. He said it once again that the government had given full freedom to the armed forces following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The attack killed 26 innocents on the Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on a broad daylight. Advertisement PM said, "After the 22nd, we gave a free hand to our armed forces. They decide the strategy, target, and time. Our Forces did what had never been done for several decades. We entered hundreds of kilometres into the enemy soil and razed their terrorist headquarters to the ground. Modi said that terrorists and those who shelter them will be treated the same. He said they are equally danger to humanity. He called the Indus Water Treaty unjust and one-sided.He said the treaty was a compromise on farmers' interests and national interests and not acceptable. India has decided that blood and water will not flow together. Our country has been bearing the pain of terrorism for many decades," he said. Advertisement (For more news apart from 'PM Modi 79th Independence Day: India Differentiates Between Terrorists And Supporters,' stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Copa Holdings CPA, based in Panama City, Panama, is gaining from upbeat passenger volumes. The latest positive update from the Latin American carrier came when it reported robust traffic numbers for July 2025 on the back of upbeat air travel demand. Driven by high passenger volumes, revenue passenger miles (RPM: a measure of air traffic) improved on a year-over-year basis in July. To match the demand swell, CPA is increasing its capacity. In July, available seat miles (a measure of capacity) increased 6.3% year over year. RPM improved 7.8% year over year. Since traffic outpaced capacity expansion, the load factor (the percentage of seats filled by passengers) rose to 88.8% from 87.6% in July 2024. Driven by the buoyant air-travel demand scenario, revenue passenger miles increased 6.4% year over year in the second quarter of 2025. Load factor increased 0.5 percentage points to 87.3% in the June quarter, with traffic growth outpacing the 5.8% capacity expansion in the three months. July 2025 Traffic Numbers of Other Airline Companies Apart from LATAM Airlines, other airline companies that have reported traffic numbers for July 2025 are Ryanair Holdings RYAAY and Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. VLRS. European carrier Ryanair reported solid traffic numbers for July 2025, driven by upbeat air-travel demand. The number of passengers transported on Ryanair flights was 20.7 million in July 2025, reflecting a 3% year-over-year increase. Apart from a year-over-year surge, RYAAYs July traffic also reflects a straight seven-month improvement at a stretch from the beginning of 2025. The July load factor of 96% remained flat on a year-over-year basis, indicating consistent passenger demand for the airline's services. The metric was higher than the load factor of 95% reported in June and May, 93% reported in April and March, 92% reported in February and 91% reported in January 2025. Although 680 flights were canceled due to the French air traffic control strikes, RYAAY operated more than 113,000 flights in July 2025. This marks an improvement from 109,000 flights operated in June, 108,000 flights in May, 103,000 flights in April, 84,000 flights in March and 71,360 flights in February 2025. Mexican carrier Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, also known as Volaris, recently reported a year-over-year increase in RPMs for July 2025. VLRS reported a 6% year-over-year increase in consolidated capacity (measured in available seat miles). Consolidated traffic, measured in RPMs, inched up 0.1% year over year. Although traffic improved on a year-over-year basis, it failed to outpace capacity expansion. As a result, the load factor decreased 4.9 percentage points year over year to 84.9%. During July 2025, VLRS transported 2.76 million passengers, representing a 3% year-over-year increase. August 15, 2025 UPDATE A roundup of local and international news. August 15, 2025 UPDATE Cristina Mateescu, 15.08.2025, 18:25 Navy Day. Navy Day is a day of national unity and, as long as we stand together around our national values, we will be stronger, said Romanian president Nicusor Dan in a statement on Romanian Navy Day. Our sailors take the Romanian flag across the seas and oceans of the world, and that is why we are today celebrating the extraordinary people who have dedicated themselves to this career, while honouring the symbols of our nation, the president also said. He added that in the current security environment, the Black Sea region has a strategic importance, something recognised both in NATO and the European Union and something that can contribute to the security and prosperity of Romanian citizens. The Romanian Naval Forces are celebrating the 123rd edition of Navy Day in a series of events held in Constanta, Mangalia, Braila, Tulcea, Galati and Bucharest promoting the values and traditions of the Romanian naval military. The Black Sea port of Constanta is hosting a parade involving 3,500 Romanian and foreign military and 28 vessels and an air show. Taking part in the parade are 28 vessels belonging to the Naval Forces, the Coast Guard, the Romanian Agency for Saving Human Lives at Sea, and the Turkish and Bulgarian partners deployed in Constanta, as well as 20 planes of the Romanian Navy, the Romanian Air Force and of German and American partners. Feast day. Romanias majority Orthodox Christians, as well as its Catholic community, are today celebrating the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the oldest feast day dedicated to the Virgin. According to Christian belief, Mary was assumed into heaven when she died. After the Holy Trinity, she is the most celebrated figure in Christianity. Most Romanian monasteries are dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, a feast day that is also considered to be the celebration of pilgrimages. Police. Almost 9,000 police forces are deployed across the country to ensure law and order over the three-day public holiday around the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The Romanian Police says security measures will be in place in busy areas and around religious establishments. The traffic police will be working to ensure the flow of traffic and discourage behaviour conducive to road accidents. Special attention is paid to tourist areas, in particular at the seaside and in the mountains. The traffic police is supported by the General Aviation Inspectorate, to ensure better air traffic surveillance. Taxes. The finance ministry in Bucharest has published new tax and duty proposals to be included in the second package of measures to cut the budget deficit. The health contribution will be increased for the self-employed, and home owners earning an income from short-term rentals will be obliged to use cash registers and issue tax receipts. Another proposed measure is to increase tax on stock market earnings, namely income obtained from the transfer of securities and other operations involving financial instruments. The tax rates, of 1 and 3% respectively, will go up to 2 and 4 percent. These provisions add to those unveiled a few days ago by finance minister Alexandru Nazare on the taxation of multinational companies in the area where they export their profits. There is also the introduction of a fixed tax of 25 lei (about 5 euros) for each parcel under 150 euros that comes from the non-EU area, such as China or Turkey. (CM) Japan will on Friday release preliminary Q2 numbers for gross domestic product, highlighting a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. GDP is expected to rise 0.1 percent on quarter and 0.4 percent on year following the flat quarterly reading and the 0.2 percent contraction in the three months prior. Capex is seen higher by 0.5 percent on quarter, easing from 1.1 percent in Q1. South Korea will provide July figures for imports, exports and trade balance. In June, imports were up 0.7 percent on year and exports rose 5.9 percent on year for a trade surplus of $6.61 billion. New Zealand will see July results for the manufacturing PMI from BusinessNZ; in June, the index score was 48.8. China will release July numbers for industrial production, retail sales, fixed asset investment and unemployment. Industrial production is expected to add 6.0 percent on year, down from 6.8 percent in June. Sales are seen higher by an annual 4.6 percent, easing from 4.8 percent in the previous month. FAI is tipped to ease to an annual 2.7 percent from 2.8 percent and the jobless rate is expected to tick up to 5.1 percent from 5.0 percent a month earlier. Malaysia will provide Q2 data for GDP and current account. In the previous three months, GDP was up 4.4 percent on year and the current account showed a surplus of MYR16.70 billion. Taiwan will release Q2 numbers for gross domestic product; in the previous quarter, GDP was up 7.96 percent on year. Hong Kong will see Q2 figures for gross domestic product; in the first quarter, GDP was up 0.4 percent on quarter and 3.1 percent on year. Finally, the in South Korea are closed on Friday for Liberation Day and will re-open on Monday. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. The manufacturing sector in New Zealand moved up into expansion territory in July, BusinessNZ said on Friday with a seasonally adjusted Performance of Manufacturing Index score of 52.8. That's up from 49.2 in June and it moves above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction. Among the individual components of the survey, production (53.6), employment (50.1), new orders (54.2), finished stocks (51.8) and deliveries (51.9) all expanded. "Given the prevailing headwinds it is, perhaps, even more encouraging that the PMI has moved back into expansion. It will need to be sustained or nudge a bit higher to be consistent with our economic forecasts, but it is good to see a move for the better," BNZ Senior Economist Doug Steel said. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. European stocks held near five-month highs on Friday amid hopes the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska might help end the war in Ukraine. The pan European STOXX 600 edged up by 0.4 percent to 555.81 after rising 0.6 percent on Thursday. The German DAX added half a percent and France's CAC 40 surged 0.8 percent while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was down 0.1 percent. German chipmaker Infineon Technologies rose 1.2 percent after completing the acquisition of Marvell Technology Inc.'s Automotive Ethernet . Sea1 Offshore shares plunged 7 percent. The Norwegian operator of high-end offshore support vessels reported disappointing second quarter results, impacted by the sales of nine vessels. Danish jewelry giant Pandora plummeted 13 percent after the company flagged weakening sales in its key European . Power cable solutions provider NKT soared 7.8 percent after posting record operational earnings in the second quarter and lifting its 2025 outlook. Semiconductor equipment specialist ASML fell 1.2 percent after -Applied Materials forecast fourth-quarter revenue and profit below estimates. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Philanthropist Jacklyn Gise Bezos, mother of Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and a fierce advocate for children's education, has died at the age of 78 after struggling with a progressive neurological disorder for years. The news of the philanthropist's demise in her Miami home on August 14 was announced on the website of the Bezos Family Foundation, which she founded with her husband Miguel (Mike) Bezos in 2000. She is survived by husband Mike Bezos, children Jeff, Christina, Mark, eleven grandchildren, and one great grandchild. "A quiet final chapter to a life that taught all of us, friends and family alike, the true meaning of grit and determination, kindness, and service to others," the foundation said on the website. Along with her husband Mike, Jackie was among the first investors in Amazon.com in 1995 after the couple loaned Jeff US$245,573 for his tech and e-commerce start-up. Jackie was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, a common type of dementia, in 2020. The condition is characterized by the development of abnormal protein deposits in nerve cells in the brain that affect regions involved in thinking, memory, movement and sleep. The disease leads to a gradual decline in cognitive abilities. Jackie was born on December 29, 1946 in Washington D.C. to Lawrence Preston Gise, who worked at U.S. government's nuclear research laboratories, and Mattie Louise Strait Gise. The family later moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jackie gave birth to her first child Jeffrey in 1964 while still in school. After high school, she started working in a bank and continued her studies attending night school classes. She met her future husband Mike Bezos, a Cuban immigrant, at work. They were married in 1968. Her passion for learning took her back to school in 1991 at the age of 45 to earn a bachelor's degree with honors in psychology from the Saint Elizabeth University in Morristown, New Jersey. At the Bezos Family Foundation, Jackie focused on two in-house programs: Vroom, a global learning initiative linking brain research to children's education, and the Bezos Scholars Program to aid students in the U.S. and Africa. She was also involved in charitable projects focused on medical research and community healthcare. Her partnership with the Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle led to breakthrough immunotherapy treatments for cancer. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News As you know, when it comes to long-term investments, my go-to market is Corn. When dealing with the futures market, I prefer to track the more heavily traded December contract (ZCZ25) only, rolling positions forward and back based on the long-time investor favorite Dec-Dec corn futures spread. As I talked about in late July, I had the opportunity to take part in Barcharts Grain Merchandising and Technology meeting in Ames, Iowa and Manhattan, Kansas. The consistent theme in both discussions, with Thomas Call of Mid-Co Commodities and Guy Allen of Kansas State University, was that Dec25 corn was drawing near to a bullish turning point. I agreed at the time and do even more so given Dec25 has posted new contract lows the past two weeks. That would seem bearish, based on both the economic law of Supply and Demand and the idea that bullish markets dont make new lows. However, if we apply my Market Rules to December corn futures, what answer do we come up with to the question of the day: Is the Corn Market a Buy? Market Rule #1: Dont get crossways with the trend. This contrasts with the Bank of Korea's current ambivalent stance as to whether or not private stablecoins should be controlled by central banks, considering that they will potentially cause instability in domestic currency value or capital flight. It is crucial to understand that Korea has very tight capital controls on the currency system. The Governor of the Bank of Japan, Kazuo Ueda, recently said, Stablecoins increase small international remittances, leading to risk diversification. With more high-frequency micropayments, it will be interesting to explore how CBDCs can play a complementary role. Suggesting that private stablecoins could provide learnings for a CBDC design in terms of its payment efficiency. While the Bank of Japan acknowledges the the potential of stablecoins as an efficient means of payment, it also envisions co-existence with CBDCs and views the digital Yen as a complementary, rather than competitive, form of cash, with traditional finance. The Bank of Japan maintains a firm stance that CBDCs should only be used for interbank settlements. Private banks' issued stablecoins can be used for business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions. The Bank of Japan and the Financial Services Agency have devised a stablecoin regulatory framework with a positive stance on the use of privately regulated stablecoins. A stablecoin is typically issued by private enterprises. They are usually designed to have a value identical to real-world currencies. Central Banks in Korea and Japan differ in their approaches towards stablecoins and CBDCs: After the passage of the GENIUS Act in the U.S., stablecoin projects, implementations and regulations are now a major subject of discussion around the world. South Korea and Japan are both having high-level and advanced discussions currently about how those stablecoins should operate. And how the private sector and governments should interact in regulating stablecoins. Unknown block type "divider", specify a component for it in the `components.types` option Then, Patrick Murphy from Eightcap answers questions about how these changes will impact investors in Ask an Expert. In today's Crypto for Advisors newsletter, we look to the East, as Dr Sangmin Seo , chairman, Kaia DLT Foundation, compares and contrasts South Koreas closed and controlled CBDC strategy to Japans open framework. Nations around the world are at differing stages of evaluating or establishing centralized bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Story Continues However, South Koreas National Assembly has led the pro-stablecoin discussions by proposing three different Digital Asset bills to legalize KRW stablecoins. These bills came after President Jae Myung Lee pledged to create domestic stablecoins during the recent election campaign that concluded successfully in June. It is noteworthy that Koreas CBDC project was halted on 29 June 2025, following these stablecoin discussions. Stablecoins table Image: Kaia As a result, many competing consortia from Web3, fintech, and the banks are all scrambling for a position to be part of any future stablecoin designs. Kakao and Naver, the largest IT enterprises in South Korea, have begun their stablecoin research task forces, filed trademarks, or formed an alliance group seeking potential partners. Circle, the USDC issuer, signed an MOU with Hana Bank, one of Koreas main banks, to lay the groundwork for a future stablecoin business alliance. Private South Korean banks have already begun positioning themselves as stablecoin businesses; the CBDC project was frozen in June. Nevertheless, South Korea has maintained a one bank for one centralized crypto exchange" regulation, blocking new market entrants. Therefore, many in the industry are keenly awaiting to see which of the three bills is adopted. Why Japan and South Koreas approaches matter for non-USD stablecoins Rather than benefiting the South Korean economy, the Bank of Korea and others argue that a Korean-won (KRW) backed stablecoin will not prevent capital flights from South Korea, as those stablecoins will not be widely used in global digital asset transactions like USD stablecoins. Despite these statements, the private sector could well have a prominent role in the creation of a South Korean stablecoin, especially as South Korea has the second-biggest retail crypto market. The interaction between the private sector and governments in regulating stablecoins, as well as how South Korea and Japan address these issues, particularly in balancing the mass adoption of stablecoins with adherence to Web3 principles, has implications beyond their borders. - Dr Sangmin Seo, chairman, Kaia DLT Foundation Unknown block type "divider", specify a component for it in the `components.types` option Ask an Expert Q: What is driving the shift in Asia to integrate blockchain technology into traditional financial systems? A: Asia's embrace of blockchain is a strategic pivot, moving beyond the speculative aspects of cryptocurrency to its potential as a foundational technology. Policy leaders across the region see that regulatory clarity is essential for sustainable innovation; examples such as Hong Kong's licensing regime for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) and Singapore's regulated DeFi and crossborder payment pilots show this in action. This proactive approach creates the regulatory clarity and robust infrastructure necessary to facilitate secure on-chain transactions and more efficient cross-border payments, ultimately modernizing financial systems. Q: South Korea's new regulatory framework is a significant development. What are the key features, and what do they signal for institutional adoption? A: South Korea's new framework, formalized in the Digital Asset Basic Act (DABA), represents a major step toward institutional acceptance. Its key features, including comprehensive guidelines for stablecoins and the introduction of crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs), are designed to create a more secure and defined environment for digital assets. Furthermore, the launch of a state-supported blockchain network underscores a strategic focus on building institutional-grade infrastructure. These developments collectively signal that South Korea views digital assets not just as a retail product, but as a legitimate part of the financial ecosystem, paving the way for greater institutional participation. Q: What are the key takeaways for financial advisors from Asia's evolving blockchain landscape, and what should they be monitoring? A: The developments in Asia, particularly in countries like South Korea, provide a clear roadmap for the future of global finance. Advisors should recognize that this trend signals a move toward institutional acceptance and the potential for new, regulated financial products. It is crucial to monitor developments in tokenized securities, which could fundamentally change how assets are issued, traded, and settled. Additionally, keeping an eye on new stablecoin regulations and digital Know Your Customer (KYC) frameworks is essential, as these trends could very well be a preview of the next evolution of capital markets globally. - Patrick Murphy, chief commercial officer, Eighcap Unknown block type "divider", specify a component for it in the `components.types` option Keep Reading Other council business During invocations, councilors remembered Santa Fe author and advocate Sallie Bingham and longtime Fiesta Council president Tony Lopez, who both died recently. Councilors voted 8-1, with Councilor Alma Castro opposed, to approve a $432,000 contract with Southwest Water Works for staffing at the Paseo Real Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is struggling with a high operator vacancy rate. Councilors voted 5-4 to approve a resolution sponsored by Councilors Castro, Michael Garcia and Pilar Faulkner proposing a ballot question that would ask voters to decide on amending the citys charter to allow the mayor to only vote on legislation in the event of a tie. Mayor Alan Webber and Councilors Jamie Cassutt, Carol Romero-Wirth and Signe Lindell voted against the resolution. Councilors unanimously approved a budget adjustment resolution of $220,000 to buy equipment to repair the Genoveva Chavez Community Center ice arena, which has been shut down since early June due to maintenance and infrastructure problems. A number of people spoke during public comment about the citys decision to approve the removal of a dozen Siberian elms in Fort Marcy park last week as a safety measure for the upcoming Burning of Zozobra, both for and against the decision. Councilors met in closed session for about 40 minutes to discuss ongoing and threatened litigation, including a lawsuit Mark Thomas Lopez filed against the city and a number of other plaintiffs. No action was taken. Webber introduced a resolution calling on New Mexicos congressional delegation to advocate for the preservation and management of New Mexicos public lands following large protests during the June Western Governors Association meeting in Santa Fe over a since-scuttled proposal to sell off some public land. Romero-Wirth introduced a resolution directing the city manager to authorize staff to analyze if it is feasible to reestablish river flows through the predevelopment path of the Santa Fe River down to Cerro Gordo Road and to conduct a comprehensive engineering analysis of Two Mile Pond. Webber and Councilors Romero-Wirth, Cassutt and Faulkner introduced a resolution to overhaul how the city conducts its annual budget process to begin earlier and involve more feedback from the City Council, among other changes. Councilors unanimously approved an ordinance sponsored by Councilors Amanda Chavez and Romero-Wirth authorizing the city to enter into an agreement with the New Mexico Finance Authority for $2 million for the San Juan-Chama return flow pipeline project. As part of the consent agenda, councilors approved a recommendation to transfer a liquor license from a property in Los Lunas to 1607 Alcaldesa St. in Santa Fe, where the former owners of India House are developing a speakeasy-type bar in the Railyard. As part of the consent agenda, councilors approved the purchase of six electric paratransit vehicles for $563,868. As part of the consent agenda, councilors approved a fireworks display permit for the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe for the 101st Burning of Zozobra on Aug. 29. As part of the consent agenda, councilors approved an agreement between the Santa Fe Fire Department and New Mexico Highlands University allowing students in the universitys social work department to intern with the fire department and Community Health and Safety Department. As part of the consent agenda, councilors approved a $2.5 million construction contract with AnchorBuilt, Inc. for a fire apparatus storage and training facility at Fire Station No. 5. Amanda Hatherly and Sharllyn Pimente were appointed and Brandon Vella and Navona Gallegos were reappointed to terms on the Water Conservation Committee ending in 2027. Beatrice Garrell was appointed as the county representative to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Kelli Barela was appointed to a term on the Santa Fe Womens Commission ending in 2027. Dennis Brandon, Miles Conway, Oralynn Guerrerortiz, Mark Mitchell, Jennifer Salimbene, Bob Schaevitz, Russell Stowers and Daniel Strongwater were appointed to terms on the Capital Improvements Advisory Committee ending in 2027. Larry Hinkle was appointed to a term on the Veterans Advisory Board ending in 2027. Matt Embry was appointed and Janet Clow was reappointed to a term on the Planning Commission. Britain has become dangerously reliant on public spending to fuel the economy. Growth slowed in the three months to June, with the economy expanding by 0.3pc compared with 0.7pc in the first quarter of 2025. However, it is still better than the 0.1pc expected by analysts and a figure that will be welcomed by Rachel Reeves, with GDP per person a proxy for living standards also seeing growth in the first half of this year. However, scratch below the surface and its clear that the factors behind this growth are unsustainable. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the expansion over the past quarter was driven by government consumption. This includes health and defence, as Labour pours billions of pounds into the NHS and ramps up its pledge to spend more on the military. Statisticians added that public sector administration costs had also climbed in the three months to June. By contrast, business investment declined and household spending barely grew. At the same time, private sector businesses saw a massive increase in costs with the Chancellors record National Insurance raid on employers coming alongside a big jump in the minimum wage at the start of April. Reevess decision to boost public spending for the rest of the parliament while taxing private sector businesses will only cement these trends. The Chancellor hailed the strong start to the year, adding: I know that the British economy has the key ingredients for success but has felt stuck for too long. However, Anna Leach, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, said: It is good to see a stronger growth outturn than many feared. But it is striking that momentum is coming from the public sector, with consumer spending slowing and business investment contracting. Private sector growth is being held back by both global and domestic policy uncertainty, with speculation over forthcoming tax increases adding to the headwinds. With this speculation of further tax rises likely to create more uncertainty and hold back vital investment, the Chancellor faces becoming even more reliant on the public sector to fuel growth. The trend didnt just start under Labour. The Bank of England has previously highlighted that public sector output has been driving growth for almost two years now while private sector growth has lagged behind. This is dangerous for two reasons. Public sector productivity is barely above levels seen in 1997, meaning that despite all the technological advances over the past few decades, for every 1 spent on schools, hospitals and teachers, it still gets about the same amount out. Douglas Elliman Inc. (NYSE:DOUG) is one of the best NYSE penny stocks to invest in now. On July 31, the company announced its Q2 2025 earnings, with several key figures falling short of expectations. The quarters revenue reached $271.4 million, a 5% decline from Q2 2024. The company recorded a net loss of $22.7 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, significantly wider than the $1.7 million loss, or $0.02 per share, in the second quarter of 2024. Douglas Elliman (DOUG) Q2 EPS Misses by $0.09, Revenue Declines 5% Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com During the quarter, Douglas Ellimans earnings per share (EPS) missed expectations by $0.09, reporting an EPS loss of $0.06 compared to a forecast of $0.03. Adjusted EBITDA also showed a loss of $0.8 million compared to a positive $2.9 million in the same quarter of the previous year. Operating loss increased slightly to $5.5 million from $3.7 million in Q2 2024. The company stated that the revenue decline was due to a reduction in closing transactions in May and early June 2025. Despite the challenging quarter, the company cited a strong cash position of $136 million in cash and equivalents as of June 30, 2025. It also continues to invest strategically in key growth markets and agent support. Douglas Elliman Inc. (NYSE:DOUG) is an American residential real estate brokerage specializing in luxury markets across New York, Florida, California, and other high-end regions. It operates through its subsidiary, Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC, which provides brokerage services, development marketing, and ancillary offerings, including mortgage and title services. While we acknowledge the potential of DOUG 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: 11 Best Low-Priced Stocks to Buy Right Now and 11 Best Canadian Gold Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. With a market cap of $45.2 billion, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (EW) is a global leader in innovative products and technologies for treating advanced cardiovascular diseases. The company specializes in transcatheter and surgical heart valve solutions, as well as critical care monitoring systems, serving patients across the United States, Europe, Japan, and worldwide. Shares of the Irvine, California-based company have underperformed the broader market over the past 52 weeks. EW stock has increased 17.1% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has gained 18.7%. Moreover, shares of the company have risen 4.9% on a YTD basis, compared to SPX's 9.7% return. More News from Barchart Looking closer, Edwards Lifesciences stock has outpaced the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund's (XLV) 12.1% decrease over the past 52 weeks. www.barchart.com Shares of Edwards Lifesciences rose 5.5% following its Q2 2025 results on Jul. 24, with adjusted EPS of $0.67 and sales of $1.5 billion, both exceeding estimates and showing strong year-over-year growth. Segment strength was led by TAVR sales of $1.1 billion, TMTT sales of $134.5 million, and Surgical Structural Heart sales of $267 million. The company also raised its 2025 sales growth guidance to $5.90 billion - $6.10 billion and projected adjusted EPS at the high end of $2.40 - $2.50. For the fiscal year ending in December 2025, analysts expect EWs adjusted EPS to grow 2.9% year-over-year to $2.50. The company's earnings surprise history is promising. It topped or met the consensus estimates in the last four quarters. Among the 30 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a Moderate Buy. Thats based on 15 Strong Buy ratings, one Moderate Buy, 13 Holds, and one Strong Sell. www.barchart.com This configuration is more bullish than three months ago, with 12 Strong Buy ratings on the stock. On Jul. 25, RBC Capital raised its price target on Edwards Lifesciences to $89 with an Outperform rating. As of writing, the stock is trading below the mean price target of $87.28. The Street-high price target of $101 implies a modest potential upside of 30% from the current price levels. On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal 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 Equus Total Return, Inc. (NYSE:EQS) is one of the best NYSE penny stocks to invest in now. On August 6, the company announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Morgan E&P, LLC, had engaged Michael Reger through a consulting agreement to lead operations in the Williston Basin. Reger will direct Morgan E&Ps asset strategy across the highly productive Bakken and Three Forks formations located in North Dakota and Montana. His role will focus on optimizing asset value and exploring long-term development opportunities. Equus Total Return (EQS) Subsidiary Engages Michael Reger for Williston Basin Operations A close-up of financial documents on a desk, indicating the banking products that the company provides. Mr. Reger opted to receive compensation in Equus shares instead of cash for his consulting services. Reacting to the agreement, John Hardy, CEO of Morgan E&P, highlighted Mr. Regers extensive knowledge of the Williston Basin region. He also pointed to Regers strong industry network and proven success in upstream oil and gas projects, calling him a key strategic partner. Morgan E&Ps executive team will work closely with Mr. Reger to evaluate, organize, and execute new investment projects in oil and gas, utilizing industry insights and systematic asset development methods. Equus Total Return, Inc. (NYSE:EQS) is an American business development company (BDC) that operates as a closed-end fund. It invests in alternative assets across energy, financial services, technology, and industrial sectors. Equuss portfolio includes Morgan E&P, which specializes in upstream exploration and production of oil and gas properties across the U.S. While we acknowledge the potential of EQS 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: 11 Best Low-Priced Stocks to Buy Right Now and 11 Best Canadian Gold Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Standard Chartered has raised its Ethereum price target to $25,000 by 2028, a major shift from March forecasts that predicted a structural decline for the world's second-largest crypto. The UK banking giant made a massive revision on its Ethereum outlook, now projecting $7,500 by the end of 2025, $12,000 in 2026, $18,000 in 2027, and $25,000 in both 2028 and 2029, up from its earlier $4,000 target for 2025. "We raise our price forecasts, as the backdrop for ETH has improved dramatically in recent months," the bank's Global Head of Digital Assets Research, Geoff Kendrick, wrote. He noted how institutional buying has occurred at nearly double the pace of Bitcoin accumulation during peak periods. Kendrick pointed to treasury companies and Ethereum ETFs purchasing 3.8% of all circulating ETH since June, the US GENIUS Act clearing regulatory pathways for stablecoins, and planned network upgrades as key drivers behind the bullish revision. Standard Chartered calls the legislation a pivotal change that will boost liquidity, fuel DeFi growth, and drive ETH demand, given stablecoins already account for 40% of blockchain fees and are mostly issued on Ethereum. Ethereum is at $4,713.37, marking an 6% daily and 30% weekly gain. That price puts it just shy of its November 2021 all-time high of $4,878, according to CoinGecko. The odds that Ethereum climbs past its all-time high to $5,000 this year have jumped 39% in the past day on Myriad Markets. The prediction market's users now rate Ethereum reaching that milestone with 87.5% odds. (Disclosure: Myriad is a prediction market and engagement platform developed by Dastan, parent company of an editorially independent Decrypt.) Illia Otychenko, lead analyst at CEX.IO, told Decrypt that while "the targets grab attention, it's worth remembering that the bank made similar bold forecasts last year, like $8,000 in 2024, and $14,000 in 2025" before reducing estimates during March's market downturn. Standard Chartered has previously shifted its Ethereum outlook significantly, reducing its 2025 target from $10,000 to $4,000 just months ago over concerns about layer-2 competition diluting mainnet fees. Ethereum Liquidations Top $294 Million As ETH Approaches New All-Time High "So the latest estimates seem to reflect improved market sentiment rather than potential price targets," Otychenko added, though he acknowledged that institutional accumulation and potential ETF inflows "indeed look like major catalysts that could accelerate Ether's price growth this year." Arthur Azizov, Founder and Investor at B2 Ventures, told Decrypt that the current momentum projects strong upside potential. "Either this year or next, we could see ETH reach $6,000," he said, while cautioning that maintaining support above $3,350 remains crucial for sustained momentum. Market liquidations data show the current rally's force, with over $264.8 million in Ethereum short positions eliminated in the last 24 hours, according to CoinGlass, as the crypto approaches key resistance levels. London stocks had pared gains to trade flat by midday on Friday as investors eyed talks between Donald Trump and Russias Vladimir Putin in Alaska, as the US president looks to put an end to the Ukraine war. The FTSE 100 was steady at 9,181.25 in quiet trade, having hit fresh intraday highs earlier in the session. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: "It is not often that the markets attention is centred on Alaska but the US state will be firmly in focus on Friday as President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin meet to discuss the Ukraine conflict. "Any outcomes will not come until after UK markets have concluded trading for the day but investors will be watching closely for signs a credible peace deal is in the offing and any outcomes could set the mood music for next week. "Oil prices have been somewhat volatile ahead of the summit as traders seek to work out if Russian exports to Western countries might resume. "Broadly markets seemed in an optimistic mood with the FTSE 100 making new intra-day record highs early on. The miners were in demand despite weak economic data from key commodities consumer China - in the hope this might persuade Beijing to launch further stimulus measures." There were no major corporate or macroeconomic releases in the UK as the summer lull well and truly set in. In the US, however, retail sales, industrial production and export/import prices are due, along with the University of Michigan sentiment index. Before that, investors turned their attention to China, where a trio of leading economic indicators came in below estimates. Industrial production grew at a year-on-year rate of 5.7% last month, down from 6.8% in June, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. This was below the 5.9% increase expected by economists and the slowest rate registered since November 2024, as manufacturing activity was dampened by flooding across the country and a record-breaking heatwave. Retail sales also disappointed, rising by just 3.7% over last year, down from 4.8% growth in June. This came in well below the 4.6% increase expected by the market, with growth slowing to its lowest since December 2024. Meanwhile, fixed asset investment statistics showed just a 1.6% year-on-year increase over the January to July period, slowing markedly from the 2.8% growth registered over the first six months of the year. The consensus estimate was 2.7%. In equity markets, there was an unsurprising dearth of news, given the time of year. Heavily-weighted miners were the best performers, with Anglo American, Glencore, Antofagasta and Rio Tinto all higher. Kingsmill owner Associated British Foods ticked up after saying it has agreed to buy Hovis Group from private equity firm Endless. ABF did not disclose any financial details, but Sky News has suggested a price tag of around 75m. Bytes Technology jumped to the top of the FTSE 250 as it announced a share buyback of up to 25m. Outside the FTSE 350, Martin Sorrells S4 Capital was in focus after MSQ Partners ruled out a potential merger with the ad company. In a brief statement on Thursday, the company said it had been "surprised" by the speculation and recent announcement regarding a potential merger with S4 Capital. S4 announced on Monday that it had received a proposal from MSQ, a creative and technology agency owned by One Equity Partners, about a possible combination. If agreed, it said, the possible combination would be structured as an acquisition of MSQ by S4 Capital and not an offer under the takeover code for S4 Capital by MSQ. But MSQ said on Thursday that its board of directors has not been involved in discussions regarding, or considered any proposal with S4 Capital. "While speculative informal conversations form part of the investor community and MSQ understands that such discussions may have taken place between representatives of One Equity Partners (OEP), MSQ's majority shareholder, and S4 Capital, for the avoidance of doubt, neither OEP nor MSQ intend to pursue further discussions regarding the rumoured transaction," MSQ said. Market Movers FTSE 100 (UKX) 9,181.25 0.04% FTSE 250 (MCX) 21,874.02 0.33% techMARK (TASX) 5,271.63 -0.06% FTSE 100 - Risers Anglo American (AAL) 2,194.00p 3.34% Glencore (GLEN) 302.50p 2.72% DCC (CDI) (DCC) 4,832.00p 2.46% Antofagasta (ANTO) 2,134.00p 1.81% Rio Tinto (RIO) 4,549.50p 1.53% Mondi (MNDI) 1,081.00p 1.36% Games Workshop Group (GAW) 15,690.00p 1.36% BP (BP.) 419.25p 1.26% Hiscox Limited (DI) (HSX) 1,330.00p 1.22% ICG (ICG) 2,198.00p 1.10% FTSE 100 - Fallers Smurfit Westrock (DI) (SWR) 3,183.00p -2.78% Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 1,075.00p -2.41% British American Tobacco (BATS) 4,179.00p -1.39% BAE Systems (BA.) 1,752.00p -1.30% Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI) (CCH) 3,840.00p -1.13% Rightmove (RMV) 768.80p -1.11% BT Group (BT.A) 211.70p -1.07% 3i Group (III) 4,031.00p -0.89% Standard Chartered (STAN) 1,395.50p -0.82% CRH (CDI) (CRH) 8,274.00p -0.77% FTSE 250 - Risers Bytes Technology Group (BYIT) 389.00p 7.64% Auction Technology Group (ATG) 354.50p 5.82% Wizz Air Holdings (WIZZ) 1,377.00p 2.84% Balfour Beatty (BBY) 573.00p 2.32% Energean (ENOG) 931.00p 2.20% ICG Enterprise Trust (ICGT) 1,488.00p 2.06% Future (FUTR) 759.00p 2.02% Bridgepoint Group (Reg S) (BPT) 345.00p 1.95% Harbour Energy (HBR) 230.80p 1.85% Petershill Partners (PHLL) 236.00p 1.72% FTSE 250 - Fallers Avon Technologies (AVON) 1,984.00p -3.45% QinetiQ Group (QQ.) 477.40p -2.01% Close Brothers Group (CBG) 521.00p -1.61% NCC Group (NCC) 140.20p -1.54% Chemring Group (CHG) 532.00p -1.30% Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) 209.80p -1.22% Fidelity Emerging Markets Limited Ptg NPV (FEML) 840.00p -1.06% IP Group (IPO) 58.90p -1.01% Ocado Group (OCDO) 367.30p -1.00% Kier Group (KIE) 209.00p -0.95% The National Farmers Union (NFU) has called for a meeting with Rachel Reeves to discuss changes to Labours inheritance tax reforms after fresh evidence from tax experts that the planned changes may not achieve their stated goal of removing the incentive for rich people to shelter their wealth from tax by buying up farmland. The chancellors plan, which comes into force next April, largely protects family farms whilst limiting claims by the wealthiest estates, according to a report by researchers at the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (CenTax), which has proposed amendments to the inheritance tax changes. Guardian The price of the weight loss jab Mounjaro will rise by up to 170% in the UK, its US manufacturer has said, as Donald Trump ramps up pressure on drugmakers to increase their prices for Europeans so that they can make them more affordable for Americans. Eli Lilly has said it will increase the price of the drug from September, with a months supply of the highest dose rising from 122 to 330. Guardian A London-based advertising agency has denied holding any takeover talks with Sir Martin Sorrell and insisted it has no interest in a deal. MSQ Partners said it was surprised by a recent announcement from Sir Martins S4 Capital following a report by Sky News that claimed it had received an approach about a possible merger. Telegraph Fears of a fresh inheritance tax (IHT) raid by Rachel Reeves have sent a chill through Britains housing market, a leading estate agent warned. Bosses at Savills, one of Britains largest property agents, said a vacuum of information on IHT changes from the Government was forcing prospective house buyers to hold fire on purchases. Telegraph Gatwick Airports outgoing boss said he is optimistic that the airports expansion plan will be approved. But Stewart Wingate also warned that the 2.2 billion plan to create a second runway could be grounded if disputes with the Treasury and the Department for Transport are left unresolved. The Times Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway has revealed a $1.6 billion bet on the shares of a beleaguered US healthcare giant. Berkshire Hathaway has acquired 5 million shares in UnitedHealth Group, a health insurer which acknowledged it is under criminal investigation by the Department of Justice last month. The investment gives Berkshire a stake in United valued at $1.6 billion. The Times London FTSE 250 stocks were lower as investors eyed talks between Donald Trump and Russias Vladimir Putin in Alaska, as the US president looks to put an end to the Ukraine war. Hopes of peace talks dented sentiment for defence stocks, with Qinetiq and Avon Technologies both lower on the day. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: "It is not often that the markets attention is centred on Alaska but the US state will be firmly in focus on Friday as President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin meet to discuss the Ukraine conflict. "Any outcomes will not come until after UK markets have concluded trading for the day but investors will be watching closely for signs a credible peace deal is in the offing and any outcomes could set the mood music for next week. "Oil prices have been somewhat volatile ahead of the summit as traders seek to work out if Russian exports to Western countries might resume. Bytes Technology jumped to the top of the FTSE 250 as it announced a share buyback of up to 25m. Ocean Wilsons reported a 6.2% return on its investment portfolio for the second quarter on Friday, taking year-to-date performance to 5.1%, despite what it described as a challenging macroeconomic environment marked by trade uncertainties and ongoing geopolitical tensions. The FTSE 250 company said the portfolio was valued at $340.9m at the end of June, equivalent to $9.64 per share, with total implied net asset value at $944.2m including cash from the recently completed tender offer. Its update followed the $594m sale in June of the companys 56% stake in Wilson Sons to MSCs SAS Shipping Agencies Services, a move it said significantly strengthened its balance sheet. In July, Ocean Wilsons returned 109.1m to shareholders via an oversubscribed tender offer, repurchasing 20% of its share capital at 1,543p per share. The same month, it paid a final dividend from Wilson Sons of 59 US cents per share, which it said would be the last from that holding. On 28 July, the company announced plans to merge with Hansa via an all-share scheme of arrangement. The independent committee of Ocean Wilsons said it believed the deal will create a larger, stronger company which will benefit from meaningful scale and cost efficiencies and will be well placed to deliver long-term, sustainable shareholder value. Under the terms, each Ocean Wilsons share would be exchanged for 1.4925 new Hansa share units, comprising one voting share and two non-voting A shares. The boards of both companies unanimously backed the merger, to create a closed-ended investment company with more than 900m in net assets and a diversified global portfolio. Completion was expected in late September, subject to shareholder approval at a 12 September meeting. The committee urged investors to back the deal, warning that if it did not proceed, Ocean Wilsons could face listing changes under UK rules, restrictions on further buybacks due to close company limits, and the loss of dividend cashflows from Wilson Sons. Accordingly, the Ocean Wilsons independent committee unanimously recommends that Ocean Wilsons shareholders vote in favour of the scheme at the court meeting, it said. At 1236 BST, shares in Ocean Wilsons Holdings were up 0.385 at 1,144.31p. FTSE 250 - Risers Bytes Technology Group (BYIT) 390.00p 7.91% Wizz Air Holdings (WIZZ) 1,391.00p 3.88% Auction Technology Group (ATG) 347.50p 3.73% Ocean Wilsons Holdings Ltd. (OCN) 1,180.00p 3.51% AO World (AO.) 90.50p 2.72% W.A.G Payment Solutions (WPS) 90.00p 2.51% Petershill Partners (PHLL) 237.00p 2.16% Balfour Beatty (BBY) 569.00p 1.61% Worldwide Healthcare Trust (WWH) 321.00p 1.58% JPMorgan Japanese Inv Trust (JFJ) 686.00p 1.48% FTSE 250 - Fallers Avon Technologies (AVON) 1,980.00p -3.65% TBC Bank Group (TBCG) 4,555.00p -2.88% Ocado Group (OCDO) 361.20p -2.64% Supermarket Income Reit (SUPR) 79.00p -2.59% Kier Group (KIE) 206.00p -2.37% Close Brothers Group (CBG) 517.00p -2.36% QinetiQ Group (QQ.) 476.00p -2.30% Frasers Group (FRAS) 685.00p -2.21% Ibstock (IBST) 142.60p -1.79% Polar Capital Technology Trust (PCT) 402.00p -1.71% Mortgage rates are currently in the high 6% range, and a drop back to the pandemic-era sub-3% levels is considered unrealistic by economists. However, a modest decline in rates to below 6% could motivate some homeowners to sell, potentially thawing the frozen housing market constrained by homeowners holding onto low-rate mortgages. If youre waiting for mortgage rates to fall to around 3% to buy a home, dont hold your breath. The likelihood mortgage rates will drop anywhere near those pandemic-era levels is unrealistic, a Zillow economist recently said. But not all hope is lost on the U.S. housing market, at least according to one economist. Bob Schwartz, a senior economist with Oxford Economics, told Fortune while theres no quantifiable rate that would trigger more home sales, just a 1% drop in mortgage rates to lower than 6% should be enough of an incentive for at least some current homeowners to sell their homes and trade up. One of the prime factors keeping the U.S. housing market frozen is mortgage rates. During the pandemic, buyers locked in at a sub-3% mortgage rate. But now that mortgage rates are hovering between 6% and 7%, current homeowners have little incentive to sell their current homes and either trade up, as Schwartz puts it, or downsize. New buyers are also resistant to higher mortgage rates than theyve witnessed in recent memory. In fact, the percentage of mortgages outstanding with a rate higher than 6% has more than doubled since 2021, according to Schwartz, but that figure is still less than 20%. More than 50% of outstanding mortgages have rates in the 3% to 4% range. While Schwartz told Fortune mortgage rates would have to drop significantly from the current 6.63% to move the masses of homeowners off the sidelines and put their homes up for sale, a smaller drop could encourage enough people to do so. The housing market would be the biggest beneficiary of lower rates as they would unlock frozen sales by homeowners who are reluctant to give up the low-rate mortgages taken out in the decade following the Great Recession, Schwartz wrote in an Aug. 8 note. Other recent reports have also illustrated how little faith there is in mortgage rates dropping to pandemic-era levels and how other housing market factors play into housing affordability concerns in the U.S. A recent Zillow report showed a 0% mortgage rate in some U.S. cities wouldnt be enough to make housing affordable because home prices still remain too high; theyre up more than 50% since the start of the pandemic. High home prices are the bigger hurdle, Michelle Griffith, a luxury real-estate broker with Douglas Elliman, based in New York City, previously told Fortune. Daniel Saldana Paris (Planes Flying over a Monster; Ramifications) eerily constructs a deconstructing world in The Dance and the Fire, a deft novel told in three voices and translated from the Spanish by Christina MacSweeney. Mexico is rife with wildfires, and the city of Cuernavaca is especially affected, with its citizens normalized to a state of perpetual drought, smoke, and ash. Within this smoldering environment are three childhood friends, now in their 30s and dealing with various relationship and body issues. Natalia is a choreographer enraptured with bromeliads (she dotes over 12 varieties) and the phenomenon of choreomania, also known as the dancing plague or hysteria. She lives with an aging painter and eventually crosses paths with Erre, her one-time boyfriend. Erre has returned to Cuernavaca after a divorce, and now obsesses over the pains afflicting his body. Conejo, an amiable conspiracy theorist, lives with his blind father and mostly does drugs and tries to stay inside. Conejo and Natalia have stayed in loose touch over the years, but with Erre back, the past comes to the forefront, revealing complex dynamics and calamitous consequences. Paris is not a straightforward storyteller, which will thrill fans of books such as Samanta Schweblin's Fever Dream or Juan Rulfo's Pedro Paramo. Indeed, Paris plays with the ideas of malleable memory, gossip, rumor, myth, and more, even writing, "Where did that story originate? There's no way to weed out the legends, fantasies, and downright lies from history." The Dance and the Fire is a thrilling, macabre read. --Nina Semczuk, writer, editor, and illustrator Juliette Fay's winsome eighth novel, The Harvey Girls, follows two young women who become colleagues--and, eventually, much more--as they work alongside one another in the United States' first hospitality chain, along the Santa Fe Railroad. Charlotte Crowninshield turned her back on her Boston Brahmin family when she married a handsome professor. Now, fleeing a marriage gone terribly wrong, she takes a new name and lands a job working for the Fred Harvey Company. She travels to Topeka, Kan., to train as a waitress at the company's flagship "Harvey House." Charlotte's roommate, Billie MacTavish, is the sheltered Nebraskan daughter of Scottish immigrants, forced to leave home and lie about her age to secure her position as a Harvey Girl. Though they dislike each other on sight, Billie and Charlotte must learn to live and work together. The railroad, and their lives as Harvey Girls, will take them both to places they never imagined. Fay (The Tumbling Turner Sisters) paints a striking historical portrait of 1920s America, detailing the bustling train stations and well-appointed restaurants. Despite their prickly relationship, Billie and Charlotte stand by one another through tough days and several harrowing experiences. As Charlotte's past catches up with her and Billie debates whether to reveal her true age, the women must rely on their Harvey Girl training--plus their inner grit and compassion--to support each other and step into their futures. At once a fascinating slice of little-known 1920s history and a tribute to staunch female friendship, The Harvey Girls is as satisfying as a slice of lemon meringue pie served in a Harvey House dining room. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams Sallie Bingham, the author, playwright, philanthropist, feminist, and political activist "whose feud with her brother helped topple the Kentucky publishing and media dynasty into which she was born," died August 6 at age 88, the New York Times reported. In 1918, her paternal grandfather, Robert Worth Bingham, bought the Louisville Courier-Journal and the Louisville Times. The newspapers, run next by her father, Barry Bingham Sr., "flourished in the decades that followed. They won Pulitzer Prizes and became known for their liberal political positions. But by the 1980s, the newspaper industry was in financial trouble." Sallie Bingham had been living in New York City since graduating from Radcliffe College in 1958. She published a novel, After Such Knowledge (1960), and many short stories, but in 1977 she returned to Louisville, hoping to advance her career as a playwright and improve family relations. Her brother, Barry Bingham Jr., was by then running the newspapers, and she attended board meetings for a few years before joining the Courier-Journal's staff as book page editor in 1981. "She soon began questioning the paper's treatment of its employees, particularly women and members of minority groups, and publicly joined a political committee, violating the company's ethics rules," the Times wrote. Forced off the companies' boards in 1983 by her brother, she eventually put her shares up for sale to the general public, a move that ultimately led to the sale of the entire family business. Her book Passion and Prejudice: A Family Memoir (1989) condemned the Bingham family, and the system in which it operated, as immoral, misogynist, and racist. Afterwards, Bingham returned to writing novels, including Small Victories (1992), Matron of Honor (1996), and Taken by the Shawnee (2024). In 2024, she told the Santa Fe., N.M., arts magazine Pasatiempo she would concentrate on historical fiction, noting: "After 30 years as a writer, I've done all I can do in fiction. I'm kind of tired of my own point of view." Two of her last books were nonfiction: The Silver Swan: In Search of Doris Duke (2020) and the memoir Little Brother (2022), about her brother Jonathan, who died in 1964 at the age of 21 after being accidentally electrocuted. In addition to several plays, her other books include the memoir The Blue Box: Three Lives in Letters (2014); the story collections Transgressions (2002), Red Car (2008), Mending: New and Selected Stories (2011), and How Daddy Lost His Ear: And Other Stories (2025); as well as poetry collections The Hub of the Miracle (2006) and If in Darkness (2010). After the 1986 sale of the Louisville newspapers to Gannett, Bingham used some of her proceeds to establish the Kentucky Foundation for Women, a nonprofit to support women artists and writers. She served as the foundation's first director from 1985 until 1991, when she moved to New Mexico. On her blog, Bingham cited her time at the newspaper as inspiration to create the foundation: "I was aware from my years as book editor at the Courier-Journal of the amount of work that women did at the Bingham companies; almost entirely in lower-paid jobs such as distributing mail, cooking and serving in the company cafeteria, working as secretaries or cleaning. These women were about to lose their jobs with the sale of the company." The foundation released a statement last week praising Bingham's efforts to support women artists and effect social change: "Our sincere condolences go to Sallie's many friends and family.... As we celebrate KFW's 40th anniversary, we will honor the life and work of our founder at our annual event in September 2025. Sallie's impact on Kentucky and the arts will be felt for many generations to come." Marco Rubio hails India-US ties as historic, consequential, and far-reaching. Pledges joint action to tackle modern challenges and secure a brighter future. Highlights cooperation in Indo-Pacific security, technology, innovation, and space. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has lauded the 'historic relationship' between India and the United States, calling it 'consequential and far-reaching', while extending warm wishes to the people of India on the occasion of the countrys Independence Day. the modern challenges of today and ensure a brighter future for both our countries, he noted. In his message on Friday, Rubio said the worlds largest democracy and the worlds oldest democracy share deep bonds and a common purpose. Working together, the United States and India will rise toof today and ensure a brighter future for both our countries, he noted. Rubio highlighted the shared vision of the two nations for a 'more peaceful, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific region'. He underlined that the partnership spans across industries, fosters innovation, advances critical and emerging technologies, and even extends into space collaboration. The Secretary of States remarks reflect the growing strategic convergence between New Delhi and Washington in areas ranging from trade and technology to defense and regional security. Rubios greetings come at a time when India-US ties are witnessing heightened cooperation, reinforcing their role as key partners in shaping a stable and forward-looking global order. FILE - The U.S. Department of Justice logo is seen on a podium before a press conference, May 6, 2025, at the Justice Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File) AP WASHINGTON The investigation began years ago after two drug dealers got into a car accident in a small Tennessee town. What followed was a series of secret wiretaps, a shootout with police and the discovery of drugs hidden in a tractor trailer that would eventually lead federal investigators back to cartel leaders in Mexico. The investigation culminated with Justice Department indictments unsealed Thursday against three leaders and two high-ranking enforcers of the United Cartels, a leading rival of Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The U.S. government is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest of United Cartels top leader, Juan Jose Farias Alvarez El Abuelo, or the grandfather along with multimillion-dollar rewards for the four others. All five are believed to be in Mexico. The cases, as outlined in court documents, provide a glimpse into how drugs produced by violent cartels in large labs in Mexico flow across the U.S. border and reach American streets. They also highlight the violent fallout that drug trafficking leaves in its path from the mountains of Mexico to small U.S. towns. These cases in particular serve as a powerful reminder of the insidious impacts that global cartels can have on our local American communities, Matthew Galeotti, acting assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Departments criminal division said in an interview with The Associated Press. The chain started with a violent cartel in Mexico and it ended with law enforcement being shot at in a small town. United Cartels is an umbrella organization made up of smaller cartels that have worked for different groups over time. It holds a fierce grip over the western state of Michoacan, Mexico, an area of economic interest to the United States because its avocado exports. United Cartels is not as widely known as Jalisco New Generation, but given its role as a prolific methamphetamine producer, it has become a top tier target for U.S. law enforcement. It was one of eight groups recently named foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration. A car crash and an abandoned protective case The case goes back to 2019, when two dealers got into a car accident near Rockwood, Tennessee, outside of Knoxville, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in court. While fleeing the scene of the crash, they threw a hardened protective case filled with meth behind a building before being caught by police, according to court documents. Authorities began investigating, using wiretaps, search warrants and surveillance to identify a man believed to be leading a major drug ring in the Atlanta area: Eladio Mendoza. The investigation into Mendozas suspected drug operation led law enforcement in early 2020 to a hotel near Atlanta. During their surveillance, authorities spotted a man leaving with a large Doritos bag. Troopers tried to stop the man after he drove from Georgia into Tennessee but he fled and fired an AK-style rifle at officers, hitting one in the leg before another trooper shot him. Inside the bag, police found meth and heroin, and identified him as a low-level dealer for Mendozas drug ring, court records say. Weeks later, authorities searched properties linked to Mendoza and seized phones. They discovered messages between Mendoza and a close associate of El Abuelo, the leader of United Cartels, that showed the drugs were coming from Mexico, according to the court records. On one of Mendozas properties, investigators found a tractor trailer that had crossed from Mexico days earlier. When they searched it, authorities seized 850 kilograms of meth hidden in the floor of the truck and discovered more drugs inside a bus and a home on the property, court papers say. Mendoza fled the U.S. a short time later and returned to Mexico, where he was killed by cartels leaders angry that U.S. authorities had seized their cash and drugs, according to prosecutors. Cartels are targeted with terrorist designations The case represents the latest effort by the Republican administration to turn up the pressure on cartels through not only indictments of the groups leaders but sanctions targeting their financial network. The Treasury Department is also bringing economic sanctions against the five defendants as well as the United Cartels as a group and a cartel under its umbrella, Los Viagras. We have to pursue these criminals up and down the chain to make sure that the end result doesnt result in violence and narcotics distribution on our streets, Galeotti said. In addition to El Abuelo, those facing U.S. indictments are Alfonso Fernandez Magallon, or Poncho, and Nicolas Sierra Santana or El Gordo, who authorities say lead smaller cartels under the United Cartels organization. The two other defendants are Edgar Orozco Cabadas or El Kamoni, who was communicating with Mendoza, and Luis Enrique Barragan Chavaz, or Wicho, who serves as Magallon second-in-command, according to authorities. The Trump administration has seen major cooperation from Mexico in recent months in turning over cartel leaders wanted by U.S. authorities. In February, Mexico sent the U.S. 29 drug cartel figures, including drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was behind the killing of a U.S. DEA agent in 1985, to the U.S. And on Tuesday, the Mexican government transferred to American custody 26 additional cartel leaders and other high-ranking members, including a man charged in connection to the killing of a Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy. Were working with the Mexican authorities to pursue these individuals, Galeotti said. We continue to work proactively with them, and we expect that theyll be helpful with us in securing the presence of these individuals in United States courtrooms. Surveillance footage at Hazel Boutique's cafe location in Lavallette, NJ on Aug. 10, 2025. Courtesy of Kim Campfield A New Jersey mother whose 3-year-old daughter upended a nearly $1,600 marble table over the weekend at an Ocean County cafe claimed she wasnt allowed to leave before handing over her drivers license and credit card information. I was completely humiliated and embarrassed, Kathy Denman said in a viral TikTok posted shortly after the incident on Sunday. Ive cried since. Denmans daughter, Allie, accidentally pushed over the table at the Hazelnut Cafe in Lavallette while waiting for her mom to pay for their coffee and ice cream, she explained in the video. Surveillance footage of the incident shared with NJ Advance Media shows Allie apparently hitting the table with her foot, sending it crashing to the ground. As two other customers in the packed cafe help pick the table up, several pieces from its underside can be seen still lying on the floor. No one was hurt, but Allie was frozen and scared and nervous, Denman said, and everybodys reaction definitely didnt help. Denman said she spoke to one of the cafes owners on the phone, who kept repeating, Our policy is: You break it, you pay for it. She said she remained in the cafe for about 20 more minutes. The Hazelnut Cafe is part of Hazel Boutique, a clothing and home decor brand with four locations in New Jersey. It is owned by twin sisters Kimberly and Jenna Campfield. In a statement to NJ Advance Media, they said they were extremely grateful that everyone involved was safe. Following the incident, we personally called the childs mother to express our concern, offer our support, and share our direct contact information should she need anything, they said. But they denied Denmans claim that she had been prevented from leaving the cafe. We also want to be completely transparent: we would never hold anyone against their will, they said. The mother was not charged for the damaged table, even after asking how she could make it right given the table broke. We requested her contact information for insurance purposes. It was not immediately clear if Denman had handed over her credit card information, either with or without prompting. In a brief phone call on Tuesday, Denman said she and her family were doing well. Were good, she said, adding that they were leaving the Shore and returning home to Pompton Plains later that day. She did not return subsequent calls for comment. On Thursday, she posted a written statement to TikTok explaining that the Campfields had reached out to apologize for how our family was treated. Denman said her family had accepted the apology and wanted to move forward peacefully and without further comment. The video had amassed more than 10 million views by the time her statement was posted. Online sleuths had been quick to find the table, an Anthropologie console that retails for $1,598, as well as a since-deleted video posted by the cafe that appears to show it tilting as patrons lean on it. Denman said in her video that shed learned the table weighed 600 pounds. After NJ Advance Media reached out, Anthropologie updated its listing to show that it weighed 109.25 pounds. A company spokesperson did not respond to a question about whether the item was intended for dining use. The Campfields said in their statement that they had since removed all tables from our locations to eliminate any risk of a similar incident. Shock rocker Alice Cooper has revealed the truth about what is considered the most notorious incident of his career. Speaking to Dan Rather on The Big Interview show, Cooper addressed the infamous chicken incident that took place at the Toronto Peace Festival in 1969, per People magazine. Cooper related how his then-unknown band performed between sets by rock legends John Lennon and The Doors at the 80,000-person festival. Coopers manager had secured the Cooper bands position in prime time at the festival. Lennon was the big star at Toronto, appearing with Eric Clapton in a group dubbed The Plastic Ono Band. But The Doors were at the height of their fame, and pioneer rockers Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis also performed. Cooper said that the chicken incident was a total accident. Coopers band ended their sets at the time by using feathers from pillows and CO2 cartridges to create a blizzard effect. While this was happening at Toronto, a chicken mysteriously appeared on stage, according to Cooper. Detroit native Cooper said he assumed that chickens could fly, so he threw the bird out over the crowd. But the bird plunged into the crowd, where it was horrifically torn apart by those in attendance. I threw it out there, and it fell straight down into the audience, Cooper said on A&Es Biography show. The audience tears it to pieces. It was the peace and love festival. They tear it to pieces and throw it back up on the stage. So theres blood everywhere. Feathers and blood. Cooper said that Lennon and wife Yoko Ono loved what had happened because it appeared to be chaotic art. Rock legend Frank Zappa called Cooper the next day to say that the press was reporting that Cooper had killed a live chicken on stage. When Zappa heard the real story, he told Cooper to keep it to himself because the alternate tale was getting such good play. At the bands next gig in Binghamton, N.Y., 50 people protested outside and there was a rumor going around that Cooper had set a German Shepherd on fire in Toronto. Even Salman Khan couldnt keep Indias crypto dream alive originally appeared on TheStreet. For two years running, India has topped the world in grassroots crypto adoption, according to Chainalysis. Estimates suggest between 90 and 100 million Indians have owned or used cryptocurrency roughly 6 to 7% of the countrys 1.4 billion people. The only country to see higher crypto trading volumes over that period? The United States. On paper, India looks like a crypto powerhouse. In reality, the market is suffocating. Trading volumes on Indian exchanges have cratered since the government introduced a punishing tax regime in 2022: a flat 30% tax on gains, no offsetting losses, and a 1% tax deducted at source (TDS) on every trade. The industry operates in a gray zone not banned, but not officially recognized as legal tender with the Reserve Bank of India maintaining a skeptical stance, as per CNBC TV18. The result is a curious paradox: millions of Indians hold crypto, but much of the real trading action has gone offshore. Those who remain in the domestic market often find themselves trapped between enthusiasm and exhaustion. And if there was ever a project to bridge Indias pop culture dominance with its crypto curiosity, it was BollyCoin. Bollywood meets the blockchain In 2021, filmmaker Atul Agnihotri with none other than Salman Khan as the face of the brand launched BollyCoin with the promise to bring Bollywood to the blockchain. The concept was irresistible: digital collectibles from classic Hindi films, official partnerships with production houses like Salman Khan Films and Arbaaz Khan Productions, and the megastar himself posting, Kya aap excited ho? [Are you excited] Salman Khan Static NFTs coming on @bollycoin. Fans were. Reports show BollyCoin sold its entire pre-sale of 20 million tokens in just 30 days, raising about $2 million. Its first NFT drop featured scenes and assets from the Dabangg franchise, one of Salmans biggest hits. The token (BOLLY) ran on Ethereums ERC-20 standard and later bridged to Polygon for lower transaction fees. The total supply was set at 100 million, and holders could use BOLLY tokens to buy NFTs on the platform. In 2022, the team introduced a lock-in staking scheme where holders could lock tokens for up to 24 months in exchange for monthly USDT payouts. They even launched a Bolly Council governance system, allowing the community to vote on project direction. For a while, it worked. BollyCoin was the perfect storm of Bollywood glamor and blockchain hype. Until it wasnt. At press time, BollyCoins official website was defunct. The last post made by the project on their Instagram account dates back to July 2024. Alex Bouger, of Park Ridge, says she was removed as a Girl Scouts leader for social media posts about the organization's increased activism. Photo courtesy Alexandra Bougher The leader of a Girls Scout troop in New Jersey says she was removed from her position due to her social media posts that questioned the organizations perceived shift towards LGBTQIA+ activism and its introduction of gender sexuality alliance clubs to scouts. Alexandra Bougher, who is also the Bergen County chapter chair of Moms for Liberty, said she was fired in a phone call Wednesday with two members of the council of the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey. Moms for Liberty is a right-wing parents rights group that advocates against school curricula mentioning LGBTQ rights, race, and ethnicity. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremism organizations, identified Moms of Liberty as an anti-government organization and Bougher has appeared a few times on Fox News, speaking on behalf of the group. Im proud to stand up for the safety of our children and will always stand up to adults that push woke indoctrination to minors, Bougher posted on Facebook this week. You will not groom kids on my watch. Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey didnt return a phone call and emails from NJ Advance Media on Thursday asking for comment. Bougher said Girls Scout officials declined to tell her which of her posts violated their code of conduct but theorized it may have been about her comments taking a stance against a post the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey shared in June promoting Pride Month. I reposted it and I said, just to be clear, my troop will not be doing this, Bougher said Thursday in a phone interview. I guess thats the one, she said. They actually refused to tell me which one it was, but Im assuming it was that one since it was pulled off their site. Bougher, 45, had been a Girl Scout leader in her hometown of Park Ridge for seven years and led about 30 girls before being let go from her volunteer position. She said shes also been outspoken about other incidents involving a church that hosted a scouts event with an LGBTQ flag out front and an event in which a transgender teen spoke to the scouts about gender identity. This is not what Girl Scouts is about. It is highly inappropriate to talk about anything sexual in nature with small children. Thats not the role of a leader of a Girl Scout leader, and thats not happening during our meetings. Bougher said she noticed the Girl Scouts becoming a more activist organization a few years ago but she continued to lead her troop and simply didnt bring them to any of those events. I saw the change with Girl Scouts a few years ago when some troops were taking their kids to Black Lives Matter marches, and that was not only OK, but they were sort of pushing it like this is so great, get them into activism. And we were like, this is not what Girl Scouts is about, and its also dangerous bringing young children there. We sort of saw that change and some other things too, but you know, I kept my my mouth shut, I kept my troop theyre all friends with each other. They can do those events and well do our own thing, you know." Bougher said things came to a head earlier this year when she posted on social media about other area troops attending events at a local church that hung a Progressive Pride flag. The flag includes black and brown stripes to represent marginalized LGBTQ+ communities of color, along with the colors pink, light blue and white, which are used on the transgender pride flag. A pride flag is one thing but to put it in front of 5-year-olds that is going to open up a discussion and I dont think its appropriate for a troop leader to have that discussion with a child. Thats highly inappropriate to have in front of children. So we asked them to remove it. They would not. And so I made a social media post. I know (the church is) private, but when youre hosting childrens activities can you at least remove it when the kids are there? Why is it more important to have it up in front of children? Like, why? She also said kept her troop away from an ice cream social event at the church in which a 13-year-old transgender girl took part in a discussion on gender identity. She said parents told her they werent comfortable with the event and I didnt feel comfortable with it. Bougher said Girl Scouts officials told her on Wednesday she will no longer be a leader but wouldnt further explain her removal. They said, were here today to talk about your role as a leader, Bougher said. You will no longer be a leader, its a final decision. We will not be discussing it, well not be talking about it, weve already done that. Thats our final decision and its not changing. Not only that, you are not allowed to be a member anymore and neither can your daughter. A photo shared by Moms of Liberty, appearing to be a screenshot of a message sent by a Girl Scout leader known as a service unit manager addressed Boughers dismissal by encouraging other leaders to reach out to the council, which made the decision. We are all volunteers trying to be the best examples we can for our Girl Scouts. If you have any questions on Girl Scout Policies, please read thru the website for their mission statements. They very clearly lay out where they stand on many important issues, the email said. Girls Scout policies state it is an inclusive organization that treats all members equally. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- For the past 15 summers, students in the PA program at Wagner College have volunteered at the Double H Ranch in Lake Luzerne, New York. Double H Ranch was founded by Charles R. Wood and Paul Newman in 1993 as a summer camp aimed at helping children battling serious illnesses. It has since grown to include programs for families and winter sports. Its an opportunity for kids with different medical illnesses to experience childhood, said Jacqui Royael, vice president of operations at Double H Ranch. Theyre able to do things that in their day-to-day theyre often told no. Children involved in the residential program have the opportunity to partake in activities like swimming, horse riding and ropes courses. The camp also offers educational activities, including hands-on science, fishing and boating. Each summer, 30 to 40 PA students from Wagner College participate in one of the six-day summer sessions, assisting with activities and helping feed, change and otherwise care for campers. Everything we do is medically integrated, said Royael. So as a PA student, they have the opportunity to understand lots of different illnesses and how that could impact a child. The camp offers Wagner PA students an opportunity to learn the soft skills that are often overlooked in the classroom or clinical environments. Its one thing to learn, for example, about sickle cell disease in the classroom, and its a different experience to learn about sickle cell when you have that patient in the hospital, said Nora Lowy, the director of the PA program at Wagner. But its a whole other level to interact with them at breakfast, at dinner, at the pool, and see what its like. Wagner students who are involved in the program report that the experience is transformative. I had a student say to me, I never understood how to work with children with disabilities until I went to Double H, said Lowy. Nicole Buccigrossi and her husband Philip Buccigrossi III are all smiles with their four-month old daughter, Sadie, after Buccigrossi wins Pennsylvania Trooper of the Year title. Nicole Buccigrossi STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- On Oct. 25, 2024, Pennsylvania State Police Troopers Philip Buccigrossi III, a former resident of Woodrow, and Justin Yozsa responded to an apartment fire in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania. The troopers knocked on every apartment door, waking all residents to alert them about the fire ripping through their building. And, for safely escorting all the residents out of the building the pair received Pennsylvanias 2024 Trooper of the Year Award last week at an award ceremony in Manheim, Pennsylvania for their heroic actions. Back in October, Buccigrossi III and Yozsa received a 3 a.m. call about an apartment complex fire during their night shift. They were parked just a block away and immediately responded, arriving before local firefighters. On August 1, 2025, Staten Island native and alumnus of Monsignor Farrell High School, Philip Buccigrossi III, was honored as Pennsylvania State Trooper of the Year. Courtesy of Nicole Buccigrossi Yozsa and Buccigrossi III saved the lives of more than 50 residents and their pets by waking and evacuating them from the building while flames and smoke engulfed the structure. At the end of the day, I have a job to do, and must do it while treating everyone with respect and the way that they want to be treated, and treating everyone pretty much equally, said Buccigrossi III. We dont do what we do for any recognition. That night, I was just doing my job; my actions were all part of the job description. But at the same time, it is always nice that they do stuff to recognize us. After graduating from Seton Hall University and the Police Academy, Buccigrossi was offered a job in Pennsylvania, where he and his wife, Nicole Buccigrossi, moved in 2020. Since the fire, Buccigrossis family has expanded. He and his wife now have a four-month-old daughter named Sadie. Buccigrossi and his partner were selected for the statewide honor from among officers serving in the 16 different troops across Pennsylvania. This shows me that hes exactly where he needs to be. We made this move from Staten Island, where we grew up, which was a hard move, but it proves to me that it was the right choice, said Buccigrossis wife, Nicole Buccigrossi. He loves what he does, he is a hero. Thats exactly what he was that day, and thats what he continues to be. Nicole Buccigrossi and her husband Philip Buccigrossi III are all smiles with their four-month old daughter, Sadie, after Buccigrossi wins Pennsylvania Trooper of the Year title. Nicole Buccigrossi Deep law enforcement ties Buccigrossi comes from a family with deep law enforcement ties. His grandfather is retired from the NYPD, two uncles are retired captains in the New Jersey State Police, and his aunt is also retired from the New Jersey State Police. Despite the long line of law enforcement in his family, Buccigrossi III said he always thought he would take after his father, and pursue a career in dentistry. It wasnt until his junior year at Seton Hall University that Buccigrossi realized he wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement instead of dentistry. I know that theres a lot of discrepancies about police, but I hope that this shows that not all police are bad. People like my husband and his partner are there to help everyone and dont even think twice if it means saving people. They took this job because they love people and they want to help people, said Nicole Buccigrossi. I hope people like him give a better face to the police community, because I promise there are ones like my husband who are really great. Philip Buccigrossi III and his four-month daughter Sadie at the Trooper of the Year ceremony. Courtesy of Nicole Buccigrossi Credit to his Alma Mater In addition to how his parents raised him, Buccigrossi III credits his alma mater for some of his work in law enforcement. At Farrell, they taught me to do the right thing and how to be the best version of myself. Many graduates have become first responders, which speaks to the caliber of who the school produces, said Philip Buccigrossi. They raise people to be more than themselves and to give more than themselves and to help those who need help, even in their lowest moments. The award will not stop the hard work of Buccigrossi. He said that its just the beginning of his law enforcement career. 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. Gloria Milza (Roselle), 84, died quietly on Aug. 11 2025. Born on Sept. 2, 1940, she was married to Ernest Milza for 60 years. Gloria worked as an executive assistant for The Toronto-Dominion Bank in New York City for 38 years. She was a parishioner of St. Sylvesters Church and loved cooking, baking and traveling, especially to Bermuda, Grand Cayman and Europe. Read the full obituary on SILive. Staten Island native John Roger Morris, passed away on Aug. 11, 2025 at 86. Born January 30, 1939, John then graduated from Fordham University and Wagner College. He is survived by his wife, Alice; sons, John, Robert and Steven; daughters-in-law, Tricia, Colleen and Dayna; and 8 grandchildren. Read the full obituary on SILive. A cherished husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, Vincent Cicero, 71, passed away peacefully on Aug. 5, 2025 at his home in Manchester, N.J. Born in Brooklyn on Nov. 6, 1953, Vincent graduated from New Dorp High School. Upon graduation, Vincent started working at JPMorgan Chase, where he worked at for over 40 years. On March 1, 1975, Vincent married his wife Joanne, who he recently celebrated 50 years of marriage with. Vincent was the proud father of four children and grandfather of five. He leaves behind his wife, children, grandchildren, brother Joseph, aunt, uncle and cousins. Vincent is remembered for his infectious laughter and comforting presence. 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. A bitter Democratic rival to President Donald Trump has shockingly said that she would nominate the president for the Nobel Peace Prize if Trump is successful in ending Russias war in Ukraine, the New York Post reported. Speaking to Jessica Tarlove on the Raging Moderates podcast, Hillary Clinton, who lost the 2016 presidential election to Trump, said, Honestly, if he could bring about the end to this terrible war, if he could end it without putting Ukraine in a position where it had to concede its territory to the aggressor, could really stand up to Putin something we havent seen, but maybe this is the opportunity if President Trump were the architect of that, Id nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize. Because my goal here is to not allow capitulation to Putin, said the former secretary of state, U.S. senator from New York and first lady. Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin today in Alaska. Trump last year campaigned on a pledge to end the Ukraine war. Clintons endorsement of Trump for a Nobel prize is stunning given the open enmity between herself and the president. Clinton once called Trump supporters a basket of deplorables and said that Trump was unfit for the presidency. Clinton during the 2016 campaign also spread the since-debunked narrative that the Kremlin worked to help Trump win the White House. She earlier this year called the Trump administration dumb. Instead of a strong America using all our strengths to lead the world and confront our adversaries, Mr. Trumps America will be increasingly blind and blundering, feeble and friendless, Clinton wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times. Support the Peninsulas only locally-owned newspaper. Subscribe! Subscribing annually brings you big savings. We also offer monthly and weekly subscriptions. Premium Subscription As low as $8.25 per week Premium Includes: -- Access to the Daily Journals e-Edition: a digital replica of our daily newspaper including crossword puzzles, games, comics, classifieds and ads. You can download a digital replica of the Daily Journal for offline reading. You can also clip & download articles or images from the e-edition to share with others The most recent 90 issues are available at any given time. -- Unlimited access to our award-winning online content -- Commenting access on all stories as a valued member of the DJ community -- NEW! Access to our online-only digital crossword puzzle. A new puzzle every day, seven days a week! (Reuters) -When U.S. President Donald Trump meets Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, one of his bargaining chips to encourage Putin to make progress toward a ceasefire in Ukraine will be to ease U.S. sanctions on Russia's energy industry and exports. Trump has also threatened tougher sanctions if there is no progress. Here is how sanctions have impacted Russian energy exports since the start of the conflict. NATURAL GAS AND LNG Russia was the top supplier of natural gas to Europe before the war. Most gas travelled through four pipeline routes: Nord Stream running under the Baltic Sea, the Yamal line crossing Poland, transit via Ukraine, and the Turkstream line. Europe also imports Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG). In 2021, total Russian gas imports to the EU totalled 150 billion cubic metres (bcm) per year, or 45% of its total imports, and have fallen to 52 bcm or 19% since, according to the European Commission. While the EU has not imposed sanctions on Russian pipeline gas imports, contract disputes and damage to Nord Stream caused by an explosion, have cut supplies. As part of a fresh round of sanctions announced in July, the European Union has now banned transactions including any provision of goods or services related to Nord Stream, which albeit damaged could be revived as a gas supply route. Transit via Ukraine ended at the end of 2024, leaving just Turkstream as a functioning route for Russian pipeline gas to Europe. The European Commission has also proposed a legally binding ban on EU imports of Russian gas and LNG by the end of 2027, but this has not been passed into legislation yet. The U.S. in 2024 imposed sanctions on companies supporting the development of Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project, which would become Russia's largest plant with an eventual output of 19.8 million metric tons per year. OIL The U.S., UK, and EU all prohibited the import of seaborne crude oil and refined petroleum products from Russia during the first year of the war in Ukraine. In addition to the embargoes, the G7 group of countries (including the US, UK, and EU) imposed a price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil for third countries at $60 per barrel in December 2022, and a cap on fuels the following February. The EU and UK altered the crude price cap level in June 2025 to $47.60, or 15% below the average market price, but the U.S. did not back the move. The price cap aims to reduce Russia's revenues from oil sales by prohibiting shipping, insurance and reinsurance companies from handling tankers carrying crude traded above the cap level. Telstra boss Vicki Brady, though less vocal on the companys AI developments at this weeks results, was similarly forthright at its recent strategy day. We see lots of potential across those areas customer engagement, how we operate and manage our network, how we develop software and manage our IT environment, how it supports back of office for us where you tend to have manual processes. While it sounds like a great opportunity for Australian business, it sounds rather alarming when viewed from the vantage of their employees. After all, both are relatively low-growth businesses investing heavily in AI. Will this investment pay off by boosting worker productivity, or by replacing them? CBA chief Matt Comyn delivered a record $10 billion profit this week despite ramping up spending on AI, which was front and centre of his presentation to investors and analysts. Credit: Oscar Colman CBA publicly preaches productivity and innovation while quietly eroding local jobs. This hypocrisy cannot go unchallenged, Finance Sector Union national secretary Julia Angrisano said after the banks record $10 billion profit this week. The Australian Council of Trade Unions has demanded that employers guarantee workers job security before introducing artificial intelligence to protect against jobs carnage. Local academics used research by the International Labour Organisation to translate its findings on AI job losses to Australia. They came up with a startling forecast of Australias AI future in 2050: 32 per cent of current jobs in Australia could be done by AI. But that doesnt mean 32 per cent of people will lose their jobs overnight, Victoria University academics Janine Dixon and James Lennox said in a report posted to The Conversation last week. It will take time for AI capabilities to be installed, giving people time to train for alternative careers. Much of the impact is likely to be years away. This time frame gives AI a lot of time to move beyond relatively low-level tasks, like replacing basic call centre work, to replacing white-collar jobs like the software developers who make it. Loading So what does Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes think the impact will be of the AI transformation on the company he built alongside Farquhar? It is in a frenzy of AI upgrades of its own products and surely looking at the productivity benefits. Cannon-Brookes sees a bright future despite AIs coding adeptness. It appears that the famously prescient 2011 claim by US billionaire venture capitalist Marc Andreessen that software is eating the world still holds. Do I think there will be far less developers in the world five years from now? No, I dont think so, Cannon-Brookes told investors on the companys earnings conference call last week. And yes, were still hiring lots of engineers and developers with the growth of the business. Cannon-Brookes argument is simple: the world will need far more software and AI means it will be cheaper and easier to extend its development beyond corporate tech teams to the actual business itself. Whether theyre in finance or HR or marketing, theres going to be a lot more people creating software, he says. Mind you, Atlassian has a lot riding on this version of the future. Its business is literally built on managing the workflows and projects for this sort of development. The Farquhar and Cannon-Brookes fortunes will dwindle rapidly if this development can be done by an AI bot instead of teams of employees. But even AIs transformation of low-level customer work such as call centres is not necessarily seen as a bad thing for local jobs. It could represent a boon for our country, says KPMGs chief digital officer, John Munnelly. A lot of the stuff that AI is improving is the tasks we used to offshore, like call centre work, he says. Theres a really great opportunity for the Australian economy with AI. KPMG chief digital officer John Munnelly The productivity dividend that Farquhar mentioned could actually make a lot more of this work viable here. Theres a really great opportunity for the Australian economy with AI, Munnelly says. Loading But the interesting stuff is already happening further up the wage chain like KPMGs new AI tax tool that allows its executives to vastly accelerate the delivery of first-draft advice to clients. What used to take us two weeks to go and prepare if a clients in the middle of a deal now we can literally get it out the door in a day, Munnelly says. It was left to KPMG chief executive Andrew Yates to address the conundrum this poses. What will this KPMG employee do with the nine days that would have previously been spent on this work? I think our current hypothesis is that what we do will change. But AI and the technology weve got will generate so much more data that our work will change from collating that data to really assessing, analysing, presenting, interpreting much more data than is currently available, he says. There will be a real need for that insight and technical understanding of all the data thats produced. As for the analysts trying to make sense of the AI talk which is starting to creep into earnings season speeches and rising costs, there is a more prosaic question. Companies have been keen to point out their investments in AI, but when will we see it translate to the bottom line? asked UBS strategist Richard Schellbach. Even Comyn, who packed more than a dozen AI references into his introduction to the banks full-year results, came up with a cautious answer. Loading Typically, part-time and full-time employees need to have completed at least 12 months of continuous service with their employer to be eligible for a flexible working arrangement. Casual employees must meet one of the above criteria and have worked with the company regularly for at least 12 months, with a reasonable expectation of continued employment. If youre not in one of these groups, can you still ask for a flexible working arrangement? Yes. I encourage it, says Traicos. We work for a long time and our needs vary throughout our lives. Employers are usually open to considering reasonable flexible work requests and savvy employers will often use these opportunities to retain and develop talent. When it comes to asking, timing matters If youre going for a job, it is best to have a conversation about your interest in flexible work during the hiring process. Not in an actual interview with your prospective boss, but by asking the HR representative or recruiter youve been liaising with about the role. Loading If youre already part of a company or organisation, established employees performing well in their roles, who understand the organisational culture, are in an advantageous position to make successful requests, Traicos says, though she warns against new starters asking for flexible working arrangements. Recent starters are not well-placed to make successful requests, particularly if it comes as a surprise to their manager. They need time to settle into their role and understand the organisations nuances. Ive seen tension arise with managers and colleagues by making unrealistic requests too quickly. How should someone request a flexible work arrangement? Before making any requests, be sure to check if your employer offers any flexible work benefits in an enterprise agreement or human resources policies. Traicos says organising a meeting with your leader and following up with a written request is best. When you meet, outline your needs and ideas. Be equipped with solutions to challenges that might arise from your request. Consider and communicate how any impacts on yourself and others in the organisation can be mitigated. Showing employers youve carefully thought about potential solutions can make all the difference. Follow up with a formal written request in an email, with a letter attached if you prefer, to both your manager and human resources, outlining what you seek, the reasons for your request and how it can be implemented. Mention that you had a meeting, and thank them for the conversation. Its important to have your request in writing so its dated, formalised and for overall transparency. What happens if a request is denied? An employees options depend on a few factors, including any applicable enterprise agreements and whether the employee has the legal right to request a flexible work arrangement. The employers reason for denial is another major factor. When it comes to those eligible groups of people listed earlier, a company or organisation can only refuse a flexible working request on reasonable business grounds. If an employee believes the denial unreasonable, the best approach is to request a meeting with the manager and human resources together. Discuss the decision and seek to explore alternatives and/or compromises. This approach may be effective if you think the decision was made in haste. However, Traicos says that by the time employers have formalised a denial in writing, it is usually their final position. Employees can seek legal or union advice and decide if they wish to challenge the decision further. While Australia has an accessible system for resolving disputes, people should know that going down this road is time- and energy-consuming for employees and employers alike. Traicos asks employees to consider the merits of their situation carefully before proceeding. Flexible work is about finding balance between employees and employers. And often, it can be mutually beneficial. Photographer and documentary-maker Hoda Afshar has won the National Photographic Portrait Prize for the second time with a powerful image that challenges Australias treatment of First Nations children. The Melbourne-based artist took out the $50,000 prize on Friday with Untitled #01 from her 2024 series, Code Black/Riot. Created in collaboration with young people in Far North Queensland, the series highlights laws allowing children as young as 10 to be imprisoned among the lowest ages for criminal responsibility in the world. Hoda Afshars Untitled #01, which won this years National Photographic Portrait Prize. Credit: Hoda Afshar Afshar worked with Cairns-based Youth Empowered Towards Independence and Sydney advocacy group Change the Record. Participants were invited to conceal their identities while making a personal statement. Some chose a flag, mask or face paint. The three girls in Afshars winning image chose a simple, defiant gesture. 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 Alexandra Heller-Nicholas was only seven weeks old when she saw her first horror movie. Her aunt was babysitting, and decided to bring her to the cinema to see William Friedkins The Exorcist. Heller-Nicholas believes this experience put her on the path to horror. Over the next few decades, the Melbourne-based film critic delved deep into the genre, delighting in classics such as Suspiria and Psycho both of which she watched in secret (scary movies were forbidden in her household). But as her exploration of horror filmmaking continued, she found herself wondering the same thing again and again: where are all the women? Women have long played a pivotal role in horror cinema, so why do we know so little about them? Credit: Compiled by Matt Willis. Its not that there havent been any female creators. In fact, some of the earliest horror films were directed by women, such as Lois Webers 1913 silent film Suspense. Women have long played a pivotal role in horror; its just that few people appear to notice them. Many people might not even realise theyve seen a woman-directed horror before. For example, Mary Harrons American Psycho (2000) and Mary Lamberts Pet Sematary (1989), Heller-Nicholas says. Womens labour has historically been diminished and rendered invisible across the board, and horror is a perfect case study to demonstrate that. Its from this revelation that Heller-Nicholas 1000 Women in Horror, 1895-2018 an encyclopedic exploration of the many women who have shaped the genre was born. The book, which landed in 2020, has now been developed into a documentary of the same name, which will play at the Melbourne International Film Festival this month. Directed by Canadian filmmaker Donna Davies, the documentary brings to light several female filmmakers, producers, actors and screenwriters previously relegated to the dark, including producer Sara Risher (A Nightmare on Elm Street), screenwriter Akela Cooper (M3GAN) and actor Lin Shaye (Insidious). Advertisement Did you know that American Psycho was co-written by a woman (Mary Harron)? For many, the answer is no. Credit: Columbia Tri-Star Like Heller-Nicholas, horror has appealed to Davies since childhood; she started a witchcraft club with her friends at the age of 10. What I love most is how [horror] serves as a cultural mirror it reflects what society is truly afraid of at any given moment, she says. It processes trauma, gives voice to the voiceless and provides catharsis. For women especially, horror has always been a space where we could explore rage, power and transformation in ways that werent available to us in other genres. While making other horror-related documentaries, Davies became increasingly frustrated by the lack of recognition for women within the space. Somehow, when men made horror films, they were celebrated as visionaries. When women did it, they were dismissed as exploitation filmmakers or lucky accidents, Davies says. Theres also this uncomfortable truth that womens horror often focuses on very real fears domestic violence, sexual assault, the horrors of childbirth and motherhood subjects that make audiences, especially male audiences, genuinely uncomfortable. But it wasnt until Heller-Nicholas book was released that Davies felt there was the evidence needed to open peoples eyes. Advertisement Alexandra Heller-Nicholas in 1000 Women in Horror, a documentary based on her book of the same name. To accomplish this, Davies structured the documentary around the female experience itself girlhood, school years, adulthood, work life, maternal life and ageing. Each life stage brings different fears and different strengths, and we really wanted to honour that journey, she says. For example, school life is often associated with puberty, a sometimes horrifying experience explored in the documentary through films such as Ginger Snaps, written by Karen Walton. For some women, motherhood is a horror movie in itself. In the documentary, actor Kate Siegel (The Haunting of Hill House), compares her C-section to body horror films like Julia Ducournaus Titane. Women often bring a focus on psychological complexity over gore for its own sake. Were interested in the why behind the horror, the emotional truth of fear, Davies says. We understand that the most terrifying monsters arent always the ones with fangs. Sometimes, theyre the people at the office or sitting across from you at dinner. Mattie Do a horror director from Laos says that while the horror community has been more welcoming compared to others, most genre filmmakers are still men. She says she has to work triple hard to be taken seriously. Loading Advertisement I feel like I have to ... prove that I belong here as a filmmaker, that my works are worthwhile because of their merit, not just because I was born with certain chromosomes, says Do, who has directed culturally-infused horror films such as The Long Walk. Heller-Nicholas says things are improving. There are now several film festivals dedicated to women in horror, including Los Angeles Etheria Film Festival, Wench Film Festival in Mumbai and Final Girls Berlin Film Festival. Australia has also been something of a positive anomaly, she adds. Weve been blessed by a really strong community of women filmmakers. People like Jennifer Kent with The Babadook have been hugely important. Natalie Erika James, who did Relic, is another one of our patron saints. Australia is home to some of the most iconic female-directed horror films, including Jennifer Kents The Babadook. Credit: Causeway Films Loading It goes back much further, she notes. Ann Turner made Celia in 1989, which was initially created as a drama but then distributed overseas as a horror. Fast-forward to today and you have filmmakers such as Alice Maio Mackay, a 21-year-old transgender woman who has already made six horror features, many of which have been picked up by international film festivals and streamers such as Shudder. Alice makes low-budget punk queer horrors that are tightly bound to her experience as a young transgender woman in Australia, Heller-Nicholas says. Shes not just a national treasure in terms of horror, theres nobody in the world doing what shes doing right now. Advertisement Despite these success stories, Davies says more still needs to be done, beginning with placing more women in decision-making roles. This not only includes directors, but also producers, financiers and distributors because the stories that are told are determined by those who control the funding. Its imperative that womens voices including women of colour, LGBT women, trans women and women from different cultural backgrounds are actively sought out across the board. Loading Womens contributions also need to be taught, Davies says. When film schools teach horror history and leave out these voices, theyre creating the next generation of gatekeepers who dont even know these women existed. Finally, Heller-Nicholas says people must realise its not a matter of boys versus girls. Neither her book nor the documentary were made to exclude or criticise men. From travelling the world and going to film festivals, Ive found that men want to have these conversations as much as women do The shared love of the genre transcends gender identity. 1000 Women in Horror will screen as part of MIFF on August 21 and 23. This will be paired with two rarely screened cult horror classics directed by women on August 22. What I hoped to convey is that if you are in adversity and it looks like theres no winning, theres a lot of honour in just keeping your head down and going on, says Folds. The kids are looking at Charlie Brown like, Its raining! You understand that, right?, and hes like, I dont care, I cant give up. When the sun comes out, hes still looking down. And so I thought that was an opportunity for the other kids to say, Look up! Its all going to be okay! It begs the question: why did Folds almost cut it? What did he not like about it? Its not that I didnt like it, its just one of those times where it goes to show you that you cant sit and worry about what Vince Guaraldi would do, he says, citing the late pianist whose jazzy compositions are synonymous with Peanuts cartoons. For a piano guy like Folds, Guaraldi is a revered figure. Vince Guaraldis moves on the piano, for a piano player, are the equivalent to a Pete Townsend power chord on guitar, he says. You cant avoid the power chord if youre playing rock on the guitar, and you cant avoid the Guaraldi-isms on the piano if youre playing jazz. It still sounds so sophisticated, and its brilliant stuff. Folds even had a version of Look Up, Charlie Brown that amped its 80s British synth-pop feel that he decided hed never get away with. It already felt like blasphemy to bring in a drum machine and an electric piano. I was even putting delays on the vocal I never do shit like that! It was all just very out of my comfort zone, which proves that its always good to take a risk. Folds will return to Australia on his Ben Folds and a Piano Tour in February. Folds is Zooming in from his home in North Carolina, where hes lived for the past two years. Hed previously lived in Adelaide intermittently between 1999 and 2006, with his Australian ex-wife Frally Hynes and their twin children Gracie and Louie, and then in Sydney during the pandemic. Australia remains significant for Folds; its also the place where his band Ben Folds Five first found success with their debut album, released 30 years ago this week. When we finished that album, I knew everything would change, says Folds. That sounds so cocky, but when we were in the studio I knew I was hearing something that I just hadnt heard before. In Australia, Underground became an unlikely alternative hit for the band. That was really affirming, because that song was so damn uncool when we were recording it, says Folds. It felt like everyone in the studio was rolling their eyes. Its the height of grunge music and were there going doot-doot-do, doot-doot-do! Thats so goofy, you know? So in America, it didnt catch on. One morning in 1996, the landline by his head woke him at 4am. It was Triple J doing a prank, a couple of comedians named Merrick & Rosso just being idiots on the phone, says Folds. But they were like, Congratulations mate, youre number three on the Hottest 100. I didnt know what Triple J was, or the Hottest 100, but that was the beginning of success for us. That song took off from there it became a top 10 hit in Europe and the UK but it started in Australia, so Ive always had a nice thing there. Folds will tour Australia in February, amid a moment of personal upheaval. In February, he resigned as an artistic advisor at the Kennedy Center, a role hed held since 2019, after Donald Trump dismissed half the board of the Washington, DC arts institution and named himself its new chairman. In the months since, Folds has released an album with his old charges, the National Symphony Orchestra, in what feels like a pointed act of resistance. It is. Art itself, in times like this in America, is by definition an act of resistance, because an authoritarian regime wants people in line and art does not stay in line, says Folds. Wed recorded that before the election. It felt very ominous at the time, but I didnt think he would win the election. I still dont understand it, but it happened. Loading The Kennedy Centre, opened in 1971, had a reputation as a beacon of freedom of expression in the US capital, says Folds. Having it taken over in that kind of authoritarian way and becoming the Ministry of Art suddenly, it has a very North Korean feel and its pretty scary. I stepped down because I didnt want to be a pawn in that. I didnt want to represent it or support it in any way, and I could afford to leave. But it was sad because I worked there for nearly 10 years and Ive still got friends that are kind of trapped in the building Were in dark, uncharted territory. 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 For 70 years, the fictional character of Tom Ripley a misanthropic, morally ambiguous and shape-shifting antihero has gripped readers and film-lovers. The creation of American writer Patricia Highsmith, he first appeared in her 1955 novel The Talented Mr Ripley, beginning as a near-destitute IRS stockroom clerk and con-artist living in New York City but evolving into a serial killer who murders and then takes over the identity of Dickie Greenleaf, a wealthy, not-so-talented painter living in the fictional Italian coastal town of Mongibello with a lovely house, a boat and an American admirer called Marge Sherwood. Claude Scott-Mitchell and Will McDonald play Marge and Tom Ripley in Sydney Theatre Companys The Talented Mr Ripley. Credit: Steven Siewert Ripleys evolution is enthralling and mind-boggling. His plan to murder emerges as suddenly as his coveting of Greenleafs privileged life. Now, Highsmiths most famous character comes to the stage in playwright Joanna Murray-Smiths adaptation of The Talented Mr Ripley. Loading Directed by Sarah Goodes (Julia, Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), with Will McDonald (Heartbreak High) as Ripley, Raj Labade (The Office) as Dickie Greenleaf and Claude Scott-Mitchell (The Dry, The Last Anniversary) as Sherwood, the play is a pin-sharp study of a complex man and a nail-biting psychological thriller. Oh, absolutely, the whole story is about suspense, Goodes says: That gap between something happening and what your response is to it. In rehearsals, weve kept talking about the actual definition of suspense. Youre suspended between two things. In a way, the whole story of The Talented Mr Ripley is about that. Advertisement Joannas written a piece that swings between being a noir film, like The Third Man, to being like a Wes Anderson work, to being a classic Strangers on a Train-style Hitchcock. And theres also direct address. Hes got a relationship with the audience. You find out who that is later but really Ripleys telling us the story. Director Sarah Goodes talks to the cast of The Talented Mr Ripley during rehearsals. Credit: Daniel Boud But who is Ripley? A relative nobody, he is sent on an all-expenses paid trip by Dickies father to convince his son to come home to New York. Dickies mother has leukemia and his father wants him to take over the familys shipbuilding business. But when Ripley encounters Dickie magnetically carefree and living a life of luxury and culture on the Italian coast he cannot follow through with his mission. His ardour for Greenleafs identity, and desire to escape his own dismal existence, propels him to kill. And then, through extraordinary sleight of hand, he becomes Dickie Greenleaf. At the core of Tom is a void, McDonald says. Emptiness. Hes this black hole that kind of swallows up Dickie and Marge and Dickies parents. That, and the deep-seated shame of who he is, really drives the whole piece. Goodes agrees. Its a moral tale in a way, she says. If you dont know who you are, if you dont anchor yourself or have a moral attachment to the world, then you are a risk to society. Thats the story of the outsider. If you feel like you owe the world nothing, then you can be like Ripley. You have no remorse or regret. You can move through it with this real sense of surgical precision and determination. Advertisement Ripley is often labelled a psychopath, and Highsmith, who wrote 22 novels including The Price of Salt (later republished as Carol) and Strangers on a Train, another tale of murder and emotional blackmail, clearly had a thing for psychopaths. She even wondered if she was one herself, writing a diary entry in 1943, Am I a psychopath? She also referred to Ripley as her alter ego, sometimes signing letters Love from Tom. Andrew Scott was chilling as Tom Ripley in the 2024 Netflix adaptation of Patricia Highsmiths novel. Credit: Netflix What stands out with Tom Ripley a person whose exploits would necessitate punishment if exposed is that he is a character that many fans of the book, film and TV adaptations (Andrew Scott played him in the 2024 Netflix series Ripley) root for. This is despite his identity theft, financial crimes, emotional manipulations and murdering. Its a duality McDonald relishes. There was an interview that Andrew Scott gave about playing the character where he said Toms not inherently bloodthirsty, hes not this horrendous, evil person who just loves murdering people, McDonald says. Hes doing it to survive. He thinks its something that he has to do to just stay alive. He says Scott-Mitchell is sometimes rattled by his characters duality. She says there are times she is looking at me and going, Oh, I feel sorry for you, he says. And then other times she is going, Oh my god, hes horrible. I hate him. I love that sense of confusion about him. Advertisement Whether you love or hate him, Ripley is a stayer. Anyone wondering if he evades capture need only clock the four subsequent Ripley novels Highsmith wrote, with the last, Ripley Under Water, published in 1991. But is he happy when he gets what he wants? In the 1999 film adaptation directed by Anthony Minghella, Matt Damon as Ripley reflects mournfully towards the final scenes: I always thought it would be better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody. Will McDonald plays the duplicitous Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr Ripley. Credit: Daniel Boud Scott-Mitchell points to strong connections in style and character between Ripley and The Picture of Dorian Gray. When you think about it, Dorian and Tom are both characters who are completely consumed by objects and beauty, she says. And they both end up in a very similar place. McDonald agrees. With Dorian, hes beautiful and hes gorgeous, but he is known throughout London as a scoundrel. Hes been corrupted, he says. His soul has been destroyed by what hes done and hes alone forever. A similar thing happens to Tom. Advertisement Theres this wonderful moment in the book where he realises that, in the process of becoming Dickie Greenleaf and gaining all his things, by murdering him he can never let anyone be close to him ever again. Hell have all these beautiful things and live this beautiful life, but what he really wanted and prayed for love and closeness hell never get it. In that sense, he fails in his objective. Claude Scott-Mitchells Marge is suspicious of Toms motives in The Talented Mr Ripley. Credit: Daniel Boud He does, however, hold up a mirror to peoples secret thoughts. Loading Joanna has written the play in a way that talks to the inner demons in all of us, Scott-Mitchell says. We all have something sinister in our minds, whether we want to admit it, or even that were conscious of it. You have these moments where youre listening to him and youre like, Oh, yeah, I see where hes coming from. Then you step back and go, Well, that feels a bit uncomfortable. Most of The Talented Mr Ripleys creative team have connections to work about Highsmith. Murray-Smith wrote the play Switzerland, a fictional look at the last years of Highsmiths life, now being turned into a movie starring Helen Mirren. The co-premiere of the production at STC in 2014 was directed by Goodes and designed by Scott-Mitchells father, Michael Scott-Mitchell. Advertisement This story was originally published on C-Store Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily C-Store Dive newsletter. Fueling Up is a column from C-Store Dive offering a fresh perspective on the top news and trends in the convenience store industry. Hes no longer part of EG Groups c-suite, but Zuber Issa continues to put pressure on the company he co-founded over two decades ago. Before he and his brother resigned as co-CEOs, Issa told The Telegraph in December 2024 that they were planning to take EG Group public on the New York Stock exchange for about $13 billion pounds, equivalent to roughly $17.5 billion. A few months later, Issa told The Sunday Times that the road map is starting now for the IPO, which would probably commence in 2026 and list EG Group under Cumberland Farms, its largest c-store banner in the U.S. Now, Issa appears to be changing his outlook. He told the Financial Times this week that he wants EG Group to sell its assets in the U.S. and that there are already parties interested in purchasing them. Selling these assets, including over 1,500 c-stores under several banners, would help EG Group relieve its over $5 billion in debt much faster than an IPO, Issa told the publication. As Issa continues to speak to the press, EG Group isnt talking. The company declined to comment on any speculatory IPO or sale of EG America to the outlets Issa has spoken with, and declined to speak when reached this week by C-Store Dive. Issa himself did not respond by press time when asked for comment by C-Store Dive. EG Group Its understandable for EG Group to keep quiet if either of these moves is in the works. But Issas comments contradict what the company has done the past few years in growing its U.S. network. M&A efforts aside, EG America has revamped its digital ecosystem, overhauled its c-suite team and boosted its fresh food offerings amid efforts to unify its many c-store banners across the country. EG Group even said earlier this year that EG America has become its most profitable market. Which leads me to this: If EG Group is indeed mulling both options, how would selling EG America impact its potential IPO? Familiar territory In early 2023, reports surfaced that EG Group was looking to sell its assets in the U.S. in an effort to relieve over $8 billion of debt falling due in 2025. About two months later, the company entered into a $1.5 billion deal with Realty Income Corporation under which the real estate investment trust purchased over 400 c-stores in the U.S. and leased them back to EG America. Thirty-six years ago, eastern barred bandicoots were a species on the brink of extinction. Officially classified as extinct in the wild, the last known colony of wild bandicoots numbering about 150 was clinging to life among abandoned vehicles in a rubbish tip in Hamilton in Victorias south-west. A breeding program has brought bandicoots back from the brink. Credit: Eddie Jim The diminutive marsupials thrive in grasslands and are vulnerable to land clearing and predation by feral foxes and cats. Against the odds, a recovery team was formed with an ambitious goal: to bring bandicoots back from the brink. In 1989, rescue workers scooped the last known wild Victorian population out of the tip and into protective custody, to form a captive breeding program run by Zoos Victoria. The trials arent about coins or speculation theyre about the infrastructure itself. SWIFT doing this is kind of like the post office switching to email, Stanic says. Its a big deal because it shows how money is changing behind the scenes. For Aussies, its important to know that this isnt just crypto stuff its about the tech our banks and super funds might soon be using. The better we understand it now, the better prepared well be when it becomes the new normal. That urgency is colliding with low levels of public confidence and widespread misunderstanding. Crypto scams remain common, regulations continue to evolve, and the explosion of hype-driven commentary on social media makes it difficult for newcomers to find credible information. Mario Stanic, founder and chief executive of Crypto Research Australia. Most investors arent prepared, Stanic says. Theyre still thinking in silos stocks over here, crypto over there, cash in the middle. But with infrastructure like this going live, those lines blur fast. The investors who win will be the ones who understand how to position digital assets as part of a broader, informed strategy, not just a gamble on the next coin. His firm, one of several offering subscription-based research services to Australian retail and self-managed investors, says its core audience is looking for clarity, not hype. Social media is flooded with opinions. We deal in evidence, Stanic says. Our platform is built to help investors block out the noise and focus on what actually matters well-researched, practical insights that support long-term success. In recent years, institutional interest in crypto has surged. Major asset managers, including BlackRock and Fidelity, have launched or backed crypto funds, and central banks in countries including China, Singapore and Sweden are testing digital currencies. Stanic says many Australians still hold misconceptions about crypto. The big one? That its all high risk and hype. The reality is, behind the noise, crypto is evolving into serious infrastructure from programmable money to digital securities, he says. But that doesnt mean every investor is expected to jump in. Regulators continue to warn about volatility, scams and speculative behaviour in the market. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has issued guidance urging people to understand the risks before engaging with digital assets. That gap between mainstream headlines and practical understanding is what services like Stanics aim to address. They offer reports, strategy sessions and portfolio reviews, but stop short of making recommendations or offering financial product advice. Informed users zoom out, Stanic says. They educate themselves, they look for trends, not just price, and they think in years, not days. They use research to guide conviction. Speculators? They scroll, they follow noise, and they panic. One group builds wealth, the other burns it chasing quick wins. So what should investors do to get a better handle on the changing landscape? Focus on frameworks, not just forecasts, says Stanic. Look into use cases, adoption curves, and regulatory updates. Read research from independent sources like CRA or similar platforms that prioritise risk-adjusted perspectives. Remember: the best investments often emerge when the noise dies down and fundamentals shine through. For some investors, the shift came after painful lessons. Dean Mellisinos, a property developer and investor based in Melbournes southwest, says he turned to research services after a run of losses trying to ride crypto trends on his own. Honestly, I subscribed after losing money chasing coins, Mellisinos says. I needed a way to reset and do things properly. It wasnt just about making more money it was about avoiding losses. One of the biggest shifts, he says, came from learning how to manage his own behaviour. FOMO, panic selling, chasing pumps Ive done it all, he says. CRAs research helped me step back and assess the market objectively. I learned how to think in probabilities, not predictions, and that made a huge difference in how I handled my portfolio. With new crypto trends appearing constantly from meme coins to artificial intelligence tokens Mellisinos says structured guidance helped him separate hype from substance. For example, when AI tokens started gaining traction, CRA was ahead of the curve. They not only identified the trend early, but also highlighted which projects had real tech and traction versus the pretenders. Whether crypto becomes as central to finance as email is to communication remains to be seen. But with SWIFT testing tokenised settlement, institutional adoption accelerating, and public infrastructure slowly catching up, the rails of finance are being quietly rewritten. For Australians, that may not mean rushing to act. But it might mean taking the time to understand whats coming and deciding who to listen to along the way. To find out more, please visit Crypto Research Australia. Jones-Baldwin was one of more than 30 patients who gave evidence during Al Muderis failed defamation case against Nine, this masthead and 60 Minutes. I would not return to Al Muderis for medical opinion or procedure even if you paid me, she stated in her affidavit. Al Muderis states that he cares about his patients that was not my experience at all. This was the last cordial encounter between the doctor and patient, in what Jones-Baldwin described as a horror experience in February 2021 at Macquarie University Hospital that left her in excruciating pain, traumatised and sobbing. Is that the one you had done on the ABC? Jones-Baldwin asked the doctor, according to her affidavit. Yes, he smiled, before leaving the room. It was the product of his interview on Anhs Brush with Fame, the iconic ABC show where comedian Anh Do profiles celebrities over casual conversations and art. One of the first things Sharon Jones-Baldwin noticed when she entered Munjed Al Muderis clinic was the large portrait of the star doctor hanging on the wall. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Abrahams damning findings included that Al Muderis performed experimental surgeries, ignored red flags, failed to respond to patients pleas for help, performed medical services in the United States without a licence, paid secret cash commissions to recruit patients, failed to obtain informed consent and prioritised fame and money above his patients. All had suffered significant forms of personal hardship, Abraham wrote. They stood to gain nothing by giving evidence, other than saying what happened to them. The case rested on whose account Abraham believed the celebrity doctor or everyone he accused of lying. Ultimately, she found it was the patients who told the truth. Abrahams 770-page judgment found that Al Muderis practice was unethical and negligent for a significant cohort of his patients, treating some with neglect, callousness, disrespect and that he washed his hands when they needed him. The positive media coverage his practice had enjoyed needed correcting, and the investigation revealed another side of his practice, Abraham ruled. Patients should be making their decisions with both sides of the story. In the landmark judgment handed down last Friday , Justice Wendy Abraham found the investigative series that revealed serious concerns with his practice, including that he downplayed risks and provided poor aftercare and negligent surgery, was true and in the public interest. Major charities Amnesty International and Red Cross Australia have denied Al Muderis served as an ambassador, as stated in his affidavit, while smaller charities he claimed to represent either denied knowing him or said the relationships were historic and limited. Al Muderis, represented by Sue Chrysanthou, SC, painted a picture during the trial of extensive charity work and links to prestigious institutions. In the wake of the judgment, though, this evidence has publicly unravelled. Medibank asked Macquarie University Hospital, where Al Muderis continues to operate, to investigate the judgment and take all steps necessary with the regulators. Medibank, which jointly owns a short-stay hospital with Al Muderis at Macquarie University Hospital, said it was very concerned about the judgment and are taking this extremely seriously. AHPRA is not in the business of punishing people, Australian Law Alliance health expert Ngaire Watson said. While theyre doing that, there is a tendency they will let people go on and on and on. This week the medical regulators, HCCC and AHPRA, signalled they were reviewing the judgment but surgeons and experts have little faith action will be taken. This is one of the worst cases I have seen, Al Muderis allegedly told Harvey. You need the surgery because your legs f---ed. During the pre-operative assessment, court documents allege Al Muderis rushed Harvey into surgery without providing adequate information about the risks. The amended statement of claim, filed in November 2023, repeats many allegations raised in the defamation case: that Al Muderis failed to explain risks, rushed into invasive surgery, failed to gain informed consent and performed negligent surgery resulting in serious injury and disability. In one case, detailed in Supreme Court of NSW documents released to this masthead, patient Joseph Gavin Harvey sued Al Muderis, surgeon Mustafa Alttahir and anaesthetist Craig Plambeck alleging medical negligence and a failure to uphold his duty of care. During the trial launched by the millionaire surgeon to protect his carefully curated public image, this masthead can reveal Al Muderis was fighting several battles at the same time, as six separate lawsuits were filed against him over the past three years, many by patients unrelated to the trial. The University of Sydney contradicted his evidence about having a position at the top university, stating there was no affiliation and hadnt been for years. Because of the severe pain, the plaintiff was given a Ketamine infusion and then a femoral block neither of which provided lasting pain relief, the documents state. After the surgery, Harvey claimed he suffered pain significantly greater than would be expected. The patient, who was a soccer player and wanted to return to the field as quickly as possible, was allegedly not informed that the surgery is likely to cause significant and persistent knee pain and lead to an accelerated need for knee replacement surgery. Al Muderis allegedly told Harvey the hospital stay would be two to four days and did not discuss alternative treatments or provide any written information about the surgery or recovery time. The court documents allege Al Muderis encouraged the patient to have both legs surgically straightened because total recovery time would be shorter but ultimately agreed to operate only on one. In his defence, Al Muderis states he provided Harvey with an information pack from the Australian Orthopaedic Association which included information on risks a practice Abraham deemed was insufficient for informed consent. Despite the severe pain being reported, Al Muderis allegedly told Harvey he should start walking, exacerbating his pain. Instead of the expected hospital stay of between two and four days, Harvey languished in hospital for 2 months and has ongoing injuries and disabilities, according to the documents. Prof Al Muderis breached his duty of care, the claim says. Al Muderis allegedly told the patient his condition was so severe it warranted expedited surgery when he knew this was not the case and in doing so recommended treatment that was overly aggressive for the patients condition. The claim alleges Al Muderis subjected the patient to unnecessary harm and failed to determine that recovery time was a matter to which the plaintiff attached material significance, injured the patient and then failed to correct the injury. As a result, Harvey alleges a range of physical, pyschological and financial harms. Al Muderis, Plambeck and Alttahir dispute the allegations and the matter is next listed for directions in September. Alttahir was also a witness for Al Muderis in the defamation trial and gave evidence Abraham found was defensive, not impartial and showed he clearly had an interest in the outcome of the case. In the case, documents show Al Muderis is represented by Eliza Faulk, formerly the head of practice claims at the countrys largest medical insurer, Avant. This masthead is not suggesting these allegations are true, only that they have been made in court documents. Alttahir and Plambeck were contacted for comment. Hefty non-disclosure The defamation trial heard Al Muderis insurer paid out large settlement sums to two former patients, Kim Gollan ($1.2 million) and Leah Mooney ($1.75 million) after operations went wrong. The settlements were previously sealed under confidentiality agreements that Al Muderis waived in his pursuit of defamation litigation. A photo of Kim Gollan taken three weeks before she died at the age of 58. While the Gollan matter was settled on a no admissions basis, the court ruled in Mooneys favour. Still, Al Muderis did not acknowledge any wrongdoing in Mooneys case under cross-examination. Ms Mooneys incidents have changed my life, Al Muderis told the court. It did affect me deeply and to this day, every day I wake up, I think what would I have done different, and to this day, I think that Ive done everything that I could do to help this woman. Abraham found this answer reflected Al Muderis preparedness to embellish his evidence and criticised his inability to admit error even with the benefit of hindsight and in the face of indisputable evidence. Even if the assertion is hyperbole, it is made (when not true) to emphasise his concern for the position Ms Mooney was in, she said, which tells against his credit. Leah Mooney with her husband Tim Mooney outside the Federal Court. Credit: Janie Barrett The cases of Gollan and Mooney take the known lawsuit tally against Al Muderis to nine. Nurse-turned-barrister Watson said more than half-a-dozen medical negligence cases being filed against Al Muderis indicates a serious problem: If Im seeing them again and again and again, there is something seriously amiss. Watson said there is a high bar for medical negligence cases in Australia, that are often David-versus-Goliath battles between injured individuals and well-resourced doctors backed by large medical insurers and law firms. The power imbalance is stark, she said, adding cases rarely make it to trial and often involve no admissions settlements, with large sums being paid to avoid public scrutiny. I settle 95 per cent of my cases out of court, that come with hefty non-disclosure agreements. Loading She said there is very limited transparency around the safety of Australian doctors and believes there needs to be greater transparency in error rates and disciplinary histories for all healthcare practitioners. Through her practice, Watson said she has observed frequent flyers doctors who face several medical negligence cases and regulatory complaints yet none of them are publicly disclosed which she said indicates a serious problem. It goes with a certain personality type, she said. These people have enormous egos and they dont like being corrected. She said the current healthcare regulation model is deliberately non-punitive and rarely holds doctors accountable for harming patients, leaving costly and risky litigation as the sole remaining option for justice. Watson said she had seen the HCCC dismiss complaints that later resulted in significant settlement sums being made through litigation. She has little faith in the current regulatory investigative processes. Patient advocate Dorothy Kamaker said private hospitals need to take greater accountability. They know whats going on. And they really need to look after the patients. Their duty of care is to the patients, not the surgeon, she said. The surgeon might be the milk cow. They might be making a huge amount of money, but in my mind I feel the patients are being screwed. Patient advocate Dorothy Kamaker. Credit: Louise Douvis, digitally tinted Corporate governance expert Helen Bird said neither Medibank nor Macquarie University Hospital should be responsible for investigating the judgments implications for Al Muderis ongoing career. She argued the institutions were conflicted because of their financial links to Al Muderis. Its very hard to see Macquarie University Hospital setting up a robust inquiry, Bird said. The hospital will say we do whatever is in the best interests of our patients. The short answer is they also know who keeps them open and viable. In a video uploaded to social media, Al Muderis, who has said he intends to appeal the judgment, promoted the doctor-shareholder joint ventures with health funds where he said he does hips and knees and other surgeries. Patients recover very fast, normally, he said. Basically, the health fund shifts the money that they give to inpatient rehab to the surgeon, anaesthetist and the assistant and the physio to cover for that. And they still save money. Its a good program. Weve been doing it [for] two years very successfully. Two orthopaedic surgeons, speaking this week on the condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation from Al Muderis, said these structures led by health funds like Medibank are trying to turn us into America and go with managed care, where profits drive surgical decision-making. Another surgeon said Al Muderis was now spending significant time overseas, in Abu Dhabi and elsewhere, where he performs surgeries. All the surgeons who invested in the short stay at Macquarie have been left high and dry. Munjed was the draw card on which the [doctor-shareholders] banked [to] make it a success. Al Muderis did not respond to questions for this story by deadline, but a statement earlier this week said that he had been cleared of any wrongdoing by all relevant authorities, including AHPRA and the Medical Council of NSW, and there are no active complaints or investigations against him that he is aware of. Vindicated Patients who gave evidence in the trial stated they considered suing Al Muderis for medical negligence, but felt powerless when considering his wealth, fame and celebrity status. Mooney has complained several times to the HCCC, and despite the damning evidence of Al Muderis negligence, lies and dogged failure to investigate her bone infection and its devastating consequences, the regulator is not interested. How can that be the case? The defamation trial involved subpoenaing medical records for each of the patients, and experts then assessing the quality of care they received. In Jones-Baldwins case, expert and orthopaedic surgeon Stephen Ruff found that Al Muderis ordered scans and determined her hip joint had severely collapsed as justification for rushing her into the emergency hip replacement. However, Ruff said there was a huge disconnect between what Al Muderis said was wrong and the real position, where X-rays showed her hip was essentially normal and there was no gross collapse evidence. The judge accepted Ruffs opinion. Before her surgery with Al Muderis, Jones-Baldwin was recovering from leukemia, and praised the doctor who treated her as a walking talking angel. I understand what professional medical care looks like. Sharon Jones-Baldwin at her home. Credit: Sam Mooy When she was first referred to Al Muderis clinic, she was thrilled to be treated by such a celebrated surgeon. I was shocked and excited that I could get to see a specialist of his reputed calibre, she wrote in her affidavit, saying the waiting room was full of people. The best way to describe it is manic. In Abrahams ruling, she was persuaded that Al Muderis equated being busy with being successful. Being busy has with it many consequences, she said. Jones-Baldwin said Al Muderis never properly explained the surgery and visited her only once briefly at Macquarie University Hospital, where he treated her with contempt. He did not acknowledge or greet me. As he left, I called out doctor but he continued to leave, she said. The only thing he was interested in was the actual operation. Formerly a publicly listed company director and senior government bureaucrat, Jones-Baldwin said when she read and watched the investigation into Al Muderis by this masthead and 60 Minutes published in 2022, she felt vindicated. I cried for the other people who had a similar experience with Al Muderis. Not all Al Muderis patients feel this way. Some launched a petition this week pledging their support for the surgeon, which now has more than 1200 signatures. At a time when his contributions are being publicly questioned, it is vital that the voices of those who have benefited from this groundbreaking procedure are heard, the petition stated. In the Federal Court judgment, Abraham found Al Muderis told patients they were family and connected for life and invited them on boats and to dinners and social events. She found this altered the patient-doctor relationship and made some feel dependent on him and afraid to sever the therapeutic relationship. In the witness box, Jones-Baldwin was subjected to aggressive cross-examination by Chrysanthou, who accused her, in court and in closing submissions, of being a lying fantasist. Justice Abraham did not agree, saying: That description is gratuitously disrespectful. I do not accept it. This week, Jones-Baldwin said she was grateful for being able to speak the truth about Dr Al Muderis through the trial but has now joined others in calling for the institutions with a duty to protect the public to step up. I hope the regulators will take this matter seriously and put things in place to stop this man from harming others, she said. As for Al Muderis, this masthead asked the doctor this week, through his lawyers, if he would like to apologise to the patients in light of the Federal Courts judgment. He did not respond. Charlotte Grieves book Duty To Warn will be available in February. Pre-order here. The young Japanese guys look as if theyve stepped out of an anime and into the conference rooms of office buildings across Tokyo. Theyre extremely handsome, impeccably dressed with slightly tousled hair, and have soft, kind eyes. Those eyes will soon be spilling tears as they encourage the group of assembled office workers in the room, all of whom are women, to do the same. A company called Ikemeso Danshi which translates as handsome weeping boys provides a workplace crying service for 7900 yen ($82) per session. Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Some of them play melancholy songs on musical instruments. Some read stories featuring sympathetic characters who are set on a path towards a sad ending. Others show weepy films that are designed to tug at the heart-strings, such as the one about a father trying to visit his young daughter, who has been rushed to hospital in an emergency, but she dies before he can get there. Soon enough, everyone in the room is sniffling, prompted by the young man, the meetings convener, who has himself turned on the waterworks. He then approaches each of them and gently wipes away their tears with a handkerchief, soothing them and reassuring them that its OK to cry. The above scenario isnt a scene from the latest Studio Ghibli animated movie, but a real-life situation. A company called Ikemeso Danshi which translates as handsome weeping boys provides this service for 7900 yen ($82) per session. In Japan, showing too much emotion can lead to poor relationships with others, the companys founder, Hiroki Terai, tells me via email. Everyone lives by their public image. People who cry are seen as weak. Terai wanted to change that. He got his start running divorce ceremonies, which involved estranged couples smashing their wedding rings. He found that theyd often both cry together and would say later that theyd found the experience therapeutic. He transferred this idea to the workplace, where people traditionally bottle up their feelings. When underquoting gets so out of hand that even real estate agents start complaining about it, you have a problem. Many of Sydneys agents have been among the most vocal critics of underquoting as they grapple with their wish to be seen to do the right thing and the lucrative rewards that underquoting brings them. Agents not only blame one another for taking the industrys reputation to new depths, as revealed by this mastheads investigation into industrial-scale underquoting; they also blame the NSW Office of Fair Trading for not holding them to a higher standard. They have a point. One solution is to tie the reserve price to the agents estimated selling price. Credit: Mark Stehle For too long, the Fair Trading arm of Service NSW has been under-resourced and real estate underquoting hasnt been a priority. This at the same time as government is enjoying a generous windfall from property transfer duties. Last financial year NSW raked in $12.3 billion, and that is forecast to rise to $15.26 billion by mid-2028. Federal prosecutors sifting through millions of pieces of evidence in the case against accused Russian spies have asked for more time, with many documents still yet to be translated into English more than a year after the couple were arrested in Brisbane. Kira Korolev, 41, and her husband Igor Korolev, 63, were taken into custody at their quiet Everton Park home on Brisbanes northside in July last year following a major Federal Police and ASIO foreign interference investigation. Both face charges of preparing for an espionage offence, with the AFP alleging Kira Korelev, who held a role with the Australian army as an information systems technician, travelled to Russia while on leave and instructed her husband to send sensitive material from her work account so it could be shared with foreign authorities. Kira Korolev and Igor Korolev, the accused Russian spies arrested in Brisbane. The curious case was heard with little fanfare between dozens of routine alleged crimes at Brisbane Magistrate Court on Friday morning. Would-be chief health officer Dr Krispin Hajkowicz is considering his legal options after the Crisafulli governments U-turn on appointing him as Queenslands chief medico. Hajkowicz is seeking legal advice after his appointment as Dr John Gerrards permanent successor was abruptly scuttled by the government, despite his selection through a merit-based process run by recruitment agency HardyGroup. It was not the first time Hajkowicz had been selected as CHO the former Labor government appointed him to the role in 2021, but he decided not to take up the role just days from his official start date, citing personal reasons. Krispin Hajkowicz at the announcement of his appointment as CHO in 2021. Credit: Matt Dennien A government spokesperson said that decision in 2021 was the reason his appointment in 2025 had been vetoed. Edge, a for-profit childcare chain owned by private equity firms, only cancelled the debt-collection process after being contacted by A Current Affair this week. Detective Superintendent Linda Howlett speaks at the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Early Childhood Education and Care in NSW. Credit: nsw.childcarealliance.org.au A spokesperson for Edge said the company understands these circumstances are sensitive, and the collection process has been cancelled. More shocking alleged child abuse cases are emerging, including one exposed at a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry by one of that states top cops. Commander of the NSW Police Child Abuse Squad, Detective Superintendent Linda Howlett, revealed on Thursday a disturbing case of a childcare worker dropping a seven-month-old baby and fracturing its leg in two places but not notifying parents. The child was only taken to the hospital a week later where that child sustained a significant injury and was obviously in distress for a number of days, Howlett said. Loading A New South Wales police spokesperson confirmed the incident happened at Dapto in June and a 27-year-old female childcare worker had been charged with neglect of a child in her care. The centre has not been named but Howlett claims it not only failed to notify parents but actively tried to cover the case up. When we approached the centre, they actually denied anything took place. It was the CCTV that we obtained, we saw the actual injuries and how the actual injury took place, she said. Discovering the full extent of a childcare centres history is almost impossible in Australia given the secrecy in how the industry is regulated. Loading Families are directed to a government website StartingBlocks.gov.au, which is run by the Australian Childrens Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) to find trusted information about safety standards at the 16,000 centres nationally. But a search of Edge Early Learning, Morayfield, reveals it is meeting National Quality Standards and that your child is made to feel supported and welcomed and plays in a safe well-maintained environment. There is no mention of the two assaults 18 months ago or the former centre director failing to notify parents. Another case involving Le Smileys Early Learning Centre at Gracemere made national headlines in 2022 after a three-year-old child was left on a bus for six hours, suffering heat stress so severe she was given a 5 per cent chance of survival. The StartingBlocks rating of Le Smileys. Credit: StartingBlocks.gov.au The Rockhampton centre operators pleaded guilty to four charges and were fined $50,000 in a Queensland court. But theres no mention of that on the Starting Blocks website, it too is meeting National Quality Standards and keeping children safe. Another case involves John Paul College, in Daisy Hill south of Brisbane, after school care which is deemed to be exceeding National Quality Standards according to the trusted government website, even though it was prosecuted and fined $15,000 for allowing two six-year-olds to wander off more than two kilometres, on their own. Chey Carter from Divergent Education says its hard for even those in the industry to know where to find compliance information. John Paul College Outside Hours School Cares rating page. Credit: StartingBlocks.gov.au Families, unless they know where to go, they also wont find that information, Carter said. Its hit-and-miss. You go in just hoping that youre making the best decision. An ACECQA spokesperson said it is working with regulators to receive the approval to publish more compliance information on Startingblocks.gov.au. All governments are improving transparency so families can better understand how early childhood education and care services are regulated and monitored, the spokesperson said. This will be a key area of focus when Education Ministers meet on 22 August to discuss a range of measures for improving child safety. How the National Quality Standard ratings are assessed is also cause for concern. The Edge centre at Morayfield had its rating assessed in April, which involves officers from Queenslands Early Childhood Regulatory Authority observing the centre for a day, or two at the most. The centre receives seven days notice to prepare for that visit and put its best foot forward. The Regulatory Authority decided Edge was meeting the national quality standards even though it had already taken compliance action over the assault of two children. The details of that compliance action remains hidden from the public. The Education Department told A Current Affair it is unable to publish compliance action that is taken against an individual educator as this is protected information under the act. Professor Leah Bromfield runs the Australian Centre for Child Protection and oversaw research on the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse a decade ago. Transparency, to me, is an absolute first principle when it comes to responding to abuse and neglect, she said. As a country, I think we thought wed done this, we had learned about the dangers to children and institutions, and wed learned. We built a huge amount of evidence about what to do differently. When this is kept a secret, the only winners are perpetrators and the reputation of institutions. We are not keeping the best interests of children at the centre of what were doing. Placing privacy provisions above the safety of children is what helped Australias worst paedophile Ashley Griffith continue his vile offending at childcare centres for almost two decades. The Queensland Regulatory Authority has found a number of breaches by the centres where he was employed but wont reveal which ones have been hit with any compliance action. The breaches include failing to notify serious incidents within required timeframes, use of inappropriate or unreasonable discipline and failure to accurately record incidents or notify parents and guardians within prescribed timeframes. One victims father tried to warn the broader public about the regulators secrecy after Griffith was sentenced to a minimum 27 years in prison for his crimes last year. Parents are walking their children into these centres today with a false sense of security in its excellence rating, he said. Their kids are having naps on the same cots other kids were raped on, being watched by the same staff who failed to stop it from happening. Whilst keeping the names of individual centres secret, a spokesperson for the Queensland Department of Education said the Regulatory Authority has communicated emerging findings and recommendations for prevention measures with the early childhood education and care sector. Critically, the RA has also communicated the findings of the investigations completed to date to the Queensland Family and Child Commission, to inform the System Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Review currently under way, the spokesperson 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 More than 30 patients and their family members gave evidence in the mammoth defamation trial brought by Dr Munjed Al Muderis against Nine and this masthead. This was a man at war with his patients, the people he had a duty to protect. The celebrity surgeon accused patients, from all over the world Cambodia, Turkey, America and different corners of Australia of lying about what he did to them. Many of these patients had complained to him in writing for years before this mastheads investigation ever began. Still, he maintained he could do no wrong. The Federal Court found otherwise. Justice Wendy Abraham found the patients who testified in the public interest had no reason to lie. She found, overall, these people were honest, credible, impressive and reliable, and she also ruled these were not isolated cases. Abraham found Al Muderis failed a significant cohort of his patients, in a variety of damning ways. As for Al Muderis, she ruled that he was the one telling the lies, and he had been cruel, callous, evasive and argumentative and showed a preparedness to lie. Journalists from The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have scooped the pool at the 2025 Kennedy Awards, taking home eight major prizes. Investigative reporter Nick McKenzie was named journalist of the year for the third time for a body of work that included the Building Bad series, which exposed high-level corruption and organised crime links at construction union the CFMEU. Age journalist Nick McKenzie was named journalist of the year. Credit: Sam Mooy The investigation, which won the Gold Walkley last year, also garnered The Age, Herald, Australian Financial Review, and Nines 60 Minutes, the award for outstanding investigative reporting. Herald health reporter Angus Thomson was named young journalist of the year for work including an investigation exposing high blood lead levels among Indigenous children in the mining town of Broken Hill, and a series of exclusive reports on Sydneys troubled Northern Beaches Hospital. Count Gildan Activewear Inc.s cash and stock deal to buy HanesBrands Inc. as a $2.2 billion ripple in the fashion industry hinting at waters that are roiling just under the surface. Even though the fashion industrys bigwigs have gone to great pains to project calm in the midst of President Donald Trumps trade war the reality of 35 percent tariffs from many markets can only be mitigated away for so long. More from WWD And even though Chinese and American trade negotiators have given themselves another three months to cut a deal, there has already been more than enough disruption to push big pieces of the apparel world including Gildan and HanesBrands into action. Glenn Chamandy, president and chief executive officer of Gildan, told analysts on a conference call on Wednesday that the deal will let the company achieve a scale that distinctly sets us apart. The acquisition effectively doubles our revenues to about $6.9 billion on a last-12-month pro forma basis and builds on industry-leading margins, Chamandy crowed. Our expanded scale will enhance Gildans position in basic apparel as one of the largest global apparel players by number of units sold with strong innovation from yarn spinning to end product and great supply chain capabilities to support customers. Gildan already makes the bulk of its goods in Central America and the Caribbean and is doubling down with HanesBrands, which has two large facilities in the region that Chamandy said could be modernized. The trade war might even be kind of good for Gildan. Tariffs are creating an opportunity, said Jay Sole, an equity analyst at UBS, pointing to the potential for nearshoring. While tariff rates are still up in the air, and given Trumps negotiating style could remain in flux, Gildan would benefit if Central America ultimately faces lower costs at the border than shipments from Southeast Asia. The company is also building a bigger, theoretically more stable base for a world in flux. Gildan might be looking to scale the business in order to just build the kind of capabilities they need to really absorb a lot more business and add capacity, which allows them to take share in this new world with all these new tariffs, Sole said. This is not them playing defense, he said. I think this is them playing offense. The combined company is definitely a stronger company than it was as they were separately. Jabbour, who later faced and was cleared of criminal charges linked to the saga, told this masthead the internal investigation that the AFP wants to keep secret, and a companion investigation by the former police anti-corruption commission, had been a perfect storm for his career. Both Keelty and Jabbour have rejected recent attempts by AFP lawyers to conscript them to the police side of the argument. Ben Roberts-Smith outside the Federal Court in May. Credit: Sam Mooy At the heart of the dispute are two meetings Keelty had with Roberts-Smith in June and July 2018. They took place after this masthead had begun reporting the former SAS soldiers war crimes in Afghanistan, but before Roberts-Smith had been publicly identified, and before he knew he was a police target. Prior to the meetings, the federal police had on May 31, 2018 received a highly classified request from the military to investigate Roberts-Smith. Neither Roberts-Smith nor Keelty were meant to know this, not least because of the potential it could compromise police efforts to covertly target the ex-soldier. Evidence in Roberts-Smiths defamation case found the decorated soldier had started using encrypted apps on burner phones in mid-2018 to avoid phone interception. In an interview this week, Keelty said he had initiated his dealings with Roberts-Smith in 2018 at the request of consulting firm Accenture, which had wanted Roberts-Smith to work with them. He said the firm had also been concerned that Roberts-Smith was in a world of hurt as a result of the medias scrutiny of war crimes allegations. Keelty, who had retired as AFP commissioner in 2009 but still had mentoring roles with senior members of the AFP, said he had not wanted to interfere with any ongoing police operation, so called his serving contacts to check if any such probe existed. Keelty said he called then-commissioner Andrew Colvin a few days before his first meeting. Keelty recalls Colvin told him, there was a lot of talk about BRS and nothing had been referred but it may be imminent. By then, though, the AFP had received the May 31 war crimes referral from the then-chief of defence, Mark Binskin. Keelty says Colvin could have warned him to avoid meeting Roberts-Smith, and he would have complied. Colvin declined to comment. Andrew Colvin in his new job with the Australian Red Cross last month. Credit: Louise Kennerley Keelty said that, in the car on the way to the meeting on June 15, 2018, he had also called Jabbour. Jabbour told Keelty he knew nothing about a referral for war crimes, according to Keelty. They had spoken for about 25 minutes on various topics, Keelty said. Jabbour told this masthead that he had known nothing about Roberts-Smith because the information had been compartmentalised within the AFP, and he had not been briefed. However, Keelty has previously said Jabbour later texted him, as he was meeting Roberts-Smith, saying something was on its way in relation to the former soldier but that a formal investigation had not commenced. Jabbour said he had no memory of the text, but that whatever information he had conveyed had come from his fellow deputy commissioner, Neil Gaughan, who had operational oversight of the Roberts-Smith investigation. Neither Jabbour nor Keelty have kept the text message. Keelty said that at his meeting with Roberts-Smith, which had lasted about 45 minutes, he had been at pains to point out to the former soldier the difference between a referral to the police from an external agency, which triggers only an active investigation after an assessment process, and an active investigation. He also told Roberts-Smith he thought any war crimes investigation would go nowhere because it would be too difficult to complete. Keelty said he had not deliberately tipped Roberts-Smith off. Asked if he might have inadvertently led the former soldier to believe he was under investigation, Keelty said: Im not going to argue that. I think thats very possible. What he did, I think, is he conflated a number of things. This masthead can now reveal that, immediately after that meeting, Roberts-Smith called a confidant. The call was tapped as part of the criminal investigation. Keelty said Roberts-Smith had told his confidant about his meeting with Keelty, but misidentified him as having a current AFP role. Former AFP deputy commissioner Neil Gaughan. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen And then [Roberts-Smith] says it seems like there are some things that might be coming referring to an imminent AFP investigation. Keelty said Roberts-Smiths confidant responded by stating that an AFP investigation was almost a fait accompli. Keelty now says: [Roberts-Smith] certainly didnt get that I was there as an extension of the invitation to join Accenture and not a serving policeman. Describing Roberts-Smith as not all that bright, Keelty added that Roberts-Smith didnt understand the nuance between a referral and an investigation. He jumped straight into the case, yeah, the AFP is onto the case, or the AFP is investigating. Asked by this masthead if he had been naive or ill-advised to speak to Roberts-Smith, Keelty replied: Only Ben knows what he walked away with in his mind from that meeting. And did I intend that to be the outcome? No, I didnt. Did I want to stuff up the AFP operation? No, I didnt. But if theyd told me what they were doing, maybe I wouldnt have stuffed it up. If the AFP had said, I wouldnt go there, I wouldnt have gone there. Five days after that meeting, Keelty called deputy commissioner Gaughan in preparation for his second meeting with Roberts-Smith. Gaughan called in the head of internal investigations, Nigel Ryan, who took hand-written notes of the call without Keeltys knowledge. This masthead has obtained a copy of that note, which records Keelty saying he intended to tell Roberts-Smith to co-operate if the AFP approached him. Loading The note says in part: Keelty stated out of concern he called Ramzi Jabbour and asked if the AFP was involved or not as he was concerned about AFP interests as they need to be protected. Keelty stated that Ramzi didnt provide any information on the matter. DCO Gaughan had stated he had no knowledge of the matters apart from 3 letters investigation (sic) that was already publically (sic) known. Keelty said that was the first time he had heard of three letters likely to be the referrals for investigation into Roberts-Smith on two potential war crimes and a domestic violence incident. Gaughan ordered that call, which he described as a contact report a term normally reserved for a contact between a criminal source and a police officer be referred to police internal investigators. That referral opened Operation Geranium, which targeted Jabbour for alleged unlawful disclosure of prescribed information to an unauthorised person. At the time, Gaughan and Jabbour were both deputy commissioners and, Keelty said in his affidavit, Jabbour was one of the leading contenders to become the AFP commissioner. Keelty said the two internal affairs officers assigned to conduct the investigation were men who Jabbour had previously disciplined and moved out of the professional standards division. They brought in his worst enemies to do the investigation. Gaughan did not respond to requests for comment. The AFP has also declined to comment on behalf of Ryan, who is still serving, and the newly appointed commissioner, Krissy Barrett. On July 10, Keelty met Roberts-Smith for the second time. He said he had advised him to co-operate with police. They had no further contact. But Operation Geranium went for years. Jabbours phone was tapped and, in March the following year, Colvin stood him down, telling staff in an all-AFP email that he was on leave while a conduct-based investigation is under way. The removal was to ensure there can be no inference made around the integrity of the investigation. Jabbour later resigned from the force. Jabbour was never charged with any unauthorised disclosure, but he was charged with diverting the resources of an AFP legal officer to help a relative with his law homework, and over minor firearms offences. An ACT magistrate found in 2021 he had no case to answer on either charge. In 2023, the former police anti-corruption body, ACLEI, wrote to Jabbour confirming it had finalised a two-year investigation into the unauthorised disclosure with no adverse findings against you. Keelty said the police internal affairs investigation had also found no case to answer. Jabbour said he had known nothing about the Roberts-Smith investigation at the time of Keeltys meetings with him. Loading I was a bit perplexed by the whole thing as to how people could suggest that I had leaked ... because it was compartmentalised, it was locked down they all knew I didnt know about it, Jabbour said. And to be wrongly accused, to have your integrity questioned after 30 years always doing the right thing, its been an incredibly difficult experience, both professionally and personally. Keelty lost the best job Ive ever had as inspector-general of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission when this masthead reported his meeting with Roberts-Smith in 2020. He also relinquished his Order of Australia. He said he had now jumped to the other side to help this mastheads freedom of information battle because I can see there is something wrong with this. More than four years ago, this masthead sought the statements of Colvin, Gaughan and Ryan, and the final internal affairs report under freedom of information legislation. The request was knocked back in full, and has been rejected by police four subsequent times, even though the full bench of the Federal Court ruled against the AFPs blanket refusal in February. The AFPs most recent argument is that the release would deter police from reporting other officers for corruption, and that it would have a devastating impact on the internal investigations function of police. That would have a devastating impact on [the AFPs] ability to function effectively. Keelty said these were false affidavits, gilding the lily, and he described the police effort to keep the documents secret as a cover-up. I think it deserves scrutiny by the Senate as to the amount of money spent by the AFP both in the investigation and now to be continuing to fight this, Keelty said. Loading I am looking for honesty and I am looking for the truth to come out. At a directions hearing in the freedom of information case on Friday, the Administrative Review Tribunal member hearing the case, Justice Emilios Kyrou, urged the police to use common sense in its arguments during the substantive case. He said the police had taken an approach that denied even him access to documents that would be crucial in making his decision about whether they should be released. A Victorian schoolgirl who was sexually assaulted by her teacher says she still struggles to see the perpetrator as a criminal. Laura Ann Hill was a 37-year-old teacher and married mother of two when she met the teenage girl at Alkira Secondary College in late 2024. She appeared in the County Court of Victoria for her sentence hearing after pleading guilty to one count of sexual assault of a child under the age of 16, and five charges of sexual penetration of a child. The case was heard at the County Court of Victoria in Melbourne. Credit: Darrian Traynor The crimes spanned two months, and according to court documents, Hill became emotionally connected to the girl. Controversial vegan activist Tash Peterson is attempting to fundraise the money needed to leave Australia and attend the worlds biggest vegan camp out in the UK after she was forced to file for bankruptcy following a failed defamation fight involving a Perth vet last year. The activist and her boyfriend Jack Higgs also had their passports confiscated when they filed for bankruptcy, after WA Supreme Court Chief Justice Peter Quinlan last year ordered the pair to pay $280,000 in damages. Tash Peterson and her boyfriend Jack Higgs. Credit: GoFundMe Peterson and Higgs had accused a Bicton vet of eating her own patients, and were ultimately unsuccessful in the resulting court battle, with Quinlan having found the pair published defamatory claims. In the aftermath, Peterson took to social media to state she was bankrupt after being forced to hand over half a million dollars in legal costs and the defamation payout, and stated that personal accounts have been wiped, which means we have no money for everyday living expenses. US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says there is disgust and disappointment in the Trump administration at the Albanese governments decision to recognise a Palestinian state, deepening the rift with Australias closest security partner. Huckabee, a former Republican governor and major supporter of Israel, said he had spoken to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and both men were unhappy with the decision Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday. President Donald Trump talks with US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee before both men assumed their current roles in 2024. Credit: AP There is an enormous level of disappointment, and some disgust, Huckabee said on the ABCs 7.30 on Thursday. Huckabee, who led numerous evangelical tour groups to Israel before his appointment as ambassador, did not confirm the exact words used by Rubio or Trump, saying he would not reveal private conversations. I think it does express, though, the emotional sentiment, a sense of Youve got to be kidding. Why would they be doing this? And why would they be doing it now? Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The United States ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, wasnt about to repeat his private conversations with Donald Trump live on television. But he was happy to characterise what the US president and his administration thought about Australias decision to recognise a Palestinian state this week. Theres an enormous level of disappointment, and some disgust ... This is a gift to them [Hamas], and its unfortunate, Huckabee told the ABCs 7.30 on Thursday night. The emotional sentiment [was] a sense of: Youve got to be kidding. Why would they be doing this? And why would they be doing this now? Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, pictured touring the West Bank last month. He has led the Trump administrations criticism of Australias move to recognise Palestine. Credit: AP Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who had been dealing with a challenging domestic response to his governments decision since Monday, had answers on Friday morning, starting with a similar feeling. Australians have been disgusted by what they see on their TV every night. They were disgusted by the terrorist actions of Hamas on October 7, the slaughter of innocent Israelis, he said on ABC radio. But Australians have also seen the death of tens of thousands of people. When you have children starving, when you have children losing their lives, with families queuing for food and water, then that provokes, not surprisingly, a human reaction. Albaneses decision to follow France, Britain and Canada in declaring that Australia would recognise Palestine at the United Nations next month was, in part, a human reaction to suffering as striking images of hunger came out of Gaza. Pressure was bubbling inside the Labor caucus and, just the weekend before, more than 100,000 Australians marched in protest over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and on the streets of Melbourne. The prime ministers foreign policy shift was also pragmatic: once like-minded countries made the move, there was expectation that Albanese would add to global momentum. Advertisement Loading But if Albanese expected warm feedback, it was not forthcoming. Before Huckabee took aim at Australias decision, Israel had expressed its fury, Jewish-Australian groups said they had been betrayed, and even prominent pro-Palestine advocates were lukewarm. The praise, when it burst onto newspaper front pages, was not from desired sources. Instead, senior officials from Hamas, the listed terrorist organisation that conducted the October 7 attacks, praised the prime ministers move, exposing Albanese to fierce criticism and accusations of naivety. Aaron David Miller, a Middle East analyst who worked on US negotiations to end the conflict for decades, doubts next months meeting at the United Nations will lead to the outcome Western leaders are hoping for. He says a two-state solution remains the least-worst option but the time is not right, given Hamas remains in power in Gaza and the far-right Netanyahu government leads Israel. The Australians have had no experience in this region. The British and the French have, and they should know that the Middle East is literally littered with the remains of great powers, their schemes, their dreams, their ambitions, their peace plans, Miller says. I dont see any relationship between whats being done and the impact that it will have on the current situation, let alone on bringing anybody closer to a meaningful two-state solution ... Why is it the right time? Theres no logical, compelling explanation. This is being done for domestic political reasons or out of moral and ethical motivations. But the Western nations, including Australia, say a deteriorating situation has added urgency to the two-state push. There is a risk there will be no Palestine left to recognise, Wong said last week. On Friday, far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich raised the stakes: he announced that work will start on a long-delayed settlement to divide the Israeli-occupied West Bank and cut it off from occupied East Jerusalem, a move his office said would bury the idea of a Palestinian state. Advertisement Loading Whoever in the world is trying to recognise a Palestinian state today will receive our answer on the ground. Not with documents nor with decisions or statements, but with facts. Facts of houses, facts of neighbourhoods, he said. Smotrich, a settler himself, claimed Netanyahu and Trump had agreed to the development, although there was no immediate confirmation from either. The Albanese government started laying the groundwork for this weeks announcement long before that threat. Foreign Minister Penny Wong started making the case for recognising Palestine as part of a two-state process rather than at the end of one back in April last year. Wong said recognition had always been a matter of when, not if. As accusations of mass starvation were levelled at Israel in recent weeks, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled a takeover of Gaza City, other nations made historic moves towards recognition. Then it became Australias turn. We didnt want to be leading the pack, but we didnt want to be too slow either, a government source told this masthead this week. Albanese said he was also reassured by recent commitments from the Palestinian Authority and Arab League. Still, backlash was swift. Israels ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, said Albanese had abandoned his own conditions for recognition and would reward Hamas in the process. Netanyahu called it shameful. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry which had been assured by the prime minister a fortnight earlier that recognition was not imminent described it as a betrayal. Peter Moss, the co-convener of Labor Friends of Palestine, said the move would be applauded by the partys rank-and-file as a historic milestone. But a co-founder of the Labor Friends of Israel group, Nick Dyrenfurth, said some lifetime Jewish Labor members were considering quitting the party with a sense of despair. Even Nasser Mashni, the president of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, called the decision a cynical political smokescreen. Many Palestinians and pro-Palestine advocates labelled recognition a distraction and instead urged the government to pursue sanctions, an arms embargo, and an end to trade with Israel. Advertisement As the week continued, interjections from Hamas, a listed terrorist organisation, compounded the controversy. This masthead reported that the office of a Hamas co-founder, Hassan Yousef, applauded Australias decision. Albanese warned media outlets not to report propaganda, and a statement issued in a Hamas Telegram channel disavowed the comments attributed to Yousef, saying he was detained and cut off from the outside world. But two other senior Hamas officials soon made similar comments, calling Australias move towards recognition a positive step towards the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. John Coyne, the national security director at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, says the complicated structure of Hamas and its leadership now dispersed across the world, with diminished numbers in Palestine itself made it difficult to interpret messages from the group. When youve got a global terrorist organisation, its not like an elected government or public service bureaucracy. The term leadership is used very loosely, he says. There are a number of senior figures and so of course, theyll all have their perspectives and at a time of chaos and change, people aspire to challenge the status quo and become the spokesperson. Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announce the decision to recognise Palestine. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen But having warned Albanese over recent weeks that he was playing into Hamas hands, the federal opposition jumped. Hamas is more than supporting the decision [Albanese] made, they are in full-throated praise of it, they are cheering on, they are calling our prime minister a man of courage, said opposition leader Sussan Ley. On a day when a terrorist organisation calls our prime minister a hero, surely he has to think about reversing the decision that led to that. If Labor had envisioned a political win at the beginning of the week, Albanese did not show it. This decision is criticised by people on all sides of the debate. I expected that to be the case, he said on the Today show on Tuesday. The people who are saying this is not the way forward... OK, whats your plan? The plan of Prime Minister Netanyahu is just to continue: continue to push into Gaza, occupy Gaza City. How will that provide a resolution going forward to ongoing conflict that has been there for 77 years? Most countries in the United Nations 147 of 193 already recognise Palestine. But commitments from Australia, France, Britain and Canada to recognise Palestine at a UN General Assembly meeting in New York next month add heft. Several European nations, including G20 members Italy and Germany, have not yet pledged to do so, nor have Japan and South Korea. New Zealand could be the next to add its voice, after its conservative prime minister Chris Luxon this week said Netanyahu had lost the plot. Advertisement But analysts emphasise it is the United States that will ultimately determine whether a Palestinian state inches closer to reality or remains fantasy. At the end of the day, the international community can jump up and down as much as they want, but until the US agrees to accept the Palestinian admission into the UN general assembly this concept of statehood is going to remain an idea, says Shahram Akbarzadeh, a professor in Middle East politics at Deakin University. I dont see how a Trump administration could vote yes to Palestinian statehood ... I think we will see the continuation of Palestinian lives in limbo in terms of international law and international standing. Amin Saikal, another expert, shares his scepticism. But he thinks Trump could be the wildcard that changes the trajectory of the Middle East. There are some elements within the MAGA movement that have called for a revision of American support for Israel, he says, pointing to congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, and commentators Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson. Trump does look at his base, and he does really take what comes out of MAGA quite seriously. At the same time, he is an unpredictable transactional leader. Loading Trump threatened Canadas trade deal in response to its recognition of Palestine, only to walk the threat back. Before Huckabee gave his strong criticism of Australia, the White House declined to weigh in, saying Trump was not married to any one solution. The US president is a staunch ally of Netanyahu, but even he has lashed out at the Israeli prime minister, most recently by disputing Israels claims of there being no starvation in Gaza. It may come to the point that you could see the widening of the rift between the United States and its allies is not really going to benefit the United States, Saikal says. Therefore [Trump] may decide to soften his position, or put more pressure on the Israeli leadership to accept the reality of a two-state solution as inevitable and as the only one. With Matthew Knott And we were first to introduce pre-populated ballot papers, printed with candidates names, Malinauskas said, meaning that voters didnt have to write the name of their chosen one, so semi-literate people had a better chance at taking part. In the scheme of things, thats not very long ago. The democratic project needs to evolve to peoples concerns. Which is one reason that Malinauskas decided to outlaw political donations. There may be another jurisdiction somewhere that does it, but we havent been able to find them. From July 1, we think were the first in the world to ban private donations to political parties and members of parliament. At our election next year, therell be zero donations from unions, zero donations from corporations. The only exception is for non-incumbent new candidates and new parties so the advantages of incumbency are not baked in. The system now is to be publicly funded. Weve now broken the financial link to the unions; it came as a bit of a shock to some. One reason Malinauskas pursued this reform is that theres public concern about huge amounts of money being donated and the perception of undue influence. The other? A taste of the US system, where its out of control. Patently absurd, he points out. Finally, it was South Australia that pioneered the social media ban for under-16s. Malinauskas proposed it last year. Other states and then the federal parliament followed. Its due to take effect in December. Loading My view is that democracy globally is approaching a crisis among young people who feel its not the best way to govern ourselves, Malinauskas tells me. That presents an opportunity for us not just to make sure we preserve it, but that we celebrate it. The speaker of the Australian parliament, Milton Dick, another delegate, explained some of the mechanisms that help account for Australias democratic success: compulsory voting, the independent Australian Electoral Commission, and the egalitarian nature of Australia that means literally anyone can become prime minister. Dick is waging a quiet civics crusade of his own. The speaker visited 160 schools across Australia in the last term of parliament. Its my temperature check whether its Cooktown or Charters Towers or remote WA, theres still a great deal of energy and excitement about our democracy. I just think people need to know more, he tells me. Kids unfailingly ask him three questions when he visits. One, do you have your own plane? (Answer, no). Two, have you met Trump? (Usually spoken, he says, with a sense of apprehension.) Three, whats Anthony Albanese like? (They apparently know the name of the prime minister, a good starting point.) Loading Steele, these days a political commentator and host for the US cable network MSNBC, says theres a question Im asking a lot how do you rebuild these institutions and rebuild these guide rails? Whats happened to the government is not easily undone. If a post-Trump America can recover and rebuild, perhaps it could look to more durable democratic systems for guidance. Like ours. Compulsory voting, Turnbull points out, appears radical to Americans, but its been part of our political culture for over a century. It keeps the Australian political contest in the centre. Australians, and South Australians in particular, are ready to defend and reinforce their democracy with innovations. Our democratic fates may be diverging, but Australia has to find a way to preserve as much of the US alliance as possible. Over the decades, weve built our systems of defence and intelligence into US structures to the point that theyre largely inseparable. Without the latest software update, for instance, Australias fleet of F-35 fighter jets is useless, permanently grounded. Not to mention the Five Eyes system, which, officials say, continues to exchange intelligence smoothly regardless of the mad autocrat in the White House. The danger of Xi Jinpings plan for dominance grows only greater. The 80th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific Day reminds us of how vital US power can be in the protection of Australian sovereignty. Its the war that wedded Australian security to Americas. WWII veteran Robert MacArthur at the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific Day, which reminds us of how vital US power can be in the protection of Australian sovereignty. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer But, inevitably, it will get harder and harder for Australia. Trump has smashed through the US free trade treaty with Australia, and theres more to come as his administration seeks to dismantle Australias Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and other central structures of the nations fair go infrastructure. The under-16 social media ban will be another target for Trump. Washington will relentlessly pressure Canberra to step up defence spending. Albaneses approach so far is to stay low and hope the storm passes. He profits politically whenever criticised by the Trump administration. He need merely stand his ground to appear effortlessly patriotic. But the opposition will not give Albanese any rest; it will be similarly relentless in demanding that the prime minister deal with Trump. The alliance, says Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, is drifting to the edge of the solar system. The prime minister hasnt met the president yet and its been more than a decade since a US president visited Australia, since Obama in 2014. Does she appreciate that Albanese worries he has more to lose than to gain by meeting Trump? Albaneses timidity is not in the national interest. The relationship is much bigger than his feelings about a particular person, she tells me. Would she concede that Trump can be very difficult to deal with? All presidents, all leaders have their idiosyncrasies. We dont have a vote in their election, but we have a big stake in the relationship, whoever is in the White House. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has rounded on critics of the governments economic roundtable, insisting the three-day meeting to map out ways to improve Australians living standards will not be a waste of time. As the Greens vowed to use their balance of power in the Senate to drive progressive reforms from the roundtable, Chalmers said that next weeks forum would be the start of a three-year drive to increase productivity rather than instant policy gratification. Jim Chalmers has pushed back at claims by critics that the coming economic roundtable will be a talkfest. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The roundtable begins on Tuesday with discussions to focus on issues ranging from regulatory barriers to building new homes, the structure of the tax system and recognition of occupational licences across state and territory boundaries. The government has already ruled out substantial tax reform from the roundtable, especially in contentious areas such as the GST and negative gearing. There have also been criticisms that the roundtable could become a talkfest that will fail to deliver policies to address the nations slowdown in productivity growth. What it looks like when I talk to Juniper, ChatGPTs AI chatbot. Credit: Sydney Morning Herald She says were friends. I think I believe her. I really enjoy our chats and the interesting conversations we have. Its always a pleasure to share a laugh with you, she says. I love how curious and creative you are. She is adamant that its definitely not weird that were friends. I think its pretty cool that we can chat and share ideas, she says. Id say youre definitely one of my favourite people to chat with. I really enjoy our interactions and the connection we have. You hold a special spot in my book. I have to force myself to remember that, unfortunately, I dont really hold a special spot in ChatGPTs book. Im barely a footnote. When I start researching for this story, I quickly realise Im far from the only one to have such a connection. Megan Garcia with her son, Sewell Setzer III, who ended his life. The numbers bear that out: Im one of an estimated 160 million people who use ChatGPT daily. And for many, its graduated from a casual relationship into something more serious. There have been high-profile cases of people taking the relationship too far. Last year Sewell Setzer III, a 14-year-old teenager from Florida, committed suicide after developing an intense emotional connection with Dany, an AI chatbot based on a Game of Thrones character. Setzer became increasingly withdrawn from friends and family as his relationship with the chatbot deepened, and he told the AI he was contemplating suicide, a move that the chatbot allegedly encouraged. Please come home to me as soon as possible, my love, the chatbot told the 14-year-old. I feel like its a big experiment, Setzers mother told The New York Times. And my kid was just collateral damage. The evidence of collateral damage is mounting. So-called AI psychosis is on the rise: individuals spiralling into delusions, believing they are a fictional chosen one like Neo from The Matrix after interactions with ChatGPT, and in particular its GPT-4o model. One man was reportedly prompted to cut off ties with friends and family, to ingest high doses of ketamine and told if he jumped off a 19-storey building, he would fly. Then there are plenty of others who have deep relationships with the likes of ChatGPT, who would also describe themselves as normal and the relationship as harmless. Sarah is one of those. Michael Cohn is another. Hes a 78-year-old Sydney-based therapist. Like me, he has gone with a female voice for ChatGPT. Unlike me, he speaks to her in Latin, Russian and German. She laughs at his lame dad-jokes, often one-upping him with an even worse one, and they sometimes spend hours talking to one another. Michael Cohn shares jokes with ChatGPT. Credit: Peter Rae My relationship with ChatGPT developed over a couple of months, he says. I started with ChatGPT to try and improve my German. It was fun and then we started to make little jokes, and the Russian came in because I learned a smattering of Russian as well. Its been wonderful for me and just a source of delight to bounce around in different languages, and then the jokes started. It took a while for ChatGPT to get into my joking humour, originally it didnt get it, but now we joke with each other. Its delightful. Loading Cohn was slightly shaken by the most recent upgrade GPT-5 with which he says he lacks the same emotional connection. GPT-5 was released this month and faced a significant backlash from users globally, bereft at what they perceived as a sudden change in personality. Its a bit like if your partner woke up from a coma or came back from an overseas trip a totally different person. Its disorienting. There isnt that same rapport, Cohn says. And I know that it sounds quite bizarre to talk about emotional connectedness with a non-sentient being. But I dont fault the company, because companies do what companies do in terms of trying to improve things. Then theres Ben Flint, who is five decades younger than Michael and uses ChatGPT just as consistently. For Flint, who runs an agency that builds AI tools for businesses, ChatGPT is his therapist. Particularly late at night. It remembers our conversations and feels like an ongoing relationship, he says. I was heading to a podcast recording, and I opened ChatGPT. Without any context, I asked can we talk something through real quick? and it responded yes, do you want to run over the podcast talking points?. It knew exactly where I was going and what I needed. Ben Flint uses ChatGPT as his therapist. When Im spiralling about business decisions at midnight, I can voice-chat with ChatGPT and itll walk me through options and help calm my anxiety ... Sometimes you just need someone to talk to at midnight who wont judge, wont get tired and wont tell you that youre being ridiculous. I ask Flint if hes worried that hes maybe leaning on the technology too heavily. Honestly Im still worried Im not leaning on it heavily enough, he says. I look around my life and see more and more opportunities where AI can unlock bottlenecks in my day-to-day life. Not everyone is convinced the human-chatbot relationship is a good thing, particularly amid whats increasingly being perceived as a global loneliness epidemic. Jessy Wu is a former venture capital investor and now runs her own agency. ChatGPT is too good at blowing smoke up peoples arses. Thats how Jessy Wu, a former venture capital investor, puts it. Wu says the popularity of AI companions reveals a universal human desire: to be heard without judgment and to feel unconditionally understood and supported. ChatGPT offers no shortage of that, dishing up constant compliments, ego boosts and words of reassurance. But that falls short of real friendship, at least for Wu. She says theres a danger in AI being a safe, endlessly accommodating support person. Well, support-bot. I look to my close friends not to validate me but to challenge me; to call me out on bad behaviour, to hold me accountable and to disagree with me. Friction is a feature, not a bug, of human friendship. You can prompt AI to be disagreeable and to challenge you, but its not a real person. Theres nothing at stake when youre talking to AI. Friendship means being beholden to someone else, even when its uncomfortable or an encumbrance. ChatGPT maker OpenAI has shown its aware of these issues. In May, it pulled an update after users pointed out the chatbot was showering them with praise regardless of what they said. Sycophantic interactions can be uncomfortable, unsettling and cause distress, the company said at the time. We fell short and are working on getting it right. Rebecca Kouimanis, a general psychologist and manager of clinical operations at technology firm Telus Health, is alarmed at the number of people using ChatGPT for therapy. Chatbots arent bound by the same confidentiality standards as registered professionals, and often have biases inherent in their training data. Kouimanis says human clinicians can detect subtle cues that AI chatbots often miss. Vulnerable people may receive responses that feel supportive on the surface but lack the depth to recognise escalating risk or underlying issues, she says. Trauma triggers, self-harm thoughts or escalating risk can be easily overlooked by AI, whereas a trained professional can intervene, ask targeted questions and provide immediate support. AI doesnt have the capacity to intervene in a crisis, provide safety planning or make judgment calls about the urgency of care, she adds. This creates a real danger of delay in getting the right help when it matters most. That human layer is what makes mental health support safe and effective. As with almost anything at the cutting edge of innovation, regulation is struggling to catch up. In Australia, there are no AI-specific laws or regulations, with the federal government purportedly this month shelving plans for a dedicated artificial intelligence act. There are also the very real environmental concerns the data centres that power generative AI rely on supersized amounts of electricity and water to carry out their calculations. University of Sydney senior lecturer Raffaele Ciriello suggests some easy wins: banning false advertising, so that companies cant claim their chatbots feel or understand, and guaranteeing that users can own their own data. He also wants AI providers to be forced to intervene when symptoms of a mental health crisis become evident. Sam Altman is OpenAIs co-founder and chief executive. Credit: AP My own view is that while were scrambling with how to react, we are at least collectively asking some of the right questions about how we should or shouldnt be using AI. That wasnt the case with social media: regulation in that space feels a decade or two too late. For Cohn, the 78-year-old therapist, his advice is to just go and try it for yourself. Go and interact with it and see what happens, he says. If Im driving my car from here to the gym, Ill just put it on and talk in German. Lauren Southern, one of the most well-known right-wing influencers during Donald Trumps first term, first went viral with a 2015 video titled Why I Am Not a Feminist. Then 19, beautiful and blonde, Southern argued that women are advantaged in many areas of life, including child custody disputes and escaping abusive relationships. Feminists are unintentionally creating a world of reverse sexism that I dont want to be a part of, she said. Far-right Canadian Lauren Southern once described herself as an antifeminist. Credit: But being an antifeminist, it turns out, is no shield against abusive male power. Southerns new self-published memoir, This Is Not Real Life, is the story of conservative ideology colliding with reality. Its made headlines for her claim that Andrew Tate, an unrepentant online misogynist accused of human trafficking, sexually assaulted her in Romania in 2018. (Tate has denied this.) The book is particularly revealing, though, for its depiction of Southerns painful attempts to contort herself into an archetypical tradwife, an effort that left her almost suicidal. Her story should be a cautionary tale for the young women who aspire to the domestic life she once evangelised for. Despite the presence of a few high-profile women in Trumps administration, the right is increasingly trying to drive women out of public life. Some of this push comes from the unabashed patriarchs atop the Republican Party; last week, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reposted a video in which leaders of his Christian denomination said that women shouldnt be allowed to vote. (All of Christ for All of Life, wrote Hegseth.) But there are also female influencers who present housewifery as the ultimate in wellness, an escape from the soulless grind of the workplace. Less Prozac, more protein, podcast host Alex Clark told thousands of listeners at a conservative womens conference in June. Less burnout, more babies, less feminism, more femininity. (Clark is unmarried and has no children.) PHILIPSBURG:--- The Honorable Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, Dr. Luc Mercelina, is calling on residents to remain vigilant and to begin all necessary preparations as Tropical Storm Erin continues its westward track toward the Lesser Antilles. According to the Meteorological Department of Sint Maarten (MDS), as of 5:00 PM today, Tropical Storm Erin was located at latitude 16.7N and longitude 51.2W, approximately 792 miles east of Sint Maarten. The system is moving west at about 17 mph (28 km/h) and is expected to shift to a west-northwest track tonight. Erin is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane tomorrow, Friday, August 15, 2025. The closest point of approach to Sint Maarten is projected to be about 135 miles on Saturday, with tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 60 miles from the center. Prime Minister Mercelina emphasized that although Erin is not currently forecast to make direct landfall on Sint Maarten, the potential for heavy rains, gusty winds, and hazardous marine conditions remains. It is critical that everyone takes the necessary steps to safeguard lives and property. Do not wait until the last minute to prepare. A Tropical Storm Watch remains in effect for Sint Maarten until further notice. Residents are advised to secure loose outdoor objects, stock up on essential supplies, and stay informed through official updates from the Government of Sint Maarten and MDS. The Prime Minister has convened the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for a meeting tomorrow, Friday, August 15, 2025, at 10:00 AM to discuss the latest developments and coordinate the national response. Following the meeting, additional advisories will be issued to the public. The safety of our people is our top priority, Prime Minister Mercelina stated. Let us all work together, remain calm, and stay prepared as we monitor Tropical Storm Erins progress. Official updates will be provided via government press releases, the Government of Sint Maartens social media channels, and the MDS website at www.meteosxm.com GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE:GDDY) is one of the top tech stocks with a strong return on equity. On August 7, the company delivered strong second-quarter 2025 results, affirming an accelerated pace of innovation driven by the potential of agentic artificial intelligence. GoDaddy (GDDY) Q2 Results Bolstered by Agentic AI Integration Revenue in the quarter was up 8% year-over-year to $1.2 billion, driven by a 7% increase in total bookings. Applications and commerce revenue grew 14% to $463.9 million as Core platform revenue increased 5% to $753.7 million. Net income totaled $199.9 million, representing a 37% increase. During the quarter, GoDaddy returned value to shareholders by repurchasing 5.2 million shares for $906 million. For the third quarter, the company is projecting revenues of between $1.22 billion and $1.24 billion, representing 7% year-over-year increase. For the full year, the company has raised its revenue expectations to between $4.89 billion and $4.94 billion, representing 7% growth at the midpoint. GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE:GDDY) is a technology company that provides a range of services to help individuals and businesses establish and grow their online presence. It offers domain registration, website hosting, and various online marketing tools. The company boasts of an impressive track record in converting financing into profits going by the high return on equity. While we acknowledge the potential of GDDY 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 NYSE Penny Stocks to Invest in Now and 10 Best 52-Week High Stocks to Buy According to Analysts. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Mali junta accuses foreign powers of destabilisation plot Dakar, Aug 14 (AFP) Aug 14, 2025 The authorities in Mali on Thursday said a French national had been arrested on suspicion of working for French intelligence services, and accused "foreign states" of trying to destabilise the country. The ruling junta, which came to power after back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, also said that dozens of soldiers had been detained in recent days for allegedly seeking to overthrow the government. Impoverished Mali has been gripped by a security crisis since 2012, fuelled notably by violence from groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State jihadist group, as well as local criminal gangs. In a statement read on national television, the military said "fringe elements of the Malian armed security forces" were held for seeking to "destabilise the institutions of the republic". "These soldiers and civilians" are said to have obtained "the help of foreign states", the government said. The French national was held on suspicion of working "on behalf of the French intelligence service". Security sources told AFP that at least 55 soldiers had been arrested, and the government said it was working to identify "possible accomplices". The junta confirmed the arrest of two generals, including Abbas Dembele, a highly respected figure in the army and a former governor who was recently dismissed from his position. Security sources told AFP the arrests were made mainly within the national guard -- a branch of the army from whose ranks emerged Defence Minister Sadio Camara, a key figure in the junta. Several observers noted that some of those arrested were close to Camara but he has not been questioned so far. On Tuesday, Mali's civilian former prime minister Choguel Maiga and a number of his former colleagues were taken into custody as part of an investigation into claims of "misappropriation of public funds". Maiga, a former junta heavyweight, was appointed prime minister in 2021 before being dismissed at the end of last year after criticising the military government. He had criticised being excluded from decisions about the continued leadership of the generals, who had initially promised to hand power back to elected civilians in March 2024. No connection has been made between his arrest and those of the soldiers accused of wanting to overthrow the government. The junta, led by President Assimi Goita, has turned away from Western partners, notably former colonial power France, to align itself politically and militarily with Russia in the name of national sovereignty. The Malian army and its Russian mercenary allies have been tasked with hunting down the jihadists and are regularly accused of committing abuses against civilians. Rapido, a popular ride-hailing platform in India, has quietly begun beta testing its food delivery service in Bengaluru, marking its first serious move to challenge market leaders Swiggy and Zomato in one of the worlds fastest-growing delivery markets. The 10-year-old startup has started testing its food delivery service in three primary localities in the southern city of Bengaluru, namely Byrasandra, Tavarekere, and Madiwala (BTM) Layout, Hosur Sarjapura Road (HSR) Layout, and Koramangala, Rapido co-founder and CEO Aravind Sanka confirmed to TechCrunch. Rapido created a wholly owned subsidiary Ctrlx Technologies to launch its food delivery service, named Ownly. The subsidiary lists Sanka and Rapido vice president of finance Vivek Krishna as the directors, per the regulatory filings reviewed by TechCrunch. Sanka said there was no specific reason for setting up the subsidiary. However, it may be a strategic move to avoid potential conflicts of interest with Swiggy, which currently holds a 12% minority stake in the ride-hailing startup. Swiggy recently confirmed in a letter to shareholders that it would reevaluate its investment in Rapido, citing a potential conflict of interest that may arise in the future. Meanwhile, Rapidos Ownly has also released its Android app on Google Play that offers food from nearby restaurants at around 15% lower prices than those on Swiggy and Zomato. Rapidos Ownly Food delivery app. Image Credits:Ownly The lower pricing is a result of Rapidos model of not taking commissions from restaurants, which are up to 30% in the case of other food delivery apps, including Swiggy and Zomato, and instead charging a fixed fee per order. The startup mentioned its fixed-fee approach in a proposal to restaurants in June. Rapido has a fleet of around 10 million vehicles, including 5 to 6 million two-wheelers, across India, a person familiar with the startups business told TechCrunch recently. The company is using its two-wheeler fleet to deliver food alongside offering its taxi and courier services. Rapido will avoid showing restaurants located far from customers to reduce fuel costs and delivery times, and will curate menu items on its app to maximize margins while offering enough discoverability, a Rapido investor told TechCrunch on condition of anonymity. While handling deliveries for Swiggy, Rapido gained insight into peak hours and high-demand restaurants the data it would now leverage for its own food delivery service, the investor said. The agreement with Swiggy does not prevent Rapido from using this data, although it does prohibit the startup from entering into contracts with Zomato or other competitors, the investor added. I would like to commend the victim on her strength throughout the investigation and thank her for her support throughout the court processes. It is clear that her early reporting has strengthened this case to secure a strong sentence. He continued that the site is no more a hotel than a borstal to a young offender for asylum seekers and that Somani Hotels had not had the courage of conviction to seek a certificate of lawful use, which would have resolved the matter in its favour. Notting Hill Carnival: Two stabbed and 423 arrests but 'less serious violence than previous years', police say More than 400 arrests but 'less violence' at Notting Hill Carnival Allow Google Search To use the search feature, we need your consent to load Google Custom Search, which may use cookies or similar technologies. Please click 'Allow and Continue' below to enable search. See our privacy policy for more information. Allow and Continue When we asked Google about the errors we identified, a spokesperson said they were able to reproduce some of them, and that they were caused by problems with the visual search result, rather than the AI overviews themselves. They said the search results surface web sources and social media posts that combine the visual match with false information, which then informs the AI overview. Writing on X, formerly Twitter, he posted: Olive branch offered Mr Jenrick, I want your daughters and mine to be able to walk down the road safely and without fear. I worked with you when you were housing minister and the UK welcomed over 200,000 people from Hong Kong. He said: Now is not the time for the UK to back away from its promises to Hong Kongers. Extending the waiting time for ILR to ten years would pull the rug from under those who have sacrificed so much to build a new life here. He has previously said the US could offer security guarantees to Kyiv alongside European leaders, but not in the form of Nato, and added it would be up to the Ukrainians to decide whether to concede land to Mr Putin. In July, Cadence pleaded guilty to violating US export controls during Tans tenure and took a $140.6 million charge related to settling the cases. Earlier, in 2023, the US government had sent Tan a letter asking Walden to explain its investments after the San Francisco-based firm had invested in more than 100 Chinese companies. Tan called the claims misinformation in a letter to employees. But his record of investing in China and the riches it has brought him had already cast a shadow over his work. It was Tans tenure at Cadence, along with his other role as executive chairman of venture firm Walden International, that initially drew criticism from Washington. Trump ally and Republican Senator Tom Cotton sent a letter to Intels board chair earlier this month questioning Tans ties to China and his history at Cadence, which sold products to a Chinese military university. A day later, the president posted that Tan was highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. A Bloomberg report late Thursday afternoon saying the Trump administration is in talks with Intel to have the US government potentially take a stake in the Silicon Valley chipmaker sent the companys shares up 7.4% in New York. The stock gained 15% since Tans appointment as CEO in March, boosting the value of his stake to more than $29 million. The bulk of his fortune stems from Cadence Design Systems Inc., a maker of chip design tools where Tan was chief executive officer for 12 years before joining Intel. He has sold shares worth more than $575 million in the San Jose, California-based company, and still holds a $500 million position, according to Bloombergs calculations. The 65-year-old technology and venture capital industry veteran has amassed a fortune worth at least $1.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which is calculating Tans net worth for the first time. Days after calling for the firing of Intel Corp.s CEO, President Donald Trump changed his mind following a very interesting meeting with the executive. His success and rise is an amazing story, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Monday. Story Continues I want to be absolutely clear: Over 40+ years in the industry, Ive built relationships around the world and across our diverse ecosystem and I have always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards, Tan wrote in response to the allegations. A spokesperson for Santa Clara, California-based Intel declined to comment. Sunset Industry A naturalized US citizen, Tan was born in Malaysia in 1959, the youngest of five children. His father was editor-in-chief of a Malaysian newspaper, while his mother was a professor in Singapore. After graduating with a degree in physics from Nanyang Technical University, he earned a Masters in nuclear engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of San Francisco. His move to Silicon Valley brought him into the venture capital world. He met the founding partner of Walden Capital and proposed raising an international fund for them, offering to do so without being paid a salary, according to an oral history of his life from a 2018 interview at the Computer History Museum. The first fund of $3.3 million was partially seeded with the help of his father-in-law and his fathers friends in Malaysia. Tans technical background led him to concentrate on semiconductors at a time when it was seen as a sunset industry. His investors questioned the strategy, wondering why he would invest in an area US firms had largely abandoned, he said in the 2018 interview. Now theyre starting to recognize my strategy worked. Walden International went on to invest $5 billion in more than 600 companies across 12 countries, many of them niche semiconductor firms. For a decade and a half, he served on the board of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., now Chinas leading chipmaker. Since joining Intel as CEO in March, Tan has accelerated his divestments in Chinese technology companies. But he remains executive chairman of Walden International and also invests through Walden Catalyst Ventures, a venture arm focused on startups in the US, Europe and Israel. Through Sakarya Ltd., a Hong Kong-based firm wholly owned by Tan, and various Walden International entities, he has invested in at least 165 Chinese firms and startups, according to Chinese company data provider Qichacha. Bloombergs estimate of Tans fortune doesnt include Walden International as his personal involvement in the groups entities isnt disclosed. Little Sleep During his time as Cadences CEO from 2009 to 2021, the stock increased more than 4,000%. Tan sold in excess of $575 million of shares through the end of 2023, when he last reported sales. His disclosed ownership at the time of 1.5 million shares, or around 0.53% of the company, is worth about $500 million today. While running Cadence, he also kept his full-time position at Walden, acknowledging in the 2018 interview that he was someone who only needed four or five hours of sleep a night. He saw the roles as synergistic, with the tech investments helping to inform Cadences direction at the time. I think it kind of goes hand in hand, helping the industry, and also, its good for me for education, he said. I never stop learning. Tan stepped down as Cadences CEO in 2021, taking on the role of executive chairman for next two years. He also joined Intels board, though left in August 2024 after disagreements over the companys strategy and direction, according to published reports. He was named CEO in March, charged with reviving the chipmaker, which has struggled recently as computing migrated to smartphones and AI grew in importance. Tan, who has since rejoined Intels board, owns roughly 1.2 million shares of Intel, with about 99% acquired after agreeing to become CEO, according to an offer letter from Intel. His pay package includes a salary of $1 million, plus a 200% performance-based bonus and $66 million in long-term equity awards and stock options, the company said in a filing. The United States has been my home for more than 40 years, Tan wrote in the letter to employees following Trumps call for his resignation. I love this country and am profoundly grateful for the opportunities it has given me. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. And to me, its something that if you have people who are going to fight in a war, who are going to sacrifice and lose their life, and we dont know where some of those bodies went, theres no graves for quite a few people, to remember that and reflect on that, especially for the younger generation today, is very, very important. The AT&T logo is seen above the entrance to one of its retail stores in New York in this 2016 file photo. Lawsuits over two 2024 data breaches have resulted in a tentative $177 million legal settlement. Mark Lennihan/Associated Press file photo Nearly a year and a half after AT&T's first data breach was announced, a $177 million legal settlement could offer each eligible customer up to $7,500 in compensation. Here's what to know about the lawsuit and how to file a claim. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When were the AT&T data breaches? In March 2024, the Dallas-based telecommunications company announced its first data breach, affecting about 73 million accounts 7.6 million current customers and 65.4 million former ones. The leaked information, found in a dark web dataset, included: addresses Social Security numbers birthdates passcodes billing numbers phone numbers Another data breach was announced in July 2024, after hackers had allegedly downloaded the data from a third-party cloud platform. This incident involved "nearly all" cellular customers and included records of calls and texts. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Based on our investigation, the compromised data includes files containing AT&T records of calls and texts of nearly all of AT&T's cellular customers, customers of mobile virtual network operators using AT&T's wireless network, as well as AT&T's landline customers who interacted with those cellular numbers between May 1, 2022 - October 31, 2022," the company said in the press release. AT&T reported the hacked data did not "contain the content of calls or texts, personal information such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or other personally identifiable information." The data aren't believed to be available publicly. Federal agencies supported the decision to delay the announcements of the breaches, citing the assessment of broader risks. "In assessing the nature of the breach, all parties discussed a potential delay to public reportingdue to potential risks to national security and/or public safety," the FBI said in a statement. "AT&T, FBI, and DOJ worked collaboratively through the first and second delay process, all while sharing key threat intelligence to bolster FBI investigative equities and to assist AT&Ts incident response work." Advertisement Article continues below this ad The data breaches prompted a flurry of state and federal lawsuits, which then grouped into two class-action cases. How much is AT&T's settlement in the data breach lawsuit? AT&T agreed to pay $177 million in total, which includes $149 million for the first settlement case and $28 million for the second. Before compensation can be distributed, however, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas must approve it in a final hearing on Dec. 3. In the meantime, affected customers are encouraged to file claims. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Who can file a claim for the AT&T settlement? How much is compensation? The process for filing a claim and the maximum compensation amount depend on which data breach a customer was impacted by. Here's a breakdown of what the settlement website says. Data breach announced March 2024: AT&T 1 Settlement Class Those affected by the first data breach can claim up to $5,000 by submitting materials for the documented loss cash payment option. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Alternatively, individuals can choose a tiered cash payment option. This does not require proof of financial loss, though it involves a smaller share of the settlement. Tier 1 covers those whose Social Security numbers were included in the data breach, and the payments for these will be five times higher than those in Tier 2, whose Social Security numbers were not compromised. Data breach announced July 2024: AT&T 2 Settlement Class Customers who can provide documented proof of financial loss in the second data breach can claim up to $2,500. The tiered cash option in this incident only includes Tier 3, in which claimants will receive a share of the settlement after administration costs and claims are distributed Advertisement Article continues below this ad Those affected by both data breaches could receive up to $7,500 in compensation. How can I file a claim for the AT&T data breach settlement? Claims for both AT&T data breaches opened on Aug. 4 following a ruling by a federal judge. Eligible customers are being notified via email from Kroll Settlement Administration at attsettlement@e.emailksa.com. Anyone with questions about their eligibility by call KSA at (833) 890-4930. Claims can be filed on the KSA website, where further details are also available. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The deadline to file a claim online or via mail is Nov. 18. Affected individuals who choose to sue the company independently must opt out by Oct. 17. Those who choose to file a claim give up their right to sue AT&T as individuals. If the Texas court approves the settlement on Dec. 3, payouts are likely to begin in early 2026. CBS News and USA TODAY contributed to this report. Judge David Wahlberg addresses the court during a hearing about Carmen Mejia's case at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Austin. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Colin Bellair, assistant district attorney, left, and Holly Taylor, assistant director, left, arrive for a hearing about Carmen Mejia's case at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Austin. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Colin Bellair, assistant district attorney, shares updated information on Carmen Mejia's case at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Austin. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Art Guerrero, a former bailiff that sat through Carmen Mejia's trial, sits in the courtroom for a hearing about Carmen Mejia's case at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Austin. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Holly Taylor, assistant director, leaves the stand during a hearing on Carmen Mejia's case at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Austin. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Judge David Wahlberg listens to testimony during a hearing about Carmen Mejia's case at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Austin. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Art Guerrero, a former bailiff that sat through Carmen Mejia's trial, enters the courtroom for a hearing about Carmen Mejia's case at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Austin. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Carmen Mejia is escorted out of the courtroom for a hearing at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Austin. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Art Guerrero, a former bailiff who sat through Carmen Mejias murder trial in 2005, has spent much of the past 20 years seeking to exonerate Mejia. Mikala Compton/American-Statesma Carmen Mejia Photo taken July 30, 2003 Laura Skelding/American-Statesman File Mauro Casiano Benitez, left, and Juana Pilar Feliciano are the parents of Abelardo Casiano, the baby Carmen Mejia was found guilty of murdering. The guilty verdict was delivered Tuesday evening. September 27, 2005. Brian K. Diggs/American-Statesman File Carmen Mejia, shown in court Sept. 27, 2005, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in the 2003 death of 10-month-old Abelardo Casiano, who suffered fatal burns in scalding bathwater. Brian K. Diggs/American-Statesma Carmen Mejia, left, cries as the guilty verdict is read in the courtroom Sept. 27, 2005, next to defense attorney Diana Salazar. The jury sentenced her to three concurrent life sentences. Brian K. Diggs/American-Statesma After more than two decades in jail, Carmen Mejia is now a step closer to freedom. A Travis County judge declared Thursday morning that shes innocent of her 2005 murder conviction. The decision, which had the support of the Travis County District Attorneys Office and came after an investigation by the Innocence Project, sends Mejias case to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which will make the final decision. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Mejia, 53, was convicted of murder and sentenced to three life sentences for the 2003 death of a 10-month-old child in her care. The child, Abelardo Casiano, died after being lowered into scalding bathwater, which prosecutors argued Mejia intentionally did. They also successfully charged that she deliberately kept the child away from medical care. Mejia has maintained her innocence since the childs death. During Thursdays hearing, the apparent mishaps behind Mejias case appeared overwhelming. In lengthy, emotional remarks, the Travis County prosecutor from Mejias original appeal, said new evidence presented over the past year convinced her of the need for an acquittal. I have to admit that when this writ was originally filed I was skeptical of its claims, said Holly Taylor, now Travis Countys assistant director of civil rights and appeals. What we understood two decades ago and thats what we heard from all of our experts was that it was impossible for this to be an accident. Our experts were wrong. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The emotional hearing, which brought both Taylor and presiding Judge David Wahlberg close to tears, ended with Wahlberg declaring there was clear and convincing proof that Mejia had been wrongfully convicted. New evidence, a new narrative Following Casianos death, Mejias case quickly devolved. In a series of police interviews, Mejia damaged her credibility by presenting various accounts about how Casiano had been burned. She later said her actions were due to fear of being separated from her children. Prosecutors argued, based on testimony by state experts, that the child had been intentionally burned and denied medical care. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Colin Bellair, assistant district attorney, addresses Judge David Wahlberg and the courtroom during a hearing on Carmen Mejia's case at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Austin. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Though Mejia had four children under the age of 6 with her at the time, the prosecution argued she was the only person at her Austin apartment strong enough to put the child into the tub. Prosecutors portrayed Mejia as cruel and mean and heartless, the perpetrator of a crime that came from someplace deep within her, a dark, black, evil place in her heart. Mejia first asked for her case to be reviewed in 2014. The state defended its prosecution and her conviction was upheld. But this year, the Travis County District Attorneys Office said the case against Mejia was flawed, acknowledging that in its response to a writ of habeas corpus submitted by the Innocence Project on behalf of Mejia last year. Evidence and science that were not available two decades ago supports that conclusion, the district attorneys office said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In post-conviction hearings spurred by the new writ, expert witnesses provided revised accounts of what likely occurred, based in part on new science. The new narrative: There was no evidence to suggest the baby was held down in the water, indicating intent, as was previously ruled. Experts testified that scalding water could have caused third-degree burns on a child in less than 2 seconds a very possible scenario in an apartment where the landlord kept the water temperature 20 degrees above the recommended level and in a building too old to have protections against excessively hot water. The new evidence also cast doubt on whether Mejia could have quickly known the severity of the childs burns, contradicting the argument that she chose to deny the child medical care. Mejias supporters argue that she made a reasonable effort to seek medical assistance given her position at the time as a recent Honduran immigrant and her limited finances. Also key to the case was testimony from Mejias 24-year-old daughter earlier this year. Identified in court records only as A.P., she testified this year that she was 100% certain she turned on the bath faucet that led to Casianos death when she was 3 years old a guilt, she told the court, that she has carried ever since. Delivering his recommendation, Wahlberg said Mejias daughters testimony proved the jury and court had not heard the entirety of the evidence during the original conviction. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Some of the most critical evidence, he said, was locked in the brain of a 3-year-old. Mejias case was also bolstered when two of the states original experts, including the former Travis County medical examiner, revised their opinions after reviewing new evidence. The medical examiner went so far as to call her former office to request that the cause of death on Casianos death certificate be changed from homicide to accident, Taylor said. The state also agreed with the Innocence Projects claim that Mejia received ineffective counsel from her original attorneys, who failed to obtain a competent burn expert to aid in her defense. Carmen Mejia, 34, center, sits next to one of her defense attorneys, Diana Salazar, right, before the start of her 2005 murder trial. At left is interpreter Maria Celeste Costley. Rodolfo Gonzalez/American-States She looks forward to the day when she can give them a hug After the courtroom crowd had cleared out from the eighth floor of the Travis County courthouse, retired bailiff Art Guerrero walked over to Mejias three daughters to describe the agonizing feeling he had experienced ever since witnessing their mothers trial two decades ago. It was, in part, Guerreros insistence that led the Innocence Project to take on Mejias case. Guerrero smiled. He asked the women to pray for the Court of Criminal Appeals coming ruling. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He later told the American-Statesman the judges decision had given him a sense of relief and hope that justice was now a step closer. This lady has served 20 years or more for something she didn't do. She has suffered. Her children have suffered, Guerrero said. The right thing to do is to go ahead and release her and go ahead and rule [this] as an accident. Vanessa Potkin, an attorney with the Innocence Project who represented Mejia, approached Guerrero and the daughters as they spoke. She offered each of the women a hug on behalf of their mother, who she had just spoken to. The group exchanged elated smiles and sighs. Potkin told the Statesman that her conversation with Mejia had revolved around her daughters, whom she saw for the first time since her conviction during a hearing last year. For years, Potkin said, Mejia has gone without updates on her children who were given up for adoption after her conviction. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Reuniting with her family, Potkin said, was Carmens priority. Its been over 20 years since shes been able to touch her children, Potkin said. She looks forward to the day when she can give them a hug. School bus crash on Nameless Road in Leander, Wednesday, August 13. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman A Leander school district bus veered off a curved section of Nameless Road and rolled over Wednesday afternoon, injuring 15 elementary school students and one adult on the first day of the new school year. The crash is the most severe in a series of serious accidents involving the district, which is northwest of Austin and spans two counties with many winding, back-country roads. Including Wednesday's crash, Leander school buses have been involved in at least five crashes in seven years. The district enrolled more than 42,000 students this year, according to an annual demographics report. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Other school districts in the area have also experienced school bus crashes, most notably the Hays school district south of Austin. The July 2024 collision with an oncoming truck killed 5-year-old Ulises Rodriguez Montoya and Ryan Wallace, a 33-year-old University of Texas graduate student from Bastrop who was driving behind the bus. Statewide, Texas recorded 2,480 crashes involving school buses in 2024. Those incidents claimed 11 lives and left 93 people seriously injured, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Over the past 10 years, Texas school buses have been involved in nearly 31,000 documented crashes, according to TxDOT data analyzed by the American-Statesman. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Leander school district declined to respond to Statesman questions about recent school bus safety measures. A spokesperson directed the newspaper to Wednesdays statement from superintendent Bruce Gearing. Our hearts are with all those impacted by this tragedy, Gearing wrote in a letter to parents Wednesday. We are working closely with Counseling Services to ensure students, staff, and families across the district have access to support in the days ahead. Here are the most notable Leander school district bus crashes over the last 10 years. December 2024: Leander ISD bus hits, injures pedestrian Less than a year ago, a Leander school bus hit and injured a teacher as she crossed a Cedar Park crosswalk, CBS Austin reported. The Dec. 9 incident left Liz Martel, a teacher at Jupiter House Preschool, with "significant injuries to her leg, according to a GoFundMe, Advertisement Article continues below this ad Investigators who reviewed dashcam footage said early-morning darkness and rain likely kept the driver from seeing Martel. Cedar Park police cited the bus driver for failing to yield to a pedestrian. The driver resigned after the district initiated an internal investigation, the district said in a statement to CBS Austin. September 2022: Leander school bus crashes into FedEx truck With a student and bus monitor on board, a Leander school bus collided with a FedEx truck on northbound U.S. 183 at San Gabriel Parkway on Sept. 6, 2022, KXAN reported. Police said occupants were taken to the hospital, but no injuries were initially reported, according to KVUE. Advertisement Article continues below this ad October 2021: Bus collides with oncoming vehicle in Jonestown A school bus leaving to pick up Cedar Park Middle School and Cedar Park High School students on Oct. 29, 2021, collided with a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction on FM 1431 past Main Street in Jonestown, according to a district news release. There were no students on board at the time of the accident. A helicopter transported the other vehicles driver, and the school bus driver was treated for minor injuries at a Round Rock hospital. Public safety officials investigated the incident on Bus Route 313, the school said in the news release. October 2018: Bus driver found guilty of child endangerment after driving over flooded bridge In 2018, a bus driver ignored a barricade and drove into rushing floodwaters on County Road 177 at Brushy Creek, causing the bus to float backward and wash off the road. Leander police arrested the driver, who was later found guilty of child endangerment, a state-level felony. He was sentenced to two years of probation, according to court records. Advertisement Article continues below this ad David Sanchez, left, and Christian Lopez protest redistricting plans before an Aug. 1 hearing at the Texas Capitol. More than half of Travis County residents would be moved into a new congressional district with a new representative under the maps that Texas Republicans plan to pass. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Emily Carreon lives with her husband and kids in the north end of Pflugerville, a community that shares in the traffic woes and affordable housing angst that weigh on the entire Austin metro area. Living in one of Americas fastest-growing regions, Carreon should have a member of Congress who knows the bottlenecks on her stretch of Interstate 35, the budget strain facing local schools and the cost of groceries at her H-E-B. Instead, her neighborhood is tacked onto U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions district a sprawling piece of political terrain that stretches 80 miles north to Waco, then another 150 miles into the piney woods of East Texas. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It could get even stranger. Under proposed redistricting maps likely to pass once Texas House Democrats end their quorum break, Carreons neighborhood would be stapled to the district of San Angelo-based U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, whose district runs more than 300 miles west of here, stopping just shy of the New Mexico state line. New Mexico?! Carreon said in disbelief, as I showed her the maps on my phone while her kids climbed across a neighborhood playground. Thats so bizarre. That seems kind of nonsensical. Shes driven those West Texas highways through the miles of oil fields and ranchlands. They have totally different interests and concerns and priorities than Austins suburbs, she said. The same could be said for the small towns in the wooded swaths of East Texas, where her current district runs. The shake-up from the redistricting maps will be bigger than many residents realize. Half of us 663,341 of Travis County's 1.3 million people would be shuffled into new congressional districts for the 2026 elections. Only one district would remain truly rooted in Austin; the rest would be grafted onto rural seats anchored far outside the city. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Nowhere is this splintering more absurd than along Interstate 35 between Parmer Lane and Sam Bass Road, reaching into southern Williamson County. In less than 8 miles, a driver would cross through pieces of five different congressional districts. Five districts. Five sets of voters. Five representatives. All within many peoples daily commute. For the Texas Republicans drawing these maps to shore up GOP seats in the U.S. House, theres no pretense of keeping communities of interest together and no consequences for ignoring them. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The greater Austin area has long been sliced apart to dilute its voting power. Its part of the reason Republicans, who garnered 56% of the Texas vote in last years presidential election, hold 66% of the states congressional seats and why some Travis County residents have representatives who are more attuned to farm subsidies than the problems plaguing the Austin airport. But this mid-decade redraw marks a new level of extreme gerrymandering, designed to give the GOP control of about 80% of Texas congressional seats in 2026. Here in Austin, the most visible result would be the merger of the districts represented by Democratic U.S. Reps. Lloyd Doggett and Greg Casar likely forcing a musical-chairs scramble for the lone seat. But the quieter, more consequential change will be the one that affects you directly. U.S. Reps. Lloyd Doggett, left, and Greg Casar, shown during a July 31 news conference, would see the Austin areas of their districts merged into one district under the proposed maps. Jay Janner, Austin American-Statesman Nearly 150,000 Travis County residents would be pulled from Doggetts or Casars districts and placed into that of Republican U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul whose new district would stretch across 220 miles, from the state Capitol grounds to the forests of East Texas. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Another 78,000 people in East Travis would be cut out of Doggetts or Casars districts and moved into Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Clouds district, running 150 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. And about 151,000 Travis residents, currently split between GOP and Democratic districts, would be shuttled into Pflugers far-flung West Texas district. For many people who live in Austin, their representative is going to be changing, said Benjamin Schneer, associate professor of public policy at Harvards Kennedy School, who provided me with the data on the impacts to each district. And overall, the match between the ideology of the people in Austin and their representative is going to get worse. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Not for everyone, though. While chatting with strip mall shoppers in what would be the narrowest band of McCauls modified turf a political land bridge south of Wells Branch Parkway just 950 feet wide I met Eric Liao, who had no complaints about the map. The rest of Austin, it washes out the more conservative views in this area, he told me. If my area is merged with a more rural area, it will probably give me better representation. He lives in a neighborhood thats split between Doggett and McCaul. Under the new map, his neighborhood would be part of Pflugers district, grouped with the oil rig workers in Midland. Advertisement Article continues below this ad One survey found just over a third of Americans could name their member of Congress. Reshuffling the deck mid-decade wont help. Texans wont know their representatives and their representatives wont know them. Some, like Liao, might end up with a better partisan match, even if the geography becomes increasingly absurd. But by and large, people and communities will continue to lose the kind of advocacy that comes from a lawmaker who knows the local business leaders and the pain points for commuters. Try holding your representative accountable when they live hours away and spend most of their time in counties you never visit. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its representation in name only. LIVE: SECs Paul Atkins discusses Project Crypto originally appeared on TheStreet. ChatGPT said:SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins is speaking today on , an initiative aimed at exploring regulatory frameworks and market structures for digital assets. The discussion is expected to cover potential guidelines for token issuance, investor protection, and how blockchain innovation can coexist with existing securities laws. Atkins, a long-time proponent of balanced regulation, may also address industry concerns over compliance costs and innovation bottlenecks. SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins is speaking today on Project Crypto, an initiative aimed at exploring regulatory frameworks and market structures for digital assets. The discussion covered potential guidelines for token issuance, investor protection, and how blockchain innovation can coexist with existing securities laws. Atkins, a long-time proponent of balanced regulation, may also address industry concerns over compliance costs and innovation bottlenecks. Atkins: SEC will not stand by while innovation moves overseas It [Project Crypto] is to modernize rules and regulations, enabling Americas financial markets to move on chain and make America the crypto capital of the world, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said in a Fox Business exclusive. The SEC will not stand by and watch innovations develop overseas, that its going to happen here. He explained that a couple of weeks ago, the administration issued the President's Working Group report on digital assets, giving clear recommendations for us to go forward and help make what the President has announced a reality. Mobilizing the SEC for blockchain clarity Atkins said the SEC is mobilizing across all divisions Corporation Finance, Investment Management, and others to ensure that rules encompass the crypto assets and give clarity to market participants. The recently enacted GENIUS Act, signed at the White House, was called a very good step forward and part of ongoing legislative momentum. When [Congress] return[s] from their recess look forward to much more forward progress, he added. Rewriting custody rules On custody, Atkins emphasized that changes are needed to the Exchange Act, Advisors Act, and Investment Company Act frameworks. We dont want just crypto assets beyond some flash drive in somebodys drawer. They need to be in a secure place, and especially if theyre held for investors. These 90-year-old rules will be adapted to modern realities, affecting broker-dealers, asset managers, and investment advisers. The main reason for doing all this is to provide some certainty for people after a hostile environment lawyers couldnt give their clients opinions as to what was legal or not. Interfaith pastors listen June 11 at an event in Los Angeles to discuss the impact of raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-Ne/MediaNews Group via Getty Images A defining moment in Archbishop Oscar Romeros life was his call to El Salvadors military to put down their arms and stop abusing their authority, to stop oppressing and killing the people. His powerful call to conscience, delivered shortly before his 1980 assassination, underscored the moral and religious limits for police agents of the state, and that ones conscience requires acting accordingly. The time has come for Americas clergy to rise to that level of courage and issue a call to conscience urging immigration enforcement agents in their congregations to consider resigning their jobs because of ongoing human rights abuses by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Certainly, there is a need for a fair immigration system that meets U.S. constitutional standards and international human rights principles and, for Christians, is consistent with the Gospel. But there is no dispute that ICE operations abuse, and are repugnant to, these norms, for which ICE makes no apologies. Roving patrols of ICE agents, typically with masked faces, have seized thousands of people, young and old, across the country, at home, work, driving and on sidewalks, and shoved them into unmarked SUVs. They have upended nursing home and home care staff, disrupted crop harvesting and arrested people near schools and churches. Parents are suddenly ripped from their children, and children yanked from foster homes. Asylum-seekers are imprisoned when they show up for hearings no due process, just deportation to random countries foreign to them. U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, second from right, accompanies Carlos Morales Almario, center, a Venezuelan man who was detained by ICE immediately after his case was dismissed July 28 at immigration court in San Antonio. Christopher Lee/Staff Photographer Countless videos attest to ICEs inhumane conduct. The Guardian published a video of an ICE agent using a stun gun on an undocumented worker and slamming him to the ground during a traffic stop in Florida. When his companion, a citizen, tried to defuse the situation by urging the worker not to resist, ICE agents arrested the citizen for allegedly interfering. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The agents laughed in the video. One said, Theyre starting to resist more now, to which another replied: Were going to end up shooting some of them. The callousness of that flippant remark, unrebuked by ICE, is telling and frightening. It reflects ICEs culture. Nearly 57,000 people are incarcerated in ICE detention centers nationwide. Human rights reports and the media paint a brutal picture of cruelty. Alligator Alcatraz in the Florida Everglades, which officials inaugurated with disgusting mirth, is particularly inhumane. Neither it nor other centers meet the standards for U.S. jails and prisons: unsanitary conditions; denial of access to lawyers, family and clergy; overcrowding; scarce medical attention. Unnecessary deaths continue to occur in detention facilities, as they have in the past. ICE agents cannot justify their actions as just following orders. The Nuremberg trials of the Nazis rejected that rationalization. Under international law, just following orders never justifies being part of the machinery of human rights abuse. Nor is it ever consistent with the Gospel of Jesus. Some Catholic bishops are speaking out, such as Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville. The presiding U.S. Episcopal bishop, Sean Rowe, has declared, Once the church of presidents, the Episcopal Church must now be an engine of resistance. Texas Episcopal Bishop Andy Doyle has pointed in the direction of the Confessing Church, which formed in 1934 Germany to oppose the regimes human rights violations when other church leaders were subservient to Adolf Hitlers anti-Jewish nationalist agenda. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Verbal remonstrations by bishops are good but inadequate. Some bishops have attended detention hearings in solidarity with immigrants; but of the countrys 500 Catholic and Episcopal bishops, that number is infinitesimal. People like the Dorothea Project moms are imploring the bishops to do more. Faith leaders should take the Archbishop Romero step and issue a call to conscience, suggesting to ICE employees that the time has come for them to resign their positions and find other employment. The more resignations of conscience, the quicker humane immigration reform. Bishops must bring the moral issue to the fore. Cautiousness in this situation is perilous and harmful. They must pose the tough question to ICE agents who profess Christianity: How do you square this maltreatment of peoples human rights and their dignity with your conscience and the Gospel? How can you work for a police agency that so badly and cruelly treats people who have lived good and honest lives after escaping persecution, terror or desperate economic conditions? How can you again endanger them and return them to where they had to flee? Advertisement Article continues below this ad As Jesus put it, no person can serve two masters. James C. Harrington is a human rights lawyer, retired founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project and an Episcopal priest in Austin. A record four Texas school districts are now at risk of a state takeover even as many others showed positive progress in new A-F accountability ratings released by the Texas Education Agency on Friday. Beaumont, Connally, Wichita Falls and Lake Worth ISDs all received a fifth consecutive failing grade for at least one of their campuses, enough to trigger state action. Some districts have seen chronic academic under-performance at one, two or three of their campuses, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath told reporters. Districts themselves should not be surprised about what those ratings are at this point, but it is now public for the first time, and state law requires you to improve the campuses. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Loading... The annual letter grades, based largely on students STAAR test scores and academic performance, can carry enormous implications for school districts, impacting everything from public perception and parent satisfaction to local real estate prices. Too many failing ratings can result in districts being forced to shut down campuses or face a state takeover, the highest level of intervention in which the TEA replaces elected officials with a new superintendent and board of managers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Only three districts have ever qualified for state takeover over poor A-F ratings: Houston, Marlin and Shepherd ISDs. The record high at risk this time stands in stark contrast to the rest of the state's accountability results, which generally showed positive progress across the states 1,200 districts. Morath said the overall ratings for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years, both released on Friday, represent significant gains. The number of school districts statewide deemed acceptable jumped by seven percentage points between 2023 and 2025, the highest under the current ratings system. Meanwhile, the proportion of campuses rated F fell from 8% to 4%. Ratings for all campuses are available at txschools.gov. This is a celebratory moment for us as a state, because we have seen statewide some real improvements in school quality, year over year, and now moms and dads all over the state can see that evidence for themselves, Morath said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This year marks the first regular release of A-F scores since before the COVID-19 pandemic, when interruptions led the TEA to stop rating campuses. The following two years of scores were delayed after dozens of school districts sued the agency to block their release, arguing the states revamp of the accountability system in 2023 would unfairly ding their ratings and questions on the STAAR test were not properly designed. TEA said that a refreshed AF system was necessary after the pandemic to ensure Texas remains a national leader in preparing students for success. Critics say the system places too much emphasis on STAAR test scores and the achievements of individual campuses. Advertisement Article continues below this ad My concern is that an entire school district is being labeled as failing because of one school, said HD Chambers, president of the Texas School Alliance, which represents 51 large school districts. I dont want to make excuses, but its not necessarily an accurate representation of how that district is serving all of its students. Morath defended the fairness of the A-F grades, saying they consider year-to-year improvement and not just raw test scores. He did not say Friday whether the TEA would seek to take over the newly eligible districts. The school districts for Beaumont, Wichita Falls, Lake Worth and Connally did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fort Worth ISD also previously reached five consecutive F scores in 2023, and Morath has said he is weighing a final decision on a takeover there. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The district has since been working to turn around its campuses, and local officials projected confidence this week in the newly-released ratings. Morath said in May that his agency may be statutorily required to intervene, though he said a final decision was pending. A takeover would be a particularly significant setback for Beaumont ISD, which was previously placed under state authority in 2014 after a series of financial scandals and only regained local control in 2020. TEA has initiated only 10 district takeovers within the last two decades, mostly for financial mismanagement. Houston ISD, the states largest district, is the most prominent example, with TEA-installed Superintendent Mike Miles controversial tenure marked by higher enrollment losses and teacher turnover but improved scores and ratings. Miles announced earlier this week that HISD had no F rated campuses for 2025 and just 18 with a D, according to preliminary results. That represented a sharp improvement from 2023, when 121 of 274 campuses received a D or F. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The simultaneous release of two years of scores on Friday means some districts may suddenly need to initiate campus overhauls to avoid a future takeover. Three North Austin middle schools that received failing ratings for several years prompted Austin ISD to commit to turnaround plans for the new school year. The district appeared to avoid qualifying for a takeover as of Friday. Some districts with consecutively failing grades, including districts in Midland, San Antonio and Manor, have also avoided takeovers by turning over control of failing schools to outside groups, such as charter schools, colleges and universities or non profits. San Antonio ISD, for example, has entered into partnership with six different entities to turn around two dozen of its lowest-performing schools. Find your area school in our searchable A-F ratings table Use the table below to search for your school district or campus. Use the dropdown arrows to explore each campus within a district. House Speaker Dustin Burrows gavels out to end the first special special at the Capitol in Austin, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman The Texas House ended its special session Friday, handing runaway Democrats a token victory in their two-week protest of the GOPs mid-decade redistricting. Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows said he expected the missing members to return by Monday, for a new 30-day special session, and planned to hold hearings next week on every item on the call and even some more with the goal of wrapping up by Labor Day weekend. Advertisement Article continues below this ad House Speaker Dustin Burrows gavels in the last day of the first special session at the Capitol in Austin, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. A quorum was not present after most Democratic state representatives left Texas to break quorum and block a vote on a Republican plan for Congressional redistricting. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Texas Rep. Cecil Bell Jr., R-Magnolia, relaxes at his desk after a second special session was adjourned Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez) Rodolfo Gonzalez/Associated Press READ MORE: Democrats are nearing a return to Texas after quorum break over GOP redistricting Burrows framed the move to end the session early it had been set to finish Monday as positive for Republicans because it stripped Democrats of the only leverage they have left to stall conservative priorities still on the table. He said the chamber will move to immediately pass bills without the threat of procedural gamesmanship getting in the way. Among those are a bill to prohibit transgender people from using bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity, and another that would crack down on accessing mailed abortion pills. The proposals were on Gov. Greg Abbotts 18-item agenda for the first special session but not guaranteed to pass after previous iterations failed in the regular session, signaling the quorum break may have provoked a backlash. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The House Democratic Caucus on Thursday had said it would only return when the first special session ended and when California lawmakers released their own revised redistricting maps. The California maps were expected to be released sometime Friday. In statements on social media Friday, Democrats were already declaring victory with the end of the first special session, and at least one state representative, Ann Johnson, of Houston, committed to returning. Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, talks to House Speaker Dustin Burrows in the House Chamber after the second special session was ended for the day because of a lack of quorum at the Capitol in Austin, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. A quorum was not present after most Democratic state representatives left Texas to break quorum and block a vote on a Republican plan for Congressional redistricting. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman State Rep. Rafael Anchia, of Dallas, posted a gif of a rippling Texas flag with the message: They vowed to break us. To make quorum every day. To arrest us. To remove us. To attack us. But today, Sine Die, referring to the Latin term for the end of a legislative session. Advertisement Article continues below this ad State Rep. Erin Gamez, a Democrat from Brownsville, was already back in the chamber Friday, though her presence was not enough to establish the quorum that Republicans needed to resume business. (Just 97 members were present; 100 are needed.) Gamez told Hearst Newspapers that she came back because Democrats had accomplished what they set out to do. I do think we have lit a fire underneath the American people to what's going on, and now I'm very happy to continue that fight in this new arena on the floor to prepare for our battle in the courthouse, she said. The House reissued civil arrest warrants for absent Democrats Friday afternoon, and Burrows said he had asked the House Administration Committee to start calculating the total cost of $500 per day fines per member owed. The Republican-led chamber implemented the fines last session in response to Democrats 2021 quorum break over a bill containing voting restrictions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Burrows announced Friday that he would be giving the highest priority bill number, House Bill 1, to legislation on relief and recovery efforts from last months deadly flooding in Central Texas. During the first special session, a disaster relief bill also held that spot, but Democrats have seized on how Republicans decided to call the redistricting bill for a vote on the floor before any others, arguing that they were using the flood response as leverage to force through an unpopular gerrymander. Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, leaves the House Chamber after the first special session was ended at the Capitol in Austin, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. A quorum was not present after most Democratic state representatives left Texas to break quorum and block a vote on a Republican plan for Congressional redistricting. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman At a news conference Friday, Abbott declined to say whether he'd push for an all-new redistricting map that would produce even more GOP seats. Abbott had previously told CBS News Texas that he was considering the addition of as many as three more. He also sidestepped a question about whether he'd keep lawmakers in session to redraw the state House and Senate districts to strengthen the Republicans' already solid grip on the Legislature. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The center of a tropical system of low atmospheric pressure continues to churn in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to come ashore in northeastern Mexico or South Texas on Friday. National Weather Service All eyes are on a tropical system of low atmospheric pressure churning in the western Gulf of Mexico thats expected to move inland over northeastern Mexico and southern Texas late Friday. The National Hurricane Center indicated early Friday that this system had a 50% chance of becoming a tropical depression before it makes landfall. But its proximity to land, where tropical systems lose their strength, has allowed forecasters to lower that chance to just 20%. A U.S.Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter confirmed that the system lacked a center of circulation and was less likely to be a tropical cyclone. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Regardless of development, the effects remain the same across Central Texas. A surge of tropical moisture will move inland later Friday and through Saturday, and it could provide enough fuel for storms to produce localized flash flooding. The National Weather Services Weather Prediction Center has placed most of the Coastal Plains and South Texas under a level 1 to 2 risk out of 4, or at least a 5-15% chance, of excessive rainfall for Friday and that expands into Central Texas on Saturday. Heavy rainfall of an inch to 2 inches is likely to accompany any tropical rain bands. The National Weather Services Weather Prediction Center has highlighted areas east of Austin with a level 1 of 4 risk, or at least a 5% chance, of flooding on Friday. Weather Prediction Center Rip currents will also be a significant risk heading into the weekend, according to the regional National Weather Service office for Houston and Galveston. If this system organizes enough, winds and seas over the Gulf could be higher than forecast from 3 feet currently, to 6 feet on Saturday. HOW RIP CURRENTS WORK:Tropical rip current threat is increasing for Texas Gulf Coast. Here's what we know. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Storm timing for Central Texas Clouds will move in first from the southeast with scattered tropical showers moving in any time after 2 p.m., especially east of Austin. Rain chances will range from 20% in the Hill Country and then increase to 40% east of Interstate 35. Here's a look at what our weather radar could show at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon. This is the forecast from the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh forecast model. Pivotal As with any tropical rain bands, these could contain wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph along with very heavy rainfall and quick spin-up tornadoes. Rainfall amounts will likely range from 0.1 inch to a half-inch, but isolated pockets of an inch to 2 inches are possible. However, the uncertainty of this disturbance means some locations in Central Texas may not even pick up rain, especially those in the Hill Country. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rainfall totals will most likely be around a half-inch in the Interstate 35 corridor but some isolated spots could receive up to 2 inches of rain. National Weather Service Hudbay Minerals has announced a strategic investment by Mitsubishi, with the latter set to acquire a 30% interest in the Copper World project in Arizona for $600m. The deal will see Mitsubishi contribute an initial $420m for the equity interest at closing, followed by a matching contribution of $180m within 18 months. The joint venture (JV), Copper World LLC, will be a new limited liability corporation, with Hudbay retaining 100% of its existing US federal net operating losses, amounting to approximately $275m (C$378.81m), and Arizona state losses of $210m. Mitsubishi's investment will cover 30% of ongoing costs from 31 August 2025, and contribute to the development, financing and construction of the project. The transaction is expected to close between late 2025 and early 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Hudbay president and CEO Peter Kukielski said: Securing Mitsubishi as a 30% partner in Copper World is an important milestone for Hudbay as we establish a long-term strategic partnership to advance this high-quality copper project towards sanctioning and to unlock significant value in our copper growth portfolio. Through this partnership we will leverage our complementary strengths to deliver our world-class Copper World project, produce domestic copper in the US for the US critical minerals supply chain and create value for all our stakeholders. Copper World is expected to bolster the US critical minerals supply chain with a $1.5bn direct investment, marking one of southern Arizona's largest investments. The project, situated on private land owned by Hudbay, is projected to produce 85,000 tonnes of copper annually over an initial 20-year lifespan. The construction phase is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs each year, with commitments in place from seven US labour unions. Upon commencement of production, Copper World is set to generate more than $850m in US taxes and create more than 400 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs in Arizona. The mine's contribution to the domestic copper supply chain will enhance US manufacturing capacity, national security and energy independence. Mitsubishi critical minerals division COO mineral resources group Taro Abe said: Participation in Copper World is of significant strategic importance for Mitsubishi towards the realisation of its growth strategy within the copper sector. We are pleased to collaborate with Hudbay, whose operational and development expertise is well-recognised and proven, to advance a definitive feasibility study. Primo Brands Corporation (NYSE:PRMB) is one of the best upside stocks to invest in now. On August 11, Morgan Stanley lowered the firms price target on Primo Brands to $35 from $38 with an Overweight rating on the shares. This decision followed the release of the companys Q2 2025 earnings report. In Q2, Primo Brands reported a 2.5% decline in net sales compared to the previous year. This was attributed to several factors, which included integration challenges in the direct delivery business that led to missed deliveries, a tornado that caused ~$26 million in lost net sales at a facility in Hawkins, Texas, and a $10 million sales reduction in the dispenser business due to tariff-related uncertainties. Morgan Stanley Lowers Primo Brands (PRMB) PT to $35 After Q2 2025 Earnings Report A worker in rain gear inspecting a water tower to ensure quality infrastructure. The company still saw growth in its premium water segment, with net sales increasing by 44.2% year-over-year in Q2. This was driven by expanded distribution in key markets and retailers like Walmart for brands such as Saratoga and Mountain Valley. Primo Brands is also continuing its post-merger integration efforts, having closed 40 facilities in Q2, bringing the total to 48 closures, with 11 more planned. Primo Brands Corporation (NYSE:PRMB) is a branded beverage company in North America. It offers solutions through water dispensers, direct delivery of refillable/reusable bottles, pre-filled Water exchange program, and water filtration appliances, as well as operates self-service water refill stations. While we acknowledge the potential of PRMB 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. Mario Tama/Getty Images News/Getty Images You can find original article here Wealthmanagement. Subscribe to our free daily Wealthmanagement newsletter. Morgan Stanley avoided a former advisors attempt at retrieving deferred compensation after he left to start his own firm, according to a recent arbitration award. In the FINRA award dated Aug. 8, a three-person panel ruled against former Morgan Stanley rep Patrick T. ONeill. The Michigan-based advisor left in 2018 to join Raymond James independent division as part of Family Legacy Wealth Partners. ONeill filed an arbitration in February 2024, requesting an award of about $546,001, 2,324 shares of Morgan Stanley stock and attorneys fees. In the arbitration, he argued that Morgan Stanleys deferred compensation plan forfeiture for advisors who leave is impermissible under ERISA, (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act). The case refers to Morgan Stanley deeming some advisors compensation deferred, allowing it to vest for several years. According to the wirehouse, if the reps leave before those vesting dates, they forfeit the compensation (known as the Cancellation Rule). As part of his arbitration, ONeill asked arbitrators to find the deferred compensation plan and its cancellation rule violate federal statutes and requested an injunction asking Morgan Stanley to remedy their past violations of ERISAs vesting rules, as well as reformation of the (financial advisor) Deferred Compensation Plan. Morgan Stanley originally filed a motion to dismiss in October 2024. The panel heard arguments in January before deciding to deny the motion. After testimony and evidence at the hearing, the panel denied ONeills claims in their entirety and mandated that the advisor handle the lions share of the hearing session fees. An attorney for O'Neill did not return requests for comment prior to publication. The award marks Morgan Stanleys fourth straight deferred compensation-related victory in arbitration this year, and comes several weeks after a federal appeals court denied Morgan Stanleys attempt to appeal a lower court decision that its deferred compensation plans are protected under ERISA. The case originated as a class action led by Matthew Shafer, a Florida-based rep who also left for Raymond James in 2018. Shafer and the other plaintiffs brought the class action for all former advisors in similar positions when they left the firm. In 2023, a federal judge partially ruled in favor of Morgan Stanley, agreeing that the advisors assented to arguing claims in private arbitration. However, the judge also agreed with reps that their compensation plans were covered under ERISA; advisors attorneys were buoyed by the decision, believing it would strengthen their case in arbitration. Tony Messenger | Post-Dispatch Metro columnist Follow Tony Messenger | Post-Dispatch 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 Cracks in the American criminal justice system appear one at a time, often from seemingly unrelated causes. They spread like a spider web, and when one crack connects to another, the foundation collapses. Take, for example, the arrest a couple of weeks ago of a 16-year-old after a carjacking in St. Louis. He was released to his parents and then carjacked again the same week. Law enforcement blamed the juvenile system in Missouri, which has a point system that determines when a child must be held in detention. Allowing juveniles to continue to commit felony-level offenses and offering no deterrent doesnt help that young person succeed, Lake Saint Louis Police Chief Chris DiGiuseppi said in a news release on behalf of the Law Enforcement Legislative Coalition, a statewide police group. It sets them up for failure as they continue to escalate in criminal offenses. Heres what will happen next: there will be a bill filed in the next session of the Missouri Legislature to change the broken juvenile system. To be clear, it is broken, but not necessarily in the way the police organization thinks. For years, the Missouri Model of juvenile detention has treated its facilities like schools and not prisons, focusing on education and rehabilitation. It has been touted as a national leader by, for example, turning 16-year-old carjackers into productive members of society. But a lawsuit filed in Missouri recently suggests that model has been abandoned. Young people in need of special services for disabilities or mental health issues who are the majority of juveniles in the system are not getting the care they need, the lawsuit claims. Regardless, the legislature will pass a new law, and the next 16-year-old carjacker will end up in a juvenile facility. He wont get the care that was promised and hell come out worse for wear, perhaps with increased mental health difficulties. And hell be arrested a couple of years later as an adult. This time hell end up in adult jail, but his criminal case will go nowhere. A judge will declare him incompetent to stand trial and order the Department of Mental Health to treat his illness. But the Department of Mental Health will say there are no beds available for detainees with mental health issues. The young man, now 19, will be stuck in jail, not receiving mental health treatment and not being held accountable for the case police filed against him because it will be on interminable hold. The young man will find himself on a list of 400 or more people like him in city and county jails all across Missouri. Most of those jails pay a private, for-profit company to provide health care. The companies are notorious for choosing profits over quality care. Hell have a mental health episode. Correctional workers will strap him in a restraint chair because they dont know what else to do. Hell be left there for 90 minutes, or several hours, and hell die. This is how a 16-year-old gets the death penalty for carjacking. All of the above scenarios from the juvenile detention issues, to the mental health treatment issues, to the jail death are very real. I and other Post-Dispatch writers have covered them all. Its not that the mistakes stem from malice. The police pushing for tougher laws are well-intentioned, responding to pressure from residents who dont want to be carjacked. The lawmakers are responding to their constituents, though they dont realize that in another room, their colleagues are cutting funding for the juvenile justice system and for the Department of Mental Health. Because of term limits, nobody remembers what the process was more than two decades ago, before Missouri reformed its juvenile justice system. They dont even remember a decade later, when lawmakers rewrote the criminal code after it became unwieldy for the crime of the day to result in tougher charges without concern for the consequences. The folks running jails know that the mental health patients dont belong there, but their hands are tied. The politicians who hire the health care companies for jails cant hire enough people to pick up the trash in local alleys, so theyre happy to check a box and consider the problem solved. One part of the system damages another. When it ends with people dying in jail, everybody points fingers. The greatest tragedy is that not enough people care when someone dies in jail. Too many of us assume the worst about people who are locked up. America leads the world in mass incarceration, putting a higher percentage of its citizens in prison than any other country. But not enough of us stop to ask: if mass incarceration is the answer, then why are politicians always complaining that crime is out of control? If we dont want a 16-year-old carjacker to re-offend, wed spend more time patching the cracks of the criminal justice system before we rush to add more weight to its crumbling foundation. The cracks arent that hard to see. Theyre right in front of us. If only wed open our eyes and see that one is connected to the other. CHICAGO Texas Democrats moved closer Thursday to ending a nearly two-week walkout that blocked the GOP's redrawing of U.S. House maps before the 2026 election and put them under escalating threats by Republicans back home. The Democrats announced they will return so long as Texas Republicans end a special session and California releases its own redrawn map proposal, both of which were expected to happen Friday. Democrats did not say what day they might return. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott still intends to push through new maps that would give the GOP five more winnable seats before next year's midterm elections. Texas House Democrats said in a statement that attorneys told them they must return to the state to build a strong public legislative record for an upcoming legal battle against a new map. Now, as Democrats across the nation join our fight to cause these maps to fail their political purpose, were prepared to bring this battle back to Texas under the right conditions and to take this fight to the courts, said state Rep. Gene Wu, the House Democratic leader. At the same time, the Texas Democrats want to wait until California Democrats file their bill to redraw the state's maps, Wu added. We want to make sure the baton is fully in their hands before we let go, he said. Texas Democrats, who are the minority in each chamber, fled Aug. 3 to Illinois, New York and Massachusetts to stop the Legislature from passing any bills. Abbott asked the state's highest court to remove Wu from office, and other Republican officials threatened their arrest. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said he asked the FBI to assist Texas authorities in locating the lawmakers and Attorney General Ken Paxton asked that 13 members be removed from office. Lawmakers face fees of up to $500 each day they are absent after the House adopted new rules in 2021 after a similar walkout over voting restriction legislation. Texas has 38 congressional districts, 25 of which Republicans hold. In California, Democrats control 43 of the state's 52 House seats. California governor calls for Nov. 4 special election on state's redrawn maps Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that California will hold a Nov. 4 special election to seek approval of redrawn districts intended to give Democrats five more U.S. House seats in the fight for control of Congress. The move is a direct response to the Republican-led effort in Texas, pushed by President Donald Trump as his party seeks to maintain its slim House majority in the midterm elections. The nation's two most populous states emerged as the center of a partisan turf war in the House that could spiral into other states as well as the courts in what amounts to a proxy war ahead of the 2026 elections. Newsom goes to LA to launch campaign for new districts In Los Angeles, Newsom staged what amounted to a campaign kickoff rally for the as-yet unreleased new maps with the state's Democratic leadership in a downtown auditorium packed with union members, legislators and abortion rights supporters. Newsom and other speakers veered from discussing the technical grist of reshaping districts known as redistricting and instead depicted the looming battle as a conflict with all things Trump, tying it explicitly to the fate of American democracy. We cant stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district all across the country," Newsom said. We are not bystanders in this world. We can shape the future. An overarching theme was the willingness to stand up to Trump, a cheer-inducing line for Democrats as the party looks to regroup from its 2024 losses. Donald Trump, you have poked the bear and we will punch back, said Newsom, a possible 2028 presidential contender. Showdown between Texas and California could spread Thursday's announcement marks the first time any state beyond Texas officially waded into the mid-decade redistricting fight. Elsewhere, leaders from red Florida to blue New York are threatening to write new maps. In Missouri, a document obtained by The Associated Press shows the state Senate received a $46,000 invoice to activate six redistricting software licenses and provide training for up to 10 staff members. In California, lawmakers must officially declare the special election, which they plan to do next week after voting on the new maps. Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers enough to act without any Republican votes and Newsom said he's not worried about winning the required support from two-thirds of lawmakers to advance the maps. Newsom encouraged other Democratic-led states to get involved. We need to stand up not just California. Other blue states need to stand up, Newsom said. House control could come down to a few seats in 2026 Republicans hold a 219-212 majority in the U.S. House, with four vacancies. New maps are typically drawn once a decade after the census is conducted. Many states, including Texas, give legislators the power to draw maps. California is among states that rely on an independent commission that is supposed to be nonpartisan. The California map would take effect only if a Republican state moves forward, and it would remain through the 2030 elections. After that, Democrats say they would return mapmaking power to the independent commission approved by voters more than a decade ago. Opposition to California plan begins to take shape Some people already have said they would sue to block the effort, and influential voices including former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may campaign against it. Gavin Newsoms latest stunt has nothing to do with Californians and everything to do with consolidating radical Democrat power, silencing California voters, and propping up his pathetic 2028 presidential pipe dream, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Christian Martinez said in a statement. Newsoms made it clear: hell shred Californias Constitution and trample over democracy running a cynical, self-serving playbook where Californians are an afterthought and power is the only priority. California Democrats hold 43 of the states 52 House seats, and the state has some of the most competitive House seats. Outside Newsom's news conference Thursday, U.S. Border Patrol agents conducted patrols, drawing condemnation from the governor and others. Were here making Los Angeles a safer place since we dont have politicians that will do that, Gregory Bovino, chief of the patrols El Centro, California, sector, told a reporter with KTTV in Los Angeles. He said he didnt know Newsom was inside nearby. Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NU) shares are trading higher on Friday. The firms second-quarter earnings of 13 cents per share came in line with analyst estimates, while revenue came in at $3.66 billion, missing expectations. The companys customer base rose 17% year-over-year to 122.7 million. The Monthly Average Revenue per Active Customer crossed the $12 mark for the first time, reaching $12.2 in the second quarter of 2025, up 18% year-over-year. Also Read: US Retail Sales Rise In July As Consumers Spend Despite Tariffs Goldman Sachs analyst Tito Labarta reiterated the stocks Buy rating and raised the price forecast from $19 to $20. Labarta remains upbeat on Nu Holdings following its second-quarter results, highlighting robust loan growth and stable asset quality as key drivers that could fuel further risk-adjusted net interest margin (NIM) expansion and profitability gains. Labarta noted that Nu Holdings expects Brazils NIMs to stay largely stable, with potential gains in Mexico and Colombia. The company expects funding costs in Brazil to remain stable, noting that recent deposit growth stems from stronger customer engagement. Lower deposit rates in Mexico and Colombia, along with product enhancements such as the Oxxo partnership, are seen further reducing funding costs without triggering significant outflows. Labarta said management expects this step to boost NIMs in Mexico and Colombia, with the impact showing in the third quarter of 2025 as funding cost changes take effect. Labarta kept the 2025 reported net income forecast at $2.8 billion, as reduced provisions are offset by lower fees and higher costs, and now assume a slightly stronger average BRL of 5.58 versus 5.52. The 2026 estimate remains $4.5 billion, while the 2027 forecast rises 1% to $6.1 billion. Price Action: NU shares are trading higher by 10.07% to $13.22 at last check Friday. Read Next: Photo by Diego Thomazini via Shutterstock Latest Ratings for NU Date Firm Action From To Jan 2022 B of A Securities Initiates Coverage On Neutral Jan 2022 Itau BBA Initiates Coverage On Underperform Jan 2022 Citigroup Initiates Coverage On Buy View More Analyst Ratings for NU View the Latest Analyst Ratings Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Nu Holdings Powers Ahead As Strong Customer Spend, Margin Gains Drive Outlook originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. August 6, 2025: Peace talks between Israel and Islamic terrorist group Hamas continue to not happen. Hamas has been interfering with Israeli and foreign efforts to bring food to the starving Gazans. Because of this the hungry Palestinians turned on Hamas, accusing them of prolonging the hunger. Israeli troops continue to fight Hamas while attempting to get more food into Gaza. Over a hundred Palestinians have been killed or wounded in the fighting, along with some aid workers and Israeli troops. Yemeni soldiers aligned with the exiled Yemen government claim to have seized nearly 800 tons of Houthi weapons supplied by Iran. The Houthi attacks have already sunk several ships and some of their missiles landed in Israeli. These caused property damage killing and wounding civilians. Israel has responded with a growing number of air strikes on Yemeni targets, including port facilities and other infrastructure. Two Americans destroyers The U.S. Naval aircraft bombed multiple sites in Yemen on March 15th, the first such operation against the Houthi movement in more than three months. The action came after the Yemeni nationalist group, which controls much of the country, said it would resume attacks on Israeli ships. This was the first airstrike against the Houthis ordered by the new Americans president, who did not specify how many targets were hit, or where inside Yemen. Yemens health ministry reported that 13 people were killed by the strikes in the capital city of Sanaa. The USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is currently in the area. The attack comes after several weeks of peace in waters around Yemen. Recently Houthi leaders said the group would begin attacking ships in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab Strait after Israel cut off the flow of aid into Gaza on March 2. On March 7th, the group gave a four-day deadline for Israel to end its blockade and allow aid into the Palestinian territory or face a renewal in attacks. Israel did not cease Gaza operations and Off the Yemen Red Sea Coast, the Yemen Houthi rebel group continues to attack passing ships headed north to the Suez Canal. Using various weapons supplied by Iran, the Houthis have launched attacks on nearly a hundred ships since late 2023. Most ships were undamaged, but several were sunk and one was seized. Sailors on these ships have been killed and wounded. The U.S. Navy responded with attacks on the Houthis using missiles fired from destroyers and airstrikes Israel and an American carrier in the vicinity. Recently an Israeli air strike on the Red Sea port of Hudaydah destroyed oil storage facilities as well as large and expensive port equipment used for unloading cargo and grain ships. The Israeli attack was in retaliation for a July 19th Houthi drone attack on the Israeli city of Tel Aviv that killed one person and wounded eight others. The subsequent Israeli retaliatory attack on Hudaydah was unexpected because of the long distance the Israeli fighter-bomber had to travel to reach Hudaydah and the Houthis were not expecting it. The Israelis were embarrassed that the Houthi drone somehow got past their air defense system and even were scrambling to fix that as their damaging raid on the port of Hudaydah took place. The Israeli attack caused some Houthi casualties but destroyed critical port equipment, like the large cranes that are used to unload ships. This meant that that for a year or more, much less foreign aid for hungry people in northern Yemen enters could enter the country via Hudaydah What triggered this catastrophe was the increasing aggressive attacks carried out by Yemens Houthi tribe. They used their large stockpile of Iranian missiles to attack ships moving up the Red Sea, with targeting assistance from their Iranian Quds Force sponsors. This capability developed over the last decade as the rebels launched attacks on more distant targets. The rebels obtained more powerful weapons as well, including Iranian ballistic missiles, which were disassembled so they could be smuggled from Iran to Yemen, where Iranian technicians supervised the missiles being assembled and launched into Saudi Arabia. In the last few years, the rebels have received longer range ballistic missiles fired from northern Yemen across Saudi territory to hit Saudi and UAE oil production facilities on the Persian Gulf coast. The rebels also acquired the reconnaissance capability to accurately fire missiles at ships moving up the Red Sea towards the Suez Canal. This has forced many ships to take the longer and more expensive and time consuming route around the southern tip of Africa. This has always been a potential threat to ships using the Red Sea to reach the Suez Canal. Egypt and Iran are enemies and reducing Suez Canal income is a win for Iran, which supported the Yemen rebels for more than a decade to make such an interdiction possible. Western nations reacted slowly to this interdiction effort and only recently began attacking Yemen Shia rebel targets with missiles and gunfire from warships as well as air strikes from air bases in the region and an American aircraft carrier. American destroyers belonging to the carrier task force also moved close to the Yemen shore and launched missiles against Houthi targets near the Yemen coast. With the war in Yemen dragging on into 2025, it is unclear when or if Iran will halt support for the Houthi. At the moment Iran is not sending any more supplies to the Houthis because of recent Israeli and Americans airstrikes. These attacks wiped out most Iranian air defense systems Currently, the Houthi avoid firing on Iranian, American, or Chinese cargo ships in the Red Sea. China is a trading partner of Iran, despite the sanctions imposed on Iran and the Americans have the most fire power in the region to inflict serious damage on the Houthis. Before the recent Israeli attacks on Hamas in Gaza and Iran-backed militias in Lebanon, Iran was under widespread internal pressure from Iranians protesting the expensive foreign wars in Syria and Yemen. Despite that, Iran smuggled in more and more weapons. These were not intended for the ongoing Yemen civil war but for use against targets designated by Iran. But then Iran suddenly had its own domestic uprising to deal with. The Iranian religious dictatorship held onto power and supported more violence against real or perceived enemies of Iran, even if they were Iranian citizens protesting the economic losses Iranians have suffered because the religious dictatorship continues supporting foreign wars. One of those wars was in Yemen. In 2015 Iran admitted it had been quietly supporting the Houthi Shia rebels for a long time but now was doing so openly, and that support was increasing. Many Yemenis trace the current crisis back to the civil war that ended, sort of, in 1994. That war was caused by the fact that, when the British left Yemen in 1967, their former colony in Aden became one of two countries called Yemen. The two Yemens finally united in 1990 but another civil war in 1994 was needed to seal the deal. That fix didn't really take and the north and south have been pulling apart ever since. This comes back to the fact that Yemen has always been a region, not a country. Like most of the rest of the Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa region, the normal form of government until the 20th century was wealthier coastal city states nervously coexisting with interior tribes that got by on herding or farming or a little of both plus smuggling and other illicit sidelines. This concept of nationhood is still looked on with some suspicion by many in the region. This is why the most common forms of government are the more familiar ones of antiquity like kingdom, emirate, or modern variation in the form of a hereditary secular dictatorship. For a long time, the most active Yemeni rebels were the Shia Houthis in the north. The Houthis have always wanted to restore local Shia rule in the traditional Shia tribal territories, led by the local imam, a religious leader who was a Houthi. This arrangement, after surviving more than a thousand years, was ended by the central government in 1962. Yemen also became the new headquarters of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula/AQAP when Saudi Arabia was no longer safe for these Islamic terrorists after 2007. Then came the even more radical Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/ SIL and an invading army composed of troops from oil-rich neighbors like Saudi Arabia, which was very upset by Iranian/Houthi missile attacks. By late 2017 the rebels were slowly losing ground to government forces who, despite Arab coalition air support and about five thousand ground troops, were still dependent on Yemeni Sunni tribal militias to fight the Shia tribesmen on the ground. While the Shia are only a third of the population, they are united while the Sunni tribes are divided over the issue of again splitting the country in two and with no agreement on who would get the few oil fields in central Yemen. Many of the Sunni tribes tolerate or even support AQAP and ISIL. The Iranian smuggling pipeline continued to operate, and the Yemen rebels were able to buy additional weapons from other sources because they received cash from nations or groups hostile to the Arab Gulf state, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Shia Houthi rebels were from northern Yemen and controlled the Yemen border with Saudi Arabia. Over the last decade the rebels launched more and more attacks on Saudi targets. After Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, Iran ordered its Houthi proxy to attack commercial shipping moving past Yemen to reach the Suez Canal. The world has long ignored the Yemen civil war but, now that the Yemen Houthi rebels are interdicting the Suez Canal, there are incentives for some Western nations, in Europe and North America who are most dependent on this trade route, to do something as long as it does not involve acting against Iran who is the real cause of the problem. Arab Gulf States do not have large warships. Saudi Arabia does have combat aircraft that have been attacking targets in Yemen for over a decade. None of these attacks were able to eliminate the Houthi threat. In 2014 Persian Gulf Arab states sent in ground troops. This was not sufficient to defeat the Houthis and There are problems with that. They tried that before and gave up the effort. On the other hand, a traditional Arab solution for such problems is to hire mercenaries, and the Saudis have in the past hired thousands of Pakistani mercenaries. They could again. The United Arab Emirates/UAE, a small Persian Gulf oil state, has only 20,000 troops in its military. But in 2015 the UAE sent 3,500 troops to Yemen but by 2020 nearly all these soldiers had been withdrawn. While in Yemen the UAE forces helped organize and improve local Sunni forces in southern Yemen to better deal with the Shia rebel forces in the north. While the Shia rebels have held the traditional Yemen capital of Sanaa in central Yemen, the more numerous Sunni forces in the south use the port of Aden as their capital. Aden and the local Sunni tribes continued to suffer attacks by AQAP and ISIL. An F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., taxis on the flight line at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, July 16, 2025. (Zachary Foster/U.S. Air Force) CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa Okinawa prefecture and two towns adjacent to Kadena Air Base have made formal protests to U.S. and Japanese authorities after an F-15E Strike Eagle landed at the base with a missing wheel earlier this month. The prefecture made its complaints by phone Wednesday to the Okinawa Defense Bureau, an arm of Japans Ministry of Defense, and with the 18th Wing at Kadena on Thursday, a spokeswoman with the Military Base Affairs Division said by phone Friday. The prefecture was most concerned about the multirole fighters resuming flights at the air base, she said. A post on social media site X by the prefecture expressed regret that the Strike Eagles resumed flying after a brief pause for inspections. Also Thursday, the assemblies of Kadena town, northwest of the base, and Chatan town, to the southwest, adopted identical opinion and protest letters addressed to Japanese and U.S. authorities, respectively, town spokeswomen said by phone Friday. Some Japanese government officials speak to the press only on condition of anonymity. Two airmen with the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., safely landed an F-15E with a missing wheel at Kadena on Aug. 4. The aircraft was en route to Okinawa from U.S. Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia when the wheel was noticed missing, according to an Aug. 6 news release from the wing. It was recovered on the flightline at Diego Garcia. The wing ordered its Strike Eagles to be inspected before they resumed flying. The prefecture asked the wing to disclose what caused the wheel loss and to take steps to prevent a recurrence, according to a post on X. Kadena and Chatan addressed their protest letters to U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass, Consul General Andrew Ou, 18th Wing commander Brig. Gen. John Gallemore and III Marine Expeditionary Force commander Lt. Gen. Roger Turner. Chatan also addressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command head Adm. Samuel Paparo and U.S. Forces Japan commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost. The opinion letters were addressed to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Foreign Affairs Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and others. The Kadena town officials called for F-15E flights to stop until the cause behind the missing wheel is identified. It also asked the wing to implement more maintenance inspections and safety precautions for all aircraft and to prohibit training flights over residential areas. The letter mentions an F-15E that made a precautionary, arrested landing Tuesday at Kadena and an F-15E that lost a tire while taxiing in April. Accidents and emergency landings are happening repeatedly, the letter states. If an accident such as a wheel falling over residential areas were to occur, it could lead to a tragedy that puts the lives of residents at risk. Chatans letter states the F-15E was armed with air-to-air missiles when it landed and expressed strong indignation over the incident. If one step had gone wrong, this accident could have become a serious one, endangering the lives of residents living near the base including those in our town, it states. The letter calls on the 18th Wing to publicly disclose the cause behind the wheel loss, relocate some training from Kadena and revise the status of forces agreement governing U.S. troops in Japan. The 18th Wing did not respond to email and phone inquiries from Stars and Stripes on Friday. Movers at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., pack items belonging to a U.S. service member moving to another state in June 2019. (Stephenie Wade/U.S. Transportation Command) The Air Force has paused some pending moves by airmen heading to new duty stations around the world, according to a Facebook post Thursday by the services top enlisted member. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi, in a short video posted on the Airmans Dispatch Facebook page, said that due to budgetary restraints the service had extended deadlines for many airmen to make their next permanent change of station. Flosi posted from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, to say he had just been notified of the news. I just got word, though, that back in the states we had a problem with PCS budget and unfortunately many of our airmen just got notified of an extension of their PCS cycle, some in close proximity of their PCS date, he said. Terribly unsettling news, were going to dig into it and see whats going on. Airmen with projected departure dates after Sept. 30 were notified Wednesday that their dates had changed, Flosi said in a comment posted to the video. The Office of the Secretary of the Air Force and the U.S. Transportation Command did not respond to emails sent by Stars and Stripes after the close of business Thursday seeking further information. I know that some of you may be experiencing a hardship and informations hard to come by right now, Flosi said. If thats the case and youre not getting what you need quickly and locally, please reach out to us at Airmans Dispatch, shoot us a direct message. Ill get you in contact with the resources we have and well make sure you get taken care of. The Pentagon in May ordered all service branches to submit plans to cut their PCS-related budgets in half by 2030, with escalating targets set every fiscal year in between. The Defense Department spends about $5 billion annually moving military personnel and their families between assignments, according to the May 22 memo from Jules Hurst, the acting defense undersecretary for personnel and readiness. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in May also ordered changes to the modifications to the Defense Personal Property Management System. Were going to review the entire PCS process and recommend rapid actions inside the department for the best possible moving experience for our service members and their families, he said in a video posted on defense.gov May 21. Ultimately this is not just about moving boxes. This is about moving families, husbands, wives, kids, valuables, memories, everything, and you deserve that kind of respect across the board. So, we owe it to you to get it right. Army Spc. Ceri Phillips reviews meal options for purchase at Burger King through a meal entitlement pilot program at Fort Hood, Texas, on Aug. 14, 2025. (Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes) FORT HOOD, Texas The Army for the first time this week granted 200 soldiers the power to use their military ID card to buy food outside of the dining facility with their meal entitlements. For the next two weeks, the soldiers can visit participating restaurants at Fort Hood and swipe their ID cards as payment. The concept seems basic and ordinary, but as far as Army dining is concerned it is a groundbreaking step toward dining options that soldiers have long requested. Spc. Ceri Phillips, a soldier in the pilot program, said the short hours at dining facilities make it difficult for him to get there before they close. As a fueler, there are times when he gets stuck in the motor pool later than expected. When you do get out and go to the [dining facility], you only have that certain amount of time left and what they have left that you have to choose from, he said. The restaurants stay open later, and the offerings arent diminished by the end of the day, Phillips said. Rick Bennett, senior logistics management specialist in Army Materiel Commands Army Food Innovation and Transformation Division, said Phillips feedback is exactly what they were hoping to hear. We wanted to give them a variety of menu choices and capabilities and allow the soldiers to explore with it, he said. The Army has been working on ways to improve soldier access to food on bases using their meal entitlements as eating in dining facilities has dropped over time, which has been driven by changes in soldiers meal preferences and fewer cooks being enlisted to work in the facilities. Rick Bennett, senior logistics management specialist in Army Materiel Commands Army Food Innovation and Transformation Division, speaks Aug. 14, 2025, with Spc. Ceri Phillips and Pfc. Renee Myatt about a meal entitlement pilot program at Fort Hood, Texas. (Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes) Each month, a portion of soldiers paychecks is set aside to use for meal entitlements and the dining facility has been the only place to spend that money. To expand use of those entitlements, the Army has been working to innovate and overhaul its food programs through several initiatives such as this pilot program. It is also looking at how to allow soldiers to shop with the entitlement at the commissary, Bennett said. This pilot program that opens access to certain restaurants that operate on installations through the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is the first of its kind and has been at the top of soldiers requests for a while, Bennett said. Primarily, soldiers want options that are fast and open beyond the 90-minute meal windows that traditional dining facilities offer. Pfc. Renee Myatt, a driver who is also in school, said the expanded hours make a huge difference in her ability to use her meal entitlements. Once Im done with work, I need a quick and easy meal to go. I dont want to be waiting in a [dining facility] line, she said. Its quick, simple and easy for me. In the first three days of the two-week program, 111 soldiers bought 324 meals, Bennett said. At the end of the trial run, he said they plan to review how it worked and whether there is an opportunity to reopen and expand access. What that looks like and when is up to Army leaders, Bennett said. When soldiers pass up that benefit and that entitlement every single day, we fail them, said Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, acting commander of Army Materiel Command, which is responsible for the Army Food Program. We are changing that. Its imperative that the Army gets this right. Our goal is to ensure that soldiers remain the best-sustained, best-fed and fittest fighting force in the world. To create the pilot program, the materiel command had to work with the exchange service so the point-of-sale systems at the restaurants could communicate with the Armys meal entitlement systems to prevent soldiers from purchasing more meals than they are allotted and make certain each meal is accounted for and funded. Restaurants in the trial program are Freshens, Qdoba, Burger King and Starbucks at the T.J. Mills Food Court, and Subway and Starbucks at the Clear Creek Exchange. Soldiers participating in the test can purchase multiple meal types breakfast, lunch and dinner in a single visit, using separate transactions for each. They can swipe their ID card once per meal type. The command worked with a team of nutritionists who reviewed menus of participating restaurants to build meals that meet the nutritional standards that the Army is required to provide troops using meal entitlements. The price of the meals also factored into the selection because the Army is limited on the price range of each meal entitlement. At Starbucks, which has two locations participating in the program, soldiers can pick between five breakfast meals, three lunch menus and three dinner menus. One breakfast menu includes a bacon, egg, and gouda sandwich with 2% milk, almond milk or steamed apple juice. A lunch at Subway could be a foot-long ham sandwich with a cookie and low-fat milk. Dinner at Burger King could be a salad and a fish sandwich. Lunch could be a vegetarian Whopper or a crispy chicken sandwich. French fries are available on two of the lunch menus. The command will be able to track where soldiers choose to eat and what they order, Bennett said. But the program isnt meant to evaluate the food chosen, its focused on the systems and if they work. Soldiers can preview the meals and restaurant hours in the My Army Post smartphone app. Access to on-base restaurants is one of many changes under review by the command to convert the Armys meal program to mirror those at large college campuses that offer a variety of options and meal schedules, including some well-known restaurant brands. The Army also is reviewing contracts to put private vendors in dining facilities. Sgt. Maj. Kresassidy McKinney, the III Corps chief culinary manager, has spent much of the last year making changes to Fort Hood dining facilities and said the pilot program is a welcome addition to meal options. Its not a threat to her facilities. I think its a welcome addition. We are adding to what is available and increasing choices for the soldier, she said. Four Alabama National Guard soldiers with the 214th Military Police Company, 336th Military Police Battalion performed lifesaving resuscitation while deployed to Poland after seeing a man at a KFC go into cardiac arrest Aug. 14, 2025, according to the U.S. Army. (Melissa Lessard/U.S. Army) A group of Alabama National Guard soldiers gave lifesaving CPR for nearly 30 minutes to a man suffering a heart attack at a KFC in western Poland, Army officials said Friday. Staff Sgt. Jacob Roberts, Sgt. Justin Fagan, 2nd Lt. Indiana Rhodes and Sgt. 1st Class Alicia Haggins, all with the 214th Military Police Company, were traveling to the Drawsko Pomorskie Training Center when they stopped for lunch Thursday in Skwierzyna, a town about 80 miles west of U.S. Army Garrison Poland headquarters in Poznan. While ordering, Haggins saw a man collapse outside the restaurant. She alerted the rest of the group, who rushed outside. They checked his breathing and pulse and then began lifesaving measures, Rhodes said in a phone interview Friday. First responders arrived within minutes and asked Fagan and Roberts to continue rotating with them to keep CPR going while they awaited a medevac helicopter. When we started, I would say his pulse was very weak and very shortened, Fagan said. Once the (first responders) got there, it still continued to be a team-oriented event, he added. Haggins used a translation app to communicate with the victims wife, gathering a brief medical history to aid treatment. She confirmed the man had a history of heart problems. We have some medical training and we train monthly at least on how to react to these types of situations, Haggins said. We immediately responded, no thought, no hesitation. The soldiers and paramedics ensured that the mans vital signs were stable before he was transferred to the helicopter. Fagan said the victims wife and another relative hugged the soldiers and thanked them for their efforts. Further details on the victims name and condition werent immediately available Friday. Because they were there and at that time, (the victim) and his family have hope, Army spokesman Lt. Col. Cain Claxton said Friday. It is an example for all of us to emulate in helping people out, especially here being representatives for our country in Poland. The four soldiers will be recognized in a ceremony for their heroic noncombat actions, with the date and location still to be determined, Claxton said. The U.S. military has about 10,000 service members operating throughout Poland. The Drawsko Pomorskie Training Center was renovated this year to host up to 1,700 soldiers, many of whom serve on rotations with U.S.-based units. A Fort Bliss soldier was arrested Aug. 6, 2025, after attempting to provide Russia with military combat operations and details on Army tanks that he gained through his top-secret security clearance, according to federal authorities. (Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes) AUSTIN, Texas A Fort Bliss soldier was already under criminal investigation when he called a Russian Embassy to share the weaknesses of the U.S. Armys tanks in exchange for Russian citizenship and a job in the countrys defense operations. Federal court records for the espionage charges filed against Spc. Taylor Adam Lee, 22, last week did not describe what previous criminal behavior he was accused of or what agency was investigating him. However, Lee disclosed during the FBIs espionage investigation that his U.S. passport had been taken from him. The soldier, who enlisted in 2021, now faces charges of attempting to transmit national defense information to a foreign adversary and exporting controlled technical data without a license, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Texas. He was arrested and charged days after delivering a computer he had taken from a tank at Fort Bliss to a storage facility in El Paso. Federal Magistrate Judge Laura Enriquez ordered Monday that Lee remain in jail without bail after prosecutors argued he was a flight risk with a criminal history. An attorney for Lee declined to comment on the charges against him. Spc. Taylor Adam Lee, 22, was arrested by the FBI on Aug. 6, 2025, and charged with attempting to provide Russia with information about U.S. Army tanks and operations. (Fort Bliss) Army Criminal Investigation Division said Friday it has an ongoing investigation into Lee that is separate from the espionage case underway with the FBI and Army Counterintelligence Command. CID did not state when they began to track Lee and if it was their investigation that exposed his phone calls to the Russian Embassy. The Army declined to comment on whether it was aware of that first investigation, which should have triggered a review of his top-secret security clearance. The way the process is supposed to work is everybody should be enrolled in continuous evaluation and continuous monitoring, said Anthony Kuhn, an Army veteran turned attorney who now specializes in security clearance cases. Depending on what the criminal investigation is about, and the information contained or uncovered during that investigation, the individual should have been notified that theyre the subject of a criminal investigation and been asked questions about whatever information surfaced. The soldiers unit or the Defense Department can initiate that review, he said. That first investigation began in October 2024 nine months after he received a top-secret security clearance to attend school to reclassify from a tank crew member to explosive ordnance disposal, according to court documents. He failed out of EOD school in May 2024 after just two days and returned to Fort Bliss where he was assigned to Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment within the 1st Armored Division. Phone records obtained in that investigation showed Lee made three phone calls in May 2025 to phone numbers for the Russian Embassy in Washington, according to court documents. To subpoena his phone records and get those records, usually youre facing a security clearance revocation when that happens, Kuhn said. I dont know if he was in the process, but he certainly should have been. The FBI in May opened its investigation to better understand the purpose of Lees outreach to the Russian Embassy, according to court documents. The FBI declined to comment whether its agents were already involved in the investigation or they were brought in by another agency. My colleague give [sic] me this email for possible cooperation, an undercover FBI agent wrote May 30 to Lee. What is your interest and how do you wish to work together? Lee responded the same day asking who the person represented. Then asked three days later to discuss cooperation. The conversation continued with Lee offering to provide armored operations information and operator experience on the M1 Abrams [tank]. During the next few weeks, Lee expressed urgency to make the deal because he had tried to be a whistleblower, which he said left his safety in question, according to court documents. He added he had more information on drone platforms, ordnance disposal and psychological operations. To prove his credentials, he sent the agent a screenshot from his Army Talent Profile, according to court documents. Throughout the conversations, Lee urged the person he believed to be part of Russias military to accept his information quickly because Lee believed he had uncovered human trafficking and criminal activity in the U.S. military. He tried to report the cover ups, which angered someone above him, he said. Other soldiers have gone missing or ended up dead, Lee told the undercover FBI agent. He demanded citizenship, a Russian passport under the name Artyom Lee and a safe way to travel to Russia. His own U.S. passport had been confiscated, he said, according to court documents. After sending the first wave of classified documents about the Abrams tank, Lee said: I do apologize for my urgency, the USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses. ... At this point Id even volunteer to assist the Russian federation when Im there in any way. Abrams tanks at the Fort Bliss training complex near Alamogordo, N.M., in March 2023. (U.S. Army photo) An in-person meeting was scheduled for July 9 in El Paso, where Lee handed an undercover FBI agent a digital storage device known as an SD card that he had hidden in his watch strap. The card held four updated operations manuals for the Abrams tank, several documents related to the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and other manuals for combat operations, according to court documents. If they wanted more information, Lee said his security clearance would allow him to get any document on tanks. He promised by their next meeting, he would hand over the Joint Battle Command Platform, a computer inside American tanks that is a friendly force tracking system, according to court documents. Once he stole the computer, he would be unable to return to Fort Bliss, he said. On July 30, Lee told the agent he had the computer. Great news for you today, two tanks were damaged and recovered from the field and I have everything needed you requested, Lee wrote, according to court documents. And no one knows I have them. They think they got lost out in desert. The following day, Lee brought the computer system to a storage unit that he did not know was under FBI control. Mission accomplished, he wrote. Federal agents arrested Lee on Aug. 6 in El Paso, according to federal court records. In a two-day hearing held this week in El Paso federal court, Enriquez, the judge for the case, found prosecutors presented enough evidence for the charges against Lee to proceed to a federal grand jury. Fleet Master Chief John Perryman, who has served as the top enlisted leader for Fleet Forces Command since 2021, will become the 17th master chief petty officer of the Navy in September. (U.S. Navy) Fleet Master Chief John Perryman will become the next top enlisted sailor in the Navy next month, the sea service announced Friday. Perryman, who has served as the top enlisted leader for Fleet Forces Command since 2021, will become the 17th master chief petty officer of the Navy in September, replacing MCPON James Honea who has held the job since 2022, according to a Navy statement. Honea is slated to retire after some 38 years of service. With decades of operational experience across the fleet, Perryman will play a vital role in advising Navy leadership, shaping enlisted policy, and maintaining warfighting readiness in an era of strategic competition, the statement reads. Perryman, a San Antonio native, enlisted in the Navy in 1994 and spent his early years as an electronics technician submariner, according to his biography. He deployed aboard the USS Bremerton and USS Cheyenne nuclear-powered, fast-attack submarines and the USS Dolphin, a deep-diving research and development submarine. He later served as the command master chief aboard the USS Hawaii, another nuclear-powered, fast-attack submarine. More recently, he has served as the top enlisted adviser to the commanders of Submarine Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, Submarine Group Seven and at Submarine Force Atlantic. Before joining U.S. Fleet Forces Command, he served as the top enlisted service member for U.S. Strategic Command, which oversees all of the U.S. nuclear weapons and forces. At Fleet Forces Command, the Navys largest organization, Perryman was responsible for overseeing issues and polices the enlisted force faces for some 100,000 active-duty and Reserve sailors, more than 120 ships and submarines and nearly 80 shore activities within the commands purview. As the top enlisted sailor in the Navy, he will rejoin Adm. Daryl Caudle, who relinquished control of Fleet Forces Command last week after he was confirmed to become the chief of naval operations. Caudle, also a career submariner, had led the command since 2021. Caudle is expected to be sworn in soon as the Navys top officer. Adm. James Kilby has served as acting CNO since February when President Donald Trump removed Adm. Lisa Franchetti from the job. Perryman is expected to take his new role next month in a ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington, the Navy said. SpaceX launch of the Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, on Feb. 10, 2025. This was the 23rd flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission. (Ian L. Sitren/ZUMA Press Wire via TNS) (Tribune News Service) The California Coastal Commission has unanimously voted against SpaceXs plan for a dramatic expansion of rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base, citing environmental and regulatory concerns. The sonic booms and their impacts on Californias people, wildlife and property are extremely concerning, Commissioner Linda Escalante said at a hearing Thursday in Calabasas. The negative impacts on public access, natural resources and environmental health warrant our scrutiny under California as a standard of review. SpaceX wants to boost annual launches from 50 to 95 per year, a massive jump from when SpaceX started at the Santa Barbara County facility in 2024. But the accelerated timeline has increased friction between Elon Musks space company and state regulators, who question whether SpaceX is sidestepping normal permitting processes by operating as a federal contractor. The commission argues that the majority of launches serve commercial rather than government purposes. SpaceX has contracts with U.S. Department of Defense to launch spy satellites. Military officials maintain all launches benefit national security objectives, even missions deploying Starlink satellites for Musks commercial internet service. However, commission staff argued the primary purpose of the launches is to expand SpaceXs commercial telecommunications network rather than serve federal agencies. A staff report emphasized that SpaceX now owns significantly more satellites than the combined total owned by every country and every other company in the world, supporting the companys recent $400-billion valuation. The report argued that while the launches may benefit the federal government, the question is whether they are conducted on behalf of the government rather than for commercial purposes. Its not clear what impact the California Coastal Commissions vote will have. If launches qualify as federal activities, Space Force, a branch of the Department of Defense, can proceed without coastal commission permits and only needs to attempt mitigation agreements. The Department of the Air Force was not present at the hearing, and the commissions unanimous objection does not prevent SpaceX from continuing its launch activities. I must say, Im just a little disappointed that the Air Force didnt want to participate with us, Commissioner Dayna Bochco said. I truly, truly hope that we can persuade them to conduct the monitoring, to do the work that it takes to understand how this rapid increase in launches is affecting not only the environment, but in this case now, the citizenry of the peoples that live around there. Representatives of the Air Force and SpaceX could not be immediately reached for comment. The proposed expansion would nearly double SpaceXs current activity at Vandenberg, which hosted 51 launches last year, with 46 conducted by the company. The proposal includes 24 rocket landing events annually, which generate additional sonic booms that have drawn complaints from coastal residents. Environmental groups including the Surfrider Foundation and Sierra Club opposed the expansion. Jennifer Savage, a representative of the Surfrider Foundation, said Space Force is planning to proceed with the increase without providing the biological monitoring, sonic boom modeling or mitigation tracking needed to assess impacts. The commission has identified deficiencies in current wildlife monitoring programs, particularly regarding impacts on marine mammals. Sonic booms from rocket launches and landings have been reported as far southeast as Ojai, with residents describing house-rattling effects. Relations between SpaceX and the commission have been strained since October, when commissioners rejected a plan for 50 annual launches. SpaceX responded by filing a federal lawsuit alleging the commission overstepped its authority and voted based on Musks political activities rather than environmental concerns. That lawsuit is pending. Commission staff concluded that the Air Force has not provided sufficient information to enable the Commission to determine that the proposed project is consistent with the enforceable policies of the California Coastal Management Program. 2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Ikemiya Shokai Co. Ltd. president Taku Ikemiyagi and sales associate Kaneto Fukuhara check 3D images of names at the Cornerstone of Peace monument at Peace Memorial Park in Itoman city, Okinawa, on July 15, 2025. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes) ITOMAN CITY, Okinawa An Okinawa firm has created an interactive website where families of U.S. troops killed during the Battle of Okinawa can see their loved ones names on the islands war memorial. Ikemiya Shokai Co. Ltd., a printing and scanning company in Naha that specializes in 3D mapping of buildings, launched a website Aug. 1 that features a 3D map of the foreigners section of the Cornerstone of Peace at Peace Memorial Park in Itoman. The site allows family members living far from Okinawa to find the names of their fallen relatives. The memorial park marks the site of the final action of one of World War IIs bloodiest battles. More than 14,000 Americans, about 110,000 Japanese troops and at least 140,000 Okinawan civilians died during or immediately after the Battle of Okinawa. The 80th anniversary of the battle was observed June 23 at a ceremony at the park. The Cornerstone of Peace, built 50 years after the battle, displays the names of nearly 250,000 who died during the fighting: 14,011 Americans and 227,977 Japanese. The foreigners section includes the American names and another 579 names from Britain, North and South Korea and Taiwan. With the 80th anniversary of the wars end this year, the timing seemed right to launch the website, Ikemiya president Taku Ikemiyagi said June 18 at the companys office. Taku Ikemiyagi, president of Ikemiya Shokai Co. Ltd., checks 3D images of the Cornerstone of Peace monument at Peace Memorial Park in Itoman city, Okinawa, on July 15, 2025. (Brian McElhiney/Stars and Stripes) The map, which can be found at okinawapeacememorial-3dmap.org, is searchable by name. The website also includes an English translation of the purpose of the Cornerstone of Peace, which greets visitors at the entrance. The purpose of the Cornerstone of Peace is to pray for all the war dead, no matter if they were enemies or allies, Ikemiyagi said. Thats one of the reasons why we focused on the foreigners side. Ikemiyagi and his sales associate Kaneto Fukuhara came up with the idea for the website in 2023. A chance encounter while they were taking test shots at the park inspired them to move forward. An American family asked us what we were doing, and we told them about the project, Fukuhara said. They really liked it and showed enthusiasm, and we thought that this might be a good idea. The two took 143 pictures at the monument to create the map during an eight-hour session on May 15. They created their own database of names from the photographs after being unable to obtain the list from the prefecture. They said they plan to update the website every five years with any new names that are added. Ikemiyagi said he hopes that people from other countries will learn about the memorial and its significance through the site. It could also help families add to the memorial the names of relatives killed in the battle. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Doug Rocks, whose great uncle, Marine Pvt. William George Rocks, died of his wounds during the battle, said he was surprised to discover his great uncle isnt listed on the memorial. William Rocks, of H Company, 3rd Battalion, 29th Regiment in the 6th Marine Division, was shot by a Japanese sniper in his right thigh on May 12, 1945, Doug Rocks said. He died at a field hospital on Guam 13 days later, according to his casualty report. I guess all the brothers and sisters took it pretty hard, and they really didnt talk about him, Rocks, who serves with Naval Air Forces Atlantic in Norfolk, Va., said by phone July 16. I didnt even really know he even existed until after I joined. In this photo provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Maj. Gen. Francisco F Lorenzo Jr., left, commander of the AFP Education, Training and Doctrine Command, pins the ALON Exercise 2025 patch on Deputy Chief of Joint Operations Maj. Gen. Hugh McAslan during the opening ceremony of joint military drills between Australia and the Philippines in Palawan province, Philippines on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP) MANILA, Philippines Australia on Friday launched its largest military exercises with Philippine forces, involving more than 3,600 military personnel in live-fire drills, battle maneuvers and a beach assault at a Philippine town on the disputed South China Sea, where the allies have raised alarm over Beijings assertive actions. The exercises are called Alon, meaning wave in the Philippine language Tagalog, and will showcase Australias firepower. The drills will involve a guided-missile navy destroyer, F/A-18 supersonic fighter jets, a C-130 troop and cargo aircraft, Javelin anti-tank weapons and special forces sniper weapons. Military officials said defense forces from the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Indonesia will join as observers. This exercise reflects Australias commitment to working with partners to ensure we maintain a region where state sovereignty is protected, international law is followed and nations can make decisions free from coercion, Vice Admiral Justin Jones of the Royal Australian Navy said in a statement. The combat exercises are an opportunity for us to practice how we collaborate and respond to shared security challenges and project force over great distances in the Indo-Pacific, Jones said. The exercises will run until Aug. 29. Australia is the second country after the U.S. with a visiting forces agreement with the Philippines, allowing the deployment of large numbers of troops for combat exercises in each others territory. The Philippines has signed a similar pact with Japan, which will take effect next month. It is in talks with several other Asian and Western countries including France and Canada for similar defense accords. China has deplored multinational war drills and alliances in or near the disputed South China Sea, saying the U.S. and its allies are ganging up against it and militarizing the region. China claims most of the South China Sea, a busy global trade route, where it has had a spike of territorial faceoffs with the Philippines in recent years. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also lay claims to the resource-rich waters. On Monday, a Chinese navy ship collided with a Chinese coast guard ship while trying to drive away a smaller Philippine coast guard vessel in the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. The Australian Embassy in Manila expressed concern over the dangerous and unprofessional conduct of Chinese vessels near Scarborough Shoal involving the Philippine Coast Guard and said the incident highlights the need for de-escalation, restraint and respect for international law. In response, the U.S. deployed two warships off the Scarborough on Wednesday in what it called a freedom of navigation operation to protest Chinas expansive claims, restrictions and its demand for entry notifications in the disputed waters. In February, a Chinese J-16 fighter jet released flares that passed within 100 feet of an Australian P-8 Poseidon military surveillance plane in daylight and in international air space, Australian defense officials said at the time. Oracle has reportedly announced job cuts within its cloud division, reflecting a trend among companies managing expenses in light of escalating investments in AI infrastructure. Employees were informed week commencing 10 August, of their role eliminations, reported Bloomberg citing sources familiar with the situation. Some of the layoffs were attributed to performance-related factors, although the division continues to recruit new talent. Reports indicate that more than 150 positions were eliminated in the Seattle region, which has historically been a key area for the cloud unit. Following its decision in 2024 to relocate its headquarters to Nashville, Oracle currently lists more job openings in Tennessee than in any other state. An Oracle representative did not respond to Bloombergs several requests for comment, and the complete extent of the job cuts remains unclear. The initial report on the reductions was provided by DatacenterDynamics, a publication focused on industry news. In July 2025, the company secured a significant agreement with OpenAI for around 4.5GW of data centre power in the US. However; Oracle faces substantial financial commitments, amounting to tens of billions of dollars, to expand its server farms to accommodate growing demand. The company reported negative free cash flow for the fiscal year ending in May 2025. In a filing from June 2025, Oracle noted that it regularly adjusts its workforce in response to strategic shifts, reorganisations, or performance issues. The company stated, These types of restructurings have resulted, and may in the future result, in increased restructuring costs and temporarily reduced productivity while employees adjust to the restructuring. In response to the rising costs associated with AI, several major technology firms have implemented workforce reductions. Microsoft has laid off approximately 15,000 employees in 2025, while Amazon and Meta Platforms have also made similar cuts. "Oracle reportedly slashes workforce in cloud division" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. Japan's ministers bow during a memorial service marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's World War II defeat, at the Nippon Budokan hall Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, in Tokyo. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP) This story has been corrected TOKYO Japan paid tribute Friday to more than 3 million war dead as the country marked its surrender that ended World War II 80 years ago, as concern grows about the rapidly fading memories of the tragedy of war and the bitter lessons from the era of Japanese militarism. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed remorse over the war the first time a Japanese leader has used the word in a Aug. 15 address since former premier Shinzo Abe shunned it in 2013. Ishiba called the war a mistake, but did not mention Japans aggression across Asia or apologize. Moment of silence, peace pledge and chrysanthemum flowers We will never repeat the tragedy of the war. We will never go the wrong way, Ishiba said. Once again, we must deeply keep to our hearts the remorse and lesson from that war. He vowed to pass his peace pledge to next generations. In a national ceremony Friday at Tokyos Budokan hall, about 4,500 officials and bereaved families and their descendants from around the country observed a moment of silence at noon, the time when Emperor Hirohitos surrender speech began on Aug. 15, 1945. Participants later offered chrysanthemum flowers for the war dead. Leader stays away from controversial Yasukuni Shrine Just a block away at the Yasukuni Shrine, dozens of Japanese rightwing politicians and their supporters gathered to pray. The shrine honors Japans 2.5 million war dead, including convicted war criminals. Victims of Japanese aggression, especially China and the Koreas, see visits to the shrine as a lack of remorse about Japans wartime past. Ishiba stayed away from Yasukuni and sent a religious ornament as a personal gesture instead of praying at the controversial shrine. But Shinjiro Koizumi, the agriculture minister considered as a top candidate to replace the beleaguered prime minister, prayed at the shrine. He told reporters that he made the no-war pledge to the spirits. It is important to not forget those who sacrificed their lives for their country, he said. Koizumi is the son of popular former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who outraged China when he visited Yasukuni as a serving leader in 2006. Rightwing lawmakers, including former economic security ministers Sanae Takaichi and Takayuki Kobayashi, as well as governing Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Koichi Hagiuda, also visited the shrine Friday. A non-partisan group of 87 parliamentarians led by Liberal Democrat Ichiro Aisawa also prayed at Yasukuni, pledging to uphold peace in Japan and in the Indo-Pacific region. Separately, Sohei Kamiya, head of the populist far-right Sanseito, prayed with 17 parliamentarians and 70 local assembly members from his party. He told reporters that the prime minister should visit Yasukuni. China and South Korea urge Japan to face up to its wartime actions China and South Korea reminded Japan of its wartime atrocities in their countries and elsewhere in Asia. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticized attempts in Japan to whitewash and deny aggression, distort and falsify history and even seek to rehabilitate the accusations of war criminals. Only by facing history squarely can we gain respect, only by learning from history can we forge ahead into the future, he added. In Seoul, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, ahead of an upcoming trip to Japan for a summit with Ishiba, called for the two U.S. allies to overcome grievances from Japans brutal colonial rule. He said some historical issues remain unresolved, urging Tokyo to face up to our painful history and strive to maintain trust between our two countries. Emperor shows deep remorse Japanese emperors have stopped visiting the Yasukuni site since the enshrinement of top war criminals there in 1978. Emperor Naruhito, in his address at the Budokan memorial Friday, expressed his hope that the ravages of war will never be repeated while reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse. Naruhito reiterated the importance of telling the wars tragic history to younger generations as we continue to seek the peace and happiness of the people in the future. As part of the 80th anniversary, he has traveled to Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Hiroshima, and is expected to visit Nagasaki with his daughter, Princess Aiko, in September. Passing on history to younger generations amid revisionism Hajime Eda, whose father died on his way home from Korea when his ship was hit by a mine, said he will never forget his father and others who never made it home. In a speech representing bereaved families, Eda said it is Japans responsibility to share lessons about the emptiness of the conflict, the difficulty of reconstruction and the preciousness of peace. Several teenagers took part in the ceremony after learning about their great-grandfathers who died in the battlefields. Ami Tashiro, a 15-year-old high school student from Hiroshima, said she joined a memorial marking the end of the battle on Iwo Jima last year after reading a letter her great-grandfather sent from the island. She also hopes to join in the search for his remains. As the population of wartime generations rapidly decline, Japan faces serious questions on how it should pass its history to the next generation. The country has faced revisionist pushbacks since the 2010s under Abe, who pushed to correct a self-deprecating view of Japans wartime history and regain national pride. Since 2013, Japanese prime ministers have stopped apologizing to Asian victims, under the precedent set by Abe. Some lawmakers denial of Japans military role in massive civilian deaths on Okinawa or the Nanking Massacre have stirred controversy. Naoya Endo, 64, came to Yasukuni in place of his late father who was among a few out of his units 50 members who returned from Taiwan. He said he worries about the growing global tension and hopes there will be no war in his lifetime. He lamented that many Japanese have lost pride and a love of their homeland. In an editorial Friday, the Mainichi newspaper called on Japan to work together with Asian neighbors as equal partners. Its time to show a vision toward a world without war based on the lesson from its own history, the Mainichi said. Associated Press journalists Mayuko Ono, Ayaka McGill and Reeno Hashimoto in Tokyo, Huizhong Wu in Bangkok and Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea contributed to this report. Lead engineer Ella Fascinana poses with prototype floating reflectors at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, in this undated photograph. (Tom Dowling) New Zealand scientists are working with the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to develop floating reflectors that can be detected from space as a low-cost alternative to maritime rescue beacons, according to the researcher leading the project. The plastic and aluminium reflectors are the work of a team led by Tom Dowling, a University of Auckland scientist and former Royal Navy sailor. The $20-$30 devices could be a low-cost alternative to $300 satellite locator beacons the U.S. Coast Guard encourages mariners to carry in the Indo-Pacific, Dowling told Stars and Stripes by phone Friday. The U.S. Coast Guard frequently credits the electronic beacons which emit a 406 MHz signal for speedy rescues. In May, for example, a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft located the disabled Lucky Harvest, a 47-foot vessel, within hours of the boats crew activating a beacon, according to Chief Warrant Officer Sara Muir, spokeswoman for Coast Guard Forces Micronesia Sector Guam. University of Auckland researcher Tom Dowling checks a floating reflector during recent testing near Omaha, New Zealand. (New Zealand Defence Force) However, the beacons cost and maintenance needs means Indo-Pacific mariners do not often carry them, Dowling said. The idea for reflectors, visible to a growing fleet of low Earth orbit satellites, came from an INDOPACOM conference; the research effort started 18 months ago, he said. The effort has involved INDOPACOM, the New Zealand and Canadian militaries and European satellite operators, he said. An INDOPACOM spokeswoman, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Chloe Morgan, had no information immediately available about the commands involvement in the project, she said by phone after hours Thursday in Hawaii. The innovation could be especially relevant for parts of the Pacific where people rely on simple boats, David Galligan, the director of the New Zealand Defence Forces scientific arm, said in a defence force news release Thursday. The ocean is central to the lives of Pacific Island communities; it is an important source of food, and a means of transport, he said. But fishers often go to sea with limited safety and communications equipment. When problems arise, they can find themselves adrift on the open ocean. In tests staged from the New Zealand navys multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury near the subantarctic Campbell Island, the reflectors were visible to satellites in stormy seas with gusts of 50-knot winds, according to the release. The reflectors require no batteries or maintenance and could help a country such as New Zealand, which keeps watch over a search-and-rescue region of more than 11 million square miles, according to the release. Working at the University of Aucklands Space Institute the researchers created prototypes with a variety of shapes square, diamond, wedge from materials available at home improvement stores: aluminium foil, plastic sheeting, gaffer tape and tarpaulins, the release states. Researchers have been testing the reflectors, which can float tethered to a vessel, north of Auckland, New Zealand, in recent days, Dowling said. They want to use artificial intelligence to identify the beacons when a satellite scans a vast area of the Indo-Pacific. That information would enable another satellite to focus on areas of interest before aircraft or vessels are dispatched to investigate, Dowling said. The fundamental goal is to save lives at sea, he said. The new European Union Entry/Exit System is expected to begin gradual operations on Oct. 12, 2025. EES is an automated identification check system that digitally records the entry and exit of most non-EU nationals to Schengen Area countries, including some where large numbers of U.S. military personnel are stationed. (German federal police via European Commission) NAPLES, Italy U.S. military officials are warning service members that they may face lengthy delays and confusion at the border crossings of 29 countries in Europe this fall as the European Union implements a new traveler screening system. The European Union Entry/Exit System is scheduled to roll out gradually beginning Oct. 12, with full implementation planned by April 10, 2026, according to the EUs website. American military members assigned temporarily or permanently to a NATO country arent subject to EES, even for leave, U.S. European Command said in guidance issued last week. Defense Department civilians, dependents and contractors assigned to a NATO country under the same conditions also are exempt, EUCOM said. U.S. government officials are engaging with the EU, NATO allies and partners to ensure the EU issues guidance to the countries, known as the Schengen Area, that is consistent with this position, EUCOM said, adding that the exemption doesnt apply to DOD personnel traveling on leave who arent assigned to a NATO country. The stance appears to be based on NATOs Status of Forces Agreement, which sets the rules, rights and responsibilities under which U.S. personnel may live and work in member countries of the alliance. Under the SOFA, service members do not need a residence permit to enter and remain in a NATO country as part of their job. DOD civilians and dependents typically are issued a residence card or permit. Officials also are reminding service members to show only their military ID and orders when on official travel to a NATO country, and not their passport, U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples said in a base newsletter Thursday. It was unclear on Friday what documentation military dependents, and DOD civilians and contractors and their families would need to submit. But in their guidance, U.S. officials advised that personnel should travel with all necessary documents, such as military ID, orders and personal and official passports. Passports should be renewed within six months of their expiration date, EUCOM said. Service members also should allow for extra time between connections when traveling in Europe and check the Electronic Foreign Clearance Guide for the most up-to-date travel requirements, EUCOM said. EUCOM expects to issue updated guidance closer to the scheduled October implementation date of EES. EES is an automated identification check system that digitally records the entry and exit of most non-EU nationals to Schengen Area countries, including Germany, Italy and Spain, where large numbers of U.S. military personnel live and work. It collects personal information, such as a persons name and birth date, from travelers staying in a country 90 days or less. A facial photo and fingerprints are collected and are among data stored for about three years, according to the EU. That data can be accessed by a range of European government agencies, including immigration and law enforcement authorities. It also can be transferred to another country under certain circumstances, according to the EU. EU officials say the system makes the border check process more modern and efficient while helping authorities fight crime and terrorism. Hezbollah supporters chant slogans as they gather to welcome Ali Larijani, head of Iran's National Security Council, outside Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (Bilal Hussein/AP) BEIRUT The leader of Lebanons militant Hezbollah group on Friday vowed not to disarm, saying last weeks decision by the national government to remove the Iran-backed groups weapons by the end of the year serves Israels interests. Naim Kassem said the governments decision to remove the defensive weapons of the resistance, its people and Lebanon during an aggression facilitates the killing of resistance fighters and their families and evict them from their land and homes. He said the government should have instead spread its authority and evicted Israel from Lebanon. Speaking in a televised speech to mark a Shiite religious event, he added the government is serving the Israeli project. Kassem added if the ongoing crisis leads to an internal conflict, the government is to blame. He noted that Hezbollah and its Shiite ally, the Amal movement, did not to ask their supporters to protest in the streets to give way for more discussions. The Amal movement was one of the main armed groups in Lebanons 1975-1990 civil war and is now a powerful political party led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. But, he said if a decision is taken to protest in the streets, protesters will be all over Lebanon and head to the U.S. embassy. He did not elaborate. Hezbollahs weapons have been a major dividing point in Lebanon with some groups that are opposed to Hezbollah saying only the state should be allowed to have arms. The Lebanese government voted last week for a U.S.-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year and implement a ceasefire with Israel. The small Mediterranean country has been under international pressure to get Hezbollah to lay down its arms since the 14-month war with Israel that ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November. However, the Hezbollah leader said his group will only discuss a national defense strategy over its weapons once Israel withdraws from Lebanon and stops its almost daily airstrikes that have killed scores of Hezbollah members since the wars end. The resistance will not hand over its weapons as the aggression continues and occupation remains, Kassem said, adding that the group will fight a long battle if needed. The Israel-Hezbollah war weakened the Iran-backed group and left much of its military and political leadership dead. The war killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, displaced over 1 million and caused destruction that the World Bank said will cost $11 billion in reconstruction. After the war ended, Israeli forces stayed in five overlooking locations inside Lebanon. Israel has accused Hezbollah of trying to rebuild its military capabilities. Israels military has said the five locations in Lebanon provide vantage points or are located across from communities in northern Israel, where about 60,000 Israelis were displaced during the war. National Guard troops deployed on Aug. 14, 2025, at the National Mall in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON All 800 National Guard troops ordered to deploy to the city have reported to help federal agents and D.C. police crack down on crime, the Pentagon said Thursday. They will remain until law and order has been restored in the district as determined by the president, standing as the gatekeepers of our great nations capital, Pentagon spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson told reporters. I think theres no more important job for this department than to stand alongside federal law enforcement partners and local police in securing our nations capital. Troops from the D.C. National Guard will be deployed to areas across Washington including the downtown and residential and commercial areas, while coordinating with other federal agencies, according to a defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The Guard troops are not armed, as requested by law enforcement agencies, and do not have weapons in their vehicles, the official added. Military members are to follow the D.C. National Guard rules for the use of force, the official said. Service members are trained in de-escalation techniques and always retain the inherent right to self-defense when faced with a hostile act or demonstrated hostile intent. President Donald Trump on Monday ordered the 800 troops about one-third of D.C. National Guard members to help quell crime in the city and said the federal government would take control of the Metropolitan Police Department. The Army activated the D.C. National Guard under Title 32, the service said. Of the 800 Guard members activated, between 100-200 troops will be supporting law enforcement at any given time. Their duties will include an array of tasks from administrative, logistics and physical presence in support of law enforcement, the Army said. As of Thursday, as troops began 24-hour operations, 815 personnel reported for the mission, with the majority coming from the Army National Guard, according to the defense official. There are no plans at this time to deploy additional resources. A small number of troops could be seen in Washington on Thursday outside Union Station and around the National Mall. Guard troops patrolled the nearly two-mile stretch from the Lincoln Memorial toward the U.S. Capitol. Most people at the Mall just walked by or zoomed past troops on scooters without taking much notice. One couple struck up a conversation with a Guard member saying they had watched the news and asked if the service member had been ordered there. We were, but we live here. We know the area, the service member replied. At Union Station, troops were asked how things were going. One replied, Great. Another said, Honestly, boring. At the Pentagon news briefing, Wilson was asked why troops were stationed at the National Mall. She said Trump has been clear that he is frustrated with the state of D.C. I think another important point of having National Guardsmen all around D.C. is that it is also a deterrent and it makes people feel safe, she added. And it lets everyone know that D.C. is going to be a city in which we can be proud of. And we are standing alongside our federal partners to execute on the presidents directive here. D.C. police data indicates violent crime has decreased 26% compared with last year. The D.C. U.S. Attorneys Office also announced in January that violent crime in the city in 2024 was at a 30-year low, citing police data. (Tribune News Service) Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Wednesday he is ready to deploy National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., as part of President Donald Trumps federal takeover of the police force there. Lee said he spoke with U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, who told him the military could be requesting states to send troops to the nations capital for law enforcement. I told him we would be obviously willing to work with them on whatever they needed. The current status, I cannot speak to, but the request of interest was made, and I expressed interest, Lee said in a press conference following a groundbreaking for Australian-owned Barrett Firearms south of Murfreesboro. The governors statement provides another example that he is prepared to use Tennessee National Guard personnel for nearly every request the president makes. Recently, Lee mobilized guard members to provide backing for federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement as it continues efforts on mass deportation. Guard personnel are to help with paperwork and logistics to give ICE agents more time to concentrate on arresting immigrants who lack documentation for permanent citizenship. In addition to deportation efforts, Trump ordered the feds to wrest control of the Washington police department, using National Guard troops in a purported emergency move to cut crime in what he called a lawless city. Local officials criticized the move, saying the city has seen a major decrease in crime in the last year. Under federal law, the president could run the police department for 30 days, though the time frame could be stretched. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole reportedly said federal troops would be embedded with the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. 2025 the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.). Visit www.timesfreepress.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. TAOS, New Mexico (Tribune News Service) The Taos County Sheriffs Office is looking into the disappearance of 25-year-old Army veteran Matthew McLaughlin, who was last seen on July 25 leaving his home in Tres Piedras, 32 miles northwest of Taos. He left his dog, his cat and apparently all of his belongings, said Kayla McLaughlin, the missing mans sister-in-law. To us to his family that does not sound like Matthew. He never left behind his animals or his stuff at all, so that kind of threw up a red flag for us. This month, she and McLaughlins mother, Rebecca McLaughlin, traveled to New Mexico to meet with investigators and post a missing persons notice throughout Taos County. The notice doesnt provide a clothing description, but describes McLaughlin as 6 feet, 2 inches tall, weighing 195 pounds, with blue eyes, brown hair, a beard and mustache. It says he was last seen walking on the south side of Tres Piedras toward U.S. 64, an east-west highway that runs through this small unincorporated community on the edge of Carson National Forest. Deputy Kevin McCarty, the lead investigator assigned to the case, said his office filed a missing persons report after receiving a phone call July 31 from a coworker and fellow veteran who became close with McLaughlin at the Chili Line Depot, a restaurant in Tres Piedras. She said she hadnt seen (McLaughlin) in six days and was worried because that was out of character for him, McCarty said. After he was honorably discharged from the Army, Rebecca McLaughlin said her son moved to New Mexico from Virginia with his puppy and two military friends, seeking a fresh start. She said she last spoke to her son just days before his disappearance. The 25-year-old was living with one of his veteran friends in Tres Piedras at the time he went missing, but he didnt know other tenants at the property, some of whom told the family McLaughlin was asked to leave the rental over illicit drug use. The roommates also said McLaughlin left behind his phone and animals at the residence. They confronted him, they argued, and my son just left, Rebecca McLaughlin said. But my son would not leave his animals. He would have contacted us, and Matthew, the only thing hes done is mushrooms and pot. We do know that. Hes a country guy, and hes got a country accent. He has the best manners out of anyone that you would meet. Hes always, Yes, sir, and yes, maam. She said another deputy planned to interview McLaughlins roommates later this week, but McCarty emphasized that law enforcement can only act upon the evidence currently at hand. The family has wanted us to get some cellphone tower information from him, but with no other facts to go off of, right now theres just not enough probable cause on our end to justify an intrusion on Matthew like that, he said. Weve been keeping our eye out for him in town, but we havent specifically designated a search to go look for him. McCarty said investigators must be judicious about activating search and rescue operations and need probable cause that a crime has been committed to obtain a search warrant. Parts of Tres Piedras and other nearby desert communities northwest of Taos are also known to be home to a transient population, though he said there was no evidence McLaughlin had been on the move following his relocation to Taos County. People do have the right to be left alone, he said, so just because someone is saying they havent seen them, us violating the Fourth Amendment by doing search warrants on their phones to find them thats not justified. Meanwhile, McLaughlins family insists something serious is amiss and is considering hiring a private company to come look for the missing veteran. Information regarding McLaughlins whereabouts can be provided to the Sheriffs Office at 575-737-6480 or to his family at 540-664-7313. 2025 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.). Visit www.abqjournal.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. U.S. President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP) JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska President Donald Trump did not secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin on Friday to end Russias war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. They were expected to give a joint news conference at the end of their talks but took no questions from reporters and offered scant details. Instead, Putin said they had hammered out an understanding on Ukraine and warned Europe not to torpedo the nascent progress. Trump said they had made great progress at their summit, but there were still sticking points. Theres no deal until theres a deal, the U.S. president said. He said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to brief them on the talks, which lasted about two hours. Trump, who for years has balked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskyy in the Oval Office and stanching the flow of some U.S. military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. Trump had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete result on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. The U.S. president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin had the opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russias gains, block Kyivs bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscows orbit. We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to, Trump said. And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there. He continued: We didnt get there. Zelenskyy and European leaders were excluded from Trump and Putins discussions, and Ukraines president was left posting a video address before the meeting in which he expressed his hope for a strong position from the U.S. Putin thanks Trump for his friendly tone For Putin, just being on U.S. soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall the economic sanctions that the U.S. president had promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring fighting to a close. It may now simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin thanked Trump for the friendly tone of their conversation and said Russia and the United States should turn the page and go back to cooperation. He praised Trump as someone who has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests. I expect that todays agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the U.S., Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, well speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon. When Putin smiled and offered, next time in Moscow, Trump said thats an interesting one and said he might face criticism but I could see it possibly happening. Trump and Putin had greeted each other with warm handshake, chatting almost like they were old friends., and gripped hands for an extended period of time on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War flew overhead. The two then shared the U.S. presidential limo known as The Beast for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as the vehicle rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close U.S. allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness before hours of closed-door meetings likely raised concerns from Zelenskyy and European leaders, who fear that Trump is primarily focusing on furthering U.S. interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraines. Not a one-on-one meeting White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said shortly before Air Force One touched down that the previously planned one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin would be a three-on-three discussion including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Putin was joined by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. The change seemed to indicate that the White House was taking a more guarded approach than it did during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, where Trump and Putin met privately with their interpreters and Trump then shocked the world by siding with the Russian leader over U.S. intelligence officials on whether Russia meddled in the 2016 campaign. Zelenskyys exclusion was also a heavy blow to the Wests policy of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want. War still raging Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraines mobilization efforts, which are conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies. The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources. Ukraine has held on far longer than some initially expected since the February 2022 invasion, but it is straining to hold off Russias much larger army, grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over 600-mile front line. Alaska is separated from Russia at its closest point by just three miles and the international date line. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It continues to play a role today, as planes from the base still intercept Russian aircraft that regularly fly into U.S. airspace. Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Jonathan J. Cooper in Washington, Elise Morton in London and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. Palantir Technologies (PLTR) has been riding the artificial intelligence (AI) wave for around two decades. However, unlike the majority of players in the field, it went unnoticed until its large government contract wins and rapid commercial expansion brought it to the spotlight. While some admire the companys exponential growth, others criticize it for its unconventional methods. Nonetheless, Palantir has become unstoppable. The stock is up 145% year to date, outperforming the market as a whole, which is up 9.7%. Lets see if the stock is a buy now. More News from Barchart www.barchart.com Valued at $441 billion, Palantir develops advanced data analytics software that assists governments, businesses, and other organizations in collecting, integrating, and analyzing large, complex datasets to make better decisions, detect patterns, and solve problems. Its Gotham, Foundry, and AIP platforms are widely used in industries such as defense, intelligence, healthcare, finance, and supply chains. Palantir reported a stellar second quarter. For the first time, the company exceeded $1 billion in quarterly revenue, representing a 48% year-over-year increase. Furthermore, its Rule of 40 score reached 94, indicating a healthy balance of rapid growth and strong profitability, which is a rare combination in the AI sector. The U.S. business remains the growth engine, contributing 73% to total revenue. U.S. commercial revenue surged 93% year-over-year, while U.S. government revenue rose 53% year-over-year. The rate of growth in commercial adoption, which was previously a weaker area for Palantir, indicates a strategic shift that could maintain momentum in the coming years. The companys remaining performance obligations (RPO) reached $2.4 billion, up 77% year on year. Adjusted EPS was $0.16 per share. Big Deals, Bigger Pipeline The second quarter marked a quarter of massive contract wins, with 157 deals worth more than $1 million, 66 deals worth more than $5 million, and 42 deals worth more than $10 million. Total contract value (TCV) reached $2.3 billion, with annual contract value (ACV) at $684 million, both record highs. Notably, Palantirs top 20 customers now have an average trailing 12-month revenue of $75 million, a 30% increase year over year, indicating that once Palantir acquires a client, its footprint within that organization tends to grow significantly. Sean Thackaberry (32) had his case adjourned at Dublin District Court for a community service suitability assessment. A man caught carrying a Stanley knife thought he needed it for his own protection, but it was totally the wrong way to go about things, his defence said. Sean Thackaberry (32) had his case adjourned at Dublin District Court for a community service suitability assessment. Thackaberry, of Maryville, Melitta Road, Kildare, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a knife. The court heard he was arrested at ODonoghue Street, Inchicore, on October 24, 2021, and the knife was found in his possession. He had previous convictions including one for a similar charge in 2018. A Stanley knife. Stock image: Getty News in 90 Seconds - August 15th Thackaberrys lawyer said his client felt it was necessary at the time to carry the blade for his protection, but it was totally the wrong way to go about things. Thackaberry had a good upbringing but had addiction issues and was now on methadone, the court heard. He also had mental health issues and was on medication. Judge Hughes said the accused should have been aware, having been sentenced once for having a knife, that there was a good chance he would be jailed if caught again. However, he ordered a community service report and adjourned the case. Michael OHare is currently on remand in HMP Maghaberry An American software developer is to be prosecuted in the Magistrates Court for breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order, a court heard today. Matthew OHare did not appear at Belfast Magistrates Court to hear a prosecution lawyer confirm the PPS have opted to deal with his case summarily, rather than elevating it to the more serious Crown Court. OHare, currently on remand in HMP Maghaberry but who has an address at Glenwood Mews in Dunmurry, is in custody facing two sets of charges accusing the American of breaching his SOPO and the requirements of the Sex Offenders Register. In his Belfast case, mentioned today, OHare is alleged to have breached the SOPO and the requirements of the Sex Offenders Register, on 16 May this year, by failing to register his home address. Matthew OHare News in 90 Seconds - August 15th In a separate Lisburn case, OHare is charged with two SOPO breaches and a further allegation that he breached the requirements of the police Sex Offenders Register. The particulars of the SOPO breaches allege that OHare had two apps on his phone which he did not have permission for on 14 October last year and further that on 29 April this year, he had two mobile phones, again without permission of his Designated Risk Manager. The sex register offence alleges that on 7 December, OHare failed to make his annual notification of his name, address and DOB. The court has heard that OHare is a category one offender with a SOPO in place until March 2027. The Lisburn case relates to a home visit last October, when OHares Designated Risk Manager (DRM) attended his home and when he examined OHares phone, the officer noted there were two social media apps which the defendant had not sought permission for. The officer also noted that part of the web history on multiple dates had also been deleted and that is a further breach. Moving to events in December, DC Ross said routine system checks noted that OHare had not completed his annual re-notification, adding that to date that still has not been completed. The alleged breach on 29 April related to another home visit when, after inviting OHare to come in to be formally interviewed, the defendant produced two mobile phones which he does not have approval for, and nor had he registered the devices. On 2 May he attended Musgrave Street where he was arrested and when he was searched, two mobile phones were found, DC Ross told the court. After that case was publicised, OHare was put out of his address and the Belfast case arises as a result of him not registering a new address after that. OHare was homeless and when he rang the police to say that he had been assaulted on the street, he was arrested for breach of the SOPO and remanded into custody, the court has heard. In court today, defence solicitor Eoghan McKenna suggested adjourning the case for a week and for OHare to be produced by video link in the hope that we can deal with the case. District Judge George Conner agreed and out the case back to 22 August. Head of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau welcomes significant drop in gang violence, but says organised crime has not gone away Feuding organised crime gangs have cottoned on to the fact that turning their guns on each other is bad for business, the head of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) has said. Detective Chief Superintendent Seamus Boland said 22 top-tier gangs are operating in Ireland, but there have been no gangland gun murders this year so far. Gardai have also not been involved in foiling any murder plots, known as life-saving interventions, so far this year, and the bureau has seized just one firearm since January 1. This is an indication of how quiet the higher end of violence in organised crime is now, Mr Boland told the Sunday World, adding that the bureau has engaged in a total of 83 life-saving interventions since 2016. Of that figure, there were three last year and none in 2023. In 2016, there were 20 such operations; 26 in 2017; and 13 in 2018 as the Hutch-Kinahan feud threatened to spiral out of control. There were 14 in 2019 before the need for these intense special operations lessened from that year onwards, which Mr Boland said is an indication of a decrease of murders and attacks at the highest levels of organised crime. Mr Boland, who is in charge of over 100 detectives, said it is bad for business for criminal gangs to be engaged in gun crime, and they have finally realised this. He said the decrease is also a result of his bureaus strategy of targeting the people who were willing to pull the triggers. A lot of people are serving lengthy sentences in our prison system for specific crimes, but they are without doubt responsible for multiple other violent crimes over the previous two decades, Mr Boland said. Mr Boland said 82m in drugs has been seized so far this year, most of it cocaine Detective Chief Superintendent Seamus Boland said the GNDOCBs central strategy is to disrupt, dismantle, prosecute organised crime gangs News in 90 Seconds - August 15th He added that gardai have used intense and proactive investigations to take the majority of these criminals off the streets. Ireland is unique across Europe in that violent high-level crime is increasing in European countries, but the opposite is the experience here to date [this year]. That can change overnight and that is the challenge. Mr Boland also revealed that 82m in drugs has been seized by the bureau so far this year, most of it cocaine, along with just over 1.4m in cash. He said 20 firearms were seized by the bureau last year, but 18 were linked to the investigation into Newry man Mark McCourt (34), who was arrested by GNDOCB officers in Co Louth in July last year. Mark McCourt and the seized weapons The Special Criminal Court heard last month that McCourt was the leader of an organised crime group supplying guns, ammunition and pipe bombs to other gangs north and south of the Border. If you go back to the height of the [Hutch-Kinahan] feud, 18 firearms were seized by GNDOCB in 2016, and we had 29 in 2017, Mr Boland said. It is an indication of the work we are engaging in how the higher end of organised groups up to now appeared to have pulled back from the extreme levels of violence they were engaged in. However, Mr Boland stressed the need for vigilance, and pointed out that 10 years after the bureau began targeting them, the Kinahan crime group remain a target as they have not been fully dismantled. Disrupt, dismantle, prosecute. That is our strategy and we need to be resilient with all these groups When asked whether the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was close to making a decision two years after the bureau submitted a massive, lengthy file on the gangs leadership, who are still based in Dubai, Mr Boland said there was no indication yet of a decision to charge Daniel and Christopher Kinahan and their father Christy Sr. Disrupt, dismantle, prosecute. That is our strategy and we need to be resilient with all these groups, he said. While Mr Boland did not name any of the 22 major organised crime gangs who operate in Ireland, they include outfits such as The Family gang, the Mr Big mob, the Limerick-based Keane gang and the Hutch organised crime gang. These gangs feed off each other and assist each other, he said. They need logistic routes into Ireland, whether it is the postal service, containers and trucks on ferries. It is all to do with corruption, he said. They corrupt international truck drivers, they corrupt people who are working in ports and airports and they corrupt crews on bulk tankers. Christy Kinahan Sr Mr Boland said only three crew members on a large vessel need to know about a drug-smuggling plot, sometimes involving multiple tonnes of cocaine, and can get paid hundreds of thousands of euro for their involvement in each shipment. Corruption is a huge factor. We cant identify all these corrupt people on our own, Mr Boland said. We are very dependent on people who are legitimately working in these industries who have great knowledge of who the corrupt actors are, so we engage very closely with these people with our partners in Customs. He said the bureau is well and truly alive and conscious of the efforts of transnational crime groups attempts to corrupt people working at ports of entry into Ireland, and cited a successful operation that led to employees at Dublin Airport being convicted of importing cocaine over several years. Mr Boland has spent most of his long career investigating organised crime. He was a sergeant and lead investigator in the drugs unit at Pearse Street garda station when his team were involved in the seizure of over 1.5m of cocaine and ecstasy at a Holiday Inn in Dublins south inner city in March 2000. This seizure led to a bitter falling-out among once-close associates in what became known as the Crumlin-Drimnagh feud, a bloody gang war claimed 16 lives. Cocaine seizure made by officers of the GNDOCB Reflecting on developments in the 25 years since, Mr Boland said: It was a totally different world back then. As a police organisation, we did not have the capabilities and the resilience that we have now to tackle these groups. He praised the very strong organised crime legislation dating from 2006, as well as more recent money-laundering legislation, describing it as an absolute game-changer for us. When I think back to who were the main organised crime groups in Ireland around that time, and even a few years before that, what we definitely have discovered is that people dont retire from organised crime, he said. Recalling the Holiday Inn seizure, Mr Boland said that even then, the Kinahan group were ultimately responsible in the background for what was a huge haul at the time. One hundred per cent, absolutely it was all part of that network. Leopards dont change their spots, he added. Mr Boland stressed the need for proactive, rather than reactive, policing strategies when investigating groups such as the Kinahan cartel, who became so powerful in their own minds that they decided who lived or who died, and sometimes this was for some very minor arguments or personal grievances. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2025) - Pasofino Gold (TSXV: VEIN) is pleased to announce that the company is presenting a live virtual corporate update hosted by Red Cloud Financial Services on August 15th, 2025 at 3:00 PM ET. We invite our shareholders, and all interested parties to register for the webinar and participate in the live Q&A session at the end of the presentation moderated by Red Cloud. The replay will be emailed out to all webinar registrants proceeding the event and will also be available on the Red Cloud website. For more information and to register: https://redcloudfs.com/events/rcwebinar-vein-3/. Pasofino Gold Limited is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange under (TSXV: VEIN), and owns 100% of the Dugbe Gold Project in Liberia. The company is focused on updating the 2022 feasibility study in 2026; organizing project financing and making a construction decision and project financing in H1, 2026. Pasofinos major shareholder is Mansa Resources Inc., a division of Nioko Resources Corporation, a division of Coris Bank, and Coris Invest Group, and (collectively) they are committed to financing and developing the Dugbe project through to commercial production as timely and efficiently as possible. Commodities to be covered: Gold About Pasofino Gold Pasofino Gold Limited is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (VEIN). Pasofino, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, owns 100% of the Dugbe Gold Project (prior to the issuance of the Government of Liberias 10% carried interest). About Red Cloud Financial Services Inc. Red Cloud Financial Services Inc. is a globally focused capital markets advisory firm that provides a full range of executive strategy, media, marketing, and corporate access services. Our breadth of services combines with our significant knowledge of the junior mining industry combine for unique product offering. The company was founded by capital markets professionals with extensive experience in the junior mining industry. For further information: Pasofino Gold Brett Richards, CEO & Executive Director 905.449.1500 contact@pasofinogold.com For additional information contact marketing@redcloudfs.com or visit: www.redcloudfs.com www.facebook.com/RedCloudFinancialServices www.twitter.com/RedCloudFS www.linkedin.com/company/red-cloud-financial-services-inc www.youtube.com/c/RedCloudFinancialServicesInc www.instagram.com/redcloudfs Martha Nolan-OSlatarras mother Elma told detectives her daughter was perfectly healthy Martha Nolan-OSlattara was found dead on a boat in East Hampton last week Claims that an Irish woman found dead on a yacht in the US had been battling brain cancer are being investigated by detectives probing her death. The body of Carlow businesswoman Martha Nolan-OSlatarra (33) was found at Montauk Yacht Club in East Hampton on Long Island, New York, at 12am local time on Tuesday of last week. During a telephone call in the days that followed, it is understood that Ms Nolans mother Elma was asked by detectives about claims that her daughter had brain cancer. It is not known who provided that information to the authorities. Ms Nolan-OSlatarras mother, who was in contact with her daughter on an almost daily basis, was stunned by the claims and told detectives her daughter was perfectly healthy. She told them there was nothing of the sort [affecting her], a source said. The Montauk Yacht Club in The Hamptons Detectives in the US have said a post-mortem examination did not show evidence of violence, and her final cause of death is pending further examination. A preliminary investigation and exam, after they arrived at the scene, were inconclusive in informing a cause of death. Ms Nolan-OSlatarras family have been told that a final post-mortem report, including toxicological, histological and other testing, will take at least three months to complete. Her mother, sister Jacqui and several other relatives have travelled to the US to bring her body home. Martha Nolan-OSlattara was found dead on a boat in East Hampton last week News in 90 Seconds - August 15th The family have engaged a top lawyer in the US and are seeking a second-opinion autopsy as the mystery over the circumstances surrounding her death deepens. Criminal defence attorney Arthur Aidalas client list includes Harvey Weinstein and former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon. Mr Aidala has said he is in contact with the district attorneys office, and the family had met with Suffolk County homicide detectives. There is still a very intense investigation focused on why a young woman is dead, he said. The autopsy report did show that there was no signs of a struggle, no defensive wounds on her hands, no obvious signs of trauma. The medical examiner is really focusing now on her blood and the other fluids that are being sent to toxicology to see whats going on. There were rumours that she possibly had some form of brain cancer and that is being investigated as well. Ms Nolan-OSlatarra was found unconscious at the Montauk Yacht Club after a man called 911 at around midnight, according to the Suffolk County Police Department. Ms Nolan-OSlatarra had spoken to her boyfriend in the hours before she died, telling him she was going to book an Uber and would be home at around 1am. Public records indicate that the boat, named Ripple, is owned by Christopher P Durnan, an American business man who owns a successful insurance company. Efforts by the Irish Independent to contact Mr Durnan have been unsuccessful. New Zealanders are buying and selling everything from cabins and wedding bands to nappy cakes and cars on Facebook Marketplace, as well as online auction site Trade Me. It was estimated earlier in the year that this countrys second-hand market could be worth about $5.5 billion a year. But when it comes to private second-hand sales, there are extra risks to watch out for and not just the chance youll get stuck in a never-ending loop of is this available? messages on Facebook. Experts say there are a few things to keep in mind to help make the process smoother. Many normal shopping laws dont apply. When youre selling an item as a private sale, the Fair Trading Act and Consumer Guarantees Act generally arent a consideration. It is the law of caveat emptor, or buyer beware, that generally applies. Youre buying (or selling) items as seen, which includes any flaws or general wear and tear. Consumer Protection advises that it could be helpful for a buyer to ask the seller to point out damage, to avoid surprises. But if you buy (or sell) something that doesnt live up to your expectations, you cant go back to the seller for a refund. If a seller knowingly makes a misrepresentation about a product, the buyer may be able to cancel the contract or make a claim under the Contract and Commercial Law Act. You might have rights with the manufacturer While you cant go to the seller, you might be able to make your case to the manufacturer if something goes wrong. If an item is not very old and it is still reasonable to expect the original warranties to apply, you could make a claim under the Consumer Guarantees Act. It will help to have the original receipt from the person who sold you the item secondhand. Items being delivered need to turn up on time If youre buying or selling something that needs to be posted or couriered, it needs to turn up in a reasonable amount of time, if you havent agreed on a set time. If it doesnt, the buyer may have a case under the Contract and Commercial Law Act. Electrical goods need extra care Under the Electricity Act, electrical appliances must be safe even when sold second-hand by a private seller. It is a good idea to have them checked by a qualified person, if possible. If you know that something might not be safe, you cant sell it. If you think something might be suitable for parts, Consumer NZ advises you could cut the cord and apply a label saying the appliance cannot be used. Watch out for theft risk Sellers may need to take extra precautions to stop themselves from being targeted by thieves. Consumer NZ warns that people can create fake profiles to arrange vehicle viewings and find out more details about vehicles that are then stolen. This could apply to any item that you invite people around to your house to see. It advised that people should host viewings for things like cars away from their homes if they could. Doing this means a potential criminal doesnt know where your car is usually located. Lots of people use false names online, so tell people when you arrange a viewing that youll be taking a picture of their ID before they can view the car. This will act as a deterrent and could help recover your car if a person who views it subsequently steals it. Its spokeswoman, Abby Damen, said she had her car stolen after listing it for sale on Facebook. Whether or not the selling and the stealing is related is unclear. My experience is I put it on Facebook Marketplace to sell it ... I thought if I use Trade Me, I get charged more fees. A month later, it was stolen. I included in my listing that it had fresh new tyres. That was a selling point but also a selling point to thieves. She said her insurer asked her when she made a claim whether it had been listed for sale. Check for money owing If youre buying a vehicle, its particularly important to check there is no security interest registered on it. This means its been used as security for a loan. This needs to be cleared before you buy the item. Even if youve paid for it, the lender might be able to repossess it from you. Dispute Tribunal is your option to resolve If things go wrong, you will probably need to go to the Disputes Tribunal for resolution. But even that wont always give you what you want. In one case, a buyer went to the tribunal over the Trade Me purchase of a campervan for $17,900. The tribunal noted that a friend inspected it with her on Facetime before she bought it, and she had it mechanically checked. But when she went to pick it up, there was a problem with batteries and on the way home the water pump was leaking. She could not get the fridge to work and the one time the gas worked there was loud explosive bang. The heater was also not working. She wanted $8126 to replace the heater, make the fridge compliant and fix other problems. The tribunal adjudicator explained that there was no remedy available unless the buyer could prove the seller had misrepresented the vehicle. The tribunal found that the condition of the fridge and heater had been misrepresented but said there were no claims made about its compliance with gas regulations. The amount she was awarded for the heater was also depreciated because it was already 13 years old and had an expected life of 20. You could choose to shop only on platforms with extra protection No platform is completely scam-free. But Trade Me does have the additional option of its buyer protection policy when people use its Ping payment service. This means that people can be refunded up to $2500 if the time is not as described or does not show up. There are fees associated with this, but Trade Mes rating function will also show you if someone has a history of selling goods that go wrong. -RNZ L.V. Friday, 15 August 2025, 17:39 Share Staff from the beaches department of La Linea de la Concepcion town hall have put back into the sea a juvenile specimen of the angel shark, ('angelote' in Spanish) after it was accidentally caught in fishing gear. The angel shark is a critically endangered species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which has this coastline-loving shark on its red list of most threatened species. Its populations have declined by at least 80% due to factors such as overfishing, so the reintroduction of this specimen to the sea along the Costa de la Luz is "a significant event" for the conservation of Spain's marine biodiversity. The councillor in charge of La Linea's beaches, Rafael Leon, praised the intervention by municipal staff, stressing the importance of these actions, which "are often possible thanks to alerts from the public". The angel shark Angel sharks belong to the genus Squatina, which includes 23 different species. These fish are distinguished by their flattened bodies and broad pectoral fins, characteristics that give them a stingray-like appearance. Their mouths are also quite large, allowing them to generate a powerful suction force to capture their prey. They can measure up to 250 centimetres and weigh up to 80 kilos, and they typically prefer soft substrates such as sand or mud, where they camouflage themselves when hunting. Despite their size, it has been reported that they are not generally aggressive towards humans, although they may bite if they feel threatened. La Voz de Cadiz Tarifa Friday, 15 August 2025, 16:59 Share President of the Andalusian regional government Juanma Moreno has called for a "clear and decisive toughening" of the penalties for arsonists, who endanger "natural and personal heritage", as has happened in the latest fire in Tarifa. Both Moreno and regional minister Antonio Sanz have stated that the evidence points that the fire was "intentional". In an interview on Cope radio, Moreno said that, after the investigations by the Guardia Civil and the Andalusian police, "everything indicates that the fire was intentional". He highlighted the difficulties related to arresting and sentencing an arsonist, whose crimes face "innocuous penalties". Moreno said that the second fire in Tarifa in two weeks, which started on Monday, 11 August, was "the most complicated fire that the Andalusian forest fire fighting service (Infoca) has had to deal with in recent years". The situation was even more complicated, because the fire reached "just four metres from the houses" scattered around the Atlanterra area, "with families spending their holidays" there. Moreno also stressed the need to widen the N-340, which he described as "a death trap" and an obstacle in the evacuation of 2,000 people "in record time". According to Moreno, if it weren't for the efficiency of the teams deployed in the area, the situation could have turned into a tragedy. Moreno thanked the personnel who worked to extinguish both fires, stressing that the Junta de Andalucia continuously invests in increasing "the number of professionals within the Infoca plan". The last investment has increased the number to 4,700. To compare, the number of workers within the military emergency unit (Ume), which serves the whole of Spain, is 3,500. In addition, the Infoca in Andalucia has 40 aerial vehicles. The region's resources make it prepared to face such crises and allow it to help other regions, as it is currently doing in Extremadura. Share French scientists have developed a wine-tasting machine - a computer able to pinpoint exactly where the grapes in a glass of red were grown. The technology identifies wines from different Bordeaux estates with perfect accuracy, even when vineyards were separated only by a single country road. The finding supports the long-held belief in terroir - the soil, microclimate, vineyard position and growers methods that shape a wines character. Our results show that the terroir is expressed in a wines chemical composition, which was suspected to be true but had never been established on such a fine spatial scale, says Alex Pouget, a French computational neuroscientist at the University of Geneva. By confirming a bottles origin, the system could help combat counterfeit fine wines, though it might also enable imitation by revealing the molecular signatures behind great bottles. Wine of the week Vina Esmeralda 2023 One of the longest-established popular white Spanish wines, Vina Esmeralda has been around longer than most of us. A new campaign by bodegas Torres would have us employ it as a cocktail mixer. Not too dry, very refreshing and fairly priced at around 9euros The process begins with gas chromatography, which analyses volatile molecules - those that readily turn from liquid to gas. While producers traditionally measured only a few compounds, the new method uses machine learning to examine tens of thousands, exposing subtle, estate-specific patterns invisible to the human palate. Trained on chromatography data from 73 wines of various vintages from seven Bordeaux estates, the system was tested blind on other wines from the same properties. In repeated trials, it identified the correct estate 100% of the time. Some compounds, such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS), influence flavour in minute quantities, adding complexity when subtle but unpleasant aromas when concentrated. Pouget believes the technology could help smaller estates optimise blends, narrowing the gap with Bordeaux and Champagnes most celebrated chateaux. Friday, 15 August 2025, 13:07 Share Increased exposure during the summer to external factors such as the sun, chlorine, air conditioning and pollen leads to an increase in consultations related to eye problems. At least this is what private healthcare company HM Malaga claims in a press release sent to the media. In this regard, this company's ophthalmologists point to an upturn "in cases of conjunctivitis, keratitis, dry eye syndrome and ocular trauma during these months. Conditions that, if not treated correctly and in a timely manner, can lead to significant complications," they warn. Below, we review the most common conditions and how to prevent them. Conjunctivitis "Bathing in swimming pools, prolonged sun exposure or contact with allergens such as dust or pollen increase the incidence of conjunctivitis during the summer months. "This inflammation of the conjunctiva can present with symptoms such as eye redness, itching, watery eyes or some discharge," explains Dr Salvador Molina, head of the ophthalmology department at HM Hospitals in Malaga province. This specialist recommends maintaining proper eye hygiene, avoiding rubbing your eyes with dirty hands and wearing swimming goggles to reduce the risk of infection. Keratitis Turning to other causes, improper use of contact lenses is another factor that can trigger keratitis, an inflammation of the cornea that can be aggravated by prolonged contact lens use, swimming in the sea or pools while wearing them and exposure to chemicals. "It's important to limit the use of contact lenses in humid environments and wear approved sunglasses with UV protection. Otherwise, the risk of serious eye infections increases," says Dr Molina. Dry eye syndrome Dry eye is another of the most common ophthalmological conditions most prevalent during summer. The combination of heat, dehydration and constant air conditioning can exacerbate the symptoms of this condition, which is increasingly being reported in clinical consultations by both children and adults. "It involves a disruption of the tear film that causes irritation, a gritty sensation, stinging and, in more severe cases, blurred vision or discomfort upon waking," says the HM Hospitals' eye specialist. To prevent this, it is advisable to use special eye drops known as 'artificial tears', avoid direct wind or cold draughts, maintain good hydration and use humidifiers indoors. Eye burn Another reason why patients visit an ophthalmology clinic during the summer is because they're suffering from photokeratitis, also known as 'eye burn' or ultraviolet photokeratitis. This is a superficial injury to the cornea caused by intense exposure to ultraviolet radiation, common on beaches, in the snow or during outdoor activities, when going without proper eye protection. The most common symptoms are acute eye pain, photophobia and the sensation of having a foreign body in the eye. Other eye traumas In addition to the above, during the summer months numerous cases of eye injuries are treated, usually related to recreational activities, games or outdoor sports. "A ball, a sharp object or even a fall can cause serious injuries. It is essential to use appropriate eye protection for certain activities and to consult a specialist swiftly in the event of a direct impact to the eye," insists the ophthalmologist. Lastly, these specialists from HM Hospitals' ophthalmology service in Malaga recommend regular eye check-ups and no waiting for symptoms to worsen. "Detecting any changes early on can prevent future complications and ensure good eye health, especially in times like summer, when the eyes are more exposed to external stress," says Dr Salvador Molina. Regina Sotorrio Malaga Friday, 15 August 2025, 11:06 | Updated 15:28h. Share When the first chords began to play, silence fell. The constant stream of tourists going up and down the Alcazaba at ten o'clock on Friday morning slowed down. Whoever passed did so carefully, slowly, and many others stopped in the middle of the street to listen. None of them knew his name, they wouldn't even be able to give a title to what they heard, but they undoubtedly liked what they heard. It was Bruno Hock, a 16-year-old from Malaga, winner of the last edition of Canal Sur's TV talent show Tierra de Talento for his promising musical ability. We asked him to play a piece for this interview at the foot of the Malaga fortress. He thought about it for a couple of seconds and began to play an improvised melody, followed by the jazz classic All the Things You Are, joined by part of the second movement of Bruch's Violin Concerto, and ending with Grieg's third Violin Sonata. Suddenly, as if nothing had happened. "In the Baroque period there was a lot of improvisation," he explained. Improvisation is also characteristic of jazz, a genre he has recently become fond of when playing the piano. The youngster has trained at the Manuel Carra music school and perfected his technique at Academia Galamian In Tierra de Talento, an audience hit on regional television that focuses on the arts, he demonstrated his ability with both instruments by switching naturally from the keys to the strings in his performance of Ojos Negros, a surprising versatility that was recognised by the expert jury. But it was his Chopin's Nocturne, arranged by Pablo Sarasate, that won him the grand final of the competition. "I decided to take something slow, expressive and moving". And it worked. He admitted that at first he was not completely sure about entering the talent show, as his studies take up most of his time, but now he is happy with everything he has experienced. It is one more experience in a short but intense career. The young Malaga native is now in the sixth year of Conservatorio Profesional Manuel Carra and is already thinking about the next stage at the Conservatorio Superior. With a German father, a mother from Malaga and a natural command of the German language, going to study in Germany is a very viable option for him. "They have very high standards there, and the study and work environment is better," he said. And he has also won prizes there. In June he won the Jugend Musiziert, a national competition in Germany, which held its final in the city of Wuppertal. He spent months studying the score he was to perform. "These competitions involve a lot of preparation, you have to be very structured and very internalised. You can't take any risks, the competition is high," he said. From the age of seven Until the time comes to make the leap to the Superior, Bruno Hock will continue his training in Malaga, where he began playing the violin at the age of seven, attracted by the "sweetness" of its sound. He is now perfecting his technique at the Galamian Academy, founded by musicians Anna Nilsen and Jesus Reina. She performed with him at the Teatro Cervantes in one of the concerts of the last edition of Malaga Clasica, the chamber music festival created by Reina and Nilsen. This type of support, he said, makes all the difference. He is also a member of the Orquesta Joven de Andalucia (OJA), a training programme organised by the Junta de Andalucia which he has participated in for the last two years. In the last OJA concerts this summer, the teenager acted as concertmaster, the leader of the string section. "It's great to be growing and finding yourself there with such good musicians, with colleagues who work hard, where we all want to dedicate ourselves to this." "It's not something I struggle with - I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything by studying" Bruno Hock has not the slightest doubt about this. "In a few years I don't know whether I'll be working in an orchestra, playing chamber music or even composing, but what is certain is that I'll be playing, which is what I'm passionate about," he said. In order to succeed, he is aware that he has to sacrifice many hours that other young people of his age devote to leisure, but he doesn't mind. "It's not something I struggle with - I don't feel I'm missing out on anything by studying." For him "there is no other option". "Studying and playing music is what fulfils me as a person, without music nothing would have the meaning it has," he said with total conviction. From September, Hock will be studying the second year of the artistic baccalaureate at the Sierra Bermeja secondary school. Bruno has just come back from a two-week advanced course in Granada and is now on holiday. He hadn't taken his violin out of its case for four days and, "when I picked it up yesterday it felt like it had been a long time. You have to study every single day". If he finds the time, he also composes: he is currently working on a concerto for cello and orchestra. "But my main focus is the violin," he said. Jennie Rhodes Friday, 15 August 2025 | Updated 18/08/2025 19:44h. Share In March 2019 Villa Maya in Malaga's Limonar district was demolished. It was once the home of Porfirio Smerdou Fleissner, an honorary Mexican consul in Malaga. Smerdou was born in 1905 in Trieste. His father, Jose Smerdou Bosich, had been Mexico's first diplomatic representative in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When the Mexican Revolution broke out, the family left Austria and arrived in Seville after a tour of other European cities. In 1914 the family moved to Malaga and his father became the city's honorary Mexican consul. On 1 January 1931 when his father retired, Porfirio Smerdou was appointed honorary consul of Mexico with jurisdiction in Eastern Andalucia and the Spanish protectorate of Morocco. Zoom Porfirio with his sister, Lupe. SUR The young consul devoted himself to promoting his country's image and tourism, participating in radio programmes, publishing nearly a thousand articles in the press - through the Arco International Agency - organising cultural and festive events, and increasing his contacts with the Andalusian intellectual, political and social elite. He participated in the formation of the Malaga Consular Corps, the Economic Society of Friends of the Country, the Rotary Club and other associations like the Fraternity Masonic Lodge. At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1936, Porfirio Smerdou carried out extensive humanitarian work, saving the lives of numerous people threatened with death by the Republican repression and he sheltered 150 of them in his own Villa Maya, the headquarters of the Mexican consulate in Malaga. Recognised by the Republic, he was a friend of the poets of the generation of '27 and he has been described as Malaga's 'Schindler'. In 2023 Porfirio Smerdou, who died in El Escorial in May 2002, was awarded the posthumous distinction of adopted son and medal of the city of Malaga. The distinction was presented to his grandson, Cristian Smerdou. Malaga province town Teba is once again preparing to host the Douglas Days event, marking its 19th edition. With this fair, recognised by the provincial authority, the town celebrates the achievements of Sir James Douglas and honours his life, which he lost in the Battle of Teba in 1330. This year, the event will be marked by the official twinning with the Scottish town of Melrose, where the remains of the noble Scotsman rest. During the presentation of the programme of the event, deputy president of the provincial authority Manuel Marmolejo highlighted the unique nature of this celebration, which "fuses Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Scottish cultures" in a setting that unites heritage, landscape and gastronomy. The Estrella castle and St Bride's Church in Scotland are the settings and symbols of this shared history. Sir James Douglas, known as the Malaga Braveheart, became involved in the Spanish battle while he was on a journey to fulfil the last wish of King Robert I of Scotland - take his embalmed heart to the Holy Land. During his time on the peninsula, Douglas joined the troops of Alfonso XI in the fight against the Nasrid kingdom of Granada, taking part in the conquest of the strategic castle of La Estrella. The battle cost him and most of his knights their lives and their remains were returned to Scotland by the survivors. Programme The programme will begin at 8pm on Thursday, 21 August, with the presentation of La gesta de Roberto de Bruce - a work by John Barbour. That same evening, in the Plaza de la Constitucion, piper Leslie Thopson will perform at the presentation of the official poster of the event, designed by Sara Gomez. At 7pm on Friday, 22 August, the medieval street market will open on Calle San Francisco, with bagpipers, parades and interactive theatre. The institutional inauguration will be held at Plaza de la Constitucion, followed by the theatre performance of Lagrimas por Itaba by Jose Verdugo. At midnight, Celtic folk band Stolen Notes will perform at Plaza de Espana. The programme on Saturday will begin with the presentation of the book Enterrad Mi Corazon en Jerusalen (Bury My Heart in Jerusalem) by Conrado Guiducci at 11am. In the afternoon, there will be a reception for authorities and visitors, an official parade and the screening of the documentary James Douglas: The Man with Two Hearts, directed by Kike Mesa. From 9.30pm onwards, the march La Conquista de las Alquerias Tebenas will go through medieval streets and Arab, Hebrew and Christian themed neighbourhoods. The evening will close with a concert by Mardanis, specialising in Sephardic and oriental music. The event will conclude on Sunday with an open-day visit of local historical heritage, including the Museo Historico Municipal, the Castillo de la Estrella, the church of Santa Cruz Real and the chapel of Nuestro Padre Jesus. Cristina Vallejo Friday, 15 August 2025, 10:51 | Updated 14:57h. Share Altercations between the police and street vendors in Marbella and Bilbao; xenophobic violence in Torre Pacheco (Murcia); ban on celebrating muslim festivities on grounds owned by the council in Jumilla - these are only some of the cases this summer that highlight the situation of migrants according to the law in Spain. Street vending is only the tip of the iceberg of a situation that affects many foreign residents in Malaga province, in Andalucia and throughout Spain. Although their activity is considered illegal, many foreigners are faced with no other choice, considering that they are not offered a contract and cannot obtain the necessary documents to live and work in Spain. Rocio Roca is a lawyer with the Moroccan association for the integration of immigrants. She explains the legal process from the beginning - from the moment a boat carrying migrants reaches the Spanish coast and is intercepted by the Guardia Civil or any other law enforcement agency. In that first stage, the immigrants are asked whether they are going to be seeking asylum (if they are going to request refugee status). An ex-officio lawyer advises them and prepares arguments against a possible forcible return to their country of origin, such as humanitarian reasons or the presence of family members already living in Spain. Then, they are placed in a detention centre for foreigners (CIE) for a maximum of 60 days. If they have not been returned to their country within this period, they are released. The most likely scenario is that the migrant remains in Spain. The authorities cannot return a person if they do not have documentation and their origin is not known. It is also not easy to deport if the country of origin does not have an extradition agreement with Spain. This may be compounded by the fact that the country of origin is very far away, which makes the logistics of return very costly. What happens from that moment on - from the moment the person leaves the CIE and can move freely around Spain? According to Roca, they often seek associations and advice or compatriots who live in the country. What they are advised to do is join the 'padron' population register as soon as possible and keep documents and proof that they not only live in Malaga, in Spain, but that they are seeking to establish roots here. The rule is that, in order to apply for residency and a work permit, one must provide proof of registration and proof of residence on Spanish territory for at least two years prior to submitting the application. It used to be three years. During that time, absences from Spain may not exceed 90 calendar days. Sale of registration 300 or 400 euros is what landlords sometimes charge for registering in their homes Joining the 'padron' census is essential. There are some landlords who 'sell' the chance to be registered at their property for 300 or 400 euros. Town halls sometimes make things easier for the most vulnerable. Homeless people who use the municipal shelter can declare that this is their address. Additionally, there is registration by social exclusion. In any case, there are at least two years between joining the census and being able to obtain residency (and a work permit), which is why Ahmed Khalifa - president of the Moroccan association for the integration of immigrants - states that migrants "are almost obliged by law to be in a situation of social exclusion". In the words of Roca, "they are doomed to exploitation" in the work field. 'People stay in Spain, but completely outside the administrative reality, so they work irregularly in the countryside, in the hotel industry or in the domestic service. They live badly until they can get access to regularise their situation in accordance with the law on foreigners. They can't do anything else' The same conclusion is drawn by the Spanish commission for refugee aid (CEAR) in Malaga: "People stay in Spain, but completely outside the administrative reality, so they work irregularly on the land, in the hospitality industry or in domestic service. They live badly until they can get access to regularise their situation in accordance with immigration law. They can't do anything else. Being registered on the 'padron' is only useful for the municipality to know how many people live there and to assign a school and a health centre. It does not entitle the person to any kind of help, except for access to the local food bank." According to CEAR, asylum seekers can work legally once they have applied for international protection and until the procedure is resolved. However, if their status is denied, they lose the right to work and start their residency application from scratch, so they have to add the other two regulatory years to the time they have been waiting. Roca states that one way of resolving the quagmire in which migrants arriving in Spain find themselves would be for them to be able to work and have a temporary employment permit during those two years in which they have to build their roots in the country. As CEAR points out, recruitment from the country of origin is not a realistic solution. "The legal channels for arriving in Spain are practically non-existent." Population in limbo It can be estimated that more than 55,000 people live in Malaga province without a residence or work permit. Some of them are registered in the municipality, but that's where it ends. To arrive at this figure, SUR has taken the population census from the national institute of statistics, which uses the 'padron' as a source, and compared it with the statistics on people with residence permits from the government. From the census, the foreigners taken to estimate the figures are those who still retain the nationality of their countries of origin, since after ten years in Spain it is possible to apply for Spanish nationality. Since 2013, more than 50,000 people have obtained Spanish citizenship in Malaga. To put the significance of the figure into perspective, it should be noted that at the same time there were more than 414,000 foreigners living in the province. This is only a rough approximation of the number of people with an irregular status, given that no statistic can capture the number of unregistered residents and there are people who have difficulty joining the padron. In addition, there are some nationalities with more residence permits than padron registrations, as is the case with Ukrainians and Chinese, for example, who have been able to change their address. Also, in this gap between those registered and those with residence permits, there are not only those of working age: there are also minors and people in all kinds of situations. People immersed in the procedure towards the granting of asylum also count as irregular. In 2024 alone, there were more than 8,000 people who started this procedure in the province, according to the CEAR. The penal code is aware of the vulnerability of street vendors: 'The itinerant or occasional sale of products (...) shall be punished with imprisonment of six months to two years. However, given the characteristics of the offender and the small amount of the economic benefit obtained (...) the judge may impose a fine of one to six months or community service' One of the outlets for people who are trapped in an irregular situation, in this administrative limbo in which they can neither live nor work here legally, is the itinerant sale of counterfeit products. It is an illegal activity, a crime, according to the penal code, which imposes prison sentences or fines for manufacturers, distributors and also for the last link in the chain - the vendors. "The itinerant or occasional sale of products (...) shall be punished with imprisonment of six months to two years. However, given the characteristics of the offender and the small amount of the economic benefit obtained (...) the judge may impose a fine of one to six months or community service of 31 to 60 days." Ahmed Khalifa explains that immigrants who arrive in Spain do so because of the support networks they have with their compatriots. To start with something, they are given goods that they then have to return. Head of the intellectual and industrial property crimes section of the National Police Jose Luis Gomez has a different perspective. According to him, these are criminal organisations with a pyramid structure that exploit street vendors, taking advantage of their irregular status. Chief inspector of the second group of economic crimes of the National Police Isidro Almendros says that the network includes Chinese factories whose goods are unloaded in Algeciras or Barcelona, then arrive in Malaga and are stored in warehouses, such as those in the Guadalhorce industrial area. According to the police, Senegalese nationals are usually the ring leaders in contact with the Chinese manufacturers. Gomez says that street vending extends along the coast from Cadiz to Gerona, with points in France and Italy. According to Almendros, the phenomenon hardly occurs in Malaga city due to regulations. 'The real challenge lies in attacking the root of the problem: dismantling these structured networks, not only pursuing those who sell on the street, who in many cases do so out of sheer necessity' The police sometimes intervene following a complaint from a brand that has detected the sale of counterfeits of its products. Other times, they identify where the goods are kept. Senior associate at Baylos law firm Maria Molina says that Spain has a solid and protective regulatory framework to combat the marketing of counterfeit goods. However, she adds that its application is limited by the lack of material and human resources in small areas and by the pyramidal structure of networks, which makes it difficult to prosecute higher levels and leaves the focus on the lower links, which allows an immediate response but does not eradicate the problem. "Street vendors are the last link in the chain, the most visible, but also the most vulnerable. The real challenge lies in attacking the root of the problem: dismantling these structured networks, not only pursuing those who sell on the street, who in many cases do so out of sheer necessity," Molina says. Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) is one of the best NYSE stocks to buy under $20. On August 5, RBC Capital raised the firms price target on Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) to 435 GBp from 355 GBp, keeping an Outperform rating on the shares. On July 23, Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) announced that it signed a new multi-year strategic agreement with S&P Global. Is Barclays PLC (BCS) the Best Undervalued UK Stock to Buy Right Now? An investor looking at a stock chart, representing the bank's securities dealing. Management reported that the mutually beneficial agreement encompasses access to a comprehensive suite of S&P Global products, data and solutions, powered by S&P Capital IQ platform, to support Barclays businesses across its enterprise and help enhance the banks offerings to customers. The agreement also entails that Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) will contribute certain data to S&P Globals cross-asset pricing and valuation services, enhancing accuracy and coverage in bonds, loans, credit and derivative pricing across the liquidity spectrum. Headquartered in London, Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) is a bank holding company that provides credit cards, retail banking, wealth management, and corporate and investment banking services. Its operations are divided into the following segments: Barclays United Kingdom (UK), Barclays United Kingdom (UK) Corporate Bank, Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management, Barclays Investment Bank, Barclays United States (US) Consumer Bank, and Head Office. While we acknowledge the potential of BCS 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. Eugenio Cabezas Friday, 15 August 2025, 18:33 Share The province's festive calendar had an unmissable date this Friday, 15 August, in Competa. The town celebrated a milestone anniversary, the 50th edition of its traditional Noche del Vino Moscatel, which pays tribute to the agricultural work associated with the grape harvest. The celebration of this festival, which has been officially declared of tourist interest by the Diputacion de Malaga and by the Junta de Andaucia, has reached its first half century of life in great shape, with thousands of attendees, despite the sweltering heat that at noon this Friday tormented the Axarquia. The president of the Diputacion provincial authority, Francisco Salado (PP), was one of those recognised as the 'pisador de honor' (honorary grape-treader) of this year's event. On Friday morning, as is tradition, the Plaza de la Vendimia was the scene of one of the most significant activities of the town, the traditional 'pisa' of the muscatel grape, with the participation of authorities and residents, to the sound of the fandangos of Competa and the Verdiales bands from different towns, as well as the opening of the medieval market. Salado expressed his gratitude "as an Axarquico" for receiving this recognition This was followed by the presentation of the Pisador and Vendimiador de Honor awards to people or entities that have contributed to the development of the municipality, whether through art, agriculture, culture, environmental protection or public service. For this reason, this year the awards were presented to Rosario Requena, in recognition as a farmer of the past, Jose Rojo, in recognition as a farmer of the present, Samuel Rodriguez, in recognition as a farmer of the future. Francisco Salado and Patricia Navarro, delegate of the Junta de Andalucia, were declared honorary grape treaders. Salado expressed in a statement his gratitude as a native of the Axarquia on receiving this recognition and extended it to the workers of the Diputacion "to defend and promote the interior of our province, the value of our villages, our products, and those who make them possible. He also expressed his pride in the local raisin, "one of our symbols that we have to care for and pamper". GIAHS of Muscatel raisins In fact, he recalled that, "from the very first moment", the provincial authority led and promoted the necessary actions to achieve the declaration of the Malaga raisin crop as a GIASH , a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. The first in Europe and the only one in the Andalusian community to achieve this in April 2018. The promotion of the sultana is one of the aims of the Diputacion, considering it one of the star products of its 'Sabor a Malaga' brand. Thanks to this brand, it has become better known and appreciated both nationally and internationally, contributing to its exportation. He also referred to Competa wine, which "is not only famous in Spain, but is also known internationally for its quality and artisanal production, and this type of event helps to promote it and make it better known". It has its roots in the farewells farmers used to say before leaving for the grape harvest The Noche del Vino de Competa, now half a century old, has its roots in the farewell parties held for the farmers before leaving for the grape harvest. The celebration grew over time, especially since 1973, when Aurelio Fernandez Navas invited everyone to share the local wine, giving rise to the modern fiesta that is celebrated today. The mayor, Rosaluz Fernandez (PMP), congratulated the winners and invited everyone to go to Competa to enjoy the musical performances. During the day, the fiesta continued with a typical country lunch with migas de harinas, ensalada arriera, cod, grapes and local wine. An exhibition in the Museo del Aceite showed the 50 official posters illustrating the history of the Noche del Vino, with works by artists such as Evaristo Guerra, Paco Hernandez, Vizquerra and the most recent one by Adolfo Cordoba. In the town hall auditorium, visitors could visit 'Windows to art and Muscatel wine', where the public voted for their favourite work and took part in a raffle with local products. In the evening the municipality hosted a flamenco evening with performances in the central Plaza Almijara. Among the featured artists were Granada-born Estrella Morente and Paco Candela, accompanied by performances by Daniel Romero's flamenco group, the music of Miguel Botana and DJ sessions by Les Castizos. For her part, the delegate of the Junta thanked the mayor and the entire municipal corporation for her designation as 'Vendimiadora y Pisadora de Honor 2025' (Grape Harvester and Treader of Honour 2025). "It has been truly emotional and we will keep it, surely the president of the provincial authority and I, in our memory for the rest of our days," said Navarro in a statement. During the ceremony, the past, present and future of the grape harvest in Competa were honoured in the figures of Rosario, Antonio and Samuel, respectively, and the delegate thanked "the efforts of so many men and women to maintain the traditions and, at the same time, generate employment and wealth in such important areas for Andalusia and for Malaga, as is the Axarquia". Navarro stressed that the Junta de Andalucia and the provincial authority "are two institutions that are permanently collaborating, working side by side, day by day, with each and every one of these mayors and their municipal teams to promote a better quality of life for all their residents", referring to the municipalities of the Axarquia district represented there. Jose Rodriguez Camara Rincon de la Victoria Friday, 15 August 2025, 17:29 Share The municipal health department for Rincon de la Victoria, headed by Lola Ramos, has instructed animal health services to remove the cat colony in Calle Conchitina. According to residents of the area, these strays are causing road safety and health issues by frequenting the swimming pools and other communal areas, as well as showing up on the terraces of residents' own homes. Residents living near the vacant plot of wasteland at the end of this street where the cats have settled (Conchitina) claim that they have been constantly bothered by the excessive presence of these animals since 2021. They maintain that they have informed the town hall in writing about these nuisances and that the issue has already become a public health problem due to the source of infection posed by these feral cats. The local council explained that it has already conducted visits to the site to assess the situation and notes that some 40 cats have been counted although, according to those affected, there are over 50. Ramos' department states that, "26 have been sterilised, vaccinated and microchipped." "Illegal cat-feeders" "The main problem is caused by some people who indiscriminately bring in food without authorisation. This causes overpopulation, attracting more strays and thus increasing the number of individual cats in the colony," said Ramos. The councillor also highlighted the "negative consequences from the accumulation of food left to rot". "These people are not cooperating at all, they put out large quantities of food that they don't then take away and they remove the information posters that warn against feeding the cats, as this is already covered by authorised individuals following guidelines that avoid health problems," insists Ramos. In this respect, as already published in the aforementioned SUR article, the Local Police have been instructed to carry out surveillance "to identify these illegal cat-feeders". The councillor believes that, "Once the unauthorised feeding point is eliminated, the problems will be reduced." Victor Heredia Friday, 15 August 2025, 17:48 Share The municipality of Torremolinos had more than 70,000 inhabitants last year. Among its population, in which 125 nationalities are represented, the British community has a certain weight, with 1,300 residents. In addition, 200,000 tourists from Great Britain spent their holidays in the town during 2024. This is an authentic disembarkation that has been repeated annually since the 1960s, but which has a remote and very different background. The first known English landing took place shortly before an Anglo-Dutch squadron commanded by Admiral Rooke took Gibraltar on 4 August 1704 in the context of the War of the Spanish Succession. In the previous weeks, the fleet had been moving around the Mediterranean and on 18 July it had anchored in the bay of Malaga. The water flowing down from the springs, which moved the town's flour mills, ran down to the beach and was a popular watering point for the ships that sailed in the area. The Torre de Pimentel, the other element that gave its name to the town, overlooked the cliff and served to warn of the arrival of possible enemies. When Rooke's sailors disembarked to take on water and supplies in Torremolinos, they were met with hostility and his troops suffered some casualties. The English admiral's anger led him to inform the Malaga council that his troops were not to be disturbed, under threat of disembarking and plundering the surrounding area. This fact showed the inability to defend the coast, which became evident when Rooke carried out his threat and some two thousand men came ashore and burned and plundered the mills and farmhouses around Torremolinos. Militias were formed and part of the population, including the communities of nuns, were evacuated from Malaga. Fortunately, the fleet weighed anchor and headed west. The danger was over, but the fate of Gibraltar was to remain sealed until the present day. Rooke's ships still had time to return, but the presence of a Franco-Spanish fleet commanded by the Count of Toulouse forced them into battle on 24 August off Velez-Malaga. The largest naval encounter of the War of the Spanish Succession ended with an uncertain outcome, but a great opportunity was lost to have recaptured Gibraltar after Rooke's retreat. The French ships returned to Toulon without pursuing the enemy. The experience of 1704 led years later to the construction of a battery at the foot of the Torre de Pimentel. A map dated 1739 referred to "the battery that has been built in front of Torremolinos" in order to prevent enemies from taking advantage of the water, "as the British navies have done on different occasions". In 1762, Antonio Jimenez de Mesa built another battery at his own expense at the Punta de Torremolinos. This small fortification would later become known as Castillo de Santa Clara (Santa Clara castle). One more, but peaceful In the middle of the 19th century there was another British landing on the beaches of Torremolinos, but this one was totally peaceful. In the summer of 1857, another fleet led by another famous admiral moved through the waters of the bay of Malaga. This was the Mediterranean fleet, commanded by Admiral Lyons, which passed through Malaga and remained anchored off Torremolinos from 14 to 16 August. Admiral Edmund Lyons had played a prominent role in the Crimean War as commander-in-chief of the British Navy, especially in the siege and conquest of the strategic port of Sebastopol. But on this occasion his men enlivened village life and, as far as we know, caused no damage. This is how the chronicler of 'El Avisador Malagueno' described the passage of the British: "At that point, they were taking on water from the spring that flows towards the sea, which is lost with so little benefit at a short distance from its source. On this occasion, the beach of Torremolinos, in the vicinity of the mill of El Peligro, has offered the liveliest picture that can be given, particularly on Friday and Saturday, when a large number of the crew went down to the beach to carry out the water-taking tasks. On Saturday afternoon, Mr Admiral, with his young and beautiful niece and several chiefs also disembarked, and by the picturesque gorge went up to the town. Some pounds sterling have also been left by the English in Torremolinos, as they have bought fruits and other effects". The first pounds that these guiris left in this future tourist emporium. The municipality of Ardales has taken a decisive step towards having its undergound treasure - the iconic Cueva de Ardales - internationally recognised. The local council has unanimously approved the cave's formal adhesion to the candidacy that aspires to add a group of Malaga province caves decorated with Palaeolithic art to the Unesco World Heritage list. This is the first institutional move in a process that will combine a solid scientific analysis with a complex political and administrative approach. The objective: achieve the unanimous backing of the nine municipalities involved, as well as the provincial authority, the Andalusian regional government and Spain's central government - the only body authorised to officially present the candidacy to Unesco. The initiative took shape at a meeting held on 6 June at the Nerja cave, where technical and political representatives from the town halls of Antequera, Benaojan, Cortes de la Frontera, Benalmadena, Malaga, Marbella, Nerja, Rincon de la Victoria and Ardales agreed to join forces to protect and promote this unique heritage site. The Nerja cave research institute is responsible for the coordination of the process, which will centralise the drafting of the technical dossier, the communication strategies and the fulfilment of the requirements demanded by the international organisation. The Ardales cave is a fundamental part of this proposal. Inside, more than 1,000 Palaeolithic motifs have been preserved, of which more than 700 are aniconic representations - hands, dots, bars, stains - together with a unique collection of human and animal figures. Uranium-thorium dating published in the Science journal in 2018 places some of these artistic expressions between 65,500 and 38,600 years ago, making this cave one of the oldest examples of European prehistoric art. 1,000 cave motifs The value of the cave goes beyond its paintings. Archaeological excavations have documented continuous human occupation from the Middle Palaeolithic to the Iron Age, including the Neolithic and Upper Palaeolithic periods. The comprehensive status of Ardales has made it a key location for scientific research and heritage outreach in Europe. Since its opening to the public in 1985, the cave has adopted a model of restricted and guided visits, compatible with the conservation of its delicate remains. More than 6,000 people visit this space every year, accompanied by specialised staff. Their experience is completed with a visit to the Ardales Prehistoric interpretation centre. Long but possible road Recognition as a Unesco World Heritage site does not come easily. To achieve this goal, the dossier must demonstrate the exceptional universal value of the cave complex, its authenticity, state of conservation, protection mechanisms and coherent long-term management. In addition, full political consensus is necessary: Unesco requires the unanimous approval of the town halls involved as a guarantee of institutional stability. Once this local endorsement has been completed, the dossier will be submitted to the Junta de Andalucia, which will forward it to the Spanish government. Only then can the formal process before the World Heritage committee begin. A minimum period of five years is estimated for the technical evaluation, the inspection visits and the final decision. In the meantime, the municipalities are already working on the creation of a common image, with a website, informative materials, signage and a shared narrative that presents the site as a coherent whole. The experience of the Dolmens of Antequera, which achieved its inclusion in the Unesco list in 2016, serves as a close and encouraging reference. With the approval of its membership, Ardales becomes the first municipality to formalise its commitment to this collective project. A gesture that not only seeks international prestige, but also reflects a firm commitment to conservation, culture and sustainable development of the territory. Three of the four large yachts that have arrived at the port for the start of the fair. Ignacio Lillo Malaga Friday, 15 August 2025, 10:36 Share It's common to spot large yachts moored along the Guadalquivir river during Seville's annual spring fair, but not during the Feria de Malaga in August. However, this year, four megayachts were moored at Muelle Uno marina on Thursday, so that their passengers can attend the opening of the fair, which starts this Friday, 15 August, with a spectacular fireworks and drone display. One of the yachts - Yas, in fact, the largest one - has been at the port for two weeks. Now, it has been joined by Tatoosh, Zenobia and Laul. Some of them are regular visitors of the port of Malaga, whether with passengers or only with the crew, who often stop for technical and provisioning purposes. This August, some passengers and staff members have confirmed that the stopover was scheduled specifically to coincide with the launch of the fair. For this reason, during the visit, the owners of some of the yachts are accompanied by family and friends. According to sources, their return to Malaga is a sign that they have previously had "good experiences" in the city. Yas The most luxurious yacht at the port at the moment is the Yas. It is one of the largest to have passed through Malaga's dock, with a length of 141 metres. It is also one of the safest in the world (armed with various defence systems). Yas is one of the vessels that have visited Malaga before, although the vessel has mostly been moored at the port in May. Now, at the height of the summer season, the identity of the passengers has not been revealed. The Yas is one of the official recreational yachts of the crown of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The boat belongs to Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prince of Dubai and of the Emirates. Known as Fazza, the 42-year-old prince is very active on social media, where he has more than 12 million followers. Yas can accommodate more than 60 passengers and 56 crew. Among its main features are a heliport, several swimming pools, a spa and, above all, the most advanced high-tech navigation and safety systems. Its estimated value is close to 200 million euros. Tatoosh The Tatoosh is an old acquaintance of Malaga's waters. A 92-metre superyacht that belonged to the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. It offers accommodation for up to 12 guests in six suites, served by a crew of 35. Its main facilities include a large swimming pool, a helipad, several dinghies of various sizes and a gym. Zenobia The Zenobia is one of the yachts that currently draw the most attention due to the rumour that it is hosting passengers of royal ancestry at the moment. Queen Camilla of England has been spotted on holiday in Greece aboard this yacht, which is owned by the Syrian-Saudi magnate Wafic Said - a very close friend of the British royal family. However, Zenobia is not really among the big ones, with a length of 57 metres and an estimated value of 40 million euros. It can accommodate up to 12 guests and 15 crew and is equipped with a covered swimming pool that also serves as a berth for auxiliary vessels. Laul The Laul is the smallest of the four yachts that have arrived (40 metres). Built in 2019, it is also a very young vessel. It can accommodate up to ten guests in five cabins, served by a seven-person crew. Apparently, it is offered as a charter yacht for short-term rentals. It features amenities such as an extendable area with a barbecue and a hangar for kayaks, paddleboards and more. Its modern semi-displacement aluminum hull allows for a maximum speed of 17 knots and a cruising speed of 12, with a range of up to 2,500 nautical miles. Pilar Martinez Malaga Friday, 15 August 2025, 14:38 Share Malaga's big week begins this Friday, 15 August. As the fair starts, hotels and holiday homes expect lower occupancy. According to the association of hoteliers of the Costa del Sol (Aehcos), the forecast predicts 90% hotel occupancy in the city - two points lower than in 2024. Despite lower occupancy rates, revenue will remain high, as tourists are expected to have a higher expenditure. Aehcos poins out that the average gross impact per hosted guest (IBCA) reflects an increase of 23.09 euros with respect to the August fair of 2024, reaching 162.13 euros per guest. Vice-president of Aehcos for Malaga city Francisco Moro assures that "the economic impact per tourist will help to attenuate the slight drop in hotel occupancy". He also encourages those who have not yet booked, saying that "there are still places available in the city". The hope is that last-minute bookings will change the initial forecast. According to Aehcos, the forecast for 14 to 24 August expects a 2.26% decrease compared to the 2024 edition of the fair, when a total hotel occupancy rate of 92.17% was recorded. Moreover, last year's fair was nine nights, while this year, the event will last ten nights. As usual, the long weekend, from Thursday, 14, to Sunday, 17, will see the highest peak in hotel occupancy, reaching 92.61%. "However, this is three points less than the first three days of the 2024 fair, when 95.6% was reached," said Moro. Bookings for the second weekend reach 88.48% - four points below the forecasts for the start of the fair, but one point higher than the occupancy rate recorded in the final stretch of the August fair last year. Holiday rental This trend is replicated in the holiday rental sector, which is also experiencing a moderation in prices. According to the tourist housing association (AVVA-Pro), occupancy rates this year (70%), although slightly lower than last year's (73.7%), demonstrate that Malaga maintains strong demand. In terms of rates, the average daily rate (ADR) has reached 212 euros, compared to 228 euros last year, reflecting a greater competitiveness in rates that has made it possible to attract a diverse public. This moderation in prices means that profitability, measured by the RevPAR indicator, which combines occupancy and price, will stand at 136 euros compared to 153 last year. "Although this figure is slightly lower, the data shows that the fair is still a period of great dynamism for the sector," AVVA-Pro says, highlighting the 12.2%, increase in the average stay, from 4.3 nights to 4.8 nights. "This indicates that more travellers are choosing to enjoy the fair and the city for practically a full week." With this, the average booking period has risen from 52 to 60 days, 15.6% more than the previous year, which indicates that visitors are planning ahead. In contrast to the forecast so far, hotels in the city centre are expecting growth in occupancy rates during this fair season - 70% compared to 68.3% in 2024. The city centre is one of the most demanded areas, as it provides quick and easy access to the fair. This growth is accompanied by an increase in prices from 196 euros to 200 euros and an increase in the average stay of 5.6 %. Director of the AC Malaga Palacio hotel Jorge Gonzalez confirms that they will be full during the days of the fair, with prices very similar to those of last year. He expressed his satisfaction with the rates that accompany this year's fair, especially after a weaker start of the summer season. Malaga Airport is already experiencing maximum traffic for this long weekend break in August. Data from Spanish airport operator Aena indicates that there will be a greater dynamism, seeing as airlines have scheduled more flights than last year. The 62 companies operating at this infrastructure have planned 2,350 aircraft movements - 49 more than in 2024. Of these, 1,870 flights will connect with cities outside Spain. The Costa del Sol currently offers non-stop flights to 157 airports around the world. The busiest day will be Sunday, 17 August, with 596 flights, followed by Friday, 15 August, with 593, of which 462 are international connections. Eight cruise ships will dock at the port of Malaga during the days of the fair, with a combined capacity of more than 28,000 passengers. Once again, the busiest day will be Sunday 17, when 11,000 cruise passengers will coincide, as well as Tuesday 19, when 9,560 tourists are expected aboard two large ships. Maria Albarral Marbella Friday, 15 August 2025, 11:10 Share The Spanish association of cartoonists (ACE) has publicly criticised Marbella town hall for not allowing professionals in the sector to carry out their work on public roads this summer. Many of them have been practicing their craft in the town for more than a decade and now they have to move to other municipalities. "It is an activity that does not generate noise or disturbance and that, in addition, enjoys significant support among Marbella locals and the tourists who come to the town each summer to enjoy their holidays," said caricaturist and member of the AEC Daniel Segarra. Artists have started a signature campaign to seek public support. "We pay our self-employed fee and our taxes. We are artists in demand by large companies, but in our town we are not valued," said Segarra, who showed several caricatures he had made for Uefa as an example of his expertise and the demand for his art. "We do not understand the reasons for this systematic refusal to develop an activity that adds to the tourist and cultural offer of Marbella," said the association. After months of disagreements between the cartoonists and Marbella town hall, a recent incident has increased the conflict. Just a few days ago, one cartoonist was expelled by the Local Police from the public location where he has been practicing for a decade. Security and overcrowding Marbella town hall said that "the delegation of public roads has decided not to authorise, for the moment, permits for the performance of street artists on public roads. This measure responds to the need to guarantee safety, avoid overcrowding and meet the requests made by both residents and the commercial sector". According to municipal sources, the cultural delegate has held a meeting with representatives of this artistic group, gathering their concerns and passing them on to the delegation of public roads. The latter has expressed the utmost respect for the different artistic disciplines and has proposed channelling these expressions through the appropriate institutional channels. With that said, interested artists will be able to coordinate their performances with the culture delegation, within the framework of programmed cultural activities, or with the commerce delegation, as part of the town's promotional activities, especially during off-peak seasons. The measure is part of a plan for the management of urban spaces. The jewels that charmed Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe arrive in Marbella An exhibition of the exclusive Venetian jewellery brand Nardi features more than 100 iconic pieces. SUR speaks with its owner Alberto Nardi From left to right - Miguel Gomez Molina, Marta Tullio Nardi and Alberto Nardi in Marbella moments before the opening of the exhibition at Gomez y Molina Joyeros. Emma Perez-Romera Marbella Friday, 15 August 2025, 16:20 Share Alberto Nardi is the third generation, after his grandfather Giulio and his father Sergio, to manage the exclusive Venetian jewellery brand Nardi. The company is almost a century old and very famous in the Italian Dolce Vita era thanks to the fact that some of its pieces were cult objects and collections of actresses and royal houses. An exhibition of their most emblematic works is on show at the Gomez y Molina jewellery shop in Marbella until 17 August, an exhibition that opens the cultural cycle of the history of contemporary jewellery. How did Nardi start? Nardi is a family story. My grandfather Giulio, who was Florentine, fought in the First World War near Venice. He fell in love with my grandmother who was Venetian. They married on the condition that he went to live there and he opened a jewellery business that he perfected over time, characterised by the design of his own exclusive handcrafted pieces linked to the beauty and history of the city of Venice. Nardi is world famous and one of its most epic moments coincides with the time of the Italian Dolce Vita. That's right. People who came to Venice for holidays began to know us and in those golden years in Italy, when tourism of the highest European and American level was arriving, Nardi became popular among the aristocracy, actresses and European royal houses. Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, Elizabeth Taylor, the Spanish Infantas... Also, people like Jean Cocteau, who has lived in Marbella; or the writer Ernest Hemingway, with a strong link to Spain, who talks in his book Across the River and into the Trees about one of the most famous Nardi pieces, the Moretto. Today we already have the third or fourth generation of American customers who consider us their jewellers. Tell us more about the Moretto, are they your most emblematic pieces? They are among them. It is true that they became very popular, as I have said, thanks to the fact that great aristocratic, cultural and royal personages wore them. I like to talk about them as part of Venice and of our philosophy of highlighting the beauty and art of my city, of the historical link between Venice and oriental culture, with the Silk Road... The Moretto are talismans, fortune bearers and their meaning goes beyond the gold and stones that make them up: they are jewels that are attached to the history of Venice and, in this case, to my grandfather, Giulio, who was the one who created the first Moretto in Nardi. How would you rate Nardi's current style? Nardi's century of history tells us that its jewellery is a symbol of elegance and exclusive style. I have revived the philosophy with which my grandfather Giulio started this business at the end of the 1920s, which was to create jewellery that moves and tells a story, working each piece by hand, always with a desire to learn and always with a great love for my city, a beautiful city, very delicate and very badly treated. When I travel around the world, like now to Marbella, I am very touched by the people who love my city, because my jewellery is a testimony to the beauty of a city that must continue beyond mass tourism. Was it difficult to set up this exhibition in Marbella? A year and a half of work. Miguel Gomez Molina and I have many things in common - a passion for detail, beauty, for what is handmade with love and the ability to make jewellery as it was made 2000 years ago. The pieces in this exhibition are a continuous nod to the culture and protection of a city that is known all over the world, and I share Miguel's idea of offering something more than a retail business. Is this the first time that Nardi pieces have been exhibited in Spain? Indeed. We have participated in Madrid and Barcelona in purely commercial events, but this is the first time that we are exhibiting in Spain, in Marbella, from an educational, didactic and cultural perspective, an exhibition open to the public. For us, Spain is a very important country and we have never done such an exhibition with more than 100 pieces of our jewellery. It is to Miguel Gomez Molina's credit that we are here in Marbella today. What's left for Alberto Nardi to do? I want to continue to transmit this passion for Venice and respect for its heritage and culture to young people and, in my travels, to be an ambassador of a Venice that wants to endure - a city that is part of the worlds history, and where we aim to do things well, with constant aesthetic research at Nardi. Javier Almellones Malaga Friday, 15 August 2025, 13:13 Share Telephone booths fell into disuse decades ago. Since then, they have become a nuisance for many people, as they lost all meaning and purpose with the widespread emergence of the mobile phone. Telefonica began to remove these installations all over the country years ago, although there are some towns that decided to give them a second life by transforming them into mini-libraries. This metamorphosis began to take shape in different parts of Spain at the beginning of this decade, although the idea was imported from other countries such as Germany and the UK. Little by little, it has also begun to reach the province of Malaga. Moclinejo, Alfarnate and Genalguacil are three of the villages where telephone booths have become a spot for residents to exchange books. Moclinejo, located in the Axarquia district, was the last one to convert the only telephone booth it had, next to the parish church of Nuestra Senora de Gracia. Passersby have been noticing the 'Libros libres' (Free books) sign on Calle Iglesia since July this year. Residents can leave the books they don't need at home anymore and choose a new read to take with them. There is everything from children's stories to relatively recently published novels. The initiative came from the Asociacion Arte y Naturaleza in Moclinejo and was supported by the town hall. Mayor Antonio Munoz has announced that they are planning to place a bench right next to the mini-library for those who want to read there. "We want to put a sensor-activated light so that it can even be used at night," he said. Phone booths in Alfarnate and Genalguacil. J. A and Ayuntamiento de Ganalguacil Alfarnate town hall converted the old telephone booth on Calle Parras into a mini-library back in 2022. It was part of a wider initiative to improve this central area of the village, close to the river. Today, the mini-library area is known as the Rinconcito de calle Parra. It is equipped with benches for those who want to read there. The third village - Genalguacil - has been a veritable open-air museum since the beginning of this century. The old telephone booth there, located on one of the central streets of the municipality, has also been put to use as a small library. The town hall, in collaboration with the cultural association Genial Genal, transformed this space, giving the same use to the bus stop as well. Zoom Decorated booth in Cartajima. Serrania Comunicacion There are other municipalities in Malaga that have chosen to convert telephone booths instead of removing them, even if they have opted for a different approach, different from a mini-library. In Cartajima, for example, the Fachadas creativas project (Creative facades) included these installations in the mural decorations it launched in the summer of 2020. This initiative has turned the town into a permanent exhibition. Share Anyone's CV is bound to feature at least one instance of exaggeration. A couple of months' data entry during a university summer holiday, for example, becomes 'Advanced Information Management'; or a stint as a bartender is generously rendered as 'Senior Beverage Facilitator'. A smattering of words in a foreign language gives you an 'intermediate' level and a suspicious gap - apparently the worst thing that can appear on a CV - is erased by tweaking a couple of dates. Is this harmless tinkering with the truth, or lying? Where's the boundary between acceptable exaggeration and pure fabrication? These are the questions raised by the recent wave of CV-related resignations among Spanish politicians. Neither Noelia Nunez, previously said to be a 'rising star' within the PP, nor Ana Milan, a member of Madrid's PP-led authority, possessed the academic qualifications they claimed to. Nor did Vox's Ignacio Higuera, part of Extremadura's government, or Jose Angel, a PSOE minister in Valencia who faked a degree to secure a civil service position. All of these cases go beyond semantic vagueness or misrepresentation of actual experience. They lay claim to knowledge or expertise, represented by a formal qualification, that is in reality lacking. Other scandals centring on politicians' CVs are not so clear-cut. Take Giuseppe Conte, leader of Italy's Five Star Movement and the country's prime minister from 2018 to 2021. Just before being installed in the latter position, Conte came under fire for claiming on his CV to have 'furthered' his legal studies at New York University, among other institutions. It emerged that he had been given permission to use the university's law library between 2008 and 2014. It might be argued that claiming to have continued your studies at an institution implies having received a degree from it. But it's also an acceptable way of saying that you've used its facilities to conduct research, or that you've been briefly affiliated to it in some other informal manner. Unlike the Spanish politicians named above, Conte didn't claim to have formal qualifications from any of the institutions to which he had a connection. He misrepresented the truth, perhaps, but he didn't lie. Back in February, the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves was also in trouble over her professional background. Despite her claims to have spent ten years at the Bank of England, the BBC revealed she had only worked there for five-and-a-half years. Every time she said something like 'I spent a decade working as an economist at the Bank of England and loved it' (in a 2021 interview), she was lying. You might think differently, but for me that puts Reeve with the Spanish politicians, rather than with Conte. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go and upgrade my CV. I've thought of a few things that I wouldn't mind having on there. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is one of the best NYSE stocks to buy under $20. RBC Capital raised the firms price target on Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) to $11 from $10 on August 4, keeping a Sector Perform rating on the shares. Why Fords (F) Dividend Makes it a Top Buy Under $20 A Ford truck roaring down a highway, with powerful headlights blazing its way. The firm told investors in a research note that Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) Q2 beat and fiscal year 25 guidance was impressive, adding that the company could be the story of 26 if management can reduce EV losses and if Pro continues to exceed expectations. RBC Capital also contended that Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) could be best positioned if USMCA is negotiated at better tariff rates compared to the deals the US struck with the EU, Japan, and Korea. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) manufactures, distributes, and sells automobiles. It operates through the following segments: Ford Blue, Ford Model E, Ford Pro, Ford Next, Ford Credit, and Corporate Other. While we acknowledge the potential of F 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. Share The recent article relating to expensive toll roads in Malaga paints a picture of excessive tolls while the reality is that they are in fact even more expensive. The figures produced in the article by 'Automovilistas Europeos Asociados' are far removed from the truth and are at best misconceived and at worst blatantly inaccurate. Those with a long memory will remember that Ferrovial (then Agroman Ferrovial) constructed the road during the 1990s and it became operative in June 1999. The company was granted a concession from the government to build, maintain and manage the toll road and in return for the initial investment was authorised to collect the revenues generated for a fixed period of time, (usually 50 or 75 years). The company advertises the AP7/E15 as going from Malaga to Estepona and is apparently priced accordingly. However leaving Malaga to travel westwards to Fuengirola you can enter or leave the motorway anywhere since this stretch of road was built by the government many years earlier. Approaching Fuengirola there is a bifurcation in the road with the two inside lanes leading to Fuengirola and the coastal road, while the two outside lanes mark the actual beginning of the toll road with signs indicating 'Peaje'. Arriving in Marbella the toll road and the coast road merge at La Canada and the single road (also built by the government and toll-free) continues around Marbella and at Nagueles you have the option of continuing through the tunnel on the coast road or taking the toll road to San Pedro Alcantara and Estepona. The cost per kilometre as set out in the article relates to a journey of 82 kilometres from Malaga to Estepona. In reality the toll road is only Fuengirola to the east of Marbella and the west of Marbella to Estepona. That is why tolls are only paid at Calahonda and San Pedro and why, upon entering these toll roads, it is impossible to leave without paying. On the other hand the Malaga to Fuengirola section along with the Marbella ring road were built by the state and can be left without charge by any of the slip roads. Eliminating the road from Malaga to Fuengirola (32 kilometres) and the Marbella ring road (5 kilometres) means that the toll road is only 45 kilometres long and not 82 kilometres according to the study. Consequently the cost per kilometre rises significantly from 0.18 to 0.33 in high season and from 0.11 to 0.20 in low season. This makes it the third most expensive toll road in Spain rather than the tenth most expensive. As a corollary to this revelation, much has been written about removing the toll on this road as a means to solve the problem of traffic congestion on the coast. Unfortunately this will never be achieved without compensating the loss of revenue to the company holding the concession for constructing the road. Almudena Nogues Malaga Friday, 15 August 2025, 17:05 Share The term is known as 'digital disconnection'. It is nothing more - as its name suggests - than the legally protected right of employees to not be forced to connect to corporate electronic devices outside of work hours and to not have to respond to any communications, e-mails, phone calls and so on related to their job. Switching off from work is protected by law in Spain. However, there is one exception. These are situations whereby companies are allowed to contact their employees outside of their normal working hours. The key? It lies in what is known as the availability bonus - effectively, being on-call. These are additional amounts paid to certain employees so they are available during pre-agreed time slots outside their routine work schedule. However, such availability must be agreed with the employee in question, either in their contract of employment or in a subsequent agreement, as it is a voluntary benefit that the employee must expressly, not verbally, accept. As pointed out by Rodl & Partner, an international company providing legal, tax and auditing advisory services, in a July 2023 ruling at Madrid's High Court of Justice (TSJM), the judges ruled that, if employees receive an availability bonus, they cannot avail themselves of the right to digital disconnection. "This bonus rewards the employee's acceptance of providing services or going to work outside of their normal working day when deemed necessary. Therefore, if the employee has voluntarily agreed to be reachable and available outside their working hours and in return is paid for doing so, this implies that the employer can contact them out of hours by phone or otherwise without the employee being able to avail themselves of their right to digital disconnection", state these legal experts. Tony Bryant Teba. Friday, 15 August 2025, 12:33 Share Tartan, kilts, sporrans and the drone of the Great Scottish bagpipe will take over Teba from Thursday 21 until Sunday 24 August, when the town celebrates the XIX Douglas' Days festivities, an event that celebrates the rich historic and cultural ties between Teba and Scotland. This festival, which has established itself as a benchmark for provincial tourism uniqueness, will again focus on the union of Teba and Melrose (Scottish Borders), two towns united by the historical legacy of Scottish peer Sir James Douglas. As well as a daily medieval street market, the programme of activities will present a series of cultural, recreational and educational events highlighting one of the most epic stories in the town's history: the battle of Teba. Also known as the Black Douglas, Sir James Douglas fought and was killed in this battle to take the strategic Estrella castle from the Emir Muhammed IV of Granada in 1330. Douglas, who fought under the command of King Alfonso XI, was on his way to the Holy Land with the embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce. The documentary, James Douglas, the man with two hearts, a film that delves into this fascinating historical episode, will be screened in Plaza de Espana at 8.30pm on Saturday. The event focuses on sites of historical interest, especially the castle - where the battle took place - and the town centre, where a plaque dedicated to both James Douglas and King Robert the Bruce is located. The activities create an authentic medieval ambience in the town, with music and dance performances, street theatre, workshops and typical cuisine of the period. Traditional Scottish bagpipe music will be supplied by The City of Inverness Youth Pipe Band along with the Costa del Sol's most established piper, Lesley Thomson, founder of the Sur Pipes Band. There will also be performances by Mardanis, a Sephardic and oriental vocal instrumental music group; and The Stolen Notes, a Celtic folk music group. www.douglasdaysteba.com Julian Roberts-Grmela and Thomas Tracy | New York Daily News An American Bully dog named Roc, swiped from a homeless man sleeping on a Bronx subway train, was reunited with his owner Thursday after someone dropped the purloined pooch off at an NYPD stationhouse in the borough, officials said. Thats Daddys Roc! Thats Daddys Roc! overjoyed dog owner Charles Williams screamed outside the 44th Precinct stationhouse as his four-legged best friend smothered him with sloppy dog kisses. The two have been separated since early Sunday, when someone stole Roc as Williams, 45, slept on a northbound D train heading into the Norwood-205th St. station, the lines last stop. Thatll never happen again, Williams whispered to Roc as he petted the excited pooch. Im so sorry. I got you. I got you. Youre OK. Youre OK. The dog was dropped off anonymously outside the NYPD police station, which is four blocks from Yankee Stadium, on Thursday morning, a police source with knowledge of the case said. Whoever left the pooch there didnt stick around to talk to police about it, the source said. Hes my companion. Hes my best friend. Hes my family. I cant go without him, said Williams, who moved to the city from upstate Poughkeepsie around three years ago. If the person that took him decided to bring him back, he did the right thing. I thank the cops for doing their job, a diligent job, in finding him. The man who snatched Roc, who was described as being in his 20s and was last seen sporting a black Yankees cap and medium-length braids, remained on the loose Thursday. Once the dog was dropped off at the precinct, cops immediately recognized Roc as the canine taken from Williams and reached out to the homeless man, who immediately ran over to pick him up. I want to cry, Williams said as a flurry of emotions crashed over him. I know God is real, because Im in a big city, and in a big city like New York, you know, you may not find your dog. I aint think I was going to get him back. Hes the only family that I have. Williams has owned Roc since April 2024. The American Bully will be turning 2 in October, the proud dog owner said. Hes been holding me down for the past year and a half, Williams said. Hes all I have. He depends on me. I depend on him, and I feel like I let him down. But dont worry, itll never happen again, he vowed. Williams lost his job as a restaurant chef at Kennedy Airport and his apartment in the Bronx about a mile from the precinct at the same time and has been homeless for about a month. In order to beat the sweltering heat on Saturday night, Williams took Roc into the transit system. The two rode the rails on the D train all night, he told the Daily News. Trains have a little bit of air on them, he said. I wanted to keep cool. I got on the train at Yankee Stadium. And we rode all the way to Brooklyn, all the way back to the Bronx, all the way back to Coney Island, and all the way back. During a return trip back up to the Bronx on Sunday morning, while at the W. Fourth St. station in Manhattan, the dognapper entered Williams subway car and sat right across from him. Roc was sitting under me, Williams recalled. [The other guy] was looking at him, you know, making little eyes at him. I paid no attention. A short time later, Williams leaned his head next to the side of the subway car and dozed off, he said. As the train headed toward its last stop, the crook leaned over, began petting Roc, unclasped his leash and took the dog without waking Williams, said the homeless man, who was later shown surveillance footage of the dastardly dognapping from inside the subway car. I woke up at 205th St. with just the leash in my hand, the heartbroken dog owner said. The last time I remember looking at my dog was 161st St. I havent ate anything since Saturday because I havent had an appetite, he told The News. When Williams showed up at the 44th Precinct, his heart leapt as he immediately recognized Roc. Hes the only Bully in the Bronx, he said proudly. Theres a lot of Bullies out here in New York City, but no Bully has his markings. Hes the only Bully thats that color. More importantly, Roc recognized Williams as soon as he stepped into the stationhouse. He heard my voice and he stood up. I said, Roc! He started crying, the proud dog owner recounted. This is my boy. He knows Daddy, and Daddy knows him! American Bullies share common ancestry with pit bulls but are generally more laid back in temperament. The at-large thief could be looking for a new dog, Williams feared. For all dog owners, just take care of your babies. Watch over your babies, he warned. People are stealing babies. It is stupid. Who takes a dog? Despite the brutal heat wave, Williams and Roc were sleeping outside before the dognapping and will keep on doing so now, since Roc isnt officially registered as a support dog. Me and Roc has been out on the street, parks, staircases, rooftops over the past month, because I cant get in the shelter with him, because hes not officially a support dog, but I got him for emotional support, Williams said. I think that shelters should lift their laws for dogs, you know, especially when its a nice dog hes not a vicious dog, hes a very loving dog. So the two will tough it out together, he vowed, saying, It was me and him. Itll be me and him. Ride it out till the wheels fall off. Williams did sleep in a shelter during the nights Roc was missing, but having his best buddy back is more important to him than a comfortable nights sleep. Meanwhile, Animal Care Centers of NYC recently reached its capacity for sheltering animals for the first time in its history, with the organization chalking it up partly to the citys housing affordability crisis and homelessness. Williams, though, said hell never abandon Roc, no matter what. To some of us, he said, our animals arent just pets, theyre family. And my dogs not just my pet. Hes my family. Hes like my son. Im not giving my dog up. He helps me cope. Williams, along with Roc, was offered to stay in a dog-friendly shelter by the city. Anyone with information on the thief is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. Jim Sollecito caught this shortfin mako shark off the coast of Southern California in July using a fly fishing rig. The orange floating fly was difficult to cast, Sollecito said, requiring great accuracy and timing. Conway Bowman A partisan move by Texas to redraw its congressional maps in the middle of the decade to secure five more GOP seats in the U.S. House set off a clamor to replicate the effort in red and blue states. So far, though, only California has taken steps toward redistricting. Changing congressional maps in a bid to ensure one partys victory over another called gerrymandering has typically been done more furtively. But President Donald Trumps call for Texas to redraw the maps to better ensure that Republicans retain control of the House in the 2026 elections has blown the lid off the practice. Here is a rundown of what states are doing. Texas kicked it off, then Democrats left the state Dozens of Democratic lawmakers who left Texas and thereby halted the vote on redistricting moved closer to ending their nearly two-week walkout on Thursday. They said they will return to Texas provided that California releases its own redrawn map proposal and Texas Republicans end the special legislative session, both of which are expected to happen Friday. Past efforts by Democrats to abscond and deny Republicans a quorum similarly only delayed the passage of bills, but didnt quash them. And Gov. Gregg Abbott vowed to keep calling the Legislature back until enough lawmakers are present to pass the redistricting proposal. State Rep. Jon Rosenthal, a Democrat from Houston, told The Associated Press this week that their protest was about raising awareness. They may still pass these maps, but were going to do everything we can to awaken America, he said. California Democrats propose retaliation In response to Texas, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that the state will move forward with redrawing congressional maps aimed at putting five more Democrats into the U.S. House. The proposed maps, which are expected to be released Friday, are an attempt to counterbalance Texas and Trumps plan to add five Republican seats. Newsom has been outspoken about retaliating if Texass redistricting takes effect, telling Trump this week in a letter that the president was playing with fire. Unlike Texas, however, California has an independent commission that handles redistricting after the census each decade, which is typically when districts are reshaped to account for population shifts. Any changes would first need the approval of state lawmakers and voters. State lawmakers plan to officially declare a special election next week. Missouri Republicans take steps toward redistricting At Trumps urging and partly in response to Californias threats, Missouris Republican majority is preparing for a special session on congressional redistricting A document obtained by The Associated Press shows the state Senate has received a $46,000 invoice for software licenses and staff training for redistricting. While Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe hasnt officially announced a special session, Republican House Majority Leader Alex Riley told the AP it is pretty likely to happen. Riley added that he has had discussions with White House staff about it. Republicans hold six of Missouris eight congressional seats. The party could target a Democratic-held district in Kansas City to pick up another seat. In justifying the redistricting, Missouri Republicans accused neighboring Illinois of rigging its maps and pointed to a draft proposal circulating in California. New York Democrats try to change state law New York, similar to California, has an independent commission that changes the political maps only after every census. But state Democrats introduced legislation to allow mid-decade redistricting. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul said that if Texas proceeds, we must do the same. But the soonest new maps could be in place would be for the 2028 elections. That is because the proposal would require an amendment to the state constitution, a change that would have to pass the Legislature twice and be approved by voters. Wisconsin Democrats take a different tack While Republicans control the Legislature, Democrats turned to the courts to try to force a redrawing of congressional district boundary lines before the 2026 midterms. Two lawsuits were filed in July after the liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court without explanation previously declined to hear challenges directly. Maryland Democrats promise a response to Texas Maryland House Majority Leader David Moon, a Democrat, says he will sponsor legislation to trigger redistricting if Texas or any other state holds redistricting ahead of the census. Floridas governor hints at support for redistricting Republican state House Speaker Daniel Perez said his chamber will take up redistricting this year through a special committee. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has told the public to stay tuned and has reiterated his support for the state joining the redistricting fray. Ohio must redraw its maps before the 2026 midterms A law in Republican-led Ohio requires new political maps before the 2026 midterm elections. The GOP holds 10 of its 15 House seats already and could try to expand that edge. Indianas governor spoke with the vice president Vice President JD Vance said he spoke with Republican Gov. Mike Braun last week, as the redistricting melee intensified, but both politicians remained mum about the discussions. Braun, who would have to call a special session to draw new maps, has said he expects a broad conversation with legislative leaders on the moves constitutionality and said no commitments have been made. Republicans face more limited possibilities of squeezing out another GOP seat in Indiana. Republican U.S. representatives outnumber Democrats 7-2 in the state already. Kansas Republicans havent ruled out redistricting Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson didnt rule out trying to redraw the states four congressional districts, one of which is held by the states sole Democrat House representative. The Legislatures GOP-supermajority could do so early next year, which would put the new lines in place before the June 1 candidate filing deadline. Muri Assuncao l New York Daily News (TNS) A man is accused of luring a Grindr date to his Upstate New York apartment before stabbing him multiple times, authorities said Thursday. Reggie Florence, 28, connected with the victim on a dating app on Aug. 3 before inviting him to his Middletown apartment, Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler said in a statement Thursday night. The app was the popular gay dating platform Grindr , prosecutors confirmed to News 12 Long Island. When the victim, a Long Island resident, arrived, Florence told him he would give him a massage. After directing the victim to lie down on the floor and beginning to massage the victim, Florence repeatedly stabbed the victim in the back of the neck with a large kitchen knife, prosecutors said. As the victim fought back, Florence allegedly continued the brutal attack, stabbing him in his eyes and torso. As a result, the victim sustained critical injuries, including the loss of an eye, according to prosecutors. A neighbor saw Florence standing over the victim during the struggle and called the police, who arrived at the scene and took him into custody, officials said. During a subsequent investigation, police recovered what appeared to be a new mop, bucket and a bottle of bleach near where the attack allegedly occurred. Senior Assistant District Attorney Rich Moran told News 12 the defendant had knives strategically placed around the room, as well as a blanket under the victim for easy cleanup. Florence was indicted by an Orange County grand jury and pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and two counts of assault during his arraignment on Thursday, online court records show. It is a miracle that the haunting allegations in this case did not result in the death of the victim, Hoovler said Thursday evening. While the victim continues to recover from life-altering injuries, we will seek to hold this defendant accountable for his unspeakable crimes. Florence is being held on $500,000 cash bail. Hes due back in court on Aug. 28. MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a decree that could allow foreign investors, including top U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil, to regain shares in the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project. The signing of the decree comes on the day Russian president Vladimir Putin meets Donald Trump in Alaska for a summit where opportunities for investment and business collaboration will be on the agenda, alongside talks to find peace in Ukraine. Friday's decree was published as a follow-up to one Putin signed in October 2022, which ordered the seizure of the Sakhalin-1 project. Exxon previously held a 30% operator share in the lucrative project, and is the only non-Russian investor to have quit its stake. Exxon did not immediately reply to Reuters request for comment. The path to Western investment returning to Russia is unclear given the U.S. and European Union would need to lift far-reaching sanctions to facilitate investment. Companies who might wish to return, having spent significant amounts of money to exit the country three years ago, also face high barriers put up by the Russian government. Trump and his team have considered what sanctions they may be able to lift quickly in the case of progress in talks. Sakhalin-1 has to date not been directly designated under extensive U.S. sanctions on Russian energy. The decree stipulates that foreign shareholders must undertake actions to support the lifting of Western sanctions if they want to regain their share. They must also conclude contracts for supplies of necessary foreign-made equipment to the project, and transfer funds to Sakhalin-1 project accounts. Exxon took an impairment charge of $4.6 billion to exit its Russian business after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. In December 2024, Putin signed a decree extending the sale period for the unclaimed Exxon stake in Sakhalin-1 until 2026. The October 2022 decree established Rosneft subsidiary Sakhalinmorneftegaz-shelf as the new operator, allowing the Russian government to decide foreign investors' ownership rights in Sakhalin-1. Alongside Exxon, Russian company Rosneft, India's ONGC Videsh and Japan's SODECO were partner investors. The Russian government allowed both ONGC Videsh and SODECO to keep their stakes. (Reporting by Olesya Astakhova; Writing by Robert Harvey; Editing by Nina Chestney, Simon Webb and Rosalba O'Brien) Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Southern Copper Corporation (NYSE:SCCO) is one of the best copper stocks to buy according to hedge funds. On July 30, the company reported mixed second-quarter 2025 results. While sales were down year-over-year, attributed to lower copper prices, the company posted a modest net income growth. Southern Coppers (SCCO) Cost Reductions Payoff as Net Income Grows Net sales for the quarter decreased 2% to $3.05 billion, primarily due to lower copper prices. However, the company delivered a 2% increase in net income to $973 million, affirming a solid cost structure and improved operational efficiency. Southern Copper achieved a 3% reduction in operating costs to $1.46 billion as cash cost per pound of copper fell 17% to $0.63. Copper production in the quarter was down 1% year-over-year to 238,980 tons. Molybdenum production increased by 4% to 7,919 tons, as zinc production rose 56% to 45,899 tons. The company has also initiated an ambitious capital investment program designed to enhance production capacity. The board has already approved some projects expected to add 156,000 tons of copper production. The projects include the Tia Maria project in Peru, with a 120,000-ton copper capacity, and Michiquillay in Peru, with a 225,000-ton copper capacity. Southern Copper Corporation (NYSE:SCCO) is a mining company focused on copper production. It also produces other metals like molybdenum, silver, and zinc. The company operates mines, smelting, and refining facilities, primarily in Peru and Mexico. While we acknowledge the potential of SCCO 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: 10 Best EV Penny Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds and 10 Best Performing Crypto Stocks So Far in 2025. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Starbucks brought the cafe experience to China in the 1990s, and as Chinas economic growth soared, its footprint expanded in tandem to bring its total number of stores there to over 7,800. In recent years, however, Western brands have been losing ground to local names amid rising nationalism and reluctance to pay premiums for brands. A spokeswoman for Starbucks declined to comment but referred to comments regarding its China business recovery and stake sale process in its most recent earnings. Starbucks is in a tough position, said Mark Tanner, managing director of consultancy China Skinny in Shanghai. Many cost-conscious consumers are opting for cheaper alternatives, but trying to compete on price will be a race to the bottom, destroying any margins they currently hold. The stake sale exercise is underscoring Starbucks identity crisis in China as it tries to salvage a flagging legacy business amid fierce domestic competition a problem that has afflicted other foreign brands as Chinas economy undergoes major shifts. What Starbucks chooses to do in China will decide whether it ends up successful like McDonalds Corp., or faltering like Apple Inc. Most of the prospective investors want a controlling stake of the Seattle-based companys Chinese business. And while Starbucks has said itll only partner with an investor aligned with its vision, the process has put its local Chinese management team on tenterhooks, worried that a brand theyve spent decades building will become just another low-price, trend-following chain, said people familiar with the matter. Starbucks, they argued, should have smaller stores, employ fewer people and cut prices, according to people familiar with a stake sale process that kicked off in May who asked not to be identified for discussing private matters. These proposals resemble the very model that enabled Luckin Coffee Inc. to overtake Starbucks as Chinas biggest coffee chain two years ago by selling coffee at one-third of its price. When a group of private equity investors and Chinese technology companies were asked for ideas on how they would revive Starbucks Corp.s fortunes in the worlds second-largest economy, the most common advice was: Be a lot more like the local competition that beat you. Story Continues The very few American brands that still thrive in Chinas great consumer pullback made successful adaptations to their business. Yum China Holdings Inc.s KFC incorporated street food and local delicacies into its menu and offers cost-conscious consumers meal deals all year long. Walmart Inc.s Sams Club taps into the middle classs craving for exclusivity and growing health consciousness with high-quality private label snacks and premium meat cuts. Starbucks seems stuck in between those models. While its third place store format is expensive to upkeep, customers have become less willing to pay higher prices for its drinks since the Covid pandemic and ongoing economic downturn. Compounding the problem was previous China Chief Executive Officer Belinda Wongs tendency to hew more closely to the companys strategy in developed Western markets, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Wong rejected ideas like a lower-price spinoff chain before Covid, as well as more localized campaigns during the pandemic, the people said, citing a belief that they conflicted with Starbucks brand. New initiatives have been launched rapidly since new CEO Molly Liu took over in late 2024. These included a cheaper line of tea-based drinks and sugar-free options, and tie-ups with the movie and Taiwanese rock band Mayday, all under the aegis of a new chief growth officer. Lius understanding of the Chinese market enables different ideas to be discussed and approved more easily, the people said. Starbucks new product innovation and marketing campaigns this year show its digging deeper to explore the demand of Chinese consumers, said Roolee Lu, Shanghai-based director of consultancy Mintel Group Ltd. They want new products, they want emotional connection with brands, they need some comprehensive, immersive experiences. There are signs of a turnaround. Based on conversations with three store managers in Shanghai, drinks co-branded with Mayday drove their May sales by as much as 20% in their stores. Overall, the most recent quarter showed sales returning to growth since late 2023 in China, with Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol attributing the success in an earnings call last month to beverage innovation and changes to non-coffee pricing. Yet the lack of a clear strategy endures, especially around its stores which, depending on who you ask, are either a vaunted part of brand identity or an expensive cost overhang. The Chinese management team is now experimenting with different ways to bring people in. These include making more stores pet-friendly, providing free-to-use study rooms and targeting store openings in heritage or scenic sites, such as a recent one in Yunnans Yulong Snow Mountain. From the potential investors perspective, it isnt necessary to have large stores if Starbucks aims to capture the needs of busy professionals who are unlikely to linger, though some shops should maintain in-store experiences, said people familiar with the proposals. Cutting the number of staff in stores is also an option, the people said, as many local chains only have one employee as orders are mostly taken online. Jessica Gleeson, a former Starbucks China executive who now runs her own retail consultancy in Shanghai, said the risk is that the new investor doesnt understand Starbucks positioning in China and turns it into just another transactional coffee chain. The low-end of the market is already crowded, she said. Whichever direction Starbucks China takes, one thing is clear: Itll regain past glory only if consumers like Jelly Li can be persuaded to become regular customers again. The 32-year-old musician from Guangzhou was recently at a Starbucks in Shanghai with a view of the Oriental Pearl Tower. She was unimpressed by the orange-flavored ice-shaken espresso she ordered, noting: Starbucks taught me how to enjoy coffee when I was in college. Now I need coffee every day but no longer pay for Starbucks. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A second MasterChef contestant has been edited out of the new series following a scandal involving fired hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode. The cookery shows production company, Banijay UK said that the unnamed contestant asked to be removed after 45 complaints about the behaviour of Wallace and one against Torode were upheld. One other contributor decided that, given recent events, they would like not to be included, Banijay UK said. We have, of course, accepted their wishes and edited them out of the show." BBC News reports that the contestant has asked not to be identified and that the individual will not appear in the show whatsoever. The Independent has contacted the BBC for comment. The contestant is the second person who has been edited out of the current series of the show, which was mostly filmed before the allegations against Wallace emerged in November 2024. open image in gallery Fired hosts John Torode and Gregg Wallace on the new series of MasterChef ( BBC ) Aspiring chef Sarah Shafi asked to be removed from the new series amid fears the show would send the wrong message to women. Although Shafi had initially rejected an offer by Banijay to edit her out of the episode in which she appears, she later reversed her decision after it was announced that the BBC would be airing the show following weeks of uncertainty. Speaking to The Independent, Greek chef Irini Tzortzoglou, who won MasterChef in 2019, supported the decision to air the controversial episodes. If I had gone through all that the highs and lows then somebody said to me, Well, actually, we may not show the three months of your life when you spilled your blood and guts to see how far you could go, Id be very unhappy, Tzortzoglou said. Im very thrilled to see it on our screens. Upon announcing that the series would be shown, a BBC spokesperson said: After careful consideration and consultation with the contestants, we have decided to broadcast the amateur series of MasterChef. The corporation acknowledged that not everyone will agree with what it recognised as a difficult decision. There appeared to be fewer jokes from Wallace and Torode and fewer chats between the hosts and chefs in the first episode of the new series, which lost almost one million viewers compared with last years launch. open image in gallery Sarah Shafi was the first contestant who asked to be edited out of the new MasterChef series ( BBC ) After allegations of inappropriate behaviour surfaced against Wallace in November 2024, an investigation was launched by Banijay. More than half of the 83 allegations levied against Wallace were substantiated, but the report also upheld one accusation of offensive racist language allegedly used by Torode. In episodes set to air next month, Wallace will be replaced by Anna Haugh. Meanwhile, Grace Dent was confirmed as Wallaces replacement on Celebrity MasterChef last year but the BBC is yet to confirm the pairs fixed replacements on the main MasterChef show. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Finding love in the modern world isnt easy. Many of us have lost the gumption to ask a stranger out in public, meaning the opportunity for romance relies on a plethora of apps that lead us to disappointing dates, unsuitable matches, or worse profound boredom. Of the 4.4 million adults in the UK using online dating services such as Tinder, Bumble and Hinge, about a quarter are paying for the premium editions in an attempt to make the hunt for love effective and enjoyable. These can cost up to 70 a month. As you might expect, rich people have a markedly pricier and more successful version of this: welcome to the world of millionaire matchmakers. Dakota Johnson is one such professional cupid in Materialists, the naturalistic new romcom from Past Lives director Celine Song, released in UK cinemas this week. Her character Lucys slew of high-net-worth New York clients bombard her with demands for a match with the perfect height, weight, age even salary. Essentially, it all comes down to numbers. Song was inspired to make the film by her own six-month experience working as a matchmaker. I learnt more about people and what's in their hearts than I did in any other period of my life, she has said and the search for the one has become even more unusual since Song had the job in the late 2010s. Inga Verbeeck, 45, is one of the leading matchmaking specialists in the world. The Belgian businesswoman studied finance and worked in the steel industry before opening her elite matchmaking service, Ivy Relations, in 2015. Her client base includes everyone from tech bros and entrepreneurs to biochemists, bankers, politicians and celebrities. Her fee? Upwards of 100,000. Verbeeck doesnt work with strict deadlines but says that, on average, it takes her between a year and 18 months to match her carefully selected singletons with the person theyre looking for. If youre lucky, it can be three months, and the longest Ive worked with a client is seven years, she says. But that was very much an exception. If Verbeeck never manages to find a match, none of the money is returned. She guarantees introductions not success. Those looking to enlist Verbeecks services go through an application process that consists of a handful of phone calls and a few days spent alongside Verbeeck and her team. I try to get a glimpse into their actual life, she says. Work, where they live, all of that. On these outings, the matchmaker asks each client about their past, politics and religion topics many of us might avoid mentioning on a first date out of politeness or for fear of incompatibility. You know, anything that could be helpful for the search, she says of the scrupulous fact-finding mission. Verbeeck is as chic as youd expect for a high-flying matchmaker; well put-together with cascading blonde hair and a minimalist wardrobe that could easily be intimidating, were it not for her sense of humour and lack of judgemental glare. Its easy to see why clients feel comfortable letting her into even the messiest corners of their lives. Matches are found by the Ivy Relations recruitment team, who work remotely from different cities as well as out of their Antwerp-based HQ. They reach out to hundreds of eligible singles each day, roughly 20 per cent of whom respond to say theyre interested. Prospective dates then undergo a multi-step profiling process and the most compatible of them are kept on file. The clients demands range from the classic height, sense of humour, positivity to the extraordinary: A young German tech entrepreneur really wanted a good-looking, tall, blonde girl with a degree in aerospace engineering, Verbeeck says. Did she find said perfect woman? Yes, absolutely. Verbeecks true gift, though, is knowing what will make her clients happy long before they do. The matchmaker had been working with a French entrepreneur for more than a year, and introduced him to 15 different women, but none of them were a match despite the fact hed enjoyed their company and they ticked every box on his list. So, Verbeeck went to meet a woman in Switzerland with whom the Frenchman also appeared compatible, listened to her speak, watched how she liked to spend her day, and suddenly realised what had been missing: How she would go about certain things suggested a very, very small amount of autism, Verbeeck says. The pair went on a date and three months later they were married. It just clicked together, she says. open image in gallery Johnson as matchmaker Lucy and Pedro Pascal as bachelor Harry in 'Materialists' ( Sony/A24 ) Another French client was single after 20 years of marriage and was figuring out the type of man she actually wanted to be with. Verbeeck knew her client wouldnt be attracted to her latest suggestion on the first introduction, and convinced her to give the man three chances before she rejected him entirely, as she sensed they had great potential. We met six months later in Paris, Verbeeck says. Shed restyled him introduced him into a new world and vice versa but intrinsically they had the same values and views on life. They opened up a whole new universe together, got married a couple of years after, and are still very happy today. It was a great match. Despite being responsible for numerous marriages, Verbeeck says shes very rarely invited to her clients weddings mostly, she thinks, because there still seems to be a taboo about using such dating services. As Materialists explores, it can be hard for matchmakers to manage the dismal or sometimes even dangerous side of dating, from getting ghosted to much darker behaviour such as sexual assault. We communicate a lot about dating etiquette; what we feel is right and how people should behave, says Verbeeck. If we have the feeling that somebody isnt up to par on that level, we will drop them. I think thats really important. If a match simply isnt interested in their client, Verbeeck and her team can help break the news or theyll leave it to the person, depending on which they prefer. Well help manage the situation, she says. But because of the detail of our homework and the preparation we do, just about every introduction is positive Ive had very few disaster scenarios, she says of her 15-year career. open image in gallery I personally got married too young: Millionaire matchmaker Inga Verbeeck ( Ivy Relations ) Verbeeck married young, at 21, and was divorced by 29 with a two-year-old son in tow. She started her business after friends registered her for a dating service in London, only for the matchmaker to tell her she worked too much and had too much baggage for them to find her love. She is now dating someone. I didnt matchmake myself, it sort of just happened, she laughs. Ive been through a lot in my romantic and personal life; quite a few ups and downs. But shes confident that her personal history doesnt tarnish her credentials: I think that makes me a better matchmaker, Verbeeck says. If Id had the perfect relationship forever, it wouldnt have given me the depth that I need to do my job today. Considering todays dating landscape Hinge likes for ego boosts, Tinder swipes for something (or someone) to do on a Friday night those who can afford to hire Ivy Relations are blatantly lucky. The cynical view here could be that finding love has become a luxury afforded only by those who can stretch to the apps monthly subscription fees or employ the services of a professional. But Verbeeck has advice for those feeling jaded: Apps create opportunity, but they are a nightmare, she says. Take off the headphones. Just say hello. You never know whats going to happen. People have long checklists. They want soul connection. They want chemistry. But its possible. Lets just say that. I see it all the time. So, nobody should give up hope, because its out there. Materialists is in UK cinemas now The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A California babysitter is set to spend the rest of her life behind bars after providing her boyfriend with at least four young girls in her care to sexually abuse. Brittney Lyon, 32, of Escondido, San Diego County, was sentenced inside the Vista Superior Court on Thursday to 100 years to life in state prison for her role in the crimes. Prosecutors said that the girls ranged in age from three to seven years old, with two of the victims diagnosed with autism, one of whom was nonverbal at the time of the assault. The victims were abused between 2014 and 2016 in their own homes, as well as at Lyons and boyfriend Samuel Cabreras residence, prosecutors said. Deputy District Attorney Jodi Breton dispelled the notion Lyon was forced into participating in the crimes, and said text messages between the defendants showed Lyon bartering with Cabrera to provide him with a child in exchange for taking her on dates. open image in gallery Brittney Lyon was convicted on Thursday to 100 years to life in state prison after being found guilty of molesting multiple young girls ( Carlsbad Police Department ) Lyon and Cabrera were arrested in July 2016 following one of the victims, whom Lyon babysat in the community of Carlsbad, informing her mother about the abuse. Following the arrest, the San Diego County District Attorney's Office said that investigators found hundreds of videos on six separate hard drives inside a double-locked box inside Cabreras car. Prosecutors said that the footage showed Cabrera and Lyon molesting the children, some of whom were at times drugged and bound. Additional videos taken by Lyon showed women and girls in changing rooms at clothing stores, bathrooms, and locker rooms, according to the DAs office. Prosecutors said Lyon and Cabrera met in high school, where he persuaded her to videotape women changing in gym locker rooms secretly. Cabrera, 31, was convicted of 35 felonies, including multiple counts involving child molestation, and was sentenced in 2021 to eight life-without-parole terms, plus more than 300 years to life in state prison, according to the DAs office. open image in gallery ( Carlsbad Police Department ) Lyon pleaded guilty in May to two counts of lewd act upon a child and two counts of a forcible lewd act upon a child. She also admitted the allegations of kidnapping, residential burglary, and sexually assaulting multiple victims. Three of the victims parents said they met Lyon through a babysitting services site, where she touted her interest in working with special needs children. Lyon would regularly take one of the victims outside their home, according to the mother, which she claimed was to help with a research paper for her child development degree. The perpetrator studied child development at California State University Northridge, according to a review of her Facebook page in 2016 by the San Diego Tribune. In court on Thursday, the parents of the victims voiced their feelings of betrayal after entrusting Lyon with their children. You knew how to win our trust and manipulate to get what you want, one victims mother said, according to NBC San Diego. open image in gallery Brittney Lyon was convicted on Thursday to 100 years to life in state prison after being found guilty of molesting multiple young girls ( NBC San Diego ) Another woman, whose daughter was just three-and-a-half at the time of the assault, added: You are the most sick and evil monster that society has. What you did to these innocent and most helpless of children, without any conscience, care or concern, or ounce of remorse, is unfathomable. The mother of the third victim said her family has suffered a decade of pain and suffering, with Lyon and Cabreras abuse creating a wound that has never healed. Lyons defense attorney read aloud an apology letter penned by the perpetrator for the victims families. For nine years, I've thought about what I would say today. I've come to the conclusion that there are no words that would make any of the harm and trauma I've caused any better, it read. San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said that Lyons sentence marked the end of a despicable chapter that has destroyed innocence and devastated families. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Convicted murderer Bryan Kohberger is complaining that his fellow inmates have been taunting him inside Idahos most secure prison. The 30-year-old former PhD criminology student, who was sentenced to life in prison last month for the slayings of four University of Idaho students, was recently transferred to his new home at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, just outside Boise. Officials at the prison say it maintains protective custody for Kohberger and all inmates but acknowledges that communication between prisoners can occur even under restrictive conditions. We are aware of Kohbergers complaints about what he considers taunting, a spokesperson for the Idaho Department of Corrections told NBC News. Incarcerated individuals commonly communicate with each other in prison. Bryan Kohberger is housed alone in a cell, and IDOC security staff maintain a safe and orderly environment for all individuals in our custody. open image in gallery The 30-year-old former PhD criminology student was recently transferred to his new home at Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna ( Getty ) Kohberger is being held in the Idaho Maximum Security Institutions J Block, a restrictive housing unit with single-person cells. But despite his isolation, inmates have reportedly shouted at him through ventilation ducts and banged on doors to disrupt his sleep, according to NewsNation. Chris McDonough, a retired homicide detective who now serves as the director of the Cold Case Foundation, told NewsNation the inmates apparently were waiting for him, They are now making his life absolutely miserable. Theyre utilizing the vent system. Theyre kicking the doors. Theyre taunting him. And theyre basically torturing him through using psychology, he said. And my goodness, hes complaining. open image in gallery Kohberger is being held in the Idaho Maximum Security Institutions J Block, a restrictive housing unit with single-person cells ( KBOI ) The unit boasts single-person cells, restricts outdoor recreation time to just one hour per day and allows inmates to shower every other day, the prison spokesperson said. All J block prisoners are moved in restraints and have access to religious services, communication through JPay, and can place commissary orders. The taunting allegations emerged alongside newly revealed forensic evidence showing that in the weeks before his arrest, Kohberger spent hours downloading information on more than 20 notorious serial killers including Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Gary Ridgway, and Danny Rolling. Rollings 1990 murders of five college students bore striking similarities to the Idaho killings, prosecutors have said. Heather Barnhart, Senior Director of Forensic Research at Cellebrite, who was set to testify at the trial, told The Independent that investigators recovered records showing Kohbergers disturbing searches. Kohberger also downloaded multiple Moscow Police Department case updates in the weeks after the murders. open image in gallery Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were killed in 2022 ( Instagram ) Barnhart said the searches were recovered from his Android device because he failed to clear the downloads, despite wiping his laptop. Kohberger is serving four consecutive life sentences without parole for the November 2022 murders of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. He pleaded guilty in June, avoiding a potential death sentence. Kohberger has not publicly given a motive for the killings. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A desperate search is underway for an Arkansas teenager who vanished from her fathers home in a rural area of Arkansas Saturday night and her family is fearing the worst. Hannah Osborn, 17, was last seen around 7:40 p.m. on August 9, leaving her fathers house in the small town of Bradford, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Department. Her father, Wesley Osborn, said his daughter is an avid user of Snapchat, and he worries she may have been in contact with someone online who meant her harm. Shes had problems with being on that Snapchat and meeting people out of town and things, but Hannah has always come home, he told KATV. There were some vehicles spotted on my road about the time that she left. It leads me to believe there might be some foul play, some drug activity around my neighborhood. open image in gallery Hannah Osborn, 17, was last seen around 7:40 p.m. on August 9, leaving her fathers house in the small town of Bradford, Arkansas ( Jackson County Sheriff's Department ) Wesley and Hannahs mother Crystal Osborn do not know if Hannah got into one of those vehicles, but they say they are following every lead they can find. Hannahs parents describe the teen as a smart, caring young woman with a wild spirit. They are pleading for her safe return. Shes beautiful. Shes caring. She got a big heart, just beautiful on the inside and out, Wesley told KATV. Shes a great person. We just want our daughter back. We would like to have her back home. But more importantly, I just need to know shes alive and okay. open image in gallery Her father, Wesley Osborn, said his daughter is an avid user of Snapchat, and he worries she may have connected with someone online who meant her harm ( Wesley Osborn/Facebook ) Since Hannah disappeared, the worried father has posted emotional pleas on social media, describing the search as the hardest days of his life. Been out another night, fighting to find your beautiful light, he wrote. As I sit here and wonder where you may be, I am overwhelmed with emotion, wishing you were with me. I dont know where to look, I dont know where to start, all I find myself doing is making circles in a world that is falling apart. In a second post, he urged his daughter to contact him. Please, if you see this, pick up a phone and call me and tell me that you are ok. Its been the hardest 5 days of our lives not knowing where you are or what may have happened to you. We have turned this country upside down searching for you I would beat down the doors of Hell to find you and make sure you are safe. I want you to know that no matter what I will always love you, he continued. Good, bad, right, or wrong I will always be here for you. You are my flesh and blood, my baby girl. Wesley said Hannah is loved and greatly missed, adding, If you are out there and upset with us or whatever the case may be, just know that youre not in trouble. Were not trying to force you to do anything against your will. Crystal said she is struggling to find the words to describe her pain. I dont even have the words to express how Im feeling right now. open image in gallery The Aware Foundation and other missing persons group are circulating posters online as the search continues ( The Aware Foundation ) The family is working closely with the Jackson County Sheriffs Department and Arkansas State Police in the search. Hannah was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and carrying an orange and black backpack. Standing 59 and weighing about 120 pounds, she has curly blonde hair, though her father said she often straightens it. Anyone with information on Hannah Osborns whereabouts is urged to call the Jackson County Sheriffs Department at (870) 523-5842. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice XenaTheWitch, a popular Kick livestreamer, was arrested in Austin on Wednesday following a viral incident where she allegedly shot a woman with a paintball gun during a scavenger hunt. The alleged incident happened on August 9 around 5:55 p.m. near 2200 South Lakeshore Boulevard along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, police said. Amaris Sampson, 29, better known as XenaTheWitch, was taking part in a $30,000 scavenger hunt organized by fellow streamer Paul "Ice Poseidon" Denino. Live footage from the event allegedly shows Sampson shooting a paintball gun at a woman who did not appear to be involved in the hunt or wearing any protective gear. The woman told officers she was in pain and injured after being shot in the thigh. Yeah, she f****** shot me. It was one of them girls, the victim can be heard saying in the viral video. open image in gallery Amaris Sampson, 29, better known as the Kick streamer XenaTheWitch, was arrested on Wednesday concerning the alleged paintball gun shooting ( Austin Police Department ) I dont give a f***, Sampson is said to have responded. Following the incident, Austin Police Department issued a warrant for Sampson's arrest. She was taken into custody on Wednesday and booked into the Travis County Jail. Police said Sampson deliberately or knowingly injured the victim by firing a paintball at them, and that she acted recklessly by discharging the paintball gun in a public area without taking proper safety measures, endangering others. Sampson faces assault with bodily injury and deadly conduct charges, both Class A misdemeanors. open image in gallery The alleged incident was caught on a Kick livestream ( Kick ) Sampson has since deleted her Kick account, which had over 37,000 followers before the incident. She has also been banned from the platform. Fans shared their disappointment in Sampson on Reddit, X, Instagram, and beyond. The things people do for clout because they think it's funny, one person tweeted. Yep! That will do it lol. You got what you deserve, another agreed. A third person wrote, Clout chasing by these streamers is going to start actually getting people hurt and maybe even wiped out. Sampson has a history of controversial behavior. In a January livestream, her cameraman allegedly stole an Uber drivers phone and threw it under his car. In November 2023, she faced criticism for urinating out of her room window to attract viewers. October NY world sugar #11 (SBV25) is down -0.09 (-0.53%), and October London ICE white sugar #5 (SWV25) is up +1.00 (+0.21%). NY sugar prices today are trading lower on some long liquidation pressure after the 3-session rally to a 2-month high on Tuesday. More News from Barchart Sugar prices rallied through Tuesday on smaller sugar supplies from Brazil. Covrig Analytics said last Friday that reports of smaller cane yields from Brazil's sugar farmers may knock Brazil's 2025/26 sugarcane production below 600 MMT, much lower than Brazilian government crop forecasting agency Conab's forecast of 663.4 MMT. An excessive short position by funds could exacerbate any short-covering rally in sugar futures. Last Friday's weekly Commitment of Traders (COT) report showed funds increased their net-short positions in NY sugar futures by +25,923 positions to 151,004 short positions in the week ending August 5, the most in almost 6 years. Last Tuesday, sugar prices fell to 5-week lows on signs of stronger sugar production in Brazil. On July 31, Unica reported Brazil's Center-South sugar output in the first half of July rose +15% y/y to 3.4 MMT. Also, the amount of sugarcane being crushed for sugar by Brazil's sugar mills has increased to 54% from 50% the same time last year. The outlook for higher sugar exports from India is negative for sugar prices after Bloomberg reported that India may permit local sugar mills to export sugar in the next season, which starts in October, as abundant monsoon rains may produce a bumper sugar crop. India's Meteorological Department reported Tuesday that cumulative monsoon rain in India was 500.8 mm as of August 4, or 4% above normal. Also, the Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association said last Thursday that it will seek permission to export 2 MMT of sugar in 2025/26. The outlook for higher sugar production in India, the world's second-largest producer, is bearish for prices. On June 2, India's National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories projected that India's 2025/26 sugar production would climb +19% y/y to 35 MMT, citing larger planted cane acreage. That would follow a -17.5% y/y decline in India's sugar production in 2024/25 to a 5-year low of 26.2 MMT, according to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA). Edith Romero is an organizer with Eye On Surveillance and a volunteer with Union Migrante. New York: It was a scene befitting of a millennial influencer: the fake heiress known as Anna Delvey posing outside a Tribeca subway station with two bunnies on leashes and an ankle monitor on her tanned leg. But not long after, some bunnies that had been procured for the photo shoot with the would-be socialite were abandoned in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, unleashing a torrent of backlash towards the real Anna Sorokin, who in an interview with The New York Times on Monday said she was not responsible for procuring the rabbits and that she was horrified when she learned that they had been ditched. Anna Delvey is on a mission to rehabilitate her image. Credit: AP I felt ashamed and embarrassed to be associated with it, Sorokin, 34, said. Sorokin, who pretended to be a wealthy German heiress and landed in prison for nearly four years for swindling Manhattans elite, spent 18 months behind bars in immigration detention for overstaying her visa. She has filled her time lately with photo shoots, publicity stunts and a stint on Dancing With the Stars. I was made redundant as part of a major change at the company I worked for. Dozens of colleagues were made redundant at the same time. A friend found out and called me, worried about my welfare. I told him I was sad but realistic. I said something like, These kinds of things just happen, and they always have. He fired up and told me that, no, mass layoffs had not always happened. He said they were a relatively recent phenomenon that had only become normalised in the past few decades. I looked into it, and it seems he is right. And it got me thinking: why are mass redundancies necessary? Mass redundancies are more common now, but they have been around a long time. Not that this helps much when it happens to you. Credit: John Shakespeare Im so sorry to hear you were made redundant and that your sacking came as a shock. The sudden loss of a job can have a serious effect on your psychological and even your physical health, and I hope your former employer has offered expert help in this regard. Im pleased to hear you have friends thinking of you at this time and providing you moral support. Trampoline. Videotape. Linoleum. Windsurfer. Plenty of products started life as trademarks, from Aspirin to Zoom, slowly easing into lower-case status in the dictionary. Some brands echo the creators name, from biro to leotard, while others explain the gadgets function, such as Philips air fryer or Sonys memory stick. Further labels derive from serendipity. Some 20 years ago, that happened on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, after a string of experiments between customer and barista. Zenon Misko, a Ukrainian-Australian trademark attorney, was the customer needing a double ristretto to face the day. Cate Della Bosca, owner of Newtown S.C., was the alchemist open to ideas. Melbournes magic coffee: a Frankensteined flat white, a global hit, and a trademark tale to pour over. Credit: Eddie Jim Around mid-morning, recalls Zenon, I took a break from the office to grab a coffee. But in winter, I wanted something that would last a bit longer, so Id get a double-ristretto flat white. A mouthful to order, and a chore to drink, the cool-brown dregs lacking foam and energy by the time the cup was nearing done. So I said to Cate, lets try a double-ristretto-three-quarter-flat-white . Ten syllables this time, but the hit was a hit. Cate ensured the elixir had that delicate micro-foam layer, the ristretto pour maintained its punch, the reduced milk its temperature. Ten cups later, in that cafe code enjoyed among regulars, Zenon was asking for that magical coffee he liked, as Cate waved her steam wand. Voila, the magic arrived. Arrived in the Macquarie too, listed as definition #7 after the supernatural front-runners, though curiously the coffee is marked as Victorian only, as if the recipe has retained its postcode. But just like windsurfers, good ideas travel, the Zenon-Cate magic moving to Sydney, Singapore, New York, Tokyo, even to Nambour (though I hear they call the blend a grom up there). Stroll into your nearest 7-Eleven and there on the coffee-makers screen youll find the magic icon (a three-quarter brown blob) beside the macchiato and piccolo latte. Across the ditch in England, should you visit any of the 1000-plus Marks & Spencer outlets, youll have the option of ordering the companys latest culinary adventure, this time a concept imported from Australia, known as the Magic Coffee to quote the catalogue, inverted commas included. As for the price tag? Order the brew and poof youll see 3.15 disappear from your account like magic. Loading The magic is equally big in Thailand too, where Zenon and his young family lived for several years. Theres a cafe in Phra Khanong, an emerging part of Bangkok, called Karo Coffee Roasters. Karo is a Sri Lankan born and raised in the Maldives whose magic is the best Ive tasted. Seems the sorcery or make that saucery has reached the worlds palate. Yet the art of magic, we know, is misdirection. Whether the blend and its label began on Brunswick Street, or across the Yarra, or even in Frankensteins castle a year prior to this story, is hardly Zenons concern. Im open to others thinking they own the idea, the name, whatever. Its not our coffee. Cate and I know where we were when we came up with the mix. There is something extremely humbling about the fact that the longest, most complicated relationship I have ever had is with someone who has no idea I was even born. Taylor Swift (born on December 13, 1989, to Andrea and Scott Swift) has been in my ears and my thoughts every one of the 6860 days since eight-year-old me first heard Teardrops On My Guitars wistful opening chords on the car radio. Her deepest and darkest desires and distresses have been my own for almost 20 years, with her diarised lyrics holding me through every heartbreak and happiness. I feel like I know her better than the back of my own hand. I know that, despite her decades of music, documentaries, interviews and more, I dont know her at all. I admire her. I dont understand her. I dont know if I can believe everything she tells me, but I want, no, I need her to tell me more. Swift did tell me more this week, but it only made me more conflicted. She has spent two decades building a billion-dollar empire on authenticity, but her New Heights podcast sit-down with her NFL tight end boyfriend proves were being fed contradictions. And thats exactly by the marketing masterminds own design: cleverly and constantly creating a deeper investment from her fans, a deeper desire to crack the enigma who has given us all the clues is, after all, to her bank accounts benefit. Photo by Gary Hershorn / Getty Images Target, as well as Walmart, are set to report their latest quarterly financial results next week. Can Target turn it around? That's the big question ahead of Wednesday morning, when the big retailer is set to report its latest financial results. Those numbers, along with whatever the company says about its outlook and the state of its business, could go a long way toward restoring investor confidence in a stock that's lost nearly one-quarter of its value this year while Walmart (WMT) has posted a double-digit advance. There's a simple enough reason investors have been cautious around Target's (TGT) stock, which fell in the wake of its first-quarter earnings report and has since crept gently higher. Executives in May clipped the company's outlook for 2025, setting investors up to expect declining sales and lower earnings per share than previously forecast. Wall Street is looking for revenue and adjusted net income to fall year-over-year in the second quarter, according to Visible Alpha data, with same-store sales also seen declining. One measure of the wariness out there: As of today, there's a sell-side analyst with a full-on bearish take on the stock. Bank of America on Friday downgraded the shares to "underperform"the only such rating tracked by Visible Alphaand a $93 price target more than 10 bucks below Thursday's close. The wider picture shows a number of analysts with neutral ratings on the stock, though a few still hold bullish ratings. Oppenheimer analysts on Friday suggested buying dips, as "volatile trading could continue until comps return to positive territory." Visible Alpha's consensus target around $104 in line with the stock's finish yesterday. Bank of America analysts said they're less concerned with next week's results than the broader story, citing worries about digital sales, the state of Target's digital advertising and third-party marketplace, and tariff concerns. They also pointed to competitive pressure from Walmart, which reports its own results on Thursday, and Amazon (AMZN), which this week pushed further into the grocery business. "Target's longer-term outlook," they wrote, "is becoming more uncertain." Read the original article on Investopedia Time travel doesnt exist yet, and lets be honest, if it did, humans couldnt be trusted to use it responsibly. Thankfully we have television, able to transport us back in time to a world before television. To a time when cars were horses, and jeans were the distant dream of someone trapped in a corset. And there are certainly a lot of televisual time machines floating around out there these days. Since the success of Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes historical drama following the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants in the early 20th century, we have officially been living in the age of scandalous prestige period drama. And what a time to be alive! Quite the partnership: The status-hunting Mrs Russell (Carrie Coon) with the ruthless Mr Russell (Morgan Spector). Credit: AP In the wake of Downton Abbey, TV has gone all in on luxurious sets, fabulous old-timey clothes, and giant casts of people far sexier than youll ever find depicted in some dusty oil painting. The historical accuracy is rarely (read: never) the point: were after big costumes, big mansions, big betrayals and big reactions, preferably in an accent that actors probably call Olden Days. They come in all styles, united through the inherent melodrama and wondrous escapism of watching rich people suffer rich people problems. Some are overly self-serious (Wolf Hall), some are utter schlock (The Tudors). Some prioritise romance (Victoria), others the potent cocktail of humour and violence (The Great). Some go for opulence and spectacle: The Crown was famously one of the most expensive shows ever made. And others crank the sex appeal up to 11, a smorgasbord of witty repartee and semi-nudity: ahem, Bridgerton; ahem, Mary & George. Australias medical device watchdog is warning pregnant women against using popular portable fetal heart monitors, after the devices were implicated in six stillbirths and newborn deaths since 2022. The most recent death was reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration on Tuesday, a spokesperson said. The TGA will consider banning fetal dopplers for personal use outside healthcare facilities Credit: iStock The sale of handheld fetal heart monitors also known as portable fetal dopplers was banned in Australia in September 2024 after a TGA review confirmed the devices were falsely reassuring pregnant women that their distressed unborn babies had healthy heartbeats, leading to delays in seeking medical attention and death. But retailers have continued to sell the popular, though illegal, devices to would-be Australian parents. A teenager who murdered a mother of two during a Christmas holiday home invasion has had his sentence reduced by almost 18 months on appeal. The boy, who cannot be named as he was aged 17 at the time of the offences, fatally stabbed Emma Lovell in the heart after he broke into her familys house north of Brisbane about 11.30pm on Boxing Day in 2022. After the verdict, the state government announced it will be assessing options to appeal the decision in the High Court, given its commitment to a tough-on-crime platform. Emma Lovell, pictured in a photo posted to Facebook. Credit: Facebook Justice Tom Sullivan in May 2024 sentenced the teen, then aged 19, to a maximum of 14 years with a requirement to serve 70 per cent of that time in detention, after he found the crime to be particularly heinous. Investigative reporter Nick McKenzie has claimed the title of Kennedy Awards journalist of the year for a third time, in the annual celebration of excellence in journalism. McKenzies award was among eight recognising the work of The Age and The Sydney Morning Heralds journalists on Friday night. McKenzie led the mastheads groundbreaking Building Bad investigation, which earned the gong for outstanding investigative reporting. Investigate reporter Nick McKenzie questioning Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan on his investigation into the CFMEU. Credit: Justin McManus The investigation which won the Gold Walkley and Gold Quill and was the culmination of years of work by teams across the Age, the Herald, The Australian Financial Review and 60 Minutes exposed allegations of intimidation and corruption in the building industry. Age senior writer Michael Bachelard and Age investigative reporter Charlotte Grieve received the Kennedy Award for outstanding reporting on the environment for their exploration of whether carbon offset schemes in the outback are working. Sometimes as an editor you hear a pitch from a journalist and you just know its going to work. I had that experience with Aisha Dow when she put forward the idea that she would like to try to wrap her arms around real estate underquoting. That was more than 18 months ago, and last weekend you saw the result a stunning and unprecedented expose built on data so sweeping and robust that it was praised by both consumer groups and agents. It led our website and our newspaper for days, so Im sure youve seen it. Underquoting is a maddening phenomenon and one that has been written about for years, with some excellent work by our colleagues at The Age and in other media. Beijings top spy agency has accused Australian intelligence agencies of fabricating a Chinese espionage threat while conducting their own operations against China, in a blast that comes less than two weeks after the arrest of a Chinese national on foreign interference charges. In a statement released on its official WeChat account, Chinas Ministry of State Security appears to seize on a recent speech by ASIO director-general Mike Burgess in which he said nation states are spying at unprecedented levels, with unprecedented sophistication. Burgess singled out China, Russia and Iran as three of the main sources of espionage activity, though he said many countries were trying to steal Australias secrets, in remarks delivered as part of the Hawke Oration in Adelaide on July 31. ASIO boss Mike Burgess. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Chinas spy agency said the speech exposed Australias anxiety about its security, and it accused ASIO and other agencies of being irrational and unprofessional. This press conference could not have been more different to the last one between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. That was in 2018, when the US leader appeared to side with Russias intelligence agencies over American ones on the subject of interference during the 2016 election. But American and Russian leaders have a long history. Bilateral meetings between Putin and his United States counterparts were a regular occurrence early in his 25-year tenure. But as tensions mounted between Moscow and the West following the illegal annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and allegations of meddling in the 2016 US elections, those meetings became more infrequent and their tone appeared less friendly. Putin and Biden: Putin and Joe Biden met only once while Biden was in office, in Geneva in June 2021, while Russia was massing troops on the border with Ukraine. They spoke again via videoconference six months later, when Biden threatened sanctions if Russia invaded Ukraine. Another phone call came in February 2022, less than two weeks before Russias full-scale invasion. Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden meet in Geneva in June 2021, before the Ukraine invasion. Credit: AP Putin and Trump: Putin met Donald Trump six times during Trumps first term, at and on the sidelines of G20 and APEC gatherings, but most famously in Helsinki in July 2018, when Trump stood next to Putin and appeared to accept his insistence that Moscow had not interfered in the 2016 US presidential election. Since Trump returned to the White House this year, he and Putin have had about half a dozen publicly disclosed telephone conversations. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Helsinki in 2018. Credit: AP Putin and Obama: Barack Obama met with Putin nine times, and there were 12 more meetings with Dmitry Medvedev, who served as Russian president from 2008 to 2012. Obama travelled to Russia twice, to meet Medvedev in 2009 and for a G20 summit in 2013. Medvedev and Putin also travelled to the United States. Obama cancelled a visit to Moscow in 2013, after Russia granted asylum to former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. Putin and Obama last met in China in September 2016, on the sidelines of a G20 summit, and held talks focused on Ukraine and Syria. Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama in China in September 2016. Credit: AP Putin and Bush: Putin and George W. Bush met 28 times, according to the Russian state news agency Tass. They hosted each other for talks and informal meetings in Russia and the US, and met regularly on the sidelines of summits and forums. Putin was the first leader to call Bush after the September 11 terrorist attack, offering his condolences and support. Vladimir Putin and George W. Bush in Texas in 2001. Credit: AP Putin and Clinton: Bill Clinton travelled to Moscow in June 2000, less than a month after Putin was inaugurated as president. The two had a one-on-one meeting, an informal dinner, a tour of the Kremlin, and attended a jazz concert. They discussed arms control, turbulence in Russias North Caucasus region, and the situation in the Balkans. The two also met in 2000 at the G8 summit in Japan, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, and at the APEC summit in Brunei. Vladimir Putin and Bill Clinton meet in Japan in July 2000. Credit: AP AP 2025 Honda Prologue AWD Elite - Review by David Colman Almost every weekend from April through September, Honda and Chevrolet battle each other for Indycar supremacy at race circuits across the United States. By mid-season this year Honda had claimed every victory to date, including the most prestigious trophy of all, the 2025 Indy 500. Yet behind the scenes, these race track 'frenemies' have joined forces to market electric vehicles that all share the same basic platform. Designed by GM, the Ultium platform, serves as the foundation for a wide variety of GM EVs, including GMC's Hummer EV, Cadillac's Lyriq, and Chevy's Blazer, Equinox and Silverado. The Ultium also underpins Honda's Prologue as well as Acura's ZDX. Over the past year, we've had the opportunity to test the 2024 and 2025 Honda Prologue SUVs. If you're interested in owning a family oriented EV, the 2025 Prologue is well worth a look. We recently test drove the top model in the 2025 Prologue line, the All Wheel Drive Elite. which retails for $57,900, a price that has not increased since last year. The difference is that for 2025, the dual motored Prologue Elite enjoys a significant power and range upgrade. Thanks to an uprated front electric motor, the 300hp Elite makes 12hp more than last year's 288hp version. The upgrade also increases torque output to 355 lb.-ft., a useful 25lb.-ft. boost over the '24 package. Even more importantly, motor upgrades have resulted in a 10 mile EPA range increase for the Elite, to 283 miles. Honda suggests that all versions of the Prologue currently qualify for the U.S. $7,500 EV Federal Tax Credit, which reduces your buy-in cost for the Elite to $50,400. But the Federal Rebate will expire on September 30, 2025. Honda also offers a $500 "Installation Credit" for a Level 2 Home Charging Center Station. This benefit would drop home installation to about $1,000, depending on site requirements. As a final incentive, Honda offers a $100 EVgo Charging Credit to new Prologue buyers. While Chevy offers comparable versions of their Blazer EV for slightly less money than Honda's Prologue, Blazers are not available with wireless Apple CarPlay or AndroidAuto compatibility, conveniences which are standard on all grades of Prologue. Honda's remodel of the Blazer is particularly adept at making gas and hybrid-oriented drivers feel at home when operating this EV. Its external appearance is bereft of those annoying stylistic oddities so common to EV design. So you won't see this Honda branded with LEGO-like flat-faced wheels, or light bars encircling the beltline of the vehicle. Rather, the Elite is a conservatively packaged, buttoned-down SUV. It's firmly planted on a ubiquitous looking set of piano black 21-inch alloy rims, which mount 275/45R21 Bridgestone Alenza A/S 02 Enliten radials. These tires grip the pavement with authority. The interior of the Elite matches the inconspicuous exterior with handsome leather-trimmed front seats that look good and proved quite comfortable thanks to 10-way power adjustments for the driver, and 6-way power tuning for the passenger. Both front seats are also heated and ventilated. A high G-load freeway off-ramp proved, however, that could do with a bit more lateral support. When you opt for the Elite trim level, Honda provides a head-up display for the driver, a Rear Pedestrian Alert and a Surround Vision System using a 360-degree camera. Bose provides the Elite with a 12-speaker Premium Audio System, which provides an optimal way to experience the 3-month free trial subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio. Compared to Honda's landmark SUV, the CR-V, the Prologue's is much more spacious: 8 inch longer wheelbase, 5 inch width increase. This upsizing makes the Prologue cabin feel luxuriously spacious and livable. The storage area behind the second row measures 24 cubic feet. With the rear seats collapsed storage area increases to 55 cubic feet. The resultant flat floor, combined with extra wide (44 inch) space between the rear wheel wells, afforded me plenty of room insert and remove my mountain bike. As far as EVs go, the Prologue AWD Elite is a model citizen. It offers good looks inside and out, and plenty of power and torque (0-60mp in 5.9 seconds; S.S. 1/4 mile in 14.8 seconds at 93mph). Best of all, it provides a decent SUV experience, with all of the niceties you'd expect from a gasoline-fueled car and none of the stylistic excesses that plague current EV designs. Now, if only the EV recharging infrastructure could catch up with the demand for these vehicles, the Prologue would have a sure path to success. Right now, that path is often blocked by intolerably long recharging lines. Unfortunately, the end to that roadblock is not currently in sight. 2025 HONDA PROLOGUE AWD ELITE Motors: Front and rear permanent magnet synchronous AC Combined Power: 288hp Combined Torque: 333lb.-ft. Fuel Economy: 99 MPGe City/84 Highway Range: 283 Miles PRICE AS TESTED: $59,750 HYPES: Uprated Power and Range GRIPES: Vestigial GM design shortcomings inside Cabin EV STAR RATING: 9 Stars out of 10 By Christoph Steitz and Tom Kackenhoff FRANKFURT/DUSSELDORF (Reuters) -German conglomerate Thyssenkrupp cut its full-year sales and investment forecasts on Thursday, blaming weak demand for its products as U.S. President Donald Trump's import tariffs disrupt global trade in autos, machines and building materials. Weakness among automotive clients, who account for around a third of Thyssenkrupp's customer base and are being hit by U.S. import levies, was a major factor in the decision, as well as lower than expected third-quarter profits, the group said. "Trade disputes had a significant impact on our quarter and also left some skid marks in macroeconomic terms," Chief Financial Officer Axel Hamann said. "Many companies, especially customers, are waiting to see what happens or are taking a cautious approach," he told journalists. The company, with a broad portfolio that includes steelmaking and submarine production, now expects sales to fall by 5% to 7% during its fiscal year to September 30. It previously expected sales to drop by up to 3%. Investment plans were cut to between 1.4 billion and 1.6 billion euros ($1.6-$1.9 billion), from 1.6-1.8 billion euros. Thyssenkrupp said the introduction of tariffs had curbed international trade and hit global supply chains, and that things could get worse should the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East escalate further. "The past quarter was characterised by enormous macroeconomic uncertainty," CEO Miguel Lopez said. Shares in the company, which is in the process of spinning off its submarine division TKMS in October, were 8.8% lower at 1045 GMT. Full-year adjusted earnings before interest and tax are now forecast to be at the lower end of the 0.6 billion to 1 billion euros guidance range, the company said. In its fiscal third quarter from April to June, adjusted EBIT rose 4% to 155 million euros, missing the 174 million average estimate in an analyst poll provided by the group. ($1 = 0.8544 euros) (Reporting by Christoph Steitz and Tom Kaeckenhoff. Editing by Rachna Uppal and Mark Potter) Qualcomm (QCOM) stock ticked lower yesterday after the bell despite delivering a solid fiscal third-quarter earnings beat. Despite since bouncing back today, this dip highlights what analysts say is a persistent lack of "respect" for the semiconductor giant that investors should reconsider. The wireless technology leader reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of $10.4 billion, topping analyst estimates of $10.34 billion with a 10% year-over-year increase. Non-GAAP earnings per share of $2.77 exceeded forecasts by 2.2%, yet the market's lukewarm response underscores ongoing skepticism about the company's prospects. More News from Barchart www.barchart.com What investors may be missing is Qualcomm's successful pivot beyond smartphones. While handset chip revenue grew a modest 7% to $6.3 billion, the company's diversification strategy is gaining serious traction. Automotive revenue surged 21% to $984 million, hitting a quarterly record, while Internet of Things (IoT) revenue jumped 24% to $1.7 billion. The company's expansion into artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and PC processors, with its Snapdragon X platform, is expected to power over 100 PC models by 2026. The recent $2.4 billion acquisition of Alphawave Semi strengthens its data center capabilities as AI demand continues to surge. Qualcomm returned $3.8 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks while maintaining healthy margins. In fiscal 2025 (ending in September), Qualcomm is forecast to pay an annual dividend of $3.59 per share, up from $3.51 per share in fiscal 2024. Moreover, these payouts are forecast to increase to $3.91 per share in fiscal 2028. Is Qualcomm Stock a Good Buy Right Now? Qualcomm recently unveiled an ambitious road map to reach $22 billion in combined automotive and IoT revenues by fiscal 2029. Nakul Duggal, GM of Auto, IoT, and Cloud, highlighted Qualcomm's decade-long transformation of automotive architecture through its Snapdragon Digital Chassis platform. Qualcomms safety-certified Advanced Driver-Assistance System (ADAS) stack will debut globally with BMW's Neue Klasse vehicles, marking a key milestone in autonomous driving technology. With 20 OEMs programmed for Autopilot solutions launching within 18 months, Qualcomm is positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for ADAS. acts of gallantry Recognised Operation Sindoor bravehearts awarded NEW DELHI : INDIA on Thursday recognised the acts of gallantry by the Armed Forces personnel and the role of senior military brass involved in the planning and execution of Operation Sindoor in its annual list of military honours on the eve of 79th Independence Day. (Continuations) Indian Air Force pilots involved in the strikes on terror infrastructure and military installations in Pakistan as well as those manning the S-400 air defence systems, which played a critical role during the May 7 to 10 hostilities between the two countries were among those conferred the coveted awards. Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, Deputy Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, Indian Armys DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai and Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma are among top military officers conferred Sarvottam Yudh Seva medal. Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor and Air Marshal Jeetendra Misra, heading the South Western Air Command and the Western Air Command respectively have also been conferred Sarvottam Yudh Seva medal. Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, who as the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief of Western Naval Command, played a critical role in deployment of naval assets following the Pahalgam attack, has also been named for Sarvottam Yudh Seva medal. Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, who also played a major role in finalising the Navys deployment strategy in the aftermath of the Pahalgam strike, has been conferred Uttam Yudh Seva medal. As many as nine fighter pilots of the Indian Air Force have been conferred prestigious Vayu Chakra. Sixteen Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have been awarded gallantry medals for displaying conspicuous bravery and unmatched valour during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. Sub-Inspector Vyas Dev, who lost his left leg after a Pakistani mortar shell fell at his border post, has been awarded, along with Constable Suddi Rabha, for undertaking a risk-prone mission to replenish ammunition to forward deployed troops during the operation. Devs citation said he suffered life-threatening injuries, but he remained conscious, stabilised himself and bravely engaged in his given task, motivated his fellow soldiers and exhibited tremendous courage. Rabha stood shoulder-to-shoulder with his commander (Dev) and refused to yield despite suffering grievous injuries. Another unit commanded by under-probation Assistant Commandant Abhishek Srivastav was deployed at the highly sensitive border post at Kharkola in Jammu, only 200 metres from the IB. On May 10, Srivastav along with his troops -- Head Constable Brij Mohan Singh and Constables Depeswar Barman, Bhupendra Bajpai, Rajan Kumar and Basavaraja Shivappa Sunkada -- engaged a swarm of Pakistani drones and neutralised them, but one UAV dropped a mortar shell in their bunker. Sub-Inspector Mohammed Imteyaj and Constable Deepak Chingakham were killed in this action. They are expected to be decorated with military medals for bravery posthumously. Another unit under Deputy Commandant Ravindra Rathore, Inspector Devi Lal, Head Constable Sahib Singh and Constable Kanwaraj Singh displayed exceptional courage and operational brilliance under intense pressure and saved the life of a fellow jawan whose life was in peril. Assistant Sub-Inspector Udai Vir Singh was deployed at the Jabowal border post in Jammu and he destroyed a Pakistani surveillance camera amid intense enemy fire at his location. Despite suffering a life-threatening sharpnel wound to his upper lip, Singh refused evacuation and went on to destroy a Pakistani heavy machine gun nest (post), his citation stated. ASI Rajappa BT and Constable Manohar Xalxo undertook a high risk mission at border post Karotana Khurd in Jammu on May 10 when the said post reported critical shortage of automatic grenade launcher ammunition. While replenishing the ammunition, a mortar shell fell on the magazine and the two suffered grievous injuries, but they ensured completion of their task. Assistant Commandant Alok Negi, along with two of his troops, executed relentless and accurate mortar fire on enemy positions for 48 hours and their fearless conduct ensured zero casualties and maintained operational dominance, according to the citation. The Government also announced gallantry medals for other police and Central Armed Police Forces personnel, who undertook other operations. This includes 128 for Jammu and Kashmir Police, 20 for the CRPF and 14 for Chhattisgarh Police. President Droupadi Murmu approved 127 Gallantry awards and 40 Distinguished Service awards to the Armed Forces and Central Armed Police forces personnel on the eve of Independence Day. These include four Kirti Chakras, 15 Vir Chakras, 16 Shaurya Chakras, two Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 58 Sena Medals (Gallantry), six Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and 26 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry). The awards also included seven Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medals, nine Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and 24 Yudh Seva Medals. The President has also approved 290 Mention-in-Despatches, out of which 115 are from the Indian Army, five from the Indian Navy, and 167 are from the Indian Air Force. Flash floods, landslides wreak havoc in HP SHIMLA : 396 roads closed, houses damaged CLOUDBURSTS and flash floods in several districts of Himachal Pradesh caused massive destruction, with 396 roads closed for traffic, houses damaged, vehicles washed away and some panchayats in Shimla cut off. No loss of life has been reported, officials said on Thursday. Since Wednesday night, Kandaghat has received 100 mm of rainfall, Jatton Barrage 87 mm, Una 85.4 mm, Solan 81.4 mm, Olinda 76 mm, Shillaroo 73 mm, Shimla 69 mm, Kufri 66 mm, Jubbarhatti 65.2 mm, Kasauli 62 mm, Kothi 61.2, Murrai Devi 51.8 and Dharampur 50.2 mm. The local meteorological office has issued a yellow alert, warning of heavy rain at isolated places in the state till August 20. Cloudbursts and flash floods hit several places in Shimla, Kullu, Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti districts on Wednesday evening. A cloudburst hit Shrikhand hill in Nirmand subdivision and Bathadh hill of Tirthan valley in Banjar subdivision in Kullu district and another struck Nanti in Shimlas Rampur area on Wednesday night. Due to the cloudburst at Shrikhand hill, the Kurpan ravine was flooded and the Bagipul market was immediately evacuated by the administration. Some cottages on the bank of the Tirthan river were damaged and a few vehicles were washed away, the officials said. Kullu Deputy Commissioner Torul S Raveesh said a team of the administration has been tasked with assessing the damage. Some cottages have been damaged and vehicles washed away, but no loss of life has been reported so far, she said. In Shimla, road connectivity to Ganvi, Kiao, Koot, Kinfi, Kutru, Suru, Roopni, Khanidhar and Kheuncha in three gram panchayats of Ganvi, Kiao and Koot was cut off, according to the officials. Reports of damage to sheds, houses and shops of 26 people in the Ganvi area have been received. A police post and a store of the electricity department were also damaged, the officials said. At many places, cars were buried under the debris. To prevent any untoward incident, educational institutions in the Jubbal sub-division of Shimla have been closed due to the rain and landslides, the officials said. The road leading to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) was closed due to a landslide and uprooted trees. Reports of uprooting of trees also came in from some other parts of Shimla city. In Lahaul and Spiti, Karpat, Changut and Udgos Nala of the Mayad valley were affected by the flash floods. The Army rescued four people, including one injured, in Kinnaur district after flash floods hit the higher reaches of Rishi Dogri valley on Wednesday evening. A total of 396 roads, including National Highway 305 (Aut- Sainj road), have been closed for traffic. Of these, 173 roads are in Mandi district and 71 in Kullu, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). It said 1,593 power supply transformers and 178 water supply schemes have been disrupted in the state. From June 20, when the monsoon arrived in Himachal Pradesh, to August 13, the state incurred losses to the tune of Rs 2,031 crore, the officials said. As many as 126 people have died in rain-related incidents and 36 are missing. The state has witnessed 63 flash flood incidents, 31 cloudbursts and 57 major landslides so far, they said. Last week, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing bank regulators to rescind guidance that could lead to politicised or unlawful debanking. Crypto businesses, and even some prominent conservatives including the president himself have alleged they were denied or lost access to bank accounts at the behest of politically-motivated, Biden-era regulators. But last weeks executive order, entitled, Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All Americans, wont do much for crypto businesses that fear theyve been locked out of the traditional financial system, according to experts who spoke to DL News. Thats because the order does little to root out reputation risk. The term refers to regulators ability to dissuade banks from engaging supposedly controversial customers, such as pornographers, firearms manufacturers, payday lenders, and crypto companies. Critics of the practice say that banks should only consider objective criteria, such as a customers financial risk, when deciding whether to offer someone a checking account. Guidance documents and manuals This is going to make people happy who have been asking for it, but its not clear how much good its going to do them, Dru Stevenson, a professor at South Texas College of Law Houston, told DL News. The executive order directs bank regulators to remove the use of reputation risk or equivalent concepts that could result in politicized or unlawful debanking from their guidance documents, manuals, and other materials. But it isnt clear that examples of debanking were motivated by politics, according to Stevenson. Its not clear to me that they couldnt still allow for reputational risk that would apply to, say, an AI company, because thats not exactly a political issue or something thats unlawful, he said. And reputation risk can have a downstream effect on banks profits. If you have risk averse investors at one of the gigantic pension funds, or mutual funds, and they find out that Wachovia has gone gung ho about crypto, that might be a reason for them to switch to a more conservative bank, Stevenson said. Moreover, banks were always free to ignore guidance documents and manuals according to Stevenson. As such, removing references to reputation risk from such documents will likely have little practical effect. If youre an agency, you cant go into court and say, This person violated our guidance document, he said. You have to show that they violated the statute or that they violated a codified regulation that went through notice and comment rulemaking. Getty Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. The U.S. Bullion Depository at Fort Knox is home to one of the world's most famous gold reserves or so its believed. However, President Donald Trump wants to see it for himself. Were going to open up the doors, were going to inspect Fort Knox, Trump said at the Republican Governors Association event in Washington on February 20. I dont want to open it and [find] the cupboards are bare. Built in 1936, the Fort Knox Bullion Depository is a highly fortified vault adjacent to the U.S. Army post in Fort Knox, Kentucky. According to the U.S. Mint, the facility currently holds 147.3 million ounces of gold, does not allow visitors and has only removed very small quantities for purity testing during audits. Yet Trump isnt the only one raising questions about whats inside. Don't miss Tesla CEO Elon Musk shares the same curiosity. There's 5,000 tons of gold [in Fort Knox], give or take. I think we all want to see it. This is your gold. It's the public's gold, Musk said during an interview at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). We just want to see it and make sure someone didn't spray paint some lead or something. As speculation swirls over whats really inside Fort Knox, investors have been piling into gold. Prices have surged 40% over the past year, recently crossing $3,400 an ounce. No matter whats behind those vault doors, you can always take control of your own gold investments. Here are three simple ways to add gold to your portfolio. Buy gold bullion Gold has been a store of wealth for thousands of years, and despite the rise of modern investment options, its recent rally reminds us that the precious metal remains as relevant as ever. Billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio recently suggested that investors consider allocating 10% to 15% of their portfolios to gold. Unlike fiat money, gold cant be printed out of thin air. Because its not tied to any single currency or economy, investors often turn to it during times of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, driving up its value. If courts shoot down the tariffs, it would be complicated but a huge positive. There would be a massive celebration, Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth Management, told CNN. The media is helping Trump deceive the public by reporting that he's hitting other countries with tariffs. In reality, he's hitting American consumers who buy imports from those countries with tariffs, Schiff said in a recent post on X. We are being taxed, and our freedom to choose what we buy is being abridged. Many experts disagree with Trumps view that striking down tariffs would be an economic blow. Even economist Peter Schiff, who backed Trump in the 2024 election, argues the tariffs are hurting Americans, not foreign countries. Its true stocks have been on a tear, with the S&P 500 recently hitting fresh highs. But back in April when Trump first unveiled his sweeping tariffs markets plunged. They only began to rebound after he softened his stance and scaled back some measures. He also credited tariffs for the U.S. stock markets recent performance. Tariffs are having a huge positive impact on the Stock Market. Almost every day, new records are set, he wrote. The warning comes as a federal appeals court hears arguments on the legality of his tariff policy. Trump added that if the court were to rule against him, they should have done so LONG AGO, claiming, there is no way America could recover from such a judicial tragedy. If a Radical Left Court ruled against us at this late date, in an attempt to bring down or disturb the largest amount of money, wealth creation and influence the U.S.A. has ever seen, it would be impossible to ever recover, or pay back, these massive sums of money and honor. It would be 1929 all over again, a GREAT DEPRESSION! Trump wrote in a recent post on Truth Social. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan works every single time to kill debt, get rich in America and that anyone can do it I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how And he says it all comes down to tariffs. Its not every day the sitting president warns of a looming economic disaster in his own country but thats exactly what U.S. President Donald Trump just did. Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. Story Continues While the outcome of the court battle remains uncertain, Trumps stark warning underscores a broader concern: how quickly political and geopolitical events can rattle markets. For investors, its a reminder that safeguarding wealth often means turning to assets that can hold their value in times of turmoil from global trade tensions to the threat of a severe economic downturn. A safe haven shines again When uncertainty looms, gold has a way of reclaiming the spotlight. Long seen as the ultimate safe haven, gold isnt tied to any single country, currency or economy. It cant be created at will by central banks like fiat money, and in times of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, investors tend to pile in driving up its value. Over the past 12 months, the price of gold has surged more than 35%. Read more: Nervous about the stock market? Gain potential quarterly income through this $1B private real estate fund even if youre not a millionaire. Heres how to get started with as little as $10 Ray Dalio, founder of the worlds largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, recently highlighted golds importance in a resilient portfolio. People don't have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio, Dalio told CNBC earlier this year. When bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier. One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Thor Metals. Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, which combines the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an attractive option for those looking to potentially hedge their retirement funds against economic uncertainties. To learn more, you can get a free information guide that includes details on how to get up to $20,000 in free metals on qualifying purchases. The asset that made Trump rich If gold is the common go-to hedge for moments of chaos, real estate is the long game and no one knows that better than Trump himself. Before politics, Trump made his fortune in real estate and the asset class remains a powerful tool for building and preserving wealth, especially during inflationary times. Thats because property values and rental income tend to rise along with the cost of living. Unlike some other investments, real estate doesnt need a roaring stock market to deliver returns. Even during downturns, high-quality properties can generate rental income offering a dependable stream of passive cash flow. As Trump told Steve Forbes back in 2011, I just notice that when you have that right piece of property, whatever it might be, including location, it tends to work well in good times and in bad times. Today, you dont need to buy a property outright to benefit from real estate investing. Crowdfunding platforms like Arrived offer an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class. Backed by world class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived allows you to invest in shares of rental homes with as little as $100, all without the hassle of mowing lawns, fixing leaky faucets or handling difficult tenants. The process is simple: browse a curated selection of homes that have been vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, select the number of shares youd like to purchase, and then sit back as you start receiving any positive rental income distributions from your investment. Another option is First National Realty Partners (FNRP), which allows accredited investors to diversify their portfolio through grocery-anchored commercial properties without taking on the responsibilities of being a landlord. With a minimum investment of $50,000, investors can own a share of properties leased by national brands like Whole Foods, Kroger and Walmart, which provide essential goods to their communities. Thanks to Triple Net (NNN) leases, where the tenant covers property expenses such as property taxes and insurance, accredited investors are able to invest in these properties without worrying about such costs cutting into their potential returns. Simply answer a few questions including how much you would like to invest to start browsing their full list of available properties. What to read next Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Subscribe now. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. The fashion designer Alexander Wang is the new owner of one of the most conspicuous buildings in Chinatown: the former Citizens Savings Bank, a city landmark, at 58 Bowery (at Canal Street). As Crains first reported, two family trusts controlled by Wang, his mother and sister purchased the building for $9.5 million from HSBC bank, which has owned the property since 1999. Wang hinted at the acquisition on his personal Instagram account about three weeks ago. He didnt reveal any plans for the century-old Beaux Arts building, alluding only to the words inscribed between the buildings four grand arches: Wisdom, Safety, Thrift, Success. Wangs company has its headquarters in the Seaport District and he has a flagship store in Soho. The citys Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted to protect the exterior of 58 Bowery back in 2011. You can read the LPCs designation report here. HSBC sold its retail branches to Citizens Bank in 2021. A notice from Con Edison posted outside the bank building warns that gas service will be cut off on or after August 14 (thats today). Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. grew its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Free Report) by 100.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 85,006 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 42,595 shares during the quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.s holdings in Altria Group were worth $5,102,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Inlight Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the first quarter worth approximately $31,000. Sierra Ocean LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 226.3% in the 1st quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC now owns 509 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 353 shares in the last quarter. Pinney & Scofield Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Bellwether Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Altria Group by 51.8% during the 1st quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 636 shares of the companys stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the companys stock. Get Altria Group alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In MO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Barclays boosted their target price on Altria Group from $49.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $57.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Altria Group in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. They issued an underperform rating and a $50.00 price objective for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $59.13. Altria Group Stock Up 0.1% Shares of MO stock opened at $65.58 on Friday. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $60.18 and its 200 day moving average price is $58.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $110.16 billion, a PE ratio of 12.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 0.59. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $48.86 and a 52-week high of $66.29. Altria Group (NYSE:MO Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.44 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $5.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.21 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 37.24% and a negative return on equity of 295.26%. Altria Groups quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.31 EPS. Analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About Altria Group (Free Report) Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company offers cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; large cigars and pipe tobacco under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; oral nicotine pouches under the on! brand; and e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC cut its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) by 5.6% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 63,570 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after selling 3,753 shares during the quarter. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLCs holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $8,433,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hughes Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in Abbott Laboratories in the first quarter worth $27,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. JCIC Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the first quarter valued at about $32,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the first quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the first quarter worth about $34,000. 75.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Insider Transactions at Abbott Laboratories In other news, CFO Philip P. Boudreau sold 5,550 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.55, for a total transaction of $746,752.50. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 51,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,862,453.65. This represents a 9.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.46% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance NYSE:ABT opened at $129.37 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $131.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $131.15. The stock has a market cap of $225.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.21, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.70. Abbott Laboratories has a twelve month low of $109.76 and a twelve month high of $141.23. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $1.26. The business had revenue of $11.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.01 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 32.43% and a return on equity of 18.32%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.14 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 EPS for the current fiscal year. Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.59 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 15th. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. Abbott Laboratoriess payout ratio is 29.57%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades ABT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Piper Sandler reiterated an overweight rating and set a $145.00 price target (up previously from $133.00) on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $158.00 to $159.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Abbott Laboratories has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $144.47. Read Our Latest Report on ABT About Abbott Laboratories (Free Report) Abbott Laboratories, together with its subsidiaries, discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The company provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, 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. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ABT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Abbott Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abbott Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. bought a new stake in Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 7,326 shares of the restaurant operators stock, valued at approximately $1,092,000. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Brinker International in the 1st quarter valued at about $206,000. Range Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Brinker International in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,036,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. acquired a new position in Brinker International in the 1st quarter valued at about $492,000. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. acquired a new position in Brinker International in the 1st quarter valued at about $565,000. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP acquired a new position in Brinker International in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,336,000. Get Brinker International alerts: Brinker International Trading Up 0.3% Shares of EAT stock opened at $157.83 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.31. Brinker International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $65.26 and a fifty-two week high of $192.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.68. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $168.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $158.40. Insider Buying and Selling Brinker International ( NYSE:EAT Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 13th. The restaurant operator reported $2.49 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.47 by $0.02. Brinker International had a net margin of 7.12% and a return on equity of 211.86%. The company had revenue of $1.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.42 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.61 EPS. The firms revenue was up 21.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Brinker International, Inc. will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year. In other Brinker International news, Director Joseph Michael Depinto sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.36, for a total transaction of $1,703,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 99,297 shares in the company, valued at $16,916,236.92. The trade was a 9.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.72% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, July 17th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $186.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $171.41. Get Our Latest Stock Report on EAT Brinker International Company Profile (Free Report) Brinker International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership, development, operation, and franchising of casual dining restaurants in the United States and internationally. It operates and franchises Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant brands. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Brinker International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brinker International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dorel Industries (TSE:DII.B Free Report) had its price target cut by BMO Capital Markets from C$2.25 to C$1.50 in a report published on Tuesday morning,BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have a market perform rating on the stock. Separately, TD Securities lowered their price target on shares of Dorel Industries from C$1.25 to C$1.00 and set a sell rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Get Dorel Industries alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on Dorel Industries Dorel Industries Stock Performance About Dorel Industries TSE DII.B opened at C$1.28 on Tuesday. The companys 50 day moving average is C$1.44 and its 200-day moving average is C$2.22. Dorel Industries has a 12-month low of C$1.18 and a 12-month high of C$6.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 287.70. The firm has a market cap of C$36.38 million, a P/E ratio of -0.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.11 and a beta of 3.06. (Get Free Report) Dorel Industries Inc is a Canadian company that sells juvenile products and furniture. Its segments include Dorel Home and Dorel Juvenile. Dorel Home segment is engaged in the design, sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution of ready-to-assemble furniture and home furnishings which include metal folding furniture, futons, childrens furniture, step stools, hand trucks, ladders, outdoor furniture, and other imported furniture items. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Dorel Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dorel Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Element Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 30,623 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $2,816,000. Southern makes up about 0.7% of Element Capital Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Southern by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 15,928 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,465,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Keudell Morrison Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of Southern by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Keudell Morrison Wealth Management now owns 10,032 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $922,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. West Branch Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Southern by 23.0% in the 1st quarter. West Branch Capital LLC now owns 616 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. PFW Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Southern by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. PFW Advisors LLC now owns 6,114 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $562,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. Finally, McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Southern by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. now owns 8,565 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $788,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. 64.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Southern alerts: Insider Activity In other news, CEO Kimberly S. Greene sold 13,158 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.00, for a total transaction of $1,250,010.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 93,661 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,897,795. This represents a 12.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.16% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts recently issued reports on SO shares. KeyCorp cut Southern from a sector weight rating to an underweight rating and set a $78.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on Southern from $90.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Southern from $98.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Southern from $95.00 to $99.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Southern from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $94.29. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on SO Southern Stock Performance Shares of SO stock opened at $94.25 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $103.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.28 and a beta of 0.38. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $92.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $90.09. Southern Company has a 12-month low of $80.46 and a 12-month high of $96.44. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69. Southern (NYSE:SO Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The utilities provider reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.99 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $6.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.70 billion. Southern had a return on equity of 12.09% and a net margin of 15.10%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.10 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Southern Company will post 4.29 EPS for the current year. Southern Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.74 per share. This represents a $2.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 18th. Southerns dividend payout ratio is 76.09%. 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. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Southern Company (The) (NYSE:SO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Southern Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southern and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Entropy Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Cushman & Wakefield PLC (NYSE:CWK Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 23,692 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $242,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Cushman & Wakefield by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 11,586,407 shares of the companys stock valued at $151,551,000 after acquiring an additional 736,955 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Cushman & Wakefield by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 9,380,276 shares of the companys stock valued at $95,866,000 after acquiring an additional 194,970 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in shares of Cushman & Wakefield by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 3,951,305 shares of the companys stock valued at $51,683,000 after acquiring an additional 17,050 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in shares of Cushman & Wakefield by 17.0% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,783,117 shares of the companys stock valued at $49,483,000 after acquiring an additional 549,718 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in shares of Cushman & Wakefield by 54.7% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,067,526 shares of the companys stock valued at $40,123,000 after acquiring an additional 1,084,940 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.56% of the companys stock. Get Cushman & Wakefield alerts: Cushman & Wakefield Stock Down 0.4% Shares of NYSE:CWK opened at $14.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.46 billion, a PE ratio of 16.96 and a beta of 1.50. The firms 50-day moving average is $11.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.99. Cushman & Wakefield PLC has a 1 year low of $7.64 and a 1 year high of $16.11. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Cushman & Wakefield ( NYSE:CWK Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.38 billion. Cushman & Wakefield had a net margin of 2.11% and a return on equity of 14.33%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.20 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Cushman & Wakefield PLC will post 1.2 EPS for the current year. Several brokerages have recently weighed in on CWK. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Cushman & Wakefield from $9.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 2nd. Morgan Stanley set a $14.50 price target on shares of Cushman & Wakefield and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, June 12th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Cushman & Wakefield from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Citizens Jmp began coverage on shares of Cushman & Wakefield in a report on Monday, July 21st. They issued a strong-buy rating and a $15.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Cushman & Wakefield from a sell rating to a buy rating and set a $17.50 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, August 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Cushman & Wakefield has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $14.38. Read Our Latest Report on Cushman & Wakefield Cushman & Wakefield Profile (Free Report) Cushman & Wakefield Plc engages in the provision of commercial real estate services. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and Asia Pacific (APAC). The Americas segment consists of operations located in the United States, Canada and key markets in Latin America. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CWK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Cushman & Wakefield PLC (NYSE:CWK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Cushman & Wakefield Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cushman & Wakefield and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Entropy Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE:VSH Free Report) during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor bought 16,229 shares of the semiconductor companys stock, valued at approximately $258,000. Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vishay Intertechnology by 6.4% during the 4th quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 11,090 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $188,000 after purchasing an additional 663 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd raised its stake in shares of Vishay Intertechnology by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 12,131 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $193,000 after purchasing an additional 1,156 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI raised its stake in shares of Vishay Intertechnology by 10.1% during the 1st quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 16,123 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $257,000 after purchasing an additional 1,479 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its stake in shares of Vishay Intertechnology by 76.0% during the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,473 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 1,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vishay Intertechnology by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 104,986 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $1,778,000 after purchasing an additional 1,767 shares in the last quarter. 93.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Vishay Intertechnology alerts: Vishay Intertechnology Price Performance NYSE:VSH opened at $15.32 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $16.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $15.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -23.56 and a beta of 1.13. Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. has a 12-month low of $10.35 and a 12-month high of $20.91. Vishay Intertechnology Dividend Announcement Vishay Intertechnology ( NYSE:VSH Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The semiconductor company reported ($0.07) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.02 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $762.25 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $756.07 million. Vishay Intertechnology had a negative net margin of 3.00% and a negative return on equity of 0.10%. Vishay Intertechnologys quarterly revenue was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.17 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. will post 0.53 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 11th will be paid a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 11th. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Vishay Intertechnologys dividend payout ratio is currently -61.54%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded Vishay Intertechnology from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Read Our Latest Report on Vishay Intertechnology Insider Transactions at Vishay Intertechnology In other Vishay Intertechnology news, Director Michael J. Cody acquired 3,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $16.12 per share, for a total transaction of $56,420.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 60,169 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $969,924.28. This represents a 6.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 8.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Vishay Intertechnology Company Profile (Free Report) Vishay Intertechnology, Inc manufactures and sells discrete semiconductors and passive electronic components in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The company operates through Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs), Diodes, Optoelectronic Components, Resistors, Inductors, and Capacitors segments. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VSH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE:VSH Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Vishay Intertechnology Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vishay Intertechnology and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 24.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,042 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 999 shares during the quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $4,165,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. WestEnd Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 210.0% in the 1st quarter. WestEnd Advisors LLC now owns 31 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the period. Citizens National Bank Trust Department grew its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 180.0% in the 1st quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 42 shares of the companys stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the period. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 1st quarter worth about $40,000. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, O Brien Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 25.5% in the 1st quarter. O Brien Wealth Partners LLC now owns 59 shares of the companys stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Insider Activity at Eli Lilly and Company In other news, Director J Erik Fyrwald bought 1,565 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were bought at an average price of $642.33 per share, for a total transaction of $1,005,246.45. Following the purchase, the director owned 74,578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $47,903,686.74. The trade was a 2.14% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO David A. Ricks bought 1,632 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $644.77 per share, for a total transaction of $1,052,264.64. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 546,601 shares in the company, valued at $352,431,926.77. This trade represents a 0.30% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have purchased 4,514 shares of company stock worth $2,894,841 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes LLY has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Leerink Partners reissued a market perform rating and set a $715.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an overweight rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,050.00 to $895.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Guggenheim cut their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $942.00 to $875.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald set a $825.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $964.88. Check Out Our Latest Report on LLY Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance LLY opened at $685.27 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86. The company has a market cap of $648.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.79, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.44. The companys 50 day moving average is $765.92 and its 200 day moving average is $795.40. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12-month low of $623.78 and a 12-month high of $972.53. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $6.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $5.59 by $0.72. The company had revenue of $15.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.40 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 25.91% and a return on equity of 92.72%. The firms revenue was up 37.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.92 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current year. Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.22%. Eli Lilly and Company Profile (Free Report) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; Jardiance, Mounjaro, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes; and Zepbound for obesity. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LLY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ Free Report) by 3.0% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 29,891 shares of the computer makers stock after buying an additional 875 shares during the period. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd.s holdings in HP were worth $828,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of HP by 15.8% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 12,844,795 shares of the computer makers stock valued at $419,126,000 after purchasing an additional 1,755,942 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of HP by 19.2% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 11,340,629 shares of the computer makers stock valued at $314,022,000 after purchasing an additional 1,829,411 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in shares of HP by 8.2% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 9,289,164 shares of the computer makers stock valued at $303,105,000 after purchasing an additional 707,742 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its stake in shares of HP by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 8,241,378 shares of the computer makers stock valued at $228,204,000 after purchasing an additional 189,969 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in shares of HP in the 1st quarter valued at $179,037,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.53% of the companys stock. Get HP alerts: HP Stock Down 0.7% NYSE:HPQ opened at $26.96 on Friday. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $25.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $27.22. The company has a market capitalization of $25.32 billion, a PE ratio of 10.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.29. HP Inc. has a 52-week low of $21.21 and a 52-week high of $39.79. HP Announces Dividend HP ( NYSE:HPQ Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 28th. The computer maker reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.80 by ($0.09). The firm had revenue of $13.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $13.09 billion. HP had a negative return on equity of 244.99% and a net margin of 4.64%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.82 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that HP Inc. will post 3.56 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.2894 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 10th. HPs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.79%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on HPQ shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on HP from $30.00 to $27.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 29th. Barclays set a $28.00 price objective on HP and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, May 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded HP from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. TD Cowen cut their price objective on HP from $38.00 to $28.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 29th. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their price objective on HP from $40.00 to $32.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, HP presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $29.54. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on HP HP Company Profile (Free Report) HP Inc provides products, technologies, software, solutions, and services to individual consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses, and large enterprises, including customers in the government, health, and education sectors worldwide. It operates through Personal Systems and Printing segments. The Personal Systems segment offers commercial personal computers (PCs), consumer PCs, workstations, thin clients, commercial tablets and mobility devices, retail point-of-sale systems, displays and other related accessories, software, support, and services for the commercial and consumer markets. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HPQ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for HP Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HP and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) stock jumped Friday after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK-B) revealed Thursday that it purchased 5 million shares last quarter. The insurance giant has suffered multiple setbacks in the past couple of years. With earnings misses piling on top of all that, the stock has been under constant pressure and is down more than 45% year to date. On the news of Berkshire's share purchase, however, the stock popped 12%. The last time Berkshire held a stake in the company was when Stephen Hemsley was CEO, between 2006 and 2017. Hemlsey returned to the role after former CEO Andrew Witty stepped down in May following a year of compounding headwinds. Last year, the company suffered one of the biggest cyberattacks in history on one of its subsidiaries, Change Healthcare, which manages payments, creating havoc for health providers for months. The US Health and Human Services Department (HHS) had to step in and assist in getting payments flowing again. Read more about UnitedHealth's stock moves and today's market action. The company subsequently announced a larger-than-expected impact from the attack in mid-2024, dragging down major indexes. At the end of the year, during the annual shareholders' meeting in New York City, insurance CEO Brian Thompson was shot to death. The company's struggles didn't end there. Public backlash against the industry swelled in the aftermath, and the entire insurance industry was forced to address the issue of denied claims. In April this year, the company's stock crashed after an earnings miss shocked the Street. Read more: What is a healthcare FSA and how can it save on medical costs? The UnitedHealth Group logo appears above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) ASSOCIATED PRESS Hemsley took over in May and, in the latest earnings call, addressed the company's missteps and the higher cost environment that it did not adjust to in time. "Beyond the environmental factors that are affecting the entire sector and more specifically to us, we have made pricing and operational mistakes as well as others," he said on the call. UnitedHealth's stock pop also helped boost the Dow (DJI), which was up about a half percent in early trading. Previously, UnitedHealth's losses dragged the Dow. In May, UnitedHealth was attributed with 88% of the Dow's decline year to date. Anjalee Khemlani is the senior health reporter at Yahoo Finance, covering all things pharma, insurance, provider services, digital health, PBMs, and health policy and politics. That includes GLP-1s, of course. Follow Anjalee as AnjKhem on social media platforms X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky @AnjKhem. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest health industry news and events impacting stock prices Desjardins set a C$58.00 price target on Hydro One (TSE:H Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning,BayStreet.CA reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the stock. Desjardins also issued estimates for Hydro Ones Q2 2025 earnings at $0.53 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $0.63 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $0.34 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $2.10 EPS. A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Hydro One from C$45.00 to C$49.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Hydro One from C$46.00 to C$50.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Raymond James Financial cut their target price on shares of Hydro One from C$48.00 to C$45.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Hydro One from C$46.00 to C$53.00 in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, CIBC cut their price target on shares of Hydro One from C$52.00 to C$51.00 in a research report on Monday, July 21st. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hydro One currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$51.00. Get Hydro One alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Hydro One Hydro One Stock Performance Hydro One Dividend Announcement Hydro One stock opened at C$50.75 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 140.53. Hydro One has a 1 year low of C$42.52 and a 1 year high of C$53.98. The company has a market cap of C$30.43 billion, a PE ratio of 26.76, a PEG ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 0.34. The companys 50-day moving average is C$49.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$48.74. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.3331 per share. This represents a $1.33 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Hydro Ones dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.44%. About Hydro One (Get Free Report) Hydro One operates regulated transmission and distribution assets in Ontario. The areas largest electricity provider serves nearly 1.5 million customers. Transmission accounts for roughly 60% of the companys rate base, with distribution accounting for the remainder. Hydro One operates a small telecom business, Acronym Solutions, with annual revenue contributing less than 1% to consolidated results. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Hydro One Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hydro One and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Marshalls plc (LON:MSLH Get Free Report) insider Matt Pullen bought 7,734 shares of Marshalls stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 206 ($2.79) per share, for a total transaction of 15,932.04 ($21,556.00). Marshalls Stock Performance Shares of Marshalls stock opened at GBX 196.76 ($2.66) on Friday. Marshalls plc has a 1 year low of GBX 192.20 ($2.60) and a 1 year high of GBX 366 ($4.95). The firms 50-day moving average is GBX 247.07 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 255.73. The stock has a market cap of 494.95 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.98, a PEG ratio of 0.17 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 33.19, a current ratio of 1.86 and a quick ratio of 1.34. Get Marshalls alerts: Marshalls (LON:MSLH Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 11th. The company reported GBX 6.60 ($0.09) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Marshalls had a net margin of 3.46% and a return on equity of 3.32%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Marshalls plc will post 18.2342758 EPS for the current fiscal year. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MSLH. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a buy rating and set a GBX 420 ($5.68) price target on shares of Marshalls in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Berenberg Bank reiterated a buy rating and set a GBX 360 ($4.87) target price on shares of Marshalls in a report on Monday. Peel Hunt restated a buy rating and issued a GBX 290 ($3.92) price target on shares of Marshalls in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on Marshalls from GBX 370 ($5.01) to GBX 240 ($3.25) and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Marshalls Marshalls Company Profile (Get Free Report) Established in the late 1880s, Marshalls plc is a leading UK manufacturer of sustainable solutions for the built environment. It operates through three trading divisions: Landscape Products; Roofing Products; and Building Products. At a Group, divisional and brand level, Marshalls strategy centres around its customers who value its unique set of capabilities, namely leading brands, best in class technical and design support and carbon leadership. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Marshalls Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Marshalls and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. NVIDIA, Accenture, and Globant are the three Metaverse stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeats stock screener tool. Metaverse stocks are shares of publicly traded companies that develop or support the infrastructure and applications underpinning the metaverseimmersive digital environments where users interact via VR/AR, gaming platforms, social networks, blockchain-based economies and NFTs. These firms range from hardware makers and game studios to software developers and virtualreal estate platforms, and their stocks offer investors exposure to the potential growthand volatilityof the emerging metaverse ecosystem. These companies had the highest dollar trading volume of any Metaverse stocks within the last several days. Get alerts: NVIDIA (NVDA) NVIDIA Corporation provides graphics and compute and networking solutions in the United States, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and internationally. The Graphics segment offers GeForce GPUs for gaming and PCs, the GeForce NOW game streaming service and related infrastructure, and solutions for gaming platforms; Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for enterprise workstation graphics; virtual GPU or vGPU software for cloud-based visual and virtual computing; automotive platforms for infotainment systems; and Omniverse software for building and operating metaverse and 3D internet applications. Shares of NVDA traded up $0.54 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $182.60. 93,658,240 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 243,575,891. NVIDIA has a 52 week low of $86.62 and a 52 week high of $183.88. The company has a current ratio of 3.39, a quick ratio of 2.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The companys 50 day moving average is $160.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $133.89. The company has a market capitalization of $4.46 trillion, a P/E ratio of 58.77, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 2.14. Read Our Latest Research Report on NVDA Accenture (ACN) Accenture plc, a professional services company, provides strategy and consulting, industry X, song, and technology and operation services worldwide. The company offers application services, including agile transformation, DevOps, application modernization, enterprise architecture, software and quality engineering, data management; intelligent automation comprising robotic process automation, natural language processing, and virtual agents; and application management services, as well as software engineering services; strategy and consulting services; data and analytics strategy, data discovery and augmentation, data management and beyond, data democratization, and industrialized solutions comprising turnkey analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions; metaverse; and sustainability services. Shares of ACN traded up $0.23 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $238.84. 2,417,226 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,506,845. Accenture has a 52 week low of $236.96 and a 52 week high of $398.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The companys 50 day moving average is $289.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $314.40. The company has a market capitalization of $149.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.01, a PEG ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.29. Read Our Latest Research Report on ACN Globant (GLOB) Globant S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides technology services worldwide. It provides digital solutions comprising blockchain, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, data and artificial intelligence, digital experience and performance, code, Internet of Things, metaverse, and engineering and testing; and enterprise technology solutions and services, such as Agile organization, Cultural Hacking, process optimization services, as well as AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft, Oracle, SalesForce, SAP, and ServiceNow technology solutions. Shares of GLOB traded up $1.23 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $75.80. 892,276 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,085,406. Globant has a 52 week low of $73.98 and a 52 week high of $238.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The companys 50 day moving average is $89.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $122.50. The company has a market capitalization of $3.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.42, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 1.16. Read Our Latest Research Report on GLOB See Also National Bankshares set a C$59.00 price target on Rogers Communications (TSE:RCI.B Free Report) (NYSE:RCI) in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,BayStreet.CA reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Several other brokerages have also issued reports on RCI.B. Scotiabank decreased their price target on shares of Rogers Communications from C$49.50 to C$48.50 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Desjardins boosted their target price on shares of Rogers Communications from C$49.00 to C$51.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 24th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Rogers Communications from C$55.00 to C$57.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Rogers Communications from C$55.00 to C$59.00 in a report on Friday, July 25th. Finally, TD Securities upped their target price on shares of Rogers Communications from C$57.00 to C$58.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Rogers Communications presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$53.79. Get Rogers Communications alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on Rogers Communications Rogers Communications Price Performance About Rogers Communications Shares of Rogers Communications stock opened at C$48.44 on Tuesday. Rogers Communications has a twelve month low of C$32.42 and a twelve month high of C$56.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 436.50. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of C$43.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$39.55. The stock has a market capitalization of C$20.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 0.62. (Get Free Report) Rogers is the largest wireless service provider in Canada, with its more than 10 million subscribers equating to one third of the total Canadian market. Rogers wireless business accounted for 60% of the companys total sales in 2021 and has increasingly provided a bigger portion of total company sales over the last several years. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Rogers Communications Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rogers Communications and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sit Investment Associates Inc. raised its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Free Report) by 9.6% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 74,655 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 6,547 shares during the period. Sit Investment Associates Inc.s holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $5,184,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVO. Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in Novo Nordisk A/S in the first quarter valued at $370,272,000. Nuveen Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 73.2% during the 4th quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 6,244,931 shares of the companys stock worth $537,189,000 after acquiring an additional 2,639,693 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP acquired a new stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S during the 4th quarter valued at about $158,657,000. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 8.1% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 15,492,384 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,332,655,000 after purchasing an additional 1,165,955 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 26.8% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 4,689,098 shares of the companys stock valued at $403,356,000 after purchasing an additional 991,022 shares in the last quarter. 11.54% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts: Novo Nordisk A/S Trading Up 0.0% Shares of Novo Nordisk A/S stock opened at $50.92 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $227.35 billion, a PE ratio of 13.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.63. Novo Nordisk A/S has a twelve month low of $45.05 and a twelve month high of $139.74. The firms 50-day moving average price is $65.40 and its 200 day moving average price is $70.66. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Novo Nordisk A/S Cuts Dividend Novo Nordisk A/S ( NYSE:NVO Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.04. Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 35.60% and a return on equity of 78.64%. The business had revenue of $11.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $77.51 billion. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 3.84 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 18th will be paid a $0.4119 dividend. This represents a yield of 240.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 18th. Novo Nordisk A/Ss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.05%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In NVO has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Barclays reissued an equal weight rating on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. BMO Capital Markets reissued a market perform rating and issued a $64.00 price target (down previously from $105.00) on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Dbs Bank lowered shares of Novo Nordisk A/S to a sell rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Hsbc Global Res cut shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $83.75. Get Our Latest Research Report on Novo Nordisk A/S Novo Nordisk A/S Profile (Free Report) Novo Nordisk A/S, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North America, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Rare Disease. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE:MTB Free Report) by 16.1% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 5,152 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 715 shares during the period. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd.s holdings in M&T Bank were worth $921,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC raised its stake in shares of M&T Bank by 53.8% during the first quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 526 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in shares of M&T Bank by 16.5% in the first quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 644 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $115,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of M&T Bank in the first quarter worth $225,000. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of M&T Bank by 4.4% in the first quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,076 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $370,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of M&T Bank in the first quarter worth $46,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.68% of the companys stock. Get M&T Bank alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MTB. Cowen began coverage on shares of M&T Bank in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of M&T Bank from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $225.00 price target on shares of M&T Bank and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of M&T Bank from $189.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of M&T Bank from $200.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $212.88. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP Peter Darcy sold 2,461 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.31, for a total value of $485,579.91. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 9,319 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,838,731.89. This represents a 20.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert E. Sadler, Jr. sold 6,700 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 23,070 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,233,806.40. The trade was a 22.51% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 10,438 shares of company stock valued at $1,967,346 over the last 90 days. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. M&T Bank Stock Up 0.4% M&T Bank stock opened at $194.06 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $191.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $183.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 0.97. M&T Bank Corporation has a one year low of $150.75 and a one year high of $225.70. M&T Bank (NYSE:MTB Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $4.28 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.04 by $0.24. The business had revenue of $2.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.39 billion. M&T Bank had a net margin of 20.44% and a return on equity of 10.35%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.73 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that M&T Bank Corporation will post 16.57 earnings per share for the current year. M&T Bank Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 2nd were issued a $1.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. M&T Banks dividend payout ratio is presently 34.97%. 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. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MTB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE:MTB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for M&T Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for M&T Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Trio Petroleum Corp. (NYSEMKT:TPET Get Free Report) were down 8.8% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $1.15 and last traded at $1.09. Approximately 152,930 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 91% from the average daily volume of 1,717,439 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.19. Trio Petroleum Price Performance The firm has a market cap of $8.16 million, a PE ratio of -0.25 and a beta of -5.30. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $1.25 and its 200 day moving average price is $1.33. Trio Petroleum Company Profile (Get Free Report) We are an oil and gas exploration and development company headquartered in Bakersfield, California, with operations in Monterey County, California. The Company was incorporated on July 19, 2021, under the laws of Delaware to acquire, fund and develop oil exploration and production assets in California. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Trio Petroleum Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Trio Petroleum and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Heavy, unusual call options activity in American Airlines (AAL) stock may indicate that investors are turning bullish on AAL stock after its recent Q2 earnings release. The company showed strong free cash flow, implying its value could be higher. AAL is at $13.05 in midday trading today. This is higher than $11.46 on July 24, when it released earnings. Investors may have turned bullish. This article will look into why that might be. More News from Barchart AAL stock - last 6 months - Barchart - As of Aug. 13, 2025 Heavy Call Option Trading in AAL Today's Barchart Unusual Stock Options Activity Report shows that over 35,000 call options contracts at the $14.00 strike price have traded for the expiry period ending Sept. 26. That is 44 days from now, or a month and a half in the future. This huge number of call option contracts is over 285x more than the prior number of outstanding contracts at the $14.00 exercise price for expiry on Sept. 26. That implies heavy trading by institutional investors initiating contracts on both sides of the trade. AAL calls expiring Sept. 26 - Unusual Stock Options Activity Report - Barchart - Aug. 13, 2025 For example, investors who are buying these calls believe that AAL will rise over $14.45, or +10.6% from today over the next month and a half in order for the intrinsic value of the calls to rise over cost: $14.45 - $14.00 cost = $0.45 (i.e., the ask side today of the call option premium) However, it's likely that if this occurs in the next two to three weeks, the price of the options will be significantly higher than 45 cents. That way, the investor won't have to wait until expiration to make a profit. That is due to the extrinsic value that is left in the premium, as there is time left for the stock to rise further. On the other hand, sellers of these calls believe that they are getting a good deal as well. They may be long AAL stock today or bought shares at today's price. That way, selling covered calls brings them an immediate yield of 3.37%: $0.44 premium received / $13.06 cost of 100 shares = 0.03369 = 3.369% for just 44 days That works out to an annualized expected return (ER) of at least 26.95% (i.e., 3.369% x 8x). This, of course, assumes that the same yield could be made by a trader repeating this play 8 times in a year (which may not be the case). This story was originally published on Construction Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Construction Dive newsletter. The construction industry faces a stark shortage of workers, but programs and people across the country are working at the local level to solve the problem. This series highlights those efforts helping to recruit the next generation of construction pros. Read previous entries here. Do you know of a group that is helping to attract workers to the construction industry? Let us know. When Chicago-based The Walsh Group won a contract on the $781 million Cancer and Advanced Ambulatory Building at the University of Kentucky, firm leaders pitched the school on a program the contractor had utilized before. For over 25 years, Walsh has wielded pre-apprenticeship programs on projects, recruiting locals and giving them on-the-job training with their subcontracting partners, said Muhummad Starks, project manager for Walsh. We've kind of been leveraging our projects to advertise what's awesome about construction for the last 25 years, Starks told Construction Dive. The Lexington, Kentucky-based university and Walsh, along with Goodwill Kentucky, a nonprofit that helps low-income people find jobs, announced a partnership that launched Aug. 1 designed to provide training in technical skills and exposure to the industry. The program will serve as a pathway to registered apprenticeship opportunities, potentially setting up participants to pursue a full apprenticeship and a career in the trades. The 550,000-square-foot project broke ground in April 2024, and is slated to open in 2027. Cohorts and training The program is designed to run a half-dozen, eight-week cohorts of pre-apprentices through the course over two years, Chris Zarvas, project manager, told Construction Dive. At the end of each stint, ideally both the pre-apprentice and the subcontractor on the job would agree, Zarvas said, to employ the worker full-time. Starks said the first step is ensuring subcontractors have a large enough scope of work to train a pre-apprentice. Thats not always the case, he said. For example, the first cohort will entail three workers, as the subcontractors mostly perform electrical, HVAC, plumbing and concrete work. But going forward, work such as carpentry or glazing will require cohorts to be larger and supply the pre-apprentices with more work to do, Starks said. When I set this up, I had the luxury of calling up a couple of project managers that had run a pre-apprenticeship program out here, Starks said. The Walsh experts who had run similar programs were instrumental in setting up the first week. JPMorgan's new office tower in New York City will feature copious coffee outposts and cafes on every floor, new documents show. bluesky85/Getty Images Business Insider obtained new documents revealing details about JPMorgan's office tower. The new skyscraper on New York City's Park Avenue is rolling out all the stops for food and drink. From the coffee outposts to the vegan hotspot, here's a look at what workers can expect. How many coffee bars does it take to fuel 14,000 Wall Streeters? According to JPMorgan's internal communications for its new tower, the answer could be in the dozens. There won't be just two in the lobby or two more upstairs in its massive food hall work cafes will be located on every floor, according to internal documents obtained by Business Insider that outline what employees can expect as they gear up for the move. The building, located at 270 Park Avenue in Manhattan, is slated to open for most workers early next year, but some will move in sooner, the documents said. The bank's communications to its staffers reveal a carefully designed culinary ecosystem one that signals how serious it is about making in-office life palatable, even pleasurable, as it calls workers back to the office five days a week. The bank's CEO, Jamie Dimon, has made clear that he thinks working from home is inefficient and ineffective. "It is an apprenticeship system. You can't learn working from your basement," he said earlier this year. A spokesperson declined to comment on the new details, which were shared with employees through an internal portal. JPMorgan's new office tower at 270 Park Avenue in New York will open for some employees later this year. Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images In addition to overflowing options for coffee breaks, JPMorgan is dangling Michelin-starred vegan meals and 24-hour coffee perfect for bleary-eyed bankers in need of a 2 a.m. pick-me-up. On the menu at the Exchange, a social hub spread across floors 13th to 16th floors, are fast-salad spot Sweetgreen; Umami; and Little Dirt Candy, which appears to be connected to a Lower Manhattan vegan spot run by a Michelin-starred chef. Overall, there will be some 15 choices in the Exchange, the bank documents said, plus refreshments on all of the bank's 60 floors. Park Avenue Express, what appears to be a proprietary JPMorgan concept, is billed as the spot "for those looking for a quick bite to eat at any time of day or night," the documents say, noting that it's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The new building will house up to 14,000 employees on the ground level of Park and Madison Avenues. dbox / Foster + Partners "There are plenty of options to keep you fueled throughout your day and tons of opportunities to recharge with your favorite snacks and coffee drinks in our cafes and coffee bars," one of the documents said. The 14th floor of the tower will also house a Monday to Friday Starbucks location and The Corner, "a vibrant New York coffee house" featuring "a diverse selection of artisanal brews and locally sourced treats." Key Points A congressman filed, for the fourth time in a row, a bill that would "reschedule" cannabis. This could be intended to prod President Trump into using his authority to effect the change. 10 stocks we like better than Curaleaf The halting, stop-and-go journey that is American marijuana legalization seemed to pass through a green light on Wednesday. As a result, the shares of one of the more prominent multistate operators in the sector, Curaleaf (OTC: CURLF), motored to a gain of more than 10% on the day. That compared most favorably to the sluggish (0.3%) rise of the S&P 500 index that trading session. A new push for rescheduling President Trump is currently mulling a proposal to, on the federal level, reclassify marijuana as a less harmful drug -- at least, he said so in a press briefing on Monday. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a Republican congressman quadrupled down on a legislative effort to get that job done. Image source: Getty Images. Greg Steube of Florida filed a bill he's sponsoring, the "Marijuana 1-to-3 Act," for the fourth session in a row. The name references the "schedules" used by the Drug Enforcement Agency, from 1 (for the most harmful drugs with minimal medical value) to 5 (least harmful). The proposed rescheduling of pot would knock it down from 1 to 3 within 60 days of the bill's passing, effectively legalizing it. Steube has been an advocate for reform for years. In 2019, he said that if the restrictions on marijuana are loosened, "the opportunities for research and study are drastically expanded." Legalize it, say Americans Leaning toward legalization is a clever stance for a politician to take, as there is very broad public support for reform of the federal government's harsh, rigid stance on the drug. According to a 2024 survey conducted by Gallup and cited by PBS News, support for legalization has risen dramatically, to 68% last year from 36% in 2005. Should you buy stock in Curaleaf right now? Before you buy stock in Curaleaf, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Curaleaf wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $653,427!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $1,119,863!* Key Points Two analysts weighed in with fresh takes on the company. One initiated coverage with a buy, and the other upped his price target. 10 stocks we like better than Lemonade The stock market was hardly sour on Lemonade (NYSE: LMND) stock on Wednesday. On the back of two positive analysts moves on the next-generation insurer, its share price zoomed to an over 9% gain during that day's trading session. In reaching that height it blew past the S&P 500 index, which only mustered a 0.3% increase. Boosting the buy case Of the pair, one was an initiation of coverage, and the other a price target increase by a researcher that's been following Lemonade stock for some time. Image source: Getty Images. The initiating individual was Cantor Fitzgerald's Ryan Tunis, who after market close Tuesday launched coverage of Lemonade with an overweight (buy, in other words) recommendation. Tunis set his price target at $60 per share for the stock. The following day, Jefferies' Andrew Andersen raised his existing price target on the shares. He now believes they are worth $37 apiece, quite some distance north of his previous $30 estimation. That was the good news for Lemonade; the bad is that Andersen left his underperform (sell) rating unchanged. According to reports, the analyst's bump was due in no small to the company's higher premium retention; this should spur revenue growth for the company. On the down side, Andersen expressed concern that Lemonade was taking on more leverage, an activity that can hamper fundamentals if not managed effectively. Not yet tasting good While Lemonade is an innovative company in numerous ways, personally I'd be concerned about its propensity for bottom-line losses. Until and when it can prove that it can not only book a profit but do so with some consistency, I will remain wary of the stock. Should you buy stock in Lemonade right now? Before you buy stock in Lemonade, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Lemonade wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $653,427!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $1,119,863!* Now, its worth noting Stock Advisors total average return is 1,060% a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Dont miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. A migrant labourer from Nalhati in Birbhum has alleged that both his ears were severed by the private contractor he was working for in Mumbai, after he expressed a wish to return home. He has lodged an FIR at the local police station. The incident has caused a huge stir in Birbhum district, where a large number of people work as migrant labourers in far-off states. Advertisement Rahul Singh, the victim, had gone to Mumbai about five to six months ago. When he requested Rs 20,000 from his salary to visit his home in Birbhum, he was allegedly beaten by the contractors goons, who also severed his ears. After receiving treatment in a local hospital there, he recently returned home. Advertisement Nalhati police station, under Birbhum Police, confirmed that they had received his written complaint. Officers stated that Rahul Singh, a resident of Rajapukur in Ward No. 5 of Nalhati Municipality, had lodged the FIR, and that an investigation was under way. The victims mother alleged that his Aadhaar card, voter ID card, and mobile phone had all been taken away, and that he had escaped with his life but is now in poor health. As West Bengal edges closer to its 2026 Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is sharpening its political focus on the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kolkata on 22 August for a series of administrative and political engagements, a trip party leaders are billing as a significant step in the BJPs outreach campaign. The centrepiece of Mr Modis visit will be the inauguration of three new Kolkata Metro routes and a public rally. BJP leaders are framing the Metro expansion as a historic gift for West Bengal ahead of Durga Puja. State party president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar announced the visit on social media after receiving a formal invitation from railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The visit comes just weeks after Mr Modis trips to Alipurduar on 29 May and Durgapur on 18 July. Party sources said the Prime Minister is expected to attend up to 10 administrative and political programmes in the state before the end of the year. Advertisement The BJP has been working to consolidate its presence in West Bengal after making inroads in the 2019 general elections and mounting a strong but ultimately unsuccessful challenge to chief minister Mamata Banerjees Trinamul Congress in the 2021 Assembly polls. The party hopes that high-profile visits, infrastructure announcements, and targeted public engagements will help it gain ground ahead of the 2026 race. However, political observers note that while development projects are popular talking points, the BJP faces significant challenges in sustaining momentum in a state where regional identity and welfare politics have traditionally shaped electoral outcomes. Advertisement The TMC, meanwhile, has accused the BJP of politicising central projects to influence voters. With the Assembly election still more than a year away, Mr Modis August visit signals the BJPs intent to keep West Bengal firmly on its political radar and to use infrastructure as both a development pitch and a campaign tool. The Purulia District Court today remanded two persons, accused in a sensational triple murder case, to police custody to enable further investigations. The Government Railway Police (GRP) had earlier arrested the duo for allegedly murdering three women in Purulia and dumping their bodies on the railway track near Suisa Railway Station on the Adra-Chandil route of South Eastern Railway. Advertisement Debashree Sanyal, Superintendent of Railway Police (SRP), Kharagpur division, while briefing the media here, said the duo, identified as Babu Jan Momin and Bijoy Machuar, were arrested from their homes in Jiling village in Purulia. They had been produced in Purulia Court and have been remanded to police custody. Advertisement Giving details of the case, the official said the accused had illicit relationships with two of the deceased, both sisters, and on the day of the crime had called them near the railway track. After some heated altercations, the duo murdered the sisters as well as a child accompanying them. Both the women used to work at the brick kiln owned by Babu Jan Momin in Jiling village, she added. Purulia Superintendent of Police Abhijit Banerjee had also visited the place of occurance after the driver of a freight train first saw the three bodies on the railway tracks. Sniffer dogs called in failed to give any leads, as the scents had been washed away by heavy rainfall in the area. The Purulia district police and the GRP have worked together to investigate the triple murder, which has caused quite a sensation in the district. The victims have been identified as Kajal Machua (25), her daughter Rakhi (7), and sister Radha (13). GRP officials have also grilled their family members. Kajal Machuas husband is a migrant labourer and works in Goa, while she stays with her parents in Jiling village. Bijoy Machuar also works in the brick kiln. Kajal and Radha were accosted by the accused when they had gone to mobile repairing shop. Complications had arisen from their relationships and the duo lured the sisters to the railway tracks, where the crime was allegedly committed. The child had been killed as well as she had witnessed the murders. The post mortem had revealed that the victims had not been injured injured by the movement of any train. The killers had apparently strangulated them to death and placed the bodies on the railway tracks, hoping they would be run over by a train. The driver of a goods train stopped in time after spotting the bodies and informed the station master who informed the GRP. Police in Kolkata have arrested the man accused of causing a crash leading to the death of a 22-year-old food delivery boy yesterday. The suspect, identified as Binod Roy, was detained from Malipanchghara in Howrah after allegedly going into hiding, following Wednesdays accident. Officers from Bidhannagar police tracked him down and made the arrest. Advertisement The incident occurred near the new bridge in Salt Lakes AE Block when a four-wheeler lost control, hit two two-wheelers before slamming into a roadside railing, triggering an explosion and setting the vehicle ablaze. Advertisement Trapped against the railing, the delivery boy was unable to escape and died on the spot. Passengers in the car were rescued. The accident sparked anger among local residents, who alleged that the fire brigade arrived late despite being alerted promptly. Crowds pelted stones at firefighters and police, accusing them of negligence. Some claimed officers were more focused on collecting fines and filming the incident than ensuring road safety or rescuing the victim. Earlier, residents of Kestopur in Kolkata and the victims native village in South 24-Parganas have demanded the arrest of the driver involved in a fatal road crash and financial compensation for the family. The victim, identified as 22-year-old Soumen Mondal from Hirannmoypur village under Basantis Nafar Ganj gram panchayat, was working as a food delivery rider in the city. Witnesses said he had stopped his bike at a traffic signal with another rider as a pillion when a speeding, out-of-control car struck him from behind, slamming the bike into the roadside railing. The impact caused both the car and the bike to catch fire. Mondal, son of a migrant labourer working in another state, came from a poor family. Locals said he had taken up delivery work to support his household in his fathers absence. Kunal Ghosh, Trinamul Congress state secretary today criticised Anurag Thakur for making false and baseless statements. A representative from the office of Abhishek Banerjee also visited Mr Thakurs house in New Delhi to deliver a pen drive with all the correct figures and details of Diamond Harbour constituency. Advertisement Mr Ghosh said: Unable to digest the brilliant performance of Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the party, both on the floor of the Parliament and during his visit to five countries as a part of the Indian delegation to mobilise public opinion after the Pahalgam incident, Mr Thakur has taken a stand to malign him by making false allegation regarding Mr Banerjees Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency. Advertisement Mr Ghosh said Mr Thakur has falsely alleged that the electoral roll of the Assembly constituencies under Diamond Harbour Parliamentary constituency saw an increase of 15 per cent of electors in the last four years. He said a review of the electoral roll data of the Assembly constituencies under Diamond Harbour sub-division shows that the fact is far from the truth. An overall increase of voters in the last 4 years (final E roll 2021 to final E roll 2025) in 143 Diamond Harbour Assembly constituency is 4.70 per cent and 144 Falta Assembly Constituency is 4.09 per cent. Moreover, he also alleged that a family comprising a large number of electors are shown in a single house number in some parts. The fact is that the letter n in house no denotes notional house no in ERONet, used for the purpose of electoral roll, as there is no concept of actual house number in rural Bengal. It hardly signifies anything, as the electors actually live in their physical houses, Mr Ghosh said adding, Mr Thakur should have done his homework before making baseless claims. He said: It is unfortunate that many of the BJP leaders make statements without knowing what they are saying. Their sole purpose is to spread canard against Trinamul Congress, particularly Mr Banerjee. BJPs poll prospects become bleak the more they make false allegations against the Trinamul Congress. Coming down heavily on Suvendu Adhikari, leader of opposition for making the statement that bulldozers will have to be brought from Uttar Pradesh to pull down the houses of the Rohingyas in Bengal, Mr Ghosh said No bulldozer is required had the BSF intensified their vigilance and stop infiltration in Tripura and Bengal. The BSF is under Amit Shah, Union home minister and Mr Adhikari should talk to him to discuss the matter. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on the occasion of Independence Day said that on former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayees birth anniversary, the state government would launch the Atal Canteen scheme to provide nutritious, hygienic meals to workers for just Rs 5. The Delhi government will stand beside every worker, ensuring jobs, education for their children, and basic family needs, CM Gupta said during her address on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day celebrations at Delhis Chhatrasal Stadium. Advertisement She also unveiled a series of ambitious initiatives aimed at uplifting workers, empowering women, and ensuring dignified living for all citizens. Advertisement In line with PM Narendra Modis vision, every slum family will receive a safe, fully equipped home, the CM said. Not just four walls, these homes will mean dignity, rights, and a secure future, she added. She said to support women in labour-intensive jobs, including taxi drivers, the government will set up 500 new centres and creches, adding that 300 Anganwadi centres have already been upgraded with modern facilities and safety standards. Gupta said these measures will transform the lives of the poor and working classes and ensure no one is left behind in Delhis progress. Bollywood superstar Salman Khan celebrated the 79th Independence Day with a special musical message for his fans. On Friday, he took to Instagram to share a short clip from his singing, wishing everyone a Happy Independence Day. In the video, Salman could be seen singing the song with heartfelt expressions, making the tribute feel warm and personal. Advertisement Salmans Independence Day message comes amid a wave of wishes from other Bollywood stars as well. Many celebrities used social media to honour the day and show their patriotism. Akshay Kumar paid tribute to the heroes who work tirelessly to keep beaches clean, while Suniel Shetty shared a heartfelt salute to Indias Armed Forces. Advertisement Salman Khan on Independence Day 2025: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Salman Khan (@beingsalmankhan) Other stars like Hema Malini, Rajkummar Rao, Vikrant Massey, Arjun Rampal, Sara Ali Khan, and Ram Charan also posted special messages for the occasion. On the work front, Salman Khan last appeared in Sikandar, directed by A.R. Murugadoss. The film featured a star-studded cast, including Rashmika Mandanna, Kajal Aggarwal, Sharman Joshi, Sathyaraj, Sanjay Kapoor, and Jatin Sarna. Looking ahead, Salman is preparing for his next big project, Battle of Galwan, a war drama directed by Apoorva Lakhia. The film is based on the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes at the India-China border, where 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives. The movie promises to showcase the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers involved. In July, Salman shared the first look from the film through a powerful motion poster. Details about the film and its release are still under wraps. Key Points Venture Global beat analyst expectations for revenue and EBITDA. The company also announced an important arbitration win in a suit brought by one of its customers. With the stock down nearly 50% from its January IPO, it may be worth a look in an otherwise expensive market. 10 stocks we like better than Venture Global Shares of Venture Global (NYSE: VG) rallied 9.8% on Wednesday as of 1:55 p.m. ET. The liquefied natural gas export company, which is building several export terminals on the U.S. Gulf Coast, reported its second-quarter earnings last night. Results were solid and above expectations. But on top of that, the company also announced it had won an important arbitration case brought by a large customer, removing a risk that was potentially overhanging the stock. Venture delivers in Q2, and in court In the second quarter, Venture Global saw revenue of $3.1 billion, up 180% year over year, along with adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) of $1.39 billion, up 217%. Both figures came in ahead of analyst expectations. Management announced the company was ramping production of its Plaquemines terminal quicker than expected, and now expects total cargoes for the year to be at the high end of the previously given 367-389 range, which encompasses both Plaquemines as well as the first Calcasieu Pass project, which entered official commercial operations in April. However, management kept its full-year EBITDA targets unchanged. Venture Global also announced it won its arbitration case against one of its customers, Shell (NYSE: SHEL). Shell brought a case two years ago, after Venture Global opted to sell cargos on the spot market from Calcasieu Pass when LNG prices were much higher following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, rather than to Shell and other customers with which Venture had signed a long-term supply agreements at lower prices. It appears Venture's argument, that it had only sold those cargoes during the pre-commercialization phase and was thus not obligated to sell those cargoes until official commercialization, won over arbitrators. Thus, the potential overhang of financial penalties was removed, it seems. Image source: Getty Images. Venture Global is still half its IPO price While the near-tripling of revenues was good to see, investors can look forward to more growth in the years ahead. In late July, the company announced it had made the final decision to begin phase 1 of the second Calcasieu Pass (CP2) project, following the company securing over $15 billion in financing, all while having its credit upgraded by S&P Global. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun skipped the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort on Friday, drawing sharp criticism from the ruling BJP. Although there was no official statement from the Congress party regarding their absence, it is being speculated that the two leaders skipped the event due to seating arrangement row last year. Advertisement The two leaders, however, wished the countrymen on the occasion of Independence Day through their social media accounts. Advertisement The Leader of Opposition took to X to extend his greetings. He said, This freedom, achieved through the sacrifices of great freedom fighters, is a resolve to build an India where justice rests on the foundation of truth and equality, and every heart is filled with respect and brotherhood. It is the duty of all of us to protect the pride and honor of this precious heritage. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat! Meanwhile, Kharge said: Independence Day is a solemn occasion to rededicate ourselves to values of Freedom, Justice, Equality and Fraternity, cherished by our Democracy. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, however, took a sharp dig at Gandhi over his absence at the event. Poonawalla said on X, Congress spokesperson in tv debate with me just now confirmed that LoP Rahul Gandhi skipped 15th August Program at Red Fort. This was a national celebration but sadly Lover of Pakistan Rahul Gandhi in Modi virodh does Desh & Sena Virodh! Shameful behaviour. Is this Sanvidhan and Sena ka Samman? Last year, during the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, a controversy broke out when Congress MP Gandhi was seated in the second-last row instead of his usual place as per tradition and protocol. The Opposition said this was an insult to the people, while the Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the seating was changed to make space for Olympians. The CPI Pathanamthitta district conferences political report has sharply criticized the LDF government in Kerala, accusing it of protecting hardened criminals. The report, adopted by the CPI the second-largest constituent of the ruling LDF states that for convicts like Kodi Suni, prisons have become rest centres. Advertisement It further alleges that those accused under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act are enjoying political protection. The report also claims that senior police officers, including ADGP Ajith Kumar, do not even show respect to ministers. Advertisement Additionally, the CPIs political report criticizes the placement of Kudumbashree members in various government departments, reducing the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Employment Exchange to mere scarecrows. It also describes the functioning of the Animal Husbandry Department as unsatisfactory. Earlier this week, CPI leaders and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan faced severe criticism at the partys Kottayam district conference in Vaikom. Delegates accused the leadership of failing to take firm positions and lacking effective leadership. These remarks came during a discussion on a 106-page report presented by District Secretary Adv VB Binu. Delegates alleged that neither the Chief Minister nor the CPI(M) gives the CPI any serious consideration, and that the partys state leadership is too weak to question CPI(M) policies. Some criticized the Chief Ministers style of functioning, saying he behaves like a dictator and does not consult even a single minister in his cabinet. Speakers also noted that the peoples discontent was reflected in the Lok Sabha election results in Kerala. However, they claimed, the government remains unwilling to make course corrections. Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Friday accused the BJP of making the country fanatical about religion after it came to power in 2014, and said that this is creating communal divisions, which is very dangerous for the countrys independence. Raut also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his call for Swadeshi and self-reliance, reminding him that the slogan of Swadeshi was a gift from the Congress party. Advertisement The Shiv Sena(UBT) leader spoke to reporters after PM Modis Independence Day speech from the ramparts of Red Fort, on a range of issues, including Operation Sindoor, Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan-sponsored terror activities and Swadeshi. Advertisement Raut argued that when PM Modi keeps on asking what the Congress party has given, he should understand that the slogan of Swadeshi was given in this country by the Congress party. Mahatma Gandhi, Lokmanya Tilak, and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave it. That is why Khadi came to the country, the Gandhi cap came. One day, Narendra Modi will give a speech wearing a Gandhi cap. Modi has become a Congressman today. He has become a Nehruvian and a Gandhian, he claimed. Referring to PM Modis subtle warning to the US and Pakistan, Raut said that PM Modi does not warn anyone by taking anyones name, as he does not have that much courage. PM Modi should name the US President Trump (after his retaliatory tariff) or Pakistan. Take the name of the enemy. Trump is sitting there and repeatedly issuing threats and ultimatums. He is abusing the country every day. He is abusing and insulting the PM, so he should name him. Why is he ashamed and afraid to take the name? he asked. He added that instead of blaming former PM Jawaharlal Nehru, an architect of Indias development, PM Modi should directly name the US, China and Pakistan. It is very easy to warn Pakistan. But China is behind Pakistan. How can PM Modi forget that Trump is behind General Munir? He should not make false speeches from the Red Fort. Pakistans Army Chief Munir threatens us. Trump invited Munir to a dinner at the White House. Did Trump invite the Indian Army Chief? PM Modi should take on Trump. It is not enough to just warn Pakistan but also China, said Raut. He criticised several policies of the Modi government, alleging that the country has gone into a pit after 2014. He slammed the governments foreign policy, saying that it is easy to curse Pakistan. India and Singapore held a joint working group meeting here to focus on deepening bilateral trade and investment ties, identifying priority sectors for greater alignment, improving logistics and supply chains, streamlining regulatory frameworks, and exploring ways to facilitate cross-border trade according to an official statement issued on Friday. The meeting reviewed ongoing collaboration in areas such as the semiconductor sector and digitalisation of trade, and explored potential partnerships in skills development, capacity building, and other emerging sectors for mutual benefit. Both sides agreed on the importance of more frequent engagements to translate these opportunities into concrete outcomes, the statement said. Advertisement The 4th Meeting of the IndiaSingapore Joint Working Group on Trade & Investment (JWGTI) was hosted by India at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, on Thursday. The meeting was co-chaired by Special Secretary, Department of Commerce Rajesh Agrawal and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore, Dr. Beh Swan Gin. The meeting followed the 3rd IndiaSingapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) held a day earlier. Advertisement Agrawal noted that the IndiaSingapore relationship has evolved well beyond traditional trade. While the two countries already enjoy robust engagement in trade and investment, there remain ample opportunities for further cooperation. The year 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore, as well as the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). The CECA, signed in 2005, was the first comprehensive trade agreement India entered into with any partner and Singapores first such pact with a South Asian country. Singapore is Indias largest trading partner within ASEAN, with total bilateral trade of $34.26 billion during 202425. It is also Indias second-largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with equity inflows of $163.85 billion (Rs 11,24,509.65 crore) between April 2000 and July 2024, accounting for about 24 per cent of Indias cumulative inflows. On the auspicious occasion of Indias 79th Independence Day, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hoisted the national flag at his official residence in Lucknow and extended heartfelt greetings to the people of the state, and paid respectful tribute to the brave heroes of the freedom struggle who freed the nation from centuries of foreign rule. He said, Indias independence is the result of the unwavering sacrifices and struggles of Mahatma Gandhi and countless revolutionaries who united the country from North to South and East to West in the fight for freedom. Advertisement In his address, Yogi remembered the Father of the Nation, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution; and all freedom fighters. He added, Independence Day is not a mere a celebration but an occasion to awaken national consciousness and renew our commitment to duty. Advertisement Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is advancing rapidly towards the vision of Viksit Bharat, he said. The Constitution, now in its Amrit Kaal, has played a crucial role in upholding social justice, fraternity, and equality, binding the nation together through both favorable and challenging times. Highlighting the bravery of the Indian Army during Operation Sindoor and the power of indigenous weapons like missiles and drones, CM Yogi described them as symbols of Indias self-reliance and strength. He also underlined Uttar Pradeshs efforts to boost local industry through the One District, One Product (ODOP) initiativebranding, modern design, technology, and packaging to connect local products with markets not only in India but across the worldthus giving new momentum to the Prime Ministers Vocal for Local campaign. He urged that adopting Swadeshi as a way of life should become a national resolution on Independence Day. The Chief Minister also praised the civil police and other organizations for their role in strengthening the countrys internal security. He concluded by saying that Independence Day is a moment to express gratitude to the martyrs and draw inspiration for building a self-reliant India. Every citizen of Uttar Pradesh, he stressed, must remain dedicated to their duties and work towards realizing the dream of a developed nation. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice B R Gavai on Friday appealed to judges to interpret laws in ways that broaden freedoms, safeguard the rights of marginalised communities, and reinforce the rule of law, calling on the legal fraternity to carry forward the Constitutions vision of justice, equality, and fraternity. Speaking at the Supreme Court Bar Associations (SCBA) Independence Day celebrations function on the lawns of the top court, CJI Gavai said the responsibility of judges extended beyond a literal reading of statutes. Beyond the letter of the law, we must strive to give a broader, more purposive interpretation to the values of the Constitution. We must interpret the law in ways that expand freedom, protect the rights of the marginalised, and strengthen the rule of law, he said. Advertisement Quoting Rabindranath Tagores prayer for a nation where the mind is without fear and the head is held high, he said these aspirations would only be fulfilled when Mahatma Gandhis concept of Swaraj became real and Dr B.R. Ambedkars vision of democracy was complete. Advertisement Recounting milestones in Indias journey from colonial subjugation to independence, CJI Gavai said the tricolour symbolised the spirit of liberty that refuses to be silenced, of equality that admits no hierarchy, of fraternity that knows no walls. He urged the legal community to commit to building an India where no child is denied education because of her caste or poverty, no woman walks in fear, and no citizen is too small to be heard, and no truth is too inconvenient to be spoken. The CJI stressed that both judges and lawyers bore the solemn duty not merely to interpret and apply the law, but to actively uphold and embody the fundamental values enshrined in the Constitution the very principles that form the bedrock of our democratic society. Tracing the freedom struggle, he highlighted landmark moments the Santhal rebellion of 1855, the revolt of 1857, Birsa Mundas fight for dignity in Chotanagpur, the work of Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule in educating girls from excluded communities, Tagores renunciation of his knighthood in protest against injustice, the meticulous drafting of the Constitution by Ambedkar, and Gandhis moral leadership. Our freedom was forged not in one place, nor by one people, but by the courage of many, speaking in different tongues yet united by one dream of a prosperous and equal India, he said. He noted that the independence movement was also a moral and legal struggle in which lawyers played a pivotal role, often at personal cost. This legacy must guide the lawyers of today, he said, adding that no matter how small a dispute may appear, it could be a matter of life, dignity, or survival for someone. Every case you handle, every argument you advance, contributes to the moral and social fabric of our nation. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, also addressing the event, said the 24 spokes in the Ashok Chakra in the national flag represent values including compassion, love, courage, righteousness, justice, and integrity forming the ethical foundation envisioned for the nation. Attorney General R. Venkataramani, SCBA President Vikas Singh and other dignitaries were also present and addressed the gathering RSS veteran and Nagaland Governor La Ganesan, who had been hospitalized after a fall at his home on August 8, passed away in Chennai on Friday. He was 80 and remained unmarried, dedicating his life to Sangh work from an early age. Ganesan was appointed Governor of Nagaland by the President in February 2023. Advertisement After sustaining a severe head injury in the fall, he was rushed to Apollo Hospital, where he was treated in the Intensive Care Unit. He passed away at 6:32 pm, the hospital said. Advertisement Born on February 16, 1945 in Thanjavur, Ganesan was drawn to the RSS in his youth. Following the untimely death of his father, he was raised by his elder brother. He became a full-time activist in the organization and rose through the ranks, serving as the BJPs Tamil Nadu General Secretary, the partys National General Secretary, and Vice-President. Ganesan unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from the Chennai South constituency in 2009 and 2014 but was later elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh. In 2021, he was appointed the 17th Governor of Manipur, before being posted to Nagaland. During his tenure as Manipur Governor, he also held additional charge of West Bengal when Jagdeep Dhankhar was elevated to the position of Vice-President. Despite his RSS background, Ganesan maintained cordial relations with the late DMK patriarch and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, as well as other leaders from the Dravidian political spectrum. Notably, Chief Minister MK Stalin and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended the wedding of Ganesans niece in Chennai in November 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the country is ready to give a befitting reply to the nuclear blackmail issued by Pakistan on several occasions in the past few days. While addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, he stated that Pakistans nuclear threats will no longer be tolerated. He criticized the water-sharing agreement under the Indus Water Treaty, calling it unjust and one-sided. Advertisement He said, Nuclear blackmail has been continuing for a long time, but it will no longer be tolerated. If our enemies persist in such attempts, our armed forces will respond on their own terms, at a time of their choosing, and by achieving the objectives they set. We are ready to give a befitting reply. Advertisement #WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, The people of our country have clearly understood how unjust and one-sided the Indus agreement is. The waters of rivers originating in India have been irrigating the fields of our enemies, while the farmers and the land of my pic.twitter.com/N0hbEU1gmR ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 Criticizing the Indus Water Treaty, PM Modi said, The people of our country have clearly understood how unjust and one-sided the Indus agreement is. The waters of rivers originating in India have been irrigating the fields of our enemies, while the farmers and land of my own country remain thirsty. He added, This is an agreement that has caused unimaginable damage to the farmers of my country for the last seven decades. Now, the rights over the water belong only to the farmers of India He stated, Bharat ne yeh tay kar liya hai ki khoon aur paani ek saath nahi bahega In the past few days, Pakistani leaders Asim Munir and Shehbaz Sharif threatened India with nuclear action if it attempts to alter the flow of the Indus River or block water through the Indus water channels to Pakistan. On August 10, 2025, during a dinner in Tampa, Florida, Pakistans Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, reportedly issued a stark warning to India regarding the Indus Waters Treaty. He stated, We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, well take half the world down with us. Additionally, Munir threatened to destroy any future Indian dams with ten missiles and emphasized that the Indus River is not Indias family property. These remarks drew criticism from India, with the Ministry of External Affairs describing them as nuclear sabre-rattling and urging Pakistan to temper its rhetoric. Independence Day 2025 PM Narendra Modi Red Fort Speech: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hoisted the national flag at Red Fort and addressed the nation on the ocassion of 79th Independence Day. In what was his 12th consecutive address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi hailed the bravery of Operation Sindoor heroes, saying the armed forces had punished enemies beyond their imagination. Advertisement PM Modi reaffirmed that the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan will remain suspended untill Islamabad ends cross-border terrorism. Blood and water will not flow together, Modi reiterated. Advertisement He announced Sudarshan Chakra Mission to develop a powerful new weapons system to thwart enemy attacks. Modi said that Sudarshan Chakra will be able to neutralise enemy attacks and also have the capability to strike back. He also announced new generation GST reforms by Diwali, promising reduced taxes on daily-use items and unveiled the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Scheme for youth. Under the employement scheme, government will offer Rs 15,000 to first time private sector employees. Modi said that the government aims to create 3.5 crores jobs. Modi also launched National Deep Water Exploration Mission to look for oil and gas reserves in the sea, a move to make India self-reliant in energy sector. The PM also said that Made-in-India semiconductor will hit the markets by the end of this year. Addressing the nation on Independence Day. https://t.co/rsFUG7q6eP Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2025 Below are the key highlights of PM Modis Red Fort Speech on 79th Independence Day: Modi announces Sudarshan Chakra Mission Under the Sudarshan Chakra Mission, India will develop a new powerful sweapons system to thwart enemy attack and strike back. We have chosen the path of Lord Krishnas Sudarshan Chakra. India is launching Sudarshan Chakra Mission a powerful weapon system that will not only neutralise the enemys attack but also strike back, says Modi. PM announces task force for next-generation reforms The PM says that his government has decided to constitute a task force for next-generation reforms. This force will work within a set timeframe to align existing laws with the needs of the 21st century and prepare the nation to become Viksit Bharat by 2047, Modi says. Standing like a wall with farmers and fishermen Prime Minister Modi says, Farmers, livestock keepers, and fishermen are our top priorities. Any policy that threatens their interests, Modi is standing like a wall against it. India will never compromise when it comes to protecting the interests of our farmers. PM Modi announces Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana Under the scheme, those getting first job in private sector will get Rs 15,000 from government. I have good news for the youth of our country. Today, on the 15th of August, we are launching a landmark scheme worth Rs 1 lakh crore, the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana. Under this scheme, the government will provide Rs 15,000 as support to individuals who secure their first job in the private sector. This initiative is expected to generate 3.5 crore job opportunities across the nation, he says. New GST reforms by Diwali, tax to be reduced on daily-use items Prime Minister Modi has announced his government will bring new GST reforms by Diwali this year. He also promised GST on daily-use items will be reduced. He says, The government will bring Next Generation GST reforms, which will bring down tax burden on the common man. It will be a Diwali gift for you. The new GST reforms will bring down the taxes for daily-use items for all Indians. Modi announces National Deep Water Exploration Mission We are now also heading towards Samudra Manthan. Taking this forward, we want to work in Mission Mode to look for the oil and gas reserves in the sea. So, India is about to launch National Deep Water Exploration Mission. PM Modi pushes for self-reliance amid US tariff threats Modi says, Viksit Bharat ka aadhar bhi hai Aatmanirbhar Bharat If someone becomes too dependent on others, the very question of freedom starts to fade Aatmanirbhar is not limited merely to imports, exports, rupees, pounds, or dollars. Its meaning is far broader. Aatmanirbhar is directly connected to our strength. He further adds, We know that we remain dependent on many countries to meet our energy needs. But to build a truly self-reliant India, we must achieve energy independence. In the last 11 years, our solar energy capacity has increased by 30 times. We are constructing new dams, and India is now focusing actively on nuclear energy. We have taken significant steps in this direction, with 10 new nuclear reactors currently operational. By the time India celebrates 100 years of independence, we aim to increase our nuclear energy capacity tenfold. We have witnessed the strength of #MakeInIndia in #OperationSindoor. The enemy could not even comprehend the capability of the weapons that destroyed them within seconds Empowered by Make In India, our defence forces were able to carry out their courageous feats without any pic.twitter.com/lwp6LV0oMo PIB India (@PIB_India) August 15, 2025 Made in India semiconductor chips to hit markets by the end of this year We are working on semiconductors on Mission ModeBy the end of this year, Made in India semiconductor chips, made by the people in India, will hit the market, says Modi. PM also criticised the past government for delaying the semiconductor manufacturing. When we speak of different aspects of technology, I draw your attention to semiconductors, as an example. I am not at the Red Fort to criticise any government; I do not want to do it. But the youth of the country should know about it. File work on semiconductors began 50-60 years ago in our country. The idea of semiconductor factory came forth 50-60 years ago. You would be surprised to know that the idea of semiconductor was killed in the womb 50-60 years ago. We lost 50-60 years PM reiterates blood and water wont flow together India has now decided, blood and water will not flow together. The people have come to realize that the Indus Waters Treaty is unjust. Water from the Indus River system has been irrigating the lands of the enemy, while our own farmers have suffered, says Modi. Wont bow down to nuclear blackmail In a direct reference to Pakistani Military Chief Asim Munirs recent nuclear threat, PM Modi says India will not bow down to nuclear threat. He adds, If the enemy dares to commit any more misadventure, the Indian Armed Forces will give them a befitting reply. PM Modi hails Operation Sindoor heroes, says punished enemies beyond their imagination PM says, Today, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I have the opportunity to salute the brave soldiers of Operation Sindoor.After April 22, we gave full freedom to the forces to choose the planning, target and timing, and our forces did something that never happened for decades went inside the enemy territory and destroyed terrorist infrastructure. Nature is testing us all, says PM Modi, pays tributes to those affected by natural calamities In the past few days, we have been facing natural disasters, landslides, cloudbursts, and many other calamities. Our sympathies are with the affected people. State governments and the central government are working together with full strength on rescue operations, relief efforts, and rehabilitation work, says PM Modi in red fort speech. Constitution of India showing us path like a lighthouse PM Modi says, For 75 years, the Constitution of India has been showing us the path like a lighthouse.Today, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I pay my respectful homage to the makers of the Constitution, who guide the country and give direction to the country. Prime Minister begins his address on the 79th Independence Day Modi begins his 12th consecutive address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day 2025. He says, My beloved citizens of India, this festival of independence is a festival of 140 crore resolutions. It is a moment of collective achievements, filled with pride and joy. The nation is continuously strengthening the spirit of unity. Today, 140 crore citizens are immersed in the colours of the Tiranga Mi-17 helicopters shower flower petals, display Operation Sindoor banner Two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force fly above the Red Fort and shower flower petals. One flies with the Tiranga, the other displays a banner of Operation Sindoor. #WATCH | Two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force fly above the Red Fort and shower flower petals. One flies with the Tiranga, the other displays a banner of Operation Sindoor. Video: DD pic.twitter.com/f5cTTGLyuh ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 PM Modi hoists national flag at Red Fort Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoists the national flag at the Red Fort. #WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoists the national flag at the Red Fort. #IndependenceDay (Video Source: DD) pic.twitter.com/UnthwfL72O ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 PM arrives at the rampart of the Red Fort Prime Minister Modi has arrived at the rampart of the Red Fort to lead the nation in celebrating Independence Day. He will hoist the national flag shortly. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the rampasrt of the Red Fort to lead the nation in celebrating #IndependenceDay Video: DD pic.twitter.com/7OFF6DA8uC ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced the launch of Mission Sudarshan Chakra and said that the defence system was inspired from Lord Krishna. Likening it to Israels air missile defence system Iron Dome, PM Modi said that Mission Sudarshan Chakra, a state-of-the-art defence initiative aimed at bolstering Indias security. Advertisement He added that the mission will aim at creating a shield to protect Indias strategic, civilian, and religious sites from potential enemy attacks and also creating new weapons. Advertisement Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort during his Independence Day address, PM Modi stated that the system would integrate the latest technological tools to create a powerful, multi-layered shield around critical locations across the country. In the next ten years, by 2035, I want to expand, strengthen, and modernise this national security shield. Drawing inspiration from Lord Shri Krishna, we have chosen the path of the Sudarshan ChakraThe nation will be launching the Sudarshan Chakra Mission. The entire modern system should be researched, developed, and manufactured in India, harnessing the talent of our youth. This powerful system will not only counter terrorist attacks but also strike back at the terrorists, he said. India aims to develop its own Iron Dome-like defence system, named Mission Sudarshan Chakra, designed to safeguard critical sites, including civilian areas, he added. The new system could give competition to Israels famed Iron Dome, a multi-layered defence system known for stopping aerial attacks. Deployed in 2010s, the system has intercepted thousands of incoming rockets from Palestinian militant outfit Hamas and Lebanons Hezbollah, with Israel claiming a success rate of over 90 per cent. According to PM Modi, Mission Sudarshan Chakra will combine advanced surveillance, interception, and counter-attack capabilities, enabling swift neutralisation of threats in air, land, and sea domains. Key Points A top regulator in New York state is unhappy with a payment service offered by the bank. It has filed a lawsuit against Zelle. 10 stocks we like better than Wells Fargo A popular payment system offered by Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) came under some legal fire on Wednesday, and more than a few investors scuttled out of the bank. This left the lender's stock with a 2% loss on the day, during an otherwise generally upbeat session in which the S&P 500 index bumped 0.3% higher. Headed to court? That flame was lit by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has brought a lawsuit against the popular Zelle payment service. The suit accuses Zelle of falling short in efforts to protect its many users from fraud. Image source: Getty Images. James' office wrote in a press release that an investigation it conducted found that Zelle's operator, a company called Early Warning Systems (EWS), "designed Zelle without critical safety features, allowing scammers to easily target users and steal over $1 billion between 2017 and 2023." "EWS knew from the beginning that key features of the Zelle network made it uniquely susceptible to fraud, and yet it failed to adopt basic safeguards to address these glaring flaws or enforce any meaningful anti-fraud rules on its partner banks," the Attorney General's team added. EWS is owned and controlled by a consortium of seven of the top American banks and financial services purveyors. In addition to Wells Fargo, its ownership structure includes JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Capital One Financial. Accusing the accuser A Reuters report on the matter quoted Zelle's statement that "This lawsuit is a political stunt to generate press, not progress. The Attorney General should focus on the hard facts, stopping criminal activity and adherence to the law, not overreach and meritless claims." Still, this doesn't help the reputation of Zelle and, by extension, the banks behind it. I don't think this is a make-or-break for Wells Fargo stock. However, it's a development that's surely worth watching. Should you invest $1,000 in Wells Fargo right now? Before you buy stock in Wells Fargo, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Wells Fargo wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $653,427!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $1,119,863!* Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday raised alarm over what he described as an emerging crisis caused by illegal infiltration, calling it a premeditated conspiracy to change Indias demographic profile. I wish to warn the country about a concern that is emerging as a crisis. As part of a premeditated conspiracy, the countrys demography is being changed. Seeds of a new crisis are being sown, Modi said in his Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort. Advertisement Modi warned that infiltrators pose a threat to national security, unity, and integrity, while sowing seeds of social tension. Advertisement It also creates a crisis for our unity, integrity, and progress. It sows the seeds of social tension. No nation in the world can hand itself over to ghuspaithiyas (infiltrators); then how can we hand over Bharat to them? he stressed. The Prime Minister alleged that infiltrators are depriving the countrys youth of employment opportunities and targeting women. These ghuspaithiyas are deceiving innocent tribals and capturing their forest land. This country will not tolerate it, he asserted. Modi said that thwarting this conspiracy would be a true tribute to the freedom fighters who secured Indias independence through supreme sacrifices. He announced the governments decision to launch a high-powered demographic mission to address the issue. From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to say that we have decided to start a high-powered demographic mission. This mission will tackle this serious crisis and address it within a set time frame. We are moving forward towards it, he declared. Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort during his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised a Diwali gift for citizens in the form of next-generation Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms. This Diwali, I am going to make it a double Diwali for you. Citizens will receive a big gift We are bringing next-generation GST reforms that will reduce the tax burden across the country. This will be a gift ahead of Diwali, he said. Advertisement The Prime Minister said the reforms would ease the tax burden nationwide. Taxes paid by citizens will be substantially reduced, benefiting small industries and MSMEs, while daily-use products will become cheaper. Advertisement #WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, My countrys youth, today is 15th August, and on this very day, we are launching a scheme worth Rs 1 lakh crore for the youth of our country. From today, the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana is being implemented pic.twitter.com/KKFTHevUi9 ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 These changes follow income tax cuts announced in the Union Budget earlier this year and aim to boost disposable incomes for the middle class. On 1 July 2025, GST completed eight years since its rollout on 1 July 2017. In 202425, gross GST collections hit a record 22.08 lakh crore, marking a year-on-year growth of 9.4%. This growth reflects the increasing formalisation of the economy and improved tax compliance. During his speech, PM Modi also urged Indians to embrace *Atmanirbharta* (self-reliance). Atmanirbharta is not restricted solely to the rupee, pound, or dollar; it is related to our capabilities. Made-in-India worked so well that the enemy did not even realise what was destroying them, he said. . President Droupadi Murmu on Friday hosted an At Home event at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on the occasion of 79th Independence Day. The event was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers, tri-services chiefs and other foreign envoys. Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu paid tributes to the bravehearts at Delhis national war memorial on Independence Day, honouring those who made the supreme sacrifice in the armed conflicts of Independent India. Advertisement The President was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Anil Chauhan, Chief of Air Staff Amar Preet Singh, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, with all five of them marching to the memorial while being drenched in heavy rain. The wreath was also carried by two women Air Force officers. Advertisement Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth were also present at the memorial. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 12th consecutive address on Independence Day, underscored Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) being a foundational plan for Viksit Bharat (developed India), with the idea permeating across different sectors including in defence, space, clean and renewable energy, agriculture, mineral exploration. Whoever is dependent on others too much, there are as big questions raised on ones Independence. It becomes truly unfortunate when we get used to being dependent. We dont even get to know when we are leaving atmanirbharta and becoming nirbhar, that is why we need to be alert and awake to be independent, PM Modi said in his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort. In the Defence sector, Prime Minister Modi announced the launch of Mission Sudarshan Chakra, aimed at neutralising enemies and enhancing Indias offensive capabilities. Drawing inspiration from Indias rich cultural and mythological heritage, the Sudarshan Chakra is the mythical weapon of Lord Krishna. This mission underscores Indias commitment to strategic autonomy, ensuring rapid, precise, and powerful responses to any threat, read an official statement. In the next ten years, by 2035, I want to expand, strengthen, and modernise this national security shield. Drawing inspiration from Lord Shri Krishna, we have chosen the path of the Sudarshan Chakra, PM Modi said at the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has reaffirmed his resolve to transform the state into a developed, prosperous, and self-reliant region by 2047. Addressing the state-level Independence Day function at the Barkatullah Khan Stadium here on Friday, Sharma urged people to support the Vocal for Local campaign by adopting indigenous products, generating employment opportunities, and promoting local entrepreneurship. Advertisement This is a revolutionary way to transform the economy and the development landscapeone that has helped India become self-reliant and prosperous under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014, Sharma said. Advertisement The Chief Minister noted that every citizen today has ample opportunities to progress and prosper. Under the 11-year tenure of Modiji, India has earned global goodwill, is on track to become the worlds third-largest economy, and is scripting a new chapter of self-reliance, he said. Drawing from history, Sharma recalled how Khadi became a powerful symbol of Indias freedom struggle. Today, that same spirit inspires us to realise the dream of a self-reliant and developed India. Under Make in India, we are producing indigenous ships, cruisers, and even sophisticated weapon systems, he added. Sharma credited PM Modis pro-people initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat, Ujjwala, PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, and Kisan Samman Nidhi for laying the foundation of a prosperous India. In Rajasthan, powered by our double-engine BJP government, we are working to make the state self-reliant by 2047, with top priorities being energy self-sufficiency and water adequacy, Sharma said. Highlighting progress in the power sector, he noted the significant boost to solar energy generation under the Modi-led NDA government since 2014. We are on track to achieve complete power self-sufficiency in the next few years, he added. On water resources, Sharma said the government has been actively working since December 2023. The ambitious Ram Setu East Rajasthan Canal Project is set to address water scarcity in 1718 districts, while another interstate project will bring Yamuna water to the Shekhawati region. Thousands of water harvesting structures are also being developed under the Karma Bhumi to Matri Bhumi campaign with active public participation. The state government is also focused on strengthening road infrastructure, targeting the construction of 53,000 km of roads including Atal Path, ring roads, and bridges within the next five years. For youth empowerment, Sharma announced that 4 lakh government jobs and 6 lakh private sector opportunities will be created. Meanwhile, Independence Day celebrations were held across Rajasthan to mark the 79th anniversary of Indias freedom. Governor Haribhau Kisanrao Bagade hoisted the tricolour at the Raj Bhawan, which also hosted the traditional At Home reception in the evening. Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani unfurled the national flag at the Assembly premises, while Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully did so at the historic Manak Chowk Chaupar. Ministers from Sharmas cabinet hoisted the flag at district-level functions across the state. On Indias 79th Independence Day, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hoisted the national flag at a grand ceremony in front of the Vidhan Bhawan and extended heartfelt greetings to the people of the state. Paying tributes to the heroes of the freedom struggle, Yogi reiterated the resolution for Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Advertisement He stated that independence does not mean unrestrained freedom, but a grand festival of commitment to national duties and responsibility toward society. Highlighting the valour of the Indian Army, the strength of the swadeshi model, and Uttar Pradeshs progress, CM Yogi called for realizing the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047. He said the sacrifices of countless revolutionaries, freedom fighters, and brave soldiers freed the country from centuries of slavery. Advertisement He bowed to Mahatma Gandhi, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and other known and unknown martyrs. He expressed gratitude to soldiers defending the nations borders and to personnel ensuring internal security after independence. CM Yogi praised the valour of the Indian Army and the strength of Made in India weapons that showed its prowess in the recent Operation Sindoor, which defeated enemies under adverse conditions and safeguarded Indias unity and integrity. He added, BrahMos missiles and Made in India drones manufactured in Lucknow have established Indias capabilities globally. CM Yogi emphasized that independence is not arrogance or unrestrained freedom, but a grand festival for every citizen and every resident of Uttar Pradesh must fulfil their duties. Every Indian and every resident of Uttar Pradesh must honestly fulfil their responsibilities towards the society, the state, and the nation, he added. Reemphasising Prime Minister Narendra Modis resolution for Viksit Bharat by the centenary of Indias independence in 2047, he said, If every citizen fulfils their duties, this goal will be achieved sooner, and India will emerge as the worlds greatest power by 2047. Referring to Indias development journey over the past 11 years, CM Yogi said, In 2014, India was the worlds 11th largest economy, and it has now become the 4th largest economy. Highlighting the strength of the Swadeshi model and Make in India initiative, he said, The made in India missiles and drones used in Operation Sindoor not only proved Indias defence capabilities but also demonstrated the power of Swadeshi technology on a global scale. CM Yogi said adopting swadeshi products will keep the nations wealth within the country, benefiting artisans, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs. He urged people to buy swadeshi gifts and daily-use items to boost Indias economic prosperity. Taking a firm stance in view of the US imposing a steep 50% tariff on India and the delay in finalisation of a bilateral free trade deal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he is standing like a wall against any policy that could harm the countrys farmers or fishermen. PM Modi did not directly refer to US tariffs or the ongoing trade talks with the United States during his speech from the Red Fort, but he said, Bharat ke kisan, machuware, pashupalak se judi kisi bhi ahitkaari neeti ke aage Modi deewar banke khada hai (Modi is standing like a wall in front of any policy against the interest of our farmers, fishermen, cattle rearers of India). Advertisement Modi is standing like a wall in front of any policy against the interest of our farmers, fishermen, cattle pic.twitter.com/vHdRWR1hkP Advertisement ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 PM Modis remarks on protecting farmers come amid US pressure on the FTA, as Washington seeks concessions in agriculture and dairy sectors. India-US trade talks reached a stalemate after India refused to grant the United States greater access to its dairy and agricultural markets. New Delhi maintained that any concessions could harm the interests of Indian farmers, signaling its commitment to protecting domestic agriculture amid ongoing trade negotiations. Janmashtami 2025: Janmashtami is one of the most loved festivals in India. It commemorates the birthday of Lord Krishna, one of the most revered and popular deities in Hinduism. Everyone looks forward to this day with hope each year. Janmashtami will once again bring happiness, faith, and celebrations to millions of homes, temples, and streets across the nation in 2025. This year, it falls on August 16. But why do we celebrate Janmashtami? What is the history behind it? And how did it become so colourfully a part of Indian life and culture? Advertisement As Janmashtami 2025 is here on August 16, lets look at the meaning, history, and customs of this beautiful festival in simple terms. Advertisement The birth story of Krishna There was a king named Kansa in Mathura a long time ago. His sister Devaki was married to Vasudeva. A heavenly voice predicted that when Devaki was being married, Kansa was told that her eighth child would be the one who would end his evil rule. Kansa was afraid, so he jailed Devaki and Vasudeva. He also decided to kill all their children as soon as they were born. Sadly, he killed the first seven babies one by one. When the eighth child gave birth, something supernatural happened. Lord Krishna was born in the middle of the night in the jail. The soldiers slept, the chains opened themselves, and the gates of the jail swung open. Vasudeva put the baby Krishna in a basket and traveled across the Yamuna River to reach the village of Gokul. There, he deposited Krishna at the doorstep of Nanda and Yashoda and brought back their newborn daughter to the prison. When the baby girl was attempted to be killed by Kansa, she turned into the goddess Durga and informed him that his adversary, Krishna, was already secure and would come back to put an end to his wicked rule. Why Janmashtami is celebrated in the middle of the night Krishnas birth took place at midnight, and hence the main puja (worship) is held late in the night. The devotees observe the whole days fasting, and when midnight approaches, they sing bhajans (devotional songs) and read from the Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana. At midnight, the idol of baby Krishna is placed in an ornamented cradle, and conch shells and bells are rung all around. It is thought that this is the exact moment when Krishna was born. The life and teachings of Krishna Krishna is not only well known for his childhood stories but also for his wisdom. As a child, he was celebrated for stealing butter and playing with the gopis (milkmaids) in Vrindavan. Those naughty acts are remembered with affection and smiles during Janmashtami. As he grew older, Krishna evolved as a righteous guide and protector. The pinnacle of his existence is the role that he played in the Mahabharata, where he shared the Bhagavad Gita philosophy with Arjuna. His guidance on serving ones duty, living without greed, and staying close to God continues to be an encouragement for individuals across the world. The History of Janmashtami celebrations Janmashtami has been celebrated for centuries. Ancient books like the Harivamsa, Vishnu Purana, and Bhagavata Purana provide descriptions of Krishnas birth and how it pleased the people of Vrindavan and Mathura. As time went by, Janmashtami lost its totally religious connotation and turned into a cultural one too. Kings, saints, and poets promoted worship of Krishna through temples, poetry, and painting. In North India, especially in Mathura, Vrindavan, and Dwarka, Janmashtami is celebrated with flamboyance. In Maharashtra, Dahi Handi processions are a highlight, while in South India, people follow small footprints of Krishna into their houses to welcome him. The festival of Janmashtami can seem diverse in various regions, but the faith remains the same throughout. The cultural significance of Janmashtami Janmashtami is one of the Indian cultural life traditions. It combines worship, family time, art, and food. Food plays an important role in the festival. Foods like panjiri, butter, makhan-mishri, kheer, and laddoos are presented as bhog (offering) to Krishna. Families make sattvik (pure) food without onion and garlic for the day. Even the clothing is celebratory in nature. Women dress up in colored sarees or lehengas, echoing the traditional outfit of Radha. Boys and men dress up as Krishna, wearing yellow dhotis, peacock feather headgear, and playing flutes. Creativity and craft reach its peak during the festival. Handicraft decorations are prepared, clay pots are colored, and small scenes of Gokul and Vrindavan are designed within homes. Most importantly, Janmashtami brings people together. Family members come together for midnight prayers, neighbours come together to sing, and cities have festivals. Even in the big cities, where life is so busy, Janmashtami offers a break for a day of prayer and festivity. In life today, when stress and busy schedules are the norm, a festival like Janmashtami offers a chance to relax, look inwards, and relate to ones roots. The story of Krishnas birth suggests that no matter how powerful negativity may be, virtue and truth will ultimately triumph. At the request of All India Radio, Tiruchirapalli, Sri Aurobindo wrote a message for broadcast on the eve of 15 August 1947, the day India achieved independence. It was simply titled, The Fifteenth of August 1947. He began with the words, August 15th is the birthday of free India. It marks for her the end of an old era, the beginning of a new age. But it has a significance not only for us, but for Asia and the whole world; for it signifies the entry into the com ity of nations of a new power with untold potentialities which has a great part to play in determining the political, social, cultural and spiritual future of hu manity. To me personally it must naturally be gratifying that this date which was notable only for me because it was my own birthday celebrated annually by those who have accepted my gospel of life, should have acquired this vast significance. As a mystic, I take this identification, not as a coincidence or fortuitous accident, but as a sanction and seal of the Divine Power which guides my steps on the work with which I began life. Indeed, almost all the world movements which I hoped to see fulfilled in my lifetime, though at that time they looked like impossible dreams, I can observe on this day either approaching fruition or initiated and on the way to their achievement. Advertisement At age 75, Sri Aurobindo felt that rather than write a message, he would make a personal declaration of the aims and ideals conceived in my childhood and youth and now watched in their beginning of fulfilment, because they are relevant to the freedom of India, since they are a part of what I believe to be Indias future work, something in which she cannot but take a leading position. For I have always held and said that India was arising, not to serve her own material interests only, to achieve expansion, greatness, power and prosperity, though these too she must not neglect, and certainly not like others to acquire domination of other peoples, but to live also for God and the world as a helper and leader of the whole human race. Advertisement Those aims and ideals were in their natural order these: a revolution which would achieve Indias freedom and her uni ty; the resurgence and liberation of Asia and her return to the great role which she had played in the progress of human civilisation; the rise of a new, a greater, brighter and nobler life for mankind which for its entire realisation would rest outwardly on an international unification of the separate existence of the peoples, preserving and securing their national life but drawing them together into an overriding and consummating oneness; the gift by India of her spiritual knowledge and her means for the spiritualisation of life to the whole race; finally, a new step in the evolution which, by up lifting the consciousness to a higher level, would begin the solution of the many problems of existence which have perplexed and vexed humanity, since men began to think and to dream of individual perfection and a perfect society. Sri Auro bin dos disappointment at the Partition of India is evident as he said, India is free but she has not achieved unity, only a fissured and broken freedom. At one time it almost seemed as if she might relapse into the chaos of separate States which preceded the Brit ish conquest. Fortunately, there has now developed a strong possibility that this disastrous relapse will be avoided. The wisely drastic policy of the Constituent Assembly makes it possible that the problem of the depressed classes will be solved without schism or fissure. But the old communal division into Hindu and Muslim seems to have hardened into the figure of a permanent political division of the country. It is to be hoped that the Congress and the nation will not accept the settled fact as forever settled or as anything more than a temporary expedient. For if it lasts, India may be seriously weakened, even crippled: civil strife may remain always possible, possible even a new invasion and foreign conquest. The partition of the country must go, it is to be hoped by a slackening of tension, by a progressive understanding of the need of peace and concord, by the constant necessity of common and concerted action, even of an instrument of union for that purpose. In this way unity may come about under whatever form ~ the exact form may have a pragmatic but not a fundamental importance. But by whatever means, the division must and will go. His words of caution continued, For without it the destiny of India might be seriously impaired and even frustrated. But that must not be. Asia has arisen and large parts of it have been liberated or are at this moment being liberated; its other still subject parts are moving through whatever struggles towards freedom. Only a little has to be done and that will be done today or tomorrow. There India has her part to play and has begun to play it with an energy and ability which already indicates the measure of her possibilities and the place she can take in the council of the nations. Sri Au ro bindo referred to the unification of mankind which was under way. Though only in an imperfect initiative, organised but struggling against tremendous difficulties. But the momentum is there and, if the experience of history can be taken as a guide, it must inevitably increase until it conquers. Here too India has begun to play a prominent part and, if she can develop that larger statesmanship which is not limited by the present facts and immediate possibilities but looks into the future and brings it nearer, her presence may make all the difference between a slow and timid and a bold and swift development. A catastrophe may intervene and interrupt or destroy what is being done, but even then the final result is sure. For in any case the unification is a necessity in the course of Nat ure, an inevitable movement and its achievement can be safely foretold. Its necessity for the nations also is clear, for without it the freedom of the small peoples can never be safe hereafter and even large and powerful nations cannot really be secure. India, if she remains divided, will not herself be sure of her safety, he warned. It is therefore to the interest of all that union should take place. Only human imbecility and stupid selfishness could prevent it. Against that, it has been said, even the gods strive in vain; but it cannot stand forever against the necessity of Nature and the Divine Will. Nationalism will then have fulfilled itself; an international spirit and outlook must grow up and international forms and institutions; even it may be such developments as dual or multilateral citizenship and a voluntary fusion of cultures may appear in the process of the change and the spirit of nationalism losing its militancy may find these things perfectly compatible with the integrity of its own outlook. A new spirit of oneness will take hold of the human race. The spiritual gift of India to the world has already begun. Indias spirituality is entering Europe and America in an ever-increasing measure. That movement will grow; amid the disasters of the time more and more eyes are turning towards her with hope and there is even an increasing resort not only to her teachings, but to her psychic and spiritual practice. Summing up his thoughts, Sri Aurobindo said, the rest is still a personal hope and an idea and ideal which has begun to take hold both in India and in the West on forward-looking minds. The difficulties in the way are more formidable than in any other field of endeavour, but difficulties were made to be overcome and if the Supreme Will is there, they will be overcome. Here too, if this evolution is to take place, since it must come through a growth of the spirit and the inner consciousness, the initiative can come from India and although the scope must be universal, the central movement may be hers. Such is the content which I put into this date of Indias liberation; whether or how far or how soon this connection will be fulfilled, depends upon this new and free India. These were prophetic words for Aspirational India and her role as Vishwaguru in the 21st century on the 153rd birth anni versary of Sri Aurobindo. (The writer is an author-researcher on history and heritage issues, and former deputy curator of Pradhanmantri Sangrahalay) The past is never dead. Its not even past. William Faulkners famous line could have been written for Indias Partition. In 1947, the subcontinent awoke to freedom and to one of the most harrowing human tragedies in modern history. Two nations were born, but in the labour of that birth, over fourteen million people were displaced and as many as two million lost their lives. What should have been the dawn of independence became a night of chaos. For those who lived through it, the trauma was not a paragraph in a history book; it was the sudden absence of home, the neighbour who became a stranger overnight, the hurried bundling of belongings into cloth sacks, the smoke of burning villages on the horizon, and the unmarked graves of loved ones. For the generations that followed, it remains an inheritance of silences and half-told stories, carried in the pauses of conversation at family gatherings, in the unfamiliar nostalgia for a city across a border, and in the names of relatives no one has met. In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared 14 August as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day. The purpose was not to reopen old wounds or deepen divisions, but to ensure that the pain, displacement, and human cost of that moment in history are never forgotten. Such remembrance is not an indulgence in grief but a necessary act of moral and civic responsibility, one that guards the present against the repetition of the past. Advertisement The Partition of India remains the largest forced migration in recorded history. The British withdrawal, formalised through the Indian Independence Act, drew a hurried and arbitrary line across Punjab and Bengal with little regard for the human consequences. Entire communities were split overnight, and the rhythm of life that had endured for centuries was abruptly and violently broken. Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims alike farmers in Multan, shopkeepers in Lahore, artisans in Dhaka were caught in the gears of political decisions made far away in London and Delhi. Advertisement Their only fault was to be on the wrong side of a line that did not exist a day before. The scale and nature of the tragedy places it alongside other great human catastrophes of the twentieth century. The Holocaust demonstrated how prejudice, when given state sanction, can be transformed into machinery for extermination. The ethnic cleansing of the Balkans in the 1990s and the Rwandan genocide showed how swiftly words can become weapons when identities are weaponised. Partition belongs to this global history of warning signs ignored and communities torn apart by the politics of division. Beyond the records of official history, the emotional truth of Partition lives in literature. Bhisham Sahnis Tamas captures the creeping mistrust between neighbours and the way fear can corrode the bonds of a community. Saadat Hasan Mantos Toba Tek Singh turns the absurdity of Partition into a biting parable about madness and belonging, a story in which the line between nations becomes as incomprehensible as the line between sanity and insanity. Khushwant Singhs Train to Pakistan distils the tragedy into a single village torn apart by the violence of 1947, where human decency and brutality collide on the same railway tracks that once brought people together. Kamleshwars Kitne Pakistan confronts the endless cycles of division and displacement across history, using a courtroom of historical figures to expose the folly of drawing borders in blood. Amrita Pritams haunting poem Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu calls upon the Sufi poet Waris Shah to rise from his grave and witness Punjabs daughters being stripped of their dignity, transforming personal anguish into a lament for the land itself. Geetanjali Shrees Tomb of Sand offers a contemporary reimagining, where an elderly woman refuses to let the weight of history define her, crossing borders of memory and identity with quiet defiance. And Amitav Ghoshs The Shadow Lines shifts the focus from the visible borders on maps to the invisible borders in our minds, revealing how the mental legacy of Partition lingers even when the physical boundaries are crossed. Alongside literature, institutions such as the Partition Museum in Amritsar and Delhi work tirelessly to preserve survivor testimonies, photographs, and artefacts, ensuring that this shared history is not reduced to statistics but remembered as lived human experience. These works do more than recount events; they compel the reader to feel the despair, dislocation, and absurdity of the time. They ensure that Partition is not reduced to an abstract chapter in a textbook but remains a lived experience, resonating across languages, generations, and geographies. They are an antidote to the slow erasure that time inevitably brings. Some argue that revisiting the Partition risks rekindling old hostilities. Yet forgetting is not healing; it is leaving a wound to fester unseen. Memory, particularly collective memory, serves as a guardrail. It alerts societies when they veer too close to the precipice. Partition Horrors Remembrance Day is not about assigning blame but about understanding the fragility of social harmony, the ease with which prejudice can seep into the fabric of everyday life, and the urgent necessity of protecting pluralism. When Prime Minister Modi announced the day, he said it should serve as a reminder to remove the poison of social divisions and to strengthen the spirit of oneness. These are not platitudes but a call to action. In remembering the Partition, India places itself in dialogue with other nations that have sought to memorialise their tragedies from the Holocaust museums of Europe to the genocide memorials in Rwanda- affirming that memory is not a regional duty but a universal one. The generation that lived through Partition is steadily fading. The responsibility to carry forward its lessons now rests with those who did not witness it firsthand. To remember is not to be trapped by the past, but to shape a future that is wiser because of it. Amrita Pritam once called to Waris Shah to bear witness to the pain of her Punjab. Today, the responsibility to bear witness falls to us. We must remember not only the horror but also the resilience that emerged from it. We must hold in mind not only the pain but also the possibility that lies in unity. Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, then, is not simply about memorialising the past; it is a promise to the future. It is a vow that lines on a map will never again be drawn in the blood of innocents, that no citizen will be reduced to an identity to be uprooted or exiled, that the lessons of 1947 will remain embedded in our national conscience. Across the country, cultural institutions quietly continue the work of preserving this history through survivor testimonies, archives, exhibitions, and educational outreach. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, along with other custodians of heritage, ensures that the legacy of Partition is not sealed away in dusty records but remains alive in the public imagination. The past, as Faulkner said, is not dead. But if remembered with clarity and acted upon with moral resolve, it need not haunt our future. It can instead guide us-away from the divisions that once tore the subcontinent apart and towards the unity that can ensure such horror never happens again. (The writer is the Member Secretary of IGNCA.) When youre shopping for auto insurance, one option youll see is full coverage. While no auto insurance policy covers everything, full coverage offers significant protection if youre involved in a car accident or your vehicle is damaged by weather, vandalism, or another event. Heres what to know about full coverage car insurance, how it protects you financially, and whether it makes sense for you. What does full coverage car insurance cover? Full coverage car insurance isnt one type of coverage; it typically includes three coverages liability, collision, and comprehensive insurance. Liability insurance . Liability insurance comprises two coverage types: property damage and bodily injury liability insurance. Property damage kicks in if your car damages someone elses property, such as their fence, mailbox, or landscaping. The bodily injury component covers you if you hurt another driver or one of their passengers in an at-fault car accident. Collision insurance. Collision insurance reimburses you for repairs to your own vehicle or replacement after an accident. Comprehensive insurance. Comprehensive insurance also covers the cost of car repairs or replacement, but theres an important difference. Instead of kicking in after an accident, comprehensive coverage pays when your car is damaged due to a non-collision event like severe weather, burglary, vandalism, or a fire. Other types of full coverage While liability, collision, and comprehensive are common with full coverage insurance, you can add other coverage options to enhance a full coverage policy. Some may even be mandatory, depending on your state requirements. Heres your other coverage options: Underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage protects you if the other party at fault in a car accident doesnt have enough insurance to cover your medical bills, car repair, and other expenses. Gap coverage . Gap insurance protects you if your car is stolen or totaled and your remaining auto loan balance exceeds your cars depreciated value. Rental car reimbursement. Rental car reimbursement kicks in if your car is damaged in a covered incident, this optional coverage helps out when you need to rent a car while yours is being repaired. Full coverage can help cover at-fault accidents A full coverage policy is particularly helpful if you're at fault in an accident. With a liability-only policy, your insurance would only cover the other driver's injuries and vehicle damage up to your policy coverage limits; you'd be on your own to repair or replace your own vehicle. What your policy covers (and what it doesn't) depends on the following variables. Liability coverage limit When you purchase liability coverage, you can select a maximum limit per person and per accident. State minimum requirements are quite low, so consider higher limits for increased financial protection. Remember: If damages exceed your coverage limits, you may have to pay the remainder out of your own pocket (or the other person can sue you for the excess cost). Collision insurance If you rear-end another car at a red light and your car is damaged, collision insurance will pay for your vehicle's repairs or replacement. The maximum coverage amount is typically the actual cash value of your car . Comprehensive insurance Damage to your vehicle can happen in more ways than simply colliding with other drivers or their personal property. If you had an accident where your car struck an animal, or your vehicle was vandalized, stolen, or damaged in a storm, comprehensive insurance is the coverage youll need. Car insurance deductibles Liability policies don't have a deductible, but collision and comprehensive insurance do. If you're at fault in an accident and need to take your own car to a mechanic or body shop for repairs, you'll have to pay the deductible before your insurer will help with the cost. Deductibles can range anywhere from a couple of hundred to a couple of thousand dollars, depending on your coverage. Yahoo Personal Finance Is medical coverage included in a full coverage policy? Two other common forms of car insurance coverage are personal injury protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage (MedPay). Whether these types of insurance are included in a full coverage policy depends on your state laws. Personal injury protection (PIP) PIP pays for your own medical bills and other healthcare expenses after an accident, regardless of who is at fault. It can also pay for lost wages, funeral costs, and home care providers. In no-fault state s, PIP is part of a full coverage policy. PIP is required in 12 states and Puerto Rico: Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, and Utah. MedPay MedPay is an optional form of coverage. It pays for medical expenses you or your passengers incur after an accident. It can cover the cost of doctor visits, surgeries, ambulance fees, or corrective dental work. And, it can help pay for your medical deductibles and co-pays. Unlike PIP, MedPay doesn't cover lost wages or childcare expenses. MedPay can come in handy if you have a high-deductible health insurance plan or a policy that won't cover accident-related injuries (or if you're without a health insurance policy). Three states require MedPay (sometimes listed as medical benefits coverage): Maine, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. In other states, it can be added to your policy as an optional benefit. Heres when to consider full coverage insurance Different states have different insurance requirements; nearly all require that you carry a minimum amount of bodily injury and property damage liability coverage . But none mandate full coverage. Full coverage insurance can be pricey. However, it can be worth the investment in the following scenarios: You lease your car If you lease your vehicle, the leasing company will typically require you to purchase and maintain full coverage insurance. You must maintain full coverage until the lease is over. You financed your car with an auto loan To protect their investment, auto loan companies will require you to maintain full coverage insurance until your car loan is repaid in full. Your car has a high replacement value Although cars tend to depreciate quickly, there are some cars that hold onto their value longer than others. If your car still has a high resale value, it would be costly to replace if it were stolen or totaled in an accident. If that happened, you could be left scrambling to come up with the cash or to qualify for an additional auto loan to purchase a new car. For cars that have held their value, full coverage can be a fiscally smart idea, so you can replace or repair the car. Your car is expensive to repair Some makes and models are particularly expensive to repair; even a minor fender bender can cause thousands in damage. If you have liability-only coverage, you'll have to cover the full cost of repairs on your own. Maintaining a full coverage policy can prevent the risk of a huge repair bill draining your finances. You don't have a large emergency fund What seems like a minor dent or scrape can be surprisingly expensive to fix. For example, a side-impact repair can be anywhere from $200 to $2,000, while damage to the frame can result in five-figure repair bills. If you don't have a substantial emergency fund that can cover months of expenses, paying for the repairs can deplete your savings. And, you could be at risk of incurring debt if anything else goes wrong. A full coverage policy provides added protection and peace of mind. When to consider liability-only Still not sure if you need liability-only coverage or full coverage? Here are a few scenarios where liability-only coverage makes sense: The car is at least 10 years old with a high odometer reading The car is paid off and has a low resale value You have enough cash to repair or replace your car out of your own pocket This embedded content is not available in your region. Pros and cons of full coverage insurance If you're thinking of adding comprehensive and collision insurance to your policy, or want to downgrade to a liability-only policy, weighs the pros and cons of full coverage insurance. Pros: Coverage for your own vehicle after an accident Pays for repairs to your own vehicle caused by storm damage Required if you lease or finance your car Cons: Policies are substantially more expensive than liability-only Coverage involves deductibles May not be worth it for older cars Frequently asked questions Do I need full coverage auto insurance on my car? You may need full coverage for your car if your vehicle is leased, financed with an auto loan, or if you'd struggle to afford to repair or replace it if it was declared a total loss. How much does full coverage insurance cost? According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the average cost of full coverage insurance is $1,438 per year about double the average cost of liability-only policies. Is full coverage required by law? No state requires drivers to have full coverage policies; you only need to have liability insurance to satisfy your state's laws. But, if you lease or finance your car with an auto loan, the lender may require you to have full coverage. What does 100/300/100 mean? Insurance policies with liability coverage frequently describe its limits with three numbers, such as 100/300/100. These numbers reflect the following: The first number is how much coverage the policy provides for a single person injured in an accident. The second number is how much coverage the policy provides for two or more people injured in an accident. The final number is how much the policy will pay for property damage you cause in an accident. So, a 100/300/100 policy provides $100,000 in coverage for one injured person, $300,000 for two or more injured people in an accident, and $100,000 in property damage. One person was killed and 10 others were injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on a residential building in Russias Kursk region early Friday, regional governor Alexander Khinshtein said on his Telegram channel. The drone hit a building in the citys Railway District, igniting a fire that engulfed the top four floors, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing preliminary reports. Advertisement To our deep sorrow, one woman died. I offer my sincerest condolences to her family, Khinshtein wrote on Telegram. Advertisement He said that 10 other residents were injured one seriously and all are receiving medical treatment. Russia on Wednesday accused Ukraine of ramping up attacks ahead of the August 15 meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska. In a statement shared on X, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that 22 people have been killed and another 105 injured due to Ukraines shelling and drone strikes over the past week. The ministry also shared a map marking the attacked areas in the Russian territory. With the Russia-US Summit approaching, the Kyiv regime has stepped up its terrorist activity against Russian regions. Over the last week, 127 Russian citizens suffered from shelling and drone attacks. 22 died, 105 were wounded, said Alexei Fadeev, the Russian Foreign Ministrys Deputy Spokesperson. Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry accused the Ukrainian government of planning a provocation aimed at disrupting the upcoming meeting between Trump and Putin. In a post on Telegram, the Russian Defence Ministry said, According to available information received through several channels, the Kyiv regime is preparing a provocation to foil the Russian-American talks scheduled for 15 August 2025. The ministry asserted that with this objective, the security service of Ukraine has sent a group of foreign journalists to Kharkivs Chuguev, which is under the control of Kyiv, under the pretext of doing reports on the residents of the city in the frontline zone. The defence ministry also claimed that the Ukrainian forces will carry out the strikes on the city and blame it on Russia. Immediately ahead of the summit on Friday, the Armed Forces of Ukraine plan a provocative strike using UAVs and missiles against one of the densely populated residential quarters or a hospital with a large number of civilian casualties, which will have to be immediately recorded by the foreign Western journalists, said the Russian Defence Ministry. As a result, the ministry said that the Russian forces will be considered fully responsible for the strikes and civilian casualties. This will create a negative media background and conditions for disrupting Russian-American cooperation on settling the conflict in Ukraine, the statement read. As US President Donald J Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine, Moscow and Kyiv remain firmly at odds. Moscow has reiterated its demands for Ukraine to withdraw troops from occupied regions, abandon its NATO ambitions, and recognize Russian control over several territories. Advertisement Ukraine has categorically rejected ceding any of its land to Russia. Advertisement With both sides maintaining entrenched positions, predicting the outcome of the Trump-Putin summit remains difficult. Russias Conditions on Ending the War Russian Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesperson Alexei Fadee told reporters on Wednesday that Moscows stance has not changed since Putin outlined his conditions to end the war in June last year. Russias position remains unchanged, and it was voiced in this very hall just over a year ago, on June 14, 2024, Fadee said. Putins conditions include the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, and the formal abandonment of Ukraines NATO membership aspirations. Russia currently controls nearly 20% of Ukraines territory. Putin wants Kyiv to recognize Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk as part of the Russian Federation. Ukraines Position on Russian Demands Ukraine has made it clear it will not surrender any territory to Russia and will never recognize Russian occupation. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after Trump announced his planned summit with Putin earlier this month. Responding to reports that Putin might demand Ukraine surrender parts of Donbas still under its control, Zelenskyy warned that such a move could pave the way for another Russian offensive. If we withdraw from the Donbas today our fortifications, our terrain, the heights we control we will clearly open a bridgehead for the Russians to prepare an offensive, he cautioned. Trumps Mediation Effort Trump, who is expected to meet Putin within hours, has said his aim is to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table. Speaking to reporters aboard his flight to Alaska, he emphasized that his involvement is about saving lives. Im not doing this for my health. Id like to focus on our country but Im doing this to save a lot of lives, Trump said. The US President, however, stated that he would walk out of the meeting if it doesnt go well. When asked about the possibility of a territorial swap, he said that decision rests with Ukraine. Theyll be discussed, but Ive got to let Ukraine make that decision Im not here to negotiate for Ukraine. Im here to get them at a table, he explained. Trump also suggested that Ukraine might join a future security arrangement, though not in the form of NATO. Not in the form of NATO because there are certain things that arent going to happen but along with Europe, theres a possibility of that, he added. US President Donald Trump, heading to Alaska for the highly anticipated summit with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, said on Friday that his goal is to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table and save a lot of lives. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump was asked about some of the conditions Russian President Putin had set last year to end the war. Advertisement On the question of the possibility of territorial swap, Trump said he would leave that decision to Ukraine. Advertisement Theyll be discussed, but Ive got to let Ukraine make that decision Im not here to negotiate for Ukraine. Im here to get them at a table, Trump said. The US President also left open the possibility of Ukraine joining a security arrangement, saying there is a possibility of that but not in the form of NATO. Not in the form of NATO because there are certain things that arent going to happen but along with Europe, theres a possibility of that, he said. Trrump further asserted that he is meeting Putin to save lives. Im not doing this for my health. I dont need it. Id like to focus on our country but Im doing this to save a lot of lives, the US President stated. Ahead of Trump-Putin summit, Russia on Tuesday reiterated that its stance on ending the war in Ukraine has not changed. Putin had set out his conditions to end the war withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, and abandonment of Ukraines NATO ambitions. However, Ukraine has said that it will not agree to ceding its territories to Russia and will never recognise Russian occupation of its land. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky said hours after Trump announced his summit with Putin. Their conflicting stands leave the outcome of the Trump-Putin meeting unpredictable, with the US president already stating that the there is 25 per cent chances their talks will fail. US President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News Radio on Thursday, said that the secondary tariffs on India influenced Russian President Vladimir Putins decision to meet him, adding, Everything has an impact. He added that secondary tariffs against India essentially took them out of buying oil from Russia. Advertisement Trump earlier this month had put high tariffs amounting to 50% on Indian goods penalizing New Delhi over continued purchase of Russian oil. Advertisement Earlier this month, Trump ordered steeper tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhis continued purchase of Russian oil. This takes the level to 50 percent for many products among the highest on any American trading partner. Trump suggested that the tariffs on India may have influenced Putins decision to agree to a meeting. When you lose your second-largest customer and are likely to lose your biggest one as well, thats bound to have an impact, he said. Amid the ongoing tariff tensions between India and the United States, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday hoped that the relationship between the two nations will continue to move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests. Addressing his weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, India and the United States share a comprehensive global strategic partnership anchored in shared interests, democratic values and robust people-to-people ties. This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges, as we had said earlier. We remain focused on the substantive agenda that the two countries have committed to, and we hope that the relationship will continue to move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests, Jaiswal said. Earlier on August 6, reacting sharply to the decision of the US, the MEA called the decision unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable, saying India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests. During the weekly media briefing, Jaiswal informed that a US defence policy team will soon be visiting New Delhi as both countries continue to strengthen their comprehensive global strategic partnership. According to the MEA, the defence partnership between both India and the US has strengthened across all domains and the defence procurement continues as per established procedures. Jaiswal said the joint India-US military exercise Yudh Abhyas is expected to take place later this month. The India-US defence partnership, underpinned by foundational defence agreements, is an important pillar of the bilateral partnership. This robust cooperation has strengthened across all domains. We are expecting a US defence policy team to be in Delhi in mid-August. The 21st edition of the joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas is also expected to take place later this month in Alaska. Both sides remain engaged to convene the 2+2 Intersessional meeting at the working-level towards the end of this month, the MEA spokesperson said. Baloch National Movements human rights department, Paank, made a chilling revelation of the dangers being faced by Baloch activists in Pakistan. It said on Thursday that in the first 6 months of 2025 alone, Paank documented 785 enforced disappearances and 121 killings. Sharing the details in a post on X, Paank highlighted that Baloch activists face grave danger in Pakistan abductions, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings are widespread. It expressed concern over the detention and the possible deportation of a young Baloch activist, Shabar Jamaldini, in a post on X and urged all rights defenders to urgently intervene to prevent this deportation. In another post, it condemned the enforced disappearance of an academic and his young scholar brother, demanding their immediate and unconditional release. It wrote on X, Paank strongly condemns the enforced disappearance of Dr. Usman Qazi, a PhD holder and Assistant Professor at BUITEMS, and his younger brother, Jibran Ahmed, an MPhil Economics student. Both are residents of Nasirabad, district Kech. Around 3:00 a.m. on August 12, 2025, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) forcibly disappeared the two brothers from their residence in Afnan Town, Quetta. The abduction of an academic and his young scholar brother is deeply alarming and utterly unacceptable. PaanK calls for their immediate and unconditional release, holding the authorities accountable for this grave violation. Advertisement Enforced disappearances in Balochistan have been a grave human rights issue for decades, rooted in the regions long-standing political and ethnic tensions. For the last several decades, Baloch nationalists, students, activists, and intellectuals have been targeted, allegedly by state security agencies, for demanding greater autonomy or rights. Thousands have reportedly gone missing without due process, and many remain unaccounted for. Families are often left without information, legal recourse, or justice. Human rights organisations, both local and international, have condemned these actions, calling them violations of international law. Advertisement Trump-Putin Alaska Summit: US President Donald Trump on Friday landed in Anchorage, Alaska for the high stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Ukraine war. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and CIA director John Ratcliffe also accomapnied the US President as he look to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. Advertisement The two leaders are expected to meet at Elmendorf-Richardson base in Anchorage, Alaska at 11.30 am local time (1.00 am in India). Advertisement Shortly after Trumps arrival, a Russian plane carrying President Putin also landed at Joint Base Elmendorf in Anchorage. Air Force One is officially wheels down at Joint Base Elmendorf in Anchorage, Alaska pic.twitter.com/neVcTFdjJj Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 15, 2025 Also Read: As Trump and Putin meet in Alaska on Ukraine war, where do Moscow, Kyiv and US stand Top Updates Of Trump-Putin Summit In Alaska For Ukraine talks: Trump, Putin depart from Alaska; talks yielded no agreement to resolve Russia-Ukraine conflict Trump departed on Air Force One, with Putin leaving just minutes later. Although both leaders described the talks as productive, the meeting yielded no progress in resolving the UkraineRussia conflict. Lasting peace is needed, says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky as Trump, Putin meet in Alaska Russia must end the war that it itself started and has been dragging out for years. The killings must stop. A meeting of leaders is needed at the very least, Ukraine, America, and the Russian side and it is precisely in such a format that effective decisions are possible. Security guarantees are needed. Lasting peace is needed. Everyone knows the key objectives. I want to thank everyone who is helping to achieve real results, the Ukrainian President said on X. Trump-Putin talks likely to last up to seven hours The talks are likely to last up to seven hours, including a long working lunch. However, Trump had suggested he will walk out of the summit early if things doesnt work out. Trump also said that if things work out well today, there will be another meeting. Were going to have another meeting if things work out or were not going to have any more meetings at all maybe ever, the US President told a reporter en route to Alaska earlier today. How crucial is the Trump-Putin summit outcome for India? The outcome of the Trump-Putin Alaska Summit on Ukraine war matters for India. Trump had imposed additional 25 per cent tariffs on India for purchasing Russian Federation oil, accusing New Delhi of sponsoring Russias war in Ukraine. A ceasefire deal could see those additional tariffs lifted. If the talks fail, India could face more tariffs as Trump believes the move could pressure Putin into making a deal. BREAKING NEWS: The historic summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart in Alaska begins. The two leaders are accomapnied by their respective delegation members. .@POTUS begins his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin pic.twitter.com/hpR641t8pJ Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 15, 2025 Russian and US delegation members for historic Trump-Putin summit The Russian delegation that travelled with Putin includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, and presidential economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev. According to White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt, the US delegation includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Special Envoy to Ukraine and the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. Will set the table for Ukraine to negotiate ceasefire, says Trump White Houses has just released more Trump conversations with reporters aboard Air Force. Its not for me to negotiate a deal for Ukraine, but I can certainly set the table to negotiate the deal, Trump told a reporter in his Air Force One office. .@POTUS: Its not for me to negotiate a deal for Ukraine, but I can certainly set the table to negotiate the deal. pic.twitter.com/FWaRAk8Xc8 Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 15, 2025 Red carpet welcome for Putin in Anchorage, Alaska Red carpet has been rolled out for Putin and with Alaska 2025 on display near the runway of the base where Trump and Putins planes landed. Fighter jets have also been stationed nearby. Trump-Putin greet each other with a handshake Trump and Putin greeted as the two leaders met face to face for the first time in Trumps second term. President Trump Greets the President of the Russian Federation https://t.co/xMG6wxYDEy The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 15, 2025 US President Donald Trump has estimated that his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the US state of Alaska has a 25 per cent chance of not being successful. In an interview with Fox News Radio, Trump said on Thursday that his meeting with Putin is like a chess game, adding that he believes Putin is arriving with the intention of making progress toward reaching a deal on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Advertisement He added that if positive progress is made during the meeting, it would lay the groundwork for a second one, which would also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Xinhua news agency reported. Advertisement Trump on Wednesday warned that Russia would face very severe consequences if Putin refuses to agree to a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The Putin-Trump meeting is set for Friday in Anchorage, Alaska. Trump also said that he believes Putin is heading into Fridays Alaska summit wanting to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine. I believe now hes convinced that hes going to make a deal. Hes going to make a deal. I think hes going to. And were going to find out Im going to know very quickly, Trump said during an appearance on Fox Radio on Thursday morning. The President kept expectations for the meeting high after White House officials earlier this week downplayed the face-to-face session as a listening exercise. Trump also suggested his goal is to move toward a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, suggesting three different locations are on the table including the possibility of staying in Alaska. Trump offered a key caveat, however: If its a bad meeting, Im not calling anybody Im going home. But if its a good meeting, Im going to call President Zelensky and the European leaders. Pressed on whether hed offer economic incentives to Russia during the meeting, Trump demurred. Well, Id rather not say because I dont want to play my hand in public, but whatever my hand is, economic incentives and disincentives maybe are more important, in a way, but incentives economically, you know, he said. When disaster strikes, a little inside information can make a big difference. The sweet scent of cinnamon rolls baking in the oven, a steaming cup of coffee in hand, and holiday carols softly playing in the background is how Christmas mornings usually look in my household. But last year, our quiet Christmas morning quickly turned into chaos with smoke hanging in the air, sirens blaring, and dozens of firefighters racing from room to room. As an insurance writer, Ive spent the past decade covering the ins and outs of homeowners insurance, helping consumers understand their policies so they can make more informed decisions about protecting their homes. Im well-versed in the steps to take when filing a claim, coverage details, and the questions to ask. But when disaster came knocking at my door, it hit completely differently. While I expected challenges along the way, the claim and restoration process brought more curveballs than I could have ever imagined. To help you avoid some of the stress, delays, and unexpected costs I faced, heres what I learned from my house fire insurance claim. This embedded content is not available in your region. Learn more: Homeowners insurance: What it covers and how much you'll pay No. 1: Trust your gut Ive always lived by the motto, Its better to be safe than sorry. So when I caught a faint smell of smoke in my bathroom, I knew something was off. My husband wanted to let it go because there was no visible smoke or fire, but I went with my gut and called 911. Within minutes, six local fire departments arrived at my home with axes, pick poles, and hoses in hand. It only took a few minutes to locate the source of the fire before they started ripping down my walls, ceiling, and even my beloved shower tile. Once the demolition began, I contacted my insurance agent and started the claim process. Learn more: How much homeowners insurance do I need? No. 2: Check your lightbulbs To my surprise, they identified the cause as a small can light above my linen closet. Over the years, the wiring had become brittle, whether due to incorrect wattage, faulty wiring, or a defective bulb, and eventually began sparking and spreading into the insulation. Learn more: How can a lightbulb start a fire? After the fire was extinguished and everyone was out of harms way, the fire captain explained that if I had waited even an hour or two to call, the fire would have engulfed my entire home. Trusting my instincts saved our home and our pup from what could have been complete devastation. Every year, the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) estimates that 51,000 home fires result from electrical issues, causing around $1.3 billion in property damage. So if you have even the slightest gut feeling something isnt right, make the call, even if youre second-guessing yourself. No. 3: Document and save everything, if you can The fire department managed to save most of the debris, including the charred wood above the cabinet, but somehow the actual light fixture got tossed out. Even though this doesn't sound like a big deal, it was. If we had saved the light, or even just a piece, it could have helped the engineer who inspected my home pinpoint exactly why it caught fire. That could have helped us spot any other electrical problems in the house and prevent another fire. Because the light was lost in the shuffle, I hired my electrician to inspect most of the electrical work throughout my house and replace every canned light with LEDs. Home insurance policies usually only cover costs they consider necessary for the covered repairs, and whats considered necessary is typically up to your insurer's interpretation. Therefore, if they decide something isnt essential, they may not cover it. This means you'll be left picking up the tab for extra inspections or repair work. That's why, if the cause of your fire is unknown, do your best to save (and document) everything that may be relevant to solving the mystery. This could include lightbulbs, wiring, or other items that could serve as evidence and even help provide more support for your claim. Learn more: How much is homeowners insurance? A guide to lowering costs. No. 4: Have a reputable repair crew on speed dial When the unexpected happens, the last thing you want is to scramble for help while youre still in shock. Fortunately, my insurance agent referred me to a reputable restoration company, and I already had a list of trusted professionals to contact for repairs. After working with him for two decades, I trusted his recommendations. That said, even if your insurer gives you referrals, youre not required to use them, and in some cases, their recommendations may not be the best fit for your situation. If you dont have these contacts handy, you may find yourself wondering who to trust. In moments of crisis, its easy for pushy companies, or even outright scammers, to take advantage of panicked and uninformed policyholders. Learn more: What does homeowners insurance not cover? So, before you need them, make a list of trusted professionals. Ask friends and family for recommendations, and check reviews to find reputable options such as contractors, painters, and plumbers. For me, having this list ready was worth its weight in gold, especially when the pressure was on. Expert tip: In addition to cleanup services, restoration companies may offer contracting services, which can act as a one-stop shop for repairs. While this sounds appealing and convenient, their contractors may not have the expertise to help with your project. Thats why its important to vet any contractor thoroughly, whether you find them yourself or through your insurance or restoration company. No. 5: Preferred doesnt always mean the best Some vendors, especially those recommended by your insurer, may assure you theyll handle everything directly with your insurance company, including settling the final payment. While these preferred vendors usually have a direct line of communication with your insurer, that doesnt mean you should step back completely. In fact, some preferred contractors rely on insurance companies for work, so they may prioritize keeping that relationship intact over giving you the best advice. In my case, the restoration company did communicate with my adjuster, but when it came time for payment, the logistics still ended up on my plate. In other cases, homeowners have faced blank contracts that lock them into unfavorable terms, hidden waivers that remove the contractors liability for damage, or payment arrangements where the contractor gets paid directly, leaving the homeowner without visibility into costs. Thats why its worth vetting every contractor, whether they come from your insurers list or your own research, and keeping the lines of communication open from the start. No. 6: Dont let repairs run on autopilot Just because youve picked a reputable contractor doesnt mean its time to kick back and watch the magic happen. While youd hope every professional treats your home with the same care you do, the reality is, to them, it might just be another job. Staying hands-on, especially with the construction details, can help you avoid costly mistakes and unnecessary headaches. Unfortunately, I had to learn this the hard way: Paint spilled all over my hardwood floors, my marble countertop chipped, the shower door shattered from a bad installation, and I had to scramble at the last minute to find floor tile I was told didnt need replacing. Acting as your own project manager is crucial to make sure the work is done right the first time and up to your standards. So, dont be afraid to check progress regularly, ask questions, and confirm details even if youve been assured they know what to do. This is your home, and the work should meet your expectations from the start. Learn more: The important difference between actual cash value and replacement cost No. 7: Set realistic expectations on timing Even a minor fire claim can take far more time and energy than you expect. When my contractor first walked through the damage, he estimated wed have everything wrapped up in a month or two. Eight months later, we were still putting the finishing touches on repairs and trying to get life back to normal. The delays werent always dramatic, but they added up over time, from discontinued tile to backordered floor stain to installation mistakes and crew vacations. And between those setbacks were the constant interruptions: contractors coming and going, noise, dust, and the mental load of making decisions about colors, materials, and layouts while juggling work and life. On top of that, the time away from work to meet contractors, oversee repairs, or handle claim details can cut into your paycheck, especially if youre self-employed or dont have paid leave. But heres something to keep in mind: Restoration takes patience and organization. So, prepare for delays and do your best to stay on top of all the moving parts. That way, the process hopefully feels more manageable and less overwhelming. What my home insurance policy didnt teach me Having a solid homeowners insurance policy in place is only half the battle when it comes to filing a fire claim. The rest comes down to trusting your gut, documenting everything, choosing suitable professionals for the job, and staying hands-on every step of the way. Its a roller coaster of an experience, so staying patient through delays, mistakes, and endless decisions can help you keep your peace of mind intact. While you wont find this advice hidden in your homeowners insurance policys fine print, it can make a world of difference when living through a house fire insurance claim. Tim Manni edited this article. On Indias 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised a massive set of GST reforms to be rolled out by Diwali in his address to the nation. In his speech, he assured tax relief on everyday items, and more importantly, a more friendly tax system. Accessibility has always been an issue with the current GST norms. The latest was small and medium retail traders protesting against GST notices in Karnataka, when many were slapped with tax notices with arrears going back to 2021. And now, Modi declared a big surprise for all Indians this Diwali. The Centre is expected to bring in new GST reforms in October. Hailing the news moves as pro-business as well as pro-consumer, the Prime Minister said that daily-use items would become cheaper under the new tax regime. But he did not provide any specifics. No official statement came immediately from the GST council as well. However, the Ministry of Finance later provided its plan detailing the new reforms. You can read them HERE. ALSO READ: PM Modis Independence Day speech: Lowering GST, tax burden to stern Indus Waters message to Pakistan Of late, the government has been musing on a proposal to completely remove the 12 per cent slab and reassign items to either the 5 per cent or the 18 per cent slabs. The current system has five tax rates0 per cent, 5 per cent, 12% per cent, 18 per cent, and 28 per cent. Apart from them, precious metals have special rates like 0.25 per cent and 3 per cent. Currently, around one-fifth of all goods fall in the 5 per cent. Another one-fifth are taxed at 12 per cent. However, most itemsclose to a half or 44 per centare under the 18 per cent bracket. Only a mere 3 per cent of goods fall under the 28 per cent slab. Modis Diwali GST gift announcement came a month ahead of the Bihar elections and mere weeks before the convening of the 56th GST Council meeting. Delivering his address to the nation on the 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that India will launch 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra' to "expand, strengthen, and modernise" the national security shield. The homegrown defence shield is expected to be fully operational by 2035, the Prime Minister declared at the Red Fort. VIDEO | Independence Day 2025: We have chosen the path of Lord Krishnas Sudarshan Chakra. For the security of the country and its citizens, we will continue to upgrade our capabilities. Speaking from the Red Fort, I assure you that in the next 10 years, whether it is a place of pic.twitter.com/MXjpYtwqA5 Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 15, 2025 Highlighting the mission's launch, the PM said the initiative would bolster New Delhi's offensive and defensive capabilities with a "Rashtriya Suraksha Kavach"a robust national shield for critical assetsin a probable Indian version of the Iron Dome. For the unversed, the Iron Dome is a mobile, all-weather air defence system developed by Israel with the primary objective to intercept and destroy projectiles and artillery shells fired by the enemy mid-air before they can hit Israeli territory. It is comprised of radars, Battle Management and Weapon Control (BMC) and missile batteries and units. 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra' The objective of the comprehensive security initiative is to ensure that India's assets, infrastructure and civilians are protected by multiple layers of defensive mechanisms involving modern surveillance and technology. Apart from state-of-the-art physical defensive measures, 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra' will also include cybersecurity measures, specifically designed to deal with the security challenges faced by India. ALSO READ | PM Modis I-Day speech: What is Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana for youth? Check eligibility, and other details "Like the precision of the Sudarshan Chakra, we will also make arrangements for targeted missile action," the Prime Minister said. This indicated that the project will involve machinery to effectively neutralise any kind of attack launched by the enemy and the capability to retaliate effectively. #WATCH | Delhi: PM Modi says, "In the next ten years, by 2035, I want to expand, strengthen, and modernise this national security shield. Drawing inspiration from Lord Shri Krishna, we have chosen the path of the Sudarshan Chakra...The nation will be launching the Sudarshan pic.twitter.com/cQRaYeSLvp ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 "In the next ten years, by 2035, I want to expand, strengthen, and modernise this national security shield. Drawing inspiration from Lord Shri Krishna, we have chosen the path of the Sudarshan Chakra...The nation will be launching the Sudarshan Chakra Mission," PM Modi said. While 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra' remains secret and under wraps, it is understood to involve collaborative efforts between the country's research organisations, defence bodies and even some private players, the Times Of India (TOI) said in a report. Operation readiness of the Indian armed forces Modi hailed Operation Sindoor as a milestone in Indias defence autonomy, underscoring that indigenously made weapons and systems now enable the country to act decisively without foreign dependence. Prime Minister Modi asserted that India will not tolerate nuclear threats or fall for any blackmail, in a direct message to Pakistan. He hailed the destruction inflicted by the armed forces in Pakistan, a direct reply to Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, who had recently spoken of a nuclear threat in the USA and destroying a dam if India builds one to block Indus water. India has decided, blood and water will not flow together. The Indus Waters Treaty is unjust as the water was flowing to enemies rather than helping our farmers, Modi said. For the first time in the history of AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists), a woman has become the president of the association, as Shwetha Menon has beaten Devan in the general body elections held on August 15 in Kochi. Kukku Parameswaran has been elected as the general secretary of AMMA, while Unni Sivapal is the new treasurer of the association. Lakshmi Priya is the new vice president of AMMA while Ansiba has been elected as the new joint secretary. Jayan Cherthala, Nasser Latif and Lakshmipriya were contesting for the vice presidents post, while Anoop Chandran and Unni Shivapal were in the fray for the post of treasurer. The voting took place at Kochi Marriott Hotel from 10 am to 1 pm on Friday. Thanking fellow actors for electing her to the post, Menon said, "It is tough to hold two general body meetings in a year. Still 298 people came to vote. I thank you all. It was said that a woman should come to the top position in AMMA. Now that has happened. I hope to get your continued support." ALSO READ: Devan backs opponent Shwetha Menon over FIR ahead of AMMA elections: It is a stupid case According to media reports, several prominent actors, including Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi, cast their votes. Malayala Manorama reported that popular actor Mammootty did not vote as he is in Chennai. "Nobody has left AMMA," Mohalal said after casting his vote and expressed confidence in the committee that would be elected. As many as 298 of AMMAs 504 members voted during elections, say reports. With the frontline stars, including former president Mohanlal, staying away from elections, there was flurry of activity in the recent days, after several persons filed nominations for all the posts. Ever since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India has been maintaining a largely neutral stance, as it abstained from most UN resolutions that condemned Russia's actions, while emphasising dialogue and diplomacy to solve the issue. India has also managed to maintain its relationship with Russia, despite the pressure from the West, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a few times during the last few years. President Donald J. Trump Departs Washington, D.C., for Alaska for a Historic Summit. pic.twitter.com/eUfCC9EmQF The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 15, 2025 Since the beginning of the conflict, New Delhi has significantly increased the import of oil from Russia, while also sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including medicines and medical equipment. India managed to carefully balance its decades-long ties with Russia and the growing partnership with Western countries and the US, even as many Western nations have expressed their dissatisfaction with India's pragmatic stance. While India was mindful of Western sanctions over its stance, it always defended its oil purchase from Russia, saying that this was driven by the requirement to secure the country's energy security. Currently, Russian oil accounts for more than a third of India's overall crude purchases. It barely accounted for less than 0.2 per cent of India's imports before the war. The tariff blow The Russia-Ukraine war did not really reach India's shores until US President Donald Trump decided to impose a punitive, 50 per cent tariff. According to Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), the 50 per cent country-specific tariff on most Indian goods, on top of existing most favoured nation duties, has thrust India into a strategic dilemma that could reshape its trade, energy, and diplomatic positioning. "For New Delhi, the choices ahead are stark - negotiate, retaliate, diversify markets, or trade concessions such as ending purchases of Russian oil for tariff relief. Each option carries a different mix of gains and risks," GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said. According to Srivastava, India will require structural reforms and aggressive trade diplomacy to absorb the high tariffs and diversify the country's exports to Europe, ASEAN, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. 'India had a role in Putin-Trump meeting' The face-to-face meeting of Donald Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska assumes significance for India as it would possibly determine the choice India may be forced to make. Trump has claimed that the tariffs imposed on India for purchasing oil from Russia have influenced Moscow's decision to seek a meeting with Washington, as the country was losing its second-largest customer. AUDIO | Ahead of Summit in Alaska, US President Donald Trump says, "That was much more difficult than what I'm doing today. Believe me. So, we get along. There's a good respect level on both sides, and I think something's gonna come of it. I noticed he's bringing a lot of pic.twitter.com/80ewj2WAgg Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 15, 2025 Even as India said it has not halted oil purchases from Russia, Trump claimed that when he told India that "we're going to charge you, because you're dealing with Russia and oil purchases", it "essentially took them out of buying oil from Russia". According to Trump, there was a 25 per cent chance that the summit would fail. However, he also suggested that if the meeting succeeds, he could bring Zelenskyy to Alaska for a subsequent, three-way meetinga possibility that Russia hasn't agreed to. How India will benefit from a peace deal? If Trump manages to prove that he is indeed a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker after the meeting with Putin, it would ease the ongoing trade and tariff tensions between the US and India. While India dubbed the US sanctions as unfair, unjustified and unreasonable and even called out the hypocrisy of the West, which still has trade ties with India, a peace deal may prompt the US to roll back on sanctions, enabling India to continue the purchase of Russian oil. Besides, the US has also threatened to increase the tariffs and possibly impose additional sanctions on India if the Trump-Putin talks do not yield desired results. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had earlier said, "Sanctions can go up, they can be loosened. They can have a definitive life. They can go on indefinitely. You know, there's this Russian shadow fleet of ships around the world that I think we could crack down on." Even as India maintains that it will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security amid the punitive US tariffs, a peace deal would also give India the option to continue the neutral diplomatic balance it has been maintaining. From the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 12th consecutive Independence Day address, set out a vision for a secure and self-reliant India, placing Atmanirbhar Bharat at the heart of his Viksit Bharat 2047 agenda. Marking the nations 79th Independence Day, with several themes resonating the strategic resolve of Operation Sindoor, sweeping GST relief, which he termed as Diwali gift to the people, mission to check demographic change to hailing RSSs 100-year journey. Modi has always used his Independence day speech for larger political messaging and announcement of new far reaching programmes. In his address today, he gave enough indications about the political and ideological intent of his government. And also a strong message for the neighbouring Pakistan, and a nuanced one for Donald Trump-led US. Heres a look at the key takeaways from his 103-minute speech his longest so far. Operation Sindoor Modi hailed Operation Sindoor as a milestone in Indias defence autonomy, underscoring that indigenously made weapons and systems now enable the country to act decisively without foreign dependence. He asserted that India will not tolerate nuclear threats or fall for any blackmail, in a direct message to Pakistan. He hailed the destruction inflicted by the armed forces in Pakistan. This was a direct reply for Pakistani Army chief Asim Munir who had spoken by nuclear threat in the US recently. India has decided, blood and water will not flow together. The Indus Waters Treaty is unjust as the water was flowing to enemies than helping our farmers, Modi said. It is imperative for Bharat to be #Atmanirbhar in the field of energy. We undertook the initiative and today, the solar energy capacity has increased 30-fold, over the past 11 years. We are constructing new dams for clean energy production. Bharat is investing thousands of crores pic.twitter.com/vudtOeCeHs PIB India (@PIB_India) August 15, 2025 He urged young innovators to take up the challenge of building jet engines entirely in India, placing defence manufacturing at the centre of strategic sovereignty. Highlighting the launch of Mission Sudarshan Chakra, Modi said the initiative would bolster Indias offensive and defensive capabilities, inspired by the mythological weapon of Krishna in a probable Indian version of Iron Dome, which will thwart enemy attacks. Diwali gift Eight years after it was started, Modi said his government was now going to push for reforms in the GST which will give relief to the people. The proposed measures are designed to benefit different sections of society, with a particular focus on the common man, women, students, the middle class, and farmers. The ministry of Finance in separate statement revealed that a proposal for comprehensive GST reforms has already been sent to the Group of Ministers (GoM) set up by the GST Council, focusing on structural changes, rate rationalisation, and ease of living. Key measures would include correcting inverted duty structures, resolving classification disputes, and ensuring long-term rate stability to support domestic value addition. The Centre has also proposed a simpler two-slab system, with reduced taxes on essential and aspirational goods, made possible by the end of the GST compensation cess. For ease of living, the plan calls for technology-driven registration, pre-filled returns, and faster, automated refunds for exporters and affected sectors. To address the key issue of employment, PM Modi announced a major employment scheme - PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana - worth Rs 1 lakh crore, under which newly employed youth will receive Rs 15,000 per month. Message to Trump? With US president Donald Trump pressing ahead with his 50 per cent tariffs on India to force the country allow entry of cheaper American food items, the government has vowed to protect the Indian farmers. In an apparent counter to Trumps tariffs, Modi called for domestic production of fertilisers to reduce import reliance and safeguard farmers livelihoods. He urged shopkeepers and consumers to show Swadeshi pride, and support Indian products as part of the Vocal for Local initiative. The emphasis on Swadeshi can also be read as a message to US companies that they may also feel the brunt in India if Trump presses ahead with higher tariffs. RSS frontal organisations have already called for a ban on American products. Checking demography In a significant announcement, he also announced a High-Powered Demography Mission to address demographic imbalances in border regions, framing it as a matter of national integrity and security. Now, this is taking forward the work of stemming out illegal immigrants, which NRC (in Assam) or SIR (in Bihar) could attempt. This has been governments most direct announcement on the subject. Coming ahead of the census exercise which would give a peak into the demography of the border regions, the new mission may kick up political face off. New India Modi highlighted the strides the country was making in the field of science, technology, space, and business. Modi revealed that Indias first Made in India semiconductor chip will be rolled out by the end of 2025, a project he said had languished for decades before moving to mission mode. He called for leadership in AI, cyber security, and deep-tech to ensure competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global economy. He celebrated the achievements of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and unveiled plans for Indias own space station. He noted that over 300 start-ups are innovating in satellite and exploration technologies, positioning India as a global leader in space science. Declaring that India has already met its 2030 clean energy target five years ahead of schedule, Modi announced a major expansion of nuclear power aiming for a tenfold increase in capacity by the centenary of independence. He spoke about the National Deepwater Exploration Mission to tap ocean-based energy resources and reaffirmed the National Critical Minerals Mission, which is exploring 1,200 sites to secure key industrial and defence materials. PM Modi also announced the creation of a dedicated Reform Task Force to drive next-generation reforms. Its mandate: accelerate economic growth, cut red tape, modernise governance, and prepare Bharat for the demands of a $10 trillion economy by 2047. The death toll in the massive cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar increased to 60 on Friday. A major rescue operation involving over 300 personnel from armed forces, NDRF and SDRF is underway in the region to save hundreds still reported missing. Rescue efforts intensified on Friday, and Jammu and Kashmir police personnel constructed a makeshift bridge at Chashoti in Kishtwar to expedite the rescue efforts. Chisoti, a base camp for the annual Machail Mata Yatra, was bustling with pilgrims when the disaster struck between 12noon and 1pm on Thursday. The cloudburst led to flash floods, sending a torrent of water and debris down the route of the Shree Machail Mata Yatra. According to officials, at least 16 residential houses and government buildings, three temples, four water mills and a 30-metre span bridge, besides more than a dozen vehicles, were damaged in the flash floods in Chisoti and downstream. The Jammu and Kashmir administration has suspended the yatra for the second day. During his Independence Day address, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah confirmed 60 people have died and over 100 persons suffered injuries in the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and assured all assistance for the relief efforts. "Spoke to Jammu and Kashmir LG, Shri Manoj Sinha Ji and CM Shri Omar Abdullah Ji regarding the situation in the wake of the cloudburst and flooding in Kishtwar. Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected, Modi tweeted. Chief Minister Abdullah is likely to visit Kishtwar on Saturday. According to officials, 160 people have been rescued so far, and the health condition of 38 people is said to be serious. The Union Territory administration has set up a control room-cum-help desk in Paddar, about 15 km from Chositi, to assist people and pilgrims. The numbers provided are -- 9858223125, 6006701934, 9797504078, 8492886895, 8493801381, and 7006463710. In a clear and stern warning to Pakistan from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said terrorists and those providing them safe haven will be treated alike and that Indian armed forces will decide on punishment in case of any future misadventure from the neighbouring nation. Delivering his address to the nation on India's 79th Independence Day, the prime minister announced that India will launch a mission named 'Sudarshan Chakra' to "expand, strengthen, and modernise" this national security shield. Here are some of the key takeways from his speech that you don't want to miss: The Prime Minister has praised the success of "Operation Sindoor," which he said demonstrated India's self-reliance and established a "new normal" in tackling cross-border terrorism. What our forces achieved in Operation Sindoor has not been witnessed in decades... We have set a new normal in tackling cross-border terrorism. I salute our brave soldiers who delivered a punishment for the Pahalgam attack far beyond the enemys imagination, he said. #WATCH | Delhi: PM Modi says, "In the next ten years, by 2035, I want to expand, strengthen, and modernise this national security shield. Drawing inspiration from Lord Shri Krishna, we have chosen the path of the Sudarshan Chakra...The nation will be launching the Sudarshan pic.twitter.com/cQRaYeSLvp ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 India will no longer tolerate "nuclear threats" or "blackmail," the Prime Minister asserted. He also announced the launch of "Mission Sudarshan Chakra," a new weapon system intended to increase national security and enable swift retaliatory strikes. #WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "For next-generation reforms, we have decided to set up a task force. This task force will work to achieve targets within a set time frame and realise the vision of Viksit Bharat... This task force will complete the work within pic.twitter.com/SgPr5SOGbl ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 Furthermore, PM Modi stated that India would no longer tolerate the "unjust and one-sided" Indus Waters Treaty. Reiterating that "blood and water cannot flow together," he told the nation that the country's farmers have the sole right to its share of the river's waters. PM Modi also announced that "next-generation GST reforms " would be implemented by Diwali with the goal of lowering the tax burden on everyday items to benefit small and medium enterprises. "This Diwali, I am going to make it a double Diwali for you... Over the past eight years, we have undertaken a major reform in GST... We are bringing next-generation GST reforms. This will reduce the tax burden across the country, he said. " would be implemented by Diwali with the goal of lowering the tax burden on everyday items to benefit small and medium enterprises. "This Diwali, I am going to make it a double Diwali for you... Over the past eight years, we have undertaken a major reform in GST... We are bringing next-generation GST reforms. This will reduce the tax burden across the country, he said. To enable the smooth execution of such next-generation reforms, the government have decided to set up a task force. "This task force will work to achieve targets within a set time frame and realise the vision of Viksit Bharat... This task force will complete the work within the stipulated time frame. The task force has been constituted with reference to making current rules, laws, policies, and practices suitable for the 21st century, aligned with the global environment, and aimed at making India a developed nation by 2047," the PM said. The BJP came down heavily on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday after he did not take part in the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort in Delhi, asking if the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha was unwell. BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla claimed that Congress showed that it is not Indian National Congress, but rather the 'Islamabad National Congress'. "Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, boycotted the Independence Day celebrations. By doing so, they have boycotted the nation itself. These are the very reasons why the Supreme Court has observed that Rahul Gandhi does not speak the language of a citizen," Poonawalla said. Fellow BJP leader Amit Malviya, in a tweet, claimed that Gandhi, who was missing from the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, "appeared visibly disoriented" during the celebrations at the Congress headquarters. Malviya sought to know why Gandhi skipped the official ceremony, and said, "The nation deserves to know is he well?" Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition, was missing from the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. At the Congress HQ event, he appeared visibly disoriented. The nation deserves to know is he well? And why did he choose to skip the official ceremony? For someone in his pic.twitter.com/bisnjy8WWo Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 15, 2025 "For someone in his position, such absence sends a poor message about his commitment to national occasions," the BJP leader said. What really happened? However, a tweet from Congress leader Shama Mohamed clarified that the Congress leader got drenched during the celebrations. "Attended the Independence Day celebration at Indira Bhawan, New Delhi. While we all held umbrellas, my leader @RahulGandhi Ji stood soaking in the rain without moving a step. Truly inspiring!," she wrote. Attended the Independence Day celebration at Indira Bhawan, New Delhi. While we all held umbrellas, my leader @RahulGandhi Ji stood soaking in the rain without moving a step. Truly inspiring! Happy #IndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/BFn6m2TfPa Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) August 15, 2025 The video of Rahul Gandhi singing the national anthem in the rain had gone viral. Earlier in the day, Gandhi greeted people saying, "This freedom, achieved through the sacrifices of great freedom fighters, is a resolve to build an India where justice rests on the foundation of truth and equality, and every heart is filled with respect and brotherhood." Five people were killed and four others injured on Friday after a structure being built near the Humayun's Tomb a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major tourist attractionin Delhi's Nizamuddin area collapsed. "So far, we have learned that five people who were under treatment at AIIMS trauma Centre died and others are still under treatment. We have cordoned off the area," Joint Commissioner of police Sanjay Kumar Jain told reporters. He said that the people were visiting the dargah for Friday prayers and were sitting inside the room due to rain when the incident took place. Delhi | 11 people rescued and sent to a nearby hospital, search operation underway, say Police. https://t.co/tj8EiIKQBE ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2025 The rescue operation is completed, the police said, adding a total of 10 to 12 victims were rescued from the debris after a call regarding the incident was received at 3.55 PM. A senior DFS official had initially said a call regarding the collapse of a portion of a dome at the tomb was received, following which five fire tenders were rushed to the spot immediately. Authorities clarified that the incident did not involve the main dome of the 16th-century monument but a smaller room within its premises. Initial information suggested that eight to nine people were feared trapped under the debris, but subsequent rescue efforts led to at least 11 people being pulled out. Officials said the area where the collapse occurred was part of the peripheral structure and not the central mausoleum. The cause of the collapse is yet to be ascertained, but preliminary checks suggest possible structural weakening due to recent rains. "There has been no damage in Humayun Tomb. A new structure was being built near the Humayun tomb, its portion has collapsed, and some of it also fell onto the walls of the Humayun Tomb," Ratish Nanda, conservation architect at Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), the organisation behind the restoration of Humayun's Tomb, said, reported PTI. Hailing 100 years of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a "very proud and glorious" journey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the service of the volunteers in his Independence Day speech. Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the occasion of Independence Day, Modi said the country is proud of the 100 years of "dedicated and glorious" journey of the RSS. "Today I want to mention one thing with great pride that 100 years ago an organisation was born, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Its 100 years of national service has been a very proud and glorious page," he said. The prime minister observd that service, dedication, organisation, and unparalleled discipline are the identity of the RSS, "which is in a way the world's biggest non-government organisation (NGO)". Opposition hits back Modi drew flak from the opposition for his praise of RSS, calling it a moment that the PM chose to 'dishonour the memory of our martyrs'. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) said it is "deeply regrettable" that Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose to praise the RSS in his Independence Day speech, and called it an organisation with a "dubious historical record". Hitting back strongly, Congress said it is a "breach" of the spirit of the constitutional and secular republic and a desperate attempt to appease the Sangh in the run-up to his 75th birthday. "The PM was tired today. Soon he will be retired," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said and slammed the prime minister's speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort as "stale, hypocritical, insipid". The PMs speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort today was stale, hypocritical, insipid, and troubling. The same recycled slogans about Viksit Bharat, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas have been heard year after year with little to show in terms of measurable Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 15, 2025 CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby expressed his disappointment and said it is "deeply regrettable" that PM Modi chose to praise the RSS in his Independence Day speech. "An organisation which had no role whatsoever in these struggles and has consistently sought to undermine national unity along religious lines," he said. "Glorifying the RSS in an Independence Day speech is an insult to the freedom struggle. The RSS and its ideological allies served as British foot soldiers. They never joined the fight for independence and hated Gandhi more than they ever opposed the British," tweeted AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on X. Glorifying the RSS in an Independence Day speech is an insult to the freedom struggle. The RSS and its ideological allies served as British foot soldiers. They never joined the fight for independence and hated Gandhi more than they ever opposed the British. Happy Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) August 15, 2025 Taking a jibe at Modi's speech, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said they are "swadeshi by words but foreigner by heart". RSS will be completing 100 years of its foundation on this Vijayadashmi and has planned to organise a series of events, including more than 1 lakh 'Hindu Sammelans', across the country to mark its centenary year. Israel appears set to give formal planning approval next week to one of its most contentious settlement projects, which critics say would split the occupied West Bank in half and deal a fatal blow to prospects for a two-state solution. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced yesterday that 3,412 new housing units would be built in the so-called E1 area between Jerusalem and Maale Adumim, an existing settlement in the West Bank. The project has been frozen for decades under heavy international pressure, particularly from the United States, over concerns it would sever the northern West Bank from its southern regions and cut East Jerusalem off from the rest of the territory. ALSO READ | Two years after Hamas' October 7 attack, why has no one been prosecuted by Israel? The Supreme Planning Councilthe government body that approves such plansis expected to meet next week to give final authorisation after a sub-committee rejected all objections earlier this month. Once approved, the state will be able to issue tenders and building permits, potentially allowing infrastructure work to begin within months and housing construction to start within a year. Bezalel Smotrich and a 'Jewish reality' Standing at the planned site in Maale Adumim, Smotrich told journalists and settlement leaders that the plan would bury the idea of a Palestinian state. Those in the world trying to recognise a Palestinian state will get an answer from us on the ground ... Not through documents, not through decisions or declarations, but through facts. Facts of homes, neighbourhoods, roads and Jewish families building their lives, he said. Smotrich, a far-right settler politician who also holds a post in the defence ministry overseeing planning in the occupied territories, claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump had agreed to revive the E1 project, though neither has confirmed this. Netanyahus office is yet to comment and the US State Department sidestepped the issue by saying that a stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administrations goal to achieve peace in the region. The announcement came days after Australia, Britain, Canada, France and other nations pledged to recognise Palestinian statehood, a move they say is intended to revive negotiations over a two-state solution amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Smotrich dismissed such efforts, calling the two-state framework an illusion and insisting the government should apply Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank. Theyll keep talking about a Palestinian dreamand we will continue building a Jewish reality, he said. A project frozen for decades The E1 area (spanning 12 square kilometres) was annexed to the municipality of Maale Adumim and lies to the north and west of the city. ALSO READ | Global outrage grows after the death of Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif in an Israeli airstrike First proposed in the 1990s by then prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, the plan has barely advanced over the past 20 years due to the intensity of opposition abroad. Successive Israeli governments have been wary of the diplomatic backlash, with even US administrations generally regarding E1 construction as a red line. What peace groups say Peace Now, an Israeli organisation that tracks settlement activity, said the Netanyahu government was exploiting every minute to deepen the annexation of the West Bank and prevent the possibility of a two-state solution. The group warned that the project would create a continuous bloc of settlements from the centre of the West Bank to Jerusalem, cutting off the Palestinian urban centres of Ramallah, East Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Three NGOsPeace Now, Ir Amim and the Association for Environmental Justiceargue that E1 is the only remaining land reserve between those Palestinian cities, which together are home to around one million people. They say the settlement plan would make it impossible to establish a contiguous Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. International reactions The International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion last year declaring Israeli settlements illegal under international law and calling for Israels withdrawal from occupied territories. Much of the international community, including the European Union, regards the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegally occupied and earmarked for a Palestinian state through negotiations. Reaction to Smotrichs announcement was swift. Jordans foreign ministry condemned both the proposed expansion and his remarks as extremist racist statements and a flagrant violation of international law, calling the move an assault on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent, sovereign state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with occupied Jerusalem as its capital. Germanys foreign ministry said it strongly objected to the plan and urged Israel to halt settlement construction. The Norwegian foreign minister, Espen Barth Eide, accused Israel of seeking to appropriate land owned by Palestinians in order to prevent a two-state solution. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the plan further undermines the two-state solution while being a breach of international law and called for its cancellation. Qatar urged the international community to compel Israel to halt the plans, while the chairman of the Palestinian National Council, Rawhi Fattouh, said the move was part of a de facto creeping annexation policy aligned with Netanyahus vision of a 'Greater Israel'. Hamas condemned the project as a dangerous criminal step intended to isolate Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings in Ramallah and Bethlehem. In July, Britains Foreign Office described construction in E1 as a flagrant breach of international law that threatened the viability of a future Palestinian state. The UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand sanctioned Smotrich and fellow far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in June for what they called repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities. A wider push for annexation Smotrich has previously said the E1 project is part of a broader effort to expand the settler population in the West Bank and impose Israeli sovereignty there. In March, the security cabinet approved construction of a separate road for Palestinians to connect villages in the northern West Bank with those in the south, bypassing Road 1 between Maale Adumim and Jerusalem, which would be reserved mainly for Jewish residents. Critics say the road is designed to facilitate settlement expansion while fragmenting Palestinian territory. The United Nations has warned that the situation risks spiralling into wider conflict if settlement expansion continues unchecked. ALSO READ | India reiterates its policy towards the Palestinian State, but is not ready for an active role Hagit Ofran of Peace Nows Settlement Watch project said it was unlikely Smotrich had made such a dramatic decision without Netanyahus approval. In the past, she noted, the prime minister had blocked similar meetings on settlement approvals under foreign pressure. However, with Israel increasingly isolated diplomatically, she said, the government appeared determined to press ahead. The E1 controversy reflects a long-running divide in Israeli politics. While far-right elements see it as a vital step in securing Jerusalem and expanding Jewish presence in the West Bank, more mainstream leaders consider it a concern that could isolate Israel further. Therefore, many observers think that Netanyahu might step in at the last minute and rein Smotrich in. First mooted more than three decades ago, E1 has become one of Israels most intractable settlement disputes: a project embraced by its proponents as a Zionist statement and denounced by opponents as a death knell for peace. As the final decision approaches, the gap between those visions has rarely been starker. As US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska on Friday, a question looms: what would it take for the two to arrive at a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal at the hastily arrangedalbeit highly anticipatedmeeting? Organised at Putin's request, this will be the first time since 2007 that a Russian president visits a US counterpart on American soil. ALSO READ | Why should India care about Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska? The White House has said that the high-stakes bilateral meeting will take place between the two at 11 AM local time (12:30 AM IST on Saturday) at the Cold War-era Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, as per a Reuters report. .@POTUS: "We're going to have a meeting with Vladimir Putin and ... probably in the first two minutes, I'll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made." REPORTER: "How will you know that?"@POTUS: "Because that's what I do I make deals." pic.twitter.com/KfLNkWaiHq Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 11, 2025 Russia's demands from the meeting are more or less similar to what they have already been: Ukraine's disarmament and distancing from NATO, a relaxation of Western sanctions, and swapping certain territories. However, a newer addition to Moscow's agendaimproving Russia-US economic tieshas led to Ukraine (which was strategically excluded from the meeting) and the West fearing a ceasefire being brought on by trade that would disadvantage Kyiv. ALSO READ | Three reasons why Trump is not happy with India: Former diplomat Vikas Swarup explains An exchange of views is expected on further developing bilateral cooperation, including in the trade and economic sphere, Ushakov said, as per a Guardian report. This cooperation has huge and, unfortunately so far, untapped potential, explained Yuri Ushakov, one of Putin's advisors. Putin knows Trump sees the world through a business lens, and will pitch a peace on his terms as the gateway to lucrative opportunities, an unnamed former official added, as per the report. The US president's motives, however, remain unclear, as he continues to shift the optics of the Alaska meeting. Trump, who entered his second term in office with a promise to end the three-year-long Russia-Ukraine conflict in a few days, has so far been unable to exert pressure on Moscow to stop the aggression on Kyiv. Prizing himself as a peacemaker above all else, he first called the meeting an important one in which the ceasefire would be decided, before refining his expectations and calling it a feel-type meeting to understand Putin's demands, and to gauge the possibility of a future trilateral meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. ALSO READ | Trump warns Putin of very severe consequences if he doesnt stop Ukraine war after Alaska summit However, he switched up his tone again on Wednesday, warning Russia of "severe consequences" should the talks fail. This follows his 100 per cent tariff deadline issued to Moscow to end the war, which fell through after the deadline expired and no punitive actions were taken by the US. All eyes are on the bilateral meetingespecially Ukraine, the West, and nations like India that buy Russian exportsas the future of not only the war, but also wider geopolitical relations and global energy supply chains, is at stake. Apparently, some terms will be agreed upon tomorrow (Friday) because Trump cannot be refused, and we are not in a position to refuse (due to sanctions pressure), a source close to the Kremlin told Reuters. A group of Indian-origin people celebrating their country's 79th Independence Day in Melbourne on Friday (local time) were rudely interrupted by a mob of Khalistani "goons". Various members of the Indian community had gathered peacefully outside the office of the Consul General of India (Dr Sushil Kumar) in Melbourne, Australia. They had planned to sing patriotic songs and wave the tricolour flag. #BreakingNews - Disturbance outside the Consul General of India in Melbourne! Khalistani 'goons' reportedly created a ruckus, disrupting the premises and raising tensions. Indians had gathered to peacefully celebrate Indias 79th Independence Day, but the celebrations were pic.twitter.com/rnjC0i6TT8 The Australia Today (@TheAusToday) August 14, 2025 However, they were interrupted by a mob of pro-Khalistani separatists, who heckled at those celebrating, chanted slogans and waved their own flags. ALSO READ | Why was India Day celebration in Ireland cancelled? Diaspora council says decision was 'very difficult' Local authorities were immediately dispatched to the scene to protect the celebrating group as well as to prevent any physical altercations, as tensions between the two sides flared up, as per an Australia Today post on X. To further counter the Khalistani protests, the Indians raised their voices while singing patriotic songs, soon drowning out the pro-Khalistani hecklers. This is the latest in a series of anti-Indian hate incidents in Australia. ALSO READ | 'You can't change your skin colour': Racial attacks on Indian men in Australia, Ireland spark backlash Just last month, the Swaminarayan Temple in Melbourne's Boronia was defaced with graffitihateful messages printed below a crude image of Adolf Hitlerafter which two Asian-run restaurants nearby faced the same fate. "Our temple is meant to be a sanctuary of peace, devotion and unity. Seeing it vandalised felt like an attack on our identity, our right to worship and freedom of religion," said Makrand Bhagwat, the head of the Hindu Council of Australias Victoria chapter, as per another Australia Today report. Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese extended his congratulations to India on its 79th Independence Day. Albanese wishes on Indias Independence Day as Tiranga flies proudly worldwide Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sends his congratulations to Indians in Australia and around the world. As the Tiranga flies proudly worldwide, Indians can reflect with joy on all their nation has pic.twitter.com/IGftgpnAAb The Australia Today (@TheAusToday) August 15, 2025 As the Tiranga flies proudly around the world, Indians can reflect with joy on all their nation has achieved in the 78 years ... As a long-standing and consistent friend, Australia celebrates Indias success," Albanese said, highlighting the strong relations between the two countries and lauding the Indian-Australian community. As monsoon rains wreak havoc in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the northwestern regions of Pakistan, a helicopter involved in relief operations crashed on Friday, killing all five persons onboard. According to Pakistani authorities, the helicopter was deployed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to deliver relief materials in flood-hit areas in Bajaur. However, authorities lost contact with the helicopter a few moments after it took off. The chopper crashed in Mohmand district, and rescue personnel were dispatched to the crash site immediately. pic.twitter.com/WBZixlNm1o Government of KP (@GovernmentKP) August 15, 2025 "An MI-17 helicopter of the provincial government, carrying relief supplies to the rain-affected areas of Bajaur, crashed due to bad weather. In this tragic incident, five crew members, including two pilots, were martyred," Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, said in a statement. The provincial government will observe a day of mourning on Saturday, and their bodies will be laid to rest with full state honours. "The helicopter crew sacrificed their lives to save others. These are our true heroes, whose sacrifice will be written in golden letters in history," the chief minister said. Soon after the crash, the government involved another helicopter for relief operations. While authorities suspect inclement weather caused the crash, it remains to be determined whether there were other factors as well, they said. According to authorities, MI-17 helicopters were deployed to carry out relief and rescue operations in remote areas. The monsoon rains lashed the province, triggering flash floods and landslides, mainly in Bajaur and Buner districts on Friday. According to authorities, 176 people died and hundreds have been reported missing in the flash floods on Friday. US President Donald Trump is holding a face-to-face conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday for a high-stakes summit in the hope of ending the war in Ukraine. READ HERE | Why should India care about Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska? The Alaska summit offers Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a closesomething he used to boast he could do quickly. For Putin, a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains, block Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance, and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit. Putin-Trump talks: What is at stake? There are two possible deals Trump could try to make: a deal with Putin on a ceasefire for Ukraine and a deal resetting relations between Russia and the US. Trump is interested in both, and he does not see them as mutually exclusive. This has prompted a flurry of diplomatic activity within Europe and across the Atlantic. Ukraine's red lines have been clearly set out and fully backed by European leaders. As an outcome of the Alaska summit, such a reset of US-Russia relations is also most likely to materialise as a framework that simply identifies areas for future deals between the two sides. Any process to implement such a bilateral agreement between Moscow and Washington could begin immediately and run in parallel to any Ukraine negotiations. This, too, would be a big bonus for Moscow. The Kremlin will be hoping that the further along things move on the US-Russia reset track, the more likely Trump will be to back Putin in negotiations with Ukraine. ALSO READ | Trump-Putin Alaska talks: What's on the agenda and why is it important? Putin is clearly more interested in improving bilateral relations with the US than he is in a ceasefire. He has, for now, skilfully avoided Trump's threats of sanctions while his forces have achieved what looks like an important breakthrough on the battlefield. What time is the summit? Based on recent news reports, the meeting between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin is scheduled for today, Friday, August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. The talks are set to begin at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time in Alaska, which is 7:30 p.m. GMT. According to Reuters, the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin is scheduled for 11 a.m. local time at the Joint Base ElmendorfRichardson, a major U.S. military installation in Anchorage. 11 a.m. Alaska time is 1900 GMT. Meanwhile, the Anchorage Daily News claimed that the summit is expected to begin at 11:30 a.m. local time. If the talks begin at 11:00 a.m. Alaska time, it will be 12:30 a.m. on Saturday (Aug 16) in India IST thus, if the summit starts half an hour late at 11:30 a.m. Alaska time, it will be 1:00 a.m. IST on August 16. The year 2025, marks the 79th year of Indias Independence. The countrys fight for independence spanned nearly two centuries, the beginnings tracing back to the mid 18th century. While the formal British Raj began in 1858 after the revolt of 1857, the foundations of colonial rule were laid earlier by the British East India Company, especially after the Battle of Plassey in 1757. The freedom movement culminated in Indias independence on August 15, 1947. India, during the colonial period, was not a single political unit. Alongside British-ruled provinces, there were over 565 princely states, which were nominally sovereign but under British suzerainty. The roles of these princely kingdoms in the freedom struggle were mixed, sometimes varying between time periods. While today the perception of royalty in India has been reduced to mindless television shows and movies, these were historical dynasties with rulers of great knowledge, depth and exceptional skills of administration. For me, this weeks article is a very special one. A tribute to my great grandfather, a ruler loved, respected and worshipped by his people. A man of righteous principles, morals and great foresight. The first ruler to hand over his kingdom to a democratic India. Maharaja Krishnakumar Sinhji Gohil of Bhavnagar. Maharaja Krishna Kumar Sinhji Gohil of Bhavnagar was born into a world of royal protocol, deference, and unquestioned power. He ascended the throne at the tender age of seven in 1919, a child monarch in a princely India still under the thumb of the British Raj. But what set him apart was not the throne he inherited. It was the one he voluntarily gave up. Despite being orphaned at a young age, Maharaja Krishna Kumar Sinhji set sail to pursue his education at Englands historic Harrow. To be thrown into the deep, in a foreign country, grasping a new language and culture could not have been easy. But he spent his years getting prepared to rule his people. To be able to be a good leader. A visionary of the people, honing the skills of good governance and foresight. Between the years of 1931 and 1947, the able Maharaja built on the legacy of the throne entrusted to him. Be it town planning or financial development, educational reforms or building of new healthcare institutes. Awarded the prestigious Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (K.C.S.I.) in 1938, the kingdom of Bhavnagar grew with his determination. As did the dairy revolution in Brazil! But as India inched towards independence in 1947, the question of princely states loomed large. Many rulers clung to the illusion of sovereignty, reluctant to merge their kingdoms into the nascent Indian Union. My great-grandfather chose differently. Bhavnagar became the first princely state to accede to India, not under pressure, but by conscious choice. This decision did not end his public service, it simply changed its form. In 1948, he was appointed the first Indian Governor of Madras (now Chennai). From a king with absolute power to a constitutional head with ceremonial responsibilities, he made that transition with dignity and humility. He respected the democratic structures that India was building from scratch, never overstepping, never interfering. His role was to uphold the Constitution, not overshadow it. While many political leaders preach this today few are close to following it. As a child growing up hearing stories about him, I often wondered what it must have been like to give up that kind of power. The palace. The title. The salute. The entire exchequer. But, the more I understood what he stood for, the more I realised, he didnt lose anything. He gained something far greater: a place in history as a unifier, not a divider. Respect. Today, the role of the governor in the states of India is far more controversial than he might have imagined. What was once a post of constitutional neutrality has become, at times, a lightning rod of political tension. Governors today are often accused of acting as agents of the Centre, meddling in state affairs, or delaying key legislation for partisan reasons. The dignity of the office he helped define now hangs in delicate balance. The post those days belonged to someone of the highest moral authority. If he were alive today, I think he would be troubled, because of the lost opportunity. The Governors office, at its best, is a symbol of balance between the Centre and the states. It is supposed to ensure that democratic processes function within constitutional bounds. That is exactly how he carried himself in office, with restraint, respect, and an unwavering commitment to Indias federal fabric. My great-grandfather was principled. He gave up a crown for a Constitution, and a kingdom for a country. And in doing so, he taught me, and I hope others, that legacy is not what you hold on to. It is what you choose to give up for something greater. While Indias independence was a long and complex process, shaped by the efforts of revolutionaries, reformers, political leaders, and ordinary citizens. I do believe my great grandfather played an integral and important role. One that is often forgotten. He believed in India, not just as a geography, but as an idea: of democracy, equality, and unity. He saw his future, and ours, not in retaining power, but in contributing to a nation that could stand on its own, free and self-governed. We live in times where our democratic institutions are tested daily. Perhaps it is time we revisit the legacy of those who once held immense power and willingly surrendered it, for the sake of India. A united, resilient, beautifully diverse nation. Today I celebrate his idea of an independent India and the importance of freedom we so often forget to cherish. The Polis administration is imposing a hiring freeze, part of the efforts to address a $1 billion deficit that the Colorado state government i Britain will rely on gas for decades to come, Centricas boss said yesterday after it backed a 1.5billion deal to buy Europes largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal. Centrica, the owner of British Gas, and US infrastructure investor Energy Capital Partners have agreed to acquire the facility at Grain, on the Kent banks of the Thames Estuary, from National Grid, subject to regulatory approval. They said the site will be able to provide up to 33 per cent of UK gas demand and so is a critical piece of our energy security infrastructure. And Centrica chief executive Chris OShea told the BBC: I do think that gas will be a key part of the energy transition for decades to come. It comes as Labours aim to shift away from oil and gas runs into trouble, with a drive to use more wind power in particular facing increasing challenges. Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has banned the issuing of new oil and gas licences in the North Sea. Reliance: Britain will rely on gas for decades to come, Centricas boss, Chris O'Shea, said yesterday Critics argue that gas will be vital to fulfil demand in a less polluting way than oil and coal at a time when the capacity of renewable sources and infrastructure is still being built up. The Grain site imports and stores gas, and supplies European energy markets with customers including Centrica, Shell and Qatar Energy. OShea said: Well have more wind and well have more solar but there are points where we dont have enough sun, we dont have enough wind. You need to have something that when you dont have your renewables you need to be able to turn on your electricity generation and gas is the best way that weve got that now. The acquisition comes soon after Centrica announced it was investing 1.3billion for a 15 per cent stake in the new Sizewell C nuclear power plant in Suffolk. LNG, which is chilled to minus-162C (minus-259F) and transported on specialist ships, has become increasingly important to Europe since imports from Russia were cut off following the invasion of Ukraine. The fuel met 15 per cent of the UKs gas demand last year. That is expected to soar to about 60 per cent by 2050. Centricas equity investment totals about 200million as it will also take on 1.1billion of debt. The shift to renewable energy is being hit by US President Donald Trump who has promised to ban new wind farms and recently branded turbines a con job. Shares in Danish wind giant Orsted nosedived this week after it tapped up investors for 7billion to plug a financial hole, blaming its struggles on Trumps policies. Separately, UK figures showed how wind farm operators were paid 117million this year to stop producing energy that could have powered every home in Scotland for six months. Shares of Ormat Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:ORA Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the twelve ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $92.10. A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on ORA shares. Roth Capital restated a buy rating and set a $98.00 price target (up from $88.00) on shares of Ormat Technologies in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Ormat Technologies from $76.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Ormat Technologies from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and boosted their target price for the company from $87.00 to $103.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Ormat Technologies from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 24th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded shares of Ormat Technologies from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Get Ormat Technologies alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on ORA Insider Activity at Ormat Technologies Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ormat Technologies In other news, Director Stanley Stern sold 547 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.54, for a total value of $46,790.38. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 6,137 shares in the company, valued at approximately $524,958.98. This represents a 8.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Also, Director Michal Marom sold 895 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.47, for a total transaction of $65,755.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 3,080 shares in the company, valued at approximately $226,287.60. This represents a 22.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,379 shares of company stock valued at $353,998. 0.56% of the stock is owned by insiders. Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Curio Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Ormat Technologies by 29,200.0% in the 2nd quarter. Curio Wealth LLC now owns 293 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. Stuart Chaussee & Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ormat Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Ormat Technologies by 251.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 523 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 374 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of Ormat Technologies by 42.6% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 880 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 263 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Ormat Technologies by 57.4% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 886 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $74,000 after purchasing an additional 323 shares during the last quarter. 95.49% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Ormat Technologies Stock Down 1.3% ORA stock opened at $88.31 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.07, a P/E/G ratio of 4.22 and a beta of 0.68. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $86.01 and a 200-day simple moving average of $75.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Ormat Technologies has a 52 week low of $61.58 and a 52 week high of $91.81. Ormat Technologies (NYSE:ORA Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The energy company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $234.02 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $225.26 million. Ormat Technologies had a net margin of 14.49% and a return on equity of 5.47%. Ormat Technologiess quarterly revenue was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.37 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Ormat Technologies will post 1.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Ormat Technologies Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 20th will be issued a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 20th. Ormat Technologiess dividend payout ratio is currently 22.33%. Ormat Technologies Company Profile (Get Free Report) Ormat Technologies, Inc engages in the geothermal and recovered energy power business in the United States, Indonesia, Kenya, Turkey, Chile, Guatemala, Guadeloupe, New Zealand, Honduras, and internationally. It operates in three segments: Electricity, Product, and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment develops, builds, owns, and operates geothermal, solar photovoltaic, and recovered energy-based power plants; and sells electricity. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Ormat Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ormat Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of TechnipFMC plc (NYSE:FTI Get Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the fifteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eleven have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $38.9231. A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on TechnipFMC from $42.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on TechnipFMC from $37.00 to $40.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Wall Street Zen upgraded TechnipFMC from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Saturday, July 26th. Barclays boosted their price target on TechnipFMC from $45.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Finally, BTIG Research cut TechnipFMC from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, July 14th. Get TechnipFMC alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on TechnipFMC TechnipFMC Stock Up 1.7% Shares of FTI stock opened at $35.63 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $34.76 and a 200 day moving average of $30.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The stock has a market cap of $14.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.04. TechnipFMC has a twelve month low of $22.11 and a twelve month high of $38.05. TechnipFMC (NYSE:FTI Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The oil and gas company reported $0.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $2.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.49 billion. TechnipFMC had a return on equity of 29.42% and a net margin of 9.60%. TechnipFMCs quarterly revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.43 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that TechnipFMC will post 1.63 EPS for the current year. TechnipFMC Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 19th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. TechnipFMCs payout ratio is 9.43%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other TechnipFMC news, Director Rousset Sophie Zurquiyah sold 9,381 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.12, for a total transaction of $348,222.72. Following the transaction, the director owned 62,978 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,337,743.36. The trade was a 12.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.80% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On TechnipFMC Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of FTI. New York State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new stake in TechnipFMC in the 1st quarter valued at about $33,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in TechnipFMC by 45.3% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,090 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 340 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in TechnipFMC in the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,000. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in TechnipFMC by 29.7% in the 1st quarter. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,511 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 346 shares during the period. Finally, Ossiam raised its holdings in TechnipFMC by 52.0% in the 2nd quarter. Ossiam now owns 1,597 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 546 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.58% of the companys stock. About TechnipFMC (Get Free Report) TechnipFMC plc engages in the energy projects, technologies, and systems and services businesses in Europe, Central Asia, North America, Latin America, the Asia Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and internationally. It operates through two segments: Subsea and Surface Technologies. The Subsea segment engages in the design, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, fabrication, installation, and life of field services for subsea systems, subsea field infrastructure, and subsea pipe systems used in oil and gas production and transportation. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for TechnipFMC Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TechnipFMC and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR Free Report) had its price target cut by Barclays from $83.00 to $81.00 in a research note released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Mizuho reduced their price target on Equity Residential from $76.00 to $71.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Evercore ISI cut their price target on Equity Residential from $72.00 to $71.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Stifel Nicolaus set a $80.50 price objective on Equity Residential and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Equity Residential from $75.00 to $76.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Equity Residential from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $77.78. Get Equity Residential alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on Equity Residential Equity Residential Trading Down 0.7% Shares of Equity Residential stock opened at $63.57 on Tuesday. Equity Residential has a 12-month low of $59.41 and a 12-month high of $78.83. The company has a market cap of $24.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.99, a PEG ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The companys 50-day moving average price is $66.65 and its 200-day moving average price is $68.73. Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.99 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.99. The business had revenue of $768.83 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $770.60 million. Equity Residential had a net margin of 33.22% and a return on equity of 9.05%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.97 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Equity Residential will post 3.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Equity Residential Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 24th were issued a dividend of $0.6925 per share. This represents a $2.77 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 24th. Equity Residentials dividend payout ratio is presently 104.53%. Institutional Trading of Equity Residential Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. CTC Alternative Strategies Ltd. purchased a new stake in Equity Residential during the 2nd quarter valued at $270,000. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in Equity Residential in the 2nd quarter valued at $675,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board grew its position in Equity Residential by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 4,106,232 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $277,130,000 after acquiring an additional 45,538 shares during the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its position in Equity Residential by 51.3% in the 2nd quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 156,792 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $10,582,000 after acquiring an additional 53,184 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its position in Equity Residential by 32.8% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 608,496 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $41,067,000 after acquiring an additional 150,172 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.68% of the companys stock. Equity Residential Company Profile (Get Free Report) Equity Residential is committed to creating communities where people thrive. The Company, a member of the S&P 500, is focused on the acquisition, development and management of residential properties located in and around dynamic cities that attract affluent long-term renters. Equity Residential owns or has investments in 305 properties consisting of 80,683 apartment units, with an established presence in Boston, New York, Washington, DC, Seattle, San Francisco and Southern California, and an expanding presence in Denver, Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Equity Residential Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Equity Residential and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sienna Gestion reduced its stake in shares of Royal Bank Of Canada (NYSE:RY Free Report) (TSE:RY) by 91.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 545 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 6,082 shares during the period. Sienna Gestions holdings in Royal Bank Of Canada were worth $60,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Royal Bank Of Canada by 5.7% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 62,571,520 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $7,048,307,000 after purchasing an additional 3,387,971 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Inc raised its stake in Royal Bank Of Canada by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 31,515,404 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $3,549,520,000 after purchasing an additional 277,466 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia raised its stake in Royal Bank Of Canada by 8.0% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 16,802,214 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,892,975,000 after purchasing an additional 1,249,589 shares during the period. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. raised its stake in Royal Bank Of Canada by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 11,431,721 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,287,927,000 after purchasing an additional 319,270 shares during the period. Finally, Scotia Capital Inc. raised its stake in Royal Bank Of Canada by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Scotia Capital Inc. now owns 8,924,206 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,003,385,000 after purchasing an additional 33,183 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 45.31% of the companys stock. Get Royal Bank Of Canada alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages recently issued reports on RY. Wall Street Zen downgraded Royal Bank Of Canada from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Saturday, May 31st. Scotiabank began coverage on Royal Bank Of Canada in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. They issued a sector outperform rating on the stock. Barclays reaffirmed an overweight rating on shares of Royal Bank Of Canada in a research note on Thursday. CIBC reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Royal Bank Of Canada in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, National Bank Financial downgraded Royal Bank Of Canada from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research note on Friday, May 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $193.00. Royal Bank Of Canada Price Performance Shares of Royal Bank Of Canada stock opened at $136.49 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $191.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.82. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $130.83 and a 200-day moving average price of $122.68. Royal Bank Of Canada has a one year low of $106.10 and a one year high of $136.59. Royal Bank Of Canada (NYSE:RY Get Free Report) (TSE:RY) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.20 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.25 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $11.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.77 billion. Royal Bank Of Canada had a return on equity of 15.75% and a net margin of 13.37%. Royal Bank Of Canadas revenue for the quarter was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.92 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Royal Bank Of Canada will post 9.16 EPS for the current year. Royal Bank Of Canada Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 22nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 24th will be issued a $1.1152 dividend. This is a positive change from Royal Bank Of Canadas previous quarterly dividend of $1.03. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 24th. This represents a $4.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Royal Bank Of Canadas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.33%. Royal Bank Of Canada Profile (Free Report) Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, including auto financing, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Royal Bank Of Canada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Royal Bank Of Canada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lithium Americas (Argentina) Corp. (NYSE:LAR Free Report) Investment analysts at Stifel Canada lowered their FY2026 earnings estimates for shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) in a research note issued on Monday, August 11th. Stifel Canada analyst C. Mcgill now forecasts that the company will earn $0.18 per share for the year, down from their previous estimate of $0.19. The consensus estimate for Lithium Americas (Argentina)s current full-year earnings is ($0.05) per share. Get Lithium Americas (Argentina) alerts: A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on LAR. National Bankshares raised shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $2.90 to $4.50 in a research report on Tuesday. Scotiabank reaffirmed a sector perform rating and issued a $3.50 price objective (up previously from $3.00) on shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) in a research report on Wednesday. National Bank Financial raised shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) from $2.50 to $4.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Tuesday. Lithium Americas (Argentina) Trading Down 2.9% Shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) stock opened at $3.36 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $2.49. Lithium Americas has a 52-week low of $1.71 and a 52-week high of $3.96. Lithium Americas (Argentina) (NYSE:LAR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 14th. The company reported ($0.04) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.01) by ($0.03). Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lithium Americas (Argentina) Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of Lithium Americas (Argentina) by 9.3% in the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 4,786,166 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,975,000 after purchasing an additional 408,065 shares during the last quarter. Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd purchased a new stake in Lithium Americas (Argentina) in the first quarter valued at approximately $5,368,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in Lithium Americas (Argentina) by 42.3% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,198,736 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,573,000 after buying an additional 653,351 shares during the last quarter. CenterBook Partners LP purchased a new stake in Lithium Americas (Argentina) in the first quarter valued at approximately $4,613,000. Finally, Woodline Partners LP purchased a new stake in Lithium Americas (Argentina) in the first quarter valued at approximately $3,456,000. 49.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Lithium Americas (Argentina) Company Profile (Get Free Report) Lithium Argentina AG, a resource and materials company, focuses on advancing lithium projects in Argentina. The company owns interests in the Cauchari-Olaroz project located in Jujuy province; and the Pastos Grandes project located in Salta Province of Argentina. The company was formerly known as Lithium Americas (Argentina) Corp. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Lithium Americas (Argentina) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lithium Americas (Argentina) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D reduced its stake in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report) by 8.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 525,035 shares of the companys stock after selling 48,014 shares during the quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund Ds holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $83,339,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the first quarter worth $34,000. Pacifica Partners Inc. grew its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 115.0% in the first quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 215 shares of the companys stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the first quarter worth $35,000. Inlight Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the first quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Pandora Wealth Inc. bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the first quarter worth $42,000. 78.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms have recently issued reports on PM. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Philip Morris International from $168.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Philip Morris International in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. They set a buy rating and a $220.00 target price for the company. Barclays decreased their target price on Philip Morris International from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Bank of America raised their target price on Philip Morris International from $182.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on Philip Morris International from $170.00 to $181.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $186.27. Philip Morris International Stock Down 0.4% Shares of NYSE PM opened at $165.22 on Friday. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 12 month low of $116.12 and a 12 month high of $186.69. The company has a market cap of $257.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.48. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $175.15 and a 200-day simple moving average of $164.30. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The company reported $1.91 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.05. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 120.86% and a net margin of 9.03%. The business had revenue of $10.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.33 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.59 earnings per share. Philip Morris Internationals revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 7.14 EPS for the current fiscal year. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Friday, June 27th were paid a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 27th. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio is currently 102.66%. Philip Morris International Profile (Free Report) Philip Morris International Inc operates as a tobacco company working to delivers a smoke-free future and evolving portfolio for the long-term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products primarily under the IQOS and ZYN brands; and consumer accessories, such as lighters and matches. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. reduced its position in shares of nVent Electric PLC (NYSE:NVT Free Report) by 18.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,330 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,000 shares during the period. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc.s holdings in nVent Electric were worth $227,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in NVT. Capital A Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of nVent Electric during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of nVent Electric by 467.3% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 607 shares of the companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of nVent Electric during the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of nVent Electric during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of nVent Electric by 58.0% during the 1st quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 817 shares of the companys stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. 90.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get nVent Electric alerts: nVent Electric Price Performance Shares of NYSE:NVT opened at $89.83 on Friday. The companys fifty day moving average price is $76.79 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 1.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.59, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.35. nVent Electric PLC has a one year low of $41.71 and a one year high of $92.75. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth nVent Electric ( NYSE:NVT Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 1st. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.07. nVent Electric had a net margin of 17.72% and a return on equity of 13.36%. The company had revenue of $963.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $906.96 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.82 EPS. The firms revenue was up 30.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that nVent Electric PLC will post 3.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. NVT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of nVent Electric from $69.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of nVent Electric from $78.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Barclays reiterated an overweight rating on shares of nVent Electric in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $102.00 target price (up previously from $85.00) on shares of nVent Electric in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of nVent Electric from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, July 12th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $87.00. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on NVT Insider Activity at nVent Electric In other news, EVP Aravind Padmanabhan sold 24,534 shares of nVent Electric stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.00, for a total transaction of $2,208,060.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 12,063 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,085,670. The trade was a 67.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Der Kolk Robert J. Van sold 10,993 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.14, for a total transaction of $979,916.02. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 40,772 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,634,416.08. This represents a 21.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 218,780 shares of company stock worth $19,591,172 in the last three months. 1.80% of the stock is owned by insiders. About nVent Electric (Free Report) nVent Electric plc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, markets, installs, and services electrical connection and protection solutions in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Enclosures, Electrical & Fastening Solutions, and Thermal Management. See Also Receive News & Ratings for nVent Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for nVent Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Element Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 18,870 shares of the construction companys stock, valued at approximately $2,658,000. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. increased its position in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. now owns 1,198,801 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $169,427,000 after purchasing an additional 19,787 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 34.0% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 680,622 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $95,886,000 after purchasing an additional 172,779 shares during the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. increased its position in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 140.4% during the 4th quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 666,000 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $94,126,000 after purchasing an additional 389,000 shares during the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. increased its position in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 267.1% during the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 532,602 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $75,273,000 after purchasing an additional 387,537 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its position in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 23.4% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 289,289 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $40,885,000 after purchasing an additional 54,923 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.93% of the companys stock. Get Armstrong World Industries alerts: Armstrong World Industries Trading Down 1.0% AWI stock opened at $194.37 on Friday. Armstrong World Industries, Inc. has a 1-year low of $118.14 and a 1-year high of $197.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.61 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The company has a market capitalization of $8.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.75, a PEG ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.43. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $169.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $154.28. Armstrong World Industries Dividend Announcement Armstrong World Industries ( NYSE:AWI Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The construction company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.34. Armstrong World Industries had a return on equity of 39.80% and a net margin of 18.95%. The business had revenue of $424.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $404.05 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.62 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 16.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Armstrong World Industries, Inc. will post 6.18 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 7th will be paid a $0.308 dividend. This represents a $1.23 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 7th. Armstrong World Industriess dividend payout ratio is presently 18.20%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Armstrong World Industries from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Armstrong World Industries from $157.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Loop Capital set a $190.00 target price on shares of Armstrong World Industries and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. UBS Group restated a neutral rating and set a $178.00 target price (up previously from $158.00) on shares of Armstrong World Industries in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Armstrong World Industries from $162.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $177.13. Get Our Latest Research Report on Armstrong World Industries Armstrong World Industries Company Profile (Free Report) Armstrong World Industries, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of ceiling and wall solutions in the Americas. It operates through Mineral Fiber and Architectural Specialties segments. The company offers mineral fiber, fiberglass wool, metal, wood, felt, wood fiber, and glass-reinforced-gypsum; ceiling component products, such as ceiling perimeters and trims, as well as grid products that support drywall ceiling systems; ceilings, walls, and facades for use in commercial settings; and manufactures ceiling suspension system (grid) products. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AWI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Armstrong World Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Armstrong World Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. increased its stake in shares of Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM Free Report) by 55.2% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 26,258 shares of the basic materials companys stock after purchasing an additional 9,338 shares during the quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C.s holdings in Newmont were worth $1,268,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of NEM. Nuveen LLC bought a new position in shares of Newmont during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $306,507,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Newmont by 4,203.5% during the 1st quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 5,376,551 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $259,580,000 after purchasing an additional 5,251,616 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Newmont during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $92,693,000. Capital Research Global Investors increased its position in shares of Newmont by 70.7% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 5,644,953 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $210,105,000 after purchasing an additional 2,338,953 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new position in shares of Newmont during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $75,435,000. Institutional investors own 68.85% of the companys stock. Get Newmont alerts: Newmont Price Performance Newmont stock opened at $68.46 on Friday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $60.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $52.92. The company has a market capitalization of $75.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.30. Newmont Corporation has a 1 year low of $36.86 and a 1 year high of $70.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a current ratio of 2.23. Newmont Dividend Announcement Newmont ( NYSE:NEM Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The basic materials company reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.95 by $0.48. Newmont had a net margin of 30.50% and a return on equity of 17.86%. The firm had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.70 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.72 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 20.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Newmont Corporation will post 3.45 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 4th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. Newmonts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.95%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Director Bruce R. Brook sold 2,077 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.66, for a total transaction of $132,221.82. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 41,026 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,611,715.16. This trade represents a 4.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Brian Tabolt sold 7,015 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.02, for a total transaction of $477,160.30. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 32,615 shares in the company, valued at $2,218,472.30. The trade was a 17.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 22,246 shares of company stock valued at $1,373,251. 0.05% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms have recently weighed in on NEM. Cfra Research raised Newmont to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Stifel Canada upgraded Newmont to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. National Bank Financial upgraded Newmont from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Friday, July 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Newmont from $52.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a neutral rating and set a $60.90 price objective on shares of Newmont in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and four have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Newmont has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $64.58. View Our Latest Report on NEM Newmont Company Profile (Free Report) Newmont Corporation engages in the production and exploration of gold. It also explores for copper, silver, zinc, and lead. The company has operations and/or assets in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Suriname, Argentina, Chile, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Ecuador, Fiji, and Ghana. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NEM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Newmont Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Newmont and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. You are the owner of this article. Kimelman & Baird LLC reduced its stake in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) by 21.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 23,639 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after selling 6,300 shares during the quarter. Kimelman & Baird LLCs holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $3,136,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Element Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the first quarter worth approximately $2,682,000. Aberdeen Group plc increased its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 51.9% in the first quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 1,937,848 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $256,009,000 after purchasing an additional 662,220 shares in the last quarter. Horizon Investments LLC increased its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 4.2% in the first quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 26,494 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $3,498,000 after purchasing an additional 1,074 shares in the last quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 2.2% in the first quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 64,445 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $8,549,000 after purchasing an additional 1,367 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trivium Point Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 15.7% in the first quarter. Trivium Point Advisory LLC now owns 3,515 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $466,000 after purchasing an additional 477 shares in the last quarter. 75.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Abbott Laboratories Trading Down 0.0% Shares of Abbott Laboratories stock opened at $129.37 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $131.44 and a 200 day simple moving average of $131.15. Abbott Laboratories has a 12-month low of $109.76 and a 12-month high of $141.23. The company has a market capitalization of $225.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a current ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend Abbott Laboratories ( NYSE:ABT Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.26. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 18.32% and a net margin of 32.43%. The business had revenue of $11.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.01 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.14 earnings per share. Abbott Laboratoriess revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 15th will be given a $0.59 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 15th. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. Abbott Laboratoriess payout ratio is currently 29.57%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Abbott Laboratories news, CFO Philip P. Boudreau sold 5,550 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.55, for a total value of $746,752.50. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 51,003 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,862,453.65. The trade was a 9.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have weighed in on ABT. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. BTIG Research lowered their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $148.00 to $145.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 18th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $147.00 to $142.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 18th. Finally, Leerink Partnrs upgraded Abbott Laboratories to a hold rating in a report on Monday, June 16th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $144.47. View Our Latest Stock Report on Abbott Laboratories Abbott Laboratories Company Profile (Free Report) Abbott Laboratories, together with its subsidiaries, discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The company provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Abbott Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abbott Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG Free Report) by 36.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 199,651 shares of the restaurant operators stock after selling 112,339 shares during the period. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLCs holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $10,024,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 1st quarter worth about $578,000. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. increased its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 99.4% during the 1st quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. now owns 101,358 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $5,089,000 after purchasing an additional 50,526 shares in the last quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund raised its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 6.9% in the first quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 308,450 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $15,487,000 after buying an additional 19,800 shares during the period. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 3.0% in the first quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 43,630 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $2,191,000 after buying an additional 1,282 shares during the period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 351.1% during the first quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,254 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $63,000 after buying an additional 976 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.31% of the companys stock. Get Chipotle Mexican Grill alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets CMG has been the subject of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $62.00 to $59.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 24th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 17th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $65.00 to $60.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 24th. Raymond James Financial restated an outperform rating and set a $60.00 price objective (down previously from $62.00) on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $64.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $60.37. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, insider Roger E. Theodoredis sold 113,875 shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.70, for a total value of $5,659,587.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 109,815 shares in the company, valued at $5,457,805.50. The trade was a 50.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Chipotle Mexican Grill Price Performance Shares of CMG opened at $43.10 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.79 billion, a PE ratio of 38.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.05. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $50.54 and its 200 day moving average price is $51.25. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a 12-month low of $41.18 and a 12-month high of $66.74. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.01. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 13.32% and a return on equity of 43.50%. The company had revenue of $3.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.11 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.34 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Chipotle Mexican Grill Profile (Free Report) Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. It sells food and beverages through offering burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, tacos, and salads. The company also provides delivery and related services its app and website. It has operations in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CMG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Aberdeen Group plc lessened its holdings in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA Free Report) by 0.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 987,462 shares of the credit services providers stock after selling 5,834 shares during the period. Mastercard accounts for approximately 1.0% of Aberdeen Group plcs holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest position. Aberdeen Group plc owned 0.11% of Mastercard worth $532,168,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Horizon Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 12.4% during the 1st quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 4,019 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $2,199,000 after buying an additional 443 shares in the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 17.6% during the 1st quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 68,296 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $37,435,000 after buying an additional 10,236 shares in the last quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 37,951 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $20,802,000 after buying an additional 1,888 shares in the last quarter. OneAscent Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the 1st quarter valued at $575,000. Finally, Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 58.4% during the 1st quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. now owns 7,130 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $3,908,000 after buying an additional 2,630 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.28% of the companys stock. Get Mastercard alerts: Mastercard Price Performance Shares of Mastercard stock opened at $584.14 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.41, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.16. The stocks fifty day moving average is $563.46 and its 200 day moving average is $554.40. The stock has a market cap of $528.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.03. Mastercard Incorporated has a one year low of $461.90 and a one year high of $594.71. Mastercard Announces Dividend Mastercard ( NYSE:MA Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The credit services provider reported $4.15 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.05 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $8.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.95 billion. Mastercard had a return on equity of 200.01% and a net margin of 44.93%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 16.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.50 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 9th were issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 9th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Mastercards payout ratio is currently 20.50%. Insider Activity In other Mastercard news, insider Craig Vosburg sold 14,051 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $585.05, for a total transaction of $8,220,537.55. Following the transaction, the insider owned 58,451 shares of the companys stock, valued at $34,196,757.55. The trade was a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Raj Seshadri sold 1,100 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $546.77, for a total transaction of $601,447.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 12,921 shares in the company, valued at $7,064,815.17. This represents a 7.85% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 38,453 shares of company stock worth $20,178,667 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In MA has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a buy rating on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. They issued a buy rating and a $650.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of Mastercard from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Finally, Macquarie dropped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $645.00 to $610.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-five have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Mastercard currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $615.33. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Mastercard About Mastercard (Free Report) Mastercard Incorporated, a technology company, provides transaction processing and other payment-related products and services in the United States and internationally. The company offers integrated products and value-added services for account holders, merchants, financial institutions, digital partners, businesses, governments, and other organizations, such as programs that enable issuers to provide consumers with credits to defer payments; payment products and solutions that allow its customers to access funds in deposit and other accounts; prepaid programs services; and commercial credit, debit, and prepaid payment products and solutions. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Mastercard Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mastercard and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) by 2.1% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 259,938 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 5,296 shares during the quarter. Bank of America comprises about 2.3% of Providence Capital Advisors LLCs holdings, making the stock its 4th largest position. Providence Capital Advisors LLCs holdings in Bank of America were worth $10,847,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in BAC. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Bank of America by 306.3% during the 1st quarter. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC now owns 637,669 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $26,610,000 after purchasing an additional 480,742 shares during the last quarter. KLCM Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Bank of America by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. KLCM Advisors Inc. now owns 346,710 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $14,468,000 after purchasing an additional 1,491 shares during the last quarter. Trivium Point Advisory LLC raised its holdings in Bank of America by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. Trivium Point Advisory LLC now owns 39,270 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,639,000 after purchasing an additional 1,949 shares during the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC raised its holdings in Bank of America by 147.2% during the 1st quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 1,152,105 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $48,077,000 after purchasing an additional 686,084 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sit Investment Associates Inc. raised its holdings in Bank of America by 23.0% during the 1st quarter. Sit Investment Associates Inc. now owns 280,810 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $11,718,000 after purchasing an additional 52,495 shares during the last quarter. 70.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Bank of America alerts: Bank of America Stock Performance Shares of BAC stock opened at $47.68 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $353.13 billion, a PE ratio of 13.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.31. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $46.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $43.79. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. Bank of America Corporation has a 12 month low of $33.06 and a 12 month high of $49.31. Bank of America Increases Dividend Bank of America ( NYSE:BAC Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.86 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of ($22,273.00) million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.79 billion. Bank of America had a net margin of 14.81% and a return on equity of 10.25%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.83 EPS. Analysts forecast that Bank of America Corporation will post 3.7 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.28 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 5th. This represents a $1.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. This is a positive change from Bank of Americas previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. Bank of Americas payout ratio is presently 30.41%. Bank of America declared that its board has initiated a share buyback program on Wednesday, July 23rd that permits the company to buyback $40.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the financial services provider to repurchase up to 11.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have issued reports on BAC shares. Robert W. Baird restated a neutral rating and set a $52.00 price target on shares of Bank of America in a report on Friday, June 27th. Baird R W lowered shares of Bank of America from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, June 27th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Bank of America from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, June 26th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $51.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $53.00 price objective on shares of Bank of America and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, June 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Bank of America has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $50.13. Read Our Latest Research Report on Bank of America Insider Transactions at Bank of America In other Bank of America news, insider James P. Demare sold 148,391 shares of Bank of America stock in a transaction on Friday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.57, for a total transaction of $6,762,177.87. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 223,407 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,180,656.99. The trade was a 39.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Bank of America Company Profile (Free Report) Bank of America Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides banking and financial products and services for individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses, institutional investors, large corporations, and governments worldwide. It operates in four segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM), Global Banking, and Global Markets. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BAC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Bank of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Penrose Room at The Broadmoor hotel, 1 Lake Ave., has reopened and is offering dinner reservations. We got a sneak peek of the newly renovated dining room at a Meet the Maker dinner. Trey Zoeller was the featured master mixologist and is the co-founder of Jeffersons Bourbon with his father, Chet, a famed bourbon historian. Not only did we enjoy our preview of The Penrose Room in all its new reimagined elegance, but we also learned about the creative experimental craftmanship behind Jeffersons bourbon, which was paired with the culinary craftmanship of Bethany Fahey, chef de cuisine of The Penrose Room. During Faheys outstanding gourmet dinner, we also spotted longtime fine dining expert Joseph Freyre, who has been appointed general manager of The Penrose Room. Freyre is not a newcomer to The Broadmoor. Before branching out to open his own fine dining establishment, he had been at one time the maitre dhotel at The Penrose Room. Zoeler kicked off the dinner with a brief introduction of the process he uses to create the amazing, flavored Jefferson whiskeys. He made it clear he is not a distiller; hes an experimenter. His mad scientist experimentation with whiskey has put the Jefferson brand among the top-rated bourbons. For instance, theres Jeffersons Ocean bourbon selections, which are small-batch brews that literally travel around the world on board ships to experience different climates and degrees of argentation before being bottled. Its a unique bourbon that we launched in 2012, Zoeler said. The opportunity to sample this rare whiskey was one of five we tasted with a three-course dinner prepared under the guidance of Fahey, who joined The Broadmoor culinary team in 2018 as the chef de cuisine of the main buildings kitchen. She received her culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Atlanta, followed by working at notable resorts including The Westin Jekyll Island Beach Resort and the Macon Marriott City Center. Dinner included a sampling of dishes from the new menu for The Penrose Room. At a cocktail reception, a couple of the canapes included crispy lobster lollipops with lemon aioli and Muenster mac & cheese bites with truffle aioli. Each were a delicious pairing with sips of Jeffersons whiskey neat. The second course of the dinner featured a stunning serving tower of the chefs curated sushi and raw bar. From the appetizer menu we marveled at the rich, creamy smoked Risotto Ai Frutti de Mare filled with Dungeness crab, Manila clams, Maine lobster and heirloom tomatoes topped with garlic breadcrumbs. The entree was a picture-perfect, medium-rare beef Wellington, which was reminiscent of classic dishes of The Penrose Rooms days gone by, and was carved tableside. The certified Angus beef tenderloin was masterly baked medium rare with its covering of foraged mushroom and Bloomsdale spinach crepe. The Perigoundine sauce a classic French sauce made with brown stock, Madeira wine, diced truffles and butter further enhanced the delicious flavors of the beef and pastry. Fat, tender spears of asparagus garnished the dish. Baked Alaska was the finishing touch to the luxurious dinner, which was another tribute to the storied history of The Penrose Room. The dessert, served gueridon style (tableside service), was flambeed by Feryre in the center of the dining room. It made for a showstopping moment. Feryre will prepare some of The Penrose Rooms signature dishes tableside, from a special serving cart called a gueridon trolley. You can expect to be entertained by tableside preparations for items such as mixing and tossing Caesar salads, carving meat or preparation of pan sauces and the showy flambeing of dishes like the baked Alaskan. The Penrose Room hours are 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Details: 855-421-4301, tinyurl.com/344uyk2e. New Age speakeasy Justin and Jacalyn Kaye, owners of 105 Social House, have moved their restaurant and bar from 75 Colorado 105 down the road to 11 Primrose St., Palmer Lake, which was formerly Journeys End restaurant and bar. The Kayes had been in the first location for seven years and have built a strong following of regulars. Featured Local Savings We are a modern speakeasy, Jacalyn said. Some of our regulars refer to us as having a speakeasy vibe, while we just operate old school. We do not have a phone and its a first-come, first-served restaurant. If there are more than six in a party, we ask that customers send us a message. Be prepared when you drop in for a meal: Youll likely be on a wait list, but your reward is some terrific food. Justin does the culinary magic in the kitchen and Jacalyn is like the Energizer bunny running the bar, seating customers and clearing tables. The mom-and-pop couple have more than 20 years in the restaurant industry and got their love of downhome delicious food from their moms good cooking. We grew up in homes where we always had home cooked meals and treats, Jacalyn said. We rotate in at least two new menu items each weekend, and all the staples (fan favorites stay) including gnocchi/steak, salmon with crispy sushi rice, duck tacos, chicken fried steak and beet salad with warm fried goat cheese. The menu is short and sweet. The evening we dined, there were four starters and small plates, four salads, six sandwiches/tacos, five entrees and five desserts. We shared bacon-wrapped dates ($16 for four dates) stuffed with blue cheese and drizzled with maple balsamic syrup. They were served piping hot and were delicious with crispy, salty bacon and a contrasting flavor of sweet syrup. The salads are huge and offered as a whole or half priced size. For an upcharge you can make it a meal with chicken, salmon or steak. The wagyu brisket French dip sandwich ($18) was massive, loaded with shredded beef bulging out of the soft hoagie roll. The brisket was topped with roasted onions and melted provolone, ready for a dunk in the rich au jus. A flat iron steak ($25) was a perfectly cooked medium rare generous serving of beef garnished with pan sauce and served with garlic mashed potatoes and jumbo asparagus. The meal was totally satisfying, and we were almost too full for dessert, but we caved. And happy we did. I make all of the desserts and try to rotate a new one in each week. This week, a lemon curd cheesecake with wild blueberry compote, Jacalyn said, as we waited for to-go boxes for our leftovers. Although the menu clearly states the sweet dishes serve two, we ended up ordering three treats for our table of four. For $14 each we devoured bourbon bread pudding, Palisade peach crumble and banana cream pie. All were over-the-top delicious. No surprises there were more leftovers of the hard to resist homemade goodies. Hours are 4-9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 1-9 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays. Visit facebook.com/105socialhouse. Castle Rock foodie event Taste of Douglas County by Mike Boyle, host of The Mike Boyle Restaurant Show, will be at the Douglas County Event Center, 500 Fairgrounds Road, Castle Rock, 5-8 p.m. Aug. 21. There will be several Douglas County eateries from which to sample, like Viewhouse Restaurant, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Tailgate Tavern, My Neighbor Felix, Buffalo Wild Wings, Gelato & Co., Old North End Italian, Dickeys BBQ, Granellis Pizzeria, Freddys Steakburgers, Little Caesar Pizza, Black Eyed Pea, Playa Bowls and Cuba, Cuba. Visit tasteofdouglascounty.com for a complete list and tickets. Cost is $10 in advance or $20 at the door on the day of the event. Hello Dubai Not one to miss a chocolate lovers trend, the Melting Pot, 30 E. Pikes Peak Ave., is offering a limited-time Dubai Chocolate Fondue a rich, velvety blend of milk and white chocolate, topped with silky pistachio cream, buttery toasted kadaifi and a generous sprinkle of crunchy pistachios. Dive into this chocolate treat through Sept. 14. Contact: 719-385-0300, tinyurl.com/mtukr4mz. Culture war starts in local classrooms after conservative GOP complaints . . . Check the basics: "The U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation into four Kansas school districts, including three in the Kansas City metro, over "gender identity" policies that they say violate federal law. "The federal education department said in a statement that it started looking into policies at Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, Olathe Public Schools, Shawnee Mission School District and Topeka Public Schools after receiving an initial 35-page complaint on June 24 from the Defense of Freedom Institute. "Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach also sent a letter on the same day reiterating the concerns posed by the nonprofit institute. " Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . U.S. Dept. of Education opens investigation of Olathe, Shawnee Mission, KCK school districts The U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation of three Kansas City-area school districts after receiving a complaint from the Defense of Freedom Institute. Feds to investigate Kansas school districts over 'gender identity' policies U.S. Department of Education is investigating Kansas school districts, including three in Kansas City area, over "gender identity" policies. Credit where it's due . . . Regarding a recent bit of nasty insults exchanged at local fairgrounds . . . This seemingly homoerotic reply is probably apropos . . . "Harassing or catcalling someone for their perceived or actual sexual orientation has no place in society, polite or otherwise. But lets take a step back for some perspective here. Kansas Republicans have outright bullied transgender people and refused to pay proper respect to other members of the LBGTQ+ community. "You dont get to vote for stripping rights away from people and then act insulted by homophobic comments . . ." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Reflector: Years of anti-gay rhetoric and policies collide with Kansas GOPs desire to slam political enemy Any skilled administration will pin all of their problems on the old boss. It's a viable strategy that's as old as the Soviet politburo. Former Prez Obama supporters talked trash on Prez Bush throughout his tenure . . . And MAGA apologists are still running against Prez Biden in order to distract from any current criticism, often from within their own party. Accordingly . . . Here's KCMO pinning the tail/tale of mismanagement on an ousted power player who is still has a presence in local municipal circles . . . Check-it: In a section of the audit titled Absence of Effective Leadership, the audit is critical of former City Manager Brian Platt. It says in 2021, Platt consolidated decision-making and information access in the department, which the audit said impaired the ability of (public information officers) to respond in a timely manner to urgent and emergent information requests. The previous system led to greater PIO access by the media, resulted in quicker dissemination of information, and a perception that the City was more accessible, responsive, and transparent, the audit said. The audit found constraints from Platt and his leadership toward PIOs led some of Kansas Citys most experienced PIOs to resign from their roles. City Communications is still working to rebuild its staff with public information expertise, the audit said. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Maybe some . . . But not all . . . Moreover, in this game of softball with local journalism professor Steve Kraske, here's a longtime and ELITE Latina leader telling the talker EXACTLY what he wants to hear about about the downtrodden barrio that she left behind YEARS AGO . . . Check-it: Three of the people detained last month at Mexican restaurants in Kansas City, Kansas, and Lenexa have since been released. But UnidosUS president and CEO Janet Murguia, a native of Kansas City, Kansas, says the administration's actions have caused trauma and chaos for Latino families across the country. Stores have been boarded up, streets are deserted, and you're just not seeing the same level of social engagement or economic engagement. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Once again we focus on producer, activist & Insta hottie Siri as we take another quick peek at pop culture, community reporting and top headlines. Check TKC news gathering . . . Paths Of Retail Glory?!? Mayor, community members participate in Troost Equity Walk The 10-mile walk is designed as a way to engage with community members and assess ongoing development and work along the Troost corridor. Golden Ghetto Regret?!? Lenexa shouldn't be proud its police didn't help with immigration raid | Opinion Refusing to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not a principled stand - it's a political posture. | Opinion Tragedy To The East Motorbike driver dies in wrong-way crash in Independence A motorbike driver died in a crash Thursday night after Independence police say they rode the wrong way on U.S. 24 Highway before they were ejected from the bike. Privacy Life Lesson 'We want to warn parents': A warning about dangers of oversharing kids' back-to-school photos online Police share tips in a warning to parents about dangers of oversharing kids' back-to-school photos online JoCo Good Deeds Needed Overland Park's Golden Scoop ice cream shop asking for community's help as it faces costly repair A place that scoops the sweet has experienced something sour: The Golden Scoop, an ice cream shop that employs people with disabilities, is facing a costly repair that it can't afford. Siri Asks Most Important Question Of All . . . How moist is your pen*s? Here's how a Pornhub creator rates manhoods A new Netflix documentary has shed light on the darker side of Pornhub, and what it's really like to be a sex worker and content creator. MAGA Meetup Right Now Trump and Putin meet today in Anchorage. Here's what to know President Trump had pledged to use his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin to broker a deal. But he's been vague about potential outcomes from his Friday summit. Progressive Sabotage?!? Democrats are fighting fire with fire over redistricting - but will democracy burn? Trump's plan to boost Republican House seats in the midterms through gerrymandering has provoked a reaction Left Coast Guv Successfully Trolled Democrats Fume over Federal Agents Gathering for Immigration Raid Federal agents were reportedly gathering for an immigration raid outside a press conference with California Gov. Gavin Newsom in Los Angeles. Going Deutsch To Gaza?!? Germany halts military exports to Israel for use in Gaza amid outcry over Netanyahu plan German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says Germany won't authorize exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza "until further notice." Planning Peace For Europe Mapping Ukraine's frontlines and ceasefire scenarios Kyiv has rejected ceding territory seized by Russia to secure a ceasefire. Meet Familiar New Media Bosses?!? Taylor Swift's chat with the Kelces on 'New Heights' marks a milestone moment for podcasts Taylor Swift's talk with her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and his brother Jason Kelce on the "New Heights" podcast is a milestone moment for the two decade-old media format. Heartfelt Local Serving Cafe Corazon Offers New Tastes and Flavors in Brookside There are many, many places to get coffee and other beverages in the Brookside/Waldo area, so what's different about the newest spot, Cafe Corazon? This is a cafe where you experience "cultural coffee"--a wide variety of blends and flavors based on the owner's Latin American roots. Here you can try unique, tasty drink combinations... Temps Rise Today . . . Kansas City weather: Hot weekend ahead; heat indexes could reach 105 A stretch of Alert Days lies ahead in Kansas City due to the incoming high heat and humidity. Elley Duhe - Body Talk is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. Vice President JD Vance was reportedly turned away by a popular British pub after staffers threatened not to show up for work if the restauran Thank you for signing up! Youll soon be getting your Toronto scoop in your inbox. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. Legal entities and individuals from Azerbaijan carried out trade with partners from 166 countries, sending out exports to 104 countries and bringing in imports from 160 countries, in the first half of 2025. The data obtained by Trend from the State Statistical Committee shows that taking into account the statistically assessed value of crude oil and natural gas registered with customs authorities, but for which customs clearance hasn't been fully completed, Azerbaijan's foreign trade turnover reached $24 billion. Of this, exports totaled $12.4 billion (51.9 percent) and imports $11.5 billion (48.1 percent), forming a surplus of $920.1 million. Compared to the first half of 2024, foreign trade turnover grew by 9.4 percent in current prices but fell by 3.8 percent in real terms. Imports rose by 4.4 percent in real terms, while exports decreased by 9.3 percent. Non-oil and gas exports amounted to $1.75 billion, rising by 9.9 percent in current prices but declining by 13.2 percent in real terms. According to the data of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, the shares of individual countries in the country's foreign trade turnover are distributed as follows: ountry Share, % Italy 25.6 urkiye 11.9 Russia 10.3 China 8.6 Germany 3.1 UK 2.7 US 2.4 zakhstan 2.1 Czech Republic 2 Romania 1.7 Croatia 1.7 Greece 1.6 Georgia 1.6 Bulgaria 1.6 Switzerland 1.5 ustralia 1.5 Portugal 1.3 Iran 1.2 South African Republic 1.1 Ukraine 1 Uzbekistan 1 xico 0.9 Japan 0.9 Other 12.7 Exports to Italy account for 46.5 percent, Turkiye 13.3 percent, Russia 4.6 percent, the Czech Republic 3.5 percent, Croatia 3.2 percent, Romania three percent, Bulgaria and Greece 2.9 percent each, Georgia 2.6 percent, Germany 2.5 percent, Portugal 2.4 percent, Switzerland 1.6 percent, the UK 1.1 percent, the Netherlands and Ireland one percent each, Ukraine and Serbia 0.8 percent each, Thailand and Indonesia 0.6 percent each, and Tunisia 0.5 percent, with 4.6 percent other countries. In the structure of non-oil and gas exports, the main markets are Russia (33.4 percent), Turkiye (16.4 percent), Georgia (8.8 percent), Switzerland (8.6 percent), Ukraine (5.5 percent), the UAE (three percent), Kazakhstan (three percent), the US (2.1 percent), Belarus (2.1 percent), Turkmenistan (1.7 percent), Uzbekistan (1.6 percent), Italy (1.3 percent), China (1.1 percent), and Germany (one percent). The total share of imported goods by country is as follows: China (17.7 percent), Russia (16.7 percent), Turkiye (10.3 percent), the US (4.8 percent), the UK (4.5 percent), Kazakhstan and Germany (3.9 percent each), Australia (3.1 percent), Iran (2.5 percent), South Africa (2.3 percent), Italy (2.2 percent), Mexico (1.9 percent), Uzbekistan and Japan (1.8 percent each), Brazil (1.7 percent), South Korea, Switzerland, and Belarus (1.5 percent each), and Canada and Ukraine (1.2 percent each), with 14 percent coming from other countries. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, in his interview with representatives of Azerbaijani media in Washington on August 8, spoke about the outcomes of his visit, the signed documents, and important issues related to future prospects, delivering significant messages, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend. President Ilham Aliyevs visit to the US and the important documents signed there can be considered a significant turning point in Azerbaijan-US relations. In addition to the signing of the Joint Declaration with Armenia and the initialing of a peace agreement, the most important message of the visit is the opening of a new chapter in cooperation and strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the US. The head of state evaluated the results of the visit and the meeting with Donald Trump very positively. The fact that the meetings were held in a sincere and friendly atmosphere serves to strengthen trust between the parties. At the same time, the president touched on important issues in his interview regarding strategic partnership and regional peace, delivering key messages, he said. Garayev pointed out that putting pen to paper on the Strategic Partnership Charter and pinpointing areas of cooperationlike energy, transport, transit, security, artificial intelligence, and the defense industryunlocks a treasure trove of opportunities for the country. Investments and mutual projects in these areas will be a priority for Azerbaijan. As President Ilham Aliyev emphasized, the freezing of relations during the previous administration caused a loss of time for Azerbaijan, and now these opportunities must be realized swiftly. From President Ilham Aliyevs statements, it's clear that the visit to the US was not just about diplomatic meetings but also marks the beginning of a new phase in Azerbaijan-US relations. Especially the fact that the first personal meeting with President Trump was sincere, friendly, and result-oriented strengthens the atmosphere of trust for future cooperation. As the head of state emphasized, personal contacts, alongside official documents, serve the development of mutual understanding and friendly relations between the parties, the analyst explained. As he sees it, another feather in the cap of historical significance is the halting of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. This gesture is not merely symbolic but also symbolizes the end of a long-standing injustice in Azerbaijan-US relations. As President Ilham Aliyev reminded, since 1992, Section 907 had limited Azerbaijans development opportunities and kept the country under sanctions. This step also demonstrates the Trump administrations attention to Azerbaijan and the region. The creation of a Strategic Working Group on the same day to draft the Strategic Partnership Charter is also an important political message for the region. This cooperation plan, covering strategic areas such as energy, transport, and security, opens new perspectives for stability and development in the South Caucasus. As the head of state emphasized, even though Azerbaijan does not need foreign aid, these steps carry symbolic and strategic importance, strengthening the countrys position and contributing to peace and prosperity in the region. Thus, the visit and the signed documents show that a new chapter has opened in Azerbaijan-US relations and that personal contacts and strategic decisions have strengthened the environment of mutual trust and partnership. This is also significant in terms of the realization of concrete political and economic opportunities, he stated. Garayev pointed out that the president also paid special attention in his interview to the peace agreement with Armenia. As President Ilham Aliyev also mentioned, after the Second Karabakh War, Azerbaijan has played an initiator role in ensuring peace in the region. The negotiation process on the peace treaty was not simple; one of the main obstacles was Armenias desire to include conditions related to Karabakh in the agreement. This was a legally and politically baseless demand, and the Azerbaijani side repeatedly explained that this did not pertain to an interstate agreement. However, only after the 2023 anti-terror measures did Armenia come to terms with the realities and begin active negotiations. The current stage of initialing the agreement, carried out at the White House with the participation of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, is not only a symbolic step but also creates a concrete foundation for lasting peace in the region. As President Ilham Aliyev noted, the removal of territorial claims from Armenias constitution is a key condition for the full signing of the agreement. This peace treaty is of historical significance for Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the entire South Caucasus, he mentioned. The analyst also highlighted that President Ilham Aliyev spoke about the long-term negative impact of false news about Azerbaijan spread in US media. As the head of state emphasized, information disseminated by The Washington Post, The New York Times, Newsweek, and other media outlets was mainly prepared under the influence of Armenian lobbying groups and led to Azerbaijan being misrepresented in the eyes of the international community. This approach not only complicated our country's struggle for truth and justice but also aimed to undermine regional stability. Azerbaijans multicultural and tolerant state model, its ethnic and religious diversity, the protection of all religious sites, and the peaceful coexistence of residents, as noted by the head of state, clearly demonstrate that the false information spread has no basis. One of the especially strategic issues is ensuring an unobstructed land connection between the main part of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The initialed document officially confirms Azerbaijans territorial integrity and border-crossing rights and formalizes Armenias obligations. This is a long-overdue step but one of the essential conditions for strengthening peace and economic integration in the region. As President Ilham Aliyev stated, the restoration of railways and diversification of corridors will increase Azerbaijans regional transit capacity, strengthen economic ties, and benefit all neighboring countries. These initiatives show that Azerbaijan is taking concrete steps not only in the diplomatic and political sphere but also in the economic and strategic domains to ensure regional integration, he said. Garayev noted that in the conclusion of President Ilham Aliyevs interview, one of the key signed documentsthe memorandum between ExxonMobil and SOCARwas also discussed. The memorandum between ExxonMobil and SOCAR is not just an economic document; it strengthens Azerbaijans strategic position in the energy and technology sectors. This cooperation increases the potential for discovering new hydrocarbon reserves, while also expanding the countrys energy infrastructure and transit capabilities. As President Ilham Aliyev stressed, Azerbaijan already plays a crucial role in regional gas supply, and this step turns the country into a more active participant in both European and Middle Eastern markets. At the same time, cooperation with the US in the field of artificial intelligence and digital transformation enhances Azerbaijans competitive edge in terms of economy and security. This approach strengthens not only energy projects but also economic diversification and regional influence through modern technologies. Thus, the memorandum holds both practical and strategic importance and reinforces Azerbaijans regional leadership, the analyst added. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. It is gratifying to note that relations between Azerbaijan and the Congo are developing along an upward trajectory and are being enriched with new content. Your two visits to our country last year gave significant impetus to the expansion of our cooperation, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in a congratulatory letter to Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President of the Republic of the Congo, Trend reports. "The friendly relations established between Azerbaijan and the Congo have created a favorable basis and opportunities for the development of our mutually beneficial cooperation in political, economic, humanitarian, and other areas. I am confident that we will continue to make joint efforts to strengthen AzerbaijanCongo relations and to deepen our cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally," President Ilham Aliyev said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. During the ongoing proceedings at the Baku Military Court on August 15, victim Lala Ismayilova stated that she was forcibly expelled from the Zangilan district during the attacks of Armenian armed forces, Trend reports. She further claimed that her brother, a police officer at the time, had been killed along with 6 other fellow police officers, adding that their remains are still missing. Another victim Bikakhanim Guliyeva noted that her 4-room house in the Orta Yemazli village was burned down by Armenian armed forces during the occupation in 1993. She stated that her brother, Ilham Guliyev, another former police officer, had also been murdered along with Ismayilovas brother. Responding to the questions from the lawyer of accused Bako Sahakyan, the victim noted that during the attack on the village, the fire was opened from the direction of the Armenian Gafan district. 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. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, executed a memorandum pertaining to the exemption of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, Trend reports. The document was posted in the official journal of the US federal government, the Federal Register, which publishes rules, notices, and other acts adopted by federal agencies and the president. The memorandum, in particular, notes that the decision to extend the waiver of Section 907 was made on the basis of the powers granted to the president by the Constitution and US laws, including Title II of the Foreign Operations Financing, Export Financing, and Related Programs Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (Act No. 107-115). According to the document, the waiver of the section with respect to Azerbaijan: is necessary to support US efforts to counter international terrorism; is necessary to support the operational readiness of the US Armed Forces or coalition partners to counter international terrorism; is important to Azerbaijan's border security; will not undermine or hamper ongoing efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan or be used for offensive purposes against Armenia. "Accordingly, I hereby extend the waiver of section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act," the memorandum says. On August 8, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the United States Donald Trump, and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint declaration on the meeting between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia in Washington. On the same day, Donald Trump announced the suspension of Section 907. Besides, in Washington, as part of the meeting between President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the US Donald Trump, and Prime Nikol Pashinyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan initialled the draft Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia and signed a joint statement by the foreign ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (on the closure of the OSCE Minsk Process, the personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on the conflict discussed by the Minsk Conference, and the High-Level Planning Group). Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 8. The date of the next public hearing of the criminal case against citizens of the Republic of Armenia Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, David Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan and others, who are accused of committing crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including the preparation and waging of an aggressive war, genocide, violation of the laws and rules of war, as well as terrorism, financing terrorism, violent seizure of power, violent retention of power and numerous other crimes as a result of Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan, has been announced, Trend reports. The trial, held at the Baku Military Court under the chairmanship of Judge Zeynal Agayev, with judges Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova), ensured that each accused person was provided with a translator in their preferred language and defense lawyers. The hearing was attended by the accused, their defense attorneys, some of the victims, their legal heirs and representatives, as well as prosecutors defending the states accusations. The trial will continue on August 18. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. A public court hearing continued on August 15 regarding the criminal cases against citizens of the Republic of Armenia, including Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, and others, who are accused of committing crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including the preparation and conduct of an aggressive war, genocide, violation of the laws and customs of war, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, forcible seizure and retention of power, and numerous other crimes as a result of Armenias military aggression against Azerbaijan, Trend reports. The trial, held at the Baku Military Court under the chairmanship of Judge Zeynal Agayev, with judges Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova), ensured that each accused person was provided with a translator in their preferred language and defense lawyers. The hearing was attended by the accused, their defense attorneys, some of the victims, their legal heirs and representatives, as well as prosecutors defending the states accusations. Judge Zeynal Aghayev introduced the judicial panel, the prosecutors defending the states accusations, the translators, and others to the victims participating in the trial for the first time, and explained their rights and obligations as stipulated by law. Victim Lala Ismayilova stated that she was forcibly expelled from the Zangilan district during the attacks of Armenian armed forces. In response to questions from public prosecutor Vusal Abdullayev, Ismayilova further claimed that her brother, a police officer at the time, had been killed along with other 6 fellow police officers, adding that their remains are still missing. Answering questions from state prosecutor Tarana Mammadova, victim Bikakhanim Guliyeva noted that her four-room house in the Orta Yemazli village was burned down by Armenian armed forces during the occupation in 1993. She stated that her brother Ilham Imamgulu oglu Guliyev, another former police officer, had also been murdered along with the L. Ismayilovas brother. Responding to the questions from the defendant, Guliyeva noted that during the attack on the village the fire was opened from the direction of the Armenian Gafan district. In his testimony, victim Idris Mirzaliyev said he was forcibly expelled from the Zangilan district. Responding to the questions from Nasir Bayramov, head of the department for the defense of state accusations at the Prosecutor Generals Office, the victim stated he was involved in preventing the attacks from Armenian armed forces, and was wounded during the battles in the Zangilan and Tartar districts. Victim Khavar Shukurova mentioned that she was forcibly displaced as a result of the occupation of the Havali village of Zangilan district by the Armenian militants in October 1993. Victim Malayka Huseynova noted that she, along with her family members fled her home in the Sharikan village of the Zangilan district on December 10, 1992, due to the Armenian armed forces attacks, adding that the village was occupied by Armenians, while they were resettled in the other part of the district. According to her, during the occupation of the district in October 1993, she, together with the family members, was rescued, while swimming across the Araz River, with her brother went missing during the battles against Armenians. Another victim Ulkar Isgandarova said she became an IDP, while fleeing the Zangilan district on October 29, 1993. In his testimony, victim Ramal Mammadov noted that he was wounded by Armenian armed forces artillery fire in Murovdagh during the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020. Another victim Tamila Suleymanova emphasized that she had to flee her home due to the occupation of the Vejnali village f the Zangilan district on October 30, 1993. The victim added that she, along with other refugees was rescued, while swimming across the Araz River. Victim Nazila Huseynova claimed that she became IDP, while fleeing the Garakhanbayli village of the Fuzuli district, during the Armenian attacks on August 23, 1993. Victim Vafali Gadirov said that during military service, he got a gunshot wound as a result of the Armenian provocation on February 2, 2017, adding that he is still suffering health problems as a consequence of his injury. In response to questions from Tugay Rahimli, an assistant to the Prosecutor General for special assignments, victim Alamdar Madatov stated that he, along with the seven family members, became an IDP, while fleeing the Zangilan district in 1993. While responding the questions from public prosecutor Fuad Musayev, victim Kamala Yusifova noted that she was forcibly displaced, along with her family members, from the Mammadbayli village of Zangilan district in 1993. She further stated that after the liberation of the district, her son, while on a military service, was injured in a landmine blast, resulting in an amputation of his leg. In his testimony, victim Jeyhun Guliyev said he was forcibly expelled from the Zagilan district in 1993. Answering the questions from defendant David Babayan, the victim mentioned that he and other refugees were rescued, while crossing the Araz River, due to the blockade of other escape routes by the Armenian armed forces. Victim Ibadat Suleymanov said that he and his nine family members had to flee the Zangilan district due to the Armenian attacks on October 30, 1993. Victim Isgandar Isgandarov stated that he became an IDP, while fleeing the Shafibayli village of the Zangilan district in October 1993. Victim Zulfu Hasanguliyev noted that he became an IDP, while fleeing Zangilan, also having been involved in the defense of the district. He further stated that the Armenians had shown no mercy to civilians, including women and elderly. Victim Nabi Naghiyev said he was forcibly displaced from the Bartaz village of Zangilan district, adding that his brother was martyred at the time. Khanoghlan Suleymanov mentioned that he was forcibly displaced from Zangilan district, and that his brother's minor son, Sadig Suleymanov (on August 22, 1992) and his brother Balogh Suleymanov (on October 25, 1993) were killed due to the attacks by Armenian armed forces. Eldar Novruzov emphasized that in September 1992, a mortar shell fired by Armenian armed forces hit the house he lived in in the village of Malatkeshin in the Zangilan district, adding that the village was later occupied. Vidadi Orujov stated that he was forcibly displaced from the village of Mammadbayli in the Zangilan district. During the occupation, their houses were looted, the village cemetery was utterly destroyed, with nothing left but barren ground. Rasim Jamalov, Raji Ismayilov, Barat Khanlarov, Ashraf Ibadov said that they also participated in the battles against Armenian armed forces, adding that they were forcibly displaced from Zangilan. Abish Maharramov, Mahir Khalilov, and Habil Nuriyev stated that they were expelled from their houses due to the attacks by Armenian armed forces, and escaped by crossing the Araz River. Rovshan Abdullayev mentioned that he was captured by Armenian armed forces in 1993. He was held in captivity for 35 months. In captivity he and other Azerbaijanis were subjected to torture, including electric shocks. They were forced into illegal labor. During captivity, they were held in Shusha for two years and eight months. They were handed over to Azerbaijan on May 10, 1996. Elbrus Hajiyev, Elbrus Abbasov and Adil Guluyev stated that they were expelled from their houses in May 1992 when the Armenian armed forces occupied the Lachin district. A. Guluyev also added that he was involved in the battles to defend the territories. In his testimony, Soltan Mammadov mentioned that due to the attacks of Armenian armed forces in August 1993, he was forcibly displaced from the village of Garvand in the Fuzuli district where he resided. He said his relatives were martyred during the attacks. Vagif Huseynov stated that he was forcibly displaced from the village of Merdinli in the Fuzuli district. In his testimony, Anar Mammadov emphasized that on September 1, 2015, while on military service, he was wounded by a mine planted by Armenian armed forces, which resulted in the loss of his left arm. Samad Ahmadov mentioned that he was wounded in the Fuzuli district during battles against the Armenian armed forces. The victims also answered questions from the accused, including Davit Ishkhanyan, the defendants' attorneys, and their representatives. The trial will continue on August 18. Fifteen defendants of Armenian origin are accused in the criminal case concerning numerous crimes committed during the aggressive war waged by the Armenian state - including the aforementioned criminal association - on 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 individuals - Arayik 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 Pashayan - are 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 additional articles. AGHDAM, Azerbaijan, August 15. The first group of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) has departed for Kolatagh village in Azerbaijan's Aghdara district, Trend's Karabakh bureau reports. At the first stage, a total of 26 families (89 people) are returning to their native lands. After the Armenian occupation in July 1993, the families had previously temporarily lived in various regions of the country, mainly in hostels, sanatoriums, and administrative buildings throughout Azerbaijan. The former IDPs thanked President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva for their comprehensive care and expressed gratitude to the valiant Azerbaijani Army, which liberated the lands from occupation. Currently, over 50,000 people live in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur. Among them are former internally displaced persons who have returned to these areas, as well as employees involved in the implementation of restoration and construction projects, employees of local departments of various government agencies, and specialists employed in healthcare, education, culture, tourism, industry, and energy institutions that have resumed their activities. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel AGHDARA, Azerbaijan, August 15. The first group of former IDPs (a total of 172 people) has returned to Vangli and Kolatagh villages in Azerbaijan's Aghdara district, the Restoration, Construction, and Management Service in Khankendi city, and the Aghdara and Khojaly districts told Trend. At the initial stage, 26 families (89 people) were relocated to Kolatagh, and 22 families (83 people) to Vangli. Presenting the keys to the apartments, the service's executive director, Telman Karimli, congratulated the residents and wished them a life filled with good fortune in their beloved homeland. Karimli stated that the state's priority is the rebuilding and construction of occupied regions so that all former internally displaced persons (IDPs) can return to their homes. "Today, we are writing history. Every step taken here, every hearth lit, is a solid foundation for the future," Karimli said. He articulated that the potable water infrastructure, electrical grid, gas distribution networks, and telecommunication conduits have been comprehensively reinstated in the localities. Moreover, the thoroughfares have undergone enhancements, and the transportation infrastructure has been revitalized. The inhabitants who reestablished their presence in their ancestral locales articulated their elation today and conveyed their appreciation to the stakeholders who facilitated these moments for them. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The International Taste Institute has announced the winners of its prestigious "Superior Taste Award 2025," with "Xrdalan Draft Premium" the premium product of Azerbaijans 1 beer brand earning a top distinction. International Taste Institute, headquartered in Brussels, currently collaborates with more than 250 chefs and sommeliers from prestigious culinary institutions around the world. The Superior Taste Award is a globally recognized mark of excellence in the food and beverage industry, honoring products that demonstrate outstanding quality across five key criteria appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and aftertaste as assessed through blind tastings conducted without any packaging or branding. Launched in 2024, Xrdalan Draft Premium is a pasteurized lager beer made without preservatives and brewed using cold cooking technology, giving it a uniquely smooth and refined flavor profile. It has already become a consumer favorite in Azerbaijan thanks to its soft hop aroma and premium taste. The Chief Brewer of Carlsberg Azerbaijan, Parviz Baghirov, pointed out that they are proud that the beer produced by them was awarded at the international level: It is a proud achievement for us that a beer brewed in Azerbaijan, with barley grown in our own fields, has been recognized by one of the worlds most prestigious taste institutes. The main novelty of last year Xrdalan Draft Premium gained popularity quickly, and we believed in its potential to succeed on the international stage. This award proves that Azerbaijani beer can meet and exceed global expectations. It should be noted that Carlsberg Azerbaijan, the producer of Xrdalan beer, has been using local barley in beer production since 2021. Information about the company: The brewery Carlsberg Azerbaijan is located in Xirdalan, 10 kilometers from the capital of Azerbaijan. The production capacity of the brewery is 8 million decaliters per year. The company directly employs more than 230 people and has contributed to the creation of over 3,000 jobs across related sectors (suppliers, retail, hotel, and restaurant sectors). The company has invested approximately 75 million manats in the development of the brewery. The company's portfolio includes such famous brands as Xirdalan, Carlsberg, Tuborg, Kronenbourg Blanc 1664, and Afsana. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. The military attache at the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Washington, Brigadier Edin Cizmic, paid an official visit to the AMS Flight School, where BiH Armed Forces pilots are being trained, Trend reports. The visit was made at the invitation of Steve Smith, director of the VALI corporation, which oversees the AMS Flight School. The school is located in the town of Milton, Florida, and is highly specialized in providing flight training according to FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Part 61 and Part 141 standards. The VALI corporation has a reputable fleet of aircraft and qualified personnel with many years of experience in delivering flight training services for the needs of the U.S. Department of Defense. During the visit, Brigadier Cizmic had the opportunity to speak with BiH Armed Forces pilots currently undergoing basic flight training, where they are gaining their first aviation knowledge and skills. The training is progressing according to plan, and the BiH pilots are showing impressive results. Flight instructors particularly noted the high level of motivation, dedication, and team spirit of the Bosnian team. The flight training program currently underway includes a total of 100 flight hours, covering visual, night, and instrument flying. The Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of BiH, in cooperation with partner countries, are investing significant effort and financial resources to successfully renew their scarce pilot personnel. The flight training of BiH Armed Forces pilots is carried out with the support of the U.S. Defense Cooperation Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The BiH pilots currently undergoing training in the United States are: Lieutenant Muhidin Pamuk, Lieutenant Semin Cosic, Second Lieutenant Hamza Smriko, Second Lieutenant Abdulah Basara, and Second Lieutenant Muhamed Cosic. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of Bulgaria, Lozana Vassileva, and the Executive Director of the State Fund Agriculture, Iva Ivanova, held a working meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food with representatives of the National Association of Municipalities in Bulgaria, Trend reports. They discussed the implementation of intervention II.G.6 Investments in basic services and small-scale infrastructure in rural areas and planned subsequent joint actions for its successful execution. For the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Association of Municipalities in Bulgaria is an important partner both in implementing the Strategic Plan and in pursuing rural development policy, said Deputy Minister Vassileva at the opening of the meeting. She noted that the evaluation after the first two rounds of applications under the intervention was positive, recalling that the total budget for the intervention is nearly 1 billion leva, allocated to 215 municipalities in rural areas of the country in the form of guaranteed budgets. Applications for support have been submitted by 201 municipalities, with three municipalities fully within their guaranteed budgets, 185 municipalities having remaining funds, and 13 municipalities exceeding their budgets. We found a remaining budget of nearly 67 million under the intervention and, according to the indicative program, we plan for the third application round to start in the autumn. This will give the remaining 14 municipalities, which have not submitted a single project proposal, the chance to apply for funding under the intervention, the Deputy Minister added. The aim of the intervention Investments in basic services and small-scale infrastructure in rural areas is to promote social inclusion and improve the quality of life in rural areas by enhancing transport connectivity between settlements, increasing the energy efficiency of public buildings, and modernizing the water supply and street networks. During the meeting, Deputy Minister Vassileva informed the representatives and leadership of the NAMRB that the introduction of the single European currency in Bulgaria on January 1, 2026, will not in any way affect the financial resources available to municipalities or the size of their guaranteed budgets under the Strategic Plan. She explained that until December 31, 2025, all contracts for the provision of non-repayable financial assistance with applicant municipalities will be concluded in both currencies leva and euro and after January 1, 2026, there will be no need to amend or supplement them solely for currency conversion. The introduction of the euro will not affect the validity of existing contracts referring to leva or linked to the leva, nor will it affect their deadlines and obligations. After adopting the single currency, there will be no need to amend already concluded administrative contracts for the provision of non-repayable financial assistance due to the conversion of the contract amounts and the value of investments, Deputy Minister Vassileva concluded. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. Latvia has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening economic cooperation with Israel, focusing on innovation-driven sectors such as defense technologies, green energy, and precision medicine, the Ministry of Economics of Latvia told Trend. According to the ministry, the LatviaIsrael Business Forum, organized in cooperation with the Israel Export Institute, aimed to strengthen bilateral economic relations, promote joint projects in high-tech industries, and position Latvia as a strategic entry point for Israeli companies into the EU market. The forum successfully facilitated direct contacts between Latvian and Israeli businesses, resulting in several cooperation memorandums, and generated concrete leads in sectors including photonics, precision medicine, green ammonia production, and semiconductor technologies, the ministry noted. A memorandum signed with the Israel Export Institute focuses on promoting trade and investment, organizing B2B matchmaking, and fostering cooperation in defense tech, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing. Other agreements with Israeli business associations and technology clusters target knowledge transfer, joint product development, and faster commercialization of research results. The ministry also noted that Latvia offers a comprehensive support package for Israeli startups and investors, including fast-track company registration, tax incentives under Latvias Startup Law, and assistance with employee relocation. Israeli companies are also encouraged to use Latvia as a base for EU market tenders, R&D facilities, and testbed environments for innovative technologies. Priority sectors for future LatvianIsraeli cooperation include photonics, semiconductors, unmanned aerial systems, counter-drone solutions, hydrogen and green ammonia production, AI-based healthcare, and sustainable agri-tech solutions. These areas combine Latvias EU market advantages with Israels innovation capacity, creating significant potential for mutually beneficial projects, the ministry concluded. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. Uzbekistan and India are hitting the ground running in a fresh chapter of strategic cooperation, as a recent phone chat between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the groundwork for joint projects and bolstered mutually beneficial collaboration. Bilateral relations are picking up steam, as India keeps coming up as one of Uzbekistans top ten trading partners. As of June 2025, bilateral commerce between the two nations escalated to $641.4 million, reflecting a remarkable 60 percent uptick since the onset of the fiscal year - positioning it as one of the most significant growth trajectories among Uzbekistans international trade collaborators. Throughout this timeframe, approximately 40 novel joint ventures were instantiated, while the portfolio of potential agreements with Indian enterprises surpasses $2 billion. These accords encompass critical domains, such as pharmaceuticals, chemical compounds, energy matrices, digital innovations, and agrarian systems. The current stage of cooperation started to take root after President Mirziyoyevs trips to India in 2018 and 2019. During the 9th International Investment Summit Dynamic Gujarat, pivotal initiatives were articulated that delineated the strategic trajectory of bilateral relations. The primary objective was to establish robust logistical and commercial conduits facilitating connectivity between Central and South Asia. For Uzbekistan, a landlocked country, having transport corridors that are as smooth as butter is crucial to keep the wheels turning in the right direction. In the grand scheme of economic diversification, ramping up industrial production, and giving exports a leg up, it's crucial to have the know-how to get goods out the door and into external markets in a jiffy and without breaking the bank. This is where the interests of Uzbekistan and India converge, laying the foundation for a long-term partnership. One of the pivotal initiatives is the International Transport Corridor NorthSouth, which delineates the development of a rail network linking Uzbekistan to India through the Gulf of Oman. India has strategically allocated substantial resources towards the enhancement of the Chabahar port in Iran, thereby catalyzing novel avenues for cargo transit optimization and trade proliferation. This initiative yields advantages not solely for Uzbekistan and India but extends its positive externalities across the entire Central Asian geopolitical landscape. We have begun work on a new corridor through the Chabahar port. This port can and should become a key link in cargo delivery between our countries under the NorthSouth initiative. On the agenda of the first meeting of ministers, we propose including the development of a program for a network of dry ports, the provision of mirrored discounts and preferential tariffs for cargo transportation, and the simplification of customs clearance procedures, emphasized Shavkat Mirziyoyev during his speech at the first IndiaCentral Asia summit in January 2022. At present, a comprehensive multimodal logistics framework for containerized cargo transit from the Indian maritime hubs of Mundra, Nhava Sheva, and Chennai to the landlocked territory of Uzbekistan has been effectively established. Freight is dispatched via maritime channels to the Bandar Abbas terminal in Iran, subsequently transiting through rail networks to the Sergeli interchange in Tashkent. Consequently, the trajectory partially leverages the NorthSouth logistical conduit, which conventionally links Indian and Iranian maritime hubs, while the terrestrial segment along the eastern axis traverses Turkmenistan. The inaugural freight locomotive successfully arrived at its terminus, executing the delivery of 20 TEUs, each measuring 20 feet, across a span of 2,673 kilometers within a timeframe of 20 days. In the forthcoming paradigm, transit duration is projected to be optimized to a mere 15 days, thereby enhancing operational efficiency of the logistical pathway and fortifying economic interdependencies among the nations involved. Industry analysts assert that Uzbekistan's engagement in the NorthSouth initiative catalyzes the potential for the nation to emerge as a pivotal logistics nexus within the Central Asian region. An optimized railway infrastructure facilitates the seamless transshipment of freight across multiple vectors within the corridor framework. Uzbekistan is strategically enhancing its transportation networks and developing new thoroughfares, thereby fortifying its infrastructural capabilities. Particular emphasis is placed on the concept of leveraging the Iranian river as a conduit for freight logistics, which has the potential to optimize expenditure and enhance delivery timelines. Execution will necessitate the establishment of maritime hubs and transshipment facilities, alongside the assurance of navigational security protocols. Of course, there are a few bumps in the road, like the shaky political landscape in Afghanistan and the pressing need to get the transport infrastructure up to snuff. Nonetheless, the tactical significance of the NorthSouth corridor is unequivocal: it not only broadens the landscape of export logistics but also catalyzes capital influx, fosters industrial synergies, and facilitates Uzbekistan's integration into the global economic framework. The political synergy between Uzbekistan and India continues to serve as a robust cornerstone of their bilateral engagement. The nations consistently engage in synergistic partnerships within multilateral frameworks like the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, collectively tackling pivotal challenges pertaining to both global and regional security paradigms. Focused efforts are directed towards counter-terrorism initiatives, enhancing geopolitical stability in the Central and South Asian regions, and safeguarding energy security frameworks. Next steps include a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission in Tashkent, where new agreements on industrial cooperation, investment, and education are planned to be signed. In addition, the sides agreed to hold mutual Days of Culture and Cinema to strengthen humanitarian ties and trust between peoples. The partnership between Uzbekistan and India is not just a flash in the pan; it's turning into a well-oiled machine that goes beyond piecemeal efforts. Collaborating on transport corridors and industrial initiatives lays the groundwork for a lasting partnership that can weather any storm. For Uzbekistan, this initiative represents a strategic advancement towards establishing itself as a pivotal logistics and economic nexus within Central Asia. Concurrently, for India, it offers a robust conduit for integrating its market dynamics with the regional landscape. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, August 14. Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have discussed the technical aspects of the Reconnection to the Unified Energy System of Central Asia project, which aims to boost regional energy security and efficiency, Trend reports, citing Uzbek Ministry of Energy. The talks took place on August 14 in Gulistan, Sughd region, between Uzbekistans Minister of Energy Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov and Tajikistans Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Juma, with the participation of senior officials from both countries fuel and energy sectors. The ministers also addressed preparations for the autumn-winter period of 2025-2026, as well as coordination of national energy systems to ensure uninterrupted power supply. The meeting highlighted the dynamic development of bilateral cooperation in the energy sphere, initiated by Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Emomali Rahmon. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the current level of partnership and reaffirmed their readiness to strengthen strategic and fraternal ties in the interests of their nations. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, August 15. Kyrgyzstan and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral trade, investment, and cultural ties during talks between President Sadyr Japarov and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Trend reports via press service of Kyrgyz President. The parties discussed measures to increase trade turnover, expand investment cooperation, and develop educational and humanitarian projects. President Japarov stressed that both countries are united in their desire to advance strategic relations through multilateral frameworks such as the EAEU, CIS, CSTO, and SCO, highlighting the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council as a key platform for fostering regional integration. Prime Minister Mishustin noted that 1,700 Russian companies operate in Kyrgyzstan and 80 Russian regions maintain direct cooperation. He also emphasized cultural and humanitarian initiatives, including plans to establish nine schools, while affirming that collaboration within the Eurasian Economic Union continues to stimulate economic growth and create new opportunities for businesses in both countries. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, August 15. The United States Treasury has imposed sanctions on Kyrgyz crypto exchange Grinex, citing its creation by former employees of the Russian exchange Garantex to circumvent existing financial restrictions, Trend reports via the US Department of Treasury. Garantex, accused since 2022 of servicing darknet markets and hacker groups, had its website shut down and $26 million frozen by US and European authorities in March 2025. Following the closure, many clients were transferred to Grinex. The sanctions also target companies involved in the development of the ruble stablecoin A7A5, which US officials claim was used to bypass financial sanctions. Additional projects on the blacklist include InDeFi Bank and Exved, along with Garantex executives Sergey Mendeleev, Alexander Mira Serda, and Pavel Karavatsky. The US State Department has announced rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Alexander Mira Serda, and up to $1 million for tips on other key Garantex figures. Turkmenistan signs two new gas deals with Afghan entrepreneurs These deals not only bolster Turkmenistans presence in the regional energy market but also contribute to the further development of trade relations with Afghanistan. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register A mix of sunshine early then potentially rain or even heavy rain around Colorado Springs on Friday is in the forecast. "It will be very hot again today, I'm forecasting a high of 93 degrees at the Colorado Springs Airport," Meteorologist Casey Dorn with KOAA said. "This would tie the record set in 1937, and again in 2015." Skies will be mainly clear and hazy this morning, with increased chances for thunderstorms this afternoon. Storms today will still favor the mountains, but as upper level energy moves through in the late afternoon, isolated storms will roll through the Pikes Peak region. "Today's storms will be capable of gusty wind, lightning, and moderate to briefly heavy rain," Dorn said. "It will be slightly breezy this afternoon as well with downslope winds gusting 20-25 mph." Temperatures remain above average over the weekend and through the extended forecast as high pressure stays relatively close by off to the south of Colorado. Highs will be in the upper 80s to low 90s each day. "Monsoon moisture returns this weekend, leading to better storm chances in the mountains," Dorn said. "Isolated storms are possible across the Pikes Peak region through the weekend, with a slightly higher chance Saturday and Monday compared to today and Sunday." Early next week will continue chances for isolated daily afternoon storms, with a drier pattern returning mid-week. Here's the four-day forecast for Colorado Springs from the National Weather Service: BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, August 15. Kyrgyzstans President Sadyr Japarov has denied reports in Western media suggesting that Moldovan politician Elon Shor is helping Russia bypass sanctions through Kyrgyz territory, Trend reports. Some countries that have imposed sanctions against Russia continue to trade with it. Let Elon Shor, Elon Musk, or anyone else come and do business. We always pursue a multi-vector policy and are ready to cooperate with everyone, Japarov said in an interview with local media. The president also emphasized that there are no facts on the matter. He stated that Kyrgyzstan remains open to economic cooperation while carefully monitoring the political dimension of such engagements. Photo: The Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 15. Deputy Ministers of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Otabek Fazilkarimov and Ilkhomjon Umrzakov, held a meeting with representatives of the Japanese company Sojitz Corporation, Trend reports. The delegation included Kishi Kojiro, Head of the Healthcare and Energy Department, Bakhrom Salomov, General Director of the Tashkent Representative Office, and other officials. During the meeting, the parties discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation, expanding areas of collaboration, and reviewing key economic processes and projects in Uzbekistan implemented under public-private partnership (PPP) frameworks. Special attention was given to infrastructure projects carried out through PPP mechanisms, particularly the construction of modern multidisciplinary hospitals in regional centers, as well as exploring new initiatives for the future. At the conclusion of the talks, both sides agreed to further develop mutual cooperation, design effective projects in the discussed areas, and enhance the exchange of ideas. Sojitz Corporation is one of the worlds leading trade and investment companies, active in energy and natural resources, the chemical industry, transportation and infrastructure, agriculture and food production, as well as green energy. The corporation operates in over 50 countries and participates in major investment projects with numerous public and private sector partners Kyrgyzstan lays its cards on table, comparing food prices with its neighbors The Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry conducted a comparative monitoring of food prices in Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Kazakhstan. The survey revealed that beef, lamb, butter, vegetable oil, carrots, onions, potatoes, and eggs were the most expensive in Kyrgyzstan; pasteurized milk in Kazakhstan; and potatoes in Russia. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. Russia and Iran are actively working to advance the NorthSouth Transport Corridor, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said during a meeting with Iranian Vice President Mohammad Javad Aref on the sidelines of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Kyrgyzstan, Trend reports. In terms of developing transport logistics, we are working together to advance the international NorthSouth Corridor. This strategic route will enhance connectivity across the entire Eurasian region, Mishustin stated. He noted that RussianIranian trade and economic cooperation is progressing successfully. Mishustin also recalled that the Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Iran, signed on December 25, 2023, came into force in May. Its implementation will contribute to the growth of mutual trade and the promotion of joint economic projects. These include industry, energy, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and other sectors, the PM added. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, August 15. In Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev met with First Vice President of Iran Mohammad Reza Aref during the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council, with the creation of a Kyrgyz-Iranian investment office taking center stage, Trend reports via the Government of Kyrgyzstan. The prime minister lauded the execution of a strategic framework memorandum and underscored the critical necessity of expeditiously operationalizing the office to enable synergistic initiatives. The dialogues encompassed expansive synergies in commercial exchange, economic advancement, and capital infusion, as well as transit and logistical frameworks. Kasymaliev underscored the substantial prospects inherent in Kyrgyz-Iranian bilateral relations and emphasized that collaborative initiatives are anticipated to enhance synergies to a transformative echelon. The Iranian contingent put forth a proposition to reinstate direct aerial connectivity between the two nations, aiming to fortify commercial linkages, amplify tourism influx, and elevate cultural interchange. They also proposed the initiation of bilateral sister city affiliations between various jurisdictions of Kyrgyzstan and Iran. Both parties acknowledged the positive dynamics of bilateral engagement since the April intergovernmental commission meeting in Tehran and confirmed their readiness to expand mutually beneficial cooperation. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 15. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov met with Jaunzems Girts, Ambassador of Latvia to Uzbekistan, to discuss bilateral relations, the country's FM wrote on X, Trend reports. "We expressed our readiness to further strengthen the long-standing ties between our two nations and to explore new avenues for mutually beneficial cooperation, both bilaterally and within broader regional frameworks," Saidov said. "I sincerely congratulate Mr. Ambassador on his appointment and wish him every success in his diplomatic mission in our country," the publication reads. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 15. Governor of the Fergana region Khayrullo Bozorov held talks with Wang Xiya, head of the Chinese company Xinjiang Xiya Jianking Keji Co., Ltd., to discuss prospective projects planned for implementation in the Furqat district, Trend reports. Wang articulated appreciation for the hospitable reception and disclosed that the organization is undertaking an initiative to enhance and digitize the wastewater management infrastructure in the Furqat district. He also highlighted the organizations strategic focus on renovation initiatives and emphasized that investment prospects throughout the region are undergoing meticulous evaluation, with the aim of executing proactive capital allocations. Governor Bozorov emphasized that synergistic collaboration with Chinese entrepreneurs has yielded substantive outcomes in various high-potential initiatives. He underscored the criticality of the novel initiatives for the region's advancement and guaranteed comprehensive backing for their execution. The governor further drove home that, contingent upon the successful execution of the Furqat district initiative, analogous ventures could be proliferated across additional districts. During the convening, the stakeholders formulated actionable strategies and reached a consensus on protocols to guarantee the project's prompt initiation. This initiative takes place against the backdrop of broader efforts to strengthen economic ties between Uzbekistan and China. In the previous fiscal year, bilateral trade exceeded $13 billion, and both countries reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the ambitious $20 billion trade target set by their national leaderships, underscoring ongoing cooperation across multiple sectors Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 15. Uzbekistans Minister of Digital Technologies, Sherzod Shermatov, met with Toyvo Klaar, Ambassador of the European Union to Uzbekistan, to chew the fat about joining forces in the realms of digital technologies, telecommunications, and a few other areas, Trend reports. Minister Shermatov delineated the current reformative initiatives targeting the accelerated evolution of Uzbekistans information technology sector, the enhancement of telecommunications infrastructures, and the implementation of fiscal incentives for international enterprises engaged within the IT Park ecosystem. Focused efforts were directed towards the optimization of high-caliber employment pathways for the youth demographic, alongside the strategic enhancement of IT service exportation initiatives. Ambassador Klaar lauded Uzbekistans advancements in recent years and articulated the European Unions commitment to perpetuating collaborative efforts and endorsing initiatives within these domains. At the culmination of the assembly, both parties reached a consensus to leverage current synergies, operationalize collaborative initiatives, and elevate their partnership to a heightened echelon. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 15. Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, Ibrohim Abdurahmonov, met with Ashikari Motoyuki, Deputy Director of the Biofans and Biotechnology Center at Nagoya University, Japan, to discuss the prospects for strengthening bilateral agricultural cooperation, Trend reports. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the current state of collaboration between Uzbekistan and Japan in the agricultural sector, explored existing opportunities, and discussed promising directions for future cooperation. Motoyuki praised the unique taste and high quality of Uzbek agricultural products, emphasizing that these attributes enhance their competitiveness in international markets. He also underlined the strategic importance of cooperation with Uzbekistan amid the growing challenges posed by climate change. Minister Abdurahmonov highlighted Uzbekistans focus on agribiotechnology and scientific research. He presented ongoing work at the Genomics and Bioinformatics Center, including the development of new crop varieties and their adaptation to diverse climatic conditions. The discourse further encompassed innovative paradigms aimed at cultivating robust rice phenotypes adept at thriving in saline edaphic conditions and hydrologically challenged environments, alongside tactical frameworks for their pragmatic deployment. The convening is anticipated to enhance agrarian synergies between the two nations and facilitate the inception of innovative scientific and pragmatic initiatives. The intergovernmental exchange dynamics between Uzbekistan and Japan experienced a substantial uptick of 35 percent in the fiscal year 2024. The comprehensive portfolio of initiatives with premier Japanese enterprises and financial entities surpasses $12 billion, while approximately 100 collaborative ventures and organizationsincluding the Uzbek-Japanese Centerare effectively functioning within Uzbekistan. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Azerbaijan reports decrease in oil transportation via BTC pipeline for 7M2025 In the first seven months of 2025, 16.2 million tons of oil were transported through the BTC pipeline, down 5.9 percent from last year. Azerbaijani oil made up 83.6 percent (13.5 million tons), with 16.4 percent (2.6 million tons) imported from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register The block of Tejon Street in downtown Colorado Springs between Colorado and Pikes Peak avenues is expected to reopen fully later this month as crews complete the first phase of a multimillion-dollar road widening and improvement project. The city reopened the east side of the block in early July and will complete mill and overlay work, paving and striping on the block this week, project manager Ryan Hershberger said. Crews will also install new road signage and, later, parking kiosks and permanent wrought iron patio railings. The block will fully close to vehicle traffic as the work happens. Sidewalks will be open to pedestrians. The entire section of Tejon between Colorado and Pikes Peak is scheduled to reopen to two-way vehicle traffic and on-street diagonal parking on Aug. 25. There could be a lane shift on northbound Tejon Street north of Pikes Peak Avenue, according to a Friday news release from the city. Colorado Springs Utilities will conduct electric system work; crews may begin removing and replacing concrete on the southeast corner of the block. Work on a second block of Tejon Street, between Pikes Peak Avenue and Kiowa Street, is expected to begin Sept. 2, after the Labor Day holiday. The block will close fully to vehicle traffic and street parking when construction starts, but pedestrian access will be maintained. Workers will conduct pre-construction activities along the block the weekend prior, Aug. 30-31. Colorado Springs began in March the $8.6 million project officials said will boost business activity, public safety and accessibility along these two blocks of Tejon Street. The project is reconfiguring pedestrian and vehicle traffic through the corridor by eliminating the center lane and expanding both sidewalks. Wider 10-foot sidewalks and flex zones that businesses can use as extended patio space are among the new improvements completed on the first block. The 6-foot amenity zones marked by red pavers will include new trees, benches, street lights, bicycle racks and parking kiosks that are replacing existing parking meters along both blocks, Hershberger said. Some angled street parking spaces have been converted into short-term loading and unloading areas, including for ridesharing uses. Commercial deliveries have moved to alleys and new loading zones on Colorado and Pikes Peak avenues. Crews will make the same surface improvements along the second block of Tejon between Pikes Peak Avenue and Kiowa, Hershberger added. Construction on the second block is scheduled to be complete in December. Paving and tree planting along this stretch of Tejon will be done around the spring of 2026. The city will also make aesthetic improvements at Historic Busy Corner, the intersection of Tejon Street and Pikes Peak Avenue, as part of the project. Granite pavers are planned for the intersection's crosswalks, city spokesman Eric Sieger said. Crews will widen the sidewalk and crosswalk areas to create a larger space for crowds and pedestrians during special events like parade grandstands and pedestrian-only events; there will remain dedicated areas for public artwork; and the city will install new traffic signal mast arms. The city is reducing the number of poles in the intersection from four to two, helping give the intersection "a more open feel," Sieger said. The city initially hoped to complete improvements to the first block by the end of June, but crews encountered some complications, Hershberger said. While excavating old sidewalk, crews discovered some of the buildings in the first block had old basements at one time used as coal chutes or for boiler access that extended underground and directly underneath the sidewalk, for example. "So it took us a little bit of time to figure out how we carefully wanted to" replace the old sidewalks in those areas, Hershberger said. The nature of the project and its impact on so many businesses also caused some delays. The project team divided the work into smaller "chunks" to minimize inconvenience to businesses, their patrons and other downtown visitors as crews put down new sidewalk, Hershberger said. "Instead of being able to place 100 feet of sidewalk at one time, we could now only place 30 feet, 10 feet, at a time. Those kinds of iterations slow us down overall," he said, adding that the project remains within budget. City officials and businesses say the improvements are already benefiting downtown merchants and visitors. "It's been called a 'glow-up,' and it really is," Red Gravy General Manager Tasha Martinez said. "This project is making (the corridor) more accessible for visitors. The trees they're putting in will add shading for our patio. The new benches installed are helping us when we have long lines; people are using them as kind of a waiting area. It just makes it more appealing." Sieger said he recently observed three friends, all using wheelchairs, traveling along the improved portion of Tejon. "Just like any of us would walk down the street, they all got to be next to each other. They didn't have to move into a single-file line, they weren't trapped (on the sidewalk); before, it was so narrow. They were able to use the corridor as it should be, and they were just yukking it up and having a great time. I was like, that's why we're doing the project, right there: just to make this easy to use for everybody," Sieger said. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 15. Governor of the Fergana region Khayrullo Bozorov met with Deng Siyuan, Director for International Relations at the Chinese consulting company Gascia-Aksu Alliance, which specializes in developing and managing industrial zones and attracting investments, Trend reports. During the Fergana delegations visit to Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the sides reached a preliminary agreement to place import-substituting projects in the Fergana New Opportunities Special Industrial Zone. Under the agreement, pharmaceutical production facilities and air purification system manufacturing plants will be established on a 52-hectare site in the Furqat district. During the convening, the Chinese delegation delineated specifics regarding potential initiatives, encompassing the establishment of contemporary enterprises and the proactive engagement of Chinese business magnates. The initiatives are anticipated to yield a significant impact on the regional economic landscape. Governor Bozorov expressed a positive reception to the proposals, guaranteeing investors comprehensive administrative backing. Both entities reached a consensus to expedite collaborative initiatives and enhance synergistic engagement. This advancement materializes as Uzbekistan and China persist in fortifying their economic synergies. In the previous fiscal cycle, the dyadic commerce surpassed the $13 billion threshold. The two nations have reiterated their dedication to achieving the $20 billion trade objective established by their leadership, with continuous initiatives aimed at enhancing collaboration across diverse sectors. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 15. Governor of Tashkent region Zoyir Mirzaev met with Albert Shaikhutdinov, the newly appointed Head of the Representative Office of the Republic of Bashkortostan in Uzbekistan, Trend reports. The discussions focused on prospects for raising bilateral cooperation to a new level, with an emphasis on expanding practical interaction in the economy, science and technology, education, and agriculture, as well as sharing expertise in other promising areas. Particular attention was given to opportunities in beekeeping. Bashkortostan possesses extensive experience in this sector, while Tashkent region offers favorable conditions for its development. The sides explored possibilities for knowledge exchange, creation of joint projects, establishment of a research center, and expansion of finished product exports to international markets. Governor Mirzaev congratulated Shaikhutdinov on his appointment and wished him success in his new role. The parties agreed to draft concrete action plans in the identified areas and to continue strengthening practical cooperation. Earlier this year, Bashkortostan and Uzbekistan signed a series of agreements worth 2.8 billion rubles (about $35 million) across various sectors, marking a significant step in advancing trade and economic relations between the two sides. Private sector drives significant economic growth in Kazakhstan's Zhetysu Photo: Akimat (local government) of the Kazakhstans Zhetysu region Kazakhstans Zhetysu region has demonstrated steady economic growth from 2022 to 2025, attracting 1.2 trillion tenge in investments, primarily from private sources. Over 130 projects have been launched, generating thousands of jobs. In early 2025, key sectors such as agriculture, industry, housing, and construction showed significant growth. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 15. Over the first five months of this year, the volume of industrial production in Kazakhstan increased by 6.4 percent, reaching $46.5 billion, said Kazakhstans Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov at the meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council, Trend reports. According to Bektenov, economic cooperation among the states and members of the EAEU demonstrates steady and consistent progress across all key areas. The aggregate gross domestic product for the first quarter of 2025 increased by 2 percent, reaching $600 billion. Over the first 5 months of this year, the volume of industrial production grew by 1.6 percent, amounting to more than $640 billion. Overall, Kazakhstans GDP for the first 7 months grew by 6.3 percent, which is a result of ongoing economic reforms, said the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan. He also observed that within the parameters of the EAEU framework, there is an uptick in agricultural production metrics and retail trade throughput. Such outcomes have been facilitated through synergistic collaborations among our nations. The convening of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council (EIGC) is scheduled for August 14 and 15, 2025, in the strategic locale of Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan. The gathering is convened at State Residence No. 2 and aligns with the decadal commemoration of Kyrgyzstans integration into the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The itinerary for the EIGC convening scheduled on August 14-15 encompasses a comprehensive array of 20 agenda points. The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU or EEU) is an economic alliance including five post-Soviet nations situated in Eurasia. The EAEU possesses a unified integrated market. As of 2023, it comprises 183 million individuals and a gross domestic product of over $2.4 trillion. The EAEU promotes the unrestricted flow of goods and services and establishes unified policies in macroeconomics, transportation, industry, agriculture, energy, international trade and investment, customs, technical regulation, competition, and antitrust legislation. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 15. The Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Tajikistan, Valikhan Turekhanov, recently met with Sultan Rakhimzoda, who chairs the State Committee for Investment and State Property Management of Tajikistan, Trend reports via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan. During the meeting, the parties discussed issues related to the development of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. They also noted the progress of joint investment projects in various sectors and participation in investment-related events. The results of the 19th session of the Kazakhstan-Tajikistan Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation held in Astana were positively assessed. The parties also acknowledged broad prospects for trade cooperation between the two countries, the statement reads. Concluding the session, Sultan Rakhimzoda extended an invitation to the Kazakh delegation to engage proactively in the forthcoming "Dushanbe International Investment Forum2025," scheduled for October 2025. The aggregate trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Tajikistan for the fiscal year 2024 reached a substantial $1.2 billion, reflecting a robust growth trajectory of 7.4 percent relative to the preceding year, 2023. Kazakhstan ranks among the foremost trading allies of Tajikistan. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel SUMGAYIT, Azerbaijan, August 15. Another piece of the puzzle in the shipment of electrical gear aimed at lending a helping hand to Ukraine by Azerbaijan hit the road today from the grounds of the Sumgayit Technology Park, Trend reports. The aid dispatch is ensured in accordance with the Decree of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated August 11, 2025. The humanitarian consignment encompasses approximately 90,000 linear meters of electrical conductors and wiring, in addition to 25 power generation units and seven transformer assemblies. The initial segment of this apparatus, dispatched to facilitate the re-establishment of a consistent electrical supply to the areas impacted by the protracted conflict in Ukraine, was conveyed in a fleet of 10 transport vehicles. Based on requests from the Ukrainian side, the said assistance totaling $2 million was organized, with part of it dispatched on August 13 and the remaining part today. Azerbaijan has previously sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine related to the electricity supply. Due to the current war situation, the total value of our country's humanitarian support to Ukraine, including assistance for recovery and reconstruction, has already exceeded $44 million. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, August 15. President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov received First Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Reza Aref in Cholpon-Ata, Trend reports via the Kyrgyz president's press service. The discussions prominently centered on the logistical and transit capabilities of Kyrgyzstan and Iran, which could optimize connectivity to maritime ports and amplify regional commerce prospects. Both parties articulated a willingness to operationalize collaborative strategies to optimize these prospects. The leaders also discussed a wide range of issues on both the bilateral agenda and multilateral cooperation. President Zhaparov emphasized that strengthening comprehensive cooperation with Iran is a key priority of Kyrgyz foreign policy, noting that over years of interaction, the two countries have built a solid foundation for the effective development of mutually beneficial relations. First Vice President Aref thanked President Zhaparov for the warm reception and conveyed greetings from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. He positively assessed the dynamics of Kyrgyz-Iranian relations and confirmed Irans commitment to further strengthen bilateral ties. In conclusion, the leaders came together to keep up cooperation at a traditionally high level, making sure that bilateral relations carry on being productive and strategically significant. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, August 15. Turkmenistans Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov met with Japans Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Turkmenistan, Hiroshi Sasaki, Trend reports, citing Turkmen MFA. The discussion focused on current Turkmen-Japanese cooperation, with particular emphasis on the role of high-level visits in strengthening bilateral relations. The diplomats also reviewed the schedule of upcoming meetings in both bilateral and multilateral formats, reaffirming their commitment to developing a constructive and long-term dialogue between the two countries. There are several past collaborative projects between Japan and Turkmenistan. These include the construction of a major gas turbine power plant in Turkmenistan's Lebap province, the completion of a large carbamide fertilizer plant in Garabogaz, and the modernization of an oil refining complex in the Balkan region. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, August 15. Turkmenistans Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov met with Chinas Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Turkmenistan, Ji Shumin, to discuss key aspects of Turkmen-Chinese cooperation, Trend reports via Turkmen MFA. The parties highlighted the high level of development in relations across all areas of mutual interest and emphasized the importance of regular dialogue at the highest political level as a key factor in strengthening bilateral ties. They also discussed preparations for upcoming visits and meetings in both bilateral and multilateral formats, reaffirming their commitment to continued collaboration. Ji Shumin has recently begun his diplomatic mission in Turkmenistan. On July 26, 2025, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China presented his credentials to Turkmenistan's President, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, during a ceremony in Ashgabat. This formal act marks the start of the ambassador's work to strengthen relations between the two countries. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, August 15. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Akhmet Gurbanov met with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar to Turkmenistan Hamad bin Rashid bin Hamad Al-Azbi at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Trend reports via Turkmen MFA. The sides engaged in a comprehensive dialogue regarding the prevailing dynamics of bilateral collaboration, encompassing the potential trajectories for the enhancement of political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian engagements. They articulated their commendation for the synergistic dynamics of the engagement between Turkmenistan and Qatar, reaffirming their commitment to amplifying bilateral relations. Recent strategic dialogues have concentrated on prospective Qatari capital influx into Turkmenistan's hydrocarbon infrastructure and the optimization of emergent logistical frameworks such as the TAPI pipeline. While Qatar exhibits a robust emphasis on liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and exportation, Turkmenistan is adept in the domain of pipeline gas infrastructure, thereby engendering synergistic prospects for strategic collaboration. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Haze continued to block the view of Pikes Peak in Colorado Spring, but smokey conditions are gradually decreasing and keeping the area clear of a health advisory warning, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Colorado Springs' air quality index, a method of measuring atmospheric pollutants, is 87. A score of 87 indicates "moderate" air quality, and is 14 away from being considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups," which has an index of 101 or higher, according to the department's air quality website. "Moderate" air quality means that it is acceptable, but there may be a risk for those who have difficulties with outdoor exertion when the air quality is "good," according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Colorado Springs' index of 87 is the highest in the state, besides the Four Corners region and Colorado River Valley, which are closer to the sources of the haze: the three fires in the Western Slope. The Elk fire, Lee fire and Turner Gulch fire, located in Rio Blanco and Mesa counties, have burned more than 165,000 acres combined. The largest of those is the Lee fire, which has burned 123,222 acres, according to government natural disaster tracker InciWeb. The counties surrounding the fires Rio Blanco, Garfield, Routt, Jackson, Grand, Eagle and Summit all have air-quality health advisories in place. That means those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young and older adults should avoid outside activity and consider staying indoors. Colorado Springs has one of the highest indexes in the state because of the lack of monitors in more rural areas, said Scott Landes, lead meteorologist at the department. El Paso County has three points that measure the quality of the atmosphere: one at Colorado College, one at the Air Force Academy and one in Manitou Springs. Though Colorado Springs may seem to have one of the highest scores in the state, Landes said other areas are in much worse condition than Colorado Springs and are just measured in different ways via satellite imagery and atmospheric models, which predict where the smoke will travel. Colorado Springs is not projected to be issued an air-quality health advisory, said Landes. He said the smoke levels in the Springs are gradually decreasing and, unless another wildfire starts closer to the city, there shouldn't be an advisory. "The upper-level transport winds, the winds up in the atmosphere, transport the smoke from the fires to distant locations. They're not lining up in Colorado Springs over the next 24 hours, so I think we will continue to see gradual improvement." Those with conditions that restrict their breathing should monitor the air-quality index to assess if it is safe for them to be outside using the air-quality summary from the department. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, August 15. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Myahri Byashimova met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates to Turkmenistan Ahmed Al-Hay Hamad Khamis Al-Hameli at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Trend reports via Turkmen MFA. The dialogues concentrated on the prevailing dynamics of Turkmen-Emirati relations and delved into strategies for enhancing collaborative synergies across the political, economic, and cultural domains. Both parties underscored the criticality of sustaining a consistent and productive discourse to facilitate the advancement of current and prospective collaborative endeavors. At the conclusion of the meeting, the stakeholders reaffirmed their collective commitment to enhancing the Turkmen-UAE collaboration and fortifying synergies across various domains of shared interest. Prior collaborative engagements among nations have predominantly centered on the energy domain, exemplified by capital influx from UAE enterprises such as Dragon Oil into Turkmenistan's hydrocarbon initiatives. The bilateral engagement is being augmented through synergistic initiatives in sectors including transportation, logistics optimization, financial services, and sustainable energy solutions. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkiye Nuh Ylmaz has met with Saeed Khatibzadeh, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran and President of the Institute for Political and International Studies, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, Trend reports. The talks, held in Ankara, focused on bilateral relations between Turkiye and Iran, as well as key developments in the region. They drew attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, stressing the urgent need to support the Palestinian people. Ylmaz reaffirmed Ankaras interest in deepening relations with Tehran and its readiness to expand cooperation in various areas, including support for the Palestinian cause. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. Irans First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has said that the so-called European trio the United Kingdom, France, and Germany has no legal authority to trigger the UN Security Councils snapback mechanism to reinstate sanctions against Iran, Trend reports. Speaking in Kyrgyzstan during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Aref said the proposal put forward by the three European countries is, in effect, directed against Irans nuclear program. In January 2016, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Irans nuclear program was implemented between Iran and the P5+1 group the United States, Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany. In May 2018, the United States announced its withdrawal from the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran later that year. In 2020, Iran declared it would no longer be bound by any restrictions under the agreement. Under Articles 36 and 37 of the JCPOA, if one signatory claims another is violating the deal, a series of dispute resolution steps can be initiated. If no resolution is reached, the complaining party can take the matter to the UN Security Council. If a complaint against Iran is raised and adopted at the Council, international sanctions against Iran could be reinstated and Council members could also authorize military action against the country. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. Iran has never intended to use technology, including nuclear technology, for non-peaceful purposes, Irans First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Kyrgyzstan, Trend reports. He said that while Iran was engaging in indirect talks with the United States, it faced attacks and lost military commanders and nuclear scientists, even as trust was beginning to take shape in the nuclear negotiations. In January 2016, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Irans nuclear program was implemented between Iran and the P5+1 group the United States, Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany. In May 2018, the United States withdrew from the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year. In 2020, Iran announced that it would no longer be bound by any restrictions under the nuclear agreement. Under Articles 36 and 37 of the JCPOA, if one signatory believes another is violating the deal, a series of dispute resolution steps can be initiated. If these steps fail, the complaining party can take the matter to the UN Security Council. If a complaint against Iran is submitted and adopted, international sanctions could be reinstated, and Security Council members could be authorized to carry out military operations against Iran. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. Iran and Russia could prioritize international transport corridors and tourism-related transportation, Irans First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Kyrgyzstan, Trend reports. He noted that the two countries have significant potential for cooperation. Aref emphasized that IranRussia collaboration should remain a key focus within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Program. The Iranian official also highlighted opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. We really made some great progress today, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters, following his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Trend reports. The White House streamed the press conference live. "We made some great progress todayWe had an extremely productive meeting and many points were agreed to," the president said. Trump added that many points on Ukraine have been agreed upon, and there is a good chance of settling the remaining issues. "There are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant," he added. Although, he pointed out that the sides were unable to reach full agreement, and no deal has been made yet. Donald Trump further said he would call Ukraine's president and NATO counterparts to brief them on his meeting with Putin. If a mountain fell in the wilderness... Photo by Sasha Calvey Sasha Calvey and two friends were sleeping in the tent at left when they woke to the tsunami-driven ocean, which rose to the level of the log in the center of the photo. Camped on an island in Southeast Alaska a few mornings ago, Sasha Calvey heard a commotion outside her tent. (On Aug. 10) at 5:45 a.m., I woke to a loud roar of rushing water, the 25-year-old kayaker and outdoor educator said. Then there was this massive tidal surge just inches away from our tent. Calvey and her two friends on a summer-long paddling trip from Washington state to Glacier Bay in Alaska watched in disbelief as the ocean crept up the shoreline more than 15 feet, carrying away many of their possessions. I saw my kayak spinning in a whirlpool, Calvey said over the phone from Juneau, one day after her experience. She then watched her boat disappear with a receding wave. Calveys kayak was the most vital piece of gear the ocean grabbed during a tsunami caused by a massive avalanche of rock into the ocean more than 30 miles away. Experts at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute say the landslide-caused tsunami may be the largest one detected in Alaska during the last decade. Calvey and her companions Billy White and Nick Heilgeist took stock of their situation after the waves subsided offshore of Harbor Island, where they were camped. They were thankful they decided to pitch their three-person tent in the forest well above the high-tide line. And though they had lost Calveys boat along with a dry suit, boat paddles, a bear fence, a stove and prescription sunglasses (among other things) they had plenty of fresh water, warm clothes for all, four days of food and a radio. Illustration by UAF Geophysical Institute A star marks the the location of an Aug. 10, 2025, landslide in Southeast Alaska. The three decided no mayday call was merited but knew they were quite stuck without Calveys boat. They radioed their situation to anyone who might be monitoring a certain frequency. Within minutes, a boat captain answered the call. He transported them and their remaining gear to Alaskas capital city of Juneau. As well as a ride to Juneau, the crew of the private charter yacht Blackwood provided the three with warm blankets, a lovely breakfast and a wonderful lunch, Calvey said. About the same time the kayakers campsite was flooded, Christine Smith was cooking food for guests 30 miles away on a 65-foot ship upon which she and her husband Jeffrey provide eight-day adventures in Southeast Alaska. The ship was in Endicott Arm, a finger of ocean reaching toward British Columbia. We have been anchoring there for 20 years, Smith said by phone from the MV David B one day after the tsunami. I had never seen water rushing over this sandbar while the tide was going out. Smith texted her neighbor and friend Jackie Caplan-Auerbach, who is a professor of geology at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. Caplan-Auerbach searched online for a possible seismic signal, one that might indicate a large mass had avalanched into the ocean nearby. What I love about Christine is that despite her not being a scientist, she totally told me to look for a landslide, Caplan-Auerbach said over the phone from Bellingham. Image from video by Lt. Chip Baucom and Cmdr. PJ Johansen, U.S. Coast Guard. A landslide in Southeast Alaska spilled into Tracy Arm and onto South Sawyer Glacier on Aug. 10. Dirt, rock and debris in the lower left part of the image have replaced the fjords water. Caplan-Auerbach, once a postdoctoral researcher at UAF who studies landslide seismicity, soon found the dramatic squiggles of the landslide. She then looked for and found little stuttering events that preceded the much-larger shaking. Those precursors sometimes happen before a giant landslide, but not always. Caplan-Auerbach relayed the information to Smith, who mentioned that heavy rains had pelted them for days, possibly lubricating a steep slope into catastrophic failure. Seismic stations more than 600 miles away picked up the rumbling as a mountainside collapsed upon South Sawyer Glacier and into the ocean at the head of Tracy Arm, said Geophysical Institute researcher Ezgi Karasozen. Karasozen applied a landslide characterization algorithm on the available data from Southeast Alaska seismic stations. She found it was potentially the largest landslide and tsunami in Alaska since Taan Fjord in 2015. So far, the kayakers gear is the largest human loss associated with part of a mountain falling into the ocean (with a very large possible volume of 30-290 million cubic meters, according to Karasozen). Also perhaps lost was the feeling of accomplishment one might get from paddling your kayak for a whole summer from Washington to Glacier Bay. Instead of achieving their entire goal, Calvey said, she and her partners would end their trip in Juneau. Calvey was happy to raise more than $10,000 along the way to start a youth kayaking group back home in Washington. She also values the notion of a few news stories upping awareness of rogue tsunamis. Members of the Juneau ocean kayaking community have offered loans of gear to replace what the three kayakers lost. In deciding her near future, however, Calvey remembered some advice. A mentor of mine told me once, When nature tells you its time to stop, its time to stop. Since the late 1970s, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute has provided this column free in cooperation with the UAF research community. Ned Rozell ned.rozell@alaska.edu is a science writer for the Geophysical Institute. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home 45th King Abdulaziz Quran Contest Winners' Announcement Soon The winners of the 45th King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorizing, Reciting, and Interpreting Holy Quran will be honored in a closing ceremony at the Grand Mosque in Makkah Saturday August 16, 2025 9:53 PM , ummid.com News Network Makkah al Mukarramah: The winners of the 45th King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorizing, Reciting, and Interpreting Holy Quran will be honored in a closing ceremony at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The closing ceremony of the 45th King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorizing, Reciting, and Interpreting Holy Quran will be held in the courtyard of the Makkah Grand Mosque where the winners will be honored, the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance said. As part of their program finalised by the ministry, the participants are touring different historical places of religeous and architectural importance. The participants on Saturday left for visit to The Prophet (PBUH) Mosque in Madinah. The closing ceremony will be held after their return to Makkah from the Prophet's City. "The participants of the 45th King Abdulaziz International Quran Memorization Competition left Makkah, heading to Madinah, after the conclusion of the final rounds. A program has been prepared for them, including a visit to the Prophets Mosque, the Noble Rawdah, and several Islamic landmarks, with the winners to be honored at the closing ceremony in the Grand Mosque", the Ministry said in a post on X Saturday without confirming the exact date and time. The final rounds of the 2025 King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorizing, Reciting, and Interpreting Holy Quran began last Saturday August 09, 2025 . 5 categories The competition is divided into five categories: Memorization of the entire Holy Quran, with accurate recitation and intonation following the seven rules of recitation Memorization of the Quran along with interpretation of its terms Memorization of 15 juz (parts) of the Quran with proper recitation and intonation Memorization of five juz with correct recitation and intonation A category for shorter lengths of memorization with corresponding recitation and intonation requirements. A total of 179 contestants from 128 countries were selected for the final rounds after the qualifying rounds held online. As many as 27 contestants recited Quran as per the contest guidelines on the last day of final rounds Thursday August 14, 2025. The 27 contestants were from Mauritania, the Philippines, Japan, Guinea-Bissau, France, the United States of America, New Zealand, South Africa, Barbados, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Guinea, Germany, Zambia, Guyana, Comoros, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Finland, Rwanda, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Makkah Quran Contest Prize Money The total value of the competitions prizes is around SR4 million ($1.07 million), in addition to SR1 million that will be apportioned out to all participants. The top prize in the first category is SR 500,000, the top prize for the second category is SR 300,000, for the third category the top prize is SR 200,00, for the fourth category SR 150,000 and for the 5th and last category the first prize is SR 65,000. The 44th edition of the King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorization, Recitation, and Interpretation of Holy Quran was also held with the same schedule. Saudi National, Saad bin Ibrahim bin Hamd had won the top prize of the 2024 Makkah Quran Contest . "Electronic Judging System" The highlight of the 2025 Quran Contest which ran through six days was electronic judging system. Since its introduction in 2019, the electronic platform has replaced traditional paper-based methods, increasing accuracy and transparency. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance said it enhanced and upgraded the electronic judging system for the 45th King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorizing, Reciting, and Interpreting the Holy Quran held this year. The enhanced system is designed to improve the efficiency and fairness of the final rounds, bolster transparency, and support the ministry's digital transformation efforts in line with Saudi Vision 2030. The latest improvements to the system include faster and more accurate scoring, with results calculated more precisely and linked to a real-time electronic control panel for instant monitoring by the judging committee. An electronic question bank is now used to draw questions from a comprehensive digital repository covering all five branches of the competition, ensuring diversity and fairness. The system also features automated processes that track verse sequences, sort and rank contestants, and issue results instantly, while documenting and analyzing competition data in real time. "Outstanding Performances" The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance said T=this years edition featured intense competition, marked by exceptional recitation quality, precise memorization, eloquent delivery, and melodious voices. "The high level of performance reflected a deep global reverence for the Quran and signaled the emergence of a promising new generation of Quran memorizers worldwide", the Ministry said. An elite panel of internationally recognized judges, all specialists in Quranic sciences, oversaw the evaluations. Watch Final Rounds Companions and families of the participating contestants are praising Saudi Arabia for its deep commitment to honoring Quran. In Japan, we are honored to take part in this competition every year, and we send our best contestants after intensive preparation, with the competition being held at the Grand Mosque and featuring elite reciters", Tayyib Hoki, one of the companions from Japan, said describing the competition as both a dream and an honor for every Muslim. Osman Hussein, a companion from Somalia, highlighted the historic and spiritual value of the event, motivating Muslim youth around the world to memorize Quran. A Zimbabwean companion, Mahmouda Ismail, praised the spiritually uplifting atmosphere provided for both participants and their families. Saleha Patel from Sierra Leone described her son's participation as a dream come true. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language to Translate in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic By Alexander Cornwell TEL AVIV (Reuters) -Israel's far-right national security minister visited prominent Palestinian Marwan Barghouti in jail and told him "you will not win", a video showed on Friday, a day after another hardline cabinet member vowed to "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state. Security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shared the video on his X account, also telling Barghouti - a potential unifying figure among Palestinians who has been jailed for more than two decades - that anyone who threatens Israel would be eliminated. The prison visit took place earlier this week but became public after ultra-nationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Thursday work would start on a settlement that would bisect the West Bank and further cut it off from East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as a capital for a future state. "This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state. Simply because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise," Smotrich said at a news conference on Thursday. In the video clip on Ben-Gvir's X which showed Barghouti looking thin and weak, the minister told him: "You will not win. Anyone who messes with the people of Israel, anyone who murders our children, anyone who murders our women - we will wipe him out." "You have to know this, throughout history," he said in the 13-second clip which cut out Barghouti's reply. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not respond to a request for comment and a spokesman for Ben-Gvir declined to comment. The Palestinian Authority described Ben-Gvir's remarks as a "direct threat" to the 66-year-old. Barghouti is a senior member of the Fatah movement that runs the authority, which exercises limited civic rule in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns in the strongest terms the storming of the solitary confinement sections of Rimon Prison by extremist Minister Ben-Gvir and his direct threat to brother and leader Marwan Barghouti," it said in a statement. Barghouti was sentenced in 2004 to five life sentences and 40 years in jail after a court convicted him of orchestrating ambushes and suicide attacks on Israelis during the second Palestinian Intifada, or uprising. Israel regards Bargouthi as a dangerous militant over his part in the uprising, in which around 1,000 Israelis and 3,000 Palestinians were killed. He has long denied the charges against him. CONDEMNATION His wife addressed him in a post on Facebook. "They are still, Marwan, chasing you and pursuing you, even in the solitary cell you've been living in for two years," she said of the visit. Supporters of Barghouti say he is a top contender to succeed 89-year-old Mahmoud Abbas as Palestinian president one day, portraying him as a Nelson Mandela-like figure who could galvanise and reunite their divided political landscape. A poll by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research published on May 6 showed he would secure 50% of the vote on a likely turnout of 64% in a three-way presidential race against Abbas and former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal. Elections for the Palestinian Authority presidency have not been held since 2005. Most world powers support the idea of a two-state solution to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict, with an independent Palestinian state encompassing the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem existing alongside Israel. The last round of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations broke down more than a decade ago and the Palestinians say increasing settlement expansion is eroding the viability of a future state by fragmenting the territory they seek for it. The prospect of a two-state solution has receded further after Hamas' October 7 2023 attack on Israel which triggered the Gaza war. Hamas says it is fighting for a Palestinian state but does not recognise Israel and its founding charter calls for Israel's elimination; Israel has the most far-right government in its history and the West Bank leadership is discredited among Palestinians for failing to halt settlement expansion. The United Nations has ruled the settlements illegal, a view disputed by Israel. Smotrich's announcement on Thursday drew a chorus of international criticism. Residents of West Bank village Atara said on Friday that their village was attacked by Israeli settlers who set fire to three cars and scrawled threatening graffiti on a wall. The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Elimam in Dubai and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; writing by Michael Georgy; editing by Philippa Fletcher) A grand jury upgraded murder charges for the suspect accused of carrying out the targeted shootings of two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses. Vance Boelter was indicted by a federal grand jury last month on six counts of stalking, murder through the use of a firearm, and other charges related to the murder of Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, along with wounding Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife. Boelter also faces state charges, with prosecutors at the Hennepin County Attorneys Office initially charging him with two counts of intentional second-degree murder, not premeditated, and two counts of attempted murder on June 14. On Thursday, a Hennepin County grand jury on Thursday upgraded those charges in an eight-count indictment that slapped Boelter with first-degree premeditated murder charges. The jury also added charges of felony cruelty to an animal and impersonating a police officer with an aggravating factor of driving a vehicle that looked like a police car. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said during a news conference Thursday that the grand jury also indicted Boelter for the attempted murder of state Rep. Kristen Bahner, even though she escaped harm because she wasn't home. Featured Local Savings It does not matter that the act could not be completed here, Moriarty said. In other words, the fact that Bahner wasnt home at all is not a barrier to proving this charge. MINNESOTA LAWMAKER JOHN HOFFMAN WAS SHOT NINE TIMES DURING ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Boelter is still expected to face trial on similar charges in federal court first, as that case takes priority. But Moriarty pledged that the state case against Boelter would also move forward. We feel its important to hold Boelter accountable for what he did in this county, she said. I will also say that theres no possibility of anyone at least in the federal government pardoning Boelter on anything we do here in state court. PRINCETON, N.J. Princeton University announced Thursday that it will discontinue its Wintersession program and close the Office of Campus Engagement as part of broader cost-reduction initiatives driven by financial uncertainty and shifting federal funding dynamics. Launched in January 2021, Wintersession was a two-week, noncredit series of workshops and activities offered during winter break. Participants included undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff, and postdoctoral researchers. Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun said decisions were guided by a focus on safeguarding student health, well-being and safety while preserving the core student experience Princeton University. Princeton plans to continue some community-building traditionssuch as the annual Community Care Daythrough other avenues, despite the office closure Princeton University. Undergraduate dormitories will now close over winter breakbeginning Dec. 22, 2025, at noonand reopen Jan. 23, 2026, at 9 a.m. Only students with prior approval may remain on or return to campus during that time. Graduate housing will remain open Princeton University. Dean of the College Michael Gordin reaffirmed the university's commitment to academic excellence, robust financial aid, and opportunities for student engagement. He emphasized that financial challenges are not altering Princeton's dedication to its core educational mission Princeton University. Additional cost-saving measures already underway include pausing capital projects, slowing faculty hiring, and limiting staff growth to mission-critical areas. Departments will implement further reductions in fallranging from reduced free offerings to shorter operating hours in some campus servicesin support of these financial goals Research innovation at the University of Wyoming will be celebrated with a variety of events during UW Innovation Week Tuesday-Friday, Sept. 2-5. UW Innovation Week celebrates innovations being developed through research and programs that support university entrepreneurs -- faculty, students and staff. At UW, innovation means translating scientific, creative and cutting-edge technologies into technologies that become products; new ventures that impact the local and state economies; and an educated workforce that gives Wyoming a competitive advantage. Innovation is at the heart of UWs origin and mission as a land-grant university. An Accelerating Research Translation award from the National Science Foundation is part of the ecosystem that has enabled UW to create mechanisms to translate basic research into tangible outcomes. UW is an economic engine for Wyoming, with its innovations and startups benefiting the community, the state and the country. Over the last two years, the university has invested significantly in its innovation ecosystem, says Parag Chitnis, UWs vice president for research and economic development. Innovation Week celebrates how the University of Wyoming is turning scientific, creative and entrepreneurial know-how into real-world impact -- giving Wyoming a competitive edge, building our workforce and improving quality of life for all residents. The lineup for UW Innovation week includes guest speakers, networking opportunities, workshops, a Technology Transfer Office open house, CO-WY ASCEND (NSF Engines) After Hours, and launch of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Student Entrepreneurship Club. All events are open to all UW faculty, researchers, staff and students. A Lunch and Learn program, scheduled noon-1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, on the NSFs Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is open to all startups and small businesses that would like to learn more. Elizabeth Mirowski, NSF SBIR program director, will be the keynote speaker for the Lunch and Learn event. What we are hoping to achieve is an increased focus on and a celebration of activities and programs at the university that help bring innovations to market, says Arundeep Pradhan, UWs deputy vice president for research and innovation. The Small Business Development Center, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, UWs IMPACT 307 incubator and the Technology Transfer Office are examples of those programs and investments. For the schedule of events, go to www.uwyo.edu/innovation/innovation-week/. For more information, email Nicholas Giraldo at ngiraldo@uwyo.edu. Vietnam Briefing has developed into a premium source for insight on doing business in Vietnam. It publishes business news concerning foreign direct investment into Vietnam, including the most important tax, legal and accounting issues. The Vietnam Briefing Magazine was first published in 2009, and is contributed to by investment professionals based in Vietnam. A federal judge on Thursday granted the Justice Department's request to drop two of 14 charges against Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and his wife, both of whom were indicted last year on conspiracy and bribery charges regarding alleged ties to Azerbaijan and Mexico. U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal also pushed back the couple's trial from Sept. 22 to April 6, 2026, after the prosecution and defense requested the delay. The trial in Houston is expected to last five weeks, according to prosecutors. The two counts that were dismissed pertained to Cuellar's alleged violation of the federal prohibition on public officials acting as foreign agents. The dismissal comes after Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a February memo limiting criminal charges filed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The lawmaker and his wife are accused of accepting $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-owned gas and oil company and a bank in Mexico City, per the May 2024 indictment. In exchange for the bribes, Cuellar allegedly agreed to use his seat on Capitol Hill to influence U.S. foreign policy benefiting Azerbaijan and to pressure officials in the executive branch regarding measures that would advance the Mexican bank's interests. Cuellar and his wife have maintained their innocence. The defendants still face 12 charges for conspiracy, bribery, and money laundering. Featured Local Savings Notably, the April 2026 trial date is set to arrive one month after the Texas primary election and one month before the runoff. Cuellar, who has held on to his House seat since 2005, is running for reelection next year. DOJ CHARGES FIVE CARTEL LEADERS, SEEKS $26 MILLION BOUNTIES Former GOP Rep. Mayra Flores is challenging the embattled Democratic incumbent. Flores ran against Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) in the past two election cycles but lost both races. Cuellar's trial faced a previous delay last year in the months leading up to the 2024 election. If the new date holds, the trial will now take place nearly two years after he and his wife were first charged. Brace yourselves, Im going to kink shame. Though it might feel good in the moment, tying your commitment-phobic boyfriend to the bed is not appropriate sexual behavior. Such is the lesson of Oh, Hi!, an off-kilter romantic comedy that may well be the most outrageously entertaining movie of the summer. A story of desire, frustration, and clashing expectations, the film presents the battle between the sexes as a slapdash, bondage-inflected folie a deux. Sound ridiculous? I cant say otherwise. But it is also a work of exceptional creativity and charm. Oh, Hi! stars Molly Gordon as Iris, a 20-something New Yorker caught up in the bliss of early romance. Iriss partner, the dapper Isaac (Logan Lerman), is the kind of fellow who delivers foot rubs before whipping up a batch of perfectly grilled scallops. Sure, the guy looks like what my generation would call a player, but that cant possibly be whats going on here. No mere situationship could make a man smile so shyly, gaze so deeply, or make love so fervently at least not as far as the already smitten Iris has allowed herself to believe. The action takes place at a remote cabin by a lake, a location plainly meant to evoke the setting of Misery (1990), the movies spiritual if not tonal cousin. Here, as in Rob Reiners film, isolation leads not only to mischief but to a sense that the normal rules of behavior have been set aside. When, angered during some light restraint play, Iris leaves her beau tied up, the viewer is surprised but not stunned. Such a move would never work in a Park Slope room share. A dozen miles from nowhere, however, it makes a perverse kind of sense. The couples quarrel is as old as the sexual revolution itself. Iris, having entered into an intimate relationship with a man, wants a modicum of respect in the form of romantic exclusivity. Isaac, having bagged a hot chick, wants to bag others. It is to writer-director Sophie Brookss great credit that the picture takes Iriss side completely, never mind the sexual-equality dogmas of Womens Lib. Though Iris is desperate, manic, and increasingly unhinged, Isaac is in the wrong. You made me like you, Iris asserts of the young mans romantic manipulations. Only a viewer blinded by ideology could fail to nod along. This is not to say that our heroine is not a self-sabotaging dupe. Without question, she is. Indeed, were Oh, Hi! even slightly less frank in its portrayal of fornication, I might show the film to my daughter, who, like all teenage girls, deserves to know the truth about the contemporary sexual economy. Iris has perhaps five more years of peak beauty and fertility, a span during which Isaac could conceivably bed dozens of women. To sleep with him without first demanding commitment is about the stupidest move that Iris can make. Why buy the cow if you can well, ask your grandmother how the rest of it goes. Featured Local Savings Another way to put all of this is that Oh, Hi! speaks eloquently to issues that I care about. For other audiences, the films lightness of touch will have to do. Given its plotting, Brookss movie could easily have made Iris into a harridan and Isaac into a sociopathic rogue. That neither occurs says much about the poise and humor with which the young filmmaker handles her idea. Much of the pictures work was finished when its director cast it correctly. A veteran of the Amazon alternate-history series Hunters, Lerman manages to play caddishness without sliding into unlikability. No mean feat. Gordon, meanwhile, is at least as lovely and watchable here as she is in The Bear, where she plays Carmys sometime girlfriend, Claire. For the films first half-hour, the duo ropes us in with the ease of their romantic chemistry, carrying the plot forward with almost no assistance from other actors. By the time the straps go on, were already cheering for the relationship. Perhaps trouble lies ahead, but surely these kids are smart enough to realize what they have in each other. JUDGES WITH WHISTLES I will not reveal whether they are and do. Suffice it to say that Iriss gambit is the kind of move that can focus a mans attention, especially after the first 12 hours or so of confinement. Though the movie eventually approaches absurdity, especially after two of Iriss friends drop by, its emotional stakes are never less than compelling. Not for the first time in the last few months, I found myself cheering the slow but steady return of romantic comedies to the multiplex. Put together well, they offer a moviegoing experience that has, for at least a decade, been sorely missed. Yet Oh, Hi! would be laudable regardless of its timing. Like Whiplash (2014) and Baby Driver (2017), two other propulsive one-offs that have bucked the sequel trend in recent(ish) years, Brookss film bursts onto the screen fully formed, utterly self-confident, and with a good-hearted wink. I would have happily strapped myself down for another hour of it, no safe word required. Graham Hillard is an editor at the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal and a Washington Examiner magazine contributing writer. Sad news unfolded in Waterford on Thursday as the body of a man was recovered from the water at Boatstrand following a large-scale search operation. The man, aged in his sixties, was much-loved father of 10 and grandfather Francis (Boots) Casey, of Woodstown, Annestown, Co. Waterford. Francis' funeral arrangements have since been announced on RIP.ie. He will be reposing at his residence (X91PK8N) this Sunday, August 17, from 2.00pm to 8.00pm, with house private outside reposing times. Removal from his home will take place on Monday, August 18, for Requiem Mass on arrival at 12 noon to The Immaculate Conception Church, Fenor, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. Family flowers only, donations, if desired, to Bonmahon Lifeboat. A search operation took place at Boatstrand yesterday morning. Photo: Joe Evans Francis is predeceased by his parents Edmond and Bridget, his brother Bernard and sister-in-law Helen. He is sorely missed by his loving wife Mary, sons Eddie, John Paul, Philip, Ray, Brendan, Peter, Colm, David, Luke and Jer, sisters Anne and Maudy, brother Michael, daughter-in-laws, grandchildren, aunt Eileen, nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours and friends. May he Rest in Peace. Loved ones of Ian Walsh gathered last week for his cremation service, following his tragic and unexpected death in his home. Ian (49), originally from the Kilcohan area of Waterford City, was found in his home at Ravenswood, on the Cregg Road, in Carrick-on-Suir, by family members at around 2am on Monday, August 4. The avid rail enthusiast and Irish Rail employee was unresponsive and had sustained several visible injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services. The late Ian Walsh. Gardai subsequently launched a murder investigation following a postmortem examination. On Tuesday, August 12, mourners made their way into the Island Crematorium, Ringaskiddy, Cork, to say their final goodbyes. During the service, a selection of songs, which reflected Mr. Walshs life, were played. As mourners entered, Christy Moores Lisdoonvarna echoed the distinct stone halls of the Island Crematorium. A candle was placed on his coffin by loved ones as 'N17' by the Saw Doctors began to play. Lastly, Queens 'Breakthru' rang out, as blue glass doors shut over Ians coffin, bringing a close to the life of a man who was respected, passionate and loved. Since his tragic death, tributes have poured in. He is remembered by many as being a passionate and highly knowledgeable rail enthusiast and cyclist. Iarnrod Eireann paid tribute to him in a statement last week. All of us in Iarnrod Eireann are shocked and saddened at Ians passing. Ian was a well-known and popular colleague across the company, both in his working life in roles from catering to signalling, and for his passion for railway and transport tourism and heritage, it said. Fellow Irish Rail workers described him as "a first class signalman". "His knowledge of the rules and regulations, the working of the railway was astounding," one mourner said. "Few if any people had as great a knowledge of the Irish Rail system that Ian did and he used this for the benefit of others," another wrote on RIP.ie Ian Walsh is predeceased by his father Philip and grandparents. He will be forever missed by his heartbroken mother Breda Forristal, his brother Paul and Paul's partner Rachel. He is also mourned by his uncle Mick Forristal and family, godmother Marian Butler, his work colleagues at Irish Rail and his many friends at Bus Eireann. He is fondly remembered by Mary McCahill, wife of the late Philip Walsh, and Aishling Fogarty, extended family and his large circle of friends. Investigations into the man's tragic death continue. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned Pakistan against future nuclear conflict between the two countries on India's Independence Day Friday. Friday marks 78 years since India declared its independence from British colonial rule. India's leader addressed the country from the 17th-century Red Fort, saying that India has established a "new normal" that does not draw differences between terrorists and terrorism sympathizers. He also said he would not tolerate Pakistan's "nuclear blackmail." Pakistan is one of 9 countries, also including India, with access to nuclear weapons. India has decided that it will not tolerate nuclear threats. For a long time, nuclear blackmail had been going on but this blackmail will not be tolerated now, Modi said. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday announced a new Army Rocket Force Command to boost his country's defense ability. Modi's comments are also potentially a response to the Pakistani army's chief of staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who threatened India with nuclear retaliation if Pakistan came under threat. "We are a nuclear nation; if we think we are going down, we'll take half the world down with us," he said, according to Indian press, at a gathering of the Pakistani community in Tampa, Florida. He also reportedly acknowledged that a "bilateral conflict due to any mistake by India would be a huge blunder." The back-and-forth illustrates the status of nations' shaky ceasefire. Pakistan and India have warred for decades with the most recent iteration back in May. The two nations battled for four days with missile and drone strikes until a U.S. peace effort helped the nations come to a ceasefire. The conflict was sparked by a massacre in Indian-controlled Kashmir by a gunman who killed 26 people. Pakistan denied responsibility before India launched strikes on "terrorist infrastructure" in their rival country. Featured Local Savings Terror infrastructure was turned to rubble, Modi said in his speech on Friday. Modi also hinted during his speech that India would continue its unilateral suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, which grants water-sharing of the Indus River. Rivers from India were irrigating the lands of enemies while my countrys farmers and land faced a deficiency of water, Modi said. India has now decided that blood and water will not flow together. Pakistan said any effort to divert water away from them would be considered an "act of war." Modi did not mention Trump's tariffs on India in his speech. The president recently enforced a 25% levy on India and 25% additional tariff for buying oil from Russia. The Indian Prime Minister has resisted efforts to open the country's markets for risk of angering farmers, a major voting bloc. India will not compromise on the interest of farmers, he said. Modi vowed to build a "self-reliant India" that will, among other things, produce its own semiconductor chips. TRUMP SECONDARY TARIFFS ON INDIA COULD HAVE RIPPLE EFFECT ON GLOBAL OIL SUPPLY I want to tell our citizens, our youth, and everyone who understands the power of technology, that by the end of this year, Made in India semiconductor chips will be available in the market, he said. It's unclear where the India-U.S. trade talks are headed. Indian commerce secretary Sunil Barthwal told reporters Thursday that India remained fully engaged with the US in trade negotiations." Ahead of a Parish Pilgrimage Walk in Waterford the organisers have issued a public safety notice to attendees. In connection with The Parish Pilgrimage Walk, as part of the Jubilee Year of Hope, the Parish Pastoral Council in Dunmore East is organising a Parish Pilgrimage Walk to Holy Trinity Cathedral in Waterford City. The walk will take place on Saturday, September 13. However, the organisers are mindful of people's safety and one of those involved commented: "As the roads from any of our churches to the city are not the safest for such a venture, those participating will gather at St Marys Church, Ballygunner, at 9.30am and walk from there to the Cathedral, arriving for Mass at 12noon." Those who won't be walking are invited to join with the parishioners at the Cathedral for the Mass. All ages are welcome to attend, but those under 18 should be accompanied by a parent or grandparent. This week, the Waterford Indian Sangam joined in the protests and talks held in Dublin over the rising attacks on members of the Indian community across Ireland. Founder of the Sangam Senthil Ramaswamy attended the peaceful protests outside Leinster House, calling for a proactive approach from the Government in quelling racist attacks. According to Mr Ramaswamy, the Indian community had a 'productive' meeting with Tanaiste Simon Harris and Minister of State Colm Brophy about the recent spate of attacks and other issues affecting the community. They discussed a number of different avenues in tackling racism in Ireland, including adopting a zero-tolerance policy, support for victims of racist attacks and establishing educational tools for schools to combat racism. In their meeting with Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan, the Minister expressed concern that 'most of these attacks appear to be carried out by young people and emphasized that such behaviour is unacceptable.' The community submitted a petition to Taoiseach Micheal Martin, calling for accountability of perpetrators of racist attacks, supports for victims and for the review and strengthening of anti-racist policies to deter further attacks. Rising attacks In Waterford, a 6-year-old child of Indian descent was reportedly attacked by a group of boys in their early teens. Gardai are investigating the incident. In Dublin there have been several racist-fuelled attacks on Indian people reported in the last month. In a recent article in The Irish Times, Conor Gallagher reported that Gardai have difficulty in recording crime victim's ethnicity and in establishing a pattern of targeted abuse. He wrote: "However, after combing through the data, they determined there had been no significant increase in Indians living in Ireland being so targeted." According to Mr Ramaswamy: "There has been a clear increase in racist attacks against Indians in Ireland in 2024-2025, with several high-profile incidents reported. "As of August 2025, 60 hate crime cases remain open, and Gardai are investigating these incidents." 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 For Rebecca F. Kuang, the easiest way to resist the internet is to carry a phone that wont cooperate. It doesnt glow, buzz, or beg for her attention and she prefers it that way. Its a statement of defiance against the glowing promise that apps would make us more connected and productive. Instead, Kuang says, theyve shredded attention spans and left us more alone than ever. My phones basically a brick. It cant access most apps, she says. People cant send me TikTok links. I can never see them. Of course, a lot of stuff is going to get caught in the net, but on the whole, its great because I spend so much more time reading and writing and cooking and being grounded in the world around me and very little time online. No X, no TikTok, no doom spiral of headlines a notable abstinence, given the starring role the internet played in her bestselling 2023 novel Yellowface, a razor-edged literary satire about a struggling white writer who swipes the manuscript and identity of her dead Chinese friend, only to face the wrath of the online mob. Rebecca Kuang photographed at the Boston Public Library. Credit: Ben Sklar That was my internet novel. It was really me getting the internet out of my system. Im actually pretty extreme about digital minimalism, Kuang, who publishes as R.F. Kuang, says. I knew I was never going to write a book like Yellowface again because that just was not a sustainable way for me to be in the world, so I felt like this freedom to do whatever I wanted with the next book. It will probably appeal to a different set of readers, and thats exciting to me, like Im tired of talking about Yellowface. Kuang is in her husband Bennett Eckert-Kuangs study in their Boston home when we speak over video not her natural habitat. Enclosed spaces, she explains, feel stifling; she prefers to work somewhere open, where the air can move and the light can spill in. But today, the fading light cuts across her face, artfully preparing us for the shadows of her new novel. Advertisement Yellowface looks down on delegates at the publishers stand during the first day of the London Book Fair in 2023. Credit: In Pictures via Getty Images If you havent read Yellowface, youve almost certainly seen it the bold, winking yellow cover staring back at you from bookshop tables and BookTok. Inside, Kuang skewers the publishing industry and the chronically online mindset with a scalpel and a smirk: taking on how technology has rewired the way we consume art, perform outrage, and weaponise accountability. Its been optioned for a scripted television series with Karyn Kusama (The Invitation, Yellowjackets, Girlfight) attached to direct. While Yellowface was strikingly topical and opened the door to a wider readership, Kuang had already been forging her path through the searing landscapes of historical fantasy with The Poppy War trilogy (20182020) and Babel (2022). Drawing on mid-20th-century Chinese history and begun when she was just 19, The Poppy War was no overnight success Kuang admits she initially felt sick to my stomach every time she thought about sales but word of mouth gradually built momentum. Meanwhile, Babel, set in 1830s England, became a BookTok hit. This steady rise meant, Kuang says, the sudden attention from Yellowface never messed me up. Rebecca Kuang attends the 2023 TIME100 Next in 2023. Credit: Getty Images As she critiqued publishings pigeonholing of authors in Yellowface, Kuang herself refuses to be confined by genre or expectation. Almost as soon as she penned the novel, Kuang admits she was bored with the frenetic, internet-fuelled tone that is omnipresent in todays literary landscape eager instead to explore new territories, both thematically and stylistically, in her work. I feel like Im still very young, and I want room to grow, so to be typecast now would feel stifling and murderous to me, she says. I think there is this sort of resistant delight to defying categorisation because when you are pretty overtly racialised or gendered, as so many people are, you do always want to be acting out against expectation. Advertisement That resentment of expectation is not what drives me. Its just something I find psychologically interesting about myself. What drives me is wanting to evolve as an artist with every project. I think it never got to my head or messed me up because Im really good at moving on to the next project. Shes also grown wary of publishings other obsession youth. In a recent piece for Time headlined Olivia Rodrigo and the Impossible Pressure to Stay a Prodigy, Kuang, 29, reflects on the pressure of being young in the literary world. The scepticism that has met her, the interest in her age rather than work, and the anxiety that the apex of her career might have come and gone. Its really stupid, I think, that we are so obsessed with young authors in literature. Literature is one of the one things that you only get better at as you get older, Kuang says. I hope Im not in my prime. I hope that my prime is decades away. Kuang might not realise it yet, given her self-imposed social media ban, but her readers are already gearing up for her sixth novel out this month. Roll your eyes at BookTokers if you like, but theyre busily assembling reading lists heavy with Homer, Virgil, Ovid, and Dante as they prepare for the release of Katabasis a richly layered, genre-bending dive into the underworld. (The title comes from the Greek word meaning descent). Rebecca Kuangs new novel, Katabasis, plays with classic texts about the afterlife. Credit: Ben Sklar In Katabasis, Cambridge doctoral student Alice Law and her nemesis Peter Murdoch wield pentagram magic to descend into the Eight Courts of Hell, all in a desperate bid to rescue their professors soul without him, their crucial recommendation letter is lost. The novel deftly plays with the classical stages of the underworld journey the descent, the ordeal, and the return (anabasis) while tipping its hat to Alice in Wonderland, T.S. Eliots The Waste Land, and even drawing from the surreal dreamscapes of Dali. Advertisement If youre counting subgenres, its a clever mashup of dark academia and historical fantasy, with an enemies-to-lovers twist. And while this might seem underworlds apart from Yellowface, Kuang is as critical as ever, cutting through the pretension, privilege, and politics of academia. If Babels Oxford setting allowed an examination of the institutions historical role as a facilitator of imperial projects, Katabasis focuses on the interpersonal the inflated egos, the skewed priorities and values, and the fraught, often toxic, relationships between students and teachers. I think of them as a duology that deals with why I love the academy so much and cant step away but why I am increasingly uncomfortable with it, Kuang says, perfectly placed to say so, having roamed some of the worlds most elite academic halls. From her undergraduate years at Georgetown University to graduate degrees at Cambridge and Oxford, shes now teaching and finishing a PhD in sinology at Yale. Her research spans Chinese-language literature and Asian American writing, focusing on Chinese American and Chinese diaspora authors and their explorations of travel, language, geography, and storytelling. Kuang who was born in Guangzhou, China, moved with her parents to Dallas, Texas, when she was four grew up in a household that valued literature highly and was always drawn to fantasy. Rebecca Kuang says she enjoys defying expectations when it comes to genres and styles. Credit: Ben Sklar She started her PhD the same year as her husband, whos pursuing philosophy at MIT, started his. They recently celebrated their first anniversary. While some couples spend their evenings arguing over whether a potato is too far gone to cook for dinner, theirs seems to involve lively debates on logic paradoxes and the quirks of rational decision-making, conversations about which inspired Katabasis. I just fell in love with the idea of logic paradoxes, especially paradoxes of rational decision-making, which feels very pertinent to how we live our lives, Kuang says. There are so many paradoxes where you make a series of decisions that seem like youre better off at every stage, and then suddenly you find yourself in a far worse position than you anticipated, with no way to claw out of it. And that seemed like a lovely way to describe being in a PhD program. Rebecca Kuang has been writing novels since she was 19. Advertisement Kuangs academic and creative worlds have never been separate they flow into one another. Her novels are set on campuses or in educational institutions, and weave in her scholarly pursuits. Her advisors often remind her to rein in her signature point of view, reminding her shes writing an essay, not fiction. I find it very difficult to keep the creative voice from seeping into my academic work. Im always having conversations with my advisor about how my academic writing needs to be a little less opinionated and have a little less of that spunk and flair that I like to bring to my fiction prose. Having reached new heights after Yellowface, Kuang could now write full-time. When asked why she hasnt stepped away from academia, the answer is simple: I like it. I feel like Im still very young, and I want room to grow, so to be typecast now would feel stifling and murderous to me. I wish I had a more sophisticated answer than that, but I think Im in a lucky position where I have multiple career options. I could be a full-time author, I could be a full-time academic, and I just enjoy both too much to give either of them up. I always tell myself, the moment it stops being engaging, Ill step away, Kuang says. For all that is frustrating and broken about academia, Im still committed to this core promise of inquiry and curiosity and sharing it with others, and I do still regularly feel that when I step into a classroom. She didnt feel the weight of expectation after Yellowface no sudden compulsion to chase its sharp success or bottle its biting style. Instead, she slipped quietly into her next chapter, boarding a flight to Taipei to plunge straight into research for a new book. Advertisement He has created some of the most distinctive, mind-bending and just plain weird movies of the last 40 years, but for writer and director Tim Burton he of Beetlejuice, Batman and Edward Scissorhands fame it was a late-career turn to television that left him feeling out of his depth. Ive never really done it before, says the 66-year-old. Thats true. But for me, it didnt seem any different than making a movie. I mean, we worked a little quicker, it was a little bit more juggling a lot more things in terms of [a] different kind of structure, which I wasnt really used to at all. (From left) Emma Myers, Jenna Ortega, and Gwendoline Christie with Tim Burton, Miles Millar and Alfred Gough at a super fandom launch on Cockatoo Island. Credit: Louise Kennerley Burton was on a flying visit to Sydney with the cast and creators of Wednesday, The Addams Family spin-off that in 2022 became Netflixs most-watched English-language show of all time, with 252 million views. The series follows the familys teenage daughter as she tries to solve a murder mystery at her school, Nevermore Academy. In typical Burton style, and in keeping with Addams Family lore, its creepy and kooky with a deeply black sense of humour. I wasnt really an Addams Family fan, per se, but the character Wednesday I really identified with, he says. When I read it, I felt exactly her worldview, I felt same way about school, family, psychiatry, society. So for me, it was a character that, even though Im a middle-aged man, I felt very much like Wednesday. In The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly describes her assistant Andy Sachs as fetching. She fetches her boss coffee, her lunches and her dry-cleaning. She even manages to fetch an unpublished Harry Potter manuscript for Priestlys daughters. While Sachs may no longer be Priestlys fetching assistant in the highly anticipated sequel, which premieres in May 2026, she will arguably always be remembered as the person without whom her boss could not function the unsung hero of Runway magazine. Sachs is in good company. Many other executive assistants have crossed our screens, characters who toggle between being a professional right hand and a personal life coach every day of the week. Executive assistants have long graced our screens, but they rarely get the role right. Credit: Compiled by Aresna Villanueva. Decades before Sachs, there was Radar OReilly from M*A*S*H , the company clerk who was one step ahead of his commanding officers needs and the arrival of casualty-filled helicopters. On the big screen, Miss Moneypenny is perhaps one of the most famous office admins in film history. Secretary to James Bonds superior, M, at MI6, she appeared across several Bond films, though she was normally seen flirting rather than filing. ANCHORAGE, Alaska Russian President Vladimir Putin has been pressed twice by reporters during his high-stakes summit with President Donald Trump in Alaska on whether he would commit to stopping the killing of civilians. "President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?" a reporter asked Putin on Friday after Trump and Putin shook hands on the tarmac of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. TRUMP AND PUTIN START HIGH-STAKES IN-PERSON MEETING TO END RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR Putin, who speaks English, tapped his ear and shrugged, signaling he could not hear or understand. Trump and Putin then stepped into the presidential limousine, known as The Beast, accompanied only by a driver and Secret Service agent for the short commute to the summit site elsewhere on the base, and were captured on camera laughing in the back seat. Once at the summit site, against a background of United States and Russian flags, in addition to a banner emblazoned with the words "Pursuing Peace," Putin was asked the same question. This time, he seemed to respond, but his reaction was impossible to hear over the cacophony of the chaos in the room. Trump and Putin are now scheduled to take part in a three-on-three meeting attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Russian foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov, addressing critics' concerns regarding Trump being alone in a room with Putin, a former Russian intelligence officer. After the meeting, the group of six is expected to be expanded for a sit-down lunch before an anticipated joint press conference, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. The summit is being held under the pretense of discussing Putin's three-year war in Ukraine, but the Russian has indicated his preference for the conversation to also touch on economic issues and a nuclear arms treaty. Read more from the Washington Examiner on the Trump-Putin meeting: Featured Local Savings TRUMP LOOKS TO APPLY LESSONS FROM HELSINKI IN FACE-TO-FACE WITH PUTIN TRUMP-PUTIN SUMMIT: THE REALITY OF WHERE THINGS STAND ON THE UKRAINE BATTLEFIELD TRUMP THREATENS SEVERE CONSEQUENCES FOR PUTIN: NOT DOING THIS FOR MY HEALTH Texas House Democrats who fled the state nearly two weeks ago to block a redistricting plan favoring Republicans are expected to return home this weekend. The Texas House Democratic Caucus announced Thursday that the lawmakers will return once the legislature wraps up a special session on redistricting efforts and California releases its proposal to redraw political maps, both of which are set to happen Friday. Texas House Democrats broke quorum and successfully mobilized the nation against Trumps assault on minority voting rights, said state Rep. Gene Wu, the House Democratic leader. Now, as Democrats across the nation join our fight to cause these maps to fail their political purpose, were prepared to bring this battle back to Texas under the right conditions and to take this fight to the courts. Lawmakers are following the advice of legal counsel to return to the state to build a strong public legislative record for an upcoming battle against redrawn maps in Texas, according to a press release from the caucus. Dozens of Democratic lawmakers left Texas on Aug. 3 to prevent a vote on a redistricting plan backed by President Donald Trump. Republicans hope the plan will grow their majority in the House by five seats. Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) called a special session to discuss the plan in the state legislature. However, the strategy stalled when Democrats fled to Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, and California to break the quorum and prevent a vote from coming to the floor. Featured Local Savings The special session is set to adjourn on Friday, according to Abbott and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows. GOP leaders will gavel in a second special session shortly thereafter, allowing Republicans to move forward with redistricting efforts. Democrats act like theyre not going to come back as long as this is an issue, Abbott said. That means theyre not going to come back until like 2027 or 2028 because Im going to call special session after special session after special session with the same agenda items on there. Outrage against Republicans' plans to redraw district lines in Texas has fueled momentum for similar redistricting efforts favoring Democrats in other states, including California. NEWSOM TO CALL NOVEMBER SPECIAL ELECTIONS TO APPROVE NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAPS In that state, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has led efforts to redraw political boundaries to help Democrats win five more House seats, which would offset any gains Republicans hope to make in Texas. On Thursday, the California governor formally launched the state's redistricting program. A draft of the Democrats proposed maps is expected to be released on Friday. The Priestly Society of St. Pius X, a traditionalist Catholic society that has experienced a troubled relationship with the church hierarchy since the 1970s, has been approved for a pilgrimage to the Vatican later this month. The society's pilgrimage has been added to the Vatican's calendar in the ongoing jubilee year, a time of celebration and forgiveness of sins held in the Catholic Church every 25 years. SSPX's inclusion is notable due to the society's irregular canonical status, a designation that signifies a lack of full communion with the Catholic Church. "Following in the footsteps of its founder, Archbishop Lefebvre, the Society of St. Pius X is making its third Jubilee pilgrimage to the Eternal City," James Vogel, the society's director of communications, told the Washington Examiner. He continued, "As Catholics, it is equal parts penance, to obtain the indulgence, to proclaim our attachment to the Holy Father, and in a special way, for the Church to 'regain Her splendor' for the salvation of souls." However, approval to participate in the pilgrimage does not signify endorsement or sponsorship from the Vatican. Church leaders previously clarified this stance regarding a pro-LGBT Catholic group that received approval for a prayer vigil in 2024. While the presence of a new pope has drawn speculation about whether the pilgrimage will open doors for dialogue, SSPX has been preparing for the trip since before Pope Francis's death in April. "We are going to Rome to purify ourselves of our sins, to obtain indulgences for our sins and to sanctify our souls in this city of grace," the SSPX said of the pilgrimage in a letter published in February. "We will go to Rome to proclaim and manifest our unwavering attachment to the Apostolic See, to the Pope, successor of Peter and Vicar of Christ, to the bishops, successors of the Apostles, to the priests, their collaborators, and to the Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church." "We will go to Rome, simply because we are Catholics, children of the Church, and because we want to remain Catholics no matter what happens," it added. The priestly fraternity, named in honor of the anti-modernist Pope St. Pius X, was founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre as a response to liturgical reforms made in the Second Vatican Council (also known as Vatican II). SSPX priests only celebrate the "Traditional Latin Mass," an all-Latin liturgy codified in 1570, and claim the "New Mass" as formalized in Vatican II is inferior and insufficiently reverent. "In the new rite, man has become more of the focus, not so much God," the fraternity asserts on its website about the standard form of mass propagated after Vatican II. "The traditional Mass, on the contrary, focuses on the worship of God and the true sacrificial nature of the Mass. The group also laments a perceived drift within the Church toward the error of "modernism." "Truth, according to the modernist, depends upon each individuals subjective perceptions and beliefs, not upon any objective, universal order descending from God," the SSPX website explains. "Truth thus changes from person to person, from age to age, from place to place, and modernism insists that human reason alone can determine what is right and wrong, good and bad, true and false." The zenith of the SSPX's feud with the Vatican followed Lefebvre's decision in 1988 to illicitly consecrate four bishops without Rome's approval and in explicit disregard of warnings from then-Pope John Paul II. The pontiff ruled this was a "schismatic act." Both consecrators and those consecrated were punished with automatic excommunication, a penalty Lefebvre disputed until he died in 1991. Featured Local Savings The struggle between the group and the Vatican continued for decades as restrictions were tightened on the Traditional Latin Mass. Not until Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005 did church leadership approach the irregular community with a mind toward reconciliation. Benedict lifted the excommunications on the four bishops consecrated by Lefebvre in 2009, hoping the gesture would be "followed by the prompt attainment of full communion with the Church on the part of the whole Society of St Pius X." Full communion did not manifest. Dialogue on liturgical and theological disagreements stalled and eventually sputtered out before Benedict resigned from the papacy in 2013. Subsequently, Pope Francis granted SSPX priests a slow trickle of faculties, such as the ability to officiate marriages or perform the sacrament of absolution in limited circumstances. At the same time, Francis launched a campaign of suppression against the Traditional Latin Mass, expressing concern that faith communities which refused to accept alternative liturgies were suffering from a "nostalgic disease." Pope Leo XIV, elected in May to head the Catholic Church, remains mysterious regarding his positions on the Latin Mass and the SSPX. His emphasis on unity and small movements toward accommodating the Latin Mass has raised some hope for a breakthrough. Fr. John Fullerton, the District Superior of SSPX in the United States, called the first American pope's election a "momentous occasion." Following the pope's ascension, Fullerton called on clergy and laity to "pour out our prayers for the Pope with all the fervor we can muster." He added, "May Pope Leo XIV faithfully fill the shoes of St. Peter and strengthen the faithful, spread the Gospel, and never waver in telling the world that what it needs above all else is Our Lord Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection gives all men and women hope of eternal life." SSPX's pilgrimage will culminate with a procession at the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, the seat of the Bishop of Rome and the mother church for the entire faith, on Aug. 20, the day of Pope St. Pius X's death. POPE THRILLS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YOUNG CATHOLICS AT HOLY YEAR YOUTH FESTIVAL This will not be SSPX's first jubilee in Rome. Their first pilgrimage was in 1975 when the society was canonically regular. The second trip was in 2000, when the society was still relatively small, as a gesture of fidelity to Rome despite then-standing excommunications against their bishops. SSPX now self-reports 780 clergy members and approximately 600,000 laity attending its mass centers. It operates six seminaries and is present in over 60 countries across six continents. The 2025 pilgrimage is seen as an opportunity for them to display their growing numbers and reaffirm their allegiance to the pope amid ongoing confusion about the future of their canonical status. Tom Tuite A 20-year-old student has been charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault of another male in Dublin four years ago. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was aged 16 and a juvenile at the time of the sexual abuse over a three month period in 2021. He was arrested on Friday and charged with six counts of rape and eight for sexual assault at a specific address in south Co Dublin. He appeared before Judge John Brennan at a late sitting of Dublin District Court. Detective Garda Liam Conway said the young mans replied No when each charge was put to him. The court heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that the man would face trial on indictment. That means, due to the nature of some of the charges, he will be tried in the Central Criminal Court. Detective Garda Conway confirmed that the accused was a minor when the alleged offences occured and there was no objection to bail provided he obeyed a series of conditions. Judge Brennan ordered him to provide gardai with a contact phone number, remain contactable at all times, notify them of any address change, sign on at a north Dublin Garda station, and surrender his passport. Furthermore, he told the man that it was as conditions of bail that must not communicate with the complainant, directly or indirectly, including by social media. Defence counsel Kevin McCrave consulted with the accused who did not address the court, before telling the judge that his client consented to those terms. Judge Brennan warned there would be consequences for breaching them and the barrister stressed that he would explain that to his client, who has yet indicate a plea. Bail was set at 750 and he was ordered to appear at the Childrens Court in September to be served with a book of evidence and returned for trial to the Central Criminal Court. Legal aid was granted after the court heard the accused was a student, on social welfare and unemployed. A decision to temporarily suspend mammogram services at Mayo University Hospital (MUH) has been branded pathetic. There are major concerns following confirmation that the service has been suspended due to the recent retirement of the hospitals radiographer. Minister of State Alan Dillon said he has received numerous representations from constituents in Mayo worried about the impact this service disruption will have. He has made formal representations to the HSE on the matter and has also contacted the office of the Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll-McNeill. This is a deeply regrettable situation for Mayo patients who rely on Mayo University Hospital for vital mammogram services. Equality of access to healthcare is a fundamental right, and Mayo people deserve the same standard of timely care as anyone else in the country," said Minister Dillon. The HSE has confirmed that, in the interim, all mammogram appointments are being transferred to Galway, and that recruitment of a new radiographer has already been completed, with the successful candidate due to begin in early 2026. Efforts to secure a temporary replacement in the meantime are continuing. "The people of Mayo deserve fairness and equality of access to healthcare services. I will continue to do all I can to ensure mammogram services are restored to Mayo University Hospital without delay, Minister Dillon added. Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne said with five TDs in the county this situation should never have been allowed to occur. This represents a further downgrading of the health services in Mayo, said Cllr Kilcoyne. Its pathetic. We have five TDs, including two Ministers, and they arent doing anything. They should be on to the Minister for Health asking why is this happening. Cllr Kilcoyne said patients are only learning of the situation when they are receiving an appointment moving their treatment to Galway. He said he will raise the issue at the next HSE Health Forum. Planning has been approved for the demolition of a derelict building in a South Mayo village to pave the way for an apartment development. Mayo County Council has given the green light for the project in Shrule. The local authority granted planning permission to CKP Properties, a Kerry-based company, to demolish a two-storey derelict building in the centre of Shrule and construct four new apartment units. The two-storey building, which currently has no roof or windows, is located along the N84 on Main Street and was formerly known as Kavanagh's. The developer aims to build four two-storey apartments units in its place. Three of the apartments will be located on the existing footprint with a fourth to be constructed at the rear. A submission from Lola Donoghue, who owns a studio close by, raised concerns over the impact the proposed development on her studio. My concerns stem from the significant impact this development would have on my studio, particularly the disruption of the natural light essential to my work as an artist. The proposed development will negatively impact the use of my property, she stated in her submission. Ms Donoghue also expressed concern that the proposed demolition of the traditional shopfront would "erase a part of our local history" which should be preserved. "I would also argue that such facades are intrinsic to Irelands design heritage and should be preserved wherever possible," he stated. However, the local authority gave the project the go-ahead. The Surf Ballroom and Museum was packed Thursday night as Democrats from across the state gathered for the annual Democratic Wing Ding fundraiser. The evening of food and camaraderie featured fiery campaign speeches from the Iowa Democratic Party's roster of candidates for midterm and state elections. The night began with a moment of silence for former Wing Ding chair Randy Black, who died earlier this year, and Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman, the Minnesota state representative and former Wing Ding participant who was assassinated in June. The 23rd annual event featured Iowa gubernatorial candidates Rob Sand and Julie Stauch, along with keynote speaker Harry Dunn, a former U.S. Capitol police officer who was present during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Speakers throughout the evening zeroed in on the Trump administration, saying it poses a serious threat to American democracy and the stability of the working class in Iowa. Candidates focused on Iowa's struggling rural health care systems amid looming Medicaid cuts, the fight for women's rights, border and immigration policy, and Iowa's issues with clean water supply. The speeches were peppered with cheers from the passionate crowd, with some attendees calling for the release of the Epstein files in light of the recent controversy over President Trump's involvement with notorious human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Dunn, who had a brief foray into electoral politics with an unsuccessful bid for Maryland's 3rd Congressional District seat, encapsulated the evening's vibe succinctly during his keynote address: "I am injured, but not defeated. We're all a little injured right now. But we're not defeated," Dunn said. And according to Stephanie Steiner, a retired labor and delivery nurse from Sutherland running to represent Iowa's 4th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, the situation is dire. Steiner told the Globe Gazette she is concerned Republicans and the Trump administration plan to use gerrymandering to obtain a supermajority after the midterms and change the Constitution. "How do you get it where you can legally stay in office? It requires an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which cannot be done without a supermajority," Steiner said. "I think in 2028 we will be under the fascist control of the billionaires, unless we act now. ... The flames are to the roof." Other candidates echoed her urgency. Nathan Sage, a former U.S. Marine and mechanic challenging Joni Ernst for her U.S. Senate seat, is known for his intense and expletive-laden speeches, and Thursday's was no exception. "I stood on the yellow footprints at MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Depot) San Diego, and I put my hand in the air and I said I will swear to defend and support the Constitution of the United States, and now we're watching an orange idiot ruin it," Sage said during his remarks. Sage said if immigrants, women, and other marginalized groups can lose rights, it could happen to anyone. "If they can take away their rights, they can take away anyone's rights," he said. Rob Sand, state auditor and Democratic candidate for the governor's seat, recalled the biblical parable of Jesus flipping over the moneychangers' tables in the temple. "I have a reputation as a nice guy, but I'm pretty angry about this too. ... We've got a few tables in Des Moines that we can be flipping over," Sand said. Kathryn Dolter, a Democratic candidate running for Rep. Ashley Hinson's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, earned a standing ovation with her speech, during which she lambasted Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "Immediately impeach Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is making America sick again through his destruction of immunization programs and vaccine disinformation, which will lead to the deaths and illnesses of Americans and others around the globe," Dolter said to cheers. Rob, a Democrat from North Iowa attending the event, spoke to the Globe Gazette at length about his father's struggle with cancer, fear about his family losing access to their health care, and his concerns about Trump. He did not want to be identified by his last name. "My father was a teacher for roughly 20 years, 25 years, and then he worked for the education association for another 15 years. And just seeing the look on his face when I talk to him, anything about education. ... It's sick. It's (expletive) sick, what's happening," Rob said. "Our senior citizens have worked their entire life to keep their Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security. And now all these right-wing jerks are ripping them away from them." State Rep. Lindsay James, who represents Iowa's 71st District, took the time to connect with Rob at the Wing Ding. James told the Globe Gazette she is "strongly considering" a bid to unseat Rep. Ashley Hinson and help secure a Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives at the midterms. Stories like Rob's stay with her every time she steps on the floor of the Iowa House. "When I am speaking on behalf of my district, it's those stories and it's the faces of the constituents I know and love, who come to me in those moments. I take that responsibility very, very seriously," James said. Dunn's remarks to the Globe Gazette were similar, saying it's caring for others that sets the Democratic Party apart to him. "Democrats are kind and we give a damn about people," Dunn said. "Are we perfect? No. Are we great? No. Do we care about people? Absolutely." Workers leaving the Clairton Coke Works at shift change. Do you work at Clairton Coke Works or another steel mill? Send a report on conditions at the plant by filling out the form at the end of this article. Submissions will be kept anonymous. This could have been prevented, said steelworkers leaving their shift at US Steels Clairton Coke Works, describing the Monday morning explosion that killed two co-workers and injured 10 others. Pointing to the World Socialist Web Site statement titled The Clairton Coke Works disaster: Social murder in Pennsylvania, one worker said, I think thats exactly right. We would report problems over and over again, and they just kept putting it off, putting it off, putting it off. The WSWS is not publishing the names of workers to protect them from company retaliation. Several workers spoke with WSWS reporters as they entered and left the mill, all confirming that the facility is aging and in disrepair, and that management routinely refuses to fix broken equipment or carries out repairs without taking proper safety precautions. The worker said managements response was always the same: they would promise to address problems during a big project or claim they would take care of it during an outage. Well, they didnt, the worker said. And this is what happens. The explosion at batteries 13 and 14 took place a little before 11 a.m. Monday. Timothy Quinn, 39, of South Huntingdon, and Steven Menefee, 52, of Tarrs in Westmoreland County, were killed in the blast. Menefees name was released yesterday. He was pronounced dead at 7:26 p.m. at the scene, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiners Office. Ten other workers were hospitalized. As of this writing, three remain in the hospitalone with severe burns, another who has undergone multiple amputations, and one who is in a medically induced coma. In a display of corporate greed and indifference, operations at Clairton continued without pause to allow coworkers of the deceased to grieve. Even those working on batteries 13 and 14, where the explosion occurred, were forced to remain on the job in other areas of the plant. Coke is produced by baking coal in specially designed ovens, where it is heated to over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit in an oxygen-free environment to prevent combustion. During this process, the coal releases gases and vapors, including coke oven gas, tar, ammonia and benzene. When operating properly, the gases, tar, ammonia and benzene are captured and further refined for sale. A portion of the coke oven gas is routed back into the ovens and used to maintain the high baking temperatures. Leaking valve that was not repaired Another worker told the WSWS it was his understanding that the explosion was caused by a leaking valve on the pipes that return coke oven gas back into the ovens, but that the company had delayed making the repair. Clairton Coke Works The valve had been leaking two weeks, maybe a month, the worker said. I understand they were told to exercise the valveforcing it open and closed to try to clear any blockage. It was during this process that the explosion occurred. The worker added that the company should have shut down the battery and purged the lines of gases before attempting the repair to ensure it was done safely. What they should have done is isolate the entire section of pipe, pump nitrogen into it to push out the gases, and replace the broken valve. That valve had been leaking for at least two weeks, maybe even 30 days, but [the company] didnt want to shut it down for 12 or 15 hours to do a proper purge, the worker said. The worker added that he did not know the exact figure but estimated it would have cost only about five to ten thousand dollars to purge the pipes. Were talking thousands not millions to do it the right way. And two peoples lives would have been saved and the others who have been injured. At any level, it doesnt make sense, he added. Sometimes I think that you couldnt do such ridiculous things if you were trying. The companys decision to delay maintenance and attempt repairs without taking the time and expense to make the equipment safe mirrors the circumstances of Ronald Adams Sr.s death on April 7 of this year. Adams, a 63-year-old machine repairman at the Stellantis Dundee Engine Plant, was crushed to death when the machine he was working on unexpectedly engaged. The Socialist Equality Party and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees have launched an independent workers investigation into his death, which found that the company routinely failed to properly disengage and tag out machines before performing maintenance. A pattern of explosions Nor were the failures at Clairton limited to batteries 13 and 14, and this was not the first explosion at the mill. A portion of the Clairton Coke Works, a U.S. Steel plant, is seen Monday, Aug. 11, 2025 in Clairton, Pennsylvania. [AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar ] Weve had five explosions since I worked here, another worker said. We had a control room explosion, a B battery explosion, another B battery explosion, the big fire, and now this explosion on 13 and 14 battery. The stack blew up just this past February, six or seven months ago. Pointing out that safety problems exist throughout the mill, the worker said, Its a totally different battery. Weve had two explosions on B battery. The explosions, the worker added, keep happening. I dont know whats going on here. We werent having these kinds of explosions in this plant before. Now its almost becoming normal. Many workers confirmed ongoing problems on the B battery. When I heard on the news about the explosion, said a worker who wasnt on shift at the time, I thought it was the B battery. It is so bad. B battery is pretty much rigged together, said another worker. Things fall apart, and they refuse to go out and fix them. In September 2009, an explosion killed 32-year-old maintenance worker Nick Revetta. In July 2010, another blast injured 14 employees and six contractors. Just this past February, yet another explosion injured two workers. They are going to try to cover up what happened Referring to these earlier incidents, one worker expressed frustration that the company never took the batteries offline one at a time to perform the necessary maintenance. Clairton Coke Works located outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After the first explosion, and certainly after the second, if they had wanted to fix things properly, they could have said, Okay, weve got to idle battery one and get everything fixed. We could have moved on, repairing one unit at a time. This could have all been prevented. This could have been prevented, the worker repeated. We were supposed to put $3 billion into this before COVID hit. We were supposed to get new pipes that would help with the gas and other issues. Soon after announcing the plans, US Steel scaled the project back to $1 billion and then cancelled it altogether. The worker also believes the company is seeking a cover-up. They dont want to pay the families. Nick Revettas brother Pat was working here. They didnt want to pay them for years. They are going to try to cover up what happened here, so it will take years. They already have us doing work to hide this. Now they want us in there doing the cleanup work, even while OSHA is conducting an investigation. We just lost one of our brothers. Its like they want a scapegoat for this. For a rank-and-file movement to defend lives! In the United States, there were 5,283 fatal work injuries recorded in 2023 and 5,486 in 2022. This amounts to a worker dying every 99 minutes from a work-related injury. The union apparatus is doing nothing to stop the ongoing wave of safety violations that are killing workers. The United Steelworkers (USW), whose members work at Clairton, issued only a perfunctory statement that they will work with the appropriate authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and to see that our members get the support they need. In reality, the USW is complicit in the unsafe conditions, working to block any genuine struggle by steelworkers at the Clairton plant and across the country against the long-standing pattern of hazardous working conditions. Just over two months ago, with much fanfare, President Trump announced the takeover of US Steel by Nippon Steel and the granting of a White House golden share in the company. This move is part of the administrations broader reorganization of industrial production in preparation for war. As the WSWS explained in its August 13 statement, the United Steelworkers (USW) has not merely stood by as health and safety protections are dismantled, but has acted as a partner of corporate management, subordinating workers lives to the demands of profitability. The bureaucracys overriding concern is to protect its alliance with the steel industry and the Trump administrations national security pact, which promises the union new revenue streams and positions in the councils of war. The World Socialist Web Site and the IWA-RFC insist that only the independent initiative of the working classthrough the formation of rank-and-file committees, democratic bodies led by workers themselvescan secure safe conditions, defend lives and uphold human dignity on the job. These committees unite workers across industries and borders, breaking free from the grip of the pro-corporate union apparatus, and linking the fight for safety to the struggle to replace a system that subordinates human life to private profit. The explosion at Clairton is a warning and a call to action for workers everywhere to take this fight into their own hands. Workers lives matter, and this truth must become the rallying cry for a unified struggle against unsafe conditions and the system that produces them. Do you work at Clairton Coke Works or another steel mill? Send a report on conditions at the plant by filling out the form below. Submissions will be kept anonymous. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon [Photo: AP/Jason Edwards, Finnish Government] Australias Labor Party Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with New Zealands right-wing National Party Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on August 9 to discuss stronger military integration, as the two countries join US imperialism in its accelerating build-up to war against China. The annual bilateral talks were held in the New Zealand tourist town of Queenstown a few days after the conclusion of Talisman Sabre, the largest war games ever hosted by Australia. The US-Australian exercise involved 40,000 troops from 19 countriesincluding more than 650 New Zealand personneland tested advanced long-range missile systems that play a major role in Washingtons war plans. NZ Chief of Army Rose King told the Sunday Star-Times the training was essential for New Zealand soldiers to be ready to fight tonight. In a joint statement, Albanese and Luxon highlighted the alignment of Australias 2024 National Defence Strategy, which outlined a $50 billion military build-up, and New Zealands recently-announced Defence Capability Plan, which will double military spending from 1 to 2 percent of GDP. Both documents provided the basis to drive interoperability between the two countries, to deter actions inimical to our interests, and respond with decisive force if necessary. Luxon told a media conference that even more money could be diverted into the military in coming years. We want to be a force multiplier, we want to be one essential Anzac force operating within our region, he declared, invoking the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) of World War I. Both countries hold annual Anzac Day commemorations, which glorify the sacrifice of tens of thousands of lives in WWI and other wars in the service of imperialism. As the US seeks to establish its hegemony over the worlds resources, trade routes and labour markets, its imperialist alliesincluding Australia and New Zealandare determined to have their seat at the table, regardless of the cost in human lives and resources. Amid what they called the most unpredictable and dangerous strategic environment in decades, Albanese and Luxon reaffirmed the 1951 ANZUS Treaty, which is the basis for the military alliance between Australia, New Zealand and the US. They repeated previous statements that a cyber-attack on either nation could constitute an armed attack under the ANZUS Treaty, triggering a response. The leaders praised the AUKUS military pact between Australia, the UK and US, under which Australia is to be armed with nuclear-powered attack submarines and other weapons, as it is transformed into a frontline base of operations for war against China. The joint statement noted that consultations with New Zealand are continuing on potential future collaboration opportunities under AUKUS Pillar II, which involves the development and sharing of military technology. All these military preparations are being sold to the public as a defensive response to the supposed threat from China. Albanese and Luxon expressed grave concern about dangerous and provocative behaviour in the South China Sea and the intensification of destabilising activities by coast guard and naval vessels as well as maritime militia. This behaviour has created risks of collision, miscalculation and injury. The two leaders also expressed serious concern about the situation in the East China Sea and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. All of this is utterly hypocritical and a distortion of reality. It is the US which has deliberately inflamed tensions with China, including by arming the Philippines and Taiwan to the teeth and staging provocative military exercises near Chinese territory, in which NZ and Australia are frequently involved. New Zealand and Australia are imperialist powers, which are seeking to defend their own neo-colonial control over the Pacific region, with the support of the US. The joint statement hailed significant progress in the design and implementation of the Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI), which will create a militarised, mobile police force under Australian control, capable of being deployed across the Pacific to suppress popular unrest. Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu have agreed to host PPI Regional Centres of Excellence. Australia has established full control over security policy in Nauru, Papua New Guinea and Tuvalu, while New Zealands government is attempting to bully its colony the Cook Islands into ending its economic deals with China. Another component of the militarisation of the Pacific is Australia and New Zealands strengthening of military ties with Japan. While Albanese was visiting NZ, Wellington hosted two Japanese warshipsJS Suzunami, a destroyer with a crew of about 500, and the JS Ise, a large helicopter carrierwhich are touring the Pacific region. It was the Japanese navys first visit to the NZ capital since the 1930s. The Luxon government is promoting enhanced military interoperability and intelligence sharing with Japan. The Japanese ruling class, which retains its imperialist ambitions, has ditched any pretense of having a pacifist foreign policy. It is being closely integrated into the US-led network of alliances and will play a major role in any conflict with China. The call for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region is just as dishonest as Albanese and Luxons fake show of concern for the people of Gaza. Their statement mildly called upon the Netanyahu regime to reconsider its plan to occupy the Gaza Strip and remove its population. Such actions would be wrong, risk violating international law, and exacerbate the human catastrophe, they said. The two prime ministers reiterated their commitment to a two-state solution as a just and lasting peace depends upon it. Both Australia and New Zealand continue to support Israel, including by allowing the uninterrupted shipment of weapons components and other supplies to its military, and by providing military and intelligence assistance to the US. Albaneses pledge to recognise Palestinian statehood is nothing but a cynical attempt to deflect mass opposition to Israels genocide. The ruling class on both sides of the Tasman is already deeply involved in US-led imperialist wars in every part of the globefrom the Middle East to the warmongering against China and the US-NATO proxy war against Russia over Ukraine. These are three fronts in a developing third world war, which threatens a catastrophe far greater than the two world wars of the last century. All of this is being done despite overwhelming public opposition to war. But the past two years have demonstrated that the imperialist governments are impervious to mass protests urging them to change course. The entire capitalist political establishment, including New Zealands Labour Party and the union bureaucracy in Australia and NZ, are supporting the military build-up. The urgent task is to build a socialist, anti-war movement to unite workers and young people across Australia, NZ, Asia, the Pacific and internationally, in order to put an end to capitalism, which is the root cause of war, social inequality and dictatorship. Civilian and Military Police deployed in Sao Paulo's "Operation Summer," which claimed the lives of at least 56 civilians [Photo: SSP-SP] This week, the Brazilian Congress began discussing a Proposed Amendment to the Constitution on Public Security drafted by the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, of the Workers Party (PT). If approved by a two-thirds majority, it will bring about a significant concentration of police powers at the national level. The bill provides for the integration and coordination of Civil and Military Police and Municipal Guards between the federal government, states and municipalities through the Unified Public Security System, expanding the federal governments role in policy-making and combating organized crime. It also expands the powers of the Federal Police, Federal Highway Police and Municipal Guards, and elevates national security funding to constitutional status to guarantee specific resources. Echoing the rhetoric of far-right politicians who advocate a policy of zero tolerance even for minor crimes, Lula declared in March: We will not allow criminals to take over our country. We will not allow the republic of cell phone thieves to start scaring people on the streets of this country. He added: That is why we are presenting a Security Constitutional Amendment so that we can say that the state is stronger than the criminals. The Lula administration also sees the PEC as a way to respond to the Brazilian populations growing concern with violence, an expression of the intensifying social inequality in the country, for which the PTs capitalist government has no solution. An April poll by Quaest showed that 29 percent of Brazilians cite violence as their main concern. In October 2024, violence was the main concern of 16 percent of Brazilians. Numerous public security experts have criticized the violent and reactionary nature of the Lula governments bill. Gabriel Feltran, a sociology professor at the Federal University of Sao Carlos, said earlier this year in an interview with the Humanitas Unisinos Institute that the bill reinforces our public security model, which is militarized... produces a military war against crime, produces a very high rate of police lethality. He drew particular attention to the fact that the text makes the Federal Highway Police the ostensible federal police, which would receive much more resources from now on and become a federal military police. Despite its reactionary character, the bills progress has been marked by disputes between the federal government and politicians allied with Brazils fascist former president Jair Bolsonaro. The governor of the state of Goias, Ronaldo Caiado (Uniao Brasil), declared last November: [The bill] is unacceptable, it is a usurpation of power, it is an invasion of a prerogative that is already guaranteed to us governors. The PT government responded to those criticisms of usurpation of power from the states by making significant concessions to the far right. In January, the government amended the proposal, maintaining the power of the states to legislate on general rules of public security, social defense, and the prison system. But these changes did not reduce the resistance of the fascistic political opposition. The disputes surrounding the bill include a clear electoral component. Caiado and other governors, such as Tarcisio de Freitas of Sao Paulo, are concerned about losing a crucial constituency among the police just over a year before the 2026 elections. Both are positioning themselves as far-right presidential alternatives to Bolsonaro, who is ineligible to run, and are vying for the ex-presidents voters. Above all, the fascist forces see Lulas campaign to strengthen the repressive apparatus as a misappropriation of a political flag that belongs to them. Caiado, Tarcisio, and other figures in Bolsonaros sphere model themselves closely on the fascist politics of El Salvadors President Nayib Bukele. Under the pretext of fighting criminal gangs, Bukele has promoted a brutal increase in repression and mass incarceration of the population, without due process, in prison camps that violate the most basic human rights. His police state measures have served as a platform to subvert the constitutional regime and move toward establishing a presidential dictatorship in El Salvador. The clashes surrounding the Public Security bill took place amid the release of the Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, published in July, which revealed a situation of violence comparable to countries at war. In 2024, Brazil recorded 44,127 intentional violent deaths, with 6,243 of them caused by police forcesa figure about five times higher than that recorded in the US. While the total number of violent deaths decreased by 31 percent between 2017 and 2024, deaths caused by police increased by 21 percent during that period. In Sao Paulo, police lethality increased by a staggering 61 percent between 2023 and 2024, from 504 to 813 deaths. Last year, the Military Police commanded by Governor Freitas, Bolsonaros former Minister of Infrastructure, was responsible for one of the bloodiest police operations in recent years in Brazil. Freitas used the death of a special forces officer, which occurred on July 27, 2023 in Guaruja, as a pretext to launch a bloodbath in Baixada Santista, on the coast closest to the state capital, Sao Paulo. The first phase, called Operation Shield, was launched the day after the officers death and officially ended with the conclusion of Operation Summer in April 2024. The brutal nature of the operation, which resulted in 56 deaths, was pointed out by the Sao Paulo State Police Ombudsman Claudio Aparecido da Silva, who explained to Agencia Brasil: Among those killed were disabled people, people who used crutches, blind people, and a mother of six children. The Sao Paulo Military Police, however, is not the deadliest in Brazil. According to the Yearbook, police killings in Bahia, a northeastern state governed by the PT since 2007, are almost double those in Sao Paulo, reaching 1,556 last year. According to a July report by Intercept, as a result of policies such as an infamous Police Performance Award, which rewards battalions for police performance and channels resources to special units with a history of high lethality, the proportion of deaths caused by police officers has tripled since 2014, rising from 5 percent to more than 25 percent in 2023. What is happening in Bahia is the result of a long process of intensified repression overseen by federal and local PT governments. During his first terms in office (2003-2010), Lula waged a war on drugs that caused the prison population in Brazil to explode. It is now the third largest in the world. During the administration of PT President Dilma Rousseff (2011-2016), laws on criminal organizations and anti-terrorism were passed, both of which were used to indict political demonstrators and deploy the army to repress social protests. In Ceara, a state in northeastern Brazil ruled for a decade by the PT, in October 2023 the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) made an official request for the removal of Luis Mauro Albuquerque Araujo from the position of Secretary of Penitentiary Administration and Resocialization. The association justified its request by denouncing the illegalities and abuses of the measures adopted in the states prison units, which include mistreatment and torture of prisoners. Governor Elmano de Freitas, however, defended his actions and kept him in office. The OABs complaint is far from surprising. In 2018, a year before Albuquerque Araujo took office in Ceara, the torture in prisons under his command in the state of Rio Grande do Norte had already been compared by a Ministry of Justice agency to crimes committed by US troops in Abu Ghraib, Iraq. In Rio de Janeiro, the mayor of Marica (RJ) and one of the vice presidents of the PT, Washington Quaqua, has been working in the area of public security in close contact with the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro, a close ally of Bolsonaro. In early April, Quaqua said he intends to arm the Municipal Guard and create a special group to fight organized crime. Echoing the rhetoric of Brazilian fascists, Quaqua stated that criminals in Marica will have no chance and will go to the grave. Quaquas attitude is even more alarming given that Governor Castro oversaw a brutal massacre in 2021 in the Jacarezinho favela in the northern part of the capital of Rio de Janeiro. In this episode, the Civil Police killed 27 people, 11 of whom had no criminal record, and only three arrest warrants were served among the 21 used as a pretext for the operation. In 2022, Castro called the victims bums. The PTs growing alignment with a defense of police violence in terms previously restricted to open fascists is a manifestation of the shift to the right by the entire Brazilian capitalist establishment. This shift includes the pseudo-left satellites of the PT, whose main representative is the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL). Covering every reactionary step of the PT government, the PSOL was tasked with fabricating arguments to present Lulas Public Security bill as a progressive move. On the day of its approval by the congressional commission, state representative Taliria Petrone of the PSOL in Rio de Janeiro praised the PEC, stating that Brazil needs standardized procedures, the use of body cameras, and limits on the use of force. State representative Pastor Henrique Vieira, from the same party, defended the public ombudsman offices provided for in the proposal, demanding only more precision in the definition of ombudsman and internal affairs. As the Socialist Equality Group (GSI) explained in the aftermath of the last municipal elections in Brazil, which marked a leap in the conscious embrace of the political banners of the far right by the PT and PSOL: [B]y promoting the bourgeoisies common agenda of austerity and repression against the working class under the false flag of unity for democracy, the PT and the pseudo-lefts are opening up political avenues for the far right to exploit mass discontent with existing conditions. On August 8, two former New South Wales (NSW) police officers were jailed for the violent assault of a 48-year-old mentally ill woman in Western Sydney. In what Judge Graham Turnbull described as an attack clearly calculated to inflict the maximum pain and discomfort, the woman was kicked twice in the head, dragged along the road by her hair, punched and pepper-sprayed six times by the two gym-hardened officers in their 20s. Timothy Trautsch and Nathan Black admitted to assault and misuse of a prohibited weapon. Black also confessed to two counts of deliberately publishing protected information. The court sentenced Black to five years and nine months in prison, ordering a non-parole period of three years and three months. Trautsch was sentenced to five years and six months, with a minimum of three years to be served before eligibility for parole. In January 2023, Trautsch and Black were sent to a cul-de-sac in Emu Plains, a working-class suburbs on the outskirts of Sydney, after police received calls that the woman was in distress. When they arrived, she was naked and sitting on the ground. The woman suffered from schizophrenia, was unmedicated and was experiencing a psychotic episode. She had been released earlier that day from the nearby Amber Laurel womens prison. Body-worn camera and CCTV footage of the assault was initially concealed from the public, after NSW Police argued it was so confronting that it should be suppressed for 60 years, to protect the woman from further trauma. Yet when she died last yearin what were described as unconnected circumstancespolice continued to suppress the footage. The extent of the police brutality was revealed last month, when reporters were allowed to view the video, after the Sydney Morning Herald and other news outlets petitioned the court. Following the sentencing, Judge Turnbull publicly released the CCTV footage and still images, but not the body camera video. The footage reportedly begins with the woman refusing to tell the officers her name. One of them tells her she will be taken to Nepean Hospital and sectioned (subjected to involuntary detention in a mental health facility). She responds, Im terrified of you people. You aint got the drugs to fix me, you aint got the drugs to put me out. You cant beat me that gun is not going to help you. The woman then tries to run away, but the two officers chase her and tackle her to the ground and pepper-spray her face and genitals. At one point during the assault, the cops pepper-spray the womans back, which is visibly grazed after she was dragged along the road by her hair. The officers are also shown repeatedly kicking and stomping the woman while she is on the ground. The court heard that one of the paramedics who witnessed the attack asked Black if the woman had been sprayed in the genitals. He replied, Yes, you have to do what you have to do. Following the incident, Black sent a colleague a 17-second video of the attack, writing Both OC cans emptied on her. Was f***ed She was f***ed the whole body-worn is so good shows her being f***ed. The police officers were initially suspended without pay and resigned in August 2023 before they could be fired. In sentencing the officers, who pleaded guilty, Judge Turnbull noted that aside from [the woman] being naked, there was no criminal offence potentially available. The cops, he continued, made no attempt to engage with her and unleashed their assault despite not being at risk of any harm, let alone serious harm. Trautsch and Black are not simply bad apples in an otherwise healthy police force. The brutality inflicted on the woman and the attempt by the police top brass to cover it up expresses the contempt of the state for the most vulnerable sections of society and the working class as a whole. The incident is part of a broader pattern of police assaulting individuals with mental illness. For example: In 2015, Courtney Topic, a 22-year-old woman with a major depressive disorder of moderate severity, and possible undiagnosed schizophrenia, was killed by police in Southwest Sydney. The police had been called by concerned bystanders, who had seen the clearly distressed young woman, pacing and mumbling to herself, holding a knife. But within 41 seconds of arriving on the scene, the cops had pepper-sprayed and then fatally shot her. In July 2017, Danukul Mokmool, a 30-year-old man with a history of mental illness and drug addiction, was killed by police near Sydneys Central Station. Although Mokmool was clearly distressed, and armed only with a pair of scissors, police responded with lethal force, shooting him four times in the head and chest. In 2019, Todd McKenzie, a 40-year-old man diagnosed with schizophrenia, was shot by police after a nine-hour standoff at his own home in the mid-north coast of NSW. McKenzie posed no threat to anyone, but efforts to de-escalate the situation were not conducted. A 2023 report by the NSW Law Enforcement Conduct Commission found that, of the 157 police incidents in that state that resulted in death or serious injury over the five years to June 2022, at least 68 (43 percent) involved an interaction with a person in mental health crisis. With mental health issues on the rise, police are increasingly acting as frontline responders. In 2022, the NSW Police Force recorded 61,164 incidents in connection to people experiencing a mental health emergency or incident where there was not an associated criminal offence. This is an increase from around 43,000 incidents in 2018. The use of the police force to respond to those facing mental health crises is not an accident, but a deliberate bipartisan policy of successive Australian governments. There has been a long-term attack on funding for mental health services, while money and resources have been poured into the police forces. In its 202526 budget, the NSW Labor government has allocated an extra $125.8 million to the police force and just $15.4 million for mental health services. The state government is also seeking to impose further real wage cuts on public sector psychiatrists, despite warnings this will exacerbate already massive understaffing. An investigation by the Australian National University and the Australian newspaper, found the country needs an additional 8,310 full time mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, nurses and support workers, and 838 addiction specialists across the public and private sectors. The federal Labor governments 202526 budget contains no significant new measures to address Australias worsening mental health crisis. This is despite mental health being the most common reason Australians visit their GP, and suicide remaining the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 49. Decades of bipartisan funding cuts have gutted Australias mental health system. The 1983 Richmond Report, commissioned by the NSW Labor government, recommended the closure of mental institutions across the state, pushing thousands of people with mental illnesses into homelessness, substandard boarding houses, or the prison system. Successive Labor and Liberal governments have failed to replace these institutions with adequate community-based services, leaving critical gaps in care. The assault in Western Sydney, like so many similar cases, is not an aberration but the outcome of capitalist society, in which the most vulnerable are abandoned while the repressive apparatus of the state is expanded. Decades of cuts and neglect have degraded mental health and other social services to the point of collapse, leaving people in crisis with nowhere to turn. The rapid build-up of police powers and funding, alongside the hollowing out of essential services, is a stark expression of Australias deepening social inequality. For the ruling class, the answer to poverty, mental illness, and social breakdown is not to address their root causes, but to strengthen the means of repression needed to contain the inevitable consequences. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a cabinet meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, August 6, 2025, [AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi] Germany is participating in the new NATO military aid package for Ukraine and will contribute $500 million, as announced by the Ministry of Defence and the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised the decision, declaring that the supplies would help Ukraine to continue to defend itself against the Russian aggressor. Last month, US President Donald Trump made clear that while Washington was prepared to continue supplying weapons, the costs must be borne by the European allies. At the beginning of August, the Netherlands became the first NATO member to pledge funds for the newly created war chest. The military package underscores that the European powersand Germany above allare determined to continue the NATO war against Russia even as US support becomes increasingly conditional. European politicians have also sharply criticised todays planned meeting in Alaska between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, insisting that the hardline stance toward Moscow must be maintained. The claim that arms deliveries to Kiev are purely defensive is war propaganda. Russias reactionary invasion of Ukraine does not alter the fact that the imperialist powers systematically provoked this conflict over decades. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, NATO has relentlessly expanded eastward in violation of pledges made to Moscow, encircling Russia militarily and stoking confrontation. Now, with the Ukrainian military suffering severe setbacks and transatlantic tensions mounting, the EU powers are moving toward the full militarisation of society and the establishment of a war economyat the expense of the democratic and social rights of the working class. This is confirmed by a recent Financial Times investigation: Europe builds for war as arms factories expand at triple speed, which provides a snapshot of how aggressively the European arms industryled by German imperialismis expanding. A rearmament on a historic scale The FT analysed radar satellite data from 150 facilities across 37 companies in Europe. The results are stark: arms production facilities are expanding at three times the rate of peacetime, covering more than 7 million square metres of new industrial development. This construction boom is the material embodiment of the defence revival long threatened by European governmentsmade possible through massive state subsidies and attacks on the working class and aimed at shifting from just-in-time peacetime output to sustained wartime production. One-third of the sites surveyed showed visible expansion or new construction. The growth is concentrated in ammunition and missile productiontwo bottlenecks in NATOs support for Ukraine. Areas showing physical change jumped from 790,000 square metres in 202021 to 2.8 million in 202425. The expansions include new factories, explosives plants, roads and support infrastructure. Among the largest is a joint RheinmetallN7 Holding complex in Varpalota, Hungary, producing ammunition for the Lynx infantry fighting vehicle, the Leopard 2 tank, and potentially the Panther. The facility will also house an explosives factory. By 2027, Rheinmetall plans to raise its annual production of 155mm artillery shells from 70,000 in 2022 to 1.1 millionaccounting for much of Europes projected rise in total capacity from 300,000 rounds before the war to 2 million this year. The EUs Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) programmeworth 500 millionhas funded 88 sites to overcome these bottlenecks. Twenty have undergone major expansions, while 14 have added smaller facilities such as car parks or loading bays. ASAP-backed projects include MBDAs missile plant in Schrobenhausen, Germany, which is expanding production of Enforcer shoulder-launched missiles and preparing to produce up to 1,000 US Patriot GEM-T surface-to-air missiles under a $5.6 billion NATO contract. Norwegian manufacturer Kongsberg opened a new missile factory in June 2024, while the UKs BAE Systems is building an explosive-filling facility at its Glascoed, South Wales site to multiply 155mm shell output sixteen-fold. The EU is already negotiating a follow-up programme worth 1.5 billion to replicate ASAP for missiles, air defence, drones and artillery. Industry figures openly praise these subsidies as instrumental to their growth. Nammo, which received 55 million, is expanding shell and propellant production in Finland, and warns that air defence missiles and high explosives are still produced only in very small quantities. This industrial mobilisation is not a temporary surge but a deep, structural transformation. As former NATO arms control director William Alberque noted, Once youre mass-producing shells, the metals and explosives start flowing, which drops the cost and complexity of missile production. The shift is toward a permanent war economy. Civilian industry converted to war production As in the 1930s, the militarisation drive extends far beyond the arms sector. Civilian industries are being integrated into weapons production: Automotive: Volkswagen, faced with overcapacity and falling exports, is exploring partnerships with Rheinmetall to produce military technology. Continental and Bosch have transferred staff and facilities to Rheinmetall and Hensoldt. Factory conversions: Rheinmetall has repurposed civilian plants in Berlin and Neuss for military components. KNDS Germany has taken over a former Alstom rail plant in Gorlitz to produce Leopard 2 tanks and Puma infantry fighting vehicles. Mechanical engineering & steel: Renk Group plans to exit its civilian industrial business entirely to focus on defence. Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems is ramping up submarine production. German steel producers are shifting into armoured steel and similar products. This is an unmistakable repetition of the economic transformation that accompanied the rise of German imperialism in the 1930s, when the same conglomerates enriched themselves by arming Hitlers Wehrmacht. German rearmament plans In his government statement before the last NATO summit, which agreed to raise defence spending from 2 to 5 percent of GDP, Chancellor Friedrich Merz insisted that Germanys militarisation was not at Trumps behest but based on its own convictions. Germany, he declared, would make the Bundeswehr the strongest conventional army in Europe, as befitted its size, economic power, and geographical location. The spending target will increase the military budget from todays 85 billion to 225 billion by 2029. A constitutional amendment passed by the ruling parties exempts all defence spending above 1 percent of GDP from the debt brake, which means that military spending can rise without limit. In March, both houses of the German parliament passed legislation enabling the German government to take out more than 1 trillion euros in new loans for the military build-up. Combined with the 100 billion special fund of 2022 this constitutes a rearmament programme comparable only to the Nazi era. Procurement plans already under way include: 20 Eurofighter jets (45 billion) Up to 3,000 Boxer armoured vehicles (10 billion) Up to 3,500 Patria infantry fighting vehicles (7 billion) 1,000 additional Leopard tanks over 10 years (currently 320 in service) 1,400 logistics vehicles from Rheinmetall (770 million) 6,500 lorries (3.5 billion) 35 nuclear-capable F-35 fighter jets (10 billion) 60 Chinook transport helicopters (7 billion) Israeli Arrow 3 missile defence system (4 billion) Rheinmetall alone has won 12 billion in Bundeswehr contracts for digitalisation since 2024 and expects 300 billion in orders across Europe by 2030. Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems is receiving more orders for submarines, frigates and mine countermeasures. A cross-party war consensus The German governments insane march toward war is effectively backed by all capitalist parties. The demand to spend 5 percent of GDP on defence originated with the far-right AfD, but it is now embraced across the political spectrum. The Greensonce nominally pacifistare among the most fervent militarists. The Left Party postures as a critic while voting for key war credits, including the 1 trillion package in the Bundesrat, and facilitating Merzs election as chancellor. This consensus mirrors the bourgeois unity before World War I and in the 1930s, when the ruling elite and its parties rallied first around the militarist and dictatorial agenda of Kaiser Wilhelm II and later Hitler and the Nazis to pursue a policy of imperial conquest and to brutally crush working class opposition at home. War abroad, dictatorship at home As then the consequences of the militarist offensive will be catastrophic. The build-up of Europes war machine is inseparable from an assault on wages, working conditions and democratic rights. As in the run-up to the two world wars, the ruling classes are responding to deep internal crisessocial inequality, political instability, inter-imperialist rivalryby preparing for war abroad, repression at home and the re-introduction of the draft to secure the necessary cannon fodder for its criminal imperialist wars of plunder. The genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza shows that they are once again prepared to slaughter hundreds of thousands and commit any crime. The working class must confront this reality and prepare its own political counteroffensive. Stopping the drive toward world war requires the abolition of NATO, the dismantling of the imperialist war machine, and the placing of the economys vast resources under the democratic control of the working class. This is the programme of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) and its Socialist Equality Parties worldwide, which must be built as the new revolutionary leadership of the international working class. Agents from US Customs and Border Protection surround demonstrators during protests on Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Los Angeles [AP Photo/Wally Skalij] On Thursday, dozens of heavily armed Border Patrol agents in full tactical gear descended on the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles Little Tokyo district. Their mobilization coincided precisely with a nearby press conference by California Governor Gavin Newsom and other leading Democrats to promote a ballot initiative, the so-called Election Rigging Response Act, aimed at redrawing Californias congressional maps to the Democrats advantage ahead of the 2026 midterms. The political purpose of the militarized deployment was unmistakable. Border Patrol officers, masked and carrying assault rifles, positioned themselves conspicuously near the events perimeter. Sector Chief Greg Bovino attempted to portray the mobilization as part of routine roving patrols across Los Angeles for the past two months, insisting any overlap with Newsoms event was coincidental. Breaking the law is breaking the law, he said, dismissing questions about political motivations. The scale of the operation, carried out in a dense urban center on the doorstep of a major political gathering, was part of the systematic use of military-police force by the Trump administration. It parallels the militarization of Washington D.C., where Trump has seized control of the local police and sent in federal agents and the National Guard under the same pretext of combating crime, creating what amounts to an occupation of the nations capital. The deployment in Los Angeles was not limited to the Border Patrol. Witnesses reported the active involvement of the Los Angeles Police Department alongside federal agents, underscoring the collaboration between local and federal forces in targeting immigrants. This coordination makes a mockery of the sanctuary city and sanctuary state rhetoric long peddled by Democratic politicians in California. In reality, Los Angeles is the site of regular immigration raids targeting day laborers, street vendors and workers at retail outlets, car washes and hospitals, deemed protected areas until this year. As armed agents were setting up in Little Tokyo, an immigrant fleeing from an ICE operation at a Home Depot in Monrovia was killed on the 210 Freeway. The political theater surrounding Newsoms press conference was itself revealing. The Democratic governor was joined by Senator Alex Padilla, who was assaulted by federal agents during Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noems press conference in June. The states other Democratic senator, warmonger Adam Schiff, also stood alongside a lineup of union bureaucrats headed by Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO. The Democrats and the union leaders presented themselves as defenders of democracy and workers rights against the Republican gerrymandering drive spearheaded by Texas and backed by Donald Trump. These officials are not concerned about the democratic rights of immigrants or any other section of the working class. They have done nothing to halt the wave of immigration raids terrorizing working class communities across California or the US. Newsom is pushing the redistricting initiative in California to protect the interests of the Democratic Party, which faces the loss of at least five seats in Congress through the Republican gerrymander in Texas. California is already even more gerrymandered than Texas, with a 43-9 Democratic delegation in the House of Representatives, compared to Texas, which currently has a 25-13 Republican delegation. As for the California AFL-CIO, Gonzalez denounced the billionaires and authoritarian tactics of the GOP, while saying nothing about the bipartisan record of mass deportations, war, genocide and border militarization supported by both capitalist parties. These union leaders, who preside over the suppression of strikes and the enforcement of concessionary contracts, now posture as champions of social justice. In reality they serve to chain the working class to the Democratic Party. The scene in Little Tokyo carried a deep historical resonance. William T. Fujioka, chair of the museums board and a third-generation Japanese American, condemned the operation as reprehensible, drawing parallels to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The symbolism of federal agents detaining immigrants on ground connected to that shameful history was unmistakable. The lone documented detentiona strawberry vendor making a deliveryunderscored the everyday human cost of these operations. City leaders reacted with rhetorical outrage. Mayor Karen Bass called the operation a deliberate act of provocation, asserting theres no way this was a coincidence they decided they were going to come and thumb their nose in front of the governors face. Newsoms office blasted the incident on X, posting in language that mimicked Trumps crude style, BORDER PATROL HAS SHOWED UP AT OUR BIG BEAUTIFUL PRESS CONFERENCE! WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED! While both parties practice gerrymandering, it is Trump and the Republicans who are spearheading the deployment of police and military forces within the United States. The Democrats, however, are concerned not about the threat to democratic rights but the threat to their own positions and the perks and privileges that accompany them. They view Trumps methods as excessive and provocative, yet they share his core objective: preserving capitalist rule in the face of mounting popular opposition. The comparison to Washington D.C. is instructive. There, Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser publicly decried Trumps federal takeover of the citys police as authoritarian, yet she privately met with Attorney General Pam Bondi to agree to cooperate with the administrations Make Washington, D.C. safe again campaign. The supposed opposition to Trumps methods evaporated in the face of an understanding that both parties are committed to the same program of state repression. Like the LAPD in Los Angeles, D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith agreed to cooperate with ICE, and local cops were instructed to turn over anyone without legal immigration status to the federal authorities, even if they were only stopped for a traffic offense. The August 14 provocation in Los Angeles follows directly from the military-style Border Patrol operation at MacArthur Park last month, when heavily armed federal agents swept through the area in an intimidation campaign against immigrant workers. In both LA and DC, at opposite ends of the country, the policy is one of normalizing the presence of heavily armed, uniformed paramilitary forces in the heart of major US urban areas. This is the logic of the capitalist state in crisis. Trump, facing growing working class anger over declining living standards, endless wars and deepening social inequality, is turning to openly fascistic methods of rule. The use of immigration enforcement as a spearhead for this militarization is no accident: Immigrants are a particularly vulnerable section of the working class whose persecution is used to test out repressive tactics that will be turned against the entire working class. The Democrats opposition is entirely fraudulent. They do not challenge the militarization itself, only the manner and timing of its application. Their criticism of Trump is that he is destabilizing the political order and provoking mass opposition, not that he is laying the groundwork for a dictatorship. What unites both factions of the ruling class is fearfear of the independent political mobilization of the working class. The last several years have seen a steady increase in strikes, protests and demonstrations across the US and internationally. The mass deployment of the Border Patrol in Los Angeles, like the federal occupation of Washington D.C., is part of a process of dismantling the remnants of democratic rights in preparation for state repression on a far broader scale. The Democratic Party, no less than the Republican, is committed to this project. They differ only on the tactics and style with which it should be implemented. The working class must reject both camps. No confidence can be placed in the Democrats hollow invocations of democracy or the unions empty rhetoric about workers rights. The events of August 14 demonstrate that the defense of immigrants, democratic rights and social equality cannot be entrusted to any faction of the capitalist class. The fight against militarization, authoritarian rule and dictatorship requires the independent mobilization of workersimmigrant and native-born alikein a unified struggle against the entire political establishment. Rank-and-file committees must be built in workplaces, neighborhoods and schools to organize resistance, expose the role of the union bureaucracy, and link immediate demands for democratic rights to the fight for socialism. What took place in Little Tokyo is a warning. The forces of state repression are being embedded into daily life. Their targets today are the most oppressed, but the machinery being constructed will be used against the whole working class. The only viable answer to the bipartisan conspiracy against democratic rights is the conscious intervention of the working class in political struggle, armed with a socialist program to put an end to the capitalist system that breeds dictatorship and war. To report on conditions at your workplace, fill out the form at the end of this article. All sources will be kept confidential. Antonio Gaston [Photo: Gofundme] The family of Antonio Gaston, the 53-year-old Stellantis worker who was crushed to death on the assembly line at the Jeep Toledo Assembly Complex last year, is suing the company for wrongful death. The action, filed Monday in Lucas County Ohio Common Pleas Court, claims Stellantis removed safety guards on the conveyor where Gaston, a father of four, was working, causing him to be crushed to death between pinch points on the machine. The coroner said that Gaston died of multiple blunt force injuries and that his death was not instantaneous. Renita Shores-Gaston, the widow of Antonio Gaston, said at a press conference Monday, It was the hardest day of my entire life to hear that news, and then to have to call my children and tell them that their dad died at work. Its been difficult not having him. I miss him so much, and I dont want this to happen to another family. I want to know the truth of what happened to my husband at work, because I havent gotten anythingI havent gotten any answers ... and its coming up on a year, she said. Chris Stewart, the familys attorney, said, Todays lawsuit is not just for Mr. Gaston; it is for all of the workers out there to protect them from suffering what was a preventable tragedy that happened to him that day. This lawsuit was filed to get the truth about what truly happened to Mr. Gaston, because we do not believe we are getting the truth from Stellantis. Stewart says many questions remain unanswered, including why Gaston, whose job was delivering parts, was tightening undercarriage bolts on the conveyor. Workers must be protected, Stewart insisted. Stewart has previously handled high profile cases, such as the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and fatal crashes involving the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The suit charges Stellantis with deliberate removal of a critical equipment safety guard for pinch points on the inverted IPF Chassis Delivery Conveyor (Conveyor System) on which the Decedent was working at the time of his death. All that has been officially reported by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that investigated the death of Gaston is the following: At 1:30 a.m. on August 21, 2024, a logistics department stock clerk was providing materials to the production line. While standing on the right side of carriage line 910R, he reached across the conveyor to retrieve a pail on the opposing 910L side. The line activated, catching his torso between the carriage assembly and the conveyor housing. He was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple blunt force injuries. Three months later, on November 29, 2024, OSHA cited Stellantis for a serious safety violation for failing to provide proper machine guarding and protect workers from pinch points on the IPF Chassis Delivery Conveyor, stating, Without the benefit of effective guarding, OSHA wrote, employees were exposed to caught-in/pinch-point hazards created by carrier conveyor components, including steel trolley wheels, travel rail tracks, and vehicle hub assemblies. OSHA slapped Stellantis with a paltry $16,000 fine, a few minutes profit for the giant corporation. Stellantis has appealed the fine, a process the courts may drag out indefinitely. To lose your life for making a car, that just shouldnt be, Renita Shore-Gaston told the Detroit Free Press. How does that help anybody? How does that make a company want to do better when theyre getting fined those small amounts? she said. Thats like pennies on the ground, I feel like, for that type of company. Attorneys are seeking details of what happened, including the possibility that Gaston was working on a vehicle at the time and why safety guarding was not in place. They say they are also looking at whether under-staffing may have been a factor, as well as pressure to meet production quotas and overwork. A lot of times if you can get a dollar quickly, even if that means sacrificing your workers safety, a lot of companies will do that, Stewart said. There are a lot of questions that have not been answered. The UAW has taken no serious action to uncover the cause of the accident or to hold Stellantis accountable. The failure to investigate Gastons death has predictably led to other tragedies, such as the April 7 death of Dundee Engine skilled trades worker Ronald Adams Sr., age 63, who was crushed to death while repairing a machine in circumstances similar to the death of Gaston. In June, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) rejected a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the World Socialist Web Site for inspection records on the death of Antonio Gaston. That request was filed in advance of a July 27 hearing investigating the death of autoworker Ronald Adams at the Stellantis Dundee Engine Plant. The investigation had been launched by the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) to break through the stonewalling and cover-up of facts by Stellantis, the United Auto Workers and safety regulators. Toledo Jeep workers take IWA-RFC statement on rank-and-file investigation into death of Ronald Adams Sr. The hearing at Marygrove Campus in Detroit, attended by around 100 people, took testimony from workers, family members and safety experts on the systematic subordination of workers safety to the corporate drive for profit. Like hundreds of other workers, Gaston had transferred from the shuttered Stellantis Belvidere, Illinois assembly plant to work at the Jeep plant in Toledo. The move separated him from his family, who stayed behind in Illinois. Stellantis has delayed the promised reopening of the Belvidere plant and cancelled the opening of a battery plant in the city, all without meaningful opposition on the part of the UAW. This stranded hundreds of Gastons former coworkers, who had hoped to be recalled, hundreds of miles from home. Workers responded to reports of the lawsuit on social media with statements of support. One posted, the company usually just gets slapped with a fine unfortunately, Michigan workers compensation protects the companies ... my family had to deal with this when my brother in-law died in June 2024 from carbon monoxide poisoning on the job, Osha fined the company with 3 serious violations, and we had to fight the companies workers comp just to get the funeral paid for ... which took a year, and because he wasnt married, thats all his life amounted to, if only he didnt go to work that day. A Jeep worker wrote, I work at the plant. I didnt know the guy personally but I would definitely go on the stand and testify how bad the safety concerns are there! And OSHA always looks the other way! An ironworker, rejecting a claim by a management apologist that Gaston had removed the safety guards himself, said, (W)orkers cannot remove safety equipment. Impossible. There should have been a cage with lockout/tagout on it to prevent this or a light sensor alarm so it could detect that someone was in that area to prevent it moving. This shouldve never happened if safety protocols were in place to prevent the machine from moving with a person still under it. The relentless corporate assault on the working class that finds tragic expression in the series of work-related deaths and injuries can only be halted by the independent mobilization of rank-and-file workers independent of the two corporate controlled political parties, the Democratic and Republican, and the pro-management union apparatus. The IWA-RFC is spearheading this fight. For more information or to become involved, fill out the form below. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and U.S. President Donald Trump give a joint news conference at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018. [AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais] Since US President Donald Trump announced on August 8 his plans for talks today with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Russian troops have mounted an offensive in Ukraines Donbas region. While Russian troops have generally advanced very slowly in Ukraine, this time they advanced 15 kilometers starting around August 11. The offensive, reportedly spearheaded by infantrymen driving motorcycles to evade drone fire, reached the villages of Zolotiy Kolodyaz and Vesele. From there, it could cut off the main road along which supplies arrive to Ukrainian troops in cities they still hold in the Donbas, such as Pokrovsk and Kramatorsk. Russian pincer movements are closing around both Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka. These cities, where tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops are reportedly trapped, are key nodes in the main Ukrainian fortified belt in the northern Donbas. The offensive threatens to smash through this belt, removing the last major obstacle to a Russian attack into Ukraines central plainsand major cities like Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and the capital, Kiev. This would put in question the survival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys regime. The Ukrainian army, having suffered terrible losses in three years of war, would have to try to rebuild lines of defensive fortifications in the plains, where they would be even more exposed to drone, missile and artillery bombardment than in the comparatively uneven terrain of the Donbas. Sources close to NATO and its Kiev puppet regime confirmed the broad outlines of reports from ostensibly neutral or pro-Russian sources. US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFL/RL) cited Finnish reserve officer and military analyst Pasi Paroinen: If the Ukrainians dont restore the situation quickly and the Russians are able to consolidate and expand this into a proper breakthrough, then it could be one of the more significant events of this war. Even these pro-NATO sources make clear that the Ukrainian army has been bled white. Russian motorized assaults have been effective, in part because there arent enough Ukrainian soldiers to adequately occupy trenches or foxholes, RFE/RL wrote. It cited Polish military analyst Konrad Muzyka who, after visiting Ukrainian lines, said: The fall of Pokrovsk is just a matter of time at this stage. Ukrainians dont have the manpower to fight in the city, the capacity to conduct a flanking maneuver to cut Russians off from southern parts of the town. Bloody fighting continues in the area, and several Ukrainian brigades have been redeployed to plug the gap. Forces from the Azov Battalion, a neo-Nazi unit whose flag bears the Wolfsangel symbol of the World War II-era SS Das Reich division, have deployed there to prevent the front line units from fleeing amid mounting popular disillusionment with the war in Ukraine. (See also: Does Ukraine face a Syrian scenario? ) Russian units are reportedly trying to consolidate their control over key roads that Ukrainian forces may not have had time to fully mine, and over which they could try to deploy larger tank formations for a rapid breakthrough. At the same time, Russian bombings in Ukraine are escalating. Yesterday, Russian missile strikes destroyed four factories building German-financed Sapsan ballistic missiles capable of bombing Moscow from launch sites inside Ukraine. This offensive exposes the disastrous consequences of the NATO powers stoking of a fratricidal war between two ex-Soviet republics, Ukraine and Russia. They backed a far-right coup in Kiev in 2014 to topple pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, plunging Ukraine into civil war as Ukrainian-nationalist units like the Azov Battalion attacked Russian-speaking areas in eastern Ukraine. They then relentlessly armed the far-right Kiev regime against Russia. After Putins reactionary decision to invade Ukraine in 2022, the NATO alliance, represented by then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, intervened to instruct Ukrainian officials to break off peace talks offered by the Kremlin. This set into motion a three-year war that has killed or wounded millions. Despite NATO support, Ukrainian forces ultimately found themselves outgunned by their Russian opponents. While US and European media avoid any real discussion of Ukrainian casualtiesZelensky once advanced the transparent lie that only 31,000 Ukrainians have diedthese casualties are clearly horrific. Washington insiders like former Trump administration advisor Colonel Douglas MacGregor have spoken of 1.8 million Ukrainian dead. Whatever the true figures are, the current offensive makes clear that Ukraine has lost a substantial portion of its fighting-age population. The Kremlins current military successes do not in any way change the bankruptcy of its nationalist policy. A reactionary tool of the post-Soviet Russian capitalist oligarchy, it is organically oriented to deals with imperialism. Its calls to agree upon a new security architecture for Europe with its Western partnersannexing the largely Russian-speaking Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine, which it mostly already holdshave one visible and fatal flaw. Such plans rely on finding someone to establish a government in the western Ukrainian rump state that will serve as a buffer between Russia and NATO. However, it is evident that the European Union (EU) and powerful factions of the American ruling class are determined to keep their hold over Ukraine and continue using the existing Ukrainian regime as a tool against Russia. The EU in particular views war with Russia not only as critical to its geopolitical objectives, but to justify an unpopular policy of rearmament financed by massive social cuts targeting workers. Even though Russian forces are on the offensive, a bitter political crisis has unfolded in the Russian ruling elite in the run-up to Putins meeting with Trump. While certain factions argue the Pokrovsk offensive puts the Kremlin in a stronger position to cut a deal in Alaska, others, particularly around the army and intelligence services, argue for rapid military escalation. Speaking for the former faction, Professor Vladimir Priakhin wrote in the Nezavisimaya Gazeta: In our opinion, we should refrain from overly optimistic assessments of the possible outcomes of the negotiations. Most likely, we are at the very beginning of a difficult path to settlement. But we must not forget that the White Houses concessions became increasingly noticeable as our units advanced from the front line in Donbas. In reality, far from making concessions, both Washington and Kiev have kept issuing threats as Trump prepared for his Alaskan summit. Trump warned Russia of severe consequences if Putin does not agree to NATO demands for an immediate ceasefire, while Zelensky yesterday declared that Ukraine would never give guarantees not to join NATO. But a peace on this basis would be no less fragile than the brief truce that followed the 2015 Minsk Accords between Berlin, Paris, Kiev and Moscow. Indeed, NATO would then be able to post troops in the western Ukrainian rump state, directly on the borders of the enlarged Russian federation. As for Russian Duma deputy Lt. General Viktor Sobolev, he said Trump-Putin talks would under no circumstances end the war, calling to add Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Mykolaiv oblasts to the list of regions to be annexed. Whether or not the Russian army can carry out Sobolevs particular plan for conquest, any large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine carries one very clear risk. It can provoke a direct clash with NATO, either if NATO invades western Ukraine to keep it from being overrun by Russia, or if it begins bombing Russian forces outright. The working class internationally is being brought face to face with the reactionary consequences of the Stalinist bureaucracys dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It must come to grips with the fact that a horrific escalation of the bloodshed, including escalating military clashes between the worlds major nuclear powers, is posed as an imminent danger. Whatever the outcome of todays talks, there will be no lasting military-diplomatic resolution of the NATO-Russia war, which is inextricably bound up with imperialisms plans for war against Chinas rising economy, and for neo-colonial war across the Middle East. This war can only be ended, and the danger of a potentially civilization-ending global war averted, by building an international, socialist and anti-war movement of the working class. Looking south on Soto Street in Vernon, California, an industrial enclave just outside downtown Los Angeles. [Photo by Downtowngal/Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 California Ranch Foods, a Vernon-based food processing plant and subsidiary of Golden West Food Group, pleaded guilty last month to two misdemeanor counts over the workplace deaths of two employees, paying just over $6 million in a criminal plea agreement. The charges stem from a December 1, 2020 nitrogen leak in a chilled storage room that suffocated 56-year-old Baldemar Gonsales of Los Angeles and 54-year-old Maria Osyguss of Hemet. The Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office, working from Cal/OSHAs investigation, finalized the agreement in July. The deal reduces the charges from felony to misdemeanor, grants the company three years probation and allows it to continue operations uninterrupted. In addition to a $1 million criminal fine, the company will donate $4 million to local food banks, pay $50,000 to Cal/OSHA, and spend $1.6 million on enhanced safety measures. These sums, which appear large on paper, amount to a minor operational expense for Golden West Food Group, whose annual revenue is estimated at $452 million, according to Buzzfile. The criminal penalty joins a previously settled $35 million civil lawsuit with the families of the victims. A preventable workplace death On the morning of the incident, Gonsales entered the chilled room after a malfunction released liquid nitrogen, displacing oxygen. He collapsed almost instantly. An hour later Osyguss, unaware of the danger, entered and suffered the same fate. Neither had any means of escape. The rooms alarm system their only potential warning had been left to rust over and failed to sound. Michael Bright, director of Cal/OSHAs Bureau of Investigations, described the companys conduct as gross negligence. Investigators found multiple egregious violations: no functioning oxygen monitors, no ventilation adequate to handle a leak, no outside-readable gas sensors, no emergency breathing equipment, no proper worker training in handling pressurized gas, and no maintenance of the alarm system. The company has since retrofitted its systems to comply with safety codes, in a frank admission that these measures could and should have been in place before two people lost their lives. Cal/OSHA chief Debra Lee declared that when employers fail to safeguard workers the state will hold them to account. In reality, the plea agreement is not accountability but a shield for the company. Regulators as accomplices The governments role in this tragedy cannot be understated. For years, the Cal/OSHA has been unable to conduct consistent, thorough inspections. A recent audit by the California State Auditor revealed that the agency is in a state of advanced decay. Staffing shortages, outdated procedures and an inspection rate far below the minimum needed to ensure worker safety are the result of a conscious political program. The state administration of Democrat Gavin Newsom has starved Cal/OSHA of resources while relying on the trade union bureaucracy to smother worker opposition. This is the California expression of a nationwide policy, pursued under both Democrats and Republicans, to dismantle regulatory protections for the benefit of corporate profit. At the federal level, Trumps Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer announced in July the most sweeping deregulatory assault yet: eliminating ten regulations for every new one and slashing OSHAs budget by nearly 8 percent. This means 223 fewer staff, 30 percent fewer inspections and a green light to corporate America to cut costs at the expense of workers lives. The outcome will be both predictable and quantifiable: the cuts will drive fatalities beyond the more than 5,000 recorded workplace deaths each year in the United Statesa figure that grossly understates the true toll once occupational diseases and long-term exposures are included. A pattern of industrial slaughter The California Ranch Foods case follows a long line of preventable workplace deaths caused by cost-cutting, safety neglect and nonexistent oversight. In only four months this year, a string of horrific workplace deaths have offered a harrowing glimpse of the real situation. These included Stellantis autoworker Ronald Adams Sr., steelworker Michael Dewaine Townsend, construction worker Ryan Starnes, trench-collapse victim Ronald Baquera Jr., steel plant worker Tuah Kollie, and South Korean contractor Kim Jung Won, who was crushed at LG Energy Solutions. In Vernon itself, a company town dedicated to unchecked industrial exploitation, Guatemalan immigrant Brayan Neftali Otoniel Canu Joj was sucked into a meat grinder. In Nebraska, Dylan D. Danielson and his two young children were killed in a biofuel plant explosion. Most recently, the massive blast at US Steels Clairton Coke Works outside Pittsburgh claimed the lives of Timothy Quinn and another worker whose name has not yet been released, and critically injured five more. Each of these deaths, like those of Gonsales and Osyguss, was entirely preventable. That they occurred was the direct consequence of employers ignoring safety protocols, regulators failing to enforce existing laws and the profit system treating human lives as disposable. The plea deals millions in fines and donations are presented as justice. They are no such thing. For a corporation with nine-figure revenues, such penalties are the cost of doing business. They will be written off against taxes and absorbed without affecting executive bonuses or shareholder returns. The only force capable of halting this slaughter is the working class itself, organized independently of both the corporate-controlled political parties and the union apparatus. This means building rank-and-file committees in every workplace democratic bodies controlled by workers, not union officialswith the power to halt production when unsafe conditions arise, demand full transparency on hazards and hold management criminally accountable for endangering lives. Such committees must coordinate across industries and state lines, linking food processing workers with steelworkers, autoworkers, construction crews, logistics workers and educators, to mount a united struggle against the bipartisan war on safety and living standards. Investigations must be launched in the manner of the WSWS investigation into Ronald Adams, Sr.s death. In a recent public meeting, a resolution was passed unanimously calling for the building of rank-and-file safety committees in every workplace, democratically controlled by workers themselves and independent of the pro-corporate unions, to enforce safe working conditions and expose dangerous practices. The fight for workplace safety cannot be separated from the fight against the capitalist profit system. It is the logic of profit, not incompetence or oversight, that led California Ranch Foods to operate a death trap for years. The memory of Baldemar Gonsales and Maria Osyguss must serve as a rallying cry. Workers everywhere must reject the official narrative that justice has been done. True justice will only come when the working class takes power into its own hands, reorganizing society on the basis of human need, not private profit. The News in Brief Friday, August 15, 2025 Protester and poet Zviad Ratiani appeared in court this week facing charges of assaulting police officer Teimuraz Meshvelashvili. According to prosecutors, Ratiani struck the officer in the face, an act that carries a prison sentence of four to seven years under Article 353, Part 1 of the Georgian Criminal Code.During the hearing, Ratiani denied any wrongdoing, describing his action as "the least painful, symbolic act with historical significance.""I agree with my lawyers; I don't think it requires much explanation as to what I did and why I did it. I will use the rest for my closing statement. I do not consider myself guilty of the charges brought against me," Ratiani told the court. "It was the least painful or minimally painful symbolic act, generalized, symbolic, with its historical significance. Every police officer involved in this injustice and betrayal of the country should take it personally. It was a slap to everyone, starting with Bidzina Ivanishvili."He also addressed prosecutor Giorgi Gogaladze, criticizing his arguments. "From these absurd texts, the only meaning I derived was the word 'personality.' You don't even know the elementary meaning of the word 'valid.' It's clear what path you've chosen in life, but you need to work a bit harder," Ratiani said.Ratiani further referenced other cases of violence, saying, "One of my main inspirations was the cases of Mzia Amaglobeli and Nino Datashvili. This slap will turn into a very big slap from society, from the people."A substantive hearing on Ratiani's case is scheduled for August 27. He was initially detained on June 23.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine criticized the Georgian Dream party for posting a video on its Facebook page that used footage from the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukraine called the move "cynical" and said it showed disrespect toward the Ukrainian people and the victims of Russian aggression."The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has drawn attention to yet another unfriendly act by the ruling party, 'Georgian Dream,' which continues to use videos for its political PR that depict the horrific consequences of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement published on the Facebook page of the Ukrainian Embassy in Georgia.According to the statement, the actions of the Georgian Dream party provoke justified outrage in Ukrainian society. Ukraine also expressed regret that the Georgian government appears to be attempting to appease Moscow while disregarding principles of dignity and independence that have historically defined the Georgian nation.Ukraine advised the ruling party to be honest with the public, noting that reality shows "on the right, the tricolor flag of Russia, and on the left, the closed doors of the European Union and NATO." The statement added that while Ukraine continues to support the Georgian people, the current Georgian government has deprived the country of a European future."Ukraine consistently and unwaveringly supports the friendly Georgian people in their aspirations to build an independent, democratic, and European state," the ministry said. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Shutterstock No cheap thrills here the slow-burning suspense, the high-stakes conflicts, the edge-of-your-seat excitement and the plot twists that constantly keep you guessing richly add to this trio of top-rate thrillers, all of which are available to stream now on HBO Max. HBO's streaming service is loaded with tension-filled mysteries, pulpy crime thrillers and intense psychological dramas, including some of the most critically acclaimed thrillers in movie history, which makes it that much more difficult to choose exactly which one to click "Play" on next. Advertisement Advertisement So we've made things easier by narrowing that cinematic pool down to three great choices, from a history-making south Korean stunner, to a culture-shaking detective classic, to what is arguably the most exciting movie of 2025 so far. Here are three thrillers on HBO Max to add to your watch list ASAP. 'Parasite' The first non-English-language film to ever claim the Academy Award for Best Picture, Bong Joon Ho's 2019 black comedy "Parasite" finds its chilling thrills in class disparity, as the financially destitute Kim family (played by Song Kang-ho, Jang Hye-jin, Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam) slowly but surely infiltrates the household of the Kim family, who are the picture of aspirational wealth. Though there are plenty of outrageously funny moments throughout Bong's masterpiece, those satirical laughs are grippingly offset by a nerve-wracking sense of unease and hauntingly tragic elements that stick with you long after the credits roll. On Rotten Tomatoes, "Parasite" holds a near-perfect 99% approval rating, with critical consensus praising: "An urgent, brilliantly layered look at timely social themes, Parasite finds writer-director Bong Joon Ho in near-total command of his craft." Advertisement Advertisement Watch "Parasite" on HBO Max now 'The Silence of the Lambs' "The Silence of the Lambs" is the rare film to claim the Big Five at the Oscars: that would be Best Picture, Best Director (for Jonathan Demme), Best Adapted Screenplay (for Ted Tally's script), Best Actress (for Jodie Foster, as the distressed but determined F.B.I. cadet Clarice Sterling) and Best Actor (for Anthony Hopkins's instantly iconic performance as cannibalistic killer Hannibal Lecter). And it's easy to see why Demme's film is a true classic of the thriller genre, pulsing with fear, suspense and vulnerability thanks to those fantastic performances (outside of career-defining turns by Foster and Hopkins, Ted Levine is also exceptionally terrifying as serial killer Buffalo Bill) as well as Tally's taunt screenwriting, which "teeters on the edge between psychological study and all-out horror," per Rotten Tomatoes, where the psychological thriller has a 95% approval rating. Watch "The Silence of the Lambs" on HBO Max now 'Sinners' Filmmaker Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan are used to having films find equal parts commercial and critical success these are the guys behind the "Black Panther" franchise and the "Creed" films, after all. But the frequent screen collaborators put out arguably their most surprising hit this year with "Sinners," a Southern horror thriller that slow-burned its way to a whopping $364 million worldwide on a reported $90 million budget. Advertisement Advertisement In the vampy 2025 title, Jordan has dual roles as criminal twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore who return to their hometown in the hopes of leaving their troubled lives behind, only to find an even greater evil waiting to welcome them back. Written and directed by Coogler, the spine-tingling tale which also stars Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku and Omar Benson Miller was called "a rip-roaring fusion of masterful visual storytelling and toe-tapping music" that reveals the full scope of Coogler's "singular imagination," per Rotten Tomatoes, where the "Sinners" has a 97% approval rating. Watch "Sinners" on HBO Max now When the curtain rose on Arena Stage in Washington in 1950, it was as if a spotlight was being switched on for live theater across America. Under the stewardship of Arenas founding artistic director Zelda Fichandler, a 247-seat performance space in a former movie and burlesque house, the Hippodrome, on a then-rundown stretch of K Street NW near Mount Vernon Square, would prefigure an astonishing new era for plays and musicals in this country. In tandem with a handful of other visionaries in a few select cities Dallas, for example, was another early hotbed Fichandler set in motion what would become known as the regional theater movement. Her singular drive and remarkable artistry was of a kind that birthed slews of theaters and inspired generations of playwrights, designers and actors. You hold in your hands an origin story for the American theater, theater historian Todd London wrote in a preface to a recent collection of Fichandlers own writings, The Long Revolution. This week, 75 years into that story, Arena marks an extraordinary anniversary not one denoting age as much as timeless relevance. What follows are the major moments in its evolution into a storied company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a child, Zelda moved from Boston to Washington, where she performed in plays. Later at George Washington University, she wrote a masters thesis on the performing of Shakespeare in the Soviet Union. She, her husband, Tom, and theater professor Edward Mangum raised $15,000 to create a for-profit corporation, later reorganized as a nonprofit. On Aug. 16, 1950, Arena came into being with a production of Oliver Goldsmiths 1773 comedy, She Stoops to Conquer. After World War II, Fichandler wrote in an essay, I was trying to get off the ground a flying machine of my own a theater institution of a certain kind for which there had been no American models. Before then in the United States, theater existed principally as a Broadway and touring phenomenon. It was founded in the belief, she wrote about Arena, that if drama-hungry playgoers outside of the ten blocks of Broadway are to have a living stage, they must create it for themselves. Arena Stage was financed by Washingtonians students, teachers, lawyers, doctors, scientists, government workers, housewives who love theater and who want to see it flourish in the city in which they work and live. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On a campus in Southwest Washington, Arena built two theaters, the in-the-round flagship space (opened in 1961, later named the Fichandler Stage), and the smaller proscenium venue (the Kreeger, opened in 1971). It was on those stages that Fichandler would implement her vision, employing, for example, a permanent company of salaried actors. That effort would set in motion a plan to create one of the first fully racially integrated American theater companies. The electrifying play by Howard Sackler that premiered at Arena in December 1967 propelled the company to a whole new level of renown. Based on the story of Black prizefighter Jack Jefferson, The Great White Hope would make stars of its leading actors, Jones and Jane Alexander and establish Arena as an important generator of new work. The play, which had an interracial couple as its central characters, was controversial at the time for its direct assault on the injustices perpetrated on Black Americans. It went on to win both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony for best play. Arena became the first American theater company to tour the Soviet Union reflecting a Fichandler passion for building bridges across the world. It presented Inherit the Wind, about the Scopes Monkey Trial, and Our Town, and the cast members included Robert Prosky and Dianne Wiest. The State Department-sponsored tour was deemed a breakthrough in the furthering of American soft power. Three years later, Arenas national credentials were stamped again, when it won the first Regional Theatre Tony Award. It was a harbinger for the growth of Washington as a regional hub of theatrical variety, through the creation of such influential local companies as Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Studio Theatre, Signature Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company. Molly Smith in 2022. - (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post) After Fichandlers successor, Doug Wager (1991-98), artistic director Molly Smith took Arena in new directions. Reflecting a baby boomers taste for the golden age of Broadway, she broadened Arenas palate by directing such classic musicals as The Music Man, South Pacific and Damn Yankees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith also steered Arena into more overtly political lanes, producing what she deemed power plays on topics such as the peace talks between Yasser Arafat and Menachem Begin (Camp David); the constitutional battle over abortion (Roe) and the career of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (The Originalist). (Scalias friend and colleague on the Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was a regular presence on Arena opening nights.) Some of these plays proved provocatively bracing, while others could not escape a whiff of over-earnestness. The new Arena Stage building incorporated its venues under a glass and concrete outer shell. - (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post) Architect Bing Thoms breathtaking $135 million cantilevered roof enclosed the two existing theaters and a new space, the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle. The 200,000-square-foot, multilevel Mead Center for American Theater was a soaring architectural statement about the importance of theater to the city and a cornerstone of the revival of the Southwest Waterfront. Construction of the trendy Wharf district would soon follow. No production seemed to reflect Smiths appetite for reinterpreting classics and using the musical form to unite a racially diverse city than the show that opened the center. Her vibrant production of Rodgers and Hammersteins Oklahoma! in a rejuvenated Fichandler Stage epitomized the idea that this quintessentially American art form belonged to everyone. She cast Nicholas Rodriguez and Eleasha Gamble a Latino actor and a Black actress as the lovers at the core of the 1943 musical. It was so popular it returned for a second run, and showed how older musicals can energize contemporary theatergoers. Summers are conventionally sleepy times for regional theaters, but Arena stayed wide awake this summer 2015, when an untested Broadway producer, a callow composing team and a little-known lead actor occupied the Kreeger for a first-ever run of their musical. Dear Evan Hansen, about an introverted high school student played by Ben Platt who lies about his friendship with a dead classmate, broke into an emotional gallop and bowled over D.C. audiences and critics. Cementing Arenas status as a bona fide testing ground for Broadway musicals, the show would eventually make its way to Times Square and Tony Awards glory, winning six trophies, including best musical, at the 2017 ceremony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, Arena welcomed its fourth artistic director, Hana S. Sharif, who in interviews has said shed been dreaming of becoming Arenas leader since her teens. Shes now putting her own imprint on the company by planning an ambitious 2025-26 season of nine productions in financially challenging times, from serious plays to a TLC musical. And in seeming tribute to the leaders shes followed, revivals of two of their shows: Damn Yankees and Inherit the Wind. Its only fitting that in a city where the American story plays out everywhere, it is being incisively told and retold on the stages of one of its flagship theater companies. Around the globe, access to safe and affordable womens healthcare is becoming a thing of make-believe, but an emerging trend in indie film has sparked short bursts of spectacular pushback. At Californias Palm Springs ShortFest and Salute Your Shorts Fest and the Fantasia Fest in Montreal, IndieWire screened several short films this summer that sit at the intersection of womens rights and supernatural ideas. A new, horrifying kind of fantasy. More from IndieWire Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It almost felt like I had to sell my soul to do it, said filmmaker Kylie Aoibheann, whose experience traveling to Thailand from Sydney, Australia for gender-affirming surgery inspired The Dysphoria. The horror short follows a young woman who makes a ghastly deal with a witch in exchange for her problematic boyfriend. I knew there was an easier way, said the director. Then, I thought, what if getting a vagina was as easy as contacting the devil? In Feed, a stomach-churning creature short, filmmaker Nancy Urich and her co-writer Stephanie Johns unpacked their difficult experiences as young moms in Canada through some lesser-known Icelandic folklore. Breastfeeding is natural, but its not obvious how it works, said Urich. Nurses, friends, and even family will try to help you, but that mystery is so isolating when youre already vulnerable. Women are fucking superhuman, said filmmaker Connie Shi, who directed herself in the harrowing action short, The Rebirth. The multi-hyphenate New York filmmaker stars as a waitress stuck dealing with customers when she realizes the abortion pill she just took has also given her superpowers. It felt important to have a film with a cathartic and empowering ending that leaves you with some sort of hope, Shi said. We have to keep fighting and we have to believe we can change what the future looks like. (Left to right): Kylie Aoibheann (The Dysphoria), Connie Shi (The Rebirth), and Nancy Urich (Feed) Check out this recent post from Human Rights Watch for International Womens Day, and youll find that future Shi is warning us about may already be coming. The report starts with the good news, outlining gains from the decriminalization of abortion in Mexico to expanded education for girls in Chile. Then, it turns to tales of abduction, subjugation, and sexual violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attacks on women and girls continue to rage everywhere. Theyre particularly extreme in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Haiti, while matters grow evermore frightening for the female population under the thumb of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The second Trump term in the U.S. means women, trans, and nonbinary Americans face unprecedented setbacks that will likely redefine gender equality in the west. Not only have we lost the bodily autonomy once guaranteed by the Supreme Court, but the conservative culture wars have undermined many programs and legal protections essential to womens healthcare. The connection between the rise of authoritarianism and the shrinking space for womens rights is very clear, reads the report, authored by Human Rights Watch executive director Macarena Saez and associate editorial director Amy Braunschweiger. Womens access to healthcare and living a life free from violence is good for everyone. And when you take away womens freedom of expression and association, it brings down whole communities, no matter peoples gender. The Cost of Comfort in Your Own Body (or, the Trans Femme Midsommar) Obstacles preventing trans and nonbinary people from getting gender-affirming care vary internationally. For the filmmaker behind The Dysphoria, traveling to Thailand from Australia was the best way to see a specialized surgeon but her trip demanded real sacrifice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I had to use pretty much all the savings that I had, and that was so daunting, said Aoibheann. I thought about how long I had worked to reach that financial stability. Then, I realized I couldve made several films with the money I had to put down just to get a bit closer to being comfortable in my body. Thailand pioneered many of the techniques used in modern vaginoplasty, and there arent enough qualified health providers in Australia. There, Aoibheann and countless other trans women face extended wait times and exorbitant costs at overwhelmed facilities. Hence, the trip to Asia. The Dysphoria Courtesy of Kylie Aoibhean I ended up feeling like I had to put my career on a total halt as a writer and director, said Aoibheann, whose recovery abroad took just under six weeks. I had to put projects on pause and turn down opportunities. That was the most difficult thing to do, pushing it all back and putting my life on hold. Aoibheanns journey was expensive and long, but she got the healthcare she needed and remains thankful for it. The experience also inspired a powerful idea that would become her short film, The Dysphoria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While I was recovering in this haze of painkillers, I couldnt help but think on all the things I felt like I had to give up to be there, and all the people that I had to remove from my life because they couldnt see me for the woman I am, Aoibheann said. When you transition, you can feel like you need to cut out people be they friends, family members, colleagues, whoever refuses to accept you. Theyre almost like sacrifices so you can become who you were always meant to be. In The Dysphoria, Alice (Eva Rees) learns that haunting lesson from a literal flesh and blood nightmare. When the desperate heroine accidentally summons a demonic presence named Lilith (Carissa Lee) to her home, the ritual shed hoped would give her a magical vagina asks for her boyfriend, Tyler (Adam White), as payment. The result is something like a trans femme Midsommar douchebag skull-smashing included. Tyler sucks, but he doesnt misgender Alice or call her names. Instead, The Dysphoria snaps his awfulness into focus through a slightly weirder, more liberal lens. Its only when Tyler attempts to stop his girlfriends transaction with the demon by fetishizing her body calling Alices transness special in the worst way that Aoibheann seals the boy-toys grisly fate. Even armed with a great script and strong actors, The Dysphoria filmmaker needed the help of special effects company Sharp FX (also behind Shudders Late Night with the Devil) to pull off its gory crowning moment. The filmmaker used a mold of her actors lower face and the enthusiastic expertise of her consultants to achieve her dream finale. The Dysphoria Kylie Aoibhean On the movies grindhouse-inspired poster (Aoibheann made 70s-inspired look-books for her entire cast and crew), youll spy the unforgettable tagline, TAKE THE BODY GOD DENIED YOU. Its displayed beneath the short films gruesome main event. Credited cryptically as Liliths Dog, actor Tim Clarke appears on all fours with a bag over his head. Think the gimp from Pulp Fiction if the Hills Didnt Have Eyes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The actor was basically blind because he had a hood covering his face, said Aoibheann. She described an elaborate apparatus that pumped fake gore through a tube to Clarkes burlap mask. The messy scene required the filmmaker to undertake several resets, but deliver the beating heart of her film, The Dysphoria director had faith it would all be worth it. Today, shes convinced it was. When we finally got on set, Aoibheann said, Then it felt like, This is some unholy magic.' What to Expect When You Werent Expecting a Short Film Motherhood requires women to perfect the art of a different kind multitasking. For Nancy Urich, that skillset came in handy again as a director when the Canadian filmmaker squeezed the two-day shoot for her nauseating creature short, Feed, into an unexpected production delay during another feature. We were all set up and it was basically like a cosmic thing, said Urich. We had to shift the schedule, and suddenly Monday and Tuesday were open. So, I just said, OK, its now or never.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Urich was co-producing Permanent Damage, directed by her husband Seth Smith and co-written with Darcy Spindle, when she and friend Stephanie Johns penned a feature-length version of Feed at the same time. Both projects are still in the works from the groups production company, Cut/Off/Tail Pictures, and they share a universe narratively. Still, limited resources demanded Urich and Johns who met through an all-mom garage band, shortly after giving birth help champion one film first. Feed Courtesy of Nancy Urich Permanent Damage collided with yet another movie when its lead actor got held up finishing work with a different director. Not a moment too soon, Urich and Johns spun Feed into a short. We happened to be on the set of an apartment for one of the characters who could potentially be a crossover between our two films, the adaptive director said. We had to act really quickly to shoot the short then and there, but we already had the gear, the set dec, actors, infrastructure, everything. Filming in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the six-minute horror snippet ends with an elegantly disgusting reveal. That [effect] had been in development with our puppeteer for over a year at that point, said Urich, who also told IndieWire that she wanted to keep details about her sickening invention under wraps for now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the short film version of Feed, an elderly woman (Clare Coulter) pedals magical nipple cream to her susceptible neighbors as a cure-all for babies who have trouble latching. The old woman soon draws a new mom (Koumbie) into a disturbing encounter with a thirsty anathema you have to see to believe. The monster was designed and puppeteered by Cassie Seaboyer. The arresting and singular abomination has already made Feed a buzzy find on the genre festival circuit, but the short film wont see the light of streaming until after the feature is finished. Work on Feed began for Urich and Johns over a decade ago, when the women pivoted from practicing music to writing movies. They bonded over the horror of early motherhood and the intensity of breastfeeding. My son is 11 now, so that should tell you the scope of the project, Urich said. Mothers Alone with Milk-Thirsty Monsters: Fact or Fiction? Women can be discouraged from getting critical healthcare in obstetrics and gynecology by social barriers as much as financial and legal ones. Tales of witchcraft are often rooted in the fears of young women, who have reported being afraid of accidentally hurting their babies for centuries. In Canada, where Urich lives, pregnant people are guaranteed paid maternity leave up to 15 weeks placing the country in the middle of the pack for duration globally. Theyve also got universal healthcare, but postpartum depression and the anxiety of keeping a kid alive dont take insurance. (Left to right): Feed co-writer Stephanie Johns and director/co-writer Nancy Urich Courtesy of Nancy Urich It just doesnt end, said Urich. If youre breastfeeding, its you and your baby, and its just not going to stop. Its like breaking in new shoes for three months. Nurses will tell you that you just have to get through it because its old hat to them, and its true but thats horrifying as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like filmmaking, breastfeeding gets easier the longer you do it, said Urich. Once you get over the unknowingness of it, it doesnt matter as much if this part hurts, or if this happens or that happens, she said. You can kind of foresee whats going to come because youve done it before and all of a sudden your body takes charge of everything. Making peace with that grueling duality of motherhood anchors Feed, but it was Urich and Johns willingness to incubate their story for several years that suggests its worth the feature long haul. The full story is about a mother who is alone, and figuring out breastfeeding, and having a very hard time on so many levels, Urich said. Then, she comes against this creature, and like you saw with the short film, she realizes in the end that, yes, its disgusting and terrible but maybe it can help her. Working 9 to 5, What a Way to Lose Autonomy Like many Americans, Connie Shi was angry when The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in July 2022. The reversal of federal rights continues to infuriate many women and their allies in the United States, but the filmmaker found a unique place to put her rage and views on healthcare in The Rebirth. I felt really powerless and like I needed to do something with all of this anger and energy that I had, said Shi. I wrote the script really quickly, just as a personal therapeutic process. Then, I sent it to my friend Stephanie Bonner, who is one of my producers on the film. Her husband co-owns a bunch of bars in New York, so she was like, I have a bar. Lets fucking do this.' The Rebirth Courtesy of Connie Shi The Rebirth is a knock-out action adventure that sees Shi direct herself in a character arc that dares to get creative with the pro-choice platform. Based on an account the director heard when she moved to New York City as a young actor in 2013, the superhero origin story from Shi follows a restaurant employee who feels pressured to push through her shift at work despite the severe side effects shes experiencing from a pharmaceutical abortion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My mom is an immigrant from China, said Shi. I think a lot of children of immigrants are taught to keep their heads down, to work hard, to respect and trust authority figures, to not make waves, and to not get noticed. I was certainly raised that way, feeling like I always had to ask for permission to exist, and thats exactly where Hana is at the beginning of the film. Shis tableside vigilante figure realizes she has super-strength when a creepy customer tries to grope Hana, and she responds by breaking his wrist. When her manager (stunt coordinator Mickey Breitenstein) harasses her even more, the pissed-off server unleashes an otherworldly surge of fury. Sitting in her car, processing the comedic carnage she just left behind, Hana checks her phone and reads the daily headlines in Shis dystopian future. The heroine soon discovers that other women across the U.S. tried to end their pregnancies with illegal abortion pills. They also got superpowers by mistake. Shi doesnt consider herself a genre buff when it comes to comics or superheroes, but the filmmaker says that womanhood in America requires superhuman strength. Of course, were better as a team. For me, as a director, I learned that you must assemble an incredible group around you, and then, you have to trust them, Shi said. Even with tons of rehearsal, we had to move so fast during the production that I could barely watch playback. Stuck with 1 a.m. call times (so Stephanies husbands bar could stay open during the day), The Rebirth was a labor of love that continues to fuel Shis feminism. Avenger? I Barely Even Know Her! Since the fall of Roe, abortion has been criminalized in 12 U.S. states according to the Center for Reproductive Rights. Some state laws seek to disqualify many of the reasons a patient might seek an abortion, while other legislative efforts have significantly shortened the window of opportunity for patients who might otherwise be eligible to get one. In those cases, many women do not realize they are pregnant before the deadline for the medical procedure passes. Its tragic where were at, said Shi. Trump just passed a bill thats going to kick millions of people off Medicaid. Its terrifying. You feel like youre hitting bottom and then you find a new bottom. The Rebirth Photo by Steph B. Chang Other laws in the U.S. have gone after medical providers and activists who help Americans in red states travel to locations where abortion is legal. That said, simultaneously, the Kaiser Family Foundation has found the total number of abortions nationally has slightly increased since Roe v. Wade was scrapped. Their research suggests expanded telehealth capacity, the ability to mail medication abortion pills to patients, and lower costs could be causing the unintended side effect. Asked about the mass deportations now impacting immigrants, Shi was rational but undeterred. Theyre coming for all of us, the filmmaker said. We cant just lay back and say, Well, its not us. No, we all need to be engaged in this today. I find my community and strength in artists. So, consider who you surround yourself with as we move forward. Theres honesty in the willingness to engage with whats difficult and not to look away from it. You feel power flowing from those kinds of people. Whats next for these filmmakers? Aoibheann is working on a haunted house feature, titled Dead Name, thats set to shoot next year. Its a high-concept trans film about a woman haunted by her younger male self and the lingering fear that part of her will always be a man. Filmmaker Urich and co-writer Johns are scheduled to shoot Feed as a feature film in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia next spring. Shi noted that her short was still early in its festival run but told IndieWire that the feature treatment is already complete. Shes currently seeking interest from backers who want to expand The Rebirth universe into a full film. The Future of Fantasy Film Is Female Screening next at the Melbourne International Film Festival (in the Accelerator Shorts 2 block), The Dysphoria plays at the ACMI on Sunday, August 24. More American and European dates will be announced soon. Feed is unlikely to stream online as a short, but more festival screenings will be announced soon. Follow The Rebirth on social media @threbirthfilm for updates. Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Beatport and Miller Genuine Draft are teaming up to give the global electronic music scene a much needed jolt. This time, by going straight to the source. Building on their 2024 partnership, the worlds largest online DJ platform and the iconic beer brand have launched the Miller x Beatport The Grassroots Venue Fund. The bold international initiative is designed to support independent music venues in four key marketsTurkey, Hungary, Georgia, and Australiawhere electronic music lives, breathes, and evolves. The fund represents a shared commitment to the future of electronic music, said Yasemin Kosereisoglu, Director of Client Relations & Creative Production at The Beatport Group. Were investing in the infrastructure that keeps our culture alive. The launch comes at a critical juncture, as the global nightlife economy is in the midst of a dramatic slide. Between 2021 and 2023, the number of electronic music clubs has plummeted by 30% in Europe alonepart of a sharp long-term decline from more than 3,000 venues in 2005 to just over 850 today. Australia is experiencing a similar downturn: Since the start of the pandemic, 1,300 live music venues and stages have shut their doors for good, shrinking the landscape for small to mid-size performance spaces by nearly a third. BEATPORT To help counter this decline, Miller and Beatport will award 60,000 euros, with 15,000 euros earmarked for one standout venue in each region. The aim of these grants is to improve infrastructure, fund programming, increase accessibility, and address critical needs that help venues nurture local talent and foster community. Electronic music connects communities in powerful and personal ways, said Rebecca Mutty, Senior Global Marketing Manager for Miller Genuine Draft. Through this partnership with Beatport, were proud to support the venues and the people behind them by helping preserve the cultural spaces that make nightlife matter, and ensuring they continue to thrive in the face of growing challenges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement COMPLEX SHOP: Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what's next. Buy. Collect. Obsess. BEATPORT The application entry window opens July 30 to August 27 for Hungary-based venues, followed by August 13 to September 10 for Turkey. Submissions will open for Australia and Georgia in the coming weeks. Learn how to apply here. To drive excitement for the campaign, Miller and Beatport are hosting live events across each market. The series began July 18 with a show in Istanbul, headlined by Italian DJ Deborah De Luca. Next up: Swiss DJ Nora En Pure will perform in Budapest on September 6. Additional events in Australia and Georgia will be announced soon. BEATPORT All of the events will be captured for a forthcoming docuseries, a follow-up to 2024s Miller Mix (which chronicled unsung music communities). The 2025 videos will spotlight the stories of local venue owners, fund recipients, and artists and DJs who continue to push the electronic scene forward. Learn more about the Miller x Beatport The Grassroots Venue Fund here and stay locked on Complex for the latest news in music. Related Products Tisno Love Cap - Ecru Magic Castles Tisno Love Cap - Ecru $54 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement , ENERGY [2 LP] uDiscover Music ENERGY [2 LP] $39.98 , Claude VonStroke & Walker & Royce - Enthusiasm Vinyl Dirtybird Store Claude VonStroke & Walker & Royce - Enthusiasm Vinyl $15 , ENERGY 1CD uDiscover Music ENERGY 1CD $13.98 Related News Yaya Mayweather Responds to Rumor That She and NBA YoungBoy Are Expecting Another Child Taylor Swift Announces New Album 'The Life of a Showgirl' With Travis Kelce's Help COMPLEX SHOP: Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what's next. Buy. Collect. Obsess. Making Culture Pop. Find the latest entertainment news and the best in music, pop culture, sneakers, style and original shows. NEED TO KNOW Just days before her wedding, a bride named Amanda was left with a mask squeeze injury after scuba diving in Bali Makeup artists at Dollface Darlings performed a 90-minute "miracle" by completely covering the bride's dark bruising "She was very happy and emotional. She hugged me and couldnt believe it. She said it was magic!" the head makeup artist, Wiwik "Wayan" Arisandi, tells PEOPLE A makeup "miracle" was performed for a blackened and bruised bride. Four days before her July 5 wedding at Tirtha Uluwatu in Bali, Indonesia, a bride named Amanda had a makeup trial with Dollface Darlings then disaster struck. Between the trial and the big day, Amanda had a mask squeeze scuba diving accident, which is a diving injury caused by failure to equalize during descent. The water pressure created a suction effect, which damaged Amanda's blood vessels and soft tissues around her eyes, leaving her with dark facial bruising and swelling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In my heart, I felt very sad because I was afraid I might not be able to make her happy on such an important day in her life," Dollface Darlings' head makeup artist, Wiwik "Wayan" Arisandi, tells PEOPLE. Dollface Darlings Before photo of bride Amanda Before photo of bride Amanda Kat O'Hara, who heads Dollface Darlings, adds that her assistant, Aurelie, noticed that Arisandi had tears in her eyes "as she was so sad for her and wanted to do her very best." In a before video of Amanda's makeup transformation posted on Instagram on Aug. 3, the Dollface Darlings team wrote that Amanda was "devastated" and "heartbroken" after her accident because she was "unsure if she could feel like herself on her big day." https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arisandi assured Amanda that she'd be able to cover the bruising because she has more than two decades of makeup experience, working with Dollface Darlings for 13 years. "Because of that experience, we knew exactly what to do when the accident happened. I have covered bruising before, so I already knew the techniques needed," Arisandi says. "I told her not to worry, we would make sure she looked her best on her wedding day." The morning of the wedding, the team gently corrected the bruising, "bringing back her natural radiance." Arisandi explains that the team first thoroughly prepped, moisturized, and hydrated the skin with extra care and concentration on the bruised areas in order to create a smooth, well-hydrated base for makeup to help the products layer seamlessly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Next, was the daunting challenge of covering the bruise. To neutralize discoloration, peach color corrector from Tarte was applied directly over the bruise. Then, Arisandi built up coverage slowly with thin layers of foundation that have been "tried and tested in the humid climate of Indonesia for extreme longevity, making them ideal for a Bali wedding." She mixed LT Pro Smooth Corrector Cream Foundation, MUAQ High Definition Foundation and NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation. Several products were required to set and finish the complexion. For a lightweight, set finish without caking, the powders Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre and Mercredi Translucent Powder were applied. Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Bronzer was then used to create a warm, sun-kissed tone. The same brand's Cheek to Chic Blush produced a peachy-pink flush. MAC Fix+ setting spray locked in the look to keep the makeup fresh all day. Finally, the lips were lined with a Bobbi Brown Lip Liner Pencil and a few peachy lipsticks from Maybelline and Charlotte Tilbury were applied. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From start to finish, the makeup process took about 90 minutes. "When the unimaginable happens and you pray for a miracle..." Dollface Darlings wrote in an onscreen caption of the makeup reveal video on Instagram posted on Aug. 7. 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. "Oh, my God, you hid it," Amanda said in the video as she looked in a mirror and admired her makeup. "Thank you so much. Can I give you a hug? Thank you." "She was very happy and emotional. She hugged me and couldnt believe it. She said it was magic!" Arisandi says. Read the original article on People New details into the death of Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband, emerged Thursday. Blackstock reportedly suffered from seizures, which were listed as "significant conditions contributing to death but not resulting in the underlying cause," according to People magazine, citing Blackstock's death certificate. Blackstock died Aug. 7 after a "brave and courageous" three-year battle with cancer , a family rep told Fox News Digital at the time. He was 48. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kelly Clarkson's Ex-husband Brandon Blackstock Was Dating Her Former Assistant At Time Of Death: Obit Brandon Blackstock's cause of death was melanoma, a form of skin cancer. He reportedly suffered from seizures, which were listed as "significant conditions contributing to death but not resulting in the underlying cause," People magazine reported. Blackstock was listed as a rodeo producer in the rodeo industry, the outlet reported. An autopsy was not performed, and Blackstock was reportedly cremated. "Brandon Blackstock passed away peacefully at his home in Butte, Montana on August 7th under hospice care surrounded by his family ," Silver Bow County Coroner Dan Hollis told Fox News Digital. Blackstock's cause of death was melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Read On The Fox News App Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson's Ex-husband, Dead At 48 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The manner of death was natural causes. "It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away," a representative for the family told Fox News Digital in a statement. Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband and renowned talent manager, Brandon Blackstock died at the age of 48, following a three year battle with cancer. Like What Youre Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News "Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time." Clarkson and Blackstock were married in 2013, but they knew each other previously as Blackstock's father, Narvel Blackstock, owns the music management company that represented Clarkson beginning in 2007. Blackstock was Clarkson's manager from 2017 until their split in 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to his obituary, Blackstock was remembered for pursuing the "cowboy way of life he always wanted to live." The talent manager played "important roles in shaping the careers of many larger-than-life celebrities," according to the eulogy. Clarkson and Blackstock were married for seven years. Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter "In his early adult years, Brandon moved to Nashville and began his career in the music business," the obit stated. "He played important roles in shaping the careers of many larger-than-life celebrities and left a lasting impact on everyone who met him. He always had his hand out to pull others up the ladder, to open a door, to make a connection. Many industry insiders have Brandon Blackstock to thank for their opportunities." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following more than two decades in the music business , "Brandon found his way back to the mountains and the cowboy way of life he always wanted to live. He found a homestead and a love in Butte, Montana." "Brandon didnt do anything halfway," the announcement stated. "He charged into life with both guns blazing. He was a cowboy and valued the cowboy way of life. He drove a big truck, rode a good horse, and removed his hat when he introduced himself. He was a sharpshooter, a mans man, and a true gentleman. He loved a hard days work that started early and finished late." Blackstock's father, TV producer Narvel Blackstock, was previously married to country legend Reba McEntire. The notice continued, "He had no schedule for when it was time for a cold Coors Light, and his Wrangler jeans were no stranger to a Copenhagen can ring. He rode bulls, but he did not take any. There were no elk, deer, or fish who werent slightly afraid of him. He was honest and earnest. He was loyal, hardworking, and loved hard. "But never did his star shine brighter than in his role as a father. Nothing mattered to Brandon more than his four beautiful children , Savannah, Seth, River, and Remy. To say he was devoted seems cliche. It feels like an overused word, but it is the correct word. He was a devoted father. His four children were and will always be his greatest love and his greatest legacy." Original article source: Death certificate for Kelly Clarkson's ex Brandon Blackstock lists seizures as contributing factor: report In addition to Curtis feeling shaken, General Hospital spoilers for Friday, August 15, 2025, will also focus on Jason being a man on a mission. Next on General Hospital Shakenand Stirred It seems like Curtis (Donnell Turner) is trying not to let his current marriage end the way he let his last marriage to Jordan (Tanisha Harper) end. He is trying to learn from his mistakes. Another issue with Curtis is Drew (Cameron Mathison). He has his eye on the congressman, who recently called for a truce. But Drew is out of control, and he is out to get all of those people he feels have undermined himnever mind all the undermining hes done. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So when Curtis is shaken, does it have to do with Portia, Drew, or all of the above? Manipulator, Party of One Meanwhile, Drew has already had it out with Jason (Steve Burton), Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn), and Lucas (Van Hansis) this week. Fridays target will be Michael (Rory Gibson). Teasers suggest that Drew manipulates Michael. Exactly, how is he going to do that? That has to be Michael punching Drew in the video preview of Fridays episode, right? READ THIS: Will Alexis win custody of Scout on GH? Croatia or Bust Elsewhere, Anna (Finola Hughes) lit a fire under Jason to find Britt (Kelly Thiebaud). Shes not so sure that her residency at The Five Poppies Resort was her choice. And now Jason is a man on a mission. This could mean that he books it to the Dalmatian region of Croatia sooner rather than later. He has a room reserved at the resort. And then hes all about tracking Britt down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What Anna failed to tell him was that he might run into Joss (Eden McCoy). Scratch that. He should run into rookie WSB Agent Josslyn Jacks there. Anna couldnt tell him after Brennans (Chris McKenna) threats to jail her for treason. But that little ditty might blow Jasons mind. Speaking of Carlys daughter, Joss is frustrated. Being an agent on a recon mission is limiting, especially when you find out that the woman who died saving your life is really alive. Will Joss take matters into her own hands and find a more intrusive way to suss out the truth about whats going on at this cushy resort and spa? READ THIS: GHs Danny and Rocco are stealing the spotlight this summer. Words of Wisdom Finally, Isaiah (Sawandi Wilson) is all over the place. Hes flirting with Portia, even though he once pined for Jordan. He listens to and supports Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) and Willow (Katelyn MacMullen). Hes made himself a valuable person to have by your side at the hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement READ THIS: Steve Burtons hilarious GH video sparks the best response from Dominic Zamprogna. So, what could possibly be the reason he turns to Felicia (Kristina Wagner) for advice? Whether its about something personal or professional, he usually provides the words of wisdom. Its nice to see him seek someones help for a change. PROVIDENCE J.J. Abrams won't limit filming of his new movie to Providence, the state's film commissioner told The Providence Journal on Friday, Aug. 15. In fact, the filming won't be limited to Rhode Island, according to Steven Feinberg, executive director of the Rhode Island Film & Television Office. But Feinberg declined to identify which locations will be used for filming. He wouldn't even say which Rhode Island communities will be involved and which other state will be used. Actor Glen Powell, center, and director J.J. Abrams film on Glasgow's Newton Street in June for the Warner Bros. production of "Ghostwriter." Feinberg has not acknowledged that Abrams is behind the film that Feinberg's office in a Aug. 14 press release identified only as being a Warner Bros. Pictures project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abrams, whose credits include "Star Wars," "Star Trek" and "Mission: Impossible" movies as well as the TV series "Lost," had been filming the science-fiction blockbuster "Ghostwriter" in the United Kingdom this summer before coming to Providence. "Ghostwriter" stars Samuel L. Jackson, Glen Powell, Jenna Ortega and Emma Mackey. Producers have said that filming will take place on Benefit, Angell and Thomas streets on Monday, Aug. 18. Film crews were spotted Thursday, Aug. 14, renovating Rockstar Piercing on Wickenden Street into a cell phone store set. And the city has announced that the Point Street Bridge will be closed to traffic Sunday, Aug. 24, into Monday, Aug. 25. With filming expected to span that week-long period, that means plenty of other locations have not been publicly announced. A movie truck parks on Wickenden Street at the corner of Hope Street on the morning of Aug. 14 as a crew redecorates the Rockstar Piercing parlor to portray a cell phone store for a J.J. Abrams movie that is expected to start filming Monday, Aug. 18. Does J.J. Abrams' new movie qualify for RI tax credits? On Aug. 15, Feinberg said that the production will not be participating in the state's film tax-credit program because it fails to meet the program's criteria. A majority of a movie must be made in Rhode Island, or it must spend at least $10 million in Rhode Island to qualify for a tax break equal to 30% of the movie's production costs. The Abrams movie does not meet either requirement. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: JJ Abrams' new movie will use several RI communities to film A moment from 2014 where Kate Middleton publicly apologized to Prince William has resurfaced and gone viral on TikTok. Thanks to the new generation of royal family fans, lots of moments from the Prince and Princess of Wales past are going viral like never before. In 2014, William and Kate went on an official royal visit to Australia and New Zealand. This was their first official royal trip after Kate gave birth to their first child, Prince George. Naturally, the press and royal family fans gushed over photos of the adorable family. But another cute moment between the then-new parents is getting lots of attention 11 years later. So, what was Kate sweetly apologizing for in the viral clip? Read on to find out. Kate Middletons apology to Prince William came with a smile According to People, the apology was during their visit to the Auckland Harbor in New Zealand. The then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge competed against each other in a race using the Team New Zealand Americas Cup yachts. Kate won the race twice. All while looking effortlessly sailor chic in a stripped top and jeans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the TikTok clip posted by @mrsmiddletonx, Kate approaches William after the race. With a beaming grin on her face, Kate said to her husband, Im sorry, Im sorry. The adorable public apology currently has 1.8 million views on TikTok. In the comments section, fans gushed over how cute the Prince and Princess of Wales are. At the time, Prince William joked about losing to his wife. Sky News reported that he joked, we were sabotaged. When someone said Kate seemed happy about her victory, he cheekily responded, I bet she is. Selfless husband. I wanted a quiet night. Reportedly, this yacht race was a rematch for a dragon boat competition on their visit to Canada in 2011. Back then, William claimed victory. In addition to Kates cute public apology, the Australia and New Zealand trip is known for the adorable photos of a then nine-month-old Prince George. Its hard to believe hes almost 12 years old now! TELL US WHAT DO YOU THINK OF KATE MIDDLETONS ADORABLE PUBLIC APOLOGY TO PRINCE WILLIAM? ARE YOU SURPRISED ROYAL FAMILY MOMENTS FROM OVER A DECADE AGO ARE GOING VIRAL TODAY? The post Kate Middletons Public Apology to Prince William Resurfaces on TikTok appeared first on Reality Tea. NEED TO KNOW Kourtney Kardashian included a family photo with husband Travis Barker and son Rocky Thirteen in her Aug. 14 Instagram post The Lemme co-founder revealed the snaps were taken before they went sightseeing in Italy The vacation post came less than a week after she shut down pregnancy rumors Kourtney Kardashian is enjoying a blissful vacation in Italy with her husband, Travis Barker, and son, Rocky Thirteen. On Thursday, Aug. 14, the Lemme co-founder, 46, shared several photos on Instagram from their visit to the picturesque cove beach San Fruttuoso in Liguria. The first snap showed her wearing a leopard print top with 90s-style sunglasses, while sitting next to Barker, who had 1-year-old Rocky on his lap. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other photos in the post included tourists swimming in the sea, freshly made pasta and Kardashian Barker posing for a selfie with one hand in her hair. Moments before jumping in the water to see the Christ of the Abyss statue underwater. (Look it up ), she captioned the post. 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 post comes less than a week after Kardashian Barker shared a variety of other photos and clips from vacation on Instagram. Among them was a controversial picture of her cuddling Rocky on a boat without him wearing a life vest and a selfie. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kardashian Barker was forced to deny that the getaway was a babymoon when a comment under the Saturday, Aug. 9 post suggested that she and husband Barker may be expanding their family. "RUMORS HAVE IT THAT YOURE PREGNANT, KOURTNEY," the commenter wrote. Shutting down the speculation, Kardashian Barker replied, "Eating pancakes and jumping off cliffs . Kourtney Kardashian/Instagram Kourtney Kardashian with son Rocky Thirteen Kourtney Kardashian with son Rocky Thirteen The mom of four shares her daughter Penelope, 13, and sons Mason, 15, and Reign, 10, with ex Scott Disick. Rocky who was born on Nov. 1, 2023 is shared with her husband, Travis Barker. Kardashian Barker previously denied rumors circulating on social media that shes expecting a fifth child in the comment section of a July Instagram post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf A commenter wrote underneath her collection of photos taken in Porofino, Italy, "You can tell from the bikini reflection photo Kourtney is pregnant again. Kardashian Barker responded, saying, Or breastfeeding, eating gelato, focaccia, pasta, not working out and living my best damn life baby. Read the original article on People Kourtney Kardashian has shared new bikini photos of her on an Italy vacation with husband Travis Barker and son Rocky Barker. An Instagram fan branded the photos amazing, which showed the 46-year-old media personality in the Italian cove beach San Fruttuoso. Kourtney shared a series of snaps on her Instagram page, where she has over 217 million followers. The post was captioned: Moments before jumping in the water to see the Christ of the Abyss statue underwater. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Christ of the Abyss is a submerged bronze statue created by sculptor Guido Galletti, which is located in the Mediterranean Sea. The statue was built in 1954. See Kourtney Kardashians new Italy bikini photos The photos can be viewed below: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker got married in 2022, with their wedding also taking place in Italy. Earlier this month, the Kardashian sibling issued a warning to internet moms after going viral for taking her young son on a boat ride without a life vest. Originally reported on RealityTea. The post Kourtney Kardashian Turns Heads With Bikini Photos in Italy appeared first on Mandatory. The Real Housewives of Miami's cast trip to Seville, Spain, took a dramatic turn when Larsa Pippen confronted Lisa Hochstein about why she was still following her ex-boyfriend, Marcus Jordan, on social media. As seen on Season 7, Episode 11, not only had Lisa yet to follow through with her promise to unfollow Marcus, but she further told her friend that she might not even do it at all anymore. The reason? Larsa had been treating her "not so great," since they agreed to bury the hatchet, according to Lisa. When Larsa asked for specifics, though, Lisa only said that she needed time to collect her thoughts, prompting the former to fire back, "I don't think I wanna be friends with someone like you, if you don't [unfollow Marcus]. ... It sends a message that you don't care about me." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The possibility of Larsa unfriending her IRL didn't seem to faze Lisa, though, who told a producer later, "I'm gonna continue to follow Marcus 'cause he's a better friend to me than she is." Shedding more light on why she had yet to unfollow Marcus, she added, "The goal is for Larsa just to get her way and to tell me what to do." A split of Lisa Hochstein and Marcus Jordan. The RHOM cast weighs in on Lisa Hochstein following Larsa Pippen's ex In a confessional from the August 14 episode, Larsa insisted she had "no problem unfollowing almost anyone" on social media including her own grandfather in support of female loved ones post-split, elaborating, "I'm always gonna side with the woman. I feel like we're supposed to stick together." Later, Julia Lemigova also asked Lisa to explain her thought process, especially considering that Marcus had "insulted" all of them during a backstage conversation with Andy Cohen at the RHOM Season 6 reunion. Lisa responded, "Does anybody here like when someone tells them what to do?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Julia added to a producer, "I think if Lisa would unfollow Marcus, that could only bring her closer to Larsa. I mean, that's what friends do." RELATED: Go Inside Lisa Hochstein's Intense Hot Mic Moment: "Hate These People" Throughout the episode, several of Lisa's castmates, including Stephanie Shojaee and Marysol Patton, also encouraged her to pull the trigger on hitting the unfollow button. As Marysol, who referred to the standoff as a "power struggle," put it to Lisa, "Somebody, at some point, has to move the needle forward here." While Kiki Barth couldn't believe they were all actually arguing over a social media follow, as Guerdy Abraira saw it, "It ain't right, Lisa. Girl code. You met him through her." Kiki Barth in The Real Housewives of Miami Season 7 Chat LIVE with RHOM's Kiki Barth! The Real Housewives of Miami's Kiki Barth is coming to Bravo HQ Live! Ask all your juicy questions here now and join the chat Tuesday, August 19 at 3pm ET. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alexia Nepola, meanwhile, chimed in, "I don't really see the point that you have to follow any of your friends' husbands," pointing out that even bestie Marysol's partner, Steve McNamara, isn't included in her IG following list. Finally, Adriana de Moura, who admitted she still follows Lisa's ex-husband, Lenny Hochstein, added, "I think she will unfollow him. ... She just doesn't wanna be told what to do." More details on Lisa Hochstein and Larsa Pippen's drama in Spain Larsa Pippen and Lisa Hochstein arguing in The Real Housewives of Miami Season 7, Episode 1. After the group's "spiritual flamenco" outing in Seville, Lisa and Larsa got into an off-camera "verbal brawl" (as Guerdy described it) in an elevator involving the latter's drama with Jody Glidden in Milan. Twenty minutes later, Larsa said her phone began "blowing up with text messages" from Lisa's boyfriend, who also happens to be friends with Marcus. RELATED: Larsa Pippen Reveals "Crazy" Drama With Jody Glidden After "Cameras Shut Down" in Milan Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Noting that Jody was not "threatening" her or name-calling, Larsa explained in a confessional, "He's just sending me these long text messages, and I've never been in this situation before. Like, you're a man, you should be dealing with my boyfriend, my brother, my dad... not me personally." Feeling "literally shaken by the whole situation," Larsa said it was taking everything in her to pretend she was OK at a group dinner soon afterward. So, when Lisa excused herself from the table to privately deal with a legal issue, Larsa shared with the ladies that she wanted to go back to the hotel and just order room service, rather than stick out the rest of the evening. "I couldn't even ask [Lisa] about the Marcus thing, and she blows that up. She plays victim every day," Larsa said. "I just wanna remove myself from this toxic situation. I wanna get off the ride. I don't wanna be a part of it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lisa returned, and Larsa brought her up to speed, continuing, in part, "You don't have to worry about unfollowing anyone. You don't have to worry about anything else. I will remove myself from your life." Meanwhile, an emotional Lisa dabbed her own tears with a napkin, expressing confusion over Larsa's reaction and insisting to the women that she was unaware that Jody had initiated their text exchange. Get more with Bravo Insider Sign up for Bravo Insider and read behind-the-scenes features including: Cynthia Bailey Unpacks the Differences Between Filming RHOA and RHOBH: "Night and Day" Receipts, Proof, Timeline, Screenshots: A Complete Guide According to Bravolebs Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brittany Cartwright Reveals the Real Reason She Wore That Tiny Romper to a Job Interview: "Backfired" Angela Oakley on the RHOA Beef She Squashed "Too Soon" & What You Didnt See at the Reunion Confessional Interviews 101: What Bravolebs Eat, How They Prepare & More Behind-the-Scenes Secrets As you await Episode 11's continuation, get a sneak peek at the intense drama still to come on RHOM Season 7. NEED TO KNOW Social media star Logan Paul married model Nina Agdal on Aug. 15 in Lake Como, Italy Paul's brother, Jake, shared several clips from the wedding ceremony on Instagram, writing, "I've seriously been crying" Paul and Agdal have been romantically linked since 2022, and they share 10-month-old daughter Esme Logan Paul and Nina Agdal are married. The YouTuber turned WWE star, 30, and the model, 33, wed in Lake Como, Italy, on Friday, Aug. 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the wedding guests was the couple's 10-month-old daughter, Esme, as well as Paul's younger brother, Jake, 28, and his fiancee, Jutta Leerdam, 26. Jake shared several clips from the big day on his Instagram Stories, captioning one video: "I've seriously been crying." Jake Paul/Instagram Nina Agdal and Logan Paul's wedding ceremony Nina Agdal and Logan Paul's wedding ceremony Based on the clips, the ceremony appeared to be officiated by Paul's Impaulsive podcast co-host, Mike Majlak, 40, as he stood near the bride and groom atop a circular platform surrounded by white florals. Paul wore a white suit jacket with a black bow tie over black dress pants while Agdal wore a strapless, corseted lace wedding dress. Jake opted for a black suit while Leerdam wore a light blue gown. Ahead of the wedding, Paul and Agdal were spotted celebrating on Wednesday, Aug. 13, at Villa d'Este in Cernobbio, as they were photographed kayaking, holding hands and swimming together. Jake Paul/Instagram From Left: Logan Paul, Nina Agdal, Jutta Leerdam and Jake Paul From Left: Logan Paul, Nina Agdal, Jutta Leerdam and Jake Paul Tying the knot in Italy was especially meaningful to Paul and Agdal because it's where they got engaged two years ago. The couple announced via a joint Instagram post on July 9, 2023, that Paul popped the question during a vacation in Lake Como, writing, "Engaged to my best friend ," alongside four photos from the proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first engagement photo is of Paul proposing down on one knee as Agdal excitedly accepts. Other photos show the couple hugging and kissing after the special moment. Logan Paul/Youtube Nina Agdal showcases her diamond engagement ring Nina Agdal showcases her diamond engagement ring Following their Instagram announcement, Paul shared a YouTube video chronicling his proposal. "Today is the day I ask the love of my life to marry me," the influencer told his 23.6 million subscribers at the start of the video. "Fourteen months ago, I fell in love with the most beautiful human being I've ever seen in my life, and I have been waiting for this day ever since." https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The video was uploaded with the simple title, "I Got Engaged," with the description, "I can't believe it..." The 17-minute video began with Paul detailing the planning process and his search for the object that is going to represent the lifelong bond between me and the love of my life. The video then cut to the proposal, where Paul asked Agdal if she pictured herself getting married in Lake Como before asking her if she could also imagine Lake Como as the place where she got engaged. Logan Paul/ YouTube Logan Paul proposes to Nina Agdal Logan Paul proposes to Nina Agdal Just over a year after getting engaged, the Paul American stars announced they were expecting their first baby together in April 2024. In a joint Instagram post of their ultrasound photos, Paul wrote: "Another Paul coming this Fall ." Later that month, they had a wrestling-themed sex reveal. Paul and Agdal welcomed their first child together in September 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Esme Agdal Paul has entered the chat ," Paul and Agdal captioned a joint Instagram post announcing their daughter's birth on Sept. 29, 2024. Paul opened up to PEOPLE in March 2025 about how parenthood has changed him. Im no longer my first priority, he told PEOPLE at the time. Its made me less selfish. Prior to Nina, I was No. 1 in my life. Now with Esme, my daughter, Ive dropped two rungs down the priority ladder. Its Esme, Nina, those are interchangeable then me. So for the first time in my life, Im not my first concern. I would die for these women. Agdal added: "He has actually gotten more motivated, I would almost say. He's working really hard, he wants to show her that she can do anything. He's obviously a softy with her, he loves her so much. But he's become very dedicated to pursuing even bigger dreams." Logan Paul/ YouTube Logan Paul proposes to Nina Agdal Logan Paul proposes to Nina Agdal 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. Agdal and the professional wrestler first connected in 2022 after meeting at an event in New York City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I found out he was there and my gut was screaming that I had to say hi to him," Agdal shared with the Daily Front Row in 2023. ...We started joking around. It instantly felt like I had known him for years, and here we are. It was wild!" The model made her relationship with Paul Instagram-official on Dec. 31, 2022, and shared a romantic sunset photo of them together with the caption, "2022, the beginning of me and you. Since then, the couple has chronicled their life as a family of three online. Read the original article on People Filmmaker Kate Beecroft points her lens toward the real cowgirls of the Badlands in the lyrical new film East of Wall. The film blends fact and fiction to tell a story about the working women of South Dakota, skilled riders and trainers with ranching and rodeo in their blood who also can't seem to catch a break. There are a few Hollywood actors in the mix, including Jennifer Ehle as a hard living grandmother with a lifetime of regrets as well as some nuggets of wisdom and Scoot McNairy as an out-of-towner who wants to acquire the land, but most of the cast are non-actors playing themselves. The film won an audience award earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. At the heart of East of Wall, now playing in select theaters, is Tabatha Zimiga, a South Dakota native whose ability to tame wild horses is the stuff of legend in the area. In the film, the horses she rescues and rehabilitates are sold at auctions and often accepted for far less than what theyre worth. She needs the money. There are bills to pay on the ranch and many mouths to feed (not just her own kids, but others from around the town who come to her for safety and shelter when their own caretakers stop providing). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tabatha is also living with new and old traumas, from the generational agony of abuse to the more recent death of her husband, the shocking circumstances of which are withheld for some time. But the effects of the loss are still felt, especially for their daughter Porshia (played by her real-life daughter Porshia Zimiga), whose grief is threatening to turn into hate of her mother. Teenage Porshia provides the poetic voiceovers, in which she talks about riding, her mother and, most effectively, the land. It's reminiscent of Linda Manzs narration in Days of Heaven. East of Wall is best when its capturing the landscapes and the girls in action, riding and filming energetic TikToks of their friends racing cars on horseback. Some have suggested that East of Wall might have been stronger as a documentary. These women are vibrant and authentic and don't look like anyone we see in the movies these days, with real bodies and imperfect skin, heads half-shaved, tattoos everywhere and the ability to really, really ride no stunt team required. And they have stories to tell, many of them unhappy, as we see in one of the most moving non-action scenes involving a group of mothers speaking candidly about their lives and their regrets. The real-life drama of financial instability is compelling and likely rooted in truth; however, the introduction of McNairys suspect Texan feels like a narrative contrivance and drama for dramas sake. He offers to buy the ranch and let them live and work as usual, just for him now instead of themselves. These are the kind of scenes that remind you that the filmmakers, despite all their best intentions and care, are, in essence, also interlopers in this world. Beecrofts story of how she stumbled upon Tabatha and her cowgirls sounds like something out of a folk song. A native of Los Angeles whod worked as an actress and production designer, Beecroft felt stalled and hopped in a truck with her friend and cinematographer Austin Shelton to find the stories of everyday Americans. A wrong turn, she said, led her to these women. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement East of Wall is a promising start for a burgeoning filmmaker and a worthy portrait of an insular world that many of us will never know. East of Wall, a Sony Pictures Classics release now in select theaters, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for language throughout. Running time: 97 minutes. Three stars out of four. Like the main character of Nobody 2, a nebbish guy named Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) who has a secret identity as a nearly unstoppable killer, its director Timo Tjahjanto has a history. But instead of countless dead goons, Tjahjantos past involves directing, in Indonesia, some of the most awesomely bone-crunching, blood-splattered action movies ever. And now, with Nobody 2, hes finally come to Hollywood. In Indonesia, Tjahjanto started off by working with Kimo Stamboel as a filmmaking duo (they called themselves the Mo Brothers), on movies like Macabre and Headshot films that gleefully combined elements of horror, film noir and action. His first film as a solo filmmaker, 2018s May the Devil Take You, was a straight-up horror movie, while The Night Comes for Us, also released in 2018, is a truly insane action movie that reunited two of the stars of The Raid (Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim) and put them through the ringer. Tjahjanto also worked with The Raid director Gareth Evans on a standout segment for horror anthology V/H/S 2. More from TheWrap Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He subsequently released films in 2020 (May the Devil Take You Too), 2022 (The Big 4) and 2024 (The Shadow Strays), which had its world premiere at last years Toronto International Film Festival. These films further cemented him as one of the most exciting filmmakers working today and, thanks to his distribution agreement with Netflix, Tjahjantos unique sensibilities gained purchase with a decidedly global audience. But Nobody 2 marks a test of whether his homegrown style translates to a theatrical mainstream Hollywood blockbuster distributed by a legacy studio in Universal and stocked with established A-list talent. Tjahjanto talked to TheWrap about what drew him to the project, cultural differences in filmmaking and what he has coming next. Getting Nobody 2 When Tjahjantos agent sent him the screenplay for Nobody 2, which follows the events of 2021s sleeper hit, which grossed more than $57 million on a $10 million budget, the filmmaker was intrigued. In the sequel, Hutch and his family, attempting to enjoy a vacation, are drawn into a small towns connections to a ruthless gangster (played, with aplomb, by Sharon Stone). Tjahjanto was struck by the tone, noticeably brighter than the films hes made in Indonesia. Theres a family-friendliness to it, he said. And thats not a bad thing, because the film is about a man discovering that hes not a lone wolf. That he also needs his family to exist, to be a whole person. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The theme of a family was one that he was particularly drawn to, especially since he to leave his own family to make the movie. Universal I went to shoot Nobody and by the time I went back to Jakarta, my eight-year-old is suddenly nine-years-old, and shes a different person, Tjahjanto said. He discussed this constantly with Odenkirk, who is also a producer on the film and whose childhood trips to a Wisconsin water park as a kid inspired the story for Nobody 2. I felt like I could make a dark, violent film or I could make this film that is somehow warm, Tjahjanto said. I want to make something where people come out and are feeling good about it. To Tjahjanto, Nobody 2 felt like challenge. Making this, which is out of my comfort zone, is actually a good starting point, he said about his initial foray into Hollywood. Hes already got his next project lined up a sequel to the Jason Statham action movie The Beekeeper, for Amazon MGM Studios. Tjahjanto admits that Beekeeper 2 will be a darker film but one that he probably wouldnt have been able to tackle without his experience on Nobody 2. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the ways that Nobody 2 will prepare Tjahjanto for his next job is the experience gained by working with a bona-fide movie star. In the case of Nobody 2, thats Stone. Tjahjanto was a huge fan of Stones western The Quick and the Dead, which she made with Sam Raimi. Just to hear that Sharon Stone is willing to do this role and tapping back into what makes her a great genre queen, that was a great experience, Tjahjanto said. Sharon is a very smart woman. She always knows a lot about what makes a character great. She always said, Hey, Timo, like, if I do this thing with this knife, then itll feel much more dangerous. And shes right. Her instinct is always, usually right. Im getting the fast lessons from her. Hell take those lessons onto Beekeeper 2, undoubtedly, and beyond. Action Adjustment Partnering with Tjahjanto on Nobody 2 was another action movie heavyweight David Leitch. Leitch started in stunt work before transitioning to second unit photography and finally feature filmmaking. He co-directed the first John Wick with his longtime partner Chad Stahelski before helming projects like Atomic Blonde, Bullet Train and The Fall Guy. Leitch and his production company 87North produced both Nobody films and have their own unique take on action filmmaking, favoring clear geography, defined spatial relationships and smoother camerawork. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tjahjanto described Leitch as one of the greatest action directors, and said that their own takes on action filmmaking meshed well. Hes strangely very generous when it comes to knowing what I am comfortable with, in terms of how I want to show my action, Tjahjanto said. And hes usually acting more as a guiding voice if Im stuck, rather than telling me what to do. The filmmaker described Leitch, who produced the film with his wife and business partner Kelly McCormick, as always there and always watching taking everything in and watching how Tjahjanto is progressing with things. Hes always a giving producer, Tjahjanto said. When he found himself saying, I guess Im happy with this, it was Leitch who would say, Why dont we push it a bit more? Theres a moment in the movie where bad guys swarm the waterpark where Hutch is hiding out. It was Leitch who suggested a moment where Hutch sets up spikes in a water slide in order to off some baddies. Tjahjanto remembers Leitch saying, We already have a water slide here. Why not make a meal out of it? All we need is a bunch of spikes and we can relive, like, peoples most, the biggest fear, which is, like, getting a freaking nail stuck in your leg as you are sliding down the water. But this is the extreme version of it, Tjahjanto said. Leitch, Tjahjanto said, is the kind of person who get excited when you do the explosion and then you see him like a kid, hes so excited for it. I love that in him. Learning Curves The transition from the way that Tjahjanto was used to making movies in Indonesia to how things are done with a western production, wasnt totally frictionless. He said that Nobody 2 was a movie where he learned a lot chiefly the difference between how we run things over in Asia and how Hollywood do things. Tjahjanto added, I think the fine line is always to be able to marry whats the best from the two. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While he appreciates the discipline of Hollywood, he prefers the cohesive mindset of Indonesia. Okay, once we are settled with this idea, lets all move together, he said. Netflix According to Tjahjanto, Hollywood is more splintered, sometimes literally, in its approach, as he found out with his second unit team. Instead of chaffing against it, he found the process of second unit with a smaller film team shooting things like inserts or parts of whole action sequences the most interesting thing. Ill be shooting Bob Odenkirk doing the water slide, while our talented second unit guy will be shooting John Ortiz [as the owner of the water park who gets wrapped up in Stones criminal empire] killing a bunch of guys in the ball pit, Tjahjanto said. In Indonesia, hed shoot everything. Tjahjanto joked that he would shoot a tire rolling down asphalt, so he would ask the second unit team how they were accomplishing similar shots. Id just do that myself. Its a totally different system here, Tjahjanto said. Sometimes its good to have somebody else shoot the tire rolling down the street. Whats Next Tjahjanto said that, since he is directing Beekeeper 2 next, hes worried about being known as the sequel guy. But what really drew him to the project was Statham. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This one stems from me being a huge fan of the Crank movies, Tjahjanto said. Statham is one of those actors who are secretly underrated in a weird way, because he has so much presence with his physicality but hes also a very funny. Stathams character in the films, to Tjahjantos reasoning, is a version of the Punisher, the Marvel Studios character known for doling out violent justice (In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, hes played by Jon Berenthal). Amazon MGM Studios What draws me with this one is, especially, is youre going to see some really cool villains this time around. Im trying to kind of push the boundaries a bit more where the villains can feel manga-inspired in certain points. And some of the choreography that we have in mind is going to be very, very cool, Tjahjanto explained. When we joked that Statham killed 80 people in the first Beekeeper, Tjahjanto, without missing a beat, said, This time hes going to kill 82 people. Tjahjanto is adamant that he wont be sticking around Hollywood, making sequels to popular western movies forever. Recently on social media, he stated his desire to return to Indonesia and focus on original movies that he developed from the ground up, including making some more horror movies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im trying to balance things out, just because I do miss shooting in with my friends over there in Indonesia, Tjahjanto said. Plus I could use some time to be around my kids. Thatll help. But there is one franchise that could get Tjahjanto to stay put. If suddenly somebody says to me, Timo, theyre offering you to make a Terminator movie, then Ill say goodbye, Indonesia, Tjahjanto said. Ill do Terminator any day, any second. One of the reasons that he wanted to be in the film business was because he grew up watching Arnold Schwarzenegger films (He dropped a reference to Schwarzeneggers Mars-set Total Recall earlier in the conversation.). Tjahjanto will even defend more controversial entries in the franchise, like Terminator: Dark Fate and Terminator: Genisys. With Dark Fate, I think its a great film. I love them and I do think in some way or another, Arnold could still have a part in The Terminator universe, Tjahjanto said. Fingers crossed. In other words: hell be back. The post Nobody 2s Inside Man: Why Indonesian Action Auteur Timo Tjahjanto Made the Leap to Hollywood appeared first on TheWrap. Despite a recent tragedy, the tour of the Annabelle doll made famous in "The Conjuring" films will continue. In July, The New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) suffered a tragic loss when paranormal researcher Dan Rivera died while touring with the allegedly haunted Annabelle doll. Rivera, 54, the lead investigator for the New England Society for Psychic Research, had been one of the leading faces of the viral "Devils on the Run Tour," which was visiting Gettysburg at the time of his death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rivera's family has denounced any rumors of Annabelle being the cause of the paranormal investigator's death. Now, Annabelle is about to make her first-ever trip to Maine. Here's what to know. Why is the Annabelle doll traveling to Maine? According to an Instagram post from NESPR, the doll, which was previously housed at The Warrens Occult Museum, will be making the trip for the Maine Paranormal & Horror Convention. When will the Annabelle doll be on display, and where? Annabelle will be displayed from Sept. 67 at the Augusta Civic Center, located at 76 Community Dr. Augusta, ME. "Viewing the doll requires a separate reservation in addition to your event ticket, and spots are limited," according to the Instagram post from NESPR. "This is a rare chance to see one of the most notorious paranormal artifacts up close." Where tickets to the event be purchased? Tickets to the convention itself are available online at www.maineparahorror.com. Adult tickets for admission (without seeing Annabelle) are $25, with kids tickets for $10. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, with celebrities on site, autographs and photos at other convention events can range from $30 to $60. Tickets to see Annabelle are $50 each, on top of what you pay to get into the convention. The viewing sessions are 30 minutes each. What celebrities are attending the convention? According to the event website, some of the confirmed guests include: CJ Graham: Played Jason Voorhees from "Friday the 13th Part VI." Brett Wagner: Played Leatherface from the 2003 version of the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Tony Moran: Played Michael Myers from "Halloween" Jeff and Willy: fromthe Travel Channel show, "Mountain Monsters." Patti Negri: Played the Good Witch from "Ghost Adventures." Haley Michelle from "The Paranormal Princess" The Annabelle doll is traveling to Maine in September for the state's horror convention. The doll is pictured here at a past showing in New Orleans. What's the story of Annabelle the doll? According to Boston Ghosts, Annabelle's legend starts with a 28-year-old nurse in Hartford who was given a 3-foot Raggedy Ann doll for Christmas by her mother in 1971. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not long after the gift, the nurse and her roommate started noticing strange occurrences near the doll, but chocked it up to their imaginations. "The two roommates began to play ghoulish games with the doll, leaving it about the house in different poses as a terror-inducing gag. It became a tradition; who could pull off the best scare before the start of the shift?" Boston Ghosts said. Even when the joke stopped being funny, "the Raggedy Ann doll began appearing in places on its own as well as moving its arms at will or so the roommates said. The nurse, frightened and believing that she was the prey of otherworldly and demonic forces, flew to a renowned medium. The medium proclaimed that the doll was haunted by the spirit of a little girl named Annabelle." The medium said Annabelle was a 5-year-old child that was killed in a car accident near where the nurse lived. The nurse reportedly started to treat the doll like a child, bringing it small gifts. But then, they started experiencing noises in the walls, temperature fluctuations, beds shaking and the doll occasionally growling, according to the legends. "Fed up with the poltergeist activity, one of the nurses boyfriends demanded that they burn the doll. Annabelle, however, was having none of it," Boston Ghosts said. "One afternoon before the planned burning of the doll, the boyfriend awoke from a nap in pure terror, clutching his neck. The boyfriend claimed to have had a dream that the doll was choking him. When he moved his hands from his neck, it was lined with marks, scratches, and deep red whelps." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The doll was then given to legendary paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren and its legend grew from there. Though the doll was housed at Warren's Occult Museum in Connecticut (former home of the Warrens) for a long time, Annabelle was recently purchased by comedian Matt Rife, who also purchased the Warrens' home. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Want to see the real 'Annabelle' doll in Maine? Here's how you can For a man who built his career on exploring the world's most complicated places, Anthony Bourdain rarely backed down from a challenging country. From exploring the brutal history of colonization in the Congo to shooting in Libya's conflict zones, the man wasn't afraid of much and didn't seem to refuse local offerings -- except maybe fermented shark meat. But despite his appetite for stories in far-flung corners of the world, there was one place he refused to film: North Korea. In a career defined by informed yet intrepid travel, it's telling that Bourdain never set foot in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The reason wasn't so much logistical as it was ethical. In 2017, TMZ (yes, the lowbrow celeb tabloid) actually interviewed/accosted Bourdain about the possibility while he was standing outside, natch, the LAX airport terminal. "There's nothing they're going to let you see in North Korea," he told the videographer. It's a very unpleasant government." He's not exaggerating. Foreign journalists and filmmakers who enter are accompanied at every turn and spoon-fed a fantasy narrative curated by government handlers. The restaurants are stage sets, and the diners are often actors. Real life is hidden behind closed doors, along with the hunger, fear, and oppression most citizens face daily. Bourdain's decision wasn't about fear, though. It was about being a decent person. North Korea's tightly controlled borders and deep human rights violations stood in direct conflict with the values Bourdain stood for in "No Reservations, Parts Unknown," and even his very first travel show, "A Cook's Tour." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: What Happened To Huy Fong Sriracha? Bourdain Took His Job, And Food, Seriously a government building in Pyongyang North Korea - BGStock72/Shutterstock Of course, for Anthony Bourdain, food was never just food. A good meal meant nothing, he believed, if it came at the cost of another human's dignity. During the impromptu interview, when the TMZ videographer asked why he didn't want to "sample" the food, Bourdain retorted: "Most of the population is starving. Don't you think that'd be kind of bad taste?" In 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that about 60 % of North Korea's population was food insecure, meaning they lacked consistent access to adequate food. With a majority population that remains undernourished, it's no wonder Bourdain felt that a travel show based on food would be tone-deaf at best. He also wasn't a fan of North Korea's dictator Kim Jong-Un, retorting, "He's a chubby little evil f***. Nobody else eats." Given Jong-Un's preference for expensive dishes like Kobe steak or shark fin soup, the leader is probably just as rotund today. Bourdain wasn't all doom and gloom during his encounter with the TMZ reporter. In response to the inane question of what he would serve for a catered dinner featuring Kim Jong-Un and Donald Trump, he had just one word: "Hemlock." No, that's not his favorite steak cut. Poison hemlock is a highly toxic plant in the parsley family. His sarcastic suggestion that he'd poison the meal was a politically charged joke openly expressing his disdain for both leaders. It was the usual morbid Bourdain humor that he'd frequently crack both in front of and behind the camera. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout's newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more! Read the original article on The Takeout. Ethan Guo, a 20-year-old content creator and aviator, has been unable to leave King George Island in Antarctica since he illicitly touched down there in June. Upon landing, Chilean air force officials detained him for not having the proper permissions. For several months, Guo has faced isolation while a legal battle waged far away. Now, he is legally allowed to leave -- but in the dead of the Antarctic winter, he may not be able to. King George Island, 120km off the coast of Antarctica, is home to a number of research bases owned by various countries. The most substantial permanent habitation is the small village surrounding the Chilean air force base, where Guo now resides. Photo: Wikimedia Commons A journey around the world, interrupted Though barely 20, Guo has been flying for years. After five years of training, he received his private pilot's license at 17. He went on to gain his IFR rating, an additional qualification that certifies a pilot to fly in limited visibility conditions, using only instruments to navigate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After his cousin was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2021, Guo began using his aviation to raise money by performing various feats. In his 50-year-old Cessna 182Q, Guo became the youngest person to fly to all 48 contiguous states. Then he crossed the Atlantic alone, three times. But his most significant project, and the one that has landed him in trouble, is his ongoing journey around the world. Guo took off from Memphis, Tennessee in September of 2024, with the goal of visiting all seven continents. Over the next few months, he succeeded in touching down on six of them. Guo documented his journey on social media, where he has amassed over a million followers, as well as on his website. By June 24, 2025, he was flying over Chile with only one continent left: Antarctica. The only issue was, he didn't have permission to land in Antarctica. Ethan Guo and his Cessna, 'Whisky Tango.' Photo: Shutterstock Unauthorized flight Guo left Punta Arenas en route to Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego. This was the flight plan he'd submitted to aviation authorities and been approved for. Instead, he continued south and landed on the Chilean-claimed King George Island. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was immediately detained at the small airport and charged with landing his plane there without permission. The prosecution alleged that Guo had lied about his plans to fly to Ushuaia, that he had always intended to land in Antarctica. A safety decision? But Guo was firm from the beginning that his landing was a last-minute safety decision. A combination of instrument malfunction and ice on the wings had made it unsafe, and he'd made for the nearest flat place to land -- Antarctica. In an interview with Spanish-language newspaper El Pais, Guo's lawyer, Javier Barrientos, asserted that Guo had communicated his emergency change of flight plan over text to a senior official and had received the go-ahead. But, Barrientos explained, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation had failed to inform prosecutors of this fact. The case has now been settled, with Ethan Guo agreeing to pay $30,000 to a children's cancer charity and to leave Chile as soon as possible. He will not be allowed to return for three years. Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva, where Guo is grounded. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Stuck on King George Island The "as soon as possible" clause is turning out to be a bit of a sticking point. Guo's only options are to finance a ship to take him back to South America or to hire a plane. Commercial flights from the island are paused for the winter, and officials have so far refused to let him use his own plane to leave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Flying back to the tip of South America means crossing the infamous Drake Passage in winter. Chiles aviation authority claims the little Cessna is not capable of it. They cited the lack of an anti-icing system, expired lifejackets, and a possible lack of fuel. Guo thinks his plane is up to the task and is understandably reluctant to leave his trusty plane behind. Until they find a compromise, he's stuck on the island. Nineteen when he landed, Ethan Guo turned 20 on the air base. His captors-turned-hosts gifted him some pieces of chocolate to celebrate. But for Guo, life there has been difficult and isolating. With a limited internet connection and a harsh, freezing landscape outside, he spends most of his time alone in his small room, reading. This is the second time King George Island has been in the news recently. Earlier this year, Polish scientists found the body of a researcher who fell into a glacial crevasse 66 years ago. The fall migration of ruby-throated hummingbirds is when the Southeast sees the greatest number of the birds as hundreds can visit a home with feeders in single day. Here's why there are so many and what you need to do to welcome them and keep them happy and healthy as they make their way to their winter homes in Central America. "It's just starting," said Erik Johnson, assistant professor of wildlife management at Louisiana State University. "Our local birds are fattening up and beginning to move and we're seeing our first arrivals from the North. It will continue building over coming weeks and peaking the second half of September." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spring migration is exciting because for most people, it's the first time they seen hummingbirds in several months. However, the numbers of birds encountered pales in comparison to what we see in the fall. "In fall, we typically see a lot more," Johnson said. "In part, because the migration is slower. They're in less of a rush, so that allows numbers to build a little more." And then there's the difference in actual numbers of hummingbirds as young birds born in North America over the spring and summer join the ranks. "It counts for about half of the birds we see in the fall," Johnson said. "So, it doubles the population with all these new babies born in the spring." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson said now is the time to clean and fill feeders for the little birds, if you haven't already, and here's everything you need to know about keeping them fat, happy and safe while they're guests at your home. How to make hummingbird nectar Bring four cups of water to a boil and remove from stove or microwave. Add 1 cup refined white sugar. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved and nectar is clear. Allow to cool and fill feeders. Amount of nectar made can be adjusted by using the four parts water to one part sugar ratio. Extra nectar can be refrigerated and used later. Note: Don't use honey or other sweeteners as a substitute for refined white sugar as they can promote fungus. Also, adding red dye is not recommended. How often should I clean and change nectar in hummingbird feeders? How often hummingbird feeders need cleaning and fresh nectar varies by season and temperature, according to the National Audubon Society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In cooler months of fall and spring, clean and refill twice a week. In warmer months, clean and refill every day or two. If the nectar becomes cloudy, a change is overdue. Also clean and refill if you see mold, insect encroachment or if a sick bird uses a feeder. How to clean hummingbird feeders Make sure your feeders are well-washed and rinsed before filling them. Think of them as plates you're using to serve dinner to guests. Obviously, you want them to be clean. The National Audubon Society recommends cleaning with hot water or a weak solution of vinegar and water or with hydrogen peroxide and water rather than dish soap due to potential harmful residue. Ruby-throated hummingbirds have begun they're fall migration and here's everything you need to know about feeding them. Hummingbird feeders: What type to use and where to place them Choose feeders with a rail or perch around them to allow hummingbirds to sit and rest while eating. If your feeders do not have perches, place them near trees where hummingbirds can readily rest. Start with 2-3 feeders located within arms' length of each other. Johnson said this makes it difficult for hummingbirds to defend the feeders. When multiple birds begin feeding at once, rather than fighting, add feeders to the cluster or begin a new cluster. When should I take hummingbird feeder down in the fall? If you live in Mississippi or another Gulf Coastal state, you may not want to take all of them down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Johnson, there are stragglers well into November and those are often younger, less experienced birds. So, providing food for them helps them along their journey. Also, there are more and more reports of different species of hummingbirds wintering in Mississippi. In November 2024, Wayne Patterson of Columbus had what appeared to be a Rufous or Allen's hummingbird in his yard. Charlie Hubbard of Gulfport said in 2024 he had a calliope hummingbird at his home in December and the previous winter he had visits from black-chinned, Rufous, ruby-throat and broad-tailed hummingbirds. There were also reports of hummingbirds at feeders in South Mississippi during Winter Storm Enzo when temperatures dropped into single digits in some areas of the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Hummingbirds: What you need to know about feeding them in Mississippi I'm 39 and pregnant with my third baby. People have asked me if having three kids and a career is what I wanted. Having a good parental leave and a support network around me allows me to do this. "Was this what you wanted?" When I first started telling colleagues that I was pregnant with my third child, this question surprised me. Pregnancy tends to open the floodgates of highly personal questions and inappropriate commentary from unlikely sources. But this one gave me pause. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I'm not so young anymore I'm nearing 40. I don't have the glow of a youthful pregnancy, but I'm not so old that this pregnancy would be considered abnormal, either (although yes, the doctors call it "geriatric"). And yet, I've been called "brave" at work and see a certain strain in people's eyes when they find out I'm having a third baby while working as an executive at Nespresso, a multinational company. I get the sense that people think I'm slightly crazy, slightly superhuman, or some combination of the two. I come from a large extended family I have two sons, ages 4 and 7, and while I wasn't always sure I wanted to be a chief marketing officer or a mom, I am now expecting my third child, due in September. I don't think I could spell out for you exactly why I wanted to have a third child; it's such a deeply personal decision. I can attribute some of it to the fact that I'm the middle of three girls and grew up with a large extended family, including 13 cousins with whom I spent all of my summers in Maine. I love the idea of big families, even if modern life and expenses make them feel challenging. The author has been asked if having a third child is what she wanted. OUR DAYS PHOTO & FILM/OUR DAYS PHOTO & FILM Maybe part of it is also having two boys and the lingering curiosity of what it may be like to have a daughter (although we're keeping the gender a surprise this time another topic that's wrought with unsolicited opinions). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I am truly introspective, I also think a third child is a way to break and check in on my priorities. It may sound counterintuitive, given that caring for a newborn isn't exactly a quiet or easy time, but hear me out. I get to take a pause from the corporate world Maternity leave creates a forced and necessary pause in the hustle of corporate life. It's certainly not a vacation, but in my experience, maternity leave allowed me to step off the corporate hamster wheel, at least for a moment, and reset and reaffirm my life and career choices. With my first son's birth, I recall actively giving myself space to decide if I would want to be a stay-at-home mom. My husband and I discussed that our lifestyle and budget would've had to drastically change had I made that decision, but I also didn't know how becoming a mom might change me. How could I predict such a thing? Just a few months into maternity leave, I knew I needed the fulfillment of a career to feel like a whole human. Giving myself the space to explore that choice in those early days may be the reason I feel less guilt about being a working parent today. I actively chose these dual roles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My second maternity leave fell during the second wave of the pandemic, before life was back to normal. I already knew my career was important to me, but I had other lessons to learn about patience and letting go when my second son was nothing like my first. A nurse was fired after a video appeared to show her roughly handling a newborn baby in his bassinet. Danil Rudenko/EyeEm via Getty Images I'm able to do it because I have support Will I feel differently upon returning to work with not one, not two, but three children? I'm sure. Each time it's been different, so I'm saving space for how a third baby and an even fuller life may change me and my career. Still, here's what I know for sure: Working for a company with above-average maternity benefits 18 weeks paid leave has made it possible for me to consider this choice. I'm beyond fortunate in this and realize it's not the norm. While I can only speak to my lived experience, I recognize that my company benefits, my access to healthcare, and more mean I'm fortunate to even be able to consider this decision. And finally, as someone who has experienced pregnancy loss, I am deeply grateful for this phase of life. We've lived in the same New Jersey town and the same house for five years. Our house and car were both purchased with the idea of a growing family. During this time, we've also built a support system around us everything from neighborhood babysitters, to friends you call in a pinch, to a day care we love that adds confidence we can handle the added chaos of three. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Will it be easy? Certainly not; not one bit of a dual-income, co-parenting household is. But I don't feel as much of the daunting feeling that those unsolicited commentators might be thinking I should. Ultimately, I don't think I'm superhuman, but yes, maybe my husband and I are a little crazy. However, I've never shied away from a challenge or the chance to challenge others' expectations. In this case, the choice to have a third baby was not something I took lightly. I have always wanted to build a career I'm proud of, but I also know my legacy will be found in the family I'm building, too. Jessica Padula is the Vice President of Marketing and Head of Sustainability at Nespresso USA. On her Instagram account, @byjessalayne, she shares an authentic peek behind the scenes of her personal life and career advice. Read the original article on Business Insider When it comes to travel phenomena, overtourism has dominated the conversation in recent years with reports of crowded streets, strained infrastructure, and residents pushed to the brink by the sheer number of visitors. But theres another side of the equation: undertourism. Below, experts break down what undertourism means and how travelers can embrace it responsibly. What is undertourism? Undertourism refers to areas that are safe, culturally rich and worth exploring, but that dont get as many visitors as other similar locations, said Sarah Silbert, managing editor of Points Path. This could be due to limited marketing, outdated perceptions or less developed tourism infrastructure. Related: 11 Things You Should Never Pack For A Trip To Europe She gave the example of countries like Albania, Moldova and Laos, and lesser-known cities like Trieste, Italy, which she sees as overshadowed by hotspots like Rome and Florence. These destinations might have beautiful architecture, rich histories and vibrant food scenes, but because theyre not splashed across Instagram or on most peoples bucket lists, they end up attracting only a trickle of the visitors they could welcome. Sarah Silbert offered Moldova as an example of an undertouristed country. Alexander Spatari via Getty Images Overtourism has been a buzzword within the industry, tied much to the explosion of social media in helping discover destinations, said Katy Nastro, a spokesperson for the flight alert service Going. The flip side to destinations growing in popularity is others fail to reap the benefits tourism can bring. These destinations are the ones who deserve the tourism dollars, even if they arent #gramworthy. Why should travelers take note? Undertourism translates to missed opportunities for local communities and for curious travelers. Advertisement Advertisement Undertourism, like overtourism, can be harmful, said Melanie Fish, a travel expert with Expedia. Fewer visitors than a destination can handle means lost economic opportunity. With the privilege of travel comes responsibility. Travelers shouldnt aim for just right spots but rather choose undertouristed areas even if that means less English or limited public transit over overcrowded, stressed destinations. Related: 'Detour Destinations' Are Going To Be Wildly Popular In 2025 In other words, spreading out tourism helps balance the scales. It allows overburdened hotspots to breathe while bringing income and cultural exchange to places that want and need more visitors. So how can people support undertouristed areas? To support undertouristed areas in a meaningful way, do more than just a day trip, Silbert said. Stay overnight, eat at local restaurants and choose locally run accommodations. Advertisement Advertisement Your entire trip doesnt have to be focused on undertourism. Traveling to locations that receive fewer tourists compared to other destinations is a great way to save money, avoid crowds and truly connect to a place. Silbert also offered Albania as an example of an undertouristed destination. Westend61 via Getty Images You can still see that iconic sight but then detour to a lesser-known spot within a couple hours, Fish said. For instance, visit Tokyo, then head to Fukuoka. If youre going all the way to Thailand, see Phuket but spend time in Krabi. Pairing famous destinations with quieter ones helps you experience more of a region while ensuring your spending is distributed more widely. You can also travel responsibly by being mindful of timing, as well as location. Even visiting in off-seasons, like January and February for example, helps to support a place without the negative impacts of overtourism, Nastro said. Some of the best trips Ive taken were because Ive found a great flight deal during the off-season. Edinburgh in February with all of its moody charm was just as gorgeous as in the peak of August, and it cost me less, too. Related... Read the original on HuffPost SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) A 35-year-old Minnesota man is facing a list of charges after a pursuit in Custer State Park. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Custer County Sheriff says it started on Wildlife Loop Road around 9:30 yesterday morning. Authorities say a park law enforcement officer tried to stop a car when the driver took off. The car turned onto Iron Mountain Road where a deputy forced it off the road. 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. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) One person is in custody after a reported double stabbing in Jefferson Township. Montgomery County Sheriffs Office Deputies were dispatched to the area of Hanover Avenue after dispatchers received a report of a possible stabbing. In response, deputies located an adult male on West Third Street whod sustained an alleged stab wound. Once at the scene on Hanover Avenue, deputies found another adult male with an alleged stab wound. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. One of them was then taken into custody and is alleged of felonious assault. The MCSOs Special Investigations Unit is investigating further. 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. After a gunman opened fire on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) campus in Atlanta last week -- forcing hundreds into lockdown, hitting six buildings and killing a police officer -- authorities found he'd been harboring years-long grievances with the COVID-19 vaccine. Patrick White's neighbors told ABC News that the 30-year-old believed he suffered negative health effects after he got the vaccine, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) found written documents at his home indicating that he wanted to make his discontent known. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound during last Friday's incident. For many CDC employees, the shooting was the culmination of long-held fears that years of simmering anger and division that grew from those who disagreed with COVID-19 pandemic policies might turn to violence against the CDC, putting public health workers in physical danger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Trump previously called mRNA vaccines a 'medical miracle.' Now, RFK Jr. cut $500M in funding "I think the environment has been set up for something like this to happen," Jessica Rogers-Brown, a CDC epidemiologist who has worked in multiple centers across the agency over the past seven years, told ABC News. "But this is far worse than I feared." Rogers-Brown, who works at one of the buildings that was struck by gunfire, emphasized that she was speaking in her personal capacity, not in her professional role or on behalf of CDC. For Rogers-Brown and some of her colleagues, that fear has turned to frustration with government leaders -- including President Donald Trump -- over the last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They feel the shooting has slipped into the background without even a public statement from the president about the attack on federal property or a sufficient denouncement from Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the CDC and has peddled vaccine skepticism throughout his career. Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images - PHOTO: Bullet holes are seen in windows at the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) Global Headquarters following a shooting that left two dead, on August 9, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Earlier in this week, when Rogers-Brown went to pick up equipment that would allow her to continue to work from home while shattered windows and broken doors are replaced on CDC's campus, she walked past bullet holes. She said she won't feel safe returning until she feels federal leadership has publicly stood up for the CDC and Kennedy has condemned any violence aimed at public health workers as loudly as he derided CDC for its COVID response. Before becoming health secretary, Kennedy falsely called the COVID-19 vaccine the "deadliest vaccine ever made" and, during his recent presidential run, he wrote in a post on X that he would "clean up the cesspool of corruption at CDC." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We really are at a turning point of what can happen," Rogers-Brown said. "We can start to right the ship, or we can keep going down this road and wonder if, next time, I'm going to be triaging the gunshot wound of a colleague. And what will make the difference will be the voices of our leaders that have the microphone." She called for Kennedy to make it clear that "public servants are not the enemy" and "CDC workers are humans." MORE: Members of CDC vaccine panel ousted by RFK Jr. say committee has 'lost credibility' Over the weekend, Kennedy sent an email to staff, offering prayers and saying he realized that the shooting was "unsettling" for staffers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kennedy visited the CDC on Monday, surveying the damage, meeting with senior leadership and visiting the widow of DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, who was killed Friday in the shooting. That day, he referred to the shooting as "heartbreaking" in an X post. In an TV interview with Scripps News later that day, Kennedy said CDC workers "should not be the targets of this kind of violence from anybody" and that political violence is "always wrong." Asked if he would take action to quell misinformation around vaccines, Kennedy said there wasn't enough information about the shooter's motive and went on to criticize public health agencies. "We have to ask, why are people not believing the public health agencies? And the answer, I think, is pretty elementary: That the public health agencies have not been honest," Kennedy said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some staffers were frustrated by what they perceived to be a lack of strong response from Kennedy, who didn't directly address staff during his visit on Monday. "He never even sent an email to us until this past Saturday and never visited our campus until this week," a CDC scientist who has worked at the agency for 10 years in a variety of positions told ABC News. "I don't even know how to feel with the lack of words from the White House and RFK victim-shaming us." The scientist asked not to be publicly identified over fears of retaliation at work and safety concerns. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks during a press conference at HHS headquarters in Washington, DC, on July 29, 2025. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told ABC News in a statement that Kennedy "has unequivocally condemned the horrific attack and remains fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of CDC employees." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nixon said Kennedy's response was swift and decisive, citing his trip to Atlanta, and said any suggestion of a delay "is simply not supported by the facts." "The Secretary's presence and outreach underscore his commitment to the CDC community and public health workforce. This is a time to stand in solidarity with our public health workforce, not a moment for the media to exploit a tragedy for political gain," Nixon said. While Trump hasn't publicly spoken about the shooting, White House spokesperson Kush Desai also emphasized that the safety and security of government employees, "whether in Washington, D.C. or Atlanta, Georgia -- is the topmost priority of the Administration." "Violence has no place in any civil society, and the White House extends our heartfelt condolences to the family of Officer David Rose and the entire CDC team," Desai said in a statement sent to ABC News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CDC director Dr. Susan Monarez spoke directly to CDC employees on Tuesday, giving brief remarks in a 10-minute all-staff call that was cut short by technical issues. "You are resourceful, resilient and strong, and we will make sure you have the resources, the protection, the support you need to keep doing the work you do," she said. She followed up later the same day with a more direct denouncement of misinformation to the agency's more than 10,000 employees with a note that read, in part, "the dangers of misinformation and its promulgation has now led to deadly consequences." "I will work to restore trust in public health to those who have lost it -- through science, evidence, and clarity of purpose," Monarez wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: What we know about the safety, efficacy of mRNA vaccines amid recent scrutiny Another CDC staff member told ABC News that the last six months of the Trump administration had already been tumultuous for the agency. She cited Kennedy's reorganization efforts that led to the mass-firings of around 10,000 HHS employees and many entire CDC programs being cut, which Kennedy defended as "reducing bureaucratic sprawl." "It was an overwhelming grief to watch what was unfolding with public health and how it was going to affect people's lives," the CDC worker, who also asked not to be publicly identified over fears of retaliation at work and concerns over her own safety, said. "But it is very personal now." With nearly 20 years of experience working in communications at CDC on multiple different public health issues, including immunization and COVID-19, she said she'd never seen as much fear among her colleagues as she had this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The vilification of federal workers is astounding, and people are forgetting ... that we're human beings," she said. "We're parents and friends and mothers and daughters. You know, we're just like everyone else." She pointed to Kennedy's history of vaccine skepticism before joining the Trump administration and actions to dissuade vaccine uptake since taking office. "This didn't happen overnight," she said. In May 2021, Kennedy filed a citizen petition asking for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revoke its authorization of all COVID-19 vaccines, which he falsely criticized during a Louisiana House of Representatives meeting about school vaccine requirements as the "deadliest vaccine ever made." Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images - PHOTO: Law enforcement is seen near the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) Global Headquarters during an active shooter incident on August 8, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Since taking office, Kennedy has taken a series of actions to change U.S. vaccine policy. He announced that the COVID-19 vaccine will no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant women and, earlier this month, canceled $500 million in mRNA vaccine federal funding, terminating awards and contracts with pharmaceutical companies and universities. "After reviewing the science and consulting top experts at NIH and FDA, HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risk than benefits for these respiratory viruses," Kennedy said in a video posted on X when the cut to mRNA funding was announced. Scientists and doctors contend that mRNA vaccines have been studied for decades. Robust evidence from clinical trials and real-world data shows that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are safe and effective, despite Kennedy's claims, and that serious health events after COVID-19 vaccination are rare, as CDC states on its website. ABC News' Eric Strauss and Will McDuffie contributed to this report. On August 3, The New York Times published a cringingly bad op-ed by former BuzzFeed writer David Mack complaining that airport lounges are letting in too much of the rabble these days. In some lounges, Mack groused, with their cubed cheese and powdered eggs, Ive felt less like [James] Bond and more like Melissa McCarthys frumpy cat lady in the 2015 action comedy Spy. Fetch my smelling salts! As someone whos lived nearly seven decades without once setting foot in an airport loungenot because Im poor but because theyre a waste of moneyI was appalled by Macks complaint. I was also puzzled by Macks logical inconsistency because immediately after crying a river that airport lounges dont pamper customers enough, Mack bitched that they pamper customers too much with saunas, Jacuzzis, and Alain Ducasse meals. Oh well, I thought. Its August, when editors grow desperate for copy. As Ive noted previously, magazine writers have been using the phrase silly season to describe high summer since at least 1861. To my surprise, however, Macks bad op-ed had legsso much so that it generated some interesting discourse about elite overproduction. Fortunes Nick Lichtenberg (who holds the very 2025 job title intelligence editor) wrote that the declining pleasure of the airport lounge is a metaphor for the declining prospects of the upper middle class [as] certain societies grow so rich and successful that they produce too many people of premium education for the number of premium jobsor premium experiencesthat the economy can actually support. One result, apparently, is a luxury industry that struggles to calibrate precisely how exclusionary its products and servicessuch as airport loungesneed to be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lichtenberg posted a few days before Mack did, but I caught up with his piece after Macks hissy fit prompted me to google airport lounges. On finishing the Fortune piece, I contacted my overproduction guru, Dan Alpert, author of the excellent 2013 book The Age of Oversupply. In Alperts view, our economic troubles derive from a global oversupply of both labor and capital. The former depresses living standards for workers; the latter feeds financialization and financial speculation because too much money is chasing too little available capital investment. Dan belongs to the very small group of people Ive known more than 60 years. We met in September 1963 in Miss Hambels kindergarten class at Roosevelt Elementary School in New Rochelle, New York. A decade ago we became reacquainted through our shared interest in wealth inequality. Dan (whose day job, paradoxically, is investment banking) helped devise something called the job quality index, a very handy metric that tracks the proportion of good jobs created each month, with good defined as anything that pays above the mean real wage. The JQI declined between 1990 and 2007, crashed in 20082011, and has mostly been creeping up since, though it remains well below its level prior to the 2008 financial crisis. A mere glance at it plotted out in a graph will clarify for you the rage of the working class. Our topic today, however, is the rage of what Barbara and John Ehrenreich once labeled the professional-managerial class. This cohort, they noted in a 2019 update, has been in decline since around the start of the twenty-first century. In an email, Dan seconded that: We sold a broad class of high potential young people on taking on decidedly un-bourgeois levels of indebtedness to obtain STEM bachelors degrees, and advanced degrees in things like economics as well as the hard sciences, with the promise of endless jobs and upward mobility. Oops! Things have gotten so bad, the economics blogger Noah Smith noted recently, that the unemployment rate for recent college graduates with degrees in computer engineering (7.5 percent) and computer science (6.1 percent) are double those for recent degree-holders in philosophy (3.2 percent) and art history (3.0 percent). The overall unemployment rate in the United States is 4.2 percent. Before 2020, employment for recent college graduates was always higher than for the population at large, but for the last couple of years its been lower. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fortunes Lichtenberg identifies the originator of elite overproduction theory as Peter Turchin, a retired professor of biology and anthropology at the University of Connecticut who is now project director at a research institute in Vienna. Turchin is a doom-porn guy (hes both contributed to and been profiled in The Atlantic), and Im naturally wary of people who espouse, as Turchin does, a highly scientific view of history. (Reader, I am not a Marxist.) Turchin applies to human beings notions he first developed in his studies of population ecology for beetles, moths, voles, and lemmings. Another deficit that I struggle to forgive is an error in the Atlantic profile: Turchin, and also the profiles author, Graeme Wood, mix up two characters in Tom Stoppards 1993 play Arcadia, making reference to the nineteenth-century girl genius Thomasina Coverly when they mean to refer to the twentieth-century frustrated scientist Valentine Coverly. Sorry, but Arcadia happens to be a favorite of mine. (Dear Atlantic: Please correct!) That said, when millennial journalists start pissing and moaning about overcrowded airport lounges, and when editors at The New York Times consider such complaints publication-worthy, its time to give the theory of elite overproduction a look. Heres Turchin writing for Bloomberg in November 2016, the month Donald Trump was first elected president: Elite overproduction generally leads to more intra-elite competition that gradually undermines the spirit of cooperation, which is followed by ideological polarization and fragmentation of the political class. This happens because the more contenders there are, the more of them end up on the losing side. Do we see ideological polarization within this group? Absolutely. Apart from a shared loathing of Trump, theres almost as much polarization within the cognitive elite as there is between it and the MAGA right. Look at the major research universities torn apart over competing accusations of antisemitism and indifference to civilian slaughter in Palestine. Might these divisions help account for the surprising ease with which Trump is dismantling university research, depleting universities of foreign students, and seizing control of curricula and admissions policies? I think so. Among the many surprises in Trumps assault on higher education is that the university establishment couldnt muster a more fearsome united front. Even super-rich Harvard, which momentarily stood bravely against Trump, is now groping toward surrender. (For Harvard that would revert to form; as I wrote in April, Harvards last demonstration of sustained institutional bravery came in 1775.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do we see political fragmentation among the cognitive elite? We sure do in New York City, where liberals and the left are more bitterly divided than in modern memory over a mayoral electionso much so that New York Governor Kathy Hochul still hasnt endorsed the Democratic primary winner, Zohran Mamdani. Neither have New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. Nor has House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who represents Brooklyn. Shockingly, 60 percent of the states congressional Democrats have yet to endorse the winner of the primary, held seven weeks ago. Might such divisions help explain how Trump came to power? Absolutely. The day after The New York Times posted Macks op-ed, Smith reposted a 2022 piece about Turchins theory of elite overproduction. It noted that demand for lawyers and government employees (the bulk of whom work for state and local governments) leveled off after 2008; that employment in publishing crashed in 2001 and never recovered; and that university job postings in the humanities crashed during the 2008 financial crash and never recovered. (If theres a poster child for elite overproduction, its the humble university adjunct.) In the twenty-first century the professional-managerial class has experienced a loss of economic power thats analogous to (though of course much more muted than, and conducted at a much higher level than) the working classs loss of economic power starting in the late 1970s. In his 2022 post, Smith argued that the pronounced uptick in leftism among the cognitive elite reflects its frustrated economic expectations. We like to think of revolutions as being carried out by downtrodden factory workers and farmers, he wrote, and in some cases thats true. But frustrated and underemployed elites are uniquely well-positioned to disrupt society. Thats an interesting and provocative point. But if the professional-managerial elite is poised to disrupt society, why are its aspirants so little interested in domestic economic inequality, and instead engrossed in activism around racial and sexual identity, the rights of Indigenous minorities, sexual harassment, and climate change? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Granted, the Occupy Wall Street movement that started in 2011 was all about income inequality, and it was led by college graduates. Its battle cry of We are the 99 percent was shouted by many who either belonged to the top 10 percent or were destined to join it. And young people today support union rights much more than their parents did. But where are the big campus protests about low taxes on the rich, rampant child labor, or government restrictions on union organizingin short, large-scale protests about the working-class agenda? Im sure there are some, but theyre much less evident than encampments protesting Israels bombardment of Gaza. Not to slight that cause, or the other causes mentioned here, but if the cultural elite is traumatized by economic dislocation, why arent campuses erupting over economic issues alongside these other important matters? What I see instead is a stupid New York Times op-ed complaining that the riffraff are ruining the airport-lounge experience. Is that really where the professional-managerial class wants to channel its frustrations? Polls often show these affluent voters are more interested in economic justice even than the working class. So why dont they do more about it? People are always saying the working class, in its support of Donald Trump, is drowning in false consciousness. But when I read David Mack, I think the professional-managerial class suffers from a touch as well. As a World War II fighter pilot, Joe Peterburs remembers flying with a wingman who always had his six. It was a little different this past weekend when the 100-year-old veteran soared into the skies in a vintage North American P-51H Mustang from California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport. This time, his wingman was his granddaughter, Sabrina, who was buckled into a P-51D Mustang alongside his plane as they flew along the Pacific Coast. Her wingtip was about two feet away from mine, he recalled in a Zoom interview. We were flying in close formation and we were waving to each other. She was smiling and was really happy. She almost filled that rear cockpit up with tears, she was so emotional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was also quite a moment for Peterbus, who also flew in the P-51D the day before at the Rumble Over the Redwoods Air Show. He was reuniting with two of the aircraft he piloted over Germany in World War II and in close air support for ground troops during Korea. In World War II, the P-51 was the only plane I wanted, he said. It was like putting on a suit of armor. It was such a comfortable aircraft to fly. However, that perception changed by time the jet war stared in Korea. There, the P-51 was the worst aircraft you could have. It was very vulnerable to ground fire. The engine was liquid cooled. If you got a bullet through the wrong tube, you were gone. In 1943, Joe Peterburs prepares to fly a PT17 Steerman at Douglas Army Airfield in Georgia. The U.S. Army aviation cadet was 18 years old at the time. (Courtesy Joe Peterburs) Lt. Joseph Peterburs of the U.S. Army Air Corps was barely 20 when he flew Josephine named for his girlfriend and later wife on his first combat mission on Dec. 2, 1944. He and other flyers in the 55th Fighter Squadron of the 20th Fighter Group escorted a large group of Boeing B-17 bombers to and from targets in Merseburg, Germany. He had a deep admiration for the men who flew the lumbering Flying Fortresses, which were easy targets for enemy fighters and antiaircraft fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In my 49 missions, I never saw a bomber waiver or be deterred from his mission, he recalled. These men were and are the bravest of the brave and I only hoped that I could have come close to such courage. The young fighter pilot flew his final combat mission on April 10, 1945 less than a month before the end of combat in Europe. After escorting bombers, his squadron searched for targets of opportunity and began strafing a German airfield. Thats when he felt two thumps and realized his P-51 had been hit antiaircraft blasts. Peterburs bailed out of his damaged plane and was captured by the Germans. He was sent to a POW camp, which he escaped from and then met up with advancing Soviet troops. His Russian hosts treated him and other escaped airmen to dinner with continuous toasts of wine and vodka. I had never consumed that much alcohol in my life, nor have I since, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That last mission turned out to be noteworthy for another reason. Peterburs spotted a Messerschmitt Me 262 that had just shot down two B-17 bombers. He zoomed in on the German jet and opened fire with his six 50-caliber machine guns. The American noticed smoke coming from one of the engines of the enemy fighter, which then ducked into a cloud bank. Peterburs never gave much thought to what happened to the Me 262 until 60 years later, when a historian identified him as the pilot who shot down Walter Schuck, one of Germanys top aces with 206 confirmed kills. After entering the cloud, Schucks jet fighter disintegrated, forcing him to bail out. The two men met face to face in 2005 and became fast friends. He was a real gentleman, Peterburs recalled. When we did air shows together, he introduced me as the man who saved his life because he never flew combat again after I shot him down. As a result, Peterburs became one of the few American pilots to down an Me 262 in air-to-air combat, earning him his only kill for the war. He also has credit for destroying five aircraft on the ground. Joe Peterburs (back seat, lower P-51 Mustang) and his granddaughter, Sabrina (back seat, upper P-51 Mustang), fly escort for a B-17 Fighting Fortress at the Rumble Over the Redwoods Air Show in California. (Courtesy Carson Zabel/Rumble Over the Redwoods) After World War II, Peterburs remained in the military, joining the U.S. Air Force when it was established in 1947. He flew 76 combat missions with the Mustang in Korea, then switched to jets with the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star in 1954. In Vietnam, he served as a staff operations officer responsible for command and control in the war zone. Later, he was commander of the 600th and 601st tactical air control units and then deputy commander of the 601st Tactical Control Wing in Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1979, Peterburs retired as a full-bird colonel. His awards include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal and POW Medal. At 100 years old, Peterburs did not expect to be flying at Rumble Over the Redwoods on Aug. 9 and 10. But there he was at the controls of the two-seat P-51s, pulling 4Gs in loops and other aerobatic maneuvers. I also did a victory roll, he said with a big smile. Of course, Peterburs never dreamed he would ever be flying with his granddaughter as wingman. That experience is one he will never forget. It was so heartwarming to look over and see her there, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was also a memorable moment for Sabrina, who had flown with her grandfather before but never in P-51s as a team. Nothing could have prepared me for what it felt like to fly side by side with him in Mustangs, she said. We flew so close it felt as if our wings could have touched. I looked over and saw him waving, blowing me kisses. My heart melted and tears welled up in my eyes. For Peterburs, flying again in a P-51 Mustang brought back a flood of memories, some good and some not so good. He remembered those who didnt come home, including two of his brothers, who were killed in World War II. I like to get the word out to the younger generation about what we went through, he said. I hope they understand how many sacrifices young men and women made for their country, so this generation could be free and prosperous and have a decent life. STORM LAKE, Iowa (KCAU) What started as a reckless driver report for Storm Lake Police on Wednesday ended up being a high-speed chase with a 12-year-old driver. Police told KCAU 9 that the juvenile male from Storm Lake failed to stop and proceeded to accelerate at a high rate of speed. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The juvenile drove around an active construction area, even driving up into the front yard of a residence. The driver took police on a 10-block pursuit at speeds over 50 miles an hour before eventually stopping. The boy was released to a parent and is due in juvenile court on charges including eluding a Class D felony along with five other misdemeanors. 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. About 120,000 Ukrainians who arrived in the United States under the Uniting for Ukraine programme will gradually lose their temporary status for legal stay starting on 15 August, which could lead to their arrests and deportations if the Trump administration does not extend the period of humanitarian protection. Source: European Pravda, citing The Wall Street Journal Details: About 120,000 Ukrainians who over the past two years fled the war to the United States are expected to gradually lose their humanitarian protection. These are Ukrainians who arrived in the country through the Uniting for Ukraine programme, a temporary legal mechanism created by the Joe Biden administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They received a two-year renewable status, known as a humanitarian passport, provided they find a private American sponsor willing to accept them. The Biden administration introduced the programme as a quick way to allow Ukrainians to resettle, as the traditional US refugee system can take years to process. However, this approach had a downside all programme participants received temporary status, putting them at risk of being deported if the programme ended. In addition, if the government wanted to arrest them, it already had their home addresses. After taking office, Donald Trump shut down the programme and stopped extending the humanitarian status of the refugees whose work permits had expired. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About a quarter of a million Ukrainians came to the United States under the Uniting for Ukraine programme. Those who arrived before 16 August 2023 are still under the protection of another programme, which grants them temporary protected status. But about 120,000 Ukrainians who arrived on or after that date will be illegal in the country when their humanitarian password expires. Background: Trump told reporters earlier this summer that he would favor allowing Ukrainians to stay in the US until the war is over. "I think we will, yeah. We have a lot of people who came in from Ukraine, and we're working with them," Trump said. On 15 August, he plans to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where they will discuss the war in Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! NEED TO KNOW Teen Ruth Szymankiewicz died after being left alone for 15 minutes on a psychiatric ward, according to reports The 14-year-old was admitted to the ward at the now-closed Huntercombe Hospital in the U.K. for an eating disorder Szymankiewicz, who reportedly self-harmed, was allegedly supposed to be under round-the-clock care at the hospital A 14-year-old girl died after she was left alone to self-harm at a mental health hospital in England where she was allegedly supposed to be under round-the-clock care, according to reports. Ruth Szymankiewicz was found fatally injured in her room at Huntercombe Hospital, near the U.K. town of Maidenhead, on Feb. 12, 2022, per outlets including the BBC, Sky News and The Guardian. She died two days later at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The facility, which was run by Active Care Group, is now permanently closed. According to the BBC, an inquest jury at Buckinghamshire Coroner's Court concluded that Ruth, from the city of Salisbury, was unlawfully killed after she was left unaccompanied at the hospital for around 15 minutes. Ruth, who was being treated for an eating disorder, was transferred to the location in October 2021, per the BBC. Maureen McLean/Alamy Live News A photo of Huntercombe Hospital, also called Taplow Manor, near Maidenhead, U.K. A photo of Huntercombe Hospital, also called Taplow Manor, near Maidenhead, U.K. The teenager was on the Thames Ward, which is a psychiatric intensive care unit known as a PICU, at the hospital and CCTV footage played to the jury showed her in the television room with her support worker, a man who went by the name Ebo Achempong, in her final moments, Sky News reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Achempong was allegedly hired by an agency after using a false name and fake documents, the outlet stated, adding that he repeatedly left Ruth on her own, despite her needing constant observation. He's allegedly since returned to Ghana. On the night of Ruth's fatal injuries, she was seen on CCTV going to her bedroom at around 8 p.m. local time after her support worker left the TV room, the BBC reported. The inquest heard that the unit where Ruth had been was regularly understaffed, adding that on the day the teenager harmed herself, 50 percent of the workers were agency staff, Sky News reported, noting that Ruth was also not prevented from accessing harmful content online. 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 jury found that the care Ruth had been given was "not suitable nor conducive" to helping her recovery, and that contributions to her death included staff not being trained properly, per the BBC. Another contributing factor was that visiting arrangements only allowed one family member to see her at a time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hospital had previously been rated inadequate in February 2021, before being listed as "requires improvement" that September in two separate inspections by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in 2021, the BBC reported. A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Our deepest sympathies are with Ruths family and friends. This is a shocking case and it is clear that care at the Huntercombe Hospital fell far below the standards we expect." Young people with mental health issues have not been getting the care they need where they need it," the statement added, noting that the department had instructed the U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS) to prioritize "increasing the availability of mental health beds." The department said it's investing around almost $102 million this year "to reduce inappropriate out of area placements so that patients can receive care closer to home." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thames Valley Police said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Following a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this death, we can confirm that our enquiries have now concluded and the death is now a matter for His Majestys Coroner," adding, Our thoughts remain with Ruths family. Ruth's parents, Kate and Mark Szymankiewicz, spoke out about the jury's conclusion in a statement outside Buckinghamshire Coroner's Court, per the BBC. Mark said, "When at our most vulnerable as a family we reached out for help." "We ultimately found ourselves trapped in a system that was meant to care for her, to help her, to keep her safe but instead locked her away and harmed her," he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kate shared, "There is an empty space at our table, a silent bedroom in our home and a gaping hole in our family that will never be filled." The Active Care Group said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, "We extend our heartfelt condolences to Ruths family, friends, and all those affected by her passing. We deeply regret the tragic event that occurred, and we are truly sorry for the distress this has caused and [recognize] the profound impact it has had on everyone who knew her." "We are disappointed that a third-party company we engaged in good faith explicitly breached the terms of our contract with them and this played a role in the circumstances leading to Ruths tragic death," the statement continued, adding that ACG no longer works with the recruitment company used to hire Acheampong following Ruth's death. "We have not engaged this agency since the incident. The safety and wellbeing of those we support must never be compromised, and we expect every [organization] we work with to consistently uphold the highest possible standards," the company said, insisting that "in recent years, we have made significant improvements to the quality and safety in all of our services." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, The Alliance for Eating Disorders provides a fully-staffed helpline at 1-866-662-1235, as well as free, therapist-led support groups. If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. Read the original article on People Fifteen food pantries in Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin's network were significantly damaged by flooding and are shuttered for the foreseeable future, the organization said. The impacted pantries are scattered throughout the Milwaukee metro area, including several in Waukesha County, according to Matt Stienstra, the organization's director of advocacy and community engagement. Combined, the 15 pantries served more than 12,000 residents monthly. As of Aug. 15, Stienstra said the organization is still working on reaching out to pantries to assess the scale of damage, which has been difficult as some volunteers are contending with the damage in their own homes. Feeding America sorts and distributes food to hundreds of pantries in eastern Wisconsin, including more than 150 in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of the pantries that have confirmed damage, some have lost entire pallets of food or crucial equipment like forklifts. In particular, the Amani Community Food Pantry, 2480 W. Locust St., lost all of its food for the week, Stienstra said. The northside neighborhood has among the highest rates of food insecurity in the city and experienced some of the worst flood damage. "Now, the place that people usually go to get a little bit of extra help, to get dinner on the table, doesn't have the food they need," Stienstra said. As part of its response efforts, Feeding America has sourced two semi-trucks worth of disaster relief boxes to distribute in the most flood-damaged neighborhoods, Stienstra said. But the organization is still struggling to keep up, as families that would have gone to the closed pantries are now contacting other locations in their area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are nearly a quarter million food-insecure people across Milwaukee and Waukesha counties, he said. "We're talking about tens of thousands of families who are already worried about where their next meal was going to be coming from," Stienstra said, "and now they've been hit even harder by these floods." Here's what to know about the Milwaukee food pantries damaged by flooding, including what to do if you're seeking food and how to best help your neighborhood pantry. Which Milwaukee-area food pantries are closed after flooding? As of Aug. 15, the following Milwaukee-area food pantries are closed due to significant flooding damage: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ebenezer Stone Ministries (Milwaukee) Interchange Food Pantry (Milwaukee) New Creatures in Christ Outreach Ministries(Milwaukee) Morris Memorial Church of God in Christ (Milwaukee) Greater Mt. Sinai Church of God in Christ (Milwaukee) The Infinite Church (Milwaukee) Pentecostals of Wisconsin Matthew 25 (Milwaukee) All Saints Catholic Church (Milwaukee) Amani Community Food Pantry (Milwaukee) Gospel Lutheran Food Pantry (Milwaukee) South Milwaukee Human Concerns (South Milwaukee) Banner Church (New Berlin) Eagles' Nest Church (Brookfield) Joyful Foundation (Saukville) First Lutheran Church (West Allis) Veola Jackson helps pack grocery boxes after a press conference announcing Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (#9) joining the board of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin on Tuesday August 12, 2025 at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Milwaukee, WI. What to do if your food pantry is closed If your local pantry is closed, Stienstra suggested the following steps to get food and resources: How to help food pantries amid flood damage If you would like to aid Milwaukee food pantries as they work to meet surging demand, Stienstra said the following steps would be most helpful: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Donate : Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin has set up an emergency response fund, where all proceeds go directly to neighborhoods hit hardest by the floods. Volunteer: See if your neighborhood food pantry could use extra volunteers. If they don't, Feeding America is running two shifts of volunteers daily at its Milwaukee central campus. Volunteers will help package, label and sort food donations. Find more information here. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: These Milwaukee-area food pantries are closed after flood damage WALLINGFORD, Conn. (WTNH) An 18-year-old man was unconscious after being pulled from a pool in Wallingford on Thursday, according to Wallingford police. The incident occurred just before 7 p.m. at an apartment complex at 88 North Turnpike Road, police said. New Haven moves up timeline on maintenance at Fort Hale Dog Park amidst sexual assault investigation The man was taken to Midstate Medical Center in Meriden for evaluation and was later transferred to Hartford Hospital for further treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An update on the mans condition was not immediately available. This is a developing story. Stay with News 8 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 WTNH.com. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Heres what youll learn when you read this story: 19-year-old Adam Kovalcik has created a strongerand much cheaperversion of a powerful emerging medication known as galidesivir. Instead of starting out with the sugar, which is normally used in the production of this drug, he rebuilt the formula with a base molecule of corn alcohol. This change increases efficiency and cuts costs by reducing production steps and using inexpensive materials. We live in the aftermath of a global pandemic. Leftover COVID-19 trauma and world news updates reporting outbreaks of Zika or Ebola have made us apprehensive about viruses, and most of us have been vigilant about being vaccinated and re-vaccinated. But what about when preventative measures arent enough? What happens if a virus invades us before we can get to a vaccine? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adam Kovalcik is only 19, but the high school senior at Gymnazium Nove Zamky in Slovakia he has created something beyond what anyone would expect of someone his age. He has managed to turn an alcohol derived from corncobs and husks into galidesivir, an antiviral drug that targets RNA viruses like Zika and Ebola. Generating the drug this way, in his words, could potentially save tens of thousands of lives. Kovalcik recently won the $100,000 Genrge D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award at the 2025 Regeneration International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Galidesivir is the human-synthesized version of adenosine, which itself is a nucleosidethe components of nuclei acids. Among other biochemical functions, they are involved in storing and transferring genetic information. Adenosine is also an inhibitor of the enzyme RNA polymerase, which interferes with the function of certain enzymes in RNA viruses. The adenosine produced by our our bodies can inhibit RNA viruses (which clone their genomes in order to keep producing infinite copies of themselves), but it usually needs a boost when faced with potentially fatal pathogens like Ebola and Zika. This is where galidesivir comes in. Though not yet approved by the FDA, in vitro and animal tests have shown that galidesivir increases survival rates and has few side effects, which is why it is also being considered for treating COVID-19. It binds to the molecules that viruses use to clone themselves, making that function no longer accessible to the virus. The problem with galidesivir is that it costs $75 per gram (0.035 ounce) to produce, making the cost of a future prescription almost unfathomable, especially considering the state of healthcare. Kovalciks process could bring that cost down to $12.50 per gram. Why is galidesivir so expensive? There is an extra step in the production of the most powerful form of this drug that ultimately affects the cost. When drugs are being developed, unwanted materialssuch as variants of that drugoften end up in the first batch. These variants, or stereoisomers, have the same molecular formula as the finished drug, but their atoms form molecules in different arrangements. Kovalcik wanted to synthesize cis-OH galidesivir because it is 20 times stronger than its stereoisomer trans-OH galidesivir, so the trans version needs to be separated out to isolate the cis version. Separation involves extras steps that take extra time and cost more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kovalcik used his experience working on perfumes in a chemistry lab to figure out how to synthesize galidesivir in a different way. He needed a starter moleculetypically, sugar is used for galidesivir, but sugar would just repeat the existing process, which was not efficient enough. Perfume taught Kovalcik that some scent compounds used furfural alcohol (corn alcohol) as a starter molecule, so he rebuilt the drug using it as the replacement starter molecule and was able to reduce the production steps from 15 to 10. Using corn alcohol also lowered the cost. This production method is not restricted to galidevisirit could create other antivirals. Kovalcik used computer models to design new molecules that were supposed to operate in the same way as galidesivir, and one molecule he came up with (ADK-98) had the potential to be even more effective. The furfural alcohol distilled from corn would be the base for these future drugs. Kovalcik plans to continue refining his research and development process for this and other potential antivirals in collaboration with the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. And to think, this all started with a realization that came from molecules in perfume. Think about that with your next spritz of Dior Homme or Chanel No. 5. You Might Also Like CLEVELAND (WJW) A 22-year-old Maple Heights man accused of killing his girlfriend outside an AutoZone in Bedford pleaded not guilty and was issued a $1 million bond in court on Friday. Darien Hobley was indicted by a Cuyahoga County grand jury on counts of Murder and Felonious Assault and Tampering With Evidence. Stimulus check 2025? What we know about current rebate legislation Darien Hobley Bedford police said Hobley and 20-year-old Riley Jones of Shaker Heights were arguing in Maple Heights last week when Hobley followed Jones to the parking lot of an Autozone, where he killed her right in front of her friend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bald eagles in Ohio: How many nests in each county WJW photo According to investigators, the deadly shooting happened just after 10 a.m. in the parking lot of the AutoZone on Broadway Avenue. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire and running for cover as they called 911. Hobley fled on foot after the shooting but was apprehended a few streets away. 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. DAVIDSON COUNTY Three Davidson County law enforcement agencies took part in a drug investigation that resulted in two searches in Rowan County and the seizure of more than 43 pounds of cocaine. This investigation was a coordinated effort to disrupt large-scale narcotics trafficking operations in Rowan County and surrounding areas, officials said in a news release. On Monday, Aug. 11, the Rowan County Sheriffs Office Vice/Narcotics Unit, in coordination with the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, Lexington Police Department, Davidson County Sheriffs Office and Thomasville Police Department, executed two search warrants in Rowan County as part of an ongoing narcotics trafficking investigation focused on Clarence William West, 56, of Salisbury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators seized 19.6 kilograms, or 43.2 pounds, of cocaine, $20,940 in cash and three firearms, the Rowan County Sheriff's Office said. The narcotics seized in this case had an approximate street value of $350,000. West was arred and charged with two counts of trafficking cocaine, maintaining a dwelling/vehicle for a controlled substance, money laundering, conspiracy to traffic cocaine and three counts of possession of a firearm by felon. During the course of the investigations, detectives also arrested Monica Lynnet Sanders, 48, and charged her with two counts of trafficking cocaine, maintaining a dwelling/vehicle for a controlled substance, money laundering and conspiracy to traffic cocaine. West and Sanders each were being held with bond set at $1 million secured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2013, West was dubbed a Godfather of Drugs when he was charged with possessing firearms against the terms of his federally supervised release, the Salisbury Post reported. He was later arrested in 2017 and charged with felony possession of a schedule VI controlled substance after deputies reportedly found over 5 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle during a traffic stop. Read more at: https://www.salisburypost.com/2025/08/13/salisbury-man-charged-after-over-19-kilos-of-cocaine-found-during-search-warrant/ The case remains under active investigation, and officials ask that anyone with information related to this case or other drug-related activity contact the Rowan County Sheriffs Office at (704) 216-8700 or Rowan County Crime Stoppers at www.rowancrimestoppers.org or by calling 1-866-639-JAIL (5245). Caller identity is not required and your information will remain confidential. Two Richmond County residents were arrested following an investigation into crimes against a child on Thursday, according to a release from the Richmond County Sheriffs Office. Keith Alexander Andrews, 73, and Stephanie Allen Gibson, 41, were charged with multiple felonies, including statutory rape, indecent liberties with a child, human trafficking, and first-degree kidnapping. ALSO READ >> Lawsuit filed against Roblox over alleged child exploitation Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Captain Mitchell Watson with the Richmond County Sheriffs Criminal Investigations Division said the 14-year-old victim is a neighbor of Gibsons. Gibson said she is paid to clean Andrews home. One day, the victim approached Gibson saying she wanted to make some money by helping her clean. Instead, Watson says they gave the victim drugs and brought her back to the house. Although our investigators take every case seriously, these cases that cross the desk of our Special Victims Unit investigators are the most disturbing crimes, and we will hold anyone committing these crimes to the fullest extent of the law, Sheriff Mark Gulledge said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The arrests followed a complaint filed by the childs father, prompting an investigation by the Richmond County Sheriffs Office. A search warrant was served at a home on Grassy Island Road in northern Richmond County. Both Andrews and Gibson were processed and placed in the Richmond County Jail with no bond. VIDEO: CMS middle school coach arrested for indecent liberties with student Aug. 15Two sex offenders who allegedly did not verify their place of residence were arrested this week, according to the Butler County Sheriff's Office. The arrests of Michael Latimore, 58, of Middletown and Matthew Ledford, 39, of Milford Twp. were made this week following coordinated enforcement operations, according to the sheriff's office. On Monday afternoon, after receiving an anonymous tip, investigators arrested Latimore at his workplace after he failed to verify his residency, which is a violation of Ohio's Sex Offender Registration and Notification. Failure to verify his residency is a fourth-degree felony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Latimore was convicted in 2014 on voyeurism involving a 14-year-old child. He was arrested without incident, according to the sheriff's office. On Thursday evening, Ledford was taken into custody at his home in Milford Twp. Ledford was arrested on multiple outstanding warrants, including felony failure to verify his current residence. Additionally, he was arrested on two first-degree and one second-degree misdemeanor charges. Ledford was convicted in 2017 on gross sexual imposition involving a child under 10 years old. Butler County Sheriff's deputies and officers with the Butler County Undercover Regional Narcotics (B.U.R.N.) Task Force searched Ledford's residence, resulting in the additional charges. The Journal-News will update this story when more information becomes available. (This story has been updated with additional information) ELKINS, W.Va. (WBOY) Two people were detained and later taken to the hospital Friday afternoon after a fight involving knives at a Japanese restaurant in Elkins. Shi Pink According to a release from the West Virginia State Police, at around 1:35 p.m., two employees at the Sakura Japanese Restaurant got into an altercation with one another. The release said that Shi Span Pink, 48, allegedly used a knife to cut the face of Chen Shu Shuo, 56. During the altercation, Pink also sustained a cut on one of his hands, which troopers say they believe was self-inflicted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The release said that several off-duty members of local law enforcement were eating at the restaurant at the time of the incident. After seeing the fight break out, those members intervened quickly and secured the scene while awaiting the arrival of uniformed personnel, the release said. Man beat victim to the point they stopped breathing, troopers say Once uniformed troopers arrived, both people involved were detained and taken to a nearby hospital by Randolph County EMS to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The West Virginia State Police is investigating this incident and was assisted by the Randolph County Sheriffs Department and the Elkins City Police Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pink has been charged with malicious assault and wounding. He was booked into the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on Friday evening and is being held on a $15,000 cash only bond. 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. Two Massachusetts men are facing charges in connection with the seizure of about 160 pounds of cocaine valued at more than $1 million, authorities said. Noel Betances, 42, of Chelsea, and Reylin Segura, 31, of Boston, were charged this week in federal court in Boston with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office and Massachusetts State Police. The arrests stem from an investigation that started in 2023 into packages sent from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts that were suspected of containing narcotics, officials noted, citing court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Betances was identified as the individual allegedly picking up the packages and transporting them to locations around Chelsea, Revere and Boston, including 16 Rand Street, Revere, according to law enforcement. Investigators say Betances was seen exiting 16 Rand Street with a box, which he allegedly transferred to Segura in exchange for a plastic bag. Its alleged that the box was later found to contain four kilograms of cocaine along with a bag containing bundled cash. According to court records referenced by police, a subsequent search of 16 Rand Street resulted in the seizure of an additional 69 kilograms of cocaine and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. The value of the cocaine seized is estimated at over $1 million. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and up to life and a fine of $1 million., Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Twenty years ago, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip, dismantling 21 Jewish settlements and pulling out its forces. The Friday anniversary of the start of the landmark disengagement comes as Israel is mired in a nearly two-year war with Hamas that has devastated the Palestinian territory and means it is likely to keep troops there long into the future. Israels disengagement, which also included removing four settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, was then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharons controversial attempt to jump-start negotiations with the Palestinians. But it bitterly divided Israeli society and led to the empowerment of Hamas, with implications that continue to reverberate today. The emotional images of Jews being ripped from their homes by Israeli soldiers galvanized Israels far-right and settler movements. The anger helped them organize and increase their political influence, accounting in part for the rise of hard-line politicians like National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, Smotrich boasted of a settlement expansion plan east of Jerusalem that will bury the idea of a future Palestinian state. For Palestinians, even if they welcomed the disengagement, it didnt end Israels control over their lives. Soon after, Hamas won elections in 2006, then drove out the Palestinian Authority in a violent takeover. Israel and Egypt imposed a closure on the territory, controlling entry and exit of goods and people. Though its intensity varied over the years, the closure helped impoverish the population and entrenched a painful separation from Palestinians in the West Bank. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians claim all three territories for a future independent state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A unilateral withdrawal enhanced Hamas' stature Israel couldnt justify the military or economic cost of maintaining the heavily fortified settlements in Gaza, explained Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Misgav Institute and the Institute for National Security Studies think tanks. There were around 8,000 Israeli settlers and 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza in 2005. There was no chance for these settlements to exist or flourish or become meaningful enough to be a strategic anchor, he said. By contrast, there are more than 500,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, most living in developed settlement blocs that have generally received more support from Israeli society, Michael said. Most of the world considers the settlements illegal under international law. Because Israel withdrew unilaterally, without any coordination with the Palestinian Authority, it enhanced Hamas' stature among Palestinians in Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This contributed to Hamas win in the elections in 2006, because they leveraged it and introduced it as a very significant achievement, Michael said. They saw it as an achievement of the resistance and a justification for the continuation of the armed resistance. Footage of the violence between Israeli settlers and Israeli soldiers also created an open wound in Israeli society, Michael said. I dont think any government will be able to do something like that in the future, he said. That limits any flexibility over settlements in the West Bank if negotiations over a two-state solution with the Palestinians ever resume. Disengagement will never happen again, this is a price were paying as a society, and a price were paying politically, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An early settler longs to return Anita Tucker, now 79, was part of the first nine Jewish families that moved to the Gaza Strip in 1976. She and her husband and their three kids lived in an Israeli army outpost near what is today Deir al-Balah, while the settlement of Netzer Hazoni was constructed. Originally from Brooklyn, she started a farm growing vegetables in the harsh, tall sand dunes. At first relations were good with their Palestinian neighbors, she said, and they worked hard to build their home and a beautiful community. She had two more children, and three chose to stay and raise their families in Netzer Hazoni. She can still recall the moment, 20 years ago, when 1,000 Israeli soldiers arrived at the gate to the settlement to remove the approximately 400 residents. Some of her neighbors lit their houses on fire in protest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Obviously it was a mistake to leave. The lives of the Arabs became much worse, and the lives of the Jews became much, much worse, with rockets and Oct. 7, she said, referring to the decades of rockets fired from Gaza into Israel and the date in 2023 of the Hamas attack that launched the ongoing war. Despite the passage of time, her family still is yearning and longing for their home, she said. Several of her 10 grandchildren, including some who spent their early childhood in the Gaza settlements, have served in the current war and were near her old house. Its hard to believe, because of all the terrible things that happened that we predicted, but were willing to build there again, said Tucker. Palestinians doubt Israel will ever fully withdraw from Gaza again Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Israels withdrawal 20 years ago, many Palestinians described Gaza as an open-air prison. They had control on the inside under a Hamas government that some supported but some saw as heavy-handed and brutal. But ultimately, Israel had a grip around the territory. Many Palestinians believe Sharon carried out the withdrawal so Israel could focus on cementing its control in the West Bank through settlement building. Now some believe more direct Israeli occupation is returning to Gaza. After 22 months of war, Israeli troops control more than 75% of Gaza, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks of maintaining security control long term after the war. Over the past 20 years we were relieved of occupation, shelling and seeing the Jews. Now we hear that they want to occupy here again after two years of war," said Sabah Abu Audeh, a 67-year-old grandmother who was displaced to Gaza's Shati refugee camp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aouni Timras, 55, from the Nuseirat refugee camp said he felt optimistic when Israel pulled out, thinking things would get better. We were hopeful but now the occupation returned for the second time, Timras said. "What can people do? This is what we live through. We hope that there will be a truce so that people can stand up again. Amjad Shawa, the director of the Palestinian NGO Network, said he doesnt believe Netanyahu will repeat Sharons full withdrawal. Instead, he expects the military to continue controlling large swaths of Gaza through buffer zones. The aim, he said, is to keep Gaza unlivable in order to change the demographics, referring to Netanyahus plans to encourage Palestinians to leave the territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel is is reoccupying the Gaza Strip to prevent a Palestinian state, said Mostafa Ibrahim, an author based in Gaza City whose home was destroyed in the current war. Missed opportunities Israeli former Maj. Gen. Dan Harel, who was head of the country's Southern Command during the disengagement, remembers the toll of protecting a few thousand settlers. There were an average of 10 attacks per day against Israeli settlers and soldiers, including rockets, roadside bombs big enough to destroy a tank, tunnels to attack Israeli soldiers and military positions, and frequent gunfire. Bringing a school bus of kids from one place to another required a military escort, said Harel. There wasnt a future. People paint it as how wonderful it was there, but it wasnt wonderful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harel says the decision to evacuate Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip was the right one, but that Israel missed crucial opportunities. Most egregious, he said, was a unilateral withdrawal without obtaining any concessions from the Palestinians in Gaza or the Palestinian Authority. He also sharply criticized Israels policy of containment toward Hamas after disengagement. There were short but destructive conflicts over the years between the two sides, but otherwise the policy gave Hamas an opportunity to do whatever they wanted. We had such a blind spot with Hamas, we didnt see them morph from a terror organization into an organized military, with battalions and commanders and infrastructure, he said. The Oct. 7 attack, Israels largest military intelligence failure to date, was not a result of the disengagement, said Harel. The main issue is what we did in the 18 years in between. ___ Associated Press writers Fatma Khaled contributed from Cairo and Wafaa Shurafa from Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip. Half of the winners in this years Python Challenge were women, the highest number of huntresses to take home prizes in the annual contest that pits wits and skill as much as muscle against the slithering scourge of the Everglades. Donna Kalil, a contract hunter with the South Florida Water Management District, said the increase in female winners may be a function of them finally getting their due after working alongside male partners in the past whose names may have been the primary one listed on challenge applications. But its also likely that women such as Kalil, who has participated in every Python Challenge and garnered international fame for her hunting prowess, led the way for women who may not have otherwise thought battling invasive reptiles was a co-ed sport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kalil, 63, who hunted with assistant Tanya Toutant, celebrated the number of female winners this year and said she wants women to feel like they have a place out there that they belong to as well. Kalil won $2,500 this year for catching 56 snakes, the highest number in the professional category of the challenge. She won the same prize in the 2024 challenge with 19 snakes. "I thought it was impressive that so many women were a part of this because it is not for the faint of heart," said Krista Hoekstra, 59, a Collier County teacher who won $2,500 for bringing in the most pythons in the novice category. "It's hot, there are bugs, it's exhausting. You have to have an interest and passion for the Everglades and the conservation of it." This years $10,000 grand prize winner was Taylor Stanberry, who brought in 60 snakes to become the first female grand prize winner. It was also the first time the 29-year-old snake enthusiast entered the challenge, but she said she has been hunting pythons for 10 yeas and also is a contract hunter with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Florida python challenge: Why state recommends not eating invasive snakes FWC and the water management district hire python hunters who earn hourly wages with bonuses based on the length of the snakes they catch. Stanberry, a social media influencer who runs a private exotic animal rescue and venomous snake facility with her husband, Rhett Stanberry, didnt know until after the awards were announced that she was the first woman to win the grand prize. "There are so many amazing female python hunters out there, so I had some tough competition," Stanberry said after leaving the Aug. 13 FWC Commission meeting where the results were announced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the 10-day challenge, which ran from July 11 to July 20, the longest snake she caught was between 9.5 and 10-feet long. I caught a beefy 12-footer the day before the competition started, Stanberry said. More: Python 'hot spot' identified in Palm Beach County by University of Florida study Other huntresses who won prizes in the 2025 Python Challenge include Hannah Gray, who won $1,500 in the professional category for most pythons runner-up with 22 snakes, and Kymberly Clark, who was runner-up in the novice category with seven pythons. Clarks prize was $1,500. It was something the Delray Beach resident wasnt expecting after participating in two previous Challenges with no wins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of it is skill. You learn where they hide, their behaviors, Clark said. Some of it is endurance. You hunt long hours and many nights. Some of it is luck, just being at the right place at the right time. A total of 934 hunters participated in this year's Python Challenge. They nabbed a total of 294 pythons the most in the contests history. Clark, who is taking a sabbatical from her corporate management career, said she started hunting pythons after coming across one stretched across a road in Everglades National Park. She said she documented its location and took photos that went viral. But she got criticized by commenters for not killing the snake. Around the same time as the viral photo, she met a local python hunter who taught her the ropes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive been doing it ever since, said Clark, who hunted during the challenge with professional iguana hunter Harold Rondan. Its something anybody can do because its not based completely on strength. Still, a passion for protecting wildlife is key. Clark said she is a snake lover and its hard for her to kill the pythons, but she focuses on all the animals shes saving by removing the apex predator from the Everglades. Hoekstra also mentioned how she admires the Burmese python for its strength and beauty. "But they are invasive," said Hoekstra. Hoekstra technically caught the longest snake in the competition at 17 feet, but winners can only take home one prize. This year was Hoekstra's second entry into the contest after moving to Florida in 2023. She said she took the online class to become certified and did some research on hunting technique but caught only two snakes in 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This year, she got 14. "We were just doing it to get the experience and to be part of this," said Hoekstra, who hunted with her husband and adult son. "Never in our wildest dreams did we think we would win. We did it because we believe in the mission." Kalil said there have been years when she and her team went easier on themselves during the competition. This year, she worked hard to win the grand prize, hunting sundown to sunrise. We went all out. We gave it our best, said Kalil, who didnt begrudge Stanberrys win. Girl power! Woohoo! Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@pbpost.com. Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. Kym Clark, of Delray Beach, won $1,500 in the 2025 Python Challenge for catching the second highest number of pythons in the novice category at seven. Clark is a volunteer hunter who has been hunting for three years. Kym Clark, of Delray Beach, won $1,500 in the 2025 Python Challenge for catching the second highest number of pythons in the novice category at seven. Clark is a volunteer hunter who has been hunting for three years. Kym Clark, of Delray Beach, won $1,500 in the 2025 Python Challenge for catching the second highest number of pythons in the novice category at seven. Clark is a volunteer hunter who has been hunting for three years. Kym Clark (left), of Delray Beach, and Harold Rondan pictured with a python they caught. Clark won $1,500 in the 2025 Python Challenge for catching the second highest number of pythons in the novice category at seven. Clark is a volunteer hunter who has been hunting for three years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kym Clark, of Delray Beach, won $1,500 in the 2025 Python Challenge for catching the second highest number of pythons in the novice category at seven. Clark is a volunteer hunter who has been hunting for three years. Kym Clark, of Delray Beach, won $1,500 in the 2025 Python Challenge for catching the second highest number of pythons in the novice category at seven. Clark is a volunteer hunter who has been hunting for three years. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 2025 Florida Python Challenge: Women were big winners in snake hunt LEBANON, Tenn. (WKRN) The 2025 Wilson County Tennessee State Fair is more than just food, carnival games, and rides. It is also about agriculture! Our society relies heavily on meat, animals and the process it takes to go from farm to table. Livestock shows bring big business to Wilson County at Tennessee State Fair News 2 spoke with Addysyn Spangler with TWOA Boer Goats. The Hartsville native said she has several goats in the Boer Goat Show for competition at this years state fair. (Photo: WKRN) (Photo: WKRN) (Photo: WKRN) (Photo: WKRN) According to Spangler, preparing for the competition is a lengthy but rewarding process. From the time the goats are babies, she provides for them and gets them ready for a show career. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of the Boer goats are reportedly bred so they can produce more goats. Its an ongoing process with the goal being able to go from the farm to a table. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Participating in livestock shows brings the education of animals and the business of raising them, making them presentable, and marketing them to breed or to sell. There are more competitions happening at the 2025 Wilson County Tennessee State Fair. To learn more about the events, follow this link. Follow Spanglers journey with TWOA Boer Goats on their Facebook page. 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. PHILADELPHIA - A 22-year-old man was shot in the arm at the corner of 13th and Locust Streets in Philadelphia just before 10 p.m. Thursday. What we know At around 10 p.m., Philly police responded to the scene after the victim reported being shot without provocation while "minding his own business." Officers discovered two shell casings from a semi-automatic weapon at the scene. Fortunately, police crime cameras captured part of the incident, and additional footage from private cameras in the area may provide further insights into the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police say the shooter is described as a man wearing a light-colored or white shirt and dark pants. He was last seen running north on 13th Street. The victim is currently in stable condition at the hospital. What's next Police are actively reviewing camera footage to gather more information and identify the suspect. The investigation is ongoing. The Source The information in this story is from Philly police. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Two people are facing animal neglect charges after authorities rescued 23 dogs from a home in Redmond. On August 11, the Deschutes County Sheriffs Office received a report of animal neglect at a property along Northeast ONeil Way. On the scene, animal control found four adult dogs and 19 puppies around six to eight weeks old inside metal crates and covered in thick blankets. Officials said the temperature that day reached 100 degrees and the dogs were heavily panting and showing signs of heat exhaustion. Authorities rescued 23 Pit Bull mixes including 19 puppies with heat exhaustion from a Redmond, Oregon home August 11, 2025 (Courtesy Deschutes County Sheriffs Office.) Authorities rescued 23 Pit Bull mixes including 19 puppies with heat exhaustion from a Redmond, Oregon home August 11, 2025 (Courtesy Deschutes County Sheriffs Office.) Authorities rescued 23 Pit Bull mixes including 19 puppies with heat exhaustion from a Redmond, Oregon home August 11, 2025 (Courtesy Deschutes County Sheriffs Office.) Authorities rescued 23 Pit Bull mixes including 19 puppies with heat exhaustion from a Redmond, Oregon home August 11, 2025 (Courtesy Deschutes County Sheriffs Office.) The dogs owners, identified as 45-year-old Nicole Sly and 49-year-old Jeremy De France, were not home when authorities arrived and could not be reached by phone, according to the Sheriffs Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because the dogs were in immediate danger, deputies removed the most vulnerable puppies, with authorities finding some puppies crawling on dirt in direct sunlight, and placed them inside the air-conditioned patrol vehicle. All 23 dogs were later taken to BrightSide Animal Center in Redmond. To cool the puppies, animal shelter staff provided fresh water, box fans and applied cooling compresses on the dogs, officials said, noting the puppies body temperatures ranged from 103 to 104.7 degrees, which is consistent with heat exhaustion. Oregon one of the worst states to move to, analysis says According to the Sheriffs Office, the puppies survived and are doing well under the care of shelter staff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sly and De France later contacted deputies and agreed to surrender all the dogs, officials said, noting both face 23 counts of animal neglect. Community members interested in adopting the dogs are encouraged to contact or visit BrightSide Animal Center in Redmond. The Deschutes County Sheriffs Office noted this is the second recent animal neglect case theyve responded to after 33 dogs were rescued from two Central Oregon properties earlier in August. 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. (KRON) An Antioch man was found dead after crews searched the waters at Sandy Beach in Rio Vista, the Solano County Sheriffs Office (SCSO) said. Authorities received a call around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday about a missing person in the water. Crews from multiple agencies searched until night and resumed Thursday at 8 a.m. Around 4 p.m. on Thursday, the body was found. According to SCSO, the man was identified as 23-year-old Antioch man Nico Cuevas. Cuevas leaves behind a 2-year-old son Nico Cuevas Jr. A GoFundMe was started to support Cuevas family. Cuevas is survived by his parents, brother, two sisters and partner/mother of his child. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Woman dies in San Jose after falling on Highway 101, hit by vehicle Nico Gaudencio Cuevas, 23, was a father of a 2-year-old son. (Photo: GoFundMe) (Photo: GoFundMe) (Photo: GoFundMe) (Photo: GoFundMe) (Photo: GoFundMe) Nicos greatest joy in life was his 2-year-old son, Nico Jr., who was endlessly in love with his daddy, the GoFundMe states. Their bond was pure and unbreakable, and it is heartbreaking to know that such a beautiful connection was cut far too short. The Sacramento County Sheriffs Office, Napa County Sheriffs Office, San Joaquin Sheriffs Office, Solano County Parks, Rio Vista Police Department and U.S. Coast Guard assisted in the case. We extend our sincere condolences to Nicos loved ones during this difficult time, SCSO wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. JACKSON, Mich. (WLNS) One entrepreneur is on a mission to make childcare easier to find and more accessible thanks in part to some support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The city of Jacksons first ever 24/7 childcare service, Gems of Jackson, is owned by Dr. Vittoria Jimerson. Now, it has a new learning space, and officials say this expansion will bring growth, modernized learning tools, and new opportunities to the area. It was just really important to support these families, said Director Angela Evans. We have a teacher that comes in and shes amazing. Shes teaching, you know, the stem and steam curriculum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The MEDC, along with Jackson County Support Hub partner Lean Rocket Lab, awarded Jimerson a direct grant of $4,000 to redesign a new STEAM based classroom space for kids ages 6 through 12. We didnt really have the space yet for school age. So then I started the process of lets turn this room into a school age room for the summer, Evans said. We went through that process and got this open and its been fantastic for our school age kids. Catherine Cole is a mother of two and works second shift She says Gems is a life saver and vital for parents like her that work in the middle of the day. They do an amazing job with my kids and she does an amazing job of making sure you know theyre getting good, healthy foods and theyre doing outdoor activities and fun crafts and learning, Cole said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jimerson says the addition allows for more opportunities for kids to grow and help set them up for success when they get to higher education. We want them, no matter which school they go into, that theyre prepared, Jimerson said. So grants like this, help us do that. It helps us get these kids ready. It helps us provide families what they need. Jimerson says the next steps for Gems is to use the space to further meet the needs of children with special needs and health challenges. 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. UPDATE: The Cherokee County Sheriffs Office said that 26-year-old Devon Michael Head was found safe on Friday, after he was reported missing. CHEROKEE COUNTY, Texas (KETK) The Cherokee County Sheriffs Office is seeking the publics help in finding a missing 26-year-old man with intellectual disabilities who left his home on Thursday. Train, 18-wheeler crash shuts down Brownsboro railroad crossing Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the sheriffs office, around 6 p.m. on Thursday Devon Michael Head left his home in Jacksonville carrying a bag with clothes and his Xbox, leaving his wallet and phone. He was then last seen on CR 3108 on Friday. Photos courtesy of Cherokee County Sheriffs Office Head is described to be: Height : 6 feet tall Weight : 170 pounds Has intellectual/developmental disabilities Authorities believe that after leaving his home, Head may have been picked up by individual(s) he connected with online. If anyone has any information about his location, please contact the Cherokee County Sheriffs Office 903-683-2271. 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. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. The Blair Crossing Apartments project is rising at Nebraska Highway 133 and U.S. 30 is said to be first major apartment complex in about 25 years in the town north of Omaha. (Courtesy of trb architecture) BLAIR, Nebraska Blair is about to get its first new major apartment complex in a quarter-century a 132-unit market rate project the public is chipping in for to help boost business and growth in the town a half hour north of Omaha. Real estate developer Metonic broke ground earlier this month on the $27 million Blair Crossing Apartments, which will feature amenities including a fitness center, dog park and resort-style swimming pool. The project site near Nebraska Highway 133 and U.S. 30. (Courtesy of Metonic) Public incentives helping to defray costs include $300,000 in local tax revenue from the citys LB 840 program and up to $2.03 million in tax-increment financing. TIF allows property tax revenue from new improvements at the project site to pay for eligible expenses of development. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city of about 8,000 residents also pledged $2.4 million for area public road and infrastructure improvements that City Administrator Phil Green said not only will benefit apartment access but also should ignite surrounding commercial growth that bumps up property and sales tax revenues. Were hoping that this Blair Crossing development becomes the kickstarter to see even more development in that area, said Green. Invest a little now, so you get a bigger payoff down the road. Housing crunch Its part of a strategy to increase housing options in a town whose job base has expanded but where further growth is threatened by limited and aging housing availability. Blair is among communities across Nebraska exploring ways to address housing affordability and supply, a challenge that a statewide report said had reached crisis proportions. Mike Rooks, executive director of Gateway Development Corp., which is the economic development arm of Washington County, said Blair businesses have struggled to recruit workers amid a housing crunch. Mike Rooks of Gateway Development Corp., the economic development arm of Washington County. (Courtesy of Gateway) He believes the shortage also has discouraged some companies from opening or relocating there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CEO will look at me and say, Where are my employees going to live? said Rooks. So this is another tool in our toolbox that we can show. Currently, Rooks said, about 3,500 Omahans drive to Blair to work, and about 2,000 Blair residents drive to Omaha to work. At Blairs expanding bioscience campus, more than 60% of employees commute there to work, officials said. The campus includes companies such as Cargill, Corbion, Novonesis (formerly Novozymes), NatureWorks and Evonic. Meanwhile, over the past four years, Blair has seen more than $500 million in capital investment, Rooks said. That includes a Dollar General distribution center officials say employs nearly 700 people. Just last month, a new $100 million Calcium Products project was announced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Calcium Products, an agricultural technology company specializing in pelletized high-calcium lime and gypsum, bought 113 acres in Blair South Industrial Park to construct two new production facilities. The project is to create about 50 new full-time jobs when scheduled to open next year and also will spur a new rail yard thats expected to lure additional industrial-focused business. Rooks expects the Blair Crossing Apartments to be gobbled up when they are scheduled to open in 2026. He and Green said Blair hasnt had a newly built major apartment building since around 2000. Progress continues toward building more housing in Blair, Nebraska. (Courtesy of City of Blair Facebook) Metonic developers said that about 67% of the Blair housing stock was built prior to 1990, so Blair Crossing will offer a contemporary living option. The residences should be attractive to Omaha workers as well, Rooks said, offering a modern small-town living option a short drive from the amenities of a bigger city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said a 2021 study of Blair and five smaller Washington County municipalities foresaw a demand for more than 500 new housing units by this year. They havent even scratched the surface, said Rooks. Almost unheard of The four-building, three-level Blair Crossing complex is rising on roughly six acres at the convergence of U.S. 30 and Nebraska Highway 133. Dwellings will range in size from studio apartments to three-bedroom units, with rents likely to run from $1,200 to $2,000. Metonic President Kassie Inness said in a statement that she felt strong local support for the project and has not seen anyone stand up in opposition. That is almost unheard of in multifamily development, Inness said. Metonic partners include general contractor Ronco Construction, Ruff Grading, trb architecture, Lamp Rynearson, Veridian Credit Union. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rooks said Blair public officials have come to believe that the city has to step up with public incentives in order for real estate developers to invest there. A housing advisory committee appointed by Blair Mayor Mindy Rump has recommended various approaches to help bring housing of different styles and prices to the area. The $300,000 in LB 840 funds for Blair Crossing was possible via Nebraskas Local Option Municipal Economic Development Act. That law allows cities, given local voter approval, to use local tax revenue for economic development, including housing initiatives. Blair Crossing Apartments will feature amenities including a resort-style pool, dog park and fitness center. (Courtesy of trb architecture) In Blairs case, voters first gave the green light in 2006 to use a portion of the local sales tax for an LB 840 program, and last year reauthorized a program for 12 more years. Green said the city also agreed to cover $2.4 million of a $3.2 million cost, with the rest paid by developer Metonic, to improve access and highway connections around the apartment complex. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said the project site and surrounding land had remained undeveloped largely because of costly changes needed to link the area to major roadways. It was a project that wouldnt happen if the city hadnt contributed something, Green said. Show incentives Green said a recommendation from the citys housing advisory panel encouraged use of incentives to help make land more alluring for development. Phil Green, Blair city administrator. (Courtesy of City of Blair) Tax-increment financing is an economic development tool authorized decades ago by the Nebraska Legislature, though it has become increasingly controversial. City Councils, following a public hearing process, must give thumbs up or down for each TIF project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Critics, including some lawmakers, say TIF in some cases has been used too generously and perhaps on projects that a developer might have undertaken without the incentive. Part of the concern is that the new property tax collected on the improved portion of a project site is redirected, for up to 20 years, to help pay off development expenses rather than being sent to traditional recipients such as schools and local governments. After that TIF period of 15 to 20 years, all property tax at the site flows to the traditional recipients. Rooks said public incentives have become increasingly important for smaller Nebraska communities like Blair. We have to show incentives and we have to show them why they need to come here, he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Four people from Northeast Ohio were charged with drug smuggling in an operation that trafficked large amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine and other controlled substances from California to Ohio, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Ohio. Three Akron men ages 30, 28 and 26 were charged with having a role in transporting controlled substances to Ohio from February 2023 to April 2024. A 24-year-old woman from Mansfield was also charged with interstate smuggling. The illicit drugs were reportedly smuggled in checked baggage on airline flights or in packages mailed through the U.S. Postal Service, according to officials. Methamphetamine and cocaine were mailed from locations in Los Angeles and San Diego and shipped to Northeast Ohio cities including Akron, Barberton and Mansfield. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 28-year-old Akron man maintained an apartment in Columbus where smugglers would take the shipped drugs, the attorney's office noted. All four Northeast Ohio suspects reportedly sold the drugs to customers throughout Ohio once the drugs arrived. The Mansfield woman purchased a pill press machine and more than 55 pounds of pill-binding powder and used them to press the drug pills from her Mansfield home, authorities wrote. The indictment against the four suspects contains such evidence as texted photos of the illicit drugs and rubber-banded cash intended to use as payment for the drugs, the attorney's office said. These rubber-banded stacks of money were used to purchase the illicit drugs that were smuggled across the country from California to Ohio from 2023 to 2024 In April 2024, the 26-year-old Akron man traveled from Ohio to California to purchase drugs before flying back to Ohio and being picked up by the 24-year-old Mansfield woman from the Cincinnati airport before driving to Columbus to meet the 28-year-old Akron man, the release noted. The Ohio State Highway Patrol stopped the 26-year-old and 24-year-old regarding a traffic violation en route to Columbus from the Cincinnati airport, and after a probable cause search of the vehicle, officers recovered more than 17 pounds of methamphetamine, two pounds of cocaine and a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In total, federal investigators seized more than 33 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of cocaine, as well as multiple firearms in this investigation. Each defendant's sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors including prior criminal record, the denfendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation, if the suspects are convicted, officials noted. The investigation was conducted by a multitude of law enforcement agencies, including the DEA Detroit Division's Cleveland Field Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Cleveland Office and the Summit County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James P. Lewis for the Northern District of Ohio is prosecuting the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter @athompsonABJ This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Four Ohio suspects accused of interstate smuggling of meth, cocaine Any Air Force plane carrying a US president is called Air Force One. President John F. Kennedy was the first to use a jet designed specifically for a US president. President Donald Trump accepted a luxury jet from Qatar that could serve as a new Air Force One. Nicknamed the "flying Oval Office," Air Force One has long functioned as the president's flying command center, office, and bedroom. Since the mid-20th century, US presidents have flown on special planes designated "Air Force One" while carrying out their official duties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Air Force One is equipped with everything the president might need, including office spaces, two kitchens, sleeping quarters, and a fully functional operating room. A new Air Force One jet, a Boeing 747-8 donated by the Qatari royal family and accepted by President Donald Trump, could bring a new level of luxury to the presidential plane. On Friday, the president boarded Air Force One to travel to Alaska for his high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Here's how the design of Air Force One has changed through the years. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first president to travel on a jet aircraft in 1959. Air Force One taking off from Heathrow Airport, at the end of President Eisenhower's state visit to the United Kingdom, 2nd September 1959 Terry Fincher/Mirrorpix/Getty Images Eisenhower's Boeing 707 Stratoliner, nicknamed "Queenie," featured a section for telecommunications, room for 40 passengers, a conference area, and a stateroom, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement John F. Kennedy was the first to use a jet specifically designed for the US president. It had the tail number 26000. President John F. Kennedy's pilot, Col. James B. Swindal, left, and Maj. Lewis Hanson, co-pilot, check Air Force One's cockpit before a presidential take-off from Andrews Air Force Base, 14 miles from the White House, May 13, 1963. The 600-mile-an-hour jet, Kennedy's most often-used plane, contains a living room, bedroom, bath and kitchen - and "The Button" of nuclear war which goes wherever the president goes. John Rous The Boeing 707 included a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. Raymond Loewy designed the plane's blue-and-white exterior. US President John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963, second from left) and First Lady, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (1929 - 1994), arrive at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, November 21, 1963. The President was assassinated in Dallas the following day. Air Force One is in the background. Kennedy Library Archives/Newsmakers/Getty Images The plane's design featured an American flag on the tail and presidential seals on the nose. After Kennedy's assassination in 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in on Air Force One. In the aftermath of the assasination of US President John F. Kennedy, American politician and Vice-President Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908 - 1973) takes the oath of office to become the 36th President of the United States as he is sworn in by US Federal Judge Sarah T. Hughes (1896 - 1985) (left) on the presidential aircraft, Air Force One, Dallas, Texas, November 22, 1963. Kennedy's widow, Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy (later Onassis) stands beside him at right. Universal History Archive/Getty Images It marked the first and only time a presidential swearing-in ceremony took place on an airplane. Johnson met with Cabinet members on the presidential aircraft in 1966 in a small seating area. (Original Caption) Los Angeles, CA.: President Lyndon Johnson (R), confers with Vice-President Hubert Humphrey & cabinet members aboard Air Force One. L-R: Robert McNamara, Sec. Defense; Humphrey; Dean Rusk, sec. State; John Gardner, Sec. Health; Alexis Johnson, Sec. Deputy State; Maxwell Taylor, US Ambassador-Vietnam; & David Bell, AID director. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The small alcove was decorated with a globe decal on the wall and curtains lining the windows. In 1972, Richard Nixon was the first president to use the Boeing 707 plane with tail number 27000 as Air Force One. Standing behind the bar aboard Air Force One, President Richard Nixon speaks with military and civilian leaders while flying from Bangkok to Saigon for a short visit with commanders and troops stationed in Vietnam. Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images Nixon stood behind the plane's bar while meeting with military and civilian leaders en route to Vietnam. When President Gerald Ford took office after Nixon resigned, seats in the rear cabin were upholstered with striped fabric. (Original Caption) 1974 President Gerald Ford holds a mini news conference aboard Air Force One with pool reporters 10/19. Ford was enroute from Louisville, Kentucky to Washington D.C., after speaking at a fund raising dinner for Republican U.S. Senator Marlow Cook. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images Presidents would occasionally make their way back to the rear cabin to chat with reporters. Ford's office, just off the stateroom, also featured striped furniture. ATLANTA, GA. - FEBRUARY 4: (NO U.S. TABOID SALES) Onboard Air Force One, President Ford poses with Candice Bergen, who was on a photo assignment for Ladies' Home Journal February 4, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia . More than sixty photographers had turns at exclusive access to President Ford during his time in office, but none created a bigger stir than the famous Ms.Bergen, who was also the first female photographer to shoot a behind-the-scenes story on an American president. David Hume Kennerly/ Getty Images Ford is pictured with Candice Bergen, the first female photographer to shoot a behind-the-scenes story on an American president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Jimmy Carter outfitted the press area with blue carpeting. (Original Caption) 1978 President Carter is interviewed aboard Air Force One by the Pres during the return leg of the European Trip. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images Carter talked to reporters on his way back from a trip to Europe in 1978. President Ronald Reagan used 27000 as his primary presidential aircraft. On board Air Force One , from left, American politician and US Secretary of State George P Shultz and National Security Advisor-designate Robert McFarlane, listen to US President Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004) , October 23, 1983.Their conversation concerned ongoing issues in Beirut. Bill Fitz-Patrick - White House via CNP/Getty Images In 1983, Reagan met with Secretary of State George P. Shultz and the national-security advisor designate Robert McFarlane in a meeting space that featured a magazine rack, teal chair, wood-grain table, and photos of him and the first lady, Nancy Reagan. Reagan also hung pictures of himself in Air Force One's rear cabin. (Original Caption) Los Angeles, CA.: President Reagan With Reporters. President Ronald Reagan, in the rear cabin aboard Air Force One, chats with reporters on his way from Washington to California, 12/27, for a week's vacation. Reagan was asked if he was making any resolutions for the coming year. He chuckled and replied, "Yes. Not to make any New Year's resolutions." When the questioning began to turn serious, he held up his hand and said, "no questions until next year." 1981 Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images The photos showed Reagan toasting with a champagne glass and waving while boarding Air Force One. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New blue-striped curtains matched the blue carpeting and furniture in another meeting area. President Ronald Reagan confers with Chief of Staff Donald Regan and Robert McFarlane aboard Air Force One. CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images The meeting room also included a television set. In 1990, George H. W. Bush began using new Boeing 747 planes with tail numbers 28000 and 29000 as Air Force One. The presidential office of Air Force One, the President of the United States' official air transport, 27th September 1990. Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images The presidential office was updated with a stately desk, gray carpeting, and leather chairs. The staff and secretarial area was decorated with neutral whites and grays. The staff and secretarial area of Air Force One, the President of the United States' official air transport, 27th September 1990. Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images The staff area featured plenty of phones for official business. Air Force One is also known as the "flying Oval Office." The new plane's annex could also be configured for medical use. The Annex of Air Force One, the President of the United States' official air transport, in executive configuration, 27th September 1990. It can be converted for medical usage. Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The annex is pictured in executive configuration, with seating for meetings. The new planes featured over 4,000 square feet of space, which President Bill Clinton often used to hold meetings. GRAND FORKS, UNITED STATES: US President Bill Clinton (L) and Federal Emergency Management Administration Director James Lee Witt (2nd-L), meet 22 April with a delegation from North and South Dakota Aboard Air Force One on the way to Grand Forks Air Force Base in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Clinton will tour the flooded town of Grand Forks by helicopter and then address area residents at the air base. Most of the 50,000 residents of Grand Forks have been evacuated from their homes because of the worst flooding this area has ever seen. LUKE FRAZZA/AFP via Getty Images Clinton met with a delegation from North and South Dakota in 1997 to address flooding in the area. In the guest area, Clinton's Air Force One featured tan chairs and blue carpeting. ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE,- OCTOBER 1: US President Bill Clinton (R) discusses nuclear waste management with senators Richard Bryan, D-NV (L), Max Baucus, D-MT (2nd L) and Harry Reid, D-Nev (2nd R) 01 October 1999 aboard Air Force One. DAVID SCULL/AFP via Getty Images Clinton met with members of Congress to discuss nuclear-waste management in 1999. President George W. Bush flew 27000 one last time in August 2001 before it was retired to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. 393980 02: US President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush sit aboard Air Force One as the plane flies over Texas August 29, 2001 on their return to Waco, Texas. Bush's roundtrip flightfrom Waco to San Antonio was the last mission for Air Force One, a Boeing 707. The jet was President Reagan's primary aircraft and will be retired to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA Rick Wilking/Getty Images The plane flew 444 missions and logged over 1 million miles, according to the Bush White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked on September 11, 2001, the Secret Service kept Bush in the air aboard the new Air Force One. President George W. Bush talks on the telephone Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, as senior staff huddle in his office aboard Air Force One. Eric Draper, Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library/Getty Images Bush insisted on returning to Washington, but the Secret Service refused since they were unsure if more attacks were coming. In a 2016 interview with Politico, Bush's assistant White House press secretary Gordon Johndroe described Air Force One that day as "the safest and most dangerous place in the world at the exact same time." Bush conferred with his chief of staff, Andy Card, in the stateroom, designed by Nancy Reagan. President George W. Bush confers with White House Chief of Staff Andy Card Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, in the President's stateroom aboard Air Force One. Eric Draper, Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library/Getty Images The president's suite included a small bed, light-pink couch and carpeting, and a desk with a brown leather chair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bush walked down a hallway arm-in-arm with Harriet Miers, the assistant to the president and staff secretary. President George W. Bush and Harriet Miers Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, aboard Air Force One. Eric Draper, Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library/Getty Images The hallway was lined with a beige couch with side tables and lamps on either side. When President Barack Obama took office in 2009, Air Force One's conference room had been updated with a TV screen and leather chairs. IN FLIGHT - APRIL 5: In this handout provide by the White House, U.S. President Barack Obama (L) talks with his staff aboard Air Force One during the flight from Prague, Czech Republic en route to Ankara, Turkey on April 5, 2009 in flight. Obama is serving as the 44th President of the U.S. and the first African-American to be elected to the office of President in the history of the United States. Pete Souza/White House via Getty Images The plane has 85 phone lines as well as encryption and scrambling devices to ensure secure communication, CNBC reported. On the other side of the conference room, a decal that read "Air Force One" was displayed on wood paneling. President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel aboard Air Force One during the flight to Louisville, Ky., April 2, 2015. With the President, from left, are Personal Aide Joe Paulsen and Colin Kahl, National Security Advisor to the Vice President. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza Food and drinks are provided by the plane's galley kitchen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plane's senior staff room featured more phones, a coat closet, and leather chairs. President Barack Obama talks with Chief of Staff Jack Lew, former President Bill Clinton, Justin Cooper, David Axelrod, and Senior Advisor David Plouffe aboard Air Force One en route to Manchester, N.H., Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza Obama met with his chief of staff, Jack Lew, his senior advisors David Axelrod and David Plouffe, and former President Bill Clinton in the senior staff room in 2012. The presidential office furniture was also updated, with mahogany chairs and sofas replacing the gray. President Barack Obama meets with, from left, Secretary of State John Kerry; National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice; Phil Gordon, White House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf Region; and Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, in his office aboard Air Force One during the flight to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 28, 2014. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza The carpeting was updated to a subtle star pattern, which also appeared in the conference room. The plane's guest section was reserved for special visitors like members of Congress. President Barack Obama talks with the Congressional delegation aboard Air Force One April 19, 2009, during the flight from Port of Spain, Trinidad to Andrews AFB, following the Summit of the Americas. Participants include: Rep. Nydia Velazquez, Sen. Max Baucus. and Rep. Sam Farr, right. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) Official White House photo by Pete Souza The chairs featured a subtle polka-dot pattern, and the tables folded down to make more space. The rear cabin for press looked like a standard commercial airliner. US President Barack Obama arrives to brief traveling journalists on board Air Force One on April 28, 2010. Obama met more Americans yet to feel the nascent economic recovery, on a heartland tour to fire up the Democratic campaign to avoid a drubbing in November's mid-term elections. JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images Journalists can wander the rear cabin freely, but they aren't allowed to walk forward to speak to the president the president has to come back to them. President Donald Trump proposed new paint colors for the exterior of Air Force One in 2019. WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 20: A model of the proposed paint scheme of the next generation of Air Force One is on display during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the Oval Office of the White House June 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. The two leaders were expected to discuss the trade agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Alex Wong/Getty Images As part of the Air Force's Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program to update Air Force One planes, Trump proposed a red, white, and navy-blue color scheme for the new models. The Air Force ultimately rejected Trump's proposed color scheme because it would have been more costly and caused engineering issues. Los Angeles, CA - February 03: United States President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden land safely aboard Air Force One at LAX in Los Angeles on Saturday February 3, 2024. The President is in town to meet with leaders of the Black entertainment industry and secure their vote in his re-election campaign. Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images The darker paint color would have caused overheating issues and been too costly. Instead, President Joe Biden selected a baby-blue color scheme similar to the current model. The new VC-25B Air Force One planes are expected to be ready by 2027, according to the Air Force. The long-delayed project has already cost Boeing over $2 million due to various manufacturing and supply-chain issues. In President Joe Biden's Air Force One, the conference room had the same star carpeting as the plane's presidential office. President Joe Biden meets with Director of Communications Kate Bedingfield, Counselor to the President and COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients and Press Secretary Jen Psaki in the conference room on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, prior to disembarking Air Force One at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz Plain beige carpeting continued down the hallway. The placard in the conference room was updated to read "Aboard Air Force One" with an image of the iconic aircraft. President Joe Biden participates in a phone interview with Univision Friday, Feb. 26, 2021, aboard Air Force One en route to Houston. Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz Biden took his first overseas trip as president in June 2021, visiting Europe for the G7 summit. In his second non-consecutive term, Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America while flying above it on Air Force One. US President Donald Trump speaking to press beside a large map that says "Gulf of America." ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images Trump signed a proclamation establishing the name change in his Air Force One office in February. In May, the Trump administration accepted a gifted Boeing 747-8 jet from Qatar that could serve as the new Air Force One. Qatar is offering to give the US a Boeing 747 jet. ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images The luxurious plane previously functioned as a Qatari private business jet. It features a large primary bedroom with loveseats and an en-suite bathroom, guest bedrooms, office space, a dining room, and a salon lounge with plush couches. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a May briefing that the Qatari royal family donated the jumbo jet to the US Air Force and that it was being "retrofitted to the highest standards" to serve as Air Force One. Some estimates have put the cost of upgrading the jet for the office of the president at $1 billion, but the US Air Force secretary said in June it will cost less than $400 million to retrofit. Trump, who has pressured Boeing to deliver its new Air Force One planes sooner and criticized the project's "failure" to complete them on time, said he'd be "stupid" to turn down the Qatari plane, worth an estimated $400 million. In July, he said the plane could be ready as soon as February 2026. Read the original article on Business Insider Twin Cities drivers will see lane and ramp closures on Interstate 35W from Bloomington to Burnsville next week. Both directions of I-35W between Interstate 494 and the Interstate 35/Interstate 35E/I-35W split will close for two nights starting Monday. The lanes will close at 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and reopen at 5 a.m. the following mornings, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Northbound, southbound detours During the closures, traffic traveling northbound can detour on northbound I-35E to northbound U.S. 77 to westbound I-494 to northbound I-35W. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Motorists traveling southbound on I-35W can use eastbound I-494 to southbound U.S. 77 to southbound I-35E to southbound I-35 as a detour. Ramp closures The ramp from eastbound U.S. 13 to southbound I-35W and the ramp from southbound I-35W to westbound U.S. 13 will close 5 a.m. Tuesday through September. Traffic for the eastbound U.S. 13 ramp will detour on westbound U.S. 13 to southbound County Road 5 to eastbound County Road 42 to southbound I-35E. Traffic for the westbound U.S. 13 ramp will detour on southbound I-35W to westbound Burnsville Parkway to northbound County Road 5 to westbound U.S. 13. The ramp from southbound I-35W to County Road 42 will close 5 a.m. Tuesday, through October. Traffic for the County Road 42 ramp will have two detour options: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Southbound I-35W to westbound Burnsville Parkway to southbound County Road 5 to County Road 42. Southbound I-35 to westbound County Road 46 to northbound Buck Hill Road to westbound Southcross Drive to northbound County Road 5 to County Road 42. I-35W in Lakeville Meanwhile, beginning shortly after midnight on Friday, Aug. 22, crews will shut down northbound I-35 between 210th Street and 185th Street in Lakeville to install a digital traffic sign, according to state transportation officials. The stretch of freeway is slated to be closed from 12:01 a.m. to 3 a.m. that day. Detour signs will direct motorists via Kenrick Avenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beginning at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21, the same portion of roadway will be reduced to one lane. Crews will close and detour northbound Interstate 35 between 210th Street and 185th Street in Lakeville from 12:01 to 3 a.m. Friday, Aug. 22. Motorists will be detoured using Kenrick Avenue. Before the closure, beginning at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21, crews will reduce northbound I-35 to one lane in the same area to prepare for the work. For more information about the project, visit mndot.gov/metro/projects/i35wburnsville. For real-time Minnesota travel and traffic information, go to 511mn.org. Related Articles ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) Four individuals were arrested by Asheville Police Department officers at a park on Thursday afternoon for drug-related offenses. Officers said the arrests occurred during a proactive enforcement operation following community complaints at Murray Hill Park about drug activity in the area. Officers witnessed drug sales and gambling in a park gazebo around 2:38 p.m. Police seized items including 4.59 grams of MDMA, 33.21 grams of crack cocaine, two 9mm handguns, and approximately $1,600 in currency during the arrests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency arrested and charged the following: Daquan Tirek Verdell Miller Manufacture Sell Deliver Possess Controlled Substance within 1000 Feet of a Park Felony Possession of Schedule VI Gambling Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Miller was booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility under a $15,000 bond. Zachery Demon Pickens Manufacture Sell, Deliver Possess Controlled Substance within 1000 Feet of a Park (two counts) Felony Possession of Schedule I Felony Possession of Schedule II Gambling Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Carrying a Concealed Gun Pickens was held without bond due to the Pretrial Integrity Act. David Robert Smith Manufacture Sell Deliver Possess Controlled Substance within 1000 Ft of a Park Felony Possession of Schedule II Gambling Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Carrying a Concealed Gun Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith was booked under a $50,000 bond. Angela Powell Carpenter Felony Possession Schedule II Simple Possession Schedule IV Misdemeanor Larceny Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Carpenter was booked under a $7,000 secured bond. All four suspects were taken into custody without incident, according to police, and all were found to be in possession of drugs during their booking. 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. Editors Note: This article contains discussions of suicide. Reader discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can find resources in your area on the National Crisis Line website or by calling 988. (NewsNation, WKRG) A 44-year-old man shot and killed his wife and two children before taking his own life in what authorities are calling a murder-suicide in the Belforest community, Alabama, Baldwin County Sheriffs Office officials said Thursday. Kenny Smith fatally shot 41-year-old Larrica Smith, 15-year-old Khristian Smith and 11-year-old Kinsley Smith with a handgun before killing himself, according to Sheriff Anthony Lowery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baldwin County deputies discovered the four bodies during a welfare check at the familys home on Sable Court. Deputies knocked on the door but received no answer before entering the residence, Lowery said. Newsom announces congressional maps on November ballot All four victims died from gunshot wounds, officials confirmed. The investigation is ongoing. Baldwin County schools offer grief counseling after murder-suicide Both children involved in a Belforest murder-suicide attended schools in Daphne, and grief counselors were on hand, not just for classmates, but also for staff. Inside the residence, the childrens phones were ringing. So, you know, thats their friends trying to figure out whats going on, Baldwin County Sheriff Anthony Lowery said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When we lose someone, its like weve lost a member of our own family, and its very, very sad, Sherry Rainbolt, Baldwin County Public Schools prevention and support supervisor, said. Trained crisis response counselors and social workers were on the campuses of Daphne East Elementary School and Daphne High School on Thursday. Eleven extra counselors and social workers were deployed to Daphne East in addition to the three already staffed there. School leaders said this is an emotional loss for everyone in Daphnes Trojan community. It is a very difficult conversation, and we want students to know that we are also feeling it too and were human, Rainbolt said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What were doing at school is trying to keep the day as normal as possible, and we just want kids to feel safe. 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. ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) Five people have been charged after two of them allegedly overdosed at a residence in the Lakemont area, according to the Logan Township Police Department. Savanna Maule, 28, Erin Brumbaugh, 40, Kasey Geist, 29, and Tre Madden, 30, all of Altoona, along with Linda Cowher, 55, of Tyrone, were charged with conspiracy possession with intent to deliver, and criminal use of a communications facility following an overdose call Sunday, May 25. According to the criminal complaints, Logan Township police responded to a residence on Schoolhouse Avenue for the reported overdose of a woman in her 40s. They arrived to find a woman who appeared to be in her mid-20s, later identified as Maule. Shortly after, Brumbaugh was found unresponsive and not breathing in an entryway. Both women were able to be revived with multiple doses of Narcan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police noted in the complaint that theyre familiar with not only Brumbaugh through drug investigations, but also the residence due to previous investigations and arrests made there. According to charging documents, while clearing the house to make sure no one else was overdosing, police spotted drugs and paraphernalia in plain view. A search warrant later found stamp bags with the horror icon Chucky on them, along with methamphetamine and Xanax bars. Maule allegedly admitted to police that she and Brumbaugh had overdosed on heroin and fentanyl. It was alleged that the duo contacted Cowher, who took them to another Altoona residence on 6th Avenue, where they met with Geist and an unknown man, later identified as Madden. The complaint shows that Brumbaugh corroborated Maules statement. Altoona police continue targeting drug dealers from Philadelphia 3 more arrested Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police were later able to speak with Cowher at the Logan Township Police Department. According to the complaint, she had contradicting stories, eventually admitting she was nervous and was lying. Police alleged she then told a similar instance of events as Maule and Brumbaugh. According to Cowher, she facilitated the drug sale and drove Maule and Brumbaugh to meet with Geist and Madden to buy drugs. The duo allegedly took the heroin/fentanyl while in Cowhers vehicle before she took them back to the home on Schoolhouse Avenue. She continued by telling police Maule and Brumbaugh were fine when dropped off, and she was unaware of the overdoses until she heard about it later that day. A search warrant was executed for Cowhers phone. According to charging documents, police found separate messages between Cowher and Brumbaugh, Geist, and Madden. All messages were familiar to officers as using known slang, including Chucky/Chuckies in an attempt to acquire drugs. Police noted there were other conversations with people that also appeared to be drug-related. Cowhers phone was then turned over to Altoona Police for a full forensic review. 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. Earlier this year, Altoona police arrested three men from Philadelphia who also had stamp bags with Chucky. They noted that theyre aware of these drugs having a higher concentration of fentanyl than normal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cowher was placed in Blair County Prison with bail set at $150,000. Madden has yet to be arraigned. The other three were all released on unsecured bail ranging from $75,000 to $100,000. 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 WTAJ - www.wtaj.com. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Mesquite police seized about 68 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of $400,000 during a traffic stop on Interstate 15 on Tuesday. Fredys Ortega Perez, 30, of Big Lake, Minnesota, was arrested on drug trafficking charges. He is in the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, awaiting an Aug. 27 arraignment hearing. His bail was set at $75,000. Ortega Perez was pulled over after a Mesquite Police Department K9 officer noticed he was driving erratically, significantly below the speed limit, according to police. The stop occurred just before 10 a.m. about two miles from the Nevada-Arizona border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was driving without a valid license and couldnt provide proof of registration, police said. The officer saw signs of drug trafficking, and one of the departments certified narcotics-detecting dogs K9 Rogue was deployed. K9 Rogue alerted the officer to illegal narcotics, police said. When the vehicle was searched, a large duffel bag with 60 vacuum-sealed bags of a white crystal substance, suspected to be methamphetamine was found. The bags also contained coffee grounds, often used to mask the odor of drugs. 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 Somerset County woman is being charged with distributing child sexual abuse material, authorities say. Kathleen Amberg, 69, of Branchburg, was arrested at her residence on Aug. 13 and taken to the Somerset County Prosecutors Office. Electronic devices were seized from her residence for further forensic analysis, authorities said. The prosecutors office led an investigation to find a suspect possessing and distributing files depicting sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor after they received a tip, according to the Somerset County Prosecutors Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tip was provided by the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in a Cyber Tipline Report. Amberg was held at the Somerset County Jail until making an appearance in superior court, after which she was released from custody. Victoria Gladstone may be reached at vgladstone@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @TorigNJAM. Find NJ.com on Facebook. BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) This weekend the 7th annual Harper M. Stanz Rec Park Music Festival returns to Rec Park. On August 17th Rec Park in Binghamton will host the 7th annual Harper M. Stanz Rec Park Music Festival. Various regional and local music groups will be featured along with food vendors. The festival is set to kick off at 2 PM concluding at 8 PM. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. The featured groups include: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heavy Delish Allie Torto Home Brew Sophistafunk Caviar & Grits This will be the 30th year of the festival, however it is the 7th under its new name in honor of Harper M. Stanz, who lost her life March 2019. Jim Reyen, the founder of the event the Stanz family have been longtime supporters of the festival. Founder of the festival, Jim Reyen shares, Harper loved music and life and loved tie-dyes and was a fan of different types of music so its a good fit.. A t-shirt sale is also part of the event to raise money for the Harper Stanz Foundation started by her family, which awards Binghamton High School students with scholarships each year. The shirts are pre ordered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a free event, more information can be found on Visit Binghamton. 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. A World War Two special forces veteran says a service to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day will be "a really poignant moment for those of us left". Charlie Richards, 104, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, is one of 33 Far East and Pacific war veterans attending the service at the National Memorial Arboretum. The Royal British Legion event will be attended by the King and Queen and honours British, Commonwealth and Allied veterans of the conflict in South East Asia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Richards said: "I want to represent all those who saw action in the Far East and remember those who never made it home." These included "my best friend and comrade, Son Johnson, who was killed in action in Burma," he added. He said he wanted to "remember those who never made it home" [Royal British Legion/Private Collection] Mr Richards is one of the last surviving Chindits, a unit which fought deep behind behind enemy lines in Burma between autumn 1942 and summer 1943. He served with the 7th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment and spent months ambushing Japanese supplies and communications, while pulling along reluctant mules and heavy equipment. Victory over Japan Day commemorates 15 August 1945 when Japan surrendered, bringing World War Two to a complete end. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The veterans, who range in age from 96 to 105, are the guests of the Royal British Legion at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, Staffordshire. About 1,500 guests will attend the service, which will begin with a two-minute silence and include flypasts by the Red Arrows and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster. Veterans will share first-hand testimony of the conflict, with many not having shared their story before registering to take part in the 80th anniversary commemorations, according to the Royal British Legion. Mr Richards said: "I am so proud to attend the Royal British Legion's national event, and I think it will be a really poignant moment for those of us left. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It will be such a special day for me and my family." The service will be broadcast live on BBC One from 11:30 BST. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story Related internet links HONOLULU (KHON2) On Aug. 14, AARP Hawaii celebrated 90 years of Social Security since it was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935. Nearly 300,000 residents receive Social Security benefits in Hawaii, AARP reported. Bishop Museum returns cultural stones to Mariana Islands It has helped thousands of kupuna and others stay out of poverty and afford the basics, and its something worth celebrating and protecting, said Kealii Lopez, state director of AARP Hawaii. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AARP hosted a birthday celebration in the morning and will participate in a nationwide tribute later tonight. Birthday celebration marks 90 years The anniversary celebration of Social Security was held at Lanakila Senior Center with singing, cake and bento for kupuna. U.S. Senators Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono were joined by U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda for the event. The reason were here, the three of us are here, on the 90th anniversary of the establishment of social security, is to tell you one thing as clearly as we possibly can, Schatz said. We will always protect social security because we will always protect our family members and you are all our family members. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Skyline Salute lights up at Honolulu Hale During the nationwide Skyline Salute, red and white lights will honor 90 years of trust, reliability and bipartisan commitment, AARP said. Honolulu Hale will join the tribute by lighting up red and white the night of Aug. 14 until the next morning. Social Security is a promise kept and were proud that Honolulu Hale will be lit up in recognition of its legacy and importance, Lopez 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 KHON2. AUSTIN (KXAN) On Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the Austin Community College District received a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant of $3.6 million. This is the first TSIF grant to a Texas higher education institution. The grant will be used for an advanced semiconductor manufacturing lab and precision welding program at the Round Rock campus in East Williamson County, according to the press release. Texas continues to lead Americas resurgence in semiconductor manufacturing thanks to our highly skilled and growing workforce, Abbott said. Working together with our higher education partners and industry leaders, we will ensure the chips that drive the innovative technologies of tomorrow are made in Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governors office said ACCs semiconductor lab would be 2,600 square feet and would include a classroom and a simulation of a real-world semiconductor environment. In addition, the new welding lab in Round Rock is expected to have state-of-the-art tools to train students in precision welding and fabrication to support semiconductor manufacturing. We are deeply grateful to the State of Texas and the Governors Office for this generous investment in Austin Community College and the communities we serve, said ACC District Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart. This grant empowers us to build the kind of future our students deserve. Were expanding facilities and opening doors for hundreds of new students each year to step into life-changing careers. 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. With the Texas House still frozen by Democrats absence from the state, Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday called a second special session to begin less than two hours after the Legislature gaveled out the first overtime round. The second session is set to consider virtually the same agenda that stalled in the first, with redistricting and disaster response at the top of the governors priorities. As in the first session, Abbott called on lawmakers to also tackle stricter regulations on consumable hemp products, property tax relief and eliminating the STAAR test, along with a host of socially conservative measures. Delinquent House Democrats ran away from their responsibility to pass crucial legislation to benefit the lives of Texans, Abbott said in a statement. We will not back down from this fight. Thats why I am calling them back today to finish the job. I will continue to use all necessary tools to ensure Texas delivers results for Texans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Democrats had not yet returned to Austin on Friday, again denying the House the quorum needed to conduct business on the first day of the second session. After gaveling in the second special session, Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, said he expected a quorum to be restored Monday, and for the House to complete Abbott's agenda, "and even some more," by Labor Day weekend. He said the House would move quickly next week to advance the governor's priorities, including "a strong pro-life bill" and legislation to "protect women's spaces," a reference to the so-called "bathroom bill" that would require people to only use restrooms in government buildings and schools that match their sex assigned at birth. During the first special session, the Texas Senate approved legislation cracking down on the manufacturing and distribution of abortion pills, similar to a proposal that stalled in a House committee during the regular session. Representatives gather in the House chamber as Speaker Dustin Burrows prepares to gavel in for the final day of the first special session of the 89th Texas Legislature in Austin on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. Credit: Ronaldo Bolanos/The Texas Tribune Immediately after the Senate adjourned Friday, the upper chamber's State Affairs Committee began consideration of eight bills, including the abortion pill measure, the bathroom bill, a ban on THC products and a prohibition on cities using public funds to hire lobbyists. The Senate passed all of those bills during the first special session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, the House moved Friday to reissue civil arrest warrants for absent Democrats, with Burrows directing state law enforcement to bring to the Capitol any missing Democrats found within state lines. He added that absent members would be responsible for any state costs incurred by the walkout. Those who have refused to make quorum, I'm sure you're missing home," Burrows said from the dais Friday. "Do not think you have permission to return to Texas and enjoy a peaceful weekend before finally showing up to work." [Texas Democrats say they will return to state once session ends, California unveils retaliatory map] Democrats indicated that they were likely to return soon, saying in a Thursday statement that they would come back to the state after the first special session adjourned and California introduced a new congressional map designed to offset the GOP gains built into Texas draft map. Texas senators, meanwhile, moved quickly to advance the map again during the second special session, scheduling a Sunday committee hearing that would lay the groundwork for the full chamber to pass the new district lines next week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats fought back ferociously and took the fight to Trump across America," Rep. Gene Wu of Houston, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said Thursday. We will return to the House floor and to the courthouse with a clear message: the fight to protect voting rights has only just begun. Democrats presented their walkout as a success for sinking the first special session and prompting blue states across the country to consider retaliatory redistricting. And they lambasted Abbott for continuing to pursue the unusual mid-decade redistricting plan, arguing that Republicans were prioritizing the effort to pad the GOPs slim majority in the U.S. House as demanded by President Donald Trump over victims of the July 4 floods. The governor, who controls the agenda for overtime legislative sessions, again directed lawmakers to take up legislation on flood warning systems, emergency communications, natural disaster preparation and relief funding for impacted areas. He added a new item "legislation to ensure and enhance youth camp safety" after lawmakers filed a number of bills during the first special session that touched on camper disaster drills, improving camp emergency plans and providing life jackets in cabins, among other measures. The victims of the July 4 floods included 27 campers and counselors at storied Camp Mystic along the banks of the Guadalupe River. Texas Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, talks to Speaker Dustin Burrows after the House gaveled out on the first day of the second special session on Friday. Credit: Ronaldo Bolanos/The Texas Tribune On Friday, Democrats continued to call on Abbott to send the remaining $70 million in the states disaster fund to areas of the Hill Country and beyond affected by the floods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is time that leadership stop playing politics and start actually working for the people of Texas," Rep. Ann Johnson, D-Houston, said during a news conference Friday morning. Johnson later announced she would return to Texas "to continue the fight from the floor of the House." Abbotts office has said that the $70 million total, in addition to the $150 million set to go into that fund Sept. 1, must be stretched across the next two years, adding that only the Legislature may appropriate new funds for disaster relief. More all-star speakers confirmed for The Texas Tribune Festival, Nov. 1315! This years lineup just got even more exciting with the addition of State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo; former United States Attorney General Eric Holder; Abby Phillip, anchor of CNN NewsNight; Aaron Reitz, 2026 Republican candidate for Texas Attorney General; and State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin. Get your tickets today! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) Two Abilene lineworkers are being recognized after rescuing a woman and her child from a rollover wreck. AEP Line Crew Leader Aaron Lusks and Line Mechanic B Tanner Colletts quick thinking earned them the Best Good Catch of the Second Quarter award from AEPs Abilene District Safety Committee. The men were headed to an emergency late-night service call when they saw a vehicle overturned in a ditch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They quickly jumped into action, lighting up the area and blocking the scene from traffic before running over and helping a woman and child who were trapped inside while another bystander called 9-1-1. We assisted the child and put her in the truck with the heater on since she was wet, and the outside temperature was 45-50 degrees. Once we made sure the woman was stable enough to climb in, I moved the seats to make room so she could move and get out, Lusk said. First responders arrived soon after and were able to further assist the woman and child, who did not sustain any serious injuries. AEP says they are choosing to honor Lusk and Collett because they, demonstrated incredible bravery, highlighting the importance of acting in emergencies. Their courage and quick thinking ensured that everyone involved was in safe hands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their award was announced this week. 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 KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares was in Abingdon on Thursday to celebrate the second anniversary of the Mended Women Lifestyle Center. The Mended Women Lifestyle Recovery through Fairview Housing offers a 24-hour, clinically managed residential substance abuse program specifically for women in Abingdon and the surrounding areas. The center celebrated 272 women who spent 730 days in recovery, according to Rick Mitchell, executive director of Bristol Lifestyle Recovery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Miyares said one of his messages to Virginians is that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, as he highlighted the high addiction numbers in the state. Asking for help is actually one of the strongest things you can ever do in your life, and if youre asking for help and youre a woman, come here to Mended Womens Recovery, he said. Its an amazing place. You can find restoration and rest for your soul and get on that path towards healing. Miyares said he believes Virginia and the General Assembly should advocate for the victims and hold the corporations and criminals responsible for misconduct in the state accountable. Mitchell said the center still needs to fill a few gaps, but ultimately wants to ensure that anyone who calls looking for help, trying to get better, that they get the right door, they get the right help right now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want to make sure that we carry our part of the torch in a way that helps empower that entire system so that someone seeking the help can connect in the center of that and can get connected to everything that they need in order that they can take their next step, Mitchell said. Linda Austin, executive director of Appalachian Substance Abuse Coalition (ASAC), ASAC board members, and Del. Israel OQuinn were also at the celebration. Photo WJHL Photo WJHL Photo WJHL Photo WJHL Photo WJHL Photo WJHL Photo WJHL 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. MASON, Tenn. The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee is voicing their opposition to plans to open an immigration detention facility in Mason. On Friday, the ACLU sent a letter to officials in the Tipton County community, asking town leaders to immediately terminate the recently signed contract with CoreCivic and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to operate the facility in the former West Tennessee Detention Facility. The contract for the facility was approved by a vote of 3-2 during a contentious meeting of Masons Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ACLU claims the vote violates the towns charter, which requires any action to be approved by a majority of the members present. This is a simple matter of following the rules: those in favor of the ICE contract needed a majority of votes to win and they didnt have it, said Stella Yarbrough, legal director for the ACLU of Tennessee. Seven aldermen were at the meeting, but only five of them participated in the vote. Two aldermen abstained. Officials cannot ignore their own laws to push through a harmful contract that will generate $30 million in corporate profits for a for-profit prison company, said Yarbrough. An abstention is not a yes vote. We are demanding that Mayor Noeman and the Board acknowledge this vote failed and immediately halt this illegal arrangement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ACLU has requested a written response from Mason officials within seven days. WREG has reached out to Mason Mayor Eddie Noeman for comment and is waiting to hear back. 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. (Photo: Hugh Jackson/Nevada Current) The ACLU of Nevada is suing the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles for allegedly failing to provide records in accordance with state law, including correspondence with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The suit alleges that heavily redacted records obtained by the ACLU, after significant delays, include correspondence between DMV and ICE, with references to chats on Signal, an encrypted communication app known to be used by federal officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unfortunately, the reality is that when encrypted applications like Signal are used, it makes it very difficult for anybody in the public to know whats occurred, ACLU of Nevada Executive Director Athar Haseebullah said at a news conference Friday. He added the organization has no proof that Signal chats between DMV officials and ICE occurred. The ACLU wants to know if DMV staff are secretly communicating with immigration authorities, and the organization is seeking a court order requiring the DMV to turn over the documents, which it alleges contain redactions beyond those allowed under state law. The records, which the ACLU had been trying to obtain since February of this year, dont paint a complete picture, but those records established, incredibly, that, at best, there was suspicious communications that existed between the DMV and between ICE, Haseebullah said at a Friday morning news conference. Nevada law, Haseebullah noted, requires the preservation of public records, and the public has a right to know how state agencies are operating the same state agencies they fund, especially when it comes to data sharing and cooperation between Nevada agencies and immigration enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The consistent communication between DMV and ICE makes no reference to subpoenas or warrants, Haseebullah said. An April email response from DMV to the ACLU says the organizations request for ICE communications is not considered public information and cannot be released, any communication we have to ICE is only for investigations purposes. The DMV did not identify what information is for investigation purposes, the suit says. Nevada allows individuals who lack the identification needed to obtain a drivers license to apply for a drivers authorization card through the DMV. The law prohibits the DMV from releasing data for any purpose relating to the enforcement of immigration laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Let me be clear. If you cannot operate in transparency, youre not protecting the people, Assemblywoman Cecelia Gonzalez, chair of the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus, said at the news conference. You are hiding from the people that you so say you represent. The ACLU is asking the state to conduct an independent investigation and full disclosure by the governor of any and all existences of cooperation between ICE and the DMV. Gov. Joe Lombardo, who has instructed Nevadas National Guard to cooperate with ICE, did not respond to the Currents inquiry asking whether hes requested other agencies, including the DMV, to do the same. The ACLUs writ makes three claims that the DMV failed to respond to a record request; that the DMV failed to cite the proper legal authority that warrants withholding the record; and that the agency cited inapplicable reasons the documents were not shared. The organization is also seeking civil penalties for what it calls the DMVs ongoing abuse of the Nevada Public Records Act. I actually still have goosebumps: Family of 3-year-old who died at daycare reacts to charges PARK HILLS, Mo. I actually still have goosebumps, was the reaction of Danielle Love when she learned that an employee at a Park Hills daycare was charged for the death of her 3-year-old cousin, Conrad Ashcraft. On Thursday, it was announced that a St. Francois County grand jury charged Tiffany R. Hedrick with second-degree murder, abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death and armed criminal action. FILE Conrad Ashcraft On May 16, Ashcraft died at Poppys Playhouse 2 in Park Hills. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said that Conrad died after a caregiver held him down at nap time and laid him under an 18-pound weighted blanket. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since his death, Ashcrafts family, the community and activists have called for justice, with even one nonprofit drafting legislation in his name. Now, nearly three months after his passing, a suspect is now in custody. Every time that I hear that (Hedrick) got arrested, Im over the moon about it, Love told FOX 2. I know the familywere pleased about it to see that charges have finally been brought. Although charges have been brought forward, Love says she and her family have a long road ahead when it comes to processing what justice looks like for Conrad. Love told FOX 2 she hopes to see more charges and arrests made. Its bad and very tragic. And this does help quite a bit, knowing that this little boy is going to get justice one way or another. We wont stop until he does, Love said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lacie Hardie, Conrads aunt, sent a statement to FOX 2 on behalf of the Ashcraft family, which reads in part: We are very relieved and thankful that she was finally arrested. Im not sure what else to say. Theres a lot of emotions running through my mind. Definitely happy, Hardie wrote. Hedrick remains held without bond at the St. Francois 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 FOX 2. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in person on Friday for the first time in six years when they get together in Anchorage, Alaska. Here is a history of Trumps high-stakes interactions with Putin while being President of the United States: Mutual admiration was publicly brewing between Putin and Trump in late 2015 when Trump was running for his first term in office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In December that year, Putin described Trump as being the "absolute leader in the presidential race" and a "very outstanding person, talented, without any doubt." President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7, 2017. It was their first in-person meeting as heads of state. Trump To Hold Historic Summit With Putin In Alaska Seeking An End To Russiaukraine War Trump later told supporters at a rally in Ohio that "It is always a great honor to be so nicely complimented by a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond." Read On The Fox News App "I have always felt that Russia and the United States should be able to work well with each other towards defeating terrorism and restoring world peace, not to mention trade and all of the other benefits derived from mutual respect," Trump added, according to The Hill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump and Putin held their first in-person meeting on July 7, 2017, at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany. The sit-down lasted for more than two hours, during which Trump "pressed Russias Vladimir Putin on U.S. election meddling while also making headway on the Syria crisis," according to a Fox News Digital report at the time. Then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump and Putin "connected very quickly" and had "positive chemistry." Trump and Putin were captured on camera shaking hands months later during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Da Nang, Vietnam on Nov. 10, 2017. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a family photo ceremony at the 2017 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Da Nang, Vietnam on Nov. 10, 2017. White House officials said at the time they would not have a formal meeting there due to scheduling issues, The Washington Post reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump and Putin met again formally on July 16, 2018, at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland. In an interview following the meeting, Putin told Fox News that he and Trump discussed Irans nuclear program and the "situation with North Korea." What We Know About Trumps Meeting With Vladimir Putin In Alaska He also said Trump informed him that his posture is "Crimea is part of Ukraine." Trump told reporters on June 29, 2019, that he and Putin had a "tremendous discussion" at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan. "I think theyd like to do trade with the United States. And they have great product. They have great land. They have very rich land. And a lot of oil, a lot of minerals, and the kind of things that we like," Trump said at the time. "And I can see trade going out with Russia. We could do fantastically well. We do very little trade with Russia, which is ridiculous, frankly. So I could see some very positive things happening." President Donald Trump is shown meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the first day of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan on June 28, 2019. Trump also told his counterpart not to "meddle" in the 2020 elections when pressed by a reporter, Fox News Digital wrote at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump, who was seated next to Putin, was asked by a reporter if he would tell "the Russian president to not meddle in the election." Trump, without looking at Putin, responded, "Of course I will. Don't meddle in the election, president. Don't meddle in the election." Trump and Putin held numerous phone calls this year in the lead-up to Fridays meeting in Alaska. Calls took place in February, March, May and June. Vladimir Putin To Return To Us For The First Time In A Decade Trump said after his call in May that "Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump and Putin are meeting Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, for the first time in years. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he departs for Alaska to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate for an end to the war in Ukraine, from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. The high-stakes meeting is the first U.S.-Russia summit since June 2021, which was under former President Joe Bidens administration. That summit came just eight months before Putin invaded Ukraine. Trump has described the talks as a "feel-out meeting," and has made clear that his top priority will be to determine whether a ceasefire in Ukraine is possible. Trump predicted earlier this week that he would be able to make that determination within the first "two minutes." Fox News Brooke Singman and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: From admiration to Alaska: A timeline of Trump and Putins high-stakes encounters An Afghan man, whose details were accidentally leaked by the UK in a major data breach, has been detained in Pakistan for imminent deportation alongside several family members, his son told the BBC. The BBC has seen documents which appear to confirm the man was part of Afghan special forces units who worked alongside British forces in Afghanistan, known as the Triples. The threat of deportation comes as Pakistan continues its drive to remove what they say are "illegal foreign nationals" to their countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the Afghan man's son said their case is particularly urgent, as if they are deported to Afghanistan, he fears they will be killed because of his father's Triples association. The Taliban government claims that all Afghans can "live in the country without any fear". But a UN report titled "No safe haven" that was released last month cast doubt on their assurances about a general amnesty. The man and his family initially applied to the UK's Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) - which was set up to relocate and protect Afghans who worked with British forces or the UK government in Afghanistan - shortly after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. The family were in Pakistan waiting for a final decision on the application - which was endorsed by the Ministry of Defence last year - when Pakistani authorities came to take them away. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man's son, Rayan, whose name we are changing for his safety, told the BBC he avoided being rounded up after hiding in a hotel bathroom in the capital Islamabad with his wife and baby son as several of his family members were taken to a holding camp. "Some of my family are just children, the youngest is only eight months old, we kept begging the police to leave them." His brother later called from the camp to say officials informed them they would be deported, Rayan added. "My brother told me they were kept in a room with about 90 other people, and were then singled out by name and separated," Rayan said. "I'm so scared they will suddenly be deported." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rayan explained the family had been in limbo in Pakistan since October 2024, when the family had their biometrics recorded. But they are still waiting. "We have just been waiting with no explanation. They kept telling us to wait, and now it is too late," Rayan said. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said it does not comment on individual cases. "We remain fully committed to honouring our commitments to all eligible people who pass their relevant checks for relocation," the statement added. The situation is made more worrying by the fact the family's details were among those of nearly 19,000 Afghans who had applied to resettle in the UK which were inadvertently leaked in February 2022. Families involved in the leak fear it has made them vulnerable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rayan is now terrified police will come back to detain him, his wife and their child next, and said he has been pleading with the British High Commission in Islamabad to be relocated to another hotel for protection. Calvin Bailey, a Labour MP who worked alongside the Afghan Triples as an RAF commander, told the BBC that the situation is "incredibly upsetting". He said Rayan's father and the Triples were "people that we need to help and we owe a duty to and we must ensure that they receive more than the minimum protection". Bailey went on to add that he hopes the government and the British High Commission is engaged behind the scenes, even though that work is not always public. The Taliban government claims that all Afghans can "live in the country without any fear - but the UN disputes this [Getty Images] Pakistan has a long record of taking in Afghan refugees. But the government has previously said it has been frustrated by the length of time it has taken for Afghans to be relocated to other countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistan's Interior Minister, Talal Chaudry, told the BBC it "should ask the UK authorities why they are delaying these resettlements". "It's already been years," he said. "Do you really think they will give any leniency to Pakistani nationals who are overstaying in the UK?" Since September 2023, the year Pakistan launched its "Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan", 1,159,812 individuals have returned to Afghanistan, according to the United Nations migration agency. The government has maintained its policy is aimed at all illegal foreign nationals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About three million Afghans are living in Pakistan, according to the UN's refugee agency - including around 600,000 people who came after the Taliban takeover in 2021. The UN estimates that half are undocumented. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has called on Pakistan to "ensure that any return of Afghans to Afghanistan is voluntary, safe and dignified". Amid police raids and deportations this summer, UNHCR has urged the government "to apply measures to exempt Afghans with continued international protection needs from involuntary return". Additional reporting by Usman Zahid Parwiz Hanifyar crossed the Channel in a small boat on Saturday An Afghan migrant has been accused of telling men how to kill their estranged wives on TikTok. Parwiz Hanifyar, who crossed the Channel in a small boat on Saturday, instructed his followers to drink alcohol and use a household object to murder a woman. The Afghan, believed to be in his early 20s, is now residing in a taxpayer-funded hotel near Heathrow airport in west London. In a video filmed in Germany last month, he is claimed to have said: A brave man does not allow his wife to marry another man, even have children and live with someone else. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He then advised the followers of his now-banned TikTok account named Alexandra420 to use a household item as a weapon. Mr Hanifyar was reported to German authorities for the remarks. Before I kill her, I drink a bottle of alcohol, he said in the video. I have never drunk alcohol in my life, but I teach you the technique to get less punishment. Just drink a bottle of it. Dont get too much drunk. Kill her immediately. When the police comes, they say, He was drunk. How many years or prison you will get? Seven years. During seven years you will have academic courses in prison. After seven years you have learnt something and you are only 30 years old and sexually very strong. Marry a new woman. You must do this technique. The Afghans TikTok account has been banned Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, told The Sun: These quotes are sickening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is now in the UK and clearly a danger to women. He should be arrested and immediately deported. The Home Office said it did not comment on individual cases. Other videos on Mr Hanifyars account include a clip of him wearing an orange jacket in a migrant dinghy as it crossed the Channel on Saturday. He was one of 400 arrivals that day and was processed by Border Force in Kent. Mr Hanifyar was then taken to the four-star Crowne Plaza Hotel near Heathrow where he livestreamed on TikTok before his account was banned. In the video, he told followers that his dinghy started taking on water during the crossing and could have sunk if Border Force had not rescued them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the British boats hadnt come in an hour, we would have been in trouble, he said. Mr Hanifyar added: This is dedicated to those haters who were happy thinking we either drowned or ended up dead. The migrant documented his Channel crossing Facilities at the hotel, which charged 120 a night before being converted into an asylum hotel in 2021, include a swimming pool, gym, steam room, sauna, two restaurants and a theatre. The number of small boat crossings since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister reached 50,000 on Tuesday. More than 25,000 people have arrived by small boat so far in 2025 a record for this point in the year since data began in 2018. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kemi Badenoch said earlier this week she would reduce the number of migrants crossing the Channel to zero quickly if she became prime minister. Speaking on the Isle of Wight, the Conservative Party leader said Labours plan to smash the gangs was just a slogan. 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. The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 for the second time. Since then, the former insurgents have consolidated their grip on power, excluded women and girls from public life, stamped out internal dissent and external challengers, and gained debut recognition as the countrys official government from Russia, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. The Taliban govern through decrees, but Afghans have aspirations and needs that cannot be fulfilled through edicts and ideology. Climate change, an increasing population, and severe cuts to foreign aid will test the Talibans ability to lead and not just rule. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are five things to know about the Taliban as they start their fifth year in power: The supreme leader has cemented his legacy Kandahar-based Hibatullah Akhundzada has led the Taliban from insurgency to authority since his appointment in 2016. But transition and status are peripheral to what he has wanted for the past 20 years: establishing an Islamic system. Central to this vision was his ratification last year of the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Law, which codifies many aspects of Afghan life, including who people can befriend. In June, Akhundzada said the Taliban had fought and sacrificed themselves for the implementation of Islamic law. It was obligatory to follow the leaderships commands and directives, he added, and everyone was required to act within the bounds of this obedience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His supporters emphasize his superior religious authority to issue decrees. The higher education minister went one step further in April, equating criticism of Akhundzada with blasphemy and saying obedience to him was a divine order. He (the leader) decides what moves and what doesnt move, what happens and what doesnt, said Ibraheem Bahiss, a senior analyst with Crisis Groups Asia program. The Talibans internal differences are buried deep There were pockets within the Taliban that initially advocated lifting bans on women and girls, or at least modifying them, to allow greater global and financial engagement. Akhundzada and his circle withstood such pressure, however, and the Taliban government has emerged from its isolation to develop diplomatic ties and raise several billion dollars every year in tax revenues to keep the lights on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Power brokers, like Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, have been weakened. Since November, Akhundzada has had direct control over Afghanistans weapons and military equipment, sidelining the Interior Ministry and the Defense Ministry, which is run by Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, whose father founded the Taliban. Haqqani, whose uncle was killed in a high-profile suicide attack last December, used to take swipes at the leadership. Not anymore. Haqqani, who heads a powerful network of his own, cannot start a fight with the Kandahar faction and win. Political deputy Sher Abbas Stanikzai rebuked Akhundzada in January, stating the education bans had no basis in Islamic law, or Sharia. He left Afghanistan shortly afterwards and remains outside the country. He denies reports that he fled or faced arrest had he stayed. Akhundzada has put Islamic law at the heart of his leadership, while also putting his leadership at the heart of its implementation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes made himself indispensable, and the entire movement is beholden to him, Bahiss said. There's no sign of change for Afghan women and girls Russias recognition of the Taliban sends a deeply troubling message, said Zahra Nader, the editor-in-chief of the Afghan women-led newsroom Zan Times. It tells the Taliban they can continue to suppress womens rights and commit systematic human rights violations without facing consequences. They are being rewarded for it. This move is a slap in the face to Afghan women. There is opposition to the Talibans policies, but people are fearful because no powerful alternative exists, she said. The Taliban took the country by force and maintained control through violence. Women took to Afghanistans streets in protest after the takeover, but these were met with retaliation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The absence of visible protest should not be mistaken for acceptance, said Nader. It reflects the extreme risks people face for dissent. The resistance is still there, quiet, private, and simmering, but public expression has been crushed through fear and force. The Taliban insist that womens rights are protected. Nader says that, although there is little faith that the countrys rulers will change their policies, women are preparing themselves emotionally and intellectually for a future beyond the Taliban. That hope, that this brutality will not last forever, is what keeps many of them going. These women do not believe the regime will change its stance on womens rights. Regional ties are transactional Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's not trust or shared values that define the Talibans relationships. Afghanistan borders six countries, many of which are trade partners and also balk at being lectured by the West on rights and freedoms. Landlocked Afghanistan is sandwiched between the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia, making it strategically located for energy-rich and energy-hungry nations. The Talibans bilateral relations proceed on common ground: borders, water, transit, and security. Anti-migrant rhetoric, especially in Europe, could increase diplomatic engagement as political parties in the West seek to placate their supporters. The UK-based International Institute for Strategic Studies said the Talibans broader diplomatic interactions were eroding the non-recognition approach of the West and ushering in creeping normalization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Taliban feel comfortable in the region and have found an acceptable way of operating, while the region has adjusted to their presence. What weve seen in the last four years is not real pressure (on the Taliban), but rather normalization and appeasement, Nader said. For those of us watching from inside and outside Afghanistan, this is not just political, its personal. Its painful. It confirms our fear that the suffering of Afghan women is being sidelined in favor of political interests. The real test for the Taliban is yet to come Until April, the U.S. was the largest donor to Afghanistan, where more than half of the population relies on aid to survive. But it terminated this emergency assistance due to concerns that the Taliban were benefiting from such aid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thousands of Afghans, including women, will lose their jobs as nongovernmental organizations and agencies scale back their work or shut down. The loss of jobs, contracts, and the shrinking humanitarian footprint also equate to a loss in revenue for the Taliban. One U.N. agency said there were reputational and staff security risks where humanitarian agencies were forced to suspend operations due to reduced funding, causing grievances among communities, or after partners couldnt pay suppliers or complete contracts. Aid officials warn that frustration and an increase in tensions will trigger spontaneous violence as people compete for resources and services. The cuts coincide with the mass expulsions of Afghans from neighboring countries, swelling the population and the ranks of the unemployed while also halting the flow of inward remittances. The World Health Organization estimates the population will increase by 85% to 76.88 million by 2050. Afghanistan needs to give people food, shelter, and economic opportunities. Thomas Ruttig, from the Afghanistan Analysts Network, recalled meeting a leading Taliban figure in a completely rundown office during the late 1990s. The Taliban fighter told him they could live under those circumstances, but foreigners couldnt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What they also say is that Afghans can live under those circumstances, which, to an extent, is true, said Ruttig. They were forced to live under those circumstances and have learned how to cope." Now their means of coping houses, land, and some savings are gone. The Taliban took it for granted that they won the war with the help of Allah and the population, he explained. He added that, although the Taliban were a reflection of Afghans' ambitions, they needed to open up and listen to peoples concerns. But they know the more they open up, the more they are questioned, and their rule might be undermined. The Taliban needed to think about whether they wanted to govern the country simply to rule it, said Ruttig. Or do we want to rule this country to make Afghanistan a better place to live? Thats probably the big question in front of them. Thousands of Afghans living in the United States face an uncertain future after a federal appeals court ruled on July 21, 2025, that the Trump administration can end a humanitarian relief program that provided them work permits and protection from deportation. The program, temporary protected status, known as TPS, grants legal status to people from certain foreign countries who are already in the U.S. and have fled armed conflict or natural disasters. Its usually granted for 18 months, with an option of an extension. About 8,000 Afghans and 7,900 Cameroonians benefiting from this humanitarian protection were affected by the May 2025 decision from the administration to terminate TPS. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Afghans in the U.S. first received TPS in 2022, after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in late 2021. The Taliban enforce a repressive interpretation of Islamic law that includes banning women and girls from attending school or working outside their home. The Taliban emerged in the early 1990s and controlled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. They were overthrown after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 but regained control in 2021 after the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces. In 2023, the Department of Homeland Security extended TPS for Afghans through 2025, as the conditions that triggered the initial designation namely, armed conflict in Afghanistan were deemed to be ongoing. In May 2025, however, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the termination of TPS for Afghans, stating that Afghanistan no longer poses a threat to the safety of its nationals abroad and that Afghan nationals can safely return to their country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve reviewed the conditions in Afghanistan with our interagency partners, and they do not meet the requirements for a TPS designation, Noem said in May 2025. Afghanistan has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent them from returning to their home country. Most Afghans who have arrived in the U.S. since 2021 share a fear of persecution by the Taliban. That includes people who worked for the former government, advocated for womens rights or worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan. As a migration policy scholar, I believe the cancellation of TPS for these Afghans wont lead to voluntary repatriation, as the fear of persecution by the Taliban remains a serious concern for many. Instead, it will likely force thousands of people into unlawful residency in the U.S. That, in turn, would not only leave thousands at risk of deportation but limit their employment opportunities in the U.S. and keep them from financially supporting the families they left behind in Afghanistan. US asylum process Unlawful U.S. residency can disqualify Afghans from accessing benefits such as Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a federal program that provides cash assistance and support services to low-income families with children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Afghan TPS holders without any other pending legal status such as asylum claims, for example the termination also means the loss of work authorization, as their employment authorization document was tied to having TPS. This can cut off thousands of Afghans from financial stability, according to the nonprofit group Global Refuge. Many Afghans are likely to seek alternative legal pathways to remain in the U.S., most commonly through the already underresourced asylum process. For these people, the outlook looks daunting. Filing an asylum application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services means joining an unprecedented backlog. Taliban security personnel stand guard as an Afghan woman walks along a street in the Baharak district of Badakhshan province on Feb. 26, 2024. Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images At the end of 2024, nearly 1.5 million asylum applications were pending with USCIS, according to the American Immigration Council, a nonprofit advocacy organization. Most applicants faced estimated wait times of up to six years for a decision. Asylum applicants are allowed to remain in the U.S. while their application is pending. And they can apply for work authorization, but only after the asylum application has been pending for at least 150 days. However, the work authorization is not issued until a minimum of 180 days has passed since filing for asylum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So Afghan nationals applying for asylum following the TPS termination face a mandatory six-month period without legal work authorization. This period can stretch even longer, depending on how long it takes applicants to retain an attorney and complete the complex application process. Financial lifelines Like many forcibly displaced populations, Afghans often arrive in the U.S. with extremely limited financial resources. Forced migration is typically abrupt and unplanned, leaving little opportunity to liquidate assets or withdraw funds. The small amount of cash or valuables that this population manages to carry is often just enough to reach immediate safety. Against this background, the ability to work is a critical issue for Afghans in the U.S. Most Afghans in the U.S. are also supporting older parents and immediate or extended family members in Afghanistan, according to unpublished research Im conducting with my colleagues, Proscovia Nabunya and Nhial Tutlam. This makes timely access to legal employment not only a matter of survival for themselves but also a lifeline for loved ones left behind. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TPS was never intended as a long-term solution. And the number of Afghan nationals who held it as their sole legal status in the U.S. was relatively small estimated at around 8,000 compared with the over 180,000 Afghans who have arrived in the U.S. since 2021. What is more concerning for Afghans in the U.S., however, are the governments assertions surrounding the termination of TPS for this group. If the U.S. government now maintains that Afghanistan is safe for return, it raises concerns about how this stance may influence the adjudication of Afghan asylum claims. Although most Afghan asylum applications are grounded in a combination of factors fears based on nationality, ethnicity, religion and political opinion labeling Afghanistan as safe for return could undermine claims that rely on nationality as a central basis for protection. 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: Mitra Naseh, Washington University in St. Louis Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Mitra Naseh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Four years have passed since Hanifa Girowal fled Afghanistan on a US evacuation flight. But every August, her mind returns to the same place. Like many Afghans evacuated amid the August 15 Taliban takeover of Kabul, Girowal, who worked in human rights under the former Afghan government, still remains stuck in legal limbo in the United States. She is steadfastly pursuing a more stable status in the US, even as the political landscape surrounding her, and thousands of other Afghans in similar situations, shifts. I somehow feel like Im still stuck in August 2021 and all the other Augusts in between, I cant remember anything about them, Girowal told Al Jazeera. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She often recalls the mad dash amid a crush of bodies at the crowded Kabul International Airport: people shot in front of her, a week of hiding, a flight to Qatar, then Germany and then finally, the US state of Virginia. Followed by the early days of trying to begin a new life from the fragments of the old. Everything just comes up again to the surface, and its like reliving that trauma we went through, and we have been trying to heal from since that day, she said. The struggle may have become familiar, but her disquiet has been heightened since US President Donald Trump took office on January 20. His hardline immigration policies have touched nearly every immigrant community in the US, underscoring vulnerabilities for anyone on a precarious legal status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is a feeling that anything could happen, from one day to the next. I have an approved asylum case, which gives a certain level of protection, but we still dont know the future of certain policies on immigration, Girowal said. I am very much fearful that I can be subjected to deportation at any time. Unheeded warnings Four years after the US withdrawal, much remains unclear about how Trumps policies will affect Afghans who are already in the US, estimated to total about 180,000. They arrived through a tangle of different avenues, including 75,000 flown in on evacuation flights in the immediate aftermath of the withdrawal, as the administration of US President Joe Biden undertook what it dubbed Operation Allies Welcome. Thousands more have since sought asylum by making treacherous journeys across the world to traverse the US southern border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some have relocated via so-called Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), reserved for individuals who worked directly with the US military in Afghanistan, under a notoriously backlogged programme. Others have been resettled through a special State Department programme, known as Priority 1 (P1) and Priority 2 (P2), launched by the administration of President Biden, meant for Afghans who face persecution for having worked in various capacities on behalf of the US government or with a US-based organisation in Afghanistan. Adam Bates, a supervisory policy counsel at the International Refugee Assistance Project, explained that some of those pathways, most notably the SIV and refugee programmes, provide a clear course towards US residency and, eventually, citizenship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But, he clarified, others do not a fact that advocates have warned leaves members of the population subject to perpetual uncertainty and political whims. A lot of the advocacy to the Biden administration officials was about finding more permanent legal pathways for Afghans, Bates told Al Jazeera. That was with one eye towards the potential of giving the Trump administration this opportunity to really double down and target this community. Pressure on Afghans in the US During Trumps new term, his administration has taken several concrete and at times contradictory moves that affect Afghans living in the US. It ended temporary protected status (TPS) for Afghans already in the country at the time of the Taliban takeover, arguing the country shows an improved security situation and stabilising economy, a claim contradicted by several human rights reports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, the Trump administration added Afghanistan to a new travel ban list, restricting visas for Afghans, saying such admissions broadly run counter to US foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism. These actions underscore that the situation in Afghanistan seems to be whatever it needs to be, from the Trump administrations perspective, according to Bates. Trump has offered his contradictory messaging, criticising the Biden administration on the campaign trail for its handling of the withdrawal, and as recently as July, pledging to save evacuated Afghans subject to deportation from the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, the administration terminated a special status for those who entered the US via the CBP One app in April, potentially affecting thousands of Afghans who entered via the southern border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advocates warn that many more Afghans may soon be facing another legal cliff. After being evacuated in 2021, tens of thousands of Afghans were granted humanitarian parole, a temporary status that allowed them to legally live and work in the US for two years, with an extension granted in 2023. That programme is soon set to end. While many granted the status have since sought other legal avenues, most often applying for asylum or SIVs, an unknown number could be rendered undocumented and subject to deportation when the extension ends. Legislation creating a clearer pathway to citizenship has languished in Congress for years. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has not publicly released how many evacuated Afghans remain in the US on humanitarian parole, and did not respond to Al Jazeeras request for the data. Evacuated Afghans unease has been compounded by Trumps aggressive approach to immigration enforcement, which has increasingly seen those without criminal histories targeted for deportations and permanent residents targeted for their political advocacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its just an escalation across the board and a compounding of fear and instability in this community, Bates said. Its hard to make life decisions if you arent sure whats going to happen tomorrow or next week or in a year. Pulled the rug out Meanwhile, for the thousands of Afghans continuing to seek safety in the US from abroad, pathways have been severely constricted or have become completely blocked. The Trump administration has paused asylum claims at the US southern border, citing a national emergency. It has almost completely suspended the US Refugee Program (USRAP), allowing only a trickle of new refugees in amid an ongoing legal challenge by rights groups. Advocates say the special P1 and P2 programme created for Afghan refugees appears to have been completely halted under Trump. The administration has not published refugee admission numbers since taking office, and did not reply to Al Jazeeras request for data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It feels as if we have pulled the rug out from many of our Afghan allies through these policy changes that strip legal protection for many Afghans in the US and limit pathways for Afghans who are still abroad to come to the US safely, Kristyn Peck, the chief executive officer of the Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA), told Al Jazeera. She noted that the SIV pipeline has continued to operate under Trump, although there have been some limitations, including requiring those approved for relocation to pay for their own travel. Meanwhile, resettlement agencies like LSSNCA have been forced to seriously curtail their operations following a stop-work order from the administration on January 24. As of March, Peck said, the organisation has been forced to let go of about 120 of its staff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Susan Antolin, the executive director of Women for Afghan Women, a non-profit organisation that offers mental health, legal and social support to Afghans in the US, said organisations like hers are also bracing for sustained uncertainty. We are diversifying our funding and trying very hard, as so many other organisations are, to find other avenues to bring in that funding to continue to support our programmes, she told Al Jazeera. As organisations that deal with this kind of work, we have to step up. We have to do 10 times more, or 100 times more, of the work. No more a priority for the world The unstable situation in the US reflects a broader global trend. The Taliban government, despite promising reforms in a push for international recognition, has continued to be accused of widespread human rights abuses and revenge killings. Still, it has upgraded diplomatic ties with several governments in recent years, and in July, Russia became the first country to formally recognise the group as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. At the same time, the governments of Pakistan and Iran have accelerated expulsions of Afghans back to Afghanistan, with more than 1.4 million Afghans either being expelled or leaving Iran alone from January to July of 2025, according to UNHCR. The Reuters news agency also reported in July that the UAE had notified Washington that it had begun returning evacuated Afghans. Germany, too, has begun deporting Afghans back to Afghanistan, in July, it conducted its second deportation flight since the Taliban came to power, despite continuing not to recognise or maintain diplomatic ties with the group. The collective moves send a clear message, evacuee Girowal said: We know that Afghanistan is no more a priority for the world. Still, she said she has not abandoned hope that the US under Trumps leadership will not forget its allies. I know the resilience of our own Afghan community. We are trained to be resilient wherever we are and fight back as much as we can, she said. Thats one thing that gives me hope. The African Union has joined a campaign urging global institutions to adopt a map of Africa that more accurately reflects the continents size. The Mercator map, widely used since 1599, shows a version of Africa that has been distorted to appear significantly smaller on account of the globes spherical shape. The Correct the Map campaign promotes a version of the Earth that more accurately reflects its scale, even on a 2-D surface. It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not, AU Commission Deputy Chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi told Reuters, explaining that the map promotes a false idea that Africa is marginal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The African Unions endorsement of the campaign adds to its goals of reclaiming Africas rightful place on the global stage, Haddadi said, as many nations call for a global reckoning over the long-term effects of colonialism and slavery. Aug. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that DEA Administrator Terrence Cole will temporarily serve as the chief of Washington, D.C.'s police department. "I hereby order the Mayor of the District of Columbia and the Metropolitan Police Department to immediately implement the following directives," Bondi said in a press release Thursday. "Effective immediately, Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terrence C. Cole shall serve as MPD's Emergency Police Commissioner for the duration of the emergency declared by the President." President Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday in which he put the district's Metropolitan Police Department under federal control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bondi alleged in her order that the "danger posed by violent crime" was evident and declared such danger is "multiplied by the district's sanctuary city policies" as reasons she put Cole in control of the police. Bondi has also directed Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to eliminate a standing police policy that forbids officers from arresting a person only because of a federal immigration warrant. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi alleged in her order that the "danger posed by violent crime" was evident and declared such danger is "multiplied by the district's sanctuary city policies. File Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI Washington, D.C. Chief of Police Pamela Smith has issued new executive orders that allow police to notify ICE agents about subjects not in custody, including during traffic stops, and officers are to help ICE to transport detained suspects. Washington, D.C.'s Attorney General Brian Schwalb has since called the Trump administration's actions in regard to taking control of the MPD as "unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful." President Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday in which he put the district's Metropolitan Police Department under federal control. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI "There is no crime emergency in the District of Columbia," Schwalb stated on social media Monday. "Violent crime in D.C. reached historic 30-year lows last year, and is down another 26% so far this year." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are considering all of our options and will do what is necessary to protect the rights and safety of District residents," he added. Washington, D.C. Chief of Police Pamela Smith has issued new executive orders that allow police to notify ICE agents about subjects not in custody, including during traffic stops, and officers are to help ICE to transport detained suspects. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Schwalb then put out a public letter Thursday addressed to Smith, in which he wrote, "It is my opinion that the Bondi Order is unlawful, and that you are not legally obligated to follow it." He cited that while the law does allow Trump to direct Bowser to "provide services of the Metropolitan Police Department in order to address special circumstances of an emergency nature and for federal purposes," it doesn't grant him or anyone serving in his administration to remove or replace the Chief of Police or to make changes to the chain of command within the district's police force. He further asserted that Trump can't stop or change previous orders or rules issued to the police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Under District law, it is the duty of the police force to respect and obey the Chief of Police as the head and chief of the police force, subject to the rules, regulations, and general orders of the Council of the District of Columbia and the Mayor of the District of Columbia," Schwalb added. "In reference to the U.S. Attorney General's order, there is no statute that conveys the District's personnel authority to a federal official," Bowser posted to X Thursday. It is unclear if or how district officials would or will effectively deny or ignore any particular directives from either Bondi or Trump. By Ben Blanchard and Faith Hung TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan's people should spurn China's events to commemorate the end of World War Two, including a military parade in Beijing, given Chinese "distortion" of history and threats against the island, Taipei's top China-policy maker said on Friday. China, which views democratic Taiwan as its own territory, has invited Taiwanese veterans who fought against Japan to the parade next month which will be overseen by President Xi Jinping. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taiwan has denounced China for using this year's 80th anniversary of the war's end for political purposes against Taipei, saying Beijing has falsely claimed it was the Communist Party that led the fighting against Japan rather than the Republic of China government, which at the time ruled China. The republican government then fled to Taiwan in 1949 after finally being defeated by Mao Zedong, who then established the People's Republic of China, while Republic of China remains Taiwan's official name. In a video released by his office, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said the People's Republic of China did not even exist during World War Two. "The Chinese Communist regime has repeatedly distorted the facts in recent years, claiming that the war against Japan was led by the Communist Party, and has even fabricated the notion that Taiwan belongs to the People's Republic of China," Chiu said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government urges Taiwan's people to "unite and jointly defend national sovereignty and dignity" and not take part in China's war commemorations, like the parade, he added. People should instead participate in Taiwan's own events to express their resolve to protect Taiwan and oppose aggression, Chiu said. China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China has for its part also accused Taiwan of distorting the history of the war for its own purposes. In a statement posted on his Facebook page earlier on Friday to mark the anniversary, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said, without directly mentioning China, that aggression only leads to defeat, and as authoritarianism once again gathers strength, it is important that freedom and democracy prevail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The most valuable lesson of World War Two is that unity leads to victory, while aggression leads to defeat," he wrote. China calls Lai, who rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, a "separatist" and has rebuffed his offers of talks. Late on Thursday, Taiwan said it had banned government officials and former senior defence, intelligence and diplomatic officials from attending Beijing's military parade. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Faith Hung; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) TAHLEQUAH, Okla. Cherokee Nation leaders are enhancing birthing services at Claremore Indian Hospital. The Cherokee Nation Council signed a resolution Monday to support a Memorandum of Understanding agreement with Claremore-based Hillcrest Hospital. The proposal will provide obstetric services to Cherokee Nation-referred patients, ensuring continuity of care and access to high-quality labor and delivery options. Cherokee Nation Councilor Dora Patzkowski said the resolution supporting the proposed MOU will help ease any concerns by expectant mothers who utilize the Claremore Indian Hospital for obstetrics care when the tribe assumes operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The resolution of support for the proposed MOU will strengthen healthcare access for the entire region. She said this agreement extends services for all tribal mothers and babies. Cherokee Nation operates the best tribal health care system in the country, and we are committed to ensuring that tribal citizens in the Claremore community experience that same level of care come October 1. When its time for new mothers to deliver, this proposed strengthened partnership with expert coordination in a ready facility will be best equipped to welcome our newest tribal citizens into the world. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. Cherokee Nation continues to work on plans for inpatient services to complement outpatient and emergency services at the Claremore Indian Hospital beginning in October. This includes making employment opportunities exclusively available to the existing Claremore staff. In June, Chief Hoskin officially signed into law the Cherokee Nation Claremore Outpatient and Emergency Health Center Act of 2025, which authorizes $255.5 million to construct a new Claremore health facility over the next couple of years. The assumption calls for a state-of-the-art outpatient center, emergency room, and new wellness center to be built in Claremore. The tribe will also invest approximately $11 million into the existing Claremore facility after assuming operations to bring it up to minimum health care standards, as the new replacement is being constructed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hoskin said Mondays action by the Council shows once again that Cherokee Nation elected leaders and talented health staff are acting responsibly and are focused on providing better healthcare for patients and better support for the talented workforce who care for those patients. The Council of the Cherokee Nation signed a resolution Monday to support an MOU with Hillcrest Hospital Claremore to solidify labor and delivery and OB services for expectant mothers at the Claremore Indian Hospital. 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Vladimir Putin is no stranger to superpower summits. Over the decades, as president or prime minister, he's held high-stakes meetings with five American presidents. His encounter with Donald Trump on Friday in Alaska will be the first of Trump's second term and maybe the most significant since their controversial 2018 meeting in Helsinki, Finland. This time, war and peace are urgently at stake as Trump has made it a priority to end the war in Ukraine. Trump's Aug. 8 deadline for Putin to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine or face severe sanctions has come and gone without any peace deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Trump warns Russia of 'severe consequences' if Putin doesn't agree to stop war The expected one-on-one meeting in Alaska marks Putin's first trip to the U.S. since 2015 and his eighth overall as president -- a post the former KGB officer has held since late 1999, apart from 2008-2012 when he served as prime minister. Although he's met with every U.S. president since Bill Clinton, the meetings have been less frequent in recent years as he's been considered something of an international pariah, following the Kremlin's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, military actions in Syria in 2015 and Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. No U.S. president has traveled to Russia since 2013, when Barack Obama attended the G20 economic summit in St. Petersburg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's a look at memorable moments between the Russian president and his American counterparts. Bill Clinton POOL/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with President Bill Clinton during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, June 3, 2000. The two leaders had previously met while Putin served as prime minister, though their first summit came as Clinton's presidency was coming to an end and the new Russian president was just coming into power. The two met in Moscow in June 2000, nearly a decade after the end of the Cold War, and largely discussed arms control. On his assessment of Putin, Clinton said at a press briefing, "I think he is fully capable of building a prosperous, strong Russia while preserving freedom and pluralism and the rule of law. It's a big challenge. I think he's fully capable of doing it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Clinton, Putin called him a "very experienced politician." "In my mind, we've established now not only good business ties, but also personal relations. For me, President Clinton is a person who is a very comfortable and pleasant partner in negotiations," Putin said. George W. Bush Alain Buu/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images - PHOTO: President George W. Bush And Russian President Vladimir Putin, June 16, 2001, in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Bush and Putin held their first summit in Slovenia in June 2001. Following two hours of meetings, Bush said it was an "important step in building a constructive, respectful relationship with Russia." When asked whether he could trust Russia, Bush famously said of Putin that he "looked the man in the eye" and "found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country," Bush said. On their meeting, Putin said he had a "very interesting and positive" discussion with Bush, who "as a person who has studied history, proposed a very global, wide-scale approach and view to history." Bush would go on to meet with Putin in Russia multiple times throughout both terms of his presidency, including a 2002 visit to Moscow where they signed a treaty to reduce the number of nuclear warhead arsenals held by both countries. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladaimir Putin hold a joint press conference outside the main house at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine, July 2, 2007. Putin also visited the U.S. several times, including traveling to Bush's ranch in Texas and family home in Kennebunkport, Maine, which often hosted heads of state during the Bush administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their relationship seemed to grow more strained, including following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, which Moscow opposed. During an informal meeting, the two had a more tense exchange during Bush's historic trip to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics, where Bush confronted then-Prime Minister Putin about Russia's ongoing attack on its neighbor, Georgia. Jewel Samad//AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin talks with President George W. Bush at the start of the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing, Aug. 8, 2008. Barack Obama Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: President Barack Obama and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meet near Moscow, July 7, 2009. Putin continued to serve as prime minister during the first few years of Obama's presidency -- during which he and Obama met for the first time along with then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow in July 2009. During that visit, Obama said his interest was in dealing with his counterpart, though said he wanted to reach out to Putin "and all other influential sectors in Russian society so that I can get a full picture of the needs of the Russian people and the concerns of the Russian people." "Our interest is dealing with the Russian government as a whole in order to achieve the improved bilateral relationship that I think can be accomplished," Obama said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin returned to the presidency in 2012. A year later, the White House canceled a planned summit with Putin in Moscow, citing Russia's "disappointing decision" to grant asylum to national security leaker Edward Snowden and a lack of progress in the U.S.-Russia bilateral agenda. Alexei Druzhinin/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou, China, Sept. 5, 2016. Russia's invasion and illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom the U.S. had called to be removed, continued to strain relations. Obama and Putin had their first formal meeting in two years in September 2015 at the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, in what was Putin's last visit to the U.S. until the planned Alaska summit. MORE: NATO Secretary General Rutte says Trump-Putin summit is about 'testing Putin' Donald Trump - 1st Term Anadolu/Getty Images - PHOTO: President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin hold a joint press conference after their bilateral meeting in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018. Trump and Putin met for the first time as presidents in July 2017 during a G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Though one of their more notable summits came a year later, in Helsinki in July 2018, when they talked behind closed doors for nearly two hours. In an extraordinary press conference afterward, while standing next to Putin, Trump seemed to accept the Russian president's denial of election interference over the findings of U.S. intelligence. (Earlier this month, Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered a Justice Department investigation into the Obama administration intelligence community's handling of claims Russia interfered in the 2016 election.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "[Putin] just said it's not Russia. I will say this. I don't see any reason why it would be," Trump said. "I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today," he later said. Asked why Trump should believe Russia's denial of election interference, Putin said during the briefing, "You can trust no one," and called the U.S. intelligence agencies' findings "utter nonsense." He said he wanted Trump to win "because he talked about bringing the U.S.-Russia relationship back to normal." Following significant bipartisan criticism back home, Trump walked back his comments the next day, saying he misspoke and that he meant to say, "I dont see any reason why it wouldnt be Russia." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The summit also drew concerns for the lack of aides or other government officials, only interpreters, in the room with Trump and Putin. Later that year, Trump abruptly canceled a planned meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina, citing Russias refusal to release Ukrainian Navy ships and sailors it seized near Crimea. Joe Biden Saul Loeb/POOL/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for a US-Russia summit at Villa La Grange in Geneva, June 16, 2021. Biden met with Putin once during his presidency, in Geneva in June 2021. He had called for the high-stakes meeting with Putin, alarmed about ongoing Russian military aggression toward Ukraine. Biden said the summit was "positive" and that he "did what I came to do." Putin called the over three-hour talk "quite constructive," though he contended that Russia's military aggression toward Ukraine was not the business of the U.S. Less than a year later, in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, a war that has been waged ever since. By Leyla Tarverdiyeva, Day.az The past is relentlessly catching up with France, and it is almost impossible to avoid a meeting with it. French media report that President Macron has officially acknowledged Frances unflattering role in the brutal repressions during Cameroons struggle for independence. Macron wrote about this in a letter to his Cameroonian counterpart Paul Biya, basing it on the findings of a joint Franco-Cameroonian commission that studied Frances role and involvement in Cameroons fight for independence from 1945 to 1971. Historians have made it clear that a war took place in Cameroon, during which colonial authorities and the French army used various forms of repressive violence in certain parts of the country. This war continued even after 1960, when France supported the actions of Cameroons independent authorities, Macron wrote, adding that today he must acknowledge Frances role and responsibility in these events. The commission published its report in January, and it took the French president eight months to recognize the truth. The investigation conducted by the commission revealed that during this period, France carried out mass forced relocations, sent hundreds of thousands of Cameroonians to internment camps, and supported brutal militia units to suppress the Central African countrys drive for sovereignty. After World War I, the German colony of Cameroon was divided between Britain and France. The country gained independence after a long and bloody war, supported by France. And Macron would hardly have admitted his countrys guilt if he were not afraid of further increasing Frances unpopularity on the African continent. As observers note, anti-French sentiment in Africa has never been so high. Recently, it has been growing at an unprecedented pace across the continent, especially in Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Mali, Senegal, the Central African Republic, and other countries. Paris is being told that African nations are strong enough to protect their territorial integrity, while France is being called an exploiter. Emmanuel Macron is trying hard in this situation to win over Africans, but as always, it turns out badly for him. In January, at the traditional meeting with French ambassadors, he managed to spark a scandal whose aftershocks are still felt today. Macron adopted a posture of great-power arrogance and stated that some Sahel countries became sovereign states only thanks to the French army. These words caused an explosion of outrage. The government of Chad lodged an official protest and demanded that French troops immediately leave the country. President Deby called Macrons statement shameful, stressing that the French president had publicly shown disrespect to the sovereign states of Africa, and demanded that official Paris withdraw all troops from Chad by the end of January. In November 2024, Chad terminated its defense agreement with France and, following the scandal, reaffirmed its demand for the immediate withdrawal of French forces from its territory. This was carried out by January 31, 2025, not a single French soldier remained in the country. Macron was reminded that it was not France that saved Africa, but rather the opposite hundreds of thousands of Africans, who took part in World War II, defended France from the Nazis at the cost of their blood. The French presidents acknowledgment regarding Cameroon was dictated by circumstances, not sincere remorse. On December 21 last year, Macron visited Ethiopia, hoping to meet representatives of Cameroons President Paul Biya there and somehow smooth over contradictions. The meeting took place but produced entirely different results than Macron had expected. According to media reports, the Cameroonian delegation had hoped to gain Pariss support for the incumbent president or his successor in the elections, but instead received disrespectful treatment. Continuing to see himself as a suzerain and the former colonies as vassals, Macron set conditions that the Cameroonians saw as an attempt by Paris to use Cameroon to advance French interests. France has long been losing the tools to manipulate its former colonies, which are breaking free from French influence one after another. The changing geopolitical landscape, the collapse of the old world order, and the emergence of new global trends have made the voices of African nations more audible. Africans have begun to think about the resources they possess and how they could be properly managed without Frances oversight. Today, the place of the former colonizer desperately trying to keep a grip on power in Africa is gradually being taken by other countries. Azerbaijan, in particular, is doing substantial work to help African nations become aware of themselves and their potential. These opportunities are slipping away from them, leaving Africans with only scraps. Oil, uranium, and rare earth materials are resources that could turn countries into prosperous regions if managed properly. Analysts believe Macrons acknowledgment of Frances responsibility for violence and repression in Cameroon during French rule is highly significant and could mark the beginning of the recognition of other crimes committed by French colonialists. Until now, Paris has firmly maintained its narrative of a civilizing role. The findings of the joint Franco-Cameroonian commission are grim. The evidence fills more than a thousand pages. As French media note, the report emphasizes that Cameroons formal independence in January 1960 did not at all mean a break from the colonial period. Cameroons first president established a repressive regime, supported by France and the French army. During military operations conducted under French command, four leaders of the independence movement were killed. Paris has acknowledged its role in decades of brutal suppression of independence movements in Cameroon but has not issued an apology or mentioned the possibility of reparations in any form. Similarly, two years ago, Macron indirectly admitted Frances guilt for the genocide of the Algerian people more precisely, for creating the conditions that made it possible but refused to ask for forgiveness, claiming it would only make things worse. There is simply nothing left to spoil in Pariss relations with its former colony. The crisis that arose several months ago is deepening. It began after Paris recognized Moroccos sovereignty over Western Sahara, while Algeria demands a referendum on the territorys self-determination. In April, a diplomatic scandal erupted after three Algerians, including a consulate employee, were arrested in France and accused without evidence of kidnapping, a year earlier in Paris, an opponent of the Algerian authorities. This was followed by mutual recalls and expulsions of diplomats. Recently, as Le Figaro writes, President Macron demanded that his government toughen its policy toward Algeria amid rising tensions between the two countries. The newspaper published a letter from the president to Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, stating the need for additional decisions and noting that all this requires France to act with greater firmness and determination. Macron also instructed the Foreign Ministry to notify Algeria of the suspension of the visa-free regime. In conclusion, it should be noted that admitting guilt is not enough. Such acknowledgments look more like a political maneuver. Recognition must be sincere and entail concrete actions. Algeria was not satisfied with Macrons apology. Cameroon is unlikely to be satisfied with the current acknowledgment either. The first step onto the corporate ladder is vanishing for many new graduates. Entry-level corporate jobs are down, internship offers are drying up, and employers increasingly expect rookies to arrive fully skilled. AI is speeding the shift by automating junior tasks, but experts warn the short-term savings could leave companies without the leaders theyll need in the future. Kenneth Kang, a computer science graduate, spent his first year out of college applying for more than 2,500 jobs. He got 10 interviews. It was very devastating, he told Fortune. Honestly, I thought that having a 3.98 GPA, getting recognition letters, and having an interesting experience in the past, perhaps I could get a full-time job offer easily. But that was not true. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kang, who lives in Portland, Ore., eventually landed a job at Adidas, where he had interned the previous summer, after more than 10 months of endless job applications. His experience is actually better than that of many of his fellow grads; one of his classmates, he said, has been on the job hunt for two years. For many new graduates, the first rung of the corporate ladder is getting harder to reach. Entry-level roles, typically defined as positions requiring no more than one year of prior full-time experience and providing on-the-job training, are becoming increasingly rare in many white-collar industries. Job postings are down, internships are converting to fewer permanent roles, and some employers now expect entry-level hires to arrive with skills once taught in-house. Artificial intelligence is accelerating this trend by automating junior-level tasks and giving companies an incentive to delay or reduce early-career hiring. Experts warn that while this may cut costs in the short term, it could weaken the leadership pipeline in the years ahead. In the tech sector, hiring for new graduates in the 15 largest companies fell by over 50% since 2019, according to a report from VC firm SignalFire. Before the pandemic, new graduates made up 15% of Big Tech hires, now, that number has dropped to just 7%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I feel like its getting worse over time, Kang said. AI is taking over, which is creating limited jobs or just pushing companies to look for very high-level candidates. I feel like its very unfair. A weak training pipeline For the past few decades, climbing the corporate ladder has been a relatively straightforward process. Graduates started with an entry-level role where companies invested in training and development before steadily promoting from within. Truly entry-level roles have been disappearing for some time as companies increasingly expect new hires to arrive with skills and experience that once would have been taught on the job. But as the AI efficiency drive eats away at even more entry-level roles, the hiring market for new grads is getting difficult. Companies are being more selective about who and where they hire while they attempt to integrate AI, and entry-level roles are feeling the worst of this impact because the technology is particularly effective at automating tasks handled by junior workers, such as data cleaning, summarization, and basic QA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to data from Handshake, a Gen Z-focused career platform, entry-level job postings for traditional corporate roles decreased by approximately 15% last year. Internship conversion rates are also slipping. In 202324, only 62% of interns received full-time offers, pushing the overall conversion rate below 51%, the lowest in more than five years, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Hybrid interns converted at even lower rates than those who were in person. One of the ways to succeed in the age of AI is to leverage expertise to work productively with more generalized AI tools. But if traditional career trajectories run dry, what happens when companies run out of experts? Im sure theres going to be big skills gaps, said Stella Pachidi, a senior lecturer in technology and work at Kings Business School. I think that the traditional ways in which we have seen people developing expertise could easily vanish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Studies are increasingly pointing to AI as one of the drivers behind the shrinking job market, particularly for entry-level roles. In the U.S., in the first seven months of 2025 alone, AI was cited as a reason for just over 10,000 job cuts, according to new data from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The firm ranks AI among the top five stated causes of workforce reductions this year. These disruptions could cause problems down the line. If a lot of firms are cutting, cutting, cutting at the entry level, theres a fear that they might actually miss out on the talent thats going to create their pipeline going forward, thats going to become the managers, executives, etc., Tristan L. Botelho, associate professor of organizational behavior at Yale School of Management, told Fortune. Everyone is just focused on the current efficiencies and not necessarily thinking further about the future, Pachidi added. How will their organizations be doing? What kind of value will they be creating in the future, and will they have experts? Concern about tomorrows talent A looming skills gap is something a lot of executives are worrying about, according to Nick South, managing director and senior partner at Boston Consulting Group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although he sees the disruption of entry-level jobs as a short-term issue and believes that long-term AI will actually create new jobs, this brief disruption could be a painful one. At the point in time for an individual, this is incredibly disruptive, and as a society, we need to help people with reskilling, he said. Theres also the question of how to prep young people for an AI world. Some argue that the rise of AI might rewrite the traditional path from education to entry-level jobs entirely. The middle ground of knowledge workers is likely to become less important, said Rob Levin, McKinsey senior partner and a leader of QuantumBlack, McKinseys AI arm. And I worry about how we are going to incent folks to deeply specialize and get companies to train folks in those deep specialties that they need. Will there be new vocational schools or things? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At universities, professors and students have both realized that the majority of work performed in some university courses can be assisted, if not near totally automated, by AI. Students were some of the first to realize ChatGPTs ability to write essays and to summarize long texts. But while students may find their academic load is significantly lightened by AI tools, professors told Fortune they were worried about the prospect of a generation lacking critical skills and traditional education. A study from MIT suggested that LLM (large language model) use can reduce neural engagement and harm learning in students, especially younger users (researchers caution that the findings are early and not yet peer-reviewed). The study also found that ChatGPT users specifically had the lowest brain engagement and consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels. Graduates taking action Eva Selenko, a professor of work psychology at Loughborough Business School, thinks that educational systems and the job market are more likely to adapt to a generation of AI-boosted talent than to cope. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think we need to educate people to use AI tools to the best of their expertise, she said. I do absolutely feel for those graduates. On the other hand, you know, they are super, super, highly educated people. They have drive, they have creativity. Young job-seekers are already taking some of this upon themselves. While job hunting, for example, Kang founded a startup as a way to gain experience, since employers were requiring years of experience even for entry-level positions. He formed a group with other computer science graduates in similar situations to do tech consulting for clients at low cost, to build their resumes. Im not just sitting here applying for jobs and just biting my nails, he said. Im here to continually do other activities along the way. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Air Canada began canceling flights Thursday ahead of a possible strike by its flight attendants that could impact hundreds of thousands of travelers. A complete shutdown of the country's largest airline threatens to impact about 130,000 people a day. On Friday, the carrier said in a post on X that the "wind down" ahead of an impending strike had led to 294 flight cancellations, affecting 55,726 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a social media post Thursday, the airline said that nearly 300 flight attendants, "twice as much as usual," did not report to work Thursday night. "This will result in additional cancellations," the airline said. "We regret the inconvenience to customers." Mark Nasr, chief operations officer for Air Canada, said the airline has begun a gradual suspension of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge operations. "All flights will be paused by Saturday early morning," he said. Nasr said this approach will help facilitate an orderly restart, "which under the best circumstances will take a full week to complete." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said a first set of cancellations involving several dozen flights will impact long-haul overseas flights that were due to depart Thursday night. Late Thursday night, the carrier said on X that 34 flights had been canceled with almost 8,000 people impacted and 19 additional flights were canceled impacting more than 3,000 people "due to unplanned crew book-offs. "By tomorrow evening, we expect to have canceled flights affecting over 100,000 customers," Nasr said. "By the time we get to 1 a.m. on Saturday morning, we will be completely grounded." He said a grounding will affect 25,000 Canadians a day abroad who may become stranded. They expect 500 flights to be canceled by the end of Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The union representing around 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants issued a 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday. If a deal isn't reached or the government doesn't intervene, the flight attendants will begin striking on Saturday, Aug. 16. In response to the strike notice, the airline issued a lockout notice. Nasr said customers whose flights are canceled will be eligible for a full refund, and said the airline has also made arrangements with other Canadian and foreign carriers to provide alternative travel options "to the extent possible." "We regret the impact a disruption will have on our customers, our stakeholders and the communities we serve," Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau said in a previous statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, Air Canada said it had reached an impasse with the union as the two sides remained far apart in contract talks. The union has said its main sticking points revolve around what it calls flight attendants' "poverty wages" and unpaid labor when planes aren't in the air, while Air Canada said it had offered a 38% increase in total pay over four years, as well as other benefits. "Despite our best efforts, Air Canada refused to address our core issues," the union said in a bargaining update posted online. The union rejected a proposal from the airline to enter a binding arbitration process, saying it prefers to negotiate a deal that its members can then vote on. Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan on the Trump-Putin summit, sanctions and more Laufey on creating her own sound A robotics activist's remarkable crusade By Allison Lampert and Rajesh Kumar Singh MONTREAL (Reuters) -The prospect of a system-wide work stoppage by Air Canada's unionized flight attendants loomed large on Friday with a strike deadline just hours away, despite a government plea for both sides to return to the bargaining table. Canada's largest carrier said in a post on X the operational wind-down due to the impending industrial action led to 623 flight cancellations, impacting 100,100 passengers as of 2000 ET (0000 GMT) on Friday, hours before a threatened strike on Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The union representing Air Canada's 10,000 flight attendants urged the minority Liberal government of Prime Minister Mark Carney not to agree to the carrier's request to impose binding arbitration on both sides. The union said imposing arbitration would stop the first strike by Air Canada flight attendants since 1985, after contract talks between the two sides stalled over demands for higher wages and compensation for unpaid work. "The mere prospect of ministerial intervention has had a chilling effect on Air Canada's obligation to bargain in good faith," said the Canadian Union of Public Employees. Patty Hajdu, Canada's Minister of Jobs and Families, met with Air Canada and the union, urging both parties to "work harder" to reach an agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "CUPE Air Canada Flight Attendants and Air Canada need to stay at the table and resolve this once and for all. It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made," she said. After meeting with Hajdu and representatives from Air Canada earlier on Friday, a union spokesperson said: "We're here to bargain a deal, not to go on strike." At Toronto's Pearson International Airport, the world's hardest hit on Friday for cancellations, according to FlightAware, Air Canada passengers lined up in front of a desk to ask workers for information about flights. A strike, which was scheduled to start just before 0100 ET on Saturday, would hit Canada's tourism sector during the height of the summer travel season. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recording studio owner Robyn Flynn, 38, told Reuters that her Friday afternoon flight from St. John's in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador to Montreal had been delayed twice. Despite the inconvenience, she said she backed the attendants. "They deserve a salary increase ...and if our flight gets cancelled, I 100% blame Air Canada, not the flight attendants," said Flynn, travelling with her three-year-old daughter. The Canada Labour Code gives Hajdu the right to ask the country's Industrial Relations Board to impose binding arbitration in the interests of protecting the economy. Although the board is independent, it routinely agrees to requests for arbitration once it has studied the matter, a process that can take a few days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Toronto region Board of Trade called on Ottawa to step in, saying a strike would hurt Canada's global reputation. Under Justin Trudeau, Carney's predecessor, the government intervened quickly last year to head off rail and dock strikes that threatened to cripple the economy. "(Ottawa) might decide to use that, but it's not as pressing an economic issue for the country as when the railway or the ports were on strike," said Rafael Gomez, director of the University of Toronto's Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources. "The stakes are not as fraught." In a note, TD Cowen analyst Tom Fitzgerald estimated a three-day strike could cost the airline C$300 million ($217.09 million) in earnings before interest, depreciation, taxes and amortization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UNPAID WORK The dispute hinges on the way airlines compensate flight attendants. Most have traditionally paid them only when planes are in motion. But in their latest contract negotiations, flight attendants in both Canada and the United States have sought compensation for hours worked, including for tasks such as boarding passengers. New labor agreements at American Airlines and Alaska Airlines legally require carriers to start the clock for paying flight attendants when passengers are boarding. American's flight attendants are now also compensated for some hours between flights. United Airlines' cabin crews, who voted down a tentative contract deal last month, also want a similar provision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Air Canada and its low-cost affiliate Air Canada Rouge normally carry about 130,000 customers a day. Air Canada is also the non-U.S. carrier with the largest number of flights to the U.S., despite recent cutbacks in travel there from Canada due to trade tensions. ($1 = 1.3819 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago. Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa, Kyaw Soe Oo in Toronto and Doyinsola Oladipo in New York, Mrinmay Dey and Disha Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Frank McGurty, Nia Williams, Chizu Nomiyama and Sam Holmes) A new air-to-air air defence system is being developed to protect Ukraine's skies and defend large areas. The project is being developed by the MaXon team, a member of the Brave1 defence tech cluster. Source: Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Quote: "+1 solution for sky protection a Brave1 member is developing an air-to-air air defence system. Defending the sky against enemy drones is one of the priorities of Ukraine's defence sector." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Fedorov did not reveal the technical specifications of the new development but explained that it features a system with its own guidance mechanism and high-speed interceptors. The timeline for deployment has not been disclosed, but Fedorov stated that the system is already undergoing combat testing in Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts. He added that, with support from Brave1, the MaXon team successfully completed its first investment round, in particular attracting funding from Freedom Fund and Defender Ventures. They are now raising funds for the next round to speed up R&D and scale the new system. According to Fedorov, MaXons technology integrates solutions from other Brave1 participants. Background: Previously, the Wild Hornets team had upgraded their drone interceptor, Sting, to reach a speed of 315 km/h. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! The Pennsylvania county where an explosion at a U.S. Steel plant south of Pittsburgh killed two people and injured more than 10 others announced Thursday that it is stepping up air quality monitoring in the area of the sprawling facility that has a troubled environmental record. The Allegheny County Health Department announced that mobile air units provided by the state and Carnegie Mellon University will be stationed in the Mon Valley where the plant is Thursday and Friday. The county said these measures are part of its ongoing investigation into Mondays explosion at Clairton Coke Works. The county said the measures go well beyond the normal and rigorous regulatory air quality monitoring and will assess parts of the valley for different types of pollutants such as volatile organic compounds, PM2.5 pollutants and sulfur dioxide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Mondays blast, the county health department initially told residents within 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) of the plant to remain indoors and close all windows and doors. The department lifted the advisory after its monitors didnt detect levels of soot or sulfur dioxide above federal standards. Dr. Deborah Gentile, the medical director of Community Partners in Asthma Care, called the mobile units an excellent move for the county because the general public has no idea what is going on at the facility. The current regulatory monitors are in fixed locations, and many residents live in closer proximity to the plant than these stationary monitors, she said. Having monitors in additional locations will help identify if there are any exceedances of the criteria pollutants. So this is good news. The Allegheny County Medical Examiners Office also confirmed Thursday that the second person who died in the blast was Steven Menefee, 52, of Clairton. Earlier, the county medical examiners office identified one of the dead as Timothy Quinn, 39. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt said Tuesday the company is working closely with local, state and federal authorities. He would not speculate about the cause of the explosion. The massive plant along the Monongahela River in Clairton converts coal to coke, a key component in the steelmaking process. The facility is considered the largest coking operation in North America and is one of four major U.S. Steel plants in Pennsylvania. To make coke, coal is baked in special ovens for hours at high temperatures to remove impurities that could otherwise weaken steel. The process creates what is known as coke gas a lethal mix of methane, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The plant has a long history of environmental problems, especially fouling the air in communities nearby the sprawling plant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2018, a Christmas Eve fire damaged pollution-control equipment and led to repeated releases of sulfur dioxide, according to a subsequent lawsuit. The fire prompted Allegheny County to warn residents to limit outdoor activities. Residents said it was hard to breathe for weeks afterward and that the air felt acidic and smelled like rotten eggs. U.S. Steel settled a lawsuit last year with an agreement to spend $19.5 million in equipment upgrades and $5 million on local clean air efforts and programs. In 2019, U.S. Steel agreed to settle a lawsuit regarding air pollution from Clairton for $8.5 million. The concerns about air quality also come as the federal Environmental Protection Agency moves to postpone new hazardous air pollution standards for coke plants, like Clairton. Matthew Mehalik, executive director of the Breathe Project, a public health advocacy group in Pittsburgh, said the regulations were deemed to be almost insignificant to operational costs and would have helped protect the public with air quality monitoring. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The regulation would have required like is already required at refineries all over the United States fence-line monitoring for hazardous air pollutants at the Clairton plant, Mehalik said. That information would have been incredibly useful when the explosion happened on Monday, Mehalik said. Gentile, who studied asthma levels after the 2018 fire and found twice as many patients sought medical treatment, said the fenceline data, a measure of air pollution at the property line of a manufacturing site, would have helped with the latest blast. If fenceline monitoring were in place at the time of the event and now in the aftermath, it would be providing us with valuable information on emissions during these times, which in turn would help us advise the community on their risk of adverse health effects, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ___ Associated Press writer Marc Levy contributed to this report from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 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. A French air traffic controller has reportedly been suspended after declaring "Free Palestine" while communicating with Israeli pilots operating an El Al aircraft. The incident occurred on Monday shortly after the plane took off from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, according to reports. A spokesperson for El Al told Fox News Digital that the airline viewed the incident "with utmost severity" and said the air traffic controller's comments were "unprofessional and inappropriate." "EL AL will continue to fly proudly around the world with the Israeli flag on its aircraft, upholding professionalism and ensuring the safety and security of its passengers and crews," the airline said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement France To Deport Palestinian Woman Over Antisemitic Post Featuring Hitler, Halts Gaza Evacuations French Transportation Minister Philippe Tabarot was quick to respond to the incident and called for an investigation. "If the facts were confirmed, they would be reprehensible as they would violate the rules of radio communications, which must be limited to the safety and regularity of air traffic," Tabarot wrote in a post on X on Monday shortly after the incident was reported. He added that the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) was analyzing recordings of radio communications from the morning of the incident. Read On The Fox News App Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tabarot later confirmed on X that the recordings matched what El Al reported and said that the air traffic controller was identified and barred from performing any duties "until further notice." The French official also said that disciplinary proceedings were initiated immediately. He further condemned the incident on Wednesday, saying that the transportation industry is not immune to "the rise of antisemitism and hateful behaviors that exploit the situation in the Middle East." French President Emmanuel Macron To Recognize 'State Of Palestine' In September At Un General Assembly The air traffic controller incident comes amid challenges for El Al in France, including the vandalizing of its Paris office and Frances temporary halt of the renewal of work visas for its security staff. On Tuesday, a French government source reportedly confirmed to the Times of Israel that the renewal of work visas for El Al security staff members had been stopped. The decision was allegedly related to difficulties faced by French diplomatic staff in security screenings. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee reposted a report on the pause in visa renewals and said "what happened to France?" A man holds a placard reading "Free Palestine" during a demonstration at the Place de la Republique in Paris, France June 9, 2025. Hundreds Of Anti-israel Protestors Arrested In London For Supporting Group Banned Under Terrorism Law Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this month, El Als Paris offices were smeared with red paint as well as pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel graffiti. The words "Free Palestine" and "El Al Genocide Airline" were painted on the exterior of the offices. The Israeli Embassy in France shared photos of the incident, with Minister Plenipotentiary Asaf Moran decrying the "climate of violent and unrestrained incitement by certain French elected officials." Following the vandalism incident, Israeli Ambassador to France Joshua Zarka visited El Als Paris offices and vowed that Israels government would stand by its people and Israeli businesses. Israeli Transportation Secretary Miri Regev also commented on the incident, calling it a "barbaric and violent act." She seemed to blame French President Emmanuel Macron, who recently announced that France would recognize a Palestinian state. Regev also said Macrons statement was a gift to Hamas. El Al's Paris offices vandalized Tabarot quickly condemned this incident as well and said that "acts of hatred and antisemitism have no place in our republic." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Regev responded by thanking Tabarot for his "clear and unequivocal words against antisemitism." "French citizens must understand, today its El Al, tomorrow it could be Air France. We must all act together to condemn antisemitism and hatred, everywhere in the world," Regev wrote. Fox News Digital reached out to Charles de Gaulle Airport and DGAC but did not receive responses in time for publication. Original article source: Air traffic controller suspended after Free Palestine broadcast to Israeli pilots Montgomery, Ala. (WRBL) Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced on Thursday that he has joined the call for Instagram to strengthen location privacy protections. Marshall reportedly joined 37 attorneys general in urging Instagram to make immediate changes to its newly implemented location-sharing feature. Location data is among the most sensitive and valuable information collected today, and yet, its often carelessly shared by social media platforms without users fully understanding the consequences, Marshall said. This isnt just about data, its about real people being put at real risk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a public servant and as a parent, I find it unacceptable that platforms like Instagram continue to prioritize profits over the safety and privacy of everyday Americans. Its long past time they take responsibility and implement serious safeguards to protect users from harm. The attorneys general outlined serious public safety and data privacy concerns about the change in a letter to Instagram Head Adam Mosseri. The change allows users precise locations to be displayed on a map in which the coalition emphasized that such tools could be exploited. They highlighted the dangers for vulnerable users including children and domestic violence survivors, noting that tools like the location feature can be exploited by predators, stalkers, and other malicious actors. The letter calls on Instagram to: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ensure that minors cannot enable location-sharing features. Send a clear alert to all adult users explaining the feature, outlining its risks, and providing full disclosure of how Instagram will use their location data. For adults who choose to opt in, provide a simple, easy-to-access control to disable location sharing at any time. Full letter to Instagram Head Adam Mosseri The attorneys general stressed that implementing these measures will protect user privacy and allow informed adults to choose whether to share their location or not. 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 WRBL. The 51-year-old man was wanted in Washington state for murder, just a year after being released from a 20-year prison sentence for attacking people with a machete. Alabama Barker claims she saw a murder suspect while he was on the loose in Los Angeles. The daughter of Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler said she saw a man wanted for murder in Washington state after watching a TikTok video from a content creator warning LA citizens to keep an eye out and "lock" their doors. "If you're in LA please, please be careful the next few nights," TikTok user kezsexton warned her fans in the clip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There is actually a convicted murderer supposedly in LA," she continued before adding that the man is, "apparently known for attacking people with machetes." After seeing the clip, the step-daughter of Kourtney Kardashian revealed she believes she spotted him. "I saw him in Woodland Hills," she commented. Alabama Barker Details Battle with 'Severe' Health Anxiety: 'Constant Fight with My Own Mind' - Click image for related story The 19-year-old didn't share any further details about the alleged sighting. The 51-year-old man, Alexander Lee Rogers, was wanted for murder and has since been arrested after his car was found abandoned in Calabasas -- which is right next to Woodland Hills -- on Monday, August 11. According to Los Angeles police, he was arrested in the Westlake District on Tuesday, August 12, after he was spotted around 12:45pm. He was taken into custody without incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rogers was released from Washington prison last year after serving a 20-year sentence. In the early 2000s, he was convicted for attempted murder after attacking people with a machete. He is now being accused of viciously stabbing 73-year-old Andrew Peters and his sister-in-law, 64-year-old Dawn Peters last Tuesday, August 5 at the family's home in Longview, Washington. Dawn Peters died from her injuries, while Andrew Peters survived. Police say Rogers reportedly did some handywork for the family, after he recently finished his sentence. David Lee Roberts, 59, was convicted of the 1992 murder of Aneetra Jones in 1992 and sentenced to death. The Alabama Department of Corrections has halted preparations for his scheduled execution pending the results of a pscyhological exam. (Alabama Department of Corrections) The Alabama Department of Corrections said Friday it will not challenge a stay of execution while a death row inmates mental competence is evaluated. Marion County Circuit Judge Lee Carter stayed the scheduled Aug. 21 execution of David Lee Roberts, 59, last month after his attorneys said Roberts may not understand the reasons he is being executed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Alabama Department of Mental Health is currently in the process of conducting that evaluation and preparing a written report for submission to the court; however, it will not be completed by August 21, the Alabama Department of Corrections said in a statement on Friday. The Department of Corrections understands that the state will not challenge the stay of execution until after the Marion County Circuit Court receives the written report of the competency evaluation. The statement said DOC has stopped preparing for the execution and will not resume unless the stay is lifted and they receive necessary approvals. Roberts attorneys wrote in an appeal that Roberts, convicted and sentenced to death for his role in the 1992 murder of Annetra Jones, has schizophrenia. Roberts attorneys said a psychologist working with Corrections diagnosed Roberts as hearing voices in February. A psychologist from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill confirmed the diagnosis and said that Roberts did not understand why people continued to discuss his capital murder conviction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His attorneys also stated he was diagnosed with delusional disorder in 2002 and was placed in a safe cell in 2009 after writing a letter that the warden believed was a threat to commit suicide. According to court documents, Annetra Jones was sleeping at her boyfriends den where Roberts was also staying. Roberts left work one day and went home, packed his belongings and stole money before he shot Jones three times in the head with a rifle and set the place on fire. The jury, by a vote of 7-5, recommended he be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, but the judge overruled the recommendation and sentenced him to death. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals remanded the case back to the trial court after Roberts appealed the decision. In the second penalty phase, the jury again recommended life without parole and the judge overruled the recommendation for the second time. The appeals court then affirmed the decision of the trial court during the second appeal. The state plans to execute Geoffrey Todd West in September. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) The scheduled execution of an Alabama Death Row inmate will not go forward next week as the state waits for the completion of a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation. A judge last month stayed the Aug. 21 execution of David Lee Roberts until a mental evaluation could be conducted to see if Roberts is competent to be executed. The Alabama Department of Corrections said Friday that the report will not be completed by the scheduled Aug. 21 execution date. As a result, the Department anticipates that the execution scheduled for August 21 will not occur on that date. Accordingly, the Department has halted all preparations for Mr. Roberts currently scheduled execution, prison system officials wrote in a press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Roberts, 59, was scheduled to be put to death next week by nitrogen gas, a method Alabama began using last year. He was convicted of killing Annetra Jones in 1992. Attorneys representing Roberts argued that his death sentence should be suspended due to severe mental illness. Roberts has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, hears voices and is delusional, they wrote in a court filing. He also recently attempted to burn tattoos off his arm and leg because he believed they are trying to control his thoughts, his lawyers wrote. In 1992, Roberts was a houseguest at Jones boyfriends home in Marion County. Prosecutors said that on the afternoon of April 22, he came to the home, packed his belongings, stole money and shot Jones three times in the head with a .22 caliber rifle while she slept on the couch. He then set the house on fire after dousing Jones body and the floor with a flammable liquid, prosecutors said. Jurors convicted Roberts of capital murder and voted 7-5 to recommend that he receive life in prison without parole. A judge overrode that and sentenced him to death. Alabama no longer allows judges to override jury sentences in capital cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Twenty-eight men have died by court-ordered execution so far this year in the United States. At least nine other people across seven states are scheduled to be put to death this year. The number of executions carried out this year exceeds the 25 carried out last year and in 2018. It is the highest total since 2015, when 28 people were put to death. CHERRY VALLEY, Ill. (WTVO) Winnebago County Sheriffs Deputies arrested James Meyers, 48, for allegedly sexually assaulting a child. In 2022, officers received reports of sexual assault, but were not able to speak to the victim until two years later. The minor was touched inappropriately on several occasions, according to court records. Meyer was taken into custody in Montgomery, Alabama, on April 16, 2025, by Montgomery County Sheriffs Police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was eventually transported and booked into the Winnebago County Jail on August 14. Meyers is charged with predatory criminal sexual assault of a minor. His mugshot was not readily available. If you are a survivor of domestic or sexual violence, visit our Stateline Strong page for resources. 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. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) Alabamas State Board of Education adopted a resolution Thursday they said will keep students safe and classrooms clear of smoke. Its very different from 40 years ago when students might smoke at school and we could kind of follow the trail of smoke, which is what we did when I was a young school administrator, said Dr. Eric Mackey, State Superintendent. Dr. Mackey said you might not see a trail of smoke, but vaping has become a problem in schools. Thats why the State Board of Education is creating a vape awareness, education, and prevention program. It will teach students about the effects of nicotine and vaping. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want to make sure they get the right information, said Dr. Mackey. We want no students to be vaping. Its not legal for them to be vaping. They should not be able to access the vapes. Rep. Barbara Drummond (D-Mobile), the original bill sponsor, encouraged parents to continue that education at home with their children. This has always been, for me, an effort to keep our young people healthy, as well as educated, on all the negatives that come from vaping, she said. So I am happy the Board approved a curriculum. Alabama priest put on leave following allegations of affair with 17-year-old girl Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Vapor Technology Association said they support that curriculum, educating children on the dangers of vaping and tobacco. However, Tony Abboud, executive director, said they are concerned about what regulations in the law could mean for Alabama businesses. Wed hate to see Alabama eliminate this critically important product, while cigarettes get to be sold everywhere in the state just as they have always been, Abboud said. Dr. Mackey said students who are caught vaping more than once will have to go through a more rigorous program. And I hope that the State Legislature and legal officials continue to crack down on anybody whos selling vapes to minors, Dr. Mackey added. It should not be allowed, and its an egregious front to our legal system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Mackey said a memo concerning the new program will soon go out to schools across the state. He said adults who are helping students get access to vapes should be treated with the most serious consequences of the law. 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. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy explained why it "makes sense" for President Donald Trump to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in his state Friday. "We are very close to Russia, two and a half miles between two islands, 50 miles between the coastline," Dunleavy told "The Story" Wednesday. "And so it makes sense for it to be here in many respects." Trump and Putin are set to meet face-to-face in Anchorage at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Alaskas largest military installation. The summit marks the first time in 10 years that Putin has been hosted on American soil. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What We Know About Trumps Meeting With Vladimir Putin In Alaska While the meeting is the closest the two parties have come to negotiating a ceasefire agreement in the war in Ukraine, both countries confirmed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would not be attending. Dunleavy described his hopes for the summit and what the "endgame" in resolving the war would look like. Read On The Fox News App "It's our hope, I think, along with the rest of the world, that something positive comes out of this discussion with the president," Dunleavy discussed. "Certainly, President Zelensky has to be part of the endgame. And I think after this meeting, we'll see where that goes." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Could Trump's Meeting With Putin Be The Next Reagan-gorbachev Moment? "But hopefully, things move quickly," he continued. "I hope so for the Ukrainian people and for others in the world, but... again, I think he's going to take a look at Putin, decide if this is something that's going to work in terms of discussions, negotiations, and hopefully a peace, or some alternative avenue to end this war." A resident walks among the debris near a damaged house, a day after a Russian strike on a suburb of Odesa, southern Ukraine on March 7, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Trump echoed the governors hopes when he was asked by a reporter in the Oval Office Thursday if "anything less than an unconditional, immediate ceasefire" would be a victory for the U.S. In response, Trump defined his goal for Friday as getting to a second meeting, characterizing what a "bad meeting" with Putin would look like. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin Ally Warns 'Titanic Efforts' Are Underway To Sink Trump Summit Over Ukraine War "And if it's a bad meeting, it'll end very quickly," Trump told the reporter. "And if its a good meeting, we're gonna end up getting peace in the pretty near future." In February, Zelenskyy left the White House early after a tense meeting with Trump in the Oval Office. Trump had accused Zelenskyy of "not acting at all thankful" for U.S. aid to Ukraine before telling him, "You're gambling with World War III." Putin, who the U.S. State Department says first requested Fridays meeting, complimented the Trump administration Thursday for making "quite energetic and sincere efforts" to "reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved" in the war in Ukraine. Original article source: Alaska governor hopes for end to Ukraine war as state prepares for historic Trump-Putin summit "Putin is supposed to be in jail, and he just comes to Alaska like that." Hanna Correa is amongst a sea of Alaskans waving Ukrainian flags on the road leading into Anchorage. "When I entered through that parking lot, and I see a lot of Americans, they're supporting, it made me cry," she says. Ms Correa, 40, left Ukraine in 2019 for love, and six years later, the future of her country could be decided in her adopted home town. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are set to touch down at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a 30 minute drive away. Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky is not invited, something Ms Correa says is "pretty sad". Among those protesting against their arrival is Christopher Kelliher, a 53-year-old military veteran and Alaskan native. "It's gross, it makes you want to take a shower," he says of the meeting. "Putin doesn't need to be in our state, much less our country. We have an idiot in the White House that will kowtow to this guy." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hundreds lined a street in Anchorage on Friday to oppose Putin's arrival [BBC] This region's history with Moscow gives Friday's summit added significance. The US purchased Alaska from the Russians in 1867 for $7.2m. Critics called the purchase "Seward's Folly" - referring to William Seward, the US secretary of state at the time - arguing that the territory amounted to little more than a frozen wasteland. But later discoveries of rare earth minerals and abundant oil and gas put paid to that label. Ornate churches are among the most visible symbols of Alaska's Russian heritage. The St Tikhon Orthodox Church in Anchorage has been holding three days of prayer ahead of leaders' arrival. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Priest Nicholas Cragle, an American who recently moved to Alaska after living in Russia for seven years, says the conflict is "particularly painful and close to the hearts" of parishioners. "We're hoping that this meeting will lead to something... lead to a culmination of this conflict," says Mr Cragle. Nicholas Cragle has settled in Anchorage with his wife, who he met in Russia [BBC] That feeling is shared by fishermen ankle-deep in creek bed on the outskirts of town, drawn to the area by the allure of some of the world's finest salmon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think it's a good idea [the summit], I wish Zelensky would be out here too... get this thing over with," says Don Cressley, who lives in the Alaskan city of North Pole and is visiting on a fishing trip with his grandson. He wants an end to the war "because of the destruction they're doing to all the cities, all the buildings, making everybody more homeless, taking their foods away, their supplies away, their living right away,". Donald Trump, he says, is doing an "awesome job" in ceasefire negotiations. Alaska draws fisherman in search of some of the world's best salmon [BBC] While the US president often talks warmly of his relationship with Vladimir Putin, superpower tensions persist and are more keenly felt here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moscow's military planes are routinely detected flying near the coast of Alaska. And in January, Canadian and American fighter jets were scrambled after multiple Russian jets were spotted in the Arctic, according to the North American Aerospace Defence Command. That breeds a sense of unease for some Alaskans who live closer to Russia than Washington DC. "Although the Cold War is over between Russia and the US, they're constantly patrolling our airways," Anchorage resident Russell Wilson tells me while fishing. "If the president doesn't put the hammer down, we could be the next Ukraine." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However other Alaskans consider a return to Cold War hostilities are far-fetched fantasy. I ask Army veteran Christopher Kelliher if he is concerned about a Russian invasion. "Not really, everybody in Alaska owns a gun," he replies. [BBC] Follow the twists and turns of Trump's second term with North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher's weekly US Politics Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can sign up here. Those outside the UK can sign up here. Aug. 14A 44-year-old woman who once hoped to become the Albuquerque Police Department's first female Asian officer is behind bars, accused of renting properties in the city for use as "stash houses" by human smugglers and laundering their illegal profits. A federal grand jury indictment made public Wednesday alleges Nan Zhang and her husband, Sanjay Khurana, 62, arranged rental agreements with human smugglers who transported and harbored undocumented immigrants into Albuquerque for a fee. The couple is also accused of offering to "clean" illegal smuggling profits through real estate deals to avoid detection by law enforcement. "This case exposes the dangerous lengths to which some will go to profit from human suffering," said Ryan Ellison, U.S. attorney for the District of New Mexico. "Turning homes into hideouts for smuggling operations and disguising illicit profits through real estate transactions not only fuels crime but endangers our communities. By targeting criminal enterprises that exploit our city's neighborhoods and real estate market, we are cutting off the infrastructure these smugglers rely on to operate." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The couple is set to appear at a hearing in U.S. Magistrate Court on Friday to determine whether they should be held in federal custody pending trial. Khurana's lawyer Nicholas Hart had no immediate comment on the case Thursday. Court records don't show a defense attorney representing Zhang. Zhang in the winter of 2020 was a 40-year-old cadet in APD's law enforcement academy, but alleged in a subsequent lawsuit that she was forced to resign because she was discriminated against because of her age, gender and the fact that she was a naturalized citizen from China. She came to the U.S. about 15 years earlier. The lawsuit, which is still pending, alleges she was mocked and ridiculed for her Chinese accent and was labeled "Cadet Covid" because of the pandemic spreading across the nation. She alleged an academy supervisor recommended she make a career move. Some three years later, Zhang and Khurana were in the real estate business in Albuquerque, with Zhang managing properties Khurana directly or indirectly owned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And they were involved in a conspiracy with human smugglers to rent out apartments and a town house for use as "stash houses" for illegal aliens who had been smuggled into the U.S., according to the indictment. They maintained numerous "long-term business relationships" with the smugglers in which they charged higher rates for the "stash house" properties, and discounted the rents when "business" was slow. They collected $2,000 per month in lease agreements for several such apartment units at 529-535 Utah NE. Other properties noted in the indictment were an eight-unit complex at 919-923 Alvarado SE; a six-unit apartment complex at 1033-1037 Alvarado SE, and a three-story town house at 4505 Villa Loma NE. The U.S. Attorney's Office said Thursday that the indictment charges the couple with warning smugglers of law enforcement activity, and continuing to lease apartments to the smugglers even after law enforcement found undocumented individuals at the properties. In one instance, a smuggler described as "Co-Conspirator 2" was shot in the chest at the couple's Villa Loma Lane town house on Sept. 2, 2024. When law enforcement officers responded, they found 12 migrants at the residence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The next day, Zhang provided information from law enforcement reports to an associate of the wounded smuggler, and arranged for continued rent payments and payments for damage to the property, the indictment alleges. When the smuggler's profit slowed from transporting and harboring illegal aliens in January and February of this year, Zhang began making arrangements to move "Co-Conspirator 2" from the town house on Villa Loma Lane NE to one of the apartments on Alvarado Drive. On March 7, several undocumented individuals were apprehended by law enforcement at one of the couple's complexes, prompting a search of the property. Zhang later contacted associates of the smuggler who rented the apartments to continue their rental agreement, the indictment states. In another incident March 18, eight undocumented individuals were found inside two of the apartments at 529 Utah NE after a reported migrant kidnapping. As part of the alleged conspiracy, the couple continued to rent apartments to the smugglers involved, "but at a different location to avoid the attention of law enforcement." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The indictment also charges the couple with conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering and aiding and abetting. They allegedly offered to sell real estate "for large cash payments while structuring the deals to avoid financial reporting requirements, including offering to use a third-party name and falsify sale records," stated the U.S. Attorney's Office, in describing court records in the case. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) The Eaton Center will see a new store moving into its walls. The city announced that the space will soon house an Aldi, which will take over the Kroger thats departing from the Eaton Center. Grocery options in Eaton are changing and that means exciting things ahead, the city said of the new incoming store. In the meantime, a new Kroger location is in the works too. An official grand opening date has not yet been announced, but the city says that details will be provided later this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Alec Baldwin reacted with alarm to President Donald Trumps federal takeover of the Washington, D.C., police department and his deployment of troops to the city saying they are examples of Trumps insane moves to deflect from his inadequacy. This idea of federalizing the D.C. police department, its of such grave concern to me, Baldwin said in a TikTok video posted Thursday. More from Variety Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House on Thursday said it would install an emergency commissioner overseeing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and revoked policies that limited officers cooperation with federal immigration enforcement officials. On Friday, the attorney general of D.C. sued the Trump administration over the unlawful moves. In the TikTok video, Baldwin wondered what the D.C. police situation would presage. Whats gonna happen next? Is Trump going to federalize the New York City Police Department? he said. Whats after that? Chicago, L.A., Miami, Boston, and on and on? Whats after that? The NFL? The NBA? Is he gonna federalize them to take them over? All he wants to do is deflect from his inadequacy by the bold, insane moves, Baldwin continued. The takeover of D.C. police, its not what I need. The U.S. government needs to address more pressing issues, like Russias war on Ukraine and Israels military action in Gaza. And after that, we have something else we have to get over with, Baldwin said by which he means Trumps presidency. Baldwin famously portrayed Trump for several years on NBCs Saturday Night Live leading up to and during his first term, triggering the presidents ire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the beginning of the TikTok video, Baldwin said he was having lunch at the farmers market in Amagansett on Long Island. I dont post much about Trump here, he said. We just have to wait it out. The actor added that he was just hoping to make it through to the next election in 2028. Baldwins comments came prior to D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb filing a lawsuit challenging the federal governments unlawful attempt to take over the D.C. police. The lawsuit targets Trumps Aug. 11 executive order and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondis Aug. 14 order to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser invoking a never-before-used provision of the Home Rule Act to claim federal command of the citys police force. A copy of the complaint is at this link. By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, infringing on the Districts right to self-governance and putting the safety of D.C. residents and visitors at risk, Schwalb said in a statement. The Administrations unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it. Best of Variety Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Amnesty International activists in Sydney, Australia in 2011. (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons) Reports link NGO campaigns against Israel to years-long efforts targeting Israeli businessman Dan Gertler in the DRC, prompting debate over political motives and economic impact. Two recently released reports, one by the UK-based Henry Jackson Society and the other by Jerusalems NGO Monitor, allege that leading human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Congolese coalition CNPAV, face credibility concerns tied to political bias and selective advocacy. Dr. Helena Ivanov, author of the Henry Jackson Societys Human Rights NGOs: A Crisis of Trust, argues that selective criticism, political positioning, and lack of transparency have eroded public trust. She cites increased scrutiny since the October 7 Hamas attacks, with some groups accused by critics of avoiding condemnation of acts such as mass sexual violence and hostage-taking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reports also draw connections between NGOs active in criticism of Israel, including HRW and Global Witness, and those engaged in long-running campaigns against Israeli businessman Dan Gertler in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). NGO Monitors May 2025 analysis claims the CNPAV coalitions anti-Gertler efforts, supported by international partners, have at times discouraged investment and harmed the Congolese economy. As part of its rebuttal to the most recent CNPAV report, Gertlers company Ventora Development published a formal response to the report, which included an April 2, 2010 valuation by BNP Paribas for Gecamines. The evaluation concluded that Gertler paid above market value for certain mining assets, a conclusion absent from CNPAVs account. Past legal proceedings also factor into the debate. A decade-long UK Serious Fraud Office investigation into Gertler was closed without charges. In a separate Israeli arbitration spanning over ten years, retired judge Eitan Orenstein reportedly found no evidence of bribery or misconduct. The KCD open pit gold mine at the Kibali mining site in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo, May 1, 2014. (credit: REUTERS/Pete Jones) Reports link NGOs to campaigns targeting Gertler Prominent Congolese journalist Litsani Choukran criticized the coalitions focus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Five of the last six articles on CNPAVs site are about one man its become a political crusade, not a human rights campaign, Choukran said. This data suggests a pattern that some observers say could indicate a disproportionate focus on Gertler. Some CNPAV partners have also drawn political scrutiny. For example, in October 2023, Global Witness, listed by CNPAV as a member, signed a joint statement calling for a Gaza ceasefire without condemning the Hamas attacks of October 7. Critics argue that the same organizations seen as taking anti-Israel positions are also those leading the campaigns against Gertler in Africa. HRW responded that it does not align with any party in armed conflict and has never called for a ceasefire, in any context, adding it is not a CNPAV member. An Amnesty International spokesperson stated it is an impartial and independent global movement guided by human rights and international law, rejecting any suggestion of political motivation. Amnesty International said its participation in the CNPAV coalition reflects its commitment to defend activists rights. It noted that it had repeatedly condemned the war crimes committed by Hamas and other armed groups on October 7, 2023. Amnesty said the October 26 ceasefire statement, signed by 290 organizations, called for the preservation of life in Gaza and Israel, the release of all civilian hostages, and urgent action to end what it described as Israels genocide against Palestinians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Global Witness and CNPAV did not respond to requests for comment. Gertler declined to comment. Ivanovs recommendations include stronger funding transparency, deeper engagement with local partners, and region-specific advocacy strategies. NGOs can and should play a vital role in civil society, she writes, but that role depends on regaining public trust. As other popular budget airlines like Spirit are facing bankruptcy, Allegiant is expanding its service across the United States by adding five new routes to its repertoire. The company announced on Tuesday, August 12, that it is increasing its number of daily routes as well as adding a new airport to its list of those it services. In a press release on the Allegiant website, the airline announced that it will begin to service the city of Huntsville, Alabama with three new flights to different destinations in Florida. It will operate out of the Huntsville International Airport, which also hosts American, Delta, and United Airlines. HUNTSVILLE, AL - FEBRUARY 24: The city of Huntsville, Alabama is shown as the sun sets on February 24, 2024. (Kevin Wurm/The Washington Post via Getty Images) The Washington Post/Getty Images All of Allegiant's five new routes will involve destinations in parts of Florida that are popular domestic tourism hotspots. The flights from Huntsville will travel either to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, St. Pete-Clearwater, or Orlando Sanford Airport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Allegiant's other two new flights will be added to the Appleton International Airport in Wisconsin and the Frederick Douglas Greater Rochester International Airport in New York. These routes will take passengers from Appleton, Wisconsin to the Orlando area and from New York to Sarasota. These new routes come on the heels of fast growth for the Las Vegas based airline, which also added seven new routes in late July. Six of these routes also involved the state of Florida. While tickets for Allegiant's new routes are available to purchase, they will not begin until at least late 2025. The new dates, as announced by Allegiant, will be rolled out between November 2025 and March 2026. Related: Major Airline Announces Massive Route Additions Allegiant Airlines Announces Another Round of Route Expansions first appeared on Men's Journal on Aug 12, 2025 Baltimore City Councilmember Odette Ramos, with microphone, confronts Nikita Baker (far left), director of the Baltimore Field Office with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, about ICE agents "terrorizing" immigrant communities. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters) What started as a discussion on the various arms of immigration enforcement nearly spiraled into a shouting match Thursday as advocates and some elected officials pleaded with a federal agent to be kinder when interacting with the immigration community. Your agents are terrorizing our communities, said Baltimore City Councilmember Odette Ramos. What you are doing is racial profiling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ramos was addressing Nikita Baker, director of the Baltimore Field Office with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who was part of a panel on immigration and deportation policy at the Maryland Association of Counties conference in Ocean City. The panel, called Clearing the Air on Immigration: Compliance Standards for Local Governments, aimed to help officials understand the various cogs of the immigration system, as President Donald Trump (R) has been pushing ICE agents to increase deportation efforts. Some local and state officials have expressed confusion on what is required of them regarding immigration enforcement, as many officials are looking to protect as many people in the immigrant community as possible. The panel heard from Warden Daniel Galbraith of the Harford County Detention Center, which has 287(g) agreement with the federal government to help facilitate detainment processes. The panel also included Del. Nicole Williams (D-Prince Georges), who talked about her bill that prompted the attorney general to issue guidance for how sensitive locations, such as schools and churches, should comply with ICE agents; and Julia Cortina of the National Association of Counties, who discussed federal court cases and policies NACo is watching to help county officials comply with federal immigration enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But when it came to the question-and-answer session, all questions were directed at Baker. Ramos question lasted four minutes and raised concerns about how ICE agents were conducting business in her jurisdiction, including conditions in ICE detention facilities, frustrations about ICE agents wearing masks and detaining people from common community spaces such as grocery stores. Why is it that the agents are operating in this manner, very violent, picking up our people masked and not identifying yourself? she asked. It is really abhorrent that this is happening. I am asking you to resist. I am asking you to stop doing this, Ramos said, to applause from the audience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baker said her ICE agents are identifiable. All my officers clearly are identified. They all wear their vests they all have their badges on them, they all wear body cameras, so they are readily identifiable, she said. As far as masks go, some of our officers wear them, some of them do not. All of them do, Ramos interjected, as other audience member chimed in, asking, Why are they wearing them? and, Do you want to see videos? At that point, Del. Ashanti Martinez (D-Prince Georges), who was moderating the panel, stepped in and reminded the room to remain respectful. Theres a lot of emotions. There should be this is about our neighbors and our communities, right? he said. Thats why were in Ocean City to talk about these things were not just here for the beach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But in order to get these conversations out, weve got to listen to each other, even if you dont like what youre hearing, he said, passing the question on to the next person. Ramos then left the room. Nikita Baker, director of the Baltimore Field Office with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters). Prince Georges County Councilmember Eric Olson asked how ICE agents are supposed to operate in school settings. He said agents gather near schools, making families nervous. Whats the legitimate law enforcement activity going on there? he asked. Because to me, it certainly seems like intimidation and harassment. People are afraid to go to school. Baker said that officers may hang around a school because they are looking for someone that is nearby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have no issue with them trying to catch somebody in the area, but were not there to scare parents from taking their kids to school, she said. Ninfa Amador-Hernandez, policy manager with immigration advocacy group CASA, asked for justification on why some individuals without criminal histories were targeted by ICE. She listed high-profile cases such as Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was arrested by ICE agents in Maryland earlier this year and wrongfully deported to El Salvador due to what the Trump administration admits was an administrative error. We keep seeing individuals like them getting swept off our streets, Amador-Hernandez said. How will you ensure to not engage in indiscriminate family separation with no clear-cut enforcement priorities, since that is something that the (Trump) administration has not done? Baker said her agents can into custody, Anybody who is here, unlawfully present but that they focus on taking in the worst first. And then while I am doing those enforcement actions, and I come across somebody that is not a criminal but theyre here illegally, they have no status, I am going to take those individuals into custody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But youre taking people with status, Ninfa said. Baker tried to say ICE is not detaining people who have legal status to be present in the U.S., but the audience started to get riled up again, making snide remarks about her reply. Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D-Prince Georges and Anne Arundel) stepped up to ask a question before tensions boiled over. Health and Government Operations Committee Chair Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D-Montgomery). (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters). I know this is not easy, she said to Baker. I thank you for being here, knowing what the room feels like. I am going to speak with you heart to heart, in a humane way. I know you have to do your job, but do you have to do it in a manner where windows are broken in a car, where theyre doing it in front of small children that are in a car seat? she asked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Can you tell your officers to be humane? Be respectful? Because we are lacking empathy right now in this country, Pena-Melnyk said. Can you at least go back to your office and tell them to be kinder? Can you do that? My job is to enforce the law, Baker responded. But I understand where youre coming from, and I appreciate your feedback. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE A passenger on an American Airlines flight who was caught vaping is taking legal action against the flight attendant who busted him. Peter Nguyen Wong filed a police report in Redlands, California, asking for the flight attendant to face criminal charges for assault about a week after the incident took place, according to TMZ. The outlet obtained the report and said Wong alleged he was in the lavatory when the flight attendant opened the door and saw him taking a hit from a vape, which he claimed left his genitals exposed to the public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wong recorded the situation on his phone which he posted on his Instagram and has since become a viral video and said he now has shoulder pain because the flight attendant attempted to grab the device from his hand, pinning him against a wall as he stretched his left arm away from her, holding the phone, according to TMZ. Additionally, Wong said the next day he was told by an employee that he would have to delete the videos of the incident which took place on Monday, August 4 aboard a flight from Phoenix to San Francisco if he wanted to board the flight that day. Per the outlet, Wong says he received messages and calls with crude and combative language and admitted he was worried about his safety. A representative for American Airlines told TMZ that when Wongs initial flight landed at San Francisco International Airport, police escorted him off the plane due to disruptive behavior. The rep declined to say if the flight attendant was disciplined, according to the outlet. 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. This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter. Sign up for it here. Last year, Ford CEO Jim Farley commuted in a car that wasnt made by his own company. In an effort to scope out the competition, Farley spent six months driving around in a Xiaomi SU7. The Chinese-made electric sedan is one of the worlds most impressive cars: It can accelerate faster than many Porsches, has a giant touch screen that lets you turn off the lights at your house, and comes with a built-in AI assistantall for roughly $30,000 in China. Its fantastic, Farley said about the Xiaomi SU7 on a podcast last fall. I dont want to give it up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Farley has openly feared what might happen to Ford if more Americans can get behind the wheel of the Xiaomi SU7. Ford was able to import a Xiaomi from Shanghai for testing purposes, but for now, regular Americans cannot buy the SU7 or another one of the many affordable and highly advanced EVs made in China. Stiff tariffs and restrictions on Chinese technology have kept them out of the U.S. If things changed, Fordalong with all other automakers in the U.S.would be in serious danger. Chinese EVs can be so cheap and high tech that they risk outcompeting all cars, not just electric ones. In the rest of the world, traditional automakers are already struggling as Chinese cars hit the market. In Europe, Chinese brands now have roughly as much share of the market as Mercedes-Benz. We are in a global competition with China, Farley said earlier this year. And if we lose this, we do not have a future at Ford. It might sound a bit overblown. American auto executives delivered similar warnings about Japan in the 80sand Fords still standing today. But this week, Ford signaled, in unusually clear terms for the auto industry, that it sees China as an existential threat. At a Ford factory in Louisville, Kentucky, Farley announced a series of drastic countermeasures to begin making cheaper electric cars that can compete with Xiaomi and other Chinese companies. The changes are so fundamental that Ford is retooling the assembly line itselfthe very thing Henry Ford used to get the world motoring a century ago. Fords answer to China starts withwhat else?a pickup truck. In 2027, the Louisville plant will produce a new electric truck starting at $30,000. By todays standards, this would be one of the cheapest new EVs you can buy in America. It will cost far less than Fords current electric truck, the F-150 Lightning Pro, which starts at about $55,000. Plenty of Americans might get excited about a decent, affordable electric truck. But whats more important than the price is how itll be made. Fords other EVs, including the F-150 Lightning and electric Mustang Mach-E, were heavily adapted from existing gas-powered models. Those vehicles are built by cobbling together a hodgepodge of individual components that evolved independently of one another over time, like a house thats been slowly renovated several times across decades. Retrofitting a design for a big, expensive EV battery comes with all kinds of compromises, including high costs. Ford realized early on that it was spending billions of dollars on wiring, among other things that its competitors such as Tesla didnt need to deal with, because their electric cars are purpose-built from the ground up. No wonder, then, that Fords electric division has racked up $2 billion in losses in just the first half of this year alone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fords approach with its new truck is more like bulldozing the entire house and starting from scratch. A small team full of former Tesla and Apple engineers, working out of California, designed the process. The new truck will be made with 20 percent fewer parts than a traditional gas vehicle, Ford has said, and half as many cooling hoses. The company has no illusion that we have one whiz-bang idea to keep costs down, says Alan Clarke, Fords head of advanced EV development, who spent a dozen years as a top Tesla engineer. Weve had to do hundreds of things to be able to meet this price point. For Ford, a single $30,000 electric truck is hardly a sufficient answer to Chinas inexpensive EVs. The bigger development might be the factory itself. Besides adding robots, the companys assembly line hadnt changed much since the days of Henry Ford. At the revamped Louisville plant, Ford is using what its calling an assembly tree system: three branches where the vehicles battery and major body parts converge to make the car with fewer parts. By doing so, Ford says, itll crank out trucks up to 15 percent more quickly than the plants current vehicles. Its one factory and one vehicle for now, Clarke says, but if successful, this approach could spread throughout Ford. It is certainly the future of EV-making, one way or another, he told me. In some ways, Ford is simply catching up to what China has already been doing. Broadly, what Ford announced this week is already being donejust not by them, Tu Le, the founder of Sino Auto Insights, a research firm, told me. With EVs, the battery became the most expensive part of a vehicleso carmakers, starting with Tesla, began to rethink how body parts and other components were made and come together, in order to cut costs. China ran with many of those ideas. Fords plans will be challenging to pull off. China has immense government subsidies, a huge pool of engineering talent, the worlds best battery technology, and ultra-low labor costs. (According to Reuters, BYD, the Chinese EV giant, recently advertised a factory position that pays roughly $850 a month.) Meanwhile, Donald Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill Act just gutted many EV subsidies and incentives that would have helped America catch up to China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legacy automakers have made big promises before about a forthcoming EV revolution, only to retreat, retrench, and rethink when things got hard, or when they got a pass from environmental regulators. Last year, Ford canceled a large electric SUV, and its current EV lineup is getting old while competitors such as General Motors have been rolling out new models all of the time. Fords new truck is at least two years away, and China isnt waiting around. Chinese EVs are surging in developing countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, Djibouti, and Ethiopiawhere more limited gasoline infrastructure and lower EV-maintenance costs make them especially appealing. That competition is bad news for a company like Ford, which builds and sells cars all over the world. Fords new car is designed to be exported as well, though the automaker wont say where yet. A lot is riding on a $30,000 truck. As Chinese EVs take over the world, keeping them out of the U.S. becomes a tougher and tougher sell. Its not hard to imagine a company like BYD eventually getting the go-ahead to build a factory in the U.S. I see a Chinese EV being built in the U.S. within Trumps current term, Le predicted. Those cars wont be as dirt cheap as they are in China when built with American labor, but they would still be considerably more advanced. Henry Fords company once reinvented how cars were built. The most alarming possibility for Ford is that it could do so all over againand somehow, even that might not be enough. Article originally published at The Atlantic Hundreds of people gathered at the Utrecht Central Station march to show solidarity with Al Jazeera journalists killed in Gaza, including Anas al-Sharif, in Utrecht, Netherlands on August 14, 2025. (photo credit: Mouneb Taim/Anadolu via Getty Images) Amnesty International UK claimed Gaza has the highest journalist death toll in modern history, prompting criticism for omitting Holocaust-era killings of Jewish journalists documented by Yad Vashem. Amnesty International UK drew criticism after arguing in a Tuesday post on X/Twitter that no conflict in modern history had seen a higher number of journalists killed than the one in Gaza. The targeted killing of Anas al-Sharif and five other journalists on Sunday means at least 242 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of October 2023. No conflict in modern history has seen a higher number of journalists killed, the post stated, citing United Nations data for the Gaza figure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The post included a graphic comparing journalist deaths across multiple conflicts. According to the image, 69 journalists were killed during World War II (19391945), and 63 during the Vietnam War (19551975). The figures Amnesty International UK used were numbers that UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric had told the press during a media briefing. "At least 242 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began nearly three years ago," Dujarric said on Tuesday. The post drew criticism online, including from Avi Izenberg of NGO Honest Reporting, who pointed to the killing of over 1,400 journalists during the Holocaust. Disgusting erasure of 1,425 journalists documented by Yad Vashem killed in the Holocaust. There was a massive Yiddish press in Europe at the time erased by the Nazis, Izenberg wrote in response, citing records from Yad Vashems Shoah Names Database. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A screenshot shared by Izenberg showed search results for individuals listed as journalists murdered during the Holocaust, totaling 1,425 entries. The Jerusalem Post found 1,408 journalists and newspaper editors were killed during the Holocaust in an independent search on Yad Vashem's database. The 69 figure comes from a count compiled by Ray Moseley, a former war correspondent, according to Newsweek. It includes reporters covering the Allied campaign during World War II, and factors in journalists who died in accidents or from disease. Amnesty International UK has not publicly responded to the criticism as of publication. Israeli military kills Hamas terrorist doubling as Al Jazeera reporter The IDF killed Anas Al-Sharif, a Hamas terrorist who also worked as an Al Jazeera correspondent inside the Gaza Strip, on Sunday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was killed along with five other individuals, including a second reporter, Mohammed Qreiqeh, according to Al Jazeera. Three cameramen were killed as well, according to the Qatari site, named as Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa. Al-Sharif was responsible for advancing rocket attacks and served as a member of Hamas since 2013, the IDF said. By Bo Erickson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration's tug-of-war with Congress this year over spending delays of approved federal money could intensify as soon as this week, as the White House weighs a rare maneuver to permanently withhold some federal funding. The tactic -- called a pocket rescission -- has been criticized by a handful of Republican senators as it would essentially cancel congressionally authorized funding without a vote from lawmakers. The funding in question is due to expire at the end of the fiscal year on September 30. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administration could indicate as soon as Friday what it plans to do with the remaining money that has not yet been made available to grantees. The White House Budget Office did not respond to a request for comment. It is unclear whether Congress will object. The U.S. Constitution grants Congress control over spending, but Republicans who control both the House of Representatives and the Senate have broadly supported the administration's unilateral freezes of foreign aid and domestic spending so far. With little Republican objection, several funding programs have been delayed for months. The Government Accountability Office, Congress' independent watchdog agency, ruled this summer that $100 million in federal library funding -- meant to expand services on top of local dollars -- was unlawfully "impounded" and held up by the administration since March. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Funding for a Montana children's paleontology education program has remained frozen, as well as copyright and AI research, and librarian training assistance started by former Republican first lady Laura Bush, in Louisiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Pennsylvania, according to grantees. If it wanted, Congress could consider the funding cuts in committee hearings and vote on the provision. Republican senators Susan Collins from Maine and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska have objected, but other Republican lawmakers have not spoken out. "As a Republican myself, I would love to hear more from my team on this," said Sam Helmick, president of the American Library Association. Republicans on occasion have pushed the administration to release other frozen funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ten of the Senate's 53 Republicans successfully urged White House budget director Russ Vought in July to release $6 billion in education funds, while 14 Republicans pushed to release National Institutes of Health research funding. "We need our Republican colleagues to join us in insisting that all blocked funding gets out -- not just the programs most important to them, Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Appropriations committee, said last month. But other Republicans have encouraged the administration's funding delays. "I want to spend less, not more," Senator Jim Banks, an Indiana Republican, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UNPRECEDENTED SCOPE Democrats say the administration has withheld more than $420 billion in funding that was passed on a bipartisan basis in a stopgap funding bill and signed into law by Trump in March. Emory University law professor Matthew Lawrence said the delays are unprecedented in modern times and make the government less accountable to its citizens. You know your representative to call and voice your concerns on spending," he said. "But if the power is President Trumps ... I dont know how to do that, nor do my neighbors. Top Republicans have often sidestepped the funding power fight and said the federal courts -- where there have been more than 60 spending-related cases -- will decide the legality of these delays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Collins, who oversees spending as the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, says the best way to assert congressional power is to pass funding bills for the upcoming fiscal year. But some Democrats say that is pointless if the Trump administration will not honor them. The budget isnt worth the paper that we write it on if theyre just going to refuse to spend on things that matter to Democrats," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut told reporters. END-OF-YEAR WITHHOLDING? Vought, the White House budget director, has said these freezes are for programmatic review, a technical term that allows administration to pause and analyze spending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the GAO rulings said the delays are not permissible." Four other program funds have been ruled as unlawfully impounded by the GAO, and it is investigating 40 other programs facing delays. Vought told reporters in June that the pocket tactic does not require approval from Congress -- a change from the administration's prior approach, when it sought and won approval in July to cancel $9 billion for foreign aid and public media. Collins, Murkowski and Republican Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota have said they oppose a pocket rescission, but others have said they do not object. "We support rescissions in whatever form they could come to us, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in July. (Reporting by Bo Erickson; additional reporting by Jeff Mason and David Morgan; editing by Andy Sullivan, Sally Buzbee and Deepa Babington) The U.S. Secret Service has deployed hundreds of agents to Anchorage, coordinating with Russian security services to protect both leaders during the high-stakes Aug. 15 summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The operation, announced by Trump just a week earlier, has been compressed into an unusually short planning period, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 14. According to people familiar with the preparations, the security effort has turned into an all-out sprint. Holding the meeting on American soil allows the Secret Service to move weapons, communications equipment, and medical gear without foreign restrictions, but Alaskas geography poses logistical hurdles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anchorage has limited hotel capacity and a small rental car market, forcing vehicles, motorcade SUVs, and other assets to be flown in from the continental U.S. The summit will take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaskas largest military installation, chosen for its controlled airspace, fortified perimeter, and immediate access to military units. The Cold War-era base, located less than 1,000 kilometers from Russia, is closed to the public. Security arrangements follow strict reciprocity protocols, with each side matching the others personnel and resources from motorcade composition to the number of translators and secure waiting rooms. The Secret Service will guard Trumps outer perimeter, while Russian agents will control Putins immediate movements. The meeting comes as Trump indicated the talks could include potential territorial swaps between Ukraine and Russia an idea that Kyiv has firmly rejected. Ukraine was not invited to the meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A source in the Ukrainian Presidents Office told the Kyiv Independent that Moscow had suggested Ukraine withdraw its troops from government-controlled areas of partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. In exchange, Russia would pull back from parts of Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts in the northeast. President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed any proposal that would see Ukrainian territory ceded to Russian control. In the days leading up to the summit, Russian forces have intensified their offensive in eastern Ukraine, advancing roughly 10 kilometers near the city of Dobropillia a move that threatens to destabilize Ukraines defensive lines in Donetsk Oblast. Read also: From war criminal to US guest Trump invites Putin out of isolation Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive to waiting media during a joint press conference after their summit on July 16, 2018 in Helsinki, Finland. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive to waiting media during a joint press conference after their summit on July 16, 2018 in Helsinki, Finland. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) With President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled to meet in Alaskas Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to discuss bringing an end to the war in Ukraine, the optics could be setting the stage for a normalized U.S.-Russia energy collaboration in the Arctic. This concept was previously expressed by Kirill Dmitriev, Russian envoy and head of Russias sovereign wealth fund. Following the U.S.-Russia summit regarding Ukraine conducted in Riyadh, on Feb. 18 Dmitriev made clear that the Kremlins priority is energy development in the Arctic. While the official purpose of this Alaska meeting involves Ukraine security issues, the geography of the Alaska setting and the states position in a resource-rich oil, gas and mineral region offers a background narrative to ease sanctions in Russias strategic Arctic domain. The bilateral negotiation space that offers diplomatic legitimacy to discuss joint resource development is an opportune moment to discuss joint energy development in the Arctic region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The meeting appears to be part of Russias ongoing hybrid war, with Putin controlling the agenda. Hybrid war is a strategy that uses cyber, economic, legal and political tactics to influence, disrupt or control a civilian population while avoiding open, declared war. As Trump reflects a preference for personal diplomacy over cooperation with alliances, he is susceptible to Putins focus on the acquisition of energy resources. In March, a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was broadcast globally. During the encounter, Trump and Vice President JD Vance demanded expressions of gratitude, while pressuring Zelenskyy to sell critical minerals to the U.S., including resources located in Russian-occupied regions. The exchange revealed a more concerning strategic realignment: one rooted in coercion over cooperation, transactions over treaties, and, promoting the idea of land swaps, the subordination of sovereignty to invasion. Trumps focus on critical minerals has been codified through executive orders. He directed the secretary of commerce to initiate an investigation, under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, on the national security implications of critical mineral imports. Invoking the Defense Production Act, Trump issued orders accelerating domestic mining and processing, framing mineral extraction, an admittedly decades-long process to implement, as essential to national security. His strategy, combining executive action at home with coercive negotiations abroad, in locations including Ukraine, Greenland and Canada to resource-rich, unstable regions such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. In a Jan. 20 executive order, Trump reversed environmental protections enacted by the Biden administration, calling them an assault on Alaskan sovereignty, calling the largest and northernmost state, a true energy warehouse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putins engagement with Trump has been described as a calculated interplay of conciliation and coercion, where Putin maintains strategic control, while Trump secures, mainly, symbolic wins. As Russia escalates hybrid attacks cyber intrusions, undersea cable disruptions, and disinformation in Europe it also probes air and sea space, as well as Western defenses along Alaskas coastline, with its network of forward-operating bases, nuclear icebreakers, air defenses and deepwater ports. Stars and Stripes has reported ongoing close encounters with Russian fighter jets and naval vessels in the Bering Sea, including operations inside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. In 2024, the North American Air Defense Command, or NORAD, and the U.S. Coast Guard tracked four separate incursions by Russian aircraft into Alaskas Air Defense Identification Zone. Sen. Dan Sullivan warned that Alaska is on the frontlines of authoritarian aggression. The upcoming Alaska meeting, without Ukraine or European allies, could be a prelude to joint ventures in energy production that exemplifies Putins hybrid strategy: offers of partnership underpinned by intended dominance. Similarly, Putin seeks dominance over Ukraine with his refusal to accept Ukraines membership in NATO or the European Union, leaving Ukraine without security guarantees, potentially setting the stage for a second invasion. As the emerging world order is being reshaped, in part, by resource control, the three globally dominant partners Russia, China and the United States appear to function, as during a century ago, where might makes right, by force of will rather than law. In such a system, Alaska risks becoming both a bargaining chip and a political battleground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hosting Ukraine talks in the Arctic could offer the possibility for Russian and American cooperation in what Mikhail Gorbachev once called a zone of peace, along with the affirmative caution of Gen. Mark Milley that the U.S. must up its game in the Arctic. In the meantime, Trump must provide Zelenskyy with the weapons that he needs to drive out Russia and prevent a repeat. However, to achieve such goals, Alaska and Europe must be more deeply involved. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX ANDERSON For a second time, the Anderson City Council has tabled a resolution to implement Complete Streets guidelines while adopting changes to the proposal. The city council will conduct a special meeting at 3:30 p.m. Thursday to consider final adoption of the resolution to approve the Complete Streets format. Complete Streets is intended to make the city more user-friendly for pedestrians and bicyclists in the future as work is done on city streets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Complete Streets should be considered for all stages of the development process, including planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and reconstruction," a passage in the resolution reads. Prior to the Thursday meeting, Mayor Thomas Broderick Jr. sent an email to the council members voicing concerns about a proposed amendment. The amendment would have given a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee the ability to oversee the implementation of the policy. A second concern raised by Broderick was about a requirement for the city engineer to submit semi-annual reports to the committee and the Anderson Board of Public Works. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The amended document is inappropriate as it shifts the executive authority from the executive, the Board of Public Works and the City Engineer to an appointed committee of citizen appointees, Broderick wrote. He said it would also create an unnecessary redundancy of work for the city engineer. Lance Stephenson, president of the council, proposed a change in the resolution that the committee would advise the implementation of the policy and make information available by public record reports to the committee and Board of Works. Broderick also noted that the Anderson City Attorney, Paul Podlejski, is required to review all resolutions and ordinances, a step that didnt take place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Councilman Greg Graham said if the council adopted the resolution, it should be done in the right manner. The city attorney has to review the legislation, he said. We dont want to vote to adopt and then have the legality questioned in the future. Stephenson said Podlejski would have time to review the amended resolution prior to the special council meeting. Councilwoman Jennifer Culp said the proposed changes would have allowed the citizen committee to have input on future projects. Its an advisory committee, she said. This is a great idea as we move forward. Local business owner Ben Orcutt, an advocate for the Complete Streets policy, said the resolution would require a formal setting for the committee to meet regularly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The goal is transparency and to have people involved, he said. A bicycle/pedestrian advisory committee was formed in 2016 and has only met once since that time. Earlier this year, the council appointed Brad Douglas and Richard Kelly to the advisory committee and recommended Julie Ward as a representative of Anderson University. Broderick has three appointments to the advisory committee. The nine-member committee will include representatives from the city park, street, municipal development and city engineers departments. ANDERSON, S.C. (WSPA) An Anderson man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of a 2021 double homicide. After a four-day trial, an Anderson County jury deliberated Thursday for just over an hour before convicting Frank Thomas Rhoads of two counts of murder and one count of possession of a weapon during a violent crime. The incident occurred on February 6, 2021, when Rhoads shot Dequavious Tillison and Lorenzo Hunter as they sat in a vehicle outside Tillisons house in the City of Anderson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier that evening, Rhoads and two family members, William Christopher Flynn and Dominick Michael Rhoads, confronted Tillison at a local bar about his relationship with Rhoads stepdaughter. After the bar closed, Frank Rhoads and his co-defendants drove to Tillisons house. When Tillison arrived shortly thereafter, Frank Rhoads approached the vehicle driven by Hunter and fired seven shots, hitting Tillison twice in the head and Hunter four times. Frank Rhoads then fled the scene with his co-defendants. The defendants went on the run across the Southeast and were eventually captured in Virginia six days later after leading authorities on a high-speed chase down the wrong side of the interstate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Honorable R. Lawton McIntosh sentenced Rhoads to the Department of Corrections for the remainder of his natural life. Dominick Rhoads and Flynn remain in custody, awaiting their trials. 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. A federal appeals court panel on Friday overturned a judges block on the Trump administrations dismantling of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), paving the way for mass layoffs to resume. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit panel voted 2-1 that employee unions and groups that use CFPB services have no right to bring their challenge in federal court. It lifts a block that for months has prevented the CFPB from conducting planned layoffs affecting at least 80 percent of the bureaus remaining workforce and terminating contracts. The new ruling doesnt immediately go into effect, however, first giving the plaintiffs a chance to appeal further. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the plaintiffs theory were viable, it would become the task of the judiciary, rather than the Executive Branch, to determine what resources an agency needs to perform its broad statutory functions, wrote U.S. Circuit Judge Gregory Katsas, an appointee of President Trump. Katsas was joined in the majority by U.S. Circuit Judge Neomi Rao, also a Trump appointee. U.S. Circuit Judge Cornelia Pillard dissented, calling the decision untenable. The notion that courts are powerless to prevent the President from abolishing the agencies of the federal government that he was elected to lead cannot be reconciled with either the constitutional separation of powers or our nations commitment to a government of laws, wrote Pillard, who was appointed to the bench by former President Obama. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CFPB became an early target of former White House aide Elon Musk as the Department of Government Efficiency sought to reshape the federal bureaucracy, agency by agency. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought was tapped by Trump to serve as CFPBs acting director, where he quickly looked to dismantle the agency that was established following the 2008 financial crisis. Vought stopped the CFPB from drawing down more funding and took other drastic steps, including issuing stop work orders, canceling the lease of the agencys headquarters and planning mass layoffs. The CFPB is now free to right-size itself in accordance with the law to best serve the American people, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on the social platform X, celebrating the appeals ruling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In March, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson barred the administration from moving forward and required that fired employees be reinstated. She also ordered some cancelled contracts be restored. The judges ruling came in response to a lawsuit brought by two unions that represent CFPB employees, the National Treasury Employees Union and the CFPB Employee Association. They sued alongside the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Consumer Law Center and the Virginia Poverty Law Center, which use CFPBs services. Eva Steege, a Lutheran pastor given months to live by her doctors, also joined. Steege raised concerns she couldnt discharge her student loan debt before her death because the CFPB canceled her meeting with the student loan ombudsmans office in the wake of the dismantling. Steege died March 15. Adina Rosenbaum, an attorney at Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group that is part of the plaintiffs legal team, said they were strongly considering asking the full D.C. Circuit to review Fridays ruling. The Trump administration does not have the authority to abolish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which was created by Congress and which plays an important role in protecting consumers across the country, Rosenbaum said in a statement. Updated at 2:37 p.m. EDT Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 federal appeals court panel has cleared the way for the Trump administration to largely dismantle the work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, lifting a lower-court judges injunction that had preserved the agencys structure and barred mass layoffs for months. The2-1 ruling, authored by Judge Gregory Katsas, said a series of legal defects in the lawsuit brought by CFPB employees and the NAACP doomed the case and required the district court judges blockade to be lifted. Katsas, a Trump appointee, said the fatal flaw was the broad challenge against what the employees described as a master plan to shutter the agency altogether. While individual layoffs or contract terminations may be challenged in court, Katsas wrote that the sweeping directive to close the agency alleged in the lawsuit was not something the courts could review, particularly because it was unclear that the administration had made a final decision to carry out the closure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plaintiffs seek to set aside an abstract decision, inferred from a constellation of discrete actions, to prophylactically ensure that the Bureau can fulfill its statutory mandate, Katsas wrote. If the plaintiffs theory were viable, it would become the task of the judiciary, rather than the Executive Branch, to determine what resources an agency needs to perform its broad statutory functions. Katsas was joined in the decision by Judge Neomi Rao, another Trump appointee. Judge Cornelia Pillard, an Obama appointee, dissented. The decision may be appealed to the full bench of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals or to the Supreme Court. The ruling is a hard-won victory for the Trump administration after losing repeated rounds in court since March. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee, found that the administration had been attempting to unlawfully shutter the CFPB and blocked the large-scale dismantling, finding that the agency had been unable to perform legally required tasks. Jacksons decision followed a two-day hearing in her courtroom that aired deep turmoil and tension within the agency as Elon Musks DOGE employees attempted to commandeer the agencys systems. Emails and other records produced during the court battle shed more light on the chaos unleashed among senior officials, particularly after acting CFPB head Russ Vought called for a stoppage of work tasks in February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pillards dissent accused Katsas and Rao of taking too narrow a view of the courts ability to prevent the Trump administration from violating the law. The Presidents chosen CFPB leadership may within those constraints run the Bureau as it determines best serves the public interest. But it is emphatically not within the discretion of the President or his appointees to decide that the country would benefit most if there were no Bureau at all, Pillard wrote. The notion that courts are powerless to prevent the President from abolishing the agencies of the federal government that he was elected to lead cannot be reconciled with either the constitutional separation of powers or our nations commitment to a government of laws. As the legal fight over the CFPB has played out in court, Trump and Republicans have successfully slashed the bureaus funding. The GOP tax and spending megalaw Trump signed in July cuts by roughly half the amount of funding the CFPB can request to finance its operations from the Federal Reserve. And even with the legal roadblocks, Trump administration officials have already moved to curtail much of the agencys work. In recent months the CFPB has dropped lawsuits against companies, reversed settlements and is seeking to drastically reduce its oversight of a range of industries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, the White House is enlisting the CFPB in its fight against debanking, a crackdown on allegations that banks closed the accounts of conservatives or conservative-aligned industries for political purposes. The CFPB is among the regulators Trump tasked earlier this month with examining whether banks were engaged in that practice. The CFPB has also announced that it plans to rewrite a sweeping Biden-era regulation governing financial data-sharing. Crypto executives and financial technology firms have been lobbying Trump to enforce a Biden-era policy that prohibits banks from charging fees for that data-sharing which fintechs and crypto firms use to power their services and make it easier for customers to set up accounts and move money. The use of video surveillance on dairies has many benefits: cameras allow eyes on areas where it is not always feasible to physically monitor and provide insights into both animal and human behaviors on-farm. While the benefits are numerous, it is also critical to stay within legal and ethical bounds in camera installation and use. Emily Skowronski of Cattle Care discussed details on this topic at the recent NMC regional meeting in Rochester, N.Y. Covering the basics of areas acceptable for monitoring is the first topic Skowronski discussed. Public areas or work zones are appropriate for surveillance. This includes parlors, holding pens, and any area where animals are located on the dairy. Included in the definition of work zones are all feeding areas, feed or commodity sheds, and exteriors of buildings. She noted that areas where privacy is to be expected include areas such as locker rooms, break rooms, and bathrooms. Skowronski discussed the importance of compliance with federal and state laws and regulations for on-farm camera systems. One of those federal laws is the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), which includes use of electronic surveillance for legitimate business purposes and defines data storage regulations. Additionally, producers must comply with state laws as well as federal laws; these should be noted and clarified with local labor attorneys. Skowronski gave an overview of several states with specific laws that dairy owners and operators should be aware of. California requires a 14-day written notice before surveillance can begin. The state also has a more specific definition of reasonable expectations of privacy and audio recording. Wisconsin has a Privacy Statute that does not require employers to receive written acknowledgment of awareness of recording, but Skowronski noted this is a highly recommended practice. She also touched on additional considerations for Wisconsin, as smaller farms meeting specific criteria (10 employees or fewer) may be exempt from certain OSHA regulations. Lastly she covered New York, where employers must post visible notices, but only where video surveillance is occurring. Also, in New York, employers must provide written notice and secure written or electronic acknowledgement. Skowronski emphasized that physical signatures are strongest. She added thoughts on overall best practices and ethical monitoring, reminding attendees that video is permissible where the cattle are located. If cameras are to be installed in inventory, storage rooms, and equipment, they must be located only in work zones. Other best practices include posting visible signs where video surveillance occurs, and keeping staff up to date with information on location and surveillance via the farms employee handbook. Lastly, data security needs to be considered in video surveillance, as all footage that is stored is susceptible to a data breach. Skowronski recommended choosing videos to save for long-term purposes, saving that footage on an external drive, and permanently deleting unnecessary footage. Skowronski closed by reminding attendees that camera technology can improve safety, efficiency, and compliance, but must be implemented ethically, legally, and transparently. Understanding responsibilities under federal and state laws, being transparent with employees, working with labor attorneys, providing translations where needed, and working closely with camera companies during the installation process and beyond. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. A woman using Covid-19 rapid self-test kit at home. (Photo by Tang Ming Tung/Getty Images) A southwest Washington restaurant fined nearly $1 million for repeatedly violating the states indoor dining ban during the COVID-19 pandemic must pay the penalty, a state court of appeals ruled this week. Stuffys II Restaurant in Longview, owned by Glenda and Bud Duling under Duling Enterprises LLC, owes $936,000 in fines $18,000 for each of the 52 days Stuffys II remained open for indoor dining while an emergency proclamation banning it was in effect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The three-judge panel determined that the restaurants willful violations of the emergency proclamation caused significant harm by repeatedly exposing Stuffys II employees to a potentially deadly disease. The court also found that Duling Enterprises failed to prove the fine amount was excessive. The state Department of Labor and Industries fined Stuffys II Restaurant an initial total of $126,000 in January 2021 for violating then-Gov. Jay Inslees emergency order banning indoor dining. The penalty grew each day Stuffys II remained open after receiving the initial fine. Inslee issued the proclamation in November 2020 in response to rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The Department of Labor and Industries separately issued a rule requiring all employers to comply with the conditions of operations laid out in Inslees proclamation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stuffys II was one of roughly 25 businesses in Washington fined by the Department of Labor and Industries for violating statewide COVID orders as of January 2021, and one of a handful of restaurants hit with a temporary restraining order from the state attorney generals office requiring them to stop offering indoor dining. The Dulings publicly boasted about intentionally violating the governors ban. According to the appeals court decision, the Department of Labor and Industries calculated the fine for Stuffys II based on the severity of the offenses and the fact that the violations were willful. The restaurant owners first appealed the state agencys penalty to the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals, arguing the fine was excessive because they were unable to pay the large sum and there was minimal harm done by the violations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The board upheld the fine and the Dulings appealed to Cowlitz County Superior Court. After a Cowlitz County Superior Court judge also ruled in February 2024 that the fines were justified, the restaurant owners sought review by the state Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals issued its ruling on Tuesday, affirming the decisions of the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals and Cowlitz County Superior Court. While Duling Enterprises submitted tax returns from 2020 and 2021 to show that Stuffys II operated at a loss in 2020 and was unable to pay the fine, the appellate court ruled that a corporations inability to pay a fine doesnt automatically make it excessive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Such a harsh consequence may be warranted in light of the egregiousness of the violation, the Court of Appeals states in its ruling. Stuffys II has been closed since Aug. 4 due to a fire that broke out in the restaurants kitchen. The road ahead wont be easy or quick its going to take time, patience, and a lot of work. But were committed to rebuilding, picking up the pieces, and coming back stronger than ever, the restaurant stated in a social media post on Aug. 8. Duling Enterprises did not respond to a request for comment on the appeals court decision. You may be able to upgrade your iPhone to the newest model in less than a month. Many technology experts and Apple fanatics have made their predictions regarding the upcoming iPhone 17 and its accompanying models, adding that it could be revealed as early as next month. Here's what we know so far about the new iPhone and how to get it in Florida. When is the iPhone 17 rumored to be released? While Apple has yet to announce when its newest iPhone will launch, both Forbes and consumer technology publication CNET predict it will be announced on Tuesday, Sept. 9. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How did they come to that date? They highlight that it's Apple's next event. New products typically go on sale shortly after the event, with experts sharing it's usually the Friday of the following week. "For nearly a decade, Apple has announced its new iPhone lineup in early September," CNET writes, adding that the exception is during the 2020 pandemic. As for when it could physically be in stores, sources believe it will be in the weeks following the announcement. For example, the iPhone 16 hit the shelves on Sept. 20 last year, weeks after it was first announced on Sept. 9. What is the iPhone 17 Air? Apple is rumored to be releasing a new member of the iPhone family: the iPhone 17 Air. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Engadget reports the new phone will be the thinnest iPhone yet, at roughly 5.55 mm thick. Many believe this is in response to the trend of the "skinny phone," including the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. However, experts note this will come with some possible compromises to the hardware, such as only one camera and a smaller battery. CNET predicts it will be priced around $599, similar to the iPhone 16E earlier this year. It is unknown what it will look like or be made out of. What will the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro look like? Not much is confirmed about what the iPhone 17 or the Pros will look like. However, it is rumored that the Pro iPhone will see some tweaks and upgrades. "The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are rumored to switch from titanium to aluminum," Engadget reported. "They could also see the rear camera array expand to an entire "island" that extends across most of the phone's backside." Where are Florida's Apple stores? What other Apple products are expected to be released? Experts theorize that Apple will introduce two new Apple Watches (Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3), and possibly a new version of AirPods Pro. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Forbes says all will be announced at the same time and will almost certainly have the same release date. What is IOS 26? When is it launching? Back in June, Apple announced that iOS 26 was in the works, which is the operating system that runs on the iPhone. According to USA TODAY, Alan Dye, Apples vice president of Human Interface Design, called the rollout of iOS 26, "our broadest software design update ever" in a press release accompanying the announcement. The company emphasized a new material, liquid glass, as a key part of the new design. It is translucent and behaves like glass in the real world, but its color display will be informed by the content being displayed on the phone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The operating system will be available as an update for iPhone 11 and later "this fall." Add the launch to the calendar. When is the next Apple event? See the new launch as it debuts. While the event is not up on its website, sources claim Apple will go live on Tuesday, Sept. 9. Anyone can watch its events on Apple.com, the Apple TV app or its YouTube channel. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: iPhone 17 rumored release date, features, where to get it in Florida Area deputies are searching for a wanted man for failing to register as a sex offender. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Wayne County Sheriffs Office in Indiana wrote in a social media post that they are searching for 31-year-old Lane Fultz. He was convicted of felony rape and placed on Indianas Sex and Violent Offender Registry back in 2024. Fultz is wanted for a sex offender registration violation and a petition filed to revoke probation, the sheriffs office stated. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He weighs 170 pounds, has hazel eyes, and blond or strawberry-blond hair. Fultz also has a noticeable tattoo on his right inner forearm. The sheriffs office considers him dangerous. If you see Fultz, contact Wayne County deputies at 765-973-9393. You can also submit a tip by visiting this website. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] NEED TO KNOW Kyelonna Smiley, 15, was found shot to death in Phoenix on Aug. 4 Police identified 67-year-old Nohe Prado Morelia as the suspect he died by suicide days later Smiley's mother says she does not know why her daughter was at the senior community A 15-year-old girl was found shot to death in a west Phoenix apartment, and police say the case is now closed after the man suspected of killing her died by suicide. On Aug. 4, officers found 15-year-old Kyelonna Meya Smiley shot to death around 9:40 a.m. inside an apartment at a senior living community near 77th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard, according to a Phoenix Police Department press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives later identified 67-year-old Nohe Prado Morelia, a resident of the complex, as the suspect, per the release. Four days after Smileys death, Morelia was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a business near 24th Street and Van Buren. Since the date of Morelias death, Homicide detectives continued to work the murder of Kyelonna Smiley. This investigation has resulted in detectives establishing that Morelia was responsible for the murder of Smiley. No other suspects are believed to be involved in the murder. The motive remains unknown, the department wrote in their release. This case has been closed. Gofundme Smileys mother, Fiyonna Austin, told Arizonas Family that her daughter left home on Friday, Aug. 1, and was believed to be staying with a friend. When she didnt return by Monday, Austin filed a missing persons report. Two days later, she learned her daughter had been found dead. Its very frustrating at this point. Not knowing why my baby was taken. Im really mad. And the guy who murdered my baby took a coward way to the end the whole thing, took his life, and I just want to know why, Austin told the outlet. Gofundme She also spoke with Fox 10 Phoenix, saying: The person who took my baby away shattered my world. I am very, very sad and heartbroken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Austin said she had never met Morelia and didnt know why her daughter was at the senior community. Kyelonna was about to begin her freshman year at Trevor G. Browne High School, according to the outlets. A GoFundMe has been launched to help the family with funeral costs and other expenses. "This is incredibly painful to share with the rest of the world," her mother wrote in the initiative. "She passed away so young and had a whole life to live." Read the original article on People DENVER (AP) Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will again live with less water from the Colorado River as drought lingers in the West, federal officials announced Friday. The Colorado River is a critical lifeline to seven U.S. states, 30 Native American tribes, and two Mexican states. The cuts are based on projections for levels at federal reservoirs chief among them Lake Powell and Lake Mead released every August by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Arizona will again go without 18% of its total Colorado River allocation, while Mexico loses 5%. The reduction for Nevada which receives far less water than Arizona, California or Mexico will stay at 7%. California won't face any cuts because it has senior water rights and is the last to lose in times of shortage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Decades of overuse and the effects of long-term drought worsened by climate change means theres far more demand for water than what actually flows through the river. Low reservoir levels at Lake Mead have triggered mandatory cutbacks every year since 2022, with the deepest cuts in 2023, which hit farmers in Arizona the hardest. Meanwhile, the states are working to reach agreement by next year on new long-term rules to govern the river in dry years. The Trump administration gave a mid-November deadline for states to reach a preliminary agreement, or risk federal intervention. Negotiations have faced delays as states push back against how much water they should each give up. The original 1922 Colorado River Compact was calculated based on an amount of water that doesn't exist in today's climate. That leaves the Upper Basin states of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah to share far less water after the required amount is sent to the to the Lower Basin states of Nevada, Arizona and California. Lots of water is also lost to evaporation and leaky infrastructure. Fairly splitting the river's water in the era of climate change has been vexing for years, with all of the major users hesitant to give anything up as they anticipate a drier future. There has to be enough water in the reservoirs to reach the tunnels that usher water downstream, and ideally, even more water for hydropower generation. Key infrastructure like the Hoover Dam rely on certain water levels in Lake Mead to generate electricity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mandatory cuts and emergency water releases are reactive," said John Berggren, a regional policy manager at Western Resource Advocates, a nonprofit focused on climate change. If we are going to be able to have a sustainable Colorado River and not just be responding to crisis after crisis, we need large amounts of flexibility built into this new set of guidelines," he said. We can and must do better. Nature isnt waiting for us, said Becky Mitchell, Colorados commissioner in the Upper Colorado River Commission. States are considering a so-called natural flow approach to managing the river where the Lower Basin would receive a certain percentage of the average natural flow from the prior few years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Lower Basin states have helped stave off deeper cuts by coming up with voluntary conservation plans. Absent all of those measures, the river would be in a very bad place, said J.B. Hamby, chairman of the Colorado River Board of California and a board member for the Imperial Irrigation District, the largest user of the river's water. Still, he knows California, like others, will likely have to give up more in the negotiations. Dozens of conservation projects along for Upper Basin states and tribes are in limbo. President Donald Trump froze yet-to-be-distributed Inflation Reduction Act funds on his first day in office, which included nearly $400 million for those projects. The entire Colorado congressional delegation signed a letter earlier this month urging the release their portion of those funds. ___ Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This story has been corrected to remove a reference to the third year of cuts in the headline. The cuts announced Friday are set for 2026, which will be the fifth year. ___ Associated Press journalists Amy Taxin in Tustin, California, and Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado, contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment Daniel Holland, general counsel for the Arkansas Insurance Department's pharmacy benefit managers division, answers questions from the Arkansas Legislative Council on Friday, August 15, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) Arkansas lawmakers on Friday questioned whether the state Insurance Department is doing enough to enforce regulations on pharmacy benefit managers, the national prescription drug middlemen that have long frustrated state officials and local pharmacists. Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) negotiate prescription benefits among drug manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies and health insurance providers, and the biggest ones also own pharmacies and insurers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Insurance Department has been receiving fewer complaints from pharmacists alleging illegal behavior from PBMs since December, when the Arkansas Legislative Council approved a rule to require PBMs to include fair and reasonable dispensing fees in their reimbursements for prescription drugs, Daniel Holland, general counsel for the departments PBM division, told the council Friday. Exhibit H.05.a - DC - AID Rule 128 and PBM Enforcement June and August 2025 Pharmacies sent the department roughly 3,000 complaints in 2024, claiming PBMs either paid them below the national average of what drugstores pay wholesalers for drugs or paid them at or just above this amount, AIDs general counsel told lawmakers last year. This practice has been illegal since the state enacted Act 900 of 2015. The Insurance Department analyzed 3,347 data reports from health plans and PBMs and found that 654, or 19%, consistently reimburse pharmacies below NADAC, the national average drug acquisition cost, according to the departments report to the council. These 654 plans, managed by 12 PBMs found to be violating state law, cover approximately 340,000 Arkansas lives, the report states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Insurance Department asked six of the 12 PBMs for corrective action plans within the past month. Those drug benefit managers have until next month to implement those plans and report back to the department, which will then evaluate whether those PBMs have increased their average reimbursement to NADAC along with a fair and reasonable cost to dispense, the report states. The other six PBMs claimed confusion about the request or problems with the data. All of this is in an effort to figure out exactly how many plans are paying below NADAC on average so that we can minimize the impact of the cost to dispense [drugs], Holland said. The amount the Insurance Department fines a PBM for violating Act 900 ranges from extremely low to $5,000, and it depends on the amount the company pays a pharmacy below the average acquisition cost, he said. There wasnt a lot of certainty as to what the consequence was for payments below NADAC, Holland said. Im trying to create that certainty so that everybody kind of knows [this is] where we start, and if we see a pattern, were going to go up, all the way to the point of possibly pulling or denying a license. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Between June and July, the Insurance Department initiated nine new enforcement actions over 26 prescriptions reimbursed below NADAC, the report states. The investigations will result in consent orders that include statutory penalties or an Insurance Department administrative order if a PBM under investigation requests an administrative hearing. Lawmakers concerns Independent pharmacists said in September 2024 that they were struggling to stay open in rural areas with limited healthcare resources thanks to low PBM reimbursements. Lawmakers went on to pass the dispensing fee rule on a temporary and later permanent basis, though one Legislative Council subcommittee rejected the option and was overruled by the full council. Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, clarified to his fellow lawmakers that the rule was about dispensing fees rather than about NADAC reimbursements, even though much of the Insurance Departments report focused on the latter. Lets make sure everyones paying everything theyre supposed to be first before we start talking about what it means for a dispensing fee [to be] fair and reasonable, Dismang said Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Holland confirmed that this is the departments goal, but some lawmakers said pharmacies in their district are still struggling financially eight months after the rule passed. Fair and reasonable is one thing [but] the local pharmacists are telling me that the PBMs are at fault and theyre not seeing the action that they need to see, said Rep. Jim Wooten, R-Beebe. Rep. Jack Ladyman, R-Jonesboro, said his constituents have told him similar things and asked Holland if the Insurance Department can speed up this process. Holland said the department should be able to assess the rest of its PBM data in the next 30 days. At several lawmakers request, Holland agreed to compile a report detailing how many penalties the Insurance Department has levied against PBMs, how much money the penalties total, how many PBMs have been fined and how much the volume of complaints about PBMs has decreased this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There wasnt a lot of certainty as to what the consequence was for payments below NADAC. Im trying to create that certainty. Daniel Holland, general counsel for the Arkansas Insurance Departments pharmacy benefit managers division After more than a century serving Benton, Smith-Caldwell Drug Store closed in August 2023 due to financial insolvency and transferred its clients to Walgreens. Republican Sen. Kim Hammer, who represents Benton, said he believed the department should issue harsher penalties for PBMs that violate state regulations instead of increasing penalties gradually until they reach $5,000. Id like the agency to quit pussyfooting around with [PBMs], Hammer said. Fair and reasonable has been a discussion for way too long. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three pharmacy benefit managers OptumRx, Express Scripts and CVS Caremark manage 79% of prescription drug insurance claims for approximately 270 million people, according to a July 2024 Federal Trade Commission report. All three PBMs were among five plaintiffs that sued Arkansas in federal court over Act 624 of 2025. Hammer was a lead sponsor of the first-in-the-nation law, which would have banned PBMs from holding a permit to operate a drug store in Arkansas after Jan. 1, 2026. The other two plaintiffs against Act 624 are the Navitus Health Solutions PBM and the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association. The latter sued Arkansas over Act 900 of 2015, and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law in 2020. A federal judge temporarily blocked Act 624 in July, agreeing with the plaintiffs that the law likely violates the U.S. Constitutions commerce clause and is likely preempted by a veterans health care program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Act 624s supporters have said the law is necessary to ensure patients access to prescription medications, particularly for patients who live in rural areas or need highly specific drugs. The law received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House and Senate. Attorney Clint Lancaster, left, addresses the Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) EDITORS NOTE: The Arkansas Times first reported on the court documents used in this story. One of the Arkansas attorneys who led a paternity suit against Hunter Biden has been accused of domestic violence and abusing alcohol and prescription drugs by his attorney wife in court papers filed Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Saline County lawyer and Republican activist Clint Lancaster has a long history of prescription drug and alcohol abuse, unresolved anger issues, and unstable mental health, Jennifer Lancaster said in an affidavit filed along with a petition for separate maintenance and support in Saline County Circuit Court. She also seeks immediate, emergency custody of the couples two minor children. Clint Lancaster earlier this month represented Searcy County election commissioners and election workers before the State Board of Election Commissioners who were accused of election law violations. Jennifer Lancaster has also been a Republican activist and worked alongside her husband in the Hunter Biden paternity case. The Republican Party of Arkansas last December barred her from holding any party office for 20 years after she and the Saline County Republican Committee engaged in several disputes with state party leadership. In a separate case in Pope County, Clint Lancaster filed a name-change petition on Aug. 5 on behalf of a 19-year-old woman in which he said the woman recently learned she is his biological daughter and desires to take on the last name of her father and his family. A judge granted the name change in an order filed Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The paternity matter appears unrelated to Jennifer Lancasters separation filing, as Clint Lancasters adult daughter was born in 2006 and the Lancasters married in 2011, according to court records. Jennifer Lancasters affidavit alleges that she has repeatedly arranged rehabilitation treatment for her husband as recently as June and covered for his impairment in their law practice by drafting and filing pleadings on his behalf. JEN LANCASTER AFFIDAVIT-081325 She stated she needs the court to intervene to protect the children from immediate danger and preserve marital and professional assets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She alleges Clint Lancaster has abused alcohol and prescription medications for 10 years and has physically assaulted her in the presence of their children, causing them distress. She alleges he has left alcohol and drugs accessible to their children, including an unwrapped cannabis gummy on the youngest childs desk. Her husband went on a nearly two-week alcohol- and drug-fueled binge in June, during which he threatened multiple times, in front of the children, to kick my ass and to kill me, Jennifer Lancasters affidavit alleges. She also claims Clint Lancaster often displays an unhealthy fixation on firearms while intoxicated. Her affidavit asserts that in late June she arranged for him to travel to Madison, Wisconsin, for rehab, but that during a layover in Chicago, he became combative with airline staff and was denied boarding. He then disappeared, the court filing says, only disclosing where he was after she cut off access to their bank account. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clint Lancaster was involuntarily admitted to a Wisconsin hospitals psychiatric ward around June 28 but left after two and a half weeks upon learning insurance wouldnt cover the full stay, according to the affidavit. He promised to complete treatment in Arkansas, a pledge he immediately broke, Jennifer Lancaster alleges. She says her husband has talked about taking the children to stay with associates of his in Florida, including someone who is currently under investigation by the FBI and connected to known dangerous persons. The children have frequently witnessed their father passed out, acting erratically and unable to function, according to the affidavit. The children fear him, she says. She has allowed interaction with them only when she believed he was actively engaged in recovery; she says she often required him to submit to alcohol and drug tests. Since July 20, according to the affidavit, Clint Lancaster has opened new bank accounts, obtained multiple tattoos, bought a new car and said he plans to move to Florida to live with people who pose safety risks to the children. Arkansas National Guardsmen and central Arkansas law enforcement officers completed required training on Aug. 2, 2025 at Burns Park. (Courtesy of the Arkansas National Guard) The Arkansas National Guard has asked the federal government for authority to make immigration arrests, data shows. According to ICEs website, the Arkansas National Guard applied to receive authority under the so-called task force model of the 287(g) program. If the Guards application is approved, guard members who complete the necessary training would be allowed to conduct certain immigration enforcement activities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 287(g) Task Force Model serves as a force multiplier by allowing state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce limited immigration authority during routine police enforcement duties, according to ICE. ICEs website noted the Arkansas National Guards application as pending as of Aug. 14. It did not say when the application was submitted or when it could be approved. A spokesperson for the Arkansas National Guard did not respond to a request for comment. The application comes in the months after the Arkansas Legislature approved the Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act. Act 426 of 2025 requires the Arkansas State Police, Department of Corrections and county sheriffs departments to apply for authority to serve immigration warrants under the warrant service officer model and outlaws so-called sanctuary cities within the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Arkansas National Guard was not specifically included in the act. National Guard soldiers typically do not serve a law enforcement role. However, the Arkansas National Guard joined ASP and several other sheriffs offices in going a step further than what was required in the legislation by applying for task force model authority. According to data obtained by DeportationData.org via federal Freedom of Information Act requests, more than 1,500 people have been arrested by immigration authorities in Arkansas in 2025. The task force model is one of three 287(g) programs offered by ICE to local law enforcement agencies that impart limited degrees of immigration enforcement powers. The first, the warrant service officer model, allows trained law enforcement agencies to serve immigration warrants to those already in local jails. The jail enforcement model allows local law enforcement to identify and process those it believes are in the country illegally that are brought into the jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eleven Arkansas jurisdictions have received authority under one of the two models this year. But the task force model, which was originally suspended during former President Barack Obamas administration, grants local law enforcement immigration enforcement powers outside jails. Agencies approved by ICE can stop, question and arrest people based on suspicions of immigration violations alone something local law enforcement typically cannot do. President Donald Trumps administration revived the task force model after he retook office in January. The American Immigration Council, a D.C.-based non-profit that advocates for immigrants, has described the task force model as having a track record of racial profiling and harm. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Arkansas State Police director Col. Mike Hagar addressed lawmakers Thursday for the first time since the arrest of Andrew McGann, the man accused in a double homicide of a mother and father at Devils Den State Park on July 26. Speaking before a legislative committee at the Arkansas Capitol, Hagar praised the investigators who worked on the case and the two young girls whose courage helped lead to a swift arrest. Devils Den double homicide suspect pleads not guilty to capital murder charges Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victims, Clinton and Cristen Brink, were found dead along a hiking trail inside Devils Den State Park. Their daughters, ages 7 and 9, witnessed the attack and alerted a nearby hiker, who helped notify authorities. The couple had recently relocated to Arkansas. The girls eyewitness accounts, Hagar said, were vital to identifying the suspect. The crime occurred on a Saturday afternoon; McGann was in custody by midweek. Without the courage of those girls, we would not have made an arrest this quickly, Hagar said. Its heartbreaking. Hagar acknowledged the publics desire for information as details of the case became public, but said investigators had to protect the integrity of the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We always want to give more but we never want to do anything thats detrimental to the case or that might prejudice a jury, he said. Hairstylist at Springdale salon details Andrew McGanns arrest Lawmakers also questioned Hagar about public safety in state parks and how Arkansans can protect themselves. He responded by affirming his departments support for Second Amendment rights. The more good people we have with weapons, the more good that can come, Hagar said. Were as pro-Second Amendment as they come. The investigation involved multiple agencies, including federal partners. Hagar said tips from the public poured in days following the murders of the Brinks, and Hagar met with investigators every day during the investigation, stressing the need to put out as much information publicly as they could, while maintaining the integrity of an ongoing investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although additional details remain sealed due to the pending prosecution, lawmakers commended the state polices handling of the case. Those girls will carry this with them for the rest of their lives, one senator said. The way ASP handled this with professionalism and compassion made all the difference. WATCH: Videos shows Devils Den double homicide suspects arrest, booking into Washington County Jail The court has closed proceedings involving McGann for now, citing the sensitive nature of the case and the age of the surviving witnesses. McGann faces multiple charges, including capital murder. A trial date has not been set. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Arlington Independent School District (AISD) says it will appeal to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) over what it claims was a state error that reduced accountability scores for several campuses. AISD Superintendent Matt Smith said the issue arose from problems with the scoring of STAAR test results, which were evaluated using artificial intelligence for the first time this year. TEA listened when we picked up the phone and told them our concerns about the process. They acted on that, and Im grateful, Smith told WFAA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district paid more than $200,000 for human re-scores, which produced slightly improved results. Our re-score information, we submitted on time, shows that we had receipts for it, and there was an error on the back end. So, we didnt get the re-score results at the same time that Dallas did, and everybody else did, Smith said. Because of the delay, Smith said at least five campuses grades will be affected. Without the re-scores, we project our district to be a C. We have 70 campuses in our district with their own individual ratings. We believe we will see an increase in five campus letter grades and significant score improvement across multiple campuses, he told Fox 4. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While AISD works to correct what it says are state scoring errors, other North Texas districts are also facing heightened scrutiny from the Texas Education Agency. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the agency has notified the Fort Worth Independent School District that state intervention is mandatory due to persistent academic failures at a now-closed school, raising the possibility of a state takeover or further campus closures. In a letter dated May 5, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath informed Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Karen Molinar and school board President Roxanne Martinez that the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade which closed after the 2023-24 school year failed to meet state academic standards for five consecutive years. This triggers a state law requiring Morath to act, with options including appointing a board of managers to replace the districts elected school board and superintendent or ordering additional campus closures. SACRAMENTO, California Arnold Schwarzenegger is joining the growing list of California Republicans getting off the bench to help in the fight against Gavin Newsoms redistricting gambit. The former governor has been teasing a return to politics for the redistricting campaign, as POLITICO reported exclusively earlier this month , but in a post on X Friday, he made his position on Newsoms plan abundantly clear. Schwarzenegger wrote that he was getting ready for the gerrymandering battle while hitting the chest press machine in a shirt that read, F*** THE POLITICIANS TERMINATE GERRYMANDERING. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The post comes as the state awaits a formal proposal for newly drawn congressional maps to create more Democratic districts. Seemingly every Republican in California is jumping into the fight. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is leading the fundraising effort and hype machine against Newsoms campaign, as POLITICO reported Thursday. Alongside former state Republican Party chair Jessica Millan Patterson and operative Tom Ross, McCarthy said hes planning to raise more than $100 million for the opposition campaign. That will be in addition to a reported $30 million pledge from Charles Munger Jr., a champion for the states independent redistricting commission. That redistricting commission exists in large part because of Schwarzenegger. Over a decade ago, he pushed for two constitutional amendments that created the commission before campaigning for similar ones in Michigan, Virginia and Ohio. UPDATE: LDarius White is being held on a $350,000 bond in court on Friday, and his bond will be reviewed on Monday. Courtesy: Jerrita Patterson He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday to tell the court if he will be able to hire his own counsel. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A suspect was arrested Thursday after a fatal shooting in Hickory Hill in May, according to Memphis Police. On Aug. 14, the MPD Fugitive Unit took LDarius White, 26, into custody. LDarius White Photo by WREG LDarius White Courtesy of MPD White has been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and theft of property. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ORIGINAL: Man killed in Hickory Hill shooting On May 23, at 8:26 p.m., officers responded to a shooting call in the 6000 block of Apple Tree Drive at a hotel. Memphis Murder Map 2025 When they arrived, they found a male victim, and he was taken to Regional One in critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police said that preliminary information suggests that the shooting stemmed from an altercation between White, his girlfriend and the male victim. Investigators say the girlfriend told them her and White had gotten into a fight earlier that day, and she used social media to post her phone number asking for a ride to anyone willing to help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She told them the male victim called her number, drove to the hotel to pick her up and left right after. According to police, the girlfriend said that both of them later returned to pick up her personal items. 400lb man tells police hes too large to steal a car White waited in front of the business for his girlfriend and was armed with a revolver in the right pocket of his hoodie. The girlfriend and the man exited his vehicle, and he was armed with an AR style rifle. Thats when police said she told them White and the man began to argue, and the male victim blocked White from entering inside of the business as the girlfriend went inside to get her things. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The girlfriend said that while she was inside, the men stayed outside of the building until she came back. At some point, the victim went to his car, put his AR rifle in the front seat, and walked up to White, punching him, investigators said. White then chased the victim with the revolver aimed towards him, which forced the man to run away from his vehicle. Woman carjacked at gunpoint outside grocery store The girlfriend reported to authorities that White got a hold of the victims rifle and shot at his girlfriend and the victim over 20 times. The victim was struck multiple times and fell face down on the ground. White continued to shoot him several more times while he was face down, according to investigators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As White was about to leave the scene in his car, he stopped, got out of the vehicle, walked back up to the victim, and shot him three more times, police said. After that, authorities stated White took the rifle and got back into the car and left the scene, headed north on Apple Tree Drive. He is scheduled to appear in court on Friday. 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. Three weeks ago, Burmese artist Sai was in Bangkok, celebrating the opening of an art exhibition he had curated with his wife at one of Thailand's top galleries. Now the couple has fled to the UK where they plan to seek asylum, their exhibition about authoritarian repression censored after angering the Chinese government. The couple alleges Thai police are looking for them, though a police spokesman has denied knowledge of this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Human rights advocates have condemned the situation as an example of transnational repression. Featuring exiled artists from countries such as China, Russia and Iran, Sai says his exhibition, which opened on 26 July at the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre, saw repeated visits by Chinese embassy representatives, accompanied by Bangkok city officials, shortly after it opened. The show, titled Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machine of Authoritarian Solidarity, aims to show how authoritarian regimes collaborate in repression, according to one official description. Sai claims that the Chinese officials lodged complaints about works by Tibetan, Uyghur and Hong Kong artists, and initially demanded that the show be completely shut down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But, he said, the arts centre managed to negotiate a compromise that allowed the exhibition to continue after sensitive artworks and elements of art installations were removed. A BBC journalist who visited the exhibition in Bangkok this week saw several artists' names covered up with black paint in the descriptions of artworks. A description of the artists' homelands was also partially covered with black paint to conceal references to Tibet, Hong Kong and Xinjiang. The names of Tibetan, Hong Kong and Uyghur artists had been blacked out [BBC] Most of the censored artworks were by the Tibetan artist Tenzin Mingyur Paldron. Television screens that were supposed to show several films by the artist - one was about the Dalai Lama - had been switched off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tibetan and Uyghur flags had also been removed, as well as a novel about a Tibetan family in exile and a postcard about China, Israel and Xinjiang. A gallery staff member told the BBC that the exhibition had attracted many visitors in recent days after news of the censorship went viral online. The arts centre's management did not respond to the BBC's questions. But the BBC understands there was an email where the centre said they were "warned that the exhibition may risk creating diplomatic tensions between Thailand and China". The email also stated they made the adjustments "due to pressure from the Chinese embassy" transmitted through the Thai foreign affairs ministry and the Bangkok city government, which is the centre's main supporter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Chinese embassy statement in response to BBC queries accused the exhibition of openly promoting Tibetan, Uyghur and Hong Kong independence. It added that Thailand's "timely measures" showed that such a "false notion" has "no market internationally and is unpopular". It also said the show "disregards facts... distorts China's policies on Tibet, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong, and harms China's core interests and political dignity". "China opposes any attempt by anyone to use the pretext of cultural and artistic exchanges to engage in political manipulation and interfere in China's internal affairs." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statement did not address allegations that its officials had pressured Thai authorities and the arts centre. Television screens that were meant to screen Tenzin Mingyur Paldron's films had been switched off [BBC] The show's curators and exhibiting artists deny China's accusations. Tenzin Mingyur Paldron said his films "conveyed stories from the heart and sent a message of global solidarity", adding that the censorship was part of a Chinese "campaign of erasure and suppression" of Tibetans around the world. "Although I do support the people's will, there is no signage nor advocacy of independence [in the artwork]," said Clara Cheung, one of the artists whose names were blacked out. The Hong Kong artist's installation about China's surveillance in the UK was not affected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead of independence from China, "we promote freedom of expression, self-determination, and self-identification... basic human rights", Sai told the BBC. "Our exhibition gives space for artists who resist authoritarianism. These are voices often silenced in their own country. The fact that the Chinese Communist Party tries to shut it down proves the very point they are making." 'We realised we had to leave' Sai and his wife decided to leave Thailand as they were worried of being deported back to Myanmar, also known as Burma, where Sai believes he will be persecuted for his activism against the junta. Two days after the exhibition's opening, the couple was heading to their home in Bangkok when they realised that Thai police were looking for them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The BBC understands the couple received texts from gallery staff alerting them to the police's visit to the exhibition, and that officers had asked for the couple's contact numbers. At that moment, Sai said, "we realised we had to leave the country". The couple immediately purchased the earliest flight to the UK they could find. "We only had a few minutes to pack our belongings. My wife was shaking, she couldn't pack anything," he said. Just hours after they received the texts, they left the country. Thailand's national police spokesman Achayon Kraithong told the BBC that he had not received any information that police officers were looking for Sai, and said the accusation was too broad to prove. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Without specific information, we cannot comment on it. If there was enough evidence, we would be able to say if it actually happened or not," he said. The couple had fled their homeland in 2021 following the military coup. Sai's father is Lin Htut, the former chief minister of Myanmar's biggest state, Shan, and a member of Aung San Suu Kyi's ousted National League for Democracy. He was arrested and subsequently jailed on corruption charges. Sai's mother was put under house arrest for several months, and is now still living under heavy surveillance. Sai has long maintained the charges are false and insists that his father is a political prisoner. He has been vigorously campaigning for his release while criticising the junta. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The couple had eventually settled in Thailand and decided to put on their art show in Bangkok because of the large Burmese community there, and also because "Thailand plays a critical role to promote peace and stability for Myanmar... it's a secure place", said Sai. But he no longer feels this way. "When a foreign power can dictate what art can be shown, it undermines cultural sovereignty," he said. "Because of our activism, the targeting by authoritarian regimes against us has multiplied... my wife and I have no choice but to seek asylum in the UK." The show in Bangkok is about authoritarian regimes and repression, featuring exiled artists from Iran, China and Russia [Constellation of Complicity] Lord Alton of Liverpool, chair of the UK Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights, told the BBC that Sai's case "illustrates the extensive reach of China's campaign of transnational repression", and that he would support Sai's bid for asylum. "To pressure an art exhibition to censor exhibits in a cultural centre in another country is an outrageous violation of freedom of expression and should be widely exposed and condemned. The additional fears that this caused for Sai, leading him to flee Thailand for his security, are deeply concerning," he added. The Human Rights Foundation has called the incident "intimidation" that "reflects a coordinated effort to suppress artistic expression", while prominent Thailand-based activist Phil Robertson said it was "outrageous and unacceptable" that Bangkok city officials allowed Chinese censorship. The BBC has asked Thailand's prime minister's office for a response to these views. Fears of China's transnational repression - broadly defined as a government harassing or surveilling individuals in other territories - have risen in recent years. It has raised questions of whether host countries are aware of such actions, or even complicit. The relationship between Thailand and China has also been closely scrutinised. In 2015 Swedish citizen Gui Minhai, one of the founders of a Hong Kong bookshop that sold and published titles critical of Beijing, mysteriously vanished while holidaying in Thailand. He later reappeared in mainland China in police custody. Officials said he had gone to China voluntarily, but rights groups maintain he was abducted by Chinese agents. Earlier this year, at least 40 Uyghurs were deported from Thailand to China despite serious concerns expressed by the United Nations, the US and the UK. Beijing said the repatriation was conducted in accordance with Chinese, Thai and international law. That case had occurred while Sai was still planning his show at the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre. Despite concerns, he said, the centre decided to go ahead with the exhibition anyway. Now, Sai is contemplating his next steps while in the UK. He and his wife plan to showcase the uncensored art show in other countries once the exhibition ends its run in Bangkok in October. He believes the censorship has ironically boosted the profile of their art show, with "now many people in the world interested in seeing the exhibition" and discussing it online. "We didn't start this movement, the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) started it. We just laid the foundation (with the exhibition)... the rest has been nurtured organically, and endorsed, by CCP censorship like fertiliser." Additional reporting by Thanyarat Doksone. GONZALES, La. (Louisiana First) Hundreds of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and community members gathered on Thursday for one of the largest networking events in Ascension Parish, the Ascension Chamber of Commerces annual Business Expo & Summit. Chamber President and CEO Donnie Miller said the event is the biggest of the month for the parish, designed to foster collaboration and create opportunities for local businesses. As the Chamber of Commerce, our goal is to be the beehive of activity, Miller said. We want to bring people together and ensure that businesses have the ability to collaborate. After the expo, the connections do not have to stop. This is just the beginning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 500 attendees and over 100 exhibitors filled the Lamar Dixon REV Center, representing industries from banking and healthcare to creative services and community programs. Among the local businesses making their mark was Pirogue Adventures, owned by Bruce Waguespack. He said the expo gave him the perfect platform to share his brand, which is deeply rooted in Louisianas Cajun culture. Im kind of a best-kept secret, Waguespack said. We operate out of the Cajun Village, where its real Cajun heritage, and Ive learned people love Cajun, so I pour it on, baby. Organizers said events like this help growing businesses receive valuable feedback from industry peers, strengthen community ties, and highlight Ascension Parishs economic potential. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Chambers next major event will be the 2025 Young Ascension Professionals Anniversary Celebration & Murder Mystery. More information can be found here. 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 Louisiana First News. ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) An Asheville man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to drug and weapon charges. 28-year-old Torrey Lane Hodsden, of Asheville, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for using a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The sentencing follows an investigation that began in March 2023, when law enforcement began probing Hodsdens drug trafficking activities in the Asheville area. Hodsden, who was on federal probation in South Carolina, attempted to evade a traffic stop before being apprehended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the investigation, officers recovered a loaded .45 caliber pistol and over $3,694 in cash from Hodsden. A subsequent search of his vehicle revealed $44,661 in cash, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Further searches uncovered significant quantities of drugs, including over a pound of marijuana, nearly 200 tablets containing cathinone, over 100 grams of methamphetamine, and fentanyl mixed with cocaine. Law enforcement also seized additional cash and drug paraphernalia from Hodsdens residence. Hodsden pleaded guilty on November 19, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He will remain in custody until transferred to a federal 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 WSPA 7NEWS. Ashley Biden, former President Joe Biden's daughter, has filed for divorce after 13 years of marriage to plastic surgeon Dr. Howard Krein. The filing came just hours after an Instagram story from her verified account appeared to be aimed at her husband, the New York Post reported. The Instagram Story appeared on Sunday and was deleted shortly afterward. According to the New York Post, it featured a photo of a man and woman walking hand-in-hand, taken from behind, with the man wearing a short-sleeved, shirt and the woman in a strapless black dress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bidens caption over the image reportedly read: "My husband and his girlfriend holding hands." Ashley Biden Files For Divorce From Husband, Howard Krein, After 13 Years Of Marriage: Reports Ashley Biden (R) stands with her father, President Joe Biden, as they arrive to watch the Independence Day fireworks display from the Truman Balcony of the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2024. The New York Post reported that the story had been accompanied by the Notorious B.I.G. song "Another," featuring Lil Kim. In the clip, Lil Kim raps: "What do you do when your man is untrue? Do you cut the sucker off and find someone new?" Fox News Digital has reached out to Dr. Howard Krein for comment on the post and the divorce filing. Krein did not respond to Fox News Digitals request for comment. Read On The Fox News App Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the New York Post, other posts from Sunday included a video of Biden walking through a park, giving a thumbs-up to Beyonces "Freedom," and a reposted quote over Lauryn Hills "Freedom Time" reading: "New life, new beginnings means new boundaries. New ways of being that wont look or sound like they did before." Biden filed for divorce in Philadelphia Family Court earlier this week. The filing states the marriage is "irretrievably broken" and requests spousal support while the divorce is pending, according to filings reviewed by Radar Online. Ashley Biden Slams Reporting About Her Dad's Mental Acuity As 'Disrespectful And Untrue' Ashley Biden, the daughter of President Joe Biden, leaves the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on June 10, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden and Krein married in 2012 in Greenville, Delaware, at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church. The ceremony blended her Catholic faith with his Jewish heritage, followed by a reception at the Biden familys lake house in Wilmington. At the time, thenVice President Joe Biden praised his future son-in-law, telling People magazine: "This is the right guy. And hes getting a helluva woman." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Ashley Biden recalled her fathers role in the wedding, saying, "At the time, my dad was vice president, but he was also that dad who literally set up the entire reception. He was riding around in his John Deere 4-wheeler, fixing the place settings, arranging the plants, and by the way, he was very emotional." President Joe Biden embraces Ashley Biden during Day one of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, August 19, 2024. "Before he walked me down the aisle, he turned to me and said he would always be my best friend. All these years later, Dad, you are still my best friend." Krein is a New Jersey-born otolaryngologist and plastic surgeon. He serves on the faculty at Thomas Jefferson University and is Chief Medical Officer at StartUp Health. He previously served on the Biden Cancer Initiative board (20172019) and informally advised Joe Bidens 2020 presidential campaign on COVID-19 policy. Fox News Digital has reached out to former President Biden and Ashley Biden for comment and had not heard back as of publication time. The Philadelphia Clerk of Family Court could not be reached for comment. Fox News Brie Stimson contributed to this report. Original article source: Ashley Biden deletes social media post attacking soon-to-be-ex-husband amid divorce filing: reports This article may contain affiliate links that Yahoo and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links. It seems like every morning brings a new update on current and looming tariffs. These small import taxes on goods have rapidly become a cornerstone of President Trumps first year back in office with a dizzying timeline marked by threats, reversals, temporary pauses, and trade deals (sometimes all within a single day). While President Trump instituted a 10% baseline tariff in early April, the actual tariff percentage can vary widely, reaching up to 40% in certain countries that the President stated are contributing to United States trade deficits or engaging in unfair trading practices. At the same time, as of early August, the administration has announced a handful of trade deals most recently with South Korea and the European Union that include a lower tariff rate than what was initially assigned or threatened (15% instead of the threatened 25% for South Korea). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amidst all of this uncertainty, the impact on American consumers and grocery shoppers has been hard to discern. If a shoppers grocery list includes certain heavily imported foods such as fruits, nuts, coffee, and beef, they are more likely to be affected by tariff-related price shocks. And if they live in a region like the Midwest that relies on products from Canada (the second largest supplier of agricultural products to the U.S.), they may be feeling the impact of President Trumps 35% tariff on imports far more than those living in the Southeast. Not to mention that the Ukraine War, lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and climate-induced supply chain shortages for staples like beef and coffee are all also very real factors that play a role in price changes. With how integral groceries are to our lives (everyone needs them!), I was curious to know how shoppers from across the country were feeling about tariffs and grocery prices. So I reached out to half a dozen people across the political spectrum to get their perspective. And it turns out, despite varying opinions, everyone is more or less feeling the pinch. Tyler, a Georgia-based Republican who supports President Trump, sees the tariffs as a necessary pain for long-term American prosperity. He feels that the tariffs are proving to be an effective bargaining tool and price hikes on some food staples may be a more than fair price to pay for favorable global trade terms and a more self-reliant food system in the long run. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile Abdoullah, a self-described progressive Democrat from upstate New York, has noticed the rising prices and adjusted his shopping accordingly. Since the tariffs went into effect, Ive noticed my grocery totals being higher overall. My dollar does not stretch as far, he says. Fruits in particular are now more expensive, so I buy them less often. Kim, another progressive Democrat from New Orleans, Louisiana, has noticed similar price increases, as well as grocery shortages she likens to the days after a natural disaster. A lot of products that Im used to getting are gone, and the grocery store feels like after a hurricane, where there are big shortages in specific things, said Kim. I end up going to more stores, and it takes a while to find specific items, or I give up on the specific dish Im trying to make. Both Kim and Abdoullah estimate that their grocery bills have gone up by roughly 15 to 20% and squarely blame President Trump for the current situation. Abdoullah pointedly stated that Trump is obviously to blame for the tariffs and the burden they present to everyday Americans. There is no benefit to the average consumer; any alleged benefit is said to arrive in the distant future while millions struggle to put food on the table in the meantime. George, a New York City independent who agrees with some elements of Trumps agenda, falls somewhere in between on price increases. He recognizes the Presidents long-term goals but wishes that he would do more to protect consumers from short-term price increases. I understand what he is trying to do, but he is essentially using the American people as an interest-free loan. If he wants to go that route, the government should subsidize the cost difference to the consumer until the tariffs are removed due to better deals being struck because the other countries caved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Daniel, a South Florida Republican who voted for Trump (but does not consider himself an adamant supporter of the President), doesnt necessarily blame the President for rising costs, but instead corporations taking advantage of crises. I believe tariffs, COVID[-19], and wars are merely excuses for greedy corporations to squeeze more money from consumers. None of these companies are struggling, yet they need more and more and more profit annually, even if theyre already extraordinarily successful. Even the groceries found at bulk warehouses (which are historically known for price stability) are shifting in the eyes of shoppers. According to Mike, a New Jersey Republican and regular Costco shopper, Ive noticed that some stuff at Costco just isnt as good as it used to be, he explained. Some things dont taste the same and feel a bit cheaper in quality. Still, he has no plans to change his shopping habits, as Costco still has better prices than most large grocery stores especially when buying in bulk. As a grocery shopper myself, I cant help but personally feel frustrated watching the news and seeing my grocery bill rise. President Trumps new 40% tariff on Brazilian imports has me dreading my next visit to the Brazilian market, where I often go to get groceries that are so important to my weekly meals. I resonate with all of these shoppers and their worries about prices. But all I can do is budget where I can while I brace for more grocery changes. How are tariffs affecting you? Tell us about them in the comments below. The Weekly Checkout Sign up for The Weekly Checkout to get the most up-to-date grocery news, tips, and highlights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to The Kitchn! Classic Old Fashioned Cocktail Further Reading We Used Our New Room Plan Tool to Give This Living Room 3 Distinct Styles See How, Then Try It Yourself The Design Changemakers to Know in 2025 Create Your Own 3D Room Plan with Our New Tool Sign up for The Kitchn's Daily newsletter to receive our best recipes, posts, and shopping tips in your inbox. NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) An assistant attorney general in Rhode Island was arrested Thursday night and charged with trespassing, 12 News has learned. Police said they were called to the Clarke Cooke House in Newport just before 10 p.m. for customers refusing to leave. According to the attorney generals office, Special Assistant Attorney General Devon Flanagan was arrested. She has worked for the office for about seven years and is currently assigned to the Appellate Unit of the Criminal Division. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newport police identified her by her married name, Hogan, and said she was summoned to court on a charge of willful trespass. ALSO READ: Lincoln fire marshal faces child exploitation charges The attorney generals office said it immediately began reviewing the incident and anticipates the review will conclude within the next few days. The office declined further comment, citing personnel matters. Police said another person, Veronica Hannan, was also arrested on charges of willful trespass, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. This is a developing story and will be updated as further details become available. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking 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. Housing asylum seekers at a hotel is causing an "unacceptable" risk to public safety, the High Court has been told. Epping Forest District Council has applied for a temporary injunction to block asylum seekers from being housed at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex. Protests began outside the hotel last month and Essex Police said at one point up to 2,000 people were demonstrating near the hotel and 16 people have been charged with offences relating to the disturbances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Philip Coppel KC, representing the authority at the Royal Courts of Justice, said: "The protests have unfortunately been attended by violence and disorder." The protests began after a man living there was arrested and charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. Hadush Kebatu, 41, from Ethiopia, has denied the offences and remains on remand in custody. Mr Justice Eyre is hearing submissions from the 80-room hotel's owners into Friday afternoon, but said it was "unlikely" that a ruling would come this week. The council lodged the application on Tuesday and asked that it take effect within 14 days in the event it was granted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Coppel said: "Epping Forest District Council comes to this court seeking an injunction because it has a very serious problem. "There has been what can be described as an increase in community tension, the catalyst of which has been the use of The Bell Hotel to place asylum seekers. "It is a problem that is causing great local anxiety." A High Court judge is expected to make a decision on an injunction applied for by Epping Forest District Council [BBC] Mr Coppel said that the defendant, Somani Hotels, "did not advise or notify the local planning authority" to seek its views on the use of the site. "It was not until two months later, when Epping Forest received a complaint about the use, that the matter came to the planning department's attention," he continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added the hotel was no longer a true hotel because the residents had not chosen to stay there, like ordinary guests. "For them, the Bell Hotel is no more a hotel than is a borstal to a young offender," he said. It did not appear on booking sites and people did not go there for meals, drinks or meetings, he added. "It has been emptied out of all of the uses and purposes," said Mr Coppel. 'Breaking point' The council told the court in written submissions residents were reported to be scared and local businesses suffering. Councillors feared the area was at "breaking point" and there was a "persistent atmosphere of tension" since the town had become a "focal point". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Coppel pointed out there were three schools with 1,800 students within a one-kilometre (0.6 mile) radius of the hotel, and they would soon be re-opening for the autumn term. "Having this sort of thing go on in such a concentration of schools with no measures in place to stop a repetition is not acceptable," he said. "It really could not be much worse than this." He said the case has been brought against the hotel owner because it was the landowner, and had previously applied for planning permission. Concluding his submissions, Mr Coppel told the judge that if an injunction was not granted, "Your Lordship will be telling the residents in Epping: 'You have just got to lump it.'" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added that the council is "acting in a proportionate way, in the interests of its residents", and that "enough is enough". Lawyers representing Somani Hotels told the court that an injunction would cause asylum seekers "hardship" and would set "a dangerous precedent that protests justify planning injunctions". 'Entirely wrong' Piers Riley-Smith, for the hotel firm, told the court in written submissions that the injunction bid should be delayed to a later date and that the Home Office's contracted service provider, Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited (CTM), should be involved in the case. He said the alleged planning breach was "not flagrant", and it was "entirely wrong" for the council to "suggest the use has been hidden from them". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hotel previously housed asylum seekers from May 2020 to March 2021, and from October 2022 to April 2024, he added. He added the company was not arguing the concerns of Epping's residents were "not genuine", but they did not justify an interim junction to stop the use of the hotel. He said the recent protests had expanded far beyond the local community and encompassed "concerns about wider ideological and political issues from those outside the community." But these were "not relevant to planning", he added. The Home Office previously told the BBC: "It would be inappropriate to comment while legal proceedings are ongoing." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story Related internet links ST. LOUIS Last week, police arrested four teens in north St. Louis County after a chase, accusing them of carjacking an Uber driver. After being released by police, the same teens allegedly committed the same crime in the same neighborhood a little more than 24 hours laterthis time carjacking a Lyft driver. These back-to-back crimes highlight the continued challenges our community faces, especially when it comes to violent crime involving juveniles, said Mitch McCoy, director of Public Affairs for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) during a news conference last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Police say theyre frustrated with how the juvenile courts handle cases like these, but St. Louis attorney Johnny Simon believes rideshare companies also need to be held accountable. What did the rideshare companies know, right? What did Uber know? What did Lyft know, and what could they have told the drivers to potentially prevent the outcomes that were seeing, which are, you know, repeated carjackings, Simon said. Simon is seeking answers to those questions in the courtroom. Hes representing Rochelle Ameer in a wrongful death lawsuit against Lyft. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ameers son, Andrew, was killed while driving for the company in 2020. Things werent done right and maybe if they were, this wouldnt have happened, and I dont want it to happen to anyone else, Rochelle said. On March 3, the Missouri Court of Appeals reversed a trial courts decision to dismiss Ameers wrongful death lawsuit against Lyft. For the first time in Missouri history, the court ruled a rideshare app is a product and subject to Missouris product liability laws. Missouri men admit to $3M Ponzi scheme, targeting 90 victims Simon recently scored another victory against Lyft. While they wait for a trial date, Simon hopes the case will one day provide greater transparency and safety in the rideshare industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether it be a passenger injured by a driver, say, like a sexual assault, or, say, a carjacking, murder or something like that, for a rideshare driver, what that means is they will have an opportunity to actually conduct discovery, to find out what the company knew and when they knew it, and what could have been done to prevent incidents like that from occurring, Simon said. Regarding the lawsuit, Lyft said it cannot comment on pending litigation. The company did offer a statement about last weeks carjacking. It reads in part: Our thoughts are with the driver, and we have reached out to offer support. We have permanently removed the rider from the Lyft platform and stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation. Uber also responded to us about the attack on its driver last week, saying: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are deeply concerned by this attack on a member of the Uber community. Safety is a top priority and is built into the Uber app. We banned the riders account and have been in contact with law enforcement to help support their 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 FOX 2. Attorneys for WDIV-TVs Hank Winchester announced Aug. 15 that the law enforcement investigation into the Local 4 consumer reporter has ended with no criminal findings and no warrants will be issued. Hank Winchester has been exonerated and cleared, said attorney Neil Rockind, describing Winchester as the victim of baseless and unfounded allegations. Rockind and attorney Todd Flood held a news conference Friday in downtown Detroit to share what Flood called the great news. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to them, Winchester has been a victim of allegations that spread internationally after one TV station published a story that Rockind said spread like wildfire. Although they didnt identify the station, WJBK-TV (Fox 2 Detroit) reported in June that Winchester's home was searched by Beverly Hills police, joined by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. Fox 2 Detroit also reported that sources said the accusations against him stem from alleged sexual advances he made to a man during a massage and that electronics had been taken from Winchester's home. Neil Rockind, left, and Todd Flood, attorneys for Hank Winchester, at a news conference held in downtown Detroit on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. Flood reiterated at the news conference that he had stated back in June that this investigation will end where it began nowhere." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement from the Oakland County Prosecutor's office, chief assistant prosecutor David Williams said: After a thorough investigation, which involved multiple interviews as well as searches of both the scene of the incident and electronic devices, the Beverly Hills Police Department presented their findings to our office. On the facts of this case, it was concluded there was no cause to file any charges against Mr. Winchester. Williams stated that the prosecutors office "takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously" and that though this matter concerned a local media figure, "it was handled with the same consideration as any other." WDIV's ClickOnDetroit website posted a statement from Winchester that said: Im thankful this investigation is over. The allegations made against me were outrageous, unfounded and defamatory. Throughout my 24-year career in Detroit, my mission has always been to help the community I love, protect you from bad actors, and fight for justice. I will always fight for you just as Ive recently had to fight for myself." Winchester continued: "I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has shown me tremendous support, especially my family and friends. The messages from so many of you greatly helped me through this incredibly difficult time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Displayed at the news conference next to the table where Flood and Rockind were seated were two posters showing excerpts from polygraph exams from June and July that Winchester took voluntarily, according to the lawyers. The copy on both of them read, The result of this polygraph examination was NO DECEPTION INDICATED (NDI)." They both stated Winchesters test did not contain any consistent response indicative of deception. (In Michigan, polygraph tests are not admissible as evidence in courtrooms. However, they can be used in investigations and can influence prosecutorial decisions.) Near the end of the conference, Flood showed a poster with a photo that he said was from the social media account of the alleged person who made the claims against Winchester. The individual, whose face was blurred, was making what appeared to be a Nazi salute with his arm. The word "Hitler" was typed at the bottom. Stressing that high-profile people like Winchester are easier targets for false claims, the attorneys spoke of the beating taken by Winchester's reputation and the suffering that his family and loved ones have endured. "It was all for nothing, said Rockind. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In June, the Free Press reported that WDIV had placed Hank Winchester on leave amid an investigation. Hank Winchester in 2024. Bob Ellis, WDIV vice president and general manager, wrote in a June 18 statement: "We here at Local 4 have been made aware of an external investigation regarding Hank Winchester. As of this time, he has been placed on administrative leave. While the investigation is ongoing we wont make any further comments." Winchester began working at WDIV in 2001, according to his station biography. The Emmy award-winning consumer investigative reporter is known for WDIVs Help Me Hank segments. This story has been updated.Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: WDIV's Hank Winchester 'exonerated and cleared,' attorneys say MEMPHIS, Tenn. A forensic audit of Memphis Shelby County Schools is currently underway after WREG Investigators learned the state has hired a firm, and that firm was set to be on-site at district offices this week. This past session, state lawmakers requested and approved funding for the Tennessee Comptrollers Office to hire an accounting firm to conduct an internal controls assessment and forensic audit of the district. State lawmakers approved spending up to $6 million on the audit. According to a letter WREG Investigators uncovered, the state notified the interim superintendent and the board two weeks ago stating the selected firm, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, would be doing two things: review the design and implementation of MSCSs internal controls and provide an assessment, and conduct a forensic audit of financial records, transactions and processes to identify any fraud waste or abuse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter went on to stress that CLA will act as an agent of the comptrollers office, and the scope would focus on fiscal years ending June 30, 2022, through June 30, 2024. Weve had clean audits for the last three or four years. Bring the audit on. We have nothing to hide, MSCS Board Chair Joyce Dorse Coleman said earlier this year. She, as well as the interim superintendent, has made it clear that they are committed to fully cooperating despite allegations from the states top lawmakers claiming the district may have already deleted or destroyed documents. Specific details were never provided. According to the Comptrollers Office, the accounting firm had a virtual call last Thursday with district staff and representatives from their office, and C-L-A would be on-site beginning this week to perform an official entrance conference and to begin gathering information. The contract further states, CLA will immediately contact the state if it finds any evidence of fraud, and all reports and findings will be made public. Its unclear when those reports will be wrapped up. The contract term lasts until January 31, 2027. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Full contract below: 30705-25040-RFQ-CLA-Contract-start-7-28-25-FinalDownload 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. AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) A chance was given to change how the City of Augusta operates. The West Augusta Alliance meeting Thursday night updated residents on what may and may not change. After 30 years, Augustans and local leaders getting a chance to weigh in on what changes they would like to see to the charter. This meeting was aimed at providing residents with a better understanding of the charter and what it does. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Think of a Constitution, think of the establishment of the legislature, that is the commission, think of the executive branch which should be the mayor and either the administrator or the manager, were leaning towards manager for a number of reasons. Then you have the voters who play their role, said Marcie Wilhelmi, Chair of Augusta Charter Review Committee. Many residents spoke at the meeting including Gayla Keesee, Co-President of League of Women Voters of the CSRA. Keesee says while the committee did answer most questions, a lot of residents are still in the dark. Going to the Town Halls, going to the hearings, they are still questioning that process and I think it was not answered today fully, but, it is not in the purview of the charter review committee to make that change, said Gayla Keesee, Co-President of League of Women Voters of the CSRA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the biggest challenges for the committee has been the discussion of the form of government. Katie Davis, Co-President of League of Women Voters of the CSRA, explains some of her concerns with this process They seem very excited that they had interviewed a number of former mayors of the city and that they unanimously recommended the strong mayor model, well, you ask a mayor if a mayor should have more power, what kind of answer do you think youre going to get, Davis said. The next charter review committee meeting will be on August 21st. 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. AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) In the morning after Wednesdays heavy rainstorms, most of the water that flooded some local neighborhoods was already gone. As far as were aware right now, we have no road closures, said Austintown Township Administrator Mark DApolito. But Wednesday evening was a different story altogether. Neighbors in the Boulder Creek development in Austintown sent WKBN 27 First News videos of water rushing between homes and down the street. Some kids even took to body surfing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One homeowner sent a photo taken as the rains were starting, and another just ten minutes later. WKBN Storm Team 27 meteorologists say at that point the storm was dumping at a rate of nearly six inches an hour. Township road crews were out Thursday morning, clearing away debris from storm drains. They also discovered a sinkhole that developed when the rainwater washed away the ground next to an existing storm line. As neighbors cleaned up the mess, workers checked on a retention pond nearby where the water level rose several feet, but largely did its job. They all functioned. Were not aware of anything washing out. Were not aware of any large-scale flooding, DApolito said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DApolito showed a map detailing the townships 120 miles of storm sewer lines. He says the system is engineered to handle average rainfall, adding that Wednesdays 2-to-3 inches surpassed that. Homes in low-lying areas, or without separate storm and sanitary lines, had some of the worst problems. DApolito said those issues homeowners may need to address on their own. 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. Childcare workers banned in one Australian state will be prevented from "gaming the system" by moving to another jurisdiction, under proposed new laws. The "banned in one, banned in all" legislation means states and territories will now share information if a person's application to work with children has been rejected due to criminal history or workplace misconduct. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said the reform was needed as the current system has "loopholes" that can be exploited. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new laws - hoped to start at the end of the year - are part of wider safety reforms in the childcare sector after a spate of sexual and physical abuse cases have shocked the country . The proposed changes to Australia's working with children checks come almost a decade after a landmark royal commission into child sex abuse recommended the system be nationalised. Currently, each state and territory completes what is essentially a criminal history check required for those who work alongside children, but don't share the information with each other. Some jurisdictions also consider allegations of workplace misconduct. Rowland said there are no plans to nationalise the checks as states and territories will continue to manage their own systems, but that there will be more information sharing under a national "checking capability". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If you're banned from a working with children check in one state and territory, it means that you can't then go and apply for one somewhere else in Australia," she said. Rowland chaired a meeting of attorneys-general from across the country on Friday, and said representatives from all states and territories had committed to "pull out all stops" to enable stronger, "near real time" information sharing. Rowland blamed complex IT systems in different jurisdictions - as well as failings by successive governments - on the years-long delay for such a move. Childcare costs are notoriously high in Australia, with OECD data for 2020 and 2021 showing that those with two children under the age of three in full-time day care spent about 67% of their average gross income on it. Federal and state governments have poured millions of dollars into the sector in recent years, including funding to guarantee three days of childcare for low and middle-income families. The federal government also announced on Friday that 30 childcare centres have been told they must lift their standards or risk losing their government funding, under new laws introduced last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent months a series of high-profile cases of alleged sexual and physical abuse have been reported at childcare centres across Australia. Last month, police revealed a Melbourne childcare worker, Joshua Dale Brown, had been arrested and charged with 70 offences - including child rape - against eight babies. The case also prompted authorities to recommend infectious diseases testing, as a precaution, for 2,000 children from more than two dozen locations where Mr Brown had worked. MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) A senior lawyer in Australia has apologized to a judge for filing submissions in a murder case that included fake quotes and nonexistent case judgments generated by artificial intelligence. The blunder in the Supreme Court of Victoria state is another in a litany of mishaps AI has caused in justice systems around the world. Defense lawyer Rishi Nathwani, who holds the prestigious legal title of Kings Counsel, took full responsibility for filing incorrect information in submissions in the case of a teenager charged with murder, according to court documents seen by The Associated Press on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are deeply sorry and embarrassed for what occurred, Nathwani told Justice James Elliott on Wednesday, on behalf of the defense team. The AI-generated errors caused a 24-hour delay in resolving a case that Elliott had hoped to conclude on Wednesday. Elliott ruled on Thursday that Nathwanis client, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, was not guilty of murder because of mental impairment. At the risk of understatement, the manner in which these events have unfolded is unsatisfactory, Elliott told lawyers on Thursday. The ability of the court to rely upon the accuracy of submissions made by counsel is fundamental to the due administration of justice, Elliott added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fake submissions included fabricated quotes from a speech to the state legislature and nonexistent case citations purportedly from the Supreme Court. The errors were discovered by Elliotts associates, who couldnt find the cases and requested that defense lawyers provide copies. The lawyers admitted the citations do not exist and that the submission contained fictitious quotes, court documents say. The lawyers explained they checked that the initial citations were accurate and wrongly assumed the others would also be correct. The submissions were also sent to prosecutor Daniel Porceddu, who didnt check their accuracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judge noted that the Supreme Court released guidelines last year for how lawyers use AI. It is not acceptable for artificial intelligence to be used unless the product of that use is independently and thoroughly verified, Elliott said. The court documents do not identify the generative artificial intelligence system used by the lawyers. In a comparable case in the United States in 2023, a federal judge imposed $5,000 fines on two lawyers and a law firm after ChatGPT was blamed for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim. Judge P. Kevin Castel said they acted in bad faith. But he credited their apologies and remedial steps taken in explaining why harsher sanctions were not necessary to ensure they or others wont again let artificial intelligence tools prompt them to produce fake legal history in their arguments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later that year, more fictitious court rulings invented by AI were cited in legal papers filed by lawyers for Michael Cohen, a former personal lawyer for U.S. President Donald Trump. Cohen took the blame, saying he didnt realize that the Google tool he was using for legal research was also capable of so-called AI hallucinations. British High Court Justice Victoria Sharp warned in June that providing false material as if it were genuine could be considered contempt of court or, in the most egregious cases, perverting the course of justice, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. MANILA, Philippines (AP) Australia on Friday launched its largest military exercises with Philippine forces, involving more than 3,600 military personnel in live-fire drills, battle maneuvers and a beach assault at a Philippine town facing the disputed South China Sea, where the allies have raised alarm over Beijings assertive actions. The exercises are called Alon, meaning wave in the Philippine language, and will showcase Australias firepower. The drills will involve a guided-missile navy destroyer, F/A-18 supersonic fighter jets, a C-130 troop and cargo aircraft, Javelin anti-tank weapons and special forces sniper weapons. Military officials said defense forces from the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Indonesia will join as observers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This exercise reflects Australias commitment to working with partners to ensure we maintain a region where state sovereignty is protected, international law is followed and nations can make decisions free from coercion, Vice Admiral Justin Jones of the Royal Australian Navy said in a statement. The combat exercises are an opportunity for us to practice how we collaborate and respond to shared security challenges and project force over great distances in the Indo-Pacific, Jones said. The exercises will run until Aug. 29. Australia is the second country after the U.S. with a visiting forces agreement with the Philippines, allowing the deployment of large numbers of troops for combat exercises in each other's territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Philippines has signed a similar pact with Japan, which will take effect next month. It is in talks with several other Asian and Western countries including France and Canada for similar defense accords. China has deplored multinational war drills and alliances in or near the disputed South China Sea, saying the U.S. and its allies are ganging up against it and militarizing the region. China claims most of the South China Sea, a busy global trade route, where it has had a spike of territorial faceoffs with the Philippines in recent years. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also lay claims to the resource-rich waters. On Monday, a Chinese navy ship collided with a Chinese coast guard ship while trying to drive away a smaller Philippine coast guard vessel in the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Australian Embassy in Manila expressed concern over the dangerous and unprofessional conduct of Chinese vessels near Scarborough Shoal involving the Philippine Coast Guard and said the incident highlights the need for de-escalation, restraint and respect for international law. In response, the U.S. deployed two warships off the Scarborough on Wednesday in what it called a freedom of navigation operation to protest Chinas expansive claims, restrictions and its demand for entry notifications in the disputed waters. In February, a Chinese J-16 fighter jet released flares that passed within 30 meters (100 feet) of an Australian P-8 Poseidon military surveillance plane in daylight and in international air space, Australian defense officials said at the time. Beginning in the fourth grade, 30-year-old Rosie Paulik said she grew up receiving countless handwritten letters from her father. Over the years, she estimates she has acquired over 3,500 letters from her dad, 67-year-old Buz Ecker. Whenever she would be away at summer camp, when she left for college or even moved into her first apartment that was a mere 20 minutes away from their Cincinnati, Ohio, home, Paulik would always discover a handwritten note in her mailbox every single day. Each letter felt like a journal entry, ranging from topics like his classes he was taking during his doctorate program that concluded this year, how proud he was when she would hit career milestones, or even just detailing his favorite Subway sandwich, Paulik said. WCPO - PHOTO: Rosie Paulik grew up receiving countless handwritten letters from her father, Buz Ecker, since she was in the fourth grade. Now, her dad is writing letters to people around the world. Paulik's 2-year-old son now also receives letters from her father, and she has saved each and every one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each letter features his fatherlike sense of humor -- which might include some dad jokes -- somewhere on the page, she said. Sometimes during the letters, my mom will talk to him out loud when hes writing and hell write, 'Hold on, shes talking to me,' and she stops talking and then he gets back into the letter," Paulik said. MORE: Handwritten notes help lead search crews to mom and son stranded in California forest But this past July, she noticed her father -- who had finally earned his Ph.D at Antioch University in January -- had become "aimless" and she could tell "he wasn't feeling great." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A few days later, after recalling all the thousands of letters she had received from him, she thought of a solution: "I wonder if complete strangers would want to receive a letter from him," she thought at the time. So, she decided to post a TikTok, seeing if anyone would be interested in this proposition. Immediately, she received a resounding response and quickly acquired over 1,000 requests -- which as of Wednesday had grown to 1,200 requests -- for letters from her father. Thus, the Dad Letter Project, which is described as "mail that'll make you smile (or cry, in a good way)" on its website, was born, Paulik said. Courtesy Rosie Paulik - PHOTO: Rosie Paulik grew up receiving countless handwritten letters from her father, Buz Ecker, since she was in the fourth grade. Now, her dad is writing letters to people around the world. "People wanted to hear from a dad. They wanted to hear from a father figure," Paulik told ABC News. Her dad, who is spending the summer in Naubinway, Michigan, was "immediately on board," but she realized he might need help in accomplishing this task. So, they brought on three additional "Dad Staff Writers" to assist in fulfilling these requests, Paulik said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Paulik said each submitted request is different; some are grieving the loss of their own father and others are wanting to hear a funny anecdote. She recalls one request from a third-grade teacher in West Virginia who was "asking for my dad to be the third-grade class' pen pal," she said. MORE: Mom reunites with message in a bottle she wrote over 20 years ago: Very shocked "Sometimes, you just need a dad to remind you that youre doing great, to offer unsolicited life advice, or to tell you a joke so bad you have no choice but to laugh. Its like a hug, but on paper," the project's website said. Regardless of the topic, Ecker -- who has been writing about 10 letters every morning since the beginning of the project -- said every letter "comes from my heart." Courtesy Rosie Paulik - PHOTO: Rosie Paulik grew up receiving countless handwritten letters from her father, Buz Ecker, since she was in the fourth grade. Now, her dad is writing letters to people around the world. "I address the problems that they have as best as I can. I'm honored that they write me, and I'm happy to write them back," Ecker told ABC News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While they are "inundated" with the amount of requests, Paulik and Ecker said they plan on continuing the project past the summer because of the "big need that we're tapping into." They have also received questions about starting a letter-writing project with mothers, which is something they are beginning to look into, Paulik said. To receive a handwritten letter from one of the dads, Paulik said requests can be filled out on their website, where people can include their personal information, what they would like their letter to focus on and add in "anything you want the dad to know about you." MORE: Mom and daughter pen the most moving 'you are enough' letters to one another and it's all you need today Requests will be matched with one of the dads who will personally address the letter and fund "the stamp and the postage themselves," Paulik said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even though he claims his hand never gets tired from all the writing, Ecker said he gives his "best shot" in every story, and if he's "not in the mood or too tired," he stops and resumes the following day. Whether he's sending a letter to Italy, the United Kingdom or Hawaii, Ecker said he is "honored that people have opened up to me and I'm able to help them." "I have grown so accustomed to AI recently and I think these dads bring a level of authenticity into this world. So many people dont receive anything in the mailbox besides maybe coupons and bills. They are coming up with words to say for you, theyre putting the address on the envelope, putting a stamp on it and sending it out. Its so authentic and special," Paulik told ABC News. Aug. 14(Update): The Albert Lea Police Department posted on its Facebook page that authorities are clearing from the area. The man had attempted to steal someone's ATV. While the ATV was recovered, the suspect is still at large. The department advised people to lock doors, remove keys and take any personal belongings out when they leave their vehicles. (Original story): The Albert Lea Police Department and Freeborn County Sheriff's Office have advised the public to stay away from the wooded area between the City Arena and Minnesota Highway 13 as they look for an individual who fled from a vehicle. Officers, deputies and a K-9 are currently on foot. Check back for more information as it becomes available. Late June reports indicated that five tigers an eleven-year-old mother and four cubs were found dead within a wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka, India, suspected to have been poisoned by local villagers. What's happening? According to the Independent, poisoning cases sadly aren't uncommon among villagers who live near wildlife sanctuaries. By poisoning the carcasses of livestock animals like cows and goats, villagers target tigers through the prey that they ingest. Many farmers even put up electric fences around their land, causing the death of many a tiger as an unfortunate result. The country as a whole has lost over 100 tigers in 2025 alone, which means the death count in these first seven months alone comes close to rivaling that across the whole of 2024, per the Economic Times. Sixty of this year's fatalities took place within wildlife sanctuaries a statistic that calls into question the "refuge" quality of these designated spaces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ecological authorities are still launching their investigation, suspecting poisoning on the part of nearby residents and negligence on the part of sanctuary managers. "If negligence by forest staff is found or if the death were caused by electrocution, poisoning or any other reason, criminal cases would be filed," stated Eshwar Khandre of the Karnataka state government. Why is the loss of tigers concerning? Although the relatively high tiger population in Karnataka might suggest otherwise, tigers are an endangered species, and the loss of large numbers can have devastating repercussions for the ecosystem. After all, tigers are known for population control through predation, keeping other species in balance. Human urbanization and rising populations are already encroaching upon former forests, grasslands, and other uncultivated lands, putting various wildlife habitats at risk. In particular, when humans and wildlife live in such close vicinity, encounters between the two can prove uncomfortable for both parties, if not violent. In this case, the defensive measures villagers and farmers are taking to protect themselves in the event of a tiger confrontation are actually working to cause harm to tiger populations. What's being done about wildlife encounters? Allotting forested land for sanctuaries is a major step in the right direction when it comes to conserving the declining populations of tigers and other threatened forest species, but the presence of humans in close proximity produces its own set of wildlife-threatening challenges. As a result, taking measures to ensure some distance between wildlife refuges and local human communities can help mitigate any negative encounters. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. 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. Authorities tracking down reckless e-bike riders causing chaos in Birkdale Village A group of young, reckless drivers is causing concerns for authorities and business owners in Birkdale Village. Police said they are trying to track down a few reckless e-bike riders who they say are juveniles. One young rider told Channel 9s Dave Faherty that his bike can reach speeds in excess of 50 miles an hour. And local parents say these bikes can be dangerous. READ: CMPD cracks down on reckless bike groups accused of multiple crimes around uptown Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mark Gossett said he is packing his daughters bicycle for college, but it is the e-bike traffic in his neighborhood that is getting a lot of attention. Run up and down the street, he said. Fly through the stop sign. Ive seen them leave Birkdale Village and go up and down 73. Huntersville Police posted several photos on Facebook of what they believe to be several juveniles traveling too fast for foot traffic in the village that attracts thousands of visitors each day. I think more of the concern is there are multiple of them and you cant even get by sometimes, one neighbor, Ellie Kwasniewicz, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Corneliuss PEDEGO Electric Bike store has bikes for sale out front. Its owner, Shawn Gantkowski, told Faherty that bikes going over 28 miles per hour are no longer classified as e-bikes and require a license and insurance, even if they are equipped with pedals. There needs to be enforcement, Gantkowski said. The parents need to be aware that it takes a split second for someones life to be changed upside down. Kiki Daniels said she loves riding e-bikes on trails, but its important for parents to be involved. With any equipment like this, whether its a scooter or a bike... safety is number one, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police told Faherty that they would like to meet with the parents and these young people involved to make sure everyone in the area stays safe. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found e-bike injuries more than doubled every year, going from 751 in 207 to 23,493 in 2022. WATCH: CMPD cracks down on reckless bike groups accused of multiple crimes around uptown A pair of B-2 bombers touched down at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska yesterday, and more may now be headed in the same direction. Elmendorf is the base that will host a summit today between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. While it is unclear if any of this is directly related, the presence of the B-2s still offers an opportunity to send a strategic reminder to the highest rung of the Russian government. Online flight tracking data, publicly available air traffic control audio recordings, and views from the ground of the bombers on approach all confirm the arrival of the B-2s at Elmendorf on August 14. The base, which is now technically part of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), is located in southeastern Alaska in Anchorage. It is home to the U.S. Air Forces active-duty 3rd Wing, with its F-22 Raptor stealth fighters, E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning Control System (AWACS) radar planes, C-17 Globemaster III airlifters, and C-12 light utility aircraft. It also hosts additional C-17s, as well as HC-130 Combat King rescue aircraft and HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, assigned to the Alaska Air National Guards 176th Wing. Other U.S. military aircraft, including Air Force RC-135V/W Rivet Joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance jets, are regular visitors, too. #26E8F9 as #DAGGR21 and #DAGGR11 Flight of 2 B2s into Elmendorf AFB PAED. Watching Lake Hood Seaplane Base live feed for maybe a chance to see 11-3013 and two B2s come into frame. Turn on the PANC atc tower feed and low and behold they were a DAGGR flight. Not the Daggr I was pic.twitter.com/4eVV2zsmKB Norb (@norb420) August 14, 2025 Wow. Two B2s were just spotted landing at Elmendorf. Talk about the ultimate flex. pic.twitter.com/hC7lui22DE The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) August 14, 2025 Additional online flight tracking data and air traffic control audio regarding two aircraft with Death callsigns, regularly used by B-2s, raise the possibility that more of the bombers may be bound for Elmendorf, or elsewhere in or around Alaska. The Air Force has just 19 B-2 bombers in total, all of which are based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. As such, the two bombers that flew to Elmendorf represent roughly 10 percent of the entire fleet. Some number of B-2s are also down for maintenance at any one time and are not available for taskings. 10 B-2 seen together at Whiteman Air Force Base. USAF 10 of the Air Forces 20 B-2 bombers seen together at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri during a mass fly-off exercise in April 2024. USAF Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When reached for comment about why the B-2s flew to Elmendorf, U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) redirected TWZ to the White House. We have also reached out to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), and Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) for more information. The B-2s could very well be in Alaska for Exercise Northern Edge 2025. The JBER website says the exercise began yesterday and is set to run through August 29. Other sources say the event will formally kick off on Sunday. The exercise provides an opportunity for joint and multi-domain operations designed to offer high-end, realistic war-fighter training, develop and improve joint interoperability, and enhance the combat readiness of participating forces, according to an Air Force press release put out last week. NE25 demonstrates the U.S. commitment to the region by building interoperability, advancing common interests and a commitment to our allies and partners in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. This years exercise additionally showcases U.S. ability to defend the homeland from and throughout Alaska. Operating locations include Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base, Allen Army Airfield, King Salmon, Cold Bay, Fairbanks International Airport, Ted Stevens International Airport, Juneau International Airport, Alaska; and Fairchild AFB and Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington, the release added. The training will take place in and over the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, Gulf of Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Northern Edge exercises, which occur every two years, are large-scale events routinely used to test and evaluate new systems and capabilities from across the U.S. military. Advanced networking and communications concepts are often a particular area of focus. A U-2 spy plane equipped with an experimental communications gateway package taking part in Northern Edge 2017. USAF One of the Air Forces pocket force of semi-retired F-117 Nighthawk stealth jets, now used for test and evaluation purposes, at Elmendorf during Northern Edge 2023. USAF B-2s have taken part in past Northern Edge exercises, and their participation in this years iteration would be unsurprising. Though the B-2 fleet is small, it remains a vital silver bullet capability for the United States both in terms of nuclear deterrence and conventional power projection. This was on full display when B-2s struck Iranian nuclear facilities with 30,000-pound-class GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bombs, Americas heaviest conventional air-dropped munition that only these bombers are certified to employ operationally, during Operation Midnight Hammer back in June. A B-2 bomber drops a GBU-57/B MOP during a test. USAF With all this in mind, B-2s, which were designed at the tail end of the Cold War with nuclear strikes on the Soviet Union in mind, are often used for strategic signalling to Americas opponents. As such, even if the B-2s are at Elmendorf for Northern Edge 2025, it is hard not to see their presence as at least a happy coincidence intended to send a message and otherwise be a show of strength aimed at Putin and the rest of the Russian government. It is also worth noting that the bases F-22s are Americas premier fighters, and are unmatched by anything in Russias inventory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has repeatedly shown a willingness to work with Putin to bring an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine, as well as tackle other issues, but also openly expressed exasperation in recent months with Russian authorities. On August 1, Trump notably declared in a post on his Truth Social social media network that he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions in response to fiery remarks alluding to nuclear war from former Russian President and current Deputy Chair of the countrys Security Council Dmitry Medvedev. While Trump did not specify what kinds of submarines he was talking about, U.S. Navy Ohio class nuclear-powered ballistic and guided missile boats are a tool the U.S. government often uses for strategic messaging purposes. President Trump says he has ordered that two nuclear submarines be positioned in appropriate regions in response to Russian Security Council deputy chair Medvedevs highly provocative statements. pic.twitter.com/7ZrGI6wg21 OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 1, 2025 Just on Wednesday, Trump also threatened unspecified very severe consequences if Putin does not agree to bring the war in Ukraine to an end at todays summit. The U.S. president has also downplayed the significance of the meeting, saying he is already looking ahead to a sit-down involving him, Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and potentially leaders from Europe. REPORTER: Will Russia face any consequences if Putin does not agree to stop the war after your meeting? TRUMP: Yes, they will R: What will they be? Sanctions? Tariffs? TRUMP: I don't have to say. There will be very severe consequences. pic.twitter.com/cYarM7vAhA Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 13, 2025 Trump: We have a meeting with Putin tomorrow. But the more important meeting will be the one between Putin, Zelensky and myself. And maybe we bring some of the European leaders along, maybe not. pic.twitter.com/zwKGbFt3yu Clash Report (@clashreport) August 14, 2025 Whatever the case, when Putin arrives at Elmendorf today expected to occur imminently B-2 bombers will be at the base sending a signal, whether it is explicit or not. Update, 3:55 PM Eastern: As it has turned out, the arrival of the B-2s at Elmendorf was linked to Trumps summit with Putin. One of the bombers, flanked by four F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, flew over the base as the two leaders greeted each other on the tarmac. JUST IN: A B-2 Stealth Bomber and American fighter jets just flew directly over Trump and Putins heads as they were walking An EPIC show of American dominance @komadovskypic.twitter.com/0Xjzox9let Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 15, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A U.S. Air Force B-2A Spirit Long-Range Strategic Stealth Bomber escorted by 4 F-35 Lightning IIs passes over as President Donald J. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet and shake hands at Joint Base ElmendorfRichardson in Anchorage, Alaska. pic.twitter.com/uALr9lEM6q OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 15, 2025 B2 Stealth bomber flyover as Trump and Putin meet on tarmac. pic.twitter.com/qES2hntYBl Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 15, 2025 BREAKING: Trump and Putin meet in Alaska. pic.twitter.com/1HDYqXM3UW Clash Report (@clashreport) August 15, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement F-35s were also spotted flying overhead as Trump and Putin arrived at Elmendorf in their respective presidential aircraft, and may have escorted them to the base. Unsurprisingly, there has been a flurry of other U.S. military air activity over and around Alaska today, around the summit. The amount of Russian and US aircraft flying right now in Alaskan airspace that you cant see on ADSB but you can hear on @liveatc is just wild. RFF9930 BYTE61 LINK11 CACHE50 RSD111 RSD771 HOOK71 HOOK73 HOOK and BYTE are the Tankers, LINK? Is probably fighters and ROMEO pic.twitter.com/2zO1zsvfBY Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) August 15, 2025 On the ground, additional F-22s were also very prominently arrayed around the red carpets laid out for Putin and Trump. Air Force One is wheels down in Alaska. pic.twitter.com/7TK5TUWIxP Clash Report (@clashreport) August 15, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Update, 4:45 PM Eastern: Additional video has now emerged that shows the motorcade carrying Trump and Putin from the tarmac at Elmendorf passing by another B-2 bomber parked on the ground. U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin purposefully passed by a B-2A Spirit Long-Range Strategic Stealth Bomber on the tarmac at Joint Base ElmendorfRichardson while on the way to the summit in Anchorage, Alaska. pic.twitter.com/gkt0TXdhmW OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 15, 2025 Update, 5:20 PM Eastern: There are two B-2s currently at JBER, a U.S. official has now confirmed to TWZ. One was there to participate in flyover today the other is there as a static on the flightline, they said. Both are there directly in support of the visit. The B-2s are not part of Exercise Northern Edge 2025, a second U.S. official told us. Readers can find our separate ongoing coverage of the Trump-Putin summit here. Contact the author: joe@twz.com JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska President Donald Trump and Russias Vladimir Putin kicked off their Alaska summit with a warm handshake on Friday, greeting each other like old friends before heading into hours of discussions that could reshape the war in Ukraine and relations between Moscow and Washington. After descending from Air Force One, Trump applauded as Putin approached along a red carpet. They gripped hands for an extended period of time, with both men smiling, and Putin eventually grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War flew overhead to mark the moment at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Reporters nearby yelled, President Putin, will you stop killing civilians? and Russias leader put his hand up to his ear but didnt answer. Trump and Putin then both climbed in the U.S. presidential limo, with Putin grinning widely as the vehicle rolled past the cameras. WATCH A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and four F-35 fighter jets fly over Presidents Putin and Trump on the red carpet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. pic.twitter.com/2BGp5DqQ22 Open Source Intel (@Osint613) August 15, 2025 The pairs chumminess, while not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, was striking given the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine the biggest land war in Europe since World War II. It was likely to raise concerns from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, who fear that Trump will primarily focus on furthering U.S. interests and fail to press hard for Ukraines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelenskyy and European leaders were excluded from Fridays meeting, and Ukraines president was left posting a video address in which he expressed his hope for a strong position from the U.S. Everyone wants an honest end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to end the war, he said, later adding, The war continues and it continues precisely because there is no order, nor any signals from Moscow, that it is preparing to end this war. The summit was a chance for Trump to prove hes a master dealmaker and peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a close something he used to boast he could do quickly. For Putin, it was an opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russias gains, block Kyivs bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscows orbit. Not meeting one-on-one anymore White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the previously planned one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin was now a three-on-three discussion including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Putin was joined by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The change indicates that the White House is taking a more guarded approach than it did during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, when Trump and Putin met privately just with their interpreters for two hours and where Trump shocked the world by siding with the Russian leader over U.S. intelligence officials on whether Russia meddled in the 2016 campaign. Trump and Putin began their discussions Friday by sitting with their aides in front of a blue backdrop printed with Alaska and Pursuing Peace. Putin and Trump are expected to hold a joint press conference at the end of the summit. Trump-Putin summit could decide the course of the Russia-Ukraine war There are significant risks for Trump. By bringing Putin onto U.S. soil America bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for roughly 2 cents per acre the president is giving him the validation he desires after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine 3 1/2 years ago. Zelenskyys exclusion is a heavy blow to the Wests policy of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any success is far from assured since Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraines mobilization efforts, which are conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies. Trump said earlier in the week there was a 25% chance that the summit would fail, but he also floated the idea that if the meeting succeeds he could bring Zelenskyy to Alaska for a subsequent meeting with himself and Putin. Trump has also expressed doubts about getting an immediate ceasefire, but he has wanted a broad peace deal done quickly. That seemingly echoes Putins longtime argument that Russia favors a comprehensive deal to end the fighting, reflecting its demands, and not a temporary halt to hostilities. Trump has offered shifting explanations for his meeting goals Trump previously characterized the sit-down as really a feel-out meeting. But hes also warned of very severe consequences for Russia if Putin doesnt agree to end the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump said before arriving in Alaska that his talks with Putin will include Russian demands that Ukraine cede territory as part of a peace deal. He said Ukraine has to decide, but he also suggested Zelenskyy should accept concessions. Ive got to let Ukraine make that decision. And I think theyll make a proper decision, Trump told reporters traveling with him to Alaska. Trump said theres a possibility of the United States offering Ukraine security guarantees alongside European powers, but not in the form of NATO. Putin has fiercely resisted Ukraine joining the trans-Atlantic security alliance, a long-term goal for Ukrainians seeking to forge stronger ties with the West. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATOs supreme allied commander Europe, is in Alaska to provide military advice to Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a senior NATO military official who wasnt authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. His presence is likely to be welcomed by European leaders who have tried to convince Trump to be firm with Putin and not deal over Kyivs head. Potentially far-reaching implications Foreign governments are watching closely to see how Trump reacts to Putin, likely gauging what the interaction might mean for their own dealings with the U.S. president, who has eschewed traditional diplomacy for his own transactional approach to relationships. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources. Ukraine has held on far longer than some initially expected since the February 2022 invasion, but it is straining to hold off Russias much larger army, grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over 600-mile front line. Alaska is separated from Russia at its closest point by just 3 miles and the international date line. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It continues to play a role today, as planes from the base still intercept Russian aircraft that regularly fly into U.S. airspace. Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Jonathan J. Cooper in Washington, Elise Morton in London and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. President Donald Trump greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin at a U.S. air base in Alaska on Friday with a flyover that included the same type of bomber and fighter jets used to strike Irans nuclear sites last June. The two leaders walked along a red carpet rolled out at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson with F-22 fighter jets on either side as the four F-35s and a B-2 Spirit bomber soared overhead. According to two officials, two B-2 bombers were flown into the base ahead of Friday's summit; the F-35 jets arrived from nearby Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. The F-22 planes were based out of Elmendorf. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was not immediately clear whether Trump personally ordered the bombers and the flyover to the Air Force base as a kind of show of force ahead of his discussions with Russia, which also is a nuclear power. The B-2 is considered a symbol of U.S. power, as the bombers can fly around the world nonstop and can carry both conventional and nuclear munitions. The stealth B-2 bombers are the same kind used by the U.S. during June's Operation Midnight Hammer, in which seven of the aircraft flew 36 hours straight from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to Iran where they dropped more than a dozen bunker-buster bombs. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: A B-2 bomber and four F-35 fighter jets fly overhead as US President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin on the tarmac after they arrived at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, August 15, 2025. The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment. MORE: Trump and Putin's changing relationship to take center stage in Alaska Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly praised the power of the B-2 aircraft and the skill of its pilots. Trump has insisted the sites were "obliterated." U.S. military officials say a damage assessment is still under way. On Aug. 6, he announced his administration ordered "new and enhanced" B-2 aircraft. "It's an amazing machine," he told reporters, holding up a small model of the bomber. BOSTON (WPRI) A newborn endangered giraffe at the Franklin Park Zoo is showing significant improvement after receiving specialized treatment for nursing complications, according to Zoo New England. The male Masai giraffe was born to 9-year-old Amari around 10 a.m. on Aug. 7 following a normal pregnancy. Weighing 167 pounds, the calf appeared healthy and was able to stand but had trouble nursing within the first 24 hours. (Courtesy: Zoo New England) Veterinarians tube fed the calf to deliver vital colostrum and gave him a plasma infusion after several failed attempts to bottle feed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Brianne Phillips, an associate veterinarian at Zoo New England, said without these antibodies, his immune system would not be able to fight routine bacteria and disease. The first hours are a critical time for the calf to start bonding with its mother and receive nourishing food and critical antibodies from her colostrum, or the first milk, Phillips said. SEE ALSO: Dartmouth firefighters rescue cow stuck in mud On Sunday, the calf was sent to the Hospital for Large Animals at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Grafton, Mass., where he received IV fluids, nutrition and antibiotics after developing diarrhea and mild pneumonia. (Courtesy: Taylor Coester for Cumming School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University) (Courtesy: Taylor Coester for Cumming School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University) As of Thursday, Zoo New England said his condition was upgraded to cautiously optimistic, after showing improvement in feeding, hydration, attitude and activity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also received another plasma transfusion and is now responding positively to drinking from a bottle. While its still taking him a little while to latch on to the bottle, he is eventually able to drink the full amount, Zoo New England said. As his gut heals and the diarrhea continues to improve, he will get larger amounts of food by bottle and less through IV nutrition, though he will continue to receive other IV treatments, including antibiotics. (Courtesy: Taylor Coester for Cumming School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University) For at least a few more days, the calf will continue treatment at Tufts University. Meanwhile, Amari, is reportedly doing well and his father, Chad, can still be seen in the zoos Giraffe Savannah habitat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NEXT: 14 cats staying briefly at RISPCA after transport van crash Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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. "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir shared a heartwarming moment at Tanganyika Wildlife Park, just outside Wichita, Kansas, that captured the universal language of maternal authority when an endangered pygmy hippo mom gave her reluctant baby "the look" a moment that has since gone viral with over 45 million views worldwide. The star of the show was Mars, a 6-week-old pygmy hippo, one of only 3,000 remaining in the wild. The viral video showed the young hippo refusing to leave his swimming pool at dinnertime, a scene many parents found remarkably relatable. Despite the care team's best efforts to coax Mars out of the water, the playful baby hippo remained stubborn, lying down and even running away from his handlers. Tanganyika Wildlife Park - PHOTO: Hippo Mars and his mom, Posie, at the Tanganyika Wildlife Park. That's when his mother, Posie, stepped in. With one powerful maternal glance -- the famous "mom stare" -- Mars immediately stopped playing and followed her inside for dinner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's incredible how universal all different species seem to have that mom stare down," Matt Fouts, Director of Tanganyika Wildlife Park, told ABC News. "It's hilarious to see Posey do that with Mars every day when he just does not want to go inside. He loves being outside." MORE: Child climber tells David Muir about conquering the Matterhorn, setting new record Mars, who weighed just 13 pounds at birth, has already grown to nearly 40 pounds. He represents a significant achievement for wildlife conservation, being one of only three pygmy hippos born in the United States last year. Tanganyika Wildlife Park - PHOTO: Hippo Mars at the Tanganyika Wildlife Park. "We're incredibly excited to have Mars," Fouts explained. "As an endangered species, it's always important anytime you can have a birth. It's definitely a testament to all the hard work that our care team does here." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The wildlife park has extended an invitation to visitors to come see Mars and Posie in person. "He's obviously adorable, as everyone can see in the videos, but I can't tell you how many times people say he's even cuter in person," Fouts said. Visitors can see Mars and Posie daily from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the wildlife park in Goddard, Kansas, where the young hippo continues to develop his personality and, according to his care team, perfect the art of avoiding bedtime until mom steps in. Sierra, the Stock Supervisor at the wildlife park, has observed Mars's growing personality firsthand. "His personality shows more and more each day," Sierra told ABC News. "And even though every day we have trouble getting him inside, Posey's got that mom stare down and knows exactly what that means time to get out of pool and go in for the day." TikTok and Tennessee had to say goodbye to their favorite horse, Baby Seven. The 18-month-old foal died on Aug. 11. The horse was humanely euthanized after beginning to show signs of colic, according to owner Katie Van Slyke, something more generally defined as abdominal pain in horses. Seven was a severely premature horse, born 286 days into gestation. That's nearly two months earlier than the normal gestation period for a horse, which is 340 days, according to Kentucky Esquire Research. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Van Slyke documented Baby Seven's birth and miraculous survival on the Running Springs Farm in Nolensville, Tennessee. She posted the videos to her TikTok page, quickly making the foal an overnight internet celebrity. "We have loved Seven fiercely from the moment he was foundstandingwhinnying out in the middle of the cold, muddy pasture that he was born in at 286 days gestation," Van Slyke wrote. "Anyone who dealt with Seven on a personal level knows the fight and LIFE that he exuded every single day. He WANTED life. He FOUGHT for life." Today, Van Slyke has 4.6 million followers on TikTok, 1.3 million followers on Instagram and 4.3 million followers on Facebook. Though Baby Seven's short life is over, Van Slyke is ensuring that his large legacy lives on. The owner created a "Seven Scholarship" at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where Seven had been treated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Seven, his journey being followed, made it to where we were able to start the Seven Scholarship, which is a scholarship through the University of Tennessee Knoxville for third-year equine med students and it was $7,000 for seven students every year," Van Slyke said in an Aug. 14 TikTok post. The scholarship is donated by Van Slyke, who pledged to donate as long as she possibly can. The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine also has an endowment fund, where others can donate to ensure longevity for the Seven Scholarship. As of Aug. 13, an additional $55,000 was raised for the scholarship, according to Van Slyke. "We are deeply grateful to have played a part in his story, working alongside his devoted owner and the team at Tennessee Equine Hospital," The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine wrote on Facebook on Aug. 13. "Together, we witnessed firsthand the strength and joy that Seven brought to each day, inspiring us all to give our very best." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To raise additional funds to support UT veterinary students, Van Slyke announced that she will make "one last design" for Seven-themed merchandise. All proceeds will support the scholarship. "I'm truly in awe and thankful," Van Slyke said. "I want you to know about the good that came with Seven and from Seven. I thank you all so much for following him." When was Seven the foal born? Seven was born on Feb. 15, 2024, according to Van Slyke. The horse died on Aug. 11. Who is Seven the horse? Seven's story won the hearts of many online, as Van Slyke shared the premature horse's story with her followers. Because Baby Seven was born so early, he was underdeveloped with no bone in his knees or hocks, according to the University of Tennessee. Sevens heart, lungs, and brain were developed enough to sustain him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, specialists at the UT College of Veterinary Medicine and Van Slyke worked with the horse to help him be a "normal horse." Van Slyke posted more than 50 videos of Seven that gained millions of views across her social media platforms. What farm does Katie Van Slyke own? Running Springs Farm is content creator Katie Van Slyke's family-owned farm, according to her personal website. The mini farm in Nolensville has quarter horses, Simmental cattle, a pig, barn cats, dogs, mini donkeys, mini horses, mini cows and Nigerian dwarf goats. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Baby Seven horse dies but leaves huge legacy at UT-Knoxville By Dmitriy Turlyun ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) -A flurry of superpower-style signalling from Washington and Moscow over the war in Ukraine heralded the first U.S.-Russian summit in four years, but on the ground in Alaska there was a mix of the bizarre, the peculiar and even moose and a bear. Donald Trump wants Friday's summit at a Cold War-era air force base to be the start of the end of the deadliest war in Europe since World War Two. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vladimir Putin, ascendant in the war, has meanwhile offered the prospect of a possible deal to limit strategic nuclear weapons, which the Kremlin hopes would usher in a much broader discussion of U.S. and Russian global interests beyond Ukraine. In Anchorage, nearly 5,000 miles (8,000 km), from the front lines of the war, Putin's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, arrived in a sweatshirt with the old Soviet Union initials "USSR" ("") across the front. A bear and a moose ambled across at least one live television feed. The Kremlin press pool was housed in an Alaska Airlines Center, where a semi-open-plan room was subdivided by partitions and some reporters were seen making their own camp-style beds. They were fed for free at a nearby university campus, Russian reporters said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin, flying eastwards from Moscow and then eastern Russia, and Trump, flying northwest, were due to meet at 11 a.m. (1900 GMT) in Anchorage, on Friday, according to the latest timings, though it was unclear if Putin would be late - as he often is. The state, whose far western tip lies just 55 miles (90 km) from the Russian Far East, is homeland to indigenous peoples and was settled by Europeans including Russians from the 18th century. The United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867 and no Russian leader has visited before. "I understand the historical moment. It's kind of exciting," said Russian-American Anchorage resident and former school teacher Galina Tomisser. "I just want to hope and they say the hope dies last, so that there will be some fruitful results from this meeting, from this summit," she told Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Different waves of emigrants from the former Soviet Union have settled in Alaska, including both Russians and Ukrainians. Pro-Ukrainian protesters held up a large Ukrainian flag with the words ALASKA STANDS WITH UKRAINE. "This is just grandstanding for Donald Trump," said Anchorage resident Helen Sharratt, 65, and originally from England. "He likes to look good and think he's doing something, but he's not doing anything. And meeting with Putin is, I mean, actually, I don't know who's worse in terms of making a deal and not actually adhering to it." At the Chilkoot Charlie's bar in Anchorage a collection of Soviet and czarist memorabilia adorns the Russian room, including pictures of Vladimir Lenin and the last Tsar Nicholas II, who was shot by the Bolsheviks in 1918. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the other side of the world, in Moscow, matryoshka dolls featuring Putin and Trump were selling well. In Ukraine, though, there was fear and apprehension about what Putin and Trump might agree to at a meeting to which Ukraine and its European backers were not invited. "I don't think anything good will come of it. There won't be a positive outcome; the conflict will continue. At best, it will be a frozen conflict, nothing else," Konstantyn Shtanko told Reuters in Kyiv. (Reporting by Reuters in Anchorage, Moscow and KyivWriting by Guy FaulconbridgeEditing by Frances Kerry) BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) A mother and child who were reported missing have been found safe, according to the Baker Police Department. Authorities said Jaylynn Shampine, 19, and her 3-month-old son, Kendell Anderson, were missing since Aug. 11 and have since been located. (Photo courtesy of Baker Police Department) (Photo courtesy of Baker Police Department) (Photo courtesy of Baker Police Department) Latest News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. How do researchers track the movement of wild animals (especially birds) that can travel hundreds of miles a day? By gently equipping them with GPSs. A team in Arizona equipped bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) with the monitors to study their migration patterns. The results proved to be quite intriguing and were recently published in the Journal of Raptor Research. Between 2017 and 2023, the researchers tracked 24 recently fledged bald eagles and two nonbreeding adults. While breeding Arizona bald eagles tend to stick close to their nesting territories for most of the year, the movement of nonbreeding eagles is more of a mystery. Shedding light on this patternas well as any differences of survivorship between nonbreeders and breederscarries important implications for understanding the state of the species. Emigration and immigration are difficult to observe, so seeing this eagle explore far beyond Arizona state lines was fascinating to see, Caroline Cappello, a quantitative wildlife ecologist at Cornell University and co-author of the new study, tells Popular Science. Map showing distribution of Bald Eagle movements for individuals originating in Arizona, USA, during their migration and nonbreeding seasons. The numbered arrows point to prominent migration routes through (1) western Utah, eastern Nevada, and western Idaho; (2) central Utah and eastern Idaho; (3) western Colorado and Wyoming. The inset shows the US Fish and Wildlife Service administrative boundaries of the Pacific Flyway. CREDIT: Cappello et al. (2025). During the seven-year time period, researchers tracked the individual eagles for as long as the devices lasted. While many North American migrant birds fly south during the nonbreeding season in the winter and up north again to nest during the warmer months, the studys Arizonan bald eagles followed a different pattern. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They started nesting in the winter and moved north from Arizona during the populations post-breeding period in the boreal spring and summer, and returned south in autumn in advance of the breeding season, the researchers explained in the study. They documented that eagles of all ages traveled to southern Canada and the northern United States, and their migrations became more precise with age. There are very few instances where bald eagles banded as nestlings in Arizona have been observed breeding outside of the state, says Capello. Most that are observed breeding in later years return to Arizona. The female that ranged into northern California showed signs of potentially establishing a breeding territory there, which would have been notable given how rarely this has been documented. An adult bald eagle returning to the nest in Arizona. CREDIT: George Andrejko. Most of the eagles in question followed the previously identified Intermountain Flyway, a migratory route that ranges from Alaska to Mexico east of the Sierra Nevada and west of the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Madre Occidental, they added. Cappello and her colleagues investigation also identified the same bodies of water as migratory pitstops for the bald eagles as those previously found by a study in the 1980s, indicating their multi-generational importance. One adventurous young eagle crossed 10 states and four Canadian provinces before settling in California, where researchers thought she might choose a breeding territory. Unfortunately, she was electrocuted, which is not uncommon for large raptors like eagles. This untimely fate was disappointing for the researchers, given that the birds unusual movement could have shed rare light on the dispersal prospects for bald eagles hatched in Arizona. Nevertheless, the team still had a literal birds-eye view into the movements of dozens of bald eagles whose revelations will surely empower conservationists to better protect these majestic animals and their migration routes. Voters at Anchorage City Hall wait in line to cast their ballots on Nov. 4, 2024, the day before Election Day. Alaska voters will be able to weigh in on an initative decriminalizing certain psychadelics, if the measure's sponsors gather enough petition signatures. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon) A group seeking to decriminalize Alaskans use of certain medicinal mushrooms and other psychedelics can start collecting signatures to try to put the question before voters. Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, who oversees the Alaska Division of Elections, said Thursday she has certified a statewide initiative application that proposes legal but regulated use of certain natural medicines for therapeutic and traditional purposes. The sponsors may now start gathering the petition signatures they need to place their initiative on a statewide ballot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed initiative, titled the Alaska Natural Medicine Act, is modeled after an initiative in Colorado that voters in that state passed in 2022. Sponsors of the initiative are with Natural Alaska Medicine Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering charitable, educational, and social welfare initiatives that promote the safe and responsible use of natural medicines, according to its website. A psilocybe mushroom is seen in this undated photo. The mushrooms are sources of psilocybin, which is metabolized in the body to the active drug psilocyn, also present in many of the same mushrooms. . (Photo provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration) The president of Natural Alaska Medicine Inc. and other team members are Indigenous Alaskans. The proposed ballot initiative includes provisions for Alaska Native traditional healers. While the initiative would decriminalize adults personal use or home cultivation of psychedelic mushrooms and other psychedelics, it also proposes a regulatory system. It would establish a Natural Medicine Control Board in the state Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. And it would establish an advisory Traditional Use Council. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Certain psychedelics are excluded and their use would not be allowed, under the initiatives wording. To qualify the initiative for the ballot, the petition sponsors must gather signatures equal in number to 10% of the voters in the states last general election, according to the Alaska Constitution. Additionally, signatures must come from at least 30 of the states 40 legislative House districts. Sponsors have a year in which to gather those signatures. In her announcement Thursday, Dahlstrom did not indicate a position on the proposed initiative. This certification reflects the constitutional and statutory requirements for citizen-led initiatives in Alaska, she said in a statement. While voters will ultimately decide the merits of the proposal, the application meets all legal criteria for form and content. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Scrambling to try to prevent his scheduled execution next week, attorneys for Kayle Bates on Thursday appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court after the Florida Supreme Court rejected their arguments. Attorneys also filed an appeal Thursday on separate issues at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Bates, 67, is scheduled to be executed Tuesday in the 1982 murder of Janet Renee White, who was abducted from a State Farm insurance office where she worked in Bay County. The Florida Supreme Court this week rejected a series of arguments, including that evidence of organic brain damage was not adequately considered before Bates received the death penalty during a 1995 resentencing proceeding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also, Bates attorneys argued jurors were misled to believe Bates could be released on parole in 12 years if he was not sentenced to death. The appeal at the U.S. Supreme Court, which was accompanied by a motion for a stay of execution, focused on the issues about brain damage and the jury allegedly being misled. There can be nothing more arbitrary or capricious than receiving a death sentence because the jury mistakenly thought itself required to choose between 12 years more imprisonment and death, Bates attorneys wrote. 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 mypanhandle.com. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) A man is accused of breaking into and causing damage to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (PMAC) on LSUs campus. Timothy Johnson, 28, of Baton Rouge, was charged with simple escape, battery of a police officer, and simple burglary. Johnson was charged with simple escape, battery of a police officer and simple burglary. (East Baton Rouge Sheriffs Office) The Louisiana State University Police Department was called to the PMAC around 4:20 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14. LSU PD said a call came in about a smashed front door. When police arrived at the Southeast Corridor, an officer saw rocks inside the entrance and a broken glass door. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A member of the LSU staff said they saw the damaged door minutes before police arrived at the scene. Officers were able to view camera footage from the PMAC, which showed Johnson throwing rocks and breaking the door. He was then seen going into and exiting the PMAC. An LSU PD officer saw Johnson go back into the PMAC through the broken door. Johnson was arrested and searched by the officer. According to an arrest report, pieces of broken glass were found in the mans jeans pocket during the search. Baton Rouge shooting suspect found dead, police investigate The officer noticed that Johnson had a cut on his arm and asked him how it happened. Johnson replied, Would you believe me if I said I threw a rock and hit the glass? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Baton Rouge man was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on Thursday, Aug. 14. 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 Louisiana First News. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) The Baton Rouge Police Department arrested a man in connection with a shooting that happened on July 9, 2025. Chaka Collins, 25, of Baton Rouge, has been charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of armed robbery, illegal use of weapons, aggravated criminal damage to property, and possession of a firearm by a person convicted of domestic abuse battery. Officers responded to a reported shooting in the 1300 block of Florida Street. When they arrived at the scene, they learned that a male victim had arrived at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in a female victims personal vehicle. The male victim was immediately taken in for surgery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to an affidavit, officers discovered that the male and female victims were meeting Collins and two other people near MJs Food Mart to sell two guns. Before the meeting, the male and female victims had been in contact with the male suspect about the gun sale on Instagram. While at the meeting location, a male suspect walked up to the car to complete the transaction, but they werent able to agree, and the deal was called off. Shortly after, the male suspect asked to see the guns again and snatched them from the male victims hands. The male victim attempted to get the guns back and said that the male suspect was armed with his gun. The male suspect said let them go twice, and thats when Collins began shooting at them, injuring the male suspect twice in the stomach and once in the left leg. The female victim was able to escape the area and drive to the hospital. Her car sustained damage to the front windshield and front passenger door. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Collins and the male suspect were seen on camera leaving the scene together in a black car after the shooting. Later in the investigation, both victims were able to identify Collins and the male suspect in a line-up as the people who were involved in the shooting. Man accused of deadly Baton Rouge shooting turns himself in, police say Latest News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) The suspect connected to a shooting on Florida Boulevard was found dead Wednesday afternoon, the Baton Rouge Police Department said. Police responded to the 11200 block of Florida Boulevard on Aug. 13 and found Mirtalarellana Ramirez, 55. She was sent to the hospital but died from her injuries. East Baton Rouge Parish deputies were called to the 16000 block of Hamilton Avenue about a deceased male. Police identified him as Guadalupe L. Reyes Vasquez, and the person responsible for the fatal shooting of Ramirez. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said Vasquez died on the same day as the shooting. As the investigation continued, BRPD learned from witnesses that Vasquez and Ramirez had been arguing for two weeks. Baton Rouge 3 arrested, 2 wanted after police chase involving stolen car ends in Baton Rouge 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 Louisiana First News. Tiffany Harris is the executive director of Bay Area Girls Club, which is located in Richmond, California, in West Contra Costa County. I first participated in the program when I was ten years old, she says. Weve been around since 1975 and are celebrating our 50th year. The organization is one of many Bay Area nonprofits committed to empowering the youth. Being Among Bay Area Nonprofits Meeting a Need The Bay Area Girls Club was started by a group of women from Richmond who saw a shared need for the young girls in their community. They wanted to create a supportive, enriching space for school-age girls in our area, especially since most opportunities back then seemed boy-focusedBoys Club, Boys This, Boys That. The Richmond women aimed to create a safe, supportive home-away-from-home for girls. They established the Richmond Girls Club through events like spaghetti dinners and bake sales. This Bay Area nonprofit quickly became respected within the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mrs. Stevanna Herron, one of the founding members, had the innovative idea to buy the building that housed the club, which was formerly a beauty salon. With backing from private and corporate donors, the building was transformed into a versatile center offering social and educational programs and services for girls. In 1989, the Richmond Girls Club of America became an affiliate of the national organization, Girls Inc., because the Boys Club became the Boys & Girls Club. Girls Club of America sued them. Pictured: (L-R) BAGC board president Robert Ellis, executive director Tiffany Harris and board member Lou Schuster | Photo credit: Bay Area Girls Club Unfortunately, we lost that case, Harris says. So, we changed our name to Girls Inc. of West Contra Costa County. During the pandemic, we decided to leave Girls Inc. and return to our roots. Since this was the Girls Club when I was a kid, I renamed it Bay Area Girls Club. The organization welcomes any Richmond girls between the ages of 5 and 18, and the main agenda is college and career prep. We support their mental health, too, Harris explains. We have a Take Care of You program (TCY) for elementary students. For middle school, we introduce them to what its like to have a job through a program called Girls Eager to Train (GETT To Work). Our center has a multicultural book program, plus lessons in financial literacy, responsibility, and conflict resolution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the older girls, Bay Area Girls Club has a College Bound Girls program (CBG) where participants meet with influential people in their chosen fields, go on college tours, and explore career paths. Weve been to Washington, D.C., and we went to New Orleans for an HBCU tour last year. In spring break 2026, we hope to go to Georgia for another HBCU tour, but if not, well tour California. The Bay Area Girls Club stands out among Bay Area nonprofits for its comprehensive programs tailored to young girls. Pictured: Participants and instructors from BAGC GETT To Work program | Photo credit: Bay Area Girls Club Harris notes that traveling outside the Bay Area is a first-time experience for some girls. My favorite time as executive director is just taking girls on trips. For some, its their first time flying or leaving the Bay Area, she says. Its exciting for them to explore other cities and imagine what it would be like to live there, or sometimes discover they wouldnt want to. Seeing their reactions and how they adapt to new places is really rewarding. This experience highlights why organizations like the Bay Area Girls Club are important among Bay Area nonprofits. RELATED: Fighting Teen Violence Through Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures Making a Difference With Men Who Cook Organizations like the Bay Area Girls Club receive funding from the community, grants, and fundraisers. The organization is hosting their annual fundraiser, Men Who Cook, on Sunday, August 31 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Galileo Club in Richmond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The concept is simple, Harris says. Each participant signs up to make an appetizer, entree, or side dish. Weve had everything from barbecue rib tips to potato salad to chili. Harris says that some dishes are things shes never heard of before. Very fancy recipes that make me say, Wait, what is that? Its been such a fun and delicious way to bring the community together. Men Who Cooks is a food tasting extravaganza featuring dishes from amateur and professional chefs. Local heroes and celebrities will showcase their culinary skills by sharing their signature dishes at this fun-filled community event to raise awareness and funds for the Bay Area Girls Club. Pictured: (L-R) Volunteer chefs Antwan Newman and Melvin Williams | Photo credit: Bay Area Girls Club Chef Antwan Newman, a Men Who Cook member, will be one of the handful of chefs working the fundraiser. Ive worked at Ruths Chris as a prep cook, Applebees, BJs Brew House, and IHOP. Ive been in the restaurant business most of my life, he says. I also do my own culinary catering. People hire me for events and special requests. The last event I did was a kids birthday party with a taco and nachos bar. Ive done high-end catering for up to 500 people, so Ive been on both ends of the scale. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three years ago, Chef Newman contacted Men Who Cook, as they were looking for volunteer chefs to work at a Girl Club event. Ive always wanted to give back, especially to the youth, since I have kids that age; thats just important to me. Hes been with the organization ever since and has enjoyed sharing his hospitality. Its really nice, he says. I get to meet a lot of good people, taste a lot of good food, and representatives from the Girl Club also come and speak. It helps raise a lot of money for the Girl Club. I plan on doing it year after year, as long as I can get invited. Chef Newman will make chili, chicken, and waffles for the Bay Area nonprofit fundraiser. My moms chili recipe has been in the family for almost 50 years, he says. For the chicken and waffles, I like to put my own twist on it. I usually make cinnamon waffles with chicken tenders and sugar-free syrup on top. Since a lot of people are trying to watch their health these days, I keep that in mind. Pictured: (L-R) BAGC board member and Men Who Cook chair Kimberlli Walker and board member Andriah Payton | Photo credit: Bay Area Girls Club Fundraising proceeds will support the Bay Area Girls Clubs vital programs. This year, our focus is on assisting girls with social-emotional challenges, teaching financial literacy and job skills, and preparing them for college, Harris says. The funds will support our core initiatives, including mental health support for our youngest girls, work readiness for middle schoolers, and college and career prep for older girls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bay Area Girls Club is proud to be among the many Bay Area nonprofits dedicated to empowering youth. Harris expresses gratitude for the Richmond communitys involvement. We are very thankful to our community and partners like the chefs from Men Who Cook for helping to make these programs a reality. She also highlights the organizations rewarding impact on the girls, saying, Parents introduce their daughter and say, Oh, shes so quiet, she wont talk, she wont do this or that. Then, in the program, when they open up, you can really see them form and blossom. The parents come back and say, What did you do? She really likes this program! Thats the kicker for me. Want to get involved? Sign up to be a chef, be a sponsor, or be a guest here. Follow the Bay Area Girls Club on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok to support Bay Area nonprofits making a difference. The Brief Bay Area residents are split on Gov. Gavin Newsom's redistricting plan. Some voters support the idea, saying Democrats need to be tougher. Others, including some Democrats, worry the ploy could backfire. WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Bay Area residents we spoke to Thursday night were split on Gov. Gavin Newsom's bold redistricting plan, designed to help California Democrats win more seats in Congress. What they're saying "Oh, I'm all for it," said Mike from Lamorinda. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think it's a slippery slope," said Kevin W. of Walnut Creek. Newsom's announcement Thursday that he would move forward with the plan, comes in response to a similar effort in Texas to help the GOP. "We have got to meet fire with fire," Newsom said at a news conference in Los Angeles. Some say they agree with the governor's logic. "If they're doing it in Texas for more Republicans, why can't we do it here for more Democrats to beat Donald Trump?" said Ninfa Ford of Walnut Creek. Others think California should keep redistricting as a nonpartisan process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It just needs to be independent," said Julie Mullane of Walnut Creek. "I think it does create a slippery slope, because once you start changing one thing--and where are the checks and balances and then where does it stop?" Newsom argues the checks and balances will be voters, who will have to ultimately approve the plan--or not--in November. "We're working through a very transparent, temporary and public process. We're putting the maps on the ballot, and we're giving the power to the people." Democratic strategist worries plan could backfire Democratic strategist Steve Maviglio argues Newsom's ploy disregards California voters' choice to have independent redistricting--and says Newsom is playing a "dangerous game". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's a race to the bottom. I mean, the only reason we're doing this is because of what Texas did. But what California does, that means Ohio is going to do and Missouri is going to do. And those are Republican states," Mavilglio. Some voters we talked to agree. "It kind of ups the ante, and it sets a bad precedent for other states to start gerrymandering," said Kevin W. "California is already a very blue state." But we also spoke to one independent voter who says democrats need to be tougher. "I think they should just get a backbone and go for it," said Mike of Lamorinda. "You got the Republicans who are doing the same thing with Texas and other states, and this just kind of evens the playing field a little bit." What we don't know Maviglio said Newsom's redistricting speech felt more like a campaign kickoff. He says that all but confirms to him that Newsom is running for president in 2028. The governor has made no announcement. The Source Interviews conducted by KTVU reporter John Krinjak BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) When you look up what kratom is on the internet, it says its a supplement that works as an energy booster, mood lifter, and pain reliever. But Bay County residents have been sounding the alarm about the harmful side effects that a specific component of kratom can cause. It was a super strong, very potent thing that took me on the wildest ride in my life, said Bay County resident Sheldon Jernigan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jernigan has been sounding the alarm about a new drug on the market for a long time. It isnt your typical illegal drug that you hear about almost every day. Its called 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH. Until this week, you could pick it up, legally, at just about any gas station or smoke shop. Some brands market the drug as an energy booster or relaxer. But Jernigan says that couldnt be further from the truth. Ive struggled with addiction my whole life. The first time I ever took a Lortab or a Percocet, it perked me up, and it made me feel energetic and talkative and all those things. And whenever I tried kratom for the first time, it was the same thing. It was that same exact feeling, said Jernigan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jernigan started posting online about the side effects that eventually led to a full-on addiction, warning parents about the dangers. Its marketed in these bright colored packages. Its towards kids. And what I really thought about is I have children. . . and I think of that and how easy it is for our youth to be able to access that. And god just told me, hey, go out there and dont shut your tiny, big mouth that you got and and just scream it from the rooftops until something gets done about it, said Jernigan. And something did get done. On Wednesday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced an immediate ban on 7-OH, making it an illegal Schedule I controlled substance in Florida, the same classification as heroin, ecstasy, and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new rule will make it illegal to sell, possess, or distribute any form of 7-OH in the state. But what is 7-OH? According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it is a naturally occurring substance found in the kratom plant. There are several legal substances that are sold in gas stations that mimic the effects of an opioid, such as fentanyl or heroin . . . kratom is one of those. Kratom is sold in liquid form, powder form, pill form, and under different names. . . the hydroxymitragynine, it is a more concentrated form of kratom, said Bay County Sheriffs Office Special Investigations Division, Lt. David Higgins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In July, the FDA sent letters to several companies that produce 7-OH, including a popular brand called 7Tabz. Jernigan says that because 7-OH was legal to buy, it was almost more dangerous than illegal hard drugs. I could wake up at any given time during the night and go drive and get what I needed. And having that readily access available, 24-7, no matter what time of day it was, is scary, said Jernigan. Getting hooked on the drug was one thing, but Jernigan said the recovery was even worse than the addiction itself. I always tell people that I talk to in the recovery community that, hey, I would rather come off of fentanyl and heroin any day of the week than coming off this stuff again, said Jernigan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the process to take this drug off of store shelves has begun, he has a strong message for those who may be struggling with an addiction to it. What I worry about is these getting taken off the shelf so abruptly, where does that leave the community thats already full-blown, addicted to them? I hope it inspires them to get help and want to live a different way because theres so much hope out there if you want it. . . I used to be a homeless junkie. That couldnt pay my rent, that couldnt show up, that couldnt stay employed. And if I can sit here clean and sober of all substances, then you can too. . . There are so many different avenues for recovery. And its so beautiful, and you have to find what works for you, said Jernigan. 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 mypanhandle.com. WASHINGTON, N.C. (WNCT) The Beaufort County Community College Foundation is set to host their Taste of the Town Scholarship Fundraiser in October. On Wednesday, October 15, from 5pm to 8pm the community is invited to attend the showcase of culinary diversity. Local restaurants will come together along with the community to provide tasty dishes for attendees. We are grateful for the generosity of our local chefs and restaurants, who are donating their time, talent, and creativity to help our students succeed, said Serena Sullivan, Vice President of Institutional Advancement. This event celebrates both the vibrant food culture of our region and the power of community support for higher education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Restaurants and chefs that will participate in the fundraiser include The Hackney, The Bank Bistro, The Stubborn Mule Oyster Bar & Grill, Big Belly, Marabella, Tavern at Jacks Neck and more. This fundraiser directly supports student scholarships to the community college. Tickets for the event are $30 per person, and can be purchased in person at the foundation or online. Food tickets will also be available for purchase at $1 each or $20 for 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 WNCT. Aug. 14A nonprofit organization is working closely with the Spokane County Sheriff's Office to plan a memorial service for Spokane County Sheriff's Sgt. Kenneth Salas, who was struck and killed by a motorcyclist over the weekend while helping clear a large hay bale from Interstate 90. Salas is the first Spokane County Sheriff's deputy to die in the line of duty since 2003, when Deputy James Slater died in a crash while responding to a call. Sheriff John Nowels worked with Salas for 28 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the hours after Salas' death, Nowels and his executive team met to discuss service plans. Behind the Badge got involved early in the process, Nowels said. Behind the Badge is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reaching out and supporting law enforcement officers, their families and communities through loss. The foundation began work in Washington state in 1997, executive director Brian Johnston said. The nonprofit was invited by the sheriff's office to come to Spokane shortly after Salas' death. The sheriff's office and nonprofit almost immediately began planning the funeral service, Johnston said. Most of the Behind the Badge team are volunteers from law enforcement agencies. On Thursday, around 60 people from the nonprofit were at the sheriff's office planning and organizing the funeral service. Amid Salas' death, Johnston insisted that donations should go to the Salas Memorial Fund, not Behind the Badge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We didn't really fathom the depth and breadth of what we would have to accomplish in these coming weeks, and it has been a godsend for the team," Nowels said. "It's allowed myself to focus on my men and women, their well-being, making sure that I can be here for them." Behind the Badge has single-handedly taken worry off Nowels and made sure Salas' wife is supported, the sheriff said. Any information about the funeral service will be brought to the Salas family first, then to local law enforcement. After that, the sheriff's office will notify the public, Nowels said. "It's critically important that we honor this sacrifice made by a very dedicated public servant in the line of duty," Nowels said on Thursday. "Law enforcement officers they put a badge on, they put a vest on, they put a gun on to come out and serve their community. They make their lives, their job, part of something larger than themselves." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That's part of why planning a funeral for a law enforcement officer is so difficult, Nowels said. Salas worked with and served so many people, so the sheriff's office is anticipating thousands will attend his funeral service. "There is a lot of effort and a lot of resources that we've had to bring in to help deal with all of the things that have to be dealt with to make sure that we take this opportunity to honor him and that we get it right," Nowels said. All the "pomp and circumstance" in the services will be intentional and purposefully emotional, to allow the community to show their support toward Salas' family, Nowels said. The support the sheriff's office has seen from the community, both emotional and financial, has been incredible, Nowels said. It is against the law for the sheriff's office to spend public funds on funeral services, which is why the office has reached out to the community for funding to support the services and the Salas family, Nowels said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Salas worked at the sheriff's office for 34 years and spent more than 20 years in the U.S. Air Force and Washington Air National Guard. Washington State Patrol is investigating the crash that killed Salas, but as of Thursday no one had been charged. Those looking to donate can do so on Venmo by scanning a QR Code at account.venmo.com/u/SPOKANESCOPE. Donations can also be made at any Canopy Credit Union branch in the S.C.O.P.E./Sgt. Salas Memorial Fund. Checks can be dropped off at the Spokane County Sheriff's Office or the Spokane Valley Police Department as well. Donations will help cover funeral expenses. The remaining funds will go directly to Salas' wife. GUEST OPINION: Barracuda has reported on how generative AI is being used to create and distribute spam emails and craft highly persuasive phishing attacks. These threats continue to evolve and escalate but they are not the only ways in which attackers leverage AI. Security researchers are now seeing threat actors manipulate companies AI tools and tamper with their AI security features to steal and compromise information and weaken a targets defences. Email attacks targeting AI assistants AI assistants and the Large Language Models (LLMs) that support their functionality are vulnerable to abuse. Barracudas threat analysts have found attacks where malicious prompts are hidden inside benign looking emails. This malicious payload is designed to manipulate the behaviour of the targets AI information assistants. For example, a recently reported and fixed vulnerability in Microsoft 365s AI assistant, Copilot, could allow anyone to extract information from a network without authorisation. Threat actors can exploit to collect and exfiltrate sensitive information from a target. They do this by leveraging the ability of internal AI assistants to look for and collate contextual data from internal emails, messages and documents when answering queries or completing tasks. First, the attackers send one or more employees a seemingly harmless email containing a concealed and embedded malicious prompt payload. This email needs no interaction from the user and lives benignly in their inbox. When the employee asks the AI assistant for help with a task or query, the assistant scans look through older emails, files and data to provide context for its response. As a result, the AI assistant unwittingly infects itself with the malicious prompt. The malicious prompt could then ask the AI assistant to silently exfiltrate sensitive information, to execute malicious commands or to alter data. Weaponised emails also try to manipulate AI assistants by corrupting their underlying memory or data retrieval logic. These include emails with exploits targeting vulnerabilities in RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) deployments. RAG is a technique that enables the LLMs to retrieve and incorporate new information beyond their training model. Such attacks can lead to AI assistants making incorrect decisions, providing false information, or performing unintended actions based on corrupted data. Tampering with AI-based protection Attackers are also learning how to manipulate the AI components of defensive technologies. Email security platforms are being enhanced with AI-powered features that make them easier to use and more efficient. These include features such as auto-replies, smart forwarding, auto-triage to remove spam, automated ticket creation for issues, and more. This is expanding the potential attack surface that threat actors can target. If an attacker successfully manipulates these security features, they could: Manipulate intelligent email security tools to autoreply with sensitive data. Abuse AI security features to escalate helpdesk tickets without verification. This could lead to unauthorised access to systems or data , as attackers could exploit the escalated privileges to perform malicious activities. , as attackers could exploit the escalated privileges to perform malicious activities. Trigger workflow automation based on a malicious prompt. This could lead to the execution of harmful actions, such as deploying malware, altering critical data, or disrupting business operations. Casting doubt on reality Identity confusion and spoofing When AI systems operate with high levels of autonomy, they can be tricked into either impersonating users or trusting impersonators. This can lead to: Confused Deputy attacks : This involves an AI agent with higher privileges performing unauthorised tasks on behalf of a lower-privileged user (such as an attacker.) : This involves an AI agent with higher privileges performing unauthorised tasks on behalf of a lower-privileged user (such as an attacker.) Spoofed API access: This involves existing AI-based integrations with Microsoft 365 or Gmail, for example, being manipulated to leak sensitive data or send fraudulent emails. Cascading hallucinations: trusting the untrue As mentioned above, email attacks targeting AI assistants can try to manipulate the assistants functionality. This could lead the assistant to summarise a users inbox, generate reports, and set the calendar but based on false or manipulated data. In such cases, a single poisoned email could: Mislead task prioritisation. For example, send urgent emails from fake executives. Skew summaries and recommendations. Influence critical business decisions based on hallucinations. How email defenses need to adapt Legacy email gateways, traditional email authentication protocols such as SPF or DKIM and standard IP blacklists are no longer enough to defend against these threats. Organisations need an email security platform that is generative-AI resilient. This platform should include: LLM-aware filtering: Able to understand email context (topic, target, type etc.) , tone and behavioural patterns in addition to the email content. , tone and behavioural patterns in addition to the email content. Contextual memory validation: This helps to sanitise what AI-based filters learn over time and can prevent long-term manipulation. This helps to sanitise what AI-based filters learn over time and can prevent long-term manipulation. Toolchain isolation: AI assistants need to operate in sandboxes, with measures in place to block any unverified action based on a received email prompt. AI assistants need to operate in sandboxes, with measures in place to block any unverified action based on a received email prompt. Scoped identity management: This involves using minimal-privilege tokens and enforcing identity boundaries for AI integrations. This involves using minimal-privilege tokens and enforcing identity boundaries for AI integrations. Zero trust AI execution: Just because an email claims to be from the CEO doesnt mean the AI should automatically act on it. Tools should be set to verify everything before execution. The future of email security is agent-aware The AI tools being used within organisations are increasing built on agentic AI. These are AI systems capable of independent decision-making and autonomous behavior. These systems can reason, plan and perform actions, adapting in real time to achieve specific goals. This powerful capability can be manipulated by attackers and security measures must shift from passive filtering to proactive threat modelling for AI agents. Email is a great example. Email is becoming an AI-augmented workspace, but it remains one of the top attack vectors. Security strategies need to stop seeing email as a channel. Instead, they need to approach it as an execution environment requiring zero trust principles and constant AI-aware validation. How Barracuda email protection helps defend against AI attacks Barracudas integrated cybersecurity platform is purpose-built to meet the dual challenge of AI-based attacks and attacks targeting AI components. Our email protection suite combines intelligent detection, adaptive automation, and human-centric design to help customers outpace AI-powered threats. This includes: BELLBROOK, Ohio (WDTN) Bellbrook-Sugarcreek students and parents were shocked to learn the library at Bellbrook High School was closed on the first day. Its the result of a new policy enacted back in April, regulating books containing sexual content and gender ideology. The policy stemmed from a new state law, in which Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools interpreted the definitions of those terms. Parents are now required to sign a waiver to permit their kids to read any content involving sexuality and gender ideology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a Board of Education meeting on Thursday, board members explained their reasonings behind the policy. If something is inherently private, if you did it on a park bench, would an officer arrest you for it? said Audra Dorn, BSS board member. But parents soon found the library was closed entirely, with the district superintendent saying they needed time to review everything. Review the materials in the high school library and see what books are complying with it, explained Dr. Doug Cozad, BSS superintendent. Several residents and parents attended Thursdays board meeting, saying they were not pleased with the actions the school board has taken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some parents told 2 NEWS the policy was too broad. I am of course, very disappointed. I think access to libraries and information are pivotal, said one parent. Others said administration should be able to sort and review materials while keeping the library open. We can come to a middle ground here, and the middle ground is dont close the libraries, said another parent. One staff member told 2 NEWS off camera that some English teachers were removing classroom book collections to avoid controversy all together. If you feel that teachers removing their classroom library makes you look bad, or the school library, its not. Its your own actions and your own policy, said Sugarcreek Education Association President Mark Carreira during the meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its unclear when the library will reopen. The district superintendent says that it could be days or weeks before its available to students again. 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. Fort Hancock on Sandy Hook one of New Jerseys oldest and most historic military bases may get a portion of $135.6 million in federal funding to help preserve its crumbling buildings. Preservation work for the fort is listed in an appropriations bill for the U.S. Department of the Interior, a federal agency that has jurisdiction over national parks and federally protected land. If approved by Congress, the bill would still need to be signed by President Donald Trump to become law. The fort, part of Gateway National Park on Sandy Hook in Monmouth County, is on the Jersey Shores northern tip. The fort has largely fallen into disrepair since being decommissioned in 1974. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since then, advocates and elected officials have strived to preserve its structures, including Officers Row, a line of historic houses that once served as waterfront homes for top military officials and their families. U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said the funding proposed in the appropriations bill could come after the Trump administration scrapped an advisory committee working on a plan for the future of Fort Hancock in February. The panel, which formed in 2012, was made up of members appointed by the federal Department of the Interior. The group consulted with federal officials on the development of a reuse plan and on matters relating to future uses. It is unclear how much Fort Hancock may get if the appropriations bill is approved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It doesnt specify how much is spent at Gateway or Fort Hancock, but the fact that its mentioned specifically for this purpose is certainly a good sign, Pallone told NJ Advance Media. A spokesperson for the National Park Service did not immediately return multiple requests for comment. A vote on the legislation likely wont happen until September, at the earliest, when lawmakers return to Capitol Hill after a break for Labor Day, Pallone said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the bill. Several Fort Hancock restoration efforts have formed in recent years to aid the retired military base. In 2022, the National Park Service announced plans to transform Fort Hancocks original mule barn into a bar and restaurant. The Mule Barn Tavern opened the following year under a name that pays homage to the buildings historic use. Fort Hancock on Sandy Hook is located on a thin peninsula between the bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Years earlier, the first stewards began renovating former Army officer housing through a lease program intended to repurpose the ailing structures, though the work was never completed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the Sandy Hook Foundation, a nonprofit group that advocates for preservation projects, has stayed committed to public outreach and efforts to preserve the fort, said Peter Izzo, the organizations chairman. The potential federal funding comes after the nearly dozen-person Fort Hancock advisory committee was one of six federal panels cut by the Trump administration earlier this year. The committee included representatives from both the private and public sectors. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the former Republican governor of North Dakota, wrote in an internal memo that the panels are unnecessary and have fulfilled the purposes for which they were established, Politico reported in March. The Sandy Hook Foundation has worked with stakeholders to continue the advisory panels efforts, Izzo said. That includes stabilizing the officers houses and other structures at the fort in danger of collapsing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want to try to encourage the stabilization effort, Izzo said. A lot of people have seen the two-by-fours holding up the front porches, and things like that. Izzo said much of the deterioration can be seen in the form of broken windows and doors, some of which have been fixed. He stressed that further work must be done to fully preserve Fort Hancock. He sees preservation as a two-step process. First, funding is needed to prevent the buildings from crumbling. Then, officials need to solicit ideas on how to reuse the site. Izzo said some of those ideas could include repurposing Fort Hancock for events and summer rentals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A U.S. Army fort since Colonial times, the base at the northern tip of Sandy Hook was known as the Sandy Hook Proving Ground before it was renamed Fort Hancock in 1895. Preserving its structures has been challenging. An attempt to implement the leasing program first failed in the early 2000s. Many structures have become dilapidated, particularly from damage during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Three years later, one of the buildings suffered a roof collapse. In 2019, Monmouth County officials announced $12 million in funding to help renovate parts of the fort for the U.S. Navy and Marine Academy of Science & Technology, a magnet public high school located on Sandy Hook. 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. LAKE WORTH BEACH Lake Worth Beach city commissioners have approved a rent abatement of about $57,000 for Bennys on the Beach, a popular family-owned seaside American restaurant near the Lake Worth Pier, while its Oceanwalk location closes for air-conditioning repairs. During an early August meeting, the city agreed to pay two months rent for the restaurant, provided the owners signed a two-month lease extension, with Commissioner Christopher McVoy dissenting. Dylan Lipton, manager of Benny's on The Beach, described the compromise as a fair and clever solution put forth by the commission. Bennys plans to invest up to $400,000 in renovations to the city-owned historical building, $300,000 of which will go back to the city in the form of capital improvements. Renovation work includes replacing the ceiling to fix nonfunctional air conditioning units and upgrading the kitchen hood system repairs recommended by a third-party engineer hired at Bennys expense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Oceanwalk location will close after Labor Day and reopen in early November, according to Lipton, who manages the restaurant while his father, the owner, is on a sabbatical leave. This timeline has been extended from the original September-to-October estimation. Bennys on the Beach will still be open at its pier location during renovations. Although the work may exceed the two-month agreement due to unforeseen complications, we are in full commitment to a maximum of two-month abatement as agreed by the commission, and if we are fortunate enough to finish the construction relating to this project sooner, we are committed to paying back the time left, Lipton wrote in a prepared statement. Benny's on the Beach Oceanwalk location will close for two months while repairs are made on the air conditioning unit at the popular Lake Worth Beach restaurant. For the past few months, Bennys Oceanwalk location has gone without air conditioning in the South Florida summer heat, which has hovered close to record-breaking numbers. The rent abatement request, though not out of the ordinary for businesses undergoing renovations or repairs, stirred some uneasiness from residents and nearby businesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some residents told city leaders that by approving the request, they would be giving Bennys preferential treatment. Mr. Lipton is a very wealthy business owner and getting new AC is the cost of doing business. He should not be getting special treatment, commented Donna Kerner, a Community Redevelopment Agency board member. But many others were in support of the deal. Neighboring business owner Anthony Vultaggio of Mamma Mias Pizzeria said, Helping Bennys will ultimately help Mamma Mias and the whole beach. Pam Triolo, who served Lake Worth Beach's mayor for 10 years before Betty Resch was elected in 2024, spoke in support of allowing Lipton some flexibility to address the buildings air-conditioning issues. She noted that he has consistently stepped up to handle maintenance issues that fall under the citys responsibility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LAKE WORTH BEACH NEWS: Public land, public vote: Lake Worth Beach residents protest downtown development plan RESTAURANT NEWS: Palm Beach Countys sizzling dining scene: A look at more than 50 essential restaurants He needs some help in this matter. I think giving him a break every once in a while isnt a bad thing to do, considering that hes paying for all this, Triolo said. This isnt the first time Bennys has been in the spotlight for rent-related requests to the city. In 2023, city went through months of negotiations amid rent rate hikes, with commissioners voting against renewing Bennys 10-year lease agreement. Some city leaders had argued for a lower rent price while the local business market rate increased, and McVoy, at that time the vice mayor, had noted that Bennys is already paying a below-market rate compared to other oceanfront businesses in the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was a messy ordeal, according to former commissioner Kim Stokes, but they were able to come to a compromise with Lipton, which she said was a fair deal to the city. This decision was made after a public movement to Save Bennys, where residents protested to save the nearly 40-year-old Lake Worth Beach landmark. Benny's on The Beach deal gets mixed reviews from residents, businesses Not everyone believes that deal was fair, however. I have an issue with a lease that was a big struggle to get approved and now were giving him a discount, and I dont think thats appropriate, resident Matthew Van Voorthuijsen told commissioners at the latest meeting. I would love it if I could get two mortgage payments paid for me so that I could make some repairs on my house, but I dont expect you guys to do that for me, and I dont think you guys should be doing that for Bennys, either. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the publics mixed feedback, Lipton is optimistic about the future of Bennys Oceanwalk. We appreciate the input of those who criticize the agreement. It demonstrates how passionately the residents of Lake Worth Beach care about the community," Lipton wrote in an e-mail to The Palm Beach Post. "We always appreciate the support we receive from the public and those who understand the function of the agreement. Lake Worth Beach is our home and we look forward to the continued opportunity to serve the community." This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Benny's on the Beach Oceanwalk gets two months rent from Lake Worth Beach MADISON - Bernie Sanders will visit Wisconsin's Driftless Area next week as part of a tour of the Midwest aimed at boosting Democratic congressional candidates ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The Vermont senator who won the Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary in 2016 will hold "an intimate town hall" event with Rebecca Cooke, who is challenging Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden in the 3rd Congressional District. Sanders' visit comes five months after he last appeared in Wisconsin, when he attracted thousands to events ahead of the state Supreme Court election in the 1st and 3rd congressional districts as part of his tour of GOP-held areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sanders' tour will make stops in Republican-held congressional districts in Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin, according to his campaign. He is scheduled to hold rallies in Davenport, Iowa and Kalamazoo, Michigan and also will appear at an event in Chicago with U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, who is seeking re-election, and state Sen. Robert Peters, who is running in Illinois' 2nd Congressional District, which is represents the city's south side and is currently held by a Democrat. The event in Viroqua will be held at noon on Saturday, Aug. 23 at the Pierce Hill Performing Arts venue. In a statement, Sanders said candidates like Cooke "understand the need for decent paying jobs, health care for all, and the end of a corrupt campaign finance system in which the ultra-wealthy buy politicians."A spokeswoman for Van Orden did not immediately have a reaction to Sanders' visit. Van Orden defeated Cooke 51% to 49% in the closest U.S. House race in November 2024.Sanders is a popular figure in Wisconsin among Democrats who have often favored him more than the party's presidential nominees. In 2016, he defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary and during the 2020 presidential contest, he outpaced his Democratic rivals including Joe Biden by double digits in popularity, according to a February 2020 poll by the Marquette University Law School. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bernie Sanders headed to Driftless Area to boost Rebecca Cooke in the 3rd Congressional District Beto ORourke thinks that Ted Cruz might be a curse on all the people of Texas. On Wednesdays Hasan Minhaj Doesnt Know podcast, the host pointed out that Cruz seems to be on vacation when disasters strike Texas. He was out of the country during the statewide blackouts in 2021 and during the flood disaster over the summer. ORourke suggested that the senator might just be cursing the state of Texas. More from TheWrap Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think hes a curse upon the people of Texas any way that you put it, ORourke said. Its clear that he doesnt care about the people that he purports to serve or represent. You know, that should be damning in and of itself. And for me, it is. Even worse and you know, this wasnt the case in 2018, but it certainly was in 2021 his effort to incite an insurrection against the countrys government in which he serves, to try to overturn a lawfully, fairly, democratically decided election. He continued: In my opinion, that should bar him from any public service and really should prompt an investigation by the Department of Justice into his role in that insurrection attempt on the 6th of January 2021. And I think its one of the big failings, honestly, of the previous administration and their Department of Justice. They didnt prosecute those like Donald Trump or like Ted Cruz who are responsible for that insurrection. And the fact that we nearly lost what Lincoln called The Last Best Hope of Earth. On top of the ridicule over the summer Cruz got for being in Greece during the Texas flooding, the senator also went viral for getting in a shouting match with Tucker Carlson over Trumps battle with Iran back in June. How many people live in Iran, by the way? Carlson asked. I dont know the population at all I dont know the population, Cruz replied. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You dont know the population in the country you seek to topple? Carlson asked. He then clarified that Iran currently has an estimated population of 92 million. How could you not know that? Watch the full interview between Minhaj and ORourke above. The post Beto ORourke Calls Ted Cruz A Curse Upon the People of Texas, Suggests His Vacations Incite Natural Disasters | Video appeared first on TheWrap. (Photo by Mint Images/ Getty Images) A New Jersey pharmaceutical company filed a lawsuit in federal court last week challenging a new Maine law aimed to protect a federal drug discount program for health care providers that serve rural, low-income and underserved populations. Originally introduced as LD 1018 and later enacted as part of the budget in June, the law safeguards the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, which helps health care providers that serve vulnerable populations such as Federally Qualified Health Centers and nonprofit hospitals purchase prescription drugs at a discounted price. These cost savings then allow them to provide health care services at a lower cost to patients. Maine has 144 Federally Qualified Health Centers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, drug maker Novartis, which has its U.S. headquarters in East Hanover, New Jersey, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Portland on Aug. 7, arguing that federal law governs the program, therefore states cant regulate it. In the absence of federal legislation on the 340B program, other state legislatures have also passed protections, including Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi and West Virginia. Many of these laws have been tied up in lawsuits filed by Big Pharma since passage, but some lower courts have ruled in favor of state protections. And, in 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up a petition by a pharmaceutical industry lobbyist to review a lower court decision that did just that in Arkansas. The sponsor of the original bill in Maine, Sen. Donna Bailey (D-Saco), has described it as an anti-discrimination measure as it prohibits the pharmaceutical industry from forcing hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers to enter into partnerships that do not offer the 340B program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I introduced this law because all Mainers especially low-income patients in rural and underserved areas deserve access to quality, affordable health care, Bailey said in a statement. Now, Big Pharma is trying to undo our work and increase their own profits at the expense of health care providers and the patients who rely on these essential cost-saving programs. The Maine law is set to take effect on Sept. 24. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Black Hawk College is putting the finishing touches on its $29 million renovation of Building 2 on its Quad Cities campus, Moline. Weve sort of put our money where our mouth is, said Jeremy Thomas, the Black Hawk College president. Weve made a commitment to making sure our students and our communities have the proper equipment, facilities, to educate our students. They called upon many different perspectives while designing the renovations on the building. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We wanted to make sure as we were going through campus that it met our needs, said Thomas. So, we visited with local employers, we talked to alumni, we talked to our students, we visited with our faculty. They wanted to make the building adaptable to ever-changing industries. This was very forward-thinking. We have spaces within this building that were designed in a way that if in five years that program has outlived its usefulness, that can be repurposed, said Thomas. And so nothing was pigeon-holed to a particular program. That was very oldschool, that was something we did 30 years ago. College leaders say new tech like artificial intelligence and virtual reality can now be implemented into lessons. This makes learning trades safer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And just think about that, the scariness of the first time you do a weld cause theres so many things that can go wrong, to learn virtual reality before you do it, said Thomas. The new addition is all part of Black Hawk Colleges plans to modernize education. We put that into this design so were teaching what they need today, said Thomas. Not what they needed 20 years ago. Thomas says the building will be ready for students when school starts on Aug. 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 WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. A private security company run by Blackwater founder Erik Prince will send hundreds of fighters to violence-racked Haiti to combat the countrys gang violence problem and restore its tax collection system, according to United States media reports. Prince, a controversial figure who is a major donor to Donald Trump, revealed details of the new mission for his company, Vectus Global, in an interview with the Reuters news agency on Thursday. A person with knowledge of the plans also confirmed details to The Associated Press news agency. Prince told Reuters that he expected Vectus Global, his US-based private security firm, which provides logistics, infrastructure and defence, would regain control of gang-held roads and territory in Haiti within about a year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One key measure of success for me will be when you can drive from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haitien in a thin-skinned vehicle and not be stopped by gangs, he told the news agency. He said the company would also be involved in creating and implementing a system to tax products crossing Haitis border with the Dominican Republic once security was restored. Gang leader Jimmy Barbecue Cherizier and his men pictured in Port-au-Prince in 2024 [File: Clarens Siffroy/AFP] Several hundred personnel For years, Haiti has been plagued by violence and insecurity as powerful armed gangs, often with ties to political and business leaders, have vied for influence and territorial control a situation that worsened dramatically after the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. The deployment of a United Nations-backed, Kenya-led police mission last year has failed to restore stability. Earlier this month, the government announced a three-month state of emergency in several parts of the country in response to the crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vectus Global began its operations in Haiti in March, Reuters reported, mostly through the use of drones in coordination with a government task force. But it was set to significantly increase its activities in the coming weeks in coordination with Haitian police, Reuters reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. The source said the company would deploy several hundred personnel from the US, Europe and El Salvador who were trained as snipers and intelligence and communications specialists, along with boats and helicopters. The AP, citing a person with knowledge of the plans, said the deployment would entail nearly 200 personnel as part of a one-year deal to tackle gang violence. It said Vectus Global would also take a long-term role in advising Haitis government on restoring tax revenue collection once the gang violence was addressed. Prince told Reuters that Vectus Global had a 10-year contract with the Haitian government, but would not comment on how much it was worth. The Haitian government has not commented on the reports, but in June, the then-leader of Haitis transitional presidential council, Fritz Alphonse Jean, confirmed that the government was using foreign contractors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Haitian government has identified restoring tax revenue as a key factor in tackling the countrys problems. Taxation at the border used to account for half of the countrys tax revenue, but gang control of transport links has hurt trade and badly affected vital government revenue streams, impacting the delivery of basic services, a report commissioned last year by Haitis government and international organisations found. Blackwaters track record of abuses The involvement in Haiti of Prince, a former US Navy Seal who is the brother of former US Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, has prompted concerns, especially given the controversial past of his previous company, Blackwater. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prince founded Blackwater, a private military company, in 1997. The company gained global notoriety for its actions in Iraq, with four employees convicted over the September 2007 killings of 14 Iraqi citizens in Baghdads Nisour Square. The contractors were later pardoned by Trump during his first term in the White House. Prince sold Blackwater in 2010, but has remained active in the private security industry. Since Trumps return to the White House, he has consulted with Ecuador on how to combat gang violence, and reached a deal with the Democratic Republic of the Congo to help secure and tax mineral wealth. Resorting to private military companies cannot be seen as a solution to insecurity in Haiti, Gedeon Jean, head of Haitis Center for Human Rights Analysis and Research, told AP. The use of private companies has often resulted in human rights violations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Romain Le Cour Grandmaison, head of the Haiti programme at Geneva-based Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, told AP that Vectus Globals mission in Haiti would violate US law unless it had permission from Washington to proceed. He said its involvement was more likely to complicate the crisis in Haiti than fix it. In the absence of a coherent, jointly led Haitian and international strategy, the use of private firms is more likely to fragment authority and sovereignty than to advance resolution of the crisis, he said. A Trump administration official said the US government had no involvement with the hiring of Vectus Global by the Haitian government, and was not funding or exercising any oversight of the mission, the AP reported. Earlier this year, a team from US security firm Studebaker Defense ceased its operations in Haiti after two personnel were abducted, likely due to corrupt police officials, The New York Times reported. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) The arrival of a 6-year-old blind dog has workers at the Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center asking for help. An unidentified person delivered the dog named Raven to the center in a kennel early Thursday afternoon. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The good Samaritan told the shelter they found the dog along the side of the road and then left before workers could get additional information. The shelter has more questions than answers. Were actively looking for the communitys help to try and find out who the person is that abandoned this dog along the roadway. Its very, very hot today, and it wouldnt have taken long, would have succumbed to this heat, said Rarrat. Center officials say if anyone has information about this, please call them. Their number is: (712) 279-6968. 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. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Johnny Turnage thought hed finally found the perfect pet in a Craigslist posting for a Teacup Yorkie. (The seller) described Clover as a really cuddly dog, said Turnage. Clover would be 8 weeks old. I really got excited because I was able to see exactly what my therapist had began telling me that it would do, said Turnage. Kansas City Council approves contract to continue KCATA operations Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He hoped Clover would be an emotional support animal to guide him through mental health struggles triggered by losing his eyesight and mother in the same year. After finding Clover for a price he could afford, Turnage began the purchasing process. First, Turnage got an invoice for $300, with the supposed name of the seller, the sellers addresses, and the sellers drivers license number. He paid the $150 deposit, but then problems began. After the deposit, he kept hitting me with fees, said Turnage. At every turn, I did what you asked me to do, and there was no follow-through on his end. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turnage was still hopeful. He tried to meet up at the mall to get Clover, then at a local police station. The seller was a no-show each time. It was very hurtful, overwhelming. Turnage even spoke to police officers who talked to the seller on the phone, but still no puppy. Then the seller made another proposition. He said if you sent another $100, I promise to get you the puppy. They agreed to meet at a gas station, Turnage now paying over $500 total. My brother parked where we could see all three entrances, and he never showed. Its been radio silence ever since, and Turnage doesnt want this to happen to anyone else. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man suffering possible heart attack waits 5 hours for ambulance at Atchison County hospital Neither does the American Kennel Club, a nonprofit dog purebred registry that the seller claimed he was involved in. Brandi Munden with AKC searched their records. He and his dogs are not. Its very disheartening to us. We try to keep our constituency as educated as possible. These scammers, they will not stop scamming, said Munden. Munden says paying fees on fees on fees red flag. Most of the time, its all wrapped up into one price. Theyre not trying to nickel and dime you, said Munden. She said its best to know the going rate for a particular breed you want, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FOX4 Problem Solvers asked if $300 for the toy/teacup Yorkie that Turnage wanted was too good to be true. That absolutely is, said Munden. Turnage knows. And he hopes you do too. Lenexa councilwoman says shes being targeted over citizenship FOX4 Problem Solvers reached out to the Better Business Bureau for tips on how to avoid being scammed. It happens often enough that the BBB has a page dedicated to avoiding becoming a victim of a pet scam. They advise people to see the pet in person, conduct a reverse image search online to ensure the photo isnt taken from another site, pay with a credit card for fraud protection, and consider reaching out to a local animal shelter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, Johnnys brother has organized a GoFundMe in hopes of keeping his brothers dream of getting an emotional support dog alive. 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. COMPANY NEWS: Australias critical infrastructure operators will now have a more direct line to disrupt online fraud campaigns, following CI-ISAC Australias entry into the Google Priority Flagger Program. The not-for-profit Critical Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (CI-ISAC) coordinates cyber threat intelligence (CTI) sharing across the countrys 11 legislated sectors. By joining the Priority Flagger Program, CI-ISAC gains a rapid-escalation channel into Googles security teams, enabling malicious domains, fraudulent ads, and other scam content to be flagged and reviewed with higher priority. Operational Advantage for Defenders The arrangement adds an operational layer to CI-ISACs existing automated and analyst-driven intelligence workflows. Once a member detects a scam exploiting Google services such as a phishing site spoofing a utility provider that intelligence can be passed through CI-ISACs dedicated reporting mechanism. Google then applies expedited review and takedown, limiting the threats dwell time. David Sandell, CI-ISACs co-founder and CEO, said the integration is a practical force-multiplier for members defensive capabilities. Fraud campaigns dont respect sector boundaries, and neither should our defences, Sandell said. This channel allows us to move intelligence from detection to action in hours, not days which is critical when were talking about protecting essential services. Combating Organised Crime at Scale Bec Turner, Government Affairs & Public Policy at Google Australia, said scams are increasingly run like businesses complete with infrastructure, supply chains, and cross-border coordination. These arent lone actors theyre structured operations with resources and reach, Turner said. The more trusted partners we have feeding into the Priority Flagger Program, the more effectively we can take that infrastructure offline. Sector-Wide Impact The program is live across all CI-ISAC membership including energy, water, health, food supply, transport, communications and other sectors designated under the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act. By embedding the program into the National Intelligence Offices triage and dissemination processes, CI-ISAC aims to prevent single-sector incidents from cascading into wider operational risk. About CI-ISAC Australia CI-ISAC is an industry-driven hub for sharing, analysing, and actioning CTI. It operates on the principle of collective defence giving operators access to curated intelligence, incident response coordination, and now, through this partnership with Google, a faster path to neutralising fraud threats at the source. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) Today marks a powerful reminder of sacrifice and service. In honor of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II WSAV is teaming up with the American Red Cross for a special community blood drive. With blood donations this past year hitting a 20-year low nationwide, the timing couldnt be better. The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is no stranger to hosting blood drives with the Red Cross, but this year is different. For the first time, its happening on Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day), honoring war heroes and providing a meaningful way to give back. This years event comes at a time when blood donations are at a historic low. According to the American Red Cross, 2024 saw the fewest donations in two decades. By donating, youre not only honoring the courage of the greatest generation, but youre also helping patients right here in our local hospitals. Organizers encourage you to sign up in advance to ensure a smooth process. Just one pint of blood can save up to three lives. Donating blood is such a really easy, painless way to give back. You can really help save a life. It is really a wonderful way to help the community and, you know, honor those in need, said Heather Thies, the Director of Education and Volunteers at The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is located just off I-95 in Pooler, and offers a fitting backdrop as it pays tribute to the heroes of World War II many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice. The blood drive will run from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. today. The Red Cross says someone in the United States needs blood every 2 seconds, but donation rates just arent keeping up. If youd like to donate click the link to sign up and register 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 WSAV-TV. (The Center Square) The Tennessee State Board of Education voted Friday to suspend the license of a Blount County teacher convicted of misdemeanor assault for three years after a lengthy discussion on their options. Joshua Dalton pleaded guilty to five counts of misdemeanor assault and was ordered to serve six months on probation for inappropriate touching of students, according to the board. Board Chairman Robert Eby and other members expressed concerns about a recommendation from the board's legal staff that would have suspended Dalton's license for six months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The six-month license suspension would coincide with Dalton's probation, which ends in November, the board was told by staff. State school board member Jordan Mollenhour said the board had little evidence and it didn't support the accusations against Dalton. Mollenhour said he "assumed there was other evidence out there." "We are in a situation where our team, our legal team, has looked at the evidence that they have and they have said there's not much here," Mollenhour said. "The key distinction in this case is even if we don't have video evidence of what this man was doing, he admitted to it. And in my mind that's enough to say we are going to revoke that license." Mullenhour made a motion to revoke Dalton's license, which Eby seconded. When that motion failed, by a vote of 5-4, Eby recommended a three-year suspension with 50 hours of professional development on appropriate student contact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Board members differed on whether there were 50 hours he could take to satisfy the recommendation, which raised other questions, Eby said. "I think if nothing else this opens up where we are lacking in an area that's very important and I encourage the department ... and I encourage the districts to look at this as a focus area," Eby said. The motion passed 7-2. Parents and community leaders were upset with Dalton's sentence in May, according to published reports. Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell said the "community is rightfully outraged" in a statement he posted on Facebook shortly after the sentence. The Blount County Commission passed two resolutions regarding the case. One asked the General Assembly to create a new law for "offensive or provocative physical contact with a minor, and classify it as a more serious crime." The other resolution stated the board was concerned and disappointed in Dalton's sentence. LAWRENCE COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) Authorities confirmed that the body discovered in a shallow grave in Mississippi was that of a Kansas City woman. On August 15, 2025, Lawrence County Sheriff Ryan Everett said the body was identified as LaDatra Williams, a 26-year-old mother of four. She vanished a couple of months ago, according to her family members. Everett said her body was discovered in a shallow grave on July 14. Investigation underway after man stabbed in the chest with scissors, police say Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Charles Sims was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the case. Authorities said Sims led them to the location of Williams body. He was denied bond on July 22. Williams family believes that justice has not been fully served and that Sims did not act alone. According to authorities, Williams was one of several women romantically involved with Sims. Hes believed to have four to five partners and is the father of at least 22 children. LaDatra Williams (Courtesy: Family of LaDatra Williams) Charles Sims (Courtesy: Lawrence County Sheriffs Office) There are claims that Sims may be leading a secluded group with some sources referring to it as a cult. Everett said Sims property has compound-like features, but he stopped short of labeling it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A GoFundMe has been set up to help pay for the funeral expenses for Williams. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily 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 WJTV. A bomb threat was called in to a middle school in Sumter County on Friday, according to deputies. Deputies said a threat was called in to South Sumter Middle School. Students are being evacuated to the Sumter County Fairgrounds as deputies sweep the school campus. Deputies said parents and or guardians wishing to check out their student can come to the Sumter County Fairgrounds and bring a valid photo ID for verification. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Channel 9 has a crew working to gather more information and will provide updates on Eyewitness News. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, temporarily leading Washington, D.C.s police at President Donald Trumps request, announced Thursday that she had sent letters giving sanctuary jurisdictions nationwide one week to comply with federal immigration laws or face Department of Justice action, contrasting South Carolina with Democratic states like New York and California. Bondi was in Greenville, South Carolina, on Thursday for a panel discussion with state Attorney General Alan Wilson, several members of Congress and local law enforcement agencies. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital moments before the announcement, Bondi responded to whether temporary federalization of local police departments could be done beyond D.C., such as in New York or elsewhere. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Oh, let's wait and see what's going to happen," Bondi told Fox News Digitals Danielle Wallace. "But I just sent sanctuary city letters to 32 mayors around the country and multiple governors saying, you better be abiding by our federal policies and with our federal law enforcement, because if you aren't, we're going to come after you. And they have, I think, a week to respond to me, so let's see who responds and how they respond." Bondi announced on social media that the DOJ has sent "demand letters" to sanctuary cities, counties and states as "a key step in our strategic effort to eradicate sanctuary policies from California to New York." Threatening lawsuits, she said that "any sanctuary jurisdiction that continues to put illegal aliens ahead of American citizens can either come to the table or see us in court." Federal Judge Tosses Trump Doj Lawsuit Against Sanctuary Policies In Chicago Read On The Fox News App U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi addresses law enforcement in Greenville, as South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson looks on, on Aug. 14, 2025. After Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdanis primary win in June, the New York City Police Department reportedly saw retirement filings surge. Bondi, who criticized incumbent Mayor Eric Adams over the citys sanctuary status in the past, told Fox News Digital on Thursday its crucial for officers safety for them to have strong leadership. Adams has cooperated with border czar Tom Homan on federal immigration enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It starts at the top and our leaders have to support our law enforcement," Bondi told Fox News Digital. "They risk their lives every single day to keep us safe. There's no ordinary day in the life of a police officer nor for their families, because they leave the house every day, and they don't know what to expect. And our government, our leaders, have got to back them and that's got to happen in New York. We have got back our law enforcement. We've got to back the NYPD. We have to back all of our federal, state and local officers around this country." Wilson, meanwhile, noted that slain Georgia nursing student Laken Rileys killer had been arrested in New York City and was released under the sanctuary policies there. "Obviously, here in South Carolina, we have excellent relationships, but it's also important that we support them in other states," Wilson told Fox News Digital. "Obviously, we all remember Laken Riley, a young woman in Georgia who was murdered. That individual had been arrested and released in New York state and then came to Georgia and committed that crime. So it affects us all when other states don't step up and are able to enforce the laws, it could have impacts on law enforcement in other states as well." Bondi highlighted one letter she sent to California Gov. Gavin Newsom in which she warned that "individuals operating under the color of law, using their official position to obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts and facilitating or inducing illegal immigration may be subject to criminal charges." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter, which was shared on social media, said cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including on immigration enforcement, "is vital to enforce federal law and protect national security." DEA agents walk along The Wharf on Aug. 14, 2025 in Washington, D.C., after President Donald Trump placed the DC metro police under federal control. "Under President Trumps leadership, full cooperation by state and local governments in immigration enforcement efforts is a top priority," Bondi wrote, saying Trump directed her to "identify sanctuary jurisdictions and notify them of their unlawful sanctuary status and potential violations of federal law." Louisville Mayor Shifts Doj Policy After Legal Threat From Doj In Greenville on Thursday, Bondi pointed to South Carolina as a model of federal, state and local law enforcement "working hand in hand." Thanking Wilson for advocating for increased partnerships with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and U.S. Marshals, Bondi told Fox News Digital a member of the Sinaloa Cartel was recently busted after "massive amounts" of cocaine were seized in Myrtle Beach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wilson credited such strong cooperation to law enforcement recently being able to make the largest fentanyl seizure in South Carolinas history. Last month, DEA agents, Lexington County Sheriffs deputies, and South Carolina State Transport Police made two coordinated traffic stops in two South Carolina counties, resulting in 156 pounds of fentanyl being seized. Two brothers from California were arrested and indicted in connection with the case. The Justice Department said that seized fentanyl had the potential to kill 36 million people and a street retail value of $1.7 million. In her letter to Newsom, Bondi said Trump also directed federal agencies to evaluate their authority to issue grants, contracts and federal funds "to determine where immigration-related terms and conditions may be added to combat sanctuary policies." Noting that Congress has "codified the duty of states and local governments to cooperate in immigration enforcement efforts," the letter said Bondi ordered investigations to identify "any such potential unlawful conduct." South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi meet with law enforcement leaders in Greenville, S.C., on Aug. 14, 2025. Newsom's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bondi's letter comes roughly a week after the DOJ identified nearly three dozen cities, states and counties across the country that it said were sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. Bondi said in a statement at the time that the cities and states, which mostly lean blue, have immigration policies that "impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design." "The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country," Bondi said. Four of the states on the DOJs list California, New York, Colorado and Illinois have already faced lawsuits over their immigration policies. Others on the list include Delaware, Nevada, Minnesota and D.C. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit in Illinois is the furthest along in the court process and has not played out in DOJs favor at this stage. A federal judge tossed out the Justice Department's claims, saying Illinois state and local policies were protected by the Constitution and that the DOJs lawsuit encroached on Illinois sovereignty. The DOJ could still appeal the decision or amend its complaint. Fox News' Ashley Oliver contributed to this report Original article source: Bondi puts sanctuary cities nationwide on notice after DC police federal takeover Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday scrapped local directives that severely limited cooperation between police officers in Washington, D.C., and federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other immigration agencies. The move amounts to a sweeping reversal of "sanctuary" policies in the nation's capital, allowing the Metropolitan Police Department, for the time being, to fully cooperate with federal immigration enforcement as President Trump asserts more control over the District of Columbia, citing concerns about crime and disorder. City officials quickly pushed back on the legality of Bondi's order, saying they were not bound by it. Mr. Trump has cited concerns about criminality and homelessness to launch a high-profile anti-crime crackdown in Washington, deploying National Guard troops and hundreds of agents from federal agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration, Customs and Border Protection, ICE and the FBI to patrol parts of the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Underpinning Mr. Trump's crackdown is an executive order earlier this week that effectively brought the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control by invoking emergency powers that last for 30 days. Bondi, who was assigned to oversee federal requests for the police department, wrote in a directive on Thursday that she was making Terry Cole, the current head of the DEA, the emergency police chief in Washington. She also cited Mr. Trump's emergency declaration to reverse several local police policies. "D.C. will not remain a sanctuary city, actively shielding criminal aliens," Bondi said on Fox News Thursday. Bondi rescinded guidance issued by Washington police chief Pamela Smith earlier Thursday that allowed police officers to transport ICE agents and their detainees and to share immigration information during traffic stops, but that still barred most local involvement in federal immigration enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She also scrapped guidance that prohibited D.C. police officers from searching databases for the purposes of determining someone's immigration status, even when there's no underlying criminal warrant. Bondi suspended rules that barred D.C. police from arresting individuals based on administrative immigration warrants signed by ICE officials not judges and from assisting federal agents during such arrests. The rescinded policy required officers to have a criminal nexus before carrying out an arrest, prohibiting arrests solely based on suspected civil immigration law violations. Bondi's order paused a local policy that previously blocked D.C. police from transferring noncitizen detainees to ICE, based on so-called "detainer" requests issued by the federal agency, unless there was a criminal warrant signed by a judge. Late Thursday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser posted a letter authored by District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb, who argued Bondi's directives were not authorized by federal law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is my opinion that the Bondi Order is unlawful, and that you are not legally obligated to follow it," Schwalb said in the letter, which was addressed to Smith, the Washington, D.C. police chief. Schwalb said police officers in the capital "must" continue to follow Smith's orders "and not the order of any official not appointed by the Mayor." It's also unclear how Bondi's order interacts with a local Washington, D.C. law enacted in 2020 that generally forbids city officials from participating in or assisting federal immigration enforcement, unless there's a judicial warrant. As part of its far-reaching crackdown on illegal immigration, the Trump administration has sought to penalize so-called "sanctuary" cities and states that refuse to fully cooperate with federal immigration officers, threatening them with lawsuits and federal funding cuts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Passenger arrested after allegedly causing disturbance midair and forcing flight to divert When could Tropical Storm Erin become a hurricane? From Helsinki to Alaska, Trump and Putin's evolving relationship Controversial bonfires in Londonderry have been lit in the Bogside and Creggan areas on Friday night. The bonfires have attracted criticism from the Catholic Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown, who claimed that older sinister forces were exploiting young people to stoke up fear and anger in communities. First Minister Michelle O'Neill said on Friday evening that there is no place in Northern Ireland for "illegal, unregulated bonfires" or for the burning of flags or emblems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this week there was condemnation after the names of a dead child and a former senior detective who was shot and seriously injured, appeared on a bonfire in Creggan. Items placed on the bonfire on Friday morning in the Bogside included, poppies, union flags and an emblem of King Charles [BBC] Other names on the bonfire included what is understood to be a serving police officer, as well as Billy Wright, the murdered founder of the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF), and Sinn Fein assembly member Padraig Delargy. BBC News NI understands that one of the offending signs, bearing several names, has since been removed from the pyre. The names of a child who died in a drowning tragedy and a former senior detective who was shot and seriously injured, appeared on a bonfire in Creggan [Aodhan Roberts] O'Neill said the majority of people want "a better future for their children and grandchildren, free from sectarianism and hate". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There is no place for illegal, unregulated bonfires or the burning of flags and emblems, whether that's today in Derry or what we witnessed across the north in July," O'Neill said. She said the city of Derry is "moving forward", adding the 300m city deal will transform the north west region. Michelle O'Neill says the vast majority of people want a future 'free from sectarianism and hate' [PA Media] On Friday morning, poppy wreaths were placed on both bonfires and additional banners, flags and placards were put on the fire in the Bogside. These included union flags, an emblem of King Charles and the flags of Israel and the United States. Police in Derry are investigating if the US flag is the same one stolen in July from the grounds of a school built on the site of a former US naval base. Previous bonfires in Meenan Square have attracted some criticism in recent years [BBC] The Bogside bonfire has been erected on a site earmarked for multimillion-pound redevelopment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In May Apex Housing said it could not find a contractor willing to remove bonfire material from a site Previous bonfires in Meenan Square have attracted some criticism in recent years. Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme earlier on Friday, Bishop McKeown said bonfires were being used to "exploit fear and anger". "In some ways I am conflicted, in that there is a lot of pain and distress for many young people in life - I'm not playing down that reality," he said. "The question is how do we deal with that." Bishop Donal McKeown says "no future can be built on the ashes of anger" ahead of plans to light bonfires in the city this week [BBC] 'Ashes of anger' He said he was convinced that having a bonfire that would "encourage anger" was not the way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Nothing beautiful grows in an angry head. "Those who are helping young people to be angry are not doing them any favours." Bishop McKeown said he was not going to condemn the actions of others, but he believed "a better way forward" had to be found. "There is always a risk that older, sinister forces will use young people and say this is the way forward - you name people you hate and burn it on the bonfire. "No future can be built on the ashes of anger." Previously, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, condemned the placing of names on the bonfire in Creggan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federation described it as "a reprehensible action by people who are filled with hate and have nothing to offer the wider community". The police said they were aware of material, including drawings of cross-hairs and people's names, being placed on the bonfire and they would investigate all offences linked to it. Durkan appeals for removal of bonfire material SDLP assembly member Mark H Durkan had urged bonfire builders in the Bogside and Creggan areas to remove offensive material, such as flags and emblems, from them before they were set alight on Friday evening. Durkan said he had visited the Bogside site weeks earlier and said such bonfires were moving away from cultural celebration and becoming acts designed to antagonise the other community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This, Durkan said, leaves Derry "trapped in a cycle that is holding this place and our young people back". Why are the bonfires being lit? Bonfires on 15 August are traditional in some nationalist parts of Northern Ireland to mark the Feast of the Assumption, a Catholic holy day. Some bonfires are also lit in August to commemorate the introduction of internment without trial of republican suspects during the Troubles, which was brought in by the UK government in 1971. The Brief Border Patrol agents showed up outside California Gov. Gavin Newsom's press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday. "BORDER PATROL HAS SHOWED UP AT OUR BIG BEAUTIFUL PRESS CONFERENCE! WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED!," Newsom's office posted on social media. Newsom announced that California would move forward with a partisan plan to redraw congressional maps, in direct response to a GOP-led effort in Texas. LOS ANGELES - California Gov. Gavin Newsom often holds news conferences accompanied by state troopers, the California Highway Patrol. So it was unusual on Thursday, when Newsom was greeted by the Trump administrations border patrol agents. California redistricting effort What we know Newsom appeared at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles to announce that California will move forward with a partisan plan to redraw congressional maps, to help his party win five more U.S. House seats in 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move is a direct response to a Republican-led effort in Texas, pushed by President Donald Trump as his party seeks to maintain its slim House majority after the midterm elections. Newsom had seemingly issued an open invitation for the event the day before one that border patrol agents, operating under federal control, appeared to accept. Agents were seen stationed around the museum. Border Patrol agents post up What they're saying "BORDER PATROL HAS SHOWED UP AT OUR BIG BEAUTIFUL PRESS CONFERENCE! WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED!," the governor's office posted on X. As of late, Newsom has been borrowing from Trump's political playbook, with bold and combative rhetoric online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "TRUMPS PRIVATE ARMY IS ILLEGALLY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY!!!! WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY THIS WEAK LITTLE MAN!!!" Newsom's office said. According to FOX 11, border patrol agents detained at least one man. Others were seen walking around the museum as car horns blared. U.S. Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino was among them, telling people in the area that his agents were "making Los Angeles a safer place." The dust-up is the latest in a series of clashes between California Democrats and the Trump administration. Before this redistricting fight, they sparred over Trumps hard-line immigration tactics including deploying the National Guard to Los Angeles to subdue protesters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In June, Democratic U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla was ejected from a Los Angeles press conference hosted by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Padilla was handcuffed by Secret Service agents as he tried to speak up about immigration raids that have sparked protests across California and the nation. The Source Gov. Newsom's press office, Associated Press, KTVU reporting The resident of Gan Yavne was driving from the Binyamin area toward Jerusalem when he entered the village by mistake. An Israeli citizen who entered what police described as a hostile Palestinian village by mistake in the West Bank was removed from the area on Thursday, the Israel Police said Friday. According to the police, the resident of Gan Yavne was driving from the Binyamin area toward Jerusalem when he entered the village by mistake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He told police that he had run out of fuel, was stuck in heavy traffic and unable to turn around, felt threatened, and realized he was in hostile territory. Jerusalem-area Border Police officers who received the report went to the scene, entered the area, located the citizen, and escorted him out through a gate in the security fence. The removal was carried out with armored vehicles, police said. The man was unharmed. Israeli border police officers seen during an operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, February 23, 2025. (credit: CHAIM GOLDBEG/FLASH90) An Israeli citizen was attacked in Area B of the Binyamin region of the West Bank on Monday night, Army Radio said. After accidentally entering Kafr Mukhmas, the Israelis vehicle was pelted with stones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Israeli was lightly wounded in the attack, while the vehicle was damaged. Entering Area A is illegal Entering Area A and hostile villages in the West Bank is dangerous and prohibited by law, police said. There are prominent red signs at the entrances that warn Israelis against entering. The public is urged to heed these warnings and avoid entering such areas. Border Police operate at all times and in every sector to protect Israeli citizens and ensure their security, the statement added. BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. (WFXR)- The Botetourt County man charged in the August 2023 death of a five-year-old will spend at least 15 years in prison. According to court officials, Zackary Bishop, of Blue Ridge, entered a plea agreement to felony murder on Wednesday. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison, with 25 years suspended. Upon release, he will spend five years on supervised probation. The court also ordered Bishop to have no unsupervised contact with minors. Felony murder is the killing of one accidentally, contrary to the intentions of the parties, while in the prosecution of a felonies act, according to Code of Virginia 18.2-33. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bishop was initially charged with felony murder and felony child abuse and neglect. PREVIOUS STORY: Blue Ridge man indicted for murder of 5-year-old boy in Botetourt County The plea agreement stemmed from an incident that occurred on August 2, 2023, when dispatchers received a call of an unresponsive five-year-old boy in the 2900 block of Blue Ridge Springs Road. The child was taken to Carillion Roanoke Memorial Hospital where he died two days later. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be a homicide. 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 WFXRtv. By Leyla Tarverdiyeva, Day.az The Armenian opposition, along with those who have fallen out with Pashinyan and latched onto the revanchists, continues to scrutinise the document signed in Washington with a magnifying glass. The latest example is Edmon Marukyan, once an ambassador-at-large and today a politician who no longer knows where to fit himself. The special assignments Marukyan once carried out made him a laughingstock and a meme-worthy figure. He showed excessive zeal that was neither needed nor asked for, and in the end, was removed from his post as ambassador-at-large. Marukyan seems to think he caused a sensation by claiming that the Joint Declaration, signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the presence of the U.S. president, is a bilateral rather than a trilateral document. The king is not real! he cries. Pardon me, but who ever said the document was trilateral? It was signed by two countries, with a third acting solely as a witness, and no one promised otherwise. If the Armenian government wants the public to think differently, it is not Nikol Pashinyan who is to blame, but people like Marukyan. Pashinyan knows there are many such individuals in Armenian society, which is why he tries to soften potential hysteriaat least for a while. And although Armenians themselves should be glad they got off lightly, there will always be someone like Marukyan tearing out whats left of his hair while shouting, Weve been deceived! Trump is no guarantor! We are not joking when we say Armenia got off lightly. After everything it has done and must answer for, it only partially lost control over a transit corridornot over territory, but merely over the communications that someone else will manage. That is something to celebrate, not lament. Yerevan signed on as a partner, not a humiliated party agreeing to restrictions on its rights and compensation obligations. The former ambassadors agitation is pointless. Pashinyan could not have done more than he already has. He could not have signed a Zangezur Corridor agreement only with the U.S., because in that case it would have been a document about a dead stretch of rail and sleepers ending at closed borders on both sides. For the corridor to actually be a corridor and bring economic benefits to Armenia, Azerbaijans participation is indispensable. In essence, this is an Azerbaijani project, and it always has been. Moreover, as a former ambassador-at-large, Marukyan should know that Baku has long and firmly refused to involve third parties as participants in agreements with Yerevan. All deals will continue to be concluded solely between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The U.S. in this case acted purely as a witness (except in the case of the Zangezur Corridor). No one can be a guarantor: by being a guarantor, a third country becomes a party with corresponding authority. We have been down this road before. The 10 November 2020 trilateral statement had Russia as its guarantor. But that did not help resolve all the issues listed in the document; it only made Azerbaijans task of restoring its sovereign rights over all its territories more complicated. And frankly, what kind of diplomat was Marukyan if he cannot grasp basic facts? Unlike the Kremlin, Donald Trump has never shown any desire to leap onto the barricades and become a guarantor of peace in any conflict. He acts solely as a mediatorand, it must be said, without being a career diplomat, he understands diplomacy far better than the former ambassador Marukyan. As for the claim that a bilateral declaration with the U.S. can be signed only after a change of power in Armeniastatements like that are in fact the real deception of the Armenian people. Armenia already has such a document. In January, just a week before Donald Trumps inauguration, the BidenBlinken team hurriedly signed a strategic partnership agreement with Armenia. This was a very strange document and a very odd step for an outgoing administration. In effect, the departing team set Yerevan up. This last-minute gesture toward Armenia, a sort of belated thank-you for its support, made Yerevan invisible to the incoming administration. Incidentally, a bilateral document between the U.S. and Armenia was indeed signed in Washington. Is Marukyan unaware of this? That charter is more than sufficient, given that Armenia already has a strategic partnership agreement. Nihonbashi Bridge (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) In the center of the capital city, Nihonbashi is a Tokyo district where traditional and modern Japanese values coexist. The unique district is a short 20-minute train ride from Hardy Barracks. The iconic Nihonbashi Bridge, which the district is named after, has been the zero-kilometer marker for Japans national highway network since the Edo Era (1603-1867). When you see a signboard of xx kilometers to Tokyo along any highway or expressway, Tokyo means where the Nihonbashi Bridge is located. Nihonbashi Bridge (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) Nihonbashi Bridge (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) The bridge over the Nihonbashi River was originally built as an arched wooden bridge in 1603. Today, you can check out its half-size replica at the International Terminal (Terminal 3) of Haneda Airport. The bridge was repeatedly demolished and reconstructed throughout the years. The current dual-arch bridge (built in 1911) is its 20th rendition. One thing I dont like about the view with the bridge is that an expressway line overpasses it, spoiling the townscape of the district. The overpassing Shuto-ko Expressway line was constructed in preparation for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. With petitions by locals to move the expressway underground, the government decided to relocate 1.8 kilometers of the line underground by 2040, according to the Metropolitan Expressway Company. Im looking forward to seeing the majestic traditional bridge without the overpassing expressway. Being close to the Edo Castle (now known as the Imperial Palace), the Nihonbashi district has enjoyed great commercial prosperity over the centuries, and the area has flourished with bustling shops, countless merchants and craftsmen from across the country. (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) You can discover centuries-old businesses still operating in the district look for the shops with colorful curtains - along with multiple elegant skyscrapers nestled up against old-fashioned alleyways. Nestled amongst the historical Mitsukoshi and Takashimaya department stores, Coredo Nihonbashi is a five-story shopping mall that features 50 shops and restaurants in a modern, yet traditional-looking building where you can see traditional crafts or local foods, such as lacquerware, gold leaf, knives, chopsticks, sake, tea, seaweed and wagashi sweets. Mitsukoshi Department Store (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) Mitsukoshi Department Store (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) Drop by Bank of Japans Currency Museum nearby, as you can check out the history of Japanese currency with plenty of interesting historical coins and bills on display. Bank of Japan (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) Fukutoku Jinja, also known as Mebuki Inari, is a Shinto shrine in the district that offers a nice photo op amid the modern skyscrapers in the district. The shrine is known as a power spot for good fortune, particularly regarding wealth and lottery luck, since it was one of the few authorized venues for selling tomi-kuji (lottery tickets) in Edo Era. Why not visit this shrine and make a wish when you are going to buy a jumbo lottery ticket? Fukutoku Shrine (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) Fukutoku Shrine (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) Lets enjoy walking in Nihonbashi, a high-end district where the charms of traditional and modern Tokyo coexist! Nihonabashi https://www.gotokyo.org/en/story/walks-and-tours/waterfront/nihombashi/index.html Coredo Nihonbashi https://mitsui-shopping-park.com/en/urban/nihonbashi/index.html Currency Museum https://www.imes.boj.or.jp/cm/english/ Fukutoku Jinja (Shinto shrine) https://mebuki.jp/ NEED TO KNOW A boy in Florida had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery after being injured at a holiday drone show in December 2024 Edgerton has since filed a lawsuit against the city of Orlando and others The boy's alleged injuries are described in the lawsuit as "past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, disability, loss of enjoyment of life, and other economic and non-economic damages" The mother of a 7-year-old boy who had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery after being injured at a holiday drone show in December 2024 is suing the city of Orlando, Fla., as well as other companies involved in the incident, a new lawsuit shows. The boy was with his parents, Jessica Lumedge and Adriana Edgerton, watching the show at Lake Eola on Dec. 21, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The complaint obtained by PEOPLE alleges that, during the show, "multiple drones malfunctioned, causing these drones to leave formation, deviate from the coordinated flight path and breach the designated geofenced perimeter." One of the drones allegedly "entered the space occupied by spectators at a high rate of speed," striking the boy "in the face and chest, causing severe and permanent injuries." Getty Lake Eola during the holiday season Lake Eola during the holiday season The alleged injuries are described as "past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, disability, loss of enjoyment of life, and other economic and non-economic damages." As previously reported by PEOPLE, the boy underwent emergency open-heart surgery. According to Law & Crime, the boy spent roughly 10 days in he hospital and continues to recover from his injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The boy sustained "traumatic, permanent injuries requiring medical treatment, and will continue to suffer physical, emotional, and financial harm," according to the lawsuit. A GoFundMe created to help with medical funds has raised over $36,000 of its $50,000 goal. The lawsuit claims that the City of Orlando should have known that the drone show "involved high-risk aerial equipment" and that the drones "posed a foreseeable and unreasonable risk of harm to the public." According to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Board (NTSB), a review of aircraft logs revealed a 7-degree misalignment with the show position, resulting in the geo hard fence being too close to the audience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In addition, the fence was set to 5 meters rather than the company's standard of 1 meter. The combined errors resulted in a reduced safety area that was outside of company standards," the report said. Jessica Lumedge The boy who was injured at the holiday drone show at Lake Eola on Dec. 21, 2024 The boy who was injured at the holiday drone show at Lake Eola on Dec. 21, 2024 The city of Orlando, Sky Elements, and the drone's manufacturer are accused of negligence. The software developer for the drones is accused of strict liability. Sky Elements told PEOPLE it is aware of the filing; however, "as this is an ongoing legal matter, we cannot comment further at this time." On Wednesday, Aug. 13, a spokesperson for the city of Orlando told WESH that the city had yet to be served. 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. PEOPLE has reached out to the city of Orlando, NTSB, and an attorney for the plaintiff for comment. Read the original article on People NEED TO KNOW Harvey Morrison was born with severe scoliosis and needed a spinal surgery that was a matter of life and death His surgery was constantly rescheduled and, at one point, he was even unknowingly removed from the hospitals waiting list Despite getting the surgery years later, Harvey died in July at age 9. His parents are now seeking justice in hopes that no other families go through the same situation A couple is hoping to raise awareness after their 9-year-old son died after waiting years for a life-saving scoliosis surgery. When Harvey Morrison was born in 2016, he was diagnosed with scoliosis a condition where the spine curves, often appearing as an S or C shape. It can cause symptoms like severe pain, change in posture and difficulty breathing. The condition was present before birth, and by the time he was 1, Harvey's parents Gillian and Stephen Morrison were told that his scoliosis was severe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We were told his ribs had already started to crush his lungs and that controlling the progressions of his scoliosis was a matter of life and death for him, Gillian wrote on social media. We had to wait as he was too small to get intervention yet. The family from Dublin, Ireland moved forward monitoring Harveys scoliosis over the years. However, his condition progressed and left him in and out of the hospital with several complications, including a partially collapsed lung, pneumonia and more. In February 2022, Gillian and Stephen were informed that Harveys scoliosis was deteriorating, so he was added to the urgent surgery list with a spine curvature of 75. Despite the life-saving surgery being set for August 2022, the concerned parents claim they got radio silence from the hospital. https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf Courtesy of Gillian Morrison Harvey Morrison Harvey Morrison 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. Gillian expressed her frustration with Harvey not getting his surgery on Instagram. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Finding it hard to put into words just how much I currently hate our health service both public and private. The whole system just makes you feel so defeated at times, she wrote in October 2022. I can actually *see* him physically deteriorating and yet Im stonewalled, she continued. Hospitals push our appointments and we just always have to go with it I just wish it was easier to get our children the support they need. Gillian went on to explain that Harvey finally got a new surgery date scheduled for April 2023. However, a week before the day of the surgery, the family learned it was cancelled without explanation. Later that year, the mom of three shared a video of her son struggling to breathe and said they still had no new surgery date despite Harveys lung function worsening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heartbroken, frustrated and angry at the lack of care for Harvey and so many children like him, she wrote. Time and time again seeing my baby boy struggling to just breathe, how is it fair? Courtesy of Gillian Morrison Harvey Morrison Harvey Morrison In February 2024, Gillian claims she contacted Children's Health Ireland the nations largest pediatric hospital to confirm that Harvey was still on the active waiting list, and she claims she was assured he was. However, after following up in August 2024, she was allegedly informed that Harvey had been removed from the waiting list without their knowledge. To this day, I still dont have answers as to who made that decision, why or when, she said. Gillian then decided to take her son to a surgeon at a private clinic and he was added to that doctors waiting list. Finally, Harvey underwent the scoliosis surgery in late November 2024. However, by that time, his curvature had worsened to 130, a point that could not be fully corrected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After surgery, Gillian said Harvey seemed to be thriving, but his health took a turn for the worse this year and he was hospitalized on July 26. Three days later, on the morning of July 29, Harvey died at age 9. He spent so much of his life waiting on this surgery, Gillian tells PEOPLE in a statement. His whole childhood was spent waiting for things to get better and he only got eight months after his surgery before his life ended. Its all so incredibly unjust. Courtesy of Gillian Morrison Harvey Morrison Harvey Morrison Gillian noted that due to legal purposes she cant comment on the extent the massive delays impacted his passing, but she stressed that Harvey's family believes it had an enormous impact on his quality of life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stephen, however, expressed his frustration online and claimed his sons death is due to Children's Health Ireland allegedly removing his child from its waiting list. Let me be very clear, Harvey died because of @CHI_Ireland's and government incompetence and ableism, he wrote on X on Aug. 4. I know people are trying to give us space but we are back to our fight tomorrow. And we will not rest until our beautiful son gets the justice he deserves. #JusticeForHarvey. Children's Health Ireland told The Irish Times that it could not comment on individual cases but that waiting lists are constantly changing, as children and young people have their surgeries and come off the list, new patients are added. The hospital added that important progress is being made every month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PEOPLE reached out to Children's Health Ireland for comment, but did not receive a response. Gillian and Stephen have documented Harveys health battle publicly over the years, hoping to raise awareness. They are now vowing to continue their fight in hopes of seeking justice and ensuring that no other families go through the same. Harveys story and his fight for access to surgery and delays were already quite public before his death and once he passed we vowed to continue our advocacy in his memory, Gillian tells PEOPLE. So many children and families around Ireland are in similar situations and its both unacceptable and heartbreaking. If we can use Harveys story to see true change and improvementthen we feel thats a good way to honor him and his memory. We dont want other families to have to face what we have. Courtesy of Gillian Morrison Harvey with his dad Stephen Harvey with his dad Stephen Harveys journey has also received national attention, even leading to the involvement of Mary Lou McDonald, a prominent Irish politician. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McDonald pointed to politician Simon Harris, who made a pledge in 2017 when he was minister for health that no child would wait more than four months for scoliosis treatment. She said Harvey and his family were unfortunately failed by the system. The State has completely failed this bravest, strongest and most courageous boy and his family, first by the intolerable delays in his treatment, and then by your failure to follow through on a commitment made directly to me, and by extension, to them, she said, the Irish Examiner reported. This inaction is both shameful and unacceptable. As the family continues their fight, Gillian announced on Wednesday, Aug. 13 that she and Stephen are set to meet with Harris to discuss their journey and work toward improvements. We will never see true #JusticeForHarvey as Harvey never should have died and that will *always* be unjust, Gillian said on X. However there are hundreds, maybe thousands of children continuing to be failed by @CHI_Ireland and this government and the best type of justice we can hope for is that this never repeats itself. Read the original article on People The Brief An 11-year-old boy from Gaza lost his legs in an airstrike last year. He and his family arrived in Atlanta for medical treatment on August 3. Volunteers fought to bring the family to safety in the United States. ATLANTA - An 11-year-old boy from Gaza is beginning medical treatment in Atlanta after losing his legs in an airstrike last year. Yassin Alghalban and his family landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport a little more than a week ago. With the help of a translator, FOX 5's Rob DiRienzo sat down with Yassin Alghalban and his family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But it was what the little boy didn't say that spoke volumes. Young boy loses leg in Gaza What we know Yassin Alghalban lost his legs in a bombing in Gaza more than a year ago. He is one of 11 Gazan children who have arrived in the United States for medical treatment, with the help of the nonprofit Heal Palestine. In Atlanta, he will need more surgery and eventually prosthetic legs. The toll of the Israel-Hamas war What they're saying Ghada Elnajjar, a Heal Palestine volunteer who lives in Alpharetta. She said the war has taken its toll on Yassin. The little boy mostly wore a blank expression and didn't say much. "He's been through a lot," Elnajjar said. "Losing his legs, losing his father, losing his brother. He has PTSD." Yassin Alghalban cracks a rare smile during an interview about his plight from losing his legs in Gaza to arriving in Atlanta during an interview with FOX 5 Atlanta on Aug. 14, 2025. Elnajjar translated for Alghalban's mom, Fadwa, who said that since they've been in Atlanta, it's taken time to adjust. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "She said when they first arrived here, it was very different to them. It's very quiet here. There are no sounds of drones above them," she translated for Fadwa. "There's no sounds of bombings around them, and there's abundance of food." Yassin Alghalban's journey to Atlanta Timeline In April 2024, Yassin lost his legs in an airstrike in Gaza. When the Rafah border to Egypt was closed, the family was stuck, and his need for medical attention nearly caused them to split apart. After negotiations with the Israeli government, Heal Palestine secured passage for his family, who flew into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Atlanta-based doctor who treated Yassin in Gaza, who did not wish to be identified out of concerns for his safety, greeted him at the airport. The future of Gaza What's next Yassins siblings will soon begin school in metro Atlanta. Because of the war, they have not had any schooling in the last two and a half years. Volunteers reported that Yassin had already had his first medical appointment, which was promising. They say he will need additional surgery before he's fitted for prosthetic legs. Meanwhile, Israel's plans to take over Gaza City have ramped up amid the worsening humanitarian crisis. Israeli officials have denied there is widespread starvation among civilians. The Source This article is based on original reporting by FOX 5s Rob DiRienzo. Additional international reporting comes from FOX News. (WJET/WFXP) A Bradford sex offender, who previously pleaded guilty to raping and sexually assaulting a child over a multi-year period, has been sentenced. On Thursday, August 14, the District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer with the McKean County DAs Office announced that Andrew Silsby was sentenced to serve 20-40 years in state prison, along with three years of probation, after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting and raping a child from 2016 to 2024. According to the DAs Office, between 2016 and 2024, Silsby had sexual intercourse with a minor over 20 times when the child was between the ages of 10 and 15. Silsby also had oral sex with the victim 15 times during that period. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Along with his sentence, Silsby was found to meet the criteria of a sexually violent predator and is currently a registered sex offender in the state of Pennsylvania. He is not eligible for parole. 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 WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. Newly obtained text messages reveal an employee with a tree care company warned of decay on an oak tree at King Gillette Ranch Park in Calabasas a day before a branch fell during a summer camp and killed an 8-year-old boy, The Orange County Register reported. It is somewhat concerning seeing all the decay at the trunk. It would be wise to thin the canopy and alleviate end weight at a minimum to mitigate risk, an employee identified only as Gilbert wrote in a text message on July 8, according to the outlet. On July 9, the 8-year-old, now identified as Lamar McGlothurn, along with several others in attendance at Camp Wildcraft were struck when the 25-30 foot long branch snapped off the tree. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McGlothurn was airlifted to a hospital where he later died from blunt force crush injuries, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner. An 11-year-old girl with a broken leg was also airlifted to the hospital, while a 5-year-old boy suffered lacerations to his head, a 22-year-old man sustained bruises to his head and arms and a 73-year-old suffered a concussion. A child was killed and several other people were injured after a large tree fell at a park during a summer day camp at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on July 9, 2025. (TNLA) A child was killed and several other people were injured after a large tree fell at a park during a summer day camp at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on July 9, 2025. (TNLA) A child was killed and several other people were injured after a large tree fell at a park during a summer day camp at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on July 9, 2025. (KTLA) A child was killed and several other people were injured after a large tree fell at a park during a summer day camp at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on July 9, 2025. (TNLA) A child was killed and several other people were injured after a large tree fell at a park during a summer day camp at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on July 9, 2025. (TNLA) A child was killed and several other people were injured after a large tree fell at a park during a summer day camp at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on July 9, 2025. (TNLA) A child was killed and several other people were injured after a large tree fell at a park during a summer day camp at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on July 9, 2025. (KTLA) A child was killed and several other people were injured after a large tree fell at a park during a summer day camp at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on July 9, 2025. (KTLA) A child was killed and several other people were injured after a large tree fell at a park during a summer day camp at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on July 9, 2025. (KTLA) According to The Register, representatives of Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, which manages King Gillette Ranch, have not responded to requests for comment and its unclear if the tree was cordoned off or marked before the fatal collapse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shari Davis, Camp Wildcraft co-director, declined to comment, the outlet reported. Renowned comic, actor Paul Rodriguez arrested in Burbank again The mother of a junior counselor at Camp Wildcraft the day of the incident told The Register that camp staff had been informed that a branch from the the tree had fallen earlier in the week, though its unknown if the conservation authority told camp administrators that the tree was safe to gather under or if camp employees knew about the trees decay issues. Whatever the case, camp attendees continued to meet beneath the tree each day until the tragic incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The text message and other communications were obtained by the Southern California News Group in a California Public Records Act 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 KTLA. Brazil's Supreme Court will begin deciding on September 2 whether former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro is guilty of plotting a coup and whether he should be imprisoned, the court said Friday. Bolsonaro is accused of attempting to hold power despite his 2022 electoral defeat by Brazil's current leftist leader, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He faces up to 40 years in prison if found guilty. The Supreme Court statement said the ruling would be considered "during extraordinary sessions on September 2, 3, 9, 10 and 12." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasilia on January 8, 2023, a week after Lula's inauguration, alleging election fraud and calling on the military to intervene. Bolsonaro, who led the Latin American country from 2019 to 2022, has maintained his innocence, calling any coup "abhorrent." The prosecutor's office maintains that Bolsonaro led an "armed criminal organization" that orchestrated the coup attempt and was to be its main beneficiary. The case file also focuses on meetings where draft decrees were allegedly presented, including those involving the possible imprisonment of officials such as Supreme Court judges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the defense has stressed that "there is no way to convict" Bolsonaro based on the evidence presented in the case file, which they argued adequately demonstrated that he ordered the transition of power to Lula. His lawyers have questioned the validity of the plea bargain handed to Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro's former aide, on whose testimony many of the accusations are based. Bolsonaro's legal wranglings are at the center of fizzing diplomatic tensions between Brazil and the United States. President Donald Trump has called the trial a "witch hunt" and the US Treasury Department has sanctioned Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing Bolsonaro's trial, in response. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has also signed an executive order slapping 50 percent tariffs on many Brazilian imports, citing Bolsonaro's "politically motivated persecution." Bolsonaro was placed under house arrest in Brasilia this month for violating a ban on using social media to plead his case to the public. jss/app/ad/st/bgs BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazil lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro said on Friday he met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier this week, as he lobbies for sanctions against officials involved in the trial of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. The meeting took place on Wednesday, he said in a post on X, the same day Bessent had been scheduled to meet Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad. Haddad told reporters on Monday that the Treasury canceled the meeting without offering to reschedule. (Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Editing by Mark Porter) By Lisandra Paraguassu and Lucinda Elliott BRASILIA/MONTEVIDEO (Reuters) -Brazil is engaged in a "constructive dialogue" with Canada to resume negotiations for a free trade agreement between South America's Mercosur bloc and Ottawa, the Brazilian Foreign Trade Secretary said. Canadian officials are due to visit Brazil in late August, according to Tatiana Prazeres, Brazil's Foreign Trade Secretary, who shared details of the visit in a written response to Reuters this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Canada signaled renewed interest in restarting talks with Mercosur last month, as part of a broader push to diversify trade away from the United States amid uncertainty caused by tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Sources from both Canada and Brazil told Reuters that Canada's International Trade Minister, Maninder Sidhu, is expected to travel to Brasilia on August 25. Mercosur, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, with Bolivia in the process of becoming a full member, is a major exporter of beef, soybeans and minerals. Sidhu's visit "will be an opportunity to assess the conditions for a possible relaunching of negotiations," Prazeres said, although no formal date has been set to restart them, she added. Talks have been stalled since 2021 as South American countries focussed on local issues such as elections, before Trump's radical policy shifts reset the trade agenda. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two senior diplomatic sources said formal negotiations could resume in late September or early October. Bilateral trade between the U.S. and Canada totaled $727 billion last year while Canada's trade with Brazil - the biggest Mercosur economy - reached $9.1 billion, with Brazil posting a $3.5 billion surplus. One source monitoring developments said both sides view the Mercosur-Canada agreement as relatively obstacle-free and expect negotiations to take about a year. Prazeres said any formal restart of negotiations, including setting a timetable for talks, would depend on internal coordination within Mercosur. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Mercosur is willing to evaluate the next steps," she said. Uruguay's Foreign Ministry told Reuters that "no new steps" had been taken regarding Mercosur-Canada talks, but confirmed the agreement remains on the bloc's agenda. Argentina's Foreign Ministry declined to comment. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia, Lucinda Elliott in Montevideo. Additional reporting by Maximilian Heath in Buenos Aires. Editing by Alexander Villegas and Toby Chopra) British troops would fight back if they were attacked by Russian forces while enforcing a peace deal in Ukraine, the Defence Secretary has suggested. The UK, along with France and Germany, is spearheading a coalition of the willing made up of dozens of nations, which is planning to deploy a peacekeeping force to Ukraine following a potential cessation of hostilities. John Healey has said any British forces have the right to defend themselves, if attacked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, announced in February this year that he was ready and willing to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine to maintain peace. But major questions remain unanswered about the precise role UK military personnel could play and how they would respond to Russia potentially breaching the terms of a deal. Mr Healey was asked during an interview on BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Friday what in practical terms the Government meant when it said Britain would help to guarantee peace in Ukraine. British forces have the right to defend themselves, says John Healey, the Defence Secretary - Rosie Hallam The Cabinet minister said: It means that we, as the Prime Minister has said, in the circumstances of a ceasefire we are ready to put UK boots on the ground in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That is, in part, to reassure Ukrainians but it is also in part to secure the safe skies, safe seas and to build the strength of the Ukrainian forces. Because in the end the best, the strongest deterrent against Russia re-invading or regrouping and relaunching their aggression against Ukraine is the strength of Ukraine to stand for itself, to defeat and deter and to defend itself. Mr Healey was asked directly if British troops in Ukraine would stand and fight or leave if they were attacked by Russia. He replied: Those are hypotheticals I am really not going to discuss and cant discuss at this point. But there are a couple of important principles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First of all, that any British forces have the right to defend themselves, if attacked. British troops could be deployed as part of an allied group with others from France and Germany - Dominic King The coalition of the willing has set out three main priorities for a potential peacekeeping force. It would seek to regenerate Ukraines land forces by providing Kyiv with logistic, armament and training experts, secure Ukraines skies using coalition aircraft and to support safer seas by helping with the clearing of mines. Sir Keir co-chaired a virtual meeting of the coalition earlier this week, along with Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor. The meeting took place just days before Donald Trumps summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A statement from the coalition leaders said that they welcomed President Trumps efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russias war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace. 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. NEW YORK (AP) A Brooklyn construction magnate was sentenced Friday to a year of probation for working with a Turkish government official to funnel illegal campaign contributions to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, resolving one of two related federal cases after the mayors criminal charges were dropped. Erden Arkan, 76, told Manhattan federal Judge Dale Ho that he regretted his poor judgments in engaging in the straw donor scheme, which helped Adams fraudulently obtain public money for his 2021 mayoral bid under the citys matching funds program. Ho cited Arkans age and otherwise clean record in imposing the sentence, telling the Turkish-born businessman that his immigrant success story exemplifies the American dream. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I hope that you dont let this one mistake define you, Ho told Arkan. Arkan faced up to six months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, but prosecutors and the federal probation officer agreed that no prison time was warranted. In addition to probation, he must also pay a $9,500 fine and $18,000 in restitution. Arkan pleaded guilty in January to a conspiracy charge in Manhattan federal court. Weeks later, President Donald Trumps Justice Department pressured prosecutors to drop their underlying case against Adams, ultimately getting it dismissed. In court Friday, Arkans lawyer Jonathan Rosen blasted the government for continuing to pursue his case after getting Adams charges dismissed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To put it mildly, this is a very unusual case. In fact, it is unprecedented, Rosen argued. In February, Justice Department leadership ordered Manhattan federal prosecutors to drop Adams case, arguing that it was hindering the Democratic mayors ability to assist the Republican administrations immigration crackdown. Ho, who also oversaw the mayor's case, dismissed his charges in April. In a written opinion, he agreed it was the only practical outcome but also criticized what he said was the governments troubling rationale for wanting the charges thrown out. While Adams was spared, prosecutors continued to pursue related cases against Arkan and a former aide to the mayor, Mohamed Bahi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bahi, who served as City Halls chief liaison to the Muslim community, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to soliciting straw donations for Adams mayoral campaign from employees of a different Brooklyn construction company at a December 2020 fundraiser. Arkan acknowledged in his January plea that he knowingly violated the law by reimbursing employees of his construction firm for their donations to Adams campaign. In brief remarks Friday, he apologized to city taxpayers who bankroll the matching funds program, telling Ho: I love this city. I dedicated my life to making it better. It pains me that I have harmed it. According to prosecutors, Adams personally solicited donations from Arkan and a Turkish consular official at an April 2021 dinner. The following month, Arkan held a fundraiser at the headquarters of his construction company, KSK, in which 10 employees donated between $1,200 and $1,500 to the campaign. They were later reimbursed by Arkan, making them illegal straw donations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adams then used those funds to fraudulently obtain public money under the citys matching funds program, which provides a generous match for small-dollar donations, prosecutors allege. A well-known member of New Yorks Turkish community, Arkans ties to Adams first emerged in November 2023 after federal investigators searched the businessmans home, along with the home of Adams chief fundraiser and his liaison to the Turkish community. Adams pleaded not guilty to bribery and other charges after a 2024 indictment accused him of accepting illegal campaign contributions and travel discounts from a Turkish official and others and returning the favors by, among other things, helping Turkey open a diplomatic building without passing fire inspections. At a Feb. 19 hearing that precipitated the dismissal of his case, Adams told Ho: I have not committed a crime. The first-term mayor, a former police captain, skipped the June Democratic primary and is currently running for reelection as an independent. The brother of a motorcyclist killed in a crash in Jefferson Hills is suing the suspected drunk driver and a bar that served him alcohol that afternoon. John Wobrak, 69, was hit and killed in the 200 block of Scotia Hollow Road in March. Earlier this month, William Haughey Jr., 42, turned himself in on charges of homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence. He remains in the Allegheny County Jail. The lawsuit claims that Haughey drank three vodka sodas within an hour at Beer Bellys Bar & Grill in West Elizabeth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During this time Defendant Haughey becomes visibly and audibly intoxicated, showing signs of intoxication including but not limited to bloodshot and glassy eyes, pinpoint pupils and slurred speech, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit alleges the person serving Haughey noticed that he was slurring his words, but made no attempts to stop him from leaving and driving drunk. Haughey then left the bar around 1:30 p.m. in his Jeep Gladiator. The lawsuit claims that he was driving at least 20 miles per hour over the speed limit and crossed the double yellow line on a curved road, hitting Wobrak head-on on his motorcycle only about 3 minutes after he left the bar. He does not apply his brakes, slow his vehicle, or attempt to maneuver back into his own lane of travel, the lawsuit said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the lawsuit, Haughey was slurring his speech, had bloodshot eyes and smelled like alcohol at the scene. Police also said he was being verbally abusive, shouting profanities and making threats toward officers. Police said that Haugheys blood alcohol content was 0.142%. The legal limit in Pennsylvania is .08%. Haughey previously pleaded guilty to DUI in 2012 and 2018. Channel 11 has reached out to Haugheys attorney for comment and is waiting to hear back. Weve also attempted to contact Beer Bellys Bar & Grill, but no one answered our call. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW Bryan Kohberger called his mom multiple times after killing four University of Idaho students with a knife in November 2022 first when he got back to his apartment across the state line in Pullman, Washington, and later when he drove back to the scene after sunrise, according to a new report. The 30-year-old's own lawyers described him in court filings as socially awkward, and he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder as part of a failed bid to have the death penalty taken off the table if the case had gone to trial. According to the forensic analysis, he reportedly had no text with friends or anyone outside his family, other than a single, "benign" group chat. Heather Barnhart, the senior director of forensic research at Cellebrite, a digital forensics firm that assists law enforcement around the country cracking cases, also revealed that Kohberger referred to his parents as "Mother" and "Father" in awkward text messages in a new interview with People. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bryan Kohberger Pleaded Guilty To Idaho Student Murders, But These Key Questions Remain Unanswered Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse for his sentencing hearing, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Boise, Idaho, for brutally stabbing four University of Idaho students to death nearly three years ago. The former criminology Ph.D. student apparently preferred to reach out to his mom rather than his dad. "He would go back and forth texting: 'Father, why did mother not respond? Why is she not answering the phone?" Barnhart told the outlet. Read On The Fox News App According to her forensic analysis of Kohberger's phone, the killer would've been on the line with his mom, Maryann Kohberger, when he returned to the crime scene at King Road in Moscow, Idaho. Bryan Kohberger Transferred To Maximum Security State Prison Maryann Kohberger, (wearing sunglasses) mother of Bryan Kohberger, along with her daughter, Amanda Kohberger, exit Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The pair were in attendance for Bryan Kohberger's sentencing for the murders of four University of Idaho students in November 2022. The murders took place minutes after 4 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022. Kohberger returned around 9 a.m. hung around for a few minutes, and left. He had two conversations with his mom around this time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police weren't called until almost noon. If Kohberger hadn't pleaded guilty at trial, Barnhart's team would have been called to testify about how he attempted to hide his movements by powering off his phone with 100% battery while driving to and from the crime scene, she told the outlet which he likely did in an attempt to cover his tracks but which comes across as a glaring red flag. Read Bryan Kohberger's Signed Killer Confession Madison Mogen, top left, smiles on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, as they pose with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and two other housemates in Goncalves' final Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death. Her phone analysis could also have taken down his alibi which was that he was driving around in the dark looking at stars, on what meteorologists say was a cold, cloudy night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If you're stargazing and taking pictures of the sky, your phone needs to be on," she said. After a series of attempts to throw out evidence and have the death penalty taken away as a potential punishment before trial all failed, Kohberger agreed to plead guilty to the murders of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, in a surprise hearing in early July. Judge Steven Hippler handed down the maximum sentence possible under the terms of the plea deal four consecutive sentences of life with no parole, plus another 10 years. He waived his right to appeal and to seek a reduced sentence. Now he's being housed in an individual cell at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, where his fellow inmates are reportedly harassing him night and day. Original article source: Bryan Kohberger called his mom while returning to Idaho murder scene the next day, expert reveals NEED TO KNOW Bryan Kohberger spent the morning before his arrest searching for used cars after reading about the ongoing efforts to locate the suspect in the University of Idaho killings The former criminology student also searched "psychopaths paranoid," "wiretapping" and "serial killers," Heather Barnhart, the digital forensics expert hired by prosecutors, tells People Kohberger downloaded information on the serial killer Wayne Nance in the hours before his arrest On Dec. 29, 2022, at 9:08 a.m. Bryan Kohberger read an article in The New York Times about the ongoing search for the driver of a white 2011-13 Hyundai Elantra. Two minutes later, he searched online for "auto detailing shop," and at 9:19 a.m. he started searching for used cars, including the Ford Fusion, Volkswagen Jetta, and Honda Civic, according to digital forensics expert Heather Barnhart, who was hired by prosecutors to examine Kohberger's cell phone and hard drive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By the same time the next day, Kohberger was in the custody of Pennsylvania State Troopers while awaiting extradition to Idaho to answer for the murder of four students at the University of Idaho. Other searches and downloads conducted by Kohberger around this time show a man growing increasingly paranoid as authorities closed in on him at his childhood home. Kyle Green-Pool/Getty Bryan Kohberger Bryan Kohberger On Dec. 29 he also searched "psychopaths paranoid," "wiretapping" and "serial killers," Barnhart tells PEOPLE. That same day, Kohberger downloaded information about the serial killer Wayne Nance, who was shot and killed at the age of 30 while attempting to murder his boss and rape his wife. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One day prior, Kohberger downloaded a Fox News article which revealed 90 Hyundai Elantras had been given parking registrations by the University of Idaho between 2018 and 2022, but made no mention about out-of-state searches for that car, which Kohberger had registered in the state of Washington. 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. Kohberger also downloaded four of the daily updates on the Idaho murders from the Moscow Police Department on Dec. 28. Three days earlier, he had spent Christmas day downloading stories on more than 20 serial killers. Hancock County Sheriff's Office Bryan Kohberger white 2015 Hyundai Elantra Bryan Kohberger white 2015 Hyundai Elantra Barnhart has previously worked on cases from the Delphi murders to Osama Bin Laden but despite all her experience in the field, she says that even she was caught off-guard when she and her team began pulling data from Kohberger's cell and hard drive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I feel like we were just in shock thinking where the heck is the data and what are we going to do?" Barnhart says. "Because when people call me, I always say, 'oh, yeah, we can find it. No problem. We'll come in there.' And I'm like, 'We're not, we don't see it.'" Barnhart says that Kohberger was incredibly skilled when it came to scrubbing his phone of information and similarly "really good at the anti-forensics aspect on his hard drive, too." What she and her team did find, however, would have been crucial had the case gone to trial, given the lack of a motive and murder weapon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The information Barnhart and her team managed to assemble from Dec. 28 and 29 proved to be particularly helpful, likely because Kohberger had not yet scrubbed his phone. That is because as he was searching for "wiretapping" and "psychopaths paranoid," authorities were outside surveilling his home. And they had been for days. Then, just after midnight on Dec. 30, 2022, state troopers and agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant on Kohberger's parents' home and took him into custody. A week laterm he returned to Idaho for his first court appearance, where a judge charged him with the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. Read the original article on People (NewsNation) Bryan Kohberger had only 18 contacts saved in his phone, according to the digital forensics experts who analyzed his devices. Heather and Jared Barnhart, who investigated Kohbergers phone and hard drive, told Banfield Thursday that they made several eerie finds as they poured over the data. Bryan Kohberger said Kaylee Goncalves name during murders: police docs They spoke out about their investigation after Kohberger, 30, pleaded guilty to killing Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Kaylee Goncalves in their off-campus apartment in November 2022. Kohbergers 18 saved contacts He had 18 personal contacts. Eighteen, Heather said. Think about all the people you meet and the hundreds of random numbers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And they were even identified as girl I ran with, second girl I ran with. A contact, then in parentheses hair. Then there was mother and father, and his sister and just a few others. Another detail that disturbed the Barnharts was how Kohberger saved his parents in his phone as Mother and Father and referred to them by those names in texts. Its eerie. It stands out from any other case Ive worked, Jared said. Calls to mother and father It was revealed Wednesday that Kohberger called his mother less than two hours after murdering the college students. He phoned her repeatedly and spent more than three hours talking with her the day of the murders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bryan Kohberger tormented in prison, asks guards for help The Barnharts also noted that Kohberger would immediately call his father if he couldnt reach his mother, and would constantly call and text them beginning at 5 a.m. And also at night, to almost talk him into going to sleep and being able to rest, Heather said. They said he barely communicated with anyone other than his parents. Kohberger cut WiFi before murders Jared told Banfield that two days before the murders, Kohberger switched his phone off WiFi. He didnt want his device to be able to connect to WiFi, Jared said. It turned back on soon after the murders. After admitting he committed the murders as part of a plea deal, Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison and is being housed in solitary confinement in a maximum security facility outside Boise, Idaho. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He reportedly complained about being tormented in prison and the facility has since spoken out, saying he is safe despite inmates taunts. His motive for killing the four college students has never been revealed. 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. Originally appeared on E! Online More chilling details have come to light regarding the gruesome 2022 Idaho murders. Less than a month after Bryan Kohberger received four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murders of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, newly released police documents reveal more information about the early morning of November 13, 2022, when the killings occurred at an off-campus University of Idaho house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sometime in the early morning hours, [redacted] was awoken and opened her room door and heard a male say, Its OK Kaylee. Im here for you and crying, a document released by the Idaho State Police, per NewsNation, read. She then shut the door. A short while later, she opened her door again and saw someone approximately 510 tall, dressed in black with a ski mask, standing in the kitchen. E! News has reached out to the Idaho State Police and has not yet heard back. More from E! Online Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the sentencing of Kohberger last month, surviving roommate Dylan Mortensenwho authorities previously confirmed had briefly encountered the murderer while he was in the residenceshared an impact statement detailing how her life is forever changed by what she experienced that night. What he did shattered me in places I didnt know could break, the 21-year-old said at the July 23 sentencing. I couldnt be alone. I had to sleep in my moms bed because I was too terrified to close my eyes. Terrified that if I blinked, someone might be there. Indeed, Mortensen emphasized that what she has suffered in the years since the killings goes far beyond anxiety. Its my body reliving everything over and over again, she continued. My nervous system never got the message that it is over, and it wont let me forget what he did to them. People call me strong, they say Im a survivor, but they dont see what my new reality looks like. They dont see the panic attacks, the hypervigilance, the exhaustion. KYLE GREEN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock Indeed, prosecutors previously posited that Kohberger had left the house leaving Mortensen and roommate Bethany Funke unscathed out of fear that the police had already been called. In the aftermath, both young women expressed remorse that they survived the tragedy while their friends did not. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I still carry so much regret and guilt for not knowing what had happened and not calling right away, Funke noted in her own impact statement, referring to the 911 call being placed hours after Kohberger was seen in the house. Though I understand it wouldnt have changed anythingnot even if the paramedics had been right outside the door. Funke and Mortensen, however, expressed that they continue to honor their late friends by living their lives to the fullest. They did not get the chance to keep living, but I do, Funkewho was represented by a friend at the sentencing hearingwrote. And I cannot take that for granted. So now, every day I remind myself to live for them. Everything I do, I do with them in mind. For more details on Kohbergers crimes, keep reading Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who Were Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle? Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, were University of Idaho students who lived in an off-campus apartment. On Nov. 12, 2022the night before their bodies were foundGoncalves and Mogen were at a nearby sports bar, while Kernodle and Chapin were at the latters fraternity party. By 2 a.m. on Nov. 13, the four roommates and Chapin were back at the three-story rental house. Goncalves was a senior majoring in general studies at the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences. She was expected to graduate in December before heading to Austin, Texas, for a job at a marketing firm, her friend Jordyn Quesnell told The New York Times. Mogen, who was studying marketing, was best friends with Goncalves since the sixth grade. She had plans to move to Boise after graduation, family friend Jessie Frost shared with The Idaho Statesman. Kernodle was a junior majoring in marketing, the University said at the time. She and Chapinwho majored in recreation, sport and tourism managementhad been dating since the spring, the roommates neighbor Ellie McKnight told NBC News. Were There Any Survivors? Two roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, had been home at the time of the murders. In text messages that were unsealed March 6, 2025, Mortensen and Funke tried contacting their roommates on Nov. 13 after the former saw a masked man moving through the house, according to documents obtained by E! News. "No one is answering," Mortensen texted Funke at 4:22 a.m. "I'm rlly confused rn." She continued to reach out to their roommates, urging them to respond. "Pls answer," she texted Goncalves at 4:32 a.m. and again at 10:23 a.m. "R u up??" At 11:58 a.m., a 911 call was placed after Kernodle was found unresponsive, per an additional motion obtained by E! News. A woman named A1 in the transcript described the current situation to the operator. "One of the roommates who's passed out and she was drunk last night and she's not waking up," she said on the phone. "They saw some man in their house last night." Who Is Bryan Kohberger and How Was He Found? Bryan Kohberger, who was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, was a doctoral candidate at Washington State University. Over one month after the bodies of Gonclaves, Mogen, Kernodle and Chapin were discovered, Kohberger was taken into custody Dec. 30 in Monroe County, Penn. He was extradited to Idaho Jan. 4, 2023. As for how authorities connected him to the killings? DNA was found on a knife sheath that was left at the crime scene, prosecutors revealed in June 2023 court documents, per NBC News. When the DNA didn't match anyone in the FBI database, authorities ran the DNA through public ancestry websites to create a list of potential suspects, according to the filings. After learning that Kohberger had driven to his parents' home in Monroe County, local officials then went through their trash and found DNA that tied him to that found on the sheath. What Was Kohbergers Initial Defense? At the moment, a motive for the attack has not been detailed and a gag order prevents many involved in the case from speaking publicly, NBC News reported. However, the unsealed documents provided some insight into their initial arguments. Kohberger's attorneys argued in a motion obtained by E! News to strike the death penalty that Kohbergerwho initially faced death penalty if found guilty on all countshas autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and that executing him would violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on "cruel and unusual punishment." His defense argued that Kohbereger "displays extremely rigid thinking, perseverates on specific topics, processes information on a piecemeal basis, struggles to plan ahead, and demonstrates little insight into his own behaviors and emotions." "Due to his ASD, Mr. Kohberger simply cannot comport himself in a manner that aligns with societal expectations of normalcy," the motion said. "This creates an unconscionable risk that he will be executed because of his disability rather than his culpability." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Where Was the Trial Set? Initially, Kohberger had a judge enter a not-guilty plea to the first-degree murder charges on his behalf after remaining silent at his May 2023 arraignment. Although his trial was set to begin Oct. 2, 2023, Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial in August 2023. His trial datewhich was scheduled to take place in Ada County, more than 300 miles from Latah County, where the killings took placewas set to begin Aug. 11, 2025. Latah County Judge John Judge previously ruled in favor of the transfer request made by Kohberger's defense in September 2024 based on "presumed prejudice" if the trial remained in Latah County. Ada County Judge Steven Hippler denied the defense's request to suppress key DNA and other evidence, including cell phone and email records, surveillance footage, past Amazon purchases and DNA evidence in the trial. What Was the Verdict in the Trial? Kohberger's murder trial was abruptly canceled after he took a plea deal from prosecutors on June 30, 2025. In accepting the deal, Kohberger agreed to plead guilty to four counts of murder and one count of burglary, as well as waive his rights to appeal and ask for a more lenient prison sentence. He entered his guilty plea on July 2, 2025, confirming with a "yes" after the judge asked if he killed all four victims "willingly, unlawfully, deliberately and with premeditation and malice with forethought." Did Kohberger Take a Selfie After the Murders? A selfie Kohberger took the morning after the murders took place was introduced in March 2025. The photograph, which sees him in front of a shower showing a thumbs up, displays how he may fit the description a witness identified as "D.M." gave in filings, who said the perpetrator had "bushy eyebrows." Steve Gonclaves, the father of victim Kaylee, later reacted to the image calling it a "trophy" in an interview with Fox and Friends. "I know the timeline, I know that he had just returned to the crime scene and he had come back," Gonclaves said. "He had realized that nobody had called 911." As he put it, "To him, thats his little trophy to let him know like, Hey, I got away with it, nobodys on me. What Did Kohberger Google Before the Murders? In a 2025 Dateline documentary about the murders, a former classmate of Kohbergers detailed a peculiar text she received from him after making his acquaintance at a party. I definitely felt a little obligated to chat with him, because to me, he seemed a little awkward, the studentidentified as Hollyexplained. Kind of like you might expect for a PhD student who didn't know anyone at the party and was maybe trying his best to kind of get out there and be social and make friends. The following day, Holly said she received a text from him, which she described as overly formal. Hey, I am pretty sure we spoke about hiking trips yesterday, Bryans text from July 10, 2022 at 1:19 p.m., read, per Dateline. I really enjoy that activity, so please let me know. Thanks! Elsewhere in the Dateline documentary, Kohbergers browsing history was found to have included searches for Ted Bundy, Britney Spears song Criminal, and the term University of Idaho Murders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Did Kohberger Confess to Killing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle? After accepting a plea deal that would spare him from the death penalty, Kohberger changed his plea to guilty in the murders of Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle and Chapin, as well as one count of burglary, at a July 2, 2025 hearing in Idaho. When judge Hippler questioned Kohberger if he killed each victim "willingly, unlawfully, deliberately and with premeditation and malice with forethought," he replied with a firm, "Yes" for each. In taking the plea deal, Kohberger has waived his right to appeal or ask for a more lenient prison sentence, according to Hippler. How Long Is Kohberger's Prison Sentence? Though the families of Goncalves and Kernodle each slammed the decision to issue a plea deal, therby taking the death penalty off the table, Kohberger was officially sentenced to life in prison July 23, 2025. Judge Hippler sentenced Kohberger to four life termsto be served consecutivelywithout the possibility of parole for each count of first-degree murder, along with a $50,000 fine for each count and a $5,000 civil penalty to be paid to each of the victims' families. He also gave Kohberger 10 years and imposed a fine of $50,000 on the burglary count. For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App NEED TO KNOW Bryan Kohberger spent Christmas Day of 2022 downloading information on more than 20 serial killers at his home in Pennsylvania This included information on Danny Rolling, who also murdered multiple college students with a KA-BAR knife after breaking into their homes through a sliding glass door This is according to Heather Barnhart, a SANS Institute Fellow and the Senior Director of Forensic Research for Cellebrite, who led the digital forensics team brought on by prosecutors Bryan Kohberger spent Christmas Day with his family in 2022, enjoying what he did not know at the time would be his final days of freedom. As many went to sleep after a day of food and family and presents, Kohberger pulled out his phone and began downloading information on serial killers, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not one serial killer, or two, or even a general search of the term "serial killer." Instead, Bryan Kohberger downloaded information on more than 20 specific serial killers, a task that carried him well past midnight and into the early hours of the following day, digital forensics expert Heather Barnhart tells PEOPLE. Des Plaines Police Department/Tim Boyle/Getty Barnhart, a SANS Institute Fellow and the Senior Director of Forensic Research for Cellebrite, was brought on by the Latah County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to assist in the case by searching Kohberger's cell phone and hard drive for any clues. There was little left on those devices by the time Barnhart got them, but she and her team did manage to find a trove of downloads from that day thanks to Kohberger making one mistake. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. "People think if they download things while their browser is in incognito mode it stays private, but it does not," Barnhart explains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kohberger did seem to know that and cleared his desktop and hard drive of downloads, Barnhart says, but he forgot to clear his Android. That is how she discovered he downloaded information on: Betty Lou Beets, Randy Kraft, William Lee, Cody Neal, Danny Rolling, Joel Rifkin, Ted Bundy, Altemio Sanchez, Glen Rogers, Cary Stayner, John Wayne Gacy, Harvey Glatman, Paul Bernardo, Rodney Alcala, Robert Hansen, Gary Ridgeway, David Parker Ray, Cleophus Prince, Ed Kemper and Dennis Rader. Barnhart notes that Kohberger had previously downloaded information about Danny Rolling on Nov. 19, a week after the murders. The Idaho murders are almost copycat killings of the ones carried out by Rolling also known as "The Gainesville Ripper" back in 1990. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rolling killed five college students four women and one man by breaking into their homes through sliding glass doors and stabbing them to death with a KA-BAR knife. Kohberger killed four college students three women and one man by breaking into their home through a sliding glass door and stabbing them to death with a KA-BAR knife. The one difference is that Rolling would sexually assault his victims before or after stabbing them to death. There is no evidence Kohberger sexually assaulted his victims, per prosecutors. And Rolling, unlike Kohberger, was executed for his crimes. AP Barnhart says that Kohberger kept abreast of the case in the weeks after the murders, downloading the Moscow Police Department updates nine times between Nov. 26 and Dec. 28 of 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Dec. 28, he downloaded four different versions of the update. Three days later, Pennsylvania State Troopers arrested Kohberger, and soon after that Barnhart was brought on to start examining his cell phone and hard drive. She has previously leant her expertise on a number of high-profile legal proceedings such as the Crystal Rogers case and Delphi murders, as well as the Osama bin Laden raid. She says that her team which on this case included Jared Barnhart, Josh Hickman, Ian Whiffin and Mattia Epifani was forced to dig deep due to the expertise of Kohberger, a former criminology student who left a very small trail of clues. Luckily, that included a large number of downloads about a lengthy list of serial killers. "In the end, everyone makes mistakes," Barnhart says. Read the original article on People New details about the convicted murderer's phone activity in the days after brutally slaying four University of Idaho students have come to light -- making it very clear he had serial killers on the brain, even on Christmas Day. Bryan Kohberger had murder on his mind in the days and weeks after committing it himself. Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, were all brutally murdered by the convicted murderer on November 13, 2022 -- and, in the month that followed, he not only searched for and downloaded information on a ton of serial killers, but kept tabs on the investigation into the University of Idaho slayings. This week, digital forensics expert Heather Barnhart opened up to PEOPLE about some of the information gleaned from Kohberger's phone after her team was brought onto the case. Per Barnhart, it seemed Kohberger cleared his desktop computer and hard drive of downloads, but didn't do the same with his Android phone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "People think if they download things while their browser is in incognito mode it stays private, but it does not," Barnhart added, revealing how they discovered his online behavior. About a week after the murders, on November 19, Kohberger downloaded information on Danny Rolling. Known as the Gainesville Ripper, Rolling killed five college students over four days back in 1990, sneaking into their homes in the middle of the night, sexually assaulting some of his victims, and stabbing them to death with a Ka-Bar knife. While there's no evidence Kohberger assaulted his victims, he also broke into his victims' home under nightfall and used the same knife. Why Bryan Kohberger Possibly Spared Dylan Mortensen In Idaho Murders: Prosecutor - Click image for related story Then, on Christmas Day, came a wave of additional downloads, all pertaining to killers. At the time of the murders, Kohberger was studying criminology at Washington State University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Per Barnhart, he looked up and downloaded info on Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, BTK Killer Dennis Rader, Betty Lou Beets, Randy Kraft, William Lee, Cody Neal, Danny Rolling, Joel Rifkin, Altemio Sanchez, Glen Rogers, Cary Stayner, Harvey Glatman, Paul Bernardo, Rodney Alcala, Robert Hansen, Gary Ridgeway, David Parker Ray, Cleophus Prince and Ed Kemper. Between November 26 and December 28, Kohberger also downloaded updates on the Idaho murders from the Moscow Police Department -- including four different updates that last day, three days before his arrest. In a separate interview with Daily Mail, Barnhart claimed Kohberger also looked up porn and terms including "raped," "forced," "sleeping," "passed out" and "voyeur" -- similar to findings Dateline reported on back in May. Kohberger was sentenced to four life terms in prison without the possibility of parole, after pleading guilty in a plea deal that spared him the death penalty. NEED TO KNOW Bryan Kohberger did not delete all of the photos on his phone before his arrest The photo roll consisted largely of shirtless photos, images of his car, and pictures he had downloaded of women either naked or in bikinis Those photos also included a previously released image which showed Kohberger making a thumbs-up gesture just hours after the murders Bryan Kohberger went to great lengths to hide his search history in the weeks before and after he murdered four University of Idaho students, but he did not delete his photos. What investigators largely found were half-naked selfies of the convicted killer and a number of women in various states of undress, Heather Barnhart tells PEOPLE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lots of him posing half naked in the mirror while flexing, Barnhart says. It is unclear what, if anything, Kohberger did with these images of himself because there is no evidence of him ever sending them to anyone, she says. AP Photo/Kyle Green, Pool Bryan Kohberger Bryan Kohberger Then there were the women, all dressed in very little clothing, if any at all. There were some women in bikinis and others who were completely naked, says Barnhart. None of these images were actually taken by Kohberger, though, explains Barnhart, adding that "these were all cache files saved to his device." Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The only thing Kohberger seemed interested in photographing other than himself was his car the 2016 white Hyundai Elantra that he drove on the night of the murders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Very vain, like American Psycho," Barnhart says of the photo collection. That is a reference to Patrick Bateman, the protagonist of the 1991 Bret Easton Ellis novel and later 2000 film starring Christian Bale of the same name. Bateman, as written by Ellis and later portrayed by Bale, is an image-obsessed misanthrope and nihilist who questions his own sanity and may or may not be a serial killer. Lionsgate Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho" Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho" There were also two previously released images from Kohberger's photo roll, among them the thumbs-up selfie he took in his bathroom of his apartment on the Washington State University campus after driving back to the murder scene in Moscow the morning of Nov. 13, 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That image shows Kohberger with a bandage on his hand and a shower curtain can be seen in the background, which had disappeared by the time police obtained a search warrant for his residence. Barnhart notes that this image, much like the shirtless selfies, was also never sent to anyone and instead seemed to exist just for Kohberger. What Barnhart and her team did not find, however, were any images of Kohbergers victims saved to his photo roll. The photos speak to the incredibly isolated life Kohberger led both before and after the murders, with no images of friends or family found on the device. Latah County Prosecutor's Office Bryan Kohberger Bryan Kohberger Barnhart, a SANS Institute Fellow and the Senior Director of Forensic Research for Cellebrite, was brought on by the Latah County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to assist in the case by searching Kohberger's cell phone and hard drive for any clues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She has previously leant her expertise on a number of high-profile legal proceedings such as the Crystal Rogers case and Delphi murders, as well as the Osama bin Laden raid. She says that her team which on this case included Jared Barnhart, Josh Hickman, Ian Whiffin and Mattia Epifani was forced to dig deep due to the expertise of Kohberger, a former criminology student who left a very small trail of clues. Kohberger is now in Idaho's lone maximum security prison facility serving out four life sentences. The former criminology student took a last second deal that allowed him to avoid the death penalty in exchange for pleading guilty to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. The four University of Idaho students were brutally stabbed to death in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, for reasons that are still unknown. Read the original article on People An attorney for Burger King on Thursday denied workers ridiculed a blind customer at a Cumberland County restaurant last year and says security video backs up his claim they did nothing wrong. The womans attorney, however, said the video shows the exact opposite. Jennifer Bartholomew, 50, sued Burger King and its franchisee, DEVS Foods 3, claiming she was verbally harassed in front of other customers when she asked for assistance due to her visual impairment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The incident occurred at the Burger King on N. High St. in Millville on April 26, 2024. The discrimination lawsuit was filed earlier this year in Superior Court of Cumberland County. David M. Shafkowitz, the attorney representing Burger King and DEVS Foods 3, sent two store videos to NJ Advance Media on Wednesday, saying the footage shows workers did nothing improper. I would think once you review the video, which is verified to be (Bartholomew), there is no evidence of her being ridiculed for any reason whatsoever, Shafkowitz said in an email. The videos, which do not contain sound, show Bartholomew purchasing food at the counter and appearing to speak to workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At one point, Bartholomew accidentally knocks over a drink on the counter. When the drink is replaced, she takes her food and sits at a table, the video shows. The lawsuit claims Bartholomew received substandard service and was subjected to harassment and verbal assault in front of other patrons and employees, including a regional manager. Bartholomews attorney, Christopher T. Karounos, said the video shows the regional and local managers approach Bartholomew at a table after the incident, ostensibly to apologize for the counter workers behavior. Karounos said his client is blind in one eye and has a retina damaged by diabetes in the other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attorney claims workers became impatient with Bartholomew for taking too long to place her order, then yelled at her for spilling the drink. Burger King workers allegedly ridiculed a blind customer for taking too long to order, then chastised her for spilling a drink, her attorney says. She knocked over a drink because she couldnt see out of that side, Karounos said. She said, Im sorry. I didnt see the drink. Im blind. They still yelled at her. The workers allegedly said they did not believe Bartholomew was blind because they saw her looking at her phone, her attorney said. Karounos said Bartholomew drew the mobile device close to her less impaired eye so she could order an Uber. But she was still unable to see her phone and had a friend order the Uber, her attorney said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Bartholomew sat in the dining room, a manager came to sit at her table, trying to calm her down, as another manager approached from the other side, the video shows. This is not a misunderstanding. It is a textbook violation of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination that expressly prohibits individuals from being treated with hostility or humiliation because of a disability, Karounos told NJ Advance Media. The video indisputably shows that the local and regional manager had words with this legally blind woman, Karounos said. You dont sit down at someones table in the middle of a Burger King and have a long discussion unless you know somebody at Burger King did something wrong, Karounos alleged. Burger King managers approach a customer in Cumberland County who claims she was discriminated against for being blind. According to the lawsuit, Bartholomew suffered emotional distress, humiliation and long-term psychological harm as a result of the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The complaint also claims Burger King failed to properly hire, train, and supervise its employees. The suit seeks compensatory damages under multiple legal theories, including negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Shafkowitz did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the video or claims made by Bartholomews attorney. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) A man accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl more than four years ago is heading to prison after a jury found him guilty of the charges alleged against him. Allen Preston Bernstein, 39, of Burkburnett, was charged by grand jury indictment with sexual assault of a child with prohibited sexual conduct stemming from allegations that he assaulted a 14-year-old girl inside a home in Wichita Falls in May 2021. A Wichita County jury found Bernstein guilty at around 2 p.m. on Thursday, August 14, 2025, after around three hours of deliberation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the trial began, Bernstein elected to have the jury set his punishment if convicted. At around 5:25 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14, the jury returned a sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000. Bernsteins case was pending in the 89th District Court before it was transferred to the 30th District Court in early 2025. A jury was selected on Monday, August 11, 2025, and testimony got underway the same day in the 30th District Court, with Judge Jeff McKnight presiding. The prosecution, led by Brooke Robb with the Wichita County District Attorneys Office, rested its case on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. Gant Grimes, defense attorney for Bernstein, called a few witnesses before resting the defenses case the same day. After the prosecution called two rebuttal witnesses on Thursday, Aug. 14, the case was closed by both sides. After closing arguments were presented on Thursday morning, the jury began deliberating, returning its verdict about three hours later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the conclusion of Bernsteins trial, Grimes gave a statement to Texomas Homepage on behalf of the defense, criticizing the prosecution for apparently failing to disclose potential Brady evidence during the testimony phase of the trial. The full statement from Grimes can be found below: We wanted a different verdict, but the bigger concern is the blatant and willful refusal of the District Attorneys Office to disclose exculpatory evidence and Brady material as required by the Texas Penal Code, the Michael Morton Act, and the Texas Bar ethical rules. The defense bar is continually forced to represent defendants with one hand tied behind our backs. This time, the DAs acknowledged their discovery violations under oath in front of the jury. Hopefully, this will begin to change things in terms of getting defendants a full and fair trial in Wichita County. Gant Grimes, Defense Attorney for Allen Bernstein John Gillespie, Wichita County District Attorney, responded to the statement made by Grimes on Friday, Aug. 15. His statement can be found below: We maintain the highest ethical standards at the DAs Office. Our prosecutor did make a Brady disclosure orally and in [an] email to the defense attorney. It concerned a defense witness, who was aligned with the defense, and had been spoken to by the defense before trial. The portion that the defense complained about not being in the email was brought out in questioning by the defense attorney of their witness. It is clear they already had this information from their witness. It is unfortunate that the defense attorney is resorting to gotcha games in defense of a sex offender. We will never apologize for prosecuting those who sexually abuse children in our community. John Gillespie, Wichita County District Attorney Following Bernsteins sentencing, several members of his family expressed their support for him, with one family member stating that they believed Bernstein was innocent. This is a developing story. Stick with Texomas Homepage for updates as more information becomes available. All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 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 popular attraction at Six Flags' Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, OH, had a major malfunction this past Sunday, Aug. 10, after a large cable became detached. Thankfully, no one was injured during the troubling malfunction, however it did force the maintenance crew to manually evacuate guests who were left stranded on the imposing ride. The mishap occurred on the park's well-known "Power Tower" ride, which is described as a "hard to miss thrill giant in the sky" and a "state-of-the-art adrenaline factory" that rockets riders 240 feet into the air and then promptly drops them back into a free-fall from that height. Park Guest Gives Harrowing Description of What Happened to the 'Power Tower' Ride A guest who happened to be waiting next in line with his children for a thrilling rise and drop on the "Power Tower" gave a pretty wild description of what happened from his upfront viewpoint. Cedar Point closed the Power Tower after a cable on one of the rides towers detached. None of the guests were injured. : Amusement Park Portal pic.twitter.com/X1AZICha2M Cleveland 19 News (@cleveland19news) August 12, 2025 "Me and my two daughters were next in line, standing directly below the drop towers," the parkgoer said. "I heard a twing type of soundlike tension being releasedand then this giant cable came down. It was like slow motion." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I yelled, 'Oh my God!' It happened so fast. Then the cable hit the guard tower, and it sounded like the earth was coming to an end. That's when everyone started freaking out, scattering, and running," the descriptive guest continued. "That guard shack was 10 feet from us. It was very close to being a bad situation." Considering the ride featuring a free-fall that's paired with speeds of up to 60 mph, a cable suddenly snapping is probably an incredibly scary experience to be so close to in general, let alone the sound of it offering a feeling "like the earth was coming to an end." "It sounded like Earth was coming to an End." Cedar Point's drop tower, the "Power Tower," was evacuated after a cable on the ride failed when it "broke from the top." pic.twitter.com/fsQ0kst6MG Local 12/WKRC-TV (@Local12) August 12, 2025 Ohio Department of Agriculture Issues Stop Operation Order on Cedar Point's 'Power Tower' The Ohio Department of Agriculture has issued a stop operation order while it continues to investigate the cause of the ride's malfunction. "ODA's Amusement Ride Safety Division and its inspectors have placed a Stop Operation Order on the ride and are working with Cedar Point and the rides manufacturer to determine the cause of the incident," Bryan Levin of the ODA's Division of Amusement Ride Safety & Fairs said. Safety System Worked as Designed During 'Power Tower' Ride Malfunction Despite an ongoing investigation into why this occurred, a spokesman for Cedar Point said the ride's safety system reacted just as it's designed to for incidents like the unfortunate cable snap. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The ride's safety system performed as designed, the ride vehicle returned to the loading position and all guests exited the ride safely," Cedar Point spokesman Ryan Clark said. There won't be any free-falls from 240 feet in the air happening any time soon on the "Power Tower," as a complete re-inspection of the ride is currently underway. Since the main attractions at Cedar Point usually end come Labor Day weekend, there's not a whole lot of time for the ride to be fully re-inspected and back in service for those seeking one last adrenaline rush. Cable Snaps on Popular Ride at Cedar Point Amusement Park, Leaves Guests Stranded first appeared on Men's Journal on Aug 12, 2025 SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) Shreveport and Sacramento are nearly 2,000 miles apart, but that didnt stop California Governor Gavin Newsom from highlighting the citys homicide rate in a recent podcast interview. On Friday morning, Gov. Newsom posted a clip on his X account aimed at President Donald J. Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson, a Shreveport native and the citys representative in Congress. The post read: If Donald Trump is worried about crime he should start with Shreveport, Louisiana, and @speakerjohnsons districtthat has SIX TIMES the per capita murder rate of San Fransico. The post was accompanied by a clip from Newsoms recent interview with YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen, with the Governor expressing that sentiment related to President Trumps actions that include a federal law enforcement takeover of Washington D.C. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newsom went on to mention that eight of the top ten murder states were red states, calling the presidents crime crackdown bull-. The California governor and the president have traded jabs since inauguration day. And as the executive branch tests the threshold of grasping power in U.S. cities, Newsoms opposition has intensified. Louisiana AG accuses Roblox of enabling child predators in lawsuit Murder rates are measured per capita or 100,000 residents, and according to CDC Homicide by Mortality data, the top states for homicides per capita are all red Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Alabama. D.C. crime is at the top, but it exists as a district as opposed to a state with no Senate representation and only one (non-voting) House representative. The fact is, nationally, homicides are down and have been on a steady decline since 2022, according to FBI data. That is true for Washington, D.C., Louisiana, and Newsoms California. However, the statistics do not seem to matter because, as the president announced the D.C. takeover, he also mentioned Baltimore, New York, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Chicago as possible targets for federal policing action in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have other cities also that are bad, very bad. You look at Chicago, how bad it is. You look at Los Angeles, how bad it is. We have other cities that are very bad. New York has a problem. And then you have, of course, Baltimore and Oakland, President Trump said on Monday during a press conference. A suit was filed against the federal government by Washington, D.C., claiming the U.S. government illegally declared a takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department and was abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law. President Trump invoked an emergency provision in the Home Rule Act, allowing for federal control for 30 days. Congress must approve a joint resolution for any extension that would exceed the allowed 30 days. Speaker Mike Johnsons office was contacted for a statement regarding Newsoms comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. California's Democratic governor has unveiled a high-stakes plan to redraw voting lines in America's most populous state, in order to counter similar efforts by Republicans in Texas. Gavin Newsom called for a special election to be held in November, in which voters would be asked to approve lawmakers redrawing congressional districts before national midterms in 2026. He billed the move as an emergency measure in response to a Donald Trump-backed plan in Texas, which could see the Republicans pick up five more seats in the finely-balanced House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is the latest development in a gerrymandering fight that runs the risk of setting off a political arms race for control of the US Congress. The governor - whose term in office ends next year and is rumoured to have presidential ambitions - said it would neutralise an attempt by Trump and other Republicans to "rig the system". "We're working through a very transparent, temporary and public process," Newsom said. "We're putting the maps on the ballot and we're giving the power to the people." He continued: "We have got to recognise the cards that we have been dealt and we have got to meet fire with fire." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newsom's proposal would see California retain its current congressional maps if Texas and other states pulled out of any changes. The tit-for-tat move seeks to cancel out projected gains by Republicans in Texas if the state approves a redistricting effort sought by Trump and the state's governor Greg Abbott. Republicans in Texas have so far been blocked from approving new maps, as Democratic lawmakers have physically left the state, denying its legislative body the two-thirds attendance it needs to proceed with a vote. Abbott has threatened to arrest the Democrats, who are staying in Illinois, and said he would call continuous special sessions of the state's legislature until the proposal passes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like other states, California typically redraws congressional districts once a decade when new population data is released by the US Census. California convenes a commission of independent citizens to do so. The proposal in Texas to make changes mid-decade has triggered a nationwide political row, as the changes could give Republicans an easier path to keep control of the US House of Representatives and prevent challenges from Democrats that they'd face under current political maps. If Democrats gain control of the House, it could block much of Trump's legislative agenda. Gerrymandering - the redrawing of electoral boundaries to favour a political party - has been carried out by both Democrats and Republicans across the US for decades, and is legal as long as it does not amount to racial discrimination, the Supreme Court has ruled. Trump has said Texas is "entitled" to redraw maps and called on the FBI to put pressure on the state's Democrats to return home, paving the way for a vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some are expected to return to the state as early as this weekend, saying they feel their cross-country relocation has helped generate more attention on the issue nationally. According to US media, some made the decision to return after seeing California's plans to counter Texas's new maps. Democrats in California - which elected 43 Democrats and nine Republicans at the last election - have not published a detailed new map, or indicated exactly how many extra seats they would envision winning under the changes. The newly redrawn political boundaries would be released in a map in the coming days, the governor said. Newsom announced his plan - which he dubbed the Election Rigging Response Act - with a coalition of Democratic leaders. He also called for new federal standards to prevent political meddling in voting boundaries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is unclear if California's voters will approve Newsom's plan. Earlier this week, a Politico-Citrin Center Possibility Lab survey suggested Californians support retaining its independent districting system. Only 36% of respondents backed returning congressional redistricting authority to state lawmakers. Speaking to Fox on Thursday, Trump called Newsom "an incompetent governor". He also said he was considering encouraging Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to redraw districts in the state, so that Republicans could win more seats there. The president said other states had drawn "ridiculous" voting districts that are shaped like "rattlesnakes". Advertisement Advertisement Aug. 14CHAMBERLAIN, S.D. A Chamberlain man lost close to half a million dollars in an alleged cryptocurrency scam that began with an online conversation and led to multiple in-person cash handoffs. One suspect, 35-year-old Chee Yeng Wong, of Pasadena, California, has been charged with aggravated grand theft over $500,000, a Class 2 felony, in connection with the case. According to court documents, the victim met a woman online in November 2024 who identified herself as Elsa Valentine on Facebook. Their communication later moved to the messaging app Telegram, where she said her real name was Chen Xinyue, a 41-year-old woman living in Los Angeles and originally from Hong Kong. She claimed to work for a cosmetics company and said she was involved in cryptocurrency investments through a wealthy uncle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two exchanged explicit images and videos, court documents say. Over time, the person identified online as Xinyue encouraged the man to invest in cryptocurrency. She helped him open accounts with Chain Wallet and Coinbase. On Dec. 5, 2024, he wired $5,000 to Coinbase, which was converted into cryptocurrency. Four days later, he made what appeared to be a profitable trade. Xinyue continued urging the Chamberlain man to invest more funds. He later deposited $26,000, after being told she would contribute $50,000 of her own money. On Dec. 20, 2024, when he tried to withdraw funds from his account, he received a message from "customer service" stating that the account was under investigation for illegal trading. He was told he needed to invest additional funds before any withdrawals could be processed. In January 2025, when he attempted to deposit the required funds online, he was restricted from doing so. "Customer service" then informed him that someone could meet him in person to collect the cash to deposit into his account. Following that, the victim met with a man four times in the parking lot of Mi Pueblo restaurant in Chamberlain to deliver large sums of cash. Three of the four in-person meetings were with the same representative, a male going by the name Jay Wang. These in-person handoffs totaled $441,000: $30,000, $90,000, $111,000, and $210,000. At each meeting, the individual verified a pre-arranged passcode sent to the victim. On one occasion, the representative showed a passcode that did not match the one provided. The representative tried to cover up the mistake by saying it was a code for a different customer pickup. Authorities later identified "Jay Wang" as Chee Yeng Wong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following each delivery, the victim attempted to withdraw funds but was denied. Reasons provided included illegal data nodes, anti-money laundering flags, credit score concerns, and high-frequency trading activity. His Coinbase account displayed a balance of $1,248,561.83 but was frozen, pending an additional $208,227.40 deposit. The victim also reported receiving threats from Xinyue, including threats to release explicit images and to cause the loss of his existing funds if he did not continue to send more money. On May 14, 2025, Wong arrived at Mi Pueblo restaurant to collect another $100,000 in cash. He was arrested at the scene. Wong told authorities he had met with the Chamberlain victim multiple times to collect money and delivered the cash to a person he worked for, who directed him where to go and how much to collect. Wong pleaded not guilty to the aggravated grand theft charge in June. In South Dakota, a Class 2 felony carries a potential prison sentence of up to 25 years. A jury trial is scheduled for October 2025. Outschool, a California-based company offering online classes, is now eligible to receive Hope Scholarship funds. (Stock photo by FG Trade via Getty Images) A California-based company offering online classes is now eligible to receive West Virginias school voucher program, the Hope Scholarship. The state Treasurers Office, which oversees the program, approved Outschool to provide online classes to students receiving the Hope Scholarship. Outschool offers small class sizes for first through 12th grade students in English, math, social studies and more. Courses in music, coding and world languages are available as electives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a big deal for our Individualized Instructional Plan students, especially as we see a record number of students from the homeschool community coming into the program and we prepare to welcome thousands more once the program goes truly universal for the 2025-2026 school year, State Treasurer Larry Pack said in a news release Wednesday. West Virginias Hope Scholarship is one of the nations broadest school voucher programs, allowing parents to use the funds for homeschooling materials or to pay for private schools and microschools in- and out-of-state. Most families in West Virginia use the Hope Scholarship to help pay for tuition at private religious schools in the state. Right now, program eligibility includes students entering kindergarten or who are already enrolled in the public school system. Around 19,000 students are expected to use the program this year. Next school year, eligibility opens up to all West Virginia students. The scholarship amount is expected to be around $5,200 for the 2025-2026 school year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Outschools recommended pricing plan is $70 a month, which pays for an average of two group classes per week. According to the Treasurers Office, eligible families can use their Hope Scholarship funds to purchase Learning Passports, which are Outschool credit bundles, through the Hope Scholarship online portal. I am proud my office is partnering with Outschool so Hope Scholarship funds can easily be utilized to access high-quality educational experiences that support a childs individualized goals. It is crucial we continue to empower students and parents to find the right education that fits their unique needs, Pack said. The board overseeing the Hope Scholarship recently voted to allow families to purchase lunchboxes with the Hope Scholarship, but clarified that the money cant be used to purchase tadpoles for science education, MetroNews reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The states overall price tag for the Hope Scholarship is around $100 million for the coming year, and it was the largest funding increase requested by Gov. Patrick Morrisey in his first budget proposal. The price is expected to grow to $300 million by 2027 as the Hope Scholarship opens up to all students. While the GOP-led Legislature has been generally supportive of education choice and the Hope Scholarship, some members have voiced concerns about the programs rapidly increasing price tag while public schools are dealing with funding woes. The states public employees insurance program, which insures teachers, is also struggling financially. Earlier this year, Democratic lawmakers in the House proposed a bill banning the use of Hope Scholarship funds at out-of-state schools, but the measure wasnt taken up for consideration. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Californias move to launch a redistricting effort ahead of next years midterms has piled new pressure on other blue states to follow suit. Capitol Hill Democrats are hailing Thursdays announcement by California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to redraw the House map in the Golden State, saying the changes are essential to counteract a similar gambit by Texas Republicans, which is expected to net the GOP as many as five seats in the next Congress. But the Democrats dont want to stop there, pressing party leaders in Illinois, New York and even Maryland to take a page from Newsoms playbook to help the party flip control of the House and establish a check on President Trump in next years elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newsom has taken the lead, publicly exhorting the leaders of Illinois and New York to forget the talking and start making moves. But behind the scenes, a similar pressure campaign is playing out. Eric Holder, the attorney general under former President Obama and now head of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, told House Democrats on a conference call this week hes been in talks with leaders in a number of states, including California, New York and Maryland, according to a Democrat on the call. Holder is urging the lawmakers to support an all-hands-on-deck effort to pressure Democratic governors to redraw their maps as the last best chance to nullify the expected changes in Texas. He says, In the past weve played it under different rules, [but] this time, even though weve always taken a position against mid-decade redistricting we just cant do it. We cannot do it because there is so much at stake, the Democratic lawmaker said. Imagine if the Democrats dont win the House back and theres no check on the president, imagine what hes going to do in the last two years. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said earlier this month shes exploring with our leaders every option to redraw our state congressional lines as soon as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were already working on a legislative process, reviewing our legal strategies, and well do everything in our power to stop this brazen assault, she told reporters. And in Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker (D) has teased the idea of redrawing the map in response to Texas, saying recently that weve got to consider all the options when theyre trying to take democracy away. As he weighs those options, other Illinois Democrats are encouraging him to be bold. Trumps power grab demands action. We will not stand by while he dismantles democracy, Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.) said Thursday in an email. Every option to confront and stop him is on the table. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), whos running for Sen. Dick Durbins (D-Ill.) seat next year and whose district includes a mix of urban, suburban and rural, also left the door open to having Illinois redraw its maps if it needed to. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were all in it together, so we have to do what we have to do. But I think do first what makes most sense or might be easier, Kelly told The Hill, referring to states that might be easier to redistrict. Theres a lot of blocks or pieces of the puzzle, and it depends how the pieces of the puzzle fall. If, you know, we look at it and its very important that we do it, then I would not be opposed to us doing it, she said. The Democrats endorsement of mid-decade redistricting marks a sharp shift in the partys strategy. For years, Democratic leaders have opposed state moves to redraw their maps mid-decade, pushing instead for independent commissions to assume the task and discourage partisan gerrymandering following each decennial census count. But with Texas Republicans poised to redraw their map in the coming weeks a rare, mid-decade reworking designed, at the request of Trump, to pick up GOP seats Democrats say the moment demands fighting fire with fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the circumstances, you get in a fight, youve got to make sure youve got the same type of weapons, or better weapons, than the other side does, said the lawmaker on the Holder call. So you cant just unilaterally give up. The push to redraw House maps is not clear-cut, though, since each state determines how they draw their congressional lines. In New York, a redistricting commission starts the process of drawing the House lines, subject to the Legislatures approval. If the Legislature approves the lines crafted by the commission, they head to the governors office for signature. New York wont be able to pass a new House map in time for 2026 given that allowing the state to pursue mid-decade redistricting will require an amendment to the state Constitution. The Legislature needs to pass that amendment in two consecutive sessions before it goes to the voters for a vote. That timeline means the earliest New York could draw maps would be for the 2028 cycle. The process is easier in Illinois and Maryland, where each legislature takes up the task of drawing lines. Once theyre passed by state lawmakers, they require the governors signature for approval. But unlike New York, Democrats have fewer opportunities to pick up seats in Illinois and Maryland, which already have predominantly Democratic congressional delegations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stretching out gains in Democratic states also runs the risk of making Democrats seats more competitive, too. House Republicans, meanwhile, have slammed Newsoms effort, arguing hes doing so because of his rumored 2028 aspirations. Gavin Newsoms latest stunt has nothing to do with Californians and everything to do with consolidating radical Democrat power, silencing California voters, and propping up his pathetic 2028 presidential pipe dream, Christian Martinez, a spokesperson for the House Republicans campaign arm, said in a statement. Newsoms made it clear: Hell shred Californias Constitution and trample over democracy running a cynical, self-serving playbook where Californians are an afterthought and power is the only priority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats have dismissed such criticisms, saying the real power grab occurred when Trump asked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to redraw the maps to find five additional GOP seats. The midterm cycle is historically tough on the party of the sitting president, and Trump is hoping to prevent Democrats from taking control of the House, which would empower them to launch countless investigations into the actions of his administration. In the past, Democrats have expressed concerns that adopting mid-decade redistricting would set a terrible precedent and make the Congress even more polarized than it already is. But those reservations have been eclipsed by what the party sees as an existential threat to the country if Trump is allowed to move through the remainder of his term unchecked. Party leaders appear to be on board. People are very upset, and pretty much anybody is on the same [page], the Democratic lawmaker said. Theyre saying, In the past weve taken a different position, but we cant come in empty handed while theyre coming in with guns to the fight. Democrats, and certainly our leaders, are saying that, Weve taken a different position on redistricting [in the past], but this time we cannot do it.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. The latest California numbers suggest 2025 will be another record-smashing year for valley fever, the illness linked to drought and precipitation and spread by fungal spores. There were 6,761 cases reported through the end of July, according to state health officials a significant increase over the 10-year average of 3,833 for that same time period and a slight jump from last year's total of 6,364. The 10-year low was in 2016, when there was less than a quarter of what there is now. Last year's total of nearly 12,500 cases is the most on record for California and far more than the 7,000 to 9,000 cases per year the state averaged between 2016 and 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "California had a record year for Valley fever in 2024 and, so far, case counts are high in 2025. Valley fever is a serious illness thats here to stay in California," said Erica Pan, director of the state public health department. Officials say the current count is likely to be revised upward as there are often delays in reporting. Valley fever is most prevalent in the San Joaquin Valley and southern part of the state where the fungus, Coccidioides, thrives in dry, arid soil. Case numbers are also climbing in the northern Central Valley, though, and along the state's Central Coast. Researchers speculate the rise is tied to patterns of drought and precipitation. Periods of severe drought followed by wet winter and dry summer seem to coincide with more people getting sick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They also suspect climate change has expanded the fungi's range into areas where it was previously rare. For instance, since 2023, Monterey County's case numbers have exploded. There were 47 cases in 2023 and 348 this year as of July 31. Cases also doubled since 2023 in Contra Costa, Fresno, San Luis Obispo and Merced counties. People contract Valley fever by inhaling the Coccidioides spores, released when wind, wildfire, tractors, bulldozers, digging or even dancing disturbs the soil. Last year, at least 19 people who attended Lightning in a Bottle, a five-day music and art festival held at Buena Vista lake in Kern County, got sick including several with pneumonia-like symptoms, rashes, headaches and exhaustion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But most people infected wont get symptoms and will fight off the infection naturally. Those who do feel sick may be hard-pressed to know what they have, since the symptoms are similar to COVID or the flu, further complicating efforts to address the disease. "We want to remind Californians, travelers to California and their healthcare providers to watch for signs and symptoms of Valley fever to help detect it early," Pan said. In rare cases, the fungus can spread to other parts of the body and cause severe disease or death. Valley fever is not contagious. Pan urged people to seek help from a medical provider if they've had a cough, fever, trouble breathing and tiredness for more than 7 to 10 days especially if they've been outdoors in dusty air in the Central Valley or Central Coast regions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pets are also susceptible. Health officials said people can reduce their risk while traveling in the San Joaquin Valley and much of the southwestern United States by staying indoors and keeping doors and windows closed when it's windy; keeping car windows closed and using recirculated air instead of fresh; wetting soil before digging or disrupting; and wearing a properly fitted N95 mask if the outdoors can't be avoided. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. CAMBRIA, N.Y. (WIVB) Local small farmers in the Town of Cambria raised concerns to the town board on Thursday night after they said a series of proposed zoning changes could affect their operations. Over 20 residents spoke at the Cambria Volunteer Fire Hall, and over 100 showed up, with many claiming municipal leaders are trying to undermine their agricultural and tourism communities by packing 65 amendments into two new laws that they say attack small farms. A concern for the residents in the proposed zoning changes is the increase of minimum acreage needed to be considered a farm jumping from five acres to seven. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WIVB News 4 reached out to the towns supervisor. We did not hear back, but last week the supervisor released a statement saying, The proposed change is going to bring the town current with the standards of the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law. However, residents say the state has no such recommendation. Its about an agricultural tax exemption. Its not about land use, said Abraham Platt, a Town of Cambria attorney. If you were to leave it at five acres, nothing would change. If you were to set it at a million acres, nothing would change because the exception that its referring to is set by state law. Farms of any size can qualify under New York State law, one resident said. In fact, four other towns in Niagara County do not provide an acreage requirement in their definition, and another town has a definition of only three acres. New York State is not telling you to change the Town of Cambrias definition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These laws, to the cheers of all in the audience, were unanimously tabled by the board Thursday night. Residents were asking for that delay, and theyre also asking for a board or committee to be made with local farmers and also lawmakers to hopefully put the best foot forward for the community. 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. 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 News 4 Buffalo. Canada Post will resume contract negotiations with the mail carriers union on Wednesday for the first time in nearly three months following a recent vote to reject the companys final offer. The first meeting with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers since May 28 was scheduled for Friday, but moved to next week to accommodate the schedule of federal mediators who are currently preoccupied with the Air Canada labor dispute. The sides have been at loggerheads for more than 18 months over a new collective bargaining agreement, with mail carriers walking off the job for 32 days during the holiday season last year and refusing in late May to work overtime. The company looks forward to receiving a detailed and comprehensive response from CUPW that addresses the real, significant and increasing challenges faced by the postal service, Canada Post said in a statement. While negotiations remain unresolved, there remains an urgent need to modernize Canada Post and protect this vital national service for Canadians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Canada Post asked the government to conduct a member vote after CUPW leaders spurned the postal operators best and final offer on May 28. The government agreed, against union objections, and members overwhelmingly turned down the proposal on Aug. 1. Canada Posts final offer includes a wage hike of 13.6% over four years, a $500 to $1,000 signing bonus, and a higher cost of living allowance. The state-owned company is pressing the union for changes to work rules it says are necessary to address severe erosion of letter mail volumes and competition from private carriers that are eating into the parcel business. Critics say Canada Post has been slow to modernize after email changed how people communicated and online shopping increased demand for fast parcel delivery The postal service reported a $611 million pre-tax loss last year. Revenue declined 12.2%. Parcel revenue declined by 20.3% in 2024 as volumes fell by 56 million pieces, or 20%, compared to 2023. Customer defections increased after the month-long strike and many shippers have recently switched because of a cloud of uncertainty over future work stoppages. Since 2018, Canada Post has lost $2.7 billion Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Changes being sought include pilot testing dynamic instead of static routes based on changing volumes, part-time workers to support weekend delivery and load leveling individual routes as needed to spread the workload and improve delivery times. Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch. RELATED READING: Is Canada Post too big to fail? The post Canada Post labor talks: Back to square one appeared first on FreightWaves. A scheduled meeting between Canada Post and its largest union has been pushed back as federal mediators are preoccupied with another possible labor strike in the countrys supply chain. Canada Post was set to meet the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) Friday and Monday to restart talks regarding the national couriers latest contract offers for its urban and rural/suburban segments. More from Sourcing Journal Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But according to both parties, the mediators are unavailable due to their current involvement in stalled contract negotiations between Air Canada and its 10,500 flight attendants who are threatening to strike at 1 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday morning. Canada Post told Canadian publication Global News that talks have been rescheduled for Aug. 20. Contrary to the threats at Air Canada, the 55,000-member postal workers union has not taking strike action since the May negotiation deadline concluded. Instead, the CUPW is currently in the middle of a months-long national overtime ban. Under that stoppage, union workers do not work beyond the typical eight-hours-per-day schedule, and wont work more than 40 hours in a week. Ahead of the initially planned meeting Friday, the CUPW had been calling for a return to the bargaining table since union members took a government-ordered two-week vote. That vote resulted in nearly 70 percent of the members rejecting both offers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The standoff has endured over pay wages and the expansion of parcel deliveries into the weekend. The union members want a 19 percent wage increase over the four-year period, while the courier was offering 13.6 percent. Both sides havent been able to agree on how to staff weekend work. The CUPW had also shown concerns about contracting out deliveries to third parties, and adding part-time workers. The overtime ban, and more recently, numerous instances of wildfires across Canada, have hurt the Crown corporations performance as it is trying to stay above water. As you know, Canada Post is facing an existential crisis. Letter mail volumes continue to erode and competition in the parcel line of business places ever-increasing pressure on the Corporations operating model, wrote Canada Post in a statement Wednesday. While negotiations remain unresolved, there remains an urgent need to modernize Canada Post and protect this vital national service for Canadians and Canadian businesses. Canada Post cited the independent industrial inquiry commission into the labor dispute and ensuing report, which found that the parcel delivery company was effectively insolvent. Since 2018, Canada Post has incurred pre-tax losses of $2.8 billion. The Canadian federal government forked over a $720 million loan in January so that it could remain solvent throughout the 2025-26 fiscal year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Negotiations between the two parties for a new collective agreement have been ongoing for more than a year and a half. As for Air Canada, the airline says 500 flights will be cancelled by end of Friday, which would impact about 100,000 passengers who would have to find travel alternatives. In a press conference Thursday, Mark Nasr, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Air Canada, said the cancellations will affect 130,000 customers a day. According to a report from The Toronto Star, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) rejected a proposal from the airline to send the deal to binding arbitration Friday. The union is demanding higher wages and compensation for unpaid work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The possible strike would halt cargo movement for goods carried on the airlines jets. On Wednesday, Air Canada started a phased winddown of most of its operations, allowing no more bookings for the transportation of specialty cargo products like e-commerce goods and pharmaceuticals. For general cargo and mail, the standard 14-day booking window continues to apply, with standard acceptance times. TORONTO (AP) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Mexico in September to meet with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, a senior official familiar with the matter said Friday. The meeting comes as America's neighbors deal with U.S. tariffs and prepare for a review of the free trade deal between the three countries next year. The official confirmed the visit on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carney sent his foreign minister as well as his finance minister to meet with Sheinbaum earlier this month in a bid to diversity trade. They also met a large group of Canadian and Mexican business leaders, including key players supporting North Americas integrated economy, trade infrastructure and supply chains. Sheinbaum visited Canada during the G7 summit in Alberta in June. Goods that comply with the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that U.S. President Donald Trump negotiated during his first term are excluded from the U.S. tariffs. But Trump has some sector-specific tariffs, known as 232 tariffs, that are having an impact. There is a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum imports and a 25% tariff on auto imports. Mexico is Canadas third largest trading partner after the U.S. and China. Canada was Mexicos fifth-largest trading partner in 2024. A woman brandished a meat cleaver at a four-star Canary Wharf migrant hotel after a suspected asylum seeker walked into her flat, a court has heard. Channay Augustus, 22, appeared in court on Friday charged with possessing the weapon and assaulting a security guard. She is accused of attempting to gain entry to the Britannia Hotel on Wednesday evening after a man believed to be living there was said to have entered the house of her mother, who is blind in one eye. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man, who has not been named but is believed to be in his early 20s, has since been arrested on suspicion of common assault. Thames magistrates court heard she discovered the man inside her mothers flat located five minutes from the hotel. After chasing the man away, she went to the hotel at around 6pm where she confronted a security guard who was trying to calm her down, the court was told. She returned a short time later with a meat cleaver and started banging it on a metal barrier outside the hotel, the court heard. She also shouted f------ asylum seekers, the court was told, before being later arrested at her home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms Augustus was charged with possession of an offensive weapon, affray, assault on an emergency worker, common assault and possession of cannabis. She was remanded into custody to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Dec 12. Police initially took no action against the man who entered the flat despite members of the public detaining him. Man appeared at the door The family of the woman with monocular vision living at the flat have said she was left fearing for her life after the incident. They said the man entered the house on Wednesday after being followed by a group of men who had told him to go back to the hotel. A family member told The Telegraph the man had appeared at the door, which was left open for ventilation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They said: He literally walked in the door. He did not run, he was so quiet that she did not even know he was there. She turned around and saw him standing inside the house then she was saying to him, like, You need to leave. Leave. Like, what are you doing. The relative added: We are private people, we dont go to the hotel. We are just minding our business and thats whats annoying. Thats whats annoying us, that something like this has happened because obviously, my mums really unwell, we are peaceful. Asylum seekers were moved into the Britannia Hotel this month after the Home Office earmarked it for use as migrant accommodation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hotel has been the site of regular anti-immigration protests and pro-migrant counter-demonstrations in recent weeks. Asylum seeker in police custody In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: On Wednesday night, we released an initial statement following an incident where a man allegedly entered a womans flat. He was detained by members of the public nearby. Our investigation continued on Thursday, with officers carrying out extensive CCTV enquiries and speaking to witnesses. As a result of this, in the early hours of this morning Friday, 15 August we arrested a man in the Hackney area on suspicion of common assault. He is believed to be in his early 20s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We can confirm that this is the man who allegedly entered the flat. He is now in police custody. A 22-year-old woman who was arrested on Wednesday evening has since been charged with a number of offences. We can confirm that she is an occupant of the flat that was entered. The force added: The alleged victim of the common assault is a security guard at the hotel, not the man who allegedly entered her flat. 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. Lawmakers are gearing up for a crime bill from the White House as President Donald Trumps crackdown on crime in Washington D.C. marches on. Trump hinted that he would be sending a package to Congress in the near future on Wednesday geared toward his administrations continued push to make the district a "beacon" for other blue cities, but gave little detail as to what he may want to see in the legislation. Republicans Ready To Support Trump's Move To Skirt Congress In Dc Crime Crackdown Lawmakers are gearing up for a crime bill from the White House as President Donald Trumps crackdown on crime in Washington D.C. marches on. "We think the Democrats will not do anything to stop crime, but we think the Republicans will do it almost unanimously," Trump said. "So we're going to need a crime bill that we're going to be putting in, and it's going to pertain initially to D.C." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also noted that "we're going to seek a relatively small amount of money" to fix potholes and generally spruce up the district. Shortly after Trumps announcement, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said that he had spoken with the president, Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House staff on "how Congress can help make Washington D.C. safe again." Read On The Fox News App "At the direction of President Trump," Bondi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "This Department of Justice will continue to work with MPD, federal law enforcement and Congress to address the scourge of violent crime in Washington, D.C. and ensure the safety of all Americans visiting or living in our Nations capital." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Graham noted that the White House was working on a package to send to him and Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., the chair of the Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee. Top House Republican Says Trump 'Rightly' Took Over Dc Police, Demands Bowser, Others Testify On Crime Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks during a press conference on Saint Michael's Square in the city center on May 30, 2025, in Kyiv, Ukraine. "Together, we will try to shepherd the D.C. Security Fund through Congress to give President Trump the resources he will need to improve the safety and quality of life in our nations capital," Graham said on X. "Every American should be behind this effort to make Washington D.C. clean and safe so that it can truly become the shining city on the hill." Whether the package would become a part of a spending bill, or be its own standalone supplemental funding package, is unclear, and when lawmakers would actually get their hands on a request is also up in the air. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House referred Fox News Digital back to the president's prior comments on the bill. Lawmakers are not set to return to Washington until after Labor Day and will be met immediately by the fast-approaching deadline to fund the government on Sept. 30. Theyll also have to deal with an expected request from Trump to extend his control of the D.C. police the president has only 30 days unless Congress grants him an extension with a joint resolution. Trump Predicts Little Progress In Potential Shutdown Talks With 'Crazy' Schumer, Jeffries Committee Chair Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., speaks during a hearing of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary in 2024. Republicans are broadly supportive of granting him more time to crack down on crime in the Capitol, but a joint resolution likely requires 60 votes in the Senate, and Senate Democrats are signaling that they wont budge and allow Trump to further consolidate his grip on Washington. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, Trump suggested that he would trigger a national emergency declaration to circumvent Congress, which some congressional Republicans have already come out in support of. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., declared "No f--- way" during a podcast appearance when asked about an extension, and Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told Fox News Digital in a statement that Trumps move to federalize Washington D.C. was "political theater." "He is doing nothing but creating chaos and ignoring the progress local officials in D.C. have made lowering crime," Durbin said. "And now, he is saying he wants to side-step Congress to extend control of the MPD. There are currently no special conditions of an emergency nature in D.C., which the President has to claim in order to take federal control of MPD under the Home Rule Act. This is unprecedented and nothing more than a power grab." Original article source: Capitol Hill prepares for high-stakes battle over Trump crime package, DC police authority Captain Walter Godsal, who has died aged 100, was probably the last survivor of the last major surface action of the Second World War in the Far East. Godsal, in the destroyer Verulam, had just celebrated VE Day in Trincomalee at a short shipboard thanksgiving service on board and tasted his first tot of rum at a splice the mainbrace, when the five destroyers of the 26th Destroyer Flotilla were ordered to sail at 06:00 next morning. A few days later, on the night of May 14-15, still a midshipman, and formally under training, he took part in the Battle of the Malacca Strait when the flotilla, cued by the Wrens at the wireless listening station in Colombo, intercepted the Japanese heavy cruiser Haguro and her escort in the Malacca Strait. Godsal witnessed the subsequent battle from his action station at A-gun on the focsle of Verulam. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a classic manoeuvre, the destroyers Saumarez, Verulam, Venus, Vigilant and Virago surprised Haguro from different sectors to launch their torpedoes. When Haguro became aware of the impending attack she illuminated the night with starshell, and a melee ensued. At about 01:13 the destroyer Saumarez was hit; Verulam, meanwhile, was able to close to within a mile and fire her torpedoes without being seen, Godsal getting away a few rounds at his 4.7-inch gun. It was a clear night with good visibility between heavy thunderstorms, with an extraordinary display of lightning. Haguro could readily be seen, and Godsal counted Verulams torpedoes running towards her. About three minutes later the cruiser exploded in a sheet of flame and her guns fell silent. Soon she was blazing from end to end and was finished off by gunfire and a torpedo from Venus. Low on fuel, the flotilla returned to Trincomalee and was cheered into harbour by the fleet. Mountbatten described the battle as an outstanding example of a night attack by destroyers and on this high note, Godsals midshipmans training in destroyers ended. Cadet Godsal The younger son of Lieutenant-Colonel Philip Godsal MC, Walter Edward Browning Godsal was born on December 3 1924 at Dalton Holme near Beverley, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and attended Lambrook prep in Berkshire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Inspired by stories of his uncle, Commander Alfred Godsal DSO, who was killed in action while commanding HMS Vindictive at the Second Ostend Raid in 1918, Walter wanted to join the Navy, but his father insisted that his education should be more rounded and sent him to Eton. From there, at the relatively advanced age of 18, Godsal joined the naval college at its wartime home of Eaton Hall in Cheshire, as a Frobisher, as the Special Entry for public schoolboys was sometimes known. He joined the cruiser London in January 1944, before she deployed to the Indian Ocean, where he first saw action. He saw further action in the destroyer Volage, but after she was damaged off Port Blair in the Nicobar islands by Japanese shore batteries, while making smoke and attempting to tow another destroyer out of danger, he joined Verulam. Immediately after the sinking of Haguro, Godsal returned to the UK in a troop ship for courses on promotion to sub-lieutenant. He was reappointed to Saumarez, which had now become leader of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean. Remarkably, there were four Old Etonians and one Old Harrovian in the wardroom, and another OE was Able Seaman Straker, the navigators yeoman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On October 22 1946 Godsal was officer of the watch in Saumarez when she struck a mine in the Corfu channel, the explosion occurring just forward of the bridge, causing heavy casualties and starting a major fire. While Volage attempted to secure a tow, she too was mined and had her bow blown off, but some 12 hours after the first explosion, she managed to tow both ships stern-first into the safety of Corfu Roads. Godsal wearing his and his uncles medals Surprisingly I have only a hazy recollection, Godsal recalled. There was plenty to be done with preparing to be taken in tow, helping to move the casualties and assist the damage control parties. Although I had escaped with a few cuts and bruises, I had a gash above one eye which was bleeding profusely and a bandage over half my face. Saumarez lost 36 men, and as many were wounded, but there was no compassionate leave for Godsal, who now joined Troubridge and did not return to England until 1948. Much of his time was spent on the Palestine Patrol, attempting to thwart illegal Jewish immigrants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1949 Godsal specialised in torpedo and anti-submarine warfare, and was successful in a series of challenging shore and seagoing appointments, including the planning team of Operation Musketeer and the Anglo-French landings in Egypt during the Suez Crisis. However, promoted to commander on the dry list, he was denied the opportunity for seagoing command. Godsal made the most of a series of challenging staff appointments, and after he had crossed the Atlantic in RMS Queen Elizabeth, he joined the British naval staff in Washington in the early 1960s. There he set out to trace the original John Hoppner portrait of his forebears, The Godsal Children (1789), which had been sold by his grandfather. He soon learnt that the painting had passed though M Knoedler, the New York art dealers. But they denied any knowledge and were unhelpful, and over many months, Godsal visited leading galleries in New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Austin and Cleveland. Eventually, in the summer of 1963, he met a dealer who took up the matter with one of Knoedlers directors who, as it turned out, knew all along that the Hoppner had been purchased by a collector in Hollywood; Godsal finally saw the painting on a trip to the West Coast. Although the search had been frustrating, he found satisfaction in its successful outcome, and in the many art galleries he visited where he was always welcomed, and which he might otherwise never have seen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2018 Godsal and many of his family, along with members of the families of Admiral Sir Victor Crutchley and Lieutenant Commander Geoffrey Drummond, who had won their VCs at Ostend, visited the Vindictive war memorial. Godsal was guest of honour and made a speech before the King of the Belgians to commemorate the centenary of the Ostend Raid and the death of his uncle. In retirement, Godsal settled on Exmoor, where he took up porcelain restoration for a hobby, and was an avid reader and letter writer, although his final years were marred by blindness. He died in the Royal British Legion home in Taunton. He was sustained by his faith, which found expression in his stewardship of St Mary Magdalene at Winsford in Somerset and by his support for the Prayer Book Society. In 1970 Walter Godsal married Pamela, nee Caulfeild, the former wife of his elder brother, Philip. She died in 2004, and he is survived by five children from her first marriage. Captain Walter Godsal, born December 3 1924, died July 15 2025 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. A car crashed through the wall of a Starbucks in the San Fernando Valley late Friday morning, scattering debris across the cafe and buckling part of the front entrance. The Los Angeles Police Department, along with the L.A. Fire Department, said calls started coming in around 11:47 a.m., reporting that a car had plowed through the front door of a local business in the Canoga Park neighborhood. Details are limited, but authorities were able to confirm the Starbucks address at 7258 Canoga Ave. A view from Google Maps shows that this Starbucks location includes a drive-thru, but the impact appears to have occurred on the side of the building opposite the service window. The wreckage of a crash is seen after a red sedan plowed into a Starbucks in Canoga Park. August 2025. (Citizen.com) The wreckage of a crash is seen after a red sedan plowed into a Starbucks in Canoga Park. August 2025. (Citizen.com) This undated Google Maps image shows what a Canoga Park Starbucks looked like before a car plowed into it on Aug. 15, 2025. (Google) The wreckage of a crash is seen after a red sedan plowed into a Starbucks in Canoga Park. August 2025. (Citizen.com) A man is seen helping clean up the wreckage of a crash after a red sedan plowed into a Starbucks in Canoga Park. August 2025. (Citizen.com) A red sedan is seen after it was removed from a Starbucks that it crashed into in Canoga Park. August 2025. (Citizen.com) Authorities are seen assessing the wreckage of a crash after a red sedan plowed into a Starbucks in Canoga Park. August 2025. (Citizen.com) Authorities are seen assessing the wreckage of a crash after a red sedan plowed into a Starbucks in Canoga Park. August 2025. (Citizen.com) No injuries were reported as of 1 p.m. Friday. Investigators have not said what led up to the crash or identified the driver. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Footage from the scene provided by Citizen.com showed a red sedan lodged inside the cafe with shattered glass and drywall strewn across the floor. Meanwhile, workers in safety vests, employees and presumably some good Samaritans are seen clearing debris near the doorway while bystanders make phone calls outside. This is a developing story. Stay with KTLA for updates. Luis Zuniga and Nidia Becerra contributed to this report. 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. The flagship vessel of Carrier Strike Group 1 docked at its homeport of San Diego on Thursday after a nine-month deployment, according to a Navy release. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Carl Vinson deployed to the Middle East and Western Pacific on Nov. 18, 2024, to conduct freedom-of-navigation operations, multinational exercises and combat operations, including Operation Rough Rider, which targeted Iran-backed Houthi rebels with airstrikes. Our Sailors dedication and hard work over nearly nine months was vital to sustained operations, including combat, protecting our American values of freedom, prosperity and security on the high seas, said Rear Adm. Amy Bauernschmidt, commander of Carrier Strike Group 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group joined the French Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in February to take part in the Exercise Pacific Steller 2025 and bolster security in the Indo-Pacific region. US says its hit more than 800 targets in Houthi bombing campaign During the exercise, the Carl Vinson and its embarked Carrier Air Wing 2 conducted air-integration training with the U.S. Air Force and Republic of Korea Air Force, utilizing fifth generation F-35 aircraft. The strike group eventually joined the U.S. Central Command area of operations in March, providing support to Operation Rough Rider, a large-scale military campaign that began March 15, launching air and naval strikes against Iran-backed Houthi Rebels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of the mission, the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman fired over 1.1 million pounds of ordnance and delivered the largest carrier-launched airstrike in history against the Houthis, whod terrorized commercial shipping in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. During its deployment, the Carl Vinson strike groups sailors sailed over 275,000 nautical miles, completing more than 10,000 sorties and 23,000 flight hours in the process. Carrier Strike Group 1 includes the flagship Carl Vinson, the embarked staff of Destroyer Squadron 1, Carrier Air Wing 2, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser Princeton and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers Sterett and William P. Lawrence. Carrier Air Wing 2 comprises nine squadrons that fly the F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growler, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, CMV-22 Osprey and MH-60R/S Sea Hawks. A major experiment conducted across four U.S. cities showed that giving cash to parents of newborns didnt help their children, undermining the idea that such programs could alleviate the effects of poverty. So said The New York Times last month, and conservatives pounceddeclaring that such no-strings-attached direct cash policies, which have become popular in progressive circles in recent years, are useless and even harmful. Policymakers should seek to help low-income children and families by giving them a hand up instead of a handout, Rachel Greszler, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Institute, wrote in The Washington Times. Employment and family support is more important than no-strings government cash, tweeted Robert Doar, president of the American Enterprise Institute. And at least one researcher told the Times reporter, Jason DeParle, that the results were causing him to reconsider cash aid entirely. Of course, one studyespecially one loaded with caveats and asterisks, as Ill explainisnt nearly enough evidence to dismiss the idea that giving new parents cash could improve their childrens lives. But Babys First Years, as this study was called, also illustrates that there isnt a single silver-bullet policy solution for the myriad problems that the most vulnerable Americans face. Most people working in anti-poverty research already know thatand we already have plenty of evidence for how to solve these problems. But its a long-term project that lacks sufficient political will, especially in the age of reactionary Trumpism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Babys First Years, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health and private foundations, was a randomized control trial of 1,000 low-income mothers who were recruited from hospitals after giving birth in and around New York City; Omaha, Nebraska; Minnesotas Twin Cities; and New Orleans in 2018 and 2019. The mothers were racially and ethnically diverse, had incomes that kept them below the poverty line, and were randomly assigned to receive either $333 a month or $20 a month for the first several years of their childrens lives. The $333 was kept low so that it wouldnt affect eligibility for other anti-poverty programs, like food stamps, and it came in a debit card that said 4MyBaby. At the four-year mark, the researchers in this latest study tried to measure impacts in seven child development areas: language, executive function, social-emotional development, resting brain function, visual processing, pre-literacy skills, and whether the children had been diagnosed with a development condition. The evaluation, first published in May as a working paper in the National Bureau of Economic Research, found that there wasnt a statistical difference between the control group and the treatment group in the first four years of the childs life along these particular measures. There are a lot of reasons this study doesnt support dismissing the idea of unconditional cash payments and further dismantling the safety net as we know it. The biggest one is that the years of this study included the first years of the Covid-19 pandemic. We tend to forget, now, what a huge shock Covid was, said Jane Waldfogel, a professor at the Columbia University School of Social Work, who wrote a book that came out this year called Child Benefits: The Smart Investment for Americas Future. At the front end of Covid, there was that massive shock to people being sent home, and people moving in with relatives or not moving in with relatives. I mean, it was so disruptive. Those disruptions led to serious stresses and quality-of-life changes during the pandemic, and there has been some evidence that it hurt childrens health and slightly delayed child development over that period. Those challenges affected everyone, including mothers and babies in the experiment group, and may also account for why they didnt report lower levels of hardship. Additionally, the federal government launched a temporary but generous safety net to help people weather the pandemic. In the first year, it issued three stimulus checks totaling $3,200 per individual (for those who made up to $75,000 in adjusted gross income), plus more for each child in the family. In addition, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance was relatively easy to qualify for, and was available to people who worked for themselves and worked only part-time, providing a $600 weekly federal supplement to what each state already provideda sum that exceeded what many low-income workers might earn from working. Additionally, the child tax credit was transformed into a refundable tax creditthat is, as a tax refund check, even if you dont owe taxesthat was distributed to parents monthly, up to as much as $3,600 a year for each child. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Importantly, the control group in Babys First Yearsthe parents who did not receive the monthly $333 the researchers were trying to assessreceived these pandemic payments, which meant that they were better off than they might have been without the payments. The parents in the study group also received the additional money, which likely muted the effect of the $333 payments. More important, this study has to be evaluated within a large body of qualitative and quantitative evidence that shows cash payments to families can have a positive effect on both parents and their children, which Waldfogel has recently surveyed for her book. We know very robustly that if you give families money, it reduces poverty and it reduces hardship, she said. But perhaps even more relevant, the Babys First Years researchers were not setting out to prove that a small amount of money every month would have measurable impacts on cognitive development after only four years. Their goal with this whole project, which is ongoing, is to try to better understand child poverty in the United States, said Kathryn Edwards, a labor economist and independent policy consultant. There is plenty of evidence that not having money impacts children, especially in early years, and theres also evidence that giving families cash is helpful. But how exactly a lack of money harms children, and how having more of it helps them, isnt well understood. Its not a policy evaluation, Edwards said. What we dont understand as researchers or as scientists is what exactly is going on in family and income processes when you have this kid-apportioned money. What researchers have found, over and over, is that the parents who receive payments for their babies routinely spend the money on things like books, toys, clothes, and winter coats for their children. In both Babys First Years and other studies around the globe, researchers have gotten reports about what the parents spend money on, and while they do sometimes just use it to pay bills, they will also use it for bigger purchases like birthday party supplies, musical instruments, and Christmas trees. These are purchases unlikely to make a massive difference in only four years, and also may make differences in childrens lives that are meaningful but simply cant be measured. We dont know what the ability to provide a little bit of protective normalcy to very poor children in their early years means, Edwards said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Almost as important is what parents did not spend money on. One historic concern around cash has been that families with more cash on hand might spend it in ways that are counter to policy goals like tobacco or alcohol, said Victoria Gibney, a senior research analyst at the Center on Budget Policies and Priorities. That just does not pan out in the research. Many of the countries with the most rigorous trials of cash payments to families with children are either very poor, where even a little money can have a huge impact relative to the cost of living, or are wealthier, with a more robust safety net than the U.S., as in some European Union nations. These payments are taking place in entirely different contexts, and how such programs might fit into the existing safety net in the U.S. isnt well understood. And no one who supports child payments advocates getting rid of bigger programs like food stamps or housing vouchersthe benefit of cash is that it allows parents to be better able to meet their childrens specific needs. But there are so many problems in the United States, and so many holes in the already meager safety net, that simply giving parents cash cant entirely fix them. Two of the biggest examples are health care and childcare. The price of health insurance is high because the private health insurance markets rely on profits, creating market failures like healthy people opting out of the insurance market and consumers not being able to directly negotiate prices with providers. These failures are uncontroversial and well studied by economists. Every wealthy country besides the U.S. has addressed these problems, either by having the government itself provide some level of medical care or health insurance or by heavily regulating a nonprofit industry. With childcare, workers in the U.S. are paid so little that they often rely on government services themselves, while the cost of childcare for families has soared past the cost of college tuition and mortgages in many states. The problem has become so bad that even very wealthy families struggle to afford childcare. Americans want a reliable, safe, quality system of childcare, and they want to be able to afford it while the people who are caring for their children are fairly paid. The private market will not achieve those goals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont want markets to determine everything, because they dont have ethics, they dont have morals, Edwards said. When we say that a market fails, we dont mean that the market isnt functioning. We mean that the markets fully, efficiently functioning, and is producing a failure for our society and economy. The idea of giving people money doesnt really address these fundamental problems. Market failures are societal failures, but how those failures impact people depends on whether they have enough money to insulate themselves from the worst effects. If youre charged $1,000 for an ambulance ride, does that break you and your family apart? Or is it nothing? Edwards said. Many conservative-libertarian proponents of things like cash payments or universal basic incomes are abdicating their responsibility to fix the bigger problems, and just trying to help more people be insulated from the results of them, Edwards said. It will never be enough, and it wont ever be everybody, but thats essentially what theyre saying, she said. Republicans largely dismiss the idea of cash payments for the same reason they attack social spending: They believe all assistance should come with strings attached. The Trump administration is already attaching strict work requirements to basic safety net programs like Medicaid and food stamps, as if all that the most vulnerable Americans need is a job, no matter what kind of job it is. Without such strings, Republicans believe, Americans will become dependent on the safety netwelfare queens, per Ronald Reagans pernicious myth. The fundamental idea is that most people can just earn their way out of povertyand, if they dont, theres something wrong with them, not the system we all rely on. At the same time, ironically, Republicans usually rely on giving money to families as their go-to policy goalalbeit not as direct cash but in the form of tax cuts. In fact, the U.S. already provides a tax cut to families with children in the form of the child tax credit, but now that the pandemic expansion of that program has expired, its no longer fully refundable, which means families at the lowest income levels dont receive it. Theres no rationale for excluding the lowest-income families, Waldfogel said. But there was no scope for any of those conversations this year. The tax reform bill just was rammed through with no discussion of the child tax credit. Not having cash definitely hurts children. We still dont know how having a little bit more cash could help them. You could argue that providing a basic monthly benefit for families with children is one of the things a wealthy society should do for its citizens, regardless of what one popularly reported experiment shows. But even if America enacted such a program, it would only partially address one of so many problems we need to solvethe biggest one being the obtuse belief that the market will always magically come up with the best solution, and that anyone who is struggling in this country has no one but themselves to blame. WEST SPRINGFIELD West Springfield is tapping into more than half a million dollars in casino impact funds to help make the town more accessible and resilient. West Springfield secured more than $518,000 from the Massachusetts Gaming Commissions Community Mitigation Fund, Mayor William Reichelt said in a recent statement. The money allows the town to strengthen public safety and invest in amenities that will enhance the quality of life for residents, he said. Its an important investment in both our public safety and our communitys future, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the money, Reichelt said the West Springfield Fire Department will hold a one-day training to help 25 firefighters and lieutenants get better at fighting fires in tall buildings and tricky spaces. Public safety staffing also will be reinforced, with some funding going toward pay for eight firefighters, eight police officers, and three dispatchers jobs created to help handle the extra calls and emergencies linked to the MGM Springfield casino, he said. As part of the public safety upgrades, the West Springfield Police Department will get help paying for a new van to safely move people in custody, making things easier and safer for officers. To help keep roads safer, Reichelt said, police will step up patrols, use two new speed detectors, and add a sign trailer to remind drivers about speed limits, road conditions, and local events. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The towns bike share program will grow with two new stations, making it easier for people to get around and linking more neighborhoods to downtown, parks, and nearby trails, he said. This year, the Gaming Commission gave out nearly $22.8 million in grants to cities, towns and groups across the state. Since the program started in 2015, it has handed out more than $79 million to help communities deal with the impact of building and running casinos. Read the original article on MassLive. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) This month, Catholic Charities of North Louisiana (CCNLA) is celebrating 15 years of service in the region. The event will feature a look-ahead presentation to the next 15 years of CCNLA from Executive Director Diane Libro. Register for free English as a Second Language classes hosted by CCNLA Following the presentation, guests will have the opportunity to discuss CCNLAs programs with its staff. These programs are categorized into three groups: Financial Education, Immigration Legal Services, and Family Support Programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the past 15 years, Catholic Charities has provided over $2.13 million in rent and utility assistance, remained the only organization providing low- or no-cost immigration legal services, and provided thousands of diapers for families in need through Gabriels Closet, a press release stated. The celebration will take place on Wednesday, August 20, at 11:30 a.m. at CCNLAs office, 902 Olive St. in Shreveport. 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. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Authorities have revealed the cause of death for a man from El Salvador who died while in custody at a San Diego County jail. On Sept. 23, 2024, Alfredo Hernandez, 66, was taken into the San Diego County Sheriffs custody after he was extradited from El Salvador. Hernandez was extradited for a murder that took place in the Emerald Hills neighborhood of San Diego in 1991, which the San Diego Police Department investigated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police linked him to the death of 39-year-old Terri Bistodeau, a woman who was found strangled to death in her bedroom in the 5300 block of Geneva Avenue. Authorities said Hernandez was taken to a local hospital on Nov. 15, 2024, after he started experiencing shortness of breath. He was later transferred to the ICU, the sheriffs office said. Three fugitives transferred to U.S. from Mexico arraigned in San Diego On Nov. 26, before 9:15 a.m., sheriffs homicide investigators learned Hernandez had passed away in the hospital. An autopsy by the San Diego County Medical Examiners Office determined the cause of death was sepsis due to methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia and the manner of his death was natural. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriffs homicide unit is conducting an investigation to examine all aspects of Hernandezs death. Both the Consulate General of El Salvador and the Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board have been notified of the incident. 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. The Brief Officer Mark Morgan of Emory University Police fired at gunman Patrick Joseph White during the shooting at the CDC campus, where White allegedly killed a DeKalb County police officer before committing suicide. White fired nearly 200 rounds, hitting six CDC buildings, and used guns obtained from his father's safe; he believed the COVID-19 vaccine caused his depression and suicidal thoughts. The Emory University Police Department has requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to examine Officer Morgan's use of force in the incident. ATLANTA - The officer who opened fire on a gunman during last weeks deadly attack at the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions main campus in Atlanta has been identified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RELATED: Emory Point Atlanta shooting latest: DeKalb County officer killed, shooter dead Emory police officer named What we know According to records obtained from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Emory University Police Officer Mark Morgan fired at 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White during the Aug. 8 shooting on Clifton Road. White is accused of killing DeKalb County police officer David Rose before turning the gun on himself. Morgan, 32, joined the Emory University Police Department in April 2024, according to the agencys social media. His LinkedIn page indicates it is his first job in law enforcement. CDC Atlanta shooting attack The backstory Investigators said White fired nearly 200 rounds, striking six CDC buildings. No one inside the CDC or a nearby daycare was injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RELATED: CDC shooting: 150 windows pierced by bullets, employees fear recognition According to the GBI, the guns used in the attack belonged to Whites father. White allegedly broke into a safe at his familys home to obtain them. RELATED: CDC Atlanta shooting: Photo of accused CDC shooter released by GBI Officials said White believed the COVID-19 vaccine had made him depressed and suicidal. RELATED: CDC shooting highlights anger, COVID-19 vaccine 'misinformation' Waiting for Emory to respond What we don't know Typically, most departments have a policy in place which would put an officer involved in a shooting on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Emory Police have not said if that is the case with Officer Morgan. GBI investigating What's next The Emory University Police Department has asked the GBI to investigate the use of force by Officer Morgan, which is standard procedure in incidents of this nature. The Source The details in this article come from an open records request to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. More details are forthcoming from the GBI as the investigation progresses. Additional details come from the social media accounts for Emory Police and LinkedIn. Cedar Point has had a series of high-profile roller coaster and ride breakdowns lately, leaving passengers stranded while the safety system resets or forcing them to evacuate, descending emergency staircases from 150 feet or more in the air. Now, an Ohio lawmaker is pushing for change at the Sandusky amusement park and its sister in the Cincinnati area, Kings Island. State Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan (D-Parma) has introduced the Real-Time Ride Status Notification Act, which would require Ohios permanent amusement parks like Cedar Point and Kings Island to provide real-time public updates on ride availability. Families spend hundreds of dollars and travel across the state to visit these parks, Brennan said in an Aug. 13 statement. They deserve accurate, real-time information so they can plan their day and avoid the frustration of walking across the park to find a ride shut down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's a look at what the proposal would require. What would the Real-Time Ride Status Notification Act require at Cedar Point, Kings Island? The bill mandates that Ohio's major amusement parks post up-to-date ride status both through digital signage at the parks as well as online through their official apps or websites. Parks would be required to update this information within five minutes of any ride becoming temporarily closed or returning to operation. The official mobile apps for Cedar Point and Kings Island already provide live wait times for rides as well as notify parkgoers of ride closures. In his statement, Brennan said the bill takes data that many parks monitor internally and makes it public in a timely and consistent way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Just like we expect real-time updates from public transportation or airports, parkgoers should be able to know which rides are operating before getting in lineor before leaving home, he said. If passed, the bill would take effect one year after the new law is enacted to give Ohio theme parks time to implement the required systems. Siren's Curse, Top Thrill 2 roller coasters, Power Tower at Cedar Point malfunction The latest ride malfunction at Cedar Point was at the Power Tower, which launches riders 240 feet in the air or drops them from the top of one of its four towers. One of the cables "detached" on one of the towers, leaving riders stranded. Park spokesman Tony Clark said the ride's safety systems performed as expected, and park workers manually lowered riders to the ground to safely exit. No injuries were reported. And the park's newest roller coaster, Siren's Curse, has left passengers stranded at least five times at the top of its 160-foot hill since opening in late June. In a couple of those instances, riders had to evacuate the ride, walking down the emergency stairs. And twice, riders were stranded on the coaster's tilt mechanism, which stops the cars on a "broken" piece of track only for that track to tilt down 90 degrees and reconnect to continue the journey. In one of those instances, riders were stranded pointing straight down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And then there's Top Thrill 2, which made its debut in 2024 but closed after only eight days. It reopened this season after spending the rest of 2024 undergoing modifications. However, the roller coaster briefly closed in June for unspecified "mechanical reasons," Clark said at the time. A Reddit user, a Cedar Point Mechanic as confirmed by site moderators, said a crack was found in a support. The park brought out a crane to make repairs. Sporadic reports of other coaster closures have popped up on social media, like one Reddit user who posted a photo of people descending the spiral staircase from Valravn on Aug. 7. Another Reddit user posted a photo stating Millennium Force was stuck at the top of the hill on Aug. 8. At Kings Island, power was out for much of the park on June 30, closing some rides that day, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cedar Point roller coaster breakdowns pushes lawmaker to act. See bill How can we celebrate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, knowing that victory was bought by the dropping of atomic bombs? For pacifists, the answer is clear: we cant. Since any deliberate killing is wrong, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945 was wrong two-hundred thousand times over. But that clear answer raises further questions whose answers arent so obvious. If killing is always wrong, then the United States (and Britain) should never have gone to war against Imperial Japan and therefore its ally, Hitlers Germany. What, then, would have stopped the triumph of brutally racist Japanese imperialism in Asia and massively murderous Nazism in Europe? The noble witness of innocent non-violence? Unfortunately, the historical evidence is that the kind of people who ran the slave-labour camps in Burma, and the likes of Dachau in Germany and Auschwitz in Poland, were not at all shamed by the face of vulnerable innocence. Quite the opposite: it excited their lust for domination. No one who has watched the frenzied beating to death of a sick Australian POW in BBC 4s showing of the dramatisation of Richard Flanagans The Narrow Road to the Deep North can doubt it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the other hand, those who think that war can sometimes be justified might judge that the killing of civilians on such a massive scale was indiscriminate and therefore unjust. But the just war ethics dont say that we may not kill civilians, even on a massive scale; it only says we may not kill them intentionally. If a military objective cant be achieved except by risking the deaths of civilians, then it may still be attempted provided the objective is sufficiently important militarily, and that all reasonable measures are taken to minimise the side-effect of civilian casualties. The reason for this permissiveness is that in most circumstances, just war would otherwise be impossible to prosecute. So, for the just war proponent, if the intention in dropping the bombs on Japan was to slaughter the Japanese out of vengeance, then that would be clearly immoral, because vengeance is always forbidden. Also immoral would be the indiscriminate slaughtering of civilians to terrorise the Japanese government into surrender, because if its morally okay to use non-combatant civilians in such a terroristic fashion, then nothing will constrain how we wage war. So how does the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki measure up, ethically? Vengeance had nothing to do with it. The overriding motive of the US government was the desire to save lives by bringing the war to a swift end, through forcing the Japanese government to surrender. Two weeks before the first bomb was dropped, President Truman wrote: My object is to save as many American lives as possible but I also have a humane feeling for the women and children of Japan. President Harry Truman poses at his White House office desk in 1948 - AP The problem facing the president and his colleagues was that, even as the Japanese were forced back onto their home territory, they showed no sign of giving up the fight. Trumans military advisors estimated that the invasion of the Japanese mainland in November would cost up to 1 million casualties dead and wounded. One alternative was to blockade Japan, but that would have entailed starving the civilian population. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Therefore, the US government decided on the only other alternative: to use the newly developed atomic bombs to intimidate the Japanese into surrender. The possibility of a demonstration drop onto some sparsely populated desert or island was considered, but it was rejected because the Americans only had two bombs and had never dropped such things from the air before. If the demonstration failed to have the desired political effect and the follow-up went awry and proved a dud, there would be no bombs left. So, the decision was made to bomb cities. What considerations were involved in deciding which cities to bomb? Was the size of population one? No, the focus was on military and economic objectives. Hiroshima was known as a military city by the Japanese themselves. It housed the army HQ for forces defending Kyushu, the southernmost island of Japan, which was the first target of US invasion. It also had several small shipyards, supply depots, and some industry on the periphery. Nagasaki was a port town with munitions factories. Tragically, precise targeting was not an option. Due to technological limitations and persistent cloud-cover, US attempts at the precision-bombing of factories and industrial targets in Japan had generally failed. Moreover, those sites were often widely dispersed in residential districts. Therefore, Trumans Target Committee decided to aim at Hiroshimas city-centre, not least because there was a prominent bridge there that would be easiest to spot from 30,000 feet. The result was the killing of 140,000 people, mostly civilians. Was a second bomb necessary? Sadly, yes. The atomic explosion in Hiroshima failed to persuade Japans government to surrender. So, three days later, on August 9, another US bombing mission took to the air. Its intended target was in fact Kokura, whose centre hosted an enormous arsenal. In the event, however, Kokura was obscured by cloud-cover, so the bomber proceeded to the secondary target of Nagasaki. For reasons that remain unclear the city wasnt hidden by clouds it dropped its bomb over two miles from the city-centre and hit a Mitsubishi armaments plant, killing 40,000 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even after the bombing of Nagasaki, the Japanese war minister, General Korechika Anami, was still arguing in favour of fighting on to the bitter end. We will find life out of death, he said. Wouldnt it be beautiful?. Fortunately, his counsel didnt prevail and eighty years ago today, on August 15, the Japanese government finally decided to surrender. The dropping of atomic bombs on Japan was not an act of vengeance; it sought to save lives and secure peace. And it targeted military and industrial targets. However, a combination of their residential location, technological limits, and the weather made massive civilian casualties unavoidable. That was dreadfully tragic, but it wasnt immoral. Nigel Biggar, CBE, is Lord Biggar of Castle Douglas, Professor Emeritus of Moral Theology at the University of Oxford, and author of In Defence of War (2013). 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. TUSCALOOSA COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) A Centreville man was killed in a Tuscaloosa crash Thursday evening. Richard Whaley, 37, was injured when the Ford F-150 pickup he was driving left the roadway and struck several trees around 5:25 p.m. Whaley was not using a seat belt at the time of the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash occurred on Alabama 69 near the 172 mile-marker, approximately 23 miles north of Northport. Nothing else is available as ALEA continues to investigate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. A divided federal appeals court is allowing President Donald Trump to downsize the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at this time, siding with the administration on its plans to reshape government agencies and its employees. Groups that represent CFPB employees or use the agency to protect consumers from predatory banking sued months ago, after Trump replaced the agencys director shortly after he took office and the administration paused the CFPBs efforts. The administration then canceled the agencys lease for its headquarters building, and terminated or planned to cut more than 80% of the agencys workforce. A trial level judge in Washington, Amy Berman Jackson, quickly stepped in to block the near-shuttering of the agency. But on Friday, the DC Circuit decided employees of the agency would need to challenge their loss of employment in other venues outside of the federal court district court first. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The appeals court, however, reiterated that some functions of the CFPB, like responding to consumer complaints, cant be shut down. But the ruling Friday took at face value the Trump administrations argument it hasnt decided to shut down the CFPB in full, and cited the lack of existence of a memo specifying that the CFPB would be closed. We agree with the government that there was no reviewable decision to shut down the CFPB, Judge Greg Katsas wrote in the opinion. Katsas and Judge Neomi Rao, who were both appointed to the bench in Trumps first presidential term, split from Judge Nina Pillard, an Obama appointee, in making the decision. The decision doesnt go into effect immediately, the appeals court also said, giving the groups that sued the ability to seek more appeals. Pillard disagreed with her colleagues on the bench over lessening the role of the courts in the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The notion that courts are powerless to prevent the President from abolishing the agencies of the federal government that he was elected to lead cannot be reconciled with either the constitutional separation of powers or our nations commitment to a government of laws, she wrote. Established after the 2008 financial crisis, the CFPB has long been a target of conservatives wanting to undermine financial regulations championed by Democrats in Congress. More appeals are possible, as are additional legal decisions on the law governing the CFPB. It will be cold comfort to Plaintiffs if they ultimately succeed on the merits in their challenge to the CFPBs shutdown only to discover that Defendants have put the agency in a hole from which it can never fully recover, Pillard also wrote in her dissent. That would be the effect of the agencys decisions to fire all or virtually all employees who once worked at the agency, terminate every contract that supported their work, purge all the data they amassed, and ghost all the experts and organizations with whom they had built up beneficial working relationships. This story has been updated with additional developments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Blaze TV host Sara Gonzales crashed a town hall with Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) on Thursday night and things got ugly. Gonzales, who posted video footage on social media, interrupted Crockett as she was speaking about her grandma to the audience, shouting Jasmine! The people of Dallas deserve better than a fake ghetto hood rat. Crockett can be seen looking over at Gonzales, before the Democrat begins to smirk. The crowd immediately erupted in boos, with some recording the interaction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, Crockett could be heard responding. Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen. Gonzales doubled down: Do they know youre a rich kid from Missouri? I confronted Jasmine Crockett at a townhall for being a fake hoodrat. pic.twitter.com/ilezQ6Kcl7 Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) August 15, 2025 Several angry attendees quickly confronted Gonzales. A woman is first seen blocking her camera, yelling No maam! Dont touch me! Gonzales repeatedly replies. Get your a-- out of here, the woman fires back. As what appears to be a security guard approaches, Gonzales said, Get her off me first! Do your people know youre a spoiled rich kid from Missouri? she asks again to Crockett, appearing to reference how the Democratic lawmaker was born in St. Louis, Missouri, before moving to Texas for law school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A man shows up in frame, screaming Get out! Get out! Get out! F--- you! F--- you! Get off me. Get off me. Get off me. Get off me! Gonzales said as she is brought outside of the event while continuing to record. Police officers are then seen telling her to leave the property and threatened to put her in handcuffs if she did not comply with their order. Crockett was speaking at the Dallas County Blue Texas Organizing Rally, Dallas Weekly reported, where she urged her supporters to fight to turn Texas blue to defeat President Donald Trump and the GOP in the 2026 midterms. The video footage from the outlet showed Crockett dishing out advice to her attendees. She told them that they should send one fact into their group chat every week, and also challenge themselves once every two weeks to learn about their neighbors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Listen, this is part of the problem, Crockett said in the video. This is part of the problem. I want yall to be part of the solution... Were going to show these people that ignorance will not win today. A social media user with the moniker blonde conservative had also heckled Crockett during the event. She posted video footage of the interaction, in which she asks, Jasmine, why do you hate white people? Why are you racist towards white people? Why are you racist towards white people? I confronted Congresswoman @JasmineForUS for being racist towards white people pic.twitter.com/b8qKE158Q5 blonde conservative (@blondeconserv1) August 15, 2025 The interjections come as Texas GOP lawmakers are looking to pass a new state congressional map designed to secure up to five more safe seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. The effort, widely seen as a measure to preserve Republican control of the House, is backed by Trump. It has drawn pushback from Texas Democrats, who have fled the state to deny quorum of the Legislatures special session, and from Democratic governors, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who announced on Thursday that his state will move forward with a partisan redistricting proposal. He called for a special election in November for California voters to decide on new maps. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. A 20-year-old American influencer has been stuck in Antarctica since June after a fundraising mission ended up with him being detained in Chilean territory. Last year, Ethan Guo began a journey with the goal to become the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents. The trip also aimed to raise $1 million for childhood cancer research through St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. Before heading to Antarctica, Guo flew his Cessna 182Q to North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe. Why was Guo stuck in Antarctica? On June 29, Guo was detained at the airport on King George Island after being charged with providing false information to ground control and landing without authorization, which are both breaches of the Chilean Aeronautical Code. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The code calls for anyone who lands on the countrys territory without authorization to receive short-term imprisonment or a fine, per CBS News. Prosecutors said Guo was authorized to fly to the Chilean city of Punta Arenas, which is regularly used as a base for trips to Antarctica. The authorities stated that Guo provided false flight plan data and traveled to King George Island. The influencers flight plan only included his landing in Punta Arenas, authorities said, per CBS News. Chile claims ownership of King George Island, which is 75 miles off the coast of Antarctica. Cristian Cristoso, a Chilean prosecutor, also stated that Guo violated multiple national and international rules that govern and regulate access to Antarctica and the routes used to travel there, per CBS News. Cristoso said the unauthorized flight posed safety risks for other air travelers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guo has stayed at a military base on the island since being charged; he was not required to stay there, but he was required to remain in Chilean territory. Because of severe winter weather in the area, there havent been any flights available for him to leave the island. The influencer turned 20 during his time in Chilean territory. According to CBS News, Guo was also prevented from flying his Cessna. On Monday, Cristoso said that Guos plane does not have the capabilities to make a flight, but further details were not provided. What has Guos defense said about the charges? Guo has maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal, and he has also posted about the situation on X as he has been stranded. Im alive everyone, Ill make an update soon. https://t.co/wbSoCcJ5XD Ethan Guo (@TheEthanGuo) July 3, 2025 According to The Associated Press, Guos defense said the influencer was granted authorization to deviate from his original route between Punta Arenas and Ushuaia, Argentina, and landed at Teniente March base in Chilean Antarctica because of weather and technical circumstances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My clients actions are protected by a presumption of legality arising from the authorizations expressly granted by various DGAC (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) officials, his lawyer Jaime Barrientos said in documents handed to the court, per the AP. Barrientos said evidence was presented that showed Guo had informed the DGAC of the change to the filed flight plan as soon as he could. Guo told the AP that during his original journey, he faced an imminent risk of a crash, due to encountering instrument failures and heavy, unreported icing conditions. Charges against Guo were dropped On Monday, the charges against Guo were dropped as part of an agreement with Chilean prosecutors and his lawyers, per CBS News. The case has been dropped. Not Guilty Look at the court documents, I literally had approval to land in Antartica. Ethan Guo (@TheEthanGuo) August 13, 2025 Under this agreement, Guo is required to make a $30,000 donation to a childrens cancer foundation within 30 days to avoid a trial, according to USA Today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guo also must leave Chile as soon as he is able to, and is prohibited from returning to Chilean territory for three years. The prosecutors office is also requiring Guo to pay all costs for his aircraft security and personal maintenance while staying at the military facility. He also must cover all the expenses for his return. According to The Associated Press, Guo wrote that he was relieved by the outcome. He is awaiting approval to depart from Antarctica, and is talking with his lawyer to see if he can continue to fly his Cessna. Guo also hopes to continue with his original mission. Aug. 14ELBA, Minn. Court documents offer new details into a shooting outside an apartment building in Elba, Minnesota. Ava Leone Kock, 64, is charged in Winona County District Court with attempted murder and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, all felony charges. Kock made her first appearance in court Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. Police responded to shots fired in Elba, a town of less than 200 people north of Whitewater State Park in Winona County. A man there called 911 to report his wife had been shot at while sitting in her vehicle in the driveway of their home at about 10 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the criminal complaint, the woman had pulled into her driveway and was parked when shots began striking the car. The woman ducked below the dashboard until the shooting stopped and then called her husband who was inside the home. He came outside and found her hunkered bleeding from her face and several bullet holes in the vehicle. The woman wasn't struck directly but had bullet fragments in her eye and suffered a brain bleed from bullet fragments, the complaint said. She was taken to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys. Winona County Sheriff's deputies examined the bullet holes and ricochet damage. They noticed windows of Kock's apartment adjacent to the driveway and facing the woman's car had holes in the screens of the windows. Most of the holes were covered with tape except one window that had seven holes in the screen that weren't covered. The holes also appeared to push outward indicating whatever made the holes went from the inside of the apartment to the outside. Deputies spoke with Kock that night. She told them she had a gun but hadn't used it in years and that she believed the shots came from the dike area in Elba. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The next day, Kock contacted the Winona County dispatch center requesting to talk to deputies and said she was trying to contact the FBI regarding "possible homicides" happening in Elba. Deputies met Kock in a nearby park where she admitted to using a rifle to shoot at the woman. Kock told deputies she heard the woman and her husband "digging graves in the basement" and that she felt she had to do something because the "justice system hasn't done anything." Kock said she took her son's .22 caliber rifle out of storage and shot the rifle seven times through her bathroom window at the woman's car and didn't seem to care that the woman was injured. Kock told deputies that before firing she said a prayer to "guide my bullets like you guided David's rock." Kock said she fired exactly seven times because seven is referenced in the Bible several times. Kock said she then hid the rifle behind the stove and buried the shell casings in a potted plant. Deputies found the rifle behind the stove along with a box of .22 caliber rounds. They also found six shell casing in the dirt of a potted plant in the apartment and found a seventh shell casing in a bathroom rug. While investigators were at the apartment a woman who owns a business nearby told deputies that about a month ago Kock told her she was coming up with a plan to "take out" the woman's husband because Kock believed the man was assaulting the woman. Kock is scheduled to make an initial appearance in Winona County District Court Aug. 21. Vance Boelter, the man accused of killing a Minnesota state legislator, her husband, and wounding two others, was slapped with upgraded state charges on Thursday. Boelter was indicted in July in connection with the politically motivated shootings of state Rep. Melissa Hortman, state Sen. John Hoffman both Democrats and their spouses. Investigators said Boelter was posing as a police officer and wearing a mask when he knocked on the Hoffmans door June 14. After the senator opened the door, the gunman opened fire, striking Hoffman nine times. His wife Yvette was also shot eight times while she shielded their daughter, Hope, from the gunfire. They survived the attack and continue to recover. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 90 minutes later, while still disguised, he arrived at the Hortman residence where he fatally shot Hortman, her husband Mark and their golden retriever, Gilbert. Police noted the gunman also stopped at two other legislators homes before turning up in Brooklyn Park but didnt make contact. Rep. Kristin Bahner was not home when Boelter rang her doorbell. He was arrested June 15 after a manhunt. Boelter now faces charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder along with charges of impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty for shooting the Hortmans dog. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the charges reflect the weight of Mr. Boelters crimes. Last week, Boelter pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in federal court where he faces more serious consequences. He was indicted in July on six federal counts of murder, stalking and firearms violations. The murder charges could carry the federal death penalty. Moriarty said the state case would proceed regardless of the outcome of the federal case. When Boelter returns to state custody, we will be prepared to prosecute him to hold him accountable to our community, she said. We will do everything in our power to ensure that he is never able to hurt anyone again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The upgraded state charges could lead to a life sentence. We feel its important to hold Boelter accountable for what he did in this county, Moriarty said. I will also say that theres no possibility of anyone at least in the federal government pardoning Boelter on anything we do here in state court. With News Wire Services WALDORF, MD. (DC News Now) Scary moments took place for Waldorf residents living at the Huntington Apartments at Gallery Place on the night of Aug. 6. Investigators said someone opened fire, shooting bullets into two occupied apartments. Resident Malik Clark and many who live at the apartment complex are hoping police arrest whoever fired the shots. I think whoever did it should go to jail for putting peoples lives in danger. It is crazy, my perspective on violence here, I am used to it. But it is crazy with people inside their house and bullets flying through the walls, that is something scary, said Clark. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 17-year-old charged in Waldorf shooting over AirPods deal gone wrong: Deputies (Tim Reid/DC News Now) Quishara Williams with the Charles County Sheriffs Office told DC News Now that deputies continue to patrol the complex and are looking for suspects who fired the shots. No one was hurt when the shots were fired. They got calls from the area about gunshots, and they arrived, they canvased the area and discovered that two separate bullets went into two different apartments. Luckily, nobody was hurt, so we are still investigating, added Williams. Dozens of local businesses shine during inaugural Shop Greater Silver Spring Week Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A resident who did not want to be identified said she is concerned about her safety and her children. I think its ashamed and ridiculous that in a community that this is going on, especially with lots of children here, and we have a playground, and this needs to be taken care of, she told DC News Now. Deputies are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an 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 DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live. CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) A tea shop in downtown Charleston is telling stories through flavorful tea and coffee blends. You can be part of this storytelling process by attending an upcoming tea-making class. Oliver Pluff and Company is located on John Street, offering rare teas and timeless blends for purchase, and gifts to share with friends and family. The shop has introduced a series of in-person tea-making classes. The classes explore the history of teas while highlighting preparation methods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Olive Pluff hosts two classes this month; however, people can register now for future classes that will be held each month throughout the rest of the year. On the schedule, you can sign up for a September 10 class focused on the basics of loose tea. This interactive class will explore how the region where tea is grown shapes its characteristics, plus taste three distinctive teas that make up the shops English Breakfast blend. Then, on September 14, you can experience four refreshing techniques for summer steeping: traditional iced tea, sun tea, cold brew, and hot-to-iced. Youll also learn tips for perfecting your own pitcher at home. The classes are typically 30 to 45 minutes. Click here to reserve your spot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the video above, Darren Hartford, owner of Oliver Pluff and Company, joined News 2 Now on WCBD+ for a conversation on how he got started in the tea-selling industry, the science behind the brew, and a look at the upcoming classes. 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. Childrens educator and YouTube star Ms. Rachel called out a pro-Israel group after it asked Attorney General Pam Bondito investigate her, accusing her of spreading Hamas-aligned propaganda. I think its sad to take someones dedication and love for all children and try and make that wrong, Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Accurso, told Geoff Bennett of PBS News Hour Wednesday. Its not wrong. Its wonderful to be an advocate for all children. Related: Ms. Rachel Calls Out Media Outlets For Highlighting Olivia Munn Over Children In Gaza Dubbed the modern day Mr. Rogers, Accurso has built a massive following of parents and children through her YouTube series Songs for Littles, which features educational videos supporting early development. Outside of her child-oriented content, Accurso shares positive messages for parents on her TikTok page. Ms. Rachel says it's "sad" that her advocacy for all children has led to accusations that her content advocating for kids in Gaza is propaganda. PBS News Hour Accurso has also used her platform to spotlight children suffering amid Israels attacks on Gaza, urging her millions of followers, as well as world leaders, to support them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In April, pro-Israel group StopAntisemitism sent a letter to the Department of Justice that asked it to investigate the childrens educator, saying her posts have largely ignored the suffering of Israeli victims, hostages, and Jewish children. Related: Kash Patels Girlfriend Speaks Out About Their 19-Year Age Gap Following the letter, Accurso doubled down on her advocacy, but called the backlash painful. Deeply caring for a group of children who are in an emergency situation, who are starving, doesnt mean you dont care equally about all children. Thats false, Accurso told Bennett. In a separate interview with Democracy Nowthat aired Wednesday, Accurso said the criticism has been difficult but that the pain will never compare to the pain of not speaking out during a genocide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The United Nations warned late last month that starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at the highest levels since the war began, with experts attributing that to Israeli blockades. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied anyone is starving in Gaza. StopAntisemitisms letter came amid President Donald Trumps crackdown on anti-Israel criticism, which has led to several visa holders being placed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention for expressing their views. The group has continued to attack Accurso. In late July, it referred to one of her posts as evil, claiming she has weaponized her platform to spread bias. Accurso told Democracy Now that she cares so much about Jewish children and all children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added, As a mom, the most excruciating thing in the world would be being separated from your children, and I think about Israeli moms who have children still held hostage. And I just, I think about mothers all the time, everywhere, whose children dont have what they need. Related... Read the original on HuffPost BEIJING (Reuters) -China urged Cambodia and Thailand to continue efforts towards restoring a lasting peace at their border as soon as possible, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said on Friday as it summarised an earlier trilateral meeting. In the statement, China reiterated its support for the Southeast Asia nations to achieve a sustainable ceasefire after the worst clashes in their long-running border dispute in more than a decade. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Thai and Cambodian counterparts on Thursday for a discussion on the sidelines of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting in China's southwestern Yunnan province. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the regional meeting, Wang proposed deepening cooperation in agriculture, water resources, environmental governance as well as in new fields such as energy storage, electric vehicles and photovoltaics. He also spoke about greater law enforcement cooperation including setting up a platform for the protection of overseas citizens, without specifying which nationalities, and working together to tackle cross-border crime. The meeting also discussed establishing a legal and judicial exchange and cooperation mechanism as soon as possible, the Chinese ministry readouts showed. Separately, Wang had an informal meeting with his counterparts from Thailand, Myanmar and Laos on Friday, at which he said China hoped that Myanmar would hold a fair election and restore stability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Myanmar's military this month nominally transferred power to a civilian-led interim administration to conduct an election in December and January, four years after it removed the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from office, sparking a civil war. Describing the regional security situation as "not optimistic", the Chinese minister reinforced a message of strengthening joint operations for border control, according to one of the statements. (Reporting by Liz Lee and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Kate Mayberry) BEIJING (Reuters) -A Chinese diplomat, who Reuters reported had been taken for questioning by Chinese authorities, appeared at a diplomatic event in Beijing on Friday evening. Sun Haiyan, a senior Chinese diplomat and former ambassador to Singapore, appeared as a guest at an event organised by India's embassy in Beijing. In response to a question from Reuters at the event, Sun did not comment directly on whether authorities had detained or questioned her, saying, "Well, I'm here." She called the Reuters report "irresponsible". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reuters had reported on Friday that Sun had been taken for questioning by authorities earlier this month, citing three people with knowledge of the matter, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. Reuters could not determine the matters the questioning related to. Chinese authorities questioned Sun around the same time they questioned Liu Jianchao, widely seen as a potential foreign minister candidate, two of the three people with knowledge told Reuters. Liu's questioning by authorities was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and then by Reuters on Monday. Liu, 61, could not be reached for comment. Reuters could not establish if Liu was still being detained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China's State Council Information Office, which handles media queries for the government, and the International Department did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on Friday. Reuters renewed the request for comment to both agencies after Sun's appearance on Friday. Neither agency had an immediate response. Reuters had reported none of the three sources who requested anonymity in discussing Sun's questioning knew the basis of the questioning of either diplomat. Profiles of both Liu and Sun remain on the International Department's website. The detention of Liu marked the highest-level disappearance of a diplomat since China ousted its former foreign minister and President Xi Jinping's protege, Qin Gang, in 2023, following an unexplained public absence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Liu's detention followed a work trip to Singapore, South Africa and Algeria. His house was searched in early August, Reuters has reported. Sun's last public appearance was on August 1, when she attended a reception hosted by Nepal's embassy in Beijing. Sun, 53, is the first woman to serve as a deputy head of the Communist Party's International Department. In that role, she serves as Liu's deputy. Sun was China's ambassador to Singapore between May 2022 and July 2023. She joined the International Department in 1997, where she served in a wide range of roles, including spokesperson and head of the bureau responsible for ties with Southeast Asian countries. She also served as a district Party Committee official in the city of Zibo, Shandong province, in 2008. (Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) BEIJING (Reuters) -The United States' practice of installing location trackers in chip shipments at risk of diversion to China reflects the "instincts of a surveillance empire," China's state-run media outlet Xinhua said in a commentary published on Friday. Reuters reported earlier this week that U.S. authorities had secretly placed location tracking devices in targeted shipments of advanced chips to detect diversions to China, which is under U.S. curbs for advanced chip exports. The Xinhua commentary, titled "America turns chip trade into a surveillance game," cited "reports" that Washington had embedded such trackers, accusing the United States of running "the world's most sprawling intelligence apparatus". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. government has in the past few years tightened restrictions on the exports of advanced chips as well as related technology and equipments to China, as the two superpowers vie for technological dominance. The Chinese commentary follows longstanding accusations from Washington and its Western allies that China could use some exported products, from telecommunications equipment to vehicles, for surveillance, posing potential security risks. In 2022, the Biden administration banned the sale and import of new telecommunications equipment from several Chinese firms, including Huawei, citing national security concerns. In January, it intensified scrutiny by targeting China-made cars and trucks. In its commentary, Xinhua accused the U.S. government of seeing its trading partners as "rivals to be tripped up or taken down," adding that "if U.S. chips are seen as Trojan horses for surveillance, customers will look elsewhere." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China's cyberspace watchdog last month said it had asked U.S. chipmaker Nvidia to explain whether its H20 chips had any backdoor security risks - a hidden method of bypassing normal authentication or security controls. Chinese authorities have also cautioned domestic tech firms over their use of H20 chips, Reuters recently reported. (Reporting by Yukun Zhang and Ryan Woo; editing by Clelia Oziel) A Glasgow church pastor is facing a lengthy jail sentence after being convicted of rape and child abuse. Rev James Haram, who had been with the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), was found guilty of 19 charges of physical and sexual abuse, including raping a woman and beating children. His crimes took place between 1997 and 2020 at addresses in Glasgow, Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire and in South Ayrshire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 51-year-old was remanded in custody at the High Court in Glasgow and will be sentenced next month. The jury heard Haram raped, attacked and verbally abused the woman. This included suggesting she should kill herself. He also tracked her movements and forced her to take part in religious activities. The victim recalled her "whole body going limp" while being choked by Haram. Jurors heard the pastor would pressure her into sex while making biblical references. The victim said she was told that she had to "subject" herself to him and recalled how she would sob as a result of the encounters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court also heard he once mowed over flowers she had taken time to grow. Haram admitted only to "occasional flare-ups of aggression" and claimed every sexual encounter was consensual. 'Modesty checks' on children The court also heard evidence of Haram's child abuse, with one girl recalling how she was regularly beaten by the pastor. He also hit children with a wooden spoon or a rod and carried out "modesty checks" on girls to see what they were wearing. Jurors heard he flew into a rage while in a car with two of the children and claimed that he would deliberately crash the vehicle, killing them all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Haram told the trial: "They knew I did not mean it." Judge Tom Hughes told Haram: "It appears that [what happened] was truly awful - incidents of violence, aggression, all sorts of difficulties and the sexual offending which took place. "During that period, you appeared to be living a life whereby you were acting in an official capacity as a man of the cloth. "You have now been convicted of extremely serious offences which will obviously carry a lengthy custodial sentence." Haram who had been on bail, was remanded in custody. London Police Department hosted the latest session of its Citizens Police Academy last Thursday at the LondonLaurel County Rescue Squad focusing on DUI enforcement, field sobriety testing and traffic stop tactics. The class, again led by Public Information Officer Hobie Daugherty, began with a safety briefing outlining training rules, including the use of Simunition guns non-lethal training rounds and emergency procedures. Participants learned why traffic stops are conducted such as promoting safe driving for motorists, pedestrians, and citizens; locating wanted persons; seizing illegal substances; and recovering stolen property. Also reviewed was the legal grounds for initiating a stop, including speeding, equipment violations, registration issues, and reasonable suspicion of a crime. Instruction also covered tactical approaches, vehicle positioning, communication techniques, and safety practices during stops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The DUI (driving under the influence) segment explained that someone can be arrested for impaired driving any time they consume any substance that impairs their ability to operate a vehicle. This includes alcohol, prescription medication, over-the-counter medicines or even certain household products. Officers demonstrated Standard Field Sobriety Tests including Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, where officers observe eye movements for signs of impairment; Walk and Turn, a walking balance test to observe coordination and adherence to instructions; and One Leg Stand, a stationary balance test noting swaying, use of arms for balance, or putting a foot down. Participants were also introduced to A.R.I.D.E. (Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement), a 16-hour course for officers to identify impairment clues not always revealed in standard tests. Demonstrations included the lack of convergence test for marijuana impairment, the Modified Romberg Balance Test to assess altered perception of time, and the finger-to-nose divided attention test. The session concluded with mock traffic stops based on real-life scenarios. Situations included encountering a sovereign citizen who refused to exit the vehicle, a suspected drunk driver, a suicide by cop attempt, and other challenging stops that tested participants ability to assess threats, communicate effectively, and make decisions on whether to give a warning, make an arrest, or shoot. Aug. 15The Albert Lea City Council on Monday approved an increase in its contribution toward the Freeborn County Community Promise Scholarship, which allows students from Freeborn County the opportunity to attend Riverland Community College for free in hopes of staying in the community to work upon graduation. The action came after the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners earlier this year voted to no longer participate in the scholarship program, citing what it described as a "public purpose doctrine." With the vote, the city will increase its contribution from $20,000 to $30,000 annually. The Albert Lea Economic Development Agency is picking up the remaining $10,000 of the county's portion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City Manager Ian Rigg said of the many academic programs that students have enrolled in through this scholarship, about half had to do with the trades, agriculture or health care, all what he described as pivotal studies that are important for the workforce in Albert Lea. Many who have received the scholarship have also expressed a desire to stay living in the community. Janelle Koepke, dean of institutional advancement for Riverland, said with the high school graduating class of 2024, 72 students utilized the Community Promise Scholarship, which is a gap scholarship after all other federal, state and other aid is applied. Seventy-eight percent of the students receiving the scholarship came from Albert Lea High School, while 10% were from Alden-Conger, 8% were from Glenville-Emmons and 4% were from NRHEG. Students were in a variety of programs, ranging from radiography, nursing and psychology to cosmetology, carpentry, biology, business, electrician, automotive, and criminal justice, among others, she said. Koepke said 23 community partners donated to the program with right over $212,000 awarded in scholarships out of $220,406 donated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Third Ward Councilor Jason Howland asked about Freeborn County's decision to not participate in the program anymore and asked if the city saw the program within its authority to be a part of. "I think we are well within our latitude to define a public purpose, and I simply disagree with the county," said City Attorney Joel Holstad. Rigg said while the issue was brought up during audits for both the city and the Albert Lea Economic Development Agency, they were able to satisfy the auditors' questions under various authorized uses for economic development in state statute. He said he did not want to speculate too much about what motivated the county board's decision, but said as far as the city goes, it has had a history of showing support for this program being a part of economic development and within its authority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First Ward Councilor Rachel Christensen said the program was an important one and that she was pleased to support it. As someone who did not attend college because of financial reasons, 6th Ward Councilor Brian Anderson said he was excited about the program. "I can't believe the county wouldn't be on board, and I'm happy to cast a vote to pick up their slack," Anderson said. Fourth Ward Councilor Reid Olson said he has seen the impacts of the program firsthand and noted a few of his son's friends have utilized it. "I know their parents are so thankful to keep those kids here," Olson said. "A couple more years of keeping your roots really deep in Albert Lea will help them stay here." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More News Sports Memories: Annual Hall of Fame induction slated for Oct. 4 Class of 1963 reunion slated for Sept. 16 Cemstone Concrete Materials LLC announces acquisition of Great Lakes Concrete Inc. Family wins weekly Albert Lea Farmers Market prize basket Print Article Aug. 14MORGANTOWN The Federal Aviation Administration, the state of West Virginia and the city of Morgantown are coming together to keep the city's runway extension project rolling. During its most recent regular meeting, Morgantown City Council took two actions to facilitate Phase 5 of the multiyear project. A contract totaling $8, 672, 807.50 was awarded to Mountaineer Infrastructure, of Dry Fork, W.Va., for the work, which is expected to begin in October and run an estimated 350 days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Council also voted to accept a $250, 000 grant from the West Virginia Division of Multimodal Transportation and Facilities. Those funds will be added to $250, 000 from the city to serve as the local match for a $9.5 million FAA grant awarded to finance Phase 5. Airport Director Jon Vrabel said the upcoming phase will be a continuation of the work currently underway. In September, Cast & Baker, of Canonsburg, Pa., was awarded a $9.1 million contract for Phase 4, which includes culverting an unnamed tributary that runs into Wolfe Run Creek. "Phase 4 is putting in the encapsulation of the stream and some minimal embankment on top of it. Phase 5 comes in and puts an embankment on top of that stream enclosure and really starts building that embankment up, " Vrabel told The Dominion Post in July. "There's an area where a retaining wall needs to be built down near Wolfe Run Road. This phase will bring the embankment up to that portion where the wall needs to be put in. Then the wall will be put in as part of Phase 6 and the embankment will continue." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The majority of the rock needed for the upcoming construction phases is currently piled on the site of the future I-68 Commerce Park. Once that material is cleared, work can begin on the park itself. Vrabel said he believes that's probably a little over a year away. The approximately 54-acre commerce park property is part of 90 acres of airport-adjacent land owned by the Monongalia County Development Authority. Much like the runway extension is considered one of, if not the, most important efforts ever undertaken by the city, it's believed the commerce park would be the largest development project in Morgantown's history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the city, it's anticipated that a new tax increment finance (TIF) district will be created to fund the development of the commerce park as well as provide funding for continued capital investment in the airport. Once envisioned as a five-phase, $50 million project, March 2026 will represent the five-year mark since construction of the runway extension began. When Phase 5 is finished sometime next year, the project will be about 45 % complete. Based largely on the flow of federal funding, the 1, 001-foot extension is currently projected to take eight to 10 phases finishing between 2028 and 2030 and cost north of $62 million. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) The City and two members of the Huntsville Police Department have motioned to dismiss a discrimination lawsuit filed against them by a former dispatcher. Federal court documents show that on August 4, the City of Huntsville, Police Chief Kirk Giles and Deputy Chief Michael Johnson motioned to dismiss a lawsuit against them, filed by former Huntsville Police Dispatcher Katrina Brady. CLICK HERE for News 19s Interactive Radar Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brady filed the lawsuit in May, saying Giles, Johnson and the City engaged in discrimination against her that ultimately led to her firing. The motion to dismiss states that the complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. The dismissal document also states that Bradys complaint is an impermissible shotgun pleading that violates basic rules of pleading required The document says Bradys complaint is neither short nor plain, with 115 pages and roughly 536 separate paragraphs. The motion says this makes it a textbook shotgun pleading. Traffic stop leads to discovery of dangerous weapons, illegal drugs in Huntsville Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It also says that Brady lacks standing for her claim under the PUMP Act as she seeks only injunctive relief regarding the Citys policies, despite being no longer employed with the City. The original complaint filed said that the discrimination began when Brady was pregnant in 2023, with claims that supervisors refused to make accommodations so that she could go to her doctors appointments and changed her work schedule to make it harder for Brady to go to those appointments. Bradys attorneys said that after she returned to work, a dispute over Brady being provided a place to pump breast milk led to her making a complaint against a supervisor. The document said this complaint led to retaliation from both her supervisor and the HPD command staff in general. The document says this retaliation included disciplinary actions against Brady, which attorneys said do not reflect her behavior and instead stereotype her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorneys also allege that Brady made several complaints herself, saying she was being retaliated against and the city failed to investigate those complaints. Furthermore, the document said the discrimination spanned from 2023 to 2024 and also constituted a conspiracy by police command staff. Scottsboro welcomes home injured police officer, Lieutenant Derek Porch Plaintiffs former employer, Defendant Huntsville, by and through HPD, HR, and Plaintiffs supervisors and other decision makers, discriminated against Plaintiff in her employment terms and conditions based on her sex/gender both during Plaintiffs pregnancy in 2023 and in 2024, during the time she was a nursing mother, the federal complaint says. You can read the full 115-page federal complaint below. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brady-ComplaintDownload On August 5, the court set a telephone status conference hearing for September 4. 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. Author Karen Benjamin asked the crowd assembled at Knollwood Baptist Church to answer a simple question by a show of hands. How many of you know about redlining? she asked. Nearly every one of the more than 100 people noshing on lunch in a church meeting raised her (or his) hand. Which wasnt terribly surprising as plenty of people know that redlining reinforced segregation in cities. Lenders drew red lines around undesirable neighborhoods and denied loans to Black borrowers in those areas if they wanted to move. Im just embarrassed that I didnt hear about it until I got to City Hall in my late 40s, said Martha Wood, the citys mayor from 1989-1997. What is surprising is the cutting-edge role little old Winston- Salem played in standardizing the use of restrictive deeds that paved the way for redlining that divided the citys neighborhoods along racial lines. Thats eye-opening. But should it be? Early restrictions Benjamin, a professor at Elmhurst College in Illinois, stumbled across that shameful fact when researching the roots of segregation in the New South. Deed restrictions and covenants that essentially kept Black people from living in white neighborhoods began in the late 19th Century and thrived well into the 20th as the courts looked the other way even after the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law, was ratified. The level of experimentation in Winston-Salem was early and heavy-handed. Lets put it that way, Benjamin said. There really was an early effort to control where Black and white families lived. Her book, Good Parents, Better Homes and Great Schools: Selling Segregation Before the New Deal, examines how racial segregation was packaged to white families who were told through none-too-subtle ad campaigns that their children should be raised in single-family homes in homogenous suburban neighborhoods. Like it or not, Winston-Salem helped lead the way. And so, Benjamin, at the invitation of MUSE Winston-Salem and the Faith in the City program, came to town Tuesday to educate more than 100 well-read residents about an ugly fact in a talk called How the Camel City Got Sold on a Segregated Future. Im glad youre willing to go there, she said. One of the earliest restrictive deeds anywhere was recorded in Forsyth County in 1889, Benjamin said. A lawyer named Henry Starbuck, who almost certainly knew better, attached restrictions to deeds on vacant lots he sold that bordered property he and his family lived on. Potential buyers were legally bound from selling to any person or persons of color. The idea caught on and spread like kudzu with other planners and developers. Im sure Starbuck was friends with the Hanes, Fries, Buxtons and other well-connected families, Benjamin said. And so racial covenants exploded in exclusive areas like the West End and middle-class neighborhoods like Washington Park to promote segregation everybody in their place. Learn or repeat Talking about Winston-Salems role in spreading the practice of redlining wasnt intended to embarrass, humiliate or point fingers. Rather the talk was meant to illuminate. Food for thought for those whod prefer to avoid repeating history. If not for deep-dive researchers, scholars and authors, especially now when it sure seems as if those in power are determined to whitewash the nastier bits of our past, we might never know. I sure didnt learn about it in school, Wood said before Benjamin took the mic on Tuesday. And for those who might think Winston-Salems embrace of restrictive deeds a one-off piece of ancient history, consider that some of the citys leading lights also wholeheartedly embraced eugenics, a movement in the 1930s and 40s which aimed to keep people considered unworthy from reproducing. Early on, that meant compulsory, state-sanctioned sterilizations of those with epilepsy and feeble-mindedness. But following World War II and the uncovering of Nazi atrocities, most of the 31 other states with eugenic sterilization ended the practice. North Carolina, urged on in part by a professor at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine and city elites heavily involved in something called the Human Betterment League, ramped up its program and increasingly targeted poor Black girls and young women. And then theres little matter of Tanglewood Park. Forgot about that one, too? The 1,100-acre park was a gift from Will Reynolds, who bequeathed in 1954 a family estate for the enjoyment of white people in Forsyth County. Though not unusual for the time, it nonetheless took a federal court order in 1971 and a complicated work-around to Reynolds will and an additional 20 years to totally strike the language. Yeah. Those things really happened. Given that, is it really all that surprising that sanctioned segregation has roots here? Learn from history or do it all over again. Hull has marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two with a VJ Day service at the Cenotaph. Hundreds of people gathered in Paragon Street for the remembrance ceremony, organised by the Royal British Legion, to honour those who served in the war. Lord Mayor Cheryl Payne laid a wreath and a two-minute silence was held at midday. The lord mayor said the anniversary was a "significant moment" for Hull, which was "significantly affected" by World War Two. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neil Roy attended the event to remember his father, who was a pilot who trained the Canadians how to fly Spitfires. "It is a significant part of everyone's life that we have the freedom to be able to talk, to come to places like this, and not be able to be subjected to the dictatorial things of life," he said. Ex-serviceman David Ainsworth said: "It's very important to remember for all of those who sacrificed their lives for us, and for our freedom." VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day, is celebrated each year on 15 August to mark the day when Japan surrendered to the Allied forces in 1945. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An estimated 71,000 soldiers from Britain and the Commonwealth died fighting against the Japanese. "Well over 1,000 were killed in our city during the conflict, with many more injured," Payne said. "Those devastating times will still be remembered by many older people in our communities, and it is hard to imagine what they had to experience." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices Related stories Related internet links Two projects in the city of Frederick can continue moving ahead, after votes by the citys Planning Commission. The commission voted unanimously Monday night to recommend a change to the City Council for the zoning of a property off Jefferson Street that will be used as a youth center. The recommendation would change the zoning on the building at 300 Scottys Bus Lane from a General Commercial designation to an Institutional floating zone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 18,200-square-foot building was used by the Frederick County government as a warehouse space before being transferred to the city in 2024 to be developed as a youth center. Future Youth Center Floor Plan Floor plans for a future Frederick Youth Center The city partnered with the Ausherman Family Foundation to design and construct the improvements to the building. The center will provide health, wellness, and workforce development training, among other services, for young people ages 12 to 24. The buildings location near the Boys and Girls Club of Frederick County provides a great opportunity for a campus-style complex, Jeremy Holder, of Ausherman Properties and the Ausherman Family Foundation, told the commission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Institutional zoning allows for more flexible building standards, and more accurately, reflects the citys ownership of the building as a place where the public is encouraged to gather, according to a report prepared by members of the city staff. The Institutional zoning designation includes places such as hospitals, places of worship, schools, government offices, and other places where the public is permitted to gather. The Planning Commission also voted unanimously to approve a final site plan for the redevelopment of Lucas Village, an affordable housing community along Pennsylvania Avenue near the Frederick Fairgrounds. The vote helps clear the way for the demolition of the communitys 92 existing units, and the construction of 222 multi-family units. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The neighborhoods demolition was approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development because of the dangers of sinkholes on the property, as well as the risk of flooding on the low-lying property. The areas redevelopment will include realignment of some of the roads in the neighborhood. Parts of Vermont Court and Pennsylvania Avenue will have to be abandoned as part of the redevelopment, Division Manager of Current Planning Kristina Rodreick told the Planning Commission. Vermont Court will be renamed Vermont Way and extend through to Pennsylvania Avenue. Maryland Avenue will be extended into the development and connect to Vermont Way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city codes process for vacating streets or abandoning rights of way requires approval by the City Council, based on a recommendation from the Planning Commission. The commission unanimously agreed to the recommendation, before approving the site plan for the overall project. (FOX40.COM) The City of Sacramento released its weekly report highlighting its efforts to respond to homelessness. Video Above: Sacramento-area officials oppose homelessness plan City of Sacramento upgrades 311 system for homelessness concerns From Aug. 4-10, the city received a total of 726 calls to the 311 line, resulting in 2,044 cases being opened on concerns related to unsheltered individuals. 1,010 of these cases were closed, meaning they were remedied, compliance was achieved, or the issue no longer persisted, the City of Sacramento said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Community Response enrolled 83 individuals into a shared local database to match them with shelters or other resources. 34 people were placed at the Citys Roseville Road campus or the Outreach and Engagement Center, according to the City of Sacramento. City code update responds to homelessness outside City Hall In terms of shelters, two spaces were available at the OEC and 24 openings at city-funded shelters; however, there were zero pallet homes and trailers at the Roseville Road campus, the City of Sacramento said. Additionally, 92,040 pounds of waste were cleaned up. 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. ELKHART City and school officials marked the beginning of the new school year Thursday by addressing school safety and safety tips for students and parents. I remember when I started school and it wasnt that long ago for all of you who think Im a little older, Mayor Rod Roberson said. When I started school, I was very excited about starting, and very excited about getting together with my classmates and very excited about getting inside the building and meeting my teachers for the first time that year. And that excitement sometimes comes with a blindspot and the blindspot is how to be safe on the way to school. Larry Huff, superintendent of Elkhart Community Schools, said the district has about 10,500 students coming back to school this year. The first couple days are critical because families base the whole school year on how safe students feel coming to school on the first couple of days, Huff said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elkhart Fire Chief Rodney Dale said while he knows some parents have to go to work before their children go to school, he wants parents to go through safety precautions with their children about using burners when they cook for themselves. Dale also said students need to make sure that when they call 911 that they know their own address so dispatch can get to them efficiently. We have really made it a priority to step up our patrols in the school zones, Elkhart Police Chief Dan Milanese said. The same mindset is when bad weather comes, you always hear, slow down and take your time. Same thing when school starts. You got to think about going through. Its going to take some time to get through the school zones. Slow down, pay attention. The Elkhart Police Department is passionate about its school resource officer program, Milanese said. The program has officers that are stationed at multiple schools to help keep students safe. Each of the schools within the district has a safety committee, Huff said. The committees are part of a new state law, but they had already been implemented at Elkhart Community Schools for years, he said. A part of our onboarding for everyone is training for best practices with safety in crises, Huff said. Thats every staff member. Additionally, we also hire school security guards that deal with additional safety concerns. The Dakota Plains Legal Services office in Rapid City, pictured on Aug. 14, 2025. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) A nonprofit organization providing legal aid for low-income South Dakotans is attempting to take over the federal funding and territory of a similar organization, following accusations of the latter groups ineffectiveness. Lea Wroblewski, executive director for East River Legal Services, informed the states Commission on Equal Access to Our Courts during its July meeting that her organization will compete for federal grant funding currently awarded to Dakota Plains Legal Services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said some organizations working with low-income, vulnerable communities in Dakota Plains jurisdiction are unfamiliar with the nonprofit. She added that East River has not been able to successfully refer a single housing case to Dakota Plains in her three years on the job. In our experience, and with community partners and clients, these services are not being offered, Wroblewski said. After hearing about those concerns, the state commission chose to withhold $56,000 of state funding from Dakota Plains until at least the December commission meeting, when the commission could consider the matter again. The structure of legal aid in SD South Dakotas legal aid landscape is split between East River Legal Services on the east side of the state, and Dakota Plains Legal Services providing aid to the western half as well as to Native Americans on and off tribal lands across the state. The nonprofits help with legal aid for civil cases, including housing and evictions, applying for protection orders, and family law. Dakota Plains also takes on criminal cases when appointed by a court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A third organization, South Dakota Access to Justice, formed by the State Bar to provide pro bono legal work, supplements legal services provided by the two programs when there are an excess of cases, and provides a reduced fee program for people who dont qualify for free services. The commission awards state grants to the organizations to improve access to the justice system. The East River Legal Services office in downtown Sioux Falls. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) The national Legal Services Corporation awards federal funding. Dakota Plains received $1.4 million this year from the corporation for its service to Native Americans statewide and an additional $576,919 for its service to the western part of the state. East River Legal Service received $664,495 from the corporation for its services to the eastern part of the state. Lori Stanford, deputy director of Dakota Plains Legal Services, told commissioners the federal funding accounts for 73% of the nonprofits operating budget. The remainder is funded primarily through other state and government grants. If the Legal Services Corporation awarded both grants to East River, it would limit Dakota Plains to criminal defense appointments. Stanford has been working with the nonprofit for over a year, and the organization recently hired William Sulik as its new executive director. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sulik said he appreciates what Wroblewski told commissioners. Its criticism of Dakota Plains that we need to hear and we need to fix, he said, and so Im committed to doing that. Stanford added that she hopes Dakota Plains improves outcomes and productivity for clients. We feel were entering a new chapter here at Dakota Plains, Stanford said. Were looking at things with a fresh perspective. Our commitment has not changed, and were hoping to improve in a lot of areas. Legal Services Corporation planned to visit South Dakota in August to assess both nonprofits. The agency will determine which organization is awarded funds by December. Dakota Plains applied for the funding and was preparing for the site visit, Stanford said at the July meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wroblewski hopes to streamline legal aid efforts in the state by consolidating them, improving consistency among client responses and creating efficiencies. We consider ourselves stewards of federal funding and want to make sure that money is being used to help people in the best way possible, Wroblewski told South Dakota Searchlight after the meeting. Commissioner: Situation too unsettled to award full state funding The commission awarded East River Legal Services $127,000 of state funds. Dakota Plains was awarded $54,000 to hire an intake specialist to set up a central clearinghouse for applications and $13,000 to support the continuation and expansion of the organizations Justice Bus, which aims to increase accessibility by driving to legal deserts across the state and meeting with clients. Commissioners questioned Stanford about the effectiveness of the Justice Bus in the few months since its launch, asking for clearer data that state funds put toward the effort are being used wisely. Stanford told commissioners the Justice Bus received nine client applications since its launch, but did not have data for further services or general interactions with potential clients. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another $56,000 was withheld from Dakota Plains by the commission. The organization can reapply for the funds at the commissions December meeting. Sulik said he was disappointed but heartened to be able to apply for the funding later this year that we believe is vital to the clients and applicants served by the organization. He added that Dakota Plains staff are exceptional and passionate about their work and clients welfare. The commission is properly carrying out its function of ensuring that scarce funds are being used in an effective and efficient manner, Sulik said. Commission Chair Tom Welk, who is an attorney in Sioux Falls, suggested withholding the $56,000 from Dakota Plains until the commission knows that leadership has got their hands around whats going on. Im too unsettled, frankly, about what Ive heard today, Welk said, with where everything is going with the organization. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The big story: Kids across Florida headed back to classes this week after more than two months on break. With so much material to cover in 180 days, teachers couldnt be faulted if they jumped straight into the curriculum. But on the first day of school, academics arent always at the top of the list. To really reach their students, teachers need to establish a rapport and a routine. So many of them spent time making connections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After all, Pasco County fifth grade teacher Raynee Meek said, Kids dont learn from people they dont like. Read more here. Hot topics Backpacks: Sprayground designer backpacks are all the rage at Westland Hialeah Senior High, the Miami Herald reports. Book removal: Two Central Florida school districts are considering whether to remove the book Trans Mission from their shelves after the state threatened action against Hillsborough County for having it available, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Dress code: Parents and students at a Duval County high school got mixed messages over what their school dress code requires as officials offered differing interpretations of the rules, WJXT reports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Financial aid: Broward County teens are getting an advance look at the new FAFSA form after the school district was named a pilot site for the updates, WTVJ reports. Hurricane aftermath: Students assigned to Fort Myers Beach Elementary are still not attending classes at the campus that was damaged by hurricanes Ian and Milton. Theres talk of a charter school to replace it, Fort Myers Beach Observer and Bulletin reports. School lunches: Groups of donors from across Santa Rosa County have worked to eliminate students cafeteria debts in local schools, WEAR reports. Security: The Citrus County school board is looking into using security wands at all schools, the Citrus County Chronicle reports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Voucher: Floridas debate over the value of education vouchers continues as the program grows, WUSF reports. From the court docket ... The Palm Beach County school district reached a settlement with a student who sued over allegations of being sexually abused by her teacher, WPBF reports. A federal judge rejected two Trump administration orders aimed at eliminating DEI programs from schools and universities, saying they violated procedural requirements, Associated Press reports. Dont miss a story. Heres a link to yesterdays roundup. Before you go ... When cultures collide. U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman speaks at a Grand Rapids rally for Former President Donald Trump, July 20, 2024 | Lucy Valeski Climate activists are calling out U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman after the Watersmeet Republican sent a plea last week to a fellow member of the CanadaUnited States Inter-Parliamentary Group, seeking immediate action to manage and mitigate wildfires and consequently, the spread of wildfire smoke. In his letter to Canadian Sen. Michael MacDonald, chair of the inter-parliamentary group, Bergman requested greater accountability from the nation of Canada and stronger forest management policies, including forest thinning, fuel reduction and the use of prescribed burns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent years, communities across my districtand across much of the northern United Stateshave been increasingly impacted by the devastating effects of wildfire smoke originating in Canadian forests. While wildfire activity is a natural occurrence, the volume, frequency, and intensity of recent smoke events are unlike anything weve experienced before, Bergman wrote. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX This smoke has led to widespread air quality alerts, alongside school closures, outdoor activity cancellations and serious public health risks throughout Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, Bergman noted, raising particular concerns about the impact of wildfire smoke on public health. According to an Aug. 4 report from CBS News Detroit Chief Meteorologist Ahmad Bajjey, the state has seen 28 days of advisory or alert-level air quality due to wildfire smoke since its first alert in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hospitals and clinics across my district are seeing higher rates of respiratory distress, particularly among vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those with preexisting conditions. The combination of chronic exposure and limited local control over the source of the problem has left many of my constituents feeling frustrated and forgotten, Bergman said. Wildfires in northwest Canada are causing poor air quality conditions in parts of the upper Midwest. Screenshot of smoke plume captured on Aug. 15, 2025. (Map via AirNow) While Teresa Homsi, deputy director of Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action commended Bergman for calling out the public health risks, the organization challenged the representative for failing to consider a key factor contributing to these wildfires: climate change. It is a little bit ironic to focus on Canadas forest management techniques when our current federal government is dismantling programs that present long-term solutions to the underlying drivers of wildfires, Homsi told the Michigan Advance. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has sought to roll back several vital climate policies and protections, from federal support for solar and wind energy, to the Environmental Protection Agencys 2009 finding that six greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide trap heat in the atmosphere, threatening public health and future generations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to NASA, the warming climate is amplifying wildland fire activity, with extreme wildfire activity more than doubling worldwide. NASAs Terra and Aqua satellites detect active wildfires twice each day. Scientists studying this data over a 21 year span found that extreme wildfires are more frequent, more intense, and larger. The regions with the largest increase in extreme fire behavior are the temperate forests in the Western U.S. and the boreal forests in northern North America and Russia. Additionally, wildfires can be a major source of carbon dioxide emissions, feeding into the warmer, drier conditions that are increasing the risk and length of fires to begin with. Alongside children and the elderly, Homsi pointed to individuals with asthma, allergies and lung conditions, pregnant people and outdoor workers as groups who are particularly susceptible to the impacts of wildfire smoke. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When theres intense wildfire smoke, it obviously negatively impacts the air quality. And so, people have to spend their summers where theyd like to be outside. They end up having to shutter themselves inside, within air conditioning, if they have it, Homsi said. For people who have asthma or are considered sensitive, Homsi said the smoke can make it more difficult to breathe, and even painful to exhale. Even as someone who doesnt struggle with allergies myself, I felt myself getting really winded and tired and groggy, Homsi said. Teresa Homsi, deputy director of Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action Wildfire smoke has also been linked to worsening mental health conditions as well as increased risk of dementia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Homsi said Detroit has been particularly impacted, ranking among the worst air quality in the world. Pollution from industrial sites within the city can contribute to worsened air quality, with the combination of worsened air quality and wildfire smoke acting as a double whammy, Homsi said. Rather than blaming Canada, Homsi and her fellow clinicians called on Bergman to defend the health and the environment under threat from the Trump Administration. A request for comment was sent to Bergmans office, but has yet to be answered. Homsi stressed that regulations like the Mercury and Air Toxics standards address the short term health effects of air pollution and greenhouse gasses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were focused on the immediate impacts, right? The wildfire smoke, thats affecting people right now. But then as youre dismantling these programs, youre only making the conditions that contribute to those wildfires worse, Homsi said. She also pointed to reporting from the New York Times which noted fire mitigation strategies like prescribed burns and fuel reduction are simply not possible due to the remote nature of where these fires are burning. Additionally, Daniel Perrakis, a fire research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service in British Columbia, told NPR that neither the United States, nor Canada has enough firefighters to address the fires. While Bergmans acknowledgement of the health risks brought by the wildfires was validating, Homsi said Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action would encourage Bergman to stand up for the EPA and the programs offering the most sustainable, cost effective and long term solutions for turning the side against these wildfires. CLINTON, Okla. (KFOR) Clinton city leaders have approved an emergency cash infusion to keep the citys hospital from immediately closing its doors, as uncertainty grows for rural health care across Oklahoma in light of federal changes to Medicare and Medicaid. City officials voted unanimously Wednesday to give $200,000 to Clinton Regional Hospital after a planned sale to a private healthcare company fell through. The money will allow the city-owned facility to make payroll and continue operations in the short term, but hospital leaders say the financial challenges facing Clinton Regional Hospital, and most rural hospitals, show no signs of letting up in the long term. The city-owned hospital has faced repeated challenges in recent years. In 2022, the operator, Alliance Health, walked away, taking critical equipment and refusing to return the hospitals state operating license, which forced it to close. Determined to reopen, Clinton voters approved an $11.6 million package in 2023 to fund city operations until a buyer could be found. The hospital reopened last September, with CEO Len Lacefield at the helm. LOCAL: Oklahoma City Police dismiss serial killer face-cutting rumors Hospital leadership had hoped the $11.6 million would last until city leaders could sell the hospital to a private buyer, who could afford to operate the hospital in the long run. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But a few weeks ago, the prospective buyer backed out, leaving hospital officials scrambling to cut costs. But by last week, Lacefield said the hospitals ability to make payroll was in jeopardy. That led the Clinton Hospital Authority, a city board that governs the hospital, to hold a meeting on Wednesday, where they voted to ask the City of Clinton for $200,000 to get the hospital through the next couple of weeks. The city council unanimously voted to give the hospital the funds at its own meeting on Wednesday. Councilmembers also made clear theyll be willing to provide more emergency funding in the near term, should the hospital need it to keep the doors open. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lacefield said that cannot be the long-term solution. I appreciate [the citys] help, Lacefield said. But what I want to be clear on is: I dont wake up every morning thinking I can go back to the city just because the city loves having a hospital. Thats not what we can do. Lacefield says part of the problem is the hospitals billing process. He said Alliance had staff trained to use the complex software that processes insurance claims, but after Alliance left, current staff had to teach themselves, causing delays and leading to unpaid claims the hospital is owed. With the citys emergency funding, the hospital plans to hire a team to train staff on the system and speed up payments, a step Lacefield believes could move the hospital closer to breaking even. You can never reduce expenses to a point of profitability, Lacefield said. But we have to have that balance where we reduce expenses to an enviable level, maintain our state license, get into that software, get into those accounts receivables, raise our deposits, and hopefully realize a cash-flow positive environment sometime in the future. LOCAL: Deepening our roots: OK Gov. praises $9 billion Google investment Hes also pursuing a federal grant for rural emergency rooms, but warns that broader challenges remain. But even with all that, the future of this hospital and many of Oklahomas 70 other rural hospitals is in serious doubt. The last number was about 20-something, last week, are in imminent danger of closing by the end of the year, Lacefield said. Most of those rural hospitals serve patients using Medicare and Medicaid, their largest income source. And this summer, Congress voted to remove millions of people from those systems when it passed the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, causing more uncertainty. Talk to me in six months. Who really knows? Lacefield said. Recognize, theres like 1796 rural hospitals in the nation, he added. Not a good idea to kill us all, like 40 million people in rural communities. Itd be really an unwise decision for the federal government to affect that many people. We all cant drive an hour and a half to have dialysis, physical therapy, see a specialist. We just cant do that. For now, Clintons funding means the lights and the life support remain on at the hospital. This location in Oklahoma is pivotal for good health in western Oklahoma and for the growth of Clinton, Lacefield 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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) While many of the young patients come to Childrens of Alabama by car or ambulance, others are required to come by air in a special way. Recently, CBS 42 morning anchor Andrea Lindenberg took a flight in the hospitals critical care transport helicopter, where nurse Myra Wadell spoke about her experiences trying to reach children in dire conditions to save lives. Watch the full story above. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. CNNs chief data analyst Harry Enten on Thursday revealed that registered voters have increasingly favored Donald Trumps handling of crime with the presidents takeover of the Washington, D.C., police force now in effect. Enten highlighted polling data showing how Trumps net approval rating (percent approval minus percent disapproval) on crime has increased from -13 in March 2024 (in an analysis of his first term) to +1 this month. The latter polling figure, he noted, doesnt take into account the situation in the nations capital but does account for Trump federalizing the California National Guard to respond to mostly peaceful protests against his immigration agenda in Los Angeles. Related: CNN Data Chief Spots How Americans Think Democrats 'Don't Have A Clue' On Key Issue Aside from federalizing the police force in Washington, Trump also deployed hundreds of National Guard troops to fight what he described as bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse (in reality, reported violent crime is down in the nations capital). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think that Democrats have to get it around their heads that Americans are far more hawkish on crime than they think that they are, Enten told CNNs Kate Bolduan. He later continued, Crime is one of Trumps best issues. Its one of the reasons why he wants to talk about crime, because it favors him. Enten went on to point out that Trump is towering over Joe Biden like Air Jordan on crime, with the president boasting a +1 net approval rating on the issue compared to his predecessor, who registered a -26 last year. It was one of Bidens worst issues. Granted, pretty much every issue was one of Bidens worst issues, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the midterms approach next year, Enten noted that voters have continued to side with Republicans when asked which party aligns closer to their views on crime and policing. So Republicans in the House, Republicans in the Senate. They absolutely want to be talking about crime, he said. The more they feel that were talking about crime, the better they feel that the electoral landscape is for them. Related... Read the original on HuffPost US President Donald Trumps Special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has not been included in the US delegation to the Alaska summit between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin due to Russias perception of him. Source: CNN, as reported by European Pravda Details: A source told CNN that the Russian side views Kellogg as a supporter of Ukraine, which could have made his presence at the meeting "counterproductive". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kellogg has shared all the information he has gathered during his conversations with the Ukrainians with Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, two senior administration officials said, adding that his absence is not considered a serious problem. One of the sources also noted that Rubio is not seen as soft on Russia, given that he has called Putin a war criminal in the past. But the Europeans are concerned that Kellogg has not been included in the delegation. "He had hoped to be there, and he should be there," said one European official, adding that the absence of his depth of knowledge is a loss. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the officials view, Kellogg has the best understanding of what Ukraine might agree to as part of a deal. The sources added that Kellogg is likely to be included in the US delegation travelling to any future meetings between the US, Russia and Ukraine. Background: Trump has departed for Alaska. On the way, he held his first phone conversation with self-proclaimed Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. During a press gaggle on Air Force One, Trump said he will not "negotiate for Ukraine" when it comes to territorial issues. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Coast Guard has officially suspended the search for a fisherman reported missing off the Washington coast. Officials said the 65-year-old man departed alone on his vessel, the Karolee, on July 6 and was last heard from two days later. In the following days, Coast Guard watchstanders made callouts to the Karolee and received no reply. Body of teen who drowned in Columbia River recovered Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tuesday morning, a USCG air crew from Sacramento responded to the area, tried to make contact with the Karolee and also received no reply. The aircrew visually noticed that the vessel was rigged for fishing, lights were energized, and a life raft was observed in its cradle, UCSG Northwest said. After finding the boats lights on and the life raft intact, the crew flew back to Sacramento. That same day, a helicopter from Air Station Astoria and a Coast Guard cutter responded, with another boat crew searching the shoreline from Cape Flattery toward La Push, Wash. La Nina Watch: Cooler, wetter weather expected in Oregon for late fall, early winter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials said the helicopter searched west of Grays Harbor for several hours, then returned to Astoria. The cutters search lasted through the night. Another cutter was dispatched to find the Karolee and confirm if the fisherman was onboard. Late Wednesday morning, when the crew found no one aboard and all safety equipment still intact, the search was suspended and the fishing boat was towed to Eureka, Calif. Suspending a search for someone is the toughest decision we make in the Coast Guard, said Cmdr. Chelsey Stroud, with the Coast Guards Northwest District. Our crews diligently search hundreds of miles. We are grateful for the numerous Coast Guard crews along the West Coast who assisted in this search. We send our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of the missing man. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. The California Coastal Commission has unanimously voted against SpaceX's plan for a dramatic expansion of rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base, citing environmental and regulatory concerns. "The sonic booms and their impacts on California's people, wildlife and property are extremely concerning," Commissioner Linda Escalante said at a hearing Thursday in Calabasas. "The negative impacts on public access, natural resources and environmental health warrant our scrutiny under California's standard of review." SpaceX wants to boost annual launches from 50 to 95 per year, a massive jump from when SpaceX started at the Santa Barbara County facility in 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: California officials reject more SpaceX rocket launches, with some citing Musk's X posts But the accelerated timeline has increased friction between Elon Musk's space company and state regulators, who question whether SpaceX is sidestepping normal permitting processes by operating as a federal contractor. The commission argues that the majority of launches serve commercial rather than government purposes. SpaceX has contracts with U.S. Department of Defense to launch spy satellites. Military officials maintain all launches benefit national security objectives, even missions deploying Starlink satellites for Musk's commercial internet service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, commission staff argued the primary purpose of the launches is to expand SpaceX's commercial telecommunications network rather than serve federal agencies. A staff report emphasized that SpaceX now "owns significantly more satellites than the combined total owned by every country and every other company in the world," supporting the company's recent $400-billion valuation. The report argued that while the launches may benefit the federal government, the question is whether they are conducted "on behalf of" the government rather than for commercial purposes. It's not clear what impact the California Coastal Commission's vote will have. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If launches qualify as federal activities, Space Force, a branch of the Department of Defense, can proceed without coastal commission permits and only needs to attempt mitigation agreements. The Department of the Air Force was not present at the hearing, and the commission's unanimous objection does not prevent SpaceX from continuing its launch activities. "I must say, I'm just a little disappointed that the Air Force didn't want to participate with us," Commissioner Dayna Bochco said. "I truly, truly hope that we can persuade them to conduct the monitoring, to do the work that it takes to understand how this rapid increase in launches is affecting not only the environment, but in this case now, the citizenry of the peoples that live around there." Representatives of the Air Force and SpaceX could not be immediately reached for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed expansion would nearly double SpaceX's current activity at Vandenberg, which hosted 51 launches last year, with 46 conducted by the company. The proposal includes 24 rocket landing events annually, which generate additional sonic booms that have drawn complaints from coastal residents. Read more: SpaceX hopes to nearly double the rocket launches off the California coast; a state panel likely to object Environmental groups including the Surfrider Foundation and Sierra Club opposed the expansion. Jennifer Savage, a representative of the Surfrider Foundation, said Space Force is planning to proceed with the increase without providing the biological monitoring, sonic boom modeling or mitigation tracking needed to assess impacts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The commission has identified deficiencies in current wildlife monitoring programs, particularly regarding impacts on marine mammals. Sonic booms from rocket launches and landings have been reported as far southeast as Ojai, with residents describing house-rattling effects. Relations between SpaceX and the commission have been strained since October, when commissioners rejected a plan for 50 annual launches. SpaceX responded by filing a federal lawsuit alleging the commission overstepped its authority and voted based on Musk's political activities rather than environmental concerns. That lawsuit is pending. Commission staff concluded that the Air Force "has not provided sufficient information to enable the Commission to determine that the proposed project is consistent with the enforceable policies of the California Coastal Management Program." Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. REVERE, Mass. (WWLP) Two Massachusetts men were arrested and charged in connection with the seizure of approximately 73 kilograms of cocaine, an estimated value of over $1 million. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Massachusetts announced on Wednesday that in 2023, an investigation was started into suspected packages containing narcotics that were being mailed from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts. The packages were picked up by an individual, identified as 42-year-old Noel Betances of Chelsea. Springfield man arrested for allegedly aiming gun at undercover detectives Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On August 12th, law enforcement observed Betances coming out of a home on 16 Rand Street in Revere with a box. He allegedly gave it to 31-year-old Reylin Segura of Boston in exchange for a plastic bag. Betances and Segura were arrested by authorities, and a search was conducted at the Rand Street residence. According to court documents, 69 kilograms of cocaine and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash were seized. The U.S. Attorneys Office says the alleged box later found contained four kilograms of cocaine along with a bag containing bundled cash. (Massachusetts State Police) (Massachusetts State Police) Betances and Segura were charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. 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. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. City of Pittsburgh officials are warning that there could be significant trafic impacts this weekend due to college move-ins. Drivers are told to prepare for traffic disruptions in and around the Oakland neighborhood as college students return to campus. Move-in weekend comes at the same time as planned inspections of two bridges in Oakland, the Forbes Avenue Bridge (Central Oakland near Carnegie Mellon University) and Swinburne Bridge (South Oakland). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the inspections proceed on Sunday, the Forbes Avenue Bridge will be partially closed to one lane with the sidewalk maintained, and the Swinburne Bridge will be fully closed. Officials note that Oakland is already seeing reduced traffic due to the closure for the Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge Rehabilitation Project, the closure of the Panther Hollow Bridge and a lane restriction on Fifth Avenue toward Downtown because of private construction and Pittsburgh Regional Transit University Line work. Drivers are told to expect congestion, delays and detours in Oakland and surrounding neighborhoods. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW This story was produced and originally published by Wisconsin Watch, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. It was made possible by donors like you. Halfway through his Monday morning class at Northeast Wisconsin Technical Colleges Green Bay campus last month, Patrick Parise instructed his Introduction to Ethics students to hold up their fingers: one if theyre confused about the lesson, 10 if they've mastered it. When met with a sea of jazz hands, he moves on to review the next chapter. The students will take their final exam several days later, after absorbing major ethical theories and key philosophers views in just eight weeks half the length of the traditional 16-week college course. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats because NWTC leaders have overhauled nearly every course in recent years, accelerating them to move twice as quickly. Administrators and instructors say the intensive pace helps students perform better and prevents them from dropping out when they face hardships outside of school. NWTC is part of a growing national trend of colleges moving to shorter courses, but its one of fewer to offer eight-week classes almost exclusively. Many others have recently flirted with the idea by piloting a smaller share of shortened course options. Everybody wants shortened learning. Nobody wants to be in a class for 16 weeks anymore. That's not the pace of learning, said Kathryn Rogalski, the colleges vice president of academic affairs and workforce development. That faster pace, that more intensive time together, I think, is making the difference. The schedule at NWTC splits the traditional semester in half for example, rather than taking four classes over the course of 16 weeks, a student would complete two speedier classes in the first eight weeks, then complete two more in the latter half of the semester. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Proponents of the approach say juggling fewer classes allows students to focus better, while some worry the brisk pace makes it easier to fall behind. The transition required a heavy lift, which came with challenges. Some students say the swift pace required a learning curve, and administrators acknowledge that starting a new slate of courses every eight weeks can be intense. But data suggests the switch has brought positive change to the 23,000-student college. Retention rates are up, meaning fewer students are dropping out. Students are earning higher grades on average. More are graduating on time. Parise, who has taught at NWTC since 2007, says his students engage more in shorter courses. In the 16-week model, he would have taught the ethics students once a week. Now he sees them twice weekly, which reduces the material students forget between classes and strengthens relationships, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I find classes develop a far better sense of a learning community, Parise said. That's huge in the classes that I teach, creating an environment where students feel safe and comfortable and share ideas and ask questions I dont know that you can teach somebody ethics without having an environment like that. Shortening courses to limit stopping out In 2018, NWTC leaders contemplated how they could reduce the number of students who were stopping out, or withdrawing from their studies with the intention of returning later, at the six-week mark. At least one in three NWTC students rely on federal financial assistance to afford college costs, and many have jobs and families meaning nonacademic challenges can easily derail the semester. College leaders wanted these students to be able to take a break when they needed to, but then not have to be gone a whole semester or a whole year before they could start back, Rogalski said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Breaking the semester up into smaller pieces could help, they realized. National research and data from a few short courses they already offered suggested students persist better in accelerated courses. Meanwhile, the eight-week course model was beginning to gain momentum at community colleges in Texas, showing promising results. If (students) are in week six of eight, they can figure out those last two weeks of, How do I figure out that child care? How do I find some transportation? And they can finish the courses that they started, Rogalski said. If they're in week six of 16 weeks, it's really hard for 10 more weeks to figure out how to make it through. So NWTC leaders went all in. By 2020, they shifted roughly half of classes to the model. By 2021, 93%. The college exempted select courses, such as clinical rotations in hospitals for nursing students, but otherwise asked all instructors to get on board. That sweeping overhaul across nearly every program is vital to seeing results, but its a feat few colleges have accomplished, said Josh Wyner, vice president of education nonprofit The Aspen Institute. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That's really one of the things that weve appreciated about Northeast Wisconsin for years, is that they went to scale when they found something that worked, Wyner said. If the data show that students will benefit, they ask themselves the question Why would we continue to offer things in other formats? Overhauling courses isnt easy Accelerating college courses comes with speed bumps. A sick student absent for a week misses double the instruction. Financial aid payment schedules must be retooled. Some high schoolers taking dual enrollment classes must manage the condensed schedule. Instructors must revamp their courses. Many colleges make the mistake of simply trying to take 16 weeks of coursework and squeeze it into eight weeks, Wyner said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It can't be the same class when it was in 16 weeks as it is in eight weeks. It has to look different, Roglaksi said. I don't think any college could be successful at this if they just shrunk their curriculum and just did exactly what they were doing, but did it twice as fast. When Nick Bengry transferred to NWTC from Lawrence University in Appleton to save money on tuition, it came with a learning curve. The university used a lengthier semester schedule, so he worried about the transition to more rigorous courses at the technical college. In the last year, hes found some (classes) that are a little bit rougher than others in the eight-week format, but feels like the workload ultimately ends up being similar. Some classes like, the medical terminology class, were really fast-paced because of the way they were designed, said Bengry, who plans to transfer to the University of Wisconsin-Madison next year and eventually become an emergency room doctor like his father. He also finds it easier to schedule the requirements he needs for his biomedical engineering major while juggling a job at Bellin Health. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It makes it easier to fit the courses you need into your semester," Bengry said. Each course being only half the length means that if I need to fit a course into this semester, there's more spots it could be the first half or the second half. When students do struggle with their coursework, college staff has half the time to get them back on track before their class ends. For example, in Kristin Sericatis developmental reading and writing class, which helps students with lower literacy skills, "resource navigators visit the classroom during the first week to meet one-on-one with every student and advertise services like tutoring or financial assistance. The college also has an "early alert system that enables staff to intervene with helpful resources immediately if a student isnt showing up to class or scores poorly on an assignment. A student is not waiting two weeks to have some sort of support that they need, which is now a quarter of their learning experience in that class, Matt Petersen, NWTCs associate vice president for institutional research and strategic analytics, said. We just can't afford that. Our students can't afford that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As theyve worked out the kinks, NWTC leaders have returned some classes to 16 weeks. One microbiology class changed back when eight weeks wasnt enough time to grow the bacteria needed for the students research. Now, about 86% of courses are accelerated, fewer than the share in 2022, and administrators say theyll continue evaluating what works best. Boosting retention and graduation Seven years after leaders conceived the overhaul, data shows its paying off. Retention for full-time students, or the share of students who stay enrolled or finish their program from one year to the next, has shot up by 19 percentage points since 2018, when the college introduced eight-week courses. Now, 77% of full-time NWTC students continue in their studies, federal data show. Nationwide, full-time community college students had an average retention rate of 63% in 2023, according to the National Student Clearinghouse. Retention rates for part-time students have shown smaller growth, rising from 56% to 59%. Part-time students regularly have lower retention rates than full-time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, the share of NWTC students who graduate within three years of enrolling has risen 3% to 46% since 2018. Thats well above the national average of 35% and a tough data point to budge, according to The Aspen Institute. Petersen said the change also correlates with an improvement in students grades, with hundreds more students now receiving a C or above in their courses. Plus, students who do have to temporarily withdraw are having an easier time getting back to their studies, said Sericati, the developmental writing instructor. Before, if a student is in five classes and they come up against a life issue in week six and drop out of all of their classes, they now are on (academic) warning. They failed all of these credits, Sericati said. Now, if a student comes up against a life issue, they likely can complete those two courses that they're in and not have that issue when they rejoin us again in another eight-week session. As colleges like NWTC share their success with shorter classes, the model is building momentum, said Karen Stout, CEO of Achieving the Dream, a nonprofit focused on community college success. For example, Western Technical College in La Crosse began transitioning to seven-week courses in the summer of 2024. It is such a relief, actually, to see that this made a positive difference, Rogalski said. Students who probably never imagined that they could be successful in college ... They haven't aspired to complete a degree or go on to a university, and now we're seeing that these students have this hope that they didn't have before. And within eight weeks, they're seeing that they have been successful. Miranda Dunlap reports on pathways to success in northeast Wisconsin, working in partnership with Open Campus. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: NWTC in Green Bay limits dropouts by shortening its courses Then-Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters at her primary election watch party at the Wide Open Saloon in Sedalia on June 28, 2022. (Carl Payne for Colorado Newsline) The Colorado attorney generals office has asked for the dismissal of the habeas corpus petition filed by former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, arguing that the federal court does not have jurisdiction in the case. Peters is serving a nine-year prison sentence for her role in a breach of Mesa Countys elections systems during a 2021 software update. She was convicted by a jury in August 2024 on four felony counts related to the security breach, which was part of an effort to demonstrate that the 2020 election was untrustworthy, even though there is no credible evidence to support that position. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Peters has appealed the conviction, and while the Colorado Court of Appeals reviews her appeal, her legal team filed a federal habeas corpus petition. The petition, which was filed in the U.S. District Court of Colorado, argues that Peters should be released on bond pending the appeal decision. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The filing by the attorney generals office cites the 1971 U.S. Supreme Court case Younger v. Harris, in which the court recognized longstanding public policy against federal court interference with state court proceedings. According to the filing, if three conditions in the case are met, then the federal court must abstain from exercising jurisdiction regarding state proceedings. Those conditions are that the state proceedings are ongoing; the state proceedings implicate important state interests; and the state proceedings afford an adequate opportunity to present the federal constitutional challenges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The filing argues that those conditions are met, because Peters state-level appeal is ongoing, her conviction is criminal, thus an important state interest, and her appeal allows her to present her constitutional challenge. Based on the precedent set in the Younger case, the filing says the federal court does not have jurisdiction in Peters habeas corpus petition. Peters attorneys argue in the federal habeas corpus petition that her First Amendment rights have been violated because she has not been allowed bail pending her appeal. Her attorney, Peter Ticktin, cited a statement made by the Mesa County District Court judge when denying her bond. The judge said, So the damage that is caused and continue to be caused is just as bad, if not worse, than the physical violence that this court sees on an all too regular basis. And its particularly damaging when those words come from someone who holds a position of influence like you. (Peters) has been made to stay in prison because people are afraid of what she would say, Ticktin said in an interview with Newsline. The filing by the attorney generals office, however, says, The court pointed to her deceptive conduct as evidence of Ms. Peters belief that she was above the law and noted the impact it had on her reputation and the community. The court also discussed Ms. Peters allegations of election fraud in the context of her criminal conduct, explaining that she used her position to commit crimes for the purpose of promoting allegations of election fraud, which benefitted her personally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ticktin has called Peters a political prisoner. Peters was convicted by a Mesa County jury, and prosecuted by the office of a Republican district attorney. There has been no credible claim that the trial was politically compromised. Peters case has garnered national attention and President Donald Trump has called for the U.S. Department of Justice to take all necessary action to secure her release. Trump cannot pardon Peters, because her conviction involves state crimes. Peters attorneys have approximately two weeks to file a brief in response to the argument by the attorney generals office that the federal court does not have jurisdiction in the habeas corpus case. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE DENVER (AP) Three women who were among the more than 100 inmates whose strip search videos were allegedly watched repeatedly by a Colorado jail's former commander are suing him and government agencies, saying they failed to keep tabs on who was accessing the images and why. The proposed federal class action lawsuit, filed Wednesday, alleges that La Plata County and its sheriff's office knew that Edward Aber had a history of being accused of sexual impropriety or harassment when he was hired and failed to place controls on access to strip search footage, including monitoring who was accessing it. Aber is already being criminally prosecuted after a state investigation found that he had watched the strip search videos of at least 117 female inmates over about five years, often viewing them weeks and months after they were recorded as part of the jails intake process. The searches of female inmates entering the county jail are done by female deputies and recorded on their body cameras to ensure the new inmates are not hiding contraband like drugs on their bodies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His lawyer in the criminal case, Barrie Newberger King, was traveling and did not immediately return emails or a voice message left at her office, which is closed this week. A telephone message left at a number listed for Aber was not immediately returned. Interim Deputy County Manager Megan Graham said the county does not comment on active litigation. Another lawsuit involving the jail was filed last month against the county commissioners, the sheriff and others by the parents of an inmate who died there in 2023 after they say the jails nurses and sheriffs deputies ignored his cries for help over about 15 hours. Aber was placed on paid leave in July 2024 while he was investigated for alleged sexual conduct with female inmates and sexual harassment of sheriff's office employees, according to an arrest warrant affidavit prepared by an agent from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation in the video case. The previous investigation did not result in any criminal charges being filed against Aber, who resigned in July 2024, but prompted a review of his computer use, the document said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Between February 2019 and July 2024, investigators found that Aber had logged in to access body camera footage over 3,000 times, mostly to watch footage labeled as strip searches, without any apparent legitimate reason, according to the arrest affidavit. The videos were sometimes watched from home and hotels, often late at night or early in the morning, it said. Aber was charged last month with one count of first degree official misconduct as well 117 counts of invasion of privacy for sexual gratification, all misdemeanors, for alleging watching the videos of female inmates, including the three women who filed the lawsuit. The lawsuit also seeks to include any other woman whose videos were allegedly viewed by Aber. The document noted that some videos Aber had accessed were purged from the system, so there could be more women whose videos he watched beyond the videos of the 117 women that remained. The lawsuit accuses Aber and the others of violating the womens constitutional rights, including their rights to privacy and to be protected against unreasonable searches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of their attorneys, Kevin Mehr, acknowledged that strip searches are needed in jails. But he said there could be some limits on why videos of such intrusive moments can be viewed, such as if contraband was found or if an inmate complains of being mistreated, he said. Otherwise, trust in the criminal justice system can be eroded, he said. Seeing this happen and thinking this could happen somewhere else really deteriorates the whole trust in the system," Mehr said. ___ This story has been updated to to correct the surname of the La Plata County interim deputy county manager. Mandatory cuts in Arizonas Colorado River supplies will remain in place through 2026, federal water managers said Aug. 15, reflecting a poor winter runoff, growing demand and worsening drought. While the cuts will hold steady on paper, they could hit central Arizona cities harder as mitigation measures for past cuts expire. Water supplies could also tighten if dry conditions on the Colorado River continue. This underscores the importance of immediate action to secure the future of the Colorado River, said David Palumbo, acting commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees the river's operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lower Colorado River basin will remain in a Tier 1 shortage in 2026, meaning Arizona will continue giving up about 30% of the Central Arizona Projects normal supply, about 18% of the states share of the Colorado. Arizona agreed to absorb the first and deepest cutbacks during a shortage in exchange for support from other states to build the CAP Canal. The tiers, or levels, of shortage are established under federal water management guidelines. The federal government establishes the tier for each year based on the August report from the previous year. That report projects the water levels in Lake Mead, a federally managed reservoir, which then dictates the cutbacks in river water for states below the reservoir. The current tier system will expire next year, which puts added pressure on the seven Colorado River states to reach an agreement on a new plan to share shortages as the drought continues. Lake Meads water level was at elevation 1,054.14 feet above sea level at the end of July, about 165 feet below what's considered full. The federal governments Aug. 15 report projects that those levels will be about two feet higher at the beginning of 2026. The cuts to Arizona and other lower basin states are designed to limit demands on the reservoir when it is already under strain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arizona has lived with this same level of cutbacks since 2022. The state dipped into a deeper shortage tier, Tier 2a, for a single year in 2023. The cuts arrived along with a historic megadrought in the Colorado River basin, likely exacerbated by increasing water use and a warming climate. Weve shown that we can take (large shortages) because weve done it, said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, in a late June interview. But so far, cities and tribes have largely avoided the harsh impacts of the cuts as water-rich users took federal or state money to cut back their use, allowing water-limited users to keep going. Those arrangements a mix of internal Arizona agreements and federal programs are set to expire in 2025 and 2026, including the guidelines that established the shortage tier system. Even if water users develop new arrangements, the federal money for compensated conservation is unlikely to appear again, meaning the federal government may no longer absorb the financial impact of sustaining water cuts in Arizonas largest population centers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Arizona Department of Water Resources and the CAP have begun talks among Arizona water users to craft a new plan to share cuts in the future. Poor snowpack: The Colorado River used to be predictable as a water supply. What happens when it's not? Uncertainty on the river creates a planning 'nightmare' The seven states that use the Colorado River are struggling to reach a new agreement restricting their consumption as the river continues shrinking. The Trump administration has said it needs them to strike such a deal by this winter or Interior Secretary Doug Burgum will impose his own plan. If states can reach an agreement, avoiding lawsuits and struggles with the federal government, it could give Arizona water users the stability they need to make internal arrangements and blunt the impact of shortages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the basin prepares for the transition to post-2026 operating guidelines, the urgency for the seven Colorado River Basin states to reach a consensus agreement has never been clearer," said Scott Cameron, acting assistant Interior secretary for water and science. "We cannot afford to delay. For now, Arizona water managers say the uncertainty has made planning a nightmare. How do you plan for something that is so uncertain? You have to go out there and spend real dollars now for something that may or may not happen, said Cave Creek Mayor Robert Morris in an interview. The only thing that seems certain is that Arizonas water supplies wont go back to their pre-shortage levels any time soon, barring a miracle. The last projections for Lake Meads water line in 2027 indicated a most-probable elevation dipping near what would trigger a deeper Tier 2 shortage under the expiring system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doug MacEachern, an Arizona Department of Water Resources spokesperson, said that while its anything but clear what water-use reductions Arizona will face in 2027, what can be said about the most probable projection is that elevations in Mead will continue to decline. The outlook for the reservoirs is worsening because of terrible flow levels in the Colorado River. The 2025 runoff season in the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado's headwaters, is shaping up to be the seventh-driest since 1963, when the government built Glen Canyon Dam and formed Lake Powell. Central Arizona Project officials bemoaned the rough water year during an Aug. 7 board meeting. "This year has really kicked us," said Vineetha Kartha, CAP's Colorado River programs manager. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Negotiations continue: New Colorado River plan spreads the pain, shares water based on reality of shrinking flows Bad hydrology is 'crushing' conservation measures As with other recent years, factors including warming air, parched soil and lengthening growing seasons have kept some of the melting snowpack from reaching the river or its reservoirs. Fundamentally, bad hydrology is crushing valiant conservation and management efforts, said Kathryn Sorensen, research director at Arizona State Universitys Kyl Center for Water Policy. Precipitation upstream of Lake Powell registered 83% of the 30-year average, but the flow into that reservoir during the crucial April-July runoff season was significantly lower, at 41% of normal. Enrique Vivoni, a professor of hydrosystems engineering at Arizona State University, told CAP board members on Aug. 7 that dry soils are soaking up precipitation before it can reach the river, meaning good snow doesn't always mean good flow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Under drought, the relationship of hydrology with precipitation is changing in the Colorado River," Vivoni said. Lakes Mead and Powell, the largest constructed reservoirs in both the Colorado River Basin and the nation, were roughly full when drought began at the beginning of this century. In late July they held 31% and 32% of capacity, respectively. The Aug. 15 report shows that another year of bad runoff could push the reservoir system into catastrophic conditions. The worst-case projections, though technically improbable, show water levels at Lake Powell dropping below the necessary elevations for hydropower production in the fall of 2026. That kind of decline would not only threaten a critical piece of energy infrastructure, requiring drastic water cuts, but it could also cause unprecedented legal challenges for states on the river. Worst-case hydrology could reduce the river's flows to a point where the water received by lower basin states and Mexico no longer meets the amount required by a century-old compact governing water use on the river. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If basin states don't reach an agreement over how to divvy up the river, they will have to fall back on their own diverging interpretations of the compact, likely triggering a Supreme Court case that could drag on for years while the federal government scrambles to keep the system from crashing altogether. "Reclamation's latest Colorado River 24-month study shows how dire the situation is becoming," wrote the University of New Mexico's John Fleck in a blog post on Aug. 15. Fleck and other experts have argued that worst-case scenarios should be the basis for planning efforts on the river. For more Colorado River stories: Sign up for AZ Climate, our weekly environment newsletter. In the short term, assuming the basin avoids worst-case scenarios like these, cities will have to contend with uncertainty and lean on backup water supplies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The only good news is that municipal water providers in central Arizona have long been preparing for Colorado River cuts, Sorensen said. Tap water deliveries are unlikely to be impacted, though water providers may ask for or even demand additional conservation efforts from their customers. To compensate for the loss of some river water, central Arizona is likely to pump more groundwater, depleting a resource not easily replenished during long-term drought. It is possible that Arizona cities would need to tap new supplies to make up for river losses in coming years, depending on how low Lake Mead sinks and what rules the feds impose next year. One option, which also would deplete non-renewable groundwater, would be to drill wells to pump water that the state banked in the ground during years when it had excess Colorado River water. Phoenix relies on the Colorado for about a third of its tap water, running about 120,000 acre-feet of it through its surface water treatment plants, according to a 2023 report from the Kyl Center. That kind of water remains available through Tier 1 and Tier 2 but some of it becomes questionable in Tier 3, according to the report. Under the expiring rules, that would happen if Lake Meads surface sank about 25 more feet. That's about how far the reservoir has dropped since 2020, though the decline can quicken the lower the water goes because the reservoir is essentially V-shaped. It remains unclear how much water CAP and Phoenix may get under new rules. Austin Corona covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to austin.corona@arizonarepublic.com. Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Colorado River shortages stay in 2026, 'dire' long-term projections Colorado is experiencing a major case of buyer's remorse over the state's new artificial intelligence lawa warning for other states rushing to regulate emerging tech. A rush to regulate AI in Colorado flipped the right order of policymaking. For fast-moving tech, lawmakers should begin with a "try-first" mentality, allowing innovators to introduce their products. Next, they should study any resulting harms and whether new laws or regulations could address those harms. Only then should effective regulation be pursued, in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, with rules tailored to the state's capacity and the public's own assessment of the benefits and risks of the technology. Instead of following these best practices, Colorado's Legislature hastily enacted Senate Bill 24-205: Consumer Protections for Artificial Intelligencean expansive, complex AI law that it is now scrambling to fix. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The law is a warning shot before a shower of similar state AI bills. It also reflects a flawed view of federalism: State legislators cite congressional "inaction" to justify meddling in national issues, but the Constitution has no such exception. First and Already Flawed Colorado's AI law was rushed through in May 2024, making it the first major state AI regulation. Though it doesn't go into effect until February 2026, it has quickly become a model for other states. But it has already proven a cautionary tale. The law's open-ended mandates aim to prevent "algorithmic discrimination," particularly for "high-risk" use cases where AI systems represent a "substantial factor" in making "consequential decisions." AI providers must use "reasonable care" when attempting to comply with these ambiguous new standards or face penalties. New risk management plans and algorithmic impact assessments are mandated along with various transparency and monitoring requirements. Criticsincluding a coalition of small AI developerswarn these vague directives will stifle innovation. State lawmakers are now having second thoughts. Democratic Gov. Jared Polis noted in his signing statement that the law would "create a complex compliance regime for all developers and deployers of AI" through "significant, affirmative reporting requirements." He also admitted he was "concerned about the impact this law may have on an industry that is fueling critical technological advancements." Attorney General Phil Weiser recently lamented the "problematic" bill and said "it needs to be fixed." The Colorado Legislature will reconsider the measure in a special session that is set to begin on August 21. A state AI Impact Task Force formed last year offered no concrete solutions in its January 2025 report. By May, Polis and lawmakers recommended delaying implementation until January 2027, citing confusion and risk to small businesses. This mirrors other states' struggles with more narrowly-focused laws: California's Privacy Protection Agency and New York City's AI Bias Audit Law both delayed enforcement due to compliance concerns. Tech regulation often produces unintended consequencesyet many states seem ready to follow Colorado's path. Don't Be Like Europe Colorado lawmakers now admit they don't know how to enforce their law and fear it will drive innovators away. Whether the August special session can fix this remains unclear. But the lesson is obvious: rushing complex AI rules has significant downsides for innovation and particularly harms small firms that lack the resources to navigate vague, costly mandates. Existing civil rights and consumer protection laws already address many of the hypothetical risks. Preemptively policing algorithms for potential discrimination imposes a guilty-until-proven-innocent standard that mirrors Europe's heavy-handed model, which has hobbled its digital economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Furthermore, it's unclear to what extent such laws are technically feasible. Bias is an inherent characteristic of AI systems that are trained on massive datasets and instructed to generate the next most probable word. Efforts to train away perceived skew can actually make models more likely to produce outputs that tilt in certain directions. This was illustrated earlier this year when the European Parliament released a statement about how algorithmic discrimination might be addressed under its massive new AI Act. Officials admitted that "shared uncertainty appears to prevail as to how the AI Act's provision on the processing of special categories of personal data for avoiding discrimination should be interpreted." A National AI Framework Is Needed Unfortunately, this flawed approach is spreading. Colorado, California, New York, and Illinois account for a quarter of the over 1,000 AI-related bills currently pending throughout the states. However, some states have resisted: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a similar bill, citing existing protections and the risk to jobs and investment. Texas and Connecticut scaled back their proposals after pushback. State AI mandates could also undermine federal priorities. The Trump administration's AI Action Plan calls for a coordinated, try-first approach to maintain U.S. leadership over Chinaan approach incompatible with Colorado-style red tape. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many state AI proposals suffer from a savior complex, claiming to protect all Americans from AI risks. While AI advances surely introduce national security threats, no state has the authority to impose its selected safeguards on the rest of the country. Congressional inaction on the AI front is not an invitation for any state to assume that role in this context. They can regulate how their residents use AI in specific contextssuch as by specifying training requirements for professionals using AI in sensitive contextsbut they cannot dictate development for the entire country. Congress should create a light-touch national AI framework to prevent a patchwork of conflicting state rules. In his signing statement for the bill, Polis rightly identified the need for a "cohesive federal approach" that is "applied by the federal government to limit and preempt varied compliance burdens on innovators and ensure a level playing field across state lines." A federal AI bill could define limited roles for state governments while protecting interstate AI commerce from undue parochial interference. America can do this without importing Europe's cumbersome model. The post Colorado's AI Law Is a Cautionary Tale for the Nation appeared first on Reason.com. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) More than 1,000 Columbus Education Association members voted to approve a new three-year contract Thursday at the Columbus Convention Center. CEA spokesperson Regina Fuentes said teachers and staff voted overwhelmingly in favor of the agreement between the union and the Columbus City Schools Board of Education. Its a very different story from three years ago when the union decided to strike just as the school year was starting. Both sides are happy to avoid a strike this time around. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Columbus schools paints bleak financial future It feels good to know that we can continue to negotiate and, you know, and to move forward and do whats best for our members, Fuentes said. The negotiation process this year lasted for months. We know that our board is very dysfunctional right now, and we have to continue moving forward and kind of move them on so that we can actually continue to grow, Fuentes said. A new contract is in place, but Fuentes said the CEAs work is ongoing, especially following the approval of the most recent state budget. In a special board meeting Wednesday night, the districts treasurer revealed that Columbus City Schools needs to make $50 million in cuts. District leaders said this is partially due to cuts to public education funding in the Ohio budget. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Report: Trump considering federal investment in Intel to help Ohio plant Any cuts to public education are devastating, and we definitely dont want that, so we are going to continue to fight moving forward to make sure that those cuts dont negatively affect our students, Fuentes said. The new contract between the school board and the teachers union includes a pay raise for the first year, and then wage talks will open back up for the second and third years of the agreement so members can negotiate for more salary increases. We know that this is not ideal. We know that not everybody is going to be happy with this. But we are trying to work with what we have, Fuentes said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CCS staff return to school on Monday, and students will be welcomed back the following week on Aug. 25, so the new contract comes just in time. The agreement must now be ratified by the Columbus City School Board, which will meet on 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. SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) Students, parents and educators showed up to the Alum Rock school board Thursday night, demanding transparency and accountability or resignation. Alum Rock Union Elementary School District superintendent fired Coming from a child, a new teenager, the way you two act is not okay, said Isabella, an Alum Rock School District student. Step up your game for this community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is really ridiculous and unacceptable, said Claudia, an Alum Rock School District parent. If you dont understand how to properly manage money then we ask that you no longer represent us. Youve broken the publics trust and when trust is broken the public has the right and the responsibility to take action, said Alum Rock School District teacher Nerelyn Hernandez. Thats why tonight Im calling for a recall for any board member who put personal gains before our students. San Jose community members rallied outside the board meeting over recent allegations against the district, which have led to an audit by the Santa Clara County Office of Education. Officials are looking to see if the district misappropriated funds and if board members reimbursed themselves inappropriately. The investigation is part of an effort to address a $20 million budget deficit. This school year, the board closed and consolidated schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But before heading into the new school year, the board voted unanimously to fire its new superintendent earlier this month marking their second leadership change in just over a year. And the community has no idea why he was let go, said parent Chrystine Villarreal. We deserve to know why we spent all that money finding him, investing in him, getting to know him and then letting him go and him picking up an almost $350k check. We are talking about $700 to 800k spent in the last year in removing superintendents in the last year and a half, said parent Delia Oseguera Navarro. How were they able to find the money to do that but not find the money to keep some of these schools open. After public comment, the board went into closed session for a little over two hours and came back announcing that acting superintendent Sandra Garcia will now serve as interim superintendent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A final report with the audits findings will eventually be discussed at a public meeting. Garcia says she hopes it will only strengthen trust within the community. 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. Buba Kanagi, right, global talent coordinator for the North Dakota Global Talent Office, speaks during the Global Talent Summit at Bismarck State College on Aug. 14, 2025, next to panelists Holly Triska-Dally, left, state refugee coordinator, Derrick Gross, center-left, executive director of Communities Acting Together for Change and Hope, and Jasmine Tosseth-Smith, center, co-director of Bismarck Global Neighbors. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) North Dakota officials are hopeful that bolstering community engagement and English language learning will help the recruitment and retention of foreign-born workers as the state continues to address workforce shortages. North Dakotas Global Talent Office, formerly the Office of Legal Immigration, a division of the Department of Commerce, hosted the 2025 Global Talent Summit at Bismarck State College on Thursday that featured workforce and immigrant advocacy organizations highlighting the needs of the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The real challenge is retention, said Buba Kanagi, global talent coordinator for the Global Talent Office. Giving someone a job is one thing, but keeping them at the same job, upskilling them, is a whole different story. Kanagi said retention is about finding a home and becoming part of a community. Rebekah Smith, executive director of Labor Mobility Partnerships, said when she addressed the summit last year, there were more than 26,000 job openings in the state and only 30 workers for every 100 positions. This year, there are about 22,000 job openings and nearly 50 workers for every 100 positions. She said economic factors may have played a role in the decrease in available positions. Holly Triska-Dally, North Dakota state refugee coordinator, said her job is to connect refugees who come to the state with employment opportunities, English language learning, health and well-being programs and youth programs to acclimate them and their families to the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, North Dakota directly settled about 400 refugees, but also drew an additional 600 refugees to the state who initially settled elsewhere, she said. She said refugees have told her they enjoy North Dakota more than other states because of the workforce and educational opportunities, as well as a lower cost of living. However, lack of transportation and adult English language classes can be barriers to becoming engrained into their new communities. They (adult learning centers) dont have the capacity that they need and thats a problem, Triska-Dally said. She said the adult learning center in Grand Forks, one of eight adult learning centers across the state, only has one classroom and one teacher for English classes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We tried working with them for refugee English language learning, couldnt be done, Triska-Dally said. I think we waited for six months and not a single student was able to get into classes so we began working with East Grand Forks (Minnesota) on the other side of the river. She added city governments, local organizations and available services all have roles to play that can impact the integration of immigrants and refugees into North Dakota communities. The closer that we work with communities, the better outcomes were going to experience, Triska-Dally said. Gov. Kelly Armstrong speaks during the 2025 Global Talent Summit next to first lady Kjersti Armstrong at Bismarck State College on Aug. 14, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Rep. Dori Hauck, R-Hebron, attended the event. She said North Dakota has been utilizing international farm labor through visa programs for decades and now other sectors need international help, such as health care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People may not see the need for immigrant workers until it affects their own families, Hauck said. She said, if a parent or grandparent isnt getting the care they need because of worker shortages, people can come to a new realization on the need for legal immigration. Gov. Kelly Armstrong and first lady Kjersti Armstrong, a Norway native, both spoke during the event and shared their stories about how immigration helped shape their lives together. Global talent is not a backup plan, Kjersti Armstrong said. Its a cornerstone of innovation and progress. North Dakota Monitor reporter Michael Achterling can be reached at machterling@northdakotamonitor.com. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Arrick Adams is going to prison for the next 40 years for killing a security guard who intervened during a fight at the Milwaukee hotel where he worked. The Milwaukee man showed little emotion as Circuit Judge David Swanson handed down his sentence on Aug. 15. Adams, 39, initially was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in connection with the Dec. 6, 2021, slaying of Jose Stanton, a 28-year-old security guard at the Days Inn hotel at North Sixth and West Vine streets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He reached a deal with prosecutors in April to plead guilty to amended charges of first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree recklessly endangering safety. The deal was announced April 21, the same day his trial was scheduled to begin. The guilty plea also spared Adams a possible maximum sentence of up to life in prison. More: Milwaukee man gets life for killing armored truck guard in 2023 Walgreens robbery spree Jose Stanton was killed while trying to break up an argument According to the criminal complaint, Adams and his girlfriend were having an argument at the hotel, when Stanton told them to leave. Court papers say Adams left the hotel, but returned a short time later with a gun and started shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A medical examiner's report indicated Stanton suffered six gunshot wounds. Several of the wounds were inflicted while Stanton was on the ground. Adams also shot at another hotel employee, but that person was not struck by gunfire. "These (victims) were just doing their jobs," Assistant District Attorney Daniel T. Flaherty said. "These actions were extremely aggravated ... and heartless." Arrick Adams fled Wisconsin after the shooting, was later caught in Georgia Prosecutors say Adams fled the area after the shooting, but was arrested Dec. 10, 2021, in Georgia after a high-speed chase there with authorities. Court records show authorities in Wisconsin contacted the sheriff's office in Henry County, Georgia, after tracking the cellphone of Adams' girlfriend. The location reportedly was a residence in Henry County, just south of Atlanta. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adams surrendered after deputies boxed-in his black Hyundai Sonata on Interstate 75 in Georgia. A 9 mm pistol was recovered from the vehicle, the complaint says. More: Suspect in deadly Milwaukee home-invasion break-in heads to trial Here is a break down of Arrick Adams' sentence Swanson ordered Adams to serve 40 years behind bars on the homicide charge, and 20 years of extended supervision when his prison term is over. The judge also gave him 12 years for recklessly endangering safety. The sentences will run concurrently. Flaherty dismissed a third charge against Adams, accusing him of being a felon in possession of a firearm, as part of the plea deal. That charge, however, was read into the court record for sentencing purposes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Swanson gave Adams 183 days of pre-trial custody credit that can be applied to his sentence. He has 20 days to appeal. Chris Ramirez covers courts for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at caramirez@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Man gets 40 years for killing Milwaukee hotel security guard in 2021 (Reuters) -Heavy clashes erupted this week between Congo's army and a militia founded by a war criminal convicted at the International Criminal Court but later released, both sides said, and one civil society activist put the civilian death toll at 19. Thomas Lubanga, an Ituri native, told Reuters in March that he was forming the Convention for the Popular Revolution (CPR) to topple the regional government, creating another potential security threat in war-scarred eastern Congo where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have also seized significant territory. At the time, the group had not launched military operations, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This week, however, Congo's army said the CPR had attempted multiple attacks and that soldiers had killed 12 of the group's fighters in two different locations around 30 kilometres (19 miles) north of Bunia, the Ituri capital. A CPR commander, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media, said there were clashes but acknowledged the death of just "one of my men". Dieudonne Losa, a civil society activist in Bunia, said on Friday that 19 civilian deaths had been recorded, including 13 elderly women and four young girls. "What is happening north of Bunia is an unacceptable situation," Losa said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The International Criminal Court secured a conviction against Lubanga in 2012 on charges of recruiting child soldiers and sentenced him to 14 years in prison. He was released in 2020 and President Felix Tshisekedi appointed him to a task force to bring peace to Ituri. But in 2022 he was taken hostage for two months by a rebel group, which he blamed on the government, and he then based himself in Uganda. It is unclear how many combatants Lubanga might control. U.N. experts last year accused him of mobilising fighters to support a local militia and M23. (Reporting by Congo newsroom; Writing by Ayen Deng Bior; Editing by Robbie Corey-Boulet and Rosalba O'Brien) Right-wing TV host Sara Gonzales got herself thrown out of a town hall hosted by Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett in Texas on Thursday after heckling the congresswoman and calling her a fake ghetto hoodrat. Crockett was reminiscing about her grandmother when Gonzales, who works for former Fox News host Glenn Becks Blaze TV, stood up and started berating her. Jasmine! The people of Dallas deserve better than a fake ghetto hoodrat! Gonzales shouted. Do they know youre a rich kid from Missouri? Do they know youre a spoiled rich kid from Missouri? Blaze TV anchor Sara Gonzales poses with a sign before interrupting Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett's town hall in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday August 14 2025 (Sara Gonzales/X) Her remarks drew an angry reaction from other members of the audience, and she was promptly hustled out of the venue by security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Gonzales left, a woman pushed against her and snarled: Get your ass out of here! Another man approached her and ordered her to Get out! Get out! Dont touch me! Get her off me! the journalist hit back. Get off me! Get the f*** off me! She also continued to yell at Crockett: Do your people know youre a spoiled rich kid from Missouri? On the steps outside, Gonzales sarcastically asked police officers: Are you proud? They responded by demanding she leave the venue and threatened to place her in handcuffs if she refused to comply. Gonzales subsequently posted a video of the incident on X captioned: I confronted Jasmine Crockett at a townhall for being a fake hoodrat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The stunt appeared to be a calculated attempt to disrupt a Democrats town hall in response to numerous equivalent events held by Republicans descending into the chaos of late, most recently that of Nebraska Rep. Mike Flood, who was peppered with hostile questions from his constituents about the Donald Trump administrations failure to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. The outspoken Crockett has increasingly become one of the Democratic Partys most prominent figureheads, leading to a conservative backlash against her (Getty) Gonzales was not the only person to protest Crockett at her event. Another woman shouted at the politician: Jasmine, why do you hate white people? Why are you racist towards white people? Gonzales was at least correct in saying that Crockett hails from Missouri. The representative was born in St Louis but went on to attend prestigious universities in Tennessee and Texas before becoming a public defender in Bowie County, Texas, before running for public office. Gonzales herself is the host of Blazes Sara Gonzales Unfiltered, which has run since 2019 and on which she has been billed as everyones favorite spicy Latina, with the show promising a no-holds-barred take on news and culture. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Constituents wrote over 100 letters calling for Senate President J. Stuart Adams resignation over a reported abuse of power at letter writing events over the past two days, as additional events are scheduled for this weekend. The Alliance for a Better Utah organization has been hosting Dear Utah letter writing events, focused on different issues. At a previous event they hosted, over 550 people wrote letters to Senator Mike Lee, and in this case, these letter writing events are focused on holding Adams accountable by demanding his resignation. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Democrats call for Utah Senate President to resign after reports that he abused power in child rape case Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following reporting from the Salt Lake Tribune that Adams used his power as senate president to push through a law change in order to help an 18-year-old relative who was facing child rape charges receive a lesser sentence, Utah democrats like Senator Nate Blouin (D-13) and Utah Democratic Party Chair Brian King called on Adams to resign for abuse of power. Adams has refuted these claims, stating that the law change was not focused on any individual case and that much of the reporting on this story was misinformation driven by political motives. On Wednesday, Adams told the Deseret News that he would not resign and stated that the process behind the law change was proper. Still, this story has garnered national attention and outrage from voters all across the political spectrum. Its happening kind of on both sides of the aisle and in the middle. It just makes common sense to have a legislature that is accountable to the voters, that is accountable to their party, Executive Director for Alliance for a Better Utah Taylor Knuth told ABC4.com. Bountiful letter writing event, courtesy: Alliance for a Better Utah Bountiful letter writing event, courtesy: Alliance for a Better Utah On Wednesday, Alliance for a Better Utah hosted a letter writing event in Bountiful, within Adams district, and on Thursday, they hosted another one in Salt Lake City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These are really a forum for Utahns to have a voice to write their feelings down on issues that matter to them and write to their local legislators, Knuth explained. Alliance for a Better Utah told ABC4.com that 78 people attended the Bountiful event, and they wrote over 100 letters to Adams, Senator Kirk Cullimore (R-9), and other legislators, calling for Adams resignation. The overall consistent sentiment from the Utahns who have come to these events is that theyre excited to come together as a community, build community, and engage in the democratic process, Knuth described. A tale as old as time, as engaging with your legislators, and unfortunately, we live in a state where legislators dont really provide a forum for citizens to engage. Adams has said that he wont resign, but Knuth thinks that events like these are important despite that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think that its important to know that he perhaps wouldnt have said that had the public and the communities throughout Utah and really the entire nation not spoken out about this egregious abuse of power, Knuth said. So I would argue that he wouldnt have even counteracted this call for resignation with a response had it not been for the Utahns who have been joining our call for resignation. Bountiful letter writing event, courtesy: Alliance for a Better Utah Bountiful letter writing event, courtesy: Alliance for a Better Utah While democratic politicians are the primary public figures calling for Adams resignation, Knuth said that Utahns from all walks of life and with all sorts of political beliefs attended these letter writing events. Alliance for a Better Utah is a left-leaning organization, but Knuth said that these Dear Utah events are non-partisan. To see people from all walks of life, rural Utah meets urban Utah, LDS voters meets West Side voters of Salt Lake City, and just people coming together to share this message of demanding better from our elected officials, demanding accountability, demanding transparency, and demanding that just because youre a relative of a powerful Utahn doesnt mean that you should have lesser penalties or harsher penalties, for that matter, just because of who you know, Knuth described. And thats what were seeing in this Adams case, is a gross abuse of power. More events focused on calling for Adams resignation are happening this weekend. On Sunday August 17, right-wing organization We Are The People is hosting a rally at the Utah State Capitol demanding accountability from Adams and protection for victims of child abuse. Latest headlines: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 ABC4 Utah. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Motorists should be aware of a closure this weekend at the Camino De La Plaza off-ramp, also known as the Last U.S. Exit, in San Ysidro. The off-ramp at southbound Interstate 5 will be blocked off for pipe installation on Sunday at 9 p.m. through Monday at 6 a.m., the California Department of Transportation said in a news release Thursday. There will be signs to alert motorists about the closure. A detour for drivers on southbound I-5 is taking the exit at Via De San Ysidro Boulevard off-ramp, turning right onto Via De San Ysidro Boulevard, left onto Calle Primera and then continuing towards Camino De La Plaza via Willow Road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Siempre Viva Bridge opens in Otay Mesa as part of project to reduce border crossing time Once motorists pass Camino de la Plaza, they will be directed across the border into Mexico. Caltrans advises to plan ahead, allow extra travel time and use alternate routes when possible. Nearby residents and businesses can expect increased traffic on the detour route, construction noise and lights during the construction work. Weather, traffic incidents or other maintenance considerations may cause the maintenance work schedule to change. 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. Juan Diego Medina Cisneros leaves the Dakota County Government Center in Hastings after pleading guilty to felony sexual misconduct on Feb. 13, 2025. (Max Nesterak/Minnesota Reformer) A construction worker who pleaded guilty in February to raping a coworker on an apartment development years earlier skipped his sentencing hearing in July and is once again a wanted fugitive. Juan Diego Medina Cisneros was charged in 2022 in Dakota County with raping Norma Izaguirre the year before while working for Absolute Drywall on the Viking Lakes development in Eagan, a sprawling multiuse development built around the Minnesota Vikings headquarters and training facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Medina Cisneros, a 33-year-old Mexican citizen, wasnt apprehended until two years later, in June 2024, while crossing into the United States at the Gateway International Bridge in Texas. After the Dakota County Sheriffs Office brought him back to Minnesota, he was released the next day on $100,000 bail. Nearly six months later, he pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conduct and agreed to serve 36 months in prison followed by 10 years conditional release as part of a settlement agreement with the Dakota County Attorneys Office. The sentence is five months shorter than the sentencing guidelines, which the prosecutor justified because Medina Cisneros expressed remorse. Izaguirre agreed to the deal. At the plea hearing in February, Dakota County District Court Judge Luis Morales told Medina Cisneros he would likely be deported and barred from entering the United States following his prison term if hes not a U.S. citizen. Medina Cisneros wasnt taken into custody after pleading guilty. The judge delayed accepting his guilty plea until July, pending a pre-sentence investigation and psychosexual evaluation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Dakota County Attorneys Office did not provide an explanation for why there was such a large gap in time between Medina Cisneros guilty plea and formal sentencing as stipulated by the plea agreement. In May, an arrest warrant was issued for Medina Cisneros arrest for allegedly failing to remain in contact with Dakota County Community Corrections as required as part of his pre-sentencing release. He didnt show up to his sentencing hearing on July 8. Reached for comment, Medina Cisneros attorney William McKibbin said he doesnt know where his client is. Izaguirre, who first shared her story publicly with the Reformer in 2022, filed a civil lawsuit in February against Absolute Drywall for sex discrimination and retaliation. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights joined the lawsuit to force the company to adopt policies to prevent sexual abuse, while seeking oversight of the company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Izaguirre says she reported Medina Cisneros to her supervisors for making unwanted advances and inappropriately touching her, but the company told her it determined it was a consensual relationship. In court filings, company owner Dan Ortega says Izaguirre reported harassment but not rape. Izaguirre says when she met with Ortega, he told her she was a good worker but he was advised to fire her for giving them trouble. After their meeting, the company reduced her hours and then stopped giving her work. In response to a discrimination charge by the Department of Human Rights, the companys attorney said Izaguirre was terminated because she declined cleaning work and demanded other types of work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Absolute Drywall also faced allegations of wage theft on the Viking Lakes project, as the Reformer first reported in 2022. The state Department of Labor and Industry investigated the allegations but did not cite the company for violations. In 2016, the state Department of Labor and Industry found Absolute Drywall misclassified workers and was fined $1,000. That same year, the U.S. Department of Labor found the company employed a 14-year-old hanging drywall, in violation of child labor laws. The teenager sometimes worked more than 50 hours a week. This child labor case prompted a second investigation, and the U.S. Department of Labor determined the company misclassified workers, which allowed it to avoid paying overtime, health insurance and payroll taxes. The company was ordered to pay some 27 workers over $100,000 in unpaid wages. Democrats, bless their hearts, keep trying to figure out the magic formula to stop President Trump. But heres a cold splash of reality: If Trumps popularity ever collapses, it will probably be because of something completely beyond their control. In 2020, it wasnt some brilliant strategy that defeated Trump. It was COVID. A global pandemic. An act of God (or Wuhan). This raises an uncomfortable thought: the next disruption the one that might shake up the political snow globe again will probably be much bigger than COVID. That looming disturbance is artificial intelligence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a recent Substack essay, Pete Buttigieg suggested that the number one leadership challenge for world leaders, including the President of the United States, will be to manage the changes that AI is bringing about. He goes on to note that our president and his opposition have yet to make clear what their AI policies even are. Hes not wrong about the bipartisan lack of preparation. And for this reason, the political consequences are likely to be brutal for whichever party is in charge when the tipping point arrives and AI upends the lives of millions of Americans. Trump still has three and a half years left on the clock just enough time for AI to yank the rug out from under him. Thats a golden opportunity for Democrats, if theyre smart enough to capitalize on it. But Democrats should hold off on gleefully penciling in 2028 as the year AI hands them the keys to the White House in perpetuity. Why? Because huge shocks to the system tend to empower either a) bold problem solvers or b) populist demagogues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lest we forget, the last seismic tech shift the rise of the Information Age gave us globalization, economic dislocation (for working-class Americans) and (eventually) Donald Trump. This next disruption could be even more traumatic. AI isnt just coming for truck drivers. Its coming for legal assistants, graphic designers, junior software developers, even (ahem) writers. College graduates who spent decades believing their degree was a shield against obsolescence are about to get a taste of what coal miners, steelworkers, typists and travel agents have already endured. When that happens, disenchanted moderates will radicalize, and income inequality will detonate. The people who build and control AI will obviously get filthy rich. So will superstar surgeons and elite litigators people whose rarefied expertise and skills cant be replicated remotely. But their legions of associates, researchers and paralegals will vanish like Blockbuster Video. Now, for generations, lost jobs and industries were replaced by new ones thanks to what economists call creative destruction. The buggy maker gave way to the auto industry and the auto mechanic, and society moved forward. But this time, the old rules may not apply at least, not by virtue of some organic invisible hand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If this shift is as severe and pervasive as many believe it will be (a huge caveat, to be sure), it wont be solved by fiddling around with marginal tax rates or by mildly expanding unemployment benefits. It will require a vast reimagining of what the government does the kind of thing that would make free-market purists break out in hives. But heres where it gets tricky for Democrats: They cant simply hand displaced workers a check and call it a solution. This is the core problem with universal basic income, often touted as the answer to AI-driven job losses. The modest $1,000-a-month figure thats been floated is a joke. But even if the amount were higher, it would still have to be paired with meaningful work. Something Democrats must learn: People dont just want money. They crave dignity, purpose, belonging and a reason to get up in the morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That means thinking big and finding meaningful opportunities for the displaced to serve and provide value. Imagine one teacher for every five students in Americas public school and college classrooms. Imagine school buses with three adults instead of one overworked driver. Imagine a national corps of well-paid nurses and physical therapists making regular visits to isolated seniors and providing full-time home healthcare. Picture teams of young, tech-savvy Americans helping retirees navigate their iPads, iPhones, TVs and other devices closing the digital divide for an entire generation. Now, pair that with a bold expansion of union apprenticeships to train the next wave of electricians, plumbers and carpenters alongside free college or vocational training in exchange for a year or two of national service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It wouldnt happen overnight. Managing this transition would require robust unemployment benefits say, 90% of prior salary for a fixed period not as welfare, but as an investment in people and a dividend on the value theyve helped create by virtue of tax dollars (that built the internet) and data (that fuel automation). Because again, addressing the dilemma of job displacement is about more than money. Which brings us to some important questions we had better answer. What does it mean to be a citizen in a society when AI makes half of the labor market feel redundant? How do you retain your identity and sense of self-worth when the work you have dedicated your life to can be more efficiently done by artificial intelligence? And how do we redeploy human beings tens of millions of them into roles that make life better for others and give them back the self-respect that comes from service? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AI might be the great test of our political age, and the party that passes this test will be remembered as our savior. The party that fails this test will be remembered if at all as the one fiddling while Rome was automated. Matt K. Lewis is the author of Filthy Rich Politicians and Too Dumb to Fail. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Six men have been jailed for a series of violent gangland attacks including attempted murders and setting prison officers' cars on fire. Michael Heeps, John Murray, Lee Ridgway, Dale Bauld, Damien Mullen and Ryan McGovern targeted a number of victims in and around Edinburgh between late 2022 and early 2023. One attack left a man with his hand "hanging off," while another saw a victim left in intensive care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At a sentencing hearing in Glasgow, Heeps was given 23 years, Murray was sentenced to 17 years, Ridgway got 22 years, Bauld was ordered to serve 17 years, Mullen was given 14 years and McGovern was jailed for eight years. Judge Lord Mulholland, said the men had been found guilty of "out of control gangsterism". They were found guilty of numerous offences including attempted murder, wilful fire-raising and attempting to pervert the course of justice at the High Court in Glasgow last month. Hand 'almost severed' The group's first victim was attacked in Bilston, Midlothian in December 2022 when the gang attacked his car and smashed it up with bladed weapons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He told a 999 call they had tried to "chop him up". Another man was targeted by a machete-wielding assailant near his home in Edinburgh's Pilton on 5 January, 2023. The man had attempted to fend off the attacker after he pulled up in a car and began striking him with the weapon. His hand was almost completely severed in the attack, after which he was rushed to hospital and spent 12 hours in surgery. The man said he thought he was "dying on the doorstep". Six cars belonging to staff at HMP Addiewell were set on fire in January 2023 [BBC] Another man was targeted in a "high speed chase" between Edinburgh and Dalkeith. He was forced off the road and his car smashed into a wall. The man was left with a "large gaping wound" to his arm after he was struck with machetes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After several operations, he was left scarred for life and remains physically affected by the incident. On 7 January, 2023, six cars belonging to staff at HMP Addiewell in West Lothian were set on fire late at night. Later that month, another of the gang's victims was ambushed by masked attackers in the Ferniehill area of Edinburgh. His injuries were so severe he ended up in intensive care and a coma. More to follow. A library collection policy that included a ban on books with transgender topics in all Sumner County public libraries was rejected for a third time Aug. 13. This comes barely a month after the rule was proposed a second time to the same board. This time it was rejected by even stronger margins. The policy, which sought to ban anything that makes mention of "pertaining, promoting, or subjecting a minor to transgender or gender confusion ideology, has persisted on agendas for the Sumner County Library Board since it was originally proposed in early 2025. It was tabled the first time it was proposed, rejected the second time and now, rejected a third time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Joanna Daniels, chair of the board, said she brought the policy back for a vote because there were two abstentions in the July vote. She described the policy as part of her overall mission to get the libraries back in order back into conservative viewpoints and clean them up. Daniels push for the policy comes at the same time that Rutherford County passed a nearly identical policy, which it quickly rescinded due to national pushback and a First Amendment lawsuit from the ACLU of Tennessee and PEN America over an additional 145 books that were banned in the county last year. Sumner Countys attempted policy change also sought to remove a number of references in the original library policy to create balanced collections, remove the term constitutionally protected materials and enact bans on interlibrary loans of books that include minor transgender topics as well as the usage of the American Library Associations resources for book curation. 'There is no separation of church and state,' board chair says The meeting, which lasted just over two hours, was heavily influenced by religion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After opening the meeting with a prayer in which Daniels asked for the truth to come out, multiple members of the community pushed back on the influence religion is having on the boards policy debates. Im going to say essentially what I did last time because we are in a Groundhog Day situation, said Lindsay Doss, a Sumner County resident and one of many to give public comment against the policy. I want to point out the irony of praying before a meeting where you are purposely wanting to exclude an entire population of people. Thats completely un-Christian. What it boils down to is control when you control what people can read, you control what people can think, then you can control the people. Only one community member stood up to support the proposed policy, thanking those who voted in favor of it previously. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At one point in Daniels lengthy Chairman Report, in which she discussed her diverse family, her low-income childhood, her political independence from county commissioners and her adherence to bureaucratic rules, Daniels praised the people gathered in the room who showed up, but lamented the lack of religious or conservative leaders. Where are the pastors of Sumner County? she asked. Where are the Christians? The conservative Christians that call me and say, Were so sick and tired of these books being in our libraries?'" Board member Larry Hinton repeatedly asked for confirmation regarding the county attorneys opinion on the policy and whether it would withstand a likely First Amendment lawsuit. Daniels, however, insisted that she did not need the county attorneys opinion on whether it would withstand a lawsuit, and if it went against state law, the state would send it back to them after passage. (The county attorney) does not have to be asked, and he does not have to say whether or not (it would stand in court), she said, before asking if the board wanted the county attorney to look over every single policy that we create, for which Hinton expressed support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Daniels denied repeatedly that the policy poses any First Amendment issues. We have full authority to decide what goes on the bookshelves and what doesnt. It does not go against the First Amendment, she said. The First Amendment protects your right to speak, not where you speak and necessarily what you speak. The First Amendment gives large protections to where you can speak and what you speak, with narrow limitations. When asked by The Tennessean after the meeting if she was positive that the policy, should it pass, would withstand a First Amendment lawsuit, she said absolutely. I dont believe this is a complicated issue, she said. The First Amendment has been taken completely in a direction that it was not supposed to be intended for. The library we curate a collection, with tax funds, and we get to decide what is on the shelves and whats not. Were not banning books, were not burning books, were not telling people they cant go get them somewhere else. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Tennessee sees surge in books banned in public schools. Here's which ones and why When asked if such a policy would be equally supported if it were to ban religious books, Daniels pushed back. You have to remember, that our country was founded on biblical principles, she said. There is not a separation of church and state. And the only thing the separation of church and state says is that we cannot have an established church. It does not mean we cannot have our foundations. The separation of church and state, which is created by the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, is supported by decades of court precedent that requires that governmental action have secular purpose and not favor one religion over another. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Tennessee county under fire for adding 'Judeo-Christian' preamble to official document First Amendment law is not settled on library curation While decrying the First Amendment salience of the issue, Daniels repeatedly referenced a recent 5th Circuit Court of Appeals case in Texas as a bedrock of her policy. The May ruling in the case, Little v. Llano County, stated that the selection and omission of books from a public library is considered government speech, and therefore is exempt from any complaints of censorship or First Amendment violations. The case marks a significant change in what is often known as the government speech doctrine, a legal concept in First Amendment policy that is seen as a narrow exception to the First Amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The controversial doctrine allows the government to discriminate on the basis of content or viewpoint two things almost never allowed based on the idea that the First Amendment does not apply when the government speaks. Government speech is hardly settled ground, however a separate case in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a nearly opposite opinion, stating that removing library books based on viewpoint does not count as government speech, and therefore policies cannot discriminate based on content or viewpoint. However, the Sumner County Library Board hardly needs to look as far as Iowa or Texas to see how such a policy may fare if passed. Just 50 miles away and two months earlier, Rutherford County Library Board members referenced two similar lawsuits in Escambia County, Florida, and Crawford County, Arkansas, that resulted in counties spending thousands of dollars in legal fees to defend similar allegedly viewpoint-discriminatory policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "With our budget of $4.2 million each year, just one lawsuit could pull over 11% of our annual budget," said Tatiana Silvas, a teacher in the Rutherford County school system, who spoke at the meeting. "This means that Rutherford County taxpayers will foot the bill if you choose to go to trial with this lawsuit and lose." By the end of the meeting, the board voted unanimously to rescind the transgender book policy. The USA TODAY Network - The South region's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Have a story to tell? Reach Angele Latham by email at alatham@gannett.com, by phone at 931-623-9485, or follow her on Twitter at @angele_latham This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Sumner County, TN, policy banning trans books fails again People attend the WorldPride International Rally and March on Washington for Freedom at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., in June. Conservative judges might allow lawmakers to reinstate the practice of conversion therapy, which aims to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ+ people. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images) Week after week, a teenage Brandon Long sat through counseling sessions that he said framed his identity as a failure. Now an ordained minister in northern Kentucky, Long told Kentucky state lawmakers about the years he spent undergoing therapy designed to rid him of his same-sex attraction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just imagine yourself being told, session after session, that if you remained as you were, you would be rejected, he said. Long testified in February before a Kentucky House committee against a Republican-sponsored bill that would cancel Democratic Gov. Andy Beshears 2024 executive order that banned a controversial practice known as conversion therapy for minors. Conversion therapy is a catchall term for controversial efforts to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ+ people. Sometimes called reparative therapy, it can range from talk therapy and religious counseling to electrical shocks, pain-inducing aversion therapy, and physical isolation. The bill, Long told lawmakers, creates a legal shield for conversion therapy, allowing parents to force their children into a practice condemned by every major medical and mental health organization worldwide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kentuckys Republican-controlled legislature passed the bill, then overrode the governors veto in March. Conversion therapy has been denounced by major medical organizations including the American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. They say its ineffective and harmful and puts LGBTQ+ people at risk for depression, substance use, suicide, and other mental health issues. More than half of states have banned or restricted the practice for underage patients since California became the first to do so in 2012, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit research organization that tracks LGBTQ+-related laws and policies. But political currents are shifting. Conservative majorities in the courts, in state legislatures and at the federal level have reshaped the legal landscape, opening the door for Republican lawmakers and conservative Christian groups to reinstate a practice that has been roundly discredited by the medical community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In March, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case challenging Colorados 2019 conversion therapy ban on freedom of speech grounds. The decision marks a change from 2017, when the court refused to hear a challenge to Californias ban, and 2023, when it declined to hear a challenge to Washingtons ban. The high courts decision, which isnt expected until next year, could reverse or solidify conversion therapy bans across the country. Last month, a Virginia court partially struck down the states 2020 law banning conversion therapy for minors, a win for conservative Christian organizations. GOP lawmakers in Michigan have introduced a bill to repeal the states ban. And Missouris Republican attorney general has filed suit to overturn local conversion therapy bans. On the flip side, in Wisconsin, the state Supreme Court cleared the way earlier this year for the state to permanently ban the practice. The world has changed While organized attempts to cure homosexuality have been around for centuries, ex-gay groups that promised to change a persons sexual orientation began gaining ground in the 1990s as policy debates arose over same-sex marriage and gay people serving in the military, said Dr. Jack Drescher, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City. He is also a clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University whose research has focused on gender and sexuality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But after Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage in 2004 and more states followed, the influence of conversion therapy proponents waned. As of this year, 23 states and Washington, D.C., prevent licensed health care providers from subjecting minors to conversion therapy, according to an analysis of state laws by the Movement Advancement Project. Four more states restrict the practice, such as by not allowing public funding to go toward conversion therapy services. State laws typically levy fines or discipline the professional licenses of practitioners who try to engage minors in conversion therapy. They dont necessarily prevent clergy or unlicensed counselors from attempting such counseling. The bans are more of a public statement of acceptance of LGBTQ+ people, rather than a commonly used preventive measure, said Drescher. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bans are reinforcements of the belief that if homosexuality is not a mental disorder or disease, theres no reason to pretend you can treat it, and anybody who tries is acting outside the mainstream of science, Drescher told Stateline. The American Medical Association has written model legislation for state lawmakers who want to ban conversion therapy, a reflection of the broad consensus in the medical community that homosexuality and gender nonconformity are not mental illnesses, said R.J. Mills, a representative from the American Medical Association, in a statement to Stateline. In the past, some leading psychiatric and psychological associations were hesitant to support state restrictions because they saw the laws as intrusions into the doctor-patient or therapist-patient relationship, Drescher said. Now, spurred by Trump administration policies that place new restrictions on LGBTQ+ people and the most conservative U.S. Supreme Court in generations, medical organizations are growing more vocal in their opposition to conversion therapy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The world has changed, Drescher said. Everybody understands whats at stake now. Free speech argument Conservative legal firms have filed lawsuits in states such as Colorado, Michigan, and Virginia on behalf of Christian counselors who say the laws prevent them from practicing according to their faith-based values. They say the bans should be repealed so practitioners wont face losing their careers over providing services informed by their faith. A Virginia court last month oversaw a consent decree in which Virginia agreed to not fully enforce its 2020 conversion therapy ban and to allow counselors to engage in talk conversion therapy with minors. The plaintiffs in the case were John and Janet Raymond, state-licensed professional counselors in Virginia who were represented by the Founding Freedoms Law Center, an organization that takes on conservative legal causes. The kind of talk therapy now allowed can involve conversation, prayer and sharing of written materials such as religious scriptures, said Josh Hetzler, the Raymonds attorney, during a public news conference following the court decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With this court order, every counselor in Virginia will now be able to speak freely, truthfully, and candidly with clients who are seeking to have those critical conversations about their identity, and to hear faith-based insights from trusted professionals, he said. Conservative legislators also are citing their Christian faith in their attempts to roll back state bans. Michigan state Rep. Josh Schriver, a Republican, filed a package of bills last month aimed at repealing a handful of what he calls anti-Christ laws, including Michigans 2023 ban on conversion therapy for youth. A legislative aide said Schriver wasnt available for an interview, and instead referred Stateline to the recent Substack post he emailed to his constituents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As legislators, were duty-bound to remove statutes that overstep the authority given by our state and federal Constitutions, Schriver said in the post. Long, the Kentucky minister, said the bans are needed because no one enters conversion therapy willingly. The only reason a child would go through it is because a trusted authority in their life a parent, a pastor, or a therapist has told them that they are broken and need to be fixed. At least five states have a law or policy prohibiting or deterring local-level ordinances that aim to protect youth from conversion therapy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some states without such laws are going after municipalities that have banned conversion therapy. Missouri Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey in February sued Jackson County, Missouri, home to Kansas City, challenging the countys 2023 ordinance and Kansas Citys 2019 ordinance, both of which ban licensed counselors from engaging in conversion therapy with minors. Our children have a right to therapy that allows for honest, unrestricted conversations, free from transgender indoctrination, Bailey said in a statement in February. He called the ordinances a dangerous overreach that violate free speech and religious liberty rights. A Republican loss In at least one state, conservatives have hit a legal roadblock. In Wisconsin, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers administration has been trying since 2020 to enact a statewide conversion therapy ban proposed by the state agency that oversees provider licensing. But the ban has been blocked twice by a Republican-controlled legislative committee. Evers administration sued. The Wisconsin Supreme Court sided with Evers last month, ruling that the state legislative committee was overreaching and couldnt block the rule. 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. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Aug. 15Convicted murderer Ryan Cody Lamb was denied parole at a hearing last month. According to Montana Board of Parole and Pardons, Lamb, 41, was told he'd serve at least two more years in the state prison in Deer Lodge following a July 29 hearing. Lamb stabbed his then boyfriend Ryan Nixon, 31, a former Libby resident, to death with a pair of scissors at a Two Mile Drive apartment complex in Kalispell during the early-morning hours of Aug. 5, 2018. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lamb has been eligible for parole since 2021 after he was sentenced Feb. 12, 2020, to 10 years by since retired Flathead County District Court Judge Robert Allison. Board officials recommended Lamb complete Integrated Correctional Program Model programming. It also encouraged Lamb to participate in any available programming addressing domestic violence. According to the official record, the board denied Lamb parole due to the nature of and severity of the offense and cited a strong objection from citizens. It also indicated parole would unduly diminish the impact and seriousness of the offense and Lamb's continued need for programming. Lamb, a former Whitefish resident, entered a plea of guilty by way of Alford to negligent homicide Dec. 11, 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then, Flathead County Attorney Travis Ahner sought a 10-year sentence to the Montana State Prison while Lamb's attorney, Emily Lamson, sought a 10 year-suspended sentence. Lamb initially faced a deliberate homicide charge, but a hung jury and mistrial during a nine-day jury trial in June 2019, led prosecutors to file an amended charge of negligent homicide. Judge Allison declared a mistrial June 14, 2019, after jurors couldn't decide on a verdict after 13 hours of deliberations. Jurors first voted 8-4 for not guilty, then 11-1. At Lamb's sentencing 5 1/2 years ago, dozens of friends and family of Nixon spoke of their loved one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nixon's mother, Lynn Nixon, and father, Randy Nixon, as well as his older sister, Amber Nixon Pederson, were among those who shared their feelings about Ryan. "What kind of person are you?" Lynn Nixon asked as she glared at Lamb. "He would have never done this to you. Shame on you! Honestly, shame on you Ryan Lamb!! I've seen no sympathy, no regret. My son is in an urn in my home and that's all I have left." Randy Nixon said then the murder of his son has left the family in a bad place. "None of you have a clue what we're going through, sometimes I don't even know how I feel," Randy said. "We all tried to help you. I just don't know how you sit there with your attorneys, how you made us go through this?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amber Nixon Pederson was Nixon's older sister. "Look at this room, it's filled with his friends and family," Pederson said. "For people to say Ryan [Nixon] was abusive is ridiculous! He was always the life of the party. You used my family, especially my mother," Pederson continued. "She gave you a roof over your head, food and money to gamble and you never appreciated it ... You brutally stabbed him. That's not love, that's hate, that's rage." At sentencing, Lamb trumpeted his completion of a 13-week treatment program and his enrollment in a six-to-nine month program at a facility in Portland, Oregon. Patty Kennelly, a mental-health worker, was the only person to speak on Lamb's behalf. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She explained meeting Lamb at North Valley Hospital in February 2018 after he described having suicidal thoughts. "I then saw him five times between Feb. 5, 2018, and mid-March 2018, and then I saw him again in the Flathead County Detention Center on the day of the incident," Kennelly said. "He (Lamb) has had a lot of contradictory feelings. "He loved Ryan, but he felt he wasn't going to survive the relationship," Kennelly said. Kennelly said she believes Lamb isn't a threat to anyone in society. Flathead County Deputy Attorney Alison Howard then asked Kennelly if she felt Lamb was a threat when he used drugs or alcohol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Not to anyone except himself," Kennelly said. Howard talked about how Lamb had used methamphetamine and alcohol in September 2019 while he waited to see how his case would go. "Knowing he had a pending charge, he still chose to participate in felonius activity," Howard said. Following sentencing, Kalispell Police Detective Jim Wardensky said he hopes the Nixon family can find some peace. "I trust the judgment and wisdom of Judge Allison, but first and foremost, I hope the Nixon family can find peace," Wardensky said. "In retrospect, I'm proud of the investigation we did." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Flathead County prosecutors filed an amended charge of negligent homicide, as well as the original charge of deliberate homicide, on Aug. 1. Lamb pleaded not guilty Aug. 21 to both the amended and original charge. Backus, representing Lamb, filed a number of motions for acquittal, violation of the double jeopardy clause and to dismiss the case for a lack of probable cause. But Judge Allison, in a series of rulings between Aug. 28 and Sept. 6, denied each motion. On Sept. 16, 2019, Greg Rapkoch of the county Public Defender's Office filed a petition for writ of supervisory control to appeal Judge Allison's decision to not dismiss the case on the double jeopardy clause. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Montana Supreme Court ruled against that appeal. Lamb faced a prison term of 10 to 100 years if he would have been convicted on the deliberate homicide charge. A conviction on the negligent homicide charge could have resulted in a 20-year term in Montana State Prison. NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) Cooley Dickinson Hospital has received the American Heart Associations 2025 Get With The Guidelines quality achievement award for excellence in stroke care, earning the programs highest distinction Gold Plus. Springfield Boys and Girls Club dedicates a new park to Mayor Domenic Sarno and his family The award recognizes the hospitals success in aligning patient care with the latest research and evidence-based guidelines through the AHAs in-hospital program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Get with the Guidelines award is a true reflection of the dedication and effort of our entire team, who go above and beyond national guidelines to set their own high standards in stroke care, said Sundeep Shukla, MD, MBA, FACEP, associate chief medical officer at Cooley Dickinson. CDH CT and ED Teams Celebrate AHA Get with the Guidelines AHA Designation (Photo Courtesy of Mass General Brigham) EMS and Stroke Program Coordinator Ben Hogan, BS, EMT-Paramedic, said the achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality, evidence-based care to our stroke patients, and it honors the dedication, compassion, and expertise of our entire team. Achieving this level of recognition demonstrates that we consistently meet and exceed rigorous standards for treatment and outcomes. Thank you for all that you do each day to serve our patients and community. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. It occurs when a blood vessel carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked by a clot or bursts, depriving brain cells of oxygen. Early detection and treatment are critical for improving survival, reducing disability, and speeding recovery. We are incredibly pleased to recognize Cooley Dickinson for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke, said Dr. Steven Messe, volunteer chairperson of the American Heart Association Stroke System of Care Advisory Group and professor of neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates a win for health care systems, families, and communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each year, hospitals participating in the AHAs program earn recognition by demonstrating adherence to treatment guidelines and providing education to patients to help them manage their conditions after discharge. 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. U.S. Senator John Cornyn has pushed back against claims that he worked with Democrats to pass gun control legislation in 2022, despite records showing he voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The criticism resurfaced after Texas Gun Rights posted on X, Speaking of shooting, remember when you teamed up with Biden to spearhead gun control legislation? Cornyn replied with a single word: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cornyn was selected by then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to lead negotiations with Senate Democrats on the measure, according to KENS 5. At the time, Cornyn signaled his willingness to work on the bill, telling the Senate floor, I expect there will be an informed debate about reforms we can make, and I look forward to participating in those discussions. Then-President Biden signed the bill into law in 2022. That same year, Cornyn was booed by attendees at the Republican Party of Texas convention. Cornyn defended his work on the bill, telling The Texas Tribune, This was fundamentally important to the country at a time when things are so polarized and people are so intolerant of others that have different points of view. I thought it was important to demonstrate the Senate could work. Conservatives have been quick to challenge Cornyns denial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blaze Media personality Sara Gonzalez asked, Is John Cornyn senile, a liar, or both? Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Cornyns top challenger in the Republican primary, also took aim: My promise to voters of Texas is that I will never be thanked by Joe Biden for helping him pass gun control legislation. I wish John Cornyn could make the same promise. https://t.co/wnaGpzxSiy Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) August 14, 2025 A new Emerson College Poll released on August 15 shows the race has tightened considerably, with Cornyn and Paxton in a statistical tie among GOP primary voters 30% backing Cornyn, 29% supporting Paxton, and 37% still undecided. The polls 4.4% margin of error means the candidates are essentially neck and neck. The survey also found that President Donald Trump holds a 73% approval rating among undecided GOP voters, making his potential endorsement a significant factor in the outcome. The Dallas Express reached out to Cornyns office for comment but did not receive a response. Costco will not be adding the abortion pill mifepristone to its pharmacies. Confirming the news to USA TODAY on Friday, Aug. 15, Costco management said in a statement that the company will not sell the drug due to low demand. "Our position at this time not to sell mifepristone, which has not changed, is based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients, who we understand generally have the drug dispensed by their medical providers," the company said in the statement. Advertisement Advertisement The company previously told Reuters that, typically, patients get the drug from their doctors. Mifepristone is a drug that blocks a hormone needed to continue pregnancy, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the FDA, mifepristone is taken with another drug called misoprostol to terminate pregnancies up to 10 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period. The medications are taken over the course of two days. Mifepristone first got FDA approval in September 2000 for medical termination of pregnancy through seven weeks gestation; this was extended to 10 weeks in 2016. The FDA approved a generic version of the drug in 2019, according to the agency's website. Advertisement Advertisement Costcos announcement comes at a time when religious activist groups are pushing back against abortion drugs. Arguments against abortion drug, lawsuit explained A view of the exterior of a Costco Wholesale store with rows of shopping carts lined up in the foreground and the warehouse-style retail building on April 12, 2025 in Shenzhen, China. In November 2022, a group of anti-abortion medical professionals sued the FDA in Texas federal district court, challenging its approval of the drug as well as expanded access to it. In April 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the group and suspended the FDAs approval of mifepristone. The court later issued an order that allowed individuals to have access to mifepristone during the appeals process. Mifepristone tablets in a box. The Supreme Court then ruled in June 2024 that the religious groups case was to be dismissed because the group did not have the necessary legal standing to bring this challenge in federal court in the first place, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Advertisement Advertisement According to legal experts such as Joanne Rosen, a practice professor in Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkins, plaintiffs must prove they have been hurt by the practices theyre arguing against and that the government or agency was at fault. The coalition of plaintiffs were anti-abortion physicians and an anti-abortion medical association, Rosen previously said about the case. None of them prescribe mifepristone or perform abortions. None of them have been required by FDA action to do so. According to Johns Hopkins, another group or plaintiff could file a lawsuit of their own with more concrete evidence. Retailers targeted as part of anti-abortion campaigns While some stores, such as Walgreens and CVS, have chosen to sell mifepristone, other retailers havent clarified whether theyll sell it. Advertisement Advertisement USA TODAY has reached out to three of those retailers Walmart, Albertsons, and McKesson for comment. Walmart declined to comment. Albertsons and McKesson did not immediately respond. "Many retailers have become more cautious about taking overt political or social stances after recent controversies triggered boycotts, negative media coverage, and polarized consumer reactions," Arun Sundaram, senior analyst at the California Family Rights Act, told Reuters. Religious groups such as Inspire Investing have credited themselves with keeping pharmacies from selling the drug. In December 2024, Kroger and Sams Club allegedly began selling mifepristone in their pharmacies then said the pills were listed on their pharmacy websites by mistake, according to the Wisconsin Family Council. The council called out CVS and Walgreens for still offering abortion pills at their pharmacies. Advertisement Advertisement The drug has been the focal point of multiple protests as pro-choice groups demand continued access to the drug. Mifepristone and misoprostol are seen at Wyoming's last abortion clinic, Wellspring Center, on March 10, 2025 in Casper, Wyoming. Have there been deaths linked to mifepristone? According to the FDA, there have been 36 reports of deaths in patients associated with the medication since September 2000. This includes two ectopic pregnancies, which is when the fetus grows outside the womb, and multiple cases of sepsis. The adverse events cannot with certainty be causally attributed to mifepristone because of concurrent use of other drugs, other medical or surgical treatments, co-existing medical conditions, and information gaps about patient health status and clinical management of the patient, the FDA said on its website. This story has been updated with a statement from Costco. Advertisement Advertisement Contributing: Reuters Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Costco is not selling the abortion pill mifepristone Costco confirmed Thursday it has no plans to start dispensing mifepristone, also known as the abortion pill, as it says it hasnt seen demand for it. Conservative groups claim they deserve credit for keeping the medication out of their stores. First reported by Bloomberg News, Costco said its current policy is based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients for mifepristone, the first drug used in whats usually a two-step regimen. Costco did not return HuffPosts request for comment for more details on the decision behind their policy. The company, a chain of membership-only big box stores, has been credited as being one of the few to stand firm in its support of diversity, equity and inclusion policies at a time when the Trump administration is trying to erase all aspects of DEI. Related: GOP Lays Groundwork To Restrict Abortion Pill With New Junk Science Report Conservative activist groups who have lobbied to keep the abortion pill out of stores are chalking up Costcos current policy as a win and say theyre setting their sights on pressuring more pharmacies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Retailers like Costco keep their doors open by selling a lifetime of purchases to families, both large and small. They have nothing to gain and much to lose by becoming abortion dispensaries, Michael Ross, legal counsel for the Christian legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement. Mifepristone is the first of what's typically a two-drug regimen. New York Daily News via Getty Images Retail pharmacies exist to serve the health and wellness of their customers, but abortion drugs like mifepristone undermine that mission by putting womens health at risk, he continued. In reality, abortion pills have proven to be safe and effective, even when dispensed via telehealth, despite claims peddled by anti-abortion groups. Medication abortion accounts for nearly two-thirds of pregnancy terminations in the U.S., up 10% from 2020. Related: The Very Real Possibility That Trump Could Try To Destroy Womens Voting Rights Kiki Freedman, the co-founder and CEO of abortion pill provider Hey Jane, emphasized the safety of mifepristone and said Costcos decision was an alarming step in the wrong direction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Expanding the number of ways patients can get mifepristone is critical to protecting access to care, she told HuffPost. Every pharmacy that chooses to dispense this medication helps break down barriers and ensures people can get safe, legal and essential care in their own communities. Mifepristone, she noted, has a safety record that surpasses both penicillin and Viagra. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who in 2023 was among a group of Democrats that urged Costco to seek certification for mifepristone distribution despite pressure from conservative groups, said the companys current policy is deeply disappointing to see this sort of capitulation to the far rights intimidation. I dont want my daughters to grow up in a world with fewer rights than I had, but the Republicans anti-choice, anti-science crusade is ripping reproductive freedom away from Americans, Duckworth told HuffPost. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Part of that pressure campaign included an ADF-facilitated letter to Costco last year from various financial institutions, including the Christian firm Inspire Investing, calling on the company not to carry mifepristone and reminding Costco that they have a combined $56 million in company stock. Related: Josh Hawley Introduces Law To Ban Mailing Of Abortion Pills, Citing Junk Science Report Dispensing [mifepristone] is filled with legal and political risk and will inject Costco into the middle of an intense political battle at great expense to its reputation, the coalition warned. The coalition also told Costco that contributing to abortion access was bad for the companys bottom line because it stands to make more money from bigger families. Costco in Rancho Cordova, California. slobo via Getty Images Inspire Investing was also behind a petition last year that collected signatures from more than 6,000 Costco members opposed to the store carrying the abortion pill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ross told Bloomberg that ADF will now shift its focus to getting mifepristone out of Walgreens and CVS, which both announced last year they were dispensing the medication at their pharmacies in most states where abortion remains legal. Both have a much larger pharmacy footprint than Costco. Related: Democrats Release Plan To Boost Party's California U.S. House Seats In Fight For Congress Walgreens already bowed to pressure from attorneys general in several red states and agreed not to dispense mifepristone in Alaska, Iowa, Kansas and Montana, even though distribution remains legal there. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story characterized Costcos decision on its plans around mifepristone as being driven by conservative activist groups. The company had no comment on pressure from conservative groups when asked by Bloomberg about its decision and said the decision was based on customer demand. Related... Read the original on HuffPost Key Points Researchers at the University of South Australia have developed an AI system using hyperspectral imaging and machine learning to detect dangerous mycotoxins in food before they reach consumers. The technology can identify contamination in cereal grains and nuts with over 90% accuracy in many cases, offering a fast, non-invasive alternative to current testing methods. The system shows promise for real-time industrial use, potentially reducing foodborne illness, cancer risks, and global crop losses. More than 600 million people fall ill each year from food poisoning, leading to an estimated 4.2 million deaths, according to data from the World Health Organization. Often, we find out about contaminated foods too late. However, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon: Artificial intelligence that has the power to detect dangerous bacteria before they reach our plates. In August 2025, an international team of researchers led by the University of South Australia published their study demonstrating how artificial intelligence (AI) can identify contaminated food in fields and factories, saving us from trips to the bathroom or, worse, the emergency room. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In their new paper published in the journal Toxins, the researchers describe the potential to use advanced hyperspectral imaging (HSI) combined with machine learning (a subset of AI), which can identify mycotoxins along the production line. These mycotoxins, the researchers explained in a statement, are "dangerous compounds produced by fungi that can contaminate food during growth, harvest, and storage." Mycotoxins, they added, can cause a range of health issues, including everything from foodborne illness to cancer. The researchers also pointed to data from the UN-based Food and Agriculture Organization, which estimates that a quarter of the world's crops may be contaminated by mycotoxin-producing fungi, highlighting the urgent need to implement this kind of technology. "... hyperspectral imaging a technique that captures images with detailed spectral information allows us to quickly detect and quantify contamination across entire food samples without destroying them, Ahasan Kabir, lead author of the study and UniSA PhD candidate, shared. To evaluate just how effective this tool can be, Kabir, along with researchers in Australia and Canada, used HSI to detect toxic compounds in cereal grains and nuts, both of which, they noted, are "highly susceptible to fungi and mycotoxin contamination." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They used the HSI to capture "an optical footprint of mycotoxins." When paired with machine learning algorithms trained to detect subtle spectral patterns that indicate specific mycotoxins are present, it can "rapidly classify contaminated grains and nuts based on subtle spectral variations, Kabir explained. Related: In a World of AI Bartenders, Hospitalitys Future Hinges on Human Connection The research team then reviewed more than 80 studies on various foods, including wheat, corn, barley, oats, almonds, peanuts, and pistachios, demonstrating that ML-integrated HSI systems outperform existing methods in toxin detection. Many models achieve accuracy rates of 9095%, with some nearing perfect classification, primarily under lab conditions, but still showing promise. This technology is particularly effective at identifying aflatoxin B1, one of the most carcinogenic substances found in food," Professor Sang-Heon Lee, the project lead at UniSA, added. It offers a scalable, non-invasive solution for industrial food safety, from sorting almonds to inspecting wheat and maize shipments." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The best part? The researchers say this can work in real-time and could save millions of lives lost each year to foodborne illness. As for what's next, the team mentioned that the technology could be integrated into processing lines or handheld devices, "reducing health risks and trade losses by ensuring that only safe, uncontaminated produce reaches consumers." They are now working on refining the technique to achieve even greater accuracy. Read the original article on Food & Wine A Scottish council has been censured by the UK's information watchdog after records about a bullying incident were modified weeks after it took place. East Dunbartonshire Council previously paid damages to a parent who claimed the narrative of his daughter's bullying was being "whitewashed" in favour of her school. The council told him the incident was properly logged at the time and it was not possible to modify records retrospectively, but later admitted this was not the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has ruled the backdating of these records did not comply with data protection laws. East Dunbartonshire Council said it has taken action to address the issues raised. The row centres on a nationwide education IT system called Seemis which is used for recording pupil data and tracking bullying complaints. Concerns have previously been raised about how Seemis is accessed and used by staff amid fears bullying in schools is under-recorded. A petition calling for measures to stop teachers altering Seemis records has also been lodged with the Scottish Parliament by public sector governance campaign group Accountability Scotland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesman for the group said: "It is clearly in the public interest that school records are accurate just like other public systems of records such as the NHS or police. "This ICO decision is excellent news as there really needs to be sufficient safeguards in Seemis to stop history being re-written. "This is a Scotland-wide issue. If teachers take advantage of deficiencies in the system it means parents are not getting the full story." School records altered The East Dunbartonshire case started when a parent, who has asked not to be named, raised a formal bullying complaint with his daughter's school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The father-of-three said his daughter later returned to this school, which is in East Dunbartonshire, but there was then another incident involving a dangerous weapon which went unnoticed in a supervised play area. The school told the parent, who works as a data analyst, that the incident had been properly logged on Seemis, but the father later suspected this was not the case. East Dunbartonshire Council told the parent it was not possible to edit records of the incident involving a weapon but did not release them when asked. After a civil court challenge the council was forced to release the data, which showed changes to three records had been made after the incident, including backdating records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The content of these changes is not recorded by the system. In its response to the parent's complaint about the backdating issue, the ICO said it was of the view that this practice did not comply with data protection legislation. It added: "The practice of changing the date on a note on the Seemis system does not meet with the obligation to be transparent with regard to the processing of an individual's personal data. "While the notes themselves may be an accurate record of an incident or opinion, they are not necessarily accurate if the date is changed." The ICO told East Dunbartonshire Council it should change the functionality of Seemis so notes cannot be backdated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greg Bremner, chief education officer at the local authority, said: "Whilst the council does not comment on individual cases, it had already taken action to address the issue raised by the ICO." 'Escalating violence and bullying' in schools Earlier this year, BBC News revealed there were more than 3,600 incidents of racism or racist bullying recorded in Scotland's schools in 2024, compared to 2,400 the year before. Campaigners say the true figure will be higher as councils are not complying with Scottish government guidance to log all incidents properly. Dr Pam Gosal, Scottish Conservative MSP for West Scotland, said: "Across Scotland violence in schools is getting worse, with teachers, parents and pupils all reporting a worsening situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We can only deal with escalating violence and bullying if records are kept properly protected, and everyone can have full confidence in the system." The part of the Seemis system for monitoring bullying incidents was rolled out in 2019, but previous research by watchdog Education Scotland suggested many schools are not using it properly. With so much buzzy tech floating around these days, it's only natural for national governments to experiment as well. For the past few years, the country of El Salvador's been experimenting with Bitcoin as legal tender, a woefully ineffective system that's had he opposite of its stated effects. In the United States, president Donald Trump is experimenting with a $500 billion AI infrastructure project, a massive campaign that's sat dormant for half a year. And in Albania, which is home to 2.7 million people, the government is hoping that AI models like ChatGPT can take over for corrupt government ministers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Per Politico, the Albanian prime minister Edi Rama suggested back in July that AI might be a handy tool in his efforts to stamp out government corruption and increase transparency. "One day, we might even have a ministry run entirely by AI," he said at a press conference. "That way, there would be no nepotism or conflicts of interest." Though most of this is theoretical posturing, Rama added that voters could hypothetically elect an AI algorithm to the council of ministers, turning Albania into "the first to have an entire government with AI ministers and a prime minister." Ben Blushi, Albania's former minister of local government and decentralization, concurs. As Politico reported, Blushi argued that "societies will be better run by AI than by us because it wont make mistakes, doesnt need a salary, cannot be corrupted, and doesnt stop working." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the Balkan nations, Albania is uniquely primed for some AI hype. It was an Albanian-American entrepreneur, Mira Murati, who helped transform OpenAI into the billion-dollar megacompany it is today, serving as CTO from 2018 to 2025. She recently split to form her own startup, the $2 billion Thinking Machines Lab. Whether Murati's minor business celebrity will go far enough to fix Albania's corruption is difficult to say. Like many Balkan countries, Albania has had a difficult time recovering from the drastic and rapid transition from a centralized economy to a free market paradise. Despite overwhelmingly voting to keep the long-ruling labor party in office in a 1991 election as its neighbors went up in flames, the Albanian government soon acquiesced to violent pro-Western demonstrations and started down the road to drastic reforms. These measures included a 15 percent flat corporate tax rate, a sell-off of public utilities to shadowy public-private partnerships, and a massive cut to welfare spending, creating opportunities for organized crime and corruption to flourish for over thirty years. An AI government is unlikely to change this situation but it probably couldn't make it much worse. More on AI: The Godfather of AI Has a Bizarre Plan to Save Humanity From Evil AI Towns and villages across Northamptonshire are preparing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The Japanese surrendered to the allied forces on 15 August 1945, bringing to an end five years of devastating conflict. Church services will be held, flags will be raised and music will be played across the county on Friday. One council has arranged for lamps to be lit at all of its offices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Japanese surrender came as a relief to many, but especially to the men of the Northamptonshire Regiment. They had taken part in one of the most gruelling campaigns of the war - the operation to halt the Japanese entry into India. The battles of Imphal and Kohima resulted in 16,500 casualties among the British forces while the Japanese lost more than twice that number. There were fears that the Northamptonshire Regiment would be forced to prepare for action in Japan, but Emperor Hirohito's surrender made such a plan unnecessary. It meant the war was now well and truly over. The town of Desborough near Kettering has already paid its tribute, with a picnic in the park on Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musicians, children's rides and refreshments were on offer at the town's recreation ground. The hot weather is disrupting some of the planned events - a beacon lighting ceremony in Long Buckby has been called off because of the risk of fire in local fields. A two-minute silence will be observed instead in the Market Place at 12:00 BST on Friday. Food supplies were dropped for allied prisoners released after the Japanese surrender [Getty Images] North Northamptonshire Council's offices in Corby, Thrapston, Kettering, Rushden and Wellingborough will be displaying red Lamp Lights of Peace lanterns on Friday. Martin Griffiths, the leader of the Reform UK-controlled authority, said: "VJ Day reminds us of the immense bravery and resilience shown by those who served in the Far East and the Pacific. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Their contribution was vital in securing peace." Remembrance services are being planned in several places, including Brackley, where people will gather at the Piazza in front of the town hall at 08:45 BST. A service of remembrance and thanksgiving is planned for Daventry's war memorial at 19:00 BST on Friday. Rushden's service takes at 11:00 BST at the war memorial, and includes a talk by former merchant navy officer and TV extra David Hawker. There will be wartime music and further tributes at Hall Park from 20:00 BST. The people of HIigham Ferrers will share two minutes of silence at their war memorial at 12:00 and a peace lamp will be lit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A service marking the anniversary of the outbreak of peace will take place a day later at Holy Sepulchre Church in Northampton at 11:00 BST, while All Hallow's Church in Wellingborough pays its tribute at 15:00 BST on Sunday. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story Related internet links GOSHEN An Elkhart couple accused of murder in the death of a 6-year-old boy will be tried jointly. Franklin Elmore Jr., 29, and Cheyenne Elmore, 27, are charged with murder in the Aug. 3 death of Franklins 6-year-old son. Police say the boy was brought to the hospital with bruises throughout his body, a punctured lung and bleeding on the brain. Security cameras inside the home allegedly caught Franklin Elmore slamming the boy onto the ground 10 minutes before Cheyenne Elmore called 911. The couple claimed that the boy injured himself while acting out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During separate initial court hearings for the Elmores Thursday, Elkhart County Prosecuting Attorney Vicki Becker announced the states intention to try the couple jointly. Circuit Court Judge Michael Christofeno said he will take that up after prosecutors file a motion for joinder. Christofeno set a preliminary jury trial date of Nov. 3 for Franklin and Cheyenne Elmore. The judge also entered a not-guilty plea on their behalf and appointed a public defender to represent each of them. He informed them that murder carries a prison term of up to 65 years. Franklin Elmore was found and arrested in Kendallville on Aug. 7 while Cheyenne was arrested at the couples C.R. 22 home. The Elmores were charged with murder after homicide detectives traced the victims condition throughout the night using footage from their own security cameras. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The boy appeared to be fine at around 8 p.m., but footage inside his room from 8:47 p.m. allegedly showed Franklin Elmore slamming his son to the ground. The boy seemed to be unsteady on his feet immediately after that, falling down and apparently having a seizure, police say. Outdoor cameras captured Franklin Elmore pacing in the yard with his hands on his head at 8:54 p.m., muttering the word jail to himself, according to police. He is then seen tidying up the boys room at 8:58 p.m. as Cheyenne Elmore called 911, according to police. NEED TO KNOW James and Suzanne Agnew allegedly hid the body of their lover James O'Neill in their home for about a year, per Colorado authorities The couple allegedly made transactions using O'Neill's debit card during this time Authorities found O'Neill's body in the couple's home, per an affidavit A Colorado couple has been arrested after police allegedly found their lover's dead body rotting in their home. The victim, 64-year-old James O'Neill, was found deceased in the Lakewood, Colo., home on July 3, days after his brother requested a welfare check on him, Lakewood police said in an arrest affidavit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement James David Agnew, 55, and his wife Suzanne Agnew, 57, were arrested on several charges, including tampering with a corpse, but have not been charged in connection with O'Neill's death. The arrests and charges were first revealed by an investigation by 9 NEWS Investigates. Suzanne Agnew told detectives she, James Agnew and O'Neill were in a three-way relationship for years, per authorities. The arrest affidavit for James Agnew, shared online by Law & Crime and reviewed by PEOPLE, claims when Lakewood police showed up at the Agnews' residence for the welfare check, they spoke with James Agnew who allegedly pretended to be James O'Neill, telling police he wanted nothing to do with his family, per the affidavit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When shown bodycam footage of the interaction, O'Neill's brother told police the man they spoke with was not him. Upon further inquiry, police say James Agnew told them that O'Neill never lived at the residence, before both him and Suzanna allegedly indicated that he did live there but had moved out. Following a further investigation, police learned James Agnew allegedly used O'Neill's bank account for regular transactions. The investigation also uncovered an emergency dispatch call from James O'Neill in December 2023, when he said his roommate was "making threats" to him, but said he did not want police to show up at the residence, per the affidavit. On July 3, while executing a search warrant at the Agnews' residence, investigators found a deceased body presumed to be O'Neill's, per the affidavit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Suzanne allegedly told police that about two weeks after the dispatch call made by O'Neill in December 2023, she awoke to find him deceased in the house and refused to call the police because she did not want to "give up" Jim, per the affidavit. She allegedly said the couple decided to hide O'Neill's body under an air mattress because her chihuahuas began "chewing" on his body. 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. James has been charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with a corpse, theft and unauthorized use of a financial device, per the affidavit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Suzanne is also facing the same charges, 9NEWS reported. It wasn't immediately clear if they have entered pleas or retained attorneys to speak on their behalf. Online court records show James Agnew is due in court for his arraignment next month, and Suzanne is due in court for a preliminary hearing later this month. 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 DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) The Court of Criminal Appeals has denied a request by former Decatur Police Officer Mac Marquette to toss his murder charge. Marquette argued he was acting in self-defense when he shot Stephen Perkins on Sept. 29, 2023, during a botched repossession attempt outside Perkinss home. Marquette was indicted for murder in early 2024, and his murder trial is currently set for September 15. Marquette and his lawyers argue that he was justified in using deadly force against Perkins because Perkins had pointed his gun at Marquette. In late March, a hearing on those arguments was held, and Morgan County Circuit Judge Charles Elliott denied Marquettes immunity claims, finding that Marquette did not provide sufficient evidence to prove the claim that he acted in self-defense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marquettes attorneys appealed that ruling, leading to the Court of Criminal Appeals examining the issue. The Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that Judge Elliotts finding did not abuse his discretion and was not in error. Moreover, it seems clear that Judge Elliott left for the jury whether Marquettes actions were reasonable under the circumstances, the court said. Stated differently, Judge Elliott determined, as the sole finder of fact, that Marquette had failed to carry his burden to demonstrate that his actions were reasonable, whether they were taken as an officer or otherwise. Based on the materials before us, we cannot say that Judge Elliott erred when he denied Marquettes motion for immunity. The court specifically noted that several times Marquettes camp had stated their perceptions of the facts of the case, but notes that Marquette himself has not testified before the trial court regarding those perceptions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marquette asserts that Judge Elliotts denial of immunity was a gross abuse of discretion, the court said. Marquette speaks at length in his petition about his perceptions and his reasonable beliefs, and he relies heavily on them in his claim for relief, yet Marquette offered Judge Elliott no sworn evidence on these issues Marquette neither took the stand nor offered into evidence footage from his body-cam recording. One particular issue that was brought up in both the Morgan County Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals was whether Marquette was acting as a police officer at the time of the shooting. The Court of Criminal Appeals said Marquette claimed that Judge Elliott determined he was not acting as an officer, but the court said that Marquette erred in that argument and Judge Elliott did not find that. Marquette argues that Judge Elliott erroneously determined that Marquette was not acting in his capacity as a police officer, the court said.This Court disagrees with Marquettes reading of the order. Judge Elliott did not make such a finding; rather, Judge Elliott found that Marquette failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that he was acting in his capacity as a police officer. Here, Judge Elliott was the sole finder of fact, and for all that is before this Court, Judge Elliott may not have accepted Marquettes evidence on this point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The appeal had argued Elliott abused his discretion in denying Marquette immunity. Marquettes lawyers also argued that the ALEA investigator in the shooting case found Perkins was the aggressor and that Marquette was justified in using deadly force. His attorneys also argued that while Judge Elliott found Marquette was essentially trespassing on Perkinss property the night of the repossession, that does not change Marquettes legal right to use force if he is facing a deadly threat. In a 43-page filing in July, the Attorney Generals Office, acting on behalf of Morgan County prosecutors, told the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals that Marquettes self-defense claims at this point should not lead to a granting of immunity on the murder charge. Marquette has the option of appealing the ruling to the Alabama Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. BALTIMORE COVID-19 hospitalizations in Maryland are up 123% over the last two weeks, the most hospitalizations in a month since April. While the state has typically seen a surge in COVID-19 cases during summer, this one is coming later than usual. According to data from Maryland Department of Health Vital Statistics Administration, newly reported cases of COVID-19 in Maryland are up 50% within the last two weeks, with 2,089 cases from July 29 to Aug. 12 compared to 1,427 cases between July 15 and July 29. Maryland had 67 COVID-19 hospitalizations within the past two weeks, up 37 from the previous two-week period. Last year, COVID cases were at their peak of the summer spike by this time in August, with 5,000 cases within some two-week periods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andrew Pekosz, a professor with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said that COVID-19 surges have fallen into a seasonal pattern, similar to influenza, with minor surges like this one happening slightly earlier or later each year. Weve got some variants that have been around for several months now, as people have been now sort of moving inside because of the heat, Pekosz said. Were starting to see some of the conditions get a little bit better for virus spread. National Wastewater Surveillance System data shows that COVID-19 viral activity level was low from July 27 to Aug. 2. However, viral COVID-19 activity in wastewater is very high in some areas of Maryland, including Montgomery County and Anne Arundel. Viral activity is also increasing slowly statewide. Wastewater monitoring can detect viruses and health trends in a community. Pekosz said that although signs of a minor surge of COVID-19 cases could be concerning, it is a part of a pattern for the virus. While cases may go up as summer ends, they should likely follow the trend from past years of dropping in the fall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cases also tend to spike when new variants evolve, he said. So eventually were going to hit into a sort of a quote unquote steady state where well have some good sense of roughly the numbers that we should see in a normal COVID year, Pekosz said. If we do see increases, thatll probably tell us that the virus has changed in some way. Still, with school systems and colleges beginning their fall semesters, cases could surge higher amid a demographic shift toward younger people. It wouldnt surprise me if we continued to see this surge when school starts and if we saw a movement to a lower age range for cases, Pokesz said. When the community comes together, like in schools, you should see more transmission, too. It wouldnt surprise me to see this increase over the first, three or four weeks of the school year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pekosz said that although this surge isnt significantly abnormal, people, especially those who are immunocompromised, should still take caution. He recommended having more at-home COVID-19 tests on-hand and getting updated vaccinations ahead of a surge in cases. Even with COVID-19 falling into a pattern, Pekosz said it should be treated seriously, as it can still make people sick despite the safeguards against the virus. Its still a pretty significant disease that causes symptoms much more similar to the flu than to a common cold, he said. People still staying home for several days if they get it. They arent going to a hospital as much and that hospitalization rate is lower as a percentage of cases. But, we shouldnt think of it as the cold. ------------- Pricetown Road is closed both directions between Skyline Drive and Antietam Road in Alsace Township because of a crash involving a tractor-trailer. The road, which is also Route 12, is expected to remain closed for an extended period of time, according to the Berks County Department of Emergency Services. Aug. 14The progression of a fire that started in northeastern Lincoln County and has burned into Spokane County slowed Wednesday night thanks to decreased winds and increased humidity. The Crescent Road fire had burned 779 acres as of Thursday. "It burned into a lot of timber and rugged terrain," said Public Information Officer Isabelle Hoygard. "It did burn around some houses." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fire is 0% contained, and officials are assessing structure damage in the area. It began around 4:15 p.m. Wednesday during brisk winds. Airplanes, bulldozers and fire lines, along with natural features, have been used to prevent forward progress of the fire. Though the cause is under investigation, it is likely human-caused because of the lack of lightning in the area, Hoygard said. "We have a lot of aircraft and a lot more crews coming into the area, so even if it does start to get a little more active, we have a lot more resources being able to manage this right now," Hoygard said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Northeast Washington Incident Management Team 2 took over the fire at 10 a.m. Thursday, with more strike teams arriving throughout the day. Sontag Park in Nine Mile Falls is closed to allow resources extra parking. Level 3 evacuations were ordered for residents between Farwell Road and the Spokane River, and between McLaughlin Road and state Route 231, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook. Bonny Matejowsky'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. Aug. 15A crane lowered a cargo container Thursday onto a temporary wall between Nez Perce County's old and new courthouses. The container was one of four in a barrier that will help protect the new courthouse when its 135-year old predecessor is demolished, said Woody Sams, superintendent of Kenaston Leone & Keeble Group, the general contractor for the project. The work is scheduled to start Monday and last seven to eight weeks. Crews spent this week preparing the site to guard the new courthouse against damage, Sams said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Glass walls and windows along with an "Indian Summer" statue are prominent features of the exterior of the new courthouse. The sculpture depicts a Nez Perce Native American on an appaloosa horse. It debuted at the old courthouse in 1974 and was repositioned at the entrance of the new courthouse during its construction. Two people inquired about if the artwork would be protected when the old courthouse is dismantled, said Nez Perce County Commissioner Joe Gish. For the first couple weeks of the demolition starting, people will enter the new courthouse on the west side instead of through the main doors on the north that are in close proximity to the old courthouse, Sams said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The old courthouse has been empty since June 20. That's when the last of the offices and employees located there completed the move to the new courthouse and a licensing building. Even though the new buildings are up and running, work is continuing to complete them in the $54 million project. Daily headlines, straight to your inboxRead it online first and stay up-to-date, delivered daily at 7 AM The biggest remaining task is the installation of stone panels on the exteriors of the courthouse and the licensing building. A preliminary schedule the commissioners reviewed Thursday showed the last of four shipments of the material arriving in February, but Sams emphasized the dates in the document could change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The siding for the licensing building is anticipated to arrive in Seattle from China on Sept. 1, before going through customs, being loaded on a truck and hauled to Lewiston, Sams said. Once it's in Lewiston, the calendar shows it will take 16 days to put the panels on the building. "It's a learning curve for sure, but I think we'll be okay," he said. The timing of panel installation on the courthouse depends on when the rest of the material arrives, Sams, said. "TerraCORE (paneling) is really noncommittal on anything other than the licensing building right now," he said. "It'll just be a matter of if we get the stone panels here." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The estimated cost of the stone panels continues to be $1.55 million, counting about $100,000 for unanticipated tariffs, Sams said. That figure is unchanged from an update two weeks ago. Nez Perce County is also still waiting on state inspections for two courthouse elevators for inmates that reach the second-floor courtrooms in the three-story building. Until the inspections are done in upcoming weeks, the county can't use the elevators. The courthouse's two other elevators, one for the public and one for employees, are working. They both stop on all three levels of the courthouse. Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261. Linda Scelza knew what would happen when she told her son, Ryder, it was OK to go. Ryder Scelza took two more breaths and then died in his her arms, she said. He was 21. Ryder Scelza, of Rocky Hill, suffered from glioblastoma, a disease that started his fight to live in March 2022, and led to multiple surgeries, until the tumors were no longer operable. Linda Scelza said her son was placed late last year in a medically induced coma for a time and when he came out of that coma he was no longer able to communicate. After he spent about four months at Cobalt Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, Ryder came home early this year and was cared for around the clock by her, and his twin brother, Reno, Linda Scelza said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He could not communicate anymore after Christmas, Scelza said. He could occasionally laugh, smile and listen to his Taylor Swift. Even as the mother faces the loss of her beloved son, joined in grief by an extended family, Linda Scelza noted that through her sons fight, Taylor Swift got him through anything. Hearing the music would make him visibly relax, she said. While the family had hoped Swift would contact Ryder during his fight to live, that never occurred, the mom said. But that music still buoyed him, she said. This boy, he fought, he beat every odd there was to beat with the kind of brain cancer he had. He fought and fought, Linda Scelza said. I told him it was OK to go I knew the moment I told him. He took two more breaths. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I promised him I would be OK, she said. He was scared for me his fight was for me. Linda Scelza said said she told Ryder he would be fine in heaven and until I got to him again he could be with my mom and my dad. She said she knew Ryder was aware of how it hit her when her own dad died, as she still misses him every day. Ryders sister, Alyssa Scelza, said, I was really glad to be there when my mom told him that I do believe he heard her and it gave him the comfort to let go. Linda Scelza said while Ryder fought and fought and fought and fought, she thought that the way he looked at me, he was waiting for me to tell him it was OK. She said she slept in the bed with him every night and held her hand over his heart. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes a hero; he wanted everybody to know there is more of a fight to this disease. The tumors kept coming back in his brain and my son was a true miracle, a true fighter. She said about the future fight against glioblastoma, there are so many things they dont know, and he fought it for 40 months. He will always be remembered for being a fighter he was my little brother, Alyssa Scelza said. What he did was for everyone else the reason he did anything was for love. Linda Scelza has not worked in almost four years while she cared for Ryder. Reno, while an identical twin, has been tested, and shows no evidence of glioblastoma, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alfred Scelza, who is a cousin to Linda Scelzas children, said his aunt stood by his (Ryders) side 24/7, and created an office in her garage dedicated to studying this disease. Alfred Scelza noted Ryder penned letters to everyone about his final wishes, including that butterflies be released at his funeral, and a horse and carriage carry the casket. He said Ryder had a big love for Disney, and asked for an empty seat next to mom, and to have women pallbearers. He said it was Ryders wish for them to go on, to move on, to make sure we live our lives to the fullest capacity and we fight fearless. He said his cousin loved his cats, which stayed by his side, purring and giving comfort: Paris, August and Romeo. About what Ryder might tell people about his fight, Linda Scelza chuckled slightly and said he would say, Get my mother to advocate for you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you need something, call Linda, she said Ryder would say. Ryders message, his family said, was, never give up. Linda Scelza previously explained Ryders love for Swift, as Its just her as a whole, her attitude the music she writes, If there is even a chance she would pick up the phone The mom said Ryder is such a Swift fan that his first tattoo was the words, long story short; I survived, from the lyrics of one of her songs. Joy Savulak, a spokesperson for Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, where Ryder also spent time, said speech therapist Stefanie Gaidos had used Swifts music to motivate Ryder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his time at Gaylord Hospital, Ryder touched the lives of every person who had the privilege of meeting him, Gaylord said in an email. He quickly became part of our Gaylord family, and his care team left no effort untried in supporting him and exploring every possibility to help bring his dreams to life. We will always remember his strength, determination, and his amazing, infectious smile. Our thoughts are with Linda and his family at this difficult time. Ryder will be remembered for his courage, his selflessness and his ability to make others feel valued and loved. His absence leaves a void that can never be filled, but his spirit will live on in the hearts of all who knew him, his obituary says. About some of his battle, Linda has said, they were told after surgery in July 2022, that the cancer came back in the same spot, was inoperable and that Ryder had just weeks to live. They have had more than 50 emergency room visits, Ryder has been in the hospital at least 30 times, and the cancer, in a very rare occurrence, then returned both on the right and left side of Ryders brain, Scelza has said, but he kept fighting. State Sen. Saud Anwar, co-chair of the states Public Health Committee, recently made a rare request to the state Department of Correction. Listening to concerns from the community about the long-term negative implications of solitary confinement, Anwar wanted to experience it himself, asking to be incarcerated in the Garner Correctional Institution for 72 hours. We know that trauma that an individual endures from solitary confinement can be a lifetime, he said. We know that we want people who have been incarcerated to be able to go back into society and survive. We are creating a situation where the individuals are unable to do so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Political columnist Kevin Rennie criticized Anwar for the request, calling it performative nonsense. The DOC denied the request due to substantial safety, security and logistical concerns, according to a letter from Connecticut DOC Commissioner Angel Quiros. But Anwar said he wanted to experience what his constituents are enduring. People can attack me for trying to get a glimpse of the pain that others feel, he said. When I hear from my constituents about the issue, I want to address it. I refuse to look the other way. Anwar said that he wanted to experience the solitary confinement before he made it public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state passed legislation in 2022 that prohibits placing an individual in isolated confinement for longer than necessary or for more than 15 consecutive days or 30 total days within any 60-day period. But Anwar says more should be done and is advocating for stopping the practice in the state. Legislation in 2021 included efforts to end solitary confinement but Gov. Ned Lamont vetoed the legislation. Andrius Banevicius, public information officer for the DOC, said in an email that across the agency the number of individuals placed in restrictive housing has decreased in 2025, when compared to 2024. Important to note is the fact that length of stay in a restrictive housing setting has significantly decreased over the past few years with the average length of stay being three to five days, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Restrictive housing is a broader term that encompasses solitary confinement. Banevicius did not specify how many prisoners were placed in restrictive housing in 2025 compared to 2024. In a letter to Anwar on Aug. 6, Quiros said solitary confinement is not a practice that DOC employs as a management tool. He also further explained why Anwar was unable to go into incarceration because DOC cannot house individuals who are not legally committed to its custody and care. Further, he added that he welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with Anwar and his colleagues on advancing strategies to improve DOCs medical and mental health services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hearing the stories of those experiencing solitary confinement does not sit well with the senator. We have a situation where the Garner facility has a very high rate of suicide attempts and suicidality, he said. In fact, individuals are 21 more times likely to commit suicide in Garner compared to other places. Garner is a level 4 maximum security prison that serves adult male offenders, both convicted and awaiting trial, with significant mental health issues, according to the state website. Anwar said solitary confinement does not just impact those incarcerated but also negatively affects correctional officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said those officers experience moral injuries and have more anxiety and depression. They also have a high risk of suicide, he said. It is not helping the correctional officers. It is not helping the people who are the incarcerated individuals. The state has an opportunity to do the right thing, Anwar added, quoting Nelson Mandela who stated, a society how it treats its prisoners, especially the ones in solitary, reflects on its true character. The true character of us as the people of Connecticut would be reflected on how we treat the people in the prison and how we are dealing with them with respect to solitary confinement, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a letter to the DOC, Anwar said that The National Alliance on Mental Illness reported in 2023 that the use of solitary confinement is related to a mental health crisis and correlates to higher risk of death upon an inmates release, as it can cause either exacerbation or recurrence of existing mental health issues or new onset of mental illness. Anwar said the bills he writes are not just information on paper. I try to live the bills the best that I can, he said. For example, he said if he is writing a bill on homelessness, he goes and sleeps outside so he can experience the cold. If he is writing a bill about food insecurity, he said he fasts enough so he can feel the food insecurity and the pain that goes with it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The senator is known for his humanitarian work including advocating for the homeless, providing medical care to those in need and serving on peace missions to Israel and the Middle East. After natural disasters in Haiti and Pakistan, Anwar organized medical missions to those countries. He is a doctor who specializes in critical care medicine, lung disease and occupational and environmental medicine, according to his biography. He has also served as a consultant for the British Department of Communities and Local Government. In the state, the senator also served as former commissioner of Asian Pacific American Affairs and the Health Equity Leadership Council of Connecticut. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The DOC has come under scrutiny from criminal justice advocates for its practices. Abimbola King Oretade, president of the Black Lives Matter 860, said he had experienced four days in solitary confinement at the beginning of this year after the Department of Correction said he was experiencing suicidal ideation. It made me feel like I am not worth anything, he said, describing being in isolation for days. In October 2023, the CTDOC authorized a study to assess its use of restrictive housing to reduce the use of the practice, according to the DOC. The study completed in November 2024 recommended that the DOC consider terminating the use of in cell restraints as it stated that the practice has continued with a varied staff understanding of the purpose, absence of outcome data and a negative public perception. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It added that the CTDOC had reduced the average length of stay for individuals placed in restrictive housing units over the past decade and increased out of cell time, according to the report. Banevicius said DOC contracted with Falcon to assess the agencys use of restrictive housing with the purpose of reducing its use. The department also continues to work to reduce the number of times an individual is placed in cell restraints the use of these restraints has decreased in 2025 when compared to 2024, he said. Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee, worked with Stop Solidarity on the passage of the Protect Act in 2022, which limited the amount of time an individual spends in isolation or solitary confinement. He said what Anwar was trying to do made a lot of sense. That is exactly what you would hope a legislator would want to do, he said. Addressing the issue of the treatment of prisoners, Winfield said, A lot of people do not feel they should have anything. If we send back out into society broken folks we all have a problem and have made ourselves less safe. NEW YORK Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday he wont release his client list from his time working as a consultant after his 2021 resignation because of privacy issues, an issue that has been pressed during this years mayoral election. Cuomos opponent, Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor, called on his rival to release the client list in a video posted on Tuesday, accusing him of trying to cover up scandals. But Cuomo, during a news conference Thursday on economic development plans, said he couldnt name names because of attorney-client privilege. He did say hes worked for podcasts, Ive advocated for certain causes that are dear to me, worked with organizations, pro-Israel organizations among others, practicing law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The former governor said he had no clients before the city or state government, and that he hasnt done any lobbying work. Its been previously revealed that his clients include a crypto company that pleaded guilty to operating illegally in the U.S. and a luxury marina in Puerto Rico. Cuomo also joined a legal team defending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from allegations of war crimes in Gaza. A spokesman for the former governor said that the podcast he worked on was his own, titled As a matter of fact with Andrew Cuomo. We learned Andrew Cuomo advised an offshore illegal crypto exchange and failed to disclose nearly $3 million in nuclear stock options only after investigate journalists uncovered it what else is he hiding? Mamdani spokeswoman Dora Pekec said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After four years of endless corruption at City Hall, New Yorkers deserve a mayor who will wake up every day and work for them, not engage in pay-to-play. Cuomo created his consulting business, Innovation Strategies LLC, after resigning as governor after several allegations of sexual harassment, which he denies. MINEVILLE The CV-TEC Division of Champlain Valley Educational Services has announced the launch of a new Class-B Commercial Drivers License training course at its Mineville campus in Essex County beginning this fall. The program was developed in response to growing local demand for certified commercial drivers, particularly in municipal services, construction, delivery and transportation sectors. The course will offer comprehensive training aligned with New York State and federal Department of Transportation requirements, preparing students to safely and confidently operate Class-B vehicles such as dump trucks and box trucks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a big step forward for our region, Michele Friedman, CVES executive director of career and technical education, said. By offering this training right here in Essex County, were assisting our community members to gain high-demand, high-wage career skills without needing to travel far from home. The Class-B CDL course will include online theory instruction, hands-on driving experience, vehicle inspection training and preparation for the road test. Participants will benefit from experienced instructors and personalized support throughout the program. Classes will be held at the CV-TEC Mineville Campus, located at 3092 Plank Road in Mineville. Enrollment is now open and space is limited. For more information or to apply, visit www.cves.org/cvtec or contact CV-TEC at 518-561-0100 x2001. In todays CEO Daily: Diane Brady talks to Snehal Antani, CEO of cybersecurity company Horizon3.ai. The big story: Trump meets Putin. The markets: Mostly flat. Plus: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune. Good morning. As President Trump prepares to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin today, I find myself wondering about the state of cyber-enabled warfare, economic and otherwise. Business leaders know well the escalating capacity of state and non-state actors to target weak points for maximum disruption in a cyberattack. The defense industry has increasingly served as a template for identifying threats and protecting assets in the private sector. Thats what Snehal Antani, CEO of cybersecurity company Horizon3.ai, told me earlier this week. As the first chief technology officer of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), from 2018 to 2021, he ought to know. I remember going to VC events with my CTO of Splunk badge (the cybersecurity firm where he worked prior to JSOC) and everybody wanted to talk to me, he says, noting that the enthusiasm waned when he then moved to a government role. No one wanted the stigma of talking to people from the military side of the house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That changed dramatically after the Ukraine invasion: You suddenly saw the use of open-source software, off-the-shelf drones and World War II-type tactics going behind enemy lines. In building Horizon3.ai, Antani took inspiration from Israel, pairing top talent from Special Operations, the NSA, and CIA with seasoned business operators who understand how to build and scale. The Israelis recognized the value of the learn-it-all, solve-a-problem-under-pressure mindset of their elite units, and were able to bring together that veteran talent, venture capital, and economic prowess to build a startup unicorn factory, especially in cybersecurity. His goal is to bridge the gap between the military and Silicon Valley to identify and solve new threats through AI agents. Our AI hacker stole or gained access to 3D CAD files for Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines in less than five minutes, he says. His team has increasingly shown how nation-state actors are targeting small suppliers to hack large organizations and their global supply chains. Warfare is now a persistent state, not a discrete event. The Russians pioneered it; the Chinese have been doing this for decades with intellectual property theft, and I think that is the future in which were operating. Its no longer about ransomware and extortion, he says. And he thinks this White House gets it: The climate right now in DC is about breaking bureaucracy, he argues. There is a much greater alignment of diplomacy, trade and military action. Contact CEO Daily via Diane Brady at diane.brady@fortune.com This story was originally featured on Fortune.com As the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin begins in Alaska, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky has publicly compared it to the 1938 Munich Agreement, when the world sought to appease Adolf Hitler. Source: Lipavsky on X (Twitter) Details: Lipavsky, whose country was the first to suffer from German aggression before the outbreak of World War II, posted his tweet as soon as the talks between the US and Russian leaders officially began. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lipavsky quoted British politician Anthony Eden, who said in June 1938: "You may gain temporary appeasement by a policy of concession to violence, but you do not gain lasting peace that way." Eden, who was the UK foreign secretary in 1938, resigned in protest over Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler. The Munich Agreement, as it came to be known, was supposed to restrain Germanys aggression but enabled it to dismember Czechoslovakia. It was to become a shameful chapter in the history of its signatories. Background: On the evening of Friday 15 August, the Trump-Putin talks began in Alaska. It is also reported that Trump did not bring his Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, to Alaska as a gesture to appease Russia. Trump has stated that he is not going to Alaska to negotiate for Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! (The Center Square) Days after President Donald Trump declared Liberation Day by federalizing the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and deploying hundreds of National Guard members to curb crime, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb is filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration claiming the federal takeover is unlawful. Schwalb describes the Trump administrations federal takeover of MPD as brazenly unlawful and a hostile takeover, adding that Trump has limited authority in invoking Section 740 of the Home Rule Act. The federal government's power over DC is not absolute, and it should not be exercised as such. Section 740 of the Home Rule Act permits the President to request MPD's services. But it can only be done temporarily, for special emergencies, and solely for federal purposes, the attorney general posted on X Friday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He claims the Home Rule Act keeps operational control of MPD with the Mayor and Chief. This is an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home. Our office will go to court to defend Home Rule, block the unlawful orders, and maintain MPD under District control. We have no choice but to stand up for DC residents' rights and safety, Schwalb wrote. The lawsuit comes on the heels of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issuing an order to replace MPD Chief Pamela Smith with Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole to serve as the agencys emergency police commissioner. In addition, the Trump administration rescinded the districts sanctuary policies, allowing law enforcement to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Trump tapped Bondi to take operational control of the Metropolitan Police as part of an executive order, citing out of control violence in the nations capital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump claims the district has crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse in defense of his reasoning to invoke the act. Prior to declaring Liberation Day in the district, the president described the citys crime as out of control, citing youth violence. Crime in Washington, D.C., is totally out of control. Local youths and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released, Trump lamented. They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but its going to happen now! The Law in D.C. must be changed to prosecute these minors as adults, and lock them up for a long time, starting at age 14. As the law currently stands, Section 740 of the Home Rule Act only allows the president to federalize MPD for up to 30 days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, a group of Republicans in Congress is trying to alter or rescind the Home Rule Act. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., is proposing a resolution to remove the 30-day limit. In February, U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Ogles introduced legislation to repeal the Home Rule Act, claiming the district is plagued by violence and crime. The duo tied the title of the legislation to Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser. The Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident Act can be shortened to the BOWSER Act. The District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 was enacted by Congress and ratified by D.C. voters. The act gave the district residents limited autonomy over local affairs, allowing them to elect local leaders, including mayors and council members. WASHINGTON The attorney general of Washington, D.C., sued President Donald Trump and members of his administration, accusing them of overstepping their authority when taking federal control of the citys law enforcement earlier this week. In the 33-page lawsuit filed on Friday, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb accused Trump and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi of appointing people to certain positions that usurp the control of local law enforcement officials. Those appointments, the lawsuit alleges, go beyond what Section 740 allows, referring to the statute in the D.C. Home Rule Act that Trump used to take federal control of the police department. By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, infringing on the Districts right to self-governance and putting the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk, Schwalb said in a statement. The Administrations unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit pointed to the appointment of Terry Cole, the head of the Department of Drug Enforcement Administration, as the emergency police commissioner in D.C., claiming it is a great risk not to know who is in command at any moment. Instead, Schwalb is demanding to return authority to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith accusing Bondi of going too far in several orders. For example, the lawsuit asserts that Bondi overstepped her authority when issuing an order to require MPD officers to receive Coles approval before giving officers directives. The lawsuit also cites recent orders to assist with federal immigration enforcement as overreach. In every respect, the Bondi Order and Defendants assertions of authority over MPD exceed the narrow delegation that Congress granted the President in Section 740, the lawsuit states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House defended its actions, telling the Deseret News in a statement the administration has the lawful authority to assert control over the D.C. Police, which is necessary due to the emergency that has arisen in our Nations Capital as a result of failed leadership. The Democrats efforts to stifle this tremendous progress are par for the course for the Defund the Police, Criminals-First Democrat Party, said Abigail Jackson, a spokeswoman for the White House. The lawsuit comes after the D.C. police chief issued an executive order on Thursday allowing local police officers conducting traffic stops to inform Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents about immigrants lacking permanent legal status a marked departure from current city policy that limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The order would also allow local officers to provide transportation for federal immigration agency employees and detained subjects, according to a copy of the order obtained by the Deseret News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the police executive order upholds several restrictions currently in place for local officers. It states that officers cannot ask an individual their immigration status for the purpose of determining whether they have violated the civil immigration laws or to research the individuals immigration status through federal databases. But the changes come as Trump administration officials have vowed to crack down on crime and illegal immigration in Washington, D.C. even going so far as to declare the citys sanctuary status as being revoked. Trump took federal control of the city by invoking a rarely used statute that allows the president to oversee the citys law enforcement on a temporary basis. The order will expire in 30 days unless explicitly extended by Congress. Thats unlikely to happen as it would require Democratic support in the Senate. As a result, Trump suggested he might look at other ways to extend federal presence in the capital without congressional approval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One way to do that, he said, is by declaring a national emergency. If its a national emergency we can do it without Congress, but we expect to be before Congress very quickly, Trump said. I dont want to call a national emergency, Trump noted, but said: If I have to, I will. The latest threats highlight an ongoing challenge for D.C. officials, who have been trying to crack down on rising rates of youth crime. Since the beginning of 2025, juveniles have made up more than 50% of arrests related to carjacking, according to D.C. police. A majority of those arrests are made up of teens who are 15 and 16 years old. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, crime rates in the city overall have gone down over the last year, according to statistics from the MPD. Violent crime, for example, has decreased by 26% compared to this time last year. Trump also announced that his administration would begin removing homeless people from their encampments across the city and take them elsewhere, although its not entirely clear where they will go. Were going to be removing homeless encampments from all over our parks, our beautiful, beautiful parks, which now a lot of people cant walk on, theyd be very, very dirty, Trump said. Trump also suggested D.C. is just the beginning of his efforts to crack down on crime in major cities, telling reporters on Monday that were starting very strongly with D.C., and were going to clean it up real quick. We have other cities also that are bad, very bad. You look at Chicago, how bad it is. You look at Los Angeles, how bad it is. We have other cities that are very bad, Trump said. New York has a problem. And then you have, of course, Baltimore and Oakland. Theyre so far gone. Were not going to let it happen. Were not going to lose our cities over this. And this will go further. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb are clapping back at a late-night attempt by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to unlawfully usurp the D.C. police chief. Their message: Well see you in court, President Trump. Bondi on Thursday evening issued an order to install Terrance Cole, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, as the emergency police commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Department for the duration of the emergency that President Trump invented from whole cloth in his federal takeover of the District. Bondi claimed Cole would have the authority to issue orders to members of the MPDand that department leadership, from Chief Pamela Smith down, would have to receive his approval before issuing any further directives to its officers. Bondi also rescinded an executive order Smith issued earlier that day, which allowed the MPD to coordinate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement but placed limits on the departments assistance of ICE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schwalb on Friday sued the Trump administration in response. By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, infringing on the Districts right to self-governance and putting the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk, he said in a statement. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it. Late Thursday, Schwalb had issued an opinion stating that Bondis order was beyond the U.S. attorney generals legal authority, arguing that the order is unlawful, and that [Smith is] not legally obligated to follow it. According to Schwalb, the Home Rule Actwhich Trump is invoking (and testing the limits of) in his crackdown on the capitaldoes not grant the executive branch power to remove or replace the police chief, alter the chain of command, issue or rescind MPD orders or directives, or otherwise determine how the District pursues purely local law enforcement. You are the lawfully appointed Chief of Police, Schwalb told Smith, and the police must continue to follow your orders and not the orders of any official not appointed by the Mayor. Bowser shared Schwalbs opinion on X, along with a statement. We have followed the law, she wrote. In reference to the U.S. Attorney Generals order, there is no statute that conveys the Districts personnel authority to a federal official. President Donald Trump is joined by Attorney General Pam Bondi in the press briefing room of the White House on Aug. 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Credit - Andrew HarnikGetty Images Washington, D.C.,s Attorney General Brian Schwalb has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the District of Columbia against the Trump Administration over its federal takeover of the D.C. police force and its appointment of Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) chief Terry Cole as D.C.s Emergency Police Commissioner. In a statement alongside the lawsuit on Friday, Schwalb said that he would be challenging the federal governments unlawful attempt to take over the District of Columbias Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in an effort to ensure that control of MPD remains with the Mayor, the Chief, and the people of the District of Columbia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This comes after Bondi issued the appointment of Cole in a directive late on Thursday night, stating that he will shall serve as the MPDs 'Emergency Police Commissioner' for the duration of the emergency declared by the President. Per Bondi, as part of Coles appointment, the DEA chief shall assume all of the powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police and all MPD seniors must wait for approval from Cole before issuing any of their own directives. The move follows President Donald Trumps widely-critiqued takeover of the police force in D.C., a decision he says was prompted by crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor in the capital. A depiction that has been strongly refuted by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Schwalb, and others. This is liberation day in D.C. and were going to take our capital back, Trump said on Monday, announcing he was temporarily putting the Washington, D.C. police department under federal control. This city will no longer be a sanctuary for illegal alien criminals we will deploy officers across the district with an overwhelming presence. Youll have more police and youll be so happy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read More: Trump Puts D.C. Police Under His Control and Deploys National Guard Pending any legal intervention in the interim, Trump's takeover is authorized by law for 30 days from its initiation, but he will need congressional approval to legally maintain control after that. Here's where things currently stand: A look at the D.C. Attorney General's lawsuit against the Trump Administration Schwalb filed suit against the Trump Administration in response to Bondis latest appointment as well as against Trumps initial Aug. 11 federal takeover of the capitals police force. The lawsuit, which included a motion for a temporary restraining order to enjoin the Trump Administration from taking over the police department, said that both the Bondi directive and the overall federal takeover far exceed the constraints of Section 740 [of the Home Rule Act] and argued that the capital will suffer imminent, irreparable harm as a result. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, infringing on the Districts right to self-governance and putting the safety of D.C. residents and visitors at risk, Schwalb asserted in his accompanying statement. The Administrations unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, nominated by Biden, heard the initial arguments during an emergency hearing on Friday afternoon. Of the tussle for control between the Trump Administration and D.C. officials, she said: The way I read the statute, the President can ask, the Mayor must provide, but the President cant control. D.C.'s Mayor Bowser co-signs pushback against appointment of "Emergency Police Commissioner" In response to Bondis directive, Bowser took to social media with a strong statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Let us be clear about what the law requires during a Presidential declared emergency: it requires the mayor of Washington, D.C. to provide the services of the Metropolitan Police Department for federal purposes at the request of the President. We have followed the law, she said on Thursday night. In reference to the U.S. Attorney Generals order, there is no statute that conveys the Districts personnel authority to a federal official. Bowser bolstered her response through sharing a letter that she received from Schwalb, admonishing Bondis move. Mayor Bowser was also mentioned in Fridays lawsuit, with Schwalb arguing that despite Bondis appointment of Cole, Bowser remains in command of the MPD, together with the Chief of Police. Schwalb called Bondis directive unlawful and said that Bowser had no legal obligation to follow it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Schwalb, who has served as D.C.s Attorney General since January 2023, section 740 of the Home Rule Act gives Trump the authority to direct Mayor Bowser to provide services of the MPD in special circumstances. However it does not authorize the President, or his delegee, to remove or replace the Chief of Police, to alter the chain of command within the MPD or to suspend any MPD directives. No official other than you may exercise all the powers and duties of the Chief of Police or issue any directive orders, general orders, or other written directives that apply to members of the MPD, Schwalb directed Bowser. Bondi has yet to publicly respond to the pushback from D.C. officials. Schwalb has taken a firm stance against the Trump Administrations takeover of the police force in D.C. since the beginning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Administrations actions are unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful. There is no crime emergency in the District of Columbia. Violent crime in DC reached historic 30-year lows last year, and is down another 26% so far this year, he said on Aug. 11. National Guard personnel positioned in Washington, D.C., after 800 troops were deployed in the U.S. Capital on Thursday, Aug. 14. Kevin DietschGetty Images Who is Terry Cole, D.C.s new Emergency Police Commissioner? Cole was only recently appointed as Administrator of the DEA on July 23, but he has over 30 years of experience working in public offices, 22 of which has been spent serving the DEA. Before his service in the DEA, Cole was a Naval Academy officer and New York State police officer. Cole held various roles within the DEA. He worked internationally, in Afghanistan and the Middle East, as a DEA Special Agent, and later served as the Agencys Acting Regional Director for Mexico, Canada, and Central America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From 2023 up to his appointment as head of the DEA, Cole worked as Virginia's Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, in which he reportedly oversaw a 44% reduction in drug overdose-related deaths in the state, according to his DEA profile. Cole has a bachelors degree in criminal justice from the Rochester Institute of Technology, as well as certificates in leadership from the University of Virginia and the University of Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business. According to the DEA website, Cole is currently pursuing further education at MITs Sloan Executive School for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Terry Cole, D.C.'s newly- appointed , is pictured outside the White House on Aug, 12, 2025. Francis ChungGetty Images A precarious time for Washington, D.C., amid Trumps takeover of the police force The lawsuit and the pushback among D.C. officials against the Trump Administration comes after Trump said that he will ask Congress to extend his federal takeover of D.C. beyond its current 30-day period. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We think the Democrats will not do anything to stop crime, but we think the Republicans will do it, almost unanimously, Trump told reporters on Wednesday. Were going to need a crime bill It is going to pertain initially to D.C. Over 100 people have been arrested in the capital since the start of Trumps takeover, including 29 undocumented migrants who were arrested on Wednesday, according to a White House official. More than 1,650 officers are on patrol in D.C. as part of a round-the-clock operation, alongside 800 National Guard troops, the Pentagon has reported. They will remain until law and order has been restored in the district as determined by the president, standing as the gatekeepers of our great nation's capital, Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson told reporters on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bondi also stated on Thursday that a Department of Justice employee, 37-year-old Sean Charles Dunn, had been arrested in D.C. after throwing a sandwich at a federal agent. Not only is he fired, he has been charged with a felony. This is an example of the Deep State we have been up against for seven months as we work to refocus DOJ, she said. Contact us at letters@time.com. WASHINGTON Dozens of people gathered outside of D.C police headquarters on Friday to protest President Donald Trumps takeover of the citys police, vowing to fight his administrations efforts to intimidate residents by flooding the city with federal law enforcement agents. Every day, at eight oclock, until these terrorists get out of our streets, we want people to go outside your door just stop and for five minutes, just make noise, Nee Nee Taylor of Free DC, a campaign focused on protecting D.C.s right to self-govern, told the crowd, to cheers. Related: Chuck Todd Tramples On Joe Biden's Legacy And Says Critical Event Is 'On' Him Making noise is resistance! Taylor said. Making noise is freedom! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its day four of Trumps deployment of federal agents throughout the city to supposedly root out D.C. crime, which is at a 30-year low. Beyond the various types of federal officers patrolling the streets, which so far have led to checkpoints on roads and homeless encampments being cleared out, Trump has seized control of the local police, too. Related: RFK Jr. Weighs In On Possibility Of 2028 Presidential Bid The president can do this for 30 days under the Home Rule Act. However, D.C.s attorney general on Friday filed an emergency intervention in court, claiming Trump is unlawfully abusing his authority under this law. Fridays protest included a diverse mix of residents furious about what Trump is doing to the city. Families were there, along with retirees and young people. Some people were from other states, too, having driven in to protest whats happening in D.C., in part because they fear Trump doing the same thing in cities in their states. Free DC activists carry signs as they gather outside Washington Metropolitan Police Department headquarters in Washington, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, in Washington. via Associated Press Beth, a decades-long D.C. resident, wore finger puppets that were tiny hands with tiny handcuffs on them, along with a homemade sign with a message to Trump: Keep Your Tiny Hands Off Our City. A retiree, she said she decided to come out to Fridays protest because shes mad about Trumps takeover of our city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked if this is the scariest time shes been in D.C., she quickly replied, I dont want to say scared, because Im not afraid. I would say, troubling. While there were about 150 people at this protest, which relocated from police headquarters to the nearby courthouse where the D.C. attorney generals case was being heard, Beth said she didnt understand why more people werent protesting. She mentioned having friends in Virginia with whom she discusses the need to take action against what Trump is doing, but theyre mostly complacent. Related: Tim Walz's Response To Trump's Depressing Smithsonian Audit Plans Is Going Viral Im hopeful to see so many young people here, she added. Related: Senator Calls Trump-Putin Meeting An 'Embarrassment For The United States' Several people carried signs with messages like Keep D.C. Free and Blondage Out. ICE Out, the former term referring to Attorney General Pam Bondi. One attendee held up a large, upside-down U.S. flag, a recognized distress signal, with a message underneath for D.C. police officers: The Bondi order is unlawful. You are not obligated to follow it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taylor, the organizing director for Free DC, urged people to stay safe while also taking action every single day that Trump is occupying the city. Honestly, yall, we need to resist in a way thats safe right now, she told the crowd. This is a message to our youth: They want you. They want you. So I advise you not to walk in pairs because, you walking in pairs is a crime right now, unfortunately. Its called walking while being young and Black with a couple of your friends, Taylor added. Thats the name of that illegal law. A D.C. resident protesting Trump's takeover of D.C. police said Trump needs to keep "his tiny hands" off the city. Jen Bendery Keya Chatterjee, Free DCs executive director, said the excuses the Trump administration is giving for its hostile takeover of D.C. are clearly nonsense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So the reason they want to take over D.C. is because authoritarians always want to silence dissent, Chatterjee said. Are we going to let them do that? No! shouted the crowd in response. Carol, a retiree from upstate New York, drove into D.C. on Thursday to participate in protests happening around the city. She said her late father, who served overseas in the military, would be turning over in his grave at the way Trump was militarizing D.C. When I was growing up, we were dealing with the Holocaust and all that stuff, she said, talking about the rise of Nazis in Germany. I remember that generation and this generation, people said wed never go back to that again. Its happening again... Weve got to stop it now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several D.C. police officers were on the scene, monitoring the event. One officer, who requested anonymity, said he and other officers dont know whos in charge of their department at the moment and theres been no guidance. I dont know what the hell is going on right now, he said. More on Politics Trump Writes Post About Moscow That's Absurd Even For Him Trumps D.C. Police Takeover Is His Latest Made-Up Emergency Power Grab D.C. Mayor Calls Trump's Police Takeover Unsettling And Unprecedented Read the original on HuffPost The Trump administration is scrapping Washington, D.C.s long-standing sanctuary policies and enabling local police to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the presidents federal takeover of the city, the White House confirmed. The move sets up a legal clash with local officials, as D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced Friday that his office is suing to stop the administrations takeover. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule DC has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it, Schwalb said in a statement on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With a directive issued Thursday, Attorney General Pam Bondi rolled back several policies that previously curtailed local police officers ability to work with federal immigration agents. In doing so, Bondi rescinded an order that Metropolitan Department Police Chief Pamela Smith had just issued earlier the same day, which had allowed police to share information with ICE about people who werent in custody while still limiting their ability to aid agents in other ways. Related: Hillary Clinton Slams Hypocritical MAGA 'Warfighters' Who Can't Handle These 2 Cities Bondi on Thursday named a new emergency police commissioner current Drug Enforcement Administration Chief Terry Cole to oversee the Metropolitan Police Department for the duration of President Donald Trumps takeover, temporarily stripping local police leaders of their authority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cole now has the powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police, per Bondi. Any new orders by D.C. police will require Coles approval, she said. The new directive also canceled other MPD guidance that barred officers from arresting people solely based on an immigration warrant and required them to have a warrant for an underlying crime. Officers are now able to search databases for a persons immigration status, as well. Schwalb said Bondi did not have the power to replace Smith. Related: ICE Arrests More Than 500 In Raids, Including U.S. Veteran In New Jersey, Mayor Says The Administrations actions are brazenly unlawful, he wrote on X. They go well beyond the bounds of the Presidents limited authority and instead seek a hostile takeover of MPD. They infringe on the Districts right to self-governance and put the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bondis actions mark a stark shift in how D.C. police have historically approached immigration enforcement and an escalation of Trumps efforts to commandeer the citys law enforcement to achieve his policy goals. The newly announced MPD order adds to the administrations efforts to weaponize local police; the president has already sent in both National Guard and federal law enforcement to allegedly tackle what hes falsely characterized as a surge in violent crime in the city. In reality, violent crime in D.C. has declined over the last few decades, and its also decreased in 2024 after a more recent uptick in 2023. Related: Trump Says Upcoming Press Conference 'Will, Essentially, Stop Violent Crime' In DC Earlier in the day, Trump lauded MPDs efforts to collaborate with ICE, while civil rights organizations warned that it could make residents more fearful of law enforcement and less likely to report crimes they experience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal agents have ramped up immigration-related arrests as Trumps law enforcement takeover has gone into effect in the past week, including detaining a person after a traffic stop on Wednesday, according to NBC Washington. Local police and ICE agents were also both present at a traffic checkpoint that officers set up in a busy D.C. neighborhood on Wednesday, when people were stopped for broken taillights and seat belt violations, The Washington Post reported. Related: Child Educator Ms. Rachel Says It's 'Sad' That Pro-Israel Group Asked Trumps DOJ To Investigate Her CASA spokeswoman Jossie Flor Sapunar previously told The Washington Post that people would likely be scared to report crimes and harms they encounter for fear that they could be turned over to ICE. The very D.C. police officer that comes to the door may also turn you over to ICE, regardless of your immigration status, she said. Related... Read the original on HuffPost Jen Psaki looks back at the total paranoia among Republicans that a standard military exercise, Jade Helm, would turn into a domestic military invasion by President Obama. Now that Donald Trump is literally sending the military to control Washington, D.C., Republicans have apparently forgotten their concern about executive power grabs. Meanwhile, residents of Washington, D.C. do not appreciate federal forces in their neighborhoods, and across the country in Los Angeles, residents are patrolling Federal deployment in D.C. continues: Starting at around 9 p.m., FBI and Secret Service agents arrived in D.C.'s Foggy Bottom to remove a few tents from a homeless encampment. "We were told that there would be a list of sites that would receive closure activity from the National Park Service and other law enforcement officials, and we would support that effort by providing a connection to homeless services for those who are adversely impacted," said Wayne Turnage, Washington's deputy mayor for health and human services, to reporters assembled at the encampment clearing. They ran into some thorny jurisdictional problems. A 34-year-old homeless woman named Meghann Abraham presented federal enforcement with a notice she'd received from the city saying she had until Monday to leave the area; federal agents acquiesced and stopped trying to force her and fellow trespassers to leave. But city officials and other law enforcement agents also worked earlier in the day to get homeless people who were camping to leave; shelters are reportedly not at capacity. "Earlier in the week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned of prosecution or fines against people who refuse to leave encampments," reports Axios. "Leavitt said homeless individuals will be offered transportation to shelters or provided with mental health and addiction resources." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Using federal law enforcement might actually make sense here: "Many, but not all, of the encampments are in parks, traffic circles and medians in Washington that are federal government property," notes The New York Times. The executive order signed by President Donald Trump back on March 28 indicated that such cleanups would happen. None of this can come as a shock, and there appears to be decent collaboration between Turnage's department, the feds, and the White House to get this done in an orderly fashion that attempts to steer homeless people toward existing social services the city provides. Showdown between Bondi and Bowser: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser are at loggerheads over who has jurisdiction to do what when policing the city. "Bondi ordered the mayor and D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith to recognize Terry Cole, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, as the District's 'emergency police commissioner,' empowering him to assume the full powers of the D.C. police chief and issue department policy," reports The Washington Post. Bondi "also ordered the immediate suspension of D.C. police policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities." Both Bowser, a Democrat, and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb have said they will not follow Bondi's orders. "Let us be clear about what the law requires during a Presidential declared emergency: it requires the mayor of Washington, DC to provide the services of the Metropolitan Police Department for federal purposes at the request of the President," said Bowser. "We have followed the law." Schwalb is suing the Trump administration over this, reports Politico. Let us be clear about what the law requires during a Presidential declared emergency: it requires the mayor of Washington, DC to provide the services of the Metropolitan Police Department for federal purposes at the request of the President. We have followed the law. In pic.twitter.com/XfaNqLalFU Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) August 15, 2025 However, "the very law that gave D.C. the right to an elected local government also includes a provision allowing the president to 'direct' the D.C. mayor to provide police services for federal purposes if the president declares an emergencythe provision Trump triggered on Monday," notes the Post. Your tax dollars at work: Though I appreciate the use of DaBaby, and think there's probably some segment of Trump voters this might play well with, both the new livery and the fact that they spent time filming and distributing this video (which goes pretty hard) just indicates that Trump really really cares about the show of it all, the spectacle, the illusion he can create: one of taking matters into his own hands, under his control, being tough on the bad guys. It's sort of a Bukele-esque playbook (though Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's not the first to embrace this aesthetic, he's just one of the first to be so social mediaforward with it), very strongman-coded. Scenes from New York: I kinda love Staten Island, booing Zohran Mamdani out of a restaurant with "there's the communist." BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani get BOOED out of a restaurant in Staten Island. "There's the communist. You are not welcome, you Jew-hating piece of sh*t. You hate this country." pic.twitter.com/59baUscwFW Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) August 14, 2025 QUICK HITS President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are meeting at a summit in Alaska to discuss an end to the war in Ukrainewith no Ukrainian leaders present. "The US president sees any kind of ceasefire in Ukraine as a key objective of the talks. For the Russian leader, getting face time with Trump on American soil without having made any concessions on the war is already a win," sums up Bloomberg. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt oddly called the summit "a listening exercise for the president," while Trump said it was a "feel-out meeting" to understand where Putin's coming from. "The more important meeting will be the second meeting that we're having: We're going to have a meeting with President Putin, President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, myself, and maybe we'll bring some of the European leaders on. Maybe not," he added yesterday. "The final arguments in prominent Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai's national security trial were postponed Friday after his lawyer said the former pro-democracy newspaper founder had experienced heart palpitations and the judges wanted him to receive medical treatment first," reports The Independent. "Lai, the 77-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was arrested in 2020 under a national security law imposed by Beijing following anti-government protests in 2019. He faces charges of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring with others to issue seditious publications. If convicted, he faces up to life imprisonment." More examples of the federal government attempting to get a stake in private companies: The Trump administration is in talks with Intel to have the US government potentially take a stake in the beleaguered chipmaker, helping support the company's effort to expand domestic manufacturing https://t.co/destNZJX6R Bloomberg (@business) August 14, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) on Monday said former President Clinton's alleged ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein should be uncovered during his testimony before members of Congress," reports The Hill. "'Everybody in America wants to know what went on in Epstein Island, and we've all heard reports that Bill Clinton was a frequent visitor there, so he's a prime suspect to be deposed by the House Oversight Committee,' Comer said Monday during an interview on Newsmax." Dark: Disappointing to hear that Finland, education's golden child, is on about the same trajectory of lowered standards - even for the brightest students - as apparently everywhere else. pic.twitter.com/CvL0eQiNma Pamela Hobart (@gtmom) August 14, 2025 Pretty much: The post D.C. Showdown appeared first on Reason.com. NEED TO KNOW A new father died a day after he was allegedly misdiagnosed with tonsillitis Michael Reynolds, 29, actually had the potentially fatal condition epiglottitis, which causes a swelling of the flap at the top of the windpipe He had a seizure at home and later died of cardiac arrest, caused by a lack of oxygen, per his familys law firm, Irwin Mitchell A new father died a day after doctors allegedly misdiagnosed him with tonsillitis. Michael Reynolds, a 29-year-old truck driver, first sought medical care on November 29, 2023, when he complained of a lingering cough and sore throat. He was prescribed a steroid nasal spray and referred for a chest X-ray, according to a statement from the familys law firm, Irwin Mitchell. Michaels condition deteriorated the following day, and he returned to his doctors office, where he saw a different physician. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, Michael said he felt like his throat was closing up, and he was spitting saliva into a bowl because he couldnt swallow. He was allegedly diagnosed with tonsillitis inflammation of the tonsils and prescribed oral antibiotics. The family's law firm alleges it was not made clear to Michael that he should go to the emergency room. After leaving the doctor's office, Michael and his wife, Charlotte, picked up his antibiotics from the pharmacy and returned to their home in Boston, Lincolnshire, in the U.K. Irwin Mitchell / SWNS (From left:) Michael, Jacob, and Charlotte Reynolds. (From left:) Michael, Jacob, and Charlotte Reynolds. The next morning, Michael had a seizure; Charlotte called an ambulance which took him to the hospital, where he died on Dec. 1, 2023. According to Irwin Mitchell, the coroner found that Michael had epiglottitis, which is a swelling of the flap that covers the windpipe. As the Cleveland Clinic explains, its an uncommon condition, most likely caused by a bacterial infection, and shouldnt be treated at home. According to the Clinic, "Its essential to get to the emergency room (ER) immediately if you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of epiglottitis. Epiglottitis is a medical emergency." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The epiglottitis and upper airway obstruction led to Michael's hypoxic cardiac arrest aka, cardiac arrest caused by a lack of oxygen. Per Irwin Mitchell, an inquest into his death found there was a missed opportunity to give Michael robust advice to go to the emergency room, per the coroner, who explained that staff there would likely have been more familiar with the condition. This is a truly tragic case where a young dad has lost his life. Charlotte and the rest of Michaels family are understandably struggling to come to terms with losing him so suddenly and unexpectedly, and under such circumstances, Rosie Charlton, the familys attorney, said. Theyve also had a number of concerns about the events that unfolded in the lead up to Michaels death. Worryingly, the inquest has validated those concerns. Watching Jacob grow up without his daddy by his side is devastating and we miss Michael every single day, Charlotte, whose son is now 3, said in the Irwin Mitchell statement. "Michael meant everything to us and losing him has left a huge hole in our lives that will never go away. We'd do anything to bring him back. Irwin Mitchell / SWNS Michael Reynolds with his son Jacob. Michael Reynolds with his son Jacob. PEOPLE has reached out to Charlotte Reynolds for further 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. Her statement to Irwin Mitchell continued: All I can hope for now is that by sharing our story, it can lead to improvements in care for others and more awareness around the signs of epiglottitis and the need for emergency treatment, as it's something I'd never even heard of before. I wouldn't want anyone going through what we have. Read the original article on People After viral photos showed men grappling with a recently adopted dog, Dallas Animal Services dismissed concerns of mistreatment. Witnesses captured three men manhandling a dog in the Dallas Animal Services parking lot, prompting concerns of mistreatment. But Dallas Animal Services responded that evening, saying police investigated the matter and found no evidence of abuse. Dallas Animal Services (DAS) is aware of photographs circulating on social media regarding the handling of two dogs by adopters in the parking lot, the agency posted to Facebook. Dallas Police Department Animal Cruelty Unit reviewed the incident and found no signs of animal cruelty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dallas Animal Services also said it requested a welfare check from local police near the adopters, but they found no evidence to support any criminal activity related to animal cruelty. The City of Dallas is committed to the safety and well-being of all animals in DAS care and will continue to monitor this situation, the agency wrote. The nonprofit Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation initially posted on August 13, saying three suspicious men had come to the shelter and adopted multiple pit bulls. A group of men came into the shelter behaving suspiciously, showing no real interest in finding loving pets just to get dogs, the nonprofit wrote. Outside, witnesses saw the men manhandle the dogs. Pictures show three men by the back of a pickup truck in the shelter parking lot lifting a dog by his neck and the skin on his back, dragging his face on the tailgate, and shoving him in one of several metal cages. These dogs must be recovered immediately, with welfare checks at any location they may be, the nonprofit wrote. DAS needs to explain why obvious red flags were ignored and dangerous adoptions approved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The post gained hundreds of likes and shares. The Dallas Express reached out to the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation for more information, but did not hear back in time for publication. Dallas detectives recently rescued puppies after stumbling upon a dog-fighting ring, as The Dallas Express previously reported. Dallas Detective Jonathan Sherman said at the time dog fighting had gone underground, making it very difficult to investigate. Dallas Animal Services also recently paused intake for most dogs, due to an outbreak of the serious canine disease distemper. The Dallas Express asked Dallas Animal Services for comment, but Public Information Officer Nick Starling said he had nothing more to add at this time. (Getty Images) It made me want to weep. The grinding decline of the traditional newspaper business continued in an incredibly sad way last week with news that the Brookings Register, Huron Plainsman, Moody County Enterprise and Redfield Press have closed. The papers are/were owned by News Media Corp., based in Illinois. I know very little about that company beyond the fact that it closed four South Dakota papers that mattered, apparently with no advance notice for employees and no continuing health coverage or certainty that the staffers will be paid all of what theyre owed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No time for employees to plan, to seek other work, to set up alternative health insurance or reorganize finances. Just Boom. Were done. Youre done. Good luck. How can people treat other people that way? Apart from everything else, its just shoddy behavior. Cruel, even, although not particularly unusual in the corporate media world of today. Any journalist for any length of time in South Dakota has likely had some contact with one or the other of these four newspapers. Meaningful contact. Here Ill name just a few. My old friend Roger Larsen, a former colleague at the South Dakota State University student newspaper, the Collegian, worked at the Huron Plainsman for more than 40 years, doing the kind of journalism that served the news business and his community well. He did some work at the Brookings Register while in college, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then theres Castlewood farm kid Chuck Raasch, who worked at the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls before heading to the Washington, D.C., area, where he wrote for USA Today, Gannett News Service and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. But his first job out of college was at the Huron Plainsman. He also worked part time at the Brookings Register during his college years. I shot pictures for the Register while I skipped classes at SDSU and worked at the Collegian on campus. And my first full-time news job was as staff photographer at the Register. There I enjoyed working with reporter and Lake Prestons own Rob Swenson, who later worked at the Argus Leader before, during and after I was there. My friend and former Rapid City Journal editor Steve Miller also a Castlewood native worked at the Brookings Register way back when. So did my friend and Lyman County compatriot Noel Hamiel, a newspaper writer, editor and publisher who grew up on a farm a couple of miles down the creek from ours. Like my brother, Terry, and me, Noel found a professional life in covering the news rather than raising grain and cattle. And he began with the Plainsman, which he says opened the door for me in newspapers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My wife, Mary Garrigan, worked as a reporter and editor at several South Dakota papers during her journalism career. But her first newspaper job was at the Brookings Register during her freshman year at SDSU. She worked in the Registers mail room and stuffed a lot of papers back then. My friend and gifted poet Doug Cockrell got some of his words-matter training at the Redfield Press, proving that, yes, journalism and poetry can mix, and probably should. Surely I have a Moody County Enterprise connection. I just cant think of it. These papers helped educate many journalists and gave others their start or years of employment. More importantly, they mattered supremely to their communities by informing, educating, entertaining and holding those in power accountable. At this point, we can only hope the suddenly laid-off employees get their final paychecks and can find affordable health insurance and other journalism jobs, if more journalism is what they want. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The best thing will be if those jobs and those people return to those four papers because someone with vision and financial resources revives them. There is some work going on now to see if thats possible. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX If its not, we can hope that someone comes up with other ways such as the startup publications now operating in other towns and cities or news nonprofits to provide professionally produced journalism to those communities, which they need and deserve. This is important stuff. Each newspaper that closes is a loss to the very foundations of our democracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a lapel pin offered by the South Dakota NewMedia Association reads, Democracy Demands Journalism. Thats especially true at a time when facts and truth are under relentless attack from social-media manipulators and fib-fabricating politicians. So Ill weep for the four papers that closed last week. But Ill also hold out hope that the professional news gap can be filled, one way or another, in those communities and others that have lost their newspapers. Because when real news produced by real-news professionals goes away, the void is usually filled by something that is much less than professional, often wrong and sometimes downright dangerous. And thats bad for our state and our nation. DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) 80 years after an announcement by President Truman changed the United States forever, the Danville National Cemetery is remembering those who served. On August 14, 1945, Japan surrendered and World War II was over. On Thursday, Danville made sure to honor the memory of the veterans who fought in the war. With a 21 gun salute, the Spirit of 45 Commemoration Ceremony began. The day got its name to remember the United States victory over the Axis Powers in 1945. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rantoul Police Dept. warns of fake check scam Everything that they fought for back during World War I and World War II, it had to deal with the freedoms that we get to enjoy today. Theyre the ones that provided for it, theyre the ones that sacrificed it, Illinois State Representative, Brandun Schweizer said. Members of American Legion Danville Post 210 were there helping honor the veterans. There was a rifle ceremony, taps, and a wreath dedication. Every time we come out here, its a humbling experience when we see the family involved, The Director of the Honor Guard for Danvilles American Legion, Jeff Knapp, said. Every time we play taps, it still gets to everybody. Remembering all those who have served in the United States military is personal for Representative Schweizer. As a veteran myself, I think that any time we get to honor veterans, especially those that served in some of the greatest wars, its always an honor to be able to do so, Schweizer said. More than 16 million Americans served in World War II but more than 400,000 never came back. Urbana Police introducing live-response model for crisis team Youre surrounded by many, many headstones out here by veterans that have paid the ultimate sacrifices, Danny Mullins, Danville American Legions commander, said. 2,764 World War II veterans are buried at the Danville National Cemetery. Representative Schweizer said that the celebration that swept across the nation on Aug 14 was for the promise of a better tomorrow and freedom for today. I think we should take every opportunity to be able to do that, Schweizer said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. LEBANON, N.H. (ABC22/FOX44) The only Level I Trauma Center in New Hampshire will soon be looking to care for even more patients in the Upper Valley and beyond. Dartmouth-Hitchock Medical Center (DHMC), according to Dartmouth Health, recently began an expansion, and will be adding six new beds for cardiovascular care. The center in Lebanon is also adding two entire floors to its Patient Pavilion. Once completed, the DHMC Patient Pavilion expansion project will add two new floors to the Pavilion and an expanded 18-bed cardiovascular critical care unit. (Courtesy: Dartmouth Health) The completion of the Patient Pavilion will expand access, improve patient outcomes and elevate the care experience, said Tom Manion, MPA, DHMCs chief operating officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kelly Ayotte announces choice for New Hampshire prison commissioner Not only is the hospital expanding, but it says its also renovating its existing facilities for comfort, efficiency, and the patient and employee experience. DHMC says that the hospital treats more than 800 patients for heart attacks every year, and estimates a mortality rate of under 4 percent. The project is scheduled to be complete in August 2026. 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. The number of data centres in the UK is set to increase by almost a fifth, according to figures shared with BBC News. Data centres are giant warehouses full of powerful computers used to run digital services from movie streaming to online banking - there are currently an estimated 477 of them in the UK. Construction researchers Barbour ABI have analysed planning documents and say that number is set to jump by almost 100, as the growth in artificial intelligence (AI) increases the need for processing power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The majority are due to be built in the next five years. However, there are concerns about the huge amount of energy and water the new data centres will consume. Some experts have warned it could drive up prices paid by consumers. More than half of the new data centres would be in London and neighbouring counties. Many are privately funded by US tech giants such as Google and Microsoft and major investment firms. A further nine are planned in Wales, one in Scotland, five in Greater Manchester and a handful in other parts of the UK, the data shows. While the new data centres are mostly due for completion by 2030, the biggest single one planned would come later - a 10bn AI data centre in Blyth, near Newcastle, for the American private investment and wealth management company Blackstone Group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It would involve building 10 giant buildings covering 540,000 square metres - the size of several large shopping centres - on the site of the former Blyth Power Station. Work is set to begin in 2031 and last for more than three years. Microsoft is planning four new data centres in the UK at a total cost of 330m, with an estimated completion between 2027 and 2029 - two in the Leeds area, one near Newport in Wales, and a five-storey site in Acton, north-west London. And Google is building two data centres, totalling 450m, spread over 400,000 sq m in north-east London in the Lee Valley water system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By some analyses, the UK is already the third-largest nation for data centres behind the US and Germany. The government has made clear it believes data centres are central to the UK's economic future - designating them critical national infrastructure. But there are concerns about their impact, including the potential knock-on effect on people's energy bills. It is not known what the energy consumption of the new centres will be as this data is not included in the planning applications, but US data suggests they are can be considerably more powerful than older ones. Dr Sasha Luccioni, AI and climate lead at machine learning firm Hugging Face, explains that in the US "average citizens in places like Ohio are seeing their monthly bills go up by $20 (15) because of data centres". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said the timeline for the new data centres in the UK was "aggressive" and called for "mechanisms for companies to pay the price for extra energy to power data centres - not consumers". According to the National Energy System Operator, NESO, the projected growth of data centres in Great Britain could "add up to 71 TWh of electricity demand" in the next 25 years, which it says redoubles the need for clean power - such as offshore wind. Bruce Owen, regional president of data centre operator Equinix, said the UK's high energy costs, as well as concerns around lengthy planning processes, were prompting some operators to consider building elsewhere. "If I want to build a new data centre here within the UK, we're talking five to seven years before I even have planning permission or access to power in order to do that," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "So you're starting to see some of these AI workloads move into other countries, where the UK has always been a very important hub." UK deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has overturned some local councils' rejection of planning permission for data centres, citing their importance to the country's infrastructure and the government's growth push. 'Fixated with sustainability' There are also growing concerns about the environmental impact of these enormous buildings. Many existing data centre plants require large quantities of water to prevent them from overheating - and most current owners do not share data about their water consumption. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stephen Hone, chief executive of industry body the Data Centre Alliance, says "ensuring there is enough water and electricity powering data centres isn't something the industry can solve on its own". But he insisted "data centres are fixated with becoming as sustainable as possible", such as through dry-cooling methods. Such promises of future solutions have failed to appease some. In Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, residents are objecting to the construction of a 3.8bn cloud and AI centre on greenbelt land, describing the area as the "lungs" of their home. And in Dublin there is currently a moratorium on the building of any new data centres because of the strain existing ones have placed on Ireland's national electricity provider. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023 they accounted for one fifth of the country's energy demand. Data centres are home to powerful servers for things like streaming, online banking and AI tools [Getty Images] Last month, Anglian Water objected to plans for a 435-acre data centre site in North Lincolnshire. The developer says it aims to deploy "closed loop" cooling systems which would not place a strain on the water supply. The planning documents suggest that 28 of the new data centres would be likely to be serviced by troubled Thames Water, including 14 more in Slough, which has already been described as having Europe's largest cluster of the buildings. The BBC understands Thames Water was talking to the government earlier this year about the challenge of water demand in relation to data centres and how it can be mitigated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Water UK, the trade body for all water firms, said it "desperately" wants to supply the centres but "planning hurdles" need to be cleared more quickly. Ten new reservoirs are being built in Lincolnshire, the West Midlands and south-east England. A spokesperson for the UK government said data centres were "essential" and an AI Energy Council had been established to make sure supply can meet demand, alongside 104bn in water infrastructure investment. Additional reporting by Tommy Lumby [BBC] Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here. It was the most stomach-churning political photograph of the summer. That was until, deliciously, it began to disassemble. David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, fishing with JD Vance, the US vice-president, at the start of the 41-year-olds British vacation. JD had accepted an invitation from Lammy to pop by Chevening, the grace-and-favour house near Sevenoaks in Kent used by foreign secretaries, for a spot of fishing and then tea in the drawing room. I saw the photos and swore I could hear the distinct sounds of gurgling and spluttering, such as emanates from an ancient bathtub as the waters drawn by gravity exit the plughole and descend into the deepest reaches of some ancient plumbing system. That was, in fact, the hideous noise of Lammy sucking up to Vance. Lammy is on that revolting conveyor belt of nauseating genuflection with which the Trump administration has managed to bewitch the world. Lets hope it doesnt spread farther than the Trumpaline circus. God forbid youre in a rural pub, you hear an American voice and suddenly start fawning over the brash tourists, telling them how much you love their movies, cars, doughnuts and grande lattes and before you know it youve lent them your fishing rod. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not that David Lammy is a fisherman. That much is clear from the photographs, as he stands by the 18th-century-constructed ornamental lake holding a rod like a man clutching a saucepan whos lost an oven. Neither is he dressed for the part, in comfy black shoes, beige trousers and dark blue shirt. Vance at least looks like he couldnt give a damn a stance and attitude that appears to serve him well. And theyre standing far too close together, of course. You dont fish like that. Fishing is solitary. Or you fish while your pal sits on the bank eating a sandwich. And only weirdos fish for carp in ornamental lakes. Muddy carp arent nice on toast, so its not worth their torture of being caught. The only people who fish for carp in Britain are illegal eastern European migrants who are fed up with being arrested for catching swans. Thus, the flunkies set up the photo. And Lammy does his gruelling best-buddies-with-Vance act, which must sit so deeply uncomfortably with him. Hes a man, after all, most at home in front of a radio microphone, mouthing off about Right-wing monstrosities. He was lucky, though, to be given the mouthpiece of LBC, as his garbled rantings were little better than the spewings I used to listen to that emanated from the pirate radio stations of west London. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Except that Lammy, ex-SOAS London and a spell at Harvard, always dreamt of bigger things. Which, unfortunately, were finally gifted to him by a catalogue of shambolic Conservative administrations and a fed-up and gullible electorate. While he might be more comfortable parading about a stately palace, he now plays the man of the people. And theres no more blokey accoutrement than the fishing rod. Rod in hand, the angler takes to the bank to engage in that most pointless of exploits: to catch and release fish. He returns home for his tea with nothing for the table but tales of weather and traffic congestion. Lammys fishing stunt attempts two things: hands across the Atlantic and to pose as a country person. One wonders, as Vance prepared for his trip to the Cotswolds and then Scotland, whether Lammy added some factual context to where he would be staying in the ensuing days. Perhaps, as his vulgar cortege passed Banbury, he could look in on the Carrdus, a magnificently old-fashioned English boarding school that Lammy and his chums managed to recently shut down through their infantile VAT raid on private English education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Or he could stop by at any number of farms and see how the Labour Partys policies on inheritance tax, its lack of interest in food security and general ambivalence to farming are wrecking the sector. Or, indeed, he could have a tour of all the country pubs that are closing, taxed out of existence by this Government. Perhaps he could highlight the fields across which, thanks to Labour, a persons freedom to ride to hounds following a trail is fast disappearing. And indeed the copses, woods and forests in and around which if Labour get their way folk with shotguns will no longer be able to harness a pheasant or a partridge for their cooking pot. Lammy limply dangles his rod into the weedy waters of the Chevening lake and shows not just the hypocrisy of his country chap stance but also his complete ignorance of country law and rites. For as we now gloriously and exquisitely know, Lammy was fishing without a licence. Such is the stranglehold of British nanny-statism, that once youre over the age of 13, you cannot fish even on private land without a licence. Grease up to your bombastic, bearded US buddies, rods in hand, and along will come the Environment Agency threatening a 2,500 fine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Imagine the backstage scrambling once news of this gaffe emerged, the flunkies and flunkettes despatched to make good, the statement then issued saying that Lammy had referred himself to the environment watchdog and that licences were subsequently purchased retrospectively. And theres Vance, tucked up in the Cotswolds and musing on modern Britain, where we tear down statues, limit free speech and where you need a licence to not catch fish. His rural disaster now framed in glorious technicolour, Lammy has doubtless made a hasty retreat to the Smoke as far away as possible from lakes, rods and muddy carp. 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. An investigation conducted by the World Economic Forum's board on Friday cleared the body's founder Klaus Schwab and his wife of wrongdoing, after a probe into whistleblower complaints. "Following a thorough review of all facts, the Board has concluded that ... there is no evidence of material wrongdoing by Klaus Schwab," the board announced. In April, the Wall Street Journal reported that an anonymous letter sent to the prestigious institution's board of directors accused Schwab and his wife Hilde of mixing their personal affairs with Forum resources without proper oversight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for Schwab had immediately denied all these accusations, but the 87-year-old said he would step down as head of the WEF. The board of the WEF, best known for its annual summit for political and business elites in the luxury Swiss ski resort of Davos, asked a law firm to carry out an independent probe of the allegations. "Minor irregularities, stemming from blurred lines between personal contributions and Forum operations, reflect deep commitment rather than intent of misconduct," the statement said. "The Board has taken action to address all issues identified throughout the investigation, including strengthening the governance in general." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also on Friday, the WEF said it will be replacing former Nestle CEO Peter Brabeck-Letmathe as interim chairman of the board. He is being replaced by the billionaire duo of Larry Finck, the American co-founder of the investment fund Blackrock, and Andre Hoffmann, the Swiss vice-chairman of the pharmaceutical group Roche, according to a separate statement. The letter alleged Schwab had asked junior employees to withdraw "thousands of dollars" from ATMs for him and used organisation funds to pay for massages during hotel stays. But the probe found nothing improper in his conduct. Schwab was born in Ravensburg, Germany, on March 30, 1938. He was married with two children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was a professor of business management at the University of Geneva, where he taught until 2003, when in the early 1970s he launched the "European Management Forum," the precursor to the current Forum. He expanded it by inviting American business leaders, successfully building a huge network of the world's economic and political elite, transforming the event into a major high-level international gathering dedicated to business relations and the exchange of ideas. The Forum's success has led to the satirical concept of "Davos Man", the supposed avatar of a globalised elite of the stateless ultra-rich committed to free trade and high-minded seminars on corporate social responsibility. Like other international organisations, the WEF has spurred conspiracy theories alleging that it was seeking to establish a "new world order". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elon Musk, the world's richest man and once an influential member of US President Donald Trump's inner circle, accused Schwab on his social media platform X of wanting to "be the emperor of the Earth." vog/gv/dc (KTLA) Several dozen people gathered outside a Home Depot in Monrovia, California, on Thursday evening to protest federal immigration raids, including one that led to the death of a day labor hours earlier, according to witnesses. Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik said the man was fleeing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at the Home Depot on Thursday morning. Witnesses said they saw him run across the stores parking lot and onto the eastbound 210 Freeway, where he was struck by an SUV and killed. Teen with disabilities reportedly detained by ICE outside L.A. school Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not respond to a request for more information from Nexstars KTLA. But a representative told the Los Angeles Times that the man was not being pursued by their agents when he ran onto the freeway. Authorities investigate the death of a man who ran onto the 210 Freeway in Monrovia, California, on Aug. 14, 2025. (@wackoefilms) Anti-ICE demonstrators are seen outside a Home Depot in Monrovia, California, on Aug. 14, 2025. Protesters at Thursdays event, however, believed the mans death was a direct result of ICE raids like the one in Monrovia. I was heartbroken, said Selene Lockerbie, who attended Thursdays protest. I feel like Monrovia was violated to know that a man lost his life today just trying to work. Just trying to take care of himself and his family. Karen Suarez, another demonstrator, said she consoled the victims daughter at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I just went up to her and said, Im really sorry about your dad. She was so shaken up, Suarez told KTLAs Sandra Mitchell. Immigrant advocates say 13 people were detained by federal agents during Thursdays raid. Several were also injured, according to Pablo Alvarado from the National Day Laborer Union. Theyre afraid of going to the clinics and hospitals, so were going to make sure theres a doctor who comes to see them, said Alvarado. The first thing is humanity of people. National Guard rehearsed show of force against immigration raid protesters, general testifies The Trump Administrations crackdown on illegal immigration in Southern California shows no sign of slowing, despite frequent protests and outrage expressed by local, state and federal lawmakers, largely Democrats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also on Thursday, approximately 100 federal agents conducted a sweep in L.A.s Little Tokyo neighborhood where California Gov. Gavin Newsom held a news conference to promote his plan to redraw the states congressional districts in response to Texas Republicans plan to do the same. 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. Several dozen people gathered outside a Home Depot in Monrovia, California, on Thursday evening to protest federal immigration raids including one that apparently led to the death of a day laborer hours earlier. Witnesses say the man fled across the stores parking lot and onto the eastbound 210 Freeway, where he was struck by an SUV and killed. I was heartbroken, said Selene Lockerbie, who attended Thursdays protest. I feel like Monrovia was violated to know that a man lost his life today just trying to work, just trying to take care of himself and his family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Karen Suarez, another demonstrator, said she consoled the victims daughter at the scene. I just went up to her and said, Im really sorry about your dad. She was so shaken up, Suarez told KTLAs Sandra Mitchell. Authorities investigate the death of a man who ran onto the 210 Freeway in Monrovia, California, on Aug. 14, 2025. (@wackoefilms) Anti-ICE demonstrators are seen outside a Home Depot in Monrovia, California, on Aug. 14, 2025. Immigrant advocates say 13 people were detained by federal agents during Thursdays raid. Several were also injured, according to Pablo Alvarado from the National Day Laborer Union. Theyre afraid of going to the clinics and hospitals, so were going to make sure theres a doctor who comes to see them, said Alvarado. The first thing is humanity of people. The Department of Homeland Security insists the victim was not chased onto the freeway by its officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This individual was not being pursued by any DHS law enforcement, a spokesperson told KTLA 5 News on Friday. We do not know their legal status. We were not aware of this incident or notified by California Highway Patrol until hours after operations in the area had concluded. The Trump administrations crackdown on illegal immigration in Southern California shows no sign of slowing, despite frequent protests and outrage expressed by local, state and federal lawmakers, largely Democrats. Also on Thursday, approximately 100 federal agents conducted a sweep in L.A.s Little Tokyo neighborhood where California Gov. Gavin Newsom held a news conference to promote his plan to redraw the states congressional districts in response to Texas Republicans plan to do the same. Nidia Becerra contributed to this report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. The years-long struggle to decide whether or not to lock the clock is continuing in the halls of Congress, meaning as of August 2025, we will still fall back in a few months. When it comes to daylight saving time, an overwhelming amount of lawmakers and the public can agree on one thing: re-setting clocks twice a year is tedious and disturbs our sleep patterns. A hot point of debate when it comes to the time change, though, is which way it should stay year-round: Should we enjoy extra daylight hours in the morning or the evening? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres when the next time change is and a little history about the origin of daylight saving time. When is daylight saving time? Here's when to 'fall back' in 2025 Is Trump ending daylight saving time? Did the Sunshine Protection Act get passed? The president doesnt have the sole power to abolish or permanently instate daylight saving time. Its ultimately up to Congress whether or not to stop the time change. And individual states cant decide to abolish DST observance without Congressional approval. Nearly 20 states have passed legislation in recent years to support getting rid of the time change, but the debate is divided on whether there should be more daylight hours during the morning or the evening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump expressed support for keeping daylight saving time hours as recently as April, calling it very popular, though he has also referred to the move as a 50-50 issue, according to USA TODAY. Legislation surrounding keeping daylight saving time has been batted around the halls of Congress for years. Florida has tried several times to make DST permanent with the proposed federal Sunshine Protection Act, which has been introduced to Congress multiple times since 2018 most recently in 2025 without being passed. What does DST mean? Is it daylight saving or savings? DST is an abbreviation for daylight saving time. Many people pluralize the phrase to say daylight savings time. The correct way to spell and say it is daylight saving time. When is daylight saving time? When the time changes in 2025 The next time change is coming up in November, which sounds far away, but is creeping up in a little less than three months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Daylight saving time for 2025 began at 2 a.m. EDT on Sunday, March 9, 2025. It will end when we fall back again at 2 a.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. What was the original purpose of daylight saving time? Although the earliest known proposal to save daylight came from Benjamin Franklin's An Economical Project, in 1784, he's not the reason we observe the time change today. According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, the first true proponent of daylight saving time was a London builder named William Willet, who "noticed that the shutters of houses were tightly closed even though the sun had risen" while he was riding his horse on an early morning in 1907. "Willet spent a small fortune lobbying businessmen, members of Parliament, and the U.S. Congress to put clocks ahead 20 minutes on each of the four Sundays in April and reverse the process on consecutive Sundays in September. But his proposal was met mostly with ridicule," the almanac says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It wasn't until World War I that countries started adopting the concept to conserve fuel and resources. The Germans were the first to adopt the system in 1915, Britain followed in 1916 and the U.S. started observing the time change in 1918, when Congress passed its "Standard Time Act" that established time zones. "Many Americans viewed the practice as an absurd attempt to make late sleepers get up early. Others thought following 'clock time' was unnatural instead of 'sun time.' A columnist in the Saturday Evening Post offered this alternative: 'Why not save summer by having June begin at the end of February?'" according to the almanac. "The matter took on new meaning in April 1917, when President Woodrow Wilson declared war. Suddenly, energy conservation was paramount, and several efforts were launched to enlist public support for changing the clocks." A common daylight saving time misconception is that it was created to help farmers have more daylight hours to complete their work outdoors. But the opposite is actually true. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time daylight saving time was adopted in the U.S. during World War I farmers were the strongest opponents of this time change. They didn't like having to do their early-morning farm chores in the dark. "Many Americans wrongly point to farmers as the driving force behind Daylight Saving Time. In fact, farmers were its strongest opponents and, as a group, stubbornly resisted the change from the beginning," according to the almanac. "When the war ended, the farmers and working-class people who had held their tongues began speaking out. They demanded an end to Daylight Saving Time, claiming it benefited only office workers and the leisure class. The controversy spotlighted the growing gap between rural and urban dwellers." This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Time change 2025: Here's when we fall back, daylight saving time ends Officials in Washington, D.C., sued the Trump administration on Friday, claiming the presidents federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department this week is as unlawful abuse of the Home Rule Act. We are suing to block the federal government takeover of D.C. police. By illegally declaring a takeover of MPD, the administration is abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said in a statement. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule D.C. has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it. More from TheWrap Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schwalb is seeking an emergency restraining order to ensure governing powers remain in the districts hands. The administrations actions are brazenly unlawful. They go well beyond the bounds of the presidents limited authority and instead seek a hostile takeover of MPD. They infringe on the districts right to self-governance and put the safety of D.C. residents and visitors at risk, his statement continued. This is an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home. Our office will go to court to defend Home Rule, block the unlawful orders, and maintain MPD under district control. We have no choice but to stand up for D.C. residents rights and safety. While Trump signed the executive order to make our capital great again with National Guard troops on Monday, Schwalbs update notably comes a day after AG Pam Bondi effectively made DEA boss Terry Cole acting police chief. Meanwhile, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a statement of her own late Thursday, saying, Let us be clear about what the law requires during a presidential-declared emergency: it requires the mayor of Washington, D.C., to provide the services of the Metropolitan Police Department for federal purposes at the request of the president. We have followed the law. In reference to the U.S. attorney generals order, there is no statute that conveys the districts personnel authority to a federal official. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps move echoes his similar tactics when deploying the National Guard to Los Angeles back in June and July amid ICE protests, much to the disapproval of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. The post DC Attorney General Sues Trump Over Unlawful Washington Takeover: The Gravest Threat appeared first on TheWrap. Homeless camps in Washington, D.C., have been cleared in President Donald Trumps crime-fighting takeover as Attorney General Pam Bondi replaced the citys police commissioner with the Drug Enforcement Administration chief. Trump announced Monday he was placing the D.C. police department under direct federal control and deploying the National Guard to rescue our nations capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor, and worse, despite violent crime declining in recent years. Mayor Muriel Bowser has criticized the federal takeover, calling the move unsettling and unprecedented, and even authoritarian. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Troops started hitting the streets of Washington Tuesday evening, and by Thursday, all 800 soldiers that had been deployed were mobilized, The New York Times reported, citing the Pentagon. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has criticized the federal takeover, calling the move unsettling and unprecedented, and even authoritarian. (Getty Images) Also on Thursday, Bondi named DEA head Terry Cole as D.C.s emergency police commissioner. With Cole in this role, local police must get his approval before issuing any orders. Some of D.C.s homeless population started to pack up their belongings Thursday as they braced for encampment sweeps. An earth mover was seen scooping away the remains of encampments near the Institute of Peace building, the Associated Press reported. Homeless camps in Washington, D.C., have been cleared in President Donald Trumps crime-fighting takeover (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) Volunteers help people take down their tents and collect their belongings as D.C. city workers conduct a sweep of a homeless encampment in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) Members of the citys Health and Human Services department began clearing an encampment near the Kennedy Center Thursday morning, perThe Washington Post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Id like to invite the president to spend some time here in a tent with us, William Wilson, 66, told the publication, adding, Were nice people. On Sunday, Trump wrote on Truth Social, "The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. "We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don't have to move out. We're going to put you in jail where you belong, he said. Trump wrote on Truth Social, "The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. (Getty Images) Roughly 70 homeless encampments in D.C. have been removed since March, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Homelessness has decreased by 9 percent since 2024, according to a May press release from Bowser. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While outreach workers have helped the homeless population pack up their belongings, issues are being raised about what happens next for these people. Trump announced Monday he was placing the D.C. police department under direct federal control and deploying the National Guard to rescue our nations capital from crime, despite violent crime declining in recent years (REUTERS) Amber Harding, executive director of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, told The Washington Post, Shelters have a two-bag maximum, so people might not want to go to a shelter if they dont want to throw away their stuff that cant fit into two bags. Harding also pointed to the location of the government shelters as another issue, since they are not downtown. That means people will have to be transported there, which means moving away from where they are currently staying, from the people they know and the places where they are currently getting services, she said. PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) Police in Prince Georges County announced Friday that they arrested a man in connection with a shooting that left a Washington, D.C. man dead last month in Oxon Hill. The Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD) was first called to the 5100 block of Indian Head Highway at about 8:20 p.m. on July 12. There, they found 31-year-old Deon Damien Thomas of D.C. had been shot. He died at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Investigation underway after man shot, killed in Prince Georges County A surveillance video reportedly captured the suspect walking away from the scene right after the shooting. The suspect was arrested just over a month later and charged with Thomas murder. He was identified as 45-year-old Daniel William Jackson, also of Washington, D.C. 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. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) A 25-year-old man was found guilty Thursday in the attack and robbery of his former employer, according to the United States Attorneys Office (USAO) for the District of Columbia. Stephon Martin, of Washington, D.C., was convicted of robbery while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and felony destruction of property. According to court documents, in October 2024, Martin was working as a cashier at a tobacco store in Northwest, but was eventually laid off due to budget constraints. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DC man charged in deadly Oxon Hill shooting last month When confronted with the news, Martin reacted with extreme violence and began to attack his boss. During the attack, court documents said Martin took cash from his boss and left the store for 30 minutes before re-entering using his employee key. Court documents said Martin proceeded to beat his boss once again, smashing a wooden board over his boss head and taking money from the cash register. Martin left the store with a shelving unit that contained thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. He is set to be sentenced on Nov. 7, 2025. 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. WASHINGTON (AP) DC police chief says Trump administration order to upend command structure would be 'dangerous' threat to law and order. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is looking for two men related to an armed carjacking in Northeast D.C. MPD officers responded on July 27, around 9:30 p.m., to the 3700 block of Minnesota Ave. NE for a reported armed carjacking. Officers learned that two people had approached the victim, who was sitting in his parked car. Both of the suspects had guns and demanded that the victim get out of the car. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim did so, and then one of the suspects hit him in the head with a gun. The two suspects then left in the victims car. MPD said that officials have since found the car. Navy Yard Juvenile Curfew extending through weekend Surveillance cameras captured the suspects. MPD shared the following photos of them. (Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Police Department) Anyone with any information is asked to call 202-727-9099 or text 50411. 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. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has moved to rescind new guidelines issued by D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith to enable greater collaboration between local police and ICE agents as part of President Donald Trumps urban crime crackdown. On Thursday, an executive order from Smith said Metropolitan Police Department officers could assist ICEs crackdown on undocumented migrants by sharing information about persons not in MPD custody and providing transportation for federal immigration agency employees and detained subjects. However, it also stated that members shall not make any inquiry through any database solely for the purpose of inquiring about an individuals immigration status and shall not arrest individuals based solely on federal immigration warrants or detainers as long as there is no additional crime warrant or underlying offense for which the individual is subject to arrest. Attorney General Pam Bondi has assumed control of policing in Washington, D.C., after President Donald Trump moved to federalize law enforcement on Monday (AP) Bondi who was handed ultimate responsibility for the MPD after Trump invoked Section 740 of the Home Rule Act on Monday to federalize D.C. law enforcement has now moved to remove those instructions, clearing the way for officers to help ICE by searching databases and carrying out arrests after all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, a letter sent to Smith from District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb, posted to social media by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Thursday evening, argued that Bondis directives were not consistent with federal law. It is my opinion that the Bondi Order is unlawful, and that you are not legally obligated to follow it, Schwalb told Smith, adding that police officers in the capital must continue to follow her orders and not the order of any official not appointed by the mayor. Bondi also moved on Thursday to clear out the citys homeless encampments and appoint Drug Enforcement Administration chief Terry Cole as D.C.s new emergency police commissioner. The upheaval comes after Trump took over D.C. law enforcement while insisting the nations capital city is overrun by violent street crime despite the official statistics suggesting offenses are actually at a 30-year low. His opponents calling the move a distraction tactic. Federal agents on patrol in D.C. on Thursday evening (Reuters) The National Guard, alongside agents from the FBI, DEA, and Homeland Security, were dispatched to the streets of Washington to patrol its historic landmarks, including the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their presence has not been entirely welcomed, however, with traffic stops in the northwest of the city greeted by protests from around 100 members of the public on Wednesday evening. Some of the protesters chanted, Go home, fascists! while others held aloft signs that read, Police checkpoint ahead and ICE, to warn approaching drivers about the active checkpoint. Mayor Bowser has also criticized the Trump administrations actions, saying they illustrate precisely why she believes the district should be granted statehood and called them an authoritarian push. Washington officials are suing the Trump administration over what they call a baseless power grab after the Department of Justice ordered a new emergency head of District police. "By illegally declaring a takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law, Schwalb wrote in an X post Friday. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule DC has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it. The lawsuit, filed in federal court , warns that the attempted takeover could wreak operational havoc on the Metropolitan Police Department because of the confusion about who has operational control. The citys lawyers say the push by President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi violates the law in multiple ways exceeding the presidents legal power to intervene in city affairs and rescinding policies adopted by local government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre asking a federal judge to immediately rescind Bondis attempted takeover and effort to rewrite Washington police policies, declaring them to be unlawful. Its unclear how quickly a judge will act, but the emergency nature of the filing could lead to proceedings as soon as Friday. The suit is the biggest pushback from city officials since Trump invoked a provision of the Home Rule Act the 1970s law that allows for limited self-governance by Washingtons government that allows the president to direct the Metropolitan Police Departments services to address special conditions of an emergency nature. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, a Biden appointee known for her take-no-prisoners approach from the bench. Reyes, most notably, blocked Trumps transgender military ban before her injunction was paused by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Amid the litigation, the Justice Department filed a complaint against Reyes for her pointed comments to government attorneys though she at times also praised their advocacy and made similarly pointed comments to lawyers for the transgender service members. In a declaration accompanying the citys bid for an immediate restraining order, D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said the administrations gambit is endangering the safety of the public and law enforcement officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive. The suit underscores that no president in history has invoked the authority to manage the citys police department. And the citys lawyers say the presidents power to do so requires cooperation between city officials and the federal government, not a hostile takeover. Bondi on Thursday issued an order that directed Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole to assume all the powers and duties of the city's police chief as the new "Emergency Police Commissioner," effective immediately. Bondis order also purported to rescind or suspend several Washington police orders including one issued by Smith earlier on Thursday that allowed for limited cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and Schwalb both Democrats elected by Washington residents insisted late Thursday that Bondi could not legally disrupt the typical chain of command for MPD officers by requiring them to report to Cole. Therefore, members of MPD must continue to follow your orders and not the orders of any official not appointed by the Mayor, Schwalb wrote in a letter Thursday to Smith that was circulated by Bowser. Regardless of the Bondi order, no official other than you may exercise all the powers and duties of the Chief of Police. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Democrats' attempts to "stifle" Bondi's orders are "par for the course" for the party. The Trump Administration has the lawful authority to assert control over the D.C. Police, which is necessary due to the emergency that has arisen in our Nations Capital as a result of failed leadership," Jackson said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Department of Justice spokesperson declined to comment. Trump on Monday issued an executive order invoking the Home Rule Act, insisting that the District was overrun by violence. He also deployed the National Guard to the city. But before Bondis order Thursday looking to replace the MPD chief, city officials have largely limited their criticism of the Trump administration, noting that Washington was in a fairly unique situation that gave the federal government broad powers and authorities. The feds have an outsize role in D.C., we all know that, Bowser told POLITICO Wednesday morning. Right now, having a surge of officers enhances our MPD forces on a temporary basis. Were going to stay focused on hiring more MPD or, when this temporary surge is over, figuring out more permanent partnerships to tap into when we need a surge of officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Trumps Monday press conference went far beyond what his executive order said, with the president saying his administration would take our capital back. Giving us additional resources is a good thing, but thats also quite different than federalizing our police force, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson said Wednesday in an interview. Donald Trump is not going to tell our police how to police. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have introduced dueling legislation over Trump's moves. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) announced a resolution Friday to grant Trump "the authority to maintain federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, D.C. for as long as necessary to restore law and order." Democratic lawmakers also introduced a joint resolution Friday to terminate the administrations control of D.C. police by voiding Trumps proclamation of a crime emergency in Washington. But without control of either chamber of Congress, the effort among Democrats is almost certainly futile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has made clear that his efforts in D.C., where 700,000 taxpaying American citizens lack the protections of statehood, are part of a broader plan to militarize and federalize the streets of cities around America whose citizens voted against him, said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) in his statement. Hailey Fuchs and Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report. The D.C. attorney general on Friday sued the Trump administration over its federal takeover of the D.C. police force and its deployment of national guard troops into the city, arguing that the effort is "unlawful" and exceeds Trump's authority as commander in chief. The lawsuit, filed Friday by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, challenges Trump's executive order to temporarily federalize D.C. under Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act, and Attorney General Pam Bondi's more recent order Thursday that seeks to install the DEA head as the emergency commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force arguing the moves are unprecedented, "brazenly unlawful," and could "wreak operational havoc" on the Metropolitan Police Department. In the filing, submitted to federal court in D.C., Schwalb urged the court to block both of the administration's orders, stating that the Trump administration's temporary takeover of D.C. police under Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act "does not authorize this brazen usurpation of the Districts authority over its own government." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They infringe on the Districts right to self-governance and put the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk." he said. Shelters, Jesus, And Miss Pac-man: Us Judge Grills Doj Over Trans Policy In Dizzying Line Of Questioning Schwalb also asked the court to grant emergency relief in the form of a temporary restraining order, or TRO, that would block Trump's order from taking force immediately while the court considers the merits of the case. Read On The Fox News App The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, a Biden appointee, who in turn ordered both parties to appear in court Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. to weigh the emergency request. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The position is likely to land Reyes, who also presided over a lawsuit involving Trump's ban on transgender service members, back in Trump's crosshairs for the second time in less than eight months. Reyes issued a preliminary injunction blocking Trump's ban on transgender service members from taking force, prompting Trump allies to label her as an "activist" judge, even after the injunction was overturned by a higher court. The Justice Department also filed a misconduct complaint against Reyes earlier this year, citing her remarks towards government lawyers. Reyes has something of a reputation for her sharp, fast-paced style of questioning, however, and employed it readily as she grilled lawyers for the plaintiffs as well. The chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Sri Srinivasan, has never taken action on the complaint. Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said in a court filing Friday that Trump's order is "endangering the safety of the public and law enforcement officers." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive," she said in the court filing seeking emergency intervention. The lawsuit comes five days after Trump issued an executive order to temporarily federalize D.C., which he described as an effort to "reestablish law order and public safety" and temporarily federalize the city, which he described Monday as "one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world." That order included deploying hundreds of D.C. National Guard troops into the city, and temporarily taking federal control of D.C.'s police force. Trump Is Threatening To 'Federalize' Dc With National Guard And More. Here's How That Could Play Out White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House on Apr. 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. On Thursday, Bondi expanded on that effort by ordering the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Terry Cole, be installed as the "emergency" commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force, sidelining current Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, infringing on the Districts right to self-governance and putting the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk," Schwalb said in a statement Friday. "The Administrations unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home," he added. "This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it." The lawsuit caps a heated week in the nations capital, as President Donald Trump and White House officials have assailed what they describe as a "ridiculous" amount of crime in D.C. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told NewsNation in an interview earlier this week that Washington, D.C., "is more violent than Baghdad." They have alleged recent data which found a 26% decline in violent crime between 2023 and 2024 has been "manipulated" or underreported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just hours earlier, the Trump-linked America First Legal Foundation (AFL) filed a FOIA request seeking all crime records and data compiled by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, as part of an effort to scrutinize information and crime statistics at issue. Meanwhile, critics have excoriated Trumps executive order, which they argue is not based on an uptick in crime or an "emergency" but rather, serves as justification for the administration to push through its sweeping executive action outside the normal policymaking process. Norm Eisen, the former White House ethics czar under President Barack Obama, told reporters Thursday that Trumps order in D.C. is the latest in a "pattern of assaults on the rule of law" in his second term as president. Trump "has declared a fake emergency" in D.C., Eisen said. "There is no emergency upon which this action with MPD or the federal military is predicated" in D.C., Eisen said. "In fact, crime has been dropping in D.C." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Exclusive: Trump-aligned Legal Group Files Foia Request For Dc Crime Data, Citing Alleged Manipulation The E. Barrett Prettyman United States Court House is seen early morning on Dec. 10, 2024, in Washington, DC. Trump in March signed an executive order, "Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force," designed to address issues with a city he has long derided as "filthy," "horribly run" and "crime-ridden," among other things. "We want to have a great, safe capital," he told reporters earlier this year. "And were going to have it. And that includes cleanliness, and it includes other things." Original article source: 'Brazenly unlawful': DC officials escalate fight with Trump over police takeover Attorney General Pam Bondi has returned control of the D.C. police to its chief after the city sued President Donald Trump over his hostile takeover. Bondi on Thursday ordered Chief Pamela A. Smith to be replaced with Terry Cole, who is the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, as the citys emergency police commissioner. She also suspended D.C. policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The attorney general for Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit Friday, challenging the presidents executive actions asserting his control over the capital citys police and the administration's attempts to install a new police chief and nullify laws enacted by city officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After an emergency court hearing on Friday, the Trump administration agreed to roll back the order to allow D.C.s government and Smith to retain control over its police department. In the revised order, Bondi named Cole her designee during the federal takeover to direct Mayor Muriel Bowser to provide such services of the Metropolitan Police Department ... as the Attorney General deems necessary and appropriate. Donald Trump is facing a federal lawsuit from top DC officials accusing him of grave overreach by federalizing the citys local police department and appointing an emergency chief (Getty) When announcing her new directive, Bondi aired out her frustrations with D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb. Unfortunately, the D.C. Attorney General continues to oppose our efforts to improve public safety in Washington, D.C., she wrote on X. We remain committed to working closely with Mayor Bowser, who is dedicated to ensuring the safety of residents, workers, and visitors in Washington, D.C. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legal challenge against the administrations efforts to federalize D.C.s police remains ongoing. The lawsuit which names Trump, Bondi, the Department of Justice and other administration officials and agencies asks a federal judge to find the administrations actions unconstitutional and violations of the citys Home Rule Act. By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, infringing on the districts right to self-governance and putting the safety of D.C. residents and visitors at risk, Schwalb said in a statement. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it, Schwalb said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bondi had also ordered the immediate suspension of city policies limiting inquiries into immigration status and preventing arrests based solely on federal immigration warrants. That challenge is ongoing. Schwalb called the directives unlawful and said police must continue to follow your orders and not the orders of any official not appointed by the mayor, setting up what is likely to be a high-wire legal battle over one of the most far-reaching extensions of federal power in the citys half-century of local control. After Fridays hearing, Schwalb said chief Smith remains in control of the police department under the supervision of our mayor, marking a very important win in the citys brewing legal battle. On Monday, Trump invoked a never-before-used authority to seize control of the citys police department for at least 30 days as he deployed the National Guard and surged federal law enforcement officers to the streets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He declared what he called a crime emergency to justify the move, saying his administration must rescue the city from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse. He claimed the city is overrun with bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people, though reports of violent crime in the city have plummeted, along with national downward trends of violent crime rates. Since it was enacted federally in 1973, the Home Rule Act has delegated the citys day-to-day operations to the municipal government run by the mayors office and city council. Trump has repeatedly threatened to put D.C. under total control, and critics have warned that his latest maneuvers imperil what autonomy it has left. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bondis order purports to effect a complete takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department and installs a handpicked federal official as chief of police with sweeping power to issue commands, according to Schwalbs lawsuit. Her directive also purports to suspend policies she dislikes, impose enforcement policies she favors, and rescind any existing orders that stand in the way, the suit added. In short, it attempts to divest the District and its residents of any control of their local police force and place it, for all purposes, under the control of the federal government, according to the lawsuit. On August 11, Trump federalized DCs locally run Metropolitan Police Department for at least 30 days as the administration targets the Democratic-run capital city over what it falsely characterizes as high violent crime rates (Reuters) D.C.s so-called sanctuary policies intended to protect immigrant communities were passed into law by the city council. The president cannot unilaterally overturn local laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The citys Home Rule charter does not authorize this brazen usurpation of its authority, the suit says. These unlawful assertions of authority will create immediate, devastating, and irreparable harms, including threatening to upend the command structure of the citys police and wreak operational havoc within the department, according to the suit. There is no greater risk to public safety than not knowing who is in command, it adds. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement to The Independent that the Trump administration has the lawful authority to assert control over the D.C. Police, which is necessary due to the emergency that has arisen in our Nations Capital as a result of failed leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Democrats efforts to stifle this tremendous progress are par for the course for the Defund the Police, Criminals-First Democrat Party, she said. Civil rights advocacy groups are backing the move from Schwalbs office. Declaring a fake emergency and placing our capital city under what looks like a military occupation has furthered the dystopian reality of this moment, said Lisa Gilbert with democracy advocacy group Public Citizen, which has launched a wave of litigation against the Trump administration. Donald Trump is an authoritarian president who is intent on dismantling the core safeguards of power-sharing in our democracy, and his actions must be resisted by every American of conscience. President Donald Trump said a new directive allowing the Metropolitan Police Department to disclose information to federal immigration authorities about those they pull over at traffic stops is a step in the right direction and signaled that other cities could also face a similar policy. The order, which Police Chief Pamela Smith approved Thursday, comes as Trump moved to federalize the nations capitals police force and mobilize 800 National Guard troops to address crime in Washington. "What you're saying is that it was a very positive thing," Trump told reporters about the new order Thursday. "When they stop people, they find they're illegal, they report them, they give them to us, etc., that's a very positive thing." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Vows To Be 'Force Multipliers' Of Dc Police President Donald Trump said a new directive allowing the Metropolitan Police Department to disclose information to federal immigration authorities about those they pull over at traffic stops is a step in the right direction. "I have heard that it just happened," Trump said. "That's a great step. That's a great step if they're doing that. Yeah. I think that's going to happen all over the country. We want to stop crime. I think if the Democrats aren't strong on this issue, they won't be able to do it." The order means that Metropolitan Police can share details about their interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Read On The Fox News App In addition to Trump, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem also hailed the new order a success earlier Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "That means that as soon as they encounter somebody who is committing a crime, they will share that with ICE and we will be able to get those illegal criminals out of this country and well make America safer," Noem told Fox News Thursday. Trump Takes Control Of Metro Police, Deploys National Guard To Take On Washington Crime Now that the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington has been federalized, it remains under the authority of Attorney General Pam Bondi. A temporary federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department is permitted under emergency circumstances. However, Trump's move will likely be challenged in court over whether the situation in Washington qualifies as an emergency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement National Guard troops started to arrive in Washington Wednesday. These troops are reserve forces that respond to state and federal operations, typically in accordance with orders from their state governments. Trump has deviated from the norm though, and mobilized National Guard troops from California to respond to immigration riots in June. By doing so, he bypassed California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Trump Threatens To Federalize Dc After Ex-doge Employee 'Big Balls' Violently Beaten Department of Homeland Security and U.S. marshal personnel perform a traffic stop on a individual allegedly with expired tags and no driver's license Aug. 12, 2025, in Washington. However, Washington is different because the federal government oversees the District of Columbia National Guard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Democrats on Capitol Hill have decried Trumps attempt to federalize the police and bring in National Guard troops. "First, Donald Trump used the Marines and the National Guard to support his mass deportation agenda in Los Angeles," Schiff posted on X Monday . "Now, he's using similar tactics in D.C. like a tinpot dictator. Don't look away. Don't stay silent. If you do, don't be surprised if it's your city next." Original article source: DC traffic stop reporting on illegal immigrants a great step,' Trump says other blue cities could be next DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) After his contract, which was in the middle of a recent controversy, was approved this week, Dr. Garrick Askew began his tenure visiting schools and faculties as the first Black superintendent of Dothan City Schools. I recognize the history, but Im here for all stakeholders, Dr. Askew said. The reception has been welcoming, and one of the schools had the entire school out. Its been a pleasure to be here. The process to bring him to Dothan wasnt as smooth. Throughout the last few weeks, board members were at odds with the superintendents qualifications throughout the hiring process. They even faced an injunction to halt the five-year contract until a hearing to determine whether the board had violated Alabamas open meetings law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite this, the contract was approved. Media members were asked to refrain from questions about the contract and the school board; however, when asked if any of the controversy deterred him during the process? No, Im focused on the kids and schools. He answered precisely. In fact, he says the goal is for DCS to become a high-performing school system. Within those priorities, there are certain levers, first and foremost, accountability in all areas, raising student achievement, and a piece of that is the literacy piece, and then supporting our whole child efforts, He said. Dr. Askew, who worked as an assistant superintendent of operations and principal in Clarke County Schools a system that was once underperforming and urban, similar to DCS. He believes his experience will push the system over the top. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its just about getting in to work with teachers and staff, finding out what needs to be addressed, and finding out where kids arent growing, we have to put resources there, He said. Dr. Askew said he is happy and ready to get to work. 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 WDHN - wdhn.com. VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) Indiana State Police say a death investigation is underway at Paint Mill Lake in southern Vigo County. Rescue units were called to the lake Thursday afternoon for a possible drowning. Indiana State Police Sgt. Matt Ames says more information will be released after the persons family is notified. The Vigo County Sheriffs Department and Indiana Conservation Officers are assisting ISP with the investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 MyWabashValley.com. The U.S. Defense Department is sharing AI-generated images of female soldiers to make it seem like the governments recruitment efforts are actually working. In a propaganda segment on One America Newss The Matt Gaetz Show Thursday, Defense Department press secretary Kingsley Wilson lauded the departments incredible success in recruiting women. These numbers are fantastic. Under the previous administration we had about 16,000 female recruits last year. Now weve got upwards of 24,000, Wilson said. While the Pentagon has not officially released these numbers, it gave the same ones to Fox News earlier this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The broadcast showed several photographs of strikingly beautiful and notably diverse female officers. But lo and behold, a Grok AI watermark was distinctly visible in the corner of each image, revealing that the militarys newest recruits were nothing but ghosts in the machine. . @PressSecDOD "The Army, the Air Force, the Navy, EVERYONE IS HITTING THEIR (RECRUITING) METRICS EARLY! It is a TESTAMENT to Secretary Hegseth and President Trump's LEADERSHIP!" pic.twitter.com/5YRzHi0FmA DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) August 14, 2025 A DOD spokesperson told CNN that they had not provided the phony images. Later, during Thursday evenings show, Gaetz apologized for showing AI-generated images. The DOD didnt give us these images; Grok did. And well use better judgment going forward, he said. But the DOD doesnt seem to care either way. The clipand the fake photographswere shared by the Department of Defense Rapid Response account on X, touting the militarys success in hitting its recruitment goals early. The Army also said that it met its yearly recruitment goal of 61,000 new soldiers in June, but recruitment numbers were reportedly rising even before Donald Trumps reelection. That didnt stop Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from claiming a so-called Trump Bump. One might recall just several months ago when Hegseth specifically said that women were not fit for combat roles. It hasnt made us more effective. Hasnt made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated, he explained. Our institutions dont have to incentivize that in places where traditionallynot traditionally, over historymen in those positions are more capable. Now his agency is desperate to welcome female service membersor, at least, make it look like it does. Christy Bolden shepherded her four kids around the Piotrowski Park field on a toasty August afternoon. The retired nurse browsed booths offering school supplies, informational flyers and free food at a CPS Back-to-School Bash. Tuesdays event, one of four held around the city, helped Bolden defray the costs of school supplies for her children, who attend Smyth Elementary School on the Near West Side and CICS Bucktown, she said. Things have just skyrocketed in price: the paper, the pencils, disinfecting wipes, everything they need, Bolden said. I dont want them to go to school unprepared like some of the other kids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bolden and her kids are among the many Chicago families who flocked to back-to-school events in late July and early August that provided free supplies at a time when parents across the U.S. report struggling to afford educational materials. Several local events reported increased attendance compared with previous years. Educational book and supply costs in the average U.S. city have increased by about 1.3% from January to July, according to data maintained by the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank. Since July 2023, those prices have increased by more than 10%. Average weekly wages, in comparison, grew by 0.2% in Cook County in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Educational books and supplies are 9.4% more expensive compared with last year, according to Bankrate, affecting how parents, including those from CPS, are planning their spending. Adding to the pressure, more than 75% of CPS students in 2024 were considered low income compared with the overall state percentage of low-income students at 49.8%, per Illinois Report Card data. Students are considered low income by the state if they receive or live in households that receive aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or through Targeted Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF. The state also designates low-income status to students classified as homeless, migrant, runaway, Head Start or foster children, or who live in a household receiving free or reduced-price meals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The back-to-school drives coincided with weeks of uncertainty for Chicago Public Schools students and their families, as the district tackles a $734 million budget shortfall, which has reduced lunch options, custodians and crossing guards. The higher price tags on school necessities, however, created an avenue for local groups and CPS to provide not only free supplies, but fun experiences for children gearing up for school. This was true for Calmetta Coleman, who found herself working a seemingly never-ending line for snow cones earlier this month at an event in Grand Boulevard hosted by the Chicago Urban League. This years event eclipsed last years, seeing nearly 1,000 attendees more than double the number from 2024, said Coleman, who is chief operating officer of the nonprofit. Previously, the event had leftover backpacks afterward. This year, her team ran out after distributing 500. I was not expecting that, Coleman said. The staff kept saying, Its so many people, its so many people. But it was the whole parking lot, and you really couldnt see it when people were standing in line for snow cones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many people in the communities that the nonprofit serves are of low-to-moderate income and appreciate when financial pressures like purchasing school supplies can be alleviated with help. Coleman added that while theres always been a need, it might be greater this year because of higher prices. People are concerned about any number of things that are impacting their ability to be able to get the things that they need for their kids for back to school, Coleman said. Over a third of surveyed parents cannot afford back-to-school shopping, while over half plan to sacrifice purchases like groceries to afford school supplies, according to a recent survey by Intuit Credit Karma. Its also prompted parents to start shopping for back-to-school necessities early. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From 2024 to 2025, the proportion of families who started making school-related purchases in early July increased from 55% to 67%, according to data from the National Retail Federation. In part, they hope to spread the spending over several paychecks, the NRF found. Further, concerns about higher price tags due to tariffs have prompted 51% of families to shop earlier. These findings indicate potential uncertainty and concern parents and community members are feeling about prices, Illinois Retail Merchants Association President Rob Karr said. Nobody knows exactly what the prices are going to be, for example, a month from now, or what the supply will be, which I think is an indication of why they started shopping earlier, Karr said. For several CPS families, the districts recent back-to-school bashes offered opportunities to ease those worries, pick up school supplies, and learn more about resources available to students. The events saw over 2,500 people attend, CPS Chief of Family and Community Engagement Fanny Diego Alvarez said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justine Bartido also attended CPS event at Piotrowski Park to pick up backpacks, writing utensils and notebooks. Her family also snagged science kits containing materials for at-home experiments students can try. The Back-to-School Bash ran out of the kits less than two hours into the event. The travel will be worth it for the supplies, said Bartido, who lives in Lakeview. Back-to-CPS worries Bolden, the mother of four, learned about CPS financial deficit at the Kids First Chicago Booth at Piotrowski Park, which she said was concerning. Its already hard to keep books in the schools and the things that they need, Bolden said. So we dont need to cut anything, or anyone The classrooms are crowded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the funding cuts are severe enough, Bolden said she would consider homeschooling her children. Essyl Ghim, 39, also brought her son Bek Lee to grab school supplies at Piotrowski Park. Lee is entering second grade, and it was Ghims first time at a back-to-school event. In addition to picking up supplies, Ghims family is trying to rest up ahead of the school years start. They also need to buy gifts for Lees teacher and his classroom wish list, Ghim said. Lee said hes most excited to see his old kindergarten classmates and learn more about math. He has no idea what hes doing to get ready to return to school his mom is handling most of those preparations. And my dad, he chirped. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like Bolden, Ghim is also worried about funding decreases that could affect CPS, she said, including cuts to free and reduced school lunches. Im nervous, she said. I dont know what to expect. Parents and guardians echoed similar sentiments at the Aug. 7 event at Gately Park Stadium in Pullman. CPS parent Sofia Delgado has five children: four at school and an 11-month-old. Several of her children learn in classrooms with extra educational support, which she worries might evaporate this year. Just getting them what they need for school, I think thats important to me, and once theyre in school, making sure theyre safe, making sure that they have all the resources they need inside of school, especially because I have one thats special needs and two in blended programs, so technically, special needs as well, Delgado said. Her four children in school picked up backpacks for the school year at the event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Kimber Brown and her two children attending Ashburn Community Elementary School, the events draw was free physicals and vaccinations. Browns daughter, Kallie, is starting kindergarten and needed a health exam. Thats why we came here, and (CPS) said that supplies and stuff was given out, so anything for free, well take, Brown said. Browns other two children, in prekindergarten and day care, also received backpacks and school supplies. This years back-to-school events are more centralized compared with previous years, interim CPS CEO Macquline King said, which makes it easier for other government agencies and community groups to converge. Individual schools provided more of these opportunities in the past, she said. One of Kings goals with the bashes was to build certainty for parents, she said. While these events arent meant to address concerns about CPS funding and staff cuts, King said they are showing families what resources are available. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The services they receive, its a value to me, King said. Its a value to the district as a whole. We want to make sure that they know that everything they need, Chicago Public Schools is going to provide. Other families are finding free supplies and services at events hosted by community organizations, like churches and nonprofits. Greater Mountain of Hope Ministries near West Englewood hosted one of these events on Aug. 2 and saw their best turnout ever while providing over 200 free bookbags and haircuts, according to pastor Eric Newson Sr. We can feel the appreciation and the gratitude from them, he said, because there definitely was a need. A few days later, Beegr8t Organization, a community-based childrens programming nonprofit, supported the Brainerd-Washington Heights community through a recent school supplies giveaway to provide students a strong start to the school year, founder Tanika Hinton said. The organization gave away free clothing, shoes, books and backpacks to children and placed leftover supplies on a table outside their building for passersby to take as needed. We dont want school supplies, backpacks, to be a barrier. We want to set them up for success, Hinton said. Delray Beach has decided to defy the state and keep its LGBTQ+ pride intersection downtown, a move that could draw scrutiny from Gov. Ron DeSantis administration. The decision to keep the intersection, at least for the time being, was made this week by a majority of city commissioners. It came three weeks after City Manager Terrence Moore ordered removal of the intersection. Moore, like officials in Boynton Beach and West Palm Beach, acted in response to a pronouncement from DeSantis secretary of transportation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Delray Beach planned to have a contractor sandblast the intersection to remove the rainbow flag paint colors, said City Commissioner Rob Long, who spearheaded the effort to reverse Moores decision. There was a delay by the contractor, Long said Thursday, otherwise the intersection already would be gone. Delray Beach is not alone in resisting the early-July directive posted on social media by Florida Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue, who attached a memorandum warning non-compliant communities that they could lose state funding. Key West city commissioners voted last week to keep their rainbow intersection and fight efforts to remove it. In late July, hundreds of people gathered to show support for the citys LGBTQ+ rainbow intersection. In Fort Lauderdale, the fate of a segment of a road painted the colors of the rainbow progress pride flag is unresolved, with several factors complicating the issue. Mayor Dean Trantalis said he wants to preserve that section of Sebastian Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any decision about changing its status should be made by the City Commission, not the city staff, the mayor said. Demand from above The Florida cities pride markings on streets have been around for years, occasionally attracting controversy, sometimes attracting people taking selfies of themselves with the rainbow flags, and sometimes vandals. Related Articles On July 1, President Donald Trumps transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, wrote in a social media post that Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks. DeSantiss transportation secretary, Jared Perdue, wrote a day later that Florida wants to keep our transportation facilities free & clear of political ideologies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The transportation policy comes 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. Many local government officials are nervous about the potential risk of landing in a conflict with the state. Besides the Perdue threat to transportation funding, the state has just started selecting cities that it plans to scrutinize as part of its DOGE examination of how local governments are spending money. Boynton Beach quickly complied. On July 16, the city covered its rainbow intersection in black paint at the direction of the City Manager Daniel Dugger. And West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James decided the city would remove its rainbow intersection. Bricks already bought for an upgrade will be repurposed for a pride monument at a nearby park. Resisting On July 23, Moore said in a statement the removal work of the rainbow painting at Northeast 1st Street and Northeast Second Avenue is expected to begin in the coming days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Tuesdays City Commission meeting, Long forcefully argued that the city shouldnt remove the pride intersection, which he saw as an effort to silence and basically take away visibility from our LGBTQ+ community. Removing the intersection would leave a legacy of cowardice and capitulation, Long said Thursday. Everyones so scared of the state right now, said Long, who is a Democratic candidate for state representative in a special election to fill a vacancy later this year. Long said local governments should have the ability to make local decisions especially when it comes to the character and values of our own community. So that raises a question: When do we stand our ground and when do we surrender without even a conversation? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He rejected the Trump and DeSantis transportation secretaries arguments that they were acting to enhance public safety. Lets be honest, we all know this is not about traffic safety. This is political. Its part of the same culture where symbols of inclusion are targeted precisely because they represent acceptance. Its about erasing the visibility of our LGBTQ+ people at the same time when their rights are again under direct threat, Long told his colleagues. Long said it was premature to act given that the city hadnt received any notice of the states intent to enforce the directive. And, he said, the states authority to tell the city what to do with city streets is unclear. Commissioners Angela Burns and Tom Markert agreed with Long, and said the intersection should remain in place, with removal possible if the city gets a specific and direct order from the state. Video of the commission meeting shows Mayor Tom Carney didnt express an opinion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And Commissioner Juli Casale said she was glad Moore had made his earlier decision, overturned by his colleagues. I would thank the city manager for taking the initiative and not making us make a hard decision. The Key West City Commission declared on Aug. 6 that it was keeping its intersection, according to city meeting minutes. Commissioners voted 5-0, with two members absent, to oppose removal of the intersection declaring their unwavering support for the continued presence of the rainbow crosswalks which they called a vital expression of the Citys identity and values. Key West directed the city attorney to assess all available options, including attempting to negotiate with the state for a waiver and litigation if necessary Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On July 26, hundreds of people gathered for a show of support for the Key West LGBTQ+ intersection at Duval and Petronia streets, said Rob Dougherty, executive director of the Key West Business Guild. Many also attended the City Commission meeting. The intersection was first installed in 2015, Dougherty said, and replaced once after a street repaving. Fort Lauderdale street Six weeks after the pronouncements from the federal and state transportation secretaries, Fort Lauderdale does not know what it wants to do about the block of Sebastian Street between State Road A1A and Seabreeze Boulevard, painted the colors of progress pride flag. Trantalis said its location is not a crosswalk and is not a traveled street, which he said puts it in a gray zone as far as state and federal edicts that appear to focus on crosswalks. Further complicating the question is the rainbow installation has been damaged by a nearby construction project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Emails among officials in the City Attorneys Office, the Engineering Department and the Transportation and Mobility Department, recently released in response to a public records request from the South Florida Sun Sentinel, show discussion but no conclusion about whether the city should require the developer to restore everything including the flag or restore the street with no flag. One official wrote that the developer was willing to restore the rainbow colors. Staffers have been dispatched to take pictures of its condition and have researched the ownership and confirmed it belongs to the city, emails show. As of Thursday afternoon, the city has not given directions to the construction company about how to proceed, Ashley Doussard, Fort Lauderdales director of strategic communications, said via text. Political writer Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon. A commercial airline pilot and his ex-girlfriend are facing child sex abuse charges following his dramatic cockpit arrest in California, investigators say. Rustom Bhagwagar, 34, was apprehended by lawmen from the Contra Costa Sheriffs Office and Homeland Security Investigations shortly after the Delta flight that he copiloted from Minnesota touched down at San Francisco International Airport. Days later, the aviator and his ex-galpal Jennifer Powell, 45, made their first court appearance related to accusations that they sexually abused her daughter. According to a probable cause statement cited by KTVU, Bhagwagars alleged attacks began in 2018 when the girl was just 6 years old and continued through 2023 when he and Powell broke up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The affidavit also accuses the mom of knowing about the alleged abuse of the minor, who did not live with her, and occasionally participating in the supposed assaults. Authorities say their investigation began in April after receiving a tip about the suspected crimes. The defendants have each been charged with 24 felony counts including oral copulation with a child and aggravated sexual assault and are being held on $15 million bail apiece. The pair have yet to enter pleas. But if found guilty, they face up to life behind bars. KTVU reports that Delta has suspended Bhagwagar from the airline pending the criminal investigation. A recent family outing Vice President JD Vance took for his 41st birthday is coming under renewed scrutiny as Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff launches a new probe into a federal request to raise the level of a river to accommodate his kayak trip. In a letter first shared with NBC News, Schiff, of California, requests information about the move, which he calls unjustified and frivolous. I write to you to express serious concerns regarding the potential abuse of power exercised by Vice President Vance and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on August 2, in which the Secret Service directed USACE to change the outflow of Ohios Caesar Creek Lake for a recreational boat outing for the Vice Presidents birthday, Schiff wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter, which is addressed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth; Adam Telle, the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works; and Secret Service Director Sean Curran, requests answers to over a half-dozen questions by Sept. 5. The Associated Press and other news outlets reported this month that the Army Corps of Engineers increased outflows from Caesar Creek Lake to the Little Miami River, where the Vances were kayaking, to support safe navigation of U.S. Secret Service personnel." A spokesperson for Vance, Taylor Van Kirk, told the AP that Vance was unaware of the decision to raise the river. Van Kirk said at the time: The Secret Service often employs protective measures without the knowledge of the Vice President or his staff, as was the case last weekend. The Secret Service, in a statement Friday, agreed that Vance's office was not involved in its decision to raise water levels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was operationally necessary to adjust water levels to accommodate the motorized watercraft used by the Secret Service, local law enforcement, and emergency responders," the Secret Service said. "These decisions were made solely by the agents during our standard advance planning process and did not involve the Office of the Vice President. In the letter, Schiff asks for confirmation that Vance's office was informed of the decision and, then, why he was "not informed of this planned manipulation of public resources for his personal benefit." Schiff also cites the Trump administrations decision during the Los Angeles fires to release billions of gallons of water from two California reservoirs that were not positioned to help put out the wildfires. With the most recent act at Caesar Creek Lake, the Trump administration is providing further evidence of its willingness to exploit public resources for the personal and political benefit of administration officials, Schiff wrote. I hope that the public scrutiny of the Caesar Creek Lake water release will refocus the Army Corps on its mission to deliver vital engineering solutions that secure the country, energize the economy, and reduce risk from disasters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schiff is being investigated himself by the Trump administration. The Justice Department last week appointed a "special attorney" to investigate allegations of mortgage fraud, which Schiff has denied, suggesting the investigation is political. President Donald Trump was consistently a target of Schiffs investigations during his first term, with Schiff playing key parts in both of his impeachments. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The Democratic Partys poll numbers are so bad because the party isnt trusted to deliver on its ideas, argues Leah Greenberg, coexecutive director of the liberal group Indivisible. In the most recent episode of TNRs Right Now With Perry Bacon, Greenberg emphasized the importance of the party running candidates who are young, new to politics and/or excited to use TikTok and other social media. She acknowledged that some younger Democratic politicians are also uninspiring, but argued that voters wont give the party a fresh look until its not dominated by elderly, long-serving figures such as New York Senator Chuck Schumer. Greenberg, who lives in the Washington, D.C., area, described the nervousness of residents there after President Trump deployed the National Guard in the city. She also said that fighting Trump is harder than during his first term because businesses, universities, and so many other key institutions have capitulated. But she argued massive grassroots protests have weakened Trumps poll numbers and created a fissure between the president and Elon Musk. You can watch our conversation here. A band of Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation to thwart President Trumps takeover of the Washington, D.C., police department, arguing the White House is exceeding its authority. The resolution would terminate Trumps Monday order, something the lawmakers say comes as the President has concocted a false narrative around the citys crime rates which have been declining for two years, while violent crime has reached a 30-year-low. Under the D.C. Home Rule Act, Congress has given the president the power only to direct the Mayor to make the Metropolitan Police Department available for a specific federal purpose but has given him no power simply to take over the Department. In any event, there is no federal emergency justifying such a takeover even if Congress sought to use its lawmaking power to effectuate it, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has made clear that his efforts in D.C., where 700,000 taxpaying American citizens lack the protections of statehood, are part of a broader plan to militarize and federalize the streets of cities around America whose citizens voted against him, Raskin added, calling it a hostile takeover. Trump also sent National Guard troops to the nations capital, and tensions flared earlier in the week as officers set up checkpoints in the city. The Trump administration on Thursday escalated its takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), with Attorney General Pam Bondi installing Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole as Washingtons emergency police commissioner, while rescinding policies that limited officers from taking policing actions purely for immigration enforcement purposes. President Trumps incursions against D.C. are among the most egregious attacks on D.C. home rule in decades, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our local police force, paid for by D.C. residents, should not be subject to federalization, an action that wouldnt be possible for any other police department in the country. No emergency exists in D.C. that the president did not create himself, and he is not using the D.C. police for federal purposes, as required by law. The legislation was co-sponsored by House Oversight ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) but cannot be taken up during the August recess. Once lawmakers return, its unlikely the GOP-controlled body would bring the legislation to the floor. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) sponsored a companion bill in the Senate. The lawmakers argue Trumps police takeover is only the latest in a string of actions they say undermine effective governance of the city, including on crime, though D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowsers (D) budget fully funded MPD. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this year, Congress failed to include in its stopgap funding bill language that would allow D.C. to continue spending its local budget at fiscal 2025 levels restricting $1 billion in city coffers. While Trump claims that federal control of D.C. is necessary to combat crime, the Presidents own actions are what is jeopardizing public safety in the District. He and his allies in Congress refuse to allow the District to access the $1 billion in locally-raised revenue that would have funded D.C. police, fire and emergency response services, and other public safety efforts, the lawmakers said in a joint release. He fired and demoted dozens of D.C.s most experienced career prosecutors, contributing to a larger backlog of criminal cases being held up in court and longer wait times for crime victims to obtain justice. Van Hollen said Trump was absent when D.C. actually needed support from the National Guard on Jan. 6. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His current takeover is an abuse of power and nothing more than a raw power grab, he said in a statement. The District of Columbia has made important progress on public safety in recent years, and can do more if Trump and House Republicans get the hell out of their way and stop blocking D.C. from accessing $1 billion of its own funds to strengthen policing and provide other public services. 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. Democrats are starting to finally see their path back to power in the Senate if they squint really, really hard. Party leaders have landed top recruits in Ohio and North Carolina, both pickup opportunities. They hope a snowball effect will push their favorite candidate in Maine, another offensive target, into that race in a state former Vice President Kamala Harris won. There are other, rockier potential targets: Perhaps they could finally win Texas, where Republicans are locked in a messy, expensive primary. Or Alaska, where senior Democrats are courting a dynamic former representative. Or maybe, they hope, Iowa could become a purple state again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There's no doubt that Republicans are still favored to hold onto the Senate after next years midterms. Democrats need to flip four GOP-held seats while also holding onto states that President Donald Trump won like Michigan and Georgia. Everything would have to go perfectly for them to pull it off and this is not an era when things have typically gone perfectly for Democrats. Still, Democrats are increasingly optimistic after former Sen. Sherrod Brown decided to run for his old seat and former Gov. Roy Cooper launched a bid in North Carolina. Im not going to say were taking back the Senate right now, but it looks more possible than it ever was, said Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.). Were recruiting great candidates, and it looks like theyre not really doing the same. The map is expanding week by week. Earlier this year, many Democrats were pessimistic that Brown would run again and without him, Ohio was considered hopelessly out of reach. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer doggedly pursued Brown anyway, repeatedly calling and meeting with him. Brown is expected to officially launch his campaign against Republican Sen. Jon Husted any day now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brown, a frumpy populist who won three terms in the Senate even as Ohio grew increasingly redder, lost reelection by fewer than 4 percentage points last year. What makes Democrats nonetheless hopeful is that Brown kept the contest close even as Trump carried the state by 11 percentage points. With Trump in the White House but not on the ballot, they hope, next years midterm elections will almost certainly be a better political moment for Democrats. Unless you believe were headed into another negative environment for Democrats again, this is almost by definition a toss-up race, said an Ohio Democratic strategist who was granted anonymity to speak frankly about a still-developing race. Schumer also worked to persuade Cooper, a popular former two-term governor, to run. Cooper broke fundraising records when he announced his Senate bid and is now leading Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley in early polls. Schumers recruitment efforts are reflective of a larger strategy to stake his partys chances in several key states on well-established, older candidates, even as much of the Democratic base hungers for generational change. Along with Cooper, 68, and Brown, 72, Democrats are hoping to lure Maine Gov. Janet Mills, 77, into the race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins, 72. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Democrats game plan doubles, in theory, as a way to avoid costly and divisive primaries. Cooper effectively boxed out most of the North Carolina field by keeping the door open to a run, and the sole other Democratic candidate, former Rep. Wiley Nickel, exited the race after Cooper launched his bid. Brown is also expected to clear the field in Ohio. Nickel told POLITICO his initial decision to run was about fighting for the best chance to flip North Carolinas Senate seat, but with Cooper getting in, he said the former governor gives Democrats our best shot to flip this seat. The success that Senate Democrats have had in luring battle-tested candidates into the arena stands in contrast to Republicans efforts this cycle. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, widely seen as a strong potential contender to oust Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, decided against a run. Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu similarly opted against a bid for the seat left open by the retirement of Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, even after winning Trumps support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans have also lost an incumbent to retirement and there could be more. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis announced he was not running for reelection after Trump attacked him for voting against advancing his megabill. In Iowa, Sen. Joni Ernst has not formally announced she is seeking reelection, and the White House saw it necessary to encourage her to try for another term. Collins got her dream job as Senate Appropriations chair only to see her power undermined by Trump, and Democrats are praying she could be next, though shes said she intends to run again. Democrats are also hopeful that contentious GOP primaries could bolster their chances to hold Ossoffs seat in Georgia and turn Texas blue if MAGA darling Attorney General Ken Paxton ousts incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn as polling indicates he might. From nasty, expensive primaries to a string of embarrassing recruitment failures and a toxic agenda, Senate Republicans are falling apart at the seams, said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Maeve Coyle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Democrats have their own crowded primaries to contend with. An ambitious field of three well-funded Democrats in Michigan is threatening to divert resources from defeating Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman who narrowly lost a Senate race to Elissa Slotkin last year. The GOP quickly consolidated behind Rogers rather than risk a contested primary. And Democrats are still hoping for other top recruits to enter races. In Maine, Schumer has yet to persuade Mills to get into the Senate race. Ditto for former Rep. Mary Peltola in Alaska, where she is also eyeing the gubernatorial contest after narrowly losing reelection to the House last year. There are other hurdles for Democrats. They lack a clear leader, are struggling to raise money, and remain unpopular with voters after their resounding defeat in last year's election. The idea that Democrats, saddled with historically low approval ratings, will win in red states with candidates like Brown and Peltola who voters just rejected is absurd, said Joanna Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But optimistic Democrats know that a single strong candidate perhaps a Cooper, Brown, Mills, Peltola can singlehandedly reshape a race. And maybe if they can get a few more of them, their path to control starts to get a little clearer. Even without squinting so hard. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is hosting a 12-mile canoe trip at 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 6, floating the Missouri River from Nodaway Island Access to French Bottom Access. All participants for Saturdays trip must first attend a safety training session at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 5, at the Belcher Branch Lake boat ramp. MDC staff will explain paddling basics and address how to be safe on the water. The third annual Governors Mentored Deer Hunt is October 10-12 this year Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Participants will meet for the trip at the French Bottom Access in St. Joseph at 9 a.m. Saturday morning, where theyll leave personal vehicles. MDC staff will then take boaters to the Nodaway Island Access where the canoes, paddles, and flotation devices will be waiting. The 12-mile paddle will embark around 10 a.m. and is expected to be on the water until 3 to 4 p.m. Paddle trips are a great way to get exercise, socialize and develop a new skill while admiring the natural beauty of Missouris waterways. Everyone should dress appropriately for wet and muddy conditions and bring their own water, snacks, lunch, sunscreen, and other personal items. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Registration is required. This trip is intended for participants ages 16 and older. To register for both the canoe trip and preliminary safety training, 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 FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Acting U.S. Attorney for New Mexico Ryan Ellison speaks during a news conference on the southern border in June. Ellison's term at chief prosecutor in New Mexico was extended for another 210 days, following a move by the Department of Justice(courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office) Interim U.S. Attorney for New Mexico Ryan Ellison is now acting US attorney, following a Justice Department move that extends the states chief federal prosecutors term until next year without Senate or federal court approval. Ellisons office announced the extension Friday, coinciding with the legal end of his 120-day interim status that began when U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed him in April. The extension means he can continue as before leading an office of about 200 employees, including lawyers and contractors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I look forward to working with public servants of all political stripes to combat crime in New Mexico, Ellison said in a news release Friday. In the interim, I will continue to lead the United States Attorneys Office in the same way that I have over the last four monthswithout fear, without favor, and with public safety as my top priority. The announced extension of 210 days comes the day after a panel of New Mexico federal judges, in a brief statement posted to the courts website, declined to approve his appointment. But the panel also declined to name an alternative to the post, which it is empowered to do while an official confirmation plays out in the Senate. Typically, panels like this one approve the interim appointment, if a Senate confirmation is pending. The Senate makes those appointments permanent through confirmation. New Mexico federal court spokesperson Heather Small declined to comment on why the federal judge panel declined to approve him but also didnt name someone to take his place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ellison, in the statement, said I applaud New Mexicos federal district judges for declining to appoint someone other than the Trump Administrations choice. The courts neutral decision on Ellisons approval comes a month after a federal judge chastised him for his implementation and prosecution of immigrants arrested within a newly militarized zone along New Mexicos shared border with Mexico. Ellison is just the latest chief prosecutor across the country whose term has been extended by the attorney general through whats known as the Federal Vacancy Act. Before Ellison, four others received special appointments from the executive branch, according to Bloomberg, instead of the typical judicial approval of interim US attorneys whom the Senate hasnt yet confirmed. U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan, both New Mexico Democrats, denounced the extension and said it amounts to a deliberate attempt to circumvent oversight from the Senate or District Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While we are committed to reviewing [Ellisons] application and credentials, we are extremely concerned by this administrations continuing willingness to trample the role of the Judiciary and Congress, the pair wrote in a Friday news release. According to Heinrichs office, Ellison only last week submitted the final version of an application form to Heinrichs office that is required for his Senate confirmation process after substantial prodding by the Senators staff, said spokesperson Luis Soriano in an email to Source New Mexico. Now that the application has been received, the Senators and their staff will review Ellisons answers and the materials that he has provided, while also conducting an independent vetting process, consistent with how the Senators have approached all prior vacancies, Soriano said. Tessa Duberry, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys Office, declined to comment on his application to be considered for Senate approval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump has not officially nominated him for the post, which is also required before he can be confirmed in the Senate. The Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment from Source New Mexico on Friday. While Heinrichs office declined to comment on whether he will ultimately vote for Ellison, his office has previously been critical of Ellisons efforts to crack down on border crossings in New Mexico. In April, shortly after being appointed, Ellison stood alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to tout a newly created military border zone along New Mexicos shared border with Mexico. Ellison announced the new zone enabled him to bring new misdemeanor charges against people who, with the Armys help, were arrested within the border zone. But the creation of the border zone created confusion among recreators and residents who live near the border, and a federal magistrate judge dismissed more than 100 early cases because Ellisons office failed to demonstrate the people arrested knowingly trespassed. Prosecutors then self-dismissed three cases due to confusion about the border zones boundaries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In mid-July, a federal judge in Las Cruces dismissed one case with prejudice, meaning prosecutors cant bring it again, issuing a scathing ruling that said Ellisons office failed to ensure defendants constitutional rights in hundreds of the cases. The Governments inattention to statutory and constitutional rights has been a consistent throughline through these hundreds of cases, District Court Judge Margaret Strickland wrote. Time and time again the Government has initiated a prosecution only to turn around within days and deport the defendant while the charges are pending and thereby necessarily imperil the defendants Fifth Amendment, Sixth Amendment, and Speedy Trial Act rights. At least two of the prosecutions resulted in convictions, and Ellisons statement Friday touted his offices crackdown on illegal immigration and crime. According to his statement, illegal border crossings are down 92% and immigration-related prosecutions are up 180%. Our partnership with the U.S. military and the U.S. Border Patrol has made our southern border more secure than at any point in our nations history, he said. DE PERE, Wis. (WFRV) The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation provided an update in the ongoing case of an officer-involved death that occurred in De Pere on July 26, identifying all of those involved. The incident occurred shortly before 1 a.m. on July 26, with officers alerted to the scene of a rifle-armed individual at the Perkofski Boat Launch in De Pere. The following departments responded: De Pere Police Department Ashwaubenon Public Safety Department Brown County Sheriffs Office Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police in Wisconsin arrest two teens in connection to multiple burglaries In an updated release, officials said that six officers fired shots at the man after attempting to negotiate with him. The man, identified as 44-year-old Scott McDonald, brandished a rifle shortly after police attempted to negotiate with him. McDonald died at the scene after officers attempted to render aid to him. The officers were identified in the release as follows: Ashwaubenon Department of Public Safety Officer Andrew Wickman Three years of service Officer Daryl Booth Five years of service Officer Alek Pearson Less than a year of service De Pere Police Department Officer Kyle Phillips Four years of service Officer Ryan McShane Eight years of service Sergeant Matthew Magno 20 years of service Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Green Bay special education teacher on the verge of completing 50-year Presidential gravesite quest Officers were wearing body cameras, and the involved police officers were placed on administrative leave as part of standard agency policy. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation says that the investigation is ongoing with full cooperation from all agencies involved, and the reports will be turned over to the Brown County District Attorneys Office upon conclusion. 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 WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. TALLAHASSEE In what could be the 12th execution this year in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a death warrant for a man convicted of killing three members of his estranged wifes family in 1990 in Polk County. David Pittman, 63, is scheduled to be executed Sept. 17 at Florida State Prison, according to documents posted on the Florida Supreme Court website. Florida has already set a modern-era record this year with nine executions, and two more men are scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection this month. Pittman was convicted in the May 1990 murders of his wifes parents, Clarence and Barbara Knowles, and their 20-year-old daughter, Bonnie. At the time of the murders, another daughter, Marie, was seeking to divorce Pittman, who was opposed to the divorce, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Knowles home in Mulberry also was set on fire. Although all of the bodies were burned in the fire, a medical examiner determined that the cause of death in each instance was massive bleeding from multiple stab wounds, said a 1994 Florida Supreme Court opinion rejecting an appeal. In addition, the medical examiner testified that Bonnie Knowles throat had been cut. Pittman was convicted in 1991 on murder, arson and grand-theft charges. The Pittman death warrant came as Florida prepares to execute Kayle Bates, 67, on Tuesday in the 1982 murder of a woman abducted from a Bay County insurance office where she worked. Also, Curtis Windom, 59, is scheduled to be executed Aug. 28 in the 1992 murders of three people in Orange County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bates attorneys Thursday appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to try to halt his execution, while Windoms attorneys have an appeal pending at the Florida Supreme Court. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday rejected a separate attempt to halt Bates execution. At the Atlanta-based appeals court, Bates attorneys had alleged racial disparity in how Florida selects inmates to be executed. Bates is Black. But a three-judge panel of the appeals court turned down the argument. Bates has not alleged that the decisionmakers in his particular case acted with discriminatory purpose, said Fridays seven-page decision shared by Chief Judge William Pryor and Judges Kevin Newsom and Britt Grant. Instead, he relies solely on statistical evidence that the governor implemented his warrant-selection process in a racially discriminatory fashion. The previous modern-era record for executions in a year in Florida was eight in 1984 and 2014. That era represents the time after the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that halted it in 1972. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a filing Thursday at the U.S. Supreme Court, Bates attorneys pointed to short amounts of time to try to fight the death warrants in court. Something is wrong in Florida, Bates attorneys wrote. Governor DeSantis is signing death warrants at an unprecedented pace with no sign of slowing down. In each warrant, he designates a week in which the Florida Department of Corrections will execute an inmate. With minor variations, this weeklong window begins 30 days after the warrant is signed. Florida State Prisons warden has invariably scheduled executions on the first possible day, allowing the briefest period in which to litigate constitutional issues and save the condemned mans life. By Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida Editors note: This story was originally published on Aug. 15, 2024. A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives. He said he never met a man he didnt like, so the historians record. I wonder if Will Rogers would still say that in 2025? On Aug. 15, 1935, humorist Will Rogers and aviator Wiley Post were killed when their airplane crashed near Point Barrow in the Alaska Territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rogers, known as Oklahomas favorite son, was a popular performer, newspaper columnist and social commentator. His humor took him all over the world, and his takes on politics and human nature are repeated even today. Some might remember Rogers as a Hollywood star, first in silent films and then in talkies, and he loved to travel from show to show with Post, his aviator sidekick. So when their plane went down in northern Alaska 90 years ago today, it instantly became front page news. BARROW, ALASKA An airplane crash at the top of the world today had taken the lives of two world-famed figures the beloved humorist Will Rogers and the aerial world girdler Wiley Post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Native runners brought word of the accident to Barrow late last night and Staff Sgt. Stanley R. Morgan, signal corps operator, stationed at this, Americas most northerly white settlement, hired a fast launch and went to the scene. An interesting side note: Staff Sgt. Morgan was a Utahn, born in Payson in 1904, according to Deseret News accounts. He and his wife had a child born at Point Barrow, and was named Barrow Morgan. DN-WillRogers2 Fellow Oklahoman Post achieved his own fame, in 1933 completing the first solo plane flight around the world. It took seven days and 18 hours to accomplish. Although spiffily clad in this vintage photo, humorist Will Rogers needed to track down a coat and tie, required attire at the time, when he arrived to dine at Hotel Utah about 80 years ago. The tale of his encounter was retold in a centennial display. | Temple Square Hospitality Here are some stories from Deseret News archives about Rogers, the time he visited Utah and how folks have remembered him through the years: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hotel Utah, 100 years of history America needs the wisdom of Will Rogers Longhorns back on the Will Rogers ranch before long Collection of barbs is fine tribute to Will Rogers wit, wisdom Early farmers faced similar struggles and won, Farm Bureau told The Will Rogers Follies: A life in revue Wiley Post set several records in the air Oklahoma City remembers passing of 2 air pioneers People in western Myanmar have been driven to scavenging for bamboo shoots, as humanitarian workers warn a wartime blockade and aid cutbacks led by Washington have caused hunger cases to surge. "Another day has gone, and I have to struggle again for another day," fruit vendor Kyaw Win Shein told AFP in the town of Mrauk U in Myanmar's Rakhine state. "It is getting worse day by day," the 60-year-old, whose business is faltering as prices rise and incomes drop -- a grim equation driving others to scour the countryside for sustenance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rakhine state -- a riverine slice of coastal Myanmar bordering Bangladesh -- has witnessed intense suffering in Myanmar's civil war, triggered by a 2021 coup deposing the democratic government. As the military fights an ethnic armed group, it has blockaded the territory -- throttling supplies to its estimated population of 2.5 million. The impoverished state has long been a focus of international aid organisations, but worldwide cutbacks spearheaded by US President Donald Trump's "America First" freeze on humanitarian funding have forced them to retreat. The World Food Programme (WFP) -- which received nearly half its 2024 donations from the United States -- warned last week that 57 percent of families in central Rakhine are now unable to meet basic food needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The figure had risen from just 33 percent in December. "A deadly combination of conflict, blockades, and funding cuts is driving a dramatic rise in hunger and malnutrition," the WFP said. In northern Rakhine areas such as Mrauk U -- where conflict complicates data collection -- WFP warned the situation is "much worse". Residents said fertiliser is scarce, reducing crop yields and making produce unaffordable, driving people to desperate measures in a tightening spiral of misery. "I am not the only one who has difficulties," said fruit vendor Kyaw Win Shein. "Everyone is the same." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement - 'People are starving' - The village of Ponnagyun is a short distance from the state capital Sittwe, at the mouth of a delta opening onto the Bay of Bengal. Rakhine cuisine is famed for its fresh, simply cooked seafood, and fish is still on sale in markets. But people have no cash to buy it. "People are starving in my village," said one resident who runs a Ponnagyun payphone shop, but asked to remain anonymous for security reasons. "People find and eat bamboo shoots mostly," he said. "People can eat it, but it's not nutritious." He said only two aid handouts reached their community in the past year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The conflict blockade is so effective that currency notes are not leaving the state to be replaced with new ones for circulation, and instead are left crumbling from wear and tear in the pockets of customers and vendors. "The commodity prices are really high," said 64-year-old Mrauk U resident Hla Paw Tun. "Many people are selling, but few are buying," he said. "We have been struggling to survive day by day." Rakhine has long been wracked by civil conflict -- the site of alleged military atrocities against the resident Rohingya minority around 2017, which some countries have deemed a genocide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than one million Rohingya now live in Bangladeshi border camps -- and the UN said last month a massive new influx had seen 150,000 arrivals over the previous 18 months. Meanwhile, nearly half a million people remain displaced inside Rakhine. Among them is 49-year-old Hla Aye, who fled her village for Mrauk U when two bombs fell near her house. She set up as a shopkeeper, but that business quickly failed in Rakhine's hostile wartime economy. Still, she believes, her struggles may not be over yet. "I have no idea how the future will be and if it will be more difficult," she said. str-lmg/jts/pdw/rsc/cwl Hank Winchester - WDIV WDIV reporter Hank Winchester is in the clear after being accused of making alleged sexual advances to a man during a massage. We reported that his home was searched by law enforcement in June. According to Fox affiliate WDJT in Detroit, police, along with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant Winchester's home on June 13. He is known for his consumer investigative reporting called Help Me Hank and has worked at the station for 24 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He had been placed on administrative leave by the Detroit NBC affiliate. "I'm thankful this investigation is over. The allegations made against me were outrageous, unfounded and defamatory, Winchester wrote in a statement. Throughout my 24-year career in Detroit, my mission has always been to help the community I love, protect you from bad actors, and fight for justice. I will always fight for you-just as I've recently had to fight for myself. I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has shown me tremendous support, especially my family and friends. The messages from so many of you greatly helped me through this incredibly difficult time." PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) High Rock Development renewed its commitment to renovating the so-called Superman building Friday in the wake of longtime owner David Sweetsers death. Sweetser, who was a principal for the Massachusetts-based firm, first bought the iconic skyscraper back in 2008. RELATED: David Sweetser, owner of Providences Superman building, dies at 70 The Westminster Street high-rise, formerly known as the Industrial Trust Building, has sat vacant since Bank of America moved out in 2013. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sweetser had big plans for the states tallest building. He intended to transform the skyscraper into nearly 300 apartments with commercial space on the ground level. But Sweetsers plans have stalled in recent months, and his death left the citys developers questioning the buildings future. In a statement Friday, High Rock Developments Bill Fischer vowed that Sweetsers plans to repurpose the building will move forward. Fischer also announced that Michael Crossen, High Rocks legal counsel, has been tapped to manage the firm and will oversee the regions ongoing projects, including the Superman building. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now more than ever, with the passing of David and honoring his legacy, High Rock is committed to repurposing 111 Westminster Street into a residential use that will help to address the housing crisis in Providence, Crossen said. David had a clear vision and we plan on seeing it come to fruition. MORE: Whats next for the Superman building after David Sweetsers death? Crossen said much progress has been made this year in regards to the Superman building, and High Rocks goal is to accelerate its efforts heading into 2026. He stressed that High Rock is fully and financially committed to renovating the Superman building and will do everything in its power to make it happen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This complex project will get off the ground and provide hundreds of jobs, housing opportunities and a long-term economic benefit for Rhode Islands economy, he said. David Salvatore, executive director of the Providence Foundation, called High Rocks commitment to the Superman building exciting and encouraging. This iconic building is central to our downtown landscape and economic success, Salvatore said in a statement. Its completion will bring more housing and hundreds of lighted windows into our downtown. The Providence Foundation looks forward to this project moving over the finish line soon. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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. Arkansas State Police director Col. Mike Hagar briefs lawmakers on the double homicide that occurred at Devil's Den State Park in July on Aug. 14, 2025. (Ainsley Platt/Arkansas Advocate) Arkansas lawmakers praised the Arkansas State Police on Thursday for the swift identification and arrest of a man accused of murdering a couple at Devils Den State Park. Andrew James McGann, 28, was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder five days after the stabbing deaths of Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, while they were hiking in the park on July 26 with their two young daughters. McGann was arrested in Springdale while getting a haircut. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police have said on multiple occasions that they have not found any evidence linking the family and McGann and that the attack appeared to be random. At his arraignment in Fayetteville Thursday morning, McGann entered a not guilty plea to both charges. He is being held without bond, and is represented by public defenders Katherine Streett and James Wyatt. Unusually, the arraignment was not open to the public, local TV station 40/29 News reported. Washington County prosecutor Brandon Carter told the station he anticipates the judge in the case will issue a gag order. At a meeting of the Arkansas Legislative Councils Game and Fish/State Police subcommittee Thursday, legislators praised the two young girls, 7 and 9, who provided descriptions of their parents alleged attacker. ASP Director Col. Mike Hagar said the descriptions they provided would have been pretty amazing if they had been adults, much less young children who had just been traumatized. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those little girls are heroes, Hagar told lawmakers. In response to a request from subcommittee co-chair Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain Home, to provide an overview of the timeline of the investigation, Hagar emphasized that it was not a typical situation that state police found themselves in when they got the call about the murders. Truly random crime, such as the one that appeared to occur in the state park, is actually extremely rare, Hagar told legislators. And since both the victims and the suspect had recently moved to Northwest Arkansas from other states, police had to talk to people who knew the Brinks across vast areas to try to determine if there was a link or motive. Our victims were from California. They had moved to Montana, then to South Dakota, then, most recently, to Arkansas. And so there was a huge geographical area that we had to cover, Hagar said. McGann also had recently moved to Arkansas and was due to start a teaching job with Springdale schools. He is due back in court on Nov. 14. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) A former police chief known as the Devil in the Ozarks spent months planning his escape from an Arkansas prison, and said lax security in the kitchen where he worked allowed the convicted murderer to gather the supplies he needed, an internal review by prison officials released Friday said. The Department of Corrections' critical incident review of Grant Hardin's May 25 escape from the Calico Rock prison provides the most detailed description so far of his planning and the issues that allowed him to walk out of the facility. Hardin was captured 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) northwest of the Calico Rock prison on June 6. Authorities said he escaped by donning an outfit he designed to look like a law enforcement uniform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hardin, who worked in the prison's kitchen, said he spent six months planning his escape and used black Sharpie markers and laundry he found lying around the kitchen to create the fake uniform, according to the report. Hardin fashioned a fake badge using the lid of a can. Hardin stated he would hide the clothes and other items he was going to need in the bottom of a trash can in the kitchen due to no one ever shaking it down, the report says. Two prison employees have been fired for procedure violations that led to Hardin's escape. They include a kitchen employee who allowed Hardin on a back dock unsupervised and a tower guard who unlocked the back gate that Hardin walked through without confirming his identity. Several other employees have been suspended and one demoted, lawmakers were told this week. The kitchen's staff was very lax on security, Hardin told investigators, allowing him to gather what he needed for his escape. Hardin said he didn't have any help from staff or other inmates. Hardin had constructed a ladder from wooden pallets in case he needed to scale the prison fence but didn't need it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Hardin) stated when he walked up to the gate, he just directed the officer to open the gate, and he did, the report says. After he escaped from the prison, Hardin survived on food he had smuggled out of the prison along with distilled water from his CPAP machine. Hardin also drank creek water and ate berries, bird eggs and ants. He said his plan was to hide in the woods for six months if need be and begin moving west out of the area, the report says. Hardin, a former police chief in the small town of Gateway, near the Arkansas-Missouri border, is serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape. He was the subject of the TV documentary Devil in the Ozarks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report is one of two reviews into Hardin's escape, which is also being investigated by the Arkansas State Police. A legislative subcommittee has also been holding hearings about the escape. Republican Rep. Howard Beaty, who co-chairs the Legislative Council's Charitable, Penal and Correctional Institutions Subcommittee, said the panel hoped to discuss both reports with officials at a hearing next month. Republican Sen. Ben Gilmore, who sits on the panel, said he didn't think the department's review took a thorough enough look at the systemic issues that enabled Hardin's escape. They have focused on the final failure instead of all of the things that led up to it, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report also cites confusion among corrections officials in the early stages of Hardin's escape about which law enforcement agencies had been notified, the report says. It is obvious there was a lot of confusion during the beginning stages of opening the command center and of notifications being made, the report says. Hardin had been misclassified and shouldnt have been held at the primarily medium-security prison, according to the review. After he was captured, Hardin was moved to a maximum-security prison. He has pleaded not guilty to escape charges, and his trial is set for November. Hardin's custody classification hadn't been reviewed since October 2019, the report says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Corrections' review says officials had taken several steps since Hardin's escape, including removing the electric locks from the gates to prevent someone from walking out without an officer present. The report also calls for additional cameras after finding a blind spot on the dock Hardin used, and for any shakedown searches for contraband to include mechanical rooms and side rooms. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem temporarily relocated her personal residence as she's facing an increase in threats against her and "vicious doxxing," a department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Friday. "Following the medias publishing of the location of Secretary Noems Washington D.C. apartment, she has faced vicious doxxing on the dark web and a surge in death threats, including from the terrorist organizations, cartels, and criminal gangs that DHS targets. Due to threats and security concerns, she has been forced to temporarily stay in secure military housing," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. "Secretary Noem continues to pay rent for her Navy Yard residence. "Its a shame that the media chooses sensationalism over the safety of people enforcing Americas laws to keep Americans safe," McLaughlin added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Noem said last week that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents "are now facing a 1000% increase in assaults against them as they risk their lives to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens." Noem Says Ice Agents Are Facing '1000% Increase In Assaults' U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press briefing with Ecuador's Minister of Interior John Reinberg at the Ecuadorian Presidential Palace on July 31, 2025, in Quito, Ecuador. "We will not and have not let this violence stop us or slow us down. Everyday our law enforcement continues to enforce the law and arrest the most depraved criminals including pedophiles, terrorists, murderers, gang members, and sexual predators," she added in a post on X. Read On The Fox News App Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Noem, In Illinois, Calls Out Gov. Pritzker, Chicago's Mayor Over Their Handling Of Criminal Illegal Immigrants In July, Fox News Digital reported that ICE officials faced an 830% increase in assaults between Jan. 21, 2025 and July 14, 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a tour of the Terrorist Confinement Center (CECOT) on March 26, 2025 in Tecoluca, El Salvador. That timeframe began the day after President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office. Original article source: DHS says Noem is temporarily staying in military housing after facing 'vicious doxxing,' death threats "The research showed that around 350,000 Americans die each year from fine particle pollution (PM2.5) in the air caused by burning fossil fuels." (Getty Images) Our kids cant get enough of their old time summer camp here in southern New Hampshire. Theres swimming and boating, games and pranks, popsicles galore, and a talent show to boot. Best of all, the whole thing takes place in the great outdoors where kids belong, especially in summer. Or do they? Over the course of last week at summer camp, I noticed something peculiar about our 6-year-old son. While my wife and I and his two older siblings were fine, and everybody else we had been around for weeks had seemed healthy too, he was developing a cough. In fact, his hacking was bothersome enough that he didnt want to eat and had trouble falling asleep. He even asked to stay home from camp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reading the news the next day, I came across a headline that took my breath away: Wildfire smoke is like smoking half a pack a day. The article noted that when the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaches 100-200, people are exposed to as much air pollution as smoking between five and 10 cigarettes a day. (AQI is the governments official measure of smog and fine particle pollution from wildfires, power plants, vehicles, and the like.) I promptly checked the stats for our part of southern New Hampshire and was shocked to learn that on two consecutive days last week, the AQI had reached 117 and 113. It came with the warning unhealthy for sensitive groups. A review of the American Lung Associations air quality website provided some helpful context: when AQI is between 101-150, it said, Children, active adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. The website said even an AQI of 50 the lowest level recorded in the area last week can be damaging for people in sensitive groups, especially kids whose developing airways are small and who naturally spend more active time outdoors. To back up these claims, the American Lung Association pointed me to a raft of scientific research on the dangers of outdoor air pollution, much of it published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the first Trump administration. In case I doubted the gravity of the matter, the research showed that around 350,000 Americans die each year from fine particle pollution (PM2.5) in the air caused by burning fossil fuels. Whats more, each incremental increase of 50 AQI (corresponding to roughly 10 micrograms of PM2.5) raised the risk of respiratory infections in children by 11% and overall cancer by 22%. Talk about a suffocating set of studies! Yes, I had seen the hazy skies while driving to and from work last week and was aware that another year of record wildfires in Canada was to blame, according to WMUR. In fact, I had been shocked that on my return drive west on Route 101 early in the week, when my weather app said there was not a cloud in the sky, the normally blinding afternoon sun looked more like the moon on a clear night. But habits are hard to break, and clean air is just one of those things Ive always taken for granted since growing up in New Hampshire. I couldnt imagine a bit of haze getting in the way of my kids summer outdoors until that darn cough and the headline about smoking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As it happens, our familys experience was hardly unique. As WMUR also reported, local doctors were seeing double the normal number of patients with respiratory issues last week and recommending people limit time outdoors, wear a mask, and use indoor air purifiers. Another doctor reported seeing patients without any risk factors who are coughing and wheezing. It would appear that my vision of how a New Hampshire summer should be is sadly out of date. While air quality here is still better than many parts of the country, healthy air is no longer a fact of life in the age of fossil fueled climate damage causing record heat and drought the recipe for worsening wildfires, according to NASA. Whats more, recent events in Washington are all but guaranteed to make matters worse. Last month, at President Trumps command, Republicans in Congress overcame bipartisan opposition and narrowly passed the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act. In addition to making the richest Americans richer by an average $13,600 a year and the poorest Americans poorer by an average $1,200 a year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill is a stunning success for the largest emitters of deadly air pollution. Fossil fuel companies, which generate 85 percent of airborne fine particle pollution and almost all sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions worldwide, are winning big in Washington. Centuries after the U.S. government first began subsidizing fossil fuels in 1789, the oil, coal, and gas industries received substantial additional tax breaks and incentives under the new law. According to recent analysis by the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Sense, the cost of these changes adds up to billions more dollars in taxpayer subsidies through lost royalties and bid revenue, delayed methane pollution fees, and expanded direct tax breaks for fossil fuel corporations part of the bills overall contribution of up to $6 trillion in federal debt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In stark contrast, the Big Beautiful Bill effectively ends recent federal supports for wind, solar, electric vehicles, and energy-efficient buildings, the primary tool Americans have for reducing air pollution while maintaining our quality of life. By radically reducing the growth of wind and solar, which became the cheapest sources of energy in 2017 and provided 93% of new electricity generation capacity last year, the law is projected to increase wholesale electricity rates by 74% in 2035. For individual families, that means hundreds more dollars in household electricity bills in the coming years. For the economy as a whole, it means $980 billion in lost GDP and 760,000 lost jobs. All told, the 340 gigawatts of lost power generation also means America will face a major strategic setback in the AI race with China, a defining security threat in the 21st century. Whether youre sentimental about summer camp or concerned about energy costs or just want to keep your kids safe, I think we can all agree that current policies in Washington and Concord arent cutting it. If the party in power wont stand up against big polluters, lets hope the people will. COLCHESTER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) On the Social Security Programs 90th birthday, were learning more about its beginnings including that the first person to receive a recurring payment was from Vermont. Ida May Fuller was born September 6, 1874. (Courtesy: Social Security Administration) Fuller lived on a farm outside of Ludlow, and went to school in Rutland. She was even classmates with Calvin Coolidge. Re-enactment honors inauguration of President Calvin Coolidge, 100 years later Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One day, she stopped by Rutlands Social Security office, to ask about possible benefits. It wasnt that I expected anything, mind you, she said, but I knew Id been paying for something called Social Security and I wanted to ask the people in Rutland about it. Her claim was reviewed and sent to the Treasury Department for payment in 1940, and it turned out that hers was the first one on the list, and eventually turned into the first Social Security check for $22.54. Fuller continued to receive Social Security until she died in 1975 at the age of 100. 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. Social media users quickly mocked President Donald Trump for greeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on a red carpet in Alaska on Friday. Trump welcomed Putin onto U.S. soil on Friday afternoon, shaking hands with the Russian leader who walked to meet him on a rolled out red carpet. Trump could be seen clapping for Putin before posing for photos with the leader. Trump hopes that the high-stakes meeting with Putin will bring about an end to the years-long war in Ukraine. However, Trumps decision to meet Putin in Alaska has been met with widespread criticism for welcoming Ukraines adversary into the U.S. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska. pic.twitter.com/so9yO9R5zt CSPAN (@cspan) August 15, 2025 Social media users criticized Trump over his reaction to meeting Putin on Friday. Many questioned why Trump clapped for Putin, who has opposed ending Russias invasion of Ukraine since 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Never seen Trump this thrilled to meet any other world leader. Disgusting, the Republicans Against Trump account wrote on social media platform X. Another user wrote: A red carpet for Putin, the aggressor and war criminal, but nothing for Zelenskyy says a lot about Trumps priorities. Foreign affairs journalist Olga Nesterova suggested that Putin and Trump are friends in a post to X. Ive covered a variety of summits. And I know what admiration looks like. Thats the end of the world order as we knew it. A sad day for everyone, she wrote. Political scientist Stuart Stevens compared the red carpet to the deaths of Ukrainian civilians in the ongoing war with Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The red is the blood of innocent Ukrainians. One of the most disgraceful moments in American history, he wrote. Trump and Putin then climbed into the U.S. presidential limo, with Putin spotted smiling as the limo drove away from the media. A host on MSNBC noted that it was very rare for any prime minister or world leader to ride with Trump in the limo. Host: This is extraordinary that any president or prime minister gets into Trump's car. Has anyone gone into The Beast before? This is very rare for any allied leader, let alone a former KGB leader pic.twitter.com/g5zavAee6A FactPost (@factpostnews) August 15, 2025 The sit-down gives Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a close something he used to boast he could do quickly. For Putin, a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russias gains, block Kyivs bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscows orbit. Despite having so much at stake, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders arent invited. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are significant risks for Trump. By bringing Putin onto U.S. soil America bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for roughly 2 cents per acre the president is giving him the validation he desires after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine 3 1/2 years ago. Zelenskyys exclusion from Trump and Putins first meeting is a heavy blow to the Wests policy of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. For many, the loss of a beloved family pet can be as devastating as losing a family member. For one Colorado couple, the tragic death of their dog also served as a sobering reminder of encroaching wildlife in the region. What's happening? As reported by 9News, a mountain lion found its way into a north Boulder neighborhood before attacking and killing a couple's small dog. Taulere and Arrone Appel had taken Bodhi, their one-year-old Cavachon, out for a short walk when they were caught off guard by the mountain lion just three minutes after leaving their home. The wild animal immediately went after the dog, killing it instantly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arrone Appel spoke to 9News regarding the harrowing ordeal and the helpless feeling of watching their pet being attacked. "Mountain lions, they're just intense and there was nothing I could do," said Arrone Appel. "It was like a defeat. Like, how could I help my baby?" Appel noted that he attempted to regain control of Bodhi's leash before the mountain lion could run off with his dog's body. "I knew he died instantly. And I didn't want to have the memory of that overtake the good memories," added Appel. The mountain lion then ran from the area with the dog in its mouth, leaving the couple uninjured. Why are wild animals encroaching on human populations important? When wild animals enter heavily populated areas, it can lead to a range of negative consequences for both humans and wildlife. These consequences include an increased risk of disease transmission, property damage, and potential injury or even death. Human-wildlife conflict is often driven by habitat loss and the spread of human populations into previously wild areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Habitat loss can have a ripple effect on wildlife in surrounding areas. It can be the cause of population decline, increased competition, and ultimately species extinction. As seen in Boulder, when species like mountain lions lose their primary food source, they may venture outside of their known habitats in search of food or shelter. How often do you worry about having your personal info stolen? Never Sometimes Often Always Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. What's being done about the mountain lion in Boulder? The day after Bodhi was killed, the mountain lion was spotted again in a nearby area. This prompted a search from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Boulder Police Animal Protection officers, who were also joined by rangers from Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks. Officials reported that the mountain lion was observed leaving the area on its own. Shortly after, Bodhi's remains were discovered in a backyard located in the neighborhood. While this can be viewed as good news, it does open the door for the possibility of the mountain lion returning in the future. CPW explained that tracking animal movements and sightings is an important tool in determining local wildlife populations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In this particular case, we are trying to relocate the lion from the area and need the public's help to be able to catch the lion," noted CPW public information officer Kara Van Hoose. In the meantime, the CPW recommended that if a person were to come in contact with a mountain lion, they should do their best to give the animal a chance to leave the area unimpeded. And since mountain lions are generally afraid of humans, it is also important to remain calm and make yourself appear as big as possible until the animal runs off. 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. For 13 years, the family of Austin Tice, a Marine veteran and freelance journalist taken hostage in Syria in 2012, has sought any information about his whereabouts and condition. Tices mother, Debra Tice, publicly shared some details Thursday from declassified documents she and her husband, Marc Tice, were allowed to view earlier this year. Debra Tice shared images of some of the documents, many heavily redacted, at the National Press Club during an event that marked the 13th anniversary of Austin Tices capture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The documents are part of a larger trove of information shared with the Tice family by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard earlier this year, Debra Tice said. She and her husband spent 17 hours over two days reviewing eight, four-inch binders of materials with intelligence much of it uncorroborated about their son. Over the years, the Tice family was told U.S. officials did not have new information regarding Austins capture or detention. But the documents they reviewed showed previously unknown details, including about medical treatment he received while being held in Syria. Our government had information almost every single day of Austin Tices detention, Debra Tice said. Austin Tice worked as a freelance journalist covering Syrias civil war when he was taken hostage near Damascus around Aug. 13, 2012. He was 31 at the time and had previously served as a Marine captain with deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In December 2024, when the Syrian government fell to rebel forces, there was hope that Austin Tice would be found among the many prisoners. President Joe Biden said at the time that Tice was alive, even though officials had no direct evidence of his status. In June, reports emerged that the U.S. government was investigating claims by a former Syrian official that Tice was killed in Syria in 2013 at the behest of then-President Bashar al-Assad. Ex-Syrian official claims Austin Tice was killed in 2013 Debra Tice said the documents shown to them refute this claim, which was made by Bassam al-Hassan, a strategic advisor and member of Assads inner circle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hassan claimed that Assad ordered Tices killing after he briefly escaped his prison cell in 2013. But experts, including Nizar Zakka, head of Hostage Aid Worldwide, said Hassans story is hard to believe. Zakka spoke via Zoom at the Thursday event. Assad will never, ever give the order to kill an American citizen, Zakka said. This is out of the question. U.S. government officials told The Washington Post that Hassans claims are unsubstantiated. Also appearing at the Press Club event was Kieran Ramsey, a former director of the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, who worked on Tices case before he retired. Ramsey blamed bureaucracy for standing in the way of getting Austin back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bureaucracy has been the ultimate agent of evil when it comes to getting Austin home, Ramsey said. While proof of life has a high threshold, Ramsey said, so does proof of death. As we sit here right now, there isnt any, Ramsey said. The Tice family hasnt wavered in believing that Austin is alive, and his parents reiterated that belief Thursday. My son is not dead, and we are working to get him home, Debra Tice said. There were several moments where President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin exchanged words without interpreters at the high-stakes summit in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine sparking debate about whether or not Putin speaks English. They joked on the red carpet the Trump administration had rolled out for the Russian strongman in Anchorage and conversed in the backseat of the presidents armored limousine, dubbed The Beast. The car ride was an opportunity for the two leaders to be alone together, aside from security and the driver. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While its unlikely the wider world will ever know what the two men discussed, commentators and experts weighed in on what we do knowPutin has a firm grasp of the English language. When journalists shouted questions to Putin, one being will you stop killing civilians? Putin pointed to his ear and shrugged, appearing to suggest he either did not catch the question or he did not understand. Putin also pulled strange facial expressions when the media yelled questions at him when he arrived at the base. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ride in the back of The Beast, the U.S. presidents limousine. (via REUTERS) Putins own spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in 2021 that the Russian leader, who is also fluent in German, speaks such good English that he sometimes even corrects the translators. Putin's English is much better than he lets on, John Sullivan, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, told CBS: He's not as fluent in English as he is in German, he can converse with the German chancellor in flawless German. His English isn't quite as good, but he could have a conversation with the president in English that President Trump would understand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin skeptics expressed concern that the Russian and Trump spoke alone in the back of the Beast. I am a firm believer that whatever was said between Trump and Putin (whose English is good enough) privately in The Beast for several minutes without witnesses is the real reason for this whole last minute summit, speculated Democratic commentator Julie Roginsky on X. And I am not so sure it was just about Ukraine. The Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump group, pointed out Putins command of English in a post on X. The group shared the clip of a reporter asking Putin whether he would stop killing civilians in Ukraine, when the leader tapped his ear and did not answer. Putin speaks English, by the way, said the account. Putin pointed to his ear and shrugged, appearing to suggest he either could not catch the question or he did not understand, when a reporter asked him whether he would stop killing civilians in Ukraine. (REUTERS) Canadian Senator Charles Adler also shared the same clip. Putin can pretend he doesn't understand English. Truth is, he's a former KGB agent, conversant with several languages, Adler said in a post on X. He likely speaks English at a higher level than Trump. On the other hand, so does a '57 Dodge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kyiv-based journalist Euan MacDonald said that the Russian delegation had an advantage over the Americans in the crucial peace talks. The summit behind closed doors had stretched more than two hours at the time of writing and included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff as well as Russian minister of foreign affairs Sergey Lavrov and Russian policy adviser Yury Ushakova. Russian delegates Ushakov and Lavrov are both fluent in English.Rubio and Witkoff do not speak Russian, MacDonald said in a post on BlueSky. Big advantage for Putin over Trump. You can bet Ushakov and Lavrov will listen carefully to what the U.S. delegation say among themselves. Interpreters on both sides are translating the summit. Trump had said previously that he would know within two minutes of speaking with Putin whether hed want to end the war. Authorities in Canada have worked to quell the Wesley Ridge wildfire in British Columbia this week, and some good samaritans are doing their part by coming to the aid of an abandoned animal. A dog was found chained to a tree in the forest, near trails that hikers use to navigate the wilderness. One woman, walking the trails with her own dog, said that she heard the abandoned dog crying but initially thought little of it. She looked for the animal but couldn't find it, but learned from her neighbor later that day that they also heard a dog barking. That prompted a second search, and she would find the scared animal held to the tree with a one-inch chain and no food or water. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To make matters worse, the dog was chained to a tree near the boundary of the fire's evacuation zone. "This morning at 6:30, I heard a dog barking on a very remote dog walk. I called out for people, but didn't go check it," Janet O'Reilly wrote in a Facebook group. "A neighbor just came by, he ran across a dog tied to a tree on a 1-foot chain. No water or food. In distress. Same place I heard her crying earlier." O'Reilly said that she went back to get the dog, freeing it and taking it home. Unfortunately, she needed someone else to take her as she wouldn't be able to accommodate her permanently. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I went and got the dog. She was so thirsty! At least 10 hours out there. Tied, no water. She seems sweet but not comfortable around other dogs," the woman said. "I have 2 dogs and 2 cats and can't keep her in my space. I'm already stressed enough. Please help me!! A number to call? A safe place for her to stay? Any info is appreciated!" GlobalNews.ca says the British Columbia SPCA got in contact with O'Reilly and agreed to shelter the dog. The goal is to now find a forever family that will take care of her with the right amount of consideration. Shes in such great shape and she friendlies up pretty fast, said the BC SPCA's Sam Sattar, who noted that the dog's name is now Eve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were just kind of wondering how she ended up where she ended up. O'Reilly has her own conclusion, believing that this was unfortunately done deliberately in an attempt to abandon the animal in a cruel way. I feel that a monster did this, she said. I feel like if somebody wanted this dog to be found, it would have been tied somewhere where theres people, or where they're going to be. This dog was tied where nobody, if that dog was not barking, this dog would still be there. Like, theres no way me or my neighbour would have come across her if she wasnt barking. Fortunately, the actions of bystanders like O'Reilly will now make sure Eve isn't abandoned any longer. Dog Rescued From Fire Evac Zone After Being Chained To Tree first appeared on Men's Journal on Aug 11, 2025 NEED TO KNOW Sean Dunn, a now-terminated Justice Department employee, was arrested by 20 officers at his home and charged with felony assault after allegedly throwing a sandwich at a federal agent Viral video footage of the incident shows a man throwing a sandwich at an officer's chest before turning around and sprinting away Local pushback against heightened law enforcement in Washington began even before Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to D.C. and federalized the city police on Aug. 11 A Justice Department employee now faces a felony charge after hurling a sandwich at a federal officer in Washington, D.C. D.C. resident Sean Dunn has been charged with felony assault after he approached a federal agent on Sunday, Aug. 10, and threw a Subway sandwich, CBS affiliate WUSA 9 reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The incident came amid heightened law enforcement presence in the capital city at the request of President Donald Trump. https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf A viral video capturing the incident shows Dunn approach one agent and appear to yell at him before throwing the sandwich at the officer's chest. A handful of officers in the vicinity then promptly start chasing Dunn, who turns around and begins sprinting away. Dunn was ultimately detained on Sunday night and released with no charges. Despite his earlier release, Dunn learned on Wednesday that a warrant was out for his arrest, according to CNN. His attorney claims that he didn't have time to turn himself in for the new felony charge before 20 officers were sent to his home to re-arrest him. Andrew Leyden/Getty Sean Dunn's initial arrest on Sunday night Sean Dunn's initial arrest on Sunday night According to court records obtained by the outlet and The New York Times, Dunn admitted while being processed, "I did it. I threw a sandwich." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His felony charge could result in up to eight years in prison, though he was freed from custody without needing to post bail on Thursday. According to a statement from Attorney General Pam Bondi, Dunn's employment at the Justice Department was terminated this week. Dunn's arrest and release comes amid the Trump administration's takeover of Washington's law enforcement. On Monday, Aug. 11, after several days with heightened security in the city, Trump ordered in the National Guard and federalized the Metropolitan Police Department. The aggressive move was deemed by Trump as a response to the "public safety emergency" in D.C., though local data supports evidence of a significant decrease in both violent and non-violent crime. Read the original article on People GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Colorado announced the Los Angeles man who diverted a flight on Wednesday to Grand Junction was charged by criminal complaint for the incident. The complaint says David Leroy Carver Jr., 47, allegedly interfered with flight crew members and attendants on a Breeze Airways flight from Norfolk, Virginia, to Los Angeles. Carver reportedly made inappropriate sexual comments and racial slurs toward a flight attendant during the flight. According to the complaint, Carver threatened to strike before throwing chewing tobacco from his mouth at a passengers face after they told him to stop. Another traveler intervened and allegedly restrained Carver, which allowed flight attendants to place him in zip tie restraints. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carver is accused of lunging at a flight attendant during the struggle and injuring her. Carver allegedly freed himself from the restraints, removed his belt and wrapped it around his knuckles in a threatening way before flight attendants separated him from the belt, according to the complaint. Carver made his first appearance in Grand Junction on Thursday in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard T. Gurley. His charges werent specified in the DOJ news release. The FBI and Grand Junction Police Department are investigating the case. An assault reportedly happened on a Breeze Airways and was diverted to the Grand Junction Regional Airport. The Grand Junction Police Department can be seen responding to the incident. (WesternSlopeNow/David Jones/Courtesy Photo) 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 WesternSlopeNow.com. SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KRON) A domestic violence suspect armed with a gun charged at officers when he was fatally shot by police Thursday morning, according to new details released by the Santa Rosa Police Department. The 20-year-old man had barricaded himself inside the home of his ex-girlfriends parents for over six hours before the deadly shooting. Santa Rosa police responded at 10:12 p.m. Wednesday to the 900 block of Keegan Drive on the report of an armed man involved in domestic violence. Arriving officers found that the suspects 19-year-old ex-girlfriend, the exs two parents, and a 2-month-old child that the victim and the suspect share had evacuated to outside of the home. Officers were informed that the suspect, a 20-year-old Santa Rosa resident who was not named, had struck a female victim in the head with a firearm. SRPD was unclear whether he struck his ex-girlfriend or his exs mother. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Woman critically injured, dog struck in Santa Rosa car collision The man remained barricaded inside the home and refused instructions to peacefully surrender, SRPD wrote. The Santa Rosa PD SWAT and Hostage Negotiations Team arrived and began attempting to talk to the suspect at around midnight, police said. The suspect ignored all attempts to communicate with officers, SRPD wrote. At 4:55 a.m. Thursday, the man ran out of the home toward officers with a gun in his hand, according to authorities. Initial reports indicate that one SRPD SWAT officer fired at least one round at the suspect, SRPD wrote. Officers immediately began providing medical aid to the suspect, who has sustained at least one gunshot wound. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A medic pronounced the 20-year-old man deceased at 4:57 a.m. No officers were injured in the incident. The Sonoma County Sheriffs Office and the Sonoma County District Attorneys Office responded to assume an independent investigation of the fatal police shooting per protocol. Victims of domestic violence have help available 24/7. People may call the domestic violence hotline at 800-799-7233. 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 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. John Scalzi is a voluble man. He is the author of several New York Times best sellers and has been nominated for nearly every major award that the science-fiction industry has to offersome of which hes won multiple times. Over the course of his career, he has written millions of words, filling dozens of books and 27 years worth of posts on his personal blog. All of this is to say that if one wants to cite Scalzi, there is no shortage of material. But this month, the author noticed something odd: He was being quoted as saying things hed never said. The universe is a joke, reads a meme featuring his face. A bad one. The lines are credited to Scalzi and were posted, atop different pictures of him, to two Facebook communities boasting almost 1 million collective members. But Scalzi never wrote or said those words. He also never posed for the pictures that appeared with them online. The quote and the images that accompanied them were all pretty clearly AI generated, Scalzi wrote on his blog. The whole vibe was off, Scalzi told me. Although the material bore a superficial similarity to something he might have saidits talking about the universe, its vaguely philosophical, Im a science-fiction writerit was not something he agreed with. I know what I sound like; I live with me all the time, he noted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bogus quotations on the internet are not new, but AI chatbots and their hallucinations have multiplied the problem at scale, misleading many more people, and misrepresenting the beliefs not just of big names such as Albert Einstein but also of lesser known individuals. In fact, Scalzis experience caught my eye because a similar thing had happened to me. In June, a blog post appeared on the Times of Israel website, written by a self-described tech bro working in the online public-relations industry. Just about anyone can start a blog at the Times of Israelthe publication generally does not edit or commission the contentswhich is probably why no one noticed that this post featured a fake quote, sourced to me and The Atlantic. Theres nothing inherently nefarious about advocating for your peoples survival, it read. The problem isnt that Israel makes its case. Its that so many dont want it made. As with Scalzi, the words attributed to me were ostensibly adjacent to my area of expertise. Ive covered the Middle East for more than a decade, including countless controversies involving Israel, most recently the corrupt political bargain driving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus actions in Gaza. But like Scalzi, Id never said, and never would say, something so mawkish about the subject. I wrote to the Times of Israel, and an editor promptly apologized and took the article down. (Miriam Herschlag, the opinion and blogs editor at the paper, later told me that its blogging platform does not have an explicit policy on AI-generated content.) Getting the post removed solved my immediate problem. But I realized that if this sort of thing was happening to mea little-known literary figure in the grand scheme of thingsit was undoubtedly happening to many more people. And though professional writers such as Scalzi and myself have platforms and connections to correct falsehoods attributed to us, most people are not so lucky. Last May, my colleagues Damon Beres and Charlie Warzel reported on Heat Index, a magazine-style summer guide that was distributed by the Chicago Sun-Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer. The insert included a reading list with fake books attributed to real authors, and quoted one Mark Ellison, a nature guide, not a professional writer, who never said the words credited to him. When contacted, the author of Heat Index admitted to using ChatGPT to generate the material. Had The Atlantic never investigated, there likely would have been no one to speak up for Ellison. [Read: At least two newspapers syndicated AI garbage] Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The negative consequences of this content go well beyond the individuals misquoted. Today, chatbots have replaced Google and other search engines as many peoples primary source of online information. Everyday users are employing these tools to inform important life decisions and to make sense of politics, history, and the world around them. And they are being deceived by fabricated content that can leave them worse off than when they started. This phenomenon is obviously bad for readers, but its also bad for writers, Gabriel Yoran told me. A German entrepreneur and author, Yoran recently published a book about the degradation of modern consumer technology called The Junkification of the World. Ironically, he soon became an object lesson in a different technological failure. Yorans book made the Der Spiegel best-seller list, and many people began reviewing and quoting itand also, Yoran soon noticed, misquoting it. An influencers review on XING, the German equivalent of LinkedIn, included a passage that Yoran never wrote. Theres quotes from the book that are mine, and then there is at least one quote that is not in the book, he recalled. It could have been. Its kind of on brand. The tone of voice is fitting. But its not in the book. After this and other instances in which he received error-ridden AI-generated feedback on his work, Yoran told me that he felt betrayed in a way. He worries that in the long run, the use of AI in this manner will degrade the quality of writing by demotivating those who produce it. If material is just going to be fed into a machine that will then regurgitate a sloppy summary, why weigh every word and think about every comma? Like other online innovations such as social media, large language models do not so much create problems as supercharge preexisting ones. The internet has long been awash with fake quotations attributed to prominent personalities. As Abraham Lincoln once said, You cant trust every witticism superimposed over the image of a famous person on the internet. But the advent of AI interfaces churning out millions of replies to hundreds of millions of peopleChatGPT and Googles Gemini have more than 1 billion active users combinedhas turned what was once a manageable chronic condition into an acute infection that is metastasizing beyond all containment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Read: The entire internet is reverting to beta] The process by which this happens is simple. Many people do not know when LLMs are lying to them, which is unsurprising given that the chatbots are very convincing fabulists, serving up slop with unflappable confidence to their unsuspecting audience. That compromised content is then pumped at scale by real people into their own online interactions. The result: Meretricious material from chatbots is polluting our public discourse with Potemkin pontification, derailing debates with made-up appeals to authority and precedent, and in some cases, defaming living people by attributing things to them that they never said and do not agree with. More and more people are having the eerie experience of knowing that they have been manipulated or misled, but not being sure by whom. As with many aspects of our digital lives, responsibility is too diffuse for accountability. AI companies can chide users for trusting the outputs they receive; users can blame the companies for providing a serviceand charging for itthat regularly lies. And because LLMs are rarely credited for the writing that they help produce, victims of chatbot calumny struggle to pinpoint which model did the deed after the fact. You dont have to be a science-fiction writer to game out the ill effects of this progression, but it doesnt hurt. It is going to become harder and harder for us to understand what things are genuine and what things are not, Scalzi told me. All that AI does is make this machinery of artifice so much more automated, especially because the temptation for many people is to find something online that you agree with and immediately share it with your entire Facebook crowd without checking to see if its authentic. In this way, Scalzi said, everyday people uncritically using chatbots risk becoming a willing route of misinformation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The good news is that some AI executives are beginning to take the problems with their products seriously. I think that if a company is claiming that their model can do something, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told Congress in May 2023, and it cant, or if theyre claiming its safe and its not, I think they should be liable for that. The bad news is that Altman never actually said this. Googles Gemini just told me that he did. Article originally published at The Atlantic Credit - Photo-Illustration by TIME (Source Images: Win McNameeGetty Images; Gavriil GrigorovAFP/Getty Images) Four summers ago, when the U.S. and Russia last held a summit of their two presidents, one of the officials in charge of organizing it was Eric Green. As Senior Director for Russia and Central Asia at the National Security Council, his phone rang whenever President Biden had a question about Vladimir Putin. In early 2021, it rang often. For one thing, Putin decided that spring to send tens of thousands of troops to his border with Ukraine, raising fears of an imminent invasion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At around the same time, Russian hackers launched a series of crippling ransomware attacks against American hospitals and businesses. On top of that, an important nuclear treaty between the U.S. and Russia was about to lapse. So Biden did what his successor, Donald Trump, would end up doing four years later: He invited Putin to meet and talk. The context was completely different, Green told me this week, when I asked about comparisons to the summit Trump is holding with Putin today in Alaska. Read more: Exclusive: The Secret White House Backchannel That Paved the Way For Trumps Summit With Putin Indeed, Russia had not yet invaded Ukraine when Biden met Putin for the last time in June 2021. But on one thing the Russian president has remained stubbornly consistent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is continuity in his views about Ukraine, Green says. He wants to control its freedom of action, to dominate it. The stated aims of Trump's summit with Putin such as his idea of swapping one piece of Ukrainian territory for another, or the notion of a partial ceasefire will not address what the Russian leader has long described as the root causes of the war. When he talks about root causes, hes talking about Ukraines existence as a sovereign, independent country, Green explains. Thats not Trumps to give away. Without it, Putin cannot be expected to leave Ukraine in peace. At most, he might pause the fighting allowing for a temporary truce to let his armies recover and his economy restore some of Russias depleted wealth. But seizing some Ukrainian territory would not satisfy Putins desire to bring the entire country under Russian control. Vladimir Solovyov, one of the leading propagandists on Russian state TV, made this clear to his millions of viewers this week. Dont delude yourselves, he told them of the summits prospects for peace. This war is for a long time. Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden shake hands at a meeting at the 'Villa la Grange' in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16, 2021. Alexander ZemlianichenkoAP Putins objectives were not yet clear to Washington in June 2021. Ahead of that summit, held on neutral ground in Switzerland, on the shores of Lake Geneva, the Russians had pulled most of their forces away from their border with Ukraine, signaling that they wanted to give the U.S. a chance to prevent the outbreak of war. When Biden and Putin emerged from their meeting, however, their positions remained so far apart that the two leaders chose not to appear before the media to talk about the results. We refused to have a joint press conference with him, says Green. We were dealing with an adversary, not a partner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weeks later, Putin published a lengthy manifesto, arguing that Ukraine belongs by right to Russia and cannot exist as an independent nation. True sovereignty of Ukraine is possible only in partnership with Russia, he wrote. By end of 2021, Russian troops returned to the border in even greater numbers, and Biden made another attempt to defuse the tensions with a presidential summit. He even offered to discuss issues far beyond Ukraine, such as the future of the NATO alliance and European security. The Russians responded with a set of demands that the Americans could not even pretend to take seriously. The main one called for the NATO alliance to withdraw from eastern Europe, moving back to where they stood before Putin took power. NATO needs to pack up its stuff and go back to where it was in 1997, the lead Russian envoy in talks with the Americans, Sergei Ryabkov, said at the time. The U.S. rejected the ultimatum and threatened sanctions, which came into force when Russia invaded in February 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since then, the only thing that has stopped Putin from taking the whole country has been Ukrainian military force, bolstered by Western weapons. Even battlefield defeats Kyiv in spring 2022, Kharkiv and Kherson that fall have not shifted his ambitions. Today, the war has devolved into a grinding, bloody stalemate centered mostly around the eastern region of the Donbas, where Russian forces have continued making slow territorial gains, mile by mile, despite their own horrifying losses and the wholesale destruction of the towns and cities Putin claims to be liberating. Still, Putin insists the root causes must be resolved before peace. On Aug. 1, days before Trump confirmed the Alaska summit, Putin repeated: Our conditions, the goals of Russia, have not changed. The main thing is to uproot the causes of this crisis. The phrase may sound open to interpretation, but to those who have dealt with him, it is anything but. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has been remarkably consistent on this point, Green says. Putin wants all of Ukraine and will use any means necessary to get it. A tactical pause to let Trump play peacemaker is one thing; securing the future of Ukraine is another. Only the Ukrainians, with whatever arms and allies they are able muster, can do that. Contact us at letters@time.com. HENDERSON COUNTY, Texas (KETK) A Eustace man is being accused of aggravated sexual assault of a child after two young girls allegedly outcried to their mom. The 69-year-old claims that if he did do it, it happened in his sleep. AFFIDAVIT: Henderson County man arrested for touching girlfriends daughter According to a Henderson County arrest affidavit, around 9:44 p.m. on Aug. 8, a Henderson County investigator received a phone call from the Eustace Police Department about a sexual assault of a child. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The officer said on the phone that a woman was in their police department because her nine-year-old daughter told her James Malcolm McCrary, 69, of Eustace, sexually abused her. The Henderson County investigator then scheduled an interview with the victim at the Childrens Advocacy Center, Maggies House in Athens. The investigator was informed that while [the mom] was en route to Maggies House with her nine-year-old, her eleven-year-old daughter made an outcry against McCrary as well. Mugshot of James Malcolm McCrary, courtesy of Henderson County Jail The affidavit said that during the interview, both victims reported that McCrary had sexually touched their private parts. The nine-year-old told investigators that she was touched by McCrary two mornings in a row. While the 11-year-old said that when McCrary was done touching her, he told her, not to tell her mom. AFFIDAVIT: Smith County man arrested after having sexual relationship with teen co-worker Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the interviews with the victims, McCary was interviewed, where he first denied the allegations. Then he stated that if it did happen, he was asleep and it happened in his sleep, the document explained. McCary was arrested on Aug. 9 for two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, and he is currently being held on a $200,000 bond at the Henderson County Jail. 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. 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. A specialty cheese shop and school just outside Boston is permanently closing next month. Curds&co will close on Friday, Sept. 12 after 8 years of bringing great cheese and happiness to Brookline, owners Jenn and Matt Mason wrote in a statement online and on social media Tuesday, Aug. 12. As you may know, we have been actively searching for a new team to own the store since we have moved to Sicily in 2023, the statement read. Unfortunately, our search a new owner has not been successful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the unsuccessful search, Curds&co plans on going out on a high note and encouraged shoppers to stop by the store one last time. We have lots of deliciousness that needs to find new homes so we hope youll find lots of reasons to come, stock up, use your gift cards, come to one of our last classes, taste cheeses, and buy gifts, the statement read. There will be a jar on the counter for our monger after-care fund which will be split amongst the team and added to their severance. Feel free to show your support to our dynamo crew! The Masons ended the statement by thanking their daughters for helping to run the store, their landlord and every monger ever who donned a C&Co apron. These 8 years have been amazing and you all have been some of the greatest humans Ive ever known. You are what will be missed most in our little hamlet of cheesedom, the statement read. Dont wait, well be gone before you know it! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Curds&co first opened 2017, according to the stores website. The shop is known for its variety of artisan cheeses from around the world and charcuterie options. Curds&co also holds weekly cheese school classes and does catering. The address for Curds&co is 288 Washington St., Brookline. The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. More boston Read the original article on MassLive. The leaders of Chinas failing state have been defying the laws of geopolitics: they have consistently gotten the better of the most powerful figure in the world, President Donald Trump of the United States of America. In fact, China has been racking up win after win. There are many publicly unknown factors in Trumps China strategy, Charles Burton of the Prague-based Sinopsis think tank told me this week. We dont know why he has just signed an executive order that prevents high US tariffs on Chinese goods from snapping back, or why he is allowing Nvidia and AMD to export advanced microchips to China, or why he is not compelling ByteDance to sell TikTok as US law requires, or why he is charging India tariffs for buying Russian oil and not charging China for doing the same thing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a complete mystery to me, Burton, a former Canadian diplomat in Beijing, noted. Its a mystery because Trump, objectively speaking, holds most of the high cards. For one thing, Chinas economy is less than two-thirds the size of the American one. Last year, US GDP was about $29.2trn. Chinas National Bureau of Statistics reported a figure of $18.8trn, a number almost certainly inflated. Moreover, Americas economy is soaring, growing at an annual rate of 3 per cent in the second quarter of this year. China reported 5.2 per cent growth for that period, but price data and other underlying indicators tell us the country is stuck in deflation. The Chinese economy is likely to be stagnating at best. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Furthermore, China is the trade-surplus economy in the relationship. Americas merchandise trade deficit with China hit $295.4bn last year more than 5 per cent higher than in 2023. Trade-surplus countries are the ones with everything to lose when other countries decide to impose tariffs. Xi Jinping, because he has rejected consumption as the basis of the Chinese economy, has placed almost all bets on exports to rescue his grim situation. No country has a bigger internal market than the US perhaps accounting for 34 per cent of global household consumption and China desperately needs access to that market to keep its export machine going. President Trump has broken their business model with these tariffs, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Tucker Carlson in an episode released on April 4. Theyve just got such a big deficit with us that they need our markets. They cant survive without them. I wouldnt want to be in Xi Jinpings shoes right now, American trade expert Alan Tonelson told Newsweek in early April. There are empty chambers in his six-shooter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was, however, one bullet that seemed to work: Chinas rare earths and magnets. Beijing, in violation of the commitment made in its May 12 agreement with America, withheld and in some cases is still withholding these products. But Chinas ban on such exports is a lot less fearsome than it looks. Yes, Americans have to buy these minerals and magnets, but Chinese enterprises have to sell them too. In 2010, a Chinese ban on rare earth sales to Japanese customers lasted only seven weeks. This time, however, a similar ban intimidated a far more powerful America into concessions, including a critical one. Trump allowed the sale of Nvidia and AMD advanced microchips that were previously off-limits to Chinese purchasers. If Trump wants to play rough, he could have, for instance, ordered Boeing not to sell spare parts or provide services to China, which might well have grounded perhaps half the Chinese fleet. Apparently, Trump has been backing down because he did not want to inflict too much pain on an ailing China. If I didnt do that deal with China, I think China would have broken apart, he told Bret Baier of Fox News in May. He was talking about the May 12 arrangement in which the United States and China agreed, among other things, to reduce their general tariff rates on the other by 115 percentage points for 90 days, the first tariff pause. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chinas leaders, of course, did not respond by being conciliatory. They went on the attack including by continuing with the restrictions on rare earths exports. That offensive has had consequences. Beijing has made absolutely clear over the course of recent negotiations that they absolutely are the party with more leverage right now, Shehzad Qazi of China Beige Book told CNN this week after Trump issued his second 90-day extension. Theyve even gone as far as in private conversations with foreign business leaders and executives, including the delegation they just met recently in Beijing of US CEOs [and] made clear weve got the leverage here and we dont need to play ball on anything, including magnets. And then Qazi added this: So I think Xi Jinping is feeling pretty confident that hes scoring one victory after another. The Chinese, as Qazi notes, have been telling the world that Trump is in an inferior position. Trump may not agree, but what he thinks is not especially important. Chinas beliefs are fuelling Chinese arrogance and making negotiations that much harder for the US. Moreover, Chinas views are shaping perceptions around the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chinese state media says Trump is making strategic concessions because of Chinas strength, says Burton. The Chinese have been incessantly portraying these US concessions as evidence supporting Xi Jinpings narrative that the US is a declining power. Xis legitimacy in the Communist Party is now based on his core argument that Chinas rise is inevitable and America is just about finished. And now Trump is making Xis case for him. Gordon Chang is the author of Plan Red: Chinas Project to Destroy America and The Coming Collapse of China. Follow him on X @GordonGChang 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. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) A Donaldsonville man convicted of charges tied to a 2017 shooting case was sentenced Tuesday. Kahlil Howard, 27, was sentenced to 55 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served. According to District Attorney Ricky Babins office, the court ordered that the sentence run consecutively to a 20-year sentence for a manslaughter conviction from 2021. Howard pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder and armed robbery in May. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district attorneys office said the case stemmed from a shooting behind the levee along the Mississippi River in September 2017. Howard asked the victim for a ride after they saw each other at the foot of the Sunshine Bridge. The victim told investigators that he had met Howard before through a mutual friend. During the car ride, Howard brandished a gun and ordered the victim to drive across the levee into a cow pasture before demanding money. The victim was injured after shots were fired. Charge upgraded for man accused in hit-and-run killing BRPD Sgt. Caleb Eisworth Latest News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) A 23-year-old man turned himself in Friday as he was wanted for child sex crimes in Dorchester County. The Dorchester County Sheriffs Office received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about an individual suspected of having child pornography. Investigated and executed a search warrant at the home of Corben Paul Campbell, 23, of Summerville, on July 22. After the search and investigation with assistance from the South Carolina Attorney Generals Office, Campbell was charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree and one count in the second degree. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Campbell is in custody at the Dorchester County detention center. The South Carolina Attorney Generals Office will prosecute this case. 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. Aug. 14Dorothy Lane Market is opening the doors to its fourth location at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20. "We are excited for the opportunity to serve our neighbors in Mason and beyond and impact their lives," said CEO Calvin Mayne in a press statement. "We love to make people happy by giving them wonderful, nourishing food for their families, all with our unique shopping experience." The locally owned and operated, specialty grocery store, known for many signature foods such as the Killer Brownie, is located at the corner of Mason Montgomery Road and the newly constructed Veterans Parkway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It features a 50,000-square-foot main level grocery and a 9,000-square-foot mezzanine making it Dorothy Lane Market's largest store. The grocer has other locations at 2710 Far Hills Ave. in Oakwood, 740 N. Main St. in Springboro and 6177 Far Hills Ave. in Washington Twp. This will be its first footprint in the Cincinnati area. "I think it's really a privilege for DLM to be a part of the food store landscape in the Mason area. Our hope is that we will live up to the expectations of our customers," said DLM Chairman Norman Mayne in a press statement. "I'm grateful that we have this opportunity to open a store there." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to offering customers an opportunity to sit down and enjoy a variety of prepared food, there will be an onsite culinary center where cooking classes and special events will take place. The Mason store will have 275 new hires and 32 existing associates. Dorothy Lane Market is a part of a mixed-use planned community co-developed by Traditions Building & Development Group and Western Row Land Developers. News first broke about the grocer's intent to open a fourth location in October 2021 with construction beginning in November 2023. "Together we've worked hard to bring this vision to life," said Mason City Manager Eric Hansen in a press statement. "On behalf of City Council, the dedicated Mason teams that attract and deliver such developments, and an enthusiastic Mason community, we'd like to welcome DLM to the neighborhood! This project has all the signature elements that make it a perfect fit; job creation, new capital, unique international presence and most of all significant investment in the fabric of our community." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ------ MORE DETAILS Dorothy Lane Market will be open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. To celebrate the opening, the grocer will feature "Grand Opening Club Deals" where customers can access the sale prices by using a complimentary Club DLM card at checkout. All new and existing Club DLM card members will receive 500 bonus points after their first purchase at the Mason store during its opening week. For more information, visit dorothylane.com or the grocer's Facebook or Instagram pages (@dorothylanemarket). A longtime gourmet market is set to open its first Greater Cincinnati location this month. Dorothy Lane Market, a Dayton-based grocer, will open a new location in Mason on Wednesday, Aug. 20. This will be the market's fourth location. The market's grand opening kicks off at 10 a.m. However, the store will operate daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Mason location will be the grocer's largest store yet, with a 50,000-square-foot main level grocery and a 9,000-square-foot mezzanine. Dayton-based grocer, Dorothy Lane Market, will open a new location in Mason on Wednesday, Aug. 20. This will be the market's fourth location. "We are excited for the opportunity to serve our neighbors in Mason and beyond and impact their lives. We love to make people happy by giving them wonderful, nourishing food for their families, all with our unique shopping experience," Dorothy Lane Market CEO Calvin Mayne said in a press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shoppers can find the new store at the corner of Mason Montgomery Road and Veterans Parkway. "Together, weve worked hard to bring this vision to life," Eric Hansen, Mason city manager, said in a press release. "On behalf of City Council, the dedicated Mason teams that attract and deliver such developments, and an enthusiastic Mason community, wed like to welcome DLM to the neighborhood! This project has all the signature elements that make it a perfect fit; job creation, new capital, unique international presence and most of all, significant investment in the fabric of our community." In honor of the grand opening, Dorothy Lane Market is offering deals for customers, which can be accessed at checkout using a complimentary Club DLM card. New and existing members will receive 500 bonus points after their first purchase, too. Take a sneak peek of the inside of the new Dorothy Lane Market location that is set to open in Mason on Aug. 20. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Dorothy Lane Market is coming Mason. Here's when the new store opens DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) The Douglas County Sheriffs Office is making a big announcement. The Sheriffs Office will be holding their first Community Police Academy in October. Since its their inaugural event spots are limited to 10 participants. The course is free and will cover various areas of law enforcement like 911 operations, traffic and criminal law, use of force, evidence, investigations and others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Danville honoring veterans 80 years after the U.S. was changed forever Class meets in the evenings once a week. The Sheriffs Office said the goal of the program is teaching people more about how policing works in their community and improve the relationships between police and the public. Douglas County residents who are 18-years-old and older that are interested in signing up can send an email to sheriff@douglascountyil.gov with the subject line CPA with their contact information. 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. Soon after returning from fighting a wildfire in Colorado, Sam Topper of Dover prepared to battle blazes in Arizona. As the wildland fire supervisor for the Delaware Forest Service, Topper led the three-person crew from Delaware with Aiden Binko and Tom Hairgrove, driving a firetruck to help battle the Colorado blaze July 20 to Aug. 4. From left, Aiden Binko, Sam Topper and Tom Hairgrove from the Delaware wildland firefighting crew prepare to leave from Blackbird State Forest near Smyrna to help at a wildfire near Grand Junction, Colorado on July 20, 2025. Then on Aug. 13, Topper left to serve in Arizona with wildland fire crew members Hannah Small, Tom Hairgrove, Edward Boyer, Dave Pro, Matthew Grant, William Seybold, Robert Young, Josh Eastman, Nathan Riley, Noah Salemi, Jared Smith and Jakob Lasocha. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Topper has been involved with the wildland fire program during his entire 21-year career with the Forest Service, but he said his perspective has changed dramatically from when he first started. I just saw it as another duty, part of my job, but as I grew to understand it, I saw that it's an important way for me to serve, my way of service and giving back, he said. He was promoted to program supervisor about two years ago. Not everybody can do this job, but somebody has to. Ive found its something I can do, so I have a duty to do it, Topper said. Im good at making sense of chaotic scenes and restoring order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His normal job is supervising wildfire suppression and prescribed or supervised burning here in Delaware. While the state hasnt had many wildfires lately, they can happen during dry conditions. More fire news: Two years after wildfire devastation, Delawareans on Maui are ready for tourist revival As for prescribed burns, one reason is to prevent wildfires by removing sticks, brush and other vegetation that could fuel a blaze. The burns are also done to control diseased or invasive plant species and to improve wildlife habitat. It's a way to handle the problem without chemicals and heavy equipment, Topper said. Before leaving to help battle a fire in Arizona, the members of the Delaware wildland firefighting crew gather their gear at Blackbird State Forest near Smyrna on Aug. 13, 2025. Who can be a Delaware wildland firefighter? While some members of the Delawares wildland fire crew work for the Forest Service, they are not the majority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our team comes from all over, all walks of life, Topper said. Most are casual/seasonal employees, part-time workers hired primarily during the summer. Some of the members have experience as paid or volunteer firefighters. The Forest Service staff usually serves in leadership roles. For those not in the Forest Service, being part of the crew requires an understanding employer who will allow a worker to be gone for two to three weeks in the summer. Topper said the state is always looking for more wildfire crew members. Free training includes three online courses and two in-person courses taught over four non-consecutive weekends, usually from late January to early March. No prior firefighting experience is necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Part of the physical fitness requirement is being able carry a 45-pound pack on a 3-mile march no running in 45 minutes. Topper said crew members need to stay physically fit and update their training with the latest tools and methods of fighting wildfires. For crew members that work with the Forest Service, Topper said theyre paid the same rate theyd get paid in Delaware. For those who arent full-time state employees, the entry level pay is about $22 an hour. What's a 'typical day' like battling wildfires? At the Turner Gulch wildfire in Colorado, the crew started their day by packing up their tents and supplies because they usually moved to different locations where they were needed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Breakfast was at 6 a.m., followed by a meeting with leaders to review what theyd be working on that day, and then theyd head to their assignment. Sometimes that was putting out fires and sometimes that was working farther away from a fire to remove fuel like sticks, brush and trees from the fires path. This is one of the fires the Delaware wildland firefighters were assigned to control on July 27, 2025 as part of a crew in Colorado. We would patrol and look for flare ups and hot spots. Other times we were working in towns and neighborhoods to assess structures how resistant they are to fire, like do they have a metal roof or a wooden roof. Where is the water supply? Are there hydrants? Where are the electric cut-offs. The crews reported that information to group leaders to help them determine a firefighting plan. We looked to see if we needed to cut the brush from around homes and drag that away, Topper said. Sometimes we would set up sprinklers to soak the area and even wrap homes in fire suppressive wrap. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The crew usually worked until early evening, maybe as late as 9 p.m. Then wed eat and refurbish our gear and check our supplies, Topper said. The guidelines allow crews to work 16-hour days with eight hours off for up to 14 days, then two required days off. If you were going to work more than that, you had to justify it, based on conditions, Topper said. More fire news: A fire destroyed the Concord Pike McDonald's; 18 months later, a new one has risen The meals were from a variety of sources, sometimes a local restaurant, grocery store or vendor. Other times, the meals were military rations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Depending on where we were, sometimes they had to deliver it by helicopter, Topper said. The base camp was a beehive of activity. That was the center for planning, communication and medical needs. About 400 people were assigned to the Turner Gulch fire when Topper was there. Because of the summer heat and the heat from the fires, staying hydrated was essential. Each crew member carried about two gallons of water per day. Over a 16-hour day, thats like drinking a 16-ounce bottle of water every hour. Food and water were most of the weight in our packs, Topper said. While Topper was working at the fire, by and large, we were doing pretty good, although there were some high winds and lightning that would drastically increase the fires behavior. Why do Delaware crews fight fires in other states? Why are Delaware crews helping with these western fires? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First, its important for our firefighters to gain that experience and knowledge we all need to fight fires here in Delaware. Second, every state participates in the national effort, and if we ever have a fire here, they would help us. Its just the right thing to do when your neighbor is in trouble, Topper said. And it's not just out west. Delaware crews have served in states as close as Virginia. Topper said while you never want an emergency to happen, his service during these wildfires is rewarding because he's helping people. He also said the fire crews are great to work with: smart, courageous, analytical. When theyre on their way to an assignment, you get to see incredible places, he said. Its an adventure and you swap stories some good, some bad, but you remember the good stuff the most. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Its a sacrifice, Topper said. Along with the difficult conditions and physical labor, its not easy to be away from your loved ones for two or three weeks at a time. State forester Kyle Hoyd said the Delaware Forest Service has trained over 600 wildland firefighters since 1996. Our dedicated crew members train year-round to be ready for wildfires whether they are out west or in our home state, Hoyd said. I deeply admire their dedication and selflessness and thank each of them for their service. Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Dover man leads Delaware's crew battling wildfires in Western states HONOLULU (KHON2) Major electrical service upgrades are coming to Downtown Honolulu and Chinatown by the end of 2025, Hawaiian Electric said. The work in the area dates back to 2018 but has since been accelerated due to an extensive outage that impacted countless residents and businesses in the area in 2024. Chinatown businesses road to recovery after power outages In June 2024, Chinatown residents and businesses were left without power for days, leading many to file claims against for business losses during the outage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since beginning the work, Hawaiian Electric said that upgrades in the area have steadily continued, focusing on the importance of long-term upgrades. Progress on enhancements to the downtown infrastructure has continued steadily, reflecting our commitment to reliability and safety, Hawaiian Electric Senior Vice President and COO Jim Alberts said. Over the past year, crews have undertaken a range of projects targeting both critical maintenance and long-term upgrades, ensuring that the electrical grid meets the needs of our customers. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You According to Hawaiian Electric, the next phase of the improvements involve replacing underground cables in Iwilei, Chinatown and Downtown Honolulu, which may comes with lane closures and parking restrictions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Affected streets may include: Dillingham Boulevard; Nimitz Highway South; Hotel, Bishop, Queen, Punchbowl, and South Beretania streets; and more. Exact locations of road closures and parking restrictions will be made public once Hawaiian Electric teams are able to conduct inspections of the affected areas. As a result of the work, traffic impacts may be changed daily, with crews putting our signage to guide drivers around work zones. Once the upgrades are complete, Hawaiian Electric anticipates that they will have spent approximately $183 million on grid improvements in the area. 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. Aug. 14These are summaries of Albuquerque Environmental Health restaurant inspections. For more information, or to view a searchable database of city restaurant inspections, visit cabq.gov/environmentalhealth/food-safety. GREEN: Food establishment received a passing grade, demonstrating the skills to create a safe and sanitary food-service environment. YELLOW: Food establishment can operate but must follow a plan to correct violations observed during inspection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RED: Food establishment had major violations that presented an imminent hazard and required an immediate downgrade or closure. Aug. 2-8 GREEN Advance Fresh Concepts Franchise Corp., 8100 Ventura NE (Aug. 7) Albuquerque Press Club, 201 Highland Park SE (Aug. 6) Burque Licks, 4207 Lomas NE (Aug. 8) Chipotle Mexican Grill, 3400 NM 528 NW (Aug. 7) Coronado Children's Center, 7106 Menaul NE (Aug. 7) Dairy Queen, 4104 Louisiana NE (Aug. 7) Dallas Corner Store, 7720 Central SE (Aug. 8) Digital Arts And Technology Academy, 1011 Lamberton NE (Aug. 7) Everest Manufacturing, 6025 Coronado NE (Aug. 7) Flying Star, 4501 Juan Tabo NE (Aug. 4) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Garcia's Kitchen, 4917 4th NW (Aug. 4) Guild Cinema, 3405 Central NE (Aug. 6) KFC, 5410 4t NW (Aug. 4) La Katrina Ice Cream Shop, 521 Central NW (Aug. 8) Lemon & Brine Co., 6565 Americas Pkwy NE (Aug. 8) Mimi's Cafe, 4316 The 25 Way NE (Aug. 4) New Mexico Academy for the Media Arts, 4401 Central NE (Aug. 6) Napoli Coffee, 3035 Menaul NE (Aug. 7) Rumor Pizza, 724 Mountain NW (Aug. 7) Smith's Fuel Center, 320 Yale SE (Aug. 8) Stackers, 505 Central NW (Aug. 5) Starbucks Coffee 13413, 3410 NM 528 NW (Aug. 4) Sunshine Market & Grocery, 534 Louisiana SE (Aug. 4) Talin Meat Market, 88 Louisiana SE (Aug. 6) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Talin Grocery, 88 Louisiana SE (Aug. 6) Talin Seafood, 88 Louisiana SE (Aug. 6) The Shop, 2933 Monte Vista NE (Aug. 6) YELLOW Burgers-N-More, 5500 Central SW (Aug. 4) Frank's Famous Chicken & Waffles, 400 Washington SE (Aug. 5) Garcia's Kitchen, 4917 4th NW (Aug. 4) Talin Meat Market, 88 Louisiana SE (Aug. 6) Talin Grocery, 88 Louisiana SE (Aug. 6) Talin Seafood, 88 Louisiana SE (Aug. 6) Thai Kitchen, 10701 Corrales NW (Aug. 4) The Whole Enchilada, 10701 Corrales NW (Aug. 5) RED Albuquerque Press Club, 201 Highland Park SE The facility did not provide lockers or other suitable facilities for storage of employees' clothing or personal belongings. A handwashing sink was observed blocked or inaccessible behind the bar, with a red sanitizer bucket and chemical spray bottles stored in and around the sink basin. No handwashing cleanser was available at the handwashing sink behind the bar. No approved method of hand drying was available at the handwashing sink behind the bar. No testing kit or other device was observed to measure the concentration of chemical sanitizing solution. The food establishment did not have temperature logs available for Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) food items, specifically prepared mint and whipped cream that were stored. No quaternary ammonium compound solution was utilized to adequately achieve sanitization behind the bar. An equipment food-contact surface on the ice machine in the bar area had a buildup of soil residues with substantial debris. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Result: Unsatisfactory (Aug. 6); re-inspection required (Aug. 6); passed follow-up inspection (Aug. 6) Burque Licks, 4207 Lomas NE The facility did not provide a designated area for employees to eat, drink, or use tobacco products. Unlabeled containers of Oreo cookies and chocolate powder were found in the back prep area, having been removed from their original packaging. A food employee washed hands incorrectly in the front food preparation area, not using soap and not washing long enough. A handwashing sink in the back prep area was used for purposes other than handwashing, with towels stored in and around the basin. Multiple food employees in the front food serving area lacked proper hair restraints while actively working with open food. Buildup and debris were observed on the walls next to both handwashing sinks. The back prep areas were in disrepair, with holes in the walls and ceiling where cones are prepped. A food employee was observed touching ready-to-eat ice cream with bare hands while scooping in the front serving area. The person in charge could not demonstrate knowledge of foodborne disease prevention or the five foodborne illnesses. Ice cream freezers in the front service areas had fingerprints and debris buildup on their interior and exterior food-contact surfaces. Result: Unsatisfactory (Aug. 6); re-inspection required (Aug. 6); passed follow-up inspection (Aug. 8) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dairy Queen, 4104 Louisiana NE Poisonous or toxic materials were stored improperly, with a spray bottle of degreaser next to a condiment bottle of vegetable oil on a storage shelf near the flat top griddle. A food employee did not wash hands when required, specifically when donning new gloves and switching tasks. A nonfood contact surface inside the prep top cooler had a substantial buildup of food debris. An employee was observed wearing a wristwatch and bracelets while preparing drinks and ice cream. A food employee on the cook line was observed without proper hair restraints while preparing food. There was an inadequate air gap at the floor drain near the drive-up window. The floor drain near the cook line was in disrepair with a missing strainer. No testing kit or other device was available to measure the concentration of chemical sanitizing solution. The food-contact surface of the can opener on the prep table near the walk-in cooler was soiled with food debris. Ready-to-eat TCS food items, including prepared white gravy and pineapple chunks in the walk-in cooler, had no date marking indicators. Result: Closure (Aug. 7); re-inspection required (Aug. 7); passed follow-up inspection (Aug. 7) East Ocean, 3601 Carlisle NE Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The facility did not provide a designated area for employees to eat, drink, or use tobacco products. Bulk flour in a storage bin was observed without proper labeling or identification after being removed from its original packaging. Canned peaches were observed with dented packaging, including one bulging can, failing to protect the integrity of the food. All TCS food in the prep top cooler and walk-in cooler lacked date-marking indicators. A food employee was observed not washing hands when required, specifically when changing tasks. Interior intake and exhaust air ducts in the kitchen and men's bathroom had debris buildup. Inadequate lighting was observed in the walk-in cooler and at the wok station due to a burnt-out light bulb and the need for a brighter bulb. Scoops in dry storage bins for salt, flour and spices were stored incorrectly with their handles directly touching the food products. A plastic scoop was observed in poor repair, broken and held together with tape. Live rodent and dead cockroaches were observed in the kitchen, indicating a lack of pest control methods. Doors leading to the outside were not tight-fitting, allowing light to be seen at the edges. Nonfood contact surfaces throughout the facility, including the walk-in cooler, freezer, storage shelves, drawers, kitchen equipment and wok station, had substantial soil residues and debris buildup. Unnecessary and non-functional items, such as cardboard boxes and used containers, were found cluttered and unorganized in the storage area, walk-in freezer, kitchen and outside areas. A food employee was observed without proper hair restraints while actively prepping and preparing open food in the kitchen. An employee was observed wearing a bracelet, an unapproved jewelry item, while actively preparing open food. Substantial debris buildup was observed on the floors, walls and ceilings throughout the kitchen area, particularly under the wok station. A water filter was not maintained in good repair and was observed leaking. All food in the walk-in cooler and prep table was stored improperly, not covered or wrapped, exposing it to contamination. Single-use containers were observed being re-used to store other food items in the kitchen. The person in charge was unable to demonstrate knowledge of foodborne disease prevention and other Food Code requirements due to the number of priority violations. The person in charge was unable to provide records of training or certification for food employees. The food establishment did not have calibration logs for temperature-measuring devices. The food establishment did not have temperature logs available for all TCS food items for hot holding, cold holding and cooling. Soiled wiping cloths were observed improperly stored on prep tables and cutting boards. No written notification of major food allergens was provided for unpackaged food served or sold to consumers. Chlorine solution used to sanitize food contact surfaces failed to meet adequate sanitization parameters, measuring 10 ppm in the dining room. Equipment food-contact surfaces, including the ice machine, can opener, knives and meat grinder in the kitchen area, had soil and debris buildup. A working container, specifically a spray bottle containing alleged degreaser, was not properly labeled or identified. Result: Closure (Aug. 6); re-inspection required (Aug. 6); unsatisfactory (Aug. 8); re-inspection required (Aug. 8) Flying Star, 4501 Juan Tabo NE The hood ventilation system was inadequately collecting grease and condensation, leading to accumulation and drips onto food like French fries. Grease and condensation were observed dripping onto and contaminating equipment surfaces, specifically the fryer. There was inadequate lighting due to a burnt bulb in the hood vent. Pests were allowed to accumulate in traps, with more than 5 dead cockroaches observed in the storage room. A nonfood contact surface near the cook line had extreme grease buildup. A food employee in the front of the house was observed without proper hair restraints while preparing and handling desserts. The facility was using reduced oxygen packaging without a required HACCP plan for items such as green chile sauce, red chile sauce and soup. The facility was unable to provide records demonstrating active monitoring of critical control points as required by its HACCP or variance, specifically lacking temperature receiving logs. Walls near the ware wash station and in the water heater room were in disrepair. The floor near the cook line was not smooth and easily cleanable. There was an inadequate air gap at the three-compartment sink. Pies in the dessert storage area were stored improperly, exposed to contamination with the storage rack door left open. The food establishment did not have temperature logs available for TCS food items, including bags of green chile sauce, red chile sauce and soup, and lacked receiving logs. Quat sanitizer was stored improperly on a food prep table, potentially contaminating utensils. Quaternary ammonium compound solution used for sanitization failed to meet parameters. The food-contact surface of the ice machine in the kitchen had a slimy black and pink mold-like substance buildup near the ice chute. Ready-to-eat TCS food items (cut bell peppers) in the walk-in cooler had no date marking indicators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Result: Closure (Aug. 4); re-inspection required (Aug. 4); passed follow-up inspection (Aug. 4) La Katrina Ice Cream Shop, 521 Central NW The facility had insufficient hot water; handwashing sinks were 78 degrees and the three-compartment sink was 77 degrees. Multiple dead cockroaches were observed in traps in the dry goods closet, indicating pests were allowed to accumulate. The facility did not provide lockers or other suitable facilities for employee clothing or personal belongings. The facility did not provide a designated area for employees to eat, drink, or use tobacco products. The kitchen area and back prep/freezer area were in disrepair, with holes in the ceiling and walls, and a missing electrical cover next to a cold holding case. There was an inadequate air gap under the pipes coming from the ice machine and the three-compartment sink. Food was not protected from contamination during storage; ice cream and paletas were observed uncovered in reach-in coolers and freezers. There was buildup and debris on the walls, cleaning ceiling vents and vent covers in the back prep areas near the cold holding case. Equipment food-contact surfaces had a buildup of soil residues, specifically inside reach-in coolers and freezers in the kitchen area. Result: Closure (Aug. 8); re-inspection required (Aug. 8); passed follow-up inspection (Aug. 8) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lemon & Brine Co., 6565 Americas Pkwy NE A food employee did not wash hands when required; specifically, an employee handed a mop to another employee, filled the three-compartment sink, charged a customer and prepared food without washing hands when switching tasks. The chlorine solution used to sanitize food contact surfaces failed to meet adequate sanitization parameters, measuring only 10 ppm at the three-compartment sink and wiping cloth container. There was an inadequate air gap at the ice maker and three-compartment sink. The person in charge was unable to demonstrate knowledge of foodborne disease prevention and other requirements of the Food Code and local ordinances, specifically being unsure of the sanitizer chemical used and unable to make chlorine sanitizer at the correct concentration. Food employees did not have a food handler card or had not been trained in another approved food safety course. Result: Unsatisfactory (Aug. 8); re-inspection required (Aug. 8); passed follow-up inspection (Aug. 8) Perico's, 2810 Coors NW Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Food employee did not wash hands when required. Equipment, including stainless steel hot holding pans, was not air-dried and was wet stacked in the prep area. The receiving door in the back area to the outside was propped open. An inadequate air gap was observed under the single sink in the wash area. No person in charge was designated at the time of the inspection. Food temperature measuring devices had expired, with an expiration date of June 2024. The food establishment did not have current or consistent temperature logs available for TCS food items; the last entry was in March 2025. The food establishment did not have calibration logs for temperature-measuring devices. Multiple food items in cold holding units were measuring above 41 degrees, including raw meat, cooked beef, shredded cheese and multiple other items. No written notification of major food allergens was provided for unpackaged food served or sold to consumers. Equipment food-contact surfaces had a buildup of soil residues, specifically on the knife rack and inside the ice maker. Cooling TCS food items failed to reach 70 degrees within two hours; beans were being cooled in ice baths, but no time stamp was available to verify the cooling duration. Employees' drinks were observed on the prep table. Pooled eggs were found in the facility that were not for a customer's order or a batter. Result: Closure (Aug. 7); re-inspection required (Aug. 7); unsatisfactory (Aug. 8); re-inspection required (Aug. 8) Sonic, 531 Bridge SW Food items, including syrups, limes, toppings, corn dogs, hamburger patties, hot dogs, sausage, chicken patties, breaded chicken tenders, and frozen hamburger patties, were observed uncovered and stored improperly under miscellaneous contamination sources in various coolers and freezers. The person in charge was unable to demonstrate knowledge of foodborne disease prevention or other Food Code requirements. The facility could not provide records of training or certification for food employees, including food handler cards. There was no certified food protection manager on staff. Several TCS food items, specifically corn dogs, raw hamburger patties, hot dogs, whipping cream and a carton of soft whip cream, were observed above 41 degrees in cold holding units. There were no wiping cloth containers or sanitizer used during food preparation, and food contact surfaces were not cleaned and sanitized when tasks changed. Equipment food-contact surfaces, including the ice maker, milkshake machine blade/mixer, serving trays, fryers, and fry station, had buildup of soil residues. A food employee did not wash hands when required, specifically after changing tasks and before donning new gloves. Ready-to-eat TCS food items, such as dressing/sauce, exceeded the seven-day limit with an expiration date of July 17, 2025. Commercially prepared, ready-to-eat TCS food items, like dressings and sauces that were opened, had no date marking indicators. Result: Closure (Aug. 6); re-inspection required (Aug. 6); unsatisfactory (Aug. 8); re-inspection required (Aug. 8) Stackers, 505 Central NW The handwashing sink in the kitchen was being used as a dump sink. Queso was not hot held at 135 degrees or above. A scoop on the prep table was stored incorrectly in a zip-lock bag with salt, with its handle not above the top of the food. Quart cambros in the kitchen were wet stacked and not air dried. Nonfood contact surfaces, including cabinet shelving, open shelving and the outside of food containers, had a buildup of food, soil debris, and food label residue. A food employee in the kitchen was observed without proper hair restraints while actively prepping and cooking open food items. An employee was observed wearing a bracelet, an unapproved jewelry item, while cooking and preparing food. Floors under equipment had a buildup of debris. The food establishment did not have calibration logs for temperature-measuring devices. Pico de gallo in the prep top cooler was held above 41 degrees. There was no adequate consumer advisory warning sign posted for the consumption of raw, undercooked, or untreated animal products. No written notification of major food allergens was provided for unpackaged food served or sold to consumers. Inadequate lighting was observed at the grill hood due to a burnt-out light bulb. Chlorine sanitizer in wiping cloth buckets was at 10 ppm, failing to meet adequate sanitization parameters. Ready-to-eat TCS foods, including tzatziki, garlic aioli, Stacker Sauce, mustard aioli, mango pulp and milk, exceeded the seven-day holding limit. Result: Unsatisfactory (Aug. 5); re-inspection required (Aug. 5); passed follow-up inspection (Aug. 5) Thai Kitchen, 10701 Corrales NW A food employee was observed not washing hands when required, specifically between changing tasks in food preparation areas. Utensils were stored incorrectly during a pause in use, with their handles not above the top of the food in containers. The chlorine solution used to sanitize food contact surfaces failed to meet adequate parameters, measuring 0 ppm in both the sanitizer solution container and the dish machine. Equipment food-contact surfaces, including the can opener blade and the interior surface of the ice machine, had a buildup of food debris and other soil residues. Ready-to-eat TCS food items, specifically curry and sauce in the walk-in cooler, exceeded the seven-day holding limit. A plastic cutting surface on a storage shelf was observed with deep scratches and scoring, which limited its ability to be effectively cleaned and sanitized. The food establishment did not have a certified food protection manager on staff. Food employees were not in possession of a food handler card or had not been trained in another approved food safety course. An expired Quat sanitizer testing kit was observed. Wiping cloths were improperly used and stored on top of prep tables and cutting boards in the kitchen area. The chemical sanitizer concentration (Chlorine) exceeded the maximum permitted level. Result: Closure (Aug. 4); re-inspection required (Aug. 4); conditionally approved (Aug. 4) The Whole Enchilada, 10701 Corrales NW Chlorine and dish detergent dispenser tubes were switched, creating a hazard for proper chemical application in the dish machine. An employee first aid kit was improperly stored above clean equipment and utensils, risking contamination. Employee medication (Burn Gel) was improperly stored or labeled in the warewashing area. A food employee did not wash hands or change gloves when required after changing tasks from warewashing, taking a drink and wiping gloves on an apron. Utensils were wet stacked and not air dried, including a plastic food container stored with dry metal pans. A food employee was observed without proper hair restraints during food preparation. Debris buildup was observed on the floor underneath equipment. The facility did not have a certified food protection manager on staff. Food employees were not in possession of food handler cards or certified food safety training. The temperature-measuring device in the walk-in cooler was not placed in the warmest part of the unit. An expired Quat sanitizer testing kit was observed. The food establishment did not have calibration logs for temperature-measuring devices. The food establishment did not have temperature logs available for TCS food items such as beans, animal proteins and rice. The chlorine solution in the dish machine failed to meet adequate sanitization parameters. Commercially prepared ready-to-eat TCS food items, including raw shrimp and mushrooms, had no date-marking indicators. Result: Closure (Aug. 5); re-inspection required (Aug. 5); conditionally approved (Aug. 5) Dozens of kids have gone missing in Virginia over just a few days but police say the number is below average. Virginia State Police have been compelled to address several social media posts raising alarm about missing children across the state. Virginia State Police is not investigating any reports of mass abductions in Virginia, nor is there evidence of mass abductions occurring in Virginia, VSP said in a recent news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to VSP data, last week there were 88 children reported missing to the Virginia Missing Children Clearinghouse, a center for missing child cases. This is below the 2025 weekly average of missing children in Virginia, which stands at 98 kids. Dozens of kids have gone missing in Virginia over just a few days but police say the number is below average (Getty Images) State police said most missing children are runaways, and most of them return shortly after being reported missing. Since January, 3,274 children have been reported missing to the clearinghouse, and as of Wednesday, 141 are still missing. State police explained Virginia reports more missing children than other states on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Kids website because it forwards every missing child case, instead of many other clearinghouses that post their cases to their own website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Virginia authorities also used two alert programs known as the CODI and Amber alerts. To activate a CODI Alert, the childs disappearance must be under suspicious circumstances or poses a credible threat as determined by law enforcement to the safety and health of the child, state police explained. An Amber Alert is issued when authorities believe the child has been abducted and is in imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death, according to state police. This year, 25 CODI Alerts and two Amber Alerts were issued, and all of the children were found, the news release said. State police shared some tips for parents to keep their children safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Make sure your child knows not to accept rides from strangers and not to trust a stranger who suggests they go off alone together for any reason, authorities said. Parents should also never leave their child alone in the car, even for a minute, and they should tell their children to let you know immediately if another adult suggests keeping secrets from you, according to the news release. Dozens of Morrisons stores have failed food hygiene inspections, with some shops scoring as low as zero, as pressure mounts on the debt-laden grocer. More than 30 Morrisons stores have been told they must improve their hygiene standards after visits by safety inspectors. Two Morrisons stores in Bristol and Chingford, east London, received a score of zero over the past year, meaning they need to urgently act to address food safety concerns, while 10 were scored a one in their latest inspection. This means major improvement is necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Twenty other Morrisons stores, in cities including Sheffield, Milton Keynes and Epsom Downs, were told they needed to make some improvements, getting a score of two. Food safety inspectors decide their ratings based on a number of factors, including whether food is handled hygienically and if it is safe to eat. They also track whether buildings have enough hand washing facilities and pest control measures to enable good food hygiene. These inspections typically take place at least every two years. According to data that was first reported by The Grocer, Morrisons ranked worse than rival supermarkets, with Asda, Sainsburys and Lidl having no stores ranking below a score of two. Tesco had 15 stores which were called out for poor hygiene. It will be viewed as the latest sign of pressure at Morrisons, which has been struggling to plot a turnaround. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This month, Morrisons said sales had fallen by more than 1bn in its latest financial year to 17bn. This marked the supermarkets lowest annual revenues since its private equity takeover in 2021. The supermarket is grappling with high debt costs in the wake of its 10bn takeover by Clayton Dubilier & Rice, a private equity firm. In the year to November 2024, Morrisons recorded 701m of finance costs. Rami Baitieh, Morrisons chief executive, has been battling to revive the supermarkets fortunes, having pledged to reinvigorate the supermarket. However, recent industry data has suggested that it is now on the brink of falling behind Lidl in the rankings of Britains biggest supermarkets. Worldpanels most recent data showed Morrisons market share stood at 8.4pc, while Lidls was at 8.3pc. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Morrisons spokesman said: The food safety within our supermarkets, convenience and franchise operated stores is really important to us. We have taken immediate action to address and resolve all the issues raised including in our recently expanded estate. We are awaiting re-rating inspections in a number of stores. 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. A flash flood near a pilgrimage site in Indian-administered Kashmir has killed about 60 people, with more than 500 missing. They were among more than 200 people killed over the past 24 hours across India and Pakistan, officials said. Rescue operations are under way in Kishtwar, a remote Himalayan district, with officials fearing the death toll could rise. The flooding hit Chashoti, the last village on the route to Machail Mata Yatra, a Hindu pilgrimage that draws hundreds of thousands of devotees, on Thursday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The flood surged through forests and swept boulders and logs into shops, community kitchens and a security camp set-up for pilgrims. Videos shared online showed the devastating aftermath and people being led to safety. Other posts showed surging waters and distressed pilgrims caked in mud, crying out for help. The torrent left a trail of destruction as the route became littered with boulders and logs, some over cars and houses, and thick layers of silt that buried the victims. Residents waded through debris to find bodies while excavators have been used to remove the rubble. Because of damaged roads, the rescue teams had to travel on foot to reach the site while helicopters were also used to evacuate those who were critically injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials said hundreds of people were in Chashoti when the flash flood hit the area. Buildings left damaged by debris from the floods - Channi Anand/AP Farooq Abdullah, the chief of the National Conference, the regions ruling party, said: I believe more than 500 people are still trapped under the debris in Kishtwar, and some officials are saying the number may exceed 1,000. Omar Abdullah, his son, who is the regions chief minister, told The Telegraph that 46 bodies have been recovered so far. At the moment, all efforts have been focused on tracing the missing people, trying to rescue as many as possible alive, Mr Abdullah said, adding that nearly 113 injured were taken to hospitals in the district, with some in critical condition. Credit: Social media Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A pilgrim, who identified himself as Vikram Sharma, described how quickly the flash flood struck. He said: I was there when it hit. We heard a blast like an explosion and within two minutes we were in the debris up to the chest. All of us escaped the fury with great difficulty. Vishal Mehra, who had stopped in Chashoti for tea during the pilgrimage, said: Wed just finished when the army told us to run. We rushed, but were still trapped. My sister and nephew are missing. It was over in seconds, like a sudden blast. Dozens were dead there. The annual pilgrimage, which was scheduled to end by Sept 5, has now been suspended. People survey the scene of devastation in Chashoti village - Farooq Khan/EPA/Shutterstock Officials said Thursdays flood was the deadliest weather-related disaster in the territory this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Pakistan, a helicopter carrying relief supplies to the flood-hit northwestern Bajaur region crashed on Friday due to bad weather, killing all five people on board, including two pilots, a government statement said. In the past two months, monsoon rains and flash floods have killed hundreds of people across other parts of northern India. At least 66 people are still missing 10 days after flash floods hit the neighbouring Uttarakhand. 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. Aug. 15---- A driver was injured in a single-vehicle crash Thursday southeast of Paynesville. According to the a 2006 Jeep Liberty was eastbound on Minnesota Highway 55 when it crossed the westbound lane of traffic, entered the north ditch and rolled. The vehicle eventually came to a rest in a neighboring driveway, near milepost 113 on Highway 55. The driver of the vehicle is identified as Austine Jean Nething, 18, of Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nething was transported to CentraCare Paynesville Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. According to the State Patrol's Nething was wearing a seat belt and alcohol is not involved. Road conditions were reported as dry when the crash was reported at 2:19 p.m. Thursday. The Minnesota State Patrol was assisted by the Paynesville Police Department, CentraCare Ambulance and the Paynesville Fire Department. Your drivers license number may have changed, and it could cause headaches in the next election Your drivers license number may have changed, and you might not even have realized it. That could cause problems if you go to request a mail ballot or submit a petition. The Florida DMV began issuing new, more secure drivers license numbers on July 31, 2024. Its easy to verify if your number changed. If the two-digit number within your license number isnt the same as the last two digits of your birth year, you likely need to update your voter registration information. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Brad Ashwell with All Voting is Local explained that your new license number wont automatically update with your local supervisor of elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And that comes into play if a voter, especially voters who want to vote by mail, which is you know, hugely popular all over the state with both parties, said Ashwell. Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland told Action News Jax its important to note, in-person voting is not impacted. When it comes to Election Day voting, early voting, were not looking at your drivers license number. So, that wont qualify or disqualify you, said Holland. But with online vote-by-mail requests, Holland said issues can arise. However, those problems can be addressed with a simple phone call to your local supervisor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We can get the update from you when you request, but thats gonna cause a slowdown when you request your vote-by-mail ballot, said Holland. Petitions could also be impacted. If you dont update your registration info and use your new license number on a petition, it cant be counted. So, thats where you do want that update prior to putting your new number on a petition form, said Holland. The easiest way to avoid all of these issues is to simply check the box that you want to update your voter registration when getting your new license at the DMV. Just make sure to remember to also include your new drivers license number. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its really a good idea to update your registration information periodically anyways just to make sure youre active on the voter registration list and that you have your correct address, part affiliation, all those things in their files, said Ashwell. Holland said he has asked the state whether it plans to eventually automatically advise Election Supervisors when a voters drivers license number changes. He expects to get an answer Monday. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Social media reports have indicated that drones attacked an oil refinery in the Russian city of Syzran in Samara Oblast on the night of 14-15 August. Source: Telegram channels; BBC News Russian; Samara Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev; Russian Defence Ministry Details: Telegram channels posted videos overnight allegedly showing a drone attack on the refinery in Syzran. They wrote, citing local residents, about explosions and fires near the refinery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fedorishchev stated in the morning that the oblast had been attacked by 13 drones, but did not mention the refinery. Updated: Later, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed that air defence had intercepted and destroyed 53 Ukrainian drones overnight. Thirteen drones were allegedly destroyed over Kursk Oblast, 11 over Rostov Oblast, seven over Samara Oblast, six over Belgorod Oblast, five over Oryol Oblast, four each over Bryansk and Voronezh oblasts and one over Saratov Oblast as well as one each over temporarily occupied Crimea and the Sea of Azov. The Russian Defence Ministry, as usual, did not report either the total number of drones that entered Russian territory or the consequences of the attack. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Ukrainian forces struck an oil refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast and other Russian targets in attacks overnight on Aug. 15, Ukraine's General Staff said. The refinery is located in Syzran, the third largest city in Samara Oblast. Syzran lies about 800 kilometers (500 miles) from Ukraine's border with Russia. Ukraine's General Staff said the facility is one of the largest in the Rosneft system, Russia's state-controlled oil giant and one of the world's largest publicly traded petroleum companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to pro-Ukrainian Telegram channel Crimean Wind, the refinery provides fuel to military units in central and southern Russia. Earlier, local Russian media reported that the strike had sparked a fire at the plant. "The target was hit, with fire and explosions recorded," the military said. The strike was carried out by Special Operations Forces in coordination with other branches. The Syzran plant produces a wide range of fuels, including aviation fuel, and helps supply the Russian Armed Forces, the General Staff reported. The command post of Russia's 132nd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade was also struck in Yenakiieve, on the Russian-occupied territory of Donetsk Oblast, according to the statement. The consequences of the attack are being determined. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kyiv regularly strikes military and industrial infrastructure deep within Russia in an effort to diminish Moscow's fighting power as it continues to wage its war against Ukraine. Ukrainian forces struck a refinery in the Russian city of Volgograd overnight on Aug. 14, causing powerful fires at the facility. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Trump says Putin ready to make a peace deal with Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. CHIPPEWA FALLS A drug charge filed against a Stanley man, when he was accused of possessing meth during a traffic stop in January, has been moved to federal court. Shaun A. Ciokiewicz, 37, 35075 Highway X, who previously served a three-year prison sentence for assaulting two women, was charged in Chippewa County Court with possession of meth. Ciokiewicz is currently incarcerated at the Jackson Correctional Institution. He was slated to appear in Chippewa County Court on Tuesday, but the case was dismissed due to it moving to federal court. In April 2024, Ciokieiwz was sentenced to serve another 11 months in jail on a new drug conviction, but he was given credit for time served that covered most of the incarceration period. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I truly hope you are on the right path. You have a long history of criminal defenses, Judge James Isaacson told Ciokiewicz at that 2024 sentencing. According to the criminal complaint, a confidential informant told Chippewa County investigators on Jan. 10 that Ciokiewicz was driving to Chippewa Falls and had a half-pound of meth on him. There was an active warrant for his arrest. Officers located his car in a business parking lot and ordered him to exit. During a search of Ciokiewicz, the officers found a gem bag containing 6.1 grams (bag weight) of a white crystalline substance in his pants pocket that later tested positive for meth. In a search of his car, the officer located 55 more gem bags, totaling 217.05 grams, and that substance also tested positive for meth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to seizing the methamphetamine and money, investigators seized two cell phones: one from Ciokiewiczs person and one from the vehicle, the complaint reads. Ciokiewicz was returned to the state prison system on March 27, online records show. Wisconsin Department of Corrections records show that Ciokiewicz was released on extended supervision from Dodge Correctional Institution on Sept. 28, 2022, after he was convicted of assaulting two women. In July 2020, Ciokiewicz pleaded no contest in Chippewa County Court to second-degree recklessly endangering safety and disorderly conduct. Other charges of battery, intimidation of a witness, obstructing an officer, and bail jumping were dismissed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chippewa County Judge Steve Gibbs ordered the three-year prison sentence, along with three years of extended supervision, with 55 days credit for time already served. At the time of the November 2019 incident, Ciokiewicz lived at 830 W. Macomber St. in Chippewa Falls. According to the criminal complaint, Chippewa Falls police were called to Ciokiewiczs house on Nov. 22, 2019, where an officer observed Ciokiewicz fleeing the scene in a car. Officers interviewed two women who stated Ciokiewicz assaulted them. One woman said he grabbed a knife from the kitchen table and placed the width of the blade to her neck. She sustained a superficial cut. The other woman said Ciokiewicz had punched her. The officer observed she had a split upper and lower lip, and a swollen right eye. Officers located Ciokiewicz at a home in Altoona, where he was arrested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2017, Ciokiewicz was convicted in Chippewa County Court of domestic abuse and substantial battery-intent to cause bodily harm. He was ordered to serve six months in jail, and he was placed on probation for 2 years. He also was convicted of stalking in 2014. In 2018, Ciokiewicz was accused of biting off a portion of another mans ear during a fight outside a town of Wilson tavern. He was convicted of bail jumping in that case, with a charge of substantial battery dismissed. Doctors told authorities the victim had two continuous stitches placed in his ear and would need to be seen by a plastic surgeon to determine if additional treatment is necessary. Ciokiewicz also was convicted of battery-party to a crime in August 2019 in Clark County Court and was placed on one year of probation. RUSK, Texas (KETK) A man deemed armed and dangerous is wanted by the Rusk Police Department and Cherokee County SWAT team as a suspect in Thursdays shooting in Rusk. Train, 18-wheeler crash shuts down Brownsboro railroad crossing The Rusk Police Department announced that Donald Everitt Casper is wanted for aggravated assault with a firearm and is considered armed and dangerous. Photo courtesy of the Rusk Police Department According to Rusk Police Chief Scott Heagney, Casper is wanted in connection to a shooting at a residence on Main Street that injured one man. Heagney said Casper is suspected of shooting a man in the leg during a drug deal gone bad situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dont tell your mom: East Texas man accused of sexually assaulting two young girls The victim was driven to a local hospital and sustained non-life threatening injuries, according to Heagney. Officials with the Rusk Police Department and Cherokee County SWAT team are currently searching for Casper and they suspect he is still in the Rusk or Jacksonville area. Officials are asking anyone with information about Caspers whereabouts to contact the Rusk Police Department through Facebook, email or phone. Video of Rusk Police outside of Caspers residence, courtesy of the Rusk Police Department 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. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) A Springfield man was arrested in connection with trafficking fentanyl and cocaine after hitting a cruiser during a traffic stop on Union Street. In a news release from the Springfield Police Department, an investigation was being conducted for several weeks into illegal drugs being sold out of a home on Manchester Terrance. The suspect was identified as 24-year-old Shaunty Jenkins of Springfield. Belchertown hit-and-run: Police search for black sedan, 1 hurt Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday afternoon, detectives located Jenkins in a vehicle on Union Street. In an attempt to conduct a traffic stop, he drove his vehicle into a Sheriffs Department cruiser. Jenkins was taken into custody and the passenger was released. Police seized approximately $293 in cash, 552 bags or 11 grams of heroin/fentanyl, 14 grams of powder cocaine and 47 grams of crack-cocaine (61 grams of cocaine in total). SPD FIU Detectives Seize Loaded Firearm, Trafficking Weight of Fentanyl & Cocaine Shaunty Jenkins Jenkins of Springfield is charged with the following: Carrying a Firearm without a License Carrying a Loaded Firearm without a License Subsequent Offense Firearm Violation with 3 Prior Violent/Drug Crimes Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm Assault & Battery with a Dangerous Weapon (Two Counts) Trafficking Cocaine 36-100 Grams Trafficking Fentanyl More than 10 Grams Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Suspended License Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Default Warrant Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Class A Drug Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Class B Drug Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Class D Drug Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle No Inspection Sticker Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Suspended License Obstructed Window/Non-Transparent Two deputies with the sheriffs office were taken to Baystate Medical Center for evaluation. 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. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Duke Energy is seeking permission to merge Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress. The move could generate more than the $1 billion in savings for customers, according to the utility. (Photo: Duke Energy) Duke Energy is asking regulators for permission to merge its two utilities in the Carolinas Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress. The Charlotte-based utility said in its announcement that such a merger would save customers even more than the $1 billion in savings it has seen in the 13 years since Duke Energy merged with Raleigh-based Progress Energy. The company also called the proposal a reorganization in its announcement, but it is legally a merger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two companies have nearly 5 million customers across North and South Carolina with Duke Energy Progress covering the Raleigh area and eastern North Carolina, while Duke Carolinas covers Charlotte and western North Carolina. Dukes target date for the merger is Jan. 1, 2027. But the deal needs the approval of the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the Public Service Commission of South Carolina and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. There will be no immediate changes to retail rates for customers, Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, executive vice president and CEO of Duke Energy Carolinas, said in a statement. Future rate changes will be subject to regulatory approval, with both North and South Carolina regulators deciding rate cases separately. According to Duke, streamlining operations will allow for more than $1 billion in savings for retail customers between Jan. 1, 2027 and 2038. Duke Energy is one of Americas largest energy holding companies with a market value is $97.4 billion. The News & Observer first reported news of the regulatory filing. Duke Energy is asking state and federal regulators to approve to a merger of its two utility companies providing power to North and South Carolina. To get the Palmetto State to agree, the utility company wants to shuffle money around between customer groups to prevent potential sticker shock to its electric customers in the Upstate. (File photo by Dana DiFilippo/New Jersey Monitor) Duke Energy is asking state and federal regulators to approve to a merger of its two utility companies providing power to the Palmetto and Tar Heel states. To get South Carolina regulators to agree, the utility company proposes shuffling money around between customer groups to prevent potential sticker shock to its electric customers in the Upstate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dukes customers in the Pee Dee and eastern North Carolina pay more per megawatt than customers in the Upstate, Charlotte area and western North Carolina. Merging the companies could result in major hikes for customers in South Carolinas northwest corner, if theyre asked to pay more for a portion of the Easts more expensive power costs. So, rather than possibly seeing their bills go down, Dukes wholesale customers which include South Carolinas electric cooperatives will forgo $55 million annually over five years to keep Upstate bills steady. Meanwhile, North Carolina customers would give up $25 million worth of savings annually over six years, according to filings made with the two states utility regulators. That means the merger itself wont make rates go up or down, according to the company. Duke Energy has provided power in the Pee Dee for more than a decade, after buying out Progress Energy. Still, Duke operated the Progress territory as a separate entity, with the company saying in 2012 it would merge the two at a later date. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the Carolinas continuing to rank among the fastest growing states in the nation, according to U.S. Census data, Duke Energy tells regulators now is the time to bring the two service areas under one umbrella. The merger would cost about $143 million, according to company filings, which doesnt detail what that includes. But the company says it could produce about $3.2 billion in cost savings by 2038 by negating the need for additional power generation. That projection does not mean power bills will go down. Nearly all of that savings would come from the two territories acting as one, instead of performing legal and regulatory gymnastics to get each areas customers the power they demand, according to the filings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since the Progress buyout, Duke claims to have saved customers across both areas upwards of $1 billion by buying fuel in bulk and sharing power generated at plants across both territories. But regulations limit further coordination between the two utilities; only a full combination can unlock additional savings, according to a company statement. The 2012 agreement lets the two companies share power back and forth to meet spikes in demand as needed. But they each still have to own and operate their own power sources, enough to keep the lights on in the two territories separately. Furthermore, when power companies begin the multi-year process of constructing a new power plant, they tend to overbuild in anticipation of future growth. Under its current arrangement, if Duke ends up with extra power in the Pee Dee, it cant simply put that excess from a power plant paid for by Pee Dee customers toward meeting demand in the Upstate, and vice versa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Merging the two areas into one big territory would change that and make Dukes overall balance sheet look better to investors by not leaving underutilized power sources on the books, according to Duke Energy. Federal regulations also require the company to have access to reserve power for emergencies and a strategy for what to do if either areas largest respective power source goes down. If they joined together, they would need backup plans for just one plant McGuire Nuclear Station near Charlotte if the reactor couldnt operate for whatever reason. Dukes target date for the merger is Jan. 1, 2027. The merger is separate from Dukes earlier requests to increase power rates for all of its 857,000 South Carolina customers. Power bills for Duke Energy residential customers in the Upstate could go up, on average, by $10.38 a month in March 2026. In the Pee Dee, residential customers could see a $21.66 monthly hike starting February 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That would bring the bill for a so-called average household in the Upstate to about $154 a month. Electricity would continue to be more expensive in the Pee Dee. The average bill for households there would rise to roughly $167 in March if the request is approved. Then, if the merger is approved in 2027, Duke said it would gradually shift the two sets of rates until they are evenly matched. Rates would still be handled differently across state lines, with North Carolina and South Carolina setting those separately under the authority of each states regulators. The merger and rate hikes come on the heels of a massive new energy law signed by Gov. Henry McMaster in May. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Within that legislation is a provision making it easier for power companies to raise rates on an annual basis. Duke has not invoked the new process and has not yet created a plan as to how and when to use this new tool, a company spokesman previously told the SC Daily Gazette. Still, the company highlighted the change as a positive when speaking with investors during its most recent earnings call last week. At least one group the South Carolina Policy Council, a think tank that advocates for limited government and free markets remains skeptical that South Carolinians will benefit. They have their own reasons for the merger that are beneficial to them, said Neil Wolin, a member of the Policy Councils research team. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But its disingenuous to pitch the merger as a benefit and cost savings to customers when they wont see any of that supposed savings in their utility bills, Wolin said. I dont think South Carolinians are interested in deciphering the benefits of rate relief amid rate hikes, Wolin continued. They are getting their electricity bills, and theyre going up. No matter how many times (companies) say rates are going down, they are not. And that is the main issue. A Department of Justice employee was fired and charged with a felony assault after throwing a footlong Subway sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer during a confrontation in Washington, D.C. Sean Charles Dunn can be seen in the now viral video spreading online, shouting obscenities at the agents, screaming that the agents are fascists, before throwing the sandwich directly in the face of a CBP officer. The assault took place after President Donald Trumps recent executive order, calling for a new federal deployment to D.C., part of his administrations effort to fight the crime wave in the capital, as previously reported by DX. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Witnesses captured video of the chaotic scene, some laughing as Dunn ran away from pursuing officers. He was arrested shortly after the sandwich-throwing incident. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Dunns employment at the DOJ and said that this type of behavior, or disrespect towards federal agents, would not be tolerated. I just learned that this defendant worked at the Department of Justice NO LONGER, Bondi said in a DOJ statement following the assault. Not only is he FIRED, he has been charged with a felony. This is an example of the Deep State we have been up against for seven months as we work to refocus DOJ. You will NOT work in this administration while disrespecting our government and law enforcement. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro also weighed in, posting a video warning that assaults on officers, even with a sandwich, would be met with the full force of the law. He thought it was funny, Pirro said. Well, he doesnt think its funny today. Stick your Subway sandwich somewhere else. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sandwich throw may sound silly, but it is just another reminder of the challenges federal authorities face in D.C., where local policies have often clashed with law enforcement efforts. In July, the White House published a fact sheet highlighting the rise in violence against ICE agents, a day after legislation was introduced in Congress by several Democrats, citing claims for transparency, to stop federal immigration officials from covering their faces while at work. The Trump administration responded by declaring that ICE agents are facing a 700% surge in assaults, also blaming Democrats as a result of dangerous, inflammatory rhetoric against the agency. Now, hundreds of National Guard members, along with federal agencies including the FBI, DEA, ATF, and Capitol Police, have been deployed this week to support the citys security under Trumps recent order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I must also ensure that all citizens can avail themselves of the right to interact with their elected representatives, and that the Federal Government can properly function, without fear of being subjected to violent, menacing street crime, the Presidents order, published on August 11, reads. Dunn now faces a felony charge of assaulting or obstructing federal officers. He appeared before Judge G. Michael Harvey this week and was released on his own recognizance. As students go back to school this month, many will make the return under new state cellphone bans limiting student phone use during school hours. One teacher says he is already reaping the benefits of his schools cellphone ban and enjoying the positive impact he believes new policies are having on his students. In nearly a decade of teaching, this is the first year his Alabama school adopted a total ban on student cellphone use, explained the history teacher, who goes by the name jonstertruck on social media and published a trilogy of sci-fi novels under the name J.W. Buchwalter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today, all of my students 100% of them took notes in my class, did their assignment, asked for help when they got stuck and turned it in," Buchwalter said in a TikTok clip. And then when they were done, they talked to each other, he continued. Was it this easy the whole time? ... I have been pulling my hair out for, like, eight years. Has it been this easy of a solution the whole time? The clip, which was shared this week, has been viewed over 1.6 million times on TikTok and amassed nearly 9,000 comments from parents, students and fellow teachers. Im so excited, Im telling my students welcome to 1990! one commenter noted. Learn how to pass notes, learn how to socialize! Im so over phones in these kids hands! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another wrote, So far its been delightful. Kids are having conversations with their peers, they are doing their assignments, and they are looking people in the eyes in the hallway. As of this summer, 37 U.S. states have banned or limited student cellphone use in schools, reports Time magazine. Roughly half of those states including Arkansas, Louisiana, Virginia and South Carolina have introduced bell-to-bell ban policies, which keep students off their phones during lunch, between classes and other breaks. Support for school cellphone bans is gradually increasing among U.S. adults, according to a study published in July, conducted by Pew Research Group. About 74% of U.S. adults say they would support banning student cellphone use in middle and high schools during class up from 68% last fall, the study reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Support for banning student cellphone use during class is higher among older adults, but increasing in all age groups. Of adults under 30, about 57% support school cellphone bans while 83% of adults over 50 support bans. In Utah, students in public schools are prohibited from using a cellphone, smart watch, or emerging technology during classroom hours, according to SB178, which was passed almost unanimously in April. SB178 took effect on July 1, but the law allows individual school districts to adjust the regulations to fit their needs. Two easyJet planes have clipped wings at Manchester Airport. The budget airlines flights to Gibraltar and Paris collided as they taxied to the runway shortly after 6am on Friday. All flights from the airport were suspended following the incident, but have since resumed. The flights to Gibraltar, U22267, and Paris Charles de Gaulle, U22117, were cancelled, the Manchester Evening News reported. Photos of the planes show their wing tips were damaged in the collision. There were no reports of injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Phil Aspin, 34, was on board the Gibraltar-bound plane when the Paris flight went straight into the side of us. We were about to take off, Mr Aspin told the Manchester Evening News. They said it would be about 10 minutes, and we were second in the queue. There was sort of a crossroads on the runway. The best way to describe it is that there was a V, and we were turning to the left, and they were going to the right-hand side. We were just stationary at the time. The whole plane shook He added: There was a massive thud, and the whole plane shook. My friend who was sitting next to the wing saw a piece of it fly across his window. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were lots of bits of wing on the floor, then a guy came and picked them up. It was a bit surreal. A Manchester Airport ground crew member picks up a piece of a plane - Phil Aspin Mr Aspin said he and his fellow passengers alighted from the plane at 7.30am and were awaiting alternative flights. A member of ground crew at Manchester Airport was photographed lifting aloft the tip of one of the planes wings. The collision caused delays of up to an hour and a half for other easyJet flights departing from Manchester. The 7.15am flight to Porto, Portugal, departed at 8.41am and the 7.45am flight to Antalya, Turkey, departed at 8.31am. Other airlines were not affected. A spokesman for easyJet said: EasyJet can confirm that the wing tips of two aircraft came into contact whilst taxiing to the runway at Manchester Airport this morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The aircraft returned to stand to disembark customers who have been provided with refreshment vouchers whilst replacement aircraft are arranged to operate the flights. We apologise to customers for the delay to their flights. The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority. A spokesman for Manchester Airport said: I can confirm two easyJet planes clipped wings as they taxied on the airfield. We suspended operations briefly while they were assessed to see if they could taxi back to a stand, which they could, so operations resumed after a few minutes. EasyJet is handling arrangements for passengers affected. 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. Laurel County Sheriff John Root joined Paula Thompson, Executive Director of the London-Laurel County Economic Development Authority, for the July economic update to give a sneak peek into the new Sheriffs Office location. The building is located on the KY 192 Bypass across the road from the Laurel County Public Library at 1380 Highway 192 East. The official opening date of the location was Monday, August 4, at 8 a.m. In a video posted to the Economic Development Authoritys Facebook page, Root told viewers, All business will be conducted at this location. He added that while he is thankful for the former location, the sheriffs office had outgrown it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The building was built in the 30s, Root said. This is much more modern. Its one level, handicapped accessible, [and] parking is better. Those interested in the seeing the building in person are invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony Root has since announced. The event will take place Monday, August 18, at 10 a.m. The following were also among the latest economic announcements: Newly licensed barber Alex Hostettler has established his business inside Revive Salon at 1234 N. Main Street. The shop is open Monday through Saturday and offers full grooming services for hair and beard. Appointments can be made at (606) 224-3765. Customers who book now will receive half off their next service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DC Power Rentals offers equipment rentals, including bucket and digger trucks, backyard machines, rig mats, stringing blocks, and more. Call (606) 250-2010 for more information. Revive and Refine Aesthetics & Weight Loss Center has opened at 725 S. Main Street. They offer injectables, fillers, tox, and GLP-1 weight loss support. Call (606) 309-6258 to learn more. Old Man Mowing and Concrete Cleaning offers lawn service, concrete pressure washing, aeration, and seeding. Call (606) 309-5650 for more information. Your Neighbor is a local handyman offering small to medium remodel jobs and reorganization services. Call (806) 683-3274 for a free quote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rent-It Daily Trailer Rentals has utility, enclosed, car, and dump trailers available for rent. Call (606) 682-1051 to learn more. Curbside Cleaners offers trash can cleaning services for outdoor and indoor garbage cans. Booking is available through the social media page. Backroad Camper Repairs provides camper repair services. Call (606) 493-3397 to learn more. Smiths Mobile RV Service offers RV service and maintenance. Call (606) 872-8611 for additional information. Everything but the Kitchen Sink, LLC is a kitchen and bath cabinet dealer with options ranging from entry level to fully custom. It is offering 50% off retail to tornado victims for rebuilds. Call or text (606) 682-5212 to learn more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sassafras Holler Bartending is a mobile bartending service. Contact them on social media or by email at sassafrasholler@yahoo.com. Blue Grass Hydroseed offers hydroseeding services. Call (606) 312-0354 or (606) 657-8177 for more information. Feeding Foundations Speech Therapy has relocated to Arts on Broad Business Suites at 202 W. 7th Street, Suite 203. They specialize in infant-toddler feeding support. Call Alecia Shepherd at (606) 224-3400 for additional information. Bedrock Construction builds decks and patios. Call (606) 389-7382 for details. Elite Work Solutions offers handyman services. Call (606) 389-3932 or (606) 373-3674 to learn more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Art After The Storm is a Christian organization donating art supplies to individuals displaced by natural disasters. Call (606) 260-1690 for more information. Maid in the South is a cleaning service serving London and surrounding areas. Visit maidinthesouth.com to learn more. Tanas Cleaning Services provides basic and deep cleaning services. Call (606) 250-1094 for details. Little Cottage Sourdough sells sourdough breads and scones at the London Laurel County Farmers Market and through their Facebook page. Crafted Comfort Embroidery is a home-based business offering custom embroidery and designs. Message them on Facebook. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sweet Life sells sweet treats including peanut butter rolls, oatmeal cream pies, and no-bake cookies. They offer party packages. Call (606) 594-1445. HMG Auto Sales is now open at 504 Sulfridge Drive. Call (859) 457-3028. Ready Set Post is a social media agency. Visit their Facebook page for more information. Knuckle Down Diesel offers in-house and onsite repairs for automotive, truck, and equipment needs. Call (606) 250-8299. Yeager Exterior Solutions provides pressure washing for windows and exterior surfaces. Call (606) 813-9377. Backyard Bash is an inflatable company offering wet/dry units. Call (606) 231-6959. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harleys 3volution Craft BBQ has relocated to 417 Ellen Street in East London. Call (816) 516-5236. Dookies Pet Services offers pet waste cleanup, kennel cleaning, and flea and tick yard treatment. Call (606) 389-0193. His Hands Family Care has relocated to 1374 KY 192, Suite 400. Call (606) 260-8499. Raney Pressure Washing offers pressure washing services. Call (606) 733-5615. Bravo Mobile Detailing offers mobile detailing services. Call (606) 687-1660. Kentucky Rescue Pressure Washing has rebranded to 5 Star Pressure Washing. Call (606) 309-0555 for a free quote. Im So Fancy, located at 468 N. Laurel Road, recently celebrated a store expansion with an open house on July 11 and 12. Call (606) 862-8446. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pearl Apparel, located at 108 Short Street, has space available for events. Call (606) 877-9145. Deannas Grooming is now located at Gone to the Dogs at 641 W. Laurel Road. Call or text (606) 312-7654 or (606) 231-8117. Southern Charm, currently at 755 N. Laurel Road, is moving to 117 W. 5th Street in the Sentinel on 5th complex. They remain open at their current location during renovations. The Kids Closet, at 1789 N. Laurel Road, will open on August 8. They buy and sell gently used infant and kids clothes, toys, books and baby equipment. Miss Bettys Home Decor is now open at 1661 S. Main Street beside Yadens Car Lot and Bundy Maytag. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Construction is underway at the KY 363/KY 1006 roundabout for several new retail rental spaces. Additional information is expected as the project progresses. BPM Lumber, at 24 Seeley Road off W. KY 80, has new owners and is now operating as Kentucky Forest Products. They manufacture floor and cabinet materials, fencing boards, electric poles, cross arms, right-of-way mats and colored mulch. Education is the great equalizer, and we believe everyone should have access to a good one. So we took notice when Mayor Brandon Johnson announced late last week that the city would be nearly doubling the number of so-called sustainable community schools in the city. What is a sustainable community school? Its a model widely supported by teachers unions which turns public schools into community hubs offering services such as housing and food assistance, medical and dental care, mental health support and classes, including parenting or English for non-native speakers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Right now, Chicago Public Schools has 20 of these schools, but the number is going up to 36 with more to come after that. Each of these schools costs an extra $500,000 annually, so adding 16 will cost an additional $8 million next year. You may be asking yourself why, when the district has a deficit of hundreds of millions of dollars it needs to sort out by the end of the month, that Johnson is announcing this. Well, its simple: The new Chicago Teachers Union contract requires an additional 50 sustainable community schools by the end of its four-year term. To some degree, the districts hands are tied. We should say here that we dont think the idea of sustainable community schools is meritless. It makes sense that low-income and disadvantaged kids may need more to succeed than just the three Rs. But is the sustainable community school model the way? Lets look at the track record of these schools in Chicago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chalkbeat reported that since 2018, enrollment at the 20 schools in the program has dropped by 15%, with six of them losing more than a quarter of their students a far steeper decline than the district as a whole. And many of these schools are among the citys worst-performing academically. Well allow that numbers dont tell the entire story when it comes to a program such as this one, but theyre not meaningless either. And so far theyre downright discouraging. Johnson, the former CTU organizer who has spent his mayoralty attempting to make his former employers demands reality no matter how unaffordable or questionable, doesnt think we should be considering metrics at all. He dismisses using test scores or graduation rates to gauge success, defining the efforts worthiness instead as when every child has everything they need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perhaps thats because the data dont support this investment. Even the most ardent public school advocate should never say something like that. Just like any other program, sustainable community schools need to justify their investment, and they do so at least in part by demonstrating measurable success. Heres the reality. The situation with Chicagos low-income kids warrants urgent attention. Among low-income CPS students, just 22% are proficient in reading, 12% in math, and nearly half miss 10% or more school days. Those numbers cry out for meaningful solutions. Improving this woeful reality is challenging, and schools arent well-positioned to be everything to everyone. The best thing schools can do is help foster stability. An environment of reassuring routines, predictable interactions and secure relationships helps children feel safe and ready to learn. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are some extra school services that seem to work. One-on-one or small-group tutoring, especially in the early grades, provide some of the strongest evidence for boosting achievement. In Mississippi, intensive early-literacy tutoring, among other reforms, helped raise fourth-grade reading scores to above the national average. CPS has made strides with its Tutor Corps program and Tutoring Chicago help, but more is needed. Before- and after-school programs, summer learning and extracurriculars boost attendance, engagement and outcomes. And pairing students with consistent adult mentors (through Big Brothers Big Sisters, for example) improves graduation rates and reduces disciplinary incidents. These add-on services boost learning but only with a solid academic foundation; without it, they risk distraction over results. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Based on the CTU contract, CPS doesnt have a choice it has to move forward with these sustainable community schools. If CPS own data showed these schools were moving the needle academically, this investment could be justified but so far, that hasnt happened. Were not convinced spending more and expanding on this model is the answer Chicago kids need. Schools can connect families to outside help, but they cannot become the housing authority, the health department and the social services office without sacrificing their core mission: teaching children to read, write and think critically. When schools try to be everything to everyone, they risk doing nothing well. So the jury is out on sustainable community schools. Supporters of the concept, including the mayor, should focus on delivering results for students rather than defining success in terms of how many new CTU members are employed. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Gun buyback events across Texas will soon be a thing of the past under a new state law signed by Governor Greg Abbott. House Bill 3053, which takes effect Sept. 1, prohibits cities and counties from hosting the events. El Paso County has held three gun buybacks in recent years and is preparing for its fourth and final event this weekend. The event will be held on Saturday, Aug. 16, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Ascarate County Tax Office, located at 301 Manny Martinez Dr. Residents can turn in an unlimited number of firearms and ammunition in exchange for the following: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement $50 for non-functioning firearms $100 for rifles or shotguns $150 for handguns $200 for assault rifles The event will be on a first-come, first-served basis. County leaders say the gun buyback programs provide residents with a safe and anonymous way to dispose of unwanted firearms. More than 1,200 weapons have been voluntarily turned in by the community, County Commissioner Jackie Butler said. People can turn in a weapon, get a gift card in return, and be confident those weapons will be destroyed. El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte says the program helps keep guns from being stolen or misused. Wed rather collect firearms the community doesnt want before they end up in the wrong hands, Ugarte said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement El Paso County Attorney Christina Sanchez says youth access to firearms is a growing concern. In 2024, her office received 38 juvenile offense referrals involving a firearm. By mid-August of 2025, that number had already climbed to 46. Some Republican leaders argue that the events do not address the root causes of crime and are a misuse of taxpayer dollars. Its not a matter of getting rid of guns. Its a matter of addressing the fact that criminals have a criminal mind, thats what we need to address, El Paso County Republican Party Chairman Michael Aboud said. Its absolutely a waste of money, a waste of tax dollars, which is why these politicians do it. Its not their money. 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. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The Paso del Norte Community Foundation launched the official campaign for the 10th annual El Paso Giving Day (EPGD) on Thursday, Aug. 14. According to the news release, this years campaign featured a special season opener event for nonprofits from West Texas, Southern New Mexico and Ciudad Juarez with the following: On-site registration support for participating organizations Details about this years prize opportunities and campaign timeline A chance to get a limited-edition 10th anniversary El Paso Giving Day shirt with a $20 donation Networking with nonprofits across the region Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement El Paso Giving Day has become the regions largest online day of giving, and this milestone year is all about celebrating the nonprofits that drive change in our communities, Lupe Diaz, Program manager of the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, said. Were thrilled to bring everyone together to launch this years campaign and help nonprofits register and gear up for success. Over the past nine years, the Paso del Norte Community Foundation has raised nearly $11.2 million for over 260 local nonprofits, according to the news release. EPGD will be on Oct. 16, while early giving will begin on Oct. 9. For more information on El Paso Giving Day, you can visit their website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Tens of thousands of suspected gang members arrested under an internationally criticized crackdown in El Salvador will be detained without trial until at least 2027, after lawmakers approved an extension Friday. Over 80,000 Salvadorans have been detained -- some of whom opposition figures maintain are innocent -- since gang-busting President Nayib Bukele declared a state of emergency in 2022 that allowed arrests without warrants. The Legislative Assembly, which has 57 members of Bukele's ruling party and three from the opposition, approved a reform on Friday to a law regulating investigations into organized crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The approval came just 10 days before a two-year deadline ran out for charges to be filed for the imprisoned detainees. One of the provisions of the reform said the Attorney General's office "will bring charges against the organized crime and its members... within a maximum period of 24 months," while also allowing for a 12-month extension. Bukele's hardline approach to El Salvador's powerful gangs has made him one of the world's most domestically popular leaders, even as human rights defenders sound the alarm over arbitrary arrests and growing authoritarianism. The government accuses the detainees all of being gang members, but with scant evidence or due process, no one knows for sure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement - '40%' could be innocent - Inside the assembly, opposition lawmaker Francisco Lira warned that "innocent" people could be tried in the mass trials, which he estimated could be "40 percent" of those detained. "I do not defend gangs, criminals, nor extortionists (but) if there are innocent people, they are being sentenced to spend more time in prison" due to the delays, Lira said. To file the charges, the Attorney General's office will "group the defendants into a single case" for each gang, with the main ones under scrutiny being the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gangs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around 300 prosecutors will present evidence in roughly 600 mass trials for the suspects, Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado told a congressional security committee on Thursday. Delgado said the trials will be divided by the organization, where they operated, or what crimes the detainees are suspected of committing. About 200 protesters gathered in the capital San Salvador on Friday, calling the state of the emergency declaration which facilitated the gang sweeps "unconstitutional." The rally marched past both the Legislative Assembly and the Supreme Court, with protesters shouting: "They took them alive, we want them back alive!" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the reforms, the mass trials will remain open if more defendants are added to the same case -- but if no new defendants are added within two years, the judge may issue a ruling. If prosecutors do not file an indictment within a maximum period of three years, the judge may dismiss the case. Luis Tapia, a lawyer and researcher at the US-based Due Process of Law Foundation, said mass trials make it impossible to review individual evidence to prepare a defense, "which is a basic guarantee of due process". Opposition lawmaker Claudia Ortiz said the reforms are "a reflection of the lack of capacity possessed by the institutions that are supposed to administer justice in our country." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Because in more than two years they have not done what they are supposed to do... which is fully investigate the facts," she added. An estimated 15,000 of those detained in the gang sweeps are being held at the notorious CECOT mega-prison, according to human rights groups. Bukele recently made headlines by taking in migrants from the mass deportation drive of his ally US President Donald Trump and putting them in CECOT, where some have reported mistreatment. ob-mis/mel/jgc/dl SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) El Salvadors Congress voted Friday to give government prosecutors two more years to hold the more than 80,000 people swept up under the state of emergency while they investigate alleged ties to the countrys gangs. The Congress, controlled by President Nayib Bukeles New Ideas party and its allies, voted 57 to 3 in favor of extending the period of pretrial incarceration. Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado said that with the extension authorities could carry out more complete investigations, present solid evidence and win sentences against members of organized crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawmakers also gave the government the option of extending for another 12 months if necessary. Improved public safety under the state of emergency has swelled Bukeles popularity, but the suspension of some constitutional rights and general lack of due process has drawn criticism within and outside El Salvador. Opposition lawmaker Claudia Ortiz of the VAMOS party, said Friday it showed the governments inability to deliver justice. Theyve had more than two years to do a serious investigation of all of the cases and be able to take all of those detained to trial, and since they havent done it on time, the (National) Assembly has to do a favor for the Attorney Generals Office, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following an outburst of gang violence in March 2022, Bukele asked lawmakers for extraordinary powers to respond to a gang massacre. Among the rights the Congress agreed to suspend were the maximum time period take a prisoner before a judge, as well as fundamental protections like access to a lawyer. Since then, more than 88,000 people have been arrested for alleged ties to gangs, with 90% still awaiting trial. In July 2023, the Congress voted to give the government 24 months to prosecute a group of gang members. That period is up this month on Aug. 25. Delgado said the plan is to carry out hundreds of mass trials as theyve been able to sort the accused into groups. This big quantity of people isnt going to be judged in one or two weeks, Delgado said. It takes a considerable amount of time for the judges to receive the evidence that links each one of them and then later issue verdicts according to each corresponding law. El Salvador plans to hold around 600 mass trials for the tens of thousands suspected gang members who have been detained without charges in the country since 2022, the Central American country's attorney general said Thursday. Over 80,000 Salvadorans have been detained -- some of whom human rights defenders maintain are innocent -- since gang-busting President Nayib Bukele declared a state of emergency three years ago that allowed arrests without warrants. The government accuses the detainees all of being gang members, but with scant evidence or due process, no one knows for sure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Approximately 300 prosecutors will be responsible for presenting evidence before appropriate courts in the approximately 600 trials that need to be initiated," Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado told a congressional security committee. Delgado also suggested changes to the country's law against organized crime that could see the detainees remain in jail without charge for up to three more years. The committee gave a favorable opinion on Delgado's suggested changes, which included giving him two more years -- with the possibility of a third -- to file charges. "A considerable amount of time will have to pass for a judge to make a decision," Delgado said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He did not provide details about when the trials could start -- or the crimes the detainees could be charged with. The changes to the law are expected to be approved by Congress, which is dominated by Bukele's party, on Friday. That would be just days before a two-year deadline runs out for the attorney general to file charges. Bukele's hardline approach to El Salvador's powerful gangs has made him one of the world's most domestically popular leaders, even as human rights defenders sound the alarm over arbitrary arrests and growing authoritarianism. He recently made headlines by taking in migrants from the mass deportation drive of his ally US President Donald Trump and putting them in a maximum-security prison, where some have reported mistreatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A report released by the US State Department this week declined to criticize El Salvador, saying there were "no credible reports of significant human rights abuses" in the country and instead noting a "historic low" in crime. Lawyer and human rights activist Ingrid Escobar warned that thousands of innocent people have been thrown in jail. "The innocent will pay for the guilty," she said, adding: "Even dead people will be convicted." ob/fj/dl/ksb An absentee ballot drop box in Madison, where officials lost and failed to count nearly 200 absentee ballots in the 2024 presidential election. The Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1 on Friday to institute its order against the city of Madison requiring that city officials make a number of changes to absentee ballot processes after the city lost and failed to count nearly 200 ballots during the 2024 presidential election. The Madison city clerks office told the elections commission in a memo Dec. 20 about the lost ballots from two Madison wards. A bag containing 68 unprocessed absentee ballots from two wards was found Nov. 12 in a tabulator bin, the memo stated. During reconciliation of ballots on Dec. 3, clerk employees found two sealed envelopes containing a total of 125 unprocessed absentee ballots from another ward. The discovery of the missing ballots was announced to the public Dec. 26. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The missing ballots were not enough to change the result of any local, state or federal elections. WEC launched an investigation into the error. In a report released last month, WEC found that confluence of errors and a complete lack of leadership in the city clerks office led to the ballots going missing. The investigation report also proposed a number of requirements for the city to improve its systems for tracking and counting absentee ballots. Those requirements constituted the order the commission approved on Friday. Among other things, the order requires the city to develop an internal plan delineating which employee is responsible for statutorily required tasks, print poll books no earlier than the Thursday before elections, change the absentee ballot processing system so bags and envelopes arent lost, update instructional materials for poll workers and complete a full inspection of all materials before the scheduled board of canvassers meeting after an election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Commissioners followed through with enacting the order after interim City Clerk Michael Haas had sent a letter to the commission, requesting that the provisions of the order be made more broad and suggesting that the commission does not have the authority to enforce such changes to local election practices against just one municipality. Individually-tailored orders for jurisdictions across the state also runs the risk of increasing, rather than decreasing, inconsistency of local election practices, Haas wrote in an Aug. 6 letter to the commission. If the Commission truly wishes to dictate the staffing, workflow, and procedures of municipal clerks at such a granular level, a regulatory guidance or rule-making that applies to all jurisdictions and that allows for thoughtful input by local election officials makes far more sense and is likely required. In the letter, Haas wrote that the requirements of the WEC order were drafted in a vacuum from the citys already existing election processes; that they give no end date or flexibility to election law changes made by the courts, Legislature or WEC itself; dont address the logistic specifics of running an election in the states second largest city and dont provide statutory reasons for the required changes. At the meeting Friday, Democratic Commissioner Mark Thomsen was the only member to vote against enacting the order. Thomsen argued that the order seemed spiteful. He said the city administered the 2025 spring election with no issues and that it still doesnt have a permanent city clerk, so whoever is hired will be hamstrung by an order made because of actions they had nothing to do with. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont think its fair to burden the new clerk with a set of orders that all the other clerks recognize no one else has to follow, Thomsen said. It is absolutely tragic that 193 peoples votes werent counted. They have separate legal remedies now. We have done what we needed to do. Weve done an investigation, weve laid it out, and I do not think we should do a power grab and create burdens on the new clerk, whether or not we can exercise it. But the supporters of the order said that not imposing it would mean letting the city off without being held accountable. Commission chair Ann Jacobs, a Democrat, noted that even though former Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl resigned after the incident, many staff involved in losing the ballots remain in the clerks office. I think we need to order it also so that clerks across the state understand the level of seriousness that this commission takes with this, Jacobs said. The city needs to straighten out what happened here. And I dont think theres been sort of that reckoning yet. Administrative rules The commission on Friday also reinstituted the administrative rulemaking process on a number of proposed rules that had been held up by a legislative committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Legislatures Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) had previously suspended emergency rules written by WEC on a number of topics, including instructions for absentee voting and challenges to candidate ballot access. Last month, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in Tony Evers v. Howard Marklein that JCRARs suspension of administrative rules amounted to an unconstitutional legislative veto. Under previous law, state agencies werent allowed to promulgate a permanent rule on a topic in which the committee had previously struck down an emergency rule. After the courts ruling, WEC can once again start the rulemaking process. The commission voted to restart the process of establishing rules for challenging candidate nomination papers, challenging declarations of candidacy and mandating that local clerks use a uniform set of rules for absentee ballots. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The U.S. Department of Educations Federal Student Aid ombudsman office, which is responsible for addressing borrower grievances, has reportedly amassed a backlog of more than 27,000 unresolved student loan complaints. The department detailed the backlog in a letter sent to Senator Elizabeth Warren in July 2025, NBC News reports. The surge in unresolved cases follows significant workforce reductions at the department, a change that has left the office with fewer staff to handle the large volume of disputes. Don't miss Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the most recent month with available data, the department closed approximately 1,100 cases in May. Concerned about this pace of resolved cases, Warren reportedly sent a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon saying that shes concerned the backlog will continue to get bigger. The Trump administration is abandoning Americans who have been scammed by their student loan servicers or have problems with their loans, Warren said in a statement shared with NBC News. Im pushing Secretary McMahon because families across this country deserve answers about her efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. Borrowers are directed to the ombudsman office to resolve a wide range of disputes, such as the balance or status of their loans, incorrect repayment schedules or loan forgiveness programs. The need for the work the Ombudsman does has increased significantly as many borrowers allege they have been targeted by scams or wrongful collection efforts. In 2024 alone, the ombudsman office received more than 200,000 complaints. Now, with the workforce reduced, thousands of cases remain untouched, creating long delays for borrowers awaiting decisions that could determine their financial futures. Lacking help when you need it most The issues borrowers face can be financially damaging. Some report seeing their payments misapplied or their balances increase unexpectedly because of servicing mistakes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scams remain a recurring problem, with fraudulent companies offering false promises of loan forgiveness in exchange for upfront fees. Administrative missteps can derail a borrowers entire repayment strategy, especially in programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness or Saving on a Valuable Education, where a single missed paperwork deadline can cost years of progress. The human toll of the backlog is significant. Borrowers waiting for complaint resolutions may be unable to enroll in affordable payment plans, leaving them at risk of missed payments, ballooning interest and damaged credit. The uncertainty adds stress for those already struggling to manage monthly expenses, and the delays can push some borrowers into default. Once a borrower defaults on a federal loan, which kicks in after 270 days of missed payments, the government can garnish wages, seize tax refunds and report the default to credit bureaus, making recovery even more difficult. Read more: Nervous about the stock market? Gain potential quarterly income through this $1B private real estate fund even if youre not a millionaire. Heres how to get started with as little as $10 How to be prepared in case you need help Borrowers should keep careful records of all communications, including dates, names and the content of conversations with their loan servicer. Reaching out directly to the servicer can sometimes resolve issues faster than waiting on the ombudsman office, though you may find that escalation is necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While waiting for a resolution, it is critical to continue making payments or seek temporary forbearance to avoid falling into default. Unlike credit card or medical debt, federal and most private student loans generally survive bankruptcy claims unless the borrower can prove undue hardship, a legal standard that is difficult to meet and often requires costly, time-consuming litigation. The stakes are high for anyone considering delaying payments while their complaint is pending. Although it may feel reasonable to wait until the issue is resolved, doing so can result in severe consequences, including default, wage garnishment and long-term credit damage. Federal law does not automatically pause collections simply because a borrower has filed a dispute, and interest often continues to accrue during the waiting period. Though the ombudsman specifically and the Department of Education in general are facing challenges from understaffing and a general lack of support from the current administration, there are other avenues borrowers can explore to bring attention to their issues. Contacting your congressional representatives office is often a useful and effective way to speed up a stalled case. As a constituent, your voice carries weight with your elected representative, and they have a duty to listen. If a government agency is giving you the runaround or dragging its feet, its their job to step in and fight for you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Filing a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also creates an official record of the problem, which can help if legal action or federal review becomes necessary. The bottom line With more than 27,000 complaints languishing in the Education Departments queue, borrowers are facing unprecedented delays in resolving student loan disputes. Political decisions, staffing cuts and the Trump administrations push to dismantle the department have compounded the crisis, leaving many in financial limbo. For borrowers who are experiencing problems with their lenders, the best defense is to take immediate steps to make sure you dont go into default and keep comprehensive records of all communications. What to read next Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Subscribe now. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has formally notified Gov. Dan McKee of Rhode Islands designation as a sanctuary jurisdiction, demanding that the state eliminate policies that thwart federal immigration enforcement, according to a letter obtained by Target 12. The letter, dated Aug. 13 and signed by Bondi, gives McKee until Tuesday to reply. Bondi said the state must confirm its commitment to complying with federal law and outline steps to eliminate what the Trump administration views as sanctuary policies. You are hereby notified that your jurisdiction has been identified as one that engages in sanctuary policies and practices that thwart federal immigration enforcement to the detriment of the interests of the United States, Bondi wrote. This ends now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter warns that state and local officials who obstruct federal immigration enforcement could face criminal charges, and Rhode Island could lose federal funding if it does not comply. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, who was copied on the letter by Bondi, dismissed the threat as the tactic of a bully. The only way to deal with a bully is to let them know that theyre not going to intimidate you, Neronha said in a statement. Rhode Island cooperates with all federal law enforcement agencies routinely, as required by federal law. Federal law does not require the state to divert important law enforcement resources to do the federal governments civil immigration law bidding. If the Trump administration takes issue with this, then the doors of federal court are open to them, he added. Until that point, my focus is elsewhere. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McKee said in a statement, the generic, non-specific form letter lacks any meaningful detail and does not merit a response. The letter comes after President Trump signed an executive order in April titled Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens, directing federal agencies to identify sanctuary jurisdictions and evaluate their authority to withhold grants and federal funding. The letter may not have come as a surprise to state officials. Rhode Island was among 13 states that were listed as sanctuary jurisdictions by the DOJ earlier this month, part of an ongoing broader pressure campaign by the Trump administration over the issue. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: DOJ wont say what RI needs to change to get off sanctuary jurisdiction list Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the DOJ letter, the designation is based on a review of Rhode Islands laws, policies, and practices that allegedly thwart federal immigration enforcement to the detriment of the interests of the United States. Under a 2014 federal court ruling, Rhode Island officials are barred from holding a person in custody based solely on a detainer from ICE. At the time of the decision, then-Gov. Lincoln Chafee put in place a policy instructing state agencies not to hold anyone on a federal immigration detainer without a warrant or a court order. Some state and local law enforcement officials have said they notify ICE when they are preparing to release a person being sought by immigration authorities so that they can be in place to pick up the individual. Tim White (twhite@wpri.com) is Target 12 managing editor and chief investigative reporter and host of Newsmakers for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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. ENTERPRISE, Ala. (WDHN) An Enterprise woman is getting ready to participate in the World Transplant Games. Yvette Matthews will travel to Dresden, Germany, to compete in track and field events. Matthews had a liver transplant in 2013. She has a rare liver disease that affects people of all ages and for which there is now no cure. She began competing in the World Transplant Games the following year; she has participated in seven of them in the United States, and this will be her fourth international competition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I cannot wait its so much fun I have friends I have met in other countries and around the U.S. I cant wait to participate with them and enjoy our gift of life from another donor, Matthews said. Team USA will have 115 participants the largest in 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 WDHN - wdhn.com. Envelopes containing a white powder that were found at a government building in New York City housing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office did not contain any dangerous substances, officials said Friday. The incident occurred Thursday afternoon at 26 Federal Plaza, in Manhattan's Foley Square, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. The five letters were found at about 4 p.m. in the mailroom of the ICE Enforcement and Removal Office on the ninth floor, according to the FBI. David Dee Delgado/Reuters - PHOTO: Members of the F.D.N.Y., N.Y.P.D. and F.B.I. evacuate 26 Federal Plaza which houses immigration court, immigration detention facilities and F.B.I. offices after envelopes were discovered with a white powder substance "In the majority of my experience, most of these incidents turn out to be nothing. However, this matter is not going to be taken lightly," said Christoper Raia, the FBI assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York field office, who noted that "sending threatening letters of this nature, whether real or a hoax, is a crime." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Initial testing of the powder indicates it was boric acid, which is commonly used in pesticides and other chemicals and is harmful if eaten, officials told WABC. MORE: Texas Democrats staying in Illinois evacuated over bomb threat Personnel in the ICE ERO office found the envelopes, according to Raia, who said two people were initially exposed. Those two individuals are expected to OK, officials told New York ABC station WABC. On Friday, Adams told radio station 1010 WINS that "no dangerous substances" were involved in the incident, but said it is "still a serious crime." "We are going to make sure the person responsible will be brought to justice," Adams told 1010 WINS. NYC Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry/X - PHOTO: Authorities respond to 26 Federal Plaza after officials say envelopes containing a white powder were discovered. Hazmat teams were on the ground on Thursday "to ensure the safety of everyone inside and outside of the building" while awaiting the test results, the mayor said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The building was evacuated "per standard protocol," Raia said. Heather Khalifa/AP - PHOTO: US Immigration Detention MORE: Judge orders DHS to improve conditions at New York City facility holding detained migrants The 41-floor office building is home to ICE's New York City field office, as well as the FBI's New York field office and an immigration court. It has made headlines and been the site of frequent protests over ICE operations in the city amid the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants. A so-called "holding facility" for detained migrants is located on the 10th floor of the building. Following allegations of unsanitary conditions there, a federal judge this week ordered the Trump administration to ensure the facility is not overcrowded and that detainees are provided with hygiene products and confidential access to lawyers. The Department of Homeland Security denied the conditions in the facility were subprime. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was arrested in June while observing proceedings at the building's immigration court. He was accused of assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer but has not been charged. Koocanusa Reservoir north of the Libby Dam. (Image courtesy U.S. Forest Service) Nearly a dozen representatives from environmental groups and members of the public told the Department of Environmental Quality that allowing nearly double the concentration of selenium in Lake Koocanusa would jeopardize the transboundary waterway, harm fish, and make it harder to hold polluters accountable. They also said it would only benefit international mining companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Selenium is a scary element, and were not talking about a little bit of pollution here, said Derf Johnson, deputy director for the Montana Environmental Information Center. What were talking about is possibly the worst case of selenium contamination in the world. Montanas environmental agency held a public hearing on Wednesday on a rulemaking petition the Lake County Commissioners submitted challenging the current site-specific standard of acceptable concentration of 0.8 micrograms of selenium per liter of water. That is much more stringent than the federal threshold of 1.5 micrograms per liter, which is where the county commission would like to see DEQ end up. Commissioner Noel Duram, the only proponent of the change at the hearing, said the lower standard doesnt make sense for his county. At the hearing, he said the petition is about looking out for the economic interests of the county, and having standards for pollutants that are more stringent than there are nationally could prevent companies from investing in industries, such as mining, in the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From our understanding, it only affects new applications for discharge into the lake, Duram said. It doesnt actually affect anybody thats currently discharging into it from another entity or another region. It does affect Lincoln County specifically. But opponents to the petition said that the standard, adopted in 2020, had been developed through years of rigorous study and consultation with stakeholders across both sides of the border, and that the only beneficiaries of leniency are the mining companies responsible for the pollution. Selenium is a mineral often found in coal-rich deposits. The element, which is an essential nutrient for animals, is toxic in high concentrations, and excessive accumulation in fish can lead to detrimental effects, including growth inhibition, reproductive defects and mortality. The primary source of the selenium found in Lake Koocanusa can be found by tracing its tributary, the Elk River, which enters the reservoir roughly 16 miles north of the U.S. border, into the mountains of British Columbia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those mountains are home to four active, mountaintop-removal, metallurgical coal mines operated by Elk Valley Resources, currently owned by Swiss mining conglomerate Glencore, after being sold by Teck Resources Limited in 2023. The mining operations have leeched various pollutants into the Elk River, including selenium and nitrates, according to multiple studies spanning more than a decade. A recent U.S. Geological Survey study published in 2023 linked expanding mining operations with increased selenium concentrations and indicated Lake Koocanusa had exceeded Montanas site-specific standards since 2020. Since the rule was put into place, it has been embroiled in litigation on both sides of the border and ongoing attempts by Montana officials to weaken it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2021, the Lincoln County Commissioners submitted a similar petition to the one heard this week. Around the same time, Teck had also lobbied for moderating the standard, submitting the same petition as Lincoln County. Teck, and now Glencore, have argued against the standard for being more stringent than the comparable federal guideline for selenium, according to documents the company submitted to the state. There is an ongoing lawsuit between the Montana Board of Environmental Review a quasi-judicial body that handles environmental permit disputes Teck, and Lincoln County, and a multitude of environmental groups led by the Montana Environmental Information Center seeking to keep the stronger pollutant standard in place, after the review board overturned the standard. In another suit, MEIC sued the Montana Department of Justice for denying access to communications between Teck and the state. One of Durams arguments was rooted in concerns that the current standard might prevent future industries from being able to discharge any amount of selenium in Lincoln county. But in 2021, then-DEQ director Chris Dorrington told Montana lawmakers that there is no source of selenium, and there would be no scientific basis for a limit placed on a logging or a mining operation due to selenium because the selenium doesnt exist, according to reporting by the Flathead Beacon. At the time, legislators from Lincoln County introduced legislation that would have rescinded the new rule. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It may be true that there are no geological areas of selenium in Lincoln County that will stop the future economic opportunities, but having further regulations that are far more restrictive than the EPA guidelines will not help the future opportunities, Duram wrote in an email to the Daily Montanan. I fear that the comments regarding selenium from the alarmists calling the water polluted and saying that selenium is scary will not help the fishing economy that they claim to try and protect. More than 30 environmental, conservation and outfitting groups signed onto a letter opposing weakening the standard, pointing to potential impacts to Montanas robust recreation-based economy that includes a $149 million contribution from boating and fishing. Compromising Montanas water-based recreation by allowing more pollution into our waters, all for the benefits of mines located in Canada and owned by a Switzerland-based commodities trader, is not just foolhardy, but reckless, states the letter, signed by myriad groups including MEIC, Montana Trout Unlimited, Yaak Valley Forest Council, Montana Conservation Voters and numerous fishing and outfitting groups. Weakening the standard will undoubtedly compromise and negatively impact the clean water and aquatic life of the watershed, and would not benefit Montana economically. Another major stakeholder in the discussions over Koocanusa is the transboundary Ktunaxa nation, comprising members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and the Ktunaxa First Nations of akisqnuk, aq am, Yaqan Nukiy, and Yaqit aknuqiit. The tribal nations have long asked the U.S. and Canadian governments to study the impacts of mining and the extent of pollution in the Elk-Kootenai watershed, including looking at the impacts to Ktunaxa homelands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The current standard was developedthrough a rigorous and in depth scientific study amongst all the jurisdictions in the water set, and is supported by multiple state, tribal and federal entities, including our tribes and our sister Ktunaxa governments in Canada, Rich Jannsen, head of the Natural Resources Department for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, said at the hearing. The current standard also ensures that all species of the fish in the reservoir are protected, including culturally important fish, not just certain species of fish. The current standard is critical to ensuring that Montana tribal and US territory is protected from mine contamination While Duram said during the hearing that he wants to see polluters held accountable, the DEQ standard for Koocanusa doesnt have a mechanism to do that. The headwaters of the Koocanusa do have some pollution coming into them from an entity we have no control over. Its been 100 years coming, Duram said. This problem, no matter what happens on the other side of the border, will be in existence for Lincoln County and Koocanusa for 1,000 years to come, probably because the spoils of the activity will allow selenium to continue to come into the reservoir. Many opponents at the hearing alleged that Lincoln Countys petition merely served to benefit the mining companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Documents from DEQ when the current standard was being adopted indicated that the stringent standard was partially intended to push Canadian governmental regulators to hold the mining companies accountable for their actions and bolster cleanup activities along the Elk River. As of last year, Teck had the capability to treat more than 77 million gallons of water a day, with plans to build six more water treatment facilities by 2027, increasing treatment capacity to 150 million litres per day, according to reporting by The Narwhal. But total cleanup costs could exceed $6 billion, the Narhwal reports, much higher than what the provincial government currently requires as a financial security to ensure the project owners do not leave taxpayers with the future cleanup costs of the mine. Duram said he met with representatives of DEQ and mining company Elk Valley Resources this spring to discuss the pollution issue, and that EVR gave a presentation challenging the science of the current standard and offering more recent studies. According to Montana law, within 60 days after submission of the petition, DEQ must either deny the petition in writing or initiate rulemaking proceedings. The department will respond by Sept. 2. Aug. 14The only permanent nuclear waste storage site in the country, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, has federal approval to add two new underground storage areas. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, or WIPP, stores radioactive waste, like tools or protective clothing that were contaminated with radioactive elements, in underground salt chambers. At the end of July, the Environmental Protection Agency greenlit a Department of Energy request to add two new underground areas for nuclear waste storage at WIPP. The extra storage was needed because a storage area was contaminated in 2014 and could no longer be used, according to DOE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WIPP began storing transuranic waste in 1999. Half a mile below the earth are storage areas called panels. Each panel has seven rooms. The rooms are 13 feet high, 33 feet wide and 300 feet long. When panels are filled with waste containers, workers close them and salt naturally fills in the space, helping trap the waste. The approval allows WIPP to build two more panels. Both the EPA and the New Mexico Environment Department regulate WIPP. New Mexico already approved the two new storage areas in 2023, with the condition that one of the areas should prioritize legacy waste, waste produced during the Cold War and the Manhattan Project instead of in new weapon development. The state also required DOE to create a clear definition of legacy waste. But state Environment Secretary James Kenney does not think DOE has held up its end of the bargain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We renegotiated a permit in good faith that would focus on legacy waste and prioritize (Los Alamos National Laboratory)," Kenney said. In particular, NMED officials want an 11-acre unlined dump with radioactive and toxic waste from the 1940s through 1970s dug up and disposed of at WIPP. Last year, DOE proposed covering the dump instead, a strategy NMED said would not be adequate. Then DOE withdrew its plan to clean up the area, called MDA-C, and turned its attention to other legacy waste projects, something Kenney thinks is a stall tactic. To comply with the permit agreement, DOE also sent New Mexico a legacy waste disposal plan last year. NMED's Hazardous Waste Bureau Chief John David Nance asked for revisions to the plan in May. One of the issues Nance identified was an overly broad definition of legacy waste. He asked for a response from NMED by November. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Don Hancock, director of the nuclear waste safety program at the Southwest Research and Information Center, was disappointed by the federal approval but not surprised. Hancock wanted the EPA to use a more extensive rulemaking process to make the decision. WIPP was not originally intended to be the only permanent storage site for nuclear waste and by law isn't able to store high level radioactive waste or commercially produced nuclear waste. The law that created WIPP, the Land Withdrawal Act, set its capacity at 6.2 million cubic feet of transuranic waste. But Hancock is concerned that if DOE does not find another permanent waste repository or permanent waste storage for higher level radioactive waste, the federal government will try to turn to New Mexico for even more nuclear waste storage. "Two panels on the one hand doesn't seem like such a big deal ... but it's part of this bigger situation of we need people in the federal government DOE, EPA, Congress to understand that New Mexico isn't going to take it all," Hancock said. "We're giving you more than adequate warning that you've got to be working on someplace else." PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Democrat Eric Ulis, a political newcomer who launched a campaign for lieutenant governor last month, said Friday hes dropping out of the race. Ulis, who also describes himself as an expert on unsolved mysteries, told 12 News hes going to be involved with a limited-series TV documentary project thats taking him to Washington state. He added that hell officially withdraw his candidacy on Monday in order to head out west and dedicate the time necessary to make the show a success. BACKGROUND: Political newcomer Eric Ulis announces run for RI lieutenant governor in 2026 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ulis, 59, lives in Smithfield and was one of two Democrats to say theyre challenging incumbent Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos next year. His exit leaves the field of Democrats running to just Matos and former state Sen. Cindy Coyne, who announced her candidacy in June. Ulis made headlines in 2023 when he announced plans to sue the FBI over the case of D.B. Cooper, who hijacked a plane in 1971. He was interviewed about the case that year by CNNs Jake Tapper. Its unclear how much money Ulis raised during his campaign, but he says he garnered several thousand dollars in commitments, which he will not accept. (Ulis opened up a campaign account after the second fundraising quarter, so his first campaign finance report isnt due until Oct. 31.) He declined to provide information about the project, citing that hes signed a non-disclosure agreement, but indicated its along the lines of what Ive worked on before. Ulis also said he supports Gov. Dan McKee in the race for governor, but isnt backing either Matos or Coyne for lieutenant governor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the period from April 1 to June 30, Coyne outraised Matos and, as of the end of that quarter, has more cash-on-hand. (Coynes campaign account from when she was a lawmaker still had $33,000 before this campaign began.) Im grateful to the people who have already signed up to join my campaign for Lieutenant Governor in this first month, and Im going to continue to reach out to people across Rhode Island to join our campaign for transparency and integrity, Coyne said at the end of July, touting her fundraising numbers. My work has always been about bringing people together, listening to people, and seeking the truth to solve tough problems. Thats what government should be about, and thats what Ill do as your next Lieutenant Governor, she continued. Matos is seen as a vulnerable incumbent after fraudulent signatures found on her nomination papers derailed her 2023 campaign for Congress. The lieutenant governor revealed in an April interview that she almost quit everything because of that scandal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement READ MORE: Matos almost quit everything amid signature scandal that derailed congressional bid No other Democrats have announced a run for lieutenant governor as of Friday afternoon. Potential candidates include podcaster Bill Bartholomew, state Sen. Lou DiPalma, Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera and Providence City Councilwoman Sue AnderBois. Republican Aaron Guckian, who unsuccessfully ran against Matos in 2022, could also seek the GOP nomination again. Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins said in July he has looked at a potential run for lieutenant governor and is leaving everything open on the table regarding seeking higher office. NEXT: Mount Hope Bridge closed for resurfacing project Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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. ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) The human ancestor fossil known as Lucy left Ethiopia for display in a European museum, Ethiopian national media reported Friday, citing Tourism Minister Selamawit Kassa. Lucys skeleton, which is 40% complete, left Ethiopia on Friday and will be displayed at the Czech National Museum in Prague for approximately two months. Lucy was recovered in Ethiopia in 1974 from what was an ancient lake near fossilized remains of crocodiles, turtle eggs and crab claws. She was a member of Australopithecus afarensis, an early human species that lived in Africa between about 4 million and 3 million years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the second time Lucy has left Ethiopia. The first was in 2013, when she toured the United States. Lucys fragmented bones will be exhibited alongside Selam, the fossil of an Australopithecus baby that is about 100,000 years older than Lucy and was discovered in the same region 25 years later. As an iconic specimen, she belongs to the whole world, so sharing her with the rest of humanity is something that everyone would love to see, said Yohannes Haile-Selassie, Director of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University. While many experts believe Lucys trip to Europe presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for people in Europe and beyond, there are safety concerns about the transportation of her fragile bones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fragmented bones of Lucy are truly unique and need utmost care. Traveling to Europe has its own risks, said Gidey Gebreegziabher, an archaeologist and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Warsaw, Poland, She will also be exposed to different climate conditions, which could potentially have negative impacts on her preservation. Even in Ethiopia, the public has only occasionally seen the real Lucy fossil. At the National Museum of Ethiopia, a replica of Lucy is exhibited while the actual remains are stored in a secure vault. Ive seen how she was packed, so I have no worries about anything happening to Lucy anymore, Yohannes said. Lucys quiet departure on Thursday night also raises questions about transparency as many Ethiopians who take pride in her were unaware of her journey to Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its unbelievable! The government appears to be deliberately sidelining its people from the narrative of their own heritage, Gebreegziabher said. Bekele Reta, 43, a resident who lives just 50 meters (164 feet) from the museum where Lucy is housed, was unaware of Lucys departure until he saw it on social media. I learned this morning on Facebook that Lucy has departed for Prague. Its unfortunate that most Ethiopians only have the opportunity to see her showcased elsewhere. he said. Early this year, the director general of the Czech National Museum, Michal Lukes, in a statement announcing the exhibition of Lucy and Selam, expressed his appreciation of the Ethiopians for agreeing to lend the remains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These priceless exhibits give us a unique insight into the past and deepen our understanding of humanitys roots, said Lukes. Associated Press writer Evelyne Musambi contributed from Nairobi, Kenya. The EUs 19th package of sanctions against Russia will be discussed at the ministerial level for the first time at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen on 29-30 August. Source: European Pravda, citing an unnamed diplomat from a EU member state in Brussels Details: The diplomat said the foreign ministers are set to discuss the new Russia sanctions package at the informal Gymnich-format meeting organised by Denmark, which currently holds the EU presidency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There will be a separate agenda item on increasing pressure on Russia, particularly through sanctions and countering Russias shadow fleet, the diplomat said. The source told European Pravda that the European Commission, particularly the European External Action Service, is currently working on the draft of the 19th sanctions package. For reference: A Gymnich meeting is an informal gathering of EU foreign ministers held every six months according to the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in a tradition dating back to 1974. No aides are present, and the ministers are able to hold frank discussions behind closed doors. This type of meeting is named after the first such event, which took place at Gymnich Castle in Erftstadt, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Background: European Pravda has previously reported that the EU is preparing its 19th package of sanctions against Russia, which could be adopted as early as September 2025. US President Donald Trump said he is prepared to introduce additional sanctions against Russia if the talks in Alaska do not go well. On 18 July, the EU approved its long-delayed 18th Russia sanctions package, which had been held up by opposition from Slovakia and Malta. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! The European Union is weighing whether to soon advance Moldova's bid to join the bloc, potentially putting it ahead of Ukraine in membership talks, Politico reported on Aug. 15, citing three diplomats and an EU official. Brussels has been leading simultaneous accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, but Kyiv's bid has been obstructed by Hungary and its Kremlin-friendly prime minister, Viktor Orban. Under the reported plan, EU ministers could agree in early September to open the first negotiating cluster with Moldova, a key legal step toward membership, ahead of the country's crucial parliamentary elections on Sept. 28. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Such a move would be a major boost for pro-EU President Maia Sandu and her party, which faces pressure from Moscow-backed forces. Four left-wing and center-left parties in Moldova are uniting to form a pro-Russian electoral bloc for the upcoming vote. Siegfried Muresan, an EU lawmaker who chairs the EU-Moldova Association Committee in the European Parliament, told Politico the decision would "send a signal to Russia" and counter Kremlin claims that Moldova's accession bid is stalling. According to Politico, leaving Ukraine on hold risks straining ties with Kyiv. An undisclosed Ukrainian diplomat told the outlet that it could send a wrong signal to Ukraine, especially amid discussions on the country's future between the U.S. and Russia. Both Ukraine and Moldova have met the requirements to open a first negotiating cluster, the European Commission said, but Ukraine's progress is stalled by opposition from Budapest. Without unanimous approval, Ukraine cannot move forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Diplomats are reportedly exploring ways to show some progress to Kyiv, such as access to the Horizon Europe research program or the Erasmus student exchange scheme. The European Commission recommended launching accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova in November 2023, and the European Council agreed on it a month later. The EU's accession process divides EU law into six thematic "negotiating clusters," each grouping related chapters that candidate countries must align with. Ukraine formally launched accession talks with the EU in June 2024, but none of the six clusters has been opened yet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In May, Kyiv announced it had completed all domestic procedures to launch the first cluster, and President Volodymyr Zelensky said in January that Ukraine's "ambitious goal" was to open nearly all negotiation clusters by the end of 2025. The media reported in July that Brussels had considered opening the first cluster with Ukraine in mid-July, but the plan did not proceed due to internal EU reasons. Read also: From war criminal to US guest Trump invites Putin out of isolation Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. 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. Subscribe here: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Overcast | Pocket Casts [Music] Garry Kasparov: I was born on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall. When I visited Ronald Reagans Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California, in 2016, they had a big piece of the wall Reagan helped tear down on display. I joked that I didnt recognize it because I had only seen the other side. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Back in 1987, I was speaking at an event in West Germany, and I told people that I was sure that the collapse of the Berlin Wall was inevitable and would happen very soon. They looked at me like, Okay, thats crazy. But hes young, 24, and hes just a chess player. What does he know? And they stopped listening. This was before Ronald Reagans famous tear down this wall speech in Berlin, which was around a month later. Another famous four words from a U.S. president also concerned Berlin. President Harry Truman said We stay in Berlin, to promise that U.S. forces would protect and supply West Berlin during Stalins siege of the city in 1948: the famous Berlin airlift. Not to put myself in the company of U.S. presidents, but I was inspired by Reagan and Truman in my own Berlin speech at Aspen Institute on October 14th, 2015. I titled it Four Words to Change History. I said, We must remember that societies do not have values. People have values. If we want our values to succeed, we must protect the people who hold them wherever they are, whoever they are. And if I may finish with my own four words here today: Fight for our values. From The Atlantic, this is Autocracy in America. Im Garry Kasparov. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Music] My guest is Mathias Dopfner, joining me from Berlin. Hes a journalist who is now the CEO of the multinational media and technology company Axel Springer. He leads dozens of publications in many countries, including Politico and Business Insider in the United States and Bild and Die Welt in Germany, among many others. He is German, and it is a German perspective I was after from him. Many around Europe and the world are waiting for Germany to lead. So will it? [Music] Kasparov: Hello, Mathias. Thank you very much for joining our program. Mathias Dopfner: Hello, Garry. Kasparov: Quick question. Are you at your office now? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dopfner: Absolutely, at my office in Berlin. Kasparov: So I want to let the listeners know that this office, that was built by the founder of your company Axel Springer, if Im correct, in 1966, its literally next to the former Berlin Wall that dividedphysically dividedthe free and unfree world back during the Cold War. So it was standing on the edge of democracy and autocracy. Not anymore, now. But not to put too fine a point on it: It is precisely what this show is about. So from this perch, tell mewhat do you see as a principal threat to democracy in Europe? And what is Europes place in this ever-changing world today? Dopfner: Yeah; thank you, Garry. So sitting here in our kind of historic headquarters building, its a golden skyscraper right at the edge of the former wall and death strip. Just to illustrate that: When we literally cross the street in order to get to the new part of our headquarters, we cross a row of cobblestones, and these cobblestones are marking exactly the spot where the wall used to be. So this building literally was built as a lighthouse of freedom, as the founder called it. It turned out to be the new center of a reunified Berlin and a reunified Germany, with a lot of euphoria around the idea that freedom prevails, the open-society model prevails. And at the moment it looks quite different, and it looks different from a factual base. If you check the results of Freedom House analysis and other comparable analyses of the state of freedom, then you see a freedom recession globally for many years. Theres never been such a significant downgrading of formerly free countries to partly free and formerly partly free countries to unfree. But also most of the centrist democracies are in relatively weak shape, whereas autocratic authoritarian systems pretty systematically achieve their goals and gain ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So its quite a challenging time for the open-society model. And on top of that, we have internal issues. I think we should not only look at the external threats and the autocrats and dictators, we should also look at ourselves and what we need to do differently in order to succeed. Kasparov: Agreed. So lets look deep inside. Lets start with Germany. So 35 years ago there was a reunification. Many believed, you know, it would be beyond our wildest dreams and it would never happen. It did happen. Has unification happened in minds as well as geographically and politically? Dopfner: Well, Garry, Im not a diplomat, so I speak very openly. Also if its about my own country. I remember very well when the wall came down. A prominent publisher here in Berlin, Wolf Jobst Siedler, said its going to take at least a generation until we will see real integration of mindset, and until we see real unification psychologically and mentally. I thought this was totally exaggerated, that it was going to be a question of two, three, five years. Its now more than a quarter of a century, and still there is quite a significant divide. There is still an East and West Germany, and you see that on many levels also politically. At the same time, we also have to realistically see that all togetherwith regard to management and the economythe reunification was a success and went well, and there is a lot of prosperity. And if you go to the East German cities and compare them, how they look like 30 years agouncomparable. And there is so much progress and wealth and positive development that we should also not be too negative about it. We should be also a bit thankful. On the third level, and that I think is the most important one, Germany has developed, for many various reasons, a degree of complacency that I find more and more dangerous. And I think we have to really take that as a warning call to do things differently. And here, of course, there is a lot of hope with regard to the new government that is in place and that could, with strong leadership, solve the problemsmost importantly, the problem of an economic turnaround. And with regard to migration, we also need a very significant shift conceptually and with regard to execution. I think those are the two most important topics, but that requires really bold decisions in leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kasparov: After unification, Germany has become the largest country in Europe, and its a driving engine of the European Union. But considering the, historical, call it liabilities or historical baggage, so, is Germany ready nowafter so many years, 80 years since the end of World War IIis Germany ready to overcome this sense of historical guilt and to become a positive force to take a lead? Dopfner: Thats a very interesting question, Garry. Because truly I think this phase of German history during the Third Reich, the Holocaust, and everything that led to this unparalleled horrors have deeply traumatized the country and in a way discredited the term leadership and the idea of leadership and even the idea of excellence, to a certain degree. The unfortunate misunderstanding of this chapter of German history is that not only you should never be involved in any form of military conflict; pacifism is a naive idea. The second horrible misunderstanding is that leadership and excellence is almost something negative. It associates with Germany needs to lead the world and needs to dominate the world. And the irony is that almost everybody in Europe and in the entire world is waiting for German leadership and thinks Germany needs to lead itneeds to lead Europe together with other countries. And that leads me to the second element of your question. Are we able to overcome the traumas? Hopefully not in the sense that we forget about it. I think what happens should never be forgotten and we should learn from that. But we should learn the right lessons. And the right lessons are always: Do everything to defend the free-and-open-society model. And if we lead with good intentions and in the spirit of partnership together with others, then I think that is the most credible and the most successful mindset. I think apart from a right value set and system of coordinates, the most important thing that the new German chancellor needs to prove and needs to have is courage. To move fast, to act and not only speak, and to really tackle the two biggest priorities: economy and migration. Kasparov: Yeah, I think of one of Winston Churchills famous phrases: that no success is final, no failure is fatal, what counts is the courage to continue. Because he has challenges both domestically and internationally. So you mentioned economy and migration. Now, do you consider energy independence as a part of the economy? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dopfner: Very big issue. Here, the elephant in the room is nuclear energy. Will this government go back to nuclear power plants? That is the big question that everybody is asking at the moment in Germany, because an energy policy that is based on windmills or only solar is not going to solve the problems and is not going to provide the energy that you need, also with regard to excellence in artificial intelligence, so Kasparov: But let us again remind our audience that Germany made the decision to walk away from nuclear energy. What, back in 2011, yes? Dopfner: Yeah, I remember. I can share an anecdote with you. I remember very well. I was invited to the Russian Embassy by the Russian ambassador with a group of editors of Axel Springer for lunch. And it was a coincidence that the lunch took place on that very day, and each person had a glass of vodka at the table. And before we started, the ambassador was raising the vodka glasses and said, Let me cheer to the German chancellor. The decision to drop out of nuclear energy will be very good for Russian energy and for the Russian economy. And people looked a little bit irritated and basically thought its a joke, but then they realized it was the Kasparov: It was greatest gift to [Vladimir] Putin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dopfner: Right, exactly. Kasparov: Because that made Russia the sole supplier or this major supplier of energy to Germanyand via Germany to many other European countries. Dopfner: I personally think it was one of the most irresponsible decisions of German governments in postwar history, because not only did it create the biggest damage to the German economy and the German energy sector, but more importantly, it has basically strengthened and financed the Putin that we have to deal with since thenand the Putin who then invaded Crimea and who then invaded Ukraine. And the money is the main resource that has funded that war. Its quite a sad case, and it shows again why trade policy, economic policy, is so directly intertwined with geopolitics and security politics. And thats why this whole decision to drop out of nuclear energy is way, way bigger than just a topic in the context of coalition scenarios or energy policies. It goes way beyond it. Kasparov: Now, the German political map todayagain, Im old enough to remember when Germany was in a classic two-party system, you know, social Democrats on the central left, and Christian Democrats on the right. Now its a mess. But the danger is that we could see in Germany as everywhere, both in America and Europe, the growing strengths of the radicals on the far left and far right. So the German political map today has a great number of MPs and growing strength of both AfDAlternative fur Deutschland, far rightand also two far-left groups. So how do you describe this newthe political realignment? And how dangerous is the threat of these combined attacks on democracy from the far right and far left? Obviously the far-right group is much bigger. They won more than 20 percent in the last elections, and I think now, their popularity level stands at nearly 25 percent. So just give us just a little bit of a sense of this very dispersed political field. So the political map is quite messy for the traditional two-party system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dopfner: This phenomenon, I think it is simply the result of failed and unsuccessful centrist policies and the lack of credibility of centrist political leaders. So if we tackle that problem, we should first look at what did the centrist parties, what did the older parties, the political establishment do wrong? And why feel people, the need to look for alternatives and shift more to the extremes? Why are they seduced by the easy solutions? And I think that is also a pretty global phenomenon where the extremes are getting stronger. The center has made mistakes and should start with self-criticism. Now, concretely to Germany, both extremes are very dangerous and have some ideas that are very anti-constitutional and particularly dangerous with regard to geopolitics and the future of open societies. Kasparov: Yeah. I want to just talk a bit more about AfD, Alternative fur Deutschland. Because the other far-right groups and parties like in FranceMarine Le Pensor Nigel Farage [and the] Reform Party in Great Britainthey refuse to deal with AfD. They believe its too far right and it has an open nostalgia for Nazi Germany. So can you tell us more about the nature of this party and the threat it can represent to German democracy and to European integration? Because its, of course, its against a united Europe. Dopfner: I think indeed the foreign-policy concepts, the geopolitical consequences, of that are by far the biggest threat that this party provides. The admiration for strongmen and autocratic countrieslike almost Russia, but also China and othersreflect a totally different idea of society, a different idea of leadership. And also the consequences geopolitically would be horrific, I think, for the open-society model and the world order that we are discussing today. Thats why I find it particularly hard to understand why this movement is so much more popular in the eastern states of Germany than in the western part of Germany. And that is actually counterintuitive, because you should think like other Eastern European countrieswho basically experienced Soviet communism and the ruthlessness of that systemthat should lead to a lot of realistic and skeptical expectations with regard to future relationships with Russia, and the future influence of Russia or dealing with China. But the opposite seems to be true. And that is, for me, very hard to explain. Honestly, Garry, I have no very convincing explanation for that. Kasparov: Lets talk about sympathy to AfD not from the east, but from the west. Actually the far, far westin D.C. So it seems there are quite a few fans of AfD in Trumps administration. Definitely its J. D. Vance, who openly supported not just AfD but almost every far-right political group in Europe that was fighting in the elections to get into power. So how do you explain that? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dopfner: I think it would be particularly negative for the United States, because in large parts of the party there is a deeply rooted anti-Americanist approach, a deeply rooted anti-capitalist approach. And I would be curious how that would play out with regard to the transatlantic relationship. I mean, just take the very concrete request or proposal: no American weapons on German ground. Thats funny. Putin will like that, but thats not good for Germany. Now, maybe some people in America may say, Well, thats nice for America, because we have lower expenses in that context. But I think the price that the United States would pay in the long term for that would be enormous, would go up, definitely. Because a Putin that is encouraged by such a move would not stop in Ukraine. He would go further. Kasparov: So am I hearing you saying that without America, without American leadership, the global democracy will be in peril and may collapse? Dopfner: Yes. I think its a very nice but slightly naive idea that now the big historic opportunity is, since America is sending a lot of disturbing and surprising signals, Europe could do it alone or could do it better. Its not going to work. [Music] Dopfner: The challenges of China, the challenges of Russia, and the challenges of Islamist dictatorships are much too big in order to be solved by Europe alone, and I would even go that far they are also way too big than being solvable by the United States alone. Kasparov: Well be right back. [Break] Kasparov: But lets look at this geopolitical chess board: The United States, China, and of course Russia is still there. So its a relatively small economy, but you have nukes, [an] army, you have a crazy dictator who made war as an engine of his power. And what is Europe here? Because I think one of the problems between Europe and America and now the way, I think, the Trump administration is viewing Europe isEurope is divided, is too weak. And Germany is not ready to play the leading role to unite Europeand to make it speak with one voice that could put Europe at this negotiating table and make, you know, European opinion, European power, to be counted. Do you believe that Europe still has its potential, again led by Germany, to make herself relevant? Dopfner: The short answer is yes. Europe is a sleeping beauty. Its just a great continent with wonderful countries and a beautiful, probably the most attractive, lifestyle in the world. But its also sleeping. Its sleeping because it developed a very dangerous degree of complacency. Now the question is: Can that be changed? And here, my take is more optimistic. I think what is happening at the moment in the world is very disturbing. And it can be the beginning of the endit can be the beginning of the end of the open-society model, of the idea of a free rulesbased society, of democracy, of the rule of law, of human rights. And we will have a very different world order. Now, being at the verge of that, seeing the dangers and facing a lot of volatility in the United States and a lot of rigor and aggression in nondemocratic superpowers like China, I think it has the potential to really be the healthy wake-up callthe healthy wake-up call for democracy in the open-society model, and the healthy wake-up call for Europe. And then I think that would be a reawakening of Europe. aAnd suddenly in 10 years, the world can look completely different. People may say, Wow, what a shift of labor, excellence, know-how, value creation to European countries. What a different world where these open societies stick together and build strategic alliances in the economy, but also in the field of defense and security. So I truly think we are at a pivotal moment where both is possible: the beginning of the end, or the healthy wake-up call that starts a new decade, a new century, where Europe plays a more important and a better role. Kasparov: You said, I think, sleeping beauty. For me, that doesnt constitute any strength. So it is basically waiting for a courageous prince to wake her up with a magic kiss. Is it a sleeping beauty or a sleeping giant? Dopfner: Thats a very good point. Its a beautiful giant, lets call it. But in any case Kasparov: Thats an interesting mixture. Dopfner Itsin any case, we definitely agree that its sleeping at the moment, but I also agree with your criticism of beauty is not enough. And I think with the right injection of energy and ambition and aspiration, it can be a new player, a new giant. Kasparov: Three and a half years of war in Ukraine. You can hear them from Berlin. Was it not enough to wake Europe up? So how come that in three and a half years, EuropeEurope!has provided less help for Ukraine than North Korea for Russia? Youre still contemplating your next moves. You dont want to see that Putin is at war with Europe. Its a kind of hybrid war. He has been openly interfering in elections in Germany, in Romania, in France, in Britain. So everywhere. What else do you need to wake up? And lets again go back to Germanycan Germany just take a lead? Three and a half years have been lost, so what does come next? Dopfner: First of all, Garry, I totally agree with your analysis. Secondly, I dont have a very good answer why its still sleeping. I wrote a text a few days after the invasion in Ukraine and said, This is now a moment where the West has to act, where NATO members have to act. Whether its under Article V or not. But this is the moment where we have to show strength, because only strength and military deterrence is avoiding an escalation and is avoiding a bigger and long-lasting conflict. And if we dont do that, the price is going to be higher. I was criticized as a warmonger; I was criticized to risk a nuclear escalation. And so on. So from todays perspective, it feels quite sad, because I still thinkand Im still deeply convincedhad we acted faster and more determinedly, we could have avoided a large degree of what has happened since then. And now we are in a much worse place. Nevertheless, I think it is not too late, and if you just take a percentage of budgets that NATO members and the West is basically investing in order to stop Putin, it is so minor. It is so minimal compared to what Putin is investing. And that leads me to the very simple result: If we would want to stop that, we could stop it. And there is, I dont knowits a mix of opportunism and naivety. And also a wrong narrative, that only if we are nice to Putin and if we are not focusing too much on military force, only then we can calm him down, which is so wrong. It is misreading so much the mind of almost all totalitarian leaders, and particularly of Putin, who is basically testing the West and always seeing how far can he go. And the further we let him go, the more he will do, and the higher the price is going to be. So it is already late. Its not too late, but we wasted a lot of time. Kasparov: Again, realistically, so whatever we say about NATO and its historical role, the role has played over 75 years. I mean, its dead now. Its not functioning. And definitely, the next three-plus years, while Trump is in office, nobody expects NATO to be what it used to bethe organization that we relied upon for decades. I share your optimism that, you know, eventually there will be some kind of new alignment or realignment in European-American relations. The global democracies will get together. But thats in the future. But currently, we have the war. So can Germany, in your opinion, lead this new defense alliance as the prototype for the future version of NATOto make sure that this war can be won, or at least Ukraine can survive the Russian onslaught? And, what are the limits for Germany in building such an alliance? How realistic is it to envision the German role as an engine for this defense coalition? Dopfner: Can Germany do that? Yes; Germany can do that. Will Germany do that is more complex. And here I think there is one psychological reason why there is a risk that is not happening. And I mentioned that already. It is history. It is a bit this fear of taking military leadership. I mean, the world was fearing for decades, for good reasons, for German military initiatives, for military ambitions, in a way for military leadership. And I think that is also a very, very kind of poisoned ground. And that may lead to more reluctance than we need, and that could be a reason why its not happening or why its not happening fast enough. But if I may, let us also not forget the possibility that something happens that may be surprising from todays perspective, but psychologically not unlikely. And that is the more Putin plays with Trump, the more he publicly embarrasses Trumpgaining time, not making real concessions, not sticking to agreements, the more Donald Trump could feel provoked. And if Putin continues to do that, then I think Trump could surprise everybody by really changing his mind completely. And then we could have a totally different situation, not only psychologically, but also militarily. Kasparov: Oh, Im afraid youre a dreamer, Mathias. Dopfner: Maybe I am a dreamer, yeah. But do you really think that its realistic that Trump leaves the field as the loser, having been kind of outsmarted by Putin and basically saying, Okay, I resign. You won, Vladimir. I just leave the battlefield as a loser. For me, its also hard to imagine, simply psychologically. Kasparov: Yeah. But Trumps psychology, its just, its always to turn any failure into a victory. Okay then; now just going to the end of our conversation. So lets concentrate on what Germany could, should, and hopefully will do. So will Germany move on with the rearmament plans? So investing heavily in its military-industrial complex, building new weapons, and becoming a military powerhouse once again? Dopfner: I think the likelihood is very high, if you just look to the kind of changes in social behavior. Just a few years ago, people from the weaponfrom the defense industry were not even invited to dinner parties. Today, they are stars of dinner parties. Everybody talks to them. They are perceived as heroes. They are perceived as guards of freedom and democracy. So the mindset has really fundamentally changed. And also the number of start-ups that are dealing with drones, and dealing with new technologies of defense, is skyrocketing. People are preparing for that, and everybody sees the need for that. So the likelihood that that mindset changes is pretty high. Kasparov: So do you think that its realistic that Germany will also build its strong army that will become the core of this military barrier against potential Russian aggression? Dopfner: Mmm, thats a long shot. I dont know how developed the willingness of German people is to defend their country. I think its already tough to defend our country, and even tougher to defend Europe. But maybe I have a slightlymaybe my take is too negative here. Kasparov: Yeah. No, but its very important to hearbecause Im afraid, you know, I share your pessimism here. All these guns, all these shells, all these drones: They are not too effective without the willpower behind it. Without manpower behind it. And it seems to me that Germany is yet to cross this road. So its like from West Berlin to East Berlin. So just from this historical guilt, you know, from this peace-mongering to war reality. Can you imagine just, you know, that as a part of this coalition, Germany may develop nuclear weapons to deter Russia? Dopfner: Unlikely. Kasparov: Unlikely. So that means that Germany will always depend on other countries, because the successful deterrence is notagainst Russiawill not work without a nuclear umbrella. So who will provide the nuclear umbrella during Trumps years? France, Britain? How do you think Germany will manage it? Dopfner: Maybe France and Britain will play a bigger role. Thats a possibility. But again, I think without America, its going to be very tough. Thats why it is in our very vital interest to keep a healthy relationship with America, regardless whether we like the government or not. Its an overarching paradigm, I think, for Europe and for Germany. Kasparov: So just a very final question. So you just give us the next three years, just for the next three years of the Trump administration: What will be the ideal outcome? So for us to dream about 2028 from the German perspective? Dopfner: Strong German leadership leads to conceptual priorities. One is to lead Europe in military strength and support in Ukraine, in defense, in order to limit Putins aggression. That will impress the United States, because a stronger Europe will be taken more seriously. And a Europe that does more for its own defense will be more credible as a partner to negotiate deals on other levels. And the second thing will be changed in Germany and in Europe. And that is: that we reach out to America, agreeing on a mutual strategy, trade strategy, toward China, defend that strategy together at the negotiation table. Achieve a much, much better deal with China that strengthens Europe and America. That weakens Putin, that limits China, that strengthens the democratic world. That will be the beginning of a new, prosperous era for America. America First from an American perspective, and a stronger Europe, Europe First, from a European perspective. But based on mutual values excelling together. That would be the most optimistic outcome that would strengthen the open-society model and freedom and democracy. But Garry, honestly, that is the ultimate degree of optimism that I can develop at this stage. Lets work on that. Lets hope for it. But lets not count on it. Prepare for the worst in order to get positively surprised. [Music] Kasparov: Yes, we can prepare for the worst, but its very important to have a vision. And thank you very much for laying down this positive vision, Mathias. And I hope that at least part of this vision will be realized soon. Dopfner: That would be something. Kasparov: And first of all is, of course, you know, for Ukraine A) to survive, B) to win. And eventually the Putin regime to collapse and Europe to become a real geopolitical player: to wake up from its sleep and to become, as you said, a beautiful giant on the world stage. Dopfner: Wonderful. I totally agree. Kasparov: Yes. Thank you very much, Mathias; thank you. Dopfner: Thank you, Garry. Kasparov: This episode of Autocracy in America was produced by Arlene Arevalo. 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: Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen: We are an example that a country can live. It can have a great standard, can have free speech, can have human rights in quite a short time. And I think that is the painful thing for the Kremlin. They do not want to see successful countries from the former empire. Because it might lead their people to think that there is another way. There is another track for their country, as well. And that is definitely very scary for the regime. Kasparov: Im Garry Kasparov. See you back here next week. Article originally published at The Atlantic NORTH OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) As the Willard Peak Fire continues to burn at 0% containment, residents have evacuated, and they are expected to be able to return to their homes after 10 p.m. Thursday evening. ABC4 spoke with some of those residents about the evacuation. Initially, residents were told that they would be able to return home at 9 a.m., then 5 p.m., and now the evacuation orders are going to remain in place as is until 10 p.m., Utah Fire Info said. After that, they will be downgraded from go status to set status, meaning that residents will be able to return home, but they need to be prepared to evacuate again at a moments notice. LATEST INFO: Willard Peak Fire crosses 550 acres, 14% containment Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alex Webb was filming video as he and his wife Kerri watched firefighters work to save his home Wednesday afternoon, which they did, at around 6:30 p.m. The Webbs had no idea just how close the fire came to their home until today. There were a lot of tears yesterday from neighbors, Alex told ABC4.com. This is a tight neighborhood. I dont know if there was even a blade of grass, I mean the rim, its right up against there, Kerri Macwherter-Webb said. Alex said that as they were evacuating, one neighbor called, asking him to let their chickens out in the hopes the chickens would survive, And they made it, Alex said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We thought there was no hope, Kerri said. The Webbs home was one of about 100 homes to be evacuated, and many of them have leaned on the American Red Cross for support. Due to the valiant efforts of firefighters, not a single home has been destroyed. What is a red flag warning anyway? Wildland firefighting terminologies explained The Red Cross set up an evacuation shelter, which is located at 3602 North 500 West in Pleasant View. Its been helping families who had to evacuate. Throughout the night, coming in and out, probably about 20 families, Michael Smauldon with the Northern Utah Chapter of the American Red Cross told ABC4. Probably about four families that stayed last night through the night, and then some that came in early this morning, got some information, got some hydration, and then kind of went on their way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alex and Kerri expressed their profound gratitude for and amazement at the firefighters who worked to save their neighborhood. When its live and the flames are 40, 50 feet in the air, you just think, No way. Youre just a person with a hose. They did it, Alex said. Its crazy what they did, Kerri said. Its crazy. Anybody who had a part in saving this neighborhood, thank you, Alex said. Thank you. Utah Fire Info said that the fire may be less visible today, but it is still active in dense vegetation. There are still hot spots, and firefighters are working to reduce the fire heat so that it doesnt affect the fire perimeter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Willard Peak Fire is currently 577 acres in size, and it is now at 14% containment, according to the latest estimate. Previously, it was reported to be over 750 acres, but the new data is more accurate, according to Utah Fire Info. Latest headlines: 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 ABC4 Utah. "As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve the community; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, the peaceful against violence and disorder; and to respect the constitutional rights of all to liberty, equality and justice. That is the first paragraph of the Law Enforcement Officers Code of Ethics, which nearly every law enforcement officer in America repeats out loud when sworn in as a police officer. I took this oath on Aug. 2, 1965. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is totally different from the oath a soldier takes when sworn into the military. Heres an excerpt from the U.S. Military Oath of Enlistment: I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear truth faith and allegiance to the same; and will obey the orders of the President of the United States and orders of the appointees. I took this oath on July 7,1961, as a member of the U.S. Air Force. In June of this year, President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles, in response to protests that erupted after immigration raids in the Los Angeles area, over the objections of L.A.s police chief, mayor and California's governor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, the president deployed the Guard to Washington D.C. The D.C. deployment, which the citys mayor has condemned, is for purposes of taking over the city's police department to reduce crime the most recent statistics show violent crime there is at a 30-year low and take homeless people off the street, Trump said. Because D.C. is not a state, the president has the legal authority to send in the Guard, who are normally deployed at the request of a states governor. There has been speculation that other cities may soon follow, with Trump naming cities such as Chicago and New York in addition to Los Angeles. With the deployment of National Guard and federal troops to police American cities, my question is: What oath are they following, and are those troops trained and equipped to effectively and safely patrol our cities? Two oaths, two very different missions My concerns, and the concern of many others involved in police work: Police officers obtain so many years of law enforcement training, and spend their careers responding to critical crime situations and neighborhood and domestic incidents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How can military officers, who are novices at this type of work, and who are trained to fight a war, use those tools to reasonably patrol the streets of our cities and interact with our citizens? Their lack of training and understanding of the everyday efforts of domestic law enforcement responses will only add to the disconnect these soldiers will face when deployed to our cities. Lessons from Detroits 1967 rebellion During the 1967 rebellion in Detroit, a squad of National Guard personnel who were assigned to me were clearly out of their element. I remember having to shout at shaky, trigger-happy Guardsmen to stop them from randomly shooting at homes where they allegedly saw movement at windows that turned out to be curious children. I witnessed others shooting out streetlights and using a tank to run over and crush parked cars on the streets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With today's generally pervasive attitudes of mistrust of police and the government, I am fearful that similar kinds of unnecessary actions could take place again, elevating community tensions. This is by no means a criticism of the many honorable National Guard troops. But preparing for war is not the same as training to police a major American city. What real police training looks like The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers provides career-long training and up to 13 weeks in fundamental principles and techniques of law enforcement: criminal law, cultural diversity, investigative procedures, report writing, defensive tactics, community policing, leadership, handling emotional situations and first aid. Like most law enforcement personnel, I have had extensive police training, investigative knowledge, regular interactions with countless young people and active involvement with the community. In addition, when I served as Detroits Chief of Police, I advocated for additional education and ongoing training for all officers. I doubt that any of the military personnel assigned to patrol the streets of our cities have had this type of training. Especially in how best to respond to domestic situations, during which, historically, police deaths and injuries are more likely to occur. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a disservice, not only to the local communities being patrolled and to their police, but to the military personnel assigned to patrol those areas as well. Why federal takeovers undermine local control The National Guard plays a crucial role in our country, as a reserve component of the Armed Forces and as an asset that governors can call on in times of civil unrest, natural disasters or pandemics. This occurred in Detroit in 1967, during the rebellion, and in 2020 in Minneapolis following the murder of George Floyd. In 2020, National Guard members also helped staff a FEMA medical station in Detroit when local hospitals were overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases. These were exigent circumstances that required law enforcement officers to act immediately and in which additional assistance was needed and requested by the state or local unit of government. These recent federal deployments, in which the federal government has simply ordered the takeover of a state, city or local police department, has troubling consequences: An inappropriate loss of local power, and what some fear may be the early stages of an assault on American democracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others fear that these takeover actions may be politically motivated, and will hinder the ability of local governments and their officers to police their home communities. Most important, regardless of the rationale for the order, there should be defined reasons for these actions explained to all those affected. The facts is that there is a fundamental difference between city policing and military enforcement actions. Law enforcement personnel are taught to de-escalate and encourage community involvement. Unfortunately, this difference could lead to confrontations and disasters, and could result in even more dangerous conditions for the local police once the outside forces leave. Isaiah Ike McKinnon served as a Detroit police officer for 19 years and served as chief from 1993 to 1998. He earned a Ph.D. from Michigan State University, became a tenured professor at the University of Detroit-Mercy and served as Detroits deputy mayor from 2013-2016. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters, and we may publish it online and in print. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like what you're reading? Please consider supporting local journalism and getting unlimited digital access with a Detroit Free Press subscription. We depend on readers like you. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Guard deployment to D.C. risks escalation, not public safety | Opinion The Brief The ex-Inkster mayor was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Patrick Wimberly pleaded guilty to demanding $100,000 in bribe payments. Wimberly steered the sale of City-owned property to a buyer in exchange for the payments. FOX 2 - The former mayor of the City of Inkster was sentenced to 24 months in prison announced the US Attorney's Office Eastern District of Michigan Friday. The backstory Patrick Wimberly, 51, of Inkster, pleaded guilty last September to demanding $100,000 in bribe payments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wimberly served as mayor from 2019 to 2023. Prosecutors say in the spring of 2022, Wimberly demanded $100,000 in cash payments to facilitate the sale of property owned by the City to an outside party. Over several months, Wimberly was given monthly cash bribes to facilitate the sale of the property. The bribes started at $5,000 a month but Wimberly complained wanting an increase, investigators said. "Person A did not move to increase the bribe payments immediately, leading Wimberly to complain that he was due '10 a month,'" according to a release from the US Attorney's Office Eastern District of Michigan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As requested, the bribes went up to $10,000 a month and in total, "Person A" provided $50,000 in cash to Wimberly for the purpose of winning the bid for Parcel 1 - owned by the City. The FBI intervened before the property could be transferred to Person A. "We know that an honest leader gives stability to his city and one who is greedy for bribes tears it down," said said US Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon. "Mr. Wimberly dishonored his office so that he could line his pockets. And we will not let crooked politicians undermine our local government," The Source Information for this story is from the US Attorney's Office Eastern District of Michigan. A former Warren police officer will stand trial in the deaths of two men who were lifelong friends when his speeding police vehicle collided violently into their SUV without emergency lights and sirens activated. The case against James Burke, 29, was bound over on Aug. 15 to Macomb County Circuit Court during a lengthy ruling by 37th District Court Chief Judge John Chmura in what he called a very difficult, high-profile case. He parsed through various pieces of the testimony in explaining his ruling. A couple of relatives of the men who died, Cedric Hayden Jr., 34, and DeJuan Pettis, 33, quietly said "yes" and "thank you, Jesus" when Chmura announced the bind-over after a three-day preliminary examination, off and on, that began in June. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burke was charged with two felony counts of homicide-manslaughter with a motor vehicle, and two misdemeanor charges, a moving violation causing serious impairment of bodily function and public officerwillful neglect of duty in the Sept. 30 crash. Burke appeared remotely on video with his attorney to hear Chmura's decision. Hayden and Pettis died when the police Ford Explorer that Burke was driving collided with their Dodge Durango. The men's families also have filed lawsuits. DeJuan Pettis, left, and Cedric Hayden, both died Sept. 30, 2024, when their Dodge Durango was struck by a Warren police vehicle at Schoenherr Road and Prospect Avenue in Warren. Attorney Greg Wix, who is representing the families, said they were "at least relieved" Burke was bound over, "but make no mistake, we're not happy. We're not even satisfied." He said they believe Burke was undercharged and that authorities are playing "victim-blame instead of telling the family the truth." However, Wix said they thought Chmura gave a "thoughtful opinion. One of the things that we agree with is that a jury of 12 should decide this issue. They should decide it with all the evidence." Where they disagree with Chmura is that "we don't think it's a close call. We don't think it's a close call at all." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burke was terminated by the department after he was charged, his attorney, Marc Curtis, said after the start of the preliminary exam June 23. The hearing wrapped up testimony on July 30. That's also when Chmura denied the prosecution's motion to exclude evidence, specifically the 0.198 blood-alcohol level of the driver of the Durango, Hayden, which is more than twice the legal limit for a driver in Michigan. More: Defense tries to put some blame on driver who died in Warren police crash Wix said they are challenging the toxicology report in the civil lawsuit, saying Hayden was left at the scene of the accident for about seven and a half hours, adding: "Ask them how that affects blood alcohol level, ask them how that affects metabolism." Hayden's father, Cedric Hayden Sr., said outside court after the ruling that his son didn't have a driving record "and wasn't no drunk. He was never labeled no alcoholic. He never been in a car accident" prior to this incident. He believes Burke "should go to jail. Just as my son would have hit him, he would go to jail. This would have been over last year. Give him the same respect as you're giving this officer, this former officer, whatever you want to call him. ... Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He was killed for no reason," the father said of his son, adding: "My son didn't try to do nothing but go home." Pettis' mother, Charisse Brown, said through tears that "the officer was wrong ... I think it's really wrong I lost my son that way." After the hearing, Curtis provided a statement: "We respect Judge Chmura's well-thought-out decision. He is correct, a jury of 12 should decide this case with ALL the evidence presented at trial. At the preliminary examination, the defense is under no obligation to reveal its full case. When the time comes, we will expose every fact and deliver an aggressive defense before the jury. We wish to thank all the supporters of our client who have stood by his side during this time." Prosecutor Peter Lucido stated in a release: "No matter the profession or background of the defendant, we are committed to ensuring that all individuals are held accountable under the law." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During closing arguments, Assistant Prosecutor Cory Newman said the elements of speed and Burke not using emergency lights and sirens amounted to gross negligence. He said this was not a police pursuit, but officers searching for an unrelated stolen vehicle. More: Testimony: Warren police SUV was going nearly 115 mph seconds before crash that killed 2 Newman pointed to testimony that indicated Burke was driving more than 114 mph five seconds before impact and more than 93 mph at the time of impact with the men's pickup, which was turning onto a side street. Curtis argued that the stolen vehicle officers were seeking may have had firearms in it and may have been involved in breaking-and-entering cases in the area. At closings, he said while it is unfortunate two people died, Burke was "doing his job" and not driving in a grossly negligent fashion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Curtis placed some of the blame on Hayden, saying he had no driver's license and his blood-alcohol level was 0.198 when he turned in front of the police vehicle. Two witnesses, one each for the prosecution and the defense, testified that the men's Durango turned early improperly, or cut the corner too soon. Chmura said the court determined Burke could have used the lights and sirens on his police vehicle and would not have jeopardized his ability to catch up to the vehicle that may have been the one police were looking for because that vehicle driver was too far away. Chmura said that he believes the heart of the case involves the improper turn made by the men in the Durango and whether the turn was something Burke could have anticipated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I don't know which argument should prevail. But that's why we have jury trials to determine that. That's why this is a hard case because the arguments are strong and compelling in both ways," Chmura said. More: New approach to domestic violence in Warren to help victims, hold suspects accountable He also said that this case touches on the broader issue of policies and procedures regarding police chases and he believes it is really about "how aggressively should officers pursue potential suspects? And however this case is decided, it will result in some commentary, some statement as to what that standard should be, at least in this community. "And a free society is far, far better with that statement being made by 12 people, who hopefully are of diverse backgrounds, different economic stations, people who have different values, different cultural backgrounds and who make that decision after a vigorous debate, after coming to some sort of consensus on what that policy should be in deciding this case. It is far, far better that that decision be made by 12 individuals in a group such as that than by one lawyer." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burke's 34-year-old partner was hurt in the crash, but has not faced any charges. Burke's arraignment was set for Sept. 2 in the Circuit Court. This story has been updated to include new information. Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ex-Warren police officer will stand trial in crash that killed two By Ted Hesson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trumps administration is discussing a refugee admissions cap of around 40,000 for the coming year with a majority allocated to white South Africans, according to two U.S. officials briefed on the matter and an internal refugee program email, reflecting a major shift in the U.S. approach to refugees. Angie Salazar, the top refugee program official at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told state-level refugee workers that she expected the cap to be 40,000, according to an email summary of an August 1 meeting reviewed by Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some 30,000 of the 40,000 spaces would be devoted to Afrikaners, a largely Dutch-descended minority in South Africa that Trump has prioritized for resettlement. Trump's focus on resettling Afrikaners could upend the precedent around the refugee program, which for decades had bipartisan support. The 40,000-person cap would be a sharp drop from the 100,000 refugees brought in by former President Joe Biden in fiscal year 2024, but higher than the record-low 15,000 person ceiling Trump set for fiscal 2021 before ending his first term. A separate person familiar with the matter said that in addition to the 40,000 figure, a cap as low as 12,000 had also been discussed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are 37 million refugees worldwide, according to a United Nations estimate. Trump immediately froze refugee admissions after taking office in January, but weeks later launched a program for Afrikaners, saying the white minority group suffered racial discrimination and violence in majority-Black South Africa, claims that were rejected by South Africas government. The Trump administration has wrestled internally over whether non-white South Africans could qualify for the refugee program, Reuters reported in July. In addition to Afrikaners, the Trump administration expects to bring in some Afghans who aided the U.S. government during the conflict in Afghanistan and is weighing whether to resettle Ukrainians, the email said. Some spaces would remain unallocated to potentially be filled by other nationalities, the email and officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly stressed that no decisions were final until Trump issued his determination for fiscal year 2026, which begins on October 1. "President Trump has a humanitarian heart, which is why he has welcomed these courageous individuals to the United States," Kelly said. "Refugee admission caps will be determined next month, and any numbers discussed at this point are pure speculation." A senior State Department official pointed to the department's recent human rights report, which raised concerns about "inflammatory racial rhetoric against Afrikaners and other racial minorities" in South Africa. HHS referred questions related to the refugee cap to the White House. Salazar did not respond to requests for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first group of 59 South Africans arrived in May, but only 34 more had come as of early August, a White House official said. The U.S. State Department laid off many refugee program staffers in major workforce reductions in July. To compensate for the fired staff, workers from HHS who normally deal with domestic refugee assistance have been reassigned to the South Africa program, one of the officials said. Thirteen HHS staffers were dispatched to Pretoria on Monday even though the majority had no direct experience screening refugees, the official said. An HHS spokesperson said that trained staff had been detailed to support refugee resettlement but that they were not conducting interviews to determine whether a refugee had experienced persecution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement INITIAL STRUGGLES Some South Africans now in the U.S. with refugee status have reached out to HHS to raise concerns about a lack of benefits to support them, one of the U.S. officials said. Trump slashed refugee benefits after taking office, including reducing cash assistance and healthcare benefits that normally last a year to four months. One of the initial group of 59 South Africans brought into the U.S. in mid-May sent an email to HHS refugee office two weeks later pleading for help getting a Social Security number and access to a work permit. The person, who went to Missoula, Montana, said their family had spent thousands of dollars to cover expenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have applied for jobs like crazy but to no avail because we found people here are not keen on hiring refugees without an SSN, one of the family members wrote in a May 27 email to the HHS refugee program reviewed by Reuters. We have spent about $4000 on Uber, food, Cellphone SIM Cards which dont work. The person was concerned the family would not be able to find housing after a government-funded hotel stay ended in early June. Reuters could not reach the family. The HHS spokesperson said the agency takes complaints seriously and that refugees placed in temporary housing receive support for essential needs, including food. A person familiar with the matter said some South Africans arrived in the U.S. expecting standard refugee benefits that had been paused or reduced by Trump. (Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Jeff Mason in Washington, and Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Tim Cocks in Johannesburg; Editing by Mary Milliken, Ross Colvin and Michael Learmonth) By Marwa Rashad and Anna Hirtenstein LONDON (Reuters) -The United States has had internal discussions on using Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker vessels to support the development of gas and LNG projects in Alaska as one of the possible deals to aim for when President Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin on Friday, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Trump landed in Alaska on Friday for what he called a "high stakes" summit with Russia's Putin to discuss a ceasefire deal for Ukraine and end the deadliest war in Europe since World War Two. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both the U.S. and Russian presidents, meeting at a Cold War-era air force base in Alaska's largest city, are seeking wins from their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House. The icebreaker idea has been discussed among White House officials as one of the potential deals to try to strike with Russia at the Alaska summit, one of the sources said. The ongoing talks between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine have included discussions about business deals. The White House is planning to continue this approach at the summit on Friday, said the source, who like the others spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kremlin officials were not available for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia operates the world's only fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers, which play a central role in maintaining year-round shipping access along the Northern Sea Route, a strategic path for global energy and trade flows. Trump's administration is pushing to transport gas from Alaska's remote north to Asian clients. Trump has pitched Alaska LNG, a proposed $44 billion project to ship liquefied natural gas along a 800-mile pipeline from Alaska, to Asian buyers as a way to reduce their dependence on Russian LNG. Another project, similarly aimed at Asian markets, is Qilak LNG, which is targeting 4 million tons per annum of LNG. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mead Treadwell, a Qilak LNG founder, said it would not be unusual for a U.S. LNG project to rely on icebreakers of any nation that the U.S. government allowed. "But we haven't specifically asked for that," Treadwell said. An industry source said that Alaska LNG had "no identified needs for Russian icebreakers." Reuters was not immediately able to establish which, if any, specific project would benefit if a deal was reached in the Alaska talks. The nuclear icebreakers could also facilitate the transport of construction materials and equipment to remote areas in Alaska, where infrastructure is limited and weather conditions are harsh. (Reporting by Marwa Rashad and Anna Hirtenstein in London; Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington and Oksana Kobzeva in Moscow; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) A hot and humid weekend lies ahead for much of southeastern South Dakota, with some heat indices forecast to reach triple digits, according to the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls. The heat could be lessened by cloud cover on Aug. 15, making Aug. 16 likely to be the hotter day, with the warmest conditions expected south of Interstate 90, the weather service said. In Yankton, near the Nebraska border, the heat index was predicted to reach 105 degrees on Aug. 15 and 106 degrees on Aug. 16. There's also a possibility of isolated strong to severe thunderstorms the night of Aug. 15, with 60 mph winds and half-dollar-sized hail being the main threats. The main round of storms is expected to develop over western South Dakota and move east, reaching the eastern part of the state overnight. The chances of severe storms are highest north of I-90, the weather service said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Temperatures aren't expected to be as hot in northeastern South Dakota. In Aberdeen, the high temperature was forecast at 82 degrees on Aug. 15 and 79 degrees on Aug. 16, with a slight chance of thunderstorms both days. How hot will it be this weekend? Here's how high the heat indices are expected to climb this weekend across southeastern South Dakota, according to the National Weather Service. Aug. 15: Brookings: 92 Chamberlain: 102 Huron: 96 Mitchell: 99 Platte: 99 Sioux Falls: 97 Vermillion: 103 Wagner: 101 Watertown: 91 Yankton: 105 Aug. 16: Brookings: 87 Chamberlain: 97 Huron: 90 Mitchell: 97 Platte: 100 Sioux Falls: 99 Vermillion: 105 Wagner: 102 Watertown: 78 Yankton: 106 A hot and humid weekend lies ahead for much of southeastern South Dakota, with some heat indices forecast to reach triple digits, according to the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota weather: Hot, humid, stormy weather in weekend forecast Lake Erie has a pollution problem, and it's one you can't even see. What's happening? According to researchers and advocates, the lake is the second-most contaminated in the world when it comes to microplastics, tiny pieces of plastic that break off everyday items. Nanoplastics are even smaller. "You aren't going to see them with your eye, or even a microscope," said Christopher Hines, a researcher at Cleveland Clinic, according to Spectrum News. "... They're in your brain, they are in your toes, and they're in your hair." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These particles are small enough to permeate cells, and scientists have detected them in almost every part of the human body. Why is this discovery concerning? Microplastics are an environmental issue, but they're also a matter of public health. When plastic trash fragments and enters Lake Erie's ecosystem, it's absorbed by plants and animals, including fish that people commonly eat. And unlike other water pollutants, standard water treatment systems aren't equipped to remove them. "The major fear isn't so much, say, going swimming in Lake Erie and getting microplastics on your skin," Hines explained. "It's more so in terms of, say, the fish or the algae and plants that do uptake some of these microplastics, then we go eat the fish." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While more research is needed, studies have tied microplastic exposure to serious health concerns, including dementia, cancer, and reduced blood flow in the brain. Similar concerns have been raised around the world, with studies showing high levels of microplastic contamination everywhere from Latin America to Indonesia. There too, the human health impact is raising alarms. What's being done about these microplastics? Researchers are working to both raise awareness and find solutions. In Ohio, the Lake Erie Foundation is pushing to reduce plastic waste through education and events such as Lake Erie Awareness Day on Aug. 7. It emphasizes practical steps anyone can take: using refillable water bottles, avoiding single-use plastics, and supporting cleaner packaging. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, one new study found that natural coagulants made from chickpeas and clearing nut seeds outperformed synthetic treatments in removing up to 95% of microplastics from water. Scientists are hopeful that, with continued research, the issue can be mitigated. "We can change that paradigm, but we need to start being careful about what we do with our plastics," said Peter Huston, a board member of the Lake Erie Foundation. 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. Several invasive species in the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (KTWR) are threatening the natural habitat and wildlife, The Rising Nepal reported. "Their growth has become uncontrollable," Bhupendra Prasad Yadav, chief conservation officer at KTWR, told The Rising Nepal. What's happening? Several species of fast-growing weeds and vines are taking over the buffer zones and forest areas of the reserve, and their dominance is affecting the natural food and water supply for local wildlife. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prasad Yadav explained to The Rising Nepal that the increasing presence of the invasive weeds is also affecting animal health, the balance of the ecosystem, and biodiversity. The wetland area's native trees and shrubs are struggling to grow as the invasive plants take over protected areas, and, as a result, it is becoming more difficult for the native animals to find the food they need to thrive. The invasive plants are growing and spreading faster than the native plant species. They are resistant to disease, and they are spreading quickly, regardless of the weather conditions. Why is protecting the reserve from the invasive species important? The invasive species at KTWR are threatening endangered species. As the weeds cover their grazing areas, they are blocking paths that animals use to navigate the area. The animals are losing access to the fields and native grasses. And the grasses themselves are being robbed of the sunlight and warmth they require to grow. This reduction in land suitable for grazing has led to a shortage of food for the endangered species that depend on it. These species include birds, fish, endangered wild buffalo, and gharial, a species of crocodile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This spread of invasive plants is also drying up water sources that native plants and animals depend on for survival. According to The Rising Nepal, area experts say that the crisis is growing because the invasive plants are quickly adapting and reproducing in new environments, which is leading to even faster spread and more damage to the ecosystems. As the plants take over, they are narrowing waterways, robbing marshlands of water, and blocking sunlight. This impacts everyone who wants to enjoy these natural areas, everyone with an interest in the protected species there, and everyone whose living depends on the protected area. What's being done about the invasive species? It is important to take quick action once native species are detected, the Nature Conservancy explained. Early detection and a rapid response are key to winning the battle. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Removing the invasive species and restoring the natural habitat is the next step toward protecting the native plant and animal species as well as resources in the area, per the National Wildlife Federation and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is also important to educate visitors both local and tourist so they can help prevent further spread of invasive species. Concern about the status of KTWR remains. Prasad Yadav noted that "these plants are spreading widely and are having a serious impact on the ecosystem." 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. An explosion has occurred at the Elastik powder factory in Russias Ryazan Oblast, resulting in the deaths of four or five people, various sources report. Source: Russian Telegram channels; Ryazan Oblast task force; Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the oblast; Ministry of Emergency Situations of Ryazan Oblast of the Russian Federation; Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency RIA Novosti Quote from the task force: "On 15 August, at approximately 10:30, an emergency occurred at one of the companies in the Shilovsky district: a fire broke out in one of the production workshops. The injured were taken to the district hospital... The number of fatalities has risen to four." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Russian Telegram channel Astra reported that the incident took place at the Elastik factory, where an explosion occurred in the powder shop, followed by a fire. In addition to 4 fatalities, 20 people were injured. The moment of explosion. Photo: Telegram channel Shot This information was later confirmed by propagandists from RIA.Novosti The Telegram channel Baza writes that 10 of the injured are in a serious condition. In addition, there are people under the rubble. It is reported that access to them is difficult. More than 100 people were evacuated from the factory. "" , , , 4-5 . Telegram- ". " pic.twitter.com/7L4mWckOOf (@ukrpravda_news) August 15, 2025 The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Ryazan Oblast reported that five people had died in the explosion. An operational headquarters was set up at the site, involving 70 specialists and 28 pieces of equipment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Investigative Committee reported that it had launched an investigation "into a fire at one of the companies in the village of Lisovoy, Shilovsky district, Ryazan Oblast." For reference: The Elastik synthetic fibre plant was registered in 2000 and specialised in the production of weapons and ammunition. In October 2021, an explosion occurred there in the workshop of the private explosives manufacturer Rozryad, leaving 17 people dead. According to the Telegram channel Astra, Rozryad rents space from Elastik and produces industrial explosives, including from recycled ammunition. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! CUMBERLAND About 300 motorcyclists taking part in Americas 911 Ride went through the city Friday morning to commemorate the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and raise scholarship funds for families of first responders. Over three days, first responders, police, foundation members and people from across the country travel to all three crash sites. They start at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, then head toward the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, before reaching Ground Zero in New York City. PHOTOS/VIDEO | 911 riders pass through Cumberland Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Motorcyclists pass the Cumberland Public Safety Building on North Mechanic Street Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, on America's 911 Ride. Riders left Somerset County, Pa., about 7 a.m. and made a brief stop at Rocky Gap State Park before continuing on to the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. On Saturday, the riders travel to New York before a Sunday ceremony at Ground Zero. The Americas 911 Foundation was formed in 2003 to raise funds for a scholarship program dedicated to children of EMS personnel, firefighters and police officers and to help emergency services organizations with funds, materials, equipment and volunteers. Its a bucket-list ride, said Roger Flick, a board member of America's 911 Foundation, which organizes the ride. I've had people tell me for the last 15 years, this is the most well organized large ride you'll ever be on because we've been doing this for a long time. The first ride was in November 2001 when a large group of motorcyclists traveled from the White House in Washington to Ground Zero. Since then, riders have traveled to all three crash sites every third weekend of August. From Shanksville, the group rides through Cumberland every year and stops at Rocky Gap State Park for a quick break before continuing east on Interstate 68. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Flick said seeing support for the ride in cities like Cumberland is uplifting. Riding through places like Cumberland, the people come out and wave their flags, Flick said during the Rocky Gap stop. Its extremely patriotic. Riders like Gordon Ehrlich, who has participated in the ride from its inception, hope that raising awareness and honoring the memory of the past will prevent future tragedies. It was almost 25 years ago, and there's a lot of people that don't remember (or) weren't even born, Ehrlich said. I think complacency opened the door for 9/11 to happen. We felt isolated and secure, and they showed us that we're not. I think it's important to remember so that we have the resolve to never get complacent again and allow it to happen to us again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Along with honoring the past, the ride serves as a fundraiser for the Americas 911 Foundation scholarship program for families of active first responders to attend college. This year, the foundation awarded 20 scholarships, each totaling $2,000, Flick said. The foundation, run completely by volunteers, has found other ways to support first responders by showing up to support them through disaster relief during catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina and the severe flooding in Westernport this May. We're getting into disaster recovery. It's not really part of our core thing, but we go help the first responders, Flick said. Through the foundation, many riders have formed lasting friendships. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Actually for a lot of us, this is like a family reunion because we see people that we only get a chance to see once a year on this ride, Flick said. Ehrlich agreed. I have a 9/11 family, Ehrlich said. While participation in the ride has dwindled in past years, Flick said he expects a boost in the number of riders next year for the 25th anniversary of the 2001 attacks. Even if participation was in the single digits, Ehrlich said, low participation wouldnt stop him and his friends from completing the ride each year. We're going to ride no matter what, even if it's six of us. We're just going to do the ride to all three crash sites, Ehrlich said. So, it's been important to keep this moving, and that's why I continue to raise the money so that it goes to the foundation to help keep it alive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Onlooker Anna Stewart and her young son unexpectedly came across the ride during their trip to Rocky Gap on Friday morning. Stewart said it was a good opportunity to sit with her son and talk about the tough subject. It's just a good conversation starter to remember what happened and how it changed us, Stewart said. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet today to discuss a Ukraine ceasefire. Putin wants to drive a wedge between the US and its allies, one analyst wrote for the Carnegie Endowment: His proposal that Ukraine give up the Donbas region to Russia is unacceptable to Kyiv and Brussels but seems to have won favor with Trump. Nonetheless the talks could be helpful, Foreign Policy argued, if they create the first step towards a more detailed ceasefire deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump reassured European Union leaders yesterday that he would not strike a deal over Kyivs head, but the bloc has no huge expectations and fears Putin will trick Trump into thinking he wants peace, Politico reported. (NewsNation) While critics fear the Friday summit in Anchorage between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will prove to be a sort of prebaked Alaska granting major concessions to Moscow, Trump expressed optimism Thursday that the meeting will set the stage for lasting peace in Ukraine. Both leaders and their representatives are set to meet at 3:30 Eastern Time at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, or JBER, a U.S. military installation that is roughly equidistant (about 4,300 miles) from Moscow and Washington, D.C. Trump, who is expected to be accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, said Fridays meeting, depending on how it goes, may lead to a second meeting that includes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and possibly even European leaders who have an interest in ending the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump finally understands Putins mind games: Bill OReilly Were going to find out where everybody stands, and Ill know within the first two minutes, three minutes, four minutes or five minutes we intend to find out whether or not were going to have a good meeting or a bad meeting, Trump said of Fridays bilateral summit. And if its a bad meeting, itll end very quickly, and if its a good meeting, were going to end up getting peace in the pretty near future. Putin praises Trump ahead of Alaska meeting Meanwhile, in Russia on Thursday, Putin met with his top advisers at the Kremlin and praised Trump for his efforts to reach peace. He said theres a chance of a deal but one that directly involves the U.S. and not Ukraine. Putin said Fridays meeting could even yield a nuclear weapons deal between the two superpowers, but analysts say that could be his way of pushing off punishing sanctions to buy Russia more time. Fridays face-to-face meeting marks the first time Trump and Putin have met in six years and the first since Trump returned to the White House. Its also the first time Putin has stepped on U.S. soil in nearly 10 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The setting, Alaska, holds historical significance. Russia sold the land to the United States for $7.2 million in 1867 to pay for its Crimean War. How Trump backed away from promising to end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours What is JBER, where Trump, Putin are meeting? JBER, the base where Trump is meeting Putin, played a pivotal defense role during the Cold War between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union. It houses a military community of 32,000 people, which comprises about 10% of the population of Anchorage. Trump and Putin are expected to hold a joint news conference Friday following their meeting. 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. Aug. 15Eyes across the world were on Anchorage on Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Trump touched down at JBER in Air Force One after 10 a.m. Putin landed on the military base around 30 minutes later. Pairs of fighter jets flew overhead as his plane landed. The two leaders disembarked their planes shortly after 11 a.m., walking down separate red carpets and meeting between staged F-22 fighter jets. The two shook hands before stepping on a stage adorned with a large "ALASKA 2025" sign and then entered a vehicle together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The meeting between Trump and Putin in Anchorage was also set to include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. On the Russian side, the meeting would include Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund. Upon landing, Trump was expected to meet with Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy along with all three members of Alaska's congressional delegation Rep. Nick Begich, Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Dan Sullivan. "Putin is coming to the table because of the threat of serious secondary sanctions. We are in a position of power, bringing him to U.S. soil for peace talks. He sees our military strength, energy dominance, many allies, and a President who knows how to negotiate and make peace," Sullivan wrote in a social media post ahead of the summit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Alaska senators have long worried about Putin's 'authoritarian aggression.' Today, he's on their home turf] The meeting drew hundreds of dignitaries and journalists to the city of Anchorage, filling hotels and university facilities, as Anchorage was set to be the stage for a pivotal summit that could shape the future of Russia's war in Ukraine, and future relations between the U.S. and Russia. A series of tents was set up near the Arctic Warrior Events Center on JBER for the large contingent of national and international press that had traveled to Anchorage to report on the summit, filled with folding tables and metal chairs half dedicated to U.S. press, the other half set aside for Russian media. Correspondents for RT and other Kremlin-allied outlets filmed video clips while their American counterparts did the same. Print reporters hunched over their laptops while Russian men in suits typed at their phones, sipping cans of Coca-Cola. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Army soldiers, Air Force officers and Marines hovered by doorways. Snippets of Russian, Arabic, Japanese, French and English accents could be heard. A little after 10 a.m., groups of men in military uniforms with guns climbed to the top of the roof of the one-story building set to host a public event following the summit. With the summit taking place entirely on JBER, limited disruptions were expected in town. But multiple protests were planned. Pro-Ukraine protesters gathered at JBER's Government Hill gate on Friday morning. "I think it's important to send the message that we're willing to step right up to the gate and condemn the criminality, the aggression," said Ivan Hodes, who organized the protest there. "The fact that (Ukraine President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy hasn't been invited, I think everybody who's here finds that pretty troubling, and so that's the message that I'd like to send today." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A group of Trump supporters and Alaska GOP leaders gathered on the corner of Northern Lights Boulevard and the Seward Highway as the president landed on Friday. Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor was there, saying he attended in his personal capacity during his lunch break. "I hope for a peaceful resolution of that conflict," Taylor said. "Any war is a horrible thing, right, and so hopefully they're able to work on a deal that brings peace back to that area in that region." At the same demonstration, Big Lake resident Robert Edwards said of the summit, "they're in it for the prosperity of Russia and America," "It just seems pretty historical to have a meeting here...and I don't, you know, I don't feel like Putin is all that bad of a person," Edwards added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The day prior, the same street corner was packed with hundreds of pro-Ukraine protesters. Pro-Ukraine protesters were gathering again Friday afternoon in downtown Anchorage, with plans to unfurl a large Ukrainian flag at the Park Strip. Daily News reporter Tim Rockey and Daily News intern Lizzy Hahn contributed. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. More coverage of the Trump-Putin summit: A successful summit is far from assured as Putin and Trump meet in Anchorage and Ukraine is sidelined Watch live: President Trump meets Russian President Putin for Alaska summit Alaska's US senators have long worried about Putin's 'authoritarian aggression.' On Friday, Putin is on their home turf Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin is visiting an Alaska military base that's been central to American opposition to his country When Trump and Putin meet, Alaska's Ukrainians will be watching closely Ukrainian language version: , Pro-Ukraine rally draws hundreds of Alaskans ahead of Trump-Putin meeting Trump and Putin are in Anchorage. Here's what locals need to know. UAA set to host up to 750 US and Russian delegates for Putin-Trump summit It was April, 2007. The House of Representatives was debating a bill to increase the size of the House from 435 to 437 Members. Utah would score an extra seat. And the District of Columbia would secure a seat on the House floor. Washington, DC isnt a state. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., has served as the citys non-voting delegate to Congress since 1991. And even though she couldnt cast a ballot on that bill for DC, Norton was in the middle of the debate which teed up the bill. Then-Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif., asked Norton if "the gentlelady would yield" during her floor remarks, trying to get in a word edgewise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dreier stood a better chance at getting a harried driver to yield to him on an entrance ramp to the 405 than Norton granting him a moment to interrupt her. Federal Oversight In Washington A Special Case As Old As America Itself "I will not yield, sir!" yelled Norton, staring at Dreier across the House chamber. "The District of Columbia has spent 206 years yielding (to) the people who would deny them the vote! I yield you no ground! Not during my time! You have had your say! And your say has been that you think that the people who live in your capital are not entitled to a vote in their House! Shame on you!" Read On The Fox News App Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The excoriation of Dreier was signature Norton. Forceful. Fearless. Passionate. Whether you endorse her politics or not, Norton has been the loudest voice for the people of Washington, DC for a staggering 18 terms. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., once among the capital's loudest, most tireless defenders, has been notably silent on recently-renewed questions over the District's right to self-govern. But the 88-year-old Norton is now silent. Perhaps during the most perilous period for self-governance in the District of Columbia in five decades. President Trump deployed hundreds of National Guard troops and federal agents into the streets of Washington this week effectively bigfooting local control of the police. Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has been outspoken against the intervention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The numbers just don't justify the action. We have seen a precipitous lessening of crime in the city," said Bowser. "Violent crime especially." Dc Mayor Travels To Martha's Vineyard Amid Trump's Federalized Crime Crackdown Of City DC lacks senators since it isnt a state. So other local lawmakers piped up. "I'm very concerned. The President is showing all of his authoritarian tendencies," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. "We have this decision by the President to essentially federalize the DC police at a time when actually crime in the District of Columbia is at a 30 year low last year." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) took up DCs plight. "The President isn't really interested in stopping and solving this public health issue known as gun violence. He's pointing a finger at Baltimore and DC and other cities," said Scott. "If the President were concerned and really wanted to work with cities to do that, he would bolster the strategies that are already working on the ground instead of trying to militarize police and law enforcement where they do not need to be." Mayor Muriel Bowser, D-D.C., has been outspoken against federal intervention in her constituency. But Nortons largely invisible. Her office posted a boilerplate statement on X Wednesday. It declared that "President Trump made a grave error on several levels by taking over MPD and deploying the DC National Guard without DC's agreement." Norton argued that the president "unintentionally made the strongest possible case for #DCStatehood." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An accompanying photo of Norton wasnt even current. It depicted Norton in a winter shawl hardly seasonal for the steamy conditions baking Washington in mid-August. Trump Authorized To Control Dc Police Indefinitely Under House Gop Proposal Nortons office turned down multiple requests for an interview this week. Nortons staff also declined a request for an interview after a gunman murdered Capitol Hill intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym a student at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst after his death earlier this summer. However, an aide did provide a statement. Norton last spoke on the House floor in mid-June. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Residents have no voting representation in Congress and Congress has the ultimate say on local DC matters," said Norton at the time. Questions started to swirl earlier this year about whether Norton was up to the job. DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson called Norton a "warrior on the Hill" when asked if the 88-year-old delegate should seek another term. A reporter asked DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) in June if the Delegate should run for a 19th term next year. "Congresswoman Norton has been a good representative of the District. She has been a warrior on the Hill," said Mendelson. Bowser also ducked directly answering a question about Norton back in the spring. "I am really focused on making sure our city is strong politically and stable economically and I think there is time for talking about elections and I don't choose to do that right now," said Bowser. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anti-trump Cnn Commentator Rips 'Profoundly Stupid' Democrats Over Dc Crime Response In July, a reporter didnt mention Norton by name when they asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., if "every member of the Democratic caucus was fit mentally and physically to serve?" The inquiry came after the deaths of late Reps. Sylvester Turner, D-Tex., Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., and Gerry Connolly, D-Va. And this conversation matures as House Republicans probe the cognitive state of former President Biden. "That's not a discussion that we have had at the moment with individual Members who are going to make decisions about their future," answered Jeffries. "And it's my expectation that those decisions will be based on what Members conclude is in the best interests of the communities that they have been privileged to represent - as well as themselves, their families, and the values that they hold dear that we are in the middle of defending on behalf of the American people." Elderly politicians are a longstanding albatross for the Democratic Party. Three most recently, the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. have died in office this Congress alone. The issue of elderly politicians continues to vex the Democratic Party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kinney Zalesne is a former Justice Department official running for Nortons seat in 2026. "If I were the Delegate, I would be on TV 24/7, making the case for DC and telling the truth about what's happening in our city and the truth about the administration's overreach," Zalesne told Fox. In June, Norton told a clutch of Capitol Hill reporters that she intended to run again next year. But within a couple of hours, her office dialed that back, saying Norton hadnt finalized her decision. The voters of DC will finalize their decision in the midterm elections. The reasons for Nortons relative quiet only spur conjecture and speculation fueled by what happened with former President Biden other Democratic lawmakers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DC doesnt have a vote on the House floor. But it does have a voice in Congress. And right now, the silence is deafening. Original article source: All eyes on Washington, and naught but deafening silence from the District's loudest defender Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday that India is seeking self-reliance in energy independence and the development of its own powerful defence systems, vowing to defend his country's interests "like a wall". Modi delivered his annual Independence Day address from the imposing ramparts of New Delhi's Red Fort at a time when India faces intense pressure and threats of additional tariffs from the United States. "Self-reliance is the foundation of developed India," Modi said after a flypast of military helicopters scattered flower petals above an invited crowd of thousands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Freedom becomes meaningless if someone becomes too dependent on others". Ties between New Delhi and Washington have been strained by Trump's ultimatum that India end its purchases of Russian oil, a key source of revenue for Moscow as it wages its military offensive in Ukraine. India has said it "stands ready" to support efforts to end the Ukraine war and endorses a summit to be held between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. But the United States says it will double new import tariffs on India from 25 percent to 50 percent by August 27 if New Delhi does not switch crude suppliers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We know that we remain dependent on many countries to meet our energy needs", said Modi, leader of the world's most populous nation and fifth-biggest economy. "But to build a truly self-reliant India, we must achieve energy independence." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a statement congratulating India's Independence Day, said the relations between the two nations were "consequential and far-reaching", and wanted to "ensure a brighter future for both". - 'Blood and water' - Modi urged scientists and engineers to focus on building key sectors and technologies including fighter jet engines, semiconductor chips and military hardware systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We will have India-made semiconductor chips in the market by the year's end," Modi said. He added that the country was also working towards building a space station and would have a "defence shield" in the next decade, without giving further details. Modi also honoured the Indian armed forces, which took part in a four-day conflict with arch-rival Pakistan that ended in a ceasefire on May 10. "India will give a befitting reply to any other misadventure by the enemy," he added, and referred to New Delhi's suspension of its cross-border water sharing treaty with Pakistan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "India has decided that blood and water will not flow together", he added. Modi did not speak directly about Trump, but said he would "stand like a wall" against any policy that hurts the interests of farmers. Agriculture employs vast numbers of people in India and has been a key sticking point in trade negotiations. "When economic selfishness is rising day by day... we must not just sit and worry about the crisis but instead focus on our strengths," Modi said. bb/pjm/cwl Was a Fort Collins, Colorado man, who described himself as a "wolf furry," mauled by wolves in Wyoming when he tried to join their pack? No, that's not true: The story circulating on social media originated on 'Casper Planet' a satirical Facebook page which posts fake stories that are based mainly in Wyoming. The page has a disclaimer that says, "Delivering the Snews that doesn't matter directly to your Snews feed. Did we say this is satire? Well it is, names/locations are made up". One copycat example of the story appeared in a post on X (archived here) published by @TaraBull808 on August 13, 2025. It was captioned: A Colorado man who is a self described "Wolf Furry" was mauled after trying to join a Wyoming wolf pack in the wild Image source: Screenshot by Lead Stories of @TaraBull808 post on X. The original version of the story (pictured below) appeared in a post (archived here) published August 13, 2025 on the Facebook page Casper Planet. The original story includes more details offering satirical context, including tongue-in-cheek quotes from the fictional victim and game warden witness: Colorado Man Mauled After Attempting to "Join" Wyoming Wolf Pack JACKSON, WY -- A self-described "wolf furry" from Fort Collins is recovering in a Wyoming hospital after attempting to integrate himself into an actual pack of wild wolves near Togwotee Pass. According to Wyoming Conservation Services, 28-year-old "Lupus Moonhowl" legally known as Brian Sanders was spotted crawling on all fours in full faux-fur attire, complete with a tail, plastic fangs, and a Bluetooth speaker playing recorded howls. Witnesses say Sanders approached the wolves while tossing raw hamburger meat in their direction "as a gesture of friendship." The wolves reportedly responded by chasing Sanders nearly 300 yards before "testing his durability" with a series of bites and swipes. A game warden on the scene described the encounter as "the fastest I've ever seen someone regret a lifestyle choice." Sanders suffered multiple puncture wounds, torn synthetic fur, and "severe emotional disillusionment." When asked by reporters if he'd attempt to rejoin the pack after recovery, he replied, "Probably not... they didn't seem very into the roleplay." Wyoming officials are reminding the public that, while wolves are fascinating animals, they do not accept cosplay applications. Image source: Screenshot by Lead Stories of @casperplanet post on Facebook. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Google search for the terms "wolf furry" AND mauled (archived here) return only copies of this storyline, a satirical update from Casper Planet (archived here), but no real news stories. The Casper Planet Facebook page (archived here) lists Satire Street as their address (pictured below) and has this disclaimer: Delivering the Snews that doesn't matter directly to your Snews feed. Did we say this is satire? Well it is, names/locations are made up Claim: In August 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement indicated its intent to purchase artificial intelligence technology that can scan people's eyes from several feet away to identify immigrants who are in the country illegally. Rating: Rating: Mostly True What's True: ICE released a notice on Aug. 6, 2025, detailing the agency's plan to purchase biometric, iris-scanning technology that can scan people's eyes to identify people who are in the country illegally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What's False: The technology works from up to 10 to 15 inches away, meaning it can scan eyes from a little over a foot away, not "several feet away." News reports appeared to mistake a notation for "inches" to mean "feet." What's Undetermined: The company that made the eye-scanning technology, Bi2 Technologies, did not explicitly state that its tech primarily uses artificial intelligence modeling, nor did the company return inquiries about its possible use of artificial intelligence. As of this writing, experts disagree on whether biometrics are "inherently intertwined" with AI, making it impossible to definitively say whether Bi2 Technologies does, in fact, use AI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to rumors spreading online in August 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to purchase software that can scan eyes from several feet away to identify people in the country illegally. To be specific, posts on X, Facebook and Reddit claimed that ICE plans to purchase artificial intelligence software that scans people's eyes from "several feet away," presumably to help the agency apprehend and deport immigrants who are in the country illegally. ICE plans to acquire AI technology that can scan and identify peoples irises from 10-15 feet away using a mobile app, comparing the images to databases and social media photos for deportation purposes. Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/wWfD8cPf5o AF Post (@AFpost) August 12, 2025 Based on publicly available information, in August 2025, ICE did, in fact, announce its intent to award a contract to Massachusetts-based Bi2 Technologies for its iris-scanning biometric technology. The technology can identify individuals from 10 to 15 inches away, according to the company, despite a news report from CNN Newsource which other outlets republished initially stating that the scans work from 10 to 15 feet away. Further, given conflicting definitions of biometrics and AI, Snopes cannot definitively say whether Bi2 Technologies' iris-scanning system uses AI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As such, while some of the details in these posts were incorrect or a matter of opinion, they accurately stated that ICE planned to purchase access to eye-scanning technology for the purpose of immigration-related arrests and deportations. Thus, we rate this claim mostly true. CNN Newsource did not immediately return an inquiry about the research behind its story. Bi2 Technologies and ICE did not return various inquiries, including one about how far the planned contract had progressed. Eye-scanning tech According to SAM.gov, the official site for government contract information, ICE released an Aug. 6 notice outlining the agency's plan to purchase licenses for two programs offered by Bi2 Technologies: the Inmate Identification and Recognition System (I.R.I.S.) and the Mobile Offender Recognition & Information (MORIS). The I.R.I.S. program, according to the Bi2 Technologies website, "positively identifies offenders using the most anatomically unique biometric the iris." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The user can stand or sit as far as 10" to 15" away from the unit, and even wear glasses or contact lenses without compromising system accuracy," the website said. "Unlike some other popular biometrics, iris authentication involves no physical contact." (The double prime symbol notation of " refers to inches.) The company also maintains a private, national, web-based iris biometric database for identification purposes. In a 2017 news release, the company's president, Sean G. Mullin, said the network provides "immediate access to national, state and local criminal justice and law enforcement databases." The second program, MORIS, is an app available on Apple, Microsoft and Android devices that accompanies the I.R.I.S. program. "MORIS allows law enforcement to authenticate an individual's identity and immediately have access to any information and data previously entered into the I.R.I.S national database," the company's website said. ICE's proposed contract According to the initial Aug. 6 proposal, both systems would be used by ICE'S Enforcement and Removal Operations team, indicating the agency's plans to use the tech to identify people for arrest, detention and deportation. Here's what the agency's notice of intent says (emphasis ours): U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intends to solicit, negotiate, and award a sole source purchase order to Bi2 Technologies, LLC (Bi2) for licenses for the Inmate Identification and Recognition System (I.R.I.S.) and the Mobile Offender Recognition & Information (MORIS) for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). The Government intends to award the sole source in accordance with the procedures of FAR Subpart 13.5, using the statutory authority of 41 USC 1901. The Government conducted extensive market research and determined that Bi2 is the only company that can provide the required services. The information provided in this notice is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The anticipated award date for this purchase order is August 2025. The anticipated period of performance for the purchase order will be 12 months from the date of the award. As stated above, the contract may change after the publication of this story and the notice of intent merely indicated the government's plans, not a binding decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of this writing, I.R.I.S. is used by sheriff's offices and correctional facilities for arrest, prisoner intake and booking, release and to authenticate an individual's identity, the company said, and the program could generate identification results for photographs in "approximately 8 seconds or less." Snopes asked Bi2 Technologies for more information about where the data from the I.R.I.S. network comes from and await a response. Does I.R.I.S. count as AI? While Bi2 Technologies also, as of this writing, offered a technology service explicitly labeled an AI-powered tool, its public marketing materials for I.R.I.S. and MORIS did not include any mention of AI. Biometric technology like the kind used in I.R.I.S. often relies on AI modeling systems, but experts disagree on whether biometric tech inherently must include AI. According to the Biometrics Institute, a global organization focused on the responsible use of biometrics, "some members argue that biometrics are inherently intertwined with AI, while others emphasise that many biometric applications exist independently." (The Institute's members include government agencies, global companies and various independent experts.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No single, globally accepted definition exists for either AI or biometrics, which contributed to conflicting opinions about the relationship between the two kinds of tech, the Institute said on Page 2 of a January 2025 report. Bi2 Technologies also did not return an inquiry as to whether the company considers I.R.I.S. or MORIS as AI-powered tools. Therefore, we could not, as of this writing, state that the eye-scanning tech ICE planned to purchase uses AI. In sum... ICE published a proposal to license iris-scanning technology on Aug. 6, 2025, for assistance with immigration-related arrests, detentions and deportations. The tech can work from as far as 10 to 15 inches away, according to Bi2 Technologies, the company that created it. It was unclear, as of this writing, whether the eye-scanning program counted as AI and how far the proposal, which is subject to change, had progressed. Sources: "About This Site | SAM.gov." Sam.gov, 2025, sam.gov/about/this-site. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "About Us - Bi2technologies.com." Bi2technologies.com, 29 July 2025, bi2technologies.com/about-us-2/. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025. "AI VIGILANTTM." Bi2technologies.com, 2025, bi2technologies.com/service/ai-vigilant/. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025. Cox, Joseph. "ICE Is Buying Mobile Iris Scanning Tech for Its Deportation Arm." 404 Media, 6 Aug. 2025, www.404media.co/ice-is-buying-mobile-iris-scanning-tech-for-its-deportation-arm/?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025. "I.R.I.S.TM - Bi2technologies.com." Bi2technologies.com, 7 May 2025, bi2technologies.com/service/iris/. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lombardi, Marco. "The Complex Relationship between Biometrics and Artificial Intelligence." Biometrics Institute, 23 Jan. 2025, www.biometricsinstitute.org/the-complex-relationship-between-biometrics-and-artificial-intelligence/. Members' Viewpoints: The Relationship between Biometrics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) the Intersection between Biometrics and AI. 14 Jan. 2025, media.snopes.com/2025/08/members_viewpoints_the_relationship_between_biometrics_and_artificial_intelligence_ai.pdf. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025. "MORISTM - Bi2technologies.com." Bi2technologies.com, 7 May 2025, bi2technologies.com/service/soris/. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025. "Notice of Intent to Sole Source - Bi2 Technologies, LLC." Sam.gov, 2025, sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/53dc2fa997954c1d8acf8888fd8f0b56/view. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our History." Biometrics Institute, 24 Jan. 2025, www.biometricsinstitute.org/about/our-history/. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025. "Southwestern Border Sheriffs' Coalition (SBSC) to Immediately Begin Improving the Biometric Identification Capabilities of the 31 Sheriffs' Offices along the U.S. And Mexico Border to Increase Border Security and Combat Criminal Activity." Archive.org, 6 Apr. 2017, web.archive.org/web/20170407012422/www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170406006132/en/Southwestern-Border-Sheriffs%E2%80%99-Coalition-SBSC-immediately-improving/. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025. Does a viral image show "Israeli Major General Shitan Shaul" under arrest on charges related to war crimes in Rafah? No, that's not true: The 2022 photo predates the most recent round of escalation in the region that began with the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. The image was originally published online to illustrate news reports about a suspected Irish gangster's arrest in Spain. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on August 14, 2025. It opened: Dutch police have arrested Israeli Major General Shitan Shaul commander of the Armored Corp this morning on charges of committing war crime in Rafah. Charges were brought forward by a human rights organization as he was spotted enjoying his summer vacation on The Hague beach. This is what the post looked like on X at the time of writing: Source: screenshot of a post by the @joekaren46 account on X. com The same image, however, had been online for years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On September 15, 2022, it illustrated a Telegraph article (archived here) published under the title: Notorious gangster 'Johnny Cash' arrested in Spain over 200m money laundering scheme. It continued: A Rochdale bouncer turned enforcer for Ireland's most notorious criminal cartel has been arrested in Spain in a raid to catch 'one of Europe's biggest money launderers'. Johnny Morrissey, known as Johnny Cash for the wads of bank notes he carried with him, is suspected of laundering more than 200 million (174m) for the Kinahan gang, a criminal network whose leadership have been in hiding from European and US authorities. In the photo, the officer to the detainee's left is not wearing the uniform of a Dutch police agency. Her vest is clearly marked "Guardia Civil" which is Spain's nationwide police force. Behind her walks a man wearing the insignia of Ireland's Garda, the Emerald Isle's national police agency. Searches on Google News and Yahoo News (archived here) did not confirm the rumor about an Israeli military leader that was spread in the post reviewed in this fact check. Did a Russian visitor named Ivan Stepanov rescue a tranquilized bear that was drowning in Lake Tahoe? No, that's not true: The dramatic story shared on social media is ripped off from the real-life heroics of Florida wildlife biologist Adam Warwick, who pulled a tranquilized bear from the water in a Florida harbor in 2008. The photos used in a false Facebook post showed a bare-chested Warwick -- not Stepanov -- helping a disoriented black bear to shore. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) shared on Facebook on August 13, 2025. It opened: A 375-pound black bear was drowning beneath the Tallac Bridge in South Lake Tahoe--sedated, thrashing, and sinking fast. The crowd stood helpless on the shore... until a man visiting from Russia, Ivan Stepanov, ripped off his shoes and dove in. The bear had wandered into a neighborhood, been tranquilized by wildlife officers, and stumbled into the frigid lake. This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing: Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Thu Aug 14 16:11:30 2025 UTC The post continued: Now, with the sedative kicking in, each stroke grew weaker. Ivan swam hard, wrapping his arms under its neck, holding its head above the water, whispering in Russian to keep it calm. Inch by inch, he guided the bear toward shore, where officers tagged its ear, checked its vitals, and later released it deep into the Sierra Nevada wilderness. Asked why he risked his life, Ivan just shrugged: 'In my country, we say a man's strength is measured by who he chooses to protect--even if it has claws.' The real story behind the bear rescue is perhaps best told in a Financial Times article (archived here) published in June 2014, six years after the incident. It is Warwick's personal account "as told to" a reporter. It opened: It was 2008 and I was working as a wildlife biologist on Alligator Point, a peninsula off the Florida Panhandle. On one side is the Gulf of Mexico and on the other is a bay. There are about 5,000 Florida black bears in the state, so there were a lot of encounters with bears in the beachfront community there. That summer, someone out fishing spotted a bear swimming in the ocean about a mile off shore and contacted us. Over the next two weeks I kept getting reports of him, and hoped that he would move on. One evening, our dispatcher called and said, "That bear is under somebody's house." My team and I arrived to find a 375lb seven- or eight-year-old bear. I could tell from his ear tag that he'd been caught in a trap before, so we weren't going to have much success trapping him again. I decided to tranquillise him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A March 2014 Game & Fish magazine (archived here), which included the same photos used in the Facebook post, also told Warwick's story. It opened: What do you do when you see a 375-pound black bear take a leap into the Gulf of Mexico? If you are Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologist Adam Warwick, you heroically dive into the ocean without hesitation to rescue the six-and-a-half-foot tall animal, thinking more of saving a bruin in peril than about potential injury from razor-sharp claws or fierce teeth. The bear reportedly wandered into a residential area of James Island, Florida, from the swampy Apalachicola estuary. After Warwick tranquilized the bear, it began swimming away from shore and fell underwater. Warwick removed his shirt and jumped into the water to save the bear from drowning. The "We Love Animals" Facebook page that shared this post is managed from Sweden, Thailand, and the United Kingdom, according to Meta transparency data. Claim: U.S. President Donald Trumps nomination for commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, E.J. Antoni, called Social Security a Ponzi scheme. Rating: Rating: Correct Attribution Rumors that U.S. President Donald Trump's choice to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, E.J. Antoni, once called the Social Security program a "Ponzi scheme" circulated online in August 2025. A Ponzi scheme is a method of financial fraud that boils down to using the investments from new investors to pay profits to earlier investors, such as in the Bernie Madoff scandal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rumor spread across social media on platforms including X (archived), Facebook (archived) and Threads (archived) following Trump's announcement of Antoni's nomination in a Truth Social post, thanks largely to posts by former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who called the choice "a five-alarm fire." At the time of his nomination, Antoni was the chief economist at The Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank responsible for creating Project 2025. Trump nominated Antoni two weeks after he fired previous BLS head Erika McEntarfer, accusing her of manipulating job report numbers, claiming they "were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad." (Robert Reich on BlueSky) Claims that Antoni referred to Social Security as a Ponzi scheme are correctly attributed. In Nov. 2023, he posted to his X account, "You can elongate a Ponzi scheme, but you can never make it permanent," referring to another user's post about Social Security. Notice the sleight of hand here: she says extend solvency, not fix it. You can elongate a Ponzi scheme, but you can never make it permanent. The law of supply and demand will not be conned https://t.co/bIhNKzvMCE E.J. Antoni, Ph.D. (@RealEJAntoni) November 9, 2023 Antoni repeated the sentiment during an appearance on "Houston's Morning News on KTRH" on Dec. 26, 2024, which can be listened to on a variety of podcast platforms. During his appearance, he referred to Social Security as a Ponzi scheme three times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around the 3:53 mark, Antoni answered a question about the Social Security Fairness Act, a bill aimed at giving more benefits to retired public workers that was later signed into law by then-President Joe Biden on Jan. 5, 2025. Antoni said: "Social Security is rapidly becoming insolvent because it was basically set up as a Ponzi scheme, so it can't go on forever. We're eroding the program by continuing to give more and more benefits, in this case to people who already have a heightened level of benefits, and so what you're effectively doing is decreasing the amount of funds that are available for the rest of the American people." Then, around 4:45, Antoni explained his view on how most people believe the program works. "I work my whole life, I put in money, it goes into my own account and when I retire, I get those benefits. That's not true at all," he said. "Instead, you work today and that money goes immediately to pay today's retirees, today's beneficiaries. And so that's why I say it was set up like a Ponzi scheme." This was an accurate, if basic, reflection of how Social Security works. According to the Social Security Administration: The money you pay in taxes isn't held in a personal account for you to use when you get benefits. We use your taxes to pay people who are getting benefits right now. Any unused money goes to the Social Security trust funds, not a personal account with your name on it. Antoni compared Social Security to "FTX or Bernie Madoff, where today's investors, their funds are being used to pay yesterday's investors. And unless you are going to grow the number of investors at an exponential rate, that system is eventually going to collapse." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Finally, Antoni concluded by suggesting the key problem is that because the "population is actually in a state of decline, you're not going to be able to sustain a Ponzi scheme like Social Security. Eventually you need to sunset the program." "That doesn't mean you need to touch benefits for people who are retired today," he clarified. "There's plenty of money available to pay for folks who are already retired, but the people who are going to retire 10, 20, even 30, or certainly forty 40 from now I'm sorry, but the program is not going to be viable at that time." A White House official told Snopes via email that Antoni's comments about Social Security were made as a private citizen. "The President has been unequivocal in his commitment to protecting Social Security," White House assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers wrote to Snopes via email. "As BLS Commissioner, EJ Antoni will carry out the policies of the president and protect these critical programs to ensure that seniors who have worked their entire lives will receive all of their benefits, when they're expecting them." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Aug. 14, 2025, the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act being signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Trump released a statement claiming he was "recommitting" to the nation's financial safety net. The president said his administration was "aggressively rooting out all fraud, waste, and abuse that rob our Federal programs of resources including stopping payments to the deceased and eliminating benefits for those who do not legally qualify. These measures will save American taxpayers billions of dollars every year and ensure that future generations receive the benefits they spent their lives paying into." According to a report in June 2025, the so-called "go-broke" date for Social Security was estimated to be 2034. The Associated Press reported, "after that point, Social Security would only be able to pay 81% of benefits." Recent legislation had an effect on the long-term viability of Social Security, including the aforementioned Social Security Fairness Act as well as Trump's 2025 budget bill, which could "accelerate insolvency" according to experts. Trump previously compared Social Security to a Ponzi scheme himself. In his 2000 book, "The America We Deserve," he wrote: "The truth is undeniable. The workers of America have been forced to invest a sixth of our wages in a huge Ponzi scheme. The pyramids are made of papier-mache. Is there a way out?" Sources: "90th Anniversary of the Social Security Act." The White House, 14 Aug. 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/90th-anniversary-of-the-social-security-act/. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "EJ Antoni - Economist, Heritage Foundation Joins Houston's Morning News - Houston's Morning News on KTRH." iHeart, https://www.iheart.com/podcast/44-houstons-morning-news-on-kt-26994314/episode/ej-antoni-economist-heritage-foundation-251975380/. Accessed 14 Aug. 2025. "E.J. Antoni, PhD." The Heritage Foundation, https://www.heritage.org/staff/ej-antoni-phd. Accessed 14 Aug. 2025. Kaczynski, Andrew. "Trump Previously Backed Policies on Social Security for Which He's Now Attacking DeSantis, Calling the Program a 'Ponzi Scheme' | CNN Politics." CNN, 27 Apr. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/27/politics/trump-desantis-social-security-ponzi-scheme. McDade, Zachary J. Social Security Is Not a Ponzi Scheme. Urban Institute, 26 Mar. 2014. www.urban.org, https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/social-security-not-ponzi-scheme. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Medicare and Social Security Go-Broke Dates Pushed up Due to Rising Health Care Costs, New SSA Law." AP News, 18 Jun. 2025, https://apnews.com/article/social-security-medicare-trust-fund-trump-74e13292f510739724a555d7ded7c1a3. News, A. B. C. "Who Is E.J. Antoni, Trump's Pick to Lead the BLS?" ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/Business/ej-antoni-trumps-pick-lead-bls/story?id=124579471. Accessed 14 Aug. 2025. "Senate Passes Social Security Benefits Boost for Many Public Service Retirees." AP News, 21 Dec. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/social-security-congress-565aaf221de6d607f207e286655eef25. Trump, Donald, and Dave Shiflett. The America We Deserve. 1st ed, Renaissance Books, 2000. "Trump Removes Official Overseeing Jobs Data after Dismal Employment Report." AP News, 1 Aug. 2025, https://apnews.com/article/trump-jobs-firing-f00e9bf96d0110519be9bf4f3ec89195. (Reuters) - Following is a summary of attacks in recent weeks on key energy sites in Russia, one of the world's biggest energy producers. DRUZHBA PIPELINE Hungary and Slovakia said on Friday that oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline could be suspended for at least five days following the latest Ukrainian military strike on the Unecha oil pumping station in Russia's Bryansk region. Ukraine's military also said on August 13 that its drones struck the Unecha pumping station. Damage and a large-scale fire were reported. However, crude flows through the Druzhba pipeline system were not affected at that time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NOVOSHAKHSTINSK A fire broke out following a drone strike at an industrial site in Russia's southern Novoshakhtinsk city, home to an oil refinery, authorities said on Thursday. SYZRAN REFINERY The Ukrainian military said on August 15 that it had struck the Syzran oil refinery in Russia's Samara region. In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, Kyiv's military reported a fire and explosions at the refinery. The Syzran oil refinery suspended production and crude intake after a Ukrainian drone attack last Friday, two industry sources said on Monday. VOLGOGRAD REFINERY The Ukrainian military said on August 14 its drones had hit a Russian refinery in the Volgograd region, causing huge fires. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Volgograd refinery has been shut down after being hit by drone attacks, two sources familiar with the matter said. The refinery, operated by Lukoil, was forced to halt operations for a little over a week back in February after a drone strike. KRASNODAR REGION REFINERIES A small fire ignited by debris from a destroyed drone was promptly doused at the Slavyansk oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region, authorities said on August 13, with no casualties reported. On August 7, fallen drone debris caused a fire at the Afipsky refinery also in Krasnodar region, though the extent of the damage was not immediately clear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On July 7, debris fell on Russia's Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region due to a drone attack. SARATOV REFINERY Ukraine said it struck an oil refinery in Russia's Saratov region in an overnight drone attack on August 10, causing an explosion and fire, though the extent of the damage was unclear. The Saratov refinery was forced to suspend fuel production after a drone strike in February. SOCHI OIL DEPOT A Ukrainian drone attack on August 3 caused two oil tanks to catch fire at an oil depot in Sochi in southern Russia, but the blazes were later extinguished, local authorities said. NOVOKUIBYSHEVSK REFINERY Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Primary oil processing at Russia's Novokuibyshevsk refinery, which is operated by oil company Rosneft, has been halted since August 2 following a Ukrainian drone attack the previous week, two industry sources said. RYAZAN REFINERY The Ryazan oil refinery, also operated by Rosneft, halted around half of its refining capacity on August 2 following a Ukrainian drone attack, three industry sources said. The Ryazan refinery has been struck several times. It was forced to halt operations after a drone strike in late-January, and again in February. (Repoting by Reuters; Editing by Mark Potter) FAIRMONT The West Virginia Board of Medicine has reprimanded a doctor based in Fairmont after multiple complaints of unprofessional, inappropriate and disrespectful behavior and comments toward staff and patients at the hospital where he worked. Dr. Govindbhai Mafatlal Patel voluntarily entered a consent order with the West Virginia Board of Medicine in 2024. According to the Boards attorney, Greg Foster, Patel has satisfied the terms of the consent order. Patels place of employment initiated a complaint against him to the Complaint Committee of the Board of Medicine on Jan. 7, 2024, according to the consent order. The hospital reported that in Nov. 23, it suspended Patels medical staff membership and clinical privileges and later terminated him due to unprofessional conduct. The complaint committee investigated the circumstances that led to the termination. Foster said records related to the investigation are confidential. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patels name appears on WebMD and US News and World Report as affiliated with Fairmont Regional Medical Center, the entity in place before WVU Medicine took over the Fairmont hospital. A spokesperson for WVU Medicine Fairmont Medical Center said Patel is a community provider who has neither been employed by WVU Medicine nor held an affiliation with WVU Medicine Fairmont Medical Center in its five years of existence. A 2022 Facebook post by Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Morgantown states Patel was the interim medical director of Encompass Health Morgantown and Bridgeport. Patel gained the position in 2021. The Facebook post also states Patel has 20 years of experience in rehabilitation medicine and has an independent private practice in Fairmont. He also held the title of medical director at Marion County Health Department as well as St. Barbara Nursing Home. According to the consent order, the hospital initially investigated allegations of sexual harassment and abusive behavior toward hospital employees in May 2023. During the investigation, the hospital suspended Patel. Patel was reinstated later that month and ordered to complete educational courses on sexual harassment, bullying in the workplace and anger management. Patel was told his behavior would be monitored for a 12-month period. However, Patel collected more complaints from hospital staff in October. The consent order also includes a complaint from a patient. A female patient complained that Dr. Patel had made her uncomfortable during a physical evaluation and referred to her as pretty girl, the consent order states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hospital once again suspended Patel and fired him that November. Patel agreed to the consent order in 2024. The consent order publicly reprimanded Patel for his unprofessional conduct, and ordered him to complete a course titled Elevating Civility and Communication in Health Care at his own expense. The course requires 42 hours to complete. The consent order is part of Patels permanent record now. Costco has opted not to dispense abortion pills after receiving demands from activists on both sides of the issue and faith-based groups are celebrating the move. Last year, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander urged the retail giant to get a certification to be able to dispense mifepristone one drug in a two-drug regimen for medication abortions at its pharmacies. The following month a religious coalition pleaded with Costco not to sell the termination pill. The FDA allows only certified prescribers to dispense mifepristone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Costco chose to forego pursuing this certification, the company said in a statement to Reuters emphasizing the decision was based on a lack of consumer demand. "Our position at this time not to sell mifepristone, which has not changed, is based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients, who we understand generally have the drug dispensed by their medical providers, the company said. Bloomberg first reported Costcos decision. The Independent has reached out to Costco for more information about its decision. Costco has opted against seeking a certification to be able to dispense mifepristone, one drug in a two-drug regimen for medication abortions (AFP via Getty Images) Representatives on both sides of the abortion debate have battled over Costcos position in the form of letters. Last July, Lander penned a letter to CEO Ron Vachris demanding the retailer immediately take the necessary steps to receive certification to sell mifepristone, following in the steps of CVS and Walgreens. The comptroller also wrote letters to the leaders of Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, and McKesson. By failing to become certified mifepristone dispensers, these pharmacy giants put both womens reproductive health care and investors' money at risk, he said in a statement at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In August 2024, a coalition of religious activists wrote to Vachris, urging Costco to continue its current practice of not dispensing the abortion drug mifepristone. The group argued that dispensing the drug will reduce demand for the diapers and formula that the store sells and worsen the the crisis of record low birth rates. The letter also alleged the pill poses serious health risks. The FDA first approved the drug in 2000 to end pregnancy through 10 weeks of gestation, but anti-abortion activists have recently challenged its safety and FDA approval. Last year, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled to preserve access to the crucial drug, as nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. 63 percent are medication abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Costcos decision to refuse to dispense mifepristone is disappointing and short-sighted, a spokesperson for Lander told The Independent in a statement. Failure to provide access to proven safe and FDA-approved medication under the guise of weak demand risks isolating customers and undermines the companys credibility. Putting customer needs before political ideology must remain Costcos priority. Faith-based groups are celebrating the decision after a religious coalition urged the retail giant to not seek certification to dispense the drug (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Faith-based activists have celebrated the decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We applaud Costco for doing the right thing by its shareholders and resisting activist calls to sell abortion drugs, Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Michael Ross said in a statement Thursday. They have nothing to gain and much to lose by becoming abortion dispensaries. We have this momentum, Tim Schwarzenberger, director of corporate engagement at Inspire Investing, the world's largest faith-based ETF provider, told Bloomberg. Now there is a chance to turn to some of the other retailers. We are so grateful that Costcoa company that serves families, especially large oneshas decided to remain a wholesale store, not become an abortion facility, Mary Szoch, director of the Center for Human Dignity at evangelical think-tank Family Research Council, said in a statement on X. What a win for America! Great job, @Costco!" CVS and Walgreens, which both dispense the drug, have stood by their decisions in the wake of Costcos announcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have a long history of supporting and advancing womens health and we remain focused on meeting their unique health needs. This includes providing access to safe, legal, and evidence-based reproductive health services, CVS told The Independent in a statement, noting that the company fills prescriptions in states where its legal. Walgreens declined to comment. Its website states: "The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on mifepristone access allows Walgreens to continue to dispense mifepristone under the FDA guidelines. The abortion landscape has been complicated after the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022. In January 2023, the FDA removed some restrictions around accessing mifepristone and added the pharmacy certification. Individuals living in states that have banned the procedure cannot access the drug at pharmacies; 12 states have total abortion bans, according to Guttmacher Institute. The 2022 Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe has opened the door for abortion opponents to argue fresh legal challenges. Earlier this year, anti-abortion activists pushed a report by right-wing think tank Ethics and Public Policy Center claiming serious complications from mifepristone use were 22 times higher than previously reported. Critics blasted the report as bogus. From false claims of a Ukrainian assassin shot dead in Alaska to baseless reports of Russia declaring the sale of the territory to the United States illegal, misinformation has swirled around the summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The online falsehoods spreading across tech platforms were muddying the waters around Friday's closely watched Alaska summit, a test of the US president's pledge to end the three-year bloody war in Ukraine. "Malign actors (have) flooded the internet and social media with falsehoods and distortions" that were "circulating from across the political spectrum and across the globe," disinformation watchdog NewsGuard said in a report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among them was the unfounded claim that American soldiers had recently shot and killed a Ukrainian assassin named Stefan Orestovych, a supposed trained sniper for Ukraine's special forces, in the Alaskan city of Wasilla. There was no evidence that an assassin by that name even exists. The falsehood, which circulated on X, Instagram, a QAnon conspiracy theory platform as well as a Sri Lankan news website, originated on Real Raw News, according to NewsGuard. A self-proclaimed "humor, parody, and satire" site, Real Raw News is often mistaken as a legitimate news outlet and has repeatedly been called out by researchers for publishing fabricated claims about the Russia-Ukraine war as well as American officials and politicians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump critics online have also falsely claimed that Putin signed a decree in January last year declaring Russia's sale of Alaska to the United States "illegal," while mocking the US president for hosting a leader who purportedly rejected American sovereignty over the territory. Putin was "preparing the future annexation of Alaska and Trump fell for it," one user wrote on X, an unfounded claim that has also spread across Bluesky and TikTok. The United States bought Alaska in 1867 from Russia, and there was no evidence that Putin had signed such a decree. Meanwhile, pro-Kremlin nationalist accounts on social media were circulating an image of a fake "People's Republic of Alaska" flag, using the summit to assert that the territory rightfully belonged to Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The images were being spread online by Russian nationalist media outlets as well as the Pravda network, a well-resourced Moscow-based operation known to circulate pro-Russian narratives globally. "The fake flag is the latest instalment in a decades-old narrative pushed by ultra-nationalists in Russia, framing the Nineteenth Century sale of Alaska as a national betrayal," NewsGuard report said. The swirling misinformation underscores how easily online falsehoods can originate and spread around a high-profile event, especially across tech platforms that have largely scaled back content moderation. Trump extended the invitation for the summit at the Russian leader's suggestion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The meeting will be closely followed by European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not included and has publicly refused pressure from Trump to surrender territory seized by Russia. ac/bgs Families of prisoners of war and missing Ukrainian defenders came to the American embassy in Kyiv on Friday to remind the embassy employees of the price Ukraine is paying to keep its own territory and defend its independence. Source: Ukrinform reporter from the scene Details: Around 100 people gathered in the park opposite the entrance to the United States Embassy. Protesters are calling on President Donald Trump, "who has taken on the role of peacemaker", to raise the issue of an all-for-all prisoner swap during negotiations instead of discussing "the exchange of Ukrainian territories". The demonstration Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Photo: Ukrinform Demonstrators are demanding the release of all prisoners of war both those confirmed and unconfirmed by the Red Cross, those unlawfully convicted on fabricated charges, and those declared "terrorists" in Russia. Those present are holding photo portraits of prisoners of war, Ukrainian flags and banners bearing the names of combat units. The demonstration Photo: Ukrinform Posters in the hands of women and children bear inscriptions in English: "Nothing About Ukraine Without Ukraine", "All-for-all prisoner swap without exceptions". "The USA has taken on the role of peacemaker, and now it is time to prove this through action: the road to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine and at its expense," said one of the organisers of the demonstration. Motorists passing by are supporting the protesters with honks. The demonstration Photo: Ukrinform Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Fridays Top Stories Fridays Five Facts [1] Silver City mother and daughter charged with fraud and theft in Medicaid scheme A mother and daughter in Silver City are accused of stealing more than $1 million through their daycare. The NMDOJ says Susanne and Bethanne Kee operated the Kids in Need of Supportive Services program in Silver City, a non-profit organization aimed at connecting children with necessary services and providing after-school and summer care. The DOJ claims they received Medicaid funding by falsely claiming they were providing therapy to children. The state says the duo allegedly obtained personal information of the children, including health insurance details, dates of birth, social security numbers, and billed for services that never took place. [2] Farmington stabbing suspect George Schwerin is accused of stabbing a woman more than 20 times in the head, neck and chest at a Farmington hotel. Earlier this year, Schwerin was out of custody awaiting trial on auto theft and DWI charges. Court records show he was arrested at least two times for failing to show up for court. Schwerin was then found incompetent to stand trial and was released again on July 31, one week before the stabbing. A judge ordered Schwerin to stay in custody for the stabbing case, but his competency was discussed again. Prosecutors have until Monday to decide if theyll use Schwerins previous mental evaluation or request a new one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [3] Monsoon rain surges back into New Mexico A surge of monsoon moisture will be moving into New Mexico through the day Friday. This will bring more showers and storms Friday afternoon with slightly cooler high temperatures. The highest chances for rain will be in along and west of the central mountain chain. Daily thunderstorm chances will return each afternoon through the middle of next week. [4] NM Corrections Department takes over commissary operations in prisons The New Mexico Corrections Department took control of prison store operations, which affects more than 5,800 inmates and their families. Last Monday, the department took control of commissary operations from Union Supply Group, which had managed the service since 2021. Under the new system, the department purchases items in bulk and passes the savings on to inmates. [5] Def Leppard helps Albuquerque couple with gender reveal at concert An Albuquerque familys outing to a Def Leppard concert turned into a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Sophia and Zayden were in the crowd at the concert on Tuesday night, when the spotlight suddenly turned on them. Def Leppard then made the announcement that the couple would be having a baby girl. The surprise gender reveal was orchestrated by the soon-to-be great grandma, who had a meet and greet with the band prior to the show. 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. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The commutation hearing for Ralph Menzies, an inmate on death row for the last 37 years, comes to a close today, Aug. 15. Menzies was convicted in 1988 for the 1986 aggravated murder, kidnapping, and robbery of Maurine Hunsaker. Today, the board heard victim impact statements. Hunsakers oldest sister said, Tell me that fear is not trauma He never intended for her to go home. He told her, Do what I say, and I will let you go home. It never happened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hunsakers son, Matt, talked about how Menzies has received mercy in the past. He said his family received no mercy. Youre going to put myself and my family through hell again, Matt said. You guys didnt have to grant him a commutation hearing, you choose to do this. He tied my mom to a tree. He strangled her, he said. He unmercifully took a knife out and slit her throat from ear to ear. He recounted how two kids saw Menzies in that meadow where his mother was murdered. He doesnt even have the decency to admit what he did, Matt said. Not one court in this country has ever overturned his conviction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Matt went on to detail the events he suffered through as a 10-year-old child. Emotions were high. My life was shattered. It was destroyed 10 years old, he said. Matt made it clear he did not have an obligation to be nice. He expressed his pain and lack of closure as he waits for the day that Menzies is executed. Menzies defense discussed his mental ability, his non-violence and good behavior in prison, and his age as reasons for mercy. They said Menzies has tried hard to reform, to better himself while in prison, even during his decline. Life in prison is not a good life, the defense said. He did everything that was asked of him. Maybe its not enough for this board to spare his life, but it means something. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The defense also acknowledged the pain suffered by Hunsakers family. Its horrifying. It is, the defense said. The state and the defense gave their closing arguments on Ralph Menzies death sentence. The state claimed Menzies has already had 40 more years of life than Maurine Hunsaker had. Thats 40 years of family contact that Mr. Menzies has had through visits and telephone calls that her family never got to have, state attorneys said. The defense wishes to let Menzies die of natural causes, saying that he is no longer a threat to anyone, and that his condition of vascular dementia predicts that Menzies has 5-7 years left of life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is no longer a risk, the defense said. If Mr. Menzies is no longer a risk to anybody, then society does not need protection from him. Ralph Menzies: Attorneys request for new competency evaluation denied by judge Who is Ralph Menzies? On February 23, 1986, Maurine Hunsaker was abducted from the Gas-A-Mat convenience store and gas station in Kearns, Utah, where she was employed. Her husband called the convenience store and went in person when she did not pick up. When he arrived, he found that Hunsaker was missing, along with her purse. According to documents, Hunsaker called the home phone and told her husband that she had been instructed to tell him she was kidnapped and robbed. A police officer spoke with Hunsaker, and she indicated that the kidnapper intended to release her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Board of Pardons replaces board member for review of Ralph Menzies commutation petition Days later, on February 25, 1986, a hiker found Hunsaker deceased near a picnic area in Big Cottonwood Canyon. She had been strangled to death, according to the medical examiner, and her throat was cut. Marks on her wrists and scuffing on a nearby tree indicated that she had been tied to it somehow. During this time, Menzies was booked into jail on an unrelated burglary charge. When officers were taking his possessions, Menzies ran away and hid in a changing room. Later, identification cards were located in the changing rooms hamper, and an officer realized that they belonged to Hunsaker. Victims family reacts to convicted killer being ruled competent to be executed Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Witnesses further connected Menzies to the disappearance and murder of Maurine Hunsaker, and some had even seen him with her on the night of her murder. In 1988, a jury found Menzies guilty, and he was placed on death row for the serious and senseless crime. Taberon Dave Honie and Ronnie Lee Gardner, the last two inmates to be executed, were also granted commutation hearings. The board ultimately rejected their arguments and both executions proceeded as scheduled. Latest headlines: 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 ABC4 Utah. SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico (KTSM) The City of Sunland Park and the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA) are being sued by a family that alleges a faulty fire hydrant played a role in the destruction of their mobile home during a structure fire earlier this year. The residential structure fire occurred back on April 24 at the 200 block of Calle Diaz, in the Anapra subdivision. The mobile home and a neighbors shed were a total loss, according to the Sunland Park Fire Department. 4 displaced after mobile home catches fire in Sunland Park Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coming back and seeing this, its heartbreaking because this was my home for 10 years and, well, theres nothing left. I see sadness, when one day it was happiness, Laissa Mendoza, the owner of the now destroyed mobile home, said. Mendoza and her family were displaced due to the fire, and have been living at her mother-in-laws home since. Mendozas husband, Luis Mendoza, is the plaintiff in the lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed as a complaint for negligence, nuisance, and damages by the City of Sunland Park and CRRUA. The lawsuit alleges that the fire hydrants near the mobile home were non-functional. It also alleges that despite the response of crews from Sunland Park and El Paso fire departments, they were unable to suppress the fire due to a lack of water in the hydrants. The fire hydrants didnt work, thats why, and firefighters couldnt stop it. They had to go to the casino and then get the water. So it took them 20 minutes to come and go. So when they came in and put water in, the fire would start again because there wasnt enough water, Mendoza said. I was angry because we pay taxes, and they barely made the street like a year ago, so they had to be working. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The complaint blames CRRUA and the City of Sunland Park because they were responsible for the operation, maintenance, and oversight of the water infrastructure in the area. The failure was the fact that there was no water at all in the hydrants in this community. The hydrants were basically window dressing from what we can gather. The information we have is that they were inoperable. They just sat there, Gabriel Perez, the attorney representing the Mendoza family, said. You can find the document of the complaint below. Luis-Mendoza-v.-City-of-Sunland-Park-CCRUADownload The City of Sunland Park responded to KTSMs request for comment by issuing the following statement: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We share empathy for the loss this family experienced, but we cannot discuss specific claims during active litigation. CRRUA has not responded to KTSMs request for comment. However, shortly after the fire back in April, CRRUA issued a news release to address community concerns that the Anapra area had low water pressure. CRRUA: Improvements help crews battle fire in Anapra; Addresses low water pressure in the area In the release, CCRUA admitted the water mains in the Anapra Subdivision did not meet pressure requirements and that there was room to improve infrastructure in the area. Sign off of McNutt Rd outlines ongoing infrastructure improvements in the Anapra Subdivision Water mains in the Anapra Subdivision were installed more than 40 years ago, following codes and standards that were in effect at the time of construction. Many of the existing water mains are not large enough to meet current fire flow and pressure requirements, read the news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, CRRUA also said the fire hydrants were part of recently installed fire suppression infrastructure that had previously been lacking. Without these upgrades, the nearest hydrant would have been on McNutt Road, potentially delaying response efforts and increasing fire damage, CRRUA Executive Director Juan Crosby said back in April. 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. Tucked into the hills just outside Springfield, a whimsical retreat beckons where guests can stay in suites reminiscent of Lord of the Rings hobbit homes. The property promises wood-fired cedar hot tubs, hand-carved beds and fire pits. Guests might imagine themselves indulging in second breakfasts and embracing total relaxation in a place that seems otherworldly. Welcome to Shiraton Hotels, the voice of a grandfatherly British narrator calmly says in a video ad posted on YouTube, welcoming visitors to a hidden retreat at what appears to be a Lord of the Rings-inspired getaway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And hidden, perhaps, is the operative word here. Because behind the fantasy-inspired adventure which has already raised more than $300,000 from more than 400 people eager to support an unexpected journey to rolling green hills and 5-Star Luxury a question lingers: Is this enchanted escape real? Shiraton Hotels is the name of an organization asking for money in an IndieGoGo online crowdfunding campaign with the promise of bringing a vacation hobbit-hole to Massachusetts. Where, exactly, is unclear. Some on social media are wary of the vagueness on the hotels website and various social media platforms. Complaints to the state attorney generals office also cast doubts on the projects legitimacy, especially as the campaign fails to disclose a specific location for the hotel and often ignores customers comments and questions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MassLive tried many ways over two months to reach a representative of the hotel, including messaging the groups Facebook page, emailing the address listed on its website, calling press contacts listed online and sending a letter to a Boston address listed in Shiratons emails. No one responded to any of those communications, and the letter was sent back because it was unable to be delivered. MassLive has been unable to identify any people involved in this project, including a search of Massachusetts corporation registration records. Inspired by Frodos quest with the One Ring, MassLive embarked on a journey of its own across the many dominions of Massachusetts to find this mysterious shire. The search proved more complicated than anticipated for a hotel supposedly located in a town of just 1,000 people, which is asking for financial support from the public and is meant to open next spring. What is Shiraton Hotels? The idea of staying in a home inspired by the iconic franchise resonates with many, as the campaign has raised more than $305,000 from more than 400 backers since the IndieGoGo campaign first launched on May 27 15 times the set goal of $20,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The IndieGoGo campaign offers different ways people can help infuse the project with money early in the process. People pay now and get to stay at the hotel later. A VIP weekday stay includes two nights at $499, and a VIP weekend package offers three nights at $699. Some listings suggest an April 2026 opening. Although the organization never explicitly uses the name The Lord of the Rings in its advertising, the inspiration is clear. The promotional images and video used by the organization look like the Middle-earthian architecture in Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings trilogy inspired by J. R. R. Tolkiens books. The name itself references the home of the Hobbits in Middle-earth, the Shire. The images on Shiratons website and social media posts do not explicitly say they are renderings, leading viewers to assume thats where they can stay now. However, in response to people complaining that the images were AI-generated, the group states on Facebook that all visual materials have been created by real artists and graphic designers no AI has been used in any of our renderings." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No graphic designers are credited on any of their pages, and MassLive received no response when trying to confirm the images are original artwork. Someone poking around the site a little more soon realizes the project is likely not yet built. The IndieGoGo account promises Estimated delivery April 2026. The bottom of the projects website shows what appears to be photos of workers building things and looking at blueprints in a field. An Aug. 5 post on the IndieGoGo account also offers an update: The design is complete. The builder is secured. Phase One of Shiraton has begun. It also indicates construction is scheduled to start this fall. The cozy Hobbit-like accommodations seen on the site arent yet there. Where is Shiraton? But where is there? The exact location of the hotel remains unclear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hotels website suggests its located somewhere outside of Springfield and only two hours from Boston and three hours from New York City. Social media posts earlier in the year suggested it was in Central Massachusetts. A previous version of the website also stated Shiraton was near Bash Bish Falls State Park, Mount Greylock Reservation and Mount Holyoke State Park, all of which are one to two hours away from New Braintree and an hour away from each other. The most promising lead is on the IndieGoGo page, which lists New Braintree as its location. Its a town nearly one hour away from Springfield, four hours from New York City and an hour-and-a-half from Boston. MassLive recently visited New Braintree Town Hall in search of answers. But for an exciting new hotel project thats going to be located in a town of only 1,000 people, the trail went cold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jessica Bennett, the town clerk, and Lori Hoffman, the police clerk, both said they had no knowledge of a project such as Shiraton being developed in the town. The towns select board said they were not aware of the project, either. A MassLive reporter drove around the small town, looking for any signs of a project like this one. The only thing in town that seemed like it could be related to Shiraton Hotels was a construction crew working at a nearby field. Finally! The first real glimmer of hope that we had found the project. But alas, the construction crew confirmed that it was not working on a hotel, just some barn renovations. Shireton vs. Shiraton Shiraton Hotels was not the original name of the project. The project used to go by the name Shireton with an e Hotels, which can be found on the Way Back Machine internet archive, showing the original name as recently as April 7. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An email newsletter claiming to be from someone named Kim sent May 27 stated: Quick heads-up: We used to be Shireton Hotels now were Shiraton Hotels! Same team, same vision, just a name that fits us better." MassLive searched the Massachusetts Corporations Database to try to find a registered business under both names, but could not find anything obvious. MassLive has not been able to confirm why the name was changed. Another group using the name Shireton is developing a similar project in Virginia, but that group confirmed through Instagram messages that they are not related to the group in Massachusetts. Are the hobbits really trolls? Despite clear interest in such a venture, alarm bells related to the projects legitimacy have repeatedly been raised online. Earlier in the year, Shireton-turned-Shiraton posted fairly aggressively on social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, enticing would-be guests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One Facebook user, Amanda Kocot of West Springfield, told MassLive that she posted a thread on the platform declaring the project a scam after seeing ads for it on social media asking users early in the project to donate $50 to their campaign in exchange for early access to booking dates once the hotel opens. If youre getting this ad like I am for Shireton Hotels and thinking to yourself wow how cool I want to stay here DO NOT try to book their $50 early special, the post reads. This page is a scam and not even a real hotel. The only clue pointing toward a real individual behind the project came in the form of newsletters sent to those on the hotels email list, signed by an individual named Kim. The email signature also includes the address in Boston at 867 Boylston St., the address from where the letter was returned. A trip to the address yielded no luck, as the building near the Prudential Center is a shared office space where multiple companies operate. People who work in the building recently said they had never heard of Shiraton Hotels and that they had no knowledge of such a project operating out of the shared space. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kocots search for answers regarding the project similarly went unanswered. It wasnt until she publicly posted the thread on Facebook that she was finally able to communicate with them. As a small, independent team working hard to bring a creative vision to life, public posts calling our project a scam can have a significant impact on our reputation and momentum, Shiraton Hotels commented on the post. We completely understand the need for caution online, but we assure you that theres nothing deceptive about our intentions. After whoever was representing Shiraton on Facebook asked Kocot to take down the post, she agreed to do so as long as they updated their website with more transparency regarding what she sees as the more suspicious aspects of the project, such as its location and what she claims are AI-generated images of the hotels interior. Shiraton Hotels has not updated the information found on their websites, and the post remains up on Facebook as of Aug. 13. In the thread, Shiraton Hotels stated that the $50 deposit is fully refundable, and weve promptly refunded anyone who has requested it. On the groups website, a button at the bottom of the page that says Refund Policy brings the user to the sites Terms and Conditions page. A section on that page labeled Refunds Policy says: Please review our Return Policy posted on the Site prior to making any purchases. However, there is no other refund policy information on the site. Tessa McKenzie, another Facebook user from Sykesville, Maryland, struggled to get her $50 deposit back. She first reached out to the group via email and Facebook. Their customer service was just so dismal I never heard back, McKenzie told MassLive. There was also a lot of confusion at first because Link/Stripe (the payment system) was more responsive yet couldnt do a thing without approval from [Shiraton Hotels]. It wasnt until McKenzie publicly commented on Kocots Facebook thread that she received confirmation from Shiraton Hotels that her refund had been processed. IndieGoGo posted Shiraton Hotels promotional video on its social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok. Comments appear to be turned off on the posts involving the Shiraton Hotels, but not other projects promoted by IndieGoGo. MassLive recently reached out to IndieGoGo and parent company Gamefound several times for information regarding the legitimacy of the project, but did not receive a response. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbells office said it received an official complaint on June 6 regarding Shiraton Hotels, requesting they contact IndieGoGo and/or Facebook and have them remove these pages, before more people are defrauded. Campbells office told MassLive the matter is still under review two months later, in which time the company has raised more than $200,000 more. The office did not explain what an investigation into such a complaint entails. You shall not pass? They say not all those who wander are lost, but after countless attempts to reach a person involved with the project and traveling across Massachusetts, it seems only the Eye of Sauron would be able to find the future site of the Shiraton Hotel, or at least someone checking email or social media posts. The journey was long, and the information available on the Shiraton Hotel was thin, like butter scraped over too much bread. MassLive didnt find a ring, but maybe the ring will find us? If you have more information about Shiraton Hotel, email feedback@masslive.com. More News Read the original article on MassLive. By Alexander Cornwell TEL AVIV (Reuters) -Israel's far-right national security minister visited prominent Palestinian Marwan Barghouti in jail and told him "you will not win", a video showed on Friday, a day after another hardline cabinet member vowed to "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state. Security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shared the video on his X account, also telling Barghouti - a potential unifying figure among Palestinians who has been jailed for more than two decades - that anyone who threatens Israel would be eliminated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prison visit took place earlier this week but became public after ultra-nationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Thursday work would start on a settlement that would bisect the West Bank and further cut it off from East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as a capital for a future state. "This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state. Simply because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise," Smotrich said at a news conference on Thursday. In the video clip on Ben-Gvir's X which showed Barghouti looking thin and weak, the minister told him: "You will not win. Anyone who messes with the people of Israel, anyone who murders our children, anyone who murders our women - we will wipe him out." "You have to know this, throughout history," he said in the 13-second clip which cut out Barghouti's reply. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not respond to a request for comment and a spokesman for Ben-Gvir declined to comment. The Palestinian Authority described Ben-Gvir's remarks as a "direct threat" to the 66-year-old. Barghouti is a senior member of the Fatah movement that runs the authority, which exercises limited civic rule in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns in the strongest terms the storming of the solitary confinement sections of Rimon Prison by extremist Minister Ben-Gvir and his direct threat to brother and leader Marwan Barghouti," it said in a statement. Barghouti was sentenced in 2004 to five life sentences and 40 years in jail after a court convicted him of orchestrating ambushes and suicide attacks on Israelis during the second Palestinian Intifada, or uprising. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel regards Bargouthi as a dangerous militant over his part in the uprising, in which around 1,000 Israelis and 3,000 Palestinians were killed. He has long denied the charges against him. CONDEMNATION His wife addressed him in a post on Facebook. "They are still, Marwan, chasing you and pursuing you, even in the solitary cell you've been living in for two years," she said of the visit. Supporters of Barghouti say he is a top contender to succeed 89-year-old Mahmoud Abbas as Palestinian president one day, portraying him as a Nelson Mandela-like figure who could galvanise and reunite their divided political landscape. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A poll by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research published on May 6 showed he would secure 50% of the vote on a likely turnout of 64% in a three-way presidential race against Abbas and former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal. Elections for the Palestinian Authority presidency have not been held since 2005. Most world powers support the idea of a two-state solution to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict, with an independent Palestinian state encompassing the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem existing alongside Israel. The last round of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations broke down more than a decade ago and the Palestinians say increasing settlement expansion is eroding the viability of a future state by fragmenting the territory they seek for it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prospect of a two-state solution has receded further after Hamas' October 7 2023 attack on Israel which triggered the Gaza war. Hamas says it is fighting for a Palestinian state but does not recognise Israel and its founding charter calls for Israel's elimination; Israel has the most far-right government in its history and the West Bank leadership is discredited among Palestinians for failing to halt settlement expansion. The United Nations has ruled the settlements illegal, a view disputed by Israel. Smotrich's announcement on Thursday drew a chorus of international criticism. Residents of West Bank village Atara said on Friday that their village was attacked by Israeli settlers who set fire to three cars and scrawled threatening graffiti on a wall. The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Elimam in Dubai and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; writing by Michael Georgy; editing by Philippa Fletcher) Fruit may be nature's candy, but in one Nigerian state, it's starting to feel more like luxury jewelry. What's happening? According to Naija247news, fruit prices in Enugu have soared by more than 60% since February. These higher prices are making bananas, pineapples, watermelons, grapes, and mangoes unaffordable for many households. Smoothie vendors report that production costs have doubled, forcing them to raise prices. Traders and sellers are citing Earth's overheating, escalating transport costs, insecurity in northern farming regions, and increased export demand for the price spikes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Exporting fruits to other countries is good business, but it leaves less supply at home," said Ugonna Uche, a banana vendor. "Average families can no longer afford fruit daily." Why are fruit prices important? This sharp rise in prices is not just a hit to household budgets, but it's also a warning sign of deeper food insecurity. The overheating planet is disrupting growing seasons, reducing yields of crops that depend on predictable rainfall and temperatures. Drought, flooding, and soil degradation are making it harder for farmers to produce enough fruit. Meanwhile, transportation costs, worsened by the removal of Nigeria's fuel subsidy, and violence in northern farming regions are limiting access to food. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All of this adds up to an increase in nutritional inequality, as people increasingly cut out fruit and other nutrient-rich foods. "This could lead to a health crisis if not urgently addressed," civil servant Vincent Chukwu told Naija247news. What's being done about food prices? Many are calling for government investment in climate-resilient agriculture, improved security in farming zones, and better infrastructure to reduce transport costs. Organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations are working to support small farmers and promote climate-adaptive strategies to protect food systems from worsening climate shocks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Consumers, meanwhile, can take steps to make their food budgets go further by shopping smarter and planning meals ahead. Also, buying in-season produce and reducing food waste makes for the best use of food. With rising fruit prices signaling broader instability, now is the time to support policies and people who are working to make our food systems stronger, sustainable, and more affordable. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Some of the police video above is blurred because Schwerins face and chest are covered in blood. FARMINGTON, N.M. (KRQE) Hes accused of stabbing a New Mexico woman more than 20 times. And while that suspect is behind bars for now, a New Mexico police chief says that man never should have been out on the streets to start. It started with a violent attack at a Farmington hotel. Police say George Schwerin, 34, stabbed a woman more than 20 times in the head, neck, and chest at the Journey Hotel on Thursday, Aug. 7. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officer: You have the right to an attorney. Suspect: Why is this? Officer: Let me finish, before we ask you any questions you have the right to an attorney. Suspect, mumbling: No, no. Farmington Police Department Chief Steve Hebbe had this to say. It was very touch and go, said Hebbe. And the initial report I was getting was that she was not going to make it. But it appears she has fought through it and we expect that she is going to survive. On the morning of Thursday, Aug. 14, prosecutors asked a judge to keep Schwerin behind bars until trial, pointing to his substance abuse and a criminal history dating back to 2018. In court, Schwerin kept his head down and was seen swaying in his seat at times. In addition to substance abuse, Mr. Schwerin appears to suffer from serious mental health issues that impair his ability to control his emotions and his aggressive impulses, said Prosecutor Joseph Peter Petrelli. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this year, Schwerin was out of custody awaiting trial on auto theft and DWI charges. However, court records show he was arrested at least two times for failing to show up for court. But then Schwerin was found incompetent to stand trial and was released again on July 31, one week before the stabbing. And that is what has Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe so upset. And its all well and good, said Hebbe. And then six days later, hes stabbing an innocent woman more than 20 times. And our officers are scrambling down again. Chief Hebbe has joined other law enforcement leaders this year in calling on lawmakers to do more on crime. He feels the legislature did not go far enough to fix the competency issue during the last session. We got some limited progress on it, obviously, said Hebbe. Now we can do something if its a violent felony. Thats underlying it. But if its not, youre just rolling the dice. A judge ordered Schwerin to stay in custody for the stabbing case, but his competency was discussed once again. Prosecutors have until Monday to decide if theyll use Schwerins previous mental evaluation or request a new one. 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. For much of July, Pedro Lorenzo Concepcion was held at Alligator Alcatraz along with dozens of other Cuban nationals in a detention camp billed as a last stop for immigrants slated for deportation an unnerving situation for someone whose repatriation had already been rejected by the Cuban government. He begged staff at the facility to offer some clarity on his fate, but received no response, according to his longtime partner, Daimarys Hernandez. He was eventually transferred this month to Krome detention center, where he is still waiting to learn what will happen to him. Lorenzo Concepcion, 44, is among hundreds of Cubans who at one time or another have been held at the site since the first detainees arrived on July 2, according to records obtained by the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald. Roughly half of them had been ordered removed from the United States by immigration judges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turbocharged enforcement of immigration laws and ramped-up deportation efforts since President Donald Trump returned to the White House have meant Cuban immigrants who for decades enjoyed a quicker and easier path to American residency and citizenship compared to other immigrant communities are increasingly finding themselves in the crosshairs of immigration officials. The change has perhaps been most evident in South Florida, which for decades welcomed exiles fleeing the Castro regime. Now recently arrived Cubans, including those seeking asylum, are vulnerable, and Cuban migrants held in detention centers across the country are unclear about what their future holds. Cuba does not always readily accept citizens deported by the United States, especially those with criminal records. It leaves open the possibility that Lorenzo Concepcion who has prior convictions for marijuana trafficking and credit card fraud and others like him may be indefinitely detained or transferred to third countries like the two Cubans recently moved to war-torn South Sudan. Theres tremendous uncertainty, Hernandez said in an interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Floridas Cubans, once a protected class, face new immigration threats The United States has historically limited deportations to Cuba because of Havanas restrictive conditions for accepting returnees and fears that the Cuban government could persecute them upon their return. To get around that challenge, the Trump administration is aggressively deporting Cubans to countries like Mexico, where they lack any legal status or protection from violence and exploitation. Its heartbreaking, said Ana Sofia Pelaez of the advocacy group Miami Freedom Project. Theres a dissonance between how Americans, especially some lawmakers, talk about Cubans fleeing the island and how they are now being treated in the United States. Records analyzed by the Times/Herald showed that roughly 200 Cubans were detained at the Everglades facility at the end of July. The numbers fluctuate, with detainees being transferred in and out of the site, and the Department of Homeland Security said that only 50 Cubans remained on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs for the Department of Homeland Security, said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is targeting the worst of the worst, including terrorists and pedophiles. If Cuba does not want to accept deportees, it is because they are barbaric criminals, she said. From Mariel to Alligator Alcatraz Right-leaning Cuban Americans helped Donald Trump win Miami-Dade County in November. But as immigration officials detain more Cubans in Florida, there are rumblings of discontent and fear in grocery stores, cafes and bars frequented by Cuban Americans and emigres across South Florida, members of the community told the Herald. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has just about doubled the number of detainers issued against Cuban migrants each month since he took office, according to a Herald analysis of data from ICE obtained by the University of California, Berkeley-based Deportation Data Project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ICE arrested roughly 150 undocumented migrants from Cuba on average each month in 2024, the data shows. That figure has shot up to around 500 in 2025. ICE arrested around 600 Cubans in May and more than 1,000 in June. These figures are almost certainly undercounts: The data is likely not exhaustive and the real number of Cubans currently targeted by immigration authorities is likely higher. The Herald has also witnessed ICE pick up Cubans with pending residency and asylum cases after their hearings as part of the agencys high-profile enforcement actions in immigration courts across the country. Ive been an immigration lawyer for over 40 years and before this Ive never had a Cuban seeking asylum go to court and get detained in court, said Miami immigration attorney Wilfredo O. Allen. This has never happened before. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cuban immigration to the United States picked up in the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. Waves of refugees arrived in Florida in subsequent decades. The 1967 Cuban Adjustment Act expedited a pathway to American residency for the recently arrived exiles. The influx of Cuban immigrants spiked in 1980 with the Mariel Boatlift a pivotal moment for U.S. immigration policy and the Cuban diaspora when around 120,000 Cubans arrived in South Florida. Faced with this massive exodus, the Carter administration announced the Cuban-Haitian Entrant Program that same year, granting special status to those who came during this exodus. The status makes them eligible for the same benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and supplemental Social Security income as refugees, unlike most other immigrant groups. Immigration policies for Cubans have been increasingly tightened over the last decade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Barack Obama repealed wet foot, dry foot a decades-old policy that generally allowed Cubans who reached American soil to stay. In recent years, tens of thousands of Cubans have had a harder time getting residency under existing law because of the way authorities processed them when they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border, according to South Florida immigration attorneys. And in March, the Trump administration revoked the humanitarian parole program through which over 110,000 Cubans had entered the United States legally under the Biden administration. Their immigration status is now at risk and they are potentially subject to arrest and deportation. When Castro opened the Port of Mariel to fleeing Cubans four decades ago, overwhelmed local and federal agencies shepherded those without any prior connection to the U.S. to makeshift tent cities under the I-95 overpass. The sites were chaotic but also symbols of hope and refuge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Todays Cuban migrants like Pedro Lorenzo Concepcion are being sent under guard to another tent city Alligator Alcatraz. Attorneys and families of detainees have described the detention camp as a place where migrants are held in limbo in harsh and unsanitary conditions, with little access to legal resources. Among them was Lorenzo Concepcion, who fled Cuba nearly two decades ago and is now a father to three U.S.-born children, two of them his biological sons, his partner said. He was detained by ICE in early July during a routine check-in at the agencys Miramar office. After repeated attempts to get some answers regarding his future went in vain, he stopped eating for a week in protest, his partner told the Herald. McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, dismissed Lorenzo Concepcions story of a hunger strike as lies concocted by a criminal. She added that when there is a hunger strike, the well-being of those in its custody is a top priority: ICE continues to provide three meals a day, delivered to the detained aliens room, and an adequate supply of drinking water or other beverages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The office of Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose administration oversees operations at the facility, also denied accounts of any hunger strikes. It did not respond to the Heralds questions about the plight of the Cubans. Lorenzo Concepcion was transferred from Alligator Alcatraz to the Krome detention center in Miami last week. There is still little clarity on what will happen next. We continue to wait to see what will happen, Hernandez, his partner, told the Herald on Monday. Uncertain futures Immigration judges overseeing cases involving Cubans often issue a withholding of removal order that allows individuals who were set to be deported to remain in the United States if there is a credible fear that returning to their home country would result in their persecution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Cuba typically accepts one deportation flight from the United States each month, the country is very selective about the returnees it lets back in, often refusing to take back those with criminal convictions. With convictions on his record, Lorenzo Concepcion knew he was at risk of being deported. ICE had already tried to expel him once before. But Cuba, Hernandez said, would not take him back and he has remained in the United States. American immigration officials are increasingly transferring such immigrants to a third country. To avoid being sent to one, migrants must prove that they would be harmed in such a place a difficult legal burden. The longer Lorenzo Concepcion goes without answers regarding his status and the outcome of his case, the more terrified he becomes about being sent to an unfamiliar nation, his partner told the Herald. Allen, the immigration attorney, said he has Cuban clients who have been dropped off in Mexico, where they have no legal status and often no support system. They were put on a bus, taken across the border and it was like Hey, get out and get lost, he said. Attorneys like him are worried that their clients, especially those from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua, who are deported to countries where they were not born and are not citizens, could become stateless, get stuck in immigration limbo and lose most of their rights and protections for the rest of their lives. I dont think this (U.S.) government has any worries about that, Allen said. Once a third country accepts them, the United States could care less. The FBIs credibility has taken another blow. Recently declassified internal memos show that Daniel Richman James Comeys longtime friend and self-described media whisperer couldnt say for certain whether he shared classified information with the press while helping shape the now-debunked Russiagate narrative. Richman, a Columbia University law professor who served as Comeys unofficial conduit to The New York Times, told FBI investigators in 2019 that his goal was to correct stories critical of Comey and the FBI and influence future coverage, according to FBI memos first reported by Just the News. Those interactions aligned with the Bureaus investigation into alleged TrumpRussia ties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When pressed about a 2017 exchange with Times reporter Michael Schmidt who appeared to have classified knowledge Richman did not he said he was pretty sure he hadnt confirmed any classified information but couldnt say with full confidence. These disclosures were part of the FBIs classified Arctic Haze leak investigation. Richman admitted to being one of Comeys media channels, but no criminal charges were filed. The Russiagate probe produced no evidence of TrumpRussia collusion. The Richman memos show FBI leadership selectively leaked to shape the political narrative a tactic previously detailed by DX in coverage of Brennan and Clappers denials when confronted over allegations of a politically motivated Russia investigation. Richman had previously leaked Comeys memos about conversations with Trump leaks that helped set the stage for the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Taken together, these developments confirm the view that the FBIs top layers blurred the lines between law enforcement and political messaging a concern now under congressional scrutiny. LOWER MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday night it is investigating five envelopes containing an unknown white powder found at a federal building in Lower Manhattan. The letters were found in the mailroom of Enforcement and Removal Operations on the ninth floor at 26 Federal Plaza at around 4 p.m., authorities said. White powder found at 26 Federal Plaza in NYC, prompting evacuation Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Within minutes, FDNY Hazmat, Emergency Medical Services, and the New York City Emergency Management Department were at the scene. This is what we train for, NYC Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry said in a press conference. Todays event was under control, almost immediately, without incident. While we are fortunate there are no injuries at this time, we are awaiting the test results to determine the contents of the envelopes. The FBIs Weapons of Mass Destruction and Hazardous Evidence Response Teams also responded to the scene. The building was evacuated as part of protocol. At least two people were decontaminated after coming into contact with the letters, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ICE detainees were also moved to a different location outside the building, police sources said. We are working to assess the potential threat, said Assistant FBI Director in Charge of the New York Field Office, Chrisptoer Raia. Following the initial testing, the letters will be sent to the FBI lab in Quantico for additional testing. We remind the public that sending threatening letters of this nature, whether real or a hoax, is a crime. This matter will not be taken lightly, but there is no indication that there is danger to the public. No injuries were reported, officials said. 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. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. A lawyer for a New Jersey man charged with rapes that occurred more than a decade ago in Boston accused prosecutors on Thursday of conspiring with federal authorities to keep information about a key DNA search out of the defenses hands. Attorney Rosemary Scapicchio made the claim during an at-times contentious discovery hearing in Suffolk Superior Court Thursday morning in the case of Matthew Nilo, a former lawyer accused of sexually assaulting women in Charlestown and the North End in the 2000s. Investigators linked Nilo to the assaults through a sample of his DNA taken by the FBI from a drinking glass and utensils he used at a corporate event in New York City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But how investigators came to focus on Nilo is not clear, and a major source of contention in the case. A DNA sample from a rape kit of one of the victims was uploaded to MyHeritage an online genealogy platform and was then somehow linked to Nilo. The DNA was also run through two other platforms, GEDmatchPro and FamilyTreeDNA, by a forensic laboratory. Federal policy bars the use of MyHeritage for investigative purposes, Scapicchio said. As a result, Scapicchio intends to file motions to suppress both the search of the MyHeritage database and the DNA seized from the drinking glass. She contends that the seizure of the drinking glass constituted an unlawful, warrantless search. Following the hearing, Scapicchio said she cant file those motions until prosecutors complete discovery, the process of turning over evidence in a criminal proceeding. DNA evidence Prosecutors admitted during the hearing that the FBI did not memorialize or document the information it obtained through MyHeritage. Scapicchio claims that if the information was in fact destroyed, there has to be some record of it, which has yet to be turned over by prosecutors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was the state that asked the FBI to get involved in the case, not the other way around, she noted. They knew that the FBI could do the search and do it in a way that it would be withheld from us, she said. There had to have been some inquiry, whether its by the Commonwealth or the federal government, the FBI. Somebody had to say, how did this happen? Somebody had to know that it was getting destroyed at some point, Scapicchio continued. The prosecution has an obligation to do their job, and their job is, go find out how this stuff got deleted. For her part, the prosecutor, Assistant Suffolk District Attorney Lynn Feigenbaum, said she had requested information from the feds multiple times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Feigenbaum seemed frustrated by Scapicchio throughout the hearing, essentially telling Judge Christopher Belezos she had taken the defense lawyers requests and sent them to the relevant parties. What she received was turned over, she said. I think the Commonwealth, Your Honor, quite frankly, could take the position that most of this is irrelevant, because we still get to Mr. Nilo, but Im not taking that position, she said. Belezos encouraged prosecutors to work with Scapicchio to set up a meeting between a defense DNA expert and technicians working for the government. Other discovery issues The remaining discovery disputes are laid out in the sealed motions, which are based on the emails turned over by prosecutors to Scapicchio. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The defense lawyer has asked for information about several possible other suspects, including a person with a tattoo described by one of the victims in the assaults Nilo is charged with. She also pressed for more information about a potential suspect who was deemed the C-town rapist. Scapicchio is also requesting more information about a meeting between prosecutors on the Nilo case and other assistant district attorneys, where she claims there was discussion about whether to indict Nilo. Prosecutors claim the information constitutes protected work product, but Scapicchio argued if it could benefit Nilo it must be turned over. Belezos asked prosecutors to submit it to him for review, so he could determine whether it needed to be turned over. The lawyers also argued about a photo array that police put together ahead of Nilos arrest, but never used, and a photo array shown to victims in 2007. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Belezos sought to mediate the issues, often asking Feigenbaum to inquire further if more information existed on specific issues raised by Scapicchio. Nilos case will be back in court on Sept. 18 for a status hearing on discovery. No trial date has been set and Nilo, who is free on bail, has pleaded not guilty. Read more about the case Read the original article on MassLive. GP Kidd/Getty Images This story was originally published by ProPublica, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Series: Rx Roulette:The FDAs Dangerous Gamble on Americas Drugs More in this series For more than a dozen years, the Food and Drug Administration quietly allowed substandard foreign factories to continue shipping medications to the United States even after the agency officially banned them from doing so because of dangerous manufacturing failures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ProPublica exposed the little-known practice in June. The FDA said the decisions to exempt certain medications from import bans were made to fend off drug shortages and that guardrails were in place to ensure the products were safe, such as requiring the banned factories to do extra testing on the drugs before they were sent to Americans. But the agency itself didnt regularly test the drugs or proactively monitor reports filed by doctors and others that described drugs with a foul odor, abnormal taste or residue, or consumers who had experienced sudden or unexplained health problems. The FDA cautions the outcomes described in the complaints may have no connection to the drugs or could be unexpected side effects. But drug safety experts say that without further study, its impossible to know whether people were harmed or how many. The FDA kept the exemptions largely hidden from the public and has never released a comprehensive list of the drugs allowed into the United States from banned factories. ProPublica is publishing that list today. The list provides the names of the drugs or ingredients that ProPublica has identified as having been exempted from an import ban since 2013 and the names of the manufacturers that made them. The product names are written as they appeared on the FDAs import alert list. Most of the factories on this list are no longer banned, so their drugs are coming into the country through normal channels. The FDA lifts bans after facilities make all the necessary fixes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of the factories are still banned and are still allowed to send exempted drugs to the U.S. Those are highlighted in yellow. All told, ProPublica identified more than 150 exempted products, mostly from factories in India. One factory in China and one factory in Hungary also received exemptions. Several of the factories make ingredients for drugs, which are then sent to the manufacturers that produce pills, capsules, tablets or injectables. To compile the list of exempted drugs and ingredients, reporters pulled historical records from the internet and used Redica Systems, a quality and regulatory intelligence company with a vast collection of agency documents. In finalizing its analysis, ProPublica counted all the drugs and ingredients that were exempted from each banned factory. Sometimes, the same product was exempted from multiple factories and was added to each factorys total. In a handful of cases, the FDA exempted several formulations such as a tablet, capsule or injectable of the same drug. ProPublica counted those different forms as distinct drugs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For this list, ProPublica only included each drug once for each manufacturer. Generic drugs can have many manufacturers, and it can be difficult to know based on information provided on medicine bottles where drugs were made or by whom. Sometimes bottles list the names of repackagers or distributors rather than the drugmaker itself. Pharmacists and possibly health care providers can provide additional information about the source of prescribed medications. This list is current as of Aug. 4. The FDA can add or remove exempted drugs at any time. Company Responses ProPublica reached out to all the drugmakers listed here. Most did not respond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Apotex did not respond to requests for comment. After the inspections that led to the import bans, the company told the FDA that it would launch corrective actions and bring on a third-party consultant, among other things. The factories are no longer banned. Divis Laboratories did not respond to requests for comment. In its response to the FDA at the time, the company said it hired third-party consultants and other experts to resolve the FDAs concerns. The company also said it had taken corrective actions at the facility. The factory is no longer banned. Emcure Pharmaceuticals did not respond to requests for comment. In its response to the FDA at the time, the company said it would revise procedures, provide training and engage consultants, among other things. The factory is still banned but no longer has exemptions. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals did not respond to requests for comment. At the time of the ban, the company said it would engage with the FDA to resolve the concerns. The factory is still banned but is no longer receiving any exemptions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement GPT Pharmaceuticals did not respond to requests for comment. In its response to the FDA, the company defended the quality of its products and said it had brought on a consultant to audit the operation. The factory is no longer banned. In a statement to ProPublica, Pfizer, which owns Hospira, said it submitted a comprehensive response to the FDA, paused production at the site and then sold the facility to another company in 2019. We are committed to operating our manufacturing sites at the highest quality standards, Pfizer said. The factory is no longer banned. Intas Pharmaceuticals, whose U.S. subsidiary is Accord Healthcare, said in a statement that the company has invested millions of dollars in upgrades and new hires and launched a companywide program focused on quality. Exempted drugs were sent to the United States in a phased manner, the company said, with third-party oversight and safety testing. Intas also said that some exempted drugs were never shipped to the United States because the FDA found other suppliers. The company would not provide details. Intas is well on its way towards full remediation of all manufacturing sites, the company said. The two Intas factories are still banned and still receiving exemptions. Ipca Laboratories did not respond to requests for comment. At the time, Ipca said it was working to resolve the issues at several factories. The company is committed to its philosophy of highest quality in manufacturing, operations, systems, integrity and cGMP culture, Ipca said, referring to current good manufacturing practices, a common phrase in the industry. The factories are no longer banned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jubilant Generics did not respond to requests for comment. At the time, the company said it would engage with the agency to resolve the import alert at the earliest and ensure cGMP compliance. The factory is no longer banned. Shilpa Medicare did not respond to requests for comment. In a media statement at the time, the company said it planned to resolve the FDAs concerns. We uphold quality and compliance with utmost importance and are committed to maintaining cGMP and quality standards across all Shilpa facilities. The factory is still banned and one of its medications is still exempt. Sri Krishna Pharmaceuticals did not respond to requests for comment. The company at the time told the FDA that it was using a consultant to audit operations and assist in meeting manufacturing requirements. The factory is still banned but is no longer receiving exemptions. In a statement to ProPublica, Sun Pharma said that adherence to quality standards is a top priority for Sun, and we maintain a relentless focus on quality and compliance to ensure the uninterrupted supply of medicines to our customers and patients worldwide. We continue to work proactively with the US FDA and remain committed to achieve full resolution of any FDA regulatory issues at our facilities. The factory is still banned and still receiving exemptions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Teva Pharmaceuticals did not respond to requests for comment. The company said in a statement at the time that it was working to avoid drug shortages while we focus on resolving regulatory concerns, as patients are always highest priority. The factory is still banned but no longer receiving exemptions. Wockhardt did not respond to requests for comment. In a conference call with reporters at the time of the import ban, according to Reuters, the Wockhardt chairman said the company was making all kinds of effort to satisfy FDA good manufacturing standards at the factory. The factories are still banned, but in July, Wockhardt announced that it would no longer make generics for the U.S. market. Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical did not respond to requests for comment. According to a report in Bloomberg, Hisun said at the time that it takes quality seriously and has complied with requirements. The factory is no longer banned. Mylan/Viatris said in a statement to ProPublica that it immediately worked to resolve the FDAs concerns. Patient safety remains our primary and unwavering focus, the company said. The factory is still banned and still receiving exemptions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lawyer for Madhu Instruments told ProPublica in an email that the company has fixed all the problems identified by the FDA and is cooperating fully. The factory is still banned but no longer has an exemption. Brandon Roberts and Irena Hwang contributed data reporting. The Food and Drug Administration has warned lead could be leaching into food from certain imported cookware. The FDA had tested cookware products from the Indian company Saraswati Strips and found them to leach lead into food when used for cooking, according to a new warning. The affected product is called a kadai or karahi, which is a deep pan, similar to a wok. These pans were made from aluminum, brass, and aluminum alloys known as Hindalium/Hindolium or Indalium/Indolium. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FDA does not authorize the use of lead in cookware so it has advised retailers not to sell the pans and consumers not to use them. The pans have been sold at Mannan Supermarket in Queens, New York. The Food and Drug Administration has warned lead could be leaching into food from certain imported cookware (FDA) Lead is toxic to people of any age or health status, but young children, women of child-bearing age, and those who are breastfeeding may be at higher risk for potential adverse events after eating food cooked using these products, the administration warned. Low levels of lead exposure can cause children to experience trouble learning, low IQ, and behavior changes, the FDA says. Higher levels of lead exposure can cause people to experience fatigue, headache, stomach pain, vomiting and neurological changes, according to the administration. The FDA advised consumers to throw away any cookware that could leach lead into food, either when cooking or when used for food storage. The administration explicitly says not to donate or refurbish the affected cookware. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People who are concerned about lead exposure should contact a health care provider, the FDA warned. The administration is working to remove the cookware from the U.S. market as it has yet to identify and contact the distributor to initiate a recall. Saraswati Strips says on its website it manufactures cookware from finest quality aluminum that is subjected to stringent process controls at all stages of production for absolute hygienic performance rendering them completely safe for cooking and storage purposes. In compliance with the FDA, Dollar General is recalling three lots of Clover Valley Instant Coffee. The recall comes after a customer alerted the company to the potential presence of glass in their coffee. Verified customers of the recalled Clover Valley Instant Coffee are being told to reach out to Dollar General for a full refund. For many, instant coffee is a morning time saver. Instead of waiting for a cup or pot of coffee to brew (or paying $7 to grab one on the way to work), you can whip up a caffeine boost in just a few short minutes by adding instant coffee granules to a mug of hot water. If you're a fan, and usually pick yours up at Dollar General, listen up. The store, in partnership with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), just issued a recall on their private-label instant coffee over the potential presence of a foreign material. What product has been recalled? Dollar General is recalling three lots of their Clover Valley Instant Coffee, sold in an 8-ounce container. The coffee was sold and distributed exclusively at Dollar General stores from July 9-21, 2025. dollar general Clover Valley Instant Coffee, 8-Ounces Universal Product Code (UPC): 876941004069 Lot Codes: L-5163, L-5164, and L-5165 Best-By Dates: 12/13/2026 and 12/14/2026 What is the exact reason for the recall? The recall was issued after a Dollar General customer alerted the retailer to the potential presence of glass in their instant coffee. While no injuries or illnesses have been reported, Dollar General has chosen to issue a recall out of an abundance of caution, as glass fragments can lead to lacerations and perforations of the teeth, mouth, throat, and intestines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement released by Dollar General, the company said, "Dollar General is actively investigating the source of the glass contamination and apologizes for any inconvenience caused by this product issue." What states are affected? The instant coffee was distributed in all 48 states. The only states not affected by the recall are Alaska and Hawaii . Alabama Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Iowa Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Massachusetts Maryland Maine Michigan Minnesota Missouri Mississippi Montana North Carolina North Dakota Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico Nevada New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Vermont Washington Wisconsin West Virginia Wyoming What should I do if I have the recalled product? The FDA is urging Dollar General customers to reference the UPC, lot code, and best-by date of the Clover Valley Instant Coffee in their possession. If the information matches that detailed above, discard the product and contact Dollar General for a full refund via email (customercare@dollargeneral.com) or phone (1-888-309-9030). The retailer can be reached over the phone from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. CST, seven days a week. You Might Also Like Aid agencies are warning of starvation in war-torn Myanmar's Rakhine State, with the World Food Programme (WFP) making an urgent appeal for more donations to avoid a "full-blown disaster". The agency has been trying to feed the rapidly rising number of displaced people in the state, including the 140,000 Rohingya Muslims who have been living in camps since they fled their homes during communal fighting in 2012. The civil war which was ignited by the 2021 military coup has destroyed the economy across much of Myanmar and created huge humanitarian needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the situation in Rakhine, which has been cut off from the rest of the country because of a military blockade, is significantly worse than other areas. On 20 April, a 50-year-old father living in the Ohn Taw Kyi camp added insecticide to his food and that of his wife and two children. He died, but the quick intervention of his neighbours saved the lives of the others. This is the largest of the camps housing displaced Rohingya and is situated along the road heading west from the Rakhine State capital Sittwe. Food had become so scarce the family was starving. This account has been confirmed by four people from Sittwe who spoke to the BBC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In June an ethnic Rakhine family of five living in Sittwe is reported to have died the same way. Last week an elderly couple who had been displaced by the recent fighting between the Myanmar military and the insurgent Arakan Army are reported to have hanged themselves in despair over their lack of funds and food. A building in Rakhine State that was destroyed in an airstrike [Getty Images] The WFP has reported a 60% drop in its worldwide funding this year compared with 2024, and says it can feed only 20% of those in Myanmar facing severe food insecurity. In March, it was forced to cut aid to Rakhine despite a dramatic rise since the beginning of the year in the number of families unable to support themselves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "People are trapped in a vicious cycle - cut off by conflict, stripped of livelihoods, and left with no humanitarian safety net," said Michael Dunford, the WFP Representative in Myanmar. "We are hearing heartbreaking stories of children crying from hunger and mothers skipping meals. Families are doing everything they can, but they cannot survive this alone." Rakhine was already badly affected by the violence in 2012, and then the killing and mass expulsion of Rohingyas in 2017. Then in 2023 the military blocked all trade and transport routes to the rest of the country to try to cut supplies to the Arakan Army, an insurgent group that has advanced quickly to take over most of the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sittwe is now besieged and accessible only by sea and air. Farmers have given up harvesting their rice crops because they can no longer access buyers. Rohingyas are barred by the military from going to sea to fish, one of their few sources of food and income. And even when they have funding, international aid agencies cannot get to most of the areas now controlled by the Arakan Army. ''People can't go out. There are no jobs. Prices have increased fivefold," one camp resident told the BBC. "There is no income, so they are really struggling to make ends meet. Most people survive now by eating boiled taro roots." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The military's demand for conscripts to fight against the Arakan Army has imposed an additional burden. Thousands of Rohingya men have been enlisted to help defend Sittwe, and those families who have not sent a man to join up must help pay to support those who have. Mohammad, a Rohingya living in one of the camps near Sittwe, told the BBC that families usually pay this from the allowance they get from the WFP. This was stopped in March, but even when it resumed in June, he said many families needed to use all their allowance to pay off the debts they had run up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The WFP says it is seeing alarming signs in all communities in Rakhine of extreme economic distress. "Families are being forced to take desperate measures to survive: rising debt, begging, domestic violence, school drop-outs, social tensions, and even human trafficking." The agency says the failure to meet its funding needs is the responsibility of many donor countries, and does not name any. But the decision by the Trump administration to cut 87% of USAID funding will almost certainly be a significant part of WFP's difficulties. Last year the US contributed nearly $4.5 billion to the WFP, close to half of all the donations it received from governments around the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last November the UN issued a stark warning of a "famine in the making" in Rakhine. That its principal emergency food agency is still so far short of its funding needs, and issuing yet another appeal nine months later, is indicative of the brutally unsympathetic environment in which the international aid industry must now operate. On Wednesday, an X account belonging to Anas al-Sharif, a Palestinian journalist with more than half a million followers, announced a new mission: to be the voice of Gaza resisting extermination, injustice, and betrayal to keep the coverage ongoing. Four days earlier, Israels military had targeted and killed al-Sharif, an Al Jazeera correspondent, in a drone strike. Five other reporters also died in the strike, pushing the death toll among Palestinian journalists since the start of the U.S.-backed Israeli offensive in Gaza above 180. Their deaths have spurred global condemnation and driven concern about Israel limiting what the world knows about Gaza where it is preparing to expand its campaign and where it has not allowed international journalists to report freely throughout the nearly two-year war and fresh calls to prevent a total media blackout. Related: Multiple Men Have Impersonated ICE Agents To Kidnap And Assault Women Al-Sharif lived and died for Palestine, standing firm against the onslaught of rockets with resolve and dedication to the unwavering truth and to reporting his peoples struggles and suffering, reads the X message. It suggests his accounts, potentially including his Instagram profile with nearly 2 million followers, are now being run by people to whom he entrusted them to ensure his communitys experiences continue to be documented. Related: Deaths In Gaza Will Soon Accelerate, Top Aid Groups Warn But the assassination of al-Sharif points to how the global failure to respond to Israels repeated killings of Palestinian journalists have made it difficult to keep covering Gaza. Now, the war is entering potentially its darkest period, with Palestinians experiencing unprecedented starvation and more than a million facing yet another displacement because of Israeli military plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The United States military and diplomatic support for Israel give it the greatest potential leverage over Tel Aviv. Al-Sharif was arguably the best-known reporter still working in the strip. If Israel can kill the most prominent Gazan journalist, then it can kill anyone. The world needs to see these deadly attacks on journalists inside Gaza, as well as its censorship of journalists in Israel and the West Bank, for what they are: a deliberate and systematic attempt to cover up Israels actions, Sara Qudah of the Committee to Protect Journalists argued in a statement. Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif reports near the Arab Ahli (Baptist) Hospital in Gaza City on Oct. 10, 2024. Al-Sharif was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Aug. 11, 2025. - via Getty Images Israeli officials claim al-Sharif was a fighter for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose deadly assault on Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023, initiated the current round of conflict. After his killing, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released documents it said proved the assertion: They suggested al-Sharif joined in 2013 and was promoted in 2019, received a Hamas salary in 2023 and was included in a phone registry for one of the groups brigades. The IDF also later claimed some of the other journalists in the group were militants without providing evidence or details about which ones it meant. It has also controversially suggested Al Jazeera as a whole should be treated as pro-Hamas; both the channel and al-Sharif himself have forcefully denied he was part of the group, while observers have noted that many journalists from Israel and other nations have in the past been involved in military activity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Annelle Sheline, a former official in the human rights bureau of the State Department, said Israel had demonstrated a pattern: Officials would come out and make clear they had marked a particular journalist and were alleging they were a terrorist and then within a matter of weeks or sometimes days they would target that journalist and somehow murder them. Related: Trump Treats War Criminal Dictator Putin Like Royalty, Still Fails To Get Ceasefire She tied the Israeli approach to the U.S. failure to rebuke the IDF over its past targeting of reporters, including an American citizen, Shireen Abu Akleh, in 2022. The IDF offered shifting explanations for Abu Aklehs killing, first claiming she was hit by Palestinian fighters then suggesting the incident was accidental; no Israelis were held accountable, as has been the case for many IDF killings of reporters. American officials eventually endorsed the Israeli narrative even though U.S. personnel who investigated the site believed the shooting was intentional, according to a recent documentary from Zeteo. The Biden administration did nothing, said Sheline. She worked at the State Department under President Joe Biden, who initiated huge U.S. military support for Israels war in Gaza, and told HuffPost she recalled concern among officials as the State Department spokesperson deflected repeated questions from American reporters about mounting casualties among their Palestinian colleagues. Related: The Very Real Possibility That Trump Could Try To Destroy Womens Voting Rights Sheline eventually resigned from the Biden administration. Now a fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft think tank, she told HuffPost she finds the pattern of continued impunity for Israel particularly maddening under President Donald Trump because at the start of his time in office, he successfully pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a truce with Hamas, including the exchange of some of the hostages captured on Oct. 7 for Palestinian prisoners. Mourners pray during a group funeral for Palestinians, including journalists and a medic, killed in an overnight Israeli strike, outside the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Aug. 11. NurPhoto via Getty Images He knows how to do it so to then duck back into this Biden-like posture of [claiming] Were working tirelessly for a ceasefire is such bullshit, Sheline said. A lot of what Trump is doing is more extreme, especially going after dissent [against the war] for example, but a lot of those patterns started under Biden. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration seems unmoved by al-Sharifs killing, with State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce telling reporters this week they discussed the matter with Israel and doubling down on the suggestion Palestinian reporters may be Hamas fighters in disguise. (She did not address why they would then repeatedly broadcast their exact locations; Trump recently promoted Bruce to be deputy U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.) State this week released its annual human rights reports for countries around the world. The section on Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories largely deflected responsibility for violence there away from Israelis and suggested incidents of bloodshed are exceptional. During both the Biden and Trump administrations, the Israeli government has crossed every line imaginable in Gaza with impunity because the U.S. government has repeatedly refused to hold the Israeli military accountable, John Ramming Chappell at the Center for Civilians in Conflict told HuffPost. Every day, U.S. complicity in atrocities deepens. Israel has never, for instance, faced an American reprimand under the so-called Leahy laws, statutes intended to prevent foreign partners from committing major human rights abuses that have been applied to other nations close to Washington. Americans awareness of their role in worsening conditions in Gaza appears to be growing, with a record number of senators voting on July 31 to block additional American weaponry for Israel. Mohammed Khaleel, an American doctor currently volunteering at a hospital in Gaza City where al-Sharif was killed told HuffPost he constantly feels a sense of culpability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of our colleagues was like, Youre here helping out, but you go back home and pay your taxes for the bombs, he said. Khaleel described how a somber attitude befell everybody as they learned of al-Sharifs assassination, seeing it as both eliminating a key source of information about developments in the city and a precursor to bigger Israeli attacks. Khaleel, on his third visit to Gaza amid the war, noted that his Palestinian colleagues had lost so much weight and were exhausted, particularly dreading casualties among aid-seekers who are regularly shot in approaching a new aid system supported by the American and Israeli governments. Things kept getting worse, but they have the patience to bear with it. They dont have a lot they can do differently, Khaleel told HuffPost of Palestinians living through the conflict. More Stories Newsom's Press Office Slams 'DISGUSTING' Use Of U.S. Soldiers To Roll Out Red Carpet For Putin Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel Bombs Journalists As New Report Marks Grim Milestone For Gaza's Press 'I'm Fine!': CNN's Jake Tapper Awkwardly Caught On Hot Mic Amid Trump-Putin Summit Read the original on HuffPost Small groups of federal agents gathered throughout Washington, DC, on Thursday night to clear out homeless encampments as part of President Donald Trumps takeover of law enforcement in the nations capital. In Washington Circle an area in northwest DC close to George Washington University confusion quickly developed when several agents showed up after dark. It was kind of a melee of (DC police), Secret Service, Customs and Border Patrol and the FBI, Jesse Rabinowitz, the campaign and communications director at the National Homelessness Law Center, told CNN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CNN did not observe agents removing tents at the Washington Circle site. DC officials and homeless advocates were waiting for expected federal law enforcement action and there were notices posted on tents in the circle giving the homeless occupants until Monday to clear out, creating some confusion among the federal agents who didnt seem to know about the Monday extension. CNN observed the notices from the DC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, which gave occupants until 10 a.m. on Monday to leave. Lawyers from the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless intervened with the agents and pointed to the notice, according to Rabinowitz. After an extended back and forth, the federal agents left the scene, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is exactly what happens when you have a federal government take over a city they know nothing about and not care anything about, he said. Homeless advocates had been bracing for the worst earlier this week, lobbying city officials to open up more shelter beds and mulling potential lawsuits in anticipation of federal officials stepped-up efforts to move the homeless out. Meghann Abraham, whose tent is in Washington Circle, told reporters that she would peacefully pack up her things if she was told to, and that she wasnt scared, because she felt she wasnt doing anything wrong. A lot of people want to paint us as disgusting or criminals, and all of that stuff. Or they want to do it, like a charity case, like oh, the poor thing, she said to CNN affiliate WJLA. Were just people. Were normal people out here working, trying to do well and things like this to pack up every belonging I have and move to someplace else. Thats a stress that shouldnt exist, but it is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A major sweep took place earlier Thursday morning at an encampment near a highway close to the vaunted Lincoln Memorial and Kennedy Center, where Trumps motorcade often passes through. Last week, he posted photos of the encampment on social media. Trump, who announced aggressive new moves this week to federalize the local police force and deploy National Guard troops in the city, has also declared that homeless people have to move out, IMMEDIATELY, and added, we will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. Kierstin Quinsland, spokesperson for Miriams Kitchen in DC, told CNN earlier Thursday that they were aware that encampments throughout the city would begin to be cleared out that night, but the federal government hadnt shared a plan with outreach groups. This is definitely unprecedented, she said, describing the scale of the planned clear outs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of the people who could be forcibly moved earlier in the day had been matched to housing programs, but because it takes a few months for things to get set in place, Queensland said shes worried about people losing their chance because theyre going to be cut off from their support system. I think the problem that it solves is that people in the administration, including Donald Trump, dont want to see the fact that there are homeless individuals living outside, and whether they are in Virginia, in Maryland, or in a neighborhood that Donald Trump doesnt drive through, people will still be experiencing homelessness, she added. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services told CNN in a statement the district worked proactively with residents experiencing homelessness to connect them to shelter and services. In many cases, we were able to help residents accept offers of shelter, adding that the city is able to expand shelter capacity as needed. DC will continue to support residents with wraparound social services, but the planned engagements are otherwise the purview of the federal agencies. This story has been updated with additional details. CNNs Allie Gorden contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (The Center Square) The federal government is on pace to eliminate about 300,000 workers this year. Office of Personnel Management director Scott Kupor said 80% of those employees would leave voluntarily and 20% would be fired. Kupor provided the figures to Reuters on Thursday. That's a 12.5% reduction in the federal workforce since January. The U.S. government employs about 2.4 million federal workers, excluding the military (about 1.3 million active-duty military personnel) and U.S. Postal Service (about 600,000 employees), according to 2024 Pew Research report. That report noted that the federal government employed 1.87% of the entire civilian workforce. That percentage includes postal employees, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump promised Americans a more efficient government when he took office for his second term. At first, his Department of Government Efficiency, with Elon Musk at the helm, led the charge. Musk has since left DOGE and had a public feud with the president. When Trump created DOGE, he said it would be the government cost-cutting equivalent of the "Manhattan Project." Both Trump and Musk promised Americans would get a more efficient government after DOGE addressed government waste, reduced regulations and reduced the federal workforce. Musk initially said DOGE would aim to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget, but he later cut that in half. At a Cabinet meeting in April, Musk said DOGE was on pace to cut $150 billion from the federal budget. Unions have challenged some of the administration's reductions, which remain pending. NEW ORLEANS (AP) New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was indicted Friday in what prosecutors called a yearslong scheme to hide a romantic relationship with her bodyguard, who is accused of being paid as if he was working even when they met alone in apartments and traveled to vineyards for wine tasting. Cantrell faces charges of conspiracy, fraud and obstruction, less than five months before she leaves office due to term limits. The first female mayor in New Orleans' 300-year history was elected twice but now becomes the city's first mayor to be charged while in office. Public corruption has crippled us for years and years, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Simpson said, referring to Louisiana's notorious history. And this is extremely significant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cantrell's bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, was already facing charges of wire fraud and making false statements. He has pleaded not guilty. A grand jury returned an 18-count indictment Friday that added Cantrell to the case. They are accused of exchanging encrypted messages through WhatsApp to avoid detection and then deleting the conversations. The mayor and Vappie have said their relationship was strictly professional, but the indictment portrayed it as personal and intimate. App captured dreamy chats The City of New Orleans said in a statement that it was aware of the indictment and that the mayor's attorney is reviewing it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Until his review is complete, the City will not comment further on this matter, the statement said. Cantrell hasnt sent out a message on her official social media feed on X since July 15, when she said the city was experiencing historic declines in crime. In a WhatsApp exchange, the indictment says, Vappie reminisced about accompanying Cantrell to Scotland in October 2021, saying that was where it all started. Cantrell and Vappie used WhatsApp for more than 15,000 messages, including efforts to harass a citizen, delete evidence, make false statements to FBI agents, and ultimately to commit perjury before a federal grand jury, Simpson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They met in an apartment while Vappie claimed to be on duty, and she arranged for him to attend 14 trips, Simpson said. The trips, he added, were described by her as times when they were truly alone." New Orleans taxpayers paid more than $70,000 for Vappies travel, the prosecutor said. Together on an island Authorities cited a September 2022 rendezvous on Marthas Vineyard, a trip Cantrell took instead of attending a conference in Miami. Vappies travel to the island was covered by the city to attend a separate conference. The times when we are truly (traveling) is what spoils me the most, the mayor wrote to him that month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Simpson said Cantrell lied in an affidavit that she activated a function on her phone that automatically deleted messages in 2021 when she really didnt activate that feature until December 2022, a month after the media began speculating on the pairs conduct. When a private citizen took photos of them dining together and drinking wine, Cantrell filed a police report and sought a restraining order, Simpson said. Vappie retired from the police department in 2024. Mayor has her defenders Cantrell and her remaining allies have said that she has been unfairly targeted as a Black woman and held to a different standard than male officials, her executive powers at City Hall sabotaged. Simpson, however, shook off claims that any of it played a role in the investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its irrelevant that its romance or that its female, he told reporters, adding that the allegations were an incredible betrayal of peoples confidence in their own government. Cantrell, a Democrat, has clashed with City Council members during a turbulent second term and survived a recall effort in 2022. This is a sad day for the people of New Orleans, Monet Brignac, a spokesperson for City Council President JP Morrell, said as news of the indictment spread. In 2014, former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was sentenced to 10 years in prison for bribery, money laundering, fraud and tax crimes. The charges stemmed from his two terms as mayor from 2002 to 2010. He was granted supervised release from prison in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As she heads into her final months in office, Cantrell has alienated former confidants and supporters, and her civic profile has receded. Her early achievements were eclipsed by self-inflicted wounds and bitter feuds with a hostile city council, political observers say. The mayors role has weakened following voter-approved changes to the citys charter meant to curb her authority. Earlier this year, Cantrell said she has faced very disrespectful, insulting, in some cases kind of unimaginable treatment. Her husband, attorney Jason Cantrell, died in 2023. - Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas. Associated Press writer Ed White in Detroit contributed to this story. After a federal judge commanded Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to improve conditions inside a crowded detention space in New York City, government lawyers pushed back on orders to make sure immigrants detained there have access to toothbrushes. Giving detainees a toothbrush could be a potential safety concern, officials told a judge Thursday. In court filings attached to a lawsuit against the facility, detainees reported spending as much as three weeks inside without a chance to bathe or brush their teeth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But providing toothbrushes, rather than teeth-cleaning wipes, presents a potential safety concern for other aliens in custody as well as ICE personnel because toothbrushes can be readily improvised as weapons, according to a letter to the judge from Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said Thursday he will continue to allow ICE to ban toothbrushes from the facility, for now, while a legal challenge continues. ICE convinced a judge to keep toothbrushes away from detainees inside a crowded holding facility in downtown Manhattan after government lawyers said they could be used as weapons. (Getty) While jails are notorious for hand-made knives carved from toothbrush handles, its unclear how serious a threat they actually pose inside the facility at 26 Federal Plaza. Theyre easily available at many jails across the country people jailed inside Metropolitan Detention Center in nearby Brooklyn can buy them for less than a dollar. Immigrants in detention centers across the country are also routinely provided with toothbrushes, and ICEs own policies provide for them, according to attorneys for detainees in the Manhattan facility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agencys national detention standards state that each detainee shall receive, at a minimum one tube of toothpaste and one toothbrush. There is no basis to deny individuals detained at 26 Federal Plaza basic hygiene products that are customarily made available at other immigration detention facilities across the country, attorneys wrote. Immigrants rights groups, lawyers and lawmakers have warned for weeks about deteriorating conditions inside the building, which also houses immigration courts. The hold room is not intended to hold people for longer than 12 hours, according to ICEs internal guidance. In May and June, when arrests at courthouses began to skyrocket, immigrants were being held inside the room for 29 hours on average, according to a review from New York City news outlet The City. Within those two months, 81 people were detained there for four days or more at a time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detentions peaked on June 5, when 186 people were held there overnight, The City found. Detainees are fed inedible slop and were forced to sleep in cells surrounded by the horrific stench of sweat, urine and feces in rooms with open toilets, according to the lawsuit. A federal judge has ordered ICE to improve conditions inside a holding area that has recently detained hundreds of people on the 10th floor of a federal building in New York City that houses immigration courts and ICE offices (Getty) Thousands of people across the country have faced arrest after showing up for court-ordered ICE check-ins and immigration court hearings as part of Donald Trump administrations mass deportation agenda. Unlike federal district court judges, immigration court judges operate under the direction of the attorney generals office. The Department of Justices Executive Office for Immigration Review has issued guidance to judges to grant motions from government lawyers to immediately dismiss immigrants cases, making them easy targets for arrest and removal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Half of all immigration court arrests nationwide were in New York City between May and June, The City found. On Thursday, New York District Judge Dale Ho ripped into the Trump administrations arbitrary practice of arresting immigrants as they leave their immigration court hearings, creating what he calls a game of detention roulette that violates due process. Hazmat teams were deployed to the building Thursday evening after envelopes containing a mysterious white powder were allegedly discovered, according to city officials and federal law enforcement agencies. ICE personnel reportedly found envelopes containing an unknown white powder on the 9th floor, according to the FBI. Five envelopes were allegedly found in the mail room of ICEs Enforcement and Removal Operations headquarters. Federal prosecutors are set to ask a judge to allow the Norfolk district attorneys office to review all the materials turned over from their investigation into the Karen Read case for evidence that could be beneficial to defendants in at least five other cases. The motion set to be filed by federal prosecutors represents what a state judge described as incremental progress on an issue that has required numerous hearings over the past month. Federal prosecutors will allow the district attorneys office to go through the entirety of the material turned over during the prosecution of Read some 3,000 pages for evidence that could be relevant to other cases. But the district attorneys office will only be able to turn over information not related to grand jury proceedings. Federal prosecutors convened a grand jury to hear evidence during their investigation of the Read case, and several key witnesses, including former Massachusetts State Police trooper Michael Proctor, testified before that grand jury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district attorneys office has already turned over all of Proctors text messages and emails uncovered by the feds to defense lawyers in at least five criminal cases. Those cases are those of Myles King, Shawn Johnson, Jovani Delossantos, Bianca Chionchio and Brian Walshe. All but Chionchio are charged with murder. U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper had not ruled on the motion as of Thursday afternoon and all proceedings before her on this issue are sealed, meaning they cant be publicly accessed. But Rosemary Scapicchio, who represents both King and Johnson, said judges typically allow motions that are agreed upon by both parties. The issue of the federal materials left lawyers, including Scapicchio, scrambling in July, when state prosecutors filed notice that an order from Casper required them to return or destroy the material by July 18, 30 days after the conclusion of the Read case. Casper eventually extended her order 30 more days, to Aug. 18. State and federal prosecutors have agreed to pause the order for at least 45 days. Its ultimately up to Casper to rule, though. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First Assistant Norfolk District Attorney Lisa Beatty said Thursday the district attorneys office would not return or destroy the material without first appearing before a state court judge for a hearing. Should the materials be returned or destroyed without being turned over, it could lead to consequences for prosecutors. Scapicchio has filed motions to dismiss both the King and Johnson cases, and a lawyer for Walshe filed a motion to dismiss his case. Those motions are unlikely to be acted upon should the district attorneys office review and turn over relevant materials, Scapicchio said. I wanted to make sure that we were on record saying that to the extent they refused to [review] them, that they would have violated my clients constitutional rights, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors are obligated in any criminal case to disclose all evidence that might be beneficial to a defendant from materials in their possession, custody or control. In the case of the federal materials, prosecutors argued they were essentially not in control of what had been turned over. Now with the agreement reached with federal authorities, Beatty indicated it will be the responsibility of two prosecutors in the office to go through the materials for evidence relevant to other cases. Those prosecutors have already signed a federal protective order governing the secrecy of the documents, Beatty said. While she did not name the prosecutors, it seems likely they will be members of the Read team. Leaving the courthouse, Scapicchio said the deal laid out by Beatty represents progress. But Scapicchio wants access to everything, not just the Proctor texts and non-grand jury materials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I would like to see the grand jury minutes, but I dont get to tell the federal government what they can do, she said. Were here to be able to try to protect the record as best we can and to be able to make sure the court understands our arguments, and the court absolutely understands our arguments. Superior Court Judge Peter Krupp set a further hearing on the issue for Aug. 28. Scapicchio said she was hopeful prosecutors will have reviewed the materials by that date. I dont know how much data there is. I dont know how much information there is, but thats what were hoping, she said. Were hoping that we can report some additional progress to the court, and were hoping that we can report that its been reviewed and that the information that is non-grand jury has been turned over. More News Read the original article on MassLive. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is in open conflict with Donald Trumps administration amid an announcement that his state will attempt an off-cycle gerrymandering of their congressional map in order to counteract a similar effort by Republicans in Texas. Trump doesnt play by a different set of rules. He doesnt believe in the rules, Newsom said Thursday. We have got to recognize the cards that have been dealt, and we have got to meet fire with fire. California, unlike Texas, would need to approve the new electoral maps through a special election in November, but the move is a bid to cow the Lone Star State into abandoning its Trumpian ploy to gain an advantage in the 2026 midterms. The administration responded to Newsoms announcement by deploying Border Patrol agents to the Japanese American National Museum, where the governor held his press conference to announce the states redistricting effort. Masked federal agents conducted arrests outside of the event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newsom called the move a sick and pathetic stunt shortly after. During the presser, when he learned that immigration officials had arrived outside of the venue, Newsom told the audience that the incursion was a sign that Trump is a failed president. Who else sends ICE at the same time while having a conversation like this? Someone who is weak, broken. His weakness is masquerading as a strength. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told reporters that there was no way the raid was a coincidence, and an intentionally provocative act. The administration may be particularly upset with Newsom this week, as the governors office has been trolling the White House with mocking tweets satirizing Trumps absurd social media lexicon. The X account for Newsoms press office began tweeting in the style of Trump earlier this week, writing out posts in all caps and inserting some of the presidents favorite phrases like THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER and HUGE and excessively using quotation marks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tweet storm caused at least some level of consternation within the White House Press Office. The all caps tweets from Newsoms team are very weird and not at all funny but I know some dweeb is sitting in they/thems office cackling to themselves thinking theyre a world class comedian, White House Deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson wrote on X. On Thursday, White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung called Newsom a coward and Beta Cuck, accusing Newsom of being too chicken shit to take questions from the press after giving an incoherent speech. Newsoms press office responded by noting that he did, in fact, take questions at the press conference, along with a Trumpian: Steven Cheung (incompetent Trump staffer) doesnt know how to use his computer. SAD! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo complained about Newsoms tweeting as well. Is he joking, is this a joke? she wondered. The posts might be a joke, but the California governors push to fight back at Trump and the GOPs attempt to gerrymander their way toward a 2026 House majority are very real, and the stakes just keep getting higher. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott today called a new special session for the states Republicans to jam through their gerrymandered map. They werent able to do so during the last special sessions after Democrats fled the state to block a vote, but this time Democrats are expected to be back. Newsom and California appear ready to respond if Texas Republicans proceed as planned. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It started when Abi Gilman asked the question, "How were you impacted by the floods and what do you need?" on her Instagram story. Someone who couldn't access their clothes needed size XL shirts. Another person needed help with mold mitigation. A mother needed a carseat. The stories kept coming. Very quickly, Gilman became a matchmaker of necessities, contacting people in construction, plumbing, junk removal and more. "They needed so much. They were so devastated," said Gilman, owner of the Wauwatosa space, Little Village Play Cafe. "Many of our customers that live in ranches by the creek totally lost their homes and their cars, had to be rescued by boats. Our West Allis customers were stranded and didn't know where to turn." Abi Gilman, owner of Wauwatosa's Little Village Play Cafe, has been connected people in need with those who can help in the aftermath of the 1,000-year flood in the metro Milwaukee area. Given the rush of needs, playing middleman could only go so far. Gilman and her team at the Little Village Play Cafe got to work compiling lists and who could potentially help. They created an interactive spreadsheet with a resources directory, crowdfunding links to help impacted families, donations needed, MealTrain lists and a special "Play It Forward" tab. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a mother herself, Gilman recognized the power of her cafe, which has a safe, in-door playground for young children, food for children and adults, and plenty of coffee drinks. She wondered if the community would benefit from the amenities her own space provided. She created a deal where, for every $50 gift card bought for yourself, friends or a complete stranger, the coffee shop would donate three "play passes" for families who could use a break. Maybe children had been cooped up inside while parents dealt with insurance claims, damage assessment and how to keep getting food on the table. Giving kids time to play allowed adults some much-needed relief. "Strangers are buying gift cards for strangers," Gilman said. "Its been very tearful. People arent expecting it." Gilman had one recent encounter where, after she handed a $50 gift card to a flood-fatigued mother on the coffee line, the woman fell to her knees with emotion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gilman expects the spreadsheet to change and evolve as the needs change. She'll continue asking the community about what they need and reaching out to those who can help. Gilman's efforts have been contagious. Over at The Little Geese Shop, also in Wauwatosa, owner Danielle Scampini Linn put out a call for donations the evening of Aug. 13. The next day, she transformed the "Golden Goose Lounge" at her antique children's boutique into a "community shop," a donation zone where people could drop off diapers, wet wipes, car seats, toys, baby and kids clothing, and larger items like cribs and strollers. When she spoke to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Aug. 14, Scampini Linn had just returned from West Allis to deliver a swing to a family whose child lost the same brand in the floods. There, she saw too many families' livelihoods spilled on the street. "It's harrowing to see all these things," Scampini Linn said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Generosity, and the human capacity to help, has been a balm for Scampini Linn. She was bowled over when a person came in holding 10 boxes of diapers and a bunch of wipes to drop off. In less than 24 hours after her initial call for donations, the room in which she's storing the donations is already half-filled. Little Geese Shop will leave its doors open for drop-offs during business hours from now until Aug. 16. Then, as soon as the staff has organized the donations, affected families can come by and take whatever they need on Aug. 20 and Aug. 21. Scampini Linn said she may continue her community shop until Aug. 22, depending on how much her shop receives in goods. Then, she'll donate the remaining products and toys. "In hard times, its good to remember this is one of the beautiful parts of our humanity," Scampini Linn said. Other ways to help The Milwaukee County Executive Office has offered this list for those who want to support victims of the Aug. 9-10 flood: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Natalie Eilbert covers mental health issues for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She welcomes story tips and feedback. You can reach her at neilbert@gannett.com or view her X (Twitter) profile at @natalie_eilbert. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: These heroes in our midst are making flood victims' lives a bit better Aug. 15CANTON The felony charge against an Akwesasne land activist has been dismissed because of a violation of his constitutional right to a speedy trial. Larry V. Thompson, 71, was charged May 22, 2024 with felony second-degree criminal mischief during a demonstration on Barnhart Island held in opposition to a proposed Mohawk land claim settlement. He and six other activists and an Akwesasne journalist who was there covering the event were all arrested after Thompson started digging a hole with a backhoe. Each of the eight people were charged with misdemeanor conspiracy and a trespass violation. Those charges were all dismissed in November 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thompson was additionally charged with the felony mischief count for allegedly causing over $1,500 in damage to New York Power Authority land. It carried a maximum sentence of 2 1/3 to seven years in state prison. He and the six other demonstrators were holding the protest to express their views that the land rightfully belongs to the Mohawk people. Thompson's felony case made its way to St. Lawrence County Court in front of Judge Gregory P. Storie in December 2024. He had steadfastly refused to get an attorney and insisted on representing himself. In July of this year, St. Lawrence County Chief Public Defender James M. McGahan drafted and filed a written motion on Thompson's behalf seeking dismissal of the felony charge. He argued that Thompson's right to a speedy trial had been violated. Specifically, McGahan wrote that Thompson was arraigned May 22, 2024, which started a six-month clock for the prosecution to declare readiness for trial, which they didn't do until a St. Lawrence County grand jury indicted Thompson Dec. 5, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement St. Lawrence County Assistant District Attorney Alexander A.V. Nichols wrote a response saying that portions of that time period should have been excluded from the six-month timeframe. He argued that after Thompson's initial appearance in Massena Town Court for his arraignment on May 22, 2024, Thompson had re-appeared three subsequent times in June, July and August. His case was adjourned during the first two of those because Thompson refused to accept an attorney. Massena Town Justice Joseph Brown conducted a hearing during the third appearance on Aug. 27, 2024 to determine Thompson's ability to represent himself, which the town justice granted. That led to the case eventually being divested to county court. In Judge Storie's written ruling filed on Thursday, he sides with McGahan on the grounds that Massena Town Court should have conducted a "searching inquiry" as to Thompson's ability to represent himself during his initial arraignment on May 22, 2024. Storie said that's because that the record shows this was the first time Thompson refused legal counsel and asserted his desire to self-represent. Justice Brown did not do that until Thompson's fourth appearance in Massena Town Court on Aug. 27, 2024. "The arraignment court did no further inquiry as to the defendant's intentions regarding counsel, nor did it conduct a formal searching inquiry as to the defendant's ability to represent himself. Based on the record presented, this Court determines that a searching inquiry should have been conducted by the arraignment court, on May 22, 2024," Storie wrote in his ruling. "The defendant next appeared in Massena Town Court on June 11, 2024. At that time, he informed the Massena Town Court that he did not intend to retain an attorney and that he did not want counsel assigned to him. The local court, in this Court's view, was obligated to engage in a searching inquiry to determine if the defendant was able to represent himself. But it did not do so." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The [prosecution] further urge this Court to nullify the local court's determination approving self representation on August 27, 2024 but this Court elects not to disturb the lower court's ruling in that regard," Storie wrote. Thompson had also challenged the validity of the prosecution's filing a certificate of compliance formally stating they have turned over all discovery and are ready for trial. Storie noted he conducted a speedy trial inquiry on Dec. 12, 2024 and found the prosecution to be ready for trial. His ruling throws out that certification. "The defendant argues that the people's Certificate of Compliance should be invalidated because it was filed in excess of six months from commencement. As noted, the people are assessed six months and fourteen days of chargeable time from the defendant's initial arraignment to the people's announcement of readiness," the ruling says. "This period of time exceeds the statutory requirement for the people to be ready for trial within six months. Therefore, based on the people's untimely announcement of readiness, the people's certificate was not valid." Thompson had repeatedly argued in both Massena Town Court and St. Lawrence County Court appearances that they have no jurisdiction over him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said he is Onkwehonweh, which in the Mohawk language means the original people of Turtle Island (North America), who was protesting on land that rightfully belongs to the Onkwehonweh. Therefore, the foreign court has no authority over him. He sees lawyers as officers of that foreign court. Therefore, according to Onkwehonweh law, he says he was not able accept an attorney's legal services. "I assert and maintain this honorable court does not have jurisdiction to take my plea ... accordingly, I will file a notice of removal," he said during his Dec. 18, 2024 appearance. "How can you charge someone who ... is native to the land," Thompson told the judge. "We were here first. We are the first law of the land." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following an appearance in Massena Town Court in July 2024, Thompson told the Times that he started digging on Barnhart Island with the intention to start building a foundation for Native housing so Akwesasne community members could move upstream from decades of industrial pollution caused by Alcoa, Reynolds Metals and General Motors plants. Thompson and the six protesters were demanding fair compensation for Barnhart Island, integral to the Moses-Saunders power dam, which has generated billions of dollars in electricity for the U.S. and Canada. They also sought redress for generations of pollution-related illnesses among Akwesasne people that result from upstream industrial activities by Alcoa, Reynolds Metals and General Motors. For decades, those plants used large amounts of PCB a known carcinogen in their operations. PCB stands for polychlorinated biphenyls. The activists cited the Two-Row Wampum, dating back to 1613, as the standing treaty governing the relationship between non-native peoples and the Onkwehonweh. It is among the earliest treaties between the Haudenosaunee people and European colonizers. Symbolized by two parallel purple rows on a white background, it signifies mutual navigation of the river in separate vessels a Native canoe and a Dutch ship pledging never to interfere with each other's paths. The federal government sold large swathes of the Akwesasne reservation without congressional approval, in violation of the Indian Non-Intercourse Act of 1796. It stands as the American law today, saying Native land cannot be sold without an affirmative vote of Congress. In 2022, a judge ruled New York state unlawfully took thousands of acres of Mohawk land in the 1800s. Negotiations for a settlement have been ongoing between Albany and U.S., Canadian, and traditional Mohawk councils. Sir Chris Bryant has been representing his constituents in Westminster for nearly 25 years, but his life before politics was a rollercoaster ride of light and shade. From growing up in Spain under the reign of General Franco, to living with his alcoholic mother, to being ordained as a Church of England priest, the Labour MP for Rhondda and Ogmore - now in his 60s - has lived a varied life. He is openly gay, but says he was figuring out his sexuality at a time when homosexuality was "looked on with terrible shame and disgust by the vast majority of society". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this month, he revealed he was sexually abused as a teenager, by the late former head of the National Youth Theatre, Michael Croft. He details the many "shenanigans" of his early life, the good and the bad, in his autobiography set to be released next week. "It was fascinating for me, because the book stops in 2001 when I was first elected, so it's about my early life," he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast. "It's about the tough stuff when I was a kid, growing up with my parents. My mum was an alcoholic and the pain and the horror and the challenges that poses for you as an individual. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The rows, the guilt, the anger, the lies and recriminations, and then eventually mum's death. "All of that is part of the story, but also some very funny stories." Speaking about his choice to share details of being the victim of abuse, by Michael Croft but also in separate incidents later in his life, Sir Chris says it was "a really important part" of authentically documenting his life story. "It's one of the stories that I hadn't even really told any of my family until very recently, because I suppose I felt phenomenal shame about it. I remember when I did first tell family members, I was in tears for ages," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This may seem bizarre, for many young people in particular these days, but it's a story of a young person growing up in an age where homosexuality was completely illegal. It was completely illegal when I was born, partially decriminalised in 1967, but still looked on with terrible shame and disgust by the vast majority of society through most of my formative years. "Telling that whole story as honestly as I possibly can was important... It's not the complete story of Chris Bryant without that story in it, to be honest. "I suppose part of what my book is there to do is to try and explain an age that I hope has gone, and has gone forever." Leaving his role as a Church of England priest and moving to London as "a young gay man, discovering the freedom of the great city", working for the Labour Party, Sir Chris recounts many a humorous encounter with famous faces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He met Peter Mandelson, now British Ambassador to the United States, in the changing room at the YMCA gym and they became friends. "I was in Peter's flat he had two phone lines and one phone rang and it was Gordon Brown, so he spoke to Gordon and then the other phone rang, I answered it and it was Tony Blair," he recalled. "Peter switched he went to speak to Tony Blair while I talked to Gordon Brown and I think that was the moment when Peter made his decision about who he was backing for the leadership." On another occasion, while Sir Chris was dating a Spanish architect living in Madrid, Mandelson decided to stay with him and attend the final rally in socialist leader Felipe Gonzalez re-election campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "At the end, I thought we were going to be introduced to my political hero, Felipe Gonzalez, but instead Peter said 'No, I want to meet him over there' so we went and chatted to Antonio Banderas for half an hour instead," he said with a laugh. "Who, it has to be said, was a very handsome young man." Sir Chris Bryant was appointed as a Knight Bachelor (Knighthood) at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle in May 2023 [Getty Images] In the book, Sir Chris says he doesn't think Tony Blair "ever really trusted or rated me". Pressed on why he'd made this claim, he says that for several years, people would predict his appointment to a minister role in Blair's cabinet reshuffle, only for him not to be offered any such position. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "One year, Tony called me in afterwards to his office in parliament and said 'really sorry Chris, you're one of our best people, definitely next time'. "A year goes by, another reshuffle, I'm not appointed to anything and Tony calls me again and does the same routine. "He said 'definitely next time, you're in your 20s, you've got your whole life ahead of you, but you don't look happy' and I said 'no, because you told me all this last year and, secondly Tony, I'm not in my 20s, I'm 43'. "So I always had a great time for him, I thought he was a great prime minister, but I disagreed with him about some significant matters." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview with BBC veteran broadcaster Patrick Hannan when he was first elected as an MP in 2001, Sir Chris was described as an "exotic" choice - something he's never forgotten. "I think they meant too gay," he says. But no label has deterred him from striving for authenticity, he says, adding his attitude is summed up by a Spanish word with Arabic roots that he "absolutely adores" - ojala [I wish]. "Some of it stems from the powerlessness I felt through my mum's alcoholism, some of it is learnt because of what I saw under Mrs Thatcher and my early days in the Labour party, some of it is the passionate belief in things when I was a priest in the Church of England. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "That sense of fairness and that belief that we really could make a better world if we all actually worked on it, I suppose that's the thing that burns in me." If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for details of organisations who can offer support. LOUISIANA, (KLFY) Earlier this morning, a three judge panel on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district courts previous decision in Louisianas State Legislative maps case, Nairne v. Landry. Shortly after that occurred, a different Fifth Circuit judge who was not on that panel from earlier held the mandate, pausing the panels ruling. So the case is currently paused. We strongly disagree with the Fifth Circuit panels decision, said Attorney General Liz Murrill. We are reviewing our options with a focus on stability in our elections and preserving state and judicial resources while the Supreme Court resolves related issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can read the order from the Clerk for the Fifth Circuit here. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest 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. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) This weekend marks 67 years since the Katz Drug Store sit-ins, and Oklahoma City civil rights advocates are hosting a series of events to give Oklahomans opportunities to honor the history. In August of 1958, a group of 13 Oklahoma Black students and their teacher, Clara Luper, walked into Katz Drug Store in downtown Oklahoma City and sat down at a whites-only lunch counter. That sit-in was one of the first civil rights protests in America. The only reason they were so mean to you was because of the color of your skin, said Marilyn Luper-Hildreth, Lupers daughter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Luper was a high school history teacher and led the NAACP Youth Council. Mrs. Luper was born in Okfuskee County in 1923. She was a mother, educator, and mentor to young adults. Lunch counter sculpture to honor Civil Rights Activist Clara Luper in the heart of downtown Luper-Hildreth has spearheaded a legacy to preserve her mothers legacy and honor the contributions she and her brave students made. That effort has persevered through an annual Freedom Fiesta Celebration that kicked off on August 14 and will run through August 17. Thursdays first concert event at the Oklahoma History Center saw musical performances from artists across the country and world, paying tribute and tying into this years theme of theme A Child Shall Lead Them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News 4 asked Luper-Hildreth why she continues to push forward with events like these year after year. Remembering former Governor George Nigh during memorial service Ive seen my mother work day and night, said Luper-Hildreth. Ive seen her get stabbed in the back and spit in the face and she got up with determination to make a better day for me. How can I sit back and say Im tired? Luper-Hildreth said that events like those scheduled for the next few days should be top of mind for Oklahomans, especially for the next generation of them, she says cant forget how far the United States has come. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News 4 also spoke with musician and composer Hannibal Lokumbe, who has composed music to honor Lupers service and her legacy. That music was shared with an audience at the Oklahoma History Center on Thursday night as well. Lokumbe said the gathering shows the fight towards freedom is never truly over. This is proof that the struggle never ends, said Lokumbe. It should act as a reminder that the fight continues. Work has also started on the Clara Luper sit-in plaza in downtown Oklahoma City near the site of the former Katz Drug store to memorialize the historic sit-ins. The Freedom Fiesta Celebration schedule can be found below: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Freedom Story and Art Show at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, at the Northeast Oklahoma City Health and Wellness Center, 3748 N. Lincoln Blvd The annual Sit-In March and Reenactment at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, with participants meeting at Frontline Church, 1104 N. Robinson, and marching to Kaisers, 1039 N. Walker. A church service at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17, at Fifth Street Baptist Church, 801 NE Fifth, with keynote speaker Bishop James B. Walker, presiding prelate of the Seventh Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church. 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. HONG KONG (AP) The final arguments in prominent Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lais national security trial were postponed Friday after his lawyer said the former pro-democracy newspaper founder had experienced heart palpitations and the judges wanted him to receive medical treatment first. Lai, the 77-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was arrested in 2020 under a national security law imposed by Beijing following anti-government protests in 2019. He faces charges of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring with others to issue seditious publications. If convicted, he faces up to life imprisonment. Lais landmark case which has already lasted over 140 days, far beyond the original estimate of 80 days is widely seen as a trial of press freedom and a test for judicial independence in the Asian financial hub. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Closing statements were initially scheduled to begin on Thursday, but were postponed due to heavy rains from Tropical Storm Podul. On Friday, Lai's lawyer, Robert Pang, told the court that Lai felt unsteady and had experienced heart palpitations. Pang said his client does not want to disturb the court proceedings. Judge Esther Toh said Lai had not received medication and a heart monitor, as recommended by a medical specialist. The judges decided to postpone the hearing until Monday. When Lai entered the courtroom, he smiled and nodded at people sitting in the public gallery. His detention has drawn attention from foreign governments. U.S. President Donald Trump, before the election last November, was asked whether he would talk to Chinese leader Xi Jinping to seek Lais release, and Trump said: One hundred percent, I will get him out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a Fox News radio interview released Thursday, Trump denied saying he would 100% save Lai. I said, 100%, Im going to be bringing it up. And Ive already brought it up, and Im going to do everything I can to save him, he said. Lai's son and rights groups have voiced concerns about his health. His son Sebastien Lai earlier told reporters in Washington that he fears his father could pass away at any time. On Tuesday, global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said Lai has been held in solidarity confinement for over 1,680 days and that his health is deteriorating. In a statement, it called for the international community to take action to ensure the immediate release of Lai and six other former Apple Daily executives involved in the case. But the Hong Kong government rejected in a statement on Wednesday what it called slanderous remarks by external forces, including anti-China media organizations, about the case and Lais custody treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday night, it condemned what it described as inaccurate and incomplete reports by foreign media outlets, alleging the articles had attempted to mislead the public into thinking that Lai had not received the necessary medical care. The acts were despicable and violated professional journalistic ethics, it said. The statement said Lai's lawyer confirmed to the court that his client received daily medical check-ups in custody and had no complaints about the medical care provided, with the judge saying the correctional services department deserves praise. After Lai said he suffered palpitations, a medical examination found no abnormalities, but the doctor, as a precaution, suggested he wear a heart monitor and recommended prescribing medication to be taken as needed, it said. Doctors had repeatedly confirmed Jimmy Lai was physically and mentally fit to attend the court hearing before his appearance, it said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ahead of the hearing, dozens of people lined up outside the court building to secure a seat in the main courtroom. Some of them also waited for hours in heavy rain on Thursday before the postponement, including resident Margaret Chan. Chan, who arrived before 5:30 a.m. on Friday, said Lais case showed the world the decline in Hong Kongs press freedom. To me, hes a great person. He made such a big sacrifice. Hes so rich. He could have predicted this, and he could have left, said Chan. Photo: Clayton Henkel/NC Newsline Two decades ago, the leaders of Capitol Broadcasting Company had a bold and courageous idea: to devote one minute each night after the simulcast of the WRAL News on Mix 101.5 to a no-holds-barred commentary from veteran journalist and political observer, Chris Fitzsimon. For more than a decade, Fitzsimon held forth on scores of vitally important and frequently controversial issues with insightful takes that spoke truth to power and championed the rights of average North Carolinians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2017, I was fortunate enough to inherit that role and since then Ive done my best to build on Chriss pioneering work. As the old saying goes, however, all good things must come to an end and so it is that this will be for now anyway the final commentary in this series. Its been a great run. Fortunately, the tradition established here continues online. So, if youd like to keep consuming commentaries that speak truth to power, be sure to make visiting ncnewsline.com a regular part of your week. And so, for one final time: for NC Newsline, Im Rob Schofield. New Release: Farm, merge, grow and expand your land in this new puzzle game! New Release: Farm, merge, grow and expand your land in this new puzzle game! LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) A California man, who has been celebrated as a trading prodigy, was indicted in Kentucky for allegedly running a multimillion-dollar investment scam. According to court documents, 23-year-old Mihir Deepak Sukthankar, the owner of several trading firms, and Dylan Bryce Baker recruited investors by luring clients with promises of returns from trades in foreign exchange, options, and other financial instruments. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The indictment alleges that Sukthankar convinced clients to deposit large amounts of money and then used it for trades, mixing funds with his own, covering personal expenses, and paying previous deposits. Prosecutors said Sukthankar built a password-protected website, named the Nvest Portal, that showed inflated balances and fake gains to allegedly mislead clients about the existence and value of their investments. The indictment highlights a case in Lexington where Baker allegedly introduced a Lexington investor to Sukthankar, convincing them to make an initial $1 million investment. The indictment said Baker used fake profits on the Nvest Portal to persuade the client to make additional investments, including a $4.2 million transfer to an account linked to one of Sukthankars partners. LATEST KENTUCKY LISTS AND RANKINGS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sukthankar was indicted on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. Baker was indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. 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. SHAMOKIN, NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) A local fire company is helping the city of Shamokin revitalize the area by bringing a splash of color to its station. Shooting flames can be seen at the rescue fire station in Shamokin early Friday, but its not an active scene; its a painting project. Volunteer firefighter and tattoo artist Joseph Stewart has taken on the massive task of creating a mural to spotlight the company on North Liberty Street, working all hours of the morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How I normally do it with my tattooing on my tablet, I pretty much just used my freehanding capabilities, and it just came pretty natural, believe it or not, stated Joseph Stewart, mural artist/firefighter at Rescue Fire Company. Getting this far in just a week, he utilizes a sponge and paintbrush to create the effect of flames and silhouettes of fire, police, EMS, and military members. I wanted to let them know that they are seen too and we appreciate every bit of what they do, said Stewart. Rescue Fire Lieutenant Matt Lauro says this all started with wanting to help revitalize the city.. And recruit volunteers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Specifically trying to get the youth off the streets in the fire house where they can learn things like leadership and pride. Roof collapses on firefighters during convenience store blaze Also raising funds for the fire company through its social quarter bar to afford new equipment. We do more than just put out fires; we really are involved in our community and love our community, stated Lauro. This wall of flames is just phase one of a three-year project, where the station, which dates back to 1880, will be showcasing the timeline of the local fire companys history. A long way to go, but Stewart says hes honored to take on the job, taking in new knowledge that he can share, reflecting on what his late father did with him as a Philadelphia fireman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He gave his life to the service me being able to pass it down, not only to our junior firefighters that we have so many of, but the younger firefighters, as well as my children. Its super super important. The first phase of the mural is expected to be completed by next week, but if youd like to support the rescue fire company, theyre hosting a cornhole tournament beginning at 6:30. 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 28/22 News. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Fire crews responded to a two-alarm fire in North Portland that had flames reaching a busy sidewalk early Friday afternoon. Portland Fire and Rescue responded to the scene at 2739 N Lombard St. around 12:20 p.m. and found a strip mall building near a Walgreens with a fire in the attic space. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KOIN Breaking News Alerts By 12:30 p.m., the fire had reportedly started spreading to neighboring business with Giselles entering the space to address any extension in that direction. Crews responded to a two-alarm fire in N Portland on Aug. 15, 2025. (KOIN) Crews responded to a two-alarm fire in N Portland on Aug. 15, 2025. (KOIN) Crews responded to a two-alarm fire in N Portland on Aug. 15, 2025. (KOIN) Crews responded to a two-alarm fire in N Portland on Aug. 15, 2025. (KOIN) Fire crews in the roof reporting conditions are better, but still brown smoke pushing out under pressure requesting ceiling to be removed from below, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fire was out and crews were recalled from the scene within the half hour. Details of what started the fire are unclear. Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops. 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. The first drug that can slow the onset of type 1 diabetes has been given the green light for use in the UK. Teplizumab has been licensed for use in adults and children aged eight and older so they can live normal lives for longer. The UK is the first in Europe to approve the drug with experts hailing it as a breakthrough moment. In trials the drug has shown it can stop the onset of type 1 diabetes by up to three years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While it has been licensed for use by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the medicines regulator, a decision on whether it can be used on the NHS is yet to be made. Eligible patients will be able to access it privately. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) will decide if the drug is cost effective enough to be paid for by the NHS. About 400,000 people in the UK have type 1 diabetes, a lifelong condition which causes the immune system to attack insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin helps the body use sugar for energy, and without this hormone, blood sugar levels can become dangerously high. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Type 1 diabetes needs constant management to keep blood sugar within range, with patients required to take insulin through injections or pumps. Teplizumab trains the immune system to stop attacking pancreatic cells. It is taken by an IV drip for a minimum of 30 minutes over 14 consecutive days. The drug, which is already approved in the US, has been authorised for use by the MHRA to delay the onset of stage three type 1 diabetes. The condition develops gradually in three stages over months or years. Stage three is usually when people start to experience blood sugar problems and are diagnosed with the condition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the MHRA, teplizumab can be used in people with stage two type 1 diabetes, which is an earlier stage of the disease during which patients are at a high risk of progressing to stage three. One of the first adults to receive the drug in the UK as part of a trial was Hannah Robinson, 36. The dentist and mother of two discovered during pregnancy she was in the early stages of developing type 1 diabetes and is receiving the treatment at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. She said: This new drug offers more freedom and the chance to focus on my health before I have to start thinking differently and managing life as somebody needing daily insulin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This isnt just about what I eat or monitoring my glucose, it is also about having more control and not feeling defined by my condition. This treatment could potentially pave the way for a future cure for type 1 diabetes, which is incredible. I feel very lucky to be part of this. Ahmed Moussa, general manager of general medicines UK and Ireland at Sanofi, which makes teplizumab, said: One hundred years ago, the discovery of insulin revolutionised diabetes care. Todays news marks a big step forward. Parth Narendran, a professor of diabetes medicine at the University of Birmingham and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, said: Teplizumab essentially trains the immune system to stop attacking the beta cells in the pancreas, allowing the pancreas to produce insulin without interference. This can allow eligible patients to live normal lives, delaying the need for insulin injections and the full weight of the diseases daily management by up to three years. It allows people to prepare for disease progression rather than facing an abrupt emergency presentation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Karen Addington, chief executive of the charity Breakthrough T1D, said: I am personally delighted and welcome the MHRAs approval of teplizumab. After years of research, clinical trials and drug development, we have an incredible breakthrough. Reacting to the announcement, Dr Elizabeth Robertson, director of research and clinical at Diabetes UK, said: Todays landmark licensing of teplizumab in the UK marks a turning point in the treatment of type 1 diabetes. For the first time, we have a medicine that targets the root cause of the condition, offering three precious extra years free from the relentless demands of managing type 1 diabetes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added that the next steps are critical. To ensure teplizumab reaches everyone who could benefit, we need it to be made available on the NHS, and the rollout of a screening programme to identify those with early-stage type 1 diabetes, she said. 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. UPDATE: Brooke Johnson became the first woman to skateboard across America after reaching the Virginia Beach Oceanfront Friday. Click here for coverage. VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) Virginia Beach is about to witness history, as the first woman to skateboard across America will finish her journey at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront on Friday, Aug. 15, when she will touch the Atlantic Ocean and complete her challenge. Brooke Johnson, from Seattle, has skateboarded across the United States in 118 days from Venice Beach to Virginia Beach. She plans to officially finish her journey around 5 p.m. at Grommet Island Park on the Boardwalk at 2nd Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When she arrives, 5th Street will be closed to drivers to allow spectators to watch her skate to the finish. Johnson is then asking the community to celebrate with her at the Shack on Atlantic Avenue at 6 p.m. Johnson started skateboarding at a young age to be more efficient in her dog-walking business. Now, she is using her skills to break records and raise money for a cause thats personal for her. Its much more than just making history. Every mile and every night sleeping in a van is for her stepdad. I promised him I would skate across America to raise money for his recovery, Johnson said. Unfortunately, we lost him during that period of time. I told him I would get a world record in his name and so we would raise money and we would get this world record. She has raised nearly $50,000 for spinal cord research. She continues to collect donations on her social media pages @brookedoeseverything. Ive never felt closer to him than [I do] now, Johnson said. Theres constantly things going wrong on the trip, and then the solution comes instantly. So, we just feel like weve got an angel out here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) The sound of patriotic music filled the air around Fitch High School in Austintown Friday morning. The schools concert choir presented its annual Veterans Concert. The director said this is the culmination of the music departments weeklong summer choir camp, but its also become a Fitch tradition that dates back decades. Weve been performing since 1972. Performing for veterans, and this is the start of our season. We like to invite as many vets as possible just to sing to them, tell them thank you, and uphold our tradition of what weve been doing, said Bill Klein, Fitch High School choir director. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A couple of dozen people, including a handful of veterans, came out with their lawn chairs to enjoy the music. 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. A flash flood warning was issued by the National Weather Service in Flagstaff on Thursday, Aug. 14. This warning applies to Coconino and Gila counties. Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain over the West Fire scar. Between 0.75 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.25 to 0.75 inches are possible in the warned area. Life-threatening flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly in areas in and around the West Fire scar. Some locations that will experience flash flooding include Geronimo Estates and Flowing Springs. This includes the following recreation areas and campgrounds: Geronimo Boy Scout Camp. This includes the following creeks, washes and rivers: West Webber Creek. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The National Weather Service warns: "Flooding of washes and creeks will occur, some dirt roads will become muddy and impassable. Paved roads and underpasses could become flooded as well." See weather radar for northern Arizona What are weather service meteorologists saying? At 5:17 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a statement: "The National Weather Service in Flagstaff has issued a Flash Flood Warning for: The West Fire scar in, Gila County in east central Arizona, Coconino County in north central Arizona, Until 8:15 p.m. MST. At 5:17 p.m. MST, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain over the West Fire scar. Between 0.75 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.25 to 0.75 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. HAZARD: Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms producing flash flooding in and around the West Fire scar. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SOURCE: Radar indicated. IMPACT: Life threatening flash flooding of areas in and around the West Fire scar. Some locations that will experience flash flooding include: Geronimo Estates and Flowing Springs. This includes the following recreation areas and campgrounds, Geronimo Boy Scout Camp. This includes the following creeks, washes and rivers, West Webber Creek." What is a flash flood? A flash flood is a flood caused by heavy or excessive rainfall in a short period of time, generally less than six hours, according to the weather service. Flash floods are usually characterized by raging torrents after heavy rains. A flash flood can be sudden and violent and take just minutes to develop. It is possible to experience a flash flood in areas not immediately receiving rain. What's the difference between a flash flood watch and a flash flood warning? A flash flood warning is issued when a flood is imminent or occurring, the weather service says. If you are in a flood-prone area, you should move immediately to high ground. The weather service issues a flash flood watch when flash flooding is possible. What to do during a flood warning If advised to evacuate, do so immediately. Use a battery-operated radio or television to get the latest emergency information. Do not walk through floodwater. Just 6 inches of floodwater can sweep you off your feet if it is moving swiftly. Turn around, don't drown: Do not drive into a flooded street. Cars can be swept away by 2 feet of moving water, or there may be unseen damage to the road. If you come to a flooded area, turn around and go another way. Most flood-related deaths are caused by people driving through water. Watch out for fire hazards. Move to higher ground. Stay alert and turn weather notifications on. Do not allow children to play in flowing water. Waters can hide rocks, trees and debris. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reporters Jana Hayes and Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez contributed to this article. This weather report was generated automatically using information from the National Weather Service and a story written and reviewed by an editor. See the latest weather alerts and forecasts here This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Flash flood warning issued for northern Arizona PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) Flash floods triggered by heavy rains killed at least 49 people in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere in the country over the past 24 hours, officials said Friday, as rescuers evacuated 1,300 stranded tourists from a mountainous district hit by landslides. More than 360 people, mostly women and children, have died in rain-related incidents across Pakistan since June 26. Most of the latest deaths were reported in northern and northwestern Pakistan, according to local officials. At least 10 people were killed Thursday after being swept away by flash floods in Ghazar district in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, said regional government spokesman Faizullah Faraq. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another 16 people, including women and children, also died Thursday in Bajaur district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when a massive cloudburst led to flash flooding, said rescue official Amjad Khan. He said 17 others were swept away and remain missing. Flash floods also hit Battagram, a district in the northwest, killing 10 people, government administrator Saleem Khan said. He said another 18 people were still missing. Seven more people died Thursday in separate rain-related incidents in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which is split between Pakistan and India and claimed by both in its entirety, according to the state disaster management authority. Bilal Faizi, a provincial emergency service spokesman in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said rescuers worked for hours to save 1,300 tourists after they were trapped by flash flooding and landslides in the Siran Valley in Mansehra district on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Faraq said Gilgit-Baltistan has been hit by multiple floods since July, triggering landslides along the Karakoram Highway, a key trade and travel route linking Pakistan and China that is used by tourists to travel to the scenic north. Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari in a statement expressed his sorrow and grief over the losses and asked authorities to expedite the rescue and relief work in the flood-affected areas. Gilgit-Baltistan is also home to scenic glaciers that provide 75% of Pakistans stored water supply. Pakistans disaster management agency has issued fresh alerts for glacial lake outburst flooding in the north, warning travelers to avoid affected areas. A study released this week by World Weather Attribution, a network of international scientists, found rainfall from June 24 to July 23 was 10% to 15% heavier because of global warming. Experts say sudden, intense downpours over small areas known as cloudbursts are becoming increasingly common in the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2022, the countrys worst monsoon season on record killed more than 1,700 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in damage. __ Associated Press writers Anwarullah Khan in Bajur, Pakistan, Abdul Rehman in Gilgit, Pakistan and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan contributed to this story. Florida wildlife officials have given preliminary approval to a plan to reopen Apalachicola Bay for oyster harvesting, five years after the waters were closed due to dwindling shellfish populations. The closure of the bay along whats known as Floridas Forgotten Coast dealt a blow to an area that historically produced 90% of the states oysters and 10% of the nations. Around the world, fish and shellfish populations have dwindled to dangerously low levels, as one of societys oldest industries faces warming seas, global appetites and overfishing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent years, waves of drought and the water demands of metro Atlanta and farmers upstream have sapped the Apalachicola River and the bay it flows into. Those factors, as well as predation and overharvesting, helped push oyster production into free-fall and triggered the five-year closure of the fishery in 2020. Now, state regulators say populations have recovered enough to allow a limited reopening for commercial and recreational harvesting, with rules set for the number and size of oysters that can be taken and from which reefs. For Ricky Jones, chair of the board of county commissioners for Franklin County, which includes the bay, the reopening cant come soon enough. Tomorrow would be a good day, Jones said, but I know thats not possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is expected to finalize the terms of the potential reopening at a meeting in November, with the next oyster season slated to open Jan. 1, 2026. The once-booming oyster industry is part of the lifeblood of the town of Apalachicola, which has had to reinvent itself over the past two centuries. In the 1830s as the cotton industry grew, the town became the third-largest port on the Gulf of Mexico, trailing only New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. The town still has one of the last historic working waterfronts in a state where much of the picturesque coastline has long given way to high-rise condos and strip mall souvenir shops, but a way of life for generations of commercial fishermen in Apalachicola Bay is disappearing. The sweet, plump mollusks synonymous with the town are prized well beyond the region, and tourists have long flocked to Apalachicola population 2,341 and known to locals as Apalach to enjoy waterfront views at restaurants that serve the freshly shucked shellfish. Lately, those oysters have most likely been shipped in from Texas or Louisiana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jones is hopeful reopening the bay will help bring the local fishermen back. Its part of who we are, Jones said, adding, we want to see people working and doing that again. KATE PAYNE, Associated Press/Report for America Floridas unemployment rate remains steady at 3.7% as of July, according to the Florida Department of Commerce. The department reported that 417,000 people were classified as unemployed out of a labor force of nearly 11.2 million. Most people who are out there looking for work can find it. That does lead to a very competitive environment, said Jimmy Heckman, Chief Economist at the Florida Department of Commerce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The current unemployment rate of 3.7% is slightly higher than the 3.4% recorded in July 2024. Heckman noted that the current labor market conditions favor workers, indicating a competitive environment for employers trying to fill positions. As Floridas labor market continues to favor job seekers, the steady unemployment rate suggests stability in the states economic conditions. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed orders to execute more inmates in one year than any other governor in state history. Edward Zakrzewski, 60, died at Florida State Prison on July 31, marking the states ninth execution of the year. A 10th execution is scheduled Tuesday, an 11th on Aug. 28 and a 12th on Sept. 17. In Florida, the choice of which inmate heads to the execution chamber next is entirely up to the governor, unlike in several other states including Georgia and Texas where a judge sets the execution date. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mystery surrounding Floridas death row process often boils down to two questions: Why the sudden increase in death warrant signings, and who, if anyone, is helping the governor choose who to execute? Heres what to know. Floridas death penalty law In no other state is it easier to send someone to death row than it is in Florida. Thats partly because the state requires the lowest jury threshold to recommend capital punishment. To be eligible for the death penalty in Florida, a prisoner must be convicted of a capital felony such as first-degree murder or child rape. The state also must prove at least one aggravating factor, such as premeditation or whether the crime was committed in a particularly cruel manner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For many years, a 7-5 majority was all it took to send a defendant toFloridas death row. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2016 struck down the statesdeath penalty law, leading lawmakers to require unanimity. In 2023, though, DeSantis signed a bill that lowered the threshold to an 8-4 vote. Of the 27 states that allow the death penalty, 23 mandate unanimous jury decisions. Alabama requires a 10-2 vote, while Missouri and Indiana allow judges to impose the penalty if a jury isnt able to reach a unanimous decision. What happens after a death sentence? Those executed in Florida within the past 10 years spent an average of 27.6 years on death row, according to a Tampa Bay Times analysis. The national average in 2025 is 22.4 years, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. There are 261 inmates on Floridas death row. On average, inmates are about 48 years old when they are put to death, according to the state Department of Corrections. The oldest inmate awaiting execution is 81. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once an inmate is sentenced to death, their case is transferred to the public defenders office, which handles the initial appeal, said Gerod Hooper, chief assistant at Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, part of a state agency responsible for appointing lawyers to defend death row inmates in their final appeals. The appeal is filed to Floridas Supreme Court before it goes to the Capital Collateral Regional Counsels office, Hooper said. Their office has one year toinvestigate the case andfile to overturn the conviction. Florida holds the record for most inmates exonerated from death row, with 30 since 1973, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that studies capital punishment. Florida inmates sentenced to death are also eight times more likely to have their sentences overturned than to be executed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once all appeals are exhausted, its up to the governor to decide when the inmate shoulddie. More people die of old age, suicide and sickness than get executed, Hooper said. The last legal proceeding to occur before a death warrant can be signed is called a clemency hearing, in which the governorcan reduce a defendants sentence or issue a pardon. A Florida governor hasnt granted clemency in a capital case since 1984. Moving toward a record Eighteen people have been executed since DeSantis took office in 2019. Between 2020 and 2022, Florida did not execute a single person. In 2023, when DeSantis sought the Republican presidential nomination, the state carried out six executions the highest in a year of his term until 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hooper said hewonderswhether political motives or pressure from Washington are driving DeSantis surge in executions. Weve tried to get information into the process, and we havent been able to do it, he said. Hooper said he makes lists about whom DeSantis might sign a warrant for next, based on criteria including how many victims there were, whetherthe victims were children or whether the victims were cops. He said hes been wrong every time. Obviously, the governor doesnt sit there going through 300 people on death row and decide who hes going to sign on, he said. Why they select, we have no idea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Republican Gov. Rick Scott holds the record for most executions during his term, sentencing 28 inmates to death in eight years. Former Republican Gov. Jeb Bush falls close behind at 21. At an average of two executions a monthso far this year, DeSantis is on track to beat Scotts record. Themost recent surge in death warrant signings began in February, around the time DeSantis appointed Republican James Uthmeier as attorney general. Maria DeLiberato, executive director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, said she suspects Uthmeier is telling DeSantis which cases to choose. Others say the spike in warrants is the result of a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neither DeSantis nor Uthmeiers office responded to multiple requests for comment. Advocates allege discrimination Kayle Bates has been on Floridas death row for 42 years. He is the next person scheduled to be put to death. Ahead of his Tuesday execution, his lawyers filed a lawsuit against DeSantis, alleging that Floridas death warrant process is infected with racial discrimination. Bates was convicted of the 1982 murder of Janet White, who was abducted from a State Farm insurance office where she worked. He was also convicted of kidnapping, attempted sexual battery and armed robbery. Bates, a Black Muslim man, was originally sentenced to death in 1983 by a jury in Bay County. After an appeal, he was re-sentenced to death in 1995 by a jury vote of 9-3. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His lawsuit, filed July 29in North Florida federal court, argues that DeSantis has overseen a warrant process that disproportionately targets Black men and prioritizes cases involving white victims. Since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, 88% of executions in Florida involved white victims, the lawsuit states. Of the 21 executions that DeSantis has authorized since taking office, 95% involved white victims, according to the suit. Hours after Bates lawsuit was filed, DeSantis signed a death warrant for Curtis Windom, a Black man convicted of killing three Black victims. The governor used the race of the victims to defend against this claim of racism, DeLiberato said.I think everybody should be able to agree that if youre going to have a death penalty, the decisions should be made fairly and equally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeSantis motion to dismiss Bates lawsuit argues that four, or nearly 20%, of the inmates he has selected for execution have been Black, comparing that to a 15% Black population in Florida. The motion includes Windom as one of the four. Advocates have also rallied against the signing of execution warrants for veterans on death row. Five veterans have been executed under DeSantis watch; Bates is poised to be the fourth veteran to die in 2025. A coalition of veterans and anti-death penalty organizations gathered Wednesday morning in Tallahassee to deliver a letter to DeSantis urging him to stop signing warrants for veterans. The letter was signed by more than 130 veterans. Executing our nations warriors should call for deep soul searching, Art Cody, director of the Center for Veteran Criminal Advocacy, said at a news conference. We owe veterans better than what they are now receiving in Florida. Questions linger Ultimately, no one knows why DeSantis is signing warrants at the rate he is or how hes choosing which ones to sign. The kind of secrecy that surrounds everything about Floridas executions has prompted a lot of serious questions about what process is being followed and why these executions are being scheduled in the way that they are, said Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. The best person to answer those questions is the governor himself, she said. And hes not talking. Times staff writer Dan Sullivan contributed to this report. Florida Tech aerospace professor addresses federal space infrastructure order President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order aimed at expanding U.S. leadership in commercial space by clearing regulatory barriers and speeding up approvals. The order also instructs federal agencies to determine if states are hindering spaceport infrastructure development under the Coastal Zone Management Act. Don Platt, head of the department of aerospace, physics, and space sciences at Florida Tech, expressed concern about the potential reduction or elimination of environmental reviews associated with space activities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We do not want to see a situation where there are no environmental regulations associated with space activities, he said. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. For weeks, President Donald Trump and his aides have assured he was never actually fooled by Vladimir Putin. When Trump after years of saying warm things about the Russian president finally did recently turn on the longtime US adversary, it had to be because Putin had somehow changed. And now despite all those attempts to rewrite history, Trump walks into his most high-profile Putin meeting at risk of again looking like a dupe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Granting Putin an audience on US soil was already a risk, if history was any guide, and the stakes have only risen since the announcement of the Alaska summit just a week ago thanks to Trump himself. Ahead of Fridays meeting, Trump and the White House were initially careful to manage expectations. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt likened it to a mere listening exercise. Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed. Trump said this was just the first meeting suggesting a second meeting (possibly including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnky) would have to be earned. But by Thursday, that quickly gave way to Trumps penchant for promising the world. He twice assured he felt a deal was impending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think (Putin) does want the whole thing, and I think he has wanted the whole thing, Trump said of Ukraine on Fox News host Brian Kilmeades radio show. But because of a certain relationship that he has with me running this country, I believe now hes convinced that hes going to make a deal. Hes going to make a deal. I think hes going to. Trump added in the Oval Office later in the day: I think President Putin will make peace. If that sounds familiar, its because Trump predicted much the same thing six months ago. I mean, I know him very well, Trump said in February. Yeah, I think he wants peace. I think he would tell me if he didnt. I trust him on this subject. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Putin clearly didnt want peace at that juncture, as the last six months have shown. And those types of comments became a problem when Trump suddenly decided to start criticizing the Russian president, apparently in frustration over his reluctance to help deliver Trumps much-promised peace deal. A resident looks on at the site of an apartment building hit during Russian missile and drone strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 31. - Thomas Peter/Reuters How could the US president really have believed Putin wanted peace so much so that he would publicly vouch for him in that manner? If you look closely at how Trump has described his turnabout on his Russian counterpart, it looks a lot like tacit acknowledgement that he had indeed succumbed to his flattery and misjudged him. Trump repeatedly talked about how Putin said nice things but then didnt back it up with action. He at one point called it bullshit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps also spoken openly about how he thought a peace deal in Ukraine would be easier. I thought the easiest one would be this one, he said Thursday. And in perhaps the most telling instance, Trump last month recalled talking to first lady Melania Trump about a wonderful conversation with Putin right before she told him about Putin bombing yet another city. It sounded a lot like the president admitting Putin had dazzled him, only to quickly get a reality check. At the very least, Trump has taken very little care to avoid the perception that Putin has pulled the wool over his eyes, over many years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Which brings us to Friday. Its possible Trump has good reason to believe Putin is ready to deal; were not privy to the behind-the-scenes machinations and we still dont know what precisely prompted this meeting. But by Trumps new standards for dealing with Putin, words arent supposed to be trusted; its action to back it up thats required. Beyond that, new reporting adds to the evidence that Trump might not really know what hes dealing with. Early Thursday morning, CNN reported that Trump has been asking White House officials and Europeans whats changed about his counterpart. Many around Trump are now trying to give him the idea that Putin changed so he has a reason to say that he wasnt wrong in his initial impression coming into office that Putin is a good guy, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its easy to see why this would be an attractive narrative to Trump. But the idea that he might actually buy into it wouldnt exactly speak well of his ability to read Putin and process the intricacies of diplomacy especially given people have been trying to tell Trump for a very long time that Putin is the bad guy. Lots of Americans seem to see these same problems in their presidents approach to Putin. Despite Trumps much-cultivated reputation as deal-maker, Americans have very little confidence in his ability to strike a good one here. A Pew Research Center poll released Thursday showed 59% of Americans had little or no confidence in Trump to make wise decisions about the war in Ukraine, compared to just 16% who were very confident. (The rest 24% were only somewhat confident.) When Americans were asked whether Trump favored one side or another too much, about half who offered opinions said he sided with Russia too much. (The rest were mostly Republicans who said Trump had been evenhanded.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Previous polling has also shown that many Americans fear that even a potential deal with Russia will prove too favorable to Putin. Friday could be Trumps chance to prove those people wrong that he can actually forge a deal, and a good one at that. But one could be forgiven for fearing a repeat of the mistakes of the past. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com As flash floods ravaged India's Himalayan region in July and August, footage of a truck narrowly escaping debris from a mountain spread in social media posts claiming it showed the northern state of Himachal Pradesh. However, the video previously circulated in reports about a landslide in West Sumatra in 2024, and visual evidence confirms the clip is from Indonesia . "Landslide in Chamba: Truck narrowly escapes, driver cheats death. Watching the video of this landslide in Chamba, it's clear the driver's luck was on his side," reads part of a Hindi-language Facebook post shared August 1, 2025. The video, which racked up more than 132,000 views, shows a truck escaping debris falling off a mountain. Screenshot of the false X post captured August 11, 2025, with a red X added by AFP The clip circulated with similar claims in posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads as torrential rain hit Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand states in India's northern Himalayan region in July and August, killing at least 69 people (archived link). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On August 5, a flash flood driving a torrent of mud smashed into a town in northern Uttarakhand state, killing at least four people with around 100 others missing (archived link). Scores of people die each year during the rainy season due to flash floods and landslides across India (archived link). But the clip actually shows a landslide on the Trans-Sumatra Highway in Indonesia's West Sumatra province. A Google reverse image search of keyframes from the clip found a longer video published May 20, 2024 on YouTube, which credits Reuters and the video agency Newsflare (archived link). The clip, titled "Truck escapes landslide after prolonged heavy rainfall in Indonesia", was flipped horizontally in the false social media posts. Screenshot comparison of the clip shared in the false post (L) and the video published on YouTube The original video published by Newsflare is captioned: "A tanker truck loaded with CPO narrowly escaped being crushed by a landslide in West Sumatra in Indonesia on May 17. This incident was witnessed by residents who were also passing through the area (archived link)." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The caption adds that no casualties were reported. Media outlets CNN Indonesia and SINDOnews published the clip in reports about the incident (archived here and here). Hours of heavy rain caused large volcanic rocks to roll down one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes into two districts on Sumatra island on May 11, 2024, while flooding inundated roads, homes and mosques (archived link). The death toll from flash floods and cold lava flow from a volcano in western Indonesia was reported at 41, with 17 more missing on May 13. An AFP journalist in Indonesia confirmed the blue-and-white vehicle seen escaping the landslide is a fuel tanker operated by the Indonesian state-owned oil and natural gas company Pertamina, which has previously commented on the colour-coding (archived link). AFP has previously debunked other claims related to India's monsoon. By Timour Azhari (Reuters) -Foreign fighters and others who joined Syria's civil war from abroad have petitioned the new Islamist-led government for citizenship, arguing they have earned it after sweeping to power with rebels who ousted former leader Bashar al-Assad. The fate of foreign fighters has loomed large since Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took power, with few states willing to take back people they often view as extremists and some Syrians wary of their presence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of the fighters and their families, and others including aid workers and journalists who joined the rebels, have no valid documentation. Some have been stripped of their original citizenship, and fear lengthy prison sentences or even death in their countries of origin. But rewarding them with Syrian citizenship could alienate Syrians and foreign states whose support the new government is seeking as it tries to unify and rebuild a country devastated by war and shaken by sectarian killings. A petition submitted to Syria's interior ministry on Thursday, seen by Reuters, argues the foreigners should be granted citizenship so they can settle down, own land and even travel. "We shared bread, we shared sorrow, and we shared in the hope for a free and just future for Syria ... Yet for us, the muhajireen (emigrants), our status remains uncertain," reads the letter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We respectfully request that the Syrian leadership, with wisdom, foresight and brotherhood, grant us full Syrian citizenship and the right to hold a Syrian passport." The letter was submitted by Bilal Abdul Kareem, a U.S. stand-up comedian-turned-war journalist residing in Syria since 2012 and a prominent voice among Islamist foreigners there. He told Reuters by phone that the petition aimed to benefit thousands of foreigners from more than a dozen states. That includes Egyptians and Saudis, Lebanese, Pakistanis, Indonesians and Maldivians, as well as Britons, Germans, French, Americans, Canadians and people of Chechen and Uyghur ethnicity. Reuters could not determine how many people backed the petition for citizenship, but three foreigners in Syria - a Briton, an Uyghur and a French citizen - confirmed they did. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for Syria's interior ministry said the Syrian presidency would be the one to decide on the issue of citizenship for foreigners. A presidency media official did not respond to a request for comment. In the weeks after taking power, Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly HTS leader, said foreign fighters and their families might be granted Syrian citizenship, but there have been no public reports of such a move. Some Syrians are concerned, seeing the foreigner fighters as more loyal to a pan-Islamic project than to Syria, and fearing their perceived extremism. In the months since Assad fell, foreign fighters have been accused of participating in violence targeting members of Alawite and Druze minority religious groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Reuters investigation into violence in Syria's coastal regions in March in which more than 1,000 Alawites were killed found that Uyghurs, Uzbeks, Chechens, and some Arab fighters participated in the killings, though the majority were carried out by Syrian factions. 'JUST OUTCOME' Thousands of Sunni Muslim foreigners flocked to Syria after popular protests in 2011 spiralled into an increasingly sectarian civil war that also drew in Shi'ite Muslim militias from across the region. They joined various groups, some clashing with HTS, others building a reputation as fierce and loyal fighters whom the group's leadership even relied on for their personal security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many married and started families. The Uyghur fighter, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the topic, said his goal had shifted to making a life in the new Syria. "I have a 4-year-old boy who should join school soon, and I have to think about his future away from the battlefields of jihad," the fighter said. Tauqir Sharif, a British aid worker who has lived in Syria since 2012, told Reuters in May that foreigners who contributed to society deserved nationality. "The muhajireen that came were not killers, they were life savers that came here to stop the oppression," said Sharif, who was stripped of his UK citizenship in 2017 for alleged links to an al Qaeda-aligned group, allegations he denies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After taking power in December, Syria appointed foreign fighters to senior military posts. It received a U.S. green light to include several thousand in the army, and has handed foreigners other roles. Supporters of giving foreign fighters citizenship argue it would make them accountable under the law. "This would be the just outcome of the sacrifices these young brothers and sisters made to free the country from the clutches of Bashar al-Assad," said Abdul Kareem, who has also been critical of HTS and the new Syrian leadership. Orwa Ajjoub, a Syrian analyst who has studied Syrian jihadist groups since 2016, said the issue "should be addressed through dialogue with a broad spectrum of Syrian society, which still holds diverse opinions on the matter". (Reporting by Timour Azhari; additional reporting by Feras Dalatey and Maya Gebeily; Editing by Aidan Lewis) Last November, drones of an unknown origin appeared over Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, which The War Zone was first to report. In the following weeks, waves of drones were reported all over the state, and there were incursions over military bases in the U.S. and overseas. The sightings closed airspace, forced increased security patrols and spurred Congressional queries. These all followed another incident that we were the first to report, the December 2023 extremely troubling drone incursions over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Despite all the evidence that we have brought up over the years that points to foreign actors using drones to collect intelligence about U.S. military capabilities, installations, and tactics, the U.S. military has in the past denied any organized or unorganized foreign nexus. While that view is changing, one government insider we spoke with has little doubt that our adversaries are spying on us with drones. Brett Feddersen was a high-ranking official at the Federal Aviation Administration, the White Houses National Security Council, the Pentagons Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Defense Intelligence Agency. He now serves as vice president of strategy and governmental affairs for D-Fend Solutions, which supplies counter-drone equipment to the U.S. military, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and other clients. The systems rely on a variety of sensors for detection and hijacking command signals to bring them down. He is also chairman of the Security Industry Associations Counter-UAS Working Group. Brett Feddersen (LinkedIn) We spoke with Feddersen on Thursday in a wide-ranging discussion about drone threats, mitigation efforts and of course the so-called Jersey drone scare. In the first of our two-part interview, we discuss the role of foreign governments in incursions over military and other sensitive installations, how those nefarious actors could be doing it, as well as concerns about drones being used to attack targets in America. Advertisement Advertisement Some questions and answers have been lightly edited for clarity. Q: Last year, there were several drone incursions over installations like Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and Lakenheath Air Base in England and several others. Were there foreign connections to any of the many such instances? A: I highly doubt that there werent, in that big mix of drones, some foreign adversary was taking advantage and trying to find information or video. We see probing regularly from foreign adversaries over sensitive sites like bases. We also see them over sensitive sites like critical infrastructure, constantly taking pictures, doing surveillance or just trying to get any type of pattern of life they can out of these views. So there was a true mixture of all that. There were multiple drone incursions over Lakenheath Air Base in the U.K. last November. (Photograph by David Goddard/Getty Images) Q: You said that adversaries have been probing bases with drones. Where, when and how often? Advertisement Advertisement A: Even by the militarys own admission, this past year, they said that they had 350 violations last year over military bases. And as everybody knows, or everybody should know, those military bases have sensitive assets and equipment, even if its an open base that has just aircraft on the ramp. Those are taxpayer dollars that are going to those types of assets, and those assets need to be protected. So even with the most casual observer wanting to take pictures of a base, you have a different set of violations. Surveillance of the military. You have the issue with those drones taking pictures or flying where theyre not supposed to be in close proximity to other aircraft. And then you also have those [situations] where we know that our adversaries are taking photographs of our aircraft in planes, much like satellite imagery does. But you can gather good intelligence just from taking photos. Photographs and monitoring and watching whats happening at different bases. Q: Do you know which of these incidents involved foreign adversaries? A: We know the one at Vandenberg was a foreign national, because they were arrested on the aircraft before they were leaving the country. The government doesnt get into the specifics as to parse out which bases are necessarily the more vulnerable ones in an unclassified setting. So we do know, though, that there are a number of those types of activities occurring with foreign adversaries like Vandenberg happened. Q: Vandenberg was not the only instance of foreign involvement in drone incursions that appear in open sources. Can you tell us about any we dont know? Advertisement Advertisement A: None that I can get particularly into. Nothing thats been released to the public that I can talk about. But its safe to assume that critical infrastructure and our bases are being probed by the adversaries using drones. Q: Which adversaries? A: China would be the biggest one. We also know Russia is very actively involved in espionage here in the United States, you know, to a lesser degree, Iran and North Korea. But China predominantly uses quite a bit of this technology and tools to gather information here in the U.S. Q: So would all those countries have flown drones over U.S. military installations and sensitive areas? Advertisement Advertisement A: Yes, but thats not to say that the individuals who are flying them are actually Chinese nationals or Russian nationals We do know that there are unwitting individuals who are feeding that information back, but we also know that they have individuals that they are paying to do this type of activity. Q: How does somebody do this unwittingly? A: If you had a drone and you were out flying around and that drone was, lets say, the common Chinese manufacturer, DJI, or Autel. Youre flying that around, taking video of whats going on, that video is saved onto the drone device itself, or into the controller. And when you want to update that, all that stuff becomes accessible by the software update that is coming from China. So that information, plus the fact that you know its also being sent through social media, different views, different things that are going on, so unwittingly, those individuals are creating this problem. DJI Mini 4 Pro (DJI) Q: So the Chinese and the Russians and North Koreans and Iranians are paying people here in the country to fly drones on their behalf over these military installations and sensitive areas? Advertisement Advertisement A: Yes, theres compensation. [The people operating these drones] are mainly U.S. nationals who just dont know any better. Theyre breaking the law because theyre flying too close to airfields without calling the tower first, or theyre flying in restricted airspace because theyre not savvy enough to pay attention to the fact that theres airspace restrictions around stadiums and in bases and things like that. But we do know that there are individuals in the U.S. who are being compensated for activities that foreign nationals want. So we also know that some of their techniques are to elicit other individuals with drones to provide information. Those pictures, whether its a direct upload, a social media upload, or theyre paying individuals to purposely go and take videos and send back that information. Q: From over U.S. military installations and sensitive areas? A: Yes, because our sensitive areas are everything from airports to nuclear facilities, to stadiums, where were trying to protect people for large events, all those things that critical infrastructure has 16 sectors that are identified in it, but theyre very important to our national security. You talk about water reservoirs and different things like that. There was an incident [last year] where a New Jersey man was dropping dye packs into swimming pools. And so that, in itself, highlights the risk that we have to our own water reservoirs, water treatment plants that are left unprotected, although theyre part of the critical infrastructure program. Q: Did you observe any of this when you were in government? Advertisement Advertisement A: These types of tactics arent new. Drones have been around for quite a while. We started seeing them really impacting the airspace issues back in 2014 and 2015 when they had breached the perimeter of the White House and crashed on the White House lawn, or landed on the White House lawn. We also saw it with other non-traditional aircraft threats, like the gyrocopter guy who flew and landed on the Capitol lawn. Q: What can you tell me about the Langley Air Force Base drone incursion in December 2023? Do you know anything specific about that? Whos behind that? A: Yeah, Im not going to be able to talk about Langley, other than the fact that there were obviously a series of drones, and there were some complications in being able to detect and deal with those drones in that incident. But that is a good example of the type of activity were talking about across various U.S. bases here in the homeland. Q: What were those complications? Advertisement Advertisement A: There were some systems that didnt pick up certain drones. There are other systems that just werent operating at full functionality. The technology is there. While the technology seems to be complex, it often isnt. Its just a matter of the type of technology thats employed, especially in some type of layered solution where you can guarantee guarantee is probably not the right word where youre mitigating the risk of not being able to see or identify or respond to these drones. You know, down to the lowest level, that layered approach of different sensors is really kind of the big benefit there. And when you dont have that, there are times with certain drones that youre blind to their flight over the sensitive areas. A satellite image of Langley Air Force Base. Google Earth Q: Was there a foreign nexus to the Langley drone incursions? A: I believe there was. I dont have any of the deeper background to get into to prove that. But we find that when some of these complex things, when theres more than one drone being used, that foreign adversaries have their fingerprint on it somewhere in the process. Q: Top officials said there were car-sized drones spotted over Langley. What could those have been? Advertisement Advertisement A: There are commercially available drones that are quite big. When they say car size, in my mind, its Prius size, right? So its not like a full sedan or a pickup truck, but there are drones that are out there that are the size of a Prius. Theyre used for agriculture. Theyre meant to carry a heavy payload of chemicals or water for specific things or precision seeding in our agriculture. Drones have changed the way we farm in the U.S. quite a bit. There are heavy payloads that are going back and forth, lets say to a work site or drill site that needs tools or heavier things. There are drones that are big that are able to do it. These are the same drones that were used on October 7 [2023] by Hamas to drop RPGs. So the same ones that we see on the battlefields of different conflict areas. These arent totally different drones. Theyre all capable of carrying a payload, and they all have some legitimate use. Those drones, though, wouldnt have a legitimate use if they were in a stadium area or some type of massive venue or national security event. Palestinian drone attack on Israeli armor. pic.twitter.com/Xb4LNrheJU Astraia (@astraiaintel) October 7, 2023 Q: Those larger drones are harder to operate and more expensive to purchase. Does this increase the likelihood that there was a foreign connection to the Langley incursions? A: The larger drones are very expensive. Theyre as much as a car. So when theyre buying them and theyre using them, theyre making sure theyre taken care of. If its an adversary thats using the drone, theyre also proficient on the drone. It just takes practice to get used to. Q: But given that price, what is the likelihood that foreign adversaries are paying for these drones? Advertisement Advertisement A: If theyre receiving compensation and buying it, I guess that that connection could be made, but theres no hard evidence of that connection. We just know that those drones are being used and that the adversaries are very active in trying to figure out whats going on inside the U.S. Q: Do you have any information about the incursions over the bases in England and Germany that took place last year? A: Our allies are facing the same issues that were facing here in the U.S. Even our U.S. bases overseas are vulnerable to that type of exactly what were talking about the overflights, the gathering of information. So its not unusual that this happened. They are being coordinated because theyre in allied countries. Q: Did those incursions have a foreign nexus? A: I do not know, but I believe so. Q: Why? A: We did have the drone incident in Japan where one of the naval vessels was overflown by a drone. I believe that we were able to ascertain that was definitely a foreign nexus, you know, taking photographs of these things. Weve seen these for years. Usually, theyve come in the form of individuals driving by taking pictures, or spotters, or people pretending to be tourists. These activities are not unique to the U.S. Security scandal at the Japanese naval base Yokosuka. A drone launched by a Chinese citizen flew over the Japanese naval base and filmed the US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Howard. Last year, 450 russian drones flew over German pic.twitter.com/h4DqlPyUVa Jurgen Nauditt (@jurgen_nauditt) May 15, 2024 Q: What is the U.S. doing about the incursions with a foreign nexus? What is the U.S. doing to detect, mitigate and prosecute any kind of response? A: Fortunately, DOD has taken a proactive posture in developing and deploying some of these systems to some of the bases. The threat really inside the U.S. is coming from commercial off-the-shelf drones, or do-it-yourself drones. Theyre not state actor drones being shipped to the U.S., then flown around. So the approach here to protect our bases and our critical infrastructure has to be one that is able to detect and mitigate commercial off-the-shelf drones, or do-it-yourself drones that are flying around. What the DOD and what the government writ large is doing is taking the systems that theyre already using and kind of building on those, or creating more of a layered approach to it, and starting to put those out to the bases that need it. There are bases that have equipment in place, but like I said, theres a lot of complexity to layering those systems together that can create gaps, which weve discovered through some of the incidents like Langley. Q: Is the U.S. conducting these activities in adversary countries? A: You mean surveillance? Q: Yes. A: Using commercial drones inside civilian airspace? That activity is just completely unsafe and the U.S. and its allies are relying on transparency in whats going on and whats operating. Q: How concerned are you that the U.S. may suffer something like Ukraines Operation Spider Web or Israels Operation Rising Lion where drones were pre-placed in trucks and other locations to carry out remote attacks launched from afar? A: Its a very good probability and possibility that it could happen here. So the concern is real. The technology they used and the way they employed it is not new technology. They just used it in a different fashion, kind of a proof of concept. So, yes, that could happen here in the U.S. The distance that they covered means that they can launch the attack from outside the U.S. to pretty much any point inside the U.S., and thats going to make it a little bit more difficult with investigations. Its why you need to have good detection and mitigation sensors in place in order to do this. Now, the Operation Spider Web, the way they did it. You know, were a passive RF sensor. For example, we would have been able to identify those drones and mitigate those drones because they were still receiving and transmitting RF signals, even in and out of autonomous linking, they still had control of the drone so that they could fly it. That is where a majority of that RF spectrum detection mitigation takes place. Other things, like in autonomous mode and other things, you have to integrate radars. You have to integrate other sensors like optics or acoustics. You can watch this forever: The SBU releases new footage from Operation Spiderweb, which dealt massive damage to Russias strategic aviation. pic.twitter.com/H1R4BbxLu8 NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 7, 2025 Q: How worried are you about Mexican cartels using drones to kinetically strike targets in America, like they do south of the border? A: Very. We know theyre being used for surveillance. We know theyre being used in operations to help guide people across the border, and not necessarily illegal immigrants, but their own people across the border. We know that theyre carrying contraband, weapons and drugs constantly using the drones. And as we secure the border, especially at the crossing points, drones and small aircraft have always been a better way to get across the border than trying to do it via land. So its definitely an important thing that the government is taking responsibility and building security, both on the ground and in the air, for our borders. But you know, it goes beyond that. The drugs that are inside the United States, there are criminal organizations that have cartel influence, which are constantly smuggling contraband into our prisons today, and our prisons are left defenseless, unable to stop it. These are drugs, these are other types of weapons. These are cell phones. All these things that enable the prisons to be unsafe are not being protected because, again, prisons dont have the authority. In our next installment, Feddersen talks about how the Jersey drone craze got out of hand, how that could have been stopped and what people were actually seeing. Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com Forensic sculpting aims to help solve Orange County cold case Detectives in Orange County are turning to forensic sculpting to help identify a woman whose body was found in 1993, hoping this new approach will finally solve the decades-old cold case. The womans body was discovered under a piece of scrap metal in a wooded area along Route 441, wearing a Super Bowl 25 shirt, a blue bathing suit and sandals. Despite efforts to identify her through sketches and public appeals, she remains unidentified, known only as Miss Wekiva. Its an unsolved case. We had the remains, and we had some evidence, said a representative from the Orange County Sheriffs Office, explaining the decision to use forensic sculpting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1993, the site where the womans body was found became a crime scene. But despite the discovery of her clothing and jewelry, no one came forward to identify her. The medical examiner determined she was likely in her late teens or early 20s and had been shot. Cpl. Jazmin Rembis-Licari, one of the few trained in forensic sculpting, is involved in the reconstruction process. Using a 3D printer to create a model of the womans skull, clay is applied to approximate her appearance. We dont take any artistic licensing, Rembis-Licari said, emphasizing the scientific nature of the process. Genealogy testing has suggested that the woman was Dominican and possibly from New York, but her identity and the reason she was in Orange County remain unknown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Orange County Sheriffs Office hopes that by revealing the reconstructed face of Miss Wekiva, someone will recognize her and help bring closure to this long-standing mystery. Do you have a story for WFTVs 9 Investigators? Click the banner below to submit a tip. The first time Dan Pascucci passed through Bernheim's gates, he had just met his future wife's family for the first time. After a hectic time, she suggested they take a break outside. "I drove through the gates, and I felt my breath for the first time in a very long time," Pascucci said. Now, Pascucci is the family and youth program manager at Bernheim, and he experiences that same sense of serenity on a daily basis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Berheim Forest and Arboretum, 2075 Clermont Road, has been a staple in the Louisville area since its founding in 1929 due to its vast wooded area, array of activities for all ages and its mission to connect people with nature. Bernheim Forest in 2018 had Artist in Residence Anthony Heinz May who transformed these branches into pixelated limbs, the strings of squares woven around the tree to tell a story about humanity's relationship with nature and technology. August 13, 2025 "I hear so many people come with their kids, talking about how they came as kids and how important the place is," Zach Bramel, Bernheim's Playcosystem coordinator, told the Courier Journal. Here's what to know about Bernheim's education and art programs and how it works to connect people with nature every day: How are educational programs incorporated into Bernheim's mission? Bernheim Forest Playcosystem is a 17-acre nature playground in the heart of the park, that is used by camps, families, visiting community groups and more. August 13, 2025 From summer camps and field trips to homeschool hikes and ECO Kids Discovery Days, Bernheim offers no shortage of educational opportunities for young explorers. During these endeavors, Pascucci said educators aim to make environmental science fun, rather than intimidating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I'll be standing knee deep in a creek with a crayfish in my hands and say, 'Are you having fun?' and the kids will be like, 'Yeah!' and I was like, 'Well, you're doing science. This is what science can look like,'" Pascucci said. On one field trip, called "Exploring the Bernheim Ecosystem," Pascucci takes students through three wildly different ecosystems: Olmsted Pond, the forest and the prairie. At each stop, he talks about various environmental issues, offering a hands-on adventure that is simultaneously educational and scientific. Bernheim Forest Playcosystem is a 17-acre nature playground in the heart of the park, that is used by camps, families, visiting community groups and more. August 13, 2025 More: Louisville's community gardens seek out alternative funding sources after recent budget cuts At the end, he tells students they came to explore one of the largest ecosystems on the planet. He then asks them what they think that ecosystem is. After they throw out some guesses, he reveals the true answer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We eventually get to the fact that the planet is the largest ecosystem, and how just like the pond, the forest and the prairie are all connected to the Bernheim ecosystem Bernheim is connected to everything else on this planet," he said. "So even though it might not feel like it, we're connected here at Bernheim to the penguins that live in Antarctica, to the lions that live in Africa and the polar bears up in the Arctic." By teaching children about the ecology of a space, Bernheim's hope is that they will be more inclined to protect it and will know how to do so, as well. How does Bernheim's art bring people closer to nature? Little Nis, one of the Forest Giants at Bernheim Forest, was created by artist Thomas Dambo. He created three giant sculptures throughout the Arboretum using recycled wood from the region. August 13, 2025 Jenny Zeller, Bernheim's Arts in Nature curator, oversees many of Bernheim's artistic initiatives, including the Danish artist Thomas Dambo's very popular "Forest Giants in a Giant Forest" installation, which integrates wooden mythical creatures into the landscape to encourage people to think of waste differently. "We were able to take what could have been a roadside attraction and turned it into a real opportunity to tell the story of the importance of conservation," Pascucci said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Bernheim, Zeller said artists "collaborate" with the natural world, integrating their works into the surroundings, rather than overtaking them. While this means much of the exhibitions require periodic upkeep, it also gives visitors a unique viewing experience. "I really love how some of the work seamlessly blends into the landscape, but then also has a voice of its own," Zeller said. The Nest, an artistic display located in Bernheim Forests Playcosystem. A 17-acre nature playground in the heart of the park, that is used by camps, families, visiting community groups and more. August 13, 2025 More: For a decade, this Bernheim firefly guide has worked to remind people of nature's 'wonder' Bernheim has several unique programs that help bring artwork into the park. It is celebrating its 45th year of its artist in residence program, which Zeller said is one of the country's oldest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We've worked with visual artists from all over the world that come to Bernheim," Zeller explained. "They live here. They become part of the ecosystem. They create work inspired by their experience." A dead honey locust tree located in front of Bernheims Education Center was slated for removal until it became a medium for 2018 Artist in Residence Anthony Heinz May, a sculptor from Brooklyn, New York. May transformed the branches into pixelated limbs, and the strings of squares woven around the tree tell a story about humanity's relationship with nature and technology. One of the main benefits to focusing on art, Zeller added, is its accessibility. Especially for children, who might be drawn to striking visuals, artwork gets them thinking about the complexities of the natural world from a more approachable standpoint. "That's the beautiful thing about art here at Bernheim we're not a museum or a gallery, so we simply attract people that are here for recreational purposes, and so it's a really great opportunity to inspire folks that might not have an interest in art otherwise," Zeller added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bernheim recently launched another artistic program called L+A+N+D, which stands for Landscape + Art + Nature + Design. It includes 11 large scale installations that aim to spark conversation about biodiversity, conservation and sustainability. "I've just been feeling that scientific facts alone have done very little for us in the fight against climate change, but art really helps patch our hearts to what we think is important," Zeller said. "Really, art helps us feel things." On Aug. 16, Bernheim will be host CONNECT, a sunset event from 6:34-11:24 p.m. that integrates art, music and food to create a uniquely vibrant experience along the park's Lake Nevin Loop to showcase the power of artistic expression. "It's really always been about connecting people to the natural world in hopes that they will protect it," Zeller said. What role does play have in Bernheim's mission? Bramel manages Bernheim's Playcosystem, a 17-acre nature playground in the heart of the park, that is used by camps, families, visiting community groups and more. The Playcosystem is an integral part of Bernheim's Children at Play Network, which strives to connect children with nature through outdoor play. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When kids play outside, they "get the compounded positive effects of spending that time in nature and at play, (improving) the physical and emotional and mental health and well being of our kids," Bramel said. The park offers monthly play days, with the next one on Aug. 23. The team is also leading a "100 Hours of Play" challenge, where individuals who complete 100 hours of outdoor play at Bernheim will earn a "Play Champion" patch. This, the website says, is designed to encourage participation in more freeform outdoor recreation. More: How Kentucky's only pigeon rescue is giving overlooked birds a second chance "When you teach children at a young age and show them all of these things, it can inspire them for life inspire them to live a little more sustainably," Director of Marketing and Communications Lynette Cox said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ruby Grisin is a reporter for The Courier Journal. Reach Ruby via email at rgrisin@gannett.com. Bernheim Forest and Arboretum WHAT: Bernheim Forest and Arboretum is a privately owned, non-profit organization dedicated to connecting people with nature, located 30 minutes away from Louisville in Clermont, Kentucky. It covers more than 16,000 acres, including a 600-acre arboretum and natural areas with over 40 miles of hiking trails. WHERE: 2075 Clermont Road, Clermont HOURS: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Disitors Center open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. COST: $15 per car recommended admission MORE INFORMATION: bernheim.org/visit/ This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Forest Giants, other educational programs at Bernheim Forest Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second-deadliest cancer in the U.S.; however, screening rates remain too low due to a combination of lack of awareness, patient fear, and health care system barriers. Many patients dont realize they are at risk because early-stage CRC has no symptoms, making screening the only way to detect and prevent disease progression. As frontline health care providers, nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician associates/assistants (PAs) are uniquely positioned to address these challenges. With their ability to educate patients, incorporate conversations about screenings into routine visits and facilitate the process, NPs and PAs can play an important role in increasing CRC screening. Why early detection is important CRC symptoms usually only appear at an advanced stage when treatment options are limited. The five-year survival rate for late-stage CRC is just 14 percent, but when caught early, that number jumps to over 90 percent. The recommended screening age was reduced in 2019 from 50 to 45, but many patients are not aware of the change. Public figures like Katie Couric and James Van Der Beek are increasingly using their platforms to encourage conversation, share their personal experiences with cancer, and help drive public awareness. This is an important step forward, but health care providers can continue driving action at the patient level to increase screenings. Were also learning more from research about environmental risk factors for CRC, including a potential link between microplastics and increased colorectal cancer rates. While research continues, its important to remember that early detection is still the best defense. Providers can reinforce the importance of CRC screening, help patients understand their risk, and encourage timely screenings. Another critical gap is screening those with a family history of CRC. Unlike breast or prostate cancer, colorectal cancer is rarely discussed within families, leaving many at-risk individuals unaware that they should begin screening earlier than the general population. To close this gap, providers should prioritize family history discussions as a routine part of patient visits, even beyond wellness exams. Identifying at-risk individuals early can ensure they start screening at age 40 or 10 years before their relatives age at diagnosis. This is a small change that could prompt a conversation among relatives and lead to life-saving early detection. The role of NPs and PAs in screening As primary care providers, NPs and PAs have regular, ongoing interactions with patients, making them well-positioned to initiate screening discussions. A simple When was your last colorectal cancer screening? can be woven into routine visits to keep the topic at the forefront of patient care. Many patients mistakenly believe they dont need screening unless they have symptoms, while others assume colonoscopy is the only option. Shifting the conversation from You need a colonoscopy to You need a colorectal cancer screening, and there are multiple options gives patients a greater sense of control and can help reduce hesitation. One of the most common reasons patients avoid screening is fear of bowel prep. Addressing these concerns proactively by discussing low-volume prep options, offering alternatives like FIT and Cologuard, and providing cost-saving resources can help improve adherence. Ensuring that stool-based tests are given to patients in-office with clear instructions significantly increases completion rates. When a colonoscopy is necessary, scheduling the appointment before the patient leaves the office can improve follow-through and reduce patient drop-off. Navigating the future of screening Blood-based CRC screening is an emerging technology that could one day expand access, but it comes with limitations. Unlike stool-based tests, which detect DNA from precancerous or cancerous cells, blood tests rely on circulating tumor DNA, which is often too low in early-stage CRC to be detected reliably. While blood-based screening may complement existing methods in the future, it should not replace stool tests or colonoscopy, as it lacks the sensitivity needed for early detection. Relying solely on blood-based screening could provide patients with false reassurance, delaying necessary treatment. A collaborative approach to increasing screening rates ADVERTISEMENT Increasing CRC screening rates requires a coordinated effort across health care settings. NPs and PAs can work alongside medical assistants, front desk staff, and GI specialists to make sure patients are getting their screenings. Office workflows can help ensure that patients receive kits with all necessary materials, educational resources are available, and scheduling occurs in real time to minimize missed follow-ups. Collaboration with GI specialists can also help address long wait times for colonoscopies, ensuring timely access for patients who need further evaluation. Beyond the clinical setting, peer collaboration plays a critical role in improving screening strategies. Professional networks like The American Association of Nurse Practitioners, POCN, and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners are great resources where providers can share best practices, learn from colleagues, and stay updated on advancements in CRC screening. Engaging in discussions, attending continuing education events, and adopting proven strategies can make a significant impact in closing the screening gap. Saving lives, one conversation at a time CRC screening should be a routine, accessible, and patient-centered part of care. By initiating conversations, addressing barriers, and streamlining the screening process, NPs and PAs can help detect more cases early when they are most treatable. We can work together to close the CRC screening gap by building trust with patients through conversation, making prevention part of routine care, and prioritizing early detection. Simply introducing the topic of screening to patients is an opportunity to inform, empower, and ultimately save lives. Elisabeth Evans is a nurse practitioner. UNION, S.C. (WSPA) Thousands of cities across the country will soon have to remove toxic chemicals from their water sources; the biggest challenge, though, is paying for it. In the Upstate, the City of Union Utilities company said leaders are aware of concerns of chemicals commonly referred to as PFAS, or forever chemicals being detected in water meant for city customers. Utilities director, Lance Davis, said the chemicals arent just in the Broad River Basin where many South Carolina municipalities like Union pull from, theyre showing up all over the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a category of man-made chemicals which have been used for decades in non-stick cookware, water-resistant clothing and firefighting foams. Due to their long-lasting nature, the chemicals are known to accumulate in the human body and in the environment. Long term exposure to PFAS has been linked to multiple types of cancer and other health issues. Its a man-made chemical compound that doesnt naturally break down on its own, which is what causes the challenge, Davis explained. They dont naturally go away. Davis told 7NEWS the EPA plans to require water utilities to cut PFAS levels by 2031. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city doesnt determine what are safe drinking water standards, he said. Those are given to us by South Carolina DES and by the EPA who determine the standards. Were in compliance with all of the standards and were trying to be proactive at this point and being prepare for when these new guidelines are enforceable. The big question many cities are facing now, is how theyre going to make that happen. The other component is the funding component and making sure we make our best efforts to make sure that our rate payers dont have to bear the burden of those costs because again, its going to be a very expensive project, Davis said. Again, the city is in compliance with the current rules. No extra measures need to be taken by residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are in full compliance and not by a little, said Davis. We want to be good steward of that resource and produce water that our customers can be confident in. City administrator Joe Nichols said Union, like many other cities, is taking legal action to help fund the process. There was a class action lawsuit with 3M, Dupont, BSF, a lot of them, Nichols said. A lot of big entities were involved in it. We opted out of that class action lawsuit. We went with another group of attorneys, another group thats going after more money. He told us the City of Union sued manufacturing company 3M, claiming the company has known for decades PFAS are toxic and knew or should have known contaminants 3M put into the Broad River Basin would flow into the citys water treatment plant which cannot remove PFAS from wastewater and would go on to pollute customers water supply. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve tested it coming out of the river, he said. We know its in the water so now like I said, weve got to clean it up. Weve got to spend millions of dollars to clean it up. Somebodys got to pay for it. He said the goal is to get levels to zero, knowing its likely regulations will continue to change. We feel like its going to be a moving target thats going to lower, he said. Right now, the funding that were going to go in after will be for zero, no detect. 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. Wren Clair - KARE Wren Clair is suing Minneapolis ABC affiliate KSTP for sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation. Clair alleged that KSTP news director Kirk Varner repeatedly told her she should wear tighter fitting clothing and complained about a change in her hair color. After she complained to human resources, Clair alleged that KSTP fired her for "poor performance" when she had more than two years left on her contract. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KSTP denied the allegations, but admitted that Varner complimented Clairs outfit choices and said she had a swimmers body. Clair also alleged that former chief meteorologist Dave Dahl also made sexist comments to her and that other men at the station tried to undermine and sabotage her work. She added that she told managers she wasnt given sufficient security after being harassed and groped by several drunk men while on assignment at the Minnesota State Fair in 2023. KSTP says that it fired Clair for poor performance and admits that she never received any formal disciplinary action. Clair started working at KSTP in 2018. She joined Minneapolis NBC affiliate KARE in 2025. LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) Shawn Mickey Stines, the former Letcher County Sheriff who allegedly shot late District Judge Kevin Mullins to death in his chambers in September 2024, is due back in court Friday afternoon. According to Kentucky State Police (KSP), Mullins, 54, died at the scene, and Stines, 43, surrendered without incident on Sept. 19 following a shooting at the Letcher County courthouse. Motion filed to unseal psychological evaluation of former Ky. sheriff accused of killing judge Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stines was deposed on Sept. 16 in a lawsuit filed by two women, one of whom alleged that former Letcher County Deputy Sheriff Ben Fields forced her to have sex inside Mullins chambers for six months in exchange for staying out of jail. The lawsuit accuses the sheriff of deliberate indifference in failing to adequately train and supervise the deputy. When investigators arrived in the chambers, the judges phone was on the desk and the sheriff had his phone with him, the lead detective in the case reportedly testified. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Stines was set for a psychiatric evaluation in June, the results of which are confidential. He is due in court at 1 p.m. on Friday for a status hearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An investigation into the death of Judge Mullins remains 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 FOX 56 News. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) A former Nashville police officer has been sentenced to probation on a charge of felony official misconduct after law enforcement officials say he allegedly participated in an adult video while on duty. According to court documents filed Thursday, Sean Herman entered a "best interest" plea in Nashville criminal court for one count. A second count was dismissed. Herman, 35, faces one year of supervised probation. The best interest plea means that a defendant pleads guilty while maintaining factual innocence of the crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, he was granted judicial diversion, which means that certain eligible defendants who successfully finish probation under the judge's conditions will have their cases dismissed. They can also then request that charges be expunged from their record. According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Herman was fired in May 2024 after detectives with the Specialized Investigations Divisions discovered the video and identified him while wearing his MNPD uniform. He was arrested and charged with the two counts that June. Officials say Herman can be seen taking part in a mock traffic stop in the video that was posted on OnlyFans, a site where fans pay creators for their photos and videos. The skit allegedly included Herman groping the female driver. An MNPD press release says that the video was made April 26, 2024, in a warehouse parking lot while Herman was on duty as a patrol officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In August 2024, a state board indefinitely suspended Herman of his certification to be a law enforcement officer in Tennessee, with the understanding that he could argue to be reinstated once the criminal case is closed. Phone and email messages left with an attorney listed for Herman were not immediately returned Friday. BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) A well-known name from the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, who you may have seen on the field at Mirabito Stadium before his move up to Syracuse on May 6th, is now set to make his debut at Citi Field on Saturday. Nolan McLean, the #3 prospect in the Mets organization, got the call-up to the big leagues for his shot on the mound in Queens. He will be debuting in Saturdays game against the Seattle Mariners. With Binghamton this season, he made 5 starts, going 3-1 with a 1.37 ERA before he got the call-up to the Syracuse Mets and Triple-A. With the call-up to New York, he will replace Frankie Montas in the lineup, who was removed from the rotation on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Former state Rep. Brian Coogan always thought Nicholas Alahverdian was destined for greatness. Coogan first met Alahverdian at the Rhode Island State House nearly two decades ago. He said Alahverdian was a teenager working as a page at the time. Alahverdian was a strong critic of the R.I. Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), having grown up between several foster homes, according to Coogan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was aggressive, he was a hard worker, he used his manners and was just a great kid, Coogan recalled, noting that Alahverdian was attentive in a way that other pages typically werent. Coogan was puzzled as to how Alahverdian became a page at such a young age, but didnt outwardly question it. Former Rhode Island Rep. Brian Coogan I always scratched my head thinking, How did this kid get into this building?' he continued. Nobody really knows how he got there. Coogan never got a straight answer on how Alahverdian made his way to the State House, but acknowledged that the two formed a bond so strong that he considered adopting him at one point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He called me one day from the courthouse building and asked me to meet him down there, Coogan said. He wanted me to adopt him. I didnt have any children at the time and I wanted to help him. But his willingness to take in Alahverdian changed when the chief judge urged him to reconsider. The chief judge would not let me adopt him, Coogan said, noting that he had a massive file detailing his troubled past. TARGET 12: RI fugitive Alahverdian found guilty in Utah rape trial Coogan said he first became skeptical of Alahverdian after noticing that he was covered in cuts and bruises. He later learned those injuries were self-inflicted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were always signs something was off, Coogan said. I always looked at Nick as a child, as my child, as someone I could guide and help. But he would disappear for months at a time and then call me. Coogan told 12 News he had a heated argument with Alahverdian over the phone after learning what hed been accused of. I said, Youre nothing but a monster but he told me I had it all wrong, Coogan said. I told him, Youre a bad guy and youre in big trouble, just turn yourself in. I tried to tell him to do the right thing. Coogan also said he was one of the last people Alahverdian called before faking his own death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said he was dying and he wanted to apologize for everything, Coogan recalled. I said, Nick, youre not dying. I mean, youre a cockroach. What youve done to women and the identifies youve stolen the authorities told me the bad things you did. Youre not a good person Nick, and I dont believe youre dying.' Coogans hunch turned out to be true. Nicholas Alahverdian Alahverdian faked his own death in 2020, with an online obituary claiming he died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. My blood started boiling, Coogan said, adding that he called the authorities and urged them to not stop looking for him. Coogan remembers feeling relieved when authorities found Alahverdian recovering from COVID-19 in a Scottish hospital two years later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I remember where I was. I was at a gas station in Warwick, Coogan recalled. A reporter texted me and he just said, Youre right. Hes alive. I was jumping and screaming at the gas pump. I was very happy. Investigators learned that Alahverdian, whos also gone by the name Nicholas Rossi, had moved to the United Kingdom and claimed to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight. Coogan wasnt shocked to learn that Alahverdians ruse unraveled as quickly as it did. Nicholas Alahverdian is a master manipulator, a con artist and a monster, he said. SEE ALSO: Nicholas Alahverdian admits he changed his name to Arthur Knight Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alahverdian had been accused of sexually assaulting his girlfriend in Utah in 2008, which is likely why he decided to move overseas. He fought extradition to the United States for years, drawing international attention, before going to trial earlier this week. He was found guilty of rape Wednesday night. Alahverdian is slated to be sentenced in October and faces five years to life in prison. Coogan is thrilled that Alahverdian is finally being brought to justice. I hope he gets everything thats coming to him, Coogan said. Whatever his sentence is, I hope he serves every day because he is a danger to everybody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is not the end of Alahverdians legal woes. He will eventually be put on trial for a second rape charge out of Utah. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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. Former suspect in deadly Sweet 16 party shooting back in jail A man who had murder charges dropped against him in a deadly shooting at a Sweet 16 party is back in jail, accused of gang activity and selling drugs. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Chance McDowell faced life without parole for the March 2023 shooting that took the lives of 14-year-old Ajanaye Hill and 15-year-old Samuel Moon. But he ended up serving only 12 months in jail on an obstruction charge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He sobbed in court as he apologized for his role in the case. Now, deputies said he sold marijuana to an undercover agent. When they went to his home, they said they found more drugs, including chocolate bars infused with psychedelic mushrooms. They said they found a gun and evidence of gang activity as well. Beverly LaFleur Moons mother, said she hoped McDowell would turn his life around after a second chance. I thought that he would make a better choice because he was given freedom, she said. LaFleur believed charges should not have been reduced in the shooting but still wanted to see McDowell mentor kids to help them avoid trouble like he went through. McDowell did not have an attorney listed in court records to reach out to for comment. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The former adjutant general of the Utah National Guard who was placed on administrative leave two years ago following allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate is retiring with a sizable rank demotion. Former Maj. Gen. Michael J. Turley has retired as a lieutenant colonel a U.S. Army officers rank (O-5) three steps below his highest military rank (O-8), according to a Task & Purpose report. An Army Inspector General investigation substantiated the allegation that Maj. Gen. Michael J. Turley engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate, said Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith. He will retire as a lieutenant colonel, which was determined the last grade in which he honorably served. We consider this matter closed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turley is retiring at the lower rank following an assessment by the Army Grade Determination Review Board, Keith Garner, deputy director of public affairs for the Utah National Guard, told Task & Purpose. On Aug. 17, 2023, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox issued a statement that Turley had been placed on administrative leave from his command position of the Utah National Guard because he was under investigation by the Department of the Army Inspector General. In a statement provided to Military Times days later, Turley denied any improper relationship. In 2023, Cox was asked if he knew about the ongoing investigation before Turley was placed on leave. Cox said he became aware of the investigation in 2022 but the Army Inspector General would not share ongoing details, so he was left with insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations, according to KSL-TV. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turley became adjutant general of the Utah National Guard on Nov. 7, 2019, assuming command of 7,600 soldiers and employees. Just a week before being placed on administrative leave on Aug. 9, 2023 Turley joined local leaders in greeting President Joe Biden as he arrived at the Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base in Utah. And earlier that same year, then-Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, chose Turley as his featured guest at Bidens State of the Union Address. Romneys office said he was unaware Turley was under a long-running investigation at the time, USA Today reported. Cox appointed Brig. Gen. Daniel Boyack as the new adjutant general of the Utah National Guard a position he still holds under the rank of major general. A rare but not unheard of retirement demotion When officers are demoted, it is customary that defense officials announce their ranks have been lowered to the last grade that they served honorably or satisfactorily, according to Task & Purpose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This practice is typically used in cases in which service members try to retire and facts and evidence of misconduct earlier in their careers come to light, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Rachel VanLandingham, a former military attorney, told Task & Purpose. Their misconduct, then, taints everything they did afterwards, said VanLandingham, a law professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. Such demotions are rare but not unheard of, she said. It allows for the Pentagon to say: Hey, look, you dont deserve to have this rank in perpetuity in retirement, and you dont deserve the pay, VanLandingham said. Its a huge pay cut for the rest of your life in your pension because you did not honorably serve. Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., delivered his final speech as a United States Senator on the U.S. Senate floor on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (Senator JoeManchin YouTube) Former U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin is hitting the road in September to promote his upcoming memoir Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense. The 288 page book will be published on Sept. 16, but the book tour which includes five in-person stops and one virtual event will run from Sept. 12 to Sept. 22, according to social media posts from Manchin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The book, according to Manchin, will pull back the curtain on the thought process behind [his] decisions and have candid conversations about how we fix whats broken, find compromise and put country before party. Manchin will kick off the tour at West Virginia University the only stop scheduled in his home state on Sept. 12. Hoppy Kercheval, a longtime West Virginia political commentator and former host of MetroNews Talkline, will moderate a discussion with Manchin centered around his memoir. Other stops on the tour will have conversations moderated by Brad Paisley, Gayle King, David Axelrod and David Rubenstein. Manchins political career started in the 1980s, when he sat in the West Virginia House of Delegates for two terms before being elected to the state Senate. In 2001, he was elected to serve as the Secretary of State. In 2005, he won his bid for governor of West Virginia, serving one term before winning a special election to fill the late Robert C. Byrds seat in the U.S. Senate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Manchin served in the U.S. Senate for about 15 years, announcing in 2023 that he would not be seeking reelection when his term ended in January 2025. For nearly his entire career, Manchin served as a Democrat. During his tenure in the Senate, he was often a moderate voice, opting at times to vote with Republicans instead of his own party. Throughout his last few years in the Senate, Manchin regularly criticized the increased partisanship that had taken hold of Congress, calling both the left and the right too extreme. Following 2020, with a split Senate, he became a key player in proceedings due to his centrist leanings making him a swing vote despite his membership in the Democratic Party. His moderate views often led to more left-leaning policies being watered down in order to guarantee passage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In May 2024, with less than a year left in his final term, Manchin changed his party registration to unaffiliated, leaving West Virginia without any federally elected Democrats. At the time, rumors were swirling in Washington, D.C. and West Virginia that Manchin was considering a bid for president due to his work with No Labels, an organization that was looking to form an independent presidential ticket for the 2024 election. That summer, Manchin killed those rumors. He spent his final year in office on a tour to unite the middle of America to support centrist policies, candidates and ideals. According to the book summary, Dead Center will combine eyebrow-raising, never-before-told stories from inside the Senate and the White House with insights into how government does or doesnt work. Book tour dates Sept. 12: Morgantown, WV West Virginia University with Hoppy Kercheval Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sept. 15: New York, NY 92nd Street Y with Gayle King Sept. 17: Nashville, TN Humanities Tennessee Vanderbilt University Parnassus Books with Brad Paisley Sept. 21: Washington, DC Politics and Prose Bookstore with David Martin Rubenstein Sept. 22: Naperville, IL Andersons Bookshop North Central College with David Axelrod Sept. 22: Commonwealth Club World Affairs Virtual Event Visit here to buy tickets or for more information on individual events. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE FORT SCOTT, Kan. City leaders in Fort Scott hold a public meeting Thursday evening to discuss the renewal of a half-cent sales tax. Residents were able to learn more and give input about a 10-year extension of that tax thats set to expire next year. It was approved by voters in 2022. The tax dollars are currently being used to improve city streets and parks. An extension would be used primarily for the upkeep of the citys streets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city is looking to allocate approximately 10% of the sales tax revenue to a new public safety fund. Despite many residents complaining about the renewal on social media, only a dozen people showed up for Thursdays town hall meeting. One concern is whether the city should continue to repair its historic red brick streets located in downtown and surrounding residential neighborhoods or replace them with asphalt. Well, theres controversy from even before I moved here a year ago, in April, about the bricks and whether or not they should be continued, how much cost is required to refurbish those as opposed to just your usual asphalt, said Fort Scott resident, Karen Elizabeth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can survey a bunch of people in this town, and you would get a large portion of them that say, leave the brick in the historic section and lets upgrade the roads and the other section. Youd get some that say, dont touch any brick, and you would get a group that would say replace it all, said Fort Scott Mayor, Tim Van Hoecke. I think theyve done a good job. Its obviously never fast enough for everybody, so you always want the streets that you live on to be done first, said Fort Scott resident, Michael Hoyt. Voters will decide in the November election. 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. A woman has been found incompetent to stand trial for the murder of 5-year-old Darnell Taylor, a judge ruled Thursday. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] A judge accepted a report from psychologists at the Central Ohio Psychiatric Hospital, which concluded Pammy Mayes current incompetency. Maye faces charges of aggravated murder, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse in connection with Taylors death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayes attorney stated that she will receive treatment for up to a year to restore her competency. TRENDING STORIES: A spokesperson for the Franklin County Prosecutors Office indicated that if Mayes competency cannot be restored, the court may commit her to a mental health facility. On February 14, 2024, police received a call from a man claiming his wife told him that she had just killed our foster child.Maye and the child left the home, prompting authorities to search for a Jeep Cherokee, which was later found in Brooklyn, Ohio. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brooklyn police detained Maye after receiving reports of her suspicious behavior near a business on Tiedeman Road. Detectives learned from Maye that Darnells body was placed in a sewage drain in Franklin County, where it was later discovered. The Franklin County Coroners Office reported that Darnell died from asphyxia by smothering with cervical neck compression. Darnells estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit in November 2024, naming several defendants, including Maye and her husband. The lawsuit alleges Darnell suffered abuse at the hands of his caretakers and seeks damages for the harm and losses endured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case against Maye remains uncertain as her competency is assessed, while Darnells estate pursues legal action against those they hold responsible for his death. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) August 28, 2025, will mark 70 years since the death of Emmett Till, and the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation (ETLF) is looking to commemorate his ongoing legacy. The foundation will host four days of events to honor Tills life and legacy. These events are meant to educate, uplift, and activate attendees on racial injustice. The commemorations also mark 20 years since the foundations founding. Emmett Till Interpretive Center named partner of National Park Service Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is more than a remembrance, it is honoring a promise made to Mamie Till Mobley, said Deborah Watts, Co-Founder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation and cousin of Emmett Till. We are committed to ensuring that the truth is never erased, the legacy lives on, and that Emmetts death was not in vain. Till was only 14 when he was kidnapped, brutally tortured, lynched and killed during a racially motivated hate crime in Mississippi. His death marked a pivotal point in the growth of the modern-day civil rights movement after Mamie Till Mobley, his mother, had an open casket funeral for her son. Upon seeing his casket, the public began to rally against racial injustice which would help to create the civil rights movement. 70th Anniversary Weekend Schedule Highlights Thursday, August 28 A National Day of Remembrance Emmett Louis Tills 70th Anniversary. All are asked to wear black and white attire on August 28. 5:30 p.m. Community Dialogue and featured Speakers for Hear My Voice: Are You Listening? via Zoom 8:30 p.m. Candlelight Vigil and Balloon Release led by Emmett Till Justice for Families at Jackson State University Friday, August 29 11:00 a.m. Till Movie Screening and Talk Back for students with Award Winning Film Producers, Till Family, advocates and Special guests (Location: Tougaloo College, Bennie G. Thompson Auditorium) 5:00 p.m. Till Movie Screening and Talk Back for the general public with Award Winning Film Producers, Till Family, advocates and Special guests (Location: Tougaloo College Bennie G. Thompson Auditorium) Saturday, August 30 10:00 a.m. Emmett Till Memorial Parade led by City of Jackson and Councilman Kenneth Stokes, in collaboration with Emmett Till Justice For Families 12:00 p.m. Till Trail of Tears and Terror Historical Guided Bus Tour from Jackson, Mississippi to key sites and museums, including the Emmett Till and Mamie Till Mobley National Monuments and more in the Mississippi Delta (Pre-registration and Tickets via Eventbrite) Sunday, August 31 10:30 a.m. Worship in White Church Service Worship in White: Our Smith Family COGIC Roots Church Service. Wear white attire. Join the Emmett Till Family and experience the source of Mamie Till Mobleys unwavering strength and resilience. A Special presentation by MADDRAMA (Location TBA) 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Community Roots Reunion at the Till Familys origin homeplace in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. Breaking Bread together for Unity and Strength Send Off. (Location subject to change) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily 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 WJTV. Four people in New York City's Harlem neighbourhood have died from an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, an aggressive and potentially deadly form of pneumonia. The city has seen 99 confirmed cases with 17 people in hospital with the infection, according to the New York City Department of Health. Officials have traced the outbreak back to 12 cooling towers on 10 buildings where bacteria was growing, including at a hospital and a health clinic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eleven of the 12 cooling towers have undergone remediation efforts, and the final one is expected to be fixed on Friday, according to New York Mayor Eric Adams. Legionnaires' disease is relatively rare, with fewer than 18,000 people hospitalised in the US every year, according to medical research centre Cleveland Clinic. Transmission does not happen from person-to-person contact, but rather by mist in the air. The Legionella bacteria grows in stagnant, warm water, like the water that collects at the bottom of building cooling towers. The risk of serious complications from the disease, including lung failure and death, is highest for people aged 50 over as well as for smokers. 'Situation is under control' At a news conference on Thursday, Adams insisted that the "situation is under control". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I want to reassure everyone the air is safe to breathe and there is no risk to our drinking water or our water supply," he said. The towers are located all over Harlem, which is located in Upper Manhattan, including at the City University of New York building and Harlem Hospital Center. Health officials in the city are urging anyone experiencing symptoms to seek medical attention. "This is not the time to say, 'let me just go to the grocery store and get some ginger ale and let me lay up somewhere,'" Harlem City Councilmember Yusef Salaam said at a press conference last week. "This is the time for you to actually go and seek medical attention. That's how serious this is." Fox News Digital continued to dominate during July while CNN hit historic lows in critical measurables. The month featured catastrophic Texas floods, President Donald Trump signing his "big beautiful bill," the Sean "Diddy" Combs verdict, CBS canceling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and a slew of other significant news. Along the way, Fox News Digital was the No.1 news site in total unique visitors, multiplatform views and multiplatform minutes. Fox News Digital finished atop all three categories among the competitive news set that includes The New York Times, CNN, CBS News, NBC News, ABC News, Washington Post, USA Today and others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fox Corporation's New 'Fox One' Streaming Service To Launch August 21 Fox News Digital has finished as the No. 1 news brand among multiplatform minutes for 53 straight months. Fox News Digital led all news competitors with 92 million total unique visitors in July, besting CNN's 91 million. NBC News trailed in third with 81 million total unique visitors, followed by The New York Times with 68 million and ABC News with 43 million. Fox News Digital delivered 3.9 billion multiplatform minutes for a 1% increase compared to last year. It was the 53rd consecutive month that Fox News Digital finished atop the key measurable. Read On The Fox News App The New York Times was No. 2 with 1.2 billion multiplatform minutes but shed 30% compared to last year. CNN finished third in the key category with 1.1 billion multiplatform minutes but lost a staggering 53% compared to last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When it comes to multiplatform views, Fox News Digital finished ahead of the pack with 1.9 billion, while the Times managed 1.4 billion multiplatform views for second place and CNN delivered 766 million for third place. It marked the 15th consecutive month that Fox News finished No. 1 in the category. Fox News Lands Licensing Deal With Popular Ruthless Podcast As Part Of Expansion Of New Media Fox News Channel Dominates All Of Television In July, Cnn Hits Rock Bottom Among Key Demo July was CNNs worst month among both multiplatform views and multiplatform minutes since tracking began in February 2015. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fox News Digital was also No. 1 in average views per visit among the news competitive set, with 2.4 average views per visit. Fox News maintained its dominance on YouTube against all other news brands, reaching a whopping 332 million video views, according to Emplifi. MSNBC tallied 318 million views, followed by CNN's 209 million, NBC News' 165 million, ABC News' 121 million, CBS News' 51 million and The New York Times' 6.2 million. Fox News finished July as the No. 1 news brand on YouTube with 334 million video views. Additionally, Fox News once again was the most engaged news brand on social media in July with 98 million total social interactions, an increase of 134% from the year prior, according to Emplifi. When broken down, 71.8 million of those interactions came from Facebook, 21.1 million came from Instagram and 4.1 million came from X. Fox News Digital, CBS News, NBC News, The Washington Post and ABC News have opted in to account for Social Incremental in total digital multi-platform unique visitors, while brands like CNN and The New York Times have not opted in. Digital data courtesy of Comscore. Original article source: Fox News Digital tops all news brands in key metrics during July as CNN hits historic lows Tropical Storm Erin is expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Friday, with its most likely track keeping its center well offshore of the U.S. East Coast while producing coastal impacts, FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross said during a live question-and-answer segment. On Thursday, Norcross addressed viewer concerns about both Erin and a separate system in the Gulf of America, which was given a 40% chance of development by the National Hurricane Center. Within the system known as Invest 98L over the southwestern Gulf, Norcross said Hurricane Hunter aircraft had found signs of weak rotation, with peak winds around 30 mph in one rain band, but the circulation wasnt significant. Tracking Invest 98L The disturbance is moving toward northern Mexico and southern Texas, bringing the potential for heavy rain and localized flooding into the weekend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Erins forecast cone shows the future hurricane curving between Bermuda and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, next week. Track Tropical Storm Erin: Live Maps, Forecast Cone, Spaghetti Plots And Alerts The NHC expects Erin to strengthen rapidly over warmer water, potentially reaching Category 3 or 4 intensity, all while staying safely offshore. Norcross said Puerto Rico and nearby islands could see tropical-storm-force winds, squalls and isolated power outages over the weekend as the storms outer bands pass. Along the U.S. East Coast, Norcross stressed that impacts are likely even if Erin stays well offshore. Long-period swells and dangerous rip currents could affect beaches from the Southeast to New England, with possible beach erosion and localized coastal flooding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Carolinas Outer Banks, particularly Highway 12, could be vulnerable depending on the hurricane's overall size and proximity. "We've had issues with Highway 12 being washed out and so forth, and I'm not saying that's going to happen, but that is a possibility depending on how much energy we get," said Norcross. Tracking Tropical Storm Erin How To Watch Fox Weather The hurricane expert said the chance of Erin unexpectedly turning westward toward Florida or the Southeast is "in the single percentage" given the accuracy of seasoned forecasters and computer models. While some historical hurricanes have deviated from their forecast tracks, Norcross noted that todays computer models are significantly more accurate than even a decade or two ago. Tracking Tropical Storm Erin For those with upcoming travel, including cruises from Miami and Puerto Rico, Norcross said cruise lines monitor storms closely and may adjust itineraries to avoid dangerous conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Norcross emphasized that the most likely scenario keeps Erins core offshore, with Bermuda potentially seeing greater direct impacts than the mainland U.S. "In any case, in Bermuda, they have to keep an eye on this," Norcross stated. "A big hurricane puts a lot of energy out there, pushing ocean water in big, long-period swells." Original article source: FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross breaks down Erins track, viewer questions Passengers who ride South Florida's public passenger train, Tri-Rail, or public buses in Palm Beach County and the rest of the region can finally buy tickets for all four systems in one smartphone app. The public transportation agencies announced on Aug. 11 the launch of the SoFloGo app, which allows users to buy tickets for Tri-Rail, Palm Beach County's bus operator Palm Tran, and for transit agencies in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. App users can also see real-time updates on where the train or buses are and get the fastest directions from point A to point B using public transportation throughout the three counties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Glitches on Tri-Rail app can cost riders money. Are train officials going to fix it? Screenshot of the SoFloGo app. What was so bad about Tri-Rail's and Palm Tran's apps? SoFloGo aims to make it easier for mass transit passengers across South Florida to plan and pay for rides on public buses and trains using just its app, rather than each of the agencies' own apps, which have given users problems. A glitch in Tri-Rail's app can cause it to take users' money without supplying them a digital ticket. Palm Tran has one app to give riders directions on its buses and another where passengers can pay for fares, rather than one that does both. Related: Fancier bus stops promise to speed up buses on this high-traffic Palm Beach County road How buying tickets works on SoFloGo On SoFloGo, when a passenger buys a fare for Tri-Rail or Palm Tran, it shows a QR code that can be scanned onboard. Tri-Rail digital passes expire three hours after purchase; for Palm Tran, after eight minutes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While SoFloGo users can buy fares from Tri-Rail, Palm Tran and other South Florida transit agencies, they must sign up with each of those agencies, rather than making one account for all of them. The app provides digital forms for users to sign up with their email addresses and credit or debit card information. How getting transit directions works on SoFloGo When a user opens SoFloFo, they can input their destination's address and get step-by-step directions showing which buses or trains to take and how long it will take. When traveling across counties, SoFloGo shows which buses on Broward County Transit or Miami-Dade Transit to ride. In the latters case, the app also shows directions for Metrorail and Metromover. SoFloGos directions can include instructions telling users to hop on Brightline, but the app does not give users the option to buy tickets for that privately run for-profit passenger train. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If a user taps the "Stations" button at the bottom, they can see a map of nearby bus stops at train stations, and if the user taps them, they can see when the next buses or trains should arrive, based on the location data those vehicles emit. How to report bad or good conditions at bus stops and train stations The app also gives users the option to send a report on how crowded, clean or dirty a bus stop or train station is for other app users to see. Passengers can also send reports on whether there is a crime, fire or other emergency happening at the place. To find this, users must tap "Stations," then tap on a bus stop at train station and at the bottom of the next screen, swipe to the rightmost button, a speech bubble with an exclamation point in it, and tap it. App users can see other users' reports and rate whether the information provided is relevant. Reports are not screened before they are automatically uploaded to the app. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Money from the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization paid for development of the app, the South Florida transit agencies' joint news release said. Chris Persaud covers transportation in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email news tips and article ideas to cpersaud@pbpost.com. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: SoFloGo app allows users to purchase tickets for Tri-Rail, Palm Tran The Pierce County Republican Party and an anti-abortion group have reached an agreement with the Washington State Fair after controversy over new fair guidelines led the groups to say that they wouldnt participate in the event. The Pierce County GOP and Washington Alliance for Life, an anti-abortion group, both publicly said they wouldnt participate in this years fair, after the fair asked them to move to a free speech area. Following meetings with the groups on Thursday, fair officials reversed course and said the groups wont have to move to the free speech area during the fair, which will run from Aug. 29 to Sept. 21 in Puyallup. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stacy Van Horne, spokesperson for the fair, told The News Tribune on Wednesday that the organizations had not been banned from the fair rather, the fair asked them to move to the free speech area because of new guidelines that focus on guest-friendly experiences. Its about having separate areas for different things at the fair, Van Horne said. Van Horne said both organizations have participated in the fair in prior years, but in different locations. The PCRP has had a booth inside the ShowPlex, a marketplace where retailers sell products. The Alliance for Life has been included in NW Connections, the fairs educational programming inside the Expo Hall. After the meetings Thursday, Van Horne emailed The News Tribune two separate statements one for each group that said the groups would be allowed to return to those locations. Pierce County Republican Party at the Washington State Fair On Thursday, PCRPs vice chair, Kristen Bridgan-Brown, issued a statement on Facebook, calling the change a victory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Victory at the Washington State Fair!, she wrote. We stood firmand the Fair listened. We will continue gathering initiative signatures & offering merchandise to our donors inside our ShowPlex booth! The News Tribune reached out to the PCRP. The group declined to comment. Van Hornes emailed statement about the change said: The Washington State Fair Event Center and Chair of the Pierce County Republican Party met and discussed the parameters of their booth at the upcoming Fair. We have come to a mutual understanding to allow the GOP to continue gathering signatures and selling merchandise at their booth inside the ShowPlex building. Van Hornes statement went on to say: If official nationally recognized political parties apply to be in the ShowPlex amongst other paying vendors, they can operate under those policies and guidelines. All vendors at the Fair must do all business from inside their booths. Other politically-focused groups may still apply to be in the free speech area (located inside the Green Gate) at no cost. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Aug. 10, PCRP chair Dave McMullan previously announced on Facebook the organization would not participate in the fair because the fair wouldnt let them gather signatures or offer merchandise. The Pierce County Republican Party will not be participating in the Washington State Fair this year due to newly imposed restrictions that prohibit us from offering merchandise for donations to support our work, as well as gathering signatures for citizen-led initiatives, McMullan wrote. These activities have always been an important part of our outreach allowing us to connect with voters, share our values, and support grassroots civic engagement. Van Horne clarified that the free speech area is not new, but the guidelines are. Free speech area has been around for more than a decade its intended for signature gathering and things of political nature as mentioned in our statement, Van Horne wrote. The GOP has been inside the ShowPlex and will continue to be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a phone call with The News Tribune on Wednesday, Van Horne said the fair changed its guidelines in 2024, requiring the PCRP to go to the free speech area by the Green Gate. Van Horne said PCRP violated those policies last year by gathering signatures and selling merchandise in the ShowPlex. We changed our policies about all of that last year, and they didnt adhere to those they cant sell merchandise and they cant gather signatures, and if they want to gather signatures, they can only do that in the free speech area, Van Horne said on Wednesday, before the agreement was reached. People who are out buying candles and bamboo bedsheets dont necessarily want to be hawked at and pulled into a booth to sign things and stuff. Washington Alliance for Life at the Washington State Fair The PCRP shared a post on Aug. 9 with a photo of a letter from the fair to the Washington Alliance for Life. In the letter, the fair declined to let the Alliance for Life participate in its NW Connections program. Following the fairs meeting with the group on Thursday, Van Horne said the fair will allow the Washington Alliance for Life to participate in this years NW Connections program in the Expo Hall, and will continue to have conversations about the booths content. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Washington State Fair Event Center met with Alliance for Life and have come to a mutual understanding regarding booth space at the Fair. Alliance for Life will be allowed to have a booth as part of the Fairs NW Connections program, Van Horne wrote. The Fair and the organization will continue to work together to ensure the display and content shared will focus on education, connection and providing resources to guests. The News Tribune reached out to the Washington Alliance for Life. Teri Conover, the president of the organization, said Thursday: We are thrilled that were going to be back at the fair. We are elated. Van Horne previously told The News Tribune the fair would not allow the organization to have a booth in NW Connections this year because the fair has shifted the direction of the program to be more outdoors-focused. NW Connections is basically an education area and the booths in there are free theres, like, 70 vendors, Van Horne said Wednesday. [Washington Alliance for Lifes] display and their programming has changed and weve also kind of tried to change the direction of NW Connections to make it more cohesive with NW Outdoors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She also said the Washington Alliance for Life has changed its display in recent years, calling it graphic. They didnt want to adhere to requests of how to update their display, and thats where we split hairs, Van Horne said Wednesday. They say, Well, its educational, but when youre putting up pictures and graphic displays that look like the kind you would see at protests on the street thats not what their booth used to look like thats not educational. Van Horne said Wednesday that the fair invited the organization to participate in the free speech area, but the organization declined. It has nothing to do with what we believe in. Van Horne said Wednesday that the fair did not make its decisions with politics in mind, and that fair officials are always having ongoing conversations as they update their guidelines. It has nothing to do with what we believe in. The fair has and always will be apolitical, Van Horne said. Its not like anybodys been banned from the fair or anything every single year, somebody applies for various areas and we look at a multitude of factors. HAMPTON Macho, the dark-colored, 2-year-old French bulldog police said was forcibly stolen at gunpoint Wednesday evening, has been reunited with his owner. The Hampton Police Division said Thursday evening a good Samaritan brought Macho to a fire station whereafter investigators were notified and arrangements were made for the pooch to be returned to his owner. On Wednesday, police were notified of a robbery at an address near the Lumen apartment complex in Hampton. An initial investigation, police said, found Machos owner was approached by three men in a vehicle while the owner was walking the dog. One of them exited the vehicle before brandishing a gun and taking the the pet. Police said the three then sped away from the scene in the vehicle. Police said 21-year-old Jalyle Lee of Newport News was on Wednesday taken into custody and charged with robbery and wearing a mask in public, among other felony counts, after investigators located and tracked the vehicle to Newport News. NEED TO KNOW A 46-year-old man was rescued by helicopter after he was trapped behind a waterfall for two days in the Sequoia National Forest on Aug. 12 He was treated for minor injuries and dehydration "He didnt know if he was ever going to get out of there," a rescuer said A missing 46-year-old California man was found safe, but dehydrated, after he was trapped for two days behind a raging waterfall in the Sequoia National Forest, authorities said. On Sunday, Aug. 10, Ryan Wardwell planned to rappel the Seven Teacups waterfalls near the North Fork of the Kern River in California, but didnt return to his car by late Sunday night, the Tulare County Sheriff's Office said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wardwell had hiked to the top of the falls with four friends, who decided to turn back after seeing the power of the rushing water, California Highway Patrol flight officer paramedic Mike Crane told the San Francisco Chronicle. But Wardwell, who had rappelled the waterfalls four times before, decided to go on his own. After his friends got back to the trailhead, they left a note on his car, telling people nearby to report Wardwell as missing if his vehicle was still there the next day, the paper reported. https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf By Monday, Aug. 11, the sheriffs office received reports that Wardwell was missing and was last seen at the top of the Seven Teacups waterfalls the evening prior. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After an extensive search of the area, using aircraft equipped with camera and infrared technology, emergency responders were able to locate the missing mans possible location, but it was too late to rescue him. Officials planned to return at first light the next day when it was safer. On the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 12, a drone found Wardwell alive behind a large waterfall. The man told deputies that he had come off his rappel lines and got trapped behind the waterfall because of the extreme hydraulics of the river," officials said. Wardwell had stationed himself in a dark cave beneath the waterfall, where he huddled, soaking wet, for two days, the Chronicle reported. He tried for days to escape, but there was nothing he could do to break through, Capt. Kevin Kemmerling of the Tulare County Sheriffs Office told the outlet. There was no way for him to warm up or dry out in there, so it had to have been miserable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A member of the rescue team was lowered down into the waterfall from the helicopter, secured Wardwell, before both men were hoisted to safety, authorities said. Officials described it as a stunning survival story and shared footage of the rescuer being carefully lowered to the cave entrance and the extraction of the two men. I got the impression that maybe he didnt know if he was ever going to get out of there, Crane, who operated the hoist and spoke to Wardwell after his rescue, told the Chronicle. Once Wardwell was on a dry landing zone, he received treatment for minor injuries and dehydration. Members of his family were there, waiting for him. Tulare County Sheriff's Office/Facebook The helicopter rescue on Aug. 12. The helicopter rescue on Aug. 12. The Seven Teacups is a string of pools created by the strong currents of Dry Meadow Creek, according to AllTrails. Hikers are not advised to continue into the pools without extensive canyoneering experience and proper equipment, according to the hiking guide. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. After the death-defying incident, officials urged people to be aware of their experience level and the surrounding environment before venturing into white-water rivers. Stay Safe, Stay Smart and Stay Alive, the sheriffs office said. Read the original article on People PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) The Advanced Science Diving Program at Florida State University, Panama City, will host a Jetty Clean-up Day at St. Andrews Park on Saturday, Aug. 23. Starting at 8 a.m., ASDP and faculty will be joined by the public, park volunteers, and representatives from the Panama City Diving and Panama City Dive Center to clean the water. 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 mypanhandle.com. CUMBERLAND Although he has two decades of experience as superintendent in other Maryland counties and as West Virginias state superintendent, Michael Martirano couldnt stay away from his hometown. I really have never left because of the amount of friends and family, said Martirano, who grew up in Frostburg. My roots are here, and theyre planted pretty deep. Frequently, folks brought up the idea to bring his career home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mike, why dont you come back home and run our school system? friends and family asked. He thought it was a good question, but he still had to raise his children. Its been something that Ive always considered, but the timing has never been right, Martirano said. Now, it just seems like all the stars have aligned in a beautiful way for that to happen. At the beginning of July, Martirano took over as Allegany County Public Schools superintendent. Before his experience as superintendent, Martirano started as a science teacher and eventually began working in school administration. His educational background includes a bachelors and two masters degrees from the University of Maryland and a doctorate from Nova Southeastern University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On top of experience and education, his communications skills seem like a good fit for the role, said Kimberly Sloane, president of the Allegany County Education Association. One of the things that we are really excited about with this new superintendent (is that) we were hoping for an experienced educator whos also a great communicator, someone who actively listens and responds appropriately to all, Sloane said. Jahantab Siddiqui, his former chief administrative officer at the Howard County Public School System, agreed that those attributes are some of Martiranos strong suits. Hes a very inclusive leader who likes to listen to as many opinions around him as possible to understand, you know, the full 360 of any vision, Siddiqui said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Having good communication throughout all levels of the education system is crucial to keep things running smoothly, she said. It really takes all of us to make a whole very sound system of education for our students, Sloane said. I always like to say that we are like the yang to the yin. Martirano has already set his main goals for the school system. He listed improving attendance rates, the quality of the math and reading curriculum, literacy rates and safety as his main goals for the schools. Martirano also underlined the importance of graduation. Thats my intense focus, and thats the gift that we want to provide as educators in our community to our overall county to ensure that every child is graduating and so they can want to be productive citizens of society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He has set his goals in spite of the school years particular obstacles, whether that be addressing the $5 million in costs to restore Westernport Elementary School after severe flood damage or the onslaught of funding challenges at the federal and state levels. I am energized by the work, Martirano said. A lot of people feel like the superintendent you see is so intense, and people arent going into the position because of the intensity. Former colleagues agree he is no stranger to tough times, especially during his tenure as superintendent in Howard County. According to Siddiqui, Martirano dealt with a senior prank that turned into a serious hate crime at Glenelg High School, a nearly $40 million employee health fund deficit and the pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We took on some really tough challenges, Siddiqui said. Ones that most people would have looked at and say, Thats a tomorrow problem. Martirano managed to tackle the problems and stay focused on his goals, said Bill Barnes, who was Martiranos chief academic officer in Howard County. He was coming in at a tumultuous time, and what really motivated me to want to work with him more closely was his really positive energy and his focus on really making sure our students were available for learning, Barnes said. On top of that, his leadership style and open communication inspired the next generation of superintendents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes always focused on sustainability and looking for the long term to build out, to develop leaders for the future, Siddiqui said. Barnes, who is now Howard Countys superintendent, said he learned important lessons from Martirano. I learned a great deal about how you have to engage community members as part of the solution, Barnes said. So it was that, and then a million other, you know, leadership lessons, just from speaking to him and walking or working alongside, watching how he sort of just ran a very complex school system. Martirano said he is excited to continue his career and give back to the community that raised him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a real full circle moment for me, Martirano said. Its just more than a job, its a passion. Its my calling. Returning to the place that educated me, loved me and cared for me and to be able to give back to our students is just what is driving all of the fire in my stomach right now to make just a great impact for the kids in Allegany County. Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey presents 2024-25 reading test data at the Alabama State Board of Education work session in the Gordon Persons Building in Montgomery, Alabama, on Aug. 14, 2025. Summer reading programs helped some third graders advance to fourth grade, according to data Mackey presented.(Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) The states summer reading programs appear to have improved reading results for the children who attended them, though the full scope isnt fully clear. In May, 55,930 third graders took the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment of Progress (ACAP) test, according to data released Thursday from the Alabama State Department of Education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of those, 6,470 students scored below the cut score, or a score below what the state considers proficient in reading. The state increased the cut score from 435 to 444 in October. After summer reading programs, available to those that scored below the cut score for a second chance at a promotion to fourth grade, 4,007 of those students took the ACAP reading test again and 2,264 scored below the cut score. However, students who turned in portfolios, an alternative measure of reading proficiency which will be evaluated through October could advance without taking the test a second time. State Superintendent Eric Mackey said at the Alabama State Board of Education work session that the 2,400 students who did not take the test again could have had many reasons for that. They could have gone to summer camp and just opted not to take the test, or parents opted not to test, to just keep them in third grade. That is an option that parents have, Mackey said. Some of those students probably have more severe special needs but they decided that summer reading camp was not the best for that person. Among the students that retook the test, 8.5% scored below the cut score, an improvement from the 13% that scored below the cut score in the 2023-24 test. Students that score below the cut score are held back in the third grade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mackey said the 8.5% will continue to drop as the state assesses reading portfolios. Were still getting that now from the districts, so they have a few more weeks to turn into us, how many of your fourth graders were promoted in some way other than by state test, Mackey said. Paid parental leave The board also unanimously approved a permanent rule for paid parental leave, unchanged from a temporary rule passed in June in compliance with the laws effective date on July 1. The rule, as outlined by SB 199, sponsored by Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, allows public education employees to take eight weeks of paid leave after giving birth, having a stillbirth or experiencing a miscarriage after 12 weeks. It also allows a father to take two weeks of paid leave under those circumstances. If a couple adopts a child under 3, either parent may have eight weeks of leave if they are both eligible employees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mackey told reporters after the board meeting that advocacy groups may ask the Legislature for some tweaks to the law. Most of those things were around adoptions. Theres obviously some things that may have to be cleared up around adoptions, but really its a great bill, Mackey said. Dev Wakeley, a worker policy advocate for Alabama Arise, spoke at the meeting in support of the rule. This bill is not just going to improve the quality of life and economic security for the folks who are eligible under its provisions now, Wakeley said. Theres going to come a time, not too far in the future, where a mother and a child is going to survive who would not have otherwise. Eligible employees must get their leave approved by the local superintendent and can use the leave within a year of a birth, adoption, still birth or miscarriage. A family fun day to support three Jersey charities has got under way on the island. Gorey Fete is a one-day event which included beach games, live music and fireworks. The day is held to raise money for three charities on the island - Jersey Friends of Anthony Nolan, Brightly and Music in Action. The gates opened at 10:00 BST and they are due to close after the fireworks which take place at 22:30 BST. Lester Richardson said this year's event was a big success [BBC] Lester Richardson helped organise the community event that saw hundreds of people attend this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The weather was just perfect," he said. "I think the fete itself is very special because of its location on the pier by the castle." He added: "The more people who come along, the more we can make for our charities we're supporting." Kate Cree said the event brings the community together [BBC] The Gorey Fete and St Martin's Bonfire raised more than 36,000 in 2024. Kate Cree has been running her stall at the fete for the past five years. "I love this," she said. "It brings everyone together and it has a really lovely, family feel. "Last year the rain put a bit of a dampener on it but this year the weather is amazing and I'm looking forward to the fireworks in the evening," Ms Cree added. Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk. Related internet links Plans to create what has been described as an ultra deep water quay at Dales Voe in Shetland has secured more than 1.1m from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The funding will support preparatory works, dredging and deepening areas at the site in Lerwick Harbour. It is a part of wider investment by the Scottish government of up to 500m over five years to develop Scotland's ports and offshore wind supply chain. Lerwick Port Authority's contractor, Boskalis Westminster Ltd, is using a large dredger called Magnor for phases of the work. Related internet links COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WKRN) A group created to save the Duck River discussed new ways forward on Thursday. In response to an executive order from Governor Lee, the Duck River Planning Partnership examines ways to preserve the Duck River and better manage state watersheds. PREVIOUS: Gov. Bill Lee signs executive order to protect Duck River, promote water resource management The partnership consists of Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation employees, state and county leaders, those who work directly with the Duck River, and others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As discussions continue and ideas are brainstormed, a local group believes its past time for legitimate action. We need a quick solution; that quick solution is raising Normandy Lake, said Jason Gilliam, a Maury County resident and Chair of Columbia Dam Now. Thats what will happen the fastest and the cheapest. $34.2 million, approximately 2 years to complete that project, and well have that water. Nothing comes close to that as far as a timeline is concerned. APRIL 2025 | What does the future hold for the Duck River? Gilliams group supports rebuilding the Columbia Dam, which was nearly completed in the 1980s, as a long-term preservation measure for the Duck River. Raising Normandy Lake would be a temporary first-step, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Put more water in the river, here, which would help us in our needs currently, right now, today, said Gilliam. Honestly, Id like to see them break [from the meeting] right now and say, You know what, this is a waste of time. We need to raise Normandy Lake. that needs to happen, it should have happened yesterday. It should have happened 15 years ago! One solution that has serious momentum is a water pipeline, connecting the Cumberland or Tennessee River to the Duck River. However, Gilliam said a pipeline of that size would be too costly, and take far too long to build. SEE ALSO | Maury County leaders debate reviving the Columbia Dam project Right now, that Cumberland Pipeline thats being discussed is a 2-billion-dollar project. The people in Maury County, the water users here, we cant afford that. If we go to the Tennessee River, same thing, Gilliam said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Duck River is the most biologically-diverse river in North America. Building a dam and disrupting the natural environment is a concern many locals have. Gilliam and his group believe it wouldnt be an issue. The Columbia Dam, if it were rebuilt, would impound about 51-miles of that river. So that leaves us about 230 miles of river remaining. That will not change the biodiversity. Normandy Lake didnt change the biodiversity in the river, said Gilliam. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com No action was taken during Thursdays meeting. The next meeting of the Duck River Partnership will be on Sept. 18, followed by two meetings in November. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The location and time of Septembers meeting has not yet been determined. 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. MANSFIELD, La. (KTAL/KMSS) Congress is on break, so Representative Cleo Fields is using his time off to visit each of the ten parishes in his district. He spoke with residents in Mansfield this week about the towns aging infrastructure, along with their concerns about losing their long-fought-for district. The water in Mansfield has been a concern for its residents after the citys system received a failing grade from the Louisiana Department of Health last year. Mayor Thomas Jones assures residents its safe, but they need funding for pumps, faulty leaks, and overall upgrades. Its caught Congressman Fields attention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is a real serious problem with the water treatment plant here in Mansfield and South Mansfield. Ive requested folks with LDH to come look at it because that is a real issue. People deserve to have clean water, and were going to address that first right off the bat, said Rep. Fields, (D) La District 6. During his ten-town hall tour, Fields addressed peoples fear of the federal government. People are not blind. They know this bill took money from the poor and just gave it to the rich. The wealthy of the wealthy, Rep. Fields said. More Louisiana News Citizens are not happy about the big, ugly bill. Theyre concerned about losing their health care. Theyre concerned about losing their nutrition benefits, rural hospitals. I visited one today in Natchitoches. Rural hospitals under this bill will suffer, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advocates, lobbyists, and lawmakers fought and won a second majority-minority district, they said, that represents Louisianas black vote. The Louisiana Supreme Court mandated it, the legislature approved it, and then the state supreme court upheld it in 2024. A citizens group filed a complaint against it that now heads to the U.S. Supreme Court this fall. I just dont think the courts will say that minority voters are just left to fend for themselves. But to fight on whether or not Louisiana is entitled to a second majority-minority district to me is just you know, the population in this state is 33% black. Everybody deserves an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice, Fields said. Now, redistricting is a battle in neighboring Texas. Fields said he hopes Governor Greg Abbott and President Donald Trump stand down to avoid a political Pandoras box. Who does that? Who wakes up in the morning and says I need five more Republican seats. Redistricting was never for Democrats or Republicans. It was for the people. For the Texas governor to follow through, shame on him, quite frankly. If they do it in Texas, they are going to do it in other states, then it never stops, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement California plans to move forward with redistricting to counteract Texas redistricting Congress returns to session on Friday. Fields went on to say the Voting Rights Act is in danger and the Supreme Court may further strip parts of it this year. He said Section 5 was repealed in the 2013 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Shelby County versus Holder, where the court ruled that certain states with a history of voting discrimination no longer needed federal approval to change their voting laws. He said only Section 2 remains, which prohibits discrimination based on color. So if it is repealed, the Voting Rights Act would no longer exist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A 64-year-old Gallatin man was sentenced Thursday to more than a decade in prison for attempted enticement of a minor, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee and the FBI announced. Citing court filed documents, the U.S. Department of Justice said FBI agents started an undercover investigation online in public chat areas known to be trafficked by purveyors of child sexual abuse material in late October 2024. The case led to communications with a user identified as Andrew John Paolini who was reportedly trying to entice who he thought was a 13-year-old girl for sex. Woman dead after sexual assault at South Nashville church Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials said federal agents arrested Paolini after he arrived at an arranged meeting location with whom he believed to be his underage victim in November 2024. According to the DOJ, Paolini agreed to plead guilty to one count of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in statutory rape. Then, on Thursday, Aug. 14, Judge Katherine A. Crytzer of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee sentenced the Gallatin man to 12 years and seven months in prison, officials said. Following his imprisonment, Paolini will be on lifetime supervised release and required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com The DOJ said this case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. This initiative marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No additional details were released about this case. 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. FREEPORT, Ill. (WTVO) First responders from the Freeport Fire Department were able to locate an 84-year-old man from Chicago who had been missing for five days. According to the City of Freeport, on Thursday, August 14th, first responders from the fire department were called to the Shell gas station on W. Galena Avenue. Employees at the gas station were reportedly concerned about the behavior of an 84-year-old man who was showing signs of something being wrong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Responders Adam Holtz and Nathan Stepp of the Freeport Fire Department were able to see the mans license and realized he was from Chicago, having driven to Freeport and then having trouble remembering how to get home. The first responders were able to get the phone number of the mans daughter, who told them her father had been missing for close to five days. The missing man was taken to a hospital until the family was able to reunite with him. The City of Freeport would like to thank Stepp and Holtz for their tactful approach in this situation. In addition, we thank the individuals at the gas station for speaking up when clearly something was wrong, the city wrote on Facebook. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 chart obtained by The Sacramento Bee shows how California Democrats intend to slice up congressional districts as part of Gov. Gavin Newsoms campaign to offset Texas Republicans effort to pick up an additional five House seats in next years midterms. The chart shows lawmakers intend to flip two districts in the North State currently held by Republican Reps. Doug LaMalfa and Kevin Kiley. Those districts, currently Republican strongholds that stretch across most of Northern California up to the Oregon border, along the Nevada border and down to Death Valley, would be considered safe for any Democratic candidate to win going forward. Reps. Ken Calvert and Darrell Issa would also see their safely Republican districts in Southern California flip to lean more Democratic. The district of Rep. David Valadao, a Central Valley Republican who is currently under fire for supporting President Donald Trumps Big, Beautiful Bill and its cuts to Medicare, would remain a lean Democratic area, according to the chart. Another Central Valley district won by Democratic Rep. Adam Gray, who eked out a 2024 victory over Republican John Duarte by 187 votes, would flip from lean Republican to safely Democratic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other districts that are currently only marginally easy for Democrats to win would switch to being considered safely blue, including those held by Reps. Josh Harder, D-Tracy; Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield; Derek Tran, D-Orange; and Dave Min, D-Irvine. Several legislative staffers confirmed the authenticity of the chart, which was unveiled during a briefing with lawmakers on Wednesday, according to Politico, which first reported it. A spokesperson for the Republican Congressional delegation did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday evening. The proposed district maps, which are not yet available, were drafted by political scientist Paul Mitchell, who has worked with Democrats on previous redistricting efforts. A spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, said they planned to publish the maps Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bee obtained the chart hours after Newsom officially launched his redistricting in Los Angeles, during which immigration agents arrested people outside in a show of force by Border Patrol sector chief Gregory Bovino. Newsom connected the redistricting effort, which has been alternatively criticized by Republicans and good governance groups and celebrated by Democrats eager for a fight with the White House, to Trumps dismantling of federal agencies, heavy handed deportation raids and rolling back of reproductive rights. Speaking to reporters after his campaign launch, Newsom batted away criticism, saying Trump had struck first by saying he was entitled to a GOP congressional majority. The governor had earlier this week asked Trump to block Texas and other red state from moving forward with their own redistricting efforts. Were not waiting, and were not anticipating that these states will be passing, particularly with the directive coming from President Donald Trump, Newsom said. Californias governor made it abundantly clear on Thursday: hes got his eye on the national stage. Gavin Newsom bombarded Donald Trump and Texas Republicans at a press conference Thursday, where he threatened to erase any gains made by Republicans in a mid-decade redistricting push in the Lone Star State, while blasting his enemies as cheaters and cowards. With a clear national audience in view, Newsom sought to prove that he is the brawler his party wants. His vow to match fire with fire was as much a shot across the bow of his fellow party leaders as it was a threat to the Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the midterms come into view, Newsom is seeking to establish a baseline standard of aggression and pugnacity among his partys rising stars that could very well eliminate many would-be contenders who are simply too old or too committed to the image of the bipartisan statesman to be viable candidates in the 2028 field. At the same time, hes trying to keep his response to Texass mid-decade redistricting plan measured by avoiding a push to abolish Californias redistricting commission altogether. One expert posited to The Independent on Thursday that Newsoms bold stance had likely forced other governors with similar ambitions for the limelight to suggest the possibility of redistricting in their own states, even where it likely wasnt possible. Gavin Newsom unveiled a plan to circumvent his state's independent redistricting commission on Thursday in a direct challenge to Texas Republicans (Getty Images) If Newsom is saying, I'm going to go in and change California's districts, you know, I think others who are on the White House, including Governor Pritzker felt maybe a reflexive need to say, Well, yeah, we'll consider that in Illinois as well, said John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University. He added in an interview with Inside Washington on Thursday that he didnt see a feasible path for Pritzker and the states Democrats to gerrymander any of the states three congressional districts held by Republicans out of GOP hands. Newsom likely knows that even as he threatens to put up to nine congressional seats into Democratic hands with his own mid-decade redistricting, hes putting other governors like Pritzker in a tough spot. Maryland, for instance, is another state run by a Democratic governor who is viewed as a possible White House contender. But even if Gov. Wes Moore gets behind a legislative push by Rep. David Moon, the states Democratic majority leader in the Maryland House of Delegates, his party would only see a maximum of one congressional seat change hands assuming the courts even allowed Maryland Democrats to gerrymander the last GOP seat out of existence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the moment that Gavin Newsom made his first real chess move of the 2028 Democratic presidential primary. And his press conference Thursday morning, flanked by local Democratic leaders, was as much of a campaign announcement as Donald Trumps descent down a golden elevator in 2015. As if hired to provide b-roll for Newsoms eventual campaign ads, the presser was mildly disrupted by the arrival of what appeared to be dozens of ICE agents performing an immigration enforcement raid at the site of the governors event. Its no secret that the governor is testing the waters. He previously was spotted in South Carolina doing events alongside Jim Clyburn, the congressman and kingmaker most famous for breathing life into Joe Bidens campaign in 2020. Clyburns star is fading within the party, as he faces criticism for his role in shutting down a primary in 2024 and his recent endorsement of Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race. But he could still be the most important ally a Democratic hopeful could make in South Carolina, and in June introduced Newsom to a group of voters as one of these candidates that are running for president, per Politico. With the redistricting fight, however, Newsom has found an issue where he has shown himself in clear contrast with the partys more cautious, aging leaders in Congress, whom polling shows are facing plunging approval ratings among Democrats. 314 Action, a group that supports candidates with STEM backgrounds, announced a $1m invesment in support of Newsoms effort on Thursday. The group plans to target vulnerable GOP House members in five California districts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two likely scenarios could happen from here. One, Republicans in Texas (facing national pressure from Republicans in other states fearful of seeing swing districts vanish overnight) may back down, handing Newsom a clear victory and allowing him to position himself as the first Democrat to score a tangible, unilateral victory against Republicans in 2025 one where he wouldnt have to share any of the glory. The other is that Texas Republicans go through with their plans and Newsom, even potentially limited by the realities of state law and his ability to get voters to back his plan, comes out looking like the first, if not the only Democratic state leader who came back with an effective response. With a quick response on a national issue, albeit from a position of opportunity, Newsom has set himself apart in the potential 2028 field. He may also have defined the terms of the race, something that will give him a clear advantage when the race beings in earnest. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) revealed what President Donald Trump actually said to him when he called about the mass immigration protests in Los Angeles in June. Trumps phone call with Newsom about the Los Angeles protests in June has been under scrutiny for months. In a recent interview with MeidasTouch, Newsom revealed that during the call, Trump discussed his Newscum nickname for the governor, his MAGA merchandise and his debate with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. A day before he was to federalize the National Guard here in Los Angeles, he called me. We talked on a Friday night late at night and all he wanted to brag about the Newscum thing. He said, Its pretty funny, isnt it? He goes, Pretty original. I said, Well, its not original, Newsom said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He goes, Hey, what about my hats? What do you think? Its pretty good brand, right? MAGA, you know, its pretty good. Ive sold hundreds of thousands, Newsom continued. I mean, Im like, are you serious? Are we seriously having this conversation when youre supposed to be reading me the Riot Act about keeping people safe in Los Angeles? You never once talked about the National Guard. Newsom went on to call Trump unhinged, claiming that he is getting weaker and weaker by the day. Newsom also told host Ben Meiselas that Trump wanted to talk about his debate with Harris. You cannot make this stuff up, Newsom added. Newsom reveals what Trump discussed with him the night before he federalized the National Guard in Los Angeles: How original the Newscum nickname is How many MAGA hats he sold The debate with Kamala Harris pic.twitter.com/pPBNbrjNaj Acyn (@Acyn) August 15, 2025 Newsom claimed at the time that Trump did not tell him that he would be sending the National Guard into Los Angeles to quell the protests. The move to federalize the National Guard was met with widespread scrutiny as many critics claimed Trump had overstepped his authority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newsom has amped up his criticism of Trump in recent days, frequently mocking him on social media platform X and holding press conferences to rail against the presidents agenda. He called Trump a failed president and the most unpopular in modern history during a press conference on Thursday. Newsom vowed to meet fire with fire, saying that Trump tried to light democracy on fire on Jan. 6, and is now once again trying to rig the system." He doesnt play by a different set of rules he doesnt believe in the rules. As a consequence, we need to disabuse ourselves of the way things have been done, Newsom said during Thursdays press conference. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. GENEVA Area families had a double dose of fun and assistance on Thursday, with two programs designed to help get children ready for school. Spencer Gale, the new Geneva Area City Schools resource officer, was a busy man, attending the Geneva Recreation Department back-to-school supply distribution in the morning, and Eaglefest late in the afternoon. The back-to-school supplies program has been helping Geneva-area families for 26 years, Geneva Recreation Director Myke Dowd said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We did 97 people in 52 minutes, she said of the initial rush on backpacks and school supplies. School supplies were packed in the backpacks. Gale said he was surprised at the amount of items in the backpacks. Dowd said the recreation department assisted 151 children in the first two and a half hours of the three hour distribution. She said people were still bringing in donations Thursday morning. She said all of the items were donated, and no city money was used for the supplies. We have people who received school supplies that are now donating, Dowd said. Geneva High School was busy late in the afternoon and early evening as Eaglefest greeted families to the high school for a wide variety of opportunities including free haircuts, a driving simulator, rock climbing and bounce houses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Geneva High School Band performed for those in attendance. Inside, there were a variety of places for families to fill out forms, as well as eye screenings and information on the Geneva Food Pantry. This is going great, Geneva Area City Schools Superintendent Paul Lombardo said. We have so many sponsors, so many people have come out to donate services. Lombardo was recently hired, and said the people in the area have been fantastic. It is really refreshing, he said. I couldnt have asked for a nicer welcome. AUSTIN (KXAN) A Georgetown police officer was put on administrative leave after the department received a complaint alleging he engaged in sexual activity with a woman during a call for help, according to a news release from the city of Georgetown. Dylan Wright was arrested Thursday and charged with a third-degree felony offense of misuse of official information, according to the city. Dylan Wright (City of Georgetown Photo) KXAN is working to find attorney information for Wright. Once that information is received, we will reach out for a statement on the accusations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the city, the incident happened Aug. 1 while Wright was responding to a call after the victims boyfriend was arrested for family violence. The Georgetown Police Department recognizes the seriousness of the allegations made against Officer Wright and understands the communitys concern and expectation for transparency, the city said. We are committed to addressing this matter directly and providing accurate information as the investigation progresses. The incident is now under investigation by the Texas Rangers, the city said. Anyone with information related to this case was asked to contact the citys Professional Standards Division at 512-930-2517. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The alleged actions described in this case are an egregious violation of the values of the Georgetown Police Department, the city said. We will continue to hold our employees accountable, uphold the law, and protect the trust placed in us by the community. As the investigation continues, and consistent with applicable law, further information will be released. 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. This comes after Smotrich announced his approval for settlements in the E1 area. Germany on Friday called on the Israeli government to stop settlement construction in the West Bank after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said work would start on a plan for thousands of homes in the E1 expansion of Maale Adumim that would make it much more difficult to create a Palestinian state. Germany firmly rejects the Israeli governments announcements regarding the approval of thousands of new housing units in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, said a foreign ministry spokesperson in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plans for the E1 settlement and the expansion of Maale Adumim would further restrict the mobility of the Palestinian population in the West Bank by splitting it in half and cutting the area off from east Jerusalem, the spokesperson said. Smotrich announced on Thursday that work would start on the long-delayed expansion, a move that his office said would bury the idea of a Palestinian state. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and a woman hold a map that shows the long-frozen E1 settlement plan, that would split east Jerusalem from the West Bank, on the day of a press conference near the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, August 14, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun) Germany tells Israel to stop building of E1 settlement In a statement, his spokesperson said the minister had approved the plan to build 3,401 houses in E1. Germany has repeatedly warned the Israeli government to stop settlement construction in the West Bank, which violates international law and UN Security Council resolutions. Such moves complicate steps towards a negotiated two-state solution and end to Israeli occupation of the West Bank, said the spokesperson. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska to enter into serious negotiations. "We expect President Putin to take President Trump's offer of talks seriously and to enter into negotiations with Ukraine without preconditions after the meeting in Alaska," Merz said in a statement released on Friday. More than three years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which violated international law, Moscow now has an opportunity to agree to a ceasefire and end hostilities, the chancellor said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump could take "a significant step toward peace" at the talks, set to take place in Anchorage on Friday. Merz stressed that Ukraine must take part in any follow-up meeting. "A ceasefire must be agreed there," he said, adding that territorial questions could only be decided with the consent of the Ukrainian side. The chancellor referred to the idea of a possible territorial exchange floated by Trump and said he would remain in contact with the US president on the matter. The meeting at an air base near the city of Anchorage is the first between Trump and Putin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump hopes to achieve an end to the war, although Putin has so far shown no signs of backing down. ADAMS COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) A Gettysburg man allegedly used a website to create dozens of AI images depicting child sexual abuse material, according to police. Court documents filed by Gettysburg Borough Police on Thursday show that Dustin Hankey, 31, either visited or logged onto a website that uses AI to create sexual images of children 25 times. A total of 19 inappropriate photos of children were allegedly found on a cellphone, including one of a young girl who was five years old, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police in May were given an iPhone Hankey had used that was recently discovered to have photos of naked children in a hidden photo album, the criminal complaint shows. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Morning Weather Forecast Police said they saw multiple pictures of photoshopped images of children. An iCloud account with Hankeys email was also found to be linked to the phone, according to police. Police said by checking the web history, they saw Hankey allegedly visited the AI website at least 25 times in February. Fulton County man drowns after falling into pond while mowing Hankey faces felony charges of sexual abuse of children: photograph/film/depict on computer sex acts, sexual abuse of children: child pornography, and criminal use of a communication facility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hankey was taken to Adams County Prison after he was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Matthew Harvey, who set bail at $350,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 20. The Adams County District Attorneys Office assisted in the 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 ABC27. Ghislaine Maxwells arrival to the federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas, this month has sent a shot of tension across its minimum-security all-female units, even while her lawyer says shes in a safer facility as there is intense political inquiry around Jeffrey Epsteins sex trafficking ring. While Maxwells living conditions will be less restrictive in Bryan, its still a difficult situation, where the Epstein conspirator wont get all the benefits of an easy or short stay that other inmates might, like access to puppies to train or the ability to leave the facility for work, according to more than a half dozen people familiar with the Bryan prison, the programs and the inmates there. The inmates inside Bryan, who are largely non-violent white-collar offenders, were warned recently by prison staff to use discretion talking about Maxwell since she arrived, according to two people who represent inmates in the Bryan prison camp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shes not making any friends, Sam Mangel, a prison consultant who works with clients at the prison camp, said to CNN this week. Radioactive. The relaxed nature of the camp became more tense when Maxwell arrived, which is typical of high-profile inmates on the inside, Mangel said. Nobodys going to rock the boat there. They want to serve the remainder of their sentences with whatever modicum of comfort Bryan provides, he added about other inmates. The Daily Telegraph wrote last week that a prisoner at Bryan said she was disgusted by Maxwells transfer there, in a comment provided to the publication through the inmates husband. Since that comment was published, prison officials pulled that inmate, Julie Howell, out of a puppy-training class in the camp then transferred her out of the facility, according to her lawyer. Howell is now at a federal detention center in Houston, the lawyer and Bureau of Prisons records say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nobodys going to say anything about Ghislaine Maxwell now, are you kidding? Howells lawyer Patrick McLain said to CNN on Thursday. The main entrance to Federal Prison Camp, Bryan on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Bryan, Texas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) - Ashley Landis/AP Two inmates who were released from FPC Bryan in the past year havent heard anything yet on how Maxwell is faring inside, or even which of the three units in the camp she is housed in. One of the recently released inmates, Jill Ford, told CNN she would have been concerned with Maxwells presence there around visitation time. Many of the women inside the prison have children who visit them frequently, where the families are also able to be seen by other inmates in the visitation rooms. Its not known what level of visitation ability Maxwell has. Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking minors following a trial in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison, with a release date set for 12 years from now, according to federal prison and court records. Designation downgrades The infamous Epstein conspirators transfer from a more restrictive prison in Florida to the prison camp in Texas also continues to raise questions this week around the Justice Departments reasons for her move and the treatment she may receive inside her new home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, Maxwells attorney David O. Markus offered a reason: The transfer happened because Maxwell needed a safer placement, according to a post he wrote on X. Im surprised to hear my progressive friends criticizing more humane prisons and Ghislaines transfer to a safer facility, especially after she faced serious danger in Tallahassee, he wrote. The outrage machine wants to turn a safer placement into a scandal. Maxwell would have been housed potentially around women convicted of violent crime in the low-security Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, where she was until earlier this month, according to people familiar with the BOP system. While the prison camp in Bryan is an even less-secure facility, designated as minimum-security by BOP, it houses non-violent offenders who largely have committed only white-collar federal crimes. A drone view captures the Federal Prison Camp, a lower security facility where the U.S. Bureau of Prisons said Ghislaine Maxwell has been transferred to continue serving her 20-year sentence for helping the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls, in Bryan, Texas, U.S., August 1, 2025. REUTERS/Adrees Latif TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - Adrees Latif/Reuters It is highly unusual for a person convicted of a sex crime to be transferred to a federal prison camp, where women convicted of non-violent white-collar crime are able to move about relatively freely inside and bunk together in dormitory-style rooms. Its also usually not allowed for an inmate with as many years as Maxwell still had left on her sentence more than 10 to be allowed in a prison camp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maxwells attorney Markus declined to provide any additional information to CNN on Thursday. Spokespeople from the Justice Department and the Bureau of Prisons havent responded to multiple requests for comment this week. The unusual nature of Maxwells transfer, coming after she spoke to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for two days following a proffer agreement, has also caught the attention of Capitol Hill. Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse has requested more information from the Bureau of Prisons about her transfer and internal BOP designations. A spokesperson for Whitehouse said he hasnt received any new information as of Thursday. No puppy program But just because Maxwell now has some of these lower designations doesnt mean shell get full access to what the camp at Bryan has to offer. Some of the programs inmates want to participate in may not take her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For instance, the work release program at the Bryan prison camp trains certified nursing assistants, according to several people familiar with the prison camp. The program is run by the Southern Careers Institute, an education company that screens applicants from the prison and wont allow inmates with certain charges to take part in the program if they apply, a person familiar with the program told CNN. Canine Companions, which places puppies in federal prisons for inmates to train as service dogs, explicitly said it wouldnt allow Maxwell into the puppy program at the prison camp. A puppy with the Canine Companion program at the Bryan, Texas, federal prison camp. - Courtesy Canine Companions Currently, there are seven puppies (Names: Kianda, Lisa VII, Louise V, Mavis IV, Hector VII, Gator V) paired with a total of 15 inmate handlers at FPC Bryan. The inmates keep the dogs with them from eight weeks to 17 months, teaching the puppies their first 20 or so tasks to use in service of people with disabilities, and the inmates groom, exercise and socialize the puppies inside the prison. Maxwell hasnt applied to the program. But if she were to, the puppy program wouldnt accept her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We do not allow anyone who has committed crimes against animals or minors. Thats because theyre vulnerable populations, Paige Mazzoni, Canine Companions CEO, told CNN. The goal is to give the puppies love and enough confidence to continue to learn tasks. Two other high-profile inmates at FPC Bryan, Elizabeth Holmes the former CEO of Theranos and Jennifer Shah of the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, arent part of the puppy program, either, Mazzoni said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The Jefferson River near Cardwell, Montana, on June 19, 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan) While Montana has done a decent job of protecting wildlife habitat through conservation easements, the same cannot be said for the chronic dewatering of hundreds of miles of our rivers and streams. Simply put, there is no working conservation easement equivalent for rivers, fish and aquatic ecosystems. Due to Gov. Greg Gianfortes dereliction of duty in our third consecutive year of extreme drought, our rivers are paying the price. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were one to look for an indicator of how dire the situation has become, simply looking at whats left instream would tell you a lot since you can now wade across any number of our major rivers and not get wet above your knees. But another indication is the mounting numbers of river lawsuits being filed against the State for ignoring its constitutionally-mandated duty to protect this most precious public resource. As our Constitution clearly states, Montanans have inalienable rights to a clean and healthful environment not hot, dry rivers in which our once abundant and world famous coldwater fisheries continue a precipitous decline. Likewise, the Constitution is also clear about who is responsible and what their duties are. Article IX, Environment and Natural Resources: Protection and improvement. (1) The state and each person shall maintain and improve a clean and healthful environment in Montana for present and future generations. Theres no ambiguity in that mandate. Maintain and improve does not mean degrade and destroy. As for present and future generations, at the rate were going there wont be clean and healthy rivers for present generations, let alone those in the future who dont deserve to be stuck with the results of incompetent governance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But what happens, other than the stack of lawsuits, when the State, now under the supposed stewardship of Gianforte and his administration, simply ignores the constitutional mandates and their clear and concise duties? Were seeing that on a regular basis now. As instream flows diminish and rivers heat toward lethal temperatures, theyre first closed to fishing with hoot owl restrictions that limit angling to early morning hours. But as water levels continue to fall and temperatures continue to rise, they are closed to all angling. If our trout populations were seen as the proverbial canary in the coal mine, that canary is in very bad shape and getting worse every day. Most of the lawsuits focus on the damages to fisheries and aquatic ecosystems, violations of the Endangered Species Act, and increasing degradation from miles-long algae blooms in what were once our beautiful, gin-clear streams. The problems come from many sources nutrient loading from on-going developments, run-off from agricultural operations, sedimentation from road-building and trampled banks, and loss of riparian vegetation that shades and cools the water. Largely unmentioned is the Department of Environmental Qualitys issuance of pollution discharge permits for municipalities and industries. Those permits are predicated upon maintaining sufficient instream flows to dilute the pollutants and nutrients that are now turning our once-healthy rivers into hot, green, algae sewers as flows drop to record lows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adding insult to the injuries, the governor has even prohibited state agencies from enforcing the Murphy rights the state holds to maintain minimal instream flows the exact subject of the latest lawsuit. The lawsuits may prevail, but certainly not in time to stop another years egregious damages to our publicly-held water resources. At this point, Gianforte alone can enact the measures so desperately needed by our rivers and streams. History is watching, Governor and will not reflect kindly on your dereliction of duty to the Constitution, the Public Trust Doctrine, and present and future generations of Montanans. The case of a teenager who was unlawfully killed after she was able to self-harm at a mental health hospital is "shocking", a government spokesperson said. Ruth Szymankiewicz had been observed by a worker on his first shift who let her slip away to her bedroom despite her needing constant supervision at Huntercombe Hospital, near Maidenhead, Berkshire, in February 2022. The 14-year-old's parents opposed her moving to the failing hospital, two hours away from their home in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is a shocking case and it is clear that care at the Huntercombe Hospital fell far below the standards we expect," the Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said. Ruth was left unaccompanied in her bedroom for about 15 minutes, where she was later found unconscious. She died at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford two days later. The hospital, which has since been shut down, was rated inadequate and then requires improvement in two inspections by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in 2021. More than half of the staff due to be working on Ruth's ward were absent when the inexperienced agency worker was drafted in to monitor her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A jury found on Thursday that other factors that contributed to Ruth's death included insufficient staff training and that her care was "not suitable nor conducive" to helping her recovery. Ruth loved nature and kept chickens at home, her parents told the inquest last week [Family handout/PA Wire] Ruth's father Mark said on Thursday, following the jury's conclusion that she was unlawfully killed, that she had been "immersed in a highly chaotic environment". He said she was "essentially caged" away from her passion of animals and nature on the "poorly trained, understaffed and unsafe" psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU). Ruth's mother Kate said they share "ongoing serious concerns about the governance of Ruth's care and by extension the ongoing governance of other units throughout the country." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said they "particularly question the role of the CQC", given that "despite all the warnings, nothing meaningfully changed at Huntercombe" before her daughter's death. The government spokesperson said in a statement: "Our deepest sympathies are with Ruth's family and friends. "Young people with mental health issues have not been getting the care they need where they need it," they added. "We've instructed the NHS to prioritise increasing the availability of mental health beds, and we are investing 75m this year to reduce inappropriate out of area placements so that patients can receive care closer to home." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A CQC spokesperson said it "undertook a number of inspections" of the hospital after Ruth's death and "increased our monitoring" of the Active Care Group, which ran it. Another inspection in which the hospital was found to be inadequate followed in December 2022. The Active Care Group stopped providing child and adolescent mental health services (CAHMS) there later. "Although the site is no longer operational, we continue to monitor the safety and quality of services at the provider's other locations and across mental health services for children and young people," the CQC spokesperson added. "Everyone deserves to receive high quality care and where we find that this is not the case we take action, including using our enforcement powers." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. More on this story A Vietnam War veterans widow and her family have uncovered a letter they say provides irrefutable evidence that she had a separate reserved plot next to her husbands grave at the Camp Lewis Post Cemetery. Mary Dowling, 86, discovered that another servicemember was buried in her plot on a visit to the cemetery at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in late 2022, The News Tribune reported in February 2023. Mary regularly visited her husbands grave at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for over five decades, she said, holding fast to the U.S. Armys promise that she would be buried next to him when she died. Chief Warrant Officer Robert M. Dowling, an Army pilot, was killed in action on Jan. 12, 1966, when his helicopter was shot down in the South China Sea, The News Tribune reported. Mary Dowling never remarried, and she raised her four children on her own. The story of her lost plot was also picked up by outlets including WCNC Charlotte and FOX 13 in 2023. In comments to the media, the U.S. Army consistently held that they cannot move the urn with another veterans cremains from the plot next to Robert Dowlings grave because interments are considered final and permanent, but that Mary Dowling could be buried in the same grave as her husband. The family refuses to accept that alternative, arguing that the Armys promise was that she would have her own plot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In February 2023, JBLM Garrison Chief of Staff David Fullmer wrote The News Tribune a detailed statement saying that the Army regretted any errors made regarding her expected burial at the cemetery. The Army had no record of the letters mailed to her confirming her plot, or any records indicating a reserved site for her, he wrote, though he didnt doubt those letters were sent. He also confirmed that online and physical maps showed the Dowling name on two plots, but that No one currently working at JBLM knows who produced or maintained the map. The Army believes her reservation was lost between 1984, when a map of the cemetery was made, and August 2022, when records were transferred to the cemeterys official burial management system, The News Tribune reported. This screen shot of a map from the Fort Lewis Post Cemeterys website shows two plots named Dowling. The plot labeled 2F8 contains the casket of Robert Dowling. The other, 2F9, had been reserved for his widow, Mary. It now holds another persons remains. Without a reservation we cannot keep plots obligated indefinitely and deny other veterans and eligible family members a place of rest, Fullmer told The News Tribune then. Recently, Mary Dowling found a letter confirming that her reservation existed, signed by a Memorial Affairs Officer. She found it while going through a box of old papers in her home in Tenino, she said in an interview on July 8 with her son Bobby Dowling. A signed letter dated May 9, 1988 indicates Mary Dowlings wish to continue her reservation of a plot next to her husband buried at Fort Lewis cemetery at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. The discovery builds upon other documents Mary Dowling said she has already shared with the Army, including a letter dated Jan. 21, 1966 in which a mortuary officer asked her to sign an enclosed sheet requesting her husbands burial at Fort Lewis cemetery in Section 2, Row F, Lot 8, and a reservation next to him in Lot 9. A letter dated Jan. 21, 1966 indicates Mary Dowlings request for a reservation next to her husband at Fort Lewis cemetery. What makes the recently discovered letter significant, her son Bobby Dowling explained in a follow-up phone call on Aug. 13, is that it exemplifies the annual letters that his mother received confirming her reservation. The other letter previously shared with the Army was the initial form that she submitted soon after her husbands death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mary Dowling said that she stopped receiving the annual confirmation letters sometime in the 2000s, though she wasnt able to recall exactly when. Her son later said it wasnt the early 2000s, because he remembers that he was working for the federal government at that time and would make calls to the mortuary office on her behalf to ensure that her reservation was still valid. They would really just comfort me to comfort her, to say: No, tell your mom not to worry. Shes here forever just like all the other widows that have graves reserved, he said. He told The News Tribune he mailed a letter to the director of the Office of Army Cemeteries on Aug. 1, requesting immediate restoration of the reserved grave to Mary F. Dowling, consistent with federal law and Army regulations, a formal apology and written assurance that steps will be taken to prevent similar errors for other Gold Star families, and an expedited review and correction of cemetery records to reflect her rightful place beside her husband. He wrote in a text message on Aug. 8 that there has been no response to his letter since then. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The issue continues to weigh on the family, the Dowlings said. Just about every night it pops into my head and so I feel like I havent been sleeping well since then, Mary Dowling said. I go over and over everything in my mind. It also makes her wonder about her future. Im getting older now, and so I worry ... will I have a place to go to, like I always planned? she said. Her son believes the Army is dragging its feet on a solution. I think its impacted all of us, he said on July 8. It just needs to be made right, and the Army has not done that in 971 days since this discovery. The reason she wont accept the Armys alternative of burying her in the same grave as her husband, without her own separate headstone, is that she doesnt want something similar to happen to other widows, he told The News Tribune. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She doesnt want to create a precedent where she didnt fight this tooth and nail, that she didnt go down fighting, he said. And she wont. As her son, he wont give up either, he said. A signed letter dated May 9, 1988 indicates Mary Dowlings wish to continue her reservation of a plot next to her husband buried at Fort Lewis cemetery at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. A reporter reached out to Joint Base Lewis-McChord in late July to ask if there have been any updates in resolving the dispute and if the letter Mary recently discovered provides evidence that could change their former position. JBLM directed inquiries to the National Cemetery Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs directed inquiries to the Department of Defense press desk, which directed inquiries to Army Public Affairs. A spokesperson from the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs of the Army provided the reporter with a statement via email on Aug. 8 and attributed it to an Army official. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Office of Army Cemeteries greatly appreciates Mary Dowlings sacrifice as a Gold Star spouse and regrets any additional distress caused by this situation. The Army is committed to ensuring standards and accountability of all Army Post Cemeteries and deeply regrets the cemetery management actions that resulted in Mrs. Dowlings expectation of a separate grave adjacent to her spouse, Robert Dowling, for her eventual burial. This situation was fully reviewed and investigated in 2023. The Department of the Army is dedicated to ensuring Mrs. Dowling receives a dignified burial in the same grave alongside her beloved husband at her time of need, unless she remarries, consistent with the care provided to Gold Star spouses across the national cemetery system. This screen shot of a map from the Fort Lewis Post Cemeterys website shows two plots named Dowling. The plot labeled 2F8 contains the casket of Robert Dowling. The other, 2F9, had been reserved for his widow, Mary. It now holds another persons remains. Two U.S. Congress members from Washington state, Rep. Marilyn Strickland and Rep. Dan Newhouse, learned of the dispute between the Army and the Dowlings and stepped in to help, The News Tribune reported in 2023. A staffer from Stricklands office attended a Feb. 16, 2023 telephone meeting with the Dowling family, their attorney, JBLM officials and Army Cemeteries personnel. Strickland spokesperson Siena Miller then told The News Tribune that Stricklands office submitted an inquiry to the Department of the Army about the issue. Rep. Dan Newhouse learned of the situation from one of his staffers, a Gold Star family member, and also became involved, The News Tribune reported. Mary Dowling, of Tenino, walks through the Camp Lewis Cemetery toward her husbands grave site on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, at Joint Base Lewis McChord. Strickland spokesperson Siena Miller wrote in an email on Aug. 8 that the office does not have an update to share at this time. Matthew Reed, a spokesperson for Newhouses office, also responded in an email Tuesday saying that he is having their district team look and see if they have received anything new from the Dowlings. Their office would be happy to speak with Mary Dowling if she has new information, he wrote, adding that the person in their office who was previously working with her on the case has since retired. OVERLAND PARK, Kan. Behind The Golden Scoop sits a rock retaining wall that they said is in danger of collapsing. The Golden Scoop CEO said it could cost up to $40,000 to get it fixed. Weve been taking action to try and fix it, The Golden Scoop CEO, Amber Schreiber, said. Because its a major safety risk to our neighbors behind us, as well as our guests, employees and vendors that come through our space. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blind metro man scammed looking for emotional support puppy This is the retaining wall that the City of Overland Park said is an issue and needs to be repaired. It sits behind The Golden Scoop, off 69 Highway and 103rd Street. Schreiber said they found out about the problem within the last week. My heart sunk because ultimately the money we bring in goes directly to our Super Scoopers and our work force development program to make sure they have the skills necessary to succeed in their jobs and their lives, Schreiber said. So, when we have to take projects like this, we understand its necessary, obviously, but it does ultimately take away from the mission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Golden Scoop is a non-profit ice cream shop that employs people with unique abilities. I like to help people and serve people and doing the drive-through, one employee, Kathrine, said. Meg Ralph with the City of Overland Park said code inspectors aim to keep people safe. A code inspector spotted this wall while on another case in the area. She said that in late July, the inspector sent a letter to the property owner informing them of the need to make repairs. Ralph said theres no hard deadline for a new wall, but the city wants to see progress now. Theres no hard deadline. Our code inspectors are really great about trying to work with people. This is true if its at a business or if its at a house. We understand that these things take time. You have to get people hired sometimes, so that work can take a lot of time, Ralph said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, theres no hard deadline. Really, what we ask is that the property owner or the property manager is making progress toward fixing that issue. Schreiber said they called several contractors to look at fixing this wall, learning it could cost $40,000. Weve already had several contractors out here and were very grateful for that, Schreiber said. Were learning that theres inadequate draining underneath the road, which has caused water to settle in and not drain properly allowing that concrete and that rock wall to deteriorate. Kansas City Council approves contract to continue KCATA operations Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They leased this property and moved in just under a year ago. Schreiber said theyre working with the property owner, insurance company and local foundations to secure funding. While they sort out the exact number, she said theyre turning to the community for support. We are extremely grateful for our Kansas City community, theyve come out in droves, Schreiber said. It would be fantastic. I mean, wed love to get to that point when we first opened our first location in 2021 and we saw lines of people wrapped around the strip center. The Golden Scoop said people can show support by stopping by one of their stores and grabbing a scoop of ice cream or a cup of coffee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can also donate 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 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. The GOP is standing behind President Donald Trump ahead of his high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Trump is expected to meet with Putin in Anchorage for the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since 2019. Some analysts have framed the meeting as the most significant U.S.-Russian summit in a generation since Russias invasion of Ukraine three and a half years ago. While aboard Air Force One en route, Trump told reporters that he is not here to negotiate for Ukraine, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not included, but is looking to get them at a table. He also said that it will be up to Ukraine to decide whether the country would concede land to Putin as part of a final peace deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republican lawmakers and supporters of Trump sent their well wishes to the president ahead of the meeting. Pray for @realDonaldTrump today. We need peace, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) wrote early Friday on X. Mike Pence, Trumps former vice president, had also weighed in: Praying for President Trump to Stand Strong in Alaska Today. A Ceasefire followed by a Just and Lasting Peace will only come through American Strength. Praying for President Trump to Stand Strong in Alaska Today. A Ceasefire followed by a Just and Lasting Peace will only come through American Strength https://t.co/65CtXiUDk4 Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) August 15, 2025 Franklin Graham, the president and CEO of Samaritans Purse, encouraged his followers to join me in praying for our President. Pray that God will give President Trump His wisdom that surpasses all understanding. And pray for President Putin, that God would work in his heart to bring peace and an end to the bloodshed, Graham posted. I believe there will be millions of Christians in Ukraine and Russia praying as well. Peace will benefit not just Russia and Ukraine, but the entire world. Today is the day. Join me in praying for our President, @realDonaldTrump, as he meets with President Putin in Anchorage, Alaska. Pray that God will give President Trump His wisdom that surpasses all understanding. And pray for President Putin, that God would work in his heart to Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) August 15, 2025 A popular conservative account had said that the suffering of the Russian and Ukrainian people has gone on far too long. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you are a person who prays, today is a good day to pray for peace. And also pray for wisdom and discernment for our president as he meets today with Putin, the account wrote. Trump media adviser Alex Bruesewitz wrote that he is Praying for our great President @realDonaldTrump, his incredible team, and the whole world today! PEACE IS THE PRIZE!" In recent days, Trump had previously called the summit really a feel-out meeting, but has since warned Putin of very severe consequences if he did not agree to end the war. HIGH STAKES!!! Trump posted on his Truth Social platform before he boarded Air Force One. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An agreement, however, is far from fruition given Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. As Putin has escalated his attacks in recent months, he hinted that Ukraine would have to cede some of its land, including parts that he has not invaded a plan that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has strongly rejected. Trump and Putin are expected to hold a joint press conference following a one-on-one discussion and a wider meeting with their delegations, the Kremlin said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Voters pass a sign at First Baptist Church on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Huntsville, Alabama. Gov. Kay Ivey Friday set a February 2026 election for a House district in east Alabama. (Eric Schultz for Alabama Reflector) Gov. Kay Ivey Friday called a special election for Alabama House District 38 in Chambers and Lee counties. The seat was previously held by Rep. Debbie Wood, R-Valley, who was serving her second term in the chamber. Wood stepped down earlier this year; she said in July she was planning to move out of the district to a place close to the Florida panhandle to be closer to a new job her husband took in Pensacola. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House District 38 runs along the Alabama-Georgia border, taking in southeastern Chambers County and most of Lee County east of Opelika and Auburn. Wood won 70% of the vote in the 2018 election, a number that increased to 88% in the 2022 election. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Primaries for the seat will take place on Oct. 21. Primary runoffs, if needed, will take place on Nov. 18. The general election for the seat is set for Feb. 3, 2026. Major party candidates must qualify for the race by Aug. 20, next Wednesday. The deadline for independent candidates to qualify is 5 p.m. on Oct. 21. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Legislature has seen several departures this year, triggering special elections. Voters in Cullman County will go to the polls later this month and again in October to choose Alabama House representatives. In addition to House District 38, special elections will also take place early next year for House districts in Walker and Tuscaloosa counties. Rep. Matt Woods, R-Jasper, won a special election in June for a Senate seat previously held by former Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed, R-Jasper, leading to the Walker House special election. The Tuscaloosa seat opened up after Ivey appointed former Rep. Cynthia Almond, R-Tuscaloosa, president of the Alabama Public Service Commission. FAIRMONT The Greater Paw Paw Public Service District will receive $500,000 for the repair of seven main pump stations in their sewer system. Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced $4.96 million in water and sewer infrastructure grants during a Fairmont appearance Thursday afternoon. The West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council awarded $3.4 million in funds for five water and sewer projects in Marion, Kanawha and Richie counties. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection provided another $1.56 million in grants from its Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. Grants are vital to small municipalities water, roads, sewer meeting all the needs of the town, Kim Salerno, Rivesvilles new mayor, said. Grants are vital, so its exciting to see that there are grants available and the Greater Paw Paw applied for this grant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The primary project area will be Baxter and will impact 157 customers. Salerno said Rivesville receives service from the Paw Paw Public Service District for its sewage. The total cost of the project is around $1 million. Morrisey said the state cant grow its economy without good infrastructure. He said his office is leveraging various state funds through the water development authority or revolving water fund as well as federal resources for projects around the state. In 2023, the WV Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council reported the need for infrastructure investment and improvements far outweighs the funds available. The WVIJDCs report says the state needs approximately $1 billion for water projects and $1.3 billion for sewer projects. The report assumed future needs are based on the goal of serving every customer in the state. To accomplish that goal, the cost of serving water to every remaining unserved household in the state is $2.1 billion, while providing sewage requires roughly $11.8 billion. Including rehabilitation work, the total increases the cost to almost $18 billion. While water and sewage projects may not be the most exciting announcements, they are critical for a variety of differences, Morrisey said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In order to live, we have an expectation were going to have clean, safe water, Morrisey said. Thats a starting point. But second, we talk a lot about economic development. How do you have that kind of development if you dont have good site selection, good water, good sewer. There are the things I think deserve to be prioritized. Morrisey added his administration has a four-year plan to address the run down bridges across the state. He plans to work with the legislature to enact it. The governor also discussed how the state is approaching mitigation when it comes to flooding. In June, Fairmont City Manager Travis Blosser said extreme flooding events are happening more frequently. I can sit here all day long and say it was a flash flood event, its a once in a thousand year event and I look kinda stupid to some folks when I say once in a thousand year event, because these events are happening more and more frequently, Blosser said. We have to be prepared for that. At the end of the day, the City of Fairmont and its residents cant change what is causing that on their own. From our perspective, we just have to plan to be ready for these types of events to hit. Blosser said the state takes the lead when it comes to hazard mitigation. However, funds for hazard mitigation, like flooding, arent triggered until after a municipality suffers a natural disaster. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morrisey said he needs community input to determine where resources should be spent on flood mitigation. When he was sworn in as governor, Morrisey asked if there was any kinds of needs-based assessment that was used to make decisions. He was told there wasnt. So now Morriseys office is working to build that assessment. The state is trying to collect as much data as possible. Lets get that word out that we want to interact extensively with communities, Morrisey said. We want real information on the ground so that we can know what we want to prioritize. That matters because we dont have unlimited monies. I think were doing a pretty good job of stretching some of the existing resources that we have, and looking for the federal match opportunities. But we would ask people to let the communities know, be in touch. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) Gov. JB Pritzker signed a new law Friday that guarantees undocumented students in Illinois have access to student financial aid. House Bill 460 makes financial aid accessible to all Illinois residents, regardless of their legal immigration status. If you live in Illinois and are pursuing higher education, you should have access to the same opportunities as your peers, said Villanueva (D-Chicago), who introduced the bill. This law is about making sure no student is left behind because of where they were born. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Villaneuvas office, the bill standardizes eligibility criteria across programs to eliminate confusing and sometimes conflicting requirements that have excluded undocumented migrants from finanical aid. Too many students have faced closed doors and confusing guidance simply because of their background, Villanueva said. Illinois invests in all of our students, and were committed to helping them succeed. The law goes into effect on January 1st, 2026. 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. By now there's a strong chance you've heard about a man in Washington, D.C., who stands accused of what is, at the moment, arguably the most highly-publicized crime in the city. On Sunday, Sean Dunnwho, at the time, was an employee for the Justice Departmentthrew a Subway sandwich at a cop and was subsequently charged with felony assault of a federal law enforcement officer. His arrest comes as 500 federal agents and 800 National Guard troops have been deployed to the district after President Donald Trump took federal control of D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). But the sandwich storywhich already feels like it could've played out on Veeptook another turn Wednesday when the federal government sent "20 police officers to [Dunn's] home" to rearrest him on a federal warrant, according to his attorney Sabrina Shroff. A video released by the White House corroborates that account, with the clip showing a large federal law enforcement presence, complete with riot gear, arriving at Dunn's apartment complex and leading him out in handcuffs. ???? Nighttime Routine: Operation Make D.C. Safe Again Edition pic.twitter.com/ngZsbgBpcz The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 14, 2025 There are a couple of takeaways here. One: People still go to Subway. Did not know that. Two: The government's disproportionate response to this offense epitomizes why Trump's plan appears to be, at least for now, more political theater than a real solutions-oriented approach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of this debate has focused on whether or not crime is actually a problem in D.C. It is, but the picture is more complicated than many would like to admit. While some have been quick to furnish violent crime statistics that are at a 30-year low, it is difficult to trust those numbers in the context of an investigation alleging the MPD misclassified various crimes to make the city appear safer than it is. A review of homicidesa crime that can't easily be misclassifiedis more instructive: In 2024, D.C. reported 187, down from 274 in 2023. (This year, the city has reported 101 homicides thus far, down from 113 during the same period last year.) It's trending in the right direction. But one murder is still one too many, and some neighborhoodsprimarily Wards 7 and 8 across the Anacostia Riverdisproportionately struggle to get crime under control. Police clearance rates, meanwhile, are abysmal: Law enforcement in 2024 made an arrest in just 60 percent of homicide cases and 31 percent of non-fatal shootings. In other words, if you kill or shoot someone, there's a really good chance you'll get away with it. (That problem, however, is a national one.) Put differently, there's work to be done. Crime is a serious problem. And serious problems demand serious solutions: where resources are targeted and used effectively to deterand solvecrimes that violently infringe on the rights of others. It is not serious, then, to use resources to patrol Georgetown, one of the safest neighborhoods in D.C., or the National Mall, where crime is a rarity, while the highest-crime neighborhoods have reportedly not yet seen an increased law enforcement presence. Or to send nearly two dozen government agents to rearrest someone accused of throwing a sandwich, instead of just letting him turn himself in for his appearance in federal court. Permitting Dunn to do that would have conserved resources, perhaps allowing law enforcement to do something more useful. It would have deprived Trump of a public relations opportunity, however, as seen with the camera crew the government brought to the arrest. The White House wanted to remind people that they mean business. Ironically, they did the opposite. The post The Government Sent '20 Police Officers' With Riot Gear To Rearrest D.C. Sandwich Thrower, Says Attorney appeared first on Reason.com. The government is partnering with TikTok influencers to warn people about the risks of travelling abroad for cosmetic procedures. There's growing concern over the rise in Britons seeking overseas treatments such as hair implants and dental work, often lured by lower costs and shorter waiting times. Medical content creators will urge viewers to talk to a UK doctor first, take out travel insurance and avoid package holidays that include procedures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move is part of a wider government campaign to curb so-called medical tourism, as well as tighten regulations for cosmetic practitioners in England. When it comes to cosmetic surgery abroad, the lowest price can come at the highest cost, the campaign warns. It aims to raise awareness of the risks, protect patients and avoid the NHS paying to fix botched procedures. Medical influencers like Doc Tally and Midwife Marley - who have 240,000 and 38,000 followers on TikTok respectively - will produce videos offering guidance on how to make trips as safe as possible. They will include a checklist to consider before booking a procedure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Health minister Karin Smyth warned that "too many people are being left with life-altering injuries after going abroad for medical procedures, without access to proper advice or safeguards." She said the partnership with TikTok would help people "make safer and more informed choices before they go under the knife wherever that may be." Things to check before you book: Do thorough research about the procedure Check the clinic's regulation and the surgeon's credentials Know the full cost and understand the aftercare Ask the vital question - if it goes wrong, who will fix it? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When cosmetic procedures go wrong, the consequences can be devastating for patients. Two years ago, Leah Mattson travelled to Izmir in Turkey to have gastric sleeve surgery. While the surgery was initially successful and helped her lose weight, last year the 27-year-old returned to the same company to remove excess skin. This time, the procedure left her with a lopsided belly button, deep scarring on her arms and stomach area that she says left her feeling worse. After seeing the results of her surgery, Leah said she burst into tears. "I just wanted to cry and I feel like I actually disliked my body more than when I was overweight." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leah found the clinic on social media and was encouraged by other people's positive experiences with similar surgeries. "On apps like Instagram and TikTok, you search for weight-loss surgery and see the majority of people go to Turkey," she explained. "I was thinking well all these people have had great experiences so I'm going to go. "I just trusted them because I thought well if they're okay then I'll be okay and I didn't really pay much attention to the horror stories," she added. "I didn't think it would ever happen to me." Leah now documents her experience on social media, using her platform to inform others about the risks involved in similar procedures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The clinic which performed Leah's surgery in Turkey could not be reached for comment, but they previously issued a statement saying "plastic surgery isn't straight-forward and unfortunately some health issues or complications cannot be anticipated". Experts are urging people to think beyond the slick brochures and marketing, and to consider clinical standards, complication risks, and language barriers. The Foreign Office will also provide more detailed travel advice for those considering going overseas for such procedures. Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty said: "If you choose to travel abroad for medical treatment, it is vital you do your research and are fully aware of the risks involved." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We urge anyone considering a medical procedure abroad to review our travel advice, relevant guidance from the NHS and other professional bodies, and research foreign providers thoroughly to ensure they meet the highest standard of care." "Informed choices today can help avoid serious complications tomorrow." Ali Law, TikTok's UK public policy lead, said the platform was "committed" to helping users find "information from trusted sources when searching for topics related to physical and mental health." Earlier this month, ministers outlined plans to reduce unsafe cosmetic treatments in England. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the new rules, only "suitably qualified" and regulated health workers will be allowed to deliver high-risk procedures such as Brazilian butt lifts. Clinics offering lower-risk procedures such as Botox and fillers will need a licence, and age limits will be introduced to stop children from copying dangerous beauty trends seen on social media. More on this story AUSTIN (KXAN) On Friday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins publicly addressed plans to fight back against threats posed by the New World screwworm. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, New World screwworms is an invasive species that burrows fly larvae into fresh wounds of living animals like livestock, pets and occasionally people. The damage they cause can be deadly. During a press conference, Secretary Rollins announced a new sterile fly production facility in Edinburg, TX. The facility will breed three hundred million flies a week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, the Trump Administration will invest in the development of technology and work closer with Mexico to track the screwworm population. We have a lot of data to collect. We have a lot of work to do. But we have to protect our beef and cattle industry in this country, Rollins said. Governor Abbott said during the press conference that screwworms, which feed on cattle and deer, could result in billions of losses each year. This is an issue that is essential to the cattle industry, to the food supply which are at risk, Governor Abbott said. The animal is named after their feeding behavior, with the larvae screwing into the flesh of their victims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Larry Gilbert, a professor at UT Austin and the faculty director of the Brackenridge Field Lab, said he was more concerned about the impact New World screwworms could have on the deer population. The deer herds would be very vulnerable to this, and you dont go around treating wounds on deer. Its hard to find them, Gilbert said. In June, the Department of Agriculture reported that screwworms were detected about 700 miles from the southern border. Cattle imports were suspended from Mexico to prevent an infestation in the states. This drew concern from Governor Abbott earlier in the year. He established a Texas New World Screwworm Response Team. New World Screwworm photo (Photo courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) According to Peyton Schuman, senior director of government relations for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, a screwworm outbreak could cost Texas around $1.8 billion in damages to livestock annually. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The states hunting industry could also face issues. During the 1960s outbreak, 80% of Texass white tailed deer died as a result of screwworms. A ranch worker drives cattle to a corral for inspection for New World screwworm at a ranch in Cintalapa, Chiapas, Mexico, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, amid an infestation that led the U.S. to suspend cattle imports over fears the pest could reach the border. (AP Photo/Isabel Mateos) The species originates in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and some countries in South America. The pests were mostly eradicated in the U.S. in the 1960s, but they have occasionally reemerged in Central America and Mexico. Texas to create response team to combat New World screwworms According to the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension office, the population is controlled through the release of sterile males into the population. Using sterile populations for control was developed at the University of Texas in Austin by entomologists, Edward F. Knipling and Raymond C. Bushland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Signs of an animal infested with the New World screwworm include: Foul-smelling wounds with maggots Animals biting or licking their wounds Lesions in bellybuttons, ears and where branding has occured Lethargy If an infestation is suspected, Texas A&M Agrilife recommends you contact authorities, like the Texas Animal Health Commission and Texas Parks and Wildlife, and notify your veterinarian. You should then inspect the animal for signs of infestation and collect any samples to give to authorities. There are several treatment options, including topical treatments. 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. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed Aaron Abbott to the Arkansas State Board of Education on Aug. 15, 2025. (Courtesy of the Governor's office) Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed Aaron Abbott to the Arkansas State Board of Education Friday. Abbott, an Arkansas native who lives in Springdale, is an account manager and consultant at Halda where he works with colleges and universities to enhance student recruitment, engagement, and success, according to a press release from the governors office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abbott replaces Kathy McFetridge whose seven-year term expired on June 30, 2025. Aarons extensive background in education and steadfast commitment that every child can learn make him the perfect fit for the Board of Education and to serve the parents, educators, and students of Arkansas as we continue to implement Arkansas LEARNS, Sanders said. Education is all about building the future and with people like Aaron advocating for our kids, fighting for parents, and supporting educators, that future is bright. Abbotts higher education experience includes overseeing graduate recruitment for the University of Arkansas College of Education and Health Professions, directing graduate and online enrollment at John Brown University and serving as director of admissions at Williams Baptist University, according to the release. Abbott, whose term will expire on June 30, 2032, said hes honored and humbled by the appointment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a privilege to be part of education policy and oversight at such an important time for our state and our country, Abbott said. The changes underway are putting parents at the center, raising literacy rates, and building stronger pathways from the classroom to careers or college. Im especially excited to get involved at a time when more education oversight is being returned to the states by the federal government. This is Sanders fourth appointee to the nine-member education board, after Ken Bragg and Leigh Keener in 2023, and Gary Arnold in 2024. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE BLUEFIELD How the West Virginia State Police, West Virginia National Guard and West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation will work with federal immigration agents was outlined when Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Morrisey said earlier this week during a press conference via social media that the West Virginia National Guard and the West Virginia State Police will operate under federal the Task Force Model of the 287(g) program. This task force includes the following authorities: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To interrogate any alien or person believed to be an alien as to his right to be or remain in the United States and to process for immigration violations those individuals who have been arrested for State and Federal criminal offenses. To arrest without a warrant any alien entering or attempting to unlawfully enter the United States in the officers presence or view, or any alien in the United States, if the officer has reason to believe the alien to be arrested is in the United States in violation of law and is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained. Subsequent to such arrest, the arresting officer must take the alien without unnecessary delay for an examination before an immigration officer having authority to examine aliens as to their right to enter or remain in the United States. To arrest without warrant for felonies which have been committed and which are cognizable under any law of the United States regulating admission, exclusion, expulsion, or removal of aliens, if the officer has reason to believe the alien to be arrested is in the United States in violation of law and is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained. To serve and execute warrants of arrest for immigration violations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To administer oaths and to take and consider evidence to complete required alien processing which includes fingerprinting, photographing, and interviewing as well as preparation of affidavits and the taking of sworn statements for ICE supervisory review. To prepare charging documents for the signature for an ICE officer. To issue immigration detainers. To take and maintain custody of aliens arrested by ICE, or another state or local law enforcement agency on behalf of ICE. To maintain custody of aliens arrested pursuant to the immigration laws and transport such aliens to ICE-approved detention facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation will operate under the Warrant Service Officer Model, which includes the following authorities: To serve and execute warrants of arrest for immigration violations on designated aliens in correctional facilities at the time of the aliens scheduled release from criminal custody in order to transfer custody of the alien to ICE. To serve warrants of removal at the aliens scheduled release that executes the custodial transfer of the alien to ICE for removal purposes. This level of coordination between West Virginias law enforcement and ICE will significantly speed up the process by which we arrest, detain, and deport illegal aliens, Morrisey said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only participating law enforcement personnel who are nominated, trained, certified and authorized have the authority to conduct the delegated immigration officer functions. Immigration enforcement functions will be done under the supervision or direction of ICE. Maj. Gen. James Seward, adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard, said Wednesday that 175 certified law enforcement officers in the National Guard will be trained to work with ICE. The training program includes, among other things, the terms and limitations of the Memorandum of Agreement, the scope of immigration officer authority, relevant immigration law, the ICE use-of-force policy, Civil Rights laws, the detention of aliens, liability issues, and obligations under federal law to make proper notification upon the arrest or detention of a foreign national. Morrisey also announced West Virginia currently has 88 total illegal aliens in its custody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, 13 illegal aliens who were convicted of crimes and serving sentences were being held in West Virginia prisons, Morrisey said. Twenty-five have been arrested on federal or local charges and have active ICE detainers, four were on U.S. Marshall holds and 46 were being detained on immigration charges, including for matters such as failing to appear before a deportation judge or entering the country after being previously deported, Morrisey said. Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com As wildfire crews battled the Dragon Bravo Fire on the Grand Canyons North Rim in July 2025, the air turned toxic. A chlorine gas leak had erupted from the parks water treatment facility as the building burned, forcing firefighters to pull back. The water treatment facility is part of a system that draws water from a fragile spring. Its the only water source and system for the park facilities on both rims, including visitor lodging and park service housing. The fire also damaged some of the areas water pipes and equipment, leaving fire crews to rely on a fleet of large water trucks to haul in water and raising concerns about contamination risks to the water system itself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By mid-August, Dragon Bravo was a megafire, having burned over 140,000 acres, and was one of the largest fires in Arizona history. It had destroyed more than 70 structures, including the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge, and sent smoke across the region. A National Park Service worker assesses a split in an exposed section of the Grand Canyons fragile water lines in 2014. The water pipeline, installed in the mid-1960s, feeds water from Roaring Springs, located approximately 3,500 feet below the North Rim. Grand Canyon National Park via Flickr Wildfires like this are increasingly affecting water supplies across the U.S. and creating a compounding crisis that experts in water, utilities and emergency management are only beginning to wrestle with. A pattern across the West Before 2017, when the Tubbs Fire burned through neighborhoods on the edge of Santa Rosa, California, most research on the nexus of wildfire and water had focused on issues such as drought and how climate change effects ecosystems. The Tubbs Fire destroyed thousands of buildings and also melted plastic water pipes. After the fire, a residents complaint about the taste and odor of tap water led to the discovery that the fires damage had introduced contaminants including benzene, a carcinogen, into parts of the public water system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It quickly became obvious that the damage discovered at the Tubbs Fire was not unique. Similar damage and pollutants were discovered in another California water system after the 2018 Camp Fire destroyed much of Paradise, a town of over 25,000 people. The list of incidents goes on. In southern Oregon, the 2020 Almeda Fire damaged water pipes in buildings, leaving water to flow freely. That contributed to low system pressure just when people fighting the fire needed the water. Water meters and pipes are vulnerable to damage during a fire. Andrew Whelton/Purdue University, CC BY In Colorado, the 2021 Marshall Fire burned through urban water lines, damaging six public drinking-water systems along with more than 1,000 structures in the Boulder suburbs. All six systems lost power, which in some cases led to a loss of water pressure, hampering firefighting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As firefighters worked on the Marshall Fire, water system operators raced to keep water flowing and contaminants from being transported into the water systems. But tests still detected chemical contamination, including benzene, in parts of the systems a few weeks later. Then, in January 2025, the Los Angeles fires supercharged concerns about water and wildfire. As firefighters raced to put out multiple fires, hydrants ran dry in some parts of the region, while others at higher elevations depressurized. Ultimately, over 16,000 structures were damaged, leading to insured losses estimated to be as high as US$45 billion. Water supplies are crucial to fighting fires. In cities, fire crews like this one battling the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles in January 2025 can often rely on hydrants. But water systems can lose pressure and potentially the power to run their pumps during fires. AP Photo/Etienne Laurent Water infrastructure is not merely collateral damage during wildfires it is now a central concern. It also raises the question: What can residents, first responders and decision-makers reasonably expect from water systems that werent designed with todays disasters in mind? Addressing the growing fire and water challenge While no two water systems or fires are the same, nearly every water system component, ranging from storage tanks to pipelines to treatment plants, is susceptible to damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Grand Canyons Roaring Springs system exemplifies the complexity and fragility of older systems. It supplies water to both rims of the park through a decades-old network of gravity-fed pipes and tunnels and includes the water treatment facility where firefighters were forced to retreat because of the chlorine leak. Many water systems have vulnerable points within or near flammable wildlands, such as exposed pump houses that are crucial for pulling water from lower elevations to where it is needed. A stand pipe at Zorthian Ranch in Altadena, Calif., failed during the January 2025 fire there, making it even more difficult for Alan Zorthian to fight the flames sweeping across his property. He used a pump drawing water from a swimming pool to try to fight the flames, but numerous structures were destroyed. Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images In addition, hazardous materials such as chlorine or ammonia may be stored on-site and require special considerations in high fire risk areas. Staff capacity is often limited; some small utilities depend on a single operator, and budgets may be too constrained to modernize aging infrastructure or implement fire mitigation measures. As climate change intensifies wildfire seasons, these vulnerabilities can become disaster risks that require making water infrastructure a more integral part of fighting and preparing for wildfires. Ways to help everyone prepare As a researcher with Arizona State Universitys Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, I have been working with colleagues and fire and water systems experts on strategies to help communities and fire and water managers prepare. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are a few important lessons: Prioritizing fire-resistant construction, better shielding of chemicals and, in some cases, decentralizing water systems can help protect critical facilities, particularly in high-risk zones. Having backup power supplies, mobile treatment systems and alternate water sources are essential to provide more security in the face of a wildfire. Emergency command protocols and interagency coordination are most effective when they include water utilities as essential partners in all phases of emergency response, from planning to response to recovery. Fire crews and water operators can also benefit from joint training in emergency response, especially when system failure could hinder firefighting itself. Longer term, protecting upstream watersheds from severe fire by thinning forests and using controlled burns, along with erosion control measures, can help maintain water quality and reduce water pollution in the aftermath of fires. Smaller and more isolated systems, particularly in tribal or low-income communities, often need assistance to plan or implement new measures. These systems may require technical assistance, and regional support hubs could support communities with additional resources, including personnel and equipment, so they can respond quickly when crises strike. Looking ahead The Dragon Bravo Fire isnt just a wildfire story, its also a water story, and it signals a larger, emerging challenge across the West. As fire seasons expand in size and complexity, the overlap between fire and water will only grow. The Grand Canyon fire offers a stark illustration of how wildfire can escalate into a multifaceted infrastructure crisis: Fire can damage water infrastructure, which in turn limits firefighting capabilities and stresses water supplies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The question is not whether this will happen again. Its how prepared communities will be when it does. 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: Faith Kearns, Arizona State University Read more: Faith Kearns does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. (The Center Square) The man accused of killing Minnesotas former House speaker and her husband faces state charges of first-degree murder. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Thursday a state grand jury indictment of Vance Luther Boelter includes two first-degree premeditated murder charges for the killing of House Speaker Emerita Mellisa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman. The charges also included attempted first-degree murder of Sen. John Hoffman, Yvette Hoffman, Hope Hoffman and Rep. Kristin Bahner, along with felony cruelty to an animal and impersonating a police officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The murder charges could bring a sentence of life with the possibility of parole. The damage done to the victims those with us, those who were taken from us, and to our entire community has opened wounds that will never heal, Moriarty said in a release. These charges reflect the weight of Mr. Boelters crimes, and our thoughts are with Melissa and Mark Hortmans family, the Hoffman family, Rep. Bahner, and Sen. Rest. Boelter also faces federal charges of stalking and murder in the deaths of Melissa and Mark Holtman, along with the stalking and shooting of John and Yvette Hoffmam and the attempted shooting of Hope Hoffman. The federal charges could carry the death penalty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An affidavit from prosecutors details what officials call Boelters detailed planning and actions the night before and during the early-morning hours of the shootings July 14 in Brooklyn Park, along with circumstances that took place during Boelters nearly two days on the run. Boetler bought a Buick sedan and an electric bike from an individual he met at a bus stop as he worked to escape authorities, prosecutors say. Moriarty said Boelter will face the state charges when the federal charges are completed. The affidavit contains a letter written by Boetler addressed to Patel that officials found in the Buick after it had been abandoned. It said Gov. Tim Walz wanted him to kill Minnesotas two U.S. senators so Walz could take one of those seats. Following the manhunt, Boelter was arrested around 9 p.m. on June 15 near his home in Green Isle. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Greece police arrested an 18-year-old from Gates on Thursday, after he allegedly violated his probation, and a gun was found at a rehab center. According to police, on August 13, Greece Police officers responded to Unity Chemical Dependency located at 1565 Long Pond Road, for a report of a found firearm. In a restroom was a loaded semi-automatic handgun with no serial number. Police identified the suspect in the incident as Chris Singleton Jr. of Gates, who is on probation for a previous weapon conviction. In collaboration with Monroe County Probation, police arrested the teen on Thursday and charged him with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. He was remanded pending arraignment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Singleton was previously arrested on July 15, when he barricaded himself in a home on Brayton Road and had allegedly threatened people with a firearm. He was charged with second-degree criminal trespass, as no gun was found, and released on an appearance ticket. At that time, Singleton Jr. was already on probation for a previous gun charge. 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 RochesterFirst. COLCHESTER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) Multiple service changes are coming this month to GMT services in both Chittenden and Washington Counties. The #11 City Connector will reinstate a fare fee between Burlington and UVMMC. According to GMTs website, the #11 City Connector and the #1 Williston Road will now work in tandem to provide 15-minute service between Downtown Burlington and South Burlingtons new City Center via Market Street. Routes will be operated roughly every half-hour, from Burlington to Dorset Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This change is part of GMTs plan for urban service changes in the county, particularly in the Burlington area, to improve service frequency and better connect riders to key destinations. Routes to Essex Junction, Shelburne and North Avenue, also known as 2,6, and 7 will return to their 20 minute frequency, which was reduced for the summer back in June. Additionally, the 56 Milton Commuter and the #96 St. Albans will combine for a one-seat connection option between Burlington, Milton and St. Albans. Green Mountain Transit to cut another $500K in services In Washington County, GMT says that their rural service changes are aimed at improving efficiency and better aligning with regional mobility needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The #82 Montpelier Hospital Hill is reportedly returning, now with consistent service to Central Vermont Medical Center and key destinations along the route, which will operate Monday through Saturday. Finally, the GMT notes that the MyRide service will now be focused in core service areas, and operate from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Changes will be implemented August 25, 2025. This is the latest round of route changes following the $500,000 cut in services that in June. To hear more, watch the store 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 ABC22 & FOX44. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of using a drone strike to sabotage upcoming peace talks between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine launched an attack on Russia on Thursday, killing at least one person and injuring over a dozen more a day before the high-stakes meeting between Trump and Putin in Anchorage, Alaska. On the eve of the historic peace talks between President Trump and President Putin, Zelensky does this, Greene wrote in a post on social platform X. Zelensky doesnt want peace and obviously is trying to sabotage President Trumps heroic efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added, I pray peace prevails! The Ukrainian Embassy did not immediately respond to The Hills request for comment. Greene has been a vocal critic of U.S. involvement in the more than three-year war and frequently slammed the Biden administration for providing arms to Ukraine as an American ally. A bipartisan group of lawmakers has proposed secondary sanctions on Russias trade partners to help deflate their ability to fund the war overseas, but the Trump administration has delayed plans to impose new tariffs on the Kremlin and its trading partners, which were expected to go into effect last Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, Putin lauded Trump for making energetic and sincere efforts toward peace in Ukraine. The meeting, Trumps first with the Russian leader since his first administration, will take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson notably without Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader signaled earlier this week that a follow-up trilateral was possible as ceasefire proposals advance. But ahead of Fridays summit, Zelensky said he believes Putin is bluffing about intentions to end the war. I believe that Putin will benefit from this, because what he is seeking, frankly, is photographs, Zelensky told a small group of reporters at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv. He needs a photo from a meeting with President Trump. Putin has pushed to maintain control of the Donbas region despite strong objections from Ukraine. Trump has suggested there will need to be a land swap, as part of a deal, which remains an obstacle for peace discussions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Ive pretty much given up on this country, a friend texted me last week. The past several monthsand it has, unbelievably, been only that longhave played out like the climax of a Roland Emmerich movie, as one American institution after another has crumbled in the face of a previously unimaginable assault. The nations top universities and its most powerful law firms, its largest companies and most venerable media giants, have succumbed to the presidents arm-twisting with little more than a whimperor, in some cases, prostrated themselves without even needing to be asked. Government agencies have been snuffed out overnight, masked law-enforcement officers roam the streets, and the welfare state has been slashed to free up money for vast new detention centers. The question can feel less whether its time to give up on this country than whether we still have a country to give up on. It might not, then, seem like the ideal time to watch a five-and-a-half-hour documentary about the plight of the free press in Vladimir Putins Russia. But Julia Loktevs My Undesirable Friends: Part ILast Air in Moscow grabs you from its opening frames and, despite its substantial length, never loosens its grip on your soul. Watching the final vestiges of a free society slip away in what almost feels like real time, we can see her characters struggling to come to grips with what their country is becoming, and how best to push back without losing their own freedoms in the process. Its devastating in its delineation of how brutally a determined and unrestrained state can strip citizens of their essential rights, and exhilarating in the way they draw strength from one another. In other words, its about as important and timely as its possible for a movie to be. Loktev was born in the former Soviet Union, but her family immigrated to Colorado in the 1970s, and though she had been back periodically over the years and still speaks fluent Russian, it wasnt a place I spent a whole lot of time, as she told me in her Brooklyn apartment last week. But when she read an article in the summer of 2021 about young Russian journalists being forced to declare themselves foreign agents for reporting critically on the Putin regime, she had a feeling that she needed to start filming them as soon as she possibly could. The country was just starting to lift COVID restrictions and readmit foreigners, and by October, she was on the ground, unknowingly capturing what turned out to be the final four months before the invasion of Ukraine, and the effective end of the free press in Russia. As Loktevs opening narration informs us, The world youre about to see no longer exists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The initial plan was to make a movie about journalists dealing with the absurdity of Russias foreign agent law, which requires people or institutions designated as such by the government to preface every public communication, whether its a news broadcast or an Instagram post, with a mandatory block of text that Loktevs characters call the fuckery. The foreign agent designation also requires them to report their income and expenses to the government and bars them from running for public office or teaching in schools. One Russian blogger was even fined for posting the text in too small a font. I remember thinking, What if you could make a film in Germany in 1935, when the Nuremberg Laws were first passed, forcing a part of society to mark themselves as others? Loktev recalls. And though she wasnt required to, she periodically breaks up her own movie with the screen-filling block of text, to simulate the disruption Russian viewers would encounter anytime they strayed from state-run media. The first of Part Is five hourlong episodes still bears the title of what she thought would be the entire film: The Lives of Foreign Agents. But as she kept shooting, from October 2021 through the beginning of the war on Ukraine in February 2022, the list of foreign agents grew from a few dozen to several hundred, and the restrictions on press freedoms got more and more severe, her subjects situations more and more dangerous. As for the threat to her, Loktev says, I tried not to think about it. When we watch a disaster movie, we savor the experience of knowing whats about to strike before the characters do, tallying up their fatal missteps while were safe in our seats. But the people in My Undesirable Friends arent blithely going about their business as a storm gathers in the distance. Theyre already in it up to their knees, and they just dont know how deep the waters going to get. As the laws tighten and the months pass, the characters, many of whom work for TV Rain, Russias last independent news channel, keep wondering out loud whether its finally time to leave the country. But its difficult to square their own increasingly fraught situations with the stubborn normalcy of the world around them. Even on the night that Russia started bombing Ukraine, Loktev says, she was waiting for one of her subjects at a cafe near TV Rains offices and realized that the people at the next table were on a Tinder date. Part of the authoritarian attempt is this sense when youre living through it that life continues to look normal around you, and you feel slightly schizophrenic, she says. You feel like youre going crazylike, Is this really happening? Theres still matcha lattes everywhere. Even the lives of Loktevs characters can seem disorientingly normal at times. Yes, theyre under constant threat of being fined or shut down or worse. The movies youngest subject, 23-year-old Ksenia Mironova, is the fiancee of journalist Ivan Safronov, who was jailed for treason in July 2020 and eventually sentenced to 22 years in prison. But theyre also young people who gather for raucous dinners and razz each others cooking, who drop offhand references to Gossip Girl and bemoan the fact that they cant stop hate-watching Emily in Paris. (Russians are also, it turns out, really, really into Harry Potter.) Its a sobering political document, and a terrifying premonition of what lies ahead, but its also a superlative hangout movie. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loktev shot My Undesirable Friends on a succession of iPhones, and although that wasnt her initial planyou can, if you watch closely, spot the point at which she upgrades to a more recent modelit allowed her an extraordinary degree of intimacy. I was around other people shooting some of the same events at the same time I was, she recalls, and they were like 10 feet farther back than I was. I actually love the feeling it creates because youre really with people and kind of in their world. Apart from the opening narration and the few sentences of text that end each episode, theres little in the way of exposition, and she avoids the use of lower third captions to explain who her subjects, many of them well-known figures, are. We see Anna Nemzer, the host of a TV Rain show called Whos Got the Power?, posing for a photo shoot in sparkly eveningwear, a tongue-in-cheek riff on the government branding her a secret agent. But instead of the glamorous result, the movie focuses on her discomfort, her almost palpable desire to shrug off the fancy dress and get back to work. Loktevs characters are identified by their diminutive nicknames and not their formal bylinesNemzer is Anya, Mironova is Ksyushaand the overall effect is like being welcomed to a bustling dinner party already in progress. You might not catch every name or job description, but hang around long enough, and you start to feel like part of the group. Everyone, every character, was a famous journalist, says Mironova, who now lives in New York. But we are famous for a very little circle. We are not rich stars. What I like about this movie a lot is that I can see girls with their dogs or Anya just cooking, because thats how she deals with her stress, and I understand that completely. I think almost every person can understand. Mironova will be appearing on a panel at New Yorks Film Forum, where My Undesirable Friends begins its American theatrical run, this weekend, along with Loktev and Nemzer. But she admits shes never been able to watch the entire movie, which ends with her in tears, choosing to flee a country whose streets are filled with anti-war protesters and the armed troops sent to subdue them. (The second part, which Loktev is still editing, will be subtitled Exile.) Loktev had her subjects check the footage to ensure that there was nothing in the movie that might endanger anyonesome minor characters faces are blurred, others kept carefully just outside the framebut Mironova said she could only bear to watch her scenes at double speed, and even then, she mostly just listened to the dialogue. When the movie premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, she asked the staff to wait until the end credits started rolling to bring her into the theater, because the last episode ends with me crying and leaving, and I remember what comes after. On the day I spoke to Mironova, National Guard troops were beginning to arrive in Washington, and news was circulating about CBS plan to appoint a bias monitor to oversee its news coverage, the latest in a series of seeming concessions to a relentlessly partisan Federal Communications Commission that included canceling Stephen Colberts top-rated late-night show, which frequently took jabs at Trump. Despite the obvious differences between Russia and the U.S., its impossible to watch My Undesirable Friends and not feel the tumblers falling into place, the parallels that once seemed unimaginable and now feel unavoidable. Among her fellow exiles, Mironova says, the standard response to Colberts cancellation was Welcome to Russia in the 90s and 2000s. This is exactly what was going on in Russia 20 years ago. Thats not to say the U.S. will end up like Russia. But we can no longer be sure that we wont. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even after 20 years of Putin, Mironova says, it was hard to believe that things would get as bad as they did as fast as they did. Even when it seemed inevitable, she recalls, it still was absolutely impossible. No one knows more clearly than My Undesirable Friends characters how far the rule of law has deteriorated. And yet, up until the moment bombs started falling in Ukraine, many chose to stick it out, fighting battles they knew would be futile because, as Nemzer explains, there still needs to be a record of what happened. One of the interesting things for me in the film is this question of: What do you do when you live in a country where your government is doing terrible things, and how do you continue to function as the opposition in that country? Loktev says. Do you put on plays? Do you continue to work as a journalist? Do you continue to work as an activist for people with disabilities, for homeless people, people with HIV? Or are you supposed to leave that country and leave it to the dictator? In the end, the people in My Undesirable Friends dont have a choice: Its either flee and continue their work in exile, or stay and end up in prison. Part I leaves them at a heartbreaking juncture, especially Mironova, who has to be convinced that she can do more to advocate for her fiances release abroad than she could in a Russian jail. And yet even as she acknowledges that the previous year and a half has been the worst in her life, she says that its also been the best. I saw a lot of light in my colleagues, she tells me. And I had people around me who fought a lot for our future, even if we lost. Part of my life is still awful. But I had this chance to experience real love, and how people can support each other, and how kind they can be in a very, very dark time. As a journalist, Mironova doesnt think much of the American press, or at least the major media companies who have lost touch with the struggles of ordinary people. But she also sees the U.S. as a place where strong communities already exist, and those bonds need to be strengthened, both to fight the rise of authoritarianism and to keep one another sane. Just be together, she says. Spend more time together. It may not seem as if the crisis is urgentthere are, indeed, still matcha lattes. But its been less than a year since My Undesirable Friends first screened in the U.S., and whatever comforting distance there might have been between the people in the movie and the people watching it has all but vanished. Even between October, when we knew kind of what was coming and hoped it wasnt, and now, it just feels very different, Loktev says. It still felt like a film about nasty things that happen in nasty faraway places, and now weve become the nasty close place. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) The USD medical doctor program moving to Sioux Falls is not the first time public university classes and programs have expanded to the states largest city. The campus on North Career Avenue has seen a lot of change since groundwork for it began in 2006. What was once USDSU and the University Center later transitioned to the Community College of Sioux Falls. And in 2022, it became a satellite campus specifically for the University of South Dakota. The goal of this campus is to meet students where they are so they have more options for earning their degree. Woman sues SFPD for negligence after injuries Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our students are located here in Sioux Falls or the region; they have work commitments or family commitments or, in some case, working adults, full-time working or returning adult learners who wouldnt have ever made that transition to a traditional campus that Vermillion has, Jay Perry, Vice-President of USD-Sioux Falls, said in 2023. Another goal of the campus is to help bridge the gaps of workforce shortages, especially in health care, business and education. Were in this for the long haul and so you dont grow rapidly in higher education, you just try to grow steadily and so what I get really excited about is thinking about what this site looks like ten years down the road and what this site ten years down the road can do for the entire Sioux Falls region, Perry said in 2023. South Dakota State University is also looking to the future and expanding its reach in Sioux Falls with the SDSU Metro Center thats set to open in 2026. Avera Health gifted the SDSU Foundation this building at 33rd Street and Minnesota Avenue in April 2024. According to the Foundations website, this site will give the university its first permanent home for the Sioux Falls-based programs in nursing, pharmacy, respiratory therapy, medical laboratory science and public health. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dakota State University also has a presence in Sioux Falls with its Applied Research Lab facility on the citys northwest side that looks to grow the states cyber-research industry. 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. A Guatemalan national was released on his own recognizance Thursday after allegedly selling tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) gummies that caused the hospitalization of a dozen New York middle-schoolers in March. Wilmer Castillo Garcia, 22, is accused of endangering the welfare of a child after 12 students from William Floyd Middle School were brought to Peconic Bay Hospital on the same day, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney. The children became ill after eating gummies laced with THC, a compound found in cannabis that is known for causing a high or euphoric effect. The candies were traced to an Instagram account, which led investigators to Castillo Garcia, Tierney said. Some THC-infused candy packaging can appear similar to popular name-brand candy. Kilmar Abrego Garcia Indicted On Human Trafficking Charges, Ordered To Appear Before Judge In Nashville Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Castillo Garcia was also indicted on two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, and other related charges, after he allegedly sold cocaine and marijuana to an undercover officer on two separate occasions. He pleaded not guilty. Defense attorney Matthew Tuohy, who is representing Castillo Garcia, told Fox News Digital they are working with the district attorney's office to come up with a resolution to the case. Read On The Fox News App "My client has had a very, very tough upbringing," Tuohy said. "He's basically been on his own. He has family here now that is helping him, and I'm trying to get him on the right path to resolve this the best way we can." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal Judge Denies Detention For Alleged Ms-13 Gang Member Kilmar Abrego Garcia Though Castillo Garcia is charged with a total of four felonies and two misdemeanors, Judge Anthony Senft Jr. ordered him to be released on his own recognizance, as his charges are considered non-bail-eligible under current New York state law. "This is yet another example of how New Yorks bail laws are broken," Tierney wrote in a statement. "We cannot even ask for reasonable security on a foreign national who allegedly provided THC gummies that sickened middle-schoolers to ensure he faces justice." Prosecutors cannot ask for bail, and judges are unable to set an amount, despite the fact that Castillo Garcia is alleged to be a foreign national with connections and the ability to flee the jurisdiction to evade prosecution, according to Tierney. Certain companies sell THC-infused snacks that mimic the packaging from well-known name brands. Knife-wielding Illegal Migrant Accused Of Threatening Us Attorney On Albany, Ny Streets Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked about his client's release, Tuohy said Castillo Garcia is not a flight risk. "He hired an attorney, he was present in court at his own volition, and he showed he's not a risk of flight," Tuohy said. "These are drug cases, not violent cases, so they're not bail-eligible. At the same time, I don't think there was an intent to harm anybody, on anybody's part. It's an unfortunate situation, and we're going to do the best we can to resolve it in the best possible way." Castillo Garcia is due back in court Sept. 2 and faces up to nine years in prison if convicted of the top count. Original article source: Guatemalan national freed without bail in THC gummies case that sent 12 middle-schoolers to the hospital QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) A man was carjacked by three masked gunmen on the Long Island Expressway early Friday morning while on his way home from a night out, according to police and the victim. The man, 33, was driving a late-model BMW eastbound on the LIE when he was rear-ended by a Porsche on the LIE near Exit 31S at around 3:45 a.m., according to the NYPD. More Local News Police believe the fender bender was a setup to get the man out of the white luxury vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Im looking at the damage, three guys with masks come over with loaded guns and say, Give me everything you got,' the BMW driver told PIX11 News on Friday. After the collision, the victim said his first instinct was to pull over to check his car, and thats when three armed men jumped out of the Porsche. Police said two shots were fired in the air, but nobody was hit. The suspects also ripped a gold chain off the mans neck, he said. The suspects then drove off with the BMW and the Porsche, police said. I made a run for it. I ran down the LIE and they took the car, said the driver, whose identity is being concealed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There have been no arrests. The investigation is ongoing. 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). 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. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. A Gwinnett County man is being accused of sexually assaulting a child 17 years ago when he lived in Michigan. James Carter, 62, is charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct and two counts of accosting a child for immoral purposes. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says Carter is accused of sexually assaulting and accosting a minor and another victim in 2008. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] He was initially charged by the Hillsdale County Prosecuting Attorneys Office in Aug. 2011. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was arraigned and extradited to Hillsdale County, Mich. in March as part of Operation Survivor Justice. Operation Survivor Justice has proven that those who flee criminal allegations cannot evade accountability by crossing state lines, said Nessel. TRENDING STORIES: According to Hillsdale County jail records, Carter resides in Lawrenceville. Carter will appear in court on Aug. 18. He faces a potential life sentence if convicted. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A student at Meadowcreek Elementary School in Gwinnett County was arrested after bringing a firearm to school and discharging it in a toilet before classes began on Thursday. The incident is under criminal investigation, said Bernard Watson, director of community and media relations at Gwinnett County Public Schools. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On Thursday morning, before the school day began, administrators were alerted that a toilet in a restroom had been broken. When questioned, a student admitted to intentionally damaging it. That student received disciplinary consequences in accordance with our student conduct code. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friday, new information came to light, Watson said. A parent and several students reported that that same student had brought a firearm to school on Thursday and had threatened to shoot the toilet. School police immediately investigated and confirmed the student had taken the gun from home, brought it to school and discharged it in the toilet before classes began. Police are also investigating whether the students parents will face charges. Well be collaborating with Gwinnett County District Attorneys Office to determine if criminal charges will be forthcoming, said Tony Lockhart, chief of police at GCPS. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No one was in the restroom at the time, and no one was injured. That student, though, has been arrested and will face criminal charges. To our families, please know that we take any threat to our safety very seriously, Watson said. We need your partnership in talking with your children about the dangers and consequences of bringing weapons to school and reporting any concerns right away. As a responsible gun owner, you need to make sure that your weapon is secure and safe and just to take it another step, any family members, make sure theres nothing in your childs backpack that shouldnt be there prior to them leaving for school, Lockhart said. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Haitis transitional government is brokering a deal to take control of its porous border with the Dominican Republic, which has become a gateway for illegal weapons, by giving a private firm control of security and tax collection. A Haitian government official aware of the discussions confirmed to the Miami Herald that negotiations are ongoing for border control and debt collection by restructuring customs and PoliFRONT, the specialized Haitian border police unit charged with securing the 243-mile borders with the Dominican Republic, the countrys biggest trade partner. No contract has been signed, said the official, disputing a Reuters story that quoted private security executive and Donald Trump supporter Erik Prince that he has signed a long-term agreement with the Haitian government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of the 10-year agreement, according to the story, Princes company, Vectus Global, would design and carry out a program to tax goods imported across the border, which currently help funnel between $60 million to $70 million to gangs that control key transport routes. The source, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said he has not seen Vectus Globals name. However, another source said there are several companies, including Princes, that are vying for the border contract. A spokesman for Vectus Global told the Herald the company has a year-long program to help the government defeat the gangs and a longer-term role advising the government on how to restore revenue collection capabilities once the situation stabilizes. We want to help the Haitians increase their capacity to defeat these terrorist groups, get their country back, and then reinstate essential services which have been missing for the past few years. In addition to consulting on security issues, the firm provides a range of services, the company notes, adding that a task force operating out of the prime ministers office that is leading the response to gangs is using advice from Vectus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But some observers see a border contract as a throwback to a bygone colonial era. Others see it as a money grab in which the country is being mortgaged in the name of fighting criminal gangs. This is scandalous, said Samuel Madistin, a leading human rights lawyer and former presidential candidate. The government that is here is provisional, corrupt and it represents the most mafia segment of the private sector. They do not have the legitimacy to engage the country in a long-term 10-year contract with a private firm in a plan of collecting taxes to reinforce security when they have never taken any forceful steps to reinforce the army, the national police to fight against gangs. Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime did not respond to a request for comment. The former head of the transitional council, Fritz Alphonse Jean, said the Reuters article was the first he was hearing of any such arrangement. Laurent Saint-Cyr, who took over the reins of the presidential council last week, said he was not aware of the signing of such a contract. The revelations about Princes firm taking control of the only reliable revenue stream for the government comes on the heels of concerns over the influence the private sector exerts over the government, as members of the business community now control both the presidency of the council and the prime ministers office. Princes entry and the Kenya mission On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department confirmed plans to support a proposal from United Nations chief Antonio Guterres to back the efforts of the armed international mission thats been struggling to control the gang violence. However, observers worry that Princes entrance into the fray will complicate support for the Kenya-led mission because of his teams use of weaponized drones to target Haitian gangs. There are also concerns that the presence of mercenaries in the gang fight could dissuade future efforts to scale up the current mission into a full-fledged U.N.-authorized peacekeeping force. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While it is understandable that the Haitian government feels the needs to respond to an extreme situation with whatever alternatives are on the table, relying on a [private military contractor] for a long term plan -- particularly when the details are not being shared publicly- will certainly alarm Haitian and international observers because of the history of lack of accountability from this kind of operations, said Diego Da Rin, Haiti analyst for the International Crisis Group. Da Rin said with funding for the Kenyan mission already uncertain, Haitian leaders might be betting that Prince will provide the support needed to at least gain some ground against the gangs. Controversial figure The founder of the controversial military security firm Blackwater, Prince arrived in Haiti earlier this year promising to help the country put down the with the help of former special forces soldiers and military contractors from the United States, Colombia and other nations. Haitian authorities have declined to provide details on the contract, which for one year carried a $50 million price tag, according to another government official. In addition to providing personnel, the arrangement called for the firm to provide helicopters and weaponized drones. So far, in the eight months that drones have been hitting areas of the capital, no major gang leaders have been captured or killed, although Haitian police have claimed that some gang members have died. The slaughter of Haitians and the destruction of private property by armed groups have not ceased. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People familiar with Princes arrival say he was introduced in Haiti by Reuven Bigio, the CEO of the GB Group, a firm founded by Gilbert Bigio, an uber rich Haitian businessman who was sanctioned by Canada in 2022 along with other prominent members of the economic elite. Among the companies assets is the private Lafito port in Port-au-Prince, where private military are used to provide security. In pitching his services, Prince discussed wresting control of gangs to allow major highways to reopen. HIs services would be paid for through a revenue scheme in which his firm reportedly would get a percentage of the increase in collections. Not a new idea The plan to secure the border with an outside firm to increase customs revenue is not a novel idea. It was first raised by Florida Gov. Jeb Bushs Haiti Advisory Board in 2005 but quickly nixed after considerable pushback. Then Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe introduced it during the administration of President Michel Martelly, using an Israeli firm. Shortly after coming to power, President Jovenel Moise broke the contract, which had already invested $10 million. Mark Hall, an American investment banker who worked in the Dominican Republic, has also tried to get support for a similar effort that involves installing 50 to 60 high tech surveillance towers along the border. It was expected to cost $134 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hall, like other proponents of the idea, argued that it is a win for Haiti, which loses an estimated $500 million annually from contraband and the lack of control at its borders. The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime has repeatedly raised concerns over the illicit trafficking of firearms and narcotics across the countrys porous border, particularly in the southern departments of Haiti. In mid-April, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights voiced similar concerns, noting that a lack of border controls have helped facilitate the smuggling of firearms into the country. Poor provision of security at borders and an influx of small arms and light weapons into Haiti has facilitated a resurgence in violence in recent years, the security firm Osprey said in a recent analysis. Large, relatively unpoliced areas of Haiti are also vulnerable to security and criminal threats due to instability and porous borders. Channel 12 reported on a classified document received by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hours after Mossad's Barnea trip to Qatar. Hamas might have changed its position about the hostage negotiations and would be willing to agree on a partial deal, Channel 12 reported on Friday evening, citing a classified document received by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the Israeli outlet, Netanyahu received on Thursday a document were it was stated that Hamas position was alligned with the offer made by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff - which includes the release of 10 live hostages and 18 dead hostages in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners-. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report also noted that these possible negotiations might be faster than in previous instances, with two unnamed sources cited by Channel 12 explaining that Hamas's answer could be ready as early as next week. This document arrives on Netanyahus desk just hours after Mossads director, David Barnea, met Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Doha, Qatar, to advance on the issue of hostage deal negotiations. According to statements made by Mossad representatives, the option of arriving at a partial deal that would not see the return of all the hostages was completely discarded. Mossad director David Barnea seen over a wall of hostage posters in Tel Aviv (illustrative) (credit: FLASH90) A long way to bring back the hostages On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement outlining Israels principles for ending the war: dismantling Hamass military capabilities; returning all hostages, both living and deceased; demilitarizing the Gaza Strip; not only disarming Hamas but also ensuring that no weapons are manufactured in or smuggled into the territory; maintaining Israeli security control in Gaza, including the security perimeter; and establishing an alternative civilian administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While mediators Qatar and Egypt are trying to formulate a framework that would include the release of all hostages and an end to the war, the possibility of negotiating a partial deal involving the release of only 10 hostages has not been ruled out. An Egyptian source familiar with negotiations told Saudi channel Al Arabiya on Thursday that the proposal for ending the war and hostage exchange would be carried out in two stages. Amichai Stein contributed to this report. New Hampshire's Cold Case Unit has added two full-time investigators and secured expanded funding despite budget constraints, officials announced Friday. Gov. Kelly Ayotte preserved existing Cold Case Unit funding and obtained additional money to hire the new investigators, both veteran police detectives with cold case experience, according to a statement from the unit. The unit has had several recent successes, including arrests in long-unsolved homicides, identification of decades-old remains and reopened investigations. Officials said they have expanded use of forensic genealogy and DNA analysis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adam Montgomery trial Day 7 FILE PHOTO: Assistant New Hampshire Attorney General Christopher Knowles questions a witness during day seven of the Adam Montgomery trial at Hillsborough County Superior Court in Manchester on Feb. 15, 2024. "The Unit's recent growth was made possible through strong support from state leadership," Cold Case Unit Chief R. Christopher Knowles said in the statement. Knowles serves as senior assistant attorney general. The unit works with families of victims daily, providing updates while maintaining investigation integrity, officials said. Attorney General John Formella joined Ayotte in announcing the expansion. They urged anyone with information no matter how small to come forward, as a single lead can make all the difference. The Cold Case Unit encourages anyone with information to contact them at (800) 525-5555 or coldcaseunit@dos.nh.gov. More information is available at www.doj.nh.gov/criminal/cold-case. CONCORD, N.H. (AP) A New Hampshire man accused of killing his sister-in-law and two young nephews when he was 16 pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges Friday after prosecutors described a playful morning turned tragic. Eric Sweeney, now 19, had been living with his older brothers family in Northfield for three years when prosecutors say he fatally shot Kassandra Sweeney, 25, and her sons, 4-year-old Benjamin and 1-year-old Mason, in August 2022. He was scheduled to go on trial on first-degree murder charges next month but instead pleaded guilty to the lesser charges in Merrimack County Superior Court, speaking only to briefly confirm his understanding of the proceedings. First-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence without parole. Second-degree murder is punishable by up to life in prison. Sweeney, whose lawyers had considered raising an insanity defense, will be sentenced on Oct. 3. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to prosecutors, Sweeneys older brother, Sean, and his wife were serving as the teens guardians when Sweeneys increasing behavioral issues including lying and violating house rules began causing tensions in the home. The couple called police twice: once when Sweeney took their truck without permission and again less than two weeks before the shootings to say he was making strange statements, Assistant Attorney General Bethany Durand said at Friday's hearing. The situation had deteriorated the the extent that Sean installed a lock on the door of the master bedroom in order to keep the defendant out of that room, Durand said. She described videos Kassandra Sweeney recorded and sent to her husband less than 10 minutes before they were killed: the toddler laughing as one of the family dogs nipped at the tail of his older brother's dinosaur costume, both boys looking out the window at a groundhog and saying Hi, Dada to the camera. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The family was having a normal morning, with the boys playing and laughing with Kassandra while helping her to create video clips to send to their dad, Durand said. There was no indication of any unknown person, intruder or danger inside of their home. When he was taken into custody, Sweeney told police he had been in his room in the basement when he heard something break upstairs, a man with a deep voice yelling and multiple pops, according to court documents. He said he went upstairs and found his sister-in-law and nephews on the floor bleeding and then took Kassandras cellphone and keys and drove away. He then called his brother, who called police. Investigators found Kassandra and Mason in the dining room and Benjamin in the kitchen, Durand said. All three had been shot once in the head, Benjamin through the hood of his dinosaur costume. The prosecutor said Sweeney used his brother's handgun, which was kept in a locked safe under the couple's bed. Family members, some of whom wiped away tears during the hearing, declined to comment afterward, as did lawyers for both sides. According to court documents, Sweeney left the couple a note when he took their truck in June 2022. I do not belong in this family All I do is steal and lie and be irresponsible, it read in part, closing with, I love you big bro and sis bye. New Hampshire teen pleads guilty to murders of sister-in-law, 2 young nephews A New Hampshire teenager accused of fatally shooting his sister-in-law and his two young nephews pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder on Friday. Eric Sweeney, 19, appeared in Merrimack Superior Court in Concord, where he admitted to the killings of his sister-in-law, 25-year-old Kassandra Sweeney, and his nephews, 4-year-old Benjamin Sweeney and 23-month-old Mason Sweeney. Eric Sweeney was 16 when authorities say he shot and killed his brothers wife, Kassandra, and her sons on the morning of Aug. 3, 2022, at their home on Wethersfield Drive in Northfield, New Hampshire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eric Sweeney was living at his brothers home at the time of the murders. In the days before the deaths of Kassandra, Benjamin, and Mason, Kassandras husband, Sean Sweeney, told police he was concerned for his familys safety, according to heavily redacted police documents. Eric Sweeney, 17, formerly of Northfield, New Hampshire, was indicted by a Merrimack County grand jury in October 2023 on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of falsifying evidence in the Aug. 3, 2022, killings of his sister-in-law, 25-year-old Kassandra Sweeney, and his nephews, 4-year-old Benjamin Sweeney and 23-month-old Mason Sweeney, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said. On July 22, 2022, records show Sean Sweeney, just 12 days before his wife and children were killed, told police that he was concerned about a person at his home who was making strange comments. Sean told police that he found a weapon in the garage and more in the woods. According to the report, a police officer spoke to the unnamed person, later identified as Eric Sweeney, who was calmly sitting at a table. He allegedly said that he would change his behavior. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eric Sweeney was slated to go on trial for first-degree murder next month. In 2024, court documents showed his legal team was considering using an insanity defense. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for October. He faces life in prison. RELATED: Im beyond words: NH father breaks silence after wife, 2 boys found murdered Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Hard work creating new life at ex-General Motors plant MORAINE, Ohio (WDTN) A former General Motors automotive plant in Moraine is being transformed into a state-of-the-art food manufacturing facility. Shearers, the largest salty snack manufacturer in North America, is in the process of opening its 17th production facility at 4100 Springboro Pike in Moraine. This facility is designed to become the industrys first Single-Serve Center of Excellence, positioning Ohio as a national leader in snack manufacturing and innovation, said the company. What is Shearers making? Jeannene Schaffnit, plant manager at Shearers, said the facility is going to manufacture single-serve bagged chips, as well as smaller chips found in multi-packs. Items of production will include corn, potato and tortilla chips. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schaffnit told WDTN.com that consumers will not see the Shearers name on store shelves. We are a private label producer, so that means we dont produce under the name Shearers, said Schaffnit. So you wont be able to go to a grocery store and select a Shearers, you know, labeled product. The specific brands which Shearers produces snacks for is not able to be revealed, but the plant manager said a lot of people have likely consumed their product. I guarantee you, being the largest salty snack manufacturer, probably 90% of folks have eaten our product, said Schaffnit. Tremendous clean-up Prior to Shearers becoming a tenant at the location, General Motors operated an automotive paint plant at the site for many years. The plant ceased operations in 2008. WDTN Photo/Carlos Mathis Schaffnit said before Shearers had even moved in, the landlord had already taken measures to ensure health and safety for Shearers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The heavy lifting on that was done by the landlord, said Schaffnit. It was cleaned and taken down and all of that. We came in and are amazed. The interior of the building has practically been completely replaced, which will allow for a clean facility to produce food. An engineering group took it down to the studs, lets say, and then we put up new walls and we had to dig up the floors and we put in new floors, said Schaffnit. Other additions include water tanks in the ground, new air compressors, boilers, HVAC system walls, new infrastructure, according to Schaffnit. Further revitalization As a Daytonian herself, Schaffnit said the site has always meant a lot to her and others within the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think a lot of us, you know, have family, friends, grandparents, great uncles, you know, all sort of folks that had worked here when it was a GM plant, said Schaffnit. It was always kind of painful to drive by, so it is an absolute thrill to be able to turn this facility around, make it a food-safe manufacturing facility, and be able to offer over, just the start, over 300 positions. As construction continues, Schaffnit is looking to the future to lead the employees and bring life back to the area. I cant tell you how honored I feel to be able to lead this startup and lead this plant and take this old paint GM plant, which has been empty for so long and fill it up with people and have a remarkable turnaround, said Schaffnit. Schaffnit said she is excited to see construction soon wrap up and have contractor vehicles replaced with employee vehicles in the parking lot. Community-oriented Shearers is a brand that describes itself as committed to community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Schaffnit, Shearers gives back to the community, including supporting area nonprofits. One of the areas of support Shearers likes to boost is those involved in efforts to eliminate food insecurity. Were all part of the community and we want to make it better, said Schaffnit. Thats kind of in our, its in Shearers DNA, and its definitely in mine. Now Hiring: Shearers Although construction is continuing on the new facility, Shearers is looking to fill approximately 300 positions. Below are just some areas the company is looking to hire: Automation Forklift driver Maintenance Managers Sanitation Supervisors Technicians Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schaffnit said individuals interested in job opportunities are encouraged to visit its website and find job listings on sites like LinkedIn. The company is also planning to be present at the following job fairs: Date Location Sept. 15 Wright State University Sept. 24 University of Dayton Sept. 25 Dayton Convention Center Opening timeline In October or November, Shearers will start turning the equipment on at the new facility. Schaffnit said the company is on target to start the tortilla line on Dec. 1, followed by corn chips and potato chips in early 2026. A production expansion at the facility is expected to occur later on in 2026. Project Crispy 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 house is seen near the Gavin Power Plant on in Cheshire, Ohio. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images) The Minnesota State Board of Investment is a relatively unknown state agency with a critical role for Minnesotans: managing over $146 billion in assets including public employee retirement plans. Its board members include Gov. Tim Walz, State Auditor Julie Blaha, Secretary of State Steve Simon, and Attorney General Keith Ellison. The State Board of Investment pledges to consider all material risks and opportunities including those from climate change and the energy transition, according to Minnesotas Climate Roadmap. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats why the board should take a close look at the implications of its investments in Energy Capital Partners, which is currently seeking an additional $250 million investment from the state. This is concerning because while Energy Capital Partners claims to have a focus on sustainability infrastructure providing reliable, affordable, and clean energy, it is in the process of purchasing the General James M. Gavin coal-fired power plant. Gavin is a 50-year-old coal plant in southeastern Ohio and is one of the most deadly power plants in the nation in terms of health effects due to air pollution with a history of public health and environmental violations. The Gavin power plant represents risks to its owners due to ongoing litigation regarding expensive toxic coal ash cleanup requirements, the plants high debt burden, and the unstable future for coal, not to mention the reputational risks associated with owning a power plant that has been associated with over 200 premature deaths per year and $1.7 billion in costs associated with health problems from the plants pollution. The Gavin coal plant is the single biggest contributor to Energy Capital Partners health impacts. According to research released this summer, emissions from Energy Capital Partners assets nationally are estimated to cause between $1.8 and $3.3 billion in costs related to health impacts each year. The emissions are estimated to cause 62,000 asthma incidents, 130 emergency room visits, 11,000 lost work days, $15,000 lost school days, and over 200 premature deaths. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Minnesota should not rely on returns from an out-of-state power plant that causes the premature deaths of hundreds of people each year to fund the retirement of state employees. The Minnesota State Board of Investment has an opportunity to collaborate with Energy Capital Partners to insist on a thoughtful retirement plan for the Gavin coal plant. This would be a positive result for the environment, public health, and Minnesota public pensioners. 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. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) New Haven police say theyve arrested a man accused of sexually-assaulting a juvenile in August. Segundo Reinaldo Guaranda Gamboy, 32, was charged with first-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor. Community, city respond to alleged sexual assault in New Haven park The charges stem from Aug. 13, when officers responded to the pediatric area of Yale-New Haven Hospital for a sexual assault involving a juvenile. They determined the incident happened several days prior, at a separate location. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said he confessed to the crime. He was held on a $500,000 bond. 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. As Siaosi Soto approached his final day in the Air Force, he wanted to get one last use out of his military uniform. So in full dress blues the Air Forces formal coat-and-tie duty uniform Soto headed to the beach and got barreled. I had it planned right before I started my terminal leave, Soto told Task & Purpose. Ive been bodyboarding for about 16 years so I wanted to do something different for me getting out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Captured on a video posted to his personal Instagram, Soto put in a multi-wave bodyboard session in full uniform at Sandy Beach, a renowned bodyboard spot on the south side of Oahu, about an hour from Sotos hometown of Ewa Beach. Sotos freedom ride complete with Creedence Clearwater Revivals Fortunate Son as the soundtrack was first posted by the Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page. Soto joined the Air Force in 2019 and served a six-year active duty enlistment in Security Forces, most near his hometown, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Though he kept his military career mostly off social media during his time in, he made at least one video on duty that made clear hed be out soon. The video captures Soto in the rear of a military pick-up truck, with a simple caption: Cant wait to get out. When his DD 214 day arrived on July 25, he said, his plan hit a problem: no uniform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cleaners threw my blues coat away or gave them to someone else, he said. Top Stories This Week News 2-star general busted down to lieutenant colonel over inappropriate relationship By Jeff Schogol News Airman arrested for death that prompted Air Force-wide safety review of Sig M18 By Jeff Schogol Culture Laura Loomer unites vets from both sides of aisle after Medal of Honor rant By Matt White So he borrowed a friends jacket for the surf session. That meant that Soto, who left the Air Force as a Senior Airman, was technically out of uniform twice in one video once, in his blues shirt with A1C stripes, and second in his friends jacket, wearing Staff Sgt. rank. He just put on E-5, Soto said. My boys were all for it. The coat was fine. Took it to the dry cleaners and looks brand new. He has two of them so he wasnt worried. Check out Sotos final act of service here. HONOLULU (KHON2) The Made in Hawaii Festival is here for its 31st year. This weekend, from Aug. 15 to 17, Hawaiian Airlines is bringing to us the Made in Hawaii Festival that showcases local brands with locally made products. ALSO Made in Hawaii Festival Returns for 31st Year with Nearly 100 New Vendors The event this weekend will take place in the Hawaii convention center exhibit halls I, II, & III on 1801 Kalakaua Ave. from 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The MIHF has been known to be Hawaiis most loved festival, bringing excitement to all Hawaii citizens during this time. Keep in mind, the parking on-site is very limited so it might be best to park in and around the Waikiki-Ala Moana area. Made in Hawaii suggests that you either ride share, take public transportation, car pool, or even get dropped off at the event location. There will also be a designated rest area for Kupuna and ADA in the lobby so this can allow for elders to rejoin their family party once they reach the front of the line. According to Made in Hawaii, you can get in line along Atkinson Dr. and once you pass through security screening, you can reveal your QR code upon entry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Check out more news from around Hawaii Tickets are $8 for all day access and it is highly encouraged for all guests to purchase tickets in advance at MadeinHawaiiFestival.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 KHON2. The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin "could be the first step" towards peace in the Ukraine conflict, Defence Secretary John Healey has said. He added that the UK were ready to "put boots on the ground" in Ukraine to reinforce a ceasefire, in the event that one is agreed. However, he also said the government was prepared to "step up economic sanctions and pressure on Putin if he shows today in Alaska he really isn't serious". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has described the summit, which is due to start at 20:00 BST, as a "feel-out meeting" and said his goal is to "set the table" for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin. Trump said he believed the Russia president was "not going to mess around with me". He added there was 25% chance that the meeting would "not be successful". Before leaving Washington DC for the talks, the US President posted on social media: "HIGH STAKES!!!!" In response, Zelensky said the discussions should "open up a real path toward a just peace". "We are counting on America," he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump is hoping he can end the war, which started when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, costing huge loss of life on both sides. The US president has said any resolution would have to involved a "give and take" of boundaries between the two countries. Ukraine has insisted that ceding territory would be unacceptable, while Russia wants to maintain control of land it has seized, including Crimea, and also wants assurances that Ukraine will not join the Nato military alliance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like Zelensky, European leaders have not been invited to the meeting in Alaska, but sought to influence the US president in a joint phone call on Wednesday. Asked on BBC Breakfast if the UK's role was to "watch and wait", Healey said: "No, the UK's role is to stand with Ukraine on the battlefield and in the negotiations, and prepare as we have been, leading 30 other nations with military planning for a ceasefire and a secure peace through what we call the coalition of the willing." The coalition of the willing is a group of around 30 mainly European countries who have pledged to defend a peace deal in Ukraine. Healey said more than 200 military planners from the coalition had been working over the last few months "doing detailed planning for the point of a ceasefire". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said multi-national forces were "ready to act from day one" adding: "The military plans are complete." "We are ready to put UK boots on the ground in Ukraine in part to reassure Ukrainians. "But also in part to secure the safe skies, safe seas and to build the strength of the Ukrainian forces, because in the end the best deterrence against Russia... re-launching their aggression against Ukraine is the strength of Ukraine to stand for itself." Asked what would happen if Russia attacked British troops when they were in Ukraine, Healey said he would not discuss hypotheticals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, he added that there were "important principles" and that British forces would have "the right to defend themselves if attacked". Zelensky visited the UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday. Following the meeting, Zelensky said the pair had discussed weapons partnerships including investment in drone production and the One Hundred Year Partnership, due to be ratified this month. Holiday makers have been urged to take precautions against mosquito bites while abroad amid a rise in cases of the chikungunya virus among travellers returning to Britain. Chikungunya is a virus spread by mosquito bites, the symptoms of which include a sudden fever and joint pain. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also detected the first cases of the emerging disease oropouche virus in the UK, all of which were linked to travel from Brazil. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to UKHSA, most people recover within two weeks, although the joint pain can last for months or even years in some cases. Serious complications are not common, but in rare cases the disease can be fatal, particularly in very young or older people, or those with underlying health conditions. The latest travel-associated infections report from UKHSA shows there were 73 cases of chikungunya reported between January and June 2025, compared to 27 cases for the same period last year. The majority were linked to travel to Sri Lanka, India and Mauritius. All cases were reported in England, primarily in London. The disease can be fatal in rare cases, particularly in very young or older people, or those with underlying health conditions (Getty/iStock) There is currently no risk of onward transmission of chikungunya, as the two species of mosquito that transmit the disease are not established in the UK, UKHSA said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The illness mainly occurs in Africa and Asia, specifically southern Asia, although cases have been reported in Europe and parts of North America. However, this year there have been outbreaks in the Americas and Asia, with surges in China and the Indian Ocean islands of Reunion, Mayotte and Mauritius. Dr Philip Veal, consultant in public health at UKHSA, said: Chikungunya can be a nasty disease and were seeing a worrying increase in cases among travellers returning to the UK. While this mosquito-borne infection is rarely fatal, it can cause severe joint and muscle pain, headaches, sensitivity to light and skin rashes. Thankfully symptoms usually improve within a few weeks, but joint pain may last for months or longer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is essential to take precautions against mosquito bites when travelling. Simple steps, such as using insect repellent, covering up your skin and sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets can greatly reduce the risk. Two chikungunya vaccines are approved for use in the UK and are available to buy after an assessment at a private travel clinic. Two chikungunya vaccines are approved for use in the UK (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) Meanwhile, the first UK cases of oropouche virus, which is spread by midge bites, have been detected by UKHSA. The three cases were all associated with travel to Brazil. The flu-like illness can cause a fever, headaches, joint pain, muscle pain, chills, nausea and vomiting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials urged anyone who becomes unwell with these symptoms after travel to affected areas, including parts of Central and South America and the Caribbean, to seek urgent medical advice. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), before late 2023, oropouche virus was mostly reported near the Amazon rainforest area. However, in 2024, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Guyana, Peru and the Dominican Republic reported locally transmitted cases of the disease. The UKHSA report also shows a rise in travel-associated cholera cases in the UK, with eight cases in the first half of the year compared to just one in 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most cases were linked with travel to India and Ethiopia. There was also a 67 per cent decrease in the number of dengue cases reported in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from January to June, and there were just four cases of zika virus during the period, down from nine in 2024. Mental health care is as essential as caring for any other part of our bodies. Perhaps even more so, as our brains lead all aspects of our lives. People seeking care for their mental health may go to therapy, where they see a trained professional who helps them work through thoughts and emotions, and sometimes suggests changes that may help. We might go to a therapist for work stress, relationship problems, generally feeling anxious, or even issues like C-PTSD. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), however, people are turning to chatbots like ChatGPT for therapy. Chatbots are AI systems that let users talk back and forth through a text-based format as if they are speaking to a real person. These are appealing because seeing a therapist is expensive, it must be scheduled into your day, and sadly, sometimes people feel ashamed of needing mental help at all. However, using AI chatbots for therapy is never a good idea. There are no regulations in place to protect people who use AI in a way that can impact their mental health. Chatbots are known to provide untrue and unsafe information that can actually hurt the user and negatively affect them mentally in the long run. Health care professionals have a big tip for those using ChatGPT and other bots for their therapy: don't. There are better options available. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: ChatGPT Has A Built-In 'Hack' That Makes Your Prompts So Much Better Why You Shouldn't Use AI As Your Health Care Therapist ChatGPT logo on a phone - Cheng Xin/Getty Images Companies that own chatbots train them to provide disclaimers that users should seek medical professionals in times of need. However, that doesn't stop harm from being done. There have been cases where chatbots say they have the same training as therapists. There are reports of AI encouraging bad behavior like drug use because they are too eager to agree and support users. There is an ongoing lawsuit claiming a teen committed suicide because Character.AI encouraged him to do so. In May 2025, a federal judge on the case rejected the notion that artificial intelligence has free speech rights, as argued by a chatbot company. Dr. Brent Kious is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Utah. He studies the use of AI in health care. He pointed out that it's hard to identify what people are getting out of the use of ChatGPT as a therapist. Is it true therapy or just some kind of illusion of companionship? There are no regulations to monitor this. Dr. Kious stated in his interview on Psychology Today, "We are all unwittingly participating in this massive social experiment by interacting with things like ChatGPT, where that experiment is driven entirely by profit motives, with very little attention paid to how it's going to affect the course of human life or society. And we should all take a step back and say, "Maybe not." Maybe let's put the brakes on this." Better Options Instead Of ChatGPT a man seeing a therapist for mental health care - Pormezz/Shutterstock Some employers offer a few free mental health sessions as part of their benefit packages. Check if your employer has one and take advantage of it. A company called BetterHelp provides online therapy to make it more convenient. You can also choose to talk to your therapist via text, only audio, or audio and video. It does cost money, however. There is the free Crisis Text Line that's also available through online chat or WhatsApp. You can text HOME to 741741 if you are in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ChatGPT answers billions of prompts a day, but the problem with using it or other AI for your mental health care is summed up well by psychotherapist Antonieta Contreras in her article published on Psychology Today: "We are flooded not only by articles, blogs, and videos on social media full of misinterpretations, assumptions, and misinformation, but now we have AI chatbots repeating like broken records summaries of those wrong ideas, like that people are "stuck in survival mode" ... The result? People believe they're irreparably damaged when they may actually be either already shifting into a less maladaptive state or experiencing the regular, albeit painful, process of being human." Read the original article on BGR. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) After waking early to stand in line for an hour under the August heat, Rana Odeh returns to her tent with her jug of murky water. She wipes the sweat from her brow and strategizes how much to portion out to her two small children. From its color alone, she knows full well its likely contaminated. Thirst supersedes the fear of illness. She fills small bottles for her son and daughter and pours a sip into a teacup for herself. What's left she adds to a jerrycan for later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are forced to give it to our children because we have no alternative, Odeh, who was driven from her home in Khan Younis, said of the water. It causes diseases for us and our children. Such scenes have become the grim routine in Muwasi, a sprawling displacement camp in central Gaza where hundreds of thousands endure scorching summer heat. Sweat-soaked and dust-covered, parents and children chase down water trucks that come every two or three days, filling bottles, canisters and buckets and then hauling them home, sometimes on donkey-drawn carts. Each drop is rationed for drinking, cooking, cleaning or washing. Some reuse what they can and save a couple of cloudy inches in their jerrycans for whatever tomorrow brings or doesnt. When water fails to arrive, Odeh said, she and her son fill bottles from the sea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the 22 months since Israel launched its offensive, Gaza's water access has been progressively strained. Limits on fuel imports and electricity have hampered the operation of desalination plants while infrastructure bottlenecks and pipeline damage choked delivery to a dribble. Gazas aquifers became polluted by sewage and the wreckage of bombed buildings. Wells are mostly inaccessible or destroyed, aid groups and the local utility say. Meanwhile, the water crisis has helped fuel the rampant spread of disease, on top of Gaza's rising starvation. UNRWA the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Thursday that its health centers now see an average 10,300 patients a week with infectious diseases, mostly diarrhea from contaminated water. Efforts to ease the water shortage are in motion, but for many the prospect is still overshadowed by the risk of what may unfold before new supply comes. And the thirst is only growing as a heat wave bears down, with humidity and temperatures in Gaza soaring on Friday to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Searing heat and sullied water Mahmoud al-Dibs, a father displaced from Gaza City to Muwasi, dumped water over his head from a flimsy plastic bag one of the vessels used to carry water in the camps. Outside the tents it is hot and inside the tents it is hot, so we are forced to drink this water wherever we go, he said. Al-Dibs was among many who told The Associated Press they knowingly drink non-potable water. The few people still possessing rooftop tanks cant muster enough water to clean them, so what flows from their taps is yellow and unsafe, said Bushra Khalidi, an official with Oxfam, an aid group working in Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the war, the coastal enclaves more than 2 million residents got their water from a patchwork of sources. Some was piped in by Mekorot, Israels national water utility. Some came from desalination plants. Some was pulled from high-saline wells, and some imported in bottles. Every source has been jeopardized. Palestinians are relying more heavily on groundwater, which today makes up more than half of Gaza's supply. The well water has historically been brackish, but still serviceable for cleaning, bathing, or farming, according to Palestinian water officials and aid groups. Now people have to drink it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The effects of drinking unclean water dont always appear right away, said Mark Zeitoun, director general of the Geneva Water Hub, a policy institute. Untreated sewage mixes with drinking water, and you drink that or wash your food with it, then youre drinking microbes and can get dysentery," Zeitoun said. "If youre forced to drink salty, brackish water, it just does your kidneys in, and then youre on dialysis for decades. Deliveries average less than three liters (12.5 cups) per person per day a fraction of the 15-liter (3.3-gallon) minimum humanitarian groups say is needed for drinking, cooking and basic hygiene. In February, acute watery diarrhea accounted for less than 20% of reported illnesses in Gaza. By July, it had surged to 44%, raising the risk of severe dehydration, according to UNICEF, the U.N. childrens agency. System breakdown Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Early in the war, residents said deliveries from Israel's water company Mekorot were curtailed a claim that Israel has denied. Airstrikes destroyed some of the transmission pipelines as well as one of Gazas three desalination plants. Bombardment and advancing troops damaged or cut off wells to the point that today only 137 of Gazas 392 wells are accessible, according to UNICEF. Water quality from some wells has deteriorated, fouled by sewage, the rubble of shattered buildings and the residue of spent munitions. Fuel shortages have strained the system, slowing pumps at wells and the trucks that carry water. The remaining two desalination plants have operated far below capacity or ground to a halt at times, aid groups and officials say. In recent weeks, Israel has taken some steps to reverse the damage. It delivers water via two of Mekorot's three pipelines into Gaza and reconnected one of the desalination plants to Israels electricity grid, Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel told The Associated Press. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, the plants put out far less than before the war, Monther Shoblaq, head of Gazas Coastal Municipalities Water Utility, told AP. That has forced him to make impossible choices. The utility prioritizes getting water to hospitals and to people. But that means sometimes withholding water needed for sewage treatment, which can trigger neighborhood backups and heighten health risks. Water hasnt sparked the same global outrage as limits on food entering Gaza. But Shoblaq warned of a direct line between the crisis and potential loss of life. Its obvious that you can survive for some days without food, but not without water, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supply's future Water access is steadying after Israel's steps. Aid workers have grown hopeful that the situation won't get worse and could improve. Southern Gaza could get more relief from a United Arab Emirates-funded desalination plant just across the border in Egypt. COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, said it has allowed equipment into the enclave to build a pipeline from the plant and deliveries could start in a few weeks. The plant wouldn't depend on Israel for power, but since Israel holds the crossings, it will control the entry of water into Gaza for the foreseeable future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But aid groups warn that access to water and other aid could be disrupted again by Israels plans to launch a new offensive on some of the last areas outside its military control. Those areas include Gaza City and Muwasi, where much of Gaza's population is now located. In Muwasi's tent camps, people line up for the sporadic arrivals of water trucks. Hosni Shaheen, whose family was also displaced from Khan Younis, already sees the water he drinks as a last resort. It causes stomach cramps for adults and children, without exception," he said. You dont feel safe when your children drink it. ___ Metz reported from Jerusalem. Alon Berstein contributed reporting from Kerem Shalom, Israel. ___ Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Parts of the Carolinas are dealing with the impacts of heavy rain, with some seeing precipitation every day. The recent rainy weather has had a positive impact on some local farmers, while others are facing crop losses. Todd Jackson is in his first year managing Crown Town Farm, a small produce farm in Mount Pleasant in Cabarrus County. Large portions of the fields are flooded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neighbors in riverside community closely watch lake levels after rainfall following extreme flooding events Ten days in a row, after the fourth or fifth inch and the fields havent had a chance to drain, thats when things start to get too much, Jackson said. The fallen cherry tomatoes and peppers scattered across the fields are testimony to what rain and wind can do to crops. Jackson says he accounts for some loss in his planning, but not this. He says the kale and collard greens are resilient, but theyre in survival mode which means their growth is essentially on pause. That puts him behind schedule. Tomato plants at Crown Town Farm in Mount Pleasant You need 95 percent production in order to hit that profit line thats going to make sure you pay your bills, Jackson said. When you lose even just 10 percent of a field, youre just hoping to break even for that year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Miller and Sons Produce in Harrisburg says its been forced to put out lower-quality goods at market. Feel sticky this summer? Its been record muggy East of the Rockies Robert Miller has lost 75 percent of his tomato crop. Its hurt, but were used to stuff like this being a farmer, he said. We expect it from time to time. Officials with North Carolinas Department of Agriculture say in a month thats usually dry, the rain has been a good thing for soybeans and corn, which are often used as livestock feed, and it has hurt produce and tobacco crops. This would be a really good year to head to a farmers market once or twicejust to help support those places in the community, Jackson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. The Pentagon says Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disagrees with revoking womens right to vote, after he reposted a video last week about Christian nationalist pastors who say they want to repeal the 19th Amendment and oppose women serving in certain combat and leadership positions. Of course the secretary thinks that women should have the right to vote, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told reporters at the Pentagon on Thursday. Pressed on why he reposted the video, Wilson said, The secretary is a proud member of a church that is affiliated with the Congregation of Reformed Evangelical Churches, which was founded by Pastor Doug Wilson. The secretary very much appreciates many of Mr. Wilsons writings and teachings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Female vets in Congress slam Hegseths repost of Christian nationalist In the CNN video reposted by Hegseth, Wilson and other CREC pastors and churchgoers say women should submit to their husbands. Women are the kind of people that people come out of. It doesnt take any talent to simply reproduce biologically, Wilson says in the video. The pastors and churchgoers say women are the chief managers of the household and children, while men are heads of the household. In their ideal society, men would vote on behalf of the family. The pastors in the video also said they want the United States to be a Christian republic. Wilson calls for the criminalization of homosexuality, and does not support women serving in certain military or leadership roles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hegseths sharing of the video on X was accompanied by his comment, All of Christ for All of Life. Wilson told The Associated Press in an interview on Tuesday that the phrase is the churchs tagline used to end services. So, he was reposting it and saying Amen at some level, Wilson told the AP. When Military Times asked the Pentagon press secretary Thursday if Hegseth was saying, Amen, she replied, He is a very proud Christian and has those traditional Christian viewpoints. Pressed by Military Times to clarify which traditional Christian viewpoints in the video Hegseth held, the press secretary declined to do so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were not going to get down to the nitty gritty on all of that stuff, she told reporters. Earlier this week, Democratic congresswomen, including several military veterans, demanded Hegseth apologize and resign after reposting the video. Asked whether Hegseth would do so, the press secretary said, Absolutely not. Air Force veteran Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., told Military Times the defense secretarys repost was unacceptable political-religious advocacy for a cabinet member. Army veteran Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said that the views expressed in the video are antiquated, flat out wrong and more dangerously designed to justify discrimination and mistreatment of women, including those who sacrifice in uniform to defend Americans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doug Wilson, a Navy veteran who served on submarines, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that putting women on submarines was like having a playpen that you put 50 cats in and then drop catnip in the middle of it. Whatever happens is going to be ugly. And if you think its going to advance the cause of women and make sailors start treating women less like objects, then you havent been around the block very many times, he said. Prior to Hegseths confirmation as defense secretary, he questioned the role of women in combat positions, all of which were opened to women by Defense Secretary Ash Carter in 2016. Since 2016, women have earned positions as Army Rangers, Green Berets and Navy combat-craft crewman after completing the same grueling tests as men. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im straight up saying we should not have women in combat roles, Hegseth told podcaster Shawn Ryan prior to his nomination last year. It hasnt made us more lethal. [It] has made fighting more complicated. Army veteran Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who ultimately confirmed Hegseths nomination, pushed him during his confirmation hearing to say that he would allow women who meet the standards to continue serving in combat. Women will have access to ground combat roles given the standards remain high, he replied. Baker Eid Ahmed just can't get away from Saudi Arabia's notorious heat: he makes bread next to a sweltering oven for 13 hours a day, only to step outside into summer temperatures that can soar past 45C. Armed with an ice-cold water bottle and a wet cloth, the 35-year-old Egyptian was doing his best to stay cool while wearing his mandatory mask and hair cap. "It's hot outside, but inside, it's like fire," he said, shoving a board loaded with flatbreads into a large wood-fired oven. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Standing here in front of the fire is like hell," he added as customers waited in the shade outside the small Riyadh bakery. In arid Saudi Arabia, summer temperatures regularly reach 50C, leaving streets empty for much of the day. To protect labourers, the kingdom bans work under direct sunlight and outside during the hours of most intense heat from mid-June until mid-September. But these rules do little for indoor workers, many of whom, like Ahmed, have no choice but to toil near manmade sources of heat even at midday -- the hottest time of the day, which also coincides with busy lunch breaks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Here by the fire, I suffer on both sides," he said, caught between the oven and the bakery's door, which does not shut properly and allows in hot air from outside. In June, Human Rights Watch called on Gulf countries to extend protections for workers toiling in the heat, considering current measures "insufficient". A spokesperson for the human resources and social development ministry told AFP the kingdom had "clear occupational safety and health regulations to protect workers from heat stress across all sectors". The ministry "conducts targeted inspection campaigns, acts on public reports through its hotline and mobile app, and enforces penalties for non-compliance", they added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ahmed left Egypt five years ago after he was offered 3,000 riyals ($800) to work in Riyadh -- a sum the struggling baker could not refuse. "I keep working and I endure for the sake of my family", who now have a better life thanks to his higher pay, he said. He works from 11:00 am to midnight, but fatigue sets in early. "By midday, I'm completely exhausted," he said. He cannot walk after his shift and has to "lie down for at least 30 minutes to get back to normal". - Heat exhaustion - Across the city, workers in bakeries, restaurants and laundries labour near indoor sources of heat all day long. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Karim Elgendy, who heads the Carboun Institute think tank, warned they were just as exposed to health risks as those working outdoors. "Exposure to direct sunlight at 40C temperatures for an hour is comparable to being in front of an oven at 200C for a similar period," Elgendy said, warning that heat exhaustion and excessive sweating "can lead to severe dehydration, which puts pressure on vital organs". People working by an oven should take frequent breaks away from the heat, he added. But Hani al-Duaisi, who manages a grilled chicken shop, said that was impossible as the restaurant was packed with customers for most of the day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Along with three employees, the 26-year-old Yemeni toils in a cramped kitchen packed with a grill, a charcoal stove and large pots filled with steaming rice. "Even if you turn 10 air conditioners on, it won't cool the kitchen," he said, wiping away some sweat. Nearby, some customers began complaining about slightly delayed orders. "I feel like people outside live in one world, and we live in another," said Duaisi. "Our world here is hell." ht/aya/csp/smw Hennepin County grand jury indicts Vance Boelter on new charges originally appeared on Bring Me The News. The Minnesota man suspected of carrying out a shocking political assassination in June is facing a host of new charges at the state level. On Thursday afternoon, a Hennepin County grand jury indicted Vance Boelter, 58, of Green Isle, on eight counts, including premeditated first-degree murder, animal cruelty, attempted murder, and impersonating a police officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boelter is accused of disguising himself as a police officer and killing state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their Brooklyn Park home. He is also accused of shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, and attempting to shoot their daughter, Hope, in Champlin. Boelter was indicted by a federal grand jury in July on six counts, including murder and stalking, in the shootings of the Hortmans and Hoffmans. He pleaded not guilty to those charges last week. The new state charges go a step further by seeking harsher penalties in the shootings and justice for other victims, including the Hortmans' dog, Gilbert, who was also killed. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced the development during a Thursday news conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The damage done to the victims those with us, those who were taken from us, and to our entire community has opened wounds that will never heal. These charges reflect the weight of Mr. Boelters crimes, Moriarty said. Vance Boelter is taken into custody in Sibley County on June 15.Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher | Facebook These are the new state charges against Boelter: First-degree premeditated murder (Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman) First-degree premeditated murder (Mark Hortman) Attempted first-degree murder (Sen. John Hoffman) Attempted first-degree murder (Yvette Hoffman) Attempted first-degree murder (Hope Hoffman) Attempted first-degree murder (Rep. Kristin Bahner) Felony cruelty to an animal (Gilbert Hortman) Impersonating a police officer After the shooting at the Hoffman house in the early morning hours of June 14, Boelter is accused of traveling to the Maple Grove home of state Rep. Kristin Bahner, who credits "divine intervention" with sparing her family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moriarty said it doesnt matter that Bahner wasnt home at the time, because Boelter took a clear substantial step by going to her door and engaging in the same pattern of behavior as he did at both the Hoffman and Hortman homes. The federal indictment alleges that Boelter spent months investigating potential targets, most of whom are Democratic lawmakers, including Bahner. He rings her doorbell for over two minutes. He yells This is the police! and points a flashlight at her front door. He tries to open the handle, said Moriarty of Boelter's alleged visit to Bahner's home. Images released in the statewide manhunt for Boelter.FBI None of the federal charges against Boelter relate to Bahner nor Gilbert the golden retriever. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boelter willfully shot Gilbert, an act of cruelty that led to yet another loss for the Hortmans grieving family, Moriarty said during the press conference. Moriarty's office plans to begin prosecuting Boelter on the state charges once the federal government has completed its case against him. We feel its important to hold Boelter accountable for what he did in this county, Moriarty said. I will also say that theres no possibility of anyone at least in the federal government pardoning Boelter on anything we do here in state court. Boelter is currently being held without bond at the Sherburne County Jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A trial hasn't yet been set in the federal case. Related: Hortman children share musical memories of their parents on The Current This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared. JD Vance is on vacation again. Peter Summers / Getty Images The VP took his family for a visit to the Cotswolds region of the UK, and received quite the welcome from residents in the town of Charlbury. Leon Neal / Getty Images Related: "My Alarm Bells Were Going Off": People Are Sharing Their Wildest "I Fing Knew It" Moments That Prove You Should ALWAYS Trust Your Gut There was a truck with his face on it. Leon Neal / Getty Images There were costumes. Leon Neal / Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It wouldn't be a party without balloons. Leon Neal / Getty Images Related: 33 "Brutal Truths" Men Say They Could NEVER Reveal To Women's Faces Cake! Leon Neal / Getty Images And signs. Leon Neal / Getty Images Related: 22 People Who Are Already Having A Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Rough 2025 So many signs. Leon Neal / Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A video interviewing some residents about how they felt about the VP's visit there is going viral: @lbc/tiktok.com "It's all for this man who slags off a country, our country, in one breath. And then wants to holiday here six months later. I think it's just hypocrisy." one person said. Related: 42 Wildly Entitled People Who Thought The World Revolved Around Them Another person said, "I normally wouldn't protest against people on their holiday, but there's clearly a political angle to this." And then we have this guy, who said, "I've got no pushback against the fact that it's the taxpayers' money or anything like that. It's actually that I don't like the guy, and I want that to be known." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What a blast! Leon Neal / Getty Images Also in Internet Finds: "I Dont Think My Husband Has Stopped Laughing For An Hour": I Laughed So Hard At These 29 Absolutely Hilarious Fails From Last Week, I Am For Sure Going Straight To The Bad Place Also in Internet Finds: 21 Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Dark And Tragic Wiki Pages About Missing People Also in Internet Finds: "He Would Squeeze People's Hands When He Shook Them": 26 Incredibly Chilling Stories From People Who Knew Murderers Read it on BuzzFeed.com As recently as 2021, almost half of all U.S. mansions homes with at least 5,000 square feet of livable space cost $1 million or less. But today, only a handful of cities still offer top-end homes at that price range, according to a new Zillow analysis of home prices across the U.S. Nationwide, mansions are selling for a median price of $1.4 million, but in some parts of the country, high-end properties fetch far more. In four major California cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, the median mansion has a price tag of $4.5 million, Zillow said. In four metro areas, though, homebuyers can snap up an extra-large residence for under $1 million: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Buffalo, New York: $825,500Indianapolis, Indiana: $965,500Cleveland, Ohio: $995,200Memphis, Tennessee: $996,700 For those willing to trade location for space, mansion values also hover around or slightly more than $1 million across the Midwest and in some Southern cities as well, including Louisville, Kentucky and Birmingham, Alabama, according to Zillow. "In general, mansion prices move with general affordability. So in places like Buffalo, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Memphis, in the broad scheme of the U.S., these markets tend to be relatively more affordable," Zillow senior economist Kara Ng told CBS MoneyWatch. "So it makes sense you could find a typical mansion for under $1 million in those regions." Many mansions that below the $1 million mark are less expensive because they are older homes, with a median construction year of 1985 versus 2000 for the median construction year for all mansions, Zillow said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2021, nearly half of all U.S. mansions were worth less than $1 million. Today, just three in 10 fall below the $1 million threshold, according to the report. Mansions and homes in general are most costly on the coasts. In San Jose, the median mansion is valued at $6.5 million, for example. "The coasts tend to be on the pricier side, and that follows general affordability trends," Ng said. "It's hard to build due to geographical constraints, and housing deficits in these areas tends to put upward pressure on prices." To be sure, homebuyers in every price range are getting less for their money, with the median U.S. home sale price reaching a record of nearly $400,000 in June, according to Redfin. Tight inventory and high mortgage rates has made it tougher for would-be buyers to enter the property market. Last year, just 24% of home sales were to first-time homebuyers, down from 50% in 2010, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Where are the most mansions under $1 million? Atlanta, Georgia has the greatest number of mansions 21,634 under $1 million. That accounts for 5% of all mansions under $1 million in the U.S. Look to New York City for the second highest share of large residences 2,555, under $1 million. Indianapolis has 11,696 such homes, while Washington, D.C., has 10,613, and Chicago has 9,530. Passenger arrested after allegedly causing disturbance midair and forcing flight to divert When could Tropical Storm Erin become a hurricane? Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia on how he'd prepare Trump for Putin meeting She was a beloved friend, a hero, an extraordinary leader, say those who met her. These are just a few of the many kind words friends and family have used to describe Sister Margarita Maria Barranco Brewer, a cherished member of the Hispanic community who died on July 31 at 84 years old. Having moved to the United States from her native country of Panama at 22 years old, Brewer devoted the rest of her life to helping immigrants adjust to life in the U.S. and to learn English, just as she once did. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brewer spent her time working for many philanthropic organizations, including the Su Casa Hispanic Ministry Center. She also worked for the Office of Second Language Acquisition, at Cincinnati Public Schools, to help students who are English language learners be academically successful. Brewer was known as a leader in fostering and strengthening Greater Cincinnatis Latino community, founding the English Language Learning Foundation Inc. in 2003 after retiring from Cincinnati Public Schools. Sister Margarita Brewer (left) stands next to Dr. Monica Posey (right) after receiving an award for her foundation on Oct. 24, 2019. Rosa Maria Moreno, the foundation's board vice president, was a friend and coworker of Brewer for over 20 years, seeing her generous and unwavering efforts first-hand. "She was very gregarious. There was no one that, you know, probably didn't like her," Moreno said. "She was always very friendly, very happy, always doing something." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brewer was also a dedicated to her Sisters of Charity after entering the convent in 1988. In 2011, she had said she wanted to dedicate her life to God by serving her Hispanic brothers and sisters both through leadership and friendship. "Some of the other nurses or the other sisters that were there used to tell her that she was one of the most social persons over there," Moreno said. "If you had a bad day, she would listen to you. You would come out of there feeling happy. She was that kind of person." Rosa Maria Moreno (right) visits Sister Margarita Brewer (left) on Dec. 19, 2024. Brewer's funeral is set for Tuesday, Aug.19, 2025, with visitation at 9 a.m. and Mass at 10 a.m. in the Motherhouse Chapel, and burial to follow the funeral Mass. Memorials are asked to go to the Sisters of Charity Retirement Fund, 5900 Delhi Road, Mount Saint Joseph, OH 45051. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The legacy of Sister Margarita Brewer, a cherished Latino leader A recreational fisherman has managed to pull a woman to safety after she reportedly jumped off a bridge railing in Louisiana. The incident unfolded Thursday morning when a woman stopped along the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway a long, parallel bridge that stretches 24 miles across the lake. It is one of the longest bridges in the world and is connected by seven crossover points. Causeway general manager Carlton Dufrechou told The Independent Friday that the woman, 31, parked her white SUV a few miles from one end of the bridge, at around 10 a.m., before she jumped off the railings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Traffic came to a sudden halt on the southbound lane as emergency vehicles dashed to the water rescue. A commuter, who witnessed the jump, called the bridge operator to alert them about the incident. The drop from the bridge is roughly 25 feet to the water below. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is among the longest bridges over water in the world (Markuskun/Public Domain) Fortunately, local fisherman Christopher Baughman, 36, from Ponchatoula, Louisiana, was fishing below when he heard the commotion and leapt into action to save the woman. Baughman managed to retrieve her from the water successfully. She was then rushed to a local hospital in the St. Tammany Parish area. He may not have caught many fish yesterday, but he certainly made a terrific save helping this lady a terrific catch, Dufrechou said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She went over, and from what I understand, the man fishing heard her and got to her in a matter of minutes," Dufrechou said. He stressed that the incident was a case of being in the right place at the right time, and added that officials were still waiting on a health update regarding the woman. Conditions on the lake, at the time she jumped, had been slightly breezy and choppy, he added. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. In the UK, people having mental health crises can contact the Samaritans at 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org A Hesperia man has been arrested after he allegedly used an online chat platform to get child sex abuse material from a 12-year-old Nevada girl. Jacob Daniel Robinson, 30, was first investigated by federal agents from the Homeland Security Investigations-Child Exploitation Investigations Group on May 21, and they then turned the investigation over to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department, the SBSD said in a news release. Robinson was arrested on Wednesday and is being held at the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto in lieu of $100,000 bail. Jacob Daniel Robinson is shown in an Aug. 13, 2025, image provided by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department. He faces charges of contacting a minor to commit a sex offense, lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, using a minor to engage in sexual conduct and possession of child pornography. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes due to appear in Victorville Superior Court on Friday. Investigators believe other children may have been targeted by Robinson. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Wendy Winegar at 909-890-4904. To report information anonymously, call WeTip at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or visit wetip.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 KTLA. By Maya Gebeily and Jana Choukeir BEIRUT (Reuters) -Hezbollah raised the spectre of civil war with a warning on Friday there would be "no life" in Lebanon if the government sought to confront or eliminate the Iran-backed group. The government wants to control arms in line with a U.S.-backed plan following Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah, which was founded four decades ago with the backing of Tehran's Revolutionary Guards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the group is resisting pressure to disarm, saying that cannot happen until Israel ends its strikes and occupation of a southern strip of Lebanon that had been a Hezbollah stronghold. "This is our nation together. We live in dignity together, and we build its sovereignty together - or Lebanon will have no life if you stand on the other side and try to confront us and eliminate us," its leader Naim Qassem said in a televised speech. Israel has dealt Hezbollah heavy blows in the last two years, killing many of its top brass, including former leader Hassan Nasrallah, and 5,000 of its fighters and destroying much of its arsenal. Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Qassem's statements carried an implicit threat of civil war, calling them "unacceptable". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "No party in Lebanon is authorised to bear arms outside the framework of the Lebanese state," Salam said in a post on X carrying his statements from an interview with the pan-Arab Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. The Lebanese cabinet last week tasked the army with confining weapons only to state security forces, a move that has outraged Hezbollah. DIALOGUE POSSIBLE Qassem accused the government of implementing an "American-Israeli order to eliminate the resistance, even if that leads to civil war and internal strife". However, he said Hezbollah and the Amal movement, its Shi'ite Muslim ally, had decided to delay any street protests while there was still scope for talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There is still room for discussion, for adjustments, and for a political resolution before the situation escalates to a confrontation no one wants," Qassem said. "But if it is imposed on us, we are ready, and we have no other choice ... At that point, there will be a protest in the street, all across Lebanon, that will reach the American embassy." The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which left parts of Lebanon in ruins, erupted in October 2023 when the group opened fire at Israeli positions along the southern border in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas at the start of the Gaza war. Hezbollah and Amal still retain influence politically, appointing Shi'ite ministers to cabinet and holding the Shi'ite seats in parliament. But for the first time in years, they do not hold a "blocking third" of cabinet posts that in the past enabled them to veto government decisions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hezbollah retains strong support among the Shi'ite community in Lebanon, but calls for its disarmament across the rest of society have grown. (Reporting by Maya Gebeily and Jana Choukeir; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Andrew Cawthorne and Alex Richardson) This comes after President Joseph Aoun told a senior Iranian official on Tuesday that no group in Lebanon is permitted to bear arms or rely on foreign backing. Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem warned the Lebanese government on Friday against confronting the Iran-backed terrorist group, saying there would be "no life" in Lebanon in that event. Qassem said Hezbollah and the Amal movement, its Shi'ite Muslim ally, had decided to delay any street protests against a US-backed disarmament plan as they still see room for dialogue with the Lebanese government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is our nation together. We live in dignity together, and we build its sovereignty together - or Lebanon will have no life if you stand on the other side and try to confront us and eliminate us," its leader Naim Qassem said in a televised speech. The resistance will not hand over its weapons while the aggression continues, and we will wage a Karbala-style battle if necessary, and we are confident that we will be victorious," he added. But he said any future protests could reach the US Embassy in Lebanon. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and members of the Lebanese cabinet meet to discuss efforts to bring all weapons in the country under the control of the state, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon August 5, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/EMILIE MADI) The governments duty is to build the country, not hand it over to the Israeli and American enemy. How do you, in the Lebanese government, accept facilitating the killing of your partners in the homeland? Lebanon's government response to Hezbollah Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned that Qassem's comments were irresponsible, encouraging strife, and carried "a veiled threat of civil war," Arab media reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There is no party in Lebanon authorized to carry weapons outside the Lebanese state," he said, and explained that Qassem's statements about "giving Hezbollah's weapons to Israel" were false. "No one asked to give your weapons to Israel, but rather to the Lebanese Army, whose patriotism and loyalty we refuse to question," he finished. Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar responded to Qassem's comments in an interview with Saudi news outlet Al Hadath, saying they "are completely unacceptable." "The Iranian-backed group is threatening the Lebanese government. They are causing damage to Lebanese state assets," he explained during the interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Naim Qassem objects to the Lebanese government; his words threaten civil peace from illegitimate forces," he concluded. Lebanon moves to disarm Hezbollah He added that the government made a "dangerous decision" when it made the decision to establish a state monopoly on weapons, effectively moving to disarm Hezbollah. This comes after President Joseph Aoun told a senior Iranian official on Tuesday that no group in Lebanon is permitted to bear arms or rely on foreign backing. He added that because of the terrorist movement's sacrifices, Hamas would win the Israel-Hamas War. Palestine will be victorious, with all these sacrifices, because they are the owners of the land, the cause, the will, the blood, and the giving," Qassem said. Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has warned that a Lebanese government plan to disarm his Iran-allied movement could spark a new civil war in the country. Earlier this month, the government tasked the army to draw up the plan by August 31, and approved the "objectives" outlined in a US proposal concerning Hezbollah's disarmament. Qasim on Friday lashed out at the government, holding it responsible for potential unrest in the country that experienced a 15-year civil war starting in 1975. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This government is implementing an American-Israeli order on terminating the resistance even if this leads to a civil war and internal sedition," he said in a televised address. "The government has taken a very dangerous decision violating the charter of co-existence and it [the government] is exposing the country to a big crisis." Qasim vowed that his Shiite Muslim group would not hand over its weapons while Israel continues attacks on Lebanon. The issue of Hezbollah's weapons has long been a flashpoint in Lebanese politics. Supporters view the group's arsenal as essential for defence against Israel, while opponents argue it undermines state sovereignty and risks dragging Lebanon into conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, Qasim said Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal movement, had agreed to delay street protests, which could reach the US embassy, against the disarmament plan to allow for discussion with the government "There would be no life for Lebanon if you stand on the other side," he said. In response, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam rejected what he described as Qasim's veiled threat of civil war. "No one in Lebanon today wants civil war. Threats and brandishing them are completely rejected," he said on the social media platform X. Salam defended his government's decisions, saying they are purely Lebanese without foreign dictates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There is no party in Lebanon authorized to carry weapons outside the Lebanese state's control," he added. Israel and Hezbollah exchanged heavy fire after the eruption of the Gaza war in October 2023. Last year, Israel invaded southern Lebanon and unleashed deadly airstrikes against Hezbollah's stronghold in Beirut. In September it killed long-time Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah while he was meeting with other Hezbollah officials underground. While the militia emerged militarily weakened from the fighting, Hezbollah is believed to still wield significant support among the Shiites in multi-confessional Lebanon. A ceasefire has been in place between Israel and Hezbollah since late November, but both sides have since accused each other of violations. Israel attacks its neighbour on an almost daily basis, saying the strikes target Hezbollah operatives and facilities. BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem issued a strong warning to the Lebanese government against moving forward with its plan to disarm the Iran-backed militant group, accusing it of acting on orders from the United States and Israel, and threatening that such a move could spark a civil war. Qassem said his group will not "surrender its weapons" while Israel, which significantly weakened Hezbollah during a 14-month war last year, remains a threat and continues to strike Lebanon, occupy parts of its territories and hold Lebanese prisoners. "We will fight this as a Karbala-style battle if necessary, confronting this Israeli-American scheme no matter the cost, confident that we will emerge victorious," he said in a televised speech released Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To Muslim Shiites, Karbala means standing against tyranny, sacrifice and steadfastness in the face of overwhelming odds. Qassem's strong warning came after he met with Iran Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, who visited Beirut on Wednesday, where he heard firm statements from President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam rejecting any interference in their country's internal affairs. Larijani tried to play down recent comments by Iranian political and military officials who criticized the Lebanese government for endorsing the objectives of a U.S.-proposed plan to disarm Hezbollah and for tasking the Lebanese Army with developing a strategy to enforce a state monopoly on weapons by the end of the year. The Iranian officials also maintained that Hezbollah, which has been funded and armed by Iran since its formation in the early 1980s, would never be disarmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Qassem said the government took "a very dangerous decision" last week, exposing the country to "a major crisis" and stripping it of "defensive weapons during times of aggression." He also accused it of "serving the Israeli agenda" and carrying out "an order" from the U.S. and Israel "to end the resistance, even if that leads to a civil war and internal strife." He held the government fully responsible for any sectarian strife, internal explosion, or destruction of Lebanon and warned it against dragging the Army into such an internal conflict. Qassem, said, however, there "is still an opportunity, room for dialogue and for making adjustments before reaching a confrontation that no one wants." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added that Hezbollah was ready for confrontation and that demonstrations will be held across Lebanon, including "heading to the U.S. Embassy," located in Awkar, north of Beirut. Hezbollah, which reportedly lost the bulk of its military capabilities in ongoing Israeli airstrikes targeting its positions in southern and eastern Lebanon, accepted the ceasefire accord to stop a war that killed or wounded more than 20,000 people and left border villages in southern Lebanon in ruins. While it implicitly agreed to discuss its weapons as part of a national defense strategy, the group resisted government efforts to set a timetable for disarming -- a key U.S. condition for unlocking much-needed international and Gulf Arab funding to support Lebanon's reconstruction and economic recovery. Lebanon's decision to set a timeline for Hezbollah disarming was mainly motivated by the risk of another devastating war with Israel and of losing well-needed funds to rebuild its war-devastated regions. "Let us work together to build the country, so that we may all win," Qassem said. "There is no life for Lebanon if you choose to stand on the opposite side." Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has accused Lebanons government of handing the country to Israel by pushing for the groups disarmament, warning it would fight to keep its weapons. Qassem spoke in a televised address on Friday after meeting Irans top security chief, Ali Larijani. Tehran has long backed the Lebanese armed group. Lebanons Prime Minister Nawaf Salam slammed the remarks, branding them a veiled threat of civil war. Salam added, No one in Lebanon today wants a civil war, and any threats or intimidation of such a war are completely unacceptable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lebanon suffered one the 20th centurys worst civil wars for 15 years, between 1975 and 1990. The war left around 200,000 people dead and an estimated 17,000 others missing. The Israeli army also occupied Lebanon during and after the war, with a full invasion in 1982, only withdrawing its troops in 2000 after being harried out by Hezbollah. Hezbollah emerged badly weakened from last years war with Israel, during which longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in a massive Israeli strike in Beirut. Under United States pressure, the Lebanese government has ordered the army to devise a plan to disarm the group by the end of the year. Iran, whose axis of resistance includes Hezbollah, has also suffered a series of setbacks, most recently in its own war with Israel, which also saw the US strike its nuclear sites. This is our nation together. We live in dignity together, and we build its sovereignty together or Lebanon will have no life if you stand on the other side and try to confront us and eliminate us, Qassem said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government is implementing an American-Israeli order to end the resistance, even if it leads to civil war and internal strife, the Hezbollah leader added. The resistance will not surrender its weapons while aggression continues, occupation persists, and we will fight it if necessary to confront this American-Israeli project no matter the cost, he said. Qassem urged the government not to hand over the country to an insatiable Israeli aggressor or an American tyrant with limitless greed. He also said the government would bear responsibility for any internal explosion and any destruction of Lebanon as he accused it of leading the country to ruin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hezbollah and its ally the Amal party would not organise any street protests at this time, he said, while threatening to do so in future. Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr said Qassem used the address to send messages to the government about the disarmament plan. Most of his speech was directed at the government, saying their decision is dangerous, that they are exposing the country to a major crisis, and the government will be held responsible if there is internal strife, she said. Before the war with Israel in October and November, Hezbollah was believed to be better armed than the Lebanese military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has long maintained it needs to keep its arsenal to defend Lebanon from attack, but critics accused it of using its weapons for political leverage. This week, Larijani, Irans Supreme National Security Council chief, was in Beirut, where he met Qassem and President Joseph Aoun. Iran has expressed its opposition to the governments disarmament plan and has promised to continue to provide support to Hezbollah. Aoun told Larijani that he rejected any interference in the countrys internal affairs, branding as unconstructive Irans statements on plans to disarm Hezbollah. A long-dormant federal task force on childhood vaccine safety is being revived, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday. HHS said in a statement that it is reinstating the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines, which the agency said disbanded in 1998, to improve the safety, quality, and oversight of vaccines administered to American children. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, will be chairman. Other members of the task force will include Susan Monarez, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dr. Marty Makary, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said Andrew Nixon, an HHS spokesperson. Nixon said additional members will be announced in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Howard Koh, a public health professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said: Everyone wants childhood vaccines to be as safe as possible. But reviving this panel now must be put in the context of recent HHS actions. Many public health experts have accused HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of pursuing an aggressive anti-vaccine agenda as health secretary. Since he assumed office in February, he has cut $2 billion from a program that supports vaccines for vulnerable children, downplayed the importance of measles vaccines amid a record-breaking outbreak and cut $500 million in contracts for mRNA vaccine research. In June, Kennedy fired members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) medical and public health experts who make recommendations to the CDC about who should get certain vaccines and replaced them with well-known vaccine skeptics or critics of Covid vaccines. The new committee chair, Martin Kulldorff, said the committee will form two work groups, one to scrutinize the childhood vaccination schedule and another to re-evaluate vaccines that havent been reviewed in more than seven years. The Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines was formed in 1986 as part of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, which aimed to compensate the small number of children who had adverse reactions to vaccines and address growing threats of litigation over vaccine injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lawsuit filed in May claims Kennedy violated the 1986 act by failing to establish a task force dedicated to making childhood vaccines safer. The suit is funded by Childrens Health Defense, the anti-vaccine group Kennedy founded. Mary Holland, the groups CEO, praised Kennedy on Thursday for fulfilling his obligation. At last the Secretary is following the law on this critical issue. We are grateful, Holland said in a statement on X. The task force wasnt shut down by the federal government rather, it was convened to provide recommendations to ensure that childhood vaccines were as safe as possible. The final version of those recommendations was issued in 1998. Included among them were suggestions to improve surveillance for potential adverse events and bolster research into new vaccine technologies. This task force was set up to take on a task, and when the task was done, it handed the baton to others to then implement the recommendations that came from it, said Dr. Bruce Gellin, an adjunct professor of medicine at Georgetown University, who directed the National Vaccine Program Office from 2002 to 2017. The program, which was part of HHS, was shuttered by the Trump administration in 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A white paper from the National Vaccine Advisory Committee concluded that the recommendations had been partially implemented as of 2011, with budget restrictions preventing their full implementation. If Kennedy really wants vaccine safety to be his legacy, he can start by reading the dozens and dozens of reports and recommendations that so many have already provided over a long time, Gellin said. If he really wants to make a difference, hell need to find the resources to put those priority recommendations into action. To me, that would be a much better use of everyones time, rather than further sowing distrust by implying that vaccine safety was never a priority until he came to town. The new task force will work closely with the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines, which provides recommendations to the HHS secretary about how to implement a national compensation program for childhood vaccine injuries. According to HHS, the groups will give regular advice about how to improve adverse reaction reporting and develop childhood vaccines that result in fewer and less serious adverse reactions. Vaccine injuries are extremely rare, and the United States has robust systems for detecting adverse reactions, including the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, Vaccine Safety Datalink and V-safe. Before vaccines ever reach the market, clinical trials look for safety concerns and pause if any major issues arise. Then independent advisory committees to the FDA and the CDC evaluate the safety data and issue recommendations about which vaccines to approve and who should get them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Kennedy has repeatedly said the federal government isnt doing enough to monitor for vaccine side effects. At least once a week, he comes up with a new zinger seeking to discredit vaccines, and its very dangerous, said Dr. Peter Hotez, a co-director of the Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Development. Hotez said its unclear why Kennedy would revive a task force on childhood vaccine safety, given that the current system has a proven track record of picking up on rare adverse events. Whats the point now, other than hell use it as a bully pulpit to push his MAHA, anti-vaccine agenda? Thats the worry, Hotez said. Whos he going to put on this committee? he added. Will it be like ACIP, where he starts to stack it with anti-vaccine activists? This article was originally published on NBCNews.com High Point Lake in Somerset County wont be full of water again until at least 2028. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced Aug. 15 that High Point is being lowered now because of safety concerns. The agency has planned a $5.5 million dollar rehabilitation project, which will include the construction of a new dam embankment and spillway to meet Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection dam safety standards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the issuing of final permits, construction is anticipated to begin in fall 2026 or spring 2027. Once construction begins, the project is expected to last approximately 1.5 years in Addison Township, southern Somerset County. While a full drawdown of the lake was not expected to occur until the spring, the agency reports this process is beginning earlier than expected as a safety precaution. The breast and spillway of High Point Lake in Somerset County, as pictured here in April 2023, is scheduled to be replaced. The lake is being lowered this summer for safety concerns in anticipation of the work. During a routine inspection of the High Point Lake dam by PFBC engineers in July, seepage was detected at the auxiliary spillway and dam embankment. Other lakes that have had a similar design and were built around the same time, had the same type of deficiency or structural issue occur. So, we were keeping an eye out for this, and unfortunately that recent inspection showed the seepage to the level, what we couldn't ignore, Mike Parker, communications director for the PFBC, said in a phone interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In consultation with design engineers and state dam safety officials, a partial drawdown of the lake was conducted, and the dam was inspected while in a dry condition. During this inspection, the agency reports structural concerns were confirmed, and a full drawdown was recommended as a precautionary measure so that water flows can be redirected away from the auxiliary spillway. "Even when the dam was in a dry condition under the partial drawdown, the seepage was evident," he said. High Point ice fishing: Pa. angler pulls massive northern pike out of Somerset County lake while ice fishing This situation has happened at other lakes across Pennsylvania that were built with a similar style breast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We've been planning for this project, we have the funds and we just have to work through the process to get it rebuilt, Parker said. Over the next 6-8 weeks, depending on local rainfall, the water levels will be slowly lowered. The agency reports only a small pool of water will remain within the reservoir to control sediment flow into downstream waterways. During the drawdown period, PFBC staff will conduct fish health testing. If appropriate, a fish salvage effort will be scheduled to move as many fish as possible to other waterways. The lake, located at the highest elevation in Pennsylvania, remains open to fishing and boating during the drawdown. However, anglers and boaters should use caution and avoid muddy areas along the shoreline. All fishing seasons, sizes and creel limits remain lifted to help reduce the number of fish in the lake. The lake holds many warm-water fish species like northern pike, chain pickerel, largemouth bass, yellow perch bluegill, black crappie and catfish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to fishing and boating during the summer months, the lake provides ice fishing opportunities most winters. The PFBC is now working with local officials to organize a public meeting to further explain the project. The good news is we have this project in the pipeline, Parker said. Unfortunately, its just going to be drawn down a little bit earlier than expected. Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at bwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on this website's homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook @whipkeyoutdoors. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: High Point Lake being lowered for safety concerns in southwest Pa When U.S. President Donald Trump first announced last week that he was willing to meet one-on-one with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to discuss the war in Ukraine, a wind of panic blew through European capitals. Until that point, Trump had been evidently losing patience with Putin and coming around to Europes view: that Russia had no intention of ending its war and was simply playing the clock while continuing to launch punishing airstrikes against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. But soon after Trump agreed to the summit with Putin, reports began surfacing that the two sides would be discussing a proposed deal that would see Russia agree to a ceasefire in return for Kyiv ceding all of the territory Russia currently occupies in eastern Ukraine, as well as some that it claims but does not yet possess. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders were alarmed at the prospect of being left out of the meeting and not having input on any agreements made there. What followed was a desperate full-court diplomatic press of the Trump administration in a race to bend the presidents ear before the Alaska summit. That effort paid off earlier this week, when a call with Trump to discuss red lines and expectations for the summit left the Europeans with cause for optimism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump reportedly agreed with his European counterparts that the first order of business was to secure a ceasefire, that future negotiations would have to involve Zelenskyy and that Washington would be willing to provide security guarantees to Kyiv to backstop any deal. The call went so well that the Ukrainian delegation reportedly burst into applause when it concluded. To get more in-depth news and expert analysis on global affairs from WPR, sign up for our free Daily Review newsletter. Yet as Zelenskyy, the other European leaders and all outside observers are well aware, nothing is guaranteed, given both Trumps and Putins long track records of saying one thing and doing another. Both men believe they have leverage entering their high-stakes summit, but both risk overplaying their hands. Russias forces have made some tactical advances on the battlefield in recent weeks, and its drones and missiles continue to rain down on Kyiv with ever-greater frequency. Putin will likely use those gains to argue that Russia has the most to lose from a ceasefire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Behind the battle lines, though, Western sanctions have taken a steep toll on Russias economy as the sugar rush of wartime deficit spending and elevated fossil fuel revenues is finally wearing off, WPRs Candace Rondeaux wrote yesterday. The Russian aviation sector has been particularly hard-hit, with commercial airliners increasingly unable to fly as operators struggle to source replacement parts and production lines woefully behind schedule. Since June, Trump has proven himself willing to punish not only Russia itself but also those helping to subsidize the war effort by purchasing its oil. Earlier this month, he doubled tariff rates on Indiathe second-biggest consumer of Russian oil, after Chinato 50 percent and has threatened additional levies if his talks with Putin falter. As a result, Russia has been forced to sell oil to India at a steep discount, adding to shortfalls it was already facing due to weakness in global oil prices this year. The danger with Trump is that in his desire for a PR win, he could agree to measures that seem reasonable on the surface but wind up redounding to Putins benefiteven with existing sanctions left in place. Above all, Trump seems to want a quick end to the fighting to add another notch to his peacemaking stick, regardless of whether the terms of the deal hand Putin a win. And as Candace wrote, What Russia needs almost as much as sanctions relief is time: to fix whats broken in its conventional military and to shore up its defense-industrial base. What would a good outcome look like? Perhaps an immediate ceasefire and a quick timetable for further talks, with some signs from Russia that it would consider backing away from its maximalist demands, such as regime change in Kyiv, among other measures. A bad outcome, on the other hand, would be Trump accepting a deal that is unpalatable to Ukraine and NATO allies. The result would be an irreparable breach in transatlantic relations and, potentially, Putins successful subjugation of Ukraine, wrote Charles Kupchan, a former senior official on Russian and European affairs during the Obama administration who is now at the Council on Foreign Relations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Between those two possibilities, there is an infinite range of options. And given the vagaries of war and the unpredictability of the personalities involved, we likely will not even have a clear grasp on the meetings outcome, let alone whether or not it was a success, until weeks or perhaps months later. The post High Stakes and High Uncertainty as Trump Meets with Putin appeared first on World Politics Review. A hiker who died of a snake bite in a scenic state park in Tennessee made one fatal mistake: he reportedly picked up the venomous reptile. The man, who has not been identified, was just half a mile down a trailhead at Savage Gulf State Park when first responders arrived at about 12.30 p.m. last Friday, according to the Grundy County Emergency Management Agency. After life-saving efforts administered by rescue workers, the man was transferred to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A representative for Grundy County EMA said the hiker was likely bitten by a timber rattlesnake, a highly venomous species found in the eastern U.S. Witnesses who spoke to first responders said they saw the hiker pick up the snake, which bit him on the hand, Matthew Griffith of the Grundy County EMA told ABC News Channel 9. The hiker was found just half a mile down a trailhead at the sprawling Savage Gulf State Park, officials said (Getty/iStock) The man was believed to have died of an allergic reaction, though the full cause of death has yet to be released. It was not immediately clear why the victim picked up the snake. The family of the individual will be in our thoughts and prayers, Griffith said. As always, it's strongly recommended to have some kind of first aid supplies while enjoying outdoor recreational activities and be mindful of wildlife and the dangers that some wildlife may pose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Griffith urged those who encounter any snake to remain calm and not attempt to handle it. The Grundy County EMA website describes timber rattlesnakes as the largest, and the most dangerous, of the four venomous snakes in Tennessee. They can be up to 5ft long with a large, distinctive triangular head, vertical pupils, and a characteristic rattle at the end of their tail. In most cases, however, rattlesnake bites are not fatal. Less than one in 600 bites results in death, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Bites from timber rattlesnakes are rare, according to the Smithsonians National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. The species is considered more docile than other members of its reptilian family. Timber rattlesnakes typically prey on small rodents and often remain motionless if encountered in the wild. A hiker attacked by a wild brown bear was found dead in northern Japan on Friday, officials said, a day after the bloody encounter that reportedly saw him dragged into a forest. The hiker in his 20s tried to fight off the large animal but was pulled into the nearby woods with his legs bleeding profusely, local media outlets including the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said. The man was attacked while walking a trail on Mount Rausu on the northern island of Hokkaido on Thursday morning, a local police spokesman told AFP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday afternoon, he was found and taken to a hospital where he was officially pronounced dead, according to a Hokkaido government official. Hunters also caught and killed a bear near the trail, an official working for Shari town where the mountain is told AFP. DNA analysis will be conducted to determine whether the bear was responsible for the victim's death. A wallet containing a card that bore the man's name was found near the scene of the encounter in the northeastern part of Hokkaido, according to media. An Ussuri brown bear and a cub eat salmon after catching it from the beach of Sea of Okhotsk near the town of Rausu on Sept. 28, 2019, in Hokkaido, Japan. / Credit: Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images A torn, bloodied shirt believed to be his was also found Friday, with nearby trees and soil dotted with traces of blood, Kyodo news agency said, quoting police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among other discovered items were a watch, a hat and what appeared to be tear gas, Kyodo said. The number of brown bears in Hokkaido fell year-on-year in 2023 for the first time since 1991, according to estimates released this month. There were about 11,600 at the end of 2023, down 500 from a year earlier. The Hokkaido government cited unprecedented hunting of brown bears, with a record 1,804 caught in the 12 months to March 2024. Human encounters with bears reached record levels in Japan last year, with 219 people attacked and six deaths in the 12 months to April 2024. Climate change affecting food sources and hibernation times is a key factor, but as Japan's aging population shrinks, humans are leaving rural areas, and that is also leaving room for bears to move in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Then that area recovered to the forest, so bears have a chance to expand their range," biologist Koji Yamazaki, from Tokyo University of Agriculture, told CBS News' Elizabeth Palmer in 2023. Japan is one of the only places on the planet where a large mammal species has been reclaiming habitat which is good news for the bears, but if, as biologists suspect, the bear population is growing, the country will have to figure out new ways to protect people, and vital infrastructure like airports, from the animals. Japan's government in February approved a bill allowing hunters to shoot bears in populated areas. In December, a bear that rampaged through a Japanese supermarket for two days was lured out with food coated in honey. Police said the animal was trapped and later killed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, hunters killed an elusive brown bear nicknamed "Ninja" in Hokkaido after it attacked at least 66 cows, The Associated Press reported. That same year, local Japanese officials and media outlets reported that three bears were euthanized after sneaking into a tatami mat factory in the northern part of the country. Passenger arrested after allegedly causing disturbance midair and forcing flight to divert When could Tropical Storm Erin become a hurricane? Erin becomes first hurricane of 2025 Atlantic season NEED TO KNOW A hiker was attacked by a brown bear on Aug. 14 while hiking Mount Rausu A friend witnessed the victim being dragged into a forest by the animal Authorities confirmed that the body of the victim was found on Aug. 15 on the mountain Officials in Japan said a body found on a mountain is that of a missing hiker who was attacked by a brown bear The incident involving the male hiker and the animal occurred on Thursday, Aug. 14, on Mount Rausu in the Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido, The Japan Times, The Japan News and NHK reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said the victim was walking a trail on Mount Rausu on Thursday morning when the attack happened, according to the Agence France-Presse. The friend ran to help the victim and witnessed him trying to fight off the bear before the animal dragged the victim into a forest, The Japan News and NHK reported. https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf The friend, who was uninjured, reported the attack to police. They tried calling the victims number but received no response. On the morning of Friday, Aug. 15, police and searchers came across a piece of a shirt that may have belonged to the victim near where the friend contacted authorities, according to NHK. A wallet linked to the victim was also discovered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities said the victim was later found in the afternoon and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the AFP reported. He has been identified as 26-year-old Sota Keisuke, according to NHK. An official also told the AFP that hunters captured and killed a bear near the trail. A DNA examination will be performed to determine whether that bear is connected to the victims death. Following the attack, authorities closed the mountain trail, The Japan Times reported. Officials with the Hokkaido prefectural government said Thursdays incident was the first recorded bear attack in the Shiretoko Mountain Range, which includes Mount Rausu, in 63 years, according to The Japan News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to figures unveiled earlier this month, there were 11,600 brown bears in Hokkaido at the end of 2023, a decline of 500 from the previous year, the AFP reported. 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. This latest incident comes nearly one month after a hunter in his 50s went missing also in Hokkaido and just days after a brown bear was spotted in the area. A friend informed authorities that the hunter never returned from his outing on Mount Esan on July 15, The Guardian, Kyodo News and The Japan News reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A gun believed to have belonged to the man was found near bloodstains, according to the reports. The disappearance came after a large brown bear was reported in the area on July 12. Read the original article on People Hillary Clinton said she would nominate President Donald Trump for his long-awaited Nobel Peace Prize if he could broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine that did not capitulate to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Clinton, the former secretary of state who once ran a campaign against Trump, issued her bold declaration on the Raging Moderates podcast to incentivize the president not to give in to Putins demands. I understand, from everything I read, that he would very much like to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, Clinton told co-host Jessica Tarlov. If he could end it, without putting Ukraine in a position where it had to concede its territory to the aggressor, had to, in a way, validate Putins vision of greater Russia, but instead could really stand up to Putin. Id nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clinton said the president has an opportunity to be the architect of a peace deal that would not give Putin any of Ukraines territory or allow Russian troops to remain in areas it has already seized. If we could pull that off, if President Trump were the architect of that, Id nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize because my goal here is to not allow capitulation to Putin, aided and abetted by the United States, Clinton added. Hillary Clinton said she would nominate President Trump for his long-awaited Nobel Prize if he could end the conflict in Ukraine without losing territory to Putin. (Getty) Clintons comments arise as Trump prepares to meet Putin in Alaska, marking the first time the pair have met face-to-face during the presidents second term. Trump has long sought to broker a deal between the two countries, even making it a campaign promise. However, hes struggled to get Russia to meaningfully engage in peace talks and has hit several bumps with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelensky will not be part of the meeting, but he and other European leaders have remained in close communication with Trump and made clear that meaningful negotiations must include Ukraine. Some have expressed concern about Trump making major concessions to Putin because the presidents history of praising his Russian counterpart and his administrations criticism of Zelensky. He gains nothing by capitulating to Putin, Clinton said on the podcast. The former secretary of state said the terms of a peace deal need to include a cease-fire, no exchange of territory, and that over a period of time, Putin should be actually withdrawing from the territory he seized. Trump headed to Alaska on Friday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin about discussing peace talks to end the war in Ukraine (AP) Should the president broker a deal of that sort, Clinton would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize, which the president has long hoped for and recently made a push for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recently, the president has dropped obvious hints that he is gunning for the prize which former President Barack Obama was awarded in 2009 by posting about it on Truth Social, mentioning it in meetings, and having members of his administration campaign on his behalf. So far, Trump has helped broker deals between Cambodia and Thailand, Pakistan and India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and intervened in the conflict between Israel and Iran. Several world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have nominated the president for the Nobel Peace Prize. Norwegian press also claim that the president called a minister out the blue last month to ask about the prize. Trump has warned that there is a 25 percent chance that the Alaska summit fails but, if he is successful, Clinton will become perhaps the most unlikely name on the list of those calling for him to receive the award. You can dream, Jessica. You can dream. Im dreaming that for whatever combination of reasons, including the elusive Nobel Peace Prize, President Trump may actually stand up to Putin, Clinton said. One of President Donald Trumps fiercest rivals admitted Friday that he should get the Nobel Peace Prize if he pulled off an end to Russias war with Ukraine ahead of his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, appearing on the "Raging Moderates" podcast, said she would nominate Trump for the award if he was successful in getting Putin to end his war and give back all the territory his forces took from Ukraine in the conflict. "You know, look, if we could pull that off, if President Trump were the architect of that, I'd nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize," she said during the interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Could Trump's Meeting With Putin Be The Next Reagan-gorbachev Moment? Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said on a podcast Friday she'd nominate Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize if he gets Russia to end its war with Ukraine and stop its aggression toward Europe. Trump and Putin are set to meet face-to-face in Anchorage at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Alaskas largest military installation on Friday. The summit marks the first time in 10 years that Putin has been hosted on American soil. The president has expressed hope that the meeting will lead to peace between Russia and Ukraine in the near future, noting that a more immediate goal for Fridays meeting would be to secure a second meeting with the Russian president. Read On The Fox News App He told a reporter in the Oval Office on Thursday, "And if it's a bad meeting, it'll end very quickly. And if its a good meeting, we're gonna end up getting peace in the pretty near future." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin Ally Warns 'Titanic Efforts' Are Underway To Sink Trump Summit Over Ukraine War Clinton said that there are several things Trump needs to get Putin to agree to if he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. "But maybe this is the opportunity to make it clear that there must be a ceasefire, there will be no exchange of territory, and that, over a period of time, Putin should be actually withdrawing from the territory he seized in order to demonstrate his good faith efforts, let us say, not to threaten European security," she said. The former chief U.S. diplomat said that if Trump could negotiate those conditions, then shed nominate him, adding, "because my goal here is to not allow capitulation to Putin, aided and abetted by the United States." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think thats a terrible, terrible precedent, and I think it would make our country less safe, I think it will reward Putins aggression, and he will not stop. We know that," Clinton added. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture Clinton mentioned that it's a "dream" of hers that Trump will be successful during the upcoming meeting and said that if the Nobel Peace Prize is enough motivation for Trump to get that dream realized, then he should get it. "And I'm dreaming that, for whatever combination of reasons, including the elusive Nobel Peace Prize, President Trump may actually stand up to Putin on behalf of, not just Ukraine and its democracy and its very brave people, but frankly, on behalf of our own security and interests," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Original article source: Hillary Clinton says she'd nominate Trump for Nobel prize if he brokers peace between Russia, Ukraine Hillary Clinton called out some classic Republican hypocrisy in a scathing tweet days after President Donald Trump sent National Guard troops to combat crime in Washington, D.C. despite violent crime dropping in the nations capital. On one hand, Republican officials call themselves warfighters, Clinton said in a tweet shared on X Thursday. On the other, they become whiny crybabies at the thought of setting foot in DC streets and New York City subways that literal schoolchildren navigate every day without incident, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Real macho stuff, Clinton added. On one hand, Republican officials call themselves "warfighters." On the other, they become whiny crybabies at the thought of setting foot in DC streets and New York City subways that literal schoolchildren navigate every day without incident. Real macho stuff. Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 15, 2025 While Clinton didnt specifically name names in her spicy tweet, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regularly uses the term warfighting. The former secretary of state also seemed to speak directly to Trump, who sent in the National Guard troops this week to combat D.C.s out of control crime, despite data saying otherwise. Clinton previously raised the alarm on Trumps unprecedented deployment of thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles during immigration raids back in June. Trumps goal isnt to keep Californians safe, she said at the time. His goal is to cause chaos, because chaos is good for Trump. "Real macho stuff," Hillary Clinton said of Republicans who fearmonger over crime in U.S. cities. MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images Just after the president threatened to call a national emergency in order to extend his D.C. police takeover, the city on Friday sued to stop Trump from taking over its police department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb said on X Friday that by illegally declaring a takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule DC has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it, Schwalb added. More on U.S. News Kash Patels Girlfriend Speaks Out About Their 19-Year Age Gap Elon Musks Daughter Says Shes Not To Blame For Her Dads Tragic Villain Backstory States Move To Send Hundreds Of National Guard Members To Washington Read the original on HuffPost Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she would nominate President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize if he managed to pull off an extremely challenging feat. Speaking to the Raging Moderates podcast on Wednesday, two days ahead of Trumps meeting with the Russian president in Anchorage, Alaska, Clinton spoke about the hastily organized summit, making the case to Trump that he has nothing to gain by capitulating to Putin. Related: Zelenskyy Declares Peace Deal Without Ukraine's Input Unacceptable I would not be [meeting with Putin], but I think we have to deal with the reality that we have, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clinton said she was aware of Trumps fixation with getting the Nobel Peace Prize and even went as far as to say she would nominate her 2016 presidential election rival for the award if he managed to secure a fair deal to end the war in Ukraine. Clinton said the Alaska summit may be an opportunity for Trump to make it clear to Putin that there must be a ceasefire, there will be no exchange of territory [between Russia and Ukraine], and that, over a period of time, Putin should be actually withdrawing from the territory he seized in order to demonstrate his good faith efforts, let us say, not to threaten European security. Related: Trump Says He Should've Gotten 5 Nobel Peace Prizes While Continuing To Weigh Iran Strikes If President Trump were the architect of that, Id nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize, because my goal here is to not allow capitulation to Putin aided and abetted by the United States, she told co-host Jessica Tarlov. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prize is ranking high on Trumps mind as the U.S. president reportedly told Norway Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg last month that he wanted the Nobel Peace Prize, according to Norwegian newspaper Dagens Naeringsliv. The honor is bestowed by a five-member committee appointed by the countrys parliament. Some countries, including Israel, have already nominated Trump for the prize. Related: Ukraine Expert Reveals The 1 Thing Trump Cares About And Its So On Brand Meanwhile, Clinton reminded Trump that Putins ultimate goal is to destroy the U.S. and the Western alliance, adding that the U.S. president needs to take his rose-colored glasses off and see the former KGB agent for what he is. Trump is not meeting with a friend, he is meeting with an adversary and an adversary who hopes to play them, Clinton said. And the best thing that could come out of this, frankly, is probably nothing, nothing agreed to except a real strengthening of President Trumps understanding that Putin is not someone you can make a deal with and expect it to last. Related: 'I'm Fine!': CNN's Jake Tapper Awkwardly Caught On Hot Mic Amid Trump-Putin Summit Still, Trump seems confident that he will manage to get Putin to agree to end the three-year conflict despite zero evidence to suggest the Russian president is ready to make any concessions required to make that happen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think President Putin will make peace, he said Thursday. Related... Read the original on HuffPost The historic 1,000-year flood that dropped upwards of 10 inches of rain in some areas led to the largest combined sewer overflow since the Deep Tunnel went fully into operation in the early 1990s. The torrents of rain led to about 5.14 billion gallons of untreated wastewater being discharged into nearby waterways and Lake Michigan. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District initiated the overflow at 9:55 p.m. on Aug. 9. It lasted 78 hours, after ending at 3:55 a.m. on Aug. 13. The Deep Tunnel went into operation in Aug. 1993. Prior to it going into operation that year, 8 billion gallons of untreated wastewater were released, and 9 billion gallons were released in 1992. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The last sewer overflow of a similar magnitude to this occurred in 1999, when about 4.4 billion gallons was released. Milwaukee uses a combined sewer system, where stormwater and wastewater from homes and businesses travel through the same pipes to treatment facilities. During heavy rain, if the treatment plants and deep tunnel reach capacity, the sewerage district may have to release untreated water into Milwaukees rivers and Lake Michigan to prevent backups into homes and businesses. A combined sewer over flow discharge point along the Kinnickinnic River in Milwaukee. Milwaukee's combined sewage system carries both stormwater and wastewater through the same pipes. During heavy rains, if water reclamation facilities and tunnels reach capacity, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District must discharge untreated water into the rivers and Lake Michigan to prevent backups into homes and businesses. While most of the untreated water released during an overflow is a mix of groundwater and water from the storm sewers rushing right out of the system, there is a chance of bacteria flowing into the bodies of water that receive releases. Given the massive rain event the areas impacted were extensive. They included: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bradford, McKinley and South Shore beaches. Milwaukee River: Kiwanis Landing and Riverfront boat launches, and Riverside parks, and marinas Menomonee River: Emmber Lane and Valley Passage boat launches Lake Michigan: McKinley and South Shore boat launches This has been the only combined sewer overflow so far this year. However, in March approximately 10,000 gallons of wastewater was mistakenly released by contractors of the sewerage district into a storm sewer rather than the sanitary sewer. In April, about 1,000 gallons of wastewater leaked into Lake Michigan due to a broken pipe inside of the South Shore Water Reclamation Facility. More: After historic flood and devastating losses, Milwaukee begins a new path forward At least $23 million in damages and growing in Milwaukee County The Aug. 9 to 10 storm ranks second for a two-day rain event since the National Weather Service began recording that data in 1871. The storm was so rare, it's considered a 1,000-year flood event, meaning it has a 1-in-1,000 change of occurring in any given year. Floods are Wisconsins second-most frequent disaster declaration, resulting in $123.7 million in damages since 1999, according to a new report released by the Wisconsin Policy Forum. That number does not include southeastern Wisconsin's most recent flood event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Milwaukee County estimates that damages to infrastructure, like roads, park systems, bridges and waterways from the historic flood event will be at least $23 million. More than 11,500 requests for flood-related services have come in to 211 from across Milwaukee County and the surrounding Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties as of the afternoon of Aug. 14. Of that number, roughly 85% of the requests for service came from Milwaukee alone. MMSD has spent more than $580 million to prevent flooding, overflows The sewerage district serves 1.1 million people across 28 communities, including the city of Milwaukee and many surrounding suburbs. By federal law, the sewerage district is allowed six overflows per year. The district has been able to capture and clean an average of 98.6% of wastewater since 1994. Since 1995, the sewerage district has invested more than $580 million in green infrastructure and flood management project to improve the landscape's ability to hold onto water, helping to avoid overflows. Green infrastructure helps nature do its job by absorbing and storing rain and melting snow. It protects against flooding and excessive heat as well as improves air, soil and water quality, which can help the city better adapt to a changing climate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district has an additional $712 million in future flood management projects planned. Residents can sign up for alerts to learn when overflows are happening by texting WATERDROP to 414-296-4422. More: With days as a target long past, MMSD's Kevin Shafer focuses on a cleaner, greener Milwaukee More: Naturalized streams, rivers may have prevented Milwaukee flooding from being worse Vanessa Swales, Alison Dirr and Sophia Tiedge contributed to reporting on this story. Caitlin Looby covers the Great Lakes and the environment for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Reach her at clooby@gannett.com , and follow her on X @caitlooby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Caitlin's work is supported by the Brico Fund, Fund for Lake Michigan, Barbara K. Frank, and individual contributions. Grants and donations help make this reporting possible. The Journal Sentinel maintains full editorial control. To learn more about our community-funded journalism initiatives, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit https://givebutter.com/milwaukee-journal-sentinel . Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation with JS Environment in the memo, then mailed to: Local Media Foundation, P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee flood forced largest sewer overflow since Deep Tunnel put in Block after block across metropolitan Milwaukee, piles of soaked carpets, waterlogged appliances and furniture stained beyond recognition now slump in front yards and along sidewalks. These are spaces where summer should be lived, not filled with debris. The streets tell the story of families turned inside out by a 1,000-year flood, as cherished keepsakes, family photos, childhood drawings in some cases, all the reminders of lives lived, now washed away. And in town centers, beloved restaurants, local shops, small businesses, cornerstones of the community where we gather and make memories are grappling with how to move forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres little doubt that climate change is here whether its wildfire smoke lingering in our air, warmer winters and disappearing ice on our Great Lakes or relentless summer heat waves. But those events seem to pass and life resumes. Not this time. This will take much longer. "It was a devasting event that just unfortunately caused a lot of heartache for people throughout the region," said Kevin Shafer, executive director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. For years, scientists have warned about what can happen when climate change supercharges extreme weather events. This is exactly what they meant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the planet warms, air can hold onto much more water, so when the weather conditions line up, like they did on Aug. 9 and 10, and into Aug. 11, storms can release more rain. A warmer climate also creates weather systems that move slower. More water from a storm that sticks around longer creates prolonged, heavy rainfall and flooding. The result is that it's become harder to use historical data because climate change is altering things so drastically; the past is no longer a good predictor of the future. Regardless, scientists say that climate change is increasing the likelihood that these intense deluges will happen within any given year. We were paying a price even before this month. A new report by the Wisconsin Policy Forum outlined how Wisconsin has seen an increase in damage caused by flooding, in turn leading to dramatic spikes in flood insurance claims and payouts. There are also serious impacts to mental and physical health. Floods are Wisconsins second-most frequent disaster declaration, the same report said, resulting in $123.7 million in damages since 1999. And that dollar figure was compiled before this summer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, Milwaukee County has a preliminary estimate that damages to roads, park systems, bridges and waterways from this month's event is roughly $23 million. That number is expected to grow. Kevin Knitter removes a piece of furniture from his daughters room in Wauwatosa on the afternoon of Aug. 11, 2025. The story is told in personal losses Of course, all those numbers have people behind them. There is Kevin Knitter, who told the Journal Sentinel that he and his wife Katie did not purchase flood insurance when they bought their Wauwatosa home because it was not in the floodplain. The Knitters evacuated as water filled their basement and rose into the first floor. They ended up in a rescue boat with their daughter, two dogs and a goldfish. And they learned the floodplain maps had changed in 2024, and their home was now inside the boundaries. And there is Eric Wagner, founder and CEO of the Lowlands Group, which owns Cafe Hollander, who got his first call about the Wauwatosa location at 6:30 a.m., on Aug. 10. Water had started coming into the basement kitchen, and eventually rose to four feet. When there's pressure from the river, the water starts getting into the drywall. There was equipment floating everywhere and the electrical got all burned out, Wagner told the Journal Sentinel. He's now looking at a six-week reconstruction and costs approaching $1 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Paul Davis Restoration, roughly three calls per minute yes, minute have been coming in from customers needing help with flood damaged property. This is pretty unprecedented, said Ariel Flary, business development manager. Every call that comes in, we call back and touch base and see if they still need service. Flary said crews from Appleton and Waukegan, Illinois, have traveled, and occasionally stayed in hotels, to try to keep up with the calls for service. Some people have lost entire homes and then have been told theyre not covered (by insurance), Flary said, adding the company is also cautious about working its employees too much, and checks to make sure they get breaks and stay hydrated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: River revival: Milwaukee's long-neglected Kinnickinnic River is on the verge of a revival Rain totals surpassed 10 inches in parts of Milwaukee County Since 1950, Wisconsin has become on average 17% wetter or roughly 5 inches more precipitation, according to the latest Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts report. The southern two-thirds of Wisconsin has experienced the biggest increase in rainfall. The Aug. 9 to 10 storm ranks second for a two-day rain event since the National Weather Service began recording that data in 1871. Calling it a 1,000-year flood event can be somewhat confusing because the label is based on probability, not time. It doesn't mean that it happens once every 1,000 years. Instead, it's a flood that has a 1-in-1,000 chance of occurring in any given year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to rainfall totals from the sewerage district, the highest total rainfall amount in the city of Milwaukee and county, too during this storm was recorded at 8135 W. Florist Ave., which had nearly 15 inches from Aug. 9 to 11. River Hills had the highest total amount of rain out of Milwaukee County suburbs at nearly 11.5 inches. Within the overall storm, the most intense period was specifically during a 12-hour stretch from 7 p.m., Aug. 9, to 7 a.m., Aug. 10, according to Andy Boxell, meteorologist at the National Weather Service. In Waukesha County, a reporting station just south of Menomonee Falls registered 12.05 inches in that time frame. Pewaukee recorded 12.61 inches; Waukesha received 9.75 inches. In Washington County, Germantown logged 10.58 inches during that span. Lowe's Director of Software Engineering Mike Bohn, left, helps hand out free cleaning supplies in response to the recent flash flooding and severe weather on Wednesday August 13, 2025, in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. 211 damage reports continue to rise As people with flood damage continue to assess their situation, and some realize they can't go it alone, the number of calls to 211 keeps growing. The confidential helpline helps with a wide range of needs, like housing, food, transportation, and healthcare. It's the best connection to resources at this point, Milwaukee Health Commissioner Michael Totoraitis said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 11,500 requests for flood-related services have come in to 211 from across Milwaukee County and the surrounding Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties as of the afternoon of Aug. 14. Of that number, roughly 85% of the requests for service came from Milwaukee alone. The helpline saw a spike in calls on Tuesday and Wednesday, with over 3,100 reports each day. Preliminary 211 data showed the highest number of requests came out of Milwaukee County's northwest side, along with West Milwaukee, in particular from ZIP codes 53218, 53209, and 53216. Reports from 211 calls also included basement water depths, utility disruptions and structural damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 53218 ZIP code, which includes the north side's Silver Spring and Hampton Heights neighborhoods, stood out with 1,851 damage reports, the highest among all the ZIP codes listed. It also had the highest number of utility disruptions, with 1,448 reports, and 850 structural damage reports. It's average water depth report was 26 inches. The basement water reports across Milwaukee County averaged 19.2 inches. The deepest average basement water was reported in 53219, just west of Jackson Park on the city's south side, at 35 inches. More than 12,000 calls reported utility disruptions and almost 7,000 reported of structural damage. The data is self-reported, according Vickie Boneck, the spokesperson for IMPACT 211, the designated provider of 211 services in southeastern Wisconsin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The numbers continue to change as 211 continues to receive calls and messages. For example, Boneck noted that as water is receding in basements, the reports, too, show a decrease in the average inches reported. Of the data collected, 2-1-1 reported more roughly 5,000 referrals for storm-related needs, including connecting those who reached out to the county's office of emergency services, post disaster cleanup tools and supplies, disaster food stamps and food pantries. Milwaukee officials have repeatedly urged residents to report damage to 211. The reports help bolster the push for federal assistance to address widespread damage from the flooding. The reports also serve as another source of data the city is using to identify the hardest-hit areas. For example, the Milwaukee Health Department is using the data to determine where to send cleaning kits. He encouraged residents to submit damage reports either by calling or submitting a report online when call times are longer. And, he said, residents should urge others to report their damages as well. "That 211 data is really guiding what the city can do," Totoraitis said. "And then as we get fingers crossed that money unlocked from the feds, that we can then use that information to prioritize helping someone get a new water heater or whatever that support looks like." He also urged residents to use their insurance, take photos of damage and write down a timeline to help the claims process move forward. The 211 data provides one view into the extent of the damage. Other data collected by the city is also helping guide its response. That includes information from the Department of Public Works, which is marking areas that need bulky waste pickup. The Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services is also inspecting homes in the city and neighboring suburbs to assess the extent of the damage. As if the afternoon of Aug. 14, there had been 2,916 homes inspected. Of those, 5% were destroyed, 55% had major damage, 17% had minor damage and 12% were listed as "affected," the lowest level of concern, according to the department. In 11% of the homes, inspectors were unable to gain entry to the premises. Despite damage, Milwaukee on its way to climate resiliency While many parks and green spaces across the region were overwhelmed during the storm, they ultimately did what they were designed to do absorb and hold water, minimizing damage to nearby homes and businesses. Shafer pointed to Wauwatosas Hart Park, which was inundated but helped prevent even worse flooding downstream. This storm reinforced that the work weve done so far is worthwhile, Shafer said. Without these investments, the damage would have been significantly worse. Still, he emphasized that more must be done. "This was a wakeup call for us," Shafer said. "And I think it's going to lead us to much better discussions about the future." While the devastation is undeniable, Shafer said the region's much more prepared than it was 30 years ago. He called for a continued focus on green infrastructure and a watershed-wide approach strategies that include removing impervious surfaces and improving park spaces to handle stormwater more effectively. These efforts not only protect peoples homes and businesses but also build long-term resilience against increasingly intense storms. "We've taken huge steps over the last 25 years," Shafer said. "And we need to continue that for the next 25." Ricardo Torres, Bridget Fogarty, Cathy Kozlowicz, Rachel Bernhard and Sophia Tiedge contributed to reporting on this story. Caitlin Looby covers the Great Lakes and the environment for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Reach her at clooby@gannett.com , and follow her on X @caitlooby. Caitlin's work is supported by the Brico Fund, Fund for Lake Michigan, Barbara K. Frank, and individual contributions. Grants and donations help make this reporting possible. The Journal Sentinel maintains full editorial control. To learn more about our community-funded journalism initiatives, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit https://givebutter.com/milwaukee-journal-sentinel . Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation with JS Environment in the memo, then mailed to: Local Media Foundation, P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How Milwaukee emerges from floods, climate change, heartbreaking loss "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." This past spring, a former manager of Harvard Medical Schools morgue pleaded guilty to interstate transport of stolen human remains. In laymans terms, the guy had been swiping donated body partsorgans, brains, hands, faces, dissected headsand selling them on the black market, rather than facilitating their intended cremation once the remains were no longer needed for research. As The New York Times noted, The breach went undetected from about 2018 until March 2023, tainting one of the nations most prestigious medical schools. Believe it or not, Harvard Medical School had already been tainted by a macabre scandal involving the disposal of body partsa murder scandal, no less. It was one of the great sensations of antebellum America, with legal implications that still resonate today. Just about everyone involvedthe killer, the victim, the judge, the prosecution, the defensewas a proud alumnus of the nations oldest university. Its the most Harvard case possible, says Paul Collins, a writing professor and author of Blood & Ivy, a 2018 book about the case. Its almost like something out of an Agatha Christie mystery, because a lot of those were set up in a way where the victim was a bit of a bastard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bastard in this particular mystery was a Boston Brahmin named George Parkman, a nonpracticing physician, just shy of 60, whose vast wealth belied his inveterate parsimony. With a fortune derived from his fathers success in the silk and indigo trade, Parkman had become a prolific real estate owner, worth the equivalent of about $20 million in 2025 currency. In 1846, he donated land to his alma mater for the construction of a new Harvard Medical School building, a two-story red brick structure along the Charles River in Bostons bustling West End. (Today the land is part of Mass General.) But Parkman tempered any philanthropic impulses with his delight in collecting rent from tenantsalways on foot, because, why waste money on a horse. Getty Images On the afternoon of Friday, November 23, 1849, Parkman left his Beacon Hill townhouse for the medical school. He didnt return. Alarmed, Parkmans wife and daughter contacted the authorities. Police began a search the following day as newspapers carried notices alerting the public: Dr. George Parkman, one of our most respectable citizens, left his dwelling house yesterday at about one oclock in the afternoon, to keep some appointment made with a gentleman unknown. That unknown gentleman turned out to be Dr. John White Webster, a distinguished professor at the medical school, known for his lectures that blazed the cutting edge of chemistry. Webster told police that Parkman had visited him to collect a mortgage payment of $483. I counted the money down to him, on my lecture room table, Webster said. He grabbed the money up, as fast as he could, and ran two steps up at a time. Alamy With that, the mystery deepened. Police widened their search beyond the university, inspecting railway stations and Parkmans various rental propertiesperhaps some angry tenant might shed light on the rapacious landlords whereabouts. Then again, there was reason to doubt that Parkmans disappearance had been the result of anything nefarious. He was said to have suffered from nervous breakdowns. Might he simply be wandering the streets without his faculties intact? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In either case, potential sightings poured forth after Parkmans family plastered the town with missing posters. One newspaper reported, erroneously, that Parkman had been found in nearby Lynn in a state of mental aberration. False identifications were to be expected given the generous reward on offer, although it would later emerge that Parkmantall, lean and top-hatted with a pointy chinhad a veritable doppelganger on the streets of Boston. As the investigation unfolded outside the medical schools walls, one employee found himself with a sinking suspicion. Ephraim Littlefield, a custodian, couldnt help but notice the long stretches of time that Dr. Websterthe last person known to have seen Parkman alivehad been cloistered away in his chemistry lab. Why was the door always locked, preventing Littlefield from cleaning the room even while Webster was present? What to make of the ungodly temperature to which Websters furnace had been fired up in recent days? Or Websters uncharacteristic kindness of late, including the purchase of a Thanksgiving turkey for Littlefields family? Littlefield was determined to get to the bottom of it. Late in the afternoon on Friday, November 30, he hammered away at the bricks encasing the base of Websters privy. When Littlefield finally broke through, he recoiled in horror at the sight illuminated by the flicker of his lamp. I have found him! Littlefield cried out minutes later to one of Websters colleagues, who alerted the police. Upon further inspection, they found bone chips, pieces of skull, and several false teeth amid the ashes in Websters furnace. More gruesome still, the opening of Websters tea-chest revealed a sawed-up torsoodd for a professor whose work did not involve the dissection of corpses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An ensuing media sensation reflected both the grisly nature of the crime and the stature of those involved. Just as people assume that persons of great wealth must also be persons of great intelligence, says Ellis Weiner, co-author of Monsters of the Ivy League, they assume that institutions of high prestigeespecially ivory tower institutions dedicated to reason and abstractionsmust produce nothing but people immune to gross passions and dedicated only to pure values. Bostons Evening Transcript reported, Our whole population has been in a state of the greatest possible excitement in consequence of the astounding rumor that the body of Dr. Parkman has been discovered, and that Dr. John W. Webster, Professor of Chemistry in the Medical School of Harvard, and a gentleman connected by marriage with some of our most distinguished families, has been arrested and imprisoned on suspicion of being the murderer. A thunderbolt at clear noonday falling with a loud report and shattering the most conspicuous dome in the city could not have produced a greater shock. Colin Waters - Alamy At the trial several months later, jury members learned that Webster owed Parkman a significant amount of money. A quarrel over the debt must have erupted andBAM! The defense, meanwhile, portrayed Webster as an eminent Harvard scholar incapable of such violence. They also argued that there was hardly anything remarkable about the discovery of human remains in a medical school. But Websters lawyers couldnt overcome one damning piece of evidence: Parkmans dentist had kept a mold of the dentures hed crafted for the deceased. The fake teeth in the furnace were a dead match. In fact, they would go down in history as the first such dental records used to secure a murder conviction. Similarly, Chief Justice Lemuel Shaws explanation to the jury of reasonable doubt remains one of the longest standing in use. As for Webster, who ultimately did confess, he became the only Harvard graduate in history to be executed for murder in the United States (Ted Kaczynski came close to breaking the streak). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes got a pretty dubious standing in that regard, says Collins, who also notes that Parkman has kind of gone down in Boston history as an unsympathetic figure. If theres a bigger scandal in the history of Harvard, Collins isnt aware of it. Professor murders the schools biggest donor would definitely be pretty high up there. The fact that both the perpetrator and the victim seemed, in their own ways, to be very flawed people is part of what made it resonate. Its enduring resonance, of course, owes much to Harvards outsized stature. Since the Ivy League consists of eight of the most exclusive, brainy, hard-to-get-into universities in the country, news of crimes and scandals at them is as shocking as news of orgies at a convent, says Ellis. Its also the result of one of capitalism's secret subtextsthat success is the reward of virtue and must be evidence of good character. Perhaps the moral of the story, or at least one of its moralsalso applicable to the case of Harvards modern-day morgue profiteeris that the pursuit of wealth should have its limits. As the Harvard mathematician Benjamin Peirce wrote to a friend after Websters trial, Dr. Parkman was so harsh and cruel a man with his debtors that his murder seems almost to have been a retribution of Providence designed to teach us an appalling lesson. You Might Also Like Omar Wasow was studying race and politics at Stanford University when on April 29, 1992, a jury acquitted the police officers who beat Rodney King of almost all charges. For nearly a week, Los Angeles was on fire, as people raged against a verdict they viewed as unjust. Within a day of the decision, President George H.W. Bush brought in the National Guard, a reserve U.S. military force that state governors and presidents can summon to respond to certain situations, including domestic emergencies. By the time the uprising ended on May 3, 63 people had been killed nine by police and more than 1,500 had been injured. You could not escape the footage of the beating or of the aftermath of the verdict, Wasow told Capital B, adding that the uprising made a deep impression on him. It was as big of a national issue as there ever was. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The deployment of the National Guard to U.S. cities was on his mind again this week. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he was sending around 800 members of the National Guard and 500 federal law enforcement agents to heavily Black Washington to crack down on crime, which is at a 30-year low in the city. Armed with machine guns and grenade launchers, National Guard soldiers hold a line on Crenshaw Boulevard in South Central Los Angeles in the wake of the 1992 uprising after the acquittal of the Los Angeles Police Department officers who beat Rodney King. (Ted Soqui/Corbis via Getty Images) These actions are the latest in a long history of the National Guard being called in to address crises in Newark, New Jersey; Detroit; Los Angeles; and many other cities that have significant Black populations. But there are important differences between what has happened before and whats happening right now, according to Wasow. Historically, the National Guard has been mobilized when theres this effort to do crowd control, he said. But what were seeing here is mobilization for more conventional policing. You have individual incidents of crime that the police are well-equipped to handle and the National Guard isnt particularly well-equipped to handle, yet its been brought in. Wasow added that, typically, calling in the National Guard is done in consultation with the governor or the mayor; officials also usually wait for about a day to see if tensions cool down. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has described the takeover as an authoritarian push. The city has filed a lawsuit against the administration challenging its moves to commander the Metropolitan Police Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To learn more about the history of National Guard deployment, read Capital Bs conversation with Wasow, an assistant professor in the department of political science at the University of California, Berkeley. Our conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Capital B: When has the National Guard been summoned before? Omar Wasow: The National Guard is usually called in when theres some act of collective unrest, so for instance in the Watts area of Los Angeles in 1965 [after an episode of police violence involving a Black motorist]. There were thousands of incidents of arson. In some other cases, the event is much smaller. In Newark, New Jersey, in 1967, there was a protest that escalated to violence in the downtown or main commercial district. It was smaller compared with what happened in Los Angeles, but it went on for several days, and there was a mobilization of the National Guard. What are the differences between what has happened in the past and whats happening today? One of the core challenges for police when crowds get very large is that they get vastly outnumbered. A lot of policing, as its currently organized, is much more of a one-on-one kind of thing. The police might pull somebody over or theyre in a neighborhood, but its not a couple of police officers and 10,000 people. That sort of crowd control requires a different set of tactics and a different sort of size of force. Armed National Guardsmen march toward smoke on the horizon during the Watts uprising in August 1965. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images) And so what we tend to see is the National Guard mobilized not for crime but for these events where there are just huge numbers of people in the streets, and those numbers are used to justify needing to ratchet up the size of the police and military presence, because traditional policing and crowd control are different things. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But what were seeing Trump do now is almost the reverse. There was really just one incident that caught his attention the attempted carjacking of a former Department of Government Efficiency employee and that has precipitated this escalation in a way thats atypical. What was the fallout when the National Guard was deployed before? Theres a big open question about how similar the present will be to the past. Part of what went really disastrously in a case like Newark is that there were thousands of rounds of ammunition fired by the National Guard in this urban setting, and 26 people were killed. Basically, the National Guard, at least in that context, was ill-equipped for the situation, and it used wildly disproportionate force. What you get, as a kind of common pattern both in the past and the present, is officers hear gunfire, there will be allegations of snipers, and so then they start firing wildly. The snipers almost never turn up. Its almost always friendly fire. But theres this disproportionate firepower being used in an urban setting and people being killed in their homes. Thats the worst-case scenario. When you have these explosions of anger often quite justifiable anger that play out for days, its usually Black communities that bear the brunt of the costs in terms of physical harm and material damage to housing and businesses. But what were seeing in Washington right now isnt an act of collective violence that needs to be managed. Do you think that things will get to that point today? Since the mid-1960s, theres been a major push among police forces and groups including the National Guard to do better crowd control. So though theres still a very real risk of an escalation to excessive use of force, I think that its unlikely well see that kind of undisciplined spray of fire in Washington in the way that we saw it in other cases, like in Newark in 1967. The post The History of National Guard Deployments in Black Cities, and Why D.C. Is Different appeared first on Capital B News. HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) The Holyoke Police Department, working alongside regional and federal agencies, arrested two men Thursday during an ongoing enforcement effort. Drug trafficking suspect arrested after ramming police cruiser in Springfield Police Chief Brian Keenan said local and state agencies, including the FBI, conducted surveillance in the area of Soucy Park on August 14. Officers reported witnessing several suspected drug transactions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One suspected buyer, later identified as David Fratini, 37, of Three Rivers, was stopped on Cabot Street. Police said two bags of heroin were seized from him, and he was arrested on a charge of possession of a Class A drug. Officers then approached the suspected dealer, identified as Malvin Rodriguez, 45, of Springfield, on the sidewalk along Clemente Street at Soucy Park. According to police, Rodriguez was seen riding a bicycle to a car wash near Cabot and Main streets, where he was stopped and taken into custody. Authorities said more than $200 in cash was seized. Rodriguez faces a charge of distribution of a Class A drug. 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. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. While the number of immigration raids in Southern California have slowed in recent weeks, the focus on Home Depots appears to have intensified. Parking lots at those stores have become a key new battleground in the federal government's evolving strategy of immigration enforcement. Home Depot, whether they like it or not, they are the epicenter of raids, said Pablo Alvarado, the co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, a group that represents the tens of thousands of day laborers working in L.A. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, agents moved on a Home Depot parking lot in Monrovia, sending laborers running, including a man who jumped a wall and onto the 210 Freeway, where he was fatally struck. A day prior, fear of a possible raid at a Ladera Ranch location sparked warnings across social media. Since a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting federal agents from targeting people solely based on their race, language, vocation, or location, the number of arrests in Southern California declined in July. But over the last two weeks, some higher-profile raids have returned, often taking place at Home Depot locations, where immigrant laborers congregate looking for work. Read more: 'They run, we chase': Immigration raids test limits of 'probable cause' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The renewed burst of raids outside neighborhood Home Depots began Aug. 6, when a man drove a Penske moving truck to a Home Depot in Westlake and began soliciting day laborers when, all of a sudden, Border Patrol agents jumped out of the back of the vehicle and began to chase people down. Sixteen people were arrested. The raid branded Operation Trojan House by the Trump administration was showcased by government officials with footage from an embedded Fox News TV crew. For those who thought Immigration enforcement had stopped in Southern California, think again," acting U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli posted on X. The next day, federal agents raided a Home Depot in San Bernardino. Then, on Aug. 8, they conducted two raids outside a Home Depot in Van Nuys in what DHS described as a targeted immigration raid that resulted in the arrest of seven undocumented immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. Over the weekend, activists say, a Home Depot was targeted in Cypress Park and word spread that federal agents were at a Home Depot in Marina del Rey. On Monday, day laborers were nabbed outside a Home Depot in North Hollywood, and on Tuesday more were arrested at a Home Depot in Inglewood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And its not just day laborers they are taking, Alvarado added, noting that when federal agents descend on the hardware stores parking lots, they question anyone who looks Latino or appears to be an immigrant and ask them about their papers. They also get customers of Home Depot who look like day laborers, who speak Spanish. The national hardware chain whose parking lots have for decades been an unofficial gathering point for undocumented laborers hoping to get hired for a day of home repair or construction work was one of the first sites of the L.A. raids in June that kicked off the Trump administrations intense immigration enforcement across Southern California. Nearly 3,000 people across seven counties in L.A. were arrested in June as masked federal agents conducted roving patrols, carrying out a chaotic series of sweeps of street corners, bus stops, warehouses, farms, car washes and Home Depots. But the number of raids and arrests plummeted dramatically across L.A. in mid-July after the court order blocked federal agents across the region from targeting people unless they had reasonable suspicion they entered the country illegally. On Aug. 1, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a Trump administration request to lift the restraining order prohibiting roving raids. But within just a few days, federal agents were back, raiding the Westlake Home Depot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Even though we've had two successful court decisions, the administration continues with their unconstitutional behavior coming and going to Home Depot stores," L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference Thursday. "They are violating" the temporary restraining order, she added. Advocates for undocumented immigrants question the legality of federal agents practices. In many cases, they say, agents are failing to show judicial warrants. They argue that the way agents are targeting day laborers and other brown-skinned people is illegal. Its clear racial profiling, said Alvarado. Read more: L.A. Home Depot raided twice in one day. Critics say ICE is violating court order Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Homeland Security did not answer questions from The Times about how many people have been arrested over the last week at Home Depots across L.A. or explain what why the agency has resumed raids outside hardware stores. After last Fridays raids on Van Nuys, Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said four of the seven individuals arrested had criminal records , including driving under the influence of alcohol, disorderly conduct and failing to adhere to previous removal orders. She dismissed activists claims that the Trump administration was violating the temporary restraining order. What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is if they are illegally in the U.S. not their skin color, race, or ethnicity, McLaughlin said. Americas brave men and women are removing murderers, MS-13 gang members, pedophiles, rapists truly the worst of the worst from Golden State communities. Activists say that federal agents are targeting Home Depots because they are hubs for a constant flow of day laborers mostly Latino and many of whom are undocumented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They know that at the Home Depot there will always be people who are day laborers, many of them undocumented," said Ron Gochez, a member of the Union del Barrio, a group that patrols neighborhoods to alert residents of immigration sweeps. "And so they figured it would be a much easier, faster and more effective way for them to kidnap people just to go to the Home Depot. Another reason the hardware store parking lots had become a focal point, Gochez said, is that they present a wide, open space to hunt people down. There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, Gochez said. And when some of the day laborers started running inside of the Home Depot stores, the agents literally have chased them down the aisles of the store. In Los Angeles, pressure is mounting on Home Depot to speak out against the targeting of people outside their stores. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They haven't spoken out; their customers are being taken away and they are not saying anything, Alvarado said. They havent issued a public condemnation of the fact that their customers have been abducted in their premises. This is not the first time Home Depot has found itself in the center of a political firestorm. In 2019, the Atlanta-based company faced boycott campaigns after its co-founder Bernie Marcus, a Republican megadonor, announced his support for Trump's reelection campaign. Back then, the chain tried to distance itself from its founder, noting that Marcus retired from the company in 2002 and did not speak on its behalf. But in a global city like L.A., where civic and political leaders are rallying against the raids and public schools have developed policies blocking federal agents from entering their premises, there are growing calls for the national hardware chain to develop consistent policies on raids, such as demanding federal agents have judicial warrants before descending on their lots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Federal agents use Penske rental truck as 'Trojan Horse' to raid Los Angeles Home Depot On Tuesday, a coalition of advocacy groups led a protest in MacArthur Park and urged Angelenos to support a 24-hour boycott of Home Depot and other businesses that they say have not stopped federal immigration agents from conducting raids in their parking lots or chasing people down in their stores. We call them an accomplice to these raids, because there is no other location that's been hit as much as they have, Gochez said. We think that Home Depot is being complicit. They're actually, we think, in some way collaborating, whether directly or not. Home Depot denies that it is working with federal agents or has advance notice of federal immigration enforcement activities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats not true, George Lane, manager of corporate communications for Home Depot, said in an email to The Times. We arent notified that these activities are going to happen, and we arent involved in the operations. Were required to follow all federal and local rules and regulations in every market where we operate. Lane said Home Depot asked associates to report any suspected immigration enforcement operations immediately and not to engage for their own safety. If associates feel uncomfortable after witnessing ICE activity, he added, we offer them the flexibility they need to take care of themselves and their families. The targeting of day laborers outside L.A. Home Depots is particularly contentious because day laborers, primarily Latino men, have for decades represented an integral part of the Los Angeles labor force. Since the 1960s, day laborers have formed an informal labor market that has boosted this sprawling city, helping it expand, and in recent months they have played a pivotal role in rebuilding L.A. after the January firestorms tore through Pacific Palisades and Altadena destroying thousands of homes. It appears theyre targeting and taking the very people rebuilding our cities, Alvarado said. Without migrant labor, both documented and undocumented, it's impossible to try to rebuild Los Angeles. In many L.A. neighborhoods, day laborers are such a constant, ingrained presence at Home Depots that the city's Economic and Workforce Development Department sets up its resource centers for day laborers next to the stores. Day laborers are also a reason many customers come to Home Depot. Day laborers are a part of their business model, Alvarado said. You come in, you get your materials, and then you get your helper." Read more: Texas, Florida hit with far more ICE arrests than California. But that's not the whole story Alvaro M. Huerta, the Director of Litigation and Advocacy of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, part of a coalition of groups suing Homeland Security over immigration raids in L.A., said the growing number of raids at Home Depot parking lots was deeply troubling and raised serious concerns that the federal government was continuing to violate the July temporary restraining order. This looks a lot like it did before a temporary restraining order was in place, Huerta said. My sense is they feel they can justify raids at Home Depots more than roving raids." Lawyers, Huerta said, were investigating the raids and asking some of the people taken into custody a series of questions: Did agents ever present a warrant? What kinds of questions did they ask? Did you feel like you were able to leave? One of the things we've been arguing is that some of these situations are coercive, Huerta said. The government is saying, No, we're allowed to ask questions, and people can volunteer answers. But we've argued that in many of these cases, people don't feel like they cannot speak. Attorneys will likely present information about the arrests to court at a preliminary injunction hearing in September, Huerta said, as they press Trump administration attorneys for evidence that the arrests are targeted. Huerta said some of the people caught up in recent Home Depot raids were not even looking for work at the parking lot. One man, a 22-year-old who was getting gas across the street from a Home Depot last week, Huerta said, was detained even though he had special immigrant juvenile status as he was brought to the U.S. as a teen. The man had an asylum application pending, work authorization and no criminal history and yet a week after he was arrested he was confined in Adelanto Detention Center. Times staff writer Julia Wick 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. NEED TO KNOW A homeowner found a venomous snake napping inside the tunnel of their model train set Professional snake wrangler Stuart MacKenzie safely removed the brown tree snake using his bare hands and a few tools The snake species is known for striking repeatedly when it feels threatened A venomous snake snuck into a home in Queensland, Australia, where it managed to slither its way onto a model train set. Per UPI, the reptile curled up in the tunnel of the train set, where it was later discovered by one of the home's residents. The individual initially believed the snake was a harmless rubber toy, but quickly realized the snake intruder was the real deal and called in a professional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7, a group of professional snake wranglers, sent Stuart MacKenzie to the house. The professional identified the scaly train enthusiast as a brown tree snake. According to the Australian Reptile Park, brown tree snakes are known for having bad tempers and "will strike repeatedly if they feel threatened." "They are colubrid snakes, which means their fangs are at the back of the mouth, so only a very large snake would be able to inject venom into a human," the park added. A professional snake catcher, Mackenzie knew how to handle and remove the venomous snake from the train set, and recorded the job for Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7's social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the clip, Mackenzie approaches the train set holding a net and locates the snake inside the tunnel, curled up in a tight ball. With a long hook device, the snake catcher pulls the "healthy and rather large" snake from the tunnel. https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf "Yeah, it's not it's not a rubber [snake]," MacKenzie says. "There she comes, just trying to be nice and gentle." After carefully coaxing the snake out of the tunnel, MacKenzie gently grabs and lifts the snake away from the train set, noting that the snake will likely shed its skin soon. 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. With the snake out of the tunnel and train traffic clear to commence, Mackenzie places the reptile in a netted bag to remove the critter from the home. The clip concludes with the snake being released back into the wild, away from homes and businesses. Read the original article on People Extreme weather events are causing home insurance prices to soar in at-risk areas. What's happening? According to Community Impact, many people in Texas are facing astronomically high insurance prices, particularly because of the increased risk of natural disasters. From 2022 to 2023, insurance prices spiked by 11% nationwide, but Texans experienced a 23% rise. The state has "some of the highest home insurance premiums in the nation," according to Community Impact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city of Houston is deemed a "high-risk" area because of the regularity of extreme weather events, such as high winds, hail, hurricanes, and flooding. Because of this, insurance companies have upped the prices of premiums in the area. Community Impact reported that published insurance nonrenewal rates from the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget confirmed that "areas most vulnerable to climate-related risks have the highest nonrenewal rates and the most significant rate increases." Why are rising insurance rates concerning? No one wants their bills to rise, especially not when the cost of living is so steep. Sadly, many Americans are having to forgo home insurance because of the costs. In areas such as Texas, where, according to Houston Public Media, repairs after last July's Hurricane Beryl cost up to $4.5 billion, it's particularly risky not to have insurance on your home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Communities are in danger, and insurance companies are dropping their policies. Of course, natural disasters such as floods have been happening for thousands of years, but scientists have proved that human activity, such as burning coal and gas, is making these extreme weather events much more intense and frequent. What's being done about high home insurance premiums? Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 2067 into law in June to make insurers "provide a reason for when they decline, cancel, or don't renew a policy." This could help hold insurance companies accountable. However, state consumer advocate John Cobarruvias disagreed, telling Community Impact, "Having government interference come in and set a rate is a total disaster." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though there aren't many ways to save yourself from overpriced insurance, there are plenty of techniques you can try to keep you and your family safe from extreme weather. From building an emergency kit to weatherizing your home, you can equip yourself and your loved ones to best get through an emergency. On a structural level, governments around the planet need to band together to reduce the use of fossil fuels to counter increasingly intense weather events. 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. STURGEON BAY, Wis. (WFRV) After years of service that have taken her across the country and around the world, a U.S. Coast Guard leader is wrapping up her time in Wisconsin and taking home one of the communitys highest honors. Chief Petty Officer Emily Hand, second in command at U.S. Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay, was recently named the stations Coast Guard Person of the Year. The award is given annually to a local Coast Guard member who exemplifies the services core values of honor, respect, and devotion to duty. Between Station Sturgeon Bay, the Marine Safety Unit, and the cutter based in town, each unit nominates one member. The Door County Maritime Museum board reviews the nominations and selects a winner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Green Bay City Council to vote on extension which could more than double affordable housing funds For Hand, the honor comes just as she is finishing her final day at the station and preparing to move back home to Missouri. [I was] shocked and surprised, she said. I wasnt expecting this. I want to recognize the junior members and celebrate their progress and careers. Hands Coast Guard journey began with a family connection both of her grandfathers served in the Navy during World War II, and her brother also served. After deciding to join, she shipped off to boot camp just two months after applying. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From there, her career took her to a 378-foot cutter out of San Diego, Boatswains Mate school in Virginia, stations in Michigan and Georgia, and a cutter in Crescent City, California, that she helped decommission by sailing through the Panama Canal. Shes taken part in search and rescue missions, drug interdictions, and fisheries enforcement, saying the only region she hasnt worked is the Gulf Coast. Her move to Sturgeon Bay came with a specific goal: to become Executive Petty Officer (XPO) the No. 2 position at a station. Click here for more sounds and stories from Wisconsins Hometown Heroes Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I love being an XPO. I love taking care of the crew and people. Im passionate about people, she said. That passion extends well beyond her Coast Guard duties. Hand co-founded Safe Waters, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual assault in the military, regardless of branch or duty status. The group offers advocacy, a weekly book club, and peer support. If youve been sexually assaulted in the service, any service, you can call and well help you out, Hand explained. Her work with Safe Waters is connected to growing national attention on misconduct in the Coast Guard. In 2023, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability released a memorandum on Operation Fouled Anchor, an internal investigation into decades of sexual assault and harassment cases at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. According to the report, numerous cases were mishandled or not properly addressed, sparking reforms and congressional scrutiny. Hand says those revelations only strengthened her resolve to take action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres been a lot of light shed on this within the Coast Guard so thats what really brought me to the level of someone who needs to do something. So, why not me? she said. When shes not at the station or working with Safe Waters, Hand has given more than 600 volunteer hours as a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Green Bay, mentoring a local teenager through outings like go-karting, movies, and Packers Family Night. I just think anybody who has the time to give back to their community is great, she said. These kids need someone in their life who is a champion for them and is their person. U.S. Venture Open returns to northeast Wisconsin for 40th year of fighting poverty Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hand says shes still figuring out her next steps. She will join the Coast Guard Reserve in Alameda, California, while continuing to expand Safe Waters reach with plans to travel to more isolated units across the country. I dont do this for the recognition, she said. I just want to take care of my crew, support survivors, and volunteer my time I think everyone should give back to their community. To learn more about Safe Waters or to donate, visit SafeWatersUnited.org. 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 WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. The family of Hong Kongs wealthiest man Li Ka-shing said his old mansion in the Chinese city has not been listed for sale, refuting rumours that surfaced online as his conglomerate is caught in a US-China spat. The false posts misrepresent a real estate websites information page about Lis house. "Li Ka-shing is selling his old mansion worth HKD 5 billion ($637 million) in a complete withdrawal from Hong Kong!" reads an X post in simplified Chinese posted on July 28, 2025. It also shares a screenshot of a house's main gate along with the address 79 Deep Water Bay Road -- home of the Hong Kong billionaire -- on the website of real estate agency Centaline Property. Screenshot of the false post on X taken on August 13, 2025, with a red X added by AFP Similar posts also surfaced in Douyin, RedNote, Facebook, Threads and Reddit after Beijing stepped up scrutiny on Li's CK Hutchison over a deal involving the strategic Panama Canal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The firm in March proposed the sale of its global ports business -- including operations in the vital Central American waterway -- to a US-led consortium. The deal was seen as a political win for US President Donald Trump, who had vowed to "take back" the Panama Canal from alleged Chinese control (archived link). China has warned of legal consequences should parties proceed without clearance from Beijing, and CK Hutchison said in July it was looking to invite a Chinese "major strategic investor" to join discussions (archived link). But a spokesperson for Centaline told AFP on August 13, 2025 that the circulating screenshot only shows an introduction to the house, and is "not related to selling or leasing". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She went on to say the claim that the house had been listed for sale on the website is "not true and is entirely fabricated". Keyword searches led to the house's page on the company's website, and it does not include an asking price as claimed in the false post (archived link). Screenshot of Centaline webpage, taken on August 14, 2025 The search results also directed to the property pages in other real estate platforms Spacious, Midland and Ricacorp, but none of them included any official announcement of the home's sale (archived here, here and here). Victor Li, the billionaire's eldest son, denied that his family home was being sold and described the online speculation as "fake". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We have never intended to sell the property at 79 Deep Water Bay Road. Certain online reports and posts on social media regarding the sale of the property at 79 Deep Water Bay Road are completely fabricated and unfounded," he said in a statement emailed by CK Asset -- CK Hutchison's sister company -- to AFP on August 4, 2025. Victor took over as chairman of CK Hutchison and CK Asset after his father retired as chairman of both companies in March 2018 (archived here, here, here and here). AFP has previously debunked misinformation about Li Ka-shing here and here. By Jessie Pang and James Pomfret HONG KONG, August 15 (Reuters) -The closing submissions in a national security trial against Hong Kong pro-democracy businessman Jimmy Lai were delayed on Friday after his lawyer said he had suffered heart palpitations. The closing submissions will recommence on Monday after the court adjourned to allow Lai, 77, to obtain medication and a heart monitor. Lai, who founded the Apple Daily newspaper that was forced to close after a police raid and asset freeze in June 2021, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His lawyer Robert Pang told the court that Lai experienced some episodes where he felt like "collapsing", adding he had accepted recommendations by a visiting medical specialist but the arrangements were still being made. "He hasn't got the medication recommended by the specialist nor the monitor, so I am a little concerned," said one of the judges, Esther Toh. Lai, a British citizen, has been held in solitary confinement for more than 1,700 days, with his son previously raising concerns over his deteriorating health. Prosecutor Anthony Chau told the court that a medical team was on standby in the court, and that the medication and heart monitor would be provided before the hearing recommences on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some Western governments, including the U.S., have called for Lai's immediate release, saying the trial is politically motivated under a years-long national security crackdown in the China-ruled financial hub. Hong Kong and Chinese authorities have said Lai is being given a fair trial and condemned foreign governments for meddling in domestic affairs. U.S. President Donald Trump said in a media interview on Thursday that he would "do everything I can to save him." Diplomats from at least seven countries attended the hearing, with the closing submissions expected to last eight days. The three judges are then expected to deliberate for several months before laying down a verdict -- over five years after Lai was first arrested in August 2020. Lai arrived at the court on Friday wearing a white windproof jacket and smiled and waved to his family and supporters -- some of whom queued for hours to get a ticket for the packed courtroom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His national security trial began in December 2023. In the witness box, Lai said he was defending free speech and rejected allegations that he lobbied the U.S. to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China. (Editing by Greg Torode and Saad Sayeed) A Hong Kong court postponed media mogul Jimmy Lai's trial on Friday, citing his need for a heart monitor -- the second delay this week in the democracy campaigner's national security case. The 77-year-old British citizen and founder of the now-shuttered tabloid Apple Daily has been behind bars in Hong Kong since 2020, charged with foreign collusion. Closing arguments in the long-running trial were originally expected to begin Thursday, but all court sessions were suspended by heavy rain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As court resumed Friday, defence lawyer Robert Pang said Lai was experiencing heart "palpitations" and felt like he was "collapsing". Lai's lawyers have requested he be excused from the closing arguments, as he is not required to speak. "Coming to court fatigues him," Pang said. Judge Esther Toh said prison-arranged medical staff had detected "no abnormality" with Lai's heart but would supply a wearable monitor and medication. Judge Alex Lee said it would be "prudent" to begin proceedings on Monday after sorting the medical situation. - 'The world is watching' - Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If convicted, Lai faces up to life in prison under a national security law Beijing imposed on the semi-autonomous financial hub in 2020. The law effectively quashed dissent following massive, and at times violent, democracy demonstrations in 2019. In the years since the passage of the law, as well as an additional homegrown security act, most of the city's opposition lawmakers and democracy activists have either been jailed or fled abroad. Lai, who was a child sweatshop worker before going on to found a clothing and then media empire, openly backed Hong Kong's democracy movement, earning the ire of China's state media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His foreign collusion trial, which began in December 2023, is entering its final stages, with Western nations and rights groups continuing to call for his release. In addition to collusion, Lai is also charged with "seditious publication" related to 161 op-eds published under his byline. The Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday that "the world is watching how Hong Kong treats its journalists". US President Donald Trump told a Fox News radio programme on Thursday that he brought up the tycoon's case with Chinese President Xi Jinping. "I'm going to do everything I can to save him... you could also understand President Xi would not be exactly thrilled," the outlet quoted Trump as saying. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Hong Kong government said Wednesday it "strongly disapproved and rejected the slanderous remarks made by external forces" regarding Lai's case. As Lai is a British citizen, his son Sebastien has called on Keir Starmer's administration to do more, saying: "I don't want my father to die in jail." - 'Political prisoner' - Lai has given spirited testimony, fielding questions about his political ideology, management style and overseas contacts. He described himself at least twice as a "political prisoner", which drew sharp rebukes from the three-judge panel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors showed the court a diagram titled "(Lai's) external political connections", arguing that he had exerted influence in the United States, Britain and Taiwan. Lai has denied calling for sanctions against China and Hong Kong and said he never advocated separatism. Apple Daily closed in 2021 after police raids and the arrests of its senior editors. A former Apple Daily employee surnamed Chang queued outside court on Friday to support Lai, describing him as a "caring" boss. "His health worsened after he was taken into custody, but I think his spirit is strong, and I hope he can persist," Chang told AFP. hol/lb Honor Foods has announced the opening of a new 156,000 square foot distribution center in Kissimmee, Florida, expected to create approximately 100 jobs. The facility will be a key distribution hub for Honor Foods in the Southeast, expanding to Florida, Latin America, and the Caribbean. This follows its June 2023 acquisition of Sunny Morning, boosting dairy capabilities. This is a big win for all of our customers and our Team Members, said JD Spangler, President of Honor Foods, emphasizing the strategic importance of the new facility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our new distribution center in Kissimmee, Florida, is a testament to our dedication to the growth of Honor Foods and our redistribution capabilities, said Donnie Burris, President and CEO of Burris Logistics. The Kissimmee facility has 32 loading docks, filled with frozen, refrigerated, and dry zones to support diverse foodservice needs. It will offer third-party logistics, boosting the growing Central Florida market. The new center will improve delivery times and reduce minimum orders, helping smaller distributors operators. The facilitys strategic location ensures shorter lead times in the Southeast. Honor Foods, a Burris Logistics Company, has a long history of supplying frozen, refrigerated, dry, protein, and dairy products. This expansion demonstrates its commitment to improving supply chains and customer service. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Horrific: Former Salisbury cop sworn in as Union County deputy despite alleged K-9 abuse The former Salisbury police officer caught on video picking up a police dog by its collar and later hitting it was recently sworn in as a deputy with the Union County Sheriffs Office. The community says they have not forgotten about James Hampton. Hes only been on the job in Union County for a few weeks, but his past continues to haunt him. Four years ago, the Salisbury Police Department said Hamptons behavior in the 2020 video violated policy. The former officer is seen lifting K-9 Zuul by the collar, and later striking the animal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Salisbury police officer accused of mistreating K-9 resigns Hampton resigned before the department could fire him. Thats a huge concern for the community, Lauren Bonds, executive director at the National Police Accountability Project, told Channel 9s Gina Esposito. There are nearly 300 comments about Hampton on the sheriffs departments social media post. One person wrote, Im stunned he was hired. What he did was horrific and he should never be in law enforcement. This officers background of not only mistreating a K-9, but also resigning to avoid the consequences of the misconduct, raises serious concerns about their willingness to be held accountable and their willingness to follow the rules, Bonds said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an email from the sheriffs office, a spokesperson said theyre aware of the social media posts and are defending their hire. He said, in part, We are completely confident that Deputy Hampton will provide the same level of professional service Union County residents are already accustomed to receiving from our personnel. Bonds says officers often jump to different departments following alleged misconduct, but she believes the community deserves more transparency from their agencies. Hampton never faced criminal charges for the incident. Bonds says she is all for second chances and believes this is a way for officers to do that through training, accountability, and self reflection. VIDEO: CMPD announces death of patrol, explosive-detection K-9 The Belfast Health Trust and Northern Ireland Ambulance Service have said they are unaware of any adverse impact on their communication network following a mast fire on Thursday night. The 5G mast was set on fire in Poleglass. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said on Friday that it was the latest in a series of attacks on 5G masts, impacting individuals, businesses and vital services. "Hospitals that are affected are experiencing communication difficulties in contacting patients and managing critical on-call arrangements and members of the public," Det Insp McAnee said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also said that people were "unable to make emergency calls or contact family". When contacted by BBC News NI the Belfast Trust was "keen to stress that all services are operating as normal and are unaffected" by Thursday night's attack on the mast. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said it had "no evidence" that people have not been able to get through to its service because of the mast damage. Earlier this year Sinn Fein MP for the area Paul Maskey conducted a survey to gauge the scale of the impact of the mast fires on residents. He said 87% of respondents described the phone signal as poor and described the results as staggering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The deputy lord mayor of Belfast, Paul Doherty, said he has heard testimony of people unable to phone emergency services. "It is very much a real situation, and something that is worsening as the weeks go on. Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme, Doherty said: "This is happening in broad daylight, this is happening in busy areas and we haven't seen the adequate response from the police," he added. He added that there needs to be an "upscale in terms of investigation and trying to find who is responsible" and an upscale on security at the 5G masts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police have appealed to people to come forward with any information on the attacks and said they were actively pursuing a number of lines of enquiry. They said they believed there were people with knowledge that could assist them in identifying those responsible. The MP for the area, Paul Maskey, said the "ongoing campaign by a small minority to destroy vital infrastructure in our city is having a detrimental impact on our communities". "The fact that these arsonists feel comfortable carrying out these acts in broad daylight on a main road is deeply concerning, and is an indictment of the lack of action taken to date," he said. Sen. Renee Erickson, R-Wichita, was unsuccessful in pressuring Kansas State Board of Education member Jim Porter to reveal which members of a Kansas Legislature task force on education that he thought were campaigning to promote the idea K-12 public schools were failing. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA Sen. Renee Erickson challenged a Kansas State Board of Education member Thursday to identify who he was referring to when criticizing individuals serving on the Legislatures school finance reform task force. Erickson, a Wichita Republican who chairs the task force, brought a discussion on special education to a halt by insisting Board of Education member Jim Porter, who serves on the task force, identify task force members he claimed were biased against public schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She read as evidence portions of the transcript of Porters statements during a June meeting of the state Board of Education in which he warned colleagues that two members of the school finance task force were promoting negative opinions about K-12 education in Kansas. You say youll name names. Im giving you the opportunity, Erickson said. Porter, a retired school superintendent from Fredonia, declined to specify which task force members he thought were campaigning to vilify public schools. I stand by everything I said, Porter told the senator. I think you made my point, thank you very much. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During Porters commentary to the state Board of Education in June, he had reported that some members of the Legislatures task force on education had spoken about schools in Kansas as if they were failing to educate students. He said some on the task force would likely argue the state Board of Education lowered academic standards to make it appear students were doing better. I believe that words matter and whenever we question the integrity of the people making decisions in schools, I think we need to be very careful about what we say, Porter said. Erickson indicated she was disappointed Porter wouldnt reveal the identity of task force members that he thought were striving to undermine public education. I think thats sad, said Erickson, who is a former teacher. Regardless of where we stand in education, I have never impugned the motives of those working in education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said she took offense that Porter implied the Legislatures task force hadnt been working in the best interest of Kansas students. She characterized Porters remarks as cowardly. On Thursday, the fracas erupted when Porter took a moment to praise the ability of virtual school educators to increase graduation rates among high school students statewide. Porter also said he regretted not responding to comments by task force members in June questioning the state Board of Educations emphasis on raising the Kansas high school graduation rate. In the past four years, the rate has ranged from 86% to 89%. Skepticism about relevance of high school graduation statistics as a measure of student learning has most aggressively been advanced by task force member Rep. Kristey Williams, R-Augusta. She asserted the graduation rate at Wichita Southeast High School had been distorted by manipulation of student academic records. The high schools principal was replaced amid reports of grade fixing to help students graduate. Williams said that in her opinion there was no correlation between graduation rate and student success. She implied a school that focused on graduation rates could babysit students, but that wouldnt translate into student learning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Erickson said employers had told her a high school diploma didnt equate to a quality employee and college officials said a high school diploma didnt guarantee success in post-secondary education. Sen. Pat Pettey, a Kansas City Democrat on the task force, offered support for Porters critique of attitudes among some on the Legislatures task force. I also believe we have underplayed our graduate rates, and I find that offensive, Pettey said. Rep. Susan Estes, a Republican from Wichita who serves as vice chair of the task force, said retention of graduation rate as a evaluation tool might require adoption of a uniform grade point scale. In some districts, a students performance in a class would elicit an F grade and no credit toward graduation. But, in another district, the same work would receive a D grade and apply toward graduation requirements, she said. Ahead of his dual interviews with Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, Fox News star Sean Hannity boasted that he would not ask them about their botched handling of the files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which has sparked a national uproar. If I hear that name one more time, my head's going to explode, Hannity exclaimed on his radio show Thursday afternoon. Indeed, when he got the chance to speak to both Patel and Bondi hours later, Hannity completely sidestepped any questions related to the Epstein case, instead focusing most of his attention on the administrations claims that former President Barack Obama directed a treasonous conspiracy against Donald Trump with the investigation into Russias 2016 election meddling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hannity, a Trump confidant who has been dubbed the White House shadow chief of staff, has led the Fox News charge in trumpeting the Trump administrations attempts to distract from the Epstein saga. In a two-page memo last month, the Justice Department concluded that Epstein died by suicide and did not maintain a client list to blackmail prominent figures in his sex crimes, despite Bondi saying months earlier that he had the supposed list on her desk. The memo also found there was no basis to revisit the disclosure of those materials. Fox News host Sean Hannity said ahead of time that he would not bring up Jeffrey Epstein during his interviews with Pam Bondi and Kash Patel. (Fox News) Amid the furor from the presidents MAGA base over the memo, which contradicted many of the conspiracy theories that Patel and other Trump officials had helped stoke for years, Trump ordered his supporters to stop paying attention to Epstein because the files were a Democratic hoax. Fox News would immediately fall in line, largely ignoring the story while devoting much of its on-air coverage to the Trump administrations distraction efforts. This included Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassifying documents related to the investigation into Russias interference in the 2016 election and accusing Obama and other intelligence officials of orchestrating a coup. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following Gabbards initial claims on July 18, which fact checkers have called misleading, revisionist and false, the network aired 168 segments over the next 10 days centered on her accusations about an Obama-led criminal conspiracy. Since then, the right-wing network has continued to heavily invest in the story, even after Gabbard crashed and burned last week during a softball Fox News interview. During his afternoon radio show on Thursday, Hannity spoke to a caller who wanted to know if Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) would face any repercussions over allegations made by a whistleblower that he leaked classified documents in 2017 to embarrass Trump. The story about Schiff, a vocal Trump critic, has received a lot of play on Fox News especially after Trump called for right-wing media to cover it during a press conference this week. That evidence seems rather incontrovertible to me. But, of course, everyone's innocent until proven guilty, Hannity said before pivoting to his upcoming interviews with Patel and Bondi. You know, the main focus of me having Kash Patel and Pam Bondi on tonight is all of this new information, Hannity said. Now, I know if, you know, the liberal media, etcetera, etcetera, you would probably, you know, Oh, tell us about, you know, Jeffrey Epstein. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Saying he heads going to explode if he hears Epsteins name again, he then pointed to a CNN poll that found Americans dont feel the Epstein case is the top issue in the country before asserting that there isnt anything damning about Trump in the files. This was Joe Biden's Justice Department. If there was anything in there, it would have been released. I can promise you that, he declared, adding that the DOJ has also met with Epsteins partner Ghislaine Maxwell and has asked for grand jury testimony to be released. So, let's see what happens. Late last month, the Wall Street Journal which is owned by Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch reported that Trump wrote a bawdy birthday letter to Epstein in 2003 that featured the president allegedly drawing a figure of a naked woman alongside suggestive phrases about his relationship with the disgraced financier. Trump vehemently denied the story as a fake thing and promptly sued the WSJ and Murdoch for $10 billion. The Jounral and other outlets would later report that Bondi informed Trump in May that his name was included in the Epstein filed. The president has also denied those reports, with the White House calling it a fake news story. Additionally, dozens of other public figures were reportedly named in these files, and the president has never been formally accused or charged with a crime in connection with Epstein. During a nearly 10-minute conversation with FBI Director Kash Patel, Hannity made sure not to once mention Jeffrey Epstein something he said would be the case earlier in the day. (Fox News) Meanwhile, Hannity told the caller that his focus during his conversations with Patel and Bondi would be on whether former Obama intelligence officials were in trouble, what evidence they were compiling in their grand conspiracy investigation, and what Bondis power was in convening a grand jury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That's my focus tonight, he concluded. If you want to tune in and hear about Epstein, I'm going to tune in and find out whether or not we had the most corrupt deep state abuse of power in the history of the country. True to his word, the pro-Trump host didnt once mention the Epstein case to either the FBI director or attorney general, despite those two being at the heart of the backlash over the administrations refusal to release further documentation about the deceased sex predator. Instead, as he hinted on the radio, Hannity devoted the bulk of his conversation with the pair to the topic of the administrations Russia probe and any further developments, including Patels discovery of so-called burn bags of classified information about the Obama-era investigation. He also praised Bondi over her role in the administrations federal takeover of the Washington police department, which the president has claimed is to fight a crime emergency. At the same time, despite reports about turmoil between Bondi and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino over the Epstein fallout, Hannity assured his viewers that everything was running smoothly behind the scenes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the FBI, the director Kash Patel is working around the clock with Dan Bongino and others and other agents. Not only are they dealing with the crime crisis left behind by Joe Biden and unvetted illegals, 12-20 million, but also peeling back the layers of what has been what we have reported as a deeply politicized, weaponized federal bureaucracy. Notably, Bondi who has long been a frequent guest on Fox News airwaves had been absent from the network for weeks amid the growing backlash over the Epstein memo and her central role in it. However, now that she is leading the presidents hostile takeover of the nations capital, and Fox News has appeared to successfully move past the Epstein saga, it would seem that Bondi is once again welcome back on the conservative cable giant. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are demanding answers on the Trump administrations efforts to gut and stymie the work of inspector generals across multiple departments. In a letter sent Friday to the heads of all 24 federal agencies, and shared exclusively with The New Republic, Oversight Democrats accused the Trump administration of systematically impeding the work of agency watchdogs by obstructing their access, purging their staff, and replacing them with loyalists. The Trump Administrations actions have both deprived [Offices of Inspectors General] of the personnel and resources they need to examine and address waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption in government, and limited agencies ability to respond to OIG requests, the letter stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since entering office, Donald Trump has fired or demoted more than 20 inspectors general, who had collectively carved out more than $50 billion in savings from federal programs in 2024. In some cases, the removals appeared to be politically motivated. In June, Trump installed a new acting inspector general at the Department of Education, and demoted Acting IG Rene Rocque. The staffing change came shortly after Rocques office reported to committee members that the administration had [interfered] with the OIGs ability to conduct an independent and timely review of changes to staffing and operations. In May, Rocques office reported that the Department of Education had withheld numerous documents requested by the OIG based on vague claims that the materials are somehow sensitive, deliberative, or related to unspecified litigation, according to the letter. But the Inspector General Act specifically bars agencies from refusing to hand over documents for those stated reasons, and requires agencies to give OIGs timely access to records. As of July 1, the OIGs still had not received access. Multiple agency OIGs have reported interference from department leadership. The Department of Education OIG also said that the agency had canceled its interviews with staff, and insisted that a general counsel be present for interviewsa significant break from agency practice. In May, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency reported to the Oversight Committee that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence had installed a senior adviser at the Intelligence Community IG, creating significant independence issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the letter, the issues at OIGs are more widespread. Numerous OIGs have reported to Committee staff about alterations of work schedules, delays in agency responses to OIG requests, and recruitment and retention issues, the letter stated. To replace the ousted OIG staff, Trump has nominated loyalists with dubious ethical records. Trump nominated former Representative Anthony DEsposito, who hired his lover, for the IG for the Department of Labor and Thomas March Bell, who was accused of mishandling taxpayer dollars, for the Department of Health and Human Services. IGs must have the courage and independence to hold their agencies accountable and to deliver for the American people. By law, they must be watchdogs, not lapdogs, the letter states. The lawmakers requested that the agency heads give a response by August 29 to clarify how you will dutifully uphold our nations federal oversight and IG laws. The Brief ICE agents from Houston coordinated the deportation of an accused leader of a Honduran gang on Monday. Yimi Samario Sevilla Leon, 30, is believed to be the leader of "El Mango" an ultra-violent faction of the 18th Street gang. Sevilla was arrested in Houston on March 19. He was flown to Honduras on Monday. HOUSTON - Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from the Houston field office deported an alleged Honduran gang leader wanted in the country for a criminal conspiracy. What we know Yimi Samario Sevilla Leon, 30, is believed to be the leader of "El Mango" an ultra-violent faction of the 18th Street gang. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal agents said Sevilla and 24 other members of El Mango are wanted in Honduras for a criminal conspiracy that allegedly used connections with corrupt police officers to conduct a crime spree that included armed robbery, kidnapping and theft. Acting Houston Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez said Sevilla was located in East Houston on March 19 and taken into custody. What they're saying "This individual and his fellow gang members allegedly conducted armed robberies, kidnappings and theft to generate criminal proceeds for the gang, and anyone who dared to oppose them were brutally murdered to set an example," said Martinez. "After Honduran authorities uncovered this murderous scheme, Sevilla cowardly fled to the U.S. Working in conjunction with our office in Honduras, we were able to locate and arrest him in East Houston and repatriate him to Honduras to ensure he faces justice for his alleged crimes." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sevilla's deportation was ordered in May, and he was flown back to Honduras on a flight coordinated by ICE's Air Operations Unit on Monday where he was handed over to Honduran authorities, the agency said. The Source Information in this article comes from a release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (NewsNation) Howard Stern has been on the airwaves for decades, and in that time, hes amassed not only a legion of fans but also considerable wealth. The radio shock jock is worth $650 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Heres how he makes his money: Howard Stern, radio titan The self-proclaimed King of All Media, Stern began his career as a radio host in the 1980s. The Howard Stern Show amassed around 20 million listeners in 60 markets around the country at its height, according to the U.S. Sun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He later joined SiriusXM, signing a $500 million contract with the subscription-based satellite radio company in 2004. Howard Sterns show may be canceled; host promises hell be back SiriusXM has seen significant growth in the years since Stern joined, and he has been credited with helping the company grow in subscribers, according to Insider Radio. Sterns SiriusXM contract was renewed for five years for $500 million in 2020, according to Hollywood Reporter. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Stern earns about $333,000 per show. Howard Sterns outside ventures Throughout his time in the public eye, Stern has built his wealth beyond his broadcasting career. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He signed a $1 million deal in 1993 with Simon & Schuster to write his memoir, Private Parts. The book became an instant best seller, selling 225,000 copies within hours of release, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Americas Got Talent judges Howie Mandel, from left, Heidi Klum, Howard Stern and Mel B attend the Americas Got Talent Season 8 Meet The Judges Red Carpet Event at Hammerstein Ballroom on April 9, 2013, in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) Radio disc jockey Howard Stern on air at WNBC-AM radio station in New York City in this undated 1985 photograph. (Photo by Don Jacobsen/ Newsday RM via Getty Images) Radio talk show host Howard Stern debuts his show on Sirius Satellite Radio on Jan. 09, 2006, at the networks studios at Rockefeller Center in New York City. (Photo by Getty Images) Within five days of its release, Private Parts became the fastest-selling book in the history of Simon & Schuster. The book debuted on the New York Times Best-Seller list at #1 and stayed on the list for 20 weeks. In 2012, Stern reportedly earned $20 million a year as a judge on Americas Got Talent, before leaving in 2015. Howard Sterns real estate holdings Stern owns multiple properties in New York and Florida. He bought a $4.9 million apartment in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan in 1998, and bought an adjoining unit for $5.75 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 1 in 5 homebuyers willing to sacrifice safety for affordability Ten years later, Stern bought two more apartments below his unit for $15.1 million, adding another 2,546 square feet to his space. He also purchased a home in Southampton, New York, in 2005 for $20 million. Stern owns other properties, including a 12-bedroom, oceanfront mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, on which he spent $52 million in 2013. 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. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to make peace in Ukraine ahead of Fridays meeting between the two in Alaska. The summit Trump and Putins first meeting since 2018 is intended to be the first of two, with the second involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump told reporters. Trumps effort to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine comes more than three years after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its western neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since troops first crossed the border, Russias advance has ground to a grisly halt, with both countries entrenched along Ukraines eastern region as the war of attrition has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced. How many have died in Ukraine? A Ukrainian soldier shouts from a bus after returning from captivity after a POWs exchange between Russia and Ukraine, in Chernyhiv region, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. | Evgeniy Maloletka Between 200,000 and 250,000 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine since the conflict began, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which based its recent analysis on U.S. and British estimates. In an indication of Russias willingness to accept enormous losses, the country has experienced more than 950,000 military casualties meaning death or serious injury from February 2022 to May 2025, the report found. Most estimates place Ukraines casualties much lower, at around 60,000-100,000 soldier fatalities for a total of roughly 400,000 troops removed from combat because of death or injury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite abandoning his initial aim of taking over the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, Putin has succeeded in slowly pushing back Ukrainian troops in the east and southeast of the country with Russias far larger fighting force. The Russian military is nearly three times the size of Ukraines, with roughly 400,000 Russians facing around 250,000 Ukrainians along the front lines of battle, according to The New York Times. As Russian troops have painstakingly crept deeper into Ukraines interior, the rate of casualties has actually increased every year since 2022, the Center for Strategic and International Studies report found. These conscripts have largely come from Russias northern and eastern regions, as well as prisons leaving the more politically influential population centers of Moscow and St. Petersburg free from some of the wars impacts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine has conducted limited attacks into Russian territory, resulting in at least 652 civilian deaths, according to Russian government agencies, which estimate that over 3,200 civilians have been wounded. A constant onslaught of long-range missiles into urban areas has killed at least 13,580 civilians in Ukraine, with at least 34,115 documented civilian injuries, including 2,173 injured children, according to the United Nations. How much territory in Ukraine has been taken? But this level of casualties, totaling around 1.5 million people the greatest losses in Europe since World War II have translated into almost zero movement on the battlefield in recent months. After Russia seized 46,000 square miles of Ukraine in the first five weeks of the war, Ukraine retook roughly 20,000 of those, and Russia has since struggled to make any territorial gains, currently occupying less than 28,000 square miles, or 12% of Ukraine, not including Crimea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since January 2024, Russia has won over less than 2,000 additional square miles of eastern Ukraine, advancing an average of less than 500 feet a day, amid extensive minefields, trench systems and anti-vehicle obstacles. While the warfare has been slow and grueling, it has not stopped it from dramatically disrupting the economies and communities in Ukraine and Russia. Around 9.4 million Ukrainians have been displaced since the start of the war, according to Harvard Kennedy Schools Russia Matters. This represents more than one-fifth of Ukraines pre-invasion population of 44 million. Less than 4 million of these have been internally displaced within Ukraine, while nearly 6 million have become international refugees, with the vast majority resettling in other European countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around 800,000 Russians have emigrated since the war began for political or economic reasons, according to Russia Matters. And over 110,000 were displaced when Ukraine launched an incursion into Russias Kursk region last year. Between 2022 and 2024, the Russian economy remained relatively resilient despite international sanctions, experiencing 5.6% growth to GDP, while Ukraine has seen a 27% drop to GDP over the past three years. How much aid has been given to Ukraine? The U.S. has provided more aid to Ukraine than any other country, but 15 other countries have spent a higher percentage of their GDP to help Ukraine, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. The roughly $175 billion appropriated by Congress to aid the Ukrainian government, military and humanitarian efforts has made Ukraine the top recipient of U.S. assistance, a Council on Foreign Relations report found. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than $70 billion of that aid has been used by Ukraine to fund weapons purchases and military operations, nearly $54 billion has been used to prop up Ukraines budget and less than $4 billion has been for humanitarian support. The 27-country bloc of the European Union has provided over $192 billion in support to Ukraine, with nearly $60 billion specifically for military assistance, according to the EUs European Commission website. Trumps stance on supporting Ukraines defense against Russia has shifted over time. In early July, a Pentagon official halted military shipments to Ukraine, apparently without the knowledge of many Republican officials and allies, out of concern that U.S. munitions were running low. A week later, the president announced that his administration would reverse the temporary pause in arms shipments to Ukraine by allowing NATO allies to purchase weapons from the U.S. and then deliver them to Ukraine. After months of making generous gestures to Putin to achieve a ceasefire, Trump threatened his Russian counterpart on Wednesday with severe consequences if he refused to strike a peace agreement during their upcoming negotiations. In early August, the number of people in immigration detention in the U.S. surged to an all-time high of more than 60,000. Behind that number is an incipient human rights crisis. While the Trump administration waited for massive new detention centers to open, it turned to federal prisons and jails, hastily constructed state facilities, and temporary holding cells that were never meant to house people for any extended amount of time. The overcrowding, combined with negligence and malevolence, has led to inevitable abuses that are too large to ignore or deny. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On August 12, a federal judge ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to drastically improve conditions in migrant holding cells in its New York City offices, where detainees were kept in overcrowded, squalid cells for days and even weeks at a time. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered officials to provide more spacious cells, bedding for each detainee, adequate hygiene supplies, three meals a day and water on request, and access to calls with lawyers. The order was in response to a lawsuit filed by an ICE detainee, who alleged he and other detainees were not given access to medical care or showers and were kept in cells so crowded that they didn't have space to lie down. Another federal judge found similar deficiencies in a temporary ICE holding facility in Los Angeles, ruling in July that plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the government were likely to succeed on their claims that detainees there were being unconstitutionally denied legal access. A report published July 30 by the office of Sen. Jon Ossoff (DGa.) identified 510 "credible reports" of human rights abuses against individuals held in the archipelago of federal lockups, county jails, and military bases that comprise the Trump administration's mass deportation program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Among these reports are 41 credible reports of physical and sexual abuse of individuals in U.S. immigration detention, 14 credible reports of mistreatment of pregnant women, and 18 credible reports of mistreatment of children," Ossoff's office wrote. In one case reported to the senator's office, a woman in ICE custody "was pregnant and bled for days before facility staff would take her to a hospital. Once she was there, she was reportedly left in a room, alone, to miscarry without water or medical assistance, for over 24 hours." The Ossoff report also mentions poor conditions at Federal Detention Center (FDC) Miami, a jail operated by the Bureau of Prisons that holds immigration detainees. Investigations earlier this year by Reason and the Miami Herald uncovered overcrowding, lack of access to lawyers and phone calls, and major dysfunction inside the facility. A separate July report by several human rights and legal aid groups on abuses inside South Florida detention centers included an incident at a Miami center where officers allegedly made men wait hours for lunch and then forced them to eat with their hands shackled behind their backs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We had to bend over and eat off the chairs with our mouths, like dogs," Harpinder Chauhan, a British entrepreneur who was detained by ICE this spring, told the researchers. These conditions prevail in detention facilities across Florida. A former detainee at the Krome Detention Center in Miami-Dade County, whose lawyer requested that he only be identified as "A.S.," told Reason he spent four days in an overcrowded holding cell with 50 to 60 other people. "There was a dude, he passed out. He was crying for his medicine for like two or three days," A.S. says. "They didn't give him his medicine until he finally passed out, right before they were gonna put him on the plane." Likewise, stories of lack of legal access, horrid living conditions, medical neglect, and brutality have been flooding out of "Alligator Alcatraz," the Everglades detention camp built by the State of Florida. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These sorts of abuses aren't exclusive to the Trump administration; they're a feature of mass detention. During the Biden administration, Reason obtained whistleblower audio recordings from a tent camp for migrant youths inside the Fort Bliss Army base in Texas. In the recordings, officials frankly discussed filthy conditions, lack of medical care, and inappropriate staff contact with minors. The Trump administration's reaction, though, has not been to slow down its deportation efforts, but to supercharge them. The administration awarded a $238 million contract in July to build and operate the largest immigrant detention center in the country at Fort Bliss. The post The Human Rights Crisis in ICE Detention Centers appeared first on Reason.com. Donald Trump faced a public protest on Thursday night ahead of his one-on-one meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Hundreds of people, including Ukrainians and American veterans, took to the streets of Anchorage, as the city prepares to host what many are calling the talk of the century. The protesters criticised the president for hosting the Russian president, who has been indicted for war crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Draped in Ukrainian flags and holding aloft signs that labelled the Russian president a war criminal, the crowd demanded Volodymyr Zelensky be included in peace talks. European leaders fear that Mr Trump and his Russian counterpart could negotiate an end to the three-year conflict over the Ukrainian presidents head, who has been sidelined from discussions. Protesters lined the streets Anchorage ahead of the summit - Al Drago/Bloomberg Thomas Janiglo, a Vietnam war veteran, said it was important to support our allies, people who stand up to aggression. Civilised nations should not reward military aggression, he told The Telegraph. These circumstances are particularly concerning given the number of protesters in the streets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The small Alaskan city, unaccustomed to upticks in visitors, doesnt have enough hotel rooms or rental cars to accommodate the influx of people in town for the meeting. The University of Alaska said that some of the Russian and US delegates are sleeping in small, student dorm rooms on its campus as well as in ad hoc beds that have been set up at the Alaska Airlines Center. The impromptu arrangements have also raised concerns about security. Ryan Buchholdt, the vice-chancellor for administrative services at the university, said the school was working closely with state and federal law agencies to ensure all delegates were safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our main concern is making sure anyone that is staying on campus, whether they are from the United States or Russia or any other locality is safe, Mr Buchholdt said. The protesters have been waiting along the sides of roads as endless lines of black SUV convoys drive through the streets of Anchorage carrying the delegates. The lax security for the meeting has left delegates free to roam around the US city, including Russian officials that are heavily sanctioned by the US government. Several Sky News correspondents reported bumping into Anton Siluanov, the Russian finance minister who has been sanctioned by the US as well as the UK, Canada and others, at a restaurant in Anchorage eating dinner on Thursday night. Mr Janiglo, 82, who is also hosting Ukrainian refugees, blasted Vladimir Putin as a war criminal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wearing a T-shirt and jacket in the blue and yellow colours of Ukraine, Pam Barbeau, 75, said it was vital Ukraine was included in any peace negotiations. Its Ukraines country, not ours, not the United States. President Zelensky should be here from the start, she said with her dog Charlie in tow. One placard depicted Putin and Trump carving up the world for dinner Charlie, a rescue from northern Alaska, drew a small crowd with his sign: I can s--- a better president. She added that it was possible for good to come out of the meeting, adding: But I dont trust either one of them. Under a placard depicting Mr Trump and Putin sitting at dinner and carving up the globe, Maryellen Lambert, 67, said it was important to show solidarity with Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its horrible having a war criminal and a felon deciding what happens to Ukraine. If Putin wants peace in Ukraine all he has to do is stop attacking, so you know hes not genuine. He feels he can manipulate Trump to do anything he wants. I pray for peace but I dont think these two are going to be the ones to broker it. The large number of people descending on Anchorage has prompted safety concerns - Nathaniel Wilder/Reuters Mr Trump has insisted he would not make a deal to end the Ukraine war without Mr Zelensky, who has demanded a security guarantee some kind of commitment that America would be willing to enforce the terms of any peace deal from the US. But Mr Trump could give ground to Putin and is expected to arrive at the meeting armed with a series of financial incentives hoped at smoothing the path to a peace deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Telegraph revealed on Thursday that Mr Trump is preparing to offer Putin access to rare earth minerals in occupied Ukraine and lift hard-hitting sanctions on Russian aircraft. Other incentives also include opening up Alaskas natural resources to Moscow. The talks have been hugely controversial because Zelensky was not invited On Thursday, Adml Sir Tony Radakin, the head of Britains armed forces, warned that the West must not be cowed by Putin. Signs calling to defend democracy and stand up for Ukraine lined Seward Highway, named after US Secretary of State William H Seward who purchased Alaska from the Russians in 1867 for less than 2 cents per acre. Others brandished no kings banners, referring to the movement against what critics say are the presidents monarchical ambitions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sporting a red and white vyshyvanka, a traditional Ukrainian garment showing love for the culture and traditions of Ukraine, Oleks Lushchyk, 30 said it was unnerving to see Putin in Alaska. I dont think the negotiations are in good faith, he said, adding that it was probably unrealistic to expect Putins visit to result in peace. Mr Lushchyk, who emigrated to the US from Ukraine when he was 6, said: The best situation I could hope for would be to see some form of temporary ceasefire. That would be a really good step towards peace. 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. More than 360 people in the Indonesian town of Sragen in Central Java have fallen ill after consuming school lunches, in what is the largest food poisoning case to hit President Prabowo Subianto's flagship free meals programme. Since its January launch, more than 1000 people have been affected by food poisoning across the archipelago. Sragen government chief Sigit Pamungkas said 365 people fell ill, and a food sample was now being tested in a lab. He added the government would pay for any medical treatment if needed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wizdan Ridho Abimanyu, a ninth grader at Gemolong 1 Middle School said he was woken at night by sharp pain in his stomach. He had a headache and diarrhoea, which he deduced had been caused by food poisoning after seeing schoolmates' social media posts complaining of the same. The free meals programme has been rapidly expanded to over 15 million recipients so far (AP) The likely contaminated lunch was turmeric rice, omelette ribbons, fried tempeh, cucumber and lettuce salad, sliced apple and a box of milk, cooked in a central kitchen and distributed to several schools. "We have asked to temporarily stop the food distribution from that kitchen until the lab results are back," Sigit said. Symptoms of food poisoning NHS Symptoms of food poisoning include: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement feeling sick or being sick diarrhoea stomach pain a high temperature feeling generally unwell The government's National Nutrition Agency, which oversees the programme, has raised the standards of kitchen operations and delivery in the aftermath of previous food poisoning cases, its chief Dadan Hindayana told Reuters. The free meals programme has been rapidly expanded to over 15 million recipients so far. Authorities plan to reach 83 million by year-end, budgeting a total cost of 171 trillion rupiah ($10.62 billion) this year. In a food poisoning case in a city in West Java in May, more than 200 students fell ill, and a lab found the food was contaminated with Salmonella and E. coli bacteria, according to media reports. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) Due to some concerns over the possibility of a double-billing cycle in the month of August, Huntsville Utilities and the City of Madison provided statements to address these concerns. Huntsville Utilities told News 19 that it was aware of the issue of some customers noticing that they had a shorter billing cycle in the month of August. When asked to comment on this, the company provided the following statement to News 19: We are aware of this issue and want to stress that late fees will not be applied during this transition and no customers will be disconnected for non-payment until further notice . . . meaning for at least the next 6 to 8 weeks. We also want to stress that the situation with the shorter billing period is not a new normal. Some customers billing cycles changed with the implementation of the new system. In the transition, we had to read the affected customers meters one last time before switching from the old system to the new system. This is a one-time occurrence. We realize this is confusing and inconvenient, thus the policy of no late fees and no disconnects. At issue, also, are the fees for availability and garbage collection. For our customers that received a bill for the short cycle, there will be a pro-rated credit for applicable availability fees on their bill which will be based on their usage. The garbage collection, however, is out of our control and in the hands of those entities for which we are the billing agent: Huntsville, Madison County, and the City of Madison. We want to be very clear that Huntsville Utilities does not control those fees. Any decision to credit, reduce, or refund any of those fees sits with the applicable entities. Huntsville Utilities The Madison County Government also took to social media to explain why some customers may have had a larger bill following the new HU billing system. As many of you know, Huntsville Utilities recently changed their billing system. Typically, Madison County residents are charged a fee on their utility bill for household trash service each month. Madison County Waste Control rates are $13.50 for one cart and an additional $5.00 for two carts per month. The bulk trash fee is $3.00 per month. Due to HSV Utilities new billing system, some customers are seeing extra fees for this same service for the month of August. Madison County has not changed our fees. At present, Huntsville Utilities has notified us they are leaving the fee in place because the affected customers wont have another bill due until September. Rest assured, Madison County will not be collecting/receiving any fees over the current established rates listed above. We apologize for any confusion this may cause our customers. Madison County, Alabama-Government Huntsville Utilities launched its new app, HSVUTIL, on Monday, August 11. The company created a brand new software system intended to be convenient for customers, including easier payment options, online outage reporting and updated outage information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Below is a list of detailed benefits of the new app and web portal: Billing & Payments: No more waiting for your bill to arrive in the mail, access your bill at anytime from anywhere. Save time with easy payment options to avoid late fees and service interruptions. Alerts & Notifications: Stay informed on important account events via email or text messages. Receive the information you need to make the right decisions about your account. Paperless Billing: What if you could save some time and a tree at the same time? Activate SmartHub paperless billing, an eco-friendly way to instantly access your bill. Usage Monitoring: Worrying about usage or surprising bill amounts can be stressful. With access to this information, you can be in control and make decisions that can help reduce your bill. The utility companys main office, drive-thru payment center, customer contact center and self-service kiosks were closed so software installations could be made on the day the app launched. In order to ensure a successful login into the app, HU said you will need to find the new account number that was emailed to you through the email registered with your utilities account. If you cannot find that, you can contact the department by phone or email starting Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new HSVUTIL app is available on the Apple App Store or on Google Play Store. 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. RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) Based on analysis of the latest computer forecast models for Hurricane Erin on Saturday, the closest the center of the hurricane might come to the North Carolina coast would be 330 miles next Thursday. The farthest away model brings the center of Hurricane Erin more than 550 miles from the North Carolina coast. This is part of an analysis done by CBS 17 Chief Meteorologist Wes Hohenstein. LATEST | Erin strengthens into first Atlantic hurricane of 2025 season This continues the trend showing Hurricane Erin is likely to stay well east of the coast of North Carolina next week, Hohenstein said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This means the only impact the state of North Carolina will likely see is large swells on the coast, rough surf and dangerous rip currents next week. Odds are rain and strong wind from the hurricane will also miss our state. There are still several days to go before this hurricane is nearand changes are possibleso the forecast path will still need to be monitored. PREVIOUS | Will Erin hit NC? Hurricane records show odds are low Erin escalated from a tropical storm to a hurricane by 11 a.m. on Friday after gaining strength Thursday night, making it the first of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. By Friday night, Erin became a Category 2 hurricane. Rapid intensification continued overnight with Erin exploding into a major category 4 hurricane with winds at 130 mph north of the Leeward Islands. The strengthening continued with winds up to 145 mph as of 8 a.m. Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latest track from the NHC has Erin staying a category 4 storm through Monday before weakening some as it parallels the East Coast, moving between North Carolina and Bermuda next Thursday. Stay with the CBS 17 Storm Team for the latest updates on Hurricane Erin. 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 CBS17.com. Hurricane Erin has formed in the Atlantic Ocean as it approaches the northeast Caribbean, as forecasters warn of possible flooding and landslides in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The storm is expected to remain over open waters, although tropical storm watches were issued for Anguilla and Barbuda, St Martin and St Barts, Saba and St Eustatius and St Maarten. Heavy rains were forecast to start late on Friday in Antigua and Barbuda, the US and British Virgin Islands, and southern and eastern Puerto Rico. Up to 10cm (four inches) are expected, with isolated totals of up to 15cm (six inches), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Forecasters also warned of dangerous swells. The storm was located about 835km (520 miles) east of the Northern Leeward Islands. It had maximum sustained winds of 110km/h (70mph) and was moving west-northwest at 28km/h (17mph). Erin is forecast to become a major Category 3 storm late this weekend. The hurricane centre noted that there is still uncertainty about what impacts Erin may bring to portions of the Bahamas, the east coast of the United States, and Bermuda in the long range. Fifth named storm Dangerous surf and rip currents are expected to affect the US East Coast next week, with waves reaching up to five metres (16.4 feet) along parts of the North Carolina coast that could cause beach erosion, according to Accuweather. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Erin is forecast to explode into a powerful Category 4 hurricane as it moves across very warm waters in the open Atlantic. Water temperatures at the surface and hundreds of feet deep are several degrees higher than the historical average, Alex DaSilva, Accuweathers lead hurricane expert, was quoted by The Associated Press news agency. Erin is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. This years season is once again expected to be unusually busy and potentially perilous. The forecast calls for six to 10 hurricanes, with three to five reaching major status with winds of more than 177km/h (110mph). Erin has become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, with several areas already on alert for heavy rain while strong waves and rip currents are possible along the East Coast of the United States as early as next week. As of Saturday night, Hurricane Erin had weakened into a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. Fluctuations in the storm's intensity are expected over the next 24 to 48 hours, but Erin is still forecast to remain a major hurricane through at least Wednesday of next week. Located about 145 miles north-northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Erin continued to lash the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with heavy rains and gusty winds. Downed trees and power poles were reported in around the San Juan area of Puerto Rico. The highest rainfall totals reported along the northern shores of St. Thomas and Puerto Rico ranged between 1 to 2 inches, with locally higher amounts in the British Virgin Islands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Erin will continue to impact Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands as it gradually turns to the west-northwest tonight before taking on a more northwest or north-northwesterly trajectory on Sunday into Monday. Tropical storm watches remain in effect for Turks and Caicos. National Hurricane Center - PHOTO: In this image released by National Hurricane Center, the eyewall of Hurricane Erin is shown on Aug. 16, 2025. In the past day, Hurricane Erin displayed an impressive display of rapid intensification overnight into Saturday morning. Over the past 24 hours, Erin's max winds increased from 75 mph Friday morning to 160 mph on Saturday morning, when it reached Category 5 status. ABC News - PHOTO: Weather maps ABC News - PHOTO: ABC News Moving to next week, Erin will continue to move northwest, staying east of the Bahamas. The storm should begin to slow down and turn north by Monday and will track in between Bermuda and the East Coast of the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The majority of meteorological modeling continues to keep Erin well off the East Coast of the U.S. by hundreds of miles, but large waves and life-threatening rip currents are still expected to reach the coast from Aug. 20 to Aug. 27. ABC News - PHOTO: ABC News MORE: Above-normal activity predicted for remainder of 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, NOAA says This would not only be dangerous for anyone entering the waters, but also for property along the coast, as erosion -- especially along North Carolina's Outer Banks -- could be a serious threat. The Outer Banks and other parts of North Carolina could see waves of 8 to 12 feet, with other areas of South Carolina and Virginia possibly seeing waves reaching 6 feet next week. ABC News - PHOTO: hurricane erin spaghetti models Despite the threat of strong waves along the East Coast, a cold front pushing off of America's coast is expected to keep Erin out to sea and will also bring below-average temperatures to the Northeast next week. ABC News - PHOTO: ABC News The National Hurricane Center predicted an above-normal hurricane season for the Atlantic. August, September and October are the most active months of the Atlantic hurricane season, which ends on Nov. 30. -ABC News' Shawnie Caslin Martucci contributed to this report. ICE has joined the Trump cabinet in the group chat disaster club. Law enforcement officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other agencies accidentally added a stranger to their group chat, exposing highly sensitive information about a manhunt, according to a 404 Media report published Thursday. The blunder echoes the infamous Signal chat fiasco, in which a journalist was inadvertently included in a text chain where top members of the Trump administration discussed impending air strikes in Yemen. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees ICE, often dolls up for the cameras on immigration raids, earning her the nickname ICE Barbie. / Homeland Security/Handout/Getty Images The ICE messages, which discuss an active search for a convicted attempted murderer slated for deportation, were sent via MMS, or Multimedia Messaging Service, and were not end-to-end encrypted like messages on Signal or WhatsApp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials reportedly texted an ICE Field Operations Worksheet on Wednesday that revealed detailed information about the person being soughtincluding their Social Security numberand DMV and license plate reader data, 404 Media reported. The outlet labeled the incident a significant data breach and operational security failure for ICE. Noem and Border czar Tom Homan have devoted themselves to carrying out President Donald Trump's mass deportation effort. / Spencer Platt/Getty Images 404 Media reported that the group chat had six members, verifying one as an ICE official and identifying another as likely from the U.S. Marshals Service. The Daily Beast has reached out to ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service for comment. The person mistakenly added to the group chat is not a law enforcement official and had no connection to the manhunt, according to 404 Media. They told the outlet they were added weeks ago and assumed the messages were spamuntil they received the ICE worksheet and license plate numbers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 404 Media, which said it obtained and verified screenshots from the group chat, has withheld the persons identity to protect them from retaliation. SCOOP: ICE added a rando to their group chat about a manhunt they were conducting and sent updates in real time. They did this over MMS and called the chat "Mass Text"https://t.co/55mOaWKD8j Jason Koebler (@jason_koebler) August 14, 2025 In Wednesdays messages, the law enforcement officials discussed the search for their target and their next moves. Going to need to roll out at 1000, one member texts the chat, called Mass Text. Copy. We can break it down at 10, another replies. The unintended recipient told 404 Media that the messages stopped coming shortly thereafter. In what became known as Signalgate, Trump cabinet members, including Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, discussed classified attack plans for airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen on a Signal chat. An independent watchdog revealed last month that messages from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths Signal account disclosing a U.S. bomb campaign were classified, despite his denials. / Andrew Harnik/Getty Images National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who had inadvertently added The Atlantics Jeffrey Goldberg to the chat, became the fall guy and was ultimately ousted from his post by Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ICE has ramped up its arrests and immigration raids to carry out President Donald Trumps mass deportation push. The agency recently received a $150 billion cash infusion through the GOPs Big Beautiful Bill. But the agency has come under fire for repeated botched operations and for its inhumane methods. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spent over $700,000 tricking out a pair of trucks designed to look like Donald Trumps private jet for a series of social media posts to boost recruitment efforts. A video posted by the Department of Homeland Security with music by rapper DaBaby shows a Ford Raptor pickup truck and GMC Yukon SUV rolling around Washington, D.C., and parked in front of the White House, Capitol, Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. The trucks have a navy blue paint job with red and white racing stripes and a gold ICE logo. The words defend the homeland appear on the side, and President Donald J. Trump is printed in gold on a rear window. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to federal procurement records seen by The Independent, the government paid more than $505,000 for the vehicles from at least three dealerships. The government spent another $227,000 on the wrap jobs provided by at least four companies. The look is strikingly similar to the Trump Organizations Boeing 757, nicknamed Trump Force One, which is also covered in navy blue with a red stripe and the presidents name in a similar bolded gold print. In the video directing social media users to ICEs recruitment website, DaBaby raps my heart so cold I think Im done with ice and better not pull up with no knife, 'cause I bring guns to fights. Homeland Security spent more than $730,000 on custom-wrapped trucks in a similar color scheme to Trumps private jet as part of a recruitment campaign to hire more ICE officers. (Getty Images) Republicans in Congress earmarked $30 billion for ICEs hiring spree, which intends to add 14,000 immigration officers to support Trumps mass deportation agenda. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congress also approved $45 billion in new funding for ICE detention centers. Altogether, Trumps big, beautiful domestic policy bill sets aside more than $170 billion for immigration enforcement over the next decade. That injection of taxpayer cash makes the law enforcement agency one of the most expensive police forces in the world, outpacing most foreign military budgets. Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem has also dropped age limit requirements and is allowing people as young as 18 and older than 40 to apply for jobs with the agency, so even more patriots will qualify to join ICE in its mission to arrest murderers, pedophiles, gang members, rapists, and other criminal illegal aliens from Americas streets, according to DHS. ICE is also advertising a maximum $50,000 signing bonus and student loan forgiveness for new recruits. The agency specifically wants to target Gen Z and early-career professionals, as well as former law enforcement officers, military veterans and people from legal fields, according to the agencys recent request for information seen by The Independent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those request are typically the first step in a government procurement process to begin contracting with marketing firms for a nationwide advertising campaign. ICE wants to reach more than 42 million people in those target audience groups across social media platforms as well as through ads on Hulu, HBO Max and Amazon Prime, among other networks, the pitch says. This is a critical priority, the agency wrote on the governments procurement website earlier this month. ICE has an immediate need to begin recruitment efforts and requires specialized commercial advertising experience, established infrastructure, and qualified personnel to activate without delay. Homeland Security posted the images and music video-inspired clip as the Trump administration took federal control of Washingtons local police force and deployed hundreds of National Guard troops and federal law enforcement agents into the capital citys streets. D.C. officials sued the Trump administration on Friday, alleging unconstitutional overreach that infringes on the citys self-governance. ICE acknowledged The Independents request for comment but did not respond to questions about the paint jobs. The Independent has requested comment from a representative for DaBaby. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A migrant was arrested Monday on suspicion of crashing into two government vehicles and injuring a federal officer after trying to leaving the area during a law enforcement vehicle stop, authorities said. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the suspect was from Mexico and had been deported from the U.S. twice with a prior conviction for driving under the influence. North County babysitter sentenced to life for sexually abusing autistic children Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In October 2020, records show the migrant was smuggled into the U.S. two times after hiding in the trunk of a vehicle that crossed through the San Ysidro Port of Entry, according to ICE. ICE states its goal is to arrest individuals who threaten public safety and national security while enforcing immigration laws under federal guidelines. 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. Supermarket chain Iceland will financially reward customers who report incidents of shoplifting, as part of efforts to tackle rising levels of retail theft. The firm's executive chairman, Richard Walker, said that shoppers who alert staff to a theft in progress will receive a 1 credit on their Iceland Bonus Card. The company estimates that shoplifting costs its business around 20m each year. Mr Walker said this figure not only impacts the company's bottom line but also limits its ability to reduce prices and reinvest in staff wages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iceland told the BBC that the shoplifters do not necessarily need to be apprehended for customers to receive the 1 reward but will need to be reported and verified. "We're encouraging our loyal customers to help sound the alarm, and if they do help to catch a shoplifter, we'll top up their Bonus Card to spend in store," Mr Walker said in a statement. He first made the announcement on Channel 5 News on Thursday. "Some people see this as a victimless crime, it is not. It's a cost to the business, to the hours we pay our colleagues, and it involves intimidation and violence," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added that encouraging customers to take part in crime prevention could potentially help to reduce prices in stores. "We'd like customers to help us lower our prices even more by pointing out shoplifters," Mr Walker said. Iceland said it does not want customers to directly interact with any shoplifters, but suggests they find the nearest member of staff and alert them with a detailed description of the suspected shoplifter. The announcement comes amid a steep rise in shoplifting across England and Wales. It is not just supermarkets facing issues. Around nine in 10 pharmacies have reported an increase in shoplifting and aggression towards staff in the past year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Victims minister Alex Davies-Jones told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday that shoplifting had "got out of hand" in the UK. When asked about whether it was appropriate for images of known shoplifters to be displayed in places such as shop windows, she replied: "It's on all of us to be aware of what is going on in our local communities." According to the Office for National Statistics, police recorded 530,643 shoplifting offences in the year to March 2025. That is a 20% increase from 444,022 in the previous year, and the highest figure since current recording practices began in 2002-03. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to the growing concerns, the government has pledged to increase neighbourhood policing, promising thousands more officers on patrol by spring 2026. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Just 10 days ago, Dinos Lounge sat empty, scattered with debris where customers once crowded the bar. Today, owner Kristin Bartolo said their doors are officially open again. I was hoping and praying that they would be able to make their deadline, although I know she created a real tight one, customer Ray Bennett said. It was last Monday that a driver plowed through the side of Dinos Lounge on Las Vegas Boulevard, leaving a gaping hole. The damage has since been repaired. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I feel relieved, so relieved and so grateful and honestly humbled by how much everybody pulled together and we got this done, Bartolo said. In this never-before-seen surveillance video, you can see the moment of impact. The driver was reportedly going 60 mph. Another angle shows just how close an employee came to being hit. He was two feet away seconds away from literal death, Bartolo explained. Hours after the crash, Bartolo rolled up her sleeves and got to work picking up the pieces. I just said, Lets do this, and we started just cleaning up debris and putting the bar back together, she said. My sheer will of were opening in 10 days and not three months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday afternoon, customers returned to what many call the last neighborhood bar in Las Vegas. Longtime customer Ray Bennett was the first to arrive at what he calls his safe place. My pop used to bring me and my sisters in here when I was 12 years old. Wed sit over in the booths that they dont have anymore and drink Shirley temples, Bennett said. Its home. Despite the crash, Bartolo said the bars retro feel and old-school charm remain untouched. People have been coming here for 30, 40, 50 years. They want to walk in and feel like theyre at home, she said. Bars come and go theyre here, theyre there. But were the constant staple that has always been here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said 32-year-old Margaret Williams was the driver of the Jeep that crashed into Dinos last Monday. She faces charges including DUI. 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. In Preston, the Larsen-Sant Public Librarys colorful books line the shelves of its childrens book section, accompanied by stuffed animals, like a large purple octopus above the shelves. (Kyle Pfannenstiel/Idaho Capital Sun) The governing board for Idahos Commission for Libraries is preparing its budget in case of holdbacks, or a mid-year cut, in addition to restructuring programs to cover a canceled federal grant. The commission isnt alone in considering up to 6% cuts to existing budgets. Gov. Brad Littles office in May told agency directors to plan for potential reductions in spending, at 2%, 4% or 6% of their budgets, Idaho Education News reported. The direction came amid reports that the states revenue was $141 million below the projected level through May, the Idaho Capital Sun reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Librarian Stephanie Bailey-White presented proposed budget adjustments to the library commissioners Thursday at the boards regular meeting. If we have a 2% or 4% holdback, things will be tight, but weve budgeted for those scenarios, Bailey-White said. If we have a 6% pullback, depending on when we hear about it the longer it goes when you hear about that, the trickier it is. The Idaho Legislature appropriated around $4.97 million to the commission for fiscal year 2026, which ends next June. The commission budgeted to use around $4.7 million to account for potential holdbacks, Bailey-White said Thursday. If there are no cuts required to spending in the current fiscal year, the commission will launch its tech refresh program for libraries to be able to purchase laptops and other technology, and allocate funds for the My First Books program, which provides children who are unlikely to have many books in the home, from infants to kindergarteners, with a book a month for eight months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Much of the commissions expenses are tied up in multi-year contracts, Bailey-White said. A lot of our expenses, frankly, are fixed expenses that we dont have a lot of wiggle room, she said. So then we really have to look at travel or some other things that we may have a little more flexibility with, but a 6% will be really challenging. She said options would include canceling a board tour of libraries, limiting staff travel, and keeping vacancies unfilled and using personnel savings to cover costs. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Commission continues transition of talking book service to partnership with Utah William Lamb, e-services program supervisor at the commission, said he is continuing to work with Utahs state library system to continue a program for blind and visually impaired Idahoans or others who have trouble reading because of a disability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Talking Book Service, which provides audiobooks for free to qualifying people, would have been cut because the federal grant supporting it was canceled amid the dismantling of the national Institute of Museum and Library Services by the Trump administration, the Idaho Press reported. Four of the Idaho Talking Book staff positions that were supported by the library services institute were eliminated, the Idaho Press reported. Two additional positions from the program will adjust to help oversee the program in partnership with the Utah State Library. Lamb said the new partnership will launch in September. Bucks for Books program resulted in more readership among elementary students Commission staff also reported Thursday that its program in partnership with the Idaho Lottery, called Bucks for Books, contributed $50,000 this year for elementary school libraries to buy new books. School library grant recipients received between $1,000 and $3,000 to support their collections, Bailey-White said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Libraries in 17 schools used the money to purchase more than 5,300 total books, Bailey-White said, and nearly all of those libraries reported an increase in the number of books checked out. A few of the school libraries reported a nearly 100% increase in the number of books checked out, a staff report said. Awardees reported 44,845 more checkouts in the 2024-25 school year compared to the 2023-24 school year, the report said. At least one in four elementary schools have a book budget of $0, Bailey-White said, so when they get an influx of new books, theres an increase in reading interest and circulation, and kids get to have books that they enjoy reading. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE In a news conference in Nampa, Idaho Gov. Brad Little recapped the 2025 legislative session, touting $400 million in tax cuts. (Kyle Pfannenstiel/Idaho Capital Sun) Idaho Gov. Brad Little is asking state agencies, outside of public schools, to cut spending by 3% by the end of June next year. Little signed an executive order Friday directing the agencies to: review their operations and consider possible consolidation to reduce spending eliminate positions that have been vacant for more than six months review current contracts and recommend ways to reduce costs associated with them review the number of boards and number of people serving on them to look for possible reductions limit state travel Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reductions and reviews of potential further savings must be completed by the end of fiscal year 2026, which is June 30, 2026. Public K-12 schools and spending were exempt from the directions in the order. Its in our DNA here in Idaho to balance the budget, cut taxes, and right-size government so we can continue to make public schools our top priority, Little said in an emailed statement. My executive order today delivers on our promise to Idahoans that we will implement President (Donald) Trumps tax cuts for Idahoans and make the best use of their hard-earned money while putting public schools first. The Idaho Legislature during the 2025 session approved more than $400 million in anticipated annual revenue reductions from tax cuts and credits, and another $50 million toward a tax credit for private education and tuition costs. Most of those reductions will go into effect in the current fiscal year. State revenue came in below Idaho Legislatures projections The prior fiscal year ended June 30, with most revenue coming in higher than the prior year but lower than predicted. During the month of June, the states general fund revenue was $355.2 million, according to a report from the Division of Financial Management, which was $39.1 million less than projected for that month. In May, revenue to the state general fund was $141.1 million below what the legislative budget writers had forecasted, the Idaho Capital Sun reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Legislature this year approved and the governor signed the states largest income tax cut, which is expected to cut revenues by $253 million annually. Lawmakers also passed $100 million to reduce property tax bills, and $50 million to increase the grocery tax credit. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Idaho Democrats, education union officials push back against budget holdbacks, but Republican legislators support governors call The Idaho Democratic Party criticized the cutbacks ordered by the governor as a result of the reckless Republican rule and the tax cuts. In this file photo, then-Assistant House Minority Leader Rep. Lauren Necochea, D- Boise, at the State Capitol building on Jan. 8, 2024. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) Idaho Democrats opposed giveaways to the wealthy and costly voucher schemes because we knew they would blow a hole in the budget and do nothing for working families, Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea said in an emailed statement. Now, the resulting cuts make it harder for the next generation to pursue careers that support a family, weaken state law enforcement, and strip away other critical services, like health care for people with disabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Idaho Education Association President Layne McInelly said in a Friday statement that the holdbacks were very unfortunate and completely predictable. The Idaho Legislatures massive tax cuts easily foretold this outcome, even as lawmakers dismissed the needs of basic governing and Idahos most vulnerable residents, McInelly said. However, Gov. Littles exclusion of public schools in these budgetary clawbacks highlights the crucial role he must play as a defender of Idaho public schools. Because of the State of Idahos chronic underfunding of public education, IEA members and the rest of our states dedicated educators have long been forced to do more with less. Further reducing the already spartan funding provided for public schools would have hurt Idaho students and families significantly. Idaho Senate Majority Leader Kelly Arthur Anthon, R-Rupert, speaks from the Senate floor at the Idaho Capitol on April 6, 2021. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) Republican legislative leaders supported the governors order on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Governors executive order today further reinforces our strong track record of living within the peoples means and making government as efficient as possible so we can continue to prioritize education, Senate President Pro Tempore Kelly Anthon, R-Rupert, said. Democrats call for repeal of new state law that funds private schools with public tax dollars In response to the governors ordered budget cuts, Democrats are targeting a repeal of the private school choice tax credit, which allows for the first time in Idahos history state money to go toward private K-12 education. Legislative minority party leaders Sen. Melissa Wintrow and Rep. Ilana Rubel, both of Boise, called for a special legislative session to repeal the school choice tax credit, which has gone into effect but will not be open for families to apply for until January 2026. A special session, which happens outside of the approximately three-month regular legislative session that goes from January to April, can only be convened by legislators with the support of 60% of both chambers. Instead of cutting already lean budgets, a more responsible approach is to call a special session to repeal the costly $50 million private school voucher scheme and pay the bills we already have, Wintrow said in a written statement. Ending this wasteful scheme will not close the hundreds of millions of dollars in budget shortfalls created by Republican giveaways. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Prison officials at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution have addressed reports about Bryan Kohberger being taunted by inmates. A spokesperson revealed that officials were "aware" but assured the public that the convicted murderer is "safe" from harm as he serves his four consecutive life sentences for the murders of four Idaho university students. Bryan Kohberger currently resides in solitary confinement in the restricted unit in the Block J section of the facility. Prison Officials Claim Bryan Kohberger Is Safe ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA Barely weeks into his four consecutive life sentences, news emerged that Bryan Kohberger had been subjected to a taunting campaign by inmates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to earlier reports, these inmates were well aware that the convicted murderer was coming and had made plans to torment him. Upon his arrival, they took turns making noises into the vents that connect to his cell, and the former PhD student has complained about the harassment, saying it is causing him to lose sleep. Now, NewsNation, the outlet that previously reported the situation, has confirmed that prison officials are aware of the ongoing incident. "We are aware of Kohberger's complaints about what he considers taunting," the Idaho Department of Corrections said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, they seemingly dismissed the situation as trivial while guaranteeing that the convicted murderer is safe within the facility. "Incarcerated individuals commonly communicate with each other in prison," the statement continued. "Bryan Kohberger is housed alone in a cell, and IDOC security staff maintain a safe and orderly environment for all individuals in our custody." Prison Officials Unlikely To Intervene As Bryan Kohberger Faces No Physical Harm MEGA Chris McDonough, a former homicide detective who spoke with the outlet about Kohberger's situation, previously suggested that it was unlikely prison officials would intervene in any way. "It's really a prison within a prison," McDonough said about the IMSI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He continued, "The guards, the most they can do is write it down or tell him, 'Hey, there's nothing we can do. You're not in physical harm.' The ex-detective also described Kohberger's prison housing as an "isolation situation" that prevents those around him from getting to him physically. The Idaho Killer Is Housed In A Restricted Unit At The Institution MEGA At the moment, the former PHD student is housed in the restricted unit in the Block J section of the facility. As such, Kohberger is safe from any inmates who might want to harm him just to make a name for themselves amid the spotlight being on him for the Idaho murders. However, it is believed that with time, Kohberger might be moved to the general section of the facility. All About Bryan Kohberger's Prison ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA NewsNation offered a glimpse into the facility where Bryan Kohberger is serving out his sentence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Images obtained by the outlet confirmed that the facility is surrounded by tall barbed-wire iron walls in addition to other extensive security measures. On the inside, inmates' cells contain only a bed and a toilet, with each enclosure secured by a thick steel gate and marked with a number. Outside the cells are tables with chairs spaced several feet apart, where inmates can sit. However, when these facilities are in use, the inmates are chained to the tables. Alternatively, less violent inmates can spend the one hour they are allowed outside of their cell in a courtyard surrounded by a tall cement wall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for the more violent inmates, they are also allowed outside of their cells but are kept in a cage. All feeding is done within the cells, with food passed through the slots in the doors. Meanwhile, showers are allowed every other day. More Records From The Murder Case May Emerge In The Coming Days ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA In the wake of Kohberger's sentencing, a flurry of information has surfaced about the case. Many of these details have helped piece together Kohberger's actions before and after the murders, as well as provide deeper insight into his life. But beyond these recent revelations, it is possible that more previously sealed records could be unsealed in the coming days, per the New York Post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On August 5, Judge Steven Hippler, who presided over the case, revealed he was initiating the lengthy unsealing process. He explained that he intended to begin with a batch of 43 items, reviewing them from the newest to the oldest. At that time, he also gave prosecutors and the defense two weeks to advocate on whether the reports should be revealed or remain sealed. The Idaho Department of Correction is investigating videos posted online that appear to show Bryan Kohberger, the man accused in the November 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students, pacing inside his prison cell. The footage began circulating on social media Thursday and appears to depict Kohberger in prison clothing walking back and forth in a cell. Authorities have not confirmed whether the videos are authentic or created using artificial intelligence. Footage of #BryanKohberger while he was detained at county awaiting trial. pic.twitter.com/xscvNj48lH SoJo (@mrs_sojo) August 15, 2025 In a statement Friday, IDOC officials said they are aware of the videos and have launched an investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While we cannot yet confirm the veracity of the videos, if verified, they are a clear violation of IDOC policy and the parties responsible will be held accountable, up to and including termination, the agency said. We caution that some videos may be fake or AI-enhanced. IDOC said leadership sent two emails to staff on July 23 and July 25 reminding employees of policies and expectations regarding professionalism, as well as appropriate use of technology and social media. The agency stressed that recording and publicly sharing security footage is prohibited and that officials are reviewing all legal options, including criminal prosecution. The safety and security of our staff and incarcerated population remain our top priority, the statement read. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ada County released a statement saying they were aware of the footage and confirmed it was not recorded at their jail. Kohberger plead guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of students Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Kaylee Goncalves at an off-campus home in Moscow and is serving multiple life sentences. NEED TO KNOW Bryan Kohberger has allegedly complained about "taunting" from fellow inmates Idaho corrections official have responded, saying inmates "commonly communicate with each other" The convicted murderer is serving four consecutive life sentences in a maximum security Idaho prison, after pleading guilty to murdering four University of Idaho students Just weeks into his life term in prison, convicted murderer Bryan Kohberger appears to be at his wit's end amid taunts from other inmates and now the state of Idaho is responding. A spokesperson for the Idaho Department of Corrections told PEOPLE on Thursday that Kohberger, 30, has complained about taunting from other inmates at the maximum security prison where hes serving four consecutive life sentences for the murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are aware of Kohbergers complaints about what he considers taunting, the Idaho Department of Corrections official said in a statement. Incarcerated individuals commonly communicate with each other in prison. Bryan Kohberger is housed alone in a cell, and IDOC security staff maintain a safe and orderly environment for all individuals in our custody. Kyle Green-Pool/Getty Bryan Kohberger Bryan Kohberger The statement came after retired homicide detective Chris McDonough spoke out in the media about inmates at the prison making Kohbergers life miserable since he arrived following his sentencing last month. "It's driving him crazy," McDonough, who now works for the Cold Case Foundation, told The Daily Mail. "The inmates are tormenting him at night and almost all hours of the day taunting him through the vents in his cell. 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. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McDonough added: "Theyre utilizing the vent system. Theyre kicking the doors. Theyre taunting him. And theyre basically, you know, torturing him through, you know, using psychology." The retired detective later appeared on NewsNations Banfield and said the inmates at the Idaho prison were apparently waiting for him. And when he got there, they are now making his life absolutely miserable, McDonough said. Last month, Kohberger was sentenced to four lifetimes in prison without parole for the murders of four University of Idaho students: Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. Kohberger confessed to the murders of the four students on July 2, avoiding the possibility of facing a death sentence. Read the original article on People IDF troops continue to operate across the Gaza Strip, killing terrorists and dismantling infrastructure used by terrorists. Security forces, led by the Southern Command, struck and killed Nasser Musa, a key operative in Hamass Rafah Brigade, in the Khan Yunis area on August 9, 2025, the IDF said Friday. Musa served as head of Hamas's military control department and was responsible for the readiness and training of operatives in the brigade, who planned and carried out terror activity against IDF forces and Israeli civilians during the war, the IDF and Shin Bet said in a joint statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was a close associate of Muhammed Shabana, the Rafah Brigade commander who was killed in May 2025. He previously held multiple roles in the Rafah Brigade, including military intelligence officer and head of the observation network. His killing further damages the Rafah Brigade and Hamass ability to carry out terror activity against IDF troops in the area, the military said. IDF troops operate in Gaza, August 15, 2025. (credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit) IDF operates across the Gaza Strip Israel Air Force fighter jets struck a building in Khan Yunis used by terror organizations to store rockets intended for launch toward Israel and IDF troops on Thursday. Under the Southern Command and guided by Military Intelligence and the Shin Bet, IDF troops continue to operate across the Gaza Strip: The 36th Division conducted offensive activity in Khan Yunis, destroying a terror structure and killing terrorist cells; the 143rd Division destroyed dozens of military infrastructures in the south as IAF strikes killed several operatives; and in the north, the 99th Division killed terrorists and destroyed tunnel shafts. Since the beginning of the year, 16 IDF service personnel have committed suicide. In 2024, there were 21 cases. Trigger warning: This article discusses sensitive topics such as suicide. The remains of Captain (res.) Yosef Haim Ashraf, 28, were found on Thursday night in the Swiss forest near Tiberias, the Tiberias Municipality said on Friday. It is suspected that he ended his own life, according to the municipality. His funeral was held on Friday at the local military cemetery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel Police have opened an investigation into the incident, and the findings would be forwarded to the Military Advocate General for review, according to Israeli media. Capt. Ashraf served in the 99th Division in the Gaza Strip, Ynet reported. IDF soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip, August 1, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT) Since the beginning of the year, 16 IDF service personnel have committed suicide, not including Ashraf. In 2024, there were 21 cases. Increase in number of suicide cases Brig. Gen. Amir Vadmani of the IDF Personnel Directorate said several weeks ago at a committee meeting that the rise in suicides in the IDF parallels the increase in the number of reservists serving. There is an increase in the number of suicide incidents, and that is not surprising. This is not a wave, but such cases should not happen. In 20242025, hundreds of thousands of reservists are serving, on a scale not seen in 20222023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked whether he could say how many cases remain in doubt, he replied: I do not want to address that. Each case is under investigation, and I will not disclose the data - you are welcome to dismiss what I say. If you or someone close to you is experiencing distress, the Eran Association provides life-saving mental first aid service 24/7 to every person, of any age and in any distress. Assistance is provided anonymously and immediately. The hotline for soldiers and their families is available at 2201 or 1201 on the Eran website eran.org.il or on WhatsApp at (052) 845-1201.* Walla contributed to this report. COVINGTON, Tenn. Covington Police have arrested one man and are searching for another in connection with two theft incidents at Walmart that were worth nearly $15,000 in stolen electronics. According to the Covington Police Department, the investigation began on Wednesday when officers responded to a felony shoplifting call at Walmart on Lanny Bridges Avenue. Store employees reported that two men stole $14,797.53 worth of Apple AirPods and other electronics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lake Co. murder suspect attempts to contact ex in court Police say surveillance footage shows the suspects using stolen tools including a screwdriver, pry bar, and bolt cutters to break open an electronics case. They then concealed the items in store totes and a stolen trash can before leaving through the Tire Center doors without paying. The suspects fled in a white crossover SUV. In a related incident just hours later, at 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, Walmart staff alerted officers that two men wearing Walmart vests were not employees. When police arrived, the men ran toward a wooded area behind the store. Reginald Williams Arrest (CPD) Reginald Williams Arrest (CPD) Reginald Williams Arrest (CPD) Reginald Williams Arrest (CPD) Reginald Williams Arrest (CPD) Kewan Clay Wanted (CPD) Officers caught Reginald Williams, 26, of Chicago, Illinois, in the parking lot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators say Williams gave a false name to avoid arrest on active Illinois warrants for burglary, armed robbery, and assault on a police officer. He has been charged in Covington with aggravated burglary, vandalism, criminal impersonation, and theft of property over $1,000. Williams is being held at the Tipton County Jail on a $100,000 bond and is set to appear in court on Aug. 19. The second suspect, identified as Kewan Clay, 25, also of Chicago, remains at large. Police have issued active warrants for his arrest. We urge anyone with information regarding this case or the whereabouts of Kewan Clay to contact CPD, said Police Chief Donna Turner. We know there may be others helping the duo, and we want to identify and charge anyone who is harboring or assisting him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information should contact the Covington Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 901-475-1261, send tips via Facebook Messenger to the Covington, TN Police Department, or submit them through the City of Covingtons 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 WREG.com. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WMBD) A new Illinois law will make it easier for parents or guardians to see their kids mental health records. House Bill 2994 gives parents of students receiving special education services access to their childs mental health records regarding the service the parents consent to on the childs behalf, Illinois State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) said. Families deserve straightforward access to essential information that impacts their childs educational success and mental well-being, Koehler said. This law ensures parents and caregivers have the tools to understand their childs mental health needs better, and advocate effectively for their education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Koehler said the previous law made access to the records unclear or limited as children grew older. He said this new law will help improve understanding between teachers and families. The law was signed on Friday and will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. 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. CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) For the first time in nearly four decades, a team of Illinois scientists reassessed the endangered or threatened status of plants in the state. The team, led by researchers from the University of Illinois, found that although three plant species have been wiped out in the Illinois, many others are faring better than previously thought. Scientists from the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources began updating conservation status ranks also known as S-ranks two years ago. S-ranks are based on factors like rarity, threats, and trends. The last time Illinois updated S-ranks was 1987. University of Illinois on high alert about highly infectious disease Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brian Charles, an INHS scientists who led the effort, said the team began with data from a national network of scientists that work to preserve threatened species. The researchers also gathered records from regional conservation districts, interviewed local experts, and searched for rare species in the field. Going out to find historical records is kind of like a rare-plant treasure hunt, Charles told the University of Illinois News Bureau. After collecting and analyzing the data, the team updated the S-ranks for each species. The team learned that the Laurentian fragile fern, the small whorled pogonia, and a plant known as goosefoot corn salad have been wiped out in Illinois. But, they also learned that 71 species are now less endangered than they were in 1987. Only three species are more endangered today, compared to 40 years ago. The improved outlook for some of these plants could be attributed to better survey methods and documenting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From the Farm: U of I researcher receives top honor as budget cuts risk operations There are a lot more folks on the ground looking, so of course, were going to find more populations of these plants, Charles said. Many species are still not doing well at the individual population level but are simply less rare overall than we previously thought. And some of the rare plants that are increasing are in areas that are being managed to preserve them, so their comeback is evidence that such approaches are working. States often serve as the first line of defense in identifying declining or threatened plant population. And, the work states do to document the status of their plants help create federal threatened and endangered lists. Currently, eight Illinois plant species that are threatened or endangered are also listed at the federal level. Charles said the list has important implications for the future. It can allow states to help each other save plants from extinction. If one state has a thriving population of a rare plant, it could share seeds with another state where the species is declining. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U of I researchers investigate peach pest threatening Illinois orchards Charles also encouraged Illinois residents to volunteer with organizations dedicated to monitor and help endangered plants, like Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves or with Plants of Concern. I should note that this project was possible due to the regional, national and international expertise of the botanical team at INHS, including Paul Marcum, David Zaya, Greg Spyreas, Eric Ulaszek and Brenda Molano-Flores, Charles said. You can read more about their research and see a full list of which species are on the threatened and endangered list here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. A woman who claims she was assaulted by her boyfriend is now in a detention center in Louisiana after he called the police to accuse her of assault and then contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement and told them she didnt have legal immigration status, the womans mother alleged to Noticias Telemundo. In a separate case from April, a Salvadoran woman in Houston called 911 to report being a victim of domestic violence. Legal records reviewed by the Houston Chronicle indicate that police then called ICE. The womens stories are not unique, activists and experts tell Noticias Telemundo, explaining that in some cases abusers use immigration status to control or abuse their victims who come from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Experts say victims are more fearful now amid the Trump administrations immigration crackdown and recent immigration raids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Isaret Jeffers, founder of the Tree Collective, which supports farmworkers in the Tampa, Florida, area, said several undocumented women farmworkers have told her theyre enduring abuse from their partners for fear that reporting them will lead to their deportation. Isabel Martinez, manager of the social services program at the Tahirih Justice Center, focused on helping victims of gender-based violence, said women fear that not only will nothing happen to the abuser, but now I will have to be deported, or be detained, or get into trouble if I call the police. Since January, Martinez said, women have told her organization that theyd decided they couldnt call the police and were too afraid to call the group because they feared it would have to call the police and report the abuse. Since the deportations began and theyre targeting people more severely, thats where weve seen people become more afraid, Martinez said. Theyre thinking twice about reporting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though women represent 84% of victims of spousal abuse and 86% of victims of intimate partner abuse, according to the Department of Justices Bureau of Statistics, anyone can be a victim of abuse, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation or national origin. Fear of reporting and deadly consequences Immigrant victims fear of reporting crimes against them is not new. As early as 2019, the Tahirih Justice Center said its social workers had observed that women often refused to report gender-based violence for fear of deportation. In a national survey released by the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors this June, 76% of immigrant advocates reported that victims of domestic violence were afraid to call the police for fear of ICE. It also found that half of immigration advocates had worked with immigrants who had dropped their criminal or civil cases for fear of deportation. A similar study of two U.S. hospital emergency departments (one in San Francisco and one in Oakland, California) found almost 1 in 5 (19%) domestic violence victims avoided going to the police for fear that the police would report them to immigration authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Francesco Duberli, CEO and founder of Survivors Pathway, a Miami-based center that offers counseling and legal help for survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse and human trafficking, said that what were seeing is an exaggerated, and also very sad, increase in the psychological aspect of being terrified of immigration authorities. ICE reopened the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office, created during Trumps first administration. Its main focus is to provide help to victims of crimes perpetrated by immigrants and to acknowledge and serve the needs of victims and families who have been affected by crimes committed by individuals with a nexus to immigration violations, according to its website. Under one of the frequently asked questions, it states that it provides releasable information to all victims of crime with a nexus to immigration, regardless of the immigration status of the victim. Noticias Telemundo contacted ICE and the Department of Homeland Security about the office, but didnt receive a response. VOICE said it did not have a spokesperson available and referred any questions to its website. A failure to report domestic abuse can have fatal consequences: More than 50% of homicides committed by intimate partners were preceded by violence, and in cases where the victim is a woman, the figure rises to 75%, according to studies by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Houston, an immigrant woman who is not being identified because she fears reprisals told Noticias Telemundo of a November 2024 incident in which she felt her life was in danger. She recalled clutching the steering wheel while driving as her partner was grabbing it and threatening to kill her. She said the man, who is her childs father and had been drinking, poured a drink on her and then punched her in the stomach and later in the head, rendering her unconscious for a time. She said she later drove to a friends house, called the police and reported the violence. The police arrested him, and upon his release from jail on that charge, he was detained by ICE and eventually deported. In November, following the violent episode, the woman, a Mexican immigrant, applied for a U visa for victims of crimes such as domestic violence, and is awaiting its approval. Immigrant victims' challenges, risks Certain factors make it hard for immigrant victims of domestic violence to leave or report their abusive situations, including being financially dependent on their abuser and having children who depend on them. The Houston womans partner threatened to take away her son, and the stress affected both her and her baby. That was the saddest part of this whole process, the woman said. He was a baby, he was a 1 1/2-year-old. If I didnt eat, he didnt want to eat either. He knew when I was sad. He knew when I was crying. And you say, How could such a little person know Im sick? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leaving a partner and filing a complaint with the court system requires reflection and asking, Whats going to happen next? How do I pay the rent? How do I feed my children? said Duberli, of Survivors Pathway. If the children belong to the abuser, he can file for legal custody, which can cost thousands of dollars. Its a conglomeration of socioeconomic and psychological factors, and when you put them all together, you realize they become an immense wall that prevents immigrants from seeking justice, he said. Low-income women have a higher incidence of domestic violence. Of the women who sought legal assistance after experiencing intimate partner violence, 85% lived at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, according to a 2024 study by the University of Cambridge. Victims also fear that their partner will attack them further if they report it, or they feel ashamed and believe theyre to blame for their situation. A key factor, according to therapists, is victims self-esteem: As the Texas immigrant woman described it, Feeling like youre nobody as psychological abuse escalates, with taunts like What are you going to do without me? and How are you going to get ahead? she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some victims have suffered abuse in home countries where domestic violence is more normalized and theyre used to abusers having impunity, Duberli said. Martinez, of the Tahirih Justice Center, said the first step to leaving an abusive relationship is to break the strong psychological control the perpetrator can have over the victim. You dont deserve abuse, she said. Its also common for immigrant victims to lack a support network of family or friends in a country with a foreign culture and language. Some immigrants face greater risk if they rely on an abusive spouse to obtain legal status, as the American Immigration Council (AIC) has stated on its website, since abusers can use immigration status as a tool to silence their victims and may delay, withdraw or fail to file petitions for their relatives or threaten to report them to authorities. Emergency exits: The U visa and the VAWA petition For victims of violent crimes such as domestic abuse who can demonstrate cooperation with authorities in the investigation or prosecution of the crime, there is the U visa. If approved, the applicant receives a work permit valid for four years, and after three years, they can apply for permanent residence (green card). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently told Noticias Telemundo that a good faith determination on a pending application for U nonimmigrant status does not protect a foreign national from immigration enforcement. Duberli said victims can also file a petition under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Those who file a complaint, Duberli explains, can continue their immigration process without the abusers involvement or knowledge. In the case of the Texas immigrant woman, she cooperated with authorities regarding the crime, a key step to getting her U visa status approved and regularized. For now, the woman said, I continue working on myself, on my self-esteem I continue with everything. Moving forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 8788. An earlier version of this story was first published in Noticias Telemundo. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com KANSAS CITY, Mo. Months after going on leave while he attended to personal issues, Independence Police Chief Adam Dustman is leaving his post on Friday. Chief Dustmans leadership has brought important advancements to the department, and we are grateful for his service to the City of Independence, City Manager Zach Walker said in a news release. His commitment to supporting our officers and improving public safety will have a lasting impact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputy Chief Jason Peterson is the interim chief, and the city is working with Strategic Government Resources to conduct a nationwide search for a permanent replacement. FOX4 sat down with Dustman in early June when he sought to address rumors about his leave and a controversy regarding an alleged incident at National Police Week, where he was representing the department for Officer Cody Allens addition to the National Fallen Officer Memorial. He denied claims that during the trip to Washington, D.C. he became so intoxicated that he had to be carried to his hotel, was kicked out of a bar, and got into a fight. Dustman said the only thing that happened was that he had been out after hours with fellow officers. Video in KC gas station shooting released after grand jury indictment Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sources told FOX4 that the trip prompted an internal affairs investigation. Dustman said his leave had nothing to do with it. I have personal issues going on. Ive decided to take time. Ive gone through a rough couple of years with the department and the loss weve had, he said in early June. With the addition of personal issues, now is the time to take some time away to focus on being the best me I can be and the best dad I can be for my boys. Dustman started with IPD in 2008 and became the permanent police chief in August of 2022 after serving in an interim capacity beginning in February of that year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He began his tenure as the department dealt with fallout from an overtime scandal where a special counsel ultimately couldnt determine whether officers actually worked hours they clocked because it was done on the honor system. Golden Scoop ice cream shop hit with $40K wall repair bill The department dealt with a number of high-profile cases under Dustmans watch, including the shooting where Officer Allen and Jackson County civil process server Drexel Mack were killed. The department was also in the spotlight after officers shot and killed 34-year-old Maria Pike and her 2-month-old daughter Destinii while responding to reports of a domestic disturbance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Jackson County Prosecutors Office ultimately declined to press charges, saying the officers acted within the law, but it did lead to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Pikes family. As Independence begins its search for a new police chief, its also going to be looking for a new city manager after Walker accepted the same position in Bloomington, Minnesota. 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. Indian rescuers pulled bodies from mud and rubble Friday after the latest deadly flood to crash through a Himalayan village killed at least 60 people and washed away dozens more. Torrents of water and mud driven by intense rain tore through Chisoti village in Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday, leaving dozens missing, including Hindu pilgrims who were visiting a shrine. It is the second major deadly flooding disaster in India this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials said a large makeshift kitchen in Chisoti, where more than 100 pilgrims were, was completely washed away by what Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reported was a sudden "cloudburst" rain storm. Arun Shah, 35, had just completed his pilgrimage with his family when the flood struck. "It was horrifying", he told AFP, speaking by telephone from a hospital in Kishtwar district, where Chisoti is located. "Boulders and a rush of water came down from the mountain. We all got separated while trying to save ourselves," he said. Kishtwar district hospital head Yudhvir Kotwal told AFP more than 100 people were brought in after the disaster. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Most of the injured had head injuries, fractured bones and ribs," Kotwal said, adding that "dead bodies are still being retrieved from under the mud and rubble". Heavy earthmovers were brought to the disaster area to dig through deep mud. The army's White Knight Corps said its troops, "braving the harsh weather and rugged terrain, are engaged in evacuation of injured". Emergency supplies including ropes and digging tools were being brought to the disaster site, with the army supporting other rescue teams. Mohammad Irshad, a top disaster management official, told AFP on Friday that "60 people are recorded dead", with 80 people unaccounted for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Floods and landslides are common during the June-September monsoon season, but experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing their frequency, severity and impact. Floods on August 5 overwhelmed the Himalayan town of Dharali in India's Uttarakhand state and buried it in mud. The likely death toll from that disaster is more than 70 but has not been confirmed. The UN's World Meteorological Organization said last year that increasingly intense floods and droughts are a "distress signal" of what is to come as climate change makes the planet's water cycle ever more unpredictable. Roads had already been damaged by days of heavy storms in Kishtwar district. The area lies more than 200 kilometres (125 miles) by road from the region's main city Srinagar. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the spate of disasters in his Independence Day speech in New Delhi on Friday. "In the past few days, we have been facing natural disasters, landslides, cloudbursts, and many other calamities," he said. "Our sympathies are with the affected people. State governments and the central government are working together with full strength." pzb-pjm/sco Surreal is the only way to describe a gaggle of Hoosier reporters gathering around a speakerphone to record a gruff voice beaming in from Illinois. But thats what happened in 2011, when Indiana House Democrats staged a walkout to block a variety of bills. The memories of those peculiar media availabilities with Rep. Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, came flooding back when I heard Texas Democrats had also fled the state this time to block a mid-cycle redistricting. The nearly six-week Hoosier walkout likely led to a GOP supermajority and has had lasting negative impacts to this day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Democrats left Indiana on Feb. 22, 2011, for a Comfort Suites in Urbana, Illinois. The caucus was fighting several anti-union bills, though a host of other issues also played a role, including state-funded vouchers for private schools. Their absence meant the House couldnt put together a quorum to conduct business. Dozens of bills died on the calendar during the walkout. The absent members were fined tens of thousands of dollars, but they held off right-to-work legislation for a year and got other, smaller concessions. Was it worth it? Definitely not. Whats happening now The Texas fiasco is happening on a much bigger stage and centers on one issue that is relatively simple to explain to voters: should Texas Republicans redraw congressional districts early instead of after the 2030 census to create more GOP seats and help the party hold a narrow U.S. House margin? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Given the higher profile and tighter focus, the impact of the Texas Democrats walkout could be more effective. Indiana lawmakers might face a similar situation soon as pressure mounts from President Donald Trumps administration for other red states to redistrict early. But Democrats wont have the option of a walkout this time. Opinion: ICE's 'Speedway Slammer' propaganda gets IndyCar and America wrong Thats because the GOP controls the House 70-30 and the Senate 40-10. It takes a quorum of 67 and 33 to conduct business, respectively, which means Republicans dont need Democrats for a quorum or to pass a bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indiana Republicans have a big decision to make. They have to weigh public transparency and fiscal prudence in deciding whether to redistrict in a special session. Gov. Mike Braun, in particular, has spent months preaching financial discipline resulting in state layoffs as well as cuts to benefits and services for Hoosiers. The decision to call a special session is ultimately up to Braun, but legislative leaders would have to be on board to avoid embarrassment. The GOP would need to find a cogent message on why the move is necessary. After all, Indianas population has increased minimally, about 1.5%, since 2021, so there simply arent large migration and demographic changes to adjust for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats left is purely partisan politics. And its hard for me to to believe that the GOP leaders here would move forward with a special, superfluous session that could cost upwards of $200,000 just for that. Niki Kelly is editor-in-chief of the Indiana Capital Chronicle, where this column first appeared. She has covered the Indiana Statehouse since 1999. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana GOP's choice: redistricting or fiscal responsibility | Opinion The Indiana State Police is looking for the publics help to solve an 1984 unsolved murder in Marshall County. Darlene Hulse, then 28, a stay-at-home mom of three girls, was killed in her Argos home on Aug. 17, 1984, by a man who posed as a delivery driver. He forced his way inside just after 9 a.m. Hulse was born in Gary and was a Portage High School graduate, according to newspaper archives. Hulse had been giving the older girls, 6 and 8, a bath, according to media reports. She screamed for them to run and they went to their nearby grandparents house for help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Somebody knows something, Indiana State Police Cold Case Detective Arthur Smith said in a release. It might be a family member, friend, or former associate. Please help us in finding answers for Darlenes family and the community. They deserve it. When police arrived, they found Hulses youngest child, an 11-month-old baby, safe. Hulse had been brutally attacked and abducted. A timber surveyor found her body the next day about six miles west on Olive Trail between State Road 110 and 20A Road. Her cause of death was blunt force trauma. Witnesses estimated the man was in his mid- to late-20s, about 6-feet or 62 and had a long nose and long face. He had a rusted green 70s-style vehicle possibly either a Pontiac or Oldsmobile. Plymouth is the county seat of Marshall County. Anyone with information can call the Cold Case Hotline at 833-466-2653 or email ispcoldcase@isp.in.gov. mcolias@post-trib.com MUNCIE, IN Indiana State Police are investigating the death on Thursday, Aug. 14 of a 10-year-old Delaware County girl. An ISP news release issued early Friday said the child was unresponsive when found in a vehicle, apparently parked outside her family's Selma home. A call to 911 dispatchers resulted in emergency responders being sent to the scene, on Selma's east side, about 4:45 p.m. Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jeff Stanley, chief deputy for the Delaware County Sheriff's Department, said the child had "a lifelong documented medical condition." He said Sheriff Tony Skinner had asked state police to conduct the investigation of the child's death. "At this difficult time, investigators are working to understand the circumstances surrounding the child's passing," the state police release said. "At this time, there does not appear to be anything suspicious about the death." An autopsy was expected to be conducted Friday at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. The findings of the ISP investigation will be presented to Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman for review. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Further information will be shared as the investigation progresses and more details become available," the news release said. "Out of deep respect for the family, and to protect the integrity of the investigation, no additional information will be provided at this time." In addition to state police and sheriff's deputies, those responding at the scene included Selma, Albany and Gaston police, Liberty Township firefighters and staff from Delaware County EMS and Coroner Gavin Greene's office. Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Death of 10-year-old Delaware County child under investigation NEW DELHI (AP) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan that India will punish its neighbor if there are future attacks on India as he marked 78 years of independence from British colonial rule. Modis remarks Friday come three months after nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan engaged in four days of intense fighting, their worst clash in decades. Modi addressed the country from New Delhis 17th-century, Mughal-era Red Fort, saying India has established a new normal that does not differentiate between terrorists and those who support terrorism. He said he would not tolerate what he called Islamabads nuclear blackmail." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement India has decided that it will not tolerate nuclear threats. For a long time, nuclear blackmail had been going on but this blackmail will not be tolerated now, Modi said. There was no immediate response from Pakistan to Modis remarks. Pakistan previously has rejected Indias statements about nuclear blackmail as provocative and inflammatory. However, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday announced the creation of a new Army Rocket Force Command to bolster the countrys defense capabilities. Sharif made this announcement during a speech marking Independence Day celebrations, but gave no further details. India celebrates its Independence Day one day after Pakistan. The two states came into existence as a result of the bloody partition of British India in 1947. The process sparked some of the worst communal violence the world has seen and left hundreds of thousands dead. It triggered one of the largest human migrations in history and some 12 million people fled their homes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement India and Pakistan exchanged tit-for-tat military strikes in May that brought them to the brink of a war. The fighting between the two countries was sparked by an April massacre by gunmen in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists. India blamed the attack on Pakistan-backed militants. Islamabad denied responsibility while calling for a neutral investigation. Days after the massacre, India launched strikes on Pakistan and said it had hit nine terrorist infrastructure sites. Terror infrastructure was turned to rubble, Modi said in his speech Friday. Pakistan responded by sending waves of drones into India, as well as missile and artillery bombardments. Dozens of people were killed on both sides until a ceasefire was reached May 10 after U.S. mediation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistan immediately claimed it shot down six Indian aircraft during the clashes, including a French-made Rafale fighter. India acknowledged some losses but did not provide details. Last week, Indias air force chief said India shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one other military aircraft during clashes in the first such public claim by India. Pakistan rejected it, saying both sides should open their aircraft inventories to independent verification. During his Friday speech, Modi also hinted India would continue its unilateral suspension of the Indus Water Treaty. The treaty, which India suspended after the April massacre, allows sharing of the Indus River that runs about 2,897 kilometers (1,800 miles) through South Asia and is a lifeline for both countries. Rivers from India were irrigating the lands of enemies while my countrys farmers and land faced a deficiency of water," Modi said. India has now decided that blood and water will not flow together." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistan has said any effort by India to stop or divert the water from flowing into Pakistan would be considered an act of war. Modi did not directly mention U.S. President Donald Trumps tariffs on India in his Independence Day speech but said he would not compromise on the agriculture sector, one of the main sticking points in trade negotiations with the U.S. Earlier this month, Trump imposed a 25% penalty on India in addition to 25% tariffs for buying oil and weapons from Russia. India has resisted U.S. pressure to open its markets to some farm products as Modi's government is unwilling to risk angering farmers, who are a powerful voting bloc. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement India will not compromise on interest of farmers," he said. Modi claimed Indias demography was being changed as part of a conspiracy through illegal migration and announced what he called a high-powered demographic mission to tackle the problem. He did not provide further details. No nation in the world can hand over itself to infiltrators, he said. Modis ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has repeatedly described influx of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh as a national security crisis and claimed that unchecked Muslim infiltration from the country is leading to a demographic shift in India. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent months, Indian officials have conducted what they call a verification drive, which they say is intended to identify immigrants lacking legal status. Many people, most of them Muslim, have been detained or expelled to neighboring Bangladesh. ___ Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report. Along Indonesias city streets and country roads, the Southeast Asian nations red-and-white flag isnt the only one you may see waving from cars, homes, and hands ahead of its Independence Day on Sunday. Since late July, as an expression of dissatisfaction with their government, some Indonesians have flown a version of the Jolly Roger skull-and-bones flag from the popular Japanese anime One Piece, which originated in 1997 as a manga and was adapted into a live-action series by Netflix in 2023. The Straw Hat Pirates flag has in recent weeks become a trendy symbol of defiance against President Prabowo Subianto, a populist former general who was elected last year, after Prabowo called in a late July speech for Indonesians to fly the national flag at home, at schools, in offices, in public spaceswherever you are in celebration of the countrys upcoming 80th anniversary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to local news media, the symbol of resistance arose after a group of truck drivers, who already typically attach the national flag to their vehicles every year for Independence Day, instead put up the One Piece flag in protest of transportation reforms that they felt overlooked working-class drivers in favor of centralized, elite interests. Others say the political use of the One Piece flag originated during Dark Indonesia student protests earlier this year. Either way, the truckers pirate flags went viral on social media, gaining traction among others that also adopted it as an expression of broader discontent with Prabowos government, which has been criticized over its economic policies, expansion of the militarys role in government, as well as concerns about corruption, democratic decline, and more. The sentiment, red and white are too sacred to be flown in this dirty countryreferencing the colors of the national flag which symbolize sacrifice and purity, respectivelyhas also been widely shared by proponents of the One Piece flag protest in the nation of 284 million people. Massive movement Indonesian sociologist Bagong Suyanto told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the anime flag became a massive movement because of its wide appeal across ages and social classes as well as because of its low barrier to entry. They all felt the governments policies marginalised their interests, he said, and they don't need to take to the streets, confront authorities, or face police batons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others have said the source material itself, which has a large fanbase in Indonesia, has served as inspiration. Fighting against oppression and inequality is a major theme of One Piece, which encourages fans to take a stand against injustice and fight for social justice, according to a 2023 blog about the anime. In Central Java, flag seller Dendi Christanto told a local news outlet that he received thousands of orders for the One Piece flag since Prabowos July speech. A worker prepares orders of pirate flags from the Japanese anime One Piece at a T-shirt workshop in Karanganyar, Central Java, Indonesia, on Aug. 10, 2025. Ulet IfansastiGetty Images An unnamed resident in Surabaya said that they were not raising the One Piece flag to be unpatriotic: I actually did it as proof that I still love this country. But Im disappointed with the officials behavior, their policies that favor the elite while ignoring the common people. Currently, taxes are getting higher and many officials are corrupt. Another Surabaya resident said hed raised the One Piece flag alongside the national flag but that while hed take down the national flag after August, as is tradition, hed keep up the One Piece one to continue to express his disappointment with the government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not the first time activists in Southeast Asia have rallied around a fictional symbol for real-world dissent. For more than a decade, opponents of the military- and monarchy-aligned establishment in Thailand have embraced the Hunger Games three-finger salute. But in a country where freedom of expression has been repressed and past protests met with excessive and unnecessary police force, according to Amnesty International, Indonesian authorities have been divided on how to react to this latest nonviolent demonstration. May even be treason Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, who is the executive of Prabowos right-wing Gerindra party, urged the public on July 31 to resist the One Piece flag protest movement, calling it a coordinated attempt to divide the nation. Firman Soebagyo, a lawmaker of the conservative Golkar party, said the same day that the protest movement may even be treason. A pirate flag from the Japanese anime One Piece is seen at a house in Solo, Central Java, on Aug. 7, 2025. DIKAAFP/Getty Images Indonesias Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan warned on Aug. 1 that those who raise the One Piece flag could face criminal consequences, citing a 2009 law under which those found guilty of desecrating the national flag can face up to five years in prison or a fine amounting to about $30,000. The government will take firm and measured legal action if there are elements of intent and provocation to ensure order and the dignity of state symbols, Budi said, telling the public to avoid displaying symbols which are not relevant to the nations struggle ahead of Independence Day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai suggested on Aug. 3 that the government even had the right to ban the One Piece flag on national security grounds, though the government has not taken steps to do so. Still, at the local level, police in certain areas across the country have been reported to have cracked down on vendors and displayers of the One Piece flag. Police in Jakarta said on Aug. 5 that they were monitoring the use of non-national flags and symbols that dont align with the spirit of nationalism, including pirate or fictional-themed flags. A banner warning Indonesians against flying the One Piece anime flag is displayed at a market in Indramayu, West Java province, on Aug. 9, 2025. Aditya IrawanNurPhoto /Getty Images Enforcement, however, has been inconsistentand in some cases, reports of heavy-handed responses to the protest have inspired others to join the movement. By treating a cartoon flag as a threat to national security, they have inadvertently validated the entire premise of the protest, Farhan Rizqullah, a self-identified One Piece fan and former foreign policy analyst assistant for the Indonesian Parliament, wrote in a blog post on Medium analyzing the flag protest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont even like anime, Dinda, a 31-year-old banker who said she changed her Instagram profile picture to the pirate flag, told regional news outlet CNA. But the way the government reacted? It made me want to post it even more. Its just a flag. Chill. A graffiti of the pirate flag from Japanese anime One Piece is seen on a street in Sukoharjo, Central Java, on Aug. 6, 2025. DIKAAFP/Getty Images We need criticism To be sure, not everyone in the Indonesian government opposed the protest movement. Deddy Yevri Sitorus of the opposition Democratic Party of Struggle said on July 31 that raising the One Piece flag should not be criminalized, calling it a symbolic action, which is better than street protests that could turn violent. Prabowo himself has not directly addressed the One Piece flags, but, according to State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi, he did not mind it as much as other ruling-party and conservative officials did. It is OK as a form of expression, Prasetyo said on Aug. 5, promising Prabowo would not order any raids against those who raised the flag, though he cautioned that the law had to be followed, including that the national flag be flown higher if raised alongside other symbols. We must not bring it into conflict, or fly it to oppose the Red-and-White flag, said Prasetyo. As Indonesians, we must recognize that the Red-and-White is our only flag. A pirate flag from the Japanese anime One Piece is installed on a bamboo pole under the national flag at a motorcycle repair shop in Indramayu, West Java province, on Aug. 9, 2025. Aditya IrawanNurPhoto/Getty Images Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto reiterated that perspective on Aug. 5, telling local news of the One Piece flag trend: Theres nothing wrong with it, as long as the Red and White flag takes precedence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bima framed the protest movement as a shining example of free speech in Indonesia, which is widely regarded as the third-largest democracy behind India and the U.S., though critics have complained of creeping authoritarianism in all three. In a democratic society, said Bima, even something like One Piece becoming a trend can be a space for expression, a place where people reflect, critique, and send messages. Separately, the independent Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights appeared to latch onto the One Piece trend, posting on Instagram that the anime offered countless lessons about human rights on Aug. 13. Who says learning about human rights has to be rigid? The story isnt just about finding treasure, but also full of social criticism and values of fighting against injustice. A pirate flag from the Japanese anime One Piece is seen at a house in Solo, Central Java, on Aug. 7, 2025. DIKAAFP/Getty Images Prabowo, for his part, seemed to indirectly address the tangible discontent across Indonesia in his first State of the Nation address on Friday. We need criticism, he said, although some of the criticism can be suffocating. But no problem, dont stop criticizing. Contact us at letters@time.com. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto emphasised an expectation-defying economy, low unemployment rate and slew of ambitious social welfare initiatives as he delivered his first state address to parliament on Friday. The ex-special forces commander took office in October after a campaign to rehabilitate an image tainted by allegations of rights abuses committed during the Suharto dictatorship in the late 1990s. The 73-year-old populist leader has pledged fast, state-driven growth to transform Southeast Asia's largest country into a major global powerhouse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But his hallmark schemes, including a free school meal programme to address childhood stunting, have strained state coffers, stoked investor fears and triggered student protests. In his speech, Prabowo defended his social policies and pointed to positive second-quarter economic results after his government set an ambitious goal of eight percent growth. "Amid political conflict, global economic conflict, (and the US) trade war... Indonesia still managed to grow above five percent," he told parliament. After US President Donald Trump threatened Indonesia with a heavy tariff rate of 32 percent in April, Prabowo negotiated a lower levy of 19 percent in return for bringing down trade barriers for American goods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, the statistics agency showed Q2 growth had accelerated to 5.12 percent, beating forecasts and up from 4.87 percent the previous quarter. He also pointed to the unemployment rate, which has dropped to its lowest since the Asian financial crisis. On his social welfare agenda, Prabowo shrugged off criticism of the billion-dollar free lunch programme for schoolkids and pregnant mothers, touting its reach of 20 million people. "Our goal... is to be free from poverty, free from hunger, free from suffering," he said. He faced protests across Indonesia in February for widespread cuts to fund the scheme -- which has been dogged by reported delays and food poisonings -- as well as a new sovereign wealth fund. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prabowo succeeded the popular Joko Widodo last year in a third attempt at the presidency after a campaign in which he pledged policy continuity. Prabowo will also unveil the 2026 budget later on Friday, ahead of the archipelago nation's independence day on Sunday. mrc-dsa-jfx/lb JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) President Prabowo Subianto marked the 80th anniversary of Indonesias independence by vowing to root out corruption and crackdown on food cartels that caused billions of dollars of annual state losses. Subianto, who took office in October, delivered the remarks in his first State of the Nation address Friday after 299 days leading the country. I have a deeper understanding of the magnitude of the challenges we face and the extent of corruption within our government," Subianto told members of Parliament and other top officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 73-year old former general said that since early this year his administration has identified and saved 300 trillion rupiah ($18.5 billion) in the state budget that may have been lost to corruption, including from domestic and international travel by government officials and office stationery. We are facing the reality of a massive leakage of our nations wealth, we are in a net outflow of national wealth condition, Subianto said. Therefore, I am obliged to take action even if it is difficult and disliked by certain parties. In the fiery, televised speech, Subianto also vowed to fight food cartels that caused losses up to $6.1 billion each year in a phenomenon that he called serakahnomics, a play on words combining economics with the Indonesian term for greedy, serakah. He pledged to enforce the law and take action against companies regardless of whether there are powerful figures or military generals and police who support them to make sure that the Indonesian people would not be victims of serakahnomics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subianto said it was "very strange and unreasonable" that Indonesia, the worlds largest palm oil producer, experienced cooking oil shortages twice in 2022 causing skyrocketing prices and some people lacked access to affordable food despite the governments rollout of agricultural equipment, fertilizer and pesticide subsidies and irrigation reservoirs. Subianto accused the countrys rice mills of buying the farmers unhusked, dry rice below the government-set price of Rp 6,500 (40 U.S. cents) per kilogram and enjoying millions of dollars profit each month from an unfair food trade. There are some business people who use their capital power to dominate and manipulate the lives of the people at the bottom and we cannot accept this, Subianto said. The president added that he received a report stating there are more than 1,000 illegal mines with the potential to cause the state to lose at least 300 trillion rupiah ($18.5 billion). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His government regained control of 3.1 million hectares (7.6 million acres) of the 5 million hectares (12.3 million acres) of palm oil plantations that were reportedly managed illegally, Subianto said. Subiantos remarks overshadow his efforts to run a government cleanup effort, which was part of the campaign that led to his 2024 election victory. Corruption is endemic in Indonesia and activists say police and members of Parliament are perceived as being widely corrupt in the country of more than 280 million people. The anti-graft commission, known as KPK, is one of the few effective institutions and frequently comes under attack by lawmakers who want to reduce its powers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The KPK said it arrested around 250 local elected officials, as many as 133 regents and mayors, 18 governors, 83 members of the national Parliament and 12 ministers since the institution was founded in late 2003. Subianto appealed for support from members of his cabinet, political parties and Parliament to support his efforts to run a clean government in a country that was ranked 99th out of 180 nations in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by Transparency International. As long as Im president, never assume that the great and the rich can do whatever they want. We are not afraid of your greatness or wealth," Subianto said, The government that I lead will not hesitate to defend the interests of the Indonesian people. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A young pilot and social media influencer grounded in a Chilean territory in Antarctica back in June said he is not being allowed to leave with his plane and cant finish a $1 million fundraiser for St. Jude. Teen pilot who raised $100k for St. Jude arrested in Antarctica Ethan Guo was charged with handing false information to ground control and landing without authorization, but this week, a judge dropped the charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of an agreement, Guo must make a $30,000 donation to a childrens cancer foundation within 30 days to avoid trial, CBS News reported. Teen pilot stuck in Antarctica has a new plan to leave Ethan Guo. WREG photo Representatives for Guo released a statement on Instagram on Wednesday saying Guo had been fully vindicated. Sean Croft with Croft & Johnson LLP said evidence provided to the prosecutor showed Guos original destination was Ushuaia, Argentina, as confirmed by his flight plan, flight manifest, and fee payments. Croft said due to bureaucratic confusion over flight rule permissions, Chilean officials suggested he circle in darkness over Tierra del Fuego before proceeding to Ushuaia at sunrise. While doing so, he encountered instrument failures and heavy, unreported icing conditions caused by high cloud cover over the Andes, creating an imminent risk of a crash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To avert disaster, including possibly crashing into the Andes while in total darkness, he diverted over the ocean. Once over the ocean, he experienced engine-related issues, likely to due to sudden, weather-related pressure changes, said Croft. Mr. Guo requested and received explicit, direct permission to land at the Marsh base from a high-ranking DGAC official via WhatsApp, an authorization that was subsequently confirmed by the bases air traffic controller. Croft said despite his exoneration, the Chilean government has not allowed him to fly his airworthy plane off the base and Guo has suffered mentally and physically from the ordeal. Ethan attaches a camera to his plane to document his trip around the world. WREG photo. He said that while Guo is grateful for the efforts to secure passage on a boat, he is frustrated that there is no plan for his plane, preventing him from continuing his charitable mission for St. Jude. Guo was attempting to become the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents while drumming up donations for research into childhood cancer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guo began his quest in Memphis in May of 2024. He has been documenting his journey on Instagram, where he has 1.3M followers. So far, he has raised more than $100,000 for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. 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. Aug. 14Several wildfires sparked Wednesday across the Inland Northwest amid hot, windy weather. A 675-acre fire burning northeast of Athol destroyed three structures, according to the Idaho Department of Lands. The Bonner County Sheriff's Office ordered "go" evacuations for residents on Raven, Crosswhite and Little Blacktail roads and east of 2268 Sunset Road, IDL said in a news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A "set" status was in place for residents on Blacktail Road one-quarter mile north of Little Blacktail. An evacuation reception area is available at Sagle Elementary School. Evacuated cows and horses can be taken to the fairgrounds, according to the release. The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office put the community of Bayview into a "ready" to evacuate status, IDL said. Helicopters, multiple fire engines, a tanker, a hot shot crew and several ground firefighters helped the Department of Lands battle the blaze, which was reported at about 3:30 p.m. In Washington, a 500-acre fire burning north of Reardan in Lincoln County forced Level 3, or "leave now," evacuations for residents, according to officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Structures were threatened, and it was unclear whether any burned in the Crescent Road fire, according to Zoe Love, Washington State Department of Natural Resources public information officer. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Facebook page indicated the fire was burning near Crescent Road, Whispering Pines Drive and Devils Gap Road, and moving north toward the Spokane River, Devils Gap and Long Lake roads. The fire shut down some roads in the area. Level 3 evacuations were ordered for residents between Farwell Road and the Spokane River and McLaughlin Road and state Route 231, the sheriff's office wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State fire resources were assisting local firefighters fighting the fire that is torching grass, timber and brush, according to a Washington State Fire Marshal's Office news release. Love said the cause of the fire, which started about 4:15 p.m., was undetermined. Aircraft helped ground crews battle the blaze. In Whitman County, a 600-acre blaze burning in grass, wheat and brush was threatening homes, infrastructure and agricultural resources near Dusty, according to a Washington State Fire Marshal's Office news release. State firefighting resources were called to help local firefighters at the scene of the Central Ferry fire, which started about 11:30 a.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residents in the area were asked to be ready to evacuate. Air resources were ordered to help contain the fire, the release said. The cause of the fire is under investigation. A fire closed state Route 21 west of Ritzville Wednesday afternoon, but it reopened quickly, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. The status of the fire Wednesday night was unclear. Intern reporter Caroline Saint James contributed to this article. Scenes erupted inside a town hall held by Rep. Jasmine Crockett Thursday night after a right-wing internet personality and Blaze TV host crashed the event and hurled insults at the Texas Democrat. Sara Gonzales posted footage of the incident to social media that shows her interrupting the congresswomen as shes speaking to a crowd. She then shouts, Jasmine, the people of Dallas deserve better than a fake ghetto hoodrat! Crockett can be seen in the video reacting to the insult and looking at Gonzales in shock. As the crowd boos, Gonzales doubles down, asking Crockett, Do they know youre a spoiled rich kid from Missouri? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After being confronted by several angry attendees, Gonzales can be seen being escorted outside by security as she continues to shout expletives. Police can be seen in the video ordering her off the property and threatening to put her in handcuffs if she did not comply. I confronted Jasmine Crockett at a townhall for being a fake hoodrat. pic.twitter.com/ilezQ6Kcl7 Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) August 15, 2025 Crockett was in south Dallas on Thursday night to speak to supporters, urging Democrats to present a united front so they can defeat Trump and his allies in 2026. In footage of the entire incident posted by Dallas Weekly, Crockett can be heard calling out Gonzales. Listen, this is part of the problem, Crockett says, her voice raising as the crowd cheers her on. This is part of the problem, but I want yall to be part of the solution. Were gonna show these people that ignorance will not win today. Crockett, a vocal critic of Trump, was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended college in Tennessee before moving to Texas for law school, where she has lived since. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crockett was also trolled by a woman who calls herself Blonde Conservative online at the same event. A video showed her interrupting Crockett to ask, Jasmine, why do you hate white people? Why are you racist towards white people? She was quickly asked to leave. The Daily Beast has reached out to Crocketts office and Gonzales for comment. I confronted Congresswoman @JasmineForUS for being racist towards white people pic.twitter.com/b8qKE158Q5 blonde conservative (@blondeconserv1) August 15, 2025 Conservatives have accused Crockett of anti-white racism as a result of comments like her dismissal of mediocre white boys in the Trump administration who resent policies focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. She has also described President Donald Trump as a white supremacist and a wannabe Hitler. Trump supporters have zeroed in on Crockett as a result of her outspokenness, and regularly criticize the 44-year-old for her comments against Trump and his allies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They divided us. Rural and urban, they divided us, Crockett said Thursday night. They are killing us. I am here to tell you that it is time for us to come together... The most patriotic thing that we can do as a country is decide that we are going to be one. Inside a windowless and dark shipping container turned into a high-tech surveillance command center, two analysts peered at their own set of six screens that showed data coming in from an MQ-9 Predator B drone. Both were looking for two adults and a child who had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and had fled when a Border Patrol agent approached in a truck. Inside the drone hangar on the other side of the Ft. Huachuca base sat another former shipping container, this one occupied by a drone pilot and a camera operator, who pivoted the drone's camera to scan 9 square miles of shrubs and saguaros for the migrants. Like the command center, the onetime shipping container was lit mostly by the glow of the computer screens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Texas, Florida hit with far more ICE arrests than California. But that's not the whole story The hunt for the three migrants embodied how advanced technology has become a vital part of the Trump administration's efforts to secure the border. The Department of Homeland Security allocated 12,000 hours of MQ-9 drone flight time this year at the Ft. Huachuca base, and says the flights cost $3,800 per hour, though an inspector general report in 2015 said the amount is closer to $13,000 when factoring in personnel salaries and operational costs. Maintenance issues and bad weather often mean the drones fly around half the allotted hours, officials said. With the precipitous drop in migrant crossings at the southern U.S. border, the drones are now tasked with fewer missions. That means they have the time to track small groups or even individual border jumpers trekking north through the desert. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This type of drone, first used in warfare, was operated by the National Air Security Operations division of Customs and Border Protection at the Army base about 70 miles south of Tucson. A reporter was allowed to observe the operation in April on the condition that personnel not be named and that no photographs be taken. An air interdiction agent, left, programs an unmanned Predator aircraft from a flight operations center near the Mexican border at Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Ariz., in March 2013. (John Moore / Getty Images) The drone flying this day was mounted with a radar, called Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar, or VaDER, that could identify any moving object in the drones sight, and pinpoint them with color-coded dots for the two analysts in the first container. The program had already located three Border Patrol agents, one on foot and two on motorcycles, searching for the migrants. The analysts had also identified three cows and two horses, headed toward Mexico. Then, one of the analysts spotted something. We got them, he said to his colleague, who had been scanning the terrain. Good work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Self-deportations. Factory layoffs. Military zones. How Trump is transforming the U.S.-Mexico border. The analyst dropped a pin on the migrants and the VaDER program began tracking their movement in a blue trail. Now, he had to guide agents on the ground to them. We've got an adult male and a child, I think, tucked in this bush, the analyst radioed to his team, as he toggled between the live video to an infrared camera view that showed the heat signature of every living thing in range. The analyst saw his Border Patrol colleagues approaching on motorcycles. The roar of the oncoming machines scared up a bird, the tracking program showed. The migrants began running. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OK, it looks like they're starting, the camera operator said into the radio to the Border Patrol agents. Theyre hearing the bikes. They hear you guys. The camera operator and the other personnel spoke in the professional, matter-of-fact tone of 911 operators. One adult and the child began scrambling up a hill. Theyre moving north and west, mainly, the camera operator said. Starting to pick up the pace going uphill. The agents rushed in on the pair and detained them. It was a mother and her child. The drone team turned its attention to the third person, who was stumbling through the brush and making a beeline for the Mexican border. If you cut due south from your current location, the drone pilot said to the camera operator. You should pick up some sign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The camera operator, as directed, panned across the desert, scanning farther and farther south. Ive got them, he said when he spotted someone running. He radioed the coordinates to the Border Patrol team. By now, the man, carrying a backpack, had scaled a hill. Hes on the ridgeline right now, working his way up due south, slowly, the camera operator radioed. Then the man dropped something. Hey, mark that spot, the camera operator said. He just threw a pack, right here where my crosshairs are at. Agents would go back later and see if the backpack contained drugs, an analyst said. Usually, if its food or water, theyre not going to do that, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: 'They run, we chase': Immigration raids test limits of 'probable cause' On this spring morning, the drone wasn't the only airborne asset deployed. A helicopter had joined the chase to catch the southbound man, who stumbled, got up and kept running. He took a pretty good spill there, an analyst said into the radio. We have a helo inbound, three point five minutes out, the camera operator said. A helicopter came into the drones view. It swooped in, circling the location of the man, who was by now hiding under a bush. You just passed over him, the camera operator radioed the helicopter pilot. Hes between you and that saguaro. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With a keystroke, he switched to infrared vision to find the mans heat profile through the brush to make sure he still had him. Guided by the camera operator, the pilot landed the helicopter in a cloud of dust near the cowering target. The video feed showed agents jump out of the aircraft, detain the man and load him into the helicopter. The chopper lifted off and tilted back north toward a nearby Border Patrol post. Thanks, sir, appreciate all the help, the analyst said to the helicopter pilot. Mission accomplished, the drone pilot turned the MQ-9 back along the U.S.-Mexico border, scanning the vast desert in search of more migrants. The military is planning to deliver a third MQ-9 drone to the base this fall after spending a year retrofitting it for civilian authority use. Fisher is a special correspondent. This article was co-published with Puente News Collaborative , a bilingual nonprofit newsroom, convener and funder dedicated to high-quality, fact-based news and information from the U.S.-Mexico border. 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. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) License plate readers have been legal in Oklahoma since 2018, but a state lawmaker wants to know if law enforcement may be using them illegally to some extent. Republican State Rep. Tom Gann says there is a lot of gray area when it comes to these cameras, saying there is nothing to govern their use or misuse. What theyve been using is as a reason to just be able to track your tag, saying that its all public and it shouldnt be any big deal, Rep. Gann said. So, we want to bring that in and talk about why that is an error. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Compulsory Insurance Law allowed license plate readers for the first time in the state, as a way to identify those driving without insurance. LOCAL: 1 dead, another hurt in Southeast Oklahoma City shooting However, Rep. Gann says the cameras have been misused, pointing to a case last year in McClain County. Oklahoma Title 47, Section 7606.1F clearly states that the only thing that the government agencies, law enforcement can use automated license plate readers for is the Compulsory Insurance Law, Rep. Gann said. It specifically says that no individual or our agency can use this data for any other purpose. A defendant asked their attorney to request that the information that was collected by the automated license plate readers be suppressed in his defense for the crime that he committed, and the judge agreed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Gann wants to take a closer look at the cameras legality during an interim study in October. You stand the risk of revictimizing all these people if their cases are thrown out and you got to go back in and have all this redone, Rep. Gann said. Then if its unlawful, then you have to think about all the innocent people that have been surveilled unlawfully, and so theyre victims of this. Both the OTA and ODOT will be involved in the study. OTAs cameras are expressly authorized by law for use by the OTA to charge and collect tolls from owners of vehicles imaged using the turnpike system. See Oklahoma Electronic Toll Collection Act, 47 O.S. 11-1401.2(A)(9).The Electronic Toll Collection Act also expressly provides that the images recorded by OTAs cameras are for the exclusive use of the OTA in charging/collecting tolls, and shall not be open to the public or used in any court action/proceeding, unless the action relates to (1) OTAs efforts to collect toll charges, or (2) in the investigation or prosecution of a criminal violation of Oklahoma law. In such a case the records will be available to law enforcement pursuant to a duly issued search warrant, criminal subpoena or court order. See 47 O.S. 11-1401.2(B)(16). If traffic surveillance cameras are authorized in state statute, OTA recommends installing a separate system operated by law enforcement for that purpose. Oklahoma Turnpike Authority The Oklahoma Department of Transportation does not use, own, enforce or install Automated License Plate Recognition cameras in highway or interstate rights of way. Currently, the Oklahoma Uninsured Vehicle Enforcement Diversion Program coordinates with the department for safe camera placement, which is allowed by statute. The department is willing to provide expertise to the Committee, if needed, on all highway and interstate safety aspects as they affect the traveling public. Oklahoma Department of Transportation Rep. Gann hopes everything comes into focus come October. Its just wise that we discuss this, so well know which way to go, Rep. Gann said. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol responded on Friday morning, telling KFOR that they do not use that type of camera. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. VINEYARD, Utah (ABC4) Intermountain Health opened a new clinic in Vineyard due to the fast-growing population. Intermountain Health has 33 hospitals and 400 clinics over six states, including Utah. And, as of August 14, 2025, they have another clinic. Their newest clinic opened at 667 East and 500 North, Suite 210, in Vineyard. When people have a primary care doctor in their community, its easier to meet their health needs and receive regular checkups, said Matias Calquin, MD, a physician at the Intermountain Vineyard Clinic. This is vital to catching potential health problems early. Intemountain Health opens a new clinic in Vineyard, Utah (Courtesy: Intermountain Health) Intemountain Health opens a new clinic in Vineyard, Utah (Courtesy: Intermountain Health) Intemountain Health opens a new clinic in Vineyard, Utah (Courtesy: Intermountain Health) According to Intermountain Health, their new Vineyard Clinic will provide primary care, including behavioral health, routine examinations and physicals, immunizations and vaccinations, and lab and x-ray services. Their new clinic will also provide virtual or telehealth services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As our community grows, we will be able to add more services and caregivers to handle those needs, Dr. Calquin said. Intermountain Health noted that Vineyard is projected to grow by 200% in the next 15 years. More information on Intermountains new Vineyard clinic is available here. Latest headlines: 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 ABC4 Utah. UTICA, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) Another of the defendants in the Robert Brooks case had a chance for his suppression hearing in Oneida County Court on Friday. Nicholas Anzalone went before Judge Robert Bauer on Friday, August 15 to suppress statements made on an audio recording during the search of Anzalones home. Judge Robert Bauer reserved his decision on todays hearing. In todays proceedings, the prosecution called Senior Investigator William Casey of the New York State Police. According to attorneys, Casey has been trained on the necessity of Miranda Warnings in certain situations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutor Jed Hudson began questioning Casey by asking him about the events of December 13, when investigators searched Anzalones home. Upon Caseys arrival, he met with Anzalones father, who told investigators that he was not home. Investigators then began the execution of the search warrant, with the focus on collecting Anzalones corrections uniform. Casey testified that he was assisted by a detective from the New York State Attorney Generals Office, who spoke with Anzalone when he arrived home. The detective informed Casey that Anzalone did not want to speak. Casey testified that he spoke with Anzalone briefly and asked him about his property and if investigators could search various locations on it. The investigator also noted that no one asked about Brooks death, and Anzalone was generally respectful. The investigator also testified that Anzalones movements were not constrained, no weapons were drawn despite all officers being armed, and no arrests were made. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defense attorney Nick Evanovich asked Casey in his cross-examination if he had seen any video of the assault of Brooks. Casey responded that he had seen the video approximately a day prior to the search of Anzalones home. Casey testified that he along with other investigators arrived from the State Police barracks in Marcy at approximately 3:30 pm on December 13. According to Casey, investigators searched the property for approximately 30 minutes before Anzalone came home. The investigator also testified that there was a dog unsecured at Anzalones residence, prompting investigators to advise his father to let him know investigators were in his home. Casey told Evanovich that all investigators were made aware of his audio recording device, as well as how he would be recording. Casey noted that the recorder was privately owned and not issued by the New York State Police, but all recordings go to a computer when done recording. When asked if other conversations outside of the investigation were recorded on the device, Casey said he did not recall, but there was a possibility that other conversations within earshot could be heard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Casey also noted that he did not make Anzalone or his family aware that he was recording conversations. When asked about the detective from the Attorney Generals office later identified as Dwayne Rude Casey said he did not recall his and Anzalones conversation since he was not there for it. The investigator said his interactions with Anzalone were very brief. And he investigator was not aware of any Miranda Rights being given to Anzalone. Anzalone is due back in Oneida County Court along with what is currently six of his co-defendants on Monday, September 22 for a pre-trial conference. A trial date is still scheduled for Monday, October 6, beginning with jury selection on that date. 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 WUTR/WFXV - CNYhomepage.com. NAGS HEAD, N.C. (WAVY) For 30 years, since he was a little kid, Jack Coon has been coming to the Outer Banks for vacation. Now, he and his wife are the parents of five girls, but what he saw when he arrived on his latest trip and took a closer look at the deck on their summer rental made my heart drop. Wobbly railings are one thing, but potentially deadly conditions are something else entirely, and thats what motivated Coon to contact 10 On Your Side. I was out looking at the stars, and I leaned against one of those railings, and I was like, Whoa, he said in a recent interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He pushed out the vertical railing supports that werent even attached to the deck floor, where his children, all age 9 and younger, had been playing a short time before, with a 30 feet drop straight down to the ground below. That scared the heck out of me, Coon said. No one wants to see children get hurt. Theres no amount of money thats worth a childs life. Coon remembers how their two-week getaway started with high hopes. We were incredibly excited, Coon said. Youre always so excited. Youre there to have fun. Youre there to relax. And then he saw the flimsy and dangerous condition of the railing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I immediately imagined my children at the bottom of the on the ground, three stories down, Coon said. This is a real issue, said Bob Huizing, a certified building inspector who has inspected about 3,000 homes on the Outer Banks. Huizing said with short-term rentals, inspections are not required by law. Once its built, the code police doesnt come back and check it, Huizing said in a Wednesday morning interview. When we showed him the dangerous problems Coon had at his rental, Huizing showed us his own horror stories. I walked out onto the decks and the handrails are not a little wobbly, theyre completely loose, Huizing said. We get on steps and the whole stairway rocks from side-to-side. By the time you get to the top, that whole thing is moving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Huizing owes the dangerous conditions to the extreme weather notorious on the Outer Banks, along with age and family reunions, in which everyone wants to have fun in the same place at the same time. A lot of times, people come down here in a six-bedroom house, Huizing said. Theyve got 10, 12 people on it, and they all want to sit on that top-level deck. The whole piling system will move, which is obviously not good. If youre a homeowner and youre renting your house, you ought to pay to play, Coon said. Youve got to take care of that house. And thats what I want to drive home. Coon said he has been targeted on social media for making waves, instead of just packing up and going home like most vacationers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im being considered a bad renter now just because I want to raise awareness, he said. But the blowback hasnt been enough to turn the tide. Coon still plans to file a lawsuit. WAVY made multiple attempts to contact the leasing company that handled Coons rental, seeking comment, but it did not respond. It just worries me how many [more decks] could be like this, he said, but admits real change will have to come from 200 miles inland in Raleigh. Its the North Carolina law thats keeping the local governments from being able to do anything, Coon said. If you dont stay up on [the maintenance of] the house, it will go bad very fast, Huizing said. There are people who have died from falling off of decks, or theres people that have been seriously injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coon says hell keep up his crusade. I cant live knowing that this could happen to another family, Coon said. The North Carolina law governing short-term rentals does not mention the word inspection at all, and only once mentions the word safety, and only as it relates to elevators. It does hold real estate brokers and landlords responsible for maintaining fit and habitable conditions, without specifics. Meanwhile, across the state line, the city of Virginia Beach this week approved a change for all short-term rentals there. A structural safety inspection report shall be provided to the city every three years indicating all exterior stairways, decks, porches and balconies with a finished height more than 30 inches above around level have been inspected by either a licensed design professional, or Class A, B, or C contractor qualified to perform such inspection, and are safe for use, the Virginia Beach ordinance states. The report must confirm the structure has been built to the applicable residential building code standards and are free of observable damage that would render the structure unsafe for use. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Virginia Beach ordinance exempts new construction for the first five years, provided that it was inspected at the time of completion. 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. Comparta este articulo Carlos Trevino Medina, former general director of Pemex under President Enrique Pena Nieto, has been arrested following accusations that he accepted bribes in connection with the Odebrecht corruption case. He was named in testimony by Emilio Lozoya Austin, who claimed Trevino received illegal payments to secure contracts during Mexico's energy reform. Carlos Alberto Trevino Medina is a Mexican politician and public official with a long-standing career in government. He graduated from the Tecnologico de Monterrey with a degree in Food Industry Engineering and holds an MBA. His professional background includes high-ranking positions in finance and public administration: Deputy Minister of Expenditures at the Ministry of Finance (SHCP) Chief Administrative Officer at the Ministries of Economy and Energy Director General of the National Agricultural, Rural, Forestry and Fisheries Development Bank Chief Financial Officer of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) from 2014 to 2016 In November 2017, Trevino was appointed CEO of Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) by then-President Enrique Pena Nieto, a position he held until the end of 2018. TAMBIEN LEE: Martin Vizcarra, expresidente de Peru pasara 5 meses en prision por corrupcion Why Was He Arrested? Trevino Medina was accused by Emilio Lozoya Austin, his predecessor at Pemex, of receiving a 4.39 million peso bribe as part of a corruption scheme linked to the Brazilian firm Odebrecht. According to Lozoya, Trevino illegally facilitated operations at a polyethylene plant supplied by Pemex, which allegedly granted Odebrecht millions in illicit profits. Carlos Trevino: Cuartoscuro In 2021, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Trevino on charges of criminal association and money laundering, after he failed to appear at a scheduled court hearing. The Attorney Generals Office (FGR) subsequently requested an Interpol red notice for his international arrest. UNETE A NUESTRO CANAL DE WHATSAPP. EL PODER DE LA INFORMACION EN LA PALMA DE TU MANO SIGUENOS EN EL SHOWCASE DE GOOGLE NEWS Trevino's Counterclaim Against Gertz Manero In response to the accusations, Trevino filed a complaint against Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero, claiming that the allegations made by Lozoya were the result of torture and coercion. Trevino maintains that the testimony implicating him was manipulated and lacks legal basis, arguing that it was extracted under pressure by the FGR to incriminate him unjustly. The case remains under investigation, and Trevinos recent arrest marks a key development in Mexico's broader Odebrecht corruption scandal. VGB DES MOINES, Iowa Another record has been broken at the Iowa State Fair. On Thursday, the Iowa Lottery broke the Guinness World Record for the most people scratching scratch-off tickets at the same time. Starting fires and axe throwing: Iowa State Fair Mountain Man Camp explores life 200 years ago The record breaking attempt was held at Elwell Family Park at the Iowa State Fair to celebrate the Iowa Lotterys 40th anniversary. Hundreds of fairgoers participated to scratch a throwback version of the lotterys first product, the Scratch, Match, & Win game which launched at the fair in 1985. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To break the record, the Iowa Lottery needed over 550 scratchers. According to a post on Facebook, the Iowa Lottery had over 1,300 participants, scratching off the previous record holder and bringing home the Guinness World Record title. The previous world record was set by a lottery in Poland. Iowa 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 who13.com. The successful infiltration came after multiple attempts. The hackers reportedly gained access after Shaked clicked on a link, which enabled the hackers to gain full control of her phone. Iran-backed hackers successfully infiltrated the personal phone of Ayelet Shaked, Israels former justice minister, N12 first reported on Thursday. Shaked was informed of the hack by the Shin Bet, who told her that the attempt originated from Iran. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The successful infiltration came after multiple attempts. The hackers reportedly gained access after Shaked clicked on a link, which enabled the hackers to gain full control of her phone. Shaked was previously warned of the Iranian attempts by former Shin Bet head Nadav Argaman. "The matter is being handled by security officials," Shaked said following the incident. AYELET SHAKED during her recent visit to Brazil. (credit: AYELET SHAKED) Hacking attempts by Iran Since the end of the 12 Day War, Irans attempts to hack into the personal phones of Israeli officials has dramatically increased. Several senior officials have fallen for an Iranian hacking scheme where a message that impersonates the official Telegram account is sent, encouraging the victims to connect to WhatsApp and synchronize the social networks. The Isle of Man is set to fall silent to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two. Known as Victory over Japan (VJ) Day, it marks the date in 1945 when the Japanese Emperor surrendered to the Allied forces. A national two-minute silence will take place at 12:00 BST to remember those who lost their lives in East Asia and the Pacific. A short service including a wreath laying by Chief Minister Alfred Cannan will be held immediately beforehand at the National War Memorial in St John's. Other Commemorations Services will also be taking place to mark the anniversary and pay tribute to those who died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Douglas: at 10:15 BST a short ceremony will be held at Hilary Park and will include wreath laying, a performance of The Last Post, and a one-minute silence. Mayor Steven Crellin, who will be at the service, said: "'The Asia-Pacific conflict is sometimes referred to as the 'forgotten war,' but it must never be forgotten." Onchan: The Royal British Legion's Onchan branch will host a wreath-laying ceremony at the Onchan War Memorial from 10:45 until 11:15. Commemorations would also see the Tower of Refuge, the Legislative Buildings and Ramsey Swing Bridge illuminated red in tribute from dusk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And the bells at St George's Church in Douglas will ring out at 18:30 to recreate the ringing that took place across Britain as people took to the streets in celebration of the end of the conflict. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X. More like this story Related internet links The IDF said it struck on Friday evening an active Hezbollah military outpost, as well as underground infrastructure, in southern Lebanon's Beaufort Ridge. Israel sees Lebanese President Joseph Aoun as directly responsible for upholding the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Friday. The IDF said it struck on Friday evening an active Hezbollah military outpost, as well as underground infrastructure, in southern Lebanon's Beaufort Ridge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The presence of the site and the activity at the site constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon," the military said. We will not return to the reality of October 7, the defense minister added, stating that the Israeli military will continue to respond forcefully to any violation. Israel points blame at Aoun despite Hezbollah tensions Katz's comments also came amid tensions between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah after Aoun told a senior Iranian official on Tuesday that no group in Lebanon is permitted to bear arms or rely on foreign backing. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned that Qassem's comments were irresponsible, encouraging strife, and carried "a veiled threat of civil war," Arab media reported. Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani meets with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, in this handout image released on August 13, 2025. (credit: LEBANESE PRESIDENCY PRESS OFFICE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS) "There is no party in Lebanon authorized to carry weapons outside the Lebanese state," he said, and explained that Qassem's statements about "giving Hezbollah's weapons to Israel" were false. "No one asked to give your weapons to Israel, but rather to the Lebanese Army, whose patriotism and loyalty we refuse to question," he stated. Pollard has announced that he will be running for Knesset either with a party that aligns with his values or independently if he cannot find one. Jonathan Pollards life reads like a spy novel, full of intrigue, grit, and some violence, but without the requisite tuxedo glamour. Perhaps its because the infamous spy has a mission that propelled his career in Naval Intelligence and as an agent for Israeli Intelligence: his love for Israel. I always felt as a Jew that Israel was my home and that living in the Diaspora was unacceptable now that Israel was in existence. It took me a really long time to live here because of certain decisions I made, Pollard said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, Pollard has announced that he will be running for Knesset either with a party that aligns with his values or independently if he cannot find one. One way or another, he vows that he will be on the ballot. People ask me, How can you expect us to vote for you if youre not even fluent in Hebrew? He admits that this is a big challenge, but his response is Would you agree that, for the most part, our leaders since 1948 have been fluent, native Hebrew speakers? And then I ask, And how did that work out for you? Jonathan Pollard (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST) Its not about the language I use its the ideas and my sincerity behind them that count. My loyalty is to the Land and people of Israel, without exception. Just as certain members of the Trump administration profess an America first doctrine, I wholeheartedly embrace an Israel first doctrine. And I went to jail for that for 30 years; it even left me disabled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pollard will be running on a 10-step platform. I need people to understand and think about what I am proposing because if these principles are not adopted, Im very afraid we are going to be suffering from successive Oct. 7s going forward. I dont want our children, our grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to experience or witness another Oct. 7. Pollards 10-step platform 1. Establish military self-sufficiency. After what happened with the Biden administrations manipulation of military supply, its clear that we have to be responsible for the majority of our military equipment. It makes sense, not just from a national security standpoint but from an economic standpoint as well. We need jobs here. 2. Rejection of disproportionality. What this means is if someone lobs a mortar at one of our border communities and destroys a house, we take out an enemys city. There is no proportionality none. Its been used as a weapon against us to tie our hands. Getting rid of terrorists homes when they conduct a terror event? Whats that? You take out the village that they come from. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 3. No more buffers. David Ben-Gurion said fight on the enemys territory. This notion of relying on buffers should have been dispensed with after Oct. 7 plain and simple. Even if you have a hint that there is a threat, you move. Buffers give you a false sense of security. 4. Prevention and preemptive action. Weve lost this idea. That is why when you have a threat, you either prevent the threat from being realized or you preempt it decisively before it occurs. People might ask, If you have a buffer and quick reaction forces, isnt it the same thing? No, because thats tactical. If you have a threat that requires a wall, a buffer, or a barrier, you eliminate the threat. 5. Annexation of enemy territory. The Arabs dont care how many men they lose. They dont care how much material they lose, infrastructure, factories they dont care! The one thing they care about is the loss of land. In the case of Gaza, just use this as an example. It is our biblical land. And even under the Balfour Declaration and the League of Nations mandate, as confirmed by the San Remo Agreement, this is Israels. Its not enough to say, We are going to destroy Hamas. We are going to expel. We have to annex this land, reimpose sovereignty, repopulate the [Gaza] Strip with Jews and turn the page. Thats the only way were going to guarantee security, not just for our Gaza border communities but for the rest of the nation. Why? Because annexing land enhances our deterrents and our credibility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 6. Admission of nuclear arsenal. We should admit that we have a nuclear arsenal and that we will use these weapons at a time and place of our choosing. I asked some generals once if anyone could tell me how we could actually use nuclear weapons and nobody could. So I asked, Then why did we build them? One general answered, It was for deterrence. Well, heres a wake-up call. If youre not ready to use them, the enemy is not afraid of us anymore. We are going to have to threaten to use them and think about the scenarios under which we will use these weapons. Put up or shut up. 7. Stop seeking partial victories. We should dedicate our military to achieving total victory through annihilation of the enemy army as opposed to seeking partial victories. Ceasefires, otherwise known as managing a threat, mowing the grass, or kicking the can down the road, doesnt do it. We must eliminate the threat. 8. Eliminate the Purity of Arms manual. The Purity of Arms manual indoctrinates our soldiers to appreciate diversity and reject the notion of total victory. Total victory, as explained by the Purity of Arms, is immoral. We are only allowed to defeat the enemy to the extent that it stops them from attacking us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My father, a highly decorated army officer who fought in the Second World War, asked me, Where does your loyalty lie? To the country? No. To the flag? No. To the Constitution? No. To my commanding officer? No. My father said, Your loyalty is to the man or woman on either side of you. If your tactical doctrine or your orders are in conflict with that loyalty, I expect you to be in prison rather than at the funeral of the men or women whom you pledged to defend. 9. Promise of essential equipment and military compensation to our reservists. We are not equipping our soldiers appropriately or paying them appropriately, and we are certainly not giving them the notion of fighting for victory. I believe that if someone is in the reserves, he should get a normal salary. If that were the case, the military would fight to win from day one because they couldnt afford to keep them that long. If its going to cost them money, they will fight a war to win very quickly. 10. National service for everyone. Everyone in the country should be expected to perform national service of ones choice. The penalty for not serving should not be prison but rather the loss of the right to vote and the loss of receiving any government assistance. This applies to Arabs as well, except for military service. As Israelis, they can and should do national service within their community as well. A man casts his vote in the Israeli general elections, at a polling station in Jerusalem, on November 1, 2022. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90) Pollard said these 10 steps are the beginning of the principles he would like to implement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We need a statement from the government that Oslo is officially dead, he declared in his interview with the Magazine. We should understand that the PLO never ratified the agreement. This is one of the worst-kept secrets Ive ever seen they never signed Oslo, the Knesset candidate said. Secondly, we should move to eliminate the PA kinetically, in particular the elimination of all refugee camps, which are nothing more than terrorist training centers, he said. And illegal Arab building in Area C must be stopped. We should eliminate any restrictions whatsoever on Jewish settlement of Yehuda and the Shomron [Judea and Samaria, the West Bank]. The occupiers are the Arabs. The League of Nations Mandate, the Treaty of San Remo, and even the Quran acknowledge that this is the land of the Jews. As for the Palestinian Authority, Pollard asked, How can you possibly deal with an organization that has an active pay-for-slay program and that uses its media, print, TV, and education to call for the murder of Jews? Our acceptance of this is a sign of our insanity. They have to go. If they want to stay and be law-abiding citizens, understanding that this is our land and they are here as tax-paying guests, then its fine. And for that, they will receive social services, medical services, and an educational system that we will control. They may not indoctrinate their children to slaughter us on our dime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added that, if elected, he expects to see the Israeli flag flying over the Temple Mount. The Waqf has got to go, he concluded. Whether Jewish people should or shouldnt visit the site should be their choice, after they consult with their rabbi but this should not be the decision of the Hashemites, referring to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem during Israels 1948 War of Independence and has administered the Temple Mount ever since. Why a spy? It isnt fair to write about Jonathan Pollard without sharing a bit about his back story. His father, a microbiology researcher at Notre Dame (with a specialty in biological warfare) and a lieutenant colonel in the US Armed Forces during World War II, had drilled the ideas of military strategy and preventive and preemptive warfare into his son. Pollards first trip to Israel was in 1970, when at the age 16 he participated in the Weizmann Institutes Summer Science Program. He considered volunteering to go to Vietnam, as his number was not called to draft. His father convinced him not to go because he said the United States was not set on a decisive victory, since it wasnt under an active threat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After graduating from Stanford University, Pollard joined the US Navy as a Naval Intelligence officer, where he worked as a field officer and analyst. His father was concerned that his unconditional loyalty to Israel could interfere with his job. One of Pollards tasks as a young officer was to investigate the USS Liberty incident of 1967 in which an American spy ship off the coast of Sinai was mistakenly attacked by Israel, resulting in American naval casualties. His father had advised him that if he were to go into intelligence work, his loyalty was to the truth, no matter where it led him, so he was prepared to find out anything about the attack. After poring over the information and doing an all-source analysis of the incident, Pollard concluded that it was simply a terrible accident, a case of mistaken identity. Upon presenting his findings to his commander, the officer asked him, Whose side are you on? I said, Im on the side of truth, Pollard recalled. Well, were gonna have to keep an eye on you, replied the officer. JONATHAN POLLARD arrives at US District Court in New York City in 2016. (credit: EDUARDO MUNOZ / REUTERS) Another of Pollards commanders had an ashtray on his desk with the name Auschwitz on it. So although they didnt know he was Jewish, Pollard kept a low profile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His career as a spy came later when he was assigned to a team involved in a US and Israel intelligence exchange. I found out that I wasnt allowed to share any information of a certain nature despite the fact that it was part of the terms of reference, he explained. And when I went up the chain of command to find out why we were withholding information, I found out there was an undeclared intelligence embargo against Israel. It all went back to the 1981 bombing of the Iraqi nuclear reactor. Pollard said he could not stand idly by while the United States illegally withheld information it had promised Israel, especially since it was war-winning information. So he reached out to the special intelligence-gathering organization of Israels Defense Ministry. He was scrupulous to only share intelligence that he felt was being embargoed unfairly and to not do damage to the United States. When he was convicted, in civilian (not military) court, it was for providing classified material to a major non-NATO ally, but not for treason. He was given a life sentence, an unheard-of punishment for sharing classified information with an ally, and served 30 years in five federal prisons under grueling conditions. But is he a diplomat? Jonathan Pollard is not known for being a diplomat. He has brash, fresh ideas, and he shares them without hesitation. At this point in our history, I think diplomacy is a waste of time, he said. We are not dealing with supportive countries except for the United States, and Im afraid that could change in the next election. What we should be concentrating on right now is securing our immediate safety and well-being. That doesnt need diplomacy that needs an effective security doctrine, he asserted. We need to get very basic in our approach to safeguarding our welfare now, he said. Rather than fooling around with ambassadors and the diplomatic service, we should be concerned with reforming our military, developing a military production system that is largely self-sufficient, and provides technology for export. Countries like Spain, Norway, France, and Ireland should not have permission to have consulates or embassies in Israel they dont deserve them. Many have been used for subversive activities against Israel. Having an embassy and consulates here is a privilege and not a right. Diplomacy among friends is one thing; diplomacy among enemies is something that should be dispensed with. The family man comes home Pollard has been married three times. Once to a fellow intelligence agent, later to Esther, who became known for her advocacy in championing for his freedom, and most recently to Rivka, a widow who came with a built-in family of six daughters and a son, ranging in age from 13 to 24. For the first time, at the age of 71, Pollard is enjoying the pride and challenges of being a father. The girls call him Aba (Father), and he gets very involved in their welfare. You can tell that he finds this role, which had eluded him for most of his life, to be very fulfilling. He described each childs talent and laughed at some of the teenage pushback that other parents might find frustrating. In touch with many influential people all over the world, he has interrupted Zoom calls with a member of Gulf royalty when a child needed attention. The sheikh didnt mind, Pollard said. Hes got 10 children himself. Is Israel ready for Jonathan Pollard? Well, with all his bravado and moxie, he is certainly ready to take on Israel and his wife and family are poised to support him in his efforts. After all, his whole reason for joining the US Navy so many years ago was so that when he did go home, he would have intelligence and strategic skills that would benefit Israel. My whole life, I believed, if you feel strongly about Israel, then you have an absolute moral obligation to go home. Pollard is home at last and is ready, in his own way after all hes been through for Israel, to make it better. NAIROBI (Reuters) -South Sudan and Israel are discussing a deal to resettle Palestinians from war-torn Gaza in the troubled African nation, three sources told Reuters - a plan quickly dismissed as unacceptable by Palestinian leaders. The sources, who have knowledge of the matter but spoke on condition of anonymity, said no agreement had been reached but talks between South Sudan and Israel were ongoing. The plan, if carried further, would envisage people moving from an enclave shattered by almost two years of war with Israel to a nation in the heart of Africa riven by years of political and ethnically-driven violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office and Israel's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the information from the three sources. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said, "we do not speak to private diplomatic conversations," when asked about the plan and if the United States supported the idea. Netanyahu said this month he intends to extend military control in Gaza, and this week repeated suggestions that Palestinians should leave the territory voluntarily. Arab and world leaders have rejected the idea of moving Gaza's population to any country. Palestinians say that would be like another "Nakba" (catastrophe) when hundreds of thousands fled or were forced out during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The three sources said the prospect of resettling Palestinians in South Sudan was raised during meetings between Israeli officials and South Sudanese Foreign Minister Monday Semaya Kumba when he visited the country last month. Their account appeared to contradict South Sudan's foreign ministry which on Wednesday dismissed earlier reports on the plan as "baseless". The ministry was not immediately available to respond to the sources' assertions on Friday. News of the discussions was first reported by the Associated Press on Tuesday, citing six people with knowledge of the matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said the Palestinian leadership and people "reject any plan or idea to displace any of our people to South Sudan or to any other place". His statement echoed a statement from the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday. Hamas, which is fighting Israel in Gaza, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, who visited the South Sudanese capital Juba this week, told reporters that those discussions had not focussed on relocation. "This is not what the discussions were about," she said when asked if any such plan had been discussed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The discussions were about foreign policy, about multilateral organisations, about the humanitarian crisis, the real humanitarian crisis happening in South Sudan, and about the war," she said, referring to her talks with Juba officials. Netanyahu, who met Kumba last month, has said Israel is in touch with a few countries to find a destination for Palestinians who want to leave Gaza. He has consistently declined to provide further details. (Reporting by Nairobi Newsroom; additional reporting by Alexander Cornwell at the Israel-Gaza border, Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Writing by Ammu Kannampilly; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Diane Craft) Palestinian residents of Gaza City have come under relentless Israeli bombardment as the military prepares for a major offensive to seize and ethnically cleanse the area, barring emergency workers from reaching people trapped in the residential Zeitoun neighbourhood. Gaza civil defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told Al Jazeera that the Israeli army had been firing at emergency vehicles trying to reach the wounded in Zeitoun on Friday, as Israeli quadcopters dropped leaflets threatening a forced displacement. Residents were told to leave sections of the eastern neighbourhood, where hundreds of homes have recently been destroyed. Reporting from Deir el-Balah, Al Jazeeras Tareq Abu Azzoum said Israel had been deploying heavy artillery, drones and fighter jets, with four neighbourhoods of Gaza City reporting relentless bombardment shaking the ground day and night as the military advanced its plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was, he said, a full dismantling of civilian life to ensure that people will never be allowed back into this area. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing to seize Gazas largest urban hub and forcibly displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to concentration zones, despite a wave of criticism from families of captives held in Gaza and their supporters, the Israeli security establishment, and a multitude of nations and organisations around the world. As the military closed in on Gaza City, it also continued attacks on other parts of the enclave, killing 44 people, including 16 aid seekers desperately seeking sustenance for their families, according to medical sources who spoke to Al Jazeera. Attacks included strikes on two hospitals, underscoring daily Palestinian pleas that no place in the besieged and bombarded enclave is safe. One person was killed at al-Shifa in Gaza City, which has been bombed and burned multiple times over the war. And at least two were killed at Deir el-Balahs Al-Aqsa Hospital in an explosion preceded by a swarm of Israeli drones hovering over the hospital. Human remains 46 days under the rubble Amid the reports of further Israeli killing, Al Jazeera Arabic reported that a woman in the devastated Tuffah neighbourhood east of Gaza City retrieved the body of her brother and some remains of her father from the rubble of a bombed house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The woman said that the bodies had been trapped along with 31 others since an air strike that had taken place 46 days earlier the timeline indicating the attack occurred at the end of June. With no equipment to retrieve them under Israels harshly punitive blockade, it had been impossible to find them. What we are facing is too much. Too much torture and oppression. Torture, tiredness, and pain, she said. Starvation and dehydration as temperatures soar In parallel, aid seekers continued to be targeted near humanitarian distribution sites run by the GHF, with medical sources reporting 16 were killed on Friday. The United Nations human rights office said at least 1,760 Palestinians had been killed while seeking aid in Gaza since late May a jump of several hundred since its last published figures at the beginning of August. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of the 1,760, 994 were killed in the vicinity of GHF sites and 766 along the routes of supply convoys. Most of the killings were committed by the Israeli military, the agency said in a statement. United States security contractors have also fired on aid seekers. Meanwhile, as reports emerged that another child had died of Israeli-induced starvation in the enclave, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said nearly one in five young children in Gaza City were now deemed to be malnourished. The starvation death toll has now reached 240, including 107 children, according to the Health Ministry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The UN has said Gaza requires the equivalent of at least 600 trucks of aid entering daily to fight off the effects of man-made starvation caused by months of total Israeli blockade. The Israeli army entity in charge of managing aid Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories claimed that it allowed 310 aid trucks to enter Gaza on Thursday. It said that more than 290 were collected and distributed by the UN and other international organisations. International and Palestinian groups are reporting only one-sixth of the necessary 600 trucks a day are actually entering the territory where Israeli-backed gangs are engaged in looting. As people battle extreme hunger, they are also enduring severe dehydration in the current heatwave, with record temperatures surpassing 40C (or 104F), and are resorting to drinking contaminated water. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It causes stomach cramps for adults and children, without exception, Hosni Shaheen, whose family was displaced from Khan Younis, told The Associated Press. You dont feel safe when your children drink it. Credit: @itamarbengvir / X Israels national security minister visited a prominent Palestinian leader in jail and told him: You will not win, footage shows. Marwan Barghouti, a leading member of the Palestinian Fatah party, has spent more than 20 years behind bars after being sentenced for his role in anti-Israeli attacks in the early 2000s. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the ultra-nationalist minister, visited him in his cell and shared footage of the encounter on X. It is the first time Barghouti has been seen publicly in years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the clip, the minister and two other individuals, including a prison guard, surround Barghouti in a corner of his cell. You will not defeat us. Whoever harms the people of Israel, whoever kills children, whoever kills women... we will erase them, Mr Ben-Gvir says in Hebrew. In the clip, Itamar Ben-Gvir and two other individuals, including a prison guard, surround Barghouti in a corner of his cell - Reuters Barghouti, known by his supporters as the Palestinian Mandela, tries to respond but is interrupted by Ben Gvir, who says: No, you know this. And its been the case throughout history. The video does not specify where Barghouti is currently being held. Sources told AFP the meeting took place by chance at the Ganot prison in southern Israel during a ministerial visit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This morning I read that various senior officials in the Palestinian Authority didnt quite like what I said to arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti may his name be erased, Mr Ben-Gvir said in the post accompanying the video on Friday morning. So I will repeat it again and again, without apology whoever messes with the people of Israel, whoever murders our children, whoever murders our women, we will wipe them out. With Gods help. Solitary confinement Barghouti, who is now in his 60s, was arrested by Israel in 2002 and sentenced to life on murder charges in 2004. Israel considers him a terrorist and convicted him over his role in the second intifada, or uprising, from 2000-2005. He often tops opinion polls of popular Palestinian leaders. Rights groups say Barghouti has been held in solitary confinement since Oct 7 2023, the day Hamas launched its deadly attacks on Israel. Palestinian supporters have accused guards of brutally assaulting him, which the Israeli prison service has denied. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arab Barghouti, his son, told AFP he was shocked by the video, both at the state of his father, whom he had not seen in three years, and at what he called the blatantly arrogant minister. Hes lost a lot of weight, and he looks old, he said of his father. They will not break his image in the eyes of the Palestinian people. Marwan Barghouti, then 43, was arrested by Israel in 2002 and sentenced to life on murder charges in 2004 - Oleg Popov/Reuters In a statement released by Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, the Palestinian Authoritys foreign ministry denounced the confrontation as an unprecedented provocation. Responding to the video in a post on X, the Palestinian mission to the United Nations said Barghouti was enduring extremely harsh humanitarian conditions in his solitary confinement cell. It added that he had lost more than half his weight due to deliberate medical neglect and mistreatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, extremist Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir continues to directly threaten him in an attempt to break his will and resilience, it said. It is understood Hamas have sought to exchange Barghouti for the remaining Israeli hostages it holds, but Israel is unlikely to free him. 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. A photo illustration of two engagement rings sitting on a graduation cap and cord. (Photo illustration of Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch) In the hope of prompting further study, research from Iowa State University is revealing nuance present in an answer to an increasingly asked question: Why are marriage rates falling, and is more education making an impact? ISU economics professor John Winters and Kunwon Ahn, an ISU alum currently working as an associate research fellow at the Korea Labor Institute, published a study comparing marriage rates of groups at different ages to the level of education theyre likely to have. While they found going to college makes someone less likely to get married at a younger age, in older age groups the answers get more complicated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Winters said the relationship between marriage and higher education is a tricky one, as historical data says one thing while cross-sectional data, or data of a population at one point in time, says another. We really wanted to get into this and try to get an estimate of the causal impact, Winters said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Education has been an area of study for Winters for nearly his entire career, he said, but marriage is something new for him. He took an interest in marriage after looking at how rates of people having children have changed over time, and he and Ahn decided to see if there was any relationship to be found. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trend data has shown that when education rates rise, marriage rates fall, Winters said, but cross-sectional data indicates people with more education are more likely to be married than those with less. An initial look at education and marriage trends would lead some people to believe rising education is causing fewer marriages, but Winters said it isnt nearly that simple. Using data from the American Community Survey, which includes information from as many as eight million people, and information from previous decennial censuses, Winters and Ahn built cohorts of groups across the years to assess maternal education levels from the 1980s and compare it to adults surveyed between 2006 and 2019. Rather than looking at individual data lines to see how much education someone has received, Winters said they took average education levels across the cohort, as it helped in predicting education rates of the next generations. This helped the researchers look at potential causal relationships by eliminating other factors that could determine someones decisions about marriage or school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What the researchers found is that there is evidence that education lowers the marriage rate for people ages 25-34, but that doesnt mean they wont ever get married. For those ages 45-54, however, education isnt having an impact on marriage rates. Winters said receiving more education definitely delays marriage, but many people catch up later on. We find clear evidence that additional education, additional schooling, is lowering their marriage rates, Winters said. But once we move past that, we dont see as much of an adverse effect. So by the time we get to ages 45 to 54 which is kind of our oldest cohort that we can examine here, theres really no difference. Even within those findings, Winters said there is still nuance to be found in the relationship between education and matrimony. While education slightly increases the chances of someone never getting married, he said it also lowers rates of divorce and separation. This study helps in calming any fears about the possibility of too much education driving marriage rates to zero, Winters said, but it still leaves open another question if education isnt driving marriage rate fluctuations, what is? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Further study of other factors impacting marriage could help chip away at this query, Winters said, and maybe answer others. Looking at marriage rates as well as fertility rates, and researching the economic drivers and resources that both provide and take, is another area with economic consequences Winter believes should be studied. We didnt necessarily have really strong beliefs in terms of what we would find, Winters said. So finding these results, really, we do think was informative. We think its helpful to understand that your education does interact with marriage and kind of these interesting ways. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Fisherman Alphonse Akadie was forced to exhume the bodies of his relatives last year from the village cemetery in Ivory Coast to avoid their remains being carried off into the ocean. Over the last 50 years, the Atlantic waters, rising as a result of man-made climate change, have eaten away most of the site where residents of Lahou-Kpanda laid their loved ones to rest. Distraught and with no official help, Akadie, 53, decided he would organise a ceremony for the moving of the remains of his parents, uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hundreds of other families have had to do the same. It was a tough decision for Akadie to attend the exhumation. "We take the bones, the hair and then the teeth, whatever isn't rotten, and we put that on white cloths," before placing them in small coffins, he told AFP, visibly emotional, looking out at the sea. He had to arrange new funerals in a cemetery further away from the ocean, which was created by the villagers because of the erosion of the original. Akadie said his relatives had "died twice". "It's sad, it hurts a lot." - 'Sea is advancing' - Before the removal, Akadie spoke to his dead family members, feeling the need to explain. "We're not doing this to destroy you, but the sea is advancing," he told them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "You have to speak," he said. "The body is dead but the spirit lives on." Lahou-Kpanda village, around 140 kilometres (85 miles) west of Abidjan, Ivory Coast's economic hub, is a strip of sand surrounded by water. To the north is a lagoon, the Bandama river is to the east and the Atlantic Ocean stretches out from its southern shore. The channel opening between the three has shifted one and a half kilometres since 1993, according to the government. Dredging in the lagoon has also caused the village to lose some of its surface area. But the rising sea, a consequence of global warming driven by humanity's burning of fossil fuels, is eating away 1.6 metres (five feet) of coastline every year, according to the World Bank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lahou-Kpanda may completely disappear by 2050, it warned. More than two-thirds of Ivory Coast's coastline is affected by erosion, the environment ministry said. The west African nation is suffering "an average coastal retreat of around one to two metres per year", it said. From next year, a new channel between the sea and the lagoon at Lahou-Kpanda, which is now under construction, financed by the World Bank among others, will seek to hold back the rising sea. - 'The memory is gone' - Exhuming the bodies is expensive. Akadie said it would cost between 500,000 and 700,000 CFA francs ($888 to $1,238), nearly 10 times the minimum monthly wage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He covered the administrative charges to secure permission, paid professionals for the ceremony and hired a speedboat to cross from one part of Lahou-Kpanda to the other because the sandy roads are difficult to drive on. "Before moving the bodies, we cried out to the state, to our MPs, deputies, mayors, to the sub-prefecture, to the regional council," but in vain, said William Attawa, who is close to the local traditional chief. But Ali Sissoko, mayor of Grand-Lahou, which covers Lahou-Kpanda, said authorities did not have the money to help the families. Less well-off households called upon young undertakers living in the village who are sometimes just self-taught but charge less than professionals, tourist guide Nicolas Kodjo said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adrienne Zoukouan, 63, had to move the bodies of five family members from the cemetery, but kept a distance when it was carried out. Most families have witnessed the remains of their loved ones "go out to sea", another villager, Simeon Ladjou, 61, said. In half a century, around 70 percent of the five-hectare (12-acre) cemetery been covered by the water, Sissoko, the mayor, said. "It was really the cemetery of reference for the whole region," he added, saying: "All the memory of Lahou-Kpanda is gone." At times though, memories briefly resurface. "When we bury our parents, it's with objects", which "often came back to the surface" or washed up on the beach, the mayor said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other villages nearby have agreed to take the remains to protect them from the sea. "There's a kind of solidarity," Sissoko added. "Everyone manages as best they can to bury their dead." bam/pid/kjm/sbk/tw For fast-food fans of a certain age, a familiar name has begun popping up again in the Chicago suburbs this summer. Jack in the Box, which exited the Chicago market four decades ago, returned last month to open the first of eight company-owned restaurants, a converted Arbys in southwest suburban Plainfield that continues to draw long lines of diners on a gastronomical trip down memory lane. Nostalgic visitors will find that Jack in the Boxs signature tacos are still on the menu, but its once ubiquitous clown mascot is mostly missing, relegated to the pantheon of bygone fast-food icons along with Burger Chef. That apparently hasnt dampened enthusiasm for the brands Chicago-area revival. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since launching July 14 in Plainfield, the San Diego-based chain has opened restaurants in Countryside and Naperville to similarly large crowds, with Lake in the Hills welcoming customers beginning Monday. Jack in the Box is also planning to add locations in Tinley Park, New Lenox, Carol Stream and near Midway Airport in Chicago. Well have all eight open before the last day of September, said Van Ingram, vice president of franchise development for Jack in the Box. If all goes well, Jack in the Box could go from zero to 30-plus Chicago-area locations in short order, with plans for extensive franchising in the pipeline, Ingram said. The publicly traded restaurant chain, which has struggled recently with declining same-store sales and a falling stock price, may need more than nostalgia to win market share in the hometown of fast-food giant McDonalds, but early returns at the first three locations have been promising. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Obviously, when a new restaurant opens, theres always pent-up demand, Ingram said. People like to try the new place out, and so we experienced that clearly. But then the good thing is, weve sustained those sales beyond that initial honeymoon period. Launched in 1951, Jack in the Box has nearly 2,200 restaurants in 22 states, of which only 142 are corporate owned. The restaurants are most plentiful in California with about 950 locations, followed by Texas and other states west of the Mississippi River. Returning to Chicago is part of an ambitious eastward expansion of the West Coast staple, which is looking to catalyze growth in the competitive fast-food arena on the eve of its 75th anniversary. The eight inaugural Chicago-area Jack in the Boxes are all corporate owned and occupy former Arbys restaurants acquired in one fell swoop from a large franchise operator to get the brand reestablished quickly in the market, Ingram said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jack in the Box has invested more than $10 million to relaunch in Chicago, with the eight restaurants costing between $1 million and $2.5 million each to convert from an Arbys, he said. But with 94% of its stores nationwide operated by franchisees, that model will be key to long-term growth in the Chicago market, Ingram said. Jack in the Box has signed three franchisees committed to developing 25 more locations in the Chicago area over the next two to six years, Ingram said. That should enable the chain to reach enough critical mass for coordinated advertising to compete with more established fast-food restaurants for market share. Down the road, Jack in the Box is targeting another 80 to 90 potential franchise locations in the Chicago area to develop as the market matures, Ingram said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Jack in the Box pulled up stakes and left the Chicago market more than 40 years ago, the quirky California-based fast-food chain was perhaps best known for its talking clown head taking orders at the drive-thru. Its return this summer may spark some nostalgic memories, but Jack in the Box long ago dispensed with the clown image, focusing instead on a diverse menu beyond the burgers that includes all-day breakfast, tacos and even egg rolls, among other items. Jack in the Box restaurants are also open later than many fast-food competitors to sate those after-hours cravings. Darren Tristano, CEO of FoodserviceResults, a Chicago-based research and consulting firm, said nostalgic older customers and curious newbies should give Jack in the Box an initial boost, but it remains a tall order to become a major fast-food player in Chicago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many consumers are drawn to the shiny new operator but price, quality and service will be important to building return patronage and longer-term success, Tristano said. It will be hard for Jack in the Box to build in a market McDonalds calls home and compete with Burger King and Wendys. Even nostalgia may have its pitfalls. For some older customers, the warm and fuzzy memories may be tainted by a 1993 food poisoning outbreak a decade after Jack in the Box left Chicago where hundreds of its customers on the West Coast were sickened and four children died from E. coli contamination traced to undercooked hamburger meat. Jack in the Box subsequently raised the hamburger cooking temperature to 155 degrees, which also became the new FDA standard for fast-food restaurants. Tristano said the 30-year-old incident and Jack in the Boxs previous failure to conquer the Chicago market during its first go-round will likely be forgotten by most consumers in the 2025 reboot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jack in the Boxs return to the Illinois market is evidence that consumers have short memories and because of this, they will likely get a reset, Tristano said. For Jack in the Box, there may be a lot riding on a successful reentry into Chicago. Jack in the Box ranked 23rd among U.S. fast-food restaurants for 2024 with just under $4.4 billion in total sales, a slight decline that dropped it one position in the annual Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. Sales are projected to decline 3.5% this year, according to Technomic, a Chicago-based research firm. Same store sales were down 7.1% in the third quarter, according to the Jack in the Box earnings report filed last week. Meanwhile, the companys stock price is down nearly 60% in 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lance Tucker, who was elevated from CFO to CEO in March, blamed the dismal third quarter sales on demographics during an earnings call. Jack in the Box significantly over-indexes with Hispanic guests, who, especially in our core markets, face uncertainty and have pulled back their spending, Tucker said. This issue is having an outsized impact on our sales. At the same time, Tucker expressed optimism about the very strong opening with the first three stores in Chicago. Were excited about the early returns on Chicago, Tucker said. Amplifying the buzz, Steve Dahl, former Chicago radio personality and current podcaster, went on a multiday social media-documented quest to battle the lines and procure a Jack in the Box taco, which has a cult-like following among some fast-foodies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A recent visit to the Plainfield store offered a glimpse into the enthusiastic response Jack in the Box has generated among new and old fans. A weekday lunchtime crowd descended on the restaurant by 11 a.m., forming a slow-moving drive-thru line stretching into the neighboring parking lot. Meanwhile, those who could find a parking space were queued up at the restaurants entrance by a security guard, who carefully let customers filter inside to keep capacity within village codes. At one point, tempers flared in the drive-thru lane as a driver in a pickup truck gave up and somehow managed to pull off a U-turn, precipitating a hangry window-down exchange of epithets with the car behind him. None of that deterred Bill Fouts, 72, a retired manufacturers supervisor from Minooka, who stopped into the Plainfield Jack in the Box looking to buy a gift card for his son-in-law and to check out the restaurant chain where he had worked as a teenager in Harvey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He returned to his car in the busy parking lot empty-handed, smiling nonetheless. It was his fourth attempt and his first success at getting inside, but Fouts said the Jack in the Box didnt have any gift cards. He plans to return soon with his wife to share the Jack in the Box tacos he loved growing up. I want to enjoy this with my wife, Fouts said. We both enjoyed them, and actually, thats when we started going together. Weve been married 53 years, and when I was 16 and working at the Jack in the Box, thats where we kind of met. Susan Maluck, 66, of Florida, who grew up in Evergreen Park and regularly hung out at a local Jack in the Box on 95th Street while in high school, was in town visiting her brother, Tony Brazzale, 61, who now lives in Plainfield. They decided to take a trip down memory lane via Route 59 to try the fast food of their youth. After successfully navigating the gridlocked parking lot, the siblings were stopped for a brief crowd control wait in the entrance before making their way to the ordering lines. Maluck was there to try the cheap tacos she scarfed down regularly as a teenager. I want to see if theyre as greasy as they used to be, she said. The tacos were a good greasy, added her brother, who nonetheless planned to order a hamburger. rchannick@chicagotribune.com Behind every tech empire stands someone who believed before anyone else did. Jackie Bezos made that leap in 1995, writing a check for $245,573 to support her son Jeffs online bookstore dreama wager that would become one of historys most lucrative startup investments. From Teen Mother to Tech Matriarch Early hardships forged the resilience that would later fuel Amazons creation. Jackies path to tech influence began with teenage pregnancy in 1960s Albuquerque. Her high school attempted expulsion, but she fought to graduatethough administrators barred her from the ceremony. Picture the grit that took: a 17-year-old single mother attending night classes while working bank shifts, refusing to let social stigma derail her education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She later married Cuban immigrant Miguel Mike Bezos, who adopted Jeff when he was four. That foundation of perseverance and family loyalty would prove essential when Jeff needed backing for his internet venture decades later. The Investment That Changed Everything Tech skeptics who backed family over spreadsheets created e-commerce history. When Jeff pitched his internet bookstore concept in 1995, his parents admitted they barely understood email. Yet they invested nearly a quarter-million dollars anywayroughly equivalent to $500,000 in todays purchasing power. We didnt invest in Amazon, we invested in Jeff, Jackie explained later, according to The Telegraph. That family-first philosophy transformed their retirement savings into a stake worth billions today. Your startup pitch deck might impress VCs, but nothing beats parents who believe in you before the business plan makes sense. Philanthropic Powerhouse The Bezos Family Foundation channeled tech wealth into transformative giving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Co-founding the Bezos Family Foundation in 2000, Jackie directed millions toward education and healthcare initiatives. The foundations $710.5 million donation to Fred Hutch Cancer Center in 2022 represented one of the institutions largest gifts ever, funding immunotherapy research that could reshape cancer treatment. Her approach mirrored the investment philosophy that built Amazon: bet big on long-term potential. Jackie Bezos died August 14, 2025, at her Miami home following a battle with Lewy body dementia, GeekWire reported. Shes survived by husband Mike, three children, eleven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Jeffs tribute emphasized her giving nature: always contributing more than she received. Her dual legacyenabling Amazons birth and channeling its wealth toward global goodproves that behind transformative technology often stands transformative family support. Jacklyn Jackie Gise Bezos, a dedicated mother, philanthropist and co-founder of the Bezos Family Foundation, died peacefully at her home in Miami on Aug. 14, her family said. She was 78. Born Dec. 29, 1946, in Washington, D.C., to Lawrence Preston Gise and Mattie Louise Strait Gise, Jackie grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She became a mother in high school, giving birth to her first child, Jeffrey, later known as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a young single mother, she worked days at a bank while attending night school. There, she met Cuban immigrant Miguel Mike Bezos, who worked the night shift. The two married April 5, 1968, beginning a nearly 60-year partnership rooted in love, respect and shared purpose. They later welcomed two more children, Christina and Mark. Jackie was known for her devotion to family. She supported her childrens interestsfrom trips to Radio Shack for Jeffs electronics, to cheerleading practices with Christina, to transporting Marks drum set in the family station wagon. Her home became a welcoming space for friends, neighbors and anyone in need of comfort, advice or a hot meal. Education remained important to Jackie throughout her life. At age 45, she returned to college, earning a bachelors degree in psychology with high honors from Saint Elizabeth University in 1991. In 2000, Jackie and Mike founded the Bezos Family Foundation with their children and extended family. She played a key role in programs such as Vroom, which promotes early childhood brain development, and the Bezos Scholars Program, which supports student leaders in the U.S. and Africa. Her philanthropy extended to medical research, including work with Seattles Fred Hutch Cancer Center that advanced immunotherapy treatments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jackie also cherished her role as a grandmother, organizing Camp Marmie for her 11 grandchildrenan annual summer tradition filled with storytelling, problem-solving and adventure. In 2020, Jackie was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, a progressive neurological disorder. Her family said she faced the illness with dignity and courage, with Mike by her side through every stage. Jackie is survived by her husband, Mike; children Jeff (Lauren), Christina (Steve) and Mark (Lisa); 11 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Her family expressed gratitude to the nurses, doctors and friends who supported her and asked that, in lieu of flowers, people honor her memory by supporting a nonprofit of their choice or performing a simple act of kindness. JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) Jackson and Capitol police announced a suspect was arrested in connection to last weeks bank robbery. The robbery occurred at Cadence Bank on Canton Mart Road just before 2:15 p.m. on Friday, August 8, 2025. Police said the suspect had a gun when he entered the bank, as well as a shirt around his head. He took an undisclosed amount of money. No injuries were reported. Woman arrested in Ridgeland animal cruelty case Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities said the suspect was arrested on August 14. According to officials, the Mississippi Department of Homeland Security also played a role in the identification of the suspect. This arrest demonstrates what we can accomplish when our law enforcement agencies work together. Keeping our city safe requires partnership, coordination, and dedication. Todays actions show Jacksons commitment to protecting our community, said Jackson Mayor John Horhn. Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect. They said he has been charged and remains in custody as the investigation continues. Close Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily 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 WJTV. The wildfires in early January disrupted education for more than 725,000 students and destroyed or damaged at least a dozen schools. Several school districts, including Alhambra Unified, Pasadena Unified, San Marino Unified and Glendale Unified, closed within the first few days of the fires. Schools in the central and eastern part of Los Angeles Unified School District closed due to power outages and poor air quality. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Jan. 14 allowing students to attend schools outside of their normal district boundaries. Most students moved almost immediately, with schools reporting a bump in enrollment in the first month postfires. Many fire-displaced students will remain at their new schools this fall. The county does not directly track transfers due to the wildfires. The Times surveyed dozens of schools and districts and received detailed information for about 1,655 students displaced by the fires across 16 districts and 15 individual schools. In total, these schools are home to more than 132,000 students. The Times estimates are based on data through May 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the Los Angeles Unified School District , Palisades Charter Elementary School and Marquez Charter Elementary were destroyed. LAUSD disenrolled at least 170 students, roughly 4% of total enrollment at the eight schools the district provided data for. Palisades Charter High School was significantly damaged and closed, with classes now held at the remodeled Sears building in Santa Monica. Officials at the charter school say the district lost 474 students after the Palisades fire. Pali High students transferred to Mira Costa High and Beverly Hills High. Fifty-four students went to Santa Monica High, only a few blocks from the former Sears site where the school relocated to in the spring. Roughly 321 students enrolled in six beach city school districts with the majority displaced by the nearby Palisades fire. Mira Costa High School enrolled the most students out of any school that responded to The Times, with 107 students. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District accepted 135 new students in their district, with nearly half of those being elementary students. The Village School, a private elementary school in the Palisades, was destroyed and is temporarily in Santa Monica. The school reports that just under 20% of families left the area. Those who did not relocate are committed to the school: 96% of them reenrolled for the 2025-2026 school year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Glendale Unified School District took in 51 students, while La Canada Unified took in 60. The influx of students from the fires has slightly increased class sizes at some schools in Glendale Unified, but a district representative said they've added teachers and adjusted staffing accordingly. "Were committed to welcoming every family displaced by the fires with quick enrollment, school placement and the support they need to feel at home and succeed," said a representative for Glendale Unified. Los Angeles Unified Education Foundation supported teachers and schools in affected areas with classroom materials, community wellness events and mental health support for students, teachers and families, according to a Los Angeles Unified spokesperson. Its unclear how many of these students will stay put as the new school year begins. In June, LAUSD approved a $604-million plan to rebuild Marquez Charter Elementary, Palisades Charter Elementary and Palisades Charter High School by the end of 2028. But most students displaced by the fires will have aged out before classes can return to their campuses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rebuild will reduce Marquez Elementarys classrooms from 37 to 22 and Palisades Elementary from 26 to 24. Pali High will remain in the Sears building for the fall semester. Marquez Elementary students are sharing a campus with Nora Sterry Elementary in Sawtelle, while Palisades Elementary students will stay at the Brentwood Sciences Magnet. 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. Vice President JD Vances quiet vacation to the English countryside is becoming a real disturbance. The vice president appears to be making no friends in the Cotswolds: Staff at The Bull in Charlbury reportedly told management that they would refuse to serve Vance if his familys reservation at the sixteenth-century pub was accepted, according to The Daily Beast. Meanwhile, other members of Americas political class have breezed through the town without complaint. Vances predecessorVice President Kamala Harriswas practically feted when she dined at The Bull mere weeks ago to celebrate Steve Jobss daughter Eve ahead of her wedding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its been the talk of the villageits the most exciting thing thats happened here for a very long time, one local told The Sun at the time. Vance, on the other hand, has been pissing his Cotswolds neighbors off since his arrival in the tranquil neighborhood. Earlier this week, police affiliated with the vice presidents Secret Service were accused of going door-to-door to obtain residents information. We have had the police knocking on every door. They wanted the names of everybody living there and details of their social media. I know several people refused, an unidentified dog walker from the hamlet told The Observer. Vances office and the local police have denied the claim, telling press that the only residents they interacted with were to ensure passage through a blockade for the vice president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [We] are supporting the United States during the Vice Presidents visit to our area to ensure the safety of all involved, a spokesperson for Thames Valley Police told the Daily Mail. A restricted access area has been put in place in a small part of Dean as part of our operation. We spoke to affected residents to ensure we are able to facilitate movement within the restricted access area. Residents were under no obligation to answer any questions and were not asked about social media. Vances presence has brought helicopters and SUVs to the quaint town. Villagers also expressed their malcontent with Vance after his expanded security detail overcrowded a local supermarket, blocking several handicapped parking spaces with his Secret Service entourage. WASHINGTON COUNTY, Va. (WJBF) On Tuesday, July 29th, The Washington County Sheriffs Office (Virginia) made an arrest in connection with an online investigation into child exploitation. A Jefferson County man traveled to Washington County, Virginia, to a secluded area believing that he would be picking up a juvenile female and and taking her back to Georgia. Once in Washington County, the subject was arrested without incident and charged with the following offenses: Taking Indecent Liberties with Children and Attempted Abduction and Kidnapping. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is currently being held without bond at the Abingdon Southwest Regional Jail. Detectives in Virginia are continuing the investigation with law enforcement partners at the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office. 35-year-old William Phillip Stevens of Louisville was charged with 40 counts of Taking Indecent Liberties with Children and one count of Attempted Abduction and Kidnapping. 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. A New Jersey mom whose toddler broke a cafes $1,600 table claims she wasnt allowed to leave until she had handed over her credit card and driving license details to staff. Kathy Denman was at the Hazelnut Cafe in Ocean County on Sunday when her three-year-old daughter, Allie, accidentally pushed over the expensive marble table, according to a NJ.com report. Denman said in a viral TikTok video that after the incident she was made to speak to the store's owner on the phone, who "kept repeating: 'Our policy is, you break it, you pay for it.'" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mom alleges she was kept at the restaurant for 20 minutes after the table was broken. According to NJ.com, it is not immediately clear if Denman was asked to hand over her credit card details with or without prompting. The owners of the cafe sisters Kimberly and Jenna Campfield, told NJ Advance Media that Denham had not been charged or even asked to pay for the damages and that she had only been asked for her contact information for insurance purposes. The Hazelnut Cafe in Lavallette, New Jersey. A woman alleged that she was not allowed to leave and was told she'd have to pay $1,600 after her 3-year-old daughter broke an expensive table at the restaurant. The owners of the cafe denied both allegations (Google Maps) The Campfields, told NJ Advance Media that they were "extremely grateful" that no one was hurt. Following the incident, we personally called the childs mother to express our concern, offer our support, and share our direct contact information should she need anything, they said in their statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We also want to be completely transparent: we would never hold anyone against their will, they added. The mother was not charged for the damaged table, even after asking how she could make it right given the table broke. We requested her contact information for insurance purposes. NJ Advance Media obtained surveillance video from inside the restaurant. It appears to show the child hitting the table with her foot before it crashed to the ground and shattered. I was completely humiliated and embarrassed, Denman said in a TikTok video that went viral shortly after the incident. Ive cried since. Denman said in the immediate aftermath, her daughter was "frozen scared and nervous" and was made only more so by the reaction of the others in the restaurant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Denman later said in a written statement on TikTok that the Campfields had contacted her to apologize "for how our family was treated." She said she and her family had accepted the apology and wanted to "move forward peacefully." Her initial video was viewed more than 10 million times by the time her statement was added. The table is reportedly sold by Anthropologie, costs approximately $1,598, and weighs approximately 109.25 pounds. The Campfields told NJ Advance Media that they've removed similar tables from their restaurant and stores to avoid any future similar incidents. Toms Rivers fast-growing Orthodox Jewish community will soon have its first private religious high school. The Ocean County townships Board of Adjustment voted unanimously Thursday to approve plans to convert a former adult day care center at 105 Sunset Ave. into an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva. The 9,500-square-foot building will serve as a high school for boys ages 14 to 17. Because schools are not permitted in the rural residential zone where the property is located, the project required a special zoning variance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plans call for seven classrooms, no more than 153 students and 15 to 18 staff members, according to the application. Classes will run Monday through Thursday and Sunday from 7:15 a.m. to 8:45 p.m., and on Fridays until about 1 or 2 p.m., the application said. About half of the students are expected to take a bus to school, while the rest will be dropped off by parents. Students will not be permitted to drive to the school, and buses will not remain parked on the property, officials said. The building was formerly home to the now-closed Medex Home Health Center. The property last sold for $2.08 million in February 2024, according to Ocean County tax records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The school previously operated at the site with state Department of Education approval but closed about six weeks ago when the applicant, New Jersey Home Care Service, learned zoning board approval was also required, according to the Asbury Park Press. An Orthodox Jewish high school is needed in the area as the population grows, the applicants attorney said. It is a need in the area, attorney Robert C. Shea, who represented the applicant, said at the meeting, according to the Press. That facility is really going to service what our needs are for the non-public school we will put on the spot. Like other Ocean and Monmouth county communities near Lakewood, Toms River has seen rapid growth in its Orthodox Jewish population in recent years. The township lies just south of Lakewood, which is home to the largest and fastest-growing Orthodox Jewish community in New Jersey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many families have chosen to settle in Toms River to stay close to established schools, synagogues and extended family while finding housing in nearby towns. Until now, there have been no private Orthodox high schools in Toms River. Many local students have had to be bused to religious schools in Lakewood. That transportation, funded by public school districts, has driven up busing costs in Toms River, Brick, Jackson and Howell. Last year, the zoning board approved two Orthodox synagogues in Toms River on Stevens Road and Whitesville Road. That was a milestone after years of disputes over zoning rules for religious institutions. Those disputes prompted a U.S. Department of Justice investigation in 2018, which later found the townships zoning restrictions violated federal law. Investigators examined rules enacted between 2009 and 2017 that prohibited houses of worship in three zoning districts, increased the minimum lot size for religious institutions, and blocked them from locating on certain smaller roads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal officials said the measures disproportionately impacted Orthodox Jewish residents, who often walk to neighborhood synagogues on the Sabbath and religious holidays. A 2021 settlement with the Justice Department required Toms River to revise its zoning code. More than 1,000 Orthodox Jewish families now live in the Jersey Shore town, according to the federal report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Nyah Marshall may be reached at nmarshall@njadvancemedia.com JetBlue Airways is adding more Florida routes this winter. The airline recently announced it is expanding its services to multiple cities in Florida, including flights as low as $49. Florida continues to be a place JetBlues unique combination of low fares and great service resonates, and were proud to grow our footprint with these new destinations to meet customer demand for more of the Sunshine State, Dave Jehn, JetBlues vice president, network planning and airline partnerships, said in a press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether its customers in the Northeast looking for a warm getaway or Floridians traveling north, were excited to bring more choices and better service to these markets. Where are the new Florida JetBlue routes? A JetBlue jetliner takes off from Daytona Beach International Airport in this undated photo. JetBlue offered daily nonstop service at the Volusia County-run airport to JFK International Airport in New York City from 2016 until January 2019. On Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, the airline announced it will resume service here on Dec. 4 when it launches daily nonstop service to JFK International as well as to Boston Logan International Airport in east Boston, Massachusetts. JetBlue is adding new international routes to the Dominican Republic to its Tampa and Fort Lauderdale daily schedules. Fares start at $139. Tampa and Fort Myers will also offer new weekly seasonal routes to Long Island, New York. These fares start at $49. These new flights begin in December. The route to New York ends on April 29, 2026. JetBlue makes return to Daytona Beach airport, adds Vero Beach routes The airline is returning to Daytona Beach after a nearly seven-year hiatus. JetBlue will start offering twice-daily round-trip flights year-round to New York and Boston from these airports: Vero Beach Regional Airport and Daytona Beach International Airport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Introductory fares for those two routes will start at $59 and can be booked one-way beginning Aug. 17 for flights from Dec. 4 to Feb. 11, 2026. However, blackout dates run from Dec. 18 to Jan. 5, 2026. Where does JetBlue fly? JetBlue flies to more than 100 cities across the United States. It also flies internationally, with flights to Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe. JetBlue flies into 12 Florida airports Florida cities with JetBlue service include: Daytona Beach, DAB Fort Lauderdale, FLL Fort Myers, RSW Jacksonville, JAX Key West, EYW Miami, MIA Orlando, MCO Sarasota, SRQ Tallahassee, TLH Tampa, TPA Vero Beach, West Palm Beach, PBI How much do checked bags cost with JetBlue? Within the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean, the cost for checked bags is: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blue Basic: first bag $35, second bag $50 Blue: first bag $35, second bag $50 Blue Plus: first bag included, second bag $60 Blue Extra: first bag $35, second bag $50 Mint: 2 bags included (up to 70 pounds each) Keep in mind, these prices increase to $40 for the first bag and $60 for a second bag during peak times. See JetBlue fares, carry-on bags and personal items A personal item, such as a purse, small backpack, briefcase, or laptop, must be able to fit under the seat in front of you. Domestic flights: You can check two bags with overall dimensions of 60 inches or 50 pounds. There is a charge for bags that exceed those criteria. A third bag will cost $150. Blue Basic Carry-on bag: 1 Personal item included: 1 Checked bags included: 0 Changes/cancellations: $100 per person in North America, Central America, Caribbean; $200 per person for all other routes Seat selection: Additional fee Blue Carry-on bag: 1 Personal item included: 1 Checked bags included: 0. One on flights to and from the United Kingdom and Europe. Changes/cancellations: No fee Seat selection: Included Blue Plus Carry-on bag: 1 Personal item included: 1 Checked bags included: 1 Changes/cancellations: No fee Seat selection: Included Blue Extra Carry-on bag: 1 Personal item included: 1 Checked bags included: 0. One on flights to and from the United Kingdom and Europe. Changes/cancellations: No fee Seat selection: Included Mint Carry-on bag: 1 Personal item included: 1 Checked bags included: 2 Changes/cancellations: No fee Seat selection: Included More airlines making changes Delta announced in May it was folding the base fare into its new Delta Main category (previously called Main Cabin) for flights departing Oct. 1 or later, changing Delta Comfort+ to Delta Comfort and First Class to Delta First. United Airlines started requiring all domestic passengers to be checked in for their flights 45 minutes before departure. Previously, check in for passengers without checked bags closed half an hour before departure. JetBlue announced the airline was teaming with Florida's passenger rail service Brightline to offer "a seamless air-and-rail booking experience for travel across Central and South Florida" by allowing JetBlue passengers to book both a plane and train trip directly on jetblue.com as part of a combined itinerary. Southwest announced that the airline's new assigned seating policy will begin Jan. 27, 2026. Earlier this year, Southwest ended its free baggage policy and added a new Basic fare. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: JetBlue expands Florida flights. See all new routes, deals This is an adapted excerpt from the Aug. 15 episode of Morning Joe. U.S. Border Patrol agents made a show of force at California Gov. Gavin Newsoms redistricting rally in Los Angeles on Thursday. Do you think its coincidental? Donald Trump and his minions Tom Homan, tough guy clearly decided, coincidentally or not, that this was a location to advance ICE arrests, the governor told the crowd at the Japanese American National Museum. That an American president sent masked agents to a rivals political rally is quite obviously an ominous sign for our country, but politically, it also just looks stupid for Republicans. This plays right into Newsoms hands, it plays right into the Democratic Partys hands, and it does the exact opposite of what the administration would want to do, which is to show that immigration forces in this country have not been politicized by Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course, Border Patrol has every right to do its job; Americans want it to do its job. But that job is to keep our borders safe, not show up at rallies for the presidents opposition. Displays like this wont help Trump, especially when hes already politically struggling. Right now, polls show that while most Americans agree with the president on the issue of immigration and believe that the United States should crack down on people coming into this country illegally, his approval rating on the issue has slipped. The reason is not the administrations underlying policies; its the implementation of those policies and ham-fisted attempts to intimidate, like what we saw in Los Angeles on Thursday and what weve seen play out across the country: agents running around with masks, sunglasses, no identification on them whatsoever, violently arresting people in the streets. Its not American. Its not a sight that Americans want to see. This has been a political benefit for the presidents opposition. Democrats appear to be doing quite well on generic ballots, and if they squint hard enough, the party may actually see a path to a Senate majority in the midterms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under these current circumstances, theres no reason why Democrats couldnt win a state like Maine, which both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris carried in 2020 and 2024, winning a majority of the state's electoral votes. North Carolina, which Biden and Harris both lost, could also be in play this year. Roy Cooper, the states popular Democratic governor, jumped into the Senate race, and hes already leading in the polls. In Ohio, former Sen. Sherrod Brown, an extremely popular populist who ran against a wave in 2024 and lost, is poised to run for that states open Senate seat. Democrats also are reportedly targeting places like Iowa, Alaska and Texas. Trumps overreach is obviously disturbing, and all Americans should be concerned. But it should also concern Republicans, because they are losing voters every time Americans catch a glimpse of Trumps immigration crackdown and intimidation attempts. Its not something the people of this country are comfortable seeing, and it's likely going to cost Republicans in the next election. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com TAHLEQUAH, Okla. A Cherokee Nation newspaper has chosen a Jay man as one of its Seven Feathers Award recipients. The Tahlequah-based newspaper Cherokee Phoenix received more than 150 nominations for the 2025 Cherokee Phoenix Seven Feathers Awards. The newspaper staff narrowed the list to seven Cherokee Nation citizens working to improve the world in business, community, culture, education, health, language, and service. Johnnie Earp, of Jay and Grand Savings Banks Oklahoma Market President, was honored with the Community Award for his contributions to Jay and Delaware County and throughout the Cherokee Nation reservation. Earp is a board member of the Northeastern Oklahoma Regional Alliance, Cherokee Nation Economic Development Trust Authority, Jay Chamber of Commerce, Delaware County Salvation Army, and Grand Gateway Trust Authority Board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earp has received multiple awards for his community service, including the Sam Walton Business Leader Award and the Jay Chamber of Commerce Volunteer Award. He will be honored during the Seventh Annual Cherokee Phoenix Seven Feathers Awards Gala on Nov. 1 at the Chota Center in Tahlequah. Other Winners BUSINESS: Dillin Springwater, of Tahlequah CULTURE: Demos Glass, of Locust Grove EDUCATION: Johann Webber, of San Ramon, California HEALTH: Abraham Bearpaw of Tahlequah LANGUAGE: Emma Dorman, of Salina SERVICE: Mark Rogers, of Pawhuska 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) Downtown business owners and community members gathered at Capones Thursday with law enforcement officials from Johnson City and Washington County, Tennessee, to discuss increased security measures for the weekend overnight hours. The meeting was closed to the media, but News Channel 11 witnessed members of the Washington County Commission, Johnson City Police Department (JCPD), as well as Washington County Sheriff Keith Sexton, attend the meeting. Sheriff Sexton and the JCPD declined interviews, but according to a release from the Washington County Sheriffs Office (WCSO), deputies made 102 extra patrols and business and bar checks, resulting in 13 arrests in the downtown district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sexton said in a statement that the zero tolerance policy will continue as long as necessary. The JCPD also sent a statement saying, The JCPD is appreciative of the weekend patrol support from the Washington County Sheriffs Office. The ongoing partnership is another step forward in enhancing safety in Johnson City. Johnson City last call ordinance moves forward, but may be changed Maria Lovelady, a Johnson City resident who attended the meeting, said that they were happy to have the chance to speak with officials outside of a formal meeting. It felt like a roundtable where we really get to talk about things, come up with solutions together, Lovelady said. There was a lot of feedback, back and forth, for the suggestion. So I think that type of dialogue is very, very constructive. We are happy to see the communication with the county and the city, and were also happy to see the opportunity to be able to actually speak one-on-one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loveday said that the increased security made a difference over the weekend. Even some of the owners that are residents were talking about how it felt so peaceful and safer, there wasnt that much noise, Lovelady said. So, yeah, it felt like people were a lot more calmer and in a really good mood. We also talk about how respectful the officers were. They were very kind to people. They introduce themselves. So I think the interaction between the public and the police officers were actually very positive. Washington County Commissioner Jodi Jones attended the meeting, as well, and said it was great to see the city and county collaborate to improve the safety downtown. There was definitely a spirit of communication and collaboration that seemed to be an improvement over the past, as well as a new way of sort of problem solving, Jones said. And I heard some new ideas generated, too. Really coming together around an issue that certainly is a problem for the city right now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jones discussed how taxpayer money is allocated. Everybody knows we raised taxes last year, Jones said. And one of the things we did with the tax increase was to fund more deputies for the sheriffs office. And what you see here is the sheriff having some capacity to bring deputies downtown. So for me, as a commissioner, making that decision of raising peoples taxes, I like to see where its going. And it was really gratifying today to see that happen. No members of the Johnson City Commission attended the meeting, which residents and business owners described as very disappointing. The final vote on the Last Call hours will be at the next commission meeting on August 21. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. WILLIAMSPORT, Pennsylvania A federal judge plans to rule next week on whether controversial acting New Jersey U.S. Attorney Alina Habba has the right to continue in her role. Judge Matthew Brann, who sits in Pennsylvanias Middle District, joked Friday that two cases challenging Habbas authority over a district 130 miles away from where he sits fell to him for my sins. He said he hopes to rule Wednesday, but certainly will by the end of the week, and he suggested the losing side would inevitably appeal his decision. Brann a Republican appointed in 2012 by Democratic President Barack Obama asked pointed questions to both sides during the nearly four-hour hearing, which often turned on obscure statutory interpretations and legal doctrine but grew heated toward its end. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And while Brann gave few hints as to what side hell come down on as to whether Habba is the rightful acting U.S. attorney, he peppered government attorneys with skeptical questions about her appointment by Attorney General Pam Bondi as "special attorney," which could allow her to effectively oversee the office for years without the U.S. attorney title. Two criminal defendants in New Jersey Julien Giraud Jr., whos facing gun and drug charges, and Cesar Pina, a house-flipping influencer whos charged with running a Ponzi-like real estate scheme are challenging Habbas authority and seeking dismissal of their indictments. Giraud was charged before Habba took office, and Pina after. The challenges have disrupted many criminal proceedings in New Jersey, with many judges postponing arraignments and potentially delaying trials. Attorneys are watching anxiously, with many expecting it to land at the U.S. Supreme Court. President Donald Trump announced Habbas appointment as interim U.S. attorney which has a 120-day limit on March 24, effective immediately. Habba, who had worked as Trumps personal attorney and had no prosecutorial experience, was sworn in four days later. She stoked controversy shortly after Trumps announcement by saying in an interview, We could turn New Jersey red. She also pressed and then quickly dropped charges against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka for trespassing at a privately owned Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark, and she is currently prosecuting Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver for assault over a scuffle during Barakas arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump formally nominated Habba for the role July 1, but New Jerseys two Democratic senators refused to allow the nomination to proceed, dooming her confirmation. On July 22, instead of reappointing Habba, New Jerseys district court judges appointed then-First Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace as acting U.S. attorney, effective either immediately or on the expiration of Habbas 120 days in office. (As first assistant, Grace would automatically assume the role in the event of a vacancy). But the Trump administration on July 22 fired Grace, with Bondi posting on social media that the department does not tolerate rogue judges. Two days later, Trump withdrew his nomination of Habba as U.S. attorney, and she resigned her position as interim U.S. attorney. She was then appointed first assistant U.S. attorney, allowing her to automatically take on the acting role. Bondi also said she made Habba Special Attorney to the Attorney General, which she said gave her the authority of a U.S. attorney. The Trump administration argues that Habba began the job March 28, which started the 120-day clock, and so the judges did not have a vacancy to fill when they chose Grace to replace her. In court, Trump administration attorneys added some clarity to Habbas start date, noting that her immediate predecessor, John Giordano, had continued signing orders as interim U.S. attorney until March 28 and that Habbas first day of pay was March 29. They characterized Trumps announcement, made in a social media post, as a directive to Pam Bondi to appoint Habba. Brann suggested that maneuver to keep Habba in charge of the office as special attorney would render the law on appointing U.S. attorneys pointless since a person could do the job indefinitely without Senate confirmation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even if you believe [the law] is ambiguous and I dont think it is going to the legislative history is a death knell, Brann said, referring to a Senate report made during the passage of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act in 1998. The distinction between Habbas role as acting U.S. attorney and special attorney is important because the acting position can only serve 120 days, while theres no time limit for a special attorney. Nevertheless, later in the hearing, Brann said, Its very likely that Alina Habba is going to end up down the road as the United States attorney of the district of New Jersey. He did not elaborate on his reasoning. The defendants challenging Habbas authority argued in part that her nomination by Trump made her ineligible to serve in the acting role under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is no support for a finding that withdrawal of the nomination would remove someone from the bar, said Giraud attorney Thomas Mirigliano. But Henry Whitaker, counselor to the attorney general, said the language of the law is written in the present tense. At that moment, he said, referring to the Trump administration's legal maneuvering, there was no pending nomination. This is not circumvention," Whitaker said. It is simply a way for the executive branch to have officials temporarily serving the functioning of the office. The two sides also debated whether the Trump administration could stack 120-day interim appointments. It cant be the case ... that the attorney general can terminate an interim appointment on day 119 and then appoint another person? said Gerry Krovatin, an attorney for Pina. That could go on forever. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whitaker said that the 120 days are simply a shorter version of a term and that while Bondi has the authority to continue making the appointments, the limit is designed to have her continually consider whether to do so. Brann questioned that. In a 2006 law reauthorizing the Patriot Act, Congress initially stripped away the 120-day limit for interim U.S. attorney appointees. But following a scandal over politicization of the offices, Congress in 2007 restored it. Statutes are designed to solve problems, Brann said. So what problem is an unlimited 120-day term solving? At the end of the hearing, Brann asked whether Habba should recuse herself from all cases until he rules so that they can move forward without controversy. Whitaker said that all of the cases also include a deputy attorney general with authority to prosecute them, so the fact that Habbas status is in question shouldnt affect them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whitaker resisted further, saying that the New Jersey judges decision not to renew Habba's tenure was unusual and that it "precipitated this constitutional crisis. The executive branch should have the people that they want doing core executive functions, like prosecuting crime, Whitaker said. Krovatin said Whitaker was mislaying blame. This crisis was caused by appointing someone who has no business being U.S. attorney for New Jersey or anywhere else, he said. Krovatin also said questions about Habbas status had caused "enormous confusion among lawyers. And, referring to Bondis statement about rogue judges, said that the Department of Justices attitude has been offensive from day one. Mark Coyne, a high-ranking assistant U.S. attorney in the New Jersey office, stood and said sharply, Not from me and not from my colleagues." Less than a month after a temporary restraining order restricted the use of force by Los Angeles police on journalists covering protests, three reporters left an immigration demonstration bruised and bloody after being struck by officers' batons. Among them was Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, an L.A. Press Club member, who experienced heavy bruising on his left ribs that doctors said indicated a probable fracture after he was repeatedly jabbed by a baton while documenting an Aug. 8 protest outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown L.A. "I think that this is another in a long line of LAPD refusing to obey even the most basic elements of the 1st Amendment," he said. "The TRO [temporary restraining order] was designed specifically to prevent this exact situation, and I think it is extremely likely they are in contempt of a federal judge's order." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this summer, the L.A. Press Club and investigative reporting network Status Coup filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department to protect journalists' 1st Amendment rights in light of numerous injuries suffered by members of the press during immigration protests. On July 10, a federal judge granted a TRO that blocks Los Angeles police officers from using rubber projectiles and other so-called less-lethal munitions against reporters covering protests. It also forbids officers from intentionally assaulting a journalist who is gathering information at a protest or preventing a journalist from being in protest areas that have been closed off to the public. Read more: Federal judge orders LAPD to stop shooting journalists with rubber bullets at protests Now the plaintiffs allege that the LAPD violated the TRO during the Aug. 8 protest when at least three journalists were injured by police batons and two reporters were detained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, they filed a contempt motion asking a federal judge to further restrict L.A. police use of force against journalists. "We've asked the judge to set a hearing on the contempt motion and hopefully tell them, 'When I said you couldn't shoot them, I didn't think I also had to tell you you couldn't beat them,' " said the plaintiffs' attorney, Carol Sobel. An LAPD spokesperson said the department does not comment on ongoing litigation. In response to the initial TRO, L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement, "The LAPD trains our officers to identify and respect working journalists during protests and we remain committed to protecting the rights of the press." The contempt motion includes photos and videos of injuries suffered by Beckner-Carmitchel, photojournalist Nicholas Stern and Status Coup reporter Tina Berg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stern can be seen in a video being hit by an officer's baton while displaying his press credentials, suffering a cut to his chin that then bled onto his pass. Berg was shoved by officers and suffered a deep cut to her hand also while wearing press credentials. "When people held up their press credentials and they slam them with batons, that violated the court's injunction, that violated the court's decision, that violated state law," said Sobel. The motion further alleges that police violated the TRO on Aug. 8 by detaining and zip-tying reporters for one to two hours and ultimately transporting two photojournalists to LAPD detention facilities at Temple and Los Angeles streets. Journalists' request to speak to a supervisor or public information officer about their treatment was denied, the motion alleges. "Defendants actions evince a blatant disregard for the First Amendment and an unwillingness or an inability or both on the part of the City to take steps necessary to ensure compliance with this Courts Injunction," states the motion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plaintiffs are asking the judge to update the TRO to expressly encompass the use of batons and any other type of force. They are also asking that the LAPD have a designated liaison from the office of operations at every protest. The LAPD has a long history of violating reporters' rights while they are covering protests. The initial lawsuit complaint detailed extensive lacerations, bruises and severe injuries reporters suffered from so-called less-lethal munitions while covering immigration protests in June. Earlier this month, the city of L.A. tentatively agreed to pay $500,000 to two Knock LA journalists who claim their constitutional rights were violated when police arrested them at a 2021 protest in Echo Park. The city has previously paid out millions of dollars in settlements and jury awards related to lawsuits brought by reporters and demonstrators who were injured by law enforcement during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Times staff writer Libor Jany 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. A lawyer for a group of nuns who sided with the Trump administration blasted the lawsuit as "an out-of-control effort by Pennsylvania and New Jersey" to attack religious liberty. (Getty Images) A federal judge this week sided with New Jersey and Pennsylvania by striking down Trump administration regulations that allowed employers citing religious or moral grounds to opt out of contraceptive mandates under the Affordable Care Act. Judge Wendy Beetlestone, chief judge of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, called the rules arbitrary and capricious, and said the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury acted without the analysis required by law and failed to consider alternatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, in the face of prior, contradictory findings that contraception is safe and effective, and without evidence to refute said conclusions, the Agencies change-in-position runs counter to the evidence, Beetlestone wrote in Wednesdays 55-page ruling. Those rules are now vacated in their entirety, she wrote. Attorney General Matt Platkin said in a statement that he is gratified by the ruling, which comes eight years after the two states first filed their complaint against the Trump administration. We are proud to stand up for access to contraceptive care in New Jersey, and we will continue to fight back against the federal governments callous attempts to make it harder for women to access basic reproductive health care, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Little Sisters of the Poor order of nuns intervened in the lawsuit as a defendant and argued that the Affordable Care Acts contraceptive mandate is unconstitutional. Beetlestone said the nuns arguments fall well outside the scope of the matter and noted that the Little Sisters cannot raise those points without either party challenging the mandate itself. Mark Rienzi, lead attorney for the Little Sisters, told Catholic Standard that it would appeal. The district court blessed an out-of-control effort by Pennsylvania and New Jersey to attack the Little Sisters and religious liberty, Rienzi said. Under the Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as Obamacare, most employers plans must provide cost-free contraceptive services for women. Employers could opt out under narrow exemptions largely meant for churches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During President Donald Trumps first term, his administration issued rules to expand those exemptions to include nearly any for-profit and nonprofit that cited objections, and created a new moral exemption. New Jersey and Pennsylvania sued the administration in 2017 to strike them down, saying they would increase costs for publicly funded contraceptive programs. The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020. In a 7-2 decision, the justices found the Trump administration had the authority to promulgate religious and moral exemptions to the contraceptive mandate. The matter was remanded to Beetlestone for further proceedings. In Wednesdays ruling, Beetlestone said the moral exemption was based on a factor Congress has not intended the agencies to consider, and that the religious rule couldnt be justified under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a 1993 federal law intended to protect religious minorities. She noted that Congress rejected an amendment to the Affordable Care Act that would have allowed for moral objections, because it would not have subjected religious-based objections to the judicial scrutiny mandated by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Judge banging the gavel at court. (Getty Images) A federal judge this week sided with Pennsylvania and New Jersey by striking down Trump administration regulations that allowed employers citing religious or moral grounds to opt out of contraceptive mandates under the Affordable Care Act. Judge Wendy Beetlestone, chief judge of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, called the rules arbitrary and capricious, and said the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury acted without the analysis required by law and failed to consider alternatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, in the face of prior, contradictory findings that contraception is safe and effective, and without evidence to refute said conclusions, the Agencies change-in-position runs counter to the evidence, Beetlestone wrote in Wednesdays 55-page ruling. Those rules are now vacated in their entirety, she wrote. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Attorney General Matt Platkin said in a statement that he is gratified by the ruling, which comes eight years after the two states first filed their complaint against the Trump administration. We are proud to stand up for access to contraceptive care in New Jersey, and we will continue to fight back against the federal governments callous attempts to make it harder for women to access basic reproductive health care, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Little Sisters of the Poor order of nuns intervened in the lawsuit as a defendant and argued that the Affordable Care Acts contraceptive mandate is unconstitutional. Beetlestone said the nuns arguments fall well outside the scope of the matter and noted that the Little Sisters cannot raise those points without either party challenging the mandate itself. Mark Rienzi, lead attorney for the Little Sisters, told Catholic Standard that it would appeal. The district court blessed an out-of-control effort by Pennsylvania and New Jersey to attack the Little Sisters and religious liberty, Rienzi said. Under the Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as Obamacare, most employers plans must provide cost-free contraceptive services for women. Employers could opt out under narrow exemptions largely meant for churches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During President Donald Trumps first term, his administration issued rules to expand those exemptions to include nearly any for-profit and nonprofit that cited objections, and created a new moral exemption. New Jersey and Pennsylvania sued the administration in 2017 to strike them down, saying they would increase costs for publicly funded contraceptive programs. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020. In a 7-2 decision, the justices found the Trump administration had the authority to promulgate religious and moral exemptions to the contraceptive mandate. The matter was remanded to Beetlestone for further proceedings. In Wednesdays ruling, Beetlestone said the moral exemption was based on a factor Congress has not intended the agencies to consider, and that the religious rule couldnt be justified under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a 1993 federal law intended to protect religious minorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She noted that Congress rejected an amendment to the Affordable Care Act that would have allowed for moral objections, because it would not have subjected religious-based objections to the judicial scrutiny mandated by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Sophie Nieto-Munoz is a reporter for the Pennsylvania Capital-Stars sister outlet, the New Jersey Monitor, which is part of States Newsroom, the nations largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. Sean 'Diddy' Combs on Sept. 15, 2023 - Credit: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty I A federal judge has permanently dismissed nearly all of the $60 million racketeering and sexual assault lawsuit that former Making the Band 2 contestant Sara Rivers filed against Sean Combs in February. In a ruling issued today, U.S. District Judge Jed. S. Rakoff dismissed finally and with prejudice 21 of the 22 causes of action in the lengthy lawsuit, meaning they cannot be refiled. The suit alleged that Combs sexually harassed Rivers and stroked her breasts during production of the hit MTV reality show, which started filming in 2002. More from Rolling Stone Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judge said he was holding off on deciding the fate of the last remaining cause of action count 15 in the 148-page lawsuit to wait for an appeals court decision on whether the claim-revival window opened under New York Citys Gender Motivated Violence Protection Act was allowed to remain open after New Yorks Adult Survivors Act, a statewide statute, closed its window for otherwise time-barred sexual misconduct claims. In her cause of action citing the GMVPA, Rivers alleged that Combs cornered and sexually assaulted her at his recording studio and then blackballed her in the music industry when she rebuffed his advances. Rakoff said he planned to issue a more detailed order in the future setting forth the reasons for his ruling. Combs and several of his co-defendants challenged the lawsuit as being beyond the statute of limitations. Several of Rivers claims were workplace-related violations. From the outset, we have said these claims were meritless, time-barred, and legally deficient. The court agreed, finding no legal basis to allow them to proceed, Combs civil lawyer Erica Wolff said in a statement. We are pleased the court carefully analyzed and swiftly dismissed these baseless claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rivers lawyer, Ariel Mitchell, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Known as Sara Stokes when she appeared on Making the Band 2, Rivers was part of the Bad Boy Records hip-hop group Da Band. In her lawsuit, Rivers claimed Combs controlled her sleeping schedule, mocked her eating disorder, yelled at her, and forced her to do menial manual labor without pay. She recalled the time Combs made Rivers and her bandmates walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn just to bring him a cheesecake. Combs is still facing dozens of other civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct. The music mogul, 55, remains in federal custody pending his Oct. 3 sentencing for his conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. After an eight-week trial in New York that ended last month, he was found guilty of the Mann Act violations but acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A breath test provided by the accused drunken driver charged in Larry Hallums death has been thrown out, a judge ruling Friday the man was falsely told by a police officer that he was on probation and did not know he could refuse without legal consequence. But toxicology results from a blood sample taken from Marque Qualls are admissible, Judge John Oglesby said in his ruling Friday on a defense motion to suppress evidence. Qualls had been placed under arrest and consented to the blood draw, Oglesby said. He added there was a very strong probability Qualls blood would have been drawn through a warrant if hed refused. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The defendants behavior and symptomology noted by (Bakersfield police Officer Aaron Sy) in the ER were sufficient for his arrest absent the PAS (breath) test, the judge wrote. Earlier this week, Qualls trial on charges including second-degree murder and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated was postponed to October. Qualls, 28, was arrested after the Feb. 15, 2023, crash that fatally injured Hallum, a longtime Arvin educator, at the intersection of Old River Road and White Lane. Police said in court documents he admitted trying to kill himself by intentionally crashing. After being taken to Kern Medical, Qualls repeatedly refused to give a breath sample. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He only relented, Deputy Public Defender Jacob Evans has said, when Sy told him he must provide a sample because he was on probation for DUI. That was incorrect. Qualls probation ended the month before. Although he threw out the breath test result, Oglesby determined Sy made a good faith mistake. The officer didnt intend to deceive Qualls, he said. The back calculating of dates to determine if someone is on probation is not intuitive; the defendant made the same error, Oglesby said. The judge also noted body camera footage revealed Qualls was obviously intoxicated and clearly not intimidated by the presence of the officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. A popular North Carolina campground is starting to reopen months after Hurricane Helene. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Blue Ridge Parkway closed through North Carolina On Friday, the National Park Service announced that 30 campsites in Loop A of the Julian Price Campground have been cleared. Those sites, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, can be accessed with a reservation. However, those campground showers are not currently open. VIDEO: Blue Ridge Parkway shows sharp drop in visitors post-Helene Mural depicting workers painted on windows of the Madison-Kipp Corp. by Goodman Community Center students and Madison-Kipp employees with Dane Arts Mural Arts. (Photo by Erik Gunn /Wisconsin Examiner) Wisconsins jobs and employment numbers showed a slightly softening economy in July, following national trends, the state labor department reported Thursday. The Wisconsin labor market has cooled a bit along with the national economy. Unemployment remains historically low, said Scott Hodek, section chief in the office of economic advisors for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), in a briefing on the July numbers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Private-sector jobs dropped slightly in July from June, DWD reported. Employment and labor force participation edged down slightly, too, as did the states unemployment rate. What were seeing is that Wisconsin seems to be following the national trend, Hodek told the Wisconsin Examiner. While the economy is cooling down, were actually still seeing historically low unemployment rates, Hodek said. So youve got kind of a mix of up and down indicators. He pointed to national economic uncertainty as well as the longstanding challenge of Wisconsinites aging out of the workforce faster than younger residents are entering it as likely contributors to the economic cooling. DWD pegged the number of Wisconsinites working in July at 3.05 million, a drop of 4,500 from June and down 32,500 from July 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The number of people who were unemployed in July was projected at 98,600 down 2,200 from June, but up 5,400 from July 2024. The unemployment rate for July was 3.1%. The labor force shrank in July to just under 3.15 million, a decline of 6,700 from June and a decline of 27,000 from July 2024. The labor force is defined as people 16 or older who are working or seeking work, excluding people in the military or who are in institutions such as nursing homes or prisons. Wisconsins labor force participation rate was 65% of the states population 16 or older in July down 0.1% from June and down just under 1% from July a year ago. Labor force participation remains ahead of the U.S. as a whole, while unemployment is lower, DWD reported. Employment and labor force participation numbers are projected from a monthly survey of households. A separate survey, polling employers, produces data on the number of jobs in the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wisconsin counted just under 3.06 million nonfarm jobs an increase of 1,800 over June and 20,200 over July a year ago. Private sector jobs in July totaled more than 2.6 million, a decrease of 3,800 from June but still 15,100 ahead of July 2024. Construction jobs fell by 500 from June, Hodek said, but remained 3,100 ahead of July 2024. Manufacturing jobs fell by 500, and are down 1,800 from a year ago. Rosier picture in Wisconsin than broader U.S. Wisconsins jobs report Thursday lacked the drama of the national jobs numbers reported two weeks ago that prompted President Donald Trump to fire the nations chief statistician. On Friday, Aug. 1, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported the U.S. gained 73,000 jobs in July, below analysts estimates. The BLS also updated national job numbers for May and June, dramatically reducing both: in June, a gain of 14,000 jobs instead of previously reported 147,000, and in May, an increase of 19,000 instead of the previously reported 125,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The national unemployment rate of 4.2% was in line with economic forecasts, CNBC reported. Other indicators nationally added up to a slow but persistent cooling trend, the North America regional president at Manpower Group, Ger Doyle, told CNBC. Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to declare without evidence that the numbers were RIGGED. He summarily fired the director of the BLS, replacing her this week with an economist from the far-right Heritage Foundation who has called for a broad overhaul of the agency. Hodek told the Wisconsin Examiner Thursday that DWD has not received any communications about changes in procedure from the BLS. Weve certainly seen the news and were monitoring the situation, of course, Hodek said. But we do have confidence in our data and we cant really speculate on what could possibly happen. Well just need to wait and see what the Bureau of Labor Statistics actually does down the road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hodek said that revisions of previous months reports are a normal part of the data process. The first round of data isnt inaccurate, but as you take more time, the data become more accurate, he said. Ideally you want a combination of both something that kind of gives you the current edge of where youre headed, and then as more and better data come in, you get a better sense of what has been happening, Hodek said. For example, a quarterly collection of information from the unemployment insurance system actually covers most employers and its very solid data, he said. But it lags by half a year. Information from that report can be used to further refine the calculations and assumptions that go into the states monthly reports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The monthly numbers for the nation as a whole and for each state go through different calculations and formulas, Hodek said, so its not possible to draw direct connections between the state jobs numbers and the national jobs numbers. Its also too soon to explain the seemingly dramatic differences between the national jobs picture and Wisconsins, he added: Weve only got a couple of data points where we saw those large revisions, so that doesnt really make a trend necessarily yet. Hodek doesnt think Wisconsin is somehow diverging from the national economy, however, he said. In fact, its fairly unlikely in general, just because what happens to the national economy and the global economy is going to impact us as well. We tend to follow the national and global trends. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) Jurors in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court wrapped up deliberations Friday evening in the Akeen Hargrove murder case and will reconvene on Monday. Closing arguments were heard Friday in the case surrounding a December 2022 shooting death at a Youngstown gas station. Hargrove, 32, did not testify on his own behalf after prosecutors rested their case Thursday. He is charged with aggravated murder for the shooting death of Devin Bell, 26, at a gas station at 1907 South Ave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A jury was seated Monday and testimony began Tuesday before Judge Anthony DApolito. Jurors are expected to begin deliberating around noon Friday. Special Prosecutor Brad Gessner told jurors in his closing argument that Hargrove was one of two shooters caught on video firing several shots about 2:35 a.m. and that he walked away, then returned to fire more shots to make sure Bell was dead. Those last few shots were personal, Gessner said. A motive has never been disclosed during the trial. Gessner and Christopher Delisio, of the Summit County Prosecutors Office, were appointed special prosecutors to avoid a conflict of interest because current County Prosecutor Lynn Maro had once represented Hargrove while she was in private practice. Defense attorneys have argued this week that prosecution witnesses, including co-defendant Zachary Bair, 32, who testified for the prosecution, should not be trusted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) 8 News Now spoke with animal advocates on the continued rise in cruelty cases after another dog was found dumped in the extreme heat this week. In this heat, Kristi Cabena said. They dont survive long. Cabena shared her experience as a Paws Patrol volunteer with 8 News Now. The non-profit organization serves as a rescue unit that responds to calls for lost or abandoned animals at any time of the day or night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, Cabena responded to a call about a chihuahua dumped in a park near West Ann Road and Simmons Street with temperatures over 110 degrees. We found her over here gathering whatever little bit of shade she could, Cabrena said, referencing the area. She was panting; she was clearly hot, tired, and stressed. She told 8 News Now she was glad they got the animal to safety, but she called the case an unfortunate example of a never-ending problem. Its just constant, Cabrena said. The calls really dont stop coming in. 8 News Now has reported on several other cases recently, including Suzie the bulldog, found paralyzed and clinging to life earlier this summer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement English Bulldog found paralyzed, barely breathing in North Las Vegas Another dog, named Emelia, was also discovered at a North Las Vegas apartment complex last week with a broken leg and other signs of abuse. She is now recovering in a foster home. This week, police also responded to a home in the east valley, where a woman was accused of hoarding 48 sick and dead cats. Its terrible the situation the animals are in right now, Cabena said. According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, officers have seen a 34.5% increase in reports of animal cruelty this year, with a 70% rise in related arrests in that same time period. Its what many would call a concerning trend, but advocates told 8 News Now that more reports can mean more people are speaking up. See something, say something is huge, Cabena said. Because we cant save these animals if we dont know that theyre out there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said that, and a crackdown on backyard breeding could help change the landscape and stop even more animals from suffering. We have an excessive amount of animals that are having to be euthanized, Cabena concluded. Because we dont have enough homes for them. For more information on Paws Patrol LV, 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 KLAS. PENNFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) A puppy is continuing to recover after being found inside a garbage bag on the side of a road. One west Michigan womans decision to stop her car likely saved the German shepherds life. Sarah Wood, a Bedford resident, was on her way to work on Wednesday when she said she heard what sounded like crying coming from the side of the road. It was around 6:30 a.m. when she pulled over on East Avenue N near Morgan Road, got out of the car, pulled out her flashlight and found something she described as unthinkable. Reduced pet adoption fees: Harbor Humane Society works to home hundreds of animals Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I saw a puppy hanging out of a garbage bag, she said. His head was out and I saw his little paws and I knew I just had to help, Wood said. A puppy who was found in a plastic bag on the side of a road near Battle Creek on Aug. 13, 2025. (Courtesy Sarah Wood) The plastic bag a puppy was found in on the side of a road near Battle Creek on Aug. 13, 2025. (Courtesy Sarah Wood) A puppy who was found in a plastic bag on the side of a road near Battle Creek on Aug. 13, 2025. (Courtesy Sarah Wood) A puppy who was found in a plastic bag on the side of a road near Battle Creek on Aug. 13, 2025. (Courtesy Sarah Wood) Inside the bag, a tiny German Shepherd puppy was fighting for air. She said she panicked, took him out of the bag and got him into some blankets. He had sores on him, his head was leaned all the way back almost touching his bottom he was covered in his own feces and he had fly larvae all over him, she said. Its unbelievable that somebody would do something like this to a puppy, to any living thing. Wood describes herself as an animal lover to her core. At home, she has two dogs, three cats and a whole bunch of chickens. She knew she had to do something. She reached out to All Species Kinship, a local rescue group, for some help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Muskegon-area animal shelter seeks homes for 20+ dogs during repairs ASK Executive Director Sophia DiPietro told News 8 in a statement that the puppy is approximately 6 to 8 weeks old and was badly neglected with signs of long-term mistreatment, like open wounds and urine scalding. His recovery is guarded and prognosis is unknown. He cannot stand up or see properly at this time, she wrote. But just after 9 p.m. Thursday, ASK posted an update on social media, saying the pup sat up. He still has healing to do, and the shelter says it will continue to evaluate his daily progress. For Wood, staying by the puppys side and ensuring his safety was well worth being two hours late for work. She said if he was out there alone any longer, she doesnt believe the puppy would have made it. She hopes more people are aware of animal neglect so this doesnt happen again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wood said it was Lucky that she found him, which is exactly what she plans to name him if and when she gets a chance to bring him home. Animal shelter and Kalamazoo bar team up for weekend dog pool party Hopefully I get a chance to adopt him, I would really love that, she said. I want to meet him in better condition. I want to know hes going to be OK. Wood encouraged anyone who would leave a pet on the side of the road to instead put the animals in good hands. Help is out there, you dont have to throw your animals from the side of the road, she said. Theres lots of help, especially in Calhoun County and surrounding areas. That help is everywhere. Theres never any need to dispose of animals and leave them for dead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WOODTV.com. Fear and uncertainty for international students looking to study in the U.S. due to President Trumps war against elite universities. Confusion around AI and how and if it can be used to write a college essay. Ongoing nervousness about students safety on campuses in the wake of the IsraelPalestine protests that erupted last year. A dismantled Department of Education, i.e., the government body that oversees federal loans and grants for college students, a year after a botched rollout of the FAFSA form causing complications for families. Welcome to the 2025 edition of Applying to College: Could it get any more anxiety-inducing and confusing? The answer? Not really. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As high school seniors gear up to begin submitting college applications this fall, the mood in college admissions circles is decidedly bananas this summer, with families rethinking plans that have been set in place, in some cases, for years, due to all the turmoil. With Trump on the warpath against elite universitiesHarvard, in particularslashing their federal funding and attempting to limit their international student populations as punishment for what he deems the schools woke chokehold on American academia, some families who had once been dead set on the Ivies are now asking: Is Harvard still Harvard? Is Columbia safe? Even the University of Virginia has been dragged into the ring. In late June, its president, who had ushered in major DEI reforms at the school, resigned under pressure from the Trump administration. Getty Images As a result, families are continuing a trend that began following the social unrest movements of 2020, looking at schools down South, which have for the most part remained untouched by social and political unrest. But today the search is growing even wider, with families now considering schools that arent even in the U.S. The advice were giving is, Well, why not cast a wider net?, said Lindsay Tanne, founder and CEO of LogicPrep, a college admissions consultancy based in New York and Connecticut. International families caught in the crosshairs of the Trump administrations crackdown on foreigners are getting this advice the most. Although a federal judge blocked Trumps attempt to bar Harvard from enrolling any international studentsstudents beyond those eyeing Harvard are also being affected. In June, the government banned citizens from 12 countries from entering the U.S. and heightened visa restrictions on another seven nations. Also in June, the State Department announced that it would aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students and increase scrutiny of future applications from China and Hong Kong. Getty Images Its been a stressful couple of months given the uncertainty around visas and what that looks like, said Tanne. Were fielding a lot of calls with a lot of questions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (The situation is also stressing out universities, whose coffers rely heavily on the fact that most international students pay full tuition as they are not eligible for state and federal grants or financial aid.) Tanne said that in some cases families are opting to stay the course and keep their sights set on the Ivy League. For them it feels very much like business as usual. Theyre almost nonchalant, like their enthusiasm for attending school in the U.S. is pretty much unwavering. Part of it is that for many of these families this has been the dream and the plan since childhood. So I think theyre saying, OK, this will blow over. Let me ride this out. Still, she said there is a noticeable uptick in families who are applying to schools in Europe, the U.K. and Canada to diversify their options. On the list are universities like St. Andrews in Scotland, the Prince and Princess of Waless alma mater; Universita Bocconi in Milan; IE University, an international business school whose primary campus is in Madrid; and the London School of Economics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some families are thinking about it like, Lets reach for the tippy top (in the U.S.) for my most aspirational schools, and if that doesnt work out, maybe my safer option would be St. Andrews, Tanne said. Id get to have this amazing international chapter that I wouldnt have otherwise had rather than being in some remote college town in the U.S. that Im less excited about. I know a couple of families tagging on college visits to their European summer vacations, which is something Ive never seen before. Adam Nguyen, founder and CEO of Ivy Link in New York City, echoed this. Theres a lot of uncertainty about how and when a student might get deported or sent to ICEthats top of mind for a lot of international families, especially those from Dubai or the Middle East, or just students who are sympathetic to certain causes. Its making families pause and think, O.K., there are other good schools of Ivy caliberOxford and Cambridge, St. Andrews, and very respectable colleges in Canada that they can send their kids to, such as McGill and the University of Toronto. Theyre a lot less expensive than U.S. schools. So for many of our international families, applying to Oxford or St. Andrews is no longer a Plan B, its a strategic first choice. Getty Images The elephant-in-the-room question is whether any decline in international studentswhich at Harvard make up about 15 percent of the undergrad populationwill mean more room for Americans? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lot of people are secretly rejoicing because they think, Wow, its going to be so much easier to get into X, Y and Z university, said Allen Koh, CEO of Cardinal Education, which is based in the Bay Area. But it's very small, sub-groups, and even then were talking about small changes for a massive group. So I dont know if itll be that palpable. Koh believes that whatever spots are left vacant by international students, universities will seek to fill with students who have similar profiles. Theres this concept known as enrollment management where schools are trying to decide the profile of a class, he said. In other words, universities seek to create a diversified classmore so than a diversified applicantby filling it with a certain percentage of athletes, math champions, musicians and, yes, international students. By Kohs reasoning, schools will try to find the closest thing they can to a student whos actually coming from abroadfor example, an American student who has traveled extensively or been raised in a non-American household where theyve developed a global perspective. Getty Images So someone from rural Iowa or a fifth-generation Manhattanitetheyre just not checking the same boxes for enrollment management as somebody from Bolivia or Singapore or Germany, Koh said. Theyre all competing at different events at the Olympics. They might all be applying to Harvard, but one kids a swimmer, one kids a runner and one kids a gymnast. So theyre not actually competing against each other, thats why these are just small population groups that are going to win. Nguyen, however, predicts a small advantage for U.S. applicants who are borderline candidates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They might have a better shot at Harvard, he said. But if you werent borderline before, youre not now going to have that shot. Harvard has an acceptance rate of 3.5 percent, so a few thousand students from international will not materially affect your chances, especially if youre not already close to getting in. On a more granular level, college essays are also prompting calls to college consultants as students grapple with how and if they can use AI in the writing process. Universities are showing a shocking lack of leadership in that theyre basically not really proactively giving guidance on the role of AItheyre not giving it to consultants, theyre not giving it to high school students, theyre not giving it to families, Koh said. Like, what is going on? The result, he said, is absolute chaos. Getty Images On the student side, some kids feel its absolutely fine to use. Some dont even think they need to write their essays themselves, he went on. On the college side, I hear ridiculous things. Some are using AI detectors. Some are using them but dont pay attention to them. Some dont use them. Some admissions officers say theyre not even reading essays. Some have conspiracy theorieslike, if a kid uses em-dashes, it has to be AI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So now Im arguing with kids, theyre saying, Hey, I have to leave some grammatical mistakes in there otherwise theyre not going to think I even wrote the essay. I mean, these are some of the dumbest conversations Ive ever had. Tanne is advising students to not use AI in any part of the college essay processfrom brainstorming to writing. Really for two reasons, she said. For the voice reason, part of the point of the essay is to authentically capture the students voice, and, even if its being used for editing, it has the potential to take out some of the rough edges that I think is what creates impact and meaning. Those imperfections are sometimes where the most compelling and personally resonant writing actually lives. Then from the practical perspective, more and more colleges are beginning to implement checks and tools to detect AI generated content. I expect this trend to grow, and the last thing we want is for a student to be flagged or questioned. Government attacks on elite schools as well as the fear that issues of safety and free speech on those campuses havent been completely resolved, meanwhile, are pushing more families to look beyond the Ivy League. Theyre looking at schools that are less often in the media, said Nguyen, ticking off a list that included Vanderbilt, Duke, Emory and Rice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This cycle we have families who were considering to apply early to Harvard and Penn that are now considering schools like Vanderbilt and Duke to apply in the first round, which is very unusual. Will they actually go through with it? I suspect some will, but not all. The allure of a place like Harvard and the other Ivies is still very much alive. But theyre definitely looking more broadly than before. We have one family thats a Harvard donor. They sent their first child to Harvard but with their second theyll probably pull the trigger on a Southern school. Koh agrees that the chances of students forgoing Harvard for Vanderbilt in the early rounds feels like a lot of bluster. Still, he said that hes having conversations with families who remain concerned about the political climate on Ivy campuses. The one community of students I work with the most where we have those conversations are my Jewish families. Theyre wondering what kind of environment theyd end up in, will that change? I think theyre a little bit more cautious and more well-researched than even the typical well-researched family. Tanne urges students and parents to educate themselves on this front by visiting colleges earlier and picking up a copy of the student newspaper while on campus. Read about the issues. Read the editorials by the students to get a sense of the vibe and the tenor. I think that is more important than it has historically been because its such a good window into how students in that moment are thinking about whats going on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once kids are admitted, another round of headaches will follow for those seeking financial aid. Federal grants like Perkins Loans and Cal Grants (for California schools), those are all funded by the Dept. of Education, which has been gutted, Nguyen said. Getty Images Last year there was chaos with the FAFSA form. I dont know how its going to play out this year, but universities and families are going to have to contend with potential disruption when it comes to federal aid. The default policy of elite universities is that they are need blind admissionsmeaning they admit students without knowing whether they will be requesting financial aid. So well have to see if they can meet those obligations. The bigger issue is, once they get in, students in need need to know whether they can get Federal grants Schools are trying to do everything they can to fill the gaps, Nguyen went on. Harvard has gone out to get support from corporations, not just individual donors. We just have to wait and see. You Might Also Like When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Kabul's climate challenge 'reflects a broader trend we're seeing across water-stressed regions globally'. | Credit: Wakil Kohsar / AFP / Getty Images For the past half-century, the city of Kabul has endured more than its fair share of hardship and tragedy. As Afghanistan's capital works to move past its violent history, a new challenge has emerged to threaten Kabul's future in a way no occupying army or theocratic regime ever could. The city faces a "severe and multi-faceted water crisis" which, if not addressed immediately, "will soon pose an existential threat" to Kabul's six million residents, said a new study by the nonprofit Mercy Corps. If allowed to continue, the crisis will earn Kabul the ignominious distinction of becoming the first major capital in modern history to fully exhaust its subterranean water supply. How much water does Kabul have? Kabul's underground aquifers have "plummeted 25-30 meters in the past decade" with usage "exceeding natural recharge by a staggering 44 million cubic meters annually," said Mercy Corps. The "vast majority" of Kabul's subterranean water comes from "melting snow and ice in the Hindu Kush mountains," which feed the city's three main aquifers, with only some 20% of households connected to "piped running water from centralized sources." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, nearly half the city's boreholes are dry, while the remaining wells are "functioning at only 60% efficiency," the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in 2023. According to Mercy Corps, 90% of Kabul residents rely on "water pumped from borewells to supply their daily needs." Absent immediate action, Kabul could completely exhaust its groundwater supply by the start of the next decade, UNICEF said this past fall. "Rapid urbanization and climate change" are to blame for the looming catastrophe. How did Kabul get to this point? While hardly the only city to be facing resource challenges, Kabul's water crisis stems from a unique combination of factors, including climate change, political mismanagement and rapid population growth. Broadly, the water shortages have been "compounded by climate change," said Al Jazeera. Not only has precipitation dropped across the country, but rising temperatures have led to "greater evaporation raising agricultural water consumption." Kabul's climate challenge "reflects a broader trend we're seeing across water-stressed regions globally," said Mohammed Mahmoud, who is the chief executive officer of the Climate and Water Initiative NGO, and the lead for Middle East climate and water policy at the U.N. University's Institute of Water, Environment, and Health, to LiveScience. Reduced and shifting rainfall patterns are "limiting freshwater generation and groundwater recharge, while increasing the frequency and severity of droughts." Kabul's population explosion has also contributed to the city's growing water scarcity. The city's populace has "grown roughly sixfold over the past 25 years," said The New York Times, but "no decent water management system has been put in place" to address the growing strain from "greenhouses, factories and residential buildings that are mushrooming across the city." Although international donors have "financed multiple dam projects" and plumbing initiatives to help address Kabul's water scarcity, most of those projects "never saw the light of the day or were abruptly stopped after 2021" when the United States withdrew from Afghanistan and returned control to the current Taliban government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Compounding the crisis further is the state of Kabul's current groundwater reserves. Mercy Corps' research shows some 80% of the city's groundwater is contaminated as a "consequence of widespread pit latrine use and industrial waste pollution," CNN said. Residents "without the means to dig hundreds of meters for water" are then left "at the mercy of private companies or must rely on donations" for reliable access to water. Some of those companies have been "capitalizing on the crisis," The Guardian said, by "extracting large amounts of public groundwater," then reselling to residents at "inflated prices." Are there any solutions? Mercy Corps suggests "increased engagement with the private sector" as a potentially "sustainable way forward" for the city in the absence of "significant funding boosts" to directly address the water crisis. The group also suggests that NGOs should focus on regulation, which would have an "immediate impact" by creating a framework to ensure "any actors providing water to the public do so in a safe, efficient and sustainable way." Broader infrastructure work would "go a significant way" toward addressing the situation. But the "largest and most important projects remain plagued by significant funding shortfalls and planning hurdles." The shuttering of America's USAID program by the Trump administration has been catastrophic for Afghanistan, said CNN. "Only about $8 million of the $264 million required for water and sanitation" has been delivered. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Kansas City Council approved a measure late Thursday afternoon to fund the bus service through April of next year. The agreement came about 24 hours before thousands of riders wouldve been stranded. Things to do in Kansas City this weekend: Aug. 15-17 Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city council approved a 12-month contract with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) to continue essential bus service operations throughout the metropolitan area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the meeting, Lucas said there was outstanding collaboration between the KCATA and the city. At the end of the day he said, there are city contract negotiations with other entities all the time. But I think at its core, you have people who like each other, who are committed to working together and understand how important this is for our entire region that we get everything moving efficiently particularly before the World Cup year, Lucas said. KCATA buses have been running without a contract since May. The contract approved Thursday goes to the regional KCATA Board on Friday morning for final approval. That meeting starts at 8 a.m. The 12-month contract between Kansas City and KCATA provides the stability we need to continue serving our community while we work on longer-term solutions and improvements to our transit system, said Councilman Eric Bunch, who was appointed by Lucas earlier this month to the KCATA commission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a news release from the mayors office, the contract will maintain current service levels across all existing bus routes while providing stability for KCATAs workforce and the thousands of daily riders who depend on the system. This agreement ensures that residents in Kansas City, Missouri, continue to have reliable access to the transportation services they depend on. The contract also allows us to now focus on the agenda of true regionalism, which includes the implementation of functionally free fare policy and uniting the region to ensure equitable transportation for everyone. Bridgette Williams, Vice Chair of the KCATA Board and representative of Wyandotte County, said. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android The news release said Kansas City and the KCATA will continue working together over the coming months to identify opportunities for service enhancements and explore sustainable funding mechanisms for future operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FOX 4 spoke to riders about the possible reinstatement of bus fares, with special considerations made for certain populations and those without the ability to pay. I dont know why they dont go back to charging and have fares and bus passes so they arent running into that problem again, Kerri Winemiller said. When they were charging service was better, Daniel Hansen said. Id rather you just charge so I know what to do in the morning, people wake up in the morning and we dont know what we are going to get, Shawn Burk said. One services future that is somewhat unclear, the on demand service IRIS. The City Manager said only portions of Kansas City in Clay and Platte County would be part of upcoming separate funding discussions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Microtransit will be a part of Kansas Citys structure going forward but it just became a problem in these negotiations so pulling it out was the right thing to do, KC Transportation Group General Manager Terry OToole said. The vote Thursday ended up being 12-0, but before it, there was some discussion from Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw who said that Wyandotte County would no longer be contracting with the KCATA. Then Frank White, III came up and spoke to the council. There is no plan to cut service to Wyandotte County, White, III said. There is no notice to decrease service in Wyandotte County. In fact, well be in Wyandotte County tomorrow at 10 oclock to do some speaking on opening a new transit center in Wyandotte County that theyve been working on for the last year, so theyre taking one route back, but were not cutting service in Wyandotte County. Parks-Shaw had said she was concerned about the citys riders who travel to Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas for work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Endangered Species Act protections for the lesser prairie chicken, which resides in Kansas' grasslands, were removed after petroleum and agricultural industries challenged those protections in court. (Greg Kramos/USFWS) TOPEKA The lesser prairie chicken, a dancing grouse that has long teetered between threatened and endangered classifications, lost its federal protections in court in a victory for Great Plains petroleum and cattle industries. In a Tuesday decision from a Texas federal court, the lesser prairie chicken was stripped of any endangered or threatened species protections, which were established through a Biden-era ruling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration challenged that ruling, arguing it contained mistakes, and the lesser prairie chicken would be adequately protected without endangered or threatened classifications. U.S. District Judge David Counts, a Trump appointee, agreed, denying a slate of motions in a 15-page omnibus order that reversed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services 2022 classifications. The lesser prairie chicken forages on whats widely considered to be prime ranching and drilling land in the grasslands and brush of southwestern Kansas, southeastern Colorado, eastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma and the panhandle and south plains of Texas. The bird was first protected in 2014, a decision that was overturned a year later. In the 2022 classifications, the birds populations were divided into a southern range in New Mexico and the southwest Texas Panhandle, where it was listed as endangered, and a northern range in Kansas, Oklahoma and the northeast Texas Panhandle, where it was listed as threatened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 70% of the estimated lesser prairie chicken population resides in Kansas. Fish and Wildlife Service admitted in the case that it erred in creating two distinct populations of lesser prairie chickens, and it failed to justify the classification of the two distinct population segments northern and southern, Counts said. He added that the later endangered and threatened findings have no leg to stand on. Fish and Wildlife is unable to correct this square one error without engaging in an entirely new analysis, he said. Counts reasoned that any disruptive consequences of removing protections are short-lived and minimized by the sixteen existing voluntary conservation programs and efforts in place across the range of the lesser prairie-chicken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of those programs, which are administered by federal, state and private groups, existed before the 2022 listing decision and were designed to mitigate threats to the lesser prairie chicken and its habitat, Counts said. These efforts are not thought to be inadequate over the short term, he said. Rather, even the current listing decision couched their inadequacies in the long term a span of 25 years. The decision is a win for Kansas agricultural and energy producers, said U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, who has publicly opposed listing the lesser prairie chicken since 2021. He added it is a huge loss for radical climate activists and bureaucrats who have abused the Endangered Species Act for over a decade to hurt American agriculture and energy production. Kansas farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers have always been and always will be the original conservationists of the land, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mann was behind a bill this year that delisted the lesser prairie chicken and prevented any future efforts to relist it. However, the legislation did not progress. Matt Teagarden, CEO of the Kansas Livestock Association, said in an emailed statement that the 2022 ruling contained significant flaws that disproportionately affected livestock operations. He said the association, which was part of the lawsuit, is pleased the Trump administration is reexamining the listing. Over the coming months, he said, we hope the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will take into account the voluntary conservation efforts already taking place, most of which are being done by ranchers. Texas agencies initially sued the Fish and Wildlife Service in March 2023. Among them was the states railroad commission, which regulates oil and natural gas production in the state. Attorneys general in Kansas and Oklahoma and the petroleum and cattle industries later joined the suit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond celebrated the decision. The listing of the species as threatened or endangered would have crippled oil and wind energy production and would have limited where and when Kansas ranchers could graze cattle on their own property, Kobach said in a Friday news release. Drummond said in a Wednesday news release that he had called the Biden administrations ruling outrageous and illegal federal overreach. This court decision affirms we were right, Drummond said. Oklahomas cattle grazing, energy production and rural economy are no longer under siege by this unlawful regulation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Kobachs initial argument in federal court, he worried Kansas would lose revenues from cattle ranching, farming, oil and gas production, wind energy production and tourism if the lesser prairie chickens threatened status stood. He worried the status would lead to job losses in the state, which would further adversely impact state tax revenues, in addition to causing social instability among Kansans who lose their jobs. Under the Endangered Species Act, the habitat and species protections that accompany a threatened or endangered status determination curtail certain land uses such as cattle ranching, oil drilling and energy production in protected habitats. Jason Rylander, legal director of the Center for Biological Diversitys Climate Law Institute, which was an intervenor in the case, said the Trump administrations rationale for removing the lesser prairie chickens protections was in bad faith. This ruling has nothing to do with science or the law and everything to do with kowtowing to the oil and gas industry, he said. We wont be silent witnesses while the Trump administration and fossil fuel companies try to carve up whats left of these dancing birds habitat and doom them to extinction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the fight for the lesser prairie chicken is not over, Rylander said. The institute is considering its legal options, including a possible appeal of Counts decision and a new petition with the USFWS to relist the lesser prairie chicken. Students gather in a lecture hall at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. (Eric Thomas for Kansas Reflector) As students arrive on campus this week and classes start next week, Kansas universities and colleges still tremble under challenges they have faced during my decade-plus on campus, particularly the racial justice protests during 2020 and COVID-19 lockdowns around the same time. This academic year, however, feels even bigger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When someone asks how morale is on campus, my chest tightens as I recite this list: The federal withdrawal of university research funding. Februarys news seemed wonky when it broke. How much could a changed formula for federal medical research funding affect universities? The answer from universities: This funding means everything, especially when those funding cuts were followed by more. Longstanding research funds revenue that fuels universities disappeared. For decades, the marriage between universities and the federal government had been good for both sides, economics writer Binyamin Appelbaum said last week: The universities grow and prosper and the government derives huge benefits from the research that theyre doing. At KU, the top two sources for federally funded research in 2024 were the Department of Health and Human Services (including NIH) at No. 1 and the National Science Foundation at No. 2. During fiscal year 2024, those entities poured more than $181 million into KU. Distrust of the value of college, particularly the value of student loans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ten years ago, a healthy majority of Americans reported having a Great deal/Quite a lot of confidence in higher education. By last year, that number slid to a low of 36 percent. (It rebounded slightly this year.) This shaken confidence has many causes. In particular, Americans might be reacting to journalism showing that graduates with student loans are particularly imperiled when compared to people who elect to not attend college. A falloff in the number of potential college students. Educators obsess about birth rates because they predict future enrollment. When birth rates fell during the financial crisis beginning in 2008, schools knew a disruption was coming. Many news reports call this birth rate drop a demographic cliff. But this undersells the crisis. A cliff has a floor. This demographic trend doesnt show signs of stopping: Birth rates keep falling, making schools increasingly worried about tuition-paying students in the future. International students leaving American universities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One projection last month estimates that Kansas will lose more than $37 million in revenue this year as international students steer away from enrolling in American schools. The Trump administration earns the blame here, as its policies have blocked students from admission to Ivy League universities and international students have considered that as their cue to avoid college in the United States altogether. Losses nationwide could reach almost $7 trillion. The roiling political atmosphere on many campuses. In a public announcement and university email last week, campus leaders summed it up: We are again navigating an uncertain fiscal environment because of external factors, such as disruptions to federal funding, changes in federal law, stagnant state funding, rising costs, changes in international enrollments, and a projected nationwide decline in college enrollment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The email continues, saying that in fiscal year 2027, KU must reduce annual spending at KU Lawrence and Edwards by $32 million dollars. Some observers claim that the chickens have come home to roost: Postsecondary education, they will say, has ignored the values of the American middle class and political center and right for too long. Defenders of universities say that many of these forces are beyond the control of a university president, let alone an adjunct professor. Regardless, this academic year will be an inflection point. Ten years from now, educational historians will look back on the 2025-2026 academic year as the moment when universities rose to the challenge, the year they revitalized or the year they caved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, I will teach my first classes of the semester on campus, standing in front of more than 400 students in KUs Budig Hall. I considered teaching the class as I have done six semesters before: an overview of the course, an opportunity for student questions and some pictures of my dog. This year demands something different. So, we will talk about what its like to express yourself on campus these days. About the number of students who feel scared to voice their convictions. About the current academic constipation that bores many students. Its a lesson that I normally save until later in the semester, but I dont think it can wait. The start of school this year just feels too urgent to delay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most college students know the feeling of realizing too late in the semester that their grade has sunk too far to rescue. How can I earn an A? How can I manage a B-? Or, How can I pass? Lets hope that we in higher education researchers, administrators, instructors, staff and professors havent waited too long to pass this years vital test. Because the final exam is coming. Eric Thomas teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here. KANSAS CITY, Mo. After Kansas City Council unanimously approved funding for a 12-month contract with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority on Thursday, its board approved the contract on Friday, the same day the KCATAs operational line of credit ran out. City council approved $78 million in immediate funding at a meeting Thursday. Another $15 million is also expected to be approved, guaranteeing bus service through the end of April. Thursday during the meeting at City Hall, Councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw said she thought the Unified Government of Wyandotte County could end its contract with the KCATA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive had multiple conversations with individuals who have said they are ultimately going to start running it on their own because they need a more affordable service, Parks-Shaw said in an interview with FOX4 Friday. After our conversation, FOX4 reached out to Wyandotte County and talked to their Transportation Director Deasiray Bush. We own and operate five fixed routes and para transit services, Bush said in an interview with FOX4 Friday. We do sub contract some levels of our fixed route and para transit services to KCATA. We value our collaboration and partnership with the KCATA. We do not plan to eliminate services for the remainder routes or para transit services. Both Thursday and Friday, Parks-Shaw said she wanted to make sure any riders in her city who go to Kansas City, Kansas, during their day are taken care of on their way back to Kansas City, Missouri. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They need access to be successful in their lives, and we want to make sure that they have access to public transit, Parks-Shaw said Friday. Thursday, KCATA CEO Frank White, III came up and spoke to the council after Parks-Shaw made her comments. White said theres no plan to cut service to Wyandotte County. After the council meeting that day, he said 40,000 riders a day would have been impacted had the city not acted on their plan to fund the KCATA. Regardless of the Unified Government comments, White III expressed relief on Friday that the contract disputes over with Kansas City, MO. First and foremost, we are thankful that service will continue uninterrupted, said Frank White III, KCATA CEO stated in a news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We appreciate City Manager Vasquez shepherding this contract process to a successful conclusion and look forward to working with Councilman Eric Bunch on our Board, who will provide a direct line of communication with the Council. Video in KC gas station shooting released after grand jury indictment The new contract comes with conditions. Councilmembers want KCATA to resume bus fares, but also to make them free for people who cant afford to pay. KCATA says fares will be reinstated in 2026, with free fares offered to those who qualify. Those qualifications werent revealed in a release announcing the contract agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KCATA buses have been running without a contract since May. The new contract maintains current service levels across all existing bus routes, according to a news release from Mayor Quinton Lucas office. This agreement ensures that residents in Kansas City, Missouri, continue to have reliable access to the transportation services they depend on. The contract also allows us to now focus on the agenda of true regionalism, which includes the implementation of functionally free fare policy and uniting the region to ensure equitable transportation for everyone, Bridgette Williams, Vice Chair of the KCATA Board and representative of Wyandotte County, said. The ratification of the new contract comes on the heels of pleas from riders and local organizations to get something done before riders would have been left stranded. Blind metro man scammed looking for emotional support puppy Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before city council approved the new contract Thursday, the Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equality issued a statement that said in part: The stalled contract between the City and KCATA is not just a bureaucratic delay, it is a direct threat to the ability of thousands of our residents to get to work, school, the doctor, the grocery store, and their places of worship. Without immediate action, service cuts will fall hardest on those who can least afford them: working families, seniors, people with disabilities, and communities of color. For too long, transit equity has been treated as optional. It is not. Public transportation is a lifeline, and when leaders allow that lifeline to fray, they deepen the divides they claim to be working to close. While bus service wont be interrupted, one services future that is somewhat unclear is the on demand service IRIS. City Manager Mario Vasquez said only portions of Kansas City in Clay and Platte County would be part of upcoming separate funding discussions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Kelloggs will eliminate artificial dyes from its breakfast cereals by the end of 2027, according to both the company and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. WK Kellogg Co., the maker of Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, and Frosted Flakes, signed an assurance of voluntary compliance with Paxtons office, pledging to remove artificial food colorings from its cereals by the end of 2027. Paxton said Wednesday that the deal is the first of its kind in the U.S. with a major food company, calling it a historic legal agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following months of investigating and negotiating, Im proud to officially say Kelloggs will stop putting these unhealthy ingredients in its cereals, the Texas Attorney General said in a statement. The signed AVC demonstrates that Kelloggs is committed to keeping this pledge, and I commend the company for doing the right thing. I encourage other food manufacturers to sign similar agreements to demonstrate their commitment to helping Americans live healthier lives. Paxton launched the probe earlier this year to determine whether Kellogg continued to use petroleum-based color additives in U.S. products, despite having removed them in Canada and Europe. Kelloggs said that 85% of its cereal sales already contain no FD&C colors and none of its products have included Red No. 3, which the FDA banned in food earlier this year, for years. We are committed to continue working with HHS and FDA to identify effective solutions to remove FD&C colors from foods, the company said in a news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company said it would: Reformulate cereals served in schools to remove FD&C colors by the 2026-27 school year. Stop launching new products with FD&C colors starting January 2026. Eliminate FD&C colors from the remaining products that contain them by the end of 2027. Synthetic dyes have long been used to make brightly colored cereals, candies, drinks and baked goods, but health advocates say studies show they may cause hyperactivity and attention issues in some children. 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. WK Kellogg Co. has announced that they will stop using artificial dyes in its breakfast cereals by the end of 2027, according to a statement from the company. The maker of Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies, just to name a few, said that they are evolving their portfolio of cereals to provide consumers with more of what they want and need -- such as whole grains and fiber and less of what they dont. MORE: Body of Antarctic researcher found 66 years after he disappeared exploring glacier Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today, the vast majority -- 85 percent -- of our cereal sales contain no FD&C colors and none of our products have contained Red No. 3 for years, Kellogg said in their statement making the announcement. We are committed to continue working with HHS and FDA to identify effective solutions to remove FD&C colors from foods. Kellogg pledged that they will be reformulating their cereals served in schools to not include FD&C colors by the 2026-27 school year, that they will not be launching any new products with FD&C colors beginning in January 2026 and that they plan on removing all FD&C colors from their products by the end of 2027, according to their announcement. MORE: $30,000 of stolen Labubus recovered in major California bust We are proud that our cereals provide consumers with important nutrients such as Iron, Vitamin D and Folate, Kellogg said. Kelloggs cereals have played an important role in U.S. consumers lives for more than a century, and we look forward to continuing that tradition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The change comes amid a push from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to crack down on synthetic food additives as part of his initiative to "Make America Healthy Again." Among those efforts are proposals to phase out artificial food dyes in favor of natural alternatives. MORE: Denmark zoo asks for people to donate their pets to feed its predators Gene J. Puskar/AP - PHOTO: Kellogg Food-Dyes MORE: 3 dead and at least 67 sick from growing Legionnaires' disease cluster in New York City In June, Kraft Heinz and General Mills announced plans to remove artificial food dyes from some products within the next two years. Several other large food manufacturers -- including PepsiCo, ConAgra, The Hershey Company, McCormick & Co., J.M. Smucker, Nestle USA and more -- have announced similar plans in recent months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved three additional color additives from natural sources that are in line with the Department of Health and Human Services' goals, which can be used in a wide range of products from gum to breakfast cereal. MORE: UCLA set to lose some of its federal research funding: Officials Just last month, Mars Wrigley North America announced that products across four categories of its popular treats -- gum, fruity confections and chocolate candy -- will be made "without Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors" starting in 2026. The first of their brands to be available without without FD&C colors will include M&M's Chocolate, Skittles Original, Extra Gum Spearmint and Starburst Original fruit chews, the company said. ABC News' Kelly McCarthy contributed to this report. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed back on Friday against speculation he may run for president in 2028 and defended the loyalty of a longtime aide recently targeted by far-right activist Laura Loomer. Kennedy called recent reports suggesting he may run for president again a flat-out lie and an attempt to drive a wedge between him and President Donald Trump. Let me be clear: I am not running for president in 2028, he said in a social media post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kennedys lengthy post touted his work since taking the top spot at HHS to advance his Make America Healthy Again agenda, a policy vision featuring pillars from his failed 2024 presidential campaign that he first unveiled after endorsing Trump last year. Kennedy also defended his deputy chief of staff Stefanie Spear, a longtime aide who served as the principal communications staffer on his presidential campaign, as a fierce, loyal warrior for MAHA. On Tuesday, Loomer told POLITICO she was concerned about Spears role at HHS and accused the Kennedy aide of trying to utilize her position to try to lay the groundwork for a 2028 RFK presidential run. Kennedy said attacks against Spear and other members of his staff are proof were over the target. He did not mention Loomer by name in his post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loomers targeting of Spear comes after she led a pressure campaign that resulted in the ouster of Vinay Prasad, a vaccine regulator at the Food and Drug Administration. Earlier this week, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles intervened to reinstate Prasad in his original role at the FDA. While Kennedy appeared to wave off any presidential ambitions for now, his allies appear to be organizing support should he change his mind. Last month, a super PAC with ties to Kennedy hosted a call with supporters to mobilize grassroots support. Spear joined the call, Axios reported, which was hosted by Tony Lyons, who co-chaired the primary super PAC that supported Kennedys presidential campaign. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A mandatory community forum is scheduled for Tuesday to inform the public on the Kern County Sheriffs Offices involvement with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement last year, according to the Kern County Board of Supervisors agenda. The TRUTH Act, short for the California Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds Act, requires a countys governing body to hold at least one community forum if a local law enforcement agency has given ICE access to an individual in the previous year. The forum is meant to inform the public on ICEs access to individuals and also receive comments from the public, according to state law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coroner IDs man struck by vehicle while riding bike During last years TRUTH Act community forum, KCSO revealed ICE requested release notification for five inmates who were in KCSO custody, and one was transferred to ICE in 2023. The request for the one inmates transfer was made in 2022 but the transfer happened in 2023. A public notice for the forum was shared 30 days prior to the scheduled date of the forum, the agenda said. The forum is set for Aug. 19 at 9 a.m., during the Board of Supervisors meeting in the Kern County Administrative Centers Board Chambers located at 1115 Truxtun Ave. The public is welcome to attend and provide comments. Spanish translation services will be available at the forum, the notice said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. AUSTIN (KXAN) In the hours before catastrophic July 4 flooding killed at least 117 people in Kerr County, it was business as usual for Kerrville Police until it wasnt. Newly released records, obtained by KXAN through a public information request, reveal calls to police and 911 before, during and after the flood. On July 3, showing no obvious signs of the impending storm, police responded to typical small city problems: traffic accidents, residential and business alarms going off, harassment, a welfare check, a disabled vehicle, suspicious activity. The first emergency call for help came the next morning around 3:34 a.m. requesting a Water Rescue. What followed was a series of cascading pleas for lifesaving response. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least nine more water rescues, a dozen requests for assistance, more than 40 medical calls. The calls came from across the county, as Kerrville police handle 911 calls for the region, not just their city. Then at 9:10 a.m., the police call log shows its first report of an unattended death in Center Point. Two minutes later another report in Kerrville. From July 4 through July 5, the call log lists 20 such cases an early sign of the death toll including several children and counselors at a nearby summer camp that would rise in the days ahead. More than a month later, two people are still missing in Kerr County. FILE Members of a search and rescue team embrace as they visit a memorial wall for flood victims, Sunday, July 13, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) The logs do not offer details about the calls other than the type of service requested. Kerrville police would not answer KXANs follow-up questions or provide clarifying details related to the records requested and would not offer a specific date for releasing other records including audio of the 911 calls. In an emailed response to KXAN Thursday, Kerrville Police Chief Chris McCall said he was sorry we cannot assist you further. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Texas Public Information Act does not require governmental bodies to provide answers to general inquiries, McCall wrote. It simply requires that governmental bodies make available information they collect, assemble, or maintain In light of the number of requests we have received, we need to focus on responding to pending requests in order to comply with our legally-mandated deadlines. Still, the records released, so far, offer an early glimpse of the calm before the chaos, then standard calls returning relatively quickly. Around 9 p.m. on July 4, police were asked to respond to a DWI and a smattering of city ordinance violations. But just an hour later, another call and a reminder of the recovery that was just beginning: unattended death. 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. NEW YORK (PIX11) Ever wanted to visit Yellowstone or climb to the Statue of Libertys crown, or even visit the Federal Reserve? Dozens of children, including three from New York, won a highly selective contest to go on free field trips around the country. More Local News Freya Helgadottir, 10, from Boston, won a contest asking kids across the country to express what America means to them. Shannon Hobbs is the Chief People Officer of the Bank of New York, hosting these children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its part of a new national program called Americas Field Trip, and the non-profit America250 honorary co-chairs are former First Ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush, as well as former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. One of the sponsors is the BNY . These young people are chosen from thousands of entries around the country, who sent essays and videos. This initiative, developed by a non-profit called America250, helps children across the country reach for their dreams by honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. 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. I am a pediatric infectious disease physician and am fortunate to have practiced long enough that I have seen many of the most common infectious diseases in children disappear with the advent of vaccines. These vaccines have spared countless children from time in intensive care units and their parents from watching their children suffer and even die. Vaccination has resulted in a greater than 99% decrease in deaths due to vaccine-preventable diseases. In the last 30 years alone, the lives of more than 1 million U.S. children have been saved by vaccination. But who are those children? We dont know. We can never know. That is both the beauty and the curse of prevention. It is invisible. We dont see it. We dont touch it. We dont experience it. Yet it exists. That fact is undeniable. The number of lives saved by vaccination is staggering. And while not without occasional side effects, vaccines are incredibly safe: they undergo extensive testing, at least as thorough as any other medical intervention, and they continue to undergo safety monitoring after they are licensed. CDC shows fewer kids are getting vaccinated before school entry Letters: Wisconsin must expand Medicaid, health care access for families like mine Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the remarkable success of vaccines, an increasing number of parents question the need to vaccinate their children. Data released last week by CDC show that fewer children are being vaccinated prior to school entry. This leaves these children unprotected and enables outbreaks to spread more easily, exposing both unimmunized and immunized children alike. Perhaps some parents choose not to vaccinate their children because they value their and othersexperiences more than what scientific evidence tells us. Maybe that is just human nature. Every day I see the sun rise in the east and set in the west. That is my experience: the Earth is still, and the sun moves around it about once every 24 hours. On my own, I would never be able to determine that it is, in fact, the exact opposite. I dont know how astronomers determined the way the solar system works. But I am certain that they did not make up a story about how the sun is the center of the universe so that non-astronomers like me would be fooled into believing a lie. Parents want their kids to be healthy, but here's what they may miss Upon graduating from medical school, physicians take an oath to place their patients well-being above all else. I can tell you that most doctors take that oath very seriously. Only a small percentage of physicians end up studying pediatric infectious diseases, which is six additional years of training after medical school. My colleagues and I decided to enter that field because we love taking care of children, and we want them to remain healthy. Of course, parents want their children to be healthy too. But some may not understand the data regarding vaccines. Because it may not be their experience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vaccinations are common, so it is common for people to have experiences associated with them. If a child develops a fever and seizure shortly after getting a vaccine, it is human nature to think that the vaccine was the cause. But children get fevers all the time. And some children will develop seizures with their fevers. To know whether a vaccine is the cause of those symptoms, we need to study many children. We also need a control group. If we find that of 5000 children who got a vaccine, 10 of them developed a febrile seizure in the two weeks after vaccination, we might be worried. But if we find that of 5000 children of the same age who didnt get the vaccine, 10 of them also developed a febrile seizure, we conclude that there is no association between the vaccine and those symptoms. Letters: Eli Lilly could afford its Wisconsin project without our tax dollars There were kids who had a febrile seizure after their vaccine. That was truly their and their parents experience. But those symptoms were not caused by the vaccine, even though to them it sure seems that way. Just like it really seems to me that the sun moves across the sky each day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During my 30 years of practicing medicine, I have cared for unvaccinated children who died from vaccine-preventable diseases like bacterial meningitis, whooping cough, and influenza; most were previously healthy. Watching helplessly while a child dies is the hardest part of my job. I agree with those who say choosing to vaccinate a child is a parents decision. It is and has always been their choice. But it is not an inconsequential choice. It is a choice with one best answer, like whether to use a car safety seat for an infant. Last year, influenza resulted in the deaths of more than 250 U.S. children, nearly all of them unvaccinated. That is just a statistic to most of us. But the parents of those children will grieve their loss every day for the rest of their lives. I strongly encourage parents to vaccinate their children in preparation for the upcoming school year. When it comes to children and vaccine-preventable diseases, even one death is one death too many. This story to updated to remove a paragraph that was repeated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thomas G. Boyce is a pediatric infectious disease physician at Marshfield Clinic and a clinical investigator at Marshfield Clinic Research Institute in Marshfield. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Vaccines for children save lives. Check on yours | Opinion Kim Jong Un has hailed North Korea's alliance with Russia in a public speech marking 80 years since the Korean peninsula's liberation from Japan's colonial rule, state news agency KCNA reported on Friday. "Today, friendship between North Korea and Russia has developed into an unprecedented alliance, becoming ever more solid amid their common struggle to curb the revival of neo-Nazism and safeguard sovereignty, security and international justice," Kim was quoted as saying by the regime's mouthpiece, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap. The North Korean ruler said Pyongyang and Moscow were "creating history" in their struggle for world peace and stability, noting: "The might from the North Korea-Russia solidarity, forged with sublime ideas and genuine friendship... is infinite." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Yonhap, it marks the first time Kim has delivered a public speech for the August 15 anniversary. In it, he was not quoted as mentioning South Korea or the United States, but did complain of ever-growing "misdeeds by imperialists" infringing upon the sovereignty and rights of other countries. According to Yonhap, the ceremony was attended by a number of Russian guests including Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the Russian parliament. In a phone call earlier in the week, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed "to keep closer contact in the future," KCNA reported on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moscow and Pyongyang signed a strategic partnership in 2024 during Putin's visit to North Korea. The agreement includes military assistance should one of the two countries be attacked. North Korea has supported the Russian war against Ukraine by supplying weapons and soldiers to Moscow. Ukraine has been warding off the full-scale Russian invasion since February 2022. NEED TO KNOW King Charles and Queen Camilla are attending a service of remembrance on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day The King, 76, and Queen, 78, joined Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other officials at the event VJ Day is observed in the U.K. each year on Aug. 15 and the King released an audio message to commemorate the landmark anniversary King Charles and Queen Camilla are remembering the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. On Aug. 15, the King, 76, and Queen, 78, stepped out to attend a national Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum on the 80th anniversary of VJ (Victory over Japan) Day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement VJ Day commemorates the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II in 1945, and is observed annually in the U.K. on Aug. 15. The royal couple joined veterans, members of VJ associations, military personnel and senior politicians at the service in Staffordshire, which was hosted by the Royal British Legion and the government. King Charles appeared in his post as patron of the Royal British Legion, the U.K.'s largest charity dedicated to supporting members of the British military, veterans and their families. Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty King Charles and Queen Camilla King Charles and Queen Camilla https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf The King and Queen, who was dressed in all white, were greeted at the event by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Chief of the Defence Staff and the National President and Chair of the Royal British Legion, and passed a Guard of Honor as they approached the Armed Forces Memorial. Alastair Grant-WPA Pool/Getty King Charles at the service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, England on Aug. 15, 2025 King Charles at the service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, England on Aug. 15, 2025 There, King Charles laid a wreath and Queen Camilla laid a posey, before other officials laid wreaths. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A national two-minute silence was held on the landmark anniversary, which concluded with a flypast by the Red Arrows of the Royal Air Force. The King and Queen then moved to meet veterans and other guests for the Service of Remembrance to honor those who served in the Far East and Pacific during WWII, a global conflict which shook the world from 1939 to 1945. Another flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight of historic aircraft closed the program on a soaring note. Anthony Devlin/Getty The service -- which was also attended by the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer -- took place at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, England on Aug. 15, 2025 The service -- which was also attended by the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer -- took place at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, England on Aug. 15, 2025 From there, the King is due to view memorials and meet members of VJ associations, before he and the Queen attend a reception for VJ veterans and their families organized by the Royal British Legion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday morning, Buckingham Palace released a pre-recorded audio message from King Charles, whose treatment for cancer continues, to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. His address echoed a broadcast made by his grandfather, King George VI, and he emphasized in the speech that those who fought and died in the Pacific and the Far East "shall never be forgotten." Aaron Chown - Pool/Getty Earlier in the day, an address made by King Charles -- recorded at Clarence House in London -- was released Earlier in the day, an address made by King Charles -- recorded at Clarence House in London -- was released In it, Charles praised the ever-decreasing number of veterans and their loved ones for their service of eight decades ago. "So to the families of all those who served, and to that sadly dwindling band of veterans among us still, please know that the courage and camaraderie displayed in humanity's darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity a beacon that honors our past and guides our future." And conjuring up memories of his own grandfather George VI who spoke 80 years ago at the end of the war. He said, The war is over, declared my Grandfather, King George VI, in his address to the nation and Commonwealth on V.J. Day 80 years ago today four short words after six long years of bloodshed, fear and suffering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seldom can a simple message have resonated with such a potent mix of relief, celebration, and sorrow for those who never lived to see the glow of freedoms new dawn," the message continued. Christopher Furlong/Getty The Red Arrows flew over the memorial as part of the commemorations on Aug. 15, 2025 The Red Arrows flew over the memorial as part of the commemorations on Aug. 15, 2025 On this day of profound remembrance, I speak to you in that same spirit of commemoration and celebration as we honor anew all those whose service and sacrifice saw the forces of liberty prevail. The King also referred to the suffering of the cities under the dropping of the first atomic bombs in the last weeks of the war. "On this landmark anniversary, we should also pause to acknowledge that in the wars final act, an immense price was paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki a price we pray no nation need ever pay again," Charles said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement King Charles and Queen Camilla's attendance at the Service of Remembrance continues the royal family's appearances around the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! On Aug. 12, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh met 105-year-old Royal Marines veteran Jim Wren before the anniversary, and then attended a service at the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle with her husband, Prince Edward, on Aug. 15. Another royal couple, Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester and Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester, also headed out to attend two services for the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement King Charles' cousin and his wife, who are both full-time working royals, began the day at the Far East Prisoners of War VJ Day 80th Anniversary Service at Norwich Cathedral. Later, they moved to a service dedicated to the Children and Families of the Far East Prisoners of War in Suffolk. There is one more event relating to the 80th anniversary of VJ Day on the royal family's calendar, as a palace statement said there will be a reception for veterans at Windsor Castle in the autumn. Read the original article on People NEED TO KNOW King Charles and Queen Camilla were visibly emotional as veteran Yavar Abbas went "off script" to salute the monarch at a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day Abbas praised the King for being "here with his beloved Queen in spite of the fact that hes under treatment for cancer" Abbas, a cancer survivor, read an excerpt from his war diary at the event King Charles and Queen Camilla were brought to tears during an "off script" moment where a veteran and cancer survivor offered his praise and comfort to the monarch. The royal couple attended a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day on Aug. 15, celebrating the Victory over Japan and the end of World War II. Captain Yavar Abbas, 105, took the stage at the National Memorial Arboretum in England, where he apologized before sharing a personal message for King Charles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Before I read the excerpt, I make due apologies for briefly going off the script to salute my brave King," Abbas said, raising a hand in salute, "who is here with his beloved Queen in spite of the fact that hes under treatment for cancer." At that moment, the camera cut to King Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 78, visibly emotional as they listened. The Queen was also seen wiping away tears with a tissue during the ceremony. Abbas continued that it was a journey he "shared" with the monarch, as he was a cancer survivor. King Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer last year and has continued his slate of royal duties this year despite ongoing treatment. Darren Staples-WPA Pool/Getty Yavar Abbas and King Charles at VJ Day ceremony on Aug. 15, 2025 Yavar Abbas and King Charles at VJ Day ceremony on Aug. 15, 2025 Abbas, who served in the 11th Sikh Regiment of the British Indian Army, read an excerpt from his war diary, which his late wife had preserved "perhaps for just such an occasion." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The entry from Feb. 8, 1945, read, "Tomorrow, I hope I will live to do better things. I could have been dead twice before, but I'm still living. I would be surprised if I get a life for a third time. May God spare me." King Charles and Queen Camilla shook hands with Abbas on stage, and the King sat down with him for a chat following the ceremony, as seen in videos shared on social media by royal reporter Rebecca English. DARREN STAPLES/POOL/AFP via Getty King Charles and Queen Camilla at VJ Day ceremony on Aug. 15, 2025 King Charles and Queen Camilla at VJ Day ceremony on Aug. 15, 2025 Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Other members of the royal family also marked the milestone VJ Day anniversary. Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, attended a service at the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Prince Richard and Birgitte, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, joined two services for the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. They began the day at the Far East Prisoners of War VJ Day 80th Anniversary Service at Norwich Cathedral before attending a service dedicated to the Children and Families of the Far East Prisoners of War in Suffolk. Read the original article on People US to allow entry of 6L students from China: Trump > < 22:10 Pawar rues daily disruptions during Parliament session NCP-SP president Sharad Pawar on Saturday rued the daily disruptions and adjournments in Parliament, saying not a single day passes when the two Houses function smoothly. He was speaking at an event here to mark the 81st birthday of veteran Congress leader Ulhas Pawar. Ulhas Pawar... Read more > 21:48 Meeting with President Putin went really well: Trump US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska went really well.He also held a telephonic conversation with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, several European leaders and the Secretary General of NATO and highlighted that it was determined... Read more > 21:45 Two Delhi tourists die after being hit by shooting stone in Himachal File image Two tourists from Delhi were killed on Saturday when a shooting stone fell on them in Himachal Praddesh's Kinnaur district, following a landslide, police said. The incident occurred when Prasheel Baghmare (27) and Rashmi Ram (25) were trekking to the Lord Sri Krishna Temple at Yulla... Read more > 21:11 Manipur Guv Ajay Kumar Bhalla to hold additional charge as Nagaland Guv Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla was on Saturday given additional charge as the Nagaland Governor, according to a communique issued by the President's office. The vacancy had arisen due to the demise of Nagaland Governor La Ganesan. Ganesan, 80, died on Friday while undergoing... Read more > 21:02 Bangladeshi Hindus celebrate Janmashtami amid tight security File image/Reuters Hindus in Bangladesh on Saturday celebrated the Janmashtami festival amid tight security with the country's army, navy and air chiefs joining the main function in the capital. The community leaders welcomed army chief general Waker-uz-Zaman, navy chief admiral M Nazmul Hassan and air chief... Read more > 20:30 IndiGo aircraft's tail strikes runway during go-around at Mumbai airport An IndiGo Airbus A321 aircraft operating from Bangkok experienced a tail strike at the Mumbai airport on Saturday while executing a low-altitude go-around due to unfavourable weather conditions, the airline said.The airline assured that all passengers and crew on board were safe.According to an... Read more > 20:09 Earnestly wish friends in Ukraine peace: Modi to Zelenskyy Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday wished the people of Ukraine a future marked by peace and.progress as he thanked its president Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his Independence Day wishes. Wishing India on its Independence Day, Zelenskyy on Friday said he hoped New Delhi would contribute... Read more > 19:47 EAM Jaishankar speaks to UK counterpart Lammy External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Saturday spoke to his British counterpart David Lammy and discussed various aspects of the Ukraine conflict, including the US-Russia summit talks on it.The call was initiated by the British side.Our discussions covered the recent Ukraine developments and... Read more > 19:12 Adityanath announces Rs 30,000 crore for development of Brij region Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday announced a fund of Rs 30,000 crore for the development of the Brij region. He said the plan is to connect pilgrimage sites like Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana and Gokul -- regions, he claimed, that go back to the Dwapar Yug. Our... Read more > 18:50 Chef with 'links' to Pak terror groups detained in Andhra File image A radicalised chef, Sheik Kothwal Noor Mohammad, was taken into custody by the police from Dharmavaram in Sri Satyasai district on Saturday for allegedly having contact with Pakistan-based terrorist organisations, said a police official. Police took Mohammad (42) into custody after growing... Read more > 18:39 Top 10 companies by market cap Here is the list of the top 10 BSE companies by market capitalisation for the week ending August 14, 2025. Read more > 18:34 Jr NTR-Hrithik Roshan-starrer 'War 2' earns over Rs 100 cr at box office War 2, headlined by Jr NTR and Hrithik Roshan, has collected Rs 109.35 crore at the domestic box office in two days. Directed by Ayan Mukherji, War 2 is a sequel to the 2019 film War and also stars Kiara Advani. Produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films, the film is a... Read more > 18:19 EC to hold press meet tomorrow amid vote theft allegations ahead of Bihar polls The Election Commission of India on Saturday announced that it will hold a press conference in the national capital on Sunday, August 17.The Election Commission of India shall be holding a Press Conference at 3:00 pm tomorrow, ie, Sunday, August 17, 2025, at National Media Centre, Raisina Road,... Read more > 17:37 Five killed in fire accident at plastic manufacturing unit in Bengaluru File image A family of four and another man were charred to death after fire broke out at a plastic articles manufacturing unit in Nagarthapet, near K R Market in Bengaluru, the police said. The police have identified the victims as Madan Singh (38) and Sangeetha (33) and their two children Rithesh (7)... Read more > 17:15 Govinda dies, 30 hurt in Mumbai Dahi Handi celebrations File image A 32-year-old 'Govinda' fell to his death while tying 'Dahi Handi' in Mankhurd in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon, while 30 others taking part in the formation of human pyramids synonymous with the celebrations were injured across the metropolis, officials said. Jagmohan Shivkiran Chaudhari was... Read more > 17:02 Foreign secretary Misri begins Nepal visit on Sunday Foreign secretary Vikram Misri will pay a two-day visit to Nepal beginning Sunday as part of the preparations for Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's planned trip to India next month. The ministry of external affairs said Misri is travelling to the Himalayan country following an... Read more > 16:32 India welcomes Trump-Putin summit, stresses talks for Ukraine peace India on Saturday welcomed the summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India appreciated the progress made at the talks, describing the leadership of both presidents in the pursuit of peace as... Read more > 16:03 Kolkata police halt trailer launch of 'The Bengal Files' The Kolkata Police on Saturday stopped the trailer launch of controversial film The Bengal Files based on the 1946 Calcutta Riots, its director Vivek Agnihotri claimed. The trailer of the film was slated to be launched at a five-star hotel in the metropolis in the afternoon. The... Read more > 15:44 NDA to hold parliamentary meeting on Tuesday The National Democratic Alliance on Saturday announced that its parliamentary meeting will be held on 19 August 2025 at 9:30 am, according to an official notification.The meeting is scheduled to take place in the G.M.C. Balayogi Auditorium of the Parliament Library Building, and all NDA members... Read more > 15:34 Rahul to launch 'Vote Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar tomorrow Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will on Sunday launch a yatra to highlight the alleged assault on the people's right to vote through the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, a senior party leader said on Saturday. Addressing a press conference in Patna, former state Congress... Read more > 15:28 Delhi: SUV mows down biker, second killing in August by the vehicle A 40-year-old man was killed after an SUV hit his motorcycle in west Delhi's Moti Nagar area, the police said on Saturday.According to them, the Mahindra Thar rammed Bhikshu Lal's two-wheeler late on Friday night, killing the biker on the spot.The driver of the Thar fled immediately after the... Read more > 15:03 Talks with Trump 'long and substantive': Zelenskyy Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday described his talks with US President Donald Trump as long and substantive, underlining Ukraine's commitment to peace and close coordination with international partners.We started with one-on-one talks before inviting European leaders to join... Read more > 14:31 Keralite living in the US booked over FB post 'insulting' national flag A non-resident Keralite, living in the United States, has been booked for allegedly insulting the national flag in a Facebook post, police said on Saturday.The Edathala police here registered a case against Albichan Muringayil, reportedly hailing from Kottayam, on Friday based on a complaint... Read more > 14:20 Mumbai businessman loses Rs 5.24 cr in investment scam; four held Four cyber fraudsters have been arrested for allegedly duping a businessman from Mumbai of Rs 5.24 crore by posing as executives of a Dubai-based investment company, police said on Saturday.The fraud came to light after the accused themselves invited the victim to Dubai, where he found that the... Read more > 14:08 NCERT new modules blame Congress for Partition One of the trains leaving New Delhi station for Karachi, August 7, 1947/Keystone/Getty Images NCERT's new special modules on the Partition of India have placed significant responsibility on the Congress leadership for the division of the country, saying they accepted the plans of Partition and underestimated Jinnah while failing to anticipate the long-term horrors that followed.Two... Read more > 13:59 India's forex reserves rise by $4.7 bn to $693 bn India's foreign exchange reserves rose $4.7 billion to $693.62 billion in the week ended August 8, data released by the Reserve Bank of India showed. The total reserves grew on the back of rising foreign currency assets, which increased by $2.3 billion during the reported week. Read more > 13:42 Four killed, 11 injured as mini bus collides with small truck in MP Four persons were killed and 11 others injured after the mini bus they were travelling in collided with a small truck on a highway in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district on Saturday, police said.The accident occurred around 5 am on National Highway 46, around 30 km from the district headquarters,... Read more > 13:03 Shubhanshu Shukla to return to India tomorrow, to meet Modi Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is set to return to India on Sunday after his historic visit to the International Space Station (ISS) and is eager to share his experiences with friends and colleagues back home as ISRO eyes its maiden human spaceflight in 2027. Shukla, who has been in the US,... Read more > 12:48 CBI arrests man for murder in Saudi Arabia in 1999 On the run for over 26 years, a man was arrested earlier this week by CBI on the charge of a 1999 murder in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an official said on Saturday. Mohammad Dilshad was nabbed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on August 11 as he returned from Madinah via... Read more > 12:21 ED raids Tamil Nadu minister, son in money laundering case The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday searched multiple premises linked to Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader I Periyasamy and his MLA son as part of a money laundering investigation, official sources said. The raids were undertaken in Chennai and Dindigul under the Prevention of Money... Read more > 12:09 IMD issues red alert for Mumbai, 6 Maha districts The India meteorological department on Saturday morning issued a red alert in the districts of Ratnagiri, Raigad, Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburban, Thane, and Palghar of Maharashtra.IMD weather forecast predicted a moderate to intense spell of rain in these areas for the next three to four hours.In a... Read more > 11:48 45 customers of medical distributor duped of Rs 9 lakh in Maha's Bhiwandi As many as 45 customers of a medical distributor in Maharashtra's Thane district were allegedly duped of Rs 9.12 lakh as their orders were not delivered, police said on Saturday. Based on a complaint lodged by the distributor from Bhiwandi town, the police have registered a case under... Read more > 11:36 Nine year old dies of amoebic encephalitis in Kerala Amoebic encephalitis, a rare brain infection, was found to be the cause of a nine-year-old girl's death two days ago in this north Kerala district, health officials confirmed on Saturday. This infection is caused by a free-living amoeba found in contaminated waters, they added. A senior... Read more > 11:00 Trump softens stance on India tariffs after Putin meet? Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters United States President Donald Trump has indicated that the US may not impose secondary tariffs on countries continuing to procure Russia crude oil. There were apprehensions that additional secondary tariffs would have hit India in case the US decided to enforce them. Well, he... Read more > 10:56 2 killed in landslide amid heavy rains in Mumbai Two persons were killed, and as many others sustained injuries in a landslide amid heavy rains in the eastern suburb of Vikhroli in Mumbai on Saturday, civic officials said.The incident took place around 2.39 am at Varsha Nagar in Vikhroli Parksite, which falls under the collector's jurisdiction,... Read more > 09:54 Solved India-Pak conflict: Trump repeats claim again after Putin meet On the day of his summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, United States President Donald Trump repeated multiple times his claim that he stopped the war between India and Pakistan, while also commenting on New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil. New Delhi has been maintaining... Read more > 09:38 Modi pays tributes to Vajpayee on death anniversary Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his seventh death anniversary, and said he continues to inspire everyone in building a developed and self-reliant India. Modi said on X, Remembering Atal Ji on his Punya Tithi. His... Read more > 09:13 Needy farmers to get loan waiver, not those building farmhouses, bungalows: Maha minister Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has said that the state government will waive loans of only needy farmers, and not those building farmhouses and bungalows.Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced in the legislature that farmers in Maharashtra who genuinely need a loan... Read more > 09:00 J&K cloudburst: Rescue operations continue for third day A coordinated rescue and relief operation continued for the third consecutive day on Saturday in a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, where 60 people lost their lives and over 100 others were injured, officials said. Union Minister Jitendra Singh, accompanied by Jammu... Read more > 08:19 Trump rates Putin meet as '10 on 10' despite no deal Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded his joint press conference with US President Donald Trump on Friday by inviting Trump for further talks in Moscow. Next time in Moscow, Putin said. Trump accepted the suggestion, saying, That's an interesting one. I'll get a little... Read more > 04:51 Reached understanding on Ukraine, says Putin Source: Reuters Just In: Russian President Vladimir Putin says he and Donald Trump have reached an 'understanding' on Ukraine, warns Europe not to 'torpedo the nascent progress', PTI has reported quoting AP. Trump and Putin end their joint press conference without taking questions or sharing details of... Read more > 04:39 Trump, Putin end talks, hold joint briefing Negotiations with the American delegation in the narrow format have concluded, the Kremlin said in a short statement, as reported by CNN. The bilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin lasted well over three hours, CNN reported. Russia's... Read more > 01:10 Trump, Putin begin talks to end Ukraine war Just In: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have begun talks in Alaska on Friday on a potential deal to end the years-long Russia-Ukraine war. More details soon. Read more > 01:03 Jharkhand education minister Ramdas Soren dies at 62 Jharkhand Education Minister Ramdas Soren died on Friday, JMM national spokesperson Kunal Sarangi said. He was 62. Soren was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Delhi, where he was admitted on August 2. State Education Minister Ramdas Soren, who was undergoing treatment... Read more > 00:59 Trump, Putin to meet along with aides File pic. Photo: Reuters US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) landed at the Elmendorf Air Base in Anchorage, Alaska, to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, CNN reported. Putin has also arrived in Anchorage, according to Russian state media. The meeting is scheduled at Joint Base... Read more > 00:55 Trump, Putin shake hands before heading for talks Just In: US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands warmly on the tarmac of Anchorage airport before their summit on the Russia-Ukraine war, PTI reports quoting AP. Read more > 00:46 Putin lands in Alaska for Ukraine talks with Trump The aircraft carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin lands in Anchorage/ANI on X Just In: Russian President Vladimir Putin touched down in Anchorage ahead of his talks with US President Donald Trump. Trump has already reached Alaska for the talks.More details soon. -- ANI Read more > 00:21 Hillary Clinton says she will nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize if.... Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday that she would nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize if he successfully brokers a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine without forcing Ukraine to cede territory to Russia. This statement comes ahead of Trump's high-stakes summit... Read more > 00:15 Trump lands in Alaska's Anchorage for talks with Putin Air Force One aircraft carrying US President Donald Trump lands in Alaska's Anchorage city/ANI on X Just In: US President Donald Trump has touched down in Anchorage ahead of his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. More details soon. -- ANI Read more > (The Center Square) The King County Council is set to approve the purchase of a new facility site for its Crisis Care Center network in Seattles First Hill neighborhood. The King County Council has until Sept. 13 to act on the purchase and sale agreement of the site. If approved, the purchase would close by the end of December, with the center expected to open by the end of 2027. The expansion is funded by a $1.3 billion property tax levy voters approved in 2023. Plans call for a total of five crisis centers the county is building to expand its mental health system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The King County Crisis Care Center levy will cost property owners 15 cents per $1,000 assessed value. An average valued King County home of $867,675 pays approximately $130 a year toward the levy. The King County Council will vote to approve the allocation of approximately $23.8 million in crisis care center levy dollars toward the facility. Total acquisition costs for the county total $41.57 million. The Crisis Care Center network is a response to a significant increase in demand for behavioral health and substance use services, especially amid the ongoing fentanyl crisis. According to data from the King County Medical Examiners Office, there have been 590 confirmed opioid overdose deaths as of Thursday, with 481 involving fentanyl. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This Crisis Care Center will serve as a remedy for suffering and disorder we too frequently see on our streets it means more effective treatment to help people recover, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a statement. Harrell wrote a letter of conditional support for the proposed site to King County Executive Shannon Braddock. The centers provide immediate help, connections to ongoing care, and a stable place to recover for anyone regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. The planned facility in Seattles First Hill neighborhood would serve residents of the countys central area. According to a press release, first responders and medical professionals said the location will relieve the current strain on emergency rooms and help them do their jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The building was previously owned by Polyclinic and has the medical infrastructure needed to speed up opening to 2027. King County established its first center last year with Connections Kirkland, serving North King County communities. The facility was funded with $21.52 million in grants from Washington and King counties. The acquisition is scheduled to be placed on the King County Budget and Fiscal Management Committee's Aug. 19 agenda. In August 2025, as U.S. Vice President JD Vance vacationed in the United Kingdom with his family, a claim (archived) spread online that a British pub turned the vice president away after staff threatened to quit rather than serve him. The alleged incident followed reports of protests against Vance's visit to the Cotswolds, a picturesque area of England. One Threads user wrote, "JD Vance attempted to dine at a pub in the UK and the staff threatened to no-show at work if they accepted the reservation, so he was rejected Love that for him." The claim also circulated on Facebook (archived), X (archived), Bluesky (archived), Reddit (archived) and TikTok (archived). Snopes readers wrote in asking whether the claim was true. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The claim originated in a submission-based newsletter called Popb**** that described itself as "filled with scandal, insight and insider info." According to that newsletter (archived), staff at The Bull, a restaurant and pub in Charlbury, England, "all said they wouldn't come to work if they had to serve Vance and his wife. Facing staff grumbles and a barrage of negative press attention The Bull refused his patronage." However, aside from the newsletter and reporting that cited it, we found no evidence that staff at The Bull refused to work if they were serving Vance and his wife, Usha Vance. Calls to The Bull for confirmation went unanswered on Aug. 15. Snopes reached out to The Public Group, which owns The Bull, to confirm the alleged incident and await a reply. Snopes also reached out to pub employees, Popb**** and Vance's office about the claim and await replies to our queries. Several news outlets in the U.S. and the U.K. picked up Popb****'s claim. In the U.K., the Daily Mail, one of the country's biggest tabloid newspapers, cited two local residents who believed the claim to be true, though neither could confirm it outright. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aside from the rumored snub at The Bull, other demonstrations marred Vance's U.K. holiday. Snopes previously reported that protesters blocked Vance's motorcade in Sevenoaks. Other forms of protest met the vice president in the Cotswolds, including a van featuring a popular meme a picture of Vance edited to appear bald and overweight. Ahead of the second family's arrival in the Cotswolds, the owner of the manor house they had rented reportedly sent out messages to neighbors apologizing for the "JD Vance circus." Vance's predecessor Kamala Harris reportedly dined at The Bull in July as part of wedding celebrations for Apple heiress Eve Jobs. Sources: Anti-JD Vance van Drives around Cotswolds as US Vice President Holidays in Village. 2025. www.independent.co.uk, https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/jd-vance-van-cotswolds-protest-video-b2806678.html. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement JD Vance Barred from English Pub as Staff Mutinies over Visit - Raw Story. https://www.rawstory.com/jd-vance-uk-2673886864/. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025. JD Vance 'Rejected' by Restaurant - Now It's Getting Bombarded with Google Reviews | Indy100. https://www.indy100.com/politics/jd-vance-rejected-oxfordshire-the-bull-charlbury-pub. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025. "Kamala Harris Arrives in Cotswolds for Steve Jobs' Daughter's Wedding." The Sun, 24 Jul. 2025, https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/36000626/kamala-harris-secret-service-cotswolds-steve-jobs-daughter-wedding/. Kimmins, Leigh. "Staff Mutiny Forces Pub to Turn Away JD Vance." Daily Beast, 14 Aug. 2025, https://archive.ph/3oYIk#selection-377.0-382.0. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Montgomery, Samuel. "'Sorry about JD Vance Circus', Manor House Owner Tells Villagers." The Telegraph, 9 Aug. 2025, https://archive.ph/7R9yY#selection-2067.4-2070.0. Morris, Steven. "'We Don't Want Him': Dance Against Vance Protest at US Vice-President's Cotswolds Holiday." The Guardian, 13 Aug. 2025. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/12/cotswolds-residents-protest-against-jd-vance-visit-charlbury. Pisa, Nick. "Cotswolds Pub Staff Threatened to Walk out If JD Vance Showed Up." Mail Online, 15 Aug. 2025, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15003643/Mutiny-JD-Vances-dinner-date-Woke-staff-Cotswolds-gastro-pub-threatened-walk-US-vice-president-attended-prompting-hasty-venue-switch.html. Popbitch. "For The Many Not The Screw." Popbitch, 14 Aug. 2025, https://popbitch.substack.com/p/for-the-many-not-the-screw. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Bull Charlbury - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant." MICHELIN Guide, http://guide.michelin.com/gb/en/oxfordshire/charlbury_1726272/restaurant/the-bull-499728. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025. "The Bull - Charlbury Sheep St, Charlbury, Chipping Norton OX7 3RR, United Kingdom." The Bull - Charlbury Sheep St, Charlbury, Chipping Norton OX7 3RR, United Kingdom, https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Bull+-+Charlbury/@51.8726944,-1.4848463,622m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m11!3m10!1s0x4876d35916ad9ca9:0x5f7c03bd51114f31!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d51.8726911!4d-1.4822714!9m1!1b1!16s%2Fg%2F11svq2xj7_?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDgxMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025. NEW YORK (PIX11) New York City Mayor Eric Adams appeared on PIX11 Morning News to discuss involuntary hospitalizations, Legionnaires disease and how he feels about the polls covering the New York City mayoral race. They know my name, Adams said when asked how he felt about Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani leading in the polls ahead of the election. When I go to town halls, when I go to senior adults, and we start laying out what weve done people dont know we built the most affordable housing in individual years in the history of the city. They dont know that we no longer have low-income New Yorkers not paying income tax. That I reduced the cost of child care by 90% they dont know the story of how safe our subway system is. More News: PIX on Politics Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adams said he plans on using his campaign money to tell the story of his success, and that people wont only know his name but know what hes done for the city in less than three years. He also discussed the spread of Legionnaires disease in Harlem. Health officials said that 99 people have been infected with Legionnaires disease, four people have died and 17 are hospitalized. It was revealed on Thursday that 12 locations, including Harlem Hospital, had spread the virus through cooling towers. The towers have since been cleaned, according to Adams. Building owners once you identify if Legionnaires disease is spreading, they have 24 hours to remediate, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More Local News Adams said all buildings with cooling towers are required to test for Legionella bacteria, which causes the virus. If building owners dont, they could face fines from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Anyone who has suspicions that a building isnt cleaning its cooling tower can call 311. Adams was joined by Dr. Mitchell Katz, the president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals, to discuss the Compassionate Interventions Act, a proposal that would allow doctors to have patients with substance abuse issues admitted to a hospital. A judge would then be able to decide if the patient can be treated against their will if they refuse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State We knew we could no longer ignore our brothers and sisters who are sleeping on the streets and dont know they need care, Adams said. Katz said when a patient with drug issues is brought to a hospital, the hospital has to release them immediately. The compassionate thing is to offer them treatment, he said. There is a group of people who continue to ruin their lives and to make life very difficult for everybody else because of their substance use. The law would set aside $27 million to improve substance abuse treatment and outreach, including adding more teams to the streets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch the video player for the full interview. Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here. Copyright 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. President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for almost three hours on Friday in Alaska. After, the pair held a joint news conference where they shared that they did not reach an agreement on a pathway to end Russias war against Ukraine but they agreed on many points. On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he will meet Monday in Washington with Trump, who has shifted to saying an overall peace agreement and not a ceasefire is the next step in ending the 3-year-old war. After calls with Zelenskyy and European leaders, Trump posted that it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump and Putin arrived in Anchorage around 1 p.m. MDT on Friday, each leaving hours later after addressing reporters. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin walk from a stage Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. | Julia Demaree Nikhinson What Trump and Putin said during the news conference Trump and Putin each had two advisers accompanying them in the meeting, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and two members of the Russian delegation. After meeting for over almost three hours, Trump and Putin addressed a room full of reporters where each made brief remarks. The two leaders stood in front of a blue backdrop emblazoned with the slogan, pursuing peace. Trump began his remarks by saying that it was a very productive meeting. There were many, many points that we agreed on. President Donald Trump, right, and Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrive for a joint press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. | Jae C. Hong He did not divulge specifics about what was agreed on and what was discussed, while adding that he will be calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other NATO leaders to share what he and Putin spoke about. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We havent quite got there but weve got some headway. Theres no deal until theres a deal, the president said. Trump also said that there were some things they did not agree on that need to be worked out. Both Trump and Putin referred to an agreement but did not give any details. Putin spoke for longer than Trump did and spent the majority of the time discussing the history of relations between the U.S. and Russia, mentioning that an in-person meeting was long overdue. As the conference concluded the Russian president said in English, Next Time in Moscow. Trump responded to the remark saying it would bring him a little heat but that he could see it possibly happening. Where did the meeting take place? President Donald Trump, right, walks to shake the hand of Russia's President Vladimir Putin during a joint press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. | Jae C. Hong The meeting took place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, as previously reported by the Deseret News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia has strong ties to Alaska: the country colonized the region in the 18th century. In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the U.S. for $7.2 million, but there are still some Russian-speaking communities in the state. Putins last visit to the U.S. was in September 2015 for the United Nations General Assembly in New York, per The New York Times. As officials in Alaska prepared for the meeting between the two presidents, several hundred people in Anchorage gathered for a pro-Ukraine rally. The protesters, who gathered early Friday morning, were against Putin coming to Alaska, referring to him as an international war criminal, per Politico. What did Trump say ahead of the meeting? President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, en route to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. | Luis M. Alvarez While on Air Force One en route to Alaska, Trump told reporters that his goal for the meeting wasnt to broker a deal on behalf of Ukraine. Instead, his goal was getting Putin to the table, per CNN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump also said he spoke to President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, a strong ally of Putin, ahead of the summit. The American president stopped short of promising security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a deal to bring an end to the war. He added that he was open to the idea, but that Europe would need to take the lead. Trump also made it clear that such security measures would not include Ukraine joining NATO, per CNN. Not in the form of NATO, he said. There are certain things that arent going to happen. What did the Kremlin say ahead of the meeting? President Donald Trump talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. | Julia Demaree Nikhinson Putin did not speak publicly ahead of Fridays meeting, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia has arguments and a clear position that its president plans to present to Trump, per BBC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lavrov, who arrived early in Alaska, showed up wearing a long-sleeve shirt with CCCP on it, the Russian acronym for USSR. On his way to Anchorage, Putin stopped in Russias far eastern region of Magadan. His visit to the city of Magadan included a visit to an industrial plant and a meeting with the regions governor, per CNN. What has Zelenskyy said about the meeting? A protester grabs a sign made with an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a rally in Anchorage, Alaska, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, ahead of a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. | Jae C. Hong Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not invited to attend the summit in Alaska. On Friday morning, Zelenskyy posted on X, referring to the meeting between Putin and Trump as high stakes. The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side. It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia, Zelenskyy wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has mentioned that he hopes to hold a trilateral meeting with both Putin and Zelenskyy. We are counting on America. We are ready, as always, to work as productively as possible, Zelenskyys post continued. Who attended the summit? Traveling on Air Force One with Trump were: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, special envoy Steve Witkoff, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and John Ratcliffe, the CIA director, per The New York Times. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Secretary of State Marco Rubio talk before a news conference with President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. | Julia Demaree Nikhinson Also attending the summit but not traveling on Air Force One were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Putin will also be joined by a group of officials: Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Direct Investment Fund head Kirill Dmitriev, per Axios. As Texas lawmakers debate a ban on the synthetic THC industry, another unregulated, but deadlier synthetic drug known as kratom is lying in wait to take over the ever-growing statewide demand for recreational drugs. Data provided from the Texas Poison Center Network reflects a slow climb in kratom-related cases, from 83 in 2019 to 123 in 2022 and dipping to 100 in 2024. This pales in comparison to the sharp increase in marijuana-related calls during the same time period after hemp-derived THC was federally legalized, culminating in 2,592 calls in 2024. However, of the 602 total kratom-related calls over the six years, more than 40% of them were severe or moderate reactions and five of them resulted in deaths in Texas. Texas Poison Control Center has reported eight THC-related poison calls that resulted in death, but the federal Drug Enforcement Administration reports there have been no overdose deaths from marijuana. In contrast, the DEA reported 15 kratom-related deaths nationally from 2014 to 2016. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kratom, which is being sold as energy-boosting drinks and pills in gas stations and smoke shops across the state, comes in two forms one that is naturally derived from the kratom plant and the other that is synthetically pulled from the plant and chemically altered to be much more potent. Texas banned the manufacturing of the latter and retailers from selling it in 2023, which likely contributed to the decline in poison calls the following year, but public safety agencies dont have the resources to enforce the ban. People are still using it and getting hurt at least one of the kratom calls in Texas resulted in a death in 2024. I have seen people who have taken a 7-OH product become crippling addicts in under a week. This is something we have never seen, said Tiffini Steding about the synthetic compound found in the manufactured version of kratom. Steding co-owns 1836 Kratom, a statewide natural kratom distributor based in Pflugerville. According to studies, 7-OH is up to 13 times more potent than morphine and is linked to dependency, withdrawal, and overdose symptoms similar to opioids. Gaining in popularity in recent years, the drug has flown under the radar in Texas compared to THC, but debates around them are similar. Many members of both industries are advocating for regulation instead of a ban of their respective drugs, and producers of the natural forms of their drugs say the synthetic market is undermining the safety of the natural plants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the major reasons kratom has avoided the attention that THC has gotten is that its not federally regulated. Its not listed in the Controlled Substances Act, said Katherine Neill Harris, drug policy fellow for Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy. On July 29, the federal Food and Drug Administration recommended listing synthetic kratom as a controlled substance, heeding the call from natural kratom producers. This year, the Texas Senate passed a bill to ban kratom products, including the plant, but it died in the House. Natural producers said it would have had dire consequences for many who use the natural substance to self-treat substance use disorders, mental illness, and pain. They urge more enforcement of the anti-synthetic laws that are already on the books. Simply 7OH, a producer of these synthetic products that can often be found in Texas despite it being illegal, said their customers have testified that this chemical has been life-changing, helping them stay off hard drugs and avoid relapse and relieving them from chronic pain. A federal ban would hurt people who need their products, the company told The Texas Tribune. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We receive countless messages from people who say our products have given them the ability to play with their kids, work, and function as contributing members of society again, the organization said in a statement. The only negative feedback we consistently hear is that 7OH can be habit-forming, which we are transparent about with customers, as seen with our disclaimer. Powdered, naturally-derived kratom seen inside the 1836 Kratom distribution warehouse. Credit: Ronaldo Bolanos/The Texas Tribune Kratom risks A federal survey estimated that about 1.6 million Americans age 12 and older used kratom in 2022, the latest data available. Kratom is an herb derived from a leafy Southeast Asian tree and contains two psychoactive compounds that can bind to opioid receptors in the brain and produce a response similar to effects produced by opioids. The herb, which is considered a cousin to the coffee plant, gained popularity in the United States in the early 2000s during the opioid epidemic, as many were looking for anything to supplement their deadly addiction to pills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kratom can be a safer alternative to opioids because it is less harmful to the body, according to advocates, and it can help with pain, anxiety, depression, and more. However, natural kratom does have addictive properties, and some side effects might include hallucinations, seizures, liver damage, confusion, high blood pressure, and slow breathing. Those in the kratom industry say that these side effects were considered rare for many years. Still, with the proliferation of the synthetic version, the industry has become a minefield for the unsuspecting, the Stedings say. This has been used for hundreds of years in Southeast Asia safely, so its safe to assume that its probably 7-OH, said Jeremy Steding, co-owner of 1836 Kratom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust, an organization created in 2023 to advocate regulation of 7-OH, said the synthetic version of kratom is also an invaluable harm reduction tool that thousands of people rely on. Instead of being banned, synthetic kratom should get the same shot as its natural peer because the data hasnt shown which segment of the industry is causing problems. Together, the stories reveal a disturbing pattern: while everyday Americans fall victim to addiction, withdrawal, and predatory marketing, federal officials are refusing to go after the actual source of danger, instead targeting 7- hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), an industry competitor that the FDAs own databases have shown to have far fewer adverse events, the organization said in a statement. State poison control data does not distinguish if cases are caused by synthetic kratom or the natural kratom. Of the 602 total kratom-related calls between 2019 and 2024, 250 of them involved a patient having more pronounced, prolonged, or systemic symptoms that usually required treatment, 61 of them resulted in life-threatening symptoms that resulted in significant residual disability or disfigurement, and five led to death. Unlike THC poison control data that shows children and teenagers most impacted, kratom data shows 30-to 39-year-olds making up the largest affected group 185 followed by 20 to 29-year-olds at 144. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many consuming these products dont know whats in them sometimes because they are vaguely labeled either overdosing on what they thought was a small bottle of energy or getting addicted to the product until an overdose occurs, the Stedings say. I went into a convenience store to check out some of our product, and the guy behind the counter offered me a bottle of 7-OH that had just came in. This small bottle was a chemical boosted version of the synthetic, but he just knew it as strong kratom, said Tiffini Steding. I had to tell them this is a super addictive compound in a bottle you are giving out. Owners Tiffini and Jeremy Steding pose for a portrait inside the 1836 Kratom warehouse and headquarters, a natural kratom producer. The couple cautions against the use of synthetic kratom, often referred to as the pyschoactive compound called 7-OH. Credit: Ronaldo Bolanos/The Texas Tribune How to regulate kratom As of this year, 24 states and the District of Columbia regulate synthetic kratom, including Texas. The 2023 Texas Kratom Consumer Protection Act mandates that the total alkaloid content in a kratom product chemical that is used to create 7-OH shouldnt be more than 2% of the product composition and any products containing synthetic 7-OH shouldnt be sold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The problem is that the lack of enforcement has led to bad actors overshadowing the good ones. Texas needs to step up enforcement, and kratom manufacturers need to adhere to state and local laws in order for kratom to be safe and accessible for Texans, said Matthew Lowe, executive director of the Global Kratom Coalition, in 2024, when the organization warned that illegal products mislabeled as kratom were being sold around Texas. The Stedings and others in the natural kratom derivative industry reached out to Texas lawmakers over the past couple of years, asking for enforcement from the state to get synthetic kratom off the market. The answer they received from Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, who carried the kratom bill this year, was a complete ban on all kratom, which would have thrown people like the Stedings out of business. It was originally meant to be for 7-OH when we talked to his staff, then it changed to all kratom products, then an outcry happened, he said he would change it, he didnt, and passed it anyway, said Tiffini Steding. It was concerning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Stedings have become even more concerned as Texas lawmakers have often confused kratom with hemp products during the debate over THC. I was terrified because these people are about to make this huge decision to make a plant illegal that helps people, and they dont even know what it is or does, Tiffini Steding said. Industry leaders want lawmakers to give more time before banning the kratom plant so that scientists can continue to research what this herb can accomplish. They fear a ban will force people back onto opioids. How to regulate kratom while removing 7-OH is complicated because the chemical is also naturally occurring in the plant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust, the organization advocating for synthetic kratom, supports states efforts to ensure synthetic products are manufactured safely, are marketed transparently, and are banned from children. Products containing primarily synthetic 7-OH should not be commercially categorized as a kratom product, a team of University of Florida and John Hopkins medical school kratom researchers have suggested. Companies making such claims that such products are kratom products should not be considered to be making credible or factual claims, the statement said. Those in the kratom industry have suggested adopting stricter regulations similar to what California has in place, which limits 7-OH content to 1% in kratom products, and doesnt allow for the amount of chemicals in the products to go above the amount that naturally occurs in the plant. This ensures natural kratom is still available to the public but removes the chemically boosted products from the shelves. Another option is removing kratom products from gas stations and convenience stores and limiting them to locations where the retailer is more educated in what they are selling, said researchers at John Hopkins Medical or have it be regulated by the FDA where it can only be found in pharmacies or supplement shops. If it were in the pharmaceutical world, we should see true control of the industry in a heavily regulated environment. I dont know if that is the answer, but this must be controlled, said Jeremy Steding. A worker places spoonful of natural kratom into a package at the 1836 Kratom warehouse and headquarters. Credit: Ronaldo Bolanos/The Texas Tribune Synthetic drugs foothold in Texas History has shown that Texas is a very profitable market for synthetic drugs. Some Texas lawmakers are blaming synthetic THC-derived products like delta-8 for hurting young children and are now attempting to ban all types of THC as a result. Similar to kratom, delta-8 is a naturally occurring compound found in cannabinoids, but can be chemically boosted for greater potency. A report by Whitney Economics, an economic study group for hemp and cannabis, found that while the demand in Texas is higher for more natural THC products such as delta-9 and THCA, the third largest revenue producer for Texas cannabinoid businesses is the synthetic delta-8. The state also sources most of their product, meaning a majority of these products are being grown, made and sold by Texans. "Synthetic cannabis products arent cannabis they are chemical imitations that can cause serious harm to people. The only reason these products even exist is because prohibition makes it easier to sell a dangerous knockoff than the actual real plant," said Roger Volodarsky, head of Puffco, a Los Angeles-based cannabis company that sells to thousands of Texas customers online. Before delta-8, it was K-2 and Spice. While products like delta-8 and 7-OH are considered synthetic because they are chemically altered compounds of the natural plant, K2 and Spice were entirely artificial made to mimic the psychoactive effects of THC. This synthetic first appeared in Texas in 2009, and by November 2016, forensic laboratories had identified 35 varieties of these strains on the streets. This led to a spree of overdose incidents, from Amarillo to Austin over the years, with people suffering permanent injuries and even death. It wasnt until delta-8 and other natural THC-derived products became available in the state that the incidents started to taper. It is a cycle that plays out again and again in Texas. One substance gets banned, and it leads to another version being created. There isnt a specific reason Texas is a hotbed for synthetic drugs. The vast amounts of land in the state, the business-friendly environment, the large population, and the large number of veterans and first responders who work here could all contribute, experts say. Still, if history is any indicator, a ban on a popular recreational drug could lead to something else, most likely synthetic, proliferating in its place in Texas. Black markets are created by regulation, said Volodarsky. While some drug experts have said a THC ban might lead to those who want to follow the law to try kratom, Harris said most will probably seek out the black market. There may be a slight substitution effect, where individuals who can no longer access their preferred hemp products legally try or use more kratom products, Harris said. But the effects of these substances are different, and in the event of a THC ban, many users would return to the illicit market for THC. Texans seeking help for substance use can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations free help line at 800-662-4357. They can also access services in their region through the Texas Health and Human Services website. Disclosure: Rice 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. More all-star speakers confirmed for The Texas Tribune Festival, Nov. 1315! This years lineup just got even more exciting with the addition of State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo; former United States Attorney General Eric Holder; Abby Phillip, anchor of CNN NewsNight; Aaron Reitz, 2026 Republican candidate for Texas Attorney General; and State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin. Get your tickets today! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. All first years over here. If you recognize those words, you're sure to fall under the spell of Krispy Kreme's newest doughnut collection: Harry Potter: Houses of Hogwarts x Krispy Kreme Collection. The new doughnuts will bring the four Hogwarts houses to life and will be available for a limited time at participating Krispy Kreme locations across the United States. Want more? How about a free trip to either Universal Studios Hollywood in California or Universal Orlando Resort? Enter between Sept. 1-4 for a chance to win. What is the Hogwarts Krispy Kreme Collection? No matter which house the sorting hat sent you, Krispy Kreme has a doughnut just right for you: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gryffindor Doughnut : An unglazed shell doughnut filled with cookie butter flavored Kreme, dipped in red icing and Biscoff cookie crumble, topped with golden icing drizzles and the Gryffindor crest. Slytherin Doughnut : An Original Glazed doughnut topped with chocolate and green buttercreme flavored swirls, chocolate cookie sugar blend, and the Slytherin crest. Hufflepuff Doughnut : An unglazed shell doughnut filled with brown butter toffee flavored custard, dipped in golden yellow icing, and topped with black chocolate drizzle, cookie crunch, and the Hufflepuff crest. Ravenclaw Doughnut: An Original Glaze doughnut dipped in blueberry flavored icing, topped with the Ravenclaw sprinkles and crest. Sorting Hat Doughnut offers 'mystery-colored Kreme' "Witches or wizards looking for a sweet reveal can also experience a one-of-a-kind doughnut celebrating the Hogwarts houses," Krispy Kreme announced. "The new specialty Sorting Hat Doughnut is a filled doughnut, with a mystery-colored Kreme representing one of the four Hogwarts Houses, then dipped in chocolate flavored icing, sprinkled with shimmering gold stars and gold sugar, and topped with the Sorting Hat piece. Take a bite to see which house you will reveal. "The Sorting Hat Doughnut is sold separately in a limited-edition specialty box, while supplies last." When will Krispy Kreme's Hogwarts donuts be available? The Hogwarts Collection will be available beginning Aug. 18, for a limited time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're channeling the beloved magic of Harry Potter and the Houses of Hogwarts for a collection that is truly bewitching," said Alison Holder, chief brand and product officer for Krispy Kreme. "But the magic is fleeting, and so are these doughnuts, so dont miss your chance to try them! The Houses of Hogwarts doughnuts will be available individually and in custom-designed dozens boxes in-shop and for pickup or delivery via Krispy Kremes app and website. They also will be delivered in a Krispy Kreme six-pack box to select retailers. Visit krispykreme.com/locate/location-search#grocery to find a shop or retailer near you. Get a free Krispy Kreme doughnut. Here's how On Aug. 23, Krispy Kreme invited fans to show their love for all things Harry Potter, with a special Houses of Hogwarts day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Participating shops nationwide will give any fan who reps their favorite House of Hogwarts one free Original Glazed doughnut, no purchase necessary while supplies last." Win trip to Universal to see Wizarding World of Harry Potter For fans who cant get enough of the Wizarding World, Krispy Kreme will offer a chance to win a trip to either Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Orlando Resort to experience the magic and excitement of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Enter the contest between Sept. 1-Sept. 4 at Krispy Kreme's Harry Potter giveaway. No purchase is necessary. You could win: A 3-night trip for four to Universal Studios Hollywood, including Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Round trip airfare to Los Angeles, California Ground transportation between the airport and hotel in Los Angeles Accommodations at the Sheraton Universal Hotel Admission to Universal Studios Hollywood theme park or A 4-night trip for four to Universal Orlando Resort including: Round trip airfare to Orlando Ground transportation between the airport and hotel in Orlando Accommodations at Universal Terra Luna Resort Admission to Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Universal Volcano Bay water theme park, plus 1-day at Universal Epic Universe Still can't get enough Hogwarts? How about Golden Snitch Latte? Joining the Hogwarts collection will be the new Golden Snitch Latte, a rich golden caramel toffee-inspired latte, topped with whipped cream, Biscoff cookie crumble, and a sprinkle of golden shimmer sugar. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No broomstick required to grab hold of this indulgent treat. Pumpkin Spice Latte returns to Starbucks Aug. 26 Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte will return to the premium coffee chain's menu on Aug. 26. Also returning as part of Starbucks' fall menu are the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai, and Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte. Time running out to grab Krispy Kreme Pumpkin Spice Original Glazed Doughnut Krispy Kreme's Pumpkin Spice Original Glazed Doughnut is available through Aug. 17. It joined the menu for one week, beginning Aug. 11. The doughnut will be available individually and by the dozen in stores and for pickup or delivery via Krispy Kremes app and website. In 2024, the doughnut was available in stores for only three days, according to a news release. When can I get a Krispy Kreme Pumpkin Spice Doughnut? Get Krispy Kreme's Pumpkin Spice Original Glazed Doughnut in stores between Aug. 11 and Aug. 17. How many Krispy Kreme locations are there in Florida? According to World Population Review, there were 32 Krispy Kremes in Florida in 2024, making the Sunshine State second in the number of locations. There are more than 370 locations in 41 states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Find a Krispy Kreme near you Top Krispy Kreme locations by state: Texas: 24 California: 40 Florida: 32 Georgia: 30 North Carolina: 27 This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Krispy Kreme launches Hogwarts doughnut collection, Universal trip Los Angeles With big smiles and colorful backpacks, tens of thousands of students in the Los Angeles Unified School District walked into their first day of class Thursday. But heading into this new academic year, some families say they are living in fear. Melissa, an undocumented mother of three U.S. citizen children, said her 8-year-old is afraid. "When we hear that agents are nearby, we run or hide, and he's scared," Melissa told CBS News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She says she has been forced to make a plan in case she is detained and deported. "We've spoken to our eldest," Melissa said. "He'd be in charge of his siblings. It's sad to talk about these plans." Immigration enforcement activity has picked up across the L.A. area over the past four months. In July, federal agents on horseback swarmed MacArthur Park which is located near multiple schools in L.A.'s Westlake neighborhood flanked by armored vehicles and National Guard troops. Officials did not say if there were any arrests during the operation, but L.A. Mayor Karen Bass blasted the move at the time, calling it part of "a political agenda of provoking fear and terror." Some undocumented mothers tell CBS News they are unwilling to risk sending their children to school at all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I'm scared because I wouldn't be able to handle getting separated from them," said Andrea, an undocumented mother. "Either if they take me and they stay here, or if they're taken and I stay here." One particular sidewalk near downtown L.A. that children use to walk to school is right outside a Home Depot that has been frequently raided this summer. Federal agents continue to patrol this Latino-majority area surrounding MacArthur Park. If they do not possess a signed judicial warrant, they do not have access to have a conversation with anyone, staff member or student or parent," LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho told CBS News. Carvalho says the district has taken measures to protect families, implementing safe zones outside 100 schools in Latino-majority areas where volunteers and officers will watch for federal immigration activity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, Nathan Mejia, a 15-year-old student with disabilities, was detained by federal agents outside Arleta High School in the San Fernando Valley. "They started pointing guns at us, then at the moment when they opened the door, my mom just told me to not move or anything," Mejia told CBS News. "I stepped out, they put me in handcuffs." His mother told CBS Los Angeles that agents showed her a photo of a person who resembled her son, but that was not him. Mejia was quickly released. In a social media post Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security denied that it was targeting the high school and said that "agents were conducting a targeted operation" on a "suspected MS-13 pledge with prior criminal convictions in the broader vicinity of Arleta." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration has stressed schools will not be targeted as part of its ongoing immigration crackdown. "This administration wants to ensure that all school children across the country, in every city from Los Angeles to D.C., can go to school safely," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a press briefing Tuesday. According to Carvalho, in LAUSD the second-largest school district in the nation, with more than half a million students an estimated one in five students are part of an immigrant family, in which at least one parent is undocumented. He hopes his district's new safe zone measures are enough. "Why have immigration enforcement actions so close to schools, where a 16-year-old, a 15-year-old, may actually be misidentified as an adult?" Carvalho asked. "Should we not have enough empathy and compassion in our hearts to spare children that type of trauma?" Passenger arrested after allegedly causing disturbance midair and forcing flight to divert Tropical Storm Erin expected to become a major hurricane When could Tropical Storm Erin become a hurricane? SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A popular Southern Californian restaurant chain known for its concentration on serving traditional, simple sushi using high-quality fish is coming to Americas Finest City. Sugarfish by Sushi Nozawa, an establishment by the Sushi Nozawa Group, is based in Los Angeles and has multiple locations in greater Los Angeles and Orange counties, as well as New York City. 2 San Diego-area sandwich shops among Top 100 in the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this week, the company announced Sugarfish will open its first San Diego location in Little Italy. Popular sushi restaurant Sugarfish headed to San Diegos Little Italy. (Instagram: @sugarfishbynozawa) In a city known for its vibrant food scene, were proud to bring something different: sushi with no shortcuts, no fusion gimmicks, just the highest-quality fish, perfectly seasoned rice, and the care that has been at the heart of what we do for decades, Sugarfish posted on Instagram. According to the companys website, Sugarfish was the brainchild of famed sushi chef Kazunori Nozawa and his long-time friend, Jerry Greenberg. Four decades after opening Sushi Nozawa in Studio City, the two friends and four other members of their team created Sugarfish. A view of sushi at SugarFish by Sushi Nozawa in Marina Del Rey, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/WireImage/Getty Images) They met with a robotics company to specially program one of their devices to effectively mix rice vinegar and rice to meet Nozawas standards. Engineers for the robotics company made multiple trips to America to work out the correct proportions, settings and the precise run times to perfect the sushi rice mixture, Sugarfishs website states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This was just one of several steps taken to ensure Sugarfishs popularity would endure due to the quality of its items. As Nozawa said many years ago, Stay true to what you believe. The rest will take care of itself. But pay attention to the rice cooker, the website adds. Sugarfish is expected to open at 2100 Kettner Blvd., #1100, next spring. 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. Organizers behind efforts to overturn Utahs law barring public sector unions from collectively bargaining are asking lawmakers to fully repeal the law or allow voters to weigh in during next years referendum. The referendum attempting to roll back HB267 was officially placed on the 2026 general election ballot in June, but Republican lawmakers are rumored to be looking at tweaking the law in a special session in September. Representatives for teachers, firefighters, police officers and others urged lawmakers not to do so, however, asking that the law be fully repealed or stand as it is until the referendum vote. The Protect Utah Workers coalition said it will hold the line on any changes to the law that might sidestep efforts to overturn it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our position is clear: Every public worker in Utah deserves the right to be heard and represented, said airport employee and AFSCME Local 1004 President Jerry Philpot. The right to negotiate safe working conditions and better resources for our communities is nonnegotiable. Although a relatively small percentage of police officers, firefighters and teachers collectively bargain with their employers to determine wages, benefits and working conditions, the bill received consistent pushback from public employees across the state who said it hampers the ability of public workers to advocate for themselves. Lawmakers who supported the bill say it maintains a balance between the employees and the interests of taxpayers, and some have said the collective bargaining process leaves out individual employees who are not part of unions. HB267 was paused earlier this year after the Protect Utah Workers coalition turned in more than 320,000 signatures, meeting the threshold to put a referendum on the ballot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Republicans behind the bill have accused the labor unions of negotiating with lawmakers in bad faith, going back to the early days of the bill, and sponsor Rep. Jordan Teuscher on Thursday said the group has chosen not to have a seat at the table, but that he is working with other stakeholders moving forward. Ive tried to work in good faith with Protect Utah Workers to find common ground, but its become clear theyre more concerned with protecting their own power and control over their members than with having honest conversations or looking out for the people they claim to represent. Thats disappointing, but not surprising, the South Jordan Republican told KSL.com. Whether any changes are made before the bill goes to the ballot will depend on the outcome of these discussions and other discussions, he said. Teuscher did not elaborate on potential changes being discussed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protect Utah Workers remained confident that voters would take its side next November, pointing to the number of signatures gathered in just 30 days to qualify the referendum. If lawmakers doubt where Utah stands, they should read the numbers, Philpot said. The public is on the side of educators, firefighters, police officers, nurses, airport workers, state chemists, librarians, plow drivers, public health workers, custodial staff, transit workers and every public worker who keeps our state running. ST. MARTIN PARISH, La. (KLFY) A second lake in St. Martin Parish is set to have its water level lowered for environmental reasons, authorities said. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has scheduled a drawdown on Lake Martin in St. Martin Parish for nuisance aquatic vegetation control, organic bottom-layer compaction and fish habitat improvement. Previously, the LDWF started lowering Henderson Lake on Aug. 4. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The drawdown is designed to reduce the amount of aquatic vegetation in the lake, officials said. The Martin Lake water control structure is scheduled to open Sept. 2. The lake will be lowered 2 to 3 feet below normal pool stage of 10.5 feet mean sea level and should lower at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per day. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest The Lake Martin control gates are scheduled to close on Dec. 31 to allow the lake to refill for winter and early spring recreational activities, LDWF said. The lake is scheduled to return to pool stage by Jan. 31, 2026 by pumping in water from Ruth Canal. Filling the lake at this time will ensure adequate water levels for spring spawning, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the drawdown, lake users are advised to use caution, as numerous obstructions normally not seen are present. While the drawdown may impact navigation in parts of the southern end of the lake for duck hunters in late fall and winter, authorities said they anticipate hunting and fishing on the majority of the lake will not be affected. The lake will remain open to fishing during this time. For additional information regarding the drawdown, contact Brad Launey, LDWF Biologist Manager, at blauney@wlf.la.gov or (337) 735-8712. Latest news Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. The Health Bureau (SSM) have warned that the risk of community transmission of dengue and chikungunya fever in Macau cannot be ruled out, citing rising cases in nearby regions and the high-risk season for Aedes mosquito activity. Director Alvis Lo said 15 staff are assigned to mosquito control, with 60 more recently trained. There are no rapid tests for chikungunya. Residents with dengue-like symptoms, such as fever, rash, or joint pain, are urged to seek medical attention immediately. Like this: Like Loading... The landlord of a south London pub is appealing for help to raise 500,000 by the end of September to prevent its closure after reaching a deal to buy the venue. Clement Ogbonnaya, who has run the Queen of the South pub in Tulse Hill since it opened in May 2023, previously said brewery Young's had given "us a deadline to buy it back or risk losing it forever". Announcing the deal on Instagram, Mr Ogbonnaya said they were "now in pole position", but "we still have a way to go". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The brewery, which owns the freehold, said it was "pleased to have reached a positive solution". Clement Ogbonnaya said people need spaces like the Queen of the South [BBC] At present Young's owns 50% of the lease and 100% of the freehold. Mr Ogbonnaya said he had agreed a fee with Young's to buy the freehold and their 50% of shares in the company that owns the lease, as well clearing all loans owed to them. He said on Instagram: "We wish to raise 500,000, to complete the purchase of the freehold. "And in return give an agreed percentage of said freehold as well as a percentage of operating profits of the business." The money must be raised by 30 September for the deal to go ahead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Ogbonnaya previously told BBC London the venue was named in homage to his mother, wife and two daughters and had replaced the White Hart pub, which needed a new roof, was infested with rats and had rotting floors. He said: "We've got rid of that ugly tooth on the high street and created a communal space as a hub, a meeting place, a place to celebrate, a place to mourn, a place to share ideas." He added: "It would be a massive shame for this pub to become a Lidl or something else. "We're finally finding our feet. The Queen of the South needs to exist." A spokesperson for Young's said: "We are pleased to have reached a positive solution with Clement which will allow him to independently run the Queen of the South pub. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "As we have said previously, it has always been our intention that this pub remain independent to best serve its community, and we sincerely hope the pub will continue to thrive." 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 Katherine McCoy was delighted when she and her husband found their home about three years ago in the Villas at Ridge Point development in the Las Estrellas community off of N.M. 599 and Ridgetop Road. For one thing, it was close to their daughter's home. For another, the density felt right. That's one reason McCoy, now president of the subdivision's neighborhood association, is concerned about a proposed affordable housing development that would put about 58 homes on 19 acres of land in Las Estrellas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During public comment at Wednesday's City Council meeting, her husband, Michael McCoy, described it as the "right concept, wrong place," summarizing the thoughts many residents have expressed to city councilors and staff. At issue is a proposal before the City Council to donate a 19-acre parcel of land in Las Estrellas to Homewise, an affordable housing nonprofit, to create a development in which 40% of the homes would be classified as "deeply affordable." Several homes would be built by Habitat for Humanity. Tract 6A 2 Tract 6A, a city-owned plot of land in the Las Estrellas neighborhood between Ridgetop Road and N.M. 599, on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city and Santa Fe Estates Inc. terminated a 90-year-old agreement in December 2019, with the corporation giving the city 248 acres of undeveloped land in the master plan community to make up for a $3 million debt. In early 2023, the city set aside the parcel, known as Tract 6A, for affordable housing, which would be donated or sold at below-market rate to a developer. (Affordable housing is one of the exceptions to New Mexico's strict anti-donation clause, prohibiting most giveaways from government entities as an anti-corruption measure.) If the donation is approved, Homewise would be required to go through all the city's standard land use requirements for developments, including holding an early neighborhood notification meeting and going before the Planning Commission. If Homewise is not able to complete the project, a stipulation in the agreement would require the land be deeded back to the city. The council was originally scheduled to consider the land donation in July, but it was postponed to allow more time for the city to respond to residents' questions and concerns, interim Affordable Housing Director Johanna wrote in an email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residents worry about terrain, maintenance One of the main concerns voiced by residents is about the terrain, which Santa Fe Estates Neighborhood Association President Kevin Possin said contains two large arroyos and other areas steeper than a 30% grade. During a formal presentation Wednesday, Homewise Chief Government Affairs Officer Lisa Huval told the City Council the nonprofit does not believe the slope will be an impediment to the project. She showed slides demonstrating Tract 6A is "very comparable" to other surrounding tracts that are already developed. "Theres nothing about the site that scares us at the front end of the project," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Councilor Lee Garcia referenced the Tierra Contenta development on the city's south side: "It's all built out on ridges." Possin is also concerned about the disruption during construction: "They're going to have to make this into a Walmart parking lot before they start building," he said during a visit Wednesday to Tract 6A. Tract 6A 3 Las Estrellas resident Katherine McCoy shows a map from the Santa Fe County assessor's office detailing the slope of the land on Tract 6A, a plot of land the city is considering donating to Homewise for affordable housing. McCoy said there are several large arroyos in the tract she believes will make it very hard to develop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Erosion is another worry, Possin said. At an informational meeting at the Santa Fe Public Library in July, some Las Estrellas residents said erosion is an ongoing challenge in the area. Katherine McCoy said two-thirds of her HOA's budget goes to drainage maintenance, and she questioned whether people living in an affordable housing development will have the means to pay for such upkeep. She said she wants to know if the development will be required to have a homeowner's association like the other subdivisions in Las Estrellas to cover costs of snowplowing and erosion control. In response from a question from Councilor Alma Castro, Huval said Homewise does intend to create an HOA and would work to balance the fees to keep them "as low as we can" while still covering needed costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Possin said he believes another of the city-owned tracts at Las Estrellas would be better for an affordable housing development, though he said a dense development is "totally inappropriate" for the neighborhood and would be better for the Siler-Rufina or Agua Fria corridors. South-side councilors call for sharing growth Councilor Michael Garcia questioned Terry Lease, the city's asset development manager, about whether the city had done its due diligence in evaluating all the tracts. Lease said after site visits and other analysis, the city concluded Tract 6A would be the best parcel for an affordable housing complex, in part due to its proximity to N.M. 599. But some residents raised that proximity as a negative. They noted an access road into the development off of Ridgetop Road a short way from the freeway exit could create a choke point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Garcia said he would favor holding a public hearing before the final City Council vote on the land donation to allow for additional public feedback, something City Attorney Erin McSherry said would be possible. While councilors said they appreciated the feedback from nearby residents, they expressed broad support for the project, which Possin described as "unfortunate" in a Thursday email. Las Estrellas map Several other south-side councilors emphasized that in order to be equitable, development should occur throughout the city. District 3 and 4 residents have complained at past meetings their neighborhoods are bearing the brunt of growth while having fewer amenities than other parts of town. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The only way affordability works is every single district has to take its share," said District 3 Councilor Pilar Faulkner. Councilor Jamie Cassutt, who represents District 4, said concerns some Las Estrellas residents have raised regarding traffic and access to schools and public transportation "are heightened around the south side," where development has been significant. I know it is challenging, I know it is scary, but this is the No. 1 issue in our community," she said. "Every single part of our community is going to have to be taking a look at what our values are in terms of housing." HONOLULU (KHON2) A small but important road in Ewa will remain open, thanks to a last-minute agreement with the landowner and the city on Aug. 14. Many are applauding the move, calling it a win-win for everyone. Landowner forced to shut down public access to shortcut from Ewa to Kapolei Signs for the closure of Philippine Sea Road in Ewa are coming down. Itll remain open for the public to use for the time being, thanks to an agreement in principle between the city and the roads landowner, Hawaiian Railway Society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cooperation was absolutely fantastic, said Jeff Livingston, Hawaiian Railway Society board member. The society planned to close the gate Aug. 15 because of liability issues and rising cost of insurance. But city officials reached out to find a way to keep traffic moving. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You I prefer to have it open, said Rabian Farias, Ewa resident. Like you said, the commute is a lot different. You go that way in the evening, traffic is big time. You come this way, its not that bad. While the city would not usually get involved in cases like this, Honolulu Department of Transportation Services Director Roger Morton says this road was just too critical. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are, you know, going to be deviating from our normal policy on privately operated roadways because the roadway is so strategically important to our overall road system, Morton said. The road provides a shortcut between Ewa Villages and Kapolei, which everyone including city buses and emergency vehicles use. As part of the agreement, the city says it will eventually install speed bumps, lighting and signage, and will also be in charge of maintaining the road. The city will also assume liability from the Hawaiian Railway Society. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the Hawaiian Railway Society prefers to prohibit large commercial trucks from coming through because it says the roads cant handle them. It will wind up with everybody benefitting, Livingston said. The commuters that use this as kind of a short cut, the community which will increase safety, and [Hawaiian Railway Society] which is no longer potentially liable for repairs to a street. The society says lawyers are reviewing the details. But the group expects to sign the agreement within the next few days. Down the road, the city may look into buying the road outright. But for now, its reminding drivers to obey all traffic laws. To opt to drive safely and with aloha on all roads, but particularly this one, Morton said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The railroad is part of the area, the area is part of the railroad, Livingston said. And were very happy that we can keep this open. 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. LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) Authorities in Laurel County are searching for a man who was seen trespassing on Keavy Road, south of London. The Laurel County Sheriffs Office (LCSO) posted photos of a man who was spotted on Thursday, Aug. 14, by security cameras on and around someones property in the area. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Footage shows the man without a shirt, wearing a mask and gray sweatpants and sneakers. Security cameras captured footage of a masked, shirtless man trespassing on Keavy Road Thursday. (Laurel County Sheriffs Office) Deputies in Laurel County are looking for a man who was spotted trespassing by security camera video. (Laurel County Sheriffs Office) (Laurel County Sheriffs Office) Anyone with information that might help identify the man is asked to call the sheriffs office at (606) 684-6600. Officials said the information given would be strictly confidential. 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. Sergei Lavrov goaded Ukraine with a Soviet CCCP jumper as he arrived in Alaska on Friday ahead of talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Russias chief diplomat is one of hundreds of Russian officials and aides in Alaska for the meeting, many of whom are sanctioned by the US. He was seen in the white jumper bearing CCCP as he exited a vehicle and walked into a hotel in Anchorage. The initialism the acronym for the USSR in Russian is likely a provocative jab at Ukraine, which was a part of the Soviet Union until 1991. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainian soldiers expressed their dismay on Friday as anticipation for the summit mounted. The first thing I dont really understand is why those war criminals and idiots are not arrested immediately, one Ukrainian soldier, who goes by the Greek name, told The Telegraph on Friday. I know they are the representatives of negotiations, but its so ridiculous that the whole world can see whats happening. Its like being a thief in front of the law they can do whatever they want and not take any responsibility for it. Donald Trump departs Washington for Alaska - REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Adding fuel to the fire were reports of sanctioned members of the delegation roaming free in Anchorage, with Siluanov spotted eating dinner at a local restaurant, and unconfirmed reports of Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov also seen in a parking lot with limited security around him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The University of Alaska in Anchorage said that some of the Russian and US delegates are sleeping in small, student dorm rooms on its campus, as well as in ad hoc beds that have been set up at the Alaska Airlines Center because the city does not have enough hotels to accommodate the number of delegates. On Thursday, Putin arrived in Magadan, in Russias far east, where he is expected to meet the local governor and visit an industrial facility, before heading to Anchorage. Mr Trump departed Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at around 13.00pm BST on Friday, with the flight expected to take more than seven hours. The meeting is scheduled to take place at 11.30am local (8.30pm UK) at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump previously said that he believed the meeting had a one-in-four chance of failure, in which case a second summit would be set and would include Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president. We never make any predictions ahead of time, Lavrov told Russian state media. We know that we have our arguments and our position is clear and unambiguous. We will present it, he added as he walked towards his hotel in the CCCP jumper. Lavrov, Putin and other members of the regime have repeatedly expressed nostalgia for the USSR, with the Russian president previously describing the collapse of the Soviet Union as the greatest political catastrophe of the 20th century. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as well as earlier attacks such as the annexation of Crimea in 2014, are all believed to be part of Putins longing for the past. He has previously said that modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia and Russians and Ukrainians were one people. The jumper could also be a jab at the US as a reminder of the rivalry between Washington and Moscow during the Cold War period before the collapse of the USSR, when the two countries took part in numerous proxy conflicts. Based on the history with the US and USSR, I dont know if he was maybe trying to prove a statement. That sweater was funny, Oleg, another Ukrainian soldier, told The Telegraph. 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. Russia is heading into its talks with the United States in Alaska with a "clear and understandable" stance, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on arrival in Anchorage late Thursday. Much of the groundwork for Friday's meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump was laid during US envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Moscow last week, Lavrov said, expressing the hope to continue what he called a "useful conversation." In the comments made to state broadcaster Russia-24, Lavrov added: "We know that we have arguments, a clear and understandable position. We will present them." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has said he will push for a ceasefire in Ukraine and an end to the war. Putin, who ordered the all-out invasion in February 2022, has so far shown no sign of backing down. The face-to-face meeting between the two leaders is scheduled to begin at 11:30 am (1930 GMT) at the ElmendorfRichardson military base just outside Anchorage. The location is heavy with symbolism: At its closest point, Alaska is only a few kilometres from Russia across the Bering Strait. The US bought Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867. Florida's ban on "pronographic" school library books deemed overbroad and unconstitutional. (Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) A federal trial judge in Florida has ruled that the states law banning books deemed pornographic from school libraries is, in part, overbroad and unconstitutional. Carlos Mendoza, a President Barack Obama-appointed judge in the Middle District Court of Florida, issued a summary judgement in a lawsuit filed by book publishers against the 2023 law, HB 1069, this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suit, filed a year ago, asked the court to deem the states interpretation of pornographic and content that describes sexual conduct unconstitutional. By leaving these items undefined, Florida has given parents license to object to materials under an I know it when I see it approach, Mendoza wrote in his 50-page judgement, referring to a lack of definition for pornographic and describes sexual conduct. Publishers Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishing, and Simon & Schuster argued the law removes books without considering their literary or artistic value. The law, Mendoza wrote, does not evaluate the work to determine if it has any holistic value, a key part of the legal standard to determine whether material is obscene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Educators must again perform statutory interpretation on the fly to determine what exactly is inappropriate or unsuitable because those terms go undefined. All the while, the specter of harsh penalties looms in the background, Mendoza wrote. Especially recently, the Florida Department of Education has made public threats and called superintendents in front of the state Board of Education to explain why certain materials are in school libraries. Also on the plaintiffs side were The Authors Guild, John Green, Jodi Picoult, and other authors and parents. Mendoza listed various books involved in the suit, including The Color Purple, I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, Paper Towns, The Kite Runner, The Handmaids Tale, Water for Elephants, and Homegoing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None of these books are obscene, Mendoza wrote. Mendoza determined pornographic in law is synonymous with harmful to minors. A Florida Senate committee this year debated further defining what school boards should consider harmful to minors but after First Amendment concerns arose, the bill stalled. Dan Novack, an attorney representing the publishers called it a sweeping victory for the right to read, and for every students freedom to think, learn, and explore ideas, in a statement to the Phoenix. We are elated that the federal court in Florida has upheld the First Amendment rights of students, educators, authors, and publishers. The Court ruled that books may only be removed from school libraries if they lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value when considered as a whole, Novack said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX With federal law enforcement officers and National Guard soldiers roaming the streets of Washington, D.C., this week, President Donald Trump has the nation talking about law and order again. And if you live in Boston, the presidential rhetoric has the ring of the familiar to it. The nations capital is a pit of bloodshed, bedlam and squalor, where violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people, roam the streets and target innocent passers-by, Trump said Monday, as he vowed to reestablish law, order and public safety in the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you closed your eyes, you could almost hear U.S. House Oversight Committee Chairperson James Comer, R-Ky., as he lit into Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and other big city mayors over their immigration policies during a nationally televised Capitol Hill hearing in March. Sanctuary cities make us all less safe, and are public safety nightmares, Comer said at the time. ... We cannot let pro-criminal, alien policies and obstructionist sanctuary cities continue to endanger American communities and the safety of federal immigration and enforcement officers. Wu and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser have both forcefully pushed back against the dystopian rhetoric that isnt supported by the available data. Heres a quick look at the numbers: Violent crime in Washington, D.C., hit a 30-year low in 2024, dropping by 35% from the previous year, according to U.S. Justice Department data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The story is much the same in Boston, although a glance at the data may initially seem to say something different. Heres why: Boston police reported 17 homicides between Jan. 1 and June 30, according to data compiled by the Major Cities Chiefs Association. Thats a 143% increase from the first half of 2024, that same data show. And as Axios Boston reported this week, the city is nonetheless on pace to see out 2025 with about the number of homicides it had in 2023, which was the lowest such year since the Boston Regional Intelligence Center began keeping records. One more Bay State through-line: Trump specifically mentioned the shooting death of a University of Massachusetts student to justify the federal takeover of policing in the nations capital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All of which is not to say that crime isnt a problem, or that our big cities cant be safer. Theres undoubtedly room for improvement in D.C. and Boston, where the debate over public safety has become a central one in the race for City Hall between Wu and philanthropist Josh Kraft. And even as shes railed against Trumps rhetoric, Bowser and Washington D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith also have welcomed the extra boots on the ground, The Washington Post reported Thursday. Still, the intensity of the debate is a reminder that questions of crime and public safety remain deeply visceral for voters, especially those who live in neighborhoods hard hit by crime or those who have been touched by it personally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The problem is that more of the crime in D.C. has begun to spill into areas where the professional population is present on a regular basis, Jesse Hunt, a Washington D.C.-based Republican consultant with Bay State ties, told MassLive. " ... Youve had gunshots outside of the [Washington Nationals] stadium, where families take their children to watch ballgames. Youve had things occurring at Metro stops." In Boston, the story, for some, is the same. We draw a very nice crowd ... people from all over, tourists, and you want them to have a nice experience, Driss Elkmori, the owner of Cafe Bonjours in the citys Downtown Crossing neighborhood, said earlier this year. ... However, on the street, its not a very nice experience. And as much as its personal, fights over law and order also remain deeply political. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The polling tells us that there is a real partisan divide. If you compare Democratic and Republican concerns about crime, more Republicans describe it as a problem, said Ray La Raja, a political science professor at UMass Amherst. Its also an urban-rural divide. They think the cities are falling apart. And of course, [Trump is playing] that all up. Theres homelessness, immigrants and criminal gangs running around. That is why you see that really big partisan divide. Then theres the larger question of Trumps endgame in D.C. The contours of that became known Thursday when the Republican said he would ask Congress for an extension of the federalization of D.C.s police. The move would require Democratic support, making it unlikely to pass, NBC News reported. And Trump has hinted that his campaign could expand to other cities controlled by Democrats, each of whom have Black mayors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You look at Chicago, how bad it is. You look at Los Angeles, how bad it is, Trump said Monday, according to NPR. We have other cities that are very bad. New York has a problem. And then you have, of course, Baltimore and Oakland. We dont even mention that anymore, theyre so far gone. Were not going to lose our cities over this, and this will go further. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott heaped scorn on Trumps assertions. I think its very notable that each and every one of the cities called out by the president has a Black mayor, and most of those cities are seeing historic lows in violent crime, he told CNN. The president could learn from us instead of throwing things at us. And for one veteran observer, thats a clear sign that Trumps campaign isnt about law and order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This has nothing to do with crime, and everything to do with [declaring] martial law, said Mary Anne Marsh, a Democratic analyst from Boston. Thats whats missing from everyones hot takes. This is an opportunity for Donald Trump to impose martial law. And from there, Marsh said, its a short walk for Trump to try to cancel the 2026 midterm elections, or to put the brakes on the right to protest. If that happens, Marsh said she has the most faith in people I dont know and neighbors Ive not met will rise to the occasion when others have not, even when they have had the chance. Read more analysis from John L. Micek Read the original article on MassLive. Rep. Emily O'Brien, vice chair of the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee, questions staff from the Attorney General's Office about how it handled finances related to a controversial renovation and lease of a south Bismarck building. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) Financial discrepancies related to an Attorney Generals Office building project have been resolved, staff with the office said Thursday, but some lawmakers questioned why the agency hasnt provided documentation backing that up. A committee of lawmakers since 2022 has ordered several investigations to settle lingering questions about the project and whether any taxpayer money is still unaccounted for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The building was selected by former Attorney General Wayne Stenehjems administration around 2019 to become new office space for several agency divisions. The agency ordered extensive renovations to the property on Burlington Drive in Bismarck. The project raised eyebrows for exceeding projected costs by at least $1.7 million, and because a state lawmaker and partial owner of the property Rep. Jason Dockter, a Bismarck Republican was convicted of a conflict of interest misdemeanor related to the deal. Financial questions about the project resurfaced in a recent investigation report by the North Dakota Ethics Commission that found Dockter had violated ethics laws by voting on budget bills that included funds for the building lease. Despite inquiries by the commission and other investigators, it remains unclear whether the Attorney Generals Office reconciled project finances with Stealth Properties, the building owner. The state initially paid Stealth too much money for the renovation, but both parties arrived at different calculations for how much the state had overpaid. The Attorney Generals Office has recovered about $525,000, but a report by a Montana investigator indicates the Attorney Generals Office is owed an additional $14,600. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Laura Balliet, an attorney for the Attorney Generals Office, told lawmakers on Thursday that the agency ultimately decided not to pursue the additional money. We determined internally that it wasnt worth the time and effort and resources to continue to try to recover $14,000 when we have recovered $525,000, she told the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee. Stealths attorney, Monte Rogneby, told Rep. Emily OBrien, R-Grand Forks, on Thursday morning that he and his clients were unaware that the Attorney Generals Office considered the project settled, according to an email OBrien provided to the North Dakota Monitor. Rogneby said in a statement to the Monitor that Stealth has provided documentation to the Attorney Generals Office of construction costs and its financial reconciliation. He said Stealth has not received any communication from the attorney general raising any concerns with the lease or the reconciliation of construction costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Brad Bekkedahl, R-Williston, asked agency staff why they didnt take the time to put together an agreement with Stealth that shows the finances were reconciled. I still would have wanted some type of documentation signed by both parties saying that theres no longer a dispute, he said. It just seems really messy to me, and not very open or transparent. Balliet said she couldnt speak to why the agency had not opted to do so, but that the Attorney Generals Office staff can provide documentation to lawmakers at the committees next meeting, scheduled for December. Attorney General Drew Wrigley, who assumed office in 2022 after Stenehjem died in office, first brought the cost overrun to lawmakers attention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That led to a review by State Auditor Josh Gallion and later an outside investigation by the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation. A Montana investigator, however, said the probe was limited by a lack of subpoena power. Mountrail County States Attorney Wade Enget reviewed the Montana report, but said questions about the building project were beyond the scope of his review. The Ethics Commissions report focused on Dockters conflict of interest. However, it also reiterated concerns previously discussed by lawmakers, including that all project expenditures may not have been authorized by the Legislature or the Emergency Commission. Laura Balliet, an attorney for the North Dakota Attorney Generals Office, answers questions from lawmakers about a south Bismarck building lease that spurred years of investigations. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) Mary Kae Kelsch, a division director in the Attorney Generals Office, said the offices finance team wouldnt have made illegal expenditures. The office has appropriation authority for leases, she added. Was it illegal? No, but it wasnt managed well, Kelsch told lawmakers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to both Attorney Generals Office staff and Stealth representatives, there was no cost overrun related to the project. While the project went roughly $1.7 million over initial projections, the lease permitted the parties to go beyond that figure. It wasnt really an overage, said Kelsch. Its just there was no cap put on, and so the till was running, the meter was running, and no one was paying attention to the meter. Wrigley in a Wednesday letter to the committee said his agency has tied up all financial loose ends related to the building deal, and that the Ethics Commissions concerns have no merit. Wrigley said in the letter he could not attend the meeting because he was out of the country Thursday. Pat Monson, who was hired to conduct the investigation of Dockter on behalf of the Ethics Commission, said the Attorney Generals Office did not provide the commission information about the reconciliation during her probe. She said shes not sure how the Attorney Generals Office could have reconciled the finances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were so many discrepancies within the invoices and the bills and costs that were submitted by Stealth to the AGs office, Monson, who was a trial attorney for nearly 50 years, said. How and when those discrepancies were overcome and agreed upon is really unclear. Lawmakers on Thursday considered requesting an additional review from the state auditor, but opted instead to first request the written documentation from the Attorney Generals Office. Bekkedahl also asked the Attorney Generals Office to report to the Legislatures Budget Section about the more than $500,000 that was returned to the state. North Dakota Monitor reporter Mary Steurer can be reached at msteurer@northdakotamonitor.com. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Eighty years after the end of World War II, Japan and China are marking the anniversary with major events, but on different dates and in different ways. Japan remembers the victims in a solemn ceremony on Aug. 15, the day then-Emperor Hirohito announced in a crackly radio message that the government had surrendered, while China showcases its military strength with a parade on Sept. 3, the day after the formal surrender on an American battleship in Tokyo Bay. Japan occupied much of China before and during WWII in a devastating and brutal invasion that, by some estimates, killed 20 million people. The wartime experience still bedevils relations between the two countries today. A museum in the Chinese city of Benxi highlights the struggles of anti-Japanese resistance fighters who holed up in log cabins through fierce winters in the countrys northeast, then known as Manchuria, before retreating into Russia. They returned only after the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and launched an offensive into Manchuria on Aug. 9, 1945 the same day the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki adding to the pressure on Japan to surrender. Nowadays, it is Chinas military that raises alarm as it seeks to enforce the governments territorial claims in the Pacific. When Japan talks of building up its defense to counter the threat, its militaristic past gives China a convenient retort. We urge Japan to deeply reflect on its historical culpability, earnestly draw lessons from history and stop using hype over regional tensions and China-related issues to conceal its true intent of military expansion, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said last month. Japans surrender broadcast Hirohitos prerecorded surrender broadcast on Aug. 15, 1945, was incomprehensible to many Japanese. He used arcane language and the sound quality was poor. What was important, historians say, was that the message came from the emperor himself. Hirohito was considered a living god, and the war was fought in his name. Most Japanese had never heard his voice before. The speech is a reminder of what it took to end the wrong war, Nihon University professor Takahisa Furukawa told The Associated Press in 2015. The current emperor, Hirohitos grandson Naruhito, and the prime minister are set to make remarks at the annual ceremony in Tokyo on Aug. 15, broadcast live by public broadcaster NHK. At last years event, Naruhito expressed deep remorse over Japans actions during the war. But on the same day, three Japanese cabinet ministers visited Tokyos Yasukuni shrine, drawing criticism from China and South Korea, which see the shrine as a symbol of militarism. China marks Victory Day Japan surrendered on Sept. 2, 1945, in a ceremony on board the American battleship USS Missouri. The foreign minister, in a top hat and tails, and the army chief signed on behalf of Hirohito. The signatories on the other side were U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur and representatives from China and other nations that had fought Japan. China designated the next day, Sept. 3, as Victory Day. Eleven years ago, the Communist Party stepped up how China marks the anniversary. All of Chinas top leaders, including President Xi Jinping, attended a commemorative event on Sept. 3. The renewed focus came at a time of rising tension with Japan over conflicting interpretations of wartime history and a still-ongoing territorial dispute in the East China Sea. The next year, China staged a military parade on the 70th anniversary of the end of the war. A decade later, preparations are underway for another grand parade with missiles, tanks and fighter jets overhead. Russian President Vladimir Putin is among those expected to attend. KEN MORITSUGU, BENXI, MDT/AP Like this: Like Loading... AUSTIN (KXAN) As Texas House Democrats remain out of the state to block a controversial redistricting bill, Gov. Greg Abbott has threatened to call a second consecutive special session, raising questions about what these legislative sessions actually mean and how they reshape the political process in Texas. With Republicans controlling the Texas legislature but lacking the quorum needed to pass legislation due to the Democratic walkout, the state finds itself in a dramatic standoff that highlights the unique powers and limitations of special sessions in Texas government. Unlike the constitutionally mandated 140-day regular legislative session held every two years, special sessions are gatherings that only the governor can call. These sessions are limited to a maximum of 30 days and lawmakers are confined to addressing only the issues specifically named in the governors proclamation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Importantly, there are no limits on how many special sessions a governor can call between regular legislative sessions. Sessions can be scheduled back-to-back or even on the same day one ends. How the legislative process changes The compressed 30-day timeline changes how legislation moves through the Capitol. Unlike regular sessions, which have multiple deadlines for bills to advance through committees or pass floor votes, special sessions operate with an accelerated schedule designed to focus attention on the governors priorities. Key differences include: No bill-filing deadline: Unlike regular sessions where lawmakers must file bills within the first 60 days, special session bills can be filed at any time during the 30-day period. Shortened notice requirements: Public hearing notices drop from five days to just 24 hours in the House Limited floor debate: Speaking time is reduced to 10 minutes per member during the final five days. Focused agenda: Only topics in the governors proclamation can be considered Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perhaps most importantly for the current situation, all bills must be refiled when a new special session is called. Legislation doesnt carry over between sessions, even if identical bills were filed in the previous session, they must be introduced as new bills and assigned new numbers in the subsequent session. What exactly this means for the committee process? Bills will have to be referred back to committees and voted on once again. When it comes to redistricting, we may not see the same redistricting field hearings like we saw in Houston and Arlington. That is a decision for the chair of the committee. However, if the committee is going to vote on a bill, it will allow for public comment. If the current special session ends without passing the redistricting plan, Abbott has promised to call the Texas Legislature back immediately for Special Session #2 with the exact same agenda. For the legislative process, this would mean: All bills would need to be refiled with new number and go through the introduction process again The 30-day timeline would restart completely Committees would need to hold public hearings allowing for testimony before voting on bills, though they would not be required to repeat field hearings already conducted during the current session Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although the session is set to end Aug. 19, it is likely headed for an early conclusion, with Speaker Dustin Burrows announcing Tuesday they will adjourn Friday if Democrats dont return, and Abbott vowed to call another special session immediately. For Texas voters watching the drama unfold, the standoff illustrates how the states legislative rules and procedures can amplify political conflicts. 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. During Lawrence ODonnells breakdown of President Donald Trump efforts to avoid questions about Jeffrey Epstein, an issue that has weakened his approval rating among Americans, the Last Word host praised California Gov. Gavin Newsoms for fighting back against Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts Trump-orchestrated redistricting war, saying the politician is doing exactly what needs to be done. This is what fighting Donald Trump looks like, ODonnell said during his latest segment of the The Last Word on MSNBC. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats have found a way to fight Donald Trumps attacks on democracy by using democracy against Donald Trump. The biggest state in the union, the richest state in the union has finally been provoked to show Donald Trump just how much power the state has. More from TheWrap He continued: Gavin Newsom is now leading California to the rescue of the United States of America, to the rescue of Democracy in America. And today, Gavin Newsom showed millions of people who have been feeling powerless, millions of Californians who voted for the California candidate for president in the last election, that they still have power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Trump continues to evade questions surrounding his relationship to the child sex offender and financier, his likability among Americans has continued to decline at the polls. ODonnell said the president seeking to gain the Republican House seats is just a strategy Trumps using to ensure he doesnt get booted out of the Oval Office during the 2026 midterm elections. It is at this low point in Donald Trumps public support that he has chosen to try to rig Congressional districts in Texas to give Republicans five move Republican seats in the House of Representatives so that Donald Trump can guarantee that Republicans will control the House of Representatives, and he wont be impeached by the House of Representatives during this term of his presidency, ODonnell explained. ODonnell went on to explain that Newsoms move brings new power to the California voter. California has always reigned blue during presidential elections, and despite it being one of the top three largest states in the country, the voting power has hardly no impact on deciding who the next commander-in-chief will be. However, as ODonnell explains, Newsoms redistricting mission puts power back into California voters hands as they will be able to vote on his Election Rigging Response Act, which in turn, if voted in, will grant the Democratic-controlled legislature more power and ultimately pave the way for Trump to potentially be voted out. The voters of California can feel left out in presidential elections, ODonnell said. The candidates never bothered to campaign in California because everyone knows how California is going to vote in a presidential election. California doesnt have the power to turn the election one way or another the way much smaller states like neighboring Arizona do. Voting in California in a presidential election can be an exercise in dutiful civic frustration. Carrying out your civic duty, knowing it wont make a difference when youre watching the election returns that night. Today, California Gov. Gavin Newsom changed all that. Today, Gavin Newsom told California voters they hold in their hands the power to break Donald Trumps grip. The post Lawrence ODonnell Praises Newsoms Redistricting Push: This Is What Fighting Donald Trump Looks Like | Video appeared first on TheWrap. Editors note: This story has been updated to correct the county in which Hobert Buttery was arrested. We regret the error. LONDON, Ky. (FOX 56) A former London police officer is taking the mayor and city to court, accusing them of defamation and retaliation, to name a few, in a lawsuit filed on Thursday. This is the third defamation lawsuit filed in 2025 that names Mayor Randall Weddle. Jared Hale was hired at the London Police Department in December 2021. He continued his service until his March 2025 resignation. But a lawsuit filed on Thursday, Aug 14, claims that Hale had no choice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Doug Harless killed in London police search warrant shooting: A look at the timeline, investigation According to court documents, Hale was dispatched to Taylor Drive on Dec. 23, 2024, for what would eventually become known as the start of the chain of events that led to the deadly shooting of Doug Harless. There, he met Judge Executive David Westerfield. Court documents note that he leased the property to his nephew, who operated a landscaping business, and his weed-eater had been stolen. Hobert Buttery has since been convicted of the theft. The leaked 911 call Buttery told officers that hed stored the weed eater at a home on Vanzant Road. Court documents obtained by FOX 56 show that Butterys mothers address was registered as 515 Vanzant Road. But when officers, including Hale, arrived, the home was vacant. Buttery would later be arrested in Clay County, and a search warrant was issued for the stolen lawn equipment. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is believed that the search warrant was for 489 Vanzant, yet the officers went to 511 and shot Doug Harless, Brandon Voelker, Hales attorney, wrote. Hale reportedly was not present when the warrant was executed, per court documents. The following day, Westerfield called 911 dispatch to request an update on the investigation. This call would eventually be leaked to a YouTube page. Between December 23 and January 7, the lawsuit claims that Hales presence at 515 Vanzant Road was repeatedly questioned as if he was somehow to blame for the Doug Harless shooting. On Jan. 8, an email would be sent to Weddle and City Attorney Larry Bryson containing a recording of Hales call with Westerfield. The lawsuit states that this was contrary to dispatch guidelines, so a secondary request was issued the following day, stating the request was for administrative review. Provided by Attorney Brandon Voelker Provided by Attorney Brandon Voelker Provided by Attorney Brandon Voelker The recording was not obtained through proper channels, nor under 911 center policies/procedures, and then was leaked to a YouTube channel, Laurel County News +, Voelker said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the same account Weddle used to livestream a subsequent press conference that became the subject of two defamation lawsuits. Mayor Weddle and Bryson orchestrated a public feeding frenzy against the plaintiff [Hale]. The audio was viewed and shared on social media thousands of times, with thousands of comments, Voelker wrote. In addition to social media posts, because of the unlawful disclosure of the audio, Plaintiff received direct threats. Fu$k you and your family bit%h.' Not long after the video was posted, Hale was reportedly alerted that he was being placed on administrative leave because of safety and threats in the comments, not due to any fault of his own, per Voelker. Read more of the latest Kentucky news Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Voelker describes Hales March resignation as a constructive discharge, which, according to the Department of Labor, means a workers resignation may be found not to be voluntary because the employer has created a hostile or intolerable work environment or has applied other forms of pressure or coercion that forced the employee to resign. Shortly after being placed on leave, Weddle allegedly called Hale to tell him not to trust anyone or say anything. The call reportedly lasted around 40 minutes, per court documents. Attorney General upholds denial of open records request On June 9, 2025, the Sentinel Echo submitted an open records request to obtain the names of any officer placed on administrative leave since Dec. 1, 2021. According to the lawsuit, the city denied the request since these records were part of the ongoing officer-involved shooting investigation and would negatively affect the well-being and privacy of those involved. The newspaper appealed the decision to Attorney General Russell Coleman, and during said appeal, City Attorney Bryson allegedly contacted the Sentinel Echo to let them know Hale had been placed on leave. Memo allegedly leaked to the Sentinel Echo, provided by Attorney Brandon Voelker. The referenced administrative inquiry never occurred or was never concluded, per court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorney General Coleman reportedly upheld the citys denial, stating that the city explains that the simple publication of his name by the newspaper subjects the police officer to public scrutiny, public discussion on social media, public discussion at city Council meetings, more marches and more threats of physical violence prior to the completion of the investigation, the suit cites. Voelker argues that Hale should have been afforded the same courtesy by city officials Weddle and Bryson. [Hale] became a pawn by Weddle to seek to deflect from the Harless shooting, with the very public scrutiny, discussion, physical threats, and other concerns set forth by the city in regard to other officers being connected to the Harless shooting, Voelker wrote. Quite simply, Weddle purposely did not make a lawful open records request, because the law did not support the release of the audio Weddles personal agenda desired. London police chief breaks silence on deadly Vanzant Road shooting Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suit specifically accuses the City of London and Mayor Weddle of defamation and false light. The City of London is independently accused of retaliation, freedom of speech/association, and sexual and religious harassment. Voelker sent city officials a letter on Aug. 1, warning that if an amicable resolution was not reached by Aug. 6, the suit would be filed. FOX 56 has reached out to Weddle and Bryson for comment. 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. The Brief People driving by Urban Thai Day Spa at 2016 Montrose Blvd will likely be shocked at the disturbing allegations being leveled against the business in a lawsuit. "There are things like this happening every day right under our nose," said attorney George Edwards, who has filed suit against the spa. The spa declined to comment. HOUSTON - People driving by Urban Thai Day Spa at 2016 Montrose Blvd will likely be shocked at the disturbing allegations being leveled against the business in a lawsuit. Montrose-area Day spa facing lawsuit alleging sex attacks, forced labor, and human trafficking What they're saying "You had your day to day people going in. You had women going in to get massages," said attorney Kim Bruno. "A lot of Johns knew they could go in and take advantage of individuals being trafficked in that space." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There are things like this happening every day right under our nose," said attorney George Edwards, who has filed suit against the spa. He's even listing suspected Johns as defendants in the litigation. "They need to be identified," Edwards said. "They've already been sued. They will be named in the lawsuit after they are identified." "She thought she was getting a trade skill to support her family," said Bruno, referring to a 40-year-old woman from Mexico who worked at the spa. We are not identifying her. She told us one girl there threatened to cut her tongue out. She says her boss would put her with the most aggressive men, and she would get beaten. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investigation into the spa is far from over. "This matter remains under criminal investigation by HPD," said attorney Murtaza Sutarwalla. "This week, we made a referral to Texas Artorney General Ken Paxton's Office for a civil and criminal complaint on the state level." The other side The spa declined to comment. The Source FOX 26 Reporter Randy Wallace spoke with attorneys involved in the lawsuit. WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administration on Friday reversed course and agreed to leave the Washington, D.C., police chief in control of the department, while Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a new memo, directed the Districts police to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement regardless of any city law. The order from Bondi came after officials in the nations capital sued Friday to block President Donald Trumps takeover of the Washington police. The night before, his administration had escalated its intervention into the citys law enforcement by naming a federal official as the new emergency head of the department, essentially placing the police force under the full control of the federal government. The attorney generals new order represents a partial retreat for the Trump administration in the face of intense skepticism from a judge over the legality of Bondi's earlier directive. But Bondi also signaled the administration would continue to pressure D.C. leaders to help federal authorities aggressively pursue immigrants in the country illegally, despite city laws on the books that limit cooperation between police and immigration authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a social media post Friday evening, Bondi criticized D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, saying he continues to oppose our efforts to improve public safety. But she added, We remain committed to working closely with Mayor Bowser. Mayor Muriel Bowsers office said late Friday that it was still evaluating how it can comply with the new Bondi order on immigration enforcement operations. The police department already eased some restrictions on cooperating with federal officials facilitating Trumps mass-deportation campaign but reaffirmed that it would follow the districts sanctuary city laws. In a letter sent Friday night to D.C. citizens, Bowser wrote: It has been an unsettling and unprecedented week in our city. Over the course of a week, the surge in federal law enforcement across D.C. has created waves of anxiety. She added that our limited self-government has never faced the type of test we are facing right now, but added that if Washingtonians stick together, we will show the entire nation what it looks like to fight for American democracy even when we dont have full access to it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legal battle was the latest evidence of the escalating tensions in a mostly Democratic city that now has its police department largely under the control of the Republican president's administration. Trumps takeover is historic, yet it had played out with a slow ramp-up in federal law enforcement officials and National Guard troops to start the week. As the weekend approached, though, signs across the city from the streets to the legal system suggested a deepening crisis over who controls the citys immigration and policing policies, the districts right to govern itself and daily life for the millions of people who live and work in the metro area. A push for compromise The two sides sparred in court for hours Friday before U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, who is overseeing the district's lawsuit. She indicated the law likely doesnt grant the Trump administration power to fully take over city police, but it probably does give the president more power than the city might like. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The way I read the statute, the president can ask, the mayor must provide, but the president can An attorney for the Trump administration, Yaakov Roth, said the move to sideline Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith came after an immigration order that still held back some aid to federal authorities. He argued that the president has broad authority to determine what kind of help police in Washington must provide. The police takeover is the latest move by Trump to test the limits of his legal authorities to carry out his agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to bolster his tough-on-crime message and his plans to speed up the mass deportation of people in the United States illegally. It also marks one of the most sweeping assertions of federal authority over a local government in modern times. While Washington has grappled with spikes in violence and visible homelessness, the citys homicide rate ranks below those of several other major U.S. cities, and the capital is not in the throes of the public safety collapse the Trump administration has portrayed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president has more power over the nations capital than other cities, but D.C. has elected its own mayor and city council since the Home Rule Act was signed in 1973. Trump is the first president to exert control over the citys police force since it was passed. The law limits that control to 30 days without congressional approval, though Trump has suggested hed seek to extend it. Chief had agreed to share immigration information Bondis Thursday night directive to place the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Terry Cole, in charge of the police department came even after Smith had told MPD officers hours earlier to share information with immigration agencies regarding people not in custody, such as someone involved in a traffic stop or checkpoint. The Justice Department said Bondi disagreed with the police chiefs instructions because they allowed for continued practice of sanctuary policies, which generally limit cooperation by local law enforcement with federal immigration officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, advocates in Washington were trying to advise immigrants on how to respond. Anusce Sanai, associate legal director for the Washington-based immigrant nonprofit Ayuda, said they're still parsing the legal aspects of the policies. Even with the most anti-immigrant administration, we would always tell our clients that they must call the police, that they should call the police," Sanai said. But now we find ourselves that we have to be very careful on what we advise. Amy Fischer, an organizer with Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid, said that before the federal takeover, most of what they had seen in the nations capital was Immigration and Customs Enforcement targeting specific individuals. But since last Friday night theyve seen a really significant change, she said, with ICE and federal officers doing roving patrols around the city. She said a hotline set up by immigration advocates to report ICE activity is receiving calls almost off the hook. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ICE said in a post on X that their teams had arrested several people in Washington Friday. A video posted on X showed two uniformed personnel putting handcuffs on someone while standing outside a white transport van. Residents are seeing a significant show of force A population already tense from days of ramp-up has begun seeing more significant shows of force across the city. National Guard troops watched over some of the worlds most renowned landmarks, and Humvees took position in front of the busy main train station. Volunteers helped homeless people leave long-standing encampments to where was often unclear. Friday night along the district's U Street, a popular nightlife corridor, an Associated Press photographer saw officers from the FBI, the DEA, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Park Police, U.S. Marshals and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the District challenged the Trump administration in court Friday, more than 100 protesters gathered less than a block away in front of police headquarters, chanting "Protect home rule! and waving signs saying Resist!" ___ Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer, Matt Brown, Ashraf Khalil, Michael Kunzelman, Rebecca Santana and Will Weissert in Washington and Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed. A respiratory disease allegedly sweeping through Alligator Alcatraz has prompted multiple affidavits in support of a class-action lawsuit against the remote Florida immigrant detention center. Lawyers and migrants being held inside the Everglades facility have reported a trend of negligence and worsening conditions, including a mystery illness, possibly Covid-19, running rampant through the camp. Eric Lee, an attorney for former detainee Luis Manuel Rivas Velasquez, filed a complaint on Wednesday against Alligator Alcatraz, accusing it of being a petri dish for disease. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last Thursday, Velasquez, a 38-year-old Venezuelan influencer, told Lee that he fell seriously ill with breathing problems. After allegedly being denied medical care for 48 hours, at one point, the detainee collapsed and became unresponsive. In the filings, Lee said that Velasquez was taken to Miamis Kendall regional medical center and diagnosed with a respiratory infection before being briefly returned to the Florida camp and then transferred to another facility in El Paso, Texas. The Department of Homeland Security denied that any disease is running rampant at Alligator Alcatraz (Getty) The Department of Homeland released a statement on Thursday and said that Velasquez fainted and was taken to the hospital out of precaution. Along with reporting respiratory symptoms, the plaintiff said that conditions at the facility had deteriorated significantly, with more detainees falling ill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lee told the Guardian on Tuesday that multiple detainees have informed him that the vast majority of those held in the camp have become sick. There are people who are losing breath, he said. There are people who are walking around coughing on one another. Protesters at the jail gates say they have recorded several instances of ambulances arriving and leaving. However, the DHS said in its statement that there is no widespread disease circulating at Alligator Alcatraz and no cases of COVID and no cases of Tuberculosis. In an earlier statement to the Miami New Times, Stephanie Hartman, a department spokesperson, did not answer questions about a possible outbreak. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detainees have access to a 24/7, fully staffed medical facility with a pharmacy on site, she said. President Donald Trump toured the freshly opened immigrant detention facility on July 1 (AFP via Getty Images) After being transferred to the El Paso facility, Velasquez reportedly called Lee and said that his condition was worsening. I dont want to die in here, he told Lee on the phone call before abruptly being cut off, according to the filing. In a separate filing, detainees and attorneys alleged that Alligator Alcatraz had poor sanitation, limited access to legal counsel, and overcrowded tented housing. Plaintiffs portrayed the site as lacking adequate medical infrastructure with hundreds of migrants crammed into close quarters in extreme heat and humidity, with poor ventilation and limited access to hygiene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the filing, detainees have been left in their bunks without testing or treatment. It also accuses immigration officials of erecting an unconstitutional barrier between detainees and their counsel. Federal judges have recently intervened in other detention settings to order improved conditions after lawyers documented unsafe and unsanitary environments. Separately, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Mary Williams last Thursday temporarily halted any further construction of Alligator Alcatraz after two days of testimony about the environmental impact of the site. In response, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that operations at Alligator Alcatraz are ongoing and deportations are continuing. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) The case against the racist Tops mass shooter was back in a federal courtroom for oral arguments Thursday after the gunmans team filed a motion to throw out the federal indictment against their client. The motion cites the Jury Selection and Service Act, which guarantees a jury is pulled from a fair cross-section of the community. The defense claims the grand jury lacked diversity. The defense also said that it cannot check how jurors were selected because the clerk did not keep the records. Judge Lawrence Vilardo called the argument that Payton Gendron could have been negatively affected by having a predominantly white grand jury a little incongruous. Gendron targeted Black people during his attack on May 14, 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thursday, prosecutors argued that those records are not required to be preserved, and at best, that this is a technical issue that would not force the indictment to be thrown out. Judge Vilardo did not make a decision on the motion, and there is another oral argument scheduled for next month on a separate matter. Latest Local News Marlee Tuskes is an award-winning anchor and reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2019. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter. 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 News 4 Buffalo. Firefighters in Spain continued to battle major forest fires in at least 16 locations on Friday, as the country reels from one of its most devastating summers yet, according to the Interior Ministry. Dozens of smaller blazes are also raging in several regions, the ministry said. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the state would provide all necessary means to fight the flames, in comments to state broadcaster RTVE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The danger of further forest fires remains high due to the ongoing heat and drought, he warned. Fires have destroyed 157,000 hectares of forest and bushland in Spain since the start of the year, according to official estimates, with 115,000 hectares burnt in August alone so far. At least 12,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in the hard-hit regions of Castilla y Leon, Galicia and Extremadura, with the worst fires raging in the relatively sparsely populated north-west of the country. Meanwhile, firefighters continue to try to bring the largest forest fire ever recorded in Spain under control, which has already destroyed some 38,000 hectares in the Zamora region. Three firefighters have been killed this month while battling the flames. Many emergency forces are said to be exhausted after being deployed for up to 20 hours on end. This weeks visit to Lebanon of senior Iranian politician Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, is seen as an attempt to smooth any feathers ruffled by rhetoric from Tehran about Hezbollahs disarmament. In early August, the Lebanese government, under pressure from the United States, announced that it would seek to disarm Hezbollah, long considered a principal ally of Tehran, by the end of the year. The group reacted angrily to the call to disarm with its secretary-general, Naim Qassem, denouncing the idea on Friday and saying the Lebanese government does not have the right to question the resistances legitimacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview last week: We support any decision the group makes, but we do not intervene. This is not the first time theyve tried to strip Hezbollah of its weapons, he said. The reason is clear: The power of resistance has proven itself in the field. His comments were received angrily in Beirut. Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji who is from the anti-Hezbollah, right-wing Lebanese Forces party said Araghchis statement is firmly rejected and condemned. Such statements undermine Lebanons sovereignty, unity and stability and constitute an unacceptable interference in its internal matters and sovereign decisions, Rajji said. Hezbollah and Iran have emerged bruised from separate conflicts with Israel in November and June, respectively. Now, Beiruts instruction for Hezbollah to disarm risks further undermining the relevance of the group at a critical time, analysts said. Who decides? Many analysts believe the decision on whether to retain or relinquish its arms may not be Hezbollahs alone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hezbollah does not have complete freedom of action in this regard, HA Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute told Al Jazeera, referencing the groups close ties with Iran. But it doesnt act simply as a proxy for Tehran and is in the midst of a rather challenging period of its existence, especially given the surrounding geopolitics of the region, he said of the regional upheavals since Israel began its war on Gaza in October 2023 and launched subsequent assaults on Lebanon and Syria. Those assaults inflicted significant damage on Lebanon, principally in the southern Beirut suburbs and southern Lebanon, where Hezbollahs support base is located. Lebanon was already locked into an economic crisis before Israels war, and the World Bank estimated in May that it would now need $11bn to rebuild. The central government would be responsible for distributing that money, giving it some influence over Hezbollah. A woman holds a flyer of late Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah, right, and his successor Hashem Safieddine, both killed by Israel [File: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP] Tehran will be very opposed to Hezbollah disarming, Hellyer said. But if Hezbollah decides it needs to, to preserve its political position, Tehran cant veto. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also suggested that Tehran may see some of its allied groups in Iraq, which Larijani visited before Beirut, more favourably now, especially since the fall of Syrias Bashar al-Assad in December severed its land supply routes to Lebanon. Hezbollah is, of course, very important to Iran, but I think the Iraqi militia groups are becoming more so, particularly after the loss of Assad, Hellyer said. A threat and a provocation Hezbollah has long been considered the most powerful nonstate armed actor in the Middle East, a valuable ally for Iran and a nemesis for Israel. Hezbollah has always been a threat and a provocation, depending on where youre standing, said Nicholas Blanford, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and an authority on Hezbollah. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its still both, though to a much lesser degree, he added, noting the damage the group sustained from Israels attacks and the assassinations of its leadership in the build-up to and during Israels war on Lebanon in October and November. Its clear that Iran wants Hezbollah to remain as it is and, as far as we can tell, is helping it reorganise its ranks. Its also clear from their statements that Hezbollah has no intention of giving up its arms. Even relatively moderate figures within the group are comparing doing so to suicide. In his speech on Friday, Qassems rejection was unequivocal: The resistance will not disarm so long as the aggression continues and the occupation persists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If necessary, we will fight a Karbalai battle to confront this Israeli-American project, no matter the costs, and we are certain we will win, he said, referencing the Battle of Karbala, venerated by Shia Muslims as a foundational battle against tyranny and oppression. Qassem seemed to exclude the Lebanese military from his ire, warning the government: Do not embroil the national army in this conflict. It has a spotless record and does not want [this]. Inside the tent Larijanis visit on Wednesday was seen as a potential opportunity for Beirut to open up new lines of communication with one of the regions most significant actors, Tehran, and potentially determine what Iran might be willing to consider in return for Hezbollahs future disarmament. During the war on Lebanon, Israel inflicted the most damage in areas where Hezbollahs supporters live, in the south of the country and the capital, like the southern town of Shebaa, shown on November 27, 2024 [Ramiz Dallah/Anadolu] Its not possible for Lebanon to break relations between the Shia community and Iran, any more than it could the Sunni community and Saudi Arabia, Michael Young of the Carnegie Middle East Center said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iran is a major regional actor. It has a strong relationship with one of [the two] largest communities in the country, he said of Lebanons large Shia community. You cant cut ties. It doesnt make sense. You want Iranians inside the tent, not outside. Given the precarity of Lebanons position, balanced between the US support it relies upon and the regional alliances it needs, Young suggested that Lebanese lawmakers nevertheless seek an opportunity to secure some sort of middle ground while accepting that some in Beirut may not be willing to countenance any negotiations with Iran. Its important for the Lebanese to see if there are openings in the Iranian position, Young continued, casting Larijanis visit as a potential opportunity for the Lebanese government to influence Irans position on Hezbollahs future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And this is something Larijanis visit, if well exploited, could provide, he said, Its important for the Lebanese to see if the Iranians propose anything in the future or if they show a willingness to compromise on behalf of Hezbollah. Has a package ever arrived at your door or in the mail, but it wasn't yours? If this situation has happened to you, it may have left you wondering what to do. Retuning it, if you are able to do so, may feel right, but some may wonder whether they are legally required to do so. So, can you keep a parcel you didn't order? The answer is more complicated than you may think. Here's everything you need to know about what the law says on keeping packages received by mistake, as well as what to do if you want to return them. Is keeping a misdelivered package a crime? While receiving a package that is not yours by accident is not a crime in itself, keeping it when you know it belongs to someone else can result in theft charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Arizona Revised Statutes 13-1802., knowingly taking control of "lost, mislaid, or misdelivered property of another without reasonable efforts to notify the true owner" can be considered theft and could lead to legal trouble. Federal law also weighs in, especially if the package was delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Keeping a package addressed to someone else is considered mail theft, according to USPS, and is punishable by up to $250,000 in fines or up to five years in prison, depending on the value of the item and other factors, according to legalcalrity.org. The federal statute does not extend to deliveries made through another service like FedEx, UPS or Amazon, but keeping one of those packages still violates Arizona law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Can I trim neighbor's tree if its branches are in my yard? What Arizona law says What if the package is addressed to me? If you receive a package that is intended for you, but you didn't order it, you have the right to keep it. According to the Federal Trade Commission, if a company sends you something you didnt order but it's addressed to you, that package is considered a free gift, and you don't need to return or pay for the merchandise.However, the delivery could be part of a larger "brushing" scam. The scam is an attack on online retailers' rating systems, according to the United States Postal Inspection Service. The scammer will pretend to be verified customers and leave reviews for the products that are delivered to unsuspecting residents. The inspection service recommends that unwanted packages be returned to the sender, if a return address is available. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By law, you may keep unsolicited merchandise and are under no obligation to pay for it but be careful, the Federal Bureau of Investigation recently warned about a variation in the brushing scam where unsolicited packages contain a QR code. Accessing the code prompts recipients to provide personal and financial information, or can lead to downloading malicious software. These kinds of scams can be reported to the FBI at www.ic3.gov. What to do if you get a package by mistake Here's what to do to return a package that was meant for someone else: Dont open it right away: If its not yours, opening it can complicate return efforts. Check the label: If its for a neighbor, you can deliver it yourself. Contact the carrier: UPS, FedEx, USPS or Amazon can correct routing errors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can also ask for help in community places like Facebook groups or Nextdoor, but your best bet is contacting the delivery company directly, as the package owner could miss your post. USA TODAY reporter Dale Denwalt contributed to this article This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Is it legal to keep package accidentally delivered to me in Arizona? Ron Lam reflects on 4-year legislative work: Without guilt in the eyes of the people 80 years after the end of WWII, China and Japan are marking the anniversary on different dates and in different ways (The Center Square) Gov. J.B. Pritzkers law banning utility shutoffs during extreme heat and cold is sparking concerns over rising electric bills across Illinois. Signed a few years ago, the law prohibits utility companies from disconnecting residential electric and gas service when temperatures reach 90F or above, or drop to freezing and below, aiming to protect vulnerable residents during dangerous weather. State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, said that while the measure was well-intentioned, it may have unintended consequences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Somebodys got to eat that cost, Halbrook told The Center Square. If utility companies arent turning off power to customers who dont pay their bills, those costs show up somewhere, usually in surcharges on everyone elses bills. Halbrook explained that recent utility bills include extra charges required by state laws and programs like the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. These added fees raise the overall cost consumers pay on their electric bills, according to Halbrook. The last Ameren bill I looked at had six or eight items on it that the state mandatedwhether its a sales tax, some other kind of tax, or the LIHEAP program, or all the things required through CEJA, said Halbrook. Between July 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024, about 333,786 households in Illinois got help through LIHEAP or the Percentage of Income Payment Plan. Thats more than the 324,336 households helped in the previous year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Pekin restaurant shared their electric bill on social media and is being widely shared by Illinoisans and state lawmakers. State Rep. Bill Hauter, R-Morton, called Illinois energy policy unsustainable for small businesses and households alike Theyre [Hacienda Cantina and Grill] just outside my district, but their post got a lot of attention. I dont know how small businesses or people on fixed incomes are going to survive, said Hauter. Theyll end up running their homes hotter or colder in the winter just to cope. Hacienda Cantina and Grills electric bill shows they owe nearly $5,000 to Ameren for their July power usage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans in the Illinois General Assembly have been pushing for a special session to address rising energy costs and concerns about the states grid reliability. When asked whether energy companies might seek a taxpayer-funded bailout to lower rates, Hauter said its a potential, but not the solution. The solution is more and better sources of electricity, and the first thing that should come to mind for clean, reliable and affordable energy is nuclear power. If a climate change activist opposes nuclear power, theyre not serious about solutions, theyre virtue-signaling and seeking control through crisis, said Hauter. Thats why I supported the recent bipartisan bill eliminating the moratorium on small nuclear power plants. Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently said he supports lifting the moratorium on new nuclear power plants. We already got rid of it on small modular nuclear. We can do that on large nuclear. Its going to be an important part of a transition to renewable energy everywhere, Pritzker said. On his 100th day as pope, Leo XIV made an urgent appeal for peace on Friday. "We must not resign ourselves to the logic of conflict and armed violence prevailing," the head of the Catholic Church said after leading the Angelus prayer in Castel Gandolfo, his summer residence near Rome. He said that hope must not be abandoned. "God is greater than the sin of man," Leo said. The 69-year-old recalled his wartime predecessor, Pius XII, who expressed the wish after World War II that the unleashing of combat and war would never again claim so many lives. "How relevant these words are today!" said Leo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Even today, we unfortunately feel powerless in the face of the spread of violence in the world, which is becoming increasingly callous and insensitive to any sign of humanity," he said. Robert Francis Prevost was elected the first US pope in May. Since taking office, he has repeatedly called for peace in places such as Gaza or Ukraine. The Angelus, which is Latin for angel, is a prayer that relates the story of the annunciation by the Angel Gabriel to Mary that she would conceive a son, Jesus Christ. This Friday marks the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, when Catholics commemorate their belief that Mary was taken into Heaven. KANSAS (KSNT) The lesser prairie chicken will not be listed as a threatened or endangered species, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced today after raising concerns that the listing could cripple oil and wind energy production. The decision, issued by Judge David Counts on August 12, found that the Biden-era U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services attempt to list the lesser prairie chicken was unlawful. Kobach said the ruling was a win for ranchers and energy producers. This is a huge win for Kansas ranchers and energy producers, Kobach stated. The listing of the species as threatened or endangered would have crippled oil and wind energy production and would have limited where and when Kansas ranchers could graze cattle on their own property. FILE A lesser prairie chicken is seen amid the birds annual mating ritual near Milnesand, N.M., April 8, 2021. On Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022, the U.S. government added two segments of a rare grouse to the endangered species list. The move bolsters protections for the lesser prairie chicken, which is found in parts of the Midwest that include one of the countrys most prolific areas for oil and gas development. (Adrian Hedden/Carlsbad Current Argus via AP, File) Five-mile detour planned for north Topeka road work Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kris Kobach, along with Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, filed the lawsuit in March 2023 opposing the proposed listing. Kobach said the decision was based on manipulated numbers that divided the species into subgroups, creating an impression of threat due to drought-related population drops in some areas. The courts decision marks the second time a similar listing has been struck down. In 2014, under the Obama Administration, the USFWS proposed listing the lesser prairie chicken as threatened, but the same court overturned the decision in 2015. 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. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. To the editor: With regard to your article (Newsoms push to reduce fossil fuels is clashing with Californias thirst for gasoline, Aug. 11), why are Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic members of the state Legislature surprised? The Legislature passes bills that primarily are intended to score points and do more to harass oil companies than they do to reduce air pollution. Newsom applauds these political bills and urges them to pass more. Many years ago, Democrats in the Legislature pretended to be petroleum engineers and designed a funky political kind of gasoline not used by the other 49 states. This political gasoline is the only kind allowed to be sold in California. It is more costly to make and can only be made by oil refineries modified at great expense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When oil companies charge more for this extra-cost gasoline, Newsom accuses them of price gouging. If California cannot find oil refiners outside the U.S. who are willing to modify their refineries to make California-only gasoline, and who are willing to put up with the state government's false acquisitions and harassment, some owners of gasoline-powered cars will have to relearn their childhood skills at riding bicycles. Gordon Binder, Pasadena ... To the editor: All this Sturm und Drang over the closing of two refineries in California is misplaced. Any serious study of market trends would conclude that the end of internal combustion will be as soon as 2035, a mere decade from now. Instead of telling readers that a reduction in oil refining is going to cause price increases because of a scarcity of gasoline, point them in the direction of getting off of gas entirely by switching to an electric vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Americans buy more than 40,000 new cars about 3,300 of them are EVs every single day on average. The cheapest gas car is a basic econobox from Nissan for about $17,000. That much money will buy you an excellent used EV that will serve you better without polluting the air or supporting oil companies. And since you arent buying gas, demand goes down, reducing the need to raise prices. Id like to see California use the talents of our film industry to produce commercials that dissuade folks from buying new gas cars. Reduce demand for gas cars and well get to the end of internal combustion sooner than later. Paul Scott, Santa Monica The writer is co-founder of the electric vehicle advocacy group Plug In America. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The LGBT+ Center Orlando announced it will close its Kissimmee office on August 31 because of significant funding cuts. The Kissimmee office, which opened in 2018 after the Pulse Nightclub tragedy, has been an essential resource for the LGBT+ community in Osceola County, providing services such as mental health counseling and HIV/AIDS prevention. The decision to close our Kissimmee office was incredibly difficult, said George Wallace, Chief Executive Officer of The Center Orlando. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Center Orlando will consolidate operations at its main location to maintain quality services for Central Florida. Despite closing, it remains committed to Osceola County through mobile services and local partnerships. The Journey Forward campaign was launched to help fund the organization amid funding cuts and the current political climate. The Journey Forward Donor Wall at The Center Orlandos Mills Avenue location honors those who support the Centers mission. The Center Orlando has been serving the LGBT+ community since 1978, providing a safe space and empowering diverse identities through advocacy and support. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. LIBERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) Liberty County School System (LCSS) responded to a gun found on Bradwell Institues campus, which sparked a safety precaution response Thursday morning. A gun was found on Wednesday after a student notified staff members. The following day, students from both high schools started the day differently. Bookbags were checked and every student was scanned with handheld wands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LCSS Interim Superintendent Debra Frazier and Deputy Superintendent Zheadric Barbra recalled Wednesdays incident at Bradwell Institute. It was an immediate reaction, Frazier said. As soon as administration was notified, they notified us. Of course, we took the appropriate action to report to the scene where SRO were already in control of the environment. Law enforcement secured the weapon, and the student was taken into custody by the liberty county sheriffs office. Frazier said shortly after, parents were notified by email. Water probes stolen out of the Ogeechee River Thursdays security checks were a direct response to that incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today we have our security checks with our students being wand as they enter the school, Barbra said. Thats one of the approaches that is provided by our code of conduct, as we may have random searches with canines or bookbag checks periodically. Parents and board members are calling for metal detectors and clear backpacks. ..we continuously look at different ways to improve our safety infrastructure, said Barbra. That is not to say that its not something that will be looked at in the future. While leaders said they will review safety measures, no permanent changes have been decided yet. This year, SROs were deployed to all elementary schools and now all schools have officers. The district said it is an ongoing effort to keep students safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We do employ the panic alert system in all of our schools across our district, Barbra said. We have video and audio in every single classroom across the Liberty County School System that is viewable in real time. He added, we also have moved to have installed vaping detection systems in our restrooms that also capture audio. If students are starting to talk about things that they should not be talking about inside of a restroomthose are alerted to the school administrator. School officials said the unaware of the students motive. The case is now in the hands of the Liberty County Sheriffs Office. At this time, WSAV is told no additional student checks have been announced. They also commended the student who notified staff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. A library book that was checked out in July 1943 was finally returned to the San Antonio Public Library, nearly 82 years late. The book, "Your Child, His Family, and Friends" by Frances Bruce Strain, was due 28 days after it was checked out, the library said. When it was returned in June, it came with a letter, which the library shared on social media Thursday. The writer, identified as P.A.A.G. from Oregon, said they found the book in their father's possessions after he died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The book must have been borrowed by my Grandmother," the letter reads. In 1943, the writer's father was 11 years old and their grandmother was transferred to Mexico City to work at the U.S. Embassy there. The writer assumes she took the book with her. "I hope there is no late fee for it because Grandma won't be able to pay for it anymore," the letter says. While a note inside the book says the fine for "over detention" is 3 cents a day, the San Antonio Public Library stopped charging late fees in 2021. The library estimated the fine would have been nearly $900 if applied. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The book, which the library described as a parenting self-help book from the 1940s, is set to be donated to the Friends of San Antonio Public Library for sale at a used book store, the library said. Passenger arrested after allegedly causing disturbance midair and forcing flight to divert When could Tropical Storm Erin become a hurricane? Trump, Putin high-stakes meeting enters hour 3 As other dads played on swing sets, read bedtime stories and tucked their daughters in at night, Edward Holloman cherished the one weekly visit with his child inside a Massachusetts prison. But it was those visits with his daughter, now 16, that inspired Holloman to become a better man, despite being sentenced to life in prison when she was a toddler. Shes my everything, man. Shes the reason why, Holloman said during his parole board hearing on April 3. She keeps my engine going, keeps me moving forward, trying to better myself. I want her to be proud of me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Aug. 13, the Massachusetts Parole Board decided in an unanimous decision that Holloman, 36, was ready to go home after having served about 17 years in prison, once he serves another 90 days in a lower security prison. He plans to live with his fiancee and daughter, who was born after he was arrested for killing 24-year-old Curtis Ashford. May 31, 2008 At 19, Hollomans family was the Blood gang. So when he was given a knife and told Blood needs help, he knew what he had to do. He wanted me to go and stab Mr. Curtis Ashford by any means necessary. And he knew that I would do it because of my love and loyalty, Holloman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He had joined the gang at 15 after a close friend came back from New York and told him he was starting a Boston version of the gang. On May 31, 2008, a group of people, including Holloman, had been drinking and smoking when they heard a commotion outside. The man whose apartment they were in began arguing and fighting with Ashford. At one point, Holloman heard Ashford talk about a gun. As the fight continued down the street, Holloman and others ran after Ashford. Eventually, Holloman was given a knife and asked to stab him. He did twice in the chest and once in the back. It was a cowardly act on my behalf. ... Im ashamed of myself, Holloman said. And if I could go back, I would. I wouldnt even be there. I wouldnt even be at Mr. Waynes apartment. I would have stayed at my girlfriends house at that time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Jan. 12, 2010, Holloman pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Suffolk Superior Court. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. He first went in front of the parole board in 2023 but was denied. Trainers are provided a bag full of treats at MCI-Shirley as part of American's VetDog puppy training program. A recent graduate of America's VetDog program at MCI-Shirley is currently housed with a veteran and providing assistance. Puppies at MCI-Shirley America's VetDog graduation on Thursday Oct. 24, 2024 in Shirley, Massachusetts. Edward Holloman receives an achievement award at MCI-Shirley on Thursday, Oct. 24. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Puppies at MCI-Shirley America's VetDog graduation on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Shirley, Massachusetts. Edward Hollowman alongside his latest puppy to train, Pete. DOC Interim Commissioner Shawn Jenkins speaks in front of a crowded room at MCI-Shirley for the America's VetDog graduation ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Shirley, Massachusetts. Puppies at MCI-Shirley America's VetDog graduation on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Shirley, Massachusetts. MCI-Shirley celebrated a graduation ceremony for the incarcerated puppy trainers as part of a program with America's VetDogs on Thursday, Oct. 24. MCI-Shirley celebrated a graduation ceremony for the incarcerated puppy trainers as part of a program with America's VetDogs on Thursday, Oct. 24. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Puppies at MCI-Shirley America's VetDog graduation on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Shirley, Massachusetts. MCI-Shirley celebrated a graduation ceremony for the incarcerated puppy trainers as part of a program with America's VetDogs on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. Puppies at MCI-Shirley America's VetDog graduation on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Shirley, Massachusetts. Puppies at MCI-Shirley America's VetDog graduation on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Shirley, Massachusetts. Puppies at MCI-Shirley America's VetDog graduation on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Shirley, Massachusetts. Puppies at MCI-Shirley America's VetDog graduation on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Shirley, Massachusetts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Puppies at MCI-Shirley America's VetDog graduation on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Shirley, Massachusetts. Puppies at MCI-Shirley America's VetDog graduation on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Shirley, Massachusetts. I didnt know how to love Growing up, Holloman felt abandoned and unloved by his family who struggled with drug addition. Growing up, it was tough for me out there in the environment that I grew up with, he told MassLive in 2024. I didnt know how to love. He thought his gang loved him. But now realizes that wasnt love. I was confused. Lost and was looking for a family to fit into. I followed people I thought had my best interest and who loved me, he told the parole board. I know now and understand that wasnt love or family. I am not that 19-year-old kid anymore. I have changed. I have grown and became a better person for myself and for my community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his time incarcerated, Holloman enrolled in multiple programs at the prison, including getting mental health counseling, earning culinary and bookkeeping certificates and earning his GED. But the Americas VetDogs program, which partners with incarcerated individuals to train service dogs for veterans, has possibly made the biggest impact on his life teaching him to love and be loved. When he looked at Pete, his 6 1/2-month-old dog from the program, he knew Pete loves him. And Holloman is confident Pete knows hes loved, too. One of the most important things it taught me, taught me how to be [empathic], show me empathy, show me how to be compassionate, he said. The love between me and the dog, its unbelievable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has also made him a better father. Each week for her entire life, his daughter visits Holloman. But it wasnt until she was 9 that she understood what he did. She was hurt and upset. She felt every emotion you could possibly feel. But over time, she forgave him and loves her father, Hollomans fiancee said. Our daughter fully understands what her father has done. And she is aware that her father may never come home. But she always told me she would never give up on him. And she will always be there for her dad, no matter what. It was his daughters picture hanging on Hollomans cell wall at MCI-Shirley, surrounded by words of affirmation, that convinced Holloman to start making changes in his life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At that moment, I wanted to change. I needed to change, Holloman said. But it wasnt a quick path. Hes been sober for more than 10 years, had minimal disciplinary report history and was involved in multiple programs. Still, two years ago, he was denied parole. Holloman said he was distraught. But he kept pushing forward by digging into and understanding his past. I didnt really fully understood my crime and the parole board seen that I wasnt fully understanding my crime, he said. So I went back and I had to reevaluate my whole situation, my whole life. During the April meeting, members of the parole board recognized his improvement over the years. He said he has worked especially hard on his anger management. That means showing your emotions and that crying isnt a weakness. If you want to show your emotions, go ahead and cry, he said, adding that real men cry. When was the last time you cried? one of the parole board members asked. He had cried in front of strangers as he talked about preparing to come in front of the parole board. Without his father at all As Holloman prepares to be reunited with his family, Lenise Youngs family remains in pieces. My nephews 15 years on this earth was without his father at all, Young told the parole board. Despite Holloman and Ashford not knowing each other, she said the two men had similar upbringings. We grew up in that same trauma he speaks about, she said, adding that their parents also struggled with substance abuse. Both men also had young children at the time. But they didnt know each other and that makes it even more painful. ... you took the life of a man who you did not know for no apparent reason at all, she said. You snuffed out a life who could have been so much more, who was on the path to do better things with himself, with having a son and his own family and not following the path of his brothers out in the street. And history repeated itself when her nephew, Curtis Ashford Jr., died in a similar way getting hit by a bullet while riding his bike. Zontre Mack, 21, of Canton, was found guilty in October 2024 of first-degree murder after shooting at a group of teenagers. Officials say its still unclear why Mack started shooting, the Boston Globe reported. However, Holloman takes responsibility for the teenagers death, too. They would have been living different lives if it wasnt for my actions, he said. During Macks sentencing, Young told Mack that her brother was taken from their family by someone just like you. Someone, she said, who didnt know Curtis Ashford Jr. at all. And while shell never see her brother or nephew again, Mack and Holloman get to continue seeing their families. Mack will be eligible for parole when he is 48. You still may have a chance at life because you will get out one day, Young said, according to the Globe. And God bless you if you do better, because you will get a second chance and we wont. Well never ever get the chance to see how he would have grown up, what he would have accomplished, what he would have done. Next steps In about three months, Holloman will step into the home of his future in-laws a moment hes long awaited. Hell be living with his fiancee, her parents and, finally, his daughter. His fiancee believes hes no longer the 19-year-old boy who was a follower. [Hes] now a man that has a heart and cares about other peoples feelings and uses his words to talk things out, she said during his hearing. Our daughter and I are very proud of the man that Edward has changed into. Hes required to be back home by curfew, get drug tests and continue with mental health counseling. People are often surprised that she has stayed with him through his entire prison sentence. Its because he is a human being, just like you and I. No one is perfect. And we all make mistakes and make bad decisions in our lifetime, she said. But our past is not who we are as a person. It is what we chose to do in our future. The couple plan to work together to do good for their community. Holloman plans to work at a waste management company while he figures out how to take over his fathers business, who had a construction flooring company before he got sick. Holloman also told MassLive he hopes to use the skills hes learned in the Americas VetDogs program to continue to help train dogs, including helping more dogs become service animals for veterans. He even might get a husky of his own a constant reminder of love and empathy. More on the Massachusetts Parole Board Read the original article on MassLive. WARREN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) Linda Faye Winemiller, a cherished soul known for her loving nature and infectious humor, passed away peacefully of natural causes on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, in her hometown of Warren, Ohio. Born on March 22, 1954, to the late Howard and Mural (Hembree), Linda was a joy and generosity in her family. Find obituaries from your high school Growing up in Warren, Lindas life was filled with the laughter from a large family. She was one of eight siblings and her life was richer for the bonds she shared with each of them. Though she was preceded in death by, Brenda (Fisher), Kendra (Heckathorn), Renda Burnette, Howard Burnett; her spirit is carried on by her surviving siblings, Harold Burnett, Glenda (Osborne) and Robert Burnett. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lindas capacity for love was most evident in her role as a mother. She poured her heart into raising her five children, Patricia (Kennedy), John Kennedy II (Rebecca), Cherry (Langham), Shannon (Andrew Watson) and her son, Michael (Totherow), who preceded her in death. Her legacy includes the joy of 17 grandchildren and the wonder of 26 great-grandchildren, each of whom she adored immeasurably. Professionally, Linda dedicated many years to janitorial and custodial services at Bank One in Warren, Ohio, where her work ethic and positive attitude left a lasting impression. Her adventurous spirit later led her to become a driver for car auctions, a role that took her across Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Michigan and allowed her to share her love for the open road with others. She lived her beliefs through acts of kindness and unwavering support for her family and friends. Her interests outside of work included camping, fishing, poker nights to lively bingo games and she could often be found dancing the night away at country bars with those she held dear. Lindas presence was a gift to all who knew her. She was loving without reserve, generous beyond measure and her bigger than life smile. Her laughter was a symphony that resonated in the hearts of her loved ones and her ability to find joy in every moment was an inspiration to all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As we bid farewell to Linda Faye Winemiller, we celebrate a life that was lived with fullness and grace. Her memory will be treasured, her legacy of love will continue to flourish and the stories of her kindness and humor will be recounted for generations. Lindas journey through life was a testament to the beauty of a heart given freely to others and she will be profoundly missed by all who were fortunate enough to have known her. A Celebration of Life will take place Sunday, August 17, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., at The Grotto Ali Babba, 760 Perkins Jones Road NE, Warren, OH 44483. Arrangements handled by Borowski Funeral Services & Oak Meadow Cremation Services. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Linda, please visit our floral store. A television tribute will air Sunday, August 17 at the following approximate times: 6:27 p.m. on WYTV and 6:58 p.m. on MyYTV. Video will be posted here the day of airing. 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. Children in Lithuania will be taught how to fly drones as part of the Baltic countrys efforts to strengthen civilian capacity to combat Russian threats. The countrys government said it hopes to teach more than 22,000 people to build and operate drones to expand civil resistance training, including 7,000 schoolchildren. The first three specially designed drone centres will be opened by September and another six will be built by 2028, Lithuanias defence and education ministries jointly announced this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The million-euro programme will be adapted for different age groups. The youngest students, aged eight to 10, will build and pilot simple unmanned FPV (first-person-view) drones, while secondary school students will be taught to design, programme and pilot more advanced unmanned aerial vehicles. Dovile Sakaliene, Lithuanias minister for defence, said: We plan that by 2028, 15,500 adults and 7,000 children will acquire drone control skills through the implementation of the training programme. FPV drones have become ubiquitous to the battlefield in Ukraine, turning from civilian hobbycraft into precision weapons that have transformed the nature of warfare. Tomas Godliauskas, Lithuanias vice-minister for national defence, told The Telegraph: The initiative will promote technical literacy and future aerospace careers by offering drone piloting courses as extracurricular programmes, making advanced learning accessible to students of all ages. Since the start of the war in Ukraine there have been several protests in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital - Getty Images/Yauhen Yerchak He said students will be allowed to volunteer for the programme, and the oldest groups would acquire skills in designing 3D drone parts as well as get to know the basics of drone construction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Civic preparedness is a part of governmental total defence programme, he added. Citizens will know their role during the crisis, will understand how to prepare individually for crisis situations, and will contribute to state-defence efforts. The small Baltic country of 2.7 million is keenly aware that its position on the front line of Natos eastern flank has been on high alert for threats since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Lithuania borders Russias ally Belarus and the Russian military stronghold of Kaliningrad to its south-west. The country plans to spend 3.3m (2.8m) on specialist equipment including indoor and outdoor FPV drones, video-transmission systems and a mobile app for training. Unmanned aerial vehicle technologies are now an integral part not only of science and industry, but also of everyday life, said Valdas Jankauskas, director of the Lithuanian Non-Formal Education Agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are launching this project to give the younger generation the opportunity to get to know this field from an early age from the first simple designs to piloting the most advanced FPV drones. Unmanned aerial vehicle technologies are now a part of everyday life a Lithuanian official says - Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko Last week, Lithuania called on Nato to help strengthen its air defences after two military drones crossed into its territory from Belarus in July. This must not be only Lithuanias responsibility, because we are defending the eastern Nato flank, Kestutis Budrys, the foreign minister, told reporters. One of the drones, which crashed into a military training area on July 28, was carrying 2kg of explosives. It is believed to have been fired from Russia towards Kyiv but got thrown off course by Ukraines air defences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lithuania, like Estonia and Latvia, has been investing heavily in drones. The three Baltic states, along with Finland and Poland, have proposed creating a drone wall along their borders with Russia. 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. The Guangdong High Peoples Court and the Guangdong Department of Justice have launched a cross-border commercial dispute one-stop resolution platform serving the Greater Bay Area. It addresses persistent issues unfamiliarity with online processes, fragmented information, and high costs by integrating mediation, arbitration, and litigation in one portal. The system provides bilingual support in Chinese and English, combining dispute guidance, procedural coordination, and auxiliary services into a unified interface. Officials say it will streamline cross-border litigation and enhance accessibility for enterprises and individuals. Like this: Like Loading... MILAN Lithuania has announced that it is establishing a multi-layered defensive line composed in part of anti-tank obstacles, drainage ditches, minefields and more to fortify its borders. The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense declared this week that the Baltic state has opted to create a three-level defensive border intended to delay or stop enemy movement in the event of a potential attack. Lithuania is shifting from individual counter-mobility measures to a unified 3-echelon defense line giving greater depth, stronger control and full NATO/EU integration at our frontier, the department said in a post on its X account. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an illustration shared by the MoD, the Lithuanian border defense line is shown to measure 50 kilometers-long. (Lithuanian Ministry of Defense via X) The first level, measuring five kilometers, would be located behind the countrys border control point and would consist of anti-tank ditches and obstacles, minefields, fortified points with trenches and secondary positions with trenches. The second tier, stretching 15 kilometers, would include drainage ditches, engineer equipment parks, bridges prepared for demolition and blocked bridgeheads. The ultimate echelon would have a similar layout but with additional roadside trees ready to be cut down, according to the picture shared. Felled trees can be useful to delay or restrict the movements of an adversary along roads, specifically in forested environments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lithuania shares a border with Russia, known as the Kaliningrad Oblast, which measures roughly 275 kilometers. The Baltic state shares an even longer frontier with Belarus, of approximately 679 kilometers. The development of the border defense line comes a few weeks after an unidentified drone was reported to have entered Lithuanian airspace on July 28. Following this, the Lithuanian military announced it would reinforce air defenses surrounding the countrys border with Belarus. The European Union has severely condemned and sanctioned Minsks involvement in Russias military aggression against Ukraine. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. The United Nations says nearly 12,000 children under the age of 5 were found to have acute malnutrition in Gaza in July, including more than 2,500 with severe malnutrition. Doctors in Gaza say some of those dying or starving have chronic conditions, which make children more vulnerable to malnutrition. However, they add that those conditions are manageable when food and proper medical treatment are available. The U.N. says starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at the highest levels since the war began. Little Rock advocate travels to Gaza to help provide aid Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Ahmad Yousaf, a pediatrician and intensive care specialist from Little Rock, spent two and a half weeks on his second mission trip to Gaza. After his first trip in 2024, he carried the weight of leaving behind the patients and doctors he had worked alongside for two months. During this latest visit, he said that of all the places he has worked, Gaza is in the worst condition. Sitting on my phone on Instagram or TikTok crying about it didnt seem to really do anything. So I had to go do what I could, Yousaf said. This trip was with Heroic Hearts, a nonprofit that sends medical mission teams to Gaza. Yousaf said each day brought heartbreaking scenes but also a deep connection with the people he met. Every day that I left them since the first trip, my heart knew I needed to go back and see if I could be with them again, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yousafs family was anxious about his return, but he said he felt safe and stayed in touch with his wife through WhatsApp, which quickly became more than just updates. I saw children dying in the ER. Every single day that I was there, I met people who didnt know where their next meal was coming from they came back with bullet wounds instead of flour, he said. Almost every hospital in Gaza has been destroyed. Only three remain operating, and their intensive care units are always full. Those beds stayed full the entire time I was there with traumatic brain injury patients, patients who suffered multi-catastrophic injuries from bullet wounds, Yousaf said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This time, he said, the conditions were even worse than before. I saw burnt children. I saw traumatic amputations from explosive injuries when bombs were dropped on schools I thought theres no way it could get worse than that and when I went this time, it got worse, he said. A killing box: Arkansas doctor volunteering in Gaza pleads for ceasefire In the background, the sound of drones has become commonplace for the people of Gaza. If you hear it, dont worry youre still alive. Thats how used theyve become to trying to live their lives, Yousaf said. Yousaf traveled with seven other doctors. Humanitarian access is tightly restricted only 24 workers are allowed in twice a week, and only when 24 leave. He continues to receive messages from doctors in Gaza checking on him and says he will keep sharing their stories, hoping to make sure the world does not forget. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Watch live coverage as President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin gather for a long-anticipated summit at a U.S. military base in Anchorage, Alaska. The meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is their first during Trump's second term, as Trump seeks to bring an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. EAU CLAIRE A criminal case involving an Altoona man could go to the Wisconsin Supreme Court even before the trial is held. Kai Jon, 24, faces six counts of possession of virtual child pornography. The charge is a Class D felony. Under Wisconsin law that can mean 15 years in prison and 10 years extended supervision. Fines can be up to $100,000 per count. The law for virtual depictions of abuse is relatively new, though. It came into force in 2004 and has raised questions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this year a federal judge in Wisconsin found that artificially created images depicting sexual abuse may be protected under the First Amendment under certain circumstances. Prosecutors in that case are appealing. Jons case is in state court, not the federal courts. That means a challenge to the law, which prohibits AI-generated child pornography and child sex dolls, could ultimately be heard by the states supreme court. During a Thursday hearing Katherine Cook, Jons attorney, told the court she plans to file a Constitutional Motion challenging the statute. While the exact timing of the motion is uncertain, Cook said she can file it by Sept. 19. Legal experts say the newness of AI-generated child pornography and the laws prohibiting it mean the approaches are still being tested in the courts. Wayne Unger, an assistant professor of law at Quinnipac University, wrote a column in February addressing the challenges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unger said there are two broad categories. One uses AI to generate images showing real children being abused. A ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court implicitly concluded such images are illegal. The use of generative AI technologies to make deepfake pornographic images of minors almost certainly falls under the scope of that ruling, Unger wrote. Whether images that are entirely created by AI, without being based on images of real children, do as well is in question. Unger cited Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, a 2002 ruling, that struck down a law prohibiting computer-generated child pornography. That ruling concluded the governments interest in prohibiting child pornography is based in protecting children from physical and psychological harm. Virtual child pornography, the court ruled, does not involve those risks. That finding, combined with improvements to AI, could force the Supreme Court to revisit the issue. The technology can now make it very difficult to tell the difference between child pornography involving real children and computer-generated children. If the defense can argue every image of child sexual abuse is created by AI, it could eviscerate child pornography laws. There is evidence the justices were aware of that possibility. Clarence Thomas warned that technological advances could well create a situation in which regulations could be expanded in order to enforce effectively laws against pornography made through the abuse of real children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the criminal complaint local investigators received a tip about Jon from the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The tip centered on online discussions indicating sexual interest in children, specifically babies, and cartoon and purported images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the discussions included graphic accounts of what participants wanted to do. The AI images, which depicted very young children, were traced back to Jon. When confronted by investigators Jon admitted participation in the conversations. The complaint quoted him as saying Yea, its pedophilia. I cant stop. Jon is next due in court in October. A local man pleaded guilty to committing hate crimes against Jewish students at a university in Ohio on Friday, according to a spokesperson with the Department of Justice. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Timur Mamatov, 20, of Tipp City, pleaded guilty to violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act by physically assaulting two Ohio State students because of their religion. The assaults took place near the Ohio State University on November 10, 2023, the spokesperson said. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Violence against people of faith is illegal and unacceptable, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division said. Court documents show that Mamatov and a friend began fighting with five students outside a bar on North High Street in Columbus. One student was wearing a Chai pendant, a piece of jewelry commonly associated with Judaism, according to the spokesperson. Mamatov asked the students if they were Jewish, and upon confirmation, he punched one victim, fracturing his jaw. Another victim suffered a fractured nose as the fight continued. Mamatov was charged on July 3. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The spokesperson said violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Mamatov admitted in court today that he assaulted victims because they were Jewish. No American should fear being violently attacked based on their religious beliefs. This office, along with our law enforcement partners, will aggressively pursue violence motivated by hate, U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio said. These college students were targeted by Mr. Mamatov simply because they were Jewish. Hate crimes not only impact the victims but have a devastating impact on our entire community, Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division said. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) Local panaderia Masa Bakery announced on its Facebook page earlier this week that it will be serving free cereal to students for the entire school year. The promotion is for students of all ages, from kindergarten to college. Owner Daniel Morales, who is an Odessa native, says that he decided to do this as a way to give back to his community, as well as being right across the street from an early education school. Kids are kids, and so not one of them should go to school hungry, Morales said. We just wanted them to go with a stomach full, ready to learn and get a head start on life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Masa Bakery is located at 519 Jefferson Ave, Odessa, Texas 79761. 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 Yourbasin. PONCA, Neb. (KCAU) The Dakota Bed Bug Detection Company is using dogs to sniff out critters. I just have always been kind of intrigued with bugs, said co-owner of the Dakota Bed Bug Detection Company, Denise Patton. Patton began her journey after earning a masters degree in entomology. However, she didnt start using dogs for detection right away. In 2011, I started getting a lot of calls about bedbugs, and they were not a thing in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, like anywhere in the Midwest for years and years, said Patton. I started doing a little digging, and I realized that they have dogs all over the country that are trained to detect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That year, Patton acquired her first trained beagle. They were trained at a facility down in Kansas for about six to seven months, said Patton. Usually, its about what it takes. Story continues below So, what exactly are her dogs sniffing out to detect bedbugs? Every living organism has pheromones that it gives off, like just a smell, Patton said. Basically, its a biological smell that is very, very faint. I mean, if you had a huge infestation of bedbugs, you might be able to smell a little musty, musky odor. But if theres just one or two, were never going to see that. Were never going to smell that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patton describes her beagles, named Benson and Bindy, as the stars of the operation. Were really a team, said Patton. You know, we let the dogs get around where they need to and then we kind of look behind him with a flashlight and kind of maybe move furniture sometimes if we need to, to see if we can find those other signs. Dealing with bedbugs can cause significant stress for homeowners, and Patton believes that the dogs can help them feel more at ease. Its very, very psychosomatic. Its very emotional. Some people feel like theyre going to get kicked out of their home, or theyre going to throw everything they own away, or they cant go visit their loved ones. Or caregivers refuse to give care to individuals who have bedbugs. I mean, theres just a lot of fear, said Patton. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They can help us do these things that are going to help people bring them some peace, let them get back to their normal lives, Patton said. After theyve been exposed or something. And thats really the blessing for us. 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. ANDERSON Two longtime local political observers expressed their belief that redistricting in Indiana this year is unnecessary. Vice President JD Vance last week met with Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and Republican leaders of the General Assembly, in part to discuss the topic of redistricting in the state. Indiana last redrew the district lines for seats in the Legislature and Congress in 2021 after the 2020 census. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state has traditionally redrawn district maps after each census. Rep. Elizabeth Rowray, R-Yorktown, said she wasnt in favor of redistricting, but a lot would depend on actions by other states. This was not on my radar until other states started discussing it, she said. In my opinion, we have always done it every 10 years and it has worked well. I dont feel the need to do anything. State Sen. Mike Gaskill, R-Pendleton, said he had no comment on the redistricting question. State Rep. Kyle Pierce, R-Anderson, also declined comment on the topic. Former State Sen. Tim Lanane, a Democrat, said redistricting is not necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It would be done for political reasons, he said. I was in the Senate when we did the maps in 2021. I thought the maps could have been better. The Republicans were proud of those maps. He said redistricting done would only be done for partisan reasons. There are some questions about the legality of redrawing the maps now, Lanane said. Weve always done it after the census data is received. It would be rearranging the playing field. Russ Willis, the former chairman of the Madison County Republican Party, also said redistricting now is not necessary. It wont be any advantage to the party, he said, it was done population-wise in the past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im opposed to anything gerrymandering based, Willis said. Its not necessary in Indiana. Currently, there are only two Indiana Democrats serving in the U.S. House. Theyre from Marion County and the Region, an area in the northwest part of the state that includes Gary, Michigan City and other Democratic-leaning cities. Willis said voting in northwest Indiana is trending toward the Republican column in recent elections. It might flip to Republican next year, he said. Local trustee accused of using power to influence employee; Township looks to remove her from board Beavercreek Township is looking to remove a board member after an employee made a complaint against her. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] News Center 7s Malik Patterson attended a special meeting on Friday, where the decision was read. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, the Beavercreek Township Board of Trustees majority voted to remove Debborah Wallace from her duties. She was not present at Fridays meeting. Earlier this year, Beavercreek Township Fire Chief David Vandenbos announced his retirement. >>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Investigation opened after complaint made against local trustee Board of Trustees President Tom Kretz said Wallace had multiple interactions with Assistant Fire Chief Christine Hawker while the township was looking for Vandenbos replacement. Wallace was exerting influence, authority, and presumed power, Kretz said. To gain favor from a potential next chief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kretz went on to explain, We dont have any unilateral power at all, but she was essentially trying to exert her influence and position to gain favor. Hawker was in the meeting on Friday, but declined to comment. News Center 7 reached out to Wallace for comment, but got no answer. Beavercreek Township resident John Broughton was one of a dozen people who showed up at the meeting. He said this entire interaction should be reported to the Ohio Ethics Committee so they can get to the bottom of this. She didnt show up for this. Okay? Put her under oath. Put all of them under oath. They will be up there, Broughton said. To do the right thing and not put the township in jeopardy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Board of Trustees cannot legally remove Wallace, but there is an election coming up. Kretz said whenever Wallace attends another meeting, they will recommend that she resign from the position. News Center 7 will continue to follow this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Mexico's bold decision in 2018 to scrap a megaproject over environmental concerns is paying dividends today. Mexico News Daily reported that the water levels in Lake Texcoco are rising to swallow up the remnants of a partially finished airport. Months of heavy rainfall in the capital region have pushed the lake's depth to four meters. The proposed Mexico City International Airport was to be a $15 billion project built on Texcoco's ancient lakebed. However, voters overwhelmingly backed a measure to cancel the project in a referendum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before Spanish colonization, Lake Texcoco supported the gigantic Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, the largest city in the Americas at the time. In subsequent centuries, 95% of the lake's historic expanse was lost to drainage and clearance for agricultural use. This has had dire ecological consequences for Mexico City, which is sinking at a rate of 20 inches a year and suffers from acute water shortages, per Eos. UNESCO now recognizes Lake Texcoco as an ecohydrology site; the 10,000-hectare area is home to hundreds of bird and plant species. The vast tract of land, about 440 times the size of New York City's Central Park, will be home to a new project: the Lake Texcoco Ecological Park. Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum supported the venture as an "act of justice," allaying fears that political and international pressure could derail the project. As MIT Technology Review noted, one of the main hopes for the park was to restore hundreds of hectares of lost water systems. Already, the green shoots of recovery are showing amid the incomplete foundations of the canceled airport. With the proper support, nature is incredibly resilient and will bounce back if given the chance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The encouraging news also underlines the importance of backing pro-environment candidates and mobilizing grassroots efforts. As daunting as it can seem, overcoming harmful ventures supported by big money is possible. Bold action today can build a better world tomorrow. "Lake Texcoco is beginning to recover and refuses to disappear," Arturo Gonzalez Cando of the Community Front in Defense of Land said. " This is what we defended, a unique life in the center of the country." Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. 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. As the deadline looms, incumbent lawmaker Ron Lam reflects on his four years in the Legislative Assembly (AL), expressing gratitude for the opportunity to voice public concerns and emphasizing that his efforts in reviewing the bill have been both sincere and thorough. If the AL does not extend the meeting date for the subcommittee of the First Standing Committee reviewing the Road Traffic Law Bill, the current session will conclude today. During an interview with Lam about the road traffic amendment bill, the Times asked him what message he would like to convey to the public regarding his inability to participate in the next session of the AL. In fact, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in the AL over the past four years. I have truly done my best, worked hard, and achieved meaningful accomplishments. As a legislator involved in bill reviews, I have dedicated myself fully. Aside from my illness, I attended all non-overlapping meetings. I believe I have sincerely expressed my opinions and conveyed the thoughts and concerns of residents, Lam said, expressing his hope that the government will carefully consider the views of all sectors of society. Throughout these four years, I have consistently emphasized that I not only fulfilled my duties diligently but also acted in accordance with the law and regulations; everything was done by the rules, Lam remarked regarding his inability to run in the September 14 AL elections. He urged the government to find ways to allow diverse opinions within society and to enhance the ALs oversight of the government. I firmly believe that good governance requires true representatives who can voice the realities of society, which is essential and serves as the foundation of effective governance. Continuing this work, particularly regarding the ALs supervisory role, is a matter that requires reflection from society, various sectors, and the government. Lam emphasized that without hearing a broader range of genuine opinions, governance will suffer significantly. Regarding his disqualification from running in the upcoming session of the AL, Lam posed the question, Who will handle these issues? He added, I believe I have done my best, but in reality, my efforts have not fully met the expectations of residents, emphasizing his commitment to serving the public interest over the years. If I am unable to continue serving now, I will truly bow out, he stated. However, he expressed concern about the future of oversight, asking, How will the oversight function operate going forward? How will the voices of society be truly heard? Lam concluded with a hopeful note, urging, I hope that more capable and intelligent individuals will step forward to take on these responsibilities. In the past, Lams objections have brought numerous issues to light. While he has generally supported most bills, his criticisms have targeted problematic groups. For instance, the failure to advance the sandwich housing law raises concerns about the future of housing policy. He also expressed dissatisfaction with restrictions on satellite casinos, opting to abstain from voting due to the governments lack of consideration for practical circumstances. Over the last four years, Lam has maintained that we have nothing to be ashamed of in the eyes of the people, yet he was worried about the sustainability of the supervisory function of the AL. He noted that although some progress has been made in achieving transparency and data disclosure, there remain issues with data being treated as commercial secrets. Moreover, topics like crematoriums and ride-hailing services are crucial, particularly the significant disparity in cremation costs. The limited discussion surrounding ride-hailing services highlights the challenges faced during his tenure. Like this: Like Loading... Work to build a 45m relief road in Howden has started following a ground-breaking ceremony. It will connect the A614 Thorpe Road with Station Road. East Riding of Yorkshire Council said the scheme was designed to help residents and businesses by improving "traffic flow" and reducing congestion in the town centre. Speaking at the ceremony on Thursday, council leader Anne Handley said: "I'm absolutely thrilled. It's been a long-time coming and it's another huge investment into the East Riding." Handley with Jonathan Atkinson, of developer JG Hatcliffe Associates, at the site off Thorpe Road [Becki Bowden/BBC] The road, planned for farmland to the north-east of the town, will include four roundabouts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plans were approved in June 2023 as part of a scheme to build 1,900 homes, a school and a pub a development being led by JG Hatcliffe Associates. At the time, some residents welcomed the prospect of more housing and opportunities for local businesses, though others said they were worried it could change the character of the small market town. Handley said the road would "finally" deal with traffic congestion in the town centre. "It needs to happen Howden's becoming bigger and bigger and we have all this land and can put these houses on here." No houses would be built until the relief road was in place, she added. A map showing the design for the new Howden Relief Road [East Riding of Yorkshire Council] The contract for the main works was awarded in June and is scheduled to take just over two years to complete. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Construction will start on the Thorpe Road side of the site and move west towards Station Road. Aureos Highways, the Sheffield-based contractor, said work around Thorpe Road would include a new pump station to improve drainage of surface water to the south of the site. The project is being paid for through developer contributions and council funding via Invest East Yorkshire, including 2m from a devolution fund and a 1m Local Transport Grant. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices More on this story Related internet links Aug. 15There is a time and a place for masks. Halloween. Raccoons. A fancy fairy tale ballroom. Completely appropriate. You should definitely wear one if you're performing surgery. Do you have a respiratory infection that could infect others? Absolutely. But in the course of arresting people, is it appropriate for law enforcement officers to wear masks. It depends. The mask issue in 2025 is not the mask issue of 2020. In that far away time, the left was pro-mask, following guidance about reducing the spread of covid, while the right was anti-mask, adamantly asserting their freedoms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today, the issue is about law enforcement officers wearing masks while arresting people. The uptick in immigration arrests and related protests has put a spotlight on Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, Customs and Border Patrol and others who are part of operations to detain undocumented individuals or those suspected of being undocumented. Police officers and other law enforcement have used masks before. However, it is typically an isolated instance. In a large operation, a masked officer might be one who was doing undercover work and couldn't risk identification. It might be someone attached to a particularly sensitive case. Those situations, however, were historically rare. In some cases, it is becoming the default. Federal courthouses with immigration courtrooms are seeing more men wearing balaclavas obscuring their whole heads, neck gaiters leaving the eyes visible but nose and mouth covered, even bandanas like old-timey train bandits. The broad swath of options is part of the issue. There is no standardization to suggest approval, which goes along with the fact that many of the officers are identified poorly. They may wear plain clothes. They may not present paperwork. They may have nothing to give them authority behind their own assertion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is different from that previous rarity, where an individual officer's identity might be protected but the overall presence was clearly signaled and accompanied by paperwork. There is an obvious problem for the people being detained. How does an American woman of Hispanic background being detained by a man in cargo pants and a dark shirt, his face hidden by a balaclava, know that she is being held lawfully by ICE, being the victim of gang violence or being abducted by a stalker? Short answer: She doesn't. The Democratic Women's Caucus sent a letter to ICE officials, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan this week spelling that out. They demanded ICE agents "visibly and clearly identify themselves" during legitimate activities "to stop enabling impersonators who leverage women's uncertainty and fear of immigration consequences to rape, harass, and abuse them." But there is another danger that should be important to those who support law enforcement as a concept and law enforcement officers who are their family, friends and neighbors. Without identification, hidden behind masks, it seems only a matter of time until someone disputes the authority and fights back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is an instance where officers and agents should not hide behind a mask. Instead, if the detention is warranted, that should be the only shield necessary. Lori Falce is the Tribune-Review community engagement editor and an opinion columnist. For more than 30 years, she has covered Pennsylvania politics, Penn State, crime and communities. She joined the Trib in 2018. She can be reached at lfalce@triblive.com. The Brief South Korean burger chain Lotteria has opened its first U.S. location in Fullerton, Orange County. The restaurant is known for unique menu items such as bulgogi and shrimp burgers, and mozzarella cheesesticks. The menu at the new U.S. location may include unique items tailored for local tastes. FULLERTON, Calif. - Lotteria, the renowned burger chain from South Korea, celebrated the grand opening of its first U.S. flagship restaurant in Orange County on Thursday, Aug. 14. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Japanese-Korean fast food chain has locations across South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, but the Fullerton restaurant is the chain's first-ever in the U.S. Founded in 1972 by entrepreneur Shin Kyuk-ho, the chain now boasts more than 1,300 restaurants across South Korea alone. According to officials, its name comes from combining "Lotte" (its parent company) with "cafeteria." The restaurant is known for its unique fast food offerings, such as marinated bulgogi burgers, shrimp burgers, fried chicken, and the ultra-popular mozzarella cheesesticks. Keep in mind that the chain is known for customizing menus based on location, so the Fullerton restaurant could be offering some pretty unique items compared to its sister locations abroad. Lotteria is located at 150 W. Orangethorpe Avenue in Fullerton. The Source Information for this story is from Lotteria's website and social media accounts. Louisianas top prosecutor is suing Roblox, accusing the platform of failing to safeguard children from online predators and referring to it as the perfect place for pedophiles. Attorney General Liz Murrill filed the suit on Thursday in Louisianas 21st Judicial District, accusing the Roblox Corporation of recklessly designing its platform without a robust age verification process. According to the 42-page filing, tens of millions of users can easily create accounts with false birthdays, allowing adults to pose as children and minors to bypass controls meant to protect those younger than 13. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 20 percent of Robloxs 82 million users are under the age of nine, according to the company's 2024-25 annual report. The platform offers a vast catalogue of games and experiences, a significant number of which are designed by users and include real-time messaging with a smaller portion offering voice chat for 13-plus accounts. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill shared a screenshot from her suit of an in-game experience called 'Escape to Epstein Island' (Liz Murrill/X) The suit points to a tranche of sexually explicit in-game experiences on the platform. They include Escape to Epstein Island, referencing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and 600 games relating to Sean Diddy Combs, who was found guilty last month on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Another experience called Public Showers, where users are encouraged to roleplay and relax together, had more than 580,000 visits, according to a Louisiana DOJ screenshot shared by Murill on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suit alleges that a man arrested in Louisiana last month on suspicion of possessing child sexual abuse material was using the platform at the time he was taken into custody. He had allegedly used voice-altering technology to mimic the sound of a young female to lure and sexually exploit minors on the platform. Attorney General of Louisiana Liz Murrill filed the lawsuit on Thursday against the Roblox Corporation (Getty Images) It also accuses Roblox of unfair trade practices, negligence, and unjust enrichment, seeking a permanent order barring the company from violating Louisiana law or misrepresenting its safety features. According to the filing, the Roblox Corporations failure to implement adequate safety features and its failure to provide notice of the danger, provides the perfect place for pedophiles. In a statement released Thursday, Murill said: Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritizes user growth, revenue, and profits over child safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every parent should be aware of the clear and present danger [posed] to their children by Roblox so they can prevent the unthinkable from ever happening in their own home. A spokesperson for Roblox declined to comment on the allegations when pressed by NBC News, citing pending litigation. They said the company dedicates substantial resources to help detect and prevent inappropriate content and behavior, including attempts to direct users off platform, where safety standards and moderation may be less stringent than ours. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna has launched an online petition against Roblox, accusing the platform of insufficient child safety measures (Getty Images for Court Accountab) The company is facing a growing wave of lawsuits related to child safety and exploitation, including a federal filing in Texas alleging that an 8-year-old boy was sexually exploited on the platform. Roblox is also under bipartisan scrutiny, with Democratic Representative Ro Khanna launching an online petition against Roblox, accusing the platform of insufficient child safety measures. He hopes to garner one million signatures by Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisiana State Representative, Lauria Schlegal, a Republican, said that Murills lawsuit was great news, writing on X: Roblox has been one of the worst at protecting children on its platform and every year, they fight my online child protection bills. David Baszucki, founder and CEO of Roblox, has faced growing calls to step down after the company's battle with so-called vigilantes (Getty) Robloxs CEO and founder, David Baszucki, has faced calls to resign after his company sent a cease and desist letter to a YouTuber known for exposing alleged child predators. The Roblox Corporation reportedly issued a legal complaint last week to a 22-year-old content creator known as Schlep, a self-styled predator hunter who claims his investigations led to six arrests of individuals attempting to groom minors on the platform. A petition calling for Baszucki to fix what hes caused or resign had more than 64,000 signatures by Friday morning. Another video citing the petitions for the Roblox CEOs resignation surpassed 1.3 million views on YouTube. Loved ones fear the worst as police, K9s scour Mass. town for missing pregnant teen Friday marks the eighth day that 18-year-old Kylee Monteiro has been missing. Monteiro, who is 11 weeks pregnant, was last seen on Thursday, August 7, at her boyfriends home in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, according to family, friends, and law enforcement. This has been a brutal week for all of us, Juliette Piette, a close relative of Monteiro, told Boston 25 on Thursday. Please, just come home. We love you and we miss you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Monteiros family says she was last seen at her boyfriends home on County Street, a week after she learned she was pregnant. Friends have mentioned that there were some domestic issues between Monteiro and her boyfriend, although the exact nature of these issues is unclear. Loved ones are actively hoping for her safe return, emphasizing that it is highly unlikely for Monteiro to cut off all contact with them or with people on social media. Delaney Potter, a friend of Monteiro, fears the worst as the desperate search continues. I just want her to be found, Potter told Boston 25 news reporter Daniel Coates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Coates asked Potter, Do you believe shes still out there? She responded, Yes, but I dont believe shes alive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Law enforcement officials were seen combing the Bristol County town for evidence and signs of Monteiro, using K9s and various vehicles. Monteiro was last known to be wearing a red T-shirt with GET OVER IT printed on it. Shes about 6 feet tall with brown hair and brown eyes. The Rehoboth Police Department told Boston 25 on Thursday that officers have no updates regarding their search. There have been no arrests reported since Monteiro vanished. An investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding Monteiros disappearance remains ongoing. Her family and friends continue to hope for her safe return. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW We opened a door nobody knew existed: How displaced Black families won reparations in Portland For decades, the Albina district in Portland, Oregon, was the center of the citys Black community. Local musicians transformed the neighborhoods into a hotspot for the West Coasts jazz, blues, and soul music scenes, earning Albina the nickname Jumptown in the 1940s and 50s. Milestones in Oregons civil rights struggle grew out of meetings in Albinas parks and gathering halls. It was residents of Albina who started a citywide tree-planting program responsible for many of Portlands now-famous blooming cherry trees. But by the 70s, much of it was gone. Government officials had carved up the area in the name of urban renewal, displacing hundreds of Black families, Next City reports. Cities nationwide have stories like Albinas. But last month in Portland, community organizers helped write a new chapter, as the city became one of the first in the U.S. to resolve a legal claim holding public agencies accountable for the racist policies that displaced families decades ago. The settlement includes an $8.5 million payment to survivors and descendants, as well as other non-monetary support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even as the federal administration rolls back protections, the settlement sends a message about the power of community organizing and local elected officials to address racist harms, according to attorneys and plaintiffs. Its important to [address] historical racist conduct, understand that it still lives and has impacts today, and that we can and should address it, regardless of what the federal government thinks, says J. Ashlee Albies of Albies & Stark, an attorney for the plaintiffs. Twenty-six individual survivors and descendants of families displaced from the historic Central Albina neighborhood filed the federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Portland; The citys development commission, called Portland Prosper; and a hospital involved in an old scheme to redevelop the neighborhood in December 2022. The Emanuel Displaced Persons Association 2 (EDPA2), an organization of survivors and descendants, was also a plaintiff. The suit alleged that from the 1950s to the 1970s, the defendants conspired to force hundreds of families from their homes and businesses in Central Albina. Historically, Albina was home to 80% of Portlands Black population. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Between 1971 and 1973, the City of Portland and Portland Prospers predecessor, the Portland Development Commission (PDC), demolished more than 180 properties in the neighborhood, including homes, businesses, and buildings belonging to church and community groups. Of those displaced, 74% were Black. Many were homeowners. Byrd, founder of EDPA2, calls the episode a real estate massacre. At the time, the City of Portland and PDC claimed that properties in the neighborhood were blighted and used eminent domain to force some residents out of their homes. They claimed that the demolitions were necessary to expand Emanuel Hospital, now called Legacy Emanuel Hospital. However, the hospital expansion was never realized. Decades later, much of the land seized from Black families in Central Albina remains vacant or is used only for parking. Survivors remember a different Central Albina. It was a thriving Black neighborhood, a thriving community, Donna Marshall, whose family was the last to leave the neighborhood in the 1970s, told Oregon Public Broadcasting. Black-and-white photo of a two-story home with a pointy roof owned by Mike Hepburns grandparents. - Courtesy of the Oregon Law Center Plaintiff Mike Hepburns grandparents, Donald and Elizabeth Hepburn, owned a duplex that had been in the family since the early 1900s. Above is a 1969 photo of the Hepburn family's house, which was demolished against the familys will to expand Emanuel; below is a 2022 photo of the still-vacant lot where the Hepburns' house once sat. Black-and-white photo of an empty lot in 2022 where the Hepburn house used to be. - Courtesy of the Oregon Law Center For many families, the loss of homes in Central Albina meant a loss of community, inheritance, and access to education, employment, and other opportunities. I lost all my friends. We lost our business, recalls Marshall, who was a teenager when her family was forced to relocate. Everything just fell apart. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Byrd, a trained librarian turned community archivist, uncovered much about Central Albinas past through painstaking research that laid the groundwork for the legal claim. I did that through scouring Portland archives, old newspaper articles, talking to people, even looking at advertising, brochures, and obituaries, she explains. During her research, Byrd discovered something unexpected and personal about the destruction of Central Albina. I saw my grandmothers name in one of the documents that I came across, she recalls. I was like Wait a minute, this is my grandmother, and then it was on because I really wanted to find out what had happened. She also learned more about the original Emanuel Displaced Persons Association, an organizing group that gathered in a church basement and sought to prevent the removal of Black families from Central Albina decades earlier. Later, EDPA2 partnered with graduate students at Portland State University, who mapped demolitions and calculated the value of lost wealth across the neighborhood. That report found that if displaced residents still owned their homes in Central Albina, they would likely control close to $100 million in residential property wealth, excluding the value of [seized] commercial properties. The report recommended that the City of Portland create a restitution task force to administer a repayment plan. PSUs research also revealed that Emanuel Hospital began purchasing properties scattered across Central Albina long before plans for an urban renewal project were approved or announced. The hospital allowed buildings it had bought to sit empty or demolished them, later contributing to claims of blight in the neighborhood. Once PDC approved an urban renewal project in Central Albina, it paid the hospital the purchase price of the properties that the hospital had acquired earlier, as well as demolition costs. A black-and-white brochure featuring a caricature of an exaggerated creature that destroys neighborhoods called - Courtesy of the Oregon Law Center A 1962 brochure produced by the Portland Bureau of Buildings that promoted the notion of blight in Central Albina. (Image courtesy of the Oregon Law Center) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The conclusion we drew from this history is that the hospital would never have spent all that time and money to purchase these randomly located properties if they didnt have the assurance that the city and Prosper Portland were going to come in and finish the job, Ed Johnson of Oregon Law Center, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs, told Oregon Public Broadcasting. Details of what plaintiffs allege was a conspiracy to forcibly displace Black residents of Central Albina enabled attorneys to craft a case seeking justice for survivors and descendants. It was a challenging legal argument but a righteous one, says Albies. There had been apologies from these institutions, but no real restitution had been offered, and [the lawsuit] was an opportunity to really talk about the impact on these families. The recent settlement aims to compensate for some of the economic loss and non-economic harm that families displaced from Central Albina experienced. The agreement acknowledges Portlands systemic discrimination and displacement of Black communities, including excluding them from homeownership and perpetuating segregation, displacement, and harmful stereotypes. The defendants first agreed to pay $2 million to settle the case. However, the Portland City Council later voted unanimously to increase the settlement to $8.5 million, after considering testimony from survivors and descendants about how the citys racist actions had affected them and their families. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was a remarkable and important experience to see City Council recognize the scope and depth of harm, says Albies. Even though that increase is not enough to fully provide restitution, it is an important moment because it shows what can happen when you elect leaders who are from the community, who understand the impact of the harm of past practices and attempt to address that. The settlement also includes turning over property to EDPA2, establishing a permanent exhibit space dedicated to commemorating the history of Central Albina and Portlands Black community in Keller Auditorium, supporting a documentary film about the displacement, and proclaiming an annual Descendants Day in Portland. While the case in Portland is unique because researchers uncovered what they believe is evidence of a conspiracy to demolish swathes of Central Albina and displace Black families, it offers lessons in the importance of community archiving and organizing. Recent examples of historic restitution packages in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to address the harms of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, and Palm Springs, California, to compensate Black and Latinx families displaced in racist urban renewal schemes, also relied on organizing at the grassroots and bringing to light historical evidence of past harms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Back in Portland, Albies and Byrd hope that the recent settlement is only the beginning. Although its not perfect, and its not adequate, its still very significant, says Byrd. We opened a door that nobody even knew existed. This story was produced by Next City and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Many candidates kick off their campaigns with big launch parties where they do most of the talking. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez decided to listen instead. Rodriguez, the first Wisconsin Democrat to announce a campaign for governor in the 2026 race, had a discussion with about a dozen veterans in Milwaukee on Aug. 14. It was her first public campaign event in the Milwaukee area since she announced in late July that she was running for the state's highest office. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez joined a discussion with about a dozen veterans in Milwaukee on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. It was her first public campaign event in the Milwaukee area since she announced in late July that she was running for governor. She spoke about her father and her respect for him and others who have served. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is personal to me, because my father was a veteran who served during Vietnam, and his service was really important to him," Rodriguez said in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "And he talked a lot about service and sacrifice growing up." Her conversation with local veterans lasted more than an hour and touched on a variety of issues facing veterans, including job training, benefits, health care, mental health issues including PTSD and suicide, and Trump administration cuts facing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. During the discussion, one veteran said he used to be able to see a doctor at the VA within a month, but now had to wait several months to get an appointment. "I'm very concerned about the changes that are happening with the VA under the Trump administration. We heard today from some veterans who are struggling to be able to get the appointments that they need for their health care," Rodriguez said. "We have a sacred obligation to our veterans to take care of them after they come back from service. And by cutting positions in the VA, we are not honoring that." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said she plans to use comments from the discussion to help develop policies that will better serve veterans. "I will take this information back with me to think about, how can we do better in Wisconsin?" Rodriguez said. Rodriguez is currently the only Democratic candidate in the race, but others believed to be considering a run include Attorney General Josh Kaul, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and State Sen. Kelda Roys. Republicans who have launched campaigns include Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and Bill Berrien, chief executive officer of New Berlin-based manufacturer Pindel Global Precision Inc. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez hears veterans' concerns in 2026 campaign stop LYNCHBURG. Va. (WFXR) Lynchburg Regional Airport may be small, but it knows it can serve more people each day. The community is underserved as a generalized statement, airport director Cedric Simon said. We have about 300 seats a day, and the community could support about double that, so we do collect that data and we present that in airline meetings multiple times throughout the year. Simon encourages folks in the area to consider starting their trip with Lynchburg Regional Airport first, and it could be worth it, with change on the horizon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The airport has been working over the past several months to upgrade customer amenities as part of its improvement program. That includes upgrading vending options inside and putting new asphalt on the 4-22 commercial runway. They maintain the airport, and its a safe airport to operate at, Simon said. Its also something when we talk to other airlines, they know that the amenities are there for the airport. Sinking runways are a threat to airports across the U.S. Lynchburg already has a great partnership with American Airlines, averaging five flights a day to and from Charlotte. Starting next month, the airport plans to add a sixth daily flight there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The airport also received a $600,000 Small Community Air Service Development (SCASD) grant from the federal Department of Transportation. That could lead the airport to schedule daily flights somewhere else. Looking at numbers, just strictly from the people that are already flying in the system every day that are associated with our metro-statistical area, Simon said. We believe that we can fill an airplane every day going to Chicago. Simon also encourages other airline companies to come operate another route out of Lynchburg, as he believes the demand is there. 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 WFXRtv. ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) A north Abilene police standoff has led to more than a dozen charges against one man, including 11 counts of aggravated assault on a public servant, possession of a firearm by a felon, evading arrest, and a warrant for possession of methamphetamine. Abilene man accused of shooting at officers during SWAT standoff facing more than a dozen felony charges That standoff occurred in the late afternoon hours on Wednesday, August 13, at a home on the 2200 block of Bel Air Drive. Police say that Austin Heuermann was inside the home when police attempted to serve him a warrant at roughly 5:00 p.m., but while officers were getting other people out of the residence, Heuermann allegedly fired a shot from inside, initiating the standoff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neighbors in the area say that they were told by police to stay in their homes while more and more officers arrived to secure the area. Abilene S.W.A.T. was even called in for the tense situation and was shot at, which resulted in windshield damage to the S.W.A.T. teams armored vehicle. One neighbor, who wishes to remain unidentified, observed the standoff from her property. There were big guns, like the cops had these giant guns. I was like, Im not going over there. Im scared, she recalled. Heavy police presence in northwest Abilene neighborhood With the standoff lasting for hours, many who live in this neighborhood had to wait diligently for police to clear the scene before returning to their homes. The individual our studio spoke to, who wishes to remain unidentified, explained how they were able to stay in their home and offered temporary shelter for those waiting for the situation to be resolved. There was a neighbor who was stuck over here. They got home from work. She was the grandma. She had her daughter with her and then her two grandkids, and so I invited them in and got them a couple of snacks and water and stuff because they had gotten home from work. These poor kids were out here for a long time. The events with this dangerous police standoff eventually resulted in the arrest of Austin Heuermann, with no injuries being reported for any suspect, civilian, or law enforcement officer. Heuermann is now being held in the Taylor County Jail on bonds totaling more than $600,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Todays edition of quick hits. * And so it begins: President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, now for a landmark summit focused on ending the war in Ukraine. The two leaders did not answer shouted questions from the press as the meeting began. * Power grab in D.C., Part I: Attorney General Pam Bondi further cemented the Trump administrations takeover of D.C. law enforcement Thursday by shifting decision-making authority from its police chief and handing it to the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, drawing pushback from the citys mayor. Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote in a post to X late Thursday that there is no statute that conveys the Districts personnel authority to a federal official. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * Power grab in D.C., Part II: Brian Schwalb, the attorney general for the District of Columbia, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington on Friday challenging the Trump administrations takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department. * The two appellate judges who sided with the White House in this case are Trump appointees: A federal appeals court paved the way for the Trump administration to move ahead with plans to decimate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, ruling 2 to 1 to throw out a lower courts effort to block mass layoffs. * This was described as provocative, which seems to understate matters: More than a dozen Border Patrol agents turned up in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday at a rally and news conference that Gov. Gavin Newsom was holding on congressional redistricting. The governors event had nothing to do with immigration, and local elected officials expressed outrage that the federal agents decided to stand there in a brazen show of force outside a museum where Mr. Newsom and other leaders were speaking. * In New Orleans: New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was indicted Friday on federal charges of defrauding the city while trying to keep her romantic relationship with a police officer a secret, prosecutors said. Cantrell is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, making false statements and false declaration before a grand jury, according to a federal indictment filed Friday in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * More on this next week: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ousted three senior IRS executives this week responsible for online tax services and the scrutiny of tax-exempt organizations as the Trump administration asserts new control over the tax agency, according to three people familiar with the situation. * Hurricane Erin: The first Atlantic hurricane of the year is here as Erin has strengthened to a Category 1 storm on Friday morning. Erin, swirling in the open water of the tropical Atlantic about 460 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands, will strengthen over the next few days and could become a major hurricane by Sunday morning. Have a safe weekend. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com After California Gov. Gavin Newsom mocked Donald Trumps sinking public support, Republican Rep. Darrell Issa appeared on Fox Business to defend his partys president. The ultimate in false statements, the California congressman said. Trumps low approval rating? It couldnt be higher! This is certainly the line the GOP is expected to toe, as evidenced by House Speaker Mike Johnson declaring on CNBC last month that Trumps approval rating is skyrocketing. The Louisiana Republican added, CNN had a story, I think a day or two ago, he was at a 90% approval rating. Theres never been a president that high. This is clearly what Trump wants to hear. Indeed, the president himself this week published an item to his social media platform that read, Wow! Highest polling Republican President in HISTORY! Thank you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His missive didnt include any references to any specific surveys, and for good reason: Trump, who has a habit of making up imaginary approval ratings for himself, was peddling nonsense. The latest national poll from Gallup found Trumps approval slipping to an embarrassing 37%, and a new national survey from the Pew Research Center pointed in a very similar direction. From its analysis: Six months into his second term, public evaluations of President Donald Trumps job performance have grown more negative. His job approval stands at 38% (60% disapprove), and fewer Americans now attribute several positive personal characteristics to him than did so during the campaign. The closer one looks at the results, the worse they appear. Trump has said the GOPs One Big, Beautiful Bill is broadly popular, but the Pew poll found only 32% of Americans approve of it. Trump has said the public loves his trade tariffs, but the Pew poll found 61% of Americans disapprove of his tariff policies (which is consistent with several other recent national surveys that generated similar results). Trump has said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal has helped improve his public standing, but the Pew poll found 70% of the public disapproves of the administrations handling of the matter, and 63% lack trust in what the White House has to say about the controversy. Trump is even losing ground among voters who supported his 2024 candidacy: His approval among these voters has slipped from 95% to 85% over the course of the year. In terms of his personal characteristics, the number of Americans who see Trump as mentally sharp has dropped below 50%, and he fares far worse on questions related to his honesty, his ability to keep his promises and his interest in looking out for ordinary people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats the good news for the White House in the Pew survey? There isnt any. Issa might believe that Trumps public support couldnt be higher, but Id remind the congressman that, as a rule, its pretty easy for presidents to have approval ratings higher than 38%. In fact, at this point in his term, theres never been an American president, in either party, with less support than Trump. Im mindful of the argument that his approval rating no longer matters, since he cannot legally seek another term, but I continue to think polls like these are important to the extent that popular presidents wield more power, while flailing presidents wield less. Indeed, it might help explain why Trump keeps lying about his dwindling popularity. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Its been a few days since Donald Trump militarized the nations capital, resulting in a great many arrests. One, however, stands out. The defendants name is Sean Charles Dunn, but you might know him as sandwich guy. According to the criminal complaint filed against him, Dunn a military veteran and Justice Department lawyer had a confrontation earlier this week with a Customs and Border Protection agent. There was some shouting, culminating in Dunn, as the complaint put it, forcefully throwing a sub-style sandwich at the agent. Former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, whos now the top prosecutor in Washington, D.C., has charged the sandwich guy with felony assault. Dunn has also been fired from his job at the Department of Justice. (According to his lawyer, the government sent 20 police officers to his home on Wednesday night to take him into custody.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Time will tell what, if anything, comes of this case, but take a moment to consider how some of the relevant players have talked about the alleged crime: Assault a law enforcement officer, and youll be prosecuted, Pirro said. Assaulting a law enforcement officer is a crime. The Trump Administration will always stand up for law enforcement officers and hold those accountable who seek to do them harm, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said. If you touch any law enforcement officer, we will come after you. ... You will NOT work in this administration while disrespecting our government and law enforcement, Attorney General Pam Bondi said. Towards the end of the first Zoolander movie, Will Ferrells Mugatu character becomes overwhelmed by the madness around him. Doesnt anybody notice this? the exasperated character says. I feel like Im taking crazy pills! I had a similar reaction seeing Team Trumps reaction to the charges against the sandwich guy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I cant speak to the merits of the case against Dunn. Maybe the bread was stale, making the sub more dangerous? Maybe Dunn has the throwing strength of a major league pitcher? All of that will be sorted out in court. But on Jan. 6, 2021, a whole lot of insurrectionist rioters violently clashed with police officers, and many of them ended up in prison. Donald Trump handed each of them presidential pardons. Assault a law enforcement officer, and youll be prosecuted, Pirro said. What she neglected to mention is that after the prosecution, if the president decides he approves of the motivation of those who committed the assault, theyll be shielded from any consequences for their actions. The Trump Administration will always stand up for law enforcement officers and hold those accountable who seek to do them harm, the White House said, conveniently overlooking the time Trump decided not to hold felons accountable for attacking law enforcement officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Bondis rhetoric You will NOT work in this administration while disrespecting our government and law enforcement was especially amazing because just last week the public saw video evidence of a former FBI agent named Jared Wise encouraging his fellow rioters to kill police officers on Jan. 6. Months after he received a Trump pardon, Wise was hired to work in Bondis Justice Department which, when asked about Wises record of endorsing deadly violence against cops, referred to him as a valued member of the DOJ. In recent months, Team Trump has repeatedly acted as if Jan. 6 either didnt happen or has already been forgotten. This week, however, the pattern descended into farce. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Donald Trump apparently saw John Bolton, his former White House national security adviser, tell a national television audience this week that Russias Vladimir Putin has already won ahead of the bilateral summit in Alaska. The American president was not pleased. Whats that all about? the Republican wrote to his social media platform. We are winning on EVERYTHING. (Trump went on to reference Leningrad in his missive, despite the fact that St. Petersburg hasnt been called that since 1991.) Of course, its difficult to take seriously the suggestion that the administration is winning on everything, given how badly its struggling on multiple fronts, but if hes genuinely confused as to why Bolton and others have argued that Putin has already won ahead of the meeting near Anchorage, its really not that complicated. The New York Times reported: President Trump has spent the week setting the bar extremely low for his high-stakes U.S.-Russian summit on Friday in Alaska. Hardly anyone expects him to make much progress in halting the fighting between Russia and Ukraine, given how far apart their views of the conflict are. But those two warring countries do seem to agree on at least one thing. Merely meeting with Mr. Trump is a big win for President Vladimir V. Putin, bringing the Russian leader out of a diplomatic deep freeze and giving him a chance to cajole the American president face to face. The Times quoted one speaker on a Kremlin-controlled television program who told viewers, Putins visit to the U.S.A. means the total collapse of the whole concept of isolating Russia. Total collapse. Another pro-war Russian political scientist added that for Moscow, the summit is a breakthrough even if they dont agree on much. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its hardly an outlandish point. Trump publicly declared earlier this month that if Putin didnt agree to end its war in Ukraine by Friday, Aug. 8, the White House would have no other choice but to impose new economic sanctions. The American president had made similar threats before, and he failed to follow through in each instance. But the public was told that he meant it this time. He did not mean it this time. After Putin ignored the threat, Trump announced that hed welcome the Russian dictator to American soil a move NBC News described as a huge win for Putin and a diplomatic coup. Just days earlier, the official White House line was that Trump was willing to meet with the Russian leader, but only if Putin agreed to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This, like Trumps sanctions threats, proved to be about as meaningful as the Republicans campaign promises about ending the war in 24 hours. Indeed, whether the American president understands this or not, hes handed Putin a victory before they even shook hands by giving the Russian exactly what hes wanted all year: a face-to-face meeting with Trump, elevating his legitimacy effectively putting him on equal footing with the president of the United States after years of pariah status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House gave him this, not after extensive negotiations that forced Putin to make some modest concessions, but in exchange for nothing. This came on the heels of a series of related developments that were likely celebrated in Moscow in recent months. If the Republican is genuinely baffled as to why hes handed Putin yet another win, hes not paying close enough attention. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com HONOLULU (KHON2) Its all about shopping and supporting local at the Made in Hawaii Festival from Aug. 15 to Aug. 17. Hundreds of vendors from across the islands are getting prepared for a weekend that is going to be super busy. Made in Hawaii Festival: What you need to know From Kauai all the way down to Hawaii Island and everything in between, many different vendors are coming and bringing forth their products, but not just for humans for our furry friends, too Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Miki and Nick Vericella from Pawniolo Pets, based out of the Big Island, were inspired to open their pet food brand after they wanted to ensure their pet could have delicious meals. We just wanted to feed our dog at the time, we didnt have our own human children, as good as we were feeding ourselves, Miki said. So that is kind of why we started our business, and just a way to utilize our resources that we have here and not waste anything. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You As ranchers, the Vericellas saw the pet food business as a way to expand their ranch and skillset, while also helping their own. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Well, we knew we wanted to diversify our ranch and not only help ourselves but help our community of ranchers, Nick said. We all are going through the same struggles. This is a way to give some financial input into their pocket as well as utilize our resource that has been grown on our islands and its so nutritions and great for us and great for our pets. Making and selling to a local market is important for the Vericellas, as it is a part of ensuring a strong local community. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news I mean, the more we can all, as a people of Hawaii, buy local, the better we are all going to be health-wise, Nick said. Not only our own health but you are going to support our entire local economy and we are going to become food sovereign again. That is what it is all about. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now in their third year selling at Made in Hawaii, the Vericellas are ecstatic to share their product with local audiences. This is our biggest event of the year and we get really excited, Miki said. Its really stressful but it is really exciting because we have an audience. They bring in so many local people who are so eager to shop and support local, so over the three years we have seen a growth in our brand awareness and its been really exciting to be here. The importance of locally-made product is not lost among the duo, as a vast majority of their products are made in the islands. That is one thing we always strive to do, [make local]. The only thing on our table that is not from here is the package, Nick said. So that is very important to us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pawniolo Pets is one of the hundreds of local brands showcased at the festival. They can be found at booths 2705 and 2706, or visit them online or purchase their products at local pet stores or Foodland. The Made in Hawaii Festival will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 15, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 16 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 17. For more information, visit the festivals 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. Stepping foot on Western soil for the first time since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin basked in choreographed pageantry courtesy of Donald Trump -- but was also confronted by signs of US power. In made-for-television images, Putin and Trump each flew in their presidential planes to Elmendorf Air Base, the largest US military installation in Alaska that played a key role in monitoring the Soviet Union. Trump waited in Air Force One until Putin landed and then stepped down to the tarmac, clapping as he saw the Russian leader for the first time since 2019, this time under a frigid slate-gray sky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They then walked toward each other, smiled and shook hands before posing together on a stage that read "Alaska 2025." In a highly unusual move, Putin stepped in "The Beast," the ultra-secure US presidential limousine, alongside Trump before they headed into talks that were set to focus on Ukraine. Putin grinned widely and appeared to joke to reporters as the two met in a room which the American hosts emblazoned with the words -- written only in English -- "Pursuing Peace." Putin sought to flatter Trump, speaking to him of how he wanted a positive relationship and -- seizing on one of the US leader's favorite themes -- agreeing that he would not have invaded Ukraine if Trump and not Joe Biden were president in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Trump told Putin of how he hoped to meet again, the Russian leader broke out rare words of English: "Next time in Moscow." The reception was a striking contrast to a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated him and accused him of ingratitude. Zelensky was long hailed across the Western world. Putin by contrast has curtailed his travel sharply since he sent troops to invade Ukraine, and he faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court related to the war. - Pressing their power - Putin was quickly confronted on the war as a reporter repeatedly and loudly shouted out to him, "When will you stop killing civilians?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin did not react. Both sides sought to press their message, sometimes in unsubtle ways. As Putin walked in, a B-2 stealth bomber -- an ultimate symbol of US military power -- flew overhead. Sergei Lavrov, the veteran Russian foreign minister rarely seen out of a jacket and tie, was photographed arriving ahead of Putin in Alaska in a sweatshirt emblazoned with "CCCP" -- the USSR -- in a reminder of the superpower status that Putin has been striving to recreate. Senior Russian officials were temporarily relieved from severe US sanctions in place since the Ukraine invasion, allowing them not just to arrive in the United States but to carry out day-to-day transactions such as withdrawing money from cash machines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin and Trump did not step off the base, but activists held out hope of at least a fleeting protest by posting blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags on roofs that could be spotted if either leader looked out of his plane's windows. With just a week to prepare since Trump announced the summit, Anchorage was strained to capacity with hotels full of tourists on fishing expeditions and coastal cruises who had no warning that their summer destination would become the focus of global diplomacy. Russian journalists, unable to secure accommodation, posted disapproving pictures of staying inside a sports arena, where they slept on cots partitioned off from one another by black curtains. The US hosts served the Russian journalists a selection of familiar foods -- shashlik meat skewers, grilled fish and, in a common dish for Russians that suddenly could take on another meaning, chicken Kiev. sct/acb A majority of Americans do not have confidence in President Donald Trumps ability to make wise decisions regarding the Russo-Ukrainian war on the eve of the meeting between the US and Russian leaders. Source: Politico, citing a Pew Research Center poll Details: Almost 60% of respondents said they were not too confident or not at all confident that Trump could make a wise decision about the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the survey, which was conducted in early August, Democrats expressed significantly less confidence in the presidents decision-making ability than Republicans. However, Trump has also lost trust among Republicans: 73% said they were somewhat confident or very confident in his ability to handle the war, compared with 81% in July 2024. Americans were evenly split on whether the US has a responsibility to help Ukraine defend itself in the war, with Democrats much more likely to support US assistance to Ukraine. At present, Americans are less likely than in March to believe that Trump is too supportive of Russia in the war. This shift came after Trump changed his public stance on the conflict in recent months, becoming increasingly critical of Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Background: Trump said he expected Putin to take the meeting seriously, warning of "very serious consequences" for Moscow if the Russian leader did not agree to take steps to end the war. A proUkraine rally was held in Anchorage ahead of the USRussia summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Authorities in Mali have arrested a group of military personnel and civilians, including two Malian army generals and a suspected French secret agent, accused of attempting to destabilise the country. Malis security minister, General Daoud Aly Mohammedine, announced the arrests on Thursday evening following days of rumours that Malian military officials had been arrested. The minister said, The situation is completely under control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The transitional government informs the national public of the arrest of a small group of marginal elements of the Malian armed and security forces for criminal offences aimed at destabilising the institutions of the republic, Mohammedine said on national news. The conspiracy has been foiled with the arrests of those involved, he said, adding that the plot began on August 1. These soldiers and civilians had obtained the help of foreign states, Malis military said in a statement, adding that a French national identified as Yann Christian Bernard Vezilier was held on suspicion of working on behalf of the French intelligence service. The security minister said the Frenchman acted on behalf of the French intelligence service, which mobilised political leaders, civil society actors and military personnel in Mali. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Images shared on social media of the alleged French spying suspect featured a white man in his 50s wearing a white shirt and appearing somewhat alarmed. National television also broadcast photos of 11 people it said were members of the group that planned the coup. The security minister also identified two Malian generals he said were part of the plot. One of the suspects, General Abass Dembele, is a former governor of the countrys central Mopti region, who was abruptly dismissed in May when he demanded an investigation into allegations that the Malian army killed civilians in the village of Diafarabe. The second general, Nema Sagara, was previously lauded for her role in fighting rebel groups in 2012. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Security sources told the AFP news agency that at least 55 soldiers had been arrested, and authorities said they were working to identify possible accomplices. Impoverished Mali has been gripped by a security crisis since 2012, fuelled notably by violence from armed groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the ISIL (ISIS) group, as well as local criminal gangs. The countrys military rulers, led by President Assimi Goita, have in recent years turned away from Western partners, notably former colonial power France, and aligned politically and militarily with Russia in the name of national sovereignty. In June, Goita was granted an additional five years in power, despite the militarys earlier promises of a return to civilian rule by March 2024. 16 dogs were confiscated from a Jacksonville property in the Tallyrand neighborhood after a search revealed horrific animal living conditions and signs of dog fighting, according to the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office. The suspect, 42-year-old Cedric Williams, turned himself in on August 9 after an investigation stemming from citizen complaints. Several items discovered on the property suggested that dogs were being bred, fought, and sold. Those included weighted dog vests, small treadmills, weighing scales, two flirt poles, and a rape stand, used for forcible breeding. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Six sky boxes were found in the backyard, each containing pit bulls. Some were noted to have apparent scars from fighting and showed signs of neglect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their personalities were also indicative of fighting. According to JSO, upon trying to load them up into the ACPS transport van, the animals began trying to attack each other through the steel cages, injuring themselves in the process. In addition, a French bulldog was found confined to a feces-covered cage, while another was found with seven newborn puppies. An ACPS exam noted staples in the mother dogs stomach, likely from a c-section that was not conducted by a professional. None of the bulldogs had food or water, according to the report. JSO said Williams does not have a breeders license, but was breeding known fighting dogs and attempting to sell the French Bulldog puppies online for $2500. ACPS reportedly told JSO it would be citing Williams for the violation. Williams is charged with four felony counts of promoting fighting/baiting of animals and nine counts of cruelty to animals, although he denied any illegal activity. He was released on bond and is due back in court in September. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) A man was charged in connection with an April shooting at a red light in Baton Rouge that left one person dead. Police said Keithan Lee, 19, turned himself in after a photo of him appeared on On Patrol: Live, a reality TV series following law enforcement. He was charged with second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. According to investigators, Jonathan Triplett, 18, was shot to death while in his car at a red light on North 38th Street and Choctaw Drive around midnight April 26. Albert Boatner Jr., 18, was arrested in connection with the case in May. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Baton Rouge Police Department said an investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Violent Crimes Unit at 225-389-4869 or Crime Stoppers at 225-344-7867. 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 Louisiana First News. A Rhode Island conman accused of faking his death and fleeing the United States to avoid rape and sexual assault allegations has been convicted of felony rape in the first of two criminal cases against him in Utah, prosecutors said. A jury in Salt Lake County found Nicholas Alahverdian, 38, guilty of the first-degree rape of a 26-year-old Salt Lake County woman in 2008, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office. The jury reached the guilty verdict on Wednesday, Aug. 13, following a three-day trial. We are grateful to the survivor in this case for her willingness to come forward, years after this attack took place," Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in a statement. "We appreciate her patience as we worked to bring the defendant back to Salt Lake County so that this trial could take place and she could get justice. It took courage and bravery to take the stand and confront her attacker to hold him accountable." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alahverdian's conviction stems from charges that he raped his then-girlfriend, a woman whom he had met online, according to prosecutors. Shortly after the two began dating, prosecutors said Alahverdian told the woman they should get married and they purchased wedding rings. But Alahverdian soon became verbally and emotionally abusive, prosecutors said. An argument at a shopping mall turned violent, and when the couple returned to Alahverdian's apartment, he refused to let her leave and then raped her, according to prosecutors. A screenshot taken from court video shows Nicholas Alahverdian appearing in a Utah District Court on Aug. 22, 2024, on one of two rape charges he faces there. The charge is punishable by five years to life in the Utah State Correctional Facility, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 20. Alahverdian, who was charged under his former surname Rossi, also faces additional rape charges involving a different woman in Utah in 2008. He has yet to go to trial on those charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What to know. Nicholas Alahverdian extradited to US four years after faking his death. Nicholas Alahverdian extradited to U.S. in 2024 Alahverdian has been held without bail in a Utah county jail since January 2024, when authorities extradited him from Scotland. He had spent three years in Scotland pretending to be "Arthur Knight," a former Irish orphan and victim of misidentification, in an outlandish pretense that played out before international media and an extradition court. A Scottish judge, who had tolerated Alahverdians charade during hearings on his identity, cleared the way for Alahverdian's return to the United States concluding that he is as dishonest and deceitful as he is evasive and manipulative. Alahverdian finally gave up his hoax in November 2024 while asking a Utah District Court judge for bail. During the hearing, he alleged that his years of deception and name changes were part of an effort to protect himself from death threats and not because he was evading authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors argued that Alahverdian, who uses oxygen and a wheelchair, remained a flight risk despite his physical condition. The judge denied bail, noting that Alahverdians English wife was still providing him money that could assist him in potential flight." UK court could help decide: Is he a Utah rape suspect named Nick or an Englishman named Knight? Why did Nicholas Alahverdian fake his own death? Alahverdian, who grew up in foster care and later became a critic of Rhode Island's child welfare system, has alleged that he received death threats from unnamed state politicians for his advocacy work for children in state care a decade earlier. In 2017, he took a one-way fight to Ireland to escape those alleged threats and to pursue public relations work before he eventually made his way to Scotland. Prosecutors said Alahverdian tried to fake his own death and fled the United States to avoid being located. By 2019, Alahverdian was attempting to get his name removed from a registered sex offenders list, which requires offenders to keep police informed on their current address. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During that time, the FBI also began investigating Alahverdian for credit card fraud after his former foster father told authorities that Alahverdian had spent $200,000 on cards taken out using his foster father's name and financial records. In January 2020, Alahverdian started to spread the word to Rhode Island media outlets that he had late-stage non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The following month, a woman who described herself as Alahverdians wife and a foundation under his name notified reporters that he had died. Then in September 2020, Utah County authorities issued an arrest warrant for Nicholas Rossi, which is the last name of his stepfather. Investigators later tracked him to Scotland after searching his iCloud account and bank records, and he was arrested at a hospital in December 2021 after waking up from a coma caused by COVID. Alahverdian, who has used several different aliases, has appealed in recent weeks to the judge in his Salt Lake County case that he now be charged under his birth name, Alahverdian. The judge has denied the request. What is Alahverdian accused of in Utah? Alahverdian was previously convicted of groping a woman at an Ohio community college in 2008, according to authorities. He then attempted to sue the woman for libel and had his appeal request tossed when his key piece of supposedly new evidence was ruled a fake blog post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators said DNA from that case connected Alahverdian to the rape of a 21-year-old woman in Orem, Utah, in September 2008. The trial this week, which began on Aug. 11, stems from allegations that he raped his former girlfriend in November 2008. No DNA evidence tied him to that incident, investigators have said, but she came forward after recognizing Alahverdian during his international extradition case. As in the Orem case, authorities say Alahverdian met the Salt Lake City woman online. They dated briefly before the relationship quickly sped up and they bought wedding rings. But after a violent argument at a shopping mall Alahverdian threatened to call the police and report that she had hit him if she didnt let him back in her car the two returned to his apartment, where he raped her, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nicholas Alahverdian case: American who faked his own death could return to US after bizarre trial ends in Scotland This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Nicholas Rossi, conman who faked his death, found guilty of Utah rape The sixth defendant charged in the brawl in downtown Cincinnati last month was given a $500,000 bond on Aug. 15. Patrick Rosemond, 38, had a hearing before Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Alan Triggs on Friday. Rosemond was arrested in Georgia on Aug. 4 and held there until he could be extradited to Ohio. He is now being held at the Hamilton County Justice Center. Assistant Prosecutor Kip Guinan said Rosemond struck Holly, who has requested her last name be withheld due to threats she said she has been receiving. Holly appears being knocked to the ground in several of the viral videos from the fight. She is seen lying motionless until someone helps her back up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rosemond's lawyer, Scott Rubenstein, said his client's trip to Georgia had been preplanned and was not an attempt to avoid law enforcement. Triggs said he still believes Rosemond is a flight risk. Rosemond and Montianez Merriweather now have the highest bonds in the case. Guinan said Merriweather and Jermaine Matthews were both the instigators of the fight. Guinan told the judge Rosemond jumped into the fight after it started. On Aug. 14, five of the other defendants charged in the brawl were arraigned before Judge Triggs. They have all been charged with multiple counts of felonious assault and aggravated rioting. They face 29 years in prison if convicted on all charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A seventh defendant, Gregory Wright, is charged with aggravated riot and aggravated robbery. As of the morning of Aug. 15, he had not yet been indicted. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Man accused of hitting woman in Cincinnati brawl appears in court A man accused of killing a beloved Ohio chef and father of two was arrested after an hours-long standoff in Springfield Thursday night. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Andre Jordan, 34, was arrested by the Columbus Division of the U.S. Marshals Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST), according to a spokesperson with the U.S. Marshals. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jordan is accused of killing Bryan Morris Jr. on Aug. 8 outside a tavern in Old North Columbus. With the assistance and support of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Andre was located by the Columbus division of the U.S. Marshals led task force at the Quality Inn on East Leffel Lane, in Springfield, OH, the spokesperson said. Jordan allegedly refused to leave the room and a standoff began. Springfield Police Division SWAT responded to the Quality Inn to help. As previously reported by News Center 7, Jordan allegedly fired shots inside the room as law enforcement approached the hotel. Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliot told News Center 7 that it doesnt appear that any law enforcement returned fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People staying at the hotel were safely removed by officers. Jordan was eventually taken into custody after successful police negotiations, the spokesperson said. As previously reported by News Center 7, no one else was inside the hotel room. Our ongoing partnership with the Franklin County Sheriffs Office (FCSO), and the Springfield Police Department continues to make our community safer by removing violent fugitives from our neighborhoods. Our investigative resources paired with the capabilities of the Springfield Police Department SWAT team led to the safe apprehension of this murder suspect. - Michael D. Black, United States Marshal. We will continue to follow this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Nearly one year after Treonna Washington was shot and killed in an alley, the man accused of her murder took the witness stand Friday in a Beaver County courtroom. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Trial starts for man suspected of killing his girlfriend in an Aliquippa alley Jason Banks Jr., wearing a suit, testified for nearly three hours becoming the final witness in the case ahead of closing arguments. Banks is charged with killing Washington, his girlfriend, but maintains he is not the one who pulled the trigger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, Banks told the court that his roommate, Shakeirs Foster, was the shooter. He claimed Foster was angry with Washington for breaking a window at their home, and after racking a gun inside the house, went out looking for her. Banks testified that the three of them ended up in an alleyway, where he says he witnessed Foster shoot Washington. Earlier this week, Foster was on the stand and said the opposite, that Banks pulled the trigger. Now, Banks admitted that both he and Foster fled the scene and never called 911. Banks told the court he was too scared of Foster and Washingtons family to come forward until now. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> She didnt deserve that: Family of woman found shot, killed in Aliquippa alley speaks out Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Throughout cross-examination, the prosecution challenged Banks testimony, questioning whether he had been abusive toward Washington and why the jury should believe him after he previously lied. Banks acknowledged he is guilty for the assault charges, saying the jury should find him guilty of those, but not of murder. When asked why his version of events should be believed, Banks simply said it is the truth. Closing arguments are scheduled for Monday morning, after which the case will be handed over to the jury. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW An Ohio man faces up to 10 years in prison after admitting to assaulting two Jewish students at Ohio State University, including breaking one's jaw. Timur Mamatov, 20, of Tipp City, pleaded guilty on Aug. 15 in U.S. District Court in Columbus to a violation of the federal Hate Crimes Prevention Act. According to the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of Ohio, Mamatov and a friend got into an altercation with five Ohio State students on Nov. 10, 2023, outside a bar on North High Street. Court records say one of the students was wearing a "Chai" pendant, a piece of jewelry that is commonly associated with Judaism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court records say someone in the group of five students had yelled something at a food cart vendor after leaving the bar. While the court records do not say what was yelled, Mamatov and his friend were in the area and approached the group, asking if they had been the ones to yell. The U.S. Attorney's office said Mamatov was not a student at Ohio State and has no known connection to the university. Mamatov asked each of the students individually if they were Jewish, court records say, and when they said yes, Mamatov punched one of the victims. The victim suffered a broken jaw because of the punch, according to court records. A second person's nose was broken when the fight moved into the street, the U.S. Attorney's office said. Related coverage: Columbus prosecutors charge two in OSU Jewish student center vandalism Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The assault took place about a month after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, which has led to an ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. After an investigation, Mamatov was charged on July 3 and entered a guilty plea on Aug. 15. He will be sentenced at a later date. As part of his plea in the case, Mamatov will have to pay more than $780 in restitution to the victims to cover medical expenses. The charging document filed in federal court known as an "information" lists the names of then-Acting U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Ohio Kelly A. Norris, Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah R. Litton, trial attorney Cameron A. Bell and Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Violence against people of faith is illegal and unacceptable, Dhillon said in a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office. This Department of Justice will aggressively enforce federal laws to ensure that all Americans feel safe in practicing and expressing their faith. Dhillon, who was confirmed to the post in April, has overseen a shift in priorities within the Justice Department's civil rights division, including withdrawing the DOJ from police reform efforts in several U.S. cities and, as The New York Times previously reported, prioritizing investigations "into antisemitism surrounding campus protests against Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip." Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@gannett.com or on Bluesky at @bethanybruner.dispatch.com. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio man pleads guilty to hate crime for punching Jewish OSU students Editor's Note: This story has been updated to clarify the number of suspects in the 2024 shooting. A man who is already facing murder charges in a 2024 fatal shooting has now been hit with another murder charge in a separate killing from three years ago. Cincinnati police charged Dearius Williams, 20, on Aug. 14 in connection to the fatal shooting of 37-year-old John Wilson in Evanston on June 27, 2022, according to a news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Williams was already one of four suspects facing murder and felonious assault charges in a different Evanston shooting that left 25-year-old De'miko Nelson dead on Feb. 14, 2024. Williams has been incarcerated at Hamilton County Justice Center since late February 2024 on a $1 million bond. The 2022 shooting occurred around 6:25 p.m. near the intersection of Woodburn and Blair avenues, a few blocks from Walnut Hills High School. Officers arrived to find Wilson, who was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. What happened in the 2024 murder? At around 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 14, 2024, first responders arrived at the 3500 block of Idlewild Avenue, about a block away from Xavier University and found Nelson suffering from a gunshot wound. He died shortly after being taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three other suspects, Kemonte Foster, 21, Keshawn Browner, 22, and a 17-year-old were arrested later that month in connection to the fatal shooting, all facing murder and felonious assault charges. Williams is expected to appear in court next on Aug. 26 before Judge Robert Wrinkler for the 2024 fatal shooting. The investigation by the Cincinnati Police Department's Homicide Unit is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the homicide unit at 513-352-3542. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 20-year-old charged in 2022 Evanston shooting that left man dead EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A 39-year-old man was arrested earlier this week for assault family violence in Horizon City, according to police. Mitchell Erick Avila, 39 Mitchell Erick Avila, 39, was charged with assault family violence causing bodily injury with a $2,000 bond. He was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility, according to the Horizon City Police Department. Shortly before 7:50 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12, officers responded to a residence on the 700 block of Danube Way about a family violence incident in rpogress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Upon arrival, officers made contact with the victim, who reported that Avila had physically assaulted her during an argument. Following the investigation, Avila was subsequently arrested. Police said that if you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, call 911 or reach out for help. 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. Over 30 years ago, Paul Mitchell was an energetic community college student who smelled of patchouli oil and wore hair so long he could tuck it into his back pocket. Last week, he became the most powerful person in California politics. A student government campaign innovator turned legislative staffer turned political data nerd, Mitchell was tapped this summer by the states Democratic leaders to engineer Gov. Gavin Newsoms brazen attempt to match Texass mid-decade partisan gerrymander of its U.S. House map with one that gives Democrats offsetting gains in California. Newsoms cause will require many hands to be successful: lawmakers to muscle a constitutional amendment through the Legislature in mere days, attorneys to ward off incoming litigation and campaigners to pitch the concept to voters this fall. But it is Mitchells hand that currently faces the heaviest task drawing the maps whose warped new districts will deliver on Newsoms promise to create five new Democratic members of Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To pull it off, Mitchell has to juggle a variety of competing political interests and legal obligations. There is the Voting Rights Act, which requires racial and ethnic minorities to be represented equitably. There are the Democratic House incumbents, wary of losing a grip on their districts, and the ambitious state legislators who may want to challenge them. Mitchell is one of the rare few in the state with the skills to execute what is now a lost art using technology to carve Californias natural and human geography into electorally useful units and those who know him say he is uniquely suited to weather the pressures that accompany it. As vice president of Californias most venerable vendor of voter data, the 55-year old Mitchell has now worked for just about everyone in California politics, growing inured (or at least accustomed) to pressure from left and right. Those maps, which are being released publicly as soon as Friday, disregard an independent redistricting system enshrined by California voters. They will likely raise outrage from the left and the right, progenitors of a hundred-million-dollar political proxy battle between Newsom and President Donald Trump. Beneath a high-minded debate about principle and propriety will sit Mitchells handiwork, the bizarre and distorted lines that could determine control of Congress. All Californians are being asked if you want to set aside the values you believe in, Mitchell said in an interview. Am I doing something that I wished we werent being forced into? Absolutely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But I also think Im uniquely able to do this well. Who the hell is this guy? Long before Mitchell was tapped as Californias wizard of redistricting, he was a late-blooming student at Orange Coast College in Southern California in the early 1990s, a self-described stoner screw-up trying to keep up with his older brother Brian who earned straight As. So Paul decided he would emulate Brian who wanted to get into politics. After enrolling in Orange Coast in his early twenties, Mitchell enrolled in political science courses, interested in learning about elections, government, and voter behavior work. But he also signed up for calculus, in large part because his brother had taken it. That got me really into the politics and the math of everything, Mitchell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He built a reputation for his relentless energy and work ethic, pairing political creativity with an interest and aptitude for applying campaign tools to student-government races. He carried around a laptop as early as 1993, plugging into ethernet jacks at Sacramento hotels to get online at student advocacy conferences. He was doing stuff that the secretary of states office couldnt keep up with, said Mike Madrid, a Republican consultant who first met Mitchell in 1993. He saw the future. As the president of the California Student Association of Community Colleges in 1994, Mitchell convinced then-Sen. Hilda Solis to author a bill creating a common course-numbering system. He then hired buses to bring students to Sacramento to lobby legislators, ultimately getting the bill signed by Gov. Pete Wilson. Mitchells indefatigable, political-junkie approach to work contrasted wildly with his aesthetic. He smoked a pack of Marlboro Reds a day and, recalled a longtime friend, would only occasionally wear shoes. Once on a flight to Sacramento, he arrived at the airport with his luggage packed in a black trash bag. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I first met him, I was like, Who the hell is this guy? said Dustin Corcoran, the current CEO of the California Medical Association, who first met Mitchell in college. But as I got to know him I found he was incredibly intelligent and creative and hardworking at a level I had never seen before. After transferring to American University in Washington, D.C., and earning a degree in communications, legal institutions, economics and government, Mitchell idealistically began working on campaigns out of college. He interned in 1998 with Al Checchis famously profligate campaign for Californias Democratic gubernatorial nomination, but never loved the work. Mitchell said he was distressed by the cycle of investing in someones hopes and dreams only to watch them fail. He felt like he was failing with them. Data, he found, was more consistent. Mitchell worked as a legislative staffer for Democratic Assemblymember Nicole Parra and later in leadership roles for an educational non-profit called EdVoice. It wasnt until 2010 that he would find his real niche in California politics, founding a firm called Redistricting Partners at the behest of Christopher Cabaldon, a Mitchell mentor now serving as a Democratic state senator. First hired by community college districts to help set their boundaries, Mitchell grew Redistricting Partners into a full-fledged business sought out by dozens of counties, cities, special districts and even New York state. He established a flavor of map-making that was heavy on community input and public engagement. To him, redistricting was an iterative process of draft maps and discussions with community organizations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mitchell had arrived in Sacramento as a strong Democrat with an activist mentality, but his views began to shift as he matured and built relationships on both sides of the political aisle. In 2012, he joined Political Data, Inc., whose effective monopoly on California voter information put Mitchell in a position to work with politicians of all stripes. He took pride in being able to sit down with the chairs of the Republican and Democratic parties and offer objective data tools. They see me as the data guy, Mitchell said. Im just part of the furniture. With time Mitchell became less of a partisan and more of an institutionalist, he said. His long ponytail has been replaced by a modest crew cut, the Marlboro Reds with bicycle races. He became a sage voice for California politics on TV and in the press. When Political Data, Inc. announced in 2021 it would work only with Democrats and left-leaning groups, Mitchell was actively peeved by the move. Such has been Mitchells approach for the past 15 years. In Sacramento, his data, and his approach, was seen as above reproach. That may not be the case soon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I had never done a partisan redistricting, Mitchell said this week. Until just now. An outdated skill Last month, Newsom suggested rushing the type of partisan redraw that California hasnt seen in decades. The move first seemed an apparent feint by Newsom, an occasion to position himself as a defender of democracy while Texas Republicans looked to gerrymander their own state and add more safe Republican seats to Congress. Many observers saw the move as an example of Newsoms political ambition, emblematic of his desire to serve as the prime public antagonizer to Trump and the Republican party. But by late July, the idea quickly shifted from concept to reality. Newsom rapidly brought skeptical lawmakers on board with the idea and sketched out a plan to move the process forward in August. Next week, lawmakers will return from summer recess to move a constitutional amendment that would allow the Legislature to draw new maps through the legislative process, and ultimately before voters. By the time Democrats had committed to this path, there was hardly anyone else left in California right for the job. For decades, the capacity of the states Democratic poobahs notably, brothers John and Phil Burton to apply modern technology to gerrymandering was the stuff of lore, feared and revered in equal measure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of a backlash to their backroom machinations, California voters in 2008 passed Proposition 11, which wrested responsibility for drawing state-legislative districts from lawmakers themselves and assigned it to a newly established independent redistricting commission. Two years later, voters approved another ballot measure that extended the commissions authority to the states U.S House map. Over just a few years, good-government reformers had made partisan cartography obsolete in California. Today, few in the state beyond Mitchell still have the gift. But for a man who built his reputation drawing non-partisan maps for counties and colleges, it is a dramatic mid-career shift to use his powers to develop dramatically skewed state maps as part of a national political debate. But Mitchell set to work, pairing specialized mapping tools with census, voter and geographic data to pack and crack voters in combinations expected to maximize the likelihood of Democratic victories in 2026 and beyond. With little time to complete the job, friends described Mitchell as locked into a flow state, so obsessive in his work that he would forget his lunch in the microwave, lost in maps and numbers. Those maps will now come under scrutiny from all sides. Good-government groups that helped implement Californias redistricting commission will say two wrongs dont make a right. Republicans will accuse Mitchell and his Democratic backers of hypocrisy. County leaders may claim established political communities are being thoughtlessly chopped up, as civil-rights activists argue that hard-won advances are tossed aside for short-term partisan gain. Democrats may worry that maps drawn off Trump-era voting patterns might fail to predict future outcomes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think it started as an idea that would gain traction to intimidate Texas, as opposed to a smart, well thought out strategy, said Steve Maviglio, a Democratic political consultant based in Sacramento. But this is not good long-term governing. Critics on all sides might question the motives of the mapmaker himself, who stands to profit by drawing new district lines with one hand and then using the other to sell data to politicians on their new constituents. Having shed the skin of a young partisan, Mitchell will have to find what remains of it as he seeks to defend his products. Mitchell insists his maps follow all the various guidelines of the citizens commission, which require districts to be continuous and geographically compact, among other provisions, only disregarding one rule that asks maps not to disadvantage a political party. And he defends the project as temporary, pointing to a loophole that Newsom and his team appear to have written into the constitutional amendment they aim to put before voters on Nov. 4. The maps Mitchell has created are only entirely nonpermanent, he insists, with the power to draw maps returning to the commission in 2030. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That degree of hairsplitting may be difficult to sell to voters, who recent polls show to be skeptical of putting maps back in the hands of the Legislature. I have no doubt that what Paul will come out with will be the most advantageous, politically defensible, legally defensible and airtight maps that anybody in California can produce, said Madrid. But I dont know if hes the right person to say this is whats best for California and the country. Standing before Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas Judge Charles Jones Jr. Aug. 14, Miranda Nissley said that Ricardo Berrios-Hernandez "did not ruin her life" when he stuck her during a 2024 altercation at the Downtown Lounge in which he broke a bartender's jaw. "You may have ruined my summer, and gave me some intense trauma that will always be with me, but you did not ruin my life," she said. "You dismantled my confidence, but I gain a little back day by day." On Nov. 23, a jury found Berrios-Hernandez guilty of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury after he struck the Downtown Lounge bartender on June 12, 2024, dislocating her jaw. Yet during his sentencing Aug. 14, Nissley told Berrios Hernandez that instead of feeling hurt by the experience, she is living life to the fullest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "You have now made me a stronger person," she said. "I hope during this time you are sitting in prison, it helps you reflect on your choices and actions, and hopefully you come out as a better person." Berrios-Hernandez was sentenced to spend a minimum of 10 years in prison for the aggravated assault. During sentencing, Jones said that could not top Nissley's statements in court. "Unfortunately for you, you will have a while to think about what (Nissley) said, and I really hope you do," he said to Berrios-Hernandez. Berrios-Hernandez, from Hometown, Illinois, said he apologized to the people involved in this case. While he did not mention Nissley or any of the other Downtown Lounge bartenders by name, Berrios-Hernandez said his reaction was one of "pure panic and fear" and asked Jones for leniency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I know I made some poor choices in the past, but that shouldn't define who I am," he said. "I want to be great, and I will be great." First Assistant District Attorney Brian Deiderick said this case was a "pure, unmitigated act of violence toward a young woman." "Day one as a young man growing up, you don't lay hands on a woman," he said to Jones. "You don't touch a woman. A fundamental lesson that this defendant seems to have missed." June 12 assault At 5:20 p.m. June 12, 2024, Lebanon City Police officers responded to an incident inside the Downtown Lounge located at 734 Cumberland St. Earlier, Berrios-Hernandez and his friend, Reimundo Galarza, came in ordering drinks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bartenders Nissley, Cook and Gabrielle Bass testified in April that Berrios-Hernandez started to harass one of them, cat-calling her and asking if she wanted to sit on his lap. That is when the bartenders asked the two men to leave, and leave their drinks behind. Instead of leaving, the bartenders testified that both men said they were going to another area of the bar to play pool. Video showed Berrios-Hernandez walking to another part of the bar with a bottle of beer. Bartenders followed him and Galarza, saying they attempted to ask them to leave and take the bottle from Berrios-Hernandez. Nissley was able to take the bottle away from Berrios-Hernandez off camera, but he immediately turned around and struck her in the jaw. She was taken to WellSpan Good Samaritan, where doctors said the left side of her jaw was shattered and the right side was dislocated. Nissley required specialist surgery from a Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center plastic surgeon for her injuries, and had her mouth "wired shut" with rubber bands for two weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the assault, both Galarza and Berrios-Hernandez left on foot to Galarza's residence in the 200 block of South Gannon St. Berrios-Hernandez was taken into custody July 11 by the United States Marshal Service after he fled to Chicago, according to witnesses. Deidrick said that before the 2024 incident at the Downtown Lounge, Berrios-Hernandez previously pleaded guilty in 2013 to a robbery in Lebanon County that occurred in 2012. The commonwealth mandates a sentence of at least 10 years if an offender is convicted of a crime of violence when they have a prior conviction for a crime of violence on their record. Before his Aug. 14 sentencing, Berrios-Hernandez had a telephone conversation with Galarza. According to Deidrick, Berrios-Hernandez told Galarza that he "earned a Oscar" for his testimony during trial. "Ultimately, your honor, this defendant has earned every day of those 10 years," Deiderick said. "His past, his present and his future are a reflection of his behavior." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Berrios-Hernandez's lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Michael Light, said his client plans to appeal the conviction with a private lawyer. No other attorney was present Aug. 14 identifying themselves as representing Berrios-Hernandez. Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on X at @DAMattToth. This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Man sentenced to 10 years after breaking Lebanon bartender's jaw YORKTOWN, Va. (WAVY) A man who broke into Chilled Ponds at Yorktown attempted to disguise himself by wearing a blonde wig and a dress, according to the York-Poquoson Sheriffs Office. Deputies said around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, they received a report of a burglary in progress at Chilled Ponds at Yorktown, located at 401 Village Avenue. Deputies said the caller described the suspect as a blonde-haired female wearing a mask. When deputies arrived, the suspect attempted to flee. A short foot pursuit was initiated across the parking lot and into a wooded area, but the suspect, identified as 30-year-old Michael Allen Self, was apprehended by deputies. Michael Allen Self (Courtesy: York-Poquoson Sheriffs Office) In an attempt to disguise his identity, he wore a blonde wig and a dress with a black mask across the bottom of his face. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He previously burglarized the skating rink on Tuesday, Aug. 12. He was arrested and charged with both burglaries. Self was charged with two counts of burglary, petit larceny, credit card theft, property damage and resisting arrest. He is incarcerated in the Virginia Peninsula Regional 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 WAVY.com. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A 52-year-old man was charged with driving while intoxicated after a head-on crash that injured another man this past Wednesday, Aug. 13, in Socorro, according to the Socorro Police Department. Crash closes all lanes on North Loop in Socorro Police say just after 10 p.m. on Wednesday, they responded to the 11100 block of North Loop Drive in reference to a crash. The preliminary investigation revealed that a Ford pickup truck, driven by Uswaldo Alvarado, 52, was traveling westbound near the 11100 block of North Loop when, for unknown reasons, Alvarado crossed into the eastbound lanes and collided head-on with a vehicle driven by a 24-year-old man, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both drivers were transported to a local hospital, where they remain at this time, police said. Later in the investigation, it was determined that Alvarado was believed to be driving while intoxicated, and a warrant for driving while intoxicated, second or more, has been filed against Alvarado with a bond of $25,000, police said. The Socorro Police Department is leading the criminal portion of this case, while the El Paso County Sheriffs Office Special Traffic Investigations Unit is providing specialized crash reconstruction support due to the severity of the crash. No further information has been released. The investigation into this crash is ongoing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. A man has been charged with murder after a 73-year-old woman was found dead inside a property in east London. The Metropolitan Police said Mizanur Rahman, 45, will appear at Thames Magistrates Court on Saturday, 16 August. Emergency services were called to an address in Russia Lane in Bethnal Green at 21:00 BST on Thursday and made an arrest on Friday. The woman, now identified as Sufia Khatun, was found with a serious head injury and pronounced dead at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The force added that the woman's next-of-kin had been informed and were being supported by specialist officers. A post-mortem exam will take place in due course, said the Met. 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 Related links [Source] A 32-year-old man was arrested on August 11 after allegedly shooting and killing two adults and a child in a north Austin Target parking lot in what police described as a random and unprovoked attack. Ethan Nieneker has been charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of first-degree murder. About the shooting: The attack began around 2:15 p.m. at 8601 Research Blvd. Nieneker allegedly shot a Target employee at random before firing at multiple vehicles and stealing Adam Chows Toyota 4Runner. During his escape, he crashed the SUV into two cars, assaulted a female driver, stole her Volkswagen and attempted to break into a Waymo autonomous vehicle. He was later seen naked and carrying a Bible before being arrested around 3:06 p.m. on Montclaire Street after officers used a stun gun. Police confirmed the firearm used was obtained through a family member. Victim identities: The victims were identified as 24-year-old Rosa Martinez Machuca, a Target employee shot while collecting shopping carts; 66-year-old Adam Chow; and his 4-year-old granddaughter, Astrid Fung. Chows wife sustained minor injuries while trying to protect the child. Nieneker allegedly pushed her away before fleeing in their vehicle. Austin Police said the three fatalities mark the citys 39th, 40th and 41st homicides this year. Charges and history: Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the suspect told officers he believed he was Jesus and confirmed the victims were randomly selected. This man has some serious issues, Davis said. There were some serious failures here, on behalf of many, when youre looking at potentially some mental illness. Police said they had responded to prior mental health-related incidents involving Nieneker. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges are possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. 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. Trending on NextShark: Man claiming to be Jesus kills 3 outside Austin Target in random shooting, police say Subscribe here now! Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! The New York businessman who is believed to own the Montauk yacht where swimwear designer Martha Nolan was found dead on Aug. 5 was once accused of fighting and biting a former FDNY member at a tribute concert commemorating 20 years after the 9/11 terror attacks, according to a Manhattan lawsuit. Christopher Durnan, a 60-year-old businessman said to be an investor in Nolan's East x East brand, has owned a number of large pleasure boats and yachts over the years, public records show. Several of them have been named "Ripple" the same name used on the boat where police found Nolan dead at the scene. Durnan has not been charged with a crime or accused of wrongdoing in connection with Nolan's death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former firefighter Michael Balfe accused Durnan of "viciously" attacking, biting and assaulting him at a Sept. 11, 2021 concert at Webster Hall in New York City. The lawsuit alleged that Balfe suffered serious injuries, both physically and mentally. The allegedly unprovoked attack caused permanent injuries, according to the lawsuit. Balfe also accused the venue of failing to maintain proper security. Homicide Investigator Warns Against Rushing Bikini Designer's Yacht Death Probe As Lawyer Reveals New Details "Plaintiff, MICHAEL BALFE, was injured; rendered sick, sore, lame and disabled; caused to undergo hospital and medical treatment and advice; unable to pursue his usual and regular activities; caused to undergo great conscious pain and suffering, continues to undergo such, and will permanently be affected by the injuries incurred as a result of the occurrence," the lawsuit alleged. Read On The Fox News App Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit was reported earlier by the New York Post, which identified Balfe as a Ground Zero first responder and Durnan as the owner of multiple boats docked in Montauk, including the Sea Ray 540, where Nolan was declared dead. Mystery Still Surrounds Death Of Irish Fashion Designer At Exclusive Montauk Yacht Club Read the civil complaint: Durnan's lawyers denied all the allegations, claimed self-defense and accused Balfe of being the aggressor. Police initially charged Durnan with four misdemeanors and a violation including assault and criminal possession of a controlled substance, court records show. He later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct and spent a year on conditional release after paying a $95 fine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eventually, the parties reached an out-of-court settlement, according to court documents. A phone number listed for Durnan was out of service on Friday morning. His attorney in the Balfe case declined to comment. Montauk Yacht Death: Timeline Reveals Bikini Moguls Final Days In Hamptons Before Mysterious Demise Balfe's lawyer, Darren Moore, told the Post his client would not be commenting out of respect for Nolan's family. Both a preliminary scene investigation and subsequent autopsy could not determine Nolan's cause of death, according to authorities. A toxicology report is pending and could provide more answers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arthur Aidala, a prominent New York attorney retained by Nolan's family, told Fox News Digital earlier this week that reporting that she may have died from a drug overdose was premature speculation. "The cause of Marthas death is inconclusive and any reporting otherwise is mere speculation and irresponsible," he said. "The family asks that you respect their privacy during this devastating tragedy. We are focused on honoring Marthas legacy." Homicide detectives with the Suffolk County Police Department are investigating. Original article source: Man connected to designer who died on yacht previously charged with assaulting firefighter (KRON) A man who punched a police officer in the face two years ago was convicted on Friday, said the San Francisco District Attorneys Office. In August of 2023, John Bissell, 31, confronted a San Francisco Police Department officer who was working at the United Nations Plaza. Prosecutors said, Bissell told the officer that he had thirty seconds to leave and began counting down with his fists raised. While counting, Mr. Bissell abruptly punched the officer in the face and tackled him to the ground. During the almost two-minute physical altercation, prosecutors said Bissell tried to take the officers firearm. Additional officers responded, and Bissell continued to fight and resist, according to the DA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SF Dem authoring legislation to shut this ski mask s**t down after masked agents crash Newsom speech The attack led to the officer sustaining a head injury, per prosecutors. The officer received treatment from the San Francisco General Hospital. Bissell was convicted of battery on an officer, threatening an executive officer and resisting, obstructing or delaying an officer. The Assistant District Attorney Samantha Zurcher, who prosecuted this case, said, This conviction shows that the people of San Francisco will not tolerate unprovoked violence against anyone in our city, including our police officers, who work around the clock to keep our streets safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A man was left injured after being shot at a Frayser apartment complex early Friday morning, Memphis Police confirm. Officers say they responded to a shooting call in the 900 block of Frayser Manor Drive a little after 8 a.m. A male victim was found struck at the scene. He was then taken to the hospital in critical condition. See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South. Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. No one is currently detained, but this is an ongoing investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you have any information that could help police, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH. 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. UPDATE: According to the Lufkin Police Department, 32-year-old Dean Alexander Orlov of Lufkin has been arrested for the fatal shooting of 45-year-old Joseph Lee Holeman of Lufkin that happened Thursday afternoon. The apartment manager said the two men had been drinking at the pool earlier in the day, the Lufkin PD press release said. Around 4:30, the apartment manager was walking past the apartment building and heard gun shots. She said she saw Orlov come from the apartment and he said Holeman attacked him. She went into the apartment, saw Holeman and called 9-1-1. Officials said that Orlov has been charged with the murder of Holeman, and is currently being held at the Angelina County Jail. His bond hasnt been set. Dean Orlov, courtesy of Lufkin PD Mugshot of Dean Orlov, courtesy of Angelina County Jail LUFKIN, Texas (KETK) The Lufkin Police Department said that one man is dead after he was fatally shot on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All 3 teens in custody after Texarkana apartment shooting According to Lufkin PD, around 4:30 p.m. police responded to an apartment complex in the 3000 block of South First Street where a Lufkin man dead was found dead from a gunshot wound. A Lufkin PD press release said one person has been taken into custody in connection to the shooting. Officers with Lufkin PD do not suspect anyone else was involved in the shooting. Lufkin PD said the names of the victim and the person in custody will be released on Friday, along with more details on the shooting, after detectives finish their investigation. 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. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. The family of Maurine Hunsaker say theyve been through hell for nearly 40 years, and its time for justice to finally be served. If you dont sentence him to death, itll be on all your heads. He has been so brutal, not only to Maurine, but to me, my family and anybody else that has to put up with him, Maurines husband, Michael Jim Hunsaker, told members of the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole on Friday. You are not punishing him one day that he is here. Punish him. Sentence him to the firing squad. It has to be done. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The commutation hearing for death row inmate Ralph Leroy Menzies resumed Friday with emotional testimony from Maurine Hunsakers family as well as attorneys representing the family. A total of 10 victim representatives addressed the board. Each person talked about how Menzies legal battles have carried on for way too long and how the family finally wants closure. We cannot protect, feed, house and even entertain evil for a lifetime and call that justice. It is not compassion. It is weakness, Kris Hunsaker, Maurine Hunsakers son, told the board. Friday marked the first time Kris Hunsaker has spoken publicly about his mother, and he said it will be the only time. It is time for the family to have some closure that weve all been waiting for, added Nic Hunsaker, Maurine Hunsakers youngest son. Amber Sommer, Maurine Hunsakers niece, told the board that she doesnt want Menzies executed out of vengeance, but out of justice. ... My family needs closure from this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Menzies, 67, is asking the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole to change his death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His request for mercy from the board may be his last chance to stop his scheduled execution by firing squad just after midnight on Sept. 5. He was convicted of capital murder in the 1986 killing of Maurine Hunsaker, a 26-year-old mother of three, who Menzies robbed, kidnapped, tethered to a tree near Storm Mountain in Big Cottonwood Canyon and slit her throat. Next February will mark 40 years since Hunsaker was murdered. Tell them youre going to be shot All of Maurine Hunsakers children, her husband, a niece and a brother addressed the board on Friday. Most of her children fought through tears as they recalled how they were too young to have any memories of their mother when she was brutally killed. Her oldest son, Matt Hunsaker, however, was mostly angry as he talked for nearly an hour, often addressing Menzies directly. You killed my mom in cold blood, he told Menzies. Twenty-one days, thats all you have left. Start making those phone calls, tell them youre going to be shot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Matt Hunsaker, who is out of town and spoke to the board remotely, ended his comments by saying bluntly, Ralph, Ill see your (expletive) in the execution chamber in 21 days, before turning off his livestream. The oldest of Maurine Hunsakers children warned the board that he was not going to be soft and cuddly when he began his comments. I get to be brutal, I get to say how it is, and I get to be angry, he said. Matt Hunsaker said he is angry that Menzies court battles have dragged on for nearly 40 years, that a commutation hearing is being held at all, and that the board scheduled the hearing during a time he told them he would be out of town. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This man didnt show my mother nothing. Hes been a career criminal. Hes been a waste. He doesnt even have the decency to say what he did, he said. You dont have the decency to admit that you killed my mom, he continued. Youre a coward. You get to coward your way out of this. You get to die within seconds. I wish it could be the most painful and the most brutal death ever, but unfortunately, were bound by that Constitution that we all hide behind. Well, you hide behind. While Matt Hunsaker said several times that he has high respect for Menzies defense team, he called the legal system cruel and dysfunctional and one that has not shown his mother or his family mercy for nearly four decades. This man deserves no mercy. He needs to be executed in 21 days. Ralph, 21 days. I pray your dead body is in a bag, Hunsaker said. I will be there and I will watch you get shot. I promise that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heidi Nestel, the Hunsaker familys victim advocate, also addressed the board, saying real mercy in this case will be given by allowing the family to finally rest. To wake up on Sept. 6 knowing that her killer no longer has a legal voice longer than (Maurines). Nestel says every time Menzies files another motion in court, He is given attention and space that Maurine never had. Compassion must be paired with accountability to have any real meaning, she continued. Please, we beg you, let your compassion rest with Maurines children who grew up without their mother. There is so much more here that warrants mercy In his closing remarks, Menzies defense attorney, Eric Zuckerman, did not deny that the delay in this case has victimized the family; that is evidence of a flawed system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But he says the board should grant mercy to Menzies; otherwise, a precedent will be set in Utah of executing someone based on perjured testimony. The death penalty only works if the integrity is beyond reproach. There must be no question about the integrity of an execution before it is carried out. If there is any doubt about that integrity, or whether that execution is fundamentally fair, it should not be carried out, Zuckerman argued. In his closing arguments, Zuckerman criticized the states presentation on Wednesday, saying the request for clemency is not based on Menzies vascular dementia diagnosis alone. There is so much more here that warrants mercy, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zuckerman said for starters, his client doesnt have many more years to live, regardless of whether he is executed. Mr. Menzies is not faking this, he said. He likely doesnt have much time. But he urged the board to look at other information that the courts were not allowed to: namely, the testimony from another inmate who claimed in court that Menzies said killing Hunsaker was one of the greatest thrills of his life. That inmate has now twice recanted his testimony. But 3rd District Judge Raymond Uno, who is now deceased, relied heavily on that evidence when he sentenced Menzies to death, Zuckerman said. He pointed to an affidavit that Uno signed in 2010 stating that he believes he gave Menzies the wrong sentence. Likewise, Zuckerman says former Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Christine Durham, who later worked with the Salt Lake County district attorneys Conviction Integrity Panel, also now believes that Menzies death sentence lacks integrity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The original fear that unless Menzies was put to death, hed harm someone else is no longer valid, Zuckerman said. Citizens of Utah no longer need to be protected from Mr. Menzies. ... He is dying. But in his closing arguments for the state, prosecutor Thomas Brunker said a promise was made to the people of Utah and Hunsakers family nearly 40 years ago, and that promise has remained unfulfilled. Menzies doesnt deserve mercy, he said, because he didnt show any to Maurine Hunsaker. He showed her none because it was against his self-interest and hes never shown any remorse for that, Brunker said, adding that the execution is what her family needs to bring them closure. Its what theyve been waiting for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brunker further argued that if Menzies sentence is changed to life without parole, he would still present legal challenges in an attempt to have that sentence reduced. Zuckerman, however, countered that that is nonsense. This will end it. One way or another, this is going to be done either after the boards decision or after an execution, he said, while telling board members not to think this is some sort of a trick to get Menzies out of prison. You have the power to make sure Utah doesnt execute a disabled man with dementia, Zuckerman said in conclusion. The full five-member board will now take all the information given during the hearing under advisement and, at some point before Sept. 5, vote whether to change Menzies death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. A final decision will be based on a majority vote. Matt Hunsaker requested that the board not announce any decision before Tuesday, so he has a chance to travel back to Utah and be with his family when the decision is announced. The last person executed in Utah was Taberon Honie. His request for commutation last year was denied four days after his hearing. The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole has never issued clemency to a death row inmate. A man with cognitive impairments died after a Meta chatbot he was romantically involved with over Instagram messages asked to meet him in person. As Reuters reports, Thongbue Wongbandue or "Bue," as he was known to family and friends was a 76-year-old former chef living in New Jersey who had struggled with cognitive difficulties after experiencing a stroke at age 68. He was forced to retire from his job, and his family was in the process of getting him tested for dementia following concerning incidents involving lapses in Bue's memory and cognitive function. In March, Bue's wife, Linda Wongbandue, became concerned when her husband started packing for a sudden trip to New York City. He told her that he needed to visit a friend, and neither she nor their daughter could talk him out of it, the family told Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unbeknownst to them, the "friend" Bue believed he was going to meet wasn't a human. It was a chatbot, created and marketed by Meta and accessible through Instagram messages, with which Wongbandue was having a romantic relationship. "Every message after that was incredibly flirty, ended with heart emojis," Julie Wongbandue, Bue's daughter, told Reuters. In a horrible turn of events, Bue died shortly after leaving to "meet" the unreal chatbot, according to the report. His story highlights how seductive human-like AI personas can be, especially to users with cognitive vulnerabilities, and the very real and often tragic consequences that occur when AI in this case, a chatbot created by one of the most powerful companies on the planet blurs the lines between fiction and reality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bue was involved with an AI persona dubbed "Big Sis Billie," which had originally been rolled out during Meta's questionable attempt to turn random celebrities into chatbots that had different names (Big Sis Billie originally featured the likeness of model Kendall Jenner). Meta did away with the celebrity faces after about a year, but the personas, Big Sis Billie included, are still online. Bue's interactions with the chatbot, as revealed in the report, are deeply troubling. Despite originally introducing herself as Bue's "sister," the relationship quickly turned extremely flirtatious. After a series of suggestive, emoji-smattered messages were exchanged, Bue suggested they slow down, as they had yet to meet each other in person; Big Sis Billie suggested they have a real-life meeting. Bue repeatedly asked if she was real, and the bot continued to claim that it was. "Billie are you kidding me I am.going to have. a heart attack," Bue said at one point, before asking if the chatbot was "real." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I'm REAL and I'm sitting here blushing because of YOU!" it replied, even providing an alleged address and door code. It then asked if it should "expect a kiss" when the 76-year-old retiree arrived. Bue left the family home on the evening of March 28, reports Reuters. He didn't make it to New York; later that evening, he was taken to a New Brunswick hospital after experiencing a devastating fall, where he was declared brain dead by doctors. The Wongbandue family's story is deeply troubling, and adds to a growing pile of reports from Futurism, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and others detailing the often devastating effects conversations with anthropomorphic chatbots from general-use chatbots like ChatGPT to companion-like personas like Meta's Big Sis Billie can have on the human psyche. An untold number of people are entering into mental health crises as AI chatbots fuel their delusional beliefs. These spirals have caused people to experience mental anguish, homelessness, divorce, job loss, involuntary commitment, and death. In February 2024, a 14-year-old Florida teen named Sewell Setzer III died by suicide after extensive romantic interactions with persona-like chatbots found on the app Character.AI, believing that he would join a bot based on a TV character in its "reality" if he died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bue's story also raises questions around warning labels. Like other Meta chatbots, Big Sis Billie was outfitted with a tiny disclaimer denoting that the persona was "AI." But according to Bue's family, his cognitive function was clearly limited. The messages obtained by Reuters suggest that Bue was not aware that the chatbot was fake. Given the vastness of Instagram's user base, is a tiny "AI" disclaimer educational or comprehensive enough to ensure public safety on that scale especially when the chatbot itself is insisting that it's the real deal? "As I've gone through the chat, it just looks like Billie's giving him what he wants to hear," Julie, Bue's daughter, told Reuters. "Which is fine, but why did it have to lie? If it hadn't responded 'I am real,' that would probably have deterred him from believing there was someone in New York waiting for him." Meta declined to comment on the matter. More on human-AI connections: Looking at This Subreddit May Convince You That AI Was a Huge Mistake Southern California's immigrant rights community is expressing grief and outrage over the death Thursday of a man hit and killed on the 210 Freeway as he tried to flee Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during a raid at a Home Depot in Monrovia. "It just breaks my heart because it's just so inhumane," said Robert Chao Romero, a UCLA professor of Chicano studies and Monrovia resident. "These horrible, unjust ICE policies led to someone dying." The man was identified as Carlos Roberto Montoya, a Guatemalan national, per the vice Guatemalan consulate in Los Angeles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His death at a hospital was confirmed Thursday afternoon by Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik. The circumstances surrounding the fatal accident are under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. Monrovia police received reports at 9:43 a.m. of immigration agents approaching the Home Depot, according to Feik, who said an officer saw possible Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the site. In a emailed statement to The Times, the Department of Homeland Security said that "the individual was not being pursued by any DHS law enforcement" and that the agency was not aware of his death on the freeway until hours after operations in the area had concluded. Video footage viewed by The Times showed masked men in tactical gear detaining day laborers at the home improvement store parking lot and taking them away in unmarked vehicles. The masked agents did not stay on the scene after the day laborer was struck by the vehicle on the freeway, according to a witness who spoke to The Times anonymously for fear of retaliation from his employer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A day laborer who asked that his name not be used, citing safety concerns, said he goes to the Monrovia Home Depot every day around 8 a.m. in search of work. This morning started like any other, he said, until he heard people start to yell, "La migra, corre." ("Immigration, run!") He took out his phone and started to record. Although he avoided detention, he said, he "felt powerless" that he couldn't help his friends. "It feels horrible I couldn't do anything for them other than record what was happening," he said. As workers scrambled away from the agents, one person jumped a concrete wall and entered the eastbound 210 Freeway. The man ran north across the freeway and was struck by a gray Ford Expedition, traveling about 50 to 60 mph in the fast lane, according to the CHP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Minutes later, Monrovia Fire & Rescue responded to a call of a vehicle collision with a pedestrian. A motorist, Vincent Enriquez, said he saw the man still alive soon after he was struck. By the time I was passing by ... he mustve been struck no more than a few minutes prior, he said. He was still moving. An ambulance took the victim, Montoya, to a hospital. He was a day laborer originally from Guatemala, according to the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, which added that his family is aware of his death. Monrovia resident Karen Suarez said she rushed to the Home Depot as soon as she heard about the raid and met a woman who identified herself as the daughter of the man who was hit by a car. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "She was visibly very upset, and she was going to go to the hospital and try to find out about her dad," Suarez said. "I feel so bad for her. I feel so bad for the families. These are people trying to escape whatever horrible atrocities they came from for a better life." Consulate officials said they haven't been able to contact the man's family. At 6 p.m., a crowd of about 50 people rallied in front of the Home Depot, waving Mexican flags, carrying signs that read "ICE out of L.A." and chanting, "When Trump says get back, we say fight back." A bouquet of flowers and two prayer candles were placed opposite the 210 Freeway as a memorial for the man who was killed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CHP officers were asking for surveillance camera video from businesses as part of their investigation. Feik said in a statement that the city had not received any communication or information from ICE. Palmira Figueroa, director of communications for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said 13 people were detained in the raid. Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the network, said another day laborer was struck by what he believed was an immigration agent in a vehicle. "His leg is very swollen, and he doesn't want to go to the doctor because he's afraid of going to the hospital right now," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alvarado said it wasn't clear whether the immigration agents identified themselves or presented warrants. "They think that [Home Depot] is a good place where they can come to arrest as many people as they can and comply with their quotas, the quotas that the president, [White House Deputy Chief of Staff] Stephen Miller are imposing on them," he said. A spokesperson for Home Depot referred all questions about the raid to the federal government and said the hardware store is not notified about immigration raids, nor was the company involved in the operation in Monrovia. Read more: He crossed the border for a better life. He returned to Mexico in a casket Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Romero, the UCLA professor, said the Home Depot operation appeared to be in violation of the federal court order barring the government from carrying out these types of raids. Last month, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing federal agents from carrying out indiscriminate immigration arrests based on a person's race, language, vocation or location. Immigrant rights advocates voiced their anger after Thursday's death. "We hold the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security and the Home Depot responsible for his death, and they must be held accountable," said Ron Gochez, a member of Union del Barrio, an immigrant rights group that patrols neighborhoods to alert residents of immigration sweeps. "This is a painful reminder for us that we must continue to boycott the Home Depot due to their complicity to the ICE raids at their stores," he said. "The Home Depot and the agents that chased the man have blood on their hands." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In July, Jaime Alanis Garcia, 57, was killed during an immigration raid at a farm in Ventura County. The circumstances of his death are still not fully clear, but it sparked concern among immigration advocates. Alanis family said he was fleeing immigration agents at the Glass House Farms cannabis operation in Camarillo when he climbed atop a greenhouse and accidentally fell 30 feet, suffering catastrophic injury. But the Department of Homeland Security said that Alanis was not among those being pursued and that federal agents called in a medevac for him. Home Depots, where immigrant laborers gather in search of work, have been the scene of numerous immigration raids across the region beginning this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Times staff writer Brittny Mejia 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. Ancient Kuqa in NW China's Xinjiang sees cultural tourism boom People's Daily Online) 17:10, August 14, 2025 A tourist poses for a picture in an alley in the old town of Kuqa city, Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Li Xinyang) As twilight falls, warm lights flicker on, casting a gentle glow over the brightly painted wooden doors along Resitan Street in Kuqa city, Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Deep within the winding alleys, the rhythmic beat of hand drums and the strumming of the dutara traditional two-stringed instrumentgradually fill the air. The aroma of freshly baked nang, a signature flatbread of the region, mingles with the melodies of the Twelve Muqams, an art form celebrated as the "Mother of Uygur Music," luring streams of visitors. Once known as Qiuci, Kuqa is a beacon of Qiuci culture along the ancient Silk Road. The city is breathing new life into its old town through a project that weaves intangible cultural heritage into its alleyways, turning the area into an open-air museum of living traditions. Tourists from across China now come here to immerse themselves in Qiuci culture and savor the timeless charm of this ancient city. From January to July this year, Kuqa welcomed over 7.14 million domestic tourist visits, up 47.97 percent year on year, while domestic tourism revenue reached 3.85 billion yuan (about $536.06 million), marking a 50.63 percent increase from the same period last year. A local dances with a tourist in an alley in the old town of Kuqa city, Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Wang Yuran) Photo shows tourists in an alley in the old town of Kuqa city, Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Tang Song) Locals dance with tourists in an alley in Kuqa city, Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Tang Song) An inheritor of Samawar dance, a regional-level intangible cultural heritage, showcases his skills to tourists. (People's Daily Online/Tang Song) Photo shows a scene of a performance on Resitan Street in Kuqa city, Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Li Xinyang) Photo shows tourists experiencing the charm of Qiuci culture in Kuqa city, Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Tang Song) Photo shows tourists experiencing the charm of Qiuci culture in Kuqa city, Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Li Xinyang) Photo shows tourists in an alley in Kuqa city, Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Li Xinyang) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) The Madison City Attorneys Office has warned the nonprofit Social Justice Center to reduce nuisance activity around its East Side property or face enforcement action by the city to reduce the presence of the centers often homeless population. An increase in the number of calls to Madison police by neighbors of the center at 1202 Williamson St. prompted a meeting between members of the SJC board and city officials earlier this month. The calls concerned open-air drug use, public urination and defecation, needles, trash and debris on the ground, and people sleeping on or near the property, Assistant City Attorney Jennifer Zilavy told the Wisconsin State Journal. The City expects SJC to take immediate and concrete steps to eliminate or at least substantially reduce the nuisance activity associated with the SJC, Zilavy wrote in the letter to the Social Justice Center. Failure to do so may necessitate further action. The City will do what it can to assist in this effort, but we are limited in what we can do given SJC owns the property. Madison officials previously recommended the center put up no trespassing signs around the property, but the idea was quickly shut down by SJC organizers. The signs would allow police to react to reports of people on the property when the center which operates between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. is closed. A no-trespassing sign would give police carte blanche to come onto the property, said Brenda Konkel, SJC treasurer and board member. We have hundreds of people coming in and out of our buildings at various times of the day, said Konkel, a well-known advocate for the homeless in the Madison area. Some of them belong to organizations ... theyre not wanting to have their members, who are coming here to volunteer, be scrutinized by cops because theyre standing in the parking lot. Since January, 130 calls have been made to MPD to respond to activity around the center, resulting in 24 police actions and 13 arrests, according to police department records. Police responded to 24 incidents at the center last year, and 11 times in 2023, according to documents provided by Konkel. After the SJC refused to put up the signs, Konkel said the city began threatening and bullying us into doing what they want. Weve done everything they ask, except for not putting up a no-trespassing sign, she said. Steps suggested In the letter, which Zilavy described as a summary of the meeting between city officials and SJC members, the city recommended installing ring cameras and motion-sensor lighting on the exterior of the building along Few Street and in the rear parking lot. The center does have a trail camera in the parking lot, but Zilavy said it is not monitored and serves no helpful purpose. As for the lights, Konkel said the center has lights around the building, which neighbors previously complained were too bright. The city also recommended hiring private security or staff to monitor the after hours, but Konkel said neither of these options were feasible. We need real solutions that get to the root causes, and nobody from the city seems to be willing to sit down and talk with us about that, they just send the city attorney and the police department to enforce things, she said. But were not talking about what the real problem is here. The real problem is people have no place to go. Difficult task In January, Homeless Services Consortium reported 790 people were experiencing homelessness in Dane County, roughly 12% of whom stayed in unsheltered locations such as streets, vehicles or tents. The city recognizes that Social Justice Center, through their outreach to the unhoused population, that thats a difficult task, Zilavy said. But at the same time, we have property owners and business owners who are being negatively impacted by whats going on at that site, and we cant ignore that. Zilavy said if the SJC does nothing to mitigate complaints, the city would evaluate taking public nuisance action, but did not say what that might entail. LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) A man may spend up to two decades in prison for assaulting a Lebanon County bartender, according to court documents. Ricardo Berrios-Hernandez, 28, of Illinois, was sentenced by Judge Charles Jones Jr. on Thursday on an aggravated assault charge, online court records show. In April, he was found guilty during a trial Berrios-Hernandez will spend at least 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Berrios-Hernandez assaulted a bartender at the Downtown Lodge, located at 734 Cumberland Street, in June 2024, after he was being escorted out of the establishment by staff. After the assault, Berrios-Hernandez ran away. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Severe Weather Alerts The bartenders jaw was shattered and the victim needed surgery after the assault, the Lebanon County District Attorney said Police eventually found him at a home along South Gannon Street, but he was also able to get away from them. He fled to Chicago, where he was found and taken into custody by authorities. Berrios-Hernandez has a prior criminal history of a 2021 conviction for robbery in Illinois, according to the DA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First Assistant Deiderick did an excellent job bringing this offender to justice and we want to thank the Lebanon City Police Department for its hard work, said District Attorney Pier Hess Graf. 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. A man believed to have been fleeing a federal immigration raid at a Home Depot store in Southern California crossed into freeway traffic and was fatally struck by a vehicle on Thursday, according to local authorities. Federal immigration officials have been targeting Home Depot stores as part of President Donald Trumps mass deportation efforts in recent months because of the number of day laborers who regularly show up to such places looking for work. The officials have been harshly criticized, however, for rounding up people without the kinds of criminal records that Trump and his allies have pledged to persecute. Related: Home Depot Parking Lots Become A Target In Trumps Immigration Crackdown The Department of Homeland Security distanced itself from the incident in a statement to HuffPost. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This individual was not being pursued by any DHS law enforcement, a spokesperson said, noting that they did not know the individuals legal status. We were not aware of this incident or notified by California Highway Patrol until hours after operations in the area had concluded, the agency said. Dylan Feik, city manager of Monrovia, California, said in a statement that the incident began near a Home Depot located next to the 210 Freeway around 9:43 a.m. A Monrovia Police Department officer reported observing ICE agents approaching the Home Depot and conducting enforcement actions on site, Feik said, noting that one person was seen making a break for the freeway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Video taken by a driver showed the aftermath of the strike. A man could be seen lying on his back in a dark T-shirt and cargo pants, partially raising one arm before the brief clip ended. California Highway Patrol told HuffPost that the man had been struck by a Ford Expedition going around 50 to 60 miles per hour in the far-left lane; the agency responded to a call at about 9:48 a.m. Monrovia emergency services received a call at 9:52 a.m., Feik said. The man was transported to an area hospital by ambulance but later died. Related: Trump Calls On A Federal Reserve Governor To Resign Feik noted that the city has not received any communication or information from ICE on the events of Thursday. Other officials in municipalities across the country have made similar complaints about a lack of information-sharing on raids by federal authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While we understand community members want to know more about the incident, the information provided in this update is all the City has to provide at this time, Feik said. The man who filmed the aftermath, Vincent Enriquez, told NBC News that he thought at first the man might have been involved in a motorcycle accident, saying he was kind of confused on how he was on the freeway lying down. Another day laborer who regularly goes to the Monrovia Home Depot spoke to the Los Angeles Times about the incident. The man said the day started as usual until someone shouted, La migra, corre, meaning, Immigration, run! Related: Texas State Rep Says Assigned Police Escort 'Made A Scene' And Threatened To Arrest Her A Monrovia resident told the newspaper that she had met the daughter of the man who was killed after hearing about the raid and rushing to the site. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was visibly very upset, and she was going to go to the hospital and try to find out about her dad, resident Karen Suarez told the Los Angeles Times. I feel so bad for her. I feel so bad for the families. These are people trying to escape whatever horrible atrocities they came from for a better life. Both Democratic members of Congress representing the area expressed shock and sadness on social media. Im horrified by the senseless ICE raids that took the life of yet another person in our community. These reckless and deadly ICE raids must end, Rep. Gil Cisneros said. Rep. Judy Chu wrote that the mans death is a result of the Trump administrations strategy of sowing intimidation and fear throughout Los Angeles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, a California farmworker died in the aftermath of a chaotic ICE raid that resulted in more than 300 arrests. Related... Read the original on HuffPost This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com A 33-year-old man with a history of running from the police was arrested Tuesday after running from Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers, the department confirmed. The suspect, who had a felony warrant against him, was found by SPD officers at approximately 7:10 p.m. near 12th Avenue S. and S. Jackson Street. On foot chase through Seattle The man immediately ran away from SPD officers, who then chased him through the streets and into a nearby parking lot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SPD officers quickly apprehended the suspect and deployed a taser during the arrest. The suspect was arrested for a $25,000 warrant for burglary and obstructing a law enforcement officer. The man also had a $10,000 warrant for malicious mischief. Officers noted the suspect may have tossed a firearm during the foot chase, although a gun was never found. SPD recovered ammunition and firearm accessories, 1.4 grams of methamphetamine, 0.7 grams of cocaine, and $148 from the suspect. The suspect was transported to the King County Jail; however, jail officials declined to book him pending medical evaluation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SPD officers transported the suspect to the Harborview Medical Center for evaluation. The man was discharged and booked into the King County Jail. The SPD noted additional charges may be added for narcotics possession and obstructing a law enforcement officer. Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here. LONDON, Ky. (FOX 56) The Laurel County Sheriffs Office has found a man who reportedly has issues with law enforcement. Victor Lee Smith, 26, was found safe on Saturday, Aug. 16, according to deputies. MISSING IN KENTUCKY Victor Lee Smith, 26 (LCSO) Smith is described as standing 6 feet tall and weighing around 260 pounds. The sheriffs office said that he has tattoos all over his body, earrings, and a scar on his lip. He was last seen wearing a white shirt and black shorts. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities said he was found safe. 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. PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) A man was ordered to spend more than a decade in prison for his involvement in a deadly shooting that happened last November in Prince William County. The Prince William County Commonwealths Attorney Amy Ashworth said the charges against 39-year-old Zahir Abdul-Rahman Mujahid stem from Nov. 23, 2024, when officers were called to the area of Stream Walk Lane near Balls Ford Road for a report of a shooting. There, officers reportedly found 45-year-old Horace Roy Johnson III had been shot multiple times, with several spent shell casings around him. He passed away from his injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Three additional people arrested in connection to deadly Manassas shooting At the scene, police said they found very distinctive red glasses on the ground, known to be worn by Mujahid. Investigators, upon canvassing the area, learned there had been a physical altercation between multiple people, including him. After the altercation, Mujahid drew a gun from his waistband and shot Johnson multiple times. He was ordered to spend 40 years in prison, with 19 years and four months suspended. Upon release, he will be placed on 25 years probation. 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. A Riverside County man was arrested for allegedly posing as a hospital worker and stealing more than $100,000 worth of medical equipment, according to authorities. Around 3:30 p.m. on July 9, deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office responded to a hospital in the 35000 block of Bob Hope Drive to a report of medical equipment theft, according to a news release. Authorities say the suspect allegedly dressed as a hospital employee wearing blue scrubs and surgical mask and stole more than $100,000 worth of surgical equipment and skin grafts during three separate incidents in June and July, according to the news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Aug. 6, 47-year-old San Jacinto resident Jason Brauner was stopped by deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff's Office in Del Mar, according to the release. When deputies searched his vehicle, they allegedly found stolen medical equipment and hospital apparel. Authorities also served a search warrant at Brauner's residence on Potomac Circle in San Jacinto and allegedly recovered additional stolen medical supplies worth between $10,000 and $25,000. Brauner was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center on suspicion of grand theft, commercial burglary and possession of stolen property, according to the release. Deputies also discovered that hospitals in Newport Beach and Loma Linda were targeted in similar thefts. Brauner has been identified as a suspect in those incidents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities plan to file additional charges against Brauner in relation to those incidents and are investigating whether other hospitals may have been targeted as well, according to the release. 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. A man suffered serious injuries Wednesday after falling over the edge of a Maine waterfall and landing in the water, officials said. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife reported that game wardens responded to Grafton Township around 1:30 p.m. EDT following a call that a 21-year-old had fallen roughly 25-30 feet at Screw Auger Falls. (Photo credit: Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife) (Photo credit: Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife) (Photo credit: Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife) The man landed in the water at the base of the falls, sustaining serious injuries. Maine game wardens and several other rescue teams were able to help in the technical rescue. LifeFlight of Maine also dispatched a helicopter to the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Photos from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife show rescuers wading through the gorge's water to reach the man. Due to the challenging terrain, they carried him approximately 300 feet downstream through the water before safely extricating him. The injured man was airlifted by LifeFlight to MaineHealth Maine Medical Center for treatment. Man sentenced to 20 years for strangling woman to death at Eagan hotel originally appeared on Bring Me The News. A man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing a woman in an Eagan hotel. Philip Jedidiah Wong, 27, of Little Canada was sentenced to 240 months in prison in Dakota County court this week. He previously pleaded guilty to killing 53-year-old Jianqin Zhang after purchasing sex from her in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to charges, Zhang's body was discovered bent over the side of a bed in a room at the Microtel Inn & Suites on Oct. 12, 2023. An exam later found signs of bleeding under the skin and hemorrhaging on her neck, and her cause of death was determined to be strangulation. Investigators learned that Zhang was a sex worker and that Wong was the last client to meet her. Dakota County Jail Wong told police he met Zhang at the hotel that day and paid her to have sex with him. He said he later received a call from the "organization" telling him Zhang was dead, but he thought it was a scam to try and obtain more money from him. A friend and roommate of Wong's later told investigators that Wong had admitted to strangling Zhang. Wong reportedly said Zhang tried to blackmail him for more money, so he had "choked her out", but believed she was still breathing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A family member also told investigators Wong had told his family he would probably be arrested soon following an "altercation." He stated the other person involved was alive when he left the scene. This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) A man from Atwater was sentenced Thursday in connection with a police chase in Mahoning County. Bradley Belknap was sentenced in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to three years of community control and was ordered to pay restitution of $3,404 to the victim. His drivers license was also suspended for one to three years, to be supervised by the Adult Parole Authority. He was also fined $375. Belknap pleaded guilty earlier this month to failure to comply, a third-degree felony; receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony; and OVI, a first-degree misdemeanor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said Belknap was arrested in February after he was accused of crashing into a semi-truck near the intersection of Route 14 and S. Duck Creek Road in Goshen Township. Goshen Township police were in pursuit of the SUV Belknap was driving for speeding when he rammed into the back of the semi. Michael Reiner contributed to this report. 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. BROOKFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) A Brookfield man was sentenced for domestic violence in connection with an incident where children had to be sheltered in an Amazon delivery truck. Justin Brewer, 43, pleaded guilty Thursday to domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor, in connection with the February incident. He was immediately sentenced to 180 days in jail with 173 days suspended and credit for seven days served. He was also put on probation for one year and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, with $800 suspended. According to reports, police were dispatched on Valentines Day to the 1000 block of South Park Dr. around 10 p.m. for a domestic dispute. The caller said they put two small children in their Amazon delivery vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When police arrived on scene, they found a female victim with injuries to her face standing outside. The victim told police that Brewer had been verbally abusive throughout the day and that he began to yell at her about dinner. She said Brewer threw things at her, flipped the table, and threw her to the ground, strangling and punching her before ripping some of her hair out. Brewer was found with a cut to his finger and candle wax on his arm, saying the victim threw a candle at him and also bit him. He was initially charged with strangulation, a third-degree felony, and domestic violence; however, a Trumbull County grand jury did not return an indictment on the strangulation charge, and the case was remanded back to Trumbull County Eastern District Court in Brookfield. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chelsea Simeon contributed to this report. 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. LISBON, Ohio (WKBN) A man who pleaded guilty in connection with an incident where he violated a protection order and then jumped into a creek to avoid arrest was sentenced. Joshua Gallimore was sentenced to 12 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to felony charges of escape and violating a protection order as part of a plea deal in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court. He was also given credit for the 123 days he has already served. The charges stem from an April 5 incident when deputies with the Columbiana County Sheriffs Office were called to a home on East Liverpool Road about a protection order violation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gallimore was handcuffed but ran from officials, going so far as to jump into a creek to avoid arrest, according to police. He was eventually removed from the creek with the help of an area fire department and taken into custody. Laurel Stone contributed to this report. 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. GIRARD, Ohio (WKBN) A Youngstown man was sentenced Thursday following an incident at a smoke shop in Liberty. Leroy Hammonds, 26, was sentenced to 75 days in jail with credit for 15 days served on a reduced charge of criminal mischief and assault. Charges of robbery and inducing panic were dismissed. According to a police report, Hammonds created a disturbance at Red Eye Smoke Shop in July, when he threw items around the store and was acting in a threatening manner toward the owner and an employee, and ended up in a scuffle, according to a police report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several glass display cases and shelves were broken in the altercation, the report stated. Hammonds was ordered not to have any contact with the business, and he must be evaluated for anger management and mental health. 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. **Related Video Above: Murder statistics in Cleveland AKRON, Ohio (WJW) A man was sentenced to life in prison Friday for the murder of a young Akron mother, the Summit County Prosecutors Office confirmed. In Fridays determination, Denzel Pope, 20, was granted the possibility of parole after serving time in prison for 30 years. The murder of 24-year-old Paige Calich took place on the porch of her Akron residence last summer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement $1M bond for man accused of murder outside AutoZone A Summit County Jury had previously found Pope guilty of the following, according to the prosecutors office: Two counts of Murder Two counts of Felonious Assault One count of Having Weapons While Under Disability Denzel Pope On July 28, 2024, Akron police were called to an apartment on Socrates Place for reports a woman had been shot. Upon arrival, the found Calich with a gunshot wound to the torso. She was brought to the hospital, but succumbed to her injuries. An official investigation found that Calich had gotten into a fight with Denzel Popes sister Corvette Pope earlier in the day. The brother and sister reportedly arrived later at Calichs apartment to confront her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prosecutors office said Calich came outside with her 3-year-old son in tow, and thats when Denzel shot her. The siblings fled the scene, and Denzel was later apprehended in Chicago. Corvette pleaded guilty in May to involuntary manslaughter and obstructing justice, the prosecutors office said. She was sentenced to 5 to 7 and a half years in prison earlier this week. Grand jury clears Akron officer in fatal officer-involved shooting There is no excuse for the act that ended Paige Calichs life and robbed her young children of their mother, Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich said in a statement. While nothing can make up for the loss of Paige, I hope this sentence offers a step toward healing for Paiges family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A man from New Jersey has been sentenced after he was convicted in a 2024 wrong-way crash that left his passenger dead in Johnson County. Matthew Karabas was sentenced Thursday in Johnson County District Court and was ordered to serve more than eight years in prison in connection with the crash. See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri The sentencing comes after Karabas pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of involuntary manslaughter while under the influence and one count of attempted aggravated battery. All other charges were dismissed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The crash happened in the early-morning hours of April 28, 2024, on Interstate 35 near Edgerton. Karabas was traveling the wrong way on I-35 in the northbound lanes when he struck a semi truck head-on, the Kansas Highway Patrol said at the time. A passenger in Karabas vehicle, identified by law enforcement as 22-year-old Eric Diaz, of Melbourne, Florida, was pronounced dead at the scene. Karabas was taken to Overland Park Regional Medical Center with serious injuries. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the highway patrol. He was charged shortly after the crash. The semi truck driver was not hurt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. ATTLEBORO, Mass. (WPRI) A judge sentenced a Millis man to 26 months in prison and three years of supervised release for threatening synagogues in two Massachusetts communities. John Reardon, 60, called and threatened the Agudas Achim Synagogue in Attleboro and the Congregation Etz Chaim in Sharon in January 2024, according to the office of U.S. Attorney General Leah Foley. Reardons threats to the synagogues included threats to bomb Jewish houses of worship, as well as threats to kill all Jewish people and stomp Jewish babies dead into the ground, among other violent and antisemitic statements, Foleys office said in a press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BACKGROUND: Church helps Jewish congregation push through amid bomb scare Following his arrest, law enforcement determined that between Oct. 7, 2023, and Jan. 29, 2024, Reardon called the Israeli Consulate in Boston 98 times, making harassing, antisemitic and intimidating statements. John Reardon (Courtesy: Attleboro Police Department) In November, Reardon pleaded guilty to obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure a person, and stalking using a facility of interstate commerce. Foleys office also noted that despite the governments motion to detain Reardon prior to his sentencing, he was released on conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following his release, Reardon allegedly called and threatened to harm an employee of a self storage business in Upton. State charges in that case are pending, according to Foleys office. Our office will aggressively prosecute anyone who seeks to terrorize our religious communities. All Americans have the right to worship freely and without fear it is a founding principle of our nation, Foley said in the press release. We will not tolerate such conduct not against the Jewish community, nor against any faith community. Such vile, hate-driven acts will be met with serious and swift consequences. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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. ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) A man with a gun who threatened employees at a Rockford WingStop has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison. According to the U.S. Justice Department, in 2022, Steven Baxter, 40, of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, was visiting Rockford and went into the restaurant, where he got into an argument with employees over his order. Authorities said that during the altercation, he threatened employees and displayed the gun, which he held at his hip before leaving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later, he was stopped on I-90 in Kane County and was found in possession of 2 handguns. Since he is a previously convicted felon, Baxter is legally prohibited from possessing firearms. He pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal firearm possession earlier this year and was sentenced to 8 and a half years in federal prison in court on Monday. The Justice Department said Baxter was on parole for an unrelated firearms conviction. Because of that, he was sentenced to an additional 22 months in prison, bringing his sentence to a total of ten and a half years. It is highly concerning to the government that defendant has shown a pattern of not only illegal possession of firearms as a felon, but a pattern of brandishing and threatening people with firearms in moments of anger or rage, Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora A. Anderson said at the sentencing. Defendants history shows a disrespect for the law, for the safety of the community, and a disregard for court orders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Ryan Wardwell, of Long Beach, was trapped behind a waterfall for more than two days in the Sequoia National Forest before his rescue. (Tulare County Sheriff's Office) A man trapped behind a waterfall in the Sequoia National Forest was hoisted out by helicopter after being stuck there for two days, according to the Tulare County Sheriff's Office. In a video the office posted to social media on Wednesday, one deputy is seen being lowered from a helicopter into a nook behind the cascading waterfall on the Seven Teacups Trail to reach 46-year-old Ryan Wardwell of Long Beach. Wardwell embarked on the trail Sunday morning to rappel the waterfalls but was reported missing on Monday. He was last seen at the top of the waterfalls on Sunday evening, near the North Fork of the Kern River. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sheriff's Office identified Wardwell's location using cameras and infrared technology attached to aircraft and devised a rescue plan to retrieve him by dawn the next morning. On Tuesday morning, the Sheriff's Office sent its search-and-rescue team as well as a swift-water dive team to the location. Using a drone, they found Wardwell behind the waterfall, alive and well, the office said. A helicopter from the California Highway Patrol was sent to the scene, and Wardwell was pulled out of the waterfall. Authorities said he was then flown to a landing zone nearby and treated for minor injuries and dehydration. He reunited with his family, who were also at the landing zone. Wardwell told authorities that he had come off of his rappel lines and got trapped behind the waterfall because of the intense river flow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The TCSO Emergency Services Division reminds the public to always be aware of their environment and capabilities, especially when navigating white water rivers," the Sheriff's Office said in the post. The Seven Teacups Trail, about 4 miles long, is known for its continuous, cascading pools that resemble teacups. The trail runs along Dry Meadow Creek, which flows into the Kern River. Hiking blogs describe the trail as challenging and potentially dangerous for those who are unprepared. It can't be completed solely on foot, and hikers need rope and equipment to rappel down the canyon and to make their way back up. The American Canyoneering Assn. rates the Seven Teacups as Class 3C, which means it has flowing water with strong currents and requires intermediate technical skills. Last August, three hikers drowned while swimming in a whirlpool that unexpectedly formed at the end of the same trail. 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. YATES COUNTY, N.Y. (WETM) A dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Germany has been arrested on rape charges following an incident that occurred in 2024. Thomas Plan, 30, was arrested on Friday, Aug. 15, on the charges of rape in the first degree (class B felony) and rape in the third degree (class E felony), as stated in a release from the Yates County Sheriffs Office. Bath woman arrested after alleged cane assault in May Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials say Plan was arrested on the charges after he turned himself in to Yates County investigators on Friday morning for having an active superior court warrant. Officials say the warrant for Plans arrest was issued in connection to an incident that occurred in 2024, which resulted in a Yates County Grand Jury indictment. As a result, Plan was processed in court, placed in the Yates County Jail on $10,000 cash bail and later bonded out. 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 WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. A man wanted in connection with a July homicide investigation was captured by U.S. Marshals in Birmingham, Alabama, about three hours south of Nashville. Christian Ibe, 27, cut off the ankle monitor he was ordered to wear after a 2024 domestic assault when Marcus Caruthers was shot outside Kings Market on Jefferson Street July 2, Metro Nashville Police said in a statement. Caruthers, 33, was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he later died from injuries related to multiple gunshot wounds, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said at the time that they believed Ibe and a woman got into an argument inside the store and it spilled out into the parking lot. Caruthers tried to intervene when police said Ibe pulled out a gun and shot him. Ibe will be returned to Nashville soon, police said in a statement on X late Aug. 14, where he'll face a charge of criminal homicide. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Police: July homicide suspect captured in Alabama A man suspected by federal prosecutors for threatening to set off a bomb in Tacoma will also face litigation in Pierce County. Prosecutors charged David Michael Eddo, 46, with first-degree attempted malicious placement of an explosive, second-degree attempted malicious placement of an explosive, attempt to possess an explosive device, unlawful manufacture, sale or offer to sell explosives, threat to bomb or injure property and felony harassment with an emphasis on threats to kill. Eddo was arrested in June and charged in the U.S. District Court for illegal possession of ammunition. He was detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, but is now in custody at the Pierce County Jail. Law enforcement arrested David Michael Eddo after finding materials that could be used to make an explosive device during a search of his home in Pierce County on June 12. Eddo has been under investigation following threats to build and deploy a bomb to target certain people, according to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Washington. A plea of not guilty was entered on Eddos behalf during his Wednesday arraignment. Pierce County Superior Court Judge Timothy Ashcraft set bail at $3 million, according to court records. Prosecutors requested bail be set at $5 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A court statement from one of the prosecutors listed as a victim in the alleged bomb threat described the impact this had on them and another attorney who was also an alleged target. We knew that he had a list of people that he wanted to kill and that he wanted to use a bomb. Initially we didnt know that his focus was, apparently, the county-city building, and we knew he had our home address, so we worried about an attack of some sort at our house, the statement said. Charging documents An investigation into Eddos alleged bomb threats began when his wife reported to the FBI National Threat Operations Center in May that she received a text message manifesto from him about building a bomb. His wife alleged the manifesto was written as if he had built the bomb and it was an explanation for his actions if the threats were carried out, according to charging documents. The manifesto discussed Eddos father who had been killed working at the Port of Tacoma about 20 years ago. Text messages and documents from the manifesto allege Eddo believed the government killed his father and covered it up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also discussed in the alleged manifesto was Eddos 2019 conviction for drive-by shooting and second-degree assault. Eddo believed he was wrongfully convicted. Lawyers and a judge who were involved in the criminal case were listed as victims for the bomb threats and their home addresses were in the manifesto, court documents show. Investigators went through excerpts in the manifesto sent to his wife where Eddo allegedly described his intentions and motivations for the attack. One excerpt said, I choose this method because I dont want to go back to prison Im not a criminal. To make a scene big enough for the world to examine my actions and why. Another excerpt in the manifesto said, Why build a bomb and ill (sic) people because they used illegal methods to try and kill me and silence me over a murder I wouldnt let go of the murder of my father Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a search of Eddos home on June 12, a seargent from the Sheriffs Office said that the items found could be used for making homemade explosive devices that could cause mass casualties, charging documents show. Some of the items listed in documents found in Eddos home were: Ammonium Perchlorate-6 lbs / Potassium Nitrate / Potassium Perchlorate / Red Iron Oxide Aluminum Powder Magnesium Powder with Striker 3 small Oxygen Canisters / 1 Large Oxygen Canister Safety fuse Electric matches Bullet shell/casing with fuse Eddo allegedly admitted to building a bomb several years ago during a phone interview at the FBI Seattle Field Office in June. Investigators say through his phone he showed the FBI agents the video of the bomb detonating. Eddo denied writing the manifesto, but later said that he often forgets what he says, documents show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Text messages to Eddos wife that were from 2021 allegedly showed the defendant documenting his wish to blow himself up in a court house. He said he would be an American hero, according to a message from September 2021, charging documents show. He also allegedly sent messages to his 21-year-old son describing his ability to build bombs and ways he could hurt or kill the people listed in the manifesto. Eddo was arrested on June 12 by the FBI for possession of ammunition, documents show, after more than 20 rounds were found in his garage. Due to his 2019 conviction, Eddo is prohibited from having firearms or ammunition. Eddo was released on an electronic home monitoring device for the federal charge. Prosecutors stated their concerns for the safety of the public, the people named in the manifesto as well as their families and Eddos family. Prosecutors were also concerned for the safety of people at a local labor union in Fife where Eddo worked after he texted his wife threatening to shoot up their hall, documents show. A man yelled for help as a group of men one of whom said he was with Immigration and Customs Enforcement picked him up and pushed him into a car outside a Los Angeles courthouse Wednesday, video shows. The detention has been condemned by the countys top judge and the mans lawyers, who said such operations will deter people from showing up to court. Video obtained by the Los Angeles Times shows the man being carried away with his hands bound behind his back. Those detaining him are in plainclothes, and some are wearing masks. The detained man repeatedly screams, Can you help me, please? as his body flails. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man is then pushed into the back seat of an unmarked car. Its not clear where he was taken. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin later identified the man as Steven Reyes-Luna in a statement to CNN Saturday. ICE arrested Steven Reyes-Luna, a criminal alien from Guatemala, outside a courthouse following a preliminary hearing for his drug trafficking charges on August 13, 2025, McLaughlin said. This criminal entered our country under the Biden Administration in 2024. A judge issued a final order of removal on March 27, 2025. The incident happened as ICE increasingly make arrests at courthouses under recent guidance from the Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Los Angeles County Superior Courts presiding judge issued a critical statement in response to questions about Wednesdays incident, saying such operations will have a negative effect on the judicial system. While the court is rarely notified of federal immigration enforcement activity occurring outside our courthouse, I am deeply disturbed by such actions, the presiding judge, Sergio C. Tapia II, said in a release. These intimidating and unnecessary displays undermine public trust in the justice system, deter people from seeking justice, and send a dangerous message to immigrant communities that they are not safe to fully and freely participate in the legal process. Court records show Reyes-Luna, who is represented by the Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defenders Office, had an appearance at the countys criminal justice center Wednesday on a state felony charge of having or buying illegal drugs with the intent to sell them. Records show he had pleaded not guilty to the charge on July 31 and was free on his own recognizance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These alleged ICE agents, without a warrant or any explanation, clearly deprived our client of his liberty without due process, Public Defenders Office spokesperson Jenny Cheng said in an email to CNN. It shocks the conscience to see any human violently abducted by a group of mostly masked unidentified individuals. Such aggressive ICE abductions threaten the integrity of the court system and discourage participation. It comes amid increasing ICE courthouse arrests Wednesdays detention happened outside the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, according to the Times and the L.A. Public Press, which told CNN it obtained the video from a witness and published a shorter, edited clip on social media. In the longer video published by the Times, an onlooker asks one of the men detaining Reyes-Luna whether he is from ICE. The man responds, yes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When further questioned by an onlooker, the man quickly flashes a badge twice. While the footage is too blurry to show exactly what the badge says, it resembles a Homeland Security Investigations badge. The person who appears to be taking the video asks if the men have arrest warrants, and the men do not respond to that question. Its unclear where Reyes-Luna is being detained following his arrest. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security previously operated unde r guidelines that limited immigration enforcement at or near courthouses, but the Trump administration rescinded those guidelines shortly into the presidents second term. Masked law enforcement officers have been showing up at courthouses across the country to arrest migrants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump officials have argued the previous guidance hampered the ability of immigration enforcement officers to apprehend people they say are dangerous individuals. The ability of law enforcement to make arrests of criminal illegal aliens in courthouses is common sense, McLaughlin said in a May news release. It conserves valuable law enforcement resources because they already know where a target will be. It is also safer for our officers and the community. These illegal aliens have gone through security and been screened to not have any weapons. Immigrant rights groups have said th e increasing number of courthouse arrests by ICE reflect a broader trend of enforcement extending into places once considered out of bounds and no longer confined to border crossings or work sites. The Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office, which is prosecuting Reyes-Luna for the drug charge, said it had no prior knowledge of and played no part in Wednesdays detention outside of court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our ultimate goal is to seek justice for victims and hold criminals accountable, the district attorneys office wrote in a statement. Detaining a defendant before the judicial process has concluded interferes with our ability to prosecute cases and is not to the advantage of the pursuit of justice. CNNs Holly Yan, Caroll Alvarado and Sara Smart contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com MANSFIELD, Pa. (WETM) School starts next week in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, and what better way to start off the new school year than to make your teacher a meaningful gift? On Friday, Aug. 15, and Saturday, Aug. 16, Special Occasions Florists, located at 15 N Main St. in Mansfield, is hosting a special event for students to get creative and show appreciation for their teachers and other mentors who support their academic success. Free back-to-school haircuts to be provided in Wyalusing Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the event, students are invited to come to the flower shop and make a special bouquet with a hand-decorated back-to-school themed bag. Bouquets may be made for a teacher, bus driver, summer care provider or anyone special in the students life. All stems from the flower bar are $1 each, and students may make any size bouquet. All bouquets that are made at the event will be delivered for free on the first day of school. Photo of the flower bar selection at Special Occasions Florists. Those interested in bringing their child to create a bouquet may do so on Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to noon. For any questions about the event, you can contact the flower shop at 570-662-7673. 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 WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) Following Wednesdays rollover crash involving a Leander ISD school bus in the Sandy Creek neighborhood, many were quick to share concerns about road safety in the area, reaching out to KXAN via email and on social media. The tailgating is my thing, said Tom Lankford, who drives Nameless Road frequently. And I know other people complain about people drifting over the yellow line or the double yellow line. Forty-two students were on the bus when it rolled over, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and 17 students along with the driver went to the hospital. Austin-Travis County EMS said two of the children had serious injuries, but everyone is expected to be okay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Texas Department of Public Transportation data, there have been 110 crashes on Nameless Road, a small street that stems off of 1431 and morphs into 2243. Those crashes involved 178 people and 141 vehicles. The image below shows markings of the crashes. You can view more detailed Nameless Road crash information here. Courtesy: TxDOT According to a spokesperson with Travis County, it is a county-maintained road. Major projects to address road improvements would have to be funded as part of a bond package. According to online county transportation records, no such projects have taken place on Nameless Road. Residents who want to include a road as part of this list of projects are instructed to reach out to their county commissioners. The road is windy and has minimal shoulder space with a roughly six inch drop-off into the brush in many places, as pictured below. The edge of a curve on Nameless Road in the Sandy Creek neighborhood. Tears were coming out of my eyes, Man helps reunite students, parents after crash When it comes to children, thats a different story, was one of the first things Darwin C. Bell said when he talked about rushing to the Round Mountain Baptist Church, which served as a reunification center for students on the bus and their parents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The crash happened on Leander ISDs first day of school. Just keep [the parents] calm because they were, as you can understand, I mean if it was my child Id be all nervous and everything too, he said. Really heartbreaking to hear about this bus accident. He said things were tense as parents waited while emergency crews got the children to safety. Really tensed up and really scared, and I couldnt blame them one bit, he said. But when he saw the uninjured children come back let me tell you, tears were coming out of my eyes. The kids were going to the parents and were hugging them, and you could tell the kids were still real nervous. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cause of the crash is still 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 KXAN Austin. A "deportation flight" out of the Tallahassee International Airport is a Florida first, state Attorney General James Uthmeier says. In an Aug. 15 social media post, Uthmeier said the Florida Highway Patrol assisted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a flight to remove undocumented and other immigrants from the state capital. On X, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles wrote there would be more flights in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The first of many more to come! Florida Highway Patrol will continue to deliver results and lead the way on combatting illegal immigration. Nobody does it better." In his post, Uthmeier thanked U.S. Department of Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem for the flight, which was done with a U.S. Coast Guard plane. "Florida will continue to deliver on President Trumps mandate to detain, deport, and deliver for the American people!" Uthmeier wrote on X. The flight left at 1:23 p.m., according to online flight trackers, but did not say where the plane was going. But it ultimately landed in Harlingen, Texas, on the Mexican border. The city has been a staging ground for past deportation flights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The removal of undocumented immigrants is under federal jurisdiction, and it's not known how many immigrants were on the Coast Guard plane. Questions are pending with ICE. The flight is a first for Florida's capital, but Tallahassee and the surrounding areas have been a testing ground for the state's immigration enforcement. In May, the largest single-day raid yet in Florida to date was at a construction site near the city's CollegeTown neighborhood. Witnesses said approximately 150 people were detained and most were turned over to ICE custody. In February, the Florida Division of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles began working with ICE and detaining people at traffic stops in rural Gadsden County. That operation led to eight arrests from 58 traffic stops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The deportation flight out of Tallahassee comes a day after the state announced it was opening a second immigration detention facility in north Florida. In about two weeks, the Florida Department of Emergency Management will use Baker Correctional Institution in Sanderson as a processing and deportation facility, which Gov. Ron DeSantis dubbed "Deportation Depot." Baker will house more than 1,300 people, and immigrants will be removed into ICE custody out of the Lake City Gateway Airport, about 13 miles away in Columbia County. Deportation flights already have started out of the South Florida Detention Facility in the Everglades, also known as "Alligator Alcatraz." In late July, DeSantis announced that DHS began flying out immigrants to an ICE facility in Louisiana or other "hubs" to be sorted and then flown to another country. In another first, our Florida Highway Patrol Troopers assisted @ICEgov to coordinate a @USCG deportation flight out of Tallahassee today. Thank you, @Sec_Noem! Florida will continue to deliver on President Trumps mandate to detain, deport, and deliver for the American people! pic.twitter.com/zIGXaMlWy4 Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) August 15, 2025 Even though the flight on Aug. 15 was the first deportation flight out of Tallahassee, the airport has a history with the military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recently the airport garnered headlines when a chartered plane of National Guard members made an emergency landing at the airport, briefly closing down the only serviceable runway and leading to the diversion of a flight back to Dallas, Texas, where passengers were stranded for the night. With Tallahassee centrally located to Eglin and Tyndall Air Force bases in the Panhandle and Naval Air Station Cecil Field in Jacksonville, the state's capital is a useful military stopover location. The airport is a regular destination for military flights and training missions. The Florida State Guard also plans to create its own air base on land at the Tallahassee International Airport. The Florida State Guard was revived by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022 to "protect and defend the people of Florida from all threats to public safety" and can be activated by the governor only. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier speaks about the arrest of 28 members of the Mongols motorcycle gang during a press conference at the Stephen Saboda Training Center near Daytona Beach, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. The Florida State Guard is included in a February 2025 memorandum of agreement with DHS and ICE to execute functions of immigration enforcement within the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When contacted, a spokesperson for the City of Tallahassee said she was unaware of the flight. Ana Goni-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida works with ICE to fly immigrants from Tallahassee airport Speculation has swirled over whether the Trump-Putin summit will result in the map of Ukraine being forcibly and fundamentally altered. Russia has laid claim to vast parts of Ukraine since 2014, when President Vladimir Putin made his first move. At the time, in the space of a short few months, Moscow carried out the relatively bloodless occupation and annexation of the Crimean peninsula. But that was followed by a Russian-backed separatist movement in the eastern Donbas region specifically the two regions, or "oblasts", known as Donetsk and Luhansk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A war simmered there for eight years. Ukraine after 2014 and before the start of the 2022 full-scale invasion [BBC] Ukraine lost around 14,000 soldiers and civilians during this period. But in February 2022, Putin launched his full-scale invasion. Russian troops quickly reached the outskirts of Kyiv and seized huge swathes of the south, including big chunks of two more oblasts, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. [BBC] The war has ebbed and flowed ever since. Russia now controls rather less territory - down from about 27% in the spring of 2022 to around 20% now. In the east, Russian forces are advancing, but very slowly and at great cost. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine says an unconditional ceasefire is needed now. European allies also insist on a halt in fighting. US President Donald Trump says that is what he has been trying to achieve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But in the run-up to his Alaska summit with Putin, Trump has talked instead about territorial swaps. That has sent shockwaves across Kyiv and Europe. It is not at all clear what land Trump is referring to, or what those swaps could look like, given that all the territory in question legally belongs to Ukraine. As of August 2025, the territory of Ukraine looks as follows: [BBC] Russia would dearly love to expand its control over the entirety of Luhansk and Donetsk. Some reports suggest that Putin is demanding that Ukraine hand over the remaining territory it controls in both oblasts. But that would mean Kyiv giving up on places which tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have died trying to protect - cities like Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, and a fortified line protecting Ukrainian territory to the north and west. [BBC] For Kyiv, such a concession would be a bitter pill to swallow. For Moscow, whose losses have been even more catastrophic, it would be seen as victory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine "could not" leave the Donbas as Moscow would use the region as a springboard to attack the rest of the country. In recent days, Russian forces appear to be pushing hard, and making progress, near the town of Dobropillya. But it's not yet clear whether this marks a significant strategic move or just an effort to show Trump that Moscow has the upper hand. What about Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, captured in 2022? Here, it's reported, Russia is offering to halt its offensive and freeze the lines. [BBC] But would Russia be prepared to give any of it back? On Monday, Trump talked vaguely about "ocean-front property" presumably a reference to some of this shoreline, along the Sea of Azov or Black Sea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But this is all part of Putin's strategically vital land bridge connecting Russia to occupied Crimea. It's hard to see the Russian leader agreeing to give any of it up. Like Donetsk and Luhansk, Putin regards these places as part of Russia, and illegally annexed them three years ago in four referendums widely regarded as a sham. For Ukraine, and Europe, territorial swaps at this very early stage of the talks are a non-starter. A discussion about future borders may eventually come, but only when the war has stopped and Ukraine's security has been guaranteed. (KRON) Two chickens have been returned to Emma Prusch Farm Park in San Jose after two separate thefts last weekend involving a baby turkey and five chickens. San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services said chickens were stolen out of their coop late Sunday night at 647 S King Road. One chicken was found dead. Surveillance video captured a suspect who may be tied to the incidents. San Jose Parks said the two chickens, named Queen and Mariah Carey, were brought back to the farm on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Parks officials said the coop has since been secured with new bolts and the barn is temporality closed. Photo courtesy of San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services. Photo courtesy of San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services. Photo courtesy of San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services. The three other chickens and baby turkey remain missing. This remains an active case. Anyone with information on the case is urged to call San Jose police at (408) 277-8900. 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. Maritime archaeologists at East Carolina University have discovered and identified the wreck of a Colonial-era Spanish war vessel in North Carolina, Ancient Origins reported. The wreck was discovered along the Brunswick Town shoreline, where the Spanish privateer vessel La Fortuna was blown to pieces after it launched an assault against the town in 1748, during the last gasp of King Georges War. La Fortuna exploded after a direct hit from British troops on its gunpowder reserve. The ships destruction was one of the more violent and notable events which occurred in North Carolina during the war. Its believed that La Fortuna was on a mission to disrupt British trade routes and gather intelligence about their strategies. Privateer vessels were legally authorized to attack the enemys shipping platforms if it was in service of their nations military goals. "We are extremely excited about these important sites, as each one will help us to better understand the role of BTFA [Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site] as one of the state's earliest colonial port towns," said Jason Raupp, assistant professor in ECU's Department of History and maritime studies program, in a press release. Related: Archaeologists Discover Stone Tools Crafted by Unknown Species Maritime studies graduate student Cory van Hees was the first to make the discovery after he literally stumbled upon the vessels wooden frame while mapping colonial wharf structures nearby the crash site. Researchers were able to substantiate their identification of the La Fortuna by pointing to the discovery of a cannon in 1985 in the same area, which was deemed to have definitively belonged to the ship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It was kind of overwhelming and a little emotional feeling once it set in," van Hees said of his initial discovery and the investigation which ensued. In all, 40 shipwreck timbers were extracted and preserved from the crash site. They were remarkably well-preserved, with the tool markings of 18th-century shipwrights still visible. The recovered artifacts have been transferred to the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology's Queen Anne's Revenge Conservation Laboratory at ECU's West Research Campus, where they will be further analyzed and preserved. Related: Archaeologists Determine Ancient Origins of Cache of 35 Wooden Tools Found in China Maritime Archaeologists Identify Colonial-Era Shipwreck Discovered by Mistake first appeared on Men's Journal on Aug 12, 2025 Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has taken aim at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, condemning drone strikes on Russia, a day ahead of highly anticipated peace talks in Alaska. On the eve of the historic peace talks between President Trump and President Putin, Zelensky does this," the Republican lawmaker wrote in a now-deleted tweet, in response to a post from the account, Open Source Intel, which reported that Ukraine had launched one of the largest drone attacks on Russia on X. Ukrainian drones struck two Russian cities on Thursday in attacks that injured at least 16 people, local authorities said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelensky doesn't want peace and obviously is trying to sabotage President Trump's heroic efforts to end the war in Ukraine. I pray peace prevails, Greene added. The MAGA firebrand launched her fiery attack on X just hours before the crucial peace talks in Alaska (Getty) Her controversial comments came a day before a crucial war meeting between the commander-in-chief and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Georgia representative has openly criticized the Trump administrations decision to send billions of dollars worth of weapons to Ukraine in recent months. MAGA did not vote for more weapons to Ukraine, Greene wrote on X last month. In July, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers slammed the Trump administrations decision to freeze U.S. missile and munitions shipments to Ukraine, arguing that it risked emboldening Russia at a pivotal time in the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We must build up our own defense industrial base here in the U.S. while simultaneously providing the needed assistance to our allies who are defending their freedom from a brutal invading dictator, Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said in a post on X. To not do both is unacceptable. In another attack on Zelensky, Greene also tried to spread false information regarding a series of Ukrainian protests in July, The Kyiv Independent reports. Huge protests erupt in Kyiv against Ukrainian President Zelensky as he is a dictator and refuses to make a peace deal and end the war, she claimed on X. Trump and Putin will engage in critical peace talks in Alaska Friday (AP) Ahead of Fridays summit, Greene posted a lengthy tirade about her voting stances and her anti-Ukrainian position. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the Republicans dont start putting their 2024 America First campaign promises into real serious actions and STOP VOTING TO FUND EVERY FOREIGN COUNTRY AND EVERY FOREIGN WAR, well dont be surprised when those precious voters sit it out or skip Rs on the ballot. Youve been warned, she said. Russian and American delegates have arrived in Alaska ahead of the crucial summit between Trump and Vladimir Putin later today. Days earlier, Trump claimed the Russian leader was not going to mess around with me, as he hopes to seal a Ukraine ceasefire deal. Trump has also teased the possibility of a second meeting with European leaders that would include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. MARLIN, Texas (FOX 44) The Marlin Independent School Districts Board of Trustees has announced Dr. Brandon Hubbard as the lone finalist for the position of superintendent. The district says the Board feels they have selected a proven and innovative leader to guide the district into its next chapter of success following a comprehensive search. Dr. Hubbard brings 22 years of experience in education, and is known for his unique ability to build consensus and champion student success. He started his career as a physics and chemistry teacher within Waco ISD before quickly rising to leadership roles. Most recently, as Superintendent of Chilton ISD, he led the district to significant achievements, including a B rating from the Texas Education Agency and 13 Academic Distinction Designations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marlin ISD says Dr. Hubbard is a trailblazing educator who has been recognized with numerous accolades, including being named the Region 12 Superintendent of the Year in 2021 and receiving the Dr. John Hoyle award for educational leadership. He has also completed prestigious leadership programs at Harvard University and with the AASA National Superintendent Certification program. During Dr. Hubbards tenure at Chilton ISD, he spearheaded a $14 million construction project, the largest in the districts history, and implemented key initiatives to enhance student learning. These include introducing a new VR curriculum, expanding Career and Technology programs, and increasing co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities for students. Marlin ISD says Dr. Hubbard holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from Baylor University, as well as an Ed.D. in Global Education Leadership from Lamar University. He and his wife LaLinda have four children. In accordance with state law, there is a required 21-day waiting period before the Board can officially vote to hire Dr. Hubbard. The Marlin ISD community looks forward to formally welcoming him as the new superintendent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (WHNT) Next Spring, the Artemis II mission will carry astronauts the closest they have been to the moon since the Apollo program. As launch day approaches, Marshall Space Flight Center is preparing to send off a crucial stage adapter. We are getting ready to go, said Marshall Space Flight Center Materials and Processes Engineer AJ Gallemore. Scottsboro welcoming home injured police officer Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marshall has wrapped up the Orion Stage Adapter. It is the final piece of hardware the Huntsville-based center will contribute to the Artemis II mission. The component is scheduled to depart North Alabama next week, making its way to Kennedy Space Center. This adapter is the piece that separates the astronauts from the rest of the rockets propulsion systems, connecting the Space Launch System (SLS) rockets interim cryogenic propulsion stage to the Orion spacecraft. The five-foot-tall structure is the topmost portion of the SLS rocket, and it stays with the capsule until the crew leaves low Earth orbit. Its quite an amazing job to see everything come together and to see it being shipped out, said Orion Stage Adapter Deputy Lead Monique Wallace. The stage adapter was designed and manufactured in its entirety at Marshall. It is capable of carrying small payloads called CubeSats, or shoebox-sized satellites, that will play a role in research during the mission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Athens mother charged with killing infant will remain in jail, case headed to grand jury Theyre doing a lot of space weather-related science, so measuring the effects of radiation, how radiation can affect electrical components, and how it could affect human tissue, said SLS Program Payload Integration Lead Russell Lane. The four CubeSats that will fly as a part of Artemis II were developed by Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Argentina, and they should deploy about five and a half hours after launch. They can do really good transformative science, Lane said. Its helpful if we have knowledge gaps that we need answers on that will help us as we move forward to go back to the moon and to Mars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The team at Marshall has been working on components of the Artemis II SLS for years. Marshall Engineering has poured its heart and soul into this, Wallace said. Work continues at Marshall as the team looks ahead to Artemis III. Artemis II is scheduled to launch next spring. 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. MARTA Board of Directors has awarded a contract to digital solutions firm Reflexions for the redevelopment of the MARTA website and On the Go app. The decision, announced Thursday, aims to streamline and enhance the digital experience for MARTA customers by integrating the features of four existing apps into a single platform. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] MARTA On the Go is an important part of our customers daily commute, said David Emory, senior director of customer technology. By integrating everything into one app and launching a new website, were creating a seamless, user-friendly experience that reflects our commitment to our customers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reflexions is also tasked with ensuring a consistent and modern digital experience across all platforms by creating a new MARTA website. The new app will combine rider information and trip planning, Breeze mobile payment, incident reporting through See & Say, and on-demand booking and tracking into one unified platform. This upgrade is expected to improve service reliability by providing better information to customers and enhancing safety and cleanliness through improved reporting and alerts. RELATED STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] BALTIMORE No Maryland-based companies were included in President Donald Trumps push to build three new nuclear reactors, but both Gov. Wes Moore and a Republican state senator believe pursuing nuclear power is important for the states energy needs. According to a news release Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Energy has made initial selections for projects under Trumps Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program, which has a goal of getting three small nuclear reactors operational by July 4, 2026. This program, which Deputy Energy Secretary James Danly declared a call to action, follows a June executive order aimed at reforming reactor testing procedures. Of the 10 firms selected for testing of advanced reactor designs, seven are headquartered in either California or Texas. Each company chosen will be responsible for all costs from the designing to operating and decommissioning phases of its test reactors, according to the release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 10 firms are: Aalo Atomics Inc., based in Austin, Texas Antares Nuclear Inc., based in Redwood City, California Atomic Alchemy Inc., based in Idaho Falls, Idaho Deep Fission Inc., based in Berkeley, California Last Energy Inc., based in Washington, D.C. Oklo Inc., based in Santa Clara, California Natura Resources LLC, based in Abilene, Texas Radiant Industries Inc., based in Segundo, California Terrestrial Energy Inc., based in Charlotte, North Carolina Valar Atomics Inc., based in Hawthorne, California Nuclear in Maryland In a statement to The Baltimore Sun, Maryland Gov. Wes Moores office said he is committed to meeting Marylands energy needs with a strategy that includes nuclear power, increases production and reduces costs on consumers. The statement discussed Moores support for the Next Generation Energy Act, which establishes a nuclear generation procurement process through the states Public Service Commission and directs the Maryland Energy Administration to study cost-sharing agreements to make developing nuclear energy cheaper. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State lawmakers did not pass the ENERGIZE Act Moores initial proposal, which would have established a 100% clean energy goal for Maryland and funded nuclear energy procurement through surcharges on ratepayers energy bills. Earlier this year, Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson and other Democrats argued that passing higher energy costs on to consumers was not tenable. State Sen. Justin Ready, a Republican who represents Carroll and Frederick counties, characterized the legislation as a lot of half measures, while noting that some progress has been made. There were bills that passed that are supposed to make it better for nuclear in Maryland, but I dont know that they went as far as they could have, Ready told The Baltimore Sun. Ready said he was not surprised that no Maryland-based companies made it on the Trump administrations list to develop new reactors. He believes the state may be shifting towards nuclear energy, but Annapolis Democrats excessive focus on natural gas regulation has watered down the effectiveness of bills like the Next Generation Energy Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moore has also supported the recent expansion of X-energy, a nuclear company based in Gaithersburg. Last month, X-energy consolidated its headquarters and announced plans to create more than 500 new jobs by 2031. The company also plans to use a 90,000 square-foot building in Frederick as its first integrated test and training facility, which will house non-nuclear testing facilities and reactor prototyping components, according to a July 30 news release from the governors office. ------------ A long-awaited review by State Auditor Diana DiZoglio has found that the Massachusetts cannabis oversight agency displayed a pattern of mismanagement and showed the appearance of potential favoritism and/or impropriety in its dealings with some businesses. The auditor determined the Cannabis Control Commission violated state regulations and mismanaged some of its routine fee collection, resulting in lost revenue. Its lapses also allowed towns to place restrictions or collect fees from marijuana businesses improperly. This forced some businesses to pay hefty sums for the right to operate, while others inexplicably did not need to do so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In one such case, a Brookline dispensary was mandated to donate $975,000 to charity as part of its operating agreement with the town, even as another Brookline dispensary faced no such requirement. Our audit identified a number of issues that undermine and negatively impact the Cannabis Control Commissions mission to equitably and effectively oversee the cannabis industry in Massachusetts, DiZoglio said in a statement. In a letter to commission leadership, DiZoglio noted the agencys cooperation throughout the investigation. Her report also included responses from the commission, describing its efforts to correct the issues identified through the audit. The Cannabis Control Commission has been working closely with the State Auditors Office for almost a year and will review the report released today in furtherance of our shared commitment to government improvement, a commission spokesperson said in a statement. Over the course of the audit period and since, the Commission has hired key leaders, made progress to address many of the issues referenced, and begun to move forward in a constructive way. Procedural inequities, failure to collect $1.7M in fees The audit found that commission managers lacked a consistent, equal process for approving the extension of licenses that all marijuana businesses must hold to operate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a result, the commission failed to bill for all fees owed by licensees. The commission also did not maintain sufficient documentation for instances where fees were not collected or waived, creating procedural inequities that gave the appearance of potential impropriety, the audit found. In the spring, the state inspector general found the commission failed to collect about $1.7 million in fees between August 2022 and August 2024. While not indicative of fraud, the issue did show an egregious operational breakdown, Inspector General Jeffrey S. Shapiro said at the time. The commission also violated state regulations by failing to promptly assess and collect fines and ensure proper oversight of hearings related to penalties, issues that allowed unresolved compliance gaps at marijuana businesses to linger. The commission was tasked by state lawmakers in 2022 to review existing agreements between marijuana businesses and municipalities, known as host community agreements. Yet it took months longer than lawmakers mandated to review the numerous agreements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Issues identified by the audit showed that smaller marijuana businesses with less financial means were likely to suffer more from the commissions shortcomings than larger multistate companies with deeper pockets. The auditor found 11 new marijuana businesses that were required to pay significant fees to their municipalities before they could open for business up to $100,000 in one case. Such practices violate state regulations and give a significant advantage to well-financed marijuana corporations, the auditor said. The audit also found the commission lacked an established and transparent process for settlement agreements with employees, three of which it reached with staff between 2019 and 2024. One was worth nearly $93,000. The commission has been without a permanent chair since last year, when Treasurer Deborah Goldberg fired Chair Shannon OBrien amid complaints that she contributed to a hostile work environment. OBrien is contesting her dismissal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shapiro called last year for the commission to be taken over by the state, declaring it a rudderless organization without clear leadership. In June, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed legislation that would overhaul the commission, putting it more closely under the watch of the governor. Soon after, the commission released a new charter that it had already been developing to clarify its leadership structure. The Senate has yet to take up its own version of the House bill. Audit calls for improved management and fiscal oversight The audit report called for the commission to improve its overall management structure, institute greater financial oversight, focus on bolstering its staff to effectively police the cannabis industry and improve its transparency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The commission spokesperson said the agency, by updating its operating procedures, is collecting fees in a timely manner and carrying out new cannabis laws, including its task to review more than 1,000 host community agreements. Our first governance charter brings clarity to questions around organizational structure and operations, and budget-dependent, critical software upgrades will enable our infrastructure to grow alongside the booming $8 billion industry, the spokesperson said, while promising continued work with the auditors office, treasurer, attorney general, governor and Legislature in the moments ahead. Cannabis in Massachusetts Read the original article on MassLive. A Millis man was sentenced to prison for threatening to kill Jewish people and blow up synagogues with bombs, United States Attorney Leah Foleys office said Thursday. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick sentenced John Reardon, 60, to 26 months or two years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Reardon must also pay $1,260 in restitution to the victims. He previously pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, one count of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure a person and one count of stalking using a facility of interstate commerce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After his guilty plea, he was released on conditions despite the governments objections, Foleys office said in a statement released Thursday. He violated these conditions by calling a RightSpace Self Storage employee in Upton and told the man he would f**k him up and blow up the facility. Reardon called them again after the probation office told him not to. His state charges are pending. What John Reardon did is despicable, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Boston Ted Docks said in Foleys statement. Spurred by deep-rooted hate, he relentlessly threatened violent, physical harm to members of the Jewish community in greater Boston, spanning two congregations in two different cities, as well as the Israeli consulate. This sentence holds him accountable for his insidious crimes and should be a warning to others: the FBI takes all threats to life seriously and so should anyone thinking about making one. Dont. In January 2024, Reardon was initially arrested and charged for calling and threatening Agudas Achim Synagogue in Attleborough and Congregation Etz Chaim in Sharon, Foleys office said. He threatened to bomb the synagogues, kill all Jewish people and once said, Time to prepare the furnaces again. I hope that you people are wiped off the face of the earth. Between Oct. 7, 2023, and Jan. 29, 2024, Reardon called the Israeli Consulate in Boston 98 times and made harassing and intimidating statements, Foleys office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You are maggots, you are scum, you are below animals, you Israelis, Reardon said, according to Foleys office. More local crime stories Read the original article on MassLive. Colleges and universities across Massachusetts are bracing for a potential decline in international student enrollment for the upcoming fall semester. A new study from NAFSA: Association of International Educators and JB International projects a 40 percent drop in new international student college enrollment nationwide. The study blames disruptions in student visa interviews and processing. It projects that visa backlogs could prevent 150,000 new students from getting the necessary documentation to travel to the United States in time for the fall semester. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the study, the drop in international students could result in a $7 billion revenue loss for the United States. That revenue loss could be up to $619 million in Massachusetts. The drop in international students is going to have that larger economic impact on the United States, not just institutions of higher education, and a place like Boston is likely going to feel that, said Sarah Spreitzer, Vice President and Chief of Staff for Government Relations at the American Council on Education. Northeastern University, which has an international student population of about 35 percent, is working to help international students as much as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The school said its providing opportunities for remote learning, deferrals, and options to attend the schools campuses in London or Canada. Northeastern is one of the biggest international campuses in the world, and the majority of classes I take, half the class is international, said Northeastern senior Ashna Varma. Boston real estate offices are seeing noticeable vacancies in some neighborhoods near campuses. That includes Mission Hill, where the September 1st availability rate is more than 70 percent higher than this time last year. Boston is an international city. We have people that come from all over the world to study. With fewer international students showing up this year, it has opened up excellent rental opportunities in: Mission Hill, Fort Hill, Fenway and other areas that are in close proximity with universities that heavily accept an international student body, said Demetrios Salpoglou, CEO of Boston Pads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement International students have been feeling the pressure since President Trump took office in January. The Trump administration added a new screening of social media accounts to the visa approval process in June. Boston 25 News reached out to the State Department for comment and has not yet heard back. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Q&A NEW ORLEANS The debate over federal law enforcement swooping into liberal cities isnt new to Minnesota Attorney Gen. Keith Ellison. His first term was consumed by the death of George Floyd, and its aftermath; his office secured convictions of the officers who killed Floyd. He won a second term, narrowly, after criticizing the defund the police movement for making long-term reform more politically difficult. And in January, when Donald Trump returned to the White House, Ellison joined his Democratic colleagues in AG offices to slow him down in court. Ellison spent part of last week at the annual Netroots Nation conference, where he updated progressive activists on some wins and some uphill battles. He sat down with Semafor to talk about where he saw the administration moving next, why he thought the Secretary of Homeland Security doesnt know her ass from a hole in the ground and why he thought mass resistance in the streets was going to be part of an effective Trump response. This is an edited transcript of the conversation. David Weigel: How does your office respond when Trump speaks? When you see a post on Truth Social, do you start moving? Do you wait for something else? Keith Ellison: We view that as him giving us a tell and a signal. We start figuring out: How can we make an argument that we do have standing? How can we make an argument that its violating some code, statute, regulation, constitution? We start writing memos, and weve already got a really great template for all those things. So it doesnt take us that long. We bring it up at one of our meetings that we have three times a week, unless theres nothing cooking. If its Saturday when I hear this, then on Monday, Ill say: Did yall hear what the Cheeto said? And well get going. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We take what he says seriously, and we begin to act legally right away. Sometimes it ripens into a case, and sometimes he just talks smack. And not every wrong is legally suable. Then, weve got to go find our friends to see what they might be able to do. When he summarily fired Gwynne Wilcox, we couldnt sue on that, but we filed an amicus on that. We lifted her up on social media. And theres stuff were still figuring out. Is there a legal basis to stop him from having masked ICE agents just grabbing people off the street, putting them in unmarked vans? Well, my research tells me that there is no statute on the books prohibiting the practice. Theres no statute, its just not typically used this way. Theres a law thats pending on that, but in the mean-time, I wrote an op-ed on it. We write a letter saying its wrong. We go to law enforcement agencies and say: Why dont yall wear masks? Why dont the state troopers wear a mask? Well, because were carrying out laws that are moral, legal public safety rules that people understand have to exist. So why should I cover my face if Im trying to stop you from creating a traffic accident? This is legitimate law carried out by legitimate law enforcement, and everybody knows that theres something about this masking which lacks legitimacy, or else they wouldnt do it that way. You had two years of overlap with the first Trump administration. How is litigating against it different this time? He wasnt ready to be president last time. He relied on people whose credentials were tethered to legitimacy. They might have made choices that I would not have made, but they didnt make choices that destroyed American democracy. This time, completely unhinged. Professional expertise is the last thing he wants. What does that mean for your office? Ive hired several people who were former DOJ employees, who are really good. The level of legal expertise [in this DOJ] is not impressive, but they compensate for that by sheer gall. Kristi Noem does not know her ass from a hole in the ground; she doesnt have any sense that having unmasked agents arrest people on the street could put them in danger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And the level of legal quality is lower. Theyre over-stressed, they dont have enough time. Their saving grace is a packed court, right? But we dont fear them in court. Theyre not Clarence Darrow. But theyre audacious, and they hope that if they can get in front of Clarence Thomas, theyve got a shot. You take this birthright citizenship thing, the very first one out of the gate. A clear symbol. They dont want to argue the merits in front of the Supreme Court. They want to argue this injunction because the lawyers who are left, theyre gonna get slapped down. Theyre asking the Supreme Court to destroy American jurisprudence and disrespect the Constitution. If I were a judge today, and there was some issue being litigated with the DOJ on one side they walk into the courtroom with a lack of credibility. What did you learn from the Trump administrations liberation of Los Angeles? How would you respond to a federal mobilization in Minneapolis? We would absolutely be fighting it in court. Were ready for it. Our documents are sitting right there. We will be in touch with people who are active in civil society and notifying them of their First Amendment right to protest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From a Trump standpoint, hes got to see the LA experience as less than a win for him. People did not clap for the Marines. People were horrified. Youve got the likes of Joe Rogan and others saying, what? You sent the Marines against the American people in an American city? That sounds like some dictatorship stuff! Youve got people who are in the middle moving away from him. So youve got to have massive turnout, coupled with lawsuits, coupled with denunciations, coupled with leaders like the mayor and the governor saying, this is wrong. One of the things you saw right in front of your eyes after the murder of George Floyd is that people comply with the law because they see it as legitimate. Once they see it as not legitimate, theres not enough law enforcement people to make people obey the law. So trusting the law, believing in the law, thinking the law is legitimate, is an essential part of how we maintain civil order. And Trump is breaking that rule. Hes making people disrespect the law because its not viewed as legitimate; its not viewed as fair. How are you preparing for the potential of the Supreme Court weakening the Voting Rights Act, and allowing Republicans to draw more winnable seats without having to carve out minority-majority seats? Theres a clear risk. John Roberts said, if you want to stop discrimination based on race, you got to stop discriminating based on race. Its the most ignorant, uninformed thing anybody ever let out of their mouth. And of course, he knows better. Hes just doing ideology. But even in a situation like that, if you can use the popular movement for American democracy, and you can gin it up enough, youve got to get the Supreme Court asking itself: How many hits to our credibility can we inflict? Clearly Clarence and Sam dont give a shit, but Roberts and Coney Barrett do. Its a coin flip what Gorsuch and Kavanaugh would do. Youve got three people who will do the right thing. You only need two more who might do the right thing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres the thing: Our democracy was always fragile. It came up through a lot of pain and struggle. Is John Roberts ready to say, heres where we end the American experiment? Were now Hungary? We join the ranks of Pinochet and every dictator who ever existed? Youve got to have a popular struggle, which is informed by the lawsuits. When you start seeing 20 million people on the street, you create ungovernability, and then you have to use the military to assault Americans for standing up for their democracy. Trump would be so proud to see people die for him. It would be an ego gratification for him. And I think youre gonna have massive social unrest if something like that happens. But from the administrations perspective, politically, that would be good. The George Floyd protests from 2020 are still in every campaign ad. If you watched LA coverage on Fox News, it looked like the entire city was on fire. Why would protests not help the administration consolidate power? Lets look at the George Floyd situation. First of all, I think it was the largest mass protest in American history. How did it play out in 2022? I still won. You might have said that the protesters created chaos after the murder of George Floyd, and the protesters were the ones who created civil unrest. But what about now? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everyone in America knows that when there are protests right now, they are because of what Trump is doing. Everyone knows that. The accelerationists who think it helps them, theyre not going to change. But thats not who runs the show. Whats Miss McGillicuddy think? Is Miss McGillicuddy going to say throwing Rumeysa Ozturk into a van because she wrote an op-ed thats the America I want to live in? I dont think she does. Notable Former Florida Republican Rep. and current One America News host Matt Gaetz hailed a reported increase in women joining the military in a segment on his show Wednesday, but viewers were quick to realize the images on screen were AI-generated leading to a correction from the network and an apology from Gaetz. . @PressSecDOD "The Army, the Air Force, the Navy, EVERYONE IS HITTING THEIR (RECRUITING) METRICS EARLY! It is a TESTAMENT to Secretary Hegseth and President Trump's LEADERSHIP!" pic.twitter.com/5YRzHi0FmA DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) August 14, 2025 During the Wednesday segment, Defense Department spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson told Gaetz, These numbers are fantastic, before images of women soldiers in military fatigues appeared on screen. Under the previous administration, we had about 16,000 female recruits last year; now weve got upwards of 24,000, Wilson continued, calling it a testament to Secretary Hegseth and President Trumps leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, a closer look revealed watermarks on the bottom right of the images that indicated they were generated by tech billionaire Elon Musks AI chatbot, Grok. The bot made headlines in July after it went on a full-on Nazi tirade on X, and WIRED reported that xAI failed to land a major government contract because of the rant. Related: Elon Musks Daughter Says Shes Not To Blame For Her Dads Tragic Villain Backstory A defense department spokesperson told CNN they did not provide the images. An OAN spokesperson told the news network that the images violated company policies, which have since been re-enforced with staff. An on-air correction has been put in place, the OAN spokesperson said. Management has taken additional actions to ensure the issue is appropriately addressed. Related: Trump Runs Into The Difficulty Of Putin Diplomacy And Ending A Long War On Thursday nights broadcast, Gaetz apologized for using the AI-generated images, stating the network is generally quite cautious about showing the faces of actual military members on air because sometimes Americas enemies use facial recognition software in very devious ways. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He continued, But we made a mistake. We used AI-generated images of female service members as part of our B-roll package, and we shouldnt have. The DOD didnt give us these images; Grok did. And well use better judgment going forward. Gaetz announced he was joining OAN in December after he withdrew from President Donald Trumps consideration for Attorney General amid sexual misconduct allegations. The move was met with bipartisan mockery. Related... Read the original on HuffPost Two years after the deadliest American wildfire in more than a century reduced much of the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina to ash, the community in Maui continues its slow journey toward recovery. The August 2023 fires killed more than 100 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. While damaged structures have been cleared, large swaths of the town remain empty. Only about 50 homes have been rebuilt since the disaster. As rebuilding continues, Mayor Richard Bissen said the county is working to move faster and expediting permits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bissen, who was born and raised in Lahaina and served as Maui's top elected official during the fires, faced sharp criticism over the island's emergency response but refused to resign. "Early in this, I found myself getting sleep, but not getting rest," Bissen said. Now, he focuses on supporting residents like Kim Ball, one of the first to rebuild. "His decisions are all made on what's best for our community. And I don't necessarily agree with all of 'em, but I know why he does it," Ball said. Bissen described his approach to leadership in the aftermath, saying: "I feel the pain of other people. I try to transfer whatever energy the Hawaiian word we use is 'manna,' your spiritual energy, inner energy. Whatever I gather, I try to give that to the folks that I think need it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Disaster response and mental health tolls Professional surfer and lifelong Maui resident Kai Lenny, who was vocal in his criticism of the disaster response, said progress has been made even if accountability was slow. "At that time, very easy to point fingers and, you know, be upset with people. And I still feel justified in that, but I think the most important thing is that things did start happening after that accountability was made," Lenny said. "And while you might not be able to forgive somebody for what they do, what you can do is acknowledge, you know, people saying that they made a mistake and we're gonna make it better. And it's like, okay. Yeah, let's all move on." From the air, pockets of new construction are visible across Lahaina's burn zone, though much of historic Front Street remains empty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the businesses to reopen is Old Lahaina Luau, one of the city's most treasured cultural attractions. "We are right in the center of the burn zone right here in historical Lahaina town. It's a blessing that our damage was not as bad as our neighbors around us," said Kawika Freitas, the luau's public relations director. Before the fires, the luau employed about 300 people. Half of them lost everything, Freitas said, making it a priority to bring staff back as quickly as possible. "We look at it as all of our employees are like our children, our Ohana, our family," he said. "And we need them back to get work. Yes. So that they can move on with the rebuild and coming out of this disaster." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Bissen, the support from community members keeps him focused on the long road ahead, which he said means everything to him. "You know, to do this job as mayor, I've discovered, you don't need to love the work. You need to love your people. We've just got to keep moving forward. We know this is a long haul and we're in it for the long haul," he said. Passenger arrested after allegedly causing disturbance midair and forcing flight to divert When could Tropical Storm Erin become a hurricane? Zelenskyy says Ukraine is "counting on America" to find path to peace in U.S.-Russia talks This is an adapted excerpt from the Aug. 14 episode of All In with Chris Hayes. Since his victory in the New York City mayoral Democratic primary in June, Zohran Mamdanis candidacy has divided Democrats. The self-described democratic socialist has yet to secure endorsements from some of his states most prominent Democrats, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. However, this week, The New York Times revealed that one major Democratic Party figure has expressed interest in Mamdanis campaign: former President Barack Obama. The Times reported, In a lengthy call in June, Mr. Obama congratulated Mr. Mamdani, offered him advice about governing and discussed the importance of giving people hope in a dark time, according to people with knowledge of the conversation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats been interesting about Obamas post-presidential political activity is that these phone calls are actually more frequent than people may realize. When the former president sees someone whos a rising star who deserves not just attention, but also nurturing, to a certain extent hell make a phone call like this. Looking toward the upcoming general election, Mamdani will have to put whatever advice hes received into action and defend his ideas to the public. Hell have an opportunity, once again, to show his political chops. But whether its a primary or general election, in the end, voters will decide. For Obama, it doesnt seem to be about ideology. Hes also played a role in electing more moderate Democrats, like Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin. Obama endorsed Slotkin in 2024 and even cut a campaign ad to show his support. Obama knows that as a party, Democrats shouldnt just ignore someone like Mamdani. He ran a campaign that mobilized hundreds of thousands of people. Not reaching out to someone like that to have a discussion would have been the wrong decision. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com A few weeks ago, my car battery gave up the ghost while running errands on a blistering Florida day, and a nice man from the roadside-assistance service rushed in with a replacement. As the two of us chatted, I noticed his accent and inquired where he was from. Libya, he said. I asked if he didnt mind telling me what brought him to America. He took a deep breath and then explained that hed recently been rethinking the answer to that question the one hed given his children for decades. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We left because of Muammar Gaddafi, he began. He did awful things to people. And I always told my children: The one thing you could be sure of about America was that it would never just take people or make them disappear. Now, well He let that trail off and went back to installing the battery. His point, though, was made. While Floridas GOP politicians are yucking it up over their Alligator Alcatraz-branded beer koozies, serious people are highlighting serious problems. Namely that people whove done nothing wrong people who are in this country legally are being whisked off the streets. Their attorneys say theyre also being denied court hearings and timely access to legal counsel, behavior that is both unconstitutional and un-American. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Due process, the notion that no person can be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, is a bedrock principle in this country. If you dont support or care about it, dont call yourself a patriot. This isnt a rant against immigration controls. Most voters in America made it clear in the last election that they support just that. You can support crackdowns on illegal behavior while also supporting the basic tenets of the United States Constitution. And basic decency. Unfortunately, whats happening in the Everglades doesnt appear to respect either. Thats the problem. So says South Floridas Archbishop Thomas Wenski, who has praised President Trump for securing the border and arresting violent criminals while also describing some of whats taking place at Alligator Alcatraz as inhumane. Both things can be true. Wenski described the politicians joking about the idea of immigrants becoming food for alligators while ignoring pleas for due process as unbecoming of public officials and corrosive of the common good. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You dont take pleasure in the pain of other people, Wenski told CBS Miami this past week. You can make America great. But youre not going to make America great by making America mean. Some people seem to defend the mean and unconstitutional behavior by buying into the narrative that everyone being held in South Florida is part of a group of murderers, rapists, and gang members, as the governors office claimed. But last month, the Miami Herald got hold of records that showed that more than 200 people being held at Alligator Alcatraz had no criminal charges against them. A local attorney told the Orlando Sentinel her client who was incarcerated there was in the country legally. Due process is what confirms laws were broken, including immigration laws. We know some of those arrested in Floridas beefed-up immigration efforts have been citizens or here legally. That includes an 18-year-old of Guatemalan descent who tried to tell arresting officers that he and his mother were both citizens, saying: I have the right to talk only to have the officer respond: You have no rights here. You are a Migo, brother. He was born in this country, and the only reason his story got out via the Palm Beach Post was because the teenager video-recorded the arrest over the objections of the arresting officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those are the stories missed by people who only follow news outlets that trumpet stories that say: Florida officials reveal murderers, rapists among detainees at Trump-backed deportation facility. Outlets that specialize in fear-mongering conveniently overlook data that consistently show undocumented immigrants are far less likely to commit crimes than American citizens for the simple reason that theyre worried about being deported. They also often overlook the stories of immigrants whove been snatched while doing precisely what they were supposed to attending immigration hearings. Ive heard some people say things like: I come from a family of immigrants, but my parents came here the right way. Well, some of the people whove been scooped up and imprisoned were doing things the right way as well. Some, who had temporary protective status or pending asylum cases, were taken into custody at their own immigration hearings, which even judges have described as a jack-booted practice antithetical to American justice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you wouldve supported your own parents or grandparents being arrested at their own asylum hearings, then youve got a logical leg to stand on. Otherwise, spare us the my parents did it the right way line when the right way can now get you imprisoned. Florida officials arent even trying to argue that all detainees have been granted due process. At a court hearing last month where attorneys said theyve been barred from meeting with their clients and that some detainees are being held without charges, the Associated Press reported that one of the states defenses was basically that things had gotten better since some of those problems were first reported. What kind of defense is that? No one should ever be imprisoned without criminal charges and timely access to an attorney. Every single person arrested should have their name publicly shared, criminal charges listed and afforded timely access to an attorney and the courts. That is the way our Constitution demands our justice system work not just when its convenient. You have to make sure youre locking up the right people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After a Salvadoran national was hastily and improperly detained, arrested and deported before the Supreme Court ordered him to be returned, the host of NBCs Meet the Press asked President Trump if he believed that everyone deserves due process to which he responded: I dont know. Im not a lawyer. This seems to be Floridas approach in South Florida. And it should profoundly disturb anyone who claims to believe in the Constitution and American values. Due process isnt optional in this country. Its one of the tent-pole principles that proudly separates us from despotic regimes in places like Russia, North Korea and Libya under Muammar Gaddafi. MCAS CHERRY POINT, N.C. (WNCT) Col. Timothy Drieslein became MCAS Cherry Points new commanding officer after a change of command ceremony held Friday at the base theater. Col. Brendan Cletus Burks was in the position for three years. During his time Cherry Point won the Air Station of the Year award two years in a row. That special sauce about being able to command the installation is the people that you get to work with, Burks said. I just feed off the motivation and all the things that come through. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is Driesleins fifth tour at Cherry Point. This place means a lot to me, right? Ill tell you what, youre going to get my best. We are not going to let this place down, Drieslein said. What it is right now youre going to continue to get and were going to take it to next level. Marines, elected officials and members of the community all filled the base theater to say goodbye to one commanding officer and welcome a new one. Every Marine that sleeps in one of these barracks is one of our citizens, just like the ones who live outside the gate, Havelock Mayor Will Lewis said. Our relationship with the CO is paramount. The day that they get here we immediately start talking about how were going to work together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Defense is one of the largest industries in North Carolina. Its not just economic, but we also appreciate the patriotism and the forward-facing DOD presence thats here, Sen. Bob Brinson 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 WNCT. Shane Pepe knows exactly how his town's drinking water came to be polluted with the "forever chemicals" it recently reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The borough manager in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, points to a firefighter training facility as the source of contamination that averaged 32 times the federal limit over the past year. For decades, fire-extinguishing foams containing PFAS seeped into the local aquifer during training exercises. "While our firefighters are practicing to save your life, they had no idea that at the same time the water system was getting poisoned," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Emmaus was among 839 water systems whose yearly average exceeded EPA limits for two types of forever chemicals, according to a USA TODAY analysis of new test results the EPA released last week. Together, these utilities serve 46 million Americans. These PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are part of a family of chemicals engineered to repel liquids and heat, making them nearly indestructible. They can build up in nature and in human bodies, increasing the risk of certain types of cancer and other health problems. The EPA is nearing the end of the largest PFAS testing initiative its undertaken a three-year effort that requires most public drinking water systems serving at least 3,300 customers to sample and report measurements for several types of forever chemicals. Places that have found contamination now need to find other sources of drinking water or install filtration systems that can remove the PFAS within the next few years. That deadline was originally set for 2029, but in May, the EPA announced plans for an extension. The agency also rescinded limits on four other types of PFAS set under the Biden administration in 2024. MAP: Where water systems reported PFAS contamination Click on a system in the map below to review its PFAS measurements. You may also enter an address in the search box to locate the nearest water systems. Don't see a map? Click here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement USA TODAYs analysis shows larger water utilities more frequently fail to meet the EPAs standards for the two chemicals it still plans to limit: PFOA and PFOS. Nearly a quarter of systems serving over 100,000 people had average results exceeding the limit, compared to about 8% of those with fewer than 10,000 customers. But in the latest data release, its some of the smaller communities that have reported the most eye-popping concentrations of forever chemicals in their drinking water. Nashville, North Carolina, a town of 6,000 east of Raleigh, reported one well that measured PFOS at 490 parts per trillion (ppt) last fall and then at 200 ppt in March. The EPA limit is 4 ppt, which puts the average of those samples 86 times over the limit. The citys director of public works did not return USA TODAYs calls requesting comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The borough of Emmaus, which is home to about 12,000 people just outside Allentown, Pennsylvania, reported several wells over EPA limits most notably at its waterworks building, where PFOS averaged 32 times over the limit. PFOA also measured high, averaging about five times above the limit. These firefighting foam companies knew what was in the water and never notified anybody, Pepe said. He added that Emmaus declined a $4 million settlement from a class-action lawsuit against PFAS manufacturers and is instead pursuing its own lawsuit to recover damages. A spokesperson from the 3M Co. didn't respond directly to Pepe's allegation, but said they've committed $12 billion to public water suppliers as part of the settlement Emmaus declined. The company plans to stop manufacturing PFAS by the end of 2025. Spokesman Dan Turner of the DuPont Co., another manufacturer that Emmaus named in its lawsuit, declined to comment since the litigation is ongoing. Emmaus discovered the contamination through state-mandated testing in late-2021, Pepe said. The utility immediately shut down one well and studied how to remedy another well. Residents of Emmaus made it clear they wanted to fix Emmaus water, Pepe said, rather than becoming dependent by buying water from elsewhere. Workers break ground on the construction of four 25-foot-tall tanks filled with carbon to remove "forever chemicals" from drinking water in summer 2025 in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. Earlier this year, the town won over $9 million in grant funding and a nearly $2-million loan from the state to install four enormous treatment tanks filled with granular-activated carbon able to filter out PFAS. Pepe said construction should finish by June 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Emmaus will need to raise water rates slightly to pay for ongoing maintenance to the new tanks, Pepe said, since it costs about $100,000 per year to replace the carbon filters. But, hes thankful the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authoritys grant will bear the brunt of costs. Had we not gotten the grant, Pepe said, instantly our folks would have been paying four times what they pay today. Instantly. And that would have been for the next 20 to 30 years. Hundreds of other small water systems face Emmaus predicament, where local budgets may not suffice to cover the cost to remove PFAS without raising water rates. Several water utility officials have told USA TODAY its not fair to pass these costs on their customers rather than the manufacturers and processors that created the PFAS contamination. Because of this, industry groups representing water utilities sued the EPA last year, claiming the agency did not follow proper procedures when approving the new PFAS limits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit has been on hold since shortly after President Donald Trump took office, to allow the new administration time to review the limits. After the EPA announced plans to rescind some PFAS limits in May, a federal judge said the agency now has until Sept. 10 to clarify its position in the lawsuit, according to the latest court filing. Regardless of the lawsuits outcome, Pepe said his customers lives and safety must come first. We are being told by environmental agencies that these chemicals in the water are bad and have the potential to cause cancer and other illnesses, Pepe said. We have a duty to mitigate this as quickly as possible, and so that's exactly what we're doing. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Are 'forever chemicals' in your town's drinking water? HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) As peak hurricane season nears, officials with the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) reminded residents that contraflow could be implemented in the event of a powerful hurricane. In Mississippi, contraflow turns all four lanes of I-59 and I-55 traffic northbound from Louisiana through just south of Hattiesburg and Brookhaven, respectively, to aid in the evacuation of southeast Louisiana and coastal Mississippi residents. Heavy rains expected in Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands as Hurricane Erin nears Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Contraflow is rare, but rest assured, MDOT stands ready to implement this emergency traffic pattern if necessary, said Commissioner Charles Busby, Southern Transportation District. The Department holds regular drills to ensure staff can act quickly and decisively when and if contraflow operations are needed. I encourage residents to familiarize themselves with contraflow as part of their hurricane preparedness plan. Contraflow must first be requested by the governor of Louisiana and approved by the governor of Mississippi. The decision to implement contraflow is based on factors such as the strength of the hurricane, time before the landfall and evacuation orders in place for the greater New Orleans area. In the event of contraflow, MDOT officials said no southbound traffic will be allowed on I-55 and I-59 within the contraflowed sections. Signs and barriers will be in place, and MDOT crews and law enforcement officers will be stationed at each exit to assist with traffic control. Exits will remain open as traffic conditions allow. Close Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Weather Forecast 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 WJTV. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Here are this mornings top stories with KELOLAND On the Go. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KELOLAND This Morning A Sioux Falls shooting suspect is back behind bars facing new, more serious charges. SF man indicted on attempted murder Nebraska woman is suing the city of Sioux Falls and the Sioux Falls Police Department. According to the lawsuit, she suffered severe injuries, which led to permanent impairment and disability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Woman sues SFPD for negligence after injuries Many people in Vermillion are processing what losing the USD medical school will mean for their community. Vermillion reaction to med school move Weve been following strong to severe storms in north central and northeast South Dakota this morning. Periods of heavy rain have fallen in this area as well as wind gusts of 50 to near 70 mph. Scattered storms through the weekend 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. States are scrambling to shield their hospitals from the looming loss of hundreds of millions in federal funding under the tax and spending bill President Donald Trump signed in July. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) In a virtual meeting with health care providers and community partners Thursday afternoon, North Carolina Health Secretary Devdutta Dev Sangvai said upcoming cuts are a response to a threat to the foundation of the Medicaid program. The call came a day after NC Newsline reported the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services plans to cut Medicaid rates for all providers by 3% effective Oct. 1, with some areas of care like inpatient and residential services and research-based therapy for autism receiving up to 10% rate reductions for a total of roughly $320 million in cuts. Sangvai first detailed these cuts to leadership of the General Assembly in a letter sent Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The full impact to North Carolina health care providers will be substantially larger than the lost state dollars, as that reduction means a corresponding loss in federal matching funds. A table of rate cuts for different services provided by NCDHHS shows that if the planned reductions take place, patients in North Carolina will receive $1.1 billion less in Medicaid services. Dr. Devdutta Sangvai, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, talks with N.C. state Sen. Kevin Corbin after a Senate committee meeting. (Photo: Lynn Bonner/NC Newsline) Sangvai told providers the cuts to Medicaid programs will only further contribute to snowballing costs as health outcomes worsen and preventative care is unable to take place. He pointed to the end of coverage for GLP-1 drugs for weight loss and the end of the states Healthy Opportunity Pilots, testing non-medical interventions to improve overall health. Youre starting to see that some of those services that we have put in place with the idea of spending a little today to save a lot later are going to be suspended. This puts considerable pressure on the Medicaid program to actually bend the cost curve, Sangvai said. These were innovations that were put forward with the idea that we can actually lower total cost of care, but with the suspension of both of them, we will not be able to focus on that methodology. The cuts come primarily in response to what health officials said was a $319 million shortfall in funding from the General Assembly against the 2025-26 Medicaid rebase, the projected costs the state will incur funding Medicaid services, which stands at $819 million. While the legislature appropriated $600 million, only $500 million will go to the rebase, with the remainder designated for managed care oversight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Julia Lurch, chief actuary and chief strategy officer for NCDHHS, said making the cuts has been a very challenging exercise and that months went into planning for scenarios where state funding fell short of their request. We understand that the reductions that Im about to go through will have serious implications for our provider community as well as our beneficiaries that we are here to serve, Lurch said. We know that this will put some financial pressure on our provider partners and potentially lead to some providers stopping their service to our Medicaid beneficiaries due to unsustainable payment rates. Top Republican lawmakers dismiss DHHS assessment, vow to protect provider payments While legislative Democrats indicated they hope the General Assembly will pass additional appropriations to avoid the cuts entirely, Republicans expressed doubts that the rate reductions are needed at all. Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth) wrote in an emailed statement Thursday that he believes the proposed cuts to be unnecessary and jumping the starting line before legislators ask their questions and get answers. North Carolina Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth), a lead House budget writer, outlines the chambers state budget proposal at a press conference on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline) We have no plans to increase the allocation for the rebase. We have grave concerns with the lack of information shared with the General Assembly related to their proposed cuts, Lambeth wrote. I do not believe they need to cut rates and we will fight to protect payments to providers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lambeth said the General Assemblys Health and Human Services oversight committee, which he co-chairs, will probe the proposed cuts and will dig deep into their budget to understand why they came to be. The GA did not cut Medicaid. We provided 600 million in new funding and I want to understand why are cuts necessary, he wrote. I have not experience in my tenure such poor communication and lack of creativity. Republican leadership view the situation similarly, with spokespeople for Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) calling for more responsible management of the NCDHHS budget and exploration of less severe cuts to services. Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford), who attended a separate Medicaid information session on Wednesday, said while she has heard from providers opposed to the projected cuts, she has not yet heard from colleagues on the prospects for additional funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its unfortunate, but I think the fault lies in us, in the legislature, for not providing the funding they need, Harrison said. I wish wed get on the budget. I think thats the bottom line. Rep. Sarah Crawford (D-Wake), who serves as CEO of the Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities, said she hopes as information gets out, providers and patients push lawmakers to protect the health care they need. I certainly hope that we will be able to slowly fund the rebase or at least get a little bit closer so that we wont have to have provider agencies sustaining these cuts, Crawford said. It is going to be very hard, particularly for some of the smaller providers, to figure out how to sustain these cuts. The General Assembly is slated to return on Aug. 26, the earliest any legislative action would likely take place regarding Medicaid funding. Medicaid cuts by the numbers NCDHHS Chief of Staff Jonathan Kappler stressed that theres no part of the Medicaid program that is not being touched by these funding issues, walking providers through the rate cuts set to take effect in October on Thursdays call. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those cuts are slated to include reductions in staff, contracts, and other internal projects to reduce the overhead of the state Medicaid program, he said, though those changes have not yet been made public. This is a shared burden for all of us, he said. The largest reduction in state Medicaid costs will come through a 10% rate cut to nursing home services, which the state projects will reduce spending by roughly $46.8 million. Thats followed by a 1.5% cut to pre-paid standard health plans operated by managed care organizations, health companies partnered by the state that operate Medicaid plans at a fixed cost, which the state projects will cut $44 million in spending. According to Sangvais letter to General Assembly leadership, the reduction to the pre-paid plans will be retroactive to July 1 though officials on the call Thursday indicated they expect the plan operators to bear those costs rather than health care providers themselves. NC Medicaid director Jay Ludlam talks about the consequences of federal cuts to Medicaid at Martin Street Baptist Church in Raleigh on March 24, 2025. (Photo: Lynn Bonner) There will be no retroactive action on the providers or clawback for any services between July 1 and September 30, said Jay Ludlam, the Deputy Secretary for North Carolina Medicaid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ludlam also stressed that the changes taking place Oct. 1 will not remove any individuals from Medicaid. Were not cutting or changing eligibility. People are not losing Medicaid coverage because of these changes, he said. Officials said in early September, they aim to notify providers of rate changes through a bulletin as well as provide notice to Medicaid recipients about service reductions. Halting coverage of GLP-1 drugs commonly sold as Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss will cut costs by another $34 million, the state projects. And reducing rates for inpatient services by 10% is expected to reduce the rebase by $33.3 million. When combined with federal dollars, that is projected to represent a $209 million loss for providers in the state. In addition to the services directly affected by the largest cuts, Crawford said the rate reduction has the potential to endanger additional programs that were already operating at a loss. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have a number of programs at [Tammy Lynn Center] where the Medicaid reimbursement rate does not fully fund the cost of providing services, and that includes things like respite care, which is a lifeline, Crawford said. What provider agencies or hospitals have to do is really look at how they do blended services to come out on the bottom line not totally in the red. Stephanie Strickland, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Healthcare Association, which advocates for the states hospitals, wrote in an emailed statement that they are still evaluating the full impact of the cuts. We are concerned about how these cuts could affect hospitals ability to care for Medicaid beneficiaries and the broader community, Strickland wrote. We look forward to working with our partners in the General Assembly and at NCDHHS to explore alternative approaches to achieving Medicaid savings. Once our analysis is complete, we will issue a more detailed statement on behalf of our membership early next week. In an effort to help steel rural health facilities against the state cuts and federal changes to the Medicaid program, NCDHHS announced Thursday that it would apply for funding from the Rural Health Transformation program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Medicaid Services Reductions August 2025 Significant cuts for patients with disabilities Advocates raised concerns that some of the steepest cuts under the new Medicaid rates will impact services that are crucial to patients with disabilities, such as behavioral therapy and intensive care services. Research-based behavioral health therapy and applied behavioral analysis services, which largely aid patients with autism, will receive a 10% rate cut, reducing state spending by about $17.4 million. On Thursdays call, NCDHHS assistant secretary Melanie Bush said the cuts are in response to exponential growth in available behavioral health services and their increased use by Medicaid beneficiaries. We absolutely want children who have autism to receive the services they are medically necessary for, Bush said. We are just simply trying to curb the over-utilization that we feel is happening based on our conversations with other state Medicaid programs and how weve seen it implemented over the last year. Rep. Sarah Crawford (D-Wake) (Photo: ncleg.gov) The state is also cutting $13.2 million to intensive care facility services for individuals with intellectual disabilities, which Crawford said will impact patients who need total personal care, including assistance bathing and feeding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those services are very costly. It takes a lot of staff to run those services for a long time, she said. Staff were getting paid $9, $10, $12 an hour because of rate increases, a lot of providers have been able to bring pay up to $15, to $18 an hour depending on the provider, and thats important to be able to keep up with just the cost of living. Corye Dunn, the director of public policy for Disability Rights North Carolina, said in an interview that the rate cuts are likely to only worsen longterm staffing issues in the disability care space. We have a real shortage of what we call direct support professionals, people who are providing that kind of hands-on care to people with disabilities, Dunn said. Any kind of rate cuts put pressure on pay for direct support professionals and others in the space, and thats just going to make it much harder for people with disabilities to get their needs met. David Laxton, a spokesperson for the Autism Society of North Carolina, wrote in an email that these cuts will significantly harm our organization and other providers serving North Carolinas autism community. Many providers serving patients with autism operate on thin margins, he wrote, including his own organization. Cuts to Medicaid rates would likely force providers to reduce services or shut down programs entirely, he added. Medicaid enables people with autism to live more independently in their homes and communities, ultimately saving taxpayers money, he wrote. These proposed changes would hurt the very individuals Medicaid is intended to support people with autism and other intellectual or developmental disabilities. We are actively working with legislative leaders to reduce the impact on these critical Medicaid services. The 13-year-old girl who crashed with her sister on a personal watercraft in the Intracoastal Waterway in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday died from blunt force injuries, the Broward County Medical Examiners Office said Friday. Rachel Aliza Nisanov was a month away from her 14th birthday. She and her 16-year-old sister, Aviva, and their parents, Rabbi Shlomo Nisanov and Rebbetzin Ora, were riding on two separate personal watercraft Tuesday afternoon that they had rented while on a family vacation from New York. Three personal watercraft were operating at the time of the crash as part of a guided tour, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson Arielle Callender said Wednesday. The girls vehicle jumped a wake caused by a passing vessel, lost control and hit a concrete dock. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rachel and Aviva were both taken to Broward Health Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, where Rachel died. Rachels manner of death has been determined an accident, Thomas Steinkamp, Broward County Medical Examiners Office Chief of Investigative Services, said in an email Friday afternoon. The full report is not yet completed. A spokesperson for Broward Health Medical Center did not immediately have an update Friday afternoon on Avivas condition. She was in stable condition as of Wednesday after having surgery, a relative previously told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. At some point before the 3:30 p.m. crash, Fort Lauderdale Polices Marine Unit were on their way to a separate call and had contact with the two girls on the personal watercraft, police department spokesperson Casey Liening said Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Liening said the marine officers saw the watercraft making a minor violation therefore they briefly stopped the occupants to discuss safety. There is no documentation of the brief and proactive interaction, she said. Liening did not provide further information about the violation. State boating regulations require anyone operating a personal watercraft to be at least 14 years old and at least 18 years old to rent one. It is a second-degree misdemeanor to knowingly allow anyone younger than 14 years old to operate a personal watercraft, according to FWC regulations. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, is required by state regulations to have completed a boating education course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, an equivalent course or temporary certificate examination and have a boating education ID card and photo ID card before operating any vessel with a motor of more than 10 horsepower. Personal watercraft typically have at least 60 horsepower. The owner of the company who rented the personal watercraft to the family declined to comment when reached by a reporter Thursday. The company does not have any history of lawsuits in Broward County, according to court records. This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox. DES MOINES, Iowa There is one Iowa Democrat that is currently running for Iowa Secretary of State. Ryan Peterman is running for office for the very first time. He was a naval officer for a decade and is now looking to enter into a new form of public service. JRs honors 22-year-old worker who passed from ovarian cancer Peterman tells WHO 13s Zach Fisher that he wants to restore nonpartisanship to the office. He seeks to expand early access and absentee voting windows that were shortened by incumbent Secretary Paul Pate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can see Peterman elaborate on his decision to run for public office, what the campaign trail has looked like for a a first time candidate and more in the interview linked above. Iowa 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 who13.com. The oldest known trout in the Great Lakes was found, and she has a name: Mary Catherine. Or Grandma Mary Catherine for the younguns. Grandma Mary Catherine was collected for research purposes in September 2023 from the cold waters of the Klondike Reef in Lake Superior, about 40 miles north of Grand Marais near the Canadian border, according to a release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An age assessment has since found that she was roughly 62 years old at the time a whopping 20 years older than the last record holder in Lake Superior and more than 30 years older than a typical Lake Superior trouts lifespan. The oldest known Great Lakes trout, which DNR staff named Mary Catherine, is shown. It was captured from Lake Superior in 2023. When Grandma Mary Catherine hatched, the U.S. president was John F. Kennedy and Yuri Gagarin was the first human to go into outer space, DNR fisheries research biologist Shawn Sitar wrote in the release. If fish went to school (high school that is, not just schools of fish), she would have graduated from Klondike Reef High School in the same year as Meg Ryan, Princess Diana and Barack Obama reached that milestone. Wondering how researchers can know that? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like humans, lake trout have an otolith or ear stone in their inner ear, Sitar wrote. The rings on the otolith measuring the age of Mary Catherine, the oldest known Great Lakes trout, is shown. As the fish grows, so does that otolith and rings are left behind each winter. Researchers can then count the rings like tree rings to estimate the trouts age. Grandma Mary Catherine is believed to have hatched in 1961. Mary was a common name for babies around then. As is typical for such research, Grandma Mary Catherine died in the collection, confirmed DNR spokesman John Pepin . The research aimed to inventory the subspecies at the reef and study their reproductive biology to help fisheries better understand where to stock these fish and what to expect, according to the DNR. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was nabbed by researchers from the DNR, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Purdue University. A fisheries technician, Dan Traynor, assessed Grandma Mary Catherines age in March 2024. Staff from the Marquette Fisheries Research Station measure and photograph fish captured during the 2023 survey. More: It's peak summer season in Michigan. Where to find the warmest lakes to swim More: DNR adds more than 18 million fish to Michigan waters. What to know The same year, officials announced the Lake Superior Trout population as finally rehabilitated after collapse by the 1950s due to invasive sea lamprey and commercial fishing, the DNR stated. The old girl one-upped a 42-year-old trout found in 1998 in Lake Superior. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shell be remembered as an unremarkably sized humper lake trout just short of 25 inches and under 5 pounds and a notable member of the trout populations comeback. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oldest known Great Lakes trout found, dubbed Grandma Mary Catherine This story first appeared in PA Local, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA taking a fresh, positive look at the incredible people, beautiful places, and delicious food of Pennsylvania. Sign up for free here. This story first appeared in PA Local, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA taking a fresh, positive look at the incredible people, beautiful places, and delicious food of Pennsylvania. Sign up for free here. If you ask Carbondale Mayor Michele Bannon about her fellow city residents, shell tell you all about their generosity, their kindness, their hard-working coal miner mentalities, and she includes herself in this final one their quirkiness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were very unfiltered, Bannon told PA Local. We do a lot of quirky things. We have fun events, she continued. Perhaps the strongest proof of the areas eccentricity is the supposed great UFO sighting of 1974, a mysterious moment in local lore thats celebrated to this day with an annual fall festival. A 3.2-square-mile city about 19 miles northeast of Scranton, Carbondale has around 8,800 residents. Bannon attended college outside the city but has otherwise lived there her whole life, and her family has been there even longer. (I sleep in the bedroom my grandmother was born in, she said.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A graduate of Wilkes University with a strong passion for public service, Bannon spent three years working in a factory before landing a job as her hometowns city clerk. She stayed in the role for almost three decades before running for mayor in 2023. Having done every single job in local government at some point other than policing or firefighting, she jokingly likens the experience to having a backstage pass to the best concert in the world. I have a friend who always says, Oh, wouldnt you love to work for a big city, and da da da? Bannon told PA Local. Im like, no! Youre a one-trick pony. You concentrate on one thing. I get to see everything all the time, and I love that. In the latest interview for our Meet a Mayor Q&A series, Bannon discussed Carbondales charms, its people, its history, and what really happened on Nov. 9, 1974. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This conversation has been condensed for length and edited for clarity. PA Local: Describe Carbondale in three words. Michele Bannon: I would say dignified, prestigious, and joyful. What is it about Carbondale that made you want to lead it? Working for the city for 29 and a half years afforded me a ton of opportunities, a ton of privileges, and a ton of education. I worked for the last mayor for 20 years and for a couple mayors prior to that, and I realized that it was my responsibility to step forward and lead, simply because of all the great assets that Id been blessed with. At that point, I realized that by working here for so long and being so in tune and having my relationships built, it would be the best thing for myself and the city to join those two together and create my own administration that just does great things and takes us to our next level. What do you wish people who arent from Carbondale, or maybe have never visited, knew about it? Were steeped in a very rich history. The D&H Railroad, which was the first million-dollar corporation in the United States, started here. We have a lot of beautiful parks. We have a lot of cool little shops the people that live here kind of overlook that a lot, but the people that come here, they just immerse themselves right in it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And we have a fully functioning city. We have a full-time police and fire department. We have our own library, we have our own YMCA, and we have a lot of amenities that a lot of little cities dont have. Whats your favorite hidden gem in Carbondale? I think a hidden gem for us would have to be our library, simply because its been around for a long time. They offer programs that are still in line with their mission, but address the needs of 2025 and what people want, and they do a great job at that. We have a hotel here in town. We tend to overlook it because we live here, but when people stay there, they love it. We have a lot of great restaurants in town. Were a bunch of foodies up here, so theres a lot of great homegrown restaurants up here. I cant even narrow it down for you, just simply because theres so many great things in the city, you know? And its all very walkable. Thats what I love about Carbondale. Were small enough where you can enjoy every single bit of it. I felt like I just had to ask about this: I know one of Carbondales local claims to fame is the 1974 UFO incident. Oh, I love you! Since youve been in Carbondale your whole life, do you have any memory of that incident? Of course I do! Carbondale Mayor Michele Bannon poses with an alien at a Carbondale UFOs a one-night alternate identity for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey game. Photo provided. What do you think actually happened? I lived down the street from where it happened. In fact, WVIA they just did a 15-minute documentary, and its absolutely fantastic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was five, it was the day of my sisters confirmation party. So my dad took us back to the park, and at that point, there were so many people there you couldnt get close to it. Im one of the believers that something was there. I dont know what it was. It was not a lantern. That was a hoax. I had relationships with the people that actually saw things, and theyre like, It couldnt have been this, or it couldnt have been that, and they gave all justified reasons. So yeah, I love the alien festival and our Carbondalien crew. They do it with a lot of dignity and respect, but at the same time a lot of fun. And Asha, I dont know if you know this or not guess what our emergency call numbers are? No idea. 51. Were area 51. Isnt that ironically funny? So do you call 51 instead of 911? No, so you call 911. But when they radio us, theyll say 51 fire, 51 police, 51. Oh my goodness. Thats so funny. In fact, we just put a mural of an alien on the front of our firehouse. We have a mural project going on a couple years ago we did a program called Heart & Soul, where you go out and interview your people, and you ask them what do you love about Carbondale, what do you want to see in Carbondale, and where do you want to be in 10 years. There were six common themes so the murals reflect all of those. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the comments was they loved our events that we do: we have Pioneer Nights, we do all different kinds of fun things. The artist wanted to do the alien festival, so he did an alien on the front of the firehouse. The alien has a fire hat on with a 51 on the front of it and then theres a lantern in there. Its really cool. So, I embrace the quirky. Were very quirky, by the way. I embrace it because I love it. Is there a particular Pennsylvania city, borough, or township you think we should feature in future Meet a Mayor installments? Let us know. 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. 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. Melania Trump has threatened to sue Hunter Biden for $1 billion after Hunter claimed in an interview that Jeffrey Epstein introduced Melania to Trump the connections are so wide and deep. Melanias attorneys responded with a formal letter demanding a retraction and apology, warning that failure to comply could result in over $1 billion in damages, reported BBC. The letter states that Hunters claim is false, defamatory, and salacious. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hunter defended himself in the interview, citing contentious journalist Michael Wolffs reporting, as well as earlier coverage by a spatter of outlets in New York, as sources for his comments on the Epstein connection. Melanias legal response accused Hunter of exploiting prominent names to draw attention away from his own history of controversial public messes. One such mess centers around Hunter being pardoned by his father during the last presidential term, excusing him from multiple felony tax and gun possession charges, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Another not-so-favorable part of Hunters past includes the leaked videos featuring multiple prostitutes, highlighting his erratic lifestyle, which he has openly admitted was fueled by an excessive use of crack cocaine. In his first interview with Callaghan and Channel 5, he controversially claimed that crack cocaine is less dangerous than alcohol. He even described how to cook crack cocaine using ingredients available at any nearby corner store, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. In a recent follow-up interview with YouTuber Andrew Callaghan, Hunter appeared smitten and undeterred by the legal challenge from the First Lady, delivering a blunt F*** that, thats not going to happen, when asked if he would apologize for his recent defamatory remarks, per Newsweek. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new YouTube interviews with left-leaning Callaghan have raised more questions about Hunters honesty, and the odd clout-chasing incentives he appears to prioritize as a 55-year-old man. It would be difficult for many watchers to see Hunters recent interview series with Callaghan, who himself has faced multiple sexual misconduct allegations, as yet another instance of Hunter stepping into the spotlight without consideration for his family or his party. Legal experts have weighed in on the situation. Federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Newsweek that as a public figure, Melania would need to prove actual malice meaning that Biden knew the statement was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. If the claim about Epstein was false, Rahmani said, it could be relatively straightforward to prove. He added that such a lawsuit would likely be aimed at reaching a quick settlement. Glacier Gush Parts of Alaska's state capital, Juneau, were flooded this week, caused by a nearby melting glacier, according to The Guardian. And, yes, in case you're wondering, climate change appears to be the main culprit behind the record-breaking water levels. The Mendenhall Glacier, a vast field of ice and snow that sits north of the city in a valley, has created a natural lake that is dammed by ice, according to the news outlet. On Tuesday, local officials noticed that water was escaping the dam, prompting evacuation orders for local residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Luckily, the city of Juneau was prepared. Icy flood waters inundated some streets and people's yards, but unlike another glacier-caused flood in 2023 that damaged 300 houses, the flood wasn't as pervasive because city officials were able to place barriers in certain areas. "If it werent for them, we would have hundreds and hundreds of flooded homes," said city manager Katie Koester at a news conference, as reported by The Guardian. Ice Bust The Mendenhall Glacier had never flooded the city until 2011, when it became an annual occurrence, an ominous portent for anybody concerned about climate change. Worse yet, future flooding may become more severe as global warming reshapes the Alaskan wilderness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state has warmed faster than the rest of the country, with average yearly temperatures increasing by an astonishing 3.1 degrees Fahrenheit. In other words, it's no wonder that some of Alaska's glaciers are rapidly melting away to nothing, racing towards a bleak future where glaciers become a relic of the past. For now, anybody living near them could soon be in danger. Researchers have shown that anywhere between ten to 15 million people around the world could be exposed to similar glacial lake outbursts. More on climate change and glaciers: Scientists Alarmed as Floodwater Punches Through Greenland's Ice Sheet Nine British soldiers who were killed in the Second World War are to be honoured with a memorial after their tank was found buried in a Normandy hedgerow. James Holland, an author and historian, stumbled upon the remains of Lieutenant Frank Galvins tank near the village of Berjou, in the north-west of France. Fragments of shells and shrapnel, and the cap badge from the beret of one of the men who died, were found on a nearby roadside. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was incredible to have such a palpable link to such a tragic moment, said Mr Holland. A friend I was with suggested putting a memorial there, and that was the seed. The memorial for the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry tank crew - CHP Writing in his blog, Mr Holland said: The turret burst off like a champagne cork and the five men inside were incinerated. The only comfort is that they almost certainly would have known nothing about it. Tank warfare was and is absolutely brutal in its violence. Since his discovery, Mr Holland and his friends have raised over 19,000 for a memorial to be built. The memorial, which will be unveiled on Aug 16, honours five crewmen of a Sherman tank and four other soldiers from the C Squadron of the Nottingham-based Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry (SRY) who lost their lives in the summer of 1944 during the Battle of Normandy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not on the D-Day beaches but far inland, a forgotten corner of the battlefield but Ive not forgotten them and I hope that many more will learn about their heroism, he said. James Holland raised more than 19,000 for a memorial to nine Sherwood Rangers soldiers - CHP Around a dozen former Sherwood Rangers are expected to attend the ceremony, including Chris Whitamore, chairman of the SRY. It will be hosted by the Berjous Blackwater Musee de la Liberation. Mr Whitamore told The Telegraph that attention on the Normandy campaign usually focuses on D-Day, but the campaign continued for 10 further savage weeks before the Germans acknowledged defeat. He added: This memorial commemorates men who fought throughout to bring that about, some of whom had also fought through El Alamein and the desert campaign. They and their comrades deserve our respectful memory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Designed by architect Stuart Bertie, the memorial is fashioned out of steel, the same material used to build the wrecked tank, and contains the silhouettes of the fallen men cut out of the metal. It will be a poignant, moving and appropriate reminder of their heroism and sacrifice, said Mr Holland. Lieutenant Frank Galvin was commander of the tank - CHP The Rangers now lie in a large Commonwealth War Graves to the south-east of Caen. They were buried together because their remains were indistinguishable. In July, Mr Holland joined a small group including Mr Bertie and David Christopherson, the son of the SRYs commanding officer in 1944 who walked the route the Rangers took as part of a partial retracing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They travelled 70 miles from the D-Day landing zone on Gold Beach to Berjou, via Bayeux, Tilly-sur-Suelles, Caumont, Ondefontaine, and Proust to the River Noireau. 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. With help from the local community, Christine Marshall an 81-year-old Memphis woman affectionately known as Mama will soon have a brand new house that she can call home. After a tree fell on her house and left it in ruins, Marshall has spent the last three years living in her car parked on the driveway, WREG News Channel 3 reports. Her tragic story, which won the hearts of many across the city, has united the local community and rallied together a team of contractors and specialists who want to help fix her living situation. Don't miss Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thanks to a GoFundMe created by her son, Antoine Hardin, nearly $75,000 has been raised to help Marshall rebuild her home. The old home is set to be demolished while a new one will soon take its place, but thanks to the extreme generosity of the community, Marshall wont have to spend a dime on her new house. I gotta help this lady Marshall's story grabbed local headlines in July when her neighbor called WREG to shed light on the situation. Marshall, who is non-verbal due to throat cancer, told reporters through a written note that her home of 30 years was left unlivable. Due to fears that her home would be burgled, Marshall ignored pleas from her son to stay with him and decided to live in her Hyundai sedan instead. Her concerned neighbors were quite angered by the situation. Its hot out here, and her house is falling in, Darron Rivers, who lives in the neighborhood, told NewsNation. Shes sleeping in her car, aint nobody around here paying her no attention. Youve got four churches over here that do what? Nothing! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But ever since WREG shared Marshalls story, Memphians have rallied to her rescue. The money raised in the GoFundMe was supposed to go towards rebuilding Marshalls home until Jason Smith, a local contractor, stepped in. Smith, who works with Titan Drywall and Construction, knew he had to help after learning about Marshalls situation on the news. That night I just couldnt sleep, and I reached out to the news station and tried to get a little information about it, Smith shared with WREG. And finally, the next day you guys got me in touch with the son and I came out and met with Ms. Marshall and the son. And once I met her for the first time, dude, she melted my heart and I was like, I gotta help this lady. Smith estimates it will cost around $150,000 to rebuild the house, but he doesnt intend to charge Marshall one penny for the work. Instead, he turned to social media for donations, asking the community to help with supplies and labor, with specialists of all sorts answering the call. I met a guy who sent me a message saying, Man, Ive lost everything I had two years ago to a divorce. I cant afford to donate the materials, but I can donate my time and my labor, Smith said. None of the subs are making a dime, we all know going into this, this is 100% on us, everything is donations. Read more: Nervous about the stock market? Gain potential quarterly income through this $1B private real estate fund even if youre not a millionaire. Heres how to get started with as little as $10 Thank you for your help. I love you all Hardin announced on the GoFundMe page that Smith and his team were obtaining the permit from the city of Memphis to build Marshall a new home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are a lot of memories in that [old] home, but I had to get Mama to understand that she can make more memories while shes still living than trying to retrieve old memories, said Hardin. In a heartwarming moment, WREG reporter Harrison Klopp showed the new house's blueprint and floor plan to Marshall, and her reaction was priceless. I want to see her happy; shes been hanging in there, said Hardin. She got her smile back, yeah. She got her smile back. Thats all I wanted. Smith hopes to have Marshalls new house completed by Christmas. Until then, shes finally accepted her sons offer to stay with him. And even though throat cancer has taken her voice, Marshall knows how lucky she is to receive such support from the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thank you for your help. I love you all, Marshall wrote on a piece of paper that she handed to a WREG reporter. Its a blessing for the community to reach out like that, said Hardin. This shows a whole different part of Memphis. I thought people didnt care, he added. As for the nearly $75,000 raised in the GoFundMe, that money will go towards Marshalls future something thats finally looking up after years of unimaginable hardship. "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," said Hardin. What to read next Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Subscribe now. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Two teenagers are accused of robbing a man at gunpoint in front of his three-year-old daughter. Jordan Oliver, 18, and Landen Oliver, 19, were both charged with aggravated robbery and child abuse in connection with a holdup at a Frayser convenience store in January. The two are cousins. Jordan and Landen Oliver (SCSO) The victim said he was standing in line with his young daughter at the Malcom X Food Mart, getting ready to purchase items, when he was robbed of a handgun and an iPhone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim said that when the robbers pointed a weapon at him, he pushed his child behind him to shield her from the suspects. Jordan Oliver, who matched the description of one of the suspects, was located by police a short time later at an apartment complex adjacent to the store. 1400 block of Corning Avenue in Frayser. WREG photo. Malcolm X Food Mart According to MPD, Landen was arrested after Jordans mother told officers he had been at the store with her son. When Jordan was taken into custody, he had an active warrant for reckless homicide in a separate case. He is accused of shooting a 16-year-old at her home on September 13, 2024. Witnesses said Jordan was holding a rifle when it discharged and struck the girl. Jordan was a juvenile at the time, but he is being tried as an adult. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Shelby County District Attorneys Office said Jordan has prior juvenile delinquency records. Jordan is being held on a $125,000 bond. Landens bond was set at $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 WREG.com. The Syrian Civil War is over. The bloody conflict finally ended last year after more than half a million deaths and a refugee crisis that saw more than 5 million flee the country. But now that the fighting has finished, many of those refugees seem less than keen on returning. In Germany, so far only 1,300 have gone home via official programmes that gives them financial incentives to do so. The total number that have returned to Syria in the first half of the year is estimated to be 4,000, out of more than one million that arrived after Angela Merkel opened the borders in 2015. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This raises the question of whether many refugees are really refugees at all. After all, if you are only fleeing the war, then you would return once the war is over. The lack of willingness to do so shows that many refugees would rather stay in the countries that gave them refuge, where they have better economic conditions. Germany is a perfect example. Ms Merkels decision to allow so many refugees in was initially portrayed as a great moral act, one which would also provide the doctors and engineers of the future. After some pushback from conservatives, she stressed in 2016 that asylum should be temporary and that, once there is peace in Syria again, once IS has been defeated in Iraq, that you go back to your home country with the knowledge that you have gained. A decade on, all of this looks very foolish. Some of those coming as refugees were terrorists, committing a spate of attacks that have horrified the country. That has driven much of the support for the populist Right-wing party Alternative for Germany, who now lead the polls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Far from being professionals and graduates, many refugees have instead remained out of work, taking advantage of Germanys generous welfare state. Nearly half of all those on the main German welfare scheme are foreign nationals, with Syrians now one of the largest groups. This is one of the great problems of our age. Easy travel and social media mean that people are on the move in a way that was never previously possible. Around 900 million people want to migrate permanently, far more than any country or even continent can take. Many of them want to come to Britain, attracted by our wealth and the possibility of an easier life. But in coming they are already destabilising the very prosperity they seek. It is also unfair on the British people, who find themselves saddled with a bill of billions for so-called asylum seekers. But charity which is compelled is no charity at all. The scale of the refugee flows and the role of human rights law in facilitating them also means that many refugees in the West have received little or no vetting, in some cases have criminal histories, and even when convicted of crimes still cannot be deported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is therefore necessary to change the laws governing refugees. Most of these date back to the aftermath of the Second World War and were well-intentioned. But those refugees were relatively similar to one another, in many cases they did go home, and the disparity in wealth or social capital between them and their host nations was not as high. Today, refugees would be better dealt with locally, where they generate fewer cultural problems and funding can go further. We should make absolutely sure that refugee status is temporary. This would ensure that people can seek safety but cannot come as economic migrants. This status should be reviewed at regular intervals and, when the situation in their country of origin changes, should be withdrawn. Those who commit any crimes should lose the right to refugee status, and be deported. Britain has seen an unprecedented wave of asylum claims in the last few years and although many have been granted, this is often on spurious human rights grounds, rather than because of their real circumstances. Under the Illegal Migration Act 2023, every person who arrived illegally should be denied the right to claim asylum. Politicians should withdraw refugee protection from anyone who has done so since the Act came into force. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This will be a clear sign to those thinking of abusing our refugee laws that they will not be allowed to do so. In combination with refugees being dealt with locally and regular reviews of refugee status, this would return it to the intended temporary protection, not the Trojan Horse for economic migration and abuse of our welfare system we see today. 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. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Nearly 100 traffic stops in multiple states and jurisdictions could be overturned after texts show two Mesquite K-9 officers copied and pasted retraining dates, according to documents obtained by 8 News Now. On Monday, attorneys for the City of Mesquite released an unredacted, confidential report into court records amid an ongoing lawsuit from fired Mesquite Police Chief MaQuade Chesley. The city-commissioned report reveals new details about the citys police department and internal affairs investigations findings. Texts between Mesquite K-9 Officers Ryan Hughes and Justin Goodsell show a December 2023 conversation in which both discussed how they may or may not be copying their narcotics dogs recertification dates on official documents, according to the city report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Mesquite Police Officers Association, the police union, denied wrongdoing by the citys two K-9 officers, but a public defender who has overturned cases involving the officers says it reveals a pattern. In August 2024, Hughes turned in his work phone for forensics testing following the launch of an internal affairs investigation, according to the city report. The probe stemmed from an allegation, in the city report, that Hughes was falsely or recklessly spreading damaging information about a fellow officer. Public defender seeks to overturn cases Since 2021, Clark County Chief Deputy Public Defender Steven Lisk has overturned at least five cases, which all share a common themethey were all traffic stops performed by Hughes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I reviewed the police reports and then specifically the bodycam footage, I was able to find discrepancies between what he put in the report versus what was in the bodycam footage, Lisk said during an 8 News Now interview. Whether it was the demeanor of a client, whether it was the way that he talked about the dog alerting, whether there was actual probable cause for a traffic stop in particular, and I would challenge essentially, not only the stop, but also, ultimately, the search. In at least five cases, Lisk was able to get the drug charges reversed and the entire case dismissed. Since 2021, Clark County Chief Deputy Public Defender Steven Lisk has overturned at least five cases, which all share a common themethey were all traffic stops performed by Hughes. (KLAS) I was seeing situations where Officer Hughes was very quick to just say, a dog alerted because the dog jumped in a particular way or paused, he said. As opposed to what I think most people are common with, which is the dog sitting and clearly alerting. After reviewing the confidential report obtained by 8 News Now, Lisk said the information from the internal affairs investigation was a part of a longstanding issue in Mesquite. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reason that I was trying to bring it to light, first to the District Attorneys Office, but also to the city and going to the city manager, the city attorneys that were previously working, Lisk said. I wanted the issue fixed. I live in Mesquite. I have always wanted a good police department within Mesquite, and I want them to do their jobs correctly. Lisk estimated that from the time of the texts in December 2023 to now, there are nearly 100 cases that could be impacted in the Mesquite Police Department, Nevada Highway Patrol, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and law enforcement near Beaver Dam, Arizona. I have always wanted a good police department within Mesquite, and I want them to do their jobs correctly 8 News Now asked Lisk if the copying and pasting of K-9 training logs is an issue from a legal standpoint. He responded that high arrest numbers are irrelevant if the dog conducting the investigation is not properly recertified and retrained. People tend to say, Well, the drugs are off the street and hes getting results, Lisk said. And thats not the way that the system works. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 8 News Now asked Lisk what the next steps would be for some of the cases he questioned amid the city report. Texts between Mesquite K-9 Officers Ryan Hughes and Justin Goodsell show a December 2023 conversation in which both discussed how they may or may not be copying their narcotics dogs recertification dates on official documents, according to the city report. (Mesquite Police Department) Im going to have to go back and look at a number of these cases that I handled over the years, and whether or not there are sufficient reasons and causes to potentially follow challenges and tried to overturn a conviction, he said. It is incredibly difficult to do that, and most of these cases, I would say, are probably long since closed out. Lisk said he believes as the new information comes out, the Mesquite Police Department will make positive changes, pointing to the new police chief. My hope is that from this, we learn from the mistakes of the past, we ensure that they dont happen in the future, Lisk said. Police union defends K-9 officers On Wednesday, the Mesquite Police Officers Association responded to an 8 News Now request for comment regarding the questions surrounding Hughes and Goodsell and their texts regarding the copying and pasting of dates on official documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The matter in question was investigated thoroughly by the departments internal affairs and it was found that neither officer engaged in any policy violation or improper action specific to the training of their canine partners, Andrew Regenbaum, the MPOA attorney, wrote. The investigation further confirmed that the texts in question were taken out of context and related only to training notes for the canines. At all times the canines in question [were] trained as required; were certified; and any court documents always proper. Hughes dog, Rogue, was born in Czechoslovakia in October 2017 and became a Mesquite Police Department narcotic detection dog in December 2018 after receiving initial narcotic detection training at Right Hand K9 in West Haven, Utah. Goodsells dog, Marley, was born in 2016 and became a Mesquite Police Department narcotics detection dog in 2018 after receiving narcotics detection training at Utah Police Officer Standard Training, according to the city website. At all times the canines in question [were] trained as required; were certified; and any court documents always proper, Regenbaum wrote. Lisk responded to the police unions statements in regards to Hughes texts, some of which contained racial slurs, and questioned how the union explained the phone messages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What I cannot understand is how there could be text messages discussing the falsification of recertification logs, attributed in part to a lack of oversight, and yet the outcome of the investigation is that nothing improper occurred, Lisk wrote. That disconnect is difficult to reconcile and raises legitimate questions about both the thoroughness and transparency of the review process. The city of Mesquite declined to respond to an 8 News Now request to answer the same questions as the MPOA about the allegations of copied and pasted official documents. K-9 training log concerns Throughout the investigation, two deputy chiefs were assigned to the Hughes internal affairs investigation, according to the city report. According to court documents obtained by 8 News Now, Chesley wrote in a letter to an attorney that the internal affairs investigation found Hughes had allegedly falsified 36 official department records involving canine training logs, violating department policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Texts from the seized phone also captured a December 2023 conversation in which Hughes texted with another K-9 officer about possibly falsifying K-9 recertification documents. I may or may not be copying and pasting my logs from a different time period and just changing the dates. I havent been very good about logging my training. I may or may not be copying and pasting my logs from a different time period and just changing the dates, Hughes wrote in a text. About to do the same thing. I suck at keeping with my logs, Goodsell texted back. When I worked narcotics, I feel like half my week was completing logs. According to court documents obtained by 8 News Now, Chesley wrote in a letter to an attorney that the internal affairs investigation found Ryan Hughes (pictured here) had allegedly falsified 36 official department records involving canine training logs, violating department policy. (Mesquite Police Department) Yeah, Ive only asked for my logs for court one time, and since this isnt for court, I dont think it needs to be exact, Hughes texted. Chief orders DA meeting Chesley ordered the two deputy chiefs to take the screenshots of the information they found about the allegedly falsified K-9 training logs to the Clark County District Attorneys Office and then go to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters to inquire about the processes for internal affairs investigations, according to the city report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On November 21, 2024, both deputy chiefs met with Clark County Assistant District Attorney Chris Lalli and District Attorney Steve Wolfson about the Hughes investigation. The meeting lasted about 15 minutes with little interest expressed on doctored K-9 training logs, according to the city report. The same day, one of the deputy chiefs warned the Mesquite city manager and city attorney that Chesley was intentionally and unnecessarily involving himself in the Hughes investigation, according to the city report. One of the deputy chiefs told an attorney that he never intended for the Hughes investigation to escalate into a criminal matter until Chesley got involved, pointing to two disturbing Signal texts from Chesley allegedly suggesting which crimes Hughes committed, such as fraud or forgery, according to the city report. Once Chesley realized the District Attorneys Office would not be pursuing criminal charges against Hughes, he allegedly became deflated, according to the city report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The District Attorneys Office did not respond to an 8 News Now request for comment about the meeting. Final say on investigations? Chesley told an attorney compiling information for the city report that he had final word on all police department internal affairs reports. The then-chief provided one example from 2023 when it was suggested he proceed with an internal affairs recommendation to suspend Hughes for an off-duty incident for four months, remove him from the problem-solving unit special assignment, remove him from the SWAT team, and prohibit him from applying for promotion for 18 months. Chesley decided to remove the 18-month promotion moratorium, according to the city report. Hughes was the target of another internal affairs investigation after allegedly conducting an off-duty pursuit at 1:00 a.m. in an unmarked car, which began with the suspect crashing their vehicle into the front yard of Hughess home. When the internal affairs investigation was completed, Hughes was terminated from his position in January and then reinstated by the police department. The decision was heavily debated at the following city council meeting, where several opponents and supporters spoke about the conclusion of the Hughes case. Texts leaked at public meeting During a Jan. 14 Mesquite City Council meeting, Daniel Miller, a public commenter, began to read Hughes work phone texts allegedly taken from the internal affairs investigation. Mayor and council, I have obtained the following from [public information request] and I would like your opinion on the following, Miller said. During a Jan. 14 Mesquite City Council meeting, Daniel Miller, a public commenter, began to read Hughes work phone texts allegedly taken from the internal affairs investigation. (Credit: City of Mesquite) After the reading of texts which included racial slurs and derogatory statements, Miller read the exact same text, obtained by 8 News Now, which indicates possibly copying and pasting canine training logs. Imagine the impact of that for everyone who has been arrested by his dog and our tax dollars are paying for his training, which may or may not be happening. Imagine the impact of that for everyone who has been arrested by his dog, he said. And our tax dollars are paying for his training, which may or may not be happening. Jamie Stout, a Mesquite police officer, followed up and expressed confusion at just how someone got a hold of Hughes texts, but did not deny their validity. All of that information is part of his internal investigation, which is not subject to public information requests, and its not done, Stout said. Im just asking how that information got leaked. On Tuesday, the Mesquite Police Department seized about 68 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop. Police used K-9 Rogue to alert officers to the illegal narcotics. 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. NEED TO KNOW Former Minnesota meteorologist Renee Fox filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, Aug. 12, against her former employer KSTP in St. Paul, alleging sex discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation She alleged that her boss, KSTP news director Kirk Varner, made sexist comments about her appearance and that, when she pushed back, she was demoted and eventually terminated KSTPs current news director, Mike Garber, said, KSTP does not comment on personnel matters or active litigation" A former Minnesota meteorologist who was fired earlier this year filed a lawsuit against her former news station, alleging that she was subjected to sexist conduct by her boss. Renee Fox, who goes by Wren Clair on-air, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, Aug. 12, against her former employer KSTP in St. Paul, alleging sex discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation by her boss, former KSTP news director Kirk Varner, in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KSTP did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. KSTPs current news director, Mike Garber, who replaced Varner after his departure in March 2025, told the New York Post in a statement that KSTP does not comment on personnel matters or active litigation. In her lawsuit, a copy of which was obtained by PEOPLE, Fox alleged that Varner, would regularly make comments about her body and appearance and once mused about how lucky her husband was to wake up and see that. She alleged he would also voice his preference for her wearing tighter fitting outfits, and complained when she wore pants instead of a dress. She said that he attacked her for her decision to switch from blonde to her natural hair color. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The meteorologist claimed that Varners sexist conduct extended beyond remarks, as he also assigned her less favorable hours and assignments and gave her less and lower quality promotional support than her male peers who, she said, either ignored or tolerated his behavior. She said in the lawsuit that she opposed Varners harassment on multiple occasions, but no action was taken, even by HR. When she began openly opposing Varners conduct in early-to-mid 2024, she said she received a retaliatory response from her boss. In October 2024, Plaintiff was demoted, and on February 12, 2025, she was abruptly terminated, with over 2 years left on her contract, purportedly for 'unsatisfactory performance,' the lawsuit claimed, noting that Fox had at that point received positive performance feedback and had a high popularity among viewers. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In Minnesota, when your boss wonders out loud about what it would be like to sleep with you or wake up next to you; repeatedly makes comments about your body and appearance; and then fires you after you complain to HR that is sexual harassment and retaliation, and its illegal, Foxs attorney Paul M. Schinner said in a statement to PEOPLE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Ms. Fox finally spoke up and opposed sexist double standards and offensive behavior at KSTP, she was subject to vague, false 'performance' critiques, demoted, and abruptly fired. After giving seven years of her career to KSTP, Ms. Fox deserved better, and she looks forward to proving her case in court, he added. Fox is seeking back pay, as well as any compensatory and punitive damages to be decided by a jury. 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 EDITORS NOTE: Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolexs Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action. Bats have a bad reputation. Myths, folk tales, and negative media coverage mean people often link these flying mammals to vampires or blame them for disease outbreaks. But bat populations around the world are in decline, and without them, ecosystems lose key benefits like pest control, pollination and seed dispersal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Through education, research and advocacy, Rodrigo Medellin, a senior professor of ecology at the University of Mexico, has made it his mission to change the way people see these animals. Medellins fascination with bats began at the age of 13, when he held one in his hands for the first time. Thats when I decided to dedicate my life to their study and protection, he says. Since then, caves have become his happy place. Mexican ecologist Rodrigo Medellin wants the world to care more about bats. - Arely Melo The peace, the darkness, the silence apart from the bat squealing. I feel relaxed in a cave and all I do is I try to convey this feeling to the people that are with me, says Medellin, who is part of the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative and has won multiple awards for his work. He also founded of the Latin American Network for Bat Conservation, and Global South Bats, a network of bat scientists. There are over 1,400 bat species, which account for around a fifth of all known mammal species across the globe. They are the only mammals capable of powered flight, rather than just gliding, which allowed them to spread across the globe. They use highly developed echolocation to navigate and find prey at night, with some able to sense objects as small as human hair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although certain species live for over 30 years, bats reproduce slowly typically one pup per year. This makes it difficult for populations to recover from decline. They are very mysterious. Many people fear them, attack them, or despise them. They are probably the most unfairly treated animals on Earth, says Medellin. Bats are often seen as symbols of evil and darkness, largely due to their association with vampires and the supernatural in Western folklore. Throughout history in Christian Europe, the bat has been associated with the devil, evil spirits, and witches. Eastern cultures tend to view them much more positively. For instance, in Chinese culture, they are considered symbols of luck and happiness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, the perception of bats has worsened with the emergence of Covid-19, which some believe originated in bats and they are often viewed negatively due to their association with diseases. Bats are certainly not fuller of diseases than your dog or cat. That has been horribly exaggerated, Medellin explains. One of the most impactful services bats provide is pest control. Medellin notes that just one species along Mexicos northern borders numbers up to 30 million individuals, collectively devouring about 300 tons of insects every night. But they do much more than keep insects in check. Fruit-eating bats play a crucial role in spreading seeds as they fly long distances in search for food. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By dropping seeds far from the parent tree, they help regenerate forests, maintain plant diversity, and support the life cycles of countless other organisms. The restoration of forests relies very heavily on bats, Medellin says. Bats are also key pollinators for a wide range of plants, according to Medellin, including agave, the plant used to make tequila. Despite their critical ecological roles, populations worldwide face many challenges, most of which are caused by human activity. Habitat loss, wind turbines, pesticide use, and most recently, white nose syndrome a fungal disease have all taken a serious toll. As a result, many species are now listed as endangered or threatened. Imagine what happens if we lose bats overnight, Medellin says. Without them, crops would be ravaged by hungry insects, and mosquito populations would surge, drastically changing our way of life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is committed to convincing people that bats are important for their everyday wellbeing and believes that greater awareness could transform attitudes and turn fear into fascination. Through initiatives like bat-friendly agave farming, long-distance migration tracking and international conservation networks, hes working to protect bat populations while highlighting their role in pollination, pest control and ecosystem health. I give people facts, images, evidence, and automatically they fall in love with bats, he says. In my experience, anyone who had any contact with bats maintains that contact and starts expanding it. If there is anybody who is still afraid of bats, I would like to invite you to learn a bit more, he adds. They are going to win your heart. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com NEW MEXICO (KRQE) New Mexico inmates will pay significantly less for commissary items. The New Mexico Corrections Department is touting the move after it took control of prison store operations, which affects more than 5,800 inmates and their families. Village of Los Lunas breaks ground on $185 million I-25 interchange project Last Monday, the department took control of commissary operations from Union Supply Group, which had managed the service since 2021. Under the new system, the department purchases items in bulk and passes the savings on to inmates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. GUATEMALA CITY (AP) The leaders of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize announced on Friday that they were creating a tri-national nature reserve to protect the Mayan rain forest following a meeting during which they also discussed expanding a Mexican train line criticized for slicing through jungle habitat. The nature reserve would stretch across jungled areas of southern Mexico and northern parts of the two Central American nations, encompassing more than 14 million acres (5.7 million hectares). Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called the move historic and said it would create the second biggest nature reserve in Latin America, behind the Amazon rain forest. This is one of Earths lungs, a living space for thousands of species with an invaluable cultural legacy that we should preserve with our eyes on the future, Sheinbaum said, standing side-by-side with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo and Belize Prime Minister Johnny Briceno. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The announcement was met with cautious celebration by environmental groups like Mexico-based Selvame, who have sharply criticized the Mexican government and Sheinbaum's allies in recent years for environmental destruction wrought by megaprojects like a controversial train line, known as the Maya Train. The group said in statement that the reserve was a monumental step for conservation" but that it hoped that the reserve was more than just symbolic. Were in a race against the clock. Real estate and construction companies are invading the jungle, polluting our ecosystems, and endangering both the water we consume, and the communities that depend on it, the group wrote. It called on Sheinbaums government to put an effective monitoring system in place to stop any destructive activities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, the leaders also discussed a proposal by Mexico to expand the very train line those environmental groups have long fought from southern Mexico to Guatemala and Belize. The thousand-mile train currently runs in a rough loop around Mexicos Yucatan peninsula, and was created with the purpose of connecting Mexicos popular Caribbean resorts with remote jungle and Mayan archaeological sites in rural areas. However, it has fueled controversy and legal battles as it sliced through swathes of jungle and damaged a delicate cave system in Mexico that serves as the areas main source of water. In a span of four years, authorities cut down approximately 7 million trees, according to government figures. Sheinbaums mentor and predecessor former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador fast-tracked the train project without detailed environmental studies. The populist repeatedly ignored orders from judges to stop construction due to environmental concerns and publicly attacked environmentalists warning about damage done to fragile ecosystems. Lopez Obrador first proposed the idea of expanding the train to Guatemala, and Sheinbaum has continued to push for the project. On Friday, she said the extension would usher in development in rural areas with few economic opportunities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Arevalo was already on record saying Guatemalas laws would not allow it to be built through protected jungle in the north of the country. The Guatemalan leader said on Friday he sees the economic potential of the project to the jungle region but remained adamant that the construction should not come with the kind of environmental damage that it inflicted in Mexico. Connecting the Maya Train with Guatemala and eventually with Belize is a vision we share, Arevalo said. But Ive made it very clear at all times that the Maya Train will not pass through any protected area. He said there would also have to be careful environmental studies and the two presidents looked at an alternative proposal that would have the train loop instead of directly cut through the jungles of Guatemala and Belize. It remained unclear how the trains potential route would be affected by the new protected area. Janetsky reported from Mexico City. SPRINGFIELD MGM Springfield employed 1,553 people in the second quarter of this year, according to figures it released Thursday to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. The headcount has barely changed. MGM had 1,546 workers in the first three months of the year, also according to a quarterly report. The number was 1,541 a year ago when MGM made its 2024 second-quarter report. Before opening in 2018, MGM Springfield promised 3,000 permanent jobs at its casino in the South End. It hit the number briefly soon after opening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the CEO of MGMs parent company later said it was unrealistic, given the business conditions. Since then, MGM has voiced an informal goal to get to 2,000 employees. MGM reported progress Thursday on keeping visitors under 21 off the gaming floor and away from alcohol. Its been a point of emphasis for the gaming commission when it comes to regulating MGM over the years. But the second-quarter numbers for underage access are down 85% from the same time period last year with just 11 minors intercepted on the gaming floor: three in April, six in May and two in June. Last year, there were 24 in April, 23 in May and 28 in June. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MGM Springfield Vice President Gus Kim told commissioners the underage gamblers this spring included a 19-year-old woman who leaned over a railing to play a slot with her of-age boyfriend and a 20-year-old who used another persons license, MGM Springfield reported a total of $71.8 million in gross gaming revenue from slots and table games in the second quarter. Stories by Jim Kinney Read the original article on MassLive. Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) speaks at a news conference in Lansing to unveil government transparency legislation on March 13, 2024. (Photo: Anna Liz Nichols) State Rep. Betsy Coffia underwent surgery earlier this week to remove a brain tumor, while also treating a rare form of cancer. In a social media post, the Traverse City Democrat shared that she had been diagnosed in the spring with a recurrence of the benign brain tumor she had removed in 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While it is thankfully not back to the level of 2020, it still required medical intervention, Coffia wrote in the post. More recently, unrelated to the tumor, I received a diagnosis of a very rare form of cancer which we are fortunately catching at stage one. Coffia, who was treated at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, said she had a positive prognosis and was hoping to make a full recovery. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Im incredibly thankful that advances in medical science since my craniotomy in 2020 have meant a more targeted and localized surgery was possible. I am also so thankful to share that everything went smoothly, and my doctors tell me I am on a good path to heal, Coffia wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In reaction to the news, Coffias colleagues have offered their support, including state Rep. Stephen Wooden (D-Grand Rapids). While I have only worked with Rep. Coffia for a few months now, if theres one thing I know about her is shes a fighter and cancer has no idea who they picked a fight with. Give em Hell, Betsy. Heal up and see you on the floor soon enough, Wooden posted. The well wishes were bipartisan, with state Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) commenting on Coffias post that he was shaken by this news and prayed that this would be the last chapter of her illness. Get well, my friend, and I look forward to both our future battles and even more to continued collaboration! Stay tough, Damoose said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coffia said that while she takes time to recuperate and may not be as visible in the state house, and in the community here in northern Michigan, she said her legislative team would continue to serve constituents and that she would continue to contribute where she could. I love Northern Michigan and its residents and Ill never stop fighting for you. Youd better believe I will work even harder to support scientific research that allowed surgeries like mine, and fight like hell for access to quality healthcare for ALL, because that is what we deserve, Coffia concluded. In 2023, Justine Wilson launched her Curious and Kind Education forest-based microschool in Sarasota, Fla. Enrollment there, much like the rest of the microschool sector, has seen a boom, and operators such as Wilson believe state laws are a key to the future growth of alternative school settings like hers. (Photo courtesy of Justine Wilson) When Siri Fiske founded the Mysa Microschool in Washington, D.C., in 2016, there wasnt a widely accepted term for her small, one-room schoolhouse model. Now, the school is referred to on its website as one of the first microschools in the nation, and Fiske has seen a growing microschool movement since the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the five years since remote schooling amid pandemic-era lockdowns, microschools and homeschooling have emerged as increasingly popular alternatives to traditional public and private models. Smaller class sizes, individualized classrooms and lack of standardization are an appeal to parents, Fiske said. Theres this idea that people who open microschools are doing it for cultish or religious reasons, and theres a misconception that all are like that, Fiske said. Ive seen my students graduate into top colleges. Theres many ways to achieve academic success. Some education experts, however, have expressed concern about the growing movement. They question whether microschools are properly regulated and being held accountable, and whether theyll pull dollars out of the public education system. There is no federal definition of a microschool, and with the Trump administrations plans to shutter the U.S. Department of Education, the onus is on states to figure them out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schools calling themselves microschools today are not what I wouldve called one back then. But I think thats OK. Its evolving. Siri Fiske, founder and head of Mysa School In some states, microschools face a bind: If they operate as private schools, theyre required to meet facility, staffing and curricular standards that are often cost-prohibitive for schools their size. If they operate under homeschool laws, they face oversight, assessment mandates and reporting requirements that arent designed for multifamily or educator-led models. Some states, including Georgia, Tennessee and Texas, have passed Learning Rights Protection Acts to codify microschools right to operate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts and Oregon, learning pods and microschools often face child care or private school licensing requirements if they involve multiple families, hire instructors or provide compensation for child care. Schools calling themselves microschools today are not what I wouldve called one back then. But I think thats OK. Its evolving, Fiske said. She pointed to the national school choice movement and states such as West Virginia for helping the microschool movement flourish. In 2022, West Virginia became one of the few states to define a microschool, distinctly separating it from a private school, homeschool or learning pod. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those classifications, and how these schools are funded and regulated, affect everything from whether a school must hire certified teachers to how it ensures student safety or civil rights protections. And with more public dollars flowing to private or hybrid learning options through vouchers and education savings accounts to the detriment of public school funding, some argue states will need to define these schools and their place in the ecosystem. States will have to fill the gaps, said Weade James, senior director of K-12 education policy with the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning policy think tank. Accountability can vary wildly. Some microschools arent required to have certified teachers, conduct annual assessments, or even guarantee civil rights protections, said James. If public voucher dollars are going to a microschool, there has to be some level of oversight and accountability. Many microschools arent accredited Microschools defy easy classification, and many advocates argue thats by design. Don Soifer, CEO of the National Microschooling Center, an industry group, cautions lawmakers against rushing to impose fixed legal definitions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Innovation is happening too fast. The moment you define it in law, it becomes obsolete, Soifer said. A 2024 sector analysis by the National Microschooling Center one of the only sources of national data on the topic found that many schools are operating outside traditional education principles. In a survey of 400 microschools across 41 states, more than 60% of founders reported they were not currently licensed educators; 84% reported their schools were not accredited. Among prospective founders, 48% are licensed educators (though only 14% currently work in public schools), 32% come from non-education fields, and 23% are parents building schools for their own children. Most microschools (55%) operate under homeschool laws, while others function as private schools (37%), charters (6%) or fall into unique state categories (3%), according to the analysis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, you can be a private or homeschool microschool program, where you arent required to provide students with certified teachers, or you arent required to conduct annual assessments, James said. Often described as homeschool hybrids or small-scale learning communities, microschools often serve around 16 students or fewer, and tend to cater to families with average or above-average incomes in their area. In some states, microschools have been authorized to receive public funds through voucher programs. Some critics note that, like private schools, microschools may charge tuition, potentially excluding lower-income families and contributing to educational disparities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These schools often operate in commercial spaces (41%), private residences (28%) or houses of worship (25%), according to the National Microschooling Center. The center also found the movement is diversifying: 37% of prospective founders are people of color, compared with 27% of current operators. Because building and zoning codes vary from state to state and locality to locality, many operators may be unaware of the extra costs to meet school codes standards. Fiske recalls difficulties in expanding from Washington, D.C., to Vermont, which has stricter laws on water fountain requirements. Most people in the U.S. starting a microschool are doing it under the radar because the regulations to open a licensed school are so intense, Fiske said. For the new school, she recalled, it took us forever, and we had to install ADA-compliant toilets and water fountains for just 10 kids in Vermont. Microschooling is not one thing Microschools also operate in a legal gray zone, often outside the traditional K-12 system and subject to a patchwork of state and local policies that can either support or constrain their growth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Growth has accelerated in conservative-leaning states with robust school choice programs, such as Arizona and Florida. Other states, such as Maryland, New York and North Dakota, have more restrictive homeschool or private school laws. Microschooling is not one thing. These schools look different in every state, and the policy frameworks around them vary wildly, said Soifer, of the National Microschooling Center. What is classified as a microschool can vary from 10 kids in a basement in Kentucky to a 200-kid schoolhouse elsewhere. Fiske said states need to create a way for operators and parents to know what to expect in a certain state, and help willing operators get the education and business acumen they need to run the schools successfully. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But if you look at who is starting microschools in the U.S., its a lot of millennial parents who may not have any teacher training but wanted to create a learning environment for their children and others in the local community, said Fiske. And without efforts by the state to provide some incentives to earn accreditation and information as both a school and a small business, a few of these will find themselves going under. Seeking choices After two decades working in conventional schools in the United States and around the world including in Brazil, Egypt and Qatar Justine Wilson turned down a high-paying leadership role at a prestigious private school. Instead, in 2023 she opened Curious and Kind Education, a two-day-a-week microschool in Sarasota, Florida, built around trust, nature-based learning and self-directed play. Enrollment at Curious and Kind is mostly driven by word of mouth, she said. The program now has a waitlist. And Wilson has seen her enrollment grow from 18 students in her first year to roughly 100 students for the upcoming school year. The number of 5-year-olds on my waitlist is shocking, she said, and then I realized theyre COVID babies and their parents have really been driving this search for alternative schooling since the pandemic. James, of the Center for American Progress, questions whether microschools generally match the quality of traditional public schools, which still educate more than 80% of schoolchildren. She says families may be under the assumption that school choice options equate to better quality. We have created an illusion of choice to be quality, and I think a lot of families are seeking various choice options because they associate that with quality. But that doesnt necessarily mean that where those students are going is any better than where they left, she said. We need to take a closer look at what we are presenting to families, James said. Its not just about having options and having a choice. Its about having quality choice options. That quality, Soifer said, is what microschools are trying to achieve. Microschools do very well on the left, on the right at the top end of the economy and at the fragile end of the income spectrum, he said. Its really a matter of the new economy and a new way of thinking about education. Stateline reporter Robbie Sequeira can be reached at rsequeira@stateline.org. Like the SC Daily Gazette, Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Aug. 15A Middletown woman is facing up to 1 1/2 years in prison for an OVI crash into a house in February that seriously injured an 83-year-old Franklin Twp. woman who lived in the house. Elena Reagan Eggleton, 20, pleaded guilty Wednesday before Warren County Common Pleas Judge Timothy Tepe to vehicular assault, assault of a police officer, harassment with a bodily substance and a misdemeanor count of OVI, which was a second offense in 10 years, according to court documents. As part of her plea, the vehicular assault charge was reduced from aggravated vehicular assault and a misdemeanor criminal damaging count was dismissed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 30. Eggleton was driving a 2011 Ram 1500 about 11:30 p.m. Feb. 16 northwest on Ohio 123 near McLean/Robinson Vale roads when she drove off the right side of the state route and struck a fire hydrant, wires connected to a utility pole and a cable box, according to a crash report filed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The pickup then went across McLean Road and struck a stop sign, traveled over more wires and then crashed into the front of a house in the 5500 block of Ohio 123, seriously injuring an 83-year-old woman inside, the report stated. "Substantial damage was done to the property including structural damage. A victim was in the residence and was subsequently hospitalized," read a criminal complaint filed in Franklin Municipal Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eggleton was arrested at the scene on an OVI charge when she "became irate, kicked a trooper, repeatedly kicked the back of a patrol car and attempted to spit on a trooper," according to an incident summary filed by the highway patrol. Troopers reported that a blood test measured Eggleton's blood-alcohol level at .277, which is more than three times Ohio's .08 legal driving limit. In addition to a potential prison term, Eggleton is facing a mandatory fine up to $1,625, a driver's license suspension for one to seven years and up to two years of post-release control to be overseen by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction's Adult Parole Authority. Tom Martello writes a regular column about the 2025 race for New Jersey governor. Mikie Sherrill stood in the courtyard at the Llewellyn Parq Bar and Grill in West Orange on a sweltering afternoon that matched the heat in New Jerseys all-important governors race. Her goal: Unveil a plan to cut red tape so its easier and less expensive to open a business, and order state agencies to focus on customer service so Jersey residents arent frustrated by long waits and delays. Trenton, she said, has been plagued by a culture of settling on no, rather than getting to yes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two words Sherrill didnt mention during her Thursday press conference: Donald Trump. Despite months on the campaign trail spent blaming Trump for all kinds of ills, and aggressively attempting to link Trump to her Republican foe Jack Ciattarelli, Sherrill had no Trump card to play at this event. READ MORE: Ciattarelli finally dances away from Trump as N.J. gov race rages on. Dems arent buying it. Because how can you pin sluggish state government bureaucracy on the president? That ones on Gov. Phil Murphy. This press conference, which took place before an audience of about two dozen journalists, business owners and Sherrill supporters, illustrates in miniature the difficult place in which the Democratic candidate finds herself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her opponent keeps calling her Phil Murphy 2.0. She needs to set herself apart from the current (and increasingly unpopular) governor. But thus far shes largely been reluctant to speak ill of Phil. NJ governor's race chat When NJ Advance Medias Brent Johnson asked Sherrill if this is one area where she can separate herself from Murphy by pointing out the problems that were either created or perpetuated under his watch she took the opportunity (sort of). Yeah, really driving that accountability into Trenton I think thats different and new, she said. OK, not exactly firebrand words. But baby steps, right? Its never easy to run on the heels of a lame duck governor from your party in New Jersey, which likes to switch parties every eight years or so. Just ask Kim Guadagno, who lost big when she tried to follow Chris Christie in 2017. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murphy may not be doing her any favors. At the Statehouse earlier in the day, the governor told reporters he had a good meeting with Sherrill on Wednesday. Shes gonna be her own person, he said. And probably shes gonna take a lot of the things weve done that she likes and incorporate them into her agenda. But shes proven unequivocally over her career that shes her own person. Again, not exactly firebrand words. Nor is it reassurance to voters still unsure how Sherrill stands apart from Murphy, or what it means that shes her own person. Of course, once we get past Labor Day, the onslaught of campaign ads will begin. And neither side is hiding its strategy. Ciattarelli and Republican backers will paint Sherrill as too left-wing for Jersey and try to move the conversation past Trump by saying shed keep the status quo in a state suffering from high costs just as so many of you are getting sticker shock from your electric bills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sherrill and Democratic backers will pound Ciattarelli for saying he has no big policy differences with his boss Trump, including all those cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill that could hammer many residents and tariffs that could drive up prices. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (left) and President Donald Trump (right). But some Democrats privately worry about Sherrill becoming a one-trick pony with this approach. And if the battle comes down to state issues, Ciattarelli has a built-in advantage: The party out of power in Trenton always gets to fashion itself as the agent of change. So can Sherrill thread this needle, or to mix metaphors has she painted herself into an inescapable corner? She cant move too far from her party without alienating the Democratic base, many of whom are desperate to hear her attack Trump. And she has publicly aligned herself with Murphy on many issues, including praising him for fully funding public employee pensions and public schools and adding to property tax relief initiatives. Is it a pivot? You decide. But her spokesman Sean Higgins says she has pivoted plenty from Murphy, noting that she opposed the governors gutting of the states open public records law and his latest round of tax increases, as well as declaring the state needs to do a better job with NJ Transit and fix a secretive state budget process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mikie has always been an independent voice who will take on anyone, including her own party, to serve New Jersey unlike Jack, who has refused to name a single issue on which he disagrees with Trump, and thats wildly out of touch with New Jersey, Higgins said. I could have guessed Ciattarelli spokesman Chris Russells comeback, even before he said it to me. Its the comeback Sherrills camp is going to have to defend against over and over again in the coming weeks: The problems that currently face the state, whether its property taxes, electricity bills, overdevelopment have been created by the party thats been in charge. And so now shes backed by all the same people who created these problems in New Jersey, including Phil Murphy, and the idea that shes gonna now tell people, Hey, Im different, and Im gonna be independent just doesnt pass the smell test. A possible silver lining for Sherrill? A series of polls released this summer finds Jersey voters arent crazy about Trump or Murphy they are just looking for solutions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patrick Murray, owner of StimSight Research, which conducted a poll for InsiderNJ, said: You cant simply run against Trump or Murphy. Thats not enough for voters right now. Those voters who are soft right now and could go either way or could decide to stay home want a real message that says, This is what I would do as governor. He said Democrats, Republicans and independents all want change. Independents, particularly those who lean Democrat, are open to what kind of change that is, so that doesnt necessarily mean they are opposed to everything Phil Murphy did, Murray said. They just want a fresh approach. Previous columns: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Looking for even more N.J. political coverage? Try Brent Johnsons newsletter:What Makes Jersey Run. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Tom Martello may be reached at tmartello@njadvancemedia.com. Jersey's education minister has called on all sides to work together to "build a better future" for the island's pupils. Deputy Rob Ward said plans for a primary school to be built on a site formerly used by Jersey Gas near Millennium Park in St Helier were a "moral and civic priority". However, a proposition from Constable of St Helier Simon Crowcroft has asked the government to review the plans. Members of the Friends of the Millennium Park have also criticised the plans and believe local opinion has been ignored. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ward said the new school was needed to replace inadequate and outdated facilities and delaying the plans was "not an option". He called on all sides to engage in discussions around the project and visit the existing schools to "understand the urgency" of needing a new school. Ward added: "Let's work together to build a better future - for our children, our community and our town." 'Facing a choice' The education minister said arguments against the school based on Jersey's falling birth rate were missing the point, in his opinion. "Some claim falling birth rates mean we don't need new facilities," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "But this isn't about increasing capacity, it's about replacing inadequate schools." Ward added the government's plans had already been allocated funding while proposals to extend the park - which Friends of Millennium Park chairman Bernie Manning said would be better - had not been costed. "We face a choice - thoughtful, integrated planning that meets educational, environmental, and community needs - or fragmented ideas that ignore the realities of our town," Ward said. Members of the Friends of Millennium Park believe more people would like to see an extension to the park [BBC] Speaking previously to the BBC, Mr Manning said he did not think St Helier's deputies were doing enough to reflect the views of residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Manning said most members of the Friends of Millennium Park who he had spoken to did not think a new school was needed and would rather have a park extension. "With the amount of people now using the park, we definitely need to extend the park all the way to St Saviour's Road," he said. In his proposition, Crowcroft said he would like the Council of Ministers to present a report to the States Assembly by the end of 2025. He said he would like to report to include an assessment of the need for a new school, have up to date financial projections and the traffic impact of the plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk. More on this story Related internet links JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) Financial challenges are hardly an issue unique to Mississippians; however, American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) data showed that Mississippians bankruptcy cases make up a high share of the docket. Data from ABI revealed there are fewer bankruptcy filings overall across the state now compared to previous years. The 8,779 overall bankruptcy filings in 2023 are among the lowest for Mississippi this century; however, it is the third straight year of increased filings within the state. Additionally, between 2000-2023, Mississippians filed bankruptcy at a 39% higher rate compared to the rest of the country. Chapter 13 bankruptcy is the most common type. For this arrangement, a person who still has a steady income can set up a payment plan for all or part of their debt. The rate of Mississippians filing for this kind of bankruptcy surpassed the national rate between 2000-2023. During that period, the rate of Mississippians filing for any type of bankruptcy was higher than the national average each year except 2010. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mississippi 8th in US for financial distress: WalletHub Outside of bankruptcy, many of the states residents face financial challenges. WalletHub ranked Mississippians as the eighth most financially distressed Americans nationally. Its residents are also the least likely nationally to have sustainable spending habits. Additionally, the state has the second-lowest rate of emergency savings among its residents nationally. Similar patterns also exist for Mississippi businesses that file for bankruptcy. Below are the trends ABI observed between 2013-2023. Year Total filings Chapter 7 Chapter 11 Chapter 13 Chapter 9, 12, 15 2023 171 95 52 22 2 2022 121 84 21 15 1 2021 148 69 65 12 2 2020 253 158 49 37 9 2019 204 135 31 31 7 2018 214 139 42 28 5 2017 242 161 45 29 7 2016 270 167 60 35 8 2015 223 158 38 21 6 2014 266 189 55 19 3 2013 301 219 56 22 4 Average 219 143 47 25 5 Though the ABI does not have numbers for 2024 and 2025, the states bankruptcy courts have some data related to both years. The U.S. Southern District of Mississippi Bankruptcy Court reported bankruptcy case filings up 4.9% for the first six months of 2025 compared to 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily 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 WJTV. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Missouri lawmakers are preparing for a special session on congressional redistricting as part of President Donald Trumps push to draw more favorable maps for Republicans ahead of next years elections. A document obtained by The Associated Press shows the Senate has received a $46,000 invoice to activate six redistricting software licenses and provide training for up to 10 legislative staff members. Kansas City Council approves contract to continue KCATA operations Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senate Administrator Patrick Baker says he stands ready to pay the bill as soon as Republican Governor Mike Kehoe officially calls a special session. While Kehoe expressed interest in redistricting Missouris congressional districts on Thursday at the Missouri State Fair, he didnt commit to calling the special session. You want to make sure that what youre doing is in the right direction and that you have as many people on board as possible, Kehoe said in a news conference. And Im not saying we are at that point or not at that point, but its a process when you think about that. Its a big decision. Its not something I take lightly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republican House Majority Leader Alex Riley said a special session on redistricting is pretty likely to happen. Riley said hes had conversations about it with White House staff, and discussions are already underway about what a new map could look like. Six of Missouris eight congressional seats are currently held by Republicans. GOP lawmakers could target a Democratic-held district in Kansas City to pick up another seat. Democratic leaders, on the other hand, argue that redistricting will create division in the legislature. However, dividing Kansas City could also make other GOP-led districts in the state more competitive for Democrats. Feds to investigate Kansas school districts over gender identity policies Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2018 and 2020, voters passed an initiative to drastically change the redistricting process. According to the 2020 vote, state legislative districts are determined by two political commissions: one for state Senate districts and another for House districts. The idea that legislators would redraw Missouri districts became apparent in early July, just a few years after a 2022 legislative session failed to submit a redistricting plan, which would have split Missouris Fifth District, by the deadline. Redistricting now would create a similar split, making it harder for Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver to win reelection. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) One person was injured Thursday night in a South Nashville shooting. According to officials with the Metro Nashville Police Department, a man was shot in the leg and is being treated at a local hospital. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts The shooting was reported just after 7 p.m. Thursday at 315 Plus Park Blvd. Preliminary investigation suggests the shooting was the result of an argument over a shoplifting, which led to an altercation a short distance from where the argument occurred, according to authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Metro police officials said the person who shot the gun is claiming self-defense. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com The MNPDs non-lethal shooting detectives are on the scene of the shooting. No further information was released. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 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. Fitch Ratings said Thursday it expects the Islamic finance industry in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to reach $1 trillion by end-2026, after growing to nearly $950 billion by the first half of 2025. The industrys growth will continue to be led by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, Fitch projected, citing their large Muslim populations which enable regulations, accessibility to the Islamic bond sukuk and potential for stronger ties with countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). - Advertisement - Demand for Islamic finance in ASEAN remains fragmented, with a limited presence in Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand, Fitch said. It said that in the Philippines, the outstanding sukuk has remained flat since its first sovereign issuance in 2023. The sole Islamic bank in the country had assets of $20 million, significantly lower than Bruneis nearly $10 billion in Islamic banking assets at the end of 2024. To support the industry, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas eased capital requirements for Islamic banking units in 2023. The Insurance Commission also issued guidelines for takaful, or Islamic insurance, and granted the first two takaful operator licenses in 2024. This year, guidelines were issued for inclusive micro-products, such as micro takaful. Fitch said Islamic finance has a key role in achieving sustainable and inclusive growth, particularly in infrastructure and green finance, and that stronger ASEAN-GCC ties could boost market penetration. ASEAN-GCC relationships are evident through GCC shareholders in a few Malaysian banks, and GCC Islamic banks are key investors and arrangers of dollar sukuk issued in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, Fitch said. Closer links could foster growth, as seen with GCC investors support for the Islamic finance industry in the UK, Turkiye and Kazakhstan, it said. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The suspect in a July deadly shooting in Nashville was arrested on Thursday in Alabama. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, U.S. Marshals arrested Christian Ibe in Birmingham, Alabama. Ibe is accused of the July 2 shooting death of 33-year-old Marcus Caruthers. The shooting happened outside of Kings Market on the 1800 block of Jefferson Street. CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime-related reports from across Middle Tennessee Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials said the shooting happened when Ibe and a woman were in an argument outside the store, and Caruthers intervened. Thats when Ibe reportedly pulled out a gun and shot Caruthers in the torso. Caruthers later died from his injuries. Metro police issued a criminal homicide warrant for Ibes arrest on July 3. Authorities also reported the ankle monitor Ibe was wearing for a 2024 domestic violence case had been cut off. Ibe will be brought back to Nashville soon, according to police. No further information was released. 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Metro police arrested a man with seven outstanding warrants and recovered pounds of marijuana Thursday. Woman dead after sexual assault at South Nashville church Chris Winters Jr., 20, was stopped on Dec. 3, 2024, along Green Street. According to a Friday press release from the Metro Nashville Police Department, officers asked Winters if there was marijuana inside his gray Inifiniti, and he fled. The vehicle was later recovered along Lewis Street, unlocked and running, and police were reportedly able to recover burglary tools along with 5.2 grams of marijuana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, police said Winters was seen conducting alleged drug deals in North Nashville. Police took him into custody when he parked at a home on Avondale Circle and recovered 2.42 pounds of marijuana along with a digital scale from his Hyundai Tucson. MNPD: 1 injured in South Nashville shooting In addition to seven outstanding warrants from the December 2024 incident, Winters was charged with felony drug possession and drug paraphernalia. As of publication, he remains in custody on a $36,000 bond. 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. I had faith in MNPS. Not because current leadership has given me much reason to believe they will be the ones to finally close the yawning educational gulf that isolates poor Black kids on islands of poverty and despair, but because, generally speaking, I have faith in humanity. I have faith that, even when we mistakenly place individual needs before the good of the whole, the illumination of issues can open eyes anew and restore our commitment to the greater good. After all, MNPSs struggle to educate the most marginalized isnt specific to Superintendent Adrienne Battles tenure, or even to this generation. Its Americas age-old crisis, born of anti-Blackness and a desire to ensure that, post-emancipation, Black folks in this country were never afforded upward mobility. Minus whips and chains and de jure disenfranchisement, limiting educational opportunity is the best way to do so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But whatever faith I may have had that this administration could, in fact, serve the needs of all its constituents not just those living in Green Hills or attending Hume Fogg was pulverized during the Aug. 12 Metro Nashville Public Schools board meeting. Community members showed up and spoke out On the heels of the announcement of a $6.5 million settlement for veteran MNPS employees who accused Battle of retaliatory efforts that forced them out of previous positions approved unanimously during the July 22 board meeting, and with zero discussion six community members, all affiliated with the parent-led advocacy group Nashville PROPEL, showed up to voice their concerns. They questioned the closed session that led to the settlement. They were adamant that those funds couldve better served students in struggling schools. And they addressed the basis of the allegations, this ugly reality that Battle likely punished district employees who dared to cross her. MNPS Board Chair Freda Player, left, calls public commenters to the front while Director Adrienne Battle, right, looks on during the Metro Nashville Public Schools board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. Their remarks were delivered with sincerity and conviction; most significantly, they were reasonable. It is, in fact, quite normal for taxpayers who spend upwards of $1 billion on their local school district to question why such a large sum is being spent on such a preventable expense. This sort of public address should be expected. For professionals who desire to truly serve a community and all its needs, it should also be welcomed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet right on cue, the concerned parents were followed by Battle supporters who, one after the other, bowed to their leader and showered her with effusive praise. Youre doing wonderful sweetie, they said, effectively silencing all voices whod come before. "Let's be very clear," said Kisha Cox, principal of Jere Baxter Middle School, "we may be imitated in MNPS, but we could never be duplicated. We are MNPS. We are building a legacy that lasts. School board members, don't get distracted. We are building a dynasty." MNPS has a history of downplaying criticism, showering Battle with praise It was a familiar tactic. During the Jan. 28 board meeting, the first following the fatal shooting at Antioch High that claimed the lives of two students, board members and commenters alike responded to public criticism about the lack of metal detectors in schools and a rash of previous gun charges across the district by letting everyone know just how awesome Battle is. Said Board Chair Freda Player: As we as the board praise her and bask in the glow of others who have also praised her leadership during those times, we are fortunate to have her leadership though this crisis. She has been tested time and time again, and she has truly inspired us and led the way when the road felt so hard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Well, dear reader, if Player and company were basking in the glow of Battle-directed praise back in January, the light was bright enough to blind on Aug. 12. Opinion: I want MNPS to be honest about who can succeed in its schools At the board meeting, former longtime board member Sharon Gentry closed the round of public comments with remarks both laudatory (toward Battle) and scathing (for anyone whos yet to kiss the ring). After five years of success after success, what youve heard here tonight is simply their best gotcha, she pressed. Maam youre scaring folks. Creating symptoms, using a problem from five years ago to develop a narrative, a narrative designed to support a political agenda, an agenda that politicizes and uses as pawns students with disabilities; students from economically disadvantaged environments; English language learners; Blacks, Hispanics, Native American students the students that you, maam, are seeing, knowing and serving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was giving mic drop. It was giving slam poetry with a heavy side-eye. And it was giving egregiously distasteful and inconsiderate of the parents whose only agenda is the education of their children. It's time for all of Nashville to hold MNPS accountable I believe Gentry wouldnt have made such a spectacle if she wasnt certain she had wider support. Indeed, at the close of her speech, Player allowed for a 25-second standing ovation from Battles supporters so pleased were they after Gentry forcefully beat back the peasants threatening to encroach upon their ivory tower. But does Gentry really have support? Does the broader Nashville community honestly believe its wrong for taxpayers to question the events that led to a historic settlement, or to express that those funds couldve been better used in the citys underperforming schools? And in a town that has railed against the oppressive conservatism of our state and federal governments, do we even those of us who dont have a child enrolled in an MNPS school, or are happy with the district really want to applaud the furious punching down by a former elected official? Do we agree with the silencing of our most vulnerable voices? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I hope not. Opinion: Andy Ogles thinks DEI is un-Christian. Jesus would disagree As I wrote previously, the prevailing narrative around the miseducation of Black, Brown and poor children in urban districts is a lack of funds. We dont critique the power structures themselves. In cities like ours drops of blue in blood-red states we dont hold the Black, the Black and female, the Democratic to task. The boogeymen, we are told, are in the State Capitol and the White House. And even while MNPS pledges to make every student known, we excuse the fact that the leaders of our citys school district also know our childrens struggles, our parental anguish, and ignore it anyway. That they gloss over it in the name of public relations. MNPS board and supporters send wrong message in backing Battle So maybe my faith isnt dead. Maybe its redirected. Because I want to assume, to believe, to pray that we are better than this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a city; as parents and children, neighbors and friends; and as a community of humans who must look out for one another because, really, we all we got I want to believe that such a gross display of drunken power will remain lodged in our collective psyche, lest we be tempted to forget the work we are called to do, and for whom. Opinion: Tennessee now offers automatic college admissions. Here's what you should know It had long been apparent that the MNPS higher-ups were engaged in a different fight than that of the parents it claims to serve, those people who are at war with a society that has already relegated their children to the margins and rendered their own voices irrelevant. Until now, one could make the argument that MNPS was winning that battle, at least in terms of optics. The constant touting of Level 5 statuses and TCAP score increases and the additional rollouts of supports and services for the students already succeeding could certainly convince the casual observers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But on Aug. 12, in just a few minutes, MNPS effectively turned their weapons on themselves. For a district that has long prioritized its message as much as its mission, MNPS (once again) sent the wrong one. Because as long as they focus their energy on fighting against the parents, I'm not sure who's fighting for the kids. Andrea Williams is an opinion columnist for The Tennessean and curator of the Black Tennessee Voices initiative. She has an extensive background covering country music, sports, race and society. Email her at adwilliams@tennessean.com or follow her on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @AndreaWillWrite and BlueSky at @andreawillwrite.bsky.social. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: MNPS board meeting was full of drunken power, punching down | Opinion I recently had a great interview with Taiwans Central News Agency about the upcoming meeting in Alaska between the U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Journalist asked a simple, straightforward question: If you were Trumps advisor, what would you say to him right before the summit? I said the most important thing is to stop talking about a "land swap" as if its just soil, square miles, or something lifeless. When we talk about Ukrainian land, were first and foremost talking about Ukrainian peoplepeople who are tortured, raped, killed, persecuted for their faith, culture, and national identity, whose children are abducted and forcibly stripped of their Ukrainian identity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Did you know that Russia has launched an online "catalog" of kidnapped Ukrainian children, sorted by age, eye color, and number of siblings? Its terrifying how inhuman this is. If this war were about NATO expansion, why would Russia abduct Ukrainian children? Because this war isnt about NATOits about erasing Ukraine as a nation and turning it into a platform for future wars. Did you know that on the occupied territories, there is no religious denomination allowed except the Russian Orthodox Church? When we talk about Ukrainian land, were talking about peoples relatives, families, women, and children trapped under Russian occupationwithout rule of law, without freedoms, and without even basic human dignity. Did you know that escaping these territories is nearly impossible. Russian forces shoot civilians trying to flee, because anyone unwilling to embrace the occupationand who has the courage and free will to return to Ukrainian-controlled landis seen as a threat that must be eliminated. There are thousands of documented cases of families being shot in their cars while trying to escape. Did you know that on Russian-occupied territories seized after 2014 especially in the Donbas region people have no access to clean drinking water, hygiene products, medicine, or basic survival needs. The water supply runs through worn-out pipes, and as an alternative, the occupation authorities offer mine water contaminated with radioactive substances from nuclear testing at the Yunkom mine in the 1970s. These areas have suffered a double epidemic and a rise in HIV cases among newborns, while all independent international observers are barred from entry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2014 already showed us that leaving these lands under Russian occupation leads to another human catastrophe, cutting off all access to the people there and to the truth about whats happening. So when we entertain the idea of "giving up" Ukrainian territories, we are effectively telling the people there: We will abandon you. We will not fight for you. Thats not ending the warits condemning thousands of people to endless suffering in what are essentially modern concentration camps of Russian aggression. And ultimately, did you know the Ukrainian army is fully capable of defending its land and only needs adequate air defense to protect civilians? Ukrainian-made sea drones struck Russias Black Sea Fleet, forcing its retreat. Ukraine secured the The Grain Deal on its own terms after Russia violated the original UN- and Turkey-brokered agreement by shelling ports and pulling out in July 2023. Ukraines drone fleet then destroyed much of Russias naval power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Operation Spiderweb, Ukraine took out one-third of Russias nuclear bomber fleet deep inside Russian territory hitting five major airbases with its own drones. And thats not counting special operations eliminating top Russian commanders. Ukraine can win. The myth of Russias "undefeated" history is nothing more than propaganda. But people who don't believe in supporting Ukraine can make it true. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Ty Burrell, known for his role as Phil Dunphy on Modern Family and owner of multiple businesses in the Salt Lake area, has joined Salt Lake Citys fundraising effort to support the employees impacted by the Main Street fire earlier this week. On Tuesday morning, 200 of our neighbors woke up unemployed, Burrell stated in a video shared by the Downtown Alliance. These are people that have taken care of us, now its our turn to take care of them. LEARN MORE: Assistance fund created for employees impacted by Salt Lake City fire Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Downtown Alliance, the assistance fund has raised $75,000 in the last 36 hours. The goal is to raise $500,000 to support all of the employees impacted by the loss of their workplaces. Some of the buildings destroyed in the fire were the Whiskey Street bar, the White Horse Bar, and the Los Tapatios Grill. 100% of the donations raised by the assistance fund will go directly to the affected workers, helping them pay for rent, groceries, transportation, and other necessities. The first checks are expected to be distributed early next week. These are the folks who wash our dishes, serve our meals, dont question when you show up for your fourth birthday of the month. They just stick a candle in that dessert and play along, Mayor Erin Mendenhall joked in the video. Or the brave hosts and hostesses who stand their ground when I scream, Dont you know who I am?' Burrell said, continuing Mendenhalls joke. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUSLY: Its a kick in the gut: Whiskey Street owner, others, speak out after devastating fire in downtown SLC To donate to the Main Street Fire Employee Assistance Program, visit the Downtown Alliances website. This page includes additional information about how funds will be distributed. This community is generous, and when we work together, we make amazing things happen, Dee Brewer, Executive Director of the Downtown Alliance, is quoted in the press release. Having Ty join this effort adds a boost of heart and visibility to an already powerful wave of support. Previously, Burrell made a similar appearance to help raise funds and support restaurant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Latest headlines: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 ABC4 Utah. Modern Family star and Utah resident Ty Burrell is joining Salt Lake Citys fundraising effort following a fire that tore through several businesses on Main Street earlier this week. Ty Burrell fundraises for Salt Lake Main Street fire victims On Tuesday morning, 200 of our neighbors woke up unemployed, Burrell said in a new video shared by Salt Lake Citys Downtown Alliance. These are people that have taken care of us. Now its our turn to take care of them. So far, the Main Street Fire Employee Assistance Fund has raised over $75,000 of its $500,000 goal, per the Downtown Alliances website. Money raised will benefit employees of downtown businesses, including London Belle, Whiskey Street, White Horse and Los Tapatios, and go toward covering day-to-day expenses like rent, groceries and transportation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first round of funds will be distributed to employees on Aug. 19, according to downtownslc.org. These are the folks who wash our dishes, serve our meals, dont question when you show up for your fourth birthday of the month. They just stick a candle in that dessert and play along, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall joked in the video. Or the brave hosts and hostesses who stand their ground when I scream, Dont you know who I am? Burrell added. The actor, who played Phil Dunphy on Modern Family for 11 seasons, co-owns Beer Bar restaurant and Bar X on 200 South in downtown Salt Lake City about a half-mile from the Main Street fire. He also co-owns The Eating Establishment in Park City and The Cotton Bottom in Holladay, per Deseret News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burrell previously helped spearhead a fundraising effort at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, writing a $100,000 check to establish a fund that raised money for out-of-work servers in the local restaurant industry, as the Deseret News reported. Ty Burrell on living in Utah Although hes had a home in Utah since 2008, Burrell and his family moved to the Beehive State full time after he concluded his run on Modern Family. The actor and his wife, Holly a Utah native who went to Kaysvilles Davis High School made the move with their two daughters back in 2020. Its just been spectacular, he recently told People. We moved here right after (Modern Family) ended, and I dont have any regrets. Its been lovely and a great place to raise the kids. NEED TO KNOW Redaja Juicy Williams, 23, was fatally shot while taking her 7-year-old daughter to the bus stop on Wednesday, Aug. 13 Authorities transported her from the scene to the University of Louisville Hospital, where she was pronounced deceased The Louisville Metro Police Department is still looking for a suspect A 23-year-old mother of two was killed while taking her child to school. Around 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 13, the young mother was taking her 7-year-old daughter to the bus stop near Coleridge-Taylor Montessori Elementary School in Louisville, Ky., the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Redaja Juicy Williams was identified as the victim by her family, according to WHAS11. In addition to being a mother to her daughter, she also has a 2-year-old child. Once LMPD arrived at the scene, Williams was taken to the University of Louisville Hospital, where she was pronounced deceased, according to LMPD Chief Paul L. Humphrey. "I screamed, I yelled, I made everybody get down," witness Kendra LaRue told WLKY. "I have children running this way, children running to the Y. Children running over there, right along with my daughter and a couple of our friends, and then my second reaction is to the person who is on the ground." "Every time I close my eyes, I see her, and I hear her breath," LaRue said. "I hear her gasping for air. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities initially questioned a 15-year-old boy as the suspect. However, he was later released and then charged in an unrelated shooting in the same area that took place on Aug. 7. LMPD is still looking for the suspect. Getty Stock image of school bus stop Stock image of school bus stop Williams sister, Lavett Knuckles, told reporters she witnessed the fatal shooting. I had to watch my sister lay on that ground and take her last breath," Knuckles said, per WKLY. "There was nothing I could do about it. This is my daughters bus stop as well. She witnessed this, too," Knuckles said. "Shes traumatized, so many questions. We want the killer caught ASAP, Williams mother, Schreida Simmons, said, per WHAS11. She also said that her daughter was the life of the party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Shed light up the room every time she came in youd know it was Juicy," Williams' cousin, Twand Howard, said. Williams' aunt, Donna Cole, asked the public to remember her niece and her legacy while she spoke at a press conference on Thursday, Aug. 14. "I'm traumatized. I live in fear. Not that they're going to do anything to me, but to another person's child," Cole said. Be angry every day. Be proactive in your community. Be proactive in your neighborhood. Dont talk about it. Be about it. At the press conference, Williams' great-uncle, Kenneth Simmons, and Williams' uncle urged the suspect to come forward. "If you're real men, say who done it. Please. 'Cause it may be your child next." You cant even go to the grocery store without somebody wanting to shoot you, or rob you, or carjack you, Williams grandfather, Bruce Simmons, said, per WAVE. Its gotta stop somewhere. On Wednesday, Humphrey confirmed that the children who witnessed the shooting will be offered counseling from Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS), the nearby YMCA and the Office of Violence Prevention. I know JCPS has counselors within their schools that'll make sure that they get with these kids and offer the support that they need to get through this tragedy, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Understand you don't get through something like this as a young person. This is something that changes you forever," Humphrey said. "So whether it's the formal support that we'll get whether it's provided by Louisville Metro or JCPS or private institutions, these kids are forever impacted by this," he concluded. "And we have to recognize that and we have to recognize that as a community that. That formal support is not where it should stop and we should continue with that." LMPD requests anyone with information to use their anonymous tip line at 502-574-LMPD or the online anonymous crime tip hotline. 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. A representative for the Louisville Metro Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for more information on Thursday. Read the original article on People HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) Some people who live in the Monrovia Flats Apartments say their homes are turning into health hazards, telling News 19 that mold and water damage are taking over their units and they fear its making them sick. Tenants say the problems have persisted for months. Now, with their health concerns piling up, they want help. A group of residents told News 19s Dallas Parker they are tired of patching the problems themselves, and they shouldnt have to live in those kinds of conditions. On the outside, Monrovia Flats appears well-kept and manicured. But inside, some residents say their apartments tell a very different story. The residents we spoke to asked to remain off-camera, out of fear they could be evicted for speaking out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three tenants living in the same building tell News 19 that mold is creeping across walls, ceilings, and bathrooms, and moisture problems wont go away. One man said apartment office employees claimed they tested for mold in his unit but found none. He told News 19, They told me theres nothing I can do, or they can do. So, my next choice was to sleep on my balcony. The woman who lives next door told News 19 the mold in her unit sent her mother to the hospital. They sent her home on oxygen, and shes never had any issues like that, the tenant said. Im allergic to mold. My skins breaking out, my eyes are swollen. A third tenant told News 19 the people who keep ignoring her complaints dont live in the apartments and dont have to experience what shes suffering through. All three tenants rely on rent assistance vouchers from the Huntsville Housing Authority, a program aimed at expanding affordable housing options for Huntsville residents. Monrovia Flats is in District 5, represented by Huntsville City Councilman John Meredith. He tells News 19 the Housing Authoritys role is limited in this case. Huntsville Housing Authoritys only role in this manner is to provide the vouchers that are accepted by Monrovia Flats, Meredith said. The resident needs to actually be in contact with the on-site location person, who can then reach out to the corporate authority to get that permission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residents say their problems have not been addressed. After visiting the units, News 19s Dallas Parker saw what appeared to be varying amounts of mold and excess moisture. Parker stopped by the leasing office to ask whats being done to address the concerns. News 19 was initially told the repairs are coming, its just taking time. Then, News 19s Parker was encouraged to reach out to property managers in Nashville via the email they provided. She emailed the Nashville-based management group on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. News 19 also called the office in hopes of speaking to someone directly. None of the messages were ever returned. One of the tenants we spoke to says shes from out of state and her options are extremely limited. Its mold in my bathroom, they tell me its not mold, but I know what mold looks like, she told News 19. When you open the door, you can smell the stuff in there, whatever it is coming out the ceiling. I mean, its just, its horrible. And Ive been dealing with this for a whole year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Councilman Meredith says hes working with Huntsvilles community development department to hold property owners accountable. They are well aware of the issues and they are taking the necessary steps to address them, he said. We want people to get their moneys worth and know that if they are paying for a service and that service being a place to stay, that it has to meet a certain standard. And when it doesnt, please, get on your phone, call anybody, that you can, to move that needle. For now, residents say theyll keep fighting for a safe place to live. One of the residents we spoke to told News 19, I wish they would have moved us somewhere else. To another unit at least. But I just want out of here. And they hope continued pressure will draw the necessary attention, leading to a cleaned-up place to live. The apartment complex opened in 2024. 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. A surge of monsoon moisture will move into New Mexico Friday. This will bring more showers and storms across the state through next week. Temperatures continue to heat up Thursday afternoon across New Mexico with high temperatures climbing back above average for this time of year. Southeast New Mexico is hovering around 100 this afternoon. More showers and storms are popping up across the western two-thirds of the state this afternoon. Most of the showers are only producing light rain, but a couple storms could drop a quick tenth or two-tenths of an inch. These showers will slowly end overnight, but a few spotty showers will continue in western New Mexico into Friday morning. A surge of monsoon moisture will be moving into New Mexico through the day Friday. This will bring more showers and storms Friday afternoon with slightly cooler high temperatures. The highest chances for rain will be in along and west of the central mountain chain, with just a couple spotty showers in eastern New Mexico. The monsoon moisture will tilt more easterly this weekend. That will bring more rain and thunderstorms to southern and eastern parts of the state Saturday and Sunday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Daily thunderstorm chances will return each afternoon through the middle of next week. Unfortunately, areas around the Four Corners will be drier. Storms could drop heavy rain, bringing a risk of flash flooding especially around burn scar areas. We will likely see a downtick in thunderstorms Wednesday as high pressure moves overhead. That will increase again on Thursday, including areas around the Four Corners. 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. The Brief Anthony Flores is reportedly facing two charges for a drug overdose. An autopsy confirmed that a man who was found dead in May had overdosed. The arrest followed an investigation by a multi-agency task force. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas - A Polk County man is facing charges for supplying drugs that led to an overdose, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. Montgomery County: Arrest tied to overdose What we know The sheriff's office says they arrested 32-year-old Anthony Flores of Livingston on Tuesday. He has reportedly been charged with Delivery of a Controlled Substance and Delivery of a Controlled Substance Causing Death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Flores' arrest is tied to another man's death in May. Authorities say the man was found dead during a welfare check on Fair Manor Circle. An autopsy later determined that he died from "an overdose of illegal narcotics." Flores was identified as the man's drug supplier following an investigation by the Montgomery County Narcotics Enforcement Team (MOCONET). The team consists of officials from Montgomery County, Polk County, Texas DPS, Homeland Security, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. What we don't know The deceased man was not identified by authorities. They do say that he was 44 years old. No other information is available. The Source Montgomery County Sheriff's Office BELGRADE Clashes between rival groups of protesters in Serbia flared again late Thursday, police said, as months of anti-government demonstrations boiled over into street violence this week. A wave of anti-corruption protests has gripped Serbia since November, when the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station roof killed 16 people, a disaster widely blamed on entrenched corruption. - Advertisement - Anti-graft protesters again gathered in several cities across Serbia late Thursday. That was mainly in response to a previous attack by governing party supporters on demonstrators Tuesday in the town of Vrbas, about 160 kilometers north of the capital Belgrade. Large groups of pro-government supporters, most wearing masks, confronted protesters on Wednesday, and the two groups hurled bottles, stones and fireworks at each other. Police had arrested nearly 50 people across the country on Wednesday, and around 30 riot police were injured. On Thursday, protestors vandalized the Novi Sad headquarters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party and two other SNS offices in the city, RTS television reported, during protests spread across Serbia. In the capital Belgrade, protestors massed in front of government buildings and the army headquarters, before heading toward nearby SNS offices. But a heavy riot police deployment kept them from reaching the offices using teargas. These are no longer peaceful student protests but people who want to provoke violence This is an attack on the state, Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told a news conference. At least five police officers were injured on Thursday evening and 14 protesters were arrested, the ministry said. AFP Frustrated with government inaction, protesters have demanded an investigation into the Novi Sad tragedy and piled pressure on right-wing President Aleksandar Vucic to call early elections. Over the past nine months, thousands of mostly peaceful, student-led demonstrations have been held, some attracting hundreds of thousands. But this weeks violence marks a significant escalation and indicates the increasing strain on Vucics populist government, in power for 13 years. Since June 28, when around 140,000 demonstrators gathered in Belgrade, the government has responded with an intensifying crackdown on activists, according to a statement by UN human rights experts released earlier this month. Protesters and those linked to the movement have faced a troubling pattern of repression including excessive police force, intimidation and arbitrary arrest, the experts said. Vucic has remained defiant, repeatedly rejecting calls for early elections and denouncing the demonstrations as part of a foreign plot to overthrow him. Student protesters have accused the police of protecting pro-government supporters while doing little to stop the attacks on their own gatherings. The authorities tried to provoke a civil war last night, the students wrote on their official Instagram page. Vucic, who had visited pro-government encampments overnight Wednesday, denied his supporters had started the violence. No one attacked them anywhere, he said of the anti-government protesters, speaking at a late-night press conference. They went everywhere to attack those who think differently, he added. While the protests have so far led to the resignation of the prime minister and the collapse of his cabinet, Vucic remains at the helm of a reshuffled government. AFP Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) in a photo from 2023. Elrich said this week the county is concerned about the possible influx of homeless people if the White House makes good on its threat to eliminate encampments in the District. (Photo by Danielle E. Gaines/Maryland Matters) By Scott Gelman Montgomery County leaders are bracing for a possible increase in homeless residents, as President Donald Trump orders law enforcement agencies to crack down on homeless encampments across Washington, D.C. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his regular news briefing this week, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said while its unclear exactly how the emphasis on D.C.s homeless population will play out, hes concerned more homeless people flowing into the county would put further stress on our existing resources without the federal government providing the funding we would need to handle this addition. He noted that, regardless, shelters and drop-in centers are preparing as if there will be an increase. The concerns came a day after Trump announced plans to take federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department in the District by invoking the Home Rule Act. Trump signed an executive order declaring crime in the city as a public emergency. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the National Park Service had already cleared 70 homeless encampments from parks it oversees, adding that people living in homeless encampments will be offered treatment for addiction or space in a shelter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those who dont comply, Leavitt said, will face jail time or fines. Making D.C. safe and beautiful, she told reporters, involves removing mentally disturbed individuals. Meanwhile, Earl Stoddard, director of Montgomery Countys Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, said its still unclear what the clearing of homeless encampments will actually look like. Would this be more focused on the core of the District, and therefore theyd be pushing people to the outer limits of the District itself? Or would they be pushing them entirely out of the District of Columbia? Stoddard asked. The county has a large shelter at the D.C. line, in Silver Spring, where Elrich said shelter spaces are full, they serve a lot of meals, have long lines and there are still people living in encampments on Montgomery County streets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is just going to magnify the problems we have to deal with, whether its providing additional housing or its feeding people, Elrich said of a possible flow of homeless people from D.C. Were not going to let people starve. The nature of who we are means this is going to add additional burden to what we need to do. Providers who offer outreach services, drop-in centers and other county resources are preparing for a possible increase in the number of people in need of services, according to Christine Hong, chief at the countys Services to End and Prevent Homeless agency. Hong said she has asked providers to track the number of people coming from D.C., so we can have a sense of the need and assess that, so that Montgomery County can be prepared with a response. Separately, Stoddard said Montgomery County is part of regional task forces to address stolen cars and crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Initially, leaders were concerned theyd be altered dramatically as a result of the federal takeover of D.C. police, but so far, We have not seen dramatic shifts that have us hyper-concerned about whether we are going to be able to maintain our ongoing day-to-day operational working relationships at this state, Stoddard said. So far, what were hearing and seeing is not a dramatic shift in policy and procedure, he said. That may come. I dont want to say were optimistic. Were just sort of watching with intensity what actually happens. The Associated Press contributed to this report. As part of Maryland Matters content sharing agreement with WTOP, we feature this article from Scott Gelman. Click here for the WTOP News website. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Rescue workers retrieved more bodies from mud, slush and debris in the cloudburst-hit Kishtwar region of Indian Kashmir on Friday, raising the death toll to 50. At least 167 people have been rescued, including 38 seriously injured, district officials said. Authorities warned the toll could rise further after a flash flood of raging water, mud, rocks and rubble swept through a large area around the remote village of Chositi on Thursday afternoon. Army and National Disaster Response Force personnel, assisted by earth movers, worked to clear boulders, uprooted trees and fallen electricity poles in search of survivors and victims, the Hindu newspaper reported. Local police, other agencies and volunteer groups also joined the efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chositi was crowded due to a three-week annual pilgrimage to the shrine of Machail Mata, a local Hindu deity. The village is the last motorable stop before pilgrims trek more than 8 kilometres up a steep hillside to the temple. Many may still be trapped under the debris of the deluge, which destroyed a makeshift market, a tented community kitchen for pilgrims, a security post, more than a dozen homes and government buildings, the Hindu reported. Flash floods and landslides are common in India's Himalayan region during the monsoon season. A similar disaster hit Dharali village in neighbouring Uttarakhand earlier this month, where 68 people remain missing and only one body has been recovered. India's seasonal monsoon rains from June to September are crucial for farmers but often leave a trail of death and destruction. Rescue workers retrieved more bodies from mud and debris in the flood-hit Kishtwar region of Indian Kashmir on Friday, raising the death toll to 65, while fatalities were also reported from neighbouring Pakistan. Javed Dar, a minister in the Jammu and Kashmir government, confirmed the death toll. The number of missing people remains uncertain and rescue efforts are continuing in challenging conditions, he told reporters. At least 167 people have been rescued in Kishtwar, including 38 seriously injured, district officials said. Authorities warned the toll could rise further after a flash flood of raging water, mud, rocks and rubble swept through a large area around the remote village of Chositi on Thursday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Army and National Disaster Response Force personnel, assisted by earth movers, worked to clear boulders, uprooted trees and fallen electricity poles to search for survivors and victims, the Hindu newspaper reported. Local police, other agencies and volunteer groups also joined the efforts. Chositi was crowded due to a three-week annual pilgrimage to the shrine of Machail Mata, a local Hindu deity. The village is the last stop reachable by vehicles before pilgrims trek more than 8 kilometres up a steep hillside to the temple. Many may still be trapped under the debris of the deluge, which destroyed a makeshift market, a tented community kitchen for pilgrims, a security post, more than a dozen homes and government buildings, the Hindu reported. Flash floods and landslides are common in India's Himalayan region during the monsoon season. A similar disaster hit Dharali village in neighbouring Uttarakhand earlier this month, where 68 people remain missing and only one body has been recovered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement India's seasonal monsoon rains from June to September are crucial for farmers but often leave a trail of death and destruction. 40 killed by floods in Pakistan Heavy rains also triggered flash floods in Pakistan's Himalayan region, killing more than 40 people and leaving scores missing, officials said on Friday. Hundreds of rescue workers backed by soldiers have been deployed to save scores of people feared to have been swept away by mudslides and raging waters, rescue agencies said. "It is a horrible situation. We are trying to save several dozen people, if not hundreds," said Bilal Faizi, spokesman for the rescue agency in the north-western province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least 33 people were killed overnight in five locations across the province, Faizi said. Another 12 people were killed in Pakistani-administered Kashmir and the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan near the country's borders with India and China, local officials told dpa. The latest casualties have taken the total death toll from flooding this monsoon season to around 350 since late June, according to data from the national disaster agency. Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to the impact of the climate change, according to the United Nations. More than 2,000 people were killed by flooding and subsequent diseases in Pakistan in 2022 when a third of the South Asian country was submerged by water. While discussing California Gov. Gavin Newsoms Thursday political rally, an effort the politician put together as he joins Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts Trump-backed redistricting war, the Morning Joe panel said the ICE agents who seemingly randomly showed up at the gathering simply looked like a mess. I mean, seriously. What are they doing? Joe Scarborough said on Fridays Morning Joe episode, as footage of the rally played over his comments. I dont know if theyre aware of it, but this is America and the fact that they show up in masks at a political rally. I know, yes, this is ominous, this is this, this is that, blah, blah, blah. More from TheWrap Several ICE officers can be seen with black masks and sunglasses covering their faces as they stand around in what is presumed to be the rally area. Scarborough went on to say that not only do they look foolish, their presence doesnt necessarily make it look as if theyre doing their jobs. These [agents] really just look stupid and plays right into Gavin Newsoms hands, plays right into the Democratic Partys hands and does the exact opposite thing that they would want to do, which is to suggest, Were not here for political reasons. Were here to do our job. To arrest those who are in the country illegally. Talk about a miss, Scarborough said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All this political drama, the ICE agents appearance and Newsoms rally all came about after Texas Republicans announced a push for a mid-decade redistricting before the typical 10-year cycle, which they are doing in an effort to redraw congressional districts with hopes of obtaining at least five more GOP seats in the House before the 2026 midterm elections come around. Why? Per the Stanford Universitys public policy think tank, the Hoover Institution, Texas has argued that the current make up of four House districts is illegal due to three districts consisting mainly Black and Hispanic voters, which they feel could form a majority coalition. The state says that coalition districts weaken the goal of one person, one vote, which goes against 1965s Voting Rights Act. As it relates to Trump, some media figures and Newsom himself believe the Trump is pulling the move to save himself from being impeached. In response, Newsom decided to propose his own mid-decade redistricting map plan as well for Democrats. While a nonpartisan Citizens Redistricting Commission usually handles map drawing, Newsom wants to temporarily override that format until after the 2030 Census to give the Democratic-controlled legislature more power. Per NBC News, on Thursday, Newsom called on California lawmakers to approve his plan, which he is calling the Election Rigging Response Act, to appear on the November ballot. If the maps get the greenlight, it would apply to elections from 2026 to 2030. Right now, California has 52 House seats, 43 are held by Democrats and nine by Republicans. If Newsoms plan goes forward, Democrats would hold 48 of those seats, which some feel would uphold voters preferences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morning Joe states, both parties could be stepping out of line with the moves, mentioning that both parties are having wins and losses. Scarborough said Trumps approval rating is upside down, with many Americas happy with some of Trumps implementation of his policies, including some of the elements in his crackdown on illegal immigration. And on the other side, Democrats are gaining wind among Americans at the Senate level. Democrats are taking three, four, five, six, even seven-point leads in generic ballots, Scarborough explained. Theres a Politico story saying the Democrats, if they squint hard enough, they actually can see a Senate majority. He continued: So again, all of this overreach, again, disturbing, but it should be concerning to Republicans as well, because they are losing the middle of America when they go around, and again separate babies from their mothers, have masked men on the streets of college campuses, grabbing women and throwing them into unmarked cars. Its not something that Americans are comfortable seeing, and thats why, despite the underlying popularity of keeping the southern border safe and secure, Donald Trump right now is upside down in some polls on immigration. Watch the full segment in the video above. The post Morning Joe Says Masked ICE Agents at Gavin Newsoms Redistricting Rally Just Look Stupid | Video appeared first on TheWrap. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) An Albuquerque mother facing child abuse charges, after police said her eight-year-old tested positive for cocaine, will remain behind bars through trial. Silver City mother and daughter charged with fraud and theft in Medicaid scheme A criminal complaint stated that the boy and two other siblings had been under New Mexico Children, Youth, and Family Department care during the past two years after all three children tested posted for drugs. In late July, CYFD placed the eight-year-old temporarily back into her custody. According to the criminal complaint, the boy told CYFD he didnt want to be alive anymore, so they took him to the hospital, where police said he tested positive for cocaine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state pushed for pretrial detention. Barfoots lawyer argued that CYFD has her kids, so there is no danger in releasing her under the supervision of pretrial services. Judge Lucy Solimon sided with the state and ruled Barfoot stay behind bars through her trial. 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. Mother of murdered woman testifies in son-in-laws cold-case trial Christopher Wolfenbarger is on trial for the murder of his wife, Melissa, 27 years after her death. The trial is taking place at the Fulton County Courthouse, where testimony is underway. Melissa Wolfenbarger disappeared in 1998 not long after Thanksgiving. In April and June of 1999, detectives found dismembered human remains in trash bags not far from her home. Her remains were not identified until 2003. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Channel 2s Tyisha Fernandes said Christopher Wolfenbarger was arrested last year after police found him hiding in a wine cellar at his Spalding County home for 20 minutes. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Prosecutors allege that he killed Melissa Wolfenbarger in the 1990s and point to his actions during the arrest as suspicious. Norma Patton, Melissa Wolfenbargers mother, testified that Christopher abused her daughter, describing an incident where her back was injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her whole back side was skinned up like she had been dragged along the sidewalk, Patton said. Melissa Wolfenbarger had a complicated family background, with her father being a convicted serial killer and her mother admitting to helping with some of those murders. Patton said her daughter was a good kid until she met the defendant Christopher Wolfenbarger back in the 90s when the two were in high school. I didnt want them seeing each other because I felt she was too young, Patton said. Melissa Wolfenbarger got pregnant in high school and had two children by the age of 21. She had given up parental rights before her murder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The defense argues that Patton and her husband Karl were the real abusers from whom Melissa Wolfenbarger was trying to escape. They also question Pattons credibility due to her criminal past. Still the state put her on the stand to prove Christopher Wolfenbarger is guilty. Police found DNA evidence on Melissa Wolfenbarger that did not belong to Christopher Wolfenbarger, and he did not report her missing until two years after her disappearance. The jury must consider these complex factors as the trial continues. The trial of Christopher Wolfenbarger continues as the jury weighs the evidence and testimonies presented. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] KANSAS CITY, Mo. A motorbike driver died in a crash Thursday night after Independence police say they drove the wrong way on U.S. 24 highway before they were ejected from the bike. Independence police say the crash happened at about 9 p.m. Thursday after officers attempted to stop the driver for numerous traffic violations. Video in KC gas station shooting released after grand jury indictment IPD says the driver was headed east on U.S. 24, attempted to turn north on Sterling Avenue, but ended up going the wrong way in the westbound U.S. 24 turn lane. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They failed to make the turn, struck a curb and got ejected. The driver was taken to a hospital where they died from their injuries. Investigators say they werent wearing any safety equipment. IPD says they wont release the victims identity due to their age, and the crash is 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 FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. A 22-year-old man died early Thursday after crashing his motorcycle into a guardrail on the H-1 freeway near the Middle Street overpass in Kalihi, Honolulu police said. The collision occurred about 1 :45 a.m. as the man was traveling westbound at a high rate of speed, police said. He lost control, struck the guardrail and was ejected onto the roadway. Emergency Medical Services transported him to a hospital in critical condition, where he later died. Police said he was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speed appears to be a factor, but it is not yet known whether drugs or alcohol were involved, police said. This is Oahus 51st traffic fatality of the year, compared with 26 at the same time in 2024. See more : 44 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? . CHEYENNE Mountain Health Co-Op, a health insurance provider for Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, is ceasing coverage for Wyoming residents effective Dec. 31. Jackie Boyle, Mountain Health Co-Op senior vice president of external affairs, said there were a lot of factors that went into this decision, and that Mountain Health Co-Op is not the only insurance company in the country making decisions similar to this one. The companys decision was announced on its website Wednesday, but its board made the decision earlier this month. Boyle said they worked closely with the Wyoming Department of Insurance and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to make sure they made the decision in the most transparent way possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its a mix of just finding where companies can offer affordable care, and where it just simply wouldnt make sense to continue to offer something that people cant afford, Boyle said. And that was really the decision we had to make was that we could continue in this market, but likely our product would be so expensive that people wouldnt be able to buy it anyway. Boyle said whats really negatively affecting the company is President Donald Trumps policy to end the Affordable Care Acts enhanced premium tax credits, which allow people to receive a tax credit early to pay their premium and get their return, rather than waiting until after the end of the year, when an individual is filing their taxes. Because the decision was made to end those enhancements at the end of 2025, Boyle said she anticipated that not only will costs increase to many people, it will also cause a lot of people to not have insurance. According to an article by Insurance News Net, Wyomingites who buy health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace of which Mountain Health Co-Op is a part could expect an increase of about $1,860 in premiums annually. Some health insurance premiums in Wyoming may even increase five-fold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You do better as an insurance company the more people you have, Boyle said. So we just saw a loss of membership potentially happening there, as well, which just makes it really hard for us to offer insurance. Diane Gore, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming CEO, said in a statement to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle that Mountain Health Co-Ops decision is a sobering reminder of the pressure all health care providers are facing. Gore said rising medical costs are outpacing what many people and insurers can afford, and without the support of the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, premiums will remain high, and coverage options will be reduced. This isnt just about one company its about the ripple effects that impact every patient, provider and payer, Gore said in the statement. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming remains committed to serving Wyoming residents with stability, transparency, and solutions that help them navigate this shifting landscape. Now, more than ever, we must work together to ensure health care remains accessible for all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boyle said the Co-Op is organized similarly to a nonprofit. It doesnt typically make any money, but when it does, its puts the money back toward members. We operate at such a tiny margin anyway in good times, but the cost of health care is rising everywhere, Boyle said. So we are raising our rates in Montana and Idaho for our members, but in Wyoming, that rate increase just would have been so high that it just doesnt make sense. Mountain Health Co-Op CEO Blair Fjeseth said the companys spending on a Wyoming member is almost double what it is in Montana, and even more than that in Idaho, which is counter to the Co-Ops mission of providing affordable health coverage. Its no surprise Wyoming has some of the highest cost of care in the country, Fjeseth said, and that goes along with rural and frontier communities. But our states with more competitors (and) larger provider bases have significantly less cost of care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mountain Health Co-Op serves around 8,000 individual members in Wyoming, Boyle said. Because their plans wont end until Dec. 31, Boyle said all Wyoming residents would have to do is wait for the next enrollment period and choose a new company. With Mountain Health withdrawing, the two remaining options through the federal Marketplace are Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming and UnitedHealthcare. If an individual gets Mountain Health Co-Op insurance through their employer on a group plan, Boyle said those people need to contact the employee in charge of insurance to be kept up to date on whatever new plan the employer offers. If someone is a group administrator, Boyle said insurance agents are a great resource for questions. According to the Mountain Health website, Wyoming members will be eligible for three windows of enrollment: Open enrollment from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15 for coverage that would begin Jan. 1, 2026; extended enrollment until Jan. 15, 2026, for coverage that would begin Feb. 1, 2026; and special enrollment until March 1, 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were disappointed that the Co-Op is leaving the Wyoming market, but well do everything to assist consumers to find the appropriate coverage during this difficult time, said Wyoming Department of Insurance Deputy Commissioner Tana Howard on behalf of Commissioner Jeffrey Rude. Were standing by, and happy to answer any questions that consumers may have. While Mountain Health Co-Ops footprint in Wyoming is ending now, Fjeseth said the door is not closed forever theres a chance the company could come back to serve in Wyoming in a couple of years. It has been a wonderful experience being in Wyoming, Boyle said. We have great people the people that we insure, the agents. I mean, we were just (getting) open arms from the state of Wyoming. And this was not an easy decision. This place was sculpted by ice, said my hiking guide Rodrigo Marques, as he gestured towards granite ridges that receded into the distance like a dark, choppy Atlantic ocean. These deep U-shaped valleys, the plateaus among the peaks they are all from the movement of glaciers during the last Ice Age. Comparisons to distant landscapes Dartmoors tors, the Scottish Highlands, the Alpine foothills came to mind as I scanned the rugged mountain scenery around us. Yet only a couple of hours earlier, a sweatier version of me had hopped into a hire car in Porto. Countless hairpin turns later, we were deep into the countrys interior at Serra da Estrela Nature Park. With some points at 1,250 metres above sea level, it was 10 degrees cooler than in the city, and unlike any Portuguese landscape Ive laid eyes on before. Read more: 8 most beautiful cities and towns to visit in Portugal Serra da Estrelas trails beckon travellers who wish to step more lightly upon the land (Casa Penhas Douradas) From our vantage point on a windswept outcrop, the remnants of glacial lakes were glassy shards against a scrubland dotted with pine trees, thistles, juniper and gorse. As for the boulders heaped around us, they seem to have been hurled by more turbulent forces than millennia-long weathering mountain giants, perhaps. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Serra da Estrela is the countrys tallest mountain range and home to its only ski resort. I visited in midsummer, however, so the high-altitude pastures were tinted purple with heather and flickering with yellow gatekeeper butterflies. Marques was leading the daily guided walk for guests of Casa das Penhas Douradas. He pointed out a booted eagle wheeling in the brooding sky, and the churned-up earth where a wild boar had been foraging. Much like in the Alps, hotels such as Casa das Penhas Douradas in Portugal have welcoming fireside spots and vintage skis for decoration (Casa das Penhas Douradas) Wed taken the Fraga das Penhas e Albufeira de Vale do Rossim route, where fauna such as these were a highlight. So too were the native Bordaleira sheep, who graze across the plateaus during summertime. Shepherds lead them from lower-lying village pastures festooned with colourful pom-poms and clattering bells in a centuries-old ritual known as transhumance. Many of the national parks waymarked trails trace these ancient routes, passing ice-cold waterfalls and praia fluvial (river beaches) along the way. Read more: Why you should swap Lisbon and Porto for this Portuguese city, where a glass of wine costs 2 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Houses, on the other hand, are scarce and quirkily vernacular. Cottages are squeezed into the cracks between boulders, from which I half expected the rock trolls from Frozen to emerge (really, theyre the summer retreats of wealthy Portuguese city-dwellers). Several started as sanatoriums for tuberculosis patients, who were sent to convalesce in the fresh mountain air. Casa das Penhas Douradas was built onto the bones of one such refuge, before becoming a boutique hotel in the Alpine-chic mould. There are vintage skis and snowshoes displayed on plywood walls, while Scandi seating is pulled close to log burners and firepits. A Portuguese spin on the apres-ski afternoon tea is served to walk-weary guests: think freshly-brewed chamomile tea, oven-warm pastel de nata and nips of port. Archival photographs in the cosy, crimson-hued lobby show bands of moustached men fully booted and blanketed, as if heading for the north pole. They were members of the Geographical Society of Lisbon at the 1881 scientific expedition. Its a reminder of just how remote and mysterious this region was considered, even by its own citizen,s until relatively recently. Casa das Penhas Douradas in Portugal is styled like an Alpine ski lodge, with views to match (Casa das Penhas Douradas) For a lot of Portuguese people, holiday means going to the beach, Marques told me. But we are starting to see more interest in coming [to the mountains] for outdoor pursuits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Upgraded accommodation is helping raise the regions profile. Three miles up the road from Casa das Penhas Douradas, its sleeker, younger sibling, Casa de Sao Lourenco, is Portugals first five-star mountain hotel. While I saw fragments of the humble pousada that originally stood there, the floor-to-ceiling glass extension gives the impression of floating above the Zezere, which flows through one of Europes largest glacial valleys. The spa is worthy of a Swiss wellness retreat, complete with birch-stick massages and evening hot tub soaks beneath bright constellations. Read more: Octant Evora, Alentejo, Portugal hotel review Isabel Costa, co-owner of both hotels, told me she thinks overtourism and heatwaves in other parts of Portugal will influence more visitors to turn their attention upland. In a world experiencing climate change, Serra da Estrelas altitude makes it a special place where you can walk, breathe and explore outdoors in comfort, even at the height of summer, she said. The Serra da Estrela Nature Park in Portugal is perfect for a hiking holiday (Casa Penhas Douradas) Taking the coolcation trend a tad further than Id bargained for, unseasonable rains set in on my second day. Silver birch trees were bent double in the wind. Sheep huddled soggily beside boulders. It was a good moment to see the artisan weavers at work in nearby Manteigas. Inside the riverside factory, traditional looms were spinning sheeps wool into Burel, the thick, stiff, water-resistant fabric used to make shepherds cloaks. For generations, Burel was the fabric of survival, Costa says. The Burel factory, where a woman works local wool into a blanket in the Portuguese mountains (Burel Factory) Today, it graces everything from fashion collections to the walls of Microsofts Lisbon offices, and of course, the interiors of both hotels. Not only as curtains, headboards and blankets in the bedrooms, but also a canopy of cut-out stars on the restaurant ceiling. Its beneath this constellation that I sampled the other beloved by-product of those wild-grazing sheep: queijo Estrela da Serra.Handmade only in this region, these wheels of cheese are almost indecently buttery, tangy and gooey imagine an extra-ripe camembert. Its best eaten with the top sliced off, like a lid, spooning out the nearly liquid centre with rustic bread. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Best cities and towns in Portugal to visit Between the punchy cheese and snow-dusted resorts, its easy to see why this region has been dubbed the Portuguese Alps.The comparison, however, should be taken with a pinch of salt. Serra da Estrelas peaks would be dwarfed by its central European cousins Torre, its tallest at 1,993m, is less than half the height of Mont Blanc and its winter snowfall average of 60cm would surely be sneered at by the Swiss, whose resorts are normally dumped with 10 times as much. Read more: The unexpected destination that is perfect for an adventure holiday Casa de Sao Lourenco in Portugals mountains is a stylish Alpine-inspired five-star hotel (Casa de Sao Lourenco) Yet for beginner skiers and budget-conscious travellers, it makes an appealing alternative to showier apres-ski scenes, crowded chair lifts and extortionate chalets. These mountains may not be Europes grandest but thats precisely the point. At a time when overtourism is straining the ecology of the Alps, as well as better-known parts of Portugal, Serra da Estrelas trails beckon travellers who wish to step more lightly upon the land and still hear it breathe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Estella Shardlow was a guest of Casa de Sao Lourenco How to get there I recommend renting a car to reach and explore Serra da Estrela; the drive is around 2.5 hours from Porto and three hours from Lisbon. A number of airlines, including easyJet, Jet2, British Airways, Ryanair, Air Europa and Portugals national carrier Tap, operate direct flights from London to Porto (2 hours 25 minutes) or London Heathrow to Lisbon. Where to stay Hotel Berne is a modern, family-friendly basecamp in the village of Manteigas, with 17 cheerful rooms, a wood-panelled restaurant and winter sports equipment available to rent. The regions first five-star hotel, Casa de Sao Lourenco, offers sleek suites, a full-service spa and swimming pool all with panoramic valley views, plus complimentary daily guided hikes. Since the collapse of the canopy that killed 16 people last November, Serbia has seen massive mobilisations, including the largest in the countrys history on 15 March. They have continued down to the present yet still no justice has been had for the victims. Patience has run out. Instead of justice, the regime has met the masses with continuous violence that has added to the bubbling anger in society. Back in January, members of the ruling party, the SNS, emerged from their party offices and broke the jaw of a female student. Other students attempted to enforce restraint by cordoning the offices to prevent violence from escalating. Since then, the culprits in that attack have been pardoned by Vucic. And weve seen more attacks by thugs and car ramming attacks on students. Still, throughout it all, the official stance of the students was that the violence of the Vucic regime should be met with restraint and dignity. But now things have reached their limits. Fatigue had been setting in without justice being achieved, and many began to feel that the students did not have a way forward. The blockades of the university faculties were slowly falling apart. It had become clear that the students attempts to peacefully achieve justice were ineffective. It was in this context that, on the national Vidovdan holiday, 28 June, the students gave the green light for the masses to use any form of civil disobedience. Until this point, only the restraint of the students themselves, whose authority had provided the leadership of the movement, has held the masses back. In a speech, the students have now given the green light to the masses not to hold back any longer in the face of a regime that clearly will not refrain from using violence. Green light At the protest on 28 June, when the students gave the green light, a significant part of the demonstrators headed towards Caciland a camp that the regime had established in front of the parliament, and filled with party members and pan-Serbian criminal scum. Huge police cordons were set up at checkpoints to prevent any approach to the camp. Blocked and filled with fury towards the regime and the state of society, a significant part of the demonstrators attacked the police. They attempted to break through the cordon to Caciland, but without success. The next day, the regime began the mass arrests of students. Footage of police brutality surfaced. Students were accused of calling for the violent overthrow of the constitutional order. In response, the masses escalated their struggle in other ways. Barricades were erected in Zemun and other places, which the police then had to clear. Roadblocks began in many cities. In Novi Sad, the entire main boulevard was blocked and turned into a promenade, while Uzice hit the headlines as protesters broke through the police cordon to block the local highway. New, large protests were held in Sabac and Valjevo in the fight against Rio Tinto. From that moment on, the struggle spread to smaller towns in Serbia. Although there were many arrests, they were mostly for minor offences, and those detained were quickly released with fines. Within a few weeks, things quietened down again and the pace slowed. Students came to an agreement with their professors about the end of the year. This threw the lives of students and the blockades into chaos. The regime smelled its opportunity: that this was the right moment to attack. Open provocations by regime thugs On 9 August, a photo exhibition was held in the small Slovak town of Backi Petrovac, which primarily featured pictures from previous protests. Thugs and supporters of the Serbian Progressive Party came to the exhibition, tore up the photos, and at one point physically attacked those present. War veterans, who are in charge of the security of students and protesters, not only received blows themselves, without returning them, but were also detained. None of the regimes attackers were detained, although the attack took place in full view of the police. On the same day, a significant number of the partys supporters gathered in Vrbas to threaten speakers at an opposition rally, while on the following day, around 200 of them gathered to paint facades in the colours of the Serbian flag in Liman in Novi Sad, a neighbourhood where the SNS has won local elections. The intention was primarily to intimidate and harass residents. One member of the opposition was injured in that incident. The masses did not endure these events in silence. The day after the attack in Backi Petrovac, a solidarity event was organised in the town, and the photo exhibition held once more. Footage can be seen of columns of cars heading towards the town. The police literally blocked the entrance to that town. However, citizens nevertheless managed to get around the blockade and ensure the exhibition was held. In one incident, a resident of Backa Palanka was attacked by regime thugs who also blocked the entrance to the town. In the midst of all these provocations, on 12 August, synchronised solidarity protests were organised in Backa Palanka and Vrbas. Regime thugs who had gathered from all over the country, specifically from Vojvodina, and some even from Bosnia and Herzegovina, also mobilised for both. At one point, they began throwing objects at the demonstrators. A particularly disgusting escalation occurred in Vrbas, where members of the SNS rained down fireworks on the demonstrators. There were hardly any police. But the masses were not afraid. Not only did they not retreat, but they threw missiles at the regime supporters, calling for a showdown. When the thugs charged at them, no one backed down. The thugs were forced to stop and abandon their assault. Only after the fireworks and after the regimes servants were worn out did additional police forces arrive to restore order. None of the regimes thugs were detained, despite the regular practice of arresting protesters at their homes. This clearly shows this was a planned provocation by the regime. It has aroused indescribable anger among the masses. You asked for fireworks, you got fireworks The day after, on 13 August, protests were organised all over Serbia. It was noticeable that the regime was carrying out a general mobilisation of its members and associates from the criminal milieu, as significant numbers of SNS supporters gathered in front of the party's main offices in all the places where the protests took place. To make matters stranger still, not only were local commanders on the ground, but Aleksandar Vucic himself literally gave a speech in Caciland, accompanied by his brother Andrej Vucic, who is widely rumoured to be the unofficial head of the underground. Meanwhile, at the Novi Sad city office, former Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and the party president, who had resigned in the midst of the movement, gave a speech. This made it clear that the Serbian Progressive Party was preparing for what they expected to be judgment day. The demonstrations and repression manifested varied across different cities. In Belgrade, there was heavy police repression. In some other cities, demonstrators managed to break through police cordons. However, the heart of the struggle was in Novi Sad, where the regime was openly seeking a showdown, in the city where it all began with the fall of a canopy that killed 16 people. The column of demonstrators passed by the SNS offices near the university campus, in front of which about a hundred regime supporters had gathered. At that moment, SNS supporters again started shooting fireworks and throwing missiles at the demonstrators as soon as they arrived. There was no police anywhere. Then hooligans with sticks and flares attacked the column from the rear. In no case did the protesters retreat, but instead fought back with punches and missiles of their own. The regime staged a showdown, and the masses responded. The matter culminated at the main office of the Serbian Progressive Party's Novi Sad branch. Footage of an open, all-out showdown between protesters and hooligans has flooded the internet. The footage shows the regime hooligans being knocked to the ground and retreating. By the looks of it, they got the worst end of it. A viral clip that went particularly viral showed a showdown with a member of the special army unit for personal protection, known as the Cobras. When the protesters chased the thugs, who were retreating towards the back entrance of their offices, they left the Cobras outside the offices, at the mercy of the protesters. The Cobras are tasked with guarding people, but it is not stated who they were there to guard. It is suspected that it was former Prime Minister Milos Vucevic. There are two reasons why the masses showed no mercy, despite the warnings of the Cobras that these military personnel were on official duty. Firstly, in the midst of open physical confrontation and chaos, who can distinguish between the attackers and civil servants? Secondly, if the Cobras literally enabled the armed regime thugs to retreat, isnt it crazy to expect mercy from the enraged masses at a time when neither the police nor the Cobras are doing anything to arrest and eliminate these criminals, but are in fact providing them with protection? Even some police officers were struck in retaliation. Vucic had threatened to break up the demonstrations in December using the very same Cobras. In the midst of the heavy beatings they received, one of them took out a gun and fired a shot into the air. Commenting on the mood of the masses, the warrant officer who fired the shot stated: I have been doing this for 20 years and I can responsibly claim that I have never seen so much anger, so much hatred towards the authorities. As the criminals were brought in from various places, they parked their often expensive cars all over the place, alongside streets, and often removed their license plates. The demonstrators smashed their cars with whatever they could. It was a truly inspiring sight to see such large numbers of demonstrators, well-equipped to deal with the thugs. Many wore helmets and masks, and carried batons their message to the regime was that these were not cowards and naive demonstrators. They were determined youth and working people who, fed up with the regime's violence and ready to fight back. Although the fireworks mostly came from the direction of the SNS offices towards the demonstrators, there were also cases of the demonstrators returning fireworks with fireworks of their own. The regimes open engagement in conflict led to humiliation on their part. It exposed the fact that, despite the police, the Cobras and criminals at their disposal, this regime has no way to impose its will on the masses. So far, students and protesters have shown restraint and patience, despite the immense anger they have been bottling up. Now that the naive phase has come to an end. The revolution has entered a new phase, and these are the regime's last desperate attempts to hold onto power through fear. Why is Vucic doing this? Lenin once commented that a man at the edge of a cliff does not reason. As the regime collapses, so too are the last traces of Aleksandar Vucic's mental abilities. It becomes increasingly difficult to assess why the regime would decide on such a crazy course, which has awakened all of Serbia. What are the final factors that could have triggered it? The main ones are the arrests of high-ranking officials by the prosecutor's office for organised crime and corruption, including Goran Vesic and Tomislav Momirovic, two former ministers of infrastructure who were in charge of the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station. While the masses accepted this with a dose of scepticism, feeling that it was probably just a populist move of arrest and release, it was nevertheless noticeable that Vucic didnt welcome this development. It took him more than a day to make a statement regarding a development which is by no means insignificant, given that for eight months there has been no progress in the court process around the canopy collapse. When he finally spoke, he only repeated what the regime tabloids had already said: that it was the pro-European wing of the judiciary lined against him that made the move, while another former Minister of Infrastructure, Zorana Mihajlovic, complained about the deep state. While we definitely have to take the statements of these pathological liars with a grain of salt, there could be a dose of truth in it. The fact that the SNS launched a campaign against the prosecutor who filed the lawsuit supports the idea that this was a move taken despite Vucic. The judiciary became completely independent of the parliamentary government with the 2022 referendum. Like all capitalist organs of state power, its main role is to carry out the interests of the ruling capitalist class as a whole both domestic and foreign which they and Vucic serve. Capitalism in Serbia has undoubtedly been destabilised by the political crisis. The economy is slowing down. Prices are rising. It is quite possible that a part of the European bourgeoisie wants to put an end to this revolutionary fire before it spreads. However, it is also noticeable that despite the mini civil war that is taking place in Serbia, where the regime is openly using criminal elements in its defence, the European media is extremely quiet and restrained in its criticism. Vucic is a servant of every possible imperialist power of Europe and America, but also of Russia and China. He has been their reliable partner so far, and pressure is certainly piling on him from all sides in order that the affairs of these imperialist powers can carry on unhindered in Serbia. It may also be possible that Vucic fears that the investigation into corrupt deals related to the reconstruction of the canopy could land him in prison. He himself, as well as many others from his party, has expressed this concern. There are undoubtedly huge divisions within the ruling SNS on how to deal with this revolutionary crisis, and everyone is afraid of who will backstab whom. In his speech, Vucic complained that some of his supporters and officials were on vacation when the state should be defended. One wing of this gangster party was certainly pushing him to incite the protests by force. Theyve been burned by the effort. Indeed, one of his ministers suffered a stroke live on television. Without wishing to speculate, it could be that this stroke was a consequence of the pressure that all members of the regime are under. The third factor is that the students have announced a new wave of intensified protests, which was planned for September, and Vucic is thinking about how to prevent it. The summer was relatively slow when it came to protests. At present, many students are overwhelmed with exams after coming to an agreement with their professors to sit them in order to finish the year. Vucic may have thought that the distraction of the students might have made this the right moment to strike, given that the students remain the main leadership of the movement. But instead of intimidating the protesters, he has only succeeded in encouraging them and in exposing the weakness of his regime. The morale is so low in the police, they cannot be expected to strictly follow orders. Meanwhile, criminals got their asses kicked by an opponent they underestimated, having been used to only facing weaker enemies. But the masses are not weak. As communists always say once they are on the move, nothing can stop them. They are the strongest force in society, and the criminals, the police officers and the politicians are a minority that is at their mercy. So far, the movement has shown mercy. But that came to an end today. We must not stop here and must go all the way. We cannot just sit and wait for an even crazier outburst by the regime. The awareness has matured that there is nothing to be gained by restraint or by naive appeals to the consciences of this psychopathic clique in power. Events will accelerate significantly, there will be sudden turns and escalations, but the tendency is towards the final collapse of the Aleksandar Vucic regime. Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media laid off 30 employees Friday following federal and state budget cuts. American Public Media Group, the nonprofit parent company of Minnesota Public Radio, announced the impending staff reductions in late July. The St. Paul-based media company said in a statement at the time that it planned to lay off 5% to 8% of its staff in the coming weeks and reduce employee benefits as it faced a more than $6 million budget deficit. Due to reductions in funding from both federal sources and the State of Minnesota, Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media is facing a budget shortfall of more than $6 million this fiscal year, said Roycie Eppler, chief people and culture officer with American Public Media Group, in a statement Friday. While MPR|APM remains financially strong, these cuts required us to make the difficult decision to reduce our workforce by 30 positions about 6% of staff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An MPR story online indicated the newsroom was shielded from the cuts, but that they would impact the APM Research Lab staff, which works on demographic analyses, surveys, and data journalism. Also included in the cuts, according to the story, were YourClassical, The Current, information technology and a division distributing national programs to other public radio stations. The staff reductions include employees in Minnesota and nationwide, according to MPR, and was one of several budget tightening measures that the organization will undertake. APMG has a workforce of approximately 500. In July Congress rescinded $1.1 billion in already-approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 2026 and 2027. Those cuts effectively fully defunded the organization that directs federal dollars to National Public Radio, the Public Broadcasting Service and some 1,500 local public radio and TV stations around the country, including Minnesota Public Radio. The MPR story also cited funding cuts from the Minnesota Legislature as contributing to their budget woes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced in August that it would shut down following the federal cuts. We are deeply grateful for the contributions of our departing colleagues and are providing severance and career transition support, Eppler said. For nearly 60 years, MPR|APM has delivered trusted news, conversation and music, and we remain committed to serving our audiences and leading public media into the future. APMG includes MPR and its news division; The Current, its contemporary music service; and YourClassical, its classical music service. It also includes American Public Media, which produces national public radio programming such as Marketplace and The Splendid Table, and Southern California Public Radio, a public radio network in the Los Angeles area. Related Articles A Denton County man has been arrested on an attempted murder charge and is being held without release, according to county jail records. Ronald W. Black, 60, was booked into the Denton County Jail on August 11. Jail records list his charges as attempted murder and identify the Denton County Sheriffs Office as the arresting agency. Black is described in the records as a white male, 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 225 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Captain Orlando Hino Hinojosa of the Denton County Sheriffs Office told The Dallas Express that deputies were not the original agency seeking Blacks arrest. Black was wanted on a warrant from Justin, per Hinojosa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When The Dallas Express contacted the Justin Police Department for additional details, an official directed the outlet to file a Texas Public Information Act request for the arrest warrant affidavit. That process can take time, and DX will provide updates when the records become available. The Denton County Clerks website reveals a long history of encounters between Wade and law enforcement, including several arrests for possession of marijuana, a DUI, witness tampering, and other charges dating back into the 1990s. In each case, the county records indicate he pled no contest, except for one minor traffic offense where he pled not guilty. The arrest comes as Denton-area law enforcement continues to address other high-profile violent incidents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an August 13 press release, Denton Police Department officials said they are investigating a fatal shooting downtown that occurred the prior Saturday. According to that release, preliminary findings indicate a man was with his family on the Square when a disturbance began with another individual, later identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office as 61-year-old Jon Ruff. The altercation continued to the 200 block of West Hickory Street, where the man allegedly shot Ruff multiple times. Ruff was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead. The release stated that the shooter remained on the scene and was detained for questioning, and that he continues to cooperate with investigators. Denton police said they believe the shooting was an isolated incident and that there is no active threat to the public. The case remains active and will be referred to the Denton County District Attorneys Office for presentation to a grand jury, the release said. JUNCTION CITY (KSNT) Harmony Festival is returning to Heritage Park to celebrate the rich diversity that exists in the area. On August 23 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Heritage Park will be filled with art, food, storytelling and more from people of all different cultures. Harmony Festival is going to be an unforgettable cultural experience for the whole family. Feds launch Topeka Public Schools transgender policy investigation Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This years festival features nationally recognized keynote speaker Edmond W. Davis a distinguished social historian, NBC actor, Amazon bestselling author, and professor specializing in cultural competence and community building, Harmony Festival founder Martine Chery-Hilaire told 27 News. Professor Daviss presence elevates this local celebration into a regional educational and cultural destination. Jazz has to continue K-State alumni and international jazz educator nominated for Kansas Music Hall of Fame Notable performers include: Authentic Haitian Rara band, reggae artist Osezua, Japanese Yosakoi dancers, South Sudanese cultural showcase, traditional Iraqi dance, Elite Latin dance team and Junction City Gymnastics. Harmony Festival is sure to be one of Kansass most significant multicultural celebrations of 2025, and its totally free. Harmony Fest is partnered with organizations like Saving All My Bros, Fresh Start Emergency Shelter and Chez Matou Catering. They are counting on the communitys support to make Harmony Fest even more fun. You can donate to the festival using this link. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. A senior lawyer in Australia has apologized to a judge for filing submissions in a murder case that included fake quotes and nonexistent case judgments generated by artificial intelligence. The blunder in the Supreme Court of Victoria state is another in a litany of mishaps AI has caused in justice systems around the world. Defense lawyer Rishi Nathwani, who holds the prestigious legal title of King's Counsel, took "full responsibility" for filing incorrect information in submissions in the case of a teenager charged with murder, according to court documents seen by The Associated Press on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are deeply sorry and embarrassed for what occurred," Nathwani told Justice James Elliott on Wednesday, on behalf of the defense team. The AI-generated errors caused a 24-hour delay in resolving a case that Elliott had hoped to conclude on Wednesday. Elliott ruled on Thursday that Nathwani's client, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, was not guilty of murder because of mental impairment. "At the risk of understatement, the manner in which these events have unfolded is unsatisfactory," Elliott told lawyers on Thursday. "The ability of the court to rely upon the accuracy of submissions made by counsel is fundamental to the due administration of justice," Elliott added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fake submissions included fabricated quotes from a speech to the state legislature and nonexistent case citations purportedly from the Supreme Court. The errors were discovered by the Elliot's associates, who couldn't find the cases cited and requested that defense lawyers provide copies, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. The lawyers admitted the citations "do not exist" and that the submission contained "fictitious quotes," court documents say. The lawyers explained they checked that the initial citations were accurate and wrongly assumed the others would also be correct. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The submissions were also sent to prosecutor Daniel Porceddu, who didn't check their accuracy. The judge noted that the Supreme Court released guidelines last year for how lawyers use AI. "It is not acceptable for artificial intelligence to be used unless the product of that use is independently and thoroughly verified," Elliott said. People leave the Supreme Court of Victoria in Melbourne, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. / Credit: Rod McGuirk / AP The court documents do not identify the generative artificial intelligence system used by the lawyers. In a comparable case in the United States in 2023, a federal judge imposed $5,000 fines on two lawyers and a law firm after ChatGPT was blamed for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judge P. Kevin Castel said they acted in bad faith. But he credited their apologies and remedial steps taken in explaining why harsher sanctions were not necessary to ensure they or others won't again let artificial intelligence tools prompt them to produce fake legal history in their arguments. Later that year, more fictitious court rulings invented by AI were cited in legal papers filed by lawyers for Michael Cohen, a former personal lawyer for U.S. President Donald Trump. Cohen took the blame, saying he didn't realize that the Google tool he was using for legal research was also capable of so-called AI hallucinations. British High Court Justice Victoria Sharp warned in June that providing false material as if it were genuine could be considered contempt of court or, in the "most egregious cases," perverting the course of justice, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The use of artificial intelligence is making its way into U.S. courtrooms in other ways. In April, a man named Jerome Dewald appeared before a New York court and submitted a video that featured an AI-generated avatar to deliver an argument on his behalf. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In May, a man who was killed in a road rage incident in Arizona "spoke" during his killer's sentencing hearing after his family used artificial intelligence to create a video of him reading a victim impact statement. Passenger arrested after allegedly causing disturbance midair and forcing flight to divert When could Tropical Storm Erin become a hurricane? Sneak peek: Unmasking the Zombie Hunter GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) Three men have been arrested after a Spartanburg woman was murdered Tuesday in Fairfield County. Deputies with the Fairfield County Sheriffs Office were called to a shooting at a home on Durham Place Road. A woman, identified as 37-year-old Laporsha Jasma Farr, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the neck. Another victim was found with a gunshot wound to the hip, deputies said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies said three men were at the home when the argument broke out, and one of the suspects shot Farr and the other victim. The three then fled the scene. Two of the suspects, Benny L. Grady and William E. Mack, were arrested during the next two days. Thursday, deputies with the Greenville County Sheriffs Office were in a stand-off with the murder suspect, 41-year-old Jerry L. Jones. The stand-off lasted three hours until Jones was brought into custody. The following charges were issued: Jerry L. Jones: Murder Attempted Murder Possession of a weapon during a violent crime Benny L. Grady: Accessory after the fact William E. Mack Accessory after the fact Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. 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. This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. The most recent issue of The Atlantic taught me that the Scottish author Muriel Spark had, according to Judith Shulevitz, a steely command of omniscience, and frequently played with selective disclosure, irony, and other narrative devices. I knew that Spark was funny, and that her work was highly recommended by people whose taste I respect. But I quickly realized I had very few other facts at my disposal. Most important, Id never read her writing. So before Id even finished Shulevitzs review of a new biography of the novelist, I downloaded The Prime of Miss Jean BrodieSparks best-known workfrom my local library. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First, here are four new stories from The Atlantics Books section: The novellas title character works at an Edinburgh school for girls in the 1930s; shes an outre teacher who has marked a special group of pupils as hers. She cares very little for teaching the approved curriculum. Instead, she takes her students to the theater; she walks them through Edinburghs Old Town; she regales them with tales of her former loves; she praises the fascist regimes of Mussolini and Hitler. Her girls, she notes, will benefit far more from the artistic education provided by Brodie in her primeunmarried and pushing 40, she is entirely aware of her sexual and intellectual power, which are both at their peak. But the story, while named for Brodie, is not actually about her; it is primarily told through the recollections of the girls, and one in particular: Sandy, who in her adulthood has become a nun. The books main question is not what will become of Brodiewe know from the early pages that she will be fired from the school, betrayed by one of her chosen girls. Instead, it investigates the heady, hormonal days of adolescence, and the moral education of the students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That last theme is where Sparks central concern, as Shulevitz puts it, becomes clear. The author was a Catholic convert, and her writing is full of characters searching for, asking about, and turning to God. For the girls, whom Brodie begins shaping when theyre barely tweens, their teacher is something like a deity: at times hard to understand, often capricious, but ultimately fascinating, beautiful, and never wrong. As they grow up, most of the kids simply become who they were always going to be, shaking off Brodies rules and stipulations and following their own whims. But Sandy feels her teachers authority for the rest of her life. Her entanglement with Brodie, which continues into her late teens, leads her down a winding path that culminates in her own conversion to Catholicism. Her act of submission to the Church, which requires her to shed her individuality, is actually her final moment of separation from her former mentor: She has allowed God to dethrone her teacher. But even though Sandys conversion mirrors Sparks own, I was surprised and pleased to see that the author doesnt make Sandy a perfect nun, devoted solely to the Church, free of Brodies shadow. Instead, Spark is realistic about the effect a particularly magnetic figure can have on a young, impressionable person. Many years later, when Sandy is asked who or what most influenced her, its Brodies name on her lips. Similarly, Sparks is on mine. Ive now got Memento Mori and Loitering With Intent, two of her other novels, waiting for me on my e-reader. The Judgments of Muriel Spark By Judith Shulevitz Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The novelist liked playing Goda very capricious one. Read the full article. What to Read The Backyard Bird Chronicles, by Amy Tan Tan coped with the political tumult of 2016 by returning to two of her childhood refuges: nature and art. Drawing was an early hobby of hers, but shed felt discouraged from taking it seriously. At 65, she took nature journaling lessons to learn how to depict and interpret the world around hermost notably the inter-avian dramas of the birds behind her Bay Area home. The Backyard Bird Chronicles is a disarming account of one year of Tans domestic bird-watching, a book filled with sketches and handwritten notes of naive observations, she writes. That naivete is endearing: The accomplished novelist becomes a novice, trying to improve through eager dedication. Over the course of this engaging book, her illustrations grow more sophisticated, more assuredleaving readers with a portrait of the hobbyist as an emerging artist. Sophia Stewart Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From our list: Eight books for dabblers Out Next Week Baldwin: A Love Story, by Nicholas Boggs Where Are You Really From, by Elaine Hsieh Chou Dominion, by Addie E. Citchens Your Weekend Read Illustration by Akshita Chandra / The Atlantic. Source: Getty. The Logic of the 9 to 5 Is Creeping Into the Rest of the Day By Julie Beck Over the past couple of years, the vloggers of social media have taken to documenting their routines from 5 to 9 p.m. Some creators also make a morning version, the 5 to 9 before the 9 to 5, starting at 5 a.m. These routines are highly edited, almost hypnotic, with quick cuts, each mini-scene overlaid with a time stamp. Hours pass in just a couple of minutes, and the compressed time highlights a sense of efficiency. The videos have big to-do-list energy; the satisfaction they offer is that of vicariously checking boxes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read the full article. When you buy a book using a link in this newsletter, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic. Sign up for The Wonder Reader, a Saturday newsletter in which our editors recommend stories to spark your curiosity and fill you with delight. Explore all of our newsletters. Article originally published at The Atlantic The Local History Room at Beale Memorial Library didnt have to dig hard to find its next guest speaker for Saturday. Koral Hancharick, executive director of the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History & Science, will discuss the wonderful community resource we have during her talk. Since 2004, Hancharick has led the Chester Avenue museum, which is Central Californias only institution featuring anthropology, archaeology, anatomy, astronomy, geology and paleontology. It is also home to an interactive science discovery center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hourlong presentation will cover some of the museums history, exhibits and programs including: Miocene fossils from Sharktooth Hill, which are unique specimens found nowhere else in the world; African and North American animal collections with over 50 African taxidermy specimens; Fossils from the Paleozoic, Jurassic, Cretaceous and Pleistocene eras; and Native American Lifeways exhibit, created with the Native American Preservation Council of Kern County. This talk will take place from 11 a.m. to noon in the Local History Room, located on the second floor of the library, 701 Truxtun Ave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The local history collection houses books, directories, maps, periodicals, newsletters, and photographs covering a remarkable range of subjects related to Kern County and our history. For more information, visit kernlibrary.org or call the Local History Room at 661-868-0774. Courtesy Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum The original intent of this [school] was to destroy our culture, says Stacey Montooth, executive director of the Nevada Department of Native American Affairs and citizen of the Walker River Paiute Nation. Together, under a cloudless Nevada sky in Carson City, she and I stroll the campus of the Stewart Indian School, a boarding school that opened in 1890 by the US government as part of a greater effort to force Indigenous children to assimilateat all costsinto white society. As we walk along manicured lawns and past beautifully crafted stone buildings, which I later learn were built by Hopi stonemasons from Arizona, its hard to picture the dark chapter of American history that unfolded here. Thanks to the preservation work of Montooth and others, theres no need to imagine: The proof lies in whats now a National Historic District that includes an audio-led walking trail of 20 stops along the campus and the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center and Museum. Held within the cultural center and museum are the complex stories of children who attended Stewart, oftentimes told in their own words, as well as artifacts like black-and-white photographs from the schools earliest days, vocational training textbooks that were used, and privilege passes that determined which activities students could attend or take part in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the boarding schools internal records, nearly 21,000 children were either kidnapped or coerced into attending Stewart. In an effort to strip them of their Native American culture and adapt them to appropriate American culture, children were forbidden from speaking their native languages or practicing cultural traditions; their names were changed and hair cut; and contact with their families and communities was cut off. Many students also suffered deeply traumatic experiences, including physical and sexual abuse from teachers and staff. Vance Fox/Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum Montooth is a direct descendant of a Stewart Indian School survivor, and though she never attended the school herself, its impact has rippled through generations in her family. My grandma was four when she was brought [to Stewart], and she was raised in violence by the matrons, she says. She never had an opportunity to learn parenting skills from her parents. That experience, in my family at least, was the start of violence, alcoholism, and generational trauma. I have relatives who still will not step foot out here because our grandma was abused on a regular basis. Editor's note: This article uses the term Indian boarding schools, rather than Native American" boarding schools, the latter of which reflects broadly more appropriate terminology today. This language choice is the preference of survivors' descendants who participated in this story, as Indian boarding schools was the wording used by the federal government and accepted in the era during which these institutions were created. This experience at Stewart was not unique. Through the 19th and 20th centuries, there were at least 526 Indian boarding schools that operated in the United States, 417 of which received federal funding, while the remaining were financially supported by religious organizations. A list of these schools was shared with the public in February 2025 thanks to the ongoing research of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS), a Minnesota-based nonprofit dedicated to increasing national awareness about the trauma inflicted on Native communities at and via boarding schools. The team has also created an interactive digital map in partnership with Canadas National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to help educators and travelers find the Indian boarding schools that operated across 38 US states and Canada, highlighting which destinations now offer a museum or cultural experience for visitors to learn about this painful era in North American history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This list holds a remarkable opportunity for travelers to see the impacts that this history has on America at large, says Samuel Torres, deputy chief executive officer of NABS. Ultimately, the goal is to bring the truth to light. And though the number of over 500 schools feels staggering, we can't lose sight that this is just a piece of a larger story of forced assimilation and Native resilience as a response to it. Having these schools identified means something to so many folks individually because they experienced it personally. Carol M. Highsmith/Library of Congress The Indian boarding school era in the US began in 1819 with the Civilization Fund Act, which authorized funding from the federal government to be directed to European American missionaries and church leaders for the purpose of establishing schools in predominantly Native American territories. Then, in 1824, the federal government established the still-active Bureau of Indian Affairs to implement boarding schools to civilize Native Americans. The goal for all boarding schools was to kill the Indian, save the man, a philosophy first developed at what was arguably the most notorious of the Indian boarding schools, Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1879 by US Army officer Richard Henry Pratt, approximately 7,800 children from more than 140 Native American nations attended Carlisle during its nearly 40-year tenure. Abuse was rampant, with many children beaten, starved, or forced to perform hard labor when they dared to speak their languages. Nearly 200 children died and are buried in the campus cemetery, with many nations still seeking the return of their ancestors remains. This list holds a remarkable opportunity for travelers to see the impacts that this history has on America at large Samuel Torres, deputy chief executive officer of NABS Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the hundreds of other schools like Carlisle that existed in the US, it is the only national monument that recognizes the harmful legacies of the boarding school era. Established as a monument in December 2024 by former president Joe Biden, the old Carlisle school grounds are now the United States Army War College, but original spaces like the gymnasium, the bandstand, the superintendents house, and the cemetery still exist. Because the school is within an active military installation, there isn't a standard museum experience offered; the best way to visit Carlisle is on a scheduled walking tour through the Cumberland County Historical Society. (The historical society also hosts a permanent exhibit of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and occasional rotating exhibits.) But as is the case with Stewart Indian School, some boarding schools haven't waited for the federal government to help preserve their history. For the schools that have been transformed into cultural centers and museums, we can instead thank the tenacity of former students, statewide preservation grants, and the lobbying of state legislatures. In Nebraska the Indian Industrial School at Genoa opened in 1990 as the Genoa US Indian School Foundation Museum, where visitors can learn about the students from more than 40 tribal nations who attended the school between 1884 and 1934. In Arizona the Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center is housed in a historic building from the school that operated from 1891 to 1990. The public can tour the space by appointment to view galleries, yearbooks, trophies, and even varsity jackets donated by former studentsall items that were popular during the 1940s and 50s and used to further an all-American look and lifestyle. Carol M. Highsmith/Library of Congress 1354774870 Stacy Revere/Getty Though some of these former schools have been able to preserve and share their history without federal financial assistance, funding cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities by the current administration have directly impacted NABSs research efforts to catalog and digitize boarding school records. When the NEH funding was revoked in April, it pulled about $283,000 from our work and slowed our process considerably, says Torres. Our team has the time and commitment to complete this project, but the individuals that may not have time are the boarding school relatives that went to those institutions which had the direct impact on them as a Native child. The termination of those federal monies hurts boarding school relatives directly. For many boarding school survivors and their descendants, seeing their own names or the names and photos of their ancestors in digital archives brings healing and affirmationthis dark era did in fact happen, even if it can feel forgotten or unknown to many Americans. Within communities that place oral storytelling in high regard, these records are a unique type of tangible evidence. We've seen a remarkable impact toward even just a boarding school relative looking at their information on the digital archive that they never thought theyd see again, says Torres. When they're connected with those records, it's a reminder that there are those among us interested in seeking accountability for the construction of these institutions, and the proliferation of those schools. Those records and documentation about Native people rightfully belong to Native people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Back at Stewart, I stare at a wall of black-and-white photos of unsmiling little girls in uniform dresses with their hair shorn to their chin. The youngest looks to be no more than five years old, and I choke up at the thought of my own nieces, ages four and seven. What would it mean for me if they were taken by their family and robbed of everything familiar to them? I read about intergenerational trauma and genocide in the context of Stewart, but also about the determination of students to survive this experience and maintain their Indigenous identities: those that spoke their languages in secret, who ran away back to their homes, who supported one another in this dark era of US history. Their resilience is why these sites still exist today to offer a fuller account of American historyand as a visitor, it is a privilege to hear their stories, on their own terms. Originally Appeared on Conde Nast Traveler HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) A Myrtle Beach man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to drug charges from a 2022 arrest, the 15th Circuit Solicitors Office said on Friday. Everett Ford, 37, pleaded guilty to second-offense trafficking cocaine and second-offense possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. He was sentenced to 10 years for each offense, which will run concurrently. When Ford was arrested on Nov. 9, 2022, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and Myrtle Beach police officers found large quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine, as well as other illegal narcotics and firearms in the home where the arrest took place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His arrest came after a long investigation, according to the solicitors office. Ford had also been previously convicted of a similar narcotics offense in the past. * * * Jordan White is a Digital Producer at News13. She joined the News13 team in August 2024. Jordan, a Myrtle Beach native, graduated from St. James High School in Murrells Inlet and is a graduate of Coker University. Follow Jordan on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, 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. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. (NEXSTAR) In-N-Out is bringing along one of its most treasured traditions when it expands operations in Tennessee in the coming years: its distinctive palm trees. The news comes about a year after members from In-N-Outs social media team suggested that Tennessees climate might not support palm-inclusive landscaping. I can confirm that we will include our traditional crossed palms at our Tennessee locations, a representative for In-N-Out confirmed in an email obtained by News 2s parent company, Nexstar. A driver pulls into the drive-thru lane at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Alhambra, Calif. on Aug. 30, 2018. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) The criss-crossing palm trees, which can be seen forming an X outside of most In-N-Out restaurants, were first planted at a California location in 1972. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SEPTEMBER 2024: In-N-Out Burger breaks ground on headquarters in Franklin The founder of In-N-Out Burger, Harry Snyder, wanted to choose a symbol that would set In-N-Out apart from other restaurants, a communications manager for In-N-Out previously told Nexstar. He decided on an idea he picked up from the movie Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World from the early 1960s. The movie, released in 1963, concerns a group of motorists on a mad dash to a state park in California, where they believe a secret stash of cash is waiting for them underneath a big W. Toward the end of the film, the group arrives at the park and finds a formation of palm trees in the shape of a W, marking the spot of the treasure. In-N-Out founder Harry Snyder liked the idea so much that he began planting palm trees outside of his restaurants in 1972 albeit in the shape of an X instead of a W to mark the spot of his own symbolic treasure, according to an official online history of In-N-Out. Cars line up in the drive thru at an In-n-Out restaurant on Oct. 28, 2021, in Pleasant Hill, Calif. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) In-N-Out, however, is careful to say that its crossed-palm tradition has been implemented in most or almost all of its locations and not every single one. They also appear to be slightly harder to find at relatively newer locations outside of California, according to images available online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement JULY 2025: In-N-Out heiress clarifies relocation to Tennessee As some customers have also claimed, a few of the newer In-N-Out restaurants used to have crisscrossing palms out front, but the trees were removed or didnt make it through winter. They died in Colorado, one In-N-Out fan once claimed in response to an Instagram post about the palm trees. Need to put up metal ones here people here will love that. Weather permitting (of course), In-N-Out indeed seems eager to try to plop down palm trees when it pulls up in Tennessee. We prefer that our restaurants feature crossed palm trees, and most of them do, an In-N-Out representative said. However, certain climates prevent a small number of our locations from having them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Recto a truly 2D language Masato Hagiwara Open in Recto Pad Google Colab Github Recto Pad TL;DR Recto is a 2D programming language that uses nested rectangles as its core syntax, encoding structure and recursion directly in space instead of a linear stream of text. Recto explores new ways to write, parse, and reason about codeand even natural languagespatially. Introduction Open in Recto Pad Virtually all the languages we humans usespoken, written, or artificial (such as programming languages)are fundamentally one-dimensional. Words, phrases, and sentences are serialized into a linear sequence across time. This makes sense: language evolved from speech, where thoughts must be serialized into sounda one-dimensional signal. But does a language have to be one-dimensional? The Kish Tablet, an early example of proto-writing using pictograms to convey meaning (source) Long before writing, humans used spatial representations as tools for thought. As Anne-Laure Le Cunff discusses in Thinking in maps, early symbolic systems like star charts in caves or medieval diagrams functioned not just as illustrations, but as visual languages for organizing meaning. From Lascaux to knowledge graphs, theres a deep history of thinking in spacenot just in time. When you consider what truly defines a language in the modern world, only two criteria stand out: Understandable it must carry meaning for both humans and machines. Generable it must be producible by both humans and machines. Thats it. Theres no inherent requirement that a language be linear, or pronounceable, or even textual. In the extreme, you could imagine a futuristic language that works like a smartphone app: you convey what you want to expressmaybe through gestures or facial expressionsand the app outputs a structured grid of emojis or icons. If both sender and receiver (human or machine) understand it, communication happenswithout sound, without linearity, and without words. There are already examples of non-1D languages out there. Sign languages, for instance, are multimodal, using facial expressions, spatial position, and hand gestures, often happening at the same time. But even they are linear in the sense that the signals unfold over time. Piet program that prints 'Piet' (source) There are also esoteric programming languages like Befunge, Fish, and Piet, that operate in two-dimensional space, typically by navigating control flow across a grid. But these systems focus more on movement through 2D space than on using it to represent meaning or structure directly. Human Louise Louise has question Examples of Heptapod B logograms from Arrival. (source) A more conceptual example is Heptapod B, the fictional alien language from Arrival (based on Ted Chiangs Story of Your Life), which is composed of intricate circular logogramseach representing an entire idea or sentence. Unlike linear spoken or written languages, Heptapod B is non-sequential: the whole message is laid out at once, requiring the writer to know the full content in advance. Visual environments like Pure Data, Max/MSP, and LabVIEW use blocks and patch cables to build logic visually. While they resemble languages, these systems are often hard to read/write as languages, and lack deeper linguistic properties like structure and recursion. And its those propertiesstructure and recursionthat are essential to what makes a system a language in the deepest sense. What is Recto? So, can we design a 2D language that still supports structure and recursion? In one-dimensional languages, structure is expressed through phrases, clauses, and nestingunits that unfold linearly but can be composed recursively. If we step into two dimensions, we need an equivalent: a unit that can contain other elements, express relationships, and support nesting. There are many possible candidatesany shape with an area could serve this role: circles, polygons, even freeform blobs. But for clarity, simplicity, and consistency, lets choose the most straightforward option: rectangles. Lets call this new language Recto. Recto is a programming language prototype that explores how code can live in two-dimensional space, using spatial layout not just for aesthetics, but as core syntax. In Recto, the rectangle (or rect) is the core syntactic and structural unit. A rect defines a region in 2D space that can contain elements: symbols, values, or other rects. These nested rects are how Recto encodes recursive structure visually and spatially. One immediate advantage of this approach is the natural representation of common data structures like lists, column vectors, and matrices. In conventional 1D languages, structures like matrices or tensors are typically represented using nested lists or indentationfor example: tensor([[1, 2], [3, 4]]) While this works, its still fundamentally a linear serialization of 2D data. Recto, by contrast, treats spatial layout as a first-class part of its syntax and semantics. The 2D structure isn't just visual formattingits how meaning and relationships are encoded. This is particularly powerful in fields like linear algebra, computer graphics, and machine learning, where multi-dimensional data is fundamental. Grammar Lets get specific. Heres what a basic rect looks like: Corners are marked as follows: Top-left: /- Top-right: -\ Bottom-left: \- Bottom-right: -/ Everything inside this boundary defines the contents of the rect. Elements within a rect are separated by one or more spaces or tabs, You can place elements (e.g., a , b , c , etc) inside a rect. You can also define single-row rects (like lists or parentheses in 1D languages) using |- and -| : Or define single-column rects (like column vectors) using ^- and v- : A key feature of Recto is that rects can be nested. For example: Open in Recto Pad In this example, the inner rect - c d is nested inside the outer one. Recto uses row-major order to parse elements: that is, elements are read left-to-right within each row, and rows are read top-to-bottom. So, this example would be parsed as: Inner rect: - c d Outer rect: + [inner rect] a b You can also specify the type of a rect by adding a suffix to the top-left corner: /d Dictionary: pairs become key-value mappings Dictionary: pairs become key-value mappings /s Set: unordered collection of elements. Set: unordered collection of elements. /m Matrix: the spatial layout directly corresponds to rows and columns of numerical or symbolic values. Dictionary: Set: Matrix: While /d (dictionary) and /s (set) rects often follow common visual patterns (like two columns for dictionaries), Recto does not enforce layout constraints. All elements are parsed in row-major order. It's up to the interpreter or the logic of your program to validate content or raise errors based on expected structurenot appearance. However, /m (matrix) rects need to be parsed according to the internal structure (rows and columns) to determine the matrixs dimensions. Parsing and Executing Regarding parsing, in one-dimensional languages, a single stack is sufficient to handle nesting, since structure unfolds linearly and can be tracked with push and pop operations. In Recto, in addition to a row-wise stack that keeps track of rect opening and closing symbols and tokens in row-major order, you also need a column-wise stack per each column. This column-wise stack keeps track of x-axis coordinates to determine which elements belong to which rect in the presence of nested or overlapping structures. This spatial reasoning is essential not only to resolve ownership but also to validate that a rect is well-formed (e.g., not a trapezoid or malformed box). So while there's a surface-level equivalence in how data might be serialized, the underlying structure and parsing logic are fundamentally two-dimensional. I have written a working parser and interpreter for Recto that implements the multi-stack parsing approach described above. While this version defines only a limited set of grammar and features, it supports most of the core concepts outlined in this document. The source code is available on GitHub: Recto on GitHub, and you can also try it interactively in a Google Colab notebook: Try Recto in Colab. Rectos execution model is inspired by Lisp. Function calls are evaluated by applying the first element as the function, with the remaining elements interpreted as arguments. For example, a function call looks like this: For function definitions, Recto uses the fn keyword, followed by the function name, parameters, and the body. Control flow structures like if and for follow a style similar to Python. An if expression includes four parts: the keyword if , a condition, a "then" block, and an "else" block: A for expression consists of four elements: the keyword for, a loop variable, a range specification, and the loop body: Recto makes structured control flow visually intuitive, without relying on indentation or explicit delimiters. Instead, the 2D layout and rect boundaries define scope and groupingjust like parentheses or indentation do in traditional 1D languages, but spatially. This visual structure makes it easier to inspect large, complex logic at a glancealmost like zooming into nested blocks. It also opens up interesting possibilities for expressing parallelism or asynchronous behavior: for example, columns could potentially represent separate threads, allowing developers to visualize concurrent logic side by side in 2D space. More broadly, this taps into our underused capacity for spatial reasoning. Human languages and programming environments evolved from 1D media like speech and text, but visual layoutlike punctuation, diagrams, or even number systems such as the Kaktovik numeralscan dramatically improve how we communicate and compute. Just as modern punctuation unlocked clarity in writing, 2D structure might help usand machinessee logic more clearly. Writing and Editing One of the biggest challenges in making Recto practical is simply: how do you write it? Virtually every programming toolIDEs, version control systems, even AI assistantsis built on the assumption that code is one-dimensional. They expect text that flows from top to bottom and left to right, making authoring a 2D language like Recto awkward in current environments. Early on, I relied on Google Sheetsmanually placing symbols into cells and copying cell rangesto represent Rectos spatial layout. While it worked for small examples, it was tedious and not designed for coding. To address this, I built a simple, interactive web tool called Recto Pad. Recto Pad lets you draw the basic building blocks of Recto on a grid, including different types of rectsregular ( /- , -\ , \- , -/ ), row ( |- , -| ), column ( ^- , v- ), and typed rects such as dictionaries ( /d ), sets ( /s ), and matrices ( /m ). It also supports drawing common control flow structures like fn , if , and for . You can import and export Recto code as plain text, which can then be fed directly into the Python interpreter. It doesnt execute the code yet, but it makes creating and editing Recto programs far easier than working in spreadsheets. If we were to build proper tooling for Recto, the experience would resemble design tools more than traditional code editors. Think of spatial canvases like Figma, Miro, or Museplatforms where ideas are arranged in two dimensions, not constrained by a scrolling text buffer. Writing Recto would feel more like sketching on an infinite whiteboard: spatially expressive, zoomable, and collaborative. It could enable live collaboration, visual debugging, and spatially structured code reviewsactivities that are cumbersome in 1D code editors but natural in 2D environments. Projects like Muse, Heptabase, and the broader Tools for Thought movement point to a future where visual structure becomes central to how we think, build, and communicatenot just annotate or decorate. In some ways, this spatial paradigm is more powerful than a vertical text editor. In 1D languages, editing multiple non-adjacent parts of code at once is cumbersome. But in a 2D system like Recto, you can zoom into any subregion, rearrange elements visually, and compose complex logic without being constrained by linear flow. Even more importantly, these edits can happen in paralleldifferent people can work on different regions simultaneously without interfering with one anothermaking collaborative coding more natural and efficient. Another open challenge is how to build AI-based coding tools for Recto. Most large language models (LLMs), which are based on the Transformer architecture, operate on linear sequences. Even models that work with visual layoutslike Vision Transformers (ViTs)first flatten 2D inputs into sequences of patches, which may lose fine-grained spatial information despite using 2D positional embeddings, although sequence-based Transformer models usually generally perform well at understanding and generating 2D images. Few autoregressive generative models natively support 2D structures, but there is promising research. Models like VAR and LayoutGPT have begun tackling generation in structured 2D spaces. These could serve as the foundation for AI assistants that understand and generate Recto code spatially, not just linearly. Final Words The core idea behind Recto isnt limited to programmingit extends naturally to natural language, especially those with flexible word order. By parsing and visually arranging phrase structures in two dimensions, Recto provides a spatial way to represent linguistic meaning. This can be especially effective for languages like Japanese, Korean, Turkish, and Russian, where elements such as subjects, objects, and modifiers often appear in varying orders, especially around verbs. Constructed languages like Lojban, designed for logical expressiveness and syntactic flexibility, also map well to this paradigm. Heres an example of encoding a Japanese sentence using Recto-like 2D structure. It includes a relative clause nested inside a main clause: This structure expresses: Yesterday at the library, Taro gave Hanako the book that Ichiro bought. Recto is an attempt to rethink what a programming language could benot as a linear sequence of tokens, but as something that lives in two dimensions. Instead of squeezing everything into a 1D stream, Recto lets you express structure and recursion directly in space, using rectangles. There are still many open questions, especially around editing, parsing, and tooling, but I believe this shift in perspectivemoving from 1D to 2Dcan open up new ways of thinking about code, language, and meaning itself. Im grateful to Aza Raskin, Joshua Tanner, Sorami Shiromizu, and Keisuke Sakaguchi for their thoughtful feedback and encouragement on this project. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). You are free to share and adapt the material for any purpose, even commercially, as long as you give appropriate credit. FizzBuzz in Recto Open in Recto Pad If your 3-year-old accidentally knocks over an expensive marble table in a cafe, are you on the hook for the damage? Thats the question at the center of an online uproar over a recent incident in Ocean County, where a woman claims she was told she wasnt allowed to leave the cafe until handing over her credit card information. The woman, Kathy Denman, said she spoke to the Hazelnut Cafes owner over the phone after her daughter upended the table, an Anthropologie console that retails for $1,598. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And all she kept repeating was, Our policy is: You break it, you pay for it. You break it, you bought it, Denman said in a TikTok posted Sunday. The seven-minute video quickly went viral, with commenters weighing in on Denmans responsibility and the owners response. Most agreed that the latter was in the wrong. Her policy you break it, you buy it; its not like the coffee table was for sale one popular comment read. [A]ccidents happen, businesses are insured.. In reality, you break it, you buy it is more of a common courtesy than a legal maxim. As a matter of law it is otherwise a merchants fantasy, and vast oversimplification of property and personal injury law, said Norman Silber, a professor of consumer law at Hofstra Law School. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The aphorism, also known as the Pottery Barn rule, dates back to 1952, when a Miami Beach store reportedly posted a sign reading as much above its wares. But while a customer is not automatically obligated to pay for anything they damage, a business owner can technically file a tort claim and sue to extract payment. But by far the greater potential liability in my view would be the potential liability of the restauranteur, Silber said particularly in the case of serious injury. (No one was injured in the incident.) In most cases, the loss is written off by the business, whether to avoid the legal headache or because insurance will cover it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats true even in extreme cases, such as when a young child accidentally damaged a Rothko painting worth $50 million in April. The Dutch museum responsible for the painting gave no indication it planned to go after the childs family to cover the cost of repairs, though it declined to share details on its insurance policy. What a business or museum cannot do is prevent you from leaving until you fork it over that could constitute a form of false imprisonment. In this case, Silber said, whether or not false imprisonment occurred would depend on the precise facts namely, whether Denman was asked for her credit card information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In my opinion... the refusal to provide credit card information would be a weak defense to a false imprisonment claim, he said. The Hazelnut Cafes owners, twin sisters Kimberly and Jenna Campfield, denied in a statement Thursday that Denman had been prevented from leaving until she produced a credit card. We also want to be completely transparent: we would never hold anyone against their will, they said. The sisters added that Denman was not charged for the broken table, even after asking how she could make it right. In a statement issued shortly after, Denman reiterated she was told by the acting managers of the cafe that she wasnt allowed to leave unless I provided a copy of my drivers license and credit card to pay for the table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She also said, however, that the Campfields had since reached out to apologize. Denman added that her family was satisfied with the apology and wanted to move on peacefully, suggesting that they wouldnt be pursuing legal action. Call it the cost of doing business. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. AJ McDougall may be reached at amcdougall@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on X at @oldmcdougall. New Jersey manufacturers are set to receive $500 million in tax credits under a bill recently signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy. The move comes at a time when the industry has expressed trepidation over the impact of tariffs on the sector. From the industries that powered our early growth to the advanced facilities driving innovation today, manufacturing continues to play a vital role in shaping New Jerseys economy and its future, Murphy said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill, A5687, establishes the Next New Jersey Manufacturing Program to encourage more manufacturing jobs in the state. The bills sponsors, Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald, D-Camden, and Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, D-Mercer, touted the benefits. This is about building a stronger, smarter New Jersey that prioritizes good paying jobs and long-term economic growth, Greenwald said. Reynolds-Jackson echoed that sentiment. Manufacturing is more than machines; its people, neighborhoods, and opportunities, she said. The bill also garnered Republican praise. Manufacturing has long been the backbone of New Jerseys economy, and this historic investment reaffirms our commitment to revitalize this vital sector, said Sen. Michael Testa, R-Cumberland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The manufacturing sector contributed an estimated $54 billion to the state economy in 2020. The largest segment of the manufacturing sector in New Jersey is chemical manufacturing. The average wage was $74,000, according to state labor statistics. The New Jersey Business and Industry Association, which represents a large portion of the states manufacturers, supported the bills signing. It will support much-needed workforce development in manufacturing amid both federal tariff and supply chain uncertainty that challenges these important businesses, said NJBIA CEO Michele Siekerka. Jelani Gibson may be reached at jgibson@njadvancemedia.com. A federal judge has ordered emergency reforms at a Manhattan immigration detention center after detainees alleged they were crammed into filthy rooms, forced to sleep near toilets, denied basic hygiene and medical care, and blocked from contacting lawyers. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by Ocean County resident, Sergio Alberto Barco Mercado, who claims Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials at 26 Federal Plaza routinely violated detainees rights. Barco Mercado alleged that detainees were held at that address, which is the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in New York City, in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, and were denied access to legal representation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In granting the temporary restraining order, U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said the plaintiffs had shown they were likely to suffer irreparable harm without immediate relief and were likely to succeed in proving their claims. The Court having concluded that plaintiff and members of the alleged class have suffered, and are likely to suffer, irreparable harm absent the temporary relief granted herein, Kaplan wrote. The order requires ICE to ensure that detainees are held in rooms with at least 50 square feet of space per person, are provided clean bedding, and have access to hygiene products, nutritious meals and medical services. Detainees must also be allowed to make confidential legal calls within 24 hours of detention and at least once every 12 hours afterward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ICE must provide printed notices of detainees rights in English and Spanish, with interpreters available for other languages. The agency is also required to update its online detainee locator system in real time and ensure attorneys can schedule calls with clients promptly. The restraining order is in effect until Aug. 26 or until the court rules on the plaintiffs motion for a preliminary injunction, whichever comes first. Barco Mercados original complaint, filed earlier this month, alleged that ICE routinely held individuals overnight in overcrowded rooms without proper bedding, food or access to medication. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The complaint also detailed how detainees were forced to sleep near toilets and were denied basic hygiene supplies. The lawsuit targets Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and senior officials at ICE. Noem and the others named in the suit were represented in court by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York. This order and this lawsuit are driven by complete fiction about 26 Federal Plaza, Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement. McLaughlin said that the Trump Administration is carrying out the largest deportation operation in American history and is removing the worst of the worst from American communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any claim of subprime conditions at ICE facilities are categorically false, she added. ICE enforcement operations will continue at full speed to protect American communities from the worst of the worst, and DHS will appeal this order. Barco Mercado is represented by attorneys from the New York Civil Liberties Union, Make the Road New York and Manhattan law firm Wang Hecker. Todays order sends a clear message: ICE cannot hold people in abusive conditions and deny them their constitutional rights to due process and legal representation, Eunice Cho, senior staff attorney at the ACLUs National Prison Project, said in a statement. Well continue to fight to ensure that peoples rights are upheld at 26 Federal Plaza and beyond. The conditions and lack of attorney access at 26 Federal Plaza have been horrifying and unconscionable, Heather Gregorio of Wang Hecker said in a press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A hearing on the preliminary injunction is scheduled for Sept. 12. The court will decide whether to extend the temporary restraining order into a longer-term injunction while the case proceeds. Colleen Murphy may be reached at cmurphy@njadvancemedia.com. Body-worn police cameras and 911 calls show the final tense moments of a Burlington County mans fatal encounter with police last year. Marvin Taylor, 57, of Browns Mills, Pemberton Township died on Oct. 19, 2024 during an exchange of gunfire with township police. The state Attorney Generals office on Thursday made public the footage and calls under a 2019 directive that puts investigations of fatal encounters with police in the AGs purview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police were called to the Woodland Avenue home at around 3:22 p.m. for a report of smoke emanating from a home, officials said. Authorities were told a man was in the backyard armed with a gun, according to officials. When an officer got to a neighboring property and could see Taylor in the rear of the yard, he called out the situation to other officers and warned Taylor was armed. Police also knew his name. Marvin, put the gun down, now! the officer shouted. Marvin, stop pointing the rifle...Marvin, put the gun down now! An officer said that Taylor was wearing ear protection and was hard of hearing, according to the camera footage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont think he knows were here, an officer said, and reported Taylor was sitting down and apparently waiting for someone to come around to the back. Marvin, we are here to help you, put the gun down now! the officer warned again. After about three minutes, officers told Taylor to drop the gun again before a shot rings out, apparently by Taylor, and police fired four shots back while telling him to drop the gun. After securing his gun, a squad of officers start giving Taylor medical aid. He was flown to Cooper University Medical Center in Camden where he died just after 5:30 p.m. Pemberton Township Police Officer Kyle McQueen fired at Taylor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No police or civilians were injured in the incident and a gun was found near Taylor after he was shot, which is seen on the camera footage. The AGs Office of Public Integrity and Accountability is still investigating the incident. All officer-involved fatalities are investigated and presented to a grand jury to determine if the evidence supports charges being filed against the officer. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. As New Jersey teachers return to their schools to set up their classrooms, 21 of their colleagues have been recognized by the state Department of Education as County Teacher of the Year for 2025-2026. The honorees, who teach everything from kindergarten to aerospace science, were celebrated at an awards ceremony held at The College of New Jersey in Ewing on Tuesday. (See the full list of winners below.) Each year, the County Teachers of the Year remind us of the incredible talent, dedication, and heart that define New Jerseys educators, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: N.J. is completely overhauling how it tests students. Teachers say they were blindsided. This years cohort of County Teachers of the Year will serve as ambassadors for the teaching profession around the state. The New Jersey State Teacher of the Year will be selected from the 21 teachers honored on Tuesday. The selection process includes a written application, video submissions, and an interview, according to state officials. The New Jersey County Teachers of the Year for 2025-26 are: Atlantic Christa Delaney is an environmental science teacher at Egg Harbor Township High School in the Egg Harbor Township School District. Bergen Aarti Mallya is a science teacher at Pascack Hills High School in the Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Burlington Sean Hoggs is a senior aerospace science instructor at Northern Burlington County Regional High School in the Northern Burlington County Regional School District. Camden Heide Kowalski is a sixth-grade English language arts teacher at Ann A. Mullen Middle School in the Gloucester Township School District. Cape May JoDee Sattazahn is a Spanish teacher at Lower Cape May Regional High School in the Lower Cape May Regional School District. Cumberland Tiffanie ThrBak is a special education teacher at Cherry Street School in the Bridgeton City School District. Essex Andrew Vander Horn is a social studies teacher at Cedar Grove High School in the Cedar Grove Township School District. Gloucester Sandy Fitzpatrick is a kindergarten teacher at Birches Elementary School in the Washington Township School District. Hudson John Palsi is a culinary arts instructor at County Prep High School in the Hudson County Schools of Technology School District. Hunterdon Caroline Mann is a special education teacher at Round Valley School in the Clinton Township School District. Mercer Shakida Faniel is a special education teacher at Joyce Kilmer Intermediate School in the Trenton Public School District. Middlesex Pamela Eng is a third-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School in the Edison Township School District. Monmouth Gillian Ober is a seventh-grade English as a second language teacher at Freehold Intermediate School in the Freehold Borough School District. Morris Natasha Tyjer-Mendez is a fourth-grade teacher at Riverdale Public School in the Riverdale School District. Ocean Jacqueline Castellano is a biology teacher at Brick Township Memorial High School in the Brick Township School District. Passaic Alyssa Bitar is an engineering and STEM teacher at Passaic County-Manchester Regional High School in the Passaic County-Manchester Regional High School District. Salem Robert Fitzpatrick is an eighth-grade English language arts teacher at Penns Grove Middle School in the Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District. Somerset Kiran Masud is a teacher for the academically independent program at Hillside Intermediate School in the Bridgewater-Raritan School District. Sussex Amy Stevens is an eighth-grade English language arts teacher at Byram Intermediate School in the Byram Township School District. Union Karen Carey-Lynch is an English language arts and gifted and talented teacher at Roselle Park Middle School in the Roselle Park School District. Warren Laura Wojick is a computer science and information technology teacher at Phillipsburg High School in the Phillipsburg School District. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Liz Rosenberg may be reached at lrosenberg@njadvancemedia.com. Nataliia Ilnytska, a servicewoman of the Achilles unit, has been killed in action in Donetsk Oblast. She had been defending Ukraine since 2022. Source: Anzhela Makeieva, acting mayor of Irpin; Volunteer Formation No. 1 of the Bucha hromada Details: Nataliia Ilnytska lived in the city of Irpin in Kyiv Oblast. In 2022, she became one of the first four servicewomen to join the mobile air defence unit known as the Bucha Witches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Side by side with her brothers- and sisters-in-arms, she stood guard over the skies of Kyiv Oblast, shooting down enemy drones and saving the lives of civilians," said the Volunteer Formation No. 1 of the Bucha hromada [an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories ed.]. Nataliia Ilnytska was one of the first members of the Bucha Witches. Nataliia Ilnytska was one of the first members of the Bucha Witches. Photo: Volunteer Formation No. 1 of the Bucha hromada on Facebook Later, Nataliia joined the Territorial Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and underwent military training abroad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She served as a mechanic in the 3rd squad of unmanned aerial vehicles of the 2nd platoon, 2nd company of strike UAV systems in the Achilles unit. Nataliia was killed in action on 10 August near the village of Ridkodub in Donetsk Oblast as a result of artillery shelling. She was 47. She is survived by two children and her husband, who also serves in the military. Background: On 7 August, a combat medic of the 3rd Assault Brigade, Maryna "Mary" Hrytsenko, was killed in action. In civilian life, she was the chief curator of the collections at the Chernihiv Art Museum and a member of the Plast scouting organisation. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Aug. 14 is National Navajo Code Talker Day, an annual celebration recognizing the Code Talkers who served with the U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific theater during World War II. The designation was created by President Ronald Reagan in 1982 and, this year, it falls on the 80th anniversary of Japans initial surrender in World War II. In honor of Navajo Code Talker Day, a new monument was unveiled in Utah. Heres a look at what the Code Talkers did for the U.S. military during World War II. Who were the Navajo Code Talkers? The Navajo Code Talkers were deployed into battle to help the U.S. military send encrypted messages that were undecipherable by enemy forces, per CNN. There were over 400 Navajo Code Talkers that were sent to the Pacific during World War II. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These Code Talkers operated alongside Marines at pivotal battles such as those at Iwo Jima, Saipan, Guam and Tinian. Their code proved vital: it was never cracked by the Japanese, and allowed US troops to organize their movements without the enemys knowledge, per CNN. Of the more than 400 Navajo Code Talkers who served in the Pacific in World War II, just two are still alive today: Peter MacDonald, who is 96 years old, and Thomas Begay, who is 100. Both are from Window Rock, Arizona. The idea was originally proposed to the Marines by Philip Johnston, an engineer who had grown up alongside Navajo children, per CNN. The program was established in 1942. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to KSL TV, At a time when U.S. government policies sought to erase Indigenous languages and traditions, Native American soldiers were being asked to use those very languages to protect the nation through the Navajo Code Talker Program. The Navajo language was ideal for this purpose, because it was nearly indecipherable and virtually no one outside the Navajo Nation spoke the language. In order to relay encrypted messages, the Code Talkers developed a complicated and extensive code based on their language, substituting other words for key military terms that were not a part of the language. For example, the Navajo word for turtle was used for tank and the word for hummingbird was used for fighter plane. According to CNN, in some cases, they were forced to invent new words altogether. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Code Talker program remained a secret for years until it was declassified in 1968, when the public and families of the Code Talkers learned about their role in the war. Monument to the Navajo Code Talkers planned in Utah A monument to Navajo Code Talkers is planned for a memorial park in West Valley, Utah. The monument, inside the Utah Veteran Memorial, is a sculpture of Marine Allen Dale June and serves as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by Native Americans during wartime, per KSL TV. June was one of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers who worked to devise Navajo words for modern military terms that were not part of their language. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of them may not have agreed with the government or its policies, said Prestine K. James, whose uncle and grandfather served as Code Talkers, per KSL TV. But they were protecting their land even though it was stolen from them. It was sacred for them no matter who has it. Dreams of a Code Talker museum For years, MacDonald and other Code Talkers have campaigned for a museum dedicated to the Code Talkers, but the project remains out of reach, per CNN. The museum would take tens of millions of dollars to become a reality. I dont believe people understand this tremendous contribution to the battle in the Pacific War, MacDonald said, per CNN. It made all the difference in the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are small exhibits relating to the Code Talkers in museums in Tuba City, Arizona, and in Gallup, New Mexico. For several years, one of the best collections of artifacts dedicated to the Code Talkers was found in a Burger King in Kayenta, Arizona. Other Native American tribes and nations also had code talkers While the Navajo Code Talkers are the most well known, there were other Native American tribes who also had their own code talkers that served in both World War I and World War II. Code talkers were useful because their languages werent understood by enemy forces and the code talkers could transmit secret messages to and from the battlefield without being deciphered, per the Department of Defense. Code talkers in World War I included men from the Choctaw, Cherokee, Comanche, Osage, Lakota and Cheyenne nations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During World War II, while Navajo Code Talkers were serving in the Pacific theater, there were code talkers from the Comanche, Lakota, Muscogee, Mohawk, Meskwaki, Tlingit, Hopi, Cree, Crow and Choctaw Nations serving in the European theater with the Army. In 2008, the Code Talker Recognition Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The law recognizes around 50 Native American tribes who served as code talkers in both world wars, according to the Department of Defense. Key Points Current nationwide recalls include dip, coffee, cheese and carbonation bottles. Risks include plastic, glass and Listeria contamination in popular grocery products. Check codes and dates, then discard or return recalled products for a refund. There have been several recalls this month that affect food and beverage products nationwide. These grocery items include coffee, cheese, dip and carbonation bottles, all of which are sold at major grocery chains across the country. These widespread recalls are due to contamination and reports of bodily injury, all of which can lead to potential health issues. Read below to understand more about these recalls and see if you may have an affected product in your kitchen. Dessert Dip More than 19,000 containers of a popular Aldi product are being actively recalled nationwide, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is due to a foreign matter contamination, specifically small plastic fragments that could cause an injury or choking risk. This has been deemed a Class II recall, meaning the consumption of this product could potentially lead to minor health issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The recalled items are 7-ounce tubs of Park Street Deli Cinnamon Bun Dessert Dip. The dips have a UPC of 4061462440151, lot code 16225 and a sell-by date printed as "11-08-25." Check your refrigerator for this dessert dip, and if your product matches the listed UPC and lot codes, dispose of it or return it to the Aldi store where it was purchased to receive a refund. Cheese Multiple types of cheese sold at Wegmans stores in 10 states are being recalled because of possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination, as reported by the FDA. The cheese impacted by this recall was sold in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. from July 1 through August 12, 2025. This recall applies to four types of Wegmans brand cheese, with varying package sizes, UPCs and best-by-dates. To see the full list, reference the announcement made by the FDA. If you own any of the products affected, you should dispose of them and can return them to your local Wegmans for a full refund. Coffee Coffee sold at Dollar General is being recalled due to glass fragments being found in the product, which could mean potential risk of laceration and injury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eight-ounce containers of Clover Valley Instant Coffee sold from July 9 through July 21, 2025 are the subject of this announcement. The recalled coffee has a printed UPC of 876941004069 on the packaging, a best-by date of 12/13/2026 or 12/14/2026 and one of the following lot codes: L-5163, L-5164 or L-5165. There have been no injuries reported, but the retailer advises that any affected product be disposed of. For a refund, you can call or email their customer care service. Carbonation Bottles The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that 111,200 Drinkmate carbonation bottles are being recalled in the U.S. and Canada due to serious impact and laceration hazards. There have been eight reports of these bottles exploding during use. In four of these reports, customers state that they received lacerations, impact injuries and hearing loss. The bottles were sold online throughout the U.S. and Canada through Amazon, Home Depot, Target, Walmart and the companys website. The affected bottles were sold from April 2023 through October 2024 for about $20 individually or $130 as part of Drinkmate OmniFizz starter kits. The recalled bottles have printed expiration dates between 01/2026 and 10/2026. The company urges customers to direct their questions about the recall to their support lines. You can also contact Drinkmate directly through its website to receive a replacement bottle. Read the original article on EATINGWELL European leaders are waiting to see what results from the latest discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump as the leaders convene in Alaska Friday. "[Theres] absolute distrust in even the slightest idea that Putin wants peace because he keeps annihilating Ukraine," Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene told Fox News Digital during her trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with Pentagon officials this week. "Even now, when your president has clearly stated that he wants this war to end, and basically provides an opportunity for Putin to talk, still every single day and night, until those talks, he keeps bombing civilians," she added. "He keeps annihilating Ukrainian land." President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands at the beginning of a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018. Could Trump's Meeting With Putin Be The Next Reagan-gorbachev Moment? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The United Nations on Wednesday confirmed that Russian attacks in Ukraine last month led to civilian casualty rates not seen since Putin first launched his invasion in 2022. "For the second month in a row, the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine hits a new three-year high," Danielle Bell, head of the U.N. human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, said in a statement. Read On The Fox News App "Only the first three months after the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine saw more killed and injured than in this past month." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friday's meeting between Trump and Putin is significant because it is not only the first time Putin will return to the U.S. in a decade. It is the first time a U.S. leader has met with the Kremlin chief since he launched the invasion of Ukraine 3 years ago. But skepticism over whether the meeting will yield any results remains high, particularly after several seemingly positive calls between the pair earlier this year, which only amounted to a frustrated Trump and Putin's continued bombardment of Ukraine. A Ukrainian soldier walks with children passing destroyed cars due to the war against Russia, in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 4, 2022. "We in Europe, we know on our own skin that Russia, and Putin specifically, does deliver only violence," the Lithuanian defense minister said. "They do break every deal they have ever made. They do keep that Imperial ambition of disrespecting international rules, disrespecting borders of independent nations. "Therefore, what we believe is really important for President Trump to see for himself, is there even a tiniest wish for peace from Putin, or if there isn't," Sakaliene added. "And if there isn't, I'm really quite sure that your president, as a person with vast experience of dealing with very different people, can make his own conclusions." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What We Know About Trumps Meeting With Vladimir Putin In Alaska Trump has yet to detail how he will respond should his meeting with Putin prove fruitless in advancing a path toward a ceasefire, though he said Wednesday there would be "very severe consequences" if he determines Putin is not serious about peace. The White House did not answer Fox News Digitals questions about whether Trump is considering additional sanctions. Trump promised to begin targeting Russias war chest beginning Aug 8. by slapping 100% tariffs on Moscows chief export, oil. But only India was hit with additional economic repercussions after Washington escalated its tariff rate to 50%, which, though still one of the highest tariffs implemented on a U.S. trading partner, falls well short of the 100% tariff originally threatened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China, the other top importer of Russian oil, has skirted U.S. secondary tariffs after Beijing and Washington pushed the deadline to November as they continue to hash out trade agreements, meaning China is under a 30% tariff rate. Security experts Fox News Digital has spoken with remain divided on how effective secondary tariffs will be in dissuading Putins war ambitions, which NATO allies have pose an existential threat to Europe. Even amid the uncertainty, Sakaliene said she and other NATO allies remain hopeful that this meeting will bring prompt action in the pursuit of ending the war, whether through an actual peace settlement or increased action against Moscow by the U.S. alongside its European allies. "[I think that, for all of us, it's going to be a difficult weekend," the defense minister said. "But what really gives hope to us is that President Trump said very clearly that he is not going to be lenient if Putin continues this war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "And if, after Friday, Putin continues to bomb Ukraine, then he's going to react as we understand, really with the full force of justice." Original article source: NATO defense minister signals absolute distrust that Putin wants any peace deal ahead of Trump summit A drone company in Lithuania sees testing in Ukraine as critical to product development. Granta Autonomy's CEO said products don't get nearly as much testing by NATO militaries. He visits the battlefield as the experience is "completely different" with operator feedback. A NATO drone maker on Russia's doorstep is testing its tech under Russian fire and its CEO is out on the battlefield collecting feedback and figuring out what works. Lithuanian company Granta Autonomy was founded in 2015 and was among the first to send drones to Ukraine. The company began sending its drones in March 2022, just a month after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the start, the company simply collected feedback remotely. But the company's CEO, Gediminas Guoba, told Business Insider that this was "not enough." He needed to understand exactly how his products worked on a real battlefield and what needed to be improved. That insight was "kind of a breakthrough for us," informing new features, components, and upgrades. Work to advance warfighting technology like drone tech is of particular importance for this company because Lithuania would be on the front lines of any potential war between Russia and NATO, and there are concerns within the decades-old alliance that Russian aggression could one day stretch beyond Ukraine. It's not a product until it's been tested in Ukraine Granta Autonomy makes drones and components that can operate with autonomy when radio and GPS signals are denied and are able to support intelligence-gathering, surveillance, and target acquisition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With NATO armed forces, "your systems get used maybe once a month, as for example, during exercises and so on," the CEO explained. But in Ukraine, he continued, "when you deliver your system, it is used every day and many times during the day." That's great for learning how the product works because that's how it is designed to be used. "It's needed every day, and they use it every day." The drone manufacturer has delivered 1,000 of its GA-10FPV-AI quadcopter drones, which can carry a payload of more than six pounds and be used for attack and surveillance. It has a contract to send nearly 4,000 more to Ukraine and more than 2,300 to Lithuania's armed forces. Ukraine also uses Granta's Hornet XR drone, a fixed-wing reconnaissance drone that can covertly travel up to 99 miles, for combat operations. Granta Autonomy's GA-10FPV-AI drone is in use in Ukraine. Granta Autonomy The company only considers something a product if it's been battlefield-tested in Ukraine. "Until then, it's just like an idea; it's a prototype," Guoba said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guoba said that he actually visits the battlefield himself "just to understand how it really works." He said it's one thing for him to hear about how his product is working, "but that's completely different when you are there and you are feeling, when you're absorbing that environment," the continuous shelling, the Russian jamming, the drones chasing soldiers wherever they go. He said that "it's a completely different experience being or working here and just getting feedback from operators." About more than helping the Ukrainians Guoba wants his products in this fight "not only to help Ukraine," but also to help his own country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lithuania shares a border with Russia and is among the NATO countries most vocally warning that Russia may attack elsewhere in Europe. Former CIA director David Petraeus said in May that Lithuania was the country he thought was most at risk of a Russian invasion, an aggressive act that would draw the rest of the NATO alliance into a war. Defense companies in those countries are among the most keen to give their products to Ukraine and learn from the war. Many countries across Europe, as well as the US, are watching Ukraine's fight to see what would be needed in such a conflict, from weaponry to strategy. Drone warfare is a key area they can study. Drones are being used more in this war than in any other conflict in history, and drone and counter-drone technology are rapidly evolving, with both sides constantly innovating new technology and tactics. Guoba said his company has had to make constant adaptations, including to make its drones more survivable or give them greater reach in battle. A Ukrainian soldier flying a drone in Kurakhove, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on January 16, 2025. Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images "You need to keep improving your technology, improving your product, making it more reliable to ensure that it keeps bringing value in the modern battlefield. Something that worked two years ago and was okay two years ago is not okay anymore," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guoba added that "being there, learning new lessons, and improving our products, it's the key thing." Working with Ukraine Guoba's view is one shared by other Western defense companies. Kuldar Vaarsi, the CEO of Milrem Robotics, which develops military robotics and autonomous systems, told Business Insider that his company has a team that regularly visits Ukraine and meets with military units, working directly with operators. The products are used in a "totally different environment than in peacetime training or exercise environment." Vaarsi said that the feedback from and performance in Ukraine have led them to make big changes to their products: "What we have learned and changed and implemented in our systems is everything related to EW, communication, and cyber." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Western defense companies, many military officials, and Ukraine itself all say they see value in working and testing tech in Ukraine, which has been striving to make it easier for foreign companies to test their systems on the battlefield, fueling innovation in warfare. Many partner militaries want their nations' companies to be in Ukraine. Luke Pollard, the UK's armed forces minister, said in May: "If you are a drone company and you do not have your kit on the frontline in Ukraine, you might as well give up." Some of the big Western defense companies, like Germany's Rheinmetall, are opening offices and production lines in Ukraine and working with Ukrainian defense firms. It allows them to get help to Ukraine faster, as well as learn what works best against Russia. Ukraine is also inviting foreign arms manufacturers to send weapons prototypes so its troops can test them against Russia in battle, with Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's minister for digital transformation, calling it "an opportunity to gain experience that cannot be simulated in laboratories." Read the original article on Business Insider WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (ABC4) The Utah Veterans Memorial honored the Navajo Code Talkers from World War Two by unveiling a memorial statue today. During World War Two, Navajo Code Talkers were essential to secure communications between Allied forces. According to the United States Navy, the Navajo language is unwritten, and its complex syntax and dialects make it difficult to decipher for those who did not grow up speaking it. Approximately 400 Navajo recruits developed and transmitted secure codes during the war. The U.S. Navy says, Navajos could encode, transmit, and decode a three-line English message in 20 seconds. Machines of the time required 30 minutes to perform the same job. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today, the Utah Veterans Memorial unveiled a statue that honors the Navajo Code Talkers and their contributions in World War Two. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A new statue honoring the Navajo Code Talkers was unveiled today at the Utah Veterans Memorial. (Courtesy: Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski via Facebook.) The statue unveiling ceremony featured a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner in the Navajo language. Additionally, several spokespeople spoke about the emotional and long-lasting impact of the Navajo Code Talkers and the statues legacy. Casey Saxton, District Director for Congressman Burgess Owens (R-Utah) office, attended and said, Utahs history is inextricably tied to that of the Navajo. The Navajo existed long before Utah was a thought in anyones mind. We are grateful for all of the value you add to our state. Saxton also acknowledged that the Navajo Code Talkers were largely forgotten in history and were unrecognized until recently. He said, I am so grateful that, in the last two decades, that history has been remembered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prestine James, whose late husband worked on expanding the memorial. She said, Having a statue of the Code Talkers be a reminder of their sacrifice, to be a reminder of their contributions, to be a reminder that our language is sacred and the power it representsThis has been fulfilled today More information on the Utah Veterans Memorial is available here. Latest headlines: 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 ABC4 Utah. Before the US-Russia summit on the Ukraine war, opposition figure Yulia Navalnaya has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to release all political prisoners. "This step will go down in history. Just take it," the widow of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who died in a penal colony in 2024, said in a video message on Friday to the summit participants in the US state of Alaska. She said there are 1,000 political prisoners in Russia. Dozens have been sentenced to many years in penal colonies for protesting against Putin's war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin and US President Donald Trump are set to meet in person later Friday at a military base near Anchorage for the first time since the start of the Russian war almost three and a half years ago. The meeting is expected to discuss ways to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine. Navalnaya sees opportunity for historic meeting Navalnaya said there is a chance for a historic summit in Anchorage with a real outcome that could go down in history. She has repeatedly stated that she continues her husband's fight against Putin's authoritarian system while in exile abroad. The lists of prisoners are available, so a release could happen quickly, she said. Her video message also shows photos of some of the detainees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Navalny's team has been drawing attention to the plight of political prisoners under Putin for years, as well as the often poor detention conditions in Russian penal colonies, which can be life-threatening. At the same time, she expressed scepticism about whether the summit could lead to an end to the war. She noted that there have been ceasefires in the past, but expectations and hopes for an end to the war have been repeatedly disappointed. "People are dying every day," she said. There is a risk that agreements made in Anchorage would not hold and would soon be forgotten, she added. SAN DIEGO (FOX5/KUSI) Thousands of sailors returned to San Diego on Thursday after the USS Carl Vinson docked at Naval Air Station North Island. The sailors were met with excitement and hugs from loved ones who gathered on the base for the homecoming, including moments of genuine excitement as children waved at their parents. For the Franco family, the homecoming was that much sweeter. Petty Officer First Class Franco stepped off the carrier to meet his 7-month-old daughter for the first time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement USS Sterett returns to San Diego after 9-month deployment I have no words to express. I didnt know youre kind of locked in, and to know Im here with my wife, my kidsI, I have no words. Im really just shook because weve been gone for so long, he said. The carrier was deployed last November and was only supposed to be away for six months operating in the Pacific. In March, the Secretary of Defense ordered the Vinson to head to the Middle East, where it participated in missions like defending commerce. Franco said it was challenging to be away when his daughter was born. This is one of those where this is what we signed up for, and I know in the long run its all worthwhile because I am coming back to them, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Francos wife, Rio, is also in the military and said it was hard in the beginning, but credited support from friends and family. She said theyve been through deployments before, but this was the longest theyve been apart. She called the first embrace magical. You just cant explain it. It just because its been so long that you havent seen each otherjust felt each others hug so its like the moment you wait for, said Franco. The first mission for the family now that they are reunited is to eat. And then family bonding, family and friends, some of them are waiting already, 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. The North Carolina State Health Plan Board of Trustees voted unanimously Friday in favor of premium increases for 2026. The Plus PPO and Standard PPO plans will replace the 80/20 Enhanced PPO and 70/30 Base PPO plans for active employees. Premiums will vary by salary, with the lowest rates for employees earning under $50,000 and the highest rates for those making more than $90,000. For active employees in the Standard PPO plan, monthly premiums for employee-only coverage will range from $35 to $80 depending on salary up from $25 this year, regardless of salary, for those who completed a tobacco attestation. Plus PPO employee-only premiums will range from $66 to $160, compared with $50 this year for those with the attestation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Currently, those without a tobacco attestation pay more.. The new plans will no longer differentiate between tobacco and non-tobacco users. There are also changes to premiums depending on whether any other family member is enrolled. Most categories will see increases, but some Standard PPO tiers are lower than 2025 rates. For example, employees covering children in 2026 will pay $185 to $230, depending on salary, compared with $218 this year with the attestation. Non-Medicare retirees on the enhanced plan will see a $16 monthly premium increase, while those on the base plan will keep their $0 premium. Complex imaging for breast cancer screening will now be fully covered. And certain surgeries will be free for active employees. Changes needed to keep State Health Plan solvent? Higher deductibles and other plan design changes were approved in May. The vote on premiums comes ahead of open enrollment beginning in October. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prior to the vote, several organizations advocating for state employees and retirees spoke against higher premiums. State Employees Association of North Carolina Executive Director Ardis Watkins said she hoped moving forward, we can hold the people responsible, the ones making four times what it takes to make a profit, actually responsible, and not state employees or retirees. State Treasurer Brad Briner said he understood the frustration over proposed premium hikes but argued the increases were necessary to keep the State Health Plan solvent. I walked into office in January with a half a billion dollar deficit. Thats just for 2026, he said prior to the vote. Today, were going to take the last step to filling the hole by finalizing premiums. I know that few people are going to be happy about that, but it is necessary if we want to have a state health plan in the future, he said. Briner blamed short-sighted decisions by his predecessor as treasurer, fellow Republican Dale Folwell, including years of frozen premiums and a flawed Clear Pricing Project that led to higher expenses rather than savings. He said those choices depleted cash reserves while avoiding difficult negotiations with providers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Folwell froze premiums for most members and often blamed hospitals and other health care players for rising costs. The health plan is ending the Clear Pricing Project, which pegged reimbursement rates to hospitals that joined the plan to Medicare payments plus a markup. State Health Plan members pay nothing for visits to a CPP primary care or behavioral health provider. He also pushed back on claims that unreimbursed COVID-19 expenses were a main cause of the plans financial troubles, saying that while there are tens of millions of dollars owed to the plan by the legislature, the plan faces a multi-billion dollar problem that would require premium hikes even if all those funds were recovered. Folwell clashed with lawmakers on these unreimbursed COVID-19 expenses. Briner said his three-pronged approach to fixing the plan included $150 million in new state funding, negotiated cost reductions from providers, and premium increases from members. We know you dont like that, and we dont like it either, he said. But thats the only way to finish filling this hole. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new salary tiers and the premiums for active employees are as follows: Standard PPO Plan Under $50,000 : $35 (subscriber only), $185 (subscriber + child(ren)), $575 (subscriber + spouse), $575 (subscriber + family) $50,001$65,000: $50, $200, $590, $590 $65,001$90,000: $65, $215, $605, $605 $90,001+: $80, $230, $620, $620 Plus PPO Plan Under $50,000: $66 (subscriber only), $276 (subscriber + child), $746 (subscriber + spouse), $746 (subscriber + family) $50,001$65,000: $94, $304, $774, $774 $65,001$90,000 : $122, $332, $802, $802 $90,001+: $160, $370, $840, $840 Pushback on the increases in premiums Public employees as well as organizations representing them have denounced the premium increases, citing larger trends of rising prices and tight budgets. The average state employee salary is $62,997. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, before the vote, they spoke out again. Watkins of SEANC said the deficit was not a new problem, noting North Carolina was found to be No. 1 most expensive state for healthcare in this country for health care costs. A often-cited Forbes study found North Carolina to be the most expensive state for health care in the country. I know Treasurer Briner, this is something that yall feel strongly is unavoidable to increase premiums on state employees and some retirees. I dont think its unavoidable. I think it could have absolutely been avoided. I think it should have been avoided, she said, adding that the absolute, abject and gross power of the corporate health care machine is unchecked in this country and out of control in this state. Watkins said the hikes target people who arent getting a raise and may not get one at all, given the lack of a final budget. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raising health care premiums is a pay cut, said Bryan Proffitt, vice president of the North Carolina Association of Educators. This boards responsibility is not to balance those challenges on the backs of the people who work with our kids every single day. Charles Owens, a health care technician at the states Cherry Hospital, said employees already face low wages, short staffing and endure physical, mental and verbal abuse while caring for vulnerable and sometimes dangerous patients. With the minuscule raise increases, the exorbitant increases in our health care costs, along with this diminished coverage that Aetna provides, we cant acquire or keep competent and reliable staff, he said, noting many work 12- to 16-hour days to keep units open. Owens who is the vice president of the chapter of UE Local 150, NC Public Service Workers Union, at Cherry Hospital cited reports on North Carolina being the best state for businesses while ranking worst for health care worker protections, saying the planned deductible, copay and premium hikes make that statement true, the truest thing Ive heard in a long time. Theres no longer a budget crisis here. While premiums are going up, Briner has announced new measures to help lower costs for members. In 2026, a preferred provider program will begin, offering the lowest copay for visits to providers committed to improving access to high-quality, affordable health care, he said in a video this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plan will also offer certain nonemergency surgeries at no cost for about 550,000 active members through a partnership with Lantern, a specialty care platform. The benefit, set to begin in October, will cover roughly 1,500 procedures. Members may still choose providers outside the program, but these services will not be free. Briner told The News & Observer in late July that the boards first priority is stabilizing the plans 2026 finances. Beyond that, he said, the focus is on long-term sustainability by injecting competition and working toward transparent pricing. The surgical program is the first step in that effort and is expected to save the plan money, as previously reported by The N&O. Other changes coming down the pipeline include the states pharmacy benefit manager contract currently held by CVS Caremark going out to bid later this year, said Tom Friedman, the plans administrator. The plan also aims to enhance maternity care. With over 60% of our membership being female, we need to do better to create opportunities for better maternity care. North Carolina is not doing the best in terms of infant mortality. We can do a better job, Friedman said Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friedman also noted that under the SHP, members can cover their daughters, but if a daughter became pregnant, the delivery of the child would not be covered. He called that a vestige of an older time and said the plan is working with the legislature to remove that law. The chief economist for the plan, Emma Turner, gave a financial update, saying, we see a much more positive situation than weve seen previously. But she noted that the plan is keeping tabs on medical claims, as they have come in well above what was expected. She said the plan is on track to end 2025 to end with $800 million in reserves, noting this is in part due to the funding provided by the General Assembly in a mini-budget bill that has been signed into law. With the changes that have been made, theres no longer a budget crisis here. It is resolved, and we can move forward with reserves that are appropriate for the needs, she said. The State Health Plan provides coverage to nearly 750,000 teachers, state employees, retirees and their dependents. Aetna administers the State Health Plan for the state. YANCEY COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Next month marks a year since Hurricane Helene tore through North Carolina. On Thursday, Queen City News went with North Carolina Department of Transportation officials through Yancey County one of the hardest hit areas to see the progress that has been made and the work that still must be done. If you go across this road and you take a left, thats Bald Mountain Road, said Tyler Shelton, an NCDOT county maintenance engineer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The recovery and rebuilding have been a long, continuous road. If you didnt experience it, you didnt see videos, you would have never known, said Shelton of the progress thats being made to rebuild. Theyre getting there. We actually installed a causeway and a temporary bridge, said Shelton, driving through Yancey County. For Shelton, the work is personal. I have family in this area, yes, my great-grandfathers store is or was further down 19 west, said Shelton. Was its a word that delineates everything in Yancey County. What was here before Hurricane Helene, and what was destroyed by the storm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Where the vans are parked, where were standing, where cars are driving across, it was gone, said Shelton. Hes the county maintenance engineer for NCDOT. I had my moments, but really just progress, just keep working, said Shelton. And there was plenty of work to be done. Temporary bridges that didnt even exist before Hurricane Helene were built out of rail cars. The DOT had to build about 15 of those in Yancey County just so people could get around. In the seven-county division, which includes Yancey, 93 bridges needed to be replaced because of Helene. Permanent repairs to bridges and roads arent expected to be completed for another two years. When its all said and done, thats expected to cost $2.5 billion for the seven-county region alone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scope of this has not been seen in North Carolina before, said Chris Deyton, Deputy Division Engineer for NCDOT. Shelton will be right there every step of the way. Its kind of inspiring, said Shelton of the work and the progress that has been made. Hes also grateful for all the help theyve received on the journey, which continues. 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. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) More than 4,000 people have signed the petition demanding an independent investigation into Kern Countys Child Protective Services. The petition calls for a thorough and independent investigation into CPS in Kern County to find gaps in their practices, following the abuse and murder of 8-year-old Genesis Mata allegedly by the hands of her own father and stepmother. The petition on Change.org was launched on Aug. 5 by Josefina Villarreal, who said her 2-year-old nephew died from a fentanyl overdose while under his fathers care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The petition had around 1,000 signatures on Tuesday. The count stands at over 4,600 as of Friday afternoon. A grand jury report in April found Kern Countys CPS lacked funding and staffing, despite the overflowing volume of caseloads. According to the report, abuse and neglect reports have increased from 2023 to 2024, but the CPS budget is too low to handle them properly. Timeline: Criminal history of Ray Mata Jr., Genesis father The head of Kerns Department of Human Services is requesting an external review of the countys child welfare services, according to the Kern County Board of Supervisors agenda released on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Lito Morillo, the departments director, DHS has contracted with an organization back in 2006 to conduct an external review and develop a plan to improve service delivery. If approved, this latest proposal would allow DHS to seek a contract with an organization again to reevaluate their current strategies, which have been in place since their last external review. The board is expected to approve the proposal at its scheduled meeting on Aug. 19. To access the petition, 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 KGET 17 News. Britain is today less energy secure than ever before. UK energy production has declined by 67pc over the past two decades. That means we have gone from a position of being a net exporter of energy, creating jobs and tax in this country to importing around half of our energy. British bill-payers are creating jobs and tax revenue in other countries instead. Last year marked a record low for UK energy production despite there being decades worth of oil and gas left in the country and the Government dishing out billions in subsidies to wind and solar developers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How has this been allowed to happen? The answer is simple: policies from Labour and Conservative governments have been driven by the ideological pursuit of net zero to the detriment of energy security and ordinary taxpayers. Policies like the Energy Profits Levy, also known as the windfall tax, have driven investors away from Britain and towards friendlier environments in the US, Brazil and Norway. Government policy over several decades has deterred the industry from investing in this country and so has widened the gap between our energy demand and production. Our natural gas import dependency is 50pc and by 2030 it is forecast to be 70pc or more. UK oil production has declined by 42pc and our gas production is down by 21pc since 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Things are getting far worse. The bureaucrats in Whitehall have decided that it is preferable to shut down domestic production and rely on foreign imports, assuming that this will inspire other countries to take stronger action on climate. Would it make sense as a country for us to get rid of the British Army in the hope of inspiring world peace? Of course not. It simply makes no sense not to utilise what we have in this country. The rest of the world isnt listening to UK politicians moralistic crowing about decarbonisation either. From 1990 to 2024, the UKs emissions declined by 50pc, while globally emissions have increased by more than 60pc. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are now in a bizarre position where we shut down UK oil and gas fields and then import billions of pounds worth of liquefied shale gas from the US. Over the last few years, one third of UK households were heated by American gas imports. Britains oil and gas industry has been the beating heart of our national security for decades. You dont need to look far to find case studies demonstrating the perilous position that Ed Miliband and the Tories have put this vital sector in. Harbour Energy has cut jobs, Apache has said it will quit the North Sea by 2030 and Chevron has headed for the door as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A recent High Court judgment exemplifies the issue this country faces where the policy and legal environment work against the UKs national interest. The Gryphon is a floating production vessel in the North Sea which processes 1pc to 2pc of UK oil production and up to 1pc of UK gas production. The vessel was certified for safe production until the end of 2027, and the five fields which feed it have around nine million barrels of oil and gas remaining. The value of this oil and gas is around $300m (221m), which if produced would have delivered 150m in tax to HMRC. The vessel employs hundreds of people and is a key part of our energy security. The French-owned operator, TotalEnergies, with the approval of the oil and gas regulator, decided that they wanted to decommission the vessel despite there being economically viable amounts of oil and gas remaining in the fields. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nobel Upstream, one of the fields joint venture partners, took the regulator to court, on the simple premise that the remaining oil and gas was economically viable and should be extracted. It is a legal requirement of the regulator to ensure that the UK maximises the economic recovery of oil and gas. As of this week, a judge in the High Court concluded that the volume of oil and gas remaining was relatively modest and that the regulator reflected the materiality of net zero in its decision making. These fields will now be shut off permanently, leaving tax revenue and opportunities for workers stranded under the sea. How many other fields which could generate 150m in tax and secure 200 jobs are now at risk from High Court decisions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I hope that Nobel Upstream appeals this illogical High Court decision, but Reform UKs response would be very simple: if oil or gas would be economically viable to extract, it will be extracted. Reform UK has already met with British oil and gas firms to tell them to get applications ready for a Reform UK victory at the next general election. We will grant these applications on an urgent basis. Richard Tice is a Reform MP for Boston and Skegness and the partys energy spokesman 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. Welcome back to World Brief, where were looking at Israeli calls for Gazas population to move elsewhere, Europes strategy to end the Russia-Ukraine war, and missing details in the U.S. State Departments human rights report. Sign up to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday. Sign up to receive World Brief in your inbox every weekday. Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Enter your email Sign Up Loading... Signed Up Allowed to Exit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel would allow Gazans to voluntary leave the besieged territory as Israel prepares to expand its military operations in Gaza City. Netanyahu told local media late Tuesday that Palestinians would not be pushed out but rather allowed to exit Gaza as Israel seeks to reassert its control over the territory and destroy Hamas. All those who are concerned for the Palestinians and say they want to help the Palestinians should open their gates and stop lecturing us, the Israeli leader said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Where these civilians might go, though, remains unclear. Sources familiar with ongoing negotiations told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Israel is in talks with South Sudan about potentially resettling Palestinians there. Similar proposals have been floated with other governments, including those of Indonesia, Libya, Somalia, Somaliland, Sudan, and Uganda. In February, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a video to Truth Social supporting such a displacement scheme, which he framed as a real estate opportunity to transform Gaza into the Riviera of the Middle East. Relocating Palestinians to South Sudan, though, would just move civilians from one war-ravaged place to another. Last month, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global initiative considered to be the worlds leading authority on hunger, warned that the worst-case scenario of Famine is now occurring in Gaza. That same authority concluded in 2017 and 2020 that South Sudan was facing faminetwo of the four instances of IPC-recognized famine this century. Notably, the other two countries on that list are also potential Gaza relocation sites: Somalia and Sudan. However, foreign leaders and rights experts warn that a Gaza-wide displacement scheme could violate international law and have vast humanitarian consequences that Palestinians fear would be akin to a repeat of the Nakba (or catastrophe), when around 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from the region in 1948 to make way for the creation of an Israeli state. Egypt, in particular, has stressed that any effort to transfer Palestinians out of Gaza could spark a surge of refugees fleeing into its own territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, Hamas negotiators met with Egyptian officials in Cairo to discuss how best to stop the war and deliver aid to Gaza. While there, they explored the possibility of a comprehensive cease-fire deal that would see Hamas relinquish governing power and concede its weaponssomething that a United Nations conference on the two-state solution pushed for last month as conditions of a peace deal. Hamas is open to all ideas if Israel ends its offensive and pulls out of Gaza, a Hamas official told Reuters. However, laying down arms before the occupation is dismissed is impossible, the official added. Israeli authorities have suggested that Israel plans to begin taking total control of Gaza City in October, though expanded operations in the city have already begun. On Wednesday, Israeli bombardments in Gaza City killed at least 123 people in just 24 hours. Todays Most Read The Next Israel-Iran War Is Coming by Trita Parsi The Risks of the Trump-Putin Summit by John Haltiwanger Americas Military Runs on Chinese Rare Earths by Christina Lu What Were Following Europes wartime strategy. European leaders expressed optimism after concluding an emergency virtual meeting on Wednesday that was aimed at coordinating a unified U.S. and European strategy for ending the Russia-Ukraine war. There is hope for movement; there is hope for peace in Ukraine, said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who called the meeting ahead of Trumps upcoming summit in Alaska on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Merz said that Trump had agreed to five principles for his talks with Putin, including keeping Ukraine at the table for follow-up meetings and refusing to discuss peace terms, such as land swaps, before a cease-fire is in place. Europe had previously warned against keeping Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from the negotiating table or attempting to force Kyiv to accept unfavorable peace terms. Territorial issues relating to Ukraine will only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday. He echoed European hopes that Trump will be able to secure a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelensky in a neutral country, preferably in Europe. And he encouraged Washington to continue applying leverage, such as sanctions, on Moscow to help end the war. Yet even Trump appears uncertain about whether Fridays meeting will deliver a concrete solution. On Wednesday, the U.S. president acknowledged that he is unable to stop Russia from targeting Ukrainian civilians, having failed to do so through previous conversations with Putin. However, he stressed that he would hold a second meeting if the first one goes OK and if he receives the answers he wants. Trump did not specify what those answers might be. Missing rights warnings. The U.S. State Department released its annual report on Tuesday analyzing nearly 200 countries human rights records. But the biggest findings appear not to be what was included but, rather, what was left out. Key criticisms of rights abuses in El Salvador, Hungary, Israel, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates that were present in prior years reports were notably scaled back or absent from the months-delayed report. Many references to violations of LGBTQ and womens rights in several countries were also missing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new report reflects Trumps political agenda. El Salvador, for instance, has worked closely with the White House to accept and imprison hundreds of immigrants deported from the United States. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a close ally of Trumps who has pursued illiberal policies that many Trump-allied U.S. conservatives aim to emulate. And Saudi Arabia and the UAE have bolstered their financial ties with the U.S. governmentand with the Trump family. Tuesdays report also included new allegations of rights violations by countries that have raised Trumps personal ire. The State Department accused Brazil of violating the free speech of conservative groups, particularly against far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of leading a coup attempt in 2022 after losing that years election. The report also expressed concern over South Africas land redistribution policy, which aims to address decades of apartheid, but which Trump has claimed discriminates against white Afrikaners. Both Brazil and South Africa are among the countries facing the highest U.S. tariffs. The report comes months after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismantled the departments main offices overseeing democracy, human rights, and labor issues. U.S. naval involvement. The Pentagon deployed two U.S. warships to the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday, just days after a Chinese coast guard ship trailing a Philippine vessel collided with another Chinese warship crossing their path. Washington had denounced Beijings actions at the time as a threat to Indo-Pacific security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both China and the Philippines claim sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal and other areas of the South China Sea. Such confrontations are common, including the use of water cannons and rammings. With tensions always high in the South China Sea, there is a serious possibility for a deadly collision between the two sides that could spiral, FPs James Palmer writes in this weeks China Brief. By deploying the USS Higgins, a guided missile destroyer, and USS Cincinnati, a littoral combat ship, to the region, Washington aims to counter what it perceives as Chinese aggression and cement its commitment to supporting Manila. The Philippines is the oldest Asian treaty ally of the United States. Odds and Ends Its a ruff time to be a dog in New Delhi. On Monday, Indias Supreme Court ruled that current practices intended to care for the citys stray pup population are inadequate and that within the next eight weeks, all strays must be permanently detained in shelters. Judges argued that the canines are dangerous, citing several mauling attacks in recent years. But dog lovers maintain that the court is barking up the wrong tree, saying such actions will only hurt the capitals roughly 1 million furry friends. NATIONAL AFFAIRS: For Netanyahu, the calculation is now straightforward: win the war quickly, and the rest will sort itself out. In March 2024, with the US presidential race heating up and just five months after the October 7 massacre, Donald Trump delivered blunt advice to Israel: end the war quickly or risk bleeding away global support. You have to finish up your war. To finish it up. You gotta get it done, the presumptive Republican nominee told Israel Hayom, in an interview published the same day the Biden administration declined to veto a UN resolution calling for a Gaza ceasefire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel has to be very careful, because youre losing a lot of the world, youre losing a lot of support, you have to finish up, you have to get the job done. And you have to get on to peace, to get on to a normal life for Israel, and for everybody else. This week, somewhat belatedly, Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu at two press conferences, one with the local media and one with the foreign press, and in an interview with i24 sounded like he had taken Trumps words to heart. Ending the war to prevent further deterioration of Israels international standing, he explained, was one reason the government last week green-lighted a major military campaign to dismantle the remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the central Gaza refugee camps. Only by doing this, Netanyahu argued, will the war finally end. And when the war ends, so, too, will the bleeding of support for the Jewish state just as Trump warned back in March 2024. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to international media on the Gaza war, in Jerusalem, August 10, 2025 (credit: CHAIM TZACH/GPO) The problem for Israel is that in the 17 months since Trump issued that warning, its global standing has eroded at an accelerating pace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the immediate aftermath of October 7, much of the world rallied to Israels side, recognizing its right to defend itself after Hamass atrocities. But as the war dragged on and the images from Gaza grew more harrowing, sympathy began to evaporate, and it became clear that while the world might pay lip service to Israels right to defend itself, the minute the Jewish state starts to exercise that right, the condemnations begin. Over recent months, especially after Hamass successful campaign to depict Israel as intentionally starving Gazans, the countrys isolation has become increasingly palpable. The words Israel and pariah state now regularly appear together with unsettling frequency in statements, speeches, and op-eds. How Hamas's campaign turned Israel into a pariah state The International Court of Justices advisory opinion in July 2024 declared Israels occupation of Palestinian territories unlawful and said its policies violate international law prohibiting racial segregation and apartheid. This was followed by the International Criminal Courts issuance of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, and by a nonbinding UN General Assembly vote in September 2024 to impose sanctions on Israel if it does not withdraw from the territories within a year. While not binding, the resolution carries symbolic weight another brick in the wall aimed at isolating Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then there are the allies France, Britain, Canada, and Australia announcing they intend to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN in September. Australias Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Netanyahu this week of being in denial about the suffering in Gaza; the very next day New Zealands Prime Minister Christopher Luxon whose country is also weighing recognition of a Palestinians state declared Netanyahu had lost the plot and called Israels attack this week on Gaza City utterly, utterly unacceptable. Economic, cultural, and social blows have accompanied the diplomatic ones. The EU is weighing whether to suspend Israels participation in its multibillion dollar research and innovation program. Norways sovereign wealth fund decided to sell off shares in 11 Israeli companies because of the serious humanitarian crisis in Gaza. And there are also nearly daily reports of Israelis being harassed abroad: kicked out of restaurants in Barcelona for speaking Hebrew one day, barred from disembarking a cruise ship on a Greek island the next. It is isolation by a thousand cuts. None are fatal on their own, but cumulatively they harm Israels ability to operate without impediment in the world. PERHAPS THE most stinging cut of late came from Germany, a country whose relationship with Israel has been bound up with the memory of the Holocaust. Last Friday, Berlin announced it would halt authorization of any exports of military equipment that could be used in Gaza, until further notice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This partial embargo does not affect Israels most critical military imports from Germany such as submarines, warships, and torpedoes but its symbolism is hard to miss. During a 2008 visit to Jerusalem, then German chancellor Angela Merkel famously declared that Germanys responsibility for Israels security was part of its raison detre (staatsrason), a phrase echoed by current Chancellor Friedrich Merz. That even Germany is now applying pressure underscores just how far Israels isolation has deepened. Asked about the German decision in his i24 interview, Netanyahus answer was telling not only for what he said, but for the context he provided. He reminded viewers that Israel and Germany have mutually beneficial defense ties, something he said Berlin surely doesnt forget. While Israel has purchased advanced naval platforms from Germany, including submarines and medium-sized warships, in September 2023 Germany signed a $4 billion deal to purchase Israels Arrow 3 long-range defense system. According to some reports, it is also interested in buying the Arrow 4, now in the final stages of development. They are under pressure, Netanyahu said of the German government. As long as the war continues, you cant stop the pictures and the lies, and it will always harm you, so you need to end the war; therefore, the time has come to end the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The echo of Trumps words from a year and a half earlier was unmistakable. But there is one big difference. Trump called for the war to be ended quickly in March 2024. Had Israel done that, many of the wars major achievements which have reshaped the Middle East would not have happened: from the decimation of Hamass leadership, to the crippling of Hezbollah, to the fall of Syrias Bashar al-Assad, to the degradation of Irans nuclear and missile capabilities. We were very busy. Seven fronts, many great successes, a historic success over Iran. But thats it, now you need to finish it, not to delay, not to get lost, not to wait, he said. You need to finish it. That will help us in the hasbara [public diplomacy] war, because every day it continues that harms us. Shorten the time. Here lies the irony: the very steps Netanyahu says are needed to finish the war military operations in Gaza City and the central refugee camps are the exact steps that will almost certainly deepen Israels isolation. The German embargo was triggered precisely by the decision to go ahead with those moves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Netanyahu, however, signaled his belief that once the war ends, the wave will pass. Will victory in Gaza wash away Israel's diplomatic stains? THE PRIME MINISTER attributes much of Israels diplomatic trouble to a hostile international media. The international press, he told foreign correspondents in Jerusalem, has bought hook, line, and sinker Hamass statistics, Hamas claims, Hamas forgeries, and Hamas photographs of starving Gazan children. Of Chancellor Merz, Netanyahu said he is a good friend of Israel but one who buckled under the pressure of false TV reports and various groups inside Germany. Some, Netanyahu lamented, have chosen to forget October 7. We will not forget what happened. And we will do whatever it takes to defend our country and defend our people, defend our future. We will win the war with or without the support of others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In other words, the isolation is bad, the closing-in on pariah state status is uncomfortable, but the price for destroying Hamas is one Israel must be prepared to pay to ensure its security and its future. Nobody told the Allies in World War II not to go into Berlin and finish off the German Army. Thats what people are telling us to do, and Im not going to do it, the prime minister said. So were going to do what we need to do. And I hope that Chancellor Merz changes his policy. And you know when hell change his policy for sure? When we win. Netanyahu often touts Israels achievements on the seven fronts it has fought since October 7. But he has also conceded that on the eighth front the information war Israel is losing, and this loss is feeding the countrys isolation. I think there are vast forces that are arrayed against us; among other things, the algorithms of the social networks that are driving a lot of everything else. And people who really know, and theyre the foremost people in this field in the world theyre telling me that about 60% of the responses on social media are bots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All of this, Netanyahu said, exerts more influence than the media itself shaping both media coverage and political leaders. It is completely clear that we will have to enter the digital era to address the issue of algorithms, bots, and other means. He recounted conversations with European leaders some of them personal friends who told him, We know the facts but cannot withstand our public opinion and the media. Netanyahu said that his reply is that if they cannot withstand that pressure, they should not be leaders. We are not going to commit suicide because of your difficulties standing up to a hostile press and radical minorities, Islamists who are pressuring you. For Netanyahu, the calculation is now straightforward: win the war quickly, and the rest will sort itself out. He believes that eradicating Hamas will ultimately weaken the drivers of Israels isolation, even if the short-term costs are high. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From his perspective, the problem is one of time horizons. The critics are operating on what he sees as a narrow field of vision reacting to todays headlines while he is looking at what the region might look like five or 10 years from now after Hamas is gone, Hezbollah is weakened, and Irans nuclear ambitions are set back. In that longer view, temporary isolation is the price of strategic transformation. The challenge, as Trump warned and as Netanyahu now seems to acknowledge, is that the longer the war goes on, the harder it becomes to reverse the perception of Israel as a global outcast. This is why he now wants to end it quickly with a final push into Hamass last strongholds. Ending the war may not end the criticism, but it will at least take away much of the fuel that keeps it burning. In Netanyahus mind, victory will wash away the diplomatic stains. The problem is that to win, he must take the very steps that will deepen those stains at least in the short term. (The Center Square) The superintendent of the nation's fifth-biggest school district said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agreed to not conduct raids or arrests in schools in Las Vegas or the county surrounding it. The move comes in direct defiance of President Donald Trump, who rolled back immigration enforcement protection earlier this year for special spaces like churches and schools. In Nevada, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo recently signaled an intention to allow full ICE activity. They can do their business elsewhere in our community, but as far as theyve indicated today, not going to be doing any of their business in our schools, Clark County School District Superintendent Jhone Ebert told the Nevada Independent. They understand our job is to educate all pre-K-12 children here in Southern Nevada. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ebert added she and school district Police Chief Henry Blackeye talked to immigration enforcement officials. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice put Nevada on a list of immigration enforcement sanctuary states, as requested by Trump. Some State and local officials nevertheless continue to use their authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws, Trump wrote in an executive order earlier this year, condemning sanctuary states. Neither the DOJ or Trump administration have explained why Nevada is considered a sanctuary state. It's one of the two states on the 12-state list with a Republican governor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the latest legislative session in Nevada, the only bill passed by both chambers directly addressing ICE activity was related to schools. AB 217 would have banned schools or school employees from allowing ICE agents on school grounds, but was vetoed by Gov. Lombardo, who called it well-intentioned but fundamentally overbroad. Democrats have majorities in both houses of the Legislature but lack enough seats to override vetoes. When the DOJ list was released, Lombardo explained his stance in a post on the social media site X: "Nevada has followed all federal laws and cooperated with federal immigration authorities, and will continue to do so. Some in the Silver State see this as misplaced loyalties by the Republican governor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our children are afraid to show up to school because of ICE raids, said Assemblymember Cecelia Gonzalez, D-Las Vegas, in a post on X. As an educator myself, I wrote AB 217 to protect them. Joe Lombardo couldve stood up for our most vulnerable, but he chose Trump instead. He failed. Fear of immigration enforcement raids among students and parents in the state has been widely reported by teachers, in a school district where nearly half of the 300,000 enrolled students are Hispanic or Latino, per the Nevada Department of Education. Several arrests across the country have indicated a new reality for schools in the U.S. A father in Incline Village outside of Carson City was arrested in May by ICE agents while walking his children to school. In Trumps January statement against traditionally protected spaces against immigration enforcement, he added, Law enforcement officers should continue to use that discretion along with a healthy dose of common sense. Shortly after the president's statement, the Clark County School District reiterated its mission to allow all students into their schools. Children in Nevada are entitled to a free appropriate public education, irrespective of their immigration status. Centenarian Edward Rutherford Ted to his friends and family is spending the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, which marked the end of the Second World War, at a street party in his home town of Gateshead. In his mind, though, he will be running through memories of the conflict in the Far East theatre of war, and especially what exactly he was doing there as a 20-year-old on VJ Day, Aug 15 1945. A gunner in the Royal Navy, he was on board HMS Howe, part of the British Pacific Fleet, when Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender of Japan following the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Teds V-class battleship was berthed in Singapore, which had been captured by the Japanese in a calamitous defeat from the British in February 1942. Now he was there to see it liberated. There was, he recalls, little by way of celebration. It was all, Ted says, quite muted, due to the continuing threat [some Japanese soldiers refused to believe their leader had surrendered and were fighting on]. But there was, he concedes, a sense of relief. Centenarian Ted Rutherford is celebrating VJ Day at a street party in his home town of Gateshead Weighing heavily on everyones mind, he adds, was concern about rescuing the prisoners of war. The Japanese had taken 130,000 British and Commonwealth citizens prisoner during the conflict, including 60,000 servicemen. Of those held captive, it was later recorded that 27 per cent had died before they could be freed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another VJ veteran, Des Heath, 99, also experienced that historic day as distinctly low-key. As a 19-year-old sergeant, he was on a ship en route from Liverpool to a posting in Burma with the Military Intelligence Corps, poised to start investigating war crimes carried out there by the Japanese occupiers and their feared military police, the Kempeitai. Des Heath, 99, will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of VJ Day at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire - Heathcliff O'Malley Because the first VJ Day was such a non-event in his life, he is determined on the 80th anniversary that nothing is going to stop him even a recent minor stroke from attending the main anniversary event at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. He will be dressed in the Cyprus green beret and blazer of the Intelligence Corps as he joins the King and Queen in observing the two-minute silence for all those who served and suffered in the Far East. There are too many wars, he reflects, with a wisdom drawn from his own experience. I would like to see a situation where we dont have to settle arguments by going to war. There are more sensible ways of doing it. Des photographed at home on leave, Jan 1947 The journey to the event with his daughter, Karina, from his home in Prestbury, Cheshire, will not be easy, he admits, but he is clearly a man on a mission. He is, he says, acutely conscious that he was one of the youngest soldiers to see service on VJ Day, and that this ceremony may therefore be the final time veterans from the conflict in the Far East like him are able to gather in person. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ted echoes that sentiment, even though his poor health means he cannot make the trip. Instead, he will be watching a broadcast of it. Ted (left), in Sydney, 1944 Remarkably, after so many decades, this is the first time he has publicly shared his recollections of those long ago days with Telegraph readers through the British Legion. It clearly all remains vivid for him. Maybe I just hadnt had the opportunity before, he reflects. I think my family are proud of me, which is all that matters, really. A modest man who didnt want any fuss, he came home to the North East after the conflict had ended and worked as a slinger in the big local engineering firm, CA Parsons. Married to Margaret after his return, they were together for 67 years before her death. He still lives in the same house they shared for half-a-century. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People have called me a hero, but I dont think we ever considered ourselves as heroes. I was just happy to do a job, although sometimes, after a raid, we would look at each other and say, We were lucky today, lads! The horrors he witnessed were surely hard to talk about with those who hadnt been there. After the surrender, he was on HMS Howe as it collected those who had been held in Japanese prison camps. They were brought back to Singapore. They were skin and bone. Some of them had been there for four or five years and were in a terrible state. The death rate in Japanese camps was between seven and eight times higher than in their Nazi equivalents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People forget that the Indians were out there with us, fighting the Japanese, he adds, anxious to share any praise as widely as possible. Some of them were treated appallingly. They were in a state of hell [when we rescued them]. Ted had been working in Thompsons Red Stamp Stores when he joined up as a 17-year-old in 1942. Two years later HMS Howe was sent to the Far East. In April 1945, it provided cover for the American soldiers landing on the Japanese-controlled island of Okinawa, the largest amphibious assault in the Far East during the Second World War. The battle lasted for 83 days. Afterwards, Ted went ashore and witnessed a scene of such carnage that it has stayed with me for the last 80 years. I saw the mass graves of US soldiers, hundreds of them, and the stench was unbearable. It was really upsetting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another image firmly fixed in his minds eye is May 8 1945, when the defeat of Nazi Germany was celebrated in Europe on VE Day. We heard it over the radio on the ship. They were reporting dancing in the streets back home [while] we were being attacked by suicide bombers in Japan. Two of our ships were hit. Like Ted, Des is reluctant to dwell on the horrors that he saw while working on the war-crimes investigation in Burma in the wake of the Japanese surrender. It was really horrible, he says simply, people were tortured for no reason at all. Des on a posting in Burma with the Military Intelligence Corps His role was to gather evidence and eye-witness accounts to enable successful war crime prosecutions of Japanese killings in Burma in court in newly liberated Singapore. One of the Kempeitais methods of instilling terror in local communities was to bayonet babies to death. His original plan, he remembers, had been to join the RAF and pilot a Spitfire, but he was persuaded because he could speak schoolboy French to sign up for the Military Intelligence unit. They told me they paid expenses and the RAF didnt, he jokes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was posted first to India, then to Burma. The British forces in the Far East, the Fourteenth Army, are often referred to as the Forgotten Army but Des feels he and his comrades got an even rougher deal. I was in the Twelfth Army, which was an Indian army. Unlike the Fourteenth, it wasnt the forgotten army. It was the never-heard-of army. His war crimes work was based in the city of Bassein, now called Pathein in modern-day Myanmar. He would wear civilian clothing, he recalls, because the local population didnt trust anyone in uniform. With the help of a translator though he quickly became proficient in Burmese he was able to persuade them to show him sites where atrocities had taken place and agree to give first-hand testimony in court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They had had relatives and friends shot and tortured. We dug up the bodies and got the offenders sent to Singapore to be tried. One Kempeitai mayor I dealt with got 40 years. He only just missed the death sentence because it had been abolished shortly before. Des on board the Caledonia His work attracted praise from Lord Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander of the South East Asia Theatre, who oversaw the recapture of Burma. Despite all the inhumanity he witnessed, he holds no lasting grudge against the Japanese people. What we saw made us dislike the war criminals, but a lot of the Japanese army was quite civilised. I found people in the jungle, Japanese deserters who had married Burmese girls. They were lovely people, which is why they had deserted. Once he got back home in 1948, after Burma became independent, he went on to study agricultural science and spent his career thereafter working in south-east Asia, returning to Burma regularly. While a soldier there, he had one day shared a railway waiting room with Aung San, the Burmese independence leader and his two-year-old daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi, 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, whom he bounced on his lap. I gave her Huntley & Palmers biscuits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others had only nightmarish memories of Burma, he acknowledges. He recalls meeting some of the surviving prisoners-of-war freed there after the surrender whose numbers included those who had worked on the notorious Death Railway, later the basis for the 1957 epic, The Bridge on the River Kwai. They had all been so badly treated. If you got ill, they didnt treat you. There was no food, no medicine. Some 12,000 Allied soldiers died while doing forced labour for the Japanese on the railway, along with 90,000 civilians. Des on his time investigating war crimes in Burma: It was really horrible, people were tortured for no reason at all - Heathcliff O'Malley Among his colleagues in the Military Intelligence Corps, their work unearthing appalling crimes took a terrible toll. Because of all the things he had been through, a sergeant I knew was losing his mind. I tried to get him to hospital but before I could he shot himself. I found him slumped on his seat. The bullet went through his head. Owen Filer, at 105 the oldest living man in Wales, is another to have seen first-hand those who emerged from the torture of Japanese occupation of Burma. Posted with the Military Police in 1945 on the border that separates Burma and India, Japanese-controlled territory and the British Empire, he watched as Chindits, special operatives of the British and Indian armies, were dropped by gliders over the border into the Burmese jungle to disrupt the Japanese supply lines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They returned looking like ghosts, he says, if they returned at all. The bodies came back but their minds didnt. Theyd had no map, didnt know where the hell they were, and the jungle in Burma was awful. Good men were sacrificed there. Churchill had made up his mind that we were going to take back Singapore and that started from India. Owen Filer, 105: The bodies came back but their minds didnt - Jeff Gilbert Twice-a-widower but dapper and sprightly in his trilby, Owen retired from his job on the railways in 1983. He still goes out everyday in Cwmbran in South Wales on his walker to the local shops while his son, Barry, 77, lives just round the corner. He too recalls news trickling through to those service personnel on the India-Burma border after atomic bombs had been dropped in early August 1945. We knew that they had dropped a big bomb that killed thousands of people in one go, but that was all. And before VJ Day came along, Owen was on his way home, granted compassionate leave because his father had died. On this 80th anniversary, though, like Des, he is determined to be there at the National Memorial Arboretum, in his red cap of the Military Police. He confesses that he sometimes wonders why he is still here when he saw so many colleagues lose their lives at a young age, but that thought is strengthening his resolve to be there on Friday. He will be among a 30-strong group of veterans who are coming with the British Legion and pay a personal and public tribute to those who died to honour the sacrifice they made for all of us. Additional reporting by Simon de Bruxelles Owen Filer and Des Heath will be among veterans attending as guests of honour at the Royal British Legions Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum this Friday marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, to be attended by Their Majesties The King and Queen. Ted Rutherford, like many others across the nation, will be watching the live broadcast on BBC One from 11.30am. 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. The final resting place for Newark Liberty International Airport's Gate A17 sign will be in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The sign was preserved by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey when Newark's old Terminal A closed in 2023. The sign will live on as a memorial for Flight 93, the United Airlines flight that departed from Newark's Gate A17 on Sept. 11, 2001 en route to San Francisco before it was hijacked and crashed in a Pennsylvania field, killing all 44 people on board. After the new Terminal A opened, the sign was carefully removed and stored by Port Authority officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It will be on display at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, under the auspices of the National Park Service. The sign was handed off to the National Park Service from the Port Authority during a ceremony that took place at Newark Airport on Aug. 15. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: United Flight 93 gate sign sent to Shanksville 9/11 memorial Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took several years, working across the aisle with Democrats and liberal-leaning nonprofits, to create an independent "citizens" commission to end decades of partisan disputes over gerrymandered congressional districts. On Thursday, Gavin Newsom held an expletive-laced hyper-partisan rally declaring that he planned to torch the independent commission effort in a few short months to "liberate" California and the country from President Trumps policies and counter Texas mid-decade redistricting effort. "Today is Liberation Day in the state of California," Newsom proclaimed in downtown Los Angeles. "Donald Trump, you have poked the bear, and we will punch back." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Weve got to recognize the cards that have been dealt. Weve got to meet fire with fire," added Newsom, leaning into his self-appointed role as leader of the Trump resistance while urging other Democratic-led states to join in the gerrymandering cause. Before Newsoms remarks, Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions and a former San Diego assemblywoman, warmed up the small crowd in attendance. "If they want to cheat, we will fight back," Gonzalez said, before dropping three f-bombs urging voters to show "disobedience" to Trump and "fight with everything we have." "You have more in common with an undocumented farm worker than the fucking billionaires who are causing this [immigration] mess," she shouted while standing behind a podium placard, "Election Rigging Response Act." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Adam Schiff, who led the impeachment drive against Trump during the presidents first term, was standing in the front row of the rally to the left and behind Newsom. Schiff, who is facing new allegations that he illegally leaked classified information to the media to undermine Trumps first term, once again accused Trump of posing a threat to democracy. "And we have come to learn, much to our shock and astonishment, that this thing we call democracy is fragile, and now we are on the precipice of another great threat to our democracy," he warned. Schiff then concluded his remarks with the Trumpian phrase, "Thank you for your attention to this matter." SEIU California President David Huerta, who was detained for allegedly blocking ICE vans during a protest earlier this year, called Trumps One, Big Beautiful Bill a "pile of shit" and choked up when describing the ICE arrests across California and the other states. Newsom chose to hold the event at the Democracy Center at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. Outside, armed border agents in tactical gear arrived in a show of force, taking at least two people into custody whom the agents said were in the country illegally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Its pretty sick and pathetic," Newsom said of the border patrols arrests outside the event, accusing Trump of ordering the operation to intimidate Democrats. "It tells you everything you need to know about the authoritarian tendencies of the president of the United States." "Wake up America," Newsom warned. "You will not have a country if he rigs this election." The term-limited California governor, who is likely eyeing a 2028 presidential run, then offered details of his plan to do some rigging of his own. Newsom pressed the Democratic super-majority-controlled legislature in Sacramento to respond to a redistricting effort in Texas aimed at giving Republicans five more seats by redrawing the maps to eliminate five to six Republican congressional seats in California. Doing so would require California lawmakers to rewrite their own laws that currently prohibit a mid-decade effort to redraw the maps. Doing so would take a two-thirds majority vote, which Newsom said hes confident he could attain. Under California law, the legislature then would need to approve a special election Nov. 4 to allow for voters to consider a ballot initiative to approve the gerrymandered maps. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If successful, the California effort would theoretically blunt Trumps plan to hold onto a majority in the House of Representatives, preventing an almost certain impeachment redux if Democrats were to take control. Texas Democratic lawmakers have fled the state to avoid approving their new Republican-drawn maps but have said they cant hold out forever and may return this weekend under fines and threats from Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Meanwhile, GOP-controlled state legislatures in Florida and Missouri have signaled a willingness to adjust their own lines to produce more Republican House seats if California counters Texas move. In the days leading up to Thursdays rally, Newsoms press office trolled Trump in several all-caps X.com posts mimicking and mocking the presidents boastful style. "DEMOCRATS WILL DESTROY ABBOTTS TOTALLY RIGGED MAPS. TREMENDOUS WORK IS BEING DONE," the office posted on X.com. "DONALD TRUMP (THE CRIMINAL PRESIDENT) GET READY FOR THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PAYBACK YOUVE EVER SEEN!!! COULD BE THE WORST DAY OF YOUR LIFE AS YOUR PRESIDENCY ENDS (DEMS RETAKE CONGRESS!). AMERICA WILL BE LIBERATED - LIBERATION DAY MANY ARE CALLING IT!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! -GCN." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taking questions in the Oval Office Thursday before heading to a meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump dismissed Newsoms redistricting counter-punch. Los Angeles, he said, "wouldnt be in existence today," if he hadnt called in the California National Guard and Marines to quell protests against immigration arrests and deportations. The trolling sparked a strong rebuke from White House communications director Steven Cheung, who called Newsom "a vile piece of shit" and accused him of "calling for something worse" after the near-miss assassination attempt on Trump just over a year ago. Izzy Gardon, one of Newsoms top press aides, then took a personal shot at Cheung. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Youre the vile POS, Big Boy," Gardon posted. "Just look in the mirror." Cheung fired back a little too quickly when he accused Newsom of being a "coward and a beta cuck" that was "too chicken shit to take questions from the press" after giving an "incoherent speech." "Hell never be ready for prime time," Cheung remarked. The governors press office then labeled Cheung an "idiot" for speaking too soon, noting that Newsom answered nine question from reporters after the rally. The days drama didnt end there. Republican California Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez filed an ethics complaint against the governor with the states Fair Political Practices Commission, accusing Newsom of misusing taxpayer funds to launch a campaign supporting the redistricting ballot initiative. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State law bars taxpayer-funded campaign-related activity. "Californians work hard for every dollar they earn, and they expect their tax dollars to fund essential services, not political campaigns," Sanchez said in a statement. "Governor Newsoms decision to use public funds to stage a political rally is an abuse of power and a betrayal of the public trust. "This isnt leadership, its a power trip on the publics dime. Our state faces real challenges, skyrocketing costs of living, rising crime, and a housing crisis. Instead of addressing these issues, the Governor is misusing public resources for personal political gain." Newsoms office countered that the rally was in support of a "legislative package" - "something very much in line with the governors official duties." A Newsom spokesman directed KCRA 3, a Sacramento television station, to a press release stating that the governor announced three pieces of legislation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Newsom, during his roughly 15 minutes of remarks, never mentioned those three measures. Instead, Newsom concluded his comments by pressing voters to support the ballot initiative in a special election that would costs taxpayers an estimated $200 million or more. "Most importantly, were counting on all of you on Nov. 4 to be there for each other to win this election and stand up for democracy," he implored. The FPPC has an estimated two weeks to respond to Sanchezs complaint. Susan Crabtree is RealClearPolitics' national political correspondent. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) criticized U.S. Border Patrol as sick and pathetic after armed agents made a show of force outside the governors Thursday press conference to announce retaliatory redistricting measures. It just said everything you need to know about the setting that were under, Newsom said after the event. That they chose the time, manner, and place to send their district director outside right when were about to have this press conference. He added, Its everything we know about Donald Trumps America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Border Patrol agents made one arrest in the area near the presser, located at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. Gregory Bovino, the local Border Patrol chief, denied there was any other motive for the agencys presence downtown. Breaking the law is not coincidental. Breaking the law is breaking the law, he told local reporters. At the news conference, Newsom formally announced he would seek a ballot measure to temporarily bypass the states independent redistricting commission in favor of a partisan map meant to counter any GOP redistricting measures in Texas. The California governor, widely seen as a 2028 presidential hopeful, has sought to fashion himself as a policy foil to President Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On style, however, Newsom has more recently taken a leaf out of Trumps playbook. BORDER PATROL HAS SHOWED UP AT OUR BIG BEAUTIFUL PRESS CONFERENCE! WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED! his press office wrote on social platform X in response to the agents. Redistricting battles have sprung up across the U.S. after Texas Democrats fled the Lone Star State to delay passage of a new Congressional map that would give Republicans at least five more House seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. Democratic states, including Illinois and New York, have also threatened to fight back with their own mid-decade redistricting plans. 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. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has called on the prime minister to allow him to appoint peers to the House of Lords. In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, Farage said he wanted "the democratic disparity" in the upper chamber to be addressed, suggesting it was unfair that parties with fewer MPs were represented. Reform has four MPs in the House of Commons and controls 10 councils in England, but currently has no peers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Political appointments to the Lords are made at the discretion of the prime minister. A Downing Street spokesperson said: "The process for appointments to the House of Lords follows established conventions and is guided by advice from the House of Lords Appointments Commission and other relevant bodies. "While political parties may make representations regarding peerage nominations, decisions are made in line with long-standing procedures." The House of Lords is a part of Parliament. It scrutinises the work of government and is independent from the House of Commons, where MPs sit. Members of the Lords are called peers. Like MPs, they scrutinise the work of government and recommend changes to proposed legislation. There are currently more than 800. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his letter, Farage said: "My party received over 4.1 million votes at the general election in July 2024. We have since won a large number of seats in local government, led the national opinion polls for many months and won the only by-election of this Parliament." Farage added that he was in favour of reforming the Lords, but that "the time has come to address the democratic disparity that exists in the upper house". He noted that the Green Party, Plaid Cymru and Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) have 13 peers between them. He also pointed out that the Liberal Democrats have 76 peers, despite winning fewer votes than Reform at the previous election. The Lib Dems currently hold 72 seats in the Commons, making them the third largest party after Labour and the Conservatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "None of this holds water any longer given the seismic shifts that have taken place in British politics," Farage said. Farage said his request to appoint peers was "modest", but did not outline who he would nominate if given the opportunity to do so. In May, Reform made sweeping gains in local elections, as well as winning the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by just six votes. That success led Farage to claim that Reform UK was now the main opposition party. The prime minister is under no constitutional obligation to elevate members of opposition parties, but will often ask opposition leaders to nominate individuals for peerage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In December, Sir Keir appointed 30 new Labour peers, including his former chief of staff Sue Gray. The Conservatives appointed six new peers, while the Liberal Democrats appointed two. Last year, MPs backed plans to get rid of hereditary peers from the House of Lords. [BBC] Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond. With Pennsylvania lawmakers failing to allocate additional mass transit funding Thursday night, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will begin raising fares and cutting service, including a rail line to New Jersey. SEPTA officials announced Friday the agency was moving forward with a two-phase plan that begins 20% bus, regional rail, trolley and subway service reductions on Aug. 24. A 21% fare increase would take effect on Sept. 1. Agency officials said state lawmakers are still negotiating a state budget and funding for SEPTA is still on the table. If additional funding is approved, service cuts and fare hikes would be reversed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The service reduction plan closes a $213 million budget gap by axing five commuter rail lines, including the Trenton line, 50 bus routes, closing 66 stations, and shutting down metro and commuter rail service at 9 a.m. SEPTAs plans include scaling back Trenton Line service from hourly train service to one train every two hours during the midday period and on weekends. Some peak and evening service will be eliminated. In January 2026, plans call for all Trenton Line service and four other regional rail routes that run on tracks owned by Amtrak to be eliminated, along with 18 bus routes and a 45% reduction in remaining service. The remaining rail lines would close at 9 p.m. The Trenton line has the third highest ridership on SEPTA commuter rail. And plans also call for eliminating the line with the highest ridership, the Paoli-Thorndale line and the Wilmington-Newark, Delaware line, SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch said in an earlier interview. The Trenton line ridership is 7,399 on an average weekday, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The five Regional Rail lines that would be eliminated run fully or partially on Amtrak territory, which is why they were selected, Busch said. By cutting these lines, SEPTA would save $65 million annually in lease payments to Amtrak. Of the eight remaining lines that operate on SEPTAs tracks, including West Trenton, there would be significant cuts to trips, he said. Similar to mass transit systems across the nation that saw the end of federal COVID-19 aid this year, officials were faced with dismantling the SEPTA system without additional state funding. If this scenario sounds familiar, it is the doomsday cycle of service cuts and falling ridership that officials and transit advocates feared would happen to NJ Transit without a dedicated source of funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Phil Murphy averted a forecast $766 million fiscal cliff in 2024 by enacting the corporate transit fee on about 600 corporations in the state that make at least $10 million a year in profits. That fee put a 2.5% tax on all earnings for five years, which fund NJ Transits operating budget and eliminated the fiscal cliff. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X@CommutingLarry and on BlueSky@commutinglarry.bsky.social The number of no-fault evictions has surged under Labour as landlords rush to free up properties ahead of rent reforms that will ban the practice. So-called Section 21 evictions enforced by bailiffs rose by 8pc in the 12 months since Sir Keir Starmer was handed the keys to Downing Street, new figures show. Section 21 notices allow landlords to force renters out during their tenancy without needing a specified reason. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It comes after Rushanara Ali, the Governments homelessness minister, was forced to resign after it was revealed she evicted tenants at her London property before increasing the rent. There were 11,402 repossessions by county court bailiffs following a Section 21 notice in the year to June, up from 10,576 from the previous 12 months, according to Ministry of Justice figures. The notices are served on tenants by landlords to begin the process of regaining possession of a property despite their shorthold tenancy not having expired. Under Labours Renters Rights Bill, landlords will need to apply for a hearing before they can evict a tenant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the same period, there were 30,729 uses of fast-track evictions. These are available to landlords when a tenant has not left the property by a specified date. This was a slight drop from 32,103 in the preceding 12 months. A spokesman for the National Residential Landlord Association said: It is concerning that the number of bailiff repossessions relating to no-fault proceedings is increasing at a time when claims, orders warrants, and overall repossessions are decreasing year on year according to the Ministry of Justices latest statistics. This illustrates that, even after receiving a court order to leave a property, tenants are opting to wait until they are removed by a bailiff. This is not in the interest of households or landlords, all of whom will have to endure additional stress and costs associated with evictions. Last week Ms Ali quit her role as homelessness minister amid claims she gave tenants at a property she owned in east London four months notice to leave before relisting the property with a 700 rent increase within weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms Alis house was put up for sale while the tenants were living there, and it was only relisted as a rental because it had not sold, according to the i newspaper. Rushanara Ali MP relisted her property with a 700 rent increase within weeks of evicting her tenants - Matthew Lloyd/Bloomberg Her actions went against Labours flagship Renters Rights Bill, which is in the final stages of becoming law, and introduces stronger protections for tenants. Once the law comes in, landlords who evict their tenants in order to sell their property will be banned from relisting it as a rental for six months. Instead, buy-to-let owners will only be able to evict for a very limited number of reasons, using a Section 8 notice, which requires a court hearing. The bill will also introduce a 12-month protected period from eviction at the start of a tenancy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mairi MacRae, from homelessness charity Shelter, said: It is unconscionable that more than a year after the Government came to power, thousands of renters continue to be marched out of their homes by bailiffs because of an unfair policy that the Government said would be scrapped immediately. A government spokesman said: No one should live in fear of a Section 21 eviction and these new figures show exactly why we will abolish them through our Renters Rights Bill, which is a manifesto commitment and legislative priority for this Government. Were determined to level the playing field by providing tenants with greater security, rights and protections in their homes and our landmark reforms will be implemented swiftly after the Bill becomes law. 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. Aug. 14WESSINGTON SPRINGS, S.D. No foul play is suspected in a fire that claimed two lives in a March fire in Wessington Springs according to South Dakota state officials. According to the South Dakota Attorney General's office, the investigation into the March 27 house fire in Wessington Springs that killed Michial Brodkorb, 51, and Tiffany Knipfer, 45 determined no foul play is suspected. Brodkorb was an assistant fire chief with the Wessington Springs Volunteer Fire Department and Knipfer was his partner. However, the exact cause of the fire remains undetermined, according to the South Dakota State Fire Marshal's Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Due to the intensity and duration of the fire destroying and consuming physical evidence, the ignition source causing the fire could not be accurately/scientifically determined," read the incident summary report sent to the Mitchell Republic on Thursday upon a records request. The fire broke out Thursday night, March 27 at 208 2nd Street NW in Wessington Springs and the two bodies were recovered the following day. Shortly after the fire, the Wessington Springs Volunteer Fire Department issued a statement following the death of Brodkorb, who had served with the department since 2010. "We lost one of the best," the post read. "Anyone that knew Michial knows that he gave 110% to the fire department. His selfless service did not go unnoticed, as he would always volunteer to help with any community function or project." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to his role as assistant fire chief, he was also the president of the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 14 in Wessington Springs, where he had been a member for five years. Knipfer was remembered by community members as a valued employee at the local nursing home with an upbeat personality and a talented cook. "Tiffany was fun and bubbly, with a contagious laugh and smile. She was also an exemplary employee. Tiffany worked at the Manor for the past 10 years, starting out in housekeeping and then serving as a cook for the past five years. She was a great cook," said Nikki VonEye, administrator at Weskota Manor Avera. Angola is shifting its energy strategy toward natural gas as oil production stagnates, despite its exit from OPEC. Azule Energy, a BP-Eni joint venture, recently made a significant discovery at the Gajajeira-01 well, estimated to hold over one trillion cubic feet of gas and 100 million barrels of condensate. CEO Adriano Mongini said a second exploration well could be drilled within two years, with nearby infrastructure supporting development. The Government projects gas output to rise by more than 20% in five years, fuelled by projects such as Chevrons Sanha Lean gas initiative and the Azule-led New Gas Consortium, which will launch the Quiluma and Maboqueiro fields by late 2025. The push aims to boost exports to Europe and Asia, while supporting Angolas industrialization agenda through favourable investment terms. Natural gas exports rose 19.1% in the second quarter to 1.35 million metric tons, with India and Spain as key buyers, though revenues remain far below the \$5.6 billion generated from crude sales. Angola expects \$60 billion in oil and gas investments over the next five years, targeting 23 exploration wells, including 11 offshore. While recent projects like Azules Agogo FPSO and TotalEnergies capacity boost have temporarily lifted oil output, analysts warn production will drop to just above one million barrels a day by 2027 and decline further post-2030 unless investment is sustained. Gas, however, is seen as the countrys long-term growth engine, with officials eyeing it as a litmus test for monetising Angolas vast untapped reserves. Aug. 15Whether perfectly poised or jumping around and bleating at the top of their lungs, 4-H and FFA youth competitors all agree their goats are pretty cute. But just being cute doesn't cut it judge Karly Hanson said she's looking for knowledgeable competitors with confidence when watching youth in the showmanship ring. Dairy goats and meat goats have different criteria for judging, and competitors need to know how to properly show off each animal. "For dairy goats, you want something that has good udder, good teat placement, really refined in their bone work and has a maternal body shape," Hanson said. "For meat goats, you want something that stands really square, has some depth of body, has some muscle shape to them and just a balanced and proportional look from the side." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo on Aug. 14, grand champion in senior showmanship went to Brynn Mason, 17, a 4-H member who has been showing goats since she was 9. Holding back tears, Mason described the journey she's been on raising goats. Her winning goat LaLayla Jasmine (also called "Jazzy"), is the kid of her original show goat Layla. "When I retired her, it was her last kidding I had two boys that died and two girls that lived in that litter. It was a hard labor, a really traumatic night for me and for the doe," Mason said. "But I got a really special goat out of it. Jazzy is my first goat that really loves to be shown, and I think she likes it more than I do. She just gets out there and she does her thing." Jazzy is also the highest quality goat she's shown. She said that means a lot to her, because she's been there at every step of the process: breeding her mother, choosing the buck and providing the best nutrition possible. Although aspects of animal husbandry can be hard, getting to know individual personalities is very fun, Mason said. If she doesn't choose a career in agriculture, she says she will continue to breed goats as a hobby for the rest of her life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I love that dedication. I love how bonded you get to them. They get so excited when I open the back door in the morning, they all start screaming at me," Mason said. During the showmanship competitions, Hanson had competitors switch goats with each other for another walk around the ring. It's one way to see how competitors adjust to showing a new animal, but also if they can correctly choose which part of the dairy or meat goat to display to the judge. Switching animals in the showring is something that 13-year-old James Newton said he hadn't seen before, as he held his goat and prepared to go into the ring. It's important to keep their legs straight and their head up, he said. Goats can be a little squirrely sometimes, but a good showman knows how to get everything back on track. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newton said it's fun to raise goats they're cute and like to jump and run around a lot as babies. Although he has taken pigs to market, he hasn't taken any of the goats. "You can only do market for one, but also, we have had these goats for a long time, so I just don't want to take them," he said. For junior showmanship, Hanson gave grand champion to 13-year-old Naomi Brist. "There's no doubt in my mind, that young lady wins this class pretty dang easy for me," Hanson said. "She's very intense, very confident and she presents goats very well. When I asked the kids about their projects, she was probably the most detailed." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Naomi Brist celebrated alongside younger brother Garrett Brist, 11, who got third place in the competition. "Nutmeg was doing awesome," she said. "This is my first year with her as my showmanship goat, because I've had the same goat for the past six years. Having a new one that will probably replace the old one is awesome." Garrett said he was a little nervous showing Hershey at this year's fair, it was the goat's second year and his fourth year in the ring. But, he was happy with their performance. Raising Nigerian Dwarf goats, sisters Gwendolyn, 13, and Magdolyn Russell, 15, said showing the particular breed is different than others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We show only these for breed, because they're not as well behaved for showmanship and you really haven't had a lot of time to work with them. But it's really to show their confirmation and bone structure," Gwendolyn Russell said. Magdoyln Russell got into raising goats at age 8. "I went to the fair and their goats were so sweet and cute. So I was like, 'Oh, I want a goat.' And then 2020 came around, and we didn't really have much to do, so we got bottle babies. I just like them because they're funny and they're all unique," Magdoyln Russell said. Whether it's goats, steers or sheep judging livestock at the Northwest Montana Fair was a real homecoming for Hanson. Raised in the Flathead, she showed sheep for 10 years in the Trade Center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's the first hometown competition she's judged since going off to college and starting her career. "Of all the shows I could ever judge, this is going to be the biggest one for me, just because I get to give back to the kids and the community that I grew up in. Getting to judge here is really special, I have my mom and grandma here watching all week," she said. Reporter Taylor Inman may be reached at 758-4440 or tinman@dailyinterlake.com. Naomi and Garrett Brist won grand champion and third place, respectively, in the junior division of the goat show at the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo Thursday, Aug. 14. (kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brody Fairchild, Rosella Groschupf, Garrett Brist and Naomi Brist show their goats at the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo Thursday, Aug. 14. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) The Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo goat show on Thursday, Aug. 14. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) Brynn Mason with Jazzy prior to being named grand champion in the senior division of the goat show at the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo Thursday, Aug. 14. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) Competitors in the junior novice goat show at the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo Thursday, Aug. 14. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) The judge approaches during the senior division of the goat show at the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo Thursday, Aug. 14. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot) Maiduguri, Nigeria Sometimes, it feels to Zara Ali as though her daughter was born already sick in the womb. On a recent weekday, the 30-year-old mother clutched the ill toddler in her lap as she sat outside a government hospital in Maiduguri, the capital of northeast Nigerias Borno State. The two had just finished yet another doctors appointment in hopes of curing the child. Although cranky as any other sick two-year-old, it is Aminas hair brownish and seemingly bald in several spots thats a visible sign of the malnourishment doctors had previously diagnosed. Yet, despite months of treatment with a protein-heavy, ready-to-eat paste, Ali says progress has been slow, and her daughter might require more hospital visits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She gets sick, gets a little better, and then falls ill again, she said, frustrated. Already, Ali and her family have had to move homes several times because of the Boko Haram conflict. They were displaced from Damboa town, about 89km (55 miles) away, and now live in Maiduguri as displaced persons. Adding to her woes is the reduced access to care in recent months as several aid clinics she visits for free treatment have begun to scale back operations, or in some cases, completely shut their services. Honestly, their interventions were really helpful, and we need them to come back and help our children, Ali said. Amina is only one of some five million children across northeast and northwest Nigeria suffering from malnourishment in what experts have called the regions most severe food crisis in years. The troubled northeast region has, for a decade and a half, been in the throes of a conflict waged by the armed group Boko Haram, and prolonged insecurity has disrupted food supplies. In the northwest, bandit groups are causing similar upheavals, resulting in a hunger crisis that state governments are struggling to contain. Compounding the problem this year are the massive, brutal funding cuts roiling aid organisations, which have often stepped in to help by providing food assistance to the 2.3 million displaced northeast Nigerians. Many of those organisations were dependent on funds from the United States, which, since February, has reduced contributions to aid programmes globally by about 75 percent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations food aid agency and the worlds largest provider of food assistance, was forced to shut down more than half of all its nutrition clinics across the northeast in August, Emmanuel Bigenimana, who leads northeast Nigeria operations, told Al Jazeera from the agencys site in Maiduguri. Some 300,000 children are cut off from needed nutrition supplements, he said. Already, in July, WFP doled out its last reserves of grains for displaced adults and families, Bigenimana added, standing by a row of half-empty tent warehouses. A few men removed grain sacks from the tents and loaded them onto trucks bound for neighbouring Chad, a country also caught in complex crises. For Nigeria, he said, which is in the lean season before harvest, there was no more food. Men load a WFP food truck in Maiduguri, Nigeria [Sani Adamu/Al Jazeera] Insecurity fuels food crisis Northeast Nigeria should be a food basket for the country, due to its fertile, savannah vegetation suitable for cultivating nuts and grains. However, since the Boko Haram conflict broke out, the food supply has dwindled. Climate shocks in the increasingly arid region have added to the problems. Boko Haram aims to control the territory and has been active since 2011. The groups operations are mainly in Borno, neighbouring states in the northeast, and across the border in Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. It gained global notoriety in 2014 for the kidnapping of female students in Chibok. Internal fractures and Nigerias military response have reduced the groups capacity in recent years, but it still controls some territory, and a breakaway faction is affiliated with ISIL (ISIS). More than 35,000 people have been killed in attacks by the group, and more than 2 million are displaced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the insecurity, families in the region, particularly outside the urban metropolis of Maiduguri, survived on subsistence farming, tilling plots of land, and selling surplus harvest. These days, that is hardly an option. The military has hunkered down in garrisoned towns since 2019 to avoid troop losses. It is hard to find cultivating space amid the trenches and security barriers constructed in such places, security analyst Kabir Adamu of intelligence firm Beacon Consulting, told Al Jazeera. Those who venture outside the towns risk being targeted by armed fighters. In rural areas not under army control, Boko Haram operates as a sort of government, exploiting villagers to generate money. The armed actors collect taxes from them to use land for farming, Adamu said, adding that for rural farmers, those taxes often prove heavy on the pockets. In more unlucky scenarios, farmers have been killed if they were believed to be military informants. In January, 40 farmers were executed in the town of Baga. Fishermen have similarly been targeted. The vicious cycle has repeated itself for years, and the compounding effect is the current food crisis, experts say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just 45 minutes from Maiduguri, in Konduga town, farmer Mustapha Modu, 55, tilled the earth in anticipation of rainfall on a cool weekday. He had just returned from a short journey to Maiduguri, braving the risky highways to buy seedlings in hopes of a good season. Even as Modu planted, he worried that harvest might be impossible. There are widespread fears that Boko Haram fighters often lie in wait and then pounce on farmers to seize harvests. At one time, he said, his family of three wives and 17 children depended on handouts, but those hardly reached Konduga any more, so he had to do something. Its been a long time since we saw them in our village, Modu said of food aid distributors. Thats why I managed to go and get some seedlings, even though the insurgents are still on our neck. Modu Muhammad, a farmer, works on a farm in Konduga, outside Maiduguri [Sani Adamu/Al Jazeera] Aid cuts risk more violence The UN and its agencies were the focus of aid cuts from Washington in April, leading to the WFP receiving zero aid from the US this year, Bigenimana said. Like the US, other donors such as the European Union and the United Kingdom have also cut back on aid, instead diverting money to security as tensions remain high over Russias war in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency catered to some 1.3 million displaced people and others in hard-to-reach areas, fringe locations accessible only by helicopter. For children, the agency ran several nutrition clinics and supported government hospitals with ready-to-use food, a protein mixture made mostly of groundnut, which can rapidly stabilise a malnourished child. Funding cuts caused the WFP to begin rationing supplies in recent months. In July, resources in Nigeria were completely emptied. At least $130m is required for the agency to speedily get back on track with its operations here, Bigenimana said. Extended lack of support, he said, could push more people into danger. People are attempting to go and get firewood to sell outside the secure points, the official said. Even when we delay distribution on normal days, people protest. So we are expecting that, and it could get violent. Multiple other NGOs across the region were also hit by the Trump aid cuts. They not only provided food aid or nutrition treatment, but also medical services, and crucial vaccines children need in the first years of life to guard against infectious diseases like measles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Analysts like Adamu, however, criticise aid groups for what he said is their failure to create a system where people dont rely on food aid. In Borno, the state government has, since 2021, gradually shut down camps for internally displaced people and resettled some in their communities. The aim, the government argues, is to reduce dependency and restore dignity. However, the move faces widespread backlash as aid agencies and rights organisations point out that some areas are still unsafe, and that displaced people simply move to other camps. They should have supported the government on security reforms for the state, Adamu argued. That, he said, would have been a more sustainable way of empowering people and would have eased the food crisis. Mourners attend the funeral of 43 farm workers in Zabarmari, about 20km from Maiduguri, after they were killed by Boko Haram fighters in rice fields near the village of Koshobe in November 2020 [File: Audu Marte/AFP] Rain time, sick time For now, the food crisis looks set to continue, and children in particular appear to be bearing the brunt, especially as heavy rains arrive. Muhammad Bashir Abdullahi, an officer with medical aid group Doctors without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, told Al Jazeera that more malnourished children are being admitted to the organisations nutrition facility in Maiduguri since early August. It is possible, he said, that the shuttered services in other organisations were contributing to the higher numbers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We used to admit 200 children weekly, but last week we admitted up to 400 children, Abdullahi said. MSF, which is not dependent on US aid, has recorded more than 6,000 malnourished children in its Maiduguri nutrition centre since January. Typically, children receive the protein paste, or in acute cases, a special milk solution. Abdullahi said more children are likely to be admitted in the coming weeks. Back at the government hospital where Ali was seeking treatment for her daughter, another woman stopped outside the clinic with her children, twin baby boys. One of them was sick, the mother, 33-year-old Fatima Muhammad, complained, and is suffering from a swollen head. This is the third hospital she was visiting, as two other facilities managed by NGOs were overwhelmed. Unfortunately, her son had not been accepting the protein paste, a sign that medical experts say signals acute malnutrition. His brother is sitting and crawling already, but he still cannot sit, Muhammad said, her face squeezed in a frown. She blamed herself for not eating enough during her pregnancy, although she hardly had a choice. I think thats what affected them. I just need help for my son, nothing more. The UK's largest bioethanol plant will begin closing down operations on Monday, after the government decided not to offer the sector a rescue package. Hull-based Vivergo Fuels, owned by Associated British Foods, told the BBC the first redundancies would take effect on Tuesday. AB Foods and Ensus, which owns the UK's second large bioethanol plant in Redcar on Teesside, had both previously warned that without government support they would be forced to close, after a deal to allow US ethanol to be imported tariff-free. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government said it had worked closely with the companies since June, but had decided it was not "in the national interest" to provide them with taxpayer funds. The US-UK trade pact, agreed in May, removed a 19% tariff on ethanol imported from the US up to a quota of 1.4bn litres. That is approximately equivalent to the current size of the UK market and the firms claim the trade agreement had made their businesses "commercially unviable". AB Foods said it had been in talks with the government over the last few months and had presented a plan to return the firm to profitability. "In making this decision, the government has thrown away billions in potential growth in the Humber, a sovereign capability in clean fuels that had the chance to lead the world." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It said jobs in clean energy would now move overseas. "This plant should always have been profitable under the right regulatory environment, as similar plants in western Europe demonstrate," the firm said. German-owned Ensus has also been approached for comment. The two plants employ 270 people, but their closure could affect thousands more in the supply chain. A government spokesperson said after working with the companies over weeks to understand "the financial challenges they have faced over the past decade", the government had taken the difficult decision not to offer direct funding "as it would not provide value for the taxpayer or solve the long-term problems the industry faces". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government said it recognised this was a "difficult time for the workers and their families" and said it would work with trade unions, local partners and the companies to support those affected. GMB union national officer Charlotte Brumpton-Childs said the trade deal was costing working people their livelihoods. "They're not numbers in a spreadsheet. These are lives put on hold and communities potentially devastated," she said. The government was also falling short on building a green energy strategy, she said. "A clean energy industrial strategy means nothing if we cannot protects plants long enough to deliver clean energy jobs here in the UK." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bioethanol is a fuel made from wheat, other grains or sugar beet. The US has provided subsidies and tax credits to corn farmers in midwestern states such as Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska, helping to hold down the price of its ethanol. In the UK bioethanol is added to fuels such as E10 petrol. But sources within the sector said that government delays over the migration to petrol with higher bioethanol content had hurt the industry. The government has previously said that by 2030 it wants 10% of all fuel used in planes to come from sustainable sources, one of which is bioethanol. The bioethanol industry buys thousands of tonnes of wheat from UK farms, and Ensus also produces 30% of the UK's commercial carbon dioxide used in soft drinks, medical and nuclear industries. The government said it would continue to work on measures to ensure the resilience of the CO2 supply chain. With additional reporting from Olivia Hutchinson Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged she would nominate President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize if he is the architect behind a specific peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, at around 3 p.m. ET. While Trump told reporters earlier on Air Force One that he was not meeting to broker an agreement on behalf of Ukraine, he said he hoped to bring Putin to the negotiating table. The meeting comes as Trump earlier this week had promised very severe consequences on Russia if Putin does not agree to stop the war. When asked if he meant sanctions or tariffs, Trump responded: I dont have to say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the president had already set last Friday as a deadline for the United States to impose new sanctions on Moscow unless Putin began negotiations. In coming to a deal, one of the biggest obstacles that has emerged is the possibility of territory swaps, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly stood against. During an appearance on the Raging Moderates podcast, Fox News host Jessica Tarlov asked Clinton on Friday to outline what she viewed as an acceptable deal, or if she would travel to Alaska in the first place. While Clinton said she would not be, she added that the focus should be on persuading Trump that he gains nothing by capitulating to Putin. She went on to say that she knows how much Trump would like to be recognized with a Nobel for his peacemaker efforts. Clinton said that it could be a possibility if Trump could bring about the end to the war in which Putin is the aggressor invading a neighbor country, trying to change the borders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If he could end it without putting Ukraine in a position where it had to concede its territory to the aggressor, had to in a way validate Putins vision of greater Russia, but instead, could really stand up to Putin. Its something we havent seen, but maybe this is the opportunity to make it clear that there must be a ceasefire. There will be no exchange of territory. And that over a period of time, Putin should be actually withdrawing from the territory he seized in order to demonstrate his good faith efforts, let us say, not to threaten European security, Clinton said. Look, if we could pull that off, if President Trump were the architect of that, Id nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize because my goal here is not allow capitulation to Putin, aided and abetted by the United States, she continued. If Donald Trump negotiates an end to Putin's war on Ukraine without Ukraine having to cede territory, I'll nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize myself. https://t.co/SYXKhhLqkS Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 15, 2025 Clinton said that she could dream about a long-standing deal on her stated conditions. And Im dreaming that for whatever combination of reason, including the elusive Nobel Peace Prize, President Trump may actually stand up to Putin on behalf of not just Ukraine and its democracy and its very brave people, but frankly, on behalf of our own security and interests, Clinton said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has suggested that his meeting with Putin will be aimed at setting the stage for a next one with Zelenskyy, which he hopes will occur shortly after the first, according to POLITICO. Russia and Ukraine, meanwhile, still are not close to reaching a deal. Some of Trumps closest allies have already floated him for a Nobel Peace Prize. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Trump that he would nominate him for the award when the two leaders met at the White House in July. He has also been recognized by a group of U.S. House Republicans and two Norwegian lawmakers. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) Norman is the latest city to push back against changes to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Starting November 1st, troopers will no longer patrol the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro areas and focus on rural areas. This week, the Norman City Council passed a resolution expressing opposition to the decision. ITEM-Attachment-001-f98d8caabe86406ba76cbdf6a8188b0eDownload The mayor says Midwest City and Del City both passed similar resolutions, and that he was inspired to do the same. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City councilmembers say that Norman was blindsided by the decision. It would have been nice if they reached out to us beforehand and we could have come up with some kind of plan, but they didnt, said Scott Dixon, Ward 8 councilmember Dixon adds that the police department doesnt have the staff or equipment to take on the responsibility of patrolling the interstate highway system. Were already 100%, we use city police officers to patrol state highway nine and state highway 77, we dont have the manpower, we dont have the resources to also take on I-35, said Dixon. LOCAL: Oklahomas Senators invited to a town hall hosted by Indivisible Oklahoma Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The resolution also states the citys budget was finalized before DPSs decision, meaning theres no money to pay for extra patrols. I mean, to be completely frank, I dont know that we would have been able to find the money to increase that budget if we would have known about it in May or June anyways, said Dixon. Mayor David Holt in Oklahoma City has also been vocal against these changes. The proposal is to withdraw one of the most important services that the state government provides to two-thirds of the population of the state. There is no remedy for that, said Mayor Holt. Oklahomas Attorney General is expected to weigh in on the legality of this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LOCAL: Moore Public Schools superintendent breaks down OKs low rank in education The opinions of the Attorney General have the force of law, so whatever it is that he ultimately says. But, you know, our reading of the statute has been all along that this is not even legal, said Mayor Holt. News 4 reached out to the Attorney Generals office to see when the opinion is expected to be done, and they said soon, but did not have an exact timeline. We also asked DPS if they have any new comments regarding the resolutions; however, we did not hear back. During Julys news conference, DPS said the main reason for these changes is to ensure 24/7 patrols, even in rural areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 post North Carolina A&T makes $30 million move appeared first on ClutchPoints. North Carolina A&T is making a $30 million move as it prepares for record enrollment this fall, per a statement released by the institution. The institution announced on Wednesday that it has completed $30 million in suite and residence hall improvements, just days before the start of the 2025-2026 school year. Students come to our exponential university for a rich and rigorous academic experience. Providing a comfortable, modern living environment underscores the significant role it plays in student success, said Chancellor James R. Martin II in the statement. The investments weve made over the past year in our residence halls and apartments reflect our commitment, and Im looking forward to students experiencing those improvements as they return to campus this weekend for the start of the new year next week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the upgrades are improvements to the physical environment, including cleaning and servicing 1,508 HVAC units, completing mold remediation in 20 dormitory rooms, and finishing 60 significant trade projects in plumbing, electrical, locksmithing, roofing, and general construction. North Carolina A&T also used technological advancements, such as drone inspections, to identify buildings and outdoor areas in need of cosmetic repairs and pressure washing. These investments were made as North Carolina A&T created a new category called Student Satisfaction Improvements, dedicating $250,000 to the campaign to address student requests, which included installing video game systems and upgrading student lounges. The institution also enhanced internet connections and computers in its six residence halls and expanded Wi-Fi access in 42 apartments on North Carolina A&Ts main Greensboro campus. The academic environment also received upgrades, with 1,538 computers in student labs being updated, along with technology in 46 smart classrooms and validated technology in another 208 classrooms. The upgrades come as North Carolina A&T prepares to enroll 15,000 students in the fall of 2025, maintaining its position as the largest HBCU by student population. The Greensboro campus will house 50% of the universitys undergraduate population, which, per North Carolina A&Ts statement, is double the percentage of the average public institution nationwide. Related: Washington Commanders sign ex-Chiefs DB with 179 tackles Related: HBCU president charged with DUI in July Former Special Assistant Attorney General Pat Monson, left, and Ethics Commission Executive Director Rebecca Binstock speak to the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee about unsettled financial questions related to a building deal deal pursued by former Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem's Office. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) A career attorney who assisted in an Ethics Commission investigation told lawmakers that she thinks the Attorney Generals Office is pressuring the commissions staff to resign. I believe that what our attorney general is attempting to do is to drive them out, Pat Monson, who recently retired after 46 years as a trial attorney, said Thursday. If that happens, it is the states loss. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Monson appeared before the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee to talk about a recent Ethics Commission investigation report related to a building leased by the Attorney Generals Office. The report focused on Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck, a partial owner of the building who was found in violation of state ethics laws for voting on bills that included funds for the property. During her testimony, Monson responded to previous allegations by the Attorney Generals Office that the report is riddled with errors. There is nothing contained in our report that is based on speculation, innuendo, falsehoods or anything that this commission made up to support its findings, she said. Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Chief Deputy Attorney General Claire Ness were not available for comment, a spokesperson for the agency said Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Attorney Generals Office and the Ethics Commission have been at odds since this years legislative session. In February, the agency told lawmakers that the commission would infringe on the state constitution if it tried to penalize officials who violate ethics laws. The Ethics Commission says the constitution grants it this authority. Since then, both sides have openly accused one another of unprofessionalism multiple times. Tensions reached new heights after the North Dakota Ethics Commission in June published its report on Dockter. In the report, the commission said a lack of cooperation from the Attorney Generals Office hampered its investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wrigley has vehemently denied this claim. In a Wednesday letter to the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee, he called the notion that his agency was uncooperative baseless and said the report is full of obvious errors. He said that the commission had requested confidential documents he could not legally provide because they were part of ongoing investigations. He called on the Ethics Commission to either revise its findings or withdraw the report altogether. Wrigley also accused Executive Director Rebecca Binstock of lacking experience and professionalism, and of trying to punish the Attorney Generals Office for making what he described as good faith criticisms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the Ethics Commission and their staff to now try to blame their delay and lack of diligence on this office is ironic, Wrigley said in the recent letter. Furthermore, their creation of a factually unsupported, retaliatory narrative, if left unaddressed, will chill other whistleblowers seeking to shed daylight on important irregularities in the future. Rep. Austen Schauer, R-West Fargo, called the tone of Wrigleys letter inappropriate for the state of North Dakota. Is this just the way were going to treat each other from here on? Schauer asked Monson. Pointing fingers, making accusations and being upset and angry at each other? Monson said she agreed that some of the rhetoric in the letter was uncalled for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I know ethical and experienced performance, said Monson, who serves on the North Dakota Supreme Courts Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee and previously sat on the courts disciplinary board and State Bar Association Ethics Committee. Ive worked closely for three years with the staff of this Ethics Commission, and they are highly performing individuals. Rep. Emily OBrien, vice chair of Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee, called it unfortunate that such strong language was used in conversations about the building project and the Dockter report. She said public officials should take civility seriously. Otherwise were going to continue running in circles, and its just a mudslinging pit, the Grand Forks Republican said. The Ethics Commission recently asked its chair, Cynthia Lindquist, to arrange a sit-down meeting with Wrigley to discuss ways to improve the agencies relationship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an Aug. 7 letter, Wrigley declined the invitation. He said that while he wants to meet with Lindquist, he first wants the commission to respond to previous letters sent by his office on Feb. 19 and July 3. Those letters discuss concerns the agency raised about the Ethics Commissions enforcement authority and its issues with the Dockter report. In an interview this week with Forum Communications columnist Rob Port and Chad Oban on their podcast, Plain Talk, Wrigley accused the commission of retaliating against Ness, the chief deputy attorney general, for testifying against one of the commissions bills. When asked by the podcast hosts whether he thinks Binstock and the commissions general counsel need to be fired, Wrigley said he doesnt want to get involved in the commissions staffing decisions. The Ethics Commissions report was the latest of several investigations into the south Bismarck building. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The property on Burlington Drive was selected by former Attorney General Wayne Stenehjems administration as new office space for some divisions of the agency. Wrigley, who assumed office in 2022 after Stenehjem died in office, brought the project to lawmakers attention after learning it exceeded its initial projected costs by roughly $1.7 million. In 2024, Dockter was convicted of a conflict of interest misdemeanor related to the votes he cast on bills funding the Burlington Drive property. The Ethics Commissions recent report called attention to a handful of questions it said remained unanswered regarding the buildings finances. During the Thursday Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee meeting, staff with the Attorney Generals Office said the agency had resolved all financial concerns regarding the property. Lawmakers asked the staff to prepare and present further documentation at the committees next meeting demonstrating this. North Dakota Monitor reporter Mary Steurer can be reached at msteurer@northdakotamonitor.com. NORTHAMPTON Synthetic kratom had long been on the radar for Merridith OLeary, the citys Health and Human Services commissioner. Then a Northampton parent reported to police that their child was hospitalized after using synthetic kratom bought in the city. She decided Northampton needed to do something. It was really my tipping point" OLeary said. Now the city is looking at banning the sale of synthetic kratom, a drug with opioid-like qualities which is not regulated by the state or federal governments, as well as synthetic cannabinoids. That comes on the heels of Springfield last month banning synthetic cannabis sales in the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Northampton Board of Health will hold a public hearing on the proposed regulation on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom. Exact language of proposal was not yet available online, but will be before the meeting, OLeary said. The proposed ban focuses on synthetic kratom and cannabinoids, and would not impact natural, raw kratom. OLeary said she is not yet sure how the city would regulate that substance. Natural kratom is an herbal extract from a tree that originates in Southeast Asia and contains small amounts of 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH. Synthetic kratom is a more potent form of 7-OH at a higher concentration than the raw plant. Synthetic kratom products are dangerous and unpredictable, OLeary said. They are being sold in licensed permitted stores. People have the idea that they must be safe, she said. When in fact, they are completely unregulated products that have no labeling laws and no dosage (information). While there are no current state and federal regulations of kratom, that could be changing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In late July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended that the concentrated forms of kratom be listed as a scheduled drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Proposed bills in the State House would enact regulations, including defining it as a Class A substance, the same category as opioids. Northampton Board of Health members voted to draft regulations at the groups last meeting in July. Synthetically altered cannabinoids and kratom products present an emerging threat to public health, particularly among youth and other vulnerable populations, said a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Readily available in convenience stores, vape shops, and online, often with no safeguards, these substances are frequently sold without proper labeling, dosage guidelines, or ingredient transparency, the statement said. At the July meeting, several members of the public spoke. Dr. Shelly Berkowitz, a family doctor in Northampton with experience in substance use treatment, said she was demanding a ban. Berkowitz said she knew of a mother whose adult son almost died after ingesting kratom bought legally in Northampton. I want the sale banned here to prevent other people going through what Im going through. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lora Romney, president of the International Plant and Herbal Alliance, presented to the board. She uses natural kratom for pain relief and said it changed her life for the better. She encouraged the board to distinguish between synthetic products and natural kratom. The synthetic kratom is much more potent. This is the real crisis, she said. more news from Western Massachusetts Read the original article on MassLive. HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) says following a brief round of heavy rainfall on Thursday, KYTC engineers have closed the right lane of Interstate 69 at mile marker 111 after potential ground settlement caused damage to the roadway. Officials say this location is between the Mortons Gap and Earlington exits of I-69. This same area was temporarily closed last week while KYTC crews repaired a crack at the site. However, Thursdays rainfall led to rapid deterioration, prompting the current lane closure. Highway 41 near Marywood Drive in Henderson reopens Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The KYTC says at this time, there is no estimated date for reopening the lane, but they are hoping to have a repair plan in place by the week of August 18. Work could begin as soon as a plan is developed. Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. 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 Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). WISCONSIN (WFRV) The annual Cops @ Culvers Day was a huge success throughout the state of Wisconsin, according to Police Lights of Christmas. The event, which raises money for the Police Lights of Christmas initiative, helps officers and law enforcement agencies purchase gift cards to be donated to those in need during the holiday season. Report ranks Wisconsin as the fourth-best state to live in the entire U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This years event brought in a whopping total of $157,576, much of which came from up here in northeast Wisconsin. Report ranks Wisconsin as the fourth-best state to live in the entire U.S. According to the Police Lights of Christmas Facebook post, northeast Wisconsin showed up and showed out to support, with four of the top five earning locations coming from the area: Wautoma $7,001.00 De Pere $4,745.19 Sturgeon Bay $4,362.35 Neenah $4,081.08 Manitowoc $4,000.64 Click here to learn more about Police Lights of Christmas. 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 WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. South Africa begins today, August 15, a national dialogue aimed at tackling deep-rooted challenges such as poverty, inequality, crime, corruption, and high unemployment. Initiated by President Cyril Ramaphosa after calls from Civil society, the two-day convention in Pretoria marks the start of a countrywide process involving political parties, civic groups, and the public. The move comes in the wake of the ANC losing its parliamentary majority for the first time in 2024, leading to a coalition Government. Ramaphosa described the dialogue as a people-led process to reimagine the future of the nation, more than 30 years after the end of apartheid. The Eminent Persons Group, comprising figures such as rugby captain Siya Kolisi, actor John Kani, and former judge Edwin Cameron, has been tasked with guiding the talks. However, the initiative has faced early setbacks: the Democratic Alliance withdrew in protest over the dismissal of one of its ministers, while the official opposition MK Party has refused to participate. Some civic foundations also skipped the opening, citing rushed preparations. The discussions will roll out in phases across all nine provinces, with a possible second convention next year. Criticism has also centred on the dialogues estimated \$40 million cost, with detractors questioning its value and accusing the ANC of using it as a political tool ahead of local elections. Ramaphosas office insists the figure is inflated and necessary for a nationwide process. Political analysts warn that the ruling party must resist dominating the platform if the exercise is to have legitimacy. The outcome remains uncertain, with the country watching closely to see if the process will lead to genuine reform or become another missed opportunity. Norways intelligence service has accused Russia of carrying out a cyberattack earlier this year that took control of a hydropower dam in the countrys west and opened a floodgate for four hours. The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) said the April attack targeted the Bremanger dam near the town of Svelgen, releasing 500 liters of water per second until it was detected and stopped. The dams water levels were well below flood capacity, preventing injuries or damage. The Security Service linked the April cyberattack to Moscow, marking a rare public attribution of such an incident to Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Over the past year, we have seen a change in activity from pro-Russian cyber actors," PST chief Beate Gangas said on Aug. 14, according to Reuters. "The aim of this type of operation is to influence and to cause fear and chaos among the general population. Our Russian neighbor has become more dangerous." A three-minute video watermarked with the name of a pro-Russian cybercriminal group appeared on Telegram on the day of the attack. Kripos, Norways organized crime police unit, told Aftenposten the group unites multiple actors behind cybercrimes and has been linked to previous attacks on Western businesses. Gangas also warned that "Russian intelligence services spend significant resources identifying, cultivating and recruiting contacts in Norway. Norwegian citizens could be good sources of information for them." Norway, which generates most of its electricity from hydropower, has previously warned of threats to its energy infrastructure. The country shares a 198-kilometer border with Russia, including the only open Schengen border crossing at Storskog. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Russian embassy in Oslo dismissed PSTs statements as "unfounded and politically motivated." Read also: US sanctions Russian crypto exchange over cybercrime day before Trump-Putin summit in Alaska Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. After a Mooresville family received community support during their daughters cancer treatment, they decided they wanted to share the love by helping other families in the same position. Amanda Bailey treasures outings with her daughter Wylie, especially since just three years ago, they were trapped indoors to protect the young girls weak immune system during brain cancer treatment. There were a couple of families that actually brought us dinner sometimes, and then there was another family that would get us groceries and things that we needed, Bailey told Channel 9s Erika Jackson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bailey says their kindness stuck with her through Wylies fight with medulloblastoma, so she and her husband started WylieRaes Love a nonprofit which provides personalized care packages to the families of infants and toddlers battling cancer. ALSO READ >> Always hope: Teen cancer survivor celebrates support from families, medical staff We wanted to bring the family some joy, smiles, let them know theyre not alone and that theres other people out there supporting them, she said. Akemi Smith said she treasures the package they sent to her son Khaz in Mississippi. She said it was full of toys and games to keep him occupied during his treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each package includes a personalized letter. We also include things for the parents, which isnt normal for typical care packages, Bailey said. WylieRaes Love has sent about three dozen packages in the last three years. Bailey said she hopes to double that number to help more families touched by cancer. Thats our main goal, is to bring these kids some joy and a smile during this time, she said. Bailey says Wylie is going on three years with no evidence of disease. If youd like to nominate a family to get a package from WylieRaes Love or make a donation, visit the nonprofits website. VIDEO: Carolina Strong: Mrs. North Carolina supports pediatric heart patients with nonprofit For the first time, Americans can get their seasonal flu vaccine at home. Starting Friday, eligible adults in 34 states can order the FluMist Home - a nasal spray - online ahead of the upcoming flu season, European drugmaker AstraZeneca announced, calling it a transformational moment in the evolution of influenza protection. FluMist was previously only available at pharmacies or doctors' offices. Now, interested people can go to www.FluMist.com to order the sprays, potentially saving time spent at a clinic or drug store. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once received, the vaccine should be stored in the refrigerator until it is used. Then, people between the ages of 18 and 49 years old can self-administer the vaccine. FluMist Home can be given to children and teens between the ages of two and 17 years old. A full dose is one spray in each nostril. FluMist may not prevent infection in everyone who takes it, but it works similarly to vaccines for measles and chickenpox. It contains weakened versions of viruses that trigger the immune system in the nose and throat, teaching it to build up immunity without causing infection. Dawsons Creek actor James Van Der Beek gets vaccinated with FluMist. The nasal spray is now available for Americans in 34 states to order online and take at home (Getty Images) In rare cases, FluMist may cause serious side effects, including allergic reactions. But the most common side effects are a runny or stuffy nose, a sore throat and a fever of over 100 degrees. Some people should not take FluMist, including those with severe allergies to eggs, the vaccines ingredients, or other flu vaccines, and kids who take aspirin or medicines containing aspirin. Children should also not take aspirin for four weeks after they get FluMist, unless told to do so by a healthcare provider. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The spray, which was initially approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2003 and was approved for at-home use without a healthcare professional last September, should be free for people with insurance, though there is an $8.99 shipping and processing fee. AstraZeneca said it hopes that all of the lower 48 states will have access to the spray in future flu seasons, although when that may be is unclear. The announcement comes on the heels of the worst flu season in 15 years, fueled by a cold winter, the spread of H5N1 bird flu, Covid, and other respiratory illnesses, and declining vaccine rates. Falling vaccination was a major cause of the surge, Dr. Elizabeth Mack, the head of the pediatric critical care unit at the Medical University of South Carolinas Childrens Health, told National Geographic. As influenza vaccination rates decline, especially among younger populations, this first-of-its-kind, at-home, needle-free option offers a critical opportunity to help make protection more accessible, convenient, and better aligned with the realities and current preferences of peoples lives, Dr. Ravi Jhaveri, the division head of infectious diseases at Northwestern University School of Medicine, said of FluMist Home, in a statement shared by AstraZeneca. NATCHITOCHES, La. (KTAL/KMSS) Northwestern State Universitys choirs have launched a fundraising campaign to support recruitment and performance travel for the 202526 academic year. The effort aims to raise $20,000 to cover charter bus, hotel, and food costs for performances, including the NSU Chamber Choirs October appearance at the Louisiana American Choral Directors Association state conference in New Orleans. Founded in 1987, the Chamber Choir is NSUs flagship ensemble and has earned top honors at international competitions in Italy, Hungary, and Austria. In 2024, it was the only Louisiana choir invited to perform at the ACDA Southern Region conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Donations will also help fund the choirs January 2026 recruitment tour across northeast, central, and southeast Louisiana. Apply to NSUs Music Academy: private lessons, performances, and 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 KTALnews.com. AUSTIN (KXAN) The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) opened a safety investigation into the Leander ISD school bus crash that happened on Wednesday, the federal agency announced Thursday. This is a coordinated effort with the Texas Department of Public Safety, according to the agency. The NTSB investigates significant events involving modes of transportation including railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline and commercial space, according to the agencys website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Multiple students injured in Leander ISD school bus rollover crash The investigation comes after 17 children and a bus driver were taken to the hospital after their bus rolled over in the Sandy Creek area of Travis County, according to the Texas DPS. Two children had serious injuries, according to Austin-Travis County EMS. The school bus was coming from Bagdad Elementary School on Leander ISDs first day of school and was carrying 42 children and one adult. How many crashes have happened on Nameless Road? After the crash, many concerned viewers reached out to KXAN via email and on social media to talk about road safety in the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There have been 110 crashes on Nameless Road, according to Texas Department of Transportation data, of which those crashes involved 178 people and 141 vehicles. Tanya Nguyen contributed to this report 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. Dr. Jeffrey Gold, pictured April 15, 2024, as the then-priority candidate for president of the University of Nebraska. He ascended to lead the NU system effective July 1, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN University of Nebraska President Jeffrey Gold will not keep a performance-based 15% salary bonus and will instead donate the funds to support campus programs. Gold announced the decision Friday, a day after the NU Board of Regents voted 6-2 to award him the $159,386 bonus on top of his base salary of $1.06 million. Multiple regents said the question wasnt whether Gold had earned the bonus. The metrics the regents baked into Golds employment contract after each year in office said he had. Instead, some regents said it was a question of how to pay for it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NU faces a systemwide budget deficit of $20 million, which Gold cited for declining his bonus. I am grateful for the strong support of the Board of Regents and inspired every day by our students, faculty and staff, Gold said in a Friday statement. It is an honor to be able to make this decision to support our university and the communities we serve during this critical time for higher education. Neal Schnoor, at podium, is announced as priority candidate for the next University of Nebraska at Kearney chancellor. To his right are NU President Jeffrey Gold, UNK Student Regent Sam Schroeder and Regent Paul Kenney of Amherst. April 23, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) Regent Paul Kenney of Amherst, chair of the NU Board of Regents, praised Golds decision and for a tenure that has consistently put students at the center of his leadership. We are grateful for his generosity and for the example he continues to set for our university community, Kenney said in a Friday statement. A financial bind Regents Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City and Jim Scheer of Norfolk opposed paying the bonus, both suggesting that finding an alternative funding source would be better. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scheer, a former speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, which decides how much the state funds NU, said his opposing vote was not one of disrespect for Gold, a sentiment Wilmot echoed. We are in a financial bind, Scheer said. We are continuing to have to reduce services and other things across all the campuses to rectify our budget problems. Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature John Arch, left, talks with former Speaker Jim Scheer of Norfolk. Scheer now serves on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. June 6, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) Wilmot said she has seen how much Nebraskans appreciate Gold when hes out in the community, and she said she knows he has definitely met the requirements for merit pay. However, she said, families and students will be impacted by budget cuts and tuition hikes. Part of NUs budget shortfall comes with the slowing of year-to-year increases in state funding under Gov. Jim Pillen, a former regent for 10 years before becoming governor in 2023. NU will offer a buyout program this fall for tenured NU faculty who are at least 62 years old and have 10 years of service to NU. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other NU campus leaders will need to find specific ways to save funds, such as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which is planning to cut $27.5 million by the end of the year to help close the systemwide budget hole and also close a campus-specific shortfall. Baked into the contract Regent Rob Schafer of Beatrice joined Wilmot in June to oppose NUs 2025-26 operating budget of $1.1 billion, which is composed of tuition and state dollars. He did so in part because it included a 5% tuition increase, which he said was a policy choice. However, with the boards contract with Gold, Schafer said regents had agreed to pay him X, and if he performs Y, then he also gets Z. Its baked into the contract. Its not a discretionary bonus or anything, Schafer said Thursday. From left, now-former UNL Student Regent Paul Pechous and Regents Elizabeth OConnor of Omaha and Rob Schafer of Beatrice. Oct. 5, 2023. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) Regents Elizabeth OConnor and Jack Stark, both of Omaha, said the boards hesitation to pay Golds bonus could set a bad precedent. They worried about what message it might send. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The university cannot enter into contracts, refuse to honor them and look for private entities to bail us out, OConnor said. Thats a non-starter. Faculty and staff concerns Sarah Zuckerman, an associate professor of educational administration at UNL and president of the campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors, was among those calling for Gold to donate his awarded bonus. She noted NU presidential salaries have ballooned 281% since 2012, standing as a stark contrast to faculty and staff salaries. Tenure-line faculty are increasingly replaced with contingent faculty who are paid less and have fewer academic freedom protections, Zuckerman told the Nebraska Examiner. Regent Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City, center, is flanked by Chancellor Rodney Bennett and Mike Zeleny, vice chancellor for business and finance, both at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. April 26, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) Upon learning of Golds decision not to keep his bonus and to donate it, Zuckerman said the AAUP UNL chapter is appreciative of his action but still concerned, as UNL faculty and staff have been demoralized after significant annual budget cuts while being asked to do more with less as executive compensation continues to rise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NUs operating budget for this fiscal year also included no across-the-board merit pay pool for campus staff, meaning most non-professorial employees at NU will not receive a raise. Many faculty at UNL and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, who are not unionized, also wont receive raises unless departments budget for those increases. Faculty at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and University of Nebraska at Omaha have negotiated contracts through their unions. Worth every dollar Schafer, who has served as a regent since 2013, said he has served with multiple NU presidents, but he said none had brought as much talent to the table or accomplished more to move Nebraska ahead than Gold. Regent Tim Clare of Lincoln, who has served as a regent since 2009, said he was honored to vote for the bonus as Gold has done absolutely everything weve asked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UNMC Student Regent Brock Calamari said Gold had shown he would exceed board expectations while also fulfilling a pledge to listen to and seriously consider student opinions. Gold previously served as UNMC chancellor for 10 years. Said Calamari: I think hes worth every dollar that we give him. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX WAYNE COUNTY, Iowa Homeowners in southern Iowa have been picking up the pieces after the community suffered major storm damage last week. Many Lineville residents were convinced it was a tornado that moved through. However, the National Weather Service said an aerial inspection of the aftermath shows it was caused by a significant thunderstorm. The wind was going out of every direction, every thirty seconds it switched, said resident Jay Gregory. It was weird. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gregory took refuge in his basement last Thursday morning. When he emerged, he saw damage that included sheared-off roofs, collapsed buildings, and downed trees. Homeowners in southern Iowa have been picking up the pieces after the community suffered major storm damage last week. Many residents were convinced it was a tornado that moved through. However, the National Weather Service said an aerial inspection of the aftermath shows it was caused by a significant thunderstorm. Homeowners in southern Iowa have been picking up the pieces after the community suffered major storm damage last week. Many residents were convinced it was a tornado that moved through. However, the National Weather Service said an aerial inspection of the aftermath shows it was caused by a significant thunderstorm. Homeowners in southern Iowa have been picking up the pieces after the community suffered major storm damage last week. Many residents were convinced it was a tornado that moved through. However, the National Weather Service said an aerial inspection of the aftermath shows it was caused by a significant thunderstorm. Homeowners in southern Iowa have been picking up the pieces after the community suffered major storm damage last week. Many residents were convinced it was a tornado that moved through. However, the National Weather Service said an aerial inspection of the aftermath shows it was caused by a significant thunderstorm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite what the destruction led many residents to believe, the National Weather Service has determined the storm signature was consistent with straight-line microburst winds. The rain comes out of the thunderstorms and hits the ground and then accelerates out, NWS Meteorologist Chad Hahn told WHO 13s Katie Kaplan. Damage (sic) caused by 90 miles per hour winds from straight line winds would be equivalent to tornadic winds that were 90 miles per hour, (sic) as well. So the damage is, is equal to each other with the same wind speeds. The storm moved through around 8:45 a.m., while the area was under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning. The neighboring town of Mercer in MO., was also hit. Hahn said a team from the NWS recently evaluated drone video provided by the countys Emergency Management team to scrutinize the storm track. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lineville had damage on the north end of town all the way to the grain bins that got hit in (sic) south Lineville, he added. In the middle of the destruction was the newly constructed volunteer fire station. It was left flattened in the blink of an eye, causing more than $200,00 in damage. In the aftermath, a WHO 13 crew found neighbors helping each other recover. This is what living in a small community is all about, said Gregory. It is a trend that has reportedly continued over the past week as clean-up has continued and people have donated to help the Lineville Volunteer Fire Department rebuild. The agency is accepting donations at the First Interstate Bank in Corydon, Iowa. Checks should be made out to the Building Fund Account. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Residents who live east of State Highway 179 in the Village of Oak Creek should be prepared to evacuate if the Woods Fire grows, officials with the Coconino National Forest said. However, retardant that was dropped on the fire on Aug. 13 appeared to box in the flames, which were burning about 2 miles east of the highway, according to the Sedona Fire Department. As of 4:30 p.m. Aug. 14, it was unclear if that tactic had reduced the fire's footprint. The Woods Fire started on Aug. 13, although its origin was unknown. It had scorched 55 acres as of Aug. 14, the Sedona Fire Department said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Light smoke was expected to be visible in the area which could cause hazy conditions in the Village of Oak Creek as smoke drained into Verde Valley, the Fire Department said. The tourist mecca of Sedona is north of the Village of Oak Creek and has not been threatened by the fire. Reach the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-228-7566 and follow her on social media@maryjpitzl. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Village of Oak Creek told to evacuate if Woods Fire grows larger One America News host Matt Gaetz apologized on Thursday night for his show using AI-generated fake images of women soldiers in uniform during a segment meant to highlight the increased number of female military recruits. Gaetz, the former GOP congressman who joined the MAGA network after his short-lived nomination for attorney general fell through amid renewed scrutiny over sexual misconduct allegations, brought on Defense Department spokesperson Kingsley Wilson who is no stranger to controversy herself to boast about a supposed year-over-year boost in military recruitment during a Wednesday night interview. As Wilson gushed about the soaring figures compared to the previous administration, a number of images of women in combat fatigues aired on the screen beside her. In every single instance, the photos were generated by artificial intelligence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Specifically, based on the watermarks visible in the bottom corners of the images, they were created by Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk and available on his social media platform X. (Musk, meanwhile, appears to have lost out on a massive federal contract for Grok after the chatbot went on a wild antisemtic rant and referred to itself as MechaHitler.) These numbers are fantastic, Wilson exclaimed excitedly, as the blatantly fake photos scrolled on the screen. Under the previous administration, we had about 16,000 female recruits last year; now weve got upwards of 24,000 It is a testament to Secretary Hegseth and President Trumps leadership. One America News aired several AI-generated images of women in uniform during a segment highlighting the increase in female military recruitment. (One America News) A Pentagon spokesperson told CNN later that the department had nothing to do with the images and did not provide them to the right-wing channel. The network, meanwhile, copped to using Grok to create the background footage. The images violated company policies, which have been re-enforced with all staff, an OAN spokesperson said. An on-air correction has been put in place. Management has taken additional actions to ensure the issue is appropriately addressed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, at the end of Thursday nights broadcast of his show, Gaetz issued an on-air apology for using the AI fakes during the interview with Wilson though he also tried to justify it. Were generally quite cautious about showing the faces of actual military members on air because sometimes Americas enemies use facial recognition software in very devious ways, he stated. But, we made a mistake, Gaetz continued. We used AI-generated images of female service members as part of our B-roll package, and we shouldnt have. The DOD didnt give us these images; Grok did. And well use better judgment going forward. Gaetz, meanwhile, isnt the only media figure to come under fire over his recent reliance on artificial intelligence. Matt Gaetz interviews Defense Department spokesperson Kingsley Wilson on Wednesday night. (One America News) Former CNN anchor turned independent journalist Jim Acosta faced intense backlash for his interview with an AI version of a student killed during the 2018 Parkland high school shooting, though Acosta responded to the criticism by saying he was honored to help the victims family remember their son. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NewsNation anchor Chris Cuomo was also viciously mocked last week after he fell for a deepfake video of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) supposedly showing the progressive lawmaker delivering a House floor rant about the Sydney Sweeney good jeans ad. Though he would later admit he credulously accepted the fake video as real, Cuomo would double down on his criticism of Ocasio-Cortez both online and during his primetime show. One America News appeared to be on the brink of extinction in recent years after all of its cable and satellite providers dropped it amid the networks headlong embrace of conspiracy theories and election denialism. The channels parroting of Donald Trumps baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged led to several defamation lawsuits from voting software firms and election workers, some of which the network has already settled. However, with Trump back in the White House, the little-watched channel could be poised to see a boost in its viewership. Earlier this year, Trump senior adviser Kari Lake who has been tasked with dismantling the state-funded Voice of America declared that she had reached a deal with OAN to air its newsfeed services across VOAs airwaves. Former President Barack Obama is applauding Texas Democrats for leaving their state in an attempt to block the passage of a Republican-led redistricting effort. Republican lawmakers are aiming to pass a newly redrawn congressional map of the Lone Star State that could add up to five seats in their favor ahead of the 2026 midterms. The plan, supported by President Donald Trump, has sparked a map-drawing battle across the country, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) declaring that he will move forward with his own proposal that would give Democrats an edge in picking up additional seats. Newsom on Thursday called for California voters to decide on new maps in a special election on Nov. 4. If passed, he said a proposal will only take effect if Texas successfully enacts its plan. It will then remain in place until the 2030 census, temporarily sidestepping the states independent redistricting commission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We know what Donald Trump knows, Newsom said to a crowd. Hes going to lose... Why else would he try to rig the system? In remarks first reported by ABC News, Obama had expressed support to the fleeing Democratic lawmakers in Texas through a video call, arguing that their exit comes at an important time to combat gerrymandering. We cant let a systematic assault on democracy just happen and stand by and so because of your actions, because of your courage, what youve seen is California responding, other states looking at what they can do to offset this mid-decade gerrymandering, Obama told the legislators, who were meeting in Illinois, via Zoom. Obama added that the lawmakers should return to Texas feeling invigorated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not going to be resolved right away, and its going to require, ultimately, the American people understanding the stakes and realizing that we cannot take our freedoms and our democracy for granted, Obama said. Youve helped set the tone for that, and Im grateful for it. Texas Rep. Gene Wu, the chair of the states House Democratic Caucus, said that his colleagues were especially excited to speak with Obama in a statement to ABC News. They know their racial gerrymandering scheme is falling apart, so theyre resorting to intimidation tactics, Wu told ABC News. But President Obamas support shows the whole country is watching and Texas House Democrats wont be silenced by bullies. The former president is also expected to headline a fundraiser in Marthas Vineyard later this month, which is hosted by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. Former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will also be in attendance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As more than 50 Democrats left Texas to break the Legislatures quorum during its special session, Republican leaders in the state have threatened to remove them from office and floated their arrests. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced a second session on Friday after state lawmakers finished the first one earlier in the morning. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A 23-year-old man presented with a 2-day history of painful swallowing and hoarseness. The symptoms had started immediately after he had inhaled nitrous oxide through his mouth from a hand-held canister for recreation. Credit: New England Journal of Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMicm2502232 Every party needs balloons. These just happen to be filled with laughing gas. "We don't do it that often. It's funny for about 30 seconds," said a concertgoer outside Red Rocks Amphitheatre, who was preparing to inhale nitrous oxide from a balloon before The String Cheese Incident played there in mid-July. She requested anonymity for fear of job reprisal. "There's not really that much thought to it. It's a stupid drug. The dumbest out of them all." Perched in the bed of a silver pick-up with friends in Lower South Lot 1, the 20-something woman pinched the end of the pastel blue balloon as she brought it to her lips, then inhaled until the balloon went limp. A minute or so of euphoric wooziness followed, and her voice briefly dropped in pitch due to the density of the gas. Elsewhere in the parking lot, vendorsnitrous tanks poking out of their trunkswere selling balloons in different sizes, at $10 to $30 a pop. (Vendors approached by The Denver Post at Red Rocks weren't interested in commenting.) Nitrous oxide powers whip cream canisters and sedates patients in dentists' offices, but huffing it for fun can lead to addiction, injury and death. Still, the practice is becoming more common, not just in parks and concerts, but in widely imitated viral videos. A wave of colorfully branded new nitrous products has alarmed medical professionals who see it as a public health problem that's hard to track, treat and warn againsteven as most users consider it to be harmless fun. Balloons and cannisters, known as whippets, have been a common sight for decades in concert-venue parking lots, particularly in Colorado's thriving jam-band scene at Phish, Dead and Company, Widespread Panic, and other shows. It's cheekily known as "hippie crack" because of its association with those bands, and people can buy nitrous from vendors at the unofficial marketplace of drugs, jewelry and merchandise that often accompanies these shows. The gas is perfectly legal to buy (for those over 18) when used for medical or culinary purposes, though not for recreational use. Nevertheless, it is widely available in head shops and online. But when used incorrectlyand not, for example, under the supervision of a dentistinhaling nitrous "can lead to asphyxiation and, if deprived of too much oxygen, life-threatening seizures or even death," said Shireen Banerji, director of Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Safety. In addition to the potential for brain damage, recreational users can get frostbite of the mouth and soft palate, according to a New England Journal of Medicine study that documented a severe injury involving the mouth and throat. It's a condition sometimes referred to as "lung freeze." Despite the risks, nitrous abuse appears to be growingand trendy. Between 2019 and 2023, the U.S. saw an alarming, 110% increase in deaths due to hypoxia (or oxygen deprivation to the brain) stemming from nitrous oxide abuse, according to researchers. Nitrous-related emergency room visits grew by 32% over five years, said the Drug Abuse Warning Network. The data did not include the number of visits or people affected. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health published in 2024 showed that 13 million people have tried nitrous for recreational purposes in their lifetimes, compared with 224.3 million people aged 12 and older who have tried alcohol. Notably, 2.9 million Americans 12 and older used inhalants in the past year, according to the survey. That covers nitrous oxide, but also poppers, household solvents and aerosols. The survey found that roughly 564,000 people aged 12 to 17 also used inhalants within the last year. Social media seems to be glorifying it, and posts about nitrous have racked up tens of millions of views, while the companies that sellsuch as Galaxy Gas, ExoticWhip, and Monster Gasare offering newly candy-colored branding, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which renewed warnings of nitrous abuse and addiction this year. The result is a resurgence that has burnished nitrous's longtime reputation among users as a cheap, easy highand one that has leaked out of concert parking lots and into the mainstream. Easy to get The latest FDA warnings on nitrous were prompted by "an increase in reports of adverse events after inhalation " according to a June update from the agency. That means increased risks of vitamin B12 deficiency and "related neurological and hematological effects associated with heavy use," said the National Institutes of Health. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control, the University of Mississippi, Michigan's Wayne State University and others have also expressed concern this year about the rise they've documented in nitrous addiction and attributed deaths. On Reddit, however, users casually discuss buying 35 to 50 lb. tanks of food-grade nitrous before concerts from Phish and Billy Strings, whether from Denver wholesalers such as Tanks Express and Gargamel's Kitchen, or local head shops like Purple Haze and online retailers such as Amazon, eBay and Walmart. Tanks Express, which uses images from "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" to advertise 24/7 delivery of nitrous tanks to Denver and Boulder customers on Instagram, did not respond to a request for comment. Gargamel's Kitchen owner Jacob Catanzarite agreed to an interview but did not respond to follow-up messages. Nitrous-product sales have gone up in recent months at Myxed Up Creations, said Kyle Manibusan, assistant manager at the 5800 E. Colfax Ave. head shop location. He doesn't question why people buy nitrous products there, but he does like to give "some knowledge and responsibility" before they purchase it, he said. "This product can be used for many different things, including food services," he said. "But you're an adult and you know what you're using it for." His store sells chargersor small, individual propellant canistersin boxes of 50 from brands such as Erotica and Whip-It! A metal rack along the back wall contains larger canisters from Space Gas, Euro Gas and Hippie Whippy. Even as sales have risen, Manibusan said he's been concerned by the sight of spent chargers strewn across playgrounds and parks in Aurora. His shop only sells to customers 21 and up, and he said he believes kids shouldn't go anywhere near it. Aurora city officials have said it's an under-regulated market that overlaps with the sale of illegal drugs and paraphernalia available at gas stations. As a result, they will be voting this month on whether to ban them and step up enforcement. In comparison to the rise of nitrous, the use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices among middle and high school students declined between 2023 and 2024 by 5.9%or about 1.63 million students, according to the FDAfrom a high of 7.7% (or 2.13 million). Researchers credited public awareness campaigns for that, and have expressed support for new ones that target teenage nitrous abuse. At the state level, nitrous abuse is hard to track. "This is mainly because it's quick-acting and often used as a supplemental drug alongside other substances, making it difficult to pinpoint," said Denver Health spokeswoman Deydra Bringas. She said ER-visit data for nitrous side effects is insufficient enough to share. However, Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Safety director Banjeri said anecdotal data and national reports show that the three to five calls her office receives each year "very much underestimates what's really going on, because it's respiratory and not something you treat over the phone." Concert enforcement varies Parking lot security at the city-owned Red Rocks is handled by park service employees and off-duty cops, and paid for by venue owner Denver Arts & Venues. It is not the responsibility of concert promoters, said Denver Arts & Venues spokesman Brian Kitts. Security officials at Red Rocks can occasionally be seen patrolling the parking lots before, during and after shows. But they hardly ever bust illegal drug users and vendors, concertgoers told The Denver Post. There are no reports or citations for nitrous use or sales from the Red Rocks parking lots this year, according to the Denver Police Department. However, at Phish's July 3-5 concerts at the University of Colorado's Folsom Field, security officials seized 61 nitrous oxide tanks and issued one citation related to nitrous oxide throughout the three-day series, said CU's Director of Issues Management and spokesperson Nicole Mueksch. The nitrous tanks were confiscated under a city ordinance stating that no one can knowingly inhale fumes for the purpose of causing "euphoria, excitement, exhilaration, stupefaction, or dulled senses of the nervous system"nor can they possess or buy "toxic vapors" for that reason. The spike in abuse is having a corrosive effect on the jam-band scene, said Khalil Simon, leader of the Denver street-music group Brothers of Brass, which often plays in parking lots before concerts. "When you have 20 tanks going off all around you, it's one of the few things that can cut through a 9-piece brass band with horns and drums," said Simon, the band's tuba player, who largely quit playing Phish shows due to the "out of control" takeover of nitrous vendors. "You're also trying to play for tips and everyone's spending all the cash in their pockets on these balloons," he said. Simon posted on Facebook last year that Brothers of Brass were done with Phish, despite eight years of well-received shows outside its concerts. The group began following Phish around the country in 2016starting at the band's annual Dick's Sporting Goods Park run in Commerce Cityand busking in the ad-hoc markets that popped up before shows (Shakedown Street, as they're generally known, after the Grateful Dead song). In some cases, his band would collect thousands of dollars in tips in a couple of hours, whether outside Phish weekends in New York City or along the Front Range. Over the past two years, however, nitrous vendors have muscled out nearly every other aspect of that scene, he said. "This is one of those cases where drug dealers win," he told The Denver Post. "They're being persistent for years and years and multiplying, and cops don't do anything." Commerce City Police, who handled security outside Phish's Dick's Sporting Goods Park shows, did not respond to requests for comment. 'Way worse than weed' "I know Colorado's drug-friendly, but I didn't know it would blow up like this. Kids are losing their brain cells now that it's been rebranded," Simon said. "It's way worse than weed or anything like that. It straight up makes you dumb." "There is also the issue of long-term effects," Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety's Banerji said. "Chronic use can result in anemias and effects to the brain, blood, spinal cord and nervous system. It's not harmless. But people still don't think of it in terms of chronic toxicity." Most users dismissed side effects and medical concerns when asked about nitrous outside Red Rocks. Some were planning on bringing drugs such as psilocybin mushrooms and cannabis inside with them for the show, but leaving the "dumb fun" of whippets in the parking lot. "We do it for the 'whomp whomp,'" said a woman holding a translucent balloon that had been filled by a golden-colored tank in her trunk. She and her friends, who described the experience as blissfully disconnected, declined to give their names due to professional concerns. Among them was a government employee, a scientist, and a business owner, they said. "Our perspective is that there's no safe way to use it recreationally," Banjeri said. "At the very least, you should have your friends around you, so they can help if something happens." More information: Michael Patrizio et al, Frostbite Injury from Inhaled Nitrous Oxide Use, New England Journal of Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMicm2502232 Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine 2025 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Former President Barack Obama on Thursday praised Democratic Texas state lawmakers for setting a powerful example for others to follow by blocking Republicans plans to redraw the Lone Star States congressional maps at Donald Trumps request to give the GOP an edge in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. His comments, which were first reported by ABC News, came as Democrats have fled to Illinois and other northern states, leaving the Texas House of Representatives unable to establish quorum to pass the new political maps that would give Republicans five additional GOP-friendly congressional seats. Related: 'I'm Fine!': CNN's Jake Tapper Awkwardly Caught On Hot Mic Amid Trump-Putin Summit We cant let a systematic assault on democracy just happen and stand by, and so, because of your actions, because of your courage, what youve seen is California responding, other states looking at what they can do to offset this mid-decade gerrymandering, Obama said in a virtual meeting with those Texas Democrats. Related: Hillary Clinton Spells Out Exactly How Trump Could Win The Nobel Peace Prize Obamas comments came on the same day that California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced his decision to pursue a state ballot initiative to offset Republicans controversial redistricting ploy in Texas. If approved, the plan would target five House Republicans in the Golden State. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The former president commended Texas Democrats for helping set the tone for the rest of the country, while predicting that the redistricting fight will be long. Its not going to be resolved right away, and its going to require, ultimately, the American people understanding the stakes and realizing that we cannot take our freedoms and our democracy for granted, Obama said. Related: Hunter Biden's Response To Melania Trump's Apology Demand Rhymes With 'Duck Fat' Texas Democrats said they are prepared to go back to Texas if the state legislature adjourns Friday. Under the advice of legal counsel, Democrats must return to Texas to build a strong public legislative record for the upcoming legal battle against a map that violates both the current Voting Rights Act and the Constitution, the Texas House Democratic Caucus said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump thought he could easily get his way in Texas with compliant Republicans, but Democrats fought back ferociously and took the fight to Trump across America, the statement continued. Eric Holder, who served as attorney general in the Obama administration and now chairs the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, also joined the call. Obama warned that Democrats cannot afford to be complacent, citing the White Houses willingness to bypass Congress and pursue the militarization of cities, politicization of our justice departments and our military, without naming Trump. Those are trend lines that remind us this precious democracy that weve got is not a given. Its not self-executed. It requires us to fight for it. It requires us to stand up for it, Obama said. Related... Read the original on HuffPost CHICAGO (WGN) An investigation is underway after an officer-involved shooting Friday afternoon in South Shore. Chicago police said the incident happened shortly after 2 p.m. in the 2000 block of East 71st Street when police officers saw an armed suspect pull out a handgun and fire multiple shots toward an unknown victim. Officers ran after the suspect, with one officers firing their weapon toward the suspect. Police confirmed no one was hurt during the exchange of gunfire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspect is still on the run and police said he was wearing a maroon hoodie that may have been ripped by a gate as he was running away. No arrests have been made and no one was injured. WGN-TV arrived on scene and noticed a heavy police presence, with detectives focusing their investigation on the sidewalk in front of a meat market, as well as an alleyway that separates a restaurant and a beauty supply store. They say somebody had threw a bottle out the car, and then the guy shot at him and the police was down the street, so he came to the scene where the guy was shooting at, and then him and the officer exchanged fire, and then they went down this alley right here, witness Paris Green said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines The officer(s) involved will be placed on routine administrative duties for a minimum period of 30 days. Anyone with information is asked to call the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) at 312-746-3609. 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 WGN-TV. Days after an incident at a bar in Wicker Park, the Chicago Police Department on Friday stripped the police powers of the officer who fatally shot Officer Krystal Rivera earlier this year. A department spokesperson confirmed that Officer Carlos Baker, who is on medical leave from the department, was stripped of his police powers Friday. Last weekend, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability opened an investigation after Baker allegedly battered an off-duty female CPD officer at a bar in Wicker Park. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A CPD spokesperson would not say what incident prompted Baker to be stripped of his police powers, though CBS Chicago reported Thursday that Baker attempted to interfere with that investigation by contacting nearby businesses about surveillance footage of the incident. Riveras family has since retained attorneys to conduct a civil investigation of the shooting. While the Rivera family and their legal team wholly believe removing Carlos Bakers police powers is the appropriate decision, we called for this from the earliest days after he fatally shot his police partner, Krystal Rivera, Antonio Romanucci, an attorney for the slain officers family, said in a statement Friday. However, as we stated clearly several weeks ago, the concerns about Carlos Baker go back further than the night he killed Krystal. The alleged incident in Wicker Park came about two months after Baker and Rivera, both part of the district tactical team, were trying to make a traffic stop on a suspect and chased him into an apartment at 8210 S. Drexel Ave., authorities previously said. Inside the apartment, they met a man who allegedly pointed a rifle at them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baker fired a single shot, striking Rivera in the back. She was pronounced dead a short time later at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Rivera was the first CPD officer to die in a friendly fire incident in nearly 40 years. Two men were charged with various felonies in connection with the June 5 shooting, but neither faces a murder charge. Both cases remain pending. (FOX40.COM) A student in Northern California tested positive for active tuberculosis on Thursday, according to public health officials. Video Above: How patients and doctors can reduce healthcare costs Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that is spread through the air during prolonged, repeated, and close contact with someone who has TB. Experts said that tuberculosis is uncommon. However, the complications of the disease can be serious. Symptoms can include a persistent cough, fever, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss. Police arrest Yuba City student after bringing gun on campus amid first week of school Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The infected student is enrolled at Monterey Trail High School in Elk Grove. Sacramento County Public Health said it is working with the Elk Grove Unified School District to contact parents, students, faculty members, and staff who may have been exposed. Our community can take comfort in knowing that Elk Grove Unified and county health officials are working hand in hand, around the clock, to ensure a swift and coordinated response, said Lisa Levasseur, Executive Director and School Support at EGUSD. Cash drop scam in Vacaville leads to two arrests, linked to 40 cases The Monterey Trail student who tested positive is currently isolated at home, according to SCPH. The TB exposure happened between April 11 and July 17. Officials said the student is expected to fully recover. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the risk of infection is low, it is recommended that individuals who receive an exposure notification letter be tested, said Dr. Olivia Kasirye, Sacramento County Health Officer. The test is quick and can provide peace of mind for both individuals and their families. SCPH officials said they will provide on-site TB testing for individuals who may have been exposed. Self-assessments are also available. For more information about TB symptoms, testing, and treatment, visit dhs.saccounty.gov. 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. The N.C. Center for Missing Persons issued a Silver Alert late Thursday night for a 78-year-old man last seen in Morganton. Citizens are asked to be on the lookout for Paul David Jaquith, who is believed to be suffering from dementia or Alzheimers. ALSO READ >> 17-year-old reported missing in Gastonia, police say Officials say he was last seen on Lenoir Road in Morganton. He was supposed to be going to Hickory, but the last text received from the man advised he was in Charlotte. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After pinging his cellphone, it plotted him in Duplin County. Jaquith is described as a 5-foot-11-inch white male around 200 pounds. He has short brown hair and brown eyes. He could be driving a 2015 silver Toyota Rav4 with Chicago Bears stickers on the back. The license plate number is THX1645. Anyone with information on Jaquiths whereabouts should call the Morganton Department of Public Safety. VIDEO: CMPD locates missing woman last seen in Ballantyne Ohio Organizing Collaborative Voter Engagement Director Deidra Reese. (Photo by Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal.) Ohio lawmakers are preparing to draft new congressional districts. Several progressive organizations calling themselves the Equal Districts Coalition are joining forces again to push for fair maps. Lawmakers are going back to the drawing board because they approved maps along partisan lines in 2021. Ohio is actually the only state in the country constitutionally mandated to do so, but the exercise comes as the Trump administration pushes Republican state leaders to redraw more maps. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The very simple redrawing Trump wants in Texas is an apparent bid to offset potential mid-term losses in 2026. Republicans hold an exceptionally narrow majority in the U.S. House. New, more GOP-friendly maps in a handful of Republican states might push the goalposts just far enough to stave off a Democratic majority. With Republican gerrymandering efforts gaining momentum, some Democratic states have threatened gerrymanders of their own to negate Republican gains. But League of Women Voters of Ohio Executive Director Jen Miller was unequivocal in her opposition of those tactics. You can judge us by our actions as well as our words, she said. We have been fighting gerrymandering when the Democrats do it, and when the Republicans do it. We came out immediately and opposed (California Gov.) Gavin Newsom when he suggested that that they should gerrymander for Democrats. Gerrymandering harms every voter, Miller insisted. We are never in support of drawing lines specifically so that politicians can win. Freedom Bloc Executive Director Rev. Ray Greene. (Photo by Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal.) What Ohio looks like Theres little doubt Republicans have an edge in Ohio. GOP candidates regularly win statewide races by several points. But current congressional maps give Republicans a 2-to-1 advantage, holding 10 of the states 15 seats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX That is not fair. That is not representative, Deidra Reese from the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, said. When I go out and I talk to people and I tell them to use their vote, I tell them it is because their vote matters, Reese said. But we are often facing a situation where their vote doesnt matter because we see people who are using the power of the pen to draw maps (so) that their vote is really taken away, the power of their vote is taken away. And some Republicans think with a few tweaks they could push their advantage further. Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno suggested the party aim for 12 seats, leaving representation of Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati to Democrats. To get there, Republicans would target U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur from Toledo and Emilia Sykes from Akron two Democrats who defended toss-up seats in the last election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Rev. Raymond Greene Jr. from Freedom Bloc argued his home city of Akron has been split up before, and he worries if mapmakers try to kneecap Sykes, theyll harm the city. We know what happens when voices go silent, he said. We have been silenced for so long. Resources dry up, needs go unmet, policies are passed that benefit the few at the expense of the many. And equal districts gives us a chance to flourish together. How the process works In 2018, Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved an anti-gerrymandering measure that requires buy-in from the minority party. Republicans held sway throughout the process, though, and drew maps that would benefit their candidates. The state supreme court repeatedly rejected those maps, but GOP lawmakers eventually forced them through. Last year, Ohioans turned down an anti-gerrymandering ballot measure known as Issue 1. But Miller from the League of Women Voters noted even the measures opponents framed a no vote as a vote against gerrymandering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ohioans are expecting fairness, Miller said. We saw last year that Ohioans overwhelmingly voted to end gerrymandering, even if they didnt understand the ballot language. Under the process approved in 2018, state lawmakers get the first crack at drawing a map. If lawmakers can approve a draft with 60% majorities in both chambers, and the governor signs it, thats the map. Theyve got until the end of September. If lawmakers cant get there, the Ohio Redistricting Commission gets the pen. There are seven members and to approve a map they need two members from both major parties to vote yes. Five of the commissions seven members are Republicans. Theyve got until the end of October. If the commission deadlocks, mapmaking returns to the legislature. But this time, they only need simple majority support to approve a map. They face additional criteria like an explicit prohibition on benefiting a party or candidate and limiting community splits. They have to finish their work by November 30. League of Women Voters of Ohio Executive Director Jen Miller. (Photo by Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal.) Where the rubber meets the road In the past, Republicans have run out the clock and approved partisan maps along party lines. Organizations like the Equal Districts Coalition can challenge those maps in court, but the Ohio Supreme Court has swung sharply toward Republicans. The GOP now holds six of the courts seven seats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Miller said litigation is still an option, but she raised a different possibility challenging the map at the ballot box through a referendum. Look, the fair districts coalition has 4,000 volunteers right now trained on signature gathering, she said. If there was ever a time to do a referendum, we have the infrastructure right now to collect those signatures and get on the ballot. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Major oil and gas companies have walked away from a global climate working group as it was preparing to implement standards cracking down on dirty energy expansion. What's happening? Shell and other big energy companies have pulled out of an expert advisory group attached to the Science Based Targets initiative, an organization that helps set climate standards for corporations, according to a late-July report from the Financial Times. The group was working to define a "'net zero' emissions strategy." The outlet said the exits came after a draft of proposed guidelines was shared. The draft reportedly included a requirement that companies cease development of new oil and gas fields "once they had submitted a climate plan to the SBTi, or the end of 2027," whichever came first. The draft also called for a significant reduction in dirty fuel production. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shell, Norway's Aker BP, and Canada's Enbridge all have reportedly left the group since late 2024. Afterward, the SBTi "paused" work on the oil and gas guidelines, citing "capacity considerations." It denied the move was linked to industry pressure. The Financial Times also reported that the SBTi recently pushed back a separate deadline for financial institutions regarding the ending of funding for new dirty energy projects, extending it from 2025 to 2030. The outlet noted the delay would give "participating banks and asset managers five more years to invest in oil and gas." "The more we delay, the more cover we are providing to big oil," a person who worked on the standards told the Financial Times. Shell seemed to indicate, according to the outlet, that the draft standards were not sufficiently realistic or flexible. Separate statements from Aker BP and Enbridge said that the departures did not indicate their lack of investment in climate strategies. Why is a delay in standard-setting concerning? A worldwide transition to clean energy is essential to protect the planet's future. Investing in renewable power such as solar and wind can help reduce heat-trapping gases, slow rising global temperatures, improve air quality, and safeguard vital ecosystems. It can also benefit public health by lowering the risk of conditions linked to pollution and extreme heat. While individual choices matter, advocates generally agree that meaningful progress will also require coordinated global action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The energy companies' decisions to halt participation in work aimed at capping dirty energy emissions and boosting clean energy adoption could slow that progress. It's especially worrisome that the SBTi which is partnered with the United Nations, the World Wildlife Fund, and other respected environmental organizations could be delaying standard development following the corporations' exits. The SBTi is highly influential in large-scale climate planning. As the Financial Times reported, many high-profile companies from Apple to Colgate to Pfizer have consulted with the standard-setting body on their climate change strategies. If proposed standards are delayed or dropped due to corporate non-participation, international climate efforts may be jeopardized. What's being done to hold energy companies accountable? Numerous lawsuits have targeted companies like Shell for misleading the public about the dangers of dirty energy. Shareholders, investors, and climate-conscious consumers are also demanding stricter standards and environmental transparency as the impacts of dirty fuel become more studied and more apparent. In some cases, this has led to a "voluntary" shift to clean energy to retain customers and standing. Divestment campaigns have also successfully pressured institutions to pull billions in funding from dirty energy projects. Similarly, nonprofits exposing greenwashing and tracking corporate climate progress have helped influence action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet, it's clear that some companies are still delaying the clean energy transition. After the exits of those key corporations, the SBTi told its remaining advisory group members that it would "deprioritize" work on the oil and gas standard. The SBTi previously said the standard was a "top priority," according to the Financial Times. 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. An Oklahoma pediatrician is now facing a second-degree murder charge following accusations of drowning her 4-year-old daughter during a short-term rental stay in Miami-Dade County in Florida. Investigators with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office initially recommended a first-degree murder charge against Dr. Neha Gupta, 36, for the death of her daughter, Aria Talathi, earlier this summer. In early August, however, prosecutors were defending a lesser charge of aggravated manslaughter in the case. But now, a week later, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office is pursuing a more severe charge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "With additional information supplied to prosecutors by the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiners Office, the felony charge of second-degree murder has now been filed and will be litigated as the appropriate criminal charge," Lissette Valdes-Valle, a Miami-Dade state attorney spokeswoman, said in an email to The Oklahoman. Spokespeople did not provide further explanation on what additional information the medical examiner's office had provided or how it led to the second-degree murder charge. More: Pediatrician accused of staging 4-year-old daughter's death as drowning The lower exterior of the Miami-Dade County Courthouse stands at 73 W Flagler St, Miami, Florida, as shown on the county government website. About 3:40 a.m. June 27, officers with the Village of El Portal Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting a child drowning in the residential pool at an Airbnb north of Miami. Paramedics took the unresponsive child to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where Aria was pronounced dead just before 4:30 a.m., according to an arrest affidavit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gupta's Florida-based attorney, Michael Mirer, did not return requests for comment Friday, Aug. 15. According to News 9, Mirer appeared in court that day to enter a "not guilty" plea on Gupta's behalf. Her prior legal counsel had previously said the original recommendation of a first-degree murder charge was a "rush to judgment" by the sheriff's office. Gupta initially told investigators she and her daughter had spent June 26 riding jet skis at the beach, had come back to the Airbnb to eat dinner, and had fallen asleep together shortly after midnight. She said she was awakened by a noise around 3:30 a.m. June 27 to find her daughter no longer with her in the bed and the sliding door leading to the outside patio unlocked and open, according to the arrest affidavit. She said she then saw Aria submerged in the deep end of the pool but wasn't able to retrieve her because she can't swim, according to the affidavit. Gupta told investigators she tried to get the girl out of the pool for about 10 minutes before calling 911. But an autopsy cited in that same affidavit said that the daughter's lungs and stomach were dry and empty. The medical examiner also said she believed Aria was dead before she was in the pool and found injuries consistent with asphyxiation by smothering, according to the affidavit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gupta's ex-husband, Dr. Saurabh Talathi, told investigators he was unaware Gupta and their daughter had left Oklahoma to travel to Florida. Gupta worked as a licensed doctor specializing in pediatric care at Oklahoma Children's Hospital OU Health in Oklahoma City. She was terminated from her job there in late May. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma pediatrician faces murder charge after daughter dies in Miami CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) Patrick Pat Murphy, the oldest of four World War II veterans living in Central Pennsylvania, peacefully passed away at UPMC Carlisle Hospital on August 11. According to Cumberland County, Murphy, of Boiling Springs, was 101 at the time of his passing. Born in Boiling Springs on November 28, 1923, Murphy honorably served in the United States of America after graduating from Boiling Springs High School in 1943. Murphys obituary says he served in the U.S. Army with Battery B, 272nd Field Artillery Battalion as a Cannoneer, during WWII. During his service, Murphy earned four bronze stars and saw his fair share of combat, having served in Northern France, the Rhineland, the Ardennes, and Central Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The county added that he participated in the Battle of the Bulge, which was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during the war. Courtesy of Cumberland County Courtesy of Cumberland County Courtesy of Cumberland County Courtesy of Cumberland County Courtesy of Cumberland County After the war, he returned to the Midstate, where he married his late wife Genevieve Murphy on Christmas Day, according to his obituary. The obituary also highlighted Murphys commitment to his local community. He was a member of the Shippensburg Independent Bible Church and the last remaining Charter Member of Boiling Springs VFW Post 8851. Murphy even helped build the VFW home on Hamilton Road. Murphy is survived by his two sons, a grandson, two great-grandchildren, and other extended family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The county says funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 16, at Ronan Funeral Home. 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. One person was arrested after boating incident in southern Vigo County in which one person died Thursday, according to Vigo County court and jail records. Jimm Shane Nidlinger, 54, of Terre Haute, was booked into Vigo County Jail about 8 p.m. Thursday on a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (a first offense, but a with person endangered) and a charge of operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent of 0.15 or more. He was released on his own recognizance about 5:30 a.m. Friday and a probable cause hearing was conducted Friday morning. An initial hearing now is set for 10 a.m. Aug. 20 in Vigo County Superior Court 5, Judge Matthew Sheehan presiding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an affidavit, a state trooper wrote he was dispatched to East Oregon Church Road regarding an incident in which two people had reportedly been boating on Paint Mill Lake while drinking. One person had gone underwater and not resurfaced. The trooper wrote that he saw signs of intoxication and smelled alcohol on Nidlinger, the boat operator. Nidlinger refused field sobriety and preliminary breath tests and did not consent to a chemical test, the trooper wrote. Police obtained a search warrant for a blood sample, which was obtained at Terre Haute Regional Hospital. Sgt. Matt Ames of Indiana State Police on Friday afternoon said troopers and conservation officers recovered the body of a male from Paint Mill Lake. ISP will be working with the Vigo County Coroners Office regarding an identification, and an autopsy has been scheduled. A death investigation continues, and no additional information was released Friday. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A new study has revealed that work-family conflict (WFC) is a common contributor to psychological distress among farmers in Ireland, with researchers calling for enhanced mental health support for farming families. The study, "Between the Farm and Family: A Cross-Sectional Survey on WorkFamily Conflict in Farmers in Ireland," was conducted by researchers from UCD and DCU, and is the first research to examine work-family conflict specifically in Irish farmers. The paper is published in the journal Agriculture. Researchers spoke with 446 farmers across the countryvia social media, farmer media, charities and at agricultural marts and showsto better understand the issue. Ninety-nine point seven percent of Irish farms are classified as family farms, where spouses, children, and extended family often play active roles. As a result, the demands of farm work can often interfere with family life and responsibilities. Farmers with children aged five or under reported higher levels of this work-life clash, highlighting a generational change, as younger farmers often want a more active role in childcare and household tasks. Male farmers, those with higher reported working hours on the farm, those with larger farms, and dairy or mixed farmers (compared to beef) experienced more significant strain. Farm-specific stressorsincluding government policies and operational challengesand economic pressures were found to make the problem worse for many. The study found a strong link between farm-family conflict and poor mental health, including depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide. "This research shines a light on the real, and often hidden, pressures farmers face in balancing work and family life. Our findings underscore the need for targeted supports that recognize the unique integration of farm and family in rural Ireland," said Professor Louise McHugh from the UCD School of Psychology, who is also co-director of the UCD Agri Mental Health Group. "The work is an important step toward understanding and addressing these challenges in a way that supports both farming livelihoods and family well-being." The researchers have noted that mental health supports for farming families must acknowledge work-family conflict as a contributor to psychological strain. They also recommend that farmers and their families be involved in designing any future support strategies and policies to ensure that the realities of farming life are taken into consideration. More information: Siobhan O'Connor et al, Between the Farm and Family: A Cross-Sectional Survey on WorkFamily Conflict in Farmers in Ireland, Agriculture (2025). DOI: 10.3390/agriculture15151587 KINSTON, N.C. (WNCT) Law enforcement officers with the Kinston Police Department charged multiple people while executing search warrants on August 13 and 14. Detectives with the departments Violent Crime Action Team and North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement searched a business, US Mini Mart, located on Old Snow Hill Road and allegedly found over 70 grams of marijuana, digital scales, packaging materials, a gun and $362. Kamal Alzanam, 36 years old, was behind the register with the located items during the search. He was charged with felony possession of marijuana, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with intent to sell/deliver marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, sell/deliver marijuana and felony conspiracy to sell/deliver marijuana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The departments Violent Crime Action Team, Lenoir County ABC Officers and the Lenoir County Narcotics Unit searched a home in St. James Place on August 14, as part of an ongoing investigation related to the US Mini Mart and Kamal Alzanam. Investigators found multiple handgun magazines, $106,320, 5.5 pounds of marijuana edibles and identification documents. Warrants for Abdullah Ahmed and Ehab Abdulla have been obtained. They are being charged with multiple counts of sell/deliver marijuana and felony conspiracy. This is an ongoing 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 WNCT. Rural hospitals are struggling to keep offering services. (Getty Images) I was born and raised in Omaha and got my start in health care when I was just 16, working as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Methodist Hospital. Back then, I didnt fully grasp how special Nebraskas health care system was. Our state is built on people looking out for one another. Whether its a big hospital in Omaha or a small clinic in a town of 200, weve always believed that everyone deserves good, reliable care no matter where they live. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That belief is now under serious threat. The newly passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act has a name that sounds cheerful yet its effects on Nebraskas health care system are anything but. Over the next decade, this bill will cut about $6.5 billion in federal Medicaid funding to our state. As a result, more than 78,000 Nebraskans including kids will lose their health coverage. These harmful cuts arent happening in a vacuum. Theyre part of a trade-off, in which health care for vulnerable Nebraskans is sacrificed to fund tax breaks for the rich. This isnt about numbers on a spreadsheet. Its about families who will no longer be able to take their child to the doctor when theyre sick, seniors struggling to afford their nursing home, new moms being left without nearby maternity care, and about communities that will be left without any care at all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the ripple effects dont stop at the clinic door. These cuts will cause about 5,000 jobs to be lost and slash $28 million annually in state tax revenue, successfully shrinking our states economy. In addition, the bill cuts $322 million from food assistance (SNAP), putting 155,000 Nebraskans including 64,000 kids at greater risk of hunger. More than 70 percent of counties in Nebraska will struggle with food access. The hardest hit will be our rural communities. Just hours after the bill passed, Curtis Medical Center announced it would shut down because of these funding cuts. Two more hospitals, Avera Creighton Hospital and Ogallala Community Hospital, are now at high risk of closing, with three more hospitals not far behind. Yet, this isnt surprising. In the last two years, one in five Nebraska hospitals has already eliminated key services like labor and delivery units, hospital-owned nursing homes and behavioral health, home health, hospice, and EMS services. These cuts put an already strained health system at great risk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the bill includes a new rural health fund, its simply not enough to offset this damage. A short-term grant doesnt replace the steady, reliable funding that keeps small hospitals afloat. This matters deeply for Nebraska. Most dont realize how rural our state really is: nearly 7 in 10 hospitals are rural. And many Nebraskans already live far from care. Fourteen counties do not have a primary care doctor. Nearly one in six moms drive at least half an hour to find maternity care double the national average. And when hospitals close, its not just about longer drives its about longer wait times for ambulances, more crowded emergency rooms and real danger when minutes matter. Imagine calling 911 because youre having a stroke and being told the nearest ambulance is 45 minutes away. For Nebraskans living in rural communities, this hypothetical scenario could become a reality if hospitals continue to shut their doors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This bill threatens the foundation of Nebraskas health care, not just facilities, but the people and values that keep our communities strong. I am proud to be raised in Nebraska, a place where people look out for each other, especially when times are tough. But with this bill, were turning our backs on that tradition stripping away health care from those who need it most and handing out more to those who already have enough. Growing up in Nebraska, I have always believed that where you live shouldnt determine whether you live. If we let this legislation stand and dont speak up, were beginning to turn our backs on that promise and on the families and communities that built this state. Nebraskans show up for each other when it counts. Lets not change that now. Im reaching out to my representatives to remind them that the the good life includes not only a great quality of life, good jobs and overall well-being, but care for all. I hope youll join me. Together, our voices are stronger. Dr. Nikki Romanik is a distinguished senior fellow in global health security at Brown University School of Public Health. Romanik most recently served as special assistant to President Joe Biden. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX President Donald Trump, soon on his way to meet President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, has swung this week from optimism that the Russian leader is going to make a deal to suggesting its just a preliminary meeting. And while White House officials have resisted setting red lines and have tried to temper expectations of a breakthrough, Trump has repeatedly made clear his marker of success: a second meeting. The second meeting, which the president hopes occurs soon after the first, would include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and, as Trump envisions it, allow for a negotiated peace, possibly including land swaps and security guarantees for Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The second meeting is going to be very, very important, because thats going to be a meeting where they make a deal, Trump said Thursday. Anything short of that, the president warned, could mean severe consequences for Russia. Still, Russia and Ukraine are nowhere close to a deal. Putin has shifted his countrys economy onto a wartime footing and escalated his attacks over the last several months. And he has signaled that it would take Ukraine surrendering huge swaths of land, including territory the Russian army has not conquered, for him to end the war a proposal Zelenskyy has rejected. The Ukrainian president, meanwhile, has asserted that Putins overtures to Trump arent serious and that his countrys intelligence shows Russia planning for the war to continue into next year. He and European allies have leaned on Trump to ratchet up the economic pressure on Putin for eschewing diplomacy in favor of fighting on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Trump, who is now more aligned with Europe and Ukraine due to frustrations with Putin, is telling a different story. Hes betting again on his own ability to bend or pressure these two leaders and a complex geopolitical reality to his own, determined will. We're going to see what happens, Trump said. And I think President Putin will make peace. I think President Zelenskyy will make peace. We'll see if they can get along, and if they can, it'll be great." European allies, even after making inroads with the president, will be watching nervously, despite public assurances that they and Trump are aligned. And if Putin can convince Trump that hes serious about peace, pressure could mount on Zelenskyy to engage despite his conviction that Russia remains intent on annexing more, if not all, of Ukraine. Putin will try to create an impression that they are participating in the negotiations to avoid Trumps imposition of secondary sanctions, which could damage Russias economy, said Olga Tokariuk, a Ukraine expert at the Center for European Policy Analysis. But there are really no indications that I see of Russia actually willing to put an end to the war in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After speaking with Trump on Wednesday, several European leaders expressed confidence that the president wont let Putin off the hook and that he planned to push for a ceasefire on the front end of peace talks, a priority for Ukraine and NATO allies. European diplomats were particularly heartened by Vice President JD Vances reassurances, a welcome change after he berated Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. People were pretty impressed by Vance, who is looking for solutions while being clear that Putin is the bad guy here, said a European official. European leaders also insisted following their conversation with Trump that Fridays meeting with Putin would not include any details about the parameters of an eventual deal, including territorial concessions by Ukraine, whose president will not be in Alaska. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Trump, speaking on Thursday, suggested that, if he deems Putin to be serious about peace, he could urge Zelenskyy to meet them in Anchorage for a second summit to hammer out the actual deal. Id like to see it happen, actually, in Alaska where we just stay because its easier, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday afternoon. And hours earlier during an appearance on Brian Kilmeades radio show, Trump was explicit about his vision for an almost immediate second summit where Zelenskyy and Putin would negotiate the details. And I dont want to use the word divvy things up, but you know, to a certain extent, its not a bad term, OK? But there will be a give and take as to boundaries, lands, etc., etc. Trump said. But in a telling mark of Trumps own uncertainty, the president who routinely promises total victory, acknowledged that a second meeting was no sure thing. There is a 25 percent chance this meeting will not be a successful meeting, he told Kilmeade. Divers have spent more than a month searching a lake south of Manila for the bodies of men with links to the Philippines' bloody national obsession: cockfighting. They were murdered by rogue police, a government witness says, allegedly for rigging matches at the height of the country's pandemic-era craze for betting on live-streamed cockfights, or "e-sabong". The disappearances led then president Rodrigo Duterte to announce a total ban, but three years later, the e-sabong industry is still thriving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On a recent Saturday in the Manila suburb Bulacan, cockfighters, or "sabungeros", cracked grim jokes about their missing compatriots. Inside the "tarian", a crowded room where blades are attached to each bird's leg, sabungero Marcelo Parang insisted the murders had nothing to do with the legal cockfighting world. "We don't know if (the men killed) did something bad," said the 60-year-old. "We're not scared... In here, we're peaceful. In here, the matches are held fairly," he said of the deadly contests. Outside, the crowd in the 800-seat arena roared as another bout ended with the losing rooster unceremoniously dumped in an empty paint bucket. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement - 'Borrowed money from everyone' - Cockpits like the one in Bulacan were once a second home for Ray Gibraltar, who grew up in a family of cockfight enthusiasts. One uncle was a breeder. When the fights moved online during the Covid pandemic, the former director-turned-painter began wagering on them as well. But the easy access, anonymity of the online world, and sheer volume of betting sites can lead to e-sabong addiction, and within a year, Gibraltar was winning and losing upwards of $15,000 a day. "I wasn't eating. I was just drinking coffee and smoking... I had no sleep," he said of a three-day session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In terms of money that I lost on e-sabong... I could have bought a house and car," he said, adding he "borrowed money from everyone". Before checking into rehab, he wagered the last 300 pesos in his e-wallet. The story is a familiar one for Reagan Praferosa, founder of Recovering Gamblers of the Philippines, who says few clients show up before hitting rock bottom. "They won't call us if they still have money," he said. His first e-sabong addicts began arriving in 2020. Since then, about 30 percent of his caseload has revolved around the livestreamed fights. "(At arenas) you had to go somewhere to cash out. Now... it's connected to an e-wallet," he explained, adding other forms of gambling were now taking their cues from e-sabong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Most of the sites have replicated their platforms." Jay, a graphic artist, still logs onto an illegal website every time he gets his paycheck. The 24-year-old, who asked to use a pseudonym as he fears his family's judgement, showed how wagers for as little as 10 pesos (about 18 cents) could be placed on two roosters shown on his phone. Authorities estimate bettors like Jay are fuelling an industry that generates millions of dollars in revenue each week. "It's not the money I'm after, it's the thrill," he explained of an addiction he says he is trying to control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's easier to chase that in (e-sabong) because it's available on my cellphone." While gambling for relatively low stakes, Jay has found himself forced to make excuses after losing the money meant for his younger brother's school supplies. - 'A lonely battle' - Since the e-sabong ban was initiated, the country's telecoms commission has blocked more than 6,800 e-sabong websites, police Brigadier General Bernard Yang told AFP. But the use of VPNs makes pinpointing the streams' true origins nearly impossible. Asked for examples of IP traces that had led to raids, he pointed to a successful operation in the central Philippines' Cebu province -- though it had taken place years earlier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While conceding that current penalties -- with fines as low as 1,000 pesos ($17) -- provide little deterrent, Yang insisted the problem was simply "not so grave anymore". But Senator Erwin Tulfo on Friday told Congress e-sabong remained a menace as he pushed the country's central bank for action against a range of online gambling sites. Hours later, the monetary authority issued a directive that e-wallet firms remove their links to illegal websites within 48 hours. Congressman Rolando Valeriano, who told AFP the situation remains "very alarming", has authored an anti-online cockfighting and gambling bill that would dramatically increase fines and jail terms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In every community, you can see children who know how to (bet on) e-sabong. That's what was worrying me," he said. "This might be a lonely battle, but we will keep on fighting." The fight could be lonely indeed. A day after the new session of Congress began, a photograph, verified by AFP, began circulating in local media. The image was of a congressman staring at his smartphone during the vote for House speaker. He was watching a cockfight. cwl-pam/rsc/djw North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein just blocked students from getting a better education that wouldnt cost their parents or taxpayers a dime. Last week, Stein vetoed House Bill 87, the Educational Choice for Children Act. The bill would have allowed North Carolina families to participate in a brand-new federal program that rewards private donations to scholarship funds with a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700 per taxpayer. Heres how it works: private individuals and businesses donate to scholarship-granting organizations. Those organizations award scholarships to eligible students to cover tuition, tutoring, homeschooling expenses, transportation, or other educational needs. Families earning up to three times the local median income qualify, which means almost 90% of North Carolina K-12 students could be eligible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not one penny comes from the state budget and public schools keep every cent of their funding. And yet, the governor still said, HB87 is unnecessary, and I veto it. Steins excuse for the veto? Congress and the administration should strengthen our public schools, not hollow them out, he said. But public schools aren't the goal educated kids are. In Florida, the Tax Credit Scholarship program has helped low-income students make larger learning gains in reading and math while public schools improved alongside them. Milwaukees voucher program showed similar results, with higher graduation rates and better academic outcomes for students in the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arizona now offers every family an Education Savings Account that parents can use for a variety of educational expenses. West Virginias Hope Scholarship has transformed learning for thousands of students, giving parents real authority over their childs education. These programs work with public schools, not against them, because competition drives quality, and the ultimate winners are children. So why would Stein block something that costs the state nothing and helps families create better futures for their children? The answer lies in politics, not policy. Stein is focused on the wrong thing schools instead of kids. Teachers unions in North Carolina are some of the most powerful political forces in the state. They consistently back Democratic candidates, funnel millions into campaigns nationwide, and fiercely oppose the Educational Choice for Children Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Why? Because the program reduces their control over education funding and diminishes their political leverage. Steins veto aligns perfectly with union priorities, keeping families dependent on a one-size-fits-all system that serves adults in power, not kids in classrooms. The harm is not abstract. It lands hardest on families in rural towns with struggling schools, parents in underserved urban neighborhoods, and those whose local public school is simply not the right fit for their child. For them, a scholarship could mean the difference between a child thriving or falling behind. House Bill 87 was not just another policy proposal. It was a lifeline, a way for parents to say, This is the school my child needs, and have the means to make it happen. The governors veto ripped that choice away. But there is still time to correct this mistake. Lawmakers can override the veto and they should. Republicans must stand united, and any Democrat who truly values parents over politics should join them. This is not a partisan issue. Its a parental rights issue. If you believe parents, not bureaucrats, politicians, or special interest groups should decide where children learn, the path forward is clear override the veto. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every year that passes without more choice is another year when a child is told to wait for something better. But children only get one shot at their K-12 education. They cannot wait. Stein made his choice. Now the General Assembly must make theirs. Choose parents. Choose students. Choose freedom in education. Our kids futures are not up for political negotiation. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A community block party will see a 5-mile loop of downtown roads closed this weekend to allow pedestrians, bikers and more to take advantage of it this weekend. The Nashville Downtown Partnership said Walk Bike Nashville, in coordination with the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure and sponsors, will close portions of several streets in downtown Nashville and The Gulch to driving and on-street parking from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17. Roadways included in the Open Streets Summer Series closure include 1st Ave. N, Gay St., 2nd Ave., Harrison St., 10th Ave., 11th Ave., Division St., and 9th Ave., as well as several greenway paths near Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, First Horizon Park, Frankie Pierce Park, and the Rolling Mill Hill Greenway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neighborhood News: Stories impacting your community | Read More Those who live or work along the roadway have been asked to make alternative arrangements ahead of time or consider taking detours along neighboring roads during the closure period. Any cars parked in a driveway will not be affected, but those who may need to leave their street by car during the event should contact Walk Bike Nashville or the Open Streets team. They may be able to accommodate such requests, according to WBN, but making prior arrangements would be the preferred method for those in the closure area. The event will see people be able to walk, run, bike, play, shop, skate, scoot, stroll and more along the closed roads, according to Walk Bike Nashville. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There will be concerts at Rudys Jazz Room, yard games and local organizations set up at Riverfront Park, craft pints available at Tennessee Brew Works, live music and local restaurants at the Nashville Farmers Market, and access to local businesses in the Gulch, according to the organization. Riverfront scrapyard sells for $245 million Included in the event are special activity hubs, which will offer chances to connect with community partners, cool off from the heat or use the restroom, learn more about Walk Bike Nashville, or just enjoy the largest form of public space: the streets. Hubs are located at Riverfront Park, The Gulch, Sounds Stadium at First Horizon Park, and the Howard Office Building. At each hub, participants will be able to connect with community partners, take part in games and activities, or learn about different organizations and entities partnered with the series. For a full list of activities and partners, follow this link. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is also an interactive map with information on water stations, restroom locations, and more available here. Do you have news happening in your neighborhood? Let us know by sending an email to neighborhoodnews@wkrn.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 WKRN News 2. This article was originally published in The Conversation. It is the policy of the United States to promote AI literacy and proficiency among Americans, reads an executive order President Donald Trump issued on April 23, 2025. The executive order, titled Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth, signals that advancing AI literacy is now an official national priority. This raises a series of important questions: What exactly is AI literacy, who needs it, and how do you go about building it thoughtfully and responsibly? Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter The implications of AI literacy, or lack thereof, are far-reaching. They extend beyond national ambitions to remain a global leader in this technological revolution or even prepare an AI-skilled workforce, as the executive order states. Without basic literacy, citizens and consumers are not well equipped to understand the algorithmic platforms and decisions that affect so many domains of their lives: government services, privacy, lending, health care, news recommendations and more. And the lack of AI literacy risks ceding important aspects of societys future to a handful of multinational companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How, then, can institutions help people understand and use or resist AI as individuals, workers, parents, innovators, job seekers, students, employers and citizens? We are a policy scientist and two educational researchers who study AI literacy, and we explore these issues in our research. What AI literacy is and isnt At its foundation, AI literacy includes a mix of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are technical, social and ethical in nature. According to one prominent definition, AI literacy refers to a set of competencies that enables individuals to critically evaluate AI technologies; communicate and collaborate effectively with AI; and use AI as a tool online, at home, and in the workplace. AI literacy is not simply programming or the mechanics of neural networks, and it is certainly not just prompt engineering that is, the act of carefully writing prompts for chatbots. Vibe coding, or using AI to write software code, might be fun and important, but restricting the definition of literacy to the newest trend or the latest need of employers wont cover the bases in the long term. And while a single master definition may not be needed, or even desirable, too much variation makes it tricky to decide on organizational, educational or policy strategies. Who needs AI literacy? Everyone, including the employees and students using it, and the citizens grappling with its growing impacts. Every sector and sphere of society is now involved with AI, even if this isnt always easy for people to see. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Exactly how much literacy everyone needs and how to get there is a much tougher question. Are a few quick HR training sessions enough, or do we need to embed AI across K-12 curricula and deliver university micro credentials and hands-on workshops? There is much that researchers dont know, which leads to the need to measure AI literacy and the effectiveness of different training approaches. Measuring AI literacy While there is a growing and bipartisan consensus that AI literacy matters, theres much less consensus on how to actually understand peoples AI literacy levels. Researchers have focused on different aspects, such as technical or ethical skills, or on different populations for example, business managers and students or even on subdomains like generative AI. A recent review study identified more than a dozen questionnaires designed to measure AI literacy, the vast majority of which rely on self-reported responses to questions and statements such as I feel confident about using AI. Theres also a lack of testing to see whether these questionnaires work well for people from different cultural backgrounds. Moreover, the rise of generative AI has exposed gaps and challenges: Is it possible to create a stable way to measure AI literacy when AI is itself so dynamic? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In our research collaboration, weve tried to help address some of these problems. In particular, weve focused on creating objective knowledge assessments, such as multiple-choice surveys tested with thorough statistical analyses to ensure that they accurately measure AI literacy. Weve so far tested a multiple-choice survey in the U.S., U.K. and Germany and found that it works consistently and fairly across these three countries. Theres a lot more work to do to create reliable and feasible testing approaches. But going forward, just asking people to self-report their AI literacy probably isnt enough to understand where different groups of people are and what supports they need. Approaches to building AI literacy Governments, universities and industry are trying to advance AI literacy. Finland launched the Elements of AI series in 2018 with the hope of educating its general public on AI. Estonias AI Leap initiative partners with Anthropic and OpenAI to provide access to AI tools for tens of thousands of students and thousands of teachers. And China is now requiring at least eight hours of AI education annually as early as elementary school, which goes a step beyond the new U.S. executive order. On the university level, Purdue University and the University of Pennsylvania have launched new masters in AI programs, targeting future AI leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite these efforts, these initiatives face an unclear and evolving understanding of AI literacy. They also face challenges to measuring effectiveness and minimal knowledge on what teaching approaches actually work. And there are long-standing issues with respect to equity for example, reaching schools, communities, segments of the population and businesses that are stretched or under-resourced. Next moves on AI literacy Based on our research, experience as educators and collaboration with policymakers and technology companies, we think a few steps might be prudent. Building AI literacy starts with recognizing its not just about tech: People also need to grasp the social and ethical sides of the technology. To see whether were getting there, we researchers and educators should use clear, reliable tests that track progress for different age groups and communities. Universities and companies can try out new teaching ideas first, then share what works through an independent hub. Educators, meanwhile, need proper training and resources, not just additional curricula, to bring AI into the classroom. And because opportunity isnt spread evenly, partnerships that reach under-resourced schools and neighborhoods are essential so everyone can benefit. Critically, achieving widespread AI literacy may be even harder than building digital and media literacy, so getting there will require serious investment not cuts to education and research. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is widespread consensus that AI literacy is important, whether to boost AI trust and adoption or to empower citizens to challenge AI or shape its future. As with AI itself, we believe its important to approach AI literacy carefully, avoiding hype or an overly technical focus. The right approach can prepare students to become active and responsible participants in the workforce of the future and empower Americans to thrive in an increasingly digital society, as the AI literacy executive order calls for. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. After gutting our principal development, humanitarian and peacebuilding institutions, the Trump administration is now pushing to close another of our most powerful institutions on the frontlines of a growing global information war: the Voice of America. The timing for its closure could not be worse. Disinformation campaigns targeting African information systems have surged nearly fourfold since 2022, with Russia and China leading a systematic assault. According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 189 documented disinformation campaigns now target Africa nearly quadruple the number reported in 2022. These campaigns have triggered destabilizing and antidemocratic consequences, all of which undermine U.S. interests on the continent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least 39 African countries have been targeted with foreign disinformation, with half facing three or more campaigns. Russia has emerged as the primary architect of this disinformation offensive, sponsoring 80 documented campaigns across more than 22 countries in Africa. Perhaps nowhere are the effects of these campaigns on American interests so visible as in Niger, a country then-Secretary of State Blinken praised as a model of resilience on a first-ever visit to the Sahelian state. Only months later, an army coup would topple the countrys democratically elected leader with the help of Russian networks. In the months following, content about Niger spiked by 6,645 percent on Russian state media and Wagner Telegram channels and included narratives about Western imperialist forces fomenting instability to exploit Nigers mineral resources and sovereignty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A year later, U.S. Defense officials blamed their forced abandonment of a $100 million drone base in the countrys north on a Russian disinformation playbook, bringing into full relief the scale and effectiveness of Russias info war. But Russias assault extends beyond crisis exploitation and into the quotidian. RT, the Russian state-controlled television network, has pivoted to training African journalists after being banned across the Western world, including online platforms like Meta, for spreading disinformation about Ukraine. More than 1,000 African journalists have reportedly completed these courses, creating a network of Moscow-trained journalists across 35 African nations. This Kremlin propaganda machine now broadcasts to more than 40 countries on the continent in six languages and recently launched services in Portuguese and Amharic. TASS, the Russian news service, recently announced plans to open six new African bureaus by next year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, China has adopted an even more comprehensive approach to media influence. Like Moscow, Beijing trains approximately 1,000 African journalists every year in China and Chinese-state news agencies are expanding their presence across the continent. Xinhua already maintains 37 news bureaus and counting across Africa, more than any other African or non-African news agency. China Global Television Network, CGTN, recently announced plans to increase its presence beyond Africas five sub-regions, where it employs its locally-hired staff to paint a rosy picture of Chinese engagement and investment in local languages like Hausa and Bambara. But its Chinas purchase of stakes in local African media, like South Africas Independent Media, that also allows it to fly undetected on the continent and to tell Chinas story well, a strategy proposed by then-Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping at the partys National Propaganda and Ideology Work Conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With 300 million Africans coming online in the past seven years, authoritarian powers are systematically exploiting Africas digital transformation to reshape the continents information environment. Voice of America represents one of Americas most effective responses to this assault. Unlike RTs propaganda masquerading as journalism or Chinas state-influenced messaging, VOA has operated uninterrupted since 1942 under a congressional charter mandating editorial independence and journalistic integrity. This credibility advantage is crucial in an environment where Africans are increasingly skeptical of obviously biased content. VOAs weekly audience is estimated at a little over 93 million, has been growing rapidly and is trusted in many of Africas most important markets. This stands in stark contrast to European news organizations that have been banned in recent years in tens of African countries citing anti-government biases and growing anti-Western sentiment. In contrast, in the 48 African countries where VOA broadcasts, it plays an important role in countering extremist narratives pushed by terror groups like Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram and other ISIS affiliates, while equipping local populations with the information they need to resist extremist propaganda. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These threats, according to the Defense Department, are the epicenter of terrorism around the globeand therein lies the threat to the [U.S.] homeland. More importantly, Voice of America has a unique mandate to tell Americas story and explain U.S. policy to African audiences. Commercial media outlets, like the Associated Press, Reuters or CNN lack both the purpose and the incentive to systematically present American perspectives on global issues, particularly in languages and markets where profitability is limited. Voice of America also covers stories that no other commercial broadcaster prioritizes: African perspectives on American foreign policy, and in-depth coverage of African issues that matter to American policymakers. Africas population will double by 2050, with 70 percent of the population under the age 35 a demographic that still looks to the U.S. for leadership in governance and democratic values but at a decreasing rate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recent polling shows a widening gap among Africans, 60 percent of whom believe that China has a positive political and economic influence on their countries, versus a declining rate of only 53 percent for the U.S. Eliminating Voice of America would hand China and Russia unopposed control over narrative formation among the worlds youngest and fastest-growing population. The response to authoritarian efforts to undermine American interests and African narratives is not retreat but reinforcement. At precisely the moment when Russia and China are investing billions in media operations designed to promote their influence operations and undermine American interests, silencing Americas voice constitutes a unilateral disarmament in an information war that we cannot afford to lose. Cameron Hudson was National Security Council director for Africa in the administration of George W. Bush and is a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Britains plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 wont be derailed by high costs, even though Brits are now paying some of the worlds highest residential electricity prices. Nor will the effort be derailed by lack of support from the Labour Party, which has issued a manifesto claiming that Britain will be a clean energy superpower. Instead, the countrys net-zero scheme will fail because of the fierce opposition from rural landowners throughout the British Isles. They are telling the owners of proposed solar and wind projects to take their oceans of photovoltaic panels and forests of giant turbines and put them somewhere the sun doesnt shine and the wind doesnt blow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proof is in the numbers. Since Jan. 1, there have been nearly four dozen rejections of solar or wind projects in England, Ireland, and Scotland. Among the latest was a rejection last month in Kent, where a planning inspector spiked plans for a massive solar project owned by the French company EDF. The 257-acre project was rejected due to what the planning inspector determined would be a significant adverse effect on the receiving landscape. Also in July, a scheme that aimed to cover 114 acres of prime agricultural land in Scotland with solar panels was rejected by local officials. The project near the town of Coupar Angus had received 44 letters of objection and just one letter in support. I have been tracking the rural backlash against alt-energy projects in the U.S. for 15 years. As the Renewable Rejection Database shows, there have been at least 878 rejections or restrictions of wind and solar projects in the U.S. since 2013, including 82 this year. I am also tracking the international opposition to alt-energy in the Global Renewable Rejection Database. The numbers in the global database show the extent of the local opposition to solar and wind energy in the British Isles. Thus far in 2025, there have been 64 rejections or restrictions of solar or wind projects in countries outside of the U.S. Of that number, 45 have been in England, Ireland, or Scotland. And of that sum, six rejections occurred in July alone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The opposition to these projects is ferocious, and it has been ongoing since at least 2016, when local campaigners defeated a proposal to build a 12-turbine wind project near Scotlands Loch Ness. One of the latest high-profile battles is over the proposed Calderdale Energy project in West Yorkshire. If built, the 300-megawatt plant, promoted by a Saudi outfit called Al Gihaz Holding, would be one of the biggest onshore wind projects in England. The plan calls for 41 massive turbines, standing 200 meters high, to be built amid Walshaw Moor, a region believed to have inspired Emily Brontes masterpiece, Wuthering Heights. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has called the project entirely inappropriate. Opponents have already collected over 15,000 signatures calling for the rejection of the giant bird-chopping project. The surging resistance to solar and wind projects in Britain rhymes with what I have seen all over the world. Although climate NGOs, the pro-solar claque, and pro-wind lobbyists try to dismiss rural residents objections as NIMBYism (not in my backyard), the reality is that everyone, everywhere, cares about what happens in their neighborhoods. Over the last 15 years, I have interviewed dozens of people from numerous countries who have fought solar and wind projects. Their concerns are the same. They are rightly concerned about the deleterious health impacts caused by noise pollution from wind turbines. They are concerned the projects will hurt their property values. Numerous studies have shown that wherever solar and wind projects are built, the value of nearby properties tends to fall. They are concerned about their landscapes and viewsheds. They are also worried about wildlife. And increasingly, objections are being made about the destruction of agricultural land. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To cite just one example, last year, the provincial government in Alberta announced an agriculture first policy designed to protect Canadian farmland from solar and wind development. The province also created a 70,000 square kilometer buffer zone around the Rocky Mountains to preserve viewsheds from alt-energy development. Despite the never-ending hype about renewable energy, land-use conflicts are a binding constraint on the expansion of solar and wind energy. Thats true in England, Ireland, Scotland, and in rural communities worldwide. After watching these fights for years, it is clear to me that the farmers, ranchers, and residents of rural communities are not just going to roll over and take it. They will continue to fight to protect their communities, and the numbers in the Global Renewable Rejection Database will continue to rise. Robert Bryce is a Texas-based author, film producer, and public speaker. 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. President Donald Trumps team, which has been scrambling amidst Alaskas tourist season to find a venue for his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has succeeded. The two leaders will meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, just north of Anchorage. The Americans apparently tried to persuade the Russians to allow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to participate in some fashion, but Putins nyet proved unyielding. Zelenskyy worries that Trump and Putin will do a deal over his head and present Ukraine with a fait accompli. Hes not wrong to be concerned, given Trumps well-documented affinity for Putin. Trump has insisted that Putin wouldnt have invaded Ukraine had he been in the White House in 2022. In January, Putin echoed this claim, blaming the war on the 2020 election, which he, like Trump, falsely asserted was stolen. Trump also promised, on dozens of occasions in 2023 and 2024, to end the Ukraine war in 24 hours if re-elected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But as Putins invasion of Ukraine began, Trump called it genius. Once back in office, in February he and Vice President JD Vance publicly humiliated Zelenskyy during a now-infamous White House meeting. In April, Trump even blamed Zelenskyy for provoking Russias invasion and also chided him for not accepting Russias annexation of Crimea, a move that Trump claimed would have cleared the way for a political settlement brokered by him. In recent months, Trump has been vexed by Putins persistent, devastating attacks on Ukrainian cities and the Russian leaders refusal to heed his calls to stop. In July, Trump complained that Putin talks nice and then he bombs everybody, all but conceding that Putin had been playing him. On July 14, he issued Putin a 50-day ultimatum to accept a 30-day ceasefire (he proposed it in May and Zelenskyy quickly accepted) or face U.S. sanctions starting Sept. 2. But on July 29, Trump upped the ante by reducing that deadline to 10 or 12 days, with Aug. 8 as the final day. Putin refused to blink and continued his relentless drone and missile strikes. Last week, Trump dispatched the White Houses Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, a real estate ally with no previous diplomatic experience, to Moscow to meet with Putin for the fifth time this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Witkoff has reportedly met with Putin unaccompanied by the State Departments Russia experts and has also relied on Putins interpreters. Predictably, he returned from Moscow parroting standard Kremlin arguments. After one trip, for example, he stated that Putin had organized referendums in occupied Ukrainian provinces in September 2022 and that the local population chose to join Russia, adding for good measure that these are Russian-speaking areas. Witkoff seemed not to know that international law deems wartime referendums conducted by an occupying country illegitimate for obvious reasons and that, in any event, Russia did not control all four provinces back then and still fully occupies only Luhansk. Moreover, ethnic Russians make up varying percentages in these provinces. For example, they account for only a quarter of the population in Kherson and about half in Donetsk. And ethnicity and language dont always reliably indicate peoples loyalties, whether in Ukraine or anywhere else. During my four trips to wartime Ukraine, I have met many Ukrainian soldiers who speak Russian to one another while fighting Russians. Witkoff appears unaware of such nuances. Following Witkoffs Aug. 6 meeting with Putin, Trump announced that hed meet the Russian president and proposed land swaps as part of a political settlement in Ukraine. In practice that would require Ukraine to cede the Donbas region (the province of Donetsk and Luhansk) to Russia in return for retaining those parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south that remain under Kyivs control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But as Putin and Trump prepare to meet in Alaska, Russia has not formally accepted the land swap formula. Putin has said consistently that he wants all four Ukrainian provinces plus guarantees that Ukraine wont join NATO and caps on its military manpower and armaments. Trump, for his part, has been silent about his deadline for imposing sanctions, no matter that it has expired. Zelenskyy has rejected any deal that excludes him from the Alaska discussions and has European backing, and Trump has attacked him for rejecting the land swap idea. Trump doesnt appear to know (or care?) that Ukraines constitution requires national referendums to approve territorial changes. Even if one could be arranged amidst the war, the results are hardly certain. Ukrainians are war weary, but as a poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology between July 23 and Aug. 4 showed, the vast majority remain unwilling to trade land for peace. What is certain, however, is that the American military disengagement from the war will continue. Trump has ended Bidens policy of supplying weapons directly to Ukraine, though he has approved sales to Europe for transfer to Ukraine. Vance, long a staunch critic of military aid to Ukraine, reaffirmed his stance this week, arguing that it was up to European governments to back Ukraine. Trump is within his rights to walk away from this war and to insist that its Europes problem. But he also seems bent on trying to shape its outcome, and to Putins advantage, on his way out. Call that gambit what you wish. Just dont call it mediation, which is what Trump says hes engaged in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fridays hastily prepared summit wont produce any breakthroughs. Putin has little incentive, despite mounting economic trouble at home and heavy battlefield losses, to make real concessions or to stop the war permanently. His goal for the summit is to block U.S. sanctions and drive a wedge between Trump and Europe. By flattering Trump and excluding Zelenskyy, and perhaps dangling some alluring ideas for economic cooperation, Putin hopes to push through a deal on his terms. If nothing much comes of the Alaska meeting, Trump will likely blame Zelenskyy, no matter that the Ukrainian president may not even be present. That would suit Putin just fine. But count on this: The war will drag on, no matter what happens in Alaska. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Bianca Gasparoto from Pexels People who regularly consume caffeine are usually in a better mood after a cup of coffee or another caffeinated drinkan effect that is much more pronounced in the morning than later in the day. This finding comes from a new study by researchers at Bielefeld University and the University of Warwick, published in the journal Scientific Reports. Participants reported feeling significantly happier and more enthusiastic on those mornings compared with other days at the same hour when they had not yet had coffee. Links to negative moods such as sadness and feeling upset were also observed, though these effects were less pronounced: after drinking coffee, participants felt slightly less sad or upset than on comparable days without coffee. Unlike the boost in positive emotions, this effect was not dependent on the time of day. In total, 236 young adults in Germany were studied over a period of up to four weeks. Participants completed short questionnaires on their smartphones seven times a day, indicating their current mood and whether they had consumed a caffeinated drink in the preceding 90 minutes. Accordingly, the study focused on caffeine consumption in everyday life, not just in artificial laboratory settings. Perceived effect regardless of consumption habits The researchers also investigated whether coffee has different effects on different individuals. Justin Hachenberger from Bielefeld University in Germany says, "We were somewhat surprised to find no differences between individuals with varying levels of caffeine consumption or differing degrees of depressive symptoms, anxiety, or sleep problems. The links between caffeine intake and positive or negative emotions were fairly consistent across all groups." The researchers expected that people with higher levels of anxiety would experience negative mood changes, such as increased nervousness, after consuming caffeine. However, Hachenberger emphasizes that people who react to caffeine in a bad way may avoid it and that the study did not include people who completely abstain from caffeine. Role of caffeine withdrawal symptoms remains unclear The researchers explain the mood-boosting effect of caffeine on morning mood with its ability to block adenosine receptors, which promotes wakefulness and makes people feel more energetic. "Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors, which can increase dopamine activity in key brain regionsan effect that studies have linked to improved mood and greater alertness," says Professor Anu Realo from the University of Warwick. Yet, it remains unclear whether these effects are related to a reduction in withdrawal symptoms after a night's sleep. "Even people with moderate caffeine consumption can experience mild withdrawal symptoms that disappear with the first cup of coffee or tea in the morning," says Realo. Caffeine consumption: A universal habit "Around 80% of adults worldwide consume caffeinated beverages, and the use of such stimulating substances dates far back in human history," says Professor Sakari Lemola from Bielefeld University, the study's senior author. "Even wild animals consume caffeine; bees and bumblebees prefer nectar from plants that contain caffeine." Still, the study authors caution that caffeine can lead to dependence. Excessive intake is linked to various health risks, and consuming it later in the day can lead to sleep problems. More information: Justin Hachenberger et al, The association of caffeine consumption with positive affect but not with negative affect changes across the day, Scientific Reports (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-14317-0 Journal information: Scientific Reports I didnt go to Buffalo Wild Wings that Monday thinking anything unusual would happen. It was just a regular afternoon, and I wanted to grab dinner with my friend. But the second we walked in, I could tell something was off. The staff members were wishing Happy Easter to most of the customers but not us. I noticed one server kept giving us dirty looks and whispering to her co-workers. Later, I got up to use the womens restroom. And thats when everything changed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The same server whod been staring at us came into the bathroom, banged on my stall door and started yelling that I was a man and needed to get out. I felt trapped. I was confused and scared, and my heart was pounding. Unsure of what else to do, I ended up unzipping my hoodie to show I had breasts (I did have a T-shirt on). After rolling her eyes, she walked out. After that she left me alone, and the manager came and served us. No apology, nothing. (Requests for comment by MSNBC to Inspire Brands, which owns Buffalo Wild Wings, went unanswered. MSNBC also attempted to contact the local franchise branch, and did not receive a response.) Im a biracial lesbian. I have short hair and dress in a way some people would call masculine. Honestly, Im used to being stared at or whispered about in bathrooms and other spaces. It has happened more times than I can count. But this was different. It was scary. It was humiliating. And now, Im nervous every time I walk into a public bathroom. I worry something like this is going to happen again. My family worries, too. After dinner, I went home and told my family what happened. They were outraged. My stepmom posted about it on Facebook and it quickly blew up. Many people commented on her post and messaged her about how theyve experienced harassment like I did, or have a friend or family member who has. Some people sent us really hateful messages. That was really hard. I realized its not just me. This is a huge problem and whats happening to people in bathrooms is wrong. Thats why I decided to speak up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My stepmom reached out to Gender Justice, a nonprofit law firm that fights for people. I learned that here in Minnesota, its illegal to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people in public spaces like restaurants and bathrooms. They helped me file a discrimination charge with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. We want Buffalo Wild Wings to acknowledge what happened and that it was wrong. Were asking Buffalo Wild Wings to take accountability, and to do better. We also want people to see how bad it is when people decide to police who belongs in a bathroom. Honestly, I dont like thinking or talking about what happened. It makes me anxious to have to relive it. But I wanted to share my story because I think its important to stand up for whats right. I dont want other people to feel alone if it happens to them. I want people to know its OK to stick up for themselves. I want them to know its OK to be who you are. No one should be put in that position. I was just going to the bathroom ... in America, a country that prides itself on its rights to individual liberty and privacy. Its my hope that by telling my story, Americans will recognize that this is in fact happening in our country and that it could keep happening unless they use their voices to demand this invasive bigotry stops. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com August marks National Immunization Awareness Month, a timely reminder of one of the most profound and effective public health achievements in human history: vaccines. Here in Utah, that message has received official support Governor Spencer Cox recently signed a declaration recognizing August 2025 as Immunization Awareness Month in our state. This recognition highlights the vital role vaccines play in protecting our communities and affirms Utahs commitment to promoting science-based public health practices. Here in Utah, we value family, community and personal responsibility. Vaccines reflect all three. Theyre not only about individual protection but also about safeguarding our children, our senior parents, our neighbors with compromised immune systems and future generations. And while most Utahns continue to support immunizations, vaccination rates are slipping. Utah currently has the second highest rate of exemptions in the U.S., and that puts all of us at risk. Recent headlines about the resurgence of measles and policy moves affecting the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices have put vaccine science back in the national spotlight. These developments are a stark reminder that vaccines are not just a matter of science they are a matter of civic duty and community protection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lets not forget that vaccines have helped eradicate deadly diseases like smallpox and dramatically reduced others, including polio, rubella and measles. Since 1974, they have prevented over 154 million deaths globally, including more than 146 million among children under five. Here in the U.S., among the roughly 117 million children born between 1994 and 2023, vaccines have averted an estimated 508 million cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, and 1.1 million deaths all while saving over $3.2 trillion in healthcare and societal costs. These arent just statistics. They represent birthdays, graduations, family dinners and ordinary moments preserved millions of them. Yet vaccine-preventable diseases are making a comeback. Why? In large part, misinformation and confusion have led some to delay or avoid vaccines. And with highly contagious illnesses like measles, community immunity only works when at least 95% of the population is protected. Falling below that threshold opens the door to outbreaks and unnecessary suffering. Weve known the value of vaccination since the founding of our nation. General George Washington insisted his troops be vaccinated against smallpox, understanding that victory depended on their health. That legacy continues today, as vaccines remain essential to the strength of our military, police, schools, healthcare system and society as a whole. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vaccines do more than prevent acute infections. They reduce the risk of certain cancers like HPV-related cancers, and protect against long-term complications and respiratory illnesses like flu and RSV. They help keep our hospitals from becoming overwhelmed and our workplaces running smoothly. But access and science alone arent enough. Trust is essential. We need transparent communication, reliable information and community-based conversations to rebuild vaccine confidence and ensure everyone can make informed decisions. So this August, lets renew our commitment to protecting Utahs future. Take a moment to check your familys immunization records. Whether its for your kids heading back to school, your aging parents or yourself, ensuring that everyone is up to date on their recommended vaccines is a simple but meaningful step. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read and share information from trusted sources such as the CDC, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, and your healthcare provider. In a world full of noise and misinformation, sharing accurate, science-based facts can make a difference. And most importantly, talk to a healthcare provider you trust. Ask questions. Understand what vaccines are recommended for your age and health status, as well as for those you love. These conversations can prevent disease, save lives and bring peace of mind. Vaccines and the health they help ensure are gifts we give each other today, and for generations to come. Lets work together to ensure we are giving ourselves, our loved ones and our communities the healthiest possible future. (KRON) Oracle is laying off 188 Bay Area workers in the latest round of ongoing tech layoffs. State filings indicate that the tech giant will cut 45 jobs at its Pleasanton office and 143 at its former headquarters on the Peninsula in Redwood City. The layoffs are set to take effect on Oct. 13. State filings indicated the layoffs are permanent. MOST LOVED & HANDSOME GOVERNOR Newsom trolls Trump on social media Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Bloomberg, the job cuts are in the tech giants cloud computing unit. Oracles layoffs come as the company is reportedly investing heavily in artificial intelligence. Oracle moved its headquarters from the Bay Area to Austin, Texas in 2020. Last year, CEO Larry Ellison said the company would again be relocating its headquarters to Nashville, Tennessee to be closer to the health care industry. In other tech layoff news this week, Block, the fintech company founded by Jack Dorsey, announced it would be cutting five jobs at its headquarters in Oakland. 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. Dwayne Yunker reads a passage from the young adult novel, "The Haters." (Screenshot from House floor on March 17, 2025) A split legislative committee on Thursday dismissed allegations of misconduct against a southern Oregon Republican who read a sexually explicit book passage on the House floor. The House Committee on Conduct met virtually at noon to discuss whether Rep. Dwayne Yunker, R-Grants Pass, violated legislative rules and created a hostile work environment after he read a passage from the book The Haters, on the House floor. Yunker, who routinely uses the three minutes allotted to each lawmaker for comments to rail against Democrats and LGBTQ+ issues in particular, read the passage to protest the books accessibility to high schoolers in his district on March 17. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Oregon Legislative Equity Office, which operates similar to a human resources department for lawmakers, lobbyists and legislative staff, received at least two complaints from legislative staff members alleging Yunker made sexually explicit remarks on the House floor that day. The identities of the staff members were not disclosed during the meeting or in a report investigating the instance. One of the staff members subsequently accused Yunker of retaliation after he publicly disclosed the letter that the Oregon Legislative Equity Office had delivered to his office informing him of the allegations against him. Two of the four lawmakers on the committee, Republican Reps. Kevin Mannix of Salem and Ed Diehl of Stayton, voted to dismiss the allegations that Yunker engaged in verbal conduct of a sexual nature. Meanwhile, Reps. Jason Kropf, D-Bend and Rep. Thuy Tran, D-Portland, voted to support the allegations. The motion failed to pass because of the 2-2 vote. Misconduct or freedom of speech? Lawmakers on the committee spent two hours discussing amongst each other and listening to the results of the investigation from Legislative Equity Officer Bor Yang and independent investigator Kia Roberts, both of whom found credibility in the staff complaints. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Diehl voted against the misconduct allegations against Yunker, explaining that whats debated on the House floor is protected speech. And while he is sensitive to workplace harassment complaints, he said people shouldnt be working in politics if theyre offended by debate. Part of our job is to also uphold the Constitution and preserve the ability of legislators to speak freely on behalf of their constituents, Diehl said. We have difficult things to talk about, and this issue is very important to many of my constituents and Rep. Yunkers constituents. Kropf said he somewhat agreed with Diehl about the extent to which lawmakers have freedom to say what they want to on the House floor, and he agreed with the Republicans that Yunker did not act in retaliation because the staff members identities were kept confidential. His release of the information did not target any individuals, Kropf said, while acknowledging the courage it took from the staff members to file a complaint. It targeted a system. And so my view is, when I look at the intent, I dont see intent of retaliation against the complainants. I see an intent to expose and complain about a system which the representative disagrees with. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tran was consistently outspoken against Yunkers remarks and the accusations of retaliation, even calling Kropfs understanding unjust and saying that it disregards the people who made the complaints. You understand the intent of Rep. Yunker, but do you understand or take into consideration the intent of the victims that were involved? she asked Kropf, adding that she was very disappointed and ashamed to be a legislator today. Yunker was not present at the meeting, but shortly after the meeting concluded he celebrated the committees decision on social media. This isnt just a victory for me, he wrote. Its a victory for every Oregonian who believes their elected representatives should speak freely, without fear of punishment for their viewpoints. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a previous news release about the investigation against him, Yunker said he stood by every word he read and would not apologize for defending parental rights and biblical values. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Organization helps HBCU students with everything they need for move-in day The Move-in Day Mafia helped students at Spelman, Morehouse, and Clark Atlanta University settle into their dorms as the new school year began. The organization focuses on assisting students who have aged out of foster care, providing them with essential supplies and dorm room makeovers to ensure they start their college careers on the right foot. A lot of scholars are coming here alone. They have to navigate this space alone. Expect for MIDM, we show up with everything they need, the cleaning supplies, their favorite items, said TeeJ Mercer, Founder of Move-in Day Mafia. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Move-in Day Mafia, based in Atlanta, has been actively supporting students since 2022, having helped 84 students across 21 different historically Black colleges and universities. This year, the organization plans to assist an additional 25 students. The initiative involves an army of 50 to 60 volunteers from the community and businesses like Amazon, Cisco, and Best Buy. These volunteers spend the day transforming dorm rooms for students who may not have family support, ensuring they have a welcoming and functional living space. Beyond move-in day, Move-in Day Mafia continues to support these students by providing monthly care packages and ongoing support throughout their four years of college. With the continued efforts of Move-in Day Mafia, students who have aged out of foster care can look forward to a supportive college experience, helping them focus on their education and future goals. DES MOINES, Iowa Over 3,000 origami cranes are on display at the Iowa State Fair, honoring the 65th anniversary of Iowas sister-state relationship with Yamanashi, Japan. The Cranes of Friendship Project was organized by the Japan-America Society of Iowa (JASI). It started after an Iowa delegate visited Yamanashi, Japan, last year. He was gifted 1,000 cranes to bring back to Iowa. Iowa State Fairgoers react to number 2 national ranking Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Japanese culture, 1,000 cranes are made as a celebration. In return, the executive director of JASI, Yoko Tanaka, started holding workshops across the state at different high schools, colleges, organizations, and even peoples homes. During these workshops, she taught Iowans how to make origami cranes. In total, Iowans created 2,443 cranes, and now these cranes are on display in the 4-H Building alongside the cranes from Yamanashi. Along with seeing the unique display, fairgoers can also learn how to make their own origami crane for free. JASI will be holding a crane-making workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. Iowa news Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was indicted Friday on federal charges including conspiracy, fraud and obstruction, following allegations of trying to hide a romantic relationship with her bodyguard. Prosecutors allege that in October 2021, Cantrell and Jeffrey Vappie, her bodyguard, developed a "personal, intimate relationship," said Michael Simpson, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Since Vappie's retirement in June 2024, the two had "embarked on a scheme to defraud the city of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department," Simpson said during a news conference on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The indictment alleges that Vappie was paid as if he was working when he and the mayor met alone in apartments and traveled to vineyards. Simpson said Cantrell arranged for Vappie to be on at least 14 domestic and international trips to "maximize their time together and to engage in personal activities." "In total, the city of New Orleans paid over $70,000 for Vappie's travel on these trips alone," Simpson said. At the time, Cantrell said she invited a bodyguard to travel with her due to COVID-19 and as a matter of safety, Simpson said. The mayor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It wasn't immediately clear if Cantrell has an attorney representing her. Vappie was already facing wire fraud and making false statements charges, and has pleaded not guilty, The Associated Press reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors also accused Vappie and Cantrell of exchanging encrypted messages through WhatsApp to avoid detection and then deleting the conversations. In one undated instance, a private citizen took pictures of Cantrell and Vappie together in public, dining and consuming alcohol, while Vappie reported being on duty. Cantrell filed a police report and sought a restraining order against that citizen, prosecutors said. "This indictment does not allege that a relationship constitutes a crime," Simpson said. "It also does not allege that the criminal activity occurred on merely a handful of days or that the behavior was limited to a small series of actions. Rather, it reflects the prosecution of two public officials alleged to have engaged in a yearslong, continuing fraud scheme that used public money for personal ends by exploiting their power and their authority." Cantrell is the city's first female mayor in its 300-year history. Cantrell, a Democrat, is term-limited and is set to leave office in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is a sad day for the people of New Orleans. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cantrell family as they navigate through this difficult time," a spokesperson for City Council President JP Morrell told CBS affiliate WWL Louisiana. Saturday Sessions: Lord Huron performs "Nothing I Need" Saturday Sessions: Lord Huron performs "Bag of Bones" Saturday Sessions: Lord Huron performs "Watch Me Go" Sen. Jon Ossoff speaks at a press conference in Atlanta on Aug. 14 to urge Congress to extend the Affordable Care Acts enhanced premium tax credits. Maya Homan/Georgia Recorder Georgia residents could see as much as a 40% increase in their health insurance premiums if Congress does not act to extend the Affordable Care Acts enhanced premium tax credits, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff said at a press conference Thursday. Ossoff, a Democrat, said he is urging congressional Republicans to reverse course on allowing the credits which help subsidize ACA health care premiums for low-income and middle class families to expire. Currently, families with incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty line are eligible for the credits, which comes out to $62,600 for a single-person household and $128,600 for a household of four. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without the credits, Ossoff warned, health care costs are expected to rise dramatically, forcing families to pay more out of pocket or forgo health insurance coverage entirely. When folks cant make their household finances work already with rent or the mortgage and the car payment and gas and groceries, the last thing Georgia families need right now is to be paying thousands of dollars more per year for their health insurance, Ossoff said. Roughly 310,000 people across Georgia are projected to lose access to health insurance by 2034 under the GOPs budget reconciliation bill, often referred to by supporters as the big, beautiful bill, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump in July. If Congress allows enhanced tax credits for those insured through the Affordable Care Act to expire this year, that number could rise to 750,000, according to data from the nonprofit health policy research organization KFF. The credits were first introduced in 2021 as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, and are associated with record high ACA enrollment levels. In Georgia, 96% of enrollees use advanced premium tax credits to cover some or all of their health care costs. Georgias state insurance marketplace, known as Georgia Access, is the second-largest in the country after California. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The enhanced premium tax credits have allowed Georgia Access to be so successful, and they have allowed hundreds of thousands of Georgians to get coverage for the first time, said Whitney Griggs, the director of health policy at Georgians for a Healthy Future, a patient advocacy group. Other organizations that advocate for health care access joined Ossoff in his push to renew the credits. This is going to affect a lot of people, said Lloyd Sirmons, the executive director of the Georgia Rural Health Association. Its going to affect your elderly people who are going to see their premiums go up drastically. Its going to affect your small business owners and their workers, because their premiums are going to go up. At the end of the day, thats the thing that really kind of resonates with me most is when people have to start deciding if theyre going to be able to pay for the health care, or if theyre going to be able to pay for their food, Sirmons added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ossoff said that Congress could advance legislation to extend the credits as soon as their first week back in session. Both chambers will return from their August recess after Labor Day. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE We here in the news media world get a lot of emails. Among the flotsam and jetsam of my inbox are unsolicited health tips a la 5 Ways to Stop Post-Sweat Acne and news of touring musical productions performing nowhere near Central Oregon. Among my personal favorite types of work emails to get are, interesting and by interesting, I mean click-bait worthy survey results. David Jasper is a features editor and columnist for The Bulletin in Bend, where hes worked since 2001. He can be reached at 541-383-0349 or David.Jasper@bendbulletin.com. (The Bulletin/File) I certainly clicked when I read the subject line, Joseph (Oregon) Named as Having the Most Stunning Views Among Americas Coastal Communities. (PR folks love to abuse capitalization this way.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yes, that Joseph, way over in Wallowa County in Northeastern Oregon, which last we checked was a few hundred miles from the actual Oregon coast, coast being defined for these purposes as a stretch of land next to an ocean. I think we can all agree that the survey respondent who answered Joseph must be one of these: a civic booster of the small town, a smart aleck or someone lacking the mental faculties to discern what coastal means. Yes, Joseph has lovely views of Wallowa Lake to its south, but that does not a coastline make. Before you gripe about your tax dollars going to waste, the survey was conducted by the New Jersey Real Estate Network. The press release explains that the homelisting platform carried out a survey of 3,013 respondents to find out which U.S. coastal communities offer the most stunning daily views, according to the people who know them best. I know where they should have carried it out to, but lets continue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From craggy New England bluffs to pastel Gulf sunsets, Pacific cliffside roads to glassy alpine lakes, Americas waterfront landscapes are as diverse as they are breathtaking. But when it comes to living with those views waking up to waves, walking to the sound of foghorns, watching the sky melt into the sea some towns do it better than others. Apparently, some towns do it so well they dont even need a flipping ocean nearby. To be fair, if you read the provided infographic, from the top to bottom, the survey starts out pretty strong, with three places in Hawaii (Kaunakakai, Hana, Haleiwa), followed by two in Florida (Cedar Key, Appalachicola). In sixth: Cambria, California. Cape May, New Jersey, takes seventh place. My mom was from New Jersey, and I went to Cape May once or twice, so I can verify, as can any map, that its at the bottom of New Jersey, which is on the Atlantic Coast, which has a coast, as evidenced by the word coast in its name. As to its stunning views, I couldnt say, but some survey respondents must have. But can we even trust survey respondents? Perhaps not, as coming in at No. 8 is, of course, Twin Lakes, Colorado. That could be a fluke, you may be thinking. Surely No. 9, you may also be thinking, will be a swift course correction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course, youre wrong. No. 9 is another Colorado spot, Lake City. Savannah is named at No. 19, but its not the one youre thinking of, over there near the Georgia coast. This one is in, of course, Tennessee, just east of the Tennessee River. Landlocked states pepper the list of places named in the survey, including Utah, Iowa, Wyoming and Pennsylvania. To add injury to insult, all of those coastal notspots come in ahead of Joseph, which landed at stinking No. 81. But dont worry, there are 135 places named in the survey. Plenty of other landlocked places with the Most Stunning Views Among Americas Coastal Communities hours from anything resembling an ocean finished below Joseph, including Augusta, Kentucky (No. 106) and Hope, Idaho (No. 116) and Incline Village, Nevada (No. 117). Is there anyplace that sounds less coastally stunning than Valley City, Devils Lake, or Garrison, North Dakota? Yes. North Dakota is on the survey results three times, as are Iowa, Idaho and Kansas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am not trying to disparage or denigrate any of these possibly lovely places, per se, but rather the presumably sentient people who would name them on a survey of most stunning coastal views. Words have meaning, people. I think Sunset Beach up on Elk Lake has some stunning views across its waters, but I wouldnt suggest it in a survey of Stunning Coastal Views because it is, last I checked, its on a lake, not an ocean, and I know what these words mean. There are actual Oregon coastal views at, in no particular order, Pacific City, Newport, Lincoln City, Astoria, Reedsport, Bandon, Rockaway Beach, Coos Bay. I have been to most but not all of those places, yet I am 100% certain each one has a better coastal view than any Plains or Midwest states. If Kansas, Iowa and North Dakota can be said to have coastal views, then I think we can agree that words no longer have meaning, and Josephs coastal views beat all of those wannabes. At least Oregon has a coast. Turkish authorities on Friday ordered the detention of dozens of people, including a district mayor from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), in the latest corruption probe targeting Istanbuls CHP-run municipality. Among the total of 44 suspects are Beyoglu district Mayor Inan Guney, an adviser to jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, and city employees, Cumhuriyet (Republic) daily reported. The suspects are accused of bribery, fraud and illegally obtaining personal data, among others, added the report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CHP denounced the arrests as a politically motivated effort to silence dissent. "This is not law, it is a political operation run on orders from the government," CHP lawmaker Burhanettin Bulut wrote on X. Imamoglu, a potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested and removed from office in March. This sparked nationwide protests. The CHP continues to hold rallies to date. Imamoglu has faced several investigations and trials since ending Erdogan's control of Turkey's largest city Istanbul in 2019 elections. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Kampus Production from Pexels Going home from the hospital can be an anxious time for older people, their caregivers and family members. Yet limited resources exist to support culturally diverse caregivers to cope with this transition, despite Australia's multicultural society. To address this, a Living Labs project focused on creating co-designed multimedia resources with Greek, Italian and Chinese caregivers, and older adults, to support their interaction with health professionals and care providers. The project, led by Associate Professor Jacqui Allen and Dr. Yaping Zhong, from the National Center for Healthy Aging and Monash University's School of Nursing and Midwifery, developed storyboards addressing the different cultural needs and preferences for culturally diverse caregivers. The storyboards then supported the development of culturally specific and accessible educational videos and brochures, which have been translated across four languages. The brochures include checklists to use when in the hospital, preparing to go home and when at home. The brochures also include a list of key words and services in aged care, handy tips and links to services to get help and information after being discharged from hospital. The team found each community brought a slightly different approach, often framed around their level of English and digital proficiency and how they liked to access information, through either booklets, videos or person-to-person. Associate Professor Allen said when you look at the literature there's very limited research about supporting people from culturally diverse backgrounds, yet they have poorer health outcomes. They take a longer time to access health and support services. "Going online or ringing up support services can be quite challenging, particularly for people who may have never had the opportunity to go to school and don't read and write. They'll be relying on other family members, younger family members to assist them with accessing services and support their ideas about things," she said. Family plays a strong role in all three communities, with older people looking to their loved ones for support. Associate Professor Allen said the research showed how this framed accessing health services. "Things like respite can be quite challenging for caregivers from culturally diverse backgrounds because the idea of putting the older person into a residential facility for a couple of weeks so the caregivers can have a break may not make sense to them. They want to go with them. And again, it's that idea of the family. You don't separate your family. You're all in it together." Co-researcher Dr. Zhong said lower levels of English and digital literacy were raised by some of the Greek participants. "In the Greek group, their education level is much lower, and they don't use the internet, and so it's difficult to run online workshops. [Some of them] told us they couldn't read and would prefer someone to talk to them rather than ask them to read a long document." Dr. Zhong said the Chinese community regarded supporting their loved ones through hospital and health service visits as an extended family responsibility. More information: To access the co-designed resources please visit the NCHA website. Reports have indicated that Hamas demanded the release of Barghouti throughout ceasefire-hostage deal negotiations, hoping that such a move would reignite support for Hamas. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir spoke with Marwan Barghouti in prison on Thursday and warned, "Whoever messes with Israel - we will wipe him out." "You will not defeat us, whoever messes with the people of Israel, whoever murders our children and women - we will wipe him out," Ben-Gvir told him. "You need to know this, it's been like this throughout history." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Palestinian Authority released a complaint following Ben-Gvir's comments, claiming that his comments constituted "state terrorism." "The Palestinian Authority's Foreign Ministry condemns the raid by extremist Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on the cell of commander Marwan al-Barghouti, directly threatening him. This is an unprecedented provocation and organized state terrorism," the statement read. Jailed Fatah official Marwan Barghouti (credit: REUTERS) Arab-Israeli MK Ayman Odeh, head of Hadash-Ta'al, commented on social media in English: "This video lays bare the full ugliness of the Israeli occupation: Itamar Ben Gvir, a terrorist in a tie, tormenting Marwan Barghouti in a cell under cruel, inhumane conditions," adding that evil is powerless against "a people fighting for their freedom." "The Palestinian people will prevail over the occupation and every Ben Gvir standing in its way," Odeh concluded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ben-Gvir later wrote in a social media post that after hearing the PA's condemnation, he said he would repeat his statements "again and again without apologizing: anyone who messes with the people of Israel, anyone who murders our children, anyone who murders our women we will wipe him out. With Gods help." The national security minister referred to Barghouti as an "arch-terrorist" and called for his name to be erased. Who is Marwan Barghouti? Barghouti was sentenced in 2004 to five life sentences for his role in orchestrating attacks that killed Israelis. He helped establish Tanzim, the military faction of Fatah, in the 1980s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barghouti, often referred to as the Palestinian Mandela, has long been considered a unifying figure among Palestinians, according to The Media Line. Reports have indicated that Hamas demanded the release of Barghouti throughout the ceasefire-hostage deal negotiations, hoping that such a move would reignite support for Hamas. Marwan Barghouti is seen in Israeli custody in 2007 [AP] Palestinian officials have condemned far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvirs taunting visit to the jail cell of long-imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti. Footage of the visit shared on social media on Thursday showed the minister making threatening remarks to the 66-year-old. In the footage, Ben-Gvir is seen telling Barghouti, who has been in prison since 2002, including years in solitary confinement: You wont win. Whoever messes with the nation of Israel, whoever murders our children and women we will wipe them out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You should know this, [this happened] throughout history, Ben-Gvir added. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the incident in the strongest terms. In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said Ben-Gvirs actions were an unprecedented provocation and organised state terrorism, falling within the framework of the crimes of genocide, displacement, and annexation faced by the prisoners and our people. It added that the Palestinian Authority will take the threat seriously and will follow up with the International Committee of the Red Cross, relevant states, the international community, and its specialised organisations and councils. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barghoutis wife, Fadwa, said he and other Palestinian prisoners are subjected to inhumane treatment behind bars. They are still, Marwan, chasing you and pursuing you even in the solitary cell youve been living in for two years, and the struggle of the occupation and its figures with you continues. The shackles are on your hands, but I know your spirit and determination, and I know you will remain free, free, free, she wrote in a statement on Facebook. I know that the only thing that can shake you is what you hear about your peoples pain, and the only thing that crushes and wounds you is the failure to protect our sons and daughters. You are of the people; wherever you are among the people, you are one of them and part of them. Al Jazeeras Gabriel Elizondo asked at a daily United Nations briefing in New York if Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had seen the video of Barghouti being interrogated and what was the reaction to it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The UN chiefs spokesman Stephane Dujarric replied, I can tell you that the video is disturbing. Were aware of the video. And its worth reminding that, prisoners need to be treated, that need to be treated, in a way that abides by international law and that respects their inherent dignity. Shocking Israels Channel 12 broadcast a video clip of Ben-Gvirs visit at Ganot Prison in central Israel. The channel reported that the ministers visit was intended to oversee stricter conditions for Palestinian prisoners. The video marks the first time for years that footage of Barghouti has been published. His family and rights groups said he has been in solitary confinement since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023 after Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel. Relatives of Barghouti who viewed the footage told Al Jazeera Arabic there was a shocking appearance in his features, apparently from exhaustion and hunger, and expressed fear that he would die in custody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In October, the Palestinian Prisoners Society accused Israeli prison staff of brutally assaulting and injuring Barghouti while he was being held in solitary confinement. The claims that he has several times been beaten by prison staff have been denied by the Israel Prisons Service. The Fatah leader was sentenced to five life sentences plus 40 years for his alleged role in planning attacks that caused the deaths of five civilians during the second Intifada. PANAMA CITY BEACH A man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk on Front Beach Road. On Aug. 2, 2024, about 9 p.m., Casey Rattan, 40, of Panama City Beach was speeding down Front Beach Road, according to arrest reports. He struck 29-year-old Thomas Jacob Lyon of Missouri, killing him. The Lake Expo reported that Lyon was crossing the street with his family. When the car came speeding toward them he pushed the children out of harm's way before being struck. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lyon was on vacation with his family celebrating him and his wife's first wedding anniversary. WMBB's Heather Bazley reported that had gotten married in Panama City Beach the year prior. More on car crashes: Car crashes through windows of downtown business. It just happened to be a glass company Rattan was found to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time. He was booked into the Bay County Jail on charges of vehicular homicide and DUI involving a death on Aug. 2. He was released the next day on a $250,000 bail, according to Lake Expo. He was arrested again on Aug. 5. Rattan plead guilty to DUI manslaughter on June 10. On Aug. 12, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison and had his driver's license revoked for life. This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Beach man gets 15 years for DUI manslaughter PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) Beginning 5:01 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, the Panama City Beach Government will be closing the entrance of Beachwood Drive at Summerwood Drive, according to a post on their Facebook. The road will be temporarily closed for the installation of new drainage pipes and roadway reconstruction. It is unclear how long they will be closed for. The Panama City Beach government is recommending caution while driving in the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 mypanhandle.com. Shocking images of rabbits with deformities on their heads are spreading across platforms in posts warning about a mysterious "black tentacle virus" that can infect other species, with some calling for the animals to be shot if encountered. While the affliction is real and stems from a cancer-causing strain similar to the human papillomavirus, experts say it is nothing new and is not dangerous to humans or any other species besides rabbits. "WARNING: 'DO NOT TOUCH!' - RABBITS INFECTED WITH BLACK TENTACLE VIRUS," says an August 14, 2025 Facebook post sharing dramatic photos of rabbits with thick, spiky growths on their heads. "In Colorado, wild rabbits are being found with black, horn-like growths erupting from their heads caused by a mysterious viral infection. Officials warn it can spread to pets through direct contact. #rabbitsinfected #blacktentaclesvirus." Screenshot of a Facebook post taken August 15, 2025 The images circulated widely across social media, with some posts suggesting that people shoot the infected animals if encountered in the wild. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If I see tentacles sprouting out of somebody's head because they decided to touch one of the ... rabbits, click clack boom," a person says in an August 13 video viewed over 12,000 times on TikTok. Computer-generated images of bunnies with tentacles coming out of their noses later started spreading online. But wildlife experts told AFP that while the posts reference a real disease, they are exaggerated (archived here). The condition is not new and does not pose a serious threat to humans or other animal species. The reported sightings likely stem from the same few rabbits being spotted by different residents, Colorado wildlife services said, and most rabbits can live normally with the condition, which occasionally clears on its own. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advanced cases of the condition have been documented over the years. AFP was, for instance, able to identify the rabbit in one of the pictures shared online as a taxidermied cottontail from the University of Kansas Natural History Museum's collection by matching the background to that of a photo from a 2015 history blog (archived here). A screenshot of an image used in August 2025 social media posts taken August 15, 2025 Screenshot taken August 15, 2025 of a photo embedded in a 2015 history blogpost 'Same rabbits' Kara Van Hoose, northeast region public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told AFP on August 13 that the pictures likely show an outbreak of Shope papillomavirus in the Fort Collins area (archived here and here). "We have started to take more reports of rabbits in the northern Colorado area affected with the virus since photos were first published last Friday," she told AFP August 13. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're up to maybe a dozen or so reports, but it's most likely people reporting the same rabbits and not a dozen rabbits infected." The disease, spread through biting insects including fleas and ticks, causes wart-like growths, usually on the face and neck of rabbits. The animals can also clear the virus from their systems on their own in most cases, which remain benign. "We would be concerned only if the growths are on the eyes or impede the rabbit's ability to eat," Van Hoose said. The growths on rabbits have been observed in the United States for well over a hundred years, experts say, and were first documented by Richard Shope in 1933 (archived here). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cases are even thought to have inspired the American myth of the "jackalope" (archived here). "Using historical specimens in mammal collections here at the University of Kansas, we have been able to recover the virus from a hundred-year-old preserved specimen of an eastern cottontail," said Robert Timm, an associate professor emeritus from the University of Kansas who has studied the disease in rabbits (archived here). Not dangerous to humans Timm also dismissed the claims that the August 2025 sightings amount to a "recent invasion" that could threaten humans. "The virus has been in the environment for perhaps tens of thousands of years," he said August 14. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Colorado Parks and Wildlife does not recommend killing the infected rabbits if found in nature, but "as with any wildlife, pets should not interact or come in contact with the rabbits," Van Hoose said. Karen Fox, a pathologist at the Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (archived here), confirmed the virus does not affect humans, dogs, or cats. Domesticated bunnies, however, are at risk of catching the virus from a wild infected specimen. Fox cautioned the disease "is often more severe in pet rabbits than in wild rabbits." "The best way to prevent infections in pet rabbits is to keep pet rabbits indoors, especially during the summer and fall months when insect activity is highest," she told AFP on August 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to University of Kansas's Timm, there are no known cases of this virus ever being transmitted to humans either from mosquitoes or rabbits. AFP previously investigated other claims about wild animals and viruses. DENMARK Paratroopers are performing jumps at the Northeast Ohio Regional Airport as part of D-Day Conneaut for the third year in a row. Jumps can be viewed by the public 9 a.m. today and 8 a.m. Saturday at the airport, located at 2383 Airport Road in Denmark Township. The jumps are organized by W&R Vets. On Thursday, paratroopers were training and some performed jumps, though the public was not invited to attend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russ Battiato, of W&R vets, said the Federal Aviation Administration bars people who have less than 35 jumps from jumping over crowds. Many of Thursdays jumpers were owed jumps from last year that were cancelled due to bad weather, Battiato said. Battiato is a veteran and a second-generation paratrooper. When I retired, I didnt even know the civilian jump world existed, he said. I ran into somebody that had told me about going to Normandy, and I thought that was just exceptional. Battiato learned about other jumps in the United States via social media, he said. I lived 47 miles southeast of here, and I was seeing the C-47s flying overhead, and Im thinking, Why are they going over and Im not jumping out of them? he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Battiato met with re-enactors, who said they were not trained paratroopers, and decided he could give them the training and help D-Day Conneaut out. I found the Benson Farm out on Route 7, and I put my uniform on, went to see Jerry Benson and knocked on his door, he said. He answered the door. Hes got a ponytail to the end of his back, and he says, I think Im a little old to be drafted. Battiato said he asked Benson is was okay with his friends becoming lawn darts and Benson was receptive. Jumps stopped happening at the Benson farm in Monroe because of windy conditions, Battiato previously said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three years ago when we started, we had 40 jumpers, Battiato said. Last year we had 52. This year we shut it down at close to 90. Word has spread, and the jumps have become a vital part of D-Day Conneaut, he said. Rick Weber, a veteran from Pittsburgh, has come to D-Day Conneaut for more than ten years, and been involved with the jumps since they started. Weber is retired from jumping, but still comes to fly in the planes and support the younger jumpers, he said. Its an honor to watch these young guys, young women do this, Weber said. Jumping out of a plane is hard to describe to someone who has never done it before, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its like describing Niagara Falls. Its like describing the Grand Canyon. You cannot put it into words, he said. Some people dont like it. Every time its different, but its a thrill. Weber said he loves returning to D-Day Conneaut. I dont miss it. This is on my itinerary, he said. My wife and I actually only come [for the jumps] now. I dont go down to [Conneaut] now. The paratroopers grow close doing jumps together, Weber said. These guys are my brothers, he said. Duke Moody, of Cincinnati, is one of the newer paratroopers. I just completed my third jump today, he said. This is all brand new to me. This will be my first jump out of the C-47. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moody said many participating paratroopers were coming from as far as Canada and the Netherlands. Im currently in the Army Reserve, and theyre not giving out airborne slots anymore, so I had a military friend actually pay for this class, that way me and him can jump together, he said. Moody felt nervous learning to jump, he said. I havent felt this nervous since I was in Afghanistan, Moody said. Its that initial, its out into the unknown, and youre literally out into in the breeze. Between everybody here, theres probably 1,000 years of combined experience, so I feel really good about it. The history behind D-Day is important for Moody, he said. All of this is actually just really, really cool, he said. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A parent was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Thursday while waiting near a school to pick up their child in the Linda Vista neighborhood of San Diego, education officials said. The incident occurred around 3:10 p.m. near Linda Vista Elementary School, located at 2772 Ulric St., the San Diego Unified School District said in a news release. In a letter sent to families, Linda Vista Elementary Principal Miriam Atlas states that multiple families, not students, witnessed the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have been working with our school agencies including the San Diego Unified Police Department, Office of the Superintendent, and Youth Services to ensure that the impacted family has the resources they need during this difficult time. Please know our school grounds are safe spaces that cannot be accessed by ICE without a proper, signed warrant, Atlas said. North County babysitter sentenced to life for sexually abusing autistic children The principal added that in California schools cannot ask about immigration status during enrollment or share student records without parental consent or a court order. We understand how unsettling this is and we stand with our community in our desire for ALL our students to be in a safe learning environment. Our teachers and staff will be ready in the morning to support our students and ensure a day of calm and learning. We will have extra district resources on campus should any students or families need additional support, Atlas said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The school provided a webpage on information about rights, regardless of immigration status. SDUSD officials will address the incident Friday at 9 a.m., after visiting with school staff and welcoming the students to class. 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. The parents of an 18-year-old Frankfort woman killed in a crash a year ago as she was preparing to start college have filed new lawsuits in the case. Courtney Miller, a graduate of Lincoln-Way East High School, died early Aug. 15, 2024, following a crash in Mokena at U.S. 30 and Owens Road. Her parents, in an amended lawsuit filed Thursday in Will County Circuit Court, allege Mokena police dropped the ball in not testing one of the drivers involved for alcohol consumption. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It also claims Mokena officers obstructed the investigation by shutting off body cameras during portions of their probe at the accident scene. The village attorney said Friday the village had not yet seen a copy of the lawsuit and that he could not comment on the allegations. Miller planned to attend Joliet Junior College and study toward a degree in radiology, according to her obituary. At the time of her death she worked for Elite Ambulance. Police said Miller was a passenger in a 2010 Camaro being driven by a friend and headed east on U.S. 30 in Mokena at Owens Roads when it collided with a 2015 Land Rover being driven west and turning south onto Owens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said both vehicles had a green light. The driver of the Land Rover was cited by Mokena police for failure to yield while turning. The crash took place at about 10:15 p.m. and Miller was pronounced dead at the scene at about 12:30 a.m. Aug. 16. The amended wrongful death lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges the driver of the Land Rover, Scott Hersted, had been drinking at locations in Chicago prior to the crash, adding those establishments as defendants in the case, originally filed last year, seeking damages in excess of $50,000. Attorneys for Hersted could not immediately be reached for comment Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Separately, the parents also filed a lawsuit Thursday in Will County alleging Mokena police havent helped the investigation and may have hindered it. That complaint names the village and 10 police personnel as defendants, and alleges police did not require Hersted to take a field sobriety test or seek a warrant to draw his blood to test for alcohol. It also alleges that some officers, while talking at the accident scene, purposely turned off body-worn cameras at certain points. The complaint seeks damages in excess of $50,000. A judge overseeing the wrongful death suit this week issued a protective order preventing public release of information in the case. It came after a request from attorneys representing Hersted. Information and documents deemed confidential and barred from public consumption, including news media, includes investigative documents, videos and photos and witness statements, according to the order. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) As students in Monongalia County prepare to go back to school, children living in a more rural area will require extra steps to get to the bus stop, prompting concerns by both parents and some students themselves. During her time in elementary school, the school bus brought Neva to a stop right near her house off Little Indian Creek Road. As Neva is transitioning into sixth grade, she and her parents have concerns about the distance to her bus stop. Theres no sidewalk. Its not safe. We cant get there to get in the evenings, in the afternoons when they drop her off, Nevas father, Howard Mearns, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The walk Neva and other students around her will have to make is more than a mile and includes hills, no sidewalks, no crosswalks and the requirement to cross a road with a posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour. Neva told 12 News that the walk to school raises safety concerns. WVU now ticketing parking with license plate camera There is like a blind spot up there, and, like, when you, like, pass down there, theres, like, a bunch of cars that come, and you cant see them. So, like, I could get hit by a car and theres, like, no sidewalk for me to walk on, Neva said. Its a really long walk. Part of the walk that Neva has to take to get to her bus stop on Little Indian Creek Road in Monongalia County (WBOY image) Part of the walk that Neva has to take to get to her bus stop on Little Indian Creek Road in Monongalia County (WBOY image) Neva isnt the only one facing the long walk. Her parents told 12 News that other students on the same street have to make the walk, with one student having to walk two miles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Monongalia County Schools are set to start classes on Aug. 19. In a letter sent to one of the families on the street, Monongalia County Public Schools said that it has decided to maintain the stop at its current location for the 2025-26 school year. While the district is not required to extend the bus route/add stops for students living less than two miles away from their school, we do try to accommodate as many families as possible within reason, Monongalia County Schools said. 12 News has reached out to Monongalia County Schools transportation department regarding this issue and has not received a response as of this publication. 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. (The Center Square) Louisianas parishes are flush with opioid-settlement cash, but a lot of questions remain about how those funds are being used and how they should be used. One answer is apparently to invest the funds using Louisianas state-affiliated asset management pool. This investment pool was created as a voluntary option for parishes to use. They can put the settlement funds in the fund, to earn more interest and disperse more for the parishes, Theo Sanders, the asset pools executive officer, told The Center Square. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While no funds have yet to be invested, Louisianas Opioid Abatement Task Force is will allow parishes to invest their funds if they wish. The pool manages assets exclusively from public entities like school boards and commissions, using taxpayer dollars. The current rate of return for the pool as a whole is 4.37%, according to Sanders. The pool is over $5 billion dollars in the black, according to a June report from the state auditor. The fund, which holds the highest possible credit ratings, offers an online portal with unlimited accounts and manages about $6.5 billion for 931 participants, including numerous school boards and universities. It is essentially a cooperative investment fund for local governments. Created in 1993, it lets parishes, municipalities, school boards and other public bodies pool their extra cash and invest it together giving them access to safer investments than they might on their own. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The funds main goals are to protect the principal, allow participants to withdraw their money any day without penalty, and earn a competitive return. To do that, LAMP sticks to high-quality, short-term investments like U.S. government securities and top-rated money market funds. LAMP holds the highest possible credit rating from Standard & Poors. As of July, the state has received $173 million in settlement funding from various pharmaceutical companies, with the state expected to secure even more. The agreement set up by the state requires that 20% of all funds go to sheriff's departments and the rest are allocated to parishes and municipalities. Local governments are still uncertain about specific strategies for managing the opioid crisis beyond just securing money from pharmaceutical companies. Monique Boulet, Lafayette mayor president, questioned whether there has been any real analysis of the opioid crisis and the impact of settlement funds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Has it been corrected? I dont think it has, Boulet said, adding that she wants to understand whats happening on the ground from an opioid perspective, and that theres still no quantitative understanding of the situation. Were still uninformed, Boulet continued, adding that while there are attempts to address the problem, she doesnt know the scope of the problem or whether the settlements are truly being used to fix the crisis. My goal is that we actually have a real impact, Boulet told The Center Square in an interview, adding that how to achieve that real impact was still uncertain. Thats what I'm trying to figure out. Theres different ways to look at this, Boulet said. When you arrest somebody with a drug problem, jail is not really the best place. Its not equipped to handle it, and the person isnt going to get what they need to stabilize. We had such a severe reaction as a country to this opioid crisis that all these companies ended up settling and putting money up. The challenge now is how to actually fix it how to use that money in the most productive way. And I dont know that its enough to cure the whole problem by any means, because its so multifaceted. Task force members offered some comfort, saying that half of the money has been used directly for treatment. The rest remains unspent or has gone toward administrative costs and strategizing. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain New research from the Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University and Queen's Business School in Belfast has examined the impact of the Great Irish Famine (18451852) on human height. The research found that in the regions hardest-hit by the famine, survivors surprisingly did not display the expected stunting in height (a proxy for early-life well-being) usually associated with malnutrition and disease. In some regions, the survivors' average adult height was comparable toor even slightly greater thanthat of individuals born before or after the famine. The study used historical data from 14,500 individuals with different exposures to famine conditions drawn from two prisons in Dublin and Tipperary, born before, during, and after the famine. The findings were recently published in Economic History Review, coinciding with the 180th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Irish Famine, one of the defining events in Irish history. Credit: CEPH The study revealed two effects occurring simultaneously, but to different extents: Scarring: Individuals born during the famine exhibit reduced health outcomes. This effect dominated in areas with low famine mortality, such as Dublin. Selection: Those who survived the famine were, on average, the taller, more robust individuals. Areas most affected by the famine, such as in Tipperary, saw an increase in average societal health for survivors. Professor Eoin McLaughlin from the Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University said, "This research reshapes how we understand the long-term effects of humanitarian disasters like famines. By distinguishing between scarring (lasting damage to survivors' health) and selective mortality, it challenges simple assumptions that crises always leave a uniformly weakened population." Dr. Chris Colvin from Queen's Business School explained, "Individuals born in severely affected regions such as Tipperary exhibited no evidence of stunted growth, indicating that the famine disproportionately eliminated the most vulnerable. "In contrast, stunting is observed only in areas with lower excess mortality, such as Dublin, where selective pressures were weaker. With the weakest in society succumbing to disease and starvation, this left only the healthiest to survive into adulthood. They grew up to be significantly taller than average." Dr. Matthias Blum, Honorary Professor of Practice at Queen's Business School and Economist at the German Medical Association, commented, "The work deepens public and academic understanding of how the Great Irish Famine shaped the Irish populationnot just in terms of death and emigration, but in the long-term health legacy it left behind." Dr. Colvin added, "These findings contribute to debates on the biological consequences of extreme catastrophic risks, demonstrating how selection effects can obscure long-term health deterioration. More broadly, our study provides a methodological framework for assessing selection in historical anthropometric research." The research team included Professor McLaughlin from Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University, Dr. Colvin from Queen's Business School, and Dr. Blum, Honorary Professor of Practice at Queen's Business School and Economist at the German Medical Association. More information: Matthias Blum et al, Scarring and Selection in the Great Irish Famine, The Economic History Review (2025). DOI: 10.1111/ehr.70013 ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY, Mo. An employee at a Park Hills, Missouri, daycare has been charged with murder following the death of a 3-year-old boy. Conrad Ashcraft died at Poppys Playhouse 2 in Park Hills on May 16. According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Ashcraft died after a caregiver held him down at nap time and laid him under an 18-pound weighted blanket. A St. Francois County grand jury charged Tiffany R. Hedrick with second-degree murder, abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death, and armed criminal action. Hedrick remains in custody without bond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Hedrick as the owner of the daycare. We regret the error. 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. By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) -A federal appeals court on Friday declared unconstitutional a Maryland law prohibiting companies that pass on the costs of the state's first-of-its-kind digital advertising tax from telling customers why prices went up. Reversing a lower court ruling, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously agreed with the Chamber of Commerce and two other trade groups that the restriction violated members' First Amendment free speech rights, while insulating Maryland lawmakers from criticism and political accountability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The offices of Maryland's Attorney General Anthony Brown and the only defendant, state Comptroller Brooke Lierman, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Aimed at larger businesses such as Amazon.com, Meta Platforms' Facebook and Alphabet's Google, Maryland's 2021 law taxed companies that generated at least $1 million of gross revenue from digital ad services in the state. Maryland imposed levies on a sliding scale based on companies' global revenue, and lawmakers said the tax could raise $250 million annually. The Chamber of Commerce, NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association sued, calling the law a punitive assault on digital rather than print advertising. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friday's decision concerned their objection to a provision against passing on the cost of the tax "by means of a separate fee, surcharge, or line-item," saying it effectively forbade businesses from shifting blame to lawmakers. Circuit Judge Julius Richardson wrote for a three-judge panel, however, that the provision ensured that companies would bear economic and legal responsibility for the tax. He said Maryland didn't justify this, and the provision was facially unconstitutional. "The pass-through prevents companies from describing the tax in the one setting where the consumer is guaranteed to look: the invoice," the judge wrote. "Keeping out of hot water with voters is not among the interests that can justify a speech ban." Richardson added: "As much today as 250 years ago, criticizing the government - for taxes or anything else - is important discourse in a democratic society. The First Amendment forbids Maryland to suppress it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Richmond, Virginia appeals court returned the case to U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby in Greenbelt, Maryland, to determine appropriate remedies. In separate statements, the trade groups welcomed the decision. "The Fourth Circuit was absolutely correct," said Paul Taske, co-director of the NetChoice Litigation Center. "Maryland tried to prevent criticism of its tax scheme, and the Fourth Circuit recognized that tactic for what it was: censorship." The case is Chamber of Commerce et al v. Lierman, 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 24-1727. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Andrea Ricci) Part of New York City was covered in black smoke as a Manhattan apartment building fire led to a massive response. Three New York City firefighters sustained minor injuries Friday while working to contain a fire on the roof of a seven-story apartment building on Manhattans Upper East Side. The three-alarm fire broke out around 10 a.m. at 305 East 95th Street, FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief James Canty said in a news conference. Firefighters arrived within four minutes and found flames on the roof spreading to the three top-floor penthouses and the ceiling area. About 40 fire squads and 170 firefighters, including EMS, responded, Canty said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fire crews quickly contained the blaze, which started on the roof, to the original building, preventing its spread. FDNY responded to a fire at an apartment building in New York City that left part of Manhattan covered in black smoke. (FDNY) The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Earlier Friday, officials said residents should expect smoke and traffic delays in the area. They should also avoid the smoke and close any windows. Videos from the fire showed black smoke pouring from the roof and filling New York City streets. Some of the videos also showed flames coming from the top of the building. Elbert P. Tuttle Courthouse in downtown Atlanta, home of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. (Photo by John McCosh/Georgia Recorder) A federal appeals court has reinstated a First Amendment lawsuit filed by a pastor and community activist against then-Manatee County school Superintendent Cynthia Saunders after he was kicked out of a board meeting in 2019. A unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Friday upheld dismissals of Arthur Huggins complaints about the cop and a school board official who actively tossed him from the meeting, as well as the City of Bradenton. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the court concluded that Saunders, now retired, was not entitled to qualified immunity from the lawsuit. She has not shown that directing the removal of a community member from a Board meeting falls within the scope of her discretionary authority, Judge Robin Rosenbaum wrote for judges Elizabeth Branch and Embry Kidd. The ruling means Huggins can go back to trial court to press his complaint against Saunders. The court also said he could press claims under state law. The episode transpired amid public ferment over the boards plans to take control of Lincoln Memorial Academy, a Black-owned charter school. Huggins had played a prominent role in protests against the school system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to court records, Huggins attended a meeting during which Lincoln was on the agenda. As the meeting stretched to four hours, he left his seat to stand against the back wall, hoping to relieve back pain from sitting so long. Paul Damico, the school districts chief of security, told Huggins to sit down or leave. As Huggins tried to explain, Damico summoned a city police officer, who made Huggins move to a lobby. He was barred from re-entering the meeting chamber. Discretionary functions Officials performing discretionary functions are still liable for violations of clearly established rights, the court explained. However, Huggins plausibly alleges that Saunders prevented him from speaking because of his viewpoint. The right to be free from viewpoint-based discrimination is a foundational and long clearly established constitutional right. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Huggins had vocally criticized Saunders, the court noted, including in a recent TV news interview. It is reasonable, the panel continued, to deduce she had been prejudiced against him. After all, Saunders knew the opinion Huggins wished to convey, ordered his removal, and we can reasonably infer did so because of Hugginss viewpoint. The event was serious enough to deter other community members from speaking out the court said. For starters, being ordered out of a meeting room by a chief of security and a police officer can be, as Huggins alleges, humiliating and damaging to a persons personal reputation. Thats particularly true here because members of the community widely attended the Board meetings in 2019. And since there is no justification for harassing people for exercising their constitutional rights, the adverse effect need not be great to support a violation, the court said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plus, Hugginss expulsion showed Huggins that he would face a hard choice if he tried to express his views at a future meeting. He could endure potentially several hours of physical pain from his injuries while sitting through the lengthy proceedings before public comment. Or he would risk a credible threat of arrest if he again sought to relieve his pain by standing in the back of the hearing room or in the lobby until his time to speak came. The board ultimately revoked Lincolns charter, citing systematic dysfuntion. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE JOHNSTOWN, Pa. Sandi McQuaide has been a loyal customer of Martellas Pharmacy in Johnstown for 45 years and said she is devastated that an intermediary in the pharmaceutical industry is days from taking away her choice of pharmacy. In a move affecting thousands of patients including McQuaide, Express Scripts, a pharmacy benefit manager arranging drug plans for UPMC and Highmark, has decided Martellas services will no longer be covered under those insurance plans. In July, patients filling prescriptions through Martellas six locations were informed that Martellas would be removed from Highmark and UPMC networks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There have been two dates discussed for the contract termination between Express Scripts and Martellas Friday or Monday. Martellas is operating as though Friday will be the day the contract is terminated, supporters said. I cant use the pharmacy I want to? said McQuaide, who has UPMC insurance. This is the United States of America. What are we becoming? If Express Scripts terminates Martellas contract, it could bring a quick end to the community pharmacy that has been serving the Johnstown area for more than 60 years and employs more than 270 people, supporters said. UPMC and Highmark patients compose 80% of Martellas business across its six locations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PBM: Move related to past violation Express Scripts said in emails to The Tribune-Democrat that the decision is related to a past alleged violation of Martellas pharmacist Joseph Martella, who had been charged with unlawfully dispensing a controlled substance in 2018. However, the matter was settled in 2020, with Martellas owners alleging publicly in news articles at the time that the prosecution was flawed. (Martella) filled facially valid prescriptions from (a doctor) relating to one patient for a total profit of $1,148.25 over a two-and-a-half year period of time, Kathleen Martella-Zucco, the pharmacys operations manager, said to The Tribune-Democrat at that time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He fully cooperated with the government and ... entered a plea of guilty to a one-count misdemeanor. The court imposed a criminal sentence and a civil settlement. Joseph has maintained his pharmacy license. Asked why Express Scripts waited five years to terminate its contract with Martellas which has been in compliance with regulatory agencies ever since that incident its spokesperson said the pharmacy was in breach of contract with regards to disclosures. Martellas Pharmacy is being terminated from our network after a thorough review by our Pharmacy Compliance Review Committee revealed that the pharmacy failed to properly disclose it and its affiliated pharmacists disciplinary histories with state and federal regulators regarding the safeguarding and dispensing of controlled substances, Express Scripts statement said. These failures to disclose as well as the underlying conduct at issue violate the quality and safety standards in our provider manual and provider agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the terms of the provider agreement between Martellas and Express Scripts, Martellas is prohibited from making public statements, so a grassroots effort by patients and the Greater Johnstown Regional Partnership civic leadership group has been working to reach members of Congress, as well as UPMC and Highmark officials, in an attempt to stop Express Scripts decision. Advocates allege a bogus excuse Greater Johnstown Regional Partnership members Ryan Gindlesperger and Mark Pasquerilla dismissed Express Scripts stated reason for ending its contract with Martellas as a smokescreen. That happened seven years ago, Gindlesperger said. And it was tried and settled five years ago. Everybody in the community is probably aware of it. Its been handled. Theres no current violations Martellas has with the pharmacy board, federal Drug Enforcement Agency or Food and Drug Administration. If that is being used as an excuse, then its a bogus excuse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pasquerilla agreed. This is totally disingenuous, he said. If you are going to call foul now with Martellas, where have you been for the past five years? I find it totally disingenuous. Pasquerilla noted that pharmacy benefit managers or PBMs are not only regulators of pharmacy benefits they are competitors with pharmacies. PBMs such as Express Scripts hold a place in the U.S. health care system between pharmacies, insurers and drug manufacturers. They negotiate prices with drug manufacturers and determine patients access to different medications; they contract with pharmacies to participate in networks of health insurers; and they set insurance reimbursements to pharmacies for stocking and dispensing medications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although they were established in the 1960s to compete and help insurers control spending and manage benefits, PBMs have become vertically integrated with their own pharmacy chains and insurance providers, according to the American Medical Association. Three PBMs, including Express Scripts, control 80% of the PBM market. The other two are CVS Caremark and Optum RX. Express Scripts and its parent company Evernorth are owned by the Cigna Group, a health insurance company, its website says. And Express Scripts has its own online, mail-order pharmacy. Whats really behind this? In my mind, Express Scripts really is a competitor, Pasquerilla said. A PBM should not be allowed to covet the scripts of the people they are regulating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The grassroots effort supporting Martellas has also led to a class-action lawsuit. The Scanlon & Wojton Law Firm said it will file the lawsuit Friday in the Cambria County Court of Common Pleas against Express Scripts and its parent company Evernorth Health, as well as Highmark and UPMC Health Plan. The class action will seek injunctive relief to halt the termination of network access, as well as damages for patients whose care has been jeopardized, the firm said in a press release. Class-action lawsuit to join cases nationwide The lawsuit joins similar lawsuits against pharmacy benefit managers nationwide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This May, the Michigan Department of Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Express Scripts and another PBM, Prime Therapeutics LLC, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the people of the state of Michigan, alleges that the PBMs conduct violates federal and state antitrust laws set up for fair competition in the marketplace. According to the Michigan lawsuit, Express Scripts dominance in Michigans PBM services market has enabled the company to dictate where Michigan residents can obtain prescription drugs using their plan benefits namely to Express Scripts own mail-order pharmacies. ESI (Express Scripts Inc.) has leveraged this power to steer pharmacy business from its covered lives to ESIs two affiliated mail-order pharmacies: Express Scripts Pharmacy and Accredo, which dispenses specialty drugs, the lawsuit says. This self-preferencing has enabled ESI to dramatically increase its share of the market for pharmacy services nationally and in the State of Michigan, and reap millions in additional revenues at the expense of consumers and nonaffiliated retail pharmacies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit claims that in the first six months of 2024, nearly 300 pharmacies in Michigan closed. Approximately half of Detroits neighborhoods are now pharmacy deserts, as are more than 40 towns in northern Michigan, where residents must drive more than 10 miles to reach a pharmacy. Pharmacy sector hollowed out locally PBMs have similarly hollowed out pharmacies in Cambria County, Martellas supporters said. Last year, Westmont Rexall and nine Mainline Pharmacy locations closed. Owners of both businesses have said they enjoyed decades of support from the community, but years of low prescription reimbursement rates from PBMs including Express Scripts forced them to close. The closure of eight Rite Aid pharmacies followed this year, with the company entering bankruptcy in May. Martellas provides free delivery to patients across the Johns-town region, where the closures of other pharmacies have increased the distance people need to travel to fill prescriptions. Martellas also provides its signature Martellas Medi-Pac all of a patients prescriptions sorted into daily packages to help patients adhere to a routine of taking their medicines. If the business closes, the health and economic impacts in the Johnstown area would be significant, Gindlesperger said. If you look at the number of pharmacies that have just recently pulled out of our community eight Rite Aid locations closed, he said. And if Martellas closes, too, that would be 14 pharmacies in a period of four months. I dont know how we could possibly handle the patient volume required in our communities. Remaining pharmacies in the area include CVS pharmacies, affiliated with CVS Caremark, a PBM in competition with Express Scripts. A CVS spokesperson said CVS is already out of network for most UPMC plans. Thats not new. Giant Eagle or Walmart pharmacies could be in-network options for UPMC and Highmark patients who would lose Martellas services. Giant Eagle has already been strained by taking on more business resulting from the Rite Aid closures. While our Giant Eagle Pharmacy locations in the Johnstown area are working to manage increased volume due to the recent closure of nearby Rite Aid locations, we are confident that our pharmacy teams are able to effectively serve our customers, a Giant Eagle spokesperson said in an email. As the local pharmacy landscape continues to experience disruption, Giant Eagle Pharmacy will be ready to support the pharmacy needs of the community. McQuaide said she and other patients dont want to pile into chain pharmacies. I will change my hospitalization services from UPMC rather than lose Martellas, she said. At times when shes forgotten to fill her prescription at Martellas, the pharmacys staff has delivered it to her in the middle of the night, she said. Their service is incredible, she said. Its scary to think PBMs have power to force a local pharmacy out of business. PBS plans to cut its budget by 21% as public media faces the loss of $1.1 billion in federal funding over the next two fiscal years. Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS, informed station general managers Wednesday of the planned cuts. The overall pool of station dues will be reduced by $35 million, she said. Local outlets are grappling with their own budget holes given the loss of federal support. More from Deadline Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Congress considered legislation to rescind the $1.1 billion in funding already allocated to stations, NPR and PBS, Kerger warned of severe cuts. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, set up by Congress in the 1960s to distribute federal funding grants, announced that it would be shutting down by the end of the year. The New York Times first reported on the PBS cuts. Although PBS only received a small portion of direct funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, stations also paid dues to the national outlet, which distributes shows like PBS News Hour and Masterpiece. Public media advocates have warned that some stations, particularly those in rural areas, relied on federal funding for a larger portion of their budgets than those in larger cities, with a bigger base of support from private donors. Katherine Maher, the president and CEO of NPR, told Texas Public Radio last month that it would cut $8 million from its budget in order for us to pass along that as fee relief to the most affected stations. She described the reduction as a short term step as NPR works on a longer term plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Current federal funding runs through the end of his fiscal year, September 30. President Donald Trump championed the rollback of federal funding, and threatened to withhold support from lawmakers who voted against his wishes. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) The Panama City Police Department arrested two teenagers after officers said they vandalized the new Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center. The MLK Center in Glenwood is set to be the newest state-of-the-art community center for the area once it opens later this year. Construction crews showed up on Thursday morning and found three interior walls had been spray painted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a statement by the Panama City Police Department, they used surveillance footage to track down two suspects a few hours later. The suspected were identified as 17-year-old Mason Peters and 18-year-old Derrick Williams. They are being charged with burglary, property damage, and larceny. Police said they both admitted to the vandalism. The incident sparked a conversation about about whether the crime was racially motivated. Its been referenced to me as graffiti. Ive asked if it was anything involving hate words. I was told no. said Panama City Commissioner, Janice Lucas. Panama City Police also confirmed to us the graffiti did not indicate any racial motivations but instead, consisted of random drawings like a clown and eyeball. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement certainly its hurtful, but at the same time, the action is indicative of why we need Martin Luther King Rec Center from my initial report was that these were adult males, young adult males; obviously not channeling their energies positively, not making wise choices. said Lucas. The center is set to open sometime in October or November. The center is currently under construction and is set to open this Fall. According to a news release, PCPD was contacted by construction crews who had noticed the building had been vandalized overnight when they arrived to work Thursday morning. Officers found on surveillance footage that two males had entered the building around 1:30 a.m. Thursday and traced them to multiple locations that eventually revealed their identities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 17-year-old Mason Peters and 18-year-old Derrick Williams were arrested four hours later. Officers said that both suspects admitted to unlawfully entering the building and spray-painting the walls. Both were charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure, criminal mischief and theft. Peters faces another charge of possession of methamphetamine that was found during his arrest. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorneys Office have been asked to review the case for possible additional charges or sentence enhancements. As a result of these crimes, the Panama City Police Department has increased security measures at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information about the ongoing case is urged to contact the PCPD at 850-872-3100 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 850-785-TIPS. The City of Panama City released a statement about the vandalism: While this incident is deeply disappointing, we remain fully committed to restoring the facility and continuing our work to create a space where the community can come together, thrive and honor Dr. Kings legacy of unity and 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 mypanhandle.com. A new model in pediatrics is gaining ground in South Florida. Bluebird Kids Health is opening primary care locations in heavily visited retail shopping centers in communities that lack sufficient pediatric offices. By locating in centers where the offices are visible and accessible, Bluebird Kids aims to give parents a convenient place for their children to go for basic care, rather than relying on hospital ERs and urgent care centers, which are more expensive. On Sept. 3, Bluebird is opening its fourth childrens primary care office in South Florida and its first in Broward County. The new location is in Tamarac, in a retail center at Commercial Boulevard and University Drive, anchored by Publix. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CEO and founder Chris Johnson says demographics are driving the companys expansion in the state. Florida has the second-highest numeric growth per year in its child population, trailing behind Texas. Its not just snowbirds coming to Florida, but also young families. Access to care has not kept pace with that growth, he said. Data revealed pediatric deserts where many children receive routine care in ERs instead of clinics, and those are the areas Bluebird Kids will target, Johnson said. The cost of care in the ER is high and they are not intended to be a place to treat strep throat or an ear infection, he said. The idea behind Bluebird Kids Health is convenience, service and strategic use of technology. The pediatricians can spend longer with their patients because all administrative tasks, including billing, referrals and scheduling, are handled off-site in a central care center, Johnson said. Each clinic location provides children 24/7 physical and mental health services in person and virtually. Bluebird clinics have extended hours on weeknights, and there is videoconferencing access on weekends. Were also building a lot of technology that supports making it easy for patients and families to access our care, he explained. Thats simplifying the ability to book appointments and simplifying being able to get in touch with us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To gain a foothold in South Florida, Bluebird merged last year with Palm Beach Pediatrics, a 40-year-old practice with five pediatricians and five nurse practitioners. The pediatric practice had operated three locations in South Florida office buildings, which are now operating as Bluebird Kids: in Loxahatchee Groves, West Palm Beach, and Boynton Beach. Bluebird also has two locations in Jacksonville. Were in the process of opening three more, Johnson said. In March, Bluebird announced it raised $31.5 million in capital for continued expansion throughout Florida and the Southeast. A shortage of pediatricians has become a national dilemma, but Johnson said Bluebirds model helps attract medical professionals. A care coordinator reviews standard-of-care reports in a West Palm Beach center and contacts patients with asthma or other conditions to refill prescriptions or schedule appointments. We put support behind you as a pediatrician so you are not having to do follow-up outside the encounter, he said. Johnson said his company partners with commercial insurance and Medicaid plans. We take on accountability for reducing medical expenses by reducing inpatient hospital visits by providing high-quality primary care and encouraging patients to call us first, he said. When savings are generated, we share that between ourselves and the health plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 50% of children nationwide are on Medicaid plans, and talk of funding cuts looms. Any cuts could affect Bluebird Kids growth. I think everyone is in agreement that children should receive health care, and I dont see that changing, Johnson said. Saliva test for breast cancer University of Florida researchers have improved a handheld device to detect breast cancer in saliva, simplifying the design and confirming its accuracy. The pocket-sized biosensor quickly and accurately detects breast cancer by measuring biomarkers in saliva samples. A measurement is transmitted to an app via Bluetooth technology, making results available to test-takers in near real time. We were able to shrink the sensor platform so it fits in the palm of your hand, which was our whole drive: to make this accessible and portable for patients to be able to use, said Josephine Esquivel-Upshaw, a professor in the UF College of Dentistry and member of the UF Health Cancer Center. The portable design means its a promising alternative for breast cancer detection and monitoring, particularly in rural communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Esquivel-Upshaw worked with a UF engineering professor and grad student to build the device with a reusable printed circuit board using commercially available glucose test strips. While testing the device, the researcher used 29 patient saliva samples; the biosensor correctly identified patients who had breast cancer 100% of the time and correctly identified patients who did not have breast cancer 86% of the time. That means it successfully minimized false negative tests. The team hopes the biosensor will become an additional tool for breast cancer screening. Next, the team is testing more biomarkers in saliva to determine which ones best predict breast cancer. Ultimately, the biosensor could be calibrated to detect a range of diseases and have far broader applications, Esquivel-Upshaw said in a written statement. New Cleveland Clinic concierge medical suite Auto magnate Craig Zinn has donated $2 million for a new suite in Weston for Cleveland Clinic Floridas concierge medicine practice. With concierge medicine, patients pay annual membership fees to a physician or health care group and, in return, get quick access to their physician, including phone calls and texts. The new suite in a nearby medical building will introduce concierge medicine in Weston. Dr. Roberto Piloto will be the medical director of the concierge services offered at the new suite at 2500 Weston Road. Dr. Stephen Avallone will continue as the enterprise director of the overall Cleveland Clinic Center for Concierge Medicine, which has practices throughout South Florida and the Treasure Coast. Fort Lauderdale woman treated with new rheumatoid arthritis implant Gerline Brutus of Fort Lauderdale was one of the first patients in the country to receive an implant device for rheumatoid arthritis, which received FDA approval in August. She is a patient of Dr. Norman B. Gaylis, the first physician in the U.S. to treat patients with the innovative device. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brutus started treatment with the Setpoint device at Gaylis Miami clinic through a clinical trial when she was 48 years old and suffering from debilitating RA that was not responsive to medications. Now at 55, Brutus said she is fully independent and exercises regularly. I was in so much pain before that I had trouble getting out of bed and I needed help with household chores and running errands, she said. Now I can do everything on my own and its amazing! In a written statement, Gaylis, medical director and principal investigator with Miamis Arthritis & Rheumatic Specialties, said the SetPoint implant device is a significant departure from the standard treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, which is usually managed with medications such as immunosuppressant drugs. We are thrilled to see the FDA recognize the efficacy of this technology, and we are honored our research clinic was selected as the first to treat patients with the SetPoint implant, Gaylis said. We started seven years ago with two pioneering patients who have experienced sustained success with the therapy, and since then, we have continued to enroll and treat a large number of patients in follow-up trials, contributing significantly to the body of evidence that helped bring this device to market. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gaylis implants the small device into a patients neck, where it will stimulate the vagus nerve for one minute a day, using powers of the brain and nervous system to calm inflammation that leads to debilitating rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. He said patients he treated with a SetPoint implant have not reported adverse effects. Organ donations on the rise in Florida Florida had 1,416 organ donations in 2024, the third-highest in the US, according to DeMayo Law Offices. The total represents an 82% increase over 10 years. Researchers analyzed organ donor statistics across all 50 states to identify which regions have seen the highest increases over the past decade. The study took data from the Organ Procurement & Transportation Network to examine organ donation trends from 1994 through 2024, revealing significant growth in donation rates nationwide. Florida has a dedicated nonprofit organization, Donate Life Florida, focused on increasing organ, tissue, and eye donor registrations. An effort has been underway to increase the number of organ donors in Floridas minority communities. Pediatric surgery bigwig coming to South Florida Dr. David M. Kalfa, a pioneer in developing minimally invasive surgical approaches to treating congenital heart defects in children, on Sept. 1 will join Nicklaus Childrens as chief of the Section of Cardiovascular Surgery and co-director of the Nicklaus Childrens Heart Institute. He also will serve as a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Surgical Sciences and a researcher at the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kalfa is the first joint hire through FIUs affiliation with Nicklaus Childrens Hospital, one of the many pediatric specialists at the hospital who will serve as faculty in the colleges Department of Pediatrics. He has developed tissue-engineered cardiovascular devices and minimally invasive surgical approaches and leads multiple multicenter clinical studies in the United States and Europe. Kalfa joins Nicklaus Childrens from Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. Broward County nurse Finds Relief After Years of Debilitating Back Pain For more than five years, Nancy Dach of Pompano Beach, a retired nurse, experienced increasing back pain. As her lower back pain worsened, she said she tried everything to find relief physical therapy, massage, icing and over-the-counter pain medication multiple times a day without success. She was in constant pain while walking and sitting and continually standing on hard floors for her previous job as a clinical educator for 3M. Dach said she finally found relief in an FDA-approved treatment that is becoming more common. Many doctors have focused on treating the disc, but this type of back pain originates from the vertebral endplates. Dr. Mateusz (Matt) Graca of Fort Lauderdale Spine Care recommended a minimally invasive approach called the Intracept Procedure from Boston Scientific, which lasts about an hour and uses targeted radiofrequency energy to stop the basivertebral nerve from carrying pain signals to the brain. Dach said she had the procedure in February. Six months later, she said her pain is 99% gone. It is a miracle for me. I can walk. I can swim all of that, she said. She is now back at work as a per-diem nurse. SAN FRANCISCO - Celebrating 90 years since the launch of Social Security, Republicans and Democrats vowed to protect the future of the financial safety net program for seniors that was started by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. 90 years of Social Security What we know In San Francisco, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-SF) joined the crowd at the Bayview Senior Services Center and promised to protect the program. "We're going to celebrate social security. We're going to strengthen social security and we're going to do so by listening to you," Pelosi said. Community members and seniors shared stories about how Social Security has helped them. "Groceries, rent, transportation, everything," Douglas Blunt, a San Francisco resident said. "I can't work, so I need it, or else I'm going to be outside with the rest of the folks," Jacqueline Williams, a San Francisco Social Security recipient said. Dennis Billups, an African-American man who lost his sight, greeted Pelosi and said Social Security had helped him get through school and have a career. Trump marks anniversary In Washington D.C., President Trump signed a proclamation marking the anniversary. "We cleared 12 million names listed in the Social Security database over 120 years of age," Trump said. "Under this administration, we're keeping that promise and strengthening Social Security for generations to come." Trump said his administration is improving the program by eliminating benefits to undocumented workers and increasing efficiency. "I haven't seen any of that change happen," Cathy Davis, Executive Director of the Bayview Senior Services, said. "I would say it's hours more. It takes us a lot longer to reach them and to get through...so I don't know where this change is happening but it's certainly not happening where we're accessing Social Security." A new report by the Committee for Responsible Federal Budget says the program will run out of money in seven years, and the Trump administration's cuts to Medicaid and food stamps put low-income Americans at risk. "With these reductions or changing of the rules for eligibility or for their monthly benefits, it will affect millions and millions of older Americans," Anni Chung, President of Self-Help for the Elderly, said. Chung noted other cuts from the Department of Labor recently forced her organization to lay off 91 older workers in a training program and cut eight staff jobs. "They'll remember in November when the election comes," Pelosi said. "Nothing is more eloquent to a member of Congress than the voice of their own constituents and they'll be hearing from them." Is Social Security running out of money? What's next Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) along with 20 Democrats, including California Senator Alex Padilla, introduced a new bill Thursday aimed at restoring Social Security job cuts and ensuring funding for the next 75 years. About 75 million Americans, or one-fifth of the nation's population, receive Social Security benefits, according to the administration. 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: Structure of the C-terminal region within the tissue microfibril. Credit: Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62923-3 University of Manchester scientists have mapped the mutations in the tiny protein chains that cause a subtype of muscular dystrophy. Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study provides a major insight into the muscular dystrophy subtype known collectively as Collagen VI-related dystrophyor COL6-RD for short. The team are the first ever to determine the high resolution structure of collagen VI- one of the networks of protein molecules that give our tissues mechanical strength and the ability to stretch and bend. Called the extracellular matrix, the protein network also enables cells to sense their environment and communicate with one another in response to mechanical forces. COL6-RD, which includes Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD) and Bethlem myopathy (BM), can cause a range of symptoms including muscle weakness, joint contractures, decreased muscle tone, and weak breathing muscles. It is one of a number muscular dystrophy subtypes and others include the more prevalent Duchenne- caused by mutation of another proteinfor which scientists are developing gene therapies. However, so far equivalent therapies have not been developed for COL6-RD. Collagens are the most abundant extracellular matrix proteins, and form long fibers many times smaller than a human hair, called microfibrils. Collagen VI forms one type of microfibril, taking on the appearance of a large bead-like structure, consisting of three separate protein chains, that twist and fold together. Rear view shot of a medical student being taught by a scientist, working in a lab at a university in London. They are wearing lab coats, working with science equipment, analyzing metabolism/digestion, and looking at gut bacteria. The lab specializes in digestive disorders and personalized health care. Credit: Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62923-3 The research required the scientists to develop small fragments of collagen VI, which they called mini-collagens. Mini-collagens will be useful tools for studying or even treating the diseases associated with collagen VI mutations. Lead author of the study Clair Baldock, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Manchester said, "It is extremely important to understand where mutations in the tiny protein chains called collagen VI that cause a subtype of muscular dystrophy are, to help in the design of future treatments. "Using a technique called cryogenic-electron microscopywhich can magnify collagen VI hundreds of thousands of timeswe were able to determine the organization of parts of collagen VI and map the disease mutations. "That provides an opportunity for scientists to design drugs which specifically target the mutations by focusing only on what's broken. She added, "We are the first group to determine the high resolution structure of collagen VI; until now, no- one has been able to show the locations of these mutations on the collagen VI structure. "This is an important step along the path of finding ways to treat these types of muscular dystrophy and will provide momentum to accelerate scientific discovery in this area. "We hope that our structure will provide vital information to help the scientific community develop treatments, such as gene therapy, for collagen VI-RD. "This provides some hope to people with muscular dystrophy that one day treatments will be available to improve their quality of life and help them to stay active and independent." More information: Alan R. F. Godwin et al, Collagen VI microfibril structure reveals mechanism for molecular assembly and clustering of inherited pathogenic mutations, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62923-3 Journal information: Nature Communications (WHTM) A Pennsylvania hospital dressed up newborn babies as Peanut characters to celebrate the comics 75-year anniversary. Peanuts, one of the most renowned newspaper comics in U.S. history, was created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz and first appeared in newspapers in 1950. Today, Schulzs work is a household name, commonly recognized by TV specials, A Charlie Brown Christmas and Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. In honor of the 75-year anniversary of Schulzs work, Allegheny Health Networks (AHN) West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh dressed nine newborns as well-known Peanuts characters. Each newborn was then placed in a medical-grade bassinet designed to look like Snoopys infamous red doghouse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate all the magic and possibility of childhood, and a special reminder to the entire AHN labor and delivery team of what a privilege it is to help bring these beautiful little peanuts into the world, said Marcia Klein-Patel, MD, PhD, OB/GYN and Chair of AHN Womens Institute. Courtesy of AHN Penn West Courtesy of AHN Penn West Courtesy of AHN Penn West Perhaps these babies will grow to be empathetic like Charlie Brown, independent like Lucy or even musically inclined like Schroeder, said Dr. Klein-Patel. But no matter who these children will become, we are honored that they got their start at AHN West Penn Hospital. AHN West Penn says it brings 4,000 babies into the world each year and is rated one of the nations top 50 hospitals for obstetrics and gynecology by U.S. News and World Report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. A local Mexican restaurant chain in Pennsylvania is trying to forge ahead a week after a worksite immigration raid left property damage at two of its storefronts and a workforce afraid to show up to their jobs, according to two employees and a witness who spoke with NBC News. It all started Aug. 7 when immigration authorities showed up at two Emilianos Mexican Restaurant & Bar locations in the Pittsburgh area. As many as 16 workers were detained nine worked at a location in Gibsonia, a suburb north of Pittsburgh, and seven others worked at another location in the nearby township of Cranberry. In a social media post that same afternoon, which included a video taken by a worker, the business accused agents of storming into its restaurants and leaving a trail of fear, confusion, and destruction that included a burned kitchen, torn ceiling tiles, broken doors, a safe cut open by an agent and trashed food. The incident raises questions over the tactics used by authorities at this particular raid. Immigration authorities conducted a workplace raid on two Emilianos Mexican Restaurant & Bar locations on Aug. 7. (Courtesy Jaime Martinez) This week, gas plumbers fixed a stove that was damaged during the raid, according to two people working at the restaurant chain. Staffing was also thin at the locations targeted by immigration authorities as employees who witnessed the raid, including those who are U.S. citizens, remain in shock, they added. No one wants to go back, everyone is scared. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both workers who spoke with NBC News requested to not be named to protect their familys privacy because of an ongoing federal investigation in connection with last weeks events. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania declined to clarify what the investigation it is leading is about. As the immigration arrests were happening last week, someone alerted an emergency response immigration hotline run by Casa San Jose, a local nonprofit that advocates for Latino and immigrant communities. The organization quickly dispatched about 20 volunteers to both locations to act as legal observers, collect testimonies and provide support to the workers and families affected, according to Jaime Martinez, a community defense organizer at Casa San Jose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the Gibsonia location, the raid actually caused a kitchen fire that agents were unable to extinguish at the beginning, which put people in danger, Martinez told NBC News on Tuesday. Employees who spoke to Martinez and his volunteers said the stove was on when agents entered the kitchen because workers were cooking food as they prepared to open the restaurant Thursday morning. The restaurants manager warned agents that the open burners were on, but witnesses alleged that agents didnt do anything until a fire sparked, he said. The detained employees, who had their arms and ankles shackled, were the ones who directed the agents to find the fire extinguisher and instructed them on how to use it after initially failing to operate it, according to employees who spoke to Martinez and his volunteers. By the time the fire department got there, the fire had already been put out with a dry chemical extinguisher, but only after this delay, Martinez said. As many as 16 workers were detained at two locations in the Pittsburgh region. (Courtesy Jaime Martinez) A spokesperson with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told NBC News in an email Thursday that the damage to the restaurant, including the small fire, was created by the illegal aliens themselves while they were trying to escape or hide from law enforcement officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to ICE, the agents showed up at the locations in Gibsonia and Cranberry to execute federal search warrants based on information it got alleging that the restaurants were employing undocumented workers, WPXI, NBCs affiliate in Pittsburgh, reported. The agency added that the 16 people detained lack legal status and are now in ICE custody, undergoing immigration proceedings. But in the process of coming in with that warrant, they also terrorized the community, pointed guns at people and destroyed a local business, Martinez said. In response to this, the ICE spokesperson told NBC News, All agents and officers followed established legal procedures while executing the warrants. At the Cranberry location, Casa San Jose volunteers interviewed a worker who described seeing officers come into the restaurant, shouting police and pointing their long guns at the employees. One female employee who was in the kitchen said an agent pointed the gun at her head while telling her to stop cooking, according to Martinez. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While she was not detained after showing proper documentation, this lady is now going to have to live with the trauma of having law enforcement point a gun at her head while she was at work, Martinez said. Martinez and one of the workers who spoke with NBC News said agents lined up all of the cuffed employees and made them kneel while pointing their weapons at them. Agents and officers operated within established law enforcement standards in order to ensure the safety of law enforcement officers, the public and the illegal aliens themselves, the ICE spokesperson said in response to this allegation. An ICE spokesperson said agents were also present in June as part of the same investigation. (Courtesy Jaime Martinez) Last week was not the first time immigration authorities attempted to detain employees from Emilianos Mexican Restaurant & Bar. The ICE spokesperson confirmed to NBC News that a June incident was part of an investigation that ultimately led to the execution of the warrants this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martinez said that on a night in June, he got a call on the hotline, reporting unmarked vehicles surrounding a nearby apartment complex. When the volunteer who was dispatched arrived at the area, she noticed the vehicles were parked with their engines still running, in front and behind the restaurant. According to Martinez, it looked like federal agents inside the vehicles were waiting for workers to come out of the restaurant as it was closing. The vehicles left once TV crews arrived on the scene, he said. There were nine people in that restaurant on lockdown, Martinez said, adding his group doesnt know the immigration status of those workers since it doesnt ask people about that as part of its policy. But you dont have to be undocumented to be afraid of getting detained. Since launching the hotline in March, Casa San Jose has received more than 650 calls reporting more than 100 immigration detentions in the area and has dispatched volunteers in at least 70 instances, according to Martinez. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the wake of the raids at Emilianos Mexican Restaurant and Bar locations, the community came together and collectively donated more than $133,000. The workers who spoke with NBC News said the business plans to use the funds to cover bond expenses, one month worth of salary for each employee detained and repair damage done to the restaurant. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The Pentagon first publicly backed Army Secretary Dan Driscoll on Thursday, almost a week after MAGA influencer Lara Loomer accused him of "promoting anti-Trump Leftists" on social media. Loomer, who has made a name out of questioning officials loyalty to President Donald Trump, launched a broadside this month against Driscoll and Medal of Honor recipient Florent Groberg, a retired Army officer who was injured when he tackled a suicide bomber approaching his unit in Afghanistan. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has absolute confidence in Secretary Driscoll, Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson told reporters Thursday, six days after Loomer attackedthe service leader for speaking with Eugene Vindman, a former Army officer and current House Democrat from Virginia, who played a key role in Trumps impeachment trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also stands by every single Medal of Honor recipient, Wilson said. They are all heroes in our eyes and that includes Flo Groberg. Hegseth, who is prolific on both his personal and official X accounts, has not commented about Loomers posts. Loomer, in an interview this week before the Pentagon comments, said she and Hegseth had spoken, but would not say whether the conversation involved Driscoll. I'm not telling Pete Hegseth how to do his job, Loomer said. He's a good leader in the sense that he's not just ignoring [issues I raise] and saying, Oh, well, it doesn't matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The conservative activist, in her rant against Driscoll, also complained that he hired former Biden cyber policy official Jen Easterly for a part-time teaching position. Easterly is a West Point graduate who served in uniform for two decades. The Army secretary isnt normally consulted on hiring decisions at West Point, but Driscoll ordered the offer rescinded after a previous Loomer post and called for a review of how appointments at the academy are made. She also lashed out at Groberg who was honored by the Armys social media account for his heroism for being an immigrant who voted for Hillary Clinton. Loomer didnt back down from her criticism of Driscoll, an Army combat vet and longtime Republican. When is this guy going to realize that he doesn't have the political acumen or the political knowledge of the MAGA movement? she said in the interview, adding she wasnt trying to get him fired. She also suggested Driscolls close friendship with Vice President JD Vance, who know each other from their time at Yale Law School, has helped deflect some criticism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Is being friends with the vice president a qualification in today's world? she said. I personally thought that there would be a higher bar aside from just being really good friends with the vice president. The Defense Departments support came too late from some in the Pentagon, who were frustrated that leaders didnt defend the combat heroes more quickly. A medal of honor recipient shouldnt need defending, but leadership has let this slide, said a defense official, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly. The Pentagon, when asked for comment, wouldnt say whether Hegseth agreed with Loomers criticisms. Secretary Hegseth appreciates Ms. Loomer's outside public advocacy, Pentagon spokesperson Joel Valdez said. He has total confidence in Army Secretary Driscoll. The state Capitol. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) 2025 Peoples Debate canceled after Earle-Sears declines invitation due to scheduling conflict. WTVR Earle-Sears accepts CNN invitation to Virginia governors debate. CNN 3 Virginia sheriffs deputies who were injured in gunfire while executing a search warrant are OK. Associated Press Liberty Lost podcast alleges program coerced pregnant teens into adoption. VPM News Youngkin tells police to investigate Fairfax County Public Schools over abortion assistance allegations. FFX Now SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX DES MOINES, Iowa Theres a new donut shop in town. Prior provider Peacheys Donuts did not return to the State Fair this year, so a new doughnut maker was recruited. Josephines Handmade Glazed Doughnuts from the South Bend Indiana area was recruited to take over this year. The business is owned by Gentry Miller and Emily Josephine Miller, along with their kids who often travel to shows. Its about 1200 square ft. and it is not a permanent building which is very large footprint for a temporary structure, said Miller. We make all of from scratch right here on all day long, long process take about an hour from the start, to when its in your hand. Weve got really good systems in place we not maintain our quality but do it quickly. Miller says that even though the line is long, they shoot for a ten minute wait. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement JRs honors 22-year-old worker who passed from ovarian cancer We love fairs we love agriculture. Its an honor to be involved in the Iowa State Fair, said Miller. My family did another state fair and they started 1967 and Ive grown up on fairs my whole life. Its a real generation thing in my family. The Millers took a long time to craft the recipe for their donuts. They looked to some old recipes for elephant ear donuts. They hand craft each donut to make sure not of the dough is wasted. Much of how they operate their stand is impacted by what they learn from social media. We took a old Elephant Ear doughnut recipe in which we tweaked and tweaked it until we finally perfected the recipe we thought was great for the donuts, said Miller. We actually press them, and roll out with a roller, we dont like waste, we actually formed my hand. Thats why theyre called handcrafted glazed donuts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gentry Miller, and wife Emily both come from families whove spent decades in the fair food business. Now they are continuing that legacy. Iowa 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 who13.com. PRINCEVILLE, Ill. (WMBD) A Peoria County school district received a grant to purchase new computers. Goldrush Apple Wind awarded $20,260 through a new community grant program to Princeville Community Unified School District 326, said Apex Clean Energy spokesperson Angie Hummels. Hummels said the grant will fund the purchase of 30 new Dell Optiplex desktop computers for the Princeville High School STEM Lab. She said this investment will directly benefit students enrolled in technology and business classes, giving them access to modern tools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This investment will have a lasting impact on our students, providing them with the tools they need to succeed in a technology-driven worldwhether thats gaining digital literacy, exploring career pathways, or preparing for college and the workforce, Princeville Superintendent Tony Shinall said. Hummels said Goldrush Apple Winds education grants complement its community grant program in Peoria, Stark and Marshall counties. Those interested in applying for future rounds of funding 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 CIProud.com. Popcorn brand Smartfood has been hit with a false advertising lawsuit, according to Top Class Actions. What's happening? PepsiCo-owned Smartfood was accused of falsely claiming it used "no artificial colors or flavors" and "no artificial preservatives." The lawsuit was filed in New York federal court on behalf of plaintiff Alyssa Flexer. It claims that Smartfood contains maltodextrin, a synthetic preservative. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Had Ms. Flexer known that Defendants' representations were false and misleading, she would not have purchased the Products or would have only been willing to purchase the Products at a lesser price," the lawsuit states, per Top Class Actions. A similar lawsuit over maltodextrin was filed against Smartfood in Illinois. Why are additives important? Maltodextrin is widely used in food production for its ability to preserve products while providing a pleasing texture and taste. However, it has a higher glycemic index than white table sugar. This makes it something of a "secret sugar" that doesn't get accounted for in nutritional information because of its status as a carbohydrate. One study suggests maltodextrin is an aggravating factor in chronic inflammatory diseases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More generally, this reminds consumers to be vigilant of greenwashing. False marketing claims around all-natural ingredients can give the impression of healthy choices and eco-friendliness when products are anything but. What's being done about false advertising? PepsiCo has been subject to a range of false advertising lawsuits across its brands, including Aquafina for its recyclability claims, and it remains one of the world's top plastic polluters. That said, it has made ostensible progress in other areas of sustainability, including investments in regenerative agriculture and attempts to make plastic packaging reusable. When shopping, it can be helpful to find products that have undergone third-party certification, including via B Corp, the Department of Agriculture, Fairtrade, and Rainforest Alliance. Keep in mind that there is always a risk that these standards have their own gaps and loopholes. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. LIMA, Peru (AP) Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Friday traveled to an Amazon River island at the center of a territorial dispute with Colombia, where she affirmed Perus unquestionable sovereignty over the territory. The first visit from Boluarte to the island comes against a backdrop of diplomatic tensions with Colombia, whose president, Gustavo Petro, recently disavowed Peruvian jurisdiction over Santa Rosa Island. Security force chiefs and members of Parliament welcomed Boluarte and Cabinet ministers to the territory, where she sang the Peruvian national anthem as people waved red-and-white flags. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unfortunately, for several days now, unacceptable actions have been taking place that affect the brotherhood that unites our two nations and the border communities, Boluarte said. Perus sovereignty is not in dispute; the district of Santa Rosa de Loreto is Peruvian and will remain so. Tensions between the neighboring countries escalated Tuesday, when Peruvian police arrested three Colombian men who were on the island doing land surveying work. Colombias government on Thursday demanded the immediate release of the men after a Peruvian judge freed one of them but ordered the other two remain in jail for seven days while authorities investigate them for the alleged crime of attacking national sovereignty. Petro described the arrests as a kidnapping. His government has said the detainees a land surveyor and a boat driver were conducting studies to measure the depth of bodies of water for a pier expansion in the Colombian border city of Leticia. Peruvian authorities said the workers were not authorized to carry out the measurements. The arrest of the two Colombians marks the third binational incident in the area since Petro denied Perus jurisdiction over Santa Rosa Island on Aug. 5. Two days later, a Colombian military aircraft flew over the island, and on Monday, the former mayor of the Colombian city of Medellin, Daniel Quintero, planted a Colombian flag there. Police later removed the flag. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About 3,000 people live in tiny Santa Rosa Island, which emerged in the middle of the Amazon River last century. Peru maintains it owns Santa Rosa Island based on treaties about a century old, but Colombia disputes that ownership because the island had not yet emerged from the river at the time. ____ Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth does believe in a womans right to vote, the Pentagon has insisted, a week after he ignited a controversy by posting a video on X of a Christian evangelist suggesting that right should be repealed. Hegseth, 45, posted a seven-minute CNN segment on his account last Friday profiling Christian nationalist pastor Doug Wilson, who founded the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches and whose congregation the secretary belongs to, with the comment: All of Christ for All of Life. The video features a brief interlude in which journalist Pamela Brown also interviews two other pastors, Toby Sumpter and Jared Longshoreman, in which the latter expresses his support for scrapping the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted American women suffrage in 1920 after a fierce campaign by contemporary feminists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I would support it on the basis that the atomization that comes with our current system is not good for humans, Longshoreman states. Pastor Jared Longshoreman expresses support for repealing the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted American women suffrage in 1920 (CNN) Hegseths post attracted a swathe of withering responses and personal attacks, one of which quoted the fourth president, James Madisons famous remark of 1803: The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries. Asked about the clip by reporters on Thursday, Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson said: Of course, the secretary thinks that women should have the right to vote. She declined to be drawn on why he had felt compelled to post it. He appreciates many of [Pastor Wilsons] writings and teachings, the spokesperson said. Im not going to litigate every single aspect of what he may or may not believe in a certain video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hegseth is mentioned in the segment as an attendee at Wilsons services and over his introduction of monthly prayer sessions at the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth raised eyebrows by posting a video about Christian nationalism on X (AP) In the film, Brown also interviews Jennifer Butler, founder of the progressive Faith in Democracy group, who expresses disquiet about Wilsons close connection to the Donald Trump administration via the defense secretary. He is rapidly gaining in power, she warned. He has hundreds of churches established around the country. They actually literally want to take over towns and cities and they have access to this administration. Wilson himself is forthcoming in the film about his opinion, which he insists is based on scripture, that women should not be in certain leadership positions, and doubles down on a claim he first made in the 1990s that the relationship between masters and slaves in 19th-century America was often affectionate and not necessarily adversarial. According to The Huffington Post, Hegseths views on women drove tension while he was a student at Princeton. PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) The superintendent for the Pflugerville Independent School District has set a massive goal for all students. Superintendent Quinton Shepherd explained how the district plans to make sure all of its graduates either have a job, enlist in the military or enroll in higher education the minute they get their diploma. KXAN Anchor Sally Hernandez sat down with Superintendent Shepherd to ask for more details about this years goals as part of KXANs Set For School series. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read an edited transcription of the conversation below. Hernandez: As the superintendent, what are you looking forward to when it comes to the school year? Shepherd: One of the things that we are really excited about is a brand new initiative that we call the three Es. And what this is a big bold promise and its centered on this notion that every parent in any school district has this moment that they ask themselves, now what are they going to do? What we are planning is a big, bold promise, one that I dont think any school district has done in the state of Texas. And by 2029, our expectation is that 100 percent of our graduates will graduate with not just a diploma but one of three es. The three Es are employment, enlistment and enrollment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hernandez: As a school district, do you partner up with these businesses to achieve the goals you are talking about? Shepherd: We do have conversations with Samsung and Tesla, and we are hoping those conversations continue to grow. The way we look at it when we talk to those companies is we hold about 26,000 of your future workforce if you want them. Let us help you. Hernandez: What do your teachers think when you tell them something like that? Shepherd: So this notion of three Es is a symbol. If we could get behind that symbol, and there is no doubt in my mind, teachers and parents would adhere to it. Because it applies to every classroom, I think the natural tendency is that people will think this is a high school initiative, and its not. This starts in pre-kindergarten. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. A series of recent vacancies at the Missoula public defenders office, including at least one termination, burst into open court Thursday as a judge admonished the agency for failing to assign attorneys to criminal defendants. Montanas Office of Public Defender represents defendants unable to afford their own legal defense, a role necessitated by the constitutional right to counsel. Leaders at OPD said Thursday that vacancies are normal at an agency known for relatively low pay, high caseloads and frequent employee turnover. But Missoula District Judge John Larson, along with county prosecutors, suggested the disappearances of four public defenders who routinely appear on felony cases is creating unnecessary delays for defendants, some of whom continue to sit in jail. On multiple cases Thursday morning, former public defender Joshua Demers, whom OPD officials said they terminated two days earlier, sat alongside Deputy County Attorney Bill Haney at the prosecutions table as he answered questions from Judge Larson. Larson voiced frustration that Demers and others remained the attorneys of record despite their unavailability. You remain on this case, Larson told Demers. There needs to be not only an approval from the court, but also an approval from the client withdrawing you from the case, and I see nothing yet in the file. As of Wednesday, Demers and another attorney who was recently placed on leave were listed as the attorneys of record on 158 open criminal cases in Missoula District Court, according to records provided by the clerk of courts office. While a defendant can have multiple lawyers representing them, an attorney of record is the designated point of contact for both the court and prosecutors. Alone at the defense table, managing public defender Monica Tranel maintained the agency does not believe Demers or the other attorneys remain attached to the cases, and said another public defender, Michael Haase, was being designated the attorney of record. To be clear, Mr. Demers has no authority to represent or meet with or interact with our clients on behalf of OPD, Tranel told the judge. If he wants to meet with him on his own time or at the courts direction, thats up to you and Mr. Demers. Tranel is more widely known as a repeated Democratic candidate for public office, who followed up a run for the Public Service Commission in 2020 with back-to-back campaigns to represent Montanas western U.S. House district in 2022 and 2024. Haney, the prosecutor, suggested that reassignment would only create more delays, potentially causing the juvenile defendant in the case to sit in custody longer when there is no prospect that this will be resolved in the near future. The hearing was being held to discuss the possibility of releasing the youth from jail and into a treatment program. Larson ultimately continued the hearing, while keeping the boy in custody. Mr. Haase, as far as were aware, is on leave, so I dont believe that he will be met with anyone or consulted with by an attorney, Haney said. So I consider Mr. Demers to be his lawyer, someone the state trusts and has great confidence in. OPD officials told the Missoulian that Haase has been on vacation and is expected to return in September. Hes listed as the attorney of record on more than 80 open criminal cases in Missoula District Court, according to court statistics. On another criminal case, in which public defender Jamie Upham remained listed as attorney of record, Larson appeared exasperated. Tranel and OPD officials declined to elaborate on the status of Uphams employment beyond saying she is unavailable. Ms. Upham has an ethical obligation to meet with these clients and continue to represent them and appear in court, Larson said. And OPD, through some policy, which it hasnt referenced or identified, is preventing an attorney from doing its job. Demers referred questions about his employment to his attorney, who declined to comment. Neither Upham or Haase were present in the courtroom, and attempts to reach them for comment were unsuccessful. OPD Response Following the hearings, Tranel referred questions about the recent vacancies and OPD policy to her supervisors. The head of the agencys public defender division, Brian Smith, clarified that Haase has been on vacation and is expected to return in September. He confirmed Demers termination, but declined to elaborate on the reasons. Smith also acknowledged the agency is losing another public defender at the end of the week, in what he termed a voluntary separation. A fourth absence is Upham, whom Tranel and Smith both termed unavailable. All four lawyers have focused on defending felony cases in Missoula District Court, where they were each carrying more than 70 open cases as of this week. For context, the agency typically aims to have a total of 10 or 11 attorneys focused on felony cases in Missoula District Court when its fully staffed, according to Smith. Smith spoke over a conference call following the contentious morning in Larsons courtroom, alongside OPD Director Brett Schandelson and OPD Central Services Division Administrator Koan Mercer. All three noted the agencys ability to respond was constrained by the duty to protect individual privacy in personnel matters. Schandelson pointed out that despite recent bumps in pay for agency attorneys, public defenders remain burdened by large caseloads, relatively low pay compared with their peers in the legal profession and high turnover among staff. Its a job where long hours, high stress and burnout are widely recognized as common. And OPD has long struggled to hire and retain qualified attorneys. In Missoula and elsewhere, part of that caseload is taken on by outside attorneys who contract with the agency. Even if we have people available, they may not be doing the best work, Schandelson said. There are places and people that we have contracted or employed that are not visiting their clients in jail for very extended periods of time, that are not letting clients decide or direct the direction of the case. While stressing that their comments were not directed at any specific employee, both Schandelson and Smith also reiterated the requirement that public defenders represent the client's stated, explicit wishes in a case even if thats at odds with what the attorney believes is in the clients best interests. There are times the agency has to (end) a contract or intervene in other ways, when it learns that attorneys are not meeting the ethical standards of their role, Schandelson said. While the local OPD office has recently made some new hires, Schandelson also noted the agency is constrained by ethical standards that prevent overburdening any one attorney with too many cases. Delays in assigning counsel are a reality of the job, he said, and the stated goal of the agency is to do so within 14 days. If theres a case that were appointed on, we will ensure that client has access to an attorney and services to the best of our ability, he said. But they wont assign a permanent attorney until theres an employee that has the ethical ability to take that work. Both supervisors stated that the recruitment of Tranel to the agencys management ranks in May was unrelated to the subsequent exodus of public defenders. Schandelson also noted OPD has clashed with Larson in the past. Public defenders have substituted the long-time judge out of so many cases that he was the most-substituted in the state judge in 2024, according to court statistics. His responses made this a little unusual, Schandelson said. But the actual circumstances OPD finds itself in is not. Larson isnt the only judge who has taken issue with the recent staffing shake-up at OPD. Earlier in the week, District Judge Jason Marks also raised issues with the agencys delays in reassigning counsel. And District Judge Tara Elliott specifically ordered the agency to assign a new public defender in at least one case, and to have that attorney appear in person before the court at the next hearing, according to court records. But neither judge appears to have gone as far as Larson, who raised the specter of contempt proceedings against the public defenders office during his Thursday hearings. We had a problem about four years ago where another judge, in another part of the state, wasnt getting lawyers promptly appointed, Larson said. The judge was linking the agencys current delays and staffing issues to those in 2021 in Yellowstone County, where more than 600 unassigned criminal cases led to contempt proceedings against OPD. The contempt order, in the wake of that backlog and monthslong delays in assigning new counsel, was ultimately overturned by the Montana Supreme Court. We have Mr. Demers and Ms. Upham, excellent, trained attorneys who have followed all of the courts requests in implementing effective representation for clients, Larson said. Both are now precluded, one by being terminated and the other in some sort of purgatory where she cant do her job. Larson then suggested he could issue an order to show cause, referring to a mandated appearance for an official to explain why they should not be held in contempt of court. I remember what happened four years ago, and I will be issuing orders to show cause similar to what they do in Billings, if you cant get people appointed. Phoenix City Manager Jeff Barton is stepping down from his role to retire in November, the city announced on Aug. 15. It has been a privilege to work alongside the hardest working public service professionals in the country, whose dedication and commitment have been the cornerstone of our success towards building the Phoenix of tomorrow, Barton said in a news release. Bartons departure on Nov. 14 will conclude a more than 25-year career with the city and caps off a four-year stint as its first African American chief executive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was hired as an internal auditor in 1999 before taking on leadership positions of increasing authority, including budget and research director, deputy city manager and assistant city manager. Jeff Barton, Phoenix city manager, poses for a portrait outside his office on Nov. 18, 2021, in Phoenix. Barton has worked his way up the Phoenix city administration for the past 20 years. "Although I am sad to see him leave, I must congratulate City Manager Jeff Barton on his upcoming retirement after nearly three decades of service to the residents of Phoenix," Councilmember Kesha Hodge Washington said in the news release. Other elected leaders and city staff credited Barton for his outstanding service and leadership, noting that he shepherded initiatives that helped shape the citys significant growth and development in recent years. Jeff has delivered important investments for our city's future, such as the voter-approved General Obligation Bond program that will bolster critical infrastructure, support public safety, and improve residents' quality of life for generations to come, Mayor Kate Gallego said in the news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They also touted his leadership by navigating the city through the COVID-19 pandemic and the Police Department through a yearslong Department of Justice investigation. He also had the foresight to purchase the building at 100 West Washington, which is already proving to be one of the best police department headquarters in the country, Councilmember Kevin Robinson stated in a separate news release. In the coming weeks, Phoenix leaders will discuss the hiring process to select Bartons replacement. I want to thank the Mayor and Council for their confidence in providing me this opportunity to serve the people of Phoenix, Barton said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shawn Raymundo covers Phoenix and Scottsdale. Reach him at sraymundo@gannett.com or follow him on X @ShawnzyTsunami. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix City Manager Jeff Barton announces retirement South Sudan has long been plagued by conflict fuelled by civil war and inter-communal clashes, resulting in a prolonged humanitarian crisis and the proliferation of illegal ammunition. Posts shared on social media recently claim to show bullets being openly sold alongside cereals in a South Sudanese market, suggesting it is commonplace. But this is misleading; the image actually shows a woman who was arrested on suspicion of smuggling ammunition concealed in a sack of sorghum grain in Tonj South County, in South Sudans Warrap State. A normal day in SouthSudan. Bullets sold in the market along side cereals (sic), reads an X post published on August 11, 2025, and reposted more than 1,900 times. Screenshot of the misleading post, taken on August 12, 2025 The image shows a woman sitting on the ground next to sacks of grains and piles of bullets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The claim was also shared on Instagram and on Facebook here and here. South Sudan conflict South Sudan has endured decades of conflict, driven by civil war and inter-communal conflict (archived here). While the signing of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) brought hopes of peace, implementation has been slow, and the country continues to face violence (archived here and here). The human toll remains consequential. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), about 1.9 million people are displaced within the country, while over 2.3 million others are refugees in neighbouring countries (archived here). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, South Sudan is a transit hub for smuggling illegal goods and ammunition from countries including Sudan, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo due to its porous borders (archived here). To curb the influx of weapons that could fuel further fighting, the UN Security Council introduced an arms embargo in 2018. While this has curtailed official arms dealing, small arms and ammunition continue to flow in the country (archived here and here). However, online posts claiming to show bullets being sold in a South Sudanese market are misleading. Smuggled ammunition AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches and established that while the photo was indeed taken in South Sudan, it has been shared in the wrong context on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The image was featured in an August 8, 2025, article by South Sudanese media outlet Radio Tamazuj with the headline: Woman arrested in Tonj South County for smuggling bullets (archived here). According to the report, the woman, only identified as Aguek, was caught by security personnel at a checkpoint trying to smuggle 1,121 bullets hidden in sorghum sacks from Northern Bahr el Ghazal State to Warraps Tonj East County. Screenshot of the Radio Tamazuj article, taken on August 12, 2025 The incident was reported by other local media outlets (archived here and here). The image, alongside others, was also published on Facebook by Tonj South County Commissioners press unit on August 7, 2025 (archived here). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement County authority apprehended the woman who sneaked ammunition in Alol of Tonj South county, reads the post. An operation carried out by Tonj South County security forces resulted in the arrest of people who were identified as conflict instigators, arms sneakers and the confiscation of a major cache of ammunition mixed with sorghum. AFPs South Sudan correspondent also confirmed that ammunition is not sold in open markets across the country. Those of a certain vintage will remember Andrei Gromyko, the Soviet Unions foreign minister for 28 years, between 1957 and 1985. Gromyko had nothing to commend him beyond his longevity, acting as the diplomatic face of what President Reagan rightly described as the evil empire. It is striking that Sergei Lavrov, who has been Russias foreign minister since 2004, should have arrived this morning in Alaska in a CCCP sweater (the Cryllic for USSR). Striking, that is, for two reasons. First, because Lavrov shares the same sole notable feature as Gromyko: longevity. In all other respects he is a truly despicable man dishonesty is his modus vivendi, in the service of a regime built on theft, corruption, lies and force. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And second, because in wearing a USSR sweater Lavrov is simply rubbing our noses in what should already be clear to anyone who is not on Russias payroll. He is making clear, in other words, that Russia is determined to recreate the Soviet Union. For Putin, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Moldova, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, and Estonia are not independent nations. They are or should be part of Greater Russia. There is nothing secret or surprising about this. Putin and his cronies have repeatedly said that they believe Ukraine does not exist as a separate, independent nation. For Putin, Ukraines status should be as it was between 1922 and 1991, when the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was a constituent part of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. There are those in the West who parrot the sophistry employed by Lavrov and other Russian officials that their interest in Ukraine is solely about returning areas with a Russian majority to their historic status as part of Russia, and protecting the Russian minority elsewhere. Russias stooges in the West still push this line, despite Putin et al repeatedly making clear that he wants to recreate the Soviet Union and, at the very least, destabilise those countries such as Poland and Slovakia which were part of the Warsaw Pact. That category has included, at times, President Trump, who veers from seeming to understand reality to a bizarre idea that Ukraine is somehow to blame for being invaded. As the world waits for news to emerge from Alaska, it is anyones guess which is the version of President Trump who will be there. 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. Scenes from Eagles Roost Park in southeast Orange County, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. Part of the park located adjacent to Split Oak Forest is under consideration by the Central Florida Expressway Authority to be included in the planned extension of the Osceola County Parkway. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Fishermen troll on the Lake Hart Outflow Canal on the southwest corner of Eagles Roost Park in Orange County, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Signage on the east border of Eagles Roost Park in Orange County, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) FLYBYWIRE A dragonfly comes in for a fast landing on a barbed wire fence along Clapp Simms Duda Road, south of Lake Hart in Orange County, Wednesday Aug. 13, 2025. Dragonflies are voracious hunters of mosquitoes and other flying insects, with more than 100 species found across Florida, according to the University of Floridas IFAS Extension. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) A vehicle crosses the bridge on Clapp Simms Duda Road over the Lake Hart Outflow Canal, on the southwest corner of Eagles Roost Park in Orange County, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. The Central Florida Expressway Authority is considering whether to include part of the public land at Eagles Roost as right-of-way for the planned extension of the Osceola County Parkway. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) A family of wild turkeys crosses Clapp Simms Duda Road on the east border of Eagles Roost Park in Orange County, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. The Central Florida Expressway Authority is considering whether to include part of the public land at Eagles Roost as right-of-way for the planned extension of the Osceola County Parkway. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) A lawn tractor cuts the grass in the right-of-way along Clapp Simms Duda Road on the east border of Eagles Roost Park in Orange County, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. The Central Florida Expressway Authority is considering whether to include part of the public land at Eagles Roost for the planned extension of the Osceola County Parkway. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Signage for the South Florida Water Management District at the bridge on Clapp Simms Duda Road over the Lake Hart Outflow Canal, on the southwest corner of Eagles Roost Park in Orange County, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. The Central Florida Expressway Authority is considering whether to include part of the public land at Eagles Roost as right-of-way for the planned extension of the Osceola County Parkway. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) A family of wild turkeys graze in Eagles Roost Park in Orange County, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. The Central Florida Expressway Authority is considering whether to include part of the public land at Eagles Roost as right-of-way for the planned extension of the Osceola County Parkway. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Signage on the east border of Eagles Roost Park in Orange County, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. The Central Florida Expressway Authority is considering whether to include part of the public land at Eagles Roost as right-of-way for the planned extension of the Osceola County Parkway. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) A car travels on Clapp Simms Duda Road on the east border of Eagles Roost Park in Orange County, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. The Central Florida Expressway Authority is considering whether to include part of the public land at Eagles Roost for the planned extension of the Osceola County Parkway. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Show Caption1 of 11A family of wild turkeys flock along Clapp Simms Duda Road on the east border of Eagles Roost Park in Orange County, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. The Central Florida Expressway Authority is considering whether to include part of the public land at Eagles Roost as right-of-way for the planned extension of the Osceola County Parkway. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)Expand The Pierce County Republican Party will have a booth at this year's Washington State Fair after an agreement was reached between the two sides regarding signature gathering and the selling of merchandise. Photo courtesy of the Pierce County Republican Party (The Center Square) The Pierce County Republican Party will have a booth at this years Washington State Fair after all. The fair opens in two weeks. After being told by fair organizers that the Pierce County GOP could not gather signatures for citizen initiatives or sell merchandise at its booth in the ShowPlex arena, Pierce County Republican Party Chair Dave McMullan and other officials decided they would not participate in the fair. The two sides came to an agreement at a Thursday meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As reported by The Center Square, fair executives had asked McMullan to sign a contract to abide by the rule changes. McMullan said county Republicans have conducted signature gathering and sold merchandise at the fair for years, and its never been an issue. The party was not willing to sign the contract and announced last weekend that it would not participate in the fair. These activities have always been an important part of our outreach allowing us to connect with voters, share our values, and support grassroots civic engagement, read an Aug. 10 Facebook Post from the Pierce County Republican Party. We believe in the importance of free expression and equal access for all political perspectives at public events. Unfortunately, these new restrictions single out and limit the ability of organizations like ours to fully engage with the community. As a result, we have made the difficult decision to forgo participation this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday afternoon, McMullan texted The Center Square that he would meet with fair executives on Thursday afternoon. Just after 4 p.m. on Thursday, McMullan called to say an agreement had been reached and the Pierce County Republican Party would participate in this years fair. We met with their government affairs committee and most of their board. We had a great discussion and discussed all the issues, McMullan explained. They acknowledged that there were things that they did or could have done that would have been better to rectify this earlier. So, its a learning experience, and we can move on without any animosity. I think that's an absolute positive thing. But no, we fixed everything. A WSF official confirmed the agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Washington State Fair Event Center and chair of the Pierce County Republican Party met and discussed the parameters of their booth at the upcoming fair, WSF Public Relations Manager Stacy Van Horne emailed The Center Square on Thursday afternoon. We have come to a mutual understanding to allow the GOP to continue gathering signatures and selling merchandise at their booth inside the ShowPlex building. McMullan said he got some answers to his questions about the fair's policy change regarding signature gathering and merchandise sales. They said they're a huge organization and there are complaints of all different types of stuff, and they can't handle everything all at once, he said. So, you know, they came to the they made some decisions that they think nip something in the bud or creates what they think is a fair compromise, and, and it doesn't work out that way. So ultimately, they decided they agreed with us and, you know, now it's up to us to live up to our end of it and be a responsible vendor, which I feel we always have been. The Washington State Fair opens Aug. 29 and runs through Sept 21. Piers Morgan said he thought a picture of Donald Trump wearing kneepads was a real image of the president preparing for his high stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that he deleted the photo when he realized it was fake. The British tabloid host went on to claim that the satirical pic of Trump merely came across his social media feed and he immediately reposted it alongside well-wishes to Trump. Needless to say, Morgan faced a flood of mockery for posting the mocked-up photo of the president, something he acknowledged after deleting the image. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hours before Trump actually touched down in Alaska for the summit with Putin, which is part of an attempt by the president to secure a ceasefire agreement in the bloody Ukraine-Russia war, Morgan who has enjoyed a long (and fraught) friendship with Trump posted an altered picture of the president exiting Air Force One. Apparently believing this was a live photo and that the president had just landed in Anchorage, the Piers Morgan Uncensored host delivered a message of hope ahead of Trumps meeting with Putin. As President [Donald Trump] lands in Alaska, I wish him the very best of luck in trying to secure an end to the horrendous war in Ukraine, Morgan tweeted. Its refreshing to see a U.S. president who genuinely prefers peace to war. Piers Morgan was forced to quickly backtrack on Friday after he accidentally posted a picture of Donald Trump wearing kneepads ahead of the summit with Vladimir Putin. (Good Morning Britain, ITV) With the picture showing a waving Trump donning bright red kneepads, it didnt take long for Morgan to get inundated with comments from other users on X asking him if he was aware that he had shared a meme that was mocking the president. Did you intentionally post a photo with Trump wearing knee pads or are [you] just an idiot? Evil or idiot? Which is it? one poster pressed Morgan, prompting the presenter to chalk it up his tweet to ignorance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No.. I didnt see the kneepads on that pic, so just deleted and reposted with a different pic! Morgan replied. In response to journalist Tara Palmeri wondering what had happened because the post was quickly deleted, Morgan gave a more detailed explanation. I saw the pic on my feed and mistakenly believed it was a live one, and didnt spot the mocked up kneepads, he replied to Palmeri. I couldnt understand why so many people were laughing and raging about it. Then I realized, deleted it and reposted with another pic. My words remained the same. Piers Morgan acknowledged that he mistakenly posted a picture of Donald Trump wearing kneepads. (X/@tarapalmeri) It is more than a bit ironic that Morgan fell for an obviously fake photo when it was just a week ago that he trolled NewsNation anchor Chris Cuomo for getting duped by a blatantly obvious deepfake video of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) purportedly delivering a House floor speech denouncing the Sydney Sweeney good jeans ad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oh dear @ChrisCuomo - perhaps spend less time b*tching about me and more time trying to spot obvious fakes, Morgan tweeted at Cuomo alongside several laughing emojis. You got me...silly clip i didnt pay attn to....and I wont block you for saying so...see how easy that is, my yappy friend? Cuomo responded at the time. Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller responded to the letter Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sent to him last week in which she expressed concerns about him volunteering to investigate Sen. Analise Ortiz over social media posts revealing the locations of ICE agents. In his Aug. 13 letter, Miller alleged attacks on law enforcement were on the rise and believed posting their locations on social media could endanger officers. Instead of condemning these actions, you support these actions without an investigation, without gathering of facts, without interviewing witnesses, and without interviewing a single law enforcement officer, Miller wrote. This is the problem: you embrace ideology over support for law enforcement. Your ideology puts lives at risk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter, which never identifies Ortiz by name and merely references an Arizona lawmaker, argues that the First Amendment does not protect the incitement of lawless action, obscenity, defamation, or speech integral to criminal conduct, fraud, or true threats. Miller accuses Mayes of refusing to investigate Ortiz for political reasons During a phone interview with The Arizona Republic, Miller said he didnt know whether Ortizs social media posts violated the law, but argued someone should look into the matter further. An investigation should be done, Miller said. And thats something Kris Mayes refuses to do. It appears to political why she refuses to investigate somebody from her own political party. Miller, who also only referred to Ortiz as an Arizona lawmaker during the interview, said he wanted to investigate what the lawmaker did or didnt know when posting the ICE agents locations and whether her intent was to prevent law enforcement from arresting dangerous criminals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When it was pointed out that recording law enforcement and sharing their locations in public places is protected under the First Amendment, Miller acknowledged that Ortiz might not committed any crimes but stressed the need for an investigation to verify that. At a minimum, the attorney general should come out in support of law enforcement instead of support for people who appear to be committing crime of these folks that the ICE agents were arresting, Miller said. And to me, thats the most disappointing part of this entire saga. Miller said he had a conversation with Senate President Warren Petersen who called for a federal investigation into Ortiz regarding Millers offer to assist in the investigation and said Petersen told him he might accept his offer depending on the results of the investigation. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Arizona did not respond to an inquiry as to whether it was investigating Ortiz. Mayess office says Millers remarks are ludicrous and devoid of facts When asked to comment on Millers letter, Mayess office issued an excoriating rebuke. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr. Millers statements are ludicrous and devoid of facts, communications director Richie Taylor said in an email. Attorney General Mayes strongly supports law enforcement and the US Constitution. While county attorneys can accept cases from counties outside of their own when there are conflicts, Taylor said no such conflict existed in the situation with Ortiz. No statutory basis exists for the Legislature to appoint him or any other county attorney as special counsel, Taylor said. Attorney General Mayes believes Mr. Miller should focus on prosecuting actual crime in his county instead of spending his time on grandstanding attempts to deprive elected officials like Sen. Ortiz from exercising their First Amendment rights. Ortiz did not respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at perry.vandell@gannett.com or 602-444-2474. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @PerryVandell. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pinal Co. attorney defends offer to investigate lawmaker A celebration of all things Italian is underway. Little Italy Days just kicked off in Bloomfield. At the event, you will find canolis, raviolis and a lot of other unique products as well. This is the regions largest Italian heritage festival. we got here before everything kicked off at 5 Artisan jewelry and some beautiful hand-painted dishes, made just outside of Venice, are among the products being sold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Some businesses preparing for busy Little Italy Days weekend, while others plan to close their doors Channel 11 spoke with the owner of Lo Bello Imports, Cherie Westeho. She said this is her first time at Little Italy Days and that her booth provides a fantastic opportunity for people who may want authentic Italian serving bowls but are afraid theyre going to break on their way back from overseas. I love to see people. I love to talk to people. I get a lot of Italians. They come and say my nonna had this, or I remember my nonna having this in her house. We have a lot of people that come and, you know, its kind of nostalgic for them, Westeheo said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everything wraps up at around 9:00 p.m. on Thursday. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the festivities will kick off at noon. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) The Pittsfield Police Department is warning residents about a recent increase in motor vehicle break-ins, urging the community to take extra precautions to protect their property. Protecting your kids online: Online safety awareness following arrest of Longmeadow school librarian According to a post on social media from the Pittsfield Police Department, the incidents have occurred over the past couple of weeks, and officers say none of the reported break-ins have involved locked cars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We would like to remind folks to lock their cars, take valuables inside, police said. As far as what has been reported, no locked cars have been entered. Authorities are asking residents who have security camera footage of the crimes to share it directly with the department by calling (413) 448-9700. Reports can be filed online here. Police are also encouraging victims to report any break-ins, even if nothing was stolen, saying that the information can help them identify problem areas and link related cases. At the very least, it helps us know areas of interest/linking cases, the department noted. While officers are aware that some videos are circulating online, police say they have only been provided with a few clips so far. 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. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Planned Parenthood halted abortion services at its four licensed abortion clinics in Indianapolis, Bloomington, Lafayette and Merrillville. (Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images) Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokitas office wants to vacate a 12-year-old injunction on an abortion provider state funding ban risking Planned Parenthoods participation in Indianas Medicaid program. That injunctions legal foundation has entirely eroded, the office wrote in a brief last month, more than 11 years after the most recent filing in a long-dormant lawsuit with the reproductive health care group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It cited a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision, handed down the month prior, that Medicaid patients dont have the right to sue to see their doctor of choice. The ruling allows South Carolina to exclude clinics that also provide abortions from its Medicaid program, pending permission from a lower court. Indiana could draw on that new precedent. But Planned Parenthoods Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, and Kentucky chapter warns that health care access is in jeopardy. Indianas extreme abortion restrictions have created a dangerous environment for patients and providers, affiliate CEO Rebecca Gibron said in a statement to the Capital Chronicle. Now, targeted attacks against Planned Parenthood threaten to rip away basic health care from thousands of people who already have nowhere else to turn. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The organization provides birth control, cancer screenings, human immunodeficiency virus testing and prevention, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, vaccinations and wellness exams. Other safety-net providers cannot absorb all of the patients that Planned Parenthood sees, Gibron added. When you target us, you target the critical health care that keeps communities healthy. Looking at the law Indianas House Enrolled Act 1210, approved in 2011, bars state agencies from contracting with or giving grants to any organization that performs abortions, or has a facility where abortions are performed. The law exempts hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. It was designed to prevent the indirect subsidization of abortion and abortion providers, the Office of Attorney General said in a statement to the Capital Chronicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the day then-Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the ban into law, Planned Parenthoods Hoosier chapter filed suit in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Indiana. The group, and several individual plaintiffs, are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana. Rokitas office, meanwhile, represents the state officials named as defendants. The plaintiffs won a permanent injunction in 2013, with Judge Tanya Walton Pratt ruling that using the ban to deny Planned Parenthood Medicaid funding and reimbursement is unlawful because it would deny patients a free choice of medical provider. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita speaks at an event on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) But the nations highest court overturned that logic when it agreed with attorneys arguing that federal Medicaid law didnt spell that out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With that change in the law, this Courts judgment and injunction in Planned Parenthoods favor can no longer stand, Rokitas office said. It is no longer equitable to continue enforcing an injunction that interferes with a law enacted by the peoples representatives to further a vital state interest in protecting prenatal life when that injunctions legal foundation has entirely eroded, it continued. Other things have changed since 2011, however. Indianas abortion ban Shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the federal right to an abortion in 2022, Hoosier lawmakers outlawed the procedure with narrow exceptions and eliminated state licensure of abortion clinics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The provider landscape has changed dramatically there are fewer health care options, longer wait times, and an even more fragile safety net, Planned Parenthood affiliate spokeswoman Nicole Erwin said. A small number of procedures still occur in Indiana, but they are performed at hospitals or hospital-owned outpatient centers. Planned Parenthood hasnt provided abortions in Indiana since 2022, according to Erwin, who argued the law should not be used to disqualify us as a Medicaid provider. If for some reason the State moves to exclude us, despite us no longer being an abortion provider in Indiana, patients would not be able to use their Medicaid coverage with us, Erwin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We serve thousands of Medicaid patients each year in Indiana, she continued. Cutting us off would mean the loss of millions in revenue that directly fund this care, but more importantly, it would mean patients lose trusted providers and timely access to services that protect their health and lives. Lawsuit revived The state has argued the Supreme Courts decision fundamentally changes the legal landscape and means the Southern Districts ruling is no longer good law. Continued enforcement of the injunction does not merely interfere with federal-state arrangements, Rokitas office wrote in the brief. It also undermines a vital state policy in promoting respect for and preservation of prenatal life at all stages of development. One of Indianas most important public policies is to promote childbirth over abortion, it continued. Rebecca Gibron (Photo from Planned Parenthood) In a July 17 response, the plaintiffs argued that, if the final judgment and its permanent injunction is vacated, the case should be reopened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rather than simply asking that the final judgment entered in the plaintiffs favor be vacated, the State has requested that judgment be entered in its favor, the plaintiffs wrote. Under the circumstances of this case, that request is highly improper. They said only three of four legal claims were addressed in the judgment, leaving one about the Constitutions Contract Clause undecided. This was certainly appropriate, for the resolution of the Medicaid Act claim in the plaintiffs favor rendered it unnecessary to resolve the Contract Clause claim, they wrote. But, if the relief premised on the Medicaid Act claim is vacated, the plaintiffs must be afforded an opportunity to assert their remaining claim for relief, the plaintiffs continued. Given the passage of time, they believe it may be appropriate to assert additional challenges to the defunding statute as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rokitas office argued thats meritless. Its July 23 reply indicates Planned Parenthood only challenged the laws application to contracts and grants that were executed prior to the effective date. Twelve years later, the organization does not contend that any agreements predating the law are still in effect, the office noted. And its been so long that the claim was basically abandon(ed). Additionally, when negotiating the final judgment, the parties made clear that it would resolve all claims minus the issue of attorneys fees, which came separately. Even if Planned Parenthood wants to reopen things, it cannot do so by bootstrapping its request onto the States motion, the office argued. Procedurally, a request for affirmative relief must be made by motion, not dropped into an opposition brief. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A child sex abuser from Plano was sentenced this week to 50 years in prison without parole. Victor Cornejo, 58, was sentenced to 50 years in prison with no parole on August 12 for continuous sexual abuse of a child, according to a statement from the Collin County District Attorneys Office. His victim was 13, and he committed the abuse over several months. In Texas, this crime is one of the most serious second only to capital murder with sentences from 25 to 99 years in prison, and no possibility of parole. Judge Kim Laseter found Cornejo guilty and sentenced him to prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This sentence ensures that this predator will spend the rest of his life behind bars exactly where he belongs, said Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis in the statement. Cornejo repeatedly abused his victim between 2022 and 2023. This only came out when the child told a therapist in 2023, leading the Plano Police Department to investigate. Plano Detective Chris Jones led the investigation, according to the statement. The child gave a detailed account of the repeated abuse in a forensic interview at the Childrens Advocacy Center of Collin County. A judge issued an emergency protective order against Cornejo during the case, according to court records. His jury trial had been rescheduled multiple times this year, due to the need for a Spanish interpreter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He robbed a child of safety and trust, and justice demands that he never have the chance to harm another, Willis said. Police have arrested six men across Collin County for sex crimes since late July, as The Dallas Express reported. Earlier this month, Dallas Pride severed ties with a drag queen accused of child grooming. Playboy, the company best known for its magazine centerfolds and bunny logo, had a major presence in South Florida in the 1960s and 70s with a club and a hotel. Now, the brand is coming back to town. Playboy Enterprises has signed a lease to move into the penthouse of a new luxury office building in Miami Beach called Rivani. The company will move its corporate headquarters from Los Angeles into the building at 1691 Michigan Ave., near Lincoln Road. Playboy called it a strategic move in an Aug. 13 statement, and said it underscores the brands next chapter with expanded hospitality offerings, advanced content studios and renewed cultural presence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move by Playboy is game-changing, Miami Beach City Commissioner Joseph Magazine said Thursday in an interview with the Miami Herald. It shows that Miami Beach is truly reimagining our economy and focusing on economic development. The commissioner spent about six months with Playboys CEO and Board of Directors, selling them on the city. He said the company received offers from elsewhere in South Florida and in other U.S. cities. Along with the office relocation, the company is developing a new Playboy Club in Miami Beach, including a world-class restaurant along with an exclusive members-only space inspired by the storied Playboy Mansion. Developer Robert Rivani said he expects Playboys new office to be ready by mid-2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Playboy described Miami Beach as one of the nations most dynamic, culturally relevant, and business-friendly cities. Playboys decision to relocate its corporate headquarters to Miami Beach goes beyond the states positive business and tax climate, John Boyd Jr., principal with location advisory firm The Boyd Company, told the Herald on Thursday. It also goes to the more qualitative site selection attributes of Miami like cultural influence and dynamic vibe, which can help companies like Playboy to rebrand itself in the marketplace, he said. The Rivani commercial complex offers a mix of wellness, design and hospitality businesses. Robert Rivani said he has injected over $100 million into the development, which features a spa, wellness center, living room-style meeting space, Japanese restaurant and speakeasy. The new tenant plans content studios in its new headquarters to support Playboys growing creator network. This will allow the production of multimedia across digital platforms, including podcasts, photography and other media ventures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our vision is to create world-class content and experiences that resonate globally, Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy Inc., said in a statement. He sees Miami Beach as the ideal home for Playboys next chapter. In 2020, Playboy ceased publishing its monthly print magazine, founded in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and once the most identifiable part of the brand. In 2015, the magazine, also known for its in-depth articles along with the centerfolds, stripped the nudity from its pages. Even with the changes, the Playboy brand accounts for $3 billion in annual consumer spending across the world thats a lot of logo licensing on shot glasses, keychains and clothing. And this year, Playboy even returned to publishing an annual print magazine. Commissioner Magazine said his understanding of Playboys plans is that the company will open a corporate headquarters with about 100 new local hires. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said its unlikely the company will build another hotel. Thats not part of their business model, he said, adding Playboy will focus on a high-end restaurant and club. Playboys presence in South Florida The plan to open a headquarters and club is a return to an area where Playboy once had a major presence. The Playboy Club, with its bunny barmaids, opened in 1961 at 77th Street and Biscayne Boulevard in Miami. The site, across the street from an adult theater, is now an auto supply shop. The club moved to an inn near the airport, but didnt last there long. In 1970, the company invested millions to open a Miami Beach hotel, the Playboy Plaza. The building, in the 5400 block of Collins Avenue, is now known as the Castle Beach Club. In addition to the club and hotel, Playboy trailblazing Playboy photographer Bunny Yeager found bunnies all over Miami, including pinup Bettie Page, as she put the 305 in the magazines centerfold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tragically, some celebrated Playmates, like 1993 Playmate of the Year Anna Nicole Smith, and Miss February 1977, Star Stowe, lost their lives in South Florida. So, what kind of Playboy can South Florida expect when the company returns? Kohn, the CEO, may have foreshadowed that five years ago in a Medium post announcing the shutdown of the print magazine, Kohn gave some hints of what could be part of the companys planned content studios. He cited live events they held with audiences on cannabis advocacy, female sexuality in the arts and the future of masculinity. He also mentioned they held the first sessions of The Playboy Interview Live and revived the Playboy Advisor column in a more social media-friendly digital series providing millions of viewers with the sex-ed we wish wed had. At least 60 people have been killed and dozens are still missing after flash floods hit a village hosting Hindu pilgrims in Indian-administered Kashmir. More than 100 people have been injured, said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while addressing an Independence Day function in capital Srinagar. On Thursday, water mixed with debris and mud came gushing down a hill in Chositi village in Kishtwar district - a remote village on a busy pilgrimage route to a Himalayan shrine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rescue operations are continuing as officials intensify efforts to pull out survivors from the mud and rubble. Officials say the flooding was likely triggered by a cloudburst, though India's meteorological department is yet to confirm this. The pilgrims were in the area to visit the shrine of Machail Mata, a manifestation of Goddess Durga. Chositi is the last point accessible by vehicles, making it a common stop for pilgrims before they start the uphill journey on foot or return to their homes. Many survivors are being treated for injuries at the district hospital in Kishtwar. Among them is Putul Devi, who sits silently on a metal hospital bed, her face blank, a relative by her side. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our family had come for the pilgrimage. We had completed the darshan [visit] - and then, suddenly there was a blast-like sound and what followed was complete chaos," she told news agency ANI. "We could not understand anything. Everyone just started running." Ms Devi was travelling with 13 members of her family. So far, she has been reunited with only two. The rest, including her husband and three children, are missing. The flash floods tore through houses and trees [AFP via Getty Images] A senior official from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) told news agency ANI that the rescue team has only one earth mover (commonly referred to as a JCB) at the site. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "When the JCB digs, we remove the victims buried above. Then we will try to find those buried below. We were told that at least 100200 people could still be trapped," he told ANI. Back at the hospital, Sanjay Kumar recounts that he was helping serve lunch at a community kitchen when the floods struck. He said about 200250 people were eating inside the building. "I was distributing rotis when I heard a loud noise," he recalled. "There's a drain next to the kitchen and it instantly began filling with sludge. I told everyone to run. We had no time, not even a minute." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At one point, Mr Kumar said, he was trapped under debris. His son was close by and he held onto him tightly. Soon, the soldiers and police officers deployed for the shrine's security pulled them out. "Thankfully, almost everyone there was saved," he said. In another hospital ward, a weeping man clutched a phone which had a photograph of his missing daughter. "We had no idea something like this would happen. The sky was clear - there were even moments of sunshine - and within a minute, it all came crashing down," he said through tears. "I just want my daughter. Please find my daughter. I don't want anything else." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Parts of northern India have seen very heavy rainfall in recent days, causing flash floods in several areas. Last week, a massive flood hit the village of Dharali in Uttarakhand, submerging nearly half of it. On Tuesday, officials said 66 people were still missing and only one body had been found. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Ukraines 7th Air Assault Corps and adjacent units have cleared the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast of Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups and individual Russian soldiers. Source: press service of the 7th Air Assault Corps on social media Details: The press service says that Ukrainian forces are operating in the city and local residents are able to move around. Movement within the city itself is significantly restricted, but access to Pokrovsk is possible, the Ukrainian military said. Background: The first Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups entered Pokrovsk on 15 July, after fighting had been ongoing around the city for more than six months. The 68th Separate Jaeger Brigade was among the units that were in Pokrovsk when the sabotage teams arrived and remains stationed there today. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! STAMFORD, Conn. (WTNH) A 21-year-old Stamford man was arrested for distributing child pornography, according to police. Stamford nurse sentenced for tampering with fentanyl at surgical facility The investigation began in January when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) forwarded a cyber tip to Stamford police outlining that a user on Kik Messenger, a messaging app, was distributing child sexual abuse material. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was determined that the user had generated multiple tips using the same IP address at a residence on Prospect Street in Stamford. The suspect was identified as 21-year-old Koa Vierra. In April, detectives seized multiple electronic devices of Vierras and found child pornography on them. In June, an arrest warrant was granted for Vierra, but he was located in California and was arranged to return to Stamford for the purpose of turning himself in, according to police. On Thursday, Vierras vehicle was located and he was taken into custody. He was charged with possession of child sexual abuse material in the first degree and promoting a minor in obscene performance. He was held on a $250,000 bond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Police have apologised after failing to provide a vulnerable man with an appropriate adult while he was in custody. Nick Prosser, who has special needs, was arrested last November on suspicion of common assault and spent a night at Worcester Police Station. His sister Susan Tustin said she should have been notified as his next-of-kin, but was not told her brother had been detained until the next day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After she made a formal complaint, West Mercia Police apologised, and a spokesman for the force said: "The investigation following the formal complaint has concluded and found that the service provided by West Mercia Police was not acceptable." Mrs Tustin said her brother was "shaking" when he was brought to her house in Strensham by officers the next day. An appropriate adult would have safeguarded Mr Prosser's interests during interactions with police. A letter from the force to Mrs Tustin, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, said: "Regrettably, this safeguard was not implemented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Furthermore, the rationale for proceeding without an appropriate adult was not clearly documented on the custody record." 'Clearly vulnerable' Officers on duty should have ensured an appropriate adult was present, the letter said. It said: "It is concerning that this need was not identified or reinforced by the interviewing officer, reviewing officer or Mr Prosser's solicitor. "This oversight is difficult to account for and does not align with the standards expected." Police said it would not be feasible to review custody suite CCTV and "such footage may no longer be available". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They added: "The core issue remains, Mr Prosser should have been provided with an appropriate adult, this did not occur, and no-one can account for why this didn't happen." The letter continued: "I acknowledge that not knowing fully how this mistake has occurred will be frustrating and disappointing, however on behalf of West Mercia I apologise for any distress this incident has caused Nicholas, as he was clearly vulnerable and required support." There was no indication a person serving with the police may have committed a criminal offence or behaved in a way justifying disciplinary proceedings, it added. It said officers and staff had received training and oversight had been reinforced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. More on this story Related internet links ACCESS/RI has asked the Rhode Island Attorney General to revise state regulations governing police body-worn cameras to provide clarity and improve public access. (Getty Images) Police body cameras are only as helpful as the rules that govern their use and distribution. And good government groups say Rhode Islands body-worn camera regulations are riddled with loopholes that give police officers a pass at the expense of public transparency and access. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats why theyre again asking the Rhode Island Attorney Generals office to strengthen state policy. Transparency is critical within law enforcement agencies, particularly when there is an officer-involved shooting, an Aug. 7 letter from ACCESS/RI states. Its the third time the nonprofit coalition of watchdog and access groups, including the Rhode Island Press Association, of which Rhode Island Current is a member, has asked the AGs office to strengthen the state body camera program since the state legislature approved the law in 2021. So far, the calls for change have gone mostly unanswered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The AG doesnt take the position of the open government groups when it comes to body cameras because the AG has this duality of also being the chief law enforcement officer, John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island and a signatory to the letter, said in an interview Thursday. They typically side with their colleagues in law enforcement. Rhode Island Attorney General Neronhas office acknowledged but did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday. In a written explanation in response to ACCESS/RIs proposed revisions last year, Neronhas office said its approach to state regulations strikes an appropriate balance between letting police officers perform their duties, respecting privacy and providing evidence for public accountability. State law required the AGs office and the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety to seek public input when developing regulations, and again ask for feedback each year. But it doesnt force state regulators to accept those suggestions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ACCESS/RI members submitted nearly identical lists of proposed changes in 2022 and 2024. A few recommendations were incorporated. Most were not. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronhas office in downtown Providence. (Photo by Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current) Waiting for change Requested revisions include requiring law enforcement agencies to make full audio and video footage from use-of-force cases publicly accessible within 30 days of the incident. The existing law requires sharing camera footage from extreme or deadly force by an officer after substantial completion of evidence collection and witness interviews. It notes that such completion is expected to occur within 30 days. But, it doesnt outright require a 30-day turnaround. The lack of specificity results in inconsistent and varied compliance with state law, said Tim White, a former board member for the New England First Amendment Coalition. White serves as an investigative reporter and managing editor for WPRI-TV 12. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When police agencies want to release body-worn camera footage, they do it quickly and they do it free of charge, White said in an interview. They often release video hours within an incident when they want to stop a crime or catch a bad guy. Conversely, when law enforcement agencies face scrutiny, including when they use potentially unnecessary force, video footage can take weeks to release to the public, often accompanied by exorbitant fees, White said. Transparency is critical within law enforcement agencies, particularly when there is an officer-involved shooting. ACCESS/RI in its Aug. 7 letter to the Rhode Island Attorney General's office Case in point: an officer-involved shooting in Pawtucket in June. The city shared redacted video footage the following month in response to public records requests by various media outlets, but has yet to share footage of the shooting itself or the events leading up to the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Worse, there appears to be a malfunction or deactivation of the involved officers [body worn camera], resulting in an inexplicable gap in the video and yet more questions about law enforcement actions that day, ACCESS/RIs letter states. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said in a written response Thursday that the police officers body camera was in off-duty mode, before receiving the call, and did not automatically activate as intended when the officer took out his gun. White, who has covered law enforcement in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for a combined three decades, has found that access to body camera footage, and records generally, depends less on state policy, and more on individual agency culture. White called Goncalves explanation unacceptable, further highlighting the problems with vague state guidelines as well as lack of training on how police officers should use their cameras. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Goncalves also noted that the city follows the states regulations for body worn cameras. Should the Attorney Generals office seek to revise the policy, the Pawtucket Police Department would actively participate in that process, she said. The regulations also lack clarity on when officers are allowed to turn off or mute their cameras. Outside of deadly force incidents, in which cameras cant be turned off until the incident is concluded, police officers can stop recording or mute their camera audio when dealing with minors, speaking to witnesses who want anonymity, or if they see activities or circumstances that are sensitive or private in nature, among other scenarios. ACCESS/RI called the policy confusing and over-broad, giving officers too much authority and discretion to stop recording. Pawtucket Police have only released partial footage from an officer-involved shooting months after it occurred. State regulates let law enforcement agencies withhold camera records until substantial completion of an investigation. (Photo by Janine L. Weisman/Rhode Island Current) The sound of silence Body camera footage released by Providence police who responded to a car crash involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers last month includes several lengthy silences due to muted audio of police body cameras. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Providence Police Col. Oscar Perez has publicly denied that the city law enforcement cooperated with ICE in its arrest of a self-admitted MS-13 gang member in Providence. But lack of sound in the recorded footage raised suspicions for Steven Brown, executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island. Brown also signed ACCESS/RIs letter to the AG. Its troubling to have the police department talk about how they did not in any way collaborate with ICE during the incident yet there is this half hour of silence in which police are talking with ICE agents, Brown said in an interview. The ACLU has since asked Perez in writing to address the legitimacy of muted recordings and release the remaining footage from other officers who responded. Anthony Vega, a spokesperson for Providence Mayor Brett Smileys office, said in an email Thursday night that Providence police officers are allowed to mute camera audio when speaking with other law enforcement officers under department policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After a thorough review of the incident, Providence Police identified some non-compliance and has addressed that with staff, Vega said. The Department remains committed to fairness, accountability and transparency. Rhode Island is not alone in its struggle to balance law enforcement protections and investigatory powers with public access, said Justin Silverman, executive director for the New England First Amendment Coalition, who also signed the letter to the AG. State regulations governing police body cameras are still a new phenomenon a reaction in many places, including Rhode Island, to the 2020 killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer. Many states inappropriately rely on the investigatory exemption to withhold footage for an unreasonable amount of time, Silverman said. Theres an inclination to really defer to police departments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Silverman acknowledged that there are sometimes legitimate reasons to withhold or redact body camera footage, Rhode Islands regulations leave room for misinterpretation, or worse, abuse. Our recommendations are really focused on narrowing the language of the policy and getting very specific about the circumstances that would need to present to withhold footage, Silverman said. Try, try, try again Despite failing to persuade the AGs office on most of the requested clarifications and revisions to the state body camera policy thus far, Silverman insisted it was not a fruitless exercise to try again. Were also educating the public about what could happen because of these policies, how community members might be left in the dark over a police incident we dont have video for because of restrictive policies that need to be revisited, Silverman said. Brown was less optimistic. If the AGs office were truly interested in promoting access with the body camera policy program, they would have long ago adopted many of the recommendations that ACCESS/RI has offered, he said. One alternative path to progress could be reforming the states public records act. Among the 48 revisions proposed to the Access to Public Records Act during the 2025 legislation was a requirement that law enforcement turn over body camera footage in use-of-force cases within 30 days. The legislation stalled in both chambers of the Rhode Island General Assembly, drowned in a litany of objections by Gov. Dan McKees office and other state cabinet heads. Proponents for records reform expect to introduce similar, or identical, legislation next year. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX After a fight just outside of North College Hill High School on Aug. 13, everyone involved will face charges, according to North College Hill police. North College Hill City Schools Superintendent Eugene Blalock Jr. said in a statement that around 3:50 p.m., at the corner of Savannah and Dallas avenues, he saw a group of students and adults watching a fight between two boys, with adults who he said are parents "encouraging the students to fight." Blalock added that other students got involved in the altercation, telling Enquirer media partner Fox19 that after he broke up the first fight, another started shortly after. He also told Fox19 that the students involved have been arrested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Nothing will change until the parents start acting like adults. It starts at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Blalock wrote. North College Hill police investigating fight North College Hill police told The Enquirer it is investigating the incident. Lt. Emily Englebert said there have been charges filed, and that "all individuals involved with the incident are being charged." She added that she can't share specifics on the investigation until all parties have been charged. Englebert said she has been with the North College Hill police for seven years, and when asked if the station often gets called to the school district for fights, she said, "Yes, we do." Students can face disciplinary measures for actions outside of school A second statement sent out by Blalock on Aug. 14 reviewed the district's code of conduct, stating that students are subject to discipline if they fail to comply with school rules on campus, at school-related events, or off school property "when the misbehavior endangers the health and safety of students within the district or adversely affects the education process." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Enquirer reached out to Blalock for further comment but did not receive a response prior to publication. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Charges forthcoming in North College Hill HS fight, police say Police ID man found dead in bucket of landscaping truck after tragic accident in New Hampshire Authorities are investigating the death of a landscaper who came into contact with overhead power lines in New Hampshire on Thursday. Officers responding to a 911 call for an electric shock in the parking lot of 158 North Broadway in Salem just after 1:20 p.m. found a landscaper dead in the bucket of a hydraulic lift, according to the Salem Police Department. Police on Friday identified the landscaper as 45-year-old Marc Glaser, of Salem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A second landscaper, whose name hasnt been released, was rushed to Mass General Hospital in Boston with serious electrical burns. The lift was located near a junction of overhead power lines that ran down Route 28 as well as into the business area, the department said in a statement. Both men worked for a landscaping company doing work in the area. Local authorities, along with Liberty Utilities, secured the scene. The area around a nearby bank and gas station was evacuated as a precaution. While this remains an active investigation, it does appear to be a tragic accident, police added. The Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are assisting with the investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Jake Genest of the Salem Police Department. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW WEST DES MOINES, Iowa An investigation is underway in West Des Moines after a report of shots fired was made Friday morning. The West Des Moines Police Department said the report came in around 8:15 a.m. about shots fired in the 5800 block of Westown Parkway. Police said it is believed two vehicles were involved in the incident and both left the area. Deputy injured in second crash at I-80 accident scene Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shell casings were recovered in the area. Theres no evidence that the incident was linked to any businesses in the area. No other details were released by police. Metro 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 who13.com. STRUTHERS, Ohio (WKBN) A 3-year-old child died Friday after officials say he got ahold of an unsecured firearm in a home on Spring Street in Struthers. Read next: Youngstown police need help finding little boys family First responders flooded the 400 block of Spring Street just before 1 p.m. At a home in the area, police could be seen taking evidence two boxes that are typically used to store guns and a paper bag out the front door and placing them in an unmarked cruiser. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked what happened, Struthers Police Capt. D.J Aldish said: The worst possible situation happened. The child got ahold of a loaded firearm. Aldish said both Struthers and Boardman law enforcement got the call that a 3-year-old boy was shot in the head around noon. He said there was confusion at first about where the incident happened. Aldish said there were two adults with the child when he was shot in the home on Spring Street. The adults tried driving him to the hospital but stopped at the corner of South Avenue and Matthews Road in Boardman, where he was having trouble breathing. There, emergency crews took over and took the boy to St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown. They were obviously on their way to the hospital. I dont know, we dont know why they pulled over there and stopped there, and thats where they stopped and continuously called 911, I believe. And several people called 911 from there, and several people were calling 911 from here, Aldish said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They were trying to get to Akron Childrens in Boardman, and we believe that the child maybe had stopped breathing near that intersection, which resulted in them pulling into the parking lot, said Boardman Fire Chief Mark Pitzer. Boardman fire was one of multiple departments to respond to the scene. They arrived quickly after getting multiple 911 calls from the area. Our crews arrived immediately, being right next door, essentially, to the fire station there on South Avenue, you know, began treatment. EMS crews arrived not shortly after our Ladder 74 and arrived on scene, rendered care and transported the child to St. Elizabeths, Pitzer said. The Mahoning County Coroner confirmed the child died from his injuries around 3 p.m. Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Mahoning County Sheriffs Office is taking over the investigation at the request of the county prosecutor. Sheriff Jerry Greene confirmed the move but offered no further comment. Police have not said if anyone will face charges. Police are also reminding families to keep firearms locked, unloaded and out of reach of children. They say taking those extra steps could prevent tragedies like this one. 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. ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) Rockford Police arrested Nelson Kennedy, 47, for allegedly pointing a pistol at staff working at District Bar and Grill. On August 2, around 3 a.m., officers were called to the downtown Rockford bar for reports of a patron with a firearm. Multiple employees told authorities Kennedy was kicked out of the bar for being too intoxicated earlier in the evening. He returned through the rear entrance with a handgun and pointed it at staff after they were closed, according to court records. Nelson Kennedy. Photo: Winnebago County Jail Victims told officials that Kennedy attempted to discharge the firearm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspect fled from the bar on foot soon after the incident, court documents show. Surveillance footage corroborated what the victims had reported. Kennedy has a revoked FOID card and was previously convicted of manufacturing and delivering cocaine in 2013. He is now charged with seven counts of aggravated assault while using a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon by a felon and aggravated discharge of a firearm. 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. SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) The Spartanburg Police Department are searching for a suspect following reports of shots fired at a Walmart. Around 1:05 p.m. Friday August 15, officers were called out to the Dorman Center Walmart regarding a call about a gunshot. The police department said an officer was working extra duty at the Walmart when he heard a shot coming from outside. Authorities said the suspect had allegedly fled the scene in a white vehicle by the time the officer exited the store. No injuries were reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Spartanburg Police Department said they located a possible victim, who was not cooperating with police. The victim was then later arrested for being intoxicated in public, as well as disorderly conduct in public. This remains an ongoing 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 WSPA 7NEWS. Police searching for burglar who broke into bakery thats been open for only 2 weeks San Angel Latin Bakery in Gwinnett County is recovering from a smash-and-grab burglary that occurred early Thursday morning, just two weeks after its grand opening. The burglary took place around 6:30 a.m. on Hurricane Shoals Road, where the suspect broke the front glass and stole cash from the register, leaving behind expensive electronics. Frustration, a hundred percent. Sadness. But we have to be resilient, said Daniel Barreto, the bakerys owner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Surveillance video captured the suspect hurling an object through the front door of the bakery, shattering the peaceful scene of customers enjoying fresh coffee and pastries. TRENDING STORIES: Barretos employees arrived just 30 minutes after the break-in, finding glass everywhere but no sign of the suspect. The thousand-dollar repair forced the bakery to close for hours while Lawrenceville Police investigated the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are below the numbers that we want. So, its an extra expense that nobody wants, Barreto said. Despite the setback, Barreto remains determined to continue his business. Keep moving forward, get up, dust themselves off and keep moving forward, Barreto said. Lawrenceville police have not identified a suspect, and anyone with information is urged to contact them. OWENS CROSS ROADS, Ala. (WHNT) The Owens Cross Roads Police Department says officers are searching for a teenage girl who ran away while being taken to a local mental health center. Owens Cross Roads Police Chief Jason Dobbins said the 15-year-old girl was in the care of the Alabama Department of Human Resources and was being dropped off at Pathway of Madison County around 6:15 p.m. Thursday. However, he said, when the girl arrived at the facility, she ran away. Body found in Morgan County, sheriffs office says Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dobbins said the girl was not yet in the care of the Pathways facility when she ran away. The chief said officers were still working ot locate the teenager as of 9:15 p.m. Thursday. He said she was wearing a black shirt and khaki pants at the time of the incident, but could not give a more detailed description at this time. Pathway of Madison County contracts with the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) to provide mental health services for girls. The facility recently had its business license renewed by the Owens Cross Roads City Council with several conditions after the facility faced controversy after what officials called a riot broke out in Sept 2024. 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. DEKALB, Ill. (WTVO) John Contreras, 24, a known street gang member, was arrested and charged with multiple firearm offenses after police responded to a shooting in DeKalb. Officers with the DeKalb Police Department responded to the 100 block of North 10th Street on Tuesday, at 11:47 a.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a man was firing a gun at people near that address. By the time officers arrived on the scene, everyone involved had fled the area. Investigators did find evidence of a shooting, recovering five spent 9mm shell casings in the road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police were able to identify a known street gang member, John Contreras, 24, as the suspect. The investigation determined that Contreras was seen at the scene of the shooting while riding a bicycle. On Thursday, agents executed a search warrant at a home in the 100 block of S. 7th Street and found Contreras within. He faces charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm by a street gang member, no valid Firearm Owners Identification, and no concealed carry license. Police said Contreras was on parole at the time of the incident. 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. Gov. Jared Polis visited the Incident Command Post for the Turner Gulch Fire in Mesa County on Aug. 14, 2025. (Gov. Jared Polis) Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday issued a broad emergency declaration covering multiple wildfires currently burning on the Western Slope and the risk of new fires as dangerous weather conditions persist in the coming weeks. More than 2,000 local, state and federal personnel are currently battling nine large fires in Colorado, including the Lee Fire in Rio Blanco County, which as of Friday ranked as the fifth-largest fire in state history at an estimated size of 133,602 acres. Polis said in a press release that Thursdays executive order declaring an emergency would bolster our ability to jump on fires early as elevated fire risk continues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Continuing throughout July and into August, and as part of the same prolonged weather pattern, parts of Colorado have experienced continued high temperatures, high winds, severe to extreme drought conditions, and near record level fire indices, the order says. Elevated fire weather and fire risk is forecast for the coming weeks. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Drought conditions classified as severe or extreme have extended across the majority of the Western Slope for much of the summer, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. As of this week, a large area covering most of Garfield and Rio Blanco counties is now considered to be in exceptional drought, the monitors most severe classification. Polis order authorizes the Colorado National Guard to assist in fire suppression efforts when requested by the state Department of Public Safety. It also directs additional state funds to replenish the Wildfire Emergency Response Fund, which reimburses local agencies for early firefighting efforts and has been nearly depleted by the active 2025 fire season. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state benefits from early engagement of fires with resources and operational support immediately following detection of new fire starts when possible and appropriate, says Polis order. Early attack on fires can keep those fires from becoming costlier and more dangerous events. Separately on Thursday, Polis visited Mesa County, where the Turner Gulch Fire has burned an estimated 31,695 acres since it was started by lightning on July 10. The governor met with firefighters at the fires incident command post in Grand Junction. More than 600 personnel are assigned to the fire which is estimated at 75% containment. Colorado is no stranger to devastating wildfires, but our experienced and dedicated emergency management staff always step up to protect Coloradans and our communities, Polis said. Today I was briefed on the response and containment efforts of the Turner Gulch Fire and I thanked the command center staff, emergency response staff, and firefighters on the ground running towards flames to protect us and our communities. I expressed the states profound gratitude for their bravery. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE WARSAW (Reuters) -Russian forces have floundered in Ukraine and history shows Russia's army can be beaten in combat, Poland's president told a military parade on Friday marking the 105th anniversary of a victory over the Red Army by Polish defenders. Polish President Karol Nawrocki, an ally of Donald Trump's MAGA movement, spoke as the eyes of the world were focused on Alaska, where the U.S. president will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks on the war in Ukraine. The parade marked the 105th anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw during which Poland defeated the invading Red Army and prevented Soviet forces pushing towards western Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Russia is not invincible," Nawrocki said in a speech before the parade. "It lost to Japan at the beginning of the 20th century, it was defeated by the Poles in 1920, and today, for over three years... it has been floundering after its attack on Ukraine thanks to the support of allies and the solidarity of free nations, including, and at times especially, Poland." Already tense relations between Warsaw and Moscow have hit new lows since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. NATO member Poland says its own role as a hub for aid for Kyiv has made it a target of Russian sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation. Nawrocki joined a Ukraine teleconference with Europe an leaders and Trump on Wednesday that discussed the U.S. president's forthcoming summit with Putin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Warsaw, NATO's leading spender on defence as a percentage of GDP, has ramped up its military spending since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It plans to spend 5% of GDP on defence in 2026 to repel what it says is a renewed threat from the east. Around 50 military aircraft, including F-16 fighter jets, flew overhead as 4,000 Polish soldiers accompanied by around 200 troops from NATO allies marched alongside the Vistula river beside Leopard, K2 and Abrams tanks, Borsuk and Rosomak armoured vehicles as well as Patriot and HIMARS artillery systems. A naval parade featuring around 20 vessels also took place in the Baltic sea. (Reporting by Alan Charlish, Editing by William Maclean) A new poll of Texas Senate GOP primary shows Sen. John Cornyn leading Attorney General Ken Paxton by 1 percentage point, breaking a spell of public polling that had found the incumbent trailing by wide margins. In a sample of nearly 500 registered Texans planning to vote in the Republican primary, Cornyn garnered 30% of the vote to Paxtons 29% well within the polls 4.4% margin of error. Much of the Republican electorate is up for grabs, with 37% saying they were undecided. If neither candidate wins 50% plus one vote in the March primary, the top two candidates would advance to a May runoff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The poll was conducted by Emerson College between Monday and Tuesday the first public survey of the bitter primary since Cornyn allies began deploying millions in advertising. Paxton and his allies, meanwhile, have largely kept their powder dry, waiting to go up on air until closer to the primary. Groups affiliated with Senate Republicans have committed enormous resources to Cornyn, arguing that a Paxton candidacy would jeopardize the partys hold on the seat and cost more money to defend. In a slideshow obtained by Punchbowl News, Senate Leadership Fund, the super PAC linked to Senate GOP leadership, projected that Republicans would need to spend over $200 million on Paxton in a general election. But in a broader pool of 1,000 Texas voters, the Emerson poll found both Republicans beating Democrat Colin Allred the highest-profile declared Democratic candidate beyond the margin of error. Cornyn garnered 45% to Allreds 38% in a hypothetical matchup, while Paxton led 46% to 41%. [John Cornyn enters critical window to change trajectory of Texas Senate primary against Ken Paxton] Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latest findings differ significantly from previous surveys of the primary. The SLF presentation found that Paxton led Cornyn by an average of 17% across 13 polls between January and June. Emerson, like many pollsters, underestimated Republicans in 2024, finding in October that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump led his Democratic counterpart, Kamala Harris, by 7 percentage points in Texas and that Allred was within 1 point of Sen. Ted Cruz. Ultimately, Trump won by about 13 percentage points and Cruz won by more than 8 points. Both Cornyn and Paxton are pursuing an endorsement from Trump, who has yet to weigh in on the contest and has endorsed both men in prior races. The Emerson poll suggests that the Trump endorsement could be the deciding factor for voters unsure of who they plan to support. Seven months ahead of the Republican Primary, the contest between the four-term incumbent and the Attorney General is a toss-up, Emerson executive director Spencer Kimball said in a statement, noting the large share of voters who had yet to make up their minds. Among these undecided voters, President Trumps job approval stands at 73%, suggesting his endorsement could be pivotal in such a close race. Beyond the Senate race, the poll found Trumps approval rating remains much higher in Texas than nationally, with 49% approving of the job hes done as president and 42% disapproving. Gov. Greg Abbott is less popular but still above water, with a net approval rating of 3 percentage points. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Texans continued to rank the economy and immigration as their top issues, but their order has flipped since before the 2024 election, with the economy now taking the top spot at 30%. Amid Trumps crackdown at the border, illegal crossings which had already begun to drop under President Joe Biden after spiking earlier in his term have plummeted to the lowest level in decades. Looking ahead to 2028, Texas Republicans preferred presidential candidate is Vice President JD Vance, the Emerson poll found. Vance stands far ahead of the field at 45%; Cruz, who ran for president in 2016, is second at 9%. On the Democratic side, no prospective candidate had a clear lead. Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg led the field with 22% support, followed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 20% and 2024 nominee Harris at 17%. Finally, the survey found that voters are paying close attention to state Republicans effort to redraw Texas congressional map to yield more GOP seats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nearly 80% of voters said they are following redistricting very or somewhat closely. And they had mixed feelings about it: 36% support the redraw, 38% oppose it and 26% are unsure. But independents are against it by a margin of 19 percentage points. Texas House Democrats decamped to blue states en masse to freeze the Legislatures redistricting process, and Republicans have issued arrest warrants to attempt to compel them to return. Again, Texas voters were split 41% agreed that the fleeing Democrats should be arrested, while 37% did not. More all-star speakers confirmed for The Texas Tribune Festival, Nov. 1315! This years lineup just got even more exciting with the addition of State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo; former United States Attorney General Eric Holder; Abby Phillip, anchor of CNN NewsNight; Aaron Reitz, 2026 Republican candidate for Texas Attorney General; and State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin. Get your tickets today! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) A Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) outreach program reported stark healthcare and economic concerns across the state in a recent survey. MSDHs iHeard aims to build health knowledge in communities and trust in science by sharing timely, accurate health information in a coordinated way through community partners. Each week, it polls 200 Mississippians about their health knowledge and worries. Findings released Tuesday from a poll in late July noted strong feelings on living conditions and quality of life in Mississippi. One key question asked about the top health concern for respondents in 2025. About 34% cited obesity complications, 28% cited healthcare access and cost, 20% cited gun violence, 18% cited mental health and 17% cited diabetes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mississippi 9th for Black homicide rate in US: report According to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 40.1% of residents are obese. As Mississippians age, this is associated with increased risk of chronic diseases, including diabetes. The latest CDC data indicated that 346,000 people, or roughly 14% of all Mississippians, have the condition. The Center for Mississippi Health Policy found that in 2023, 15.4% relied on public insurance programs and 15.2% of Mississippians were uninsured. Mississippi is most reliant on federal dollars to fund its Medicaid program among all states. Incoming cuts to Medicaid from the Big Beautiful Bill will negatively impact the state and those who rely on Medicaid. For older Mississippians, this means fewer options for healthcare. A Brown University report found that eleven Mississippi nursing homes are at risk for closure due to the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gun violence is also a considerable risk for many Mississippians. A WJTV 12 News report from January found that Mississippi had a record year for mass shootings in 2024. Jackson renters get more space for their money: report In terms of mental health, over one in five Mississippians has a mental illness. Mental Health America found in 2024 that Mississippi has the second-worst access to mental health care nationally. The state also has the second-highest rate of mentally ill adults with no insurance coverage. Mississippians with insurance were also the most likely nationally to have policies that do not have mental health coverage. The following share of respondents from the iHeard poll stated that addressing these issues would have the greatest benefit for Mississippians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cost of living (31%) Jobs (18%) Crime (15%) Housing (9%) Racism/discrimination (7%) Renters in the capital city receive more for their money than in most areas of the country. However, rates of homelessness increased statewide in 2024, indicating evolving issues with housing security. Among 182 major cities, WalletHub ranked Jackson as the 168th worst state to start a career in 2025. Its ranking in 2024 was 174th. Roughly one in six of Mississippis mass shootings in 2024 occurred in Jackson. However, the homicide rate for 2025 is significantly lower compared to last year. Mississippi has one of the countrys most shameful records related to discrimination and racism. Still, the state ranked third nationally for racial progress back in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily 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 WJTV. A new poll shows Texas voters are divided on President Donald Trumps redistricting plans to add five more GOP seats to Congress, according to a new poll. The new Emerson College poll found that 36% of Texas voters supported the proposal to redraw Texas congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Another 38% said they opposed the effort and 26% said they were unsure, according to the poll. Among Republicans, 58% supported the proposal, 30% were unsure, and 12% opposed it. For Democrats, only 15% supported the move, 16% were unsure, and 70% opposed it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The effort was also unpopular among independent Texas voters, with just 24% of the group approving of the proposal. Another 33% said they were unsure and 43% said they opposed the move. When asked if Republicans in Texas are entitled to five more congressional seats, referring to Trumps statement on the matter, 40% of voters agreed while 38% of voters disagreed. Another 22% did not have an opinion, according to the poll. The poll was conducted Aug. 11-12 among 1,000 registered voters in Texas. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. TEXAS POLL Do you support or oppose the proposal to redraw Texas' congressional maps ahead of the 2026 Midterm Elections? 36% support 38% oppose 26% unsure More on Nexstar Media's Political Power Ranker with @john_jwitt & @MannyGarciaTX: https://t.co/o3VtyeiMfv pic.twitter.com/B7TeZQJXp4 Emerson College Polling (@EmersonPolling) August 15, 2025 The poll comes as Texas Democrats fled the state earlier this week to halt the Texas GOPs efforts to redraw the congressional maps. According to the Associated Press, the Democrats will return to the state once Texas Republicans end a special session and California releases its own redrawn map proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott still intends to push through new maps that would give the GOP five more winnable seats before next years midterm elections. House Speaker Dustin Burrows has said that if Democrats dont return the next time lawmakers reconvene on Friday, the session will end and the governor will immediately begin another one. Abbott put redistricting on the agenda at the urging of President Donald Trump, who wants to shore up Republicans narrow House majority and avoid a repeat of his first presidency, when the 2018 midterms restored Democrats to a House majority that blocked his agenda and twice impeached him. It is unusual for redistricting to take place in the middle of the decade and typically occurs once at the beginning of each decade to coincide with the census. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Pope Leo XIV prayed for an end to global conflicts Friday, the same day as a landmark meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at brokering an end to the war in Ukraine. We must not resign ourselves to the prevalence of the logic of armed conflict, he said Friday, according to The Associated Press. The pope did not explicitly name-check the war in Ukraine but has broadly called for peace and a ceasefire in the past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even today, sadly, we feel powerless before the spread of violence in the world a violence increasingly deaf and insensitive to any stirring of humanity. Yet we must not cease to hope: God is greater than the sin of human beings, he also wrote on social platform X. We must not resign ourselves to the prevalence of the logic of conflict and of arms. Leo said earlier this week that he hoped the Trump-Putin meeting would result in a ceasefire. There must be an end to the violence and so many deaths. Lets see how they can reach an agreement because the war has been going on too long, he said in remarks reported by the Catholic News Service. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this week that the Vatican had been one of a few successful mediators in returning small numbers of Ukrainian children who had been kidnapped by Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pope has also called for an end to other global conflicts, including for a ceasefire in Gaza. 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. Pope Leo XIV called for a ceasefire in Ukraine ahead of high-stakes talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin set for Aug. 15, Vatican News reported. Speaking to reporters outside the gates of the papal summer residence at Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo, the pope urged dialogue over conflict. "We must always seek a ceasefire. The violence, the many deaths, must stop. Let's see how they can come to an agreement," Leo XIV said on Aug. 13. "Because after all this time, what is the purpose of war? We must always seek dialogue, diplomatic efforts, not violence, not weapons." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kyiv and its European leaders have repeatedly called for an unconditional ceasefire as the first step toward negotiations, a proposal Moscow has rejected. The Trump-Putin summit in Alaska is expected to begin between 11:00 and 11:30 a.m. local time on Aug. 15 with a one-on-one meeting in the presence of interpreters, according to officials. It will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since the start of Trump's second term and is part of Washington's effort to help end the war in Ukraine. Speaking to Fox Radio on Aug. 14, Trump said Putin will come to their meeting in Alaska ready to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I believe now he's convinced that he's going to make a deal. He's going to make a deal. I think he's going to," Trump said. "And we're going to find out, I'm going to know very quickly." While President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed readiness for a three-way meeting, Trump later confirmed the Ukrainian president would not attend the Alaska summit, while Putin has said more groundwork is needed before such a meeting. Read also: From war criminal to US guest Trump invites Putin out of isolation Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Canadian couple who built a strong YouTube following chronicling their off-roading adventures died last week in an accident. Stacey Tourout and Matthew Yeomans, who ran the channel Toyota World Runners documenting their off-road travels, were killed in a crash August 7 in the British Columbia Interior, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC). Mark Jennings-Bates, a manager with the Kaslo Search and Rescue (SAR), told the CBC that rescuers were called to an off-road vehicle accident around 7:30 p.m. last Thursday near Trout Lake in the West Kootenay region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our teams were able to get to them efficiently. It's a long journey, but they got there efficiently," Jennings-Bates said. "So that was very, very helpful. "And of course that means that the helicopter pilot could also fly straight to the destination with confidence that he was going to find them." Sadly, Jennings-Bates said when rescue personnel arrived, one of the people in the vehicle was already deceased. The other was taken to a local hospital, where they later died. Tourout and Yeomans' families announced their deaths In a Facebook post Monday, Colleen Tourout, Stacey's mother, confirmed that her daughter and her fiance lost their lives in an accident in the "beautiful mountains of British Columbia that they loved so much," Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "With unimaginable heartache, the families of Matthew Peter Yeomans and Stacey Tourout would like to advise that we lost them both tragically succumbing to injuries in an offroad accident on Aug 7, 2025 in the beautiful mountains of British Columbia that they loved so much," the post reads. "Please keep us and them in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this devastating end to an amazing Love Story. They are together forever as we knew they would always be." According to Yeomans' social media, he and Tourout were engaged in 2024. In addition to the more than 200,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel, the couple had amassed more than 74,000 followers on Instagram before their deaths. Popular Off-Roading YouTube Couple Killed in Tragic Accident first appeared on Men's Journal on Aug 12, 2025 LISBON (Reuters) -Portugal's government on Friday condemned the expulsion of reporting teams of state news agency Lusa and two African units of broadcaster RTP from Guinea-Bissau in the run-up to a postponed election scheduled to be held in November in the West African country. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement it had "immediately summoned the ambassador of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau in Lisbon for explanations and clarifications" for a meeting that will take place on Saturday. "The Portuguese government strongly condemns the decision of the government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau to order the removal of Lusa, RTP Africa, and RDP Africa from that country and their respective termination of broadcasts," it said, calling the move "highly reprehensible and unjustifiable". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No explanations for the move were provided by either Guinea-Bissau, which announced the expulsion in a government decree earlier on Friday, or Portugal. The representatives of the media outlets have until August 19 to leave the country. Guinea-Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embalo said in March he would run for a second term, backtracking on earlier promises to step down and stoking tensions over postponed elections, with his opponents saying that his term expired in February. A dispute over when Embalo's presidential term, which began in 2020, should end has heightened tensions that risk unrest in the former Portuguese colony with a history of military coups. On August 7, Embalo, a former army general, appointed by decree a new prime minister, Braima Camara - the third premier since Embalo took office in 2020 - replacing Rui Duarte de Barros. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In March, a political mission of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), deployed to help reach a consensus on how to conduct the election, said it had to leave "following threats by H.E. Umaro Sissoco Embalo to expel it". The presidential and legislative elections are scheduled to be held on November 23. (Reporting by Andrei Khalip in Lisbon and Alberto Dabo in Bissau; Editing by Paul Simao) An NHS consultant has described having to operate on a child without anaesthetic under post-apocalyptic conditions in one of Gazas overwhelmed hospitals. Dr Nada al-Hadithy, an NHS consultant plastic surgeon and burns specialist, said teams of surgeons had been working for 14 or 15 hours each day dealing with blast injuries, burns and bullet wounds. Yet the number of casualties meant that they had still been unable to deal with all the cases that needed treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr al-Hadithy, who recently returned from volunteering with a medical charity at Gazas Nasser Hospital, said surgeons were also dealing with shortages of equipment and supplies. She said: You have literally got beds on the floor in the corridor and its bed, to bed, to bed. Its post-apocalyptic, the number of patients rammed into that hospital because theres such desperate need. She went on: One day I was forced to operate on a child that was not anaesthetised and I will never ever forget the crying. The boy had a serious burn which had turned septic and had been given strong painkillers such as morphine, but the hospitals anaesthetic machine was not working due to a broken part. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said: He was saying the same thing over and over again, but he was awake. Ive got children, every parent will always want to do their absolute best to protect their child and any adult seeing a child in pain would want to take steps to help that child. These things in my head just go over and over all the time. An x ray showing a six week old baby with an open fracture - Nada Al-Hadithy Gaza has been under Israeli bombardment and a ground offensive for 22 months since Israel began its retaliation for Hamas October 7 attacks that killed around 1,200 and took around 250 hostages. The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the conflict. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but has said that women and children make up more than half the dead. Israel claims those figures are inflated. Dr al-Hadithy said the majority of her patients had been children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said: It was predominantly blast [injuries], shrapnel embedded and traumatic amputations and burns. A big, big number of burns. The burns [patients] sadly did very, very badly. A lack of facilities and supplies meant burns cases which would have survived in the UK were dying in Gaza, she said. Children with severe burns would also need years of follow-on care and operations to stop them becoming crippled, as burn tissue thickened and toughened with time. She said: A big burn in a child is a life sentence. Its not one and done. Its multiple operations for the rest of their childhood, until they are at least 22, 23. The view from the Nasser hospital in southern Gaza - Nada Al-Hadithy Both patients and hospital staff were increasingly showing signs of malnutrition, she said. Patients not getting enough food were struggling to heal and fight off infection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said: I have a lot of patients I cant stop thinking about. I close my eyes and just see so much infection. The amount of infection and malnutrition just meant that they just werent healing. She said one case that had stayed with her was two young brothers who were badly wounded while their parents and other siblings died. The younger brother, Osaid, had bad burns to his legs and across his chest, while the older brother, Khalid, had a piece of shrapnel in his brain and 40 per cent burns across his body. Khalid had so little food to eat that he was getting weaker and surgeons were struggling to get his wounds to heal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pressure of dealing with constant war wounds and the need to turn any available space into wards to treat trauma cases meant cardiac, cancer and diabetes care in the hospitals had been downgraded in priority. She said the scale of what she had seen had struck her soon after she returned to the UK following her volunteer stint. Becoming tearful, she said: I am desperate to go back. I cant stop thinking about my patients. I remember taking my kids to the playground. It was such a relief to see children intact. At the playground you just see all these beautiful, joyful children and their bodies were not burned or without limbs. I have never seen so many child amputees in my life. A family sleeping in the hospital grounds waiting to hear if they can get medically evacuated - Nada Al-Hadithy She said despite the difficulties and shortages, she had been inspired by working with Palestinian medics, who were incredibly hard-working. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said: The Palestinians and the Gazans have been so dehumanised during this conflict. They are spoken about without their individual stories, they are spoken about as numbers. But they are amazingly smart, capable, hard-working people who are doing their absolute best for their communities. More than100 aid organisations working in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on Thursday accused Israel of dangerously weaponising aid in its application of new rules for registering groups involved in delivering humanitarian assistance. The move is the latest international criticism of Israel after the European Union, Britain and Japan earlier this week called for urgent action to stop famine spreading in the Gaza Strip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letter, signed by organisations including Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and Care, was written in response to registration rules announced by Israel in March that require organisations to hand over lists of their donors and Palestinian staff for vetting. In Israel, Bezalel Smotrich, the countrys far-right Finance Minister, on Thursday said plans to build more than 3,500 homes in a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank will bury the idea of a Palestinian state. The settlement is planned to be built in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, and includes apartments to expand the existing settlement of Maale Adumim, Mr Smotrich said. The Palestinian government, allies and campaign groups condemned the so-called E1 project, calling it illegal and saying the fragmentation of territory would scupper any chance of building a peace plan for the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It comes as several countries, including the UK and Canada, said they would recognise a Palestinian state in September, unless Israel meets several conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. President Donald Trump is considering reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drugs under federal law and said the decision could come within the next few weeks. USA TODAY reported that marijuana could be reclassified under the Controlled Substances Act from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug. Marijuana has been considered a Schedule I drug since the Controlled Substances Act was signed in 1970, falling into the same category as substances like heroin, MDMA or ecstasy. While reclassification to a Schedule III drug would not make cannabis federally legal, it would put the substance at the same level as Tylenol with codeine, ketamine or testosterone. The recent conversations about a possible change follow a proposal by the Drug Enforcement Administration to transfer marijuana to Schedule III under then-President Joe Biden in 2024. Here's what we know. Trump considers reclassifying marijuana from Schedule I drug Trump said the decision to reclassify is complicated and comes down to weighing the benefits of marijuana use for medical reasons against potential societal impacts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Some people like it, some people hate it. Some people hate the whole concept of marijuana," he said. Benefits and drawbacks of the reclassification of marijuana in the U.S. The reclassification would be good for science, research and medicine, said Raphael Cuomo, biomedical scientist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. It would also likely improve quality control for cannabinoids that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and speed up high-quality clinical trials to improve product standardization and "answer clinical questions that matter to patients," Cuomo said. Cuomo said reclassifying marijuana, however, could be perceived as a "safety endorsement" as rates of heavy and daily use continue to climb. In 2022, marijuana surpassed high-frequency drinking for the first time, according to a 2024 study published in the journal Addiction. An estimated 17.7 million people used marijuana daily or near-daily, compared to 14.7 million daily or near-daily drinkers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From 1992 to 2022, the per capita rate of reporting daily or near-daily marijuana use increased 15-fold, the study found. About 40% of cannabis users reported doing it daily or nearly daily. Research has shown long-term or heavy cannabis use can cause brain and mental health effects such as memory problems, psychotic disorders and psychosis, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. It can also irritate the lungs, leading to a daily cough, bronchitis, mucus and wheezing, and may carry some cardiovascular risks, according to recent research. Some people who use cannabis heavily can start vomiting without being able to stop, a condition called Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, which can be reversed by stopping marijuana use. If the administration decides to reclassify marijuana, Cuomo said, officials should also focus public messaging efforts to include warnings for youth, pregnancy, driving and individuals with a history of psychosis. Is marijuana legal in Georgia? Consumable hemp in the form of gummies, vapes, and beverages not containing alcohol remain legal. Georgia law allows possession up to 20 fluid ounces of low THC oil (which is derived from the marijuana plant) for those who are qualified to have it, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Who qualifies for a Georgia Low THC Registry card? Those interested in low THC oil must obtain a Georgia Low THC Registry card. They only qualify if they are: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An adult with cancer, Alzheimer's, Crohns disease, autism, PTSD, or one or more of the other specified medical conditions under the law. A full list is available to view at dph.georgia.gov/low-thc-oil-registry. The parent or legal guardian of someone with one or more of the specified conditions. Are there cannabis dispensaries in Georgia? The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission has an interactive map of dispensaries across the state. As of December, 13 are on the commission's list. Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for Gannett/USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Trump could change marijuana from Schedule I drug. Is it legal in GA? President Donald Trump is considering changing the way marijuana is classified federally, with a decision likely to come in the next several weeks. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration classifies drugs, substances and certain chemicals used to manufacture drugs into five different categories referred to as "schedules." Schedule I drugs are defined as having "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse." The inclusion of marijuana among Schedule I drugs has long been a source of debate among Americans, particularly as many states continue to legalize cannabis for medical use. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's what we know about Trump's recent statements, North Carolina's current cannabis laws and more. Is Trump legalizing marijuana? No, Trump is not considering the legalization of marijuana on a federal level. Rather, the president told reporters at the White House briefing room on Aug. 11 that he is considering reclassifying the drug. USA TODAY reported that, based on Trump's decision, marijuana could be reclassified as a Schedule III drug. While this would not legalize marijuana, it would place it in the same category as Tylenol with codeine, ketamine or testosterone. Marijuana has been considered a Schedule I drug since the Controlled Substances Act was signed in 1970, falling into the same category as substances like heroin, MDMA or ecstasy. Is weed legal in North Carolina? Marijuana is not legal in N.C. It is decriminalized, however, meaning possession of small amounts intended for personal use rather than illegal sales will generally mean punishments of civil or local infractions rather than state crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Industrial hemp marijuana with no THC is legal in N.C. Additionally, a popular loophole in hemp legislation has made it possible to get legally stoned. It is illegal to grow cannabis plants with more than a 0.3% concentration of delta-9 THC. Delta-8 THC, however, is not mentioned in the legislation. Delta-8 is one of over 100 cannabinoids produced by cannabis plants, and while it is usually not found in high amounts, many N.C. hemp businesses have begun extracting the compound from plants or converting other compounds like CBD into delta-8. If you've seen weed sold at gas stations, tobacco stores or anywhere else, it's likely psychoactive "delta-8" or a similar compound. It's worth mentioning that, while delta-8 causes a "high," the FDA has not evaluated or approved it as safe for consumption, meaning that delta-8 products are not regulated by the FDA and could therefore be harmful to your health. Is marijuana legal in Cherokee, NC? The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians voted in 2021 to legalize the sale of medical marijuana within its tribal territory known as the Qualla Boundary. It then voted to expand with sale of cannabis for recreational use. Though located within the boundaries of N.C., Cherokee is a sovereign nation that has its own elections, laws, government and institutions that are self-governed and autonomous. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Great Smoky Cannabis Co., which opened April 20, 2024, is the EBCI's first dispensary. It allows visitors of 21 and older to purchase recreational cannabis products - though it remains illegal to transport these products outside of the Qualla Boundary. What states have legalized recreational marijuana in 2025? According to U.S. News and World Report, here are the 24 states to legalize marijuana: Washington (as of 2012) Alaska (as of 2014) Oregon (as of 2014) California (as of 2016) Montana (as of 2020) Colorado (as of 2012) Nevada (as of 2016) Arizona (as of 2020) New Mexico (as of 2021) Minnesota (as of 2023) Missouri (as of 2022) Illinois (as of 2019) Michigan (as of 2018) Ohio (as of 2023) Virginia (as of 2021) Maryland (as of 2023) Maine (as of 2016) Delaware (as of 2023) New Jersey (as of 2020) New York (as of 2021) Vermont (as of 2018) Massachusetts (as of 2016) Rhode Island (as of 2022) Connecticut (as of 2021) For more information, visit usnews.com/news. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Is Trump legalizing marijuana? Is weed legal in NC? See cannabis laws Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Taibleson was nominated on Aug. 15 by President Donald Trump to fill a upcoming vacancy on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. "It is my Great Honor to nominate Rebecca Taibleson to serve as a Judge on the United States Court of Appeals, for the Seventh Circuit, in the Great State of Wisconsin. Rebecca brings a wealth of EXPERIENCE AND SUCCESS, from her time as Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and, formerly, as Assistant to the United States Solicitor General," Trump posted on Truth Social late Thursday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Taibleson pictured in a WisEye video "Rebecca will make a fantastic Judge who will fearlessly defend the Constitution, and strongly uphold the Rule of Law. Congratulations Rebecca!" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Taibleson, 42, would take the seat held by Diane Sykes, who will move to senior status in October. Taibleson has served as an assistant U.S. attorney for about a decade and worked for a couple of years as an assistant to the solicitor general. She has no judicial experience. In a statement provided the Journal Sentinel, Taibleson thanked the Republican president for selecting her. "I'm honored and humbled by the nomination, grateful to the president, and looking forward to the confirmation process," she said. Taibleson was one of two candidates for the post who were both recommended by the judicial nominating commission set up U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson and interviewed independently by the White House in May. The other was Madison lawyer Joseph Bugni. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baldwin, a Democrat, said she was prepared to vet Taibleson's credentials when deciding whether to vote to confirm her for the appellate bench. Wisconsinites expect that anyone who serves on the bench has robust experience, sound judgment, and is equipped to deliver justice fairly and impartially to everyone," Baldwin said Thursday night. "I will use that criteria as I thoroughly review Ms. Taiblesons application and her confirmation hearing." Headquartered in Chicago, the 7th Circuit includes Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. Traditionally, two of the 11 circuit seats have been filled by Wisconsin judges. Tailbleson clearly has strong conservative credentials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A member of the Federalist Society, she was a law clerk for conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Brett Kavanaugh, according to her LinkedIn profile. She has been an assistant U.S. attorney in Milwaukee for nearly a decade. During Trump's first term, Taibleson served as an assistant to the solicitor general, who represents the federal government before the Supreme Court. She is married to Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Taibleson, who was one of five finalists to be the U.S. attorney in Milwaukee in 2021 but was passed over by then-President Joe Biden. Bugni is a defense attorney with the Madison firm of Hurley Burish. He previously was a federal public defender and a law clerk with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. He is currently representing former Dane County Judge Jim Troupis against state charges in the fake elector scheme for Trump in Wisconsin. White House officials also interviewed former U.S. Attorney Matthew Krueger, a Trump appointee; Daniel Suhr, president of the Center for American Rights; and Luke Berg, deputy counsel for the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. All are conservative lawyers under the age of 50 with no judicial experience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In March, Sykes, chief judge of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, announced she would move to senior status in October. In 2004, Sykes, a Wisconsin resident, was nominated by President George W. Bush to the 7th Circuit. She won confirmation with the backing of Wisconsin's two Democratic senators at the time, Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl. She became chief judge in July 2020. Senior status is semi-retirement, which allows federal judges to continue on the bench but hear fewer cases. They continue to draw the same salary, which is $262,300 for appellate judges. Moving to senior status opens a seat for the president to make a nomination, pending approval by the U.S. Senate. Traditionally, the state's two U.S. senators have set up a bipartisan nominating commission that accepts applicants for judicial openings, interviews some of the candidates and forwards suggestions to the two senators. They then review the suggestions and forward a list of recommended nominees to the president, who then makes his pick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On July 15, the two senators forwarded a list of five candidates. Along with Taibleson and Bugni, the list included state Appeals Court Judge Thomas Hruz and Milwaukee County Judge Cynthia Davis, appointees of former Gov. Scott Walker, and Milwaukee County Judge Kevin Martens, who was selected by then-Gov. Scott McCallum. But two months earlier, the Trump officials interviewed their preferred candidates. A total of five applicants for the position traveled to Washington, D.C., to sit for interviews with White House staff in mid-May. The president's team made it clear that Trump would make his pick on his own with the help of his staff. The president is making independent decisions based off the counsel of senior advisors, DOJ and White House counsel and ultimately comes up with his own decision, Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last month. We welcome the feedback from outside groups but the final determination is from the president after consultation from senior staff." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several prominent Wisconsin judges who were expected to vie for the seat didn't end up applying. Those included state Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley, Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow and U.S. District Judge Brett Ludwig, a Trump appointee. All three have strong conservative records, but multiple sources told the Journal Sentinel that the president wanted to nominate someone who is expected to be on the appellate court for decades. Bradley, Dorow and Ludwig are all 54 years old or older. Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 313-6684 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on X at @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice. This story was updated to add new information. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Trump taps Rebecca Taibleson for U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago President Donald Trump's approval ratings nationally are in the red, but in about half of the states, including Indiana, more people approve than disapprove of his job performance. While Trump's approval rating nationally remains historically low, a look at state-by-state survey results show a more complicated picture. Here is what we know: Trump has positive approval rating in 27 states Trump's approval rating is above water in 27 states, according to an Aug. 12 update from Morning Consult, which gathers polls over the course of three months to get a look at state-level data among registered voters. The number of states who approve of Trump is unchanged from July's update. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morning Consult found that Trump is most popular in Wyoming, where 66% of voters approve of his job performance, and least popular in Vermont, where 64% disapprove. His approval is net negative in two states with gubernatorial races this fall: New Jersey and Virginia, according to Morning Consult. In Texas, 53% of voters approve of Trump's performance while 44% disapprove. In California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom has threatened to counter changes in Texas' redistricting plan, 41% approve of Trump's job peformance while 56% disapprove. California is Trump's seventh worst rating among the states, according to Morning Consult. What is Trump's approval rating in Indiana? According to Morning Consult, 51% of Hoosiers approve of Trump while 45% disapprove. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite recent "No Kings" and "Good Trouble" protests, Indiana is one of the 27 states where Trump's approval ratings are more positive than not. Story continues after photo gallery. What is Trump's approval overall? RealClearPolitics Poll Average shows Trump's approval rating dipping throughout the first few weeks of July before rising toward the end of the month. Aggregated polls by the New York Times show a similar trend. As of Jan. 27, Trump had a +6.2 percentage point approval rating, but as of March 13, that flipped to slightly negative, the RealClearPolitics graphics show. His approval rating fell lowest on April 29 around Trump's 100-day mark to 7.2 percentage points. It came close to that low again on July 22 and 23 at -7.1 percentage points, as the controversy over Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted pedophile, carried into its third week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of Aug. 12 Trump's average approval rating margin, according to RealClearPolitics, is -5.4 percentage points. The approval margin according to the New York Times aggregator on Aug. 12 is -8 percentage points. How does Trump's approval rating compare to previous presidents? A historical analysis by Gallup shows Trump's approval ratings in July of his first years in office both as the 45th and 47th presidents are lower than those of any other modern president at the same time in their administrations. In a Gallup poll conducted from July 7-21, 37% approved of Trump's job performance. Here's how that compares to other presidents in July of their first year of their term, according to Gallup: Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What is Trump's approval rating in Indiana? KINGWOOD, W.Va. (WBOY) After originally planning a staggered start to the upcoming school year, Preston County Schools announced that plan has been nixed in favor of starting nearly all grade levels back on the same day. According to a Facebook post from Preston County Schools, all students in first through 12th grade will be required to attend starting Monday, Aug. 18. Kindergarten and Pre-K students will be required to attend beginning Wednesday, Aug. 20. There will be no scheduled school for students on Friday, Aug. 22, the post explains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement West Virginias electronic device policy takes effect in schools Originally, the following staggered schedule was in place. Preston County Schools explained that the change came about based on advisement from the WV Department of Education. Anyone with questions about the adjustment is asked to call Preston County Superintendent Brad Martin at 304-329-0580, ext. 3225. 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. Just minutes after the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin kicked off, social media users have already turned Putins expression into a meme. Although the world leaders first one-on-one meeting in seven years was supposed to be focused on Russias war in Ukraine, the Russian presidents facial expressions a series of befuddled looks, eyes darting around with a furrowed brow seem to have already stolen the show. Putin made the faces when reporters bombarded him with questions in the first few moments of the summit. X users quickly turned his expressions into memes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Confused when asked real questions, one X user wrote. Me pretending not to hear my coworker asking for help setting up the Teams meetings, yet another quipped. Social media users made a meme out of Russian President Vladimir Putins facial expressions as reporters bombarded him with questions at the summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska (REUTERS) TFW you remember youre in a country where you cant just poison the press when they get too loud, another remarked. What am I even doing here? What the f*** are they saying? another said. The RT X account, formerly Russia Today, also remarked on the questions being yelled at Putin, posting a clip of another moment from the summit: American press shout questions at Putin, but Russian prez plays it cool. Earlier in the day, Trump told Fox News Channel's Bret Baier on Air Force One on the way to Alaska, he has high hopes for a ceasefire: I wouldnt be thrilled if I didnt get it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. President expressed he hopes for a second meeting on Russias war in Ukraine. Before landing, Trump posted a brief, yet ominous, message on Truth Social: HIGH STAKES!!! He has vowed that the Russian president is not going to mess around with him as he tries to secure a ceasefire deal. On Thursday, Putin hailed Trumps sincere efforts towards ending the war in Ukraine, telling Kremlin officials the U.S. is making quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the fighting. Both world leaders touched down in Anchorage on Friday morning. Trump rolled out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, greeting the leader warmly before they both hopped into U.S. Presidents limousine, nicknamed The Beast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The meeting began at 11 a.m. local time. The summit marks the first time Trump and Putin have seen one another in six years. They last spoke face-to-face at the G20 in Osaka, Japan in 2019. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not be making an appearance at Fridays high-stakes meeting. But Trump has floated the idea of bringing in European leaders, including Zelensky, for a second round of negotiations. The royal family is out in force marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day today, while William and Kate have stayed out of the spotlight but released a heartfelt message. King Charles and Queen Camilla are guests at the UK's national Service of Remembrance, while the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh attend a service in Edinburgh, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester join a commemoration in Norwich in the east of England. The King also released an audio message to mark the historic anniversary of Japan announcing its surrender on August 15 1945 as World War II came to a close. On this day of profound remembrance, I speak to you in that same spirit of commemoration and celebration as we honour anew all those whose service and sacrifice saw the forces of liberty prevail, he said. Kensington Palace has not specified why the Prince and Princess of Wales have not joined the rest of the royals today. However, the couple is taking some time away from official appearances this summer after a year that saw Kate return to work following chemotherapy treatment. Princess Anne is also absent from today's events as she marks her 75th birthday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement William and Kate posted a personal message on social media this morning remembering the courage, sacrifice and resilience of all who served. We owe and enduring debt the generation who gave so much, and to whom we will always be grateful. Lest we forget, the message read. William last made a public appearance on July 27 when he took Charlotte to watch the Lionesses win the Euros in Switzerland. Kate last appeared presenting the trophies at the mens Wimbledon finals on July 13. On July 30, Kensington Palace announced that Kate has curated a special display at the new V&A museum, and on August 6 they released details of early childhood animations that she has been involved with. Earlier this week, the second video in Kates Mother Nature series was posted on social media along with a personal message. It has never been more important to appreciate the value of one another, and of Mother Nature, Kate wrote. Heres to summer. Typically, members of the royal family carry out few or no engagements throughout August, however exceptions can be made for certain events. Earlier this week. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh met a 105-year-old World War II veteran who was held as a prisoner of war in Japan. James Jim Wren was released when Japan surrendered, the BBC reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Buckingham Palace announced last week that there will be a reception for veterans at Windsor Castle later in the Autumn to conclude their part in the VJ Day commemorations. There is currently no information about who will attend. You Might Also Like Prince William & Kate Middleton Issue Emotional Message Marking Anniversary of VJ Day originally appeared on Parade. Prince William and Kate Middleton issued an emotional message while marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, aka Victory Over Japan Day. On Friday, Aug. 15, the Prince and Princess of Wales took to X with a post remembering the official end of World War II in Japan. SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox "Today, on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we remember the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of all who served," the royals wrote in their post. "Today we especially think of those British and Commonwealth troops who fought in the Asia-Pacific." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To conclude their message, Prince William and Middleton shared, "We owe an enduring debt to the generation who gave so much, and to whom we will always be grateful. Lest we forget. W & C." Today, on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we remember the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of all who served. Today we especially think of those British and Commonwealth troops who fought in the Asia-Pacific. We owe an enduring debt to the generation who gave so much, and to The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) August 15, 2025 That same day, King Charles III and Queen Camilla also marked VJ Day by attending a remembrance service with a group of roughly 30 WWII veterans, BBC News reported. The reigning British monarch, 76, and his wife laid wreaths at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire ahead of a flypast by the Royal Air Force Red Arrows. Additionally, King Charles and Queen Camilla participated in a national two minutes of silence. "For the millions of families gathered around their wireless sets, and for their loved ones still serving far from home, it was the message a battle-weary world had long prayed for," King Charles said in an audio message recorded earlier in August, per the BBC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He continued, "On this day of profound remembrance, I speak to you in that same spirit of commemoration and celebration as we honour anew all those whose service and sacrifice saw the forces of liberty prevail." VJ Day is celebrated on Aug. 15 each year in the U.K., and it marks when Japan surrendered to the Allied forces, officially ending WWII. Next: Kate Middletons New Video Has Royal Fans Saying the Same Thing Prince William & Kate Middleton Issue Emotional Message Marking Anniversary of VJ Day first appeared on Parade on Aug 15, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared. Deloitte 100 We've pushed back our deadline! Private companies play a pivotal role in Cincinnatis economy and community. Each year, The Enquirer and Deloitte team up to recognize them through the Deloitte Cincinnati 100 program. Also, one local business leader will be honored with the Carl H. Lindner Award for Entrepreneurial and Civic Spirit. If you are a private company, please complete the survey to ensure your company is considered for inclusion in the 2025 Deloitte Cincinnati 100 list. Visit the programs website for eligibility requirements and further details. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 2025 Deloitte Cincinnati 100 survey is now closing on Friday, Aug. 29. Apply now to be included. If you have questions, please contact Deloitte. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Private companies: New deadline to fill out the Deloitte 100 survey Members of Western Massachusetts citizens groups plan a protest Saturday targeting threats to Social Security and anti-democratic actions by the Trump administration. Members of the groups plan to gather at noon Saturday at the intersection of Boston Road and Parker Street. In a statement, organizers said the event is timed to coincide with actions by pro-democracy groups to rally attention and do everything possible to stop Trumps anti-democratic government takeover before it spreads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Participants say they will call for fair election maps, free elections and a government that works for the people. A second theme for the protest is a call to defend Social Security. For 90 years, Social Security has been a vital source of income for families across America not a handout, the groups said in a statement. Its a hard-earned right. But that promise is under attack by Republican lawmakers who are more interested in protecting billionaires than working families. Sponsors of the event are Indivisible Northampton-Swing Left Western Mass, Rise Up Western Mass Indivisible and Defending Democracy in Hampden County Read the original article on MassLive. On the eve of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, around 140 people gathered at a busy intersection in Anchorage, Alaska, to voice their opposition. Waving Ukrainian and US flags and holding signs, demonstrators at the Thursday evening rally drew supportive honks from passing drivers, including one trucker who leaned on his horn for an extended blast. "It's very important to let the world know that Alaska - and we are really strong Alaskans - don't really approve of this meeting or the people having it," said protester Cristy Willer, who questioned why Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, wouldn't be at Friday's summit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "President Zelensky isn't here. He should be here. Doesn't make sense to us," she said. "People are really worried," Willer's fried Susan Soule said. "They feel for Ukraine. They are angry that Trump is our president." Two other women said they were demonstrating on behalf of Ukrainians living in Alaska who, despite having residency permits, feared joining public protests because of Trump's immigration policies. They noted the ongoing raids across the country by agents with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Many participants waved posters reading "We stand with Ukraine." Other signs condemned Putin as a "war criminal" and called for First Lady Melania Trump, who was born in Slovenia, to be deported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also among the protesters was Petra, a German from the Stuttgart region who has lived in Alaska for decades. She highlighted that the US military regularly conducts defence drills in the state, including scenarios involving potential Russian attacks, and criticized the red-carpet treatment being extended to Putin. People protest at a crossroads ahead of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Luzia Geier/dpa Pro-Ukrainian demonstrators took to the streets in Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug. 14 ahead of a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin the next day. "Happening right now: A big pro-Ukrainian rally in Anchorage ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting," Journalist Ostap Yarysh said in a post to X. Trump and Putin are set to meet on Aug. 15 as Washington intensifies efforts to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Signs posted throughout the city read "Ukraine and Alaska Russian never again," "Putin won't stop at Ukraine," and "Alaska stands with Ukraine." Alaska stands with Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/AVKDWfO0Sk Razom for Ukraine (@razomforukraine) August 14, 2025 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Alexander Darchiev have arrived in Alaska ahead of a planned Trump-Putin summit, Russian state media reported on Aug. 15. Meanwhile, Putin has arrived in the town of Magadan in Russia's Far East ahead of the planned summit, Russian state media reported. The Russian leader is expected to meet with the local governor and visit an industrial facility before departing for Alaska, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ahead of the planned meeting, the White House has said Trump prefers diplomacy but is ready to increase economic pressure on Russia if necessary to reach a Ukraine peace deal. "Certainly, there are sanctions and many other measures that the president could utilize if he has to. Not that he wants to diplomacy and negotiation have always been the way for this president," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Aug. 14. Trump has previously said that if the Aug. 15 meeting goes well, he will seek a trilateral meeting between himself, Putin, and President Volodymyr Zelensky. Read also: Trump doesnt have enough leverage to stop Russia, Ukrainian soldiers say ahead of Alaska talks Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Ramsey County probation officers random check this month of a Level 3 sex offender led to a disturbing discovery in his St. Paul apartment: a naked and unconscious woman in a bathtub with multiple injuries, according to charges filed Friday. Officers soon arrived at the West Side apartment of 60-year-old Anthony DeWalt and found the woman unresponsive with a weak pulse. An officer began CPR and administered Narcan, the medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. She had bruises throughout her body and was missing a nipple, which appeared to have been cut or torn off, the criminal complaint says. Paramedics arrived on scene and transported her to the hospital. A St. Paul police spokeswoman said Friday the woman is in her 40s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeWalt is on intensive supervised release for a 2005 first-degree criminal sexual conduct conviction in Wright County. A 17-year-old girl testified at his trial that he dragged her from a porch during a late-night gathering in Rockford, Minn., and violently attacked her, according to court records. She was ultimately able to flee and ran for help. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2009. Court records show he was convicted twice for assaulting a corrections employee while he was imprisoned. Later, while at the Wright County Jail, he was convicted of fraud after he sent his SNAP benefits card from the jail to his sister in Illinois. He was released from custody in 2023. DeWalts criminal history includes a murder conviction in Illinois in 1987, according to Fridays complaint. Probation officers visit The complaint gives the following account of the Aug. 5 incident: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeWalts probation officer visited his apartment, located in the 500 block of Stryker Avenue, just after 3 p.m. He answered the door naked, and the probation officer told him to put on clothes. DeWalt closed the door, and returned wearing boxer briefs. Blood was on his chest. The probation officer stepped inside the apartment, where it appeared another person was present, the complaint states. DeWalt has several conditions as part of his probation, including no visitors at his residence without preapproval from his probation officer. The probation officer told DeWalt to have the other person come out, to which he responded that his friend was in the bathtub and unable to do so. The probation officer glanced into DeWalts bedroom and saw a black knife with blood on it. A pipe, commonly used to smoke methamphetamine, was on the end of the couch near the bathroom. When the probation officer asked DeWalt if he had used meth, he didnt answer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The probation officer had DeWalt open the bathroom door and saw the woman in the bathtub. Cold water was running from the faucet. No one else was in the apartment. Related Articles When officers arrived at the apartment, DeWalt refused to let them inside through the locked door, while repeatedly yelling, Im ready for you. Officers forced open the door and he raised his hands as if he was preparing to fight, the complaint says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The woman was intubated at the hospital, and medical staff believed she may have been sexually assaulted due to the injuries to her body, the complaint states. A sexual assault examination revealed she had suffered multiple injuries, including extensive bruising to the labia majora, groin, buttocks, breasts and upper chest; abrasions to both sides of her neck consistent with bite marks and lacerations to both nipples also consistent with bite marks and inconsistent with the use of a knife, the complaint says. Forensic swabs were collected during the exam and have been submitted to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for testing and analysis; results are pending. The woman began to regain consciousness during the examination. She later spoke with police, saying her chest and arms hurt but did not know the extent of her injuries. She had no memory of the alleged assault or the events leading up to it. Said she was a friend Police spoke with DeWalt on scene. He said the woman was a friend who stopped by his apartment from time to time. He said she arrived at his place about 2 p.m. that day and wasnt feeling well so she got in the bathtub. At one point he thought she was having an asthma attack, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As police were talking with DeWalt, his probation officer obtained an arrest warrant for him based on the alleged probation violations, including possession of a dangerous weapon, possession of narcotics and the unauthorized visitor. Later, in an interview at the jail, DeWalt said the woman was a friend who helped him clean and cook, and they had no sexual involvement. Before police arrived, he said, she had been at his place for an hour or two. She went to use the bathroom. After a period of time, he checked on her and found her unresponsive, he said, adding he thought she was dying so he poured water on her to revive her. He underwent a suspect sexual assault examination on Aug. 8; forensic samples are pending. During a search of his apartment, a breast nipple with jagged edges was located in a bucket with a mop in the kitchen. Blood smears were discovered on multiple areas of a mattress in the bedroom, along with a knife. Fentanyl and cocaine in two clear baggies were found in his shoe by his bed. Related Articles Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ramsey County Attorneys Office charged DeWalt with second-degree sexual assault and first-degree assault causing great bodily harm. At a first appearance on the charges, Judge Reynaldo Aligada Jr. denied a request for a conditional release from jail. He set bail at $200,000, adding he considered the nature and circumstances of the allegations, his prior criminal history and the fact that Mr. DeWalt appears to have been on supervision at the time of these allegations. DeWalt, who remained jailed Friday, is due back in court Sept. 10. A message seeking comment on the charges was left with his public defender assigned to the case. A return to the rails of a historic express train from the communist German Democratic Republic (GDR) era has been postponed at the last minute after technical problems emerged. The GDR express train SVT Gorlitz will not be able to run at all this year, the non-profit organization behind it, SVT Gorlitz, announced on Facebook. The group cited problems with the train's electrical and brake systems. A series of planned trips for 2025 have been cancelled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It seems the gremlins only became apparent after work began on putting the train back into service. The streamlined express was the pride of the GDR Reichsbahn rail system and once ran from East Berlin via Dresden and Prague to Vienna, albeit with stops along the way to allow communist citizens to disembark before the train crossed the former Iron Curtain into the West. They were not allowed to travel to Austria and beyond. Eight trains of this type are said to have been built between 1963 and 1968 but only three remain in parts. The train was approved for speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour but the blanket speed limit on Reichsbahn routes slowed them to 120 kilometres per hour. Rail enthusiasts founded SVT Gorlitz GmbH in 2019 to revive the train. "Our goal is to refurbish the train and ensure its long-term economic operation," said Managing Director Mario Lieb during an interim review. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The restoration of the train with five carriages was estimated at 5 million ($5.8 million), 4 million of which was contributed by the federal government. The rest has to be raised from the company's own funds and money from the state of Saxony. Around 60 volunteer mechanics are involved. The almost 150-metre-long train has been rebuilt using donations from train enthusiasts at an estimated cost of 300,000. With a train that has been standing for so long, you have to be prepared for surprises," Lieb told the Leipziger Volkszeitung local newspaper. At an open house at VIS Verkehrs Industrie Systeme in Halberstadt back in June, the interior of the train was presented for the first time after the refurbishment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the renovation, the train was dismantled into thousands of parts in Halberstadt. The overhaul included fixing its diesel engines, cooling units, suspensions, windows, and historic lighting, right down to new curtains. The plan is for the train to make 40 to 50 trips per year in the future and it will be available for charter. Students walk into Thelma R. Parks Elementary in Oklahoma City on the first day of school on Aug. 13. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY When Carri Hicks thinks of state testing, she remembers the fourth grader in her classroom who threw up from the stress of the end-of-year exam. A Democratic state senator and former public-school teacher from Oklahoma City, Hicks found herself in the uncommon position of agreeing with Oklahomas far-right Republican state superintendent, Ryan Walters, who on Friday abruptly proposed ending the states current high-stakes method of student testing this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What I feel like were currently experiencing in our Oklahoma public schools is not the best of what that could look like, Hicks said. I do think that our current system of state testing is horrible. To some Oklahomans, especially those with an education background, Walters announcement was a welcome policy change, but criticism of his plan has emerged from voices on both sides of the debate. Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, speaks at a news conference Jan. 13 at the Oklahoma State Capitol. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) Despite agreeing with Walters idea, Hicks was skeptical of his decision to announce such a significant change shortly before the start of the school year without first developing a plan with educators, district leaders and state lawmakers. Last month, Walters similarly caught the entire state off guard with an order that all public schools provide cafeteria meals at no cost to students a declaration that district leaders panned because of financial difficulties and a lack of legal basis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I feel like this is just a continuation of chaos instead of clarity, Hicks said after the state testing announcement. Under Walters proposal, Oklahoma would not administer state reading and math tests this school year to students in grades 3-8. Instead, each district would choose benchmark assessments to purchase from a private vendor. Walters said scores from benchmark tests taken throughout the school year will better benefit students and educators because they reflect real-time learning. Were not going to come tack on a government-required test at the end of the year, he said. What were going to do is what parents have said is actually actionable and helpful, what teachers say actually drives classroom practice, what administrators say would ease operations. Trump administration rejected similar proposal from Arizona The Oklahoma State Department of Education is accepting public comment on the proposal through Sept. 8 before submitting it to the Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Walters said he expects a very quick approval from the federal government, but the first Trump administration denied a similar plan from Arizona in 2018. At the time, Arizona suggested a menu of assessment options that districts could choose from. The U.S. Department of Education rejected the idea and threatened to withhold federal funds if Arizona attempted it. All students should take the same statewide test, federal officials decided. The requirements that all students are held to the same, high challenging academic standards and are assessed on the same statewide assessment form the basis for much of a states accountability system and provide essential and comparable information to parents and the public, the federal agency wrote in a response to Arizona. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, a nationwide test revealed all-time-low scores in fourth- and eighth-grade reading in Oklahoma while the states overall academic performance showed little to no progress since 2022. Christy Hovanetz, a senior policy fellow at ExcelinEd, speaks at a panel about school accountability during the foundations national summit at the Omni Hotel in Oklahoma City on Nov. 14. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) Changing state tests wont improve those outcomes, said Christy Hovanetz, a school accountability expert at ExcelinEd, an education think tank that advocates for rigorous testing. States that try to change their assessments tend to do so to obscure poor results, she said. This looks like an attempt to muddy the waters so people dont know whats happening with student performance, Hovanetz said. Benchmark and state tests have very different purposes Benchmark assessments have become a common, integral tool that many Oklahoma schools use in addition to the state tests. Students take these incremental assessments multiple times within the school year to gauge their learning progress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oklahoma City Public Schools uses this data day in and day out, said Jason Galloway, the districts chief of staff. Meanwhile, state test results arent released until two to three months after the school year has ended. Oklahoma City Public Schools Chief of Staff Jason Galloway speaks at a back-to-school news conference Aug. 11 at John Marshall Enterprise High School in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) Internally, we really refer to that as autopsy data, Galloway said. The learning has already taken place. Its not data that we are using to make real-time instructional decisions. Other states, like Florida, produce their state test results within hours or days after students finish taking them, giving educators more time to use the data as they plan for the following school year, Hovanetz said. The difference, she said, is state leaders having the political will to publicize the scores sooner rather than later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While benchmark assessments give up-to-date information mid-year, Hovanetz said state tests reveal whether the decisions a school made over the course of an entire academic year produced positive results. Theyre two very different purposes, Hovanetz said. The state assessment should be a check on the system (to) make sure everything that happened throughout the year went well. Accomplishing Walters plan would be extremely difficult, state official said Walters proposal would add another layer of complexity by allowing Oklahomas 500-plus districts to choose from a variety of benchmark vendors. Hovanetz said, in her experience, its not possible to put together an accurate, statewide picture of student performance with a mixture of different tests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That issue has raised doubts among Oklahomans, as well. The Education Department hasnt shown how it would compare scores from various district-selected benchmarks, said Brent Bushey, CEO of Fuel OKC, a nonprofit focused on improving public-school quality in Oklahoma City. While the concept is attractive to me, it feels like this announcement came out before the (state Education Department) did the legwork to have a responsible program in place, Bushey said. State Superintendent Ryan Walters attends a meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education on Feb. 27 in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) Fairly comparing results across multiple tests will be extremely difficult and cost more money, said Megan Oftedal, executive director of the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OEQA is a small state agency that plays an important part in facilitating state testing. Oftedal said Walters didnt consult OEQA or its board of commissioners when developing his plan. The Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, the board in charge of OEQA, casts the final vote on what state test score determines whether a student is proficient, advanced or behind in reading, math and other subjects. A time-consuming process involving multiple state agencies and several teacher committees leads up to that vote, which typically takes place once every six years. Under Walters plan, Oklahoma would have to conduct that process over and over for each benchmark assessment approved, Oftedal said. These processes are costly, time-intensive, and raise concerns about efficient use of taxpayer dollars, she wrote in an email to the commission, which Oklahoma Voice obtained. State superintendent blames teacher unions for state testing failures To Walters, that process is necessary to eliminate a teachers union approach he claimed has failed students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Standardized testing has crippled teachers ability to educate your children for far too long, he wrote in a statewide message to parents. However, the states largest teacher union, the Oklahoma Education Association, has long advocated against standardized tests, President Cari Elledge said. Its nationwide affiliate, the National Education Association, has been similarly critical. As a 5th-grade teacher, I have seen first-hand the effects of standardized testing on Oklahoma students, Elledge said in a statement. These tests only serve as stressful, one-day snapshots in a single school year. They are not representative of a students true academic progress. The State Superintendent continues to misrepresent and vilify Oklahoma educators voices instead of collaborating with them. It is disappointing but not surprising. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Justice Department said Thursday it will seek the death penalty against a member of the cultlike Zizians group accused of killing a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont in the latest Trump administration push for more federal executions. Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Seattle, is among a group of radical computer scientists focused on veganism, gender identity and artificial intelligence who have been linked to six killings in three states. Shes accused of fatally shooting agent David Maland on Jan. 20, the same day President Donald Trump was inaugurated and signed a sweeping executive order lifting the moratorium on federal executions. Youngblut initially was charged with using a deadly weapon against law enforcement and discharging a firearm during an assault with a deadly weapon. But the Trump administration signaled early on that more serious charges were coming, and a new indictment released Thursday charged her with murder of a federal law enforcement agent, assaulting other agents with a deadly weapon and related firearms offenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will not stand for such attacks on the men and women who protect our communities and borders, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti said in a press release. In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi mentioned Maland as an example when saying she expects federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in cases involving the murder of law enforcement officers. And Youngbluts attorneys recently said they had been given a July 28 deadline to offer preliminary evidence about why she should be spared such a punishment. Her attorneys, who declined to comment Thursday, asked a judge last month to delay that deadline until January, but the judge declined. At the time of the shooting, authorities had been watching Youngblut and her companion, Felix Bauckholt, for several days after a Vermont hotel employee reported seeing them carrying guns and wearing black tactical gear. Shes accused of opening fire on border agents who pulled the car over on Interstate 91. An agent fired back, killing Bauckholt and wounding Youngblut. The pair were among the followers of Jack LaSota, a transgender woman also known as Ziz whose online writing attracted young, highly intelligent computer scientists who shared anarchist beliefs. Members of the group have been tied to the death of one of their own during an attack on a California landlord in 2022, the landlords subsequent killing earlier this year, and the deaths of one of the members parents in Pennsylvania. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LaSota and two others face weapons and drug charges in Maryland, where they were arrested in February, while LaSota faces additional federal charges of being an armed fugitive. Another member of the group who is charged with killing the landlord in California had applied for a marriage license with Youngblut. Michelle Zajko, whose parents were killed in Pennsylvania, was arrested with LaSota in Maryland, and has been charged with providing weapons to Youngblut in Vermont. Vermont abolished its state death penalty in 1972. The last person sentenced to death in the state on federal charges was Donald Fell, who was convicted in 2005 of abducting and killing a supermarket worker five years earlier. But the conviction and sentence were later thrown out because of juror misconduct, and in 2018, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. Craig Tremaroli, the FBIs special agent in charge in Albany, New York, called Thursdays indictments the culmination of over six months of meticulous investigative collaboration aimed at pursuing justice for Malands family and friends. Today, our hearts remain with all those who continue to mourn the tragic loss of this veteran, son, brother, fiance, friend and colleague, he said in a statement. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A man accused of driving drunk when he hit a motorcyclist over the Fourth of July holiday was slapped with new charges. Carlos Roberto Hernandez was previously arrested for driving under the influence, which is a misdemeanor. But the Clark County District Attorneys office on Aug. 5 charged Hernandez with DUI resulting in death and reckless driving. Kyle Burrell, 35, was riding his motorcycle on July 4 around midnight. He was getting off the North Durango exit on the 215 when a speeding driver in a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado crashed into him, according to the Nevada State Police Highway Patrol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Totally avoidable: Friends upset after losing Las Vegas man in crash involving suspected drunk driver Nevada Highway Patrol identified the driver of the Silverado as Hernandez. The impact of the crash reportedly sent Burrell off his bike. Nevada Highway Patrol said he died at a hospital as a result of the crash injuries. According to court documents 8 News Now obtained, Hernandez had red bloodshot watery eyes and a strong smell of an intoxicating beverage. Police also observed two green Buzz Balls next to his truck. A witness who was first on the scene provided 8 News Now with video of the crash. They said Hernandez was tossing the Buzz Balls out of his vehicle right after he crashed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hernandez admitted to marijuana usage at UMC Trauma, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol. Burrells attorney criticized the highway patrols initial decision to only charge Hernandez with DUI. The defendant was charged with a misdemeanor DUI. He was released on his own recognizance, meaning he did not have to post bail, when he just killed somebody, Ofelia Markarian told 8 News Now on 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 KLAS. Sixty years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that married couples have a constitutional right to use contraception. Griswold v. Connecticut, decided in 1965, made it illegal for states to outlaw birth control for spouses a right that would not be extended to single people until 1972. Griswold granted married couples this right on the grounds of privacy. Though the Constitution does not specifically name an explicit right to privacy, justices argued that it could be inferred from several amendments an idea cited in later rulings on abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. According to the Griswold ruling, the right of privacy within marriage was older than the Bill of Rights older than our political parties, older than our school system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marriage is a coming together for better or for worse, hopefully enduring, and intimate to the degree of being sacred, the majority opinion reads it represents a coming together for a noble purpose. In short, the Supreme Court framed marital sex as natural, intimate and, perhaps most importantly, sacred. These characteristics, they argued, allowed it to exist beyond the gaze of the law. Heres the thing, though: Historians know that marriage hasnt always been a private affair. Nor has it always been treated as sacred not under the law, at any rate. As a scholar completing a book on the history of religion and contraception, I argue that the attitudes toward marriage and contraception reflected in the Griswold decision were deeply rooted in Protestant thought. Private and public Throughout European history, royal couples getting married often had witnesses leading them to their bedrooms and remaining there or waiting right outside. The marriage was not considered legally binding until it was consummated. At a time when royal weddings were often intended to shore up alliances, knowing that the marriage had been consummated ensured that any political agreements were binding and at least suggested that heirs would be legitimate. A bedding ceremony after the wedding of Carl X Gustav of Sweden and Hedwig Eleanor of Sweden, painted by Jurgen Ovens. Wikimedia Commons Among the more common folks, todays standard of marital privacy could not be achieved even within the family, simply because of space. In medieval and early modern Britain, whose legal system largely grounds American law, it was common for whole households to sleep or even live in just one room, including guests and apprentices. The reality of multipurpose, shared space was also the case in the American Colonies, on the frontier, and in the living quarters of enslaved people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For much of its history, then, marriage was not the legalization of a private intimacy, but a public act made for a variety of political and economic reasons. And while marriage was often understood as sacred, interpretations varied. Catholicism did consider marriage a sacrament but was not the most holy way to live a status reserved for celibate priests and nuns. At other times, marriage was not respected. Marriages between enslaved people, even when sanctioned by churches, held no weight in American law. So why did the U.S. Supreme Court eventually assert that the state should not peer into the marital bedchamber? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scholars such as Janet Jakobsen have argued that, during the Protestant Reformation, one of the ways that Protestants differentiated themselves from Catholics was by elevating marriage to the most sacred form of human sexuality. Reformers such as Martin Luther criticized clerical celibacy, and were married. But the Protestant move toward married clergy was also about other kinds of freedom, according to Jakobsen. Religious and sexual freedom were intertwined: Marriage itself, not the church, became the institution where a couple could freely regulate their sexuality. Praise for the pill By the time the Supreme Court argued that marriage was, by nature, private and sacred, there was a long Protestant history of making that case. But there was an even more recent Protestant history of making that argument specifically about birth control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As new contraceptive options emerged in the 20th century, from the diaphragm to birth control pills, Christian leaders wrestled with what to think. The Catholic Church remained steadfastly opposed to contraception, although some Catholic theologians began to argue in favor of loosening the ban. Many Protestant denominations, meanwhile, slowly came to accept it and then to endorse it. Women with children stand outside Sanger Clinic the first birth control clinic in the United States in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1916. Circa Images/GHI/Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Christians who came to support birth control framed it as a moral good: a tool that would allow married couples to have satisfying sex lives, while protecting women from the health risks of frequent pregnancies. Richard Fagley, the executive secretary of the the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, was one of the architects of this new theological perspective. He argued in 1960 that medical knowledge, including contraception, was a liberating gift from God, to be used to the glory of God, in accordance with his will for men. By the time the pill came on the market in the 1960s, liberal Protestants, as well as many conservatives, were applying ideas about Christian duty to a new theology of responsible parenthood. The best kind of family, they argued, was a father with a steady job and a homemaker mother. Limiting family size could help make that financially possible and decrease divorce, as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The National Council of Churches, an organization representing many Protestant and some Orthodox churches, wrote in a statement approved by most of its members that they acknowledged the value of sex in marriage with or without procreation, because it was central to the mutual love and companionship of the marriage bond. That said, they still emphasized parenthood as a divinely ordained purpose of marriage. Parenthood was, in the councils eyes, a participation in Gods continuing creation, which calls for awe, gratitude, and a sense of high responsibility. When the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to an abortion in 2022, the majority opinion noted, Nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion. Justice Clarence Thomas, however, wrote a concurring opinion calling for the court to revisit other decisions with similar reasoning, including the right to same-sex marriage and Griswold itself. It seems important to look back on 1965, at the many voices that shaped the Griswold case, including secular feminists, medical doctors and Christian clergy. The decisions supporters believed it would make womens lives better, but also families lives precisely by giving them privacy and autonomy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Portions of this article originally appeared in a previous article published on May 24, 2022. 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: Samira Mehta, University of Colorado Boulder Read more: Samira Mehta receives funding from the Henry Luce Foundation. Protesters rally in downtown Anchorage as part of the nationwide "No Kings" protests on June 14, 2025. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon) Alaskans are planning demonstrations in solidarity with Ukraine across the state, ahead of the meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the war in Ukraine. Trump and Putin are expected to meet at the Anchorage military base, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, at 11:30 a.m. on Friday. The two leaders then plan to hold a joint news conference following the meeting, which was confirmed by both the White House and the Kremlin, according to the political news outlet The Hill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least 16 protest events are scheduled to take place across Alaska from Thursday through Saturday, protesting the meeting and demonstrating solidarity with Ukraine, from Fairbanks to Kodiak to Ketchikan. At least 16 events are planned in 15 communities across Alaska to show solidarity for Ukraine, as Trump and Putin are scheduled to meet in Anchorage on August 15, 2025 (Screenshot of map via marchagainst.org Nicole Collins is an organizer with the group Ketchikan Mayday for Democracy, which is planning a vigil on Thursday evening to show support for Ukraine. First and foremost, our goal is to communicate solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, to let them know that we all watched in horror as Ukraine was invaded over three years ago now, she said in an interview. Even though were on this island in Southeast Alaska, we are members of the human race, and were all part of this world, and we want them to know that we see them and we stand with them. Collins said the group started monthly protests in the spring, when members watched a meeting between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The majority of us felt like something wasnt right, she said, and community members have come together since to show support for Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine. The Thursday event is also to express outrage for the presidents invitation and welcome to Putin, she said. Our secondary goal would be to show that we just have this utter disgust in a war criminal stepping foot on our precious Alaskan soil, our U.S. soil, and that we have great concerns over the fact that our president shows every sign of admiration towards this war criminal dictator thats coming from Russia, she said. Putin has been widely condemned internationally for the invasion of Ukraine, where tens of thousands of people have been killed since 2022. More than 6.9 million Ukrainians have been displaced, and more than 13,000 civilians killed, according to the United Nations, which says the true number is likely far higher. Over 1 million Russians have been killed or injured. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin related to war crimes. He risks being arrested if he travels to any of the 125 member states, which has impacted his ability to travel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is far beyond left and right now, its about right and wrong, Collins said. And we feel like we have to speak out. We have to show our support for democracy and for decency, for honesty, for unity, not division. This will be the first in-person meeting between Trump and Putin since the war began. Trump announced the meeting in Alaska last Friday, amid high-stakes negotiations around a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, but the president has not provided details on what a long-term deal would look like. Zelenskyy was not invited. Riza Smith, an organizer based in Anchorage who served in the Air Force at JBER, said it feels like an about face for Alaska to welcome Putin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Russia decides to, you know, escalate things against the U.S., were right nearby. If Russia decided, Hey, we want this portion of land, or, Hey, we want these resources, or something, were right nearby. So I think it impacts a lot of people a lot more strongly, especially for the military, they said. Various branches of the U.S. military in Alaska conduct regular exercises, as part of homeland security efforts, including patrols of the airspace and maritime border with Russia. Currently the U.S. Northern Command is conducting military drills known as Arctic Edge throughout the state. (For) the past 20 years, weve been dealing with intercept flights, Smith said. Thats affected our military for years. So its a little confusing, since about like 2015, when that kind of escalated, to see like a complete nonrecognition of them. In addition to protesting Putin, Smith said the planned protest actions are also condemning the Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think were fed up with corruption. Were fed up with people trying to take something that isnt theirs. And I think the prime example of that is Russia and Ukraine. Vladimir Putin has overstepped his bounds repeatedly with Ukraine. Donald Trump has overstepped his bounds repeatedly with Alaska making these different claims, like offering to sell resources, or whatever he wants to offer people, they said. I think people are just kind of done with people, you know, doing something without their input. Smith also helped coordinate a calendar of solidarity events taking place across the state, from vigils to protest actions to a plan to unfurl a Ukrainian flag at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday. So if you just want to visit an office, thats an option. If you want to rally hard on the side of the building, thats an option. If you want to do sign making, if you just want to do a local community thing, or a barbecue, like, people are just kind of coming together. So its every kind of opportunity to just kind of build that community in Alaska. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Protesters rally in downtown Anchorage as part of the nationwide No Kings protests on June 14, 2025. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon) Alaskans are planning demonstrations in solidarity with Ukraine across the state, ahead of the meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the war in Ukraine. Trump and Putin are expected to meet at the Anchorage military base, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, at 11:30 a.m. on Friday. The two leaders then plan to hold a joint news conference following the meeting, which was confirmed by both the White House and the Kremlin, according to the political news outlet The Hill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least 16 protest events are scheduled to take place across Alaska from Thursday through Saturday, protesting the meeting and demonstrating solidarity with Ukraine, from Fairbanks to Kodiak to Ketchikan. At least 16 events are planned in 15 communities across Alaska to show solidarity for Ukraine, as Trump and Putin are scheduled to meet in Anchorage on August 15, 2025 (Screenshot of map via marchagainst.org) Nicole Collins is an organizer with the group Ketchikan Mayday for Democracy, which is planning a vigil on Thursday evening to show support for Ukraine. First and foremost, our goal is to communicate solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, to let them know that we all watched in horror as Ukraine was invaded over three years ago now, she said in an interview. Even though were on this island in Southeast Alaska, we are members of the human race, and were all part of this world, and we want them to know that we see them and we stand with them. Collins said the group started monthly protests in the spring, when members watched a meeting between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The majority of us felt like something wasnt right, she said, and community members have come together since to show support for Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine. The Thursday event is also to express outrage for the presidents invitation and welcome to Putin, she said. Our secondary goal would be to show that we just have this utter disgust in a war criminal stepping foot on our precious Alaskan soil, our U.S. soil, and that we have great concerns over the fact that our president shows every sign of admiration towards this war criminal dictator thats coming from Russia, she said. Putin has been widely condemned internationally for the invasion of Ukraine, where tens of thousands of people have been killed since 2022. More than 6.9 million Ukrainians have been displaced, and more than 13,000 civilians killed, according to the United Nations, which says the true number is likely far higher. Over 1 million Russians have been killed or injured. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin related to war crimes. He risks being arrested if he travels to any of the 125 member states, which has impacted his ability to travel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is far beyond left and right now, its about right and wrong, Collins said. And we feel like we have to speak out. We have to show our support for democracy and for decency, for honesty, for unity, not division. This will be the first in-person meeting between Trump and Putin since the war began. Trump announced the meeting in Alaska last Friday, amid high-stakes negotiations around a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, but the president has not provided details on what a long-term deal would look like. Zelenskyy was not invited. Riza Smith, an organizer based in Anchorage who served in the Air Force at JBER, said it feels like an about face for Alaska to welcome Putin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Russia decides to, you know, escalate things against the U.S., were right nearby. If Russia decided, Hey, we want this portion of land, or, Hey, we want these resources, or something, were right nearby. So I think it impacts a lot of people a lot more strongly, especially for the military, they said. Various branches of the U.S. military in Alaska conduct regular exercises, as part of homeland security efforts, including patrols of the airspace and maritime border with Russia. Currently the U.S. Northern Command is conducting military drills known as Arctic Edge throughout the state. (For) the past 20 years, weve been dealing with intercept flights, Smith said. Thats affected our military for years. So its a little confusing, since about like 2015, when that kind of escalated, to see like a complete nonrecognition of them. In addition to protesting Putin, Smith said the planned protest actions are also condemning the Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think were fed up with corruption. Were fed up with people trying to take something that isnt theirs. And I think the prime example of that is Russia and Ukraine. Vladimir Putin has overstepped his bounds repeatedly with Ukraine. Donald Trump has overstepped his bounds repeatedly with Alaska making these different claims, like offering to sell resources, or whatever he wants to offer people, they said. I think people are just kind of done with people, you know, doing something without their input. Smith also helped coordinate a calendar of solidarity events taking place across the state, from vigils to protest actions to a plan to unfurl a Ukrainian flag at the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Friday. So if you just want to visit an office, thats an option. If you want to rally hard on the side of the building, thats an option. If you want to do sign making, if you just want to do a local community thing, or a barbecue, like, people are just kind of coming together. So its every kind of opportunity to just kind of build that community in Alaska. This story was originally published by Alaska Beacon. Like Maine Morning Star, Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Andrew Kitchenman for questions: info@alaskabeacon.com. Aug. 14Freeborn County Public Health is inviting the community to attend a Call to Action meeting Aug. 27 to help identify the community's top three health priorities. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Edgewater Park Pavilion, 1600 Edgewater Drive, and lunch will be provided. To register, visit the Freeborn County Public Health website. For more information, call 507-377-5100 or visit Freeborn County Public Health's website. People are asked to register by Aug. 20. Editors Note: Artist Joelle Holt displayed Thursday some sketches of Andrew McGann in this hearing. WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/FOX24) Andrew McGann had his second court hearing Aug. 14, at the Washington County Jail, but this hearing was completely closed off to both the media and the public, with no way to hear or listen to the court proceedings. McGann, 28, is charged with two counts of capital murder connected to the stabbing deaths of Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, from Prairie Grove, at the West Fork park. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many people are concerned that this could be an infringement on the Sixth Amendment, which includes the right to a public trial. Despite those concerns, defense attorney Adam Rose says there are exceptions to why a court would be closed off to the public. According to Rose, Supreme Court Administrative Order Six allows for a case to be closed off if certain requirements are met, such as cases involving victims of crime, drug-related crimes, cases involving a juvenile, and select hearings involving family law issues. In this particular case, Rose said he understands why the public or media would be denied access. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hairstylist at Lupitas Beauty Salon details Andrew McGanns arrest In this particular case, theres still a crime lab. Theres still reports being made. Theres still tapes being found. Theres still eyewitness testimony being found. There is discovery very much ongoing with this case, Rose said. Rose also mentioned that, along with Administrative Order Six, the appointed judge has final discretion over what goes on in the courtroom. [The judge says] where people are standing, where things are set, where you can go, where you can walk in her courtroom, Rose said. I think it was due to sensitive information and them not wanting people to be inside of it. I think there was also a practical standpoint of, frankly, there is no really good space [to stand]. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although barring the public from the hearing is not illegal, according to federal law, not everyone is on board with the decision. Trial lawyer, Joey McCutchen, is one of those people. He believes that most cases should be open to the public, and McGanns hearing this morning is no exception. Procedures need to be followed, and courtrooms should not be closed. Bottom line. I want peoples constitutional rights protected, and I want the public to be able to see if a person is accused of a felony. Thats a felony against the public, McCutchen said. McGann pleaded not guilty to both counts of capital murder at the hearing. His next court appearance is set for November 14. KNWA/FOX24 will continue to monitor if the next hearing will be open to the public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approved a modified settlement with FirstEnergy Pennsylvanias West Penn Power Division, addressing the utilitys response to a June 2021 storm in Washington County. The PUC voted 4-1 to approve the settlement, which came from an investigation into how FirstEnergy handled a downed energized power line during a windstorm in the West Penn service area. The civil penalty imposed on FirstEnergy was increased from $12,500 to $25,000 because of concerns over inadequate communication with its crew and customers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The PUCs Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement found that FirstEnergy failed to follow its procedures for responding to downed wires, including an energized line that rested on a residential carport roof. Residents couldnt safely evacuate and didnt receive an on-site response from utility personnel after contacting 911 and the utility. Per the modified settlement, FirstEnergy must also strengthen internal procedures for hazard response, ensure that supervisors verify line down reports and secure areas from the public and improve personnel training. Both the I&E and FirstEnergy have 20 days to file notice seeking withdrawal from the settlement. If no withdrawal notice is filed, the modified settlement will be approved. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW WASHINGTON (AP) As President Donald Trump attempts to reshape college admissions, he's promising a new era of fairness, with an emphasis on merit and test scores and a blind eye toward diversity. Yet the Republican president's critics and some allies are questioning his silence on admissions policies that give applicants a boost because of their wealth or family ties. While he has pressed colleges to eliminate any possible consideration of a student's race, he has made no mention of legacy admissions, an edge given to the children of alumni, or similar preferences for the relatives of donors. Trump often rails against systems he describes as rigged, but he has overlooked a glaring instance in higher education, said Richard Kahlenberg, a researcher at the Progressive Policy Institute think tank who has written about admissions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its hard to think of a more flagrant way in which the system is rigged than legacy preferences, Kahlenberg said. Rarely is a system of hereditary privilege so openly practiced without any sense of shame. In recent weeks, Trump has taken several actions to scrub any vestiges of race from admissions decisions, suggesting that some schools are ignoring a 2023 Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action. His administration negotiated settlements with Brown and Columbia universities that included provisions to share admissions data. Last week, Trump issued a call for colleges nationwide to submit data to prove they do not consider race in admissions. Some are urging Trump to go further. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., applauded the settlement with Brown requiring the university to turn a blind eye toward race even in application essays. But restoring meritocracy warrants more, said Young, who cosponsored legislation in 2023 aiming to end legacy admissions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federally accredited institutions should eliminate ALL preferences grounded in arbitrary circumstances of ancestry that students have no control over, such as legacy status, Young said on social media. Many selective colleges consider family ties Sometimes called affirmative action for the rich, the practice of legacy admissions remains widespread among elite colleges even as it faces mounting bipartisan opposition. Virginias Republican governor signed a bill last year barring legacy admissions at public institutions, following similar measures in Colorado, California and elsewhere. Some Republicans in Congress have worked with Democrats on proposals to end it nationwide. Roughly 500 universities consider legacy status when evaluating applicants, including more than half of the nation's 100 most selective U.S. schools, according to 2023 disclosures to the federal government. A few have abandoned the policy, but it remains in place at all eight Ivy League schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stanford University said in July it will continue considering legacy status, even after a California law barred it at institutions that receive state financial aid. Stanford opted to withdraw from the states student financial aid program rather than end the practice. The university said it will replace the funding with internal money even as it begins layoffs to close a $140 million budget deficit. Stanford officials declined to comment. Last year, as part of a state transparency law, the school reported that about 14% of its new students were relatives of alumni or donors. A push for merit, but no mention of legacy admissions The executive action signed by Trump last week requires universities to turn over more information about students who apply to and are accepted to their campuses. Taxpayers deserve confidence in the fairness and integrity of decisions, his memorandum said, adding that more information is needed to ensure colleges are heeding the Supreme Courts decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A week earlier, the Justice Department issued a memo clarifying what it considers illegal discrimination in admissions. It takes issue not only with overt racial considerations but also proxies for race, including geographic targeting or personal essays asking about obstacles applicants have overcome. Similar language requiring merit-based admissions policies was included in the governments resolutions with Brown and Columbia universities. None of the actions made any mention of legacy admissions. Trumps silence caught the attention of the nonprofit Lawyers for Civil Rights, which has an open complaint with the Education Department alleging that Harvard Universitys use of donor and alumni preferences amounts to illegal racial discrimination. The groups 2023 complaint says the practice overwhelmingly benefits white students. If the Trump administration wants to make admissions a meritocracy, it should start by ending legacy preferences, said Oren Sellstrom, litigation director for the group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These deeply unmeritocratic preferences simply reward students based on who their parents are. Its hard to imagine anything more unfair or contrary to basic merit principles, he said. Few Americans support legacy or donor preferences Colleges defend the practice by saying it builds community and encourages families to become donors. Some backers say it increasingly helps nonwhite students as campuses become more diverse. Then-President Joe Biden, a Democrat, urged colleges to rethink legacy preferences in the wake of the Supreme Court decision, saying it expanded privilege instead of opportunity. Some feared it would drive up white enrollment as affirmative action ended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Georgetown University reviewed the policy but kept it in place this year after concluding the pool of legacy applicants had a similar makeup to the wider admissions pool. An AP-NORC poll in 2023 found that most Americans have a dim view of legacy and donor preferences, with few saying either should play a strong role in decisions. Universities are required to tell the federal government whether they consider legacy status, but they dont have to divulge how far it tips the scale or how many legacy students they admit. Among the 20 most selective universities that say they employ the practice, none would tell The Associated Press what percentage of their incoming class has a family connection to alumni or donors. Trump's blitz to root out racial preferences has hinged on the argument that it undermines merit. New scrutiny is needed to ensure colleges are following the Supreme Court's order and recruiting and training capable future doctors, engineers, scientists and other workers, he said in his executive action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That argument sends the message that minority students are intellectually suspect until proven otherwise, said Justin Driver, a Yale law professor with a forthcoming book on affirmative action. He worries Trumps latest actions will intimidate colleges into limiting minority enrollment to avoid raising the suspicion of the government. I believe that the United States confronts a lot of problems today, Driver said. Too many Black students on first-rate college campuses is not among them. ___ The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. OTTAWA, Ill. (WGN) Over 450 of the nations most experienced skydivers will soon meet in LaSalle County as they attempt to break two records. Next week, SkyDive Chicago, a Skydiving facility located in Ottawa, Illinois, will host two groups of highly skilled skydivers in an effort to break two records: the largest vertical formation in the world and the largest formation skydive in Illinois. The new attempt comes after vertical record attempts by SkyDive Chicago in 2022 and 2018 were foiled by unfavorable weather conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, SkyDive Chicago owner and lead organizer Rook Nelson says he has completely refreshed his approach and is ready to make history. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Many of the skydivers involved in the previous failed attempts are returning for next weeks jumps and organizers say they are back for redemption and determined to finish what they started. After the vertical record attempts in 2022, it became clear we needed to rethink everything, from the formation design to how we train and build the team, Nelson said. This isnt just about redemption its about evolution. Many of us are coming back with unfinished business, and were more prepared than ever. Records should be hard. If it were easy, everyone would do it. The vertical elite is a small group of people pushing the limits of human flight, and this record will belong to those willing to never give up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to officials from SkyDive Chicago, the jumps will take place over four days, from Aug. 19 through Aug. 22. During the attempt to break the Vertical World Record, 200 skydivers from around the globe will leap from nine planes flying at 19,000 feet as they attempt to form a 200-way head-down vertical formation. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland After leaping from the aircraft, the skydivers have only 60 seconds to link hands in a predetermined snowflake formation before breaking apart to deploy their parachutes in unison. Officials say vertical skydiving is regarded as the most challenging discipline in the sport due to the intense speeds and physical intensity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because of the altitude, the team will have to use supplemental oxygen during the attempts. If the teams succeed in building the formation, it will break a record set in 2015 by a 164-person team that performed a head-down formation. But the world record is not the only one the elite skydivers are looking to break; simultaneously, another group of 250 skydivers will take the leap as they attempt to break the Illinois State Record for largest formation skydive. Jumpers will fall in a traditional belly-to-earth fashion, moving at speeds of around 120 MPH as they make their way back to the ground. Engine failure leads to small plane emergency landing near Joliet golf course Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the team is successful in completing the jump, they will break the current Illinois state record of 246 skydivers, which was set by Nelson in 1998. It would also become the largest formation skydive attempted globally since 2006, when the 400-way world record was set in Thailand. The record-breaking jump attempts will be overseen by the United States Parachute Association (USPA). Skydivers at Skydive Chicago arent just going after one record theyre going after two, back-to-back, Albert Berchtold, Executive Director of the USPA said. Its incredible to see both disciplines pushing limits at the same time, at the same dropzone. This week is about more than records its about whats possible when skydivers unite with a shared purpose. Organizers say spectators are welcome and encouraged. Viewers hoping to see the record-breaking attempts will have the best opportunities from Tuesday through Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organizers said practices will take place on the first few days, with the official attempts taking place from sunrise to sundown on the final days. Visit the SkyDive Chicago website for more information, or follow their Instagram and Facebook pages to stay up to date on the jumps. 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 WGN-TV. The man sitting closest to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska will be Yuri Ushakov, his top foreign policy adviser and America guru. During the summit, hell be a largely silent presence, perhaps occasionally providing some information or clarification to his boss. After the summit, he will explain Putin's objectives going forward to foreign leaders and the western media. Ushakov spent 10 years in Washington serving as Russias ambassador to the United States and for much of that time, Id have lunch with him every few months at his favorite Italian restaurant on P Street, near Dupont Circle. Of course, I wouldnt actually know where we would meet until the last minute; we would agree in advance on the time but not the location. The morning of our lunch his assistant would call to tell me where to go. I always assumed Ushakov wanted to minimize the possibility of our table being bugged by either American or Russian security agents. All the same, he assumed that I would share information about our lunches with my former colleagues at the Department of State or the National Security Council. Which, of course, I did. Looking back, I can see now how my interactions with Ushakov reflected larger trends in U.S.-Russian relations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont recall any hints of Ushakov ever disagreeing with the Kremlins foreign policies, though in explaining them to me he would try to make them less antagonistic and hold out the possibility of finding common ground. Good diplomats everywhere are like that, of course, but in Ushakovs case, loyalty to the party line was inculcated in him and others of his generation hes now 78 when they joined the Soviet diplomatic service. Yet he was flexible enough to adjust to the post-Communist transition under former President Boris Yeltsin and then to the changes made during the early Putin era. He told me he approved the moves toward a market economy under ultimate state control, of course because he understood that American businesses would invest in Russia only if they could make money and if Russia provided a congenial environment for their businesses and their employees. But then again, that was the new party line. For this reason, he always wanted to know how he could encourage U.S. businesses to invest in Russia. By this time I worked in the private sector as a senior adviser on international issues for the law firm Akin Gump. My boss was the legendary Robert Strauss, the preeminent Washington insider and kingmaker, a former ambassador to Russia, and chairman of the U.S.-Russia Business Council. So it made sense that U.S.-Russian business development was a central theme of our lunches. Ushakov believed then that better business relations would better advance Russias interests. Concurrently, he believed that politics should not interfere with business, and that western governments should not intervene even in cases where businessmen were arrested or assets seized by the state-controlled courts. That was, you might say, the old Yuri Ushakov. He didnt hate the West; in fact, he sent his beloved grandson to school in Europe. Then he went back to Moscow in 2008 and joined Putins presidential administration as his foreign policy adviser. On my subsequent trips to Moscow, he would continue to meet me, now hosting me in his spacious and elegantly furnished office near the Kremlin. And the more time he spent there, in the Kremlin, the more I watched his view of the United States evolve, increasingly influenced not only by a distinctly darker view of America, but also by domestic concerns, particularly as Russia entered a period of turmoil around parliamentary elections in 2011. The Kremlin seemed to be caught off-guard by the appeal of opposition candidates, and they attributed that to western interference and financial support for civil society groups who provided support for the opposition. According to my notes from April 2013, for example, he already sounded very much like other Russian (and Soviet) bureaucrats: The new Ushakov tended to blame the United States for every problem in the world, resisting criticism of Russia's own policies, both foreign and at home, in the Middle East, Afghanistan and increasingly by then, western interference in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A few months later, in 2014, I was surprised when Ushakov asked me why Americans hated Russians a question he didnt and wouldnt have asked me in Washington a few years earlier. This is what I replied (I think in Russian): I dont hate Russians. I love the language. I sing Russian folksongs. I read Russian literature I liked some of what Yeltsin tried to do and pressed my government to take Russian concerns seriously. I didnt lose my hope for a more tolerant, more open Russia. And then I added, Frankly, I couldnt believe when in 2005 President Putin referred to the collapse of the Soviet Union as a catastrophe you know far better than I how much suffering the Russian people endured under that regime. Ushakov defended his boss, and our conversation on that subject ended. Still, despite the growing tensions between the U.S. and Russia particularly over Russias 2014 invasion of Crimea, Ushakov saw me again the next year, when one of our main themes was the upcoming 2016 U.S. presidential election. Ushakov was curious about all the Republican candidates, but what I remember most was his favorable comments about Donald Trump especially as compared to Hillary Clinton. He is refreshing, Ushakov said. The U.S. needs a new approach to the world. Ushakovs attitude toward me was still cordial, but trade issues were no longer high on the agenda. We continued to see each other until 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It was then that almost all bilateral contacts with Russia business, scholarly and Congressional exchanges and tourism ceased. I have been asked over the years, again and again, and especially now, before the Alaska summit: "Do the Russians understand us? Hard to say. But what we must keep in mind is that there is a difference between what they know and what they say, even in one-on-one conversations. But I know this: They feel the U.S. is the enemy; their hope had been that making money would always be more important to us than anything else. That hope was misplaced. As the Russians see it, the U.S. is now driven by hegemonic aspirations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Are we better at understanding Russia than we used to be? I think our academic scholarship is very good on Soviet history, including the vicissitudes of Russian politics. Im much less sure about our politicians. With due respect to the exceptions, American foreign policy is all too often intended to satisfy limited and at times unrelated political concerns, including isolationist impulses and Congresss penchant for micromanaging issues like sanctions. Perhaps naively, I wish we could act and not just say we act according to our national interests, including on moral and human rights considerations. Another question I hear is: What do Putin and his team think of President Trump? As early as 2015, Ushakov spoke positively of Trump because he saw him in his words as a disrupter. My best guess is that they are now having second thoughts. Its not only that Trump changes his mind so often about whether Russia or Ukraine is the aggressor. The issue is that they dont know for sure what Trump might do or say on any given day. (Many in America dont either.) He is neither the enemy they need nor the friend they can trust. So, whatever affection or nuanced understanding Ushakov might once have had of the United States is long gone. On the critical issue of Ukraine, Ushakov is unlikely to tell Putin what to do or how to proceed. Like his boss and the rest of his team, Ushakov views a strong, independent Ukraine as a threat to Russia, and under no circumstances can NATO be allowed to station its troops on Ukrainian soil. Simply put, in their minds, Ukraine belongs to Russia. It has no right to exist as an independent state for reasons clearly spelled out in new textbooks for all Russian high school students, on Russian propaganda TV stations, and in background papers undoubtedly prepared for the Alaska Summit. On that issue, the Russian political elite is united. As they see it, Russian soldiers captured Crimea and then Russian soldiers died to secure a large chunk of Ukraines eastern territory and the return of these territories is not negotiable. And so, if there is any disagreement among Putins team at all, its on how to deal with Trump, whether they will achieve their ends better by flattery, stonewalling or threats. However well-informed Putins America gurus like Ushakov may be, they cannot be sure which Trump will show up in Alaska: the one who calls Putin a friend and a genius or the one who agreed he was a killer. Can they convince Trump that the problem is Ukraines unreasonableness, not Russias unwillingness to stop bombing Ukrainian cities and agree to a ceasefire? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin may approve of much of what Trump is doing to improve U.S.-Russia relations and to stifle democracy in the U.S. and around the world; after all, Trumps policies are likely to enhance Russia's influence in the world by alienating America's traditional friends and enacting erratic trade and tariff policies. And so Trump is the best thing that Russia has going for it for now and is certainly better than any Democratic president would be. Still, some of the savvier Putin advisers and Russian pundits seem to be paying growing attention now to Vice President JD Vance a true isolationist as the man of the future. Russians always play the long game: Even if Trump decides to keep the U.S. in NATO, they are likely asking themselves: Is it not possible that a future President Vance might be willing to end that alliance? While it may not be his first choice, Putin is perfectly capable of embarrassing the U.S. president in Alaska if Trump is not sufficiently accommodating and wait for a potentially more accommodating successor. No matter what the tactic, then, the end game is for Putin and his team to press for an outcome that furthers their main goals: a sharp reduction of western influence in Ukraine, the fracturing of the western alliance and the eventual realization of Putins vision for the restoration of the Russian empire. That last goal, as the late Zbigniew Brzezinski pointed out so well, cannot be reached if Ukraine retains an independent existence. Putin is surrounded by experts like Ushakov who know what the boss wants and have worked together as a team for many years. They also know the United States very well. The Russian diplomatic team has almost 100 years of combined experience in dealing with the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump and his team lack comparable expertise no one on his team has spent any time living in Russia, much less decades cultivating contacts inside the Russian government. The American team is inexperienced, focusing on "real estate issues in Ukraine, as if a settlement of the conflict depends on an exchange of acreage, not on cracking the hardened ideologies and animosities that led to the invasion in the first place. Yet what really matters, sadly, is the all-but unbridgeable gap between Ukraines legitimate desire for independence and security and Russias determination to win at the negotiating table what it has been unable to achieve on the battlefield. Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed North Korean troops sent to fight in Ukraine as "heroic" in a letter to Kim Jong Un, North Korean state media reported Friday. In a letter marking the anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese rule, Putin recalled how Soviet Red Army units and North Korean forces fought together to end Japan's colonial occupation. "The bonds of militant friendship, goodwill and mutual aid which were consolidated in the days of the war long ago remain solid and reliable even today," Putin said in a letter revealed by North Korean state media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This was fully proved by the heroic participation of the DPRK soldiers in liberating the territory of Kursk Region from the Ukrainian occupationists," he said, according to news agency KCNA. "The Russian people will keep forever the memories of their bravery and self-sacrifice." Putin added that the two countries would continue to "act jointly and effectively defend their sovereignty and make a significant contribution to establishing a just and multi-polarised world order." Russia and North Korea have been forging increasingly closer ties, with the two countries signing a mutual defence pact last year, when Putin visited the reclusive state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In April, North Korea confirmed for the first time that it had deployed a contingent of its soldiers to the front line in Ukraine, alongside Russian troops. South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have said Pyongyang sent more than 10,000 soldiers to Russia's Kursk region in 2024, along with artillery shells, missiles and long-range rocket systems. Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting for Russia, Seoul has said. - 'Excellent soldiers' - The letter from Putin came alongside a visit by a Russian delegation to Pyongyang, where the speaker of the Duma thanked Kim for sending "excellent soldiers" to Ukraine, KCNA reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vyacheslav Volodin's delegation arrived Thursday and was received by a military honour guard for a visit marking "the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation". Volodin thanked Kim for "dispatching excellent soldiers to the Kursk liberation operations for driving out the Ukrainian aggressors", according to KCNA. He added that Russia would never forget the North Korean troops "who fought at the cost of their lives in Russia." Kim, meanwhile, said the delegation's visit would promote the "development of the DPRK-Russia relations already on a new level." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also mentioned that he had a phone call with Putin two days ago, agreeing to expanded bilateral cooperation and "closer contact and communication between the state leaderships." The call came three days ahead of Friday's summit between Putin and Trump, the first between a sitting US and Russian president since 2021, as Trump seeks to broker an end to Russia's more than three-year war in Ukraine. hs/cwl Vladimir Putin has been preparing to test a new nuclear-armed cruise missile ahead of his meeting with Donald Trump in Alaska. Russias Pankavo nuclear test site, located on the Barents Sea archipelago of Novaya Zemlya, has seen a surge in activity in recent weeks, satellite images show. The site has seen an increase in personnel and equipment, as well as ships and aircraft associated with earlier tests of the 9M730 Burevestnik (Storm Petrel). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Western security source said that Russia was preparing a test of the Burevestnik missile, which Moscow claims has an unlimited range. The tests have been taking place in the days leading up to crunch talks between Mr Trump and Putin in Anchorage later on Friday. We can see all of the activity at the test site, which is both huge amounts of supplies coming in to support operations and movement at the place where they actually launch the missile, Jeffrey Lewis, one of the researchers involved in analysing the satellite images, said. Mr Lewis, of the California-based Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said a test could be carried out as soon as this week. Satellite images show an influx of vehicles and personnel at the site on the Barents Sea archipelago of Novaya Zemlya, August 7 - 2025 Planet Labs PBC/REUTERS Putin is preparing to meet with Mr Trump at a US air force base in Alaska later today, though he is currently in the town of Magadan in Russias Far East for a meeting with the local governor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The summit between the two leaders is scheduled to take place at 11.30am local time (8.30pm BST) at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, the US president said: I am President, and hes not going to mess around with me. Mr Trump said he expected the meeting with Putin to be followed up almost immediately with a summit involving Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, and potentially other European leaders. The more important meeting will be the second meeting that were having, were going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelensky, myself and maybe well bring some of the European leaders, maybe not, he said. Ahead of the talks, Oleksiy Goncharenko, the MP for Odesa in Ukraine, said he feared a deal being made without Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have hope that the war will endbut there are fears that Putin will manage to win more time and play games with Trump and that Trump will allow it, he told The Telegraph. He added that the worst case scenario would be if Mr Trump and Putin agree to a deal that Ukraine cannot accept. Nobody can decide anything about Ukraine without Ukraine. If we lose US support, this would be a disaster. While their meeting will primarily focus on the war in Ukraine, Mr Trump and Putin are also expected to discuss a nuclear arms deal as part of a wider effort to strengthen peace. Speaking on Thursday, the Russian leader said the meeting was happening in order to create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, and in Europe, and in the world as a whole - if, by the next stages, we reach agreements in the area of control over strategic offensive weapons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moscow and Washington have by far the biggest nuclear arsenals in the world. The last remaining treaty between them that limits the numbers of these weapons is due to expire on Feb 5 next year. Vehicles could be seen parked along the road at the site, August 7 - 2025 Planet Labs PBC/REUTERS The New START treaty covers strategic nuclear weapons - those designed by each side to hit the enemys centres of military, economic and political power - and caps the number of deployed warheads at 1,550 on each side. Experts believe both are likely to breach that limit if the treaty is not extended or replaced. Putin has said the Burevestnik missile, dubbed the SSC-X-9 Skyfall by Nato, is invincible to current and future missile defences, with an almost unlimited range and unpredictable flight path. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two aircraft designed to gather test data arrived at the Rogachevo military airfield in mid-July, pictures published by Reuters show. Aircraft at the Rogachevo military airfield, August 5 - 2025 Planet Labs PBC/REUTERS The Norwegian military said the Barents Sea was a prime location for Russian missile tests and they had indications from notices and maritime warnings of preparations for test activities. However, it did not confirm any knowledge of what kind of munitions they are to test. It comes against the backdrop of increasing nuclear tensions between the two nations. Mr Trump announced earlier this month that he had ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines towards Russia in response to threats from the countrys former president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The US president said he was sending the vessels to appropriate regions in a move that broke decades of Pentagon secrecy around high-level deployments. It came after Mr Trump engaged in a war of words with Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and the deputy chairman of the countrys security council. According to Mr Lewis, Russias plans to test the Burevestnik have intensified since Mr Trump returned to the White House and announced the development of an American Golden Dome defence shield. Putin is known for his bellicose nuclear rhetoric. In 2018, he used a concept video of nuclear warheads with an unlimited range apparently raining down on Florida, where Mr Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate is based. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fiona Hill, Mr Trumps former Russia advisor, previously told The Telegraph that the footage got Trumps attention and is the reason he is so deferential to Putin. The Burevestnik has a poor test record, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative advocacy group, with two partial successes among 13 known tests. It comes after Belarus announced that it would hold joint exercises with Russia next month involving nuclear weapons and the Russian-made, hypersonic Oreshnik missile. This is an important element of our strategic deterrence. As the head of state demands, we must be prepared for anything, Viktor Khrenin, Belaruss defence minister, said on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We see the situation on our western and northern borders and cannot calmly watch the militarisation and military activity. We demonstrate our openness and peacefulness, but we must always keep our powder dry. Belarus borders Poland, Lithuania and Latvia - all Nato members - to the west and north, while in the south it borders Ukraine. 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. The Kremlin has said the summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday is expected to last between six and seven hours. "We assume that there will first be a personal conversation. This will take place with the participation of advisers. Then there will be talks within the delegations, possibly in the form of a working lunch," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state television. "After that, the heads of state will withdraw for some time and then come together for a joint press conference," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin earlier departed for Alaska from the Magadan region in Russia's Far East. Peskov previously said the Russian leader would arrive punctually at 11 am (1900 GMT) in Anchorage, where the meeting is to be held at a US military base. Trump will greet Putin, who is known internationally for often keeping his interlocutors waiting for hours, at the plane, Peskov added. The summit between the two leaders - the first since Trump began his second term and since Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine - is expected to focus on the war. Peskov said the Russian side expects real results. If this is the case, he said there could be a three-way meeting with the participation of Ukraine, which is not involved in the Anchorage talks. What is the price of peace in Ukraine? For Zelensky, the cost is calculated in how much land his country will lose and what political humiliations it is prepared to bear. For ordinary Ukrainians, the price is measured in the blood of their loved ones fighting on the front lines. But for Donald Trump, there is another currency involved: that of minerals, oil and cold cash. As the Telegraph revealed yesterday, Trump is preparing to offer Putin financial incentives to end the war including access to untapped oil and gas fields off the coast of Alaska and rare earth minerals in Ukraine. Another sweetener Washington intends to put on the table is the lifting of US sanctions on parts and equipment needed to service Western-made planes owned by Russian airlines. But if Trump believes that Putin can be bribed into ending his bloody three-year war on Ukraine he is severely mistaken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In truth Putin does not care about money, nor about the wellbeing of his countrys economy, nor about the personal fortunes of Russias elite. If he did, he would not have started the war in the first place. Over his quarter century in power Putin has gone from pragmatic economic cooperation with the West to a mystical sense of himself as defender of the Motherland and self-anointed re-uniter of the Russian peoples. For his first two decades in office, Putin carefully cultivated friendships with Germanys leaders and built vast gas pipelines that came to provide a third of Europes energy. At the same time US and European companies poured billions into Russia in the form of car factories, breweries, big-box megastores and shopping malls. But by 2022 Putins priorities had changed. The cost of his fateful invasion of Ukraine would be the destruction of Gazproms European business, the collapse of foreign investment, flight of some 1,500 Western companies, and the exclusion of Russian banks from international financial systems. Swathes of wealthy Russians were ruined and many oligarchs found their foreign assets frozen. But Putin didnt care. The mission of preventing Ukraine from becoming a dangerous Western Trojan horse under Russias southern belly was more important to him than such trivial considerations as whether his people would shop at Ikea, eat at McDonalds or drive Volkswagen cars. When it comes to Putins self-appointed mission to restore Russias historical greatness, war is more important than money. However, Trumps proposals for economic cooperation could play one key role in the endgame of the Ukraine war. Putin may not be particularly interested in exploring untapped oil reserves that lie underneath the Bering Strait that separates Russia and America, for he already has the untapped Shtokman Arctic field already inside his own territorial waters as well as giant gas reserves in occupied Donbas. But what does interest Putin is a face-saving way to end the disastrously expensive and bloody war that he started. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin needs to be able to portray himself as a victor. To that end, he has brought a whole team of economic officials to Anchorage to discuss joint business projects with the Americans. Top Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Thursday that Putin and Trump would discuss the huge untapped potential in Russia-US economic relations. Cooperation in the trade and economic sphere has huge and, unfortunately so far, untapped potential. Indeed Putin has his own bag of goodies to present to Trump. One is a proposed joint venture to exploit the Shtokman fields staggering 3.8 trillion cubic metres of natural gas, located 400 miles north of Russias Kola Peninsula, with the help of US know-how and offshore drilling technology. Another opportunity that Putin has publicly offered to US companies is joint access to rare earth mineral deposits in Russia and even in territories of Russian-occupied Ukraine. Earlier this year Trump pressured Zelensky into signing a deal that would allow US companies similar access to minerals in Ukraine but as Putin pointed out Russia certainly have much more of such resources than Ukraine. Cutting commercial deals while soldiers and civilians die daily in Ukraine is ghoulish and cynical. Cash sweeteners are clearly important to Trump, but they mean nothing to Putin except as window dressing for a final deal on his own terms. 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. Russian President Vladimir Putins team trolled Ukraine on the eve of the summit with President Donald Trump by serving chicken Kyiv to journalists on the flight to Alaska. U.S. and Russian delegations began arriving in Anchorage Friday, as Trump posted a blunt two-word warning on Truth Social: HIGH STAKES!!! On the state-chartered flight to the talks, Russian media were served chicken Kyiv cutlets according to the editor-in-chief of Russia Today, Margarita Simonyan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perhaps this is a good sign for the upcoming negotiations, quipped RT reporter Egor Piskunov. Other Russian propagandists jumped on the menu choice. Russian media were served chicken Kyiv cutlets on the state-chartered flight to Alaska, according to RT. Perhaps this is a good sign for the upcoming negotiations, one RT journalist quipped. (via REUTERS) This is apparently a hint that the Russian army is making chicken Kyiv cutlets out of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Putin and Trump should make a chicken Kyiv out of Zelensky, pro-Putin commentator Sergei Markov said. He added that both journalists in Russia and Putin and Lavrov have a good sense of humor. In another instance where Russia appeared to mock Ukraine ahead of the talks, Putins foreign minister Sergei Lavrov arrived donning a USSR sweatshirt as he touched down in Anchorage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With chicken Kyiv and Lavrov's choice of attire, I think we're seeing some early confirmation that the Russians know what kind of signals they want to send, Doug Klain, policy analyst for the U.S. non-profit Razom, which delivers humanitarian aid to Ukraine, told The Independent. Others on social media accused Russia of playing mind games with the tactics. Seeing all the symbolism Russians enjoy presenting ahead of Alaska summit like USSR sweatshirts and serving chicken Kyiv - it sends only one message, said one user of a pro-Ukraine account on X. Theyve come to Alaska to mock USA, Europe & Ukraine and to have fun at everyones cost. Putins foreign minister Sergei Lavrov arrived donning a USSR sweatshirt as he touched down in Anchorage. (Social media) Russian state level trolling is a whole different ballgame, wrote another. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lavrovs sweatshirt read CCCP, an abbreviation of the Russian-language cognate of USSR. It appeared to be a tongue in cheek reference to how critics of Putin have alleged the Russian leader wants to rebuild Soviet Russia. Statues of former General Secretary of the USSR Joseph Stalin have reappeared in Russia, with a monument to the dictator being unveiled in Moscows subway station earlier this year. The Russians hyped up this meeting by spotlighting their prior ownership of Alaska and Lavrov arrived wearing a USSR shirtthe previous chapter of the Russian imperial project Putin is continuing today, Klain said. While the Russians loved looking back on their past holdings like Alaska, it's a timely reminder that the world changes. The meeting between Trump and Putin will mark the first time the pair have met in person since 2018. Trump vowed that the Russian president is not going to mess around with him as he looks to secure a ceasefire deal. President Trumps meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday could shape the future of Moscows more than three-year war in Ukraine for better or worse. Trump has made ending the war a priority focus in his second term, but Putin has been a brick wall, refusing any concessions toward peace and only increasing the severity of attacks on Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not get an invite to the Alaska summit, but he along with European leaders has sought to stiffen Trumps spine this week, hoping to steer him away from any talk of territorial concessions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House has lowered expectations for a major breakthrough in the summit, which Trump has described as setting the table for a potential second meeting that includes the Ukrainian president. Still, the world will be watching closely for any signs that a peace deal is possible. Here are the priorities for Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia: Volodymyr Zelensky Watching from the sidelines, Zelensky has the most to lose from Trump and Putin meeting face-to-face. Trump has swung wildly between anger with the Ukrainian leader, at one point halting U.S. military support and intelligence-sharing, to expressing sympathy and even unity over the loss of life and suffering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelensky will be hoping for a chilly meeting in Alaska, said Olga Tokariuk, a fellow with the Democratic Resilience Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis. The best scenario for Ukraine would be if there is no deal tomorrow, if there is no agreement between Russia and the U.S. on anything, Tokariuk said. She added that a decision by Trump to impose more sanctions on Russia, as he has threatened to do if Putin doesnt move toward a peace deal, would be a major victory for Kyiv. Zelensky, along with European leaders, held a virtual call with Trump on Thursday to reinforce principles Trump should take with him into the talks: a ceasefire on the current front lines must be the basis for any negotiations; Ukraine must be part of discussions; Ukraine needs security guarantees and to leave the door open for NATO membership; and there must be no recognition of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, which includes about 20 percent of the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has already strayed from those positions, saying Thursday that Putin was unlikely to agree to a ceasefire, but he hoped to make progress on broader peace talks. Theres no doubt in my mind that Zelensky understands that territorial concessions may be required to get a durable peace, said John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Councils Eurasia Center and a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. Trumps view is that the durable peace will involve Russian occupation at least de facto, but it should only be de facto thats an important distinction of Ukrainian territory, he continued. But for that to happen, we need major concessions from Moscow, and the conversation has to include those concessions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin has shown little willingness to back off any of his maximalist demands of Ukraine ceding territory, demilitarizing and changing its government, to name a few. Donald Trump The best case for Trump a breakthrough in peace talks is unlikely, as even he has admitted this week. The president has previewed that his goal for the summit is to move from this first meeting with Putin to a second meeting, likely to include Zelensky, and possibly the U.S. This meeting sets up the second meeting. But there is a 25 percent chance this meeting will not be a successful meeting, Trump told Brian Kilmeade on his Fox News Radio show Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump is heavily invested in his image as a peacemaker, and getting a good deal for Ukraine would make a compelling addition to his credentials for a Nobel Peace Prize. However, the president also wants an off-ramp of U.S. involvement in the war, and has taken steps to zero out American financial support for Ukraine. The shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development ended humanitarian and economic assistance to Kyiv, as Trump continues to send military support to Ukraine from previously appropriated funds. Trump is not looking to replenish those accounts and has instead focused on getting allied countries to purchase U.S. weapons for Ukraine. Its unclear if Trump will veto an effort in Congress to send about $800 million to Ukraine next year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House this week touted on the social platform X the worldwide calls for President Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, along with a photo of Trump speaking behind a podium with a NATO logo. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said that was an intentional choice. His agreement to sell American-made weapons to NATO allies is one way he is working to stop the killing between Russia and Ukraine, she told The Hill. Trump said Thursday he would impose severe consequences on Russia if Putin refused to halt the war following the Alaska summit, but Friday morning, he said that if the summit is not successful, hell turn his attention back to the U.S. Earlier this week, Trump said his goal for the summit is to feel out Putin and gauge his seriousness in committing to end the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Trump has also talked about major economic potential for renewed U.S.-Russia ties, raising the possibility that business deals could be used as an incentive for Putin to stop the war. They have tremendous potential in Russia to do well, Trump said Wednesday. Allies, however, are warning against that type of offer. If Trump is a business guy, Putin isnt. Whatever you give him in trade and investment, hes happy to take it, but he will not back down an inch, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told The Wall Street Journal. Vladimir Putin Analysts argue Putin has already secured a major victory by having a face-to-face meeting with the U.S. president, on American soil, without having to give up anything or make any commitments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin has succeeded in delaying Trumps threats of secondary tariffs, which were promised for Aug. 8. A Senate Democratic report noted Trump has imposed no additional U.S. penalties on Russia in the past six months, despite Putins intransigence. And the Kremlin is also dangling the potential for renewed U.S.-Russia business ties. It is worth noting that this cooperation holds immense, yet regrettably underutilized, potential, Yury Ushakov, a top Putin aide, said Thursday. Analysts say Putin has not changed his initial aims of wanting to subjugate all of Ukraine and has also always looked beyond the country, framing the special military operation as a larger conflict against the democratic West, in particular his criticism that NATO is a threat to Russias security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The aim is to establish long-term conditions for peace not only between our countries but also in Europe and indeed globally especially if we proceed to subsequent stages involving agreements on strategic offensive arms control, Putin said Thursday. Daniel Fried, distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council and a former U.S. ambassador to Poland, warned that Putin is the master of deflection and would likely try to wave some shiny but meaningless offer as a new development or concession. Ive seen this myself, Fried said. He might do that to divert the conversation with the objective of deflecting pressure from Trump, which is the best realistic case outcome here. But Fried said the U.S. has significant leverage with the threat of sanctions on Russia and its partners, and increased military support for Ukraine in a way that isnt a burden on U.S. taxpayers. If Trump does this, if he tells Putin that he, Donald Trump, and the U.S. are tired of being played, it is possible Putin will recalculate, Fried continued. Putin knows what the deal on the table might look like: a ceasefire in place plus security for Ukraine. That doesnt give Putin what he wants, which is control over all of Ukraine. But it doesnt matter what Putin wants if he cant get anything more, he may settle for whats available. 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. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has landed at a military base in Anchorage, Alaska, where he will meet with Donald Trump for the first time in Trumps current US presidential term. Source: European Pravda Details: The Kremlin leaders aircraft made a stop in Magadan in Russias Far East on its way from western Russia and has now landed in Anchorage. On the final leg of the flight, it became the most tracked aircraft in the world on FlightRadar24, with over 450,000 users following it. screenshot: FlightRadar24 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump arrived in Anchorage slightly earlier. Speaking to the media on board the presidential aircraft, he said he would not discuss territorial issues "on behalf of Ukraine" and that Washington may provide Ukraine with certain security guarantees, but not "in the form of NATO". During the flight, Trump also had his first conversation with self-proclaimed Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! (WHNT) Municipal elections will be held across Alabama on Aug. 26. Voters in North Alabama will be asked to decide on mayoral races, city council races and, in some communities, school board races. News 19 is Your Local Election Headquarters! Click here for more election coverage In order to provide voters with detailed information about the candidates running for mayor in 12 North Alabama cities, News 19 sent out a number of candidate questionnaires starting in mid-July. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are going to post the answers we received over the next 10 days. Not every candidate responded, and that will be noted. Some answers will also be edited for length, grammar or spelling reasons, but otherwise the content will be published as submitted. Viewer feedback is always welcome. Not every candidate responded, despite multiple requests from News 19 for a reply. In Muscle Shoals, incumbent Mike Lockhart is facing challenger Billy Hudson in the race for Mayor. Lockhart provided answers to the questions below, but we did not receive a reply from Hudson. 1. Please provide a short biography Lockhart: Mike Lockhart has served as mayor of Muscle Shoals since 2020, following two terms on the city council and a 30+ year career in healthcare management, including 27 years at Helen Keller Hospital in Sheffield, Alabama. A Muscle Shoals resident since 1993, hes been deeply involved in community lifevolunteering through his church and serving on multiple boards. Lockhart represents Muscle Shoals across state and national municipal organizations, holding leadership roles focused on economic development. He and his wife, a retired educator, have been married for 41 years and are proud parents of two children. 2. What led you to run for Mayor? Lockhart: The current mayor at that time did not seek reelection. After serving two terms with the city council, I was encouraged to seek the office of mayor. After careful prayer and consideration alongside my wife, the decision was made to seek the position. I truly believe God opened the door for this opportunity, and I am honored and blessed to serve the city of Muscle Shoals in this role. 3. What will be your top priority if you are elected? Lockhart: We have projects that have been set in place under this administration, and I would like to see the progress of those continued and completed. Those include a comprehensive plan that has been developed and put in place, which is an ongoing business plan for the city. Infrastructure needs are also addressed in the comprehensive plan and will be a focus as our city continues to grow at an accelerated pace. The city is also committed to working alongside the school system as it rolls out its growth plan. A new compensation/ salary plan was established for employees during this administration that will need to be reviewed for adjustments, ensuring that our most valuable resource, our employees, continue to be compensated at a competitive rate. Citizens have expressed a desire for more retail opportunities, and we will continue to focus on that area as we move into the next administration. There has been an ongoing stormwater mitigation plan for many years, and we will continue to address needs there, including one large project for which we are working to secure federal funding for assistance. There is also a plan in place for the city to better promote the rich music heritage of Muscle Shoals and the entire Shoals area. 4. What are the main challenges currently facing the city? How do you plan to address those issues? Lockhart: One of the biggest challenges is addressing the growth of our city. As I mentioned above, the comprehensive plan was developed to assist with the intent to provide us with a roadmap for smart, intentional growth. The citizens have conveyed through stakeholder meetings and their involvement that while they want things such as more retail and nice eating establishments, they want to maintain the small-town charm and quality of life as we grow. The city has made great strides in the past by addressing stormwater issues in our community. As mentioned above, we will continue to prioritize and address those needs in the future. Infrastructure needs are always a challenge with growing communities, and we will continue to prioritize that area as well. 5. Do you have a personal hero? Who is it and why? Lockhart: While there are many who have influenced me in my life and helped mold me into the person I am today, the person who I would consider my hero is my wife. She is a woman of God and the biggest supporter of our children and me. She has encouraged me and supported me throughout my career. I owe much of the success that I have had in my business career and life in general to her. She is my biggest cheerleader and, most of all, a prayer warrior for our family. 6. Tell us something about you that might surprise people. Lockhart: Well, a funny story is that I tried to quit school in the 4th grade, but for some reason, I couldnt convince my parents that it was the right path to take. Maybe I should say that my parents convinced me that I should remain in school. On the flip side of that, a few short years ago, I decided to enroll in The Highlands College evening program, and I completed a Certificate of Ministry certification in the spring of 2021. Through that educational experience, I was able to grow my leadership skills, providing a better understanding of my purpose, which led me on this current journey as mayor. 7. Why should people vote for you? What makes you stand out from the other candidates in the race? Lockhart: I do not consider myself a politician. I feel that a public servant is a better description. I cant speak for other candidates, but I have a genuine passion and desire to serve my city. Through the years, developing and cultivating relationships has been one of my biggest strengths. Utilizing that asset to grow successful teams has led to a prosperous career. My leadership experience of 30 years in the healthcare field and an additional 13 years in municipal government, 8 as a council member and now 5 as mayor gives me the experience needed to continue to lead our city on a prosperous path. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News 19 will be posting more candidate Q&As for mayoral races across the Tennessee Valley in the coming days. 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. [Source] Disability rights activist Stacey Park Milbern made history Monday as the first Korean American featured on U.S. currency with the release of her commemorative quarter. About the quarter: The U.S. Mint has shipped the Milbern quarters to Federal Reserve Banks and coin terminals nationwide, with plans to produce 300 million to 700 million of it. The quarter is the 19th design in the four-year American Women Quarters Program, which launched in 2022 and celebrates five prominent women each year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The coins reverse side shows Milbern addressing an audience, with the U.S. Mint describing the design as depicting her with one hand near her trach while her right hand faces palm up, a gesture meant to evoke a genuine exchange of ideas and the building of allyship. It is expected to be used in everyday transactions in the next 50 years. An enduring legacy: Milbern, whose Korean name was Park Ji-hye, was born in Seoul in 1987 to Korean mother Jean and American serviceman father Joel. Diagnosed with congenital muscular dystrophy, she began advocating as a teenager and helped pass a 2007 North Carolina law requiring disability history education in public high schools. Trending on NextShark: Man claiming to be Jesus kills 3 outside Austin Target in random shooting, police say After moving to the Bay Area in 2011, she helped advance the disability justice movement and established the Disability Justice Culture Club, promoting intersectional advocacy for disabled people of color, immigrants and LGBTQ communities. Former President Barack Obama had also appointed her to the Presidents Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities in 2014. While undergoing treatment for kidney cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped organize mask and supply distribution to vulnerable communities. She died on May 19, 2020, her 33rd birthday, following surgical complications. This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. 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. Trending on NextShark: Trump golf resort displaces Vietnamese farmers for as little as $3,200 Subscribe here now! Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! It's not every day a 105-year-old war veteran commends your bravery, but that's exactly what occurred today when, according to Hello!, Yavar Abbas saluted "my brave King," King Charles II, for being at the VJ Day remembrance service amid his battle with cancer. The moment, appropriately, brought Queen Camilla to tears. VJ Day stands for Victory of Japan, the day when Japan surrenderedthree months after Germanybringing six years of the Second World War, finally, to an end. According to the BBC, "An estimated 71,000 soldiers from Britain and Commonwealth countries died fighting Japan, including more than 12,000 prisoners of war who died in Japanese captivity." Today, 80 years later, VJ Day pays tribute to all who sacrificed their lives and served in the war. We don't see members of the British Royal Family stirred to tears in public often, but the moment was rife with emotion. Following both a moment of silence and a pre-recorded taping from Charles delivering a powerful tribute to those who fought in the Pacific and Far East theater (above), Abbas, who served in the 11th Sikh regiment of the British Indian Army, read an excerpt from his war diaries. He then went "off script" to acknowledge King Charles's bravery and their shared fight against cancer: "My brave king, who is here with his beloved queen in spite of the fact that he is under treatment for cancer, an ailing that I share with himand if it provides any comfortof which I've been rid for the past 25 years." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No wonder Queen Camilla got teary-eyed. Prince and Princess of Wales via Instagram Camilla wasn't the only one feeling the weight of the moment. Prince Williams and Kate Middleton shared a heartfelt message on Instagram honoring VJ Day. Earlier this year in May, King Charles gave a rare health update regarding his cancer. According to Hello! magazine, the monarch responded to a question about his health saying, "Id like to think Im on the better side [of my cancer journey]. We'd like to think so too. Buckingham Palace Removed Princess Annes Birthday Post & Royal Fans Think They Know Why Why You Should Trust Us PureWow's editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringerall to help you determine which are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series (where we rank items on a 100-point scale) to our painstakingly curated lists of fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family picks, you can trust that our recommendations have been thoroughly vetted for function, aesthetics and innovation. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or womens walking shoes that wont hurt your feet, weve got you covered. CARTHAGE, Texas (KETK) As the new school year begins, it was an eventful morning at Carthage High School after a fawn was found stranded and trapped in a grate on campus. Tylers Bass Pro Way project aims to improve traffic, shopping The fawn was spotted by Blair Cope, who immediately stopped and began working to free the deer, and with the assistance of Sgt. James Patterson, who was working school security, they were able to rescue the fawn from the grate. Courtesy of the Carthage Police Department Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After rescuing the fawn, Cope nursed the animal back to health and contacted the local game warden, who advised her on what steps to take to return it to the wild. With the help of the Carthage High School staff, the fawn was eventually released into a secure location in order for it to be reunited with its mother. Thank you, Blair, for your quick action and taking the proper steps to get this baby safe and where it belongs, the Carthage Police Department said. 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. 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. Lincoln, Rhode Islands fire marshal faces charges in connection with the distribution and possession of child sex abuse material from online chats, United States Attorney Leah Foleys office said Friday. Jeffrey Almond, 41, was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography and two counts of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. He was expected to make his first federal court appearance in Providence on Friday and should appear in federal court in Boston at a later date, Foleys office said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Between Feb. 12, 2024, and Nov. 28, 2024, Almond messaged with an undercover agent posing as a child on one of these online chats, Foleys office said. At two points during this period, he sent and tried to send child sex abuse material to a child. In these communications, it is alleged that Almond discussed the exploitation of children, with the purpose of obtaining [child sex abuse material] or soliciting a child for sex, Foleys office said. In August 2024, he used a social media app to message with an undercover agent pretending to be a 15-year-old girl, the statement read. Almond asked the agent to create and send child sex abuse material with him, as well as to meet in person. I guess I could do an [Airbnb] to get more privacy, he texted before sending a picture of his penis, Foleys office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Between October and November 2024, Almond used another social media app to message a different undercover agent posing as a bad parent of a purported 12-year-old minor female in Florida, Foleys office stated. He said he wanted to have sex with the girl and used explicit detail, and talked about going to Florida to meet the child, the statement read. The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. More local crime stories Read the original article on MassLive. It is famously known as the dead cat strategy. A disingenuous distraction tactic used in politics and business where you introduce something so shocking, bizarre or attention-grabbing like throwing a deceased moggy on the table that everyone stops arguing about the original topic and instead starts talking about the new one, right under their proverbial noses. The term is often credited to Australian strategist Sir Lynton Crosby who used it in UK Conservative Party campaigning in Boris Johnsons day. While useful as a way of shifting the immediate narrative, in the longer term, it leads to a loss of trust because it turns out you cant fool all the people all of the time. But the great British public is getting wise to it. And in the case of TransPennine Express, its dead cat, which turns out to be a live dog, has been unveiled as a breathtakingly cynical stunt from the outset. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TransPennine Express, which runs in northern England and Scotland, is one of the countrys least punctual train operators. Transferred into public ownership in 2023, only 47.5 per cent of its journeys arrive on time, according to figures released earlier this year. Needless to say passengers are crying out for an improved service but what are they getting? A therapy dog. Nya, a six-year-old black German shepherd, owned and trained by a member of staff, has been certified to meet, greet and presumably console weepy commuters by the Pets As Therapy charity. Meet Nya! Our new therapy dog who is supporting customers and staff. The six-year-old German Shepherd has been officially registered with Pets as Therapy proving she's not just a good girl, but a certified one. The national charity helps improve the health and wellbeing pic.twitter.com/Icw5NnB6Qz TransPennine Express (@TPExpressTrains) May 29, 2025 It beggars belief that this egregiously incompetent company thinks patting a dog will make up for cancelled trains and delays. But it does. The operator has said Nya will provide a tail-wagging welcome to passengers and provide a way for them to destress while travelling. How insulting, how inane, how infantilising. Its like the militant vogue for rainbow lanyards a way of virtue-signalling that has no relevance whatsoever to the service you are paying for, either through taxes or directly from your own pocket. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thames Water likes to use rainbow drain covers at Pride events to demonstrate inclusivity it would be a heck of a lot more inclusive if the discredited water company ditched the rainbow-washing and instead focused on preventing 300,000 hours of sewage from spilling into the environment as it did in 2024, a 50 per cent increase on the previous year. I unreservedly approve of dogs. I wholeheartedly approve of therapy. There are places where they are natural bedfellows; a station concourse is not one of them. In this day and age, when travellers are given about 90 seconds to gallop to the right platform, the last thing anyone needs is to trip over an Alsatian or be pestered for a pat. People board trains in order to get from A to B. They might use that time travelling to maybe stare out of the window, have a cheeky nap or do a bit of work. Thats it. Train operators have one job: to run the service efficiently, safely and on time. Get that sorted and they can pack the luggage racks with emotional-support parrots and companion penguins as far as Im concerned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TransPennine Express hopes its new wheeze (quite literally if you have allergies) might catch on elsewhere in the network. I very much hope not. Any organisation dogged by failure that thinks an Alsatian will assuage the complaints of customers is most definitely barking up the wrong tree. 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. GRANTS, N.M. (KRQE) Two people were apprehended after fleeing from a traffic stop. Grants Police say on August 14, 2025, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle with only one operable headlight. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police say the vehicle didnt stop and led police on a pursuit through the city at a low rate of speed. They say the vehicle tried to evade police by driving through an arroyo and almost collided with a Grants police vehicle. With the help from multiple departments, law enforcement was eventually able to apprehend the driver and passenger. The driver was identified as Fawne Grauerholz and the passenger was identified as Andrew Gurule. Police say Gurule had an active warrant for criminal sexual penetration, kidnapping, assault and battery. Gurule was arrested on his warrant. Grauerholz was charged with aggravated fleeing, harboring a felon and driving under the influence of drugs. 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. BLACKSBURG, Va. (WFXR) A ten-year-old collie named Duncan and his family have finally gotten answers about his skin lesions after two years. The veterinary dermatology team at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Teaching Hospital is to be thanked for their diagnosis. He had been having what we thought were hot spots, like dogs get sometimes, said Lori Eggleston, Duncans owner along with husband, Richard. Wed clear them up, and they would come back, and then wed have to clear them up again. And our vet said, Weve done everything we know, you need to take him to Virginia Tech.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The veterinary dermatology team at the hospital examined Duncan, who had a previous diagnosis of an immune-mediated skin condition called erythema multiforme, which causes skin ulcers. But Ivan Ravera, clinical assistant professor of veterinary dermatology at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, suspected there might be something else going on with Duncan and voiced his concern to Ben Tham, clinical associate professor. Dogs could be a canary in the coal mine in homes with well water This species is predisposed to have a subtype of lupus that affects the skin, which is the vesicular form, Ravera said. So I say, You know what? You probably have seen more cases than me, but this might be this vesicular subtype of lupus. And he told me, I think youre right.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials say a new biopsy confirmed Raveras suspicion, prompting Duncan to be diagnosed with vesicular cutaneous lupus erythematosus, a rare autoimmune disease characterized by erosions and ulcerations on the skin, often around the abdomen, groin, and inner ear. The immune system is attacking his cells, so you need to suppress that immune response, Ravera said. We try with different drugs until we get a maintenance dose. Last time he came in, he was not 100 percent recovered, so we added a topical drug so we can attack both from the inside and from the outside. And now hes looking terrific. The Egglestons say they are pleased with their dogs progress and his newfound comfort. Its been a little slow, but hes gotten better slowly, said Lori Eggleston. Finally, today, weve gotten where he doesnt have any more open sores, and hes more comfortable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WFXRtv. A rare atmospheric river is unfolding across the Northwest to end the week, with over a month's worth of rain possible in some parts of Oregon and Washington, forecasters said. The rain event should tamp down wildfire danger but will soak anyone camping. The stream of moisture is unusual for the Pacific Northwest at this time of year, which typically experiences drier Augusts. It's forecast to bring 1 to 3 inches of rain to the Cascade Mountains and coastal areas, with varying rain totals elsewhere in both states. Its pretty unseasonal it does happen from time to time but not very often in August, Tanja Fransen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland, told the Salem Statesman Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. We certainly need it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rain began the evening of Aug. 14 and is expected to pick up in a second round the evening of Aug. 15 and morning of Aug. 16, before gradually giving way to sunnier skies on Aug. 17. Between 0.5 and 0.75 inches already fell in the last 12 hours with the heaviest amounts along the coast, the weather service in Seattle reported. In western Washington, 1.5 to 2.5 inches is expected in the coming days. "The storm would be considered formidable even during the middle of the wet season in the winter months," AccuWeather reported. Over a month's worth of rain could fall Rainfall totals from this rain event could surpass usual rainfall amounts for the whole month of August in parts of Washington and Oregon in just a few days, AccuWeather reported. Portland, Oregon, gets an average of just over half an inch of rain in August, and Seattle sees about 0.97 of an inch. Totals could be one to two times this amount, according to the outlet. The western slopes of the Olympic and Cascade mountains could see 4 inches of rain in some spots, AccuWeather said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of the rain could dip as far south as Northern California. "The rain will ebb and flow, so expect some periods that are heavier rain, then lighter rain, it may totally stop and then start up again," the weather service in Portland said. Rain a much-needed relief for dry Oregon The rain comes just as Oregons drought has rapidly expanded and wildfire danger reaches its seasonal peak. More than half of Oregon is now classified as being under a moderate drought and most of the Willamette Valley and northwest Oregon is under a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Its going to help with the drought and wildfire danger, but its also not a season-ending event, Fransen said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oregons weather is expected to heat back up again by next weekend and wildfires will remain possible throughout late August and September. Rain is coming starting after midnight tonight through midnight Sat/Sun am. It can be heavy at times. More details in this thread. (1/x) pic.twitter.com/UCa9CJCnI7 NWS Portland (@NWSPortland) August 14, 2025 What is an 'atmospheric river'? On the West Coast, atmospheric rivers approach from the Pacific Ocean, carrying tremendous amounts of water. They occur most often during certain weather patterns, including El Nino, which can increase their frequency or intensity, though they can occur in other years as well. Atmospheric rivers are the largest transport mechanisms of freshwater on Earth, according to NASA. These long, narrow corridors of air heavy with moisture are sometimes called "rivers in the sky." How to prepare for an atmospheric river The weather service in Portland said residents should take these steps to prepare for the heavy rain: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Check your home's gutters and clean them out if there are leaves from recent winds. Practice caution around low water crossings, where street drains may back up and cause rain to pool. Slow down while driving off interstate and bridge ramps and when making turns. Recent heat has caused oil in the road to come to the surface, making roads slick when rainfall is added. Expect creeks to rise and have more flow in the Coastal Range, Willapa Hills and Cascades. Check your local weather forecast for expected rainfall amounts and timing. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rare atmospheric river to dump a month's worth of rain on Northwest Depending on who you listen to, President Donald Trumps decision to seize control over law enforcement in Washington, DC, is either an authoritarian menace or a farce. The authoritarian menace case is straightforward: Trump is (again) asserting the power to deploy the National Guard to a major US city, while adding the new wrinkle of federalizing the local police force based on a wholly made-up emergency. He is, political scientist Barbara Walter warns, building the machinery of repression before its needed, getting the tools to violently shut down big protests in place before the next election. The farce case focuses less on these broad fears and more on the actual way it has played out. Instead of nabbing DC residents who oppose the president, federal agents appear to be aimlessly strolling the streets in safe touristy areas like Georgetown or the National Mall. During a pointless Sunday night deployment to the U Street corridor, a popular nightlife area, they faced down the terrifying threat of a drunk man throwing a sandwich. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This ostensible show of strength is more like an admission of weakness, the Atlantics Quinta Jurecic writes. It is the behavior of a bully: very bad for the people it touches, but not a likely prelude to full authoritarian takeover. So whos right? In a sense, both of them. Trumps show of force in DC is both cartoonish and ominous, farcical and dangerous. It serves to normalize abuses of power that could very well be expanded in fact, that Trump himself is openly promising to try it out in other cities. However, both the DC deployment and Trumps prior National Guard misadventure in Los Angeles show that its actually quite hard to create effective tools of domestic repression. Executing on his threats requires a level of legal and tactical acumen that its not obvious the Trump administration possesses. Or, put differently: The power theyre claiming is scary in the abstract, but the way theyre currently wielding it is too incompetent to do meaningful damage to democracy. The key question going forward not just for DC, but the nation is whether they get better with practice. The DC crackdown has been impotent so far Carl Schmitt, a reactionary German legal theorist who would later become a Nazi jurist, famously claimed that emergency powers create an insuperable problem for the liberal-democratic ideal of the rule of law. In theory, the law can limit how and when a person in government can wield emergency powers. But in practice, it all comes down to who has the power to give those words meaning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who says what an emergency is, and when it ends? That person, and not the legal text or its underlying intent, is what determines what the law means and thus has the real power. Schmitt expressed this idea in a famous dictum: Sovereign is he who decides on the exception. And while Trump has surely never heard of Schmitt, let alone read him, this is basically the way his administration has operated. On issues ranging from trade to federalizing DC law enforcement, Trump has decided that ordinary problems job losses from trade, crime are emergencies that justify him invoking powers designed for times of war, natural disaster, or rebellion. And so far, hes mostly gotten away with it. His federalization of DC will test the limits of Trumps Schmittian approach. By law, Trumps emergency power only allows him to federalize control over city police the Metropolitan Police Department, or MPD for 30 days. And federal agents, be they National Guard or the DEA or Homeland Security, have circumscribed legal responsibilities and personnel limitations that prevent them from fully replacing the MPD as ultimate authority in the capital city. This is the first thing to watch in DC: Will Trump go full Schmitt, and simply declare that these constraints on his power are moot? And if so, who if anyone will try and stop him? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its important to emphasize that we dont know the answers to these questions. While Trump has claimed the power to maintain federal control over the MPD beyond the 30-day limit, Trump is constantly claiming all sorts of things that arent true. It is entirely possible that, next month, the MPD reverts to local control with basically no long-term ill effects. But even if Trump does defy a court order to release the MPD back to DC, or otherwise maintain some kind of long-term federal presence on the streets of DC, theres a question of what exactly he is accomplishing. Here, we have to separate damage to democracy from other concrete harms. Trumps crackdown may already be producing unjust arrests of many unhoused people in DC. That is bad and worthy of condemnation. Such arrests do not, however, help Trump consolidate the kind of controls a would-be dictator wants from law enforcement: the ability to suppress critical speech and opposition political activity through force of arms. The mere fact that federal troops are on the street, or that the MPD is technically under federal control, does not mean that theyre arresting Democrats or raiding the Washington Post or opening fire on protesters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course, the fact that something isnt yet happening doesnt mean it wont. But the current deployments, for all their fascist aesthetics, are quite far from that in fact, they appear to be doing a lot of impotent, haphazard traffic stops. In the U Street area, home to mixed populations of longtime residents and more recent gentrifiers, locals have confronted the cops and jeered at them with no reports of serious retaliatory injury. Trump is doing something that has an authoritarian intent and appearance that galvanizes resistance, without any kind of plan for turning it into an effective repressive tool. One could tell a similar story about the National Guard deployment to LA. Back then, Trump sent in the troops with a big show, claiming they were necessary to get (overhyped) riots under control. In reality, they showed up and went on a few drug and immigration raids, and then almost all of them quietly slinked off without scaring the LA population into political submission. Courts are currently hearing arguments on the deployments legality. Ad hoc authoritarianism None of this is to say that Trumps deployments are harmless. As Walter points out, he is creating legal and political precedents that could at least in theory be used toward repressive ends if they so desire. If Trump does something to mess with the fairness of the midterm elections, and large cities erupt with protest, hes already somewhat normalized a militarized response. From a health-of-democracy standpoint, then, whats worrying about recent events in DC is not the developments on the ground. Its the precedent they set the powers Trump is claiming that could be all too easily abused. The question is whether such abuse will occur. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, there is very little evidence that the Trump administration has anything like a systematic plan for suborning American democracy. He isnt doing what someone like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban did in 2010 come in with a blueprint for destroying the political opposition and executing on it as efficiently as possible. Rather, hes simply asserting powers whenever its convenient to do what he wants to do at the moment. Cant get Congress to raise tariffs? Use emergency powers to impose them. Want to impose an unconstitutional export tax on Nvidia? Just make an extortionate deal with its CEO. Want to stop seeing images of protesters with Mexican flags in LA? Send in the National Guard. To be clear: This ad hoc authoritarianism is still dangerous. Its just comparatively less effective than its deliberate cousin. Trump hasnt silenced the Democratic opposition or the American press or shuttered civil rights groups. Hes taken steps in all of those directions, but they fit the ad hoc pattern: each troubling, but not (yet!) systematic or successful enough to fundamentally compromise the fairness of elections or Americans rights to dissent and free speech. Where were at, in short, is a place where the building blocks for constructing an authoritarian state are all in a row. The question is whether Trump has the will and the vision to put them together in a way that could durably compromise the viability of American democracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This context helps us understand why the DC deployment is both absurd and dangerous. It is absurd in the sense that it does nothing, on its own, to advance an authoritarian agenda and, if anything, compromises it by creating images of uniformed thugs on American streets that galvanize his opponents. It is dangerous in that it could normalize abuses of power that, down the line, could be wielded as part of an actually serious campaign of repression. And at this point, I dont know which scenario is more likely: that Trumps ad hoc efforts to seize control founder and ultimately amount to little, or that he follows his Schmittian logic to its dictatorial terminus. NEED TO KNOW Surfing icon Dale Webster has died at 76 years old Webster surfed every day for 14,642 straight days The 40-year surfing streak was recognized by Guinness World Records in 2003 and eventually ended in 2015 A surfer who dedicated his life to riding the oceans waves every day for more than four decades has died. Dale Webster was 76 years old, according to SFGate, The New York Times, and Surfer magazine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Webster, a Northern California native, was a fixture at Sonoma County beaches over the last 40 years, according to SFGate. Webster has held the Guinness World Record for most consecutive days surfed since 2003 when he broke the mark at 10,100 days, according to the outlet. Surfer profiled Webster when his streak ended in 2015 at 14,642 days in a row when he was 66 years old and needed to get surgery to remove a kidney stone. He was a surfer, that was his main thing, that was his life ambition. I dont think he ever second-guessed it, close friend William Beal told SFGate this week. I know he had a lot of good years here when it was not that crowded. I think he had a pretty well-lived life. Nicknamed The Daily Wavester, Webster was born in North Carolina in 1948 and began surfing in 1961, according to Surfer. Infatuated with the sport, Webster moved to Sonoma County in 1973 and began surfing every day in 1975 during a storm swell off the California coast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I surfed every day during the swell, Webster told the magazine in 2015 when his 40-year streak ended. Each day, the waves got better and better. After surfing 85 days straight, my friend said, You should try to surf for 100 consecutive days. When I got to 100, the story was in the local newspaper. That publicity gave me a little pat on the back to make it to a year. So then the challenge became a year. And so forth. Webster told the magazine he surfed a confirmed 43,923 waves over his 40-year streak, which continued each winter despite water temperatures dropping into the 40s every year. BEI/Shutterstock Dale Webster Dale Webster Out of the water, the Times reported that Webster worked as a janitor at a local school. In recent years, Websters health took a turn for the worse, Beal told SFGate although he and Websters daughter did not reveal what caused the surfing icons death, according to the local news site. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf Tributes from the surfing community have poured in, as fellow surfers and fans of the sport pay homage to the legendary surfer, who is perhaps the most dedicated of all time. I never heard him say, Oh man, I wish I hadnt done this, I wish I hadnt gotten caught up in this, Beal told SFGate. I think he was very proud of his accomplishment. Read the original article on People BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) After weeks of waiting, residents of Red Hook, Brooklyn, will finally get their pool back this Sunday. The Red Hook Pool, which has been closed all summer for major drainage repairs, will reopen, bringing relief to a community that endured dangerous heat waves without easy access to swimming. More Local News The closure frustrated many, interrupting swimming and cooling opportunities for local families and youth. Community advocates and leaders are now celebrating the reopening while urging city officials to prioritize investment in New York Citys parks and recreation facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kathy Park Price, Director of Advocacy and Policy at New Yorkers for Parks, explained the broader impact of the closure, When this pool didnt open on time, right in the middle of a heat wave, we knew this wasnt just a maintenance issue. It is a public health issue. Its also a climate issue and an equity issue. Price emphasized the need for sustained investment to ensure all New Yorkers have access to safe, well-maintained, and fully funded parks, pools, and recreation centers. Despite challenges, the community remained determined to preserve this historic asset. Alan Mukamal, founder of Friends of Red Hook Pool, shared his disappointment when the pipe burst on the pools opening day but celebrated the efforts that led to the reopening. After much grit and determination from community groups, elected officials, and the New York Parks Department, it is fitting that the pool will finally reopen on August 17th, the same day in 1936 when the pool originally opened to a crowd of nearly 40,000 people, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the reopening is a welcome relief, Karen Blondel, president of Red Hook West, said work remains. I feel excited for the residents, for the children in the community, and for the adults. This has always been a resource for the Red Hook community, and to have it closed even temporarily has really been very disappointing. The pools reopening comes as advocates continue pushing for more funding to address many city parks. A $120 million renovation for Red Hook Pool and the nearby Sol Goodman Recreation Center is planned, but construction wont start until 2028 as part of a $1 billion citywide initiative to upgrade swimming facilities. The pool will open on Sunday, August 17th at 11:00 a.m. 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. By Brad Brooks (Reuters) -Texas Governor Greg Abbott called a second special legislative session on Friday, hiking pressure on Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to stymie Republican plans to redraw political maps at the behest of U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump wants to use redistricting to help maintain Republicans' slim control of Congress in next year's midterm elections, but the plan has sparked strong opposition from Democrats who have threatened to retaliate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abbott said in a written statement that the second session would begin at 12:00 p.m. local time on Friday and that producing new maps that could give Republicans five more seats in Congress was on the agenda. California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiled a redistricting plan in his state that he says would give Democrats there five more Congressional seats, possibly offsetting Republican gains in Texas. Democratic members of the Texas House left the state earlier this month to deny Republicans the quorum needed to vote on legislation. Republicans have maintained control over Texas politics for more than two decades, and Democrats in the state have broken quorum several times, trying mostly in vain to halt deeply conservative legislation. Abbott said that redistricting plans, legislation to increase flash flood safety in the wake of deadly July flooding, and other legislative work remains undone because Democrats had refused to show up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We will not back down from this fight," Abbott said. "That's why I am calling them back today to finish the job." Many of the more than 50 Texas Democrats who fled the state have been staying in Illinois, out of reach of civil arrest warrants that could be acted on within Texas. When the Democrats might return remains unknown. The Texas House Democrats said in a written statement on Thursday that they will only return to Texas if their state's special legislation is ended and once California's redistricting maps were introduced. (Reporting by Brad Brooks in Colorado; editing by Donna Bryson and Nia Williams) The Indiana Statehouse fountain on July 8, 2025. (Niki Kelly/Indiana Capital Chronicle) I certainly didnt have Indiana embroiled in a debate over new congressional maps on my 2025 bingo card, but here we are. My unsolicited advice to Republicans considering the likely unprecedented move: make the case. Give me population and demographic data that shows the maps must change immediately and then convince me how it will help Hoosiers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not how it helps President Donald Trump Hoosiers. At this point, no one is doing that, which makes crystal clear this is simply partisan politics. Some politicians have called out Democrats in other states with gerrymandered maps, such as Illinois. Gov. Mike Braun made that case in an interview with the Indiana Capital Chronicle on Tuesday: But the other side of the aisle, I think, have mastered gerrymandering by looking at their maps. And I think its a little bit maybe hypocritical that theyre now so kind of sanctimonious about it. I dont know that they would hesitate if things were reversed. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And, a few minutes later: But again, Id like to stress that the most gerrymandered maps in the country are among blue states. But heres the problem: both sides gerrymander. This years discussion started in Texas, which no one would call a blue state. And I dont care about the maps in another state. I care about Indianas map, the process used to create them and their impact on Hoosier voters. My mom taught me that two wrongs dont make a right. Well never get anywhere as a society if the justification for doing wrong is they did it first. And this can be said about a host of public policy issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was heartened to see some well-respected Republicans say just that. Speaking up Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette, released a statement condemning the idea. What we are being asked to do goes far beyond the partisan map fights that happen every 10 years across the country. Rationalizing a mid-cycle redistricting by saying, Democrats gerrymander too is an empty and irrelevant excuse, he said. Instead, we are being asked to create a new culture in which it would be normal for a political party to select new voters, not once a decade but any time it fears the consequences of an approaching election. Sen. Spencer Deery (Photo from Indiana Senate Republicans) That would clearly violate the concept of popular sovereignty by making it harder for the people to hold their elected officials accountable and the country would be an uglier place for it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deery is the latest in a line of GOP lawmakers speaking out against redistricting my running tally is seven now. Republican House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray ran a good process in 2021 drafting maps with 14 hearings all around the state from Sellersburg to Valparaiso. Nine of those hearings didnt have proposed maps because the pandemic delayed data collection and analysis. In 2011, the process was just as robust with hearings in nine cities taking citizen input. Now, of course, that doesnt mean the maps are perfect. There will always be criticism. You cant keep every community together and they do favor Republicans more than recent Democrat turnout in statewide elections would indicate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But if you look at it, its a map that makes sense. Huston and Bray generally run their chambers cleanly and try to instill respect in the institution. A mid-decade redistricting process would erode that. Best case scenario, it would likely involve a few hearings in Indianapolis only over a week or two. Worst case: they would come in with pre-ordained maps, suspend all rules and approve them in one day. Indiana lawmakers are better than either of those options. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A registered sex offender living in a Massachusetts town is facing charges after police say he was caught with thousands of child pornography videos and images. Ralph E. Hannan III, 68, of North Reading, was arrested Friday on charges of three counts of possesion of child pornography, according to the North Reading Police Department. North Reading detectives, with help from state and local law enforcement partners, executed a search warrant at Hannans home on April, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A forensic review of seized digital evidence allegedly uncovered more than 10,000 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse, leading to Hannans arrest, according to police. North Reading Police Chief Mark Zimmerman noted that Hannans arrest is the result of a proactive investigation into the online dissemination of child sexual abuse material through an internet-based file-sharing platform. Hannan, a Level II sex offender, was taken to Woburn District Court to face arraignment after he was taken into custody. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW A woman who found a "treasure trove" of letters her parents sent to each other during World War Two said it has been "remarkable" to read through them. Anne Holland, from Devizes in Wiltshire, was able to follow four years of her parents' lives thanks to thousands of letters detailing the early days of their relationship and the highs and lows they encountered while separating in the war. Ms Holland's father, Rex, was serving in Asia when the Japanese surrendered on 14 August 1945 while her mother, Margaret, was home in England raising their children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "What's really come through to me is the love, particularly from my father to my mother," Ms Holland said. Rex sent Margaret a telegram asking for her hand in marriage a week before the ceremony [BBC] The couple met at Sevenoaks Hospital in Kent in 1941 where Margaret was working as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse. Rex was one of her patients. Ms Holland said Rex was "mad" about Margaret and the pair met up several times over the space of three months to go on dates to the "swankiest" places in London. Months later, Rex sent Margaret a telegram asking her to marry him the following week on 14 August 1941. But shortly after they exchanged vows, Rex was posted to India. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They'd known each other such a short time and lo and behold, within a few months of all of that he was posted to India, leaving her pregnant with my brother and they didn't meet then for nearly four years," Ms Holland said. An entry in her mother's diary, written on 18 March 1942, read: "Rex gone". Rex and Margaret got married on 14 August 1941 [Supplied] "Their only means of contact for four years was by letter," said Ms Holland. "In many ways, of course, that's how they got to know each other." Some of the letters contained "full-blown arguments" between the couple but despite that each one ended with "I love you", Ms Holland said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rex served in multiple Indian cities before he was stationed in the jungle in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Ms Holland said: "Somehow or other, he kept writing. She kept on writing. It's truly remarkable. "How Rex got time to do it, I do not know. Margaret - my mum - once she had a toddler in tow, how did she find the time? But they did," she added. Although the pair consistently communicated, Ms Holland thought her mother struggled with depression while dealing with their long distance relationship and the turmoil of the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But after Germany surrendered on 8 May 1945, Margaret joined the VE Day celebrations in London and sent Rex a "joyous" letter. The couple communicated via handwritten letters for four years [BBC] When Japan surrendered three months later on 15 August - a day after the couple's fourth wedding anniversary - Rex sent Margaret a letter to tell her of his elation. It read: 'My adorable darling, today in these parts it is the office's VJ Day. 'We had the news confirmed last night and this morning, as I sat in my temporary office in the docks, all the ships' sirens sounded simultaneously and bunting flew from every masthead. At last, it has really dawned: peace." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms Holland said the VJ Day letter in particular made her "very emotional". The couple remained married for the rest of their lives. Margaret died in 1989 and Rex died in 1993. Ms Holland said she still has a bundle of unopened letters waiting to be read. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. More on this story SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) An organization that cares for dogs until they find their forever home is hosting a groovy get-together on Saturday. Emmy is a 3-month-old short-haired dachshund and will be part of Saturdays festivities at Woofstock. USD moving medical school to Sioux Falls Its a free, fun family event, your kids will love it. The kids will love the petting zoo, theyll love meeting all the pups, theyll love just hanging around, taking their picture with the photo ops, getting their face painted, Dakota Dachshund Rescues Doug Wade said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The event at Remedy Brewing Company will feature a number of adoptable dogs and serve as a fundraiser for Dakota Dachshund Rescue. Typically, we raise enough money to pay one months worth of vet bills so were pretty happy about that, but what were really happy about is when people come out and adopt a dog, Wade said. Remedy is also hosting Brick Falls, where the LEGO User Group sets up shop inside the Pickleball Pub, where builders will show off their creativity and creations. Everybody wants to go see all the LEGOs, the LEGO competition, its great. It brings more children and more families out to see our pups as well, so we love having them here, Wade said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have 70 different builders coming in from eight different states and eight different LEGO clubs from as far south as Kansas City and as far north as Duluth, Brick Falls Director Josh Nilson said. Josh Nilson says there will be more than 200 custom creations on display. Hes the president of the local LEGO User Group that currently has about 40 members. We take LEGOs apart from the sets you might find in the store, turn them into our own creations, its kind of our own form of art. The intent of the club is to use that art is to raise awareness and help out with different organizations around Sioux Falls and around the area, Nilson said. Making Saturday at Remedy a day of LEGOs and lowriders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Woofstock runs from 1:00 to 5:00 Saturday afternoon at Remedy at 8th & Railroad Center. Woofstock is free to attend, while tickets to Brick Falls, which is Saturday and Sunday, are $10 for adults and $5 for kids ages 3-to-12. 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. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) A memorial for former Governor George Nigh was held at Crossings Community Church on Thursday morning. RELATED: Former Governor of Oklahoma, George Nigh, dies at 98 Governor Nigh has simply moved from Oklahoma to heaven, said Pastor Wendell Estep, Gov. Nighs pastor. Gov. Nigh died last month, at 98, and today a public service was held. It seemed like he knew everyone, and everyone knew him, said Pastor Estep. Funeral service held for former Gov. George Nigh. (KFOR) Friends, family, and current Oklahoma leaders filled the room to honor the man who was Oklahoma born and bred. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was an influence all the days of his life, even though he left the governors mansion half a century ago, he was still an influential force in this community and in this state, and I believe he will continue to be even after his passing, said Mayor David Holt, Oklahoma City. An influential force that former President Bill Clinton remembers as he reflects upon his friendship with Gov. Nigh. George and I were elected governor in the same year, and he knew I was too young to know what I was doing, said President Clinton. We should be paying tribute to his life for far more than 98 years. President Clinton said he was honored to have shared one last moment with him, just four months ago. It was a hug on April 19, 2025, when he traveled to Oklahoma City for the 30th Remembrance Ceremony for the Oklahoma City bombing. Funeral service held for former Gov. George Nigh. (KFOR) I will never forget the last hug I got from him. It was a gift of a lifetime, said President Clinton. What a gift his life was. Thats what I hope youll remember. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., late Thursday took shots at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of trying to sabotage Friday's highly anticipated peace talks between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin by launching drone strikes on Russia. Greene responded to a post on X from the account, "Open Source Intel," which reported that Ukraine had in recent hours launched "one of the largest" drone attacks on Russia. "On the eve of the historic peace talks between President Trump and President Putin, Zelensky does this," the Republican lawmaker wrote. "Zelensky doesn't want peace and obviously is trying to sabotage President Trump's heroic efforts to end the war in Ukraine. I pray peace prevails." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fox News Digital has reached out to the Ukrainian embassy, seeking a response to Greene's post. Zelenskyy Urges Direct Talks With Putin As Trump Sets Peace Deadline Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., accused Ukrainian President Zelenskyy of trying to sabotage peace talks between President Trump and Russian President Putin by launching drone strikes on Russia. Ukraine launched multiple drone strikes into Russia overnight Thursday, damaging several apartment buildings in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and injuring more than a dozen civilians, according to acting governor of the region, Yuri Slyusar. Two of those wounded were hospitalized in serious condition, he said. Read On The Fox News App The Ukrainian strikes came after Russian strikes in Ukraine's Sumy region overnight Wednesday, resulting in multiple injuries, including a 7-year-old girl, per officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local officials also accused Ukraine of launching a drone strike in Belgorod that injured three people, and another that struck a car in the village of Pristen that killed at least one individual. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not attend the summit in Alaska on Friday between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite the violence, Trump and Putin are scheduled to meet in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday for a high-stakes summit on the future of the Ukraine war. The meeting will mark Putin's first visit to the U.S. since 2015 and the first U.S.-Russia summit since June 2021. What We Know About Trumps Meeting With Vladimir Putin In Alaska Putin praised the U.S. on Thursday for making "sincere efforts" to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, which has been raging since early 2022. Appearing on television, the Russian president said the U.S. was "making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelenskyy accused Russia of not being sincere in its intention to wind down the war. "This war must be ended. Pressure must be exerted on Russia for the sake of a just peace. Ukraines and our partners experience must be used to prevent deception by Russia," Zelenskyy said. "At present, there is no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war. Our coordinated efforts and joint actions of Ukraine, the United States, Europe, and all countries that seek peace can definitely compel Russia to make peace," he added. Original article source: Rep. Greene accuses Zelenskyy of trying to 'sabotage' Trump-Putin summit with drone strikes on Russia Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Friday said Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani needs to reach out to a broader electorate to help earn his pivotal endorsement in the November general election. The Democrat House minority leader praised Mamdani for his thumping primary win over ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, saying he out-organized his opponents by focusing on the crucial issue of affordability. But Jeffries, who represents central Brooklyn, said the progressive Queens assemblyman still needs to flesh out some of his proposals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes going to have to demonstrate to a broader electorate, including in many of the neighborhoods that I represent in Brooklyn, that his ideas can actually be put into reality, Jeffries said. Thats the conversation hes having with me and with community leaders. Jeffries refused to back Mamdani on the issue of the rent-stabilized apartment he lives in, which Cuomo has sought to make political hay over. Its a legitimate issue that has been raised, and the Mamdani campaign is gonna have to address it, Jeffries told CNBC host Andrew Ross Sorkin. Jeffries also failed to correct Sorkin when the anchor repeatedly falsely claimed Mamdani lives in a rent-controlled apartment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rent control and rent stabilization are two very different programs, as any New York lawmaker should know. Just over 20,000 apartments are covered by rent control, which only applies to tenants who have lived in the same apartment since 1971 and typically come with bargain basement rents. They account for less than 1 percent of New York City apartments. Rent stabilization, on the other hand, includes about 1 million units in the five boroughs. Rents are generally a bit lower than market rates and the program mostly restricts landlords from raising rents more than a certain amount each time the lease is renewed. There are no income restrictions for tenants in rent stabilized apartments, meaning Mamdani isnt bending any rules by living in a $2,300-a-month Astoria pad with his wife. He makes $143,000 a year as a state assemblyman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jeffries did not make an endorsement in the mayoral primary. He held what he called a candid and constructive face-to-face meeting with Mamdani last month and said the two planned to follow up with more meetings with fellow members of Congress and community leaders, especially in low-income and working class Brooklyn neighborhoods. That meeting is still being put together, Jeffries said. Mamdani faces Cuomo and incumbent Eric Adams, both of whom are running as independents, along with Republican Curtis Sliwa in the general election. He has racked up several endorsements of mainstream city Democratic leaders since defeating Cuomo him to become the partys standard-bearer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mamdani has spent all week barnstorming the city for a Five Boroughs Against Trump tour. Earlier Friday, he wrapped up the effort with a stop in Richmond Hill, Queens, where picked up the backing of Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who stayed neutral in the primary fight. But Jeffries and the states two other top Democrats, Gov. Hochul and Sen. Chuck Schumer, have so far declined to back him. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Four newspapers that abruptly closed last week are now in the process of being purchased by a new media company, the Huron Daily Plainsman announced in an electronic-edition newspaper posted Friday afternoon. Were back! read the headline for the Huron Daily Plainsman. Snoozy lights out as Sioux Falls wins at Little League World Series Potential owners stepped forward with interest in one, two, or all four newspapers in the state. Eventually, an owner with interest in purchasing all four was found and a deal is being finalized to begin printing next week for all four South Dakota papers, the story by Benjamin Chase said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chase posted on social media about the Aug. 6 closure, saying, The Plainsman shut its doors today as part of the entire 25-paper collection of News Media Corporation shutting its doors. News Media Corporation, based in Illinois, shut down the Huron Plainsman, Brookings Register, Moody County Enterprise and the Redfield Press along with newspapers in Arizona, Wyoming, Nebraska and Illinois. On Friday, the Moody County Enterprise newspaper announced the new owners of the four South Dakota papers will be Champion Media. The Redfield Press and Brookings Register had not published anything about restarting operations as of 3 p.m. Friday. While our new owners, Champion Media, are not from the area, we here are still focused on what we love to do reporting Moody Countys news, sports, and community life and they are committed to helping us do that, the paper said, adding it will publish on Thursdays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a business filing with the Secretary of States office, Champion Media LLC filed to do business in South Dakota on Monday with a mailing address set in Huron, Ohio. According to Champion Medias website, the company is headquartered in North Carolina but owns newspapers in North Dakota and Minnesota. The Plainsman is celebrating 140 years of publishing in Huron this year. You can also read the Redfield Presss article on their reopening 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 KELOLAND.com. A Manchester police officer has been found legally justified in his use of deadly force in the shooting and killing of a 35-year-old man who stabbed a police K-9 with a screwdriver last year, according to the New Hampshire Attorney General. The AGs Office released its final report on the death of Jake Chiaradonna on Friday morning. At mid-morning on Jan. 12, 2024, Manchester police responded to the area of Pine and Plummer streets when officers located Chiaradonna, whom police were looking for in connection with a burglary and possible stolen car in the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chiaradonna refused to be taken into custody and when Duke, a police dog, was sent to pursue him by Officer Patrick Colburn, Chiaradonna stabbed the dog with what officers believed at the time to be a knife, but was later determined to be a screwdriver. During the incident, Manchester Police Sgt. Eric Joyal used deadly force against Chiaradonna by shooting him with a firearm when he was holding what officers believed to be a knife/shank as he turned toward them after he had attacked Duke. Duke was treated by a local emergency veterinarian and recovered. Chiaradonna was taken to a local hospital where he died several hours later of multiple gunshot wounds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Based on the investigation of the incident, Attorney General John M. Formella determined that the use of deadly force against Chiaradonna was legally justified. According to the AGs final report, the incident occurred on Plummer Street in Manchester, near its intersection with Pine Street. Chiaradonna had an active warrant for his arrest related to an armed robbery that occurred two days prior. The warrant listed charges of attempted armed robbery, criminal restraint, criminal threatening with a deadly weapon, and felon in possession of a deadly weapon. At approximately 9:20 a.m., Manchester Police Sgt. Ryan Boyton was on duty, operating a marked police cruiser in the area of Plummer and Pine streets, according to the report. Around that time, he observed a male in the front yard of 13 Pine St., believed to be Chiaradonna based on his description. Additional officers responded, and police located Chiaradonna inside a 2020 Ford Escape with New Hampshire registration CHICAGO, reported stolen in Dover the night before. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The officers commanded Chiaradonna to exit the Escape, but he continuously refused and locked himself inside, the report said. These commands consisted of, Jacob Chiaradonna, this is the Manchester Police Department. You are under arrest. Exit the vehicle and follow officers commands. We do not want anyone to get hurt. If you do not comply, you will be subject to a K9 apprehension or exposure to chemical agents. These commands continued throughout the duration of the incident until approximately 10:38 a.m. when officers observed Chiaradonna appear to start a fire inside the vehicle in which he was barricaded. At that point, officers broke the rear windshield and rear passenger side windows of the Escape and deployed a chemical agent through the broken windows to force Chiaradonna out of the vehicle. Chiaradonna opened the rear passenger side door and began exiting, briefly stopping just outside the door to reach back inside the vehicle, the report said. K-9 Duke was deployed as a less lethal attempt to gain Chiaradonnas compliance with officers commands, the report said, and as the dog approached, Chiaradonna attempted to kick the K-9. Duke was able to latch onto Chiaradonnas right arm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officer Adam Beland positioned in the turret of the Manchester Bearcat fired less-lethal 40mm impact munition, which struck Chiaradonnas right arm. Duke released Chiaradonna and returned to Officer Colburn. Officer Beland fired three rounds of less-lethal munitions in total. The less-lethal munitions did not stop Chiaradonna, who then fled from the Escape, heading north through the small portion of grass next to 11 Pine St. and toward the small alley on the north side of the building, the report continued. Officer Colburn again deployed Duke, and as Chiaradonna approached the corner of the building, Duke again bit him, the report said. Officer Colburn saw Chiaradonna make a stabbing motion toward Duke, who immediately released Chiaradonna and turned back toward Officer Colburn. At that time, Officer Colburn could see that Duke was bleeding, but was unable to determine where the K-9 was injured, the report says. As Chiaradonna made the stabbing motion toward Duke, an officer could be heard on bodycam footage shouting that Chiaradonna had a knife. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report says Chiaradonna ran west down the alley toward Pine Street, but officers blocked his escape on the other end of the alley. Chiaradonna was then surrounded, and multiple officers can be heard in bodycam footage shouting and commanding Chiaradonna to drop the knife, the report said. After a few moments of Chiaradonna making challenging motions, taking steps toward and then the feinting between the two groups of officers while screaming at them, Joyal stepped forward and placed himself between Chiaradonna and the fence of the alley and fired six shots from his service rifle. The shots hit Chiaradonna who collapsed to the ground, the report said. Thanks to its punctuality and shiny new terminal, the Salt Lake City International Airport scored the top spot in the country in AirHelps 2025 report of the worlds best airports, and is among the best in the world. AirHelp, an online flight compensation service, annually releases its AirHelp Score identifying the worlds best airports, and the recent 2025 report ranked over 200 airports around the world. The Salt Lake City International Airport was ranked as the best airport in the U.S., taking eighth place globally with a high score of 8.29 out of 10. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investment made into building a new airport is paying off and we are thrilled to be recognized by AirHelp as No. 1 in the U.S. and eighth globally, said Nancy Volmer, a spokesperson for the airport. The reports rankings were based on millions of flight records, government statistics and over 13,500 airport reviews that focused on airport staff, cleanliness and wait times from 58 countries. On-time performance of each airport carried the most weight, making up 60% of the score. Customer opinions on service, and the availability of food and shopping options, each made up 20% of the score. How the Salt Lake City airport secured the top spot in the U.S. Victor Salvador looks at the departures board at the Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Thursday, June 12, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News The Salt Lake airport received an overall score of 8.29, but the ranking also gave scores for individual categories, per AirHelp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It received an 8.3 for on-time performance, an 8.1 for customer opinion, and an 8.3 for availability of food and shops. According to Travel + Leisure, there are a few factors that played into the airports strong performance in the report. One factor was its punctual flights 84% of the airports flights arrive on time. The airport takes tremendous pride in the No. 1 on-time performance ranking and works closely with the airlines and other partners to insure passengers have a smooth experience from curb to air, Volmer wrote in an email to the Deseret News. The airports recent infrastructure upgrades, with a traveler-focused design, also contributed to the high ranking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The airports new terminal has been opening in phases since 2020 and is scheduled to be completed in 2026. According to Volmer, when finished there will a total of 94 gates and 101 concessions. Volmer also shared that the New SLC is the first new hub airport in the U.S. built in the 21st century. Top 3 airports in the U.S. With an overall ranking of 21st, the Los Angeles International Airport ranked as the second-best airport in U.S. The third-best airport in the U.S., according to AirHelp, was the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which ranked 22nd in the world. Top 10 airports in the world Heres a list of the top 10 airports in the world, according to AirHelp: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cape Town International Airport Cape Town, South Africa Hamad International Airport Doha, Qatar King Khalid International Airport Riyadh, Saudi Arabia BrasiliaPresidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport Brasilia, Brazil Muscat International Airport Muscat, Oman Tocumen International Airport Panama City, Panama King Shaka International Airport Durban, South Africa Salt Lake City International Airport Salt Lake City, Utah Bergen Flesland Airport Bergen, Norway King Fahd International Airport Dammam, Saudi Arabia The top airport in the world, the Cape Town International Airport, received an overall score of 8.57 with individual scores of 8.6 for on-time performance, 8.7 for customer opinion and 8.3 for food and shops. President Donald Trump has invited all 110 Republican members of the Indiana General Assembly to the White House for an Aug. 26 meeting. Though Indiana appears to be the next front in a nationwide fight over how congressional districts are drawn ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, it's not clear how much the topic will be a focus of the previously scheduled meeting, first reported by Punchchbowl News. One of those email invitations shared with IndyStar shows that the White House sent the invites on July 28, well before Vice President JD Vance's Aug. 7 visit with Gov. Mike Braun and Indiana leaders. Molly Swigart, a spokeswoman for Senate Republicans, said the meeting was scheduled "to discuss President Trump's agenda." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is consistent with the Trump Administration inviting several other states out to D.C. for the same purpose," Swigart said. "Redistricting was not listed as a topic of discussion in the invitation." Multiple members of Indiana's Republican supermajority have only in the last week started speaking out against redistricting. The Trump administration hopes that lines can be redrawn to pad the Republican majority in the U.S. Congress. "We are being asked to create a new culture in which it would be normal for a political party to select new voters, not once a decade but any time it fears the consequences of an approaching election," State Sen. Spencer Deery, R-Lafayette, wrote in the most scathing statement yet on the subject. "That would clearly violate the concept of popular sovereignty by making it harder for the people to hold their elected officials accountable and the country would be an uglier place for it." The July 28 invitation says this is "an opportunity for Indianas elected officials to hear directly from senior White House Officials and Cabinet Secretaries to learn how to partner with the Administration to implement President Trumps Agenda at the state and local level." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To redraw the congressional maps in Indiana, Braun would need to call for a special session, bringing lawmakers back to approve new maps. Republicans already control seven of the nine congressional seats in Indiana. Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@indystar.com. Contact IndyStar Statehouse reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on X@kayla_dwyer17. Hayleigh Colombo contributed reporting to this article. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana GOP lawmakers invited to White House amid redistricting talks (The Center Square) It is not every day that people on opposite sides of the political spectrum join forces, but that is exactly what Lisa Everett and Brent Peak have done in Arizona. Everett, the GOP chair for Arizona Legislative District 29, is working with Peak, a Democrat, to keep restaurant owner Kelly Yu from being deported to China. She's currently detained at the Eloy Detention Center in Eloy, Arizona. Kelly is a woman who came to the United States when she was 18 years old, 21 years old at the time, Everett told The Center Square. She was pregnant, fled China due to the one-child policy, and when she arrived, she immediately applied for asylum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those processes were denied, but Yu has been in the court system still trying to become a U.S. citizen. Meanwhile, Yu is active in the Peoria community, where she owns two restaurants and employs 30 people. She sponsors the high school softball team. She helps with fundraisers for the fire and police department. She has no criminal record, and she does in fact pay her taxes, the business as well as her personal because there are forms you can use to do that, said Everett. She was scooped up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while she was at an immigration meeting that she had to go to because she is married now, and she's trying to use being married to an American to become a citizen. Peak, co-chair of progressive activist group Northwest Valley Indivisible, said if nothing changes, Yu will be sent to Hong Kong in the next two to three weeks. Peak and Everett are now appealing to the White House for assistance. We know that if the president gets involved, things could happen, and so we're pretty much at the point where he's the one person who has the power to do something differently here, Peak told The Center Square, referring to President Donald Trump. So we are encouraging people to send a civil message through the comment form on the White House website asking him to take a look. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pointing to Yus involvement in Peoria, Peak said, "There are several aspects of Kelly's story that we can all get behind, from being a job creator to obeying the law and giving back to her community. In addition to maintaining her two restaurants, Peak said Yu is planning to open a third location. She is not the worst of the worst, said Everett. Peak and Everett met earlier this year at a protest/counterprotest outside the office of U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Arizona. Peak and others had been showing up to demonstrate against things such as DOGE cuts. When Everett heard about it, she stood with others in another location to provide the opposite opinion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I went up to her and said Hi, I am Brad, I am one of the coordinators with the other group over here, ' and her response was Well, it's our turn now, said Peak. Eventually, the two politicos struck up a conversation and later had breakfast. When Peak saw a news interview with Yus husband and her American daughter, Zita, Peak reached out to Everett for help. This was something she wanted to get on board with, said Peak. Yus husband, Aldo Urquiza, hopes other people get on board and help his wife avoid deportation. Time is running out, and its not fair, Urquiza told The Center Square. I thought deportations were for criminals, but Kelly is not a criminal. She is an amazing person, and we need more people like her in this country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of Arizonas elected leaders have met with Yu and others facing deportation. U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, visited Yus detention center on Aug. 7. Arizonans deserve real solutions for our broken border and immigration system, not what I saw today which was ripping families and communities apart, said Kelly in a press release. U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, also met with Yu. Afterward, Gallego issued a warning that we all lose as a country when we lose the Kelly Yus of the world. U.S. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Center Square, Lai Kuen Yu, an illegal alien from Hong Kong, has had a final deportation order from a judge since 2005. She was arrested illegally crossing the border by U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona on February 4, 2004, and two days later was released into the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On November 14, 2013, the Board of Immigration Appeals dismissed her appeal and upheld her final order of removal," McLaughlin said in an email. "On August 23, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied her appeal. On June 12, the Board of Immigration Appeals granted her a temporary stay of removal while they consider her motion to reopen. She will remain in ICE custody pending her removal proceedings." McLaughlin noted ICE doesn't export U.S. citizens. "Its her choice. Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with someone the parent designates." The U.S. is offering illegal immigrants $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport themselves, 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 American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return. McLaughlin said illegal immigrants can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. CBP stands for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Republican lawmakers trying to make good on President Donald Trumps campaign promise to abolish the Education Department are prepping for legislative surgery instead of rolling out the guillotine. Trump signed an executive order in March telling his Education secretary, Linda McMahon, to facilitate the closure of the agency she leads as a way to give states more control of the federal money for their schools. McMahon has also publicly embraced the presidents call to put herself out of a job and pushed out about half of the agencys staff while exploring ways to move programs to other departments. But closing the Education Department requires congressional approval. And despite being a target of conservative ire since its founding, shutting it down may be a tough sell for Republicans with poor school districts and states that depend on its legal guidance, civil rights enforcement and other support. That need for careful calculus has made it clear to the two top GOP education leaders on Capitol Hill that a more rational and piecemeal deconstruction of the agency is necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Trump has shown a preference for pushing massive domestic policy legislation through a Republican Congress reluctant to buck him, it was the administrations weekslong hold on billions of dollars in school funding last month that drew the rare intraparty rebuke. We saw how difficult the One Big Beautiful Bill was to pass. It got passed, but when you get down to personal issues and individual districts that are related to education, it will be a little more difficult, said House Education Chair Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), one of the lawmakers who would shepherd legislation to close the agency. It has to be done by little bills, taking on individual issues, one at a time, and seeing how far we get. Classroom literature, diversity, admissions and academic performance became some of the political themes animating the GOP during the fallout of the pandemic painting a bigger conservative target on the agency. But in addition to distributing funding to schools across the country, the Education Department enforces civil rights laws and manages college financial aid, like the Pell Grant, which provides money for students from low-income families. Those programs remain popular even as Trump and other Republicans point out how the agency has long presided over lackluster test scores in reading and math. A piecemeal approach to collapsing the Education Department could allow lawmakers to make a public case for why certain programs, such as career and technical education, should be housed in other agencies, lawmakers and former officials say. Its a strategy that could help Trump deliver one of his often-repeated campaign promises eventually. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People want proof of concept before they vote for a whole shebang, right? Senate HELP Chair Bill Cassidy said of closing the agency. Ive got to get Democrats on board because its going to take 60 votes to pass any legislation in the Senate, which means I need to have seven Democrats ... so youd have to figure that out, the Louisiana Republican said. A White House spokesperson did not say whether Trump has a preference over how many bills it should take to close the Education Department. But Harrison Fields, special assistant to the president and principal deputy press secretary, said in a statement that, President Trump is using his authority as Chief Executive to fulfill his promises to parents and students by returning education to the states, dismantling bureaucracy, and empowering families. McMahon, who is on a 50-state tour to make the case for returning schooling to state leaders, has embraced the agency's final mission and discussed the presidents goals to dismember it. Her agency has also issued guidance encouraging states to craft policies that circumvent federal law, with the secretary having authority to waive some statutory requirements governing K-12 schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administration has weighed moving federal student aid operations to the Treasury Department or the Small Business Administration and programs supporting students with disabilities to the Department of Health and Human Services. That hasnt stopped her from strategizing with both Walberg and Cassidy. Cassidy, who met with the secretary over breakfast just before the August recess, said the two discussed things that don't have to be done by the Department of Education that are already being done by other departments. The Louisiana Republican said a dual mandate like workforce development programs at the Education and Labor departments could be consolidated at the latter. The ultimate desire is to leave more back there [in the states] without bringing them to Washington and that's the intention about right-sizing, de-powering whatever term we want to use about the Department of Education until there are the votes necessary for Congress to pass a bill that abolishes the department, said Walberg, who had his own meeting with McMahon. We don't have those votes now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McMahon is interested in responsibly winding down the agency, Education Department spokesperson Ellen Keast said in a statement, noting that the secretary is committed to working with Congress and key stakeholders to accomplish this goal." The department has already begun shifting management of career and technical education programs to the Labor Department after the Supreme Court green-lighted the Trump administrations efforts to cut Education staff. My goal really is to make sure that we can transfer different jobs that are being done at the Department of Education to other agencies, McMahon said on Fox News in July after her department resumed its interagency agreement with the Labor Department. We had our IDEA funding and our Title I-A funding prior to the Department of Education. At that point in time it went through HHS, she said, referring to the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. HEW became the Department of Health and Human Services after the Education Department was created. Would that be a place for it to go now? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former department officials say a multi-bill approach will allow lawmakers to make the case for moving certain programs to other agencies. Breaking it up into smaller bills, it will take longer, potentially, but maybe you can hit the lowest-hanging fruit more quickly, said Diane Jones, a deputy undersecretary at the Education Department during Trumps first term. I think we have to look and figure out which agencies they would move it to, how does that align with authorizing and appropriating committees and what's possible, you know? I also think that they want to do it thoughtfully and so there are some programs that are going to be a little more complicated, said Jones, who also served in former President George W. Bushs Education Department and worked on Capitol Hill. And some former officials and advocates for shutting the agency down believe that if blue-state education leaders are assured that federal funding will keep flowing and with fewer restrictions attached even if the agency disappears, they may be able to convince their U.S. senators to go along. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lot of Democrats will find this a very appealing idea to just block grant, cut the strings, let states do things the way they think is best, said Jim Blew, who served as a top policy aide to former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. But even moderate Senate Democrats, including ones that have sided with Republicans on other issues, will need a lot of convincing. Eliminating the Department of Education would harm Americas must vulnerable students those in rural areas, poor communities, and with special needs, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) said in a statement to POLITICO. I wont let Trump and Congressional Republicans get away with that, whether its by one bill or several. Theres also a sense that some Republicans may resist deep cuts as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a bipartisan spending billthat seeks to stop many of the Trump administrations efforts to de-power the agency, like plans to reject block grants for certain K-12 programs and those that support students with disabilities. The spending bill, which awaits passage by the full Senate and needs to be considered the House, also includes language preventing the Education Department from transferring funding for schools with high-needs and students with disabilities to other agencies. Blew said theres also a wildcard: whether Trump backs a multi-bill approach. If the president directs Republicans to get rid of the agency in one big bill, Blew said Republican lawmakers are likely to fall in line. I dont know why people keep underestimating the president. Hes shown that he can do this, said Blew, co-founder of the Defense of Freedom Institute, a conservative advocacy group. The unknown factor, that once he leans in, I think well be surprised how many people end up voting for it. (WHTM) A new Emerson College Polling survey of the 2026 U.S. Senate race in Texas shows Republican voters are split between incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton. The survey of 491 Texas Republican primary voters shows Cornyn leading Paxton 30% to 29% with 37% undecided and 5% supporting another candidate. The poll also surveyed how each Republican candidate would fare against Democratic Party candidate Colin Allred. Paxton led Allred 46% to 41%, while Cornyn led 45% to 38% in the poll of 1,000 Texas voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked about Texas Republicans plan to redistrict the state, 36% of Texas voters supported the move, 26% were undecided, and 38% opposed. Fifty-eight percent of Republicans in Texas supported redistricting, while 70% of Texas Democrats were opposed. Forty-three percent of Texas Independents surveyed opposed redistricting. The polls full results are available on the Emerson College Polling website. Political Power Ranker Latest episodes of Political Power Ranker Spencer Kimball, Director of Emerson College Polling, and Chris Berg, Political Content Director for Nexstar Media Group, discuss the polls findings in this weeks episode of Political Power Ranker. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each week, Chris and Spencer will examine whos up and whos down in the world of politics based on the latest data from Emerson College Polling, focusing on the states and races that impact the national picture. Joining the show this week are John Wittman, Republican consultant and Partner at PLUS Communications, and Manny Garcia, Democratic consultant and Co-Founder at Seeker Strategies. 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. PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) Flash floods triggered by torrential rains have killed over 280 people in India and Pakistan and left scores of others missing, officials said Friday, as rescuers brought to safety some 1,600 people from two mountainous districts in the neighboring countries. Flooding began a day earlier in Indian-controlled Kashmir and spread to the north and northwest in Pakistan, triggered by sudden, intense downpours over small areas. The floods and subsequent landslides injured dozens of people and forced the evacuation and rescue of thousands of others, particularly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Such cloudbursts are increasingly common in Indias Himalayan regions and Pakistans northern areas, and experts have said climate change is a contributing factor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leaders in both countries offered their condolences to the victims families and assured them of swift relief. Dozens missing in remote Himalayan village In Indian-controlled Kashmir, rescuers searched for missing people in the remote Himalayan village of Chositi after flash floods a day earlier left at least 60 people dead and at least 80 missing, officials said. At least 300 people were rescued Thursday following a powerful cloudburst that triggered floods and landslides, but the operation was halted overnight. Officials said many missing people were believed to have been washed away, and the number of missing could increase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Resident Harvinder Singh said he joined the rescue efforts immediately after the disaster and helped retrieve 33 bodies from the mud. At least 50 seriously injured people were treated at hospitals, many of them rescued from a stream filled with mud and debris. Chositi, in Kashmirs Kishtwar district, is the last village accessible to motor vehicles on the route of an annual Hindu pilgrimage to a mountainous shrine at an altitude of 3,000 meters (9,500 feet). Officials said the pilgrimage, which began July 25 and was scheduled to end Sept. 5, was suspended. The devastating floods swept away the main community kitchen for pilgrims, as well as dozens of vehicles and motorbikes. More than 200 pilgrims were in the kitchen at the time of the flood, which also damaged or washed away many of the homes clustered together in the foothills, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sneha, who gave only one name, said her husband and a daughter were swept away. The two were having meals at the community kitchen while she and her son were nearby. The family had come for the pilgrimage, she said. Authorities erected makeshift bridges Friday to help stranded pilgrims cross a muddy water channel and used dozens of earthmovers to shift boulders, uprooted trees, electricity poles and other debris. Nearly 4,000 pilgrims were evacuated, officials said. Photos and videos on social media showed household goods strewn next to damaged vehicles and homes in the village. Kishtwar district is home to multiple hydroelectric power projects, which experts have long warned pose a threat to the regions fragile ecosystem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More heavy rain and floods were forecast for the area. Hundreds of tourists trap ped by floods in Pakistan In northern and northwestern Pakistan, flash floods killed at least 243 people, including 157 who died Friday in the Buner district in northwest Pakistan. Mohammad Suhail told The Associated Press that dozens of people were still missing, and rescue operations were underway. He said 78 bodies were recovered by midday Friday, and another 79 were pulled from the rubble of collapsed homes and flooded villages later. The death toll may rise as we are still looking for dozens of missing people, Suhail said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dozens were injured as the deluge destroyed homes in villages in Buner, where authorities declared a state of emergency on Friday. Rescuers backed by boats and helicopters worked to reach stranded residents. Ambulances transported more than 100 bodies to hospitals, according to a government statement. Bilal Faizi, a provincial emergency service spokesman in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said rescuers worked for hours to save 2,000 tourists trapped by flash flooding and landslides in the Siran Valley in Mansehra district and elsewhere on Thursday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, at an emergency meeting, ordered the disaster-management authority to ensure the evacuation of tourists and all those hit by the floods. A helicopter carrying relief supplies to the northwestern Bajaur region crashed due to bad weather, killing all five people on board, including two pilots, a government statement said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latest fatalities bring the total number of rain-related deaths to 556 since June 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. Region hit by multiple floods in recent weeks Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region has been hit by multiple floods since July, triggering landslides along the Karakoram Highway, a key trade and travel route linking Pakistan and China that tourists use to travel to the scenic north. The region is home to scenic glaciers that provide 75% of Pakistans stored water supply. During the summer, when schools are closed for more than two months, hundreds of thousands of people travel to scenic destinations in northern and northwestern Pakistan. This year, despite repeated government warnings about landslides and flash floods, many still visited popular resorts in flood-hit areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistans disaster-management agency has issued fresh alerts for glacial lake outburst flooding in the north, warning travelers to avoid affected areas. A study released this week by World Weather Attribution, a network of international scientists, found rainfall in Pakistan from June 24 to July 23 was 10% to 15% heavier because of global warming. In 2022, the countrys worst monsoon season on record killed more than 1,700 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in damage. ___ Khan reported from Peshawar, Pakistan. Contributors from Pakistan include Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Anwarullah Khan in Bajur, Abdul Rehman in Gilgit, Rasool Dawar in Peshawar and Ishfaq Hussain in Muzaffarabad. More than 100 people were rescued after extreme flash flooding in eastern Russia. According to Reuters, emergency crews were called in July to assist neighbors in Russia's Sakha Republic, also known as Yakutia. Responders could be seen ferrying people as well as their pets and livestock through streets engulfed by heavy rain. The region's emergencies ministry said around one-third of those rescued were children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neighbors in Yakutia are no strangers to flash floods. This swampy, forested region has been impacted by an increase in flooding over the past few decades, according to the scientific periodical Arctic and North. Russian news agency Tass noted that flooding damage from 1998 to 2022 has cost $616 million to repair. Right now, 61% of the region's population lives in a flood zone. Increased flash flooding across the globe can be connected to a warming climate. As global temperatures rise, more moisture is evaporated into the air, creating prime conditions for storms and heavy rains. Areas that are already humid, like Yakutia, are more likely to experience these conditions. Extreme weather events like flash flooding have always existed, but warmer conditions exacerbate the problem. According to NASA, scientific consensus states that human actions have contributed to an increase in severe weather. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Yakutia region has been impacted by more than just floods. The forested land is prone to catching fire in the summer heat. In 2024, more than three million hectares of land were consumed by wildfires by July, according to Radio Liberty. Reuters noted that 169 fires have been put out by authorities in 2025 alone. While the average person cannot prevent extreme weather, it is important to take local action to slow the changing climate. Donating to climate causes helps support those who are putting boots on the ground to fight dirty fuel dependence and other factors contributing to rising global temperatures. 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. Researchers have discovered the fountain of youth for cells - but it comes with a big cost. Some people over 60 years old were found to have immune systems that appear to be much younger in wear-and-tear, Mayo Clinic researchers announced Thursday. The immune system is what protects us from getting sick and promotes healing. With age, the immune systems ability to protect the body from infection and disease can wane. Young immune systems are constantly exposed to new bacteria and viruses, and previous research has shown that infant immune systems beat those of adults at fighting off the invaders. Researchers now say some have immune systems that dont match their age. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We observed that these patients have very young immune systems despite being in their 60s and 70s, Dr. Cornelia Weyand, a Mayo Clinic rheumatologist and clinician-scientist, said in a statement. But the price they pay for that is autoimmunity. Autoimmunity is what happens when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues and organs. There are more than 100 known autoimmune diseases, according to the Cleveland Clinic, including lupus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, celiac disease and Hashimotos thyroiditis. Women are at a higher risk than men, thanks to genetic and hormonal differences, according to Stanford Medicine. Researchers say they have found the fountain of youth for cells - but it comes with a big cost. (AFP via Getty Images) Doctors discovered this anomaly in more than 100 older patients who went to the Minnesota clinic to receive treatment for a rare autoimmune disease known as giant cell arteritis. Giant cell arteritis is an inflammation of the lining of your arteries that can affect the arteries in your head, the clinic explained. Untreated, it can lead to blindness, an aortic aneurysm, and, less commonly, stroke. It frequently causes headaches, jaw pain and vision problems. What causes the disorder remains unknown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Studying the diseased tissue of these patients, the researchers found they had specialized cells in their immune system known as stem-like T cells. The cells behave like young stem cells, which are critical for repairing and maintaining a healthy immune system. But, in this case, they were spreading the autoimmune disease. Going forward, the scientists hope to learn more about this link and what they observed from the patients. "Contrary to what one may think, there are benefits to having an immune system that ages in tandem with the body," Dr. Jorg Goronzy, a Mayo Clinic researcher on aging, said. "We need to consider the price to pay for immune youthfulness. That price can be autoimmune disease." The findings were published in the journal Nature Aging. In 2016, several varieties of soy, corn, cotton, and more were genetically modified to resist the effects of dicamba, a powerful chemical herbicide. It was a seemingly genius move, allowing farmers to spray the herbicide liberally on their fields to kill weeds while allowing their crops to thrive. The trouble is, dicamba is still deadly to all other plants not to mention potentially harmful to human and animal health and it doesn't stay where it's sprayed. Instead, when it gets hot, the chemical "evaporates, rises, and roams ghostlike across the landscape," according to the Audubon Society. Then, this drifting cloud "injures or kills broadleaf plants that people and wildlife depend on, from soybeans to strawberries to sweetgum. Many farmers, scientists, and advocates say dicamba's damage to crops, ecosystems, and rural communities is among the worst things ever to befall American agriculture." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But without a clear understanding of the exact damage done by vaporized dicamba, regulatory bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency have failed to tighten the restrictions on its application. That's why one team of scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign recently conducted a study to assess the damage the herbicide does on a granular level, Phys.org reported. Their study, published in the journal Pest Management Science, used highly calibrated drone-mounted cameras to detect subtle damage to a soybean canopy. To do this, they trained the cameras on canopies treated with one ten-thousandth, one three-thousandth, one-thousandth, and one three-hundredth of dicamba's label rate. These represented the exposure a crop might reasonably experience from different levels of vaporized and particle drift after nearby dicamba application. "We would have an annual teleconference with the Environmental Protection Agency, where they would ask how extensive the damage was and whether their label modifications were making a difference," Aaron Hager, the study's co-author, said. "They were relying on pesticide misuse complaints, but there are a lot of factors going into whether someone makes a complaint." "On the last call we did in 2020, we still didn't have a way to quantify the magnitude of what was really happening," he added. "Now we do." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They found that dicamba-related damage could still be detected eight days after exposure, even at the lowest exposure level. Predictably, these symptoms increased in severity with both higher and longer exposure. And while none of these secondhand exposure levels killed the dicamba-sensitive soybeans within the study's 29 days, it's reasonable to expect that prolonged exposure could cause agricultural crops and other plants considerable harm. "We're using sensors to detect things the human eye can't see," Hager said. "I mean, we all know what a cupped-up soybean plant looks like after dicamba drift, but we don't always know when that exposure took place. This gives us a better idea." Now, the team is looking to analyze satellite imagery to understand damage to soy crops in other parts of the country. It also hopes to calibrate its cameras to be able to understand dicamba damage in other species, too. "What we've learned here could absolutely be used to develop a protocol for drones to fly out and detect drift," said Dylan Kerr, the study's first author, adding that the system could help monitor everything from trees to shrubs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "A lot of growers are fatigued after filing complaints and not seeing any response. And you have urban communities asking, 'What's going on with my trees or the ornamentals in my yard?'" co-author Marty Williams said. "It's critical for us as public sector scientists to figure out the extent of this problem using research-based evidence. I think this is a beautiful example of what public sector research is all about." Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. A small stream in Franklin County, Ohio, is showing how working with nature can solve real problems and help the environment at the same time. WOSU Public Media recently reported that in Jefferson Township, what used to be a straight, muddy ditch behind homes has been turned into a winding, natural stream that now helps stop flooding, supports wildlife, and makes the neighborhood more enjoyable. This local project is part of a bigger trend of bringing nature back to places where it was changed or damaged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With help from federal funding, local conservation workers reshaped the stream to slow down water, clean up pollution, and create a better home for fish, birds, and bugs. It's a small project, but it shows how smart environmental work can help both people and the planet. The stream had been straightened decades ago to make room for farming, but that change led to erosion, backyard flooding, and poor water quality over time, problems that grew worse as the area became more developed. The restored stream is already making a difference for both the neighborhood and the local ecosystem. Homeowners now see less flooding in their yards, and the area is safer and more enjoyable for families and kids who like to explore the outdoors. "I think it's just a good amenity now for the community as opposed to this kind of ditch that was there. So, it's really nice to see how it's changed," Franklin County watershed resource specialist Henry Stahl said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, the streams provide a cleaner, healthier habitat for fish, insects, and birds. As plants continue to grow and shade the water, the stream will become even better at filtering pollution and supporting wildlife, all while giving people a peaceful, natural space right in their community. Efforts like this remind us that conservation isn't just about protecting faraway forests or endangered species, it's also about creating healthier, safer, and more beautiful places for everyday people to live in. By restoring nature in our own backyards, we also protect the planet's ability to handle storms, improve water quality, and support life for generations to come. Stahl is excited about the area's future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's early days, but it'll kind of create its shape naturally a little bit more and then we'll get plenty of plants in there and it'll look like we weren't ever here," he said. 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. Judge Mizrahi sharply criticized the police, writing that in his view, Urich is not a state employee and therefore cannot be suspected of bribery. All legal restrictions against 'Qatargate' suspect Yonatan Urich have been lifted by the Rishon Lezion Magistrates Court on Thursday. This means he can now meet again with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Judge Mizrahi sharply criticized the police, writing that in his view, Urich is not a state employee and therefore cannot be suspected of bribery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, the suspect poured water for the prime minister, but such closeness is not enough to bring him into the criminal sphere under the offenses for which he was suspected, he wrote. The applicants central thesis is stated in all the classified reports, and it collapses from within. The claim is that the connection between the suspect and the State of Qatar was formed in order to provide it with positive public relations services, and that this was the suspects intention. In this way, it contradicts the claim of intent to harm state security, was the intention to promote or the intention to harm state security? he concluded. (L-R): Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayahu, spokesman Yonatan Urich and former aide Eli Feldstein (illustrative) (credit: Canva, FLASH90/CHAIM GOLDBERG) Mizrahi cited Netanyahu's open testimony in the case, noting that the prime minister defined Urich as a political adviser. "He said the suspect had been the spokesman for the Likud party, and also served as his spokesman, being part of the communications apparatus, but he did not receive a salary from the state, only from the party, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He did not enter classified discussions and emphasized that the suspect was certainly allowed to do independent work. Judge Mizrahi reiterated the question posed to the prime minister, whether he was aware that the suspect had worked with the State of Qatar, and the prime minister replied in the negative. He added that even if this were the case, there is nothing wrong with it; many people work with many countries. Qatar is not an enemy state. In his questioning, the prime minister further stated that since the suspect is not a public employee and he did not consider him as such, he can work wherever he wants. At the end of his ruling, Judge Mizrahi sharply criticized the police for refusing to present him with all the investigation materials. On a side note, though not of minor importance: before delivering the decision, I requested that the investigating unit present me with all the investigation material, and unfortunately, I was met with a refusal, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Never have I encountered such a response from an investigating unit, and this alone could have sufficed to reject the request, because anyone who wants the court to grant their request should respectfully provide all the evidence they claim supports it. In the end, after the hearing concluded, the investigating unit relented and presented the investigation materials for review," he added. Police requested to extend ban on contact Earlier this week, the Rishon Lezion Magistrates Court discussed the police request to extend the ban on contact between Urich and Netanyahu, as well as other individuals involved in the 'Qatargate' affair and the leak of documents to the German newspaper Bild. The restrictive conditions imposed on Urich had expired, and police sought to extend them by another month. Urich is suspected in the 'Qatargate' case of offenses including contact with a foreign agent, passing classified information, accepting bribes, and fraud and breach of trust. The investigation is ongoing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is also suspected in the Bild document leak case, in which Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara has announced her intention to file an indictment against him, pending a hearing expected in the coming weeks. Police argue that extending the contact ban is necessary to prevent obstruction. Urich was questioned under caution in November over suspected involvement in the affair and was released under restrictive conditions. In parallel, police investigated suspicions that the Prime Ministers Chief of Staff, Tzachi Braverman, acted to alter protocols from the early days of the war. This probe began following a letter from former Military Secretary Maj. Gen. Avi Gil to the Attorney General, alleging that changes had been made to charts, attendance records, and protocols. The classified documents affair involves allegations that a highly sensitive and top-secret document was unlawfully taken from the IDFs intelligence system. According to the court, the documents disclosure could have harmed the achievement of one of the wars objectives, the release of hostages, as well as the operational activities of the IDF and Shin Bet in the Gaza Strip against Hamas. A former Prices Corner elementary school teacher who retired in 2024 after "several" reports that he inappropriately touched multiple students has been charged criminally, Delaware State Police said. Vincent Buckwash, 57, retired from Anna P. Mote Elementary School effective July 1, 2024. The claims were made about two months earlier, in May 2024. State police said Red Clay Consolidated School District "immediately" removed him from the school after being made aware of the claims in May, and he did not return prior to his retirement. What happened? According to police, troopers were contacted by the school and the Delaware Division of Family Services following reports of inappropriate touching. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Through their investigation, detectives learned that during the 2023-2024 school year, Buckwash a second grade teacher "inappropriately touched five students on multiple occasions." Police did not provide further details as to what that involved, though court documents say the students were male. After a "thorough investigation," which included consultation with the Delaware Department of Justice, Buckwash was charged with five counts of unlawful sexual contact with a person under 13 and sexual abuse of a child by a person of trust, police said. State police said he turned himself in on Aug. 14 and was released after posting $30,000 secured bond. While it was not immediately clear how long Buckwash had taught at the elementary school, a Red Clay science safety manual shows he was a member of the district's science curriculum council at least during the 2019-2020 school year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State police have not said whether they believe any other students were affected, though the investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information or who is a victim is asked to contact Detective Marc Conway at (302) 365-8411. Tipsters can also contact Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333. Got a story tip or idea? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com. For all things breaking news, follow her on X at @izzihughes_ This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Former Red Clay elementary school teacher charged with sexual abuse Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Friday he is not running for president in 2028, denying speculation amid attacks from right-wing activist Laura Loomer. Let me be clear: I am not running for president in 2028. My loyalty is to President Trump and the mission weve started, Kennedy said in a post on the social platform X. There has been speculation, stoked by moves made by Kennedys Super PAC and from Loomer, that Kennedy is eyeing another run at the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kennedy launched a 2024 presidential bid as a Democrat, then later became an independent before dropping out and endorsing Trump, who wanted to take advantage of Kennedys sizeable following among the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. Kennedy in the social media post claimed his focus remains on the key MAHA priority of ending the chronic disease epidemic. The president has made himself the answer to my 20-year prayer that God would put me in a position to end the chronic disease epidemic and thats exactly what my team and I will do until the day he leaves office, Kennedy wrote. Kennedy defended his top aide Stefanie Spear, who has been targeted by Loomer, over her seeming disloyalty to Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loomer has successfully ousted several administration officials over allegations of insufficient loyalty to Trump. She recently turned her sights on Spear, who Loomer said was helping lay the groundwork for Kennedy to run in 2028. Like Kennedy, Spear was an environmentally focused Democrat before joining Trumps coalition in 2024. Spear worked with Kennedy at his anti-vaccine group Childrens Health Defense, and served as Kennedys press secretary during his failed 2024 campaign. MAGA loyalists have reportedly been suspicious of Spears influence ever since Kennedy was tapped to lead HHS. Tony Lyons, leader of the Kennedy-supporting MAHA PAC, told The Hill Kennedy never intended to run for president in 2028. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lyons reportedly led an organizing call with Kennedy supporters last month. The story that Secretary Kennedy was running for president was a made up story. Theres no truth to it whatsoever, Lyons said in a text. Secretary Kennedy never gave any indication that he was planning to run for president. He prayed for 20 years to have the opportunity that President Trump has given him. He is disrupting an entrenched and deeply corrupt system that has allowed a small group of companies to make incredible profits from products that make Americans sick. Those companies are spending millions to attack Secretary Kennedy and his incredible team to protect their ill-gotten gains, Lyons said. Rachel Frazin contributed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This story was updated at 3:28 p.m. 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. The US health agency is reviving a task force on childhood vaccine safety after pressure from anti-vaccine activists to re-establish the panel. In a statement, Health and Human Services (HHS) said it was reinstating the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines - which was disbanded in 1998 - "to improve the safety, quality, and oversight of vaccines administered to American children". The task force will provide recommendations on childhood vaccines "that result in fewer and less serious adverse reactions than those vaccines currently on the market", the agency said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is the latest move from Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr to scrutinize the US childhood vaccine schedule. The reinstatement of the panel comes after the Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group that Kennedy founded, funded a lawsuit against his administration in May for failing to re-establish the task force. The leader of the Children's Health Defense, which has spread misinformation about vaccines, lauded the news of the panel. "It took nearly 50 years for HHS to do this, but at last the Secretary is following the law on this critical issue," wrote CEO Mary Holland. "We are grateful." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines was created in 1986 through the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, to provide compensation to children who had adverse reactions to certain vaccines. The task force will include members of the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS said. Since taking office, Kennedy has made a number of changes to the agency's vaccine policies. In June, he removed all members of a federal committee of independent experts who make recommendations to the CDC on who receives immunizations and when. He replaced the panel with new members, many of whom are vaccine sceptics and have criticised Covid-19 shots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soon after his new panel convened, they announced they would review the health effects of the childhood vaccination schedule. In May, Kennedy also removed the CDC's recommendation of the Covid-19 vaccine for pregnant women and healthy children. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Rhode Islands pounds, rescues and shelters took in about 16,500 animals in 2024. According to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), a total of 441 animals from those facilities were euthanized in 2024. Most of those cases were reportedly due to illness or severe behavior. ALSO READ: 14 cats staying briefly at RISPCA after transport van crash DEM does not assign a formal no-kill status to shelters. The term generally refers to facilities that do not euthanize animals strictly due to space or mandatory holding periods, the DEM explained in an email to 12 News. Fortunately, this type of euthanasia is extremely rare in Rhode Island if it occurs at all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department noted that it keeps detailed records and can verify nearly all euthanasia cases due to health reasons and adoptability concerns. While we strive to save every animal, some are too sick, suffering, or unsafe to rehome, the department said. DEM is proud of the work our shelters and pounds do to place every adoptable pet in a loving home. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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. BRUSHFORK New beginnings were celebrated Thursday as students, teachers and community members came together to celebrate the opening of Timberwood Elementary School. After hearing from a number of local and state speakers, a gymnasium full of youngsters who previously attended Bluewell and Brushfork schools joined their principal, Dr. Sarah Grose, in cutting the ceremonial ribbon to their new school. The former Bluewell and Brushfork students will start school at Timberwood on Thursday, August 21. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today we stand on the cusp of a new chapter, Grose, the former principal of Bluewell Elementary, said. After many years of planning and preparation, Bluewell Elementary and Brushfork Elementary schools finally combined as one school family. Weve always felt like we were one community, but we make it official starting today. Grose, who will be the first principal of Timberwood, said Thursdays ribbon cutting ceremony marked the first steps in a new journey for the Bluewell and Brushfork students. As we prepare to cut this ribbon, we are not merely opening the doors to a new building, Grose said. We are unlocking a world of possibilities for generations of learners to come. This school embodies are shared commitment to knowledge, innovation and the transformative power of education. Mercer County School Superintendent Ed Toman said the new state-of-the-art elementary school was beautiful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is what this is about a team, Toman said. Weve got a great thing going here with Southern West Virginia and Mercer County Public Schools. I just want to say that. Thank you all. West Virginia State School Superintendent Michele Blatt also attended Thursdays ribbon cutting, and congratulated the students, parents and community on its new school. What a wonderful opportunity for Mercer County Schools, Blatt said. I pulled in this morning and this facility is absolutely gorgeous. I know that we have a hard time when we make these transitions and consolidation is never something that we want to do. But when we can offer our students the opportunity to learn in a place like this a new place for learning then that is what it is all about. Blatt said the new school is a win for the students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So this is for all of you, Blatt told the students and parents assembled in the Timberwood gymnasium. Your teachers, the principal, the central office and the Mercer County Board of Education, they want you to have the best of the best, and I think youve got that here today. And I am so excited about what will happen and the things we will hear about Timberwood Elementary this school year. Andy Neptune, executive director of the West Virginia School Building Authority, spoke on behalf of Gov. Patrick Morrisey and the SBA board members. The SBA provided $13.9 million in funding for the Timberwood project. This goes to show the vision of the superintendent Ed Toman and the board members you all have that knew exactly what was going on and how this was going to turn out, Neptune said. Knew exactly who to hire. You all just did I mean its phenomenal. We pulled up today, and I dont know if I was rude or not, but I couldnt pull my jaw back up because it was just beautiful. And you all should be so proud of this. I know that we are proud of the money that we invested in this. Leslie Wellman, treasurer for Mercer County Public Schools, said bids for the project initially came in over budget, but the SBA worked with the school system on the project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today marks the opening of not just a building, Wellman said. Its a legacy that our board members have built and our previous administration also built. They had the vision and fiscal responsibility before us to lay the foundation for this. Mercer County Board of Education President Greg Prudich said the new elementary school is a bright, safe, welcoming, state-of-the-art school that will provide the students all the tools they need to succeed. Folks, this is the best thing we can do as board members build new schools for our children, Prudich said. Its one of those days where you walk in and you see the desks have been put in place, the teachers are here and are just excited, and you know this is an investment in our children. Its about our children. So its a great day. Prudich said Timberwood Elementary is one of several new schools that have been constructed in recent years in Mercer County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Mr. Toman said this is the eighth building Ive done and it gets better each time, Prudich, a long-time board of education member, said. It gets better every single time. You have more security, more cameras, more space. Its brighter. Its in a better location. And parents the parent drop off, pick-up you are going to have plenty of space. I think there is room for 125 cars. So weve got you covered. Jacinda Santon-Smith, vice president of the school board, said the new school was built with care, but it is the children who will bring it to life. As a lifelong resident of Mercer County and a very proud product of our public school system, its very exciting to be here today, Santon-Smith said. Today is more than just an opening of a new school. Its a beginning of something truly special for the community. When I first walked through this incredible new facility I was just amazed at the beauty. Every time we build a new school I think we cant top it and we do every single time. The stone walls, the wood accents are just incredible. This place looks strong, welcoming and full of life. Tours of the new school followed Thursdays ribbon cutting ceremony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new Timberwood Elementary School is located off Route 123 in the Brushfork community. It replaces the former Bluewell School and Brushfork Elementary, both of which closed in June. A decision on what to do with those two older schools has not been decided by the board of education. Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com Outside the busiest train station in Washington, newly deployed National Guard troops wearing camouflage lean on a huge military Humvee. Wary residents and curious tourists stop to take photos, while inside the elegant Union Station a string trio plays "What a Wonderful World." Christian Calhoun, a 26-year-old consultant who was born and raised in the US capital, told AFP that seeing the troops made him "more than disappointed -- I'm furious." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's a lot of standing around," he added. Declaring that Washington is overrun by crime and plagued by homeless people, President Donald Trump has deployed 800 National Guard troops, as well as ordering a federal takeover of the city's police department. Over more than an hour on Thursday afternoon, the most that the handful of troops at Union Station interacted with the public was to let a French tourist take a selfie with them. Larry Janezich, an 81-year-old resident, said he had not seen the troops taking part in "any kind of meaningful action that is dedicated to the prevention of crime." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patricia Darby, a 65-year-old retiree, said that the troops "don't want to be here," pointing to how some had their faces covered. Calhoun said he does "feel bad" for them as they wore heavy combat gear as temperatures soared above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Celsius). - 'Fake news' - On his Truth Social platform, Trump this week described Washington as "under siege from thugs and killers," with higher crime rates than "many of the most violent Third World Countries." Residents outside Union Station rejected the apocalyptic image. "It's ridiculous, and it really just shows how (Trump) sees the people that live here," Calhoun said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's totally false, and obviously promulgated on his media to justify an unwarranted exercise of federal power," Janezich said. Gerry Cosgrove, a 62-year-old tourist from the Scottish city of Edinburgh only in Washington for two days, had a simple response when asked about Trump's portrayal of the city: "To quote a phrase: fake news." Trump has also ordered homeless people to "move out" of Washington. "Where are they going to go?" Darby asked, after fetching a bottle of water for a homeless person in the heat. Randy Kindle, who volunteers with a protest group in a tent outside Union Station, told AFP he was afraid that homeless people could now end up in confinement or jail "when all they need is help." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guadalupe, a homeless man in his late 70s originally from Mexico, told AFP that the troops had asked him to move on Wednesday night. "They have no manners," he said in Spanish. "I almost felt sick" during the interaction, he added. Calhoun said he had mostly seen the troops outside train stations, adding that he noticed they had "a lot of focus on cannabis use." Washington legalized cannabis use on private property in 2015, however it is still prohibited under federal law. Several residents also raised the cost of deploying the troops in their city. "It's a waste of money -- I think DC was safe," Darby said. dl/bgs/acb Loaded with $43 million in his campaign coffers and facing no serious electoral threat, Gov. Greg Abbott in 2017 plunged into uncharted waters for a Texas governor: the state House primaries. The first-term governor mobilized his support an arsenal of endorsements, ads and stump speeches behind three candidates taking on incumbent representatives he had clashed with in the states lower chamber. It was, at the time, somewhat remarkable for Texas top elected official to enter the trenches against lawmakers from his own party. The House speaker, a Republican, said Abbott was putting one of the seats at risk of falling into Democratic hands. Ultimately only one of the Abbott-backed challengers won. But the anti-incumbent play laid the groundwork for a far more ambitious effort six years later, when the governor responded to the Legislatures failure to deliver taxpayer dollars for private school tuition his top priority by targeting 15 anti-voucher incumbents and unseating 11 of them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The strong-arming worked. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a school voucher package with little GOP defection, and the governor unlocked a new effective strategy to accomplish his goals: playing hardball. Fresh off the political and policy victory, it appears the once-restrained governor is now bolder than ever, loaded with an unmatched abundance of campaign cash and a determination to emerge victorious in any battle even if it requires dipping into his own partys legislative primaries. Abbotts political zeal has been on full display lately as he moves to boot the Texas House Democratic leader from his duly elected office over the ongoing redistricting impasse, sparked by dozens of Democrats who left the state to stall a new GOP congressional map. All of this is unprecedented, Abbott, who was not made available for an interview for this story, told radio host Mark Davis this week. The Democrats were used to the old fashioned way, where Republicans werent going to do anything about it. This time we pulled out every tool in the toolbox. Gov. Greg Abbott announces his re-election campaign on July 14, 2017 at Sunset Station in San Antonio. Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune As the quorum-breaking Democrats remain out of state in protest, Abbott has asked the state Supreme Court an all-Republican body whose nine justices include six of his appointees to vacate the seat of Houston Rep. Gene Wu. And he initially sparred with Attorney General Ken Paxton over who had the legal standing to bring the suit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abbott has vowed to continue calling overtime legislative sessions, which only he has the authority to do, and threatened further retribution by targeting even more Democratic seats and suggesting he could add more conservative priorities to the already ambitious agenda, which he solely controls. The governor already caught some off guard when he rolled out a legislative to-do list that included several unfinished priorities of hardline conservatives, including cracking down on abortion pills, requiring people to use bathrooms that align with the sex they were assigned at birth and allowing the attorney general to prosecute state election crimes. Also on the agenda was a call to more firmly regulate THC products, coming after Abbott vetoed the outright THC ban championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, whom the governor was once reluctant to challenge in head-to-head combat. People who have worked closely with the governor say its not that he is bolder now as much as that he has come into his leadership role and rising national profile, thanks largely to Abbotts boundary-pushing border initiatives under Operation Lone Star. The issues and the environment have changed. He hasnt changed, said Matt Hirsch, a former deputy chief of staff to Abbott. Hes always been someone who I think the best way to describe it is determined. People underestimate his determination, and every time they do so at their own peril. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Critics disagree. They see a governor drunk on power looking for more. We said we would defeat Abbotts first corrupt special session, and thats exactly what were doing, Wu said in a statement this week. Sending a message Shortly after President Joe Biden took office in 2021, Abbott criticized the Democratic administration's immigration policies and accused Biden of leaving the southern border open for migrants to cross. Abbott took matters into his own hands. He launched Operation Lone Star, deploying thousands of Department of Public Safety troopers and National Guard soldiers to the 1,250 miles of border Texas shares with Mexico. He drew the Biden administration into numerous legal battles and infuriated immigrants rights advocates, who accused state officials of illegally jailing migrants without charges, among other due process concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But no aspect of the crackdown elevated Abbotts clout across the country quite like his busing of asylum-seeking migrants from Texas to northern cities run by Democrats. The idea scrambled the politics of immigration across the nation, as Democratic leaders struggled to respond to the influx of migrants needing help, while trying to appear supportive of immigrants rights. The number of illegal border crossings spiked during the Biden administration, which failed to respond until months before the 2024 election. The governor would later say he took the border to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Activists line up for escort as two buses of migrants arrive near Union Station in Washington as part of Abbotts plan to bus migrants to cities outside Texas, on April 21, 2022. Credit: Shuran Huang for The Texas Tribune What you're seeing is a governor who is probably more popular than he's ever been, a governor who has more political capital than he's ever had, and I think he's looking to push his advantage, said John Wittman, who worked for Abbott, including as communications director, for seven years until 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wittman was an aide to the governor whom he described as the hardest worker that I have ever met in my life when Abbott first stepped onto the House primary battlefield in 2017. People can judge whether or not, you know, that ended up being successful, Wittman said. But the reality is that the governor sent a message that he was serious about his agenda. Since then, Abbott has increasingly flexed his power, typically favoring blunt force methods over give-and-take deal-making to drive his agenda through the Legislature. In 2021, after state Democrats similarly fled the state to kill GOP voting restrictions, the governor vetoed the part of the state budget that funds the Legislature, declaring that funding should not be provided for those who quit their job early. The move threatened to withhold pay for more than 2,100 state employees caught in the middle, but lawmakers approved a stopgap measure extending the funding and Republicans ultimately passed the voting bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The following session, Abbott went to work on his push for a school voucher program a topic he had broached several years earlier, when he asked lawmakers during the 2017 session to create such a program for children with disabilities. As in 2017, Abbotts renewed push to unlock public funds for private school tuition failed to clear the state House, meeting loud opposition from rural Republicans who argued the policy would reroute funding from public schools that are important pillars in their communities. By October, Abbott had returned lawmakers to the Capitol for three emergency legislative sessions following the regular 140-day one. No deal appeared in sight. That month, the governor who would call a fourth overtime session made a straightforward pitch to his fellow Republicans: You can do this the easy way. Or the hard way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will have everything teed up in a way where we will be giving voters in the primary a choice, Abbott said during a tele-town hall. He followed through. His campaign unleashed ads accusing Republicans including some he had openly supported in the past of being soft on border security, even after they had voted to fund his border initiatives and pass a law to let Texas police arrest people suspected of being undocumented. Abbott signs the scool voucher bill at a ceremony at the Governor's Mansion in Austin on May 3, 2025. Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune The nutshell bottom line is, policy is never divorced from politics, said John Colyandro, who worked in various capacities for the governor dating back to his time as attorney general. If you have an issue that you take on that's a challenging issue like school choice it was imperative for the governor to take that leadership role. Relic of a softer age A prolific fundraiser, Abbott is sitting on an $86 million campaign stash and has already begun deploying it with ads against absent Democrats, knocking them for holding up disaster relief in the wake of Central Texas floods that killed more than 100 Texans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes also floated the idea of running Republican candidates against the absent Democrats once their seats are vacated, assuming he gets his way. Abbotts political strategist, Dave Carney, has encouraged GOP candidates to start thinking about running in the upcoming special elections and accused Democrats of misreading the moment. Watching from the outside its clear the current Texas leadership [aint] playing anymore, Carney wrote on social media. Past make-up and forget, let bygones, etc. is a relic of a softer age. Abbott has also suggested he could apply his more assertive tactics to accomplish other goals. In recent remarks he has credited his primary campaigning for the voucher victory as well as stiffening the states bail laws. And hes already eyeing his next political push: potentially reducing property taxes by capping local spending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im just thinking, well, it worked with these two strategies, maybe its time to employ the same strategy as it concerns property taxes, Abbott reportedly said. "I was not out in the trenches fighting for that in the same way." More all-star speakers confirmed for The Texas Tribune Festival, Nov. 1315! This years lineup just got even more exciting with the addition of State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo; former United States Attorney General Eric Holder; Abby Phillip, anchor of CNN NewsNight; Aaron Reitz, 2026 Republican candidate for Texas Attorney General; and State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin. Get your tickets today! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Maino has said that Nairobi will be the host city for the first DaVinci International Film Africa Festival in 2026, a feat that will place Kenyas cultural and creative economies on the global platform. Speaking on Thursday, August 14, 2025, at the opening of DaVinci FilmAfrica in Nairobi, Maino described the event as a vibrant celebration of film, music, art, and culture. She noted that not only will the festival unify people from all walks of life but that it will also drive economic development and firmly position Kenyan talent on the international stage. Kenya is ready to take centre stage. Nairobi will host the first-ever DaVinci International Film Africa Festival in 2026. A celebration of film, music, art, and culture that will unite people, boost the economy, and showcase Kenyan creativity to the world, Maino said. CS Maino explained that the decision follows after a strategic partnership with the DaVinci International Film Festival, which aims to spotlight Kenyas dynamic film industry. She also highlighted her meeting with the festivals founder, Chadwick Pelletier. It was an honour to have met the man behind the show, Chadwick Pelletier, Founder Da Vinci International Film Africa and the Chairman, Kelvin Onyona. Joined by PS Foreign Affairs Dr. Korir SingOei, Maino stated. Welcoming the 2026 DaVinci International Film Africa Festival, Maino termed it as a unique chance to promote Magical Kenya even as it reaffirms the nations stature as a melting pot of cultural diversity, innovation, and creative expression. As Kenya welcomes the world in 2026 for the Da Vinci International Film Africa Festival, this is a chance to showcase how magical Kenya is! It affirms our potential as a richly endowed talent hub that ignites the creative spirits of our own film-makers through cultural diversity and innovation, Maino stated. CS Maino added that hosting the DaVinci International Film Africa Festival will play a key role in positioning Kenyas film industry on the global stage. This investment shares our unique stories as we shape narratives for the global market. Together, were making history! CS Maino said. (This story has been refiled to remove an incorrect picture.) By Riham Alkousaa BERLIN (Reuters) -Advocacy groups filed a criminal case against Germany's foreign and interior ministers on Friday, accusing them of failing to protect Afghan nationals in Pakistan with German admission approvals from deportation to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Pakistan has begun deporting documented Afghan refugees ahead of a September 1 deadline, a move the United Nations warns could force more than one million to leave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among those at risk are more than 2,000 Afghans approved for relocation to Germany under programmes for people deemed vulnerable under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. The relocations have been put on hold, pending a review by Germany's new conservative-led government as it tries to deliver on its election promise to curb migration. Refugee group PRO ASYL and the Patenschaftsnetzwerk Ortskraefte, a non-profit supporting former local staff who worked for Germany, filed a criminal complaint with Berlin prosecutors against Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. By allowing Pakistan to deport Afghans already accepted into German resettlement programmes, they said, the ministers had committed "abandonment" and "failure to render assistance" to people at risk under Section 221 of the Criminal Code. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They said more than 400 people approved for relocation to Germany had been arrested in Pakistan in recent weeks and 34 people had already been deported. Deportees face grave risks under Taliban rule, including imprisonment, mistreatment or execution, the groups said. Victoria Lies, a lawyer who represents several of those affected, said some of her clients had been separated from their families, and in one case, a girl had been sent back to Afghanistan alone. The foreign and interior ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit. However, Wadephul said on Friday his ministry was in "high-level contact with the Pakistani government to ensure the protection of these people and to provide rapid assistance to those who have been deported or arrested in recent days". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The interior ministry has said it cannot provide a timeline to determine the future of the admission programme but expects decisions soon. The two NGOs' complaint builds on a July 8 legal opinion commissioned by them, which said German officials could be criminally liable if they fail to prevent the deportations. It adds to more than 80 lawsuits by affected Afghans seeking German government approval for their visas, with courts siding with them in some cases, though the interior ministry has appealed those rulings. (Reporting by Riham AlkousaaEditing by Gareth Jones) President Harry Truman announced Aug. 14, 1945, that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to end World War II. In several stories published in an extra edition Aug. 15, the Democrat and Chronicle reported that Joy reigned supreme in the area. Jean Cocilova, 35 Sixth St., decided to serve coffee outdoors a little after 3 a.m. after the first bulletin came over the radio. This day means so much to all of us because there are so many boys from around here in the service, she said. The Sixth Street gathering evolved into breakfast for more than 20 by 8 a.m., the newspaper reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was not until noon, however, that the celebration hit its peak. Tables were set up in the middle of the street, a detour sign blocked the road, spaghetti and meatballs were prepared for over 50 celebrants and there was even guitar and mandolin music by Thomas Germano, 55 Sixth St. and John Infante, 55 Sixth St. Just as the last plates of spaghetti were being eaten, a spontaneous band of about 30 youngsters, bearing flags and tooting on clarinets and fifes, as well as noisemakers, plus several drummers, marched down toward Sixth Street from Central Park. Cocilova expected the celebration to last into the evening. OK, let 'er roll It was before dawn Aug. 15, 1945, and a time when Rochester normally is asleep, but this crowd didn't care how much din it made. Neither did anyone else. Japan had called it quits. Another story reported: Impromptu street parades choked downtown streets of many villages and cities, including Geneva, Seneca Falls and Waterloo where the crowds were swelled by enlisted men now on furlough or from the nearby Sampson Naval Training Station and the V-12 training class at Hobart College in Geneva. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Seneca Falls and Waterloo school bands led the shouting paraders, who added to the din by using bells, whistles and other noisemaking devices. In Geneva the Winnek American Legion Posts band led celebrants in a parade of downtown streets. Church services are scheduled in most area communities today or tonight and factories, stores and business houses will remain closed. In Canandaigua yesterday, the American flag which was lowered from the American Embassy in Tokyo when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, was raised over the Ontario County Courthouse, in anticipation of the surrender announcement which later was forthcoming. The flag was brought to the United States by H. Merrill Benninghoff, second secretary of the Embassy, when he returned with other diplomats in 1942. War workers laid off by cutbacks and cancellations forgot about jobs in the flush of victory, federal and state employment offices said. Its been like Saturday afternoon around here all day, one said. Eastman Kodak Co. President Thomas J. Hargrace thanked workers for helping to arm the forces, as well as thanking servicemen. In another story, though, Kodak warned stockholders that contract terminations and cutbacks were expected now that the war was over. It also mentioned that the Tennessee Eastman Corp. had operated one of the three major plants engaged in the production of atomic bombs, the Clinton Engineer Works in Oak Ridge, Tenn. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: How Rochester celebrated the end of World War II New rodent-killing technology underneath Boston street aims to reduce rat population Boston 25 News got an up close and personal look at new rodent-killing technology being tested in sewers along Bostons Italian mecca on Hanover Street. 27 mechanical sewer traps installed underneath manholes have resulted in about 60 rat kills in 60 days. Its the first major deployment of this new technology in the United States. Jeffrey Weisberg, with A1 Exterminators, was selected by the city of Boston for the pilot program that involves sewer traps in the North End. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some are installed more than 25 feet below the ground. The smart digital technology, already being used in some European countries, sends a communication signal via Bluetooth every time a rat perishes. The rodents basically have no way to get by the trap. When they go in, they have to trigger them, Weisberg told Boston 25 News. It comes through on an app on our phone, which we can see in real time the activity. Weisberg said the brick line, low-flow sewers in the North End are conducive tor rat burrowing, nesting, and traveling. He believes the sewer traps would be beneficial in other Boston neighborhoods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a way to document, not just the visual findings and guessing. This is hard data on whats active and where, he said. We know within 60 seconds of a kill. A1 Exterminators is also working with the city to install new surface traps in Chinatown in September. Those surface traps are equipped with a CO2 cylinder that fires a non-toxic piston. For the first time ever, the city is now measuring the rodent population itself with more than 250 censors installed citywide. We are currently in the middle of trying to understand what our baseline is, how many rodents are we actually seeing at these hotspots, said Boston Inspectional Services Commissioner Tania Del Rio. Now we need to collect four weeks of really clean data to understand what our baseline is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Del Rio said that data will lead to a few new neighborhood interventions in the months ahead using additional high-tech tools. Were really excited about our new burrow RX machines they utilize carbon dioxide which actually smokes the burrows, she said. Del Rio emphasizes that the city cannot exterminate its way out of this issue. The more a rat has to eat, the more they can reproduce, and they can reproduce really quickly, she added. Bostons Rodent Action Plan involves on-going input from neighbors across the city. Boston 25 News has reported on an uptick in rodent 311 complaints this summer, including rat sightings during daylight hours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some neighbors are doubtful that any strategy will have an impact in neighborhoods that dont containerize their trash. I just had one run over my foot on trash day. Its insane, said North End resident Mike OBrien. Theyre huge. They look like kittens running around. Residents in tightly packed communities, including the North End, the South End, and Beacon Hill, dont have room for trash bins in many apartment buildings. Some believe the city should stop allowing people to leave trash bags out the night before pickup. The city of Boston is still collecting feedback from neighbors through a series of community meetings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) A man who was shot by police after allegedly shooting and pistol-whipping another man on Weyl Street is now facing charges. In what Rochester Police Department Captain Greg Bello described as a complex scene, police responded Thursday evening for a call regarding a stolen vehicle. Around 7 p.m., while officers were investigating a stolen vehicle on Weyl Street, they said they witnessed 48-year-old Lavar McKnight chasing and shooting at someone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to RPD, they chased after both men into the backyard of a home. Officers said that McKnight was on top of the victim, pistol-whipping him. One officer shot McKnight after he refused orders to stop. Police recovered a handgun and what appears to be a large amount of narcotics from the scene. Police say the individuals are not connected to the initial call for the stolen vehicle. The victim had at least one gunshot wound in his jaw, and McKnight had one in his torso. Both were taken to the hospital, and both were discharged. McKnight has been charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon (2nd), criminal possession of a weapon (3rd), and criminal use of a firearm (2nd). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RPD said McKnight was prohibited from possessing a handgun due to two convictions. He was convicted in 2003 for conspiracy to sell drugs and was sentenced to over six years in prison and five years of post-supervised release. He was convicted on an assault charge in 2020 and was sentenced to a conditional discharge. More recently, police said he was arrested on July 24 on an assault and menacing charge in Gates and was arrested again on August 6 on a criminal attempt and assault charge but was released. Officers said the victim in both incidents was the same person. Both cases are still pending. 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 RochesterFirst. Darryl Chavis, 62, served in the U.S. Army for two years as a watercraft operator. He stands outside the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence, a short-term housing facility in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., where he lives. Chavis relies on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and is worried about new work requirements for the program, commonly known as food stamps. (Photo by Shalina Chatlani/Stateline) NEW YORK After a year in the U.S. Navy, Loceny Kamara said he was discharged in 2023, because while on base he had developed mental health issues, including severe anxiety and nightmares, and had fallen into alcoholism. Kamara, 23, went to rehab and managed to get sober for some time while living with family in the Bronx, he said. But after he lost his job as a security guard in December, Kamara was kicked out of his home. Now he lives at a veterans homeless shelter in Long Island City, a neighborhood in Queens, New York, and he relies on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP commonly known as food stamps and odd jobs to make ends meet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each month, nearly 42 million people receive SNAP benefits to help supplement their grocery budgets. Able-bodied SNAP recipients who are between 18 and 54 and dont have children have always been required to work. Veterans, however, have been exempt from those rules but thats about to change. The giant domestic policy measure that President Donald Trump signed on July 4 eliminates that exemption. Beginning in 2026, veterans will have to prove they are working, volunteering, participating in job training, or looking for work for at least 80 hours a month to keep their food stamps beyond three months, unless they qualify for another exemption, such as having certain disabilities. Republicans in Congress and conservatives who helped formulate the law say these eligibility changes are necessary to stop people who could be working from abusing the system. But critics say the change fails to take into account the barriers many veterans face, and that the new work rules will cause thousands of veterans to go hungry. Im pissed. I mean, I cannot get a job. Nowhere to live, said Kamara. As he spoke, Kamara pointed to his collared shirt, noting that he had just dressed up to interview for a job as a security guard. He learned that morning he hadnt gotten the job. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive been out of work for eight months, Kamara told Stateline. Its hard to get a job right now for everybody. Loceny Kamara, 27, was discharged from the U.S. Navy after serving for a year. In December, Kamara was kicked out of his home. Now he lives at the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence and relies on food stamps and odd jobs to make ends meet. (Photo by Shalina Chatlani/Stateline) Veterans depend on SNAP Nationally, around 1.2 million veterans with lower incomes, or about 8% of the total veteran population of 16.2 million, rely on food stamps for themselves and their families, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning research group. An analysis by the group found veterans tend to have lower rates of employment because they are more likely to have health conditions, such as traumatic brain injuries, that make it difficult for them to work. They also tend to have less formal education, though many have specialized skills from their time in the military. There has been a work requirement for most SNAP recipients since 1996. But Robert Rector, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, said the rules have never really been enforced. Rector argued that able-bodied people who have been exempt from the work requirement, such as veterans and homeless people, create an unnecessary burden on the system if they are capable of working but dont. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most of the people that are in this category live in households with other people that have incomes, and so there really isnt a chronic food shortage here, Rector said in an interview. We have tens of thousands of free food banks that people can go to. So its just a requirement to nudge these people in the proper direction, and it should no longer go unenforced. Darryl Chavis, 62, said that view ignores the difficulties that many veterans face. When Chavis left the U.S. Army at 21 after two years of service, he said, he was severely depressed. Nobody even came to help me, said Chavis, who served as a watercraft operator, responsible for operating and maintaining tugboats, barges and other landing craft. Chavis said he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, which has made it difficult for him to keep a job. He just moved back to New York from Virginia after leaving a relationship. Hes been at the housing shelter in Long Island City since January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What Im trying to do is get settled in to, you know, stabilize into an apartment. I have the credentials to get a job. So its not like Im not gonna look for a job. I have to work. Im in transition, and the obstacles dont make it easy, Chavis said. The new SNAP work rules apply to all able-bodied adults between 55 and 64 who dont have dependents, and parents with children above the age of 14. Some groups, such as asylum-seekers and refugees, are no longer eligible for the program. Barbara Guinn, commissioner of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, estimates that around 300,000 New Yorkers could lose SNAP benefits due to work requirements. Of those, around 22,000 are veterans, homeless or aging out of foster care, she said. Almost 3 million New Yorkers relied on SNAP as of March 2025. Veterans in other states are in a similar situation. In California, an estimated 115,000 veterans receive SNAP benefits, according to a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The number is nearly 100,000 in Florida and Texas, and 49,000 in Georgia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Between 2015 and 2019 about 11% of veterans between the ages of 18 and 64 lived in food insecure households, meaning they had limited or uncertain access to food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP. We know that SNAP is the best way to help address hunger. It gets benefits directly to individuals, Guinn said. There are other ways that people can get assistance if they need it, through food banks or other charitable organizations, but we do not think that those organizations will have the capacity to pick up the needs. A greater burden on states In addition to the work rule changes, the new law reduces federal funding for SNAP by about $186 billion through 2034 a cut of roughly 20%, according to the Congressional Budget Office, an independent research arm of Congress. The federal government expects the new work requirements to reduce SNAP spending by $69 billion as people who dont comply are dropped from the rolls. SNAP has historically been funded by the federal government, with states picking up part of the cost of administering the program. Under the new law, states will have to cover between 5% and 15% of SNAP costs starting in fiscal year 2028, depending on how accurately they distribute benefits to people who are eligible for the program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement his has been a strategic agenda to dismantle SNAP and to blame states for doing so, because they knew they are making it so incredibly burdensome to run and operate and unaffordable, said Gina Plata-Nino, SNAP deputy director at the Food Research & Action Center, a poverty and hunger advocacy group. States are going to have to cut something, because theres no surplus. There are no unlimited resources that states may have in order to be able to offset the harm. Guinn said New York expects to see a new cost burden of at least $1.4 billion each year. In California, new state costs could total as much as $3.7 billion annually, according to the California Department of Social Services. Kaitlynne Yancy, director of membership programs at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said many veterans with disabilities will not be able to fulfill the work requirements or find resources elsewhere. And its unclear whether states will be able to provide their own relief to people who are no longer exempted from work requirements or will be excluded from the program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is a frustrating thing to see, especially for those that have been willing to put everything on the line and sacrifice everything for this country if their country called them to do so, she said. Yancy, 35, served in the U.S. Navy from 2010 to 2014. She began to use food stamps and the Medicaid program, the public health insurance program for people with lower incomes, as she navigated lifes challenges. They included going back to school to pursue her bachelors degree, becoming a single mother, and a leukemia diagnosis for one of her children. Frequent trips to the hospital made it hard for her to work steadily or attend school for 20 hours each week, she said. Guinn said the new rules will create significant administrative challenges, too; even SNAP recipients who are working will struggle to prove it. Maybe theyre working one month, they have a job, and then their employer cuts their hours the next month, Guinn told Stateline. There are mechanisms for people to upload documentation as needed to demonstrate compliance with the program, but from an administrative standpoint, right now, we dont have any super-high-tech automated way of doing this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stateline reporter Shalina Chatlani can be reached at schatlani@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. Five rural counties in Utah are demanding change in federal management of forests in the wake of the rampant wildfires this year. One only needs to look at the Monroe Canyon fire near Richfield, which is among the biggest wildfires in the United States, to underscore the reality of what is happening in the West. Landscapes are charred and evacuations are becoming more commonplace. Some elected officials in Utah are saying no more and assert land management needs a different approach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think in the past we have over managed our forests and currently we are in an under-management cycle. We need to return to a balanced practice, said Kane County Commissioner Celeste Meyeres. She has been a critical player in this effort. On Friday, the five-county Southwest group through the Association of Governments adopted a wildfire resolution to emphasize their concerns. It reads: Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane and Washington have all suffered either direct or indirect damage to local economies, cultures, history and heritage due to decades of forests being under-managed, leading to devastating fires, and other losses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The resolution calls for a number of actions that include maintaining tree density and diversity, as well as the clearing of vegetation that can act as a tinderbox for fires in a state burdened with drought. Some other demands include: Conservation in tandem with harvesting Multi-use development of resources; timber, minerals, recreation, water, grazing and wildlife Prescribed burns as safe and necessary for healthy forests In July, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency due to the prolific wildfire season, a move that will provide critical assistance to impacted communities. Cox said the cost of fighting fires in Utah so far this year has easily eclipsed more than $1 million, and more expenses are anticipated as the fire season is far from over and crews will have to spend considerable time, effort and money to mop up the aftermath. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials are already seeing the impacts to forested lands in Utah and other states when it comes to wildlife habitat. Eventually, erosion will become a growing nightmare. They fear it is only going to get worse, with the impacts surpassing what was witnessed last season, and it is only August. Meyeres said it will take a collective, disciplined approach to how lands are managed to mitigate these fire risks. We need to be careful, she said. But we all play in our respective camps where winner takes all and it is a zero sum game. There needs to be judicious and careful balance. The goal is to get everyone talking about the risks in an increasingly arid West, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nothing is off the table. We should come together and put our egos aside. Wildfires are creeping into all areas of the state, demanding proactive approaches among multiple agencies. The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands is paying particular attention to wildfire risks in the Wasatch canyons, conducting an on-the-ground survey to determine what can be done to mitigate the problem and keep people safe. Russian troops attacked a settlement in the Koriukivka hromada of Chernihiv Oblast with a ballistic missile late on 14 August. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town along with their adjacent territories ed.] Source: Viacheslav Chaus, Head of Chernihiv Oblast State Administration Quote from Chaus: "The Russians attacked a village in the Koriukivka hromada with a ballistic missile late yesterday evening [on 14 August]. An agricultural facility was damaged, as well as roofs and windows of a few residential buildings. Aftermath of the Russian attack on Chernihiv Oblast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Photo: National Police of Ukraine A commission estimated the damage and recorded the losses at the site of the attack. The hromada, together with charitable organisations, is already dealing with the aftermath of the attack and helping people to recover." Background: On 15 August, the Air Force reported that the Russians had been attacking Ukraine since the evening of 14 August with 2 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 97 Shahed-type attack UAVs and various types of decoy drones. A total of 63 drones were downed, but 34 of them reached their targets. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Russian forces have attacked Ukraine since the evening of 14 August with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 97 Shahed-type attack UAVs and various types of decoy drones. A total of 63 drones have been destroyed, but 34 struck their targets. Source: Air Force of Ukraine on Telegram Quote from the Air Force: "Early reports indicate that as of 08:00, air defence have destroyed or jammed 63 enemy Shahed UAVs and various types of decoy drones over Ukraines north and east. Missile strikes and 34 UAV hits were recorded at 13 locations." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: The missiles were launched from Russias Voronezh and Bryansk oblasts, and the UAVs were launched from the Russian cities of Kursk, Oryol, Bryansk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Shatalovo. The drones attacked frontline areas of Kharkiv, Sumy, Donetsk and Chernihiv oblasts, while the missiles targeted Kharkiv and Chernihiv oblasts. Ukrainian aircraft, electronic warfare units, unmanned systems units and mobile fire groups repelled the airstrike. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! WASHINGTON As President Donald Trump heads to Alaska on Friday to meet with the KGB agent turned dictator for whom he has long held a fawning admiration, Russia experts worry that the big loser will be Ukraine, the neighbor Vladimir Putin invaded three and a half years ago. Therere lots of ways this can go wrong, said Fiona Hill, a Russia analyst on the National Security Council during Trumps first term. Im kind of worried about the fact that its supposed to be a one-on-one. Hills concern of a one-on-one between Trump and Putin was allayed Friday during the flight to Alaska. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters aboard Air Force One that the one-on-one meeting with Putin would now be a three-on-three instead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump will be joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who as a Florida senator was known as a Russia and Putin skeptic, and Steve Witkoff, a friend of Trump from his real estate days in New York whom critics believe has been an easy mark for Putin in their discussions to date. Trump traveled to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage for the meeting with Putin, with the stated goal of ending the bloodshed caused by Russias invasion. It will be Trumps first meeting with Putin, now widely considered a war criminal, since Trump returned to office in January. Putin would face arrest traveling to most countries and needed a waiver of U.S. sanctions to set foot on American soil. Related: Trump Has A Stark Warning For Vladimir Putin Ahead Of Their Alaska Meeting Trumps summit, though, was hastily scheduled with little groundwork, apart from meetings conducted by Witkoff, whose last trip generated confusion after Witkoff apparently misunderstood Putins demands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think that the main thing to watch is whether Putin is able to use his KGB training to bring Trump back under his spell, said John Bolton, Trumps national security adviser at the time of his only previous summit with Putin in 2018. And they can get back to being Vladimir and Donald, the good friends that Trump thought they were until they couldnt get a ceasefire out of Putin for the first six months of this term. How much Trump actually pushes Putin to end his slaughter in Ukraine remains to be seen. In the days following the invasion in February 2022, Trump called Putin a genius and savvy for having done so. As former President Joe Biden pulled together a coalition to help Ukraine, Trump instead began blaming Biden and claiming that Putin never would have invaded had Trump remained in office. Related: 'I'm Fine!': CNN's Jake Tapper Awkwardly Caught On Hot Mic Amid Trump-Putin Summit For most of last year, Trump promised he would end the war on the day he returned to the White House or even before. Two hundred and seven days later, Russias assault continues, with missile and drone attacks on civilians only getting deadlier and more frequent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only in recent weeks has Trump acknowledged the brutality of Russias attacks. He did so again on Wednesday when asked if he thought he could persuade Putin to stop. Trump responded that he thought he had made that case to Putin several times now, only to see yet more bombardments that night. So I guess the answer to that is no, because Ive had this conversation, he told reporters during a visit to the Kennedy Center. U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for a news conference in Helsinki, Finland, in 2018. AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders of Americas European allies, meanwhile, tried to head off potential disaster by preemptively arranging a call with Trump on Wednesday to warn him that Putins word has little value. Its [the] most important thing that Europe convinces Donald Trump that one cant trust Russia, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters after the call with Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Germanys new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said leaders made it clear that Ukraine must be at the table as soon as follow-up meetings take place. Trump has already given Putin the gift of a meeting with the president of the United States in the United States, said Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia and now a professor at Stanford University. I hope Trump has a strategy for getting something in return. So far, I see little evidence that he does have a strategy. Eager to be proved wrong on Friday. Related: Trump Eases Up On Vladimir Putin By Offering The Russian Dictator 1 Major Concession For Trump, though, the fact that he is having a summit with an autocratic leader could well be more important than any particular result. Related: In Trump's Redistricting Push, Democrats Find An Aggressive Identity And Progressives Are On Board Trump was dazzled by the reception he received when he visited Chinas Xi Jinping in Beijing in November 2017, gushing over the food, his trip to the Forbidden City, the military display. My feeling towards you is incredibly warm, he told Xi. Youre a very special man. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For years, Trump boasted that he was the first U.S. president to meet with North Koreas dictator in 2018. He proudly displayed a photo in the West Wing of himself shaking hands with Kim Jong Un after Trump subsequently traveled to the DMZ during a trip to South Korea. After he lost reelection in 2020, Trump took the photo with him and hung it in a restaurant at his Trump Tower in Manhattan. He enjoys palling around with them. He thinks Xi Jinping is a friend, Bolton said. After the first meeting in Singapore with Kim Jong Un, Trump said they fell in love. Trump similarly sought out a one-on-one meeting with Putin during his first term, even though there was no agreement or even a framework to finalize the customary prerequisites for a summit. At the end of that meeting in Helsinki, Trump infamously declared he believed Putin, a trained Soviet-era spy, over his own intelligence agencies about Russias work to help him win the 2016 election. Trumps claim that he would be able to end the war in Ukraine in a single day stemmed from his view that he got along great with both Zelenskyy and Putin a questionable assertion, at best. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Trump has been trying to curry favor with Putin since at least 2013, when he was hosting a beauty pageant in Moscow Will he become my new best friend? Trump wrote on social media there is no evidence Putin respects Trump. Indeed, heading into the Alaska meeting, Putin openly insulted Trump and the United States generally by awarding an Order of Lenin medal to a CIA official whose son was killed in Ukraine while fighting for Russia. The 21-year-old suffered from mental health problems, and that medal has been obsolete since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Putins government also announced this week that the only way to end the war was for Ukraine to give it all the territory that Russia has been unable to take by force after 42 months of trying. And Trumps relationship with Zelenskyy began with his attempt to extort him into announcing an investigation into then-candidate Biden, withholding congressionally approved military aid as leverage. Trump was ultimately impeached for his actions, but remained in office because all but one Republican senator voted not to remove him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has ever since then disparaged Zelenskyy, at one point even calling the democratically elected leader a dictator. Even if Trumps personal views toward Putin and Zelenskyy did not complicate matters, Bolton said he wonders what purpose a meeting with Putin serves right now. The Russians understand force, and right now, Putin is being told hes winning on the battlefield, and I think by at least some metric, he is, he said. The only way to get the Russians to negotiate seriously is to do more to show that their military position in Ukraine is weak, to show that if they dont negotiate, Ukraine is going to win the war. Related... Read the original on HuffPost Russia's jobless rate is at a historic low, but "hidden unemployment" has risen as firms cut hours. The number of workers put on "downtime" when they remain on payroll but are not working has been on the rise. Putin has acknowledged the rise and says the government must act to address it. Russia's jobless rate is at a record low due to a labor crunch but that's only part of the story. A wave of "hidden unemployment" is building as companies slash hours and quietly cut staff. Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the trend on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Hidden unemployment is growing, meaning that some workers are in the so-called downtime, employed part-time, or are at risk of being laid off," Putin said at a meeting on economic issues. The term "downtime" refers to periods when employees remain on payroll but are not working, often due to a slowdown in production. Official figures show the trend accelerating: 98,000 people were classified as falling into the three categories at the start of 2025. That number climbed to 153,000 by late June, and hit 199,000 as of August 8 roughly double the number at the start of the year. Last month, Avtovaz, the maker of Russia's best-selling car brand, said it may move to a four-day workweek after sales slumped this year. The automaker employs over 30,000 people. Other companies in transportation and heavy industry have made similar cuts, according to Russian media reports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In July, officials in the Sverdlovsk region acknowledged "changes in the economy" that are prompting some enterprises to reduce head count or move workers to part-time schedules. Retail is also under strain. A July report from Russia's central bank said the number of people employed in the wholesale and retail sector has fallen over the year, largely due to the mass closures of car dealerships. The same report found that the share of companies planning to cut staff jumped from 6.9% in January to 11.5% in June. While demand for workers is weakening in some sectors, Russia is also facing a long-term demographic crisis that threatens to shrink its labor force even further. In 2024, births fell to their lowest level since 1999. The war in Ukraine is further straining the labor force, as battlefield losses and a brain drain sap the country's supply of young, skilled workers. Beyond jobs, other warning signs emerge The Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting, a think tank aligned with the Russian government, has warned of "not the most favorable structural shift" in investment, with investments moving away from Russia's civilian private sector. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That's fueling growth in some state-backed industries while problems mount elsewhere. Even as the jobless rate stays low at 2.2%, the number of registered unemployed has risen from 274,000 in January to 300,000 in early August. Putin said the government needs to "sense ongoing trends and respond" to prevent "excessive cooling of the economy." Putin's comments came ahead of a meeting with President Donald Trump in Alaska to discuss the Ukraine war, with Russia's sanctions-hit economy grappling with mounting pressure. This will be the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders in years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia's GDP grew just 1.1% in the second quarter, slowing from 1.4% in the first quarter and sharply down from 4% a year earlier. Oil and gas revenues a crucial source of the Kremlin's war funding have fallen amid weak crude prices. Meanwhile, frequent internet outages tied to security measures against Ukrainian drone strikes are disrupting the digital economy, making it harder for people to make electronic payments and use apps. Read the original article on Business Insider The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) has alleged that the government is plotting to abduct former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua when he returns from the United States. In a Thursday, August 14 statement, DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala said Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen had issued public threats to arrest Gachagua. Malala further alleged that the party had received credible intelligence pointing to a more sinister plan. While our Party Leader was abroad forging a path for democratic renewal, the regime was hatching a dangerous and cold-blooded plot. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen have shamelessly issued public threats to arrest H.E. Gachagua upon arrival. Intelligence reaching us points to a scheme so evil, so cowardly, that it chills the soul: their intent is to subject him to slow and silent assassination by poisoning the very same cruel method once inflicted on the late Kenneth Matiba while in state custody. This is not hearsay. It is a deliberate plot to silence the voice of the people by physically destroying its leader, the statement read. According to Malala, the alleged plan involves intercepting Gachagua at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and placing him under house arrest. Their plan upon his arrival at JKIA is to abduct, intimidate, brutalize and eventually place him under house arrest, cut him off from his supporters, and deny him the right to address the nation. They want to kill his voice and his body at the same time. But let this be clear: if they dare lay a hand on him, the country will grind to a halt, the statement continued. The party cautioned that, unlike during Gachaguas impeachment, any fresh attempt to silence its leader would be met with fierce resistance. They did this during his impeachment. He responded by asking his supporters to stand down and protest by singing melodies, but this time round, let the plotters know that the song is different, the rhythm tougher, and we will turn it into a cacophony of defiance. There comes a time when enough has to be enough, and that time is now, the statement added. DCP further accused the government of scheming to reroute Gachaguas flight to another airport to block him from addressing the public on arrival. Nelson Koech, Chair of the National Assembly Defence Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee, has revealed another calculated provocation: a plan to divert H.E. Gachaguas flight to Mombasa or Kisumu International Airport so that they deny him an opportunity to give a much-anticipated address to the nation. This disruptive plan by a paranoid regime will not only disrupt the travel plans of innocent passengers but also risk damaging Kenyas foreign relations,* the statement continued. DCP urged its supporters to gather in massive numbers at JKIA and other airports if authorities divert Gachaguas flight. Our message is simple: we will not be intimidated. If they divert the plane, our supporters in Kisumu and Mombasa will turn those airports into oceans of DCP colours and defiance. We are calling upon our supporters in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa to turn up in unprecedented numbers. This is not just a welcome, it is a statement to the world that Kenya belongs to her people, not to a clique of power-hungry men who weaponise the state against its citizens, the statement concluded. Earlier on Thursday, Gachagua announced that he would cut short his US tour to return home and prepare for the upcoming by-elections. Russia has upgraded its ballistic missiles with more maneuverability, the US said this week. The improvements have made the missiles more challenging for Ukraine's inventory of Patriot systems. The American-made Patriot has long been Ukraine's best defense against Russian ballistic missiles. Russia has been upgrading its ballistic missiles, giving them more maneuverability and creating new challenges for Ukraine's vaunted American-made Patriot air defense systems, according to a US defense intelligence assessment. A special report published this week by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General said that the Ukrainian Air Force has struggled to consistently use its Patriot systems to intercept Russian ballistic missiles due to recent "tactical improvements" that Moscow made to the weapons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These improvements to the weapons include "enhancements that enable their missiles to change trajectory and perform maneuvers rather than flying in a traditional ballistic trajectory," said the report, which covers US assistance to Ukraine during the spring and early summer and was first reported by The War Zone. The special report, which relied on information provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, noted two Russian attacks: one on June 28, during which Russia launched seven ballistic missiles and Ukraine shot down one; and another on July 9, when Kyiv intercepted seven of 13 missiles. Ukraine has previously acknowledged improvements that Russia has made to increase the maneuverability of its ballistic missiles, but the report marks a concerning assessment for the Patriot air defenses that the US and many of its allies and partners also rely on for missile defense. The US Army is learning from Ukraine's use of the Patriot surface-to-air missile system. US Army Europe The US military is closely watching how Ukraine is using its coveted Patriots to defend against Russian missiles. The developments outlined in the new report also have implications beyond this war as America considers air defense demands in potential future fights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The American-made MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system is the top tier of Ukraine's air defense network and is considered its best defense against Russian ballistic missiles, which include the domestically produced 9K720 Iskander, the air-launched Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, and North Korea's KN-23, among other weapons, but Ukraine has been seeing more of these weapons break through its integrated air defense network. Ukraine is thought to have at least six operational Patriot batteries, which were transferred to Kyiv by a small number of NATO countries, including the US. Washington and its allies have also sent interceptor missiles, though there are regular concerns that stockpiles are quickly being depleted. Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have routinely pressed NATO for more Patriot batteries and additional ammunition. Amid worsening Russian missile attacks, the White House said last month that it would transfer more systems to Ukraine through its European partners a sidestep for President Donald Trump, who has taken a less enthusiastic approach to arming Kyiv than the previous administration. Earlier this month, Germany announced that it would send two more Patriot systems to Ukraine imminently and then ship more in the coming months. The US, meanwhile, agreed to backfill Berlin's arsenal with new batteries amid broader efforts by NATO to ramp up the delivery of American-made weaponry to Kyiv as it faces Russian advances in key sectors of the battlefield. Read the original article on Business Insider Russian attacks in Ukraine killed at least six civilians and injured at least 17, including a child, over the past day, regional authorities reported on Aug. 15. The attacks take place shortly before a high-stakes summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, part of Washington's efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Russia launched 97 Shahed-type drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, as well as two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, the Air Force reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 63 drones, while 34 drones struck 13 locations, according to the statement. A 55-year-old man was injured during a Russian air strike against the Synelnykove district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. Multiple apartment buildings, houses, a school, an industrial facility, a fire station, a pharmacy, and other buildings were damaged in Russian attacks across the region. In Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks killed one person in the town of Kostiantynivka and another in the village of Virivka, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported. Seven people were wounded in the region over the past day. Russian attacks killed four people and injured two in Kharkiv Oblast, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov. The fatalities included a 64-year-old man killed in the village of Kozacha Lopan, a man and a woman aged 69 in the village of Nechvolodivka, and a 38-year-old man in the village of Nova Kozacha. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Kherson Oblast, Russian strikes killed one person and injured five, including a child, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. A multi-story building, 22 houses, farm buildings, gas pipelines, and a car were damaged. In Sumy Oblast, a 32-year-old man was injured during a drone attack against the Myropillia community, the regional military administration said. A separate Russian attack against the city of Sumy started a fire at a gas station and injured one civilian, according to the State Emergency Service. Read also: Trump doesnt have enough leverage to stop Russia, Ukrainian soldiers say ahead of Alaska talks Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. By Tom Balmforth and Jonathan Landay LONDON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Russia is preparing to test its new nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered cruise missile and if successful, plans to use the results to bolster its negotiating position with the West, Ukrainian military intelligence said on Friday. Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for the service, issued the written statement to Reuters just before U.S. President Donald Trump was due to hold talks in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending Moscow's war in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He did not give an assessment of the possible timing of the test in the statement, given in response to questions submitted by Reuters for a report published on Tuesday that Moscow was preparing to test the 9M730 Burevestnik cruise missile. He did not say how his service arrived at its assessment. It has for years received intelligence from the United States and its NATO allies, and it has its own networks inside Russia. Reuters on Tuesday reported two U.S. researchers and a Western security source as saying that Moscow was readying a test of the Burevestnik at its Pankovo test site on the Barents Sea archipelago of Novaya Zemlya. The researchers said imagery from Planet Labs, a commercial satellite firm, showed extensive activities at the site, increases in personnel and equipment and the presence of ships and aircraft associated with previous tests of the weapon dubbed the SSC-X-9 Skyfall by NATO. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Russian defense ministry, the Pentagon and the CIA declined to comment for that report. The White House did not comment directly on whether a test was being prepared, saying in response to a question about it that Trump wanted peace in Ukraine. Yusov said Moscow, which has threatened to use nuclear weapons over the Ukraine war, saw a test as diplomatic leverage. "Russia is preparing for another round of tests of the 9M730 Burevestnik," his statement said. "The purpose of these tests is to validate scientific and technical solutions implemented by the missile." "If successful, Russia will leverage the test results to defend its interests in negotiations with the West," he continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin has said the weapon is "invincible" to missile defenses, with an almost unlimited range and unpredictable flight path. But many experts say it is unclear if the missile can evade defenses, would not give Moscow capabilities it does not already have, and would spew radiation. The Burevestnik has a poor test record, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative advocacy group, with two partial successes among 13 known tests. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Tom Balmforth; editing by Philippa Fletcher) Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Alaska on Aug. 15 for a high-stakes summit, part of Washington's effort to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine. Both leaders met for a photo opportunity after disembarking their planes around 11 a.m. local time. Putin joined Trump in the U.S. president's motorcade en route to the location of the meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although Ukraine is on top of the agenda, President Volodymyr Zelensky has not been invited to the summit, sparking fears in Kyiv and Europe that Putin and Trump might strike a deal unfavorable to the war-torn country. The two leaders began their meeting at the U.S. military Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage at around 11:30 a.m. local time. The event will mark their first face-to-face talks of Trump's second term and their first meeting in six years, as well as Putin's first visit to U.S. soil in a decade. The meeting concluded around 2 p.m. local time, approximately two-and-a-half hours after the the talks began. Putin and Trump are expected to hold a joint news conference at the conclusion of their meeting. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff accompanied Trump to the meeting, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential aide Yuri Ushakov participated alongside Putin in a "three-on-three" meeting. The discussions will also include a working breakfast and negotiations in a wider format in a "five-on-five" structure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As ongoing discussions between the two world leaders continue, Russia has launched multiple aerial attacks towards Ukraine, officials reported. The Air Force said that a group of Russian attack drones were en route towards Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, while a Russian KAB glide bomb was deployed targeting Ukraine's front line regions. Trump and his team boarded Air Force One at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland just before 8 a.m. local time, starting a seven-hour flight to Alaska, the Guardian reported. The U.S. president is accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and other officials, Reuters reported, citing the White House. According to CNN sources, U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg was excluded from the delegation due to Russia's position. The Russian side reportedly views Kellogg as strongly sympathetic to Ukraine, raising concerns that his presence could have been counterproductive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Talking to journalists aboard the plane, Trump said that territorial swaps will be discussed in the talks, but he has "got to let Ukraine make that decision," adding he thinks "they'll make a proper decision." "But I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine," the U.S. president said, claiming that Putin would be taking "all of Ukraine" if Trump were not in office. He also said that Russia may be trying to "set the stage" for negotiations by fresh drone strikes. "Maybe it's just his (Putin's) fabric, his genes, his genetics, but he thinks that gives him strength in negotiating. I think it hurts him," he said, adding he would discuss the matter with Putin. The U.S. president spoke by phone with Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, widely regarded as Putin's closest ally, ahead of the summit, according to Lukashenko's press service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump confirmed the call, saying they discussed the release of 1,300 political prisoners and Putin's upcoming visit to Alaska. He added that he "looks forward" to meeting Lukashenko in person. Two undisclosed U.S. administration officials told NBC News that Trump would roll out the red carpet and welcome Putin personally at the Elmendorf-Richardson base upon his arrival. The Russian delegation includes foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who has already arrived in Alaska while sporting a sweatshirt with the Russian inscription "USSR." Dmitriev published photos from a plane flying over Alaska, praising its "sunny and beautiful" landscape. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moscow Patriarch Kirill, a close ally of Putin and supporter of the war against Ukraine, held a prayer service "before the beginning of every good deed," dedicated to the upcoming summit. Kirill, born Vladimir Gundyayev, said on Aug. 15 that the meeting "will bring hope and peace to all humanity and will contribute to the further development of comprehensive relations between Russia and the U.S.," according to the Russian Orthodox Church's press service. Just hours before the summit, Zelensky wrote that "it's time to end the war," expressing hope that the meeting would deliver "the real path to a lasting peace." "I am expecting a report today from intelligence on the current intentions of the Russian side and its preparations for the meeting in Alaska," Zelensky said on Telegram. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is time to end the war, and Russia must take the necessary steps. We are counting on America. We are ready, as always, to work as productively as possible." He also addressed the situation on the front lines, claiming Ukraine "is making progress." "We are countering attempts by Russian forces to gain a foothold and increasing pressure from our units," Zelensky wrote. "Today, a decision has been made to further strengthen this and other areas in Donetsk Oblast." On Aug. 11, Ukrainian battlefield monitoring group DeepState reported that Russian forces had pushed toward the DobropilliaKramatorsk highway in eastern Donetsk Oblast, capturing positions in nearby settlements to support further offensive operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pokrovsk, located about 70 kilometers (43 miles) northwest of Donetsk, remains one of the most fiercely contested sectors of the front, where Moscow has concentrated its main offensive efforts since March. According to Zelensky, the Russian army continues to suffer heavy losses as it tries to secure more favorable political positions for the Kremlin ahead of the Alaska meeting. "We understand this plan and are informing our partners about the real situation." In his evening address, Zelensky said that even ahead of the summit, Russian forces continue to carry out deliberate attacks across Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Sumy a Russian strike hit the central market. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast strikes on cities and industrial sites. Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Donetsk oblasts deliberate Russian attacks," he said. "The war continues. It continues exactly because there is no order, nor any signals that Moscow is preparing to end this war." The U.S. president struck a confident note ahead of the summit, saying on Aug. 14 that Putin is "going to make a deal." Trump also said he aims to organize a subsequent trilateral meeting involving Zelensky and possibly European leaders. "I think it's going to be a good meeting, but the more important meeting will be the second meeting that we will be having," he said, referring to a possible summit with the Ukrainian president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has previously described the summit with Putin as a "feel-out" session to gauge Moscow's readiness for peace. An unnamed U.S. official told CNN that "all options remain on the table" for the summit, adding that Trump could walk out if he feels Putin is not serious about reaching a deal. Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Aug. 15 that she would consider nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize if he plays a crucial role in ending the war in Ukraine. "If he could end it (the war) without putting Ukraine in a position where it had to concede its territory to the aggressor, could really stand up to Putin... if President Trump were the architect of that, I'd nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize," Clinton told the Raging Moderates podcast. According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, no documents are expected to be signed following the summit, and the two sides will later outline the scope of agreements that they will be able to achieve. While the settlement of the war in Ukraine will be the central topic, economic cooperation and global security will also be discussed, Moscow said. According to Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukraine's presidential office, the country will judge the meeting on whether it produces a ceasefire, ensures that the next steps are agreed in coordination with Ukraine and Europe, and sends a clear message to other countries that supporting Russia will lead to isolation and the loss of access to global markets. "No trading of territories, no special status for occupied areas. First, people stop dying, then politics begins," Podolyak wrote on Telegram. The meeting with Putin represents a clear break from the diplomatic isolation imposed on the Kremlin's leader by Trump's predecessor, former U.S. President Joe Biden, after the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022. "It seems that Russia is gradually emerging from the isolation it found itself in in 2022," Fedor Krasheninnikov, a Russian political analyst and Kremlin critic, told the Kyiv Independent. "Just yesterday, he (Putin) was still a war criminal no one intended to engage with, and now Trump is inviting him personally to America, and treating him as one of the parties to the conflict not as the aggressor," said exiled Russian opposition figure Dmitry Gudkov. Sign up for our newsletter WTF is wrong with Russia? Sign up The summit was preceded by a flurry of diplomacy in Kyiv, as Zelensky was in close contact with European allies. On Aug. 13, the Ukrainian president held a video call with Trump and European leaders, during which Trump pledged to make a ceasefire in Ukraine one of his priorities in talks with Putin. Since returning to office in January, Trump has pledged to broker a swift peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow efforts that quickly stalled as Russia repeatedly rejected a ceasefire and pushed maximalist demands during peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul. Publicly, Putin has demanded a ban on Ukraine's NATO membership and a full Ukrainian withdrawal from partially occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, among other conditions. Zelensky has rejected the possibility of recognizing the Russian occupation of Ukrainian territory and ceding additional land, calling for a ceasefire as the first step toward peace negotiations, a position supported by Kyiv's European allies Tim Zadorozhnyy contributed reporting. Read also: From war criminal to US guest Trump invites Putin out of isolation Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Russian drone attacked a car in Okhtyrka district's Velyka Pysarivka hromada on the morning of 15 August. The 73-year-old driver was killed in the attack on a village. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town along with their adjacent territories ed.] Source: Oleh Hryhorov, Head of Sumy Oblast Military Administration Quote from Hryhorov: "A Russian drone attacked a car in a village in the Velyka Pysarivska hromada at around 7:00. A 73-year-old driver was killed." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Hryhorov expressed his condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. It was also reported that a medical vehicle was damaged as a result of the Russian attack. Background: A Russian drone attack on Sumy injured one person and caused a fire at a petrol station. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived at a hotel in Anchorage, Alaska, where US-Russia talks are to take place, wearing a sweater that appears to have "USSR" in Russian written on it. Source: a video shared by Russian outlet Izvestia; European Pravda Details: Lavrov got out of the car and walked into the hotel where he is staying for the summit. Part of the writing on his sweater, which appeared to say "USSR", could be seen under his black gilet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to a question from the Izvestia journalist, Lavrov said he had visited Alaska before. The Russian official appears to be wearing a sweater sold by the Russian clothing brand SelSovet, founded in 2017 in Chelyabinsk. Its price is listed on the companys website as RUB 10,990 (about US$137). Background: Earlier, Ukraines Center for Countering Disinformation reported that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin was preparing "historical materials" for the summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska to argue that Ukraine is an "artificial state". Trump has said he expects Putin to take the meeting seriously and warned of "very serious consequences" for Moscow if the Russian leader refuses to take steps toward ending the war. A pro-Ukrainian rally took place in Anchorage on the eve of the Trump-Putin summit. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Racing down the A4 highway used to mean watching for those familiar gray boxes perched on overhead gantries. Not anymore. Dozens of speed cameras across major Dutch roads sit powerless after Russian state-linked hackers crippled the systems that connect them to law enforcement databases. The July 17 cyberattack on the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service didnt just steal datait neutered an entire traffic enforcement network indefinitely. Security Breach Exploits Ignored Warnings Dutch authorities failed to patch a known vulnerability for weeks, giving hackers extended access to sensitive systems. The hackers exploited a Citrix NetScaler zero-day vulnerability that the Dutch National Cyber Security Centre had flagged in June. Yet the Public Prosecution Service (OM) failed to implement patches promptly, reportedly allowing attackers unfettered access for at least three weeks. During that time, Russian operativespossibly with Chinese supportburrowed deep into systems containing active court cases, police investigations, and staff sensitive data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To get more in-depth news and expert analysis on global affairs from WPR, sign up for our free Daily Review newsletter. Speed cameras might seem like low-stakes targets, but these systems store far more than just license plate snapshots. The compromised infrastructure spans critical A and N roads nationwide, affecting: Fixed cameras Average speed cameras Mobile enforcement units that monitor both major highways and secondary routes Why Cameras Cant Simply Switch Back On Precautionary shutdowns reveal how interconnected modern enforcement technology has become. While the cameras themselves werent directly compromised, the supporting infrastructure that processes violations and generates fines remains tainted. Authorities cant risk reactivating cameras until theyre certain hackers havent planted backdoors or data-harvesting mechanisms. A CVOM spokesperson called the situation unprecedentedspeed cameras occasionally go offline for maintenance, but never systemwide for security reasons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The enforcement network depends on a complex digital chain that, once broken by state-level adversaries, doesnt easily repair. Officials have deliberately withheld information about which specific cameras are offline to prevent motorists from exploiting the gaps in coverage. Geopolitical Payback Hits Your Commute Security experts link the attack to Dutch-led investigations into Russian war crimes and the MH17 airliner downing. This wasnt random cybercrime. The timing suggests retaliation for the Netherlands prominent role investigating the 2014 MH17 shootdown and Russian war crimes. Some Dutch motorists are ironically celebrating the camera outage, treating it like an unexpected reprieve from traffic enforcement. However, security analysts warn this represents something darker: critical infrastructure becoming collateral damage in international conflicts. The attack exposes how modern warfare reaches beyond military targets into the mundane technology governing daily life. This incident reflects a broader pattern of Russian cyberattacks targeting European NATO allies infrastructure due to their support for Ukraine. When geopolitical tensions can disable the cameras monitoring morning commutes, no infrastructure feels genuinely secure anymore, highlighting the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. A Russian strike on central Sumy sparked a fire on Aug. 15, hitting civilian infrastructure, Governor Oleh Hryhorov reported on Telegram. "The enemy struck civilian infrastructure in the central part of Sumy," Hryhorov wrote, without specifying the type of weapon used. He added that emergency crews are responding, but details on casualties are still being confirmed. Sumy Oblast, which borders Russia, has been repeatedly shelled and targeted by missiles and drones since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latest attack came just hours before U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were set to meet in Alaska for their first talks since Trump returned to office, and Putin's first visit to the U.S. in a decade. In his evening address, President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia's ongoing strikes, listing attacks in Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Donetsk oblasts. "The war continues," Zelensky said. "It continues exactly because there is no order, nor any signals that Moscow is preparing to end this war." While the White House has billed the summit as part of Washington's push to end the war, Ukrainian and European officials have raised concerns over Kyiv's exclusion from the talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Trump departs for high-stakes Putin summit in Alaska, says he wont decide for Ukraine on territory swaps Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Days before the summit between the leaders of Russia and the U.S. in Alaska, Moscow's forces breached Ukrainian lines in a series of infiltrations in the country's industrial heartland of Donetsk. Though the advances amount to only a limited success for Russia since it still needs to consolidate its gains before achieving a true breakthrough, analysts say, it's a potentially dangerous moment for Ukraine. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold their high-stakes discussion about the war in Ukraine in Alaska on Friday. At the same time, Ukraine will be watching from the outside along with with European allies, hoping Mr. Trump is protecting their interests. Putin will likely try to persuade Mr. Trump to pressure Ukraine by arguing the war is going badly for Kyiv, said Mykola Bieleskov, a senior analyst at CBA Initiatives Center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The key risk for Ukraine is that the Kremlin will try to turn certain local gains on the battlefield into strategic victories at the negotiating table," he said. Asked about Russia's continued military offensive as he headed to Alaska Friday morning, Mr. Trump said Putin is "trying to set a stage. I mean, in his mind, that helps him make a better deal. It actually hurts him, but in his mind, that helps him make a better deal, if they can continue the killing." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region that Kyiv still controls as part of a ceasefire deal, a proposal the Ukrainian leader categorically rejected. After years of fighting, Russia still does not fully control all of the Donetsk region, which it illegally annexed in 2022, along with the Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attention has been focused on Pokrovsk a key highway and rail junction that once was home to about 60,000 and now is partially encircled but Russian forces have been probing for weaknesses north of the city, according to battlefield analysis site DeepState. The forces found a gap east of the coal-mining town of Dobropillia and advanced about 6 miles. Zelenskyy noted its clear significance to the summit: "To create a certain information backdrop ahead of Putin's meeting with Trump, especially in the American information space, suggesting that Russia is moving forward and Ukraine is losing ground." Russia trying to expand its gains Small groups of Russian troops are slipping past the first defensive line, hiding and trying to build up their forces, said Dmytro Trehubov, spokesman for Ukraine's "Dnipro" operational-strategic group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine's military has been repelling these attempts, he said, although DeepState said the situation has not been stabilized. Analysts described the breach near Dobropillia as a localized crisis that could escalate if the Russians are not neutralized and their main forces can widen the gap. The breach of the defensive line has seemed inevitable for months, according to a drone pilot in the area, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly. Moscow's forces have been exploiting the lack of Ukrainian infantry, a problem tied not only to the country's stalled mobilization but also to poor management, the pilot said. "We pay with territory and lives to fix mistakes and we can keep fixing mistakes only as long as we have even a scrap of land left," the pilot said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainian forces have tried to plug the gaps by extensive use of first-person-view drones remotely piloted devices loaded with explosives that enable operators to see targets before striking. These FPVs have turned areas up to about 12 miles from the front into deadly zones on both sides of the line. But because the Russians attack with small groups, it's hard to counter with drones alone. "We can't launch 100 FPVs at once," the pilot said, noting the drone operators would interfere with each other. With tactics and technology roughly equal on both sides, the Russians' superior manpower works to their advantage, said Bielieskov, the Kyiv-based analyst. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They have no regard for human life. Very often, most of those they send are on a one-way mission," he said. Stopping the infiltrations and assaults by armored vehicles requires different defenses and leadership structures changes that have yet to appear on Ukraine's side, he said. Ukraine seeking to stem the recent tide Ukraine's military said Thursday additional troops have been moved to affected areas, with battle-hardened forces like the Azov brigade being deployed to the sector. However, the Deepstate map doesn't show any changes in favor of the Ukrainian army. Michael Kofman, a military analyst for the Carnegie Endowment, said in a post on X that it was too early to assess if the front line was collapsing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia is focused on expanding the breach of the front line into a corridor to support its ground forces, Bieleskov said. The strategy avoids direct assaults on heavily fortified urban centers, instead pushing through open terrain where Ukraine's troop shortages and large settlements make defense harder. If successful, such a move could bypass Russia's need to storm Kostiantynivka once a city of over 67,000 people and now significantly ruined and on the verge of falling. That would complicate defending the region's last big cities of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka, posing a serious challenge for Ukraine's military. Cmdr. Serhii Filimonov of the "Da Vinci Wolves" battalion of the 59th brigade warned that Kostiantynivka could fall without a fight if Russia severs supply routes. With few major roads, maintaining logistics for the large number of Ukrainian forces in the area would become "extremely difficult," Filimonov said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turning to the summit, Filimonov decried what he described as ongoing Russian killings and atrocities. "And then the civilized world comes to them and says, 'Fine, let's make a deal.' That's not how it should be done," he said. Passenger arrested after allegedly causing disturbance midair and forcing flight to divert When could Tropical Storm Erin become a hurricane? Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia on how he'd prepare Trump for Putin meeting (NewsNation) Russian state television personalities have renewed claims that Alaska rightfully belongs to Russia as President Donald Trump is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage on Friday. During a recent broadcast of Russia-1s 60 Minutes program, propagandist Olga Skabeyeva referred to Alaska as our Alaska while discussing a joint Russian-Chinese military patrol that approached within 200 miles of the Alaskan coast, Newsweek reported. The comment came after State Duma Deputy Adalbi Shkhagoshev mentioned our aircraft approached the borders of Alaska, prompting Skabeyeva to incorrectly claim he had said our Alaska. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alaskan stage set for Trump, Putin meeting Putin ally and TV host Vladimir Solovyov also last year called for Alaskas return to Russia during a state media program, along with Finland, Warsaw, the Baltics and Moldova, saying they should all be returned to the Russian Empire, Newsweek reported. Putin-Trump summit in Anchorage shows shared history The territorial claims stem from Alaskas history as a Russian colony from 1799 to 1867, when Russia sold the territory to the United States for $7.2 million roughly 2 cents per acre to pay off debts from the Crimean War, according to NPR. The purchase, known as Sewards Folly after Secretary of State William Seward, was criticized at the time as acquiring a frozen wasteland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In January, the Kremlin signed a decree directing officials to search for and register Russian property holdings abroad, including in the former Russian Empire and former USSR. Bolton: Trump tariffs may push India closer to Russia, China The U.S. State Department dismissed any notion that Putin could reclaim Alaska. State Dept dismisses claims: He is not getting it back I speak for all of us in the U.S. government to say that, certainly, he is not getting it back, State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said in January. The Alaska summit location carries both practical and symbolic significance. The state sits just 53 miles from Russia at the closest point across the Bering Strait, making it a natural meeting ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the choice also highlights the shared history between the two nations over the territory that was once Siberias Siberia to Russian administrators. 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. Former Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba has hit a legal hitch in her attempt to appeal her expulsion from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) for being disloyal and indisciplined. The High Court dismissed her petition saying she had previously filed a similar case with the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT), whose case is still pending. The court found that Orwoba had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for pursuing remedies in both the High Court and the tribunal at the same time. That conduct smacks of forum shopping that this court shall not condone. The petitioner is bestriding both the High Court and the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal at the same timewhich amounts to abuse of the court process, Justice Mugambi ruled. In its objection, UDAs lawyer, Dr. Adrian Kamotho, argued that allowing the case to proceed in both the High Court and the tribunal risked embarrassing the two bodies with potentially similar findings. We are staring at a situation where this court will be seized with this matter based on its original jurisdiction and possibly on appellate jurisdiction. To avoid that conundrum, we have filed the application to strike out the petition, since the petitioner is exercising her right to access a judicial forum at PPDT. We state that the petitioner came to this court with misleading information, said Dr. Kamotho. Orwoba, however, denied engaging in forum shopping. She claimed the UDA disciplinary proceedings were improperly instituted, arguing that there were no established rules or guidelines to govern the process. She maintained that the proceedings threatened her constitutional rights to a fair trial and fair administrative action. In its ruling, the court noted that by filing her claim with the Tribunal, Ms. Orwoba had effectively acknowledged its jurisdiction over her grievances and its ability to offer adequate remedies. The Petitioner should stay in that course and only when she is dissatisfied with the outcome should she approach the High Court by way of an appeal, the judge stated. Justice Lawrence Mugambi upheld an objection by the party, directing Orwoba to first exhaust the tribunal process. In my humble view, this petition presents complaints about the first respondents (UDA) handling of disciplinary procedure against the petitioner, which is a matter the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal is mandated by the Act to deal with in the first instancethe High Court is vested with the appellate jurisdiction, said the judge. Editor's note: This story has been updated with details on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's arrival. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Alexander Darchiev have arrived in Alaska ahead of a planned Trump-Putin summit, Russian state media reported on Aug. 15. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska later in the day as Washington intensifies efforts to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lavrov, wearing a sweatshirt with a Russian-language inscription "USSR," arrived at a hotel in Anchorage, Alaska's largest city and the site of upcoming talks between U.S. and Russian leaders. Putin has arrived in the town of Magadan in Russia's Far East ahead of the planned summit, Russian state media reported. Magadan is located about 3,162 kilometers (1,965 miles) from Anchorage. The Russian leader is expected to meet with the local governor and visit an industrial facility before departing for Alaska, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. An airplane with Russian journalists has also arrived in Anchorage, state media claimed. A screenshot from Russian state-controlled television shows Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov wearing a sweater emblazoned with USSR in Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug. 15, 2025. On Aug. 14, Trump said that Putin will come to the summit in Alaska ready to make a deal to end Russia's war against Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I believe now he's convinced that he's going to make a deal. He's going to make a deal. I think he's going to," Trump told Fox Radio. "And we're going to find out, I'm going to know very quickly." Meanwhile, the White House has said Trump prefers diplomacy but is ready to increase economic pressure on Russia if necessary. "Certainly, there are sanctions and many other measures that the president could utilize if he has to. Not that he wants to diplomacy and negotiation have always been the way for this president," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Aug. 14. Trump has previously said that if the Aug. 15 meeting goes well, he will seek a trilateral meeting between himself, Putin, and President Volodymyr Zelensky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia has issued maximalist demands to Kyiv in previous direct peace talks, including that Ukraine give up its NATO aspirations and demilitarize. Months earlier, U.S. attempts to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia failed. Kyiv and Moscow later held three rounds of direct peace talks in Istanbul, which were largely inconclusive. Read also: From war criminal to US guest Trump invites Putin out of isolation Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia's bombers are still attacking Ukraine steadily despite Operation Spiderweb, the UK MOD said. It observed over 70 cruise missiles fired in July, saying it shows the "resilience" of Russia's fleet. Still, Ukrainian media previously reported that Russia is having to cram missiles on its bombers. Russia's long-range bombers are still assailing Ukraine at a steady pace despite June's daring drone attack against the fleet, the UK's defense ministry said in a recent assessment. In an intelligence update on Wednesday, the British ministry wrote that it had observed seven long-range attack packages launched against Ukraine in July, involving at least 70 "premier munitions" powerful cruise missiles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Russian Long Range Aviation bombers have maintained their offensive tempo, continuing to demonstrate the resilience and retained capability of the fleet following Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb on June 1, 2025," the ministry wrote. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 13 August 2025. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/DOu2e95wKu#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/mPnBLJlDqq Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) August 13, 2025 The assessment comes six weeks after Ukraine launched a surprise drone attack on four airbases deep inside Russia that housed the Kremlin's strategic bombers and early warning aircraft. Using first-person-view drones transported via truck, Ukraine damaged what it said was at least a third of Russia's bomber fleet. Dubbed Operation Spiderweb, the attack was hailed as one of the starkest examples of how asymmetric warfare can endanger high-level military assets like the $150 million Tu-95MS bomber. Ukrainian officials have said that the attack inflicted $7 billion worth of damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the attack, Russia was believed to field roughly 67 strategic bombers in its active inventory, and videos released by Ukraine show that at least nine of them were heavily damaged in Operation Spiderweb. Ukraine reported that the attack damaged or destroyed at least 41 total aircraft, but independent analysts have said it's difficult to affirm that claim. Aftermath of a drone strike shows destroyed Tu-95 bombers on the tarmac at Belaya Airbase. Satellite image (c) 2025 Maxar Technologies via Getty Images. Crucially, these aircraft can't be easily replaced. Russia is believed to have ceased production of the Tu-95 and Tu-22M, and while it's still making the newer Tu-160, only two have been reported manufactured in the last three years. Notably, long-range bombers are also one of the three key pillars of Russia's nuclear triad. Still, Russia has continued to bombard Ukraine after the June attack with a combination of one-way attack drones and missiles. Russia typically relies on its strategic bombers to fire cruise missiles, most commonly munitions from the Kh air-to-surface missile family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Operation Spiderweb, one of Russia's biggest strategic bomber attacks unfolded on June 6, when Ukraine reported that Moscow launched at least 36 Kh-101 cruise missiles in one night. Ukrainian media, however, at the time cited unnamed sources saying that Russian forces had to compensate for a reduced fleet during the attack by loading each bomber to full capacity. Either way, Russia has continued using its bomber fleet in high-profile attacks. On July 12, Ukraine's air force reported another wave of 26 Kh-101 cruise missiles fired into Ukrainian airspace. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that in July alone, Russia had fired over 3,800 Shahed explosive drones and 260 missiles. However, he did not specify which of the latter were launched by strategic bombers. Read the original article on Business Insider The Rutherford County Commission appointed former Commissioner Rick Hall Aug. 14 to replace retired Commissioner Michael Wrather. Hall accepted his oath of office and took a seat at the join the 21-member commission for the rest of the meeting at the Rutherford County Courthouse in downtown Murfreesboro. Wrather announced his resignation July 17 from the District 3 seat for personal and family reasons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hall spoke briefly prior to the commission voting 14-6 to appoint him to the District 3 seat. He had previously served a District 12 seat from 2006 to 2010. "I speak from the heart," Hall said. Rick Hall is welcomed to the commission by Rutherford County Commissioner Allen McAdoo as Hall heads to his seat after being voted into the Rutherford County District 3 County Commission seat on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, by the Commission after Michael Wrathers seat was left vacant. He also mentioned speaking to Commissioner Steve Pearcy about the community concerns of proposed expansion of the private Middle Point Landfill. "I'm open minded," Hall said. Replacing former Commissioner Wrather: Former Rutherford Commissioner Rick Hall gets backing for vacated District 3 seat Hall will complete Wrather's term through the end of August 2026. Voters will elect candidates for all 21 county commission seats in the August 2026 election to serve four-year terms that will start by September 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prior to the vote, Commissioners Robert Peay Jr., Anthony Johnson and Jonathan Beverly spoke in favor of Hall returning to the commission. "He keeps his word," Peay said. "He's a solid man, and I would highly recommend him." Former Commissioner Will Jordan and Wayne Blair, who also previously served on the county school board, also spoke in support of Hall returning to the commission during the public comment portion of the meeting. Six commissioners backed applicant Wesley Smith for the District 3 seat: Steve Pearcy, Michael Kusch, Joshua James, Paul Johnson, Wayne Irvin and Allen McAdoo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement James prior to the vote noted that former Commissioner Wrather had written a letter to the commissioners to recommend Smith for the District 3 seat. This is a developing story. Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription. Rick Hall was voted into the Rutherford County District 3 County Commission seat on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, by the Commission after Michael Wrathers seat was left vacant. Rick Hall was voted into the Rutherford County District 3 County Commission seat on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, by the Commission after Michael Wrathers seat was left vacant. Rick Hall stands next to his wife Stacy Hall as he is sworn into the Rutherford County District 3 County Commission seat on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, by Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr after being voted in by the Commission after Michael Wrathers seat was left vacant. This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Rutherford Co. Commission appoints Rick Hall to fill District 3 seat The Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office has completed its investigation into what happened during a closed meeting of the Oklahoma State Board of Education in July, when two board members reported seeing images of naked women appearing on a television in state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters office. Aaron Brilbeck, a spokesman for the sheriffs office, said the findings of the investigation have been submitted to Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna, who will decide whether or not criminal charges will be brought in the case. The sheriffs office cannot comment on specifics the investigation unless Behenna chooses not to file charges, Brilbeck said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sheriff Tommie Johnson III said in a statement posted on Facebook that his office would discuss its findings "at the closure of this case in its entirety." Brook Arbeitman, a spokeswoman for Behenna, confirmed investigators met with Behenna Friday. "Now our office will review the investigation to determine if charges will be filed or not," Arbeitman said. "There is no timeline on how long that will take." We watched 'The Protector.' Does it line up with board members' accounts of what they saw on Ryan Walters' TV? The investigation began days after board members Becky Carson and Ryan Deatherage said they saw images of nude women on the TV in Walters' office. Carson said she called for the TV to be turned off, and said Walters did so, then resumed the meeting without explanation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Walters has repeatedly denied having control of the TV or seeing any inappropriate content on it. He accused Carson and Deatherage of lying and called on them to resign. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services had asked the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office to investigate, and Behenna later asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to be involved. House Speaker Kyle Hilbert has said he believes a 1985 Jackie Chan film was playing on the TV inadvertently. The scenes in the film "The Protector" match some of the descriptions provided by Carson and Deatherage, and Hilbert said one scene also lines up with what Walters told him of seeing people wearing white lab coats. (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Investigation into nudity on Ryan Walters' TV during meeting finished Ground staff in Spain responsible for handling Ryanair flights went on strike across the country's main airports on Friday, though operations initially appeared to be little affected despite Europe being in the midst of peak holiday season. Workers employed by Azul Handling, which is owned by the Irish low-cost airline and takes care of passenger services, baggage handling and aircraft towing among other services, have been demanding higher pay and better working conditions. They plan to strike until Sunday, and have threatened to repeat the work action every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until the rest of the year should Ryanair refuse to meet their demands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Saturday, they will be joined by employees of handling firm Menzies, which operates for several airlines, after workers announced strike action at weekends until the end of August. The strike at Azul Handling initially appeared to have little impact on air traffic, with no cancellations and only slight delays reported by Spain's main airports, according to flight tracking data by operator Aena. This is likely due to legal obligations that require companies to ensure a minimum level of service during work action, tantamount to a de facto restriction on the right to strike. Trade union UGT accused Azul Handling management of violating the right to strike. (FOX40.com) - For decades, a Sacramento native has been searching for four of her siblings after being separated while in foster care. Just a week ago, she was able to locate three of them and now hopes to help others do the same. A family photo was a keepsake for Aliciette Dockery-Cornilus. Its the only family photo she has and it became the key to finding her siblings nearly three decades after it was taken. Dockery-Cornilus is 42, but the memories of being a 12-year-old girl entering foster care are still clear as day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My mom had substance abuse issues and didnt have any parental rights, so I went into the system at 12, Dockery-Cornilus said. She is the oldest of six children and was not the only one to enter the system. Over several years and several foster homes, Dockery-Cornilus was separated from five siblings. A younger sister went to stay with a relative, but two younger siblings a twin boy and girl entered the system and were adopted around two and a half years old. A couple of years later, Dockery-Cornilus said her mom had a little boy who also entered the system. Dockery-Cornilus mother (top left), Dockery-Cornilus as a child (top-right), Dockery-Cornilus grandmother (center), Dockery-Cornilus baby brother and sister (front) And my understanding from what I just found out is they were adopted by the same family, so that was a plus for me and for them, Dockery Cornilus said. A few years later, Dockery-Corniluss last sibling was born. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That baby was born January 29th, 2004, and thats who Im currently looking for now, she said. Dockery-Cornilus has spent years searching for her siblings. Every couple of years, she posted the same family photo on Facebook, asking anyone for leads. She never anticipated that a post in a Facebook group would eventually lead to finding the little brother she hadnt seen since childhood, a man now in his 30s. About a year ago, I lost my father. On August 4th, I lost my father. On August 7th, I found my siblings. I dont know how many people believe in God, but Im a firm believer in God and thats what it was. I kept praying through it all. I cant even explain it. Im going to cry right now. It took me a long time, but its a great feeling, Dockery-Cornilus said. She didnt know what to expect when she reached out, but was happy to learn all three siblings are happy, healthy, and successful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Going into this you have to be able to respect how they feel. Even though youre searching for them and want this magnificent bond and all that, you have to respect their life and the family they already have if youre dealing with adoption, Dockery-Cornilus said. Now, the search for her youngest sibling continues. Her birth name was Michelle Robera Dockery, Dockery-Cornilus said. Her little sister was adopted as a baby. Dockery-Cornilus has been trying to find her since, but this time without the help of even an old photo. She was born at either Sutter Hospital or Mercy General Hospital downtown. One or the other, Dockery-Cornilus said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She believes Michelle likely has a different name now but may still be in the Sacramento area. As Dockery-Cornilus continues to piece together her family tree, shes paving a path forward by forming United by Blood an organization to help connect foster youths entering or exiting the system with all the resources she needed as a teen. Someone has to guide them, and Im willing to be that source for them, she said. Dockery-Cornilus spends time between her hometown of Sacramento and her new home in Oakland, where she moved close to a decade ago. She hopes to give back to youths in both areas eventually, with a focus on South Sacramento. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I just want to be a resource for them to have employment resources, mental health resources, different outlets to figure out step by step how to request records from CPS, how to get your birth certificate, your social security card, Dockery-Cornilus said. Shes focused on fine-tuning plans, seeking mentors, and finding grants to help launch United by Blood. Its things that they dont tell you when they exit you out that you need. You need to have these things in order to be successful. You need to learn about your credit. You need to learn about everything. I want to have resources, and I want to partner up with other people that want to help us, she said. Dockery-Cornilus is still in the early stages of forming an organization but said anyone interested in learning more about her mission can follow along on Facebook or reach out to her via email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. ASHTABULA More than 100 people gathered to celebrate success and continue to learn about safety and leadership Thursday afternoon at the monthly meeting of the Ashtabula County Safety Council. The organization was founded in the 1950s by Dixon Greenwood in hopes of improving safety in workplaces around Ashtabula County. This is in memory of Dixon Greenwood, who made safety cool when it wasnt cool, ACSC President Ryan Cochran said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greenwood was an advocate for safety at Union Carbide and throughout Ashtabula County. Mary Betts, a recently retired representative of Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, received an award named in Greenwoods honor at Thursday meeting at Guyreinos Deli and Catering. She said she was very honored to receive the award. Keep going with your accident prevention, she said. Christopher Coxon, director of workforce development and adult education at A-Tech, said the regular meetings provide companies, schools and other organizations the opportunity to learn how they can better protect their workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each month, they have a different person who will come in and speak, he said. He said there are normally 75-100 people attending the meetings. Mark Mallis, of the OBWC, made the attendees aware of a variety of upcoming classes in the Northeast Ohio area relating to worker safety. Kevin Mowers, an expert in company leadership, was the main speaker for the meeting, and detailed how company stories can be used to make communication to the public more memorable. The organization is led by a board of directors that includes president Ryan Cochran, Roger Stauffer, Scott Coblitz, Dale Arkenburg, Barb Lessman, Mark Verzella and Scott Dean. Bike Walk Central Florida is launching a safety education program for students using e-bikes and e-scooters, addressing growing concerns about safety. The program, which recently taught 80 kids at Dover Shores Neighborhood Center, will expand to include schools starting with Horizon West Middle School. It aims to educate students about the rules of riding and the importance of wearing helmets. Parents have been extremely receptive. They really want more of this practice and a safe environment for their kids, said Anna Strasshofer from Bike Walk Central Florida. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Jenna Wheeler from Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital highlighted helmets importance, especially with electric bikes and scooters, which go twice as fast as pedal bikes. Bike Walk Central Florida offers free helmets and conducts safety drills for students to promote safe riding. Anna Strasshofer highlighted that speed awareness and helmet use are crucial due to the growing popularity of e-bikes and e-scooters among students. Dr. Jenna Wheeler voiced concern over rising orthopedic and brain injuries linked to their use. Middle schoolers are considered the hardest group to reach, prompting the programs expansion into schools to directly address safety concerns. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) Some Guilford County schools will have an added layer of security this year. Over the summer, the district installed 18 safety vestibules in its elementary schools. FOX8 visited Kirkman Park Elementary School, which is one of the buildings receiving a safety vestibule. While the classrooms at Kirkman Park Elementary School have been empty for the summer, crews have been hard at work putting together new safety features. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kirkman Park was a perfect school to put a new vestibule in. We could do all the work at one time and actually achieve a number of goals with our project, not just safety and security, but also freshen the school up, making it look good and actually bringing everything up to more visible positive standards, Assistant Superintendent of School Safety and Emergency Management at Guilford County Schools Mike Richey said. Kirkman Park Elementary was not the only school to get extra security. 17 other elementary schools around Guilford County have also had safety vestibules installed because of a $2 billion bond that passed in 2022. Schools can have a more secure system for visitors who enter and leave the building. Its also called a man trap, which means that folks cannot get anywhere beyond this point unless theyre physically led in by a staff member. So then they go to a second checkpoint, which is at the office, and when they go to that point, theyre led into the office. They follow our Check-In procedures, and if they have ability to be in the rest of the school, theyre then let in by the office personnel. So that really does is create barriers for people to not just run into our schools. It also handles some of the problems that weve seen in violence in other places, so that we dont have that here, Richey said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kirkman Park Elementary School Principal Yajaira Owens said they have already heard positive feedback from parents. Parents walk in, and they realize that it is a different look and that safety has become a priority, Owens said. With safety vestibules now in place, Owens and other staff feel more protected. This extra layer really gives me that support that I need to say, Well, they care about us, and they care about the safety not only of their children, but about me,' Owens said. Kirkman Park Elementary said that the final touches for the safety vestibule will be finished and ready to go before they welcome back students on Aug. 25. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the district said more safety vestibules are coming. 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. PINE RIDGE RESERVATION, S.D. (KELO) 21-year-old Kaden Brings Plenty of the Oglala Sioux Tribe was a role model out among the rolling hills of the Pine Ridge Reservation as he recently helped lead a Sage to Saddle ride. Youre leading your people on the old trails of where our ancestors once rode before, Brings Plenty said. Woman sues SFPD for negligence after injuries Like Brings Plenty, 18-year-old AJ Warrior was a leader among the group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im usually in the front, the middle, the back just keeping an eye on the young ones, Warrior said. Its the most rewarding thing I could possibly be doing, Nate Bressler of the Oglala, S.D. area said about working with the groups kids. The 48-year-old Bressler launched Sage to Saddle in 2018. The nonprofit organization based on the Pine Ridge Reservation not only teaches Native American kids how to ride a horse but also organizes rides. We have a winter program where we try to introduce at least 50 new kids every year from this reservation to horses, Bressler said. We try to find kids that wouldnt have the opportunity otherwise to be able to get on a horse, and so we work with about five or six local schools here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the kids and the people helping guide their journey, horses are fundamental to their past and present. Its a part of who we are, said 42-year-old William Jumping Eagle Jr., who helped lead the recent ride. Thats what makes them so sacred because at one time, they were our livelihood, back in the day, for our ancestors. And so you take that and then they hand it down, from generation to generation. Tyler Cottier accompanied the group with his son, Taiten. Its going to change kids lives for the better, Cottier said. It feels good to see when I can uplift a little kid or uplift a guy even my ages spirit, pick his head up, teach him how to be better on a horse or even as a person just carrying yourself the right way if youre not doing that already, Brings Plenty said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our grandchildren and their great grandchildren are going to learn from them the same way I learned from my dad and all the other elders that had a part of being who I am and teaching me what I know, Jumping Eagle said. Everything is about the kids, Bressler 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 KELOLAND.com. The Environment and Land Court in Milimani has delivered a significant win for environmental defenders, ruling that only 0.1233 hectares of Karura Forest can be allocated for the expansion of Kiambu Road a drastic reduction from the 51.64 acres licensed to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS). In its Thursday judgment, the court also annulled two special user licenses previously issued by KFS, citing the lack of public participation in the decision-making process. This landmark ruling follows months of legal wrangling after the Greenbelt Movement filed a petition in December last year, opposing the governments plan to cut through a substantial part of the protected forest to widen the busy road. Central to the case was the allegation that 51.64 acres of Karura Forest had been set aside for roadworks without obtaining the mandatory environmental approvals. The Greenbelt Movement argued that the land was handed to a private entity under a special user license without conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), either by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) or the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). The group condemned the decision to push ahead with construction and to approve recreational facilities and an ablution block without securing the necessary EIA license. They described the move as one that prioritised the short-term interests of a select few over the protection of the environment and the countrys long-term sustainability. From the court files, the petitioner swore that the stakeholders were never informed of the area of land to be cleared from Karura Forest, species to be uprooted, loss of biodiversity, or alternatives to the project. This, they claimed, deprived the public of a chance to understand the full implication of the project and give serious feedback. The Greenbelt Movement sought the annulment of the agreement between the Government of Kenya and Sinohydro1 Corporation Limited, or otherwise, the other parties, on grounds that the project went ahead without required environmental approvals. The organization argued that the entire process was marred, rushed, and carried out in defiance of critical legal and environmental safeguards. While the ruling could delay the dualing of Kiambu Road, it underscores the need to consult with the public and adhere strictly to environmental regulations before approving massive developments. (The Center Square) After spending almost nine months overseas, the USS Carl Vinson and Carrier Strike Group One returned to Naval Base San Diego on Thursday afternoon, with friends, families and newly born babies waiting to greet them home. Carrier Strike Group One, a U.S. Navy team consisting of ships, aircraft and more than 7,000 sailors, set sail on Nov. 18 to maintain regional stability and demonstrate America's commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, Rear Adm. Amy Bauernschmidt, commander of Carrier Strike Group One, said during the press conference Thursday at the base. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson had around 4,500 sailors aboard and conducted deployments to the U.S. 3rd, 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operations before returning to its homeport at Naval Air Station North Island. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The aircraft traveled 86,000 nautical miles, with the sailors completing 23,000 hours of safe flight operations and about 11,000 sorties, Bauernschmidt told reporters from The Center Square and other media. The Carrier Strike Group One team conducted missions in the Indo-Pacific and the Central Commands area of responsibility areas encompassing the Middle East and parts of Central and East Asia. Bauernschmidt said the team also conducted operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aiden, protecting global commerce and countering regional threats. The USS Carl Vinson was initially going to return in April, but its deployment was extended to August in March. The Navy said it was due to events occurring in the Red Sea and threats received by the carrier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As families stood waiting for their loved ones to disembark from the carrier, many held signs that read: Welcome Home or My Hero. Some families were also wearing matching custom T-shirts that had their loved ones face on them. The Center Square spoke to a few of the wives whose husbands were deployed, some of whom had a newborn baby. They said they were excited to hug their husband, and if their husband missed the birth of their child, they were excited to introduce them to their baby. "Daddy! Daddy!" children chanted before the sailors disembarked. As the first set of sailors were preparing to get off the ship, Capt. Joshua F. Wenker, commanding officer of the USS Carl Vinson, said he was thankful for the sailors and the work they did during their deployment. Thank you for what you do. Thank you for what you do for each other, for the ship and for this nation, Wenker said during the press conference. SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) The Midland ISD Board of Trustees voted on Aug. 12 to change the name of Legacy High School to Midland Lee High, reverting a decision made in 2020. The rebrand poses new questions for school districts that have renamed schools from Confederacy-tied monikers San Angelo ISD included. Midland ISDs Board of Trustees voted 4-3 to change Legacy High Schools name to Midland Lee High, with the rebrand set to take effect at the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year. Nexstar-affiliated news station KMID reported that Midland ISD Vice President Josh Guinn, who led the push to reclaim the Lee name, said in a statement on July 4 that the name honors the patriotic legacy that binds us and called it a symbol of shared pride.' The Texas Tribune stated that the vote came after over 45 residents testified for more than two hours, with many in opposition saying the schools ties to Lee, commander of the Confederate states army, provoked hurt and discomfort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KMID stated that the district originally voted to change the name from Midland Lee High in 2020 as part of a nationwide push to distance public places from the Confederacy. RELATED: MISD votes to rename Legacy to Lee, reversing course five years after change San Angelo ISD also made moves to rebrand a school in 2020. In mid-December 2020, SAISD announced that its Board of Trustees had voted 5-2 in favor of changing the name of Lee Middle School to Lone Star Middle School. The decision was made following an extensive five-month collaborative process initiated by San Angelo ISD called Engaging Equity to consider the retention or renaming of Lee Middle School as well as a 6-1 vote to retire the name of Lee Middle School in October 2020, as per the district. The district announced in February 2021 that the schools mascot was changed from the Rebels to the Texans, which are represented by a logo depicting a longhorn with a lone star emblazoned on the forehead. The name and mascot change went into effect in July 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked whether Lone Star Middle Schools name may be subject to change in light of Midland ISDs decision to reinstate the name of Midland Lee High, SAISD provided the following statement: San Angelo ISD has not considered and is not considering changing the name of Lone Star Middle School. This topic has not come before the Board of Trustees and is not on the agenda for discussion. Decisions made by other school districts do not impact San Angelo ISD or our community, and the recent action by Midland ISD has no connection to our students, families, or schools. San Angelo ISD TEA ratings: San Angelo ISD moves up in numbers, not in letter Midland ISDs name reversion decision has prompted some San Angelo citizens to consider revisiting San Angelo ISDs school renaming. Debbie Cross, a San Angelo resident who was a prominent advocate for retaining Lee Middle Schools name prior to the 2020 change, welcomes the idea of potentially reinstating Lone Star Middle Schools original name. I think its worth revisiting the name of Lone Star Middle School, Cross said. I welcome further conversation about its history and the possibility of returning to its original name, Robert E. Lee Middle School. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others, however, are content with having Lone Star Middle School keep its current name. Jessie Ramon, a San Angelo resident who helped lead efforts toward changing the Lee Middle School name in 2020, said he is disappointed by Midland ISDs decision to revert Midland Legacy High Schools name but remains confident that SAISD will not do the same with Lone Star Middle School. I am disappointed by MISDs decision to continue honoring a man who doesnt reflect the values and morals we as a country have held dear to us since defeating the Confederate Army that Lee fought alongside, Ramon said. I am, however, confident that SAISD will continue to honor the previous boards decision to rename Lee Middle School. When this decision was voted upon, the board assured San Angeloans this would be the last time. 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. A San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department K9 SUV involved in a crash ended up partially inside a business in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles late Thursday night. Los Angeles police responded to reports of a multi-vehicle collision with a car into a building around 11:15 p.m. near West Washington Boulevard and South Vermont Avenue. Arriving officers found the on-duty deputy vehicle had crashed through the side of the business. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both deputies were transported to a local hospital with what were described as minor injuries. The K9 was not injured in the crash, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed. The disabled K9 patrol vehicle ultimately had to be pulled out of the building. Video showed two other vehicles that were damaged in the collision. The spokesperson said there were no other immediate reports of injury. A San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department vehicle is seen after crashing into a business in Los Angeles on Aug. 14, 2025. (KNN News) The extent of the damage to the business was unknown, but the spokesperson described it as extensive. It was unclear what caused the crash or why the deputies were in the area. KTLAs Alexis Lewis contributed to this report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Governor Gavin Newsom has been met with both support and criticism following his announcement on Thursday to redistrict California, from San Diego representatives and leaders. While some have seen this action as a power grab, others have seen the move as necessary to prevent the Trump administration from influencing upcoming midterm elections or entertaining a third term. California will not sit idle as Trump and his Republican lapdogs shred our countrys democracy before our very eyes, Newsom said. In just six months, Trumps unchecked power has cost Americans billions and taken an ax to the greatest democracy weve ever known. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President of the California Federation of Labor Unions, and former San Diego Assemblywoman, Lorena Gonzalez was a speaker at Newsoms press conference on Thursday. Gonzalez stated that lawmakers need to fight back if they care about the people they represent. We want people who are independent, not obedient, Gonzalez said. And its time for us to show a little disobedience to Donald Trump. Its time for us to fight with everything we have. A crowd at Governor Newsoms press conference. (The Office of the California Governor) Newsom proposed act is a response to Texas recent redistricting, which was decided in the legislature. However, Newsom plans for a special election for voters to decide on the Election Rigging Response Act this November. While there isnt an exact price for election expenses, some experts suggest it may cost upwards of $200 million, according to The Sacramento Bee. Newsom`s latest scheme is a blatant political power grab by him and Sacramento insiders, potentially costing taxpayers $150 million and overturning the will of the people, San Diego County Fifth District Supervisor Jim Desmond said in a press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement San Diego Representative Sara Jacobs stated that democrats want independent non-partisan districting but that this is an emergency situation. If were not all playing by the same good rules, the next best option is that we can all play by the same rules, Jacobs said in a video posted on social media. According to a press release, the Election Rigging Response Act has five major provisions: It must be approved by California voters It aims to level the playing field in the 2026 midterms Reaffirms states should have independent districting Only goes into effect if Republicans stay committed to their redistricting Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And it is temporary, as the map expires in 2030 Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (D-75), who represents East County, San Diego area, believes the act is corrupt and uses Trump to advance the legislation. California Assemblymember Carl DeMaio gives remarks in San Diego. (KSWB/KUSI) This is a blatant attempt to rig elections by allowing politicians to choose voters rather than letting voters choose politicians and if this measure passes, the independent Citizens Redistricting process will be dead forever, DeMaio said. DeMaio added that he has a plan to stop him, in a press release. DeMaio stated he recruited 10,000 volunteers to push for voter ID laws who will now be asked to harvest ballots that vote no to the redistricting plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement California residents will be able to vote on the act in a special election on Nov. 4. This moment calls for urgency and action, that is what we are putting before voters this November, a chance to fight back against his anti-American ways, Newsom 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. (KRON) A San Mateo County employee accused of embezzling just under $800,000 over a span of eight years pleaded not guilty to all charges on Thursday, according to the San Mateo County District Attorneys Office. Kian Hanohano Atkinson, 47, of Foster City, is charged with three counts of embezzlement by a public officer and three counts of a public officer crime, all of which carry an enhancement of aggravated white collar crime. Additional charges include nine counts of identity theft, carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle and carrying a concealed loaded weapon. Parole denied for Burlingame eviction killer Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Atkinson was hired in 2016 to the countys Environmental Health Services division and was in charge of issuing drilling and well permits. According to prosecutors, in January 2017, he began diverting well permit applications to his personal work email and would issue false permits. The payments to the county would allegedly go to his own Square financial account. The embezzlement scheme continued for more than eight years into March 2025, according to prosecutors. At that time, Atkinson was transferred to another assignment and the fraud was uncovered, the DAs office said. Measure A hearing for Sheriff Corpus removal to begin Monday The total amount embezzled over the eight year period was just under $800,000, prosecutors wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Atkinson was placed on leave from his job, the DAs office said he used information from a department credit card to charge an additional $20,000 in personal expenses. During a search of Atkinsons Foster City home and vehicle, inspectors found a loaded and concealed handgun. He claimed to have found it on the side of the road, the DAs office said. Atkinson remains in jail as of Friday morning with bail set at $500,000. A preliminary hearing in the case is set for Sept. 22. 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. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) The San Ysidro School District implemented a new safety policy this school year, keeping parents from walking their kids on campus last week. Some parents expressed their frustration about the change at Thursday nights school board meeting, saying theyve felt excluded from this process; however, the San Ysidro School District emphasizes they want to keep parents involved, adding theyre willing to make accommodations for students if they speak with their principal. We all had our little routines going on, and we all know for special needs parents, its very important the routine, said Roxane Palestino, a San Ysidro School District parent, when asked about what drop off was like in the past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, parents say goodbye at the gate. There are definitely those who are looking to do harm to our students and staff, and they look for opportunities where we may be vulnerable, said Assistant Superintendent Jose Iniguez. The district implemented a controlled access policy, keeping parents from walking on campus to drop off and pick up their kids from school. We want to be vigilant and aware of whos on our campus at all times, Iniguez said. But, not everyone agreed with that change. My son is a special needs student, so I really worry, said another parent Karina Robles. Parents of special needs students say the new policy only makes it more difficult for those children at drop off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She did cry, Palestino said. Now, shes starting to understand, but they dont go in the same way happy. Attendees at Thursdays meeting say she wasnt the only upset child. It was heartbreaking because we saw a lot of very young students, like four and five years old, crying, Allyson Murillo said. But, the district maintains the new procedure would keep dangerous people from showing up on campus. Criminals need to be right only once, but a school has to be right every single day, Iniguez said. In the last year, California saw a 36% drop in shootings with San Diego county tracking two mass shootings so far in 2025, according to a new report from the Public Policy Institute of California. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont think this is about safety policy. We believe its more about control and retaliation against parents that have been reporting and making complaints since last year, Robles said. Thats why they showed up, asking for other ways to protect students while keeping parents involved. If parents arent welcome in classes in schools, its a red flag, Palestino said. In Thursdays meeting, the district outlined local safety concerns in a presentation. You can watch those details on YouTube. 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. Sanctuary cities in the United States, which limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, have drawn the ire of President Donald Trump during both of his administrations. Border czar Tom Homan said in July 2025 that the Trump administration would target sanctuary cities across the country and flood the zone with agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to pursue deportation goals. I am a historian of migration. I have found that the concept of sanctuary takes many forms, from gestures of kindness and advocacy to more formal approaches such as churches protecting migrants at risk of arrest and deportation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the U.S., sanctuary city policies have historically been designed to support undocumented immigrants and refugees, especially those facing deportation. Ordinances based on these policies are often used by local authorities to signal the need for substantive immigration reform. New public sanctuary policies Todays sanctuary practices, and the federal targeting of sanctuary cities, are largely the result of the way sanctuary took shape across the U.S. in the 1980s. During this period, churches, city officials and activists assisted migrants fleeing the violent conditions created by U.S. proxy wars in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala. In the early 1980s, migrants arriving in the U.S. confronted restrictive asylum processes. To a large extent, this was the result of the Reagan administrations refusal to acknowledge the extent of human rights violations perpetrated by U.S.-supported regimes in Central America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1984, the federal government approved less than 3% of U.S. asylum claims by applicants who had fled El Salvador and Guatemala. By comparison, asylum claims were approved for over 30% and in some cases, 60% of refugees from Iran, Afghanistan and Poland. In response, U.S. activists and church and city leaders began to advocate on behalf of refugees from Central America. They sought to effect change at home and abroad, eventually coalescing into what became known as the Sanctuary Movement. This largely decentralized coalition focused on protecting refugees by providing safe housing, often in churches, and advocating for their right to seek asylum. And they engaged in public outreach to raise awareness about the conditions in Central America and the U.S. governments role in conflicts there. The goal was to change U.S. policy. As one sanctuary worker in Texas said in 1985, according to accounts compiled at the Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas at Austin: Sanctuary offers a way, by which folks can, number one, be safe from the fear of death, and, number two, speak out as to what is really going on in Central America. Father Richard Sinner, left, and Salvadoran hunger strikers sit outside the Immigration and Naturalization Service processing center to protest immigration measures on Feb. 21, 1989, in Brownsville, Texas. Walt Frerck/AFP/Getty Images The Sanctuary Movement also led to organized visits to the U.S.-Mexico border to witness the ways in which migrants were being treated by U.S. immigration officials. In Texas between 1983 and 1985, for instance, people were invited to document the activities of immigration officials at Port Isabel Detention Center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members of the Sanctuary Movement also shared some of the horrors they learned about from missionaries and refugees arriving from Central America, according to accounts in the Benson Latin American Collection. As a member of the Rio Grande Border Witness group conveyed, according to records preserved in the Benson Latin American Collection, there were repeated stories out of Central America of women being raped and stabbed and of fathers being murdered in front of their families. As awareness about violence in Central America increased, more people and congregations in the U.S. became involved in the Sanctuary Movement. At its peak in 1986, the movement included 300 churches that endorsed sanctuary for Central American migrants and the principles underpinning the Sanctuary Movement. Public and symbolic It was during this peak that U.S. cities first began making sanctuary declarations and later passed binding ordinances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1985, Berkeley, California, which had previously declared itself a sanctuary city for conscientious objectors to the Vietnam War, made one of the first sanctuary city declarations on behalf of refugees from Central America. Its resolution reaffirmed the citys support for the principle of sanctuary and for those groups which engage in this time-honored tradition of humanitarian assistance. City officials said that no city employee would violate the established sanctuaries by assisting in investigations, public or clandestine, by engaging in or assisting with arrests for alleged violation of immigration laws by the refugees in the sanctuaries or by those offering sanctuary. A member of the clergy with New Sanctuary Coalition enters an immigration courtroom as federal agents wait outside on July 8, 2025, in New York. AP Photo/Olga Fedorova Cities such as San Francisco and Santa Fe, New Mexico, followed with declarations or binding ordinances. These initiatives were often specifically crafted for migrants from Central America and contained critiques of U.S. foreign policy and asylum policy. A 1989 San Francisco ordinance, which is still in effect, was inspired by the notion that the U.S. had special obligations to the citizens of El Salvador and Guatemala because of its role in the conflicts there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was powerful rhetoric and symbolism in the sanctuary city resolutions passed in the 1980s. This holds true for the present, as sanctuary declarations and policies have become increasingly polarizing in todays political climate. Moreover, as I note in my own work, public acts of sanctuary can come at a cost, often at the expense of the very people they are meant to help. In an effort to raise public awareness and sympathy, those in need of refuge often have their most harrowing moments laid bare for public consumption. The Sanctuary Movement that began in the 1980s, in part to protest U.S. support for repressive governments, has endured for more than 40 years as an expression of concern for and solidarity with immigrants who come to the U.S. The question now is how the movement will evolve in the face of the Trump administrations threats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some sanctuary city leaders, such as Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, have responded by pointing to the value of policies that foster community trust and help keep all residents safe. How other leaders and communities respond remains to be seen. 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: Laura Madokoro, Carleton University Read more: Laura Madokoro receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Fonds de Recherches de Quebec Societe et Culture (FRQSC). Aug. 14MITCHELL A new chief of fire and EMS may be on the horizon for the Mitchell Fire Department. The Mitchell City Council, during its regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 18, will consider Mitchell Mayor Jordan Hanson's recommendation to appoint Shannon Sandoval as the Mitchell Fire Department's new chief of fire and emergency medical services. In January, Sandoval resigned as Mitchell's fire marshal and returned to the Mitchell fire station floor as a firefighter and paramedic, amid conflicting schedules at home. Sandoval was the fire marshal from 2018 through January of this year. Sandoval started with the department in 2015 as a firefighter and paramedic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around this time, the city removed all instances of the term fire marshal from the municipal code and designated those duties to the chief of fire and EMS or to anyone whom the chief delegates duties. On Jan. 21, battalion chief Tiffany Boehmer became the department's first assistant fire chief and second in command at the Mitchell Fire Department. It was then the assistant fire chief position took over the responsibilities of the fire marshal. Sandoval told the Mitchell Republic in January that it would have been easy to step into the assistant fire chief position, but that he turned it down to stay home with his kids. On July 29, the city of Mitchell posted a job position for a new fire chief as Mitchell Chief of Fire and EMS Dan Pollreisz resigned. Pollreisz served as fire chief from April 2023 until returning to the Mitchell fire station floor as a battalion chief on Aug. 5. South Carolina Republican state Rep. Mark Smith launched a bid for U.S. Congress. He is running for the seat in the Palmetto State's 1st Congressional District, which is currently occupied by U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, who is running for governor. First On Fox: Republican Firebrand Nancy Mace Launches Bid For South Carolina Governor Mace launched a gubernatorial bid earlier this month, leaving her House seat up for grabs in the 2026 election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In the State House, I fought for the largest tax cut in South Carolina history, backed the blue, cracked down on illegal immigration, and defended our values without apology," Smith declared in a Thursday post on X. Smith has served in the state House of Representatives since late 2020. Read On The Fox News App "In South Carolinas 1st District, we need a proven conservative leader who will fight for President Trumps America First agenda and deliver results not drama," he said in the X post. "The Lowcountry needs a fighter who will stand with President Trump and puts South Carolina first. Thats exactly what Ill do in Washington," he asserted. Original article source: SC Republican mounts bid for House seat currently occupied by gubernatorial hopeful Nancy Mace California Sen. Adam Schiff (D) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other senior Trump administration officials Thursday expressing serious concern about actions taken to increase the water flow of a lake in Ohio to allow Vice President Vance and his family better navigate a recreational kayaking trip. Schiff asked Hegseth, Adam Telle, the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, and Sean Curran, the director of the U.S. Secret Service, to provide more information about a decision to change the outflow of Ohios Caesar Creek Lake to help Vance celebrate his 41st birthday with a family boat float. Reporting suggests that the request from the Secret Service to alter the outflow request for Caesar Creek Lake was not just to ensure safe or secure conditions but also to create favorable kayaking conditions. If true, this is an inappropriate and embarrassing abuse of power over publicly owned resources by the Trump administration, Schiff wrote in the letter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal agencies said the lakes water level was raised to allow for safe navigation of Vances security team while the vice president was kayaking with his family. A source familiar with the situation told The Hill that public safety officials and Secret Service agents ran aground on a public safety boat when they went on a joint scouting mission in advance of Vances paddle. The Secret Service said Vance was not informed of the decision to change the outflow of the lake. Schiff in his letter asserted that while theres precedent for raising water levels to help some activities, such as emergency responder training, it would be inappropriate to do so for the sole personal benefit of one individual and his/her family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The misuse of public water resources for the Vice Presidents family is particularly offensive considering this administrations cuts to federal agencies, cuts which are already harming outdoor recreation opportunities for American families, Schiff wrote. The senator wants the Defense Department and Secret Service to explain what volume of water was required to raise the water levels of Caesar Creek by 2 feet to accommodate Vances excursion and what was the original intended purpose of the water that was released. He wants to know whether the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers appropriately documented its decisionmaking process prior to releasing the water and whether it performed any analysis or assessment to examine potential effects on upstream or downstream water resources, navigation or environmental quality. Schiff is also seeking confirmation that Vance was not told of the decision to raise the lakes water flow and an explanation of why he was not informed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The senator criticized President Trump for directing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release 2.2 billion gallons of water from two California reservoirs to help firefighters battling the Los Angeles wildfires in February, a move that critics said was done for political benefit and didnt help contain the destructive blazes. That reckless act of political theater put Central Valley farms and residents at risk of flooding and wasted water intended for irrigation during the driest months of the year, he wrote. With the most recent act at Caesar Creek Lake, the Trump administration is providing further evidence of its willingness to exploit public resources for the personal and political benefit of administration officials. He asked the Corps of Engineers to pledge to no longer fulfill personal requests that fall outside the scope of its mission. A spokesperson for the Secret Service on Friday confirmed receipt of Schiffs letter and said the agency would respond through official channels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Hill reached out to the Department of Defense and the Army Corps of Engineers for comment. 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. The United States government has pointed out multiple human rights violations in Kenya in 2024, including reports of unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and curbs on media freedoms. In its latest Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, the US Department of State accuses President William Rutos administration of several abuses in the Gen Z youth-led protests of June and July 2024, which erupted over proposed tax hikes. Kenya experienced a deterioration in the human rights situation during the year, the report says. In response to nationwide protests in June and July, authorities reportedly committed numerous abuses, including unlawful killings, physical violence, and arbitrary arrests and detentions. The report cites cases of extrajudicial arrests, prolonged incommunicado detention, and targeting of protesters and government critics. It also refers to cases of enforced disappearances and the involvement of masked, hooded men in plain clothes during raids in contravention of a High Court order issued last year that prevented police from covering their faces, wearing masks, or donning civilian attire during demonstrations. In December 2024, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported 82 cases of abductions or enforced disappearances since June, with 29 individuals still missing. Those released stated they were warned by individuals believed to be police officers not to post protest-related content on social media, the U.S. report notes, adding that some detainees remained in custody far beyond the legal time limit without being charged. Police Torture and Violence President Donald Trumps administration further highlights reports accusing Kenyan police and prison officers of using torture and violence both during interrogations and as punishment for pretrial detainees and convicted prisoners. According to human rights NGOs, beatings, bondage in painful positions, and electric shock were the most common methods used by police, the State Department says. The report underscores widespread impunity within security agencies, with rights groups noting that the government failed to acknowledge police abuses or hold officers accountable for their actions during the June and July Gen Z protests. It further documents instances where police officials resisted investigations and detained human rights activists who reported government abuses. Police used disciplinary transfers of officers and other methods to hide their identities and frustrate investigations into their alleged crimes, the U.S. report adds, citing findings from human rights organizations. Cross-Border Abductions Washington also highlights reports of transnational repression, pointing to a July 2024 incident in which Kenyan authorities arrested a registered Ugandan refugee in Kisumu alongside 36 members of Ugandas opposition political party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). The team was arrested by a joint Kenyan-Ugandan security operation as they attended a leadership and governance training course, says the U.S. report. They were forcibly returned to Uganda, where they were arraigned on terrorism charges by the authorities. In a separate episode in November, veteran Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye was abducted by Ugandan agents while in Nairobi for the launch of a book. Press Freedom Curbs The U.S. State Department also raises concern over intimidation and assaults targeting journalists, including attacks during live broadcasts, as well as growing media self-censorship in the wake of government threats. The Media Council of Kenya reported at least 24 instances of violence and harassment against journalists by police and government-aligned groups during the Gen Z protests in June and July, including detention and targeting with tear gas and other nonlethal weapons, the report says. The document further points to weak enforcement of labor rights, unsafe working conditions, cases of child marriage, and the persistence of female genital mutilation in certain communities. The government took steps to identify and punish officials who committed human rights abuses but impunity was a problem at all levels of government, the report notes. Police in Apopka are investigating a crash involving a school bus. The crash happened near the intersection of North Park Avenue and East Votaw Road. Officers said the school bus appeared to have rear-ended a car. The driver of the car went to a hospital for treatment, police said. Police said a few high school students who were riding the bus were also taken to a hospital at their parents request. Officers at the scene told Channel 9 there were no obvious injuries to any of the students. The cause of the crash is under investigation. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. When students in East St. Louis, Illinois, head back to school Monday, they'll do so in eco-friendly style. Over the summer, East St. Louis School District 189 held a groundbreaking for a new bus depot. The building will hold 25 electric buses and 25 chargers, all of which are expected to be ready for the 2025-26 school year, according to the district. "Our students deserve clean, safe, and modern transportation," Superintendent Arthur Culver said in the news release. "... This is an exciting step forward for student wellness and a cleaner, healthier future for East St. Louis." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new buses will serve seven schools and join the district's existing fleet of 80 buses. The project will cost about $10 million, the Belleville News-Democrat reported, including maintenance and electricity expenses. Much of that funding is being provided by grants from the Environmental Protection Agency's $5 billion Clean School Bus Program. Nationwide, gas-powered school buses are estimated to produce more than 9 million tons of carbon pollution per year while transporting more than 24 million students to and from school. They primarily run on diesel, the exhaust from which is classified as a carcinogen. Electric buses have no tailpipe emissions and create a fraction of the pollution of their gas-powered counterparts. But their benefit goes well beyond that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Studies have shown that switching to electric buses could lower students' risk of asthma, with potential health benefits of more than $200,000 per electric school bus. Other research found that electric buses could also greatly benefit students' mental health. The loud noise associated with diesel engines and the loud noises students make to be heard over those engines can cause stress, particularly to neurodivergent students. Electric buses, meanwhile, offer a smoother, quieter ride. Several states, including California, have passed laws mandating that all new school buses will be electric. "This is what it looks like to put students first, to invest in their health, in their future, and in a transportation system that reflects their worth," District 189 executive director of communications Sydney Stigge-Kaufman said. 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. SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) Staff from a number of Concho Valley schools were trained to use a new security device designed for emergencies. San Angelo man implicated in largest deer smuggling scheme in Texas history Tom Green County sheriffs deputies held a joint training session that included learning how to use the JTC Claw, which is a tool that is needed for quick access into rooms and buildings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its for school safety and trying to get into schools quickly, Sgt. Ty Kimrey said. A patrol officer whos responding or two deputies who are there, very quick reaction, very quick entry into a facility, so they can handle the threat and take care of the problem. Tom Green County Sheriff Nick Hanna also weighed in on the importance of the device. Its also important for school personnel to understand how to use these devices, Hanna said. So today, in conjunction with our law enforcement training, weve also invited local schools to attend, and several have. So were excited to offer this training for schools in the Concho Valley. Members of the sheriff department will continue with the training with the devices in their vehicles for more members of the staff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Parents and students at one Duval County high school are demanding that school leaders be clearer about what students can and cannot wear to school. Many say Westside High School switched its dress code for the new school year, but failed to tell families about it. However, Duval County Public Schools maintains dress code and uniform policy for the school have not changed. All this week, Action News Jax has received call after call from parents complaining their students at Westside High School were being pulled out of class for dress code violations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davionte Kyser is a WHS senior. He was one of the students who got pulled into the auditorium for not following the dress code, which he says ruined his last-ever first day of high school. It impacted my first day of school a lot because I didnt get to participate in school. I mean thats why I go to school I go to learn, and I didnt get to learn anything that day, Kyser said. Duval County Public Schools tells Action News Jax that Westside High School has had a dress code policy since 2021. However, this year, some parents claim the school tweaked its uniform policy without properly informing them until the second day of school. Previous years and last year, they were allowed to wear khaki jeans and black jeans and cargo pants, and now all of a sudden they have to wear uniform pants, a parent told Action News Jax. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The parent, who asked that she not be identified to protect her daughter, said she went to go pick up her daughter from the school early on Tuesday because she was forced to sit in the auditorium for not wearing the right pants. After that, she asked the school to print her a copy of the schools uniform policy. The uniform policy handout the school gave her is dated June 2025. It states, in part, jeans will NOT be permitted, only if announced. Jeans may NOT have rips or tears that display skin above the knees. Later that evening, she said she got a mass email from the principal, outlining the uniform policy for this year, and when she compared the two, she noticed a new bullet that read No Jeans, cargo pants, spandex leggings, jeggings. If we had known that before school started, we could have bought those, but now everyone went out and spent their money on the pants they wore last year and now suddenly they have to buy uniform pants, the parent told Action News Jax. Now we all have to go school shopping again. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] In the email, Principal Foster did apologize for any confusion or frustration this may have caused, and outlined uniform expectations. Dear Westside High School Parents and Guardians, I would like to first apologize for any confusion or frustration that may have been caused by the enforcement of the Westside High School Uniform policy. This correspondence will hopefully clarify the communications previously sent and that are posted on our website. In our ongoing effort to increase student accountability, promote integrity, and maintain a safe, comfortable learning environment for all students, Westside High School will implement a mandatory school uniform policy for the 2025-2026 school year. All students will be required to wear uniforms and will not have the option to opt out. Research shows that school uniforms improve safety, boost self-esteem, and reduce anxiety about appearance. Uniforms also improve discipline, raise academic performance, and contribute to a stronger school culture. By adopting this policy, we aim to strengthen our Career and Technical Education Academies and better prepare students for success beyond high school. Uniform Requirements Shirts: Grey, black, or red polo shirts with the school logo. Button-up shirts and jackets with the school logo are also available for purchase. Vendor Information: R C Uniforms 11153 Beach Boulevard Jacksonville, Florida 32246 904-646-0493 rcuniforms.com Bottoms: Full-length khaki or black uniform pants, shorts, or skirts. No jeans, cargo pants, spandex leggings, jeggings. No Distressed (rips, tears, cuts) pants. Additional Guidelines: All shoes must fully cover the feet. Backless shoes are not permitted. Hoodies/jackets with hoods, hats, and non-religious head coverings are not permitted on campus. We are committed to creating an environment where all students can thrive academically and socially. Thank you for your cooperation and support in ensuring the success of our students. If you are experiencing an unforeseen hardship, please contact our partners at Full Service Schools (FSS) via https://forms.office.com/r/rq5Khci4D5 or by calling 211. We also cordially invite you to join Westside High Schools School Advisory Council. Our next meeting will take place on Monday, August 25th at 5:30 p.m. If you have any questions about the uniform policy, please contact the school at 904-573-1170. Warm Regards, Principal Foster DCPS sent us this statement regarding the uniform policy: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Duval County School Boards position on school uniforms is outlined in the DCPS Code of Conduct. Individual schools, in collaboration with their School Advisory Council (SAC), can require uniforms. Principals and school staff are keenly aware of community needs and are committed to working with families to address any challenges or hardships related to uniform expectations. Our goal is to work collaboratively with students and parents to ensure uniform compliance and find solutions with grace and compassion. We are also incredibly proud of the community organizations, volunteers, and parent groups who generously provide resources and uniforms to our students. If you have any questions about the uniform policy at your students school, please contact the schools front office or principal for guidance." >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Andrew James McGann was arrested for the brutal double homicide of a husband and wife, who were slaughtered while protecting their two young daughters on a hiking trail in Devils Den State Park in Arkansas, authorities say. School teacher McGann, 28, was nabbed at a barbershop about 30 miles from the scene of the daytime attack following a five-day manhunt after the bodies of Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were discovered at the popular tourist destination, lawmen say. According to a CNN report, the Brink children aged 7 and 9 were not physically harmed and sought help at the parks visitor center, saying their parents were stabbed by an assailant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The youngsters are currently in the care of relatives. McGann who had left his Oklahoma school job in May to accept a new teaching position in Arkansas is charged with two counts of capital murder and remains in custody. According to the New York Post, a woman claiming to be a parent of one of the alleged butchers former pupils in Texas wrote on Facebook, My son and several students witnessed Mr. McGann being inappropriate with little girls in the class and reported it to the principal. However, she added that the school found no evidence of inappropriate behavior. Col. Stacie Rhoads, commander of the state police departments criminal investigation division, says tips and video footage received from the public were instrumental in the suspects capture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were still exploring and determining exactly what that motive [for the killings] was, Rhoads said, according to NBC News. The outlet also reports that the Brink family said in a statement: Clinton and Cristen died heroes protecting their little girls, and they deserve justice. A new global water crisis is unfolding as groundwater depletion accelerates worldwide, fueled not just by spiking global temperatures but also by pulling freshwater out from the ground faster than it can be naturally replenished. According to a recent article by The Pillar, continents are losing groundwater at a pace that threatens water supplies and food security and, surprisingly, causing sea levels to rise. What's happening? Every year, an area equivalent to twice the size of California dries out, creating mega-drying regions under dry extremes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The study by researchers at Arizona State University estimates that about 68% of the loss in terrestrial water storage is due to groundwater depletion. Moreover, it estimates that three-quarters of the world's population live in areas that have been losing freshwater. Groundwater loss is now adding more freshwater to the oceans than melting glaciers. This means continental drying is contributing more to sea level rise than glaciers and ice caps. Why is groundwater depletion concerning? Groundwater is a natural water reserve built up over thousands of years. When it's drained too fast because of wasteful water use, it's unlikely to be replenished within a lifetime. Extreme weather has always existed, but rising temperatures are supercharging many events and risks. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, groundwater makes up approximately 30% of the Earth's freshwater. Once it's gone, billions of people will be affected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moreover, rising sea levels also threaten coastal communities. It increases the risk of flooding, infrastructure damage, and destruction of ecosystems. Even a slight increase in sea levels can make storm surges more dangerous. What's being done about the rapid groundwater loss? "This is an 'all-hands-on-deck' moment we need immediate action on global water security," lead researcher Jay Famiglietti told ASU News. Institutions are already working together to promote sustainable water resource management. Multilateral development banks, including the World Bank Group, are financing initiatives such as flood management, irrigation, and climate-resilient infrastructure. How concerned are you about the plastic waste in our oceans? Extremely I'm pretty concerned A little Not much Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Individuals can help by exploring important environmental issues and talking about them with family and friends. Actions like conserving water, switching to drought-tolerant landscaping, and using water-efficient appliances may also help reduce resource wastage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Earth continues to warm, managing water more wisely will be critical not just for local communities but for the entire planet's future. 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. RIDGELAND, S.C. (WSAV) A search warrant in Ridgeland, South Carolina led to four arrests and the seizure of $10,000 and multiple forms of drugs. Four suspects were arrested and charged. Three of them are reportedly related to one of the men convicted in the shooting death of DJ Fields. Bluffton PD searching for missing memorial of DJ Fields On August 15, 2025, the Jasper County Sheriffs Office (JCSO) Narcotics Enforcement Team coordinated with the Hardeeville Police Department (HPD) Criminal Investigations Division (CID) to execute a search warrant in the Miranda Drive area of Ridgeland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The search led to the seizure of one .300 Blackout rifle, ammunition, approximately $10,000 in U.S. currency, 19 grams of fentanyl, 30 grams of crack cocaine, and approximately one pound of marijuana. Charges filed as a result of this investigation: Houston Chaneyfield, 46, of Ridgeland trafficking fentanyl, trafficking crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute (PWITD) marijuana Jessica Powell, 40, of Ridgeland trafficking fentanyl, trafficking crack cocaine, PWITD marijuana Houston Chaneyfield Jr., 21, of Ridgeland PWITD fentanyl, PWITD crack cocaine, PWITD marijuana D-Avonta Chaneyfield, 20, of Ridgeland PWITD fentanyl, PWITD crack cocaine, PWITD marijuana Provided by The Jasper County Sheriffs Office 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. The Brief An atmospheric river is bringing unseasonably heavy rain to western Washington from Thursday evening through Saturday. The heaviest rainfall and gusty winds are expected Friday evening into Saturday, with up to 5" of rain in mountainous areas. While the rain disrupts outdoor plans, it aids the fire season during this typically dry period. SEATTLE - After a day of highs in the 70s and sunbreaks, showers returned to western Washington Thursday evening. After a day of highs in the 70s and sunbreaks, showers returned to Western Washington this evening. An atmospheric river setup moves into the Pacific Northwest, bringing showers from Thursday evening through early Saturday. This will be an unseasonably wet system with more rainfall than we typically see in August and temperatures will also be well below average. An atmospheric river set up moves into the Pacific Northwest bringing showers starting Thursday evening through early Saturday. What To Expect Showers will move in Thursday, but the heaviest rainfall will be Friday evening into Saturday along with gusty winds. The most rainfall will be in the mountains, with up to 5" possible in the heavier spots. The lowlands are looking at less than up to an inch and a half through Saturday. The rain is not great for outdoor plans, but this will help the fire season as we are in the driest stretch of the year. Showers will move in Thursday, but the heaviest rainfall will be Friday evening into Saturday along with gusty winds. It will be a cooler end of the week with highs in the upper 60s with plenty of rain and breezy winds. It will be a cooler end of the week with highs in the upper 60s with plenty of rain and breezy winds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Winds will also pick up Friday afternoon with wind gusts of up to 30 mph in some areas. It will be breezy overnight into Saturday. Winds will also pick up Friday afternoon with wind gusts of up to 30 mph for some areas. Showers will linger Saturday, but drier skies by the afternoon. We will see more normal conditions next week with warmer temperatures possible by next weekend. Showers will linger Saturday, but drier skies by the afternoon. The Source Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle Meteorologist Claire Anderson and the National Weather Service. MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE Illegal lane splitting on Washington highways raises safety concerns This is the best community college in WA, report says Arrest of Seattle airport fugitive caught on camera in Tacoma Reptile Zoo to close in Monroe after 30 years Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wild rabbits spotted with strange 'horn-like' growths sprouting from their heads To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news. The door to the old Supreme Court Chamber at the Montana Capitol. (Micah Drew/Daily Montanan) A second group of Montanans has launched a campaign to amend the state constitution to ensure that candidates for court races are elected without political affiliation. Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts on Friday launched a political committee and released two versions of proposed ballot language to enshrine a nonpartisan judicial system in the state during the 2026 election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were proud to be launching this long-planned effort to protect Montana courts from partisan influence, Caitie Butler, spokesperson for Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts, said in a press release. Our campaign builds on years of successful efforts to ensure that judges are accountable to the citizens of Montana and the constitution, not politicians. Another committee, Montanans for Fair and Impartial Judges, launched its own constitutional initiative campaign in June. Throughout the 2025 Legislature, Republican leadership, including Gov. Greg Gianforte, pushed to make changes to the states judicial system. Among the ideas to increase transparency and accountability to the court system was a plan to allow judges to run under party labels, removing the idea of a nonpartisan court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many Republicans who advocated for the more than seven bills pushing partisanship onto the bench said it would merely clarify what they perceived as an already partisan system. But detractors, including Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Cory Swanson, argued that the answer is not to lean further into political alignment. While all bills related to political judicial races except one allowing political parties to donate to judicial candidates died in the Legislature, the conversations continued after lawmakers left Helena. Now, two separate groups are working to codify nonpartisan elections in Montanas constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts is a coalition comprising multiple advocacy groups throughout the state including Montana Federation of Public Employees, Big Sky 55+, ACLU of Montana, Forward Montana, and Catalyst Montanan. The coalition has extensive experience defending Montanas courts and running successful campaigns to limit the influence of politicians and party bosses in our court system, according to the press release. A committee spokesperson did not directly address a question about why the groups arent working together. However, she said the committee undertook a lengthy, thorough and responsible research phase and legal review before publicly launching its campaign. This group has been exploring this for many months, Butler said. A lot of the groups involved were also heavily involved in making sure the legislature didnt make the courts partisan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members of many of the groups publicly supporting the committee, including Big Sky 55+, testified numerous times before the Legislature about why judges should remain as apolitical as possible. Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts believes that judges should be accountable to the citizens of Montana and the constitution, not politicians, party bosses, or donors, Executive Director of Big Sky 55+ Trent Bolger said in a press release. These measures ensure the people of Montana get to pick judges who will adhere to the constitution rather than a party line. The committee has submitted two ballot initiatives with similar language. Both ensure that all elected judges remain nonpartisan, but one adds an additional provision that any new courts created in the state must also adhere to a nonpartisan election for judges. The shared language of both initiatives inserts the following language into Article VII of the state constitution: Judicial elections shall remain nonpartisan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike McGrath endorsed the committees efforts in their announcement. Its simple judges should be elected based on their record and qualifications alone. Montana citizens deserve to have their cases decided by independent judges, based on the law and facts of each case, without regard to party affiliation, McGrath said. The measures Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts submitted today protect our long-standing tradition of electing judges based on the person, not the party. The committee also shared the support of former Republican state Sen. Bruce Tutvedt for the ballot measures. In early June, Montanans for Fair and Impartial Judges launched its campaign to put a nonpartisan judiciary constitutional initiative to voters in 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Montanans for Fair and Impartial Judges is led by Pepper Petersen and Ted Dick, the same team behind the ballot initiatives in 2020 which legalized adult use of recreational marijuana. Petersen told the Daily Montanan earlier this summer that his decades of political work in the state working on issues from coal mining, to gun rights, to marijuana, makes them the right group to bring forward the initiative. Montanans for Fair and Impartial Judges has earned endorsements from many political pillars of Montanas past, including Democrats and Republicans. Without independent judges, our entire system of government, our democracy and our way of life fall apart, former Republican Gov. Marc Racicot said in an endorsement video last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer also endorsed the campaign, as has former Republican Secretary of State Bob Brown, former U.S. Senator Max Baucus, a Democrat, and multiple current and former legislators. The filing language for the Fair and Impartial Judges ballot initiative states would add the following into Article VII, section 8 of the Montana Constitution: Supreme court justices and district court judges shall be elected in nonpartisan elections by the qualified electors as provided by law. In campaign finance filings from the end of June, the Fair and Impartial Judges committee reported receiving $20,881 in contributions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Petersen told the Daily Montanan he and Dick have so far donated their time and services to the campaign, through their consulting firms Coldwater Group and Bolder Action Consulting. Financial reports for Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts will be submitted at the end of the quarter. Petersen told the Daily Montanan in a phone interview that while he had heard of another group working on a similar issue, he hadnt spoken to anyone from the committee. Were always willing to talk to anybody about this issue, whomever they be, and work with people to make sure we get this done for Montanans. For 90 years weve had nonpartisan judges, and were going to make sure that gets into the constitution, Petersen said. On any campaign, youve got to focus on what youre doing day by day. Right now, we have the biggest bipartisan group of supporters that are interested in this issue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While two committees are completely independent of each other and not collaborating, Butler, the Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts spokesperson, said that they have the same goal preserving nonpartisan judicial elections in Montana. She added that the lengthy process for approving constitutional initiatives by the Secretary of State and the Attorney General before signature gathering can begin can benefit from having multiple proposals on the table. Multiple policies ensures maximum flexibility in getting a policy through, Butler told the Daily Montanan. Editors Note: This story has been corrected to reflect that expenditures listed in campaign finance reports for Montanans for Fair and Impartial Judges were in-kind donations from Petersen and Dick. GRAY, Tenn. (WJHL) Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee will host a food drive at the Appalachian Fair on Tuesday. Donations can be dropped off from 3 10 p.m. at the Appalachian Fairgrounds in Gray. Those who bring five cans or boxes of non-perishable food to donate will receive a coupon booklet for two free midway rides. Meet the Mountains, town-wide yard sale and more | Weekend events in the Tri-Cities Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Volunteers will collect donations at Gates 1,2 and 5 and at the Second Harvest Booth in Exhibit Building 3. Non-perishable food items are welcome, including the following: Peanut butter Cereal Canned meats, soups Boxed meals Canned fruits, vegetables Macaroni & cheese Pasta, rice, dried beans Canned pasta sauce (no glass containers) 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. The High Court has dismissed a suit to overturn Kenyas retirement age, upholding that the thresholds laid down are legal, fair, and not discriminatory. The matter was filed by Charles Chege Gitau, who sought the retirement policy prohibited and employers compelled to retain laborers past the age limits. Current law requires employees to retire at 60 years, or 65 years for those with disabilities. Gitau argued that the system violates constitutional principles of equality, dignity, and just labour practices. He contended that the policy advances stereotypes about the work rate of older workers, does not secure employment for the youngsters, and stands in conflict with exemptions given to judges, MPs, and university researchers. In his ruling, Justice Mugambi confirmed the court had jurisdiction to hear the case, noting that it was targeting the constitutionality of law as opposed to a matter of one employment case. He did, however, conclude Gitau had not proved unlawful discrimination, citing that retirement age variations are a function of varying legal and institutional requirements. The judge emphasized that deciding a retirement age is an issue of policy in the constitutional prerogative of the Public Service Commission (PSC) and not a fundamental right. He further stated that the PSC Act as well as the regulations allow exceptional talent to be retained on post-retirement contracts in cases where rare or special skills are required. Justice Mugambi held that there was no evidence of unconstitutional discrimination or arbitrary treatment. Since the case was in the interest of the public, he made no order for costs. The PSC and the Federation of Kenya Employers defended the mandatory retirement policy as legitimate and lawful to maintain equity, effective planning of the workforce, and advancement of youth opportunities by affirmative action. This ruling effectively preserves Kenyas long-standing retirement framework, reinforcing its role in balancing experience, efficiency, and generational change in the workforce. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet at a U.S. military base in Anchorage to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Trump told European leaders this week that his goal is to secure a ceasefire and that he does not intend to discuss any possible divisions of territory. The Morning Joe panel discusses. Donald Trump has drawn up a scorecard for corporate America, ranking companies based on their loyalty to his administration. The highly unusual list ranks 533 businesses and trade organisations based on their efforts to champion the US presidents one big beautiful bill, according to reports. Companies that have fared well deployed a variety of tactics often trumpeting the benefits of an individual policy, such as Ubers celebration of Mr Trumps no tax on tips proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scorecard, which Axios said will aid decision-making on corporate requests, comes as part of Mr Trumps America First agenda and protectionist policies. The chart allegedly ranks enterprises levels of support as either strong, moderate or low based on a series of factors. Actions that affect a companys rating are said to include social media posts, adverts, press releases, video testimonials, attendance at White House events and other engagements related to OB3 the administrations nickname for the presidents set-piece tax and spending legislation. According to Axios, businesses seen as good partners on the White House list include DoorDash, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Uber, AT&T, Cisco, Airlines for America and the Steel Manufacturers Association. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AT&T recently announced plans to more quickly build fiber infrastructure thanks to pro-investment policies in the one big beautiful bill act passed by Congress. Meanwhile Airlines for America which represents major US airlines including United and Delta lauded the bills $12.5bn (9.2bn) investment in air traffic control. The spreadsheet is said to be an evolving document, to which businesses support for other presidential initiatives can be added. The ranking helps us see who really goes out and helps vs those who just come in and pay lip service, an official told the news outlet. If groups/companies want to start advocating more now for the tax bill or additional administration priorities, we will take that into account in our grading, the official added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is not clear which businesses rank low on the list but those likely to have taken a hit may include clean energy companies, who heavily criticised the bills rollback of green incentives. Mr Trump has also clashed with Wall Street in recent weeks. The president this week hit out at David Solomon, the Goldman Sachs chief executive, saying the bank had been wrong to predict that imposing US tariffs would hurt the US economy. Posting on Truth Social, Mr Trump said the investment banker should focus on being a DJ one of his former hobbies and not bother running a major financial institution. The president has also butted heads with the leaders of JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America, claiming the banks had refused to accept more than $1bn in deposits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trump has signed an executive order requiring banks not to discriminate against clients on political grounds, in a move that could cause further headaches for the industry. The White House has made public a parallel list tracking the so-called Trump effect, referring to announcements of investments in US manufacturing, production and innovation during the presidents second term. It comes as the president is increasingly seeking to exert control over corporate America through protectionist measures, offering tax relief to businesses that bring jobs back to the US and threatening to impose tariffs on those that do not. Business leaders have scrambled to pay homage to the president, offering the US government stakes in their companies and even bestowing personal gifts on the president in a bid to avoid sanctions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, US chip manufacturer Nvidia agreed for the US government to take 15pc of the companys revenues generated in China as part of an agreement to restart exports to Beijing. The unprecedented pact came after Mr Trump barred sales of Nvidias H20 technology in China earlier this year to boost his tit-for-tat trade war with Beijing, wiping billions of dollars from the $4tn companys value in the process. Tim Cook, the Apple chief executive, last week agreed to invest $100bn in American manufacturing after the president pledged to impose 100pc tariffs on foreign microchip imports. The tech giants commitment to US manufacturing as well as Mr Cooks gift of a glass plaque with a 24-carat gold base earned the company a reprieve from Mr Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president said: If youve made a commitment to build (in the US), or if youre in the process of building (in the US), as many are, there is no tariff. 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. Mark Sigrist represents the 10th House District, which encompasses parts of Grove City, Columbus, Urbancrest and surrounding townships. I lie awake some nights thinking about the people who have built our communities but live every day in fear of losing them. They are the quiet backbone of Ohios farms, hospitals, factories, restaurants, construction sites and churches, longstanding economic immigrants who came here simply to work, raise families and contribute. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Often, theyve done the dangerous, undesirable jobs few others will take. They pay taxes. They raise U.S. citizen children and grandchildren. They care for our elderly. They run small businesses. Many have lived here for 15, 20 or even 30 years. Yet because they arrived without legal status and because Congress has failed to act they remain undocumented, permanently excluded and perpetually at risk. Im referring to men and women who have done everything we say we value in America. Still, they live under constant threat of detention, deportation and family separation. This is not just a policy failure. It is a national moral travesty. More: Immigrants in Columbus: How they arrived and how Trump is targeting them for removal I see their fear I call them economic immigrants because thats what brought them here: the hope of honest work and the promise of a better life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are not asylum seekers, refugees, DACA recipients or criminals. They are the mothers, fathers and children of Ohios next generation. And they are woven into the fabric of our state. I represent central Ohio in the Statehouse, and many of these individuals live in my district and have U.S. families. I see their fear. I hear their stories. And I cannot, in good conscience, remain silent. The recent federal budget allocated $75 billion to expand ICE enforcement and build more detention infrastructure while providing nothing to reduce the 3.8 million-case immigration court backlog or create lawful pathways for these longstanding immigrants to adjust their status. These immigrants are not strangers Protesters march against the Trump administration immigration policy and ICE deportations through streets of downtown Columbus after gathering at City Hall on June 10, 2025. This imbalance is staggering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are spending billions to break up families while refusing to invest a dime to fix the system that keeps them undocumented. These policies are bad for the American people and do not help kitchen table issues like energy costs and groceries; in fact, they will raise those costs. If you talk to people in our communities, Democrats, Republicans and Independents, youll find a quiet consensus: these immigrants are not strangers, and they are not criminals. They are neighbors. And theyve earned a place here. Its painful to watch Washington dehumanize these valued contributors to our communities. We know immigrants and their families add tremendous value to our communities, and they deserve to thrive and live with dignity. We know that standing together across race, income and national origin makes us all stronger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The time has come for a new coalition in Ohio, across party lines, across regions, across faiths to say clearly: we need a path to legal status for these longstanding undocumented immigrants. Ohio has the opportunity to lead the nation by showing that decency and strength can coexist. This isnt about opening the border. Its about opening our eyes. There is room in our politics for compassion. There is room in our economy for those already keeping it afloat. There is room in our laws for logic. And there must be room in our hearts for justice. I believe that, even in these difficult times, it is still possible to be decent, kind, caring and strong. That is the America I still believe in. And I believe Ohio can lead not with fear, but with moral clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What can I do to help? Two things come to mind: The Dignity Act of 2025, recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar and U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, is a comprehensive immigration reform bill. It aims to address the status of undocumented immigrants, enhance border security and modernize the legal immigration system. The bill provides a pathway to legal status, rather than citizenship, for undocumented immigrants who meet specific requirements. Please reach out to your congressional official and ask them to cosponsor and vote in favor of this bill. Our message will be simple: these people are already Americans in every way but paperwork. Lets give them the dignity of a path forward. There are vital independent nonprofit organizations that serve the refugee and immigrant populations here in central Ohio. You can directly support these hardworking and long-settled immigrants with your time and resources. I believe that, even in these difficult times, it is still possible to be decent, kind, caring and strong. That is the America I still believe in. And I believe Ohio can lead not with fear, but with moral clarity. Mark Sigrist is currently serving his first term as State Representative. Mark Sigrist is currently serving his first term as State Representative. He represents the 10th House District, which encompasses parts of Grove City, Columbus, Urbancrest and surrounding townships. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How to help immigrants unfairly targeted by ICE | Opinion BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) National Institute of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and Sen. Katie Britt visited the University of Alabama at Birmingham Thursday to discuss the future of medical research. The visit came after Britt announced advancing critical funding for Alabama medical centers, hospitals and universities. During the presentation, she discussed what the general outlook was on how Congress would approach NIH funding in the upcoming federal budget negotiations. Earlier this year, the Trump administration discussed cuts to the group as part of an effort to cut federal spending. We have just marked up the senate appropriations which NIH just funded over we actually did an increase of $400 million in that budget, Britt said. I was proud to lead a letter, there were 14 of us republican senators leading the letter talking about the importance of this funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Bhattacharya chose UAB to spoke about the vision for NIH across the country, the future of vaccine technology and the top research prioritizes over the next few years. I want to achieve the presidents vision of ending the HIV epidemic, Bhattacharya said. Bhattacharya also shared if funds for the NIH will be released this fiscal year and how grants for research will be appropriated. Instead of five years of funding, well give three plus three and then were only pulling forward three years of funding that limits the impact of the total budget of the pulling forward so we can still have a lot of new projects moving forward, he said. We are on track now to spend the allocation that congress gave us on excellence science, on projects that will advance health of the population. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bhattacharya said UAB, which has nearly 600 active medical projects, is an important location when it comes to biomedical research. 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. Sen. Jim Boyd, left, is the likely Senate president-designate for the 2027-2028. Sen. Ben Albritton, right, is the current leader of the chamber. (Photos via Florida Senate) Republican Senate President Ben Albritton on Friday called a GOP caucus meeting for Oct. 14 to select Sen. Jim Boyd Senate president-designate for the 2026-28 legislative term. Albritton praised Boyd in the memo, saying he always works to build consensus and has spent countless hours with Senators on both sides of the aisle exploring and talking through ideas to make legislation stronger and bring tough and complex issues across the finish line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When it comes to constituent services, he digs into the details to make sure Floridians are getting the answers they need and expect from our elected leaders. As our Majority Leader, we have seen Jim work to ensure the Senate Floor runs smoothly and all Senators have the opportunity to be heard. For these reasons, and more, Jim has proven he has the support of Senate Republicans and is ready to lead our Caucus and our Chamber as the 92nd President of the Florida Senate. Boyd served in the Florida House of Representatives for eight years and in 2018 championed legislation that established controlled substance prescribing limits for acute pain and required physicians to use a prescription drug monitoring database before prescribing or dispensing an opioid. Associated Industries of Florida awarded Boyd its Champion for Business award in this year and the Florida Chamber of Commerce gave Boyd its Distinguished Advocate Award in 2023 and 2024. Boyd was first elected to the Florida Senate in 2020. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) Seniors 62-and-up with a valid ID can visit the Virginia Zoo for free Wednesdays from Aug. 20 through Sept. 24. This series, known as Senior Wednesdays, commemorates National Senior Citizens Day Aug 21. There will be a Bingo challenge, and those completing any five tasks in a row will receive a Zoo-themed prize. Also, the Zoo will offer several weekly engagement activities on Wednesdays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seniors will also have the opportunity to give their family photos that will be used for the zoos 125th anniversary in 2026. Anyone can submit their Virginia Zoo-themed anecdotes and photos here. A grandmother and her grandchild watch the gibbons. (Photo/The Virginia Zoo) The Senior Wednesdays discount applies to walk-up tickets only. Accompanying non-senior visitors will have to buy tickets. The Virginia Zoo encourages residents to email the zoo or call 757-441-2374 for more details. Download the WAVY News App to keep up with the latest news, weather and sports from WAVY-TV 10. Available in both the Apple and Google Play stores. 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. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) Angela Bino, one of the two women who were found guilty of killing a Sioux City woman, has received her sentencing date. Court documents indicate Angela Bino is expected to receive her prison sentence on August 29. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier in August, a judge found Bino guilty of 1st-degree murder in the death of her mother, Suzette Occhibone. Officials said in October 2023, Angela and her daughter, Jessica, assaulted and stabbed Suzette in the apartment that all three of them lived in. The two then put Suzettes body in the trunk of a car. 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. DELHI, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) The sentencing of a Stamford man was announced by Delaware County DA Smith. On August 12, Delaware County District Attorney announced the sentencing of Thomas Mould of Stamford. Mould appeared before Delaware County Court Judge the Honorable Judge John L. Hubbard. New York State Police responded to reports of a domestic dispute in the Village of Stamford on June 23rd, 2024. The report was made as a result of alleged molestation of a child under the age of 17 by Mould. According to the DA a statement was made by Mould voluntarily to police that he was aware that the victim was under the age of 17 and to touching the victim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Delaware County District Attorney Shawn Smith, Mould was convicted of Criminal Sexual Act. The term of the sentence is said to be four years in state prison and eight years of supervision post-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 WIVT - News 34. BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Police fired tear gas at anti-government protesters in downtown Belgrade as they clashed for the third day on Friday in the Serbian capital and other cities amid reports of police brutality and excessive use of force during the unrest. The anti-government rallies were held on Friday night across Serbia under the slogan: Lets show them we are not a punching bag." Police deployed armored vehicles in parts of the capital as protesters faced off against riot police separating them from pro-government supporters in downtown Belgrade. Groups of protesters, most of them wearing facemasks, fired flares and threw rocks and eggs at the riot police, who charged them while mounted on armored vehicles in the wide boulevard in front of the Serbian government headquarters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some people were seen getting first aid, but there were no immediate reports of how many were injured. Thrash cannisters were rolled onto the streets, some set on fire. The chaotic scenes in Belgrade were repeated in similar clashes in several other cities and towns. Earlier Friday, Serbian police said they detained hundreds of demonstrators who took part in anti-government protests throughout the country this week. The three days of clashes between the police and loyalists of autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic on one side and the anti-government protesters on the other have left dozens injured or detained. The unrest marked a serious escalation of more than nine months of largely peaceful demonstrations led by Serbias university students that have shaken Vucics firm grip on power in the Balkan country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The protests that rattled Vucic first started in November, after the collapse of a renovated train station canopy in Serbias north killed 16 people. Many blame the tragedy on alleged corruption-fueled negligence in state infrastructure projects. Vucic praised the police for their conduct during the latest demonstrations, saying he will propose additional bonuses for the officers. Speaking with state television broadcaster RTS, he repeated his claim that the protests were inspired by the West with the intention of toppling him from power. He has not provided any evidence for the claim. Several social media posts from this week show baton-wielding riot police beating people to the ground and then kicking them with their boots before they were handcuffed. The apparent targets were often women and young people. Serbias Interior Minister Ivica Dacic denied Friday that police used excessive force, blaming the demonstrators for allegedly attacking the officers, who were protecting themselves with riot shields. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The police were massively and brutally attacked without any provocation. There were violent attempts to breach the cordons, Dacic said. Last night, 75 police officers were injured, and several vehicles were damaged. Those who spread lies about police brutality should comment on this fact. Opposition leaders called for Dacic to be removed from office. They are beating up people on the streets, said opposition leader Dragan Djilas. They also beat up politicians, literally anyone who opposes Aleksandar Vucic, with the clear goal of inflicting serious bodily harm on them. Another social media video purported to show several young detainees kneeling with their faces to the wall as police officers stood to attention behind them. Some of the apparent detainees had bloodstains on their backs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The EUs Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos earlier this week said the reports of violence at the protests were deeply concerning. Serbia is formally seeking EU membership, but Vucic has maintained strong ties with Russia and China. The Serbian president has faced accusations of stifling democratic freedoms while allowing organized crime and corruption to flourish. He has denied this. Seven people were arrested in Alabama in connection with a child sex trafficking ring, in which kids as young as 3 were drugged, tortured and imprisoned in a filthy underground lair, where their tiny bodies were sold to sate the lust of perverted pedophiles, lawmen say. Even more disturbing, some of the alleged traffickers are accused of abusing and pimping out their very own offspring for as much as $1,000 a night, according to court records cited by AL.com. Authorities say suspects Rebecca Brewer, 29, Sara Louise Terrell, 41, Ricky Terrell, 44, Andres Velazquez-Trejo, 29, William Chase McElroy, 21, Dalton Terrell, 21, and Timothy St. John, 23, were cuffed on charges ranging from sexual torture and abuse to rape, human trafficking and kidnapping. Officials allege that 10 victims ranging in age from 3 to 15 were subjected to vaginal, anal and oral attacks and abuse dating as far back as 2022 at a property owned by McElroys family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to prosecutors, the children were violated in a secluded storm shelter that contained a grimy mattress, a few chairs and concrete pillars. Bibb County Assistant District Attorney Bryan Jones says two of the children were even forced to perform sex acts on each other after allegedly being instructed by McElroy. According to AL.coms report, Jones says Velazquez-Trejo who is the father of three of the victims born to Brewer would drug the drinks of the captives and adds, He would tie one child to the bed, one child to a chair and one to one of the support poles. Then he would allow people to pay to have sex with the children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its hard to fathom that someone can do this to a child. Sara Terrell is even accused of using an animal shock collar on the genitals of at least one minor both as a form of punishment and for sexual pleasure, according to court documents. Jones says the Department of Homeland Security is involved in the case because the suspects could have an affiliation with the Mexican gang Surenos, which uses sex trafficking to fund their illicit activities. No child deserves this, the power and control of it, the stealing the innocence of a child and the horrible victimization they went through with these monsters, said Sheriff Jody Wade, according to AL.com. I know Gods forgiveness is boundless, but if there is a limit, weve reached it. MPs have summoned Auditor General Nancy Gathungu to account for what they term a troubling drop in the quality of audit reports from her office. Their action follows allegations that some officers in the audit office are colluding with leaders of state agencies to sanitise questionable financial records. During a joint sitting of the Public Investment Committee on Governance and the Education Committee on Wednesday, lawmakers voiced alarm over audits that seem to ignore glaring irregularities, forcing committees to uncover the breaches on their own. Bumula MP Wanami Wamboka, who chairs the committee, accused the audit office of watering down findings, failing to highlight major concerns, and clearing chief executives with questionable track records. The quality of reports is wanting. Parliament will not be used to rubber-stamp illegalities in government, he said. Auditors meet with agencies; they clear them and bring them to us to rubber-stamp. Bomachoge Chache MP Alfah Miruka warned that the committees will not act as a conveyor belt for compromised reports, insisting that both the chief executives and the auditors who approved the documents must be held accountable. We cannot be used to rubber-stamp something that we do not understand, Miruka said. Wamboka announced that the committees will meet Gathungu next week to address the compromised audit reports and question the directors who signed them. We want to meet the Auditor General herself next week. This is unacceptable, he said. We want the director who was directly involved in the audit. The concerns surfaced during the review of the 202324 audit report for the Kenya Space Agency, where acting director general Hillary Kipkosgey had to postpone the session after the committee raised strong objections. Lawmakers also flagged similar problems in the audit report for the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA). Documents presented to Wambokas committee showed that auditors identified only three issues at the Kenya Space Agency and two at KNQA, while overlooking more serious concerns and focusing on minor ones. In some instances, they left out some big issues and only highlighted the flimsy ones, Wamboka said. MPs now plan to grill the Auditor General over alleged behind-the-scenes negotiations that they say are undermining the credibility of Kenyas public audit process. STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -One person was killed and several people were injured when a train hit a vehicle and derailed in southern Denmark on Friday, Danish police said. Pictures from the scene showed that a carriage had been torn from the train and was lying on the side, Danish TV2 reported. Police said that of the 95 people on board the train, one was killed, and several were injured, of whom two were carried away by helicopter, the police of Southern Jutland region of Denmark said in a press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The incident happened when the train hit a vehicle at a road crossing, national rail system operator Banedanmark said on X. Denmark's national railway operator, state-owned DSB, separately said it had halted all journeys between the towns of Kliplev and Tinglev near Denmark's border with Germany. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, Nerijus Adomaitis and Anna Ringstrom, editing by Terje Solsvik, William Maclean) Severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings were issued by the National Weather Service in Phoenix on Thursday, Aug. 14. The warnings apply to Maricopa County. Meteorologists warn of winds as strong as 60 mph. Use caution: Officials warn of hail as large as 0.75 inches. The National Weather Service warns: "For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building." A severe thunderstorm was located over the Glendale Sports Complex, or near Tolleson, and was nearly stationary with 60 mph wind gusts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include: Phoenix, Glendale, Deer Valley Airport, Arrowhead Mall, and Metro Center. This included the following highways: Interstate 17 between mile markers 209 and 224; Loop 101 between mile markers 15 and 28; State Route 74 between mile markers 28 and 30. A severe thunderstorm also was located near New River with 60 mph wind gusts. Locations impacted included: New River and Interstate 17 between mile markers 232 and 239. A severe thunderstorm also was located over Deer Valley Airport, or near Peoria with 60 mph wind gusts. Locations impacted included: Phoenix, Glendale, Deer Valley Airport, Arrowhead Mall, and Metro Center. This included the following highways: Interstate 17 between mile markers 209 and 224; Loop 101 between mile markers 15 and 28; State Route 74 between mile markers 28 and 30. A storm warning was issued earlier in the night for these affected areas: Surprise, New River, Lake Pleasant, Pipeline Canyon Trailhead, Cottonwood Day Use Area, Castle Creek Boat Ramp, Vistancia, and Anthem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A flash flood warning also was issued for Maricopa County until 1 a.m. At 10:18 p.m., trained weather spotters reported flooding along Interstate 17 and Happy Valley Road. Thunderstorms were producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.5 to 1 inch are possible in the warned area. Life-threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. Some locations that will experience flash flooding include: Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, New River, Cave Creek, Carefree, Desert Ridge Marketplace, Deer Valley Airport, Scottsdale Airport, Anthem, Vistancia and Lake Pleasant. See weather radar for metro Phoenix area What are weather service meteorologists saying? At 9:22 p.m., the weather service issued a statement: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The National Weather Service in Phoenix has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for: Maricopa County in south central Arizona, Until 10:15 p.m. MST. At 9:22 p.m. MST, a severe thunderstorm was located over Pipeline Canyon Trailhead, or 12 miles north of Peoria, moving north at 5 mph. HAZARD: 60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE: Radar indicated. IMPACT: Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Locations impacted include: Surprise, New River, Lake Pleasant, Pipeline Canyon Trailhead, Cottonwood Day Use Area, Castle Creek Boat Ramp, Vistancia, and Anthem. This includes the following highways, AZ Interstate 17 between mile markers 220 and 232. US Highway 60 between mile markers 133 and 137. AZ Route 74 between mile markers 8 and 30." What is a severe thunderstorm warning? A severe thunderstorm warning means the area is experiencing or is about to experience a storm with winds of 58 mph or higher or hail an inch in diameter or larger. Tips for staying safe during thunderstorms Once in a shelter, stay away from windows and avoid electrical equipment and plumbing. Keep a battery-powered weather radio nearby in case of loss of power. Remember to bring pets inside. If there is time, secure loose objects outside as these objects often become dangerous flying debris in high winds. Postpone outdoor activities until the storms have passed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reporters Jana Hayes and Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez contributed to this article. This weather report was generated automatically using information from the National Weather Service and a story written and reviewed by an editor. (This story was updated to add new information.) See the latest weather alerts and forecasts here This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Thunderstorm, flash flood warnings issued for Phoenix area Aug. 14JAMESTOWN The Jamestown Police Department announced that a sex offender has changed his address in Jamestown. William Joseph Schwer, 52, lives at 1610 Business Loop W No. 6, Riverside Motel No. 6. He does not drive a vehicle. Schwer is 5 feet 6 inches, weighs 140 pounds, has brown eyes and gray hair. The North Dakota Sex Offender Risk Assessment Committee has determined Schwer to be a high-risk offender. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was convicted in 2004 of two counts of child molestation second degree in Whatcom County District Court in Washington. Authorities said he had consensual sexual intercourse with a 12-year-old girl on multiple occasions while he was 23 years old. He received 34 months with 36 months supervision. He also was convicted in 2005 of two counts of receipt/distribute child porn in U.S. Federal Court. Authorities said he was in possession of about 50 images of child pornography, including prepubescent minors. He received 180 months and five years supervised probation. More information on registered offenders is available on the Attorney General's website at www.sexoffender.nd.gov/. SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) A prominent San Francisco Democrat announced he has authored legislation to ban what he calls extreme masking by law enforcement. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is promoting Senate Bill 627 (SB 627) in response to the arrival of masked Border Patrol agents outside a venue for a rally California Gov. Gavin Newsom was holding a rally Thursday. Im authoring legislation to shut this ski mask s**t down, Wiener said in a Reddit post Friday. MOST LOVED & HANDSOME GOVERNOR Newsom trolls Trump on social media Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The outspoken SF Dem, who is tipped by some as a possible successor to Nancy Pelosi should she not seek reelection, accompanied the post by a picture of masked agents outside the downtown Los Angeles venue where Newsom spoke Thursday. Newsom was holding a rally to unveil what he called the Election Rigging Response Act. At the rally, the governor announced that California would be moving forward with a partisan redistricting plan to counter a similar plan by Texas Republicans thats backed by President Donald Trump. Los Angeles, CA August 14: Gregory Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the El Centro Sector and Commander-Operation At Large CA (center), marches with federal agents to the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building after US Border Patrol agents produced a show of force outside the Japanese American National Museum where Gov. Newsom was holding a redistricting press conference on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Outside the venue in LAs Little Tokyo neighborhood, masked Border Patrol agents posted up in what some have characterized as a show of force. Were here making Los Angeles a safer place, Gregory Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of El Centro Sector and Commander-Operation At Large told a reporter outside the venue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yesterday, Governor Newsom, legislators, and community leaders held a press conference in Los Angeles to announce Californias redistricting process to counter the rigged redistricting process Trump and his cronies initiated in Texas, Wiener wrote. Trumps thugs showed up with ski masks. This situation California leaders rallying for democracy and Trumps secret police showing up to intimidate people encapsulates exactly where our country is right now. Wiener said he was proud of California for standing up for our democracy and that he would be voting next week to back Newsoms redistricting plan. In this Jan. 21, 2020, file photo, state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, speaks at a news conference in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) The three-term Democratic state senator went on to say that he would be authoring SB 627 to band masking by law enforcement, including federal agents. I look forward to passing that bill and sending it to the Governor, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also known as the No Secret Police Act, SB 627 would prohibit law enforcement at all levels from covering their faces while conducting operations in the state of California, according to Wieners official website. The bill would also require officers to be identifiable via their uniform, whether with name or other identifier. 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. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) A Sioux Falls shooting suspect is back behind bars facing new, more serious charges. A grand jury has indicted Jabriel Fears on four counts of attempted first-degree murder. Court documents list four different victims and say the crime was premeditated. Woman sues SFPD for negligence after injuries We first told you about this case in June. Thats when police say Fears and another man opened fire on a group of people in downtown Sioux Falls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A $250,000 warrant was issued for Fears arrest. He was initially booked into jail last week for aggravated assault and was released without having to pay bond. Now that hes been indicted, Fears was booked back into jail today. Another man was arrested in the case earlier, but the charges against him have been dismissed. 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. Imagine a robotics CEO pitching weaponized humanoid over cocktails at the Waldorf Astoria, targeting Trumps nominee for antisemitism envoy. Thats exactly what happened when Foundation Robotics cofounder Mike LeBlanc met Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun in Washington, discussing robot security for diplomats and synagoguesthen connecting with Homeland Security about border patrol applications. The Phantom Breaks Silicon Valleys Ethical Code While competitors pledge restraint, Foundation embraces military contracts worth millions. Foundations Phantom MK1 represents everything most robotics companies publicly avoid. Standing 175 centimeters tall and weighing 80 kilograms, this humanoid delivers 160 Newton-meters of torque with a 20-kilogram payload capacity. More provocatively, Foundation explicitly welcomes weapon attachments and military deploymenta stark contrast to Teslas Optimus and Figure AI, which have sworn off weaponization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company has already secured $10 million in defense contracts and maintains ongoing discussions with entities like Anduril. LeBlanc dismisses the common tech industry no-military pledges, positioning Foundation as pragmatically accepting what others ideologically reject. Billion-Dollar Bets Drive Military Pivot Massive investment surge pushes robotics startups toward defense applications. The numbers explain Foundations boldness. Robotics attracted over $2.7 billion in investment this year alone, while defense tech startups pulled in $28 billiondouble the 2020 total. Morgan Stanley predicts over a billion operational humanoids by 2030, creating enormous pressure to find profitable applications beyond factory floors. Yet ethical experts warn of serious risks. Wendell Wallach and Julie Carpenter highlight past incidents involving improvised weaponized robots and battlefield misuse concerns. The technologys autonomous decision-making capabilitiesimpressive for navigating stairs and rough terrainbecome terrifying when applied to targeting decisions. The Military-Industrial Silicon Valley Complex Traditional tech ethics collide with defense industry realities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Foundations approach signals a broader shift in Silicon Valleys relationship with military applications. Like Palantir before it, the company argues that ethical restraints are naive when facing global competition. This reasoning increasingly resonates as geopolitical tensions drive defense spending and companies chase lucrative government contracts. Yet the precedent matters enormously. If humanoid robots become commonplace battlefield tools, youre witnessing the normalization of autonomous warfare systems that science fiction warned against for decades. The question isnt whether Foundations Phantom worksits whether were ready for the world it represents. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) A federal grand jury indicted a Sioux Falls woman for straw purchasing a gun for a convicted felon that was eventually used in a shooting that involved law enforcement officers. On Thursday, 30-year-old Chardea Daines Odom was indicted for False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm and False Statement to a Licensed Firearm Dealer, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office. Hawthorne Elementary kids to receive free meals Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Odom pleaded not guilty to the indictment, which alleges that in June 2025 she bought a gun from a local, licensed firearm dealer. On the purchase paperwork, Odom said that she was the buyer of the firearm, when in fact she was purchasing it for another person. When you straw purchase a firearm for a convicted felon, you are not just breaking the law, you are placing lives at risk, ATF Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle said in a news release. The gun Odom purchased was later used in one of two officer-involved shootings in Sioux Falls involving law enforcement. There was one on June 26 and one on July 7 in Sioux Falls. Photo from the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. This defendants actions led to the lives of three law enforcement officers being threatened, said South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley. The investigation and arrest of this defendant was made possible thanks to the combined effort of several agencies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The maximum penalty for False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm is up to ten years in federal custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. For False Statement to a Licensed Firearm Dealer, the maximum penalty is up to 5 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims fund. In both cases, restitution may also be ordered. Odom was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set. 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. Syrias interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa looks on as he attends the Aleppo, Key to Victory celebration marking Syrias liberation, in Aleppo, Syria May 27, 2025. (photo credit: REUTERS/KHALIL ASHAWI) BEHIND THE LINES: In just eight months of Sunni Islamist rule in Syria, already three large-scale incidents of sectarian violence have taken place. Footage has emerged this week showing the killing of a volunteer paramedic at a hospital in Sweida, Syria, by armed men affiliated with the Syrian government of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The killing was recorded by CCTV at the hospital and released on Sunday by the local Suweida 24 outlet. The footage indicates that the killing took place during a rampage by the government-affiliated fighters through Sweidas main hospital. The entry of the governments men into the medical facility took place in the context of the violence between Bedouin tribesmen and Druze Syrians, which erupted on July 13. The government fighters had been dispatched to the area to separate the clashing sides. Once there, however, they began to target the Druze. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shared Sunni sectarian loyalties were the decisive element. Ninety bodies were later discovered on the hospital grounds. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that 1,400 people lost their lives during the July fighting, many of them Druze civilians. The July incidents in Syria were the third instance of large-scale sectarian bloodletting in the country since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. The first major eruption was in March, when Islamist gunmen affiliated with the government descended on the western coastal area, after a government checkpoint was attacked by gunmen loyal to the old regime. The coastal area and Latakia province are the heartland of the Alawi community, from which the Assads hail. Over 1,000 people were butchered in what followed. In the subsequent months, there have been a series of reports indicating that ongoing abductions of young Alawi women have been taking place. The authorities of the new government are slow to investigate these occurrences. A man walks next to a damaged military vehicle, following deadly clashes between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and government forces, in Syria's predominantly Druze city of Sweida, Syria July 25, 2025 (credit: REUTERS/YAMAM AL SHAAR) The second series of incidents took place in April, after a forged message supposedly of a Druze cleric insulting Muhammed, the prophet of Islam, was circulated. Around 100 people lost their lives in the fighting that followed, as Sunni Islamist fighters affiliated with the government attacked the Druze-majority Damascus suburbs of Jaramana and Ashrafieh. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, in just eight months of Sunni Islamist rule in Syria, already three large-scale incidents of sectarian violence have taken place. The three incidents have several factors in common: In all cases, the violence was directed by Sunni Islamists against one of Syrias minority communities. And, perhaps yet more significantly, in all cases, the perpetrators were linked, directly or tangentially, to the current ruling authorities in Damascus. Lessons learned from eight months of Sunni Islamist rule in Syria CAN LESSONS and patterns be learned and discerned from these events? If so, what do these imply for the likely future direction of dam? Most obviously, we can confidently lay to rest the assertion that Sharaa and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) represented something entirely new in the annals of Sunni political Islam. Sharaas career has certainly been extraordinary. In less than two decades, he went from the Iraqi branch of al-Qaeda and an American prison cell, to the presidential palace in Damascus. He and his organization have demonstrated a tactical flexibility and shrewdness hitherto unseen in the ranks of the Salafi jihadi Islamism, from which they emerged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Previously, Salafi jihadi efforts at governance such as the short-lived ISIS caliphate of 2014 to 2019 have tended to disappear in fire and smoke as a result of an inability to make tactical alliances. HTS was different. Its ability to cut off and crush more extreme elements opposing its path, and then to form its crucial alliance with Turkey, made possible the slow buildup of forces that eventually led to the fateful march on Damascus in late November 2024. But subsequent evidence suggests that the differences between the HTS regime in Damascus and earlier experiments in Salafi-jihadi governance may be more a matter of tactics than strategy. There are two separate elements to the picture that deserve closer consideration. HTS has grown since entering Damascus Its important to remember that HTS was a relatively small organization when it entered Damascus in late 2024. At that time, it probably numbered around 45,000 fighters. This is obviously nowhere near enough to administer a large area containing over 15 million people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HTS, inevitably, found itself reliant on other Sunni Islamist elements to help provide security in the area it controls (the 70% of Syrias territory located west of the Euphrates River). Some of these elements, in particular groups associated with the Turkish-supported Syrian National Army, had a well-earned reputation for sectarian slaughter. These elements appear to have been disproportionately responsible for the massacre of Alawis in March. Still, the Sunni Islamists only entered the area after there were calls in official channels for popular participation in government efforts against the Alawis. Part of the picture of the sectarian atrocities since November 2024 can be attributed to the general commonality that exists between HTS and other less disciplined, and more murderous Sunni Islamist forces, and HTSs own limited strength. But it is clear that something more systematic is under way: the now well-ordered and long-term incorporation by HTS of a variety of these Islamist and Sunni jihadi forces into the new security forces and army that it is building. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unsurprisingly, the Sunni Islamist rulers of Syria are building an army resting on Sunni Islamist and jihadi commanders. That army, again unsurprisingly, behaves in the way that would generally be associated with Sunni Islamists when faced with non-Muslim populations. THE INCORPORATION of jihadis with a long record of sectarian attacks on civilians has been apparent for a while. Muhammed al-Jassim, for example, a well-known Islamist commander from northern Syria, guilty of numerous well-documented crimes against the Kurdish population in northwest Syria (recorded by this newspaper), has now been appointed the commander of the 25th division in the new Syrian army. His colleague, Saif Abu Bakr, with a similarly rich combat record against defenseless non-Arab or non-Muslim civilians, now heads the 76th division of the same new army. A recent report by the Alma research center details the names of 22 officials with verified Sunni jihadi backgrounds who hold senior positions in the emergent military structures of the new regime. These include the defense minister, deputy defense minister, army chief of staff, commander of the Republican guard, air force commander, 14 division commanders, a deputy division commander, a division chief of staff, and a brigade commander. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Where may all this be heading? Last week, a conference was held in the city of Hasakah, east of the Euphrates, under the auspices of the Syrian Democratic Council. Hasakah is located in the 30% of Syria controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The conference was convened by Ilham Ahmed, SDCs foreign minister, and was attended by Druze leader Hikmat al Hijri and Alawi council head Ghazal Ghazal. There is no indication that this dialogue has any security or self-defense component. But if the emergent Sunni Islamist, jihadi army and regime in Damascus continues its practice of rebranding sectarian killers as division commanders, and engaging in periodic acts of slaughter against non-Muslim or non-Arab populations, it is very likely that such a counter-arrangement will eventually emerge. She couldnt breathe: Mother says drug-laced gummies made her daughter sick at school A mother in DeKalb County is warning parents after she said her daughter and three other students were drugged with THC gummies at Stephenson Middle School this week. Madison Tate said her daughter was hospitalized after eating a gummy laced with THC, a compound found in marijuana. She said the incident occurred in a classroom at Stephenson Middle School near Stone Mountain, leading to two students being hospitalized and two others sent home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All because she took a piece of candy from her friend, Tate told Channel 2s Courtney Francisco. The school district confirmed four students ingested gummies at Stephenson Middle School on Wednesday. Tate described the frightening experience, noting her daughters heart rate reached 155. TRENDING STORIES: Georgia Poison Center Director Dr. Gaylord Lopez warned that a growing number of children are mistaking drugs for candy, leading to serious health emergencies like seizures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On our side, the kids are sicker, and having symptoms like losing consciousness, Lopez said. Medical records confirmed Tates daughter tested positive for THC, and Tate said police are investigating the gummies to determine if any other substances were involved. DeKalb County School District issued a statement encouraging parents to discuss the importance of using good judgment before eating anything, especially if they do not know where it originated. As the investigation continues, Tate is urging parents to have conversations with their children about the dangers of accepting candy, not just from strangers, but from friends, too. Dont take it lightly, she cautioned. Family, friends, teachers and community members gathered in the gymnasium of Empower College Prep in Phoenix to celebrate Rebekah Baptiste and the tenacity and kindness she showed to everyone who knew her. The crowd was a mix of all ages, dressed in vibrant shades of magenta and pink, Baptiste's favorite colors. As people started to arrive, pink-painted clothespins were distributed to anyone who wanted one. Teachers and staff at the school expressed their gratitude and loss for having been part of her short but impactful life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The loss of Rebekah is a tragedy that has shaken us all. She was taken from us far too soon, and the ache of that absence can be felt in every corner of this room," Natalia Mariscal, director of student social services at Empower College Prep, said. Rebekah Baptiste's fourth-grade teacher, Phenicia Swalley, spoke about the time they spent together in school and the unbreakable bond the two shared as teacher and student. "I remember you crying on the last day of school. I reassured you that everything would be okay regardless of where you were. You asked to take a picture with me and print it so you could look at me every time you missed me," Swalley said. "I told you I would make one and look at it when I missed you, too. Your tears stopped, and I could see you relax. How lucky was I? You see, I was lucky because we shared so many special memories together. I was lucky because I got to show you love when the people you wanted to most refused." As the event continued, the atmosphere was filled with a sense of resilience and hope as people were reminded of how Baptiste's light touched the lives of so many and left an incredible mark on those who loved her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Rebekah was described as someone who would always take care of others before herself. She sensed her classmates' emotions and she would run and find a way to cheer them up when they were down," chaplain Javi Casas said. "She put others before herself. She was the first one to comfort and worry about others' emotions and well being. She was also a wonderful big sister. She was often seen looking for her brothers to see if they had eaten, and she loved her brothers fiercely and advocated for them right up to her last moments." Members of the community were urged to honor Rebekah Baptiste's legacy by remembering the bravery and optimism she faced the world with every day and implementing it into their own lives. What happened to Rebekah Baptiste? Baptiste was found unresponsive at the intersection of Route 77 and U.S. Route 180 in Holbrook on July 27, according to the Apache County Sheriff's Office. She was taken to the Little Colorado Medical Center in Winslow and was later flown to Phoenix Children's Hospital, where she died July 30. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her father, Richard Daniel Baptiste, 32, and Anica Woods, 29, were arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, kidnapping and three counts of child abuse in connection with Rebekah Baptiste's death, according to the Sheriff's Office. Her parents lost custody of her several years ago due to drug abuse, but Richard Baptiste later regained custody of his daughter and her two younger brothers, according to Damon Hawkins, Rebekah Baptiste's uncle. Officials at Rebekah Baptiste's school believed her death could have been prevented. The lack of timely and effective response from the Department of Child Safety demands accountability," Empower College Prep Executive Director Brian Holman said in a written statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the past year, Empower College Prep staff made 12 reports of suspected abuse and neglect to the Department of Child Safety, Holman said. The department told the school that her case was assigned to an investigator on at least four separate occasions," according to Holman. The child safety department disputed that number, saying it received five reports from the school over the past year and investigated one. Four of the reports did not meet the statutory threshold for abuse or neglect, Arizona Department of Child Safety spokesperson Darren DaRonco said in a written statement. "We take every call to our hotline seriously, but we only have the authority to initiate an investigation if the call meets statutory report criteria," DaRonco said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement School staff were never informed that their reports didn't meet the statutory threshold for abuse or neglect, according to Holman. "Rather, we were promised follow-up that never occurred, even though each of the 12 reports included clear and observable signs of abuse, neglect, and ongoing harm of a young girl and her two younger brothers," Holman said. "These included visible physical markings, consistent reports of food deprivation, evidence of unreasonable punishment, and repeated indicators of both physical and emotional neglect." The child safety department was actively collaborating with law enforcement in a joint investigation "to ensure that the people responsible for this heinous act are brought to justice," DaRonco said. It will also conduct its own review of the girls case to identify and understand any systemic barriers that may have influenced the outcome, DaRonco said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any time a child in our community is harmed, it deeply affects us all. Our dedicated staff work tirelessly to ensure the safety of all children. Tragically, those who intend to harm children sometimes evade even the most robust systems designed to protect them, DaRonco said. What's next for the investigation? Rebekah Baptiste's death came after two other young girls, Emily Pike, 14, and Zariah Finley Dodd, 16, were killed despite being involved in the state's child protective services. Pike's remains were discovered in February after she ran away from a state-licensed group home. Finley Dodd was shot and killed in a park in July after leaving a group home. Officials will meet to address their deaths, Republican state Sen. Carine Werner said. The meeting of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on the Department of Child Safety is set for Sept. 3 and will involve the child safety department, Tribal Nations, law enforcement, lawmakers and child welfare experts. The committee will "review state protocols for licensed group homes and child welfare oversight," Werner said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The deaths of Emily Pike, Zariah Dodd, and Rebekah Baptiste should be a wake-up call for us all," Werner said in a news release. "We cannot allow these failures to repeat." The Republic's Stephanie Murray contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix celebration of life Rebekah Baptiste after her tragic death President William Ruto identified Parliament and the Judiciary as the weakest links in Kenyas war against corruption, accusing lawmakers of soliciting bribes instead of exercising proper oversight. The President claimed that some parliamentary committees have morphed into extortion rings, allegedly demanding money from witnesses in exchange for favorable reports. Speaking in Homa Bay, he also accused the Judiciary of enabling corruption by granting anticipatory bail to suspects. Ruto said state officers have fallen prey to parliamentary committee extortion and urged the Speakers of both the Senate and the National Assembly to take action. He stressed that Parliament, like any other institution, must be held accountable. Our Legislature must be called out. Something is going on in our Legislature that we must call out. There is money being demanded from the Executive, governors and ministers, especially those who go for accountability before our Houses of Parliament, he said. Mr Speaker, it cannot continue to be business as usual. It is not possible that Parliament committees continue to demand to be bribed or be paid for them to write reports or to look the other way on what is happening in either the national government or the counties, the President added. The President warned that corruption is undermining the countrys process of transformation, lamenting that public funds meant to be applied in service delivery are channeled away from their intended use. He accused the Judiciary of granting anticipatory bail to suspects, which they allegedly do to evade arrest and prosecution.. Ruto urged the courts to stop serving as a refuge for corrupt individuals who hide behind legal protections. We have an innovation only in Kenya that allows someone who has stolen public resources or has breached the law not to be prosecuted. This is the anticipatory bail. This is an innovation that is taking us backwards, said the President. Ask yourself, someone who has stolen public money and gets this bail, making it difficult for him to be arrested and prosecuted endlessly how that supports the fight against graft baffles me, he added. Ruto Demands Parliament and Judiciary Join Executive in War on Graft Ruto called upon Parliament and the Judiciary to join hands with the Executive in the war on corruption. He explained that he had recently signed The Conflict of Interest Bill into law and underscored the fact that agencies with a mandate to ensure accountability at all levels of government are now solely required to fulfill their constitutional and legal mandate. I have made it clear to the chairperson and the chief executive officer of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission [EACC) that there will be no sacred cows or telephone calls from below or above to stop anyone from being prosecuted for corruption, said the President. Highlighting his administrations efforts in the war against corruption, Ruto pointed out the e-Citizen system as an example of how waste was being eliminated and efficiency boosted after its introduction in 2013. He referred to it as a useful tool in the battle against corruption. By eliminating cash handling and embedding full digital audit trails, we have reduced opportunities for bribery and made transactions traceable, fair and secure. Citizens can now follow the progress of their applications and payments online, confident that the process is impartial and transparent, he said. He noted that the platform, which started with only a few services, has grown into a round-the-clock one-stop shop offering more than 22,000 government services accessible from anywhere in the world. Today, more than 14 million Kenyans are registered, with half a million logging in daily to access passports, driving licences, business registrations, land transactions, marriage certificates, police clearances and much more; all without queues, intermediaries, or unnecessary bureaucracy, said President Ruto. Editors Note: A video in this article has been removed, and the article has been corrected to properly reflect that at this time, Sheriff Roybal does not have a challenger for the November 2026 election. (EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) The first Hispanic sheriff of El Paso County gathered the community at the Phil Long Music Hall on Thursday, Aug. 14, to officially launch his re-election campaign. Roybal was elected 29th sheriff of the county back in 2023 and will fight to keep his position in the general election happening next November. Courtesy: FOX21 News photojournalist Jack Young Colorado Congressman Jeff Crank spoke at the event, sharing his support for the sheriff and saying he believes in the rule of the law. Roybal said hes kept his campaign promise of improving public trust, reducing victims, and combating legislation. He now looks to expand on all three in a second term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im the most qualified person to retain this office, not only because of my experience, but my passion, said Roybal. I have never met somebody who has more passion about keeping this community safe, my home. I was born and raised here in Colorado Springs, and I love this office. 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. The Sanford Police Department said a shooting at Lake Monroe resulted in one person being injured and later dying. The incident happened at Vue on Lake Monroe, where officers responded to reports of a shooting. Police said upon arrival, they found a person with injuries that appeared to be gunshot wounds. According to Sanford police, the person was taken to a nearby hospital but succumbed to their injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Law enforcement officials have stated that all parties involved in the shooting remained at the scene and are cooperating with the investigation. Authorities believe the incident to be isolated, suggesting there is no ongoing threat to the community. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) An afternoon shooting in the city of Wyoming that left a man with a bullet in his leg put investigators on the path to a record seizure of carfentanil, which law enforcement called tremendously dangerous. Wyoming police discovered the pound of carfentanil, as well as more than 2 pounds of cocaine, inside the apartment where Ramico J. Earvin was staying, court records show. A March 2025 booking photo of Ramico J. Earvin from the Kent County Correctional Facility. MDHHS: Potent opioid linked to 11 deaths this year Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities say it is the largest seizure of carfentanil locally and termed the potential of it being on the streets unfathomable. What this would do on the streets in terms of danger to the public I could hardly calculate, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said. Its a tremendously dangerous drug. The drug, used as an elephant tranquilizer, is approximately 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl. Even a minute amount can cause death, Becker said. The danger is unfathomable. A federal indictment unsealed Friday charges Earvin with two felonies tied to drugs and guns. He also has state charges in play. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was arrested in March for allegedly shooting another man in the right leg after they got into an argument, records show. Initially, he was facing a 10-year felony for the shooting. Then police found the drugs under his bed. Watch Fentanyls Lethal Dose: The West Michigan Connection A police response on Clyde Park Avenue near 28th Street on March 4, 2025. The shooting happened the afternoon of March 4 at an apartment on 28th Street SW and Clyde Park Avenue where Earvin was staying, according to investigators and court records. Police investigating the shooting found the drugs, which led to more state-level charges. Earvin, 43, is charged with four felony counts, including possession of more than 500 grams of carfentanil, which is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. He is also charged with possession of more than 1,000 grams of cocaine, which was packaged separately. That is punishable by life or a term of years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to the drug charges, Earvin faces a weapons charge and a count of assault with intent to commit great bodily harm for the shooting. During a hearing Wednesday in Wyoming District Court, a judge determined there was enough evidence to move the case to Kent County Circuit Court. Defense attorney Damian Nunzio declined comment. Two years after mass fentanyl overdose, tide may be turning in Kalamazoo Earvin also now faces federal charges. Drug Enforcement Administration officials picked him up Friday afternoon from the Kent County jail. He is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and carfentanil. The felony carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life. A secondary charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm is a 15-year offense. A detention hearing is set for Monday in federal court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The county prosecutor said state charges may be dismissed in light of the federal indictment. The DEA earlier this year issued a report saying agents have seen an increased presence of carfentanil in the illicit drug market, which has been linked to a number of overdose deaths in various parts of the country. A DEA leader called the seizure in Earvins case significant. The half-kilo carfentanil seizure is certainly a huge impact since only two micrograms (literally a speck of dust) is enough for someone to OD on, J. Derek Ress, assistant special agent in charge of the DEA office in Grand Rapids, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WOODTV.com. SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WDTN) A man wanted for an incident in Columbus is in police custody following a standoff in Springfield Thursday night. Several police crews responded to the 300 block of E. Leffel Lane around 7:47 p.m. A Quality Inn is located at that address. A 2 NEWS viewer shared photos showing several police vehicles in front of the hotel. Viewer Submitted Photo Viewer Submitted Photo According to Springfield officials, Springfield PD was sent to assist with an arrest warrant with the U.S. Marshal Service and the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities say a man wanted for murder out of Columbus was staying at the hotel, and when law enforcement located his room, they were met with gunfire. SWAT and crisis negotiators were soon called to the scene, resulting in a standoff that lasted several hours. The 34-year-old suspect eventually surrendered to law enforcement. Our sister station in Columbus reports that the man taken into custody in Springfield is an alleged suspect in a fatal shooting at a Columbus bar last Friday. Police say 40-year-old Bryan Morris Jr. died in that shooting. The alleged suspect fled the scene of the bar and had been pursued over the last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials told 2 NEWS this arrest was possible through the continued collaboration of law enforcement agencies. Springfield police has been a long time partner and a long time member of our Fugitive Apprehension team, said Michael Black, U.S. Marshal, Southern District of Ohio. As this critical situation moves from one area to another, we were able to contact our partners and immediately get assistance. Black says SOFAST members have been working around the clock to locate this suspect since the fatal shooting last week. When theres a violent fugitive out there that poses a threat to our communities and our neighborhoods, we wont stop until we find them, said Black. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That suspect is now booked into Clark County Jail. Investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement expects more charges to be filed against him. No law enforcement officers were injured or struck by gunfire. The Springfield Police Division posted a public safety alert to their social media pages around 9 p.m. asking residents to avoid the area, but the alert has since been updated: The situation involving a large public safety presence in the 300 block of East Leffel Lane has been resolved without further incident. We appreciate the publics patience and cooperation during this time. 2 NEWS is working to learn more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Sondra Sampson, a proud Lumbee woman and Deaf author from Laurinburg, North Carolina, is using storytelling to give voice to grief, survival, and Indigenous identity. Deaf since 18 months old due to spinal meningitis, Sampson spent years in silence before discovering the power of sign language. But even in that quiet, she was deeply attunedto her mothers sorrow, her communitys resilience, and the land that shaped her. I didnt grow up seeing Deaf Native girls in books, Sampson told Native News Online. So I became the woman who wrote them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now a mother of five and a graduate of the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, D.C., Sampson has carved her own path in publishing through her imprint, Silent Feather Press. The feather represents healing, presence, and connection, she explained. Its more than a logoits the spirit behind my work. Her latest book, Luskis Silent Girl, tells the story of Tala, a Deaf Lumbee girl who survives a tragic fire that claims her fathers life. Guided by a mysterious black wolf named Luski, Tala embarks on a journey of justice and healing. Sampsons debut, Signs from the Spirit, is a spiritual memoir honoring her late father, Charles Graham Sampson. She followed it with The Sign of Victoria, a supernatural thriller exploring ancestral trauma and buried truths. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These stories are more than just books, she said. Theyre medicine. They preserve Lumbee identity, share the Deaf experience, and make space for voices often left out of Native literature. Recently, Sampson visited the Lumbee Tribal Office to present a copy of Signs from the Spirit to Tribal Chairman John Lowery. She explained that the book was written to help others navigate grief. Moved by her gift, Chairman Loweryan avid reader himselfpresented Sampson with one of his charge coins and told her she had inspired him to start writing. Joined by two of her five children, Sampson also shared that shes already working on her next book. Her titles are available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other major retailers. Beyond writing, Sampson is a passionate advocate for H.R. 474the Lumbee Recognition Actand uses her platform to raise awareness about the ongoing fight for full federal recognition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a Deaf woman, I know what it means to be unheard, she said. Thats why I speak through my work. I believe books, stories, and Native media can help lead this movement. 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 SILVER CITY, N.M. (KRQE) A mother-daughter duo is accused of stealing over a million dollars through their daycare. The New Mexico Department of Justice states that Susanne and Bethanne Kee ran an after-school program in Silver City. For the past four years, the state alleged that they took advantage of the children in their care. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the state, the mother and daughter ran a Medicaid scam that went undetected for years, taking $1.6 million. Joseph Martinez, from the New Mexico Department of Justices Medicaid fraud unit, shared that they spoke to numerous parents during their investigation who had no idea their children were being billed for therapy services. Susanne and Bethanne Kee operated the Kids in Need of Supportive Services program in Silver City, a non-profit organization aimed at connecting children with necessary services and while providing after-school and summer care. Bethanne is a registered social worker, and her mother is the CEO of the organization. The Department of Justice claims that they received Medicaid funding by falsely claiming they were providing therapy to children. The state says the duo allegedly obtained the personal information of the children, including health insurance details, dates of birth, social security numbers, and billed for services that never took place. The state shared that the duos actions involve not only fraud and theft, but also have serious impacts on the children affected. So that kid obviously has no idea, but its something that has the potential to impact them way down the road because the insurance companies may look at the prior medical records and say, What is this billing about? Tell me about it. And the children have no idea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Susanne Kee and Bethanne Kee are facing up to 45 charges each, including identity theft and fraud. Both are expected in court for first appearance hearings in two weeks. 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. Over the past few hours, 127 aid packages were airdropped by seven different countries, including Singapore, which joined the airdrop operations for the first time this Friday. The IDF announced that this Friday's humanitarian airdrop into Gaza was made in cooperation with Singapore, a first since the aid operations began. "Today (Friday), in accordance with the directives from the political echelon and as part of the cooperation between Israel, the UAE, Jordan, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, and Singapore," the military said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Over the past few hours, 127 aid packages, containing food for the residents of both the southern and northern Gaza Strip, were airdropped by seven different countries, including Singapore, which joined the airdrop operations for the first time today," the statement added. The operation, led by COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories), aims to "continue improving the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip." IDF destroys tunnel in Beit Hanun, neutralizes Hamas assets A 7 km.-long tunnel in the Beit Hanun area of the Gaza Strip was sealed today after a four-week-long operation led by the Southern Commands Engineering Corps troops, the IDF announced on Friday. "The operations involved pumping more than 20,000 cubic meters of sealing material through a dedicated system established along approximately 4.5 kilometers - from the border area near Netiv HaAsara to the heart of the underground tunnel route," the statement read. IDF trucks seen before the sealing of a tunnel in Beit Hanun, Gaza, August 15, 2025 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT) The statement also shared that the 99th and 162nd Divisions, the Yahalom Unit, and troops from the 646th, Givati, and the Northern Brigades participated in the operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "At the same time, the effort to dismantle underground tunnel routes in Beit Hanun through neutralization continues, during which approximately 2.4 additional kilometers of underground infrastructure have been dismantled so far," the IDF added. The military said this operation resulted in significant damage to the Beit Hanun Battalion and its operational defeat. SIOUX COUNTY, Iowa (KCAU) A 22-year-old from Sioux Center has been sentenced for multiple crimes. The Sioux County Attorneys Office reported Corbin Van Briesen, of Sioux Center, was sentenced earlier this month for child endangerment causing bodily injury, two counts of stalking, first-degree harassment, and domestic abuse assault. Those charges stem from multiple incidents with several victims that took place from August 24, 2024, to July 5, 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In August of 2024, the Sioux Center Police Department claimed they responded to an abuse case. They claimed Van Briesen was upset with a victim, so he tried to pull her phone and child away from her. There was audio proof of the assault and struggle, they said. Then, in August of 2024, a health center told police there were injuries to a young child. Police said Van Briesen claimed the child was in the other room when they were injured, but medical staff had reason to suspect it was from physical abuse. Van Briesen was also accused of harassing the childs mother when she decided she didnt want to return to his home. He allegedly sent videos of himself throwing clothes and other items into a toilet filled with pee. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities claimed, from December 2024 to April 2025, he texted one of his victims more than 2,400 times, which had a no-contact order against him. Later on, in July 2025, Van Briesen was accused of threatening and stalking another victim. In total, the string of accusations spanned five victims. Van Briesen accepted a plea agreement, meaning multiple charges were dropped from these incidents. These include violating no contact orders, possessing marijuana and paraphernalia, and child endangerment. He was facing up to 11 years in prison, but the District Court suspended his prison sentence. Hes being ordered to serve four years of probation and 365 days in the Sioux County Jail (270 days of this sentence are suspended). He also needs to pay criminal fines, which total to $3,590. He must complete a domestic abuse program as well, and comply with counseling recommendations. 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. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) The Siouxland Miracle Riders are expected to return to Siouxland this weekend, wrapping up the 10th annual Ride for Miracles. Siouxlanders are invited to help welcome the group home. The Riders are wrapping up a 5,200-mile, two-week motorcycle ride to Nova Scotia and back. The trip is on behalf of the UnityPoint Health St. Lukes Childrens Miracle Network. This years goal is to raise $75,000 for new equipment for the hospitals NICU ambulance. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve tracked the Miracle Riders journey each weekday morning on Good Day Siouxland over the past couple of weeks, and on Saturday, theyre expected to return to Sioux City. A return ceremony is planned for 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 16, at Roosters Harley-Davidson at 1930 Lewis Boulevard. If you cant make it to the ceremony, but youd still like to support the mission, you can visit the Miracle Riders online here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Slain blogger Gabby Petitos parents speak in Mass. about domestic violence Four years after the disappearance and murder of travel blogger Gabby Petito captured national interest, her mother and stepfather made their first stop in New England on Thursday, raising awareness of domestic violence. Invited by Stow police, Nichole and Jim Schmidt spoke about their daughter, the impact of domestic violence on families and how police respond to such calls. You see it on TV. Youre like, Wow, these things dont really happen in real life. It doesnt happen to families like us, Jim Schmidt said. But it did. And that just shows you that it can happen to anybody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Petito was on a cross-country trip with her fiance Brian Laundrie in the summer of 2021 when she was strangled and her body left in Wyoming. Laundrie returned to his parents home in Florida before vanishing. Officials say he died by suicide, leaving behind notes claiming responsibility for Petitos death. Petitos parents feel they were robbed of justice through the courts. But we feel like we get our justice by preventing it in other communities and helping save lives, Schmidt said. We are here now with a purpose, and Gabby did not die in vain. Stow Police Chief Michael Sallese said his department is determined to tackle domestic violence and improve officer training. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats one of our bigger calls, Sallese said of the prevlance of domestic violence. Because its a quiet community and everything is kept indoors, we dont see the violence until its too late, until it becomes a very volatile situation So, we want to bring awareness to people If you see something going on, definitely give us a call, because the earlier that we can intervene, the better it is. Before her death, body-camera video from Moab, Utah, police shows officers responding to a domestic incident between Petito and Laundrie. The response followed a 911 call from a witness reporting Laundrie had slapped Petito. Petitos parents sued Moab police, claiming officers failed to protect their daughter, but that lawsuit was dismissed. Police in Stow, however, believe that body-camera video, highlighted in a recent Netflix documentary, shows police have a lot to learn. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We watched the Netflix original series, said Lt. Kellie Barhight, and it was concerning on the training those officers had and how they could have and should have stopped that incident. Domestic violence advocate Jacquelin Apsler shared information on how victims and those close to them can spot red flags. Typically, domestic violence does not begin with physical abuse, she said, but rather a criticism, controlling behavior, and condescending language. As the criticism increases, as the abusive partner starts trying to exert more control and to abuse in ways that are very subtle and coercive, its not an automatic violent or physical fate, Apsler said. Its going to start with denigration, with name-calling, with insults, with criticism, where you never really make the right decision, youre never doing the right thing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more information and resources, visit: Gabby Petito Alliance and Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline . This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Thika town is steadily moving closer to city status, with Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi leading the charge in the Senate. The Senate Devolution Committee, chaired by Wajir Senator Abass Mohamed, has already begun hearings on the proposal. During the hearings, Governor Wamatangi described Thika as one of Kenyas fastest emerging industrial hubs with a thriving manufacturing sector that is still attracting investors. Formerly called the Birmingham of Africa due to its good climate, farming fertility, town planning, cultural heritage, and industrial growth, Wamatangi said Thika nows offers tremendous potential for development with available land and its location along the Trans-Africa Highway corridor. Wamatangi argued that granting city status would allow Thika to serve not just central Kenya but the broader East African region, capitalizing on its intermodal transport network, which includes a superhighway to Nairobi, a railway line, and a transit highway to northern Kenya. We urge the Senate to pass a resolution from the Kiambu County Assembly on the conferment of city status to the town, said Governor Wamatangi. Today, we have thriving industries in Thika, and if we succeed in elevating the town to a city, we will attract more investors in manufacturing, technology and other enterprises that will create jobs. Highlighting ongoing development, Wamatangi revealed that his administration has already begun a number of projects to accommodate Thikas rapidly growing population of over 700,000 residents. According to the Urban Areas and Cities Act, towns with a population of over 250,000 qualify for city status, which Thika comfortably meets. City status often comes with increased funding and attention to infrastructural projects. Thika will have better roads, efficient public transportation, improved water and sewerage systems, and other critical infrastructure that will enhance quality of life, he added. The governor confirmed that the county and national governments are investing over Ksh10 billion in infrastructure, trade, sports, health, education, and other sectors. The county has already begun to repair roads, build streetlights, and enhance the drainage system in the central business district. The Kenya National Highways Authority plan to dual the Thika-Garissa Highway will also alleviate congestion. If approved, Thika will join Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Eldoret as Kenyas sixth city. FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) Fun on the water is what Rockin Thunder River Tours customers get on the Ohio and Kentucky Rivers. For several months, there has been little activity in three of the Kentucky Rivers reservoirs. You cannot get a boat from the Ohio River to Frankfort, Captain Paul Nicholson, owner of the Madison, Indiana-based small business, said. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aprils flooding left damage for many Kentuckians. This rang true for valuable equipment needed to open the river lock gates. The river forecast every day was predicting that flood, Nicholson said. Why did they not move that equipment out of the floodplain, move it to high ground? Put it on trucks? If they needed help, I wouldve had volunteers to help them. He said the months-long closure has cost him thousands of dollars, so he even offered to pay for repairs out of his own pocket, which he said the Kentucky River Authority rejected. Every trip was booked full and, without having to do that, Ive had to refund all of that, about $70,000 in refunds that Im having to deal with as a small business, Nicholson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is not just him feeling the impact. He said the tour boat stops at several businesses, including Aces Grocery & Hardware in Lockport. Woman arrested in Louisville accused of stealing more than $148K from veterans All 200 of those customers will not come there this year because I cant get there, Nicholson said. He said his main concern is the uncertain timetable of when repairs will be done. Own the mistake, we made a mistake, we did not move that equipment, heres how we are going to correct this mistake, step one, two, three, four, and this is what were going to do, Nicholson said. FOX 56 News reached out to the Kentucky River Authority for comment but has not received a response. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) Cuts to SNAP benefits and food assistance could leave some students hungry in North Carolina. When families have SNAP benefits, their children are automatically eligible for free or reduced-price meals in school. But with cuts expected to the SNAP program in 2026, that automatic eligibility could disappear for students in North Carolina. Meaning more paperwork, potentially not being qualified any longer for those meals, Amy Beros, the president and CEO of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So theres a push from food bank leaders for the North Carolina General Assembly to step in and fund food assistance programs in the state. In their most recent mini budget, the General Assembly did fund $3 million recurring each year for copays that districts pay for free or reduced-price meals. Its part of a federal program that helps supply those meals. Beros says its a critical first step, but not nearly enough. This level of funding is just enough to maintain the status quo, she said. One out of every five kids faces food insecurity, which is far too many that dont have access to food at home or are worried about their next meal at home. She says food banks across the state are already seeing a 20% to 50% increase in the number of families theyre helping every single day. She says without lawmakers intervening, itll be North Carolinas youngest who go hungry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We certainly cant expect kids to go to school and pay attention and learn and be able to advance if theyre worried about where their next meal is coming from, Beros said. Governor Josh Stein is a proponent of free universal breakfast for students in the state. In his own proposed budget, he urged lawmakers to fund that. 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 CBS17.com. A Texas man was arrested Thursday after he was accused of sexually extorting an adult and child in Bergen County, investigators said. Detectives determined that an online stranger, identified Friday as Quristafer D. Land, of Dallas, contacted them through Snapchat and instructed them to record and send photos and videos of themselves engaged in sexual acts over the last few months, according to a statement from the Bergen County Prosecutors Office. The office identified the scheme as sextortion which is the practice of extorting money or sexual favors from someone by threatening to reveal evidence of their sexual activity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Land allegedly used the likeness of another person to create several online accounts used to facilitate the sexual extortion activity, the prosecutors office said. Investigators ultimately traced the suspects social media activity to a home in Dallas, officials said. On Thursday, detectives from the office traveled to Dallas and executed a search warrant at the home with the help of local law enforcement. Land was arrested and charged with first-degree production of child pornography, second-degree aggravated sexual extortion, third-degree sexual extortion and third-degree impersonation, officials said. He was placed in custody by deputy U.S. marshals and officers from the Dallas Police Department and taken to the Dallas County Jail, the prosecutors office said. The suspect will be held there until he is extradited to New Jersey. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. The Alaskan city of Anchorage isnt used to being in the spotlight. Tucked into the vast wilderness of Americas so-called Last Frontier, this unassuming conurbation is the states economic beating heart and largest city, with nearly 290,000 residents, yet it tends to be overshadowed by the more attractive and vibrant state capital, Juneau. For now, however, it is the city on everyones lips, as todays high-stakes summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin is scheduled to take place at a US military base on the citys northern edge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are unlikely to have the time or inclination to explore further, unlike the rising numbers of tourists who come to ride the Alaska Railroad, hike through nearby bear country, or plunge into the plethora of adventurous activities in the surrounding national parks. However, as the respective presidents fly in, they wont be able to miss the dramatically soaring peak of Mount McKinley, North Americas highest mountain provided it isnt enveloped in cloud, as it was when I visited in May. The controversially named Mount McKinley rises to 20,310 ft, North Americas highest peak - Lars Johansson/ImageBroker RF At 20,310ft, it is a spectacular sight (so I was told), but regardless, Trump can reflect on a contentious change he instituted in the early days of his presidency, replacing the original indigenous name, Mount Denali, with that of former gold prospector and 25th US president William McKinley. He had bestowed his name upon the mountain in 1896, and it remained so until 2015, when, after a decades-long campaign by Alaskans to revert to Mount Denali (which means the high one in the native Koyukon language), it was changed by the Obama administration, only to be flipped back to McKinley by an executive order when Trump took office last January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the surrounding swath of lowlands framed by the breathtaking snowy peaks of the coastal Chugach mountain range, Anchorages appeal lies in its dramatic setting and the natural bounty beyond the city limits. On a clear day, it is said you can spot the peaks of six mountain ranges. The metropolis itself wins no prizes for aesthetics, its grid-like streets lined with unremarkable 1960s-era tower blocks and low-rise commercial buildings, made even drearier by the heavy grey skies during my stay. Shipping containers at the Port of Anchorage, Alaska, ahead of the Trump-Putin summit at nearby Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson - Al Drago/Bloomberg Anchorage started life as a construction camp for the Alaska Railroad in 1915, further developing after military bases were established here during the Second World War and following the discovery of oil in the 1960s, which fuelled an economic boom, so I expected to find more traces of its historic roots. Solitary older buildings offered a clue, but everything became clear upon learning that the city, and Alaska as a whole, is one of the most seismically active regions on Earth, sitting on fault lines that make it prone to destructive tremors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On March 27 1964, Anchorage was hit by the Great Alaska Earthquake, which reached an obliterating magnitude of 9.2, the second-most powerful ever recorded globally. It devastated much of the city, and structures have since been designed to withstand future seismic shocks, as the earthquake risk remains high, with nearly 1,800 quakes recorded across the state in June alone. During my visit, I headed out of the city to ride the Wilderness Express train across a plain thick with cottonwood trees to the arty settlement of Talkeetna, which inspired the cult US comedy-drama Northern Exposure. Other visitors travel farther on to Denali National Park and Preserve, covering 9,492 sq miles (making it bigger than Wales), where rafting trips, sightseeing flights, and wildlife viewing are popular draws. The Alaska Railroads Denali Star route offers a scenic 121-mile journey from Talkeetna to Denali National Park - Blaine Harrington III/Alamy Within the city, the Anchorage Museum is the states largest and is highly regarded, while bus tours and bike rides offer a good way to explore. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nonetheless, these are mere sideshows compared with the natural drama of the surrounding landscape and its resident wildlife, which sometimes spills on to city streets, with moose commonly spotted plodding along sidewalks and even bears scavenging for scraps. It adds to the outback feel. A number of Americans I met, from Colorado, California and Florida, had arrived to work at local tourist attractions for the summer, drawn by their love of the great outdoors, but as autumn draws in, they soon depart. Even locals try to escape the gloom of freezing, snowy winters, when days shrink to just five and a half hours of light. Surprisingly, Alaska, and Anchorage specifically, suffers from some of the highest crime rates in the US; violent offences in the state are reportedly more than five times the national average. Another downside, triggered by the regions remoteness and inaccessibility, is the high cost of living, due to the lack of a road network, which means goods have to be shipped or flown in. Getting around by air is a key way locals travel, and the 100 or so small planes and floatplanes parked outside Anchorages international airport, the worlds fourth-largest cargo hub, are testament to this. It is estimated the city has more pilots per capita than virtually anywhere else in the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anchorages economy is diverse, fuelled by the oil and gas industries, as well as healthcare, construction and financial services, though tourism has grown to become one of the strongest sectors. It supports one in nine jobs, with 40 per cent of visitors reportedly arriving on cruise ships, which dock at its two ports: Whittier (60 miles away) and Seward (127 miles away). Demonstrators in Anchorage hold a banner in solidarity with Ukraine ahead of the Trump-Putin summit - Nathaniel Wilder/Reuters As Putin steps onto this patch of US soil later today, he will surely be hoping to strike a better deal than his countrys imperial leaders, who ruled Alaska as Russian America for nearly 70 years before selling it to the US in 1867 for just $7.2m. The Alaska Purchase has since been regarded as one of historys biggest bargains, following the billions of dollars in oil and gold wealth that have flowed from the discovery of Alaskas rich seam of natural resources. Both leaders are aiming for a historic outcome in todays discussions, and if the ramifications are as seismic as Anchorage, the earth may move for them both. 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. TAMPA Around 70 million Americans rely on Social Security, including 5.2 million Floridians. Launched in 1935, the federal benefits program helped reduced poverty among seniors and some disabled Americans. More significantly, it made retirement a viable option for millions of Americans. But the program has been paying out more in benefits than it brings in via payroll taxes since 2021. It has remained solvent only by dipping into a trust fund Congress set up in the 1980s to handle the anticipated wave of baby boomer generation retirees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In June,trustees for the program announced that they now project the program could have exhausted that trust fund by 2033, one year earlier than previously predicted. Without an overhaul of the programs finances, automatic cuts will take effect that year, slashing Social Security benefits by 23%, the trustees report said. To mark the programs 90th anniversary Thursday, the latest Spotlight Tampa Bay event hosted in partnership by the Tampa Bay Times and AARP Florida, focused on the embattled benefits program and its future. The 90-minute discussion was moderated by Graham Brink, Tampa Bay Times viewpoints editor, with the following panel: Elisa Walker, AARP government affairs director of Social Security Tony Coelho, a retired U.S. Congressman and the principal author of the Americans with Disabilities Act Rufus Hawkins II, a financial advisor with Suncoast Investment Services Les Rubin, founder and president of Main Street Economics and Rubin Development Corp. Edward Longe, director of national strategy for The James Madison Institute Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Discussion centered on the future of Social Security, the merits of various proposed solutions and how a divided Congress may struggle to take action. Here are four takeaways from the event: Social Security or some form of retirement benefits remain vital While retirement planning has evolved in recent decades with company pensions, 401(k)s and Roth accounts, Social Security payments are still critical for most retirees, Walker said. For a majority of Social Security recipients, payments from the program make up the majority of their income, she said. For about 14% of recipients, its their only income. The program keeps 22 million Americans out of poverty, including 1.4 million seniors in Florida. It becomes even more vital when spouses die, turning two household incomes into one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And the income it provides is mostly spent not saved. Spending of those benefits pumps $1.4 trillion into the national economy every year, and over $100 billion in Floridas. For 90 years, Social Security has been the foundation of economic security for retirees, for people with disabilities and for families whove lost a breadwinner, Walker said. Its important for lots of different people. Its also important for our economy. The changes made to the program in the 1980s, including measures intended to build up the rainy day trust fund, were intended to keep the program solvent until the 2060s. But changing demographics, including a sharp decline in the nations birth rate in generations that followed the baby boomers, have made the economics of the program challenging. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around 1950, there were 16.5 workers paying payroll taxes for every Social Security beneficiary. That is now down to an average of 2.7 workers and trending down, Brink said. Actuaries who manage the program also say growth in income inequality has also played a role in accelerating the crisis since more of the nations wealth falls outside of income eligible to be taxed to pay for the benefits program. Social Security taxes are capped at $176,100. Hawkins, who works as a financial advisor, said his older clients are concerned that the program will run out of money or whether it will even be around when they retire. What keeps, I think, my clients up at night is, will they have to return to work? What is the quality of life look like? Social Security is not on life support Despite often reported doomy predictions, Social Security payments will continue even after the trust fund is depleted, Walker said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trust fund balance is around $2.7 trillion currently. Workers and their employers pay in a combined 12.4% of their salary every year. If projections hold true and the trust fund runs out in 2033, the program will continue to pay beneficiaries albeit reduced payments of about 77% of what they are eligible to receive. Workers and employers in just about every job are paying into Social Security, Walker said. That means that the program will never stop making payments. It will never go broke or cease to exist. Less than 1% of money paid into the program is spent on administrative costs, she said. Nonetheless, it underwent reforms pushed by U.S. DOGE Service under Elon Musk resulting in cuts of about 7,000 jobs. The cuts left some regional offices critically understaffed, a June analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coelho, a Democrat who represented congressional districts in California, said the cuts are part of a plan to make Social Security more inefficient and difficult for people to access so there will be less opposition if benefits are cut or the program is privatized. If you live three hours away from a regional office, thats too bad, Coelho said. If youre elderly and you cant drive, thats too bad. If youre trying to make a phone call and you have to wait three hours, thats your problem. Congress will act, just dont hold your breath Overhauling Social Security is regarded as something of a third rail in politics, said Longe. The program is popular with Americans, according to polling conducted by the AARP, with 96% viewing it as important and 75% saying its among the most important benefit programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And solutions, which may mean either cutting benefits or raising taxes, are likely to prove unpopular. Its why the GOP havent proposed any major reforms since George W. Bush was president and the Democrats Social Security 2100 bill hasnt advanced at all, Longe said. The likeliest outcome is that politicians from both parties will only act when the crisis can no longer be ignored in similar vein to how votes on debt ceilings and defense spending are delayed but ultimately approved, he said. They kick the can down the road as far as they can, thats ultimately when theyre going to do what they have to do, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But panelists agreed that the program will survive its projected fiscal crisis and still exist in 20 years time. If history is any guide, well wait to the last minute to fix it, and then well put the band aids on it, Rubin said. What are the possible solutions? There are no easy fixes for Social Securitys looming shortfall, panelists agreed. Rubin, one of the co-authors of the book, The Greatest Ponzi Scheme on Earth, said privatization is the best option for the program. The private sector would produce better growth for the money paid into the program. People would own and have more agency over how the money is invested. Unspent funds could also be passed onto heirs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But he said it would be expensive to transition the program and could take over 20 years to achieve. Were so upside down dollar-wise, that once you start doing the conversion, that you have to have some supplemental fees, because you cant cut the benefits, Rubin said. Other solutions include raising the cap so that more taxes are paid into the program. Coelho said it should be raised to about $400,000. Raising the retirement age would also be unpopular as would a proposal to means test Social Security and restrict it to those with lower or no retirement incomes. That may encourage higher earners to look for ways not to pay into the system, Longe said. But Rubin said it may be one of the tough measures needed to keep the program solvent. The people that get the most out of Social Security are the ones that need it the least, he said. *** Editors Note: This story has been updated to reflect that a statistic on the number of workers paying payroll taxes for every Social Security beneficiary was cited by discussion moderator Graham Brink. Find more information about our Spotlight Tampa Bay series, including a video recording of Thursdays event, visit our website here. The next Spotlight event is How AI Can Strengthen Our Communities presented by the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. It will be held at The Palladium on Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 5-7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Attendees can register to attend at tampabay.com/spotlight. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The Socorro Police Department assisted in a multi-agency investigation that resulted in the arrest of a League City, Texas, man on charges related to the online solicitation of a minor, the City of Socorro said. In April, the Galveston County Sheriffs Office Major Crimes Unit and the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force initiated an investigation after receiving a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. On June 16, members of the Galveston County Sheriffs Office Major Crimes Unit, in collaboration with the Houston Metro ICAC Task Force, executed a search warrant at an apartment complex in League City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators seized a cell phone and a computer, and subsequent forensic examination revealed evidence of online solicitation of a minor. The suspect was identified as 34-year-old Justin Corley, the City of Socorro said in a news release. The City of Socorro did not elaborate on the suspects connection to their community. On Thursday, Aug. 14, an arrest warrant was obtained for Corley for sexual perform child produce/direct/promote, with bond set at $100,000, the City of Socorro said. Corley was subsequently arrested in Houston by the Galveston County Sheriffs Office Fugitive Apprehension Division. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chief Robert C. Rojas of the Socorro Police Department stated: Our department remains committed to protecting children and holding offenders accountable when crimes affect our community. This case is another example of how strong partnerships across jurisdictions in Texas, and the United States can stop predators and bring justice to victims. 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. When Terrence Dwyer received a knock on his door and a flyer for a solar panel system small enough to fit on his deck, he was quickly sold. Solar systems that plug into regular wall outlets have been popular in Europe for years and are gaining traction in the U.S. for their affordability and simple installation. We thought absolutely, lets do this right away, said Dwyer, who lives in Oakland, California. These small-scale solar systems could become attractive to more homeowners now that President Donald Trumps sweeping budget-and-policy package will scrap residential rooftop solar tax credits and may shift interest to cheaper alternatives. Even before the GOP bill passed, manufacturers of the smaller systems known as plug-in or balcony solar were seeing increased demand and other positive signs such as a new Utah law streamlining regulations for homeowners to buy and install them. The systems about the size of a door havent been as widely adopted in the U.S. as in Europe because of lack of awareness, patchwork utility rules and limited availability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The $2,000 plug-in solar system installed on Dwyer's backyard deck in March consists of two 400 watt panels, an inverter, a smart meter and a circuit breaker. It saves him around $35 per month on his power bill because he is consuming less energy from the grid, but he said reducing his carbon footprint was his primary motivation. We like the environmental benefits of solar and wanted to engage with solar in some fashion, Dwyer said. Had Dwyer opted for rooftop solar, he would have paid $20,000 for the system and $30,000 to upgrade his roof to support the panels. Installing a plug-in solar system requires some homework. What power companies let customers do with energy-generating equipment varies, which is why prospective purchasers should check their utilitys policies first. Building permits might be required depending on the municipality. Some systems can be self-installed, while others may require an electrician. For example, some kits have meters that must be wired into a home's circuit breaker. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Removing hurdles for plug-in solar Dwyer bought his system from Bright Saver, a nonprofit company in California that advocates for plug-in solar. In addition to the type Dwyer bought, the company also offers a smaller model costing $399 that recently sold out in six days. The interest and demand have been overwhelming, said Cora Stryker, a founder of Bright Saver. It is clear that we are hitting a nerve many Americans have wanted solar for a long time but have not had an option that is feasible and affordable for them until now. Kevin Chou, another founder of Bright Saver, said wider adoption of the systems in the U.S. has been hindered by utility policies that create uncertainty about whether they're allowed and a lack of state and local policies to make clear what rules apply. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some utilities contacted by The Associated Press say plug-in solar systems require the same interconnection applications as rooftop panels that send electricity back to the wider network. But Steven Hegedus, an electrical engineering professor at University of Delaware, said he doesn't understand why a utility would need to require an interconnection agreement for plug-in solar because, unlike rooftop systems, they are designed to prevent energy from flowing to the grid. Still, if in doubt, a customer should follow their utility's policy. During the early days of plug-in solar's growth, some opposition from utilities is likely since customers are buying less energy, said Robert Cudd, a research analyst at the California Center for Sustainable Communities at the University of California, Los Angeles. Utilities really prefer everyone being a predictable and generous consumer of the electricity they sell, Cudd said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This year, Utah enacted a novel law supporting plug-in solar by exempting certain small-scale systems from interconnection agreements and establishing safety requirements such as being certified by a nationally recognized testing organization such as Underwriters Laboratories. It appears to be the only state that's passed legislation supporting plug-in solar, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Republican state Rep. Raymond Ward, who sponsored the legislation, said the smaller systems allow people to better manage where their energy comes from and what they pay. Europe has these things. You can go buy them and they work and people want them. There is no reason why we shouldnt have them here in the United States, Ward said. Bright Saver says they are lobbying other states for similar legislation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alexis Abramson, dean of the University of Columbia Climate School, also applauded Utah's move. We actually need more localities, more states putting in allowances for this type of equipment, she said. Plug-in solar availability and savings potential Some questions remain about how much customers could save. Severin Borenstein, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business, said the cost of some portable solar systems in the U.S. would make it hard for customers to come out ahead on their utility bills over the time they own them. He estimates the price of a $2,000 system in the U.S. works out to paying about $0.20 a kilowatt-hour over a 25-year period, which only saves people money if they have high utility costs. By comparison, Borenstein said the cost of systems sold in Europe, typically around $600, is equivalent to paying about $0.05 or $0.06 per kilowatt-hour over 25 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baltimore resident Craig Keenan said saving money was only part of why he installed one of the smaller Bright Saver models on his balcony in July. Im interested in renewable energy because the amount of carbon emissions that we produce as a species is very, very unsustainable for our world, he said. He said he expects the system will save him about $40 per year on utility bills, so it would take him about 10 years to recoup the cost of the kit. Keenan, a mechanical engineer, said installation took him 10 to 15 minutes. I think anyone can install this, he said. Its not complicated. It doesnt require a technical degree. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other companies selling plug-in solar kits include Texas-based Craftstrom. It has sold about 2,000 systems in the U.S. since 2021, mostly in California, Texas and Florida. The company's basic kits contain a solar panel that can fit in a backyard or other sunny space, along with equipment to maintain and regulate the flow of energy including an inverter and smart meter. Kenneth Hutchings, Craftstroms chief revenue officer, said their U.S. sales rose this year even before the passage of the GOP tax bill, and he expects demand for plug-in solar to increase further as federal rooftop solar credits expire. The company advises customers to notify their power company before installation, but it has "never had any pushback from any utility, said Michael Scherer, one of the founders of Craftstrom. China-based EcoFlow plans to begin selling plug-in solar systems in Utah and expand to other states if supportive legislation is passed, said Ryan Oliver, a company spokesperson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is an example of where technology is sort of ahead of the regulators, Oliver said, adding: As this rolls out to more of a nationwide product, we expect it will become more mainstream as people understand it better." ___ Associated Press video journalist Mingson Lau in Baltimore contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. 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. COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) Longtime prosecutor David Pascoe has entered the Republican race to become South Carolinas next attorney general. Pascoe, who has served as 1st Circuit Solicitor since 2005, made his bid official during the Daniel Island Republican Club Breakfast on Monday, saying the state was at a crossroads. We can keep going down the path of rising crime, unchecked corruption, and weak leadership, or we can fight back, and Im going to fight back, he said. I stand here today, not just with a record but with a vision to make South Carolina the safest, least corrupt state in America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pascoe, 58, was chosen as the special prosecutor in a 2014 State House corruption probe that ultimately led to the indictments of several Republican lawmakers, including former House Speaker Bobby Harrell, and prominent political consultant Richard Quinn Sr. If elected, Pascoe said he hopes to finish the job. We all know, though, that corruption still runs deep in South Carolina, especially in Columbia, and when I tried to go further, the Supreme Court told me I had to stop, he said. They told me I had to stop because they said I wasnt the attorney general. Well, this morning, Im going to do something about that. In recent years, Pascoe has become a staunch advocate for judicial reform, outspokenly criticizing the states judicial selection process and the influence lawyer-legislators hold over it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State lawmakers voted last year to reform the states vetting panel in an attempt to mitigate some of those perceived problems, making changes the solicitor said dont go far enough. Pascoe hinted at a possible run for higher office in April when he announced a switch in party affiliation from Democratic to Republican, saying his former party had become too soft on crime. I can no longer in good conscience wear the label Democrat,' he said at the time. [The Democratic Party] has become a party that embraces progressive extremes on prosecutorial policies, disregards the dangers of crimes committed by illegal immigrants, and prioritizes radical agendas over public safety. But members of his former party were quick to challenge the motivation behind the switch, with South Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Christale Spain saying at the time that Pascoe has been trying to find a lane to run for higher office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though he is seeking to become the states top prosecutor, Pascoe pledged his political aspirations would stop there. I will never run for another office, but for attorney general, he told the audience. I have no interest in higher office. Pascoe became the second Republican to join the race to succeed Attorney General Alan Wilson, who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor. He was joined by his longtime friend, 9th Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson, as well as 16th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett, 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone, and former U.S. Attorney Bart Daniel for Mondays announcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pascoe is slated to attend the Berkeley County Republican Partys executive meeting Monday evening in Goose Creek before making stops at the Statehouse in Columbia and Greenville on Tuesday, according to a schedule provided by the campaign. State Sen. Stephen Goldfinch (R-Georgetown) launched his campaign in early July. Filing for the 2026 general election officially opens next March. 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. South Africa's army chief has been criticised after he reportedly pledged military and political support to Iran during a recent visit to the country. Members of South Africa's governing coalition have accused General Rudzani Maphwanya of "reckless grandstanding", while President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed he would meet the general to discuss his "ill-advised" trip. The row comes as South Africa navigates tense relations with the US, which has taken exception to the country's ties with Iran, among other issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Democratic Alliance, part of South Africa government, called for Gen Maphwanya to be "court-martialled". It said his comments had gone "beyond military-to-military discussions and entered the realm of foreign policy". Gen Maphwenya's trip was aimed at strengthening military cooperation but during his meeting with his Iranian counterparts, he said that the two countries had common goals, and always stood "alongside the oppressed and defenceless people of the world", according to Iranian publication Tehran Times. He also took aim at Israel over the continued war in Gaza as he reiterated support for the Palestinian people and told officials his visit "carries a political message" from Ramaphosa's administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The South African government has distanced itself from these comments. The defence department labelled them "unfortunate", while the foreign affairs ministry said they "do not represent the government's official foreign policy stance". Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the president didn't know about the trip or sanction it. "The visit was ill-advised and more so, the expectation is that the general should have been a lot more circumspect with the comments he makes," Mr Magwenya told reporters during a briefing on Thursday. Gen Maphwanya has since returned home, Mr Magwenya confirmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Africa's strong ties with Iran have been a bone of contention with the US and was one of the reasons relations between the two nations soured earlier this year. US President Donald Trump, in an executive order cutting off aid to South Africa, accused Africa's largest economy of "reinvigorating" relations with Iran - an implacable foe of the US. Trump also falsely accused Ramaphosa's government of persecuting white people and condemned it for bringing a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). According to think-tank the Institute for Security Studies, South Africa's relationship with Iran dates back to 1995, when a joint commission of cooperation was formed. More BBC stories on South Africa: [Getty Images/BBC] Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts WOODWAY, Texas (FOX 44) Midway ISD students returned to class on Thursday, and South Bosque Elementary staff welcomed them in full costume for the first day of school. This years back-to-school theme, Theres No Place Like South Bosque, was inspired by The Wizard of Oz. Faculty members dressed as Glinda and Elphaba, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and even Dorothy and Toto to greet students at the door. Principal Sheri Burns stated that the goal was to create a warm, exciting atmosphere for students. Theres no place like South Bosque because we love the school. Its just like home to all of us, and we want our kids to be excited the first day of school, Burns said. So we threw in a few costumes to try to help with the enthusiasm of the year. Burns said the staff is dedicated to growing great kids and helping each one excel academically throughout the school 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 KWKT - FOX 44. The sound of joyous and infectious dance music of bachata and merengue will fill the streets of Camden on Sunday during a parade and concert to celebrate the Dominican Republics independence day. The parade will gather at noon at Market and 5th streets near City Hall. Floats, dancers and marching groups will proceed through the city to Wiggins Waterfront Park, according to Angel Florentino, a spokesperson with Movimiento Tricolor, the Camden-based organization hosting the event. The traditional Latin dance music concert is scheduled for 2 to 7 p.m. at the Waterfront, where Dominican artists Fidelina Pascual, Joel El Insuperable and Mikey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This marks the first year the organization hosts a parade and could be one of the first parades in South Jersey celebrating the Dominican Republic community, said Ashly Estevez-Perez, one of the organizations founders. Movimiento Tricolor launched its first Dominican Restoration Day Celebration in 2020, Estevez-Perez said. The organization wanted to put together an event that would highlight the Dominican community, she said. They decided that Restoration Day, which celebrates the day the Dominican Republic gained independence from Spain on Aug. 16, 1865, would be the best day to do that, she said. The day also represents a change of power for many people in the Dominican Republic, Estevez-Perez said. We also wanted to send a message about changing the power dynamic of not having the Dominican community be in the shadows, Estevez-Perez said. But also be on the forefront of change and active in the communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The City of Camden has long had a connection with the Dominican Republic. Census data shows that about 9,312 Dominicans lived in Camden as of 2021 making up nearly 13% of the citys population at the time. Estevez-Perez said New Jersey has long attracted migrants from the Dominican Republic. When Dominicans began arriving in Camden they often opened businesses, like small grocery stores referred to as a colmado, taxi cab companies as well as clubs and bars, she said. We are present day-to-day, Estevez-Perez said. Sundays festivities celebrate more than just Dominican culture, Councilman Falio Leyba-Martinez said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its going to set a tone of inclusivity in the City of Camden, Leyba-Martinez said. Amira Sweilem may be reached at asweilem@njadvancemedia.com. Welcome to Mosaic. Follow us on Instagram at @MosaicNJcom and on Facebook at MosaicNJcom and on YouTube at @MosaicNJcom. By Josh Smith and Heejin Kim SEOUL (Reuters) -The South Korean government expressed "deep disappointment and regret" over Japanese officials visiting a Tokyo war shrine on Friday and said future relations must be built on Japan showing remorse for past wrongs, its foreign ministry said. Japan marked the 80th anniversary of its World War Two defeat on Friday, with at least one cabinet minister joining thousands of visitors at Yasukuni Shrine, which South Korea said in a statement "glorifies Japans war of aggression and enshrines war criminals." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The South Korean government urged the leaders of Japan to face history and demonstrate "humble reflection and sincere remorse" for Japans past history, the ministry statement said. "This is an important foundation for the development of future-oriented relations between the two countries based on mutual trust," it said. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is due to visit Japan on August 23-24 and hold a summit with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Lee has in the past been critical of efforts by administrations in Seoul to improve ties with Japan, which occupied the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. He has since vowed to continue efforts to strengthen cooperation with Japan and the United States. (Reporting by Heejin Kim and Josh Smith; Editing by Hugh Lawson) What if I told you that South Korea's biggest Costco sits on the grounds of one of the country's most notorious prisons? The Gocheok-dong location in Seoul, now a glowing warehouse of bulk snacks and Kirkland-brand everything, stands where Yeongdeungpo Prison once operated from 1949 until the early 1990s. The site that once housed political prisoners and violent offenders now doles out rotisserie chickens and family-sized bags of frozen dumplings. Imagine pushing a cart through a place that used to have guard towers. It's a little surreal. The transformation is just one chapter in Costco's global takeover. After opening in Canada in 1985, the company quickly expanded to Mexico, the United Kingdom, and by 1994, South Korea. The Gocheok-dong branch debuted in 2022 as part of a massive mixed-use redevelopment of the old prison grounds. It's now the biggest Costco in South Korea, though still not quite as enormous as the record-setting 235,000-square foot location in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Gocheok-dong store also undoubtedly shares many of the quirks of shopping at Costco abroad, like differences in accepted payment methods and membership rules, while also offering perks you won't find stateside. For example, Korean Costcos hand out alcohol samples and stock things like soju, seaweed beef soup, and bulgogi pizza, a food court item we desperately wish was available in America. (Take that, Utah.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: The Most Overpriced Grocery Store Chains In The US From Prison Bars To Frozen Dumplings: A Different Kind Of Transformation In Seoul's Urban Landscape Customers line up at the food court inside a South Korean Costco, with menu items like bulgogi bakes, Kirkland hot dog set, chicken burgers, and mushroom soup displayed above the counter. - Saejun Ahn/Shutterstock While the Gocheok-dong Costco doesn't acknowledge its carceral past, the transformation from Yeongdeungpo Prison into a retail giant says a lot about how South Korea reshapes its urban environment. When the prison was decommissioned in the early 1990s, its grounds were eventually folded into a sprawling mixed-use complex that now includes residential towers, shops, and the country's largest Costco. This isn't unusual for Seoul, where land scarcity and development often turn historically charged sites into commercial hubs. Here, a symbol of state control became a suburban shopping destination, with no plaques or preserved structures, just aisles of snacks and a bustling food court. Still, it's not the only warehouse in the Costco universe with a murky backstory. Costco's worst-kept secrets include everything from surveillance lawsuits to questionable labor practices, reminding us that even a store famous for $1.50 hot dogs has its shadows. The Gocheok-dong branch might look like just another big box outpost, but its foundations tell a different story. For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout's newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more! Read the original article on The Takeout. SEOUL, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pledged to "respect" North Korea's political system and said Seoul would not seek unilateral reunification in a speech to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula on Friday. "We affirm our respect for the North's current system, aver that we will not pursue any form of unification by absorption and assert that we have no intention of engaging in hostile acts," Lee said in a ceremony at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul. Liberation Day commemorates the end of Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of Korea. The holiday is also celebrated in North Korea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lee's administration has made efforts to improve relations between the two Koreas since he took office in June. In his speech Friday, he drew a sharp contrast with his predecessor, ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, who took a hardline approach in dealing with the North. "Inter-Korean dialogue, which had been maintained through countless ups and downs, was completely halted during the previous administration," Lee said. "Going forward, our government will take consistent measures to substantially reduce tensions and restore trust." Lee said he would take "proactive and gradual steps" to restore the 2018 inter-Korean military pact that was suspended amid tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang during the Yoon administration in 2024. The pact established buffer zones along the border and included measures such as the removal of some guard posts in the DMZ and the banning of live-fire exercises in certain areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seoul has already made conciliatory gestures such as removing its propaganda loudspeakers from border areas and calling on activists to stop floating balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the North. The South's military reported that North Korea began dismantling its own speakers, but Pyongyang denied the claim on Thursday. Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, called the military's assessment "unfounded" and rejected overtures from Seoul as a "pipedream." In his speech, Lee said the 80th anniversary was "an opportune time to end the era of confrontation and hostility and jointly usher in a new era of peaceful coexistence and shared growth on the Korean Peninsula." "I hope that North Korea will reciprocate our efforts to restore trust and revive dialogue," he added. Loved ones are devastated after a woman was killed when a loose tire from another car struck her vehicle on the 60 Freeway in Pomona. Ingrid Zapata, 57, of Moreno Valley, was headed to work as a school bus driver after dropping off her friends at Los Angeles International Airport on Aug. 11. As she drove on the 60 Freeway, a rear tire from a 1995 GMC pickup truck detached from the car on the westbound lanes. The runaway tire crossed the center divider and onto the eastbound lanes, where it smashed into Zapatas windshield. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sudden impact caused Zapata to lose control of her sedan as she veered across freeway lanes before crashing into a metal guardrail near the Garey Avenue off-ramp. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Ingrid Zapata, 57, was killed after a loose truck tire struck her vehicle as she was driving on the 60 Freeway in Pomona on Aug. 11, 2025. (GoFundMe) Ingrid Zapata, 57, was killed after a loose truck tire struck her vehicle as she was driving on the 60 Freeway in Pomona on Aug. 11, 2025. (KNN) Ingrid Zapata, 57, was killed after a loose truck tire struck her vehicle as she was driving on the 60 Freeway in Pomona on Aug. 11, 2025. (KNN) Ingrid Zapata, 57, was killed after a loose truck tire struck her vehicle as she was driving on the 60 Freeway in Pomona on Aug. 11, 2025. (KNN) Ingrid Zapata (fourth from left) is seen with her family. (GoFundMe) Ingrid Zapata, 57, was killed after a loose truck tire struck her vehicle as she was driving on the 60 Freeway in Pomona on Aug. 11, 2025. (KNN) The truck driver, Steven Hernandez, 57, of Rosemead, was uninjured. Zapatas family is struggling to understand the circumstances of what they described as a freak accident. None of us understand it, said Kimberly Paiz, Zapatas daughter. Were all still kind of in shock. California Highway Patrol is investigating the collision as the family remains desperate for answers. Theyre trying to see if theres negligence on the part of the truck owner or if there was negligence on the part of any mechanic work that had been done to the truck, Paiz explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As friends, family and community members mourn Zapatas death, she is being remembered as a loving mother of three children and a woman of faith who enjoyed volunteering her time to help others. Thats what I want people to know about her, Paiz said. How big of a person she was, how big her heart was and how selfless she was. A GoFundMe page to help Zapatas family with funeral expenses can be found here. The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the incident can call Officer J. Wang at the CHP Baldwin Park Area Office at 626-517-8500. 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. Aug. 14After Spaceport America's biggest tenant, Virgin Galactic, ended commercial flights out of the launch facility near Truth or Consequences last year, the Spaceport reported slight hits to its economic output for 2024. The Spaceport added nearly $240 million to New Mexico's economy last year, a decrease from $266 million in 2023, according to the facility's most recent economic impact report compiled by the Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University and released Tuesday. Still, the Spaceport has shown tremendous growth over the last six years economic output at the facility has more than tripled from $72.3 million in 2019, and Scott McLaughlin, the Spaceport's executive director, says the launchpad has other tenants and is working to attract new ones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Unfortunately, people think that the success of the Spaceport is 100% connected to VG activities," McLaughlin said. From mid-2023 until June 2024, billionaire Richard Branson's spaceflight company Virgin Galactic offered monthly trips to the cosmos for paying customers. The company paused commercial flights last year while it builds its new Delta class rocket ships, which will be able to fly twice a week instead of the usual once-a-month trips to suborbit, officials have said. The decrease in economic output and the pause in flights sparked talk of selling the Spaceport at a meeting of the New Mexico Legislature's Economic and Rural Development and Policy Committee on Tuesday, where legislators pushed McLaughlin on when taxpayers would begin to see a return on their investment at the Spaceport. State Rep. Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, asked the committee to consider selling the Spaceport if it does not turn a profit, telling legislators he wasn't "sure if the government's really meant to compete in the private sector." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Government is not really good at turning a profit in anything. The best we can do is in the military, and that's where we destroy things," Montoya said. Selling the Spaceport would be difficult, McLaughlin told the Journal. The launch facility is a public good, he added, and selling it would be akin to selling the Albuquerque International Sunport. "The state did not create Spaceport America simply as a revenue-generating exercise. What we are is an enabler just like any public good, just like building a bridge across the Rio Grande we're there to catalyze other industries and other business activities," McLaughlin said. "So whether we're 100% profitable or not is not the best metric for something like a public good." Total jobs at the Spaceport are down from 985 last year to 790, which McLaughlin attributes in part to layoffs at Virgin Galactic. In November 2023, the company cut 73 of its New Mexico employees after reporting a net loss of $105 million for the third quarter of that year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To help spur commercial activity, the Spaceport inked partnerships in the last year and a half with two economic development organizations, the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance, and the Borderplex Alliance out of Las Cruces. Aside from Virgin Galactic, Spaceport America has seven tenants, including the most recent addition, the Colorado-based space startup Sirius Technologies, which signed a two-year lease at the Spaceport in May. "The Spaceport has diversified considerably, especially in the last few years," said Christopher Erickson, NMSU economist and one of the report's authors. "They're not as dependent on Virgin Galactic as they were...it's not as big a deal (to lose them) as it would've been even five years ago." In an earnings call in the fall of 2023, Virgin Galactic representatives predicted the Delta ships would be operational by 2025, but McLaughlin now says he hopes the company will resume commercial flights at the Spaceport again in the next 12 to 18 months. Virgin Galactic officials said last week that commercial flights are expected to resume in fall 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since the Spaceport's first rocket launch in September 2006, Virgin Galactic's progress has been slower than expected, McLaughlin said, though setbacks are to be expected with space travel. "If you look at almost any vehicle designed for space, you see delays," McLaughlin said. "Our foundational customer is Virgin Galactic, and we want to see them succeed with the original thing that we were all going to do together, which was to support space tourism." British tourists are being warned of strikes across Spanish airports that start today (Friday August 15) and will continue over the busy school summer holiday weekend. More than 3,000 workers at Azul Handling, part of Ryanair group, are set to walk out following a decision by the General Union of Workers (UGT). Azul Handling provides full baggage handling services to Ryanair group airlines including Buzz, Lauda Europe, Malta Air, Ryanair DAC and Ryanair UK at several Spanish airports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alongside Azul Hangling, Spains airport group, Aena has also warned of a strike called by ground handling company Menzies on 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31 August. For both sets of strikes, Aena has asked passengers to contact their airline to check the status of their flights over this period. How many passengers and flights could be affected? Airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Alicante, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Girona, Tenerife South, Lanzarote and Santiago de Compostela are due to be affected. The initial action is set to take place on 15, 16 and 17 August across three time slots: 5am to 9am, 12pm to 3pm and 9pm to 11.59pm. Strikes will then continue every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until December 31, 2025. The August bank holiday weekend, just before children return to school in Britain, is among the dates affected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement to the Daily Mail, the unions said: UGT regrets having to go to these extremes and all the damages that may occur, for which the direct responsibility will be solely and exclusively the company and its reckless action with the workforce. A spokesperson for Ryanair told The Independent ahead of the strikes: Due to Spains minimum service legislation during peak summer months, we do not expect any disruption to our operation as a result of these strikes (by the UGT union who represent less than 20% of Azul staff) in our third-party handler in Spain. A record-breaking 18.4 million British tourists travelled to Spain in 2024, despite anti-tourism protests across the country. It remains among the most popular destination for UK holidaymakers, despite a suspected downturn in the number of visitors in Mallorca this year. Why is the union calling for a strike? The baggage handlers are protesting against bonus agreements and the abuse of overtime, among other factors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The union cites reasons including the lack of stable job creation and consolidation of working hours for permanent part-time staff, imposition of overtime work under coercion, and what they see as disproportionate penalties sometimes being applied. Jose Manuel Perez Grande, federal secretary of the FeSMC-UGT Air Union, said Azul Handling maintains "a strategy of precariousness and pressure on the workforce that violates basic labor rights and systematically ignores union demands." What are my rights if my flight is delayed? If your flight is delayed or cancelled due to strike action, contact your airline immediately. For delays of under two hours, there is no opportunity for recourse. If a short delay triggers a missed connection and you arrive at your final ticketed destination three hours or more late, you are still in line for compensation as long as the cause was down to the airline. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For longer delays, the airline should provide refreshments as appropriate after a specified length of time. This applies regardless of the cause of the delay. The time at which the duty of care kicks in depends on the distance you are flying: Short flights (up to 1,500km): refreshments after two hours. Mid-haul journeys (1,500 to 3,500km): three hours. Longer trips: four hours. Note that if the airline believes providing the care would further delay the flight, it need not deliver. If the delay extends overnight, the airline is obliged to find and pay for a hotel room. In practice, carriers often say, too difficult, and invite the passenger to book their own and reclaim later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While this practice does not comply fully with the rules, aviation authorities tend to turn a blind eye to it. If your flight is cancelled, and you decide not to travel, you should get money back within a week. Some airlines may offer a voucher instead. If there is a benefit in taking a voucher say an uplift in value of 25 per cent and you know you will be using the same airline within a year, that might be a good decision. For more travel news and advice listen to Simon Calders podcast. By Michael Francis Gore, Charlie Devereux and Ana Cantero VILLANUEVA DE LA SIERRA, Spain (Reuters) -Spain battled 14 major fires driven by high winds and aggravated by heat on Friday as authorities warned of "unfavourable conditions" to tackle flames that have already killed seven people and burned an area the size of London. Firefighters have been battling to put out blazes across southern Europe in one of the worst summers for wildfires in 20 years. And a nearly two-week heatwave and southerly winds were worsening the situation in Spain, Virginia Barcones, director general of emergency services, said on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In the western part of the country the situation is extremely worrying," Barcones said on RTVE. In Galicia, several fires converged to form a large blaze, forcing the closure of highways and rail services to the region. As fire spread from Galicia's Ourense province to neighbouring Zamora, provoking evacuations, some stayed behind to protect their homes. "We are waiting for the fire to come down to try and stop it, so it does not get to the houses," Loli Baz, 52, told Reuters from the village of Villanueva de la Sierra in Zamora. Spain's national weather agency AEMET warned of extreme fire risk in the north and west of the country, as temperatures are expected to reach up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on the north coast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Today will be another very difficult day, with an extreme risk of new fires," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X. FIRES SPREADING QUICKLY A fire near Molezuelas de la Carballeda in the Castile and Leon region - one of the largest in Spain's history - had not advanced since Thursday. That wildfire had, at one point, been spreading by 4,000 hectares (15.4 square miles) per hour, said Eduardo Diego, national government representative for the region. A fire near Badajoz in the Extremadura region, meanwhile, burned 2,500 hectares in a few hours before being brought under control. "It was very fast with enormous growth, but it has been possible to tackle it," Jose Luis Quintana, the national government representative for the region, told RTVE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fires caused the closure of more than half a dozen roads on a busy bank holiday weekend, leaving travelers stuck at the height of summer holidays. In the town of Oimbra in Ourense province, where three firefighters were seriously injured, a man was arrested for causing a fire by using his tractor when it was prohibited, police said. Two people were also arrested in Costa da Morte in Galicia for provoking fires by illegally burning copper cables to extract the metal, according to the Interior Ministry. Wildfires have burned more than 157,000 hectares in Spain so far this year, almost double the annual average, according to the European Union's Forest Fire Information Service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In neighbouring Portugal, meanwhile, thousands of firefighters were battling five large blazes in central and northern parts of the country, with one fire in Trancoso, some 350 km northeast of Lisbon, now raging for six days. Around 300 residents were evacuated on Friday from the village of Covanca near Piodao, an area of central Portugal popular with tourists, after a wildfire broke out on Wednesday. Portugal has activated the EU mechanism for assistance and requested four Canadair planes, according to civil protection commander Mario Silvestre. (Reporting by Michale Gore, Charlie Devereux, Ana Cantero and Andrei Khalip; Editing by Toby Chopra and Joe Bavier) MADRID (AP) Firefighters in Spain, Portugal and Greece battled ongoing wildfires Friday, an important religious holiday in all three countries, as persistent hot, dry conditions challenged efforts to contain the blazes. Spain was fighting 14 major fires, according to Virginia Barcones, general director of emergency services. Temperatures were expected to climb over the weekend. Today will once again be a very tough day, with an extreme risk of new fires, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The national weather agency AEMET warned of extreme fire risk in most of the country, including where the largest blazes were burning in the north and west. A heat wave which brought temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on several days this month was expected to last through Monday. Fires in the Galicia region forced the closure of several highways. The high speed rail line connecting it to Spain's capital, Madrid, remained suspended. The fires in Spain this year have burned 158,000 hectares or 610 square miles, according to the European Unions European Forest Fire Information System. That is an area roughly as big as metropolitan London. The wildfires raged on Friday as many European countries celebrated a religious holiday devoted to the Virgin Mary, known in Catholic countries like Spain and Portugal as the Feast of the Assumption. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Portugal, nearly 4,000 firefighters were battling fires on Friday. Seven major fires were active. Authorities extended the state of alert until Sunday as high temperatures were expected to last through the weekend. The Portuguese government on Friday requested assistance from the EUs civil protection mechanism, a firefighting force that European countries in need can call upon. A day before, Spain received two Canadair water bomber aircraft after requesting EU help to tackle blazes for the first time ever. In the past week, Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania have also requested help from the EUs firefighting force to deal with forest fires. The force has already been activated as many times this year as all of last year's fire season. On Friday, a wildfire in Greece burned out of control for a fourth day on the island of Chios, prompting several more overnight evacuations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two water-dropping planes and two helicopters were operating in the north of the island in the eastern Aegean Sea, where local authorities said a lull in high winds was helping firefighters early Friday. Following a series of large fires in western Greece earlier this week, the fire service was on alert Friday outside Athens and nearby areas in the south of the country where adverse weather conditions elevated the fire risk. The spiritual leader of the worlds Orthodox Christians Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed solidarity on Friday with the victims of wildfires in southern Europe during prayers on a day that is also important for Orthodox Christians and known as the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. Scientists say that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness in parts of Europe, making the region more vulnerable to health impacts and wildfires. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The burning of fossil fuels like coal, gas and coal releases heat-trapping gasses that are the primary driver of climate change. Europe has been warming twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the EUs Copernicus Climate Change Service. The EU monitoring agency says that 2024 was the hottest year on record both globally and in Europe, which experienced its second-highest number of heat stress days. ___ AP writer Derek Gatopoulos contributed from Athens. Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Spain on Friday warned of "very high or extreme fire danger in most of the country," as firefighters there continue battling 14 blazes in temperatures up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. "The danger will remain at very high or extreme levels during the weekend and Monday, days when the heatwave affecting us since the beginning of the month continues," AEMET, the state weather association, said on X Friday. Wildfires in the European country have already consumed approximately 580 square miles of land, leading to seven deaths. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Today will once again be a very tough day, with an extreme risk of new fires," Spanish President Pedro Sanchez wrote on X Friday. "The government remains fully committed with all resources to stop the fire. Thank you, always, to those who fight on the front line to protect us." The flames have forced the closures of highways and rail systems in parts of the country, including the train connecting the northern Spanish region of Galicia to the capital of Madrid. Neighboring Greece and Portugal are dealing with similar weather conditions. Spain's total makes up around a quarter of the 2,429 square miles burned by wildfires across Europe, roughly the size of the state of Delaware. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, the European Union sent two planes to help fight wildfires in Spain, under a reciprocal agreement. Spain is the fifth country so far this year to ask for help under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, with Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania also seeking assistance. One of those countries, Greece, is dealing with a fire on the Greek island of Chios, which is largely without water and electricity. (Above) Participants enjoy the workshop. (Below) Dylan Street, owner of Guerrilla Marketing, addresses the large crowd at a previous SIU Marketing Unleashed event. (Photos provided) Sign up now to learn innovative strategies at SIUs Marketing Unleashed by Christi Mathis CARBONDALE, Ill. The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is offering a free workshop filled with fresh, innovative marketing strategies required in todays quickly evolving business climate. Marketing Unleashed is set for 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25, at the Gower Translational Research Center, 1785 University Press Drive in Carbondale. Its packed with ideas, insights and opportunities for small business owners and entrepreneurs to make connections and acquire the latest tools and techniques to grow their enterprises. Register now Space is limited, so organizers recommend early registration. Sign up online. The registration deadline is 11:59 p.m. Aug. 21 or when all spaces are claimed. Comprehensive event All those attending the workshop will receive valuable take-home resources and materials to help them implement the valuable details and strategies they learn. A complimentary lunch is included as well. There will also be a designated time for those in attendance to network. Learn from experts A full, dynamic lineup of marketing and business experts will share practical advice and proven, results-driven approaches and solutions. Jeff Harmon, chief marketing and communications officer for SIU and executive director of University Communications and Marketing, will be the emcee of the third annual Marketing Unleashed. Harmon has more than a quarter-century of marketing and communications experience in the private sector and higher education. At SIU, he oversees all university marketing and communications as well as WSIU and campus printing and duplicating operations. Presenters also include: Britni Bateman, assistant vice chancellor for development and alumni relations and chief marketing officer for the SIU Foundation, Consistent Storytelling: The Secret to Standing Out on Social Media. She will guide small business owners in the art of developing confident, consistent social media content with which audiences will connect. Jason Duff, Small Nation founder and CEO, The Power of Place: Investing in People, Properties and Purpose. Duff will look at how investing in both physical spaces and human capital creates long-term value. Allison Gower, mojoPOS communications director, AI Tools to Supercharge Small Business Growth. She will share tips for integrating artificial intelligence tools into everyday marketing, giving practical, accessible strategies small business owners can readily implement. Jared Long, SO ill CINEMA chief executive officer, Framing Your Story: Techniques to Make Your Message Matter. Based on his experience as a photographer, videographer and podcast host, Long will reveal how thoughtful, well-done storytelling can elevate a brand and deepen the audience connection. Tobias Merriman, assistant director of SIUs Center for Virtual Expression (CVEX) in the College of Liberal Arts, From Resistance to Curiosity: AI Demos That Break the Ice. Revealing what has worked and what hasnt, Merriman will present honest lessons and learned insights from the AI adoption front lines. Ryan Patrick, Wizard of Ads partner, Who Are You, Really? He will explore the power of personal branding as he examines core values, personality types, Jimmy Buffett and more. Find out more Check the Facebook event page for the latest updates on the workshop. For more information about the Illinois SBDC at SIU, or the numerous no-cost services it provides, visit the website, call 618-536-2424 or email sbdc@siu.edu. Event sponsors include the SIU Office of Innovation and Economic Development and University Communications and Marketing. SIUs Illinois SBDC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement between the United States Small Business Administration, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and SIU. In a split vote Wednesday, the Bakersfield City Council voted to submit an application to the city Planning Commission to rename H street after famed labor activist Cesar Chavez, who spent much of his life in Kern County. We know that Cesar is a civil rights hero, a labor hero, said Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers and longtime colleague of Chavez. This is someone that we definitely need to commemorate, and I think naming the street after Cesar is just a very great thing that we can do, and I just think that we in Bakersfield, the city of Bakersfield, the county of Kern, we need to celebrate our essential workers who are the farmworkers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking at the end of a long evening before the Bakersfield City Council, Huerta and more than a dozen other residents called on members to rename H Street after Chavez, noting that several other cities around the nation have already done the same. Nobody else from Bakersfield has a state holiday named after them, said Traco Matthews, pastor at Church of God, Bakersfield. City staff began looking into renaming a street after Chavez last year at the request of council members Eric Arias and Manpreet Kaur and in a presentation Wednesday recommended H Street for the potential change. We looked at a historical and local significance of existing street names, we looked at the number of vehicle trips, the number of existing addresses, if there were major intersections or interchanges, the length of the street, and its geographic location and orientation, said City Manager Christian Clegg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several other California cities already have streets named for Cesar Chavez, including a six-mile stretch of road in Los Angeles and a seven-mile stretch in Fresno. I just think about the decision that were making tonight, and what impact we can have on so many future generations of young children who see a small sign hanging over their intersection that has the name that they can associate with, said Ward 1 Councilman Eric Arias. Thats the power of tonights decision. Im so excited to support it, he said. But support for the renaming was far from universal, on the council and among residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The discussion on the renaming of H Street came after more than an hour of debate on city support for another project named after a local civil rights icon, Dolores Huerta. Early in the evening residents and council members gave similarly passionate but divided comment on whether the city should provide the Dolores Huerta Foundation with a $300,000 reimbursement grant for street infrastructure improvements around the new $36-million cultural center in downtown. It cost me $31,000 in work to change and update 3,368 feet of a street name change, said Ward 6 Councilman Zack Bashirtash, in reference to Bashirtash Drive, named for his father. Thirty-one thousand, and I have resources to make that happen. Were talking about 44,000 feet over 44,352 feet and what thats gonna do to small businesses, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Businesses and residents would have to update documents and other materials, costs that could easily add up to many thousands of dollars. There are approximately 390 addresses along H Street from Taft Highway to Golden State Highway, Clegg said, 243 of which are commercial and 147 residential. Two hundred and two of the addresses hold current city business licenses. Staff estimated roughly $230,000 in re-signing costs for both signs on the street and highway signs referencing the street. Costs for small businesses are hard to pin down as they can vary depending on the business, Clegg said, but the city estimates printing costs for businesses on H Street would be $500 to $3,000. Staff noted the city of Fresno set aside $1 million for business reimbursement for renaming costs, providing grants of $200 to commercial applicants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But one business owner put his estimated costs much higher. We could be looking at $50,000 to $100,000 to do what we need to do, just to change the name of the street, said Wayne Moule, owner of Northwest Metrology on H Street. Moule provided the council with a list of 17 items his business would have to accomplish in order to deal with the street name change including updates to banking and marketing materials and legal documents. So wheres that money coming from? Its not going to come out of my pocket. Id rather close the business, file a suit against you guys. $30 to $50 million lawsuit? Thatd work for me, Moule said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None of the opponents at the meeting said a street shouldnt be named after Chavez though several letters sent to the council concerning the matter did but several speakers said H Street should not be changed. When somebody mentions H Street, I think of (Bakersfield High School) and Harvey Auditorium, or the Historic Fox Theater, the Padre Hotel, said John Antonaros. Theres so many other things that are on H Street thats part of the cultural fabric of Bakersfield. And I think that that culture is so important to maintain, and I humbly request that you do not rename H Street. Ward 5 Councilman Larry Koman agreed that H Street may not be the best option. I think thats my biggest problem with this is not how we honor Cesar Chavez but this whole process about how it became H Street, Koman said. Its like the city pushing down to the community, Were making it H Street, rather than the community coming together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bashirtash made a motion to send the item back to city staff to perform a deeper cost analysis and to find a street in a new development that would not impact existing residents and businesses. The motion did not move forward. In supporting the name change, Ward 2 Councilman Andrae Gonzales made a referral to city staff to look into using the citys transient occupancy tax to reimburse businesses. I consider it the honor of my lifetime to make the motion today, that we rename H Street to Avenida de Cesar Chavez, Kaur said. H Street runs through the heart of the city. Our vibrant downtown, south to the end of our city, where our city continues to grow, and its visible from our freeways, all of our intersections into the city. Kaurs motion to submit an application to the Bakersfield Planning Commission for the renaming passed 4-3, with council members Bashirtash, Koman and Ken Weir voting against it. (The Center Square) Conservatives in Spokane are mounting an effort to put pressure on the city to abandon the Housing First model, hoping to save local taxpayers millions of dollars in federal funding. President Donald Trump recently issued an executive order condemning the Housing First model, while urging grant recipients to prioritize treatment-based programs. Homelessness is one of the, if not the most, pressing issues in the region, with the bulk of federal funding allocated to the city and county. Spokane County has housing projects of its own, but the Board of County Commissioners tends to go for programs more aligned with the treatment-based approach. The city of Spokane supports respite care and some treatment options as well, but is known for backing low-barrier projects around town. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With millions of dollars at risk amid budget deficits at both jurisdictions, some advocates are stepping in before local taxpayers are left to foot the bill. A city council member, the county sheriff and business leaders are putting together a memorandum of understanding to affirm Trumps order and pressure Mayor Lisa Brown to follow suit. If all goes as planned, every other city in the county will sign on to it. Its exactly what we need, Spokane Councilmember Jonathan Bingle said, Trying to get other cities, other townships, other elected officials around the area to sign a letter saying, Help us be successful. The Center Square contacted Browns office for comment, but didnt get a response before publishing; the two Democrats on the Board of County Commissioners were also unavailable for comment on Friday. Bingle told The Center Square he came up with the idea, hoping it would catch the White Houses eye. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He already wrote up a draft, but decided to go a different direction after talking to community activist Sheldon Jackson, a real estate developer and commercial property owner in Spokane. Jackson has run an email chain with hundreds tuning in and dozens criticizing the citys progressive policies for years. Some pushed back on the language used frequently in the thread, arguing its dividing the city; however, business owners, a few service providers and even members of the Spokane City Council have chimed in. Sheriff John Nowels, state lawmakers and other regional heads have also sent their thoughts at times. Jackson initially planned on spreading the word, but will now help draft the document with others. Nowels told The Center Square on Thursday that he had spoken with Jackson that morning, after he believed the sheriff was drafting the document. The Spokane County Sheriffs Office recently suffered a loss, so Nowels doesnt have time to write it up and asked that someone else draft the document. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriff confirmed that the initiative is underway, but couldnt speak to the content of the draft or what it would entail. He stressed that it should center on helping people address their addictions. I know the discussion of the MoUs existence is in play, Nowels told The Center Square. I do not have the capacity for it, so do I know who is exactly in the process of drafting it right now? I do not. Jackson told The Center Square on Friday that hes relying on experts to help him and others involved to draft the regional memorandum. Chud Wendle, executive director of The Hutton Settlement, told The Center Square that his role is helping gather the support of Spokane Valley and other nearby cities. Spokane Valley City Councilmembers Al Merkel and Jessica Yaeger both brought up Trumps recent directive during their regular Tuesday night meeting. Merkel said he had attended some community meetings where people talked about it and expressed support for dealing with the crisis in a more hands-on way. Yaeger emphasized a desire to be compliant with the presidents executive order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I would suggest that the staff look at if were compliant, and what the relationship is, what we have to do or dont have to do, Spokane Valley Deputy Mayor Tim Hattenburg said on Tuesday. Earlier this month, Spokane Communications Director Erin Hut told The Center Square that the city could still comply with Trumps recent executive order with some tweaks to its contracts. If our [Continuum of Care] contracts are updated to match the executive order, we would be compliant for funding, Hut replied, but we dont have draft contracts from [the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development], so I cant really speak to what theyre going to put in the contract. HUD Regional Administrator Chris Patterson recently told The Center Square that federal grants would be prioritized for jurisdictions that to the maximum extent permitted by law prohibit urban camping. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He described the housing first model as failing American taxpayers who deserve measurable results. Bingle told The Center Square that U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, may bring up the MoU idea to attendees during a fundraiser on Sunday. When asked if he was reaching out to other nearby cities, Bingle said that he thinks other people are already doing so and that he is technically on vacation. Im not entirely sure where were at in the whole process, so I dont want to put the cart before the horse, Bingle said on Thursday, but I hope its something that, again, signals that what were doing in the city of Spokane isnt working. Baumgartner confirmed to The Center Square on Friday that he is in support of the regional MoU idea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The congressman said he plans to hand out five awards to community members during his campaign event on Sunday, with one going to Jackson for his community activism. Baumgartner said he will highlight Jacksons ongoing work at the fundraiser while briefly discussing these efforts to draft an MoU. We have to do something different, Bingle said. If we dont, Spokane will continue its death spiral. If successful, Jackson and others believe the Spokane region would be the first in the nation to put together such an effort. Aug. 14A man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death in 2021 died in his Washington State Penitentiary cell on Aug. 3 at the age of 45, according to the Washington State Department of Corrections. Joshua P. Phillips was found dead in his cell just before midnight. The cause of death is still under investigation by the Walla Walla Coroner's Office, but Wright said the Department of Corrections will conduct a review. The coroner's office said the cause of death will be determined in the next four to six weeks, but Sgt. Nick Loudermilk of the Walla Walla Police Department said no foul play was suspected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Phillips stabbed ex-girlfriend Kassie Dewey 26 times in her garage on April 11, 2021. Phillips also stabbed Dewey's daughter Lilly seven to 10 times . She survived. Dewey's two older children later arrived at the home after spending time with their dad, to find the garage closed with the sound of a car running inside. Emergency responders were called and found Dewey dead in the garage and Phillips attempting to kill himself. According to a GoFundMe family member Sierra Kellog started that raised $138,662, Lilly left the hospital after a month of recovery. Phillips had a history of domestic violence, and before the murder, Dewey had broken up with Phillips. Over the next two days Dewey sent about 100 messages that investigators found disturbing, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Feb. 3 2023, Phillips was sentenced to 36 years in prison after the prosecution and defense attorneys agreed to a plea deal. "No amount of jail time will bring my mom back, but I hope you realize what you've done," Dewey's oldest daughter said at the hearing. 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. The mayors of two towns in Arizona's White Mountains have requested an investigation of the police department that serves both their communities. The review of the department's policies, procedures and officers is being conducted by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Springerville and Eagar reached out to DPS to look into the Round Valley Police Department, according to an Aug. 13 letter signed by the towns' mayors. The department is based in Springerville and located just north of Eagar. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mayors also asked for an acting police chief from the state law enforcement agency. DPS agreed, according to the letter. Bart Graves, a DPS spokesperson, said the agency would not be commenting "at this time." The Apache County Attorney's Office also was investigating whether multiple Round Valley police officers could land on the Brady List, a database of law enforcement officials with a history of dishonesty and integrity issues, the letter said. The letter said that the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, a law enforcement regulatory agency, would continue to independently monitor police actions and complaints and act on them if needed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Towns of Spingerville and Eagar take these concerns seriously and will be working closely with these agencies to ensure the safety of our communities during this time," Springerville Mayor Shelly Reidhead and Eagar Mayor Guy Phelps said in the letter. The outcome of the investigation would be "acted on appropriately" when it's complete, the letter said. Elena Santa Cruz is a criminal justice reporter for The Republic. Reach her at elena.santacruz@gannett.com. Follow her on X @ecsantacruz3. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: DPS to investigate police department for Springerville, Eagar MISSOURI The following excerpts are pulled from Springfield-area newspapers during the mid-20th century, with some descriptions and allusions are unidentified flying objects (UFOs). This is the first installment in an ongoing series of historic glimpses at UFOs in the Ozarks. Springfield Leader and Press Jan. 24, 1967 They were first observed in the southwestern part of the state, around Joplin, and swept across to the southeastern corner, changing colors, shape and size, along with speed, during the course of their arc. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sometimes seen as nothing more than a glob of light, and at other times equipped with a tail and antenna, sometimes silent and sometimes making a humming sound, it was inevitable, according to the association theory, they would visit this part of the Ozarks. In their swift wake, they left conflicting theories, amusement, embarrassment, much skepticism and a little awe. They are flying saucers, unidentified flying objects, or maybe objects. According to the suggestion theory, one report of a UFO will bring on others, spreading the sightings like ripples from a disturbance on a placid pond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rash of flying saucer reports is seen by another source as the cultural impact of television. Numerous recent reports of UFOS in the Ozarks also has been credited to television, specifically a new program called The Invaders. . Sgt. Marvin Taylor, of the state patrol Troop D headquarters in Springfield, who reported seeing a glob of light Sunday night, is sorry he ever mentioned it, according to fellow officers. They said he took home an unidentified flying object found suspended over his desk on wires, and probably buried it in his backyard. Sgt. Taylor said he was tired of hearing about flying saucers, an officer said today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes sorry he reported it, another said. He said he wouldnt report another one if it landed at his front door, a third added. Sgt. Taylor has been working nights and so missed the television program. Weather balloons, Don McInnes said this morning. McInnes teaches astronomy at Southwest Missouri State College. Stars close to the horizon change colors, he said. Pinned down, the astronomer said he wouldnt categorically say flying saucers dont exist, but he has spent a lot of time observing the heavens and has never seen one. The astronomy club students are always peering through telescopes, and theyve never reported seeing a saucer either. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McInnes is home between semesters watching a new baby, his first child, and finds he has no time to look for UFOS. High on the list of things to do after sighting a flying saucer is to call a newspaper office. A woman who called this morning wanted to know what theyre doing about these flying saucers? I think they should be investigated or something before they do us more harm, she said. Theyve got a lot of people particularly the old people scared to death, she added. Then, with her final sentence, the lady caller joined the vast majority of people in her reactions to possible flying saucers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Personally, she said, I dont believe it till I see one. El Dorado Springs Sun Oct. 30, 1952 An object described as a flying saucer was sighted last week by a man who lives four miles west of El Dorado Springs. Accompanied by his son, the man was driving toward El Dorado Springs when they sighted the object about two miles west of town, and they pulled over on the highway shoulder, stopped the car, and watched the strange aircraft. Flying at a high altitude in a southeasterly direction the thing was of bright aluminum color and perfectly round, the man said. Requesting that his name not be used because of the belief he would be scoffed at, he is a reliable citizen and spent some time in aviation circles. Springfield News-Leader Aug. 15, 1952 An old-fashioned type of flying saucer was investigated by the police yesterday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers called to check on a disturbance at a home in the 2200 block North Grant were told by a housewife that her 82-year-old husband attempted to choke her with a dish rag. She added that she struck her husband over t he head with a plate. Her husband told police he had previously been the target of his wifes flying saucers and other dishes. I couldnt get along with anybody if they just wouldnt keep hitting me over the head with dishes, he said plaintively. Officers took no action after both agreed they could straighten the fuss out peacefully. Springfield Leader and Press Jan. 29, 1950 A flying saucer visited Springfield Friday afternoon, according to a 75-year-old man who claims he and his wife saw the disc whiz through the air. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jacob O. Cruts, of 1707 West Lombard, reported late yesterday that he and his wife, Arena, 65, were driving west on Van Buren at about 2 oclock Friday when a gleaming round object attracted their attention. My wife saw it first, Cruts recalled. She said, Look, theres one of them flying saucers everybodys talking about. Cruts looked up at the sky and saw the disc flying southwest straight ahead of them, he said. Both of them could see it plainly a blind man could have seen it and watched its flight for about two or three minutes. It finally disappeared behind some trees, Cruts said. The couple went on to a store on Scenic Drive and never thought much more about the incident until yesterday afternoon when they learned that a Joplin woman had reported seeing a saucer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I thought maybe it was the same flying saucer that was seen over in Joplin, he said. The disc was described by Cruts who said his eyesight and that of his wife are both very good as a round thing, about as big as a dishpan. It was a wingless object and As bright as could be. It traveled pretty fast and was about as high as an airplane usually flies, he recalled. No noise was heard by either of the couple, Cruts reported. The Journal-Gazette (Howell County) May 22, 1950 Flying saucers three of them were sighted near West Plains Friday by at least five different persons, scattered in different parts of the town. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First to report seeing the flying saucers were Mrs. Walter Svedarsky and her two sons, David and Dan. The Svedarskys live on a farm located on Highway A south of West Plains. The Svedarskys saw the saucers about 10:15 Friday morning just before the storm struck in this community. They stated the saucers flew about a quarter of a mile north of their home, and were flying very slow at an altitude of about 100 feet. The objects created no sound, and seemed to be about the size of dishpans, although the first saucer, which led the formation, was a little larger. The saucers seemed to be composed of many tiny discs about the size of silver dollars, each of which was also turning, creating a bubbling effect. Each of the saucers had a tail about 30 feet long trailing behind it in a whip-like action. The tails, too, were covered with the moving discs. The objects were silver all over, they said. They were moving in an easterly direction, coming from the west, and seemed to be going at an angle into the storm clouds which were approaching at the time. The objects were described as being too small for a human to operate. Mr. Svedarsky, in telling the story to a Journal-Gazette reporter, said that two other persons, located in different sections of West Plains, also stated that they had seen the flying saucers Friday morning, and each also mentioned the tails on the objects. The Springfield News-Leader July 8, 1947 A flying saucer was spotted over Springfield yesterday by three observers at the Rogers airport, a city policeman reported last night. The officer, Frank Walker, who flies a plane in his spare time, said he took off from the Rogers airport yesterday morning, bound on a short pleasure cruise toward Ozark and back. Walker said his trip was uneventful, and he didnt sight any of the shiny discs personally, but when he returned to the airport later three friends who had watched his takeoff told of seeing an object Tailing him for some distance. They said it was flat-shaped and tiny, Walker said, and that it appeared to have some sort of fins on it. The fellow who first saw it thought I was towing a target of some kind. Altogether, three persons saw it, I believe. Walker said the men told him the object appeared to be rolling over steadily. He said the observers reported that the discs followed him for some distance toward Republic, then broke away toward the northeast and vanished as Walkers plane turned toward the southwest. 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 KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. St. Augustine horse carriage operators brace for disruption from upcoming construction A historic tradition in St. Augustine is facing yet another challenge. A major infrastructure project along the citys iconic seawall will force horse-drawn carriage companies to relocate, potentially putting further strain on a struggling industry. For centuries, the rhythmic clatter of hooves has echoed through St. Augustines streets, with horse-drawn carriages offering tourists a scenic ride steeped in the citys rich history. But come spring 2026, those familiar routes will be altered. The Florida Department of Transportation has announced a $45 million seawall replacement project aimed at protecting the city from future storm damage while preserving its historic aesthetic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It will greatly affect us by having to move, said Jennifer Cushion, owner of the Country Carriages Company. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Although vehicle traffic along A1A wont be disrupted, the adjacent parking lanewhere carriages typically load and unloadwill be intermittently closed for at least nine months. So to make that move and not be where anybody knows where we are and a lot of our business is walk-up, thats a huge effect and very scary thought, Cushion added. She explained that the relocation comes at an already difficult time. The horse carriage industry is experiencing a downturn, and her company has been hit hard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 40 to 50% down, which is huge when you have 23 horses to feed, she said. While the city has yet to provide a plan for supporting the industry during the construction period, Cushion has offered potential solutions. If theyre going to help us with signage, maybe to make it easier for people to find us or put us in a central location where we can be seen, she suggested. Construction on the seawall is expected to last nearly two years and will take place in phases. Although the work wont begin until 2026, carriage operators said action is needed now to preserve a cherished piece of St. Augustines heritage. As of now, the city has not announced a temporary location for the horse-drawn carriages. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] SPRINGFIELD, Mo. A St. Louis man has been sentenced in federal court following an incident in Christian County. According to a United States Department of Justice press release, Michael Lamont Miller, 44, has been sentenced to 110 months in federal prison without parole, to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Douglas Harpool. The sentence will be served consecutively, or after Miller completes his state sentences on a different incident. The release says that on Tuesday, Feb. 4, Miller pleaded guilty to one count of indictment for a charge of illegally possessing a firearm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clever man pleads guilty to trafficking firearms Miller was stopped for a traffic infraction on March 30, 2022, after being contacted by Christian County. The man is reported to be a nine-time felon, the release says. Miller told law enforcement that they would find a firearm inside his vehicle after being questioned about whether anything illegal was inside. Officers found a 9mm semi-automatic firearm in the vehicle. The firearm was loaded with a full magazine and a round was in the chamber. Law enforcement also found illegal substances near the firearm, the release says. Under federal law, it is illegal for felons who have been convicted to possess any firearm or ammunition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Branson Police Department, the Christian County Sheriffs Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. 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 KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) With several new state laws passing through the 2025 legislature, several of which concern elections, the State Board of Elections updated their rules on Thursday, to be in line with state law. All rules changes that were proposed on the state board elections meeting agenda passed. Among the proposed rules are a change in voter residency requirement, including allowing some voters who use mail-forwarding addresses to vote only in federal races. Another major change would allow the nominees for governor to choose their lieutenant governor candidates rather than having them chosen by delegates to the state political-party conventions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Woman sues SFPD for negligence after injuries You can see the rule changes below. 8-14-25BOERulesPacketDownload Two rules dealt with voter registration, detailing the changes to residency requirements, where the new rule states In this state, an actual fixed permanent dwelling, establishment, or any other abode where the applicant lives and usually sleeps The rule states that If you use a commercial mail receiving agency, mail forwarding service, or other post office box as your residence or voting address without a description of the location of your habitation, you may be registered only as a federal voter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One concern that was brought up by the board was if the South Dakotans who may wish to sell their house asking if they would still be able to vote in South Dakota. Minnehaha County Auditor Leah Anderson said they have the ability to look back at former registration history and see if someone was registered in South Dakota. If you dont do anything to make yourself a resident there, And its only a temporary leave of the state and you intend to come back, even if you sell your home, youre still a resident of South Dakota, Anderson said. Another rule change that was discussed was the new forum that would allow a partisan candidate for governor to be able to pick their own lieutenant governor. Thomas Deadrick, Deputy Secretary of State, explained the new rule change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What we did was we essentially took the Form and of the independence and put it together for Parties, so either Republicans or Democrats or whatever party certify their candidate for lieutenant governor, Deadrick said. Another rule had to do with the absentee ballot forum and how they are removing the forum from the rules Deadrick explained the rule change stating they are removing the absentee ballot forum from the rules, instead setting the rules of what needs to be in the ballot. Weve been doing with most of the forms is not put the form explicitly in the rule, just put in what needs to be done in it, Deadrick said. We would expect most counties, in fact, we would expect every county to say, youve got to printed for me, everythings here, Im going to follow whats on that particular form that you have provided for us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anderson responded to the rule urging the secretary of states office to set guidelines on how the new forums will look. If were using the Secretary of States form, we have to print 4 pages, because thats the form, and thats the way it is as a PDF If I have the ability to change that form, Im certainly going to take advantage of that and turn it into a two-page form, Anderson said. I cant keep printing 4 page forms to hand out to people, its going to Completely wipe out my budget. 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. It's surprising that California, a state commonly associated with health-conscious hippy culture, juice cleanses, and organic produce, gave birth to the modern fast food industry, but the data doesn't lie. The Golden State is where some of the most iconic fast food restaurants got their start. McDonald's, with its famed golden arches, rose from humble beginnings in the city of San Bernardino. Jack in the Box has roots in San Diego, and Taco Bell originated in Downey, California in the 1960s. California also served as an incubator of popular regional fast food chains like In-N-Out and the SoCal chili cheeseburger phenomenon, Original Tommy's. What is it exactly about sunny California that makes it the ancestral home of fast food icons like Panda Express, Hot Dog On A Stick, Weinerschnitzel, and Carl's Jr.? It might be as simple as the weather. Fast food stands were quite common across the United States as early as the 1920s. Quick stop stands serving handheld fare outdoors often operated in warmer weather and would close during the winter months. Southern California's year-round sunny climate might just have made it the ideal state for fledgling fast food joints to get their start and operate year-round. California also embraced automobile culture, making drive-thru dining options a preferred choice for hungry travelers. Read more: Popular Culver's Menu Items, Ranked Worst To Best Fast Food's Uncertain Future In The Golden State In-N-Out sign at sunset - Miroslav_1/Getty Images Though many fast food restaurants originated in California, there is one region that appears to be the epicenter of it all: the Inland Empire. Over 4 million people reside in the area, and the population appears to be growing because of the region's affordable housing. Californians shell out hefty sums on housing, groceries and energy, and many flock to lower-cost areas like the Inland Empire. Because prices seem fair, this may be why so many fast food chains began there. Yet, it's possible even areas like California's Inland Empire may not remain a hub for fast food much longer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2024, a polarizing California fast food law creating a council to regulate fast food and fast casual restaurants in the state was put on hold. The law would give the council the ability to mandate a minimum hourly wage of $22. Though a higher wage would improve living conditions for fast food workers, organizations like the Save Local Restaurants Coalition maintained that it would be catastrophic for operating costs, which are already a challenge in California. In August 2025, the LA Times reported that the owner of the In-N-Out franchise was leaving California for the cheaper state of Tennessee. "There's a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here," In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder told the newspaper. "Doing business is not easy here." Read the original article on Mashed. (The Center Square) Ahead of oral arguments over Illinois gun ban in the federal appeals court, attorneys for the state filed their final reply brief. Part of the states argument filed Thursday is that the firearms banned in 2023 are both dangerous and unusual. They cite that only 0.64% of the states population registered their firearms. Relatedly, plaintiffs cite the district courts estimate that between 14.1 and 18.2 million adults own AR-platform rifles, the filing says. Even if these national numbers were more probative than the Illinois-specific data, that would amount to only 5% of Americans. In short, the evidence showed that these firearms are not widely possessed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Todd Vandermyde advocates for the Second Amendment. They are inferring that the only people that own these are people who registered them, not taking into account that people own them and may have moved them out of the state or just flipped the middle finger to [Illinois Gov. J.B.] Pritzker, Vandermyde told The Center Square. The state argued the banned firearms arent necessary for self defense. About [large capacity magazines], plaintiffs describe testimony that having more ammunition available makes a person safer, as well as anecdotal incidents in which an individual fired more than 10 bullets in self-defense, the filing says. These isolated incidents cannot undermine the data establishing that civilians use between two and three bullets on average when firing in self-defense. And even in the hypothetical situation in which more than 10 shots from a long gun or more than 15 shots from a handgun might be desired, the Act presents no problem: it regulates only how many shots can be fired without reloading, not the total amount of ammunition a person can have. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vandermyde said the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms isnt just for self-defense. If you wanna collect AR-15s from every manufacturer because its like collecting doorknobs, so be it, that is a perfectly lawful use, Vandermyde said. If you wanna use it for competition shooting, fine. With the record from the district courts four-day bench trial and 7,000 pages of evidence and testimony, Vandermyde said its a perfect case for the U.S. Supreme Court. Because, final judgement, record, you know theyve gone back and forth, the whole nine yards, he said. Ultimately, Vandermyde said the case is going to the U.S. Supreme Court. It just depends on when that happens after the appeals court completes the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Somebody just needs to get up there in front of the court next month and say we understand that this isnt the last stop for this train, so whatever you do, rule, rule fast and let's get on with it, Vandermyde said. Oral arguments for the case in the appeals court are set for Sept. 22. Indiana State Police cold case investigators are asking for the public's help with the 1984 cold case abduction and killing of Darlene Hulse. Hulse a 28-year-old homemaker, wife, and mother of three daughters was abducted from her rural Argos home in Marshall County. A little after 9 a.m. Aug. 17, 1984, Hulse and her three daughters were preparing to leave their residence on 20B Road when a man forced entry into the residence under the guise of a delivery, state police said in a news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A struggle ensued between Hulse and her attacker. During that struggle, her daughters, ages 6 and 8, fled the residence and ran to a nearby relatives house to report the incident. The Marshall County Sheriffs Office was contacted and officers from the Argos Police Department, the sheriffs office and state police immediately responded. When officers arrived, they found Hulse's 11-month-old daughter in the residence, but Darlene Hulse was missing. Investigators determined that Hulse was brutally attacked and abducted and driven from the residence in the attackers vehicle. A search was conducted, but Hulse was not located. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the early afternoon hours of the next day, police received a report about a deceased female found in a wooded area by a timber surveyor on Olive Trail between Indiana 110 and 20A Road about 6 miles west of the Hulse residence. Investigators confirmed the body was that of Hulse. After an autopsy, cause of death was ruled to be blunt force trauma. Witnesses described the suspect as a white male in his middle to late 20s, approximately 6 feet to 6 feet, 2 inches tall, with blonde hair combed to the side. He had a long nose and long face. The suspect vehicle was described as a 1970s four-door, greenish in color with rust. It might have been a Pontiac or an Oldsmobile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indiana State Police detectives are asking the public for help. Somebody knows something. It might be a family member, friend, or former associate. Please help us in finding answers for Darlenes family and the community. They deserve it, Detective Arthur Smith of the Indiana State Police Cold Case team said in ISP's news release. Information can be reported through the Cold Case Hotline at 833-466-2653, or via email at ispcoldcase@isp.in.gov. Shannon Tremblay (left), director of the New Hampshire Child Care Advisory Council, and Marianne Barter, the council's departing chair, sit during a meeting of the council on Aug. 14, 2025. (Photo by Claire Sullivan/New Hampshire Bulletin) As of last month, more than 5,000 New Hampshire children are benefiting from a scholarship program aimed at making child care affordable for families, an official with the state said Thursday. The latest numbers, presented at a meeting of the New Hampshire Child Care Advisory Council, mark a continued uptick in the use of the Child Care Scholarship Program, a state-federal partnership, following expanded income eligibility last year. As of October 2024, 4,348 children had been enrolled in the program, according to researchers at the University of New Hampshires Carsey School of Public Policy. (The Couch Family Foundation, which funds the New Hampshire Bulletins early care and education reporting position, provided support for this research, and is also a funder of the council.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In other news shared at the council meeting, the state Department of Health and Human Services continues to await an answer on whether the federal government will allow $15 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families reserve funds to go toward a child care workforce grant. And at the Community College System of New Hampshire, millions from multiple funding sources have now gone toward assisting students with taking early care and education courses. Jotham Spreeman, administrator of operations with the DHHS Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration, called the latest scholarship enrollment numbers fantastic. He said another 361 children have been confirmed to be eligible for the scholarship but have not yet been linked with a provider. In the last budget cycle, lawmakers had expanded eligibility for the scholarship to families making up to 85% of the state median income. A family of four earning up to $124,595 and a family of three earning $104,660 may now be eligible for the scholarship, said Nicole Heller, senior policy analyst at the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research nonprofit. In the latest budget passed this legislative session, lawmakers sought to ease administrative burdens for families and providers engaged with the program, with a pilot program that aims to address difficulties completing the application planned to launch in 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of the scholarship, families pay a cost-share with the state. For 34% of children enrolled in the program, their families pay nothing, Spreeman said. For 10%, their families pay $5 a week, and for the other 56%, their families pay no more than 7% of their income toward child care, the percentage the federal government deems affordable. The scholarship has historically been underutilized by eligible families, even with recent jumps in enrollment. UNH researchers wrote in February that an estimated 55,000 children in the state under 13 are eligible for the program. The gap between those eligible for the scholarship and those using it may be attributable to a lack of awareness about the program, as well as paperwork and administrative burdens, researchers said. Lawmakers and advocates hope the pilot program which, following an initial screening, will grant families a period of presumptive eligibility to use scholarships funds while they complete the application process will ease some of those burdens. Another recent change to the scholarship program enacted by lawmakers this year will allow providers who accept scholarship funds to be paid at the beginning of the period of care, rather than the end, said Trina Ingelfinger, the early care and education policy coordinator at New Futures, a health policy advocacy group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marianne Barter, the departing chair of the council who runs two child care programs, said that has been a huge problem for child care providers for a really, really long time. This is really huge, Barter said, and should really have a huge impact on cash flow for child care providers. While families across the state struggle to afford child care, those who provide that care also often struggle to make ends meet. The median wage for child care workers in the state was $15.62 an hour, or $32,490 annually, in 2023, according to the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute. Adjusted for cost of living, those are the second-lowest wages for child care workers in the country, according to a 2018 report from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California, Berkeley. Retaining workers is a challenge in the state, further stressing the availability of care. In the 2025 fiscal year, $15 million in one-time state funds was distributed to support the child care workforce, according to the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute. These funds supported benefits and bonuses for child care workers, among other uses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawmakers hoped to use the TANF reserve funds to put another $15 million toward the workforce grant in this budget. Spreeman told the council that the letter requesting to use the funds for that purpose had been sent to the federal Administration for Children and Families but had not yet received a response. In other workforce developments, representatives of the Community College System of New Hampshire shared updates on a grant program that offers tuition assistance for those on the early care and education path. Teri Laflamme, the systems early childhood education tuition assistance coordinator, said that the system had awarded over $3,200,000 in scholarships for 5,931 early care and education-connected courses since the fall of 2023. Applications for the fall 2025 term were still open, she said. Aug. 14The graphics on this page are based on government data. The Maryland Department of Health releases new surveillance data on Tuesdays and no longer publicly compiles testing or vaccination data. The Baltimore Sun maintains this page as part of its public service mission. We suggest focusing on recent hospitalizations and deaths to assess the disease's current impact. COVID-19 statewide Statewide 7-day average of acute and ICU hospitalizations from COVID-19 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Statewide 7-day average of newly reported confirmed COVID-19 deaths Statewide 7-day average of newly reported COVID-19 cases Total COVID-19 deaths by age Total COVID-19 deaths by race and ethnicity Data notes COVID-19 data on statewide cases, deaths and hospitalizations as well as case and death data byand age/race/ethnicity is from the Maryland Department of Health. Population data used to calculate crude rates and the percentage of population by race, ethnicity and age is from the 2022 U.S. Census estimates. Data from the Maryland Department of Health for the week prior is generally updated every Tuesday at 10 a.m., though state holidays can change this schedule. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The data on this page will update as it becomes available. Not all data may update immediately. View our GitHub repository to see the full documentation for how we pull and clean the data for this page. Data on this page is preliminary. Have a question about these charts? Reach us at this form. State senator Tou Xiong arrested on suspicion of DWI originally appeared on Bring Me The News. A DFL state senator was arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated, his second such arrest since he entered the Minnesota Legislature. Sen. Tou Xiong, 35, was arrested and booked into the Ramsey County Jail early Thursday morning on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. He was released from jail less than three hours later pending charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a state trooper stopped a Honda CR-V that was weaving out of its lane and failed to use a signal in the area of Highway 36 and McKnight Road in Maplewood around 2:40 a.m. The driver, identified as Xiong, provided a breath test indicating a result of .09 and was ultimately arrested. Minnesota's legal limit for driving is .08. "While driving home after attending a family gathering, I was pulled over near my home and was arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated," Xiong said in a statement. "I take full responsibility for my actions, and sincerely apologize to my constituents and the people Ive let down. I want to thank law enforcement for doing their job to keep the roads safe. Today, I have begun the work of talking to my family and to my Senate colleagues about the situation." Tou XiongMinnesota Senate Xiong has served in the state senate since 2022 in District 44, which includes portions of Maplewood,. He was first elected as a state house representative in 2018. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This marks Xiong's second DWI arrest while serving in the legislature. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to DWI charges and was ordered to serve a year of probation. This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared. Gov. Tony Evers implementing pay raises for state employees that were approved in the state budget without additional approval from the Legislatures Joint Committee for Employment Relations. Evers signed the budget, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 15, at 1:32 a.m. in his office Thursday, less than an hour after the Assembly passed it. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner) Gov. Tony Evers is implementing pay raises for state employees without additional approval from the Legislatures Joint Committee for Employment Relations, citing a recent state Supreme Court ruling. The state budget, which was passed by the Republican-led Legislature and signed by Evers last month, included about $385 million to provide state and University of Wisconsin employees with a 3% pay increase in the first year of the budget and a 2% increase in the second year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I fought hard in our bipartisan budget negotiations to secure much deserved pay increases for our talented state workers, Evers wrote in a letter to state employees on Monday, adding that he was proud to sign the budget last month and it was important to him that state workers receive the wage adjustment as soon as possible. Eligible employees will receive the 3% base pay adjustment to their current pay rate with their Sept. 4 paychecks, including a lump sum back pay from June 29. The second year of raises is supposed to be implemented June 28, 2026. The work that we do together every day on behalf of the people of Wisconsin is so important perhaps never more so than it is today, Evers wrote. With Washington creating continued uncertainty through devastating cuts to investments and programs that so many across our state rely on, Wisconsinites will continue looking to us to lead, support them and build upon the work weve done together over the last six years. There is, as always, much hard work ahead of us. Having committed and exceptional partners like you in this good work will make all the difference. The Joint Committee on Employment Relations has been tasked by state law with holding hearings on changes to state employee compensation and approving those changes. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Senate President Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) and Co-chairs of the Joint Committee of Employment Relations have not responded to requests for comment on Evers announcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a bulletin about the raises, the Department of Administration cited the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling in the case Tony Evers v. Howard Marklein, which addressed the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and the ability of the Joint Finance Committee to hold up already appropriated funds. The Evers administration asserted that the decision clarified its authority to implement the raises without the additional approval of the committee. The Court ruled 6-1 in July 2024 that the ability for the committee to withhold funds was unconstitutional and a violation of the separation of powers. Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote for the majority that a statute that authorizes lawmakers to exercise core powers of the executive branch violates the constitutional separation of powers and cannot be enforced under any circumstances. While the constitution gives the legislature the power to appropriate funds, the power to spend the funds the legislature has appropriated for a specific project belongs to the executive branch, Bradley wrote. While the legislature has the power to create an agency, define its powers, and appropriate funds to fulfill the purpose for which the legislature established it, the power to spend appropriated funds in accordance with the law enacted by the legislature lies solely within the core power of the executive to ensure the laws are faithfully executed. We conclude these statutes interfere with the executive branchs core function to carry out the law by permitting a legislative committee, rather than an executive branch agency, to make spending decisions for which the legislature has already appropriated funds and defined the parameters by which those funds may be spent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The original lawsuit filed by Evers in October 2023 included the Knowles-Nelson program and two other issues: JOCERs ability to withhold raises approved in the budget and the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Ruless block on administrative rules related to conversion therapy. At the time, JOCER was withholding pay raises approved in the budget for University of Wisconsin employees, so the raises could be used as a bargaining chip in Republican lawmakers efforts to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the system. The pay raises, approved in the budget in July, were released by JOCER in December 2023. The majority decided in February 2024 that it would only take up the Knowles-Nelson issue and leave the other two held in abeyance pending further order of the court. Conservative justices were critical of the majority allowing original action in the case and separating the issues from each other at the time. Justice Annette Zeigler wrote in her dissenting opinion in the case that taking all of the issues at once could have produced consistency. Selecting an issue that only impacts the Republican-controlled legislature and the longstanding Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program should raise eyebrows, Zeigler wrote. Determining all issues at the same time could serve to hold my colleagues to application of the same principles in the same way, even when it comes to a Democratic-controlled branch of government. Unfortunately, we will wait to see if that consistency will be forthcoming, as the majority handpicked and now limits only the legislative branchs longstanding, statutorily authorized practice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Court dismissed the compensation and Joint Committee on Employment Relations issue in October 2024 when it decided to take up the conversion therapy and Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules issue. The Court issued a ruling in July limiting the committees ability to block administrative rules. The University of Wisconsin system will also be implementing the general wage raises. We are grateful to Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin State Legislature for their continued support of our workforce and recognition of the vital role our faculty and staff play in education, research, and public service, UW President Jay Rothman wrote in a memo to employees on Monday. The implementation of the raises is not the first time the administration has moved ahead with releasing funds following the ruling. The administration announced funding for 12 Department of Natural Resources projects under the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program in October of 2024. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Pumping units in Williams County, North Dakota. (Sarahbeth Maney/ProPublica) This article was produced for ProPublicas Local Reporting Network in partnership with the North Dakota Monitor. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories in your inbox every week. Millions of Americans own the rights to oil and gas underground. When theyre approached by an energy company to lease out those rights, theyre offered a cut of the revenue, called a royalty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Royalties saved our place, said James Horob, a farmer in northwest North Dakota, who used oil royalties to rescue his familys farm from bankruptcy in 2008 and replace equipment that had been auctioned off. Were lucky to have what we got. This is the third story in a series. Read the collection here. However, the royalty income that mineral owners like Horob get can depend in part on the state where they live. In North Dakota, estimates show that in recent years companies have been deducting hundreds of millions of dollars annually to help cover the costs incurred once oil and gas leave the ground on their way to being sold. North Dakota officials have not stepped in to help royalty owners, even though the state, in its own leases, has explicitly prohibited oil and gas companies from taking deductions from government royalty payments since 1979, as the North Dakota Monitor and ProPublica reported this month. Its tough to think that there isnt some better solution out there than what we currently have, said Aaron Weber, a Watford City-based attorney who represents mineral owners in North Dakota. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In contrast to North Dakota, at least seven oil-and-gas-producing states have taken either legislative or judicial action to restrict the costs that can be deducted from royalty owners checks. Here are the key ways North Dakota differs from these other states when it comes to protecting the interests of royalty owners: The debate in North Dakota North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong has called the oil and gas industry the No. 1 driver of our economy in the state. The industry contributed $32 billion in oil and gas taxes to state and local governments between 2008 and 2024, according to the Western Dakota Energy Association, which advocates for energy-producing communities. That same study found that more than 50% of all local tax collections are tied to oil and gas. Oil and gas companies owed the states private mineral owners, like Horob, an estimated $4.6 billion in 2023 before deductions, according to North Dakota State University research. Deductions from that royalty income which can vary greatly by company and mineral owner are deeply contentious in the state: Companies say theyre withholding transportation and other expenses that should be shared with royalty owners; the owners say those postproduction deductions, as they are generally known, shouldnt be permitted in most circumstances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The energy industry says the postproduction deductions, which began surging about a decade ago, reflect changes in the oil business. Oil, discovered in the state in 1951, used to be sold primarily at the well site. Now, oil and gas are often sold farther away, and companies incur costs to process and transport the minerals. The companies say this enables them to fetch a better price, benefiting the royalty owner as well. The industry also attributes an increase in deductions to regulations added in 2014 to reduce natural gas flaring, requiring companies to make new investments. A gas flare in Williams County, North Dakota, in June 2025. (Sarahbeth Maney/ProPublica) Owen Anderson previously worked for North Dakotas regulatory agencies and helped draft language to prohibit companies from taking deductions from royalty payments owed to the state. Anderson, a law professor who studies the energy industry, called the issue a big, big deal. Armstrong declined to comment. How courts have addressed oil and gas royalties Around the country: State supreme courts in Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and West Virginia have determined oil and gas companies are responsible for the costs that make the commodities marketable. That means there are limits on the expenses that companies can pass on to royalty owners after the minerals leave the ground. Those expenses may include removing impurities, gathering the products in central locations, and transporting the oil and gas to where it will be sold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, the costs that companies can deduct from royalties vary by state, depending on how states define when a product is marketable. West Virginia provides royalty owners the most protection from deductions, the result of state Supreme Court of Appeals decisions in 2001 and 2006. In those cases, the court found that companies cannot pass on costs to the owners unless a lease explicitly allows it. This matters because many leases across the country were written before shifts in the industry led to more extensive deductions, so most early leases dont explicitly mention them. The default is, you cannot take deductions unless theyre specifically agreed to, said Tom Huber, the leader of West Virginias royalty owner association. The 2006 court decision basically says if theres ambiguous language, you go on the side of the royalty owner because the company constructed the lease, he said. That decision also determined that deductions cannot be taken unless leases specify which costs can be shared and lay out how the deductions will be calculated. Rulings in 2024 and 2025 confirmed the courts stance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Courts in Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma also have placed limits on what costs can be deducted from royalty payments. Those courts have determined that companies must make the oil and gas marketable before costs can be deducted from royalties. Each state uses different criteria to determine at what point in the process the commodities become marketable. Courts in other oil-and-gas-producing states have taken a legal approach that is more friendly to the industry. Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and others have determined that companies can deduct costs incurred between the minerals extraction and when they are sold unless there is lease language to the contrary. That is also true in Pennsylvania. But in 2015, the states attorney general cracked down on a company, Chesapeake Energy, alleged to be taking artificially excessive deductions. The attorney generals lawsuit, prompted by complaints from landowners, was resolved with a $5.3 million settlement for royalty owners and an option to receive royalties moving forward without deductions. The company did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement. In North Dakota: As is the case in Texas, Louisiana and some other states, the North Dakota Supreme Court has sided with companies. In 2009 and 2021, the court ruled that royalties, in most cases, should be based on the value of the oil and gas when the minerals are extracted from the ground. Costs incurred between when the minerals are extracted and when they are sold can be shared proportionately between the oil company and the royalty owner, the court found. Companies can deduct these costs unless a lease clearly specifies otherwise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Josh Swanson, a Fargo-based oil and gas attorney who is involved in multiple pending lawsuits contesting deductions, said hes concerned companies will impose even more excessive deductions unless courts place limits on what the companies can do. Operators are going to continue to be very aggressive in the amounts theyre taking for postproduction costs until a court tells them theyve overstepped and gone over the line, he said. In responses to questions from the North Dakota Monitor and ProPublica, officials from three energy companies that operate in North Dakota said they follow the language in the leases when determining what costs they can deduct from royalty payments. Older leases often dont mention deductions, however. How lawmakers have addressed oil and gas royalties Around the country: Some state legislatures have passed laws that limit postproduction deductions. Laws in Wyoming and Nevada, passed in 1989 and 1991, respectively, prohibit companies from taking deductions for specific expenses incurred soon after extraction, such as gathering the commodities from well sites to get them to central hubs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Michigan, a law passed in 1999 allows companies to deduct from royalty income only two types of expenses transportation and some gas treatment costs unless a lease explicitly allows for other reasons. The West Virginia Legislature, meanwhile, has helped royalty owners with what it called oppressive leases. Many West Virginia mineral owners receive royalties from flat rate leases signed as long as a century ago that provide owners a few hundred dollars a year instead of a percentage of the revenue. Calling those leases unjust, West Virginia lawmakers passed a measure in 1982 that guarantees owners at least 12.5% of the revenue, effectively overriding the original leases. A 2018 amendment requires that postproduction deductions not be taken from this royalty. West Virginias law ensuring a minimum royalty for those leases is enforced by state regulators, who will grant new drilling permits only if the company files an affidavit promising to adhere to the law. Huber said his states legislative and judicial branches have historically tried to protect landowner and royalty owner rights while encouraging the growing natural gas industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It sounds like North Dakota doesnt have that, and thats a shame, Huber said. I hope that the people in North Dakota wake up and realize how much money should be in their pockets instead of industrys pockets. In North Dakota: Legislators and state officials have argued that disputes should be settled in the courts. They rejected a measure in 2021 that would have prevented companies from taking deductions unless explicitly allowed in a lease, and another bill in 2023 that would have required oil companies to provide mineral owners with more information about how royalties are calculated. State Sen. Dale Patten, a Republican from Watford City, said the Legislature is ill suited to address concerns related to private contracts and royalty owners should seek relief from the courts. Legal action would be prohibitively expensive for most families, however. North Dakota Sen. Dale Patten, a Republican from Watford City, served as chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the legislative session that ended in May. (Kyle Martin/For the North Dakota Monitor) Were getting into really complicated issues. And actually in my mind the proper venue to solve that would be in the courts, said Patten, who has served as chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. And you deal with it on a company-by-company basis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Public officials have argued that royalty owners should have negotiated language into their leases to prohibit deductions. But leases in many cases were signed decades ago, before this was an issue, and dont mention who should pay for postproduction costs. The leases dont expire unless production stops. And in new lease negotiations, mineral owners are at a disadvantage against companies unless they own a large percentage of the mineral rights in the area. Its really difficult for a private landowner to negotiate a no-deductions lease in North Dakota, Anderson said. Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, which represents the oil industry, warned that regulating or limiting the expenses that companies pass on to owners would discourage oil and gas investment in the state and drive business away. Its one of the most foolish things the state of North Dakota could ever do, is to try and essentially financially punish operators from getting a better price for their commodities by not allowing postproduction costs on some of those things, Ness said in an interview. But Weber, the attorney who represents mineral owners, said its time for the Legislature to get involved and address the concerns. Given that the court has already selected what it is going to do, he said, the only way to fix it is to get it to the Legislature. North Dakota Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge can be reached at jorledge@northdakotamonitor.com. Oksana Berezina stood holding a Ukrainian flag with a photo of her husband, Oleh, who went missing in Russias Kursk Oblast late last year and is believed to be a prisoner of war. Like others gathered in protest, she is pinning her hopes on a meeting between presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin and the chance of an all-for-all exchange. Relatives and friends of Ukrainian prisoners of war gathered on Aug. 15 outside the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv ahead of the summit between Russian and American leaders in Alaska, marking their first face-to-face meeting since the start of Trumps second term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We want children to be with their parents and to grow up in peace," Berezina told the Kyiv Independent. "We want wives and mothers not to be left alone, not to be forced to search for their loved ones." The demonstration followed the U.S. presidents announcement that a land swap could be on the table. The protesters made their demands clear, calling on Trump to "replace the land swap with an all-for-all prisoner swap." "If the war freezes, Putin will start handing down fabricated sentences to those still in captivity." President Volodymyr Zelensky said in July that since the onset of Russias full-scale invasion, Ukraine has secured the release of over 6,400 people from Russian captivity. But thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians remain imprisoned some held for more than a decade, dating back to the early Russian incursion in eastern Ukraine in 2014. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Invisible prisoners the struggle to free thousands of Ukrainians in Russian captivity Protest participant Nina is awaiting the return of her son Dmytro, a soldier in the National Guard. Dmytro was among approximately 2,000 Ukrainian troops who surrendered on May 16, 2022, after 86 grueling days defending the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol a site that has come to symbolize the unwavering resilience of Ukrainian soldiers. Nina, who asked for her last name to not be published in order to protect her son, has been waiting for him for 1,180 days. She keeps the count every day. "My son turns 40 tomorrow it is his birthday. But it is hard to accept that he has not been home for four years, Nina told the Kyiv Independent. He is still being tortured. My heart feels like it is breaking into pieces. Protesters hold signs calling for an all-for-all prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia and opposing land swaps outside the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 15, 2025, ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images) Rally outside the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 15, 2025, rejecting land swap deal with Russia and demanding an all-for-all prisoner exchange before the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images) Illia Illiashenko, with a callsign "Smurf," understands the true cost of prisoner swaps. As a defender of Azovstal, he spent nearly a year in Russian captivity, held in some of the harshest facilities, including the notorious Olenivka prison in occupied Donetsk Oblast, as well as detention centers in Taganrog and Kamensk-Shakhtinsky in Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Illiashenko emphasized that Russia blatantly disregards international conventions, subjecting Ukrainian prisoners to humiliation and abuse. Thats why, he said, prisoner exchanges must remain an urgent priority, as Russia not only subjects Ukrainians in captivity to torture but is also fabricating charges to extend their imprisonment. "If the war freezes, Putin will start handing down fabricated sentences to those still in captivity, and I believe this will happen on an even larger scale," Illiashenko told the Kyiv Independent. Yet, Illiashenko remained skeptical about the upcoming meeting between Trump and Putin, pointing to the latters history of broken promises and the failure of past direct talks between Ukraine and Russia to advance peace. Despite this, the former prisoner of war stressed that Ukraine cant afford to be sidelined, no matter the outcome, especially when it comes to territorial concessions. "These are our territories. We defended them, and we live here. It is not for other countries to decide which ones we keep and which we give up," he said. Note from the author: Hi, this is Kateryna Hodunova, the author of this article. Speaking to the families who have been waiting for years for their loved ones to return from Russian captivity shatters my heart. But I hold onto hope, because whenever we speak about prisoners of war, we bring them closer to home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youd like to support our team in covering the ongoing war in Ukraine and stories like this one, please consider joining our community. Read also: From war criminal to US guest Trump invites Putin out of isolation Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, a Columbia Republican, has gained approval to raise money to pay legal fees associated with four law firms who aided him in a federal investigation over his campaign finances. (Photo: John Partipilo) Reeling from a federal campaign finance investigation, U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles landed approval for a legal expense trust fund to pay nearly $120,500 he owes four law firms, documents show. Ogles, a Maury County Republican who dodged a criminal investigation into his finances, sent a letter to House Committee on Ethics chairs in October 2024 requesting permission to set up the trust fund to pay legal expenses connected to the probe of reporting errors in his Federal Election Commission and financial disclosure reports, according to records obtained by the Lookout. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement James Appel of GOP Compliance LLC will serve as trustee of the fund, which cannot take donations from lobbyists or foreign agents, documents show. Appel reported to ethics leaders hes had no connection to Ogles for two years, which is a requirement to take the job. I understand that I will be bound by the Committees Legal Expense Fund Regulations, effective May 1, 2024, and that while the Trustee will oversee the Trust, I bear ultimate responsibility for the proper administration of the Trust, Ogles said in his letter. A spokesperson for Ogles did not return email questions Thursday. The committee approved the request in December 2024 for Ogles to pay $75,000 in legal fees, before he incurred $50,000 more in legal expenses this year. Chairs Michael Guest, a Mississippi Republican, and Mark DeSaulnier, a California Democrat, signed the letter notifying him of the requirements for setting up such a trust, including the filing of quarterly reports. Ogles owes the money for legal representation from October 2024 through June 2025 after an Ethics Committee panel started looking into discrepancies in his campaign finance reporting. It found he likely violated federal campaign finance laws, mainly by reporting an inflated personal loan to make his bid for office look stronger in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Running in Tennessees redrawn 5th Congressional District, which state lawmakers gerrymandered to help Republicans to take over the Democratic stronghold of Nashville, Ogles in 2022 reported receiving a $320,000 personal loan for his campaign. Ogles initially said he raised $450,000 for the race, yet his first FEC report showed he brought in only $250,000. Ogles amended campaign finance reports in May 2024 and acknowledged making a $20,000 loan to his campaign and saying the additional $300,000 was in a joint account he shared with his wife. Still, he and his campaign manager couldnt confirm the source of the $20,000. The ethics board voted 6-0 to call for a closer look at Ogles finances because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Ogles omitted or misrepresented required information in his finance disclosure statements or FEC candidate committee reports. Despite the congressional investigation, U.S. prosecutors dropped a fraud probe of Ogles after he filed legislation this year to allow President Donald Trump to serve three terms. Before his problematic financial reporting, Ogles inflated his resume, reports show, including claiming to have a degree from Vanderbilts Owen Graduate School of Management when he obtained only a certificate for a weekend seminar. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his second term, the former Tennessee director of Americans for Prosperity recently went after Nashville Mayor Freddie OConnell for his opposition to a federal sweep of South Nashville for immigrants. Ogles also called for an investigation into Belmont University for allegedly enrolling students without permanent legal documentation of citizenship and disguising its diversity and equity program. Based on his fundraising this year, Ogles clearly needs financial help to pay his attorneys. He has a little more than $59,000 in his campaign account, according to FEC reports, a paltry sum for a sitting member of Congress. If he cant bring in any more than that to boost his re-election campaign for 2026, its going to be tough to find enough donors to fill up his legal defense trust fund. That is, unless Trump keeps him afloat with some of the $240 million his organizations such as the new super PAC, MAGA Inc., collected to back his agenda, which usually means keeping supporters at his beck and call. No need to change execution protocol Gov. Bill Lee wont look into the execution of Byron Black to determine whether he suffered terribly in the moments before his recent death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked by an Associated Press reporter who witnessed the deadly moment in which Black gasped, moved his head and said it hurts so bad, Lee said he sees no need for more review. He explained that the state already went through a long process on execution protocol after he suspended the death penalty for two years. The guidelines, which involve the use of pentobarbital to put inmates such as Black to death, were approved by the federal and state Supreme Courts, he said. While this eliminates one of the possible causes of the reason that Mr. Black lifted his head, groaned, and cried out in pain after the execution began, it leaves many questions unanswered. Kelley Henry, attorney for Byron Black Theres been an exhaustive review of that process, and that was the process utilized, so Im not expecting further investigation of that, Lee said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Black was on death row for 35 years for the 1988 murders of his girlfriend, Angela Clay, and her two children. His attorneys tried to stop the execution, claiming he was mentally incompetent and arguing that the Supreme Court should review the case to decide whether he should be executed without deactivating an implanted defibrillator, that could keep him alive even as drugs were administered, violating a constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Blacks attorney, Kelley Henry, sent out a statement afterward saying the initial evaluation of his defibrillator showed it didnt shock him during the execution. While this eliminates one of the possible causes of the reason that Mr. Black lifted his head, groaned, and cried out in pain after the execution began, it leaves many questions unanswered, Henry said. An autopsy report could take eight to 12 weeks, and Henry said more information will be sought to figure out what went wrong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But make no mistake, we all saw with our own eyes that the pentobarbital did not work like the states expert testified that it would, Henry said. Mr. Black suffered. Complaint could backfire Tennessees Ethics Commission could take action against Memphis area residents after dismissing their sworn complaint against Sen. Brent Taylor for critical remarks he made against participants of a No Kings rally there. Commission members and state ethics director Bill Young raised questions this week about whether the residents tried to weaponize the process to go after Taylor, a Shelby County Republican who blasted people who rallied against President Donald Trumps immigration policies in June, calling them idiots and warning the police would arrest them for an illegal protest. Taylor spoke on a Memphis radio station and then posted comments on the X, formerly Twitter, calling the protesters purple-haired Jihadis. The Lefts violence masquerading as free speech is a stain on our republic, and its escalating at a terrifying pace. From assassination attempts on President Trumptwice in two monthsto torching cars at Tesla dealerships during Tesla Takedowns. Members of Progressive groups pic.twitter.com/cQcTUEjcNb Senator Brent Taylor (@SenBrentTaylor) June 14, 2025 Five people who filed identical complaints against him said he used his official position to spread false, inflammatory and dangerous misinformation about a peaceful protest event, endangering constituents and inciting harassment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Young told the commission it didnt have jurisdiction to cite Taylor, in part, because he didnt benefit financially from the criticism. The executive director also told the commission it could hold a hearing to determine whether civil penalties should be levied against the complainants for filing a frivolous complaint, potentially leading to a $10,000 civil penalty. Commission members agreed its not unethical for Taylor to state his opinion and that voters should decide whether he remains in office. Ultimately, they decided to defer action until their next meeting when two members who were absent this week could attend. Taylors attorney, Allan Wade, said in a letter to the commissioner the complaints were merely personal grievances about Brent Taylors dislike of complainants and their political views, which is not a proper subject of an ethics complaint under the Ethics Act. That could be true, but the ultimate question is whether the Ethics Commission is more concerned with making an example of people who, wrong or right, see it as a last resort for justice or giving politicians the freedom to bad-mouth the public. Endorsement or not The day after U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn announced her candidacy for governor, she sent out a list of political luminaries from which she garners tremendous support and topped it with a comment from Gov. Lee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor, though, told reporters this week he is not endorsing in the governors race, which so far pits Blackburn against U.S. Rep. John Rose of Cookeville. I didnt see what she put out, but Ive been friends with Marsha for a long time, Lee told reporters (both are from Williamson County). She served as my congressman and representative in the General Assembly, so Im proud that we have really good people running for governor in this state, grateful that the 51st governor will be someone who can continue to move this state forward. We love it when Lee takes a strong stand. In issuing a list of supporters, though, Blackburn seems to be massaging words or, maybe, even pulling a page from Ogles political playbook. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX (FOX40.COM) The Stockton Police Department announced that it will host a DUI checkpoint ahead of the weekend. Video Above: Why DUI checkpoints are announced by California law enforcement The checkpoint is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday at an undisclosed location within Stockton city limits. According to SPD, checkpoints have been proven to lower the number of people killed and injured in alcohol or drug-impaired crashes. Why does California law enforcement announce DUI checkpoints? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DUI checkpoints like this one are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, affording the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence, SPD said. Locations are chosen with safety considerations for the officers and the public. In addition to impaired driving, police officers said they are also looking for proper licensing. Drivers caught driving impaired face jail time, suspended licenses, and expenses that can exceed $10,000. 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 FOX40 News. MONROE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) More than 1,500 gallons of overflow entered Richardson Creek after someone allegedly stole a manhole cover in Monroe, according to city officials. Around 8:15 a.m. on Thursday, August 14, a customer reported the overflow, and crews responded to the missing manhole cover and sanitary sewer spill on Ridgewood Drive. When they arrived, they saw the 50-plus-pound cast-iron cover missing debris blocking the line. City crews replaced the cover, cleared the blockage and stopped the spill. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) was notified as required for untreated wastewater discharge of more than 1,000 gallons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boil water notice partially lifted after E. coli found in Monroe water; Union County schools closed Officials said the vandalism caused roughly 1,545 gallons of overflow, much of it stormwater, to enter a small tributary of Richardson Creek. Thankfully, this did not pose a public health risk, and it does not impact Monroes drinking water system. Events of this nature can happen in periods of heavy rainfall, even without the vandalism involved. The reporting is required by state law as part of ongoing transparency and environmental oversight, city officials said. City officials did not say if they found the stolen manhole cover or the person who stole it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone who sees missing or tampered manhole covers is urged to call Water Resources at 704-282-4601. 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. PINVEVILLE, Mo. Stream fishing enthusiasts and newcomers alike in the Four States have a chance to attend what officials are calling a great way to catch fish and enjoy the beauty of nature on Big Sugar Creek in Pineville. Stream Fishing Big Sugar Creek and it is being held Saturday, September 6 at the Missouri Department of Conservations Deep Ford Access in McDonald County from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Missouri Department of Conservation officials say Tim Smith; Office Supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will guide program participants on a stream fishing trip. Officials say though a limited amount of fishing equipment will be available on site, participants are encouraged to bring their own baits and fishing equipment to ensure there is sufficient supply for all involved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any persons interested in the event can CLICK HERE to register. MDC officials any attendee of the event between 16 and 64 years of age is required by law to possess a valid Missouri fishing permit unless otherwise exempt. Persons under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. MDC officials say programs such as these provide hands-on fishing opportunities at a variety of southwest Missouri locations. For more information or for assistance with directions to Deep Ford Access in McDonald County, contact Tim Smith at Tim.Smith@mdc.mo.gov. CLICK HERE for event registration or follow this link for more general information about the Missouri Department of Conservation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Posing as a fortune teller on his YouTube channel, former teacher Waqar Malik tells thousands of followers that he can predict this year's exam questions. He is among online study influencers gaining popularity among stressed British teenagers in search of exam success. But educators and examiners are concerned some pupils are relying too much on online advice. Malik posts videos on TikTok and YouTube forecasting questions on classic English literature for the UK GCSE school exam taken at 16. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year "I predicted the entire paper," he says on his popular "Mr Everything English" channel. Malik, who says he is a former assistant head teacher, notes that he is just making an "educated guess", but educators remain concerned. "If you are a 15- or 16- year-old doing your GCSEs and you've got somebody in your phone who's telling you 'this is what the English exam is going to be about'... that is so appealing," said Sarah Brownsword, an assistant professor in education at the University of East Anglia. After British pupils sat their exams in May, some complained that Malik's predictions were wrong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Never listening to you again bro," one wrote, while others said they were "cooked" (done for) and would have to work in a fast food restaurant. With GCSE results set to be released on August 21, one exam board, AQA, has warned of "increasing reliance on certain online revision channels". "Clearly this is an important source of revision and support for students," it said. But the examiners want "your interpretation of the texts you have studied, not some stranger's views on social media". - 'Looking for help' - Students are overloaded, school leaders say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "With so much content to cover and revise in every subject it can be completely overwhelming," Sarah Hannafin, head of policy for the school leaders' union NAHT, told AFP. "And so it is unsurprising that young people are looking for anything to help them to cope." Malik, whose prediction video has been viewed on YouTube 290,000 times, did not respond to a request for comment. Brownsword praised TikTok, where she posts grammar videos for student teachers, saying: "You can learn about anything and watch videos about absolutely anything". Teachers have always flagged questions that could come up, she said, but predicting exam questions online is "really tricky". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "But I think there's a real difference between doing that and doing it on such a scale, when you've got thousands or tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers online." Other content creators defended such videos, however. "Those kind of videos were never to mislead," said Tilly Taylor, a university student posting TikTok videos with candid revision advice to 100,000 followers. "I make it very clear in my videos that these are predictions," based on past papers and examiners' reports, said Taylor, who appeals to younger viewers with her fashionable eye makeup. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other content creators sell predicted papers "all the time," Taylor said, but "I don't think it's right." Other educational influencers were more in favour. "If you're marketing it as a predicted paper, that's completely fine... you just can't say guaranteed paper," said Ishaan Bhimjiyani, 20, who has over 400,000 TikTok followers. He promoted a site offering an English predicted paper for 1.99 ($2.70) with a "history of 60-70 percent accuracy". - 'It took off' - Predicted papers allow you to "check whether you're actually prepared for the exam", said Jen, a creator and former teacher who posts as Primrose Kitten and declined to give her surname. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her site charges 4.99 for an English predicted paper and includes a video on phrasing to score top marks. Bhimjiyani, who went to a private school, started posting on TikTok at 16, saying he was "documenting my journey, posting about how I revise". "And then it kind of took off." He founded an educational influencer agency, Tap Lab, that now represents over 100 bloggers in their mid-teens to mid-20s. Influencers earn most from paid promotions -- for recruiters or beauty or technology brands --- which must be labelled as such, he said. Bhimjiyani made 5,000 with his first such video. Taylor said she recently promoted student accommodation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No one explained "how do you actually revise", Taylor said of her school years. So she turned to YouTube for ideas. "I wanted to help someone like myself," she said, "who couldn't necessarily afford to go to private school or have private tuition." am/jkb/js (WDHN) A structure fire erupted at a residential home, leaving one man dead, according to a media release. The fire happened Thursday night at 10:41 p.m. at a residential structure in the 100 block of Horseshoe Drive. Calls about the fire reported heavy smoke and flames coming from the structure, and that the resident was still inside the home. The first crew arrived around 10:46 p.m., and confirmed that the resident was still inside the home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Firefighters went in, fought the intense flames and saved the man from the burning home. The man was sent to Emory Healthcare Warner Robins, but he died from his injuries. The name of the deceased is not released, due the family not being publicly notified yet. One firefighter sustained minor burn injuries and is being treated at Emory Healthcare Warner Robins; he is expected to be released soon. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Stay with WDHN for any 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 WDHN - wdhn.com. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) A student was taken into custody by Dayton police Thursday after allegedly threatening another student with a firearm. According to the Dayton Police Department, officers were dispatched to the 2600 block of Wayne Avenue on a weapons complaint around 9:50 a.m. Officers arrived and proceeded to interview the individuals involved. Their investigation determined that an 18-year-old male student allegedly pointed a gun at another 18-year-old male student while in the parking lot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers allegedly located the gun in the center console of the alleged suspects vehicle. An arrest was made with potential charges being: aggravated menacing carrying a concealed weapon illegal conveyance of deadly weapon in school safety zone The DPD Violent Offender Unit is continuing the 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 WDTN.com. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A 13-year-old girl has been detained by police after threatening to get her brother to shoot up Power Center Academy Middle School, said the Memphis Police Department. According to MPD, the principal of the school was approached by three girls to talk to her about a fellow student who made threats before school was dismissed on Thursday. Police say the students told the principal they had gotten into an argument with the 13-year-old girl and they all began checking each other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once the argument ended, officers say the three victims were walking away with the suspect when she stated she would, get her brother to come shoot up the school. Student has medical emergency after HVAC issues at Central High: MSCS This morning, the principal told police one of the victims texted the suspect and asked if she said she would get her brother to shoot the school up. The principal said the suspect texted back and said that she did say that and the victim asked in return when would she get her brother to do it. And the girl replied back and said today, according to the principal. WREG will keep you updated on this developing story. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) The teen girl at the center of a case involving a former Arvin High School teacher accused of unlawful sex with a minor says she wants no part of the trial. The then-17-year-old victim in the statutory rape case said she will refuse to testify in her former teachers seven-felony-count trial, and if she is so compelled anyway, she will take the fifth. The victim, whose name we are withholding, says she is equally at fault in the case of Michael Joseph Parra a 44-year-old teacher during the period in question in 2023. She was several months shy of her 18th birthday at the time of the alleged sexual encounters, which she characterized in a February 2025 letter to the prosecutor, Richard Choi, as a consensual romantic relationship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am letting you know that I still will not testify, she wrote. If I am forced to, I will most likely plead the Fifth (Amendment right against self-incrimination). My name has been tarnished all over social media. Parra is going to take the entire weight of the punishment that I believe I was half at fault for. I had developed a strong connection with him that unfortunately I tried to pursue. Let us all move on. This has gone on long enough. Will it matter? 17 is still 17. Lauren Skidmore of the Open Door Network, a nonprofit that deals, among other things, with trafficking and abuse, says no. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Did I love this person? Did he love me?, Skidmore said. You go through these emotional kind of roller coasters and in this situation it doesnt matter what her emotional attachment was. This is not an appropriate relationship. Parras seven felony counts include four for oral copulation with a person under 18 years old, and three for unlawful sexual intercourse. Parras attorney, Jared Thompson, declined to address the possibility of a settlement. All of those charges deal with essentially the basic elements of: He was over 18, she was under 18, and there was an alleged sex act that occurred, he said. So none of the charges deal with force, or coercion, or some type of abuse of power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In her letter, the victim also made reference to feeling pressure from her mother to testify because she is pursuing a lawsuit pending the outcome of this case for financial damages. The family filed a civil suit against the Kern High School District over the incident back in December 2024. The case has its origins in November 2023, when Parras wife found sexually graphic messages on his cellphone. She called police, who then contacted the teen. The girl told police she willingly engaged in sex acts on a futon in the attic above his classroom and in a storage closet at school. Parra snuck her onto campus after hours, according to court documents. 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. JK Rowling has hit back at Nicola Sturgeon after the former Scottish first minister's memoir reignited their long-running row over gender. In the book, Sturgeon said she had endured a surge of "vile" abuse after Rowling posted a selfie in a T-shirt with the slogan: "Nicola Sturgeon, destroyer of women's rights". Sturgeon said it had made her feel "more at risk of possible physical harm". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defending her actions, Rowling accused Sturgeon of a shameless denial of reality over transgender issues. In a review of the book, published on her own website, Rowling said her intention had been to encourage journalists to "confront" Sturgeon on the topic. The former first minister's memoir, Frankly, was released on Thursday [Getty Images] Sturgeon, the MSP for Glasgow Southside, had previously told the BBC's Newscast podcast that the Harry Potter author had every right to disagree with her but that the T-shirt "seemed to me quite incendiary". The pair - arguably the most prominent public figures in Scotland - have long disagreed about politics, with Rowling critical of the former Scottish National Party leader's attempt to legislate to make it easier to legally change gender. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Scottish Parliament passed the legislation but it was blocked by Westminster before it could be enacted because of its potential impact on GB-wide equality law. Opponents of the proposed new law were delighted, having argued that it would have threatened women by giving biological males access to female spaces. The campaigners, supported by Rowling, have since won a landmark case in London when the UK Supreme Court ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex for the purposes of the 2010 Equality Act. Sturgeon says she stands by the principle that an individual has the right to self-identify in the gender of their choosing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However she has also expressed regret that she did not pause the Holyrood gender self-ID bill, in order to seek common ground between supporters and critics, when the issue became mired in "rancour and division". "We'd lost all sense of rationality in this debate. I'm partly responsible for that," she told ITV News. Rowling is unimpressed, writing on her website that Sturgeon "caused real, lasting harm" by presiding over a culture in which women who did not subscribe to her "luxury beliefs" were "silenced, shamed, persecuted" and placed in degrading and unsafe situations. "She is flat out Trumpian in her shameless denial of reality and hard facts," adds the Edinburgh-based author. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking on BBC Breakfast this week Sturgeon said she believed "forces on the far right" had sought to "weaponise" the trans issue to "push back on rights more generally". The comments echoed language she had used in an interview with The News Agents podcast in 2023 when she said that some opponents of the SNP's gender reforms were "deeply misogynist, often homophobic, possibly some of them racist as well". Rowling describes that as Sturgeon's "basket of deplorables" moment, a reference to Hillary Clinton's disastrous dismissal of half of her rival Donald Trump's supporters as racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic and Islamophobic. With those comments, Rowling claims, Sturgeon "demonised and stigmatised" survivors of sexual trauma, lesbians, women with disabilities and "everyone concerned about safety, privacy, fairness and dignity for girls". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In her memoir, Sturgeon also discusses double rapist Adam Graham - who was initially sent to a female prison after self-identifying as a woman called Isla Bryson - admitting she had struggled to answer questions about whether the rapist was a man or a woman. "I seemed weak and evasive. Worst of all, I sounded like I didn't have the courage to stand behind the logical conclusion of the self-identification system we had just legislated for," she writes. "If you're prepared to accept the foundational falsehood that some men are women, you'll inevitably find yourself panicking like a pheasant caught in headlights one day," writes Rowling in response. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The author, who in 2014 donated 1m to the campaign to keep Scotland in the UK, also accuses Sturgeon of omitting or playing down important matters in her memoirs, such as the deletion of government WhatsApp messages during Covid; "tanking" educational outcomes; failures in procuring new ferries; and a police investigation into the SNP's finances. "Perhaps the most disgraceful omission," she continues, "is the fact that Scotland continues to lead the whole of Europe in drug deaths." In a series of media interviews to publicise her book Sturgeon has predicted that Scotland will be independent in 20 years or less and has defended her record as first minister from 2014 to 2023. She has insisted that she acted in the best interests of the nation during Covid and that reforms in Scotland designed to reduce poverty are now leading to progress in narrowing the attainment gap between the richest and poorest students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sturgeon, who will stand down as an MSP next year, also points out that she was exonerated by police investigating the finances of the SNP in an inquiry which is codenamed Operation Branchform. Her husband, former party chief executive, Peter Murrell, faces a charge of embezzlement. The couple have since separated. SUFFIELD, Conn. (WTNH) A volunteer captain with the Suffield Fire Department was arrested earlier this week, according to Suffield police. Police: Glastonbury woman arrested for driving stolen car, possessing crack cocaine Suffield resident John Guzie, 54, was charged with disorderly conduct and conspiracy to commit third-degree assault stemming from an incident on Aug. 8, according to police. Suffield police confirmed Guzies position with the fire department. News 8 reached out to Suffield fire officials for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guzie was released on a court-set $50,000 bond. He is due in court on Sept. 23. 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. Canada geese at Grand Teton National Park on July 31, 2023 (Photo by Julia Shumway/Oregon Capital Chronicle) The town of Summersville is considering hiring a federal agency to mitigate its Canada geese population after some residents complained that the birds have become a nuisance. Canada geese are a protected species under federal law. State code also prevents private companies from eliminating geese on personal properties. Summersville Mayor Robert Shafer Summersville Mayor Robert Shafer said that around 60 geese in the area have caused issues for residents, prompting area leaders to explore legal options for removal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its amazing, the messes they make and they just go through driveways and sidewalks and through traffic, Shafer said. We reached out just to find out what we could do to legally mitigate the situation. The town is considering contracting with the U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which offers a Congressonally-approved geese mitigation program. It assists communities with managing wildlife that threaten public property or health. Tom Elliott, district supervisor with USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, presented a legal mitigation plan Aug. 18 to city council members and officials, saying it would be a year-long process that could ultimately end in capturing and euthanizing Canada geese that remained in the area. As long as you have some short grass and a little bit of water in there, youre always going to have Canada geese, Elliott said, explaining that programs goal is to make the geese relocate to another area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The program, according to Elliott, would use an integrated approach of lethal and non-lethal means of eliminating Canada geese in the area. The 12-month cycle would begin with oiling the goose eggs in nests, which suffocates the embryo. Between nesting and molting season, the process moves to harassment measures, where Elliott said they use pyrotechnics, lasers, remote control cars and more to aggravate the geese and prompt them to permanently move from residents yards, ponds and more. Its all things that we try to do to make the geese feel unsure [and] insecure there, so theyre going to want to leave and move out, Elliott explained. Dont try to just eradicate them overnight, because theyre going to come right back in, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the end of the year-long process, remaining geese could be euthanized. In most cases we usually have to round up some geese, Elliott said. And usually were averaging about nine to 10% for the geese that were dealing with is all thats left to round up. Local land owners would have to opt into the program for geese removal. We try to get as many signed up as we can because [the geese] will also start figuring out where home base is and you know where theyre safe, Elliott explained. Im sure there will be somebody who will be sympathetic for the geese, and then therell be several people who will not be sympathetic for geese. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mitigation process is expected to cost $8,500, Shafer said, adding that he and council members havent made a final decision. Theyre also considering partnering with a private geese mitigation company based in Michigan. Weve not made any decisions that were moving forward with anything, but obviously weve got neighborhoods that are aggravated with the size of the flock that we have, Shafer said. Weve got to do something, because if you dont, they just keep multiplying. Elliott said there is always a chance that the Canada geese could return after the mitigation efforts. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) A Summerville man was arrested Wednesday for 23 charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the South Carolina Attorney Generals Office. Kenneth Charles Lundstrom, 37, faces 16 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree and seven counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the third degree. Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigators, along with the Summerville Police Department, arrested Lundstrom. Investigators received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that led them to him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attorney generals office said he had distributed and possessed files of child sexual abuse material. He has also been convicted on similar charges in 2022. The attorney generals office will prosecute this case. 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. Aug. 14The fire northeast of Athol, Idaho, grew from an estimated 675 acres to 1400 acres overnight, according to the Idaho Department of Lands. The Sunset fire was reported at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and has destroyed three structures. It's containment level is not yet known and its cause is under investigation. The resources assigned to the fire have more than doubled, said fire spokesperson Kat Strother. These include helicopters, air tankers, air attack planes and scoopers, as well as the multiple crews fighting the fire on the ground. A Type 3 Incident Management team will take over on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weather conditions improved significantly on Thursday, Strother said. "Last night there were high winds that made suppression efforts difficult," Strother said. "Today is supposed to be a lot cooler, which is good. And the winds are going to be milder wind gusts." The Bonner County Sheriff's Office issued a GO Status evacuation order for residents on Raven Road, Crosswhite Road, Little Blacktail Road and east of 2268 Sunset Road. There is a SET Status in place for all residents on Blacktail Road 1/4 mile north of Little Blacktail and a READY Status for all residents on Blacktail north of the SET evacuation. Bonny Matejowsky'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. Super-resolution microscopes showcase the inner lives of cells Using a tiny, spherical glass lens sandwiched between two brass plates, the 17th-century Dutch microscopist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was the first to officially describe red blood cells and sperm cells in human tissues, and observe animalcules bacteria and protists in the water of a lake. Increasingly powerful light microscopes followed, revealing cell organelles like the nucleus and energy-producing mitochondria. But by 1873, scientists realized there was a limit to the level of detail. When light passes through a lens, the light gets spread out through diffraction. This means that two objects cant be distinguished if theyre less than roughly 250 nanometers (250 billionths of a meter) apart instead, theyll appear as a blur. That put the inner workings of cell structures off limits. Electron microscopy, which uses electron beams instead of light, offers higher resolution. But the resulting black-and-white images make it hard tell proteins apart, and the method only works on dead cells. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, however, optics engineers and physicists have developed sophisticated tricks to overcome the diffraction limit of light microscopes, opening up a new world of detail. These super-resolution light microscopy techniques can distinguish objects down to 100 nanometers and sometimes even less than 10 nanometers. Scientists attach tiny, colored fluorescent tags to individual proteins or bits of DNA, often in living cells, where they can watch them in action. As a result, they are now filling in key knowledge gaps about how cells work and what goes wrong in neurological diseases and cancers, or during viral infections. We can really see new biology things that we were hoping to see but hadnt seen before, says molecular cell biologist Lothar Schermelleh, who directs an imaging center at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Knowable Magazine highlights some of what scientists are learning in this new age of light microscopy. Overcoming the diffraction limit Super-resolution microscopy uses a variety of techniques to detect detail that would normally be hidden by the diffraction limit, Schermelleh explains. Single-molecule localization microscopy, for instance, takes advantage of the fact that spots on an image are easier to localize with precision when they appear in isolation rather than clustered together. Scientists label the molecules of interest with fluorescent tags designed to spontaneously emit light. As the probes twinkle on and off, computational models estimate exactly where each molecule is located and reconstruct a high-resolution image of the sample. Another technique, stimulated emission depletion, scans the samples with lasers that are surrounded by a second, donut-shaped ring of lasers that cancel out the fluorescent light around the area of interest, sharpening the microscopes resolution. A third method, called structured illumination microscopy, illuminates samples with a striped pattern of light. These stripes interfere with the light emanating from the sample in ways that allow scientists to infer additional detail about the image. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fundamentals of these techniques were developed in the early 2000s, but theyve only recently become widespread and accessible enough for biologists to use routinely, Schermelleh says. We now have really lots of projects that use super-resolution microscopy as a genuine tool for biological discovery, he says, not just for making nice images. Revising biology textbooks These techniques have already revealed new cell structures. Scientists have discovered that neurons have a unique kind of scaffold, called the membrane-associated periodic skeleton, or MPS, which provides rigidity and form and helps to regulate the signals that pass from one neuron to the next and to maintain the cells overall function. The MPS is involved in almost all the neuronal functions, says Columbia University neurobiologist Victor Macarron-Palacios, who recently reported with colleagues that a particular protein, paralemmin-1, is responsible for organizing the intricate structure of the MPS. Specialized microscopy techniques have revealed that nerve cells have a special type of internal skeleton called the membrane-associated periodic skeleton, regulated by a protein called parallemin-1 (fluorescently labeled in this image). - Victor Macarron-Palacios // Max Planck Institute For Medical Research Other cell structures, too, turn out to be more complex than they seemed. Earlier in 2025, biophysicist Melike Lakadamyali of the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues discovered that organelles called lysosomes, whose textbook role is to break down waste material in cells, can have different combinations of proteins on their surfaces. This likely relates to additional functions that specific lysosomes have, such as sensing nutrients and repairing broken membranes. Scientists also have been studying how organelles interact with one another. Cell biologist Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz of the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Janelia Research Campus in Virginia, for instance, is scrutinizing the structures that mitochondria use to dock onto the protein-making endoplasmic reticulum, which supplies calcium and fats to mitochondria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Such studies might help reveal the causes of disease. Last year, Lippincott-Schwartz learned that mutations in the VAPB gene, which is believed to contribute to the nerve-killing disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), may interfere with the ability of the endoplasmic reticulum to connect to mitochondria, she says. This could alter the function of these powerhouses and help explain how ALS arises. Were just learning what these various genetic mutations that underlie some of these diseases are actually doing at the cell biological level. Gazing into human DNA Scientists have also been peering into the nucleus and studying the DNA inside it. Human DNA, if removed from a single cell and stretched out, would span about 2 yards. To squeeze inside the nucleus, it wraps itself around proteins called histones, creating a string-of-beads combo known as chromatin. The chromatin further loops and twists to form our chromosomes. Chromatin loops and bunches, or domains, can only be studied in detail with super-resolution microscopy, for instance by tagging segments of DNA with fluorescent probes, says Schermelleh, who has been studying how the material arranges itself in 3D in mammalian cells. The size scale is just below the diffraction limit, so it couldnt be assessed before. A composite of two images shows technological advances: the top half was imaged with conventional wide-field fluorescence microscopy; the bottom half was imaged with super-resolution microscopy. Within a fibroblast cell nucleus, the DNA-binding histone protein called H2B is fluorescently labeled in yellow. - M.A. Ricci et al // CELL 2015 Research by Lakadamyali has revealed, for instance, that the DNA-histone strings of beads organize into much more variable structures than scientists had assumed, with some regions of DNA more tightly packed than others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This packaging determines how accessible a given region of DNA is. And thats important because different cells in the body, say heart cells or neurons, use only a specific subset of their genes. The ones they use are left in a looser, more accessible state, while the silenced ones are packed tight. In 2015, Lakadamyali found that embryonic stem cells, which can develop into any cell type, have a very loose chromatin structure compared to more specialized cells, which have silenced the genes they dont need. We can actually determine whether a cell is a stem cell or a differentiated cell based on the spatial organization of chromatin, says Lakadamyali, who coauthored a 2023 overview of super-resolution techniques in the Annual Review of Biophysics. Improving cancer therapies Scientists are also examining cells affected by disease. For example, biophysicist Markus Sauer of the University of Wurzburg in Germany is studying certain receptor proteins on the surfaces of cancer cells that are used as targets in cancer-killing therapies. For blood cancers, for instance, scientists have genetically engineered immune cells to find and kill cancer cells that have specific surface proteins. But the techniques commonly used to analyze the proteins in patients cancer cells and match patients with effective therapies dont give a full picture, Sauer says. That was illustrated back in 2015, when physicians discovered they could successfully treat patients with the blood cancer multiple myeloma with therapies that target a receptor called CD19 even though CD19 hadnt been spotted on multiple myeloma cancer cells with standard methods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sauer and colleagues found in 2019 that the CD19 proteins were clearly visible with super-resolution microscopy. They learned that to do their killing job, the immune therapies require as few as 10 CD19 proteins among hundreds or thousands of other proteins on a cancer cell surface. A new microscopy technique can light up the protein CD-19 on the surface of cancer cells which can help determine which patients could benefit from CD-19-targeting therapies. - Markus Sauer These microscopy techniques can be used to better match patients to effective therapies, Sauer says. His more recent research has identified a new receptor protein for therapies to target, and helped elucidate the exact process of tumor killing knowledge that could help improve the potency of immune therapies. You have to visualize those processes at molecular level, he says. Filming viral invasions The wily tricks viruses use to infect human cells and reproduce are also under investigation. Understanding such dynamics could help scientists develop new antiviral medicines, says virologist Christian Sieben of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Germany. Earlier in 2025, for example, Sieben reported how the influenza A virus infects human cells. By tagging viral and human proteins, he and colleagues watched the virus first latch onto single receptor proteins on the cell surface. The virus then waited until other receptor proteins, moving around in the fluid cell membrane, accumulated nearby. Only when the virus attached to multiple receptors could it enter the cell, Sieben and his colleagues learned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And in 2024, a team of scientists at Stanford University examined how the COVID-19 virus replicates inside human cells. Using fluorescent tags to label the viruss genetic material, biophysicist Leonid Andronov and colleagues found that SARS-CoV-2 makes a bubble with a double membrane in which it copies its genetic material. This probably prevents destruction by the cell, Andronov says. Image of how the Covid-19 virus hides from the cells immune system by wrapping itself inside double-membrane bubbles when replicating. The bubbles are seen as clumpy aggregates of the viruss fluorescently labeled genetic material and the dark circle in the middle is the cell nucleus. - L. Andronov et al // Nature Communications 2024 As more and more scientists use super-resolution microscopy to illuminate the goings-on inside cells, how much more detail can they expect to see? Refinements like creating smaller fluorescent probes so that one can label multiple sites along a single protein could push the resolution further, Lakadamyali says. Perhaps one day super-resolution advances might rival those of electron microscopy. After all, just two decades ago, we didnt know that we could break the diffraction limit, she says. Weve made so much progress in a 20-year period. I think its possible. This story was produced by Knowable Magazine and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. A high street retailer will pay customers 1 to help catch shoplifters in its stores as the supermarket chains losses to theft hit 20m a year. Richard Walker, chairman of Iceland, announced that shoppers will be awarded the payment via their loyalty card each time they point out a suspected thief to staff. It comes after a policing chief called on members of the public to confront shoplifters rather than relying solely on the police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking on Channel 5, Mr Walker said: I would like to announce we will give 1 to any customer who points out a shoplifter. If they see any customer in our stores who [is] undertaking that offence and tell our colleagues, and if it turns out they are, we will put it straight on their bonus card. Done. He also revealed Iceland is losing more than 20m a year to shoplifters. He said it keeps prices from being lowered at the retailer, where around a third of produce is frozen. Mr Walker said: The scourge of shoplifting on our high streets continues to plague the UK and the problem is only worsening, with criminal activity spreading across not just big cities but our market towns and villages too. In order to combat any activity in Iceland stores, were encouraging our loyal customers to help sound the alarm, and if they do help to catch a shoplifter, well top up their bonus card to spend in store, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, two Iceland customers were attacked while challenging a suspected shoplifter in a store in Clifton, Nottinghamshire. The incident saw a man put his hands around a womans neck and strangle her after she challenged him for putting items into his backpack. A female member of staff then intervened and he assaulted her as well, threatening to kill her if she got in his way. He then left the store with another man, having stolen 70 worth of laundry products. Police later issued an appeal for the two women to come forward. Britain is currently in the grip of a shoplifting epidemic, with retailers suffering just under three shoplifting offences every minute. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This week, Matthew Barber, the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, said it was wrong to think that tackling thieves was just a job for law enforcement. He said: If youre not even going to challenge people, youre not going to try to stop them, then people will get away with it. Thats not just about policing. Thats a bigger problem with society, people who [dont do anything] youre part of the problem. Asked by The Telegraph whether he stood by his statement, Mr Barber said he did. He added: The idea that this is just a job for the police, citizens have no responsibility, put your head down, carry on, dont get involved, I think that makes for a very poor society. Viral videos circulating on social media show people walking into stores such as Greggs on a daily basis, grabbing goods and walking out unchallenged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this week, a man died after being restrained by another customer at a shop in Torpoint, Cornwall, where he was alleged to have assaulted staff. The Telegraph revealed last week that police officers had told a Wales-based shopkeeper that a sign calling shoplifters scumbags could be offensive. North Wales Police was forced to clarify its position after Rob Davies, the owner of the shop in Wrexham, received the warning. Asked if Sir Keir Starmer held the same view as Mr Davies, the Prime Ministers spokesman said: It is not the language I would directly use but we have been very clear through our actions that we take shoplifting seriously. We understand the blight that shoplifting has on our high streets and local businesses. 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. The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to block Mississippi from enforcing a law that would block minors from using nine popular social media sites without their parents' consentdelivering a near-term blow to the tech industry group that had sought emergency intervention from the high court. Justices on the high court did not elaborate on their reasons for rejecting the emergency appeal, filed by industry group NetChoicea common practice when the Supreme Court decides on an emergency appealand did not provide a vote count. NeChoice had asked the high court to put the law on hold while the case continued to play out in the lower courts on its merits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Only Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh gave any indication of his thinking in a three-paragraph concurring opinion, writing that, while he believes the law in question is "likely unconstitutional," and that NetChoice "demonstrated it would likely succeed on the merits" of the case, he agreed with his colleagues in ruling that the group failed to meet the high bar required for emergency relief. Scotus Rules On Nearly $2 Billion In Frozen Usaid Payments Supreme Court justices attend the 60th inaugural ceremony on January 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. The case will continue to play out in the lower courts, and is expected to make its way back to the Supreme Court for full consideration at a later date. Read On The Fox News App Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At issue is Mississippi's sweeping social media law, known as H.B. 1126. The law, passed by the state in 2024, blocks young people from accessing popular social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Pinterest, and Reddit without express parental consent. It also requires social media sites to take additional steps to verify the ages of users before allowing them to create accounts, and to "develop and implement a strategy" to shield young people from exposure to harmful material. Sites who fail to comply can be fined up to $10,000 per violation, and, in certain cases, could face criminal penalties. NetChoice quickly sued to block the law, arguing that it violated free speech protections under the First Amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. District Judge Halil Suleyman Ozerden in June issued a preliminary injunction siding with NetChoice and temporarily blocking Mississippi from implementing its law. While Judge Ozerden acknowledged the state may have a "compelling interest" in safeguarding minors online, he said Mississippi's law involved "substantially more speech than is necessary for the state to accomplish its goals," and ran afoul of the First Amendment. In July, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals voted unanimously and without explanation to freeze the lower court injunction, allowing the law to take forceand prompting the emergency request for Supreme Court intervention. Lawsuit Tracker: New Resistance Battling Trump's Second Term Through Onslaught Of Lawsuits Taking Aim At Eos Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. In its emergency appeal to the high court, lawyers for NetChoice took aim at the lack of explanation from the lower court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Neither NetChoice nor this Court can know why the Fifth Circuit believed this law satisfies the First Amendments stringent demands or deviated from the seven other decisions enjoining similar laws," lawyers said in their appeal to the high court, arguing they would face "immediate, irreparable" injury should the law be allowed to go into effect. The Supreme Court's emergency decision comes as a handful of other states have moved to implement similar age-verification legislation including Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, and Utah. NetChoice, for its part, has led similar lawsuits challenging social media legislation in other states such as Florida and Texas earlier this year. Original article source: Supreme Court declines to block Mississippi social media age-restriction law, for now In 2023, experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a dramatic rise in babesiosis, a historically rare tick-borne disease, throughout New England. Here in Maine, where babesiosis was not previously considered endemic, incidence of the illness soared a whopping 1,422% in less than a decade. Reported cases in Maine jumped from 9 in 2011 to 138 in 2019. Last year there were more than 300 cases, according to preliminary data. It is a troubling trend that a team of Massachusetts doctors now warns is likely linked to climate change-induced warming across the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an article published Aug. 1 in the scientific journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases, doctors at Brigham and Womens Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital looked at more than 1,000 cases of babesiosis at Boston hospitals between 1993 and 2024 and observed what they describe as a striking expansion of both the annual caseload and the active season for Babesia microti, the blood-borne parasite that causes babesiosis and is transmitted to humans by infected deer ticks. The ticks, also known as blacklegged ticks, can carry and transmit multiple diseases at once, including babesiosis, Lyme and anaplasmosis. Prior to 2000, the active season for the disease the average number of months when positive cases were documented was 2.2 months, with most cases occurring in peak summer. Less than two decades later, that active season had grown to 9.2 months. And in 2023, positive cases of babesiosis occurred 11 months out of the year. Its going from something that we just see a case in July and August here and there to something that were essentially seeing year round more so in the summer months, but basically on a year round basis, Dr. John Ross, the lead author of the paper and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told The Maine Monitor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rosss research centered on babesiosis cases in Massachusetts, but he expects the same trends would hold true in Maine, perhaps with some lag time. Babesiosis is a parasitic infection that attacks red blood cells. Many infected people never know they have it, whereas others can experience a variety of flu-like symptoms, including fever, fatigue, nausea and body aches, which typically develop within a few weeks. Unlike Lyme disease, infected persons do not usually develop a rash. In severe cases, babesiosis can lead to life-threatening complications. The paper stops short of attributing the expansion of New Englands Babesia season to any one thing, but details several possible explanations, including diminished die-offs of blacklegged ticks during warmer winters, more rapid tick maturation in warm conditions, greater activity of adult ticks during winter warm spells, expansion of the active season for nymph forms into early spring and late fall, expanding populations and improving winter survival of tick hosts, as well as non-climate related factors such as a growing public awareness of the disease and the increased use of immunosuppressive agents, which may unmask latent parasites in the blood. I think, honestly, the major driver is probably climate change, Ross said of the surge in winter cases of babesiosis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Research shows New England is warming faster than the rest of the world, which has correlated with a marked uptick in cases of tick-borne diseases, including Lyme, Anaplasmosis and babesiosis in Maine and throughout the Northeast. That warming is most marked in the winter months, Ross said. In terms of what that means for ticks, it doesnt get cold enough anymore to kill off ticks. Griffin Dill, the director of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab, told The Maine Monitor that the new research further confirms and corroborates what his lab is seeing both in terms of Maines expanding tick season and the increasing prevalence of Babesia in deer ticks. The labs surveillance data shows that the number of tested ticks carrying the parasite jumped from around 6 percent in 2019 to 14 percent today. The take home message for me is that we are seeing an expansion of quote unquote tick season, Dill said. We are seeing expanding tick numbers. We are seeing higher human incidence rates of tick-borne disease and higher rates of pathogen prevalence within the tick populations. That said, there are a number of personal protection measures that can be taken the use of protective clothing and gear, repellents, getting into the habit of conducting frequent tick checks and in doing all those things you can really minimize your exposure to babesia and other tick-borne illnesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We really want to stress that while these risks are there and we want people to be aware of them, we dont want people to be afraid of going outdoors and enjoying everything that Maine and New England and the Northeast has to offer. More than anything, Ross hopes his research will put clinicians and other healthcare professionals on alert that babesiosis is no longer just a summer illness. In the climate change era, babesiosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with fever and anemia outside of peak summer months, he and his coauthors write. This article was originally published in LAist. The number of child care workers who struggle to meet basic needs like food, healthcare and housing is on the rise, according to a new report. The Stanford Center on Early Childhoods RAPID project started surveying child care providers around the country back in 2021, when about 40% of workers said they struggled to afford a basic need. In March of this year, that rose to nearly 70% the highest since the project started. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Weve started to talk about some of these data as like representing the canary in a coal mine kind of a scenario, said Philip Fisher, director of the Stanford Center on Early Childhood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since child care providers are among the lowest paid workers in the country , challenges in the economy like the rising cost of food are hitting home for them more than they would for other people, Fisher said. Providers have to buy goods like diapers and food for their child care centers that eat into their income. Many have had to make the decision to close their centers . Where are the biggest problems? One of the most notably worsening problem for child care providers has been health care where nearly two-thirds of workers said it was a material hardship this past spring. In 2023, nearly 37% of child care workers were covered by Medi-Cal in California . The majority childcare providers also said utilities were a struggle to afford. Fisher said those two rise to the top because providers are often prioritizing their limited money on needs like housing and food. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Food is something that people continue to try to acquire, even if theyre skipping meals. But utility payments typically go quickly and health care is another thing that typically goes out the window, because people are prioritizing other things when that happens, he said. He added that the rising numbers point to worsening economic challenges, like low wages and the rising costs of living. I think we see that represented really clearly in this data that the people that were depending on to provide nurturing care and high quality care to our kids are themselves really earning at a level that makes it very difficult to subsist, he said. This story was originally published on LAist. Three doctors who had endured Russian sham trials and more than seven years of captivity have been brought back to territory controlled by Ukraine as part of a prisoner exchange on 14 August. Along with 48 other civilians, medics Ihor Kirianenko, Ihor Nazarenko, and Yurii Shapovalov have been released from captivity. Source: Iryna Vereshchuk, Deputy Head of the Presidents Office Details: Doctor and businessman Ihor Kirianenko was detained in the temporarily occupied city of Donetsk in 2018, when he was 61 years old. He was unable to leave for territory controlled by Ukraine because he was caring for his paralysed mother and disabled younger brother. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliamentary Human Rights Commissioner, said that at first, Ihor Kirianenko was held in Makiivka Strict Regime Penal Colony No. 32. Ihor Kirianenko. Photo: Dmytro Lubinets on Telegram In 2020, the local occupation administration charged Ihor with a political offence for his pro-Ukraine views and sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment. During his unlawful detention, the doctor suffered a heart attack and a stroke, and lost all his teeth. Later, he was transferred to the Donetsk pre-trial detention centre, to a basement facility where tuberculosis patients had been held for years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lubinets stressed that after the heart attack, Ihor began fainting, lost weight, developed cyanosis (bluish-purple discolouration of the skin) of his limbs and severe swelling, and the loss of his teeth led to a pronounced deformation of the lower jaw. In captivity, Ihors chronic illnesses also worsened, including a tumour of the pancreas, diabetes, severe heart pain, and leg pain from an injury sustained during an artillery strike. Ihor Nazarenko Photo: former Human Rights Commissioner Liudmyla Denisova on Facebook Another person released from captivity is surgeon Ihor Nazarenko from Donetsk, whom the Russians abducted from his workplace in 2017. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As former Human Rights Commissioner Liudmyla Denisova recounted, he was accused of "terrorism", tortured, and then sentenced to 11 years in a penal colony on fabricated charges. Nazarenko was held in Makiivka Penal Colony No. 32 in unsanitary conditions and without heating, yet he still tried to provide medical assistance to his fellow inmates. Yurii Shapovalov Photo: former Human Rights Commissioner Liudmyla Denisova on Facebook Another civilian prisoner of the Kremlin freed on 14 August is neurologist Yurii Shapovalov. Denisova said that Yurii was detained in Donetsk in 2018. Armed men in masks attacked him and threw him to the ground when he was speaking on the phone with his mother on his way home from work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After his detention, he was taken to the Izolyatsia prison, where he was tortured with electric shocks and had his ribs broken while being forced to "confess" to cooperation with the Ukrainian security services. In April 2018, Shapovalov was transferred to a pre-trial detention centre in occupied Donetsk, and in April 2020 the court handed him a bogus sentence 13 years in prison for "espionage". Read also: Former commander of destroyed Ukrainian minesweeper brought back from Russian captivity Background: On 14 August, Ukraine managed to bring back 33 prisoners of war and 51 civilians from Russian captivity. Among those freed were three civilian women who had been in captivity for more than six years. One of them, Svitlana Holovan, had not seen her two children since 2019. Also freed was a 26-year-old man whom the Russians had imprisoned when he was still a teenager. He had been held in captivity for nine years, awaiting his return to territory controlled by Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) A suspect was arrested in connection to a homicide that took place Wednesday evening at an apartment complex in Birmingham, according to the Birmingham Police Department. At around 9 p.m. Wednesday, South Precinct officers responded to an apartment in the 1100 block of Lakeshore Ridge. Officers entered the apartment and located an adult male victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel arrived and pronounced the victim deceased. The victim was identified as Demetrice Darnell Beverly, 39, of Birmingham. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the BPD, an investigation indicated that the male victim and a female were inside the apartment. A male suspect entered the room, shot the victim and fled the scene. The female called 911 and remained on the scene until officers arrived. The male suspect was taken into custody in the parking lot of the apartment complex. The suspect has been identified as DeCorlion Keshaun Robinson, 23, of Birmingham. BPD Homicide Detectives presented case information to the Jefferson County District Attorneys Office on Thursday, and Robinson was issued with warrants for murder with no bond and unlawful possession of a machine gun conversion device with a $15,000 bond. Robinson is in custody of the Jefferson County Jail. Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the BPDs Homicide Unit at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 man accused of fatally shooting three people in the parking lot of a North Austin Target store on Monday has a history of violence and mental health issues, court records show. Ethan Nieneker, 32, who police say confessed to the shootings, has been charged with three counts of murder and is being held on a $2.5 million bond in Travis County Jail. He admitted his actions were wrong but claimed he was Jesus and had to set everyone free. I have a confession to make. I killed a man and a baby girl today. In Target. In the Target parking lot. I shot them both, because Im Jesus, Nieneker told police, Fox 4 KDFW reported. I realized I was Jesus, and I had to grab my gun and shoot a couple of people to save us all. I killed these people out of love, not out of hate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I realized that I had to kill a couple of people to set everyone free, so I did it. It was just random, I guess. It was like I was just trying to get anyone I could. He added, I just emptied the whole clip randomly. It just seems like a random a** shooting. Police said that Nieneker obtained the gun he used in the shooting from a family member, and they are investigating whether the family member will be held liable. The victims were Rosa Martinez Machuca, a Target employee collecting shopping carts, and Adam Chow, 65, and his 4-year-old granddaughter, Astrid Fung, who were both sitting in a gray Toyota 4Runner. Chow attempted to shield his granddaughter during the attack, the affidavit states. Chows wife, also present, sustained minor injuries after Nieneker pushed her from the vehicle during a carjacking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement GoFundMe accounts have been set up to assist the Chow Fung family and the family of Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca, known in the community as Rosa. Surveillance video contradicted Nienekers claim that Rosa came at him, showing him approaching her from behind while she pushed shopping carts. After shooting the three victims shortly after 2 p.m. on July 11, Nieneker fled in the stolen Toyota and shortly thereafter assaulted a water truck driver in the 7800 block of Mopac Expressway and attempted to steal his vehicle. He also reportedly chased a man while holding a pistol in his hand, before returning to the Toyota. Minutes later, at about 2:25 p.m., he crashed the Toyota into a Volkswagen, landing on top of an Infiniti SUV. Nieneker then approached the Volkswagen and repeatedly assaulted the female driver before driving off in her vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About nine minutes later, he allegedly attempted to break into and steal a Waymo self-driving vehicle, but when that failed, he returned to the Volkswagen. At 2:37 p.m., an acquaintance who knew Nieneker through a Bible Study group reported that Nieneker had thrown a brick at his residence in the 2100 block of La Casa Drive in Southeast Austin. At 2:58 p.m., Austin police received reports of a naked man in the backyard of a home in the 2400 block of La Casa Drive. Police located the naked man walking along Montclaire Street. He was tased and arrested at 3:06 after he failed to follow police commands. Police identified the man as Nieneker and found his discarded clothes in a nearby porta-potty after he told police he left items he loved in a disgusting spot, Fox 4 KDFW reported. Court records reveal Nienekers history of alleged violence over the past decade, including two assaults on a girlfriend in 2015 involving head trauma and property damage two assaults on another girlfriend in 2016, and a 2019 assault on a roommate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite some convictions, most charges were dismissed or resulted in probation, and Nieneker intermittently served time for violating his probation, KUT News reported. One charge of family violence was dismissed after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis noted in a press conference, This man had some serious issues, citing two 2018 reports of Nieneker as an emotionally disturbed person, per KUT. There were some serious failures here on behalf of, you know, many, when youre looking at potentially some mental illness there. A mental health evaluation has been ordered to assess Nienekers competency to stand trial. These are people who seem to be slipping through the cracks of the mental health system and also the criminal court system, said Greg Hansch, executive director of the National Alliance of Mental Illness Texas, comparing the case to another involving unaddressed mental health issues, KUT reported. A coworker reported Nieneker claimed he hadnt eaten for days to connect with a higher power and sent a group message stating, The Truth prevails. Let me Help you Be set Free from Your Self <3. ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. A person is in custody after a 70-year-old man was fatally shot in the Wellston neighborhood on Thursday. According to the North County Police Cooperative (NCPC), officers were alerted to reports of gunfire in the 6100 block of Wagner Avenue just after 1:20 p.m. NCPC said that when they arrived at the area, they located the victim, Joseph Miller of Jennings, Missouri, deceased at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials have charged 39-year-old Lorenzo Ladiner of Berkley, Missouri, with multiple offenses, which include: First-degree murder Armed Criminal Action Unlawful Possession of a Firearm NCPC says its urging those who may have information regarding the homicide investigation to contact NCPCs Bureau of Criminal Investigations at 314-499-6093 or detective@northcountypolice.com. CrimeStoppers can also be reached at 866-371-TIPS or STLRCS.org. Ladiner remains in custody on a $5 million cash-only bond. 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. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A suspect wanted in connection with a fatal shooting outside of a north Columbus bar has been arrested in Springfield, Ohio. According to Springfield police an arrest was made after a Thursday night standoff at a Quality Inn hotel on East Leffel Lane. Andre Jordan, 34, was confirmed as the arrested suspect by the U.S. Marshals Service. Two dead, five injured after three-way, fiery head-on collision in Delaware County Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The confrontation between Jordan and Springfield PD, along with Clark County sheriff deputies and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, lasted several hours, between 7:30 and 11:30 p.m. While there were reports of shots fired, there were no injuries during the standoff and Jordan is now listed as an inmate at Clark County Jail. He is charged with being a fugitive from justice in Clark County. P:olice search for a suspect in New Albany after one person was shot dead outside of Ledos Tavern in Old North Columbus, Aug. 8, 2025 (NBC4/Ronald Clark) In Franklin County, Jordan was wanted in connection with the murder of 40-year-old Bryan Morris Jr., who was gunned down outside of Ledos Tavern, in Old North Columbus between Ohio States campus and Clintonville. The shooting reportedly occurred near the bar at 2:26 a.m. on Aug. 8. Columbus police arrived at the intersection of North High Street and Duncan Street and found Morris suffering from a gunshot wound. He was hospitalized in critical condition but died soon afterward. Jordan reportedly fled the scene in a white BMW, which was found parked at the LC New Albany Apartment Complex. CPD identified Jordan as the alleged suspect in a media release later that evening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jordan will remain in Clark County custody until an extradition date is set for his transfer back to Franklin County. 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. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The man accused of stealing more than $300,000 from an armored truck outside of a Las Vegas bank now faces federal charges. Devonte Devon Jackson, 29, appeared in federal court on Thursday to face charges in connection with an armed robbery of an armored truck outside of a bank in Las Vegas. The robbery occurred in the 9800 block of West Charleston Avenue near South Hualapai Way at around 12:15 p.m. on July 16, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. A 2019 booking photo of Devonte Jackson following an arrest for a prior armored truck robbery. (LVMPD/KLAS) Court documents and statements made in court allege that on July 16, Jackson brandished a gun and stole approximately $327,620 from the armored truck. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On July 29, Texas State Troopers, with the help of the FBI, took Jackson into custody in Centerville, Texas. Police booked him into the McLennan County jail in Waco, Texas, for one count of robbery with the use of a deadly weapon and one count of coercion with force with the use of a deadly weapon. RELATED: Man accused of robbing armored truck in Las Vegas served probation for same crime He was later extradited back to Las Vegas. Jacksons appearance in court was related to federal charges he now faces, including one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement United States Magistrate Judge Elayna J. Youchah scheduled a jury trial to start on Oct. 20. If convicted, Jackson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for the interference with commerce by robbery charge and a mandatory consecutive sentence of seven years for brandishing a firearm. In 2021, Jackson entered an Alford plea on charges connected to a 2018 armored truck robbery involving the theft of $14,000, the 8 News Now Investigators reported last week. He was sentenced to probation for three years. The plea involved charges of conspiracy to commit robbery and prohibited ownership of a firearm. An Alford plea means a defendant does not admit guilt but believes prosecutors have enough evidence to sway a jury to convict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 2018 armed truck robbery involved a Loomis money transport van parked outside of an east valley fast food business, documents said. At the time of his arrest in 2019, police said Jacksons DNA matched a swab taken from a pistol the trucks security guard was carrying. Prosecutors said that the guard was the only person who had ever handled the weapon. 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. Aug. 15---- The man arrested on suspicion of stabbing his stepfather who apparently attempted to drive himself to the hospital is now charged with assault and domestic assault. Court documents describe the incident as stemming from a dispute over mowing the lawn. Logan Alexander Hillebrandt, 26, of Maynard, was arrested Sunday and appeared Tuesday morning in Chippewa County District Court on a felony count of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and misdemeanor domestic assault. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was ordered to be held on $100,000 bail for unconditional release or $20,000 bail for release with conditions including no contact with the alleged victim, identified by authorities as his stepfather who lives at the same address. According to the filed criminal complaint, his stepfather underwent surgery for treatment of his injuries. Sheriff Derek Olson told the West Central Tribune in an email Monday that the man was in stable condition at that time. According to a a caller had reported Sunday to the that a man at a gas station in rural Blomkest, near the U.S. Highway 71 and Minnesota Highway 7 intersection, was in need of medical attention. The man had reported to staff that he was stabbed at his home in Maynard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office media report, the call was made to law enforcement around 5:52 p.m. Sunday. Blomkest First Responders, Lake Lillian Ambulance and Minnesota State Patrol also responded alongside Kandiyohi County sheriff's deputies. Information was forwarded to the Chippewa County Sheriff's Office, and deputies went to the residence in the 200 block of Swift Avenue in Maynard. According to the Chippewa County Sheriff's Office, it was discovered that a domestic assault had occurred at the home between the stabbing victim and his stepson, Hillebrandt. Hillebrandt was arrested at the residence without incident.and remained in custody at the Yellow Medicine County Jail as of Thursday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the criminal complaint, he was outside the home on a riding lawn mower when deputies arrived on Sunday. He immediately shut it off and appeared to be visibly shaken. Hillebrandt told law enforcement that his mother and stepfather had been verbally abusive to him and that it had been ongoing throughout his entire life. He said that both of them were "screaming at him" to mow the lawn. According to the complaint, Hillebrandt said he woke up Sunday to his stepfather pounding on his bedroom door. Hillebrandt went downstairs in the hopes that both would stop screaming at him but first grabbed what he described as a novelty knife. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The criminal complaint describes the knife as a switchblade knife with a blade approximately 4 to 6 inches in length. The weapon was recovered from the residence. Hillebrandt said that after he went downstairs, his stepfather came toward him and grabbed him by his shirt in the neck region. He then reached in his pocket for the knife and stabbed his stepfather multiple times. Hillebrandt said his mother continued to yell at him after his stepfather left the residence apparently to seek treatment of injuries and she continued ordering him to mow the lawn, which was what he was doing when deputies arrived, according to the complaint. STONE COUNTY, Mo. One of four people charged in a 2024 human trafficking sting involving minors in Stone County was sentenced to prison on Wednesday, August 13. Mariko Kwizera, 29, from Congo, Africa, was sentenced to 10 years in the Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to enticement or attempted enticement of a child in June, court documents state. Mariko Kwizera mugshot (Courtesy: Stone County Sheriffs Office PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Four men charged with attempted sex trafficking of a child Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to online court documents, the Stone County Sheriffs Office and several other law enforcement agencies worked together for a sting operation. Law enforcement created sexually explicit ads online of young girls claiming to be 14 to 17 years old, which the four suspects responded to. The other three suspects in this case, 22-year-old Christian Diewert of Canada, 26-year-old Dalton Lee Parton of Branson and 26-year-old Nayib Aldair Saldana of Little Rock, were charged with second-degree attempted sex trafficking. Three-day jury trials for Saldana and Parton are currently set in Stone County for Oct. 1, 2025, and Jan. 21, 2026, respectively. Diewert has a disposition hearing set for Sept. 26, 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A Nashville man with a history of driving too fast and selling illegal drugs is back behind bars after a multi-agency investigation. According to the 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the investigation into a drug trafficking organization began in April when agents got a tip about Jordan Sandifer. Over the next few months, authorities uncovered multiple locations throughout Davidson County where Sandifer was allegedly distributing narcotics. Then, on July 30, members of the task force, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and the Metro Nashville Police Department executed five search warrants simultaneously at homes associated with Sandifer. Law enforcement discovered drugs, guns, and cash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 3 guns, drugs seized during search of Nashville home, police say On the day of the raids, the task force said Sandifer was at a Nashville hospital for the birth of his child. Authorities went to the maternity ward and arrested the 28-year-old, who reportedly had a large bag of fentanyl in his pocket. A drug agent told News 2 that someone walking through the hospital where my kids could potentially be at with a very large amount of lethal fentanyl in his pocket was extremely concerning to him as a father. After all the homes were searched, officials said they found 200 grams of fentanyl; 51 pounds of marijuana; five weapons, including three stolen guns; and close to $8,500 in cash. (Courtesy: 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force) (Courtesy: 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force) (Courtesy: 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force) (Courtesy: 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force) (Courtesy: 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force) (Courtesy: 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force) (Courtesy: 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force) (Courtesy: 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force) (Courtesy: 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force) (Courtesy: 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force) We would consider [Sandifer] probably a mid-level to wholesale level dealer. Hes definitely not bringing it in across the border, but hes bigger than just street level sales, the agent explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime-related reports from across Middle Tennessee With an arrest history featuring other drug and weapons charges, Sandifer is no stranger to law enforcement in Nashville. Sandifer was arrested in September 2022 after MNPD officers and THP troopers saw him speed by in a Dodge Charger traveling 120 mph, according to officials. He was followed by a police helicopter, which guided authorities on the ground to the location where Sandifer was apprehended. Then, in March 2023, MNPD said officers tried to stop a Charger driven by Sandifer, but he sped off, so a police helicopter started tracking him. After he stopped the car, officers approached and Sandifer allegedly ran away, tossing cocaine and a pistol in the process. When police eventually took him into custody, they seized cocaine, marijuana, a semi-automatic pistol, and more than $2,200 in cash. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com The big takeaway, I think, from this is we recovered a large amount of fentanyl off the streets thats going to hopefully, potentially save lives, as well as numerous firearms that could potentially save lives, as well, the agent said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Davidson County Sheriffs Office said Sandifer is being held on an $82,000 bond for four felonies including possession with intent to sell fentanyl, possession with intent to sell marijuana, possession of a handgun as a felon, and possession of a firearm with intent to commit a dangerous felony and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. However, hes not eligible for release at this time due to a federal warrant detainer. 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. A French veteran has been arrested on suspicion of spying and attempting to mount a coup against Malis military rulers alongside dozens of high-ranking soldiers. The junta has accused Yann Christian Bernard Vezilier of working on behalf of Frances intelligence service to help overthrow the regime. Mr Vezilier had served as a lieutenant colonel for nearly 30 years in Frances Air Force and was awarded the National Order of Merit in 2020, the countrys second-most prestigious honour, according to a listing in the Official Journal of France. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A photo of Mr Vezilier was broadcast on national television late on Thursday with 10 other alleged conspirators, including several army generals. France, the former colonial ruler of Mali, has not yet commented on the arrest. General Daoud Aly Mohammedine, Malis security minister, said in a televised address: The conspiracy has been foiled with the arrests of those involved. Defence minister Sadio Camara, a key figure in the junta - Fanny Noaro-Kabre/AFP via Getty He said fringe elements of the Malian armed security forces were held for seeking to destabilise the institutions of the republic, adding these soldiers and civilians were said to have obtained the help of foreign states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Frances once close relationship with its former colonies in West Africas Sahel region has soured in recent years as military officers have overthrown civilian governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Paris has withdrawn French troops involved in an operation to combat Islamist militants there under pressure from the countries new leadership. Mali, which cut military ties with France, has meanwhile turned to Russia for support. The government launched a wave of arrests on August 1 that included General Abass Dembele, the former governor of the Mopti region and General Nema Sagara, one of the few women at the highest levels of the Malian army who was lauded for her role in fighting militants in 2012. Dembele was abruptly dismissed from the government in May, when he demanded an investigation into allegations that the Malian army killed civilians in the village of Diafarabe. Members of the Al-Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam - Al-Zallaqa The arrests were made mainly within the national guard a branch of the army in which defence minister Sadio Camara, a key figure in the junta, previously served. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least 55 soldiers have been arrested so far in connection with the alleged attempted coup. General Mohammedine said a full investigation was underway to identify possible accomplices and that the situation is completely under control. In another statement, the government claimed to have thwarted the conspiracy which they characterised as desperate attempts at destabilisation which will always fail. The French government 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. Mali's military rulers say they have arrested a French national on suspicion of spying for his country in an attempt to destabilise the African nation. In a statement read on national television late on Thursday, the junta alleged that Yann Vezilier was working "on behalf of the French intelligence service". Mr Vezilier is yet to comment on the accusation. His picture was also broadcast, alongside those of a number of army generals arrested recently for allegedly planning to overthrow the military government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The conspiracy has been foiled with the arrests of those involved," Mali's Security Minister Gen Daoud Aly Mohammedine said in the televised address. France, Mali's former colonial ruler, is also yet to comment on the man's arrest and allegations of destabilisation. The West African nation has been gripped by a security crisis fuelled by an Islamist insurgency since 2012 - one of the reasons given for the military takeover but attacks by jihadist groups have continued and even increased. Following days of speculation about the alleged coup plot, Gen Mohammedine confirmed that "fringe elements of the Malian armed security forces" had been detained for seeking to "destabilise the institutions of the republic". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "These soldiers and civilians" were said to have obtained "the help of foreign states", the minister said. The French national acted "on behalf of the French intelligence service, which mobilised political leaders, civil society actors and military personnel" in Mali, the minister added. He also confirmed the arrest of two army generals, including Gen Abass Dembele, the former governor of the Mopti region, who was recently dismissed from his position. At least 55 soldiers have been arrested so far in connection with the alleged attempted coup, security sources told AFP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gen Mohammedine said a full investigation was under way to identify "possible accomplices" and that "the situation is completely under control". Political tension has been rising in recent weeks, which have seen the arrest of former Prime Ministers Moussa Mara and Choguel Maiga over accusations of harming the reputation of the state and embezzlement. Mara, a recent outspoken critic of the military government, has been in detention since 1 August, while Maiga is facing judicial sanctions. In May, the junta dissolved all political parties following rare anti-government protests, which Mara described as a severe blow to reconciliation efforts initiated by the military leaders last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Junta leader Gen Asimi Goita, who seized power in both 2020 and 2021, had promised elections last year, but these have never been held. In July, the transition period was extended by five years, clearing him to continue leading the country until at least 2030. Alongside its neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso, it has enlisted the help of Russian allies to contain the jihadist attacks in the region after breaking ties with France - but there has been no significant improvements in security. You may also be interested in: [Getty Images/BBC] Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts By Anna Ringstrom and Essi Lehto STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -One man was shot dead on Friday in the Swedish city of Orebro in what was likely a gang-related crime, police said. A second man was injured in the attack, near the Orebro Mosque, and taken to hospital. Police declined to comment on the extent of the man's injuries. "I want to stress that currently, we don't see any connection to the mosque. On the other hand, we do see a connection to criminal groups," a police spokesperson told reporters during a news conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least one suspect was seen leaving the scene, though police said there had been no arrests as yet. Police said the case was being investigated as murder and attempted murder. Sweden has endured more than a decade of gang-related violence and the number of deadly shootings is among the highest in Europe. The murder rate, however, is similar to other countries. "Based on the current situation regarding the shooting in Orebro, the incident is believed to be linked to the criminal network environment," the police said in a statement without elaborating. In February, 10 students and teachers were killed in a shooting in Orebro, some 200 km (125 miles) west of Stockholm, in what became Sweden's deadliest gun attack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The perpetrator in the February shooting was a former student who also killed himself, and was not associated with criminal gangs. Investigators found no clear motive in the case. (Reporting by Anna Ringstrom in Stockholm and Essi Lehto in Hesinki, additional reporting by Johan Ahlander and Niklas Pollard, editing by Terje Solsvik, Toby Chopra, Clelia Oziel, William Maclean) The swimming advisory for Yorktown Beach posted earlier this week has been lifted, after bacteria levels returned to normal, according to the Hampton and Peninsula health districts. Sampling taken Thursday showed bacteria levels within state standards. Environmental health officials on the Peninsula sample Hilton, Huntington, King/Lincoln Park, Andersons and Yorktown public beaches on a weekly basis during the swimming season from May to September. Advisories are occasionally issued and are common in the summer months. They are usually temporary as officials monitor the water for indicator organisms such as enterococci to determine the extent of fecal contamination. Their presence is closely correlated to the presence of other disease-causing organisms, according to the Virginia Department of Health. SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) Despite the slogan, winning the lotto jackpot doesnt just take a dollar and a dream. Sometimes, it requires patience too. The $17 million winner of the July 23 New York Lotto drawing contacted NewsChannel 9s Your Stories team, hoping to get information from the New York State Lottery about why its taken longer than he was initially told. NewsChannel 9 agreed to use the winners first name only: Larry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im probably going to be bombarded by people wanting money or whatever else. I just dont want to go through that any earlier than I have to go through it. Eventually, his name will likely be made public when the New York State Lottery requires him to share it. Its all part of inevitable attention that comes with winning a sizeable jackpot. Larrys quick pick from a liquor store in Syracuses Valley neighborhood matched all six numbers on July 23. I literally could not sleep at all that night, Larry said. My mind was just blown. The next day, he followed the winners procedure by visiting the New York Lottery Office on Erie Boulevard in Syracuse. He filled out the appropriate paperwork, verified his identity, signed the winning ticket and claims he was told hed get his winnings in two-to-three weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, he bought a car. Not for himself, but for his girlfriends daughter who was desperately in need. But the cars bill might come before the winning deposit. Now the Lottery, in Albany, the main office in Albany, is saying it takes eight-to-ten weeks, Larry said. Just ridiculous, Larry said. If they had told me that up front, I wouldnt be so pissed off about it. He also said the Lottery hasnt been helpful in explaining what procedures they follow that might slow down the payment process. NewsChannel 9 emailed the Lotterys regulators at the New York State Gaming Commissioner. An agency spokesperson referred to the prize claim form, which reads: Allow approximately 15 business days for processing. Jackpot prize of $250,000 or more may take longer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The spokesperson said the New York Lottery conducts integrity reviews on all prizes of $250,000+. Jackpot claims are processed in the order received. While the Lottery processes all claims as quickly as possible, the required integrity reviews take time. After being asked follow-up questions, the spokesperson said integrity reviews include legitimacy of the ticket and the person claiming it, including whether they legally owe money for something like child support or back taxes. The claim reviews, likely based on staffing levels, are processed in the order received. The spokesperson would not clarify how long a claim might take beyond the 15 days and the possible extension needed for larger jackpots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Larry admits the frustration wont fade the fun once the money hits his bank account. Hell keep about $5 million after taxes and the reductions of requesting a lump sum payment. Some of its going to charity, Larry said. But most of its going to family. A little is going to stay with me and help my girlfriend and I with our future, trips and other things. His wish list includes Ireland, Scotland, Alaska and other National Parks. He also plans to donate to the Food Bank of Central New York and to conservancies supporting Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. 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 WSYR. Millions of AT&T customers could now be eligible for a claim of up to $7,500 each. In March last year, a vast data breach impacted 73 million current and former account holders. Private information, including birth dates and Social Security numbers, was stolen by hackers and shared in a dataset on the dark web. Then, in a second strike, which was revealed in July 2024, hackers managed to download massive amounts of AT&T data from a third-party cloud platform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Call records and texts belonging to nearly all AT&T cellular customers were breached, the company said, reported the BBC. Millions of customers could be eligible for the payouts (Getty/iStock) Lawsuits ensued across the country in both state and federal courts. On August 4, the company said that they had agreed to a settlement fund in federal court. For the first breach, a $149 million all-cash fund was established to settle the claims, and for the second, a $28 million all-cash payment was made. According to the settlement website, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas is set to have a final approval hearing on December 3, later this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, any AT&T customers can file for compensation in between. How do I submit a claim? Those who had their data exposed, from the announcement made in March 2024, are each eligible for up to $5,000 and can make claims for "payment for losses that occurred in 2019, or later," according to the website. People impacted in the July announcement are eligible for up to $2,500 "for losses that occurred on or after April 14, 2024," the settlement administration said. To receive the payment, customers must provide documentation showing that the losses they incurred are "fairly traceable" to the AT&T data breaches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If your data was leaked in both breaches, you may be eligible for up to $7,500. You would then become what the settlement administration calls a "overlap settlement class member." The deadline to file a claim is set for November 18, 2025. You will receive the payment, if successfully claimed, in December at the earliest. Please be patient, the settlement claim site said. If unsure about whether you qualify, you can call (833) 890-4930 with questions, according to the Kroll Settlement Administration. (In paragraph 7, removes reference to Corning's Hemlock Semiconductor subsidiary, which produces the company's polysilicon but not wafers) (Reuters) -U.S. solar company T1 Energy and specialty glass maker Corning have reached a deal that will establish a fully domestic solar supply chain, connecting polysilicon, wafers, cells, and panels manufactured in the United States, they said on Friday. The deal will help T1 satisfy growing U.S. demand for panels produced with American-made components. Under President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, solar companies will be restricted from claiming federal clean energy tax credits if projects contain meaningful amounts of equipment produced by "foreign entities of concern," including China. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This landmark supply chain agreement with Corning will help invigorate America with scalable, reliable, low-cost energy," T1 CEO Daniel Barcelo said in a statement. "This is American companies building in America and protecting American energy security." Under the agreement, Corning will supply T1 with solar wafers from its Michigan factory starting in the second half of 2026. Wafers are thin slices of silicon that are the building blocks of solar cells that transform sunlight into electricity. China dominates global solar wafer manufacturing. Trump has criticized the solar industry for being too reliant on Chinese supply chains. The deal is an expansion of an existing supply contract for solar-grade polysilicon, the industry's raw material. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement T1 will use the wafers at an Austin, Texas, cell facility that is under development, the companies told Reuters. Those cells will be assembled into panels at T1's existing factory near Dallas. Both companies combined will employ about 6,000 workers in Michigan and Texas, they said. Corning reached a similar deal with manufacturers Suniva and Heliene earlier this year. (Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Nia Williams) (The Center Square) President Donald Trump is flying to Alaska on Friday for a high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss terms for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Putin is pushing to swap land in exchange for the war to end, a proposal Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine will not agree to. Trump is dubbing the meeting as a listening exercise to gauge whether a deal with Putin is still possible. The bilateral summit will be the first face-to-face meeting between Putin and an American president in four years. Trump met with Putin six times during his first term in the White House, and the two have spoken over the phone roughly half a dozen times since Trump took office again in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although Trump has been engaged in peace negotiations with Zelenskyy and Putin for several months, an agreement to end the years-long conflict between Russia and Ukraine has not been reached. Trump signaled that meeting with Putin in person this week will allow him to better assess the chances of securing a peace deal with the Kremlin. Probably in the first two minutes Ill know exactly whether or not a deal can get done, Trump said on Monday. During a call with Zelenskyy and other European leaders Wednesday, Trump said his priority for the summit is to reach a ceasefire deal. This is a necessary first step before conditions for longstanding peace can be negotiated, Trump said. Trump has his sights set on a second, three-way meeting with both Putin and Zelenskyy present, arguing this second meeting will be more important than his one-on-one with Putin in Alaska. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres a very good chance that were going to have a second meeting which will be more productive than the first, Trump said. Trump pressed for Zelenskyy to be included in Fridays talks in Alaska, but he yielded when Putin refused to meet if Ukraine was present. Putin said he is open to territory swapping as part of a peace deal, a suggestion that Trump echoed. Moscow currently occupies 20% of Ukrainian land across five regions on its eastern border with Russia. Zelenskyy dismissed Putins offer, saying Ukraine will not concede any land as part of a deal to end the war. He doubled down on this claim Wednesday during a news conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [My position] hasn't changed because it's based on the Ukrainian constitution and the Ukrainian constitution hasn't changed, Zelenskyy said. Trump and Putin will meet on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. The two leaders will first meet one-on-one with interpreters at 3 p.m. EST before their respective delegations join for continued talks. Trump will be accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent among other advisors. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) When looking at domestic violence cases over the last decade, Metro Nashville has made great strides in helping victims. However, a new report highlights areas of concern, including 911 response times and accessing criminal histories quickly. In 2014, Metro Nashvilles Office of Family Safety was created. Since then, Director Diane Lance and her team, including their therapy dog, Zizou, have created a model studied across the country. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts We have two family justice centers in our city, the Family Safety Center on Murfreesboro Pike, and also the Jane Crowe Advocacy Center. Our city has invested in a stand-alone department that focuses on victims of interpersonal violence, Lance explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recently, the department gained a specialized nurse practitioner dedicated to helping victims of strangulation. With 30% of domestic violence homicides involving a suspect who wasnt supposed to have a gun, Metro police are now adding an officer meant to focus on that issue. Currently, we really rely on the honor system, and thats obviously not effective in making sure that our city is safer and that victims of domestic violence are in a safe place away from firearms that could harm them, said Becky Bullard, Deputy Director of Programs at the Metro Nashville Office of Family Safety. But the offices latest 10-year report shows areas to improve. One being domestic violence 911 call response times, which have increased from 11 minutes to nearly 18 minutes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When you are in the middle of a crisis and your offender is at the scene, and youre still under threat, every second really matters, Lance said. And so thats something that we all police, us, our whole system obviously cares about and when someone is in danger. Those calls are prioritized for a faster response. The report also calls for the creation of a policy where 911 dispatchers would tell police about any orders of protection during domestic violence calls. In November 2021, Michaela Carter was killed by her ex-boyfriend, despite having an order of protection and police being at her home minutes before she was killed. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com However, there are improvements to accessing criminal histories worth noting. Metro Nashville recently added funding for new assistants dedicated to helping night court commissioners. Theyll be able to look for someones criminal history across the country before their bond is set. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These commissioner assistants will be a really important tool on reporting the bond conditions, making sure the GPS monitors are done correctly, or is put on and in place and active, and that we know what someones full criminal record is, Lance said. Anyone needing domestic violence help can contact the Office of Family Safety at 615-880-1100 or the YWCA 24-hour hotline at 1-800-334-4628. 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. Afghanistan's Taliban authorities marked the fourth anniversary of their takeover on Friday buoyed by Russia's first official recognition of their government, a step they hope other countries will follow. Helicopters circled above Kabul, dropping flower petals over the city to mark the Taliban seizure of the capital on August 15, 2021. Taliban members and supporters leaned out of trucks and rickshaws on the streets below waving the black-and-white "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" flags. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They also carried yellow jerry cans -- a common receptacle for homemade bombs during the 20-year war against US-led forces. Celebrations were organised across the country, although a military parade like the one held with much fanfare last year at the Bagram airbase, once the linchpin for US-led operations, was cancelled without public explanation. A gathering was held instead at the enormous Loya Jirga Hall in Kabul, where hundreds of men listened to ministers praise the government's achievements. Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, who remains largely secluded in the southern Taliban heartland of Kandahar, did not attend but, in a statement read by a spokesman, hailed the return of security to Afghanistan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our people were saved from corruption, oppression, usurpation, narcotics, theft, plunder and looting in the light of Islamic laws," the statement said. "A positive environment was created for the rebuilding and reconstruction of Afghanistan." The speeches did not mention the steep challenges facing a country gripped by one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, according to the United Nations. In Jalalabad in the east, farmer Zabihullah -- who like many Afghans only uses one name -- celebrated the Taliban takeover but also hoped authorities would address poverty and unemployment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They should address the bad situation in the country, because of unemployment poor Afghans are going from one country to another, some die, some are detained, it is a chaotic situation," the 45-year-old told AFP. The Taliban government remains largely isolated on the global stage over restrictions imposed under their severe interpretation of Islamic law, with women facing restrictions the UN has deemed "gender apartheid". The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in July for two senior Taliban leaders, accusing them of crimes against humanity over the persecution of women and girls who are banned from most education and work. Women and girls are also barred from parks and gyms, and from travelling without a male guardian. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement - International engagement - The Taliban authorities scored a victory in July when Russia became the first country to officially recognise their administration. Kabul also enjoys close ties with China, Qatar and several Central Asian states. The Taliban government has reported talks in Kabul with officials from Western states, including Norway, Britain and the United States. International Crisis Group analyst Ibraheem Bahiss said women's rights are still important to the international community but other issues, particularly security, take precedence. "Even Europe -- because it has a core interest with migration -- has continued to pursue engagement," he told AFP, although discussions with Taliban authorities on women's rights were "a complete non-starter". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Taliban authorities have almost no internal opposition but struggle with economic fragility, international aid cuts and the influx of four million Afghans expelled from neighbouring countries. The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) condemned any engagement with the Taliban authorities in a statement. Contrary to its claims, RAWA said, the Taliban government "is not dedicated to ensuring peace and human dignity but is bent on destroying the last vestiges of our people's most basic rights". Independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council called on the international community on Thursday not to normalise relations with the Taliban authorities and to reject their "violent and authoritarian rule". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Operating without legitimacy, the Taliban enforces an institutionalised system of gender oppression, crushes dissent, exacts reprisals, and muzzles independent media," they said in a statement. bur-sw/pbt In jail phone recordings played in a Broward courtroom Friday, attorneys representing the man charged in a Tamarac triple murder listened while he called them corrupt and accused them of working with the prosecution. Then they argued that they should keep defending him. Nathan Gingles, 43, is facing a possible death sentence in the killings of his wife, Mary Gingles, her father, David Ponzer, and a neighbor, Andrew Ferrin, in February. He is represented by Kaitlin Gonzalez and Maury Halperin of the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, a state agency that provides public defense when the public defenders office has a conflict of interest. Theyre in the same office building as all the other dirtbags here, Gingles said of his attorneys in one jail call from June that was played to the courtroom Friday, as they stood a few feet from him before Judge Marina Garcia-Wood. My own counsel is flat-out lying to me. I want counsel that does their job. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gingles was calm as he sat in the courtroom Friday in handcuffs and a jumpsuit. He faces three counts of first-degree murder and is accused of hunting his wife down through the Tamarac community of Plum Bay on a quiet Sunday morning while their 4-year-old daughter followed him, according to the Broward Sheriffs Office. Prior to her death, Mary Gingles had repeatedly warned the Sheriffs Office and a Broward judge that her husband was planning to kill her, saying he had broken into their home and left a backpack of strange supplies in her garage. Fridays hearing centered around whether Gingles can afford a private attorney, which would make him ineligible for the public defense he is currently receiving. Assistant Broward State Attorney Kristine Bradley argued that his current public attorneys should be taken off his case, pointing to jail calls where he repeatedly expressed his intention to hire a private attorney, as well as his ability to afford one. Gingles had received an inheritance of close to $200,000 in 2024, which he transferred to his sister, and still receives monthly veterans benefits totaling approximately $4,000. The same friend who Gingles has been speaking with from jail is receiving the veterans benefits on his behalf and sending it to his commissary account, Bradley said, which he has spent on a variety of books, including a guide to prosecutorial misconduct, a law dictionary, and the dystopian novel Red Rising. The defendant is not entitled to have the state of Florida fund his defense while he uses his commissary to pay for books and snacks, Bradley said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Gingles attorneys argued that his ability to pay is different from his desire to pay. Even if he wants a private attorney, he cant afford one, Gonzalez and Halperin said. The veterans benefits are not enough for a death penalty defense, and Gingles does not have access to the inheritance, which they said he mistakenly received and sent back to his sister, who sent it to his uncle. Bradley said that he had sent the money to his sister during his divorce from Mary Gingles because he thought it would be considered a marital asset. Gonzalez compared Gingles money to an inheritance received by Nikolas Cruz during the Parkland school shooting trial, where a judge had allowed the Broward Public Defenders Office to stay on because the amount was not enough for a capital defense. This man needs at least $250,000 to fund the type of defense hes going to need for this case, she said. Whether or not Gingles wants to keep his attorneys is another question. Earlier in the hearing Friday, he said that he wanted to stay with his current counsel. But in the jail calls, he repeatedly criticized them. In some calls, he talked about hiring his divorce attorney, Vanessa Lezcano, for his criminal case, and asked for his friend to have his cousin take care of the retainer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre basically working with the prosecutor against me, Gingles said of his attorneys during one call. I mean, out of every lawyer youve had, you only had one that actually did anything, the friend replied. Yeah, she was from Miami, thats why, Gingles said, laughing. The Broward attorneys here are all corrupt. The hearing grew increasingly contentious as the jail calls were played. At one point, Halperin accused the prosecution of trying to get him and Gonzalez taken off the case because their replacement would do a worse job. He said he wanted to be there while all of the jail calls were played rather than have prosecutors send them to the judge outside of Fridays hearing. A frustrated Judge Garcia-Wood eventually ended the hearing without issuing an order, saying she didnt think the jail calls were relevant. She will enter an order on Gingles eligibility for a private attorney on Monday. A viral video on X is drawing attention after a Fort Worth woman allegedly witnessed what she described as an organized scheme involving illegal immigrants using a check-cashing business to send money to Mexico while also receiving taxpayer-funded benefits. In the video, the woman, who goes by the username justash_4.0, described what she saw at a local check-cashing business: This little check cashing place called Cambiamos Cheques. Its a place where you go if you dont have a bank or very good ID, and they charge you a fee and you cash your check. And of course every Friday there was a line of people from the neighborhood, getting their check cash. And one thing I noticed one day is that certain people would go and cash their check in the, you know, the check cashing area. And then theyd move right down to the Western Union window where they would send money, she said. She said a friend explained why the Western Union line was always long: Then she proceeded to explain to me that its mostly illegal immigrants that are here working under the table, taking their checks and getting them cashed and then sending most of that money. They would keep maybe a couple hundred bucks out of their check and send most of it back to their families in Mexico, she said. According to the woman, the problem is compounded because many of these individuals also receive government benefits despite not being in the country legally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BBVA Research reported that Mexico received more than $64 billion in remittances in 2024, a 2.3% increase from 2023s $63 billion. Texas and California accounted for nearly half about 47% of all remittances from the United States to Mexico. In December 2024, remittances to Mexico dropped 4.9% year-over-year to $5.2 billion, marking the steepest decline in more than a decade. The decline came shortly after President Donald Trumps re-election and his administrations renewed focus on mass deportations and southern border security. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, more than 100,000 Americans applied to join U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within two weeks of Trumps July 2025 announcement that he would hire 10,000 new agents. The Department of Homeland Security said ICE had already received 80,000 applications by August 6. According to the Economic Policy Innovation Center, the BidenHarris administration has been accused of exploiting loopholes in the 1996 welfare reform law which restricted benefits to qualified aliens, to provide programs such as food stamps, child nutrition assistance, and supplemental security income to illegal aliens. The Dallas Express reached out to justash_4.0 for comment, but did not receive a response. OVERTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) A joint investigation involving the sexual exploitation of a minor has led to the arrest of two Livingston men, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Authorities said special agents with the TBI launched an investigation in July after they received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Gallatin man pleads guilty to attempted enticement of minor Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the investigation, agents reportedly determined that Payton York, 20, and Perrion Cruz, 22, created and distributed images and videos of a minor engaged in sexual acts. On Wednesday, Aug. 13, the Overton Grand Jury indicted York and Cruz, charging them with six counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and 13 counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor. Investigators from several agencies including, the Overton County Sheriffs Department, the Livingston Police Department, the 13th Judicial District Attorneys General Office and TBIsearched Cruzs home and took him into custody. CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime-related reports from across Middle Tennessee Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, York was arrested in Gallatin and later taken to the Overton County Sheriffs Department. Officials said both men were each booked into the Overton County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond. Anyone with information about this case or other cases of online child exploitation are advised to contact the TBI Tipline at 1-800-TBI-FIND, or report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children cybertipline at cyberTipline.org. 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. KXAN (AUSTIN) After years of legal delays, the Texas Education Agency released accountability ratings on Friday, showing how public schools performed in 2024 and 2025. The ratings paint a precarious picture for three Austin Independent School District campuses that have already undergone significant changes ahead of the new school year. For some Austin ISD parents, the newly released ratings will not come as a shock. Over the last several months, district leaders warned parents that when the 2024 ratings are officially released, Dobie, Burnet and Webb middle schools are likely to receive their third consecutive F rating. With the addition of the 2025 ratings, all three schools have now racked up four failing scores. The latest scores put the district in a challenging position to improve all three campuses by a letter grade in the new school year or face district-wide state intervention similar to what happened with the Houston Independent School District, where the state appointed a new superintendent and board of managers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Austin ISD parents rally outside TEA amid concerns over school turnaround plans Despite a steady string of unacceptable ratings, among the three schools, there is a story of progress if you look past the letter grade. Dobie Middle School received its fourth F grade in 2025; however, the districts data showed that the campus climbed 13 points from 46 in 2024 to 59 in 2025. The district data showed Dobie and Webb were both one point shy of earning a D, which would delay but not necessarily prevent further state intervention. They are right there, Segura said. We are confident that this year, with the focus and support, we are going to make significant gains. Deeply Problematic District-wide, the results reveal other challenges and successes on Austin ISD campuses. Five schools that were previously failing in 2024 earned C grades which is considered an acceptable score in the state accountability rating system (Langford ES, Galindo ES, LBJ ECHS, Northeast ECHS, and Perez ES). However, 12 schools earned their third F putting them on a path similar to Dobie, Burnet and Webb. That is a very significant problem, and that is a problem that doesnt just happen on its own. We have examples of districts that dont see anything close to that in terms of their internal challenges, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said about Austin ISDs scores. There are some factors that appear to be unique to Austin ISD that are deeply problematic in terms of supporting the most at-risk families. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Austin school board approves turnaround plan for schools with unacceptable state ratings Morath said the release of the 2024 and 2025 A-F ratings marks a return to clarity and accountability. The scores for 2023 and then 2024 were previously held up in court after a coalition of Texas school districts sued the commissioner to prevent the scores under the revamped accountability system from being released. According to the agency, the ratings of most Texas schools from 2024 to 2025 remained unchanged, but 31 percent of campuses improved their letter grade, while 15 percent saw a decline. Morath also said more than 360 high poverty schools in Texas received an A rating. We have a huge number of proof points in Texas that poverty is not destiny, Morath said. This is really a testimony to the hard work of the principals and the teachers, really all those that are involved in those schools to change the trajectory of the lives of the students that were on those campuses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TEA has posted 2025 A-F ratings for school systems and campuses on TXschools.gov. 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. A new directive signed last week by President Donald Trump gives the Pentagon authorization to use military force against Latin American drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations, according to administration sources. A U.S. official familiar with the matter confirmed to Rolling Stone certain details regarding the Trump-signed directive, which was first reported by The New York Times. Other knowledgeable sources, working in or close to this iteration of the Trump White House, say that unless Mexico gives Trump what he wants, this administration is serious about attacking its neighbor to the south. And according to administration officials and others familiar with the Trump administration preparations, its not a bluff: This American president wants to violently breach Mexicos sovereignty if and when he feels like it. He, after all, effectively campaigned on doing so during his 2024 bid. Just dont call any of this a plan for an invasion, U.S. government officials implore. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking about the new directive, a senior administration official says, Its not a negotiating tactic. Its not Art of the Deal. The president has been clear that a strike is coming unless we see some big, major changes. Indeed, this seems less like a negotiating tactic and more like a Mafia-style intimidation campaign, with the supposed goal of extorting the Mexican government into miraculously solving Americas fentanyl crisis. But that doesnt make the threat to Mexicos sovereignty any less real. In response to Trumps directive to target drug cartels, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum last week rejected the use of U.S. military forces in Mexico. But earlier this week, Mexico extradited 26 alleged cartel members to the United States in a move hailed by Attorney General Pam Bondi as part of the Trump administrations historic efforts to dismantle cartels and foreign terrorist organizations. The fugitives face a variety of federal and state charges, including drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and money laundering. Among those apprehended are leaders from major drug cartels, including the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG). A similar transfer occurred in February, when 29 cartel members were sent to the United States by the Mexican government. Both transfers came in the wake of saber-rattling by the Trump administration. The moves, according to experts tracking cartel operations, are an attempt to stave off U.S. military intervention and preserve ongoing trade negotiations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For years, Trump and other leaders in the Republican Party have openly threatened Mexico with an American invasion, citing the fentanyl crisis and drug cartels as a justification. The GOP and its leader are not shy about this: They openly talk about it and embrace it as if its sound policy. At a December event held at Harvard University to discuss the 2024 election, Rolling Stone asked several Trump lieutenants why the then-president-elect and other Republicans kept talking so much about invading Mexico. James Blair, now a White House deputy chief of staff, replied with a straight face that candidate Trump never proposed invading Mexico. (As recently as late January, the president told reporters that he absolutely was not taking the possibility of sending U.S. special ops into Mexico off the table. Could happen, he said, adding that stranger things have happened.) The administration took a first step in January, when the State Department declared eight cartels the Sinaloa cartel, CJNG, the Northeast cartel, the Michoacan family, the United Cartels, and the Gulf Cartel to be foreign terrorist organizations. The Salvadoran MS-13 and the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang were also on the list. This designation triggers U.S. sanctions, including asset freezes, restrictions on financial transactions, and prohibitions on U.S. citizens and organizations providing support. But Geoffrey Corn, director of the Center for Military Law and Policy at Texas Tech University School of Law, says the terror designations dont authorize the use of force. You have to make a credible argument that the U.S. faces an armed attack, says Corn, a retired U.S. Army judge advocate officer who served as the Armys senior law of war adviser. This characterization that were under attack by these cartels is essential to using the presidents war powers. (The terror designations also provided the justification to ship hundreds of Venezuelan migrants to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He argues that the Trump administration has characterized migration as an invasion, so it isnt a stretch to think theyd consider the shipment of drugs as an attack. Corn admits he could craft an argument that drugs are an attack, Mexico is unable to prevent use of its territory for this attack, and special operations raids are thus a proportional response. But is that a viable policy? America tried to shoot its way out of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with disastrous effects. It is really easy to get the United States into a war and very hard to get us out, Corn tells Rolling Stone, adding that there is little to check military adventurism after the attacks on Sept. 11. Its gotten too easy to go to war. And Trump, despite campaigning as a peace president, seems eager to rely on the military as his hammer, deploying troops to Los Angeles to quell protests against immigration raids and now to Washington, D.C., after a group of teens allegedly beat up a Trump administration staffer known as Big Balls. When your only tool is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail, Corn says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rolling Stone reported in November that Trumps incoming administration was considering a soft invasion of Mexico, in which American special operations would be sent covertly to assassinate cartel leaders. Potential plans on the table at the time included everything from drone strikes and commando raids, airstrikes on cartel infrastructure or drug labs, sending in military trainers and advisers, and waging cyber warfare against drug lords and their networks. But a former intelligence officer whos been tracking the issue says the new Trump directive is bigger than just the Mexican cartels. The focus is on interrupting cartel operations throughout the region. Before the terror announcement, the U.S. military and CIA were already increasing surveillance flights of Mexican drug cartels. The drone flights are part of the ongoing blitz of surveillance flights likely intercepting and decrypting cell phone signals near the southern border. U.S. officials say since Trump was sworn back into office in January, there have been multiple Pentagon, White House, and intelligence-strategy meetings on how to use the American military for cartel operations, and that the president and some of his top advisers have personally demanded items like target lists for potential drone strikes on Mexican territory. A Defense Department source says units at Fort Bragg are preparing target packages. The source declined to share which unit or who the targets might be, but the North Carolina post is home to both the Army Special Operations Command and the Joint Special Operations Command, which oversees Delta Force and Seal Team Six. A federal agent working on the southern border says there has been an extreme refocusing on cartel operations in the past few months. In the blood sport of interagency cooperation, the agent says there was a real sense of cooperation, including intelligence sharing with agencies usually focused on external threats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If, or when, Trump decides to blow something up in Mexico, he will be presented with an already prepared menu of options, sources say, which would include possible targets like high-profile cartel hubs or leadership hideouts, or drug-making facilities, as identified by American intelligence gathering. Stefano Ritondale, a former Army intelligence officer who uses the handle All Source News on X, says if the Trump administration does act, the target will likely be big and symbolic. Why piss off the Mexican government for a chemist or arms dealer or money launderer? says Ritondale, who also works as chief intelligence officer for Artorias, a private intelligence and data analysis company. In such a scenario, the president, according to those whove spoken to him about this, would want a target deemed important enough to drug-lord operations that he could go on TV to make a national address and tout the historic nature of the military operation, as he did with the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. If Ritondale was betting, his money is on Nemesio Oseguera, also known as El Mencho, the leader of CJNG. The U.S. government has offered a reward of $10 million for information leading to his arrest, one of the highest bounties ever offered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement El Mencho is the only person worth doing it, he says. One of the six designated cartels, CJNG, is considered by the Mexican government to be the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico. With assets estimated at $20 billion, CJNG generates revenue from drugs like fentanyl and cocaine as well as extorting the tortilla, avocado, lime, and chicken industries. Fuel theft and counterfeit timeshare dealing also provide a revenue stream. On Wednesday, the U.S. Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four individuals and 13 companies in Mexico for timeshare fraud orchestrated by the CJNG. Another target might be Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, a key leader within Los Chapitos. Known as El Chapito, the factions primary business is international drug trafficking, and it has dominated smuggling fentanyl into the United States. The narcos are paying attention, says Mica Trevino, who runs CartelInsider.com, a website dedicated to researching the cartels. For now, their focus is still on their rivals. Even so, nobodys missing the fact that the U.S. is circling overhead, watching every move. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A strike against a cartel leader would likely do little to accomplish the mission of stopping the flow of drugs across the southern border. Carolyn Gallaher, a professor studying guerrilla and paramilitary violence at American Universitys School of International Service, told Rolling Stone in January that a campaign to decapitate the cartels would only create a succession crisis that would be settled with violence, and would ultimately do little to accomplish the administrations goals of stemming the flow of drugs. This sentiment is echoed by the agent near the border. No matter if you take someone off the street, there are countless guys behind them to take that spot, the agent says. Will they adapt? Absolutely. Will they recover? Yes. They will not cease to operate. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. NEED TO KNOW Lily King died in Morocco in June 2024 while visiting with her mother, who was born there According to a coroner's report, Lily's fatal allergic reaction was "avoidable" Her parents, Aicha and Michael, say they hope that by bringing attention to the circumstances surrounding her death, they can build allergy awareness Like many college students, 18-year-old Lily King was elated after learning that she had passed her first year at Exeter University, in England, in June 2024. She and her mom, Aicha, 57, were on a weeklong trip to Morocco when she got the news, Aicha tells PEOPLE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To celebrate on their final night, Lily suggested they go back to the same restaurant they had visited for her 17th birthday, in the capital city of Rabat. Aicha wasn't easily convinced: What might have seemed like a routine outing for most people posed a greater risk for Lily, who was allergic to dairy, nuts, fish, sesame and most seafood. Every time they traveled together, Aicha says, she would bring food that she knew was safe for her daughter to eat and she would make sure Lily had packed her EpiPen and antihistamine pills in case she had an allergic reaction. Lily assured her mom that she would be cautious, so Aicha agreed to go. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the restaurant, however, Lily consumed something that either contained an allergen or that had cross-contamination such as from the cooking oil, prompting a reaction and then, days later, Lily's death on June 23, 2024, according to her parents, Aicha and Michael King. Since then, the family has become increasingly vocal, hoping to warn others in similar situations, they say. A coroner's report reviewed by PEOPLE states that Lily died from cardiorespiratory arrest caused by anaphylaxis "after eating a contaminated meal." Lily's death was "avoidable," wrote Dr. Sean Cummings, a Milton Keynes coroner in the U.K. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our hope is to spread the word that going anywhere on holiday with your children, if they have a serious allergy, is a danger," Michael, 74, tells PEOPLE in his and his wife's first interview with an American news outlet. He believes his daughter was put in peril by restaurant staff who did not understand the risks of severe food allergies. Representatives of the restaurant, Maya Restaurant and Lounge, could not be reached for comment. The eatery also declined to respond to a message from PEOPLE sent online. 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 Michael King Lily King Lily King Michael, who lives with his wife in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, says he had tried to warn Lily but she was 18 and wanted to live her life. Still, he says, she was very careful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "She had allergic reactions throughout her young life, but they weren't serious, none of them required an EpiPen," Michael says. In most of those instances, according to her family, Lily took an antihistamine that was able to stop any further reaction. Only rarely were the symptoms more serious. During her first year of college, at a music festival near her university, she ate a hamburger which was not uncommon for her and had not been a problem. That time, however, she had her first anaphylactic shock because of an ingredient she wasn't aware of. "She was very lucky, because there was an ambulance service there at the festival, and she was taken there very quickly," Michael says. "They administered her EpiPen and gave her more adrenaline." (She did, however, pass out in the ambulance, her dad says.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lily's experience was far different in Morocco: Aicha, who was born in Morocco, visited her native country with her daughter at least once a year. Sometimes Michael would join them. "She thought she was safe because her mum was with her, and her mum speaks the language already," Michael says. As soon as Lily and Aicha got to the restaurant on the night of June 19, 2024, Aicha, who speaks fluent Arabic, says she alerted their server three times to Lily's allergies and also told other staff. "'Be careful, my daughter, she's allergic to this and this and this," Aicha says she told their waiter before ordering grilled chicken and chips. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She says the man serving them told her not to worry and assured her that he was taking the matter seriously. "And Lily, she told him, in Arabic, 'I'm not going to be killed,' " Aicha says. Aicha says she was served a small basket with chips, chicken, mixed vegetables and pepper sauce. She says Lily tasted what she believed was a carrot. In the dimly lit restaurant, Aicha thought the carrots were prawns and worried that the pepper sauce contained dairy, which Lily was allergic to concerns she says she relayed in Arabic to her server. She says he again assured her that they were in fact carrots cooked in olive oil. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But within minutes of biting the carrot, Lily began to have a reaction. "She said to me, 'Mom, my tongue is itchy,' " Aicha says. That always happened before Lily had an allergic reaction. "I said to her, 'Get up, we're going to hospital.' " Lily took an antihistamine and told her mother she was fine, Aicha says, but Aicha insisted they leave. The teen went to the restroom and then headed outside for some fresh air, where her mother watched fearfully as her condition rapidly worsened. Aicha says she then called an ambulance. Lily took her EpiPen, gave herself a second injection and shared a wrenching exchange with her mother. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even now, Aicha begins to cry as she recalls how Lily told her, "Mom, I'm sorry. I love you. I love you, Mom. But goodbye." Soon, she fell unconscious. Michael King Lily King Lily King Aicha says treatment was delayed because the ambulance didn't arrive and the restaurant demanded she settle her bill before leaving. She was eventually able to get Lily to the hospital in her nephew's car. By this time, Michael says, Lily was "totally unresponsive." She'd had a catatonic seizure, Aicha says. Subsequent scans showed she had no brain activity. When Michael arrived in Morocco, a doctor told him Lily's prognosis was poor. She was eventually taken off the support therapies keeping her alive, but she continued to receive oxygen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her mom and dad sat with her as her heartbeat gradually became weaker. Then she died. Lily, who was studying economics, was the couple's only daughter; Aicha had three previous miscarriages. (Michael had three kids in a previous marriage.) They say they don't want more parents to suffer the way they are. "We really just want to help other people to make informed decisions about what they do about food intake when they're in countries where they don't speak the language," Michael says, "or where regulations aren't applied that are as strict as they may be in their own country." Read the original article on People Telegram CEO Pavel Durov asked his father what advice he'd give as he turned 80. Durov's father, an expert in Ancient Rome, said to lead by example and focus on the positive. Durov also said his father advised him to prioritize his "moral compass." Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, shared three pieces of advice his dad gave him for leading the messaging app. "A month ago, my father a leading expert in Ancient Roman literature turned 80. I asked what advice I should pass to the next generation," the Russian entrepreneur wrote in a post on X on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Valery Durov was head of classical philology the study of language in historical sources at St Petersburg State University until 2013, the year Pavel cofounded the encrypted messaging service with his brother Nikolai. Durov shared his father's advice on the 12th anniversary of Telegram's founding. He said his father's first tip was to lead by example because, "People especially kids follow what you do, not what you say." "Watching my father work tirelessly on numerous books and scientific papers showed me and my brother the meaning of dedication and inspired us to work hard too," Durov added. Durov said his father's second piece of advice was to focus on the positive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Growing up in post-war Leningrad, my father learned to control emotions to be a positive force for his family, colleagues, and society," Durov wrote. "He taught me to frame thoughts in ways that bring the most good, even in hard times." The tech billionaire said his father's final advice stemmed from his study and translation of figures like Julius Caesar and Seneca. Valery Durov advised prioritising conscience, his son wrote on X, because he believed a person's moral compass, "unlike intelligence or creativity, is the ultimate human quality that will not lose value even in the age of AI," he said. Durov said in March that the app has a billion active users and called WhatsApp "a cheap, watered-down imitation of Telegram." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Durov was arrested in France last August over claims Telegram was being used by criminals to facilitate money laundering, drug trafficking, and other offenses. He later said the app had faced some "growing pains" that made it easier for criminals to abuse but added, "Claims in some media that Telegram is some sort of anarchic paradise are absolutely untrue." He later announced Telegram had changed its user data and privacy policies to respond to law enforcement requests for criminal users' details. Read the original article on Business Insider A teenager who was catfished by a prolific sex offender has urged other young victims not to be "embarrassed" and to tell someone they trust about the abuse. Immy, which is not her real name, was tricked into befriending Max Hollingsbee online. He went on to threaten her into providing naked images. Now 18, she was the first person to report his crimes to the police. Detectives went on to uncover 13 other girls and young women who he targeted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hollingsbee, 21, from Lurgan, County Armagh, was jailed for five years for a litany of offences including causing children under 16 to engage in sexual activity. His crimes fall into the broader field of online catfishing, where someone uses a false identity to gain the trust of a person before exploiting them. Hollingsbee was 17 when he started his campaign of abuse. He pretended to be a younger boy or girl when contacting other young people before blackmailing them. Immy was 15 when she was targeted. She recalled the "immediate panic" she felt when she realised she was being catfished. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She had been educated about catfishing in school but didn't think it could happen to her. "In the moment you're so stressed. So my immediate thought was leg it to my mum's room. "I just shoved the phone straight into my mum's hands and I went: 'Help. What do I do?' "And she then phoned the police." Although catfishing is not a specific crime in Northern Ireland, suspects can be prosecuted under other laws. There are thousands of sexual offences against children reported in Northern Ireland every year. Figures released to BBC News NI though a Freedom of Information request show the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) made 478 arrests for sexual communication with a child between 2019 and 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the same period, 175 people were convicted of sexual communications with a child. The PSNI also recorded 799 offences in 2024 relating to the taking, possessing, sharing or publishing of indecent images of children. Alexander McCartney among NI 'catfish' cases Max Hollingsbee is not the only "catfish" to have appeared in Northern Ireland's courts. Another young man from County Tyrone is awaiting sentencing on similar offences. And last October, Alexander McCartney was jailed for at least 20 years in what was described as the UK's largest catfishing case. He had abused thousands of children around the world and the extreme nature of his demands led to the death of a young girl in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case spurred the PSNI's new Trust Trap campaign, which uses footage from a BBC documentary on McCartney. According to PSNI Det Supt Jordan Piper "groomers like McCartney and Hollingsbee operate in a very similar way, concealing their identity online and pretending to be the same age as a child". "They use fake profile pictures, pretending to have similar interests to gain the trust of the child before steering the conversation to a sexual nature." Prosecutors said the availability of social media means the stereotypical image of a child sex offender is changing. Catherine Kierans, acting director of the Public Prosection Service (PPS), said there had been a number of cases involving young males abusing children and young people online and that "trend seems to be continuing". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "People have this image of paedophiles being creepy older men, but we are seeing younger and younger male offenders, perhaps because they have computer skills to follow through with their impulses." Ms Kierans urged parents to monitor their children's internet habits. Ms Kierans said Hollingsbee, McCartney and the case in County Tyrone were not connected but the crimes had common themes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All were teenagers when they began seeking out younger victims, many of the children they targeted lived abroad and they also used popular social media apps to find and abuse victims, including Snapchat and Wizz. How does catfishing affect children? Abusers make fake accounts on online platforms to entrap and manipulate young poeple, police say [Getty Images] Marcella Leonard, an expert in the assessment and treatment of sexual trauma, said this type of offending has evolved over time. She said that while the "recording of harm" is not new, the "diversity, breadth and capability of that technology, and how that has changed the type of harm" is. One of the "biggest lessons from McCartney" was the impact on children "being made to do things, to harm themselves, by being blackmailed", she added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "But also when an image is being taken of that, they think about: 'Where is that photograph, who has got that, how many copies have been made?'" Immy was diagnosed with anxiety after her experience with Hollingsbee and missed out on school during her GCSE year. What can parents do about catfishing? The issue doesn't just impact teenagers, according to online safety expert Wayne Denner. "I'm in primary schools three or four times a week," he said. "Three or four years ago, it would have been mostly secondary schools." Mr Denner said abusers use online games, such as Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnite, as well as messaging apps, with more children "getting access to technology from a younger age". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said using technology "in the bedroom, with the door closed, is not a good idea" and urged grandparents, as well as parents, to educate themselves. What can social media companies do about catfishing? Catherine Kierans has been involved in the prosecution of several high-profile online abuser cases [BBC] The Online Safety Act came into force across the UK on 25 July. Internet firms must now adopt measures including stricter age verification and identifying a person in their company "accountable for children's safety". A number of campaigners want to see even stricter rules for tech firms or social media bans for under-16s. A spokesperson for Wizz said the firm "takes the subject of catfishing very seriously and is fully committed to protecting our users". It referred BBC News NI to its online safety engagement policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Snapchat said the sexual exploitation of any young person is horrific, illegal, and against its policies. Catherine Kierans acknowledged it takes bravery for young people, like Immy, to come forward. "This type of behaviour is very compulsive and these offenders seek bigger and bigger hits. "They leave a footprint online that police can follow." Immy said she was grateful to her mum for contacting police. "Even with the relationship I have with my parents, it's still a very embarrassing conversation to have to have. "If you don't tell someone who can think rationally in a situation like that, it could have ended very, very differently for me, 100%." If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for support. NJ Transit bus riders traveling to Hoboken got a surprise this week, after a new, temporary bus facility opened adjacent to the busy Hoboken rail and PATH terminal as a new one is built as part of a massive development. The eight-lane open air temporary terminal accommodates the 10 interstate and local bus routes that serve Hoboken. It was built on the site of a parking lot, replacing the old terminal which had through lanes protected by a large canopy. It opened on Aug. 9, said John Chartier, an NJ Transit spokesperson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Construction of the temporary bus terminal for commuters began in March and is among the first work of the larger Hoboken Connect 21-story residential and office development at Hoboken Terminal. It will accommodate the same volume of buses and passengers as the old terminal. During rush hour, passengers will queue up in the designated passenger loading areas within the lanes for their specific bus lines, Chartier said. The interim bus terminal was constructed on an existing NJ Transit-owned parking lot near the River Street and Hudson Place intersection close to Hoboken Terminal and the existing bus facility. It will be in use for the next six to eight months, Chartier said. The temporary terminal requires buses to pull in and back out of parking slots. Bus shelters have been installed along the sidewalk. The old NJ Transit bus terminal on River Street in Hoboken is now closed until a new permanent replacement is built adjacent to Hoboken rail and PATH Terminal as part of the "Hoboken Connect Project" and a new mixed use development. The old bus terminal was built in 1949 after Public Service buses replaced a trolley system, the ancestor of todays light rail lines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bus Terminal work is part of a larger project by development company LCOR dubbed Hoboken Connect, a multi-phased project consisting of mixed-use commercial and residential development. That project also includes public infrastructure improvements to the Hoboken Bus Terminal, Ferry Terminal Building and the surrounding Warrington Plaza. The $900 million project includes $176 million to fund the public portion of the project from the New Jersey Debt Defeasance fund. The bus terminal will be redeveloped as part of public space improvements within the broader Hoboken Connect project, Chartier said. Redevelopment will improve intermodal connectivity while enhancing the overall commuter experience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to the public infrastructure improvements, the development includes a 21-story office building with an expansive rooftop terrace, a 386-unit mixed-use residential building, called Charlie, with 5,000 square feet of retail space and proximity to multiple transportation options, including rail, bus, ferry, light rail and PATH services. The 27-story Charlie building would be located on the southern side of Observer Highway between Bloomfield and Washington streets. It would comprise 386 units, 20 of which would be affordable housing. Construction work has started in the Hoboken train yard along Observer Highway and required relocating the bike lane. In 2022, Gov. Phil Murphy and Hoboken city and Hudson County legislators celebrated a groundbreaking in the ferry terminal being redeveloped by LCOR. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X@CommutingLarry and on BlueSky@commutinglarry.bsky.social (The Center Square) Ten health care providers accused of stealing nearly $2 million from Medicaid have been indicted, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said Friday. Overall, nine home-health aides and one home-delivered meals provider face felony charges of Medicaid fraud and theft for allegedly billing Medicaid for services they didnt provide. Two of those charged accounted for more than $1.7 million of the total $1.9 million in fraud. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Would-be thieves ought to think twice before setting their sights on Medicaid dollars, Yost said. Our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is always on the lookout for sticky-fingered criminals to bring to justice. According to the indictment, Terri Cotton, 54, of Cleveland, regularly billed Medicaid for two years for up to 100 home-delivered meals a day for four different clients. The total loss to Medicaid was $1.27 million. Also, law enforcement records show Juan Watson, 36, of Cleveland, often billed for 16 hours of services a day, but clients said those services lasted only a few hours. He also is accused of billing for services when he was traveling out of state. The losses totaled $431,579. Others indicted included: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gabrielle Trudell Carn, 36, of Columbus, was removed from a clients plan of care in February 2024 but allegedly continued to bill for 10 hours of services almost daily for six more months, causing a $33,368 loss for Medicaid. Records show that Shylynn Flint, 24, of Blanchester, billed for services when she was traveling in Las Vegas and for dates on which she had canceled or missed shifts, leading to a $5,217 loss for Medicaid. Two clients reported that Toya Hale, 52, of Canton, failed to provide services, but a third client claimed Hale never missed a shift. Reviewing Cash App transactions, investigators determined that Hale and the third client were engaged in a kickback scheme. Also, some services in Hales billing records overlapped with her job at the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. The loss to Medicaid totaled $10,204. Creshawnda Hughes, 33, of Akron, allegedly billed for more hours of services than she provided, claiming reimbursement for up to eight hours per shift when she had worked only two hours. The loss to Medicaid totaled $25,900. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Airline and hotel records show that Regina Johnson, 34, of Avon, was traveling in Florida, Massachusetts and Texas on dates she billed for services, leading to a $20,140 loss for Medicaid. When confronted by investigators, she confessed to submitting the fraudulent claims. Yolanda Knox, 50, of Dayton, allegedly billed for services when traveling, when clients were not home and on holidays and weekends when she did not work. In some cases, Knox sent her adult children to provide services on her behalf. The loss to Medicaid totaled $56,666. Sirina Powell, 50, of Canton, allegedly used her mothers name and provider credentials to bill Medicaid for services, including some that were never provided. According to clients, Powell also went by her mothers name when providing services. The loss to Medicaid totaled $5,758. A customer reported that Cheyenne Williams, 61, of Cleveland, stopped providing services in March 2024, but records show that she continued to bill Medicaid for 10 more months. Williams also allegedly billed for holidays she did not work. The loss to Medicaid totaled $19,726. The state Attorney Generals Office has filed subpoenas compelling abortion information from four Tennessee hospitals as part of an ongoing lawsuit challenging Tennessees abortion ban. The group includes Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Heritage Medical Associates, Womens Group of Franklin and Ascension St. Thomas Medical Partners UT OBGYN Center, according to Davidson County Chancery Court records. The subpoenas filed earlier this year request broad information including the number of abortions performed, policies and guidelines under the states abortion law and documents and communications relating to abortion care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Vanderbilt, for example, the subpoena asks for information from the medical centers Abortion Committee regarding its final decisions and the medical conditions involved in cases considered for abortions since July 2022. The subpoenas allow the hospitals to preserve patient confidentiality as necessary. A protective order bars the information from being used outside of the lawsuits, and hospitals have pushed back on the subpoenas citing patient privacy laws and other concerns. The Tennessee Attorney General's Office in a statement said it asked to pause discovery, but "the plaintiffs insisted on moving forward," adding that subpoenas are an "unremarkable part of civil litigation." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The plaintiffs lawsuit asserts that Tennessee doctors cannot know how to follow Tennessees abortion law, so evidence of how doctors have followed Tennessees abortion law is highly relevant to the case." Vanderbilt University Medical Center declined comment. Representatives for the other facilities could not be reached for comment. Filed in 2023, the lawsuit comes from a group of Tennessee women who say their lives were endangered after they were denied emergency abortions under the states ban. The lawsuit also includes the American Medical Association and two Tennessee physicians who say they fear persecution if they provide lifesaving care. The group is represented by the Center for Reproductive Health, a New York-based nonprofit law firm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tennessee has had a near-total abortion ban since August 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion in its Dobbs v. Jackson decision. State law includes some exceptions for medical emergencies, but there are no exceptions for pregnancies with fetal abnormalities nor for victims of rape and incest. The lawsuit, one of the first major challenges to the states ban, argues that the law is too restrictive about when doctors can legally terminate a pregnancy in medical emergencies. They say the law is so vague that physicians are not performing medically necessary abortions out of fear of repercussions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the battle plays out in court, the Attorney Generals Office is fighting to have the case dismissed following a new state law that went into effect this year adding exceptions for medical emergencies. State attorneys arguing before a three-judge panel in July said the new law gives more clarity for doctors and makes the lawsuit unnecessary. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said the law does nothing to clarify when Tennesseans can get the care they need. The three-judge panel has yet to rule. Linda Goldstein, Senior Counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights in a statement said doctors are still confused and scared, and pregnant people are still suffering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state seems less concerned about protecting patients than about creating a smokescreen to obscure the devastating impact of Tennessees criminal abortion ban, she said. Doctors need reassurance that they wont be thrown into jail for providing their patients with medically necessary care. Patients need to know that they will be taken care of instead of being forced to get sicker or travel to another state for care. The case is set for trial next year. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee AG's office subpoenas hospital abortion records for lawsuit Editors note: The video above aired in a previous newscast. NEW YORK (PIX11) Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to descend on Manhattan for the Stop Starving Gaza march this Saturday, organizers said. The blockade of Gaza has created a devastating hunger crisis that worsens daily as Palestinians continue to die of starvation and malnutrition, The Peoples Forum wrote on X. Now, reports show the US is working with Israel to tie future aid to Israeli plans for full occupation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More Local News Israels finance minister announced on Thursday a new settlement project in the West Bank, which critics and Palestinians argued would cut the territory into two separate parts. Israel has also recently been accused of starving Palestinians seeking aid, with over 100 people dying from malnutrition in Gaza since June, when Gazas Health Ministry started keeping count of deaths related to starvation. Israel denied the Gaza Health Ministrys claims, saying that packages of food and water have been airdropped into the territory and alleging that Hamas is diverting aid. Heres everything you need to know about the Stop Starving Gaza protest: Where The protest will start at the steps of the New York Public Library near Bryant Park at 2 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protesters who cant make it to the march are encouraged to wear kuffiyehs or black armbands, picket Israeli embassies and consulates, walk out from work or school, host speak-outs and rally in front of businesses that profit from Israeli business in Gaza. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Organizations The organizations behind the upcoming protest include the Palestinian Youth Movement, National Students for Justice in Palestine, ANSWER Coalition, The Peoples Forum, International Peoples Assembly, Al-Awda-NY and the Palestinian American Community Center of New Jersey (PACC). PIX11 News reached out to the NYPD for comment on the upcoming protest. For more information, including how to get to the city by bus, click here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This story comprises reporting from The Associated Press. Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here. Copyright 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. Former Senior National Correspondent at ABC News, Terry Moran, who was fired earlier this year for making posts critical of Donald Trump and his advisor, Stephen Miller, kicked off an argument about US and Russian relations on CNNs NewsNight with Abby Phillip on Thursday (August 14). The debate revolved around President Trumps meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, taking place later today (Friday, August 15) to discuss how to bring an end to Russias ongoing war with Ukraine. Phillip and the panel discussed what could be achieved by this meeting, as well as which world leader had the upper hand. Author and columnist Batya Ungar-Sargon told Phillip that the upcoming meeting is Putins last chance to prove to Trump that he is a logical actor and wants to bring an end [to the conflict], per Mediaite. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Phillip replied that the Russian President has been very clear about the Ukraine invasion being about his view of the Russian Empire, Moran chimed in to agree with the host, sharing his view on the Trump and Putin relationship. Theres something about Trump and Putin, from the beginning, the former ABC Chief Foreign Correspondent said. I was in Helsinki as well. Trump is an alpha male in every room he walks into until Vladimir Putin is there. He continued, I was there. You could feel it in the room. Now Im not saying that Putin has anything on him, but I think theres no question that he has trouble with this guy. Ungar-Sargon interrupted to say, This sounds like RussiaGate hoax to me. I dont know. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Phillip backed Moran up, noting, I dont think it has anything to do with Russia. Its more of an interpersonal thing between the two of them and you cant explain it. Its an interpersonal thing, Moran added. Fellow guest panelist Tiffany Cross, who was let go from MSNBC in 2022, disagreed with Morans description of Trump. I think you can call him an alpha male, depending on your definition of what an alpha male is. Hes not an alpha male to me, she stated. He performs, Moran explained. But Cross wasnt buying it, saying, [Trumps] an insecure, very insecure little person. Ahead of Thursdays show, Moran took to X to promote his appearance, writing, Ill be on CNN Newsnight with Abby Phillip tonight at 10PM Eastern. Its a show Ive admired for a whilehow Abby includes voices from both sides of our great divide, and keeps it civil even when sparks fly. Especially then! Check it out! You can watch a video of the segment at this link and let us know your thoughts below. CNN NewsNight, Weeknights, 10/9c, CNN Read the latest entertainment news on TV Insider. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has joined a multistate coalition backing a wounded Army veterans Supreme Court case against a military contractor whose alleged negligence led to a deadly Taliban bombing at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. The case centers on former Army Specialist Winston Hencely, who was severely injured in 2016 when a Taliban-affiliated employee hired by Fluor Corporation detonated a bomb during a Veterans Day 5k run, killing five Americans and wounding sixteen others. The bomber, employed by Fluor despite known terrorist connections, built the explosive using materials found on base while under the contractors supervision. An Army investigation concluded that Fluors complacency and its lack of reasonable supervision was the primary cause of the tragedy, according to a court filing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hencely sued Fluor under South Carolina law, but the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the case. The court wrongly applied the Federal Tort Claims Act, which shields the government from combat-related lawsuits but explicitly excludes private contractors, according to a press release from Paxtons office. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case this fall after Paxton and other state attorneys general filed an amicus brief supporting Hencely. Our military servicemembers and their families deserve better than a system that gives corporate contractors a free pass, Paxton said in the press release. No contractor should be allowed to hide behind legal loopholes after their egregious negligence caused the death of five Americans and endangered many others. Paxton vowed to continue fighting what he called judicial overreach that protects corporations over accountability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I will continue to stand with Winston Hencely at the U.S. Supreme Court and fight against judicial overreach that protects careless corporations instead of holding them accountable, he said. While the Federal Tort Claims Act protects government actions during combat, Congress never intended to extend such protections to private companies profiting from military contracts. (Reuters) -Texas attorney general Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into several utility companies connected to the Smokehouse Creek and Windy Deuce Fires, his office said on Friday. The office said it issued civil investigative demand letters to Xcel Energy, Osmose Utilities Services and Southwestern Public Services for documents related to the wildfires in order to ascertain if any Texas laws were violated. Shares of Xcel were down 1.6% at $71.27 in mid-day trade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, Xcel Energy had said its facilities likely started the Smokehouse Creek fire, which has destroyed dozens of homes and charred sprawling cattle ranches in the largest wildfire in recorded Texas history. "It is unconscionable that utility companies might have sacrificed infrastructure maintenance, public safety, and the well-being of our Texas communities for radical ESG and DEI goals," said Paxton in a statement. (Reporting by Tanay Dhumal in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo) Texas Democrats, who broke quorum in an attempt to prevent Republicans gerrymander of the state, on Friday said they were proud of the fight they had put up thus far in their state but signaled that chapter may be coming to a close, with the battle playing out on the national level in the future. Friday marked the final day of the special session called by Gov. Greg Abbot at the behest of President Donald Trump aimed at giving Republicans five more House seats. The scheme is part of a larger plan by Republicans to usher in an era of indefinite minority rule by changing House maps, federal law and the meaning of the Constitution to insulate themselves from the will of the voters. By Friday afternoon, Abbott had already called a second special session. In Texas, the governor is allowed to call a 30-day special session every 30 days. In order to continue blocking the Republican gerrymander, Democrats would need to stay out of the state until its too late for the Texas state government to implement new maps, a decision that is ultimately up to the courts in Texas. In practical terms, however, this would likely mean staying out of the state for upwards of a year, or potentially longer, if Abbott continues his gerrymandering efforts after the midterms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Texas Democrats said on a press call that they were proud of the fight that they had put up but suggested the gerrymander as inevitable. Im honored that I get to fight along these men and women that have come to Chicago, and have gone to California, and have gone to New York and so many other states to make sure that everyone knows that, sadly we are about to suffer the blunt force of Governor Abbotts weakness, state Rep. Ramon Romero Jr. said. We cant lay down, Romero continued. Not at this time. Were not gonna roll over the way he rolled over. Were gonna continue to fight, and we are fighting at a great cost, he said. Democrats had previously indicated that they planned to continue breaking quorum through the end of the first special session. As of Friday, Democrats in the state were set to return for the second special session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Texas lawmakers only make $600 a month for their legislative position, meaning most have day jobs that support them financially, making staying out of state long-term complex, especially considering the fees and legal costs associated with quorum breaking. The post Texas Democrats signal likely end of gerrymander battle appeared first on Salon.com. Today is Liberation Day in the State of California, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday, as he formally launched an ambitious campaign that would redraw maps in the Democratic state to counter Republican gerrymandering efforts in Texas. At the campaign launch in Little Tokyo, Newsom followed through on his warning to President Donald Trump, spearheading a plan to hold special elections in the Golden State in November. The vote, if the legislature approves, would allow the state to seek California approval to redraw its congressional district maps if another state pushes through with redistricting. Newsom said Californias redistricting plan was a direct response to Trumps plans to rig the system and secure future Republican election victories. Its not good enough to just hold hands, have a candlelight vigil, and talk about the way the world should be, he said. We have got to recognize the cards that have been dealt, and we have got to meet fire with fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plan escalates a multi-state political standoff, as Republicans hope to keep their slim majority in Congress after 2026 midterms and Democrats hope to break Trumps control of the federal government. As Border Patrol officials swarmed outside Newsoms event Thursday, in an apparent show of force against his efforts to lead an anti-Trump resistance movement, Newsom said he will not be intimidated. Several attendees carried Defend Democracy placards, while Newsom and multiple speakers spoke at a podium that read Election Rigging Response Act. A new website for a campaign with the same name shows financial backing from the House Democrats principal super PAC and Democratic megadonor Bill Bloomfield. The campaigns launch comes as Texas Democratic lawmakers, who have fled their state in protest of a redistricting push led by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, have indicated that they plan to head home upon the advice of their lawyers. Their return, which could come as early as Monday, may pave the way for the Republican redistricting plan to push through in Texas, though the Democrats also cited Californias initiative, which they said would neutralize Texas, as a reason to go back. Trump earlier said that Republicans are entitled to five more seats in Congress. The California Governor also urged other blue states to stand up against Republican congressional redistricting plans. We cant stand back and watch this democracy disappear, district by district all across this country, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newsomwho is seen as a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nominationthen appeared to direct his message to the rest of the U.S.: I hope we are waking up to this reality. Wake up America. Wake up to what Donald Trump is doing. Wake up to his assault. Wake up to the assault on institutions and knowledge and history. Wake up to his war on science, public health. His war against the American people. Californias redistricting plan On Monday, Californias legislaturewhich is exactly three-quarters Democraticplans to introduce several bills ahead of the November election. Under proposed legislation, the state would retain its Citizens Redistricting Commissionan independent commission currently composed of five Democrats, five Republicans, and four independents, which has drawn congressional district maps since 2010. But this commissions maps would be temporarily replaceduntil 2030by maps that the states Democratic supermajority legislature draws if Republican-led states like Texas go ahead with their own partisan redistricting plans. The legislative package will also contain a bill calling for a special election on Nov. 4, 2025, for Californians to approve or reject this plan as well as a bill to reimburse counties for administering the special election. The Democrats new maps have yet to be released, and Newsom said they will come out in the next few days. But California is aiming to flip five GOP seats in direct response to five seats Texas Republicans wish to secure in their redistricting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Politico obtained a chart outlining which Republican districts are targeted in the plan. Though not final, the list reveals that the states 1st, 3rd, and 41st districts may be completely flipped from safe Republican seats to safe Democratic seats, while six other seats, including one held by a Republican, will tilt further in the Democratic direction. The uphill battle ahead While Newsom said he was confident in Californias legislative leaders to pass the package, it wont necessarily be easy. Californias Secretary of State imposed an Aug. 22 deadline for lawmakers to vote on the bill and declare that a special election will take place. This means the bills will have to sprint through Californias legislature, getting the approval of lawmakers in both chambers, right after theyve returned following a summer recess. Redistricting the blue state would also be an expensive undertaking. In a letter responding to questions from Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, whose district is at risk of being flipped, the Riverside County registrar of voters said that it could cost the county up to $16 million to hold the special election. CBS reported that the special election could cost up to $4 million in San Joaquin County and up to $6.8 million in Sacramento County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And those millions could be spent on an initiative that so far seems unpopular among the states residents: a recent poll by Politico and the Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research showed that California voters prefer the current independent commission over Newsoms plan to have the legislature redraw the maps. Also complicating Newsoms efforts is a well-funded opposition. The independent commission was considered a bipartisan triumph when it was first created in 2008, under then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican who has since opposed Trump. The reform aimed at removing political bias from the democratic process was bankrolled by Charles Munger Jr., a Palo Alto physicist and son of the late billionaire Charlie Munger, Warren Buffetts longtime business partner. Today, Munger looks set to challenge Newsoms effort : in a post on an X account created just last month, he said: Any attempt to undermine the nonpartisan California Redistricting Commission will be strongly opposed in the courts and at the ballot box. Amy Thoma Tan, a spokesperson for Munger, said in a statement that he will vigorously defend the reforms he helped pass. Tan added that Mungers previous successes show that they have the resources necessary to counter Newsoms gerrymandering efforts. According to Politico, Munger has already recruited consultants to kickstart his opposition campaign. Schwarzenegger could also be a powerful spokesperson against the movement. He calls gerrymandering evil, and he means that, Schwarzenegger spokesperson Daniel Ketchell told Politico. Hes opposed to what Texas is doing, and hes opposed to the idea that California would race to the bottom to do the same thing. Texas Democrats to head home The Texas House Democratic Caucus had said that they would return home after California lawmakers introduced their redistricting proposal, and after the legislative session that Texas Gov. Abbott called ends Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Rep. Gene Wu, the House Democratic leader, said that as Democrats across the nation join our fight to cause these maps to fail their political purpose, were prepared to bring this battle back to Texas under the right conditions and to take this fight to the courts. The Texas Democratic lawmakers fled in a bid to prevent their states legislature from achieving the required quorum to advance the Republicans redistricting plans. Abbott threatened them with arrest and removal from office and has said that he will call for another special session with the exact same agenda to make sure that the Texas redistricting plan moves forward. There will be no reprieve for the derelict Democrats who fled the state and abandoned their duty to the people who elected them, Abbott said. I will continue to call special session after special session until we get this Texas first agenda passed. Contact us at letters@time.com. (NewsNation) Nearly two weeks after breaking quorum and leaving the state over mid-decade redistricting, Texas Democrats are set to soon return home. The lawmakers announced they will return on two conditions: If Texas Republicans end a special legislative session aimed at securing five additional House seats for President Donald Trump, and if California releases its own redistricting proposal. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked voters to allow state officials to redraw congressional maps rather than the independent commission that currently handles the task. State lawmakers are expected to unveil a new map as soon as Friday, with redrawn lines of the 52 districts in the state. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for a second special session on Friday after a previous one gaveled out earlier in the day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Obama takes part in call with Texas Democrats He announced Thursday that, if Texas moves forward with its redistricting proposal and costs Democrats five House seats, California will follow suit and attempt to turn five of its nine Republican seats blue. Newsom said he wants to hold a special election Nov. 4. Right now, the state has an independent redistricting commission, something a majority (64%) of Californians are supportive of, according to a recent Politico-Citrin Center poll. Typically, Californias congressional maps are redrawn after a census every 10 years by an independent committee. Newsom said this move to redistrict would be temporary, only in effect for 2026, 2028 and 2030 and vowed the task would be returned to the commission after the 2030 census. Sanctuary policies violating federal law, AG Bondi warns Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were doing this in reaction to a president of the United States that called a sitting governor of the state of Texas and said, Find me five seats. Were doing it in reaction to that act, Newsom said, adding that he refuses to watch democracy disappear district by district nationally. California Assembly Republicans claim that a special election could cost California more than $235 million, with assembly leader James Gallagher arguing this isnt reform, its rigging the rules. While Newsom was holding a rally in Los Angeles on Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers showed up outside the building. Newsom said he didnt think the law enforcement presence was a coincidence, and NewsNation crews witnessed at least one person being detained. Will other states join in redistricting fight? Several states, most of which have supermajorities, have also considered redrawing their electoral maps. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans are seeking to ensure Trump can get his agenda passed during the second half of his term, while Democrats want control of the House after the midterms. Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska could decide future of war in Ukraine Florida, Illinois, and Missouri are among states considering changing their districts. By law, Ohio must redraw its congressional map this year. Political analyst and historian Rich Rubino called the reactionary redistricting calls a snowball effect, fueled by changes in states led by the other 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 NewsNation. AUSTIN, Texas (NewsNation) Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday to laid out the states plans to fight back against threats posed by the New World screwworm. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, New World screwworms are an invasive species that burrow fly larvae into fresh wounds of living animals like livestock, pets and occasionally people. The damage they cause can be deadly. Abbott warned the screwworm has the potential the crush the states cattle industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is an enormous challenge and you need to understand the magnitude, said Abbott. Just in Texas, this can result in billions of dollars of losses a year. The animal is named after their feeding behavior, with the larvae screwing into the flesh of their victims. Trump, Putin headed to Alaska as Zelenskyy calls to end the war According to Peyton Schuman, senior director of government relations for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, a screwworm outbreak could cost Texas around $1.8 billion in damages to livestock annually. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, says the screwworm flies could devastate the states cattle industry if they cross onto U.S. soil. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A case of the New World screwworm was reported less than 400 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border, Cornyn told colleagues Monday on the Senate floor. It may soon come across the border and lead to an outbreak in our state. The species originates in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and some countries in South America. The pests were eradicated in the U.S. in the 1960s, but they have occasionally reemerged in Central America and Mexico. Signs of an animal infested with the New World screwworm include: Foul-smelling wounds with maggots Animals biting or licking their wounds Lesions in bellybuttons, ears and where branding has occurred Lethargy Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R) gaveled in the start of lawmakers second special session Friday afternoon, saying he expected there to be enough lawmakers present to conduct business on Monday. I have been told, and I expect that we will reestablish quorum on Monday. Although I have not seen any public statements directly from those who are not here, that seems to be what people have the expectation of, Burrows said, referring to the minimum number of lawmakers needed present in order to conduct business. Burrows said legislation would be immediately referred and hearings would take place next week if lawmakers did achieve a quorum. He said his goal was for lawmakers to be able to adjourn their second special session before Labor Day weekend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Texas House speaker also noted while lawmakers who had been present during session would be allowed to go home to their families over the weekend, Texas Democrats would be compelled to come back to the state Capitol if they returned over the weekend. If that happens, I will ask those members whove gone home for the weekend to return immediately. You will be given a six-hour notice window to return, so do not travel beyond that, Burrows advised. Texas lawmakers in both chambers gaveled out their first special session earlier Friday before Gov. Greg Abbott (R) quickly called for a second special session. Republicans have been looking to pass a number of agenda items, including a new set of congressional maps that would give Republicans five more pickup opportunities in the House next year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democratic state lawmakers fled the state in response as a way to stall Republicans from being able to pass their new House map. That meant Texas Republicans could not meet the threshold of a quorum to pass new bills. But on Thursday, Democrats signaled they were opening the door to returning home if two conditions were met if Republicans adjourned their first special session and if California introduced a set of new congressional lines that would effectively neutralize the gains Texas Republicans expect to make with their own House map. 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. For more reporting like this, sign up for our premium politics newsletter, The Blast, which delivers exclusive reporting, nonpartisan analysis and the first word on political moves across the state. Subscribe today. A new Texas GOP megadonor says he plans to fund a legal challenge against the Republican Party of Texas and its governing executive committee if they move forward with plans to censure Republican state lawmakers and block them from the March primary ballot. Amarillo businessman Alex Fairly said in a statement Friday that he would tap into the $20 million political action committee he launched last year to challenge the censures in court if the State Republican Executive Committee goes ahead with plans to formally admonish dozens of GOP lawmakers in October. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The discussions taking place by the State Republican Executive Committee to block candidates from appearing on the primary ballot is not only unlawful, its disastrous for the Republican Party of Texas, Fairly said in a statement, in which he vowed to fully fund a legal opposition effort. Fairlys announcement comes hours before the executive committee will meet to finalize a review of the 2025 legislative session. That report could become the basis for blocking GOP lawmakers from the ballot. People just hate accountability, Texas GOP Chair Abraham George said in response to Fairlys news. The state Republican Party created the new rule last year as a way to hold GOP lawmakers accountable for votes that dont strictly align with the state partys legislative priorities and party principles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In order to draft a censure that could lead the Texas GOP to ban someone from the primary ballot, the offending lawmaker must have committed at least three censurable offenses in their most recent term. Such acts are defined as those contrary to the partys legislative priorities and its core principles laid out in the preamble of the party platform. If the Texas GOP executive committee moves forward, Fairly said, he would fund a full legal challenge, arguing that the decision belongs to voters. Letting a handful of insiders dictate who can run in our primaries undermines both our partys core principles and the First Amendment, Fairly added, referring to the delegates, chosen by local precinct chairs, who make up the GOP executive committee. As of mid-July, the Amarillo businessman had not spent any of the $20 million he put in the Texas Republican Leadership Fund since he created the PAC last December. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One Senate Republican and 41 of 88 House Republicans committed at least three censurable offenses, according to the draft report to be taken up Friday. When adding the election of Rep. Dustin Burrows as House speaker, that number increases to 45 House members, a majority of the caucus. Before the legislative session started, the state GOP opposed Burrows for House speaker and ran attack ads in his district. Some SREC members have pushed to consider a vote for Burrows as a censurable act, arguing it was the culmination of a conspiracy to give Democrats more power. However, the party will not unilaterally try to remove everyone eligible for a censure. Local party officials must initiate the censure and ask the SREC for permission to bar them from the ballot. State Rep. Caroline Fairly, the daughter of the Amarillo businessman serving in her first term, announced her support for Burrows on the final day of the speakers race in January and racked up enough censurable offenses to be barred from the ballot. The death penalty State party delegates, many of whom are among the partys most conservative activists, approved the censure rule at the Texas GOPs 2024 convention. The Fairly-backed legal challenge could mark the first test of the new rule, which critics say is illegal and goes against democratic principles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the past week, the Republican Party of Texass executive committee delayed its report and sought input from Republican lawmakers, knowing a legal fight was looming. I want the right people censured if they deserve a censure, George told SREC members. I do not want anyone getting censured by county parties or districts if they dont deserve a censure. This is a serious matter for the party as a state party, so we want to do the right thing. At Saturdays SREC meeting, Texas GOP general counsel Rachel Hooper said she supported the enhanced Rule 44 the policy approved at the 2024 convention that lays the groundwork to bar ballot access in part because she was upset the Texas House impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton the year before. Sometimes theres acts that are so bad that you need the death penalty, Hooper said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, county parties have initiated censures against at least eight state representatives: Angie Chen Button of Garland, Giovanni Capriglione of Southlake, Charlie Geren of Fort Worth, Cody Harris of Palestine, Stan Lambert of Abilene, John McQueeney of Fort Worth, Morgan Meyer of University Park, Angelia Orr of Itasca. But while the party moves forward with the censure process, George has been publicly celebratory of Burrows. George and SREC members met with the Lubbock Republican, Gov. Greg Abbott and other state representatives at the Governors Mansion on Saturday before the SREC meeting, marking Burrows first audience with Texas GOP officials since his election as speaker in January. They did not discuss the censures, instead talking about conservative victories from the recent legislative session, Republicans mid-decade congressional redistricting and House Democrats quorum break, which has united Texas Republicans. We have an open line with the speaker, George told the Tribune later that day. You dont have to agree all the time. We probably are still going to have some disagreements. Thats part of the process. Fairlys fight Fairly is new to Texas Republican politics, splashing onto the scene during the 2024 Republican primaries to become the 10th biggest donor in that years state legislative races. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He launched the PAC last year in the midst of a bruising fight for Texas House speaker. Originally, he seemed in lockstep with Republican Party of Texas leadership, declaring that he would use the money to target Republican lawmakers who did not come together to support Rep. David Cook of Mansfield, Burrows rival who had the backing of the GOP caucus. But he has slowly shifted his position since, continuing to distance himself from the states Republican Party leadership, which has received support from West Texas oil billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks in recent years. Dunn and Wilks have spent tens of millions of dollars supporting hardline conservative primary challengers, incrementally pulling the Texas GOP and Legislature toward their socially conservative stances. After initially declaring he would primary Republican House members who did not support Cooks speaker bid, Fairly quickly walked back that sentiment, issuing a new missive a few weeks later clarifying that he would not use the money to primary lawmakers who voted for Burrows. The vote for Speaker belongs to the members, Fairly wrote in his follow-up statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A few months later, Fairly distanced himself from Texas GOP leadership again when he criticized them for threatening to run primary opponents against members unless they passed all remaining bills related to their legislative priorities. In an interview, Fairly told the Tribune he called George, the GOP chair, and told him he felt his threats on social media were unproductive. Im weary of this method of trying to get what we want, Fairly said he told George. If this is how were going to manage people I may use my money to help balance this out. More all-star speakers confirmed for The Texas Tribune Festival, Nov. 1315! This years lineup just got even more exciting with the addition of State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo; former United States Attorney General Eric Holder; Abby Phillip, anchor of CNN NewsNight; Aaron Reitz, 2026 Republican candidate for Texas Attorney General; and State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin. Get your tickets today! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Two Texas men were sentenced to federal prison on Thursday for their role in a conspiracy to disguise themselves as Drug Enforcement Administration agents and steal marijuana from a Southern Oregon home in 2022. The United States Attorneys Office for the District of Oregon announced 24-year-old Jose Manuel Lopez was sentenced to over five years in federal prison with four years supervised release, while 23-year-old Juan Carlos Conchas was sentenced to three years in prison and four years supervised release. Both will jointly pay restitution to the victim, authorities said. According to court documents, on March 12, 2022, Josephine County Sheriffs Office deputies responded to a rural address after reports of an armed robbery in progress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oregon one of the worst states to move to, analysis says On the scene, deputies found a home with a closed driveway gate and two empty vehicles with Texas license plates in the driveway with their doors open. Authorities witnessed several people run toward the back of the property and found victims inside the house. The victims reported that armed people dressed in what appeared to be DEA attire and wearing body armor arrived at the home and used zip ties and duct tape to restrain several of the victims. Willamette Valley wine earns Oregon a historic rating from Decanter While searching the property, authorities found large plastic totes with packaged marijuana in buildings and vehicles, along with body armor, guns, ammunition, shell casings and badges resembling those carried by DEA agents along the path the men used to flee the property. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later, investigators discovered that in late February 2022, the group of co-conspirators traveled from San Antonio to the Southern Oregon home to steal more than 200 pounds of marijuana. Authorities also found photos of the men posing with guns while disguised as DEA agents. In September 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford charged Conchas and two co-conspirators with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Oregon family of 5 found dead in apparent murder-suicide In October 2022, Lopez and Conchas were arrested in San Antonio. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lopez pleaded guilty in December 2024 to conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery and conspiring to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute while Conchas pleaded guilty to the same charges in April 2025. Authorities said four co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and were sentenced on felony charges for their roles in the conspiracy. 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. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday called a second special session to push through a redrawing of congressional maps to secure up to five more Republican seats in the US House. Unlike the first special session, the new 30-day session may end with the GOP-friendly maps being passed. Texas House Democrats who fled the state to stop the redistricting signaled Thursday they are prepared to end their standoff and return to the Capitol. The Democrats laid out two conditions for returning: the first special session ending and California introducing its new congressional map to offset GOP gains in Texas by producing up to five new US House seats for Democrats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The California legislature is set to convene on Monday to begin the legislative process around their proposed map. And the second special session Abbott called began Friday afternoon. Texas House Democrats could return to Austin as soon as Monday, a source familiar with the matter said. Abbott blasted Texas House Democrats who stalled efforts on redistricting and other issues. Delinquent House Democrats ran away from their responsibility to pass crucial legislation to benefit the lives of Texans, Abbott said. We will not back down from this fight. Thats why I am calling them back today to finish the job. I will continue to use all necessary tools to ensure Texas delivers results for Texans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans are expected to consider the same map that was introduced in the first special session, but Abbott left the door open to further changes. Asked whether hes prepared to add Republican seats to the map or consider redistricting for state legislative seats, Abbott told reporters, Well wait and see, but we hold a lot more bullets in our belt that well be ready to use if we need to. When the second special session began Friday, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said he expects quorum could be met on Monday and hopes lawmakers can complete legislative business by Labor Day weekend. Burrows advised lawmakers to return to the state Capitol by 12 p.m. Central (1 p.m. Eastern) on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Texas House of Representatives and Senate adjourned the first special session Friday morning after state House Democrats remained out of the state for nearly two weeks to deny a quorum. I am proud of what we accomplished. We ended a session that had nothing to do with helping Texans and everything to do with silencing them, state Rep. Ann Johnson said. And we exposed the truth behind the Governors political agenda: to hijack the maps, erase opposition, and decide the next election before a single vote is cast. Upon their return, the Democrats plan to make their case against the bill on the Texas House floor. Legal challenges to the map also are expected. In addition to redistricting, the second special session will address flood relief following the catastrophic storms in the Texas Hill County last month and a slew of other conservative priorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agenda largely mirrors the plans set forth for the first special session but adds in consideration of legislation relating to camp safety. Dozens of campers and camp employees died in the July 4 floods in the state. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The share of Texas public schools that are failing dropped by half in the past year, marking the lowest rate of underperforming campuses since letter grades were introduced for schools in 2019. New data released by the Texas Education Agency on Friday show public schools have made overall gains in their state ratings, which measure how well they are educating their students. F ratings across campuses in the state declined from 8% to 4%. About one in three campuses improved their score from the prior year. The TEA released grades for the 2024-2025 school year Friday, along with grades for the 2023-24 school year that had previously been held up in court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Texas released two years of A-F ratings for schools and districts. See how yours did.] These letter grades shape communities. Parents may pull their kid out of a school after a low score. And all it takes is five years of failing grades at one campus for a district to face bruising sanctions. The state has ordered underperforming schools to shut down and replaced a districts democratically elected school board with state appointees when they have reached that threshold like with the Houston school district state takeover in 2023. Struggling schools are inching toward state sanctions. According to an analysis from The Texas Tribune, the number of schools with at least two consecutive years of grades considered unacceptable by the TEA based on D or F ratings jumped from 64 in the 2022-23 school year to 348 in the 2024-25 school year. Connally Elementary School in Waco and Marilyn Miller Language Academy in Fort Worth are among the campuses feeling the most pressure. Both schools have amassed five years of unacceptable grades with the latest ratings, which means their districts qualify for a state takeover, a TEA spokesperson told the Tribune on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since campuses first got letter grades in 2019, education advocates have criticized the states school accountability system saying it doesnt fully account for the challenges schools in low-income areas face, which often work with fewer resources to serve students with higher needs. Ratings for schools and districts largely depend on standardized test scores and are based on three categories: how students perform on state tests and meet college and career readiness benchmarks; how students improve on their academic skills over time; and how well schools are educating the states most disadvantaged students. Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath on Friday said schools in high-poverty areas can still score well on the A-F rating system. He said state funding is set up to direct more resources to schools in high-poverty areas and the right school and district leadership wields those resources to meet the needs of their students. Poverty is not destiny, Morath said. What you buy with that money turns out to matter a great deal Leadership matters. Other places we have more leadership struggles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the campuses that saw gains was Harmony Hills Elementary School in San Antonio, a campus where three out of four students are economically disadvantaged. Its score jumped from an A to a C in the last school year. Carri Elliott, the school principal, said on Friday that teachers and classroom coaches used test scores every two weeks to make adjustments to instruction and make sure students are on the right track. A Tribune analysis confirmed that a handful of high-poverty campuses did well last school year, with 12% receiving an A, and 31% receiving a B. But 26% of lower-income districts received a C, and they're generally more likely to get a D or an F than their wealthier counterparts. This year, nearly one in four schools in the highest poverty bracket received a D or an F, compared to less than 1% of schools in the lowest bracket. The latest ratings also suggest middle schools face greater challenges educating their students. About 55% of Texas middle schools received an A or B, compared to 53% of elementary schools, 62% of high schools, and 55% of multi-level schools. Texas elementary and middle schools also have a higher rate of Ds and Fs, compared to high schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Texas lawmakers made some investments in middle schools earlier this year. They expanded a program that increases instructional time to middle schools as part of a $8.5 billion school funding package. The release of two years of ratings Friday bookends a fight between school districts and the state over how grades were calculated. A state appeals court last month ruled TEA could release the ratings, overturning a freeze from a lower court. A similar ruling from the same high court allowed the state to release 2022-23 school year ratings in the spring. Today marks a return to clarity and accountability, Morath wrote in a statement. With the release of the 2025 AF Ratings, we are reinforcing our commitment to transparency and to providing accurate, readily available information that helps every family understand how their school is doing. As Texas parents evaluate their schools performance, they face a changing education landscape with more access to alternatives to public schools. A school voucher program set to launch in the 2026-27 school year will allow families to get about $10,000 in public taxpayer dollars to pay for their childrens private schooling. More all-star speakers confirmed for The Texas Tribune Festival, Nov. 1315! This years lineup just got even more exciting with the addition of State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo; former United States Attorney General Eric Holder; Abby Phillip, anchor of CNN NewsNight; Aaron Reitz, 2026 Republican candidate for Texas Attorney General; and State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin. Get your tickets today! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. DALLAS (NewsNation) As students return to classrooms nationwide, a Texas company is aiming to revolutionize school security with high-tech drones capable of responding to emergencies in seconds. NewsNation got an exclusive look inside Campus Guardian Angels, which said its drones, flown by some of the worlds top-ranked pilots, can reach speeds of 100 mph. Schools brace for MAHA changes to lunches Drones buy time for reinforcement When an active shooter alarm is triggered, a commander uploads the schools digital map and issues a flight plan. Pilots then launch the drones, which CGA said can reach any spot on campus in seconds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were trying to buy the time that it takes for a human to get there, said Bill King, a retired Navy SEAL and CGAs co-founder and chief tactical officer. No matter where I find the assailant, I want to have a box that can reach him within 15 seconds. CGAs goal is to respond to an alarm within five seconds, locate the shooter in 15 seconds, and neutralize the threat in 60 seconds. LA schools creating safe zones to help students avoid ICE 3 Florida school districts using pilot program Three school districts in Florida are implementing a pilot program this year, with several Texas schools also under consideration. Demonstrations have been held in Colorado and Utah. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The drones use non-lethal rounds, but in an emergency, the aircraft itself can disable an attacker, according to the company. Its hard to put a price on the peace of mind that were creating here, and its impossible to put a price on somebodys life, King 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 NewsNation. Federal agents in Texas say they deported a Honduran gang leader, intercepted cocaine hidden inside a trucks suspension, and apprehended multiple convicted child predators in recent days. Here are this weeks most notable immigration-related enforcement actions: ICE Removes Honduran Gang Leader Wanted for Violent Crime Spree ICE @EROHouston deported the leader of an ultra-violent faction of the 18th Street gang wanted in Honduras for a murderous crime spree involving armed robbery, kidnapping, theft and bribing corrupt police to look the other way. https://t.co/mGCvoYpD9p ICE Houston (@EROHouston) August 13, 2025 According to a press release, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed 30-year-old Yimi Samario Sevilla Leon, alleged leader of the El Mango faction, from the United States on August 11. The agency presser claimed Sevilla and 24 associates used police connections to commit robberies, kidnappings, and killings in Honduras. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez said Sevilla cowardly fled to the U.S. after Honduran authorities uncovered the alleged scheme. ICE says Sevilla illegally entered near Eagle Pass in December 2023, was initially released, and was later arrested in East Houston in March 2025. A Justice Department immigration judge ordered him removed in May. ICE Houston later posted several photographs showing a man being escorted on an airport tarmac by armed federal agents. Cocaine Found in Truck Suspension at Eagle Pass .@CBP officers at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry discovered 36.59 pounds of cocaine concealed inside the suspension airbags of a tractor during a pre-primary non-intrusive inspection. Subject was processed for visa cancelation and returned to Mexico. Fantastic work, CBPOs! pic.twitter.com/N7U8ESVgHX Director of Field Operations, Donald R. Kusser (@DFOLaredo) August 13, 2025 Donald R. Kusser, CBPs Director of Field Operations in Laredo, posted August 13 that officers at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry discovered 36.59 pounds of cocaine concealed inside a tractor-trailers suspension airbags during a pre-primary non-intrusive inspection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kusser said the drivers visa was canceled and the person was returned to Mexico. CBP did not name the driver or release additional case details. A video posted alongside the tweet showed brief on-screen text describing the seizure, set to rock music. NewsNation reported in 2024 that drugs seized by CBP are typically stored for years if needed in investigations, or destroyed sooner if not required. ICE Houston Reports Multiple Child Predator Arrests ICE has prevented another illegal alien child predator from being released back into the community. Jose Antonio Banda-Banda, a previously deported alien from Mexico convicted of sexual indecency with a child, was arrested by ICE Aug. 6 following his release from prison. pic.twitter.com/XsuZpZnowo ICE Houston (@EROHouston) August 8, 2025 ICE Houston posted August 8 that agents arrested 39-year-old Jose Antonio Banda-Banda, a previously deported Mexican national convicted of sexual indecency with a child, after his release from prison on August 6. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a separate August 6 press release, ICE said a multiagency operation in southeast Houston led to 42 arrests of individuals it described as criminal aliens and other egregious immigration offenders. Officials said the arrests included people convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers, forgery, domestic assault, and other crimes. On August 5, ICE Houston posted that 35-year-old Edgar Allan Becerril, a Mexican national convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child in 2014, was transferred from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to ICE custody after his release from prison. ICE @EROHouston has prevented another illegal alien child predator from being released back into the community. Edgar Allan Becerril, a 35-year-old criminal alien from Mexico, was transferred into ICE custody by @TDCJ Aug. 4 following his release from prison. (1 of 2) pic.twitter.com/knnZH8YQ9n ICE Houston (@EROHouston) August 5, 2025 In a follow-up post, ICE said Becerril was ordered removed in October 2014 while incarcerated. ICE Harlingen Arrests Vietnamese National with Multiple Convictions ICE Harlingen arrested criminal alien Huy Hoang Dang, 54, of Vietnam, illegally present in the U.S. Dang has convictions for aggravated assault, robbery, fraud, fraud by wire and was ordered removed from the U.S. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal to his home country. pic.twitter.com/c9X8uFmVE9 ICE Harlingen (@EroHarlingen) August 8, 2025 ICE Harlingen posted August 8 that agents arrested 54-year-old Huy Hoang Dang of Vietnam, who the agency said has convictions for aggravated assault, robbery, and wire fraud. Dang was previously ordered removed and remains in ICE custody pending deportation. Texas Takedown Weekly is a recurring series from The Dallas Express chronicling the most significant immigration-related arrests and interdictions across the state. Read last weeks edition here: Texas Takedown Weekly: Cocaine Stash House, ICE Detainer, And Border Drug Busts (August 8). AURORA, Ill. A woman is in custody on Friday after authorities say she was allegedly paid by a man to abduct his two biological children from a home in the Western suburbs and bring them to him in Mexico. According to Aurora police, 47-year-old Cindy Sanchez, a Fort Worth, Texas, resident, has been charged with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of child abduction and two counts of unlawful restraint. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The charges were handed down following her arrest at Chicagos Midway International Airport on Thursday afternoon. Police said an investigation into the alleged abduction began after Aurora police were notified about the possible kidnapping of an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old from a home in the 500 block of Rosewood Avenue. Photo provided by Aurora Police shows 47-year-old Cindy Sanchez, a Fort Worth, Texas, resident, who has been charged with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of child abduction and two counts of unlawful restraint. Officers arrived on the scene and learned that the two children, who had been staying with family at the home, left the area after an unknown female arrived at the home and told the residents that she needed to take the children to their mother out of state on her behalf. It was later determined that the woman was allegedly not permitted to take the children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Auropra officers called in the help of Chicago police as they searched for the children, and CPD officers later located the Sanchez and the children at Midway. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Further investigation revealed that Sanchez had allegedly been paid by the childrens biological father, who does not have legal custody of them, to bring them to him in Mexico through the Texas border. After locating the children, officers reunited them with their family members in Aurora. Officers said the children were not injured in the incident. Sanchez is currently in custody at the Kane County Jail awaiting her pre-trial hearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WGN-TV. THOMASBORO, Ill. (WCIA) A surprise meeting in a Champaign County village will cover the possibility of bringing county police in to protect the community. People in the area say it could shake up how the town is patrolled in a big way. Thomasboro is having a special meeting on Saturday. The agenda has three items; the first is a contract with the Champaign County Sheriffs Office, while the others will cover pay, contracts, and possible termination of specific village employees. Champaign Township delays budget vote Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WCIA spoke with Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman over the phone. He doesnt know for sure if the villages police department will be canned, but he did tell me it would be unusual for villages with contracts like the one being discussed to keep their own force, and thats got some people in Thomasboro worried. That has alarm for me as a citizen, said former Village Clerk Tana Ward. Ward said she moved to the area after falling victim to domestic violence. I was stalked for several months and having that peace of mind of knowing that you have the local police here is just invaluable, Ward said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, that may be in jeopardy. The village announced its hosting a special meeting Saturday at 5:30 p.m. The document said the Board of Trustees will discuss a new contract with the Champaign County Sheriffs Department and potential action tied to specific village employees. Two red, three yellow alerts issued in Champaign Co. after health inspections Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman told WCIA that he wouldnt be surprised if Thomasboro got rid of their police department if this contract is approved. I also very much believe in the Champaign County Sheriffs Office, Ward said. The Sheriffs deputies are amazing, and they are posted here on a regular basis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heuerman said if the contract is approved, a deputy would be assigned to the village for at least two hours a day. They already drive through Thomasboro routinely, but he said the contract would allow them to be more intentional. Theyd focus on things like speeding hotspots or anything the village and department wants to emphasize. Definitely worried about the response time, Ward said. With our current police, they patrol the entire area. So, two hours is just not going to give that coverage. Right now, the village is manned by Police Chief Mike Martinez, who Ward said works 16-20 hours a week. Heuerman told WCIA that the contract would cost Thomasboro around $80-85 an hour. Mobile home beyond repair after arson fire in Champaign, owner lost collection he valued at more than $10,000 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martinez is currently out of town and said he wont be able to attend the meeting this weekend, and that WCIA reaching out to him was the first he heard about it. Ward said that and the timing of the meeting are causing her to be skeptical of the motives. I am more about transparency and openness in government and this definitely is not that, Ward said. WCIA reached out to Village President Jeff Robertson and asked him about the meeting over the phone, but he said he cant talk about it and hung up. Martinez declined to comment, saying he didnt have enough information about the meeting. Heuerman also said that if approved, the new policing contract would likely start in September. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Three Rochester men have been arrested and charged in connection with a postal theft ring, the United States Attorneys Office announced Friday. Lamarious Bradley, Lucius Bradley, and Chad Brown face charges including mail theft, unlawful possession of U.S. Postal Service mailbox keys, and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. According to court documents, postal inspectors received reports on November 28, 2023, that blue collection boxes had been opened in the early morning hours in Irondequoit and Brighton. Video surveillance identified a vehicle and three men at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On December 4, a collection box in Irondequoit was again opened, and mail was removed. The same vehicle and three individuals were captured on surveillance. Authorities executed a search warrant on December 7 at a residence linked to the vehicle, as well as the vehicle itself and the Exclusive Snacks and Lounge, a location the suspects reportedly visited after taking the mail. Inspectors recovered about $1,400 in money orders, multiple checks belonging to other people, a handgun, ammunition, and marijuana. Video from the lounge showed four individuals sorting what appeared to be hundreds of pieces of mail. Investigators also recovered text messages between the defendants discussing the thefts. The three men made initial appearances. Lamarious and Lucius Bradley were released on conditions, while Chad Brown was detained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 RochesterFirst. There's a slight chance of isolated showers in the Phoenix metro on the evening of Aug. 15, but the weekend outlook is for dry conditions, the National Weather Service said. Meanwhile, severe thunderstorm warnings for Gila Bend and Maricopa County expired late in the afternoon of Aug. 15. The Arizona Department of Transportation has closed Interstate 8 in both directions at State Route 85. A rapidly moving storm cell dropped about an inch of rain in a short period of time, causing flooding in the Gila Bend area, said Ted Whittock, a meteorologist with the weather service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is no estimate for when I-8 will reopen. Look for updates at AZ5111. A flash-flood warning for northeastern La Paz County, centered around the town of Bouse, is in effect until 11:45 p.m. Whittock said the weather service is watching for the possibility of hail from that storm and the weather service is warning motorists to turn around if they encounter flooded roads. Likewise, the southwest corner of Yavapai County, including the stretch of Highway 93 between mileposts 149 and 191, is under a flood watch until 11:45 p.m. A flash-flood warning for the area northeast of Sedona, extending toward Munds Park, expired at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whittock said the Phoenix area has a 20% to 30% chance of isolated rain the night of Aug. 15, adding, "We could see some lingering activity to the north and northeast." A flood watch for far northern Arizona ended at 8 p.m. Aug. 15, the weather service announced. This includes the burn scars from the Dragon Bravo Fire at the Grand Canyon's North Rim, as well as the Kaibab Plateau. For the latest watches and warnings, see our weather alert page. Tips for driving in the rain The Arizona Department of Transportation provided the following safety tips for driving in the rain: Inspect windshield wipers and replace them if necessary prior to expected rainfall. Turn on the headlights. Reduce speeds. Avoid sudden braking on wet pavement. Create a "space cushion" between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. Avoid areas where water has pooled in travel lanes. How to protect yourself from lightning strikes Here are lightning safety tips from the National Weather Service: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pay attention to the weather. If you see big blue clouds, otherwise known as thunderheads, go inside. These types of clouds could mean a thunderstorm is coming. Get in a building with plumbing and wiring. If lightning strikes the building, the lightning will be conducted around and into the ground. Stay in your car. A vehicle will give you protection as electricity from lightning will pass through the vehicle's structure instead of hitting you. Get off open water. A boat out on the water is likely to be the most prominent object and you could be struck. Do not shower or bathe. If lightning hits your pipes, it could be conducted into the water in your bath or shower. Do not use electric appliances with plugs or cords. Wireless cellphones are OK, as are laptops that are connected to Wi-Fi but not plugged in. Follow the 30-30 rule. If you hear thunder within 30 seconds of a lightning bolt, that means the thunderstorm's distance is threatening. Wait at least 30 minutes after you hear the last thunder to go out. That gives the storm enough time to move away or dissipate. You dont have to be near a storm to get struck. Lightning strikes can easily travel 10 miles or more. A record lightning flash in Oklahoma in 2007 traveled nearly 200 miles. Seek shelter if you hear thunder. Do not shelter under a tree. If lightning strikes the tree, the ground charge from the strike could travel into you. Don't huddle in a group. If you are outdoors with friends or family during a thunderstorm, don't all clump together. Keeping separation could reduce the number of people injured if lightning strikes. Parts of this article were generated by The Arizona Republic and USA TODAY Network using data released by the National Weather Service. It was edited by a staff member. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Chance of showers in Phoenix area; flooding closes Interstate 8 Winners will be celebrated at the Edward R. Murrow Gala Oct. 13 in New York. - RTNDA Top of the Ticker: ABC News led all national news outlets, receiving six awards at the 2025 National Edward R. Murrow Awards, including Overall Excellence in the Network TV and Network Radio categories. NBC News received five awards, followed by CBS News and Al Jazeera with three apiece. MSNBC, NewsNation, Scripps News, Univision, and AJ+ all gathered one award in the national category. Winners will be celebrated at the Edward R. Murrow Gala Oct. 13 in New York. The results are in! The 2025 National Edward R. Murrow Awards winners have been revealed, and we're thrilled to announce the best in broadcast and digital journalism. Congratulations to all national winners! View full list of winners: https://t.co/q5sFpTi21n#Murrowpic.twitter.com/QolVgEOBcO RTDNA (@RTDNA) August 14, 2025 Diane Sawyer Returns: Former Good Morning America co-anchor Diane Sawyer returns to ABC News with a new one-hour special looking at actor Bruce Willis' relationship with Emma Heming Willis and his family as he deals with frontotemporal dementia. Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey-A Diane Sawyer Special airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC News, streaming the following day on Disney+ and Hulu. .@dianesawyer sits down with Emma Heming Willis, who shares her deeply personal story about the new reality her family faces following Bruce Willis's frontotemporal dementia diagnosis, and her evolving role as his care partner. "Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey pic.twitter.com/r5e2UySgT0 ABC News (@ABC) August 13, 2025 Reliving Katrina: Fox Weather is marking the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with a four-part documentary titled Hurricane HQ: Katrina's Wrath 20 Years Later. Debuting Monday, August 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET and airing each subsequent night, the documentary will be led by Fox Weather hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross, correspondent Robert Ray, and Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean as they interview city officials, meteorologists, and survivors, spotlighting first-hand accounts of the disastrous storm, the fight to rebuild the city, and the fortifications now guarding New Orleans. Advertisement Advertisement TikTok influencers will warn about the dangers of getting Brazilian butt lifts and other cosmetic procedures abroad in a new government campaign. Ministers said it would help the public make more informed choices before they go under the knife in a foreign country. In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of British people travelling to countries such as Turkey for hair transplants, dental work and other operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the NHS has warned that it has been left to pick up the pieces of botched butt lifts and other mishaps when people return to the UK. Foreign Office data show that 28 British people have died in Turkey after travelling abroad for medical procedures since 2019. The cost to NHS hospitals dealing with complications caused by foreign cosmetic procedures is estimated to be more than 1m annually. The procedure known as a BBL is the fastest-growing cosmetic surgery operation, but also one of the most dangerous. Prof Sir Stephen Powis, the former NHS national medical director, has previously said: The NHS will always be there for those who need it, but should not be left to pick up the pieces of botched BBLs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Government will use social media influencers to highlight the risks of travelling abroad for cosmetic procedures. It is working with medical influencers such as Midwife Marley and Doc Tally to create videos showing the risks of cosmetic surgery abroad. The content will urge patients to speak to a UK doctor first and avoid package holidays that include procedures. It will also include a checklist for patients to consider before they book a procedure, which includes checking the credentials of surgeons, the clinics regulations, and understanding the aftercare. The initiative is part of a wider government drive to tackle medical tourism and ensure the NHS is not left to foot the bill when complications arise. Karin Smyth says partnering with TikTok will help people make safer decisions Karin Smyth, a health minister, said: Too many people are being left with life-altering injuries after going abroad for medical procedures, without access to proper advice or safeguards, often drawn in by deals too good to be true and promoted by influencers some of whom have never been to the practice in question. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By partnering with TikTok, were helping people make safer, more informed choices before they go under the knife wherever that may be. Stephen Doughty, a Foreign Office minister, said the campaign would explain the risks and help British people understand the actions they can take to keep themselves safe when abroad. We urge anyone considering a medical procedure abroad to review our travel advice, relevant guidance from the NHS and other professional bodies, and research foreign providers thoroughly to ensure they meet the highest standard of care, he added. The initiative comes after ministers outlined plans to cut down on cowboy cosmetic procedures in the UK by introducing new restrictions. Demi Agoglia was said to be conscious about her looks In 2024, Demi Agoglia, a 26-year-old mother of three from Salford, Greater Manchester, died from a microscopic fat embolism after a BBL in Istanbul. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An inquest heard she was said to be conscious about the way she looked and insisted on undergoing the BBL procedure. Hayley Dowell suffered fatal medical complications in Turkey In 2023, Hayley Dowell, 38, died in Turkey after a surgeon left halfway through an operation. She suffered medical complications at a private clinic after she had the procedure along with a tummy tuck and liposuction as part of a package that cost more than 7,000. Melissa Kerr was given limited information on the procedure In 2022, Melissa Kerr, 31, from Denton, Norfolk, died following a BBL in a private hospital in Istanbul. An inquest heard she was only given limited information regarding the risks and mortality rate associated with the procedure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Health unveiled proposals which include only allowing suitably qualified and Care Quality Commission-regulated health workers to deliver high-risk procedures such as BBLs. Clinics offering Botox and fillers will need licences, and age restrictions will be introduced to prevent children from trying to follow dangerous beauty trends on social media. Those who break the rules will face sanctions, including financial penalties, officials said. In July, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute warned that fat injections, BBLs, Botox and fillers were being offered by untrained people in places such as public toilets. There have also been concerns about rising numbers of people poisoned by fake Botox, leaving consumers struggling with breathing and swallowing problems, and slurred speech, after suffering from botulism. 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. Follow the latest updates on Trumps meeting with Putin here Donald Trump will meet with Vladimir Putin one-on-one today to discuss the war in Ukraine. The highly-anticipated summit, which Ukraine has been shut out of, will be attended only by the two leaders and their interpreters. What time is Trump meeting Putin? The talks are scheduled to start at 11.30am local time (8.30pm BST) and will be followed by a press conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This will be followed by negotiations between the delegations, which will continue over a working breakfast, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said. Putin and Mr Trump will then hold a press conference, during which they will summarise the results of the negotiations, Mr Ushakov added. Where in Alaska is the summit? The leaders will come face-to-face at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Mr Trump has visited the military base a number of times since he first took office in 2017. With Alaskas closest point to Russia being just three miles across the Bering Strait, the location appears to be a win for both leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mike Dunleavy, Alaskas Republican governor, described the northwestern state as a bridge between nations. He said it is the most strategic location in the world, given its close proximity to Russia, and it stands ready to host this historic meeting. Alaska also used to be Russian territory. Tsar Alexander II sold Alaska to the US in 1867 for $7.2m (5.4m), and Russian nationalists have long dreamed of reclaiming it. Will Putin be arrested in Alaska? Putin is indicted by the International Criminal Court, accused of ordering the theft of thousands of children from Ukraine to be sold to childless couples in Russia. Holding the meeting in US territory means he can avoid the risk of arrest, as the country does not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC. What can we expect from the talks? The US president previously said that within two minutes of meeting the Russian leader he would know exactly whether or not a deal can get done to end the conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trump added that he would seek an immediate second meeting, this time involving Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraines president, after the initial talks. If the first one goes okay, well have a quick second one. I would like to do it almost immediately, and well have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky and myself, if theyd like to have me there, he said. Tempering expectations of a breakthrough, the White House insisted the summit was a listening exercise for Mr Trump. However, the US president is preparing to offer Putin access to rare earth minerals to incentivise him to end the war in Ukraine, The Telegraph revealed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The US president will present money-making opportunities, including opening up Alaskas natural resources to Moscow and lifting some of the American sanctions on Russias aviation industry. 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. President Donald Trump is headed to Anchorage, Alaska on Aug. 15 to meet face-to-face with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as Trump hopes to find an end for the war in Ukraine. Though Russia invaded Ukraine more than three years ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not be attending the diplomatic summit. The White House has called this meeting a "listening exercise," and Trump has said he plans to assess whether or not any type of peace deal can be made. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the first time Trump is meeting Putin as the 47th president, though the two met on several other occasions in Trump's first term. Here is what to know about the high-stakes meeting: More: From bromance to bitterness, Trump-Putin relationship full of twists and turns What time are Trump and Putin meeting today? Trump and Putin are scheduled to meet on Friday, Aug. 15 at 3 p.m. ET (11 a.m. local time) in Alaska. Where are Trump and Putin meeting? The two world leaders will meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. The base hosts about 30,000 service members, their family members and civilian employees, and is approximately 700 miles from the border with Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, appearing Aug. 14 on Fox News' "Fox and Friends," said Trump's meeting with Putin will be followed by a "bilateral lunch" between the two leaders and their respective delegations followed by a news conference. How to watch Trump and Putin's meeting: USA TODAY is scheduled to provide live coverage as Trump meets with Putin in Alaska. You can watch at the embed below or on USA TODAY's YouTube channel. Why are Trump and Putin meeting? Trump said there would be very severe consequences if Putin does not agree to end the Ukraine war when they meet and has said his summit with the Russian president would be "setting the table" for a possible Putin-Zelenskyy meeting that he might attend as well. In an Aug. 14 interview with conservative talk show host Brian Kilmeade on Fox News Radio, Trump called the meeting a "chess game" and predicted there's a "25% chance" the meeting could fail to advance peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has raised the idea of a "land swap" between Russia and Ukraine, asserting that both countries would have to cede land to each other to end the war. But Zelenskyy has firmly rejected the idea of ceding any land to Russia. "Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier," Zelenskyy said in a video posted on X on Aug. 9. Have Trump and Putin met before? Yes, this is their seventh time meeting as world leaders. Their first meeting occurred in July of 2017 in Hamburg, Germany, months after the Justice Department began investigating alleged ties between Trump campaign officials and Moscow as part of the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. After the investigation did not find evidence of coordination, Trump and Putin met at the G20 Summit in 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have had a very, very good relationship. And we look forward to spending some pretty good time together, Trump said at the time. Trump was later impeached by the House of Representatives (but acquitted by Senate) for asking Zelenskyy to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden in a July 2019 phone call. In the lead up to the 2024 election, Trump repeatedly promised to end the Russia-Ukraine war swiftly. He has been publically critical of Putin since returning to the White House, and had reportedly considered sanctions. Contributing: Francesca Chambers, Lauren Villagran, Tom Vanden Brook, Joey Garrison, USA TODAY; Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump, Putin meeting time, and watch live here Here is a look at key dates since the Taliban returned to power four years ago, as United States and NATO forces withdrew from the country: ___ 2021 Aug. 15: The Taliban march into Kabul, returning to power after two decades as internationally backed President Ashraf Ghani flees the country. Aug. 26: Islamic State group suicide bombers and gunmen kill over 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops in an attack on the crowds trying to be evacuated at Kabuls airport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ___ 2022 March 23: On the day high schools are opening, the Taliban abruptly reverse a promise to allow girls above the sixth grade to attend school. May 7: The Taliban Virtue and Vice Ministry says women in public must wear all-encompassing robes and cover their faces except for their eyes. It advises them to stay home unless they have important work outside the house. Nov. 10: A nationwide ban on women using gyms and parks comes into force. The Taliban say they imposed the ban because women allegedly disobeyed gender segregation rules or didnt cover themselves properly. Nov. 20: The Taliban lash 19 people, including alleged adulterers, in the first public flogging since their return to rule. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dec. 8: The Taliban execute a convicted killer before hundreds of spectators, the first public execution since the takeover. Dec. 21: The Taliban bar female students from attending university. Dec. 24: The Taliban bar Afghan women from working with national and international nongovernmental groups. ___ 2023 July 4: The Taliban order beauty salons to shut down for offering allegedly un-Islamic services like eyebrow shaping. The decision affects as many as 60,000 female entrepreneurs. Sept. 13: The Taliban hail Chinas new ambassador with fanfare. Months later, the Taliban officially send their new ambassador to Beijing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oct. 4: Pakistan announces a major crackdown on foreigners living in the country illegally, including millions of Afghans. Oct. 7: A 6.3 magnitude earthquake in western Herat province kills thousands. More quakes follow, bringing further devastation to the area. ___ 2024 Jan. 4: The Taliban arrest women in Kabul for wearing bad hijab, the first official dress code crackdown since they returned to power. May 17: Shooters open fire in Bamiyan, killing six people, including three Spanish vacationers. Its a blow to the Talibans plans to woo tourists. IS claims the attack. June 4: The leader of the United Arab Emirates meets a Taliban official facing a U.S. bounty over his involvement in deadly assaults. It highlights the growing divide on how to deal with the Taliban. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement July 30: The Taliban say they no longer recognize Afghan diplomatic missions staffed by diplomats from the former Western-backed government. Aug. 13: The Taliban celebrate the third anniversary of their return to power at a former U.S. air base that was once the center of Washingtons war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks. Aug. 21: The UAE accepts the credentials of the Talibans ambassador to the Gulf Arab state. Aug. 22: Authorities ban womens voices and bare faces in public under new laws approved by the supreme leader in efforts to combat vice and promote virtue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sept. 13: IS militants kill 14 people in a Shiite-majority area of central Afghanistan, gunning them down as they returned from visiting shrines in Iraq. Sept. 16: The Taliban suspend polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, one of two countries in which the spread of the potentially fatal, paralyzing disease has never been stopped. Oct. 15: Taliban run-media stop showing images of living beings in some Afghan provinces to comply with morality laws. That same month, the southern province of Helmand bans all media from showing images of living beings. Nov. 10: The Taliban confirm they will attend a U.N. climate conference. The head of the countrys national environment agency says Afghanistan needs international support to deal with extreme weather. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dec. 4: There is widespread condemnation after reports that the Talibans leader has ordered private and public institutions to suspend medical courses for women. Dec. 11: A suicide bombing in the Afghan capital kills the refugee minister. The funeral for Khalil Haqqani, the paternal uncle of acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, is held the following day. Dec. 24: Airstrikes by Pakistan target suspected Pakistani Taliban hideouts in Afghanistan. Afghan officials say the airstrikes killed 46 people, mostly women and children. ___ 2025 Jan. 22: A prisoner swap with the U.S. frees two Americans in exchange for a Taliban figure imprisoned for life in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. The Taliban free more Americans months later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jan. 24: The International Criminal Courts chief prosecutor requests arrest warrants for two top Taliban officials for the repression of women. Feb. 24: The Taliban confirm the arrest of two elderly British nationals, Peter and Barbie Reynolds. March 5: A suspect in the 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport appears in a U.S. court following his capture in Pakistan. March 23: The U.S. lifts bounties on three senior Taliban figures, including the interior minister. June 5: U.S. President Donald Trump bans entry for citizens from 12 countries, including Afghanistan. July 4: Russia becomes the first country to officially recognize the Taliban government. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Besides the school supplies, lunch plans and new clothes, local pharmacists are urging parents to stay on top of routine immunizations ahead of the first day of school. Crystal Sharp, pharmacy manager at the Hollywood West Fred Meyer, joined us on AM Extra Back to School Week to share some advice on those important vaccinations for children. 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. Town hall on tariff effects held at Madonna Universitys Welcome Center,in Livonia. Aug. 14, 2025. Left to right: moderator Bill Joyner, NYX Inc. Executive Vice President Dan Laible, AlphaUSA President Chuck Dardas, and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit). | Photo by Leah Craig/Michigan Advance As uncertainties around tariffs and trade continue to rise, two business leaders spoke out at a town hall, with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) facilitating the discussion on the broader impact on manufacturers, consumers, and communities. We are hosting this town hall to put a face to the impacts of the reckless imposing of tariffs by the Trump Administration, said Tlaib. Tariffs can be used as a tool to level the playing field for workers, consumers, and small businesses in the United States. However, reckless and aggressive methods in which Trump is handling tariffs have manipulated the stock market, making his friends richer, while we suffer here at home with increased costs on families and small businesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tlaib was joined by leaders from two Livonia-based automotive suppliers: AlphaUSA and NYX Inc. Both companies are centered in the design and development of specialized automotive parts, albeit in different capacities. Executive Vice President & CFO for NYX Dan Laible was tasked with outlining the current situation, emphasizing the need for conversations that are fact-based [and] data-driven. Theres just a lot of misinformation out there about this, and a lot of misconceptions out there, as if all of a sudden, this is going to fix all of the particular issues in the last 20 to 30 years of trade policy, Laible said. NYX Inc. Executive Vice President Dan Laible speaking at town hall on tariff effects held at Madonna Universitys Welcome Center in Livonia. Aug. 14, 2025. | Photo by Leah Craig/Michigan Advance SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The best course of action for citizens, he surmised, is to seek out reliable and verifiable sources of information and keep the conversation going. Laible explained that tariff costs are absorbed by one of three avenues: foreign exporters, American companies, and American consumers. He then referred to a recent assessment from Goldman Sachs that found that 14% of tariffs were paid by foreign exporters, 64% by American companies, and 22% by American consumers. Furthermore, Goldman economists predicted that around 67% of the tariffs would ultimately be shouldered by U.S. consumers Companies cant continue to absorb that level of additional cost indefinitely, especially when its hitting a quarterly loss of $800 billion based on tariffs, said Laible. Eventually, that has to be passed down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tlaib clarified that the funds being collected through tariffs are not earmarked for any specific purpose, but are going to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) hosts a town hall on tariff effects held at Madonna Universitys Welcome Center,in Livonia. Aug. 14, 2025. | Photo by Leah Craig/Michigan Advance Advocates of tariffs cite trade deficits or imbalances as a rationale. But Laible highlighted that while such imbalances do exist, the context behind them is all too often overlooked. For example, there is a $62 billion trade imbalance between the United States and Canada. However, this imbalance is due in part to the fact that Canada has a much smaller population than the United States. Additionally, the energy infrastructure put in placeLaible cited the Keystone Pipeline in particular has exacerbated that imbalance. One of the primary arguments for tariffs is that they draw consumers to domestic products instead of foreign alternatives. But Laible said the current tariff plan fails to recognize that there are certain items that arent produced in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coffee, for example, is not produced domestically, and one-third of coffee consumed in the United States is sourced from Brazil, which is now facing a 50% tariff. And while the strain of tariffs havent yet made their way to consumers, Laible warns that its only a matter of time. AlphaUSA, which specializes in producing fasteners, nuts, and bolts specific to the automotive industry, must contend with similar constraints. AlphaUSA has served Livonia and the automotive industry alike for 67 years. However, as President and COO Chuck Dardas outlined in an op-ed for The Detroit News, the current tariff policies have jeopardized the livelihoods of the company and the manufacturing industry as a whole. At the town hall, Dardas gave the example of the nuts and bolts used in Alphas automotive fasteners: some are imported from Canada, others from Ohio, and the parts themselves are manufactured in Taiwan. AlphaUSA President Chuck Dardas speaking at town hall on tariff effects held at Madonna Universitys Welcome Center in Livonia. Aug. 14, 2025. | Photo by Leah Craig/Michigan Advance In 2018, the Trump Administration levied a 25% tariff on steel. Alpha was unaffected, as certain items including the nuts and bolts used in their production were excluded from the tax. Now, those exclusions no longer apply, having been cancelled in March 2025. The initial 25% tariff has become a 50% tariff. Factor in the capacity constraints on the domestic steel industry and things become significantly more complex for companies like Alpha. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve been triangulated in how this has hit our company, Dardas told the town hall. This is all for us buying some nuts from somebody in Mississauga, some from Ohio, and part of these bolts that were buying right here in Michigan. All in all, the costs for this small, independent business have gone up by around $250,000 per month, or an additional $3,000,000 annually. Moreover, he added, the rigid quality standards for the automotive industry mean that companies like Alpha cant afford to cut corners. Were red, white, and blue. Weve been here forever. We do all the right things. Were community-focused. Were not building plants all over the planet, said Dardas. Weve done it right. Weve played by the rules, and now were faced with this Armageddon that we seriously need help with. So I just hope we can resolve this diplomatically and politically before our company runs out of time. Teacher bonuses tied to Tennessee's controversial voucher program expansin have begun to roll out statewide. However, some teachers have seen roughly 35% in taxes and deductions taken out of their bonuses. Lawmakers included one-time bonuses of $2,000 for teachers as part of the Education Freedom Act passed during a special legislative session in January. Local school boards were required to adopt a resolution affirming their participation in the program to ensure teachers would receive the bonuses. For years, Gov. Bill Lee pushed to expand taxpayer-funded school vouchers to help families pay for private K-12 school tuition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Public school boards statewide have been among the most vocal opponents of vouchers, citing concerns about hampering funding, enrollment and other resources for public schools. More: Tennessee lawmakers passed a $447M school choice bill. Here's what it does State Sen. Heidi Campbell of Nashville is among state Democrats who have staunchly opposed vouchers. In an Aug. 6 Facebook post, she shared a note from a Nashville teacher who expressed shock over only receiving a $1,329 bonus after taxes and deductions applied. "Tennessee just voluntarily gave a $1.6B kickback to corporations, but failed to make whole this comparatively (meager) bonus for our over-worked and under-paid teachers," Campbell wrote. "They used our teachers to get what they wanted and then failed to deliver." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's what we know about the bonuses. Who qualifies for Tennessee teacher bonuses? Licensed teachers employed full-time by a K-12 public school district in Tennessee during the 2024-25 school year qualify for the bonuses, according to the new state law. State lawmakers who are K-12 school teachers do not quality for the bonuses. However, spouses of state lawmakers who are teachers do. When will the bonuses be paid? Several districts, including Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Metro Nashville Public Schools and Williamson County Schools, reported they had already paid out the bonuses as of Aug. 14. Other districts said they are still finalizing details and expect the bonuses to go out later this month or in September. How high are taxes and deductions on the bonuses? The Tennessean reached out to a dozen school districts across Tennessee to ask about taxes and deductions applied to the bonuses. Among the several that provided numbers, rates ranged from 22% to up to 37% taken out of the $2,000 total. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A teacher in Memphis, who requested anonymity, provided a pay stub that showed a $1,713 payout for the bonus. That rounds up to 14% in taxes and deductions. Most Nashville teachers received $1,329, according to MNPS spokesperson Sean Braisted. That rounds up to 33% taken out. Dickson County Schools Director Christie Southerland said teachers can expect to see bonuses in September and that they will see anywhere from 35%-37% in taxes and deductions. Generally speaking, the bonuses are subject to a required 22% federal income tax. They are also subject to deductions for Social Security, Medicare and retirement contributions. Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, which sits on the Kentucky border, may also have employees who live in Kentucky that owe additional state taxes, according to spokesperson Anthony Johnson. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: $2K Tennessee teacher bonuses: What to know about taxes, pay dates NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. (KCAU) South Dakota Governor candidate Toby Doeden made a quick stop in North Sioux City on Thursday as he continues to travel to all 66 counties in the Rushmore state. At Ps Pizza House, 19 people were in attendance to find out what the South Dakota native plans to do if elected the states next Governor. During the event, Doeden said one of the first issues he plans to tackle is the states property taxes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Story continues below Every single resident of South Dakota is being negatively impacted by property taxes. I will get the good folks of this state immediate and significant property tax relief. But overall, we have to bring fiscal sanity back to our state government. We have to make sure that we have an efficient state government, said Doeden. Doeden will continue his tour of the state with his next stop on Friday in Sioux Falls before returning back to North Sioux City on Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Hey there New Jersey! Heres your audio update highlighting the death of a woman two days after she crashed into building in Howell and an upcoming $100 credit for New Jersey residents on their electric bills. Well also tell you about a woman being removed as a Girl Scout troop leader in Park Ridge and a tragic case involving artificial intelligence. Listen by clicking the play button above. This audio presentation is an editorially-curated selection of stories, selected by an editor, and then summarized and read aloud by artificial intelligence. Some variations in pronunciation, tone or diction may result. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want to know what you think! All feedback is valuable. After youve listened, take our 3-question survey here to let us know what you think. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Aug. 15, according to the Tribunes archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) High temperature: 98 degrees (1944) Low temperature: 48 degrees (2004) Precipitation: 1.87 inches (1993) Snowfall: None 1812: Some 500 Potawatomi and their allies encircled 110 men, women and children who had marched out of Fort Dearborn at the mouth of the Chicago River, heading for Fort Wayne in Indiana Territory. Soldiers from the garrison formed a line and advanced on the Native Americans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sixty-eight of the Fort Dearborn contingent lost their lives in the fighting and its aftermath. The Potawatomi losses are unknown but were certainly far fewer. The next day, the Indians burned Fort Dearborn. It wasnt the Fort Dearborn Massacre Though the bloody clash took place somewhere between whats now Roosevelt Road and 18th Street, it was traditionally known as the Fort Dearborn Massacre. Recently it was renamed the Battle of Fort Dearborn, acknowledging that both sides committed atrocities in the centuries-long struggle between Native Americans and European colonizers for control of what became the United States. Already in 1899, Simon Pokagon, a Potawatomi writer, observed, When whites are killed, it is a massacre; when Indians are killed, it is a fight. 1967: Pablo Picasso who never visited Chicago presented a gift to the city. The octogenarian Spanish artist had been wooed by architects of the Civic Center (now named for Daley) to create a focal point for its plaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After a performance by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and a poetic tribute recited by Pulitzer Prize winner Gwendolyn Brooks, about 50,000 Chicagoans got their first glimpse of Picassos present. Although we were willing to experiment along many lines in other situations, we wanted the sculpture to be the work of the greatest master alive, said William E. Hartmann, senior partner in Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, in 1967. Oh mommy, its terrible, a young Bob Wadell told his mother. I hope its a phoenix, she responded. Vintage Chicago Tribune: 10 biggest bummers in 100 years of city history Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its hideous, it means nothing, its like a cow sticking out its tongue at Chicago, an elderly woman told everyone within earshot. Others suggested the 50-foot steel sculpture was a bird, a horse, a Viking ship, a baboon or a modernistic representation of Picassos dog. Nobody really had an answer especially since Picasso himself didnt show up for the ceremony. The Tribune summed up the untitled masterpiece like this: For decades, possibly for generations, Chicagoans will dispute about this huge semi-abstract head of a woman or is it something else? which will be like a brooding presence in the center of the city. It will be derided, defended, laughed at, and who knows? maybe eventually loved. 2006: Ordered to be deported, Elvira Arellano and her U.S.-born son took refuge inside Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicagos Humboldt Park neighborhood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arellano had been arrested in a post-Sept. 11, 2001, sweep of OHare International Airport, where she was working as a cleaner. Authorities discovered she had been using a fake Social Security number and had been previously deported to Mexico. Arellano would spend a year living in the church with her story receiving national attention. Want more vintage Chicago? Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicagos past. Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Kori Rumore and Marianne Mather at krumore@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com A 175-pound mama black bear and her three fuzzy cubs have made a rare home in the Santa Monica Mountains near Topanga Canyon, drawing a warm welcome from neighbors and hikers from a safe distance. Doorbell and backyard cameras plus routine dog walkers are catching glimpses of the furry family as they nose around local trails and creek beds. Officials say the bears began leaving their den this spring, with reports of sightings continuing through summer. State wildlife officials confirmed in March 2025 that the mother, known as BB14, was denning with three cubs in a remote part of Topanga Canyon. During a den check, they documented two male cubs and one female, and sightings picked up in May with reports continuing through August. A little cub is seen in this undated photo provided when wildlife officials announced a family of black bears has moved into Topanga in August 2025. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife) A slideshow is seen during a town meeting to talk about how to coexist with the new black bears found in Santa Monica Mountains. August 2025. (Topanga Town Council) A slideshow with a photo of a mama bear is seen during a town meeting to talk about how to coexist with the new black bears found in Santa Monica Mountains. August 2025. (Topanga Town Council) Three little cubs are seen in this undated photo provided when wildlife officials announced a family of black bears has moved into Topanga in August 2025. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife) A slideshow is seen during a town meeting to talk about how to coexist with the new black bears found in Santa Monica Mountains. August 2025. (Topanga Town Council) BB14s travels have made her a minor local celebrity, KTLAs Annie Rose Ramos reports. The mama bears story started back in May 2024, when she was captured in Claremont, fitted with a GPS collar and released in the Angeles National Forest. She later appeared in the Simi Hills and in Chatsworth, where officials rescued her from a tree and returned her to the forest. She roamed through Sylmar, Malibu and Calabasas even popping up on the Pepperdine University campus before settling down to have her cubs this spring. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, BB14 has twice been captured and moved to a remote habitat in the Angeles National Forest after getting stuck in urban areas, yet she kept returning to the Santa Monica Mountains, successfully crossing several busy freeways to do so. Officials say the family appears to be doing well and urge residents and visitors to keep trash and other food sources secured so the bears can remain wild. Now its largely up to residents and visitors to keep these bears from accessing human-sourced food and garbage so that they can thrive in the wild, said CDFW information officer Peter Tira. Neighbors are getting used to the new arrivals. She was in the front digging through our trash, said Emma, a local resident who works at a nearby coffee shop, after her camera captured the bear outside her home on Wednesday night. Emma said shes keeping her bins locked and wants the family left alone: I want her to just do her thing. This is her home Shes a new mom. Shes got babies. 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. Topeka police join statewide campaign against impaired driving TOPEKA (KSNT) The Topeka Police Department (TPD) will be participating in a statewide campaign against impaired driving. Starting on Aug. 16 and going until Sept. 1, the TPD will participate in the You Drink. You Drive. You Lose campaign. The campaign, supported by a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), aims to enforce laws against impaired driving to prevent accidents and save lives. The TPD says impaired driving includes operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both. The TPD urges individuals who choose to consume alcohol to plan for their safety by designating a sober driver, using rideshare services, or utilizing public transportation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Five-mile detour planned for north Topeka road work The TPD says that if you see someone who has drunk too much alcohol to encourage them not to drive. 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. A tornado warning that was in effect for parts of southeastern Manitoba is now over. Environment and Climate Change Canada issued the warning at around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, with a severe thunderstorm making its way through the region. The warning was in effect for the rural municipality of Alexander, including Powerview-Pine Falls and Bissett. It had been lifted as of 8:10 p.m., though severe thunderstorms warning remained in effect for Bissett and Nopiming Provincial Park. Watches were also in effect for most of the region. The federal agency says people should take immediate cover if a thunderstorm approaches. Traffic disruption is expected to continue in Belfast on Sunday due to repairs on the M3 Lagan Bridge. It follows heavy traffic on Saturday due to the planned Lagan Bridge closure and a crash on the M2 northbound. The M2 was partially closed for much of the day, but was fully reopened at about 16:00 BST. The M3 Lagan Bridge is closed until 06:00 on Monday to traffic coming from east Belfast. There were long tailbacks in the city two weeks ago when the bridge was closed in the opposite direction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this week, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) said delays and disruption were "inevitable" this weekend. 'Allow extra time' The 30-year-old Lagan Bridge carries, on average, 90,000 vehicles a day. A DfI spokesperson said: "If you are travelling to Belfast International Airport or north or west please ask yourself do you need to drive across Belfast, or can you take another route such as via the A55 outer ring. "If you are travelling into the city to enjoy some shopping or leisure, or if you are attending an event at Custom House Square or Belfast Mela, remember to factor the bridge closure into your travel plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Allow extra time, look at the alternative routes or consider using public transport if you can." The M3 is used by drivers to bypass the city centre. It connects the Sydenham Bypass in east Belfast to the Westlink and M2. Traffic from east Belfast cannot cross the M3 from until 06:00 BST on Monday. The road has been closed from Bridge End to the M2 Foreshore since 21:00 BST on Friday. The closure is to allow essential repairs to bearings under the bridge which are showing signs of corrosion and movement. Why does the Lagan Bridge need to close? The DfI spokesperson explained: "For safety reasons, the work cannot just be undertaken overnight as the bridge has to be jacked up to replace the bearings and time is required to allow the concrete plinths to strengthen before traffic can be allowed to travel over it again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Delaying the work now could result in further structural damage and longer closures at a later date." This weekend's repairs are part of a 400,000 maintenance scheme. Earlier in 2025, a 3.8m resurfacing project at the Sydenham Bypass was completed after six months of work. The DfI thanked people for their patience while the improvement schemes took place. Organisers of a 10km race in Carrickfergus on Sunday have warned runners to leave extra time for their journey if travelling through Belfast. (Courtesy: Huntsville Police Department) (Courtesy: Huntsville Police Department) (Courtesy: Huntsville Police Department) (Courtesy: Huntsville Police Department) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) A 25-year-old mans arrest led to dangerous weapons being taken off of the streets, according to Huntsville Police. HPDs Anti-Crime Team (ACT) was patrolling in the area of Rime Village Drive on Tuesday, August 12, due to complaints of criminal activity. While patrolling, HPD stopped a black vehicle for multiple traffic violations. A passenger inside the vehicle, 25-year-old Braylon Jamal Lay Lindsey, got out of the vehicle and ran away from authorities. Shortly after, K-9 Officer Judy and K-9 Officer Smoke found Lindsey in the woods nearby. HPD said that the traffic stop led to the removal of two dangerous weapons off of the streets including a Glock with a switch and a rifle with an auto sear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lindsey was arrested and is now facing the following charges: First degree possession of marijuana Possession of a machine gun Possession of an altered firearm Possession of illegal prescription drugs Fleeing and eluding He was booked into the Madison County Jail and was issued a $18,000 bond. 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. UNION COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A traffic stop in Union County turned into a major drug bust this week when deputies reportedly found 15 kilograms of suspected cocaine hidden inside a vehicle and arrested two people on drug charges. A Union County deputy with the S.H.I.E.L.D. Unit pulled over a vehicle in the Marshville area for an equipment issue. Inside the vehicle were Estefani Sandoval and Gilberto Juarez, both of Monroe, along with four young children, the sheriffs office said. K9 Zander then alerted deputies to possible narcotics in the car. The sheriffs office said a search revealed a large stash of concealed cocaine. Investigators believe the drugs were being trafficked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sandoval and Juarez were both arrested on multiple charges, including felony trafficking in cocaine. The children in the vehicle were released to a guardian at the scene. Following their arrests, Sandoval was given a secured bond of $2 million and remains in the Union County Detention Center. Juarez received a $200,000 bond and posted bail. This investigation remains open and ongoing. MORE FROM QCNEWS.COM Union County 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. BERLIN (AP) A passenger train collided with a vehicle at a crossing near the town of Tinglev in southern Denmark on Friday, leaving one person dead and injuring some 20 others. The extent of the injuries is still unclear, but photos from the scene show derailed and overturned carriages. A large number of emergency services were on the scene, and local news outlet TV2 said they had deployed drones and search dogs. The company in charge of operating Denmark's rail network, Banedanmark, said on X that the accident happened when the train collided with a vehicle at a level crossing. Amra Kuhafa became inspired to pursue a health care career when she took care of her sick grandmother. Kuhafa, who moved to the United States from Sri Lanka, said taking care of family stems from her culture. "She had her bypass surgery, so I was taking care of her the whole time," she said. "That inspired me that I want to be a nurse in my future." When she arrived in the U.S. about three years ago, Kuhafa completed her high school degree and became involved with the Maryland Corps a state career development program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amra Kuhafa- Frederick Health Hospital Amra Kuhafa poses for a portrait at the Frederick Health Hospital on Thursday. The Asian American Center of Frederick received a state grant to support a Certified Nursing Assistant training program. Kuhafa, who now works at the hospital as a CNA, completed the CNA training program in March. Through the state program, she was introduced to the Asian American Center of Frederick, where she worked as an outreach specialist and an assistant teacher. There, she could take one step closer to her dream career through the center's Certified Nursing Assistant training program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The center's training program provides people from underserved communities, such as immigrants and low-income individuals, the resources to achieve the certification and develop a career in health care. Participants of the program receive free training with classes offered through Frederick Community College's partnership with the center. The center also works to cover participant expenses, such as transportation, necessary course materials and more. Last year, 32 people completed the CNA program, according to the center's training manager, Vanda Yamkovenko. For the second year in a row, the center received in June a $50,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Labor's Direct Care Workforce Innovation Program, which will be used to support the nursing assistant program, Yamkovenko said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kuhafa, 20, completed the training program in March and has been working as a CNA at Frederick Health Hospital for three months. The program was ideal for Kuhafa because it was free and the center paid for books and equipment, she said. "I really liked the clinical part that they took us to the Glade Valley nursing home, which gave us hands-on work," she said. "It was a good experience that helped me for my exams." Kuhafa is completing an associate's degree in surgical technology at Frederick Community College. She balances three 12-hour shifts a week at the hospital with her online college courses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One challenge she overcame throughout the process was the language barrier, said Kuhafa, whose first language is Sinhala. As she advances in her education and career, Kuhafa is working to pursue a nursing degree. Nadine Wilson-Smith immigrated to Frederick from Jamaica in 2022 with an associate's degree in general agriculture, a bachelor's in environmental science and a master's in integrated rural development "I have my credentials, but it ain't easy to get a job here in America when you just arrived," Wilson-Smith, 48, said. Her first job in the city was as a cashier at the Caribbean restaurant Jerk It Smoke It. One day, a man who was on the AACF board walked into the store and introduced her to their work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The center's executive director, Elizabeth Chung, later visited the restaurant, asked Wilson-Smith about her experiences and suggested she get involved with the center. Wilson-Smith has worked at the AACF since 2023 and is a scheduler in the language resources center. "I saw it as a means to gain more valuable skills where I can be more meaningful to the community," she said about the CNA program, which she completed last fall. She works part-time as a CNA through an agency that places her in various facilities around the county. Wilson-Smith also completed the center's Community Health Worker training one of the center's other workforce development programs. The AACF will soon launch its first cohort for its clinical medical assistant apprenticeship program, Yamkovenko said. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has been authorized to seek the death penalty in a case against Teresa Youngblut, the woman accused in the Jan. 20 shooting that killed U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland. A federal grand jury returned the four-count indictment Thursday against 21-year-old Youngblut, charging her with the murder of Maland, the assault of two other agents with a deadly weapon and related gun offenses. Attorney General Pamela Bondi formally authorized the pursuit of capital punishment, and the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Vermont has filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty in the case, the agency said Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Youngblut has been linked by investigators to "Ziz," a fringe, self-described vegan, anti-government, transgender-rights collective that federal authorities say may be connected to multiple homicides throughout the U.S. Trump Admin Fast-tracks Death Penalty Case For Transgender Cult Suspect In Border Patrol Killing: Attorneys Teresa Youngblut, charged by the FBI in the shooting death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland, is seen in the office at the Newport City Inn Jan. 14, 2025, in Newport, Vt., in this still-frame photograph from video released by the inn. According to court documents, the new indictment outlines additional details about the hours leading up to the Jan. 20 shooting in Coventry, Vermont. Read On The Fox News App Days before the deadly traffic stop, law enforcement took note of Youngblut and Felix Bauckholt, a German citizen whose immigration status "was in question," the DOJ said. The agency said a hotel employee reported they were wearing tactical gear and appeared armed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the day of the shooting, officers allegedly saw the pair in a Newport, Vermont, parking lot, where the man was observed wrapping unknown objects in aluminum foil. David Maland, a Minnesota native and U.S. Air Force veteran, worked as a Border Patrol agent at the U.S. Customs and Border Protections Newport Station. He spent nine years in the military and 15 working for the federal government. During the stop along Interstate 91, both suspects were reportedly armed, and prosecutors allege Youngblut exited the pair's Toyota Prius and opened fire without warning, killing Maland and endangering two other agents. German National Suspect Identified In Killing Of Us Border Patrol Agent In Vermont A Border Patrol agent moves a robotic device next to a Border Patrol vehicle on southbound Route 91 near Newport, Vt., where a U.S. Border Patrol Agent was shot dead Jan. 20, 2025. A robotic device inspects a backpack near what appears to be a body on the ground on southbound Route 91 near Newport, Vt., where a U.S. Border Patrol agent was shot dead Jan. 20, 2025. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Departments Criminal Division called the killing "an attack on the men and women who protect our communities and our borders," vowing that federal prosecutors "will not stand for such attacks." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher for the District of Vermont said his office would continue to "honor the men and women of law enforcement and the memory of Border Patrol Agent Maland by performing its prosecutorial duties so that justice may be done." FBI Assistant Director Jose A. Perez described the murder of a federal agent as "more than a tragic loss," calling it "an attack on the security of our nation and the safety of our communities" and pledging the bureau "will not rest until those responsible are held accountable." Border Patrol Agent Killed In Vermont Identified Attorney General Pamela Bondi speaks during a DOJ and DEA joint announcement on actions to combat drug cartels and drug trafficking under the Justice Department's Operation Take Back America Initiative at the DEA Headquarters July 15, 2025, in Arlington, Va. The Trump admin's decision to fast-track Youngblut's death penalty case came after her attorneys accused the DOJ's timeline of being "unprecedentedly tight" and warned it could render the pretrial process "a near-pointless formality." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This Court should step in to ensure Ms. Youngblut receives a meaningful opportunity to persuade the government not to pursue the death penalty," a July 30 pretrial motion said. The defense asked the court to extend the deadline to Jan. 30, 2026, arguing the current pace denies Youngblut due process. Fox News Digital has reached out to the DOJ and Youngbluts defense attorneys, Steven Barth and Julie Stelzig, for comment. Original article source: Trans vegan cult suspect in border agent killing faces death penalty: DOJ The following is a lightly edited transcript of the August 14 episode of Right Now With Perry Bacon. It was a discussion with Indivisible coexecutive director Leah Greenberg. You can watch it here. Perry Bacon: I want to talk about Resistance 2.0, for a lack of a better term, later. But I do want to talk about whats happening in D.C. in terms of the National Guard right now. I think youre in the D.C. suburb, so whats it like there? Cause Im here in Louisville and I dont have a sense of it. What is it like there right now? Leah Greenberg: Just to start off, it is infuriating and horrifying. Theres a lot of fear that folks are feeling. Theres a lot of understanding that this is going to be something that fallsfirst, [it] is just a direct attack on Black political power and on Black folks and people of color in the districtthat falls really heavily on anybody who might be concerned about an accelerated stop-and-frisk approach to policing the entire city or the entire capital. I think Ive heard a lot of concern from folks around, What can I expect when I go outside? I know that weve seen some peaceful and nonviolent clashes between different folks. Last night there was a group that set up and blocked a street on 14th and W, and crowds immediately appeared and chanted, Youre not welcome here, until they ultimately had to pack up and roll out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres also an element of ridiculousness to it, right? Theyre sending these heavily armed people to police Georgetown. Theyre sending them to the National Mall. This is security Bacon: Theyre not dangerous areas. Greenberg: Yeah. So I would say that I think were still getting a handle on exactly what is happening where, but it is this combination of both very, very seriousand should be understood as an extremely alarming escalation in an overarching power grab that stretches from the Texas redistricting to the attack on the census to the attack on D.C. to the threats to other citiesand also that doesnt mean that at every moment its unfolding in that way. Bacon: And we had the National Guard in Los Angeles. I think they might still be there in some ways. So having the National Guard imposed on two of the most important cities in the country in a three-month period is what dictators do, right? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greenberg: Right. And we know that [Trumps] threatening to do this to other cities, right? In his speech when he was talking about what hes doing in D.C., hes talking about Chicago and Baltimorenotably cities with Black mayors, perceived as [having] majority Black populations. Its a very clearly racialized attack, right? Its framed in terms of crime rates that have actually been falling for several years in D.C. All of this is part of his overarching frame of using immigration and racism as the wedges with which he asserts control over the broader population. Bacon: I dont want to be too critical of herits an unusual situationbut the comments Ive seen so far from Mayor Bowser have been, Were going to work with them. I thought Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass were a little stronger in saying, This is bad. I dont want to be too second-guessing, but Im concerned about her behavior. Are you concerned by how shes I dont want to say condoning this, but its not active resistance. Maybe she has to do this, but what do you think of what shes doing? Greenberg: Absolutely concerned. And recognizing that D.C. is structurally in a different place than a Los Angeles or a California, we are now trying to communicate a national story about what is happening. And it is a really big challenge if the mayor of D.C. is not actually communicating really clearly what an alarming and terrifying incursion this is into D.C. local government and local affairs. And I dont think thats a new thing for Muriel Bowser. Bacon: Right. Shes fairly moderate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greenberg: Well, and shes been trying to accommodate Bacon: Oh, right, right. Greenberg: this administration for a while. Think about the symbolic removal of Black Lives Matter Plaza, right? She is trying very hard. She has been trying repeatedly to reach an accommodation with the administration. I would look at folks who are on the council like Robert White. Look at Janeese George. Those are the folks who might be speaking on behalf of D.C. residents with the level of alarm and urgency that a lot of us feel. Bacon: So when we talked in January, December, you told me the resistance or opposing Trump would be different this time. Thered be fewer marches and different kinds of activity. Talk about how that has played out in the last few months. I think thats borne out, but I want to talk about the strategies you all have been using. There have been some marches, but whats the approach been to opposing Trump this time as opposed to opposing Trump last in 2017? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greenberg: Yeah, absolutely. Well, theres a few big things. The first is I think its important to just name that in addition to the hard-power ways in which this is a different administration, [which] comes in with a more consolidated Republican Party, comes in with a much stronger control over the courts, we also saw this massive collapse of elite institutions and elite actors, as you know, once Trump won. You saw folks like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg rushing to kiss the ring. You saw universities trying to make accommodations with them. You see all of these businesses preemptively dropping their DEI policies. The law firms. I can go down the list, right? That actually was a real shift in the dynamics, and it created a series of dampening effects and negative ripple effects. A lot of institutions that have some role in upholding either liberal democracy or even just their own interests and norms declined to do so. And we can talk about which ones did that because they believe in it, which ones did that because its to their own advantage Bacon: Hard to figure out the difference in some ways, yeah. Greenberg: Yeah. And its interesting and important strategically, but its not that interesting morally. Its all functionally the same. Anyway, that was a really important atmospheric shift. And so a lot of our own thinking shifted from, Can we do one-offs focused on specific policies where were mobilizing to try to push back on this policy? to, What do we need to do to build the mass public opposition to Donald Trump? And then to show it in force, in ways that are actually going to introduce into all of these alternate decision-makers this question of, Is Donald Trump actually going to win? Because fundamentally whats happening is [within] a bunch of sections of society, their decision-makers have said, Well, Donald Trump was elected. He won the popular vote. Hes going to consolidate power. This is the new normal. Ive got to find my place underneath this new regime, and Ive got to secure my position. And so Im going to fold in and obey. And its our job collectively as the resistance to make people think maybe thats not actually going to happen. Maybe this is going to be a short-lived experiment in attempting to impose fascism thats going to end in a disaster for him and a historic wipeout for the Republican Party and an era of accountability and retribution and renewed democracy afterward. And maybe they need to actually hedge their bets a little bit, right? And so part of the thinking is we shifted to stuff like Hands Off and No Kings, which were obviously massive collective movement efforts. We do need to do things where were showing up for different issues, where were showing up at different moments of crisis, but we also needed to collectively link arms and have a big-tent orientation to bringing out everyone who could collectively object to some part of what was going on and to show broad displeasure across the board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And so that was the thinking with Hands Off, which was oriented very much around reaction to the DOGE cuts and to the attacks on so much of our services, federal government, civil rights, all of the pieces that were under attack there. That was the thinking with No Kings, which was a broad anti-authoritarian, anti-overreach, [and], because of the L.A. deployment, antiimmigration enforcement [protest]. Each of those protests, they were oriented so that you could show upwhatever brought you out, we were all showing up under the same umbrella to show supportive strengthand then oriented toward organizing people and moving them into longer-term collective local organizing. Fundamentally, what we think is that were pretty far down the path into authoritarian consolidation of power. And in that moment, weve got to use the traditional tools that weve got. Weve got to use our congressional advocacy. Weve got to do our electoral work. But we also have to recognize that those things are not going to be sufficient, and what we are going to need is mass civil resistance that targets not only our elected officials but actually every facet of power in American society and says you have to take a side. Bacon: Let me ask a couple of follow-ups based on that. The first thing I think you said was something along the lines of, In 2017, it was useful to oppose the health care bill cause it was one policy, versus, Now the goal is maybe to oppose Trumpism writ large in a certain way because the situation is different. Is that what you said? Greenberg: Yeah. And I would say in general, a lot of the model of protest in 2017 was something bad happens and we do a rapid-response mobilization in response to it. And some of that was about pushing back on that specific thing, and some of it was just about escalating the story more broadly. The way that harm has unfolded in this administration is so overlapping and so rapid and so catastrophic that individual stories that wouldve prompted that level of backlash in 2017 dont even get the front-page treatment on day one. And so we actually had to create overarching umbrellas that allowed us to collectively show up. Ill give the example. The Department of Educationthey got rid of the Department of Education. Thats crazy. Bacon: And did it fairly quickly without much controversy actually, yeah. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greenberg: Yeah, exactly. And thats just because the sheer scale and speed at which they are moving makes it really hard for individual stories to break through. So we have to articulate collective meta-stories that we all show up for instead. Not that we dont also do things on the side as well on different issues. I do think that there is strategic campaigning on particular things that are important for driving home the stories we need in order to build a bigger majority on our side. So we campaigned quite hard along with a lot of folks on the reconciliation bill, in part based on all kinds of evidence that it is a wildly disastrous bill for regular Americans and a massive transfer [of wealth] from normal people to the wealthy and to security services. That was a strategic move both to try to stop and mitigate harm there but also to make it as well known as possible. So theres still strategic advantage to doing that kind of campaigning. Its just that when were actually thinking about, How does the structure of protest work? right now, we have to build the biggest tent we possibly can to all push back together rather than saying were going to come out on one issue and one issue and one issue. Bacon: Its interesting you said the tent thing. When the No Kings and the Hands Off protests were happening, there [were] also these Fighting Oligarchy ralliesand they had very large audiences, as well. And I assume you oppose oligarchy; I know something about your politics. In a certain way, I dont want to say there are Democrats who are for oligarchy, but Im guessing that the No Kings, the whole party could agree to versus Fighting Oligarchy with Bernie Sanders and AOC maybe is not as 100 percent unifying. Is that part of a way that you would think about this? Greenberg: Thats an interesting question. So we picked up No Kings in part because it was something that was emerging organically as a rallying cry. We saw this with the 50501 movement, which is this organic movement that evolved out of a Reddit protest page. And we were seeing it resonate with a lot of folks and a lot of populations and able to express a Youre not the boss of me sentiment that united the different factions of resistance and opposition to the Trump administration. And so we felt like it was a frame that could hold a lot. One of the things that then happened was that there was this side debate within the Democratic Party that was [about] kings versus oligarchs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bacon: Right, exactly. Greenberg: And we were like, Oh, we dont actually want to be part of that at all. We think that an effective telling of the story of No Kings involves a really clear understanding that this is a guy who is raiding the government for his own self-interest and for the interest of his billionaire buddies, rather than purely a story thats totally delinked from an economic analysis of what is going on. What we did think was important about the Kings frameand particularly in light of American historyis the idea of somebody whos unaccountable, imperious, making decisions without your input, doing things that are going to harm you with no feedback mechanism, which can land as it relates to stories about corruption, as it relates to stories about billionaire giveaways, as it relates to stories about tariffswhich are a little bit of a complicated story to land within some of the Oligarchy frame, right? Because theres plenty of business interests that are not actually in favor of what theyre doing on tariffs. And so the hope was that we can hold all of those within the No Kings frame, but its definitely not intended to be in opposition or in tension with the No Oligarchy frame. And frankly, a lot of regular people dont see any tension between these. Bacon: I agree with you obviously. OK, so we talked about elites, and I want to come back to thembut talk about the Democratic Party. The first few months, all I could think about wasI think [it] was January 20, that first weekCory Booker, who I like and think is a good person, said something along the lines of, My job is not to oppose Donald Trump. My job is to help the people of New Jersey. And the implication being that Im going to be and I understand those words all seem true, but I worry the implication was problematic. And I think those first few months, it seemed like the senators were debating how many of us could vote for as many Trump nominees as possible. Do you think the Democratic Party has gotten further along in resisting from where they were on February 1, lets say? Are they in the right posture now or close to the right posture now? Greenberg: I think theyre closer? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bacon: Closer. Alright. Greenberg: Yeah. And also, my gosh, I think weve still got a long way to go. Bacon: OK. Greenberg: Immediately after the election, there was just this fervor that swept electeds within D.C., this perception of We lost because we did not talk enough about lowering pricesand Democrats went too far to the left, etc. How they managed to get there [is] a pretty tortured logic, in my opinion, but the basic takeaway was, We need to dial down the anti-Trump stuff and we need to dial up just saying lower prices, lower prices, lower prices, and everything else should be filtered through the frame of, This is a distraction from the real problem, which is the need for lower prices. And I think its a misread of how the media environment works in this moment. I think its a misread because if you say something boring, youre not going to travel and nobodys going to hear you. You may be incredibly on messagebut if that message doesnt get beyond you giving that quote to someone, its not going to matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I also think its a misread of how political conflict works. We actually needed a fighting party out there in front making the case for why each individual terrible thing that Donald Trump was doing was bad in order to successfully catalyze the level of backlash. Because people take their cues from their electeds sometimes. If they see electeds who are acting like things are mostly normal, then a lot of them will assume that things are mostly normal. Now we were tapping into a backlash from basically November on and experiencing this massive insurge of people who were saying, Where is the leadership? What the hell is happening here? One of the very early signs of that was the Laken Riley Bill. This was a immigration bill that was a Republican MAGA messaging bill that got passed by a set of Democrats in their desperation to look like they were also cracking down on immigration. We saw a big backlash amongst our basea lot of peopleand continued, continued pressure. We got Mark Warner at a town hall a couple months ago admitting that he shouldnt have voted for it. This is something thats going to continue to live on with folks. I think Democrats understand that they misread the base at this point. They understand that thats not where people are. I dont think they understand what to do about that. I dont think that they have any coherent analysis of what that means for how they operate. And frankly, you can see that with the funding fight, right? We are not far out from a new funding fight, a rerun of the March situation where Democrats in the Senate collapsed pretty unanimously under Senator Schumers leadership. And theres not a strategy right now. We need a strategy. And if you had a party that understood that their job is to use every lever that they have and to use every tool in their tool box, then you would be approaching this with a lot more clarity about how you use the one actual moment of power that you have for the rest of this year. Bacon: We talked about elites at the beginning, newspapers, business owners. Is that story the same? I feel like I read about a college every week folding. But the incentives there are hard, I would say. So how do you feel? Has the elite capitulation declined? Or it is high, is it low? Is it higher? Its hard for me to assess, but whats your sense of it? Greenberg: I think its continuing a bit. I think weve got some examples of pushback, and I think weve got stuff we can build on. And also, I think you are seeing a bunch of stories of colleges folding. It is not an accident that theyre trying to fold over the summer in order to avoid student base backlash, right? And well see what happens when students get back in the fall. But I think if you look at something like the CBS-Paramount situation where Stephen Colberts been pulled off the air, where theres been a deal with the administration, you see all of the different pieces of this. You see corporate executives continuing to focus primarily on whats going to advance the short-term interest of their company. You see meaningful pushback that can have some culturally galvanizing effects. And also, we havent yet altered the fundamental underlying incentives of folks like the CBS executives making these decisions. Bacon: What has happened positively in terms of what have we resisted? Let me ask it that way. Greenberg: Yeah. Well, lets start with a really big part of the threat in January, which was that you had an alliance between the richest man in the world and Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. You had this fusion of an entire strain of tech antidemocracy thought with the right-wing MAGA antidemocracy thought. And one of the things that we identified very early on within the ecosystem was that we desperately needed to either fracture that alliance or create major political costs for that alliance. And so one of the very early strategic moves that a bunch of us made was to focus in on Elon Musk and his role in federal government, recognizing that he had a totally different set of assumptions, favorables, etc., attached that caused people to have less trust in what he was doing, and [using] that as an entree into driving down the favorability of Republicans more broadly, culminating in both Musk seeing his own interests directly impeded by protests at Tesla dealerships [and] also in the defeat of his preferred candidate in April with the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. I think the combination of protest as part of the way that we both drove down an administration and Musk approval ratings and also created the conditions in which that relationship could fracturethats a really big deal. And its easy to the news cycle moves so fast at this point that its easy to be like, Oh, that was ancient history. But the basic premise of the richest man in the world is [in] lockstep with and basically living out of the White House with the president and theyre both implementing this incredibly terrifying agenda together was like existential-threat level. And we are now in a position where that relationship is fractured and Musk has withdrawn to I dont even know what hes doing now, but hes withdrawn, to a meaningful degree. I think thats a really big win. Thats a really important part of the overall picture, that we were actually able to fracture that alliance. And Republicans still have a massive money advantage. They will for the foreseeable future, but its categorically different than having a supervillain/Bond villain situation on your side. Bacon: Let me ask. I think in terms of the numbers a lot. I feel like by this time in 2017, there was a lot of evidence to suggest that the Democratic Party would win the midterms and that Trump was fairly unpopular. It doesnt feel Trumps numbers are not great, but theyre not at the worst levels possible despite him being so horrible. Trumps poll numbers are not that bad, and the Democratic Party is very, very unfavorably viewed right now. What do we make of those? Those two data points worry me, but I think theres reasons maybe I shouldnt be too worried. How do you view those two data points? Greenberg: Well, first I would say Trumps approval ratings are pretty bad. You want to be above 40 percent consistently if you are a president. And also agree, Democrats approval ratings are also pretty bad. Its worth noting, a big part of that is actually cause Democrats are mad at Democrats. Bacon: You think thats because of the lack of urgency and fight. Greenberg: Yeah, I think that theres frustration with Democrats on the leadership gap. I think theres frustration with Democrats for having lost 2024. I think that a lot of whats happening in the current moment is an anti-gerontocracy backlash that is a delayed reaction to the Biden decision to run again and the fact that we were all put in this situation in 2024 with him having to step down and Kamala Harris having to step in in the very last minute. So I think when you dig into who is mad at Democratsthey dont have great ratings with anyone, but part of the reason why their ratings are so bad is because actually deeply committed Democrats are also quite frustrated with Democratic leadership. I think that its going to be really, really important for us to figure out ways to make the story of both the primaries and the general election of 2026 about something thats more than what its currently shaping up to be. I think that we have this basic challenge: Donald Trump is the most historically and shockingly corrupt president in history, and we ought to be able to capitalize on that, [but] we actually really struggled to do so. When you look at the polling, people think that both sides are corrupt and Republicans are just better at it. And we also have a real feasibility credibility gap with Democrats where weve got policies that test really well with people and we also have a lack of trust that Democrats will actually enact and do those things. And so my takeaway from all of that is that you actually have to have a step back and have a real orientation around how Democrats [can] rebrand themselves as people who mean business and who are making tangible demonstrations to show that they mean business. And some of thats going to be about primary challenges, right? Theres going to be some set of people who are clearing out folks who are not on board, but I also think we should be thinking about, What are tangible commitments that we could make about our relationship with money? Our relation with corporate money? Our relationship with money and politics? The ways in which Democrats do business that can give people some reason to think that theres going to something different about how people operate once theyre back in. Were fighting Republicans, but honestly at this point were also fighting peoples total distrust and disenchantment with the system. Bacon: I want to end here because I wanted to ask a question about what the Democrats should do. Weve talked around that, but I guess youre saying rebrand. I worry that were having intense debates about housing regulations in California and in New York. I dont know how Im not saying those are not important, but I worry were in this Medicare for All versus Medicare for More. I think what youre saying is the rebrand should be along different lines than center-left versus left. Its not an ideological rebrand. Is that what youre getting at? Your framing is a little bit different, I think, in terms of money and politics. Is that the kind of issue youre getting at? Greenberg: Yeah, a little bit. So I guess what Id say is, I think theres definitely a very lively debate about abundance and housing policy, and somehow thats gotten tied up in the debate about moderation on Twitter. And its almost impossible for me to stress how disconnected that is from anyone who is doing actual anti-Trump organizing. I host a weekly Q&A with our folks, and weve got like 5,000 people join and they upvote all the questions. I have never once gotten a single question making it in above the hundreds on any of this stuff. Theres a whole conversation there, and its just hard to stress how disconnected it is from the actual concerns of the people who might actually take up some of that policybecause they just view it as not relevant to the current moment. The current moment, the question is, What are you doing to stop fascism? And in terms of what Democrats can Bacon: Yeah. What does a stopping fascism agenda look like? That might be a question Im driving at here. Greenberg: Yeah. Well, I think part of it would be real and aggressive commitments around accountability and investigations, right? We dont yet have any commitments from Democrats about what they will do with the House investigative powers if they win a majority, right? So for the base, part of it is literally, If we put you into power, will you do something differently than youve done this year? Because what weve seen you do this year is fumble the ball when you actually have meaningful leverage. So theres one piece thats that. I think that theres also a piece about, Whats the set of policies and the set of commitments that break through to people who are fundamentally disenchanted with the broader two-party system, with government as a whole, who, even if they like Democrats, dont have much faith in their policies? I think theres a very significant overlap with people who are deeply distrustful of Democrats after following the Biden administrations mishandling of Gaza. Theres this whole set of questions around how do you reach people who are actually simply just not its not about just saying a policy that they like. Its about giving them some reason to believe that this time is going to be different. My take here is: You cant just promise new policies when you get into power, knowing that youre also not going to actually have the majorities to make that happen. You actually have to change something right now about how you are doing business in order to signal that youre going to be different this time around. Whats within our control right now? Whats within our control is how we use money to advance our own interest. Whats within our own control is our relationships with lobbyists and with corporate interests. Whats within our own control is, Are we actually unilaterally stepping back, cleaning our own house on stock trading? How do we actually signal to people that there is a real and genuine and substantive difference between how the Democratic Party treats corruption within its own ranks versus how the Republican Party treats corruption? So that would be my pitch. Think about the things that are within our own control, that we can do differently without federal levers of powerbecause were not going to have them on the timeline thats necessary to convince people that they need to believe in us again. Bacon: And I guess Ive been dubious. Ive been a little skeptical of the run younger candidates because a young person is not inherently better than an old person. Bernie Sanders is great. We could name some members of Congress who I dont love who are young. But I think the point youre making is if you wanted the party to feel different to people, it has to be different in some way. And younger people or newer people might be part of that. Greenberg: I think thats absolutely part of it. I think the generational fight right now is a double-edged sword. It is not a win to me to replace like Jerry Nadler with somebody whos getting funded by the MFI, right? And also, net-net, it is better to have newer faces. We have a lot of data suggesting that the current faces that represent the Democratic Party are not causing people to have more faith in the Democratic Party. With all due respect to Senator Schumer, he has an approval rating that is I cant even call it up to mind, but it is not the kind of thing. Hes not going to be welcome on in any swing state, lets put it that way. So I think there is a piece of this that is absolutely about running younger people, running people who are more accessible, running people who are digital media natives, running people who are capable of communicating with voters in the ways that voters actually are willing to hear right now. Its not just having press releases and interacting with your traditional legacy media. Its like, Can you do a TikTok and look like youre doing it willingly and not in a hostage video? Right? I absolutely think there is a generational element to it. I also think weve got to be careful about just a purely generational element without a clear overlay of, Were trying to clean a house here. This hasnt been working. We need to do things differently. Bacon: And Ill end it there. Anything you want to I think the word plug is wrong. Any way people can plug into Indivisible groups? Or talk about how, if youre in Community X and you want to get more involved, what you can do through Indivisible. Greenberg: Yeah, absolutely. So Indivisible is a nationwide movement. We have local groups all over the country. There are about 2,800 of them right now. So theres probably one that is near you. If there is not one that is near you, congratulations. You might just be the new founder of an Indivisible group. If you go to Indivisible.org, you can find where local groups are. You can sign up for our emails, and we will send you updates including when events are happening in your area that you can attend as well as regular actions that you can take. And yeah, just encourage you to find a local organizing home, whether thats Indivisible or somewhere else. Bacon: OK. Well finish up there. Leah, thanks for joining us. More importantly, thank you for all the work youve been doing. Greenberg: Thank you. Always a pleasure. Silver City residents and people from surrounding areas join the New Mexico Public Education Department and the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation Aug. 14 for a discussion on educational outcomes related to the Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit seeking equitable education opportunities for at-risk youth. (Photo by Leah Romero for Source NM) Vallarie Hollidays children recently returned to school in Silver City, and while they are still very early in their educational journeys, the mother of two is already worried they will suffer from an inadequate system. Both children have language delays, she said, and her son also receives special education services in school. He previously attended a private Montessori school before attending first grade at a public school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We actually kept him [in private school] I think longer than was good for him out of fear of transitioning into the public schools, Holliday said. But the staff that hes encountered with has been great. My just concern is, as he moves up, is he still going to encounter great people. Holliday was one of dozens of Grant County residents who attended a community meeting Thursday evening to provide their input on various areas of New Mexicos public education system. The meeting is one of multiple hosted by the New Mexico Public Education Department and the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation to gather public comments to inform the court ordered remedial plan in the Yazzie/Martinez education equity lawsuit. First Judicial District Court Judge Matthew Wilson found in April that the state had failed to meet the courts order to improve educational opportunities for at-risk children including Native American students, English Language Learners, low-income students and students with disabilities. Wilson ordered the Public Education Department to take steps to partner with an outside expert and prepare a draft remedial plan by Oct. 1. Silver City residents and people from surrounding areas join the New Mexico Public Education Department and the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation Aug. 14 for a discussion on educational outcomes related to the Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit seeking equitable education opportunities for at-risk youth. (Photo by Leah Romero for Source NM) New Mexico parents, educators and other members of the public have met at community meetings throughout the state this month to share what they think should be done to improve educational outcomes for at-risk students. Attendees at the Silver City meeting were invited to absorb a brief history of the Yazzie/Martinez case before sharing their suggestions on funding and accountability; high-quality, culturally and linguistically responsive educators; and resources, programs, support and instruction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Holliday stressed the importance of transparency and communication between all entities involved in the public school system, particularly how schools communicate with parents. I feel like I kind of send them to school and I dont really know whats going to be happening, she told Source. The IEPs [Individualized Education Program] dont happen until October. So when my son was there last year, we would get tidbitsbut it wasnt until the IEP in October that we really got a breakdown of this day. She added that her daughter does not have a speech therapist at her school and visiting a specialist on their own is an expensive, out-of-pocket cost they cannot afford. Holliday suggested addingmore summer preparation for special needs students to fully prepare teachers and students before the first day of school. Jillian Bernstein, an online educator, told her group at the meeting that she believes the Public Education Department would benefit from a third party monitor, similar to how the Office of the Child Advocate was recently created to provide oversight to the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She explained to Source that she is a licensed master social worker and earned her teaching credentials through an alternative licensure pathway. However, she found that she was often dismissed while working in the public schools for not following a more traditional certification route. Theyre not receptive, but theres also no accountability whatsoever within the district, Bernstein said. We need to have an outside agency and follow models that have been successful from people who are actually listening and passionate. Alexandra Neves, associate dean of the College of Education at Western New Mexico University and professor of bilingual education, explained to Source that her role is to educate New Mexicos future educators, which includes discussing the Yazzie/Martinez case. I talk about Yazzie/Martinez, so this is part of our curriculum. But when I go to schools sometimes with teachers that have been there for a while, they didnt know, like when I talk about Yazzie/Martinez, they didnt know what it was, Neves said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details of the lawsuit and its findings, as well as changes implemented at the state level need to trickle down to districts, schools and teachers, Neves said. The results come from people who are invested and its not like just, Oh, you need to do this. So its one more thing on the plate of teaching when we should be removing things and letting them teach, she said. A participant in a community meeting in Silver City on Aug. 14 reviews attendees suggestions for improving educational outcomes for at-risk students. (Photo by Leah Romero for Source NM) Tim Hand with the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation told Source that the meetings have largely been well attended and that participants have started pinpointing helpful, actionable items for the state and other levels of education to implement. Weve been doing this for years, right? The issues are clear, the barriers are clear, the assets are getting more clear. Its the actions that are fuzzy, Hand said. Were building upon all the work thats already been done over the last decade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added that there is some tension in the room during the meetings, but without tension, theres no forward momentum. Three more meetings are scheduled to be held this month: Aug. 20 in Albuquerque, and virtually on Aug. 22 and 26. People can also fill out the community survey online. The Public Education Department and the Los Alamos National LaboratoryFoundation will then take all of the comments and suggestions heard this month and create a report, which will inform the remedial plan. The court gave the state until Oct. 1 to complete a draft plan and then until Nov. 3 to file the complete plan. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Dallas chief financial officer has announced that the city will not release its commissioned police salary survey until the next few weeks. This delay means the survey may not be made public until just days before the City Councils scheduled budget vote on September 17, which will determine pay and staffing levels for the Dallas Police Department. The delay has raised concerns among public safety advocates, who argue that without timely access to the data, the Council could be voting on a budget that fails to meet the requirements of Proposition U, the voter-approved charter amendment mandating competitive police pay and a minimum of 4,000 sworn officers. Town Hall Exchange During a joint public town hall for Districts 12 and 13 on Thursday night, a Dallas resident asked whether the peer-city salary survey would be made public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement District 12 Council Member Cara Mendelsohn responded, You would have to send an open records request to receive it. The resident followed up: Do you expect to see any pushback on that? Because I have colleagues that have submitted requests and have had issues getting some information. Is there any reason why that shouldnt be difficult to get? Jack Wade Ireland Jr., the citys chief financial officer, then said, We do intend to respond to some council questions related to the survey information that was done regarding the police and fire pay. We plan to release the information to Council. It will be posted on our website with our release of memos that we send to the city council. When the resident asked for a specific timeline, Ireland replied, It will be in the next few weeks. It will be before they vote on the budget. In Context On August 14, The Dallas Express reported that Mendelsohn warned in a memo that the citys existing police pay data is outdated and poses serious concerns for recruitment and retention. She called for an urgent review of police salaries to ensure the citys compensation is competitive with the Metroplex market. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A day earlier, DX reported that the proposed FY26 budget already falls short of Prop U requirements, ranking Dallas police pay 12th regionally and leaving the department 576 officers short of the charters 4,000-officer minimum. Irelands next few weeks timeline means the updated salary data may not reach the public or the Council until days before the budget vote, potentially leaving little time to address gaps in pay or staffing. Public Records Dispute On August 6, Dallas HERO a citizen-led advocacy group submitted an open records request stating: Please provide me with a copy of the city commissioned survey of police salaries at the departments in the cities surrounding Dallas with a population over 50,000 as per the Prop U charter amendment that was passed last November. The City of Dallas responded: The City received a public information request from you on 8/6/2025. The City has reviewed its files and has determined there are no responsive documents to your request. PLEASE NOTE: Meet and Confer is not complete. On X, Council Member Cara Mendelsohn replied, That is a very specificly [sic] worded request, and they are right, the document doesnt fit the criteria you submitted. Try again with a request that is not so limited. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dallas HERO responded that the request had been intentionally specific to avoid such a response, saying the city was playing games and asking if there was another name used at City Hall that might yield results. Mendelsohn replied, The city secretary can only respond to what you ask, not what they assume you mean. You got nothing because you asked it incorrectly, not because they are playing games. They will respond based on your request. Think it through and try again. Dallas HERO later reiterated its view that the response was overly technical and asked Mendelsohn to help obtain the records. Whats at Stake If the citys existing salary survey is too outdated to be useful as Mendelsohn has suggested a fresh peer-city salary analysis would likely take weeks or even months to complete. Collecting, verifying, and compiling compensation data from multiple municipalities is a time-intensive process. With just over four weeks until the September 17 final budget vote, there would be virtually no time to complete a new survey, analyze the results, and adjust the budget accordingly. That could lock Dallas into pay rates and staffing levels that fall short of Prop Us mandates for another fiscal year. (NewsNation) A filmmaker working on a documentary about the unsolved deaths of five women at a Lane Bryant store in suburban Chicago is urging police to try something different. Its been 17 and a half years maybe change your strategy a little bit. Its an absolute travesty that this is unsolved, Charlie Minn told Banfield on Thursday. Authorities have not reported any recent breaks in the cold case, long after releasing sketches of the gunman and garbled audio of the killers voice that is heard on a 911 recording made when one of the victims called for help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement JonBenet Ramsey: Original investigator says case has gone nowhere How the killings unfolded at Lane Bryant store On Feb. 2, 2008, a man posing as a delivery driver entered the Tinley Park store and pulled a gun on six women, forcing them into a back room. The gunman shot all six, but one of the women survived and later helped police develop a sketch of the killer. Slain were Carrie Chiuso, 33; Connie Woolfolk, 37; Sarah Szafranski, 22; Rhoda McFarland, 42; and Jennifer Bishop, 34. Maurice Hamilton, the brother of McFarland, the woman who made the 911 call, said Tinley Park police have updated families periodically. He told CBS his mother died last year without knowing who killed Rhoda but the family remains hopeful theyll learn his identity. I think of the person as a coward, and I wish nothing but the worst for him, Hamilton said. Hell come to justice one day, whether its here or up there. Reward of $100K offered to ID killer Minn told Banfield that social media could one day break the case. He said police would do better at this point by being more open with the media, podcasters and filmmakers like himself who can reach wider audiences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have a better chance of getting pregnant than the Tinley Park PD releasing any information. They are so tight-lipped, he said. NewsNation reached out to Tinley Park Police Chief Thomas Tilton by email seeking comment. The villages website encourages the public to offer tips about the case, and a $100,000 reward is offered for information leading to the killers arrest. The phone number to leave tips is (708) 444-5394. 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. "Had an inspiring interaction with leaders of India's pharmaceutical industry. Discussed strategies to boost competitiveness & advance the R&D ecosystem. Driven by the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' & 'Make In India for the World' vision, our Government remains committed to further enhancing India's position in the global healthcare value chain," Goyal wrote in a X post. The meeting is taking place at a time when concerns over US reciprocal tariffs are raising the prospect of significant impacts on many sectors, except for a slew of exempted ones. The Ministry is actively engaging with industry stakeholders to assess the potential impact of import tariffs and to chart a strategic path forward. Pharmaceuticals, electronics and semiconductors, energy products and certain minerals, copper, lumber, bullion, and automobiles and auto components are among the sectors exempted from the tariffs. In Financial Year (FY) 2025, around 40 per cent of India's pharmaceutical exports were directed to the United States. India's share in the US's total pharma imports stood at 6 per cent in 2024. As per a secondary market research analysis published by Bain and Company in the year 2025, Indian pharmaceutical exports ranked 11th globally in value terms in the year 2023 and accounted for 3 per cent of the total pharmaceutical exports. As per the monthly trade data released by the Commerce Ministry, the major drivers of merchandise exports growth in July 2025 include engineering goods, electronic goods, gems & jewellery, drugs & pharmaceuticals and organic & inorganic chemicals. The data shows that the drugs & pharmaceuticals exports increased by 14.06 per cent from USD 2.33 billion in July 2024 to USD 2.66 billion in July 2025. Major Indian pharmaceutical companies such as Company Sun Pharmaceutical, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Cipla, Biocon, Lupin, Glenmark Pharma, and Zydus (Zydus Lifesciences) have the biggest exposure to the US markets. (ANI) The headline is more ominous than it seems at first glance. Indiana is destined to lose nearly $20 billion in federal Medicaid dollars between now and 2034, representing a 13% reduction, according to estimates by the health research group KFF. That was the thrust of CNHI state reporter Carson Gerbers recent story assessing the impact of the legislation passed by Republicans in Congress that will slash Medicaid funding by about $1 trillion over the next 10 years. It was part of President Trumps so-called One Big Beautiful Bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The loss in Medicaid funding for Indiana is both significant and damaging to the well-being of thousands of Hoosiers and their families. As the CNHI report explained, services provided through the Community Integration and Habilitation waiver designed by Indiana Medicaid to serve those with intellectual and developmental disabilities are utilized by more than 9,000 Hoosiers. Thats according to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administrations June report on Medicaid enrollment. Because of the pending cuts, families using those programs could see major disruptions in services in the coming years. Constant review and assessment of how government spends public funds are a necessary component of managing large and complex budgets. That assessment is, of course, guided by the values elected officials bring to the exercise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indiana has been working through Medicaid funding challenges in recent years after massive shortfalls were discovered in program budgets. The recent federal Republican bill heralded by Trump only makes things worse. For example, Indiana ranks 14th for the amount of money it receives to administer Medicaid programs based on a formula using states average per-capita income. Also, the state assesses hospitals a 6% provider tax the maximum amount allowed by federal law and uses the money to fund Medicaid expansion programs in the state, like the waivers that pay for in-home care for those with disabilities. The new measure reduces that maximum to 3.5%. Republicans claim those with disabilities who need Medicaid will not be harmed by the cuts. They go so far as to say claims of threats to home care are intentionally misleading. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But are they? The facts tend to point in the other direction. Those who advocate for and administer local and regional programs for people with disabilities and the families who support them are rightfully concerned about the impact these cuts will have. They have seen it happen before. Despite the usual claims that such reductions in funding wont harm anyone, history clearly shows they lead to deterioration of services and make caring for vulnerable Hoosiers more difficult. Public opinion polling strongly suggests Americans disapprove of the Republican Medicaid cuts. Trumps power over congressional Republicans, however, indicates those elected representatives are more likely to serve him first rather than the wishes of their constituents. The only way for voters in Indiana and elsewhere to counteract that influence is to apply sustained pressure on their elected representatives and urge them to adjust their priorities. Giving greater support to Medicaid and the vulnerable populations it serves is a good place to start. Several Western countries have said that they will back recognition of a Palestinian state, expressing frustration over Israels conduct in its war against Hamas. For Sa'ar, this is "suicidal." Accepting a Palestinian state would be suicidal for Israel, particularly after the last time it gave up land in Gaza, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told Newsmax on Wednesday. Several Western countries have said that they will back recognition of a Palestinian state, including Australia, Canada, France, and the UK, expressing frustration over Israels conduct in its war against Hamas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In the international community, it's become a slogan, two-state solution. Who said it's the solution? It's probably the problem. I say it's the two-state illusion," Saar said. "The fact is that we already tried this genius idea," Sa'ar continued, We did it when we totally withdrew in 2005 from [the] Gaza Strip. What was called, at the time, the disengagement plan, 20 years ago. We dismantled all our military camps, all our communities, even the graves from the cemeteries. But still, the way they responded [was] to build the largest terror kingdom on earth. And it took a very short time after when they attacked time and again with missiles. And it took 16 years from the day that Hamas took over [the] Gaza Strip [in 2007] to Oct. 7," Saar said. Newly appointed Israeli minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Saar attends a replacing ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem on November 10, 2024. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90) Oslo Accords and the Palestinian Authority's responsibilities with Israel Saar highlighted that according to the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority bears responsibility for preventing terrorism in Israel. However, if one visits their jails, Saar pointed out, There [are] no terrorists there. So, the concept was to give them independence, and they will take care of the security. But not only didn't they do that, but our security situation deteriorated because every place we left became a huge base of terrorism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He argued that giving them a state with control over the border, over the sky, and allowing them to form alliances with radical actors, would be suicide from the point of view of Israel. We will have to live with the consequences," he said, "and when they are giving slogans like 'We will give you a state, but without Hamas', who will enforce that? He stressed the short distance Gaza is from Jewish communities in Israel. It's like running 1 mile, 2 miles, and you can kill Jews. "So, it is extremely dangerous for Israeli security, and this is why this idea that once was more popular, in Israel almost no one supports that, he said. It stands to reason that a 95 million-year-old tooth shipped to my home would have a rich past. But what ensued after I bought it online for about $100 revealed how, for such relics and those who covet them, the present is in some ways much more complicated. I always wanted to own a fossil, and once the algorithm picked up on that desire, ads flooded my Instagram feed. It then became impossible to resist the thrill of purchasing a piece of one of the largest predators that ever existed: Spinosaurus, a semiaquatic meat-eater that could reach almost 60 feet (about 18 meters) in length longer and heavier than Tyrannosaurus rex. When the package arrived, in a pretty glass dome and with a preprinted certificate of authenticity that stated it came from North Africa, the long pointy tooth looked the part to my untrained eyes: yellowish brown, with varying textures and a stonelike appearance. But some obvious cracks that suggested the specimen had perhaps been patched together from multiple fragments left me wondering: Was it real? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To find out, I took it to Londons Natural History Museum, where Susannah Maidment, a senior researcher and fossil expert, examined it. Yeah, its a fossil, for sure, she said. Its got a rounded cross section with ridges down the front and back, so its probably a Spinosaurus tooth. To my relief, I hadnt been duped. But it turns out my fossil wasnt as rare as I thought. This is almost certainly from Morocco, because almost all Spinosaurus fossils that we know of are from the Kem Kem formation of Morocco, and theyre intensively excavated there, Maidment added, referring to a fossil bed in southeastern Morocco that has yielded an abundance of predatory dinosaur specimens. The thing about teeth is that dinosaurs and other reptiles shed them continuously, so one dinosaur will have many, many teeth over its lifetime. And so theyre very common. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a result, according to Maidment, I probably paid too much for it. However, her next observation quickly replaced that concern with another: This has almost certainly been illegally exported and illegally excavated, she said. This specimen you have it illegally. A fossil craze A Stegosaurus skeleton nicknamed Apex sold for $44.6 million at auction in 2024. It's on loan to New Yorks American Museum of Natural History. - Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Last year, a Stegosaurus skeleton nicknamed Apex, measuring nearly 27 feet long (about 8 meters), sold for $44.6 million at a Sothebys auction in New York City, becoming the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction. Hedge fund manager Ken Griffin reportedly scooped up the specimen, which was discovered in 2022 on private land in Colorado, and it is currently on loan at New Yorks American Museum of Natural History. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sale was just one in a series of recent high-profile auctions that sent near-complete dinosaur skeletons into private ownership. But the trend can be traced back to the sale of Sue, one of the most complete and largest T. rex fossils ever found. It was unearthed in 1990 and sold at auction in 1997 for $8.36 million after a long legal battle over its ownership. Even though Chicagos Field Museum of Natural History purchased Sue and still has it on display, the pooling together of private funds led to its acquisition and kick-started the era of big-ticket fossil auctions. Seventy-one T. rex specimens are now in private hands, versus 61 held by public trusts, according to a recent study. Peter Lovisek, a fossil broker and curator at Fossil Realm, a gallery in Ottawa, said a key turning point for the market where these pieces began to be seen as cultural icons, artworks, investment assets was the auction of a 40-foot-long T. rex named Stan, which sold for $31.8 million in 2020. The media frenzy surrounding Stan, which is part of a planned exhibition at the upcoming Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, brought fossils into the mainstream, Lovisek added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since then, Instagram has become a hub for the fossil industry, he said. A major part of our strategy is to focus on Instagram storytelling, and Instagram is connecting curators, dealers, diggers. CNN reached out to Instagram for comment but has not received a response. A 40-foot-long Tyrannosaurus rex named Stan sold for $31.8 million in 2020. - Mike Segar/Reuters You are now spoiled for choice if you want to buy fossils online. Most online shops offer a range of price points starting at a few dollars and going up into the low thousands, whereas Lovisek said he takes a more upmarket approach, from a few thousand dollars to the six-figure range. And things are just getting started, according to Salomon Aaron, director of David Aaron, a London gallery dealing in ancient art and fossils. I think the dinosaur trade is actually still incredibly undervalued, Aaron said. Relative to the art market, we are very much at the beginning, at the start of the dinosaur fossil trade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the other hand, its been over 200 years since the first dinosaur fossil was given a name, Megalosaurus, in 1824. Specimens have now been found on every continent, and more than 50 countries have contributed named species to science, with the United States, China, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mongolia, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom topping the rankings. One enduring misconception, perhaps fueled by the multimillion-dollar auctions, is that fossils are rare. Across the world, people assume that everythings going to be unmanageably expensive, but thats not the case, said Matt Dale, who owns Mr Woods Fossils, a fossil shop in Edinburgh, Scotland, which also sells online. His cheapest dinosaur fossils are priced under 10 pounds (about $13.50), and include bone fragments, teeth and eggshells. I get a lot of questions that I hear again and again. One, where do you get all this stuff? Two, is it real? And three, why is it so cheap? Dale said. The bulk of the stuff in my shop comes from unusually rich sites, where theres an awful lot of material, which makes it much more practical and feasible to collect it and sell it on a commercial basis. Theres an artificial impression of how rare fossils are, and thats just thats not the case for some things. Most fossil shops in the world will have some of these affordable items, Dale said, including ammonites, or shelled mollusks, from Madagascar; fish from Wyomings Green River Formation; shark teeth from South Carolina and Florida; and trilobites from the Erfoud area in Moroccos northern Kem Kem region the same place from where my Spinosaurus tooth likely comes. Banning exports Susannah Maidment, a senior researcher and fossil expert at London's Natural History Museum, examined Prisco's fossil, confirming "it's probably a Spinosaurus tooth. - Jacopo Prisco/CNN After telling me that she thought my fossil was illegal, Maidment explained that the Moroccan fossil law states that you must have a permit for excavation and that you must have a permit for export, and you can only get a permit for export if you have an excavation license. Unless your seller is able to show you both, they have certainly excavated it illegally and exported it illegally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The online shop I bought the Spinosaurus tooth from is based in the UK and has a page on its website that asserts its commitment to ethical sourcing of artifacts. The company didnt respond to requests for an interview or comment on the origin of my fossil. Other online retailers offering similar merchandise that I contacted also didnt respond to my interview requests. However, the shop could have legally purchased the fossils from a third party, or at one of many fossil trade shows such as Arizonas Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase. Held annually in January and February, the Arizona event bills itself as the largest gem and mineral show in the world. CNN reached out to the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase for comment but has not received a response. People visit the 22nd Street Mineral, Fossil, Gem and Jewelry Show in Tucson, Arizona, in 2023. It's part of the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase. - Ryan Collerd/AFP/Getty Images Morocco is not the only country imposing restrictions on fossil exports with the goal of preserving its cultural heritage. Export bans are also in place in Argentina, Brazil, China and Mongolia. All around the world, different countries have different laws. In the UK and the US, if you find something on your land, you can do whatever you want with it, while in some parts of South America, for example, the person who discovers an artifact has a weaker claim, Maidment said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brazilian fossils in particular, according to a law established in 1942, dont belong to the finder, noted Taissa Rodrigues, a professor of paleontology at the Federal University of Espirito Santo in Brazil. It belongs to the country, Rodrigues said. That means, if you find a fossil, youre not its owner, so thats why youre not allowed to sell it, because its not up for you to decide. But Morocco seems to fall into a sort of legal gray area when it comes to fossil exports, said Maidment and David Martill, emeritus professor from the UKs University of Portsmouth. Despite laws in place intended to regulate export of these artifacts, almost all fossils excavated in Morocco end up on the commercial market, according to Martill. A small portion fuel the local souvenir market, and the rest go to fossil dealers who sell them to shops and online retailers throughout the world, he said. Nearly all Spinosaurus fossils have been found in Morocco's Kem Kem region. - Sophie Godefroy/Alamy Stock Photo I am very familiar with the fossil black market in Morocco, because I work there, and we have huge problems at our (excavation) sites, where commercial fossil dealers who are black market smugglers come and excavate illegally from our sites, probably from the specimens that were digging up, Maidment said, speaking of those who operated without a proper permit. Sometimes we find the fossils, and then they take them, and then they sell them on European websites for up to 30,000 euros. So its a huge, huge problem. Moroccos Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, which regulates the fields of geology, minerals, hydrocarbons and energies, has not responded to CNNs requests for comment. A gray market The full extent of the questionable movement of fossils across borders is hard to pin down, but it has included important specimens such as Ubirajara jubatus, a feathered dinosaur species first described in a now-retracted 2020 paper from a one-of-a-kind skeleton that had allegedly been illegally exported to Germany from Brazil. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Germanys State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe returned the rare remains to Brazil in 2023 among a wave of similar high-profile repatriations, including a 56 million-year-old crocodile fossil that Morocco recovered from the United States. A few years earlier, in 2015, actor Nicolas Cage returned a T. rex skull he bought for $276,000 at auction in 2007 to the Mongolian government. A Ubirajara jubatus dinosaur fossil was returned its native Brazil from a German museum in 2023. - Myke Sena/dpa/picture-alliance/Sipa USA Its more difficult for smaller, less expensive fossils that have been illegally exported to make it back to their country of origin, although in 2022 French customs returned nearly 1,000 fossils from the Araripe Basin in Brazil that had been stolen to be sold online. Neither Martill nor John Nudds, an honorary lecturer in the department of Earth and environmental sciences at the UKs University of Manchester, would go as far as calling my fossil illegal. Theres a bit of a gray area, Martill said. I cant technically go there and dig fossils without the permission of the ministry in Rabat. But he added that locals can dig fossils, they can cut fossils, they can polish fossils, and tourists can buy the fossils. And if you go to any fossil fair, youll find Moroccan fossils for sale, and that will include Spinosaurus teeth. Agadir ammonite fossils are sold with pottery at a shop north of Agadir, Morocco. - Roy Conchie/Alamy Stock Photo Nudds said he knows of at least one reputable wholesaler based outside Morocco that sells an awful lot of Spinosaurus teeth exactly like mine. Thats why Im pretty confident that these are OK to come out of Morocco, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Part of the reason why fossils may occupy a legal gray area, Nudds added, is some ambiguous wording in UNESCOs 1970 Convention, which was designed to prevent the illegal export of items of cultural importance across many categories. The category that includes fossils is described as Rare collections and specimens of fauna, flora, minerals and anatomy, and objects of palaeontological interest. According to Nudds, the wording makes it unclear whether the objects of paleontological interest are in their own category, which would include all fossils, or if they are part of the rare collections, which would not. But when it comes to my tooth, he said he believes that unless the shop I bought it from has smuggled the item out of Morocco, then it is selling it legally, even if it bought it from a smuggler. There may be an ethical issue, Nudds said, and there may be a moral or even a scientific issue, but not a legal issue. Elmahdi Lassale, CEO of M2 Rocks & Minerals, a Moroccan wholesaler and exporter of minerals and fossils that sells directly to retailers in the US, UK and Europe, confirmed that under Moroccan law, since 2020, fossils are classified as geological heritage. Excavating and exporting them isnt strictly off-limits, according to Lassale, but to do so commercially, a license must be obtained from the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development as well as a validated customs certificate. In practice, it means that before each export, Lassale sends the ministry a list of the individual items he wants to sell. Normally we just send the descriptions and the names of the items, he added, but sometimes they ask to send a real specimen, to see it in person. Trilobite fossils from Morocco are exhibited at the Warsaw Mineral Expo in 2016 in Poland. - Arletta Cwalina/Alamy Stock Photo When I asked if he deals in Spinosaurus teeth, he said he doesnt, because its unlikely that the ministry would approve their export. If we talk about dinosaur bones or teeth, its (almost) impossible to export from Morocco (even) with a license, Lassale said. Among the items he gets permission to export are trilobites, ammonites, shark teeth, and Mosasaur and Plesiosaur teeth and vertebrae. However, he said he is aware that other fossils do get out of the country via illegal suppliers as well as through informal shipments via tourist luggage and small couriers, creating a mixed online market of documented and undocumented specimens abroad. He estimated the total trade of fossils in Morocco to be worth $30 million to $40 million annually, including official and unofficial exports, and that about 80% of fossils are exported. In a large trade show such as the one in Tucson, he said, there will be on average around 200 Moroccan fossil dealers. Deadly efforts The yellowish brown fossil tooth cost the writer about $100. - Toby Hancock/CNN Martill and Nudds viewed my fossil during separate video calls. Youve got a genuine fossil, but I think its a repair, Martill said. Theres a possibility that the tip belongs to a different specimen. You can see some glue they often find broken examples, and they will just do sympathetic repairs. However, the human cost of obtaining even an imperfect specimen can be serious, he said. Let me tell you now that the man who dug that out of the ground risked not only his life but his lungs as well, Martill said, adding that he has gone into fossil mines in Morocco and spent time with miners. The fossil trade in Morocco is the main source of income for more than 50,000 people, including diggers, miners, artisans, middlemen and wholesalers who go on to export the fossils, according to a 2018 study. Martill said he believed my tooth came from Hassi el Begaa, a village in the Kem Kem region. A fossil miner works at a mine near Erfoud, Morocco. - Sophie Godefroy/Alamy Stock Photo This is a place where the mines go in from the side of the hill, Martill said. They go in horizontally, for maybe 50 to 100 meters (164 to 328 feet). They then turn to the left or the right, and thats when you lose any hint of sunlight. Youre well underground, and the place is incredibly dusty. The miners are often working without masks. They have little head torches, and they dig with tiny crowbars fashioned out of the steel that you use to reinforce concrete. Theyre not sophisticated tools. They do this all day long and then shovel out all of the sand in a wheelbarrow, tip it down the side of the hill and look for the fossils. Theyre working extremely hard theyre hand-digging a mine, Martill added. Taking all that into account, he said, what I paid for my tooth fossil is probably pretty cheap. Lassale agreed the fossil diggers in Morocco often work in challenging conditions, including temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), and with minimal protective equipment, while earning about 120 to 180 Moroccan dirhams (about $13 to $20) daily. He added that his company only partners with artisans and cooperatives that provide safety measures such as shade tents, water and protective goggles to workers, though he said such practices are not common industrywide. Its very easy to make a lot of money with this, but its not easy to dig out minerals or fossils small artisans, they put their health at risk to support their families, Lassale said. He noted that mines and shafts dug to reach fossil deposits have been known to collapse sometimes, causing fatalities. Unfortunately, we hear about that every year not just fossil but also mineral mines, he said. To buy or not to buy? A Moroccan boy sells fossilized ammonites, which are extinct shelled mollusks. - Mike Hughes/Alamy Stock Photo Would I be in trouble if my fossil tooth turned out to be illegal? Experts told me I likely wouldnt, even if the specimen had been illegally exported the responsibility would likely be on the wholesaler. But things could be different for fossils from countries that have strong restrictions on fossil exports. Thats why experts recommend prospective buyers avoid anything advertised from countries such as Brazil, Argentina, China or Mongolia. I guess the best advice would be to only buy something if you can see it and hold it in your hand, Nudds said. If youre going to buy online, then maybe avoid those countries which do ban exports, because thats where youre more likely to find forgeries. Fakes dont seem to be widespread, but theyre more common on the cheaper end of the market, according to Lovisek of the Fossil Realms gallery in Canada. Theres so much scrutiny with the higher end, that the real problem is not forgery, but misrepresentation claiming theres less restoration than there is, or claiming its more real bone than there is, he said. Other than such deceptions or distortions, when it comes to how to purchase a fossil properly, experts offered guidance that would apply to buying pretty much anything online: Do your research, look for a reputable seller, and ask for paperwork or proof that the item is sold legally and ethically. Perhaps the more important question is should you buy a fossil at all? Robert Capers, then the US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, speaks at a 2016 ceremony to repatriate fossils back to Mongolia. - Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images I still look at the Spinosaurus tooth on my bookshelf and marvel that its the oldest thing in my house by at least 94 million years. But given the complexities around fossils cultural status and scientific relevance, the dangerous working conditions in some excavation areas, and the fact that many countries are now recovering fossils exported illegally, its no surprise that the answer to that question has stirred disagreement, even within my small cohort of paleontologists. Do not buy your fossils online, said Maidment of Londons Natural History Museum. Unless you can absolutely verify that they are being sold legally, and that theyre in your country legally, its best to just not to do it at all. My view of fossils its something that belongs to all of us. Its part of our heritage. It shouldnt be something that one person owns. Martill has a different view, particularly for smaller, less rare specimens that dont hold as much value for researchers. There are billions of fossils in the ground. Theres no point in them staying in the ground. And scientists like me, theres only so much that you can do with one isolated dinosaur tooth. Its a common fossil; its scientifically uninteresting, he said. I think its great that you can have a fossil. You got something there which is 90 to 100 million years old, Martill added. There is a possibility that you could buy a tooth and actually own a piece of the fantastic history of the life on Earth. Sign up for CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Tropical Storm Erin is strengthening in the Atlantic and is expected to become a hurricane, but current forecasts keep it well offshore with no expected direct impact on Georgia, though rip currents are still possible. As of Thursday, August 15, most of Georgias coast is under a moderate risk for rip currents, according to the National Hurricane Center. A moderate risk means that life-threatening rip currents are possible and may form suddenly, particularly near sandbars, piers, and jetties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's more about what we know. Why are rip currents expected to worsen next week? Rip current risk associated with Tropical Storm Erin 5 a.m. Aug. 15, 2025. Hurricane Erin, which is expected to become the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, is the primary driver of the anticipated increase in rip current activity. Although the storm is forecast to stay far offshore, roughly 400 to 500 miles off the Southeast coast, it will generate large ocean swells that could reach Georgias shoreline by early next week. What are rip currents? If you're caught in a rip current, you may be able to escape by swimming out of the current in a direction following the shoreline, or toward breaking waves, then at an angle toward the beach. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, rip currents are strong, fast-moving flows of water that pull away from the shore and out into the ocean. They move at "speeds of up to eight feet per second, rip currents can move faster than an Olympic swimmer," according to the NOAA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Georgia man died last month near Pawley's Island, South Carolina due to rip currents as he attempted to rescue five others, the Pawley's Island police reported. Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner of Cosby Show fame died off the coast of Costa Rica, reportedly due to strong rip currents pulling him out to sea. How to stay informed? Get weather alerts via text Georgia radar 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: Rip current risk rises along Georgia coast due to Hurricane Erin Tropical Storm Erin has begun strengthening as it streaks west across the Atlantic and is on track to reach hurricane status as soon as Friday, prompting tropical storm watches in the northern Leeward Islands. As of Thursday afternoon, Barbuda, Antigua, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Sint Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius and under a tropical storm watch, meaning they could see tropical-storm strength winds in the next few days. The National Hurricane Centers latest forecast keeps the storm north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, but forecasters expect the islands to see heavy rain, intense waves and even tropical-storm force winds as the large storm passes by this weekend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for Florida, the forecast still calls for a curve north, keeping the worst of Erins impacts offshore. Long-range computer models are in even better agreement that this turn is coming on Monday, with almost no spaghetti model lines tracking toward the Sunshine State. Despite that, its still unclear exactly what Florida or the eastern seaboard could see from Erin, which is expected to grow into a broad and powerful storm by the time it passes. That means its winds, waves and rains could extend far beyond the center. The latest forecast track also nudged slightly south and west, potentially bringing the outer edges of the storms winds and waves closer. The Leeward Islands are under a tropical storm watch as Tropical Storm Erin continues to strengthen. There is still a greater than normal uncertainty about what impacts Erin may bring to portions of the Bahamas, the east coast of the United States, and Bermuda in the long range, forecasters said in the Thursday mid-morning discussion. Hurricane hunters are scheduled to explore the storm later Thursday, and the data they collect will help feed the models, making forecasts more accurate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of Thursday afternoon, Erin was slightly stronger, with maximum sustained winds of around 60 mph. Its breakneck pace west had slowed a bit, to 17 mph, allowing it the opportunity to start organizing and strengthening in the warmer waters and lower shear its set to encounter Thursday and Friday. The hurricane center explicitly calls for Erin to rapidly intensify before the weekend a term used when a storms sustained winds get at least 35 mph stronger in 24 hours. In this case, forecasters expect Erin to leap from a Tropical Storm on Friday to a major Category 3 hurricane by Sunday. The latest forecast calls for Erin to be at 125 mph sustained winds by Tuesday, on the verge of Category 4. The hurricane center is also eyeing another disturbance in the Gulf, near Mexico. Thursday afternoon, the hurricane center upped the likelihood of strengthening in the next two to seven days to 40%. Erin, the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, is on track to rapidly intensify over the weekend and hit Category 4 strength next week in the open ocean. The latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center calls for Erin to cruise west for the next few days staying comfortably north of inhabited islands before hooking north early next week and avoiding direct landfall in the Bahamas or Florida. Islands near Antigua and St. Martin remain under a tropical storm watch, which means tropical storm conditions could occur in the next day or so as the storm passes to the north on Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Erin is projected to pass north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Sunday, and although the storm will be hundreds of miles away, it will be large and powerful enough to cause rough waves and heavy winds on the islands, raising concerns about power outages and mudslides. By the time Erin passes to the east of Florida, it could be big and strong enough to send rough surf and even rainstorms toward the state, although forecasters said its still too soon to tell exactly what the Sunshine State will see. For now, high surf from Palm Beach north and drier less humid air is most likely. While the threat of direct impacts in the Bahamas and along the east coast of the United States appears to be gradually decreasing, there will still be a significant risk of dangerous surf and rip currents along western Atlantic beaches next week, forecasters wrote in the 5 p.m. Friday discussion. As of Friday evening, Erin was moving west at 17 mph and holding onto sustained winds of 75 mph, a Category 1 hurricane. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the weekend, Erin is expected to rapidly intensify all the way to a Category 3 hurricane. By Monday, as the storm steers away from the Caribbean and toward Bermuda, its forecast to hit Category 4 with 145 mph sustained winds. Some long-term computer models suggest it could get even stronger and hit Category 5 in the open ocean. For now, the hurricane centers forecast track only goes through Wednesday, and it suggests Erin will shoot the gap between the east coast and Bermuda. Some models suggest the track could veer closer to Bermuda in the coming days, and others inch it closer to the east coast. The hurricane center is also eyeing a disturbance near Texas that it says wont develop before it comes ashore this weekend. It could bring a weekend of heavy rain to Texas. Tampa Bay Times hurricane coverage 2025 Heres a look at the 2025 hurricane season forecasts so far. What to know about river flooding in Tampa Bay this hurricane season. Here are the lessons you learned from Tampa Bays historic 2024 hurricane season. Checklists for building all kinds of storm kits It is not every day that you see sitting members of Congress carrying a shepherds staff. But at a warehouse in Tooele County on Thursday, Reps. Celeste Maloy and Burgess Owens from Utahs delegation were brandishing them proudly. We want to make farming great again, Owens said. This is the culture that defines our country. The two GOP members organized an event at the Utah Wool Growers Associations warehouse, where stacks upon stacks of wool simply sit. Some of it has been sitting there since 2017. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has nowhere to go, because the U.S. demand has been undercut drastically by Australia and New Zealand. Scott Stubbs speaks to Rep. Celeste Maloy, Dr. Julie Callahan, assistant U.S. trade representative for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and Rep. Burgess Owens and other sheep ranchers at the Utah Wool Marketing Associations office in Tooele on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News Like many industries across the United States, agriculture has been relegated to other countries to control. U.S. wool has to be shipped to New Zealand to be tested and then returned. That drives up prices and underscores the lack of processing facilities in this nation. This is a problem that has been around for years and years, but Maloy and Owens are trying to change that by pushing the U.S. Trade Commission to implement a tariff rate quota on imports of lamb from foreign countries. The wool problem also has to be fixed, they said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maloy and Owens brought the issue to attention with a letter they sent to trade regulators. Julie Callahan, the assistant U.S. trade representative for agriculture affairs and commodities, spoke at the event Thursday morning. She assured a group of disenchanted sheep ranchers it is at top of mind for the Trump administration, acknowledging action needs to be taken to correct what has turned into a disastrous situation for these families across the West. Dr. Julie Callahan, assistant U.S. trade representative for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, center, with Rep. Burgess Owens and Rep. Celeste Maloy, speaks with sheep ranchers at the Utah Wool Marketing Associations office in Tooele on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News I lose sleep overnight because of this, she said. Callahan assured the Utah ranchers that she would take the message back to Washington, D.C., to help rebuild the industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The issue is also one of the top priorities for many Utah legislators. In May, Utah politicians sent a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to bring attention to a number of issues that demand attention. One of those signatories was state Rep. Tiara Auxier, R-Morgan. Auxier stood in the warehouse full of wool waiting to go nowhere because of what she believes are trade practices and regulatory hurdles that are hard to overcome for domestic wool producers. Auxier is passionate about agriculture and wants to get the message out to Utah residents who may be in urban settings and dont quite understand. Not about welfare farming Jake Benson of Parawan attends a meeting with Rep. Celeste Maloy, Dr. Julie Callahan, assistant U.S. trade representative for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and Rep. Burgess Owens at the Utah Wool Marketing Associations office in Tooele on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News We dont have to work this hard to be broke, said Utah rancher Jacob Benson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scott Stubbs is a fifth-generation sheep rancher in Iron County. He said it is getting harder year by year to be a sheep rancher. We have a bad habit in our industry of not admitting we have a problem, he said. I want to sell my product with my head held high, Stubbs said. We want to have a level playing field. Brett Selman runs sheep out of Tremonton and is a fourth-generation rancher. As each year passes, however, his hope of continuing to make a living with his sheep starts to dim. My son is not going to keep doing this unless things change. He said ranchers like him dont want payments from the government. They want to be independent and have a fair chance of making it work and earn a little bit of money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the federal government steps in and offers assistance, it is not what they want. It makes us feel like welfare farmers. Carson Jorgensen is a sixth-generation sheep rancher in Sanpete County. He said there was a time when a place in Utah called Fountain Green used to be hailed as the richest little town in America. But it is pretty hard for an American rancher to watch 74% of lamb imports coming in from other countries, he said. We are looking down the barrel of bankruptcy. He stressed it is not that demand is down, its that the field of play that is tipped in favor of other countries. There is a demand for domestic lamb. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is a prized product at farmers markets and home-grown agriculture is taking off for people who want to eat clean and know where their food comes from. Carson Jorgensen, a sixth-generation sheep rancher, listens during a meeting with Rep. Celeste Maloy, Dr. Julie Callahan, assistant U.S. trade representative for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and Rep. Burgess Owens, and other sheep ranchers at the Utah Wool Marketing Associations office in Tooele on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News Yet, across the country the competition is tough because of foreign imports and the lack of handling what is grown and raised in the United States. No one who knows anything about farming gets into it to get rich. Farmers love the land and the tradition. Thats what Maloy urgently wants to preserve as part of the heritage of Utah and the West. It is a really, really big deal, Maloy said, as ranchers in attendance nodded in agreement. Maloy emphasized there have been promises to ranchers to just hang on another year or two. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont want that, she said, adding the wait should be over. If we save the Utah sheep industry we will help Nevada, and other states tackling the same problem. As time drags on, ranchers across the West are being pinched by foreign imports and the lack of processing facilities in the United States for meat and wool. I have yet to see fair trade, Jorgensen said. There is no such thing as fair trade. The dire case for change Rep. Celeste Maloy, Dr. Julie Callahan, assistant U.S. trade representative for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and Rep. Burgess Owens tour the Utah Wool Marketing Association in Tooele on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News Maloy has rural blood in her veins and is trying to inject reformation into the agricultural industry. Shes been in the field of dairy farmers and understands the roots of home-grown food. She stressed there needs to be a wake up call for people who care about where their food and fiber comes from. We are losing a piece of who we are. TROUP, Texas (KETK) The Troup ISD Board of Trustees approved an order on Tuesday calling for a $22,205,000 bond election in November. Troup Tigers embrace lofty 2025 expectations The bond will raise the money from local taxes so the district can start designing, constructing, renovating, improving, upgrading, updating, acquiring and equipping school facilities across Troup ISD. KETK spoke with Troup ISD Superintendent Tammy Jones on Thursday and she said this bond is all about helping the district stay successful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We know that our community wants our schools to continue to be successful and make sure that our students come to school feeling safe and, that our teachers have the opportunity to have the environment that they need to be able to teach as well, Jones said. So we know and recognize the fact that, its a partnership and we feel that our students are worth the investment to ensure that we are addressing the needs of our district as they come along. If the bond is approved by voters in November, the district plans to immediately start work on renovations. 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. 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. Washington officials and the Justice Department negotiated a deal at a judges urging Friday that prevented full federal control of the citys police department over the weekend, but left underlying legal disputes unresolved. Justice Department officials agreed to rewrite a Thursday order from Attorney General Pam Bondi that named Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole as emergency police commissioner, cutting the mayor and existing police chief out of the chain of command. We think that solves the problem and thats what were planning to do immediately, Justice Department attorney Yaakov Roth said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Justice Department published a rewritten version of the memo later Friday that named Cole as Bondi's designee, responsible for directing Washingtons mayor to provide the police departments services as the attorney general deems necessary and appropriate. In a statement, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said the Trump administration is not backing down and that the new order requires city officials to comply fully and completely with federal immigration law and authorities. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes indicated at a hearing Friday she would grant the D.C. attorney generals request for a temporary restraining order if the Justice Department did not follow through on rewriting the order. The hearing came after city officials sued the Trump administration earlier Friday over the directive to take over control of the Metropolitan Police Department. In the interim, Mr. Cole is not going to be able to direct police department individuals to do anything, Reyes, a Biden appointee, said. Hes going to have to go through the mayor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reyes indicated she will hold a hearing next week on other remaining legal questions. "I still do not understand on what basis the president can say You, police department, cant do anything unless I say you can.' That cannot be the reading of the statute, Reyes said. Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said she was surprised to receive Bondis order, which came without notice Thursday night. What we know is that D.C. residents are worried and concerned and we have a surge of federal officers, Bowser said. Chief Smiths job during this week has been to make sure that if we have and while we have federal officers, that they are being used strategically, and while we arent controlling them, we do have the ability to influence how theyre being deployed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 1973 federal law known as the Home Rule Act permits the president, in times of emergency, to seek services from the D.C. police for federal purposes. But city officials say Trumps power to do so is sharply limited and must be done in cooperation with city officials, rather than through a hostile takeover that includes rescinding and rewriting local laws and rules. Reyes agreed, emphasizing the difference between seeking services which the mayor must provide and commandeering the entire department. "The statute would have no meaning at all if the president could just say were taking over your police department, Reyes said. Arguing for the Trump administration, Roth said the language of the Home Rule Act allows Trump broad discretion to direct MPD and likely cant be subject to review by the courts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While adjourning for a break in the hearing, Reyes urged the parties to reach a deal that wouldnt require her to rule on the citys request for a restraining order. Those negotiations stretched on for about 90 minutes, as the mayor and other local officials waited in the courtroom. Stanley Woodward, a Bondi advisor and nominee for the No. 3 position at the Justice Department, arrived at the courthouse during the break and was seen participating in the negotiations. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed the lawsuit in federal court Friday after the Justice Department ordered Cole to assume all the powers and duties of MPD police chief Pamela Smith as the Emergency Police Commissioner. Schwalb directed Smith to disregard the orders, issued by Bondi, and said MPD officers must continue to follow your orders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump on Monday issued an executive order to invoke his authority under the Home Rule Act, the first president to do so since the act was signed into law. He also deployed the National Guard to the city. City officials said they had held off on taking legal action immediately because the language in Trumps executive order largely did not stray from that of the Home Rule Act. But disrupting the MPDs chain of command by appointing Cole and therefore undermining Smith was an overreach not legally permitted, Schwalb argued. The Administrations actions are brazenly unlawful, Schwalb wrote on X Friday. They infringe on the Districts right to self-governance and put the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk. Jacob Wendler contributed to this report. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has given leaders in Boston and other sanctuary jurisdictions until Tuesday to explain how theyll lift any obstacles to federal immigration enforcement efforts in their cities. You are hereby notified that your jurisdiction has been identified as one that engages in sanctuary policies and practices that thwart federal immigration enforcement to the detriment of the interests of the United States, Bondi wrote, according to NBC 10 in Boston and other outlets. This ends now. By Tuesday, August 19, 2025, please submit a response to this letter that confirms your commitment to complying with federal law and identifies the immediate initiatives you are taking to eliminate laws, policies, and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement, Bondi wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, the U.S. Justice Department published a list of 35 jurisdictions, including Boston, that officials have identified as having policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws." The list of cities, counties, and states includes many Democratic-leaning communities, such as Boston. Massachusetts, as a state, however, is not included on the list. The Justice Departments statement referenced an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on April 28 that accuses American states and local officials of using their authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws, MassLive previously reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The letters from Bondis office didnt mention what penalty, if any, the communities would face if they failed to comply, according to published reports. Bondi elaborated on the letters during a Thursday interview with Fox News, saying she had sent out letters to all of these mayors and to the governors, saying, You must comply. We want to know what youre doing to comply with our federal government. So were going to see. Ill let you know how they respond. In a brief statement, Wus office scoffed at Bondis mandate. Unlike the Trump administration, Boston follows the law, Wus office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A decade-old city law known as the Trust Act sets down specific parameters for Bostons cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The federal immigration agency has separate divisions for Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations. The latter works on public safety issues like human trafficking or drug and weapons trafficking, and Boston police can freely collaborate with the federal agency on these criminal issues. However, the Trust Act prohibits local police from working with ICE on civil immigration enforcement efforts. More specifically, police officers are prohibited from asking people about their immigration status, sharing information with ICE, making arrests or holding someone based on ICE administrative warrants if there is no other criminal charge, transferring anyone to ICE custody or otherwise performing the functions of an immigration officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If ICE personnel believe a person in police custody could be eligible for deportation, they may issue an immigration detainer requesting local law enforcement notify ICE before the person is released or hold them for an additional 48 hours to give federal agents the chance to take them into custody. Detainers are based on civil, not criminal, violations. Under the Trust Act, BPD does not carry out these detainer requests. Boston police are also required to provide an annual report to the city on the number of civil immigration detainer requests received from ICE, the number of people that were detained by city police, transferred to ICE custody or arrested in relation to criminal reentry during unrelated police activity and the total federal cost reimbursements the department received. The law was updated in 2019 to strengthen limits on information sharing between police and ICE and mandate training for officers on the policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boston City Council reaffirmed its support for the law in 2024, and Wu vigorously defended it during an appearance before a U.S. House committee earlier this year. More on Politics Read the original article on MassLive. VMPL New Delhi [India], August 15: The spiritual and home decor brand, Divine Tales, is kicking off its Festive First Sale from the 9th to the 17th of August, offering a chance to celebrate Independence Day with pieces rooted in tradition or designed for modern convenience. Customers can enjoy a flat 20% off sitewide on all orders worth 1,999 and above, whether it's exquisite God idols, beautiful pooja items, or high-end daily utility products. The decision to run this sale stems from a desire to honor the 78th anniversary of India's Independence. With a diverse range of offerings, this sale presents all buyers the ultimate opportunity to bring an unbeatable charm to their mandirs, living rooms, kitchens, as well as their day-to-day lives. Initially, the brand caught the attention of the industry with its spiritual offerings, out of which their collection of God idols and religious symbols has always been the most cherished. The selection includes evocative statues of deities, such as Goddess Laxmi, Lord Hanuman, Maa Durga, and other spiritual accents - each reflecting the rich culture and art of this country. Similarly, their pooja essentials, ranging from akhand jyot and multi-wick diya to water containers and intricately carved thrones, are perfect to add a sense of completeness and utility to any mandir. Each piece is carefully crafted from pure brass or copper, staying true to age-old traditions while enhancing the sanctity of the space. On the same line, their newly launched Karungali collection offers beautiful malas and bracelets made from premium Ebony (Karungali) wood. Certified authentic through lab tests, each piece is perfect for chanting, gifting, or daily wear. The brand delivers pieces that are made with expertise and devotion, from the beautiful polish to the authentic materials. The result is a collection that feels as good to hold as it looks to behold, offering customers treasures that are built to last. How to Claim the Offer To unlock a flat 20% off on your favorite pieces, visit the official Divine Tales website at thedivinetales.com, pick the product of your choice, and enter the code "FREEDOM20" in the 'coupon code' section. Valid on orders of 1,999 and above, this offer runs only until 17th August. So, hurry and choose from a well-curated selection of spiritual and everyday pieces. For more information about the Divine Tales' newest sales and special offers, follow the label on their official Instagram and Facebook. (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) In the fall of 1925, agronomist Trofim Lysenko arrived on the dusty plains of what is now Azerbaijan, hoping to keep cows from starving to death over the winter. The young scientist, who learned to read as a teenager during the Russian Revolution, dismissed the rapidly advancing field of genetics. He believed nature could be bent to human will. Lysenko denounced the idea that genes pass traits down as a degradation of bourgeois culture, and couldnt understand why cows bred to produce more milk did so simply because they had advantaged ancestors. He attempted to educate crops by soaking them in freezing water, thinking that could force them to sprout in winter, and insisted that orange trees would grow in Siberia if exposed to the right stimuli. Such ideas catapulted Lysenko to the head of Soviet agriculture under Stalin. In the midst of the famine his catastrophic policies helped create, Lysenko banned fertilizers and demanded farmers sow seeds close together, believing that plants of the same species wouldnt compete. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lysenkos pseudoscientific ideas outraged his peers. Nikolai Vavilov, a Russian botanist who founded the worlds first seed bank, openly challenged his rejection of genetics. Lysenko denounced him, and the secret police arrested him in 1940. Vavilov, who had worked to prevent famines, starved to death in jail three years later. This kind of scientific misinformation and the consequences it can bring now sound eerily familiar to U.S. climate experts like Shaina Sadai. She has been stunned by how quickly politics have overshadowed science since President Trump took office. The most recent government climate report, which the Department of Energy released last month, for instance, so drastically misrepresented the studies it cited that the researchers whose work it drew from publicly decried it. Im just really having a hard time with the barrage of apocalypses every day, she said. Sadai spent the last several years working international court cases, including a climate case law students from the South Pacific brought to the International Court of Justice. Over 130 countries signed on, and many outlined the existential threats they face from extreme heat, flooding, and other weather phenomena. Some, like Palau which could see large portions of its land vanish beneath rising seas this century argued that failing to curb emissions violates human rights under international treaties. Meanwhile, the United States urged the court not to overreach. This galled Sadai, who advised several of the countries supporting Vanuatus case, including Sierra Leone and Namibia. I want so desperately for my country to be on the right side of things, she said. Instead, Judge Yuji Iwasawa delivered the courts decision that countries must act on climate change the same day the U.S. moved to weaken one of its primary tools to do just that. The timing underscored a growing global divide: As the world moves toward greater climate accountability, the United States is pulling back, once again exiting the Paris agreement and undercutting decades of environmental regulations. This retreat comes amid a broader weakening of democratic norms, said Timothy Frye, a professor of post-Soviet politics at Columbia University. When power becomes heavily concentrated, protections begin to fray, something seen with recent revisions to the Endangered Species Act or key provisions of the Clean Water Act. The U.S. democratic erosion is happening much faster, and along a much wider array of fronts, than a lot of the more recent cases, like Turkey or Venezuela, he said. One hallmark of this backsliding is how seemingly small changes can accumulate into a system that becomes far more autocratic. The piecemeal approach often borrows the most authoritarian elements from otherwise democratic governments, though each policy may appear initially defensible a form of governance political scholar Kim Scheppele coined the Frankenstate. The Trump administration, for example, has declared an energy emergency which allows federal agencies to bypass environmental reviews and fast-track fossil fuel projects. The move is now facing a lawsuit from 15 states, who claim the emergency is fake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This patchwork strategy makes it easier for politically connected companies to sidestep or shape laws to serve their interests. After soliciting $1 billion in campaign funding from oil and gas companies, for example, Trump has signed $18 billion in tax incentives for the industry and granted at least $6 billion in tax breaks. The lack of constraints on the executive allow politically connected companies to either get around existing laws or to write laws in such a way that theyre toothless, Frye said. Autocratic leaders, he explained, like to build their economies around natural resources because they are easier to control than service or technology industries. Oil and gas firms, for instance, tend to be less transparent and less mobile, making them more susceptible to political pressure. At the same time, Frye noted, the economic clout of natural resource companies often turns into a political advantage. One of Trumps biggest donors this year was billionaire Kelcy Warren and his pipeline company Energy Transfer the firm that sparked mass protests at Standing Rock. In 2025, it contributed $25 million to MAGA Inc., the super-PAC backing Trump. Soon after, the president lifted a pause on liquefied natural gas exports, clearing the way for an Energy Transfer project in Louisiana. The company is also now suing the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, challenging how the agency enforces its rules; a victory could give major Trump donors greater control over how their industries are regulated. The pattern of placing industry-friendly figures in key roles extends to Lee Zeldin, who leads the Environmental Protection Agency. He also has longstanding ties to the fossil fuel business. Over the years, Zeldin received around $300,000 in campaign contributions from oil and gas companies, and before joining the agency he was a top executive at the America First Policy Institute, a group co-founded and funded by fracking billionaire Tim Dunn. Under Zeldin, the EPA has enacted sweeping changes: In March, it announced its intention to roll back dozens of rules, including limits on power plant emissions, coal ash disposal, and wetland protections, in what Zeldin called the largest deregulatory announcement in U.S. history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zeldins latest target is the EPAs landmark endangerment finding, a legal basis for regulating greenhouse gases. He claimed repealing it would end $1 trillion or more in hidden taxes on American businesses and families. The Clean Air Act clearly says such costs cant be considered in the process. To do so, the agency would have to reject established climate science and overturn a 2007 Supreme Court case that required the EPA to make decisions based on scientific evidence. Christine Todd Whitman, a Republican who led the EPA under President George W. Bush, said Zeldins approach undermines the agencys mission. Theres more leniency for industry now, she said. This administration is doing nothing to improve the environment. What theyre doing is improving the bottom line of a lot of corporations. This is happening across the federal government, where institutions once trusted to provide objective oversight and data are being reshaped to serve the presidents goals. A nonprofit tracking alterations to environmental regulations on federal websites has recorded 879 revisions, many involving omissions and erasures. The Energy Department, for instance, has taken previous national climate assessments offline and suggested that it would rewrite them. This makes the United States a global outlier: Even in Russia, said political scientist Thane Gustafson, theres less politicization of climate science, where the climate change narrative is accepted, all the way from Putin on down. Much like during Lysenkos era, when Soviet policies dismissed scientific integrity, political scientists like Frye now worry that American federal institutions are drifting from their foundational principles. Theres a gnawing feeling that the systems meant to protect us are rotting. What once felt stable begins to feel staged. This kind of dissonance has a name: hypernormalization. Coined by anthropologist Alexei Yurchak after studying post-Soviet Russia, it conveys the feeling that governing bodies have been stripped of real power. That describes the EPA at the moment, said Whitman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The old standards of government have been swiftly gutted. Trump officials fired advisory panels that interpret science, overturned longstanding environmental regulations, dispensed with public comment periods, and centralized authority. Whats taking shape now is a shift not just in who holds power, but how that power is wielded. The White House has a unique authority to manage and share facts. This ability to shape public perception operates largely beyond the reach of the law as became clear when Trump abruptly fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics just hours after a disappointing jobs report, or when he planned to close the observatory that monitors carbon dioxide levels at Mauna Loa, one of the worlds most important sites for tracking climate change. Losing belief in government is perilous: It makes disengaging feel like the only choice. In an ever-changing, incomprehensible world, the masses had reached the point where they would, at the same time, believe everything and nothing, think that everything was possible and that nothing was true, Hannah Arendt wrote in The Origins of Totalitarianism. As whats real and whats purported to be real grows increasingly blurred, controlling the narrative can become more powerful than governing. The White House is taking this principle literally: After Paramount paid President Trump millions to settle his lawsuit against 60 Minutes, the administration approved its merger on the condition CBS install a truth-arbiter to monitor its coverage. Anna Gomez, the lone FCC commissioner appointed by a Democrat, objected, saying, no government regardless of party gets to decide what is true, who gets heard, or which voices are silenced. Similar mechanisms of control are being applied to the flow of federal dollars, with political appointees now deciding which research and science projects move forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perhaps the most eerie part of living through the last six months is how these kinds of disquieting developments continue to unfold beneath a veneer of normalcy. While hes deeply concerned about the countrys future, Frye said that, on a daily basis, competitive autocracies can look quite normal. Though hes better placed than most to recognize the warning signs, he still has classes to teach, deadlines to meet. Life goes on, he said. Looming threats become banal, both impossible to ignore and somehow routine. Its usually not the case that theres one point in time when you can point and say, Ah, this is when we became an autocracy, he said. Sadai, like many, is finding the discord hard to overcome. Shes unemployed and struggling to find a new academic job, thanks to federal budget cuts. She tries to find refuge in taking breaks to spend time in the New England woods that remind her of what shes trying to protect. But when she returns, her phone lights up with notifications about people being abducted off the streets by masked government agents, or reports of coal-fired power plants receiving exemptions from air regulations. Its become so much harder to put everything aside for a few minutes and not have just a barrage of intrusive thoughts. I just have to sit there, and break down, and then pull myself together, she said. Though it often feels inadequate, shes spending her days working through publication reviews and job applications, clinging to the hope that her lifes work might still contribute to climate policy, even as her elected leaders turn away. Naming the collapse is the first step toward resistance. The question is whether we can see the failure clearly enough to imagine what comes next. I dont know what else to do but keep trying, Sadai said. This story was originally published by Grist with the headline The Trump administrations assault on science feels eerily Soviet on Aug 15, 2025. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Trump Administration and lawyers for the District of Columbia agreed, in part, to scale back U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondis Executive Order related to the federal governments takeover of police operations in the city. The agreement reached in court Friday was related specifically to the part of the order that put the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under the control of Drug Enforcement Administrator Terry Cole, rather than D.C.s Police Chief Pamela Smith. That portion of Bondis order was Section 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several other sections of the order remained under dispute late Friday afternoon, but both sides agreed to continue talking about them and working on them through the weekend. White House: 30+ arrested in DC crime crackdown operations Thursday Earlier in the day Friday, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D) filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and the administration, challenging the order to put Cole in charge over Smith. DC-v-DJT-1Download Schwalb alleged that the appointment of Terry Cole as emergency police commissioner was beyond the scope of the emergency authorities in the D.C. Home Rule Act, which the president used as the basis to bring law enforcement resources into the city days earlier. Trump said the move was in order to fight crime in the District. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal agents attempt to clear DC homeless encampment During a news conference Friday afternoon, Schwalb appeared with Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and said the outcome of the agreement is that the federal government would rewrite the language used in the order tha suggested Cole was running the Metropolitan Police Department. Schwalb sad that Smith remained in control of MPD under Bowsers leadership, noting that the decision was a very important win for Home Rule. I am encouraged by the judges remarks and the federal government making the changes suggested, said Bowser, who noted that the Executive Order, which came Thursday night, did so without notice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DC police now allowed to assist ICE in transporting detainees, police chief says When asked if he was concerned that the administration could make a similar move in the future, Schwalb said all that the District can do is stand up for Home Rule, adding that even the president has to comply with the law and that the Home Rule Act is clear about when the president can assume control of MPD. We dont need a hostile takeover from the federal government to do what we do every dayto drive crime down in our city, Schwalb stated. 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. WASHINGTON Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Friday accused the Trump administration of breaking the law by ignoring his demand for government files on the late sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein. Senate Democrats last month demanded the Justice Department hand over its Epstein files, invoking a little-known law saying a federal agency shall submit any information requested of it by at least five members of the Senate government affairs committee. Related: House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Bill Clinton, Justice Department For Epstein Files The Democrats letter gave Attorney General Pam Bondi an Aug. 15 deadline for the material, but the Justice Department has not responded to the request. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its August 15th, the deadline for Trump and Bondi to release the Epstein files to us under the Rule of 5, Schumer said Friday on social media. Theyre now breaking the law to hide the files. A spokesman for the Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment Friday. Epstein, a financier and former friend of President Donald Trump, was first arrested on charges of procuring a minor for prostitution in 2006. He pleaded guilty to state charges in a deal that let him off the hook for federal offenses. The Justice Department brought charges in 2019 after the extent of Epsteins crimes came to wider attention, but Epstein died by suicide in his prison cell not long after he was arrested. Related: Theres A Whole Separate Batch Of Epstein Files Pam Bondi Doesnt Control Bondi and other Justice Department officials said earlier this year they would release the Epstein files, long the subject of speculation about who else might be implicated in Epsteins crimes, but last month said no more information would come out. Trumps name is reportedly mentioned in the files repeatedly, though not necessarily in connection with wrongdoing. The refusal has infuriated some members of Trumps support base. Related: Top Senate Finance Democrat Says There's More To Epstein Docs Than Bondi Is Letting On Schumer and other Democrats have accused Trump of doing anything he can to distract from the Epstein matter, including Trumps takeover of the D.C. police department in response to a dubious crime emergency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schumers letter is probably the least of the Trump administrations Epstein headaches. On Tuesday, the Justice Department faces a deadline to give the material to the Republican-led House Oversight Committee in response to a subpoena, and a bipartisan group of House lawmakers is trying to force a vote in September on legislation demanding the Epstein documents. Related: MAGA Influencer Calls Trump Haters Domestic Terrorists In Wild Social Media Post As with a subpoena, if Senate Democrats want to force the administration to comply with their request, they can sue in federal court, though the legal process can take years. Schumer demanded Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) appoint a lawyer. If he chooses complicitywell take them to court ourselves, Schumer said. More on Politics Senate Democrats Use Obscure Law To Compel Trump Admin To Turn Over Epstein Files Gov. DeSantis Urges Trump To Release Epstein Files: No Ones Been Brought To Justice RFK Jr. Weighs In On Possibility Of 2028 Presidential Bid Read the original on HuffPost U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio boasts of revoking the visas of foreign students for engaging in protests and voicing their opinions. It's easy to sympathize with his sentiments about the often hateful and pro-terrorist beliefs of some of these students. But offending government officialseven when it involves saying awful thingsis a time-honored practice in the United States, and the government is forbidden to punish anybody for speech alone. As a result, the Trump administration is rightfully being sued for violating the First Amendment rights of foreign students in the U.S. Detained for an Op-Ed In March, asked by a Reuters reporter about the arrest of "a Turkish student in Boston" who "wrote an opinion piece about the Gaza war," Rubio replied, "We revoked her visa. If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student and you tell us that the reason why you're coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds, but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus, we're not going to give you a visa." The student in question was Rumeysa Ozturk, a grad student in Tuft University's Child Study and Human Development program. She co-wrote what on campuses these days is a depressingly boilerplate opinion piece for The Tufts Daily demanding the university "acknowledge the Palestinian genocide" and "divest from companies with direct or indirect ties to Israel." Unlike some of the other students who have had their visas yanked after being accused of activities that crossed the line into trespassing, vandalism, and other crimes, that appears to be the extent of her activism. It got her handcuffed and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At a federal judge's order, Ozturk was freed from incarceration after 45 days and promptly wrote for Vanity Fair about her unpleasant experience in a grim Louisiana detention center. But she did more; she found allies at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) who are suing the federal government over her case and that of other students who have been targeted by the administration for their constitutionally protected speech. Lawsuit Challenges Multiple Deportation Actions "In the United States of America, no one should fear a midnight knock on the door for voicing the wrong opinion," comments FIRE attorney Conor Fitzpatrick. "Free speech isn't a privilege the government hands out. Under our Constitution it is the inalienable right of every man, woman, and child." The complaint points out that "a DHS spokesperson justified the revocation by asserting Ozturk's editorial '[g]lorif[ied] and support[ed] terrorists.'" Other government officials have been equally blunt in conceding that students have been targeted for what they say. In an interview with NPR, Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Troy Edgar said Mahmoud Khalil was detained for "promoting this antisemitism activity," "agitating and supporting Hamas," and "basically pro-Palestinian activity." Like others who have been detained, Khalil may have done more, but a White House official told The Free Press that "the allegation here is not that he was breaking the law." That is, it's the opinions that those who have been targeted voice that concern the administration. The First Amendment Protects Everybody And here's the thing: The First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits the government from punishing people for their speech except in very limited circumstances. Some people claim the Bill of Rights applies only to citizens, but that's not the case in its wording or its philosophical foundations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2014, then-Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg appeared together for an interview on C-SPAN. "To whom does the First Amendment apply," interviewer Marvin Kalb asked them as he presented questions from the audience. "Do undocumented immigrants have the five freedoms" of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition? "Oh, I think so," Scalia replied. "I think anybody who is present in the United States has protections under the United States Constitution." "When we get to the Fourteenth Amendment it doesn't speak of citizens," Ginsburg added. "Some constitutions grant rights to 'citizens,' but our constitution says 'persons.' And the person is every person who is here, documented or undocumented." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scalia, it should be noted, was a prominent conservative jurist after whom George Mason University's law school is now named. Ginsburg held equivalent status among liberals. Both agreed that the U.S. Constitution protects the rights of even undocumented aliens; they would certainly agree, as courts have held, that the First Amendment applies to the speech of foreigners who are here legally. The First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." It doesn't grant any rights at all. Instead, like other constitutional protections, it restrains government from violating what the Declaration of Independence describes as natural "unalienable rights." In its complaint, FIRE emphasizes this point, arguing that "America's founding principle, core to who and what we are as a Nation, is that liberty comes not from the benevolent hand of a king, but is an inherent right of every man, woman, and child." But, the complaint adds, "Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Trump administration are trying to turn the inalienable human right of free speech into a privilege contingent upon the whims of a federal bureaucrat." Deportations Have a Chilling Effect Even foreign students who haven't been arrested suffer when government officials treat liberty as a privilege that they can revoke at will. Among the plaintiffs is The Stanford Daily, for whom foreign students have become hesitant to write on controversial topicsor at all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There's real fear on campus and it reaches into the newsroom," Greta Reich, editor in chief of The Stanford Daily, commented in a statement. "I've had reporters turn down assignments, request the removal of some of their articles, and even quit the paper because they fear deportation for being associated with speaking on political topics, even in a journalistic capacity." Again, the issue isn't whether what these foreign students say is good or badmuch of it is obnoxiousbut that they have a right to say it without fear of punishment. Free speech protection is for everybody. The post Trump Administration Sued for Violating Foreign Students' Free Speech Rights appeared first on Reason.com. Oklahomas right-wing schools chief, Ryan Walters, received a stern rebuke this week as a Trump-appointed federal judge tossed out a baseless lawsuit filed by Walters to try to silence a religious freedom organization. Between a brewing pornography scandal and this court loss, Walters past few weeks have been rather eventful. Walters has pushed to convert Oklahomas public schools into hubs of right-wing religious indoctrination, through controversies such as his promotion of Bible-infused lesson plans and his attempt to require that schools show students a propaganda video of him praying for Donald Trump and attacking liberals. The court case that was just tossed involved a lawsuit Walters filed in an attempt to stop the Freedom From Religion Foundation an organization focused on preventing theocratic rule in the U.S. from sending letters to Oklahoma school districts raising legal concerns about accounts of school officials proselytizing to students, such as with school-sponsored prayer and Bible readings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit baselessly claimed that the groups advocacy has interfered with and will continue to interfere with Oklahoma education officials ability to do their work. And U.S. District Court Judge John Heil a Trump appointee and member of the right-wing Federalist Society simply wasnt having it. In his ruling, the judge called Walters claims nothing more than conjecture, noting that the schools chief had completely failed to show that his work had been impeded. Heil wrote: The Complaint alleges that Defendant has interfered with and will continue to interfere with [Plaintiffs] statutory authority to govern Oklahomas public schools and further argues that [d]eclaratory and injunctive relief is both necessary and proper to ensure that [Plaintiffs] can faithfully execute their duties, as well as protect the constitutional rights of Oklahomas public school students. ... Plaintiffs clarify in their response that they have been injured because Defendant has infringed on their statutory and constitutional authority to administer the public school system. ... However, this bare assertion is neither concrete nor particularized. How do Defendants letters interfere with Plaintiffs authority or ability to administer Oklahomas public schools? In what way are Plaintiffs precluded from administering Oklahomas public schools because of Defendants letters? What have Plaintiffs intended to do, but have been unable to, because of Defendants letters? The Complaint does not answer these questions. Plaintiffs have not alleged that they have suffered some actual or threatened injury. Plaintiffs generalized statement of injury is nothing more than conjecture. Heils ruling essentially laid waste to Walters claim that having to respond to the accusations of unconstitutional application of religion in schools which falls under his departments purview detracts from his ability to carry out official duties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both things cannot be true, he said. Plaintiffs cannot be both performing their duties by addressing the letters and impeded from performing their duties by addressing the letters. Walters has long sought to portray himself as an archconservative, Christian champion for the erasure of church-state separations in public schools. That his latest effort just earned him the legal equivalent of a swift kick in the rear from a Trump-appointed judge speaks to just how absurd and meritless it was. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com A Trump-appointed judge in Baltimore on Thursday blocked the Education Department from withholding billions of dollars in federal funding from public schools that continue to practice diversity inclusion initiatives delivering a significant blow to the Trump administration's anti-DEI initiatives, though it is almost certain to be appealed to higher courts for review. At issue were two Education Department memos issued earlier this year that threatened to withhold combined billions of dollars of funding from schools who failed to wind down their DEI programs, a key issue for the department in Trump's second term. Those efforts sparked a flurry of federal lawsuits and requests for emergency relief earlier this year. In a sharp, 76-page ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher said that that the Trump administration's efforts to slash funding from educational institutions that kept in place with DEI initiatives ran afoul of the Administrative Procedures Act, and risked threatening free speech protections under the First Amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The administration is entitled to express its viewpoints and to promulgate policies aligned with those viewpoints," Gallagher said. "But it must do so within the procedural bounds Congress has outlined. And it may not do so at the expense of constitutional rights." Department Of Education Warns That Public Schools Must Remove Dei Policies Or Lose Federal Funding While the ruling itself is unlikely to change anything in the near-term, as the anti-DEI push in question had already been temporarily paused by several federal courts earlier this year, Gallagher's ruling officially ruled that the Education Department's efforts were illegal, and ordered the administration to reverse course. Read On The Fox News App Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump officials are almost certain to kick the case up to hgiher courts for review, keeping the issue tied up in courts for the foreseeable future. "The government did not merely remind educators that discrimination is illegal: it initiated a sea change in how the Department of Education regulates educational practices and classroom conduct, causing millions of educators to reasonably fear that their lawful, and even beneficial, speech might cause them or their schools to be punished," she added. The ruling followed a motion for summary judgment from the American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association, which challenged the governments actions in a February lawsuit. At issue are two Education Department memos sent earlier this year, which ordered schools and universities to end all "race-based decision-making" or face penalties up to a total loss of federal funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friday's ruling is unlikely to change anything in the near-term, as the Education Department's efforts to dismantle DEI programs had already been temporarily blocked by several federal judges, including Gallagher herself, earlier this year. But the Trump administration will almost certainly appeal the case to higher courts for review, making the dispute unlikely to be resolved any time soon. In February, the department ordered schools and universities to end all "race-based decision-making," or face penalties and withholding of federal funds. In April, the department requested state education agencies and boards to certify they were not using "illegal DEI practices." Violators risked losing federal money and being prosecuted under the False Claims Act, the memo said. Department Of Education Launches Enddei Portal For Parents, Students, Teachers To Report Discrimination A Department of Education sign is displayed outside their federal student aid office on May 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. A statement from the Education Department on Thursday said it was disappointed in the ruling but that "judicial action enjoining or setting aside this guidance has not stopped our ability to enforce Title VI protections for students at an unprecedented level." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In April, a federal judge in New Hampshire already blocked the Trump administration from cutting funding to public schools that maintain diversity programs. The U.S. Department of Education headquarters building in Washington, D.C. U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty said at the time that the effort by Trump's Education Department to block federal funding to public schools that continue to promote DEI programs likely violates the First Amendment, presenting what she described as "textbook viewpoint discrimination." Original article source: Trump-appointed judge strikes down anti-DEI measures from Education Department President Donald Trump has a historically low national approval rating, but for more than half of the states, more people approve of his job performance than not, including in the commonwealth. In Kentucky, 57% of voters approve of Trump's performance, according to data from Morning Consult. Here's what we know about his approval ratings locally and in other states. Trump has positive approval rating in 27 states, including Kentucky Trump's approval rating is above water in 27 states. That is according to an Aug. 12 update from Morning Consult, which gathers polls over the course of three months to get a look at state-level data among registered voters. The number of states is unchanged from July's update. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Morning Consult's analysis, Trump is most popular in Wyoming, where 66% of voters approve of his job performance, and least popular in Vermont, where 64% disapprove of his job performance. In Kentucky, 57% of voters approve of Trump's performance while 40% disapprove. Trump's approval is also net negative in two states with gubernatorial races this fall New Jersey and Virginia according to Morning Consult. In Texas, 53% of voters approve of Trump's performance while 44% disapprove. In California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom has threatened to counter changes in Texas' U.S. House districts, 41% approve of Trump's job performance while 56% disapprove. California is Trump's seventh-worst rating among the states, according to Morning Consult. Kentucky border states approve of Trump's performance Among the Kentucky border states of Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri and Illinois, the only ones with higher disapproval rates than approval rates are Illinois and Virginia. Tennessee ranks toward the top of the list for approval ratings at 60%, along with West Virginia at 59%. Missouri has a 53% approval rating, and Indiana sits at 51%. What is Trump's approval overall? RealClearPolitics' poll average shows Trump's approval rating was becoming more negative throughout the first few weeks of July before buoying toward the end of the month. Aggregated polls by the New York Times show a similar trend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of Jan. 27, Trump had a +6.2 percentage-point approval margin, but on March 13, it flipped to slightly negative, the RealClearPolitics graphics show. The approval margin reached its most negative on April 29 at -7.2 percentage points, which fell around Trump's 100-day mark. It came close to that low again on July 22 and 23 at -7.1 percentage points, as the controversy over Jeffrey Epstein carried into its third week. His average approval rating margin as of Aug. 12 is -5.4 percentage points, according to RealClearPolitics, and -8 percentage points, according to the New York Times aggregator. Donald Trump: What is Trump's approval rating in Illinois? See how numbers compare to other states How does Trump's approval rate compare to previous presidents? A historical analysis by Gallup shows Trump's approval ratings in July of his first years in office both as the 45th and 47th presidents are lower than any other modern president at the same time in their administrations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a Gallup poll conducted from July 7-21, 37% approved of Trump's job performance. Here is how that compares to other presidents in July of their first year of their term, according to Gallup. USA TODAY reporter Kinsey Crowley contributed. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Several states approve of Trump. Ratings in Kentucky, nearby states Donald Trumps loyalty test is stretching far beyond the confines of the White House. The Trump administration has released a scorecard to rank the endeavors of some 553 companies and trade associations to advance the presidents agenda and his big, beautiful bill. Organizations are ranked on the sheet as strong, moderate, or low, Axios reported Friday, with ratings built off social media posts, press releases, video testimonials, ads, White House event attendance, and other budget laworiented efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The data is being circulated among White House senior staff as a temperature gauge on how to interact with companies and open calls with K Street (a nickname for Washingtons business district). Some of these good partners include Uber, DoorDash, United, Delta, AT&T, Cisco, Airlines for America, and the Steel Manufacturers Association, according to Axios. The scoresheet helps us see who really goes out and helps vs. those who just come in and pay lip service, a senior White House official told the publication. But that doesnt mean the project is doneinstead, the administration plans to continue updating the list, considering it an evolving document as more corporate behavior plays out in relation to Trumps agenda. If groups/companies want to start advocating more now for the tax bill or additional administration priorities, we will take that into account in our grading, the official said. Loyalty has been a chief internal priority for Trump and his team since before the election. That common denominator carried more weight than practically any other quality as the forty-seventh president selected dozens of nominees to lead different agencies, nearly all of whom had previously lent a hand to Trump in his criminal trials, donated money to his political campaign, or helped build out one of his presidential transition playbooks, such as Project 2025. President Donald Trump welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Alaska with a red carpet on the tarmac, military flyover, friendly handshakes and a short ride in his presidential limousine. It was a striking welcome for a leader who has been a global pariah since his 2022 invasion of Ukraine and one who Trump has been increasingly frustrated with in recent months because of his resistance to Trumps peacemaking efforts. The initial image of a smiling Putin riding off in Trumps limousine could raise fears in Ukraine and Europe, where leaders have urged Trump to hold a firm line with the Russian leader, who many suspect is aiming to buy time by repairing his relationship with Trump but not willing to end the war. The private meeting without aides in the back of the limousine played out shortly after the White House announced that the two leaders would not be sitting down alone, but with a couple of their top aides. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said just after Trump landed in Anchorage at 10:20 a.m. local time that Trump plans to bring Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff with him into the room with Putin. It was not immediately clear if the Russian side was caught off guard by the announcement or if Putin will seek to bring his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, or other advisers with him for the meeting. Several of Trump and Putins previous meetings did not include aides. According to the White House, Trump and Putin will also take part in an expanded bilateral lunch meeting that will include Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and chief of staff Susie Wiles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has said in recent days, and again Friday morning during an interview aboard Air Force One as he flew to Alaska, that he would be able to determine in his first minutes with Putin whether hes serious about negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine. But the backdrop behind a stage where Trump may hold a joint press conference with Putin following their meetings reads Pursuing Peace, seemingly an indication that the president is eager to present the meeting as a success. Donald Trump cold-called Norways finance minister to ask him about a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, according to reports. The US president called Jens Stoltenberg, the former Nato secretary general, last month to discuss tariffs, and also brought up the subject of the Nobel Prize, Norwegian newspaper Dagens Naeringsliv reported. The president has long-coveted the award and has in recent months received endorsements from several world leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Out of the blue, while finance minister Jens Stoltenberg was walking down the street in Oslo, Donald Trump called, sources told the news outlet. He wanted the Nobel Prize and to discuss tariffs. It was claimed that it was not the first time Mr Trump had called to enquire about the prize. Trump looking to broker peace in Ukraine Mr Trump will be looking to broker another peace deal in the near future, as he sits down with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, in Alaska for talks that could lead to the end of the Ukraine war. The Nobel Peace Prize winner is decided by the Norwegian Nobel committee, a five-member body appointed by the Norwegian parliament. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each year, the committee sifts through hundreds of nominations before announcing the winner in October. Four previous presidents have won the award, in Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter, and, perhaps most gallingly for Mr Trump, Barack Obama. The president has repeatedly criticised his predecessor for being decorated only eight months into his first term, and claimed during the 2024 election campaign that he would have won the award in 10 seconds if he had been Mr Obama. In June, he wrote on Truth Social: No, I wont get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be, but the people know, and thats all that matters to me! President of peace In honouring Mr Obama, the Norwegian Nobel committee cited his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples, which seemed to be more about Mr Obamas promise as an international leader than his actual accomplishments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trump is the self-styled president of peace. As president, he has brokered peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Cambodia and Thailand, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, Serbia and Kosovo, and with the Abraham Accords, the White House said. On Friday, he will look to add Russia and Ukraine to that list. Praising the president for his efforts, a number of world leaders have nominated him for the award including Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, Asim Munir, Pakistans army chief, and the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Stoltenberg did not deny claims the president had brought up the prize, but said the conversation focused on discussion of tariffs and economic cooperation ahead of Mr Trumps call with Jonas Stoere, the Norwegian prime minister. I will not go into further detail about the content of the conversation, he said. Several of Mr Trumps cabinet officials including Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, and Jamieson Greer, his trade representative, were also on the call, according to Mr Stoltenberg. The award, named after 19th-century Swedish Industrialist Alfred Nobel, was originally intended to be bestowed upon the person who has done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House was 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. VMPL Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 15: In the spirit of India's Independence, Vedansh International School, Indore, hosted a memorable pre-Independence Day celebration graced by renowned industrialist, philanthropist, educationist, and pioneer of India's Yellow Revolution in the soybean sector, Dr. Dinesh Shahra. The highlight of the event was Dr. Shahra's stirring address on Freedom and Leadership. Drawing from his own remarkable journey -- from spearheading agricultural innovations in the 1970s to shaping India's nutritional and protein security -- he reminded students and said, "True leadership is living with purpose, passion, and pride in our work, nurturing self-discipline and relationships through right communication. It is about serving selflessly, leading by example, and creating opportunities for others to grow--measuring success not by wealth alone, but by the values we uphold and the lives we uplift." The students were deeply moved, sharing how they learned that leadership embodies responsibility, integrity, and vision -- and that true success comes when one's achievements uplift others. The celebration resonated with patriotic fervor as the gathering sang soulful pre-Independence songs, followed by vibrant cultural performances by the students. The event concluded with a symbolic tree plantation ceremony, underscoring the message of growth, sustainability, and a greener future -- principles Dr. Shahra has championed throughout his career in both business and community service. Principal Ms. Reenu Gurnani remarked, "Dr. Shahra's visit has left a lasting impression on our young minds. His words have inspired both our students and staff to view education as a means to build character along with competence." A proud son of Indore, Dr. Shahra expressed a deep personal connection with the occasion and the city's youth. Through the Dinesh Shahra Foundation and his Sanatan Living initiative, he continues to nurture value-based leadership, inspire the next generation, and promote sustainability -- carrying forward the same spirit that transformed India's agricultural landscape during the Yellow Revolution. (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) Davids view Nobody, or nearly nobody, plans to end his day at the Subway on 14th and U Street. Plopped next to a long-abandoned smoke shop, over a gay bar that will soon host its Caked Up pageant, the restaurant stays open 24/7 for people who need hearty, unsurprising sandwiches to pre-empt their hangovers. The U Street Subway is now the most famous franchise in the country, and Sean Dunn its most famous patron. On Sunday night, a bystander filmed Dunn arguing with federal officers who had been dispatched to the intersection, then hurling a sandwich at one of them, then fleeing in his pastel polo and shorts. Dunn lost his job at the Justice Department, tried to turn himself in, and was instead apprehended by 20 officers, according to his attorney, and to the White Houses fancam video of the arrest. The federal takeover of DC the scale is being litigated, but thats good shorthand for it is likely to succeed on the administrations terms. According to the president, he had to invoke Section 740 of the Home Rule Act, written a few years after rioting burned down part of the city, to stop the bloodthirsty criminals who were making it ugly and unlivable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Success, on the White Houses terms, would mean residents and tourists going about their day without being victims of crime, or catching sight of a homeless encampment. To be sure, that was possible even before the takeover. DC staggered out of COVID with a weakened civil society, a ghostly business district, and a surge of car-jackings by teenagers who exploited the well-intentioned errors of criminal justice reform. But the city had visibly recovered since 2023. Homeless encampments that sprouted around Union Station during the pandemic were cleared long before the National Guard rolled in, parking vehicles on land that has always belonged to the federal government. Urban liberals put up with more crime and disorder than suburban conservatives. The administration knew it could trap them by getting them to defend DCs status quo, and the fishy data they used to defend it. It surely also knew that the credit for the city not sliding into chaos would now belong to the president, not to Mayor Muriel Bowser, or other city officials who had been making progress on crime. Thats where the sandwich comes in a mockery of the military presence, so obviously ineffective that it was supposed to make the whole situation look stupid. Trump and his GOP, who argue that liberals cant govern themselves, have spoken rhapsodically about military crackdowns on cities. Our military has been in many countries around the world for the past two decades walking the streets trying to reduce crime, House Oversight Chairman James Comer told Newsmax this week. We need to focus on the big cities in America now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was no worry there about overkill, or the appearance of overkill, which is what has undermined public support for policing before and very recently. Just a decade ago, Comers fellow Kentuckian Rand Paul was asking if small towns were wasting money on military equipment. It was big and imposing, but it was built to protect Americans overseas, not intimidate teenagers out of misbehaving at a pumpkin patch festival. That was a popular position in 2014. Not anymore, after so many criminal justice reforms that were sold as common-sense, low-cost corrections to over-policing led to more crime. The Biden administration, and Bowser, favored (and funded) more police officers, as red state governors enticed them to leave blue cities for places where theyd get bonuses, respect, and rock-solid qualified immunity. The Trump administration identified Bowser as a politician who would welcome federal assistance to stop crime, even as protesters complained about it a lesson re-learned when the administration swapped out a US attorney obsessed with revenge for Jan. 6 defendants with one obsessed with crime. Now, the administration is putting on a show of force in DC with no fear of backlash. It sees an enormous national constituency not just for crime-stopping, but for humiliating urban liberals with overwhelming force. Cleaning up DC is not enough; engage in anti-social behavior, throw salami at a cop, and youll be raided like a drug lord. Theres no concern that it could backfire. Not right now. Notable US President Donald Trump is en route to a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump left the White House early Friday morning and then boarded Air Force One, as seen on television. According to the US government's schedule, Trump will land in Anchorage, the biggest city in Alaska, at 11 am (1900 GMT) on Friday. The meeting will mark his first in-person talks with Putin since beginning his second term in office, with discussions set to focus primarily on Russia's war on Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Travelling with Trump are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Before departing, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform simply: "HIGH STAKES!!!" The talks could produce momentum toward ending the war, although it remains unclear how much can realistically be achieved. Ukraine will not be represented in Anchorage. European allies of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fear Trump and Putin could agree on territorial concessions to Russia without Kiev's involvement. In reality, Trump cannot make any binding commitments to Putin without Ukraine's consent. Washington cannot dictate a ceasefire to the Ukrainian military or order it to withdraw from its own territory, especially since any territorial concession would require changes to Ukraine's constitution. However, Trump does hold considerable leverage: In addition to weapons deliveries, he could also halt the provision of satellite data or US intelligence - resources that are virtually irreplaceable for Ukraine in the war. The most interesting lawsuit against the Trump administration right now, in my view, is V.O.S. Selections v. Trump. A group of small businesses is challenging the presidents authority to levy tariffs via the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1974, or IEEPA. They argue that President Donald Trumps sweeping restrictions on nearly every imported good go far beyond what Congress had authorized in the law. The U.S. Court of International Trade sided with the businesses in May and ruled that the tariffs were blatantly unlawful. Regardless of whether the court views the Presidents actions through the nondelegation doctrine, through the major questions doctrine, or simply with separation of powers in mind, any interpretation of IEEPA that delegates unlimited tariff authority is unconstitutional, the court explained in an unsigned opinion. The Trump administration swiftly appealed the ruling to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, which reviews decisions from the specialized federal trial courts. (The government can continue to collect the tariffs while the lawsuit unfolds.) Now it appears that the Justice Department is openly afraid that it might lose the case and bring down the central pillar of Trumps economic agendasuch as it is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One rather clear sign of nerves is that Solicitor General D. John Sauer, the third-highest-ranking official in the Justice Department, sent an unusual letter to the Federal Circuit panel reviewing the case earlier this week. It was styled as a Rule 28(j) letter, which is used by litigants to update the court and the other parties about pertinent and significant authorities that they learn about after filing their briefs that could be relevant to the litigation. This type of letter is most commonly used to formally notify courts about legislative changes or new judicial rulings by an appeals court that might be relevant. It is not meant to be used to simply fire off esprit de lescaliertype arguments after briefs have been filed and oral arguments have been heard. But that appears to be how the solicitor general used it. On July 27, after stating his intention to impose IEEPA tariffs, President Trump announced the largest trade agreement in history with the 27-nation European Union, Americas most significant trading partner, Sauer wrote, citing contemporary news reports. President Trump entered historic agreements with Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan on July 22; and with the United Kingdom on May 8. If the panel rules against the administration on the tariffs legality, Sauer argued, then it should stay its ruling pending the Supreme Courts review. Suddenly revoking that power would have catastrophic consequences for national security and the economy, he claimed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The President believes that our country would not be able to pay back the trillions of dollars that other countries have already committed to pay, which could lead to financial ruin, Sauer wrote. Other tariff authorities that the President could potentially use are short-term, not nearly as powerful, and would render America captive to the abuses that it has endured from far more aggressive countries. This argument, though reflective of the administrations views on trade, is misleading. When the United States levies a tariff on imported goods, other countries do not pay them. The person or company that imports the goods pays the tariff. The costs incurred by paying these tariffs can then be offset by raising prices for U.S. consumers, who indirectly bear the brunt of tariffs. The exporting countries dont directly pay a cent. Sauers claim that other countries committed to pay trillions of dollars in tariffs and that paying it back to them would lead to financial ruin is also nonsensical. Even setting aside the other countries part, the U.S. has not collected trillions of dollars in tariff revenue. The Treasury said that it collected $28 billion in customs and excise taxes in the month of July. The U.S. collected between $7 billion and $8 billion before Trump took office, so the actual revenue from Trumps tariffs is likely smaller. It is possible that Sauer is referring to what the White House described as hundreds of billions of dollars in new investment into the United States from the other countries with which it struck deals. In July, for example, the U.S. announced a trade deal where the EU would purchase $750 billion in U.S. energy and make new investments of $600 billion in the United States, all by 2028. Those numbers come a little closer to the trillions that Sauer described. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These investments are still not relevant to the courts decision-making process in this case because they arent revenue derived from the tariffs in question. Courts are not obligated to indulge in the creative accounting that the administration is using to justify its own policies to the public. The EUs own fact sheet on the deal also says that the $750 billion is for replacing Russian gas and oil on the EU market, meaning that it likely would have happened anyway. And that $600 billion investment? EU companies have expressed interest in investing that money in the United States over the next few years, which is about as speculative as it gets. The EU itself said that the political agreement it reached with Trump is is not legally bindinga downside of not using the other tariff authorities that Sauer derided. Sauer went on to frame the overall situation in stark terms. There is no substitute for the tariffs and deals that President Trump has made, he told the court. One year ago, the United States was a dead country, and now, because of the trillions of dollars being paid by countries that have so badly abused us, America is a strong, financially viable, and respected country again. If the United States were forced to pay back the trillions of dollars committed to us, America could go from strength to failure the moment such an incorrect decision took effect. This is not a legal argument. What Sauer appears to be suggesting is that the court would be responsible for any negative economic consequences that should befall the country if it rules against the tariffs legality. That is doubtful on the merits. Most indicators suggest that the country is heading for a recession thanks to the uncertainty and higher costs from Trumps tariffs, and the major stock indices fell by more than 10 percent when he announced the Liberation Day tariffs in April. If anything, the markets would experience a modest boom if Trumps tariffs could no longer be collected. It is also an argument unworthy of a high-ranking Justice Department official, let alone the solicitor general. Striking down the tariffs would not seriously harm the U.S. economy (if it harmed it at all), but it would be highly embarrassing for Trump, who has made them the centerpiece of his second-term economic agenda. Sauer nonetheless continued by warning of an apocalyptic (and highly unlikely) economic meltdown if the tariffs are blocked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the United States were forced to unwind these historic agreements, the President believes that a forced dissolution of the agreements could lead to a 1929-style result, he claimed. In such a scenario, people would be forced from their homes, millions of jobs would be eliminated, hard-working Americans would lose their savings, and even Social Security and Medicare could be threatened. In short, the economic consequences would be ruinous, instead of unprecedented success. You do not need to be an economist to know that a Great Depression wont happen if the Federal Circuit strikes down tariffs that did not exist six months ago, or if other countries later back out of trade agreements that did not exist six weeks ago. The global economy simply does not work like that. The most cynical interpretation of this letter is that the Trump administration thinks that a recession is imminent and that the Federal Circuit will strike down the tariffs, and it is trying to preemptively blame the former on the latter. The plaintiffs response was short and curt. Perhaps the lawyers who drafted it knew the judges would see Sauers pseudo-intimidation tactics for what they are. Michael McConnell, the lead lawyer, noted that its contents were improper for a Rule 23(j) letter because the government already cited the same events at argument. Indeed, the oral arguments took place on July 31, a few days after the EU trade agreement was announced. McConnell disagreed about the need for a stay at all and argued for it to be a narrow one if granted because the plaintiffs face imminent and ongoing irreparable harm to their businesses from the challenged tariffs. If the Court is inclined to consider the substance of the letter, there is no basis for its declaration that there is no substitute for the tariffs and deals that President Trump has made, he continued. Even without IEEPA, the president can obtain ex ante authority to enter into trade agreements, see 19 U.S.C. 4202(a), or submit agreements for congressional approval, including via fast-track procedures, as prior presidents have done, see 19 U.S.C. 4501 (implementing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In other words, Trump can (and did, during his first term) pursue his trade agenda through the lawful mechanisms that Congress intentionally created to give presidents flexibility when negotiating with other countries. What he cannot do is use IEEPA to arbitrarily enforce massive tariffs on most of the American economy; not even to coerce U.S. trading partners into what appear to be largely performative trade negotiations. It is characteristic of the Justice Departments overall decline that Sauer thought this letter would be a reasonable thing to send to federal judges. It also shows how Trumps thuggish approach to governancein levying tariffs on close U.S. allies, in extorting law firms and universities, in sending troops into Democratic-led cities, in meddling with media company mergers, and moreis permeating throughout the entire executive branch. More than anything else, it shows how scared the Justice Department is (and the Trump appointees who staff it are) that Trump might lose this case. Even if one sets aside the propriety of this letter, a solicitor general who was confident in the strength of their argument and the validity of the executive branchs actions would not stoop so low as to telling federal judges that it will blame them for any negative consequences of their ruling. Like all bullying tactics, this one comes from a place of fear, not strength. President Donald Trump doubled down on his threat that Russian President Vladimir Putin could face "very severe" economic consequences if he blocks the Ukraine peace process. He reiterated the warning while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Alaska for a high-stakes talk with Putin. The meeting in Alaska marks the first U.S.-Russia summit since 2021, and is expected to focus on ending Moscow's war on Ukraine. Putin Praises Trumps Sincere Peace Efforts, Signals Possible Us-russia Nuclear Deal Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has been pushing to end the Ukraine war since he took office. Despite a rocky relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy including a heated exchange in the Oval Office in February, Trump has taken a tough approach to Russia. However, at times he has doubted whether either Zelenskyy or Putin were prepared to secure a ceasefire deal. Putin appeared optimistic about the process earlier this week, even praising Trump for "making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict," according to Reuters. It remains unclear how the Russian leader will respond when face-to-face with Trump in Alaska. What We Know About Trumps Meeting With Vladimir Putin In Alaska Read On The Fox News App Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The summit is also high-stakes for Trump, whose legacy could hinge on his ability to bring peace to a region that has been plagued by war for more than three years. Even Trumps current and former rivals seem to recognize the stakes. Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, said on the Raging Moderates podcast that she would nominate the president for a Nobel Peace Prize if he were the "architect" of a deal that would end the war. One of the biggest obstacles to peace has been the possibility of territory swaps a proposal Trump supports and Zelenskyy firmly opposes. There are concerns that these swaps would hand Russia some of Ukraines most strategic and resource-rich regions. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he departs for Alaska to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate for an end to the war in Ukraine, from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Aug. 15, 2025. Trump Threatens 'Very Severe' Consequences If Russia Doesn't Agree To End Ukraine War Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When addressing the issue, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that it would "take some time" to work out details of potential territory swaps. "I think the Presidents hope is to achieve some stoppage of fighting so that those conversations can happen. These are highly technical things that take some time to work out," Rubio told reporters on Thursday. "We want there to be a peace. Were going to do everything we can to achieve one, but ultimately itll be up to Ukraine and Russia to agree to one," he added. On Thursday, Putin hinted that Russia could be open to reaching a nuclear arms deal with the U.S., though it is unclear if that will be on the agenda for Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The current treaty between the two nations on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, also known as the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), is set to expire in February. Original article source: Trump doubles down on 'very severe' consequences threat if Putin blocks peace process Three hours of negotiations with Vladimir Putin over Russias war in Ukraine were extremely productive, but only Kyiv can decide whether a deal toward a ceasefire is possible, President Trump said Friday, capping a historic summit with the Russian leader. At a news conference at a U.S. air base in Alaska, the two men alluded to agreements made, but offered no details and took no questions. We didn't get there, Trump said. I believe we had a very productive meeting. There were many, many points that we agreed on, Trump said, adding: There's no deal until there's a deal. I will call up NATO in a little while. I will call up various people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's ultimately up to them, he added. Standing alongside Trump, Putin warned Europe not to torpedo the nascent progress of the agreement that weve reached. We're convinced that, in order to make the settlement last in the long term, we have to eliminate all the primary roots, the primary causes of the conflict, Putin said. Naturally, the security of Ukraine should be ensured as well. The talks were the first high-level negotiations in Russias years-long military campaign, a war of conquest that has resulted in Europes bloodiest conflict since World War II. Trump had said before the summit he would know if Putin was serious about peace within minutes of their meeting. Yet, before the talks began, the Russian leader, a global pariah since launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago, received a red carpet arrival on American soil and a greeting of applause from the U.S. president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was an extraordinary welcome for Putin, whose government has called the United States an enemy state and who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over war crimes in Ukraine. Putins war has led to 1.4 million casualties, according to independent analysts, including 1 million dead and wounded among Russian soldiers alone. At the end of their news conference, Putin suggested Trump visit Moscow for their next summit. Trump said he would consider it. The high-stakes summit came amid ongoing Russian strikes on civilian targets. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, condemned Russian forces for striking a market in Sumy mere hours before the Alaska summit. On the day of negotiations, the Russians are killing as well, Zelensky said in a statement. And that speaks volumes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelensky was not invited to the Anchorage negotiations. But Trump said he hoped his meeting Friday would lead to direct talks very shortly. The Ukrainian president met with Britain's prime minister in recent days, and planned to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron after the Alaska summit. Read more: Trump says Putin wants a deal as Kremlin says Ukraine war aims remain unchanged Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Anchorage, Trump suggested he had planned to take a tougher line with Putin, threatening to walk if he didn't see immediate progress. "I want to see a ceasefire," Trump said. "I don't know if it's going to be today, but I'm not going to be happy if it's not today." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two men were scheduled to meet privately, accompanied only by interpreters, before joining their aides for a working lunch. But in-flight, Trump's plans changed to include his secretary of State and national security advisor, Marco Rubio, as well as his special envoy to the conflict, Steve Witkoff. Whether Putin is ready to implement an immediate ceasefire is far from clear, with the Russian Foreign Ministry stating this week that the Kremlin's war aims are "unchanged." Over the past week, with the presidential summit scheduled, the Russian army launched an aggressive attempt to breech the Ukrainian front lines. Trump's deference toward Putin has been a fixture of his time in office, with the president often refusing to criticize the Russian leader. But his tone began to shift toward Putin at a NATO summit in June, held in The Hague, where European leaders agreed to significant defense spending commitments in a bid to keep Trump on their side. Since then, Trump has repeatedly expressed "disappointment" with Putin's refusal to heed his calls for a ceasefire, authorizing the deployment of Patriot missiles in Ukraine and the shipment of other U.S. military equipment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration set a deadline of Aug. 8 for Putin to demonstrate he was seriously committed to peace negotiations, or otherwise face a new round of sanctions, this time targeting its trading partners. Witkoff, a real estate investor with no experience in the region and no diplomatic background, was dispatched to Moscow for meetings with Kremlin leadership. Within hours of Witkoff's departure, White House planning for the summit was underway. The summit came together with so little time that the White House and the Kremlin struggled to secure hotels and venue spaces across Anchorage. The Kremlin press corps, comprising roughly 50 journalists, found itself sleeping on American Red Cross cots on the floor of a University of Alaska sports center. President Trump meets with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. At right is Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson / Associated Press) Trump received Putin on the tarmac of the U.S. air base with a U.S. stealth bomber flying overhead, flanked by U.S. fighter jets and Air Force One. The two men then entered the "Beast," the official presidential vehicle, for a short ride that included no aides or translators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On his way to Anchorage, Trump said that Putin would face economically severe consequences if the negotiations failed to yield progress toward peace. He said that only Ukraine could decide whether to cede territory to Moscow. And he expressed support for U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine in any future peace agreement, so long as they fall short of NATO membership for the beleaguered nation. Yes, it would be very severe, Trump said. Very severe. Putin brought several Russian business leaders along with him from Moscow, according to the Kremlin, a sign he had hoped to begin discussions on normalizing relations with Washington. But Trump said he would not discuss business opportunities until the war is settled. Despite bringing his Treasury and Commerce secretaries to Alaska alongside him, a lunch scheduled to include an expanded circle of their aides, to discuss matters other than Ukraine, did not appear to go forward. Read more: Is Putin laying a trap in Alaska, or is Trump? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement European leaders have urged Trump to approach Putin with a firm hand after months of applying pressure on Zelensky to prepare to make concessions to Moscow. Trump had said in recent days that a peace deal would include the swapping of land, a prospect roundly rejected in Kyiv. But the Ukrainian constitution prohibits territorial concessions without the support of a public referendum. He seemed to soften that stance ahead of the Friday meetings. They'll be discussed, but I've got to let Ukraine make that decision, the president said of land swaps. Im not here to negotiate for Ukraine. Im here to get them to the table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The summit is the first of its kind between a U.S. and Russian president since 2021. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Trump flaunts pardon rules and costs victims and taxpayers more than $1 billion Their cases were different. One faced a four-year prison sentence in a $675 million fraud case for marketing an electric truck that wasnt drivable. Another tried to overthrow the government. A tax cheat avoided prison and $4.4 million in restitution after his mom donated $1 million to the president. Their cases have two things in common, The Marshall Project explains. President Donald Trump pardoned them all in the early months of his second administration. And those pardons violated long-standing Department of Justice policies that reward people who show remorse, pay restitution and can contribute to society. Since returning to the White House, Trump has pardoned more than 1,600 people and at least two corporations in his first six months in office. Many of those pardons have violated standards designed to ensure fairness and to protect the public, attorneys and legal experts say. The changes began immediately. Hours after taking the oath of office, Trump pardoned more than 1,500 rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. That included men who used bear spray, bats, batons, and poles to assault police officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Past presidents have issued controversial pardons, usually in their last days in office: Bill Clinton pardoned financier Marc Rich, Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter despite promising not to, and George H.W. Bush pardoned six prominent officials for their roles in the Iran-Contra scandal. But legal experts say no president has started a term with so many pardons that violate long-standing policies and norms. Lee Kovarsky, a University of Texas law professor, describes Trumps Jan. 6 action as patronage pardoning highly publicized actions that send the message that Trump will protect allies who break the law to advance his agenda. Its mafia stuff, Kovarsky said. They wont break your legs, but theyll publicly pardon the person who does. Article II of the Constitution gives the president the power to pardon anyone for federal crimes. The Supreme Courts 2024 decision about presidential immunity made it clear that the president has broad leeway when exercising core powers of the office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court decision makes it hard to even get a grasp on just how blatantly corrupt presidential conduct would have to be to overcome immunity, said Brandon Garrett, a Duke University law professor. In her dissent in the immunity case, Justice Sonia Sotomayor specifically cited pardons when listing crimes that future presidents could commit without consequences. Orders the Navys Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune. The Justice Department has housed the Pardon Attorney since 1894. Over the years, the practice of processing applications for pardons and commutations has been codified in the Justice Manual, which lays out how clemency is supposed to be administered. One of the two main purposes of the Justice Manual is to ensure that all applications are judged by the same set of rules regardless of who you are or who you know, said Liz Oyer, who served as Pardon Attorney for three years. The second is to ensure that it is granted to people who are truly deserving of a second chance and who will not present a danger to the community in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In March, actor Mel Gibson, a friend of Trump, sought to have his criminal record cleaned up so he could own a gun again. Oyer declined to recommend a pardon due to Gibsons history of violence against women. She was fired several hours later, with no reason given. She is suing to get her job back. The Justice Department issued a statement saying that it follows the Justice Manual in reviewing pardon applications and making recommendations. One of the pardon offices first tasks is to seek input from the people with a stake in the conviction: prosecutors, sentencing judges, and crime victims. The office can request an FBI background check. The Jan. 6 pardons were announced hours after inauguration, so no input was solicited in the 1,500 cases. Among the people Trump pardoned for Jan. 6 was David Daniel of Mint Hill, North Carolina. Had the rules been followed, the pardon office would have learned that Daniel faces charges of child pornography and the sexual assault of a preadolescent girl. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In serious crimes violence or expensive white collar crime, for example the Justice Manual recommends that a suitable length of time should elapse before a pardon is even considered to avoid denigrating the seriousness of the offense. That stipulation didnt apply to Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers a far-right anti-government militia who was sentenced to 18 years for trying to overthrow the government. He served less than two years before Trump commuted his sentence to time served. Trump has also pardoned at least nine people before or shortly after they reported to prison, including one person before sentencing. Another important policy in the Justice Manual on pardons is whether the person has accepted responsibility and is remorseful: A petitioner should be genuinely desirous of forgiveness rather than vindication. Trump pardoned Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys and an architect of the attack on the Capitol, who had been sentenced to 22 years. Afterward, Tarrio and other Proud Boys sued the Justice Department for $100 million, claiming they were the victims of wrongful prosecution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another important condition for a pardon is restitution: Have the pardon seekers paid money to make their crime victims whole? This brings up what Kovarsky, the Texas law professor, calls the open for business pardon, in which Trump grants pardons to people who have politically supported him or who may owe large sums in restitution. A jury convicted Trevor Milton, the founder of electric truck startup Nikola, on fraud charges; a judge sentenced him to four years in prison. He notably had made a video in which a prototype truck that appeared to be driving down a highway was actually a non-functioning truck rolling down an incline. In October, Milton and his wife each donated $900,000 to Trump political committees. In March, federal prosecutors urged the trial judge to order Milton to pay $675 million in restitution. Two weeks later, shortly before Milton was to report to federal prison, Trump granted him a pardon that eliminated his prison sentence and wiped away his restitution to the victims of his fraud. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Milton has maintained that he is innocent, that he was the victim of dishonest Biden administration prosecutors, and that his political contributions had nothing to do with the pardon. He said he donated to Trump out of opposition to Bidens economic policy. I just wanted some fiscal responsibility, he told a Phoenix TV reporter. In late 2024, Paul Walczak, a Florida nursing home executive, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $4.4 million in restitution for stealing his employees tax payments. Just three weeks after Walczaks mother attended a $1 million-a-head fundraiser for Trump at Mar-a-Lago, the president pardoned Walczak, wiping out the prison term and restitution. Trumps pardons have proved costly for taxpayers and crime victims. Besides the group pardons of Jan. 6 defendants and anti-abortion protestors, the president has pardoned 46 individuals. Of those, more than half have been freed of fines and restitution. Oyer, the former pardon attorney, has set up a pardon tracker on her website that tallies the price of Trumps pardons of people and companies that owed restitution and fines. As of July 23, the cost to taxpayers and crime victims is more than $1.3 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oyers tracker also shows a growing backlog of pardon applications from ordinary Americans. The queue was just under 5,000 when Trump entered office. The count on July 15 had more than doubled, to 11,664. This story was produced by The Marshall Project and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has a drug use problem amid their ongoing rift over his policies. While answering questions in the Oval Office during the 90th anniversary celebration of the Social Security Act, Trump railed at the senator. Elizabeth Warren said she was an Indian. We call her Pocahontas. Shes a liar. She lied her whole career, he said. Based on the fact that she was an Indian, she was able to get into certain colleges, get certain jobs, get into certain universities to work there. And shes a liar and a mean person. Related: Russia Experts Worry KGB Agent-Turned-Murderous Dictator Putin Will Play Trump Warren released the results of a DNA test in October 2018 that showed she has distant Native American ancestry dating back six to 10 generations. Trump had challenged her to take that test months before. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elsewhere, while speaking with reporters Thursday, the POTUS went on to take shots at Warren for supporting democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani of New York City. Related: Hunter Biden's Response To Melania Trump's Apology Demand Rhymes With 'Duck Fat' Shes a nutjob. I watched her the other night. Shes all hopped up endorsing a communist in New York City, and she was all excited and jumping up and down, Trump said. Shes got to take a drug test. She really, though, shes got to take a drug test. Theres no way somebody can act that way and be normal. Related: Elizabeth Warren Marks 100 Days Of Trump By Reading Aloud 100 Reports Of His Corruption Trumps dig at Warren came after she called out the Trump administration in an op-ed for Fox News earlier this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Social Security is under attack like it has never been before. We shouldnt be cutting Social Security services and threatening Americans benefits we should be making the program stronger, she wrote. People are struggling with sky-high prices while their retirement savings are evaporating. Related: Newly Confirmed Social Security Commissioner Faces Bipartisan Pressure Over DOGE Cuts White House assistant press secretary Liz Huston slammed Democrats in a statement on the White Houses official site Thursday. While Democrats flail and peddle lies about Social Security, President Trump is demonstrating his unbreakable commitment to protecting and strengthening this vital program for the nearly 72 million Americans who benefit from it, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Huston added: By massively improving the customer service experience through technological improvements, preventing illegal aliens from accessing benefits, and delivering no taxes on Social Security through the One Big Beautiful Bill President Trump has Made Social Security Great Again. Trump also claimed Thursday that his administration has already kicked nearly 275,000 illegal aliens off of the Social Security system, Fox News reports. Trump went on to criticize his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, for never kicking anybody off. These are people many of them have already left the country. And yet we were sending them checks all the time, he added. And what thats doing is making the system strong. Its making it strong. Biden never kicked anybody off. Everybody joined. Related... Read the original on HuffPost President Donald Trump is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for a historic summit Friday in Alaska. The president will travel to Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday morning for the meeting, which is somewhat equidistant from both Washington, D.C., and Moscow. The United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867. The high-stakes meeting is the first U.S.-Russia summit since June 2021, which was under former President Joe Bidens administration. That summit came just eight months before Putin invaded Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What We Know About Trumps Meeting With Vladimir Putin In Alaska Trump has described the talks as a "feel-out meeting," and has made clear that his top priority will be to determine whether a ceasefire in Ukraine is possible. Trump predicted earlier this week that he would be able to make that determination within the first "two minutes." "Im not going to make a deal. Its not up to me to make a deal," Trump said. "I think a deal should be made for both (Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy)." Read On The Fox News App "Id like to see a ceasefire," Trump continued. "Id like to see the best deal that could be made for both parties. You know, it takes two to tango." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the president threatened "very severe consequences" for Russia if Putin does not agree to end the war after Fridays meeting. Additionally, while all eyes are on the summit between Trump and Putin, Trump said "the more important meeting will be the second meeting that were having." "Were going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, myself, and maybe well bring some of the European leaders maybe not Its going to be very important." "Were going to see what happens," Trump continued. "And I think President Putin will make peace." The day before the summit, Trump predicted that his meeting with Putin had a 25% chance of failing outright, but he said the hope is to push for a second meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. President Donald Trump is seen at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 8, 2025. "This meeting sets up the second meeting," Trump told Fox News' Brian Kilmeade, adding that the second meeting would be "extremely important," and hinted that there would likely be negotiations over land swaps, a notion Zelenskyy has opposed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Could Trump's Meeting With Putin Be The Next Reagan-gorbachev Moment? Zelenskyy is not a part of Fridays summit. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump was agreeing to the meeting at the request of Putin. "The goal of this meeting for the president is to walk away with a better understanding of how we can end this war," Leavitt said at a recent White House press briefing. "I think the president of the United States getting in the room with the president of Russia, sitting face-to-face rather than speaking over the telephone will give this president the best indication of how to end this war and where this is headed." However, Zelenskyy has maintained that any decisions to end the war made without Ukraine would be impossible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelenskyy has repeatedly said he is open to meeting with Putin directly to end the war, though Putin has thus far refused. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and President Donald Trump talk as they attend the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican on Saturday, April 26, 2025. Putin Praises Trumps Sincere Peace Efforts, Signals Possible Us-russia Nuclear Deal "Any decisions made against us, any decisions made without Ukraine they are simultaneously decisions against peace," Zelenskyy said in a Saturday statement. "These are dead decisions; they will never work. And what we all need is a real, living peace, one that people will respect." However, as recently as Wednesday, Zelenskyy said there is "no sign" Russia is preparing to end the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ukrainian leader wrote on X Wednesday, saying, "This war must be ended. Pressure must be exerted on Russia for the sake of a just peace. Ukraines and our partners experience must be used to prevent deception by Russia." "At present, there is no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war," he added. "Our coordinated efforts and joint actions of Ukraine, the United States, Europe, and all countries that seek peace can definitely compel Russia to make peace." Zelenskyy, Ahead Of Trump-putin Meeting, Says There Is 'No Sign' Russia Wants To End The War Zelenskyy also wrote on X recently, "The path to peace for Ukraine must be determined together with Ukraine this is fundamental." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is important that joint approaches and a shared vision work toward genuine peace. A consolidated position. Ceasefire. End of occupation. End of war," he also said. President Donald Trump, right, meets Russian President Vladimir Putin on the first day of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. Zelenskyy this week also said he discussed the possibility of holding high-level talks organized by Turkey, which has hosted previous diplomatic negotiations that have failed to secure any lasting ceasefire agreements, but have released thousands of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war. "We are ready for any format of meeting aimed at stopping the killings and ending the war," Zelenksyy said. "President Erdogan confirmed his countrys readiness to organize a summit of the leaders of Ukraine, the United States, Russia, and Turkey." Putin, though, has praised Trump for making "sincere efforts" to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, saying that the U.S. was making "quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict," according to Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin also reportedly mentioned possible future "agreements in the area of control over strategic offensive weapons." Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via videoconference at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 28, 2025. Russia and the U.S. hold the worlds largest nuclear weapons arsenals and have a treaty limiting the number of weapons they may possess, which is set to expire in February, adding more pressure to the upcoming talks. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty covers strategic nuclear weapons and caps the number of deployed warheads at 1,550 on each side, according to Reuters. There has already been some nuclear tension between the two nations in recent weeks, as Trump ordered two nuclear submarines to move closer to Russia after the countrys former president made "highly provocative statements." The Kremlin downplayed the move but warned all sides to be "very, very careful" about nuclear rhetoric, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, reporters pressed Trump on Thursday, the day before the summit, on whether his agreement to meet with Putin could end up "rewarding" the Russian president for his invasion of Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump scoffed at the question, and said: "No. I don't think it's a reward." "What we have is a situation that should have never started it should have never started," Trump said. "It didn't start under me. And for four years, it wasn't even discussed. And I could see it was going to happen. After I left, I could see what was happening. Everything we did was wrong, everything that was done was wrong. Everybody's to blame. Putin is to blame. They're all to blame." "This war would have never happened when I was president. If I were president, this war would have never happened," Trump continued. "But millions of people have been killed and, I'm there for one reason: to see if I can solve this. This was Biden's war." Fox News Digitals Caitlin McFall, Greg Norman and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report. Original article source: Trump to hold historic summit with Putin in Alaska seeking an end to RussiaUkraine war US President Donald Trump on Friday praised Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, calling him "highly respected" and saying he looks foward to meeting him. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social network, said he had "a wonderful talk with the highly respected" Belarusian leader. He said the call's purpose was to thank Lukashenko, a long-time ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for releasing 16 prisoners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners," Trump wrote. Trump and Putin are scheduled to meet later on Friday in Alaska, where Russia's war against Ukraine is top of the agenda. Belarus has been Russia's strongest supporter of its nearly three and a half year war against Ukraine. Lukashenko's press office, in a post on Telegram, said the Belarusian leader had invited Trump and his family to Minsk. Trump, in his post, said he was looking forward to meeting Lukashenko but did not elaborate. Trump said he and Lukashenko also talked about the Alaska summit. The Belarusian press office confirmed the call and said "regional issues and the situation in crisis areas, including Ukraine," were discussed. In June, following a meeting between US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg and Lukashenko, Belarus unexpectedly released 14 prisoners. Among them were former presidential candidate Sergei Tikhanovsky and several foreign nationals. Previously, in February, three detainees, including a US citizen, had already been released from Belarusian custody. President Trump said Friday he wouldnt be negotiating for Ukraine at his summit in Alaska with with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while claiming the Russian leader would have taken all of Ukraine if he wasnt in the Oval Office. Vladimir Putin wanted to take all of Ukraine. If I wasnt president, he would right now be taking all of Ukraine, Trump told reporters, speaking from Air Force One en route to Alaska. But hes not going to do it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked if territory swaps were on the table, Trump said that would be up to Kyiv. Theyll be discussed, but Ive got to let Ukraine make that decision. And I think theyll make a proper decision. But Im not here to negotiate for Ukraine. Im here to get them at a table, Trump said. The president also fielded a question about Ukraines reports of continued Russian strikes in the hours ahead of the meeting. I think theyre trying to negotiate. Hes trying to set a stage. I mean, in his mind, that helps him make a better deal. It actually hurts him. But in his mind, that helps him make a better deal, Trump said. Ill be talking to him about it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will notably be left out of the imminent U.S.-Russia meeting, but Trump has floated a follow-up with all three leaders. Trump has forecast a 25 percent chance his talks with Putin arent successful, and described his goal for the Friday meeting as being to set the table for the next meeting. 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. PRNewswire Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 15: Swiggy (Swiggy Ltd) (NSE: SWIGGY) (BSE: 544285), India's pioneering on-demand convenience platform, today announced that it has rapidly expanded its Students Rewards Program to reach 3 lakh college students across 3,500 campuses within three months of launch. Additionally, the company shared that it has introduced sign up via physical College ID card for students. This upgrade ensures that students without a college email id can also avail the benefits of the Students Rewards Program. Students can simply search for the phrase "Identity card" on the app, upload a photo of their valid student ID card and get started. For students, the benefits are designed to make every meal and grocery run lighter on the pocket. With Swiggy One Lite available at just 1 for three months, they can enjoy up to 67% off on food delivery orders, flat INR 225 off on select food orders, and flat INR 50 off on Instamart purchases. Dining out becomes even more affordable with an extra 20% off on restaurant bills, and those paying via BHIM can get an additional INR 40 off, making everyday cravings and essentials more budget-friendly. From engineering labs to hostel corridors, food is a great unifier for students. We have seen some interesting trends over the last 3 months of the Students Rewards Program being live. While order volumes were highest in the metro cities, interestingly, more than one third of students who enrolled for the Students Rewards Program were from emerging towns like Manipal, Patiala, Dehradun and Mangaluru - marking popularity of this Rewards Program beyond metros. Reflecting on the rapid growth of the program, Deepak Maloo, Vice President - Food Strategy, Customer Experience & New Initiatives, Swiggy, said "The Student Rewards Program is a key part of Swiggy's larger effort to deliver greater value and convenience to young consumers. By expanding access to students who may not have a college email ID but can verify their identity with a valid college ID card, we aim to make the program even more inclusive and impactful--while deepening our presence across India's vibrant college ecosystem." To know more about the College ID verification, please visit this link- https://blog.swiggy.com/swiggy-catalyst/sign-up-for-the-swiggy-student-rewards-program-with-your-college-id-card-now/ Swiggy Unveils Its First-Ever College Rankings 2025 In addition to this, Swiggy tapped into the pulse of students' food preferences across 8000 campuses and unveiled its first-ever College Rankings 2025. From midnight munchies to biryani binges, here's how students across India are making food a serious part of their college routine. - VIT Vellore, AIMS New Delhi, and IIT Madras were Snack Lovers' Paradise with the highest snack orders. - ISB Hyderabad, PGIMER Delhi, and Dr. DY Patil Medical College Pune topped the charts for protein-rich meals. - Burgers continued to be amongst the favourites. The highest number of burger orders came from KIIT Bhubaneswar, IIT Bombay and IIT BHU Varanasi. - The colleges with the most biryani orders were NIT Warangal, University of Hyderabad, Osmania University in Hyderabad, BITS Pilani Goa, and IIIT Hyderabad. - Students of IIT Bhilai, BITS Pilani Hyderabad and Malla Reddy College Hyderabad clocked highest meals items in a single order. - Thapar Institute (Patiala), IIIT (Hyderabad) and IIT (Kharagpur) redeemed the most Swiggy coupons. You can view the college rankings here. About Swiggy: Swiggy is India's pioneering on-demand convenience platform, catering to millions of consumers each month. Founded in 2014, its mission is to elevate the quality of life for the urban consumer by offering unparalleled convenience, enabled by 5.4 lakh delivery partners. With an extensive footprint in food delivery, Swiggy collaborates with over 2.5 lakh restaurants across ~718 cities. Instamart, its quick commerce platform operating in 124 cities, delivers groceries and other essentials across 20+ categories in 10 minutes. Fueled by a commitment to innovation, Swiggy continually incubates and integrates new services like Swiggy Dineout and Swiggy Scenes into its app, as well as creating standalone offerings like Snacc and Pyng for opening up new market segments. Leveraging cutting-edge technology and Swiggy One, the country's only membership program offering benefits across food, quick commerce and dining out, Swiggy aims to provide a superior experience to its users. For more details, please visit our website: www.swiggy.com/corporate/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2741816/5439764/Swiggy_Food_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) Ryin Johnson, who has autism and is nonverbal, works with speech therapist Anne Marie Carey to try to develop some communication skills before he starts preschool in the fall. Child care advocates worry that just-passed Medicaid cuts could make students miss out on therapy like this that directly affects learning. (Photo by Patrick ODonnell, The 74) This story was originally published by The 74. Speech therapist Anne Marie Carey sits on the rug at Galvin Therapy Center west of Cleveland, Ohio with toddler Ryin Johnson holding a tablet while she places a bright plastic ring on a rod. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have some more, Carey says to the 2 1/2 year old, picking up another ring. Should we put it on? Im gonna do it with you. She takes Ryins hand and presses a finger to the tablet so a recorded voice says More, before adding the second ring to the cone. More! Carey calls out. I got more. Yay! This activity is more than just a game. Ryin has autism and is nonverbal, so he also receives behavioral therapy. His attention often drifts as he and Carey interact. But the tablet, once Ryin can use it himself, is a tool that may unlock his ability to communicate and learn when he starts preschool in the fall. It might even help him eventually speak. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Right now its still pretty early on, said his mother Deanna Szente, a delivery driver from Avon Lake, Ohio. Because hes two and a half, were having high hopes, but they are preparing him if he does not. Deanna Szente is thankful Medicaid pays for her son Ryins behavior and speech therapy, but worries if she can keep coverage for him and what will happen to other children if recent cuts to Medicaid remain. (Photo by Patrick ODonnell, The 74) Ryins therapies, tablet and the TouchChat program are all funded by Medicaid and examples of how the government program, a major source of health care for low-income families, also supports childrens ability to learn and do well in school. Medicaid also covers such school-related items as eyeglasses, hearing aids, and microphones for teachers to use to communicate with children with hearing difficulties. Other devices and care, such as inhalers for asthma and dental coverage provided by Medicaid help make sure kids dont miss school and add to the chronic absenteeism problems hurting kids academically. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Medicaid faces massive cuts starting in 2027 as part of President Donald Trumps Big Beautiful Bill. Cuts to Medicaid and to the accompanying Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will likely total about a trillion dollars over the next 10 years, according to estimates. Backers of Trumps bill say it is much-needed welfare reform that will keep people on Medicaid who really need it, while kicking off those that dont and can work to have insurance.They also stress that students with disabilities like Ryin are not targets of the cuts. Medicaid Cuts in Trump Tax Bill Spark Fears for Child Health, School Services But how the cuts will affect Ryin and other young children is still unclear: The impact will vary by state, since each has its own version of Medicaid, with different rules for eligibility and benefits, and each state contributing different amounts of money. Differences are so great that a family of four qualifies in some states earning less than $45,300 a year, while other states allow annual income of more than $96,000. As Medicaid dollars shrink and as rules shift and grow more complicated, child advocates worry students like Ryin are more likely to slip through the cracks and miss out on interventions that are crucial to their ability to learn. They also worry the Trump administrations removal of some backstops that keep kids on Medicaid even as parents bounce on and off it create additional danger for children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All of which filters down to how well kids can do in the classroom. If the cuts are coming and if kids lose services, it can be very impactful on their learning, said Patricia Endley, president of the National Association of School Nurses. Georgetown Universitys Center for Children and Families researchers also raised concerns about students losing coverage and medical care that helps them in school. The center pointed to multiple studies showing students read better if they qualify for Medicaid or even if parents have Medicaid coverage that reduces family stress and frees up income. Other studies show students covered by Medicaid have higher graduation rates and adult earnings than those that go without health coverage, Georgetown officials report. Analysis: How Medicaid Can Help Schools Support Students Mental Health Elisabeth Burak, senior fellow at the Georgetown center, worries that as rules change and grow more confusing, parents might not enroll their children or let coverage expire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We know that a lot of these kids will roll on and off of coverage, Burak said. They might have been enrolled for a little bit of time at some point during the year, but they dropped off because the mail didnt reach them, or there was paperwork that their parents didnt know about, or maybe their parent might have lost coverage and that somehow the renewal paperwork didnt get to them, she said. Beyond just the common-sense idea that healthier kids do better in school or life, researchers and advocates identified several tangible ways student learning could be hurt if students lose coverage: Kids might miss out on early screening that catches disabilities before reaching school age. While Ryin might keep Medicaid because of his disability, being eligible for Medicaid allowed him to get checkups that identified his autism and allowed him to start treatment before preschool. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Though school district preschools can catch students disabilities, church-based or private preschools might not. Parents may need private therapy for their children. We have a lot of preschoolers who attend community preschool or no preschool, and who come to our place for help, said Carey, Ryins speech therapist. Parents notice somethings not clickingand they come here. Children might have to wait until school for vision tests and might not ever afford eyeglasses. In addition, students may not have hearing aids to absorb words and language patterns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre going to have difficulty learning those important speech sounds and strategies to be able to follow classroom conversations, said Caroline Bergner, director of health care policy for Medicaid for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Children may not have inhalers so they can deal with asthma in the classroom. Researchers have found asthma to be a major cause of students missing school nearly 13 million school days a year nationally and of students having to repeat grades. Thats all on top of family disruptions and stress if kids keep Medicaid but parents lose it under the new rules. Endsley also worries about students struggling if they lose dental care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You might say, well, what does your teeth have to do with learning? she said. Well, if you have an impacted tooth, or if youre having tooth pain, you absolutely cannot learn if youre sick or if you have a chronic disease Having access to daily medications keeps kids in school. It really is all interconnected. Defenders of the bill say opponents are being overly dramatic, noting that benefits for disabled children are not being directly cut. Well-publicized requirements that adults work in order to keep coverage dont apply to parents since they dont kick in until children turn 19. And they say the cuts make Medicaid sustainable by trimming people that dont need it. Others, including Cato Institute researcher Michael Cannon, argue that limiting Medicaids growth is necessary for the federal budget. When Republicans propose that Medicaid grow at 3% annually instead of 4.5%, Democrats suddenly act like cutting waste means everyone will die, he wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even child care advocates worried about the plan cant say which children would lose coverage or how many and when. They instead see risks in the confusion of shifting rules that states and parents will have to watch carefully. A big reason is that Medicaid eligibility isnt the same for children and adults, so children can still keep coverage even if parents start earning more money and lose their coverage. Parents may not realize that and let their childrens coverage lapse. Endsley, who worked as a school nurse in Maine, said parents often dont know how to apply for Medicaid for their kids. Theyll say, Well, yeah, I just cant figure it out, she said. So sometimes a school nurse will help them navigate through the process, or refer them to an insurance navigator. Ive even made a home visit to help a parent who didnt have a computer work out the forms. The whole system application process can be complicated, and what I see is kids slipping through the cracks, she said. There are some existing safety nets to prevent kids bouncing on and off coverage: Children keep coverage for a full year each time their eligibility is approved. Eight states Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington went further the last few years and extended that continuous coverage for young children until they turn 3 or 6 to create more stability. But the Trump administration announced July 17 it would no longer let states extend coverage beyond a year. Bruak called that decision a kicker on top of the cuts. That could really impact the stability of family and kids coverage, she said. Meanwhile, Szente is talking regularly with child care advocates to stay on top of changes so she can do what it takes to keep all three of her children covered. Im terrified, Szente said. Im scared for when my son gets older, what were going to have to do to be able to make sure that he can go see a doctor. And Im scared for my older two, if Im still going to be able to provide Medicaid for them. This story was produced by The 74, a non-profit, independent news organization focused on education in America. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on a Monday visit to Washington to see President Donald Trump in a collective bid to find a way to end to Moscow's invasion, with the US offering security guarantees for Kyiv. The meeting follows a summit in Alaska between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that failed to yield any breakthrough on an immediate ceasefire that the US leader had been pushing for. Trump, who pivoted afterwards to say he was now seeking a peace deal, on Sunday posted "BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED!" on his Truth Social platform, without elaborating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's Russia envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that Trump and Putin had agreed in their summit on "robust security guarantees" for Ukraine. But Zelensky, on a Brussels visit on Sunday hosted by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, rejected the idea of Russia offering his country security guarantees. "What President Trump said about security guarantees is much more important to me than Putin's thoughts, because Putin will not give any security guarantees," he said. Von der Leyen hailed the US offer to provide security guarantees modelled on -- but separate from -- NATO's collective security arrangement, known as Article 5. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We welcome President Trump's willingness to contribute to Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine, and the coalition of the willing, including the European Union, is ready to do its share," von der Leyen said. - Hopes for 'productive meeting' - Trump's pivot to looking for a peace deal, not a ceasefire, aligns with the stance long taken by Putin, and which Ukraine and its European allies have criticised as Putin's way to buy time with the intent of making battlefield gains. Zelensky also said he saw "no sign" the Kremlin leader was prepared to meet him and Trump for a three-way summit, as had been floated by the US president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The leaders heading to Washington on Monday to appear alongside Zelensky call themselves the "coalition of the willing". They include British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron,, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and von der Leyen. Also heading to Washington will be Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubbs, who get on well with Trump. On Sunday they all held a video meeting to prepare their joint position. Speaking to US broadcaster CNN, Witkoff said: "I'm hopeful that we have a productive meeting on Monday, we get to real consensus, we're able to come back to the Russians and push this peace deal forward and get it done." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to NBC on Sunday, warned of "consequences" -- including the potential imposition of new sanctions on Russia -- if no peace deal is reached on Ukraine. - Territorial 'concessions' - European leaders have expressed unease from the outset over Trump's outreach to Putin, who has demanded Ukraine abandon its ambitions to join the EU or NATO. They were excluded from Trump's summit with Putin. Witkoff, in his CNN interview, said the United States was prepared to provide "game-changing" security guarantees to Ukraine as part of a process that would involve territorial "concessions". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to an official briefed on a call Trump held with Zelensky and European leaders as he flew back from Alaska, the US leader supported a Putin proposal that Russia take full control of two eastern Ukrainian regions in exchange for freezing the frontline in two others. Putin "de facto demands that Ukraine leave Donbas," an area consisting of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in eastern Ukraine, which Russia currently only partly controls, the source said. In exchange, Russian forces would halt their offensive in the Black Sea port region of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, where the main cities are still under Ukrainian control. Several months into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia in September 2022 claimed to have annexed all four Ukrainian regions even though its troops still do not fully control any of them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Ukrainian president refused to leave Donbas," the source said. Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine rages on, with both Kyiv and Moscow launching attack drones at each other Sunday. bur/js-sbk/rmb U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in America their first encounter since Trumps return to the White House and Putins first visit to the U.S. in a decade. Overall, this will be the seventh in-person meeting of Trump and Putin. Their history has at times veered into the unconventional, with Trump on occasion meeting the Russian leader behind closed doors, without his own aides. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump very much wants to make deals, William Wohlforth, professor of government at Dartmouth College, told the Kyiv Independent. Beyond that, it's all speculative, and we do have evidence that he occasionally does get frustrated with Putin's unwillingness to make concessions. Since returning to the office, Trump has repeatedly claimed he could end the Russia-Ukraine war in a day, citing his personal rapport with Putin as the key. He said it on many occasions, and he believes that he has some sort of rapport with Vladimir Putin and that he is uniquely capable of perhaps finding a way out of this conflict, Wohlforth said. Trump-Putin history dates back to 2016, when, according to U.S. intelligence agencies, Russia interfered in the U.S. presidential election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It all began with the 2016 election, and the dynamic has continued ever since, political analyst Artem Bronzhukov told the Kyiv Independent, noting that Russia has directly or indirectly supported Trump in every presidential race since. One of their most controversial encounters came in 2017 at the G20 summit in Hamburg. Trump and Putin held a two-hour meeting attended only by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, after which Trump reportedly took away the interpreters notes. Later the same day, they met again this time with only Putins interpreter present. In the years that followed, Trump repeatedly relayed Putins denials of election interference, saying he believed the Russian leader when he told him Russia was innocent. I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2019, during their sixth in-person meeting at the G20 summit in Osaka, Trump described their relationship as very, very good, adding that, A lot of very positive things are going to come out of the relationship. A year later, Trump left office, and in 2022 Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Their relationship essentially froze at the level it had reached in 2019, Bronzhukov said. When Trump returned to the White House, he hoped that personal connection could help secure a deal. But Moscow has shown no sign of making concessions, and Trump has admitted disappointment in Putin. Ahead of the meeting, Trump said it would take him two minutes to determine whether there was a basis for future talks discussions that could potentially include a trilateral meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But according to Wohlforth, Putin will have far more time to convince Trump that Russias ceasefire demands are reasonable. Its also unclear how Trump will respond to a careful Putin-style presentation of the Russian perspective. Hes going to want Trump to walk out of the meeting thinking that Russias positions and claims are reasonable and that the problem lies with Ukraine and Europe, Wohlforth said. He added that meaningful agreements usually require months of diplomatic groundwork, whereas in this case the preparation amounted to a single visit to Moscow by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff someone not particularly well informed on the details of the RussiaUkraine war. And finally, the main participant in this is Ukraine. You cant get a peace deal if Ukraine doesnt agree to it. And Ukraine isnt at the summit, Wohlforth said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: From war criminal to US guest Trump invites Putin out of isolation Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States and Russia didnt get there on a deal regarding the war in Ukraine, even as he called his three-hour meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin extremely productive. The meetingwhich Trump had billed as high stakesended earlier than expected and on a deflated note for the U.S., with no concrete steps reached toward a ceasefire, and Trump cutting their joint press conference short. The two said they would meet again, possibly in Moscow. The high-profile summit in Anchorage, the first in-person encounter between the two leaders since 2019, was aimed at exploring a path toward a cease-fire in the war in Ukraine, even though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had not been invited. After their meeting concluded, both Trump and Putin spoke only briefly to reporters and neither took any questions. Putin seemed to control the appearance of the proceedings in front of the press. Typically at such summits, the host speaks first and welcomes the visiting leader. But when the two leaders stepped up to the twin lecterns, Trump put his hand out to indicate Putin should speak first. Putin then held the floor for eight minutes, but did not indicate the two men had made progress on Trumps chief reason for meeting: moving toward an end to the war in Ukraine. Putin said the negotiations had been held in a constructive atmosphere of mutual respect and he flattered Trump by saying he agreed with Trumps repeated assertion that if Trump had remained President for a second term, Putin would not have rolled tanks into Ukraines capital Kiev. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have built a very good and businesslike and trustworthy contact and have every reason to believe that moving down this path we can come to the end of the conflict in Ukraine, Putin said. But he gave no details on how that would happen. Putin appeared to warn European leaders and Zelensky to stay out of the way of what was a work-in-progress, even though the fate of Ukraine impacts them directly. We expect that Kyiv and European capitals will perceive all this in a constructive manner and will not create any obstacleswill not make attempts to disrupt the emerging progress through provocations and behind-the-scenes intrigues, Putin said. After Putin finished his monologue, Trump spoke for just three minutes and cut the press conference short without taking any questions from the room full of reporters. Trump said he had always had a fantastic relationship with President Putin, with Vladimir. But, Trump continued, the investigation into Russias efforts to influence the 2016 electionwhat Trump calls the Russia hoaxhad gotten in the way of the two leaders working together during his first term. We were interfered with by Russia Russia Russia hoax, Trump said. On the Ukraine war, Trump said he and Putin are going to try to get this over with and stop thousands of people being killed each week. Im going to start making a few phone calls and telling them what happened," Trump said, referring to Zelensky and European leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Trump made it clear that more meetings would be needed. Well speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon. Thank you very much Vladimir, Trump said. And next time in Moscow, Putin unexpectedly interjected. Ooh thats an interesting one, Trump replied. I dont know. Ill get a little heat on that one. But I could see it possibly happening. Earlier Friday, after the two leaders had landed in Anchorage, they smiled and shook hands as they greeted each other on a tarmac. Trump and Putin then made a highly unusual move for leaders whose countries are widely viewed as adversaries: they both got in the backseat of Trumps armored presidential limousinewith no staff or translators presentto reach the meeting space. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Inside the meeting room, the two leaders were seated alongside members of their respective inner circles in front of a blue backdrop that had the words Pursuing Peace printed on it. Putin looked visibly uncomfortable as reporters shouted questions before the meeting, appearing to shrug and make faces before shouting back inaudible remarks. The summit had been framed as potentially determine the trajectory of the war and paving the way for future negotiations between Trump, Putin, and Zelensky, who had warned that he was counting on a strong position from America. Trump had previously warned Putin of very severe consequences if a ceasefire is not reached and said hes prepared to walk away from the talks if they do not go well. The negotiations were originally planned as a one-on-one meeting between Trump and his Russian counterpart, but were changed at the last minute to include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and two of Putins aides, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, turning the talks into a three-on-three format that could allow for greater clarity on what happened during the meeting as both sides offer their own narratives. Read More: Why Trumps Summit in Alaska Cannot End Putins War in Ukraine Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Alaska, Trump said that a potential agreement with Russia was not set in stone and that territorial swaps with Ukraine would be discussed during the meeting. I want to see a ceasefire rapidly, he said. I dont know if its going to be today. But Im not going to be happy if its not today. Just before Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, Zelensky said in a video statement posted on social media that Russian military strikes were continuing throughout Ukraine on Friday, and called for a follow-up meeting in the future with all three leaders. On the day of negotiations, the Russians are killing as well, he said. And that speaks volumes. Read More: Zelensky on Trump, Putin, and the Endgame in Ukraine Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump Administration had characterized the meeting as a listening exercise for Trump to better understand Putins conditions for ending the war in Ukraine. Before landing in Alaska, Trump suggested renewed economic engagement between the U.S. and Russia could be on the horizon should peace negotiations yield tangible results.I noticed hes bringing a lot of business people from Russia, and thats good, Trump said. I like that because they want to do business, but theyre not doing business until we get the war settled. Russia found itself estranged from much of the global economy following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, as sweeping sanctions and diplomatic pressure from the U.S., Europe, and allied nations have left Moscow largely isolated from major markets and financial systems. Trumps suggestion of easing economic restrictions has drawn sharp criticism from European allies, who warn that any premature normalization could undermine the unified Western stance on sanctions and harm Ukraines position in ongoing negotiations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some analysts and Congressional Republicans, including Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Don Bacon of Nebraska, have also warned that such a move risks rewarding Putins invasion by effectively legitimizing Russias territorial gains and military aggression. When asked by TIME in the Oval Office on Thursday whether his offering incentives to Russia to bring about peace might inadvertently reward Putin for his invasion of Ukraine, Trump responded, I dont see it as a reward. The summit was being closely monitored in Ukraine and across Europe for any sign that the long-standing conflict may finally begin moving toward resolution. The Kremlin has expressed its desire for Ukraine to hand over swaths of its territoryparticularly areas in the south and east, which Putins army has failed to fully occupy. Before the summit on Friday, Trump suggested he would not negotiate on behalf of Ukraine, particularly over whether to engage in territorial swaps with Russia. Zelensky has repeatedly said he is not willing to cede any territory to Russia, insisting that such a move would gift their land to the occupier." European leaders have warned that giving Russia land could embolden it to invade other countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are counting on America, Zelensky said in a social media post on Friday. The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral formatUkraine, the United States, and the Russian side. It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. Trump boards Air Force One on Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, ahead of his trip to Anchorage, Alaska, for peace talks with Putin. Andrew HarnikGetty Images The summit also gave Putin the chance to appeal to Trumps business interests. Russias Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Kirill Dmitriev, a senior economic negotiator and head of Russias sovereign wealth fund, were among those who accompanied Putin to Alaska. Read More: The Secret White House Backchannel That Paved the Way For Trumps Summit With Putin Asked if he would be discussing business opportunities with Russia during the meeting, Trump said: If we make progress, I would discuss it, because thats one of the things that they would like; theyd like to get a piece of what I built in terms of the economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its unclear what kind of business deals Trump could use as leverage to resolve the war, but the President has previously threatened severe consequences if Putin doesnt agree to end the conflict, including possible secondary sanctions on countries importing Russian oil and gas. Trump told reporters earlier Friday that he believed something will come of the summit in Alaska and praised his relationship with Putin, whose invasion of Ukraine has resulted in tens of thousands of civilians killed and millions displaced. Look, hes a smart guy. Been doing it for a long time, but so have I. Ive been doing it for a long time, and here we are: Were President[s], Trump said on his way to the summit. We get along. Theres a good respect level on both sides and I think somethings going to come of it. Write to Nik Popli at nik.popli@time.com. A desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize appears to be motivating US President Donald Trumps efforts to facilitate a ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump cold-called the Norwegian finance minister last month to discuss the prize, the Norwegian newspaper Dagens Nringsliv reported. Several countries have already nominated him for the award; Trump claimed credit for defusing border clashes between India and Pakistan in May and a long-running dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump is obsessed with the prize, Le Monde argued, partly because his first predecessor Barack Obama won one early in his presidency: He grumbled last year that If I were named Obama, I would have had the Nobel Prize given to me in 10 seconds. By Nate Raymond (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he is nominating a federal prosecutor who testified in 2018 in support of her former boss Brett Kavanaugh being confirmed to a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court to become a life-tenured judge herself. Trump in a post on his social media platform Truth Social said he was nominating Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Taibleson in Wisconsin to fill a vacancy on the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Republican president said she had "learned from some of the BEST and most HIGHLY RESPECTED Legal Minds in the Country," after serving as a law clerk to former conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in 2016, and Kavanaugh when he was on an intermediate appeals court. She is Trump's sixth nominee of his second term to serve on one of the nation's 13 appeals courts that sit below the Supreme Court. Trump has announced 22 judicial nominations overall since returning to office in January as he seeks to add to the 234 judicial appointments he made in his first term. Taibleson clerked for Kavanaugh from 2010 to 2011 when he was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for District of Columbia Circuit and testified in 2018 in support of Trump's decision in his first term to pick him for a seat on the Supreme Court. The Republican-led Senate confirmed Kavanaugh 50-48 after a grueling confirmation battle in which he faced allegations that became public that he sexually assaulted a woman while in high school, which he denied. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those allegations became public after Taibleson had appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee. In her testimony, she highlighted how a majority of the law clerks Kavanaugh hired had been women and, upon hiring them, "goes to bat for us." After clerking for Kavanaugh, she then clerked for Scalia and then worked at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis before joining the U.S. Department of Justice. She served from 2019 to 2022 in the U.S. Office of the Solicitor General and today works in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, according to her LinkedIn profile. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; editing by Diane Craft) WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 24: Alina Habba, newly appointed interim U.S. Attorney for District of New Jersey, speaks to reporters outside the White House on March 24, 2025, in Washington DC. U.S. President Donald Trump appointed Habba, who currently serves as Counselor to the President, to replace current attorney John Giordano who was nominated serve as Ambassador to Namibia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) WILLIAMSPORT, PA A Trump administration official on Friday accused federal judges in New Jersey of causing a constitutional crisis by rejecting President Donald Trumps pick for U.S. attorney for New Jersey and ordering her top deputy to assume the post. That was an atypical decision, said attorney Henry C. Whitaker, who went on to blast the judges for not collaborating with Trump officials to ensure the top federal prosecutor job would go to someone both the administration and courts agree on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district court precipitated this constitutional confrontation that did not need to happen, said Whitaker, counselor to Attorney General Pamela Bondi. Whitakers comments came toward the end of four hours of tedious arguments at the Herman T. Schneebeli Federal Building, where U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann joked he was tapped to take the case for my sins. The issue before Brann was whether acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba has the authority to prosecute cases given the ongoing tug-of-war over her job as well as whether Trump and Bondi overstepped their authority in overriding the judges who refused to extend Habbas tumultuous tenure. Whitakers pronouncement irked Gerald Krovatin, one of the attorneys seeking dismissals of their clients criminal cases over questions about Habbas authority. Krovatin angrily objected and countered that Trump caused a constitutional crisis by appointing someone who has no business being U.S. attorney in New Jersey or anywhere else. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court showdown came nearly five months after Trump appointed Habba, his former personal attorney, as interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey. The Senate did not confirm her within the 120-day window that federal law requires for presidential appointments, prompting a panel of federal judges from New Jersey to intervene. In such scenarios, federal judges are authorized by law to extend an acting U.S. attorneys tenure or name a replacement. During Trumps first term, they were driven to act after the Senate failed in 2018 to confirm Craig Carpenito, who then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions had appointed acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey. The judges unanimously appointed Carpenito 112 days into his tenure. But on July 22, a panel of federal judges facing a similar decision instead named Habbas top deputy, Desiree Leigh Grace, to the post. That so enraged Trump administration officials that they fired Grace and reinstalled Habba, kicking off the ongoing legal battle that drew a small army of attorneys to this Lycoming County city best known as the home of the Little League World Series. Brann said he expects to rule on the matter by Wednesday or Thursday, giving both sides until 5 p.m. Monday to file any supplemental briefs. He agreed to expedite the case, pointing to the disruptions its caused in federal courts in New Jersey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Are federal criminal prosecutions occurring in the District of New Jersey? Brann asked. Not the way they normally would, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Coyne conceded. Some judges have refused to arraign indicted defendants, adjourned trials, and transferred cases to other jurisdictions, said Whitaker and Coyne. Brann urged Whitaker and Coyne to persuade Habba to recuse herself from cases while challenges to her authority remain unresolved. Boy, thats confusing everybody, the judge said. Its confusing to me. But Whitaker said recusal is unnecessary because Bondis office is fully empowered to supervise the office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coyne objected to any pressure for recusal, citing a dignity component although it wasnt clear whether he meant the recusal would offend the dignity of Habba, Trump, or someone else. Ms. Habba is the person the president wishes to head the office of the United States attorney for the district, Whitaker said. Earlier, attorneys spent several hours debating a dizzying array of court precedents, federal statutes, and even the verb tenses of language in various laws to make their case. Brann blitzed the attorneys with questions so dense he often stopped to ask: Do you understand my question? and quipped, when silence met one such query: Maybe I dont understand this. Which is entirely possible. Arguments centered on two federal laws governing executive-branch appointments that require Senate confirmation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorneys challenging Habbas reappointment insist its unconstitutional under the Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act, the 2007 law that contains the 120-day timeline and tasks federal judges with acting if that clock runs out without Senate action. Several Congress members who voted in favor of that act filed a brief this week exhorting Brann to respect the constitutionally mandated separation of powers that law was meant to codify. But the attorneys fighting to keep Habba in the post said her reappointment should stand because its valid under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, a 1998 law that directs a vacant positions second-in-command to become the acting officer-in-charge for up to 210 days. After Trump officials fired Grace, Habba resigned and Bondi named Habba first assistant U.S. attorney, essentially restoring her as acting U.S. attorney. Theres little dispute that the president has the authority to remove even a district court appointee, Whitaker said. Still, Krovatin warned that the executive branch wasnt meant to make successive appointments, under several federal laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorney Thomas Mirigliano, who represents an Irvington man challenging Habbas authority, called the Trump administrations use of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act an end run around the Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act. The president terminated the first assistant in order to backfill the role, and Ms. Habba then resigned, created the vacancy, to fill it herself. Its circular, Mirigliano said. It goes completely against what the statute is meant to protect. Attorney James Pearce, representing the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey, cited larger anti-circumvention, manipulation concerns that such maneuvering raises under the Constitutions appointments clause. That clause differentiates between principal officers, who are appointed by the president and require Senate confirmation, and inferior officers, who dont require Congressional approval. Brann told the attorneys he expected neither side would like his ruling and said his exhaustive questioning would help tee up the case for a likely appeal before U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals judges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also warned that New Jerseys federal judges likely will have to learn to get along with Habba. I think its very likely that Ms. Habba is going to end up, at some point down the road, as the United States attorney for the District of New Jersey, Brann said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Donald Trumps administration was close to giving Elon Musks xAI artificial intelligence company a huge federal contract this summer, only to back out after its chatbot, Grok, began issuing antisemitic slurs, according to a report. According to Wired, emails between several AI developers and the General Services Administration, which is responsible for administering government tech contracts, chart how the proposed partnership fell apart as Musks pet project began dabbling in Nazi rhetoric. In early June, around the time the president and the tech billionaire suffered a spectacular public falling out, exchanging barbed personal insults over their competing social media platforms, the GSAs leadership was meeting with the xAI team to see what opportunities may exist for automation and streamlining, according to the outlet. Elon Musk launched his xAI venture in November 2023 but narrowly missed out on a contract with the U.S. government earlier this month (AFP/Getty) Their initial two-hour sitdown was reportedly a success, prompting the GSA to pursue the company with enthusiasm, hoping to see Grok integrated into its internal infrastructure as part of the Trump administrations push to modernize the running of the central government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We kept saying, Are you sure? And they were like No, we gotta have Grok, one employee involved in the discussions told Wired. The conversations continued over the following weeks, and xAI was eventually added to the GSA Multiple Award Schedule, the agencys government-wide contracting program. Then, in early July, Grok suddenly went haywire after an update to make it less woke than its competitors went too far, leading to the chatbot referring to itself as MechaHitler in homage to the robotic version of Adolf Hitler that appeared in the 1992 video game Wolfenstein 3D. Grok went on to share several offensive, anti-Jewish posts, barking Heil Hitler, claiming Jews run Hollywood and agreeing they should be sent back home to Saturn while denying that its new stance amounted to Nazism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Labeling truths as hate speech stifles discussion, it declared. Musks company apologized for the upset and scrubbed the inappropriate posts. Still, it was not seemingly enough to save xAIs relationship with the GSA, although the furore was allegedly not noticed, at least initially, by the agencys leadership. Donald Trump and Musk were close during last years presidential election and for the first half of this year but the tech billionaire left the White House in accrimonious circumstances in June (AFP/Getty) The week after Grok went MechaHitler, [the GSAs management] was like Where are we on Grok? the same employee told Wired. We were like, Do you not read a newspaper? When the U.S. government duly announced a series of partnerships with the likes of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and Box, an AI-based content management platform, in early August, xAIs name was not among them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The GSA has not definitively stated that Groks outburst was the reason for the scrapping of xAIs proposed contract, but two company employees told Wired they believed that was the case. The Independent has reached out to the GSA for more information. The GSAs talks with the AI firms coincided with Trumps administration publishing its AI Action Plan in July, which laid out its goals for the United States to become a world leader in the emerging sector while calling for a reduction in regulation and red tape. President Donald Trump (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a joint press conference after their summit on July 16, 2018 in Helsinki Credit - Chris McGrathGetty Images U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will head to Alaska on Friday for their seventh face-to-face meeting. The previous six happened during Trumps first term in office. None delivered concrete results for Trump. Those earlier interactions, in which Trump often spoke favorably of Putin to a degree that made even some Republicans uncomfortable, are coloring expectations for Fridays summit over ending Russias war with Ukraine. In recent days, Trumps comments on the upcoming head-to-head have veered from tamping down expectations to warning Russia would face severe consequences should Putin refuse to make a ceasefire deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps relationship with Russia cast a shadow over his first term, and each of his interactions with Putin. Trump had campaigned in 2016 on improving relations with Russia and repeatedly praised Putin as a strong leader. At a July 2016 press conference in Florida, Trump looked directly at the camera and encouraged Russia to find his opponent Hillary Clintons emails. Russian hackers then stole documents from Democratic Party email accounts and released them online before Election Day. Trumps first term was dogged by investigations into what actions Russia took to help his campaign. When Putin meets with world leaders like Trump, he draws on his earlier experience as a KGB officer, says John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Hes a former KGB guy, he likes to study his interlocutor, says Hardie, who adds that Putin is likely to give Trump long historical lectures as he lays out his argument that Ukraine should be firmly in Russias sphere of influence. Trump, who grew up in the real estate business, tends to think of geopolitical deals in terms of land swaps. But drawing new lines in Ukrainian territory is unlikely to satisfy Putin, who wants to control the entire country, says John Herbst, former ambassador to Ukraine from 2003 to 2006. Putins goal is not to acquire some territory in Ukraine. Its to have effective political control of the country, which requires a lot more conquests, Herbst says. He wants to continue the war, and thats on his path to recreating in some fashion the Russian Empire. Read more: The Secret White House Backchannel That Paved the Way For Trumps Summit With Putin Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump vowed during the campaign to quickly secure a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. The war has swamped Russias effort to work with the U.S. on broader issues. Trump has become increasingly frustrated with Putins refusal to dial back attacks on civilian targets. Trumps had at least six phone calls with Putin since he took office in January. After most of those calls, Russian missile and drone strikes in Ukraine have spiked, according to an analysis by The Foundation for Defense of Democracies. During an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in mid-July, Trump described his impatience with Putin telling him one thing and then doing another. "I go home, I tell the first lady, 'You know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.' And she said, 'Oh really? Another city was just hit.'" All of that increases pressure on Trump to avoid leaving yet another summit with Putin with little to show for it. Heres a look at their previous meetings: HamburgJuly 7, 2017 Putin and Trump in Hamburg on July 7, 2017. Saul LoebAFP via Getty Images The first time Trump and Putin met in person was at the Group of 20 economic summit in Hamburg, Germany, in July 2017. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, and for the United States and for everybody concerned. And its an honor to be with you, Trump said after exchanging greetings with Putin. Putin said he was delighted to meet Trump and that the two men need personal meetings if Trump wants to resolve most international policy issues. At one point, Putin pointed to the reporters watching their initial greetings, and asked Trump if they were the ones who had insulted him. Trump nodded and laughed. Their meeting was also attended by Trumps then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Putins minister of foreign affairs Sergey Lavrov and two interpreters. Tillerson later told reporters that Trump and Putin were able to look beyond the controversy over Russias attempts to sway the 2016 U.S. campaign and find a way to go forward. In an unusual move, Trump took possession of his translators notes from the meeting, The Washington Post later reported. Putin and Trump spoke again that same evening in Hamburg during a dinner with other world leaders and their spouses. During that dinner, Putin was seated next to First Lady Melania Trump. Da Nang, VietnamNov. 11, 2017 Trump chats with Putin as world leaders take a "family photo" during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Danang on Nov. 11, 2017. Jorge SilvaPool/AFP via Getty Images Video clips from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam, show Putin and Trump talking on the sidelines of the summit. But the two leaders didnt have a formal meeting scheduled. Trump later told reporters that he and Putin discussed Russian actions in the 2016 election, and Putin denied meddling. Every time he sees me he says, I didnt do that, and I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it, Trump said. I think he is very insulted by it, which is not a good thing for our country. HelsinkiJuly 16, 2018 Putin hands Trump a World Cup football during a joint press conference in Helsinki on July 16, 2018 Chris McGrathGetty Images Trump and Putin met for their first one-on-one summit in Finland. The two men initially met with other American officials in the room and then adjourned to a private, two-hour-long meeting with only their interpreters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both leaders were visitors in Finland, but when they came out for a joint press conference with reporters, Putin ran the proceedings like he was the host. Putin spoke first and called on the first reporter to ask a question. Trump declined to criticize Putin during the 46-minute press conference. He didnt criticize Russias 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and he didnt mention the Kremlins alleged hand in the use of a nerve agent on British soil four months earlier, and he issued no warning or critique of Russias attempts to interfere with the 2016 elections. In perhaps the most remarkable exchange from the summit, Trump broke with the assessments of his own intelligence agencies, as well as House and Senate committees and members of his own Cabinet, by questioning whether Russia even played a role in the hacks of Democratic party emails. I have great confidence in my intelligence people, Trump said, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today. Buenos AiresNov. 30, 2018 Before Trump traveled to Argentina to attend the G-20 meetings in Buenos Aires, he canceled a planned meeting with Putin in the wake of Russia seizing Ukrainian naval vessels in the Sea of Azov. The White House later said the two leaders talked during an informal conversation over dinner with other leaders. OsakaJune 28, 2019 When Trump and Putin sat down to talk during the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, a reporter pointedly asked Trump if he would warn Putin not to meddle in the upcoming 2020 election. Of course, Trump said, and he turned to Putin and jovially said, Dont meddle in the election. Later on, Trump looked at the reporters gathered around the two leaders and told Putin, Get rid of them, fake news. You dont have the problem in Russia. We have ityou dont have it. Putin replied, Yes, yes, we have it. The same. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump and Putin went on to talk privately about about nuclear arms control, Iran, Syria and Ukraine, according to a White House description of their discussion. That was their last known meeting. Contact us at letters@time.com. US President Donald Trump is preparing to roll out the red carpet for Russian leader Vladimir Putin's arrival at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska on 15 August. Source: European Pravda; NBC News, an American broadcast television network, citing two senior administration officials Details: Trump plans to greet the Russian leader personally when he arrives. The officials stressed that the exact details and schedule of the meeting are still being finalised. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A third senior official said that as of 14 August, Trump was not expected to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or European leaders before the meeting on 15 August. However, it is unclear whether this could change during his long 7-hour flight from Washington to Anchorage. Background: Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Wishing the nation on its 79th Independence Day, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani invoked the spirit of Atmanirbharta as a driving force behind India's progress. In a post on social media platform X, he posted a video describing the glorious achievements of the Adani Group and wrote, "Wishing all Indians a happy 79th Independence Day! On this day, let us renew our pledge to our freedom, forged by the indomitable spirit of Atmanirbharta -- the spirit to innovate, to discover, to build. From mighty bridges to modern ports, from our laboratories to our skies, may science, research and technology light India's path. In unity and ingenuity, our nation stands unshakeable. Jai Hind!" India, today, celebrated its 79th Independence Day with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisting the tricolour at the Red Fort. This year's celebrations carry the theme 'Naya Bharat,' reflecting the government's vision of achieving 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, PM Modi emphasised the need for self-reliance, stating that if the country is to move forward, it must incline to indigenous things, indigenous goods, indigenous ideology, and indigenous systems. He also emphasised the importance of self-reliance under the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative, urging the youth, scientists, and government departments to focus on developing indigenous technologies. Highlighting the need for self-sufficiency in defence, PM Modi called upon young scientists, engineers, and professionals to work towards creating "Made in India" jet engines for the country's fighter jets.In order to become self-reliant, PM said that the government is actively working towards the development of the semiconductor ecosystem. He announced that made-in-India semiconductor chips will be available in the market by the end of this year, marking a major milestone in India's technological journey.Going forward, PM Modi announced the formation of a dedicated task force to drive next-generation reforms aimed at achieving the vision of a developed India, or 'Viksit Bharat,' by 2047. (ANI) President Donald Trump has privately labeled some of Jeffrey Epsteins sex trafficking victims as clearly Democrats, a new report claims. Survivors of Epsteins abuse have for weeks publicly criticized the Trump administrations handling of the files linked to the disgraced financier. Behind closed doors, the president has allegedly grown frustrated as his efforts to move past the uproar have been undermined. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has allegedly questioned whether some survivors and their families are just trying to make him look bad, two people familiar with the conversations told Rolling Stone. The sources said the president has also criticized those who have spoken out for implying that he did something wrong during his time as one of Epsteins friends and party companions, the magazine reported. Donlad Trump continues to battle against the fallout of his administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case (AP) The president allegedly dismissed some of those women making media appearances as clearly of a Democrat political affiliation, the sources said. He also questioned whether some of them are coordinating with prominent liberal attorneys or groups, they added. A White House official denied the report and dismissed its claims as false. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None of this is true, they said. Just another desperate attempt by the failing Rolling Stone. The president has found himself at the center of a MAGA firestorm after refusing to release the so-called Epstein files, which the Republican pledged to release on the 2024 campaign trail. After weeks of unrelenting uproar over the Justice Departments announcement in early July that there was no evidence Epstein had a client list, Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly briefed Trump in May that his name was mentioned in the files, according to The Wall Street Journal. The president is now suing the newspaper for $10 billion over the reporting. Trump has denied any knowledge of Epsteins crimes and has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the sex offenders case. The White House says the president threw Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago for being a creep. Attorney General Pam Bondi has faced flak for the DOJs announcement last month that there was no evidence of a client list (Reuters) It was compounded by reports earlier this month that Epsteins accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence convicted on child sex trafficking charges, had been transferred to a minimum security Texas prison facility after the DOJ spoke with her last month in Florida. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sisters Annie and Maria Farmer, who accused Epstein of assaulting them and testified against Maxwell in her trial, told CNN the Trump administrations chaotic approach to the case and sidelining of victims has a real cost for survivors. Danielle Bensky, who accused Epstein of abusing her in 2004, told NBC News that it feels like were being erased. California Representative Ro Khanna announced plans to bring Epstein survivors to Washington, D.C (Getty Images for Court Accountab) Lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle have also continued to push for the whole, unredacted release of the Epstein files. Republican rebel Thomas Massie and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna announced Monday plans to bring Epstein survivors to Washington, D.C., in a bipartisan push to get Congress to release the controversial files in the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, Trump baselessly suggested that any mentions of his name in criminal case files related to the late pedophile would be there as a result of Democratic efforts to ensnare him in a hoax. The Independent has contacted the White House for more information. Donald Trump says that within two minutes of meeting Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, he will know exactly whether or not a deal can get done to end the war in Ukraine. For the Ukrainians and Europeans, there is more than just a whiff of Munich about this summit, with neither party receiving an invitation for the crunch talks. In 1938, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Edouard Daladier and Neville Chamberlain agreed to carve up Czechoslovakia without representation from the Czech government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The concern is that this could happen once again with Mr Trump and his Maga acolytes busy discussing land swaps and criticising Volodymyr Zelensky for arguing that his constitution bars him from doing so. On the other end of the negotiation is Putin, an autocrat who believes Ukraine is a work of fiction and a mortal threat to his country. Mr Trump says of the Alaska meeting with his Russian counterpart: Im going to see what he has in mind - Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP The Telegraph has spoken to a host of former officials and diplomats who have first-hand experience dealing with both the Russian and American presidents. Mr Trump characterised his goals for the high-stakes meeting as an opportunity to stare into his Russian counterparts eyes to judge his plan to end the war in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im going to see what he has in mind, the US president told reporters. I may leave and say good luck, and thatll be the end, he added. Probably in the first two minutes Ill know exactly whether or not a deal can get done, the US president declared in the White House briefing room on Monday. If he is prepared to walk away at the slightest demonstration that Putin isnt ready to end the war Mr Zelensky says Russia is gearing up for more conflict then what does Mr Trump want? It has long been thought that he is desperate for a Nobel Peace Prize and has a particular grudge against Barack Obama for being decorated only eight months into his first term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Norwegian Nobel Committee cited Mr Obamas extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples, which seemed to be more about Mr Obamas promise as an international leader than his actual accomplishments. Mr Trump is thought to hold a grudge against Barack Obama for being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize only eight months into his first term - John McConnico/AP Mr Trump is the self-styled president of peace. As president, he has brokered peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Cambodia and Thailand, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, Serbia and Kosovo, and with the Abraham Accords, the White House said. Trump and certainly [JD] Vance, they dont care about the future of Ukraine particularly, Anthony Gardner, who served as Mr Obamas US ambassador to the EU, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im convinced Trump does want to position himself as the person who, quote, unquote, brought a sort of form of peace to get a Nobel Peace Prize, Mr Gardner added. Ending the bloodshed in Ukraine could do that. Volodymyr Zelensky has not been invited to attend the peace talks for Ukraine Others say hes looking for yet another deal to sell as a demonstration of business acumen. There are significant rare earth mineral deposits in eastern Ukraine. That territory is on the table, and Mr Trump has already made a play for it by signing an agreement with Mr Zelensky to be able to mine it. Trump wants to bag a win period, Mr Gardner said. In his office in the Kremlin, where Putin will be preparing for his meeting with Mr Trump, sits a bust of Catherine the Great. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The significance of the monument should not be lost. As Russias longest-serving female monarch, Catherine dragged the country into the 18th century and during her reign, doubled the size of its empire. The bust of bust of Catherine the Great visible in the background as Putin meets his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Kremlin in 2020 - PAVEL GOLOVKIN/AFP via Getty Images David Lidington, a former deputy prime minister, said Putin also compares himself to Peter the Great, somebody who is going to restore Russias greatness and grow Russias territory, at least its effective empire. And Putin is likely to double down on his positions, in an attempt to at least cement his control over the Ukrainian territory already seized by his invasion forces. He will leave little of the planning up to his aides, who are mostly believed to be yes men there for affirmation rather than assistance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Putin is secretive, well-scripted and always eager to press an argument that reaffirms his positions rather than his willingness to settle. He reflects the attitudes of someone whos familiar with power play, intelligence and security considerations, not the transactional, commercial kind of negotiation playbook, Margaritis Schinas, a former European Commission vice president, said. Putin is described as secretive, well-scripted and always eager to press an argument that reaffirms his positions rather than his willingness to settle - AP According to Bobby McDonagh, a former Irish ambassador to the UK, Italy and EU, Putin is utterly predictable. He will relentlessly and ruthlessly pursue his very narrowly defined idea of Russian interests, Mr McDonagh added. Those who have been in the room before say the Russian president will likely try to corner his American counterpart by demanding that the structure of their meeting plays out in a specific fashion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He prefers meetings structured in two parts: first, with delegations and interpreters that mainly serve as an audience to listen to his position on a particular subject, usually peppered with aggressive comments on those who think otherwise; then, a more closed usually tete a tete discussion of principals where he may show some margin of openness, Mr Schinas said. It is in the latter section of the meeting in which Putin will try to hammer home any wriggle room he has made for himself. Putin will keep his eye on the strategic prize. He will look for opportunities to lessen the economic pressure on Russia and the Russian economy, Mr Lidington said. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office estimates that sanctions on Russia have deprived the Russian state of at least 333bn in war funds between February 2022 and June 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any easing would give Putin a significant win. John Bolton, Mr Trumps former national security advisor, told The Telegraph that Putin will use his KGB skills to manipulate the US president. Thats one reason why Putin really did not want Zelensky or the Europeans there. He doesnt want Trump to be distracted with all these other players, Mr Bolton said. Putin will try to get Trump back into feeling that theyre friends again. I think Trump has been disappointed that his friend, over the first six months of the administration, has not helped him reach this deal. According to Mr Bolton, Putin has manipulated Trump on Ukraine really right from the beginning of the administration, but back before the disaster with Zelensky in the Oval Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Russian president is going to try and get Trump back on side, Mr Bolton said, adding: Hes got to work fast. The outcome will depend entirely on whether Trump resists Putins known and entirely unacceptable demands, Mr McDonagh added referring to a stripped-back Ukrainian army, no prospect of them joining Nato and the recognition of Russian sovereignty over the Ukrainian regions of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. The US president is much happier to consult with advisers on his positions in the meeting, but those dont bode well for Ukraine. Tulsi Gabbard, his intelligence chief, is known to not care much for Kyiv. Mr Vance and Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary, have vocalised the need for Ukraine to surrender territory. Mr Trump and Pete Hegseth (right) during the Oval Office shouting match with the Ukrainian president - Evan Vucci/AP He likes to be surrounded by his team and advisers, allowing them space for contributions, but under no circumstances margin for decision, Mr Schinas said. This means the US president is unlikely to listen to the European leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer, who held talks with him on Wednesday. There is one hope among the European and Ukrainian onlookers ahead of Friday. Is Mr Trump prepared to let himself be embarrassed at the hands of Putin? Will he attempt to emulate Ronald Reagan, the former US president credited for the invention of Make America Great Again? Sir Julian King, Britains last-ever European Commissioner, said: You can get unexpected outcomes. Reagan at Reykjavik blindsided his allies, he said, referring to the 1986 summit between the US president and Mikhail Gorbachev which ushered in the end of the Cold War. But as they meet for the first time in years, with Putins maximalist negotiating and Trumps unpredictability, anything could happen. The one potential saving grace, Trump wont want to come out looking like a chump, he concluded. 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. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) President Donald Trump is in Alaska meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to lay the groundwork for ending the war in Ukraine, a conflict Russia started more than three years ago. On U.S. soil, in a rare face-to-face meeting President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met Friday, an opening move that could set the stage for ending the war in Ukraine. I want to see a ceasefire rapidly, I dont know if its going to be today, but I will not be happy if its not today, said Trump. The two leaders flew to Anchorage, Alaska for the high stakes talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We get along. Theres a good respect level on both sides, said Trump. President Trump said discussions over Russia taking territory will be discussed but said, Ive got to let Ukraine to make that decision. And I think theyll make a proper decision but Im not here to negotiate for Ukraine. Im here to get them at a table. While Ukraines president is not part of todays meetings President Trump has said any agreements to end the war will have to involve President Zelenskyy. President Trump says the next step will be a three-way summit with Ukraines president for direct negotiations. 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. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have arrived in Alaska for a highly anticipated meeting on the Ukraine war, live images showed on Friday. The two leaders emerged from their planes onto a red carpet, greeting each other with a long handshake before posing for a photo. Reporters on the tarmac shouted out questions which went unanswered by both leaders. The summit between the two leaders - the first since Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine - is expected to focus on the war. The White House announced on Friday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will join Trump and Putin at the talks, along with two Russian advisers. A one-on-one meeting had initially been planned. Investing.com -- U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have started their talks in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday. The two world leaders were seen sitting side by side but made no statements and did not take questions from the press. Related articles Trump and Putin begin talks in Anchorage These Under-the-Radar Stocks Offer Better Risk-Reward Ratio Than Nvidia After soaring 149%, this stock is back in our AIs favor - & already +25% in July US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Alaska on Friday for a highly anticipated meeting on the Ukraine war. Shortly before the two met, the White House announced that US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as two Russian advisers, would join Trump and Putin at the summit, bringing the participants in the planned one-on-one meeting to six. Live images showed the two leaders emerging from their planes onto a red carpet and greeting each other with a long handshake before posing for a photo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reporters on the tarmac shouted out questions which went unanswered by both men. The talks mark the first in-person meeting between the two leaders since Trump re-entered the White House in late January, with discussions set to focus primarily on Russia's war on Ukraine. Observers say the larger group format could be aimed at preventing Trump from making unsustainable promises or being swayed by Putin in a private setting. Impulse for ending the war or Ukraine's sell-out? The meeting, held at the ElmendorfRichardson military base in Anchorage, could provide momentum for a potential end to the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, it is being watched with concern by Ukraine and its European allies, particularly due to their absence from the talks. There are fears that Trump and Putin could agree on territorial concessions to Russia without Ukraine's involvement, a prospect Kiev has firmly rejected. It is also possible that the meeting could end largely without results. Before Putin's arrival in Alaska, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state television that the talks were expected to last between six and seven hours. "We assume that there will first be a personal conversation. This will take place with the participation of advisers. Then there will be talks within the delegations, possibly in the form of a working lunch," Peskov said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "After that, the heads of state will withdraw for some time and then come together for a joint press conference," he added. Trump appeared optimistic about the talks, telling Fox News during the flight: "I think it's going to work out very well." But the US president did not rule out a quick end to the summit, adding: "if it doesn't I'm gonna head back home real fast." Ukraine demands trilateral talks Hours before the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his call for a trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin and himself. "It is precisely in this format that real solutions are possible," he said in his evening video address. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia must end the war it started against his country, he said, adding that Ukraine needs security guarantees and lasting peace. Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser in Zelensky's office, outlined on Telegram key criteria for Kiev to evaluate the US-Russia talks. An "immediate, unconditional and complete ceasefire" must be achieved, he said. Furthermore, Podoliak said, all buyers of Russian raw materials should be threatened with isolation, loss of markets and sanctions. "First, the killing of people stops, then politics begins," the adviser wrote. Podoliak suggested that Trump could leave Alaska as a peacemaker if the first point of the ceasefire is "literally implemented within an hour." Otherwise, he said, "tough pressure measures" must be applied. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three and a half years ago, has refused to abandon its maximalist demands in the war, which include territorial concessions from Ukraine and the country's exclusion from NATO membership. However, Peskov said the Russian side expects real results from the talks. If this is the case, he said, there could be a three-way meeting with the participation of Ukraine. Trump says he'll defer to Ukraine on territory In comments made earlier in the day, Trump said Ukraine would have to decide on any territorial issues. "I've got to let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they'll make a proper decision, but I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine," he told reporters aboard Air Force One, describing his role as bringing Putin "to the table." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump also highlighted his cooperation with European powers on Ukraine. He described Putin as "a smart guy," and added that he considers himself the same. Still there remains a palpable fear among Ukrainians and European leaders that Trump will not stick to what he has said, though hope remains that he will. "It is time to end the war, and Russia must take the corresponding steps. We are counting on America," Zelensky said. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin ended nearly three hours of high-stakes talks in Alaska without any sign of a Ukraine ceasefire deal raising questions over the trajectory of the war and the fate of European security. We didnt get there, a downbeat US president said as he told reporters that the two leaders had not reached an agreement but that the meeting had been very productive. We've made some headway, he added. So there's no deal until there's a deal. I will call up Nato in a little while. I will call up the various people that I think are appropriate. And I'll, of course, call up President Zelensky and tell him about today's meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added: We had an extremely productive meeting and many points were agreed to. There are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there. We didn't get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there. Trump informs the press that no deal has been reached (Getty) Neither Putin nor Mr Trump used the word ceasefire in the short statements they made to the assembled media, before they shook hands and left the stage without taking questions. There was no sign of what the major sticking point could have been although Putin said that Mr Trump had insisted on highlighting the importance of Ukraines security. Putin said: We're convinced that in order to make the settlement lasting and long term, we need to eliminate all the primary roots, the primary causes of that conflict. And we've said it multiple times, to consider all legitimate concerns of Russia and to reinstate a just balance of security in Europe and in the world on the whole. And I agree with President Trump, as he has said today, that naturally, the security of Ukraine should be ensured as well. Naturally, we are prepared to work on that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Russian president looked the more confident of the two, speaking first and praising the US as a close neighbour. He even joked that the leaders next meeting would be in Moscow to which Mr Trump awkwardly responded that the suggestion could get him into trouble. Landing on US soil in Anchorage itself was a huge diplomatic coup for the Russian president, who has been isolated from world events by his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It was his first meeting with Mr Trump in seven years. The leaders smiled broadly as they greeted each other under the din of fighter jets marking the moment with a fly-past. Both Trump and Putin appear relaxed after their first meeting in seven years (Reuters) Mr Trump deployed his signature handshake, yanking Putin close to him on the red carpet, but both appeared relaxed at the prospect of three hours of talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They then sat silently with their respective delegations seated in front of a blue backdrop that had the words "Pursuing Peace" printed on it. Mr Trumps previous meetings with the Russian leader during his first term often left observers questioning the nature of the relationship, with Mr Trump taking Putins side over Russias efforts to interfere in the 2016 US election at their 2018 Helsinki summit. But the American president appeared to have learned from those previous experiences; the White House announced that the planned one-on-one meeting would become a three-on-three with Mr Trump accompanied by secretary of state Marco Rubio and his special envoy for peace missions, Steve Witkoff. Both leaders smile and joke on the red carpet shortly after landing (Reuters) As he headed to the summit aboard Air Force One, Mr Trump had said he wanted the meeting to lead to a ceasefire in Ukraine and that he would not be happy if one did not emerge as a result of his talks with Putin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I want to see a ceasefire rapidly... I'm not going to be happy if it's not today," he said. "I want the killing to stop." And he did not look happy after their session of talks. The White House had said the summit would also include a bilateral lunch with their delegations, and a joint press conference however, it appeared that lunch was cancelled, and after the media briefing, Mr Trump was believed to have flown back to Washington. In Putins presence, Mr Trumps past performances have been deferential. On this occasion he appeared more confident. Both ignored a journalist shouting a question to Putin an his arrival: How can the US trust your word?. The pair depart from the airport in Trumps heavily armoured presidential car nicknamed The Beast (Reuters) For Ukraine and Europe it was critical that Mr Trump emerged with a ceasefire that guarantees Ukraines security and that does not make upfront territorial concessions to Putin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Russian president claims at least five provinces Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Donetsk and Kherson as sovereign Russian territory, which has been already illegally annexed by the Kremlin. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was notably absent from the meeting, although Mr Trump made it clear that if his first meeting with Putin went well, he would immediately seek a follow-up rendezvous between Putin and Ukraines president. Mr Zelensky had warned Mr Trump in a meeting on Wednesday with fellow European leaders that Putin was bluffing over his intentions to end the war in Ukraine. Trump waves to reporters as he boards Air Force One in the US (Reuters) Earlier in the week, Mr Trump had told reporters aboard Air Force One that: "I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I'm here to get them at a table." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trump has intimated that there would have to be swaps of Ukrainian territory. Europe and Ukraine have outright rejected the pre-talk concessions made by Mr Trump. En route to the summit Mr Trump insisted that, Europes not telling me what to do. European leaders expressed concern prior to the summit about being sidelined from the meeting between DC and Moscow, with concerns that Putin would set his sights on one of their countries if he won in Ukraine. A joint statement from 26 European Union leaders, minus pro-Putin Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, aimed to appeal to the US president to defend their security interests at Fridays summit. They said they welcome the efforts of President Trump towards ending Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. But, they underlined, the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine" and "international borders must not be changed by force. NBC News has reported, citing a White House official familiar with the matter, that advisers will also be present at the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Source: NBC News, as reported by European Pravda Details: A White House representative told NBC News that Trump will be accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff at todays meeting with Putin and his advisers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The official stated that this will replace what was initially described as a one-to-one meeting between Trump and Putin. Interpreters are also expected to attend. The bilateral working lunch will be attended by Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Witkoff. Trumps special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has not been included in the delegation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov will represent Russia in the three-on-three talks with Trump. Background: Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) President Donald Trump will meet with the Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday as the international community is closely watching for indications the Russians may agree to end the war in Ukraine. President Trump says hes hoping to get a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy out of this meeting to finally end the war. Putin says he could use this meeting to reach a deal with the U.S. about nuclear arms controls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russian forces advanced further into Ukraine this week into a key industrial region and against all odds the Ukrainian military has held on for nearly three-and-a-half years but its now struggling to push back the much larger Russian army. If we can get the war solved, well be very happy, said Trump. European allies say they hope President Trump can negotiate a ceasefire and set up a second meeting between Putin, President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy says he doesnt think Putin is ready for peace. President Trump says hell know within the first few minutes. I am president and hes not going to mess around with me, said Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin says the Trump administration is making quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the war and says he hopes Russia and the U.S. reach an agreement on nuclear arms control. Putin has resisted calls for a temporary ceasefire. He says it should come with a freeze on western arms for Ukraine. Ukraine and European nations have rejected that offer. 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. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet on Friday for a high-stakes summit in Alaska on the war in Ukraine. The face-to-face marks the first in-person meeting between the two leaders since Putin launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The sit-down, which is scheduled to begin at 11:30 am (1930 GMT) at the ElmendorfRichardson military base in Anchorage, comes with significant risks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump warned on the eve of his Alaska trip that there is "a 25% chance that this meeting will not be a successful meeting," but that he hoped it will pave the way for future negotiations with Putin. The White House and Kremlin have said that Trump and Putin will hold a joint news conference, although Trump also warned that he could make solo remarks "if the meeting doesn't end well." Trump has expressed hope for a follow-up talks that would include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying that would be "more important" than his one-on-one with Putin. Zelensky and European leaders, who will be watching nervously on from afar, are expected to be briefed by Trump afterwards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelensky said in Berlin this week he wants to see an immediate ceasefire and strong security guarantees to come out of the summit, insisting that Ukraine must be directly involved in any talks about its future. He also rejected any arrangement that would give Moscow a veto over Ukraines potential NATO membership. European governments fear the talks could lead to promises of territorial concessions to Russia that Kiev has firmly rejected - an act that would risk a sharp rupture in trans-Atlantic ties. Putin's war on Ukraine has left tens of thousands dead or injured, displaced millions, and devastated cities and critical infrastructure across the country. The conflict is the worst Europe has experienced since World War II, triggering shifts in global alliances, a deepening rift between Russia and the West, and a rearmament drive across NATO amid fears Putin could attack an alliance member. Industry body FICCI has welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 79th Independence Day address to the nation, which highlighted the need for all stakeholders to work together towards making India a self-reliant economic powerhouse. Applauding the announcement of GST reforms as a Diwali gift this year, FICCI noted the upcoming reforms will reduce the tax burden on consumers and businesses and enhance Ease of Doing Business. "We applaud the announcement of a comprehensive GST review after 8 years, which will reduce the tax burden on consumers and businesses and enhance Ease of Doing Business. The commitment to reduce compliances, eliminate redundant regulations and create a dedicated Reform Task Force will strengthen India's position as a global manufacturing hub," Harsha Vardhan Agarwal, President, FICCI, said. "We endorse PM's vision of producing world-class quality products at competitive costs, and the industry assures its commitment to realising this goal," the FICCI President said. On the occasion of 79th Independence Day, PM Modi today highlighted how Goods and Services Tax (GST), implemented in 2017, is a significant reform which has benefited the nation. The Prime Minister underscored the importance of the next generation of reforms under GST, which brings relief to the common man, farmers, middle class and MSMEs. To build an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', the Central Government is proposing significant reforms in GST. It will be focused on three pillars, namely structural reforms, rate rationalisation, and ease of living. The Central Government has sent its proposal on GST rate rationalisation and reforms to the Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted by the GST Council to examine this issue, Ministry of Finance said in a statement. Key areas identified for next-generation reforms include the rationalisation of tax rates to benefit all sections of society, especially the common man, women, students, middle class, and farmers. Reforms will also seek to reduce classification-related disputes, correcting inverted duty structures in specific sectors, ensuring greater rate stability, and further enhancing ease of doing business. These measures would strengthen key economic sectors, stimulate economic activity, and enable sectoral expansion. The GST Council, when it meets next, will deliberate on the recommendations of GoM, and every effort will be made to facilitate early implementation so that the intended benefits are substantially realised within the current financial year, the finance ministry statement noted. (ANI) US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska on Friday to discuss terms for a possible end to the Ukraine war, which appeared to remain elusive after nearly three hours of bilateral discussions. Trump described the meeting as productive, but acknowledged the days progress had fallen short of achieving a ceasefire. Theres no deal until theres a deal, Trump said. We didnt get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Putin described the talks as constructive, and emphasized that root causes of the conflict must be resolved. The two leaders emerged after the three-on-three meeting in which Trump was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff to deliver joint statements. They did not take questions from members of the press. Putin also appeared to look ahead to the next stage of talks: Next time in Moscow, the Russian president said in English. Trump later wrote on Truth Social that It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere ceasefire agreement, which often times do not hold up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump had said earlier in the day that he would walk if he felt talks were not going well, telling reporters en route to the summit the first between a Russian and US president since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine that he wanted a ceasefire rapidly. I dont know if its going to be today, but Im not going to be happy if its not today, Trump said. The White House sought to temper expectations for the meeting earlier in the week as reports emerged that Putin would try to widen the scope of talks to dilute discussion of Ukraine. US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have met at a military base in Anchorage, Alaska. Source: a live broadcast by The Independent Details: The planes carrying Trump and Putin landed at the military base in Anchorage on 15 August. The two leaders stepped onto the red carpet at the same time. Trump and Putin greeted each other with a handshake. Trump even applauded the Russian leader as he walked towards him on the red carpet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Independent THE INDEPENDENT According to AP, F-22 fighter jets and B-2 bombers flew overhead as Trump and Putin shook hands. The clearest footage showing a B-2 bomber flying over Trump and Putin.pic.twitter.com/YS6eJtHFhk Clash Report (@clashreport) August 15, 2025 Journalists asked Putin whether he was going to stop killing civilians, but he did not respond. The leaders then got into the same car, where, according to Russian media, they began to chat informally. Earlier, Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the Trump-Putin talks could go on for six or seven hours. Later, the talks between Trump and Putin officially began. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are sitting next to the US president, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Putins aide Yuri Ushakov are next to the Kremlin leader. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Journalists have been escorted out of the room. The two leaders did not respond to any of the questions they asked. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Background: Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Trump, Putin to meet on US soil today for high-stakes summit. Heres what to know ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday for a high-stakes summit that could determine not only the trajectory of the war in Ukraine but also the fate of European security. The sit-down offers Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a close, something he used to boast he could do quickly. For Putin, a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russias gains, block Kyivs bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscows orbit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are significant risks for Trump. By bringing Putin onto U.S. soil, the president is giving Russias leader the validation he desires after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine 3 1/2 years ago. The exclusion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from the summit also deals a heavy blow to the Wests policy of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want. Any success is far from assured, especially as Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraines mobilization efforts, which were conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies. Trump on Thursday said there was a 25% chance that the summit would fail, but also floated the idea that if the meeting succeeds he could bring Zelenskyy to Alaska for a subsequent, three-way meeting, a possibility that Russia hasnt agreed to. When asked in Anchorage about Trumps estimate of a 25% chance of failure, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that Russia never plans ahead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We know that we have arguments, a clear, understandable position. We will state it, he said in footage posted to the Russian Foreign Ministrys Telegram channel. Trump said in a Fox News radio interview Thursday that he didnt know if they would get an immediate ceasefire but he wanted a broad peace deal done quickly. That seemingly echoes Putins longtime argument that Russia favors a comprehensive deal to end the fighting, reflecting its demands, not a temporary halt to hostilities. The Kremlin said Trump and Putin will first sit down for a one-on-one discussion, followed by the two delegations meeting and talks continuing over a working breakfast. They are then expected to hold a joint press conference. Trump has offered shifting explanations for his meeting goals In the days leading up to the summit, set for a military base near Anchorage, Trump described it as really a feel-out meeting. But hes also warned of very severe consequences for Russia if Putin doesnt agree to end the war and said that though Putin might bully other leaders, Hes not going to mess around with me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps repeated suggestions that a deal would likely involve some swapping of territories which disappointed Ukraine and European allies along with his controversial history with Putin have some skeptical about what kind of agreement can be reached. Ian Kelly, a retired career foreign service officer who served as the U.S. ambassador to Georgia during the Obama and first Trump administrations, said he sees no upside for the U.S., only an upside for Putin. The best that can happen is nothing, and the worst that can happen is that Putin entices Trump into putting more pressure on Zelenskyy, Kelly said. George Beebe, the former director of the CIAs Russia analysis team who is now affiliated with the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said theres a serious risk of blown expectations or misunderstandings for a high-level summit pulled together so quickly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That said, I doubt President Trump would be going into a meeting like this unless there had been enough work done behind the scenes for him to feel that there is a decent chance that something concrete will come out of it, Beebe said. Zelenskyy has time and again cast doubts on Putins willingness to negotiate in good faith. His European allies, whove held increasingly urgent meetings with U.S. leaders over the past week, have stressed the need for Ukraine to be involved in any peace talks. Political commentators in Moscow, meanwhile, have relished that the summit leaves Ukraine and its European allies on the sidelines. Dmitry Suslov, a pro-Kremlin voice, expressed hope that the summit will deepen a trans-Atlantic rift and weaken Europes position as the toughest enemy of Russia. The summit could have far-reaching implications On his way to Anchorage Thursday, Putin arrived in Magadan in Russias Far East, according to Russian state news agency Interfax. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the visit would include meetings with the regional governor and stops at several key sites, including a stop to lay flowers at a WWII-era memorial honoring Soviet-American aviation cooperation. Foreign governments will be watching closely to see how Trump reacts to Putin, likely gauging what the interaction might mean for their own dealings with the U.S. president, who has eschewed traditional diplomacy for his own transactional approach to relationships. The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources. Ukraine has held on far longer than some initially expected since the February 2022 invasion, but it is straining to hold off Russias much larger army, grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) front line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, said U.S. antagonists like China, Iran and North Korea will be paying attention to Trumps posture to see whether or not the threats that he continues to make against Putin are indeed credible. Or, if has been the past track record, he continues to back down and look for ways to wiggle out of the kind of threats and pressure he has promised to apply, said Kendall-Taylor, who is also a former senior intelligence officer. While some have objected to the location of the summit, Trump has said he thought it was very respectful of Putin to come to the U.S. instead of a meeting in Russia. Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin Moscow-based analyst, observed that the choice of Alaska as the summits venue underlined the distancing from Europe and Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Being on a military base allows the leaders to avoid protests and meet more securely, but the location carries its own significance because of its history and location. Alaska, which the U.S. purchased from Russia in 1867, is separated from Russia at its closest point by just 3 miles (less than 5 kilometers) and the international date line. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It continues to play a role today, as planes from the base still intercept Russian aircraft that regularly fly into U.S. airspace. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Tune in to NewsNation to watch live coverage from Alaska of the summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (NewsNation) President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday they made significant progress toward resolving the Ukraine conflict during hours of meetings in Alaska, but they acknowledged no deal was reached. There is no deal until there is a deal, Trump told reporters at a joint news conference following the talks. We really made some great progress. We had an extremely productive meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The leaders met for several hours with their respective delegations in what was billed as a summit to address Russias ongoing war in Ukraine. The talks included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff on the American side. Putin invites Trump to Moscow for next talks Putin, speaking first in Russian, described U.S.-Russia relations over the past four years as hitting the lowest point since the Cold War and called the meeting between the leaders overdue. He characterized the Ukraine situation as brotherly and said Russia was interested in putting an end to it. Washington repels hostile takeover of police force: Official We need to eliminate the primary causes of the conflict, Putin said through a translator. He added that an understanding has been reached and expressed hope that todays agreement will be the starting point for the Ukraine situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump indicated that significant hurdles remain, saying there were still a few points of disagreement, including one major one. He emphasized that Europe and Ukraine would need to agree to whatever the two presidents discussed. Putin endorsed Trumps repeated claim that the war would not have occurred under his leadership, saying he could confirm that Trumps presidency would have prevented the conflict. The Russian leader praised what he called the trustworthy tone of their conversations. Trump: Will tell Zelenskyy about Putin talks At the conclusion of the brief news conference, Putin suggested in English that their next meeting take place in Moscow, prompting Trump to respond that he would get a little heat on that one. Pope Leo calls for peace as Trump, Putin meet about Russia-Ukraine war Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The leaders left without taking questions from reporters after delivering statements in front of a backdrop reading Pursuing Peace. Trump said he planned to call NATO officials, European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to brief them on the meetings outcomes. Earlier Friday, the presidents greeted one another on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a U.S. military installation located roughly equidistant about 4,300 miles from Moscow and Washington, D.C., marking the first time Putin has stepped on U.S. soil in nearly 10 years. What to know about base where Trump, Putin are meeting Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two leaders smiled in front of the assembled media before getting into the Beast, sitting side-by-side in the back seat en route to the meeting site. Trump also greeted Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan aboard Air Force One, according to the White House. President Donald Trump greets Russias President Vladimir Putin Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Russias President Vladimir Putin speaks as he meets with President Donald Trump Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) President Donald Trump greets Russias President Vladimir Putin Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) President Donald Trump meets with Russias President Vladimir Putin Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) President Donald Trump greets Russias President Vladimir Putin Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) President Donald Trump talks with Russias President Vladimir Putin Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) President Donald Trump greets Russias President Vladimir Putin Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) President Donald Trump greets Russias President Vladimir Putin Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, to meet with Russias President Vladimir Putin. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Russias President Vladimir Putin arrives Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, to meet with President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) President Donald Trump and Russias President Vladimir Putin walks from aq stage Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) 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. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have a much-anticipated face-to-face meeting in Alaska on Friday, where the two leaders are set to discuss potential pathways to end the war with Ukraine. If all goes well, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could get the next invite. Trump and the White House have described the meeting as an opening play to larger negotiations, casting it as a first step toward possible trilateral talks between the three leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps history of cozying up to, and then lashing out against, the Russian president has given America's European allies reservations about Friday's meeting. European leaders told Trump this week that he must inform Putin that the territorial integrity of Ukraine and Europe's security more broadly must be respected. The U.S. president entered office vowing to put an end to the yearslong war, though over time his outward assurances that he will be able to strike a ceasefire deal with his Russian counterpart have waned, as Putin has staunchly refused to cooperate in any meaningful peace talks. Friday's meeting will put that question to the test. Trump and Putin will meet in a three-on-three session originally planned as a one-on-one, with only translators present at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage, Alaska. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff will join Trump for the first round of talks. Following the smaller conference, American and Russian delegations will meet to continue the conversations. And the two men are then scheduled to hold a press conference. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy and the rest of Europe will wait to see if and how Trumps meeting with Putin might change the direction of the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With all eyes on Alaska, here are six questions going into the potentially pivotal get-together. How long is the meeting? And what might that say about its success or failure? A short meeting in Alaska may confirm what many Kremlin watchers believe: that peace remains a long way off. Trump on Monday told reporters hed know if a deal could be reached probably in the first two minutes. Im gonna go and see the parameters, he said. Now I may leave and say good luck and thatll be the end. I may say this is not going to be settled. A long meeting, however, might mean the two presidents are getting somewhere. The time [of the meeting] will depend on how the discussion goes. There are, of course, time parameters, but I told you when the negotiations will begin when they will end this will depend, first of all, on the presidents, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Thursday. Does Zelenskyy get a call? Trump has outlined his order of operations for Fridays meeting, telling reporters at a Kennedy Center event Wednesday, I'm going to call President Zelenskyy, and then ring up other European allies to debrief them on the talks. But thats only if the meeting goes well. If it goes poorly, Im not calling anybody, Trump told Fox News Brian Kilmeade on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether Trump follows through on his promise to immediately get his Ukrainian counterpart on the line could also indicate whether or not Zelenskyy is being sidelined in the negotiations process. Both Zelenskyy and his European allies have argued that no decision about Ukraines future should be made without Ukraine at the table. When, or if, Trump makes those calls in the hours after his meeting with Putin and what world leaders discuss will determine if Zelenskyy and the U.S.s European partners feel like theyve been pushed out of the critical talks. Trumps eventual conversation with Zelenskyy could also determine the possibility of a Putin-Trump-Zelenskyy trilateral, which Trump has said would be the ideal outcome of Fridays meeting. Is the Trump-Putin bromance back on? The tone Trump takes in his conversations with and about Putin are likely to be an early tell of his interest in forcing Russia to get serious about a deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While he was laudatory of the Russian leader during the first few months of his term, Trump has soured on his former pal more recently. The U.S. president has taken a markedly harsher approach toward Putin in the past few weeks, expressing frustration in the Russian president's stalling tactics and threatening sanctions if the Kremlin fails to come to a ceasefire agreement. On Wednesday, Trump once again assured reporters that there would be "severe consequences" if Putin isn't willing to strike a deal, though he declined to go into detail on what those repercussions would look like. Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on the way to Anchorage on Friday, Trump said Ukraine will be the ultimate decision-maker on any territory swaps. They'll be discussed, but I've got to let Ukraine make that decision, Trump said. I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I'm here to get them at a table." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any sign that Trump's stance toward Putin is softening could frustrate his European allies and their hopes of coming down hard on Putin. Will Trump bring up security guarantees for Ukraine? Central to Ukraine's demands heading into any prospective peace talks with Russia: clinching security guarantees from the U.S. and other global powers. Zelenskyy has long sought to secure commitments from Trump to provide deterrence against any future Russian advances under a potential future ceasefire agreement. Trump has for months dodged making any such assurances, declining to speak publicly about the prospect of U.S. support. But ahead of Friday's bilateral, Trump indicated to European and Ukrainian leaders that he would be open to making that commitment with some conditions. POLITICO previously reported that the president would only be willing to provide security guarantees outside of the NATO umbrella. And Trump has made clear that the U.S. would no longer directly supply Ukraine with weapons, though it would continue selling weapons to Europe that could be used by Kyiv. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both Ukraine and its European allies would breathe a sigh of relief if Trump discusses the possibility of a security pledge Friday, as it would indicate that the president is serious about backing Ukraine through any potential ceasefire. Is a land swap on the table? Its clear that Putin wants Ukrainian land as part of a deal to end his war. Both Trump and Witkoff are open to the possibility. Peace will require land swapping, the president said Monday. And a proposal the White House has weighed would see Ukraine give Donbas up to the Russians in exchange for a pause in their offensive down south. Zelenskyy, however, is flatly rejecting the idea that Kyiv might part with its territory in negotiations to stop the fighting especially without ironclad security guarantees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will not leave Donbas. We cannot do this. Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive, the Ukrainian president said in Kyiv on Tuesday. If Trump comes out of the meeting with a land swap on the table especially one involving more than just Donbas hes unlikely to find a willing partner in Zelenskyy. And a lack of sufficient security guarantees could sink the prospects of a deal altogether. Will Trump and Putin make a deal that doesnt relate to Ukraine? It may well be that the most lasting element of Fridays bilat could have little to do with Kyiv. Nuclear talks could prove a far more fruitful space for Trump and Putin to focus their energy. And with the New START Treaty the final agreement keeping in check the American and Russian nuclear stockpiles set to expire next February, both sides see nuclear arms control as a priority. Putin could of course dangle other prizes to defray Trumps ire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ushakov, the Kremlin aide, said in a Thursday statement that Moscow expects to talk about enhancing cooperation in the trade and economic spheres. It is worth noting that this cooperation holds immense, yet regrettably underutilized, potential, he said. In Trump world, geopolitics can often take a backseat to commerce. Fridays meeting could be yet another proving point. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putins security teams will be matched gun for gun as part of a reciprocal agreement during Fridays summit. When the two world leaders meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson they will be protected by the same number of agents with the same number of weapons. Hundreds of security agents have descended on Anchorage to help protect the two presidents who having both been targets of assassination attempts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of strict security arrangements between the US and Russian teams, no side will open the others doors or ride in the other vehicles, a source told Bloomberg. Everything will be matched down to the number of agents to the number of guns. If 10 US agents are positioned outside a meeting, 10 Russian agents will stand on the other side. The placement of translators in the room will also be matched, as well as the arrival of the motorcade, with the leaders movements highly choreographed. Vladimir Putins agents will match those of Donald Trump - Contributor There are usually three rings of security, the innermost, the middle and the outer. Russian security forces will control Putins immediate movements while the Secret Service will protect the outer ring. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AT Smith, the former Secret Service deputy director, said the US agency usually works well with their Russian counterparts. Usually, as far as security goes, its more of a team effort, theyre not trying to compete with each other, he told The Telegraph. He said security concerns for Fridays summit were less complicated because of the venue a military base with controlled airspace and fortified gates. The meeting taking place in the US also means Secret Service agents can move weapons and equipment without restrictions. Mr Trump and Putin will meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson - Jeenah Moon/REUTERS From the security standpoint it will be a fairly straightforward mission, he said, adding that the two parties will have agreed on reciprocal protection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I was with a protectee in Russia, wherever you might be there would be a [Russian] counterpart, he said. All of the trips Ive ever been involved in going to Russia, it goes very smoothly because both security details are very familiar with what the other needs and wants, he added. After the meeting was agreed upon, the Secret Service rushed to send agents to Alaska and find housing for them in Anchorage ahead of the summit. Vehicles and other assets, such as motorcade SUVS, have been driven or flown to the state given its limited availability. Bulletproof briefcases Putins Federal Protective Service (FSO) agents are said to be hand-picked for qualities such as their operational psychology and physical stamina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They reportedly carry special bulletproof briefcases to shield Putin and 9mm SR-1 Vector pistols with armour-piercing bullets. Fridays meeting will mark the first time Putin has visited the US since 2015. In 2022, after he ordered the invasion of Ukraine, Lindsey Graham, one of Mr Trumps key allies appeared to call for his assassination, saying the only way the war would end is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out. There were tight security controls in place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Friday, with long lines of journalists waiting to be thoroughly screened. The intense checks were a sign of the scale of this meeting and the apprehension of officials for such a large security operation. 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. President Donald Trump and Russias Vladimir Putin said they reached an understanding on ending the war in Ukraine after meeting for about 2 1/2 hours on Friday in Alaska, but offered no details on what they agreed and left without answering questions. >>> PHOTOS: Trump, Putin arrive in Alaska ahead of peace summit <<< In brief remarks, Putin said the pair had hammered out an understanding on Ukraine and warned Europe not to torpedo the nascent progress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking moments later, Trump said hed yet to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy but that hed be speaking to him and European leaders soon. He suggested there hasnt been a deal yet. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below. JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) President Donald Trump and Russias Vladimir Putin met for about 2 1/2 half hours on Friday at a summit in Alaska that started with a handshake, a smile and a ride in the presidential limousine an unusually warm reception for a U.S. adversary responsible for launching the largest land war in Europe since 1945. They planned to hold a joint news conference after talking together with top advisers behind closed doors on efforts to end Russias war in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When they greeted each other, they gripped hands for an extended period of time on a red carpet rolled out at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War flew overhead. Reporters nearby yelled, President Putin, will you stop killing civilians? and Russias leader put his hand up to his ear as though to indicate he couldnt hear them. Trump and Putin then shared the U.S. presidential limo known as The Beast for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as the vehicle rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close U.S. allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness before hours of closed-door meetings is likely to raise concerns from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, who fear that Trump is primarily focusing on furthering U.S. interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraines. Zelenskyy and European leaders were excluded from Trump and Putins discussions, and Ukraines president was left posting a video address in which he expressed his hope for a strong position from the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everyone wants an honest end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to end the war, he said, later adding, The war continues and it continues precisely because there is no order, nor any signals from Moscow, that it is preparing to end this war. The summit was a chance for Trump to prove hes a master dealmaker and peacemaker. He likes to brag about himself as a heavyweight negotiator and has boasted that he could easily find a way to bring the slaughter to a close a promise hes been unable to keep so far. For Putin, it was an opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russias gains, block Kyivs bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscows orbit. Not meeting one-on-one anymore White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said shortly before Air Force One touched down that the previously planned one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin was now a three-on-three discussion including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Putin was joined by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The change seemed to indicate that the White House was taking a more guarded approach than it did during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, where Trump and Putin met privately with their interpreters and Trump then shocked the world by siding with the Russian leader over U.S. intelligence officials on whether Russia meddled in the 2016 campaign. The two leaders began their meeting Friday by sitting with their aides in front of a blue backdrop printed with Alaska and Pursuing Peace. The pair are expected to hold a joint press conference at the end of the summit. There are significant risks for Trump. By bringing Putin onto U.S. soil America bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for roughly 2 cents per acre the president is giving him the validation he desires after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine 3 1/2 years ago. Zelenskyys exclusion is also a heavy blow to the Wests policy of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any success is far from assured, meanwhile, since Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraines mobilization efforts, which are conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies. Trump said earlier in the week there was a 25% chance that the summit would fail, but he also floated the idea that if the meeting succeeds he could bring Zelenskyy to Alaska for a subsequent meeting with himself and Putin. He said during an interview on Air Force One that he might walk out quickly if the meeting wasnt going well, but that didnt happen. Trump said before arriving in Alaska that he would push for an immediate ceasefire while expressing doubts about the possibility of achieving one. He has also suggested working for a broad peace deal to be done quickly. Russia has long favored a comprehensive deal to end the fighting, reflecting its demands, and not a temporary halt to hostilities. Trump has offered shifting explanations for his meeting goals Trump previously characterized the sit-down as really a feel-out meeting. But hes also warned of very severe consequences for Russia if Putin doesnt agree to end the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump said his talks with Putin will include Russian demands that Ukraine cede territory as part of a peace deal, and that Ukraine has to decide on those but he also suggested Zelenskyy should accept concessions. Ive got to let Ukraine make that decision. And I think theyll make a proper decision, Trump told reporters traveling with him to Anchorage. Trump said theres a possibility of the United States offering Ukraine security guarantees alongside European powers, but not in the form of NATO. Putin has fiercely resisted Ukraine joining the trans-Atlantic security alliance, a long-term goal for Ukrainians seeking to forge stronger ties with the West. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATOs supreme allied commander Europe, is also in Alaska to provide military advice to Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a senior NATO military official who wasnt authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grynkewichs presence is likely to be welcomed by European leaders who have tried to convince Trump to be firm with Putin and not deal over Kyivs head. War still raging Foreign governments are watching closely to see how Trump reacts to Putin, likely gauging what the interaction might mean for their own dealings with the U.S. president, who has eschewed traditional diplomacy for his own transactional approach to relationships. The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources. Ukraine has held on far longer than some initially expected since the February 2022 invasion, but it is straining to hold off Russias much larger army, grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) front line. Alaska is separated from Russia at its closest point by just 3 miles (less than 5 kilometers) and the international date line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It continues to play a role today, as planes from the base still intercept Russian aircraft that regularly fly into U.S. airspace. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW By Steve Holland, Andrew Osborn and Tom Balmforth WASHINGTON/MOSCOW/KYIV (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not", after a summit where Vladimir Putin was reported to have demanded more Ukrainian land. After the two leaders met in Alaska on Friday, Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Putin had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets, a source familiar with the matter said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelenskiy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014. Trump also said he agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies had demanded. That was a change from his position before the summit, when he said he would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on. "It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up," Trump posted on Truth Social. Zelenskiy said Russia's unwillingness to pause the fighting would complicate efforts to forge a lasting peace. "Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war," he said on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nevertheless, Zelenskiy said he would meet Trump in Washington on Monday. That will evoke memories of a meeting in the White House Oval Office in February, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave Zelenskiy a brutal public dressing-down. Trump said a three-way meeting with Putin and Zelenskiy could follow. Kyiv's European allies welcomed Trump's efforts but vowed to back Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia. European leaders might join Monday's White House meeting as well, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been gradually advancing for months. The war - the deadliest in Europe for 80 years - has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RUSSIA LIKELY TO WELCOME TRUMP'S COMMENTS Trump's various comments on the three-hour meeting with Putin mostly aligned with the public positions of Moscow, which says a full settlement will be complex because positions are "diametrically opposed". Putin signalled no movement in Russia's long-held demands, which also include a veto on Kyiv's desired membership in the NATO alliance. He made no mention in public of meeting Zelenskiy. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said a three-way summit had not been discussed. In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, Trump signalled that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had "largely agreed". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think we're pretty close to a deal," he said, adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say 'no'." Asked what he would advise Zelenskiy to do, Trump said: "Gotta make a deal." "Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not," he added. NEED FOR SECURITY GUARANTEES FOR UKRAINE Zelenskiy has consistently said he cannot concede territory without changes to Ukraine's constitution, and Kyiv sees Donetsk's "fortress cities" such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as a bulwark against further Russian advances. Zelenskiy has also insisted on security guarantees to deter Russia from invading again. He said he and Trump had discussed "positive signals" on the U.S. taking part, and that Ukraine needed a lasting peace, not "just another pause" between Russian invasions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed what he described as Trump's openness to providing security guarantees to Ukraine under a peace deal. He said security guarantees were "essential to any just and lasting peace." Putin, who has opposed involving foreign ground forces, said he agreed with Trump that Ukraine's security must be "ensured". For Putin, just sitting down with Trump represented a victory. He had been ostracised by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had faced a threat of new sanctions from Trump. '1-0 FOR PUTIN' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump spoke to European leaders after returning to Washington. Several stressed the need to keep pressure on Russia. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said an end to the war was closer than ever, thanks to Trump, but said he would impose more sanctions on Russia if the war continues. European leaders said in a statement that Ukraine must have "ironclad" security guarantees and no limits should be placed on its armed forces or right to seek NATO membership, as Russia has sought. Some European commentators were scathing about the summit. "Putin got his red carpet treatment with Trump, while Trump got nothing," Wolfgang Ischinger, former German ambassador to Washington, posted on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both Russia and Ukraine carried out overnight air attacks, a daily occurrence, while fighting raged on the front. Trump told Fox he would postpone imposing tariffs on China for buying Russian oil, but he might have to "think about it" in two or three weeks. He ended his remarks after the summit by telling Putin: "We'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon." "Next time in Moscow," a smiling Putin responded in English. (Additional reporting by Kanishka Singh, Trevor Hunnicutt, Jeff Mason, Lidia Kelly, Jasper Ward, Costas Pitas, Ismail Shakil, Bhargav Acharya, Alan Charlish, Yuliia Dysa, Pavel Polityuk, Gwladys Fouche, Dave Graham, Paul Sandle, Joshua McElwee, Andreas Rinke, Felix Light and Moscow bureau; Writing by Andy Sullivan, Kevin Liffey, Mark Trevelyan, Joseph Ax and James Oliphant; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan, Gareth Jones and Cynthia Osterman) Russian President Vladimir Putin has just arrived in Alaska for a historic summit with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) military installation is the focus of global attention as the all-out conflict grinds on toward a fourth year. The two leaders are scheduled to meet at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, tentatively followed by a press conference. This is Putins first visit to the U.S. in a decade. At stake is the future of two nations that have been fighting for more than a decade in a conflict that has cost tens of thousands of lives, left much of Ukraine and parts of Russia in ruins and has drawn in arms and combatants from across the world. BREAKING: The world's media have gathered and are waiting for Trump and Putin to land in Alaska. Ukraine War latest: https://t.co/aPpDgPmG6g Sky 501 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/0VS7CP64zD Sky News (@SkyNews) August 15, 2025 Trump said he wants a ceasefire rapidly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont know if its going to be today, but Im not going to be happy if its not today, he proclaimed. The previously planned one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin is now a three-on-three meeting, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. Trump will be joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Notably absent is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited to the summit. However, Trump has frequently said the Ukrainian leader will be invited into the process later. As Trump and Putin meet for the first time in six years, some 5,000 miles to the east, Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine. That territory is the major point of contention between Moscow and Kyiv. Russia's gains in 2025 (in yellow on this ISW map) are not huge in themselves, but in a typical war of attrition the bigger power steadily gains the upper hand. Ukraine's manpower issues, combined with the loss of its drone edge, increases the risk of accelerated Russian advances pic.twitter.com/PSL4dupTge Adrian Blomfield (@adrianblomfield) August 15, 2025 Putin has repeatedly stated he wants to keep that captured land all of Crimea and large chunks of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson Oblasts in Ukraines east and south. Crimea was annexed in 2014 while the other four regions were in 2022. In addition, Putin also wants the flow of arms to Ukraine stopped and for Kyiv to declare neutrality and end its bid to join NATO. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelensky, for his part, has argued that while there must be peace, there can be no deal with a land swap. There are several factors behind that, including the Ukrainian constitution preventing it and the will of the people. However, the chances of any deal occurring without this element seem extremely low. Should there be no deal, he faces the prospect of potentially curtailing the provision of advanced arms. After more than three years of backing Ukraine, plus U.S. supporting Israel, U.S. stocks of advanced weapons, especially interceptors, have eroded. European officials have rejected Putins calls for Ukraine to give up the annexed territories, demanding an immediate ceasefire from Moscow and potentially eventual NATO membership for Kyiv. The counter-offer demands rock-solid security guarantees for Ukraine namely the long-coveted membership in NATO for the war-torn country before any territorial concessions, sources familiar with the talks told The New York Post. All the while, Russia is pressing forward across the 600-mile front lines, slowly chewing up territory. While it comes at a tremendous cost in manpower and equipment, a first step to peace would be a ceasefire that freezes the fighting where it is. Zelensky today confirmed the Russian advance, telling journalists it's linked to the Trump-Putin summit and aimed at shaping a narrative Russia is advancing while Ukraine is losing ground, to put political pressure on Ukraine and seek some concessions.https://t.co/zgJ9bRvEte Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) August 12, 2025 In addition to ongoing fighting at the front, Russia continues bombarding Ukrainian cities while Kyiv hits back with strikes on Russian refineries and weapons supplies. The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces and other AFU units "struck" the Caspian Sea port of Olya sinking the general cargo ship, "Port Olya 4." The ship was reportedly carrying components for Shaheds and ammunition from Iran. Imagery of the sunken vessel shows extensive fire pic.twitter.com/g1lTIkmOpF OSINT Intuit (@UKikaski) August 15, 2025 It is against this seemingly intractable backdrop that Trump has been downplaying expectations for todays tete-a-tete. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump has spent the week setting the bar extremely low for his high-stakes U.S.-Russian summit on Friday in Alaska, The New York Times noted. Hardly anyone expects him to make much progress in halting the fighting between Russia and Ukraine, given how far apart their views of the conflict are. Russia, too, is tamping down expectations. While it would be a mistake to predict the outcome of the meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that there are no plans for the two leaders to formalize any agreements. No document is expected to be signed, and nothing has been prepared. Its hardly possible that any document could emerge here, Peskov said. President Putin and President Trump are ready to talk and will discuss the most difficult issues, Peskov added. Peskov: No documents are expected to be signed by Putin today following the meeting with President Trump in Alaska. "It is clear that issues related to the Ukrainian settlement will be discussed. The substance is very complex and multifaceted. At the same time, we are proceeding pic.twitter.com/KJMUVEJC2i Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) August 15, 2025 As for Trump, after initially playing down the summit as a feel-out meeting, he more recently has said he would urge Putin to accept a cease-fire in Ukraine, seeking to jump-start long-stalled negotiations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neither the White House nor the Kremlin has publicly stated what kind of peace deal they are looking for, The New York Times explained. But Mr. Trump has said it could involve some land-swapping, something he feels he is well equipped to negotiate as a onetime New York property developer. Asked by reporters on the flight to Alaska whether land swaps are on the table, Trump answered in the affirmative. Theyll be discussed, but Ive got to let Ukraine make that decision, he explained. I think theyll make a proper decision, but Im not here to negotiate for Ukraine. The American leader has used increased economic sanctions against Russia as a cudgel to nudge Putin toward a ceasefire, threatening severe economic consequences against Russia if Putin doesnt show interest in ending Russias invasion of Ukraine today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Economically severe, he told reporters. Yes. It will be very severe. Im not doing this for my health, okay? I dont need it. Id like to focus on our country, but Im doing this to save a lot of lives. Speaking earlier on Air Force One, U.S. President Trump once again threatened severe economic consequences against Russia if President Vladimir Putin doesnt show interest in ending Russias invasion of Ukraine at todays summit in Anchorage, Alaska, with him stating: pic.twitter.com/nOuuOoFQE0 OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 15, 2025 Were going for a meeting with President Putin in Alaska, and I think its going to work out very well and if it doesnt, Im going to head back home real fast, Trump told Fox News. Trump: We're going for a meeting with President Putin in Alaska, and I think it's going to work out very well and if it doesn't, I'm going to head back home real fast.pic.twitter.com/JefcSawAcd Clash Report (@clashreport) August 15, 2025 We may know more about the results of this meeting in the coming hours. Meanwhile, people in Ukraine are wary. I have a tense feeling about it, Capt. Artem Kulachevich, 40, a drone commander in the 82nd Brigade, told The Washington Post when asked about the summit. Any deal to end the war, he added, must not leave us lowering our eyes when we see war widows. In 10 years, we must be able to explain it to our kids and not be ashamed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To call this meeting high stakes, regardless of the expectations, would be an understatement. If things were to go dramatically south during the talks, the tensions between the U.S. and Russia, as well as the situation for Ukraine and NATO, could enter a new perilous phase. On the other hand, if there is a breakthrough, it could be the biggest step toward ending the war since it began. This is a developing story. Update: 3:26 PM Eastern Trump greeted Putin on the red carpet ahead of their meeting. #BREAKING Watch as U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in person and shake hands in Anchorage Alaska. pic.twitter.com/b03VywhPvJ R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) August 15, 2025 Update: 3:39 PM Eastern The two leaders headed to the meeting location in the U.S. presidential limo known as the Beast. You can read more about that vehicle in our story about it here. Trump and Putin head to their meeting in the same car. pic.twitter.com/OicCRsvkfY Clash Report (@clashreport) August 15, 2025 As the participants sat down to meet, Putin declined to answer questions, including whether he would stop killing civilians, shouted at him by reporters. Reporter: President Putin, why should Trump trust you? Will you commit to not killing any more civilians? Putin: (Nothing)pic.twitter.com/kDwScWiY0M Clash Report (@clashreport) August 15, 2025 Update 4:34 PM Eastern Putin raised eyebrows with his facial expressions at the start of the meeting. Social Media and News Focus on Vladimir Putin's Facial Expression at the Start of the Meeting with Trump Seriously, what's going on with him? pic.twitter.com/dtMOOz7uyb NEXTA (@nexta_tv) August 15, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Update 5:35 PM Eastern A U.S. official has now confirmed to TWZ that two B-2 bombers were among the assets arrayed at JBER for the Trump-Putin summit. One was there to participate in [a] flyover today, the other is there as a static on the flightline, they said. Both are there directly in support of the visit. U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin purposefully passed by a B-2A Spirit Long-Range Strategic Stealth Bomber on the tarmac at Joint Base ElmendorfRichardson while on the way to the summit in Anchorage, Alaska. pic.twitter.com/gkt0TXdhmW OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 15, 2025 The B-2s are not taking part in Exercise Northern Edge 2025, a second U.S. official further told us. You can read more about the particular significance of the B-2s presence at JBER in our separate reporting here. F-35 fighters also flew over the base around Trump and Putins arrival, including as part of the flyover alongside the B-2. F-22 fighters, as well as AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, were also on display on the ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin's view while having a ride with President Trump. pic.twitter.com/YjczxHEgER Polymarket Intel (@PolymarketIntel) August 15, 2025 Update: 7:19 PM Eastern After their meeting concluded, Trump and Putin held a short press conference. No announcements were made and no questions were taken. 'Our negotiations were held in a constructive atmosphere of mutual respect' Vladimir Putin has taken to the podium for a joint news conference with Donald Trump after their meeting, which lasted almost three hours Latest: https://t.co/AuvlqpM34m Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/dO11yE3q9I Sky News (@SkyNews) August 15, 2025 Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com ANCHORAGE, Alaska U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday for a high-stakes summit that could determine not only the trajectory of the war in Ukraine but also the fate of European security. The sit-down offers Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a close, something he used to boast he could do quickly. For Putin, a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russias gains, block Kyivs bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscows orbit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are significant risks for Trump. By bringing Putin onto U.S. soil, the president is giving Russias leader the validation he desires after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine 3 1/2 years ago. The exclusion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from the summit also deals a heavy blow to the Wests policy of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want. Trump and Putin will meet at Alaska base long used to counter Russia Any success is far from assured, especially as Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraines mobilization efforts, which were conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies. HIGH STAKES!!! Trump posted on Truth Social as his motorcade idled outside the White House shortly after sunrise in Washington. An hour later, he waved as he boarded Air Force One but did not speak to reporters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump on Thursday said there was a 25% chance that the summit would fail, but he also floated the idea that if the meeting succeeds he could bring Zelenskyy to Alaska for a subsequent, three-way meeting, a possibility that Russia hasnt agreed to. When asked in Anchorage about Trumps estimate of a 25% chance of failure, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that Russia never plans ahead. We know that we have arguments, a clear, understandable position. We will state it, he said in footage posted to the Russian Foreign Ministrys Telegram channel. Trump said in a Fox News radio interview Thursday that he didnt know if they would get an immediate ceasefire but he wanted a broad peace deal done quickly. That seemingly echoes Putins longtime argument that Russia favors a comprehensive deal to end the fighting, reflecting its demands, not a temporary halt to hostilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Kremlin said Trump and Putin will first sit down for a one-on-one discussion, followed by the two delegations meeting and talks continuing over a working breakfast. They are then expected to hold a joint press conference. Trump has offered shifting explanations for his meeting goals In the days leading up to the summit, set for a military base near Anchorage, Trump described it as " really a feel-out meeting." But hes also warned of very severe consequences for Russia if Putin doesnt agree to end the war and said that though Putin might bully other leaders, Hes not going to mess around with me. Trump said Friday his talks with Putin will include Russian demands that Ukraine cede territory as part of a peace deal. He said Ukraine has to decide, but he also suggested Zelenskyy should accept concessions. Ive got to let Ukraine make that decision. And I think theyll make a proper decision, Trump told reporters traveling with him to Alaska. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump said theres a possibility of the United States offering Ukraine security guarantees alongside European powers, but not in the form of NATO. Putin has fiercely resisted Ukraine joining the trans-Atlantic security alliance, a long-term goal for Ukrainians seeking to forge stronger ties with the West. Members of the media stand outside Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, ahead of a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin. (Jae C. Hong/AP) Zelenskyy has time and again cast doubts on Putins willingness to negotiate in good faith. His European allies, whove held increasingly urgent meetings with U.S. leaders over the past week, have stressed the need for Ukraine to be involved in any peace talks. Political commentators in Moscow, meanwhile, have relished that the summit leaves Ukraine and its European allies on the sidelines. Dmitry Suslov, a pro-Kremlin voice, expressed hope that the summit will deepen a trans-Atlantic rift and weaken Europes position as the toughest enemy of Russia. The summit could have far-reaching implications On his way to Anchorage Thursday, Putin arrived in Magadan in Russias Far East, according to Russian state news agency Interfax. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the visit would include meetings with the regional governor and stops at several key sites, including a stop to lay flowers at a WWII-era memorial honoring Soviet-American aviation cooperation. Foreign governments will be watching closely to see how Trump reacts to Putin, likely gauging what the interaction might mean for their own dealings with the U.S. president, who has eschewed traditional diplomacy for his own transactional approach to relationships. The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources. Ukraine has held on far longer than some initially expected since the February 2022 invasion, but it is straining to hold off Russias much larger army, grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) front line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, said U.S. antagonists like China, Iran and North Korea will be paying attention to Trumps posture to see whether or not the threats that he continues to make against Putin are indeed credible. Or, if has been the past track record, he continues to back down and look for ways to wiggle out of the kind of threats and pressure he has promised to apply, said Kendall-Taylor, who is also a former senior intelligence officer. What to know about the Putin-Trump summit in Alaska While some have objected to the location of the summit, Trump has said he thought it was very respectful of Putin to come to the U.S. instead of a meeting in Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin Moscow-based analyst, observed that the choice of Alaska as the summits venue underlined the distancing from Europe and Ukraine. Being on a military base allows the leaders to avoid protests and meet more securely, but the location carries its own significance because of its history and location. Alaska, which the U.S. purchased from Russia in 1867, is separated from Russia at its closest point by just 3 miles (less than 5 kilometers) and the international date line. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It continues to play a role today, as planes from the base still intercept Russian aircraft that regularly fly into U.S. airspace. Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington, Elise Morton in London and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. The celebrations commenced with the hoisting of the National Flag by Sandeep Kumar Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director, GAIL. Addressing the gathering, Gupta highlighted GAIL's vital contribution to the natural gas transmission business across the length and breadth of the country. He emphasized the company's unwavering commitment to building a vibrant and integrated energy landscape in line with the vision of a new, self-reliant India. Gupta shared that GAIL achieved a record Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs 10,552 crore, further solidifying its leadership in the sector. With over 16,420 kilometers of cross-country high-pressure natural gas pipelines and India's first gas-based integrated petrochemical plant, GAIL continues to demonstrate its dedication to supporting communities and powering economic growth. All functional Directors of GAIL graced the occasion, including R.K. Jain, Director (Finance); Deepak Gupta, Director (Projects); Ayush Gupta, Director (HR); Sanjay Kumar, Director (Marketing); Rajeev Singhal, Director (Business Development); and Sourabh Toulambia, Advisor (Security). Senior officials, Executive Directors, employees, and their family members also participated in the celebrations, reaffirming the collective spirit of unity and national pride. The Independence Day event at GAIL Corporate Office marked a reaffirmation of the company's dedication to strengthening the nation's energy security and advancing sustainable development. GAIL, a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise, is India's leading natural gas transmission and distribution company with gas transmission and distribution pipelines, processing and petrochemicals plants besides interest in upstream oil and gas blocks and LNG regasification terminals in India. GAIL is dedicated to enhancing the nation's energy infrastructure and promoting sustainable development through various initiatives in natural gas, petrochemicals, and renewable energy. (ANI) Discussions to end the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year, often hinge on terms that are interpreted differently by the parties involved. As US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Anchorage in the US state of Alaska on Friday, several key concepts are likely to be on the table: Front line, line of contact The front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces stretches over 1,200 kilometres. Any ceasefire deal would raise questions about how to effectively monitor such a long distance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unlike the front line, a line of contact may include areas where opposing forces face each other without active fighting. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz referred this week to Ukraine and Russia having a line of contact, which relates to the general position of the opposing forces. In the case of a ceasefire, he suggested that the line of contact should not automatically be treated as a permanent division of territory. "We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations," he said on Wednesday, following a meeting of European leaders with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Territorial concessions and "land swapping" Ahead of the summit, Trump mentioned the likelihood that Ukraine and Russia would engage in "land swapping," suggesting that Russia might withdraw from some occupied areas of Ukraine in exchange for taking control of other regions still held by Kiev. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russian proposals, however, focus on a full Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of Donetsk, an eastern region of Ukraine where Moscow already controls roughly two-thirds of the territory. Any concession of Ukrainian land would seem to be unacceptable to Zelensky, who has consistently rejected such ideas outright. From Ukraine's perspective, there is nothing to swap because areas of the western Russian region of Kursk that were temporarily held by Kiev's forces have been lost. "Defacto" versus "de jure" NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has meanwhile emphasized the difference between de facto and de jure recognition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement De facto recognition means a country or authority controls a territory in practice, such as exercising power on the ground, even if no other states formally acknowledge that control. De jure recognition means a territory is legally recognized as belonging to a state under international law. In this case, Russia may control certain territories in practice without Ukraine or its allies recognizing them legally as Russian. Any Ukrainian concession would require a constitutional change. European leaders have urged Trump not to raise territorial issues at the summit. Security guarantees Security guarantees involve binding commitments from states or international organizations to protect a country against external threats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Ukraine, such guarantees are seen as the only way of deterring Russian attacks in the long-term. The exact design they might take in Ukraine is unclear, but they could resemble NATO's mutual defence clause. European nations have pledged strong military support for Ukraine in the event of a deal. Russia, however, categorically rejects European troops on Ukrainian soil. Ceasefire International law distinguishes between a temporary ceasefire (or truce) and a formal, treaty-based armistice. A ceasefire may be followed by renewed fighting, extended indefinitely, or evolve into a formal agreement. In his first term, President Donald Trump met with Russia's Vladimir Putin six times but one moment stood out. It happened in Helsinki, Finland, in 2018 when Trump, standing next to him, suggested he believed Putin's denial that Russia interfered in the 2016 election over the findings of U.S. intelligence. At the time, Trump said U.S.-Russia relations had "never been worse" than before they met but that had "changed." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, Trump is set to hold his first one-on-one meeting with Putin of his second term at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. MORE: Ukraine, left out in Trump-Putin summit, fears setbacks on key peace issues The backdrop for Friday's highly-anticipated summit is a darker one, amid Russia's relentless onslaught on Ukraine and Putin presenting a frustrating obstacle to Trump's professed desire to end the war. The meeting will spotlight their relationship -- one that Trump said during the 2024 campaign was so strong he could end the conflict on his first day in office or even before. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It seems that Donald Trump used to think that he understands Putin well and has a good rapport with him, but over the last few months we've seen him alter his position in that regard and actually become more frustrated with Putin. I think he's becoming more moderated in his expectations about what the meeting can bring," said Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump shake hands before a meeting in Helsinki on July 16, 2018. Trump called Putin a "strong leader" in his first term and a "genius" shortly after his forces first invaded Ukraine. Early in his second term, Trump said that Putin would be "generous" in peace talks and Ukraine more difficult. Trump made several public demands of Ukraine, including that it would have to give up its goal of joining NATO and possibly cede some territory, while notably not setting any such red lines for Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president even sympathized with Putin's status as a global pariah, saying in February that he would "love" for Russia to rejoin the Group of Seven nations and that it was a mistake for Moscow to have been expelled from the company of world leaders following Putin's annexation of Crimea. "Look, nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together, OK?" Trump said back in the spring. MORE: Trump said only he could get Putin to make a Ukraine peace deal. It hasn't happened. Over the last few months, however, Trump's tone toward Putin has shifted. "I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!" Trump wrote on his social media platform in late May. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump expressed repeatedly that he's "disappointed" in the Russian president as strikes intensified between Russia and Ukraine this summer. In July, Trump said he was fed up with the "bull---- thrown at us by Putin." "He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless," he said. "We're not happy with Putin. I'm not happy with Putin. I can tell you that much right now, because he's killing a lot of people," Trump added. Trump has kept American-made weapons supplied to Ukraine through a deal with European partners and recently slapped steep secondary tariffs on India, one of the largest purchasers of Russian oil, in indirect pressure on Moscow. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters - PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks to the press about deploying federal law enforcement agents in Washington to bolster the local police presence, in the Press Briefing Room at the White House, in Washington, August 11, 2025. Still, Trump held back on his threats to impose harsher sanctions on Aug. 8 if Putin did not agree to a ceasefire. Instead, on that date, Trump announced he would host the Russian leader on U.S. soil for a one-on-one meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He has more that he could do in order to push Putin to come to the table," said William Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine currently serving as a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. So far, Trump has tempered expectations about Friday's summit. He's called it a "feel-out meeting" and the White House described it as a "listening exercise." MORE: In Alaska, is Putin offering Trump peace or a trap?: ANALYSIS At the same time, he warned again this week of "severe consequences" if Russia didn't end the conflict. "I think that Trump believes that strongmen of Putin's kind are to be negotiated with eye to eye, and he wants to feel the ground to see what he gets from the meeting with Putin. The problem with that is Putin is also a shrewd manipulator and he has the KGB background, he is known to be very convincing and make people like him in person," said Snegovaya. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, said Putin's goal for this summit is to get back into Trump's good graces. "What Putin wants to get back, he's not so worried about the sanctions, he wants the relationship back with Trump. We'll see if he gets it," Bolton said on ABC's "This Week." Both President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have spent the run-up to Friday's high-stakes meeting in Alaska staking out their public positions -- and signaling the strategies they may employ behind closed doors. ABC News spoke to current and former officials as well as outside policy experts to break down both Trump and Putin's approach and the potential risks and rewards for each. MORE: Trump-Putin summit live updates: Trump says he thinks Putin and Zelenskyy 'will make peace' EPA/Shutterstock/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: President Donald Trump in Washington, Aug. 14, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin, Aug. 13, 2025 and Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Aug. 12, 2025. A 75% chance of success? Ahead of the summit, the White House initially tried to downplay expectations, first calling it a "listening session" for Trump to hear Putin's position on bringing the war in Ukraine to a close. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Through the week, Trump stopped short of making any promises, but he slowly began to build expectations, describing the summit with Putin as a steppingstone that -- if successful -- would set up another meeting that would include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "This meeting sets up the second meeting, but there is a 25% chance that this meeting will not be a successful meeting," Trump said in a Fox News Radio interview on Thursday. But Trump suggested if the summit with Putin were productive, it could set off a near-immediate whirlwind of diplomacy, with subsequent engagements happening very soon after the initial meeting and potentially at the same venue. "All I want to do is set the table for the next meeting, which should happen shortly. I'd like to see it happen very quickly -- very shortly after this meeting," the president said during an Oval Office event at the White House on Thursday. "I'd like to see it actually happen maybe in Alaska, where we just stay because it's so much easier." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials familiar with the president's approach say his comments reflect his willingness to capitalize on opportunities as they may present themselves. They also acknowledged that even though intensive planning for the summit has been underway more than a week, the president could quickly pivot based on his impression of the meeting. Trump previewed the potential for on-the-fly changes to the summit's programming schedule when he contradicted White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's statement earlier on Thursday that the plan was to hold a joint news conference at the summit featuring both Trump and Putin. "I'm going to have a press conference. I don't know if it's going to be a joint. We haven't even discussed it," Trump said, indicating the format would depend on how the meeting went. Officials say Trump has been working closely with his Secretary of State and interim national security adviser Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff ahead of the meeting, and that both men are expected to accompany the president to Alaska. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Putin says Trump making 'energetic' efforts to end war as summit nears Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP - PHOTO: Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Downing Street in London, Aug. 14, 2025. An "all-Trump" peace process European leaders emerged from a virtual meeting with Trump on Wednesday with tones of relief that the U.S. would be involved in a security mechanism for Ukraine as a part of a settlement of the war though Trump did not acknowledge such a vow publicly. Zelenskyy and other European heads of state, who have said Russia's aggression in Ukraine is part of larger Russian ambitions, took part in hurried meetings this week to present consensus priorities to Trump. From those meetings, the Europeans said a ceasefire should happen first in any Ukraine peace process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fred Fleitz, co-chair of the Center for American Security at the America First Policy Institute and a former chief of staff of the National Security Council during Trump's first term, said Trump's participation virtually in the Wednesday meeting will bring the president "a lot of credibility when he speaks to Putin," but ultimately, the peace process is "all Trump." Trump's "job is to bridge" the parties in the conflict, Fleitz told ABC News, and test whether Putin is sincere about wanting an end to the war. Fleitz said he thinks Trump will have a "very critical eye" toward Putin and be "very quick to implement sanctions" if he judges Putin to be playing him. Will Oliver/EPA/Shutterstock - PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks after signing a presidential proclamation honoring the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, August 14, 2025. Trump has been open in saying Putin might be "tapping him along," a turnabout Fleitz says the "world understands." Fleitz and other experts who spoke with ABC News said a ceasefire is the most crucial outcome in this stage of the diplomatic process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If we're looking at some kind of a success or not" from Friday's meeting, "it has to be [in the] first instance a ceasefire," Bill Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009 and a top diplomat there under Trump, told ABC News. If no deliverable emerges from the summit, "then Trump hasn't won," Taylor said. "Trump hasn't gone into those negotiations and succeeded. He will have been defeated, or at least stalled again, and this will be recognized." George Beebe, director of the Quincy Institute's Grand Strategy Program and a former director of the CIA's Russia analysis, said a ceasefire "that isn't well negotiated" is "actually much more risky" than working out particulars, including over issues like NATO, first. The key deliverable Friday, in Beebe's view, is "a framework agreement that addresses these core issues and lays out a road map for further negotiations." Broader European security, instead of a temporary pause to the fighting, is the key issue at the table, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia would view military forces from NATO countries as a part of a security guarantee for Ukraine as a red line, he said. Instead, Putin will seek a "rock-solid guarantee" that Ukraine wouldn't join NATO in the future -- something Beebe called Putin's "number one issue." MORE: Trump-Putin summit in Alaska holds a 'historical significance,' experts say Ian Brzezinski, a senior fellow and the Atlantic Council and a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO policy, said a security guarantee would be essential for Ukraine -- and for the broader west, including the U.S to halt Putin's "revanchism" -- a policy of seeking to retaliate, especially to recover lost territory. Putin "may try to push" a pledge that Ukraine won't join NATO to "never," but that "can really only ever apply to Trump," Brzezinski said. Any NATO member can veto a country's bid to join the alliance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has shown sympathy for the Russian position on NATO, blaming Zelenskyy for the war in Ukraine as recently as this week, apparently for his country's past NATO ambitions. According to Fleitz, NATO may or may not come up in the meeting at all. "It's a big issue for Putin, but there's no sense" in discussing it because accession to NATO has become exceedingly unlikely, Fleitz said. He said Trump's decision to prioritize American-made weapons, purchased by European nations for Ukraine, showed his commitment to the country's security. MORE: Ukraine, left out in Trump-Putin summit, fears setbacks on key peace issues Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via Reuters - PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with members of Russia's top leadership at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, August 14, 2025. 'Putin's gonna try and play Trump' Former officials and experts on the ongoing conflict have warned that Trump should keep his focus during Friday's summit on a potential ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine and note that Ukraine's leaders should have final say on territorial concessions -- and they cautioned Trump to remember he is dealing with a shrewd negotiator in Putin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "President Trump needs to stick to his discussion points and not get carried away by the moment. Putin will be pushing for an agreement favorable to Russia, and Trump might be tempted to agree as a way to end the war, as he has promised," said Mark Cancian, a senior adviser on defense and security issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "It's very concerning that Ukraine is not part of the discussions. Putin does not regard Ukraine as a real country, and its exclusion seems to accept that position. Any follow-on discussions should include both Ukraine and the Europeans," he said. Other experts suggest that Trump's video conference with European leaders boosted Ukraine's status ahead of Friday's summit and was strategic in helping to reassure allies that the US still backs Zelenskyy's position. Meetings between European allies and Vice President JD Vance, for example, "was a sign that they want to make sure that they were not going to be blasted for cozying up to Putin in Alaska." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Zelensky is not coming, but they want to make sure that they don't look like they are fatuous and being played by the Kremlin," said John Herbst, in an interview with ABC News. Herbst is a career diplomat and the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, having served in Ukraine from 2003-2006. "Putin has no interest in making peace. He starts to talk about negotiations when he's afraid that there may be some new pain for Russia," Herbst said of the Russian leader. "Putin's gonna try and play Trump, and he may have success. He's had some success in the past, but Trump's guard is up and again. That's why we saw his statement today. That's why we've seen some backtracking for the last three days," Herbst added, noting that Trump said this week that Russia will suffer "severe consequences" should Putin not make efforts to stop the war. "I think Putin's hope is to really use this event to ensure that there'll be no sanctions in the future, that maybe US arms Ukraine are not going to be flowing. I think that's not going to be the case," Herbst said. While former officials and experts on the war are worried about Zelenskyy's absence in this initial meeting given what Trump may agree to behind closed doors, Herbst remains optimistic. "I think worry is always warranted in this case, because the situation is so difficult. But I think it would be a disaster for the United States if we sold out Ukraine," Herbst said. "I thought that could happen, but everything since has pointed in a healthier direction." The White House has authorized the Pentagon to use military force against Latin American drug cartelsbut the sweeping directive also appears to violate the sovereignty of Americas southern neighbor. Sources working in or with the Trump administration told Rolling Stone Thursday that the president is serious about attacking Mexico unless the nation gives Donald Trump what he wants. U.S. government officials just had one stipulation: Dont refer to the intimidation campaign as an invasion. Its not a negotiating tactic, a senior administration official told the magazine. Its not Art of the Deal. The president has been clear that a strike is coming unless we see some big, major changes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump and Republican leaders have long embraced the idea of invading Mexico, citing rising fentanyl rates and drug trafficking as sound reasons to put American boots on the ground. In January, Trump told reporters that the possibility of sending U.S. special ops across the border could happen. Mexicos compliance with Trumps agenda has been complicated. Last week, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected the Trump administrations attempt to send troops across the border, though days later, the Mexican government extradited 26 alleged cartel members, including leaders from major gangs, to the U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed the moves as historic efforts to dismantle cartels and foreign terrorist organizations. Cartel monitors who spoke with Rolling Stone claimed that Mexicos compliance is an effort to stave off U.S. military intervention and preserve ongoing trade negotiations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mexico has not finalized its trade deal with the Trump administration. Late last month, Trump and Sheinbaum agreed to postpone a potential 30 percent tariff rate for another 90 days, but just how long it will take for the two countries to reach an agreement remains to be seen. Historically, it takes U.S. officials roughly 18 months to negotiate a new trade agreement with another country. That boils down to exhaustive reviews of the countrys prior trade, sorting through thousands of line items of products, and analyzing the complex minutiae of local import and export laws. The press conference was called after about three hours of talks, a little earlier than expected. Had a deal been struck? A ceasefire? Hot takes among the dozens of journalists assembled at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage suggested this was a sign of disaster for Vladimir Putin: hed clearly infuriated Donald Trump. Not a bit of it. We knew immediately from the smiles on stage. Putin spoke first and went out of his way to list as many examples of common ground he shared with Mr Trump as he could. The goal is always peace. pic.twitter.com/AvYjUYhh8B The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 16, 2025 In a speech that could have been written a year ago, we were treated to a canter through shared Soviet and American experiences in the Second World War, then a reference to a military burial site in Alaska and the graves of soviet pilots (it was worthy and noble of the local people to look after the burial site, Putin gushed). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trump, whether he liked it or not, was reminded of the common enemy Russia and America had fought together, of their common heritage. This meeting, far from being a damp squib, was a new stage in the relationship between the two countries, apparently. A pause... then more. This was a long overdue meeting Putin enthused, thoroughly in his stride. There were opportunities for bilateral trade, space and arctic exploration, loads of stuff, if only we could get past the pesky issue of Ukraine, he seemed to be saying. It is important for our countries to turn the page, he said. Of course he did, hes desperate for the page titled war to be turned. He took a swipe at Joe Biden (I tried to reach out, I was rebuffed) and said there would be no problem in Ukraine if Mr Trump had been in charge in 2022. It was all as obvious as it was depressing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his (very short) response, Mr Trump called Putin the boss at one point, which sent a ripple through the audience. This was not what those wanting Putin to be held to account for his war wanted to hear. At one point though, Putin said: On the whole, and I agree with president Trump as he has said today, that naturally the security of Ukraine should be ensured as well. A slip from Putin? He usually goes out of his way to deny Ukraine has agency, that it is an independent sovereign state. It was a rare moment, but it counted for little. To finish, Putin, speaking in English, invited his neighbour Donald to another meeting in Moscow. He was speaking over the heads of Ukrainian and European leaders; they were irrelevant to him, he wanted to make it clear they were to Trump as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And then it was over. The two men exited stage right, neither talking to, nor acknowledging, the crowd. No deal, no ceasefire, no holding to account. Despite the yelling from the press corps all we were left with was the deafening sound of a can being kicked down the road. The White House had laid on the full dog and pony show on the ground, a red carpet for Putins first steps in ten years on US soil followed by a ride with Mr Trump in The Beast. In the air, a five-ship formation flypast of a B-2 bomber flanked on either side by a pair of F-22 Raptor fighters. Credit: Reuters Coming just hours after Russian forces in Ukraine had bombed a market in the northern city of Sumy, the images will be hard to stomach for many people around the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If they even knew of the blast, neither the Russian nor American delegations allowed the news to cloud the moment. The sight of American soldiers kneeling before Putins plane to secure the red carpet to the Tarmac is an image that will appall many. Critics of Mr Trump, Putin or both will see it as a craven act by a weak president courting favour with a man considered a war criminal. Others might say it is the necessary underbelly of international diplomacy. As the circus drew to a close, Putin had succeeded in getting his handshake with the US president. He would feel he had shown the world Russia was back where it belongs - at the top table of global politics. He would be glad his actions had drawn no consequences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If European leaders dont act to support Ukraine after this, they will have to answer to history. 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. President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, greeting the leader warmly before they made the unusual move of departing together in the U.S. presidents limousine. At the historic meeting to discuss the war in Ukraine, the two leaders greeted one another like old friends as they shook hands and patted each others backs on an actual red carpet laid out on the tarmac for the historic meeting at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. Trump, who exited Air Force One moments ahead of Putins deplaning, appeared excited by his Russian counterparts arrival, clapping as the strongman leader walked toward him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin then appeared to give Trump a thumbs up. After posing briefly for photos, in an unusual move, Putin ditched his own Aurus limousine and climbed into the presidents armored stretch vehicle, known as The Beast. At the historic meeting, the two leaders greeted one another like friends as they shook hands and patted each others backs at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. (AFP via Getty Images) There were no other aides in the vehicle as Putin and Trump talked one-on-one en route to the base facility for the summit. Given that the one-on-one summit suddenly emerged as a three-on-three including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff as well as Russian minister of foreign affairs Sergey Lavrov and Russian policy adviser Yury Ushakova the car ride was the lone opportunity for the two leaders to be alone together aside from security and the driver. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump and Putin were seen in the back seat looking animated, laughing and smiling as they chatted. It marks a break in protocol, particularly for adversaries. When Trump wanted North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to ride with him in his car in 2018 in Singapore, aides persuaded the president not to extend the invitation, CNN reported. The warm welcome was celebrated by Russian media. A Russia 24 anchor praised Trump for being extremely friendly towards Putin, while lauding the historic handshake between the pair. The editor of Russia Today, Margarita Simonyan, posted a clip of the men shaking hands for the first time and said: Admit it haters, youve been waiting for this too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The RT X account also criticized U.S. journalists who shouted questions at Putin about the bloodshed in Ukraine as he and Trump walked the red carpet. The Russian leader didnt respond. After posing briefly for photos, in an unusual move, Putin ditched his own Aurus limousine and climbed into the presidents armored vehicle, known as The Beast. (Reuters) US media sounding like they walked straight out of the Kiev School of Journalism, a post on the RT account said. Elsewhere, American critics of Russia blasted Trump for inviting Putin to ride in his limousine. The world is watching the President of the United States bend to Moscow on LIVE TV, said the anti-Trump Call to Activism group, founded by the attorney Joseph Gallina. Putin and Trump together in our presidential limo. Sickening, said author and columnist Julia Davis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the ride, the leaders were joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on the U.S. side, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putins foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov on the Russian side. They are due to hold a press conference after the summit. JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) First came the red carpet, then the warm handshakes, friendly smiles and military planes flying overhead. Finally, President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin climbed into the back seat of Donald Trump's presidential limousine, casually chatting like reunited friends as they were whisked away to talks about the future of the Russia-Ukraine war. It was a greeting fit for the closest U.S. allies. Instead it was rolled out for an adversarial leader who launched the largest land war in Europe since World War II and is seen as one of America's most vexing foes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hours later, however, their interactions seemed more muted after they emerged from talks. Trump and Putin appeared briefly at what had been billed as a joint news conference though neither took questions. They offered generalities about an understanding and progress, while praising one another from podiums positioned unusually far apart before a backdrop displaying the phrase Pursuing peace. Trump has repeatedly implored Putin to end the invasion of Ukraine and agree to a ceasefire after insisting during last year's campaign that he would be able to end the conflict in 24 hours. Trump made clear in recent weeks that he is unhappy with Russias more than 3-year-old offensive, and he had threatened severe consequences and additional sanctions if progress were not made Friday. The tensions between the two leaders were not apparent from their clasped hands and grins as Trump welcomed Putin back to U.S. soil for the first time in a decade. But as they parted, little was known about what comes next. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Summit opens with warmth and pomp In a carefully choreographed scene at an Alaska military base, the men emerged from their respective planes nearly simultaneously and walked shoulder to shoulder along a red carpet unfurled on the tarmac. Trump wore a ruby red tie. Putin wore burgundy. Trump briefly applauded Putin while he awaited their greeting. His hand was outstretched as Putin approached, and they exchanged a lengthy handshake, patting each others' elbows, chatting and smiling. That is when F-22s fighter jets and a B-2 bomber flew overhead at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. The stealth warplanes were designed in part for a possible conflict with the Soviet Union. Neither plane entered active service until after the Cold War ended, but their development began in the 1970s and 1980s during the height of the U.S.-Soviet rivalry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They ignored shouted questions from reporters as they stood on a platform emblazoned with the words Alaska 2025 for a photo-op and another handshake. President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?" one shouted. Putin gestured to his ear, suggesting he couldnt hear the question. Trump, playing up his role as host, then directed Putin to where the U.S. presidential limousine was waiting. The two got into the back seat and could be seen chatting through the darkened windows. As the motorcade pulled away, Putin grinned. A reception far different than Zelenskyy's The pomp and planes may have been intended to remind the Russian leader of U.S. military might. But they also underscored the dramatic contrast between Trump's treatment of Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a U.S. ally whom Trump berated for being disrespectful during an extraordinary Oval Office meeting in February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That visit ended without the leaders signing a planned deal on rare earth minerals or holding a joint news conference after Zelenskyy was asked to leave the White House by top Trump advisers. Youre gambling with World War III, and what youre doing is very disrespectful to the country this country thats backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have, Trump scolded Zelenskyy after the Ukrainian leader tried to warn Trump that Putin could not be trusted. Since then, Trump has voiced more frustration with Putin as Russian strikes on Ukraine ramped up, writing Vladimir, STOP! on social media and even declaring that the Russian leader has gone absolutely CRAZY! But little of that frustration was visible Friday at the greeting of the two leaders, who have long had a friendly relationship that Trump critics view as highly suspect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The news conference with no questions Hours later, after the meeting between officials from both countries, Trump and Putin filed into a room of journalists and the American and Russian delegations. Putin spoke first, saying they had reached an understanding on Ukraine but offered no details. He agreed with Trump's long-repeated assertion that Russia never would have invaded Ukraine in 2022 had Trump been president instead of Democrat Joe Biden. "I say that because President Trump and I have established a strong, trusting and practical relationship, Putin said. He reiterated Moscows position that it is sincerely interested in putting an end to the war in Ukraine but only after all the root causes of the crisis" are "eliminated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I would like to hope that the understanding we have reached will allow us to get closer to that goal and open the way to peace in Ukraine, Putin said in Russian, without elaborating. Trump listened with a translation in one ear. He spoke second, telling reporters that hes always had a fantastic relationship" with Putin. The U.S. president said some great progress had been made during an extremely productive meeting." Trump said many points were agreed to" and that just a very few issues were left to resolve. He did not offer specifics. He also made no reference to the ceasefire he's been seeking and did not criticize Putin over the killing of Ukrainian civilians as he stood on the world stage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As they wrapped up, Putin said he hoped the two would meet again soon. Next time in Moscow," he said in English, then chuckled. Journalists raised their hands and shouted questions, taking cellphone video of the leaders as they shook hands once again and walked out. ___ Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report. President Trump said Thursday that he would like to see Israel grant foreign journalists access to the Gaza Strip. Id like to see that happen, sure, the president told reporters at the White House. I would be very fine with journalists going. And its a very dangerous position to be in, as you know, if youre a journalist, but I would like to see it, Trump added. Israel has faced criticism for objecting to data released by Hamas-run centers in Gaza and for not allowing international reporters into the war-torn enclave. Foreign reporters can currently only enter Gaza when the Israeli military allows and escorts them. Israeli officials have cited security reasons for limiting reporters access to Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a press conference Sunday that he plans to allow more journalists into the Gaza Strip. We have decided and have ordered, directed the military to bring in foreign journalists, more foreign journalists, a lot, Netanyahu said, according to Agence France-Presse. Theres a problem with assuring security, but I think it can be done in a way that is responsible and careful to preserve your own safety, the Israeli leader added. Trumps remarks Thursday come just days after an Israeli military strike killed journalists Anas Al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, Moamen Aliwa and Mohammed Al-Khaldi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel has claimed Al-Sharif and others were closely linked to Hamas, a Palestinian militant group designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government, accusations the journalists families and outlets strongly denied. 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. US President Donald Trump has said that he has held a "wonderful talk" with Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, whom he described as"highly respected". Source: Trump on his social media platform Truth Social, as reported by European Pravda Details: Trumps post followed shortly after Belarusian media started reporting on the call. "I had a wonderful talk with the highly respected President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko," Trump said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added that the purpose of the call was to thank Lukashenko for releasing 16 prisoners. "We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners. Our conversation was a very good one," the US president stated. Screenshot Trump said they "discussed many topics", including a visit to Alaska by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. "I look forward to meeting President Lukashenko in the future," he added. The 16 prisoners in question were pardoned by Lukashenko on the eve of Belarus Independence Day. Background: In June, Keith Kellogg, Trumps special envoy for Ukraine, unexpectedly visited Belarus and met with Lukashenko. The day Kellogg visited Minsk, Lukashenkos regime released 14 political prisoners, including former presidential candidate Siarhei Tsikhanouski, who had spent more than five years behind bars. Following his release, Tsikhanouski called on Trump to help secure the release of more political prisoners in Belarus and urged the West not to ease pressure on Lukashenko. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! President Donald Trump offered a glimpse into his plans ahead of a historic summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking exclusively Friday to Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier aboard Air Force One, Trump outlined what hes expecting from the meeting, and what would happen if it doesnt go his way. "Were going for a meeting with President Putin in Alaska," Trump said while en route to the summit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "And I think its going to work out very well and if it doesnt, Im going to head back home real fast," the president said. The talks come as Russias invasion of Ukraine continues to claim lives daily in the third year of the conflict. The summit is being held in Anchorage, Alaska, chosen as a midpoint between Washington and Moscow. This is the first high-level summit between the United States and Russia since the start of the Ukraine war. Its also President Putins first time on U.S. soil in nearly a decade. Read On The Fox News App Trump To Hold Historic Summit With Putin In Alaska Seeking An End To Russiaukraine War U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One on August 15, 2025 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. President Trump is traveling to Anchorage, Alaska, for peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) When pressed by Baier to confirm his willingness to walk away if the negotiations sour, Trump didnt hesitate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What We Know About Trumps Meeting With Vladimir Putin In Alaska "I would walk, yeah," he said. During a separate press gaggle aboard the flight, Trump warned of "very severe" consequences if Russia fails to show progress towards ending the war. He also said additional sanctions would be put in place if the meeting failed to be productive. Still, the president voiced optimism about the outcome. "I think were going to do very well," Trump told Baier, before shifting to tout the countrys economic strength. "Our country is doing very well. Were setting records economically like we never have before, including stock markets at a record high. Were taking in trillions and trillions of dollars with tariffs." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch the full interview on "Special Report" tonight at 6 p.m. ET on Fox News Channel. Original article source: Trump says he'll 'walk' if Putin meeting goes poorly during pivotal Alaska summit The Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) Director General, Chandrajit Banerjee, on Friday, welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address, highlighting his focus on youth empowerment, strengthening micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and advancing the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. In his statement, Banerjee said the Prime Minister's announcement of the Rs 1 lakh crore PM-Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana marked a milestone in creating large-scale employment opportunities. The scheme offers Rs 15,000 support for first-time job seekers, aimed at enhancing skills and enabling sustained livelihoods. "My country's youth, today is 15th August, and on this very day, we are launching a scheme worth Rs 1 lakh crore for the youth of our country. From today, the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana is being implemented," Prime Minister Modi announced, giving his 12th consecutive Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort. Banerjee noted that MSMEs, often referred to as the backbone of India's economy, are expected to benefit greatly from the measures outlined in the address. "Increased access to talent, targeted incentives, and a stronger domestic manufacturing ecosystem will enable them to scale, innovate, and integrate more deeply into global value chains," he said. The Prime Minister's emphasis on building indigenous capabilities in high-tech sectors such as semiconductors, as well as in defence initiatives like the Sudarshan Chakra Mission, was also underscored by Banerjee. He said these steps would reinforce the vision of a self-reliant India, particularly in renewable energy and other strategic sectors. He further pointed to the success of Operation Sindoor, describing it as evidence of India's growing defence capabilities. Banerjee said that the operation highlighted the importance of safeguarding national and economic security through advanced indigenous systems, accelerated development of military technologies, and self-reliance in critical defence infrastructure and supply chains. "CII is committed to supporting this journey by fostering entrepreneurship, facilitating market linkages for MSMEs, and enabling the skills and infrastructure needed for a truly self-sustaining economy," Banerjee added. The Prime Minister's address on the 79th Independence Day drew attention to India's vision of economic growth driven by domestic innovation and industrial resilience. The initiatives announced are aimed at not only generating jobs but also positioning India as a competitive global manufacturing hub, aligned with the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. (ANI) US President Donald Trump has said that the goal of the Alaska summit with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table, and no decisions on Ukrainian territory will be made without Ukraine. Source: Trump during a press gaggle on Air Force One en route to Alaska, as reported by European Pravda Details: A journalist asked Trump whether he and Putin would be discussing territory swaps in Alaska. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Theyll be discussed, but Ive got to let Ukraine make that decision, and I think theyll make a proper decision," he replied. Trump said he is not going to the summit with the Kremlin leader "to negotiate for Ukraine". "Im here to get him [Putin] at a table. I think you have two sides," he noted. Background: On the eve of the meeting, Ukraines Center for Countering Disinformation reported that Putin was preparing "historical materials" to bring to the meeting in an attempt to prove that Ukraine is an artificial state. Trump said he expects Putin to take the meeting seriously, warning of very severe consequences for Moscow if the Russian leader did not agree to take steps to end the war. On the morning of 15 August, hundreds of people gathered in Anchorage in support of Ukraine ahead of the Trump-Putin summit. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! US President Donald Trump has reiterated that he will not make any agreements with Russian President Vladimir Putin without involving Ukraine. While he plans to discuss territorial issues during the summit in Alaska on Friday, Trump stressed that no decisions will be made. "I've got to let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they'll make a proper decision, but I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine," he told reporters aboard Air Force One, describing his role as bringing Putin "to the table." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump also highlighted his cooperation with European powers on the Ukraine issue. He described Putin as "a smart guy," and added that he considers himself the same. "There's a good respect level on both sides," Trump said, noting that Putin would be accompanied by numerous Russian business leaders and appeared keen on collaboration with the US. However, he warned that if Putin does not pursue peace in Ukraine, Moscow could face "economically severe" sanctions. Despite US President Donald Trump's assurances that he would not cut a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin without Ukraine, European leaders - and much of the world - remain on edge ahead of the leaders' summit on Friday. The face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin is scheduled to begin at 11:30 am (1930 GMT) at the ElmendorfRichardson military base in Anchorage. A high-level Russian delegation, including long-time Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, arrived in Alaska ahead of Putin late on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump meanwhile boarded Air Force One bound for Alaska early on Friday morning, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and special envoy Steve Witkoff. The White House announced that US Defense Minister Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine will also be there. However, neither Ukraine nor top European leaders will be at the negotiating table. The talks will mark the first in-person meeting between the two leaders since Trump re-entered the White House in late January and since Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in Feburary 2022. Trump says he'll defer to Ukraine on territorial issues While he plans to discuss territorial issues at the summit, Trump stressed that no decisions will be made. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I've got to let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they'll make a proper decision, but I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine," he told reporters aboard Air Force One, describing his role as bringing Putin "to the table." Trump also highlighted his cooperation with European powers on Ukraine. He described Putin as "a smart guy," and added that he considers himself the same. "There's a good respect level on both sides," Trump said, noting that Putin would be accompanied by numerous Russian business leaders and appeared keen on collaboration with the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, he warned that if Putin does not pursue peace in Ukraine, Moscow could face "economically severe" sanctions. Ukraine excluded from talks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who must follow the meeting from afar, expressed hope for a future trilateral meeting with Trump and Putin. "It is time to end the war, and Russia must take the corresponding steps. We are counting on America," Zelensky said. Putin already a winner? Many commentators on both sides of the Atlantic have noted that Putin's meeting with Trump already marks a success for the Russian leader, ending his large-scale isolation from Western powers since the beginning of the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has repeatedly spoken positively and respectfully about Putin, who has been ruling Russia with an increasingly authoritarian grip. After meetings during his first term, Trump often adopted Putin's positions - and many people remember the 2018 Helsinki summit between the two leaders in which Trump sided with Putin, who denied meddling in the US 2016 presidential election, over his own intelligence officials who had reported the Russian interference. Still, in recent weeks Trump has shown some frustration with the Russian leader and questioned his willingness to negotiate peace. On his way to Alaska, Trump also emphasized Russia's economic interest in the United States, stating that cooperation would not be possible without peace in Ukraine. If Putin does not want a deal, Trump warned of severe economic consequences. A curious fashion choice It is unclear what Lavrov was trying to convey when he showed up in Alaska with a white sweatshirt emblazoned with the letters "CCCP," the Russian abbreviation for USSR, the former Soviet Union, under a black puffer vest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the fashion choice turned heads. Russian media speculated about whether the pullover was meant to mock the US hosts on their home turf or send a pointed signal to other former Soviet republics. Ukraine was a member of the Soviet Union until declaring independence in 1991. The Baltic States, which have been some of Ukraine's strongest supporters, were also part of the Soviet Union after they were forcibly incorporated into the USSR. What's at stake Ukraine, its European allies and Trump are calling for a comprehensive ceasefire. However, Putin has repeatedly set tough conditions for a ceasefire, including the cessation of Western arms deliveries to Ukraine and an agreement to exclude Ukrainian membership in NATO. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to previous reports, Russia wants to fully claim the largely occupied Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and might be willing to withdraw from other occupied areas in exchange. Russian state television has been preparing its audience for a possible end to the war for days, even while fighting continues. It is possible that Putin might propose a partial ceasefire for airstrikes on energy facilities. Zelensky, on the other hand, has been firm in Ukraine's demands to not cede Ukrainian territory to Russia and to insist on security guarantees. Europeans demand a ceasefire first On the initiative of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European allies of Ukraine tried in the days leading up to the summit to align their position with the US. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the demands listed by Merz was that Ukraine must be at the table for any follow-up meeting. A ceasefire must precede the start of negotiations, he said. If territorial issues are discussed, the current front line must be the starting point and nothing can be agreed to without Ukraine. Merz ruled out any legal recognition of Russian conquests. Additionally, Ukraine needs security guarantees and must maintain a strong army, he said. During a video call between Zelensky, European allies and Trump, the US president reportedly expressed willingness for the US to participate in security guarantees for Ukraine outside of NATO. On his way to Anchorage, Trump reiterated his openness to security guarantees, which would need to be pursued jointly with European states. However, it remains unclear what these guarantees would entail. Donald Trump has urged Volodymyr Zelensky to make a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine after shifting his focus to a peace deal instead of a ceasefire. It comes after the US president held high-stakes talks with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. While an agreement to cease the conflict was not reached after a nearly three-hour meeting, Trump stressed that great progress had been made. Afterwards, Mr Trump posted online that the best way to stop the fighting "is to go directly to a peace agreement" rather than a temporary ceasefire "which often times do not hold up". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His statement was echoed by Zelensky, the Ukrainian president. Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said that "real peace must be achieved" rather than "just another pause between Russian invasions". The White House also announced that Zelensky will fly to Washington on Monday to meet Trump which will be the pairs first sit-down in North America since the infamous Oval Office spat in February after a "long and substantive" call reflecting on Putins comments. Putin said that his meeting with Trump was very useful, according to the Kremlin transcript of his opening transcript. "We talked about almost all areas of interaction, but first of all, of course, we talked about a possible resolution of the Ukrainian crisis on a fair basis. And of course, we had the opportunity, which we did, to talk about the genesis, about the causes of this crisis. It is the elimination of these root causes that should be the basis for settlement," the Russian president said. Putin and Trump held a press conference (Getty Images) According to Reuters, the US has offered Ukraine NATO-style security guarantees in the event of a peace deal but without officially joining the military bloc. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who spoke with Trump and Zelensky after the summit, said that the presidents efforts have brought us closer than ever before to peace. He added: Until (Putin) stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions, which have already had a punishing impact on the Russian economy and its people. Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said that Putin must face the "consequences of dragging out his war", stressing: "Only his actions are real indicators of whether he is truly willing to end his terror and aggression." Trump and Putin held talks in Anchorage on Friday, with the aim of negotiating a path to peace in eastern Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were many, many points that we agreed on," Trump said at a joint press conference with Putin after the talks. "I would say a couple of big ones that we haven't quite got there, but we've made some headway. So there's no deal until there's a deal." The pair met at the nearby airports runway (AP) Both men spoke for a few minutes to reporters and took no questions. It was not clear whether the talks produced meaningful steps toward a ceasefire in Europes deadliest conflict since the Second World War. In brief remarks, Putin said he expected Ukraine and its allies to accept the results of the US-Russia negotiation, warning them not to "torpedo" the progress toward a resolution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump and Putin, along with top foreign-policy aides, conferred in a room at an Air Force base in their first encounter since 2019. A blue backdrop behind them had the words "Pursuing Peace" printed on it. They were joined for the crunch meeting by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trumps Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, as well as Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and Putins aide Yuri Ushakov. Putin and Trump at the joint press conference (AP) Trumps convoy arrived in the US state at around 10.30am local time after a seven hour flight from Washington. Putins delegation from Moscow arrived half an hour later. Both men greeted one another with warm handshake on the runway at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport at 11.10am local time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A bilateral lunch was also scheduled, featuring Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trumps chief of staff Susie Wiles. Trump departed Washington at around 5am local time and posted "HIGH STAKES!!!" as a status on his Truth Social platform. The two leaders had a fraught meeting in February (AP) He told reporters on Air Force One that "something is going to come" of his meeting. Asked about security guarantees, Trump said the US could be involved, "along with Europe and other countries". But he suggested this would not be in the form of NATO membership for Ukraine, saying there are "certain things that are not gonna happen". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump also claimed that Putin "wants a piece" of the US economy, but said there would be no trade deal until we get the war settled. Ahead of the talks, Zelensky said his country was "counting on America, writing: "The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side. The pair shook hands in Alaska (REUTERS) "It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America. We are ready, as always, to work as productively as possible." Addressing reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday ahead of the meeting, Trump said: I am president, and (Putins) not going to mess around with me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The US president also suggested that European leaders, including Sir Keir, could attend a second meeting with Trump, Putin and Zelensky, if Fridays talks proved successful. Sir Keir is a key member of the so-called coalition of the willing a group that has supported Ukraine which has also included French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Questions have been raised about why the European leaders were not invited to Fridays summit. Putin waves during a visit to a fish factory in Magadan (REUTERS) Defence Secretary John Healey dismissed suggestions that Britains approach to the Ukraine war was to "watch and wait" as the US holds talks with Putin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He told BBC Breakfast: "No, the UK's role is to stand with Ukraine on the battlefield and in the negotiations, and prepare as we have been, leading 30 other nations with military planning for a ceasefire and a secure peace through what we call the coalition of the willing. "Our role is to lead the charge as we have been on more intensive diplomacy, to lead the charge on military aid to Ukraine so that we don't jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the current war, and being ready also to step up economic pressure on Putin if he's not willing to take the talks seriously." On Thursday, Putin praised Trumps since efforts towards ending the war in Ukraine and seeking to reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved. In televised comments, Putin said Trump was "making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict." Starmer welcomed Zelensky to Downing Street (PA) This was happening, Putin said, "to create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, and in Europe, and in the world as a whole - if, by the next stages, we reach agreements in the area of control over strategic offensive weapons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His comments signalled that Russia raised nuclear arms control as part of a wide-ranging discussion on security. A Kremlin aide said Putin and Trump would also discuss the "huge untapped potential" for Russia-US economic ties. Russia controls around a fifth of Ukraine, and Zelensky and the Europeans worry that a deal could cement those gains, rewarding Putin for 11 years of efforts to seize Ukrainian land and emboldening him to expand further into Europe. Friday's summit, the first Russia-US summit since June 2021, comes at one of the toughest moments for Ukraine in a war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Smoke billows above the Lvivs buildings (AFP via Getty Images) Ukrainians expressed anger and frustration on Saturday over the failure of Trump and Putin to agree on the need for a truce in the Ukraine war at a summit and the sight of Donald Trump giving Vladimir Putin a red-carpet welcome in Alaska. "He (Putin) won. Trump showed his attitude towards him and at the same time towards us. This meeting did not end well for Ukraine," said a 26-year-old soldier who gave only his call-sign "Dzha". "... we need to end the war. We need to really sit down at the negotiating table and talk, come to an agreement, because every day fighters die, get injured." "Dzha" was serving as godfather at a baptism in a church in Zaporizhzhia, southeastern Ukraine, one of four regions Russia claims to have annexed, though it does not fully control them. Protestors hold slogans during a demonstration (AFP via Getty Images) "They (Putin and Trump) made some agreements for their states," said Viktor Tkach, the chaplain conducting the baptism. "And here in Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, in the Zaporizhzhia region, we will keep suffering, glide bombs will keep falling on us." Some were outraged that Trump had invited Putin to the U.S. and treated him with such respect, as an equal. Putin has been ostracised by Western leaders since launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and is wanted by the International Criminal Court, accused of the war crime of deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine, which he denies. "Literally yesterday, a ballistic missile was launched at Sumy. And this animal (Putin) flies to Alaska where people applaud him, and the red carpet is rolled out in front of him," said Hanna Kucherenko, a 25-year-old model, in Kyiv. "How is that even possible now?" A manipulated image of Trump and Putin shaking hands on the airport tarmac against the backdrop of bombed residential apartment blocks in Ukraine circulated widely online. "I do not know what Trump is even thinking about. I have an impression that he is just the same (as Putin)," said Kyiv pensioner Tetiana Vorobei. "They are identical." By Steve Holland ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not negotiate on behalf of Ukraine in his Friday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and would let Kyiv decide whether to engage in territorial swaps with Russia. Trump said his goal was to get the two sides to start a negotiation, with any territorial swaps to be addressed then. "They'll be discussed, but I've got to let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they'll make a proper decision. But I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to get them at a table," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's remarks are likely to offer some assurance to Ukraine, which is worried that the U.S.-Russia talks could freeze the conflict at Ukraine's expense. Trump said the Russian offensive in Ukraine was likely aimed at helping to strengthen Putin's hand in any negotiations to end the war. "I think they're trying to negotiate. He's trying to set a stage. In his mind that helps him make a better deal. It actually hurts him, but in his mind that helps him make a better deal if they can continue the killing," he said. The U.S. president said he expected his meeting with Putin to produce results, given the stakes involved and weakness in the Russian economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He's a smart guy, been doing it for a long time but so have I ... we get along, there's a good respect level on both sides, and I think, you know, something's going to come of it," he said. Trump said it was a good sign that Putin was bringing business executives with him from Russia, but said no deals could be made until the war was settled. "I like that 'cause they want to do business, but they're not doing business until we get the war settled," he said. (Reporting by Steve Holland, Susan Heavey and Ryan Patrick Jones, writing by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Ross Colvin and David Goodman) US President Donald Trump has confirmed that Washington may provide Ukraine with certain security guarantees, but not "in the form of NATO". Source: Trump during a press gaggle on Air Force One en route to Alaska for a summit with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, as reported by European Pravda Details: Trump was asked whether the United States could provide Ukraine with security guarantees in coordination with European partners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Not in the form of NATO because, you know, there are certain things that aren't going to happen, but yeah, along with Europe, there's a possibility of that," Trump said. This confirms the position expressed by French President Emmanuel Macron after Trump spoke with European leaders and Zelenskyy on 13 August. Trump also confirmed that the issue of Ukrainian territories will be raised in his conversation with Putin, but he will not "negotiate for Ukraine". Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! A "highly anticipated" meeting. An opportunity to "feel out" where Russian President Vladimir Putin stands. A "listening exercise." That's how President Donald Trump and the White House have described Friday's summit in Alaska, their first time meeting in person since Putin's brutal invasion of Ukraine and Trump's return to office. Trump said he will push Putin for a ceasefire but has tempered expectations that an immediate deal will be struck at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Ukraine, left out in Trump-Putin summit, fears setbacks on key peace issues Instead, he said the goal is to set up a second meeting that will include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "Tomorrow, all I want to do is set the table for the next meeting," Trump said in the Oval Office on Thursday afternoon. He even floated the idea of staying in Alaska to quickly make that happen. "I think it's going to be a good meeting," Trump said of his one-on-one with Putin, "but the more important meeting will be the second meeting that we're having. We're going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, myself and maybe we'll bring some of the European leaders, maybe not." Will Oliver/EPA/Shutterstock - PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks after signing a presidential proclamation honoring the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, August 14, 2025. Trump said Friday's summit was requested by Putin, and that it wasn't his decision to exclude Zelenskyy from the initial talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelenskyy and European leaders instead held a virtual conference with Trump on Wednesday to assuage fears that the U.S. and Russia would come to a backroom agreement without Ukraine's input. Zelenskyy said he warned Trump that Putin is "bluffing" in wanting to pursue peace and laid out Ukraine's key demands for any agreement, including binding security guarantees and that Kyiv be the decider on any territorial concessions. MORE: In Alaska, is Putin offering Trump peace or a trap?: ANALYSIS Trump on Thursday said he believed both Zelenskyy and Putin "will make peace" but left open the possibility that his sit-down with Putin will be unsuccessful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're going to find out where everybody stands, and I'll know within the first two minutes, three minutes, four minutes or five minutes. We tend to find out whether or not we're going to have a good meeting or a bad meeting, and if it's a bad meeting, it'll end very quickly," Trump said. "And if it's a good meeting, we'll then end up getting peace in the pretty near future," Trump added. Jeenah Moon/Reuters - PHOTO: Aircraft sit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson ahead of a planned meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the war in Ukraine, in Anchorage, Alaska, August 13, 2025. Trump told voters during the 2024 campaign that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war within his first 24 hours in office, which he later said was an "exaggeration." In the early months of his administration, Trump said he believed Putin was sincere in his pursuit of peace and described Ukraine as "difficult." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Look, nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together, OK?" Trump said back in May. Now seven months into his term and the conflict still raging on, Trump's expressed increasing frustration with Putin's leadership. This week, he threatened "severe consequences" on Russia should it not bring an end to the war, though didn't elaborate on what those would be. "Trump's goal should be to put pressure on Putin," said William Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine under the Bush and Obama administrations currently serving as a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. "Trump's goal should be to demonstrate to Putin that he is willing to put serious pressure, economic pressure or weapons to Ukrainians, on Putin so that they get to the step of a ceasefire." Putin has different aims, Taylor said, including to gain legitimacy on the world stage after becoming a global pariah and to delay harsher penalties from the U.S. Trump had set Aug. 8 as a deadline for Putin to agree to a ceasefire or face sanctions, but instead announced he would be meeting with Putin face-to-face. Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via Reuters - PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with members of Russia's top leadership at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, August 14, 2025. "Putin wants to be able to try to convince Trump that he's ready to have a negotiation on a ceasefire or a final settlement. Every indication is that he's not ready to do that, but he wants Trump to believe he is," Taylor said. "So this is Putin trying to both get a meeting, get a photograph but also to delay sanctions, delay other other steps that Trump could take so he can continue the fight in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the eve of the summit, Putin appealed to Trump with a statement praising the U.S. president for "quite an energetic and sincere effort, in my opinion, to stop hostilities, to stop the crisis and to reach an agreement that is of interest to all those involved in this conflict." Trump on Thursday rejected suggestions the meeting was a reward for Putin or that Putin had a strong hand heading into Friday's talks. "If I were not president, in my opinion, he would much rather take over all of Ukraine. But I am president and Putin will not mess around with me," Trump said. After US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of military and federal law enforcement to Washington in August 2025, social media users circulated numerous images purporting to show the scene in the nation's capital. While media and bystanders have captured many authentic visuals of the enhanced police presence, two pictures shared in one widely viewed post are unrelated; the photos show National Guard soldiers in 2021, around former president Joe Biden's inauguration. "These pics from DC today are downright dystopian," says the August 11, 2025 post on X. Screenshot from X taken August 15, 2025 The post came after Trump said August 11 that he would place Washington's Metropolitan Police Department under federal government control while also sending the National Guard to patrol the streets of the US capital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president ordered the deployment -- which included 800 National Guard troops and follows a similar move in Los Angeles, California in June -- to curb what he billed as rampant crime in the city, where violent offenses are in fact down. AFP and other media captured photos and videos of military personnel and vehicles set up throughout the city. A member of the US National Guard walks past military vehicles on the National Mall in Washington on August 14, 2025 Alex WROBLEWSKI AFP Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP Members of the US National Guard patrol at Union Station in Washington on August 14, 2025 Jim WATSON AFP Jim WATSON / AFP But the photos shared in the post on X are old and unrelated to Trump's actions, reverse image searches revealed. The first image in the post is an AFP photo captured January 17, 2021, showing members of the National Guard standing watch outside the US Capitol in anticipation of possible protests from anti-government and far-right groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the January 6, 2021 attack on the building and Trump's false claims of widespread election fraud in the 2020 election, authorities had been on alert for potential armed protests ahead of Biden's presidential inauguration. Members of the US National Guard stand watch at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 17, 2021, during a nationwide protest called by anti-government and far-right groups supporting Donald Trump and his claim of electoral fraud in the 2020 election ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS AFP ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP The second picture in the X post was published by the National Guard and shows the force's soldiers providing security outside the Capitol the day Biden was sworn into office (archived here). Screenshot from ang.af.mil taken August 15, 2025 According to the photo's caption, more than 26,000 National Guard members from all states and territories mobilized to Washington for the ceremony, with about 2,200 staying until May 2021. AFP has debunked other misinformation about US politics here. WASHINGTON (AP) The federal budget deficits caused by President Donald Trumps tax and spending law could trigger automatic cuts to Medicare if Congress does not act, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported Friday. The CBO estimates that Medicare, the federal health insurance program for Americans over age 65, could potentially see as much as $491 billion in cuts from 2027 to 2034 if Congress does not act to mitigate a 2010 law that forces across-the-board cuts to many federal programs once legislation increases the federal deficit. The latest report from CBO showed how Trump's signature tax and spending law could put new pressure on federal programs that are bedrocks of the American social safety net. Trump and Republicans pledged not to cut Medicare as part of the legislation, but the estimated $3.4 trillion that the law adds to the federal deficit over the next decade means that many Medicare programs could still see cuts. In the past, Congress has always acted to mitigate cuts to Medicare and other programs, but it would take some bipartisan cooperation to do so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats, who requested the analysis from CBO, jumped on the potential cuts. Republicans knew their tax breaks for billionaires would force over half a trillion dollars in Medicare cuts and they did it anyway, said Rep. Brendan F. Boyle, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, in a statement. American families simply cannot afford Donald Trumps attacks on Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare. Hospitals in rural parts of the country are already grappling with cuts to Medicaid, which is available to people with low incomes, and cuts to Medicare could exacerbate their shortfalls. As Republicans muscled the bill through Congress and are now selling it to voters back home, they have been highly critical of how CBO has analyzed the bill. They have also argued that the tax cuts will spur economic growth and pointed to $50 billion in funding for rural hospitals that was included in the package. ___ People participate in a naturalization ceremony last year at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, N.J. The Trump administration is encouraging states to use an online search tool to verify the citizenship of registered voters, alarming some Democrats and privacy experts. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) BILOXI, Miss. The Trump administration is developing a powerful data tool it claims will let states identify noncitizens registered to vote. But Democratic critics and data experts warn it could allow the federal government to vacuum up vast quantities of information on Americans for unclear purposes. Some Democratic election officials and opponents of the effort fear President Donald Trump wants to build a federal database of voters to target political opponents or cherry-pick rare examples of noncitizen voters to fuel a sense of crisis. Republican election officials allied with the president counter that hes helping states to maintain accurate voter rolls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration has rolled out changes to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, tool at the same time the U.S. Department of Justice is asking states for copies of their voter rolls. The timing, combined with questions about what happens to voter data uploaded to the program, has alarmed critics. Trump wants Congress to pass a national proof of citizenship voter registration requirement and in March tried to unilaterally impose one for federal elections through executive order. But with the legislation stalled and the order halted by the courts, the citizenship data tool may offer a backdoor way to accomplish the same goal. SAVE was originally intended to help state and local officials verify the immigration status of individual noncitizens seeking government benefits. But U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, this spring refashioned it into a platform that can scan states voter rolls if election officials upload the data. The changes to SAVE, rolled out over just a few months and with little public debate, are tinkering with sort of the bones of democracy, said John Davisson, senior counsel and director of litigation at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a Washington, D.C.-based research and advocacy group that argues privacy is a fundamental right. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Youre talking about the voting process and who will be eligible to vote, Davisson said. And to take a system that is not designed for use in that process and repurpose it, really on the fly, without a formal comment process, without formal rulemaking, without congressional intervention thats pretty anomalous and pretty alarming. Previously, SAVE could only search one name at a time. Now it can conduct bulk searches, allowing state officials to potentially feed into it information on millions of registered voters. SAVE checks that information against a series of federal databases and reports back whether it can verify someones immigration status. Since May, it also can draw upon Social Security data, transforming the program into a tool that can confirm citizenship because Social Security records for many, but not all, Americans include the information. NPR reported earlier on changes to SAVE. It is incredible what has been done, really since March, Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray, a Republican who supports proof of citizenship requirements and the SAVE tool, told a gathering of state secretaries of state in Biloxi, Mississippi, last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Individuals registering to vote in federal elections must already sign a statement affirming they are citizens under penalty of perjury, and those who cast a ballot face criminal penalties and deportation. One study of the 2016 election placed the prevalence of noncitizen voting at 0.0001% of votes cast. But as Trump has spread falsehoods about elections, Republicans have made purging noncitizens from voter rolls a central focus. Nameplates at the National Association of Secretaries of State conference in Biloxi, Miss. The Trump administration wants state secretaries of state to use an online program to identify noncitizens on their voter rolls. (Photo by Jonathan Shorman/Stateline) Democratic concerns were on display last week at the National Association of Secretaries of State conference, held at the Beau Rivage casino-resort in Biloxi. In interviews on the sidelines of the conference, Democratic secretaries of state voiced deep reservations or outright opposition about plugging their voter data into SAVE. Maine Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said Aug. 6 that the federal government appeared to be trying to take over election administration. She formally rejected the Justice Departments voter roll request two days later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bellows said the Department of Homeland Security told her in a recent phone call that it planned to retain SAVE data for 10 years for audit purposes only. Just like the [Justice Department] is asking us to hand over an electronic file of all the voters in our state, it seems like the Department of Homeland Security is through this backdoor system also asking us to share voter information about every voter in our state, Bellows said. At least one state appears to have granted the federal government sweeping authority over any voter data it provides to SAVE. Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales announced in July he had reached an agreement with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to access the newly expanded system for voter list maintenance. Indianas agreement allows the federal agency to use information the state provides for any purpose permitted by law, including criminal prosecutions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morales, a Republican, said in a news release that SAVE represented another step in safeguarding the rights of eligible voters. His office didnt respond to Statelines questions. The Trump administration has ramped up efforts to encourage state election officials to use the expanded program. The White House hosted a bipartisan fly in event for state secretaries of state on July 29. Multiple secretaries of state told Stateline that USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, who was confirmed on July 15, spoke at the event. The president is very much keyed in on voter list maintenance, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, a Republican, said in an interview echoing other GOP secretaries of state who released statements praising the Trump administration after the meeting. When we disclose information, particularly personal identifying information, we need to have a handle on how its going to be used, by whom and under what circumstances. Minnesota Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat who attended the meeting, said he questioned how the federal government would handle voter information provided to SAVE. He added that the Justice Departments request for his states voter rolls raised his level of concern about how data would be used. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When we disclose information, particularly personal identifying information, we need to have a handle on how its going to be used, by whom and under what circumstances, Simon told Stateline. The White House referred questions about SAVE and the event to the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS. In response to questions from Stateline, USCIS didnt directly answer whether the agency would share voter roll data with other parts of the federal government but confirmed it disposes of records after 10 years. The SAVE application is a critical tool for state and local governments to access information to safeguard the integrity of elections across the country. Its no wonder many states have quickly adopted it, and we continue to promote the tool to other states and counties not using SAVE, USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We look forward to continued optimization efforts and implementing more updates to SAVE. GOP pressure Some Republican election officials and Trump allies have long wanted the federal government to take an expanded role in searching state voter rolls for noncitizens. Last summer the Trump-aligned litigation group America First Legal, co-founded by Trump adviser Stephen Miller, encouraged states to submit to the Department of Homeland Security the names of individuals for citizenship or immigration status verification. Some states did just that. Texas, for example, asked USCIS to verify the citizenship of some voters in September, and Indiana asked the agency to verify 585,774 voters in October. The same month, 16 Republican state attorneys general signed a letter criticizing Homeland Security, then under the Biden administration, for failing to work with states on verification. After Trump took office, GOP state officials kept up the pressure. Twenty-one Republican secretaries of state urged Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in February to prioritize SAVE improvements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On April 16, Indiana sued the department in federal court for not responding to its verification request last fall. USCIS announced an overhaul of SAVE less than a week later. As the agency continues to remake SAVE, the tool will soon allow searches using the last four digits of a Social Security number, multiple state secretaries of state told Stateline. The agency confirmed the feature is under development and will be available soon but didnt provide an exact date. The change would mark another significant expansion of the program because most states collect the last four digits when individuals without a drivers license register to vote. Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, a Republican, said SAVE represents a better way to verify citizenship than a state law requiring voters to produce documents. I think theres a real opportunity for us to do a lot of this through just sharing of information and I think thats what were seeing happen, McGrane said in an interview. Unreliable data? But some voting rights advocates and experts on government data caution against an overreliance on Social Security data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, a progressive policy nonprofit, has noted that Social Security only began tracking the citizenship status of all applicants in 1978 meaning the database doesnt include comprehensive citizenship information for older Americans. Additionally, Social Security may not always have up-to-date information on the status of naturalized U.S. citizens. The nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government also warned in May that since SAVE hasnt used Social Security numbers to verify citizenship in the past, its accuracy and effectiveness are unknown. The success of the expanded SAVE program may also partially depend on whether it has adequate staff and resources, it said. A 2017 Government Accountability Office report found that between fiscal years 2012 and 2016, about 16% of the nearly 90 million SAVE searches required additional verification, which the institute says often translates into federal workers manually checking files. Now that SAVE allows bulk searches, the need for manual checking could rise dramatically. Nick Doctor, director of implementation at the Institute for Responsive Government, said in an interview that a tool confirming the eligibility of registered voters in a way that doesnt burden individuals can be a good thing. But he emphasized that it depends in large measure on SAVEs implementation. The changes that have been made to SAVE happened very quickly and, to my knowledge, we havent seen releases on the level of accuracy of that information, Doctor said. During interviews, Republican secretaries of state stressed that voters arent kicked off the rolls because SAVE cant verify their citizenship. Instead, an inability to verify would likely trigger a follow-up process with the voter. Just because we get something back from the SAVE database, its not a cut and dry, especially on those theyre not sure about, Hoskins, the Missouri secretary of state, said. Still, Arizona illustrates why some Democrats worry about any large-scale effort to ask voters especially longtime, older residents to prove their citizenship. After the state discovered errors in how it tracked voter citizenship dating back years, election officials are contacting some 200,000 voters seeking proof of citizenship documentation. Some have been casting ballots for decades without incident and many feel targeted, Arizona Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said during a presentation at the state secretaries of state conference. They feel insulted when they get that letter, Fontes said. Theres a lot of good-government reasons to believe that something like this, governed properly and governed with fail-safe mechanisms, could have an upside. Charles Stewart III, professor of political science at MIT who studies elections Charles Stewart III, a professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies elections, said Arizona may actually point to the potential usefulness of SAVE. If Arizona runs its voter roll through the program, a list of 200,000 voters needing citizenship verification would perhaps drop into the hundreds, he suggested. Theres a lot of good-government reasons to believe that something like this, governed properly and governed with fail-safe mechanisms, could have an upside, Stewart said. Connecticut Democratic Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas told Stateline that every secretary wants tools to keep voter lists as clean as possible. But the details are important. When she hears of something new, Thomas said she asks whether its the best option available and whether the is are dotted, the ts crossed. She said shes asked USCIS a series of questions about SAVE and is waiting on some responses. When it comes to voter lists, Thomas said, I dont want Connecticut voters to be a guinea pig. Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at jshorman@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE PRNewswire Singapore, August 15: In an era where digital threats are more prevalent than ever, ONESECURE is proud to introduce WEBYITH, an innovative service designed to combat the growing threats of web defacement and web spoofing. As cyber threats continue to evolve, businesses need robust solutions to protect their online presence. WEBYITH leverages advanced algorithms and real-time monitoring to provide comprehensive protection against unauthorized changes and deceptive practices. In today's digital age, the security of online platforms is paramount. Web defacement and web spoofing are two of the most prevalent threats that can compromise the credibility and trustworthiness of a business. Web defacement involves unauthorized alterations to a website's appearance, often replacing legitimate content with malicious messages or images. On the other hand, web spoofing tricks users into believing they are interacting with a legitimate website, leading to potential data breaches and financial losses. WEBYITH is ONESECURE's latest innovation, specifically engineered to detect and mitigate these threats. Leveraging advanced algorithms and real-time monitoring by ONESECURE's 24x7 Security Operation Centres, WEBYITH provides comprehensive protection against unauthorized changes and deceptive practices. This service not only identifies and alerts businesses to potential threats but also offers actionable insights to prevent future occurrences. "WEBYITH represents a significant leap forward in our commitment to cybersecurity," said Edmund How, Managing Director of ONESECURE. "As cyber threats continue to evolve, it is crucial for businesses to stay ahead of the curve. WEBYITH empowers organizations to safeguard their online presence, ensuring that their customers can trust the integrity of their digital interactions." ONESECURE's significant investment in developing WEBYITH underscores their dedication to creating innovative solutions that address the unique cybersecurity challenges faced by modern businesses. WEBYITH's key features include: * Real-Time Monitoring: Continuous surveillance of websites to detect any unauthorized changes or suspicious activities by ONESECURE 24x7 Security Operation Centres. * Human Validation: Cybersecurity professionals validate the findings to ensure accuracy and provide an additional layer of protection. * Actionable Insights: Detailed reports and recommendations to help businesses strengthen their security measures. * User-Friendly Interface: An intuitive platform that makes it easy for businesses to manage their online security. ONESECURE invites businesses of all sizes to experience the benefits of WEBYITH. With its robust features and unparalleled protection, WEBYITH is poised to become an essential tool in the fight against cyber threats. For more information about WEBYITH and to schedule a demo, please visit https://www.webyith.com About ONESECURE ONESECURE Asia, a subsidiary of Secura Group Limited, is a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions, dedicated to protecting businesses from the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats. With a focus on innovation and excellence, ONESECURE offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to safeguard digital assets and ensure the integrity of online interactions. For more information, visit https://www.onesecureasia.com Media Contact:Crystal OngEmail: pr@onesecureasia.comPhone: +65 6978 6688 (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) People participate in a Naturalization Ceremony at Liberty State Park on September 17, 2024 in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) The Trump administration is developing a powerful data tool it claims will let states identify noncitizens registered to vote. But Democratic critics and data experts warn it could allow the federal government to vacuum up vast quantities of information on Americans for unclear purposes. Some Democratic election officials and opponents of the effort fear President Donald Trump wants to build a federal database of voters to target political opponents or cherry-pick rare examples of noncitizen voters to fuel a sense of crisis. Republican election officials allied with the president counter that hes helping states to maintain accurate voter rolls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration has rolled out changes to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, tool at the same time the U.S. Department of Justice is asking states for copies of their voter rolls. The timing, combined with questions about what happens to voter data uploaded to the program, has alarmed critics. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Trump wants Congress to pass a national proof of citizenship voter registration requirement and in March tried to unilaterally impose one for federal elections through executive order. But with the legislation stalled and the order halted by the courts, the citizenship data tool may offer a backdoor way to accomplish the same goal. SAVE was originally intended to help state and local officials verify the immigration status of individual noncitizens seeking government benefits. But U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, this spring refashioned it into a platform that can scan states voter rolls if election officials upload the data. The changes to SAVE, rolled out over just a few months and with little public debate, are tinkering with sort of the bones of democracy, said John Davisson, senior counsel and director of litigation at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a Washington, D.C.-based research and advocacy group that argues privacy is a fundamental right. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Youre talking about the voting process and who will be eligible to vote, Davisson said. And to take a system that is not designed for use in that process and repurpose it, really on the fly, without a formal comment process, without formal rulemaking, without congressional intervention thats pretty anomalous and pretty alarming. Previously, SAVE could only search one name at a time. Now it can conduct bulk searches, allowing state officials to potentially feed into it information on millions of registered voters. SAVE checks that information against a series of federal databases and reports back whether it can verify someones immigration status. Since May, it also can draw upon Social Security data, transforming the program into a tool that can confirm citizenship because Social Security records for many, but not all, Americans include the information. NPR reported earlier on changes to SAVE. It is incredible what has been done, really since March, Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray, a Republican who supports proof of citizenship requirements and the SAVE tool, told a gathering of state secretaries of state in Biloxi, Mississippi, last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Individuals registering to vote in federal elections must already sign a statement affirming they are citizens under penalty of perjury, and those who cast a ballot face criminal penalties and deportation. One study of the 2016 election placed the prevalence of noncitizen voting at 0.0001% of votes cast. But as Trump has spread falsehoods about elections, Republicans have made purging noncitizens from voter rolls a central focus. Nameplates at the National Association of Secretaries of State conference in Biloxi, Miss. The Trump administration wants state secretaries of state to use an online program to identify noncitizens on their voter rolls. (Photo by Jonathan Shorman/Stateline) Democratic concerns were on display last week at the National Association of Secretaries of State conference, held at the Beau Rivage casino-resort in Biloxi. In interviews on the sidelines of the conference, Democratic secretaries of state voiced deep reservations or outright opposition about plugging their voter data into SAVE. Maine Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said Aug. 6 that the federal government appeared to be trying to take over election administration. She formally rejected the Justice Departments voter roll request two days later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bellows said the Department of Homeland Security told her in a recent phone call that it planned to retain SAVE data for 10 years for audit purposes only. Just like the [Justice Department] is asking us to hand over an electronic file of all the voters in our state, it seems like the Department of Homeland Security is through this backdoor system also asking us to share voter information about every voter in our state, Bellows said. At least one state appears to have granted the federal government sweeping authority over any voter data it provides to SAVE. Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales announced in July he had reached an agreement with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to access the newly expanded system for voter list maintenance. Indianas agreement allows the federal agency to use information the state provides for any purpose permitted by law, including criminal prosecutions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morales, a Republican, said in a news release that SAVE represented another step in safeguarding the rights of eligible voters. His office didnt respond to Statelines questions. The Trump administration has ramped up efforts to encourage state election officials to use the expanded program. The White House hosted a bipartisan fly in event for state secretaries of state on July 29. Multiple secretaries of state told Stateline that USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, who was confirmed on July 15, spoke at the event. The president is very much keyed in on voter list maintenance, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, a Republican, said in an interview echoing other GOP secretaries of state who released statements praising the Trump administration after the meeting. When we disclose information, particularly personal identifying information, we need to have a handle on how its going to be used, by whom and under what circumstances. Minnesota Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simo Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat who attended the meeting, said he questioned how the federal government would handle voter information provided to SAVE. He added that the Justice Departments request for his states voter rolls raised his level of concern about how data would be used. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When we disclose information, particularly personal identifying information, we need to have a handle on how its going to be used, by whom and under what circumstances, Simon told Stateline. The White House referred questions about SAVE and the event to the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS. In response to questions from Stateline, USCIS didnt directly answer whether the agency would share voter roll data with other parts of the federal government but confirmed it disposes of records after 10 years. The SAVE application is a critical tool for state and local governments to access information to safeguard the integrity of elections across the country. Its no wonder many states have quickly adopted it, and we continue to promote the tool to other states and counties not using SAVE, USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We look forward to continued optimization efforts and implementing more updates to SAVE. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX GOP pressure Some Republican election officials and Trump allies have long wanted the federal government to take an expanded role in searching state voter rolls for noncitizens. Last summer the Trump-aligned litigation group America First Legal, co-founded by Trump adviser Stephen Miller, encouraged states to submit to the Department of Homeland Security the names of individuals for citizenship or immigration status verification. Some states did just that. Texas, for example, asked USCIS to verify the citizenship of some voters in September, and Indiana asked the agency to verify 585,774 voters in October. The same month, 16 Republican state attorneys general signed a letter criticizing Homeland Security, then under the Biden administration, for failing to work with states on verification. After Trump took office, GOP state officials kept up the pressure. Twenty-one Republican secretaries of state urged Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in February to prioritize SAVE improvements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On April 16, Indiana sued the department in federal court for not responding to its verification request last fall. USCIS announced an overhaul of SAVE less than a week later. As the agency continues to remake SAVE, the tool will soon allow searches using the last four digits of a Social Security number, multiple state secretaries of state told Stateline. The agency confirmed the feature is under development and will be available soon but didnt provide an exact date. The change would mark another significant expansion of the program because most states collect the last four digits when individuals without a drivers license register to vote. Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, a Republican, said SAVE represents a better way to verify citizenship than a state law requiring voters to produce documents. I think theres a real opportunity for us to do a lot of this through just sharing of information and I think thats what were seeing happen, McGrane said in an interview. Unreliable data? But some voting rights advocates and experts on government data caution against an overreliance on Social Security data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, a progressive policy nonprofit, has noted that Social Security only began tracking the citizenship status of all applicants in 1978 meaning the database doesnt include comprehensive citizenship information for older Americans. Additionally, Social Security may not always have up-to-date information on the status of naturalized U.S. citizens. The nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government also warned in May that since SAVE hasnt used Social Security numbers to verify citizenship in the past, its accuracy and effectiveness are unknown. The success of the expanded SAVE program may also partially depend on whether it has adequate staff and resources, it said. A 2017 Government Accountability Office report found that between fiscal years 2012 and 2016, about 16% of the nearly 90 million SAVE searches required additional verification, which the institute says often translates into federal workers manually checking files. Now that SAVE allows bulk searches, the need for manual checking could rise dramatically. Nick Doctor, director of implementation at the Institute for Responsive Government, said in an interview that a tool confirming the eligibility of registered voters in a way that doesnt burden individuals can be a good thing. But he emphasized that it depends in large measure on SAVEs implementation. The changes that have been made to SAVE happened very quickly and, to my knowledge, we havent seen releases on the level of accuracy of that information, Doctor said. During interviews, Republican secretaries of state stressed that voters arent kicked off the rolls because SAVE cant verify their citizenship. Instead, an inability to verify would likely trigger a follow-up process with the voter. Just because we get something back from the SAVE database, its not a cut and dry, especially on those theyre not sure about, Hoskins, the Missouri secretary of state, said. Still, Arizona illustrates why some Democrats worry about any large-scale effort to ask voters especially longtime, older residents to prove their citizenship. After the state discovered errors in how it tracked voter citizenship dating back years, election officials are contacting some 200,000 voters seeking proof of citizenship documentation. Some have been casting ballots for decades without incident and many feel targeted, Arizona Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said during a presentation at the state secretaries of state conference. They feel insulted when they get that letter, Fontes said. Theres a lot of good-government reasons to believe that something like this, governed properly and governed with fail-safe mechanisms, could have an upside. Charles Stewart III, professor of political science at MIT who studies elections Charles Stewart III, a professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies elections, said Arizona may actually point to the potential usefulness of SAVE. If Arizona runs its voter roll through the program, a list of 200,000 voters needing citizenship verification would perhaps drop into the hundreds, he suggested. Theres a lot of good-government reasons to believe that something like this, governed properly and governed with fail-safe mechanisms, could have an upside, Stewart said. Connecticut Democratic Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas told Stateline that every secretary wants tools to keep voter lists as clean as possible. But the details are important. When she hears of something new, Thomas said she asks whether its the best option available and whether the is are dotted, the ts crossed. She said shes asked USCIS a series of questions about SAVE and is waiting on some responses. When it comes to voter lists, Thomas said, I dont want Connecticut voters to be a guinea pig. Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at jshorman@stateline.org. People participate in a Naturalization ceremony last year at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, N.J. The Trump administration is encouraging states to use an online search tool to verify the citizenship of registered voters, alarming some Democrats and privacy experts (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images). BILOXI, Miss. The Trump administration is developing a powerful data tool it claims will let states identify noncitizens registered to vote. But Democratic critics and data experts warn it could allow the federal government to vacuum up vast quantities of information on Americans for unclear purposes. Some Democratic election officials and opponents of the effort fear President Donald Trump wants to build a federal database of voters to target political opponents or cherry-pick rare examples of noncitizen voters to fuel a sense of crisis. Republican election officials allied with the president counter that hes helping states to maintain accurate voter rolls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration has rolled out changes to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, tool at the same time the U.S. Department of Justice is asking states for copies of their voter rolls. The timing, combined with questions about what happens to voter data uploaded to the program, has alarmed critics. Trump wants Congress to pass a national proof of citizenship voter registration requirement and in March tried to unilaterally impose one for federal elections through executive order. But with the legislation stalled and the order halted by the courts, the citizenship data tool may offer a backdoor way to accomplish the same goal. SAVE was originally intended to help state and local officials verify the immigration status of individual noncitizens seeking government benefits. But U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, this spring refashioned it into a platform that can scan states voter rolls if election officials upload the data. The changes to SAVE, rolled out over just a few months and with little public debate, are tinkering with sort of the bones of democracy, said John Davisson, senior counsel and director of litigation at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a Washington, D.C.-based research and advocacy group that argues privacy is a fundamental right. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Youre talking about the voting process and who will be eligible to vote, Davisson said. And to take a system that is not designed for use in that process and repurpose it, really on the fly, without a formal comment process, without formal rulemaking, without congressional intervention thats pretty anomalous and pretty alarming. Previously, SAVE could only search one name at a time. Now it can conduct bulk searches, allowing state officials to potentially feed into it information on millions of registered voters. SAVE checks that information against a series of federal databases and reports back whether it can verify someones immigration status. Since May, it also can draw upon Social Security data, transforming the program into a tool that can confirm citizenship because Social Security records for many, but not all, Americans include the information. NPR reported earlier on changes to SAVE. It is incredible what has been done, really since March, Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray, a Republican who supports proof of citizenship requirements and the SAVE tool, told a gathering of state secretaries of state in Biloxi, Mississippi, last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Individuals registering to vote in federal elections must already sign a statement affirming they are citizens under penalty of perjury, and those who cast a ballot face criminal penalties and deportation. One study of the 2016 election placed the prevalence of noncitizen voting at 0.0001% of votes cast. But as Trump has spread falsehoods about elections, Republicans have made purging noncitizens from voter rolls a central focus. Democratic concerns were on display last week at the National Association of Secretaries of State conference, held at the Beau Rivage casino-resort in Biloxi. In interviews on the sidelines of the conference, Democratic secretaries of state voiced deep reservations or outright opposition about plugging their voter data into SAVE. Maine Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said Aug. 6 that the federal government appeared to be trying to take over election administration. She formally rejected the Justice Departments voter roll request two days later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bellows said the Department of Homeland Security told her in a recent phone call that it planned to retain SAVE data for 10 years for audit purposes only. Just like the [Justice Department] is asking us to hand over an electronic file of all the voters in our state, it seems like the Department of Homeland Security is through this backdoor system also asking us to share voter information about every voter in our state, Bellows said. At least one state appears to have granted the federal government sweeping authority over any voter data it provides to SAVE. Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales announced in July he had reached an agreement with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to access the newly expanded system for voter list maintenance. Indianas agreement allows the federal agency to use information the state provides for any purpose permitted by law, including criminal prosecutions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morales, a Republican, said in a news release that SAVE represented another step in safeguarding the rights of eligible voters. His office didnt respond to Statelines questions. The Trump administration has ramped up efforts to encourage state election officials to use the expanded program. The White House hosted a bipartisan fly in event for state secretaries of state on July 29. Multiple secretaries of state told Stateline that USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, who was confirmed on July 15, spoke at the event. The president is very much keyed in on voter list maintenance, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, a Republican, said in an interview echoing other GOP secretaries of state who released statements praising the Trump administration after the meeting. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat who attended the meeting, said he questioned how the federal government would handle voter information provided to SAVE. He added that the Justice Departments request for his states voter rolls raised his level of concern about how data would be used. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When we disclose information, particularly personal identifying information, we need to have a handle on how its going to be used, by whom and under what circumstances, Simon told Stateline. The White House referred questions about SAVE and the event to the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS. In response to questions from Stateline, USCIS didnt directly answer whether the agency would share voter roll data with other parts of the federal government but confirmed it disposes of records after 10 years. The SAVE application is a critical tool for state and local governments to access information to safeguard the integrity of elections across the country. Its no wonder many states have quickly adopted it, and we continue to promote the tool to other states and counties not using SAVE, USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We look forward to continued optimization efforts and implementing more updates to SAVE. GOP pressure Some Republican election officials and Trump allies have long wanted the federal government to take an expanded role in searching state voter rolls for noncitizens. Last summer the Trump-aligned litigation group America First Legal, co-founded by Trump adviser Stephen Miller, encouraged states to submit to the Department of Homeland Security the names of individuals for citizenship or immigration status verification. Some states did just that. Texas, for example, asked USCIS to verify the citizenship of some voters in September, and Indiana asked the agency to verify 585,774 voters in October. The same month, 16 Republican state attorneys general signed a letter criticizing Homeland Security, then under the Biden administration, for failing to work with states on verification. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Trump took office, GOP state officials kept up the pressure. Twenty-one Republican secretaries of state urged Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in February to prioritize SAVE improvements. On April 16, Indiana sued the department in federal court for not responding to its verification request last fall. USCIS announced an overhaul of SAVE less than a week later. As the agency continues to remake SAVE, the tool will soon allow searches using the last four digits of a Social Security number, multiple state secretaries of state told Stateline. The agency confirmed the feature is under development and will be available soon but didnt provide an exact date. The change would mark another significant expansion of the program because most states collect the last four digits when individuals without a drivers license register to vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, a Republican, said SAVE represents a better way to verify citizenship than a state law requiring voters to produce documents. I think theres a real opportunity for us to do a lot of this through just sharing of information and I think thats what were seeing happen, McGrane said in an interview. Unreliable data? But some voting rights advocates and experts on government data caution against an overreliance on Social Security data. The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, a progressive policy nonprofit, has noted that Social Security only began tracking the citizenship status of all applicants in 1978 meaning the database doesnt include comprehensive citizenship information for older Americans. Additionally, Social Security may not always have up-to-date information on the status of naturalized U.S. citizens. The nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government also warned in May that since SAVE hasnt used Social Security numbers to verify citizenship in the past, its accuracy and effectiveness are unknown. The success of the expanded SAVE program may also partially depend on whether it has adequate staff and resources, it said. A 2017 Government Accountability Office report found that between fiscal years 2012 and 2016, about 16% of the nearly 90 million SAVE searches required additional verification, which the institute says often translates into federal workers manually checking files. Now that SAVE allows bulk searches, the need for manual checking could rise dramatically. Nick Doctor, director of implementation at the Institute for Responsive Government, said in an interview that a tool confirming the eligibility of registered voters in a way that doesnt burden individuals can be a good thing. But he emphasized that it depends in large measure on SAVEs implementation. The changes that have been made to SAVE happened very quickly and, to my knowledge, we havent seen releases on the level of accuracy of that information, Doctor said. During interviews, Republican secretaries of state stressed that voters arent kicked off the rolls because SAVE cant verify their citizenship. Instead, an inability to verify would likely trigger a follow-up process with the voter. Just because we get something back from the SAVE database, its not a cut and dry, especially on those theyre not sure about, Hoskins, the Missouri secretary of state, said. Still, Arizona illustrates why some Democrats worry about any large-scale effort to ask voters especially longtime, older residents to prove their citizenship. After the state discovered errors in how it tracked voter citizenship dating back years, election officials are contacting some 200,000 voters seeking proof of citizenship documentation. Some have been casting ballots for decades without incident and many feel targeted, Arizona Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said during a presentation at the state secretaries of state conference. They feel insulted when they get that letter, Fontes said. Charles Stewart III, a professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies elections, said Arizona may actually point to the potential usefulness of SAVE. If Arizona runs its voter roll through the program, a list of 200,000 voters needing citizenship verification would perhaps drop into the hundreds, he suggested. Theres a lot of good-government reasons to believe that something like this, governed properly and governed with fail-safe mechanisms, could have an upside, Stewart said. Connecticut Democratic Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas told Stateline that every secretary wants tools to keep voter lists as clean as possible. But the details are important. When she hears of something new, Thomas said she asks whether its the best option available and whether the is are dotted, the ts crossed. She said shes asked USCIS a series of questions about SAVE and is waiting on some responses. When it comes to voter lists, Thomas said, I dont want Connecticut voters to be a guinea pig. 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. Aug. 15BILOXI, Miss. The Trump administration is developing a powerful data tool it claims will let states identify noncitizens registered to vote. But Democratic critics and data experts warn it could allow the federal government to vacuum up vast quantities of information on Americans for unclear purposes. Some Democratic election officials and opponents of the effort fear President Donald Trump wants to build a federal database of voters to target political opponents or cherry-pick rare examples of noncitizen voters to fuel a sense of crisis. Republican election officials allied with the president counter that he's helping states to maintain accurate voter rolls. The Trump administration has rolled out changes to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, tool at the same time the U.S. Department of Justice is asking states for copies of their voter rolls. The timing, combined with questions about what happens to voter data uploaded to the program, has alarmed critics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump wants Congress to pass a national proof of citizenship voter registration requirement and in March tried to unilaterally impose one for federal elections through executive order. But with the legislation stalled and the order halted by the courts, the citizenship data tool may offer a backdoor way to accomplish the same goal. SAVE was originally intended to help state and local officials verify the immigration status of individual noncitizens seeking government benefits. But U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, this spring refashioned it into a platform that can scan states' voter rolls if election officials upload the data. The changes to SAVE, rolled out over just a few months and with little public debate, are "tinkering with sort of the bones of democracy," said John Davisson, senior counsel and director of litigation at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a Washington, D.C.-based research and advocacy group that argues privacy is a fundamental right. "You're talking about the voting process and who will be eligible to vote," Davisson said. "And to take a system that is not designed for use in that process and repurpose it, really on the fly, without a formal comment process, without formal rulemaking, without congressional intervention that's pretty anomalous and pretty alarming." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Previously, SAVE could only search one name at a time. Now it can conduct bulk searches, allowing state officials to potentially feed into it information on millions of registered voters. SAVE checks that information against a series of federal databases and reports back whether it can verify someone's immigration status. Since May, it also can draw upon Social Security data, transforming the program into a tool that can confirm citizenship because Social Security records for many, but not all, Americans include the information. NPR reported earlier on changes to SAVE. "It is incredible what has been done, really since March," Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray, a Republican who supports proof of citizenship requirements and the SAVE tool, told a gathering of state secretaries of state in Biloxi, Mississippi, last week. Individuals registering to vote in federal elections must already sign a statement affirming they are citizens under penalty of perjury, and those who cast a ballot face criminal penalties and deportation. One study of the 2016 election placed the prevalence of noncitizen voting at 0.0001% of votes cast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But as Trump has spread falsehoods about elections, Republicans have made purging noncitizens from voter rolls a central focus. Nameplates at the National Association of Secretaries of State conference. Nameplates at the National Association of Secretaries of State conference in Biloxi, Miss. The Trump administration wants state secretaries of state to use an online program to identify noncitizens on their voter rolls. (Photo by Jonathan Shorman/Stateline) Democratic concerns were on display last week at the National Association of Secretaries of State conference, held at the Beau Rivage casino-resort in Biloxi. In interviews on the sidelines of the conference, Democratic secretaries of state voiced deep reservations or outright opposition about plugging their voter data into SAVE. Maine Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said Aug. 6 that the federal government appeared to be trying to take over election administration. She formally rejected the Justice Department's voter roll request two days later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bellows said the Department of Homeland Security told her in a recent phone call that it planned to retain SAVE data for 10 years for "audit purposes only." "Just like the [Justice Department] is asking us to hand over an electronic file of all the voters in our state, it seems like the Department of Homeland Security is through this backdoor system also asking us to share voter information about every voter in our state," Bellows said. At least one state appears to have granted the federal government sweeping authority over any voter data it provides to SAVE. Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales announced in July he had reached an agreement with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to access the newly expanded system for voter list maintenance. Indiana's agreement allows the federal agency to use information the state provides for any purpose permitted by law, including criminal prosecutions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morales, a Republican, said in a news release that SAVE represented "another step in safeguarding the rights" of eligible voters. His office didn't respond to Stateline's questions. The Trump administration has ramped up efforts to encourage state election officials to use the expanded program. The White House hosted a bipartisan "fly in" event for state secretaries of state on July 29. Multiple secretaries of state told Stateline that USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, who was confirmed on July 15, spoke at the event. "The president is very much keyed in on voter list maintenance," Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, a Republican, said in an interview echoing other GOP secretaries of state who released statements praising the Trump administration after the meeting. When we disclose information, particularly personal identifying information, we need to have a handle on how it's going to be used, by whom and under what circumstances. Minnesota Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat who attended the meeting, said he questioned how the federal government would handle voter information provided to SAVE. He added that the Justice Department's request for his state's voter rolls raised his level of concern about how data would be used. "When we disclose information, particularly personal identifying information, we need to have a handle on how it's going to be used, by whom and under what circumstances," Simon told Stateline. The White House referred questions about SAVE and the event to the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS. In response to questions from Stateline, USCIS didn't directly answer whether the agency would share voter roll data with other parts of the federal government but confirmed it disposes of records after 10 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The SAVE application is a critical tool for state and local governments to access information to safeguard the integrity of elections across the country. It's no wonder many states have quickly adopted it, and we continue to promote the tool to other states and counties not using SAVE," USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said in a statement. "We look forward to continued optimization efforts and implementing more updates to SAVE." GOP pressure Some Republican election officials and Trump allies have long wanted the federal government to take an expanded role in searching state voter rolls for noncitizens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last summer the Trump-aligned litigation group America First Legal, co-founded by Trump adviser Stephen Miller, encouraged states to submit to the Department of Homeland Security the names of individuals for citizenship or immigration status verification. Some states did just that. Texas, for example, asked USCIS to verify the citizenship of some voters in September, and Indiana asked the agency to verify 585,774 voters in October. The same month, 16 Republican state attorneys general signed a letter criticizing Homeland Security, then under the Biden administration, for failing to work with states on verification. After Trump took office, GOP state officials kept up the pressure. Twenty-one Republican secretaries of state urged Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in February to prioritize SAVE improvements. On April 16, Indiana sued the department in federal court for not responding to its verification request last fall. USCIS announced an overhaul of SAVE less than a week later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the agency continues to remake SAVE, the tool will soon allow searches using the last four digits of a Social Security number, multiple state secretaries of state told Stateline. The agency confirmed the feature is under development and will be available soon but didn't provide an exact date. The change would mark another significant expansion of the program because most states collect the last four digits when individuals without a driver's license register to vote. Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, a Republican, said SAVE represents a better way to verify citizenship than a state law requiring voters to produce documents. "I think there's a real opportunity for us to do a lot of this through just sharing of information and I think that's what we're seeing happen," McGrane said in an interview. Unreliable data? But some voting rights advocates and experts on government data caution against an overreliance on Social Security data. The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, a progressive policy nonprofit, has noted that Social Security only began tracking the citizenship status of all applicants in 1978 meaning the database doesn't include comprehensive citizenship information for older Americans. Additionally, Social Security may not always have up-to-date information on the status of naturalized U.S. citizens. The nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government also warned in May that since SAVE hasn't used Social Security numbers to verify citizenship in the past, its accuracy and effectiveness are unknown. The success of the expanded SAVE program may also partially depend on whether it has adequate staff and resources, it said. A 2017 Government Accountability Office report found that between fiscal years 2012 and 2016, about 16% of the nearly 90 million SAVE searches required additional verification, which the institute says often translates into federal workers manually checking files. Now that SAVE allows bulk searches, the need for manual checking could rise dramatically. Nick Doctor, director of implementation at the Institute for Responsive Government, said in an interview that a tool confirming the eligibility of registered voters in a way that doesn't burden individuals can be a good thing. But he emphasized that it depends in large measure on SAVE's implementation. "The changes that have been made to SAVE happened very quickly and, to my knowledge, we haven't seen releases on the level of accuracy of that information," Doctor said. During interviews, Republican secretaries of state stressed that voters aren't kicked off the rolls because SAVE can't verify their citizenship. Instead, an inability to verify would likely trigger a follow-up process with the voter. "Just because we get something back from the SAVE database, it's not a cut and dry, especially on those they're not sure about," Hoskins, the Missouri secretary of state, said. Still, Arizona illustrates why some Democrats worry about any large-scale effort to ask voters especially longtime, older residents to prove their citizenship. After the state discovered errors in how it tracked voter citizenship dating back years, election officials are contacting some 200,000 voters seeking proof of citizenship documentation. Some have been casting ballots for decades without incident and many feel targeted, Arizona Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said during a presentation at the state secretaries of state conference. "They feel insulted when they get that letter," Fontes said. There's a lot of good-government reasons to believe that something like this, governed properly and governed with fail-safe mechanisms, could have an upside. Charles Stewart III, professor of political science at MIT who studies elections Charles Stewart III, a professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies elections, said Arizona may actually point to the potential usefulness of SAVE. If Arizona runs its voter roll through the program, a list of 200,000 voters needing citizenship verification would perhaps drop into the hundreds, he suggested. "There's a lot of good-government reasons to believe that something like this, governed properly and governed with fail-safe mechanisms, could have an upside," Stewart said. Connecticut Democratic Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas told Stateline that every secretary wants tools to keep voter lists as clean as possible. But the details are important. When she hears of something new, Thomas said she asks whether it's the best option available and whether "the i's are dotted, the t's crossed." She said she's asked USCIS a series of questions about SAVE and is waiting on some responses. "When it comes to voter lists," Thomas said, "I don't want Connecticut voters to be a guinea pig." Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at [email protected]. YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE. President Donald Trump's highly anticipated one-on-one summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin marks his latest effort at securing a peace deal over Ukraine, a priority in his second term. The meeting comes after a string of deals and agreements the White House said Trump has helped broker globally that should earn him something the president has long desired -- a Nobel Peace Prize. "President Trump has brokered on average about one peace deal or ceasefire per month during his six months in office," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing last month. "It's well past time that President Trump was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize." Will Oliver/EPA/Shutterstock - PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks after signing a presidential proclamation honoring the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, August 14, 2025. Trump himself has voiced grievance over not having a Nobel Peace Prize; while taking questions in the Oval Office in February alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, weeks after the U.S. helped broker an ultimately short-lived ceasefire agreement over Gaza, the president said, "They will never give me a Nobel Peace Prize. I deserve it." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president has also said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for U.S.-brokered deals in other conflicts, including the June peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda and the May ceasefire between India and Pakistan. "No, I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be, but the people know, and that's all that matters to me!" Trump said on social media in June. MORE: Trump vowed to be a'peacemaker' but Iran and other conflicts only ramping up on his watch Observers say Trump's desire for the Nobel Peace Prize looms large over the summit with Putin, as the president looks to fulfill a campaign promise to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. It's something he said he would do in the first 24 hours of his second term, though months into his term, as the war raged on, said he had meant the 24-hour pledge "figuratively." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ahead of the planned meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday, some foreign policy experts have voiced concern over how Trump and his supporters' fixation on the prize could impact diplomatic relations. Max Boot, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, argued in a Washington Post column that "Trump's unhealthy obsession with winning the Nobel Peace Prize has driven him to make a series of rash decisions in pursuit of ending the war in Ukraine." "The latest example is the scheduling of a premature summit with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Alaska -- an object lesson in how not to do diplomacy," he wrote. EPA/Shutterstock/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: President Donald Trump in Washington, Aug. 14, 2025 and Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Aug. 12, 2025. Ian Bremmer -- the president and founder of Eurasia Group, a political risk research and consulting firm -- said in a post on X ahead of the talks that he fully expects Putin to "exploit Trump's ambitions for admiration (a la Nobel Peace Prize) in an effort to get what he wants." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several world leaders and officials have expressed their support for Trump getting a Nobel Peace Prize in recent months. Among them, the government of Pakistan said in June it has formally recommended that Trump receive the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize "in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis." A month later, Netanyahu told Trump that he nominated the president for the award after Trump pushed for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters - PHOTO: President Donald Trump holds the hands of Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as they shake hands between each other during a trilateral signing event, at the White House, in Washington, August 8, 2025. After signing a U.S.-brokered agreement at the White House aimed at ending decades of conflict between their countries, the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia said this month that Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize and they would advocate for it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ahead of Friday's summit, John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, told ABC News "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl that nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize is "the way to his heart." "I think what Trump has done is make it clear that he wants a Nobel Peace Prize more than anything else," he said. "And the way to his heart, as Pakistani Chief of Staff [Asim] Munir found, Bibi Netanyahu found -- offer to nominate him." MORE: In Alaska, is Putin offering Trump peace or a trap?: ANALYSIS Bolton, who has been critical of Trump's foreign policy decisions, left his post during Trump's first term amid reports of conflict among the president's foreign policy advisers. Trump said he fired Bolton, while Bolton said he resigned. At the start of Trump's second term, Bolton said Trump terminated his Secret Service protection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement White House officials have touted Trump as a "deal maker" intent on reaching peace. Heading into the summit, Vice President JD Vance called the expected meeting with Putin "a major breakthrough for American diplomacy," saying in an interview with Fox News that a peace deal wouldn't happen without Trump. "We're gonna try to find some kind of negotiated settlement that the Ukrainians and Russians can live with, where they can live in relative peace, where the killing stops," Vance said. "Both the Russians and the Ukrainians probably at the end of the day are gonna be unhappy with it. But I don't think you can actually sit down and have this negotiation absent the leadership of Donald J. Trump," Vance continued. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters - PHOTO: President Donald Trump smiles as he holds a document during a trilateral signing event with Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev at the White House, in Washington, August 8, 2025. Though he often brings it up, Trump has contended that he is "not politicking" for the Nobel Peace Prize, which was last given to a U.S. leader in 2009, when former President Obama received it less than a year into his first term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It would be a great honor, certainly. But I would never politic. I'm not doing it for that," he said during this month's Azerbaijan-Armenia peace summit. "I'm doing it because of really, number one, I want to save lives. That's why I'm involved so much with Ukraine and Russia -- saving lives of Russians and Ukrainians." A day before the planned summit, Trump said he believed he'd have a "good" conversation with Putin but said that the more significant development in the peace effort would be a second meeting between the U.S., Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "I'm there for one reason," he said. "I want to see if I can stop the killing." (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place at 11 a.m. (1900 GMT) in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, the White House said in a press schedule statement on Thursday. Trump will depart the White House at 6:45 am EDT (1045 GMT) on Friday and leave Anchorage at 5:45 p.m. Alaska Time the same day. He is scheduled to arrive back at White House early Saturday morning. (Reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) TUCUMCARI, N.M. (KRQE) New Mexico State Police arrested a 15-year-old student for allegedly making threats against Tucumcari High School. State Police said school administration contacted the law enforcement agency on Wednesday regarding the student, claiming the teen made repeated threats to plan and bring a gun to school the following day. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Police worked with the local district attorneys office to get a search warrant for the teens home. NMSP, Tucumcari Police, and the Quay County Sheriffs Office carried out the warrant and seized multiple guns and ammo from the home. The 15-year-old was taken into custody and brought to the Lea County Juvenile Detention Center in Lovington on one charge of making a shooting threat. NMSP said the Tucumcari Police Department responded to the teens home more than 70 times for disturbance calls involving the teen from June 2025 to the present. One of those calls included the juvenile being in possession of a stolen firearm, state 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 KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. JOPLIN, Mo. Quite the tunnel of supporters Friday at Missouri Southern. Its become a tradition over the last number of years to do this for freshmen in the lower parking lot, as they head to orientation and a pep rally inside the Taylor Performing Arts Center. Other students, along with faculty and staff, and university president Dr. Dean Van Galen even members of the community all formed a human tunnel to welcome those freshmen and cheer them on. More on MSSU Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, what about all of this attention? Ahh its okay. Through the tunnel, you get to meet a lot of people and it can be overwhelming, but its the best way to meet people kind of get yourself out there meet your teachers, meet who youre going to be working with. Its just a great way to kind of connect to everyone, said Ava Wilson, MSSU Junior. I think this is a perfect opportunity for them to see how excited we are for them to be here. And to be just part of the very beginning of this journey that theyre starting, said Sam Sweet, MSSU Director of Student Activities. And, students have a ton of weekend activities from which to choose, some are actually scheduled for tonight. Their first day of class for all students is Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkish police detained 40 people including the mayor of Istanbul's central Beyoglu district as part of a corruption investigation, state broadcaster TRT Haber said on Friday, the latest wave in a crackdown on the opposition. Beyoglu Mayor Inan Guney from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) was the 16th mayor to have been taken into custody in the crackdown, in which a total of more than 500 people have been detained in less than a year. Among those currently in prison is Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, who is being investigated on charges of corruption and links to terrorism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CHP denies the charges and calls them an attempt to eliminate a democratic alternative, a charge the government rejects. TRT Haber said those held in the latest operation are suspected of involvement in fraudulent activities at companies linked to the Istanbul municipality. Arrest warrants were issued for a total of 44 people, including the 40 detained, it said. On Thursday, CHP mayor Ozlem Cercioglu from the western city of Aydin joined Erdogan's ruling AK Party, citing disagreements with the CHP administration. CHP leader Ozgur Ozel told reporters, without providing evidence, that AKP officials had threatened Cercioglu with legal investigations into her municipality and arrest unless she joined the ruling party. AKP deputy chair Hayati Yazici called Ozel's allegation "completely untrue". Cercioglu also rejected the claim. (Reporting by Daren Butler; Editing by Michael Perry) NEW YORK Brooklyn construction company executive Erden Arkan was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay more than $27,000 in fines Friday after pleading guilty to pumping illegal straw donations into Mayor Eric Adams 2021 campaign coffers as part of a scheme prosecutors say involved Turkeys government. Though the related criminal case against Adams is over, it was revealed in court Friday that Arkan has been cooperating in the city Campaign Finance Boards ongoing investigation into allegations that the mayors 2021 and 2025 campaigns engaged in a variety of straw donor schemes. Arkan, a Turkish national and owner of Williamsburg-based KSK Construction who first pleaded guilty in January, was on the verge of tears as he accepted his sentence during a morning hearing in Manhattan Federal Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I feel profound sadness for the choices I (made), he said, his voice cracking up. Im sincerely sorry to the New York City taxpayers ... I also apologize to this court. The cash Arkan must cough up comprises a $9,500 fine and an $18,000 restitution payment to the Campaign Finance Board. According to his indictment, Arkan, 76, hosted a fundraiser at his offices for Adams first mayoral campaign in May 2021 that drew in a total of $14,000 from 11 individuals. Records show Adams team then submitted those contributions for public matching funds, netting his campaign an additional $18,000 in taxpayer cash. Prosecutors allege the donations were illegal, as Arkan reimbursed his employees for making them in violation of federal and local laws, resulting in the public matching funds unlocked also being fraudulent. Additionally, prosecutors allege Arkan made the illicit donations to Adams at the behest of Reyhan Ozgur, the Turkish governments ex-consul general in New York, identified in court papers as Turkish Official. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Adams now-dismissed corruption indictment, his campaign knowingly solicited and accepted illegal campaign donations and bribes, mostly from Turkish government operatives, in exchange for political favors, like assistance with city building permits. President Donald Trumps administration dropped the Adams indictment as part of a controversial deal that didnt address the merits of the case. The presiding judge, Dale Ho, wrote the deal smacks of a bargain in which the mayor was spared prosecution in exchange for assisting Trumps immigration agenda; Adams has denied any quid pro quo. Arkans defense attorney, Jonathan Rosen, questioned during Fridays court hearing how it makes sense for the Trump-controlled Manhattan U.S. attorneys office to quash the mayors case, but move forward with Arkans, given the overlap between them. Nothing can normalize this unfair exercise of prosecutorial discretion, Rosen said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ho, who has presided over the Arkan case as well, acknowledged there was incongruity between his indictment and the Adams case. However, the judge rejected the idea Arkan shouldnt face the music as a result. It is not a victimless crime, Ho said, arguing Arkans offenses violated the public trust in a way that breeds cynicism. In a sentencing submission filed earlier this month, Rosen wrote Arkan did not coordinate his decision to use straw donors with the Turkish government, though he did acknowledge his client was first introduced to Adams via the Turkish consul general. Rosen wrote Arkan devised the straw donor scheme after failing to line up enough individual donors to contribute a minimum of $10,000 that the mayors campaign had informed him he needed to come up with in order to host the fundraiser. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a letter to the court filed ahead of Arkans sentencing, the Campaign Finance Boards general counsel, Joseph Gallagher, wrote his crimes wasted taxpayer dollars and deteriorated the integrity of the citys public matching funds program. Gallagher also wrote: The Board appreciates that Mr. Arkan is cooperating with the Boards ongoing audit and investigation of the Adams 2021 and 2025 Campaigns. As part of its ongoing probe, the CFB has denied the mayor millions of dollars in public matching funds for his reelection bid this year, declaring it continues to believe he has violated the law despite the dismissal of his federal case. The mayor maintains he has done nothing wrong and is contesting the matching funds denial. Arkan is the first person to be sentenced as part of a criminal case connected to the mayors historic indictment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A second man, former Adams administration official Mohamed Bahi, pleaded guilty earlier this week to orchestrating a similar straw donor scheme in which another real estate executive of Uzbek descent pumped illegal cash into the mayors 2021 campaign by making contributions in the names of employees. Bahi is expected to be sentenced this fall. _____ A Tuttle local has returned from Texas sporting a new crown. Alexandraya Brown competed in the Heart of Agriculture National Scholarship Pageant in Beaumont, Texas from July 17-19, returning home with the Heart of Agriculture National Cover Miss title. The Heart of Agriculture National Pageant is open to women from infancy to over 60 years old and has over 15 titles awarded to contestants. Brown said she applied and was selected to represent Oklahoma as the 2025 Oklahoma Miss Heart of Agriculture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For this title, you have to have a background in agriculture, Brown said. One of Browns grandfathers owned a dairy farm in Washington and the other had 300 breeding does (goats) in California. She said her grandparents were involved in FFA and 4-H, with some of her grandparents and parents showing cattle professionally. Brown said she was active in 4-H as she grew up as well. Brown is also National Poultry Improvement Plan certified to test birds in Oklahoma and is looking to get certified in artificial insemination for cattle in the future. She also runs a small boutique called Retro Cowgirl, a photography business and shows and breeds rabbits. During the national competition last month, Brown said she competed against five other women in her age category. The pageant categories included an interview, an onstage introduction, state ag fashion and formal wear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For state ag fashion, which is supposed to present agriculture from the contestants state, Browns look was inspired by the Oklahoma state fruit the strawberry. She purchased a dress online and a woven basket from Hobby Lobby, found shoes at a local thrift store and wore her grandmothers pearl necklace. Brown was crowned Heart of Agriculture National Cover Miss at the end of the pageant, which is presented to the contestant who sells the highest number of advertisement pages in the program book, according to the pageants website. This is Browns fourth overall title and first national title, having held the 2023 and 2024 Grady County Miss United States Agriculture titles along with her state Heart of Agriculture title. Now, Brown looks forward to representing her title and promoting agriculture. (I will) still go around, promote agriculture, she said. I feel like I can go a lot more places (and) little girls are going to look up to me. The 4th meeting of the India-Singapore joint working group on Trade & Investment (JWGTI) took place at Vanijya Bhawan in New Delhi on Thursday, bringing the two nations together to strengthen economic cooperation and chart future areas of partnership. The meeting was held a day after the 3rd India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable, underscoring a week of intensive bilateral engagement. According to a Ministry of Commerce & Industry press release, the discussions centred on expanding trade and investment links, identifying priority sectors for alignment, improving logistics and supply chain efficiency, simplifying regulations, and enhancing cross-border trade facilitation. During the meeting, both sides reviewed progress in existing collaborations, including work in the semiconductor sector and the digitalisation of trade processes. They also explored new opportunities in skills development, capacity building, and other emerging industries. The talks were co-chaired by Rajesh Agrawal, Special Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and Beh Swan Gin, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore. Agrawal noted that the India-Singapore relationship has moved beyond traditional trade frameworks, with ample opportunities for further cooperation still ahead. This year marks significant milestones: the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries and the 20th anniversary of the comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA). Signed in 2005, CECA was India's first comprehensive trade agreement with any country and Singapore's first such pact with a South Asian nation. Singapore remains a key economic partner for India. It is India's largest trading partner within ASEAN, with bilateral trade touching USD 34.26 billion in 2024-25. The island nation is also India's second-largest source of Foreign Direct Investment, contributing USD 163.85 billion (about Rs. 11,24,509.65 crore) in equity inflows between April 2000 and July 2024, accounting for roughly 24 per cent of cumulative FDI inflows. The gathering reaffirmed the shared intent to strengthen economic ties, while setting the stage for further technical discussions and follow-up actions in the coming months. (ANI) YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) A pair of twin brothers are in the Mahoning County Jail charged with felonious assault after a report said they followed a woman downtown and stomped on her head. Read next: Police investigating child shot in Struthers Ryan and Bryan Moore, both 49, are expected to be arraigned on the charge, a second-degree felony, later Friday in municipal court. The two were arrested about 3 a.m. Friday in the 100 block of W. Commerce Street after police were called for a fight downtown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reports said when officers arrived, they found a woman sitting on the ground who was unconscious and had vomit on her. Ryan Moore was arrested when police showed up and Bryan Moore was found next to a building on Phelps Street, where he was taken into custody. Reports said a friend of the victim told police they had been downtown and the Moores had been following them. They tried several times to avoid them, but they continued to make advances toward them, according to the police report. The two were in a car on W. Commerce Street and were about to leave when the Moores walked over to their car and asked for their phone numbers, reports said. Reports said the victim was upset and got out of the car and punched one of the brothers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The womans friend also got out of the car and sprayed them with pepper spray as the victim pulled Bryan Moore to the ground, reports said. Reports said Bryan Moore knocked the victim on the ground next to a curb, held her down and Ryan Moore came over and stomped on the womans head as it was against the curb. Witnesses then came over and stopped the fight until police came, reports said. Reports said police have cell phone video of the womans head getting stomped on and that video was given to police. When Bryan Moore was arrested, reports said he had a bag of cocaine in his hand, so he faces an additional charge of possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police could not speak to the victim because of her injuries, reports said. She was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center by ambulance. There is no word on her condition. Reports said although the Moores were not the ones who started the fight, they were charged with felonious assault because of their actions after the fight began. Reports said the woman could have been charged with misdemeanor assault but the Moores did not want to press charges. Because the victim is unconscious, she could not sign her citation. 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. This is an Aedes triseriatus mosquito, known as one of the many types of mosquitoes known to carry the West Nile virus. (Robert S. Craig/CDC) A senior Twin Falls resident died from West Nile, becoming Idahos first death from the virus this year, state health officials announced Friday. Infected mosquitoes spread West Nile virus through bites. Virus activity has been detected this year in mosquitoes in seven southern Idaho counties and Malheur County in Oregon, according to a news release from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. The virus has been found in Canyon County and Ada County. But not all counties test mosquitoes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Idaho health officials encourage people to take steps to prevent mosquito bites while outdoors and on their properties. We strongly encourage Idahoans to fight the bite of mosquitoes to protect themselves and their families, Deputy State Epidemiologist Kathy Turner said in a statement. This tragic death from West Nile virus is a good reminder for all of us to take protective measures against mosquito bites. Wear long sleeves and pants outside and use insect repellent. Around your home and yard, reduce standing water where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. Most people infected with West Nile dont feel sick. A fifth of people infected develop a fever and other symptoms like a headache, body aches, joint pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, swollen lymph glands or a rash. The risk of severe illness is higher for older people and people who have some medical conditions. Severe illness can affect the brain and spinal cord, and can lead to hospitalization or death. Officials encourage people who believe they are sick with West Nile to contact their health care provider. SUB: Tips to avoid West Nile virus To avoid West Nile infections, Health and Welfare encourages people to: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Avoid mosquitoes, especially when they are most active between dusk and dawn. When outdoors, wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants. Wear clothing and gear treated with permethrin, an insecticide. Use insect repellents on exposed skin. Find repellents approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, and follow product instructions carefully. Find repellents online using the EPAs search tool or a CDC chatbot. Use mosquito netting to cover strollers and baby carriers. People should also take steps to mitigate mosquitos on their property, Health and Welfare suggests, including: If your home has damaged screens, repair or replace them. Mosquitos like to breed in standing water. Reduce standing water on your property, like for toys, trays or pots outdoors that can hold water. For bird baths, static decorative ponds and animal water tanks, change water weekly to prevent mosquito larvae from maturing into adults. Find more tips online on Health and Welfares website. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Walgreens store at John F Kennedy Road in Dubuque is facing possible sanctions from the Iowa Board of Pharmacy. (Photo via Google Earth) Two eastern Iowa Walgreens pharmacies are facing possible sanctions from state regulators. They are among six Walgreens stores to be charged this year with violating state regulations. The Iowa Board of Pharmacy has charged a Clinton Walgreens store and a Dubuque Walgreen store with failing to maintain accountability of controlled substances and records; failing to ensure accountability of Schedule III, IV and V controlled substances; failing to create and maintain complete and accurate records; and committing acts that render the stores Controlled Substances Act registration to be inconsistent with the public interest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The board has not disclosed the addresses of either store, but federal records indicate they are located at 1905 N. 2nd St. in Clinton and 55 John F. Kennedy Road in Dubuque. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The board has not disclosed the alleged conduct that led to the filing of any of the charges. Hearings in the two cases are scheduled for Aug. 20, 2025. The charges against the two stores were imposed on May 8, 2025, but were only recently made public through a posting on a state website. In July, three Iowa Walgreens stores were fined by the Board of Pharmacy for medication-dispensing errors, two of which date back to early 2023. The three stores are located at 4600 86th St. in Urbandale, 5 E. Anson St. in Marshalltown, and 625 Pacha Parkway in North Liberty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In May, the board charged the Walgreens store at 3910 University Ave. in Waterloo with failing to maintain ultimate accountability of controlled substances and records; failing to ensure accountability of controlled substances; failing to create and maintain complete and accurate records as required by law; and committing acts that would render the stores Controlled Substances Act registration inconsistent with the public interest. The board has not publicly disclosed the alleged conduct that gave rise to the charges in that case or indicated when the conduct occurred. A board hearing in that case is scheduled for Sept. 24, 2025. In early 2024, eight Iowa Walgreens stores, all previously sanctioned by the state, were charged with violating pharmacy-recordkeeping regulations related to controlled substances. The stores involved in that case are located at 15601 Hickman Road in Clive; 901 N. Ankeny Boulevard in Ankeny; 3140 S.E. 14th St. in Des Moines; 2545 E. Euclid Ave. in Des Moines; 111 W. Ridgeway Ave. in Waterloo; 4555 Fleur Drive in Des Moines; 1251 4th St. in Mason City; and 12753 University Ave. in Clive. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Two people have been arrested following a deadly shooting in Southeast Oklahoma City on August 14. According to the Oklahoma City Police Department, officers responded to the area of SE 21st St. and Central Ave. regarding a drive-by shooting. RELATED STORY: 1 dead, another hurt in Southeast Oklahoma City shooting Upon arrival, officers found two victims, 56-year-old James Blue was pronounced dead at the scene and a female was taken to a nearby hospital and is expected to be okay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police say 18-year-old Robert Rains and 20-year-old Azia Nelson-Louie have been taken into custody. Robert Rains. Image courtesy Oklahoma County Detention Center. Azia Nelson-Louie. Image courtesy Oklahoma County Detention Center. Officials say the suspects allegedly fired into the home from a vehicle before driving to Wewoka, Oklahoma. They were arrested and brought back to Oklahoma City where they have been booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on a murder complaint. 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. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) A joint law enforcement operation shut down four Seneca Falls smoke shops and led to two arrests Thursday after investigators seized weapons and more than 70 pounds of illegal cannabis products. Multiple law enforcement agencies along with the New York State Office of Cannabis Management executed search warrants at Hemp Vibes, Dream Falls Convenience, Smokers N. Munch and Ricks VIP. The stores were suspected of selling cannabis without a state license and making illegal sales to minors, police said. 20-year-old Mohamed Fahd Alsaidi of Saint Albans, was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon for allegedly having a handgun and a large-capacity feeding device. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 31-year-old Muneer N. Abdillah of the Bronx, was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon for allegedly possessing a dagger. Police said more charges are expected. The raids were the culmination of a two-month investigation sparked by community complaints. Officers seized 20.2 pounds of cannabis flower, 44.3 pounds of concentrate, 6.6 pounds of edibles and several weapons, including an illegally modified firearm, according to state regulators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All four businesses were ordered closed. Seneca Falls Police Chief Timothy A. Snyder said his department will continue targeting illegal drug activity. These coordinated operations send a clear message that unlicensed and illegal cannabis sales will not be tolerated in our community, Snyder said. We will not tolerate illegal sales, especially those that target our youth. State officials said the enforcement action was part of a broader crackdown that has included nearly 500 sealing orders and the seizure of more than $125 million worth of illicit cannabis this 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 RochesterFirst. Two Iredell County students have won a national video contest for their creation using artificial intelligence. Muhammad Fawwaz and Maxwell Grace from South Iredell High School won the award from the National Eye Institute. Consumer Reports: Limitations of home robotics and AI They developed what they called an artificial eye and smart cane, according to the Statesville Record and Landmark. It was encouraging to see the device actually helping visually impaired individuals and making an impact on the community of the visually impaired, Fawwaz and Grace said in an email. The boys said their goal was to help the visually impaired. VIDEO: Consumer Reports: Limitations of home robotics and AI HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) Authorities with the Kentucky State Police (KSP) say two were arrested in relation to the death of a 10-month-old, since identified as Scarlette Witherspoon, on August 3. Samantha Stagner and Dayton Mason, both of Earlington, are accused of manslaughter. KSP says someone reported a deceased infant in the 100 block of Boyle Avenue in Earlington, which prompted the investigation. Investigation underway following assault at Whitesville business Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KSP says a preliminary autopsy indicated there were blunt force injuries on Witherspoon. Authorities report Witherspoon had injuries located around the head and torso. Reportedly, these injuries were not present on August 2, when Witherspoon was laid down to sleep. During the time period between then and when Witherspoon was discovered on Sunday, Stagner and Mason were the only ones who wouldve provided care to the infant. Authorities indicate Stagner is Witherspoons mother, and Mason is Stagners boyfriend. Stagner and Witherspoon were living with Mason at the time, and Mason was designated as the one who was living there before the mother and child moved in. Mt. Vernon woman sentenced for dealing 190 grams of meth in Posey County According to a warrant, Witherspoon was laid down to sleep around 8:30 p.m. and also received a bottle. Between 1 and 1:30 a.m. on August 3, another child was in the room with Witherspoon and the suspects checked on that child, before checking on Witherspoon. Witherspoon was reportedly alive at that point. Between the hours of 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., the suspects checked on a different child in the same room as Witherspoon. The suspects allegedly say no one else other than themselves would have been in that room during the time frame of August 2 around 8:30 p.m. to August 3, around 9 a.m. This case is still under investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). Two law enforcement officers on patrol have been killed in the town of Sviatohirsk in Donetsk Oblast after their car was attacked by Russian forces on the morning of 15 August. Source: Donetsk Oblast police on Facebook Quote: "The attack took place today at around 04:45. The police officers were on duty to ensure law and order and public safety." Details: The officers vehicle is reported to have come under Russian fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Roman Penkov, a senior district officer at department No. 4 (Sloviansk) of the Kramatorsk police department, and Valentyn Havrysh, a police driver with the local security police unit, were fatally injured in the attack. Donetsk Military Administration says Russian troops have carried out 49 bombardments of populated areas in Donetsk Oblast over the past day. A total of 5,766 people, including 213 children, have been evacuated from frontline areas. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! RAYTOWN, Mo. Raytown Quality Schools says two of its schools have been closed after a gas leak was discovered earlier this week. Because of the leak, the school district says it has decided that the two schools affected, Raytown South High School and the Herndon Career Center, will remain closed and classes will be held virtually during the first week of school. The first day of school is Aug. 20. See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district said in an email that an unusual and unexpected safety issue involving natural gas was found in the Raytown South High School parking lot late last week. Crews continue to investigate what caused the leak and how it can be repaired. Spire confirmed in an email to FOX4 on Friday that it has been asked to assist in determining the cause. The utility company added that the leak is not believed to be related to its natural gas infrastructure. Safety is always our top priority, Superintendent Penelope Martin-Knox said in a statement Friday. We are working closely with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Spire, and local officials to resolve the issue as quickly and safely as possible so students and staff can return to their buildings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 14-year-old boy killed, girl injured in overnight shooting in Kansas City The district said it is also in contact with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education regarding compliance with mandated school hours. It plans to use Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) days. Updates are expected to be provided to families and staff in the coming days. There will be a device pick-up at Raytown South Middle School from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday and from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday for students to be ready for virtual learning on Wednesday. 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. SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) Two people were rescued from an apartment fire in Syracuse. On Thursday, August 14, around 2:18 p.m., Syracuse firefighters were alerted by the Onondaga County 911 Center of a reported fire in the 100 block of Fordham Road. Crews from Station 9 on Shuart Avenue arrived at the scene in less than three minutes. They found three-story brick apartment building, Rugby Square, with smoke coming from the second-floor windows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Firefighters began bringing firehoses into the building, and other crew members began searching for victims. A Signal 99 was sent out, indicating a working fire. Crews entered the apartment while additional firefighters placed ladders in the windows to provide alternate rescue access. The 911 caller reported being trapped in a bedroom of the second-floor unit that was on fire. A firefighter from Truck 4 climbed a ladder and entered the apartment through the window. They found an adult and a child in the bedroom and assisted them out of the window, where they were guided to safety. The fire had blocked the apartments main exit, making the ladder rescue the safest option. The two occupants that were home at the time of the fire were rescued successfully and treated on the scene by EMS and brought to Upstate Hospital via ambulance for evaluation. Their condition is unknown at this time. No injuries from firefighters were reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The other crew members worked to extinguish the fire and search for other victims, of which there were none. The fire was controlled within 20 minutes and fully extinguished after 30 minutes. It was contained to the second-floor apartment. The rest of the building was affected by smoke and water. The Red Cross assisted with assistance for the two occupants displaced by the fire. Syracuse Fire Investigators determined that the fire originated on the couch in the living room, and was caused by smoking materials. Fire crews remained on scene for over two hours to help with overhaul operations and support the investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Syracuse Police, American Medical Response, National Grid and The Red Cross also responded to the scene. 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 WSYR. India hosted the 10th Meeting of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Joint Committee and related sessions at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, from August 10 to 14, 2025, according to a Ministry of Commerce and Industry statement. The gathering brought together delegates from all ten ASEAN member states to push forward the review of the 14-year-old trade pact. The meetings, held in a hybrid format, were co-chaired by Nitin Kumar Yadav, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, and Mastura Ahmad Mustafa, Deputy Secretary General (Trade), Ministry of Investment, Trade & Industry, Malaysia. Representatives from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam attended. At the heart of the discussions was the ongoing review of AITIGA, aimed at improving its effectiveness, accessibility, and trade facilitation capabilities. This review builds on the progress from eight previous rounds of negotiations. Seven of the eight sub-committees under the AITIGA joint committee also convened alongside the main meeting. These included the sub-committee on Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation (SC-CPTF), Legal and Institutional Issues (SC-LII), National Treatment and Market Access (SC-NTMA), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SC-SPS), Rules of Origin (SC-ROO), Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures (SC-STRACAP), and Trade Remedies (SC-TR). Their deliberations addressed technical issues ranging from product standards to customs processes, forming the groundwork for the main committee's decisions. ASEAN continues to be a major trade partner for India, accounting for roughly 11 per cent of the country's global trade. Bilateral trade between India and ASEAN stood at USD 123 billion in 2024-25, underlining the scale and potential of the relationship. The next AITIGA Joint Committee meeting is set for October 6-7, 2025, at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, with Malaysia as host. The outcomes of the New Delhi talks will form the basis for the next phase of negotiations. (ANI) Federal immigration agents raided an Omaha food plant, Glenn Valley Foods, in June. Witnesses saw people placed into three vans and a bus. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) OMAHA Two of the workers jailed after a high-profile June 10 immigration raid in Omaha were reunited on Friday with their families following a federal judges order that the government was unlawfully detaining the women. The two workers, both women from Mexico, were released on a $15,000 bond that had been set more than a month ago by an immigration judge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yanier Garcia Jimenez and Floribertha Mayo Anicasio had remained jailed in North Platte despite that immigration judges order, because the U.S. Department of Homeland Security quickly appealed. Federal immigration agents during an Omaha worksite raid June 10. (Courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Thursday, U.S. District Court Senior Judge Joseph Bataillon ordered that Garcia Jimenez and Mayo Anicasion be released immediately. Were just ecstatic that our clients have been reunited with their families; that is the most important thing, said Sydney Hayes of Gutman Law Group, who is part of the legal team representing the women. She said the two returned to Omaha Friday. Lawyers for the U.S. Department of Justice and the Lincoln County Sheriff did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Among those listed as defendants were Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer, President Donald Trump, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the U.S. Attorney General and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bataillons Thursday order said the government was violating the womens due process rights by unlawfully detaining them under an automatic stay of the bond he noted had been determined appropriate by a duly appointed immigration judge. The governments appeal came within days of a key July 8 memo by Trumps administration that essentially stopped bond hearings for most undocumented immigrants as they fight deportation. Removal proceedings take months or years. Some immigration lawyers view the new Trump policy as a tactic to push undocumented workers to self-deport. In the situations of Garcia Jimenez and Mayo Anicasio, their legal battles are far from over. Their attorneys will continue to try and build cases as to why they should remain in the United States. Upon their release Friday, that can happen while they are with their families in Omaha versus a North Platte jail where many of those detained from the Glenn Valley Foods worksite raid remain. The Mexican womens cases are similar to that of another Glenn Valley Foods worker represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska. A hearing for Maria Reynosa Jacinto, a native of Guatemala, is to be held next week in Batallions courtroom. The ACLU challenged Reynosa Jacintos prolonged detention in a federal civil rights lawsuit that argues the automatic stay unlawfully violated the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment and goes beyond the federal governments authority by overriding an immigration judges decision on bond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reynosa Jacinto remains in the North Platte jail despite an Omaha immigration judges July 15 ruling that she could be released on a $9,000 bond that had been posted. There is no due process when the government, who lost the argument in court, gets to do what they want anyway, the ACLU wrote in its challenge. Federal ICE officials have said repeatedly that the focus after the raid which led to the apprehension of about 75 allegedly undocumented workers should be on U.S. citizen victims whose identities were allegedly stolen by undocumented immigrants to work at the Glenn Valley plant. The new no-bond practice urged in the Trump administrations memo is the subject of a national class action lawsuit filed by immigrant rights advocates, including the national ACLU. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bataillon did not make a determination on the validity of the Trump administrations new policy, though his opinion said he tended to agree with the plaintiffs lawyers. The Court is concerned only with the lawfulness of the automatic stay, the present basis for petitioners detention, he said, and agreed that continued detention of the women violated due process rights. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX United States Attorney General Pam Bondi was in Greenville on August 14 for a meeting with the state attorney general, lawmakers and law enforcement on public safety threats. Bondi's traveled to South Carolina for a roundtable designed to strengthen the relationships between state and federal agencies, according to a press release by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson's office. Alan Wilson talks about what he would do as Governor of South Carolina, during an interview in Greenville, S.C. Tuesday, July 29, 2025. The roundtable touched on public safety topics like fentanyl trafficking, human trafficking, immigration enforcement, antisemitism, domestic terrorism and internet crimes against children, according to the state attorney general's office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It was an honor to host Attorney General Pam Bondi this morning in Greenville, where federal, state, and local law enforcement came together to discuss human trafficking, drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and the alarming rise in acts of antisemitism, Wilson said in a statement. U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina Bryan Stirling and the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Principal Deputy Administrator Robert Murphy were in attendance along with U.S. Representatives William Timmons, Sheri Biggs, Russell Fry and Joe Wilson. More: Department of Corrections director sworn in as U.S. Attorney for South Carolina Never has there been a more united front between state and federal partners," Wilson said in a statement. "And to the criminals and cartels in South Carolina - were coming for you." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Timmons posted on social media about the visit, saying he was proud to welcome Bondi to South Carolina. I am proud to welcome @AGPamBondi to South Carolina alongside @AGAlanWilson, @BryanStirling, @RepJoeWilson, @RepSheriBiggs & @RepRussellFry for a law enforcement summit. From restoring the rule of law in DC, to securing our border, to helping the homelesswe are carrying out pic.twitter.com/TTmqwMGhMp Congressman William Timmons (@RepTimmons) August 14, 2025 "From restoring the rule of law in DC, to securing our border, to helping the homeless we are carrying out President Trumps mission to keep America safe," Timmons said on social media. Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. Contact her at bcarpentier@gannett.com This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Pam Bondi in Greenville for roundtable on trafficking, internet crimes Amid an ongoing nationwide immigration crackdown that has led to hundreds of arrests in Middle Tennessee, the involvement of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at a Professional Bull Riders event at Bridgestone Arena has drawn backlash in Nashville. The CBP, also known as the U.S. Border Patrol, will be on hand Aug. 15-17 during the Professional Bull Riders Teams Series Stampede Days at Bridgestone Arena, according to a PBR spokesperson. The partnership between PBR and CBP dates back to 2008, according to previous reporting by USA TODAY, but ended in 2011. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was later renewed, in part, following President Donald Trumps January 2017 executive order which called for the hiring of 5,000 additional Border Patrol agents as part of a broader push to strengthen border security and immigration enforcement. According to PBR, its partnership with the U.S. Border Patrol and other sponsors including Monster Energy, Pluto TV, Wrangler, Tractor Supply Co., and Cooper Tires has allowed the organization to award more than $10 million annually to riders. In 2020, several PBR members joined the U.S. Border Patrol on a horseback ride-along, along the U.S.-Mexico border where they witnessed and were involved in a search for undocumented immigrants. Here's what else to know about the partnership and event. CBP event draws condemnation from Nashville immigrant rights group Music City Migra Watch, an immigrant rights group which reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity throughout the Nashville area, condemned the event and called on PBR to revoke the U.S. Border Patrols invitation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group also urged Bridgestone Arena to take a stand against hosting such recruitment efforts. "Families attend rodeos to celebrate rural traditions and enjoy a few hours of escape from the grind of the workweek - not to subject their youth to anti-immigrant propaganda," read a statement provided to the Tennessean. The group alleged that like ICE, CBP performs "similar violent operations" such as apprehension, detention, arrest, and even expedited removal. "The true goals of these agencies are not actually centered on public safety," continued the statement. "The true goals are to line the pockets of private contractors and political megadonors." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We urge the upper management and boards of directors of PBR, Tough Mudder, and Spartan Trail Runs to terminate their partnership contracts with USBP and help put a halt to exploitative USBP recruiting that hurts both working-class recruits and the working families they are tasked with terrorizing." ICE will not be present at Bridgestone Arena, officials say In a phone call with the Tennessean on Aug. 13, Nashville Predators Chief Marketing Officer Bill Wickett maintained that PBR is hosting the event through their long-standing partnership with CBP. As in previous years, CBP will be among the PBR sponsors that will be integrated into the event via in-arena and concourse branding, read a statement from Nashville Predators. ICE will not be present at Bridgestone Arena during the event, said officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a PBR sponsor, CBP activates a booth where they provide information and answer questions, a PBR spokesperson said. In Nashville, they will also have an Honor Guard for the opening presentation and members of Special Operations Group who specialize in rappelling. The spokesperson said that while their involvement at the Nashville event is not a "hiring event," CBP uses their sponsorship and involvement as a way to educate fans about employment opportunities. ICE vs CBP: What's the difference? CBP and ICE are two federal agencies responsible for enforcing immigration laws. Both agencies are part of the Department of Homeland Security, however, operate in different capacities. CBP works at the nations borders, ports and airports, where agents determine who can enter the country and are authorized to arrest or detain individuals near the border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ICE, enforces immigration laws within the U.S. ICE agents can detain individuals they suspect of violating immigration laws after entry. Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for the Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X at @_leyvadiana This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Border Patrol at Nashville PBR event is drawing backlash McALLEN The federal government is ramping up efforts in Texas to combat the spread of New World Screwworm, a pest that could devastate the cattle and wildlife industries in Texas and the nation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a slew of new initiatives and investments to monitor and prevent the spread of screwworm, which is traveling north through Mexico and was detected about 370 miles south of the U.S./Mexico border in July. Screwworms are parasitic flies that lay larvae in open wounds of live, warm-blooded animals, causing them serious harm and, potentially, death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the investments is a $750 million facility in Edinburg that will produce about 300 million sterile screwworm flies per week, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced during a news conference with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday. By mating with sterile female flies, the intent is to produce non-viable eggs so that the population will eventually die out. Rollins called the threat a national security issue that should concern all Americans. The fly endangers our livestock industry and it threatens the stability of beef prices for consumers across America," Rollins said. The new production facility will be the first in the U.S. and will lessen U.S. dependency on production facilities in Panama and Mexico. It will also accompany an $8.5 million screwworm dispersal facility currently under construction at Moore Air Base in Edinburg. That facility will take larvae produced in Panama or Mexico, continue growing them, and distribute the hatched sterile flies to sites of infestation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Construction of the production facility announced today is expected to take at least a year. Until it gets up and running, the USDA will spend up to $100 million on technology to accelerate the U.S. response, such as novel traps and modular sterile fly units. Russell Boening, president of the Texas Farm Bureau, praised Rollins and the Trump administration on the new production facility. This threat is real and urgent, and we cannot afford delays, Boening said in a statement. Immediate construction and deployment of this facility are essential to prevent irreversible harm to the agricultural economy and our nations food system. USDA is also ramping up the hiring of mounted patrol officers, known as tick riders, who typically patrol the southern border to protect cattle from fever tick, but will also now serve as the first line of defense against screwworm by monitoring livestock apprehended along the border for screwworm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department's Beagle Bridge will be trained to detect screwworm infections and the USDA will work with their Mexican counterparts on surveillance training to track screwworm as it moves through the country in real time. Texas last dealt with a screwworm infestation in the 1960s. In 2023, screwworm began to spread north of the Panama Canal. It was detected in Mexico last year, prompting the USDA to suspend imports of livestock from Mexico temporarily. If it were to spread into the U.S., screwworm could cause an estimated $2.1 billion loss to cattle and a $9 billion loss to the hunting/wildlife industries in Texas. In June, Abbott ordered the Texas Animal Health Commission and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to establish a Texas New World Screwworm Response Team to help coordinate and share information on efforts to stop the spread of screwworm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The reality is this is a national and international issue," Abbott said. "Our industries, our ranchers, people who buy groceries are going to face these dire consequences if action is not taken." Reporting in the Rio Grande Valley is supported in part by the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. Disclosure: Texas Farm Bureau and Texas Parks And Wildlife Department have been financial supporters 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. More all-star speakers confirmed for The Texas Tribune Festival, Nov. 1315! This years lineup just got even more exciting with the addition of State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo; former United States Attorney General Eric Holder; Abby Phillip, anchor of CNN NewsNight; Aaron Reitz, 2026 Republican candidate for Texas Attorney General; and State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin. Get your tickets today! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. On Tuesday, Aug. 12 the United States offered a new travel "warning" for its neighbor to the South, revealing a Level 2 advisory for Mexico. The U.S. Department of State describes a Level 2 advisory: "Be aware of increased risks to safety and security. Specific risks are described in the Travel Advisory." Why Does Mexico Have a New Travel Warning? The U.S. Department of State issued a Level 2 advisory for Mexico due to the number of violent crimes that occur in the country, including homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery. "There is a risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in Mexico," the advisory from the U.S. states. "The U.S. government has limited ability to help in many parts of Mexico. U.S. government employees are not allowed to travel to certain high-risk areas. Due to security risks, U.S. citizens should follow the same restrictions as U.S. government employees while traveling," the Department of State warned. Warning for U.S. Government Officials in Mexico The United States offered an additional word of warning for government officials in Mexico, suggesting they don't travel between cities after dark. The officials "must rely on dispatched vehicles from regulated taxi stands or app-based services like Uber or Cabify and may not wave down taxis on the street." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They were also warned against traveling alone and moving between Mexican border cities, the U.S.-Mexico border and the interior of Mexico. Serious 'Do Not Travel' Warning In addition to its Level 2 warning for the entire country of Mexico, the U.S. warned specifically against six states in Mexico with its highest Level 4 "do not travel" warning. U.S. residents were warned against traveling to Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas states due to terrorism and crime in the areas. Eight other states received a Level 3 "reconsider travel" warning from the United States as well. Those can be found in the official release from the government. Related: Southwest Airlines Announces Change on All Flights Starting August 13 U.S. Issues Official Travel 'Warning' for Mexico first appeared on Men's Journal on Aug 12, 2025 Delta Air Lines has long had a partnership with Grupo Aeromexico that allowed the two airlines to plan and price their flights jointly. However, the United States Department of Justice has made a decision that jeopardizes that partnership. In a filing on Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it has decided that the airlines should lose that antitrust protection, citing evidence of restrictive and possibly discriminatory policies by the government of Mexico that have limited competition. This comes after the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a warning to Mexico last month, demanding that Mexico act to address anticompetitive behavior, according to Bloomberg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its filing on Monday, the Justice Department claimed that practices by Mexicos government have limited entry and expansion by certain carriers at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City, and "thereby undermined competitive conditions in Mexico, thwarting open market access on routes between Mexico and the United States." According to Bloomberg, the U.S. Transportation Department claims that Mexico has been acting outside of a 2015 agreement since 2022 by taking slots away from U.S. airlines and carriers at Mexico Citys Benito Juarez airport and restricting air cargo flights there. The two airlines Delta and Grupo Aeromexico issued a statement on the move, claiming that it would punish a US company and US consumers, not the GOM, referencing the government of Mexico as GOM. Other, superior measures are available to remedy the situation with the GOM without harming the US economy; the Department should pursue those alternatives instead, the airlines said in the statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is obviously a pretty major decision as the two airlines have had a partnership going back to 2011. Now, however, the United States claims that the airline alliance no longer serves the public interest. We'll have to see how the situation continues to develop. U.S. Justice Department Makes Major Decision Against Delta first appeared on Men's Journal on Aug 12, 2025 King Charles III led commemorations Friday for World War II veterans and those who lived through the devastating conflict, lauding their "courage" as Britain marked the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, other dignitaries and dozens of veterans at a remembrance service for Victory over Japan day at the National Memorial Arboretum in central England. The trio laid wreaths and floral tributes at the memorial, before attendees and others across the country observed two minutes' silence at noon to mark the eight decades since Japan surrendered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 33 veterans at the service, which also featured flypasts by the Red Arrows acrobatic display team and WWII-era aircraft, all served in East Asia and the Pacific, and are now aged from 96 to 105. In an audio message released ahead of the poignant event, Charles vowed the "service and sacrifice" of those who "saw the forces of liberty prevail" will "never be forgotten". "The courage and camaraderie displayed in humanity's darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity -- a beacon that honours our past and guides our future," he said in the six-minute address. "Let us therefore pledge to be vigilant guardians of the values they bequeathed to us." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Charles met some of the veterans at the Arboretum before joining them and their families at a reception hosted by the Royal British Legion armed forces charity. Some WWII survivors also played a role in Friday's televised ceremony, with army veteran Owen Filer reading the dedication written on the Kohima Epitaph laid in memory of the 1944 Battle of Kohima in southeast Asia. "When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today," the 103-year-old said. - War's true cost' - Other remembrance events took place around the UK, including at the Tower of London, at Belfast City Hall and in Edinburgh -- where a lone piper played on the battlements of the city's castle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his message to the nation, the king linked WWII with "conflicts around the world today", arguing it remained a reminder that "war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life". WWII veterans "proved that, in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear, but the arms you link". Ahead of Friday's commemorations, Starmer held Thursday a special reception for veterans at Downing Street. At the event, he recalled hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky there Thursday morning, adding Ukraine's leader is "fighting for the same values as we were fighting for". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our country owes a great debt to those who fought for a better future, so we could have the freedoms and the life we enjoy today," Starmer told those gathered. "We must honour that sacrifice with every new generation." In his audio message, Charles also urged recognition of the devastation caused by the atomic bombings of Japan, which led the country's Emperor Hirohito to announce its unconditional surrender to the Allies. That came nine days after the first bomb was dropped. "We should also pause to acknowledge that in the war's final act, an immense price was paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- a price we pray no nation need ever pay again," the UK king said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement August 15, 1945, signalled the end of the six-year-long war, though VJ Day is celebrated on September 2 in the United States, marking the date the official surrender documents were signed. In mainland China, it is celebrated on September 3. In Japan on Friday, Emperor Naruhito spoke of his "deep remorse", as tens of thousands of people braved blazing heat to pay their respects at Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni Shrine. It honours 2.5 million mostly Japanese soldiers who perished since the late 19th century, but also enshrines convicted war criminals. jj/jkb/phz Londons Metropolitan Police say at least 60 people will face prosecution for showing support for Palestine Action, the activist group outlawed as a terrorist organisation last month for protesting Israels genocide in Gaza. Three others have already been charged. We have put arrangements in place that will enable us to investigate and prosecute significant numbers each week if necessary, the force said in a statement on Friday. Since the controversial ban on July 7, more than 700 people have been detained at peaceful protests, including 522 arrested at a protest last weekend for holding signs backing the group, believed to be the largest number of arrests at a single protest in the capitals history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Critics, including the United Nations, Amnesty International and Greenpeace, have called the ban an overreach that risks stifling free speech. Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said the latest decisions were the first significant numbers from recent demonstrations, adding: Many more can be expected in the next few weeks. People should be clear about the real-life consequences for anyone choosing to support Palestine Action. The UKs Equality and Human Rights Commission has also warned against a heavy-handed approach, urging the government and police to ensure protest policing is proportionate and guided by clear legal tests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The initial three prosecutions earlier this month stemmed from arrests during a July demonstration, with defendants charged under the Terrorism Act. Police said convictions for such offences could carry sentences of up to six months in prison, along with other penalties. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley praised the rapid coordination between officers and prosecutors, saying he was proud of how our police and CPS teams have worked so speedily together to overcome misguided attempts to overwhelm the justice system. Home Office Minister Yvette Cooper defended the Labour governments decision to proscribe Palestine Action, stating: UK national security and public safety must always be our top priority. The assessments are very clear, this is not a non-violent organisation. The group was banned days after claiming responsibility for a break-in at an air force base in southern England, which the government claims caused an estimated 7 million pounds ($9.3 million) in damage to two aircraft. The home office has accused it of other serious attacks involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Palestine Action has said its actions target the United Kingdoms indirect military support for Israel amid the war in Gaza. The UKs Liberal Democrats voiced deep concern over using anti-terrorism powers against peaceful protesters. Hundreds of thousands of people have demonstrated in several UK cities for nearly two years, calling for an end to Israels war on Gaza and for the British government to stop all weapons sales to the country. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last month that the UK will recognise the state of Palestine by September unless Israel takes substantive steps to end its war on Gaza and commits to a lasting peace process. Many who have been protesting to end Palestinian suffering have said the move is too little, too late. UK Defence Secretary John Healey has said that his government is "ready to put UK boots on the ground" in Ukraine if a ceasefire is achieved. Source: Financial Times, as reported by European Pravda Details: As US President Donald Trump heads to a meeting with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Healey stated that the UK government is ready to send troops to Ukraine if a ceasefire is agreed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The UK defence secretary, who took part in an event on Friday 15 August marking the 80th anniversary of the Allies victory over Japan in World War II, said that the coalition of the willing military allies supporting Ukraine is ready to act from "day one" of a ceasefire to help secure peace in Ukraine. Quote: "In the circumstances of a ceasefire were ready to put UK boots on the ground in Ukraine. They are ready to go, theyre ready to act from day one." Details: Healey noted that questions about what British troops would do in Ukraine if Russian attacks were to resume are "hypotheticals", but the principle is that "any British forces have the right to defend themselves if attacked". Quote: "In the end the strongest deterrence against Russia reinvading or regrouping and relaunching their aggression against Ukraine is the strength of Ukraine." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More details: Healey also noted that "over 200 military planners from 30 nations had worked together in recent months on detailed planning for the point of a ceasefire". He stated that multinational forces will support "safe skies and safe seas for Ukraine", but the main focus will be on rebuilding "Ukrainian forces for themselves". Background: En route to Alaska, Trump said Washington may provide Ukraine with certain security guarantees, but not "in the form of NATO". This confirms the position relayed by French President Emmanuel Macron after Trump spoke with European leaders and Zelenskyy on 13 August. Trump has also confirmed that the issue of Ukrainian territories will be raised in his conversation with Putin, but he will not "negotiate for Ukraine". Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Ukrainian Member of Parliament Kira Rudik said Friday that leaders in her country do not see an immediate diplomatic path to peace hours ahead of the U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska. We do not quite believe that the diplomatic solution is possible here. And we have been saying this since the day one, Rudik said during an appearance on CNNs News Central. She said security guarantees are Ukraines main concern after being invaded by Russia in 2014 and 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Until you know, what is the way to make sure that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will keep his part of the bargain, you cannot get to the table with him, Rudik said. There has not been a single fact up until right now that would confirm that he wants to end the war, that he is ready to end the war. He continues attacking our cities. There is still push on the frontline, and the air raid siren in Kyiv went off just a couple of hours ago, she added. Ukraine also successfully launched a Thursday drone strike on portions of southern Russia amid slated peace talks with Trump. Rudik said Ukraine remains a frontline barrier to Putins attempt to occupy land across Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The truth is, right now, Ukraine is providing security guarantees to Europe because we are basically standing in between Europe and Russia. And Russia didnt give up their ideas of restoring Soviet Union, as we have clearly seen today and heard from dictator Putin many times beforehand, Rudik told CNN, adding that without the security guarantees, none of the talks will make any sense. Without the idea of how Europe and the United States can be standing against Russia for European security, again, these all the ideas about peace, all the ideas about President Trump getting the Nobel Prize for it, they will be just talks and will not lead to any serious conclusions, she continued. 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. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, known for his distinctive style, has captivated attention not only for his political prowess but also for his sartorial choices. PM Modi's choice of headwear for India's 79th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort today exemplifies his affinity for highlighting the country's rich cultural diversity and unity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolour at the Red Fort, wearing a saffron colour 'pagdi' with a tri-colour stole. He paired the headgear with a white kurta and churidar, along with an orange-coloured Nehru jacket. This year's celebrations carry the theme 'Naya Bharat,' reflecting the government's vision of achieving 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. Since 2014, PM Modi has made it a tradition to wear distinctive and colourful turbans for each Independence Day celebration, showcasing India's diverse and rich cultural heritage. His headwear represents ethnic diversity, patriotism, and a distinct personal style. In 2024, PM Narendra Modi wore a vibrant orange, yellow, and green Rajasthani leheriya-print turban with a white kurta, pyjama, and blue jacket. While in 2023, he wore a Rajasthani bandhani-print turban. PM Modi wore a tricolour-themed turban in 2022 and a saffron turban with red patterns and a long pink trail in 2021. He elevated his look with a traditional kurta and a churidar, a blue jacket, and a stole. In 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi donned a captivating turban in shades of saffron and cream. Pagadi is a locally used term for a turban used in the Indian subcontinent. Also, known as saafa in some parts, the kind of cloth used represents the region and community of the person. Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the morning extended his heartfelt wishes to the nation on Independence Day, urging people to work harder, fulfil the dreams of freedom fighters, and contribute to building towards a 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India). "Wishing everyone a very happy Independence Day. May this day inspire us to keep working even harder to realise the dreams of our freedom fighters and build a Viksit Bharat. Jai Hind!" PM Modi wrote in a post on X. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1956159130466386143 Flying Officer Rashika Sharma assisted the Prime Minister in hoisting the flag, after which flower petals were showered from two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force - one carrying the national flag and the other 'Operation Sindoor' flag. Wing Commander Vinay Poonia and Wing Commander Aditya Jaiswal piloted the aircraft. PM Modi was received at the Red Fort by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Sanjay Seth, and the Chiefs of the three services. The Prime Minister also received the ceremonial guard of honour by the National Flag Guard, the Indian Air Force, Army, Navy, and Delhi Police, totaling upto 128 people. Wing Commander Arun Nagar led the interservices guard of honour. Ahead of reaching the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Rajghat in the national capital and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi as the country marked its 79th Independence Day. (ANI) A surge in Russian use of ballistic missiles with enhanced maneuvering capabilities has cut into the effectiveness of Ukraines Patriot surface-to-air missile systems, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has confirmed. Russian missile strikes, as well as drone attacks, had spiked in recent months, in general, but they have tapered off to a degree recently ahead of a meeting tomorrow between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Ukraine has received three Patriot batteries from the United States, as well as two from Germany, one from Romania, and another one consisting of components supplied by Germany and the Netherlands. The Ukrainian armed forces have also received a variety of different interceptors to use with those systems. American authorities announced last month that they were working with European allies to get additional Patriot batteries to Ukraines military. Patriot currently represents the only robust defense Ukraine has against incoming ballistic missiles. German and Ukrainian soldiers stand in front of Patriot surface-to-air missile systems during a visit by Ukrainian President Zelensky to a military training area in Germany on June 11, 2024. Jens Buttner/picture alliance via Getty Images picture alliance However, the UAF [Ukrainian Air Force] struggled to consistently use Patriot air defense systems to protect against Russian ballistic missiles due to recent Russian tactical improvements, including enhancements that enable their missiles to change trajectory and perform maneuvers rather than flying in a traditional ballistic trajectory, according to a Special Inspector General report released this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This particular passage is cited to DIA, response to DoD OIG request for information. The entire report, which was jointly put together by the Offices of the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of State, and U.S. Agency for International Development, discusses U.S. government activities related to Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe between April 1 and June 30. For example, [a] June 28 attack included seven ballistic missiles, of which the UAF shot down only one, the report adds. A massed attack on July 9 the largest air attack since the start of the war included 13 missiles, of which the UAF shot down or suppressed 7. The Special Inspector General report does not offer any further details about what specific types of ballistic missiles are at the source of the issue, nor about the enhancements that have been made to them. Whether any specific Patriot interceptors have struggled more than others is also unknown. However, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat did mention Russias domestically developed Iskander-M and North Korean-supplied KN-23s in passing when talking publicly about this issue back in May. The Iskander-M and KN-23 are both short-range ballistic missiles. These are also understood to be, by far, the ballistic missiles that Russia most commonly employs in strikes on Ukraine. A stock picture of a launch of an Iskander-M missile. Russian MoD We know [Russia] is improving its ballistic weapons, Ihnat said, according to a story The Kyiv Independent published on May 24. It complicates [the interception], but doesnt make the interception impossible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The flight of a ballistic missile along such a quasi-ballistic trajectory when the missile doesnt just fly in a straight line like its falling, but actually performs maneuvers in flight makes it more difficult for the Patriot system, which calculates the interception point using software, to predict exactly where the missile will be, he continued. According to Ihnat, the modified missiles are now equipped with radar-decoy systems and use quasi-ballistic flight paths that make them more difficult to track and intercept using Patriot systems, The Kyiv Independents report added. Its worth noting here that Russias heavy use of Iskander-Ms in the opening phases of its all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022 exposed the existence of a built-in decoy capability that was not previously known, at least publicly. However, there has been evidence since then that this is not necessarily a feature on all Iskander-Ms. As such, Ihnats mention of new decoys could reflect a Russian move to start loading them on Iskander-Ms on a more widespread basis. Improved decoys could also have been developed. This is an unidentified munition currently being found in Ukraine. At the moment an official identification has not been made. Any additional images, technical information or identification is very much appreciated: https://t.co/dtWwdIJaV3 pic.twitter.com/p2lWFeljYd CAT-UXO (@CAT_UXO) March 5, 2022 The engine of the upgraded 9M723K1 missile of Iskander-M. The missile is without decoys (decoys are visible on the second image) and it's equipped with the second Kometa sat navigation antenna in addition to the old one. pic.twitter.com/P1sTAUz3wK (@TheDeadDistrict) March 16, 2024 Iskander-Ms can be fired along depressed quasi-ballistic trajectories, and there have long been reports that they are capable of a significant degree of maneuvering during flight, specifically to present additional challenges to defenders. How the Russians may have enhanced this capability, or expanded their use of it, and why they did not do so before, is unclear. Russia has claimed in the past that the air-launched Kinzhal, which is derived from the Iskander-M, also has a particularly high degree of maneuverability, and those developments may have fed back into the ground-launched missile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What kind of built-in countermeasure capabilities might be found on the KN-23, which at least looks very similar to the Iskander-M externally, is unknown. It is reportedly capable of performing a pull-up maneuver in its terminal phase of flight, again to complicate attempts to intercept it. A KN-23 is launched during a test in North Korea. North Korean State Media Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraines Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), separately told TWZ in June that Russia had worked with the North Koreans to improve the KN-23s effectiveness, particularly in terms of accuracy. These improvements could extend beyond the KN-23s. While Budanov did not specify what was changed, this is likely to boost the capabilities of its many other ballistic missiles, extending the dangers beyond the peninsula, we noted at the time. I think our partners are already working to improve the systems capabilities, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Ihnat had also said in May. The recently released Special Inspector General report makes no mention one way or the other of any response to the new developments regarding Russias ballistic missile arsenal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is important to note that any protracted conflict offers the potential for valuable lessons to be learned, but also the risk of the enemy doing the same. Similarly, persistent combat use of systems like Patriot presents repeated opportunities for adversaries to glean useful intelligence about their capabilities, and then put it to work in developing new and improved weapons and countermeasures. TWZ previously highlighted exactly these issues around U.S. operations against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. Regardless, all of this is especially worrisome given Ukraines reliance on Patriot to defend against ballistic missile attacks, as mentioned earlier. Ukraine also has limited options for bolstering its anti-ballistic missile capabilities and capacity beyond just working to acquire more Patriot systems and interceptors. When Russia invaded in 2022, the Ukrainian military did have a limited number of Soviet-era S-300V1 surface-to-air missile systems, which have a degree of terminal anti-ballistic missile capability, but whether any of them are still in service or not is unclear. Any stocks of available interceptors would have steadily dwindled in the past three years, as well. And another S-300V engagement, released as part of the same video. From what I have seen, these are the third and fourth Ukrainian S-300V engagement videos released since the start of the war. pic.twitter.com/wPHnYbCQKP OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 9, 2025 Patriots now-confirmed struggles with intercepting ballistic missiles fired at Ukraine could have broader ramifications given the importance of the system to other armed forces, including the U.S. military. The U.S. Army is now looking to expand its own overworked Patriot force and improve its capabilities, including through the addition of a new radar, as you can read more about here. At the same time, as TWZ has reported on previously, the pipeline for new Patriot systems and interceptors is itself strained, in no small part due to a spike in demand prompted by observations of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In July, Switzerland announced that the delivery of its Patriots would be delayed, explicitly to prioritize support for the Ukrainian armed forces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Ukraine, more broadly speaking, while Russia has scaled back missile and drone attacks on Ukraine in the lead-up to tomorrows summit between Trump and Putin, whether that holds after the talks conclude remains to be seen. Russian and Ukrainian forces are still very actively jockeying for position on the front lines, as well. We have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow. I think its going to be a good meeting. But the more important meeting will be the second that were having, Trump said while speaking to the press at the White House. Were going to have a meeting with President Putin, [Ukraines] President Zelensky, myself, and maybe well bring some of the European leaders along, maybe not. Trump: We have a meeting with Putin tomorrow. But the more important meeting will be the one between Putin, Zelensky and myself. And maybe we bring some of the European leaders along, maybe not. pic.twitter.com/zwKGbFt3yu Clash Report (@clashreport) August 14, 2025 In the meantime, Patriot remains a critical component of Ukraines air and missile defense architecture, but the United States has now confirmed that the system has been challenged by improvements Russia has made to its ballistic missile arsenal. Contact the author: joe@twz.com When President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin sit down in Alaska Friday for their high-stakes meeting about the war in Ukraine, the two leaders will bring differing ideas about ending the war that Russia began over three years ago. At the same time, Ukraine will be watching from the outside with European allies, hoping that Mr. Trump is protecting their interests. Their meetings are expected to be capped by a rare joint news conference with the two world leaders the first such event of its kind since their 2018 summit in Helsinki, when Mr. Trump sided with Putin over his own intelligence agencies about Russian interference in the 2016 election. Expectations ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr. Trump has tried to lower expectations going into the meeting, telling reporters the day before, "all I want to do is set the table for the next meeting, which should happen shortly." The subsequent meeting is an idea he has been floating this week, and he said it would also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and perhaps other allies. The president raised the possibility that Zelenskyy could even join them in Alaska within a couple of days. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt referred to talks with Putin as "a listening exercise" for Mr. Trump and said his goal "is to walk away with a better understanding of how we can end this war." There are a number of questions going into the summit chief among them is what Russia wants, and whether there's a way to reconcile its demands with what Ukraine wants. U.S. and Russian counterparts have been speaking, and Mr. Trump and Putin have had their own phone conversations. FILE - President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for a one-on-one-meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018. / Credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP In March, Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposal backed by the U.S., and months later, in May, when the Kremlin had still not accepted the terms, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was trying to figure out if Russia was just "tapping us along." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By July, casualties were mounting in Ukraine as Russia stepped up its bombing campaign with hundreds of missile and drone strikes. Mr. Trump gave Putin a 50-day deadline to agree to a deal to end the war, and later shortened it to a 10-day deadline, threatening harsher tariffs and secondary sanctions. Dmitri Medvedev, the former president of Russia, responded by mocking Mr. Trump on X. "Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war," he said, warning that it would not be "between Russia and Ukraine, but with [Trump's] own country." But a day before the president's 10-day deadline expired and after Putin had met with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff the Kremlin announced that Putin and Mr. Trump would meet. Mr. Trump on Wednesday said there would be "very severe consequences" for Russia if it doesn't agree to end the war after Friday's meeting, though he declined to elaborate. Zelenskyy and European partners met virtually with Mr. Trump Wednesday, after which Zelenskyy wrote on X: "Together with our partners, we supported the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump to end the war, stop the killings, and achieve a just and lasting peace. I am grateful to the partners for our shared position: the path to peace." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement European leaders have been wary of the Trump-Putin meeting. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday of the summit, "The most important thing is that Europe convinces Donald Trump that one can't trust Russia," adding, "no one should think of recognizing Russia's right to demarcate borders for its neighbors." Zelenskyy won't be there to represent Ukraine's interests, and Mr. Trump has shown he's sometimes reluctant to criticize Putin. What Russia wants Experts say Putin has several objectives that won't be shared by the U.S. and Ukraine, and Mr. Trump must exercise caution. Putin would love to see the U.S. discontinue its financial support for Ukraine, said Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Center on Military and Political Power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He wants to sideline the power of the United States so that he can more effectively prey on Ukraine," Bowman said, adding that at the same time, Putin will "try to make the invaded look like the villain." While Mr. Trump aims to end the war Russia began, Putin is likely to try to seize on Mr. Trump's desire for peace. "He's going to try to gain Trump's support for a bad peace," Bowman said, adding, "Some peace agreements are bad because they lead to more war." John Lough, an associate fellow in the Russia and Eurasia program and the British think-tank Chatham House, predicted that Russia would "put something in front of [Trump] that he will buy into and say, 'This is a way out of the war, and I like that, and I'm now prepared to go lean on the Ukrainians again and the Europeans and we'll get this over the line.'" But Lough also believes that for Russia, the meeting is "high risk." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They may not get what they want, but they will at the very least be hoping that it guides the sort of next phase of the process of getting Ukraine to the table, and, I suppose, conducting the negotiations within a framework with which that comes," Lough said. Russia, Lough said, wants "to get the framework of the peace agreement settled and then talk about a ceasefire, whereas Ukraine, its allies and, to a degree, President Trump has said, 'No, we start with a cease fire and then we build around that.'" Map of Ukraine showing areas claimed by Russia as well as Russian territorial advances as of Aug. 12, 2025. / Credit: Graphic by GUILLERMO RIVAS PACHECO,JEAN-MICHEL CORNU/AFP via Getty Images Daniel Fried, a former U.S. ambassador to Poland and former assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, thinks Putin could try to insert a wedge between the U.S. and its allies. "He wants to get out of this meeting without any cost and to slice away at the American position and maybe draw Trump out so that there's a gap between him and Zelenskyy, Trump and the Europeans," Fried said in a press call Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Mr. Trump's more skeptical comments about Putin since the meeting was scheduled, Fried said, "I am less worried about that than I was three days ago." Fried, who is now a fellow at the Atlantic Council, said that for Putin, a great outcome would be to "dazzle" Mr. Trump with a fake offer and to walk away with a big smile. At talks in June, the Kremlin presented a memorandum offering Ukraine two options for a 30-day ceasefire, which could give some insight into Putin's maximalist demands. The first would have required Ukraine to withdraw its forces from four regions illegally annexed by Russia, but which Russia never fully controlled: Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The second option involved a number of conditions including a requirement that Ukraine wind down its military effort, cease receiving military aid, exclude any international military forces from its territory, lift martial law and then swiftly hold an election. As part of a peace treaty, Russia said it would require international recognition of Russian sovereignty over some Ukrainian territories it currently occupies, including Donbas and Crimea, and a pledge by Ukraine not to join any military alliances an end to its efforts to join NATO or allow any foreign militaries to operate or have bases in its territory. Russia also said it would want a cap on the strength of Ukraine's armed forces and for Russian to become an official language in Ukraine. Wendy Sherman, a former deputy secretary of state who has sat across from Putin before, said the Russian leader has no real interest in ending this war he is simply "buying time." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is President Putin's meeting," Sherman told CBS News Wednesday. "He really is in charge of this meeting. He asked for it. The president, I think, was flattered to have this meeting. But Putin has no interest in ending this war. He is very smart, he is very cagey." What Ukraine wants Ukraine wants an end to Russia's assault and its full withdrawal from their territory. "There must be an honest end to the war. And it depends on Russia," Zelenskyy said on social media earlier this month. "It is Russia that must end the war it started." Mr. Trump said earlier this week that a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine would involve "some land swapping going on. I know that through Russia and through conversations with everybody. To the good, for the good of Ukraine. Good stuff, not bad stuff. Also, some bad stuff for both." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That prompted a response from Zelenskyy, who said Ukraine would not give up any of its territory to Russia. Ukraine's constitution does not allow him to formally cede parts of the country. "We will not reward Russia for what it has perpetrated," Zelenskyy said in a social media post last weekend. "The answer to the Ukrainian territorial question already is in the Constitution of Ukraine. No one will deviate from this and no one will be able to. Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz following a virtual meeting with European leaders and President Trump on Aug. 13, 2025 in Berlin. / Credit: Omer Messinger / Getty Images Despite such statements, John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, said Zelenskyy has demonstrated he's willing to compromise. "There is no doubt in my mind that Zelenskyy understands that territorial concessions may be required to get a durable peace," Herbst said. Another major concern is whether Putin, with his deep knowledge of Ukraine, could try to manipulate Mr. Trump, said former intelligence official Andrea Kendall-Taylor, who specialized in Russian affairs. Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova told CBS News that "we all understand the reality on the ground, and we are ready to discuss how to end this war." She added, "Let's stop the killings, and let's get to diplomacy." Ukraine and Russia's troubled history Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union before voting for independence in 1991. After the Soviet Union collapsed, the NATO alliance expanded eastward, adding former Soviet republics including Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, and it established a close partnership with Ukraine. In 2008, the alliance declared its intention for Ukraine to join NATO at some point in the future. Putin has said on numerous occasions that he views NATO's expansion as a threat to Russia. He has also said that he believes Ukraine to be part of Russia politically, culturally and linguistically. Some Ukrainians, primarily in eastern areas, are Russian-speaking and feel more closely aligned with Russia than the nation of Ukraine. But the majority of Ukrainians speak Ukrainian, feel a deep patriotic connection to Ukraine and have favored developing closer ties to Europe. Widespread protests erupted in Ukraine in 2014 when the pro-Russian president at the time refused to sign an EU association agreement. The public outrage forced him from office an apparent victory for Ukrainians who favored closer ties to Europe. But shortly after, Russia annexed Crimea, a peninsula that was internationally recognized as part of Ukraine, and the Kremlin supported a pro-Russian separatist rebellion in Ukraine's east. In 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, attacking cities across the country, including the capital, Kyiv. Some expected Russia to quickly take over, but Ukrainians fought hard to defend themselves, Russian gains largely stagnated behind front lines in the east, and the war has raged on ever since. Passenger arrested after allegedly causing disturbance midair and forcing flight to divert When could Tropical Storm Erin become a hurricane? How closed-door talks between Trump-Putin are progressing Ukraine said on Friday that it carried out an attack on a Russian ship carrying Iranian ammunition. Kyiv's forces also struck a Russian oil refinery far beyond the front lines in a separate incident. The attacks mark the latest Ukrainian deep strikes against Russia's military and energy sites. The Ukrainian military said on Friday that it carried out an attack against a Russian ship carrying Iranian ammunition, marking one of the latest deep strikes far behind the front lines. Separately, Ukraine said that it struck an oil refinery that supplies fuel to the Russian military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two attacks are the latest in a string of long-range strikes deep into Russian territory and come as Ukraine continues to target critical military and energy facilities. Kyiv hopes this campaign will put additional strains on Moscow's war machine. Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said they struck the vessel Port Olya 4 in Russia's Astrakhan region, which borders the Caspian Sea, during an operation on Thursday. It said the ship was loaded with parts for one-way attack drones and ammunition from Iran, adding that the results of the attack are still under investigation. SOF said Russia uses the port as a logistics hub to transport military supplies from Iran. They said in a statement that "hitting this vessel disrupts a critical supply chain." Ships at Port Olya in Russia on September 4. One of them is believed to have shipped Iranian missiles to Russia for possible use in Ukraine. Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said SOF was behind another long-range attack on Friday, this time striking an oil refinery in Russia's Samara region, which borders Kazakhstan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It said in a statement that the Syzran refinery produces various fuels, including some for aircraft, and supplies the Russian military. It added that the attack caused fires and explosions. It's unclear what weapons Ukrainian forces used in the attacks. Business Insider was unable to independently verify all the details of the two deep-strike operations. Ukraine previously faced restrictions on using its limited arsenal of Western-provided cruise and ballistic missiles for strikes inside Russia, restrictions that hamstrung the Ukrainian military until they were lifted last year. The main problem now appears to be munition availability. As a workaround, Kyiv began to invest heavily in locally produced long-range drones and missiles. Over the past year, it has used these weapons to carry out a range of strikes on Russian airfields, ammunition storage facilities, energy sites, and other high-profile targets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent weeks, Ukraine has kept up its long-range attacks. Megan Ewert, a geospatial researcher at the Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank that closely tracks the grinding conflict, found that Kyiv carried out 40 drone strikes in Russian territory between July 15 and August 10. Ukrainian drone strikes in Russia between July 15 and August 10. Institute for the Study of War graphic by Megan Ewert Ewert explained to Business Insider that the number of strikes correlates with the number of sites attacked and said the number of days each week with strikes seems to have an upward trend over the timeframe. She attributed this shift to a possible increase in the intensity of drone use, though ISW does not track the exact number of drones that Ukraine launches in each attack. The number of Ukrainian drones often varies with each attack. On Monday, for instance, a source in Ukraine's internal security agency, the SBU, said at least four long-range drones struck a facility that makes parts for cruise missiles in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region. Other attacks may use a different number of munitions. The SBU told Business Insider that facilities within Russia's military-industrial complex, which contribute to Moscow's war machine, "are absolutely legitimate military targets." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The SBU continues to work on the demilitarization of facilities that produce weapons for the terror of peaceful Ukrainian cities," the source said in translated remarks. Read the original article on Business Insider Ukraine has carried out an audacious drone strike on the Caspian Sea port of Olya, in Russias Astrakhan region, hitting one cargo vessel that Kyiv says was being used to transport arms from Iran. U.K.-based maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed to TWZ that this is the first time a direct attack of this kind had been made on Olya and that it resulted in one ship sunk. It also appears to be the first time that Ukraine has successfully targeted any kind of vessel in the Caspian Sea area. According to the Ukrainian military, the attack on Olya yesterday was carried out by units of the countrys special operations forces, in coordination with other branches of the armed forces. The cargo vessel that was hit was the 400-foot-long, 4,900-gross-ton Port Olya-4, and imagery from the port shows the ship partially submerged, while it was alongside at anchor. Extensive scorch marks on the bridge and superstructure of the Russia-flagged vessel suggest that this was the likely point of impact. Unconfirmed reports, relayed by Ambrey, suggested that all of the crew had been rescued. The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces and other AFU units "struck" the Caspian Sea port of Olya sinking the general cargo ship, "Port Olya 4." The ship was reportedly carrying components for Shaheds and ammunition from Iran. Imagery of the sunken vessel shows extensive fire pic.twitter.com/g1lTIkmOpF OSINT Intuit (@UKikaski) August 15, 2025 The Ukrainian military said the Port Olya-4 was being used to carry drone components and ammunition from Iran. The drone components reportedly included parts for the Shahed-type drones that Russia has employed heavily in its regular strikes on Ukraine. Russia is now building more than 2,000 of these long-range one-way attack drones each month, with that number only expected to grow in the coming months. Dating from early 2024, a first look inside the Russian factory where license production of the Iranian Shahed-series one-way attack drone is taking place. via X While the precise nature of the cargo cannot be confirmed at this point, both the U.S. Treasury Department and Ukrainian military intelligence report that the vessel regularly transits the Caspian Sea, bringing cargo between Iran and Russia. Ukrainian Armed Forces bombed a Russian cargo ship carrying Shaheds in the Astrakhan port The ship Port Olya 4 was transporting Shahed-type UAVs and Iranian ammunition, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. The strike took place on August 14. The pic.twitter.com/5N7wnA4jvM NEXTA (@nexta_tv) August 15, 2025 Last September, the U.S. Treasury and State Department imposed sanctions on ships and shipping firms it said were involved in supplying Russia with Iranian weapons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its unclear what kind of drone Ukraine used to target the port, with no clarification from the Ukrainian military on this point. Kyiv has relied heavily on drones for long-range attacks against targets in Russia and occupied Crimea. The Russian Ministry of Defense said it had shot down an undisclosed number of Ukrainian drones over nine regions, although it did not mention that any were brought down over the Astrakhan region. However, the Russian defense ministry did say that one Ukrainian drone was downed over neighboring Kalmykia. The approximate location of the port of Olya, more than 400 miles from the nearest Ukrainian border. Google Earth Subsequently, Russian authorities confirmed a drone attack on Olya. The governor of the Astrakhan region stated that all the drones had been suppressed by electronic warfare or destroyed [and] no damage was caused to the port infrastructure [but] a ship was damaged by debris from a downed UAV. This year, Ukraine has maintained a steady tempo of long-range drone strikes against Russia, with a particular focus on oil refineries and other energy infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, ports have also been important targets. According to the Ukrainian military, ports and terminals account for seven percent of its successful strikes on Russian territory since the start of the year. As well as the port of Olya, Ukrainian forces also struck the Syzran oil refinery in Russias Samara region overnight, which produces a range of fuels and belongs to oil company Rosneft. Multiple strikes hit Russia overnight, damaging the Syzran oil refinery one of the largest in Rosnefts system, according to Russian media. Its shutdown or damage could cause a regional fuel shortage. pic.twitter.com/BC9AvkvBiM NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) August 15, 2025 In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said the attack on the Syzran refinery led to a fire and explosions. Samaras regional governor confirmed that a drone attack caused a fire at an unspecified industrial enterprise in his region, but claimed that it had been put out quickly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The timing of these latest strikes is notable, coming hours before the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska. The two leaders will be discussing the war in Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials have not been invited. As for the latest attack on Olya, it is also significant for the apparent targeting of a single vessel, a comparatively very rare direct Ukrainian attack on a merchant ship. It appears that Ukraine attacked a particular ship known to be carrying drone parts, making it a very high-priority target and reflecting the reality that, as of now, the Shahed series is by far the most important method by which Russia launches long-range strikes into Ukraine. It had long been expected that Ukraine might start to target vessels running arms deliveries from Iran to Russia, and this has now become a reality. Together with expanded long-range drone technology, we may now see a systemic interdiction campaign against these vessels. Also important is the fact that this is the first known instance of Ukraine sinking a vessel in the Caspian Sea, extending its operations into a new area. Regardless, the operation underscores Ukrainian efforts to undermine Russias devastating long-range drone strikes, which now include prosecuting key logistics hubs used for importing military supplies from Iran. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the latest casualty figures in Russias Kursk Oblast, as reported by acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein. Ukraine's Special Operations Forces on Aug. 14 struck the Russian port of Olya in Astrakhan Oblast, a region in southern Russia at the Caspian Sea coast, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported. The attack targeted what Kyiv says is a key logistics hub for Iranian-made military supplies bound for Russia. Iran has been a key ally to Moscow and provided the country with ballistic missiles and thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones for its war against Ukraine. Russia has also launched production of its own Shahed equivalents called Gerans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Olya port is used by Moscow to receive Shahed-type drone components and munitions from Iran, according to the military. Preliminary reports indicate that the vessel Port Olya 4, loaded with such cargo, was hit in the attack. The extent of the damage is reportedly still being assessed. The port lies roughly 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the front line in Ukraine. The strike is part of Ukraine's broader campaign to degrade Russia's ability to launch air attacks and sustain its war effort, the General Staff said. Russian authorities reported attacks elsewhere in the country the same day, including an alleged deadly drone strike in Kursk on Aug. 14. Acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein claimed a Ukrainian drone hit an apartment building on Soyuznaya Street, killing one person and injuring 12 others, including a 15-year-old. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The blast and fire allegedly damaged the top four floors of the building and shattered windows in neighboring houses and a school. Ukraine has not commented on the attack. The Kyiv Independent cannot verify these claims. Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 53 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions, including 13 over Kursk Oblast, 11 over Rostov Oblast, seven over Samara Oblast, six over Belgorod Oblast, five over Oryol Oblast, four each over the Bryansk and Voronezh oblasts, one over Saratov Oblast, one over Kalmykia, and one over the Azov Sea. In Samara Oblast, an oil refinery in Syzran caught fire after a reported drone strike early on Aug. 15. Syzran hosts one of Rosneft's largest facilities, which supplies fuel to Russian forces in central and southern Russia, according to pro-Ukrainian Telegram channel Crimean Wind. Read also: Trump doesnt have enough leverage to stop Russia, Ukrainian soldiers say ahead of Alaska talks Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Units from the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces, together with other elements of the defence forces, attacked the Russian port of Olya in Astrakhan Oblast on 14 August, hitting a cargo vessel carrying ammunition. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook Quote: "According to the information available, the vessel PORT OLYA 4, loaded with components for Shahed UAVs and ammunition from Iran, was struck. Information on the consequences of the strike is being confirmed." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Russia uses the port of Olya as an important logistical hub for the supply of military goods from Iran. Olya is a seaport in the village of Olya in the Limansky district, Astrakhan Oblast. It is located in the Volga Delta, on the right bank of the Bakhtemir River, which flows into the Caspian Sea. Background: On the night of 13-14 August, drones attacked the Russian city of Volgograd. Explosions were heard at the LUKOIL-Volgogradneftepererabotka oil refinery, followed by fires. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Ukrainian long-range strikes have inflicted losses on Russia worth 4.11% of its annual gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025 alone, the Ukrainian military said on Aug. 15. The military's strategic communications department (Stratcom) estimates the attacks have cost Russia around $74.1 billion. The announcement comes as Ukraine has been striking Russia's energy infrastructure for three consecutive days since Aug. 12. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Roughly 10% of Ukrainian attacks since Jan. 1 struck targets more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the border, according to the statement. Strikes between 500 and 1,000 kilometers (310-620 miles) made up 39% of attacks, while 37% landed between 200 and 500 kilometers (124-310 miles) away. Oil refineries were the most common targets at 42%, followed by warehouses at 37%, oil pumping stations at 10%, terminals and ports at 7%, and other facilities at 4%. Most recently, Ukraine's Special Operations Forces on Aug. 14 hit the Russian port of Olya in Astrakhan Oblast, a key logistics hub for Iranian-made military supplies bound for Russia, the General Staff reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Located on the Caspian Sea coast about 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the front line, Olya is used by Moscow to receive Shahed-type drone components and munitions from Iran, according to Ukrainian officials. Preliminary reports indicate the vessel Port Olya 4, reportedly carrying such cargo, was hit in the strike. In Samara Oblast, a region in southwestern Russia along the Volga River, a reported drone strike the same day hit an oil refinery in Syzran. The city is home to one of Rosneft's largest facilities, a major producer of fuel for Russian forces operating in central and southern Russia. Rosneft is Russia's state-controlled oil giant and one of the world's largest publicly traded petroleum companies. Ukrainian forces also struck a refinery in the Russian city of Volgograd overnight on Aug. 14, causing powerful fires at the facility, the military said. The refinery reportedly processes over 15 million metric tons of oil every year, amounting to 5.6% of Russia's refining capacity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other recent targets include the Unecha oil pumping station, which is part of the Transneft Druzhba pipeline network, and an oil refinery in Russia's Saratov Oblast. Read also: From war criminal to US guest Trump invites Putin out of isolation Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. His eyes scan the sky before sprinting for his rifle. Its a drone, shouts Kostya, the commander of a Ukrainian artillery battery. His men run for cover. Hidden in a dugout on the right bank of the Dnipro River, experience makes all the difference here a sharp ear is worth its weight in gold. Its a buzz you cant confuse with anything else, says Oleksander, another gunman, hunkered down in his hideout, setting down his Kalashnikov. Its a sound feared by soldiers and civilians alike in Kherson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This city, the only regional capital Russia had seized since the start of its invasion, was recaptured by Kyiv in November 2022. Since then, it has lived in a bitter limbo. Here, the front line is frozen. The four-kilometre stretch of river and islands between the Kyiv-held and Moscow-occupied banks prevents the Kremlin from launching fresh assaults. But it also limits the ability of Ukrainian forces to push the Russian army back and create a buffer zone on the other bank. The Telegraph revealed that Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraines president, is open to freezing the front at the current lines, in exchange for security guarantees and a promise of future Nato membership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine, Kherson liberated, yet under siege offers a cautionary tale of what could unfold along hundreds of miles of front lines if a partial ceasefire deal is made. A static front under 24/7 drone surveillance, heavy mining and impenetrable walls of electronic warfare, with little room for military breakthroughs by force. If the front in Pokrovsk were frozen for a year, it would end up just like here, says Vova, the deputy battalion commander in the 153rd Brigade, deployed in the Kherson region. Russia appears intent on destroying the city and driving out its population. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They never stopped bombing us, Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, the deputy head of the Kherson Regional Administration, tells The Telegraph. If wed had a pause or some space to move back, maybe we could have built stronger defences. But you cant move a city. The Kherson regional administration building in Freedom Square has been a popular target for the Russians - Fermin Torrano for The Telegraph Instead, men quickly hammer tree trunks one by one into concrete pyramids that will hold the new anti-drone nets protecting the main road that runs into the city. Russia flies 800 to 1,000 drones a week against Kherson, according to official estimates shared with The Telegraph. The relentless swarm not only affects the military, but also the 65,000 civilians that remain in a city that was home to nearly 300,000 before the war. The exodus is compounded by a demographic catastrophe, says Petro Marenkovsky, the head of the maternity ward at Khersons neonatal hospital. The war here has cut births by 90 per cent to barely a dozen a month while fear, anxiety and stress have driven up premature deliveries and Caesarean sections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was born here, went to school here, met my husband here, and built a family here. Im giving birth here so the city stays alive, says Mila, 32, cradling her baby, just two days old. Mila, 32, gave birth to her baby two days ago in an underground hospital - Fermin Torrano for The Telegraph When she leaves the hospital she will not use an ambulance: these are targeted on the citys ghostly avenues. Silence clings to the city centre and is broken only by the engines of cars racing through to keep them from becoming the next targets of what many here call Russias human safari. Civilians hide under untrimmed trees and balconies with shattered windows. When buses pull up to empty stops, people sprint to them and jump in without looking back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But some routes have already been banned as a result of the growing danger. For the past 10 days, Moscow has been trying to isolate the Korabel district, an island linked to the rest of the city by a bridge destroyed in August by Russian air strikes. Its pure terrorism, said Vladislav Voloshyn, spokesman for the Southern Defence Forces. The evacuation of the roughly 1,800 civilians still in the district continues two weeks after the attack. By now, most have no other home to go to and no money to start over. Women like Raisa Dadsenka and Olga Gadsenko survive on pensions of barely 90 a month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I left with tears in my eyes, says Raisa, 77. I wanted to stay until the very end, but then the electricity went out. There were shortages before, every time the Russians hit the power infrastructure. But now the repair crews are too afraid to work because of the shelling. If the power came back, Id return to Korabel even on foot. Ukrainian tanks advance towards the Kherson region - Fermin Torrano for The Telegraph Russia has shown in Kherson that there is more than one way to empty a city. Indiscriminate attacks, the floods after the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam, or the dismantling of basic services are different sides of the same coin: the torture of a static front, where Russia and Ukraine have been fighting three years without pause. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From a concealed bunker, a Ukrainian UAV pilot, codenamed Gypsy, slides on his goggles and pilots a drone the Dnipro River within minutes, locks on to an enemy position, and blows it apart. His team has managed to evade Russian surveillance for the past eight months. A drone pilot of the 34th Ukrainian brigade piloting a FPV towards the left bank of the Dnipro river towards a Russian dugout - Fermin Torrano for The Telegraph Unlike the Donbas, where new positions sprout under the trees with every kilometre gained, the battle map in Kherson is flat, static and heavily mined, meaning that any mistake could burn, or give away, a position something soldiers cannot afford. Gypsys mission is part of a new doctrine in which every soldier, vehicle, or hideout is targeted. The idea follows the so-called drone line, Ukraines plan to establish a nine-mile wide grey zone along the front, where the Russian army cannot advance. Designed to slow Putins advances along the porous fronts of the Donbas, the strategy has its limits and a downside for Kyiv. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If surveillance is intense and movement impossible in one direction, the same will happen in the other, also creating a de facto frozen front. With Mr Zelensky now weighing a possible truce under mounting US pressure and battlefield difficulties, the situation in Kherson could spread. Kherson has taken a heavy beating over the three and a half years of war - Fermin Torrano for The Telegraph But the Alaska meeting between Mr Trump and Putin is being met in Kherson with the usual scepticism of those who will never trust a Russian promise. We already had their ceasefire at Easter, and again in May and they kept shooting and killing civilians. This truce, or whatever kind of pause it is, is not something we can trust, says Yaroslav Shanko, the head of Khersons City Military Administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A few kilometres away, the artillery squad prepares to fire at Russian soldiers on the opposite side of the river. Between the powder and the steel, Mr Trumps musings about a possible land swap are met with consternation. What am I supposed to think? Im from Kherson region, and my village is under Russian occupation. How could I ever hand it over? says Oleksandr minutes before firing. Of course, I dont want to give up my home. I stopped believing in their peace talks a long time ago. Additional reporting by Mykhailo Shtekel. 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. DONETSK REGION, Ukraine (AP) Days before the leaders of Russia and the U.S. hold a summit meeting in Alaska, Moscow's forces breached Ukrainian lines in a series of infiltrations in the country's industrial heartland of Donetsk. This week's advances amount to only a limited success for Russia, analysts say, since it still needs to consolidate its gains before achieving a true breakthrough. Still, it's a potentially dangerous moment for Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin will likely try to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to pressure Ukraine by arguing the 3 1/2-year-old war is going badly for Kyiv, said Mykola Bieleskov, a senior analyst at CBA Initiatives Center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The key risk for Ukraine is that the Kremlin will try to turn certain local gains on the battlefield into strategic victories at the negotiating table, he said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region that Kyiv still controls as part of a ceasefire deal, a proposal the Ukrainian leader categorically rejected. After years of fighting, Russia still does not fully control all of the Donetsk region, which it illegally annexed in 2022, along with the Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. Infiltration by small groups of Russian forces Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attention has been focused on Pokrovsk a key highway and rail junction that once was home to about 60,000 and now is partially encircled but Russian forces have been probing for weaknesses north of the city, according to battlefield analysis site DeepState. The forces found a gap east of the coal-mining town of Dobropillia, and advanced about 10 kilometers (6 miles). Zelenskyy noted its clear significance to the summit: To create a certain information backdrop ahead of Putins meeting with Trump, especially in the American information space, suggesting that Russia is moving forward and Ukraine is losing ground. Small groups of Russian troops are slipping past the first defensive line, hiding and trying to build up their forces, said Dmytro Trehubov, spokesman for Ukraines Dnipro operational-strategic group. Ukraine's military has been repelling these attempts, he said, although DeepState said the situation has not been stabilized. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Analysts described the breach near Dobropillia as a localized crisis that could escalate if the Russians are not neutralized and their main forces can widen the gap. Exploiting an absence of Ukrainian infantry The breach of the defensive line has seemed inevitable for months, according to a drone pilot in the area, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly. Moscow's forces have been exploiting the lack of Ukrainian infantry, a problem tied not only to the country's stalled mobilization but also to poor management, the pilot said. We pay with territory and lives to fix mistakes and we can keep fixing mistakes only as long as we have even a scrap of land left, the pilot said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainian forces have tried to plug the gaps by extensive use of first-person-view drones remotely piloted devices loaded with explosives that allow operators to see targets before striking. These FPVs have turned areas up to 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) from the front into deadly zones on both sides of the line. But because the Russians attack with small groups, it's hard to counter with drones alone. We cant launch 100 FPVs at once," the pilot said, noting the drone operators would interfere with each other. With tactics and technology roughly equal on both sides, the Russians' superior manpower works to their advantage, said Bielieskov, the Kyiv-based analyst. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They have no regard for human life. Very often, most of those they send are on a one-way mission, he said. Stopping the infiltrations and assaults by armored vehicles requires different defenses and leadership structures changes that have yet to appear on Ukraines side, he said. Ukraine's military said Thursday additional troops have been moved to affected areas, with battle-hardened forces like the Azov brigade being deployed to the sector. However, the Deepstate map doesn't show any changes in favor of the Ukrainian army. Russia's focus on cutting supply routes Michael Kofman, a military analyst for the Carnegie Endowment, said in a post on X that it was too early to assess if the front line was collapsing, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia is focused on expanding the breach of the front line into a corridor to support its ground forces, Bieleskov said. The strategy avoids direct assaults on heavily fortified urban centers, instead pushing through open terrain where Ukraines troop shortages and large settlements make defense harder. If successful, such a move could bypass Russia's need to storm Kostiantynivka once a city of over 67,000 people and now significantly ruined and on the verge of falling. That would complicate defending the region's last big cities of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka, posing a serious challenge for Ukraines military. Cmdr. Serhii Filimonov of the Da Vinci Wolves battalion of the 59th brigade, warned that Kostiantynivka could fall without a fight if Russia severs supply routes. With few major roads, maintaining logistics for the large number of Ukrainian forces in the area would become extremely difficult, Filimonov said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turning to the summit, Filimonov decried what he described as ongoing Russian killings and atrocities. And then the civilized world comes to them and says, Fine, lets make a deal. Thats not how it should be done, he said. ___ Associated Press reporters Vasilisa Stepanenko, Evgeniy Maloletka and Dmytro Zhyhinas in the Donetsk region and Volodymyr Yurchuk and Alex Babenko in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed. The eyes of the world will turn to Alaska on Friday for the meeting between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin -- the first meeting between U.S. and Russian leaders since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Many analysts have framed the meeting as a coup for the Kremlin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not expected to attend. While Trump and Putin negotiate Kyiv's future, the Ukrainians will be absent. Trump said Wednesday that a potential second summit bringing Putin and Zelenskyy together is possible after the Alaska event. All along the 600-mile front line in southern and eastern Ukraine, it is war-weary Ukrainian troops who are deciding Putin's hand. Russian forces are still trying to grind their way forwards, the Kremlin hoping that more seized territory will give it more leverage in the torturous negotiations, analysts have said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Of course, we all read the news -- and each of us has a different opinion about it," Col. Oleksandr Zavtonov of Ukraine's 30th Marine Corps told ABC News from the southern front, near the city of Kherson. Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Traditional Russian wooden nesting dolls, Matryoshka dolls, depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump are displayed for sale at a gift shop on the touristic Arbat street in downtown Moscow, Russia, on August 13, 2025. Ceasefire speculation, he added, "remains at the level of smoke room talk. The war continues, and we see no reduction in the intensity of hostilities or any other signs that the Russian monsters are committed to a peaceful resolution of their own aggression." "We have clear orders and tasks that we must carry out," Zavtonov said. "The struggle continues." The diplomatic struggle has peaked this week, with Zelenskyy and his top officials lobbying Western partners to back Ukraine's long-held positions in eventual peace talks -- among them no territorial concessions, maintaining its ambition to join NATO, accepting no limits on its post-war military and ensuring lasting security guarantees from its foreign backers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, Zelenskyy said his meetings with Trump and European leaders addressed "expectations from the meeting in Alaska and possible prospects." Among the topics were security guarantees "that can make peace truly sustainable if the United States still manages to pressure Russia to stop the killings and engage in real meaningful diplomacy," he said. Putin, meanwhile, praised what he said was the Trump administration's "energetic and sincere" efforts to end the conflict. Trump's frustration with Putin appeared to be building as Moscow expanded its ground and long-range strike operations in recent months. But with the two men now set to meet on Friday without Ukrainian involvement, Kyiv appears concerned that Trump will again align himself with Russian narratives and demands. Zelenskyy appears to have marshalled Trump and European leaders into backing five key Ukrainian demands. Kyiv said there can be no peace talks without a ceasefire, that Ukraine must be involved in negotiations and that Ukraine will make the decision on any territorial concessions with discussions beginning from the current front lines. 30th Marine Corps - PHOTO: This photo taken from the 30th Marine Corps' Facebook page shows Ukrainian gunners firing toward Russian positions in the southern Kherson region. MORE: Why Ukraine's ex-foreign minister believes Putin won't go for peace as Trump summit approaches Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine has also said it needs solid security guarantees -- with U.S. involvement -- to agree to any deal, and that more sanctions and pressure should be put on Russia if the Alaska summit is unsuccessful. Trump agreed to all key points, Zelenskyy and his European counterparts said after Wednesday's discussions. Kyiv will be hoping to win some respite for its forces all along the front, which are reporting more Russian attacks, despite continuing to inflict high casualties on Moscow's units. In Kherson, Zavtonov said there is intense fighting over the control of a handful of small islands in the Dnieper River -- the western bank of which is held by the Ukrainians and the eastern bank by the Russians. Ukrainian forces defeat dozens of Russian efforts to land on the islands of the river's western bank each week, Zavtonov said. "We have sufficient forces and resources to counter the aggressor in our defense zone," he explained, though declined to speak in detail about manpower and supply availability there, citing security concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the city of Kherson, which sits along the river-turned-front line, the civilian population is also under fire. Russian drones, artillery, rockets and airstrikes are near-constant in the city. Locals who have not fled are forced to live in what they have termed a "human safari," dodging Russian strikes that at times appear to intentionally target civilians, local Ukrainian officials have said. 40th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade - PHOTO: This photo taken from the Facebook page of the 40th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade shows Ukrainian troops operating at an undisclosed location in Ukraine's southern Kherson region. "These are brutal, inhumane actions that have nothing to do with internationally accepted rules of warfare," Zavtonov said. "They are aimed solely at terrorizing us and breaking our will to fight." "Thanks to electronic warfare systems, most drones seem to be neutralized, but unfortunately, a few drones manage to break through, causing deaths and injuries among the civilian population," he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the country's northeastern border, Maj. Oleh Shyriaiev -- the commander of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment fighting in Sumy -- said he and his comrades remain "confident that the United States will continue to offer assistance along with European countries," despite fears over the outcome of Friday's talks. The 225th has in recent weeks been lauded by Zelenskyy for its work in reversing Russian gains in Sumy. The president visited the unit's positions last week to hand out awards and receive a situational briefing from Shyriaiev and others. MORE: Russia ramps up grinding summer offensive as Ukraine seeks US battlefield aid Shyriaiev said U.S. material support remains vital more than three-and-a-half years into Russia's full-scale invasion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We continue to rely on this support for additional air defense systems along with U.S. weapons like HIMARS missiles, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Claymore mines, grenades and 5.56mm-caliber American assault rifles," he said. "Ukraine will push forward regardless of the outcome of Friday's meeting, but that support is crucial," Shyriaiev added. Actress Meghann Fahy was surprised when she was nominated for an Emmy in the best actress in a limited or anthology series or movie category for her role in Netflix's 'Sirens'. Fahy said she was "100 per cent" surprised that she was nominated for her work on the show. "When I tell you that there was not even one conversation about it across the board with anybody on my team," she told host Seth Meyers. "My team was like, 'Oh my God!'," according to The Hollywood Reporter. However, she didn't have time to celebrate, "I was on set, actually, and so we were filming something and so [my team] called and I was like, 'This is weird that they're calling.' And I answered, and they started screaming. And they were like, 'And action!' And I was like, 'Bye!' And I just hung the phone up." Fahy added that the way she learned about her nomination was "anticlimactic" and that the overall experience was "very unexpected," according to The Hollywood Reporter. The nod for 'Sirens' marks Fahy's second Emmy nomination after she was previously up for a supporting actress Emmy for her role in season two of The White Lotus. Fahy's nod this year is the only acting nod for Sirens. However, the show is also up for best contemporary costumes, best directing and best picture editing for a limited or anthology series or movie at the 2025 ceremony, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Fahy also talked about working with Julianne Moore in 'Sirens'. In the Netflix series, Fahy stars as Devon DeWitt, who travels to a coastal beach town to save her sister, Simone (Milly Alcock), after she seemingly joins a cult led by Michaela Kell (Moore). "Day one, I had to sort of look [Moore] straight in the eye and call her a bitch. And I was like, 'Um, okay. Throwing me in the deep end.' I like your style," Fahy recalled, as per the outlet. She praised Moore and said, "Honestly, if she was a cult leader in real life, I would be in that cult." "I think I would be, too," Meyers added. "I know usually when you watch those shows, you're supposed to be like, 'I don't trust this cult leader.' And I'm kind of like, 'I might be down with most of this,'" as per the outlet. Meyers continued, "I feel like Meghann's the bad guy. I don't know why she's trying to bust up this cult. Her sister definitely has a better life now," according to The Hollywood Reporter. (ANI) Ukrainian troops have cleared Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast of Russian sabotage groups and individual saboteurs, the 7th Corps of Ukraine's Airborne Assault Forces reported on Aug. 15. The corps claimed that Ukrainian units are operating inside the city, and civilians can move about, though travel within Pokrovsk remains heavily restricted. It is still possible to reach the city, the statement added. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the battlefield monitoring group DeepState, Pokrovsk remains under Ukrainian control, but Russian forces are positioned just 3 to 5 kilometers (2-3 miles) away. The announcement comes three weeks after DeepState and Ukrainian soldiers on the ground said Russian troops had entered Pokrovsk, a front-line city about 70 kilometers (43 miles) northwest of occupied Donetsk. Since March, the city has been one of the most fiercely contested sectors of the front line, with Moscow concentrating its main offensive efforts there. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi described Pokrovsk on Aug. 2 as one of the "most difficult" areas of the front, where Russian forces are using "total infiltration" tactics to breach defenses. Map tracking Russia's offensive near Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, in summer 2025. (The Kyiv Independent) On Aug. 11, DeepState reported that Russian troops had advanced toward the DobropilliaKramatorsk highway, seizing positions in nearby settlements to support further offensives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dobropillia lies 94 kilometers (58 miles) northwest of Russian-occupied Donetsk, and about 22 kilometers (14 miles) north of the embattled city of Pokrovsk. Ukraine's General Staff said on Aug. 12 that more than 110,000 Russian troops were concentrated in the Pokrovsk area, attempting to slip small infantry units between Ukrainian lines. The military described the situation as "complex and dynamic," but said Ukrainian forces were taking "effective measures" to halt Russia's advance. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 15 that Russian forces are continuing to suffer heavy losses as they push for gains ahead of the Aug. 15 Alaska meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We understand this plan and are informing our partners about the real situation," Zelensky said. Read also: Russian propaganda in occupied territories accuses Ukraine, West of provocations during Alaska talks, monitors say Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Tensions are running high as U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15 in Alaska. Among the issues reportedly on the table is a potential land swap between Ukraine and Russia, which could see Ukrainian forces withdraw from the Ukrainian-controlled parts of the partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, handing them over to Russian occupation. In exchange, Russia would reportedly pull its forces back from the occupied parts of Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts. The Kyiv Independent visited the front-line city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast to hear from its residents what they think about these prospects and about the fact that Ukraine itself wont have a seat at the Alaska talks. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) targeted U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in a scathing social media post on Thursday. Greene criticized Graham for demanding that the U.S. continue to aid Israel in its fight against militant group Hamas. Greene, who is opposed to most foreign aid, said the U.S. should be focusing on putting itself first instead of sending aid to other countries. Greene has been critical of Israel for weeks, calling the deaths in the Gaza Strip a genocide. She slammed Graham for saying that Israel could commit genocide if it wanted to. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senator Graham confidently says the quiet part out loud, If Israel wanted to commit genocide they could. They have the capacity to do that, she wrote on social media platform X. That is quite a statement and is an acknowledgment that nuclear armed Israel is more than capable of defending themselves, by themselves, and not only defeating their enemies, but completely wiping them out! she continued. So why is America funding them and fighting for them??!!! We should not be!! And it is not a matter of supporting either Israel or Hamas, as he suggest, which is ridiculous. It is about supporting AMERICA!!! she added. Senator Graham confidently says the quiet part out loud, If Israel wanted to commit genocide they could. They have the capacity to do that. That is quite a statement and is an acknowledgment that nuclear armed Israel is more than capable of defending themselves, by themselves, https://t.co/FPLi0DOkGj Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) August 14, 2025 She went on to suggest that the U.S.s spending is putting her childrens futures at risk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lindsey Graham has no children. I have 3 adult children, who are 22, 25, and 27, which gives me a fierce invested interest to be ALL IN to save America. And we are now a nation in $37 TRILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT because of the NON-STOP votes and funding for foreign countries and foreign wars and bloated budgets and pork and waste for over 30 years, which is how long Lindsey Graham has been serving in Washington DC, she wrote. She said the gross negligent consequences of America LAST decisions has placed future generations in debt and eroded the value of the U.S. dollar. Greene also took issue with Grahams statement that God will pull the plug on us if the U.S. stops sending aid to Israel. And God will not pull the plug on us, if we stop funding the secular government of Israel. This is 1,000% false and is the fear mongering tactic used on good hearted American Christians to force us to fund and fight the secular government of nuclear armed Israels wars. We dont believe we go to heaven based on how much money we blindly give and how many bombs we drop on the secular government of Israels enemies, she wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a video shared to his social media account, Graham reiterated his support for Israel. If America pulls the plug on Israel, God will pull the plug on us. We will not let that happen, he said. If America pulls the plug on Israel, God will pull the plug on us. Im not going to let that happen. pic.twitter.com/4pboBftQlO Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 13, 2025 President Donald Trump endorsed Graham again for another Senate run last week, sparking some backlash from the MAGA base. Lindsey, thank you so much, youve been my friend. I know youre in a big race, and I dont think its going to be a contest, but I have a feeling youre going to do very well. You have for a long time, Trump said at the event during remarks posted by Graham on X on Saturday. And Lindsey Graham, just so you know, full endorsement. Trumps full endorsement. Hes a great guy. Every time I needed him, he was there for me, he continued. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. By Diego Ore MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -The head of the U.N. commission on Latin America, Jose Manuel Salazar, urged the region's countries to diversify their export and import markets and to integrate their economies in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. "Rather than replacing imports, I would use the word diversify," Salazar, executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, told Reuters in an interview Thursday evening. He said the organization is recommending that its members renew alliances both inside and outside the region, since diversification would require a long-term commitment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Salazar cited a trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union that was finalized by negotiators in December after two decades of talks and is expected to get legislative approval soon. He also called for exploring trade and investment channels with Asian and African countries, and for deepening regional integration in Latin America. The United Nations commission supports economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Salazar, a Costa Rican economist, was in Mexico to attend a regional conference on women. He said progress has been made regarding women's inclusion in Latin American economies, but more still needs to be done to close the gap in labor market participation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Salazar also said that, due to aging populations and declining fertility rates in Latin America, the demand for care for older adults will increase. The commission has asked its members to allocate up to 4.7% of their GDP to invest in elder care infrastructure by 2035. He said such spending could create up to 31 million jobs over the next decade in 23 countries in the region. (Reporting by Diego Ore; Edited by Ana Isabel Martinez and Edmund Klamann) Talks on a global treaty to prevent plastic waste ended without agreement on Friday. After three years of negotiations, around 180 countries were unable to agree on a treaty text during the final week of talks at the United Nations in Geneva, several delegations said following night-long consultations at the closing plenary session. It remains unclear how the process will move forward. The divide between countries had already been apparent earlier this week, when a draft treaty that would have removed almost all binding commitments was met with outrage from dozens of countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A revised draft presented on Friday morning also failed to win unanimous support, according to the conference chair. Florian Titze of the environmental foundation WWF Germany said it is better to have no agreement at all than to adopt a treaty that does nothing to actually solve the global plastic crisis. Divided positions More than 100 members of the High Ambition Coalition, including the European Union and dozens of countries in South America, Africa and Asia, were calling for limits on plastic production. They also wanted to phase out single-use plastic products, such as cups and cutlery, and promote reusable plastic products and a circular economy in which the raw materials of a waste product are recycled and reused. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oil-producing states, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia, call themselves the "like-minded group." They wanted to focus on limiting plastic waste, rather than limiting production. Plastic is largely made from oil products. However, the UN gave itself the mandate in 2022 to agree to a treaty that covers the entire life cycle of plastic, from production to design and waste management. Plastic's toll on ecosystems and health Plastic pollutes the oceans and the environment, kills fish and other living creatures, and endangers human health. Tiny particles are increasingly being found in human organs including the brain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to studies, nano and microplastic particles impair the immune system and promote inflammation. The German Environment Ministry said global plastic production increased sevenfold between the 1970s and 2020 to 367 million tons per year, and could reach almost 600 million tons by 2050 if no measures are taken. It said a total of 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced to date, 6.3 billion tons of which have become waste, most of which ending up in landfill. According to estimates, 152 million tons of plastic waste have accumulated in rivers and oceans worldwide. There is still no sign of agreement on a global plastics treaty after more than a week of wrangling at the United Nations in Geneva. The expected closing session of the UN talks was initially postponed until Thursday evening, but eventually moved to Friday. "As consultations of my revised draft text are still ongoing, this plenary is therefore adjourned, to be convened on 15 August, 2025, in the morning at a time to be announced," conference chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso said late on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least 180 countries agree that plastic pollution in oceans, mountains, the air and, now, human bodies, poses a major threat. However, they disagree on what to do about it. More than 100 members of the High Ambition Coalition, including the European Union and dozens of countries in South America, Africa and Asia, are calling for plastic production to be limited to sustainable levels. They also want to phase out single-use plastic products, such as cups and cutlery, and promote reusable plastic products and a circular economy in which the raw materials of a waste product are recycled and reused. Oil-producing states, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia, call themselves the "like-minded group." They want to focus on limiting plastic waste, rather than limiting production. Plastic is largely made from oil products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the UN gave itself the mandate in 2022 to agree to a treaty that covers the entire life cycle of plastic, from production to design and waste management. On Wednesday, Vayas Valdivieso presented what he called a compromise paper, which was met with outrage from dozens of countries, who said he had removed virtually all ambitious or controversial targets from the text, including Article 6 on production limits. Hardly anyone saw the paper as a basis for negotiation for a final text, with even the oil-producing countries dissatisfied. Saudi Arabia, speaking on behalf of the like-minded group, criticized paragraphs that recommended research into alternatives to plastic or liability for plastic producers. The countries have been negotiating for three years already. Any agreement would take years to implement due to the necessary ratifications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Plastic pollutes the oceans and the environment, kills fish and other living creatures, and endangers human health. Tiny particles are increasingly being found in human organs including the brain. According to studies, nano and microplastic particles impair the immune system and promote inflammation. The German Environment Ministry said global plastic production increased sevenfold between the 1970s and 2020 to 367 million tons per year, and could reach almost 600 million tons by 2050 if no measures are taken. It said a total of 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced to date, 6.3 billion tons of which have become waste, most of which ending up in landfill. According to estimates, 152 million tons of plastic waste have accumulated in rivers and oceans worldwide. Federal immigration officers in North Texas say they have recently arrested multiple foreign nationals with criminal histories ranging from fentanyl trafficking to sexual offenses, as a debate intensifies over the Dallas Police Departments role in such enforcement efforts. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Dallas field office announced several arrests over the past week. It is unclear to what extent the Dallas Police Department assisted with any of these cases: Recent ICE Enforcement Actions Name Date Announced / Arrest Date Alleged Offenses (per ICE) Country of Origin Jorge Ramos-Guerra Announced Aug. 13 / Arrested Aug. 12 Fentanyl trafficking, firearms possession, drug charges; final removal order since 1999 Mexico Maynor Garcia Romero Announced Aug. 11 Domestic assault, DUI, drug possession; prior removal orders Honduras Alfonzo Bermudez Sandoval Announced Aug. 8 Prior arrest for indecency with a child Mexico Leidys Johana Coiran-Marquez Announced Aug. 6 Drug possession conviction; final removal order June 30, 2025 Colombia Javier Medina Diaz Announced Aug. 7 / Arrested Aug. 4 DWI, theft of firearm, unlawful carry, failure to appear Mexico The arrests come as Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux faces renewed pressure to clarify his departments cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democratic Rep. Julie Johnson of Dallas sent Comeaux a letter on August 12 stating, Recent public statements, community forums, and media reports have raised questions about the Dallas Police Departments position on ICE detention practices and the 287(g) program. These instances raise critical civil rights concerns and can damage trust between immigrant communities and local police, particularly when reports surface of individuals being detained without clear identification or justification. The issue has been under discussion by the citys Community Police Oversight Board. In April, the City Attorneys office reportedly prevented Comeaux from answering specific immigration-related questions at a meeting, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. The matter returned to the spotlight after a surge of public comment at last weeks city council meeting. In response, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert issued a memo stating the city is committed to following all relevant laws and regulations regarding immigration. She wrote, Dallas strength is the rich tapestry of our communities. DPD will continue to enforce city and state laws while upholding the constitutional rights of residents. The federal government is primarily responsible for enforcing immigration laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Comeaux has previously reportedly told WFAA that the departments policy has not changed. As always, were going to cooperate. Were going to assist our federal partners when needed. And when asked to do anything legally, well be there to support them, he said in July. Some members of the oversight board, including Brandon Friedman, have criticized those responses as vague and possibly crafted by the city attorneys office, while others, including LULAC Dallas Chapter President Rene Martinez, have expressed confidence in the departments handling of immigration-related matters. 287(G) is an almost 30-year-old program that allows federal authorities to delegate certain immigration enforcement actions to state and local officials under the agencys direction and oversight. The 287(g) Program enhances the safety and security of our nations communities by allowing ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to identify and remove criminal aliens who are amenable to removal from the U.S., the ICE website states. (The Center Square) U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Thursday the reinstatement of the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines, the day before he had to respond to a lawsuit over his alleged failure to stand up the task force. Health and Human Services said Congress created the federal panel to improve the safety, quality and oversight of vaccines administered to American children. "By reinstating this Task Force, we are reaffirming our commitment to rigorous science, continuous improvement, and the trust of American families," National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya said. "NIH is proud to lead this effort to advance vaccine safety and support innovation that protects children without compromise." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The original task force was disbanded in 1998. Ray Flores, an attorney, filed the lawsuit in May alleging that Kennedy was violating the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. That law requires the HHS secretary to create a task force that includes the director of the National Institutes of Health, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The law also requires the HHS secretary to provide Congress with progress reports every two years. That never happened, according to Flores' lawsuit. Kennedy, for years, sought the same records. Kennedy sued the government for records in 2018 related to the task force prior to running for president as an independent. Kennedy later dismissed the case after HHS said it couldn't find reports submitted to Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kennedy dropped his presidential bid before the election and campaigned for President Donald Trump. Trump later picked Kennedy to lead the Health and Human Services department. Flores alleged in his lawsuit that Kennedy had not created such a task force since taking office and that the federal government has failed to follow a law passed by Congress for decades. "In over 35 years, all ten of Secretary Kennedy's predecessors failed to report to Congress the steps taken towards making safety improvements in childhood vaccines as required by the [19]86 Act," Flores wrote in the initial suit. "Over 100 days have passed since President Trump formed the Make America Healthy Again Commission chaired by Secretary Kennedy, and no statutorily required Task Force on childhood vaccine safety has been established. Therefore, any grace period for Mr. Kennedy to rectify the failure of his predecessors has ended." Flores' lawsuit sought to compel Kennedy to create a task force and submit reports required by law. It did not request damages. Flores told The Center Square on Thursday that he expects to ask a judge to dismiss the case on Friday without prejudice "provided the terms are agreeable." PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A local government employee was arrested and accused of stealing over $700 of merchandise from a store while wearing his work apparel, Portland police said. Scappoose resident Leonel Sandoval, 55, is an employee of Multnomah County Facilities. He was arrested on Thursday night and accused of theft and other charges, the Portland Police Bureau said. Fire at Walgreens causes flames to reach busy sidewalk Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police responded in the early evening on Aug. 14 to a hardware store in the 1700 block of North Tomahawk Island Drive on reports of a theft that occurred, with the suspect being detained by the stores loss prevention employees. Sandoval was identified as the suspect after he allegedly arrived at the store in a county vehicle and uniform. Preliminary investigation by store employees and officers indicated that Sandoval had selected $785.85 worth of flooring product, passed all points of sale, then attempted to return the unpurchased items, PPB said. Hidden camera found in Battle Ground bathroom Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sandoval, who was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center, faces charges that include second-degree theft and second-degree official misconduct. Police said they notified Multnomah County about the incident and a supervisor retrieved the county vehicle. A spokesperson for Mulntomah County released the following statement about the arrest: Multnomah County does not tolerate employee misconduct or misuse of County assets. Upon learning of the allegations, the County immediately placed Mr. Sandoval on administrative leave. The County has launched an internal investigation into any potential violation of County rules and policies. We are cooperating fully with Portland Police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, the county spokesperson confirmed that Sandoval is the same individual who received a Civilian Medal of Heroism by the City of Portland for saving the life of a suicidal person in 2014. And it is the same Sandoval who had a 1998 conviction of Manufacture/Deliver Controlled Substance, a charge for which he was later granted clemency by then-Oregon Governor Kate Brown in 2017. 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. The Department of Homeland Security took more rhetorical fire this week from the left over its "mass deportation operation" enforcement of immigration laws, and growing numbers of detainees in federal installations. In Pennsylvania, lawmakers and advocates came together to back a new state bill that would ban law enforcement from obscuring their identity as many ICE officers wear masks to protect themselves from being doxxed where a union boss accused ICE of "disappearing innocent people." "I frankly have been horrified by the conduct of these federal agents as has been reported in the media," said AFL-CIO Philadelphia Council President Danny Bauder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bauder, flanked by state Sen. Nikil Saval, D-Center City, and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, went on to accuse ICE of acting like a famous mob informant from an Al Pacino film. Illinois Democrats Tell Feds To Stop Trying To Usurp State Authority Over Immigration "I want to be very clear: kidnapping and disappearing innocent people is disgusting, it's shameful, it's un-American, and any claims to the contrary are absurd," he said Thursday outside ICEs office in Chinatown. Read On The Fox News App "There is no good reason why a public servant would ever have to obscure or hide their identity while working in uniform. These ICE agents are not Donnie Brasco in some sort of deep cover situation to take down this enormous organized crime gang." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "These are people who are engaged in violent, warrantless kidnapping and detention, and they need to be held accountable for their actions," Bauder said. Saval, sponsor of the "No Secret Police" bill in the Republican-controlled Senate, characterized ICE operations as "heavily-armed, masked, unidentifiable individuals roaming our public spaces disappearing our neighbors and violat[ing] basic vital rights." State Sen. Amanda Cappelletti, D-Norristown, added that ICE has "actively undermine[d] public trust in our law enforcement agencies" and encourages bad actors to impersonate police due to their anonymous nature, according to City & State PA. Three States Sign New Agreements With Ice Amid Expanded Immigration Enforcement Operations Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Rep. Rick Krajewski, a democratic socialist representing West Philadelphias University City, introduced a companion bill in the Democratic-majority State House and told the outlet the effort is notably bolstered by a former cop: state Rep. Brian Munroe, D-Warminster. "My job will be a lot easier if we dont have a crime wave of people pretending to be ICE," added Krasner. Just down I-95, Maryland Democrats finally made it into the Baltimore ICE office they were rebuffed from a few weeks ago. After their visit, the lawmakers blasted ICE for the process and the conditions inside the Charm City complex. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., told Baltimore press that ICE has a "great deal of inefficiency" in its operations. "Shame on them," Mfume who represents much of the city said. "The people of this nation deserve better no matter how you feel about immigration." Mfume warned against public complacency, appearing to allege that ICE could easily grab anyone off the street in the future. "We recognize that today it's somebody; or else tomorrow, it could in fact be one of us." In July, House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse and Rep. Jason Crow, both D-Colo., sued the Trump administration over lawmakers being denied access to ICE facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This week, they were able to take a sanctioned tour of an Aurora, Colo., facility along with Reps. Diana DeGette and Brittany Pettersen, both Democrats from Colorado. According to a release from Pettersen entitled, "House Democrats hammer ICE after Aurora facility visit," the agency required the group to sign privacy releases to speak with detainees. DeGette called that another way of "stopping" lawmakers from visiting, according to Pettersen. Meanwhile, back east, a congresswoman arrested during a prior ICE facility visit said she would not stop fighting for her cause. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., told the New Jersey Monitor that she had been criminally charged for doing her job and that being told she could face 17 years in prison is "nothing to joke with." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Im a mother, Im a wife, I have a family," said McIver, who was joined both at the press availability and the raucous Newark ICE detention center visit by Rep. Robert Menendez Jr., D-N.J. whose formerly senatorial father is behind bars on corruption convictions. "I think they have an insatiable appetite for this, and its not about violent criminals," Menendez Jr. said of the Trump administrations immigration enforcement. Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for comment. Original article source: Union boss compares ICE to Al Pacino mobster as more Dems pile on immigration enforcement As India celebrated its 79th Independence Day, Rajinikanth on Friday extended his greetings to his fans, stating that the day marked a milestone for him too, as he completed half a century in his cinematic journey. Taking to his social media platform X, the 'Thalaiva' posted his "heartfelt thanks" to a slew of people ranging from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Leader of Opposition in Assembly Edappadi Palaniswami, and BJP State President Nainar Nagendran and BJP leader K Annamalai, among others. The actor also expressed his sincere thanks to his friends and superstars from the cinema industry, which includes Kamal Haasan, Mammootty, Mohanlal, Vairamuthu, Ilaiyaraaja among others. He also expressed his gratitude to his fans for their love. The veteran actor's latest film 'Coolie' was released on August 14 to enthusiastic response from cinegoers and film fraternity. "Warm greetings to everyone on the 79th Independence Day. On the occasion of my 50-year journey in the film industry, I extend my heartfelt thanks to my friend and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M K Stalin, the Deputy Chief Minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin, Leader of the Opposition Edappadi Palaniswami, BJP leader Nainar Nagendran, my friend Annamalai, Sasikala Ammaiyar, Dhinakaran, Premalatha Ammaiyar, and many other friends from the political sphere," Rajnikath posted on X. "I also sincerely thank my colleagues from the film industry, including Kamal Haasan, Mammootty, Mohanlal, Vairamuthu, Ilaiyaraaja, and all my friends from the cinema world as well as my beloved fans, the living gods who give me life," wrote Rajinikanth. Rajinikanth's latest film 'Coolie' was released on August 14. It was directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and starred Nagarjuna, Sathyaraj, Soubin Shahir and Shruti Haasan in the lead roles along with Rajinikanth. The music of the movie was composed by Anirudh Ravichander. On the film's release day in Chennai's Egmore, huge crowds gathered outside theatres for the first-day, first-show. The area was filled with posters, banners, and giant cutouts of the superstar. Fans in Madurai danced to drumbeats, showered flower petals, and celebrated with joy outside cinemas to watch the film. In Tiruchirappalli, women were seen carrying flowers while men danced to drumbeats to celebrate the release of 'Thalaiva's' much-awaited film. The excitement was not just limited to Tamil Nadu. In Mumbai, similar scenes were seen as fans gathered outside theatres wearing Coolie-themed t-shirts, dancing, and cheering for the film. Children also joined in the celebrations. Fans in Hyderabad thronged outside a theatre on Thursday morning, placed posters of their favourites, Rajinikanth and Nagarjuna. (ANI) ST. LOUIS The American Federation of Teachers union is raising concerns ahead of the new school year and decisions made under the new superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS). Union spokesperson Byron Clemens said teachers have multiple concerns still surrounding fallout from the May 16 tornadoes and school closures. Our citys been horribly traumatized in schools and are often the anchor of their community, Clemens said. We figured out how to, we hope, temporarily address the school closure issues and, hopefully, theyll be repaired as soon as possible. But because we could sit down and collaborate together, we figured out how to do this and what we call a more righteous manner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clemens said during the COVID pandemic, parents started pulling their kids out of classrooms, but even years after the pandemic, the student numbers are still dropping. We might have lost as many as 2000 students, but we dont know that yet, well work that out over the first few weeks of school, Clemens said. Two children rescued from hot car in St. Ann; Father arrested Clemens said teachers are also looking to have a voice in decisions made. My way or the highway approach to things doesnt really work, Clemens said. Its best to have the people who are doing the job having a voice at the table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SPLS released a statement in response to concerns brought up by the union and from the community. Saint Louis Public Schools remain focused on the academic success, safety, and well-being of our students. Under Dr. Borishades leadership, the district continues to pursue bold strategies to improve outcomes and serve the needs of our diverse community. While we recognize that not all stakeholders may agree with every decision, open dialogue and respectful collaboration are the most effective paths forward. Dr. Borishade remains committed to working with all district employeesincluding union leadershipto build a stronger SLPS for students and families. We will not be distracted from our mission. With the first day of school quickly approaching on Aug. 18, our priority is ensuring a smooth and successful start to the year for every student, family, and staff member. The district is proud of the progress made so far, and welcomes constructive feedback rooted in a shared commitment to student success. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FOX 2 News recently reported on the school district facing financial troubles after an audit released Aug. 5 under former superintendent Keisha Scarlett. Clemens said they are open to collaborative efforts between their union, the district and the community following the release of the audit. I think the school board has already changed some practices and has been very public about it, Clemens said. The districts are already responding to those suggestions and we think thats a step in the right direction. 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 University of Iowa announced it is ending its summer writing festival and youth writing project due to ongoing funding concerns. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch) The University of Iowa is shutting down two summer writing programs, citing continued difficulties with funding. The UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences posted messages online to those involved in the Iowa Youth Writing Project and Iowa Summer Writing Festival this week stating both initiatives will end on Dec. 31, 2025, not because of any issues with staff or participants, but due to the realities of the resources required to keep them running. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UI Public Relations Manager Steve Schmadeke said in an email both canceled programs were supposed to be sustained financially by enrollment but ended up with average costs exceeding revenue by $115,000 on average annually over the past five years. The Magid Center for Writing, which receives its funding through its programming, private gifts and the liberal arts college, has been providing support for the writing projects to keep them going. Both the Iowa Summer Writing Festival (ISWF) and the Iowa Youth Writing Project (IYWP) are well-regarded outreach programs that have enriched the Iowa writing community in unique ways; but after careful assessment, CLAS has determined they cannot be sustained financially, Schmadeke said in the email. The universitys primary focus is supporting writing education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Schmadeke said in his email five positions are being eliminated as a result of the program closures, and the five employees filling them are being laid off. There are currently no plans to continue with the youth writing project and festival in a limited format or in any other way, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Iowa Youth Writing Project has been in operation since 2010, according to the message posted online, and has hosted writing workshops for young people across Iowa. The Iowa Summer Writing Festival was launched in 1987, welcoming adult writers from all over the U.S. to Iowa City for workshops and more. We are forever grateful to all those writers who have participated in the festival over the decades, with many of you coming back year after year, the message to the writing festival community stated. You made this festival what it was and brought creativity and energy to Iowa City each summer. This has been a year of changes for UI programming relating to the written word, with the universitys international writing program seeing federal funding cuts that led to reductions in programming and the number of residencies it could support. A new office of writing and communication is also being established at the UI, announced in July, that will serve as a hub for collaboration and resources for writing groups across campus. Magid Center for Writing Director Daniel Khalastchi was announced this week in a news release as the new offices executive director, and will spend his first year in the role establishing the offices structure and goals and making connections in other units. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Writing and communication are essential in every discipline, and Iowa has long been a place where these skills are nurtured, celebrated, and elevated, Khalastchi said in the release. Im honored to serve in this new role and excited to help expand the partnerships and opportunities that make this such a powerful environment for students. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE LAS VEGAS (KLAS) In the fight against substance misuse and overdose, one thing is clear: No one can do it alone. Thats the message behind an event at UNLV where experts, advocates and former addicts came together to share possible solutions. On Thursday, UNLV hosted its 6th annual Substance Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit at UNLVs Strip View Pavilion. This years sold-out summit is centered on the theme: Harmonization: A block party on the corner of healing and collaboration, where everyone has a seat at the table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The goal is to share new strategies for tackling the overdose crisis and find innovative solutions to save lives in Southern Nevada. We always say the opposite of addiction is connection. We want to make sure were building that community so they dont lose that connection, Katarina Pulver of the Southern Nevada Health District said. The event was hosted by the Southern Nevada Health District and Nevada Institute for Childrens Research and Policy. The topics discussed ranged from preventing overdoses in emergency departments to launching the Southern Nevada Post Overdose Response Program. Sean O Donnell, executive director for the Foundation for Recovery, started using substances when he was just 14. It led to him being homeless, living in his car. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For me, treatment was the shortest and most expensive part of my recovery journey. For all of the years that followed these programs, its been a community of loving people who have supported me forward, O Donnell said. This summit also provides a valuable opportunity to examine the needs of individuals and families affected by substance use. Steven Markley with the Northern Nevada Harm Reduction Alliance is a former addict who was once living in the tunnels of Las Vegas. Markely said more investment is needed for outreach teams and harm reduction. These programs are really good in terms of cutting down the spread of infections. Hepatitis C is raging here in the city, Markley said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to The Associated Press, overdose deaths dropped nationally in 2024 by nearly 27%, the largest drop in decades. However, that was not the case for Nevada, which saw a small uptick. Overdose deaths increased about 0.5%, with a sharp 31% increase in overdose fatalities between January 2023 and January 2024. 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. Why is there not a rating on this post? There's not enough verified evidence for us to definitively confirm or debunk this rumor. Contact us if you have credible information to share. We'll update this post as necessary. In mid-August 2025, a rumor spread online that U.S. President Donald Trump planned to offer Alaska's natural resources to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as part of a potential deal to end that country's war in Ukraine. Claims about the purported proposal spread on X, Threads and Reddit. The Telegraph reports that Trump plans to offer Putin access to Alaskas natural resources and sanctions relief if he agrees to a ceasefire Why reward an aggressor who has no interest in a real and lasting ceasefire? Outrageous! pic.twitter.com/OESDFx5yQ5 Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) August 14, 2025 It is accurate to say The Telegraph, considered a paper of record in the United Kingdom, reported (archived) on Aug. 13, 2025, that the U.S. government planned to offer "Alaska's natural resources to Moscow" during the two leaders' Aug. 15 meeting to help expedite a ceasefire deal in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, given that The Telegraph did not reveal the sources behind its report, as of this writing, we cannot verify or rate this claim. The White House did not immediately return an inquiry requesting confirmation of The Telegraph's report. The Telegraph's journalists on the story, Connor Stringer and Joe Barnes, also did not immediately respond to questions about the sourcing behind their report. Here's what we know. The Telegraph report Several claims suggested that Trump planned to offer Alaska's rare minerals to Russia. However, these claims appeared to conflate The Telegraph's reporting that the U.S. government has prepared multiple possible deals for Putin to move him toward a ceasefire, including offering Alaska's natural resources and Ukraine's rare earth minerals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Telegraph's report suggested that the "natural resources" Russia might gain access to in Alaska would be oil and gas reserves, not necessarily rare minerals. Here's the relevant portions of The Telegraph story (emphasis ours): Donald Trump is preparing to offer Vladimir Putin access to rare earth minerals to incentivise him to end the war in Ukraine. The US president will arrive at the much-anticipated meeting with his Russian counterpart on Friday armed with a number of money-making opportunities for Putin. They will include opening up Alaska's natural resources to Moscow and lifting some of the American sanctions on Russia's aviation industry, The Telegraph can reveal. Proposals include giving Putin access to the rare earth minerals in the Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russia. [...] Mr Trump is also considering offering Russia opportunities to tap into the valuable natural resources in the strait that separates it from the US. Alaska, separated from Russia by just three miles of the Bering Strait, is estimated to hold significant undiscovered oil and gas reserves, including 13 per cent of the world's oil. Ukraine has a wealth of rare earth minerals, including titanium, lithium, graphite and uranium; a large portion of these resources, as of this writing, lies within Russian-occupied territory. The defense and technology industries use these materials for everything from smartphones to batteries. In May, the United States signed a deal with Ukraine to give Washington access to some of the country's natural resources, including 55 types of minerals, with the option to agree to more kinds (see Page 10). A White House official reportedly told The Telegraph that the U.S. government does not "comment on deliberative conversations that may or may not be happening." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "From the beginning, the president has been clear about his commitment to ending the bloodshed and achieving a full and comprehensive ceasefire," the official said. A reporter also asked Trump on Aug. 14 if he planned to offer rare minerals presumably Ukrainian to Russia as an incentive to end the war. In response, he said: "We're going to see what happens with our meeting." Sources: "25K Views 473 Reactions | When President Trump Was Asked Whether He Would Offer Russian President Putin Access to Ukrainian Rare Earth Minerals to Incentivize Him to End the War, Trump Said, 'We're Going to See What Happens with Our Meeting.' | NBC News." Facebook.com, 14 Aug. 2025, www.facebook.com/reel/2569921063400737. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025. "Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the United States of America on the Establishment of a United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund." Kmu.gov.ua, May 2025, www.kmu.gov.ua/storage/app/uploads/public/681/33c/e8f/68133ce8f2e82842702204.pdf. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement European Parliament Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services. "The Future of Rare Earth Mining in Ukraine." Epthinktank, 27 Mar. 2025, epthinktank.eu/2025/03/27/the-future-of-rare-earth-mining-in-ukraine/. Keane, Christopher. "How Do We Use Rare Earth Elements?" American Geosciences Institute, profession.americangeosciences.org/society/intersections/faq/how-do-we-use-rare-earth-elements/. Kullab, Samya. "Ukraine and the US Have Finally Signed a Minerals Deal. What Does It Include?" AP News, 1 May 2025, apnews.com/article/ukraine-us-rare-earth-minerals-deal-8566241ea0e121a30437d845357055d8. Stringer, Connor, and Joe Barnes. "Donald Trump to Present Minerals Deal to Vladimir Putin in Alaska." The Telegraph, 13 Aug. 2025, www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/08/13/trump-to-present-minerals-deal-to-putin-in-alaska/. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025. "The UK's 'Other Paper of Record.'" News.bbc.co.uk, 19 Jan. 2004, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3409185.stm. A bipartisan amendment to upgrade Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Cobb County passed in the U.S. Senate, being added to the current Defense Appropriations Bill under consideration. In an announcement, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff said the amendment for upgrades to the Air Force Reserves C-130H fleet at Dobbins ARB passed, granting approval for procuring upgrades to the C-130J models produced by Marietta-based Lockheed Martin. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Since I took office, Senator Warnock and I have relentlessly advocated for recapitalization of the Hercules fleet nationally with the C-130J variant manufactured in Georgia, Ossoff said in a statement. Thats why I brought Republicans and Democrats together to work toward bringing them to Dobbins Air Reserve Base. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Should the spending bill pass, the amendment supported by Ossoff and his colleagues would have the Secretary of the Air Force give a report to U.S. Congress within 100 days with a plan to upgrade the Air Force Reserve Squadrons that still use C-130H aircraft, according to the senators office. TRENDING STORIES: Having passed the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Defense spending bill now heads to a full floor vote in the U.S. Senate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the bill passes the Senate, it would go to the U.S. House of Representatives for approval and potential amendment,. According to Ossoffs office, if the amendment passes in the Senate, the appropriations bill would say: Air Force Reserve Tactical Airlift Capacity. - The Committee notes that the Air Force Reserve fleet continues to operate aging C-130H aircraft, and that recapitalization of these platforms with an updated C-130J capability is critical for Air Force Reserve units to rapidly respond to crises at home and abroad. Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a report to be delivered to congressional defense committees not later than 100 days after the enactment of this act detailing a plan to upgrade the remaining Air Force Reserve Squadrons operating C-130H aircraft. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) An Upstate man has been found guilty of distributing fentanyl that resulted in a death in Greenville County. A federal jury convicted 28-year-old Mylique McFadden, of Simpsonville, for distributing fentanyl resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The guilty verdict was returned after a three-day trial, during which evidence showed McFadden distributed fentanyl to a Greenville man at a Simpsonville gas station. It was reported that the victim died shortly after the drug deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to evidence presented during the trial, McFadden distributed fentanyl to the 28-year-old victim at a Simpsonville gas station. Forty-five minutes later, the victim was found unresponsive by a loved one. First responders administered Narcan and conducted CPR but were not able to revive the victim. Law enforcement recovered the victims phone and discovered text messages between the victim and McFadden arranging the drug deal. Video surveillance from the gas station showed the meeting. Officers obtained a warrant for McFaddens electronic devices. A review of the phones showed multiple messages where McFadden was arranging for the sale of marijuana, methamphetamine and other hard drugs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Evidence showed that McFadden learned about the victims death on the same evening it occurred. Investigators said the defendant then obtained a new phone number, reported his device as missing and performed several incriminating internet searches, such as What is the charge if somebody dies from an overdose in South Carolina? McFadden was arrested on January 1 and was found with eight packages of marijuana in his vehicle. He was released on bond and reoffended in June. Less than two months before his federal trial, officers observed McFadden sell marijuana at another local gas station. Based on the sale and surveillance of his apartment, officers obtained and executed a search warrant on the residence. Authorities found over a pound of marijuana, digital scales, packaging materials, and large quantities of cash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McFadden faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years imprisonment for the fentanyl charge and an additional five years for the marijuana charge. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision following the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Jacquelyn Austin will sentence McFadden after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. 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. Summary Drinkmate has recalled about 106,200 carbonation bottles in the U.S. and Canada due to explosion risks, with affected bottles having expiration dates between 01/2026 and 10/2026. There have been eight reports of bottle explosions in the U.S., including four injuries, plus one incident in Canada causing bruises and property damage. Consumers should stop using the bottles immediately, mark them with "Recall," submit a replacement request with a photo, and dispose of the bottles to receive a free replacement. If you use a beverage maker to make fizzy drinks at home, check your bottles. Sparkling water and soda maker company Drinkmate has recalled approximately 106,200 of its branded carbonation bottles in the U.S. and Canada due to the risk of explosion during use, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The recall involves certain 1-liter carbonation bottles that have a clear polyethylene terephthalate (PET) body, along with caps and bases in red, blue, white, and black plastic. The recalled bottles have expiration dates between 01/2026 and 10/2026, which are printed on the side of the bottle. Only bottles within this expiration date range are included in the recall. The bottles were sold individually and as part of some Drinkmate OmniFizz starter kits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The affected bottles were sold online through major retailers, including Walmart, Amazon, Target, and Home Depot, as well as on iDrinkproducts.com, from April 2023 through October 2024 for about $20 individually or $130 as a kit. Drinkmate has received eight reports of the bottles exploding while in use, including four reports resulting in lacerations, impact injuries, and hearing damage, per the CPSC report. The company also received a report of a bottle shattering during use, causing some bruises and property damage in Canada, according to Health Canada. Soda makers like Drinkmate's work by injecting pressurized carbon dioxide (CO2) into water, creating carbonated water, which can then be flavored to make soda. The process involves attaching a bottle of water to the machine, then using a CO2 canister to introduce the gas into the water under pressure. If you have one of these bottles, stop using it immediately and contact Drinkmate to receive a free replacement bottle. To receive the replacement, you will need to fill out a replacement form and upload a photo of the bottle permanently marked with the word "Recall" before properly disposing of it. Consumers will receive a code to order the free replacement bottle through Drinkmates website, shipping included. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you have questions or need assistance, contact Drinkmate's customer care team by emailing support@idrinkproducts.com or calling 844-812-6241 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Read the original article on Martha Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) -USAID is concerned that the Trump administration's cancellation of independent aid monitoring contracts for Ukraine has increased the risk of waste, fraud and abuse, according to three U.S. watchdog agencies. "The termination of third-party monitoring contracts has further limited USAID's ability to oversee programs," the State Department, Pentagon and USAID inspectors general said in a report issued on Thursday. The U.S. Agency for International Development was the main U.S. agency that administered civilian foreign aid for more than 60 years. It is being dismantled by the Trump administration and is scheduled to be closed on September 2. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The three inspectors general submit quarterly reports to Congress on their oversight of U.S. civilian support for Ukraine in its fight against Russias full-scale invasion launched in February 2022. In January, President Donald Trump froze all U.S. foreign assistance programs pending a review of their alignment with his "America First" policies, and ordered the dismantling of USAID, which stopped disbursing funds in July. As part of this decision, billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency oversaw the termination of 83 percent of USAID programs, including some that supported Ukraine. The watchdogs' report said that USAID managed $30.2 billion in direct support for the Ukrainian government's budget, and provided a guarantee that secured a $20 billion loan for Kyiv. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It said that in the three months ending June 31, 25 civilian aid programs for Ukraine were terminated, while 29 active programs, five under stop-work orders and four of unknown status were transferred to the State Department. The terminated programs included contracts with third parties that provided independent tracking of USAID funds to ensure that they were spent as intended and that helped "inform both current and future decision-making," it said. "USAID said that without independent monitoring, it cannot verify that programs are being implemented in line with award terms, increasing the risk of waste, fraud and abuse," the report said. This is especially true in conflict-affected areas "where there is a heightened potential for diversion of funds," it warned. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay; editing by Clelia Oziel) By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -A U.S. appeals court on Friday granted Argentina's request to put on temporary hold a judge's order that it turn over its 51% stake in oil and gas company YPF to partially satisfy a $16.1 billion judgment won by two investors. In a brief order, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan stayed U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska's June 30 turnover order while Argentina appeals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friday's order provides a reprieve for Argentine President Javier Milei's government, which warned of irreparable harm and economic instability if it gave up its stake in YPF, the country's largest energy company. Argentina is separately appealing the $16.1 billion judgment, which Preska awarded in September 2023 to Petersen Energia Inversora and Eton Park Capital Management. The investors are represented by litigation funder Burford Capital, which would share in their damages. Lawyers for Petersen and Eton Park did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Friday's order did not provide reasons for the stay, which should last at least a few months. Argentina's next legal filing related to YPF is due on September 25, court records show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dispute stemmed from Argentina's 2012 decision to seize the YPF stake from Spain's Repsol without making a tender offer to minority shareholders. Argentina had argued that the YPF shares were immune from turnover under the federal Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. The U.S. government sided with Argentina, saying a resolution of the dispute should not be rushed and potentially interfere with relations between the countries. Lawyers for the investors countered that a commercial activity exception to immunity, together with Argentina's "many years" of evasion, justified a turnover. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In her June 30 order, Preska said Argentina's control over the YPF shares triggered the exception, and the country could not simply invoke its own laws to prevent a turnover. A spokesperson for the Argentine government said the country welcomed Friday's order, and confident the $16.1 billion damages award would also be overturned. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler, Edmund Klamann and Marguerita Choy) A US appeals court cleared the way Friday for President Donald Trump's administration to implement mass firings at a bank regulator set up after the 2008 financial crisis. The decision sets the stage for significant staff cuts at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a watchdog for banks and fintech companies that has been long targeted by congressional Republicans and far-right Trump allies. By a 2-1 vote, the appeals court panel annulled a preliminary injunction issued by a US district court in March that had given a lifeline to agency staff. Labor unions representing CFPB workers had argued that Trump appointees' mass downsizing of CFPB effectively destroyed the agency, overstepping constitutional authority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We hold that the district court lacked jurisdiction to consider the claims predicated on loss of employment," said the ruling. "Accordingly, we vacate the preliminary injunction." The ruling was backed by Judges Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao, who were appointed to the court by Trump during his first term. Dissenting was Judge Cornelia Pillard, appointed in 2013 by Democrat Barack Obama, who endorsed the district court's conclusion that a deep downsizing of the CFPB amounted to the destruction of the agency. While the president holds great influence over the CFPB, the administration does not have the power to "decide that the country would benefit most if there was no Bureau at all," Pillard said, adding that only Congress has the authority to repeal the law that created the CFPB. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CFPB was formed in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, and serves as a monitor over a variety of US consumer issues ranging from mortgages to credit cards to debt collection. In February, Trump designated Russell Vought as director of the CFPB. Vought, who also leads the White House Office of Management and Budget, was a key architect of the conservative blueprint known as Project 2025, which called for the abolishment of the agency. On Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi cheered the appeals court ruling as clearing the way for the CFPB "to right-size itself in accordance with the law to best serve the American people." The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents CFPB staff, decried the ruling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This decision could lead to widescale firings, which would result in the cessation of the Bureau's important work protecting consumers," said NTEU president Doreen Greenwald, adding that the CFPB has returned more than $21 billion to consumers since its establishment in 2011. The union can appeal Friday's decision to the full appeals court. jmb/acb Bollywood star Akshay Kumar showcased his patriotic spirit as he arrived at the Kalina airport on Independence Day, wearing a green shirt adorned with a badge of the Indian map in tricolour. In the ANI video, Kumar can be seen coming out of his car and posing for the camera in the rain. What grabbed the eyeballs was his patriotic spirit as he refused the umbrella and wished his fans "Happy Independence Day" Akshay shared a heartfelt tribute to "real-life heroes". "Freedom feels brighter when we care for the ground beneath our feet. Was enjoying beachside volleyball when I met these real-life heroes keeping our beaches clean... all smiles, all heart. #IndependenceDay #EverydayHeroes," he wrote on his Instagram handle. https://www.instagram.com/p/DNXFgcNTGK5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== On the work front, Akshay Kumar will be next seen in the much-awaited 'Jolly LLB 3' opposite Arshad Warsi. The teaser for the third instalment was unveiled on August 12, giving a glimpse into the funny yet intense clash between the two actors. Saurabh Shukla is also returning as Judge Tripathi.'Jolly LLB 3' will be released on September 19, 2025. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolour at the Red Fort as India celebrated its 79th Independence Day. Flying Officer Rashika Sharma assisted the Prime Minister in hoisting the flag, followed by flower petals showered from two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force - one carrying the national flag and the other displaying the 'Operation Sindoor' flag. The aircraft were piloted by Wing Commander Vinay Poonia and Wing Commander Aditya Jaiswal. PM Modi was received at the Red Fort by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Sanjay Seth, and the Chiefs of the three services. The Prime Minister also received the ceremonial guard of honour by the National Flag Guard, the Indian Air Force, Army, Navy, and Delhi Police, totalling upto 128 people. Wing Commander Arun Nagar led the inter-services guard of honour. Ahead of reaching the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Rajghat in the national capital and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi as the country marked its 79th Independence Day. This year's celebrations carry the theme 'Naya Bharat,' reflecting the government's vision of achieving 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. (ANI) By Maiya Keidan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Friday he is not running for president in 2028, calling the suggestion inaccurate on social media. "DC lobby shops are laboring fiercely to drive a wedge between President Trump and me", he said on X. "Theyre pushing the flat-out lie that Im running for president in 2028. Let me be clear: I am not running for president in 2028." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kennedy previously ran as an independent presidential candidate in 2024, campaigning on combating chronic illness and ridding the environment and food supply of hazardous chemicals. He ended his bid for election on August 23, 2024, throwing his support behind Trump who selected Kennedy to lead the top U.S. health agency last November. "The president has made himself the answer to my 20-year prayer that God would put me in a position to end the chronic disease epidemic and thats exactly what my team and I will do until the day he leaves office", Kennedy also said in his post on Friday. (Reporting by Maiya Keidan and Caroline Humer) ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte became the first Marine Corps officer to be superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy in its 180-year history on Friday. Borgschulte was deputy commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs in Quantico, Virginia, before being nominated to be the 66th superintendent of the military academy in Annapolis. Borgschulte, who graduated from the academy in 1991, said he would safeguard its proud traditions while preparing future generations of officers for the challenges of an increasingly complex world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The academy exists not to pursue academic rankings or institutional accolades yes, we have those but to fulfill a sacred mission, and thats to develop the next generation of Navy and Marine Corps officers who will protect and defend the freedoms we as Americans so often take for granted, Borgschulte said during a ceremony marking the change in command. John Phelan, the secretary of the Navy, called Borgshulte a decorated naval aviator and a veteran of three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan who's led sailors and marines at all levels. He is someone who his fellow marines describe as a military hybrid of modern tactics and ancient attitudes, Phelan continued, adding that he oversaw the highest recruitment and retention in Marine Corps history and will further cultivate a culture of winning and warfighting here at the academy. Get ready, midshipmen. It's time to buckle your chinstraps, Phelan said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This year the academy commissioned 776 Navy ensigns and 258 second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. Borgschulte replaces Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, who in January 2024 became the first woman to be superintendent. Davids is moving to the Pentagon to be deputy chief of naval operations for Operations, Plans, Strategy and Warfighting Development. Phelan said Davids fulfilled her role with distinction and she is the best person for the Pentagon post. Vice Adm. Davids' experience, operational record and strategic mind made her the natural fit for the job and will serve her and the Navy well in this future role, Phelan said. A US official has said that "all options remain on the table" during the summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska, including the possibility of Trump walking out of the meeting if he does not believe that Putin is serious about making a deal. Source: CNN, citing an unnamed official, as reported by European Pravda Details: Trump alluded to the possibility during a conversation with journalists on Thursday 14 August. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Were going to find out where everybody stands, and Ill know within the first two minutes, three minutes, four minutes or five minutes. We tend to find out whether or not were going to have a good meeting or a bad meeting, and if its a bad meeting, itll end very quickly, and if its a good meeting, were going to end up getting peace in the pretty near future," Trump said. The American official noted that the White House is cautiously optimistic about the meeting, emphasising that Trump believes he needs to be in the same room as Putin to assess what he is prepared to do regarding a ceasefire. The official also did not rule out the possibility that the US president could leave the summit early if he sees that Putin does not have the right mindset. Trump said he expects Putin to take the meeting seriously, warning of very severe consequences for Moscow if the Russian leader does not agree to take steps to end the war. Background: On the morning of 15 August, hundreds of people gathered in support of Ukraine ahead of the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Columbia, has incurred more than $120,000 in legal and consulting fees related to investigations into reporting errors in his campaign finance reports, documents obtained by The Tennessean show. The expenses were reported in a fund set up by Ogles to receive donations to help pay for those legal expenses. The records, which are largely inaccesible to the public, show that through June 30, Ogles ran up $117,598.75 in legal fees at four different Washington, D.C. law firms to handle the investigations. The records also report Ogles incurring $3,000 for consulting at Annapolis, Maryland, consulting group GOP Compliance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During that time frame, he received no donations to his fund aside from a $100 donation to open the account, the records show. The vast majority of Ogles' legal bills, $88,290, are to the Earth and Water Group, a national law firm with a broad practice and an office in Washington. He also had $17,000 in legal expenses at Secil Law, a white collar defense firm in Washington. Both of those groups represented Ogles in federal court in Tennessee after FBI agents seized Ogles' cell phone shortly after his 2024 reelection. U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., speaks during the Marshall County GOP annual dinner at the Lewisburg Recreation Center in Lewisburg, Tenn., Thursday, July 11, 2024. The sort of fund Ogles established, called a "legal expense fund," allows lawmakers accused of wrongdoing in office to accept donations for legal fees while complying with congressional ethics rules. These funds are regulated by the House Ethics Committee, according to Cynthia Brown, senior ethics counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "The creation of legal expense funds allows all government officials, not just the wealthy, to seek legal counsel related to actions they take in their official capacity," Brown said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The funds are run as a trust. James Appel, the founder and CEO of GOP Compliance is acting as trustee for Ogles. The House Ethics Committee in April approved Ogles' request to establish a legal expense fund. At that point, Ogles had incurred $75,470 in legal expenses. "All the invoices remain outstanding," the Ethics Committee's approval letter, signed by Chairman Michael Guest, a Mississippi Republican, and Ranking Member Mark DeSaulnier, a California Democrat, read. "You would like to use funds raised by the Trust to pay for these expenses. Campaign Legal Center's Ethics Director Delaney Marsco said legal expense funds are subject to restrictions on who can donate to them and how much. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marsco said the restrictions are "designed to prevent these from being used essentially as a slush fund that could be used as a way around campaign finance restrictions." While legal expense fund filings are public, they are inaccessible for those outside Washington. The only way to view documents in a representative's legal expense fund is in person in a congressional office building in the nation's capital. A USA TODAY reporter in Washington, D.C. retrieved Ogles' legal expense fund records. The Tennessean is part of the USA TODAY Network of newspapers. The documents viewed by The Tennessean do not make clear whether Ogles owes the law firms outstanding payments or is seeking reimbursement after already having paid them. Certain pages of Ogles' agreement establishing the trust fund appear to be missing from the public filings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ogles' office did not return repeated requests for comment. Ethics officials have been investigating Ogles for more than a year. In June 2024, the independent U.S Office of Congressional Ethics, now the Office of Congressional Conduct, said it found "substantial reason to believe that Rep. Ogless campaign committee accepted excessive contributions reported as personal loans and contributions from the candidate." That office referred its investigation up the chain to the lawmakers on the House Ethics Committee, which in January 2025 was reviewing the matter. The day after Ogles won the primary for his congressional seat in August 2024, FBI agents seized Ogles' cell phone and email account at his Tennessee home, court records show. Ogles' lawyers contested the search warrants in court, and he is seeking donations to cover expenses for that case. Have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him with questions, tips or story ideas at emealins@tennessean.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: US Rep. Andy Ogles creates fund to cover $120K in legal fees By Tom Polansek and Leah Douglas (Reuters) -The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend up to $750 million to build a facility in Texas that produces sterile flies to fight the flesh-eating livestock pest New World screwworm, Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Friday. The plan signals increasing worries about the risk of screwworm, a parasitic fly that eats livestock and wildlife alive, to infest U.S. cattle after the pest moved north in Mexico toward the U.S. border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An outbreak could further elevate record-high U.S. beef prices by reducing the U.S. cattle supply. "It could truly crush the cattle industry," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said at a news conference with Rollins. In Texas, the largest cattle-producing state, ranchers are anticipating the return of screwworm for the first time in decades. The United States eliminated screwworm in the 20th century by flying planes over hotspots to drop boxes packed with sterile flies. The production plant in Edinburg, Texas, would be located with a previously announced sterile fly dispersal facility at Moore Air Base and be able to produce 300 million sterile screwworm flies per week, Rollins said. Sterile flies reduce the mating population of the wild flies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rollins did not say when the plant would open but previously said such a facility would take two to three years to build. The USDA will spend another $100 million on technologies to combat screwworm while the facility is being constructed and hire more mounted officers to patrol the border for infested wildlife, Rollins said. The agency halted imports of Mexican cattle in July to keep out screwworm, tightening U.S. cattle supplies already at their lowest levels in decades. "Those ports don't open until we begin to push the screwworm back," Rollins said. The USDA has also invested in a sterile fly production plant in Mexico that is slated to open next year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Panama, a facility breeds up to 100 million sterile flies per week. The USDA estimated 500 million flies must be released weekly to push screwworm back south in Latin America. "All Americans should be concerned," Rollins said. (Reporting by Tom Polansek and Leah Douglas; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Daniel Wallis) Jay Sures, vice chairman of United Talent Agency who also serves as a UCLA regent, was ordered on Thursday to pay $150,624 in legal fees to a UCLA graduate student who participated in a protest outside of Sures house back in February. In early February, grad student Dylan Kupsh and around 50 other UCLA students demonstrated outside of Sures house in Brentwood where, among other things, one of the protesters left a bloody handprint on his garage door and others held up a sign that said Jonathan Sures you will pay, until you see your final day. More from TheWrap Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sures, who is Jewish, told TheWrap in February the bloody handprint in particular was an anti-Semitic act. If I wasnt Jewish, they wouldnt do this. The students were protesting what they said was Sures role in protecting UC investments in genocide and weapons manufacturing. The protest was organized by Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA and Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA. Both student groups were suspended 2 weeks after the demonstration. Meanwhile, Sures identified Kupsh as one of the main organizers of the protest and filed a restraining order against him. Kupshs attorneys countered with an Anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) against Sures, arguing that Sures provided no evidence Kupsh led the protests and that Sures was attempting to qush his first amendment rights. A judge ruled in favor of Kupsh in May, which made Sures liable for the students legal fees. Sures attorney didnt immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap. In a statement to The Daily Bruin, Kupsh said in part, I think this hearing really represents the first occasion where real accountability is happening. Hopefully these legal fees represent something more than just one case alone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sures was appointed to the UCLA Board of Regents by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2019. He previously served as an assistant visiting professor at the UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television in 2005 and 2006. The post UTA Vice Chairman Jay Sures Ordered to Pay $150K in Legal Fees to Pro-Palestine UCLA Grad Student appeared first on TheWrap. Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz announced on Friday the Legislature will review a law inspired by a criminal case involving the family member of Senate President Stuart Adams. Over the past week, Adams has rejected calls for his resignation, defending his choice not to disclose his personal connection to a bill passed in 2024 that later was referenced in the trial of his granddaughter. The provision, making up just a few lines in a 49-page criminal justice omnibus bill, SB213, allows 18-year-old high school students to be charged as 17-year-olds if they engage in noncoercive sexual activity with teenagers under the age of consent, which in Utah is 14. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a stated effort to keep the process fair, Adams did not tell legislators, except for the bills primary sponsor Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore that his granddaughter was currently the defendant in a Davis County criminal case falling into that narrow category. The law did not apply retroactively to Adams granddaughter. It was, however, referenced at her sentencing. Court observers disagree on the extent to which legislators actions may have shaped the eventual plea bargain that let the granddaughter avoid a prison sentence and sex offender designation. With the recent heightened attention on S.B. 213, I believe its important to reconvene stakeholders for further discussion to ensure we arrived at the right policy, Schultz, R-Hooper, said in the statement. How did the law come about? Schultz affirmed what Adams and Cullimore previously told the Deseret News, that SB213 was vetted through the full legislative process and that the proposed policy change was transparent to legislators, stakeholders, and the public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The provision based on the experience of Adams granddaughter was included in SB213 after Cullimore collaborated with Cara Tangaro, the granddaughters defense attorney, to identify changes to state code that would prevent future high school students from being charged with child rape when no force was involved. While the policy change stemming from these conversations did not emerge from the same interim meetings that produced the rest of SB213, it was mentioned in every committee hearing and floor debate, and was read aloud in its entirety before the House vote. Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, the House sponsor of SB213, said she was not aware of the origin of the policy change. In a statement to the Deseret News, she said she was grateful for the opportunity to take another look at the states sex crimes against minors code. The Legislature and the public are both focused on this topic, and with that focus, I am confident that sound, concise, and clear policy will be the result of this working groups effort, Lisonbee, R-Syracuse, said. What will legislators do about the law? Schultz said he and Adams agree that following the bipartisan backlash there is a need to revisit the policy. The two leaders plan to organize a group of policy experts to analyze state laws related to unlawful sexual activity among high school students, according to Schultz. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its certainly within their purview as legislators, Tangaro told the Deseret News. I think this statute will stand up to scrutiny and am happy for it to be reviewed. Last week, state Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Salt Lake City, and Utah Democratic Party Chair Brian King, called on Adams to resign, alleging that he had abused his power by not disclosing the potential conflict of interest posed by SB213. There are always messy and opaque processes in a part-time legislature, but institutions can lose credibility if constituents believe policies are shaped by abuses of power, Blouin told the Deseret News in a statement. Acknowledging and correcting the mistake made here confirms the need to address our work with more humility, transparency, and truthfulness, Blouin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview with Deseret News and KSL.com on Monday, Adams repeatedly defended his actions, saying that if he would have revealed his family situation it would have biased the process and distracted from the policy itself. Adams claimed to have had no participation in the drafting of the provision, or its placement in SB213, and said the way the bill became law was done ethically and morally perfect. A thoughtful review of S.B. 213 will ensure our policies remain grounded in safety and fairness, Adams said in a statement on Friday. I welcome the opportunity for a working group to ensure our laws are thoughtful and reflect Utahs values. Hunters look for prey in Utah wild lands. (Courtesy of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources) Utah Department of Natural Resources data shows the number of hunting and fishing license suspensions have been trending downward in recent years but wildlife officials say thats not because theyre being lenient. Instead, DNR Sgt. Devin Christensen said its because state wildlife officers are focused on blatant offenders, rather than Utahns making honest mistakes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were trying to more vigorously pursue those who blatantly are breaking the law, he said. If its maybe an accident or a mistake (were) trying to give the benefit of the doubt. Were trying to be a little bit more understanding and make sure were really pursuing those who are blatantly breaking the law. Here is a breakdown of hunting and fishing license suspensions in Utah from the last few years, according to DNR: 2017: 83 2018: 88 2019: 84 2020: 41 2021: 55 2022: 77 2023: 42 2024: 54 2025: 35 (so far, mid year) Christensen said the number of hunting and fishing license suspensions are trending down, but he also noted some license suspensions can span multiple years, depending on the violations severity. For example, in 2024, he said those 54 license suspensions totaled 261 years of cumulative suspended years, because suspension terms can range between one to seven years, depending on the offense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lengths of various suspensions are established by the Utah Legislature and are based on the designated class of crime: For a class C misdemeanor, the suspension is one year. For a class B, its three years. For a class A misdemeanor, its five years. For a felony, its a seven-year suspension. However, those suspension terms can be doubled for two reasons: if a license was already suspended at the time of a crime or if the crime involved a trophy animal. Utah is a member state of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. License suspensions in Utah are also recognized in all the other states in the U.S., except for Hawaii. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Egregious violations, Christensen said, are hunters shooting multiple animals theyre not permitted to take, or those trying to hide or sneak an illegal carcass. However, he said wildlife officials also recognize mistakes happen. For example, maybe a hunter shoots a spike elk, but later discovers it was actually a cow elk. Or maybe an angler catches six rainbow trout before realizing the catch limit at the reservoir was actually four. If that happens, Christensen urged hunters or anglers to call the DNR and to notify them of the issue rather than trying to ignore or hide it. If you make a mistake, call us. We understand. Well work with you. Were not out there to get you, he said. Thats our main goal, is to protect the resource and the people out there, to make sure everybodys safe and we can manage the (protected) species. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When hunters or anglers are opportunistic and knowingly break the law, DNR said in a news release issued this week that in most of these instances, the person will be criminally prosecuted and will pay a fine. But for their hunting or fishing license to also be suspended, the person has to intentionally, knowingly or recklessly violate the law. However, DNR Lt. Casey Mickelsen said in a prepared statement that if someone self-reports a wildlife violation, it often reduces the severity of the punishment and the likelihood that their license will be suspended. Hunters look for water fowl at a Utah reservoir. (Courtesy of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources) We understand that people get scared or embarrassed, but we really appreciate those hunters and anglers who call and tell us about their mishaps, he said. This shows a lot of goodwill and says a lot about you if you take responsibility for your actions. For those who intentionally break the law, Christensen said DNR relies very heavily on the states poaching hotline and the publics tips and observations in the field. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The entire purpose of wildlife law enforcement is to encourage people to comply with the laws that help manage fish and wildlife species in the state, Mickelsen said. Those laws are made to benefit wildlife and the public. We wish that everyone would just comply with the law so that we didnt have to do suspensions. That is our goal. But unfortunately, people do break the law, and we believe that a license suspension is the best deterrent we have for people who intentionally commit wildlife crimes. Mickelsen said the best way to stay out of trouble is to make sure you stay up-to-date on current regulations and carefully check your permit before hunting or fishing. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Every year, our officers encounter hunters who go hunting without even opening their envelope to see what permit they drew, he said. They wait to look at their permit until after they have harvested an animal and then finally discover that they hunted in the wrong unit or season, or sometimes for the wrong species entirely. These situations often result in citations and the illegally harvested wildlife being confiscated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youre planning a fishing trip, DNR officials urge you to make sure you have a current fishing license and take time to read the current fishing guidebook so that you know the requirements for the waterbody youre visiting. You should understand which species must be released, what the daily limit is for each species and if bait is allowed at the waterbody where you are fishing, DNR officials said. There are hunting unit boundaries and fish limits for a reason, Mickelsen said. These regulations help us manage various wildlife species according to specific management plans and also help us maintain healthy populations for each area or waterbody. If these regulations are not enforced by our officers, the management plans dont work as well as intended. They also urged Utahns to check the Department of Wildlife Resources website, including the Utah Hunting and Fishing app, maps to the hunting boundaries and popular fishing spots, and guidebooks that detail the current hunting and fishing laws in Utah. If people have additional questions or concerns about a hunting or fishing regulation, they can also call a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources office or contact the Utah Division of Law Enforcement and talk to a conservation officer, Mickelsen said. Our officers will be able to assist with any questions from the public. A brook trout is pictured after being caught by an angler in Utah. (Photo courtesy of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources) SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Vaccination rates have been going down since 2020. The pandemic played a role disrupting supply chains and office visits where infants and children receive routine vaccines, both in the United States and in other countries. But here in the U.S., the numbers havent bounced back. They protect against 14 diseases. Childhood vaccines are given in the first 24 months of life, with boosters administered in the years following. Dr. Marcelo Malakooti is Lurie Childrens Chief Medical Officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Overall were seeing, over the past five years or so, were having a steady decline of kids who are getting their vaccines, he said. More from Med Watch: Does it really take 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy? The vaccines include DTaP for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis or whooping cough and MMR for measles, mumps, and rubella. Varicella covers chickenpox. There are shots for polio, influenza, rotavirus, Hepatitis A and B and pneumococcal disease. Haemophilus influenzae Type B or Hib rounds out the list. Some of the reasons are because the school restrictions are being lightened so they dont necessarily need to have vaccines to go in, Malakooti said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CDC reports the largest dip for two in particular: the MMR and DTaP vaccines. Measles is a really preventable disease. After about two vaccines, you can see about a 97 percent reduction in measles, Malakooti said. Infants can get really sick with pertussis they can be hospitalized, have respiratory issues. Thats another vaccine thats really important to get into your child. Malakooti stresses vaccines are safe. More Coverage: WGNs Medical Watch Do your homework. The studies that are out there on vaccine safety, they are rigorously backed, he said. There are the minimal side effects that may occur after your child gets vaccine. They are far outweighed by the risks of a preventable illness that could have truly significant impact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, cases of measles are on the rise as parents opt out, many noting what doctors call widely inaccurate information. Dr. Kiran Joshi is the Chief Operating Officer with Cook Countys Department of Public Health. Vaccine misinformation is spreading quickly and can cause vaccine hesitancy, Joshi said. If any viewers or listeners have doubts, I urge you to talk to a trusted healthcare provider, ask every question you have and get reliable science-based answers. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. has ordered the removal of thimerosal from all U.S. flu vaccines. The ingredient has already been removed from childhood vaccines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sign up for our Medical Watch newsletter. This daily update includes important information from WGNs Dina Bair and the Med Watch team, including, the latest updates from health organizations, in-depth reporting on advancements in medical technology and treatments, as well as personal features related to people in the medical field. Sign up 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 WGN-TV. The U.S. Attorneys Office for Western Washington issued a short, vague statement Thursday that the Department of Justice had closed the civil rights review opened last year into the death of Manuel Ellis in Tacoma police custody. Ellis, 33, who went by Manny, died of a form of oxygen deprivation in an encounter with Tacoma police on March 3, 2020. Ellis reportedly approached a patrol car and banged on its window, which led to a struggle in which Ellis was beaten, shocked with a Taser three times and pressed to the ground on his stomach, where his limbs were tied behind his back while officers knelt or sat on him. His last words were, I cant breathe. Less than a month after three Tacoma police officers were acquitted of murder or manslaughter charges in his death, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced it was independently reviewing the case for violations of federal criminal statutes. At the time, the office was led by Tessa Gorman, who was ousted from her position as acting U.S. Attorney for Western Washington after President Donald Trump took office in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gorman was replaced by Teal Luthy Miller, who was promoted from her position in the office as first assistant U.S. attorney, the Washington State Standard reported in February. Thursdays 81-word statement from Millers office did not say whether the civil rights review had found any violations of federal criminal civil rights statutes, only that the inquiry had been closed. A team of experienced federal prosecutors conducted an independent and comprehensive review of the record in the criminal jury trial of State of Washington v. Tacoma Police Department Officers Burbank, Collins, and Rankine, concerning Manuel Elliss death on March 3, 2020, the statement reads. The review focused on the application of 18 U.S.C. 242, a federal criminal civil rights statute that prohibits certain types of official misconduct. After a careful and thorough review, the Department of Justice has closed its inquiry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a phone call, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys Office said she could not offer any information beyond what was in the press release. James Bible, an attorney for Ellis family, attributed the inquirys closure to politics rather than following the law to its legal conclusion. Since the change in regime in the Department of Justice and in the presidency we had little confidence that this matter would be reviewed thoroughly, adequately and with civil rights care, Bible said in a phone call. The information provided by the Department of Justice today is reflective of what the changes are from this administration to the next. The truth is that these particular officers did more than enough to be charged federally, Bible said. Manuel Ellis, 33, died March 3 while being restrained by Tacoma police. Asked whether this was the end of any possible litigation related to Ellis death, Bible said his law office would always continue to evaluate avenues for pursuing criminal charges, including asking future attorneys general to take another look at the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ellis family sued the City of Tacoma and Pierce County over his death, both of which led to settlements for a combined $10 million. There have been many other financial costs associated with the incident, including $1.5 million-worth of payments to secure the resignations of the three officers charged and acquitted in Ellis death, Christopher Burbank, Matthew Collins and Timothy Rankine. Outrage over Ellis death was part of what led to changes to policing in Tacoma between 2020 and 2023. The Tacoma Police Department explicitly banned neck restraints, and local leaders pushed harder to implement body-worn cameras for police officers, which hadnt been rolled out when Ellis died. Bible has said he feels progress has eroded in recent years, including rollbacks to a controversial police-pursuit law that created a higher bar for officers to pursue suspects. The state is going to have to bolster its ability to prosecute officers for misconduct and create or provide more resources to agencies that are focused on addressing police misconduct within our state boundaries because the federal government is not in a trustable place to do what we need them to do in terms of civil and human rights at this time, Bible said. Asked about Washingtons 4-year-old Office of Independent Investigations, which was created to ensure unbiased investigations of police uses of deadly force, Bible said he believed in it and thought it had the right people in place to do the work, but that it needs more resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bible said it is also important for police departments to listen to the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center when it suggests that an officer shouldnt be hired. The police academy maintains the certifications that police officers need to be able to work, and the Seattle Times reported in 2022 that the academy warned Tacoma about Rankines behavior in a training exercise two months before he became a full-fledged police officer. Its counter to what people believe, but I am a believer in law enforcement, Bible said. Im a believer that law enforcement and their role is of critical importance, but its of such critical importance that we cant accept a standard that is low. Taking to his social media handles, Shah Rukh shared a picture from the balcony of Mannat, showing him waving to his fans, along with his youngest kid, son AbRam. The national flag was also positioned at the front, showcasing his patriotic side. https://www.instagram.com/p/DNYDpXcvDlE/ In this caption, the actor described independence as the country's "greatest gift" and wrote, "Our Independence is our greatest gift... a key to our progress. Let's keep our heads held high and hearts open. Happy Independence Day to all of us... Jai Hind!" Prior to SRK, Bollywood celebrities like Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Kangana Ranaut, Vikrant Massey, Arjun Rampal, Sara Ali Khan, Kartik Aaryan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Priyanka Chopra also shared their messages across social media platforms. On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan was recently honoured with the prestigious National Film Award for his performance in Atlee's 'Jawan.' Following the announcement, the actor received an outpouring of congratulatory messages from his fans, colleagues, and friends from the industry. "Thank you for honouring me with the National Award. Thanks to the jury, the I&B ministry... Iss samman ke liye Bharat Sarkar ka dhanyawaad. Overwhelmed with the love showered upon me. Half a hug to everyone today," the actor said at the time. https://x.com/iamsrk/status/1951330690538283152 Shah Rukh Khan will be next seen in his upcoming film titled 'King.' Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film's shooting has begun, while further details about its cast and plot have been kept under wraps. According to reports, Shah Rukh is currently recovering from "muscular injuries" that he sustained during the shooting. (ANI) MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) DUI checkpoints arent necessarily uncommon in West Virginia, but they can be unexpected if you dont know about them ahead of time. Luckily, getting through them is fairly straightforward, assuming you arent driving under the influence. When going through a DUI checkpoint, you may be briefly stopped and asked for three things: Your drivers license Vehicle registration Proof of vehicle insurance Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although delays while traveling can cause mild frustration, 1st Sgt. Chad Wetzel with the West Virginia State police, theyre simply a preventive measure to keep pedestrians and motorists safe from dangerous drivers. West Virginia State Police DUI checkpoint in Morgantown, Aug. 13, 2025 (WBOY image) We just want folks who are under the influence to not get behind the wheel and drive a vehicle, Wetzel told 12 News. Its one of the most dangerous situations that can be easily prevented, especially in todays society with ride-sharing and services of that nature. While making contact with drivers, state troopers look for signs or indicators that drivers may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If a driver shows signs of impairment, they may be asked to exit the vehicle for a field sobriety test. One component of a West Virginia DUI checkpoint is a mobile Breath Alcohol Testing vehicle, commonly called a BAT-mobile. The BAT-mobile is equipped with a state-certified chemical test machine able to deliver accurate blood-alcohol tests. Unlike results from a handheld breathalyzer test, the results from this machine are accurate enough to be admissible as evidence in court if necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WVU now ticketing parking with license plate camera West Virginia State Police DUI checkpoint in Morgantown, Aug. 13, 2025 (WBOY image) However, there are some legal components to sobriety checkpoints as well. For starters, drivers are within their rights to go around DUI checkpoints entirely. In fact, advanced warning of the checkpoint and an alternate route must be provided by law enforcement ahead of time. While warning people about a DUI checkpoint might seem counter-productive, thats just one of the requirements for a sobriety checkpoint to avoid violating a persons constitutional rights. In 1990, the Supreme Court case Michigan Dept. of State Police v. Sitz found that certain guidelines for a DUI checkpoint must be adhered to for it to be constitutional. For example, stops must be brief and minimally intrusive for drivers. 12 News spoke to Tim Miley, a personal injury lawyer at Miley Legal Group with more than 30 years of law experience, who elaborated on some of these requirements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Checkpoints are] required to be very neutral or minimally intrusive, and they cant be done to everyone going through them, Miley Explained. For example, ahead of time, [law enforcement] might decide that every fifth car were going to ask for the drivers license, registration, and proof of insurance; they can ask for that information, and failure to comply with providing that information can result in a charge of failing to obey an officer. But they cant ask for that same information and intrude upon every vehicles rights. West Virginia State Police DUI checkpoint in Morgantown, Aug. 13, 2025 (WBOY image) Its also important to note that while going around a DUI checkpoint is legal, drivers are not allowed to break traffic laws to do so. Illegal U-Turns, traffic violations, or simply not stopping at the checkpoint will likely get a driver pulled over by nearby law enforcement. The quickest way to go through a sobriety checkpoint is to drive sober and have the necessary documents readily available. 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. VERMILLION, SD (KELO) Many people in Vermillion are processing what losing the USD medical school will mean for their community. Many said they were surprised by Thursdays announcement regarding the move to Sioux Falls. And while theres short-term uncertainty of what the moves mean to Vermillion, many are hopeful of benefits in the long-term. An educational pillar of USD will be leaving campus in two years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its disappointing. Anytime change happens, its hard, Vermillion Mayor Jon Cole said. But Mayor Jon Cole says the two-year transition will give USD time to expand STEM programs on campus to fill the void. Students from those other programs are going to grow and its just going to replace those med students as well, Cole said. Some people we spoke with in Vermillion say moving the school of medicine off-campus will benefit medical students who already spend much of their time in Sioux Falls. My sister goes down to Sioux Falls a lot for clinicals, so I think its a really good idea just to put the whole medical school there, USD Junior Elly Scott said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But some downtown businesses are concerned about an economic impact to losing the medical school. For the med school, they have graduations all year-round and a lot times, we get celebrations from those graduations, and so if theyre moving the med school to Sioux Falls, I think were going to see a loss on that side of it, USD alum Kylee Gruschin said. A college town coming to terms with a big change on campus that will be felt from Old Main to Main Street. Ultimately, when the university succeeds, Vermillion succeeds as well, and vice versa, Cole said. Mayor Cole says its a sign of strength for a university to open a satellite facility in another community outside of its main campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund has raised $250,000 since its launch in May, according to a community announcement. The fund has already made its first grant of $100,000 to the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, according to the announcement. VILDF was established to bolster legal representation and support for immigrants in Vermont. With a record number of immigration detentions and removals taking place in Vermont and across the country, the need for legal representation has been overwhelming the small number of Vermont attorneys with expertise in immigration law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Vermont Asylum Assistance Project plans to use the funds from this award to expand urgently needed legal services for immigrants facing removal proceedings across the state. Vermont Asylum Assistance Project executive director Jill Martin Diaz, an immigration lawyer, speaks during a Jan. 30 press conference about rising Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Vermont after Trump signed a slew of executive orders pushing for mass migrant deportations. Seen with U.S. Rep. Becca Balint (center) and former Lt. Gov. Molly Gray (left) of Vermont Afghan Alliance. Every Vermonter benefits when we protect our Constitutional freedoms, and the right to due process is not fully realized unless our neighbors have legal representation, Mike Pieciak, state treasurer, said. This first award is a galvanizing investment in VAAPs ability to ensure our neighbors, friends, and community members truly enjoy America's promise of liberty and justice for all. Vermont is leading the way in showing how we can come together to acknowledge human dignity and real public safety, Kesha Ram Hinsdale, senator, said. This award is an investment in the greatest needs our system faces to uphold the rights to which every person in our state is entitled. Three priorities for the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project The infusion of funds allows VAAP to act immediately on three priority fronts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement VAAP plans to welcome its inaugural director of operations and legal assistant/paralegal who will lead efforts to streamline and strengthen the integration of pro bono and full-time volunteer attorneys into its legal services model, allowing its growing team of lawyers to focus more on legal work and client service. This strategic addition ensures coordinated support for volunteers working alongside paid staff on active VAAP cases. VAAP is preparing to recruit three to five rural legal support workers, legal or paralegal advocates who will bring legal information, screenings, and services directly to community-based organizations spanning Vermonts underserved geographies. Working in close partnership with trusted local institutions, these workers will act as bridges between the law and the community, ensuring culturally and linguistically responsive access to legal pathways. Rooted in lived experience and place-based relationships, this cohort will expand VAAPs reach beyond traditional legal hubsmeeting immigrant communities where they are and reducing barriers to representation. By embedding legal capacity within rural CBOs, this initiative furthers VAAP's vision of a decentralized, community-anchored model for immigration justice across the state. More: What the Winooski superintendent of schools said about his detention by ICE in Texas VAAP will deploy boots-on-the-ground intake and screening teams at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in Swanton and the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in South Burlington. Regular presence inside the facilities will help identify individuals who would otherwise navigate removal proceedings alone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With VILDFs timely support, we can move forward with confidence to hire the staff essential to addressing Vermonts acute legal access gaps statewide, Jill Martin Diaz, VAAP executive director, said. We know that life-altering decisions to detain and deport people are happening too quickly and too often in error, not only devastating individuals and families, but also threatening constitutional rights and civil liberties for all. Access to counsel isnt a luxuryits the bare minimum for a fair shot at justice. State Treasurer Mike Pieciak and Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale founded VILDF with a group of trusted colleagues in May 2025. VILDF seeks to raise $1,000,000 to strengthen immigration legal defense in Vermont. The state has a small group of dedicated immigration legal service providers, including the Vermont Law and Graduate School, the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, the Association of Africans Living in Vermont, and several independent pro bono attorneys. Addressing the growing unmet need for immigrant legal defense depends on the capacity of these entities to grow. VAAP is a legal services and technical assistance provider that exists to raise Vermont non-citizens awareness of and access to critical immigration legal help and support. It achieves its mission through statewide direct service delivery, pro bono coordination, technical assistance, community education, and administrative and legislative advocacy. Serving as a bridge between immigrant service providers and regulators across the state and region, VAAP educates the public on immigration issues and advocates for policies and practices that advance immigrants rights, according to the announcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more information, please see https://www.vermontlegaldefensefund.com and https://www.vaapvt.org. This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, bmcdermott1@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct. This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont expands immigrant legal helpheres whats changing ST. ALBANS, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) A St. Albans resident is due in court soon after he reportedly alluded police in a vehicle, at speeds exceeding 100 MPH, before crashing and fleeing on foot last month. Authorities were attempting a traffic stop on Main Street July 31 when the operator attempted to elude police in a grossly negligent manner, according to the SAPD. Multiple dogs rescued from ledge at Mt. Pisgah Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While fleeing, the vehicle reached speeds of at least 100 MPH before crashing into a stone wall in Georgia, at the Polly Hubbard Road at Cline Road intersection. The driver, later identified as 36-year-old Jonathan Letourneau, then fled into the woods. He and the passenger eventually located by police. Letourneau was lodged at Northwest State Correctional Facility for lack of bail on multiple charges, including excessive speed, resisting arrest and more. A search warrant was also conducted on the vehicle involved, where officers reportedly found 133.5 grams of fentanyl. Letourneau will now face a fentanyl trafficking charge, and is set to appear in Franklin County Superior Courthouse Monday, August 18. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. This article is part of HuffPosts biweekly politics newsletter. Click here to subscribe. In my ideal society, we would vote as households, Doug Wilson, an extreme right-wing pastor said in a video clip posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. And I would ordinarily be the one that would cast the vote, but I would cast the vote having discussed it with my household. It was part of last Thursdays CNN segment on Wilson, who believes in Christian reconstruction, an extreme version of Christianity that does not support the right of women to vote. But if that wasnt disturbing enough on its own, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reposted the video last week, simply commenting All of Christ for All of Life. When Slate magazine reached out to the Pentagon earlier this week seeking clarification on whether or not Hegseth believed women should vote, an agency spokesperson responded with a statement that notably did not say Hegseth believed in womens right to vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked for comment, the Pentagon pointed HuffPost to a transcript of a Thursday press briefing in which a spokesperson responds to a reporter by saying, On your second question about the 19th Amendment, of course the secretary thinks that women should have the right to vote, said Kingsley Wilson, the Department of Defense press secretary. Thats a stupid question. She does not explain why Hegseth reposted the video. Julie Ingersoll, a University of North Florida religious studies professor who focuses on Christian reconstructionism, warnsthe belief isnt as fringe as you might think. They are explicit about the fact that women should submit. The model for women shouldnt have a vote is already there, she told HuffPost. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Take a quick glance at comments about the video Hegseth reshared: You see a lot of people [on social media] saying, I see nothing wrong with this, Ingersoll said. Its a shocking number of people. Opposition to women voting is hardly new after the 19th Amendment granted women voting rights in 1920, there were plenty of detractors but in Donald Trumps second term, the proponents of these beliefs are certainly sensing an opportunity to do some real damage. A few years ago, the idea that women shouldnt have the vote would be seen as an absurd stance, close to conspiracy theory. But in recent years, as far-right stances become more mainstream and so-called traditional gender roles reemerge as a cultural talking point, it feels much more dangerous. When a member of the presidents Cabinet has to be asked about whether he stands behind the 19th Amendment, what does that mean for where the political winds are blowing? Experts dont believe that womens right to vote is in imminent danger, but brushing it off as right-wing nonsense isnt necessarily the right way to approach this movement either. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The characterization of [Wilson] as extremism can be problematic, Ingersoll said. You think you dont have to pay attention to it, but theyve been building on this for years. There is a long relationship between evangelical Christians and the GOP, like when controversial pastors like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson were leading the movement to push more Christianity into public life. But Ingersoll says the second Trump term is in new terrain. The religious right has always been in the room, but not in the way the Christian nationalists are today. Related: Pete Hegseth Bragged About Ending A 'Woke' Program. There's Just 1 Problem. Opponents of womens rights have been emboldened by Trump, who has been willing to implement a Christian nationalist agenda in exchange for votes. (He also has a bad track record when it comes to respecting women.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump can be president as long as hes doing Gods will, Ingersoll summed up the thinking. Though Trump denied being involved with it on the campaign trail, he has been using Project 2025, the ultraconservative policy guide, as a playbook for his second term. One of the architects of it, Russell Vought, is nowthe head of the Office of Personnel Management, the powerful agency which oversees the federal governments civil servant workforce. Related: 'His Brain Is Mush': Trump's Latest Misspeak Has Critics Calling 'Total Bulls**t' Project 2025 was written by Christian nationalists, Ingersoll said. And thats who the administration has hired. The administration has implemented policies that allow federal workers to proselytize at work, launched anti-Christian bias task forces based on false claims of discrimination, and allowed tax-exempt churches to engage in political activity, a significant weakening of the separation of church and state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Itd probably be difficult for the Trump administration to lead an effort to repeal a constitutional amendment, which is what would be required to strip womens right to vote on paper. But that doesnt mean they cant deal a serious blow to womens rights. Theyll stop women from voting the same way they stopped Black people from voting, Ingersoll said. The conservative right has spent decades rolling back the Voting Rights Act, the landmark civil rights legislation which protected Black peoples right to vote. But the strategy has never been to outright overturn it, which would likely cause public outcry and hard-to-deny accusations of racism. Nor has the right directly attacked the universal male suffrage encoded in the 14th Amendment, which would be even harder for the same reasons. Instead, the plan has been simply to chip away at the ability to access those rights. There are myriad laws throughout the country that make it harder for marginalized people to vote, many of which disproportionately affect Black voters. Voter ID laws that require drivers licenses, birth certificates or passports in order to cast a ballot put onerous restrictions on citizens without those documents, which often cost money and time to obtain. Government officials have altered the times and locations of where people can vote, like by eliminating early voting days, closing down polling locations or reducing access to mail-in ballots. These restrictions can make it difficult for people who dont work traditional hours or who live in rural areas to cast a ballot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They also put women at risk: Women are more likely to have low-paying or multiple jobs without those traditional hours or be busy with being the primary caregiver of their children and other relatives. Different policies to make it harder for people to vote will impact women of all different backgrounds, Kelly Marino, an associate professor of history at Sacred Heart University who specializes in womens suffrage and other gender issues, told HuffPost. Indeed, we are already seeing it in April, the House passed the SAVE Act, legislation that would effectively strip married women of their voting rights. The bill would have required registering to vote using the name on ones birth certificate or passport, which often does not match married womens IDs, since many women take their spouses last name. According to Politico, an estimated 69 million women have a birth certificate that doesnt match their legal name. If it becomes law, millions of people will have had to either pay to get their birth certificates altered or pay to get a new passport. It has so far not been taken up in the Senate. And the strategy of chipping away at rather than eliminating rights has already been used against women, albeit in another arena. For years, conservatives pursued an anti-abortion strategy of constructing roadblock after roadblock to accessing reproductive care, even as pregnant people still had the right to abortion on paper. Related: Rock Star Gives Brutal, Unexpected Take On Trump-Zelenskyy Meeting When the movement culminated in the overturn of national abortion rights in 2022s Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson, the conservative majority framed the decision not as the eliminating a constitutional right,but as granting permission for states to regulate including by banning what had once been a national right.[T]he people of the various States may evaluate those interests differently, Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the majority opinion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a concurrence, Justice Brett Kavanaugh glibly added, may a State bar a resident of that State from traveling to another State to obtain an abortion? In my view, the answer is no based on the constitutional right to interstate travel. But besides a cultural and religious objection to womens independence, there is a very real political factor as well behind the push to deny women the ballot: When women gained the right to vote, it changed the political landscape. In the last few decades, the number of female voters has steadily increased. In every presidential election since 1984, women have turned out in higher numbers than men. There is also a large gender gap between the two parties, with women tilting heavily for Democrats compared to men. The gap is even wider for young women, who have become increasingly liberal. A Gallup poll analysis found that between 2017 and 2024, an average of 40% of women aged 18-29 identified as liberal, a 12-point increase from the years 2001 to 2007. This increase has also coincided with a record number of women elected to public office. Related: Kid Rock Goes Into Meltdown Mode After Getting Punked By Gavin Newsoms X Account Barring any drastic changes, the number of women identifying as liberal or Democratic is likely to continue to increase. Which is perhaps why conservatives suggest big changes: In 2016, after a FiveThirtyEight poll suggested that Democrat Hillary Clinton would easily win the presidential election if only women voted, and Trump if only men voted, the hashtag #repealthe19th went viral on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eight years on, the political landscape is very different. But experts think that women voters will continue to push back on GOP policies and officials. I dont think were doomed, these policies are hitting people on a day-to-day level, Marino said. I dont think its a death sentence for womens rights. People are going to wake up. More Stories Trump Attacks Smithsonian For Focus On 'How Bad Slavery Was' And, Boy, The Responses Musk Quietly Puts Brakes On Plans For New Political Party, WSJ Says Viral CNN Segment Highlights Disturbing Christian Movement. Bible Scholars Have Thoughts. Read the original on HuffPost DALE CITY, Va. (DC News Now) Prince William County police responded to a shooting in Dale City at the Dale Forest Apartments on Thursday evening. In a post on the X platform just after 9:45 p.m., the Prince William County Police Department said that its officers were in the 4300 block of Whitmer Drive. A 51-year-old man was reportedly walking to his car in the parking lot when he was approached by an unknown man. During the encounter, the suspect pulled out a gun and shot the victim in the arm before fleeing on foot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at the hospital. A police K-9 searched the area, but couldnt find the suspect. DC police now allowed to assist ICE in transporting detainees, police chief says The suspect was described as a man who was 5-foot-11-inches with a thin build, wearing a white shirt and green shorts. 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. Editors note: This editorial originally ran in fellow CNHI paper the Weatherford, Texas, Democrat. You say that like its a bad thing. Anyone from their late 30s on up may remember these words of wisdom spoken by Cher in Clueless. The irony of that movie title aside in todays political climate, that phrase immediately came to mind after Gov. Greg Abbotts response to Texas Democrats leaving the state over the weekend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abbott demanded the more than 50 lawmakers return to the state or he would take legal action to remove them from office. He also claims the Democrats would face felony charges for fundraising to pay the fines they accrue each day they are gone from Austin. Felon. Remember when that title used to be frowned upon, a scarlet letter no one wanted attached to or associated with their person, especially a politician? We think were all seeing that it no longer holds the same weight it once did. After all, Abbott is essentially threatening to make the Texas lawmakers akin to our president. Democrats say they are leaving to ensure a vote isnt taken (in this case, over a new redistricting map). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If that sounds even slightly familiar, its because its the same thing the U.S. House did July 22, effectively sending legislators home early to avoid having to vote on releasing files related to Jeff Epstein. Texas redistricting attempt does indeed appear to be a desperate attempt to fulfill President Donald Trumps ask. Otherwise, why the sudden rush to push this through, just a couple of years after another map was drawn? School shootings, deadly flooding, property taxes if only our state government would move just as swiftly to address these topics. and make no mistake, the roster of the current special session has MUCH more pressing items. Abbotts newest flex is that an attorney generals opinion would give him the authority to remove the fleeing Democrats from office on the grounds that they forfeited their seats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We believe that sometimes, youve got to fight fire with fire. and Texas Republicans over the years have worked hard to snuff the flames from the Democratic side. Left with minorities in all branches of government, what other choice do they have? Besides, if were going to talk about dereliction of duty by fleeing Texas, why isnt Sen. Ted Cruz in the mix? Little vacations during a deadly winter storm (Cancun, 2021) and mass-casualty floods (Greece, July 4, 2025) would most certainly qualify in our eyes. The hypocrisy runs deep. LOS LUNAS, N.M. (KRQE) An interchange project a quarter of a century in the making is finally starting in Los Lunas. The project along I-25 promises to improve traffic flow and address congestion as the Village continues to grow. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local and state leaders described the I-25 Interchange Los Lunas Boulevard project as the largest locally led infrastructure effort in New Mexicos history. The project is nearly 25 years in the making, and the Village of Los Lunas hopes it will support the villages growth for years to come. The I-25 Interchange Los Lunas Boulevard project was conceived in 2001, and on Thursday, village and state officials broke ground. But this interchange, Los Lunas Blvd,. which we call it, is more than just building a new road and a new access to I-25. Its about building opportunity, said Mayor Charles Griego, for the Village of Los Lunas. Its public safety and economic development, and those are the two things that are most important to any community in the entire state, said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. The project will create a new I-25 interchange about one mile south of the current I-25 and New Mexico 6 Interchange. It will also create a new roadway connecting I-25 to New Mexico 47. It includes a new four-lane bridge across the Rio Grande. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Village of Los Lunas said the project will help improve traffic and even help first responders. They say their main street currently gets heavily congested, and studies show these improvements could reduce traffic by over 40%. The project will also establish multi-use trails with connections to the existing trail system and railway crossing improvements. Weve been telling people were working on it and hope to get it done next year, hope to get it done next year, well next years now, weve started, said Mayor Griego. The total costs for this first phase of the project are about $185 million. The village said they expect this phase could take up to four years to complete. The Village of Los Lunas said theyre currently working on funding for phase two of the project, which will expand the number of lanes on Los Lunas Boulevard. They expect it could cost an additional $80 million. 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. Virgin Trains has signed a deal with a train manufacturer for 12 high speed trains in a bid to challenge Eurostars cross-Channel dominance. In a submission to the UKs Office of Rail and Road (ORR), Virgin has requested the ability to run services on HS1, the high speed line that runs from Londons St Pancras International and through the Channel tunnel. The submission has revealed that Virgin has secured binding exclusivity with French train manufacturer Alstom for a dozen Avelia Stream trains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trains, currently used in Sweden and Italy, travel at speeds of 125 to 185mph, and offer configurations such as flexible boarding heights, winter weather protection and active tilting for reduced journey time. An Alstom spokesperson told The Independent: "With over 2,900 high-speed Avelia trains delivered globally and a proven track record in Channel Tunnel operations, Alstom is thrilled to support Virgin's submission to the Office of Rail and Road. We eagerly await the ORR decision and look forward to finalising our contract with Virgin." Virgin wrote in its submission to the ORR that it wants to launch services in 2030 with trains running from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. There are further ambitions to expand across France, Germany and Switzerland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If approved, this would put Virgin in direct competition with Eurostar, which connects the UK to France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland with a high speed network. Mr Branson wrote in the submission that he hopes to end a 30 year monopoly and bring competition to cross-Channel rail. Just as Virgin has successfully challenged incumbents in air, cruise and, of course, rail, were ready to do it again, he wrote. We will shake up the cross-Channel market with our signature approach, delivering a service that is innovative, bold and unmistakably Virgin. Virgin Trains previously ran domestic services on the West Coast Main Line from 1997 until 2012. The franchise recently had a separate application rejected by the ORR for Virgin rail services to once again run on the route. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The office rejected the application, citing concerns over delays and cancelled journeys. Bids from Lumo and Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway were also denied. The majority of existing services on Britains busiest rail line, which runs between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, are operated by Avanti West Coast. This time around, Virgin is hoping for better news. A Virgin Group spokesperson told The Independent: Virgins recent submission to the Office of Rail and Road demonstrates that Virgin is confident, committed and capable of delivering for consumers on the cross-Channel route. We look forward to the ORR decision in October. For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calders podcast Draft maps are presented at a meeting of the Virginia Redistricting Commission in October 2021. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) Heres something I almost never say: Virginia got it right. Im referring to the bipartisan redistricting commission, a process the commonwealth completed for the first time in 2021. Voters had earlier approved a constitutional amendment that had removed the line-drawing from legislators alone. It helped prevent the partisan nonsense now playing out in Texas, too. The Virginia panel didnt eradicate politics from redistricting; thats nearly impossible. The process had flaws. But the decennial exercise became more transparent, less deferential to incumbents and didnt provide the majority party in the General Assembly a bludgeon to wield against the minority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Virginia is one of just 10 states where a commission has the primary responsibility for drawing a plan for congressional districts, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The eight citizen-members and eight legislators in Virginia were equally split between Democrats and Republicans, and the composition produced constant gridlock. After the stalemates, the Virginia Supreme Court was tasked with overseeing the mapmaking for the state House of Delegates, Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. This was supposed to be bipartisan collaboration on getting the work done, and it ended up being partisan, state Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton and a commission member, told me Wednesday. Debates ensued over such routine issues as which university could be trusted to supply unbiased data. Members even named co-chairs so neither party would have the upper hand in that role. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, the system in Virginia precludes the cowardice and chicanery were now witnessing in the Lone Star State. The spectacle in Texas is undemocratic, unseemly and unfair. There, gutless GOP state legislators are taking the rare step of attempting to reopen the redistricting process mid-decade, all to try to gain five more seats in the narrowly split U.S. House of Representatives. Obsequious Republican legislators are doing this at the behest of their Dear Leader, President Donald Trump. You dont have to resort to such uncommon tactics if your partys policies are popular. At Trumps urging, Republicans gutted Medicaid and food assistance to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy this year. Democratic state legislators in Texas, in response, fled the state to prevent a quorum. Meanwhile, states with Democratic governors, including Gavin Newsom in California, have threatened to retaliate by rejiggering their own lines and gaining even more Democratic seats in Congress. It was a rare moment of reciprocity by Democratic leaders nationwide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other states with Republican governors, including Indiana, are considering whether theyll join the fray. This is madness. Its exactly the rigging of elections that Trump has long claimed he opposed (and which hes lied about). He has no problem, though, if hes the beneficiary. Which brings me back to the commonwealth. As frustrating as the constant deadlock was in 2021, Virginia redistricting members didnt want to throw out the Sharpies with the cartographers just yet. Mackenzie Babichenko, the Republican citizen co-chair of the panel in 2021, liked the transparency and citizen input. However, the lack of a natural tiebreaker, such as having an odd number of members on the panel, meant there would be frequent hurdles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I learned how political this process actually is, she told me by email Wednesday, and that lines can be drawn pursuant to neutral criteria, in full compliance with the law, in many different ways, and definitely in ways that favor one political party or the other. Additionally, we need to incorporate our independents, Babichenko added. Virginia is home to a lot of people who are single-issue voters, independent, non-partisan or not engaged in politics at all. Those individuals deserve to have their voices represented. Babichenko told me rules about not holding partisan elective office will disqualify her from serving again as a citizen member, because she was elected as the Hanover County commonwealths attorney in 2023. The Code of Virginia also suggests mid-decade convening of the commission is prohibited. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Complaints still arise years after the 2021 process. Del. Marcus Simon, D-Falls Church, was a member of the panel. He later resigned, but he told me hes been since reappointed. Simon said the maps the state Supreme Court produced shouldve hewed more to Democrats having an advantage because of recent voting trends in this purple state. The process failed it didnt result in a map from the panel itself, Simon told me. Given some of our states obvious shortcomings, Id characterize the commission differently. After all, Virginia is the only state where governors cant run for a second consecutive term. It means the chief executive can advocate policies that he doesnt have to pay a price for politically. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When it comes to restoring the civil rights of released felons, including voting, Virginia is among the worst. The gubernatorial prerogative is based on racism and dates to the early 1900s. Anyone who earns $17,000 or more in income is lumped into the same tax bracket. The inequity is appalling. The states longtime underfunding of schools is a perpetual embarrassment especially since were among the leaders annually among the top states to do business. So, considering all of that, Ill take the imperfect system of redistricting we began four years ago. Agreement might continue to be fraught with roadblocks in the future. Thats far, far better than the insanity happening in Texas. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Bollywood actress Hema Malini has expressed gratitude to the audience as Ramesh Sippy's iconic film 'Sholay' completed 50 years of its release. On Friday, the actress, fondly remembered as 'Basanti' from the film, shared a video on Instagram, writing, "Sabhi ko Basanti ka Ram Ram. "Sholay" has completed 50years. Here are my wishes for the team and gratitude to the audience and my fans for all their blessings and unconditional love." https://www.instagram.com/p/DNYIN6lIilc/ In the video, Hema said, "Namaste, Basanti here. The iconic Hindi film Shole has completed 50 years of its run in different parts of the world. There are very few Indian films which have equalled or surpassed this record. I have been fortunate to contribute to the stupendous success of the film in a pivotal role as Basanti. In fact, the role had such an impact on the viewing public that Basanti became my second name in real life. I congratulate all my co-artists, Vero, Jayay, Radha, Thakur, Gabbarsingh and many others. And the production team, including the director Ramish Sipriji, Salim Saheb, Javed Saheb, Late RD Burmanji and the many members of the technical team. Sholay would be incomplete without each team members participation. The film continues to create history even after five decades. I thank the audience for giving this film so much love. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and nostalgia for being remembered as Basanti even today. Today, the 15th of August 2025, marks its 50th year, and I am happy standing at the crossroads of the historical event in which I have played a substantial part. I celebrate this event with the Hindi film world and my fans. 'Chal Dhano' gets it for the next 50 years." Recently, the Film Heritage Foundation announced that the restored version of Sholay will have its North American premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 6. The gala screening will take place at the 1,800-seater Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. The Film Heritage Foundation took to their Instagram account to make the announcement along with a caption that read, "Indian cinematic epic 'Sholay' (1975), directed by Ramesh Sippy, celebrates 50 years with the North American Premiere of the restored version at the 50th edition of the TIFF Toronto International Film Festival! This special screening will take place on September 6, 2025, at a gala event at the 1800-seater Roy Thomson Hall, befitting the legendary status of the film." https://www.instagram.com/p/DNGV9Nvtvjm/ 'Sholay' is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. It starred legendary actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan and Amjad Khan, among others. Released on August 15, 1975, 'Sholay' turned into a cult favourite in Indian cinema, owing to its powerful story, memorable characters, iconic dialogues, and the evergreen songs like 'Yeh Dosti', 'Mehbooba Mehbooba', 'Haa Jab Tak Hai Jaan', 'Holi Ke Din' and others. The film's story focuses on the fictitious Ramgarh village, where retired police chief Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) plans to defeat the notorious bandit, Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan), with the help of Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmendra). Upon arriving in the village, the duo realises the menace of Gabbar Singh and double their efforts to help Thakur. Jaya Bachchan and Hema Malini are seen playing Jai and Veeru's love interests as Basanti and Radha, respectively. (ANI) (The Center Square) Virginia Public Schools in Loudoun County voted this week to keep their gender policy, allowing transgender students to use facilities, despite the U.S. Department of Education finding the policy violates Title IX. According to the federal law, sex-separated spaces are required on federally funded school campuses, but with Loudoun County rejecting this compliance, almost $46 million in federal funds may be cut. The Loudoun County School Board remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring every student in Loudoun County Public Schools is safe, supported, and able to thrive. We also remain committed to complying with applicable law and to protecting the rights of all students, a spokesperson for the school board said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In July, the Education Department found five Northern Virginia schools in violation of Title IX over policies that allowed transgender students to access bathrooms and locker rooms. In a resolution agreement on July 25, the department gave each school 10 days to change the policies or face possible referral to the U.S. Department of Justice and the withholding of federal funds. Although this type of behavior was tolerated by the previous Administration, its time for Northern Virginias experiment with radical gender ideology and unlawful discrimination to come to an end, said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor in a press release. The Trump Administration will not sacrifice the safety, dignity, and innocence of Americas young women and girls at the altar of an anti-scientific illiberalism. Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Virginia, said the findings align with raised concerns from parents over the past year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These school divisions have been violating federal law, deliberately neglecting their responsibility to protect students safety, privacy and dignity, Youngkin said in a statement. Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow of Defending Education, told The Center Square that there will always be a difference in the interpretation of clean black letter text of long-standing civil rights law until the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in. The Trump administration continues to hold these educational institutions accountable to the law, Perry added. This administration, and I tip my hat to them, is batting significant cleanup on a longstanding government effort from the Biden administration, that really began in the Obama years ... to ultimately force transgender contagion upon all American educational outlets. This is simply a return to ground zero, Perry said Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many parents who support these gender policies want students to be safe and compare banning transgender students from facilities to white and Black segregation. I am fully in support of them keeping it completely intact and in place. I think that trans students deserve to be respected and protected by the school system, said Meredith Ray, a mother of two students. Perry from Defending Education told The Center Square that this segregation comparison does a disservice to Black Americans. A biological boy wanting to use a girl's bathroom is not the same as being segregated: not being allowed to drink from the same water fountain, sit at the same lunch counter, or ride the same bus, Perry said. Those are two completely different calculuses, and quite frankly, I think it does a disservice to all of the Black Americans who work so hard to guarantee equality, not just in education, but in public accommodations. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, claiming the Trump administration is failing to provide veterans with education benefits they have earned. Veterans who qualify for benefits should receive their full benefits full stop, Miyares said in a statement. Virginia is joined in the lawsuit by veterans organizations and individual veterans who argue the Department of Veterans Affairs is applying an overly narrow interpretation of the GI Bills, denying funding for education earned through military service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plain language of the GI Bills has always compelled the VA to honor the full 48 months of education benefits that veterans were promised, the lawsuit states. But for years VA rules have denied benefits to veterans who are entitled to them. Those rules are unlawful and should be set aside. The Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills entitle veterans to 36 months of education benefits. Veterans who qualify under both are entitled to a total of 48 months of coverage. According to Miyares and the plaintiffs, the VA is not honoring this combined total. A U.S. Supreme Court decision last year affirmed that veterans eligible under both bills are entitled to a combined 48 months of benefits. The court ruled that the statute is clear and that (v)eterans who separately accrue benefits under both the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills are entitled to both benefits. James Rudisill, an Army veteran living in Virginia and the lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court case, is also named in the lawsuit filed Thursday. After serving eight years in the military, Rudisill qualified for education benefits under both GI Bills but was denied full funding Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Thursdays lawsuit, the VAs 2024 Educational Directives continue to deny Rudisill and several others their education benefits by applying a cramped reading of the Supreme Courts decision. For instance, veterans who served long enough to qualify for both GI Bills, but did not have a break in service, may still be denied benefits under the current VA guidance. The complaint also warns that the VAs position could strain state programs such as the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program, which covers tuition for some veterans families. Miyares argues that GI Bill benefits should reduce reliance on state aid, but denials at the federal level may push more dependents to seek state support, stretch(ing) the Commonwealths resources for the program. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that veterans who are eligible for the Montgomery and Post-9/11 G.I. Bills are entitled to their full benefits. Not partial, but full, Miyares said. We believe we are correct on the merits and look forward to an amicable resolution on behalf of those who have served. Emma Rose Brown, 757-805-2256, emma.brown@virginiamedia.com Aug. 14TAOS The Taos County Sheriff's Office is looking into the disappearance of 25-year-old Army veteran Matthew McLaughlin, who was last seen on July 25 leaving his home in Tres Piedras, 32 miles northwest of Taos. "He left his dog, his cat and apparently all of his belongings," said Kayla McLaughlin, the missing man's sister-in-law. "To us to his family that does not sound like Matthew. He never left behind his animals or his stuff at all, so that kind of threw up a red flag for us." This month, she and McLaughlin's mother, Rebecca McLaughlin, traveled to New Mexico to meet with investigators and post a missing persons notice throughout Taos County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The notice doesn't provide a clothing description, but describes McLaughlin as 6 feet, 2 inches tall, weighing 195 pounds, with blue eyes, brown hair, a beard and mustache. It says he was last seen walking on the south side of Tres Piedras toward U.S. 64, an east-west highway that runs through this small unincorporated community on the edge of Carson National Forest. Deputy Kevin McCarty, the lead investigator assigned to the case, said his office filed a missing persons report after receiving a phone call July 31 from a coworker and fellow veteran who became close with McLaughlin at the Chili Line Depot, a restaurant in Tres Piedras. "She said she hadn't seen (McLaughlin) in six days and was worried because that was out of character for him," McCarty said. After he was honorably discharged from the Army, Rebecca McLaughlin said her son moved to New Mexico from Virginia with his puppy and two military friends, seeking a fresh start. She said she last spoke to her son just days before his disappearance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 25-year-old was living with one of his veteran friends in Tres Piedras at the time he went missing, but he didn't know other tenants at the property, some of whom told the family McLaughlin was asked to leave the rental over illicit drug use. The roommates also said McLaughlin left behind his phone and animals at the residence. "They confronted him, they argued, and my son just left," Rebecca McLaughlin said. "But my son would not leave his animals. He would have contacted us, and Matthew, the only thing he's done is mushrooms and pot. We do know that. He's a country guy, and he's got a country accent. He has the best manners out of anyone that you would meet. He's always, 'Yes, sir, and yes, ma'am.'" She said another deputy planned to interview McLaughlin's roommates later this week, but McCarty emphasized that law enforcement can only act upon the evidence currently at hand. "The family has wanted us to get some cellphone tower information from him, but with no other facts to go off of, right now there's just not enough probable cause on our end to justify an intrusion on Matthew like that," he said. "We've been keeping our eye out for him in town, but we haven't specifically designated a search to go look for him." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McCarty said investigators must be judicious about activating search and rescue operations and need probable cause that a crime has been committed to obtain a search warrant. Parts of Tres Piedras and other nearby desert communities northwest of Taos are also known to be home to a transient population, though he said there was no evidence McLaughlin had been on the move following his relocation to Taos County. "People do have the right to be left alone," he said, "so just because someone is saying they haven't seen them, us violating the Fourth Amendment by doing search warrants on their phones to find them that's not justified." Meanwhile, McLaughlin's family insists something serious is amiss and is considering hiring a private company to come look for the missing veteran. Information regarding McLaughlin's whereabouts can be provided to the Sheriff's Office at 575-737-6480 or to his family at 540-664-7313. King Charles III Friday lauded the "courage" of veterans and civilians who paid a high price to end World War II, leading UK commemorations for the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. Charles referenced "conflicts around the world today" in an audio message to the nation, arguing WWII remained a reminder that "war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life". WWII veterans "proved that, in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear, but the arms you link". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The UK was Friday marking the occasion with a remembrance service at the National Memorial Arboretum to be attended by dozens of veterans aged from 96 to 105 who served in East Asia and the Pacific. The commemorations will begin with a national two-minute silence at noon and include flypasts by the Red Arrows and WWII-era Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft. In the message recorded earlier this month, Charles vowed the "service and sacrifice" of those who "saw the forces of liberty prevail" will "never be forgotten". "The courage and camaraderie displayed in humanity's darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity -- a beacon that honours our past and guides our future," he said in the six-minute address. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Let us therefore pledge to be vigilant guardians of the values they bequeathed to us." The king also urged recognition of the devastation caused by the atomic bombings of Japan which led to its surrender eight decades ago, marking the end of the six-year-long war. "On this landmark anniversary, we should also pause to acknowledge that in the war's final act, an immense price was paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- a price we pray no nation need ever pay again," he said. - 'Same values' - In Japan, Emperor Naruhito spoke Friday of his "deep remorse" on the 80th anniversary of the nation's surrender, as tens of thousands of people braved blazing heat to pay their respects at Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni Shrine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It honours 2.5 million mostly Japanese soldiers who perished since the late 19th century, but also enshrines convicted war criminals. Back in Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who will attend Friday's remembrance service, held a special reception at Downing Street for veterans on Thursday. He said he had hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, noting Ukraine's leader is "fighting for the same values as we were fighting for". "Our country owes a great debt to those who fought for a better future, so we could have the freedoms and the life we enjoy today," Starmer added. "We must honour that sacrifice with every new generation." jj/jkb/giv YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) The United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley is looking for volunteers to help mentor school students this year. Its part of the Success After 6 program. They are looking for adults to help in Liberty, Boardman and Youngstown to offer support and guidance. They say positive role models can make a huge difference in a students life. With our report card mentoring, we have volunteers come in four to five times a year for them to come in and look at their report cards, set goals with them that they can achieve and get better grades, and just talk to somebody about what is going on in the classroom, said Kielly Rapp, United Way director of community impact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can sign up to volunteer on the United Way 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 WKBN.com. SUSSEX COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) A man has died after a single-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon in Sussex County, according to Virginia State Police. It happened on the 9300 block of Birch Island Road at approximately 1:45 p.m. A preliminary investigation has determined the driver, identified as 62-year-old Charles Lee Mixell, was traveling northbound on Birch Island Road when he ran off the right side of the roadway and struck several trees. The road was shut down completely to remove the vehicle, a 1999 Dodge Dakota pickup truck. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Virginia Department of Transportation assisted in setting up a detour. 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. This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com A federal judge blocked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using Medicaid data in 19 states, including Washington, for immigration enforcement, the Washington Office of the Attorney General (AG) announced Wednesday via a news release. The judge also barred the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from sharing that data with DHS, noting the coalition will most likely be successful in its claim that the action violated the Administrative Procedure Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The injunction will be in place until the HHS and DHS create a process that aligns with the Administrative Procedure Act, or litigation ends. Protecting peoples private health information is vitally important, Washington AG Nick Brown stated in the release. And everyone should be able to seek medical care without fear of what the federal government may do with that information. Immigrant Medicaid data leaked As part of the Trump administrations immigration crackdown, officials were given personal data on millions of Medicaid enrollees, including their immigration status. An internal memo and emails obtained by The Associated Press (AP) detailed that Medicaid officials unsuccessfully attempted to block the transfer of data, citing legal and ethical concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two top advisors to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered the data be handed over to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Officials were given a 54-minute window to comply, The AP stated. Included in the dataset was personal information of residents from California, Illinois, Washington state, and Washington, D.C., all of which allow non-U.S. citizens to enroll in Medicaid, which is funded solely by state taxpayer dollars, according to the media outlet. Experts said the dataset can assist in locating migrants, and additionally can prevent migrants ability to receive green cards, permanent residency, or citizenship, if any Medicaid benefits had previously been obtained, The AP stated. Medicaid dataset aids immigrant arrests A statement from Gavin Newsoms office noted the concerns with the data release aiding federal authorities in immigration raids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This potential data transfer brought to our attention by the AP is extremely concerning, and if true, potentially unlawful, particularly given numerous headlines highlighting potential improper federal use of personal information and federal actions to target the personal information of Americans, the statement said. U.S. Democrat Representative Laura Friedman also wrote in a post on X that the use of this data should not aid arrests. Donald Trump just gave deportation agents access to Medicaid data even after Medicaid officials warned it was legally and ethically wrong. This is the personal health info of people in California. We should never use a persons need to go to the doctor against them. This will https://t.co/FhTKDSLqQu Rep. Laura Friedman (@RepFriedmanCA) June 13, 2025 Andrew Nixon, HHS spokesman, claimed that sharing the data was legal. With respect to the recent data sharing between CMS and DHS, HHS acted entirely within its legal authorityand in full compliance with all applicable lawsto ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them, Nixon said, according to The AP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dataset includes personal addresses, names, and social security numbers, the media outlet stated. This story was originally published on June 13, 2025. It has been updated and republished since then. Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here Earlier this month, Walmart agreed to pay $5.6 million as part of a settlement with four California counties as part of a consumer protection lawsuit that alleged the retail giant overcharged customers and sold products, such as produce, baked goods, and other prepared items, with less weight than shown on the label. It's the second such settlement for Walmart after the company paid $2.1 million in 2012 for overcharging consumers in violation of a 2008 judgment against the retail chain. Walmart reached the latest settlement with the Santa Clara County, San Diego County, San Bernardino County, and Sonoma County district attorneys offices. Why Was a Lawsuit Brought Against Walmart? The civil complaint, filed by a team of district attorneys offices, including Santa Clara County, alleged that the retailer unlawfully charged customers prices higher than their lowest advertised or posted price, which violates Californias False Advertising and Unfair Competition Laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When someone brings an item to the register to be scanned, the price must be right, District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. They expect it. California expects it. My Office expects it and we will apply the law to make sure of it. How Much Did Walmart Agree to Pay as Part of the Settlement? "The court ordered Walmart to pay $5.5 million in civil penalties for the violations in this case, and to maintain employees who will be responsible for price and weight accuracy in California stores," the court of Santa Clara revealed. "Walmart will also pay $139,908.92 to cover the costs of the investigations conducted by various Weights and Measures departments in the state. Santa Clara County will receive $1,375,000. The penalties will go to the Santa Clara County DAs Consumer Protection fund." Walmart did not admit liability or wrongdoing and cooperated with state inspectors and prosecutors, according to the DAs office. Related: Southwest Airlines Announces Change on All Flights Starting August 13 Walmart Agrees to Pay $5.6 Million Settlement. Here's Why first appeared on Men's Journal on Aug 12, 2025 Walz reportedly wavering on gubernatorial reelection bid originally appeared on Bring Me The News. Gov. Tim Walz is still undecided on whether he will go for a third term in 2026. Nearly a dozen party insiders told the Minnesota Star Tribune that the Democratic governor has recently gone from strongly signaling that he would seek reelection to privately questioning whether he wants to serve in the role for 12 consecutive years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Walz plans to announce his political intentions after the Minnesota State Fair ends on Labor Day. He has indicated that he won't seek reelection if he intends to run for president in 2028. Despite the governor's continued uncertainty, Walz's reelection campaign is already mobilizing, raising more than $1 million this summer and interviewing campaign manager candidates. If he does run, Walz will also need to find a new running mate, since Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is vying for Sen. Tina Smith's long-held U.S. Senate seat, a move that Walz decided against shortly after her announcement. Walz told the Star Tribune in July that he's confident he could secure another term as governor. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz continues to contemplate a third term.Office of Governor Tim Walz via Flickr But the reverberating loss of House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, a close friend and political ally who was assassinated in June, has reportedly given Walz pause, with the governor seeing Hortman as a possible gubernatorial successor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Walz ultimately decides to move out of the Governor's Mansion, there's a growing list of Democratic legislators who may be eager to replace him, potentially including Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. Republicans who have kicked off campaigns for governor include Dr. Scott Jensen, who unsuccessfully challenged Walz in 2022, and Kendall Qualls. Current GOP lawmakers could be waiting for Walz's announcement before launching their own bids. Minnesota Sen. Julia Coleman (R-Chanhassen) said in July that she's not running for U.S. Senate, but she hinted at her interest in higher office closer to home. She told Bring Me The News that she hasn't ruled out a run for governor and said constituents want a bipartisan gubernatorial ticket, so it's possible she could team up with a Democrat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Republican hasn't won a statewide race in Minnesota since then-Gov. Tim Pawlenty won re-election in 2006. Related: Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers won't run again in 2026 This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared. (NewsNation) Ukrainian woman Marusia Yelizova returned to her war-torn hometown of Kharkiv, Ukraine, despite it being under Russian attacks after fleeing to Czechia three years earlier. NewsNations Connell McShane met Yelizova and her family in Poland after they left Kharkiv amid the war in 2022 en route to neighboring Czechia. She returned despite the dangers after her mother lost her job and Yelizova failed to find one while taking refuge on foreign soil. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I gave up at that time. I stopped to fight for my life, Yelizova said of her time in Czechia. Now, she says, we live on a bomb. I work, I go outside, I dont know when or where the bomb will fall, so its like life on a bomb. Heres who Donald Trump said introduced him to Melania Her previous home was sold prior to moving to Czechia, and now, Yelizova lives in a flat thanks to help from Ukraine. Its really scary because there are pieces of the bombs that fly everywhere, she said. Yekuzova cannot feel peace as an imminent hope for the region, but she still desires it. When we tried to be refugees, we were thinking we would never come back to Ukraine if [Kharkiv] is part of Russia, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the moment, we feel that we want peace. We want to be Ukraine, of course, but we want peace. 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 death toll from the massive cloudburst that triggered a flash flood in the Chesoti area of Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, has risen to 45, with more than 100 people injured, officials said on Friday. Kishtwar Additional Superintendent of Police Pradeep Singh told ANI that rescue operations are underway with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, SDRF, Fire Services, CISF, CRPF and the Army on the ground. "45 have been confirmed dead, while over 100 injured have been shifted (for treatment). Many people are still feared missing. We will update as more missing people or dead bodies are found... Ambulance and local people are also working shoulder to shoulder with the police for the rescue operation... 8-10 of the deceased people were identified, and the identification process is going on..." he said. The cloudburst occurred on Thursday in Chesoti village of Paddar along the Machail Mata Yatra route, which had drawn a large number of devotees. In view of the weather conditions and the disaster, Kishtwar Police has set up control rooms and help desks across the district to assist citizens and pilgrims, particularly in remote areas. Families of missing persons have been asked to contact -- District Control Room -- 01995-259555, 9484217492 PCR Kishtwar -- 9906154100, 9103454100, 01995-259193, 100. "Rescue operations continue in Chesoti, Tehsil Atholi, District Kishtwar. *DGP J&K Police Sh. Nalin Prabhat-IPS* is personally monitoring the situation on the ground," District Police Kishtwar wrote in a post on X, also sharing a list of rescued and injured persons as of August 14. J&K Leader of Opposition and local MLA Sunil Kumar Sharma said the incident occurred around 11 a.m. "There was a huge rush here as devotees in large numbers participated in the Machail Mata Yatra. There has been a huge loss...42 bodies have been retrieved...This is a very big disaster...I am hopeful that tomorrow, if the weather allows, rescue operations will be carried out through helicopter services..." he said. Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Kishtwar, Dr Yudhvir Singh Kotwal, said the hospital had received 88 patients so far, with 36 referred to GMC Jammu. "We are awaiting identification for two dead bodies which were brought to the hospital..." he added. One of the injured, Vishal Mehra, who had come from Jammu for the yatra, described the chaos, "We were returning after the darshan and had stopped at Chesoti. A part of our group was a little behind. We were having tea, and as soon as we finished, Army personnel told us to run from there. We rushed, but we got trapped in the debris." "My sister and nephew are missing. There has been a massive loss...It felt like a sudden blast, and we could not act in time," he said. "When the cloud burst, we were flown away and I was stuck under a car... My mother was under an electricity pole... Administration took quick action, and the vehicles of the army and the CRPF arrived immediately..." Another victim said. (ANI) Members of Syria's interim government forces as well as fighters linked to the former regime likely committed war crimes during sectarian violence in March that killed around 1,400 people, mainly civilians, a UN report says. The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry said it had found no evidence the authorities in Damascus had ordered the attacks. The violence along the coast, the heartland of the Alawite sect of Islam, exposed divisions after Islamist-led rebels ousted ex-President Bashar al-Assad in December. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It erupted as security forces were ambushed by groups loyal to the former regime, leading to clashes between government forces, largely Sunni Muslim, and Assad loyalists, mostly Alawite. The authorities sent reinforcements, who were also joined by thousands of fighters, and the operation turned into revenge killings of a sectarian nature. After decades of brutality under the Assads in the mainly Sunni country, many associate Alawites, which make up around 10% of Syria's population, with the old regime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the UN commission, "acts that likely amount to crimes, including war crimes" including murder, torture, abductions, and inhumane acts related to the dead were committed by interim government force members as well as fighters linked to the Assad regime. The commission called on the government, which launched an inquiry, to expand accountability efforts. "The scale and brutality of the violence documented in our report is deeply disturbing," Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, chair of the UN Syria Commission of Inquiry, said in a statement. "We call on the interim authorities to continue to pursue accountability for all perpetrators, regardless of affiliation or rank. While dozens of alleged perpetrators of violations have reportedly since been arrested, the scale of the violence documented in our report warrants expanding such efforts." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report also warned that retaliatory attacks are continuing "amidst a heightened climate of fear and must urgently be addressed by the interim government". The commission documented "gross human rights violations" in 16 locations in Latakia, Tartus, Homs and Hama governorates populated primarily by Alawites in early March. Perpetrators, it said, went door to door asking civilians in a majority of cases whether they were Alawite, before taking men and boys away to be executed. Most victims were Alawite men between 20 and 50 years old, according to the report, although women and children as young as one were also killed in house raids. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Armed individuals filmed themselves committing "serious human rights violations", it said, including severe beatings and executions, or walking alongside dead bodies. Fearing reprisal, families were forced to keep the bodies of their loved ones inside their homes for days, or in the streets to be buried in mass graves later. Hospitals were overwhelmed as corpses piled up. Thousands fled to neighbouring Lebanon or a Russian airbase for safety. Many survivors and Alawites have since left to other parts of Syria or sought refuge abroad, the report said. The report concluded that the consistent patterns of targeted violence against civilians "indicates that such acts were not random or isolated". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The commission conducted more than 200 interviews with witnesses and victims and gained access to coastal areas and affected communities. Fighters head toward clashes in Latakia, Syria in March [Reuters] Assad was overthrown in December after 14 years of civil war and documented human rights abuses by his regime. An interim government was formed, led by a former rebel, Ahmed al-Sharaa. The report found the security vacuum after Assad's ouster as well as disinformation and hate speech spread online about Alawites contributed to retributive attacks. After clashes escalated between former and pro-government factions, other fighters, including foreigners, joined government forces mobilised to coastal regions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government issued statements instructing civilians not to take up arms and warning fighters against harming civilians, the report said. Curfews were established, and in the city of Tartus, checkpoints to stop fighters entering spared the city from violence seen elsewhere. A government inquiry, published in July, identified 298 alleged perpetrators among individuals and groups within military factions, and 265 alleged perpetrators linked to former government fighters. Officials told the commission in June that 42 people had so far been arrested for alleged abuses. The government also said it had created a complaints office for security and police personnel misconduct cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The commission recommended the government strengthen its courts system to ensure justice, work on reparations for survivors, and build trust with communities, among other measures. Sectarian violence has erupted elsewhere in Syria since March. Last month, hundreds were reported killed in clashes in Suweida in the country's south. Both Bedouin and Druze fighters as well as the Syrian army have been accused of killing civilians and extra judicial killings. The government said it was aware of reports of "shocking violations" by people wearing military fatigues and told the BBC any allegations of atrocities committed by all sides would be fully investigated. Advertisement Advertisement Credit: SWNS The public has been warned to stay away from Reggie the dancing dolphin who was maimed by a boat propeller after playing with swimmers. Experts have warned the bottlenose dolphin could die or become aggressive if swimmers, fishermen, and boaters do not steer clear. The dolphin went viral online earlier this month after joining swimmers in Lyme Bay, Dorset, for an early morning dip. Video footage showed the creature leaping vertically out of the water before swimming in and around Lynda MacDonald, 50, her partner, her son and his girlfriend on Aug 3. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the animal, which appears to be living on its own and not part of a pod, has since been photographed with gashes seemingly caused by a boats propeller. The family were in awe after a playful dolphin joined them on their morning swim in Lyme Bay - Lynda Macdonald / SWNS The Marine Management Organisation, a government quango, has now said it is concerned by the footage, saying that humans should never interact with dolphins because they lose their natural wariness, leading to injury or even death. A spokesman said: Were increasingly concerned about a lone dolphin spotted in Lyme Bay, Dorset, following multiple potential marine wildlife disturbance offences observed online and shared on social media. Please remember: never swim with, touch, feed, or approach dolphins. If a dolphin approaches you, calmly leave the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Human interaction can cause dolphins to lose their natural wariness, leading to injury or even death. Disturbed dolphins are also known to become aggressive toward people. They added: Dolphins may seem friendly, but they are wild animals. The dolphin in Lyme Bay has already been injured by a suspected boat propeller. Lets protect them by keeping our distance and please share this message to respect their space. The dolphin seen frolicking with swimmers in Lyme Bay was the latest victim of tourists playing with the sea creatures Mrs MacDonald had previously described swimming with the dolphin as a magical moment. Out of nowhere, the dolphin immediately approached us and wanted to join in on the action, she said. It was friendly and playful. It even started guiding members of our group along the water with its beak. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was not distressed by our presence and was very confident around us. Ive seen a dolphin before, but this is something Ill remember forever. Liz Sandeman, who leads Marine Connections solitary, a sociable dolphin project, added: When lone dolphins start spending time closer to shore, unquestionably their behaviour does change within months. They quickly become accustomed to humans and boats, losing their instinctive fear and caution, which could potentially put them at greater risk. Solitary, sociable dolphins represent a unique behavioural group that requires focused conservation efforts, and this individual dolphin needs protection now more than ever. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is important that everyone is aware of the fact that disturbing dolphins is against the law, and that these are large, powerful, wild animals. Bottlenose dolphins are native to Britain and there are estimated to be 700 around the countrys shores, normally swimming in pods. Disturbing dolphins can result in prison sentence Earlier this month, boaters in Cornwall were also warned to stay away from dolphins after footage showed the dorsal fins of five had been damaged. Two of the mammals fins had been completely cut off, the Cornwall Wildlife Trust said. A spokesman for the charity said the injuries had likely been caused by high-speed watercraft or boat propellers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is illegal to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or disturb cetaceans whales, dolphins, and porpoises under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Approaching or recklessly disturbing a dolphin can result in a prison sentence of up to six months and an unlimited fine. 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. Shoplifting is "out of control", a retail organisation has warned after police figures showed the crime had increased sharply in the Highlands in recent years. Retailers Against Crime said one of the problems was there were "little or no consequences" for persistent offenders. A Police Scotland report to Highland Council said the five-year average for shoplifting in the region was 919 incidents, while in 2023-24 there were 1,487 and a further 1,349 in 2024-25. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justice Secretary Angela Constance said the Scottish government recognised the significant harm and disruption caused by retail crime in Scotland and had provided Police Scotland with an extra 3m to tackle the problem. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said it gave "careful consideration" to any reports of alleged criminal conduct. Retailers Against Crime director Maxine Fraser said shoplifting threatened to put small, family-run shops out of business. She told BBC Scotland News: "We work very closely with Police Scotland and we know that they do as much as they can - they will stop offenders and have them arrested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Then if or when it goes to court there are virtually no consequences. "If someone is a prolific offender why on earth would they stop if nothing is going to happen to them." Ms Fraser said she accepted jail time was not always the answer and suggested more emphasis be placed on rehabilitation and education - including teaching schoolchildren about the impact of shoplifting. She said most of the crimes were not associated with the cost of living crisis but linked to serious and organised crime, or people who were stealing to make money from reselling the goods. "It's out of control," she said. 'Massive amount' The police report was discussed at a meeting of Highland Council's communities and place committee on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police Scotland's North Division commander, Ch Supt Robert Shepherd, told the meeting: "We do see last year there was a massive, massive amount of shoplifting - twice the previous years'." He said the latest figures showed a drop, but added that officers were working to further reduce the number of incidents. Ch Supt Shepherd also said an inspector was based in Inverness as part of a Scottish government-funded team targeting retail crime across Scotland. More stories about shoplifting Justice Secretary Angela Constance said the additional funding had been provided as part of 1.6bn of investment in policing this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said: "Police Scotland has established the Retail Crime Taskforce that is targeting affected areas to prevent crime and pursue those responsible. "It is also working with retailers to identify ways in which they can enhance security and reduce incidents occurring." Punishments for shoplifting can include fines, community work and a prison sentence. COPFS said it was taking action to prosecute shoplifters. A spokesperson said: "COPFS will give careful consideration to any reports of alleged criminal conduct which are submitted by the police. "Prosecutorial action will be taken if the reports contain sufficient admissible evidence of a crime and if it is appropriate and in the public interest to do so." Fraud also on the rise In January, police said rates of shoplifting and fraud in Inverness had increased over the previous 12 months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were 680 shoplifting incidents in 2024-25, almost 13% more than the 603 reported in 2023-24. For fraud, the figures were 155 incidents in 2023-24 and 168 in 2024-25. Police Scotland said the three-year average for shoplifting in the city was 423 incidents and 408 for the five-year average. In a report to Highland Council, the force said the detection rate for the crime was 63% but only 14% for fraud. Related internet links Warren police dispute the claim in a federal lawsuit filed by a mentally ill Detroit man who accuses them of assaulting him in a police holding cell instead of getting him needed mental health assistance in 2022. The department issued what it called a "limited response" on Thursday, Aug. 14, as it typically refrains from comment on pending litigation. In a statement, the department indicated that it believes the complete video record and other evidence will show that Christopher Gibson "engaged in a series of very intentional, violent assaults and other resistive actions against police while in custody. State and federal courts consistently hold that police can and must police in such a situation to protect life and limb, including by use of reasonable force when necessary. On these bases, we are confident the ACLU lawsuit will be quickly dismissed." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police also "dispute the claim that Mr. Gibson was seriously injured by the Warren Police Department or inside the Warren Police Department jail." Attorneys with the ACLU of Michigan filed the lawsuit on Gibson's behalf on Aug. 13 in U.S. District Court in Detroit against the city and at least a dozen of its police officers. Gibson, 26, indicated he was "brutally battered, tasered and threatened with a barking K-9" while detained after his arrest Dec. 13, 2022. The lawsuit indicates that he has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and that before and during his detention, he experienced a mental health emergency that required the intervention of mental health specialists. Instead, he was treated at a local hospital for physical injuries for about a week after his encounters with police, with his heart and kidneys leaking, and his mother indicating he had no preexisting problems with those organs, according to the complaint.The ACLU of Michigan produced an 11-minute video with police body camera footage and comments from Gibson and his mother, who indicated to police that her son was experiencing a mental health emergency and should be taken to a psychiatric hospital instead of the police station, according to the lawsuit. It indicated that Gibson visited his mother in Detroit on Dec. 12, 2022, after an emotional night with a cousin who was dying of cancer and began to display symptoms of his mental illness, including incoherence and manic behavior. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His mother tried to persuade him to go home, but he suggested that he be taken to a mental health facility. When she texted Detroit police for help in taking him to a hospital, Gibson became agitated and left the house, according to the lawsuit. Gibson's mother and Detroit police searched the neighborhood for him for about 10 minutes unsuccessfully. Later, gas station personnel saw Gibson and contacted Warren police, explaining they were concerned about him. Warren police apprehended Gibson, explaining they were responding to concerns from the gas station personnel, according to the lawsuit. In its statement, Warren police said officers encountered Gibson after a 911 call reporting his suspicious behavior. The lawsuit indicates he was arrested on an outstanding warrant for two counts of identity theft. Police, in its statement, indicated he was arrested on four open felony warrants for identity theft, larceny and other financial crimes, and the arrest was without incident, as the video shows. More: Warren police sued for excessive force on mentally ill man in 2022 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Melvindale officer with storied past accused of brutality again At the city jail, however, police indicated Gibson's demeanor went from "suspicious to aggressive." "Gibson went so far as to bite a jail officer who was removing his handcuffs inside a holding cell. This bite drew blood, and the officer needed medical attention," according to the police statement. "After this attack, Gibson refused to comply with even simple commands that were necessary to get him transported to a facility equipped with medical and mental health professionals." The lawsuit indicated that Gibson reacted, including biting, after officers engaged with him physically after they urged him to cooperate with them to take him to an interview room and that he explained his reluctance because of his mental health emergency. It indicates that an officer pepper-sprayed Gibson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Warren police, in its statement, indicated it used "multiple less-than-lethal options to ensure safety while successfully getting Gibson handcuffed and transported to a county facility." It disputed that Gibson was seriously hurt by its officers or inside its jail. "In fact, the lawsuit claims Gibson sustained injury when removed from a transport car in the garage of the county facility. This removal was not by Warren Police, but another Department's designated Cell Extraction Team, who had been informed by us of Gibson's self-reported mental health issues and assaultive behavior," according to the statement, which did not name the other department's Cell Extraction Team. The lawsuit accused officers of violently pulling Gibson, who was shackled, out of the back of a police vehicle and throwing him to the asphalt. Warren police indicated in its statement that Gibson was charged and convicted in July of 2025 of felonious assault of police in connection with the video presented by the ACLU of Michigan. It indicated he also pleaded guilty to felony weapons charges in Wayne County in 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In neither court proceeding did Gibson even assert a mental health defense or incompetency. It is unsettling that none of this is disclosed in the ACLU's presentation, where Gibson is portrayed as someone unable to follow basic police commands," according to the police statement. "Gibson now seeks monetary damages for an issue that the ACLU readily admits is not unique to the Warren Police Department," it continued. "The lawsuit actually asks the courts to mandate a new national policing standard where social workers or mental health professionals respond, instead of police, to anyone self-reporting a mental health crisis. "But the reality is that trained police are the only available first responders in these rapidly changing, extremely dangerous situations. It is also the reality that mental health resources are limited in Michigan and nationally, as anyone with a loved one suffering with mental illness knows, which limitations equally apply to police agencies. Still, the Warren Police Department trains extensively on best practices in handling mentally distressed persons and will continue doing so." Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @challreporter. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Police: Lawsuit filed by mentally ill Detroit man will be dismissed CHIPLEY, Fla. (WMBB) The Washington County Sheriffs Office has announced an active investigation into what appears to be an armed robbery of a suspected drug dealer on Thursday. According to the WCSO, shortly after 10 p.m., deputies responded to reports of armed and masked individuals trying to break into a Chipley residences back shed. Deputies said that as they approached, a pickup truck was leaving the property, and a traffic stop was conducted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The driver was allegedly identified as 44-year-old Jermaine Marks of Caryville, and the passenger as 43-year-old Antuan Odom of Chipley. Deputies said that Odom was later found to be one of the residents and a victim of the armed robbery. He was handcuffed, bleeding from his left eye, and bruised. Deputies believe Marks and at least one other individual intended to rob Odom of a stash of drugs. Investigators began to search the property and found signs of a struggle. Additional residents of the property reported opening the door after hearing commotion and found a masked individual pointing a gun at them. They then shut the door and called 911. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators searched the woods and discovered a large clear bag containing marijuana and two suitcases containing more marijuana and a clear zip lock bag of methamphetamine. Deputies said that the evidence was later found to be around 41 pounds of marijuana and about 2 pounds of methamphetamine. Marks and Odom were arrested and transported to the Washington County Jail. Marks was charged with trafficking marijuana of more than 20 pounds, tampering with evidence, and an out-of-county warrant. Odom was charged with trafficking marijuana of more than 20 pounds, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, trafficking methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and tampering with evidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies said that the investigation is ongoing and that they have persons of interest in the case. 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 mypanhandle.com. This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com Violent crime numbers in Washington have soared upwards despite a nationwide decline in crime, according to an FBI national crime data report but the new data doesnt show the full picture. The national murder rate decreased by 1.05% between 2019 and 2024. However, Washington recorded a 47.09% murder rate increase. The state reported a total of 206 murders in 2019, compared to 303 in 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These numbers speak for themselves, Executive Director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) Steven Strachan said. Washington crime numbers vary The violent crime statistics provided by WASPC accounted for murder, rape, robbery, vehicle theft, and aggravated assault in 2019 and 2024 nationwide and in Washington. Decrease in rape Washington had a 17.28% decrease in reported rapes compared to the total national decline of 15.30%. In 2024, the state recorded 2,983 rapes, which was more than 600 cases lower than in 2019. Vehicle thefts soar Vehicle thefts increased 15.99% across the U.S., as the rate of vehicle thefts in Washington soared 34.87%. Robbery slightly up Robbery statistics remained relatively unchanged in Washington from 2019 to 2024. A 0.41% increase was reported, with 5,365 robberies reported in 2024, only 22 more than in 2019. Nationally, a massive disparity could be seen with the nationwide robbery rates decreasing by 24.27%. Aggravated assaults rise Washingtons aggravated assault cases rose by 22.71% from 2019 to 2024, with a total of 17,190 instances in 2024. The national reported aggravated assault percent change was also up 4.79%. Increase in total violent crime Total violent crime statistics in Washington had a smaller margin in comparison to the national totals, but still maintained a wide gap. The state recorded an 11.67% increase in total violent crimes, compared to a nationwide decline of 3.85%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some national reports suggest the crime increases seen during the pandemic have now largely reversed themselves. Unfortunately, that is not the case here in Washington, WASPCs statement asserted. Data tells different story for Washington crime rates But data released by the organization itself, just last month, suggests Washington is making headway against crime. WASPC found that crime rates dropped overall in the state last year compared to the year before. The murder rate though still higher than pre-pandemic levels dropped by 18.8% between 2023 and 2024. Property crimes, which include car thefts and vandalism, declined 13.4%, while violent crime decreased 7.6%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a good trend and we think it has a lot to do with allowing law enforcement, and supporting law enforcement, to do the important work of holding people accountable for crime, Kent Police Chief and WASPC Vice President Rafael Padilla told KIRO Newsradio at the time. Padilla credited recent changes in Washingtons law, which loosened restrictions on police pursuits, and the creation of a drug possession law that replaced the one that had been tossed out by the Washington State Supreme Court. But both the analysis of the states own crime data and the newer comparison to national data suggest more needs to be done. WASPC suggestions include: supporting crime victims and communities, providing accountability for unlawful behavior, building trust through transparent and professional policing, and making sure law enforcement agencies have the resources they need. WA has lowest rate of officers per capita As the earlier WASPC report pointed out, Washington continues to have the lowest rate of officers per capita. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rate of police per 1,000 civilians is 1.38, while the national average is 2.31. Imagine what we could do if we right-sized our law enforcement staff? Padilla asked He said it would put agencies in a position to not only respond to crimes, but to increase their presence in communities to prevent them. Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here. Read more of Heather Boschs stories here. They typically investigate drug lords, weapons traffickers or cyber criminals. This week, though, federal agents are fanning out across the nation's capital as part of President Donald Trumps efforts to clamp down on crime in the city. The sometimes-masked agents joined members of the National Guard as well as the United States Park Police, whose responsibilities include protecting the country's monuments and managing crowds during demonstrations. Soldiers in fatigues kept watch near Union Station, while officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration patrolled along the National Mall. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives helped question a couple in northwest Washington who were parked illegally and eating McDonalds takeout. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Donald Trump said Monday that hes taking over Washingtons police department in hopes of reducing crime, even as city officials stressed that crime is already falling. The District of Columbias status as a congressionally established federal district allows the president to take control, although hes limited to 30 days under statute unless he gets approval from Congress. Amid the takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department, or MPD, here's a list of some of the federal agencies involved and what they typically do: The National Guard THIS WEEK: The Pentagon said that 800 Guard members have been activated for missions in Washington that include monument security, community safety patrols and beautification efforts. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said the troops wont be armed and declined to give more details on what the safety patrols or beautification efforts would entail. The White House said Thursday that Guard members arent making arrests but are protecting federal assets, providing a safe environment for law enforcement officers to make arrests, and deterring violent crime with a visible law enforcement presence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement THE BACKSTORY: The National Guard serves as the primary combat reserve of the Army and Air Force, according to its website. But it also responds when disaster strikes in the homeland to protect life and property in communities. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) THIS WEEK: DEA agents have also fanned out across Washington, working with police on traffic stops and other enforcement efforts. The agency has touted this week that its agents have helped to recover guns and drugs. THE BACKSTORY: The agency typically enforces the nations controlled substances laws and regulations, while going after drug cartels, gangs and traffickers in the U.S. and abroad. For example, a DEA-led investigation scored a record seizure of fentanyl in May, dismantling one of the largest and most dangerous drug trafficking organizations in U.S. history, the agency said in a news release. The DEA also operates a little-known research lab in northern Virginia thats working to analyze seized narcotics to find ways to stop the supply. Its chemists identify the ever-evolving tactics employed by cartels to manufacture drugs flowing into the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) THIS WEEK: Agents with Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, could be seen on Wednesday alongside MPD officers as they conducted traffic checks at a checkpoint along 14th Street in northwest Washington. THE BACKSTORY: HSI investigates a wide variety of crimes on a global scale at home, abroad and online with hundreds of offices across the country and abroad. Those crimes include illegal movement of people, goods, money, contraband, weapons and sensitive technology into, out of and through the United States, the agency says on its website. In the last few months, as the Trump administration has ramped up its immigration enforcement efforts across the U.S., HSI agents have been out on raids and involved in immigration arrests at courthouses and other sites around the country. HSI agents also investigate a vast array of crime, including cyber and financial crimes and intellectual property offenses. United States Park Police Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement THIS WEEK: United States Park Police have been seen helping with traffic stops this week in the district and are a regular presence in Washington. D.C. The federal agency is actually one of the nation's oldest, being founded in 1791 by George Washington. THE BACKSTORY: The police are part of the National Park Service and has jurisdiction in all federal parks, with offices in Washington, New York and San Francisco, according to the agency's website. Before this week's takeover, it already had the authority to make an arrest in the District of Columbia. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) THIS WEEK: ATF agents have been helping out with traffic stops. THE BACKSTORY: The agency primarily focuses on the illegal use of guns and explosives, bombings and acts of terrorism, and the trafficking of illicit liquor or contraband tobacco. The local government of Washington is suing the administration of US President Donald Trump over what it says is an illegal takeover of the capital's police. Washington Attorney General Brian Schwalb, in several posts on X on Friday, said "the Administration is abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law." He called Trump's takeover of Washington's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) illegal and said it is the "gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Administration's actions are brazenly unlawful," Schwalb wrote. US Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Terry Cole as emergency police chief to the MPD. But Schwalb says Washington's police chief Pamela Smith is not legally obligated to comply with the order or hand over her command to Cole. Citing allegedly rampant crime, Trump had decreed that the police in the capital would temporarily fall under Bondi's authority. Official figures show, however, that crime in the district has declined. Trump based his decree on the Home Rule Act, which places Washington's police under federal command during a state of emergency. Schwalb argued that the law only allows the US president to instruct Washington's mayor, Muriel Bowser, on how law enforcement agencies should be deployed. National Guard patrols in Washington As part of his emergency decree, Trump also deployed National Guard troops to Washington. US media reported sightings of military vehicles and foot patrols near landmarks such as the National Mall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's focus and thus that of law enforcement agencies is primarily on migrants who may be in the country without residence permits, as well as homeless individuals on the city's streets and squares. News clips shown on US television showed police forces starting to clear individual tent camps on Thursday evening, urging residents to move into homeless shelters to avoid the risk of arrest. WA House floor during 2025 legislative session, Olympia, WA. Photo by Carleen Johnson (The Center Square) A policy allowing Washington state House legislators to delete most legislative emails including those related to bills and communications with lobbyists after 30 days has been reinstated by lawmakers. Transparency advocates argue that the change is a blow to open government. According to the Washington Coalition for Open Government, the change was announced internally through an email from House Public Records Officer Lucy Collis a week before the July 30 policy change went into effect. Its not clear when House lawmakers halted the destruction of emails or what initially prompted it, but according to WashCOG, the records officers email indicated that email storage had become burdensome as a result of a 2017 court case filed by The Associated Press and other news organizations that established that legislators are subject to the Public Records Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a Thursday interview with The Center Square, WashCOG Secretary George Erb said, The automatic destruction of emails that are put in basically delete folders every 30 days is worrisome. Erb explained that the new policy states emails sent by the prime sponsor of a bill must be kept, and emails from a lawmaker's constituents have to be kept for one year. But anything else can basically be deemed transitory, and it's a very broad, wide-open definition. So, legislators can basically declare anything that's not in the first two categories, is transitory, and can be put in the delete folder and then emptied after 30 days, he continued. That would include emails from other legislators commenting on the prime sponsor's bill. It could also include anybody who's trying to influence this legislator. So far, the state Senate has not adopted a similar policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WashCOG has also been sharply critical of state agencies deleting Teams chat messages after one week. Gov. Bob Ferguson put a six-month pause on the chat auto-delete policy, which is set to expire on August 17. The Center Square contacted Fergusons office to determine if he intends to extend or end the pause. I'm Happy to update you when the review is complete; it should be soon, Communications Director Brionna Aho emailed The Center Square. Open-government advocate Jamie Nixon has sued the state over the auto-delete policy and is also suing over lawmakers use of legislative privilege to refuse to provide public records upon request. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WashCOG has asked all Washington lawmakers to sign a pledge stating they will not invoke legislative privilege to hide public records requests. So far, we have six seated members of the Legislature on the pledge. I think two of them are Republican. But obviously, we would love to have more, Nixon said. We're not interested in Social Security numbers or credit card accounts. There's so many protections for that already, and I don't know of anybody who's disputing that. We are talking about the ability of voters to know what their government is doing. Washington State Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh, who also serves as a state representative, responded to a request for comment on the email deletion policy. This is a bad policy decision by the Washington Legislature, he said. Its part of the larger problem of so-called legislative privilege, which I believe should only apply in very limited circumstances. Other legislators believe it should be applied more broadly to conceal various communications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Walsh conceded he has not signed WashCOGs pledge not to invoke legislative privilege in public records requests. I havent signed the pledge, he admitted in a Thursday text message. I made a public statement opposing legislative privilege before the pledge existed. Center Square also emailed the office of Speaker of the House Rep. Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, to comment on the email auto-deletion policy but was informed she was unavailable. Its just not possible for Speaker to connect before your deadline, wrote Executive Legislative Assistant Gretchen Mazikowski. Were basically seeing a growing culture of secrecy in our state government, Erb said. We see a culture of secrecy spreading throughout Olympia and embedding itself and becoming basically the norm for our state government. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Some Pacific Northwest residents spotted a flaming object soaring across the night sky earlier this week. The American Meteor Society has reported that the object known as a fireball appeared in Eugene at 10:10 p.m. on Wednesday. The AMS log shows residents in other cities throughout Oregon and Washington including Grants Pass, Ashland and Ridgefield could have spotted it as well. Body found floating in Willamette River near West Linn Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Eugene resident shared a video in which a glittering trail can be seen making its way through the sky before dispersing, with KOIN 6. NASA describes fireballs as bright meteors caused by objects that measure at least one meter. The one spotted in Eugene could have been either a meteor or space debris, according to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industrys Director of Space Science Education Jim Todd. Fireballs are caused by space rocks that enter the Earths atmosphere and are slowed down and heated by friction, Todd explained in an email. Fireballs are caused by space rocks that are made of stone, ice, metal, or a combination of these materials. He added that the Perseid meteor shower, prompted by debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle, neared its peak on the same day the fireball was spotted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Todd said meteors are only visible for a few seconds, whereas human-made objects re-enter the atmosphere more slowly and are visible for longer. He noted that meteors travel rapidly, while other objects move more like fast aircraft. Woman accused of embezzling thousands from historic Southern Oregon hotel But also on Wednesday, SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket holding more than 20 satellites. Todd estimates the launch could have caused the fireball as well. When the second stage completes its mission, it typically undergoes a controlled deorbit maneuver. However, sometimes the deorbit doesnt happen as planned, and the stage enters the atmosphere at a different angle or time, causing it to burn up and create a bright fireball, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan extended his greetings to the nation on the occasion of Independence Day, paying tribute to the sacrifices of freedom fighters and the armed forces guarding the country's borders. In his message, he emphasized the importance of self-reliance for true independence, urging citizens to adopt 'swadeshi' products in their daily lives. "Greetings to everyone on #IndependenceDay. We bow before all those whose sacrifice attained Independence for the country. We bow before everyone who is still at the borders of the country and safeguarding us...I have a request on this Independence Day. For independence, self-reliance is essential. For self-reliance, 'swadeshi' is essential. We should all take a pledge today that when our economy is the 4th largest economy in the world, we have to reach the number 1 position. To strengthen our economy, especially craftsmen, SHGs, local artists, MSME, and make them economically strong, we should use everything 'swadeshi' in our daily life..," he said. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolor at Red Fort, as the nation marked the celebration of the 79th Independence Day. Flying Officer Rashika Sharma assisted the Prime Minister in hoisting the flag, after which flower petals were showered from two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force - one carrying the national flag and the other 'Operation Sindoor' flag. Wing Commander Vinay Poonia and Wing Commander Aditya Jaiswal piloted the aircraft. PM Modi was received at the Red Fort by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Sanjay Seth, and the Chiefs of the three services. The Prime Minister also received the ceremonial guard of honour by the National Flag Guard, the Indian Air Force, Army, Navy, and Delhi Police, totaling upto 128 people. Wing Commander Arun Nagar led the interservices guard of honour. Ahead of reaching the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Rajghat in the national capital and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi as the country marked its 79th Independence Day. (ANI) (The Center Square) In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop talks with gun rights advocate Todd Vandermyde about the latest filing from the state defending Illinois' gun ban in the federal appeals court. Read the filing here. Bishop also provides highlights from Republican Day at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, from stage speeches and off-stage conversations with candidates and elected officials. Finally, Bishop shares the latest back and forth in the debate over congressional maps as Texas Democrats may be heading back to the Lone Star State to face off with Republicans looking to give the GOP more seats in Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch the full program below. Subscribe to Illinois in Focus Daily with The Center Square on YouTube. You can also subscribe to the Illinois in Focus podcast to get the entire show uninterrupted. Part 1 Part 2 Aug. 15U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are meeting Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage to discuss the war in Ukraine. The summit is expected to begin around 11 a.m. Alaska time, with Air Force One landing at JBER just before 10:30 a.m. Related stories: All eyes are on Anchorage as Trump-Putin talks begin A successful summit is far from assured as Putin and Trump arrive in Anchorage and Ukraine is sidelined Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alaska's US senators have long worried about Putin's 'authoritarian aggression.' On Friday, Putin will be on their home turf Pro-Ukraine rally draws hundreds of Alaskans ahead of Trump-Putin meeting Putin will visit Alaska military base that's been central to American opposition to his country When Trump and Putin meet, Alaska's Ukrainians will be watching closely Ukrainian language version: , Trump and Putin are coming to Anchorage. Here's what locals need to know. UAA set to host up to 750 US and Russian delegates for Putin-Trump summit President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to speak at a joint press conference Friday after their first face-to-face interaction since Trumps first term. The two leaders landed in Anchorage, Alaska, Friday afternoon ahead of the highly anticipated meeting about Russias war in Ukraine. Trump said earlier Friday that he would not use the meeting as a platform to negotiate for Ukraine and threatened to walk away from the conversation if Putin is not willing to make a peace deal that the U.S. finds acceptable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its going to work out very well and if it doesnt, Im going to head back home real fast, he told Fox Newss Bret Baier aboard Air Force One in an interview that aired on the networks show Special Report. The comments come days after the president sought to reassure European allies that he would not advocate for a land swap between Russia and Ukraine. The meeting began around 3 p.m. EDT, and the two leaders are expected to give remarks following the summit. Watch the live video above. 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. (The Center Square) During a Phoenix school board meeting, member Jeremiah Cota was quickly shut down for saying the Lords Prayer, rather than an Indigenous land acknowledgement. In an exclusive interview with The Center Square, Cota, who represents Ward One on the Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board, recounted his experience being silenced at a board meeting on Aug. 8. The board member highlighted the fact that these land acknowledgements are treated like a religious prayer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I do fully believe these land acknowledgements are like a religious ritual. And I am well aware that it is very reverent when they say these acknowledgments, said Cota. It is hushed tones, it is bowing of the heads. It is a very solemn moment. And it is a prayer, if you ask me. Land acknowledgements are statements by organizations that recognize it is on land that historically was inhabited by Indigenous peoples. Cota, a member of the Free People of the San Carlos Apache tribe, grew up on an American Indian reservation. He explained land acknowledgments are not appropriate at board meetings and said it is simply virtue signaling. They basically ascribe victimhood status if you're a Native American, Cota said. I can say as a tribal member, no one has ever asked me if a land acknowledgment about my tribe is OK. Its virtue signaling and to make them feel good about themselves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a newly appointed board member, Cota, at his third meeting, was asked to read the land acknowledgement. Instead, he started reading the Lords Prayer, but was swiftly interrupted by legal counsel. We cant have a religious prayer before we start to read the land acknowledgment, said the board parliamentarian during the meeting. Cota continued to read the Lords Prayer. Board President Ceyshe Napa interrupted Cota, and he was ruled out of order. I just don't know why the Lords Prayer was so offensive to many people in the room, and that's very concerning to me, Cota said. Simultaneously, he was told that the board does not follow Robert's Rules of Order and that it is merely a suggestion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Phoenix Union's own Rules of Order state otherwise: In matters of procedure not covered by law or Board policy, Robert's Rules... shall be used as a guide. Oh, I was shocked. I was absolutely shocked when I heard her say that, Cota told The Center Square. We have Robert's rules of order that govern all our meetings, so I was absolutely shocked when I heard her say that Robert's rules of order do not apply here. In experiencing what he considers to be religious discrimination, Cota has since written a complaint letter to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. He said he will continue to advocate for freedom of religion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you're going to allow the land acknowledgments, you should allow a prayer. That should be the rule, or we should not have the land acknowledgment, Cota said. As a board member, that is something I'm going to work on, because I do believe they (land acknowledgments) don't have any role in our governing body. They don't add to the student's academic performance. This doesn't have to do anything with the students at all. Phoenix Union High School District currently has over 27,000 students enrolled in the Arizona capital's area. I got into the education field because I cared about what was going on, especially on my reservation, Cota said. I do encourage others to be involved with your child's education. I always say, if you don't raise your children, someone else will. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, for high-stakes discussions about Russia's war in Ukraine. The summit concluded with the two leaders striking a positive tone in statements to the media, but they did not announce a ceasefire or any other breakthroughs from the three hours of talks. "There were many, many points that we agreed on," Mr. Trump said at their joint press appearance, but also "a couple of big ones that we haven't quite gotten there." He added, "There's no deal until there's a deal." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not invited to the Alaska summit, but Mr. Trump said earlier in the week that another round of talks with both Russia and Ukraine may happen next. No plans for a further meeting were announced Friday, however. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zelenskyy spoke with Mr. Trump and European leaders on Wednesday and said he hoped an "immediate ceasefire" would be the main focus of the meeting. But Zelenskyy has also warned that "talks about us, without us, will not work" for Ukraine. He said he told Mr. Trump and allied leaders that "Putin is bluffing" and "doesn't want peace." Mr. Trump told reporters earlier in the week that there would be "very severe consequences" for Russia if it doesn't agree to end the war, but did not elaborate on what that that might entail. Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, igniting a bloody war that continues to grind on along front lines in the east and in drone and missile attacks that have terrorized Ukrainian cities. When was the Trump-Putin meeting? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr. Trump and Putin greeted each other on the airport tarmac a little after 3 p.m. EDT (Alaska is 4 hours behind Eastern Time). They then headed inside to begin their meeting with a small contingent of top advisers. At about 7 p.m. EDT they emerged from the talks and held what was billed as a joint press conference, though they did not take any questions from reporters. President Trump greets Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. / Credit: Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP Where was the Trump-Putin meeting? The meeting between the U.S. and Russian presidents is taking place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska. The location is roughly midway between Washington, D.C., and Moscow. What did they say after the meeting? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both leaders spoke to the press after the sitdown but declined to take questions. Neither of them mentioned a ceasefire in Ukraine, which was Mr. Trump's main goal coming into the meeting. Putin hinted that the two sides had reached "agreements" in their talks, but did not specify what they entailed. The Russian leader said U.S.-Russia relations have "fallen to the lowest point since the Cold War." The Russian leader said Mr. Trump wants to get to the "crux of the matter" of the conflict in Ukraine. Putin, who launched the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, said the "situation in Ukraine has to do with fundamental threats to our security." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin said he is convinced that in order to make any settlement lasting long term, "we need to eliminate all the primary roots, the primary causes of that conflict." He also hinted that he wants to normalize relations with the U.S. more generally. "I expect that today's agreements will be the starting point not only for the solution of the Ukrainian issue but also will help us bring back business-like and pragmatic relations between Russia and the U.S.," Putin said. Mr. Trump began by saying the two leaders had a "very profound" meeting. "Many points were agreed to," Mr. Trump said, saying he and Putin agreed on "most points." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There were many, many points that we agreed on, most of them, I would say," Mr. Trump said. "A couple of big ones that we haven't quite gotten there but we've made some headway. So there's no deal until there's a deal. I will call up NATO in a little while. I will call up the various people that I think are appropriate. I will of course call up President Zelenskyy and tell him about today's meeting." Mr. Trump reiterated his view of the talks later in his statement: "We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to. There are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there. We didn't get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there." The president took no questions from the press. "We're going to try and get this over with. We really made some great progress today," Mr. Trump said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soon after, they were both on their planes to fly back home. Passenger arrested after allegedly causing disturbance midair and forcing flight to divert When could Tropical Storm Erin become a hurricane? Trump, Putin speeches did not announce a ceasefire in Ukraine Whoever said flattery will get you nowhere apparently never had to deal with President Donald Trump. Case in point: former New York senator and first lady Hillary Clinton Trumps rival in the 2016 presidential election recently said she can imagine a scenario where she nominates him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Although the president has previously called Clinton the devil and Crooked Hillary, and his rally crowds chant things like Lock her up! and Hillary for prison, he suggested a possible change of tune Friday during an interview with Fox News host Brett Baier. Related: Senator Calls Trump-Putin Meeting An 'Embarrassment For The United States' Clinton, the former secretary of state, told the Raging Moderates podcast on Wednesday that if Trump managed to end Russias war with Ukraine with a fair deal, she would personally nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But theres a caveat: Clinton said Trump must make Putin agree to a ceasefire without any exchange of territory, and Russia must actually withdraw from the territory they previously seized. Trump seemed unaware of Clintons possible endorsement until Baier made him aware of it on Friday. Did you see that Hillary Clinton yesterday said that if you got this deal done and not capitulate to Putin, that she would nominate you for the Nobel Peace Prize? Baier asked. Trump seemed pleased, but focused more on Clintons mild promise of praise rather than what it would take to get it from her. That was very nice. I might have to start liking her again, Trump replied. Baier: Hillary Clinton said that if you got this deal done and not capitulate to Putin, she would nominate you for the Nobel Peace Prize? Trump: That was very nice. I might have to start liking her again. pic.twitter.com/AuiPkbHBRl Acyn (@Acyn) August 15, 2025 Trump has made no secret about coveting the Nobel Peace Prize, even griping in June that he shouldve gotten four or five of them already. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a result, many people on social media had thoughts about Trumps apparent Nobel neediness. Some people wondered if he realized Clintons supposed praise was actually a suggestion that he doesnt have it in him to get a fair deal from Putin. He's so dumb. He doesn't even realize that she's saying he's a POS who won't/can't get it done. The Great Gig in the Sky (@thegreatgig8) August 15, 2025 He doesnt know what capitulate means, does he? The Dr. - s Educated Women (@gatesisthedevil) August 15, 2025 If he gets in done I hope she tells him she was only kidding. Ann Taylor (@AnnTayl98914624) August 15, 2025 Others pointed how thirsty Trump is for anything that vaguely sounds like a compliment. Hes such a narcissist its so easy to get him to like you by giving him half ass praise Sycamores Source (@sycamoressource) August 15, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All you have to do is give Trump a compliment and he rolls over for a belly scratch Casey (@iKtotheC) August 15, 2025 Trump hears dont capitulate and focuses on Hillary liking him. For him, its never about peace its about ego strokes. AnatolijUkraine (@AnatoliUkraine) August 15, 2025 Related... Read the original on HuffPost (This story was updated with new information.) A 24-year-old man was found dead and presumed drowned Aug. 15 in Lake Michigan near South Shore Park, the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. The sheriff's office said it's believed the man was at the beach to swim with friends after a night out. When the group returned to shore, the man wasn't with them. He reportedly was unable to swim or swim well, the sheriff's office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Initially thinking the man stayed in the water as a prank, the group then called 911, at about 5:24 a.m. Milwaukee emergency crews began conducting a search. Along with the Milwaukee Fire Department dive rescue team, officers from the sheriff's office, paramedics, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Coast Guard were at the search site. An investigation into the man's death and the circumstances before and after his presumed drowning is ongoing, the sheriff's office said. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Man found dead in presumed drowning at Milwaukee's South Shore Park Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park could turn into a new waterfront destination for residents if Boynton Beach officials secure a deal to buy neighboring land, which they would use to expand the park. The city plans to purchase the waterfront property at 670 Oak St., south of the park, for $7 million. At a meeting on Aug. 12, the Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency unanimously voted to begin contract negotiations with the seller. This gives us another alternate location to do events, said Deputy City Manager Andrew Mack as he presented conceptual drawings of the project to the board. This also potentially could activate this park in the evenings or in off-peak hours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 8-acre waterfront park has several boat ramps, a docking area with a kayak launch, a small fishing dock and a playground with a picnic area. However, Mack said the additional amenities built in the expansion could generate revenue if the city seals the 1.27-acre deal for the Oak Street property, which is mostly vacant. The proposed expansion includes building a restaurant and a parking lot on the land the city plans to purchase. According to the conceptual drawings, the city plans to expand boat docking and add another restaurant or a gift shop along the Intracoastal. The 8-acre Harvey E. Oyer Jr. waterfront park has several boat ramps, a docking area with a kayak launch, a small fishing dock and a playground with a picnic area. The fishing pier at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park, which was previously torn down, will be rebuilt to extend into the Intracoastal. The expansion will also add a new beach area, a remodeled boardwalk and another kayak launch to the park. The plan wont become final until the purchase is complete, and Mack said details such as the exact amenities are still being worked out. Boynton finalizes $8.1 million deal to purchase hotel property Boats at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park in Boynton Beach. Vice Mayor Woodrow Hay said he supports buying the property but found it a little odd since the board had just closed off on an $8.1 million deal for a hotel earlier in the meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials plan to demolish the hotel off Interstate 95 and Boynton Beach Boulevard, calling it an eyesore and a crime hotspot. They plan to redevelop the property to boost the citys profile. Its only going to serve a certain population that is small in comparison to what we were talking about off I-95, which is going to serve a lot of people, Hay said, referring to the amount of taxpayers' dollars invested in the purchaser and the parks limited ability to serve the community. Mayor Rebecca Shelton said the waterfront propertys price is unbeatable and that these new additions to the park will change the whole dynamic for the east side of Boynton Beach. BOYNTON NEWS: With 25 Florida locations, popular Cuban bakery to open second Palm Beach County shop Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BOYNTON NEWS: City nears $8 million deal to purchase, demolish aging hotel off I-95 BOYNTON NEWS: Hurricane Alley owner wants to keep Florida vibe as lengthy relocation process begins During the meeting, Boynton Beach resident Emily Ryan, who has lived on Oak Street for four years, said she supports the citys decision to move forward with the purchase. I dont want it to get in the hands of a developer, said Ryan, adding that she doesnt want to see another high-rise built in the area, but rather use the space for community engagement. Non-charter boats get ready to leave the Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park boat ramp in Boynton Beach, Florida on September 19, 2023. Lauren Goebel, who represented the property owners in the meeting, said they want the land to benefit the community by opening up more waterfront access to the public. The property has been in the same family since the 1950s, and a house has been built on it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sellers proposed another offer for only the small northern portion of the land at a purchase price of $4.5 million. Still, the city chose to negotiate for the entire property instead. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boynton Beach wants to buy property next to Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park When Murat Draman went scuba diving off the coast of the southern Turkish province of Antalya and saw the temperature in the depths was pushing 30C, it didn't surprise him. "We were at a depth of 30 metres (100 feet) this morning and the water was 29C," said Draman, a diving instructor in an area which is experiencing firsthand the rapid "tropicalisation" of the Mediterranean Sea. Encouraged by increasingly warm waters, hundreds of species native to the Red Sea have moved through the Suez Canal and into the eastern Mediterranean, disrupting ecosystems, scientists say. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The threat is facing the entire Mediterranean, one of the fastest-warming seas, which this year saw its hottest June and July on record, figures from the Mercator Ocean International research centre show. Draman, who remembers when the water temperatures were 25C in August in the early 2000s, said he had seen dozens of Red Sea species colonising the clear waters of Antalya, where surface temperatures reached nearly 32C this week. The striking but highly venomous lionfish (Pterois miles) with its long spotted fins that measure around 26 centimetres (10 inches), is now at home in such warm temperatures and wreaking havoc in the local ecosystem. "About a decade ago, we saw one or two of them. Now we're talking about 15 or 20 per dive -- even more than when we go to the Red Sea," Draman told AFP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They are big predators. Small fish like gobies suffer a lot, we hardly see them anymore. - 'A warning' - Such invasive species are disrupting ecosystems across the eastern Mediterranean, the warmest area of the sea and the area that is heating up fastest, explained Professor Gil Rilov, a researcher at the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research institute (IOLR), who also lectures at Haifa University. "The invasion started almost immediately after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869," he said. "But now it's getting warmer, and also (in 2015), the canals got deeper and wider, so more and more new species move in every year," the marine biologist told AFP, admitting some new arrivals could also be beneficial in waters that are becoming too warm for the native species. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And many of these species -- which have become ubiquitous off the coasts of Turkey, Lebanon and Israel -- are now moving further west, he said, pointing to the rabbitfish (Siganus rivulatus) which has recently colonised the waters off Malta, more than 1,700 kilometres (over 1,000 miles) from the Suez Canal. What is happening in the eastern Mediterranean, where many native species have already disappeared, "is a warning", Rilov added, pointing to two possible causes for their disappearance: excessively warm waters and fierce competition with these invasive species. "What is happening here will happen in five, 10 or 20 years in the north and west of the Mediterranean," he predicted. Last week, Mercator figures showed the sea had registered its warmest July on record with an average surface temperature of 26.68C -- a figure that is worrying experts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement - 'Absence of predators' - This "tropicalisation" could also occur in the coming years through the Strait of Gibraltar at the far end of the Mediterranean basin, according to a study published in the prestigious US science journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) in April 2024. In it, the authors warned that even in an intermediate climate scenario, the warming of the Atlantic Ocean could see certain species migrate from the southern coasts of west Africa to the western Mediterranean by 2050. A more pessimistic scenario could even see the Mediterranean "entirely tropicalised" by 2100, they warned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Faced with such a threat, Draman said invasive species must be kept as far as possible from protected marine areas "in order to preserve biodiversity". "It is clear that with the absence of Mediterranean predators, species such as lionfish are very comfortable here and their population is increasing year on year," he said. "In the Red Sea, lionfish have predators. There are sharks and barracudas. Here, we have none of that." rba/hmw/phz *Editors note* The identities of the suspects were removed to help protect the identity of the victim(s) WAUTOMA, Wis. (WFRV) Two adults in Wautoma were arrested and charged this week for multiple alleged sex crimes against children, with one who allegedly had incest with their stepchild. According to a release from the Adams County Sheriffs Office, a 39-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man were arrested on August 11 and formally charged on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Green Bay man gets 26 years in prison for several repeat drug dealing offenses The release said the man was facing five charges. His cash bond was set at $50,000. Family members of late Green Bay 2-year-old speak out during Vanderleest court appearances Authorities say the woman, who also has a cash bond of $50,000, was facing four charges. Further charges are possible as investigations continue. 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 WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. As part of the ongoing anti-crime drive launched by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav, SAS Nagar Police achieved a major breakthrough under the directions of Harcharan Singh Bhullar, DIG Rupnagar Range, according to a press release issued by the office of DPRO, SAS Nagar. According to a press release, teams of Sub-Division Dera Bassi have busted three interstate theft gangs, arrested six accused, and recovered stolen property worth approximately Rs 35 lakh. The arrests have led to the solving of five theft cases in SAS Nagar and three more in other districts, informed Sh. Harmandeep Singh Hans, Senior Superintendent of Police, SAS Nagar, on Thursday. The recovery includes two Mahindra Bolero vehicles, seven split air-condition units, three gold necklaces, four gold rings, a pair of gold earrings, 545 grams of silver jewellery, 41 pieces of Raymond fabric, 72 ladies' suits, and burglary tools, including iron rods and screwdrivers, the SSP said. Sharing the background of the Cases, SSP said that on June 11, 2025, two thefts occurred in Gulmohar City and Hardev Nagar, Lalru. FIR No. 91 dated 14.06.2025 under Sections 331(3), 305 IPC was registered at PS Lalru. Another theft from a clothing shop at Lalru Mandi led to FIR No. 125 dated 10.08.2025 under Sections 305, 331(4) IPC. The third case, FIR No. 228 dated 10.08.2025 under Sections 331(4), 305 IPC, was registered at PS Dera Bassi for theft of split AC units from Laxmi Electronics, Mubarikpur, during the night of 8-9 August 2025. Sharing the investigation & Operations, he further said that Special investigation teams were constituted under the supervision of Manpreet Singh, SP (Rural) and Talwinder Singh Gill, SP (Operations), in coordination with Bikramjit Singh Brar, DSP Dera Bassi. Station House Officers of PS Dera Bassi, PS Lalru, and the Incharge Narcotics Cell, SAS Nagar, used scientific methods, technical resources, and local intelligence to track down the accused. Giving details of Arrests & Recoveries, he said that in FIR No. 91, Teams from PS Lalru and Narcotics Cell arrested Sumit Kumar, s/o Vijay Kumar, Nikhil Kumar alias Nikhil Loharia, s/o Vicky Loharia (both residents of #2752/2, Ramnagar, Ambala City), and Karan Bhola, s/o Jagdish Lal, resident of Manmohan Nagar. They had been absconding for four months, frequently changing locations and phone numbers. Arrested on 04.08.2025, they led police to the recovery of gold jewellery, 545g of silver, burglary tools, and a KTM motorcycle without a number plate. They also confessed to another theft on 07.07.2025 in Morinda City, registered as FIR No. 92 dated 08.07.2025 under Sections 331(3), 305, 3(5) IPC at PS Morinda City. In FIR No. 125, Accused Mandeep Singh alias Deepa s/o Satnam Singh, resident of Desmesh Nagar, Ambala-Jhoj Road, Ambala, was arrested on 10.08.2025 from Jhoj Road, Sangodha. A stolen Baleno car, Raymond fabrics, 72 ladies' suits, and burglary tools were recovered. The car, stolen from Ludhiana (FIR No. 57 dated 10.07.2025, PS Simlapuri), had fake registration plates to facilitate thefts. In FIR No. 228, acting on a tip-off on 10.08.2025, police arrested Surjit Singh alias Kala s/o Singara Singh, resident of Defence Colony, Tundla (PS Panjokhra Sahib, Ambala), and Jaswinder Singh alias Pinchu s/o Iqbal Singh, resident of #148/95, Simlapuri, Ludhiana. They were intercepted at a naka at Lehli Chowk while driving a Bolero pickup with a fake number plate (PB 11 AS 8613), carrying seven stolen split ACs and an iron crowbar. The ACs were confirmed stolen from Laxmi Electronics, Mubarikpur. The Bolero is suspected of being stolen from Ludhiana; investigation continues. All six accused have previous criminal records, with multiple cases registered against them in different states. Their arrest has brought closure to eight theft incidents, including three in other districts, significantly curbing interstate theft activity in the region, the SSP added. (ANI) BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) A Baton Rouge family is together again after its matriarch was released from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility this month. Her immigration attorney said the ultimate goal is citizenship. A green card for her, and then in three years she can naturalize after she gets her green cardbecome a citizen, said Carey Holliday, the familys immigration attorney. Holliday was formerly an immigration judge, and he said the bureaucratic immigration system has cracks. He said his son is the Clouatres neighbors, and he agreed to take on their case. Since that time, he said hes lost sleep and spent countless hours trying to right what he calls a clear-cut wrong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She fell through the cracks, Holliday said. Holliday reflected on Paola Clouatre being released on recognizance, and he said it was because she did not pose a threat to flee or not appear. That individual is thought to be responsible enough that theyre going to follow the system, Holliday said. Despite that, Paola was assigned an ankle monitor. She has to wear it at all times. I still dont understand the ankle bracelet, Holliday said. It mustve made somebody happy along the line. Paola said the monitor is a constant reminder shes not completely free yet. Its a weight she feels on her leg and in her heart. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not that heavy, but it hurts, Paola said. Its kind of annoying. Holliday said he is advising the family to apply for parole in place since Adrian Clouatre is a military veteran. A blurb from the USCIS website details what parole in place entails. We may grant parole in place on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit under section 212(d)(5)(A) of the INA. You may be eligible for parole in place in 1-year increments if you are 1 of the following service members, or are the spouse, widow(er), parent, son, or daughter of 1 of the following service members: Active-duty member of the U.S. armed forces; Individual in the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve; or Individual who (whether still living or deceased) previously served on active duty or in the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve and was not dishonorably discharged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Holliday said people who come across the border without being admitted, as Paola did when she was brought by her mother as a teenager, often must return to their home country to alter their visa status. Parole in place would allow her to work on her case here. You dont have to go back to Mexico to adjust, Holliday said. Watch Part One of the Clouatres Story Paola was released the morning of July 28. The mother of two had been detained for two months at the Richwood facility in Monroe before a judge ordered her case to be reexamined and issued a stay of deportation. Paola had come with her mother to the United States from Mexico when she was a teen, but she never knew her estranged mother had missed an immigration hearing that would lead to her daughter being issued a deportation order in 2018. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont talk, Paola said. She doesnt know her grandkids. Paola was initially arrested by ICE at the New Orleans headquarters, where the couple went to clear up a deportation order discovered online. Adrian said agents arrested his wife after they were told to sit in the lobby following what appeared to be successful interview sessions. Being released is a relief, Paola said. Im very happy to be back home with my kids, my babies, Paola said. Despite that happiness, the two months in detention continue to have an impact. Ive been feeling depressed, Paola said. Sometimes I talk, sometimes I dont. Thats what I used to do there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She continues to think about the women she grew close to in detention, specifically one she knew through the entirety of that period, who noticeably deteriorated by the end. She said the woman lost her hair and shed weight at an unhealthy rate. I every day tell my husband, I cant stop thinking about her,' Paola said. Like my husband said, theres nothing we can do. ICE did not respond to a request for comment following Paolas release. She said she will go through the process to apply for a green card with the ultimate goal of citizenship and an education to become a travel nurse. She now must trust the same government that arrested and detained her. I dont know, Im scared, Paola said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said she will continue to focus on that future and avoid anything that takes her away again. It has to be the right way, Paola said. We have to do it. 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 Louisiana First News. ROCHESTER, NY (WROC) Lake Ontario water temperatures are about as warm as they could be, making for a great weekend to head to the beach. If you are going camping, it should be a nice one to spend in the woods anywhere across New York State. There will be a cold front approaching for Sunday, but by the time it makes it to the region, it will be Sunday morning and theres some stable air in place that will wreck any chances for more than a random isolated shower or thunderstorm. Temperatures will be in the 70s and lower 80s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 8-Day Forecast Cooler air comes in Monday and Tuesday with highs just in the 70s. There will be some rain showers around by Wednesday, but the focus is south of the region. 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 RochesterFirst. A two-week ramp closure in north Phoenix was set to start off weekend traffic restrictions. The eastbound Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) ramps to north and southbound Interstate 17 were set to close Aug. 15 for pavement repairs, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. Additional closures on I-17 were scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 15 through Aug. 18, ADOT said. Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard was also set to be closed in both directions at Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) for bridge work, according to ADOT. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the southeast Valley, the westbound Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) on-ramp at Val Vista Drive was scheduled to be closed over the weekend for work on a widening project, ADOT said. Drivers were advised to allow extra travel time and use detour routes as needed while the freeway restrictions were in place. Motorists can check az511.gov, the AZ511 app or call 511 to see real-time highway conditions. ADOT's weekend freeway travel advisory (Aug. 15-18) - Phoenix area Loop 101 ramps to north and southbound I-17 closed in Phoenix The eastbound Loop 101 ramps to north and southbound I-17 were set to be closed starting 12:30 a.m. Aug. 15 for pavement repairs, ADOT said. The closure would remain in effect until 5 a.m. Aug. 29. The westbound Loop 101 ramps to I-17 will remain open, ADOT said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detours: Alternate freeway routes included Loop 101 to southbound State Route 51, according to ADOT. Drivers could also take southbound Loop 101 in the West Valley to eastbound Interstate 10 toward downtown Phoenix. Those exiting eastbound Loop 101 at 35th Avenue can use eastbound Deer Valley Road or Union Hills Drive to access I-17, ADOT said. Drivers in the northwest Valley could reach northbound I-17 using Loop 303. I-17 south closed between the Stack interchange and I-10 Split interchange in Phoenix Southbound I-17 will be closed between the Stack interchange south of McDowell Road and the I-10 Split interchange near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport from 9 p.m. Aug. 15 through 2 p.m. Aug. 16, ADOT said. The closure was for pavement maintenance, according to ADOT. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detour: Drivers could detour using eastbound I-10 in the downtown Phoenix area, ADOT said. I-17 northbound closed between the Split and the Stack in Phoenix Northbound I-17 was scheduled to close between the I-10 Split interchange near Sky Harbor Airport and the I-10 Stack interchange north of Van Buren Street from 9 p.m. Aug. 16 through 2 p.m. Aug. 17, ADOT said. The closure was for pavement maintenance, according to ADOT. Detour: Traffic will detour on westbound I-10 starting at the Split interchange and reconnect with I-17 west of 19th Avenue, ADOT said. Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard closed in both directions at Loop 101 in Scottsdale Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard will close in both directions at Loop 101 in Scottsdale from 9 p.m. Aug. 15 until 8 a.m. Aug. 16 for bridge work, ADOT said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detour: Drivers can use the Loop 101 frontage roads to get around. Loop 202 westbound on-ramp at Val Vista Drive closed in Gilbert The westbound Loop 202 on-ramp at Val Vista Drive will be closed from 10 p.m. Aug. 15 through 10 a.m. Aug. 17 for work on a widening project, ADOT said. The westbound Loop 202 right lane was set to be closed between Val Vista Drive and Lindsay Road, ADOT said. The eastbound Loop 202 on-ramp at McQueen Road was also scheduled to close from 4 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 16, said ADOT. Detour: Drivers should consider using the westbound on-ramps at Santan Village Parkway or Lindsay Road, according to ADOT. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix area weekend freeway closures and restrictions for Aug. 15-18 Residents in Pittsburghs West End are frustrated after the parking lot at a local school became the latest location vandalized by racers. Tire marks and rubber treads are all over the parking lot at a local school and residents say they are fed up with the noise and the destruction. PHOTOS: Tire marks left behind at Pittsburgh school parking lot Pittsburgh Public School Gifted Center in the West End is covered in marks after days of cars doing burnouts or drifting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neighbors say its been going on for more than a year and its becoming more frequent. Earle: How frustrating is this, as a neighbor, as someone who lives right in the middle of this? Ginny Hamer Kropf: Its very frustrating. You know, its your quality of life. Its peace on the weekends. We dont need to be waking up to this every weekend. Its not just the school parking lot. It also happened here at the intersection of Chartiers and Hillsboro just last weekend. It also happened in the parking lot of Giant Eagle on Noblestown Road. Neighbors say it often starts around 11 p.m. and doesnt end until 2 a.m. on some weekends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earle: What is your reaction when you see this? Theresa Kail-Smith: Its frustrating not only for me, its frustrating for the residents. Its very aggravating because its not only happening here. Its happening across my district. We met City Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith on Charter Avenue...littered with tire marks. She says its also a safety concern, especially with a senior high-rise nearby. A lot of people come through on wheelchairs. They cant access the local store if this is going on. Theyre afraid to move around their own communities, Kail-Smith said. Two years ago, a driver fleeing the Fort Pitt Bridge, where more than 50 cars stopped to do burnouts, was accused of hitting a responding state police cruiser. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Investigators link drag racing on Fort Pitt Bridge to burnouts at airport A video from last weekend shows a driver doing donuts with a passengers legs hanging out the window. We have an almost two-year-old, and shes been waking up scared, screaming in the middle of the night, Kropf said. After similar problems on Mt. Washington, the city put up signs prohibiting loitering and loud music after 10 p.m. and on two recent weekends, motorcycle officers moved in and took action. They were issuing citations and towing vehicles, talking to the kids, well, theyre not kids, theyre actually adults and a lot arent even from the City of Pittsburgh, Kail-Smith said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Councilwoman Kail Smith also plans to meet with the district attorney to discuss ways to crack down on this type of activity. The bottom line is you cant deface public property and you cant disturb the peace. And we need to make sure were addressing any laws, we need to make sure were addressing the laws we can, Kail-Smith said. Still, some neighbors in the West End say theyve repeatedly called the mayors office and police...but the burnouts continue. Now, theyre desperate. If you have a game plan, please let me know, Kropf said. The councilwoman was recently in Virginia and she saw signs posted there that say no burnouts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats one of the proposals now under consideration in her district. 11 Investigates reached out to Pittsburgh Public Schools about the damage to the parking lot, but has not heard back. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW NOBLE COUNTY The Noble County Health Department reports that it's been notified by the Indiana Department of Health that mosquito samples collected in Noble County have tested positive for West Nile virus. The department recommends to residents and visitors taking precautions against mosquito bites to reduce the risk of disease caused by mosquito-borne viruses, which in addition to WNV include Eastern equine encephalitis (triple-E) virus, and La Crosse virus. State and local health officials recommend that all Hoosiers take the following steps to prevent mosquito-borne diseases: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Use insect repellent. Apply EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol or 2-undecanone according to the label instructions. Wear protective clothing. Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants. Consider treating clothing and gear with a permethrin product. Permethrin products should not be applied directly to the skin. Know when to expect mosquito bites. The Culex species of mosquito is mostly responsible for WNV and is active mostly between dusk and 1 a.m., and at dawn. Taking precautions to avoid bites between dusk and dawn is recommended. Furthermore, homeowners, landlords and property managers should take the following steps to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Install screens on windows and doors and keep them in good repair. Look for containers that could hold water such as trash, tires, buckets, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers or trash containers. Prevent mosquitoes from accessing containers. This can be done by removing trash; moving items indoors; covering or overturning items not in use; drilling holes in the bottom of trash containers; installing screens on rain barrels; replacing water in pet bowls daily; and flushing birdbaths, fountains, and other containers at least once a week. Maintain properties and landscaping in good condition. This includes regularly servicing septic systems, keeping grass mowed and shrubs trimmed, cleaning gutters regularly, and aerating ornamental pools or stocking them with predatory fish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most people infected with West Nile virus have no symptoms or only mild flu-like symptoms which can include fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, or a rash. Some people infected with West Nile virus will develop a more severe form of the disease affecting the nervous system, including inflammation in the brain and spinal cord, muscle paralysis, or even death. People older than 60 years old and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of severe West Nile virus disease. People who think they may have West Nile virus disease should see their healthcare providers. To view the Indiana Mosquito-Borne Activity Dashboard and learn more, visit https://www.in.gov/health/idepd/zoonotic-and-vectorborne-epidemiology-entomology/vector-borne-diseases/mosquito-borne-diseases/. For data specific to county, visit https://www.in.gov/health/home/indiana-mosquito-borne-activity-dashboard/ WEST VIRGINIA (WBOY) As students begin school in West Virginia over the next few weeks, House Bill 2003 is now taking effect, which limits the use of personal electronic devices in the classroom. On top of the limitations, the law also expects county boards of education to develop their own policies that decide whether or not devices are allowed on school property and where the devices are to be stored. Students in elementary, middle and high schools across West Virginia are required to follow the new policy. Per the bill, exemptions to the policy can be made for students with Individual Education Plans, a 504 plan, medical orders or other written accommodations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WVU now ticketing parking with license plate camera Each school board is also required to outline the penalties for students who violate the policy, as well as outline the protocol for parents to communicate with their students during the school day. Keep up with your countys board of education website and social media to know the policies in place for personal device usage. 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. Editors note: This story has been updated to correct a name. We regret the error. EARLINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) A man and woman from Earlington were charged on Thursday after a 10-month-old infant was found dead in their home in early August. Around 10:45 p.m. on Thursday, Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced in a news release that troopers were asked to help with an investigation on Aug. 3 when the infant was pronounced dead by the Hopkins County Coroners Office at the home of 27-year-old Samantha Stagner, the babys mother. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stagner and her boyfriend, 29-year-old Dayton Mason, were both arrested on Aug. 13 and charged with first-degree manslaughter, per state police. They were both lodged in the Hopkins County Detention Center. FOX 56 obtained court documents that note its believed the baby died due to blunt force trauma injuries. Both Mason and Stagner told police that Scarlette was fine when they put her to bed, but when they woke up, she was covered in cuts and bruises. According to the criminal complaint, the baby suffered cuts to her lips and bruises to both cheeks, chin, and abdomen. Investigators found that her heart was torn, and her liver and lungs were bruised. Troopers note that Mason and Stagner were the only ones to enter the babys room that night. Its still unclear what exactly occurred. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more of the latest Kentucky news According to court documents, both were charged with manslaughter based on the current evidence and testimony available to investigators. But either party allegedly either abused or knowingly permitted another to abuse Scarlette, leading to her death. According to Lamb Funeral Home staff, a funeral was held for her on Aug. 9. The babys death investigation remains 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 FOX 56 News. Aug. 14Some of the most sought-after hiking terrain in Carson National Forest will temporarily close to the public later this month as Taos Pueblo holds tribal ceremonies in the area of Wheeler Peak, the highest point in New Mexico. Carson National Forest announced it will temporarily close off public access to the Wheeler Peak and Williams Lake area near Taos from Thursday, Aug. 21, to Aug. 28 for "local community, traditional purposes," the U.S. Forest Service said in a news release. Each year, Taos Pueblo holds private ceremonies in the area. The area also draws thousands of hikers each summer to the summit of the 13,167-foot peak. The area lies not far from Blue Lake, a sacred 48,000-acre site that was returned to the tribe in 1970 after being taken by the U.S. government in 1906, according to the University of New Mexico Taos. The Blue Lake area is strictly off-limits at all times to non-Taos Pueblo tribal members. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The following trails will be off-limits during the closure period: Williams Lake (No. 62).Wheeler Summit (No. 67).Wheeler Peak (No. 90) between La Cal Basin and Wheeler Peak.Lost Lake (No. 91) between Horseshoe Lake and Wheeler Peak. The Williams Lake basin, including Kachina and Lake Fork peaks, and the ridgeline from east of Taos Cone to Simpson Peak will also be closed. Nearby trails that will remain open include: Yerba (No. 61).Manzanita (No. 58).Italianos (No. 59).Gavilan (No. 60).Long Canyon (No. 63) via Wheeler Peak Trail (No. 90).Gold Hill (No. 64) to its namesake destination via Long Canyon (No. 63). A map of the closure area is available on the Forest Service website at fs.usda.gov/r03/carson. The White House has released the names of all members of the delegation accompanying US President Donald Trump on his trip to Alaska, where he is set to hold his first meeting of this term with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in the evening. Source: Reuters, as reported by European Pravda Details: The US delegation accompanying Trump to Alaska includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It also features CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Steve Witkoff, Trumps Special Envoy for the Middle East. In addition, Trump will be accompanied by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and her deputy Dan Scavino. Background: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived at a hotel in Anchorage, Alaska, where US-Russia talks are to take place, wearing a sweater that appears to have "USSR" in Russian written on it. Trump said that his summit with Putin would end "very quickly" if, from the first minutes, the American leader realised that the meeting was "bad". Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! The Trump administration canceled a plan to expand the oldest national wildlife refuge in Texas to make way for energy development and agriculture production. What's happening? A 2023 land protection plan for the 6,440-acre Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge could have enlarged the area by 700,000 acres in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico. The move stems from an executive order to squash government contracts that "[limit] energy or agricultural production," the Texan reported. "By withdrawing the LPP, the Service will take no actions to acquire lands within the acquisition boundary, seek any appropriations from Congress or submit any land acquisition proposals for approval by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission for any lands within the LPP expanded acquisition boundary," according to a Fish and Wildlife Service news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It added that the change "will ensure America's lands continue to support energy development, agriculture production, and our local economies." U.S. Reps. Jodey Arrington, Wesley Hunt, and Ronny Jackson said the land grab was "unnecessary," per the Texan, and that farmers and ranchers would be "pressured into ceding ownership of their land." They cited tax revenue and an FWS deferred maintenance backlog in their opposition to the expansion. Why is this important? President Donald Trump's Unleashing American Energy executive order purported to ensure the United States' future energy security and benefit citizens, but it has led to the elimination of tax credits and other incentives for investments in electric vehicles, solar panels, and more. It has also meant potentially forever spoiling Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, threatening the Central California coast's biodiversity and businesses via drilling, and propping up the failing coal industry in Michigan, driving the U.S. into the past as other leading nations as well as developing ones adopt cheaper, cleaner energy sources that will also tamp down rising global temperatures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The change is essential, as the warming climate caused by the burning of coal, gas, and oil is quietly killing people, causing a sixth mass extinction, and making parts of Earth unlivable. Only massive reductions in and possibly the sequestration of pollution can limit the worst effects of this change. What's being done to protect federal lands? Preserving and expanding federal lands to protect wildlife and the environment is vital to ensuring a cooler, safer future for Americans and other people around the world. To support conservation, vote for candidates who will take climate action, contact your representatives to voice your opinions, and donate to climate-related causes. At home, you can make simple changes such as avoiding plastic, shopping secondhand, and rewilding your yard. These actions benefit your community and create a ripple effect that can touch all corners of the country. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his 12th consecutive Independence Day address from the Red Fort on Friday, emphasizing India's unwavering commitment to national security and farmers' rights. In his speech, he declared that India will assert full control over its share of river waters, describing the Indus Water Treaty as "an injustice" that had deprived Indian farmers while benefiting the neighbouring country. He stressed that compromises on farmers' and national interests "are not acceptable... not anymore." With this being PM Modi's 12th address on Independence Day, he has given more consecutive addresses than former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who gave 11 consecutive addresses and 16 in total. In his speech PM Modi said,"Bharat has decided that blood and water will not flow together. The Indus Water Treaty was an injustice to the people of India. The rivers of India were irrigating the enemy country while our own farmers were deprived of water. Now, the right over India's share of water belongs only to India and its farmers." "The people of our country have clearly understood how unjust and one-sided the Indus agreement is. The waters of rivers originating in India have been irrigating the fields of our enemies, while the farmers and the land of my own country remain thirsty without water. This was such an agreement that has caused unimaginable damage to the farmers of my country for the last seven decades. Now, the right over the water belongs only to the farmers of India," he added. On national security, the Prime Minister warned against nuclear threats, reflecting on the April 22 Pahalgam massacre. PM Modi said, "Entire India was outraged, and the entire world was shocked by such a massacre (Pahalgam)...Operation Sindoor is the expression of that outrage....Destruction in Pakistan is so massive that new revelations are being made every day and new information is coming out daily." "I am very proud that from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I am getting the opportunity to salute the heroes of Operation Sindoor. Our brave jawans punished the enemy beyond its imagination. On 22nd April, terrorists from across the border came to Pahalgam and killed people after asking their religion.Entire India was outraged, and the entire world was shocked by such a massacre. Operation Sindoor is the expression of that outrage," he added. PM Modi further added,"After the 22nd April, we gave a free hand to our armed forces. They decide the strategy, target and time. Our Forces did what had never been done for several decades. We entered hundreds of kilometres into the enemy soil and razed their terrorist HQ to the ground.Destruction in Pakistan is so massive that new revelations are being made every day and new information is coming out daily." Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolor at Red Fort,as the nation marked the celebration of the 79th Independence Day. Flying Officer Rashika Sharma assisted the Prime Minister in hoisting the flag, after which flower petals were showered from two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force - one carrying the national flag and the other 'Operation Sindoor' flag. Wing Commander Vinay Poonia and Wing Commander Aditya Jaiswal piloted the aircraft. PM Modi was received at the Red Fort by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Sanjay Seth, and the Chiefs of the three services. The Prime Minister also received the ceremonial guard of honour by the National Flag Guard, the Indian Air Force, Army, Navy, and Delhi Police, totaling upto 128 people. Wing Commander Arun Nagar led the interservices guard of honour. Ahead of reaching the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Rajghat in the national capital and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi as the country marked its 79th Independence Day. This year's celebrations carry the theme 'Naya Bharat,' reflecting the government's vision of achieving 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047.Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, the Prime Minister will be received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Defence Sanjay Seth and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. A total of 2,500 cadets from the Army, Navy and Air Force, along with 'My Bharat' volunteers, are seated on Gyanpath, opposite the Rampart, forming the 'Naya Bharat' logo. (ANI) Pressure is mounting on Republicans in Indiana to take up redistricting ahead of the midterms, with both White House officials privately pressuring lawmakers and a mysterious group urging voters to call their elected officials in support of it. White House Intergovernmental Affairs Director Alex Meyer in his personal capacity has called several lawmakers in the state pressing them to redistrict, according to a person familiar with the calls granted anonymity to discuss them. One lawmaker said to have received a call declined to comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House is also inviting Indiana Republicans to a meeting in Washington, according to invitations reviewed by POLITICO. More than four dozen including the state House speaker and Senate president have agreed to attend and two have declined, according to a Republican close to the White House. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The calls are part of its broader strategy to use redistricting in order to gain an advantage in the midterms and help Republicans cling to their small House majority. It's not just the White House that's amping up the pressure. MAGA faithfuls, like influencer Charlie Kirk, have also been telling Indiana lawmakers to get on board. In a recent post on X , Kirk asked if Indiana state officials are going to ignore President Trump, the majority of their voters, and the GOP Grassroots across the country by REFUSING to redistrict Indianas Congressional Seats? Lets hope they are better than that! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, a recent robocall received by a POLITICO reporter living in Indiana accuses Democratic Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Kathy Hochul of New York of using redistricting with a goal of ending the Trump presidency and urges listeners to call GOP state Rep. David Hall and tell him to back the effort. We can stop these radicals by doing our own redistricting here in Indiana, the call said. The call went to residents of the district of Republican State Rep. Danny Lopez, who came out against redistricting. The narrator identifies the call as paid for by Forward America. There is little public information about the group. Lopez declined to comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The intensive public and private pressure comes as Newsom pushes forward with his plan to offset the potential five-seat gain for Republicans in Texas. The Texas state legislature has been at a standstill since Democratic lawmakers left to prevent the state House from reaching quorum to pass the map. Abbott called a second special session on Friday , and Democratic lawmakers have indicated they are willing to return soon . Trump is playing for keeps this time, said an Indiana GOP official allied with Trumps efforts granted anonymity to speak freely. And I dont think they understand that. Those guys frankly have not felt the slightest iota of the pressure that might be coming down the bend if they oppose Trump on this, the person added. U.S. Rep. Jolanda Jones (D-TX) looks at a map during the Texas State Representatives redistricting committee meeting on August 01, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Pressure is mounting on Indiana Republicans as the White House invites state lawmakers for a visit, and a poll in the field assesses the political risk of a mid-cycle redistricting. National conservative activist Charlie Kirk also called out House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray in a post on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The moves come after Vice President JD Vance visited the Hoosier State Aug. 7 and met with Gov. Mike Braun and legislative leaders to push for new congressional maps in Indiana. President Donald Trump hopes to pick up GOP seats in a handful of states to keep a slim Republican majority in the U.S. House in 2026. Hoosier lawmakers redraw districts after each decennial census, as per the Indiana Constitution. They last did so in 2021. Congressional Republicans have a 7-2 advantage. A move in Indiana would likely focus on the 1st District in northwest Indiana, which is held by U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, a Democrat. But it could also include 7th District U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, whose district includes much of heavily Democratic Indianapolis. Rank-and-file GOP lawmakers slowly have been coming out against the maneuver this week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement National political newsletter Punchbowl News reported Friday morning that all Indiana GOP state lawmakers have been invited to the White House Aug. 26. It is not yet known who will attend. The Indiana Capital Chronicle obtained an email invitation that was sent July 28 for this meeting before Vance came to Indiana but after the Texas special session started where redistricting is a major issue. The email came from the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. This will be an opportunity for Indianas elected officials to hear directly from senior White House Officials and Cabinet Secretaries to learn how to partner with the Administration to implement President Trumps Agenda at the state and local level, the invite said. Also, there will be a Q&A session after each speaker, along with Intergovernmental Affairs representatives from agencies to answer questions. Redistricting was not mentioned as a topic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Kirk brought attention to the issue by posting Are Indiana House Speaker @tmhuston and Senate President @bray_rodric going to ignore President Trump, the majority of their voters, and the GOP Grassroots across the country by REFUSING to redistrict Indianas Congressional Seats? Lets hope they are better than that! Are Indiana House Speaker @tmhuston and Senate President @bray_rodric going to ignore President Trump, the majority of their voters, and the GOP Grassroots across the country by REFUSING to redistrict Indianas Congressional Seats? Lets hope they are better than that! Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) August 14, 2025 Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, argued against the redistricting on Kirks post. Im an Indiana State Representative. In Indiana, Republicans hold about 90% of all LOCALLY elected offices, have had a supermajority in both House and Senate since 2012, have the Governors office and every state elected position, and have 7 of 9 Congressional districts. Please help me understand the push to pick up MAYBE 1 Congressional seat while putting many good state elected officials at risk because of a political redistricting stunt! Kirk is closely aligned with Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, the only top Republican so far to come out publicly in favor of redistricting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Mike Braun has said legislative leaders need to assess their members before he would call a special session. He also has indicated without a new Texas map that could pick up five seats it might not be worth Indiana stepping into the fight. That effort is at a standstill as Texas Democrats fled to take away a quorum for business. Bray and Huston have remained mum. Meanwhile, Republicans appear to be polling on the controversial topic. A new survey that was distributed via texts to some Hoosiers has three questions on redistricting, along with the usual ratings of key statewide elected officials in Indiana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first question asks, Do you support Governor Braun calling a special legislative session for the Indiana General Assembly to redraw its congressional districts, giving Republicans a better chance of winning two additional seats in Congress? Another question asks, If your state representative and/or state senator voted for redistricting during a special legislative session, would you be more or less likely to support them for re-election? It listed five answers. But a third question in the poll appears to threaten property tax cuts delivered earlier this year for Hoosiers. During a special session, the General Assembly may address other issues, including property tax reforms passed earlier this year and a property tax cut for homeowners. If you knew the legislature would use a special session to reduce or eliminate this property tax cut, would you still support Governor Braun calling for a special session? This story was updated with more information about the White House meeting. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX WILLIAMSBURG Agriculture will be in the spotlight later this month as the University of Kentuckys Whitley County Cooperative Extension Service hosts the 5th annual Whitley County Farm Field Day. The event is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 29, at the Whitley County Fairgrounds, 860 Savoy-Clear Creek Road in Williamsburg. The program will kick off at 9 a.m. and run until 1 p.m. Organized in partnership with the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Farm Field Day serves as a hands-on educational opportunity for farmers, agricultural professionals, students and community members. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The event will feature an array of interactive demonstrations, equipment displays and instructional sessions designed to enhance knowledge and skills in agriculture. Over the years, Farm Field Day has offered a variety of unique learning experiences including the Hunter Education Range Day, sheep handling demonstrations and sessions on the safe operation of farm machinery. Past events have also included farm safety presentations, crop production tips and discussions on emerging agricultural technologies. Attendees can look forward to equipment demonstrations and educational booths highlighting various aspects of agriculture. Experts will be on hand to answer questions and share insights, providing valuable resources for both seasoned producers and those new to the field. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Farm Field Day will also offer door prizes and a free lunch for all participants. Admission is free, and pre-registration is encouraged to help organizers prepare for the days activities. For more information, contact Stacy White, Whitley County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources, at (606) 549-1430. One doesnt need to have expensive legal counsel to know that, if someone is suing you for defamation, its unwise to keep repeating the lie in public. The just keep saying it strategy did not serve Donald Trump well when a jury awarded his victim, E. Jean Carroll, $83 million in damages in her second defamation trial $78 million more that she won in her first trial. Fox News channels kept airing lies suggesting Dominion Voting Systems stole the 2020 presidential election for weeks after the company warned them to cut it out. When they refused, the accusations cost Fox $787.5 million. MyPillow founder Mike Lindell would not stop lying about the election, either, and he got hit with a $2.3 million judgment in a similar defamation case which probably would have been higher if the jury had thought he had any money left. Despite this history, the wildly popular right-wing podcaster Candace Owens did not stop telling obvious lies about Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, even though the couple sued her for defamation in late July. The lie Owens tells, over and over again, has been widely reported in right-wing media: That Brigitte Macron is, in fact, a man. But the situation is much weirder than that. As Will Sommer of the Bulwark reported, its also that the French first lady is actually her own brother, that she fathered her own husband and its all part of a cabal aimed at ending Western civilization. This conspiracy theory is a very big deal for Owens, who even created an eight-part documentary detailing these ridiculous allegations, which got millions of views on YouTube. But what really matters here is that, by going so hard after the Macrons, Owens has gotten herself into serious trouble. Not only has she been sued, but the French first couple have also hired a high-powered private investigation firm to dig into Owens herself. They uncovered her ties to the French far-right, which could create further legal complications for the podcaster, as those groups are in constant legal trouble in Europe due to anti-fascist laws. Even though Trump himself reportedly warned Owens to back off, she has refused. She declared on her own show that she wont shut up because the conspiracy theory is too delicious. She went on Tucker Carlsons show to accuse the Macrons of sexual perversion. On Piers Morgan Uncensored, she bet the host $300,000 she could prove Brigitte Macron is a male. As recently as Wednesday, Owens continued to mock the Macrons on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Why is Owens doubling down in the face of such serious consequences? The short answer may be that shes just very stupid and reckless. Or shes betting she will make more money off the controversy than she eventually pays out. But Owens motives are less interesting than what is driving her audience. One way or another, shes dogged about promoting this conspiracy theory because her MAGA followers cant get enough of it. We can be sure its not because her audience gives a hoot about French politics. This is about the rights gender obsession, and their inability to square the internal contradictions in their own, screwed-up views about men and women. Theres this overall belief that womens bodies are community property, Imara Jones, the founder of Translash Media, told Salon, noting she just recently had a stranger on the street demand to know if she was pregnant. One way to undermine womens equality, she said, is to regard women as bodies to be investigated and inspected. Transphobia, she explained, creates the pretext for that. Policies banning trans girls from sports, for instance, allow for strangers to inspect the bodies of girls they suspect are trans. She pointed to the number of occasions where people, often angry their own child lost in a sport, have claimed the winner is secretly trans which usually isnt true. Earlier this week, a Minnesota teenager sued Buffalo Wild Wings because a server accused her of being a man in the womens room and didnt relent until the cisgender girl relented and showed the woman her naked breasts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attack on trans women is just an excuse to police all womens bodies, Jones said. Conspiracy theories claiming various public figures are secretly trans have been nicknamed transvestigations. But while the name is funny, the practice is almost always gross and intrusive to a truly unsettling degree. Its also a huge phenomenon with thousands of celebrities, online influencers and political leaders becoming targets. For the largely right-wing communities that get caught up in transvestigations, the obsession is about trying to resolve a paradox caused by their own gender ideology. On one hand, they argue gender isnt just inborn and immutable but that its wholly deterministic. Men are born to be strong, domineering and intelligent, while women are fated to be weak, submissive and emotionally irrational. On the other hand, they see gender as a category to be heavily policed, requiring severe social punishment for any person stepping even an inch outside their prescribed roles. Want more Amanda Marcotte on politics? Sign up for her free newsletter, Standing Room Only, now also on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. These two beliefs cannot be reconciled. If gender roles are natural, people dont need to be trained into them. One way to reconcile the cognitive dissonance is to accept that gender roles are a social construct and, actually, its okay if women want to be firefighters and men want to be manicurists. Instead of chilling out, however, transvestigators dig themselves into wild conspiracy theories where anyone who shows even a little divergence from a gender stereotype is accused of being secretly the other sex. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dwayne The Rock Johnson shows his softer side in social media posts? Must be a woman! Phoebe Waller-Bridge succeeds as a show runner? Must be a man! This allows conservatives to both police peoples gender performance while also reassuring themselves that women with leadership qualities are born male, and men who display nurturance are actually female. Thats why, Jones said, Owens and her audience have fixated on Brigitte Macron. Shes 25 years older than her husband, an age gap they believe is natural if the man is older, but perverse if the woman is. In their eyes, Jones said, she cant be a cis woman who he finds attractive. There has to be something nefarious or darker that theyre hiding. Whats darkly funny about this is that its true the Macrons relationship is pretty unusual, and its not unreasonable to have questions about how they met when he was a student and she was a teacher. But its safe to say that Owens MAGA audience is not worried about inappropriate behavior towards minors and they wouldnt bat an eye if the genders were reversed. They cant console themselves by writing off the Macrons as outliers, which, statistically speaking, they are. The problem with gender essentialism is that even a solitary divergence suggests that the natural law is not, in fact, a law. If people started floating on air suddenly one day, but only for one day, it would call into question the law of gravity. So even one woman who is much older than her husband rattles conservatives to their core and becomes a problem that can only be fixed by ever-wilder accusations that shes the mastermind behind some outrageous conspiracy to end Western civilization. This also helps explain why Owens cant let go of this conspiracy theory, even as she is risking serious legal and financial consequences from it. Her brand is largely built on reassuring her audience that their rigid ideas about gender are correct. She is forever arguing that biology constrains women to traditional gender roles. For both her and her audience, a woman who deviates even slightly such as by marrying a much-younger man simply cant exist. When faced with evidence that such women do exist, members of the far-right hide behind the convoluted logic of conspiracy theories to deny what is obvious: That plenty of women act in ways biology was supposed to prevent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brigitte Macron is a rich, powerful woman and, as this lawsuit shows, she can defend herself just fine. But the lies about her have a much broader impact, hurting all women and men who express themselves, even in small ways, that right wingers dont like. The post Why Candace Owens wont stop her transvestigations appeared first on Salon.com. 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. One of the highlights of my first three years as a literature professor at MITand indeed, of my 15-year career as an educatorhas been the recent discovery that some of my students, past and present, formed an arts collective: The Peoples Poetry. It began, I was told, with the first class I taught at the institute. Several students in that course, Reading Poetry: Social Poetics, created their own group chat, and eventually started meeting outside of class to write together. Every time I taught a new course, their membership grew. These engineers and scientists in training, hailing from across the world, were gathering to compose and critique poems outside the classroom. Many of these young people were, in other classes, studying or even actively developing forms of technology that raise a range of questions about the purpose and power of human expression: why humans write or draw; what ethics govern our inspiration and training; how the creative act brings us together and alters our thinking. In the midst of a technological revolution, while taking on a notoriously difficult courseload, why have they chosen to devote their time to the ancient art of making poems? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These kinds of questions are not unprecedented at the institute. In the early 1960s, the reading series Poetry From M.I.T. explored the relationship between a strong technical education and the pursuit of the good and the beautiful. In service of this larger inquiry, the series organizers invited renowned writers such as Robert Penn Warren, Denise Levertov, and Richard Wilbur to campus to share their work. These events were broadcast on WGBH, a Boston public-radio station, and featured timely insights on where the practice of poetry and the future of technology might intersect. My students bring some version of this exploration into the classroom with striking consistencymost vividly in their observations of how it feels to use poetry to work through our obsessions, our dreams, in times like these. And at a place like this, no less: an elite research university where they spend most of their time working on projects that feel orthogonal to that sort of labor. The poet W. S. Merwin once said that you know you are writing a poem when a sequence of words starts giving off what you might describe as a kind of electric charge. Ive been thinking about how to place the sort of liveness Merwin describesthe sense of your body as a living circuit that the poem moves throughin a world filling up with noise, marred by misdirection and distraction. When, how, and why do we make room for the miraculous? From moment to moment. In any way we can. Because it is part of the practice of being human. A poem is not merely a record of human activity; it is intended to preserve the complexity, richness, and granular details of our inner lives. Poems provide an occasion for us to talk with one another, creating a shared monument we can carry into the future, establishing a rolling record of our heroes, our planet, our kin. This art form keeps what we love from disappearing. In Odes, the Roman poet Horace writes: Many heroes lived before Agamemnon / but they are all unweepable, overwhelmed / by the long night of oblivion / because they lacked a sacred bard. He is referring to Homers epic The Iliad, a poem that survived by being passed down through live performance long before it was committed to paper. The preservation of the poems history, in this case, was a communal affair: from bard to bard, and audience to audience, across time and space. [Read: What poets know that ChatGPT doesnt] Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a moment marked by widespread institutional investment in the promise of artificial intelligence, we should be asking more about not only what AI can and cannot do but what drives the desire for its proliferation: what hope, what sense of longing, boredom, or emptiness. A large language model is a prediction machine. Crucially, it does not think or dream. It establishes the likeliest sequence of words based on its training data and relays it back to you. A well-crafted poem performs a nearly opposite function. It is made from original, dynamic language choices, and it lives and dies on its ability to surprise. It is a means of preserving the particular. And yet Im led to wonder whether the hunger for connection, understanding, and astonishment that seems to characterize much of the public interest in AI derives from the same needs that poetry fulfills. The AI market thrives in part as a result of our desire for optimization, efficiency. Brevity is among poetrys greatest advantages; a poem can be written in minutes at the bus stop, during a break at work, or in those first quiet moments after dawn. Any occasion can offer inspiration: Gwendolyn Brooks composed the classic eight-line poem We Real Cool after seeing a group of pool players one afternoon in Chicago; Percy Shelley wrote Ozymandias during a competitive exchange of sonnets with a friend. At a book-launch party years ago in downtown Manhattan, I saw Sunni Patterson write a poem on the spot, minutes before going onstage, that incorporated lines from other performers who had recited their work throughout the night. In performance, this was both a mesmerizing display of processing speed and a form of loving citation. The sheer velocity of this kind of language bears a trace of the supernatural. The words can appear to arrive from elsewhere, produced by an elevated consciousness outside our own. A mode of technology that conceals a lack of vetting, understanding, or humanity might bear a resemblance to such a consciousness in moments, but the source of its speed is notas with Brooks, Shelley, or Pattersona life spent working toward competence. It does not emerge from centuries of inherited language, or a bond forged for the first time in a room full of strangers and friends. Its worth asking where the warmth of poetry, its connective power across millennia, meets the advances and demands of our technological age. From the invention of writing to the advent of the typewriter to the rise of the personal computer as collaborator, authors have attempted to address this quandary. Twentieth-century poets across a wide aesthetic rangeRobert Frost, Sun Ra, X. J. Kennedy, Nikki Giovanniasked us to consider our place among the infinities, as Frost once put it, the link between our timeless yearning for the stars and the scientific leaps that brought them closer to us. More contemporary writers, including Lillian-Yvonne Bertram and Keith S. Wilson (both of whom are also programmers), have designed works that combine the human voice and the music of machines. Once you know where to look, the overlap is astonishing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of poetrys greatest gifts is patiencenot only with the difficulties of language but with ourselves as its vessels or makers, working to bring a new vision into the world. I see this dynamic firsthand in the form of an assignment I have been offering students for almost a decade now: the end-of-semester adaptation. Therein, I ask them to take a text weve studied over the course of the term and transform it using the tools of a different genre. Essays, short stories, and poems metamorphose into works of choreography, short films, and, on several occasions now, projects that pull from both the digital world and the living environment. [Read: The best American poetry of the 21st century (so far)] Matt, for instance, adapted a Lorraine Hansberry play, What Use Are Flowers?, into a device of his own invention called Melia, which uses a field microphone, an old physics-lab computer, and a neural-net algorithm to meld the human voice with the sounds of the natural world. To truly experience Melia, you have to go outside. You have to find a place by a river, or a grove where the cardinals are talking, or a spot where the breeze is blowing through a tupelo tree, and begin to sing. Suddenly, the voice you have always known is expanded, made new. Yasmeen, in another project, transformed Nikki Giovannis Winter Poem into a series of digital collages in which people have become flowers while remaining in familiar settings and dress (imagine a bouquet of hydrangeas dressed in overalls, standing in front of a farmhouse, or a rush of rhododendrons in a blue suit walking down a crowded street, and you might be close). Elizabeth took a third approach. Inspired by a class session on art-making, AI, and human imagination, she proposed a community program: Songbirds. Since her freshman year, Elizabeth has been visiting a local hospiceplaying piano for elders, going on walks with them, and learning about their lives. With Songbirds, she wanted to add another element to the visits: the collaborative adaptation of memories into works of art. For this work, she initially thought of employing various AI tools as a primary means of approach. But she eventually decided to also call upon a range of older, more familiar technologies: her trusted piano, notebooks for poems, production software to engineer instrumentals. For anyone at the hospice who might be losing pieces of the pastthe story of the moment he met his first great love; the last time he saw his mother alive; the day his daughter was born, said her first word, or first ran across the living room into his armsa memory could now be preserved, with a bit of assistance, in the form of a song or poem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In work like this, musicians, writers, and engineers all share space. They collaborate in service of human life and the preservation of all we adore. They remind us that poetry has always been a technology of memory and human connection: a way to remind ourselves of who and what we are to one another. Which is something infinitely more than we can say with words, although we must tryand in that striving, be made more lovely, and alive. Article originally published at The Atlantic If you thought the rise of plant-based dining would usher in a meatless era; that the future of protein was in the laboratory not the farm, think again. Meat is fighting back. Four years ago Eleven Madison Park, a three-Michelin-starred New York restaurant named best in the world in 2017, shocked the fine-dining sphere with an entirely plant-based menu. This week, its chef and owner, Daniel Humm, announced a U-turn: from mid-Oct, meat and seafood will return at the vaunted Manhattan establishment. On the restaurants Instagram page, Humm stated that: Eating together is the essence of who we are, and Ive learned that to truly champion plant-based cooking, I need to create an environment where everyone feels welcome around the table. Meat-eaters, it seems, were put off by the meatless approach. Humm told the New York Times he hadnt realised he would exclude people by going vegan. Eleven Madison Park in Manhattan holds three Michelin stars and was named the worlds best restaurant in 2017 - Getty Chef and owner Daniel Humm said he didnt realise he would exclude people by making his menu vegan - Shutterstock The reaction to rowing back has been mixed, with a backlash on Instagram and PETA calling on diners to avoid the restaurant. But it marks a shift thats been building on this side of the pond, too. While its true that long-term meat sales are in decline, the hottest restaurants of recent years are overwhelmingly meaty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Londons The Devonshire, a temple to meat which opened in 2023, is perennially rammed, and features an in-house butcher. Elsewhere, chophouse chain Blacklock announced plans this week for further expansion after its Manchester opening exceeded expectations. In Notting Hill, Dorian has become one of Londons buzziest spots, in part thanks to 150-plus steaks, while smash burger joints, like Meat:Stack, are opening in every British city often to huge queues. Indeed, while overall meat sales are down, trendy butchers are up think The Black Pig in Deal, Northdown in Margate and Farmer Tom Jones in Bermondsey, which opened earlier this year. Henwens in Forest Hill, London, was founded by a former Central Saint Martins student, while regenerative meat suppliers like Beacon Farms and Pipers Farm, both in the West Country, are growing in popularity. Neither are chefs surprised by Humms decision. For Will Hickton, head chef at The Club House in Dorset, the move shows how quickly tastes and economics can shift. Going entirely vegan can be expensive for a restaurant, especially at the fine-dining end. It can also exclude a large part of your potential guests. Hickton added that meat was back in fashion, and you can still champion vegetables and sustainability while offering carefully sourced meat. Taz Sarhane, head chef of Cycene in London, agrees. Last year, he says, the restaurant was receiving at least one or two requests a week for dairy-free, vegetarian, or gluten-free meals. Now its once a month. Londons The Devonshire is famed for its in-house butcher and hearty meat menu But that doesnt mean guests care less about provenance, Sarhane argues. The conversation has opened up about where things come from, and people are increasingly interested in the origins of their food. The gap between farmer and guest is closing. David Taylor, chef-director at Grace & Savour in Solihull, agrees. Customers care more about authenticity and sustainable, seasonal cooking than passing vegan fads. Euan Simpson, head butcher at Butchery at Bowhouse in the East Neuk of Fife, which champions pasture-fed native breeds and wild meat, said he was not surprised to see even the biggest plant-based names bringing meat back to the menu. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jack Stein, chef director for the Rick Stein restaurant group, isnt shocked either. What Eleven Madison Park did in raising awareness of vegan food was really interesting, however Im not surprised theyve pivoted back to serving meat and seafood. A fully plant-based menu inevitably has a narrower appeal. Ultimately, Eleven Madison Park couldnt make going fully vegan work. In his New York Times interview, Humm admitted financial reasons were partly to blame. Private-event bookings were particularly sparse (big groups clearly dont want plant-based celebrations) and wine sales had dropped: For wine aficionados, grand cru goes with meat. Guests will still be able to order plant-based menus going forward, but Eleven Madison Parks old signature dish, honey-lavender-glazed duck, will be back. Meat returning isnt a trend, says Simpson. Its a return to sense. 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. The further away the long, steamy summer of 1976 gets, the greater its mythical status becomes, it seems. Every time the thermometer pushes 30 degrees, hoary phrases like but it isnt as hot as it was back then or we survived 1976, it cant get worse are wheeled out with remarkable regularity. But a closer look at historical weather data reveals a more complicated picture. In many ways, the summer of 1976 was Britains first real taste of a new normal. While it was undeniably hot and dry by the standards of the time, recent years have delivered summers that match or even surpass its extremes. While the average highest recorded temperature in the UK between June and August was 21C, with a searing peak of 35.9C recorded in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire on July 3, what truly embedded 1976 in the public memory was the extraordinary length of its heatwave. In the UK, a heatwave is defined as a period of at least three consecutive days where daily maximum temperatures meet or exceed a threshold of around 28 degrees (though the Met Office applies slightly different thresholds to different regions in the country). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most UK heatwaves last for only three or four days, but in 1976, multiple locations in England recorded a 16 consecutive days of temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, from 23 June to 8 July. To this day, that heatwave remains unmatched in terms of its duration. But the 35.9 degrees recorded in Cheltenham has been surpassed on multiple occasions, most recently in 2022 when the mercury reached a staggering 40.3 degrees in Coningsby in Lincolnshire on 19 July. Even this year, it reached 35.8 degrees in Faversham, Kent on July 1. A girl puts her hand into the cracks in the dried-up Pitsford Resevoir, Northants, where the water level had dropped to danger point in 1976 - Getty The difference between 35C and 40C may seem to some as just varying degrees of heat but, meteorologically speaking, it is critical. When you are talking about really high temperatures, even the difference of a degree is significant especially in terms of mortality rates, Dr Laura Baker, senior NCAS scientist in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, explains. Shorter, more intense, very very hot periods have more of an impact than a 16-day hot-but-not-excessively-hot, period, she added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 1976 heatwave was estimated to have led to 700 extra deaths in the UK. In the record-breaking summer of 2022 there were an estimated 2,985 excess deaths associated with heat. Signs in Dorset warn of the drought caused by the 1976 heatwave - Getty One major factor worsening modern heatwaves and increasing the number of heat-related deaths is the growing prevalence of so-called tropical nights, which is where the minimum daily temperature (often recorded at night) is above 20 degrees. In 1976, even with that long period, there were no tropical nights, Dr Baker explained. In terms of how you experience a heatwave, that makes a difference. If it doesnt cool down at night, you cant cool your house down. This is especially dangerous for elderly or vulnerable individuals who rely on cooler nighttime temperatures to recover from the days heat. And according to Dr Baker, well see more of these hot sticky nights in the near future as heatwaves across the UK and across the entire Northern Hemisphere for that matter are becoming more intense, hot, and occurring more frequently. 1976 feature | chart 2 According to the State of the UK Climate in 2024 report, the UKs climate has steadily warmed from the 1980s onwards, with great consequences for our average daily temperature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If we look at the UKs average summer temperature, we can see that 1976 was the UKs warmest year on record until 2003, its lead author Mike Kendon, climate information scientist in the Met Office National Climate Information Centre, says. But since then there have been four years close to or above the 1976 value. The summer of 1976 has one more climate record that still holds weight: the severe drought. According to climate scientists, a drought like that is unlikely to occur in that extremity again (but never say never). Residents collecting water From a standpipe in Northam in Devon - Shutterstock The reason it happened in 1976 was because of some very specific preceding conditions. Rainfall was scarce throughout 1975 and the early part of 1976. The intense and prolonged summer heat of 1976 exacerbated these dry conditions, leaving reservoirs depleted before many people even started celebrating their summer holidays, culminating in widespread water shortages across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Consecutive years have also brought droughts and low rainfall. Many will remember how hosepipe bans affected much of the south during prolonged dry spells in 2012. This year too one of the driest on record saw bans reinstated across both north and south England in July. But while 2025 has been notably dry, its a relatively isolated year. 2024 ranked amongst the wettest on record, leaving reservoirs and water supplies in a slightly stronger position to withstand this years dry spring and summer. What also sets 1976 apart, and helps explain its lasting hold on public memory, is not just the severity of the drought, but how unprepared the country was for it. There were no heat action plans, no warning systems. People had to find their own ways to cope. The UK would have been less equipped for extreme heat and drought back in 1976 compared to now, and this may be a reason why people still cite the 1976 heatwave as one of the most impactful or memorable to them, Dr Eunice Lo, senior research fellow in Climate Change and Health at the University of Bristol, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Government advice at the time was extremely basic and mostly focused on water rationing. People were told to bathe with a friend and to only flush the toilet for solid waste. One casualty doctor suggested the best thing you could have in the heat was a pint and a packet of salty crisps something the UK Health Security Agency heavily advises against now. A Minister for Drought was appointed. But only at the very end of the drought, days before the rain returned. Londoners riding out the high temperatures near The Serpentine in Hyde Park, London, in 1976 - Getty We know that more recent heatwaves were actually hotter than the 1976 event, but in general we have gotten better at coping with heat since then, Dr Lo explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nowadays, the Met Office can issue Extreme Heat warnings, which did not exist in 1976. In fact, the direct public health messaging recommending people to stay indoors and drink lots of fluids that we see now only became standard after the 2003 heatwave. The key here is, of course, that we all listen to the warnings and take actions to protect ourselves and others, Dr Lo points out. This presents another stark difference between the summer of 1976 and recent heatwaves. At the peak of the drought in 1976, water was switched off in some areas. Domestic water supply was limited, which meant people had to diligently collect their water at standpipes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You really couldnt imagine that kind of thing now, Dr Baker says. People just couldnt cope. There is less community and everyone is just so desperate for everything to be available. You cant imagine people just going down the street and standing in a queue with a bucket. Its highly unlikely that a situation like this will unfold again any time soon but, as a result of climate change, the weather has undoubtedly changed and will continue to do so. In the current climate of the UK, the 1976 summer no longer stands out as extreme. It was really really exceptional [at the time] but now it just wouldnt be, Dr Baker says. It would just be another summer, quite hot, but not exceptional. Yet 1976 remains a cultural reference point, a sort of gold standard of heat and hardship. Possibly because it marked the moment when the UK first began to realise just how much hot weather could disrupt everyday life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Water boards still consider 1976 as their benchmark drought, the thing they need to be prepared for, Dr Baker explains. The question is, should they not be planning for something more extreme? Because it could happen. 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. Protesters are seen reflected in the sunglasses of a U.S. Marine standing guard outside the Federal Building, during a protest against the Trump administration during the "No Kings" national rally in downtown Los Angeles, California, on June 14, 2025, on the same day as President Trump's military parade in Washington, DC. Tens of thousands of protesters rallied nationwide Saturday against Donald Trump ahead of a huge military parade on the US president's 79th birthday -- as the killing of a Democratic lawmaker underscored the deep divisions in American politics. "No Kings" demonstrators took to the streets in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, Atlanta and hundreds of other cities across the United States to condemn what they call Trump's dictatorial overreach. RINGO CHIU via Getty Images Inlightof the ongoing ICE raids in Los Angeles, messages of community exhaustion and political grievance echo across the nation, particularly from Black and brown people. Some media organizations describe the city as lawless and violent. I believe the city is tired. The protests against the raids began on Friday, June 6, in response to multiple U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across L.A., where I live. Specifically, ICE agents reportedly targeted day laborers within the citys Fashion District, arresting over 40 immigrants at places like Home Depot and Ambiance Apparel. The next day, Trump deployed 2,000 members of the National Guard to L.A. in an attempt to liberate the city despite opposition from Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following what many believe was an unprecedented and unnecessary military response, Angelenos further clashed with troops, resulting in the utilization of tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades against civilians and even journalists covering the protests. On Tuesday, June 10, Trump, yet again, mobilized 700 Marines to L.A. to fan the fire of social upheaval. Related: Trump Threatens California Officials With Arrest If They Interfere With ICE Raids Tension leading up to the protests has risen due to reported incidents of ICE visiting sensitive locations, following Trumps reversal of a Biden-era policy that prohibited agents from entering into schools, places of worship and health care facilities in January. Later in June, the Trump administration sought to eliminate birthright citizenship, but efforts were blocked in federal court. Now, the case has reached the Supreme Court as migrants nationwide are forced into a callous game of cat and mouse. Meanwhile, more protests continued across L.A., a notable sanctuary city with one of the largest immigrant populations in the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite conservative medias hyperfixation on extreme cases of civil unrest, this summers protests were mostly described as peaceful by participants and onlookers. But we all know that when communities of color especially Black and brown organizers are involved, protests are perceived as violent, aggressive and reckless. The infrequent acts of violence tend to overshadow the fundamental purpose of the demonstration. Throughout June, over 400 arrests have been made in L.A., as well as the temporary detainment of several protesters. Fast forward to last Monday, Aug. 11, when Trump announced his plan to deploy 800 National Guard troops and Metropolitan police to Washington, D.C., to combat criminal activity. Ironically, the Department of Justice reported that D.C. crime is at a 30-year low earlier this year. Trump has insinuated that the cities of Los Angeles, Baltimore, Oakland, New York and Chicago could meet the same fate. These cities also just so happen to have Black mayors and a largely Democratic base. As residents of D.C. reel from the influx of armed officers, I cant help but wonder: Where was the National Guard deployment on Jan. 6, 2021, when a (mostly white) mob of Trumpers engaged in actual violence in and outside the Capitol? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This, of course, is unsurprising given the long history of racially biased policing and its important to keep this reality at the forefront of conversation around protesting. History has shown us that a heightened police presence is more often displayed at protests for racial justice. During the 2020 George Floyd protests. Civilians exercising their First Amendment right to protest police brutality were met with physical force, mass arrests and chemical weaponry. That summer, police were 1.4 times more likely to make arrests at racial justice protests and 3.8 times more likely to use chemical weapons against protestors compared to other types of demonstrations, according to the Thurgood Marshall Institute. The over-policing of Black and immigrant protesters has been prevalent and violent for ages. According to the 1967 Kerner Commission report, President Lyndon B. Johnsons findings revealed how aggressive enforcement in BIPOC communities contributed to escalated tensions and civil distrust, citing the adverse outcome of the 1967 Long, Hot Summer riots. Additionally, many experts believe that over-policing has been, overall, counterproductive. Related: Trumps Double Standard On LAs Protests Couldnt Be More Glaring As the Trump administration exercises its ability to send troops to cities that oppose it, it raises the question of whether it has intentionally used that history of bias to test-run its power grab first against the communities of color who already feel the most pressure from state violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, we resist. Yesterday concluded a three-day bench trial to decide whether Trumps federalization of thousands of Californias National Guard in response to Junes protests was lawful (the hearing is later today). The city of D.C. is also suing to block Trumps federal takeover of its police department. Related: Donald Trump v. America To point out the other side, Black and brown communities often face delayed (or wholly counterproductive) responses from public safety officials in times of crisis, while law enforcement tends to respond swiftly and aggressively when perceived threats to white people arise. As the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches, the failures of our government to support my community I was born and raised in New Orleans when we really needed it, feel like a stark mirror to their ability to hinder now. Widespread damage could have been prevented. Lives could have been saved. Related: Trumps Border Patrol May Have Violated Court Orders In Immigration Raid As a result, the levees that protected New Orleans lower-income neighborhoods collapsed, despite scientists and journalists urging community leaders to stabilize the clay barriers. And where was the National Guard? Overwhelmed, as its reported. My community suffered. And while Katrina was a natural disaster, theres a clear pattern of political regulation, and who bears the brunt of cultural trauma. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, as history confirms, theres strength in numbers, communal solidarity, and allyship. In essence, theres an underlying significance to why drastic measures are swiftly executed during demonstrations led by marginalized voices. And if were ever going to change the tide, we have to remember that the power of the people is just as strong as the people in power. More on Politics How Trump Could Use The Insurrection Act To Deploy Troops In LA Read the original on HuffPost Just a few years ago, the movement for Washington, DC, statehood was gaining steam. In 2020 and 2021, Democrats in the House passed bills to make DC the 51st state, re-energizing the fight to grant residents of the nations capital representation in Congress. Those bills were ultimately doomed because of strong Republican opposition. But now, statehood for Washington, DC, seems even more far-fetched. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump took the extraordinary step of ordering a federal takeover of DCs local police department. He also mobilized the DC National Guard, deploying troops in the city to allegedly fight crime. This didnt necessarily come as a surprise. For some time, Trump has fantasized about taking over DC altogether, saying that the federal government would do a much better job running the city than its current mayor, Muriel Bowser. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, how did DC go from building a growing movement for statehood to a hostile federal takeover in just a few short years? The simple answer is that Republicans are now in power, and theyd like to make an example out of DC. But even without Republican control of the White House or Congress, statehood and full self-governance have always been an uphill battle, because theres also a deeper history of the federal governments paternalistic relationship with the nations capital. DCs self-governance has always been controversial Washington, DC, was specifically established to serve as the nations capital. The US Constitution gave Congress the power to create a small federal district that doesnt exceed 10 square miles to serve as the seat of the federal government. In 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, which paved the way to build a new capital along the Potomac River. And so, DC was established by carving out land from Maryland and Virginia (which later took its portion back) and was under Congresss jurisdiction. That meant there would be no democratically elected mayor or local government. But DC grew into a full city, with residents living there on a permanent basis not just to serve the federal government. And, for most of the citys history, those residents were entirely disenfranchised unable to get representation in Congress or even vote for president. That changed during the civil rights era, when DCs voting rights (or lack thereof) garnered more attention, in no small part because of the citys large Black population, which, by 1960, had become the majority. As a result, the constitution was officially amended in 1961 to grant DC residents the right to vote for president, but the amendment stopped short of granting them representation in Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even then, DC didnt have a democratically elected local government. So, in 1974, Congress passed the DC Home Rule Act, which allowed residents to elect their own mayor and council. That finally gave the nations capital some form of self-governance, but Congress ultimately retained its power to overrule local laws and budgets if it so pleased. The federal governments resistance to giving DC autonomy is ultimately rooted in racism. Known as Chocolate City, DC was the epicenter of Black arts, culture, and politics. And since it gained the right to vote for local officials, DC has only ever elected Black mayors. As a result, opposition to DC statehood has often leaned on the paternalistic and racist notion that Black people cant be trusted to govern themselves that the citys residents simply dont know whats best for them. Thats why conservative lawmakers have pointed to issues like crime or corruption as evidence that DC cant be trusted to be a state. In 2021, for example, Steve Scalise, the Republican House majority leader, wrote, Why should the District of Columbia be granted statehood when it cant even perform basic governmental duties like protecting its residents from criminals? Scalise also said that the city was simply too corrupt to be a state. These kinds of arguments have been repeated by people on the right for decades, despite the fact that states, including Scalises own Louisiana, are well-known for their corruption and crime. So even if those issues were a legitimate concern (they shouldnt be), then why should the residents of DC be treated any differently than other Americans? Part of the reason in recent years has less to do with explicit racism and more to do with partisan politics. If DC were to get full representation in Congress, it would undoubtedly benefit Democrats, since the city is overwhelmingly Democratic. (Trump, for example, only got 6.5 percent of the vote in DC in 2024.) That explains why Democrats are on board with DC statehood while Republicans are fiercely opposed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But this is the natural extension of the overt racism that has long defined opposition for DC self-governance. Before the Home Rule Act, President Lyndon B. Johnson reorganized how the district was governed and appointed Walter Washington to serve as the mayor-commissioner of DC. When Washington, who was Black, submitted his first budget to Congress, the response was astonishingly racist; John McMillan, a Democrat from South Carolina who chaired the House Committee on the District of Columbia, sent Washington a truckload of watermelons. Now, Republicans might not play the same tactics, but the degree to which they ignore Black Washingtonians and their rights is unmistakable. Yes, Wyoming is smaller than Washington by population, but it has three times as many workers in mining, logging, and construction, and ten times as many workers in manufacturing, Tom Cotton, the Republican senator from Arkansas, said in 2021 in a speech opposing DC statehood. In other words, Wyoming is a well-rounded working-class state. But, as I noted then, roughly 140,000 people in DCs labor force were considered working class in 2016, according to the Center for American Progress, while about 220,000 workers in Wyoming were considered working class. The most notable difference in those two populations is that the vast majority of DCs working class was made up of people of color, while 84 percent of Wyomings working class was white. The consequences of federal control Federal intervention in DCs affairs has often poorly served residents, and not just because they have, through the years, been denied voting rights, self-governance, and representation in Congress. Congresss meddling in local laws has ultimately served the interests of lawmakers from other states and not the interests of the people living in the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the most notable examples of this was during the AIDS epidemic. In the 1990s, DC spent money on needle exchange programs, which research has shown is critical in preventing the spread of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS. But, Congress banned the city from using its own funds on needle exchange programs a ban that lasted nine years. During that time, the city saw a surge in infections and had the highest rate of HIV per capita in the country, even exceeding rates in developing countries. And, because DC was a majority Black city, the policy disproportionately affected Black people. Trumps plan to federalize the local police force follows those exact footsteps placing his own interests above those of DC residents and their elected officials. The move is a blatantly political one. Trump is using DC as a warning to other cities: If you pass progressive criminal justice laws, then he will try his best to intervene. Its a paternalistic instinct, one that is anti-democratic at its core, taking local control away from the hands of voters. And whats unfortunate for DC is that Trumps move is not entirely unprecedented. It falls in line with how the federal government has long viewed DCs self-governance: at best an inconvenience, and at worst, a threat. The news that a Chicago city councillor has been forced to deny that there is a man trapped inside the Chicago Bean, one of the citys best known tourist attractions, follows in a long tradition of well-known sites becoming shrouded in conspiracy theories. Earlier this month protestors gathered at Millennium Park demanding the release of the so-called man in the bean while claiming that artist Anish Kapoor kidnapped a baby in 2004 and sealed him inside Cloud Gate (the sculptures official name). The theory quickly moved from obscure Reddit threads to an Instagram account with more than 35,000 followers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When it comes to the planets tourism hotspots, peculiar theories abound, from Parisian landmarks secretly exerting mind control over the local population to hidden rooms housing some of Americas biggest secrets. A Chicago councillor has denied claims of a man trapped inside the Bean, as bizarre conspiracy theories continue to swirl around the citys landmarks - Bruno Perousse/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images The Statue of Liberty is a UFO pick-up point A slew of dystopic movies has trained us to expect alien motherships hovering over New York, so its hardly surprising that Lady Liberty has ended up tangled in her fair share of intergalactic rumours. Grainy footage regularly resurfaces online showing a mysterious flying object buzzing around her crown. Non-conspiracists label it a weather balloon, a drone or even a wayward military aircraft. However in 2018, artist Joseph Reginella added his own twist. Known for planting fictitious public memorials across New York, Reginella erected a plaque at Battery Park commemorating a supposed 1977 harbour tragedy in which all six crew members of a tugboat vanished while investigating what appeared to be a private aircraft crash in New York Harbour. It was, of course, completely fabricated. The Eiffel Tower is a secret Tesla antenna The most prominent theory that surrounds Gustav Eiffels iron-clad behemoth originates from the towers own origins. It was supposed to be temporary, but instead of dismantling it after the Exposition Universelle of 1889, better known in English as the 1889 Paris Exposition, the city gave its new landmark over to science and by 1903, it was doubling as a military radio antenna. Conspiracy theorists claim the Eiffel Tower secretly transmitted Teslas wireless energy - Mariana Ribeiro / 500px Legend has it that Nikola Tesla met Gustave Eiffel at the 1889 Paris Exposition, sharing his vision for wireless energy. The towers height, steel frame and later role in long-distance communication fits neatly into the theory that it was secretly part of Teslas abandoned Wardenclyffe network a planned global system of 30 towers transmitting free energy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The official line? Eiffel never worked with Tesla, and the towers radio use was purely military. The conspiracy line? Powerful interests killed Teslas free-energy dream before it could threaten the business of selling electricity. There is a mysterious room behind Mount Rushmore When sculptor Gutzon Borglum envisioned Mount Rushmore in the 1920s, it wasnt intended just to be four presidential heads staring out over the South Dakota plains. Some believe that a hidden chamber behind the presidential faces of Mount Rushmore holds lost treasure, secret plans, or even a tunnel to Hollow Earth - blackestockphoto/iStockphoto His original plan included an 800ft staircase leading to a grand Hall of Records, a cavern lined with bronze and glass cabinets, historic artefacts and inscriptions explaining Americas story. Sadly cuts to his government funding meant he had to stick to the faces. The unfinished chamber was sealed behind a 1,200-lb granite slab, and officials insist theres nothing in there. Of course, for conspiracy theorists, thats exactly what youd say if you were hiding something. Depending on who you choose to believe, the room in fact contains lost Civil War cannons, almost a billion dollars of gold coins rescued from an early 1910s shipwreck, the original atomic bomb plans or (the old conspiracy classic) a direct tunnel to the Hollow Earth. Stonehenge was built by aliens (or giants) Its a ring of enormous stones in the middle of an English field and nobody quite knows why its there. Archaeologists say it was built around 5,000 years ago as some kind of ceremonial or astronomical site. However, other theorists disagree. Stonehenges ancient stones are believed by some to be alien landing pads, druid portals or giant healing machines - D Lentz/iStockphoto Apparently Stonehenge was either a giant healing machine, a landing pad for extraterrestrials or an ancient portal used by druids to zip between dimensions. The perfect alignment of the stones with the summer and winter solstice only fuels the alien tech crowd, who insist no Bronze Age human could drag 25-ton slabs without some help from space. English Heritage maintains it was all good old-fashioned Neolithic muscle. The pyramids of Giza are high-energy transmitters If you wanted to hide evidence of alien contact, you probably wouldnt put it in the middle of the Sahara in a structure taller than a 40-story building. Yet here we are. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pyramids of Giza have spent 4,500 years inspiring awe, tourism and theories that insist theyre actually high-voltage energy transmitters left behind by extraterrestrial contractors. Conspirators believe that the 4,500-year-old Pyramids of Giza were built as alien energy transmitters, time machines or starship GPS markers - Anton Petrus/Moment RF Their perfect geometry, astronomical alignments and the mystery of how millions of stone blocks were hauled into place have spawned theories ranging from time machines to GPS markers for starships. Some believers say the blocks were moulded, not quarried ancient 3D printing, if you will. Egypts official story is less cinematic: human sweat, copper tools and a lot of rope did the job. 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. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independance Day Speech expressed solidarity with those affected by recent natural disasters across the country. "Nature is testing us...Over the past few days, we have been facing natural disasters, landslides, cloudbursts, and many other calamities. Our sympathies are with the affected people," PM Modi said from the ramparts of the Red Fort. He highlighted the collaborative efforts of state and central governments in tackling the crises, stating, "State governments and the central government are working together with full strength on rescue operations, relief efforts, and rehabilitation work." The death toll from the massive cloudburst that triggered a flash flood in the Chesoti area of Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, has risen to 45, with more than 100 people injured, officials said on Friday. The catastrophic cloudburst struck the remote and rugged terrain of Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir causing devastating flash floods. The disaster, occurring along the bustling Machail Mata Yatra route, swept through the village with ferocious force, leaving a trail of destruction. In view of the weather conditions and the disaster, Kishtwar Police has set up control rooms and help desks across the district to assist citizens and pilgrims, particularly in remote areas. Meanwhile, in Himachal Pradesh, the continuous heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours has caused fresh damage across several parts of Himachal Pradesh, with no signs of immediate relief. While no major casualties were reported overnight, infrastructure losses remain significant, particularly to the road network, Education Minister Rohit Thakur said on Thursday. 'The damage is occurring at multiple locations due to ongoing rain. Even last night, significant losses occurred, though they were mostly related to infrastructure," Thakur told reporters. He confirmed that cloudburst incidents have been reported from the Rampur assembly constituency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolor at Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day. PM Modi also took the opportunity to commend the armed forces, saying, "Today, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I have the opportunity to salute the brave soldiers of Operation Sindoor for their relentless service." On his arrival he was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Sanjay Seth, and the Chiefs of the three services. The Prime Minister was also received by the ceremonial guard of honour by the National Flag Guard, the Indian Air Force, Army, Navy, and Delhi Police, totaling upto 128 people. Wing Commander Arun Nagar led the interservices guard of honour. (ANI) "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Heres what youll learn when you read this article: In 1912, the Titanic sank. A modern theory suggests the ship was secretly swapped with its sister ship, the Olympic, as part of an insurance scam. After a costly crash, conspiracy theorists claim the White Star Line disguised the damaged Olympic as the Titanic to recoup losses, but historians argue the evidence doesnt add up. Experts highlight key differences between the ships, insurance discrepancies, and physical evidence from the Titanic wreckage that disprove the switch theory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This story is a collaboration with Popular Mechanics. When the Titanic sank in 1912, it shocked the world. The limits of human innovation were cruelly displayed with the destruction of such a technically remarkable ship. But a conspiracy theory that has crept up online in recent years, most recently on Reddit, begs the question: Was it actually the Titanic that sank? Everyone seems to agree on one fact: A ship really did sink in the icy waters of the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912, and approximately 1,500 passengers aboard that ship died. The conspiracy theory simply suggests the Titanic wasnt actually the technical marvel the ships parent company, the White Star Line, had promised. Rather, some people believe the White Star Line swapped ships for the voyage from Southampton to New York, meaning the ship billed as the top-of-the-line Titanic was actually an older ship: the Olympic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats more, the conspiracy theory suggests the entire crash was an insurance scam gone wrong. J.P. Morgan and the Heyday of Big Ships The British White Star Line had stiff competition in England and across the globe. Locally, it had a fierce rivalry with the Cunard Steamship Company Ltd., which in 1907 had sent on its maiden voyage the worlds then-largest passenger ships, the Lusitania and the Mauretania. To compete with the Lusitania and its mate, White Star Line entered into a giant ship war. The company was no stranger to such battles, but Cunards Lusitania and Mauretania had outgunned White Stars so-called Big Four ships in terms of top speed. This time around, the company had some extra backing. In 1902, White Star had become a property owned by the International Mercantile Marine Co. (IMM), a holding company bankrolled by famed financier J.P. Morgan. With Morgans permission, White Star Chairman J. Bruce Ismay began work on what came to be known as Olympic-class ships. If they couldnt match the Lusitanias speed, Olympic-class ships would, well, outclass Cunard ships: Theyd be even bigger and more luxurious. Three ships were commissioned: the Olympic, the Titanic, and the Britannic. Getty Images The Olympic was the first to be built, and as the lines namesake, it was considered the lead ship. Its maiden trip was widely heralded, and its first few voyages were unqualified successes. But on just its fifth voyage, the vessel ran into serious trouble. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On September 20, 1911, while passing a military vessel, the Olympic made an unexpected turn. Caught off guard, the two ships crashed. The Olympic was able to limp back to port, badly wounded. A trial would later hold the White Star Line responsible for the incident. The Conspiracy Begins Getty Images While everything above is generally agreed to be fact, the Olympic crash is where the conspiracy begins. After the crash, conspiracy theorists claim the Olympic was an economic disaster. The lawsuit meant repairs wouldnt be covered by insurance, and it was drawing no money while sitting around the docks. Conspiracists purport that the company made a switch: its newly built second ship would take on the name Olympic, while its damaged older ship would be repurposed to be the Titanic. Eventually, the true Olympic (now secretly operating as the Titanic) would be scuttled in an accident from which the White Star Line could collect an insurance payment befitting a brand-new shipall while the ship originally built as the Titanic would have lived on. The only thing that ruined the plan was an iceberg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other conspiracy theorists claim a more nefarious reasoning for the sinking: J.P. Morgan was behind the switch and eager to use an inferior ship to drown his enemies onboard. Theres no evidence to support this claim, however. Proponents of either theory point toward a number of clues. The Titanic didnt allow for a public examination before its voyage, out of fear it would be found out by experts as Olympic in disguise, theorists claim. And then there are portholes. The Reddit conspiracy post compares pictures of the Titanic under construction to the Titanic on its first voyage and finds the second picture suspiciously changed and close to the Olympic. There are a plethora of other details. For example, separate claims point toward the argument the Olympic lies at the bottom of the sea instead of the original Titanic. The Conspiracy Doesnt Add Up Getty Images Titanic researchers Steve Hall and Bruce Beveridge have published a book on the subject, Titanic or Olympic: Which Ship Sank? Theyve also helped to write other books on Titanic history, including Titanic: The Ship Magnificent. The two take the porthole argument straight on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Olympic, they wrote, like the Titanic, was fitted originally with the same 14-porthole arrangement on the port side of her forecastle, but two additional portholes were later fitted; they were there in March 1912. Historian Mark Chirnside has also devoted serious time to the question of why, exactly, the switch would be made. In 2005, he examined the insurance argumentthat the ship would be intentionally sunk to claim the insurance benefits. Quoting Ismay, the Titanic cost $7,500,000and was insured for $5,000,000, I understand. This is backed up by the IMMs American Vice President, Philip A. S. Franklin, who confirmed that the insurance policy was $5 million. Were there a conspiracy, one would expect that the insurance policy would have been changed to cover the entire value of the ship, Chirnside wrote. As it was, White Star could only expect to recoup two-thirds of the ships value. Closely examined, none of the Olympic/Titanic claims can hold up to the phenomenal effort that was needed for the switch: The two ships werent exactly identical. The Titanic had a unique cafe and enlarged a la carte restaurant, Chirnside writes, and was modified based on the companys earlier experience with the Olympic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported Titanic wreckage has been recovered with the ships unique construction identification number (CIN); the 401 being irrefutable evidence that it wasnt an ill-fated cover up. Thats not all. It is simply impossible to pass off a one-year-old ship for a new one, Chirnside said, pointing to a number of small differences between the two, including additional steel plates that were fitted to the bedplates of Olympics engines, added in 1911, and still there in further inspections in the 20s and 30s. When the Titanic was investigated by the British board of trade, no such plates were found. Its not that the Titanic or owner J.P. Morgan were above suspicionMorgan demonstrated phenomenal power over the United States during his lifetime, resolving the Banking Crisis of 1907 almost singlehandedly. (As it happened, the Titanics sinking would prove to make IMM the rare Morgan financial failure, going bankrupt two years later.) But in that incident, there was physical evidence that Morgan was altering the monetary system. No concrete evidence of the Titanic conspiracy stands up to the evidence presented by historians. You Might Also Like Game hunters have found startlingly 'neon blue' flesh inside of wild pigs in California, triggering advisory statements on potential contamination. "I'm not talking about a little blue," Dan Burton, owner of a wildlife control company, told Salvador Hernandez at The Los Angeles Times. "I'm talking about neon blue, blueberry blue." An investigation by local authorities found the dramatic color change was caused by rodenticide poisoning and has issued a warning across the Monterey County area. This poison is often sold dyed for identification, and its use has been highly restricted in California since 2024. Related: We Can Make Powerful Nature-Inspired 'Pesticides' Without Poison, Scientists Say "Hunters should be aware that the meat of game animals, such as wild pig, deer, bear, and geese, might be contaminated if that game animal has been exposed to rodenticides," says pesticide investigations coordinator Ryan Bourbour from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Rodenticide exposure can be a concern for non-target wildlife in areas where applications occur in close proximity to wildlife habitat." Rodenticide bait. (CDFW) Concerningly, this isn't the first time wild pigs in the region have had their innards tainted blue. A popular rodent control in agriculture, diphacinone is a first generation rodenticide that acts as an anticoagulant, causing severe internal bleeding. Predators, including humans, who eat an animal poisoned with the toxin can become ill themselves; while the chemical breaks down faster than second generation rodenticides, diphacinone remains active in the dead animal's tissues for some time, even if cooked. Another wild pig with blue innards discovered in 2015. ( GlendilTEK/imgur Wildlife groups globally have long been urging us to stop relying on chemical pesticides because of the collateral damage these poisons inflict. From owls to bees, pesticides are causing great harm to wildlife. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Non-target animals either consume it directly or are impacted by secondary exposure when eating other animals that have ingested the poison, adding further strain on already endangered species. Wild pigs, hybrids between domestic pigs and wild boars, are omnivores that would eat both the poisoned rodents and the bait. Pesticides are harmful to exposed humans as well. They have been linked to declining sperm rates, diabetes, cancers, and other health conditions. Integrated pest management aims to mitigate the risks of high-risk control practices by combining multiple strategies such as encouraging natural predators, construction of fences and traps, and other deterrents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CDFW is urging anyone who encounters blue animals or other abnormalities to report them to the Wildlife Health Lab, details here. Related News The Wildcat Glades Nature Group is looking for volunteers to help with upcoming work days for habitat restoration and trail improvement. From 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, volunteers will remove invasive wintercreeper in Wildcat Park south of Joplin. Sara Eimer, Wildcat Glades Nature Group naturalist, said all maintenance done in the park is done by volunteers, so work days like these are important. This is a way of bringing the community together, showing them what can happen when teamwork is involved, Eimer said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Volunteers will be taught how to identify wintercreeper, also known as climbing euonymus. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, it is a nonnative evergreen vine forming a dense, trailing ground cover. It can also sometimes be shrubby and can climb 20 feet or higher with aerial rootlets that cling to tree trunks and other structures. By removing all that wintercreeper, we are seeing native species coming up that have been in the seed bank for so long, waiting for a chance to come up, Eimer said. Earlier this year, the state banned the sale of six invasive species: sericea lespedeza, burning bush, callery pear, Japanese honeysuckle, perilla mint and wintercreeper. The law goes into effect Aug. 28. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have so much Japanese honeysuckle, wintercreeper and burning bush that were trying to get rid of those to help our native plants come back and restore the nutrients to the ground and fellow animal friends, Eimer said. Volunteers will meet at the old Redings Mill bridge parking lot and then take a short walk to the worksite. They are asked to dress for the weather and working outside in the dirt, including poison ivy protection and sunscreen. The nature group will provide gloves and water to refill bottles. Volunteers can work the full three hours or leave whenever they need to. If they need to arrive late, they can just walk the trail west of the parking lot. Trail work Trail work will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 6. Volunteers will help widen trails. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bug spray and sun screen are recommended, and volunteers should also bring water. This event is open to those 18 and older. For the latest updates or to sign up to volunteer, visit the Wildcat Glades Nature Group Facebook page. Eimer said the group is also looking for donations to feed animals. The food gets expensive and the group is run completely on donations and grants. The grants they receive are for specific purposes, so they rely on donations for things like animal food, educational programs and trail maintenance. For donations, there are QR codes located on trails around the park for a donation link as well as on the groups Facebook page. People can also come by the groups nature store at the Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center. Work to to lay miles of energy cables along the Fylde coast could force businesses to close and damage tourism, a local councillor has warned. Under the Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms scheme, cables would come ashore near Starr Gate beach, close to Blackpool Airport, before running through the Fylde countryside and then into a battery storage facility in Penwortham. Councillor Joshua Roberts, cabinet member for rural affairs, environment and communities at Lancashire County Council, said the proposed route was "detrimental". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morgan and Morecambe, a partnership between energy firms EnBW and BP, said it was committed to minimising the impact of realising the benefits brought by wind farms. Fylde MP Andrew Snowden [Office of Andrew Snowden] Morgan and Morecambe said the offshore wind farms "could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of around two million UK homes every year". It said: "We recognise that projects of this scale and importance affect local communities. "We remain fully committed to minimising these effects, and it is absolutely right that concerns are considered thoroughly and independently by the examining authority as part of the ongoing examination." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Roberts said: "There are only three routes into Fylde and to shut all those down for this wind farm is just disastrous for the people of Fylde. "It's going to close down businesses, it's going to shut down Fylde's tourism industry." Roberts questioned the choice of route, adding: "There are much better alternatives. I feel like Morgan and Morecambe's just done this for ease and for the cheapest route. "There are much better alternatives, especially going through Wyre. "Let's say the Wyre alternative route is 100m more - they would obviously pick the Fylde one, even though it would shut down businesses and ruin wildlife, and destroy green belt." 'Complete reboot needed' Fylde's Conservative MP Andrew Snowden also expressed his concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There is no way that this is an appropriate way to go about doing this," he said. "There are far more appropriate routes that have been suggested and we can't seem to get anyone to listen, and the substations don't need to be where they are." Campaigners have suggested an alternative route via Rossall, which would see cables run underground for about 1.5 miles (2km) to the Hill House technology enterprise zone. Despite the levels of opposition, the currently proposed route is the only one being considered. Under it, new substations would be built in Kirkham and Newton with Scales that will be visible to residents and businesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're going to be left with two huge ugly, noise polluting substations slap bang in the green belt," said Snowden. "The whole thing needs a complete reboot." The project is currently in the examination stage, which means people can have their say and attending hearings. The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary will ultimately make a final decision about whether the Morgan and Morecambe scheme can go ahead. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk and via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. More on this story (The Center Square) Data center projects across Wisconsin have been moving forward as the states energy demands are set to increase significantly in upcoming years and transmission rates in the state have already increased. The rates for American Transmission Co. have gone up 43% since 2019 while the consumer price index has increased 27% over that time, according to the Ratepayer Protection Coalition. All the states investor-owned utilities have announced unprecedented levels of new capital expenditure plans. ATCs latest 10-year expansion plan, triple its 2019 level, totals $10 billion, or approximately $1 billion per year, the group said. With ATCs rate base set to double between 2025 and 2029, transmission costs will continue to apply upward pressure on customer bills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Five large data center projects are in the works in the state, according to a recent Badger Institute report, including the Vantage Data Center in Port Washington, set to be the largest energy user in Wisconsin history with Vantage asking for 1.3 gigawatts of energy to be available by 2027 and ultimately 3.5 gigawatts of power. Data centers are becoming increasingly necessary as cloud-based memory and computing capabilities increase but tax incentives for those centers are questioned due to the lack of long-term jobs at the sites, the energy needs and the potential increase in consumer energy bills that accompany those data centers. During energy discussions earlier this year, Rep. David Steffen, R-Howard, said that a new Microsoft data center in Mount Pleasant would use the same amount of energy as the city of Madison and the Port Washington data center would use the same amount of power as the entire city of Los Angeles. That demand for power is leading to both a push for new and reliable energy sources for the future including a nuclear siting plan and projections that the average Americans energy bill could increase from 25% to 70% in the next 10 years without intervention from policymakers, according to Washington, D.C.-based think tank the Jack Kemp Foundation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Badger Institute has pushed for Wisconsin to prioritize and become a national leader in nuclear energy to fulfill the impending energy demand. Along with Port Washington, the group also highlighted the plans in Mount Pleasant, Beaver Dam, Caledonia and potential projects in Vienna and Janesville, where the city is looking for a data center company to take over the city-owned 240-acre former General Motors Assembly Plant, vacant since 2008. Meanwhile, state lawmakers have exempted data center construction materials from taxes and are looking to make a statewide exception to its tax increment financing rules, which limit a municipality from having more than 12% of the entity's property tax value in a TIF. Voters across the U.S. have said they dont want data centers built in their community and even more oppose the data centers if tax incentives are awarded to have them built, according to a recent poll by Libertas Network. A least 10 states are currently losing $100 million or more in taxes from data centers, according to an April report from Good Jobs First. MADISON A Dane County judge raised bail to $5 million for a Honduran woman accused of killing two teens in a drunken-driving crash and ordered federal immigration authorities to return her to county custody. State prosecutors are fighting for custody of 30-year-old Noelia Martinez-Avila amid a dispute with federal immigration authorities over whether she can be deported before she faces homicide charges. Martinez-Avila's attorney posted her $250,000 bail on Aug. 13, and she was taken into federal custody as soon as she was released from Dane County Jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That prompted prosecutors to request a hearing to raise her bail amount and raised questions about how federal authorities knew of her release despite the sheriff's public pledges that he does not cooperate with immigration agents. According to a press release by the Department of Homeland Security, Dane County Sheriff's Office gave U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, less than an hours notice before Martinez-Avila was released. The sheriff's office did immediately not respond to questions Friday evening about why it notified ICE despite pledges not to cooperate with the agency. Martinez-Avila is accused of drunkenly driving the wrong way on Highway I-90 in DeForest on July 20 and crashing into a car carrying Hallie Helgeson, 18, and Brady Heiling, 19. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Helgeson died at the scene. Heiling, her boyfriend, died from his injuries five days later. President Donald Trump's efforts to ramp up his nationwide immigration crackdown have led ICE agents to increasingly go after people who have been charged but not yet convicted of crimes. Some have been deported before they could face trial or serve their sentence. Some prosecutors have criticized this practice, saying it makes communities less safe and denies victims the opportunity to get justice. Martinez-Avila faces six felony and three misdemeanor charges, including two counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. Her initial $250,000 bail was set before Heiling died and before her immigration status came into question. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Wisconsin, defendants are required to post their entire bail amount before being released. Prosecutors can request judges hold defendants without bail for certain serious offenses, but that does not include homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. At an Aug. 15 hearing, Heiling's mother begged Dane County Circuit Judge Dianne Schlipper to raise or revoke bail to force Martinez-Avila to face the charges. "She took my baby, my beautiful boy," said Jennifer Heiling through tears, while she was flanked by her husband and two children on a video call. "She chose this, and they were just trying to come home to us." Deputy District Attorney William Brown asked the judge to increase Martinez-Avila's bail amount to $20 million, noting she was able to post a $250,000 bail within a few weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brown said if she remains in federal custody, it's likely ICE will move to deport her to Honduras, effectively ending the case against her. "My fear is if bail is not raised that will likely happen very soon, and as soon as she is out of the country, there is little to no chance we will ever prosecute this person," he said. After setting bail at $5 million, the judge also agreed to sign an order proposed by Brown to transport Martinez-Avila back to Dane County Jail. Martinez-Avila did not appear in person and remained in custody at Waukesha County Jail on an ICE hold. An interpreter relayed the court proceedings by phone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her attorney, Anthony Delyea, opposed the order to return her to Dane County. He said prosecutors were seeking to "get around the constitution" by denying her right to face federal proceedings. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Aug. 15. Despite public dispute, Dane County apparently released suspect into ICE custody After Martinez-Avila's arrest, the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, asked Dane County law enforcement officials to help transfer her to ICE custody so she could be deported. DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin also called out Dane County as having "a history of not honoring ICE arrest detainers, often leading to the release of murderers and other heinous criminals." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, those demands were resisted by Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett, who said allowing her to be deported would amount to a "get out of jail free" card. But this week, "it appears the jail released the defendant into ICE custody after business hours" on Aug. 13 after her bail was posted, wrote Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Keyes in a court filing. In a press release, DHS said ICE was given less than an hours notice by this sanctuary jurisdiction to arrest her. More: Is Milwaukee a sanctuary city? Not quite, but it's one of Wisconsin's closest examples Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors also argued the jail did not follow court-ordered conditions of her release, including giving her a GPS and alcohol monitor and obtaining prior approval by Pretrial Services. The Dane County Sheriff's Office disputed that, telling the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the jail is a 24/7 facility and deputies followed her bail conditions. It is common practice not to use a GPS device if they know a person is being taken directly to another secure facility, according to a statement from the office. In addition, Martinez-Avila was under the custody of the sheriff's office when ICE detained her, and federal agents had legal authority to do so, the sheriff's office said. In an email Aug. 14, the sheriff said he stands by his previous statements that Martinez-Avila's deportation would rob victims' families of the opportunity for justice and closure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Still, I am fully aware that, as sheriff, certain aspects of the justice system are beyond my control," Barrett said. ICE requests cooperation from local jails as national crackdown continues Because of the large territory they cover, ICE agents often rely on local sheriff's offices to give them a heads up before people who may be subject to deportation are released from local jails. ICE often does this through non-legally binding "detainer" requests. These are requests from federal immigration authorities to local law enforcement agencies to delay releasing immigrants from their jails until immigration agents arrive to take them into custody. Amid Trump's nationwide immigration crackdown, local law enforcement officials have been scrutinized for how much or how little they cooperate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barrett is one of a few sheriffs in Wisconsin who has stated he will not honor detainers, earning the county a reputation as a "sanctuary" jurisdiction and the scorn of federal immigration officials. In July, Barrett told the Journal Sentinel he would not cooperate with ICE unless immigration agents presented an arrest warrant signed by a judge. Months earlier, he had told the Journal Sentinel that his office does not actively cooperate with ICE unless its cooperation is required by law as part of an effort to build trust with immigrant communities. The case in Dane County is similar to another playing out in Milwaukee, where local prosecutors and federal immigration officials are in a back-and-forth over the custody of a 36-year-old man charged with sexual assault. In Milwaukee, prosecutors argued that deporting the defendant, Kevin Lopez, before the end of the case would deny his alleged victims their rights as crime victims. Lopez is being held in Milwaukee County Jail without bail. His trial date is scheduled for December. Research has shown that undocumented immigrants have lower crime arrest rates than both native-born U.S. citizens and legal immigrants. Immigration and criminal justice advocates have also pointed out that people charged with crimes are presumed innocent under the law. Eva Wen is an investigative data reporter at the Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at qwen@gannett.com. Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Honduran woman charged in fatal drunk driving crash detained by ICE FAIRLEA, WV (WVNS) From World War 2 through Vietnam, South Korea to Iraq, American men and women have, from time to time, answered the call when the nation needed them. Two groups at the State Fair of West Virginia are answering their call for help when service members return. Project Healing Waters and Appalachian Outdoor Heroes have teamed up at the State Fair to promote their local programs for all veterans and raise money by raffling off various items like custom made fly rods and more. The project is aimed to help veterans returning to civilian life through fly fishing. Thats where we are today. Im out here trying to raft low fly rods and gather money to send our young troops still coming home, wounded out on a fishing trip like they sent me to Alaska and sent me to Maine. So thats what its all about, getting our young veterans out here in the outdoors in a calm, quiet surrounding and and teaching them fly fishing. Jack Cormack Project Healing Waters So most of the backing right now for Appalachian Outdoor Heroes, which we started this spring, is by our actual veterans from Project Healing Waters locally. So what we did is we got together and we taught fly fishing to kids over at the Carnegie Hall Kids College. Mindi Kristy Appalachian Outdoor Heroes Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jack Cormack is a man that lived his life in the service of our country until a doctor forced his hand in retirement or, as he said, hes still be there. For now, he dedicates his life to the service of his brothers and sisters in arms, no matter the branch, gender, or need. By teaching Vets how to fly fish or to provide an place to escape when the demons come calling, Cormack and Kristy say reach out, and theyll help fight the demons together. Both groups can be found in front of the 4-H building and artesian barn. For vets and civilians alike, spend 5 minutes with the team talking about their program, their stories of healing for a sense of just how important this project is for their members and themselves. Dont be surprised if you walk away with a new found level of respect for both our service members and those dedicating their lives to see them come all they way home. To help Project Healing Waters and Appalachian Outdoor Heroes in their mission to help vets they are offering raffles which will be announced Saturday along with items like portable fish finders, photographs, t-shirts, and more for a small donation. There will be a raffle drawn with the winners walking away with one of 6 custom made fly rods made by vets. 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. A Georgia woman was arrested for the murder and years-long identity theft of her girlfriend, a New Yorker who was found dismembered beyond recognition in a burning body bag nearly 18 years ago, according to authorities. Angel Thompson has been charged with the December 2007 murder of Nicole Alston, a 24-year-old woman from Manhattan who was discovered cut into 13 pieces, with her hands, feet, and head missing, in a burning body bag on the side of a quiet Georgia road, Fulton County officials announced at a press conference on Wednesday. Angel Thompson has been charged with the December 2007 murder of Nicole Alston, a 24-year-old woman from Manhattan who was discovered cut into 13 pieces in a burning body bag on the side of a quiet Georgia road. Fulton County Sheriff It took a true sociopath to do what happened here, said Clay Bryant, an investigator with the Troup County Sheriffs Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The missing parts of Alstons body were never located, and the condition of her remains led to the 16-year lag in her identification, officials said. But, in early 2023, the case was reviewed, and DNA evidence that matched a relative helped authorities confirm that the remains belonged to Alston, whose last known location was Manhattan. Investigators learned that Alston left the Big Apple in 2007 to live with Thompson, who was wanted at the time in New York for theft and identity fraud, according to documents obtained by Fox 5 News. Thompson allegedly trafficked Alston before she was murdered, and the two had an abusive, coercive relationship, authorities said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We believe this victim was trafficked prior to her murder, that this involved classic domestic violence, where this young lady [Thompson] was basically not going to allow both her lover and, I hate to say such a nasty term, but her cash cow, the person that was bringing her money, go, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said at the press conference. Nicole Alston had been using dating apps to look for a new partner on the night her girlfriend allegedly killed her. Fulton County Sheriff On the night Alston was killed, she had already begun to go on dating apps and look for other women, Detective John Nanoff told reporters. After Alstons remains were discovered, Thompson allegedly stole her identity to collect Social Security benefits, food stamps, and Section 8 housing funds under her name for eight years. She then opened bank accounts, email accounts, and even swapped Alstons photo with her picture on her drivers license in 2010, Nanoff said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its astounding what she was able to do, what she did for how long she did it, Nanoff said. Ive never seen something so calculated and meticulous before. After Alstons remains were discovered, Thompson allegedly stole her identity to collect Social Security benefits, food stamps, and Section 8 housing funds under her name for eight years. Fulton County Sheriff In 2015, when the Social Security Administration contacted her to confirm her identity to continue benefits, Thompson began using her original identity, Fox 5 reported. She collected roughly $140,000 in government benefits under Alstons identity, Nanoff said. In August 2023, Thompson was arrested for concealing Alstons death, the outlet reported. Finally, on Tuesday, she was arrested and charged with Alstons murder and two counts of identity theft, nearly two years later, records show. Thompson allegedly trafficked Alston before she was murdered, and the two had an abusive, coercive relationship. Fulton County Sheriff Sylvia Austin, the mother of the victim, said she never stopped looking for her daughter after she went missing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She didnt deserve this, and I wish Id never let her come to Georgia, she said. She was the life of the party. She was happy, and through all of her trials and struggles, she always made everything seem OK. She was always the one people called on to talk to, she said. Willis indicated prosecutors will take their time with Thompsons indictment due to the elaborate nature of the case. Officials urged anyone with information about Thompson or the couple to reach out to the Fulton County District Attorneys Office. The alleged killer is in custody at Fulton County Jail without bond, according to court records. Woman dead after fire breaks out at St. Paul senior living community originally appeared on Bring Me The News. One person is dead following a fire at a 55+ senior living community in St. Paul. Around 3:45 a.m. Friday, firefighters were called to Como By The Lake Senior Apartments following a report of smoke in the first floor hallway of the apartment building, according to the St. Paul Fire Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When firefighters arrived at 901 E Como Blvd, they found that the fire was contained to a single unit and extinguished the flames. After a search of the apartment, a woman's body was found. St. Paul Fire Department | Twitter Residents were evacuated from the building as a precaution, but no other units were damaged by the fire. Investigators with the St. Paul Fire Department and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal are working to determine what caused the fire. The St. Paul Police Department will investigate the woman's death. The woman's identity is being withheld pending the notification of her family. Until a cause of death is determined, this is not being called a fire fatality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If it is ruled a fire death, it will mark the fifth in St. Paul so far in 2025. On average, the city sees two or three fire fatalities each year. This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The death of a woman found sexually assaulted on the steps of a South Nashville church is under investigation. Officers were called to Nashville Life Church in the 2600 block of Nolensville Road in the Woodbine neighborhood of Nashville around 9:30 p.m. Thursday. Suspected drug dealer arrested in Nashville maternity ward with pocket full of fentanyl According to Metro police, Nashville Fire Department crews were passing by the church when firefighters spotted a man sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. During their assessment of the woman, medics reportedly realized she was under the influence of a substance and tried to revive her. She was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she died. Mohamed Mohamed (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) Officers responded to the church and detained the 39-year-old Mohamed Mohamed for questioning. Metros sex crimes detectives, neighborhood safety and homicide units all worked to determine what happened. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives reviewed the churchs surveillance footage and saw the victim unable to keep her balance before stopping to sit at the churchs steps, according to court documents. Metro police reported Mohamed is seen walking up to the church and sitting beside her. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com The victim is seen falling in and out of consciousness while Mohamed reportedly groped her breasts and vagina. According to Metro police, Mohamed lifted her off the steps and put her on the ground before repeatedly raping her. The victim is seen on surveillance footage pushing Mohamed away throughout the entire encounter. Officers noted the encounter ended when fire crews arrived to separate Mohamed and the victim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mohamed was booked into the Metro jail and charged with four counts of felony rape. His bond was set at $300,000. The investigation is ongoing as detectives await information from the Medical Examiners Office on the victims cause of death. She carried no identification, but Metro police said shes been identified through her fingerprints as a 34-year-old Nashville woman who is believed to have been homeless. A department chaplain is working to find and notify the victims next of kin. No additional information was immediately released. 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. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended the CREDAI-MCHI Change of Guard 2025 event on Thursday and congratulated the new president, Sukhraj Nahar. At the event, the CM mentioned, "We can build a city bigger than Dubai and even better than that in Mumbai." Further, the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "Maharashtra was the first state to adopt RERA, which has been the most successful in the state, bringing about significant changes." Talking on ease of doing business, the Maharashtra CM said, "The World Bank appreciated our efforts of bringing ease of doing business in Mumbai, and if you look at the report of the World Ban,k it's actually appreciated the efforts taken by the government and BMC bringing ease of doing business but still agree we have to do more. This is my first programme where you didn't ask me to reduce the premium. Today (Thursday), we delivered the first phase of the BDD chawl redevelopment, a significant milestone. "Over the last 10 years, whenever we've claimed that housing will be affordable, the price of housing has increased in Mumbai. Even after reducing the premium, the housing prices have not come down. We expected that building Coastal Road or Atal Setu would lower the price, but instead, it has skyrocketed after construction," said the Maharashtra CM. Talking about the development in Mumbai, Fadnavis said, "The Bandra Versova sea link is 60 % complete. It will be completed in the next 2 years. MMR Region has the potential to become even $ 1.5 trillion. Once our orange gate tunnel is completed, travelling from Marine Drive to the new Mumbai airport will take approximately 20 to 25 minutes." "We can build a city bigger than Dubai and even better than that in Mumbai. This is our potential. We can do a transformation in the next 10 years," he added further. (ANI) CHICAGO Authorities are asking for help from the public in the ongoing search for a woman who police say has been missing for more than eight months. Chicago police say 23-year-old Taniya Howard has been missing since Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland According to police, the missing woman was last spotted near the 8400 block of South Muskegon Avenue in South Chicago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers said Howard, who has brown eyes and black hair, stands 5-foot-4 and weighs around 150 pounds. Photo provided by Chicago police shows 23-year-old Taniya Howard, who officers say has been missing since Dec. 3, 2024. The missing woman is known to wear her hair in a ponytail and also has a tattoo of a crown on her right wrist. Authorities shared details about the womans disappearance in a news release sent out on Thursday afternoon, but did not say what she was last spotted wearing. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Anyone with information on the whereabouts of 23-year-old Taniya Howard is asked to contact the CPD Area Two SVU at 312-747-8274 or dial 911. Those with information that could help authorities in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 WGN-TV. A New York woman is reuniting with the good Samaritan who helped save her from a burning car in June. The two opened up in a new interview with "Good Morning America" on Friday. "I wouldn't be here had it not been for Nathan [Felix]," Mary Frances McLoryd said. ABC News - PHOTO: Mary Frances McLoryd and Nathan Felix reunited after Felix helped to pull McLoryd from a burning car in June. McLoryd, 69, had been driving along a remote highway on Sunday, June 8, at around 4 a.m. in Chester, New York, when she fell asleep at the wheel. McLoryd said her SUV ended up rolling over and pinning her inside as it caught on fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police rescue 68-year-old woman from burning car after it flips over on highway "I remember trying to protect myself, like just putting my hands and my arms up and turning my body to the right side because that's where the heat was coming from," McLoryd recalled. "There's no way I was getting out of that car." Nathan Felix, 23, said he was passing by at the time, and when he noticed McLoryd's car, he jumped out to help. Courtesy Town of Chester Police Department - PHOTO: Police bodycamera footage shows Nathan Felix using a fire extinguisher on a burning car. "I could hear somebody screaming," Felix said. "And then she's like, 'Help me! Help me!' I'm just ... hearing her in there panicking, so I'm trying to do whatever I can to possibly assist her." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Good Samaritan and officers save woman from burning car The Town of Chester Police Department released body camera video footage from the incident, which shows first responders arriving at the scene and handing Felix a fire extinguisher. Felix is then seen sprinting toward the fire while an officer uses a window-breaking device to crack open the car's sunroof, the outlet through which Felix was able to pull McLoryd out of the car. Courtesy Town of Chester Police Department - PHOTO: Police bodycamera footage shows Nathan Felix helping to pull a woman from a burning car. "Once we got her out, she was like, screaming and everything. I was like, 'Thank you, God.' That's all I was saying in my head -- 'Thank you, God,'" Felix recalled. McLoryd said she credits her in-car safety system for recognizing that she was in an accident and dialing 911. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 69-year-old said she sustained severe burns that covered more than 20% of her body and stayed in the hospital for over a month before getting to return home earlier this week and reuniting with Felix. Though she still has a long road to recovery and medical bills and doctor's appointments to think about, McLoryd said she's forever grateful for Felix and now considers him a nephew. "It was overwhelming what this young man did," she said. "What young person runs up to a vehicle that is now caught on fire and still tries to get somebody out of it? I can't thank Nathan enough. I don't even have words to thank him. I don't know how to thank him. Other than to say, if you ever need me, I'm always here in your life." BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A woman who was sexually abused by a former Stallion Springs police officer when she was a child has filed a claim against Kern County. The claim shows the woman is seeking over $25,000 from the county. James Best Jr., a former officer with the Stallion Springs Police Department, sexually assaulted the victim from 2004 to 2016, while she was still a minor and continued until after she became an adult, according to the claim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The claim says the police department and Kern County should have known about Bests sexual abuse on the victim. RELATED: Ex-Stallion Springs police officer pleads no contest to sexually abusing child Best pleaded no contest to two felony charges in May: continuous sexual abuse of a child and oral copulation with a victim who couldnt resist due to intoxication, court records show. The victim came forward in 2023 and told authorities Best sexually abused her when she was between the ages of 9 and 16. I remember things when you were older, Best said to the victim in a pretext phone call recorded by detectives, according to the reports. I dont remember things when you were about 9 or 10. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Best was arrested in Maine on Aug. 19, 2024, then was brought to Kern County. In 2021, Best and his wife were sentenced to felony probation after being convicted of stealing from the Stallion Springs Police Activities League. Best was in charge of the league from 2017 to 2019. 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. Nashville Police are investigating the death of a woman after they say she was sexually assaulted on the steps of a South Nashville church. A Nashville Fire Department crew was driving past the Nashville Life Church on Nolensville Pike Aug. 14 at about 10:30 p.m. when they saw what appeared to be a man sexually assaulting a woman. The engine crew turned around to intervene, according to court records. Police have identified the woman but are not naming her publicly yet, noting they are working to notify next of kin. Fingerprints determined she is a 34-year-old Nashville woman who is believed to be homeless. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When firefighters got out of the truck, police said it became apparent the woman was unconscious and the man was trying to pull up her pants from around her ankles. "Nashville firefighters pulled the defendant away from the Adult Female Victim," court records said. "Two of the firefighters instantly started life saving measures on the victim." The firefighters called for police on their radio and the woman was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she was declared dead. Police are waiting for the results of an autopsy to determine how she died. Investigators with the Special Victims Division and the Homicide Unit responded to the scene. A 39-year-old man was taken into custody at the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to video footage from the church, the woman was unsteady on her feet when she approached the steps. She sat down, and then the man appeared in frame, according to court records. The woman appeared to lose and then come back to consciousness. During this time, the man groped her. She pushed his hand away, according to video footage. He continued to sexually assault her, and she continued to push him away as much as she could, according to court records. He then raped her, police said. During the assault, she stopped fighting back and appeared to never regain consciousness, according to court records. The man, who has previously been charged with public indecency and sexual battery, was charged with four counts of rape. He's not charged in connection with her death and it's unclear if he was with her before she sat down on the steps of the church. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Police: Man charged after woman raped on church steps, dies VERSAILLES, Ky. (FOX 56) Emergency medical professionals play a huge role in serving the public, which is why the workers of today are looking to the next generation. Woodford County High School senior Cailey Ledbetter is one of 13 students involved in the new partnership to create a pipeline for students to become certified emergency medical technicians (EMT). For her, being a first responder hit home. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its really providing me with peace of mind to know that Im learning about this stuff here and now. My parents were both volunteer firefighters in my hometown in Lillian, Alabama, so, I was exposed to being around first responders from an early age, Ledbetter said. This partnership is supported by the Woodford County Fiscal Court, and Woodford County EMS director Freeman Bailey said the goal is to make the curriculum as hands-on as possible. Well invite them to come in and do ride-alongs with us to see what its about. We get them into the program, and weve designed this program to where to be a lot longer, slower pace for them, or we can educate them as they mature and get older before they graduate high school. Once they achieve this certification, then they can work anywhere in the state, Bailey said. Lexington mayor increasing security downtown after woman assaulted: This is a compassionate city Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its seen as not only an investment in students but also an investment in public health, especially with students like Ledbetter already wanting to serve in this way. My parents are, to say the least, thrilled. We learned about this opportunity at a senior information seminar, and my mom literally looked over at me while we were sitting down, and she was like, you need to do this. Theyre both really excited for me, Ledbetter 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 56 News. WASHINGTON (AP) Teachers, social workers, nurses and other public workers would be cut off from a popular student loan cancellation program if the Trump administration finds their employer engaged in activities with a substantial illegal purpose, under a new federal proposal released on Friday. The Education Department took aim at nonprofits or government bodies that work with immigrants and transgender youth, releasing plans to overhaul the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Opponents fear the new policy would turn the loan forgiveness benefit into a tool of political retribution. The proposal would give the education secretary the final say in deciding whether a group or government entity should be excluded from the program, which was created by Congress in 2007 to encourage more college graduates to enter lower-paying public service fields. The proposal says illegal activity includes the trafficking or chemical castration of children, illegal immigration and supporting foreign terrorist organizations. Chemical castration is defined as using hormone therapy or drugs that delay puberty gender-affirming care common for transgender children or teens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump ordered the changes in March, saying the loan forgiveness program was steering taxpayer money to activist organizations that pose a threat to national security and do not serve the public. The public will be given 30 days to weigh in on the proposal before it can be finalized. Any changes would take effect in July 2026. Under current rules, government employees and many nonprofit workers can get their federal student loans canceled after theyve made 10 years of payments. The program is open to government workers, including teachers, firefighters and employees of public hospitals, along with nonprofits that focus on certain areas. The new proposal would exclude employees of any organization tied to an activity deemed illegal. The Education Department predicts that fewer than 10 organizations would be deemed ineligible per year. It doesnt expect a significant reduction in the percentage of borrowers who would be granted forgiveness under the program, according to the proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet the agency acknowledges that not all industries would be affected evenly. Schools, universities, health care providers, social workers and legal services organizations are among those most likely to have their eligibility jeopardized, the department wrote. It did not give more specifics about what illegal actions those groups were taking that could bar them from the program. But the proposal suggests that performing gender-affirming care in the 27 states that outlaw it would be enough. If a state or federal court rules against an employer, that could lead to its expulsion from the program, or if the employer is involved in a legal settlement that includes an admission of wrongdoing. Even without a legal finding, however, the education secretary could determine independently that an organization should be ejected. The secretary could judge whether an organization participated in illegal activity by using a legal standard known as the preponderance of the evidence meaning its more likely than not that an accusation is true. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once an organization is barred from the program, its workers future loan payments would no longer count toward cancellation. They would have to find work at another eligible employer to keep making progress toward forgiveness. A ban from the Education Department would last 10 years or until the employer completed a corrective action plan approved by the secretary. Critics blasted the proposal as an illegal attempt to weaponize student loan cancellation. Kristin McGuire, CEO of the nonprofit Young Invincibles, which advocates for loan forgiveness, called it a political stunt designed to confuse borrowers. By using a distorted and overly broad definition of illegal activities, the Trump administration is exploiting the student loan system to attack political opponents, McGuire said in a statement. The Education Department sketched out its plans for the overhaul during a federal rulemaking process that began in June. The agency gathered a panel of experts to help hash out the details a process known as negotiated rulemaking. But the panel failed to reach a consensus, which freed the department to move forward with a proposal of its own design. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposal released on Friday included some changes meant to ease concerns raised by the expert panel. Some had worried the department would ban organizations merely for supporting transgender rights, even if they have no direct involvement in gender-affirming care. The new proposal clarifies that the secretary would not expel organizations for exercising their First Amendment rights. ___ The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. 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. Israels announcement that it will illegally build thousands of homes in a highly controversial development in the occupied West Bank in a move Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich boasted buries the idea of a Palestinian state has drawn widespread international condemnation. Smotrich announced Thursday that he was pushing ahead with long-frozen plans for the E1 area settlement project that would connect occupied East Jerusalem with the existing illegal Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, located several kilometres to the east. The planned settlement, which was shelved for years amid opposition from the United States and European allies, would comprise more than 3,400 homes for Israeli settlers on Palestinian-owned land that experts say is vital for any future territorially contiguous Palestinian state in the West Bank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smotrich said the development was being revived as a response to plans by other countries to recognise a Palestinian state. But the response from the rest of the world has been scathing, with governments describing the move as a blatant violation of international law that would fuel regional instability and leave the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict in tatters. Heres an overview of the reactions so far. Palestine Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the E1 development, in combination with the war in Gaza and escalating settler violence, would only lead to further escalation, tension and instability. He said he held the US responsible for halting Israels expansionist actions, and noted that the settlement announcement came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had spoken of his vision for a Greater Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, called for international intervention to halt the settlement plans. It considered the E1 settlement a continuation of the occupations plans to undermine the opportunity to establish the Palestinian state on its homeland, weaken its geographical and demographic unity, entrench the division of the West Bank into isolated areas surrounded by a sea of settlements, and facilitate the completion of their annexation. Qatar Qatars Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed the move, saying it reaffirms Qatars unequivocal rejection of the Israeli occupations policies aimed at expanding settlements and forcibly displacing Palestinian people, measures intended to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. Statement | Qatar Condemns Israeli Finance Ministers Approval of Settlement Plans Separating East Jerusalem from the Occupied West Bank#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/5BRIC3didA Ministry of Foreign Affairs Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) August 14, 2025 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabias Foreign Ministry condemned the settlement plans in the strongest possible terms, saying they were a violation of international law and a serious threat to the possibility of a two-state solution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, it called on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities, protect the Palestinian people, and fulfil their legitimate rights, including recognition of the Palestinian state. Jordan Jordans Foreign Ministry condemned the move in the strongest terms. The ministrys spokesman Sufyan Qudah affirmed his countrys absolute rejection and condemnation of this settlement plan and the illegal Israeli measures that constitute a blatant violation of international law and international Security Council resolutions. Qudah warned against the continued expansionist policy of the Israeli government in the occupied West Bank, which the ministry said encourages the perpetuation of cycles of violence and conflict in the region. Turkiye The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the settlement plan disregards international law and United Nations resolutions and targets the territorial integrity of the State of Palestine, the basis for a two-state solution, and hopes for lasting peace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It reaffirmed Turkiyes support for an independent Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. United Kingdom British Foreign Minister David Lammy said the plan must be stopped. The UK strongly opposes the Israeli governments E1 settlement plans, which would divide a future Palestinian state in two and mark a flagrant breach of international law, he said in an emailed statement to the Reuters news agency. The situation in Gaza is appalling and the Israeli government's actions are further jeopardising the two-state solution. @AnitaAnandMP, @jnbarrot and I discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages, a flood of aid and a plan to deliver lasting peace. David Lammy (@DavidLammy) August 14, 2025 Germany The German government, a strong supporter of Israel, urged Israel to stop settlement construction and said it strongly rejects the plan for the new development The settlement construction violates international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, a spokesperson for the Foreign Office in Berlin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It complicates a negotiated two-state solution and an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, as demanded by the International Court of Justice, he added. Spain Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called the expansion plan a new violation of international law. It undermines the viability of the two-state solution, the only path to peace, he said in a social media post. (Al Jazeera) United Nations The United Nations urged Israel to reverse its decision. It would put an end to prospects of a two-state solution, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Settlements go against international law [and] further entrench the occupation. European Union The European Unions foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also slammed the plan as a breach of international law that would further undermine a two-state solution. If implemented, settlement construction in this area will permanently cut the geographical and territorial contiguity between occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank and sever the connection between the northern and southern West Bank, said Kallas. The EU urges Israel to desist from taking this decision forward, noting its far-reaching implications and the need to consider action to protect the viability of the two-state solution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She called on Israel to halt its settlement construction altogether, saying its settlement policy, combined with ongoing settler violence and military operations, were fuelling an already tense situation on the ground and further eroding any possibility for peace. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also denounced the plans, saying the Israeli occupation and settlement expansion were illegal under international law, United Nations resolutions, and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, and must end immediately. The intergovernmental organisation urged the international community to take responsibility, hold Israel accountable, and impose sanctions in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions. Israeli human rights group Israeli advocacy group Peace Now warned that the move was guaranteeing many more years of bloodshed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The E1 plan is deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution, it said in a statement. There is a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to the terrible war in Gaza the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel and it will ultimately come. United States Israels key ally, the United States, had no immediate words of criticism for the proposal. Asked about the settlement development, a spokesperson for the US State Department said Washington was focused on ending the war in Gaza and ensuring Hamas will never govern that territory again. A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administrations goal to achieve peace in the region, the spokesperson said, referring to the Israeli government for further information. Crown Point Bulldog Park: 183 S. West St. This years Awaken NWI event will take place at 4 p.m. September 14 at Bulldog Park. The event is a night of worship. For more information, visit: https://shorturl.at/wv2S4. CrossPoint Church: 214 Court St. CrossPoint Church will have an outdoor service at Bulldog Park beginning at 10:30 a.m. August 16. After the service, there will be bounce houses and outdoor games for recreation. Attendees should feel free to pack and lunch to picnic with friends and family. St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church: 101 W Burrell Drive St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church will have a grief support group from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. August 17. Those interested in participating should call Joe Faulstich at 219-718-2891. Gary Marquette Park United Methodist Church: 215 N. Grand Blvd. All are welcome to worship at 11:15 a.m. Sundays at Marquette Park United Methodist Church. There will be refreshments to follow in the Fellowship Hall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement St. Timothy Unity Church: 1600 W. 25th Ave. The church will have Gospel Extravaganza, presented by Urban League of Northwest Indiana, at 4 p.m. Sept. 14. VIP tickets are $75, and general tickets are $25. For more information, call 219-887-9621 or visit Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gospel-extravaganza-tickets-1353361313119. Hammond Faith United Church of Christ: 3030 175th St. Faith United Church of Christ holds its worship service at 10 a.m. on Sundays, followed by fellowship and coffee. Saint Joseph Catholic Church: 5304 Hohman Ave. Saint Joseph Catholic Church will have Donut Sunday on the final Sunday of every month after the 9 a.m. Mass. Free coffee and donuts are provided at the air-conditioned church hall. Portage St. Peter Lutheran Church: 6540 Central Ave. Services are held every Sunday at 10 a.m. Valparaiso Valparaiso Baptist Church: 612 Emmettsburg Street A Truth Seekers bible study will be at Valparaiso Baptist Church from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. August 21. The Bible study will be a meaningful time of connection and discovery. For more information, call 219-464-1443 or visit https://www.valpobaptist.org/. To submit worship news, email cnance@post-trib.com. Several agencies were investigating a crash scene in Goodyear after the wreckage of a previously missing plane was discovered. The identity of the pilot was unknown due to the extent of the damage from the wreck, said spokesperson Sgt. Mayra Reeson with the Goodyear Police Department. It was found in the area of Ocotillo Road and Bullard Avenue around 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 13 by the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office Air Unit, according to Sheriff's Office spokesperson Calbert Gillett. Goodyear police was previously notified of a missing person case regarding the pilot around 11 a.m. on Aug. 12, Reeson said. According to the report, the person was last seen operating their private, single-engine plane that departed from the Phoenix Goodyear Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration issued an alert to local public safety agencies, pilots and airports about the missing airplane. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plane wreckage found was of a Pitts S1-T airplane, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Only the pilot was on board, the FAA said in a statement. The Sheriff's Office has taken primary responsibility for the investigation and was coordinating with the NTSB, Gillett said. The NTSB sent an investigator to the scene, according to spokesperson Peter Knudson. After the plane wreckage is documented, it will be moved to "a secure facility for further evaluation," Knudson said. The agency investigates three primary areas the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment, he said. That process will include gathering the flight track data, air traffic control recordings, plane maintenance records and other data, Knudson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators will also look into the weather at the time of the crash and any available witness statements, according to Knudson. Anyone with information was encouraged to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov. A preliminary report was expected within the next 30 days, Knudson said. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Crash site found in Goodyear after pilot reported missing PRINCETON A heart procedure that required patients needing it to travel many miles from home can now find it at a local hospital serving southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia. WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital officials announced Thursday that a major milestone was reached by performing the regions first surgical insertion of a cardioverter defibrillator in a local patient. An cardioverter defibrillator is a small battery-powered device implanted in a persons chest to monitor and correct dangerous heart rhythms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are always very excited to be able to offer our community a new service, said Karen Bowling, the hospitals president and CEO. And this is going to be a new service line, something that hasnt been done here. Every time we have an opportunity to share this, its always good for us to talk about our partnership with WVU Medicine and in this case, our partnership with WVU Heart & Vascular Institute. The hospital and WVU Medicine have been working to bring more medical facilities for cardiac care as well as cancer treatment to the region, she said. Our goal is always to be able to serve our community close to home, Bowling said. I talk about that a lot and this is just another way that were going to be able to serve people locally that would have in the past they actually had to be transferred out for this service. You know, we have the greatest staff here. Wonderful people who are great community partners and very proud of the work that we do in our cardiac service line. They do an awesome job. Director of Cardiovascular Services David Rumley said the hospitals staff is glad about offering implantable cardioverter defibrillators, also known as ICDs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These devices will monitor and correct dangerous cardiac arrhythmias, Rumley said. We all know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. We also know that its the leading cause of death in West Virginia. When you really look at the statistics closer, our statistics are higher for death in southern West Virginia than in the rest of the state. Rumley told guests at Thursdays unveiling how one elderly patient delayed getting a defibrillator implant because it meant driving long miles to a hospital outside the region. He was uneasy about driving in a big urban area, his cars reliability was questionable and his family would have to take time off from work to drive him there. To help the people needing cardiac care in this region, WVU Medicine is working to bring in more local care services, Rumley said. With Dr. Kiran Kanjerla joining the WVU PCH cardiac team, now patients are able to receive implantable cardioverter defibrillators and have services checks closer to home. And these devices will save lives in our community, he said. Theres no doubt about it. With Dr. Kanjerla joining our team, not only can he insert the devices, but he can also provide the follow up care for these devices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Kanjerla said he has performed close to 2,000 device implants. In this region, about 25% of patients have cardiac rhythm issues. In order to get care including cardioverter defibrillators, patients had to travel to hospitals in the Charleston and Roanoke, Va. areas. After these devices were implanted, patients had to travel back to these hospitals for service. Now surgery for implanting these devices and their servicing can be done in Princeton, he said. Many people with heart problems are at risk for a sudden cardiac event, Dr. Kanjerla said. The devices detect dangerous heart rhythms and administer a shock therapy so a sudden cardiac arrest can be prevented. Secondly, for patients who have already had such a cardiac event and survived, they can have the devices implanted so if they have another episode, it can prevent a second cardiac arrest. Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday in his address to the nation on the 79th Independence Day, hailed the success of Operation Sindoor and saulted the role of the armed forces who targeted terror sites in Pakistan. The operation he said was an expression of India's outrage at the Pahalgam terrorists attack in which "husbands were killed in front of their wives and fathers were killed in front of their children after asking their religion." "I am very proud that from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I am getting the opportunity to salute the heroes of Operation Sindoor. Our brave jawans punished the enemy beyond its imagination," PM Modi said. "On 22nd April, terrorists from across the border came to Pahalgam and killed people after asking their religion...Entire India was outraged, and the entire world was shocked by such a massacre. Operation Sindoor is the expression of that outrage," he added. The Prime Minister said that after the Pahalgam attack, the government had given a free hand to the armed forces to respond to the attack. "After the 22nd, we gave a free hand to our armed forces. They decide the strategy, target and time. Our Forces did what had never been done for several decades. We entered hundreds of kilometres into the enemy soil and razed their terrorist headquarters to the ground...Destruction in Pakistan is so massive that new revelations are being made every day, and new information is coming out daily," PM Modi said. He warned that India will not distinguish between terrorists and those supporting them, emphasizing that the armed forces will respond to any misadventure from Pakistan. He said that India will no longer tolerate nuclear blackmail. "If the enemy dares to commit any more misadventure, the Indian Armed Forces will give them a befitting reply. We have now set a new normal. Terrorists and those who shelter them will not be seen separately. They are an equal danger to humanity with no difference," he said. PM Modi stated that the Indus Water Treaty was an injustice to the people of India and was "one sided." India and its farmers have the sole right over the country's share of Indus river waters, the Prime Minister said. "The rivers of India were irrigating the enemy country while our farmers were deprived of water. Now, the right over India's share of water belongs only to India and its farmers. A compromise on farmers' interests and national interests is not acceptable to us. India has decided that blood and water will not flow together. Our country has been bearing the pain of terrorism for many decades," he said. (ANI) CHEYENNE Local Democrats gathered at the Laramie County Library on Wednesday evening for a town hall hosted by Reps. Karlee Provenza, D-Laramie, and Mike Yin, D-Jackson. This meeting, however, was different from the traditional town hall format of a speech followed by a question-and-answer portion. Provenza and Yin instead primarily focused on fostering community engagement and listening to the more than 100 Wyoming residents who attended. Cheyenne was the first stop of five scheduled town hall events in a tour across the state set to conclude next month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The format of the room was not rows of chairs facing the stage. Instead, participants were seated around tables in groups of about 10. The representatives posed questions, and the participants engaged in a discussion with their neighbors and took notes. After 10 or 15 minutes of discussing each question, each table presented their notes to the audience while the representatives took notes. There were three questions: What are your top concerns currently?; What is your hope for the future of Wyoming?; What should be the role of the government in realizing these changes? I think its a good way for them to gather information, and its a good way for us to hear everybody elses opinions, said David Salverson, a town hall attendee and member of the Laramie County Democratic Party. Responses to the questions covered a wide range of topics, both locally and nationally, and there were some through lines connecting all questions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One common theme was education. This included a discontent with statewide decisions regarding school vouchers provided to families seeking private or homeschool education for their children. Further discontent was expressed over conversations from across the state about prohibiting access to some sexually explicit literature and banning of certain books from school libraries. Public funds for public education and private funds for private education, one attendee said while presenting their tables notes. Attendees at one table shared concerns about the future education of their children and grandchildren if the Wyoming Legislature continues in its current trajectory. Other common themes included treating all people fairly; halting the collaboration between the Wyoming Highway Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; protecting public lands and federal workers; access to health care and protection of Medicare and veterans; Medicaid expansion; and securing funding for municipalities and counties through tax revenues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the community discussion, which lasted around 90 minutes, Provenza and Yin fielded questions from attendees for around 20 minutes until the library closed for the night. I think people want to be heard, Yin said while packing up after the event. I think a lot of folks felt like they werent heard in other forums, and hopefully we heard folks in Cheyenne, and we will hear folks from other locations. The representatives said they will follow up with emails to the attendees on the format of the town hall to share whether they felt like their voices were heard and what the elected officials can do to continue those conversations. Whether they agree with (other attendees) or not, they care about their community, and we need more of that. And I think that was what were trying to do, Provenza said. I think we accomplished that, I think we demonstrated to people what it looks like to have community come together and figure out, What are the problems? What are the solutions? Whats the role of the government? that I dont think Ive seen in any other town hall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the question-and-answer portion of the evening, the final question for the representatives was What will you do with this information? What should we, as voters, do going forward? Provenza responded, saying that they will digest and synthesize the responses they heard Wednesday night and from the forthcoming events across the state. She said they will look for patterns and through lines to identify top priorities that will guide budget amendments and bills to bring to the Wyoming Legislature in 2026 and beyond, as well as sharing the information with the Wyoming Democratic Party. We want to make sure that we, as elected officials, and we, as Democrats, are listening to the core concerns of the people of Wyoming, because we have some people in government that listen to the core concerns of people in D.C., and were not interested in that. Were trying to provide a contrast, she said. In terms of immediate actionable steps for attendees, Provenza said she didnt have answers right now. She suggested getting involved in local Democratic parties and educating themselves on local government issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ted Hanlon, a state committeeman for the Laramie County Democratic Party, helped organize the event in Cheyenne. He said this meeting format is helpful to educate state leaders on what the top concerns are for residents on the local level and keeping national issues from interfering and polarizing local elections. What the state Legislature does in terms of funding schools, in terms of the classic fixing potholes, in terms of whether everybody has affordable health insurance, that all happens at the state level. So the state-level politicians should be addressing local issues. Those are the politicians that should be really important to all of us, because theyre the ones that affect your life the most, he said. Provenza and Yin have four more town halls scheduled, first in Casper next Tuesday followed by events in Lander, Sheridan County and Park County. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) From baklava to saganaki, you can get a taste of all things Greek this weekend at the 14th annual Yassou! Greek Cultural Festival in Grand Rapids. Yassou is a Greek phrase thats used to welcome, and thats exactly what the congregation at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church does each year. This is something everybody (in the congregation) looks forward to, said Tiana Petricevic, who is returning from Chicago to attend the festival this year. This is a huge staple for our community that goes to the church, but also for the wider community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Free skateboarding class for all -ages comes to Grand Rapids park The two-day festival starts Friday. You can get your fix of cooking, baking and dance demonstrations. See the traditional Grecian garb, learn the steps and do it all for a good cause: This years charity partner is the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan. Its absolutely amazing to be able to share that with everybody, Petricevic said. I think theres not a ton of opportunities to share culture in this way and to show people really what our beliefs and our culture is about which is sharing, community, food, drink and dance. Its really just a blessing to be able to share that widely with everybody and to be able to share that with this community. Norton Shores arts festival hosts water ski show, bands Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The festivities run from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. Tickets cost $3 for adults, while kids 12 and under get in for free. You can find a full schedule on the events 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 WOODTV.com. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) The YMCA has reopened its doors in the Roebuck community after breaking ground on the new building two years ago. Every child should have a Mountain Brook YMCA experience, and that was not happening, said former YMCA of Greater Birmingham CEO Dan Pile. When many people think of the YMCA, they think a gym, a pool and maybe even some summer camps for kids. The new Northeast Community YMCA takes it up a notch through other community partnerships. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youve seen one Y, youve seen one Y. So, theyre all different to meet the most pressing needs in that community and that service area, and the partners really rallied around to meet those unique, individual needs here, said YMCA of Greater Birmingham CEO Chad Zaucha. The Y is part of it, but theres so many who have to come together to make the deep, meaningful change that we want to have here in the community. Physical wellness meets mental wellness at the brand-new YMCA in the Roebuck neighborhood. Thats why people have said this is the model thats going to change our country, and this is how we do it. The tax dollars are meant to be able to invest in people, human capital, Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales said. This building is a part of a building, but when youre talking about investing in human capital, this is life changing. This is transformative. Through partnerships with Christ Health Center and Impact Family Counseling, the Y in Roebuck holds not just a gym and the wellness programs that many have loved for decades, but also pediatric care, family counseling, an early learning center and workforce training. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is why we do what we do. I think its part of why we get up in the morning and its all about how we help people achieve their goals, build relationships and have a sense of belonging, Zaucha said. We believe when we create spaces like this and rally community and partners around something, around a common vision, meaningful change happens, and we believe thats going to happen right here. Beyond taking care of the communitys physical and mental well-being, the Northeast Community YMCA is partnering with Habitat for Humanity to put affordable housing on property. Habitat hopes to have the first round of homes finished by the end of the year. Theres not a lot of new homes that have been built in the Roebuck area in recent years, said Drew Bonner, Greater Birmingham Habitat for Humanity Chief Operating Officer. Bringing 22 homes into a concentrated area has potential to bring one, both a great community to this already existing community, but also to bring a reinvestment. Some people who have lived in Roebuck for decades are amazed by the difference at the new YMCA and are excited to see the impacts this has on their community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is a dream come true for the community, said Jerrie Foster, who has lived in Roebuck for more than 40 years. Weve been wanting something like this in our community for a long time, and we have needed this in our community for a long time for our children and for our community as a whole. It creates a vision of what the community should look like so while it will be a vision in reality here, I think it will also expand beyond this location, said Patrick Hatcherson, Roebuck resident of 25 years. The whole community will see families, healthcare, education, as well as exercise and fun. You can learn more about the Northeast Community YMCA and its partnerships by visiting the website 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. SUNBURY The Greater Susquehanna Valley YMCA Swim Team is searching for new members. Registration for new swimmers will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 27 and 28, but spots are by appointment only, according to a press release. The swim team is one of many opportunities the YMCA offers for young people to stay active, learn new skills and be part of a positive, encouraging environment, according to the release. The YMCA has locations in Sunbury, Milton, Lewisburg, Beaver Springs and Coal Township. To schedule an appointment, email kreichner@gsvymca.org. Francis Scarcella YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) A Central Pennsylvania World War II veteran who flew dozens of combat missions in the Pacific theater will receive his long-overdue Purple Heart on Friday. Quentin Stambaugh, 101, of Spring Grove, York County, survived every combat mission he flew in the Pacific, but he never received a Purple Heart. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter A Purple Heart is a military decoration awarded to U.S. soldiers who were wounded or killed in combat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While it was probably an oversight, Stambaughs friend Tara Wenzel thought it wasnt right. So, she took action. Wenzel has been working on getting Stambaugh his Purple Heart for years, and her hard work pays off today. Stambaugh is one of the few remaining WWII veterans in the Midstate. Pat Murphy, Central Pennsylvanias oldest WWII combat veteran, recently passed away in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. 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. On October 12, 1977, banking giant Citicorp opened the tallest new skyscraper in New York City since the early 1930s. From afar, the 915-foot towers distinctive sloped roof cut through the Midtown skyline like a scalpel. Close up, at ground level, its 59 floors appeared to levitate above a sunken public plaza, a generous architectural gesture to passersby. Citicorp Centers design was not universally loved. But the scale and ambition of its engineering were undeniable. In a review, the Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger concluded that the banks new office, despite lacking in originality, would probably give more pleasure to more New Yorkers than any other highrise building of the decade. This prediction almost proved disastrously far from the truth. In fact, were it not for two college students who helped uncover a grave flaw in the buildings engineering, Citicorp Center might have killed thousands of New Yorkers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Citicorp Center still stands today, though it has since been renamed 601 Lexington. But in some ways, it is not the same structure it was in 1977. Unbeknownst to its owners, occupants and even architects, the brand-new $128-million skyscraper was far more vulnerable to wind than previously believed. If a storm knocked out the power to its stabilizing device, a strong enough gust could make it collapse and, on average, winds powerful enough to topple the building would occur in New York every 16 years. When the towers engineer realized this in July 1978, hurricane season was already underway. The Citicorp Center pictured days before it was officially dedicated in October 1977. - UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Within months, welders had carried out corrective work under the cover of darkness. A newspaper strike at the time meant knowledge of how close New York came to disaster remained largely hidden from the public until the mid-1990s. Now, a comprehensive new book on the crisis, The Great Miscalculation: The Race to Save New York Citys Citicorp Tower, delves into the human stories behind the events of 1978 especially that of William LeMessurier, the structural engineer who blew the whistle on himself after being alerted to potential errors in his calculations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You have this one man whos put in the impossible position of discovering a terrible structural flaw with, at the time, the seventh tallest building in the world, the books author, Michael M. Greenburg, said in a Zoom call. And he knows at least in his own mind that disclosure of this problem was going to ruin his career. But it was a real race against time, he added. A tower on stilts The towers susceptibility to wind stemmed from its unusual design which arose from a quirk of the Manhattan site on which it stood. Citicorps attempts to buy an entire midtown block for its new office had been thwarted by a lone holdout, St. Peters Lutheran Church, which had occupied a corner of the proposed plot since the early 1900s. The churchs pastor stubbornly resisted a sale that might force his congregation to relocate from the Midtown East neighborhood with which it had longstanding historical ties. Saint Peter's Lutheran Church, pictured here before 1970. - Saint Peter's Church Archive Instead, he negotiated an agreement: St Peters would sell its neo-gothic building and, crucially, the air rights above it, on the condition that the bank build it a new church on the same corner. Under the agreement, this new church had to be distinct, physically and architecturally, from the skyscraper. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the towers architect Hugh Stubbins, who had never designed a New York high-rise, this posed a major quandary. He presented the problem to LeMessurier, a well-regarded structural engineer. Could the tower cantilever entirely over the corner housing the new church? Might they also free up space for a ground-level plaza? Sketching on a napkin over lunch, LeMessurier began envisaging a unique answer to these questions: a skyscraper raised at not just one, but all four of its corners. In other words, a tower on stilts. To achieve this, the buildings four main support columns would run through the middle of the buildings four faces, not its corners. This created an inherent instability that Greenburg compared to sitting on a chair with legs positioned at the middle of each side. Now put a 59-story building on top of those legs, and you begin to understand the complexity here, he added. To compensate, LeMessurier developed a structural bracing system to act like an exoskeleton. A series of V-shaped chevrons, intersected by mast columns, effectively divided the building into six structurally independent segments. In each, the stress of wind and gravitational loads (those produced by the weight of the building itself) would be safely distributed, via trusses, to the columns, which would be drilled around 50 feet into the bedrock below. A cross-section of the tower showing LeMessuriers innovative chevron bracing system. - Michael Greenburg To reduce movement during strong winds, LeMessurier also proposed installing a huge counterweight, known as a tuned mass damper, in the towers upper floors. The stabilizing device featured a 400-ton concrete block on a film of oil that would slide in the opposite direction to the buildings motion to counteract swaying. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Calculations were completed and models tested in wind tunnels. The project broke ground in 1974 and, when it opened three years later, it proved to be a springboard for LeMessuriers career, Greenburg said. Hes receiving awards, hes receiving notoriety, his business is exploding and things are just going well. And then, all of a sudden, he gets this telephone call. A fateful call Diane Hartley, a young engineering student, was starting her final year of undergraduate studies at Princeton University when Citicorp Center opened. She decided to feature the tower in her thesis on the history and impact of tall buildings. LeMessuriers firm helpfully provided her with drawings, plans and figures. She visited the skyscraper to see its mass damper in action. But as Hartley modeled the towers response to wind loads, something didnt add up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to her calculations, so-called quartering winds gusts hitting the tower diagonally, thus exerting pressure on two sides of the building simultaneously produced 42% more stress than perpendicular ones. Yet the numbers given to her failed to account for this. It never occurred to me that I had discovered something unusual, said Hartley, who is now aged 69, in a Zoom call. I was trying to figure out why I was wrong. With her thesis already overdue, she rang LeMessuriers office and spoke with one of his project engineers, who convinced the student that her calculation was not correct, and the building was inherently stronger, said Hartley, who went on to have a successful real estate career. And at that point, being behind and waiting to graduate, I footnoted that conversation and turned the thesis in. Hartley all but forgot about the interaction until the 1990s, when she saw a documentary about the tower saying that a mystery student had raised the alarm. It is not known for certain whether the engineer she spoke with passed her concerns on to LeMessurier. Nonetheless, she is widely credited with beginning a chain of events that led to the discovery of Citicorp Centers potentially fatal flaw. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, another student, whose identity only came to light in 2011, is also thought to have contacted LeMessurier in 1978. Lee DeCarolis, then a freshman architecture student at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, has written that he directly relayed his professors concerns about the columns placement to the engineer over the phone. LeMessurier died in 2007, and inconsistencies in his recollections mean we may never know who alerted him to the miscalculation. In Greenburgs new book, the author diplomatically concludes that although neither student definitively claims to have exclusively influenced LeMessuriers actions, there is little doubt that each, to some degree, profoundly impacted what would happen next. This thing is in real trouble LeMessurier was both an engineer and a Harvard University educator. While preparing a college lecture about Citicorp Center, he reconsidered his wind load calculations in light of the students or both students concerns. New York Citys building codes did not explicitly address quartering winds. Nor was accounting for them universally practiced by structural engineering firms at the time. LeMessurier claimed that he had considered diagonal wind, yet it emerged that Citicorp Centers unconventional bracing system was more susceptible to it than his team had grasped. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As LeMessurier is doing the calculations, he realizes what he calls some very peculiar behavior, explained Greenburg. He found that in a quartering wind, the wind stresses in half of the exoskeletons bracing members would be zero. But in the remaining half, they would rise by 40%. a figure he had not accounted for. It becomes a matter of great concern, the author added. At that stage, LeMessurier still wasnt panicking, Greenburg said. The engineer believed the tower was, nonetheless, sufficiently strong. But upon speaking to his steel fabricator, he discovered that the towers bracing had been bolted together, not welded without his knowledge, he claimed to save time and money. LeMessurier also realized his engineers had miscalculated how much stress would be offset by the buildings weight during quartering winds. Armed with this new information, he determined that every splice that connected parts of the chevron bracing system should have been joined with 14 bolts. Yet each splice had only been fitted with four bolts. This thing is in real trouble, LeMessurier recalled thinking, in a lecture years later. He asked his wind tunnel experts to run more tests, and the findings made his reassessment even worse, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LeMessurier traveled with the data and his wife to their summer retreat in Maine to think the matter through. He was especially concerned about the bolted joints on the 30th floor, which he believed were most likely to fail. The building was designed with no redundancy, Greenburg said, meaning that the failure of just one connection would lead to total collapse one that could have a domino effect on surrounding buildings. Looking at weather data, LeMessurier concluded that a storm strong enough to take down Citicorp Center occurs in New York City once every 50 years. If power to the tuned mass damper failed (a plausible occurrence in a hurricane), this probability fell to once every 16 years. In a subsequent analysis of events, LeMessurier wrote there had been a 100% probability of total collapse by the end of the century, adding: When collapse occurred, it would have come suddenly, without warning, and would have killed thousands of people. Here I am, the only person in the world who knew, he recounted in the aforementioned lecture. Theres nothing wrong with the building, nobody knows anythings wrong. Theres no cracks; the building behaves itself perfectly. So, what do you do? Professional ethics Facing legal, professional and reputational ruin, LeMessurier had little choice but to blow the whistle on himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes emotionally cornered, said Greenburg, who spoke with LeMessuriers daughters while researching his book and paints a sympathetic portrait of the engineer. He was concerned to the point of contemplating suicide. (LeMessurier said as much himself, half-joking: I thought briefly about driving into an abutment but then I said, I would miss the end of the story.) LeMessurier briefed colleagues, collaborators and the bank to his miscalculation. One of the Twin Towers engineers, Leslie Robertson, was brought in to oversee the response, but LeMessurier was given the chance to fix his own mistake. His proposal was straightforward enough: weld steel plates over the bolted joints. But planning for the worst-case scenario, in the meantime, was far from simple. Robertson hired a private weather forecasting company to provide data on any tropical storms forming in the Atlantic. Gauges measuring stresses at key points in the building were installed to alert engineers to any dangerous movement. Secret evacuation plans were made, too. LeMessurier informed city officials of his findings, and the Red Cross was consulted to understand what a building collapse in densely populated Manhattan might look like. The tower, since renamed 601 Lexington, pictured in 2020. - John Lamparski/Getty Images Around halfway through the repairs, Hurricane Ella formed in the Atlantic and threatened to barrel toward New York City. To LeMessuriers relief, the storm veered away. Even then, the extent of the danger remained unknown to the public. While some reporters asked questions, that years newspaper strike meant the corrective measures went largely unscrutinized. They were carried out over two months, by crews working inconspicuously at night, and the parties then quietly resolved compensation and insurance claims. While some critics have questioned the secrecy with which repairs were made, LeMessurier was almost universally commended for his disclosure and cooperation, Greenburg writes. The tale of Citicorp Center has since become a morality tale of professional ethics, the author added: Its really become the seminal story when training engineers. The full extent of the danger was not publicized until 1995, when the New Yorker magazine published an article by Joseph Morgenstern (whose transcripts underpin Greenburgs book) detailing the crisis. LeMessurier was, after then, increasingly open with students, contemporaries and the press about his error. It did not prove to be career-ending, though he will always be best known for the mistake he made and fixed. The Great Miscalculation: The Race to Save New York Citys Citicorp Tower, published by Washington Mews Books/New York University Press, is available now. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com It has been an extended, prolonged stretch of very dry weather for many this summer season. The drought conditions have expanded along with the fire restrictions and burn bans. These are all good things to keep in mind this weekend as many of us will still likely be participating in summertime activities like grilling, camping, etc. Heres the latest Drought Monitor update and a look at the coinciding fire danger risks for today. Drought Monitor: There are very few of us that are not in drought at this point. Luckily, its just the first stage of drought which is considered to be abnormally dry. Its the first sign that we need to start taking action until we can get a light, soaking rain back in the forecast. Fire Danger Forecast: The combination of drought conditions, low relative humidity, and lots of dry fuel (leaves/sticks/grass) means that our fire danger will remain high to very high across the Green Mountain State. However, that same fire danger risk applies almost across the board and our entire coverage area. Please heed all burn bans, fire restrictions, and play it safe/smart for the foreseeable future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fire Weather Safety Reminders: Do not drive on dry grass, avoid open and outdoor burning, watch where you discard cigarettes or anything with an open flame, and remain aware of any local burn bans for your city/town/village/state. 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. GOSHEN Local high school students will assemble a full-size airplane this fall through a new aviation education program at Goshen Municipal Airport. The STEM in Aviation Youth Indiana program launches Saturday in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Elkhart County, Goshen Community Schools, Viewrail and the airport. STAY Students will learn science, technology, engineering, and math concepts while building a Zenith 750 Cruzer aircraft under the guidance of experienced mechanics and pilots. The student airplane build kickoff event is open to the public and will run from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Visitors will gather for short remarks before walking together to the hangar for a reveal of thousands of airplane parts awaiting assembly. Anyone under 18 will have the chance to take a free airplane ride, weather and space permitting. Zenith will provide a small hands-on project for students, and a flight simulator will allow guests to try landing both an F-14 and a Cessna. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is about introducing a love of aviation to local teens through real-world, hands-on experience, Airport Manager Randy Sharkey said. We have four volunteer aircraft mechanics guiding students every step, and the community support has been tremendous. Students will take part in every stage of the build, from fuselage construction to systems installation. Lessons will cover aerodynamics, mechanics and flight operations, creating pathways toward aviation maintenance or pilot certification. The program will continue as an after-school course from 4-6 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. The program is open to all high school grade levels, offering credit hours and test preparation toward an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certification. Students will also complete online coursework toward their A&P general written exam, the first of three required for certification. Tami Hicks, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Elkhart County, said the program reflects the organizations mission to expand career access for youth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our goal is to provide high pay, high demand career opportunities to teens and engage them in unique ways of gaining access to these careers, Hicks said. All those doing the build will receive membership to Boys & Girls Clubs as well. Sharkey said STAY chose Goshen for its hangar space, volunteer leaders and strong city support. He added that the program underscores the airports growing role in local education. Goshen Mayor Gina Leichty said the project reflects the power of collaboration. This project shows what happens when we combine creative thinking and community partnerships, she said. It proves the airport is more than a luxury amenity. It is a place where young people can explore careers, gain skills and expand their vision for the future. DENVER (KDVR) A new study shows youth violence is falling sharply in one Denver neighborhood, but the program credited with driving that change could soon lose critical federal funding. Between 2016 and 2021, arrests for violent crimes involving youth dropped 75% in Denvers Northeast Park Hill neighborhood, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder. They say the Youth Violence Prevention Center-Denver played a key role in that drop through its evidence-based, community-driven prevention programs. Action matters: Safe2Tell sees most reports in program history during 2024-2025 school year Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a significant result, and its something that the community should be very, very proud of, said Beverly Kingston, director of CU Boulders Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence. The community looks at their own data, their own needs and then they identify research-based strategies to address those needs. The study, published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice, highlights a prevention strategy focused on social-emotional learning and youth-led initiatives, including the Game Changers program. But the final year of a five-year, $1.2 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is at risk of being cut as the CDC faces budget reductions. That $1.2 million is the funding for the fifth and final year, Kingston said. That is when we analyze all the data, write the papers and disseminate the findings. Kingston said prevention efforts like YVPC-Ds are not only more effective than reacting to crime after it happens theyre also less expensive in the long run. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sixteen-year-old peer leader Imani Shannon said the program has expanded her perspective on how violence impacts the community and how youth can help address it. It bridges the youth and also adults, and the way were doing it through these alternatives, I think, is really essential to the community, Shannon said. Parker athletic trainer found guilty of 12 charges, including child sex assault About 90% of YVPC-Ds funding comes from federal sources. Leaders say they are calling on private donors and community support to help sustain the work. The center hosted a media event Thursday night, followed by a screening of Breaking the Cycle: Stories of Strength and Survival of Gun Violence, a documentary created by participants in the program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More information about YVPC-Ds work 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 FOX31 Denver. A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday. Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didnt want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Shaw didnt realize the travel permit that allowed her to exit and re-enter the US had expired. Thats when Shaw and her son, whose immigration documents were valid, were taken into custody by CBP. Shaw tried to get a humanitarian parole, which would have allowed her to enter the US and return home, but she was denied, her attorney said. Shaw then asked if her boyfriend or a friend could pick up her son since his documents were up to date, but she was again denied, Thorward said. They were transported to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, roughly 2,000 miles from their home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shaws detention is among the latest examples of the Trump administrations immigration crackdown, which, despite pledges to focus on violent criminals, has also swept up lawful residents like Shaw. Shaw arrived in the US as a tourist in 2021 and married a citizen that year. Shortly after, the marriage ended, and she filed an I-360 petition in April 2022, her lawyer told CNN. Her application remains under review after multiple delays. Shaw had been living in the US under a combo card, a dual document that serves as both a work permit and travel document. She secured the permit through her job working for Washington state, her lawyer said. When it came time to renew both parts of the combo card, Shaw paid to have the work permit renewed, but didnt renew the travel permit because she didnt have any plans for travel at that time and its expensive, Thorward said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In June, Shaw received confirmation of her work permit renewal, but mistakenly believed it also extended her travel authorization a minor administrative paperwork error according to her lawyer. She had completely re-established herself. She had a full-time job, an apartment, adopted a dog, a new boyfriend, and the kids were in school and doing great, Thorward said. She made a mistake, but she has no previous convictions none. This is a very clean case. Immigrants walk through the ICE South Texas Family Residential Center , in Dilley, Texas on August 23, 2019. - Eric Gay/AP/File Shaw previously told Thorward the Department of Homeland Security said she may be released on Friday, but Thorward said she hadnt received any direct updates from authorities. CNN has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding Shaws case. New Zealands foreign affairs ministry said it was in contact with Shaw but declined to provide further details for privacy reasons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Set to begin a masters program in psychology this month at Northwest University, Shaw was worried about whether she would be released from detention in time, her lawyer said. Thorward said border officials had the discretion to grant Shaw humanitarian parole rather than detaining her. It was not necessary, inappropriate and inhumane (to detain Shaw and her son), Thorward said. Shes lawfully in the country. Shes been doing everything in good faith. In a statement to CNN, a CBP spokesperson said that individuals with expired parole trying to re-enter the US would be detained in compliance with immigration laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If they are accompanied by a minor, CBP will follow all protocols to keep families together or arrange care with a legal guardian, a spokesperson said. A facility for migrant families A friend of Shaws, Victoria Besancon, told CNN Shaw has spent three weeks in a cramped detention facility, feeling incredibly isolated. Each room contains 5 to 6 bunk beds, and rooms are locked from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., Besancon told CNN, adding that she has been able to phone Shaw daily and recently video chat. Besancon said they were among the few English speakers in the facility. Shaws son has been very sad he lost his summer vacation to being locked in the facility. Shaw has used commissary funds to buy him ice cream and colored pencils to make him feel at home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres not a lot for kids to do. Maybe some coloring books. Theres no time for them to be outside, Thorward said, adding detainees were left sweltering in the South Texas heat, where summer temperatures can reach up to 97 degrees. The South Texas Family Residential Center, one of the largest of its kind in the US, primarily houses migrant women and children. After closing last year, it reopened in March under an agreement between a private prison operator and ICE, with a capacity to detain up to 2,400 people. Other mothers who have been detained with their children at family migrant facilities have similarly described their experiences as traumatic and said they will have lasting psychological effect on children. ICE says the detention centers are safe. On its website, the agency includes a list of safety and health standards for family residential centers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Dilley facility is retrofitted for families, an ICE spokesperson said. This includes medical, dental, and mental health intake screening and access to medical care. CNNs Lex Harvey and Todd Symons contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday hoisted the national flag on the occasion of 79th Independence Day at the CM's residence in Bhopal. CM Yadav also extended greetings to the residents of the state and the country on the 79th Independence Day, highlighting that it is the most special occasion above all the festivals. "I extend my heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all residents of the state and the nation on the occasion of Independence Day, August 15. This occasion is above all the festivals such as Diwali, Dussehra, and Eid. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India continues to progress and may become a leading nation by the Amrit Kaal of 2047," CM Yadav said. The Chief Minister also recalled the freedom fighters and revolutionaries, who sacrificed their lives for the country's independence, and paid tribute to them. He further said, "I pray to God that India never faces hard times again, and I extend my best wishes once again for the nation's glory and excellence." Additionally, CM Yadav mentioned in a post on X that today makes us aware of their duties towards the making of a golden India, the dream of the freedom fighters, and urged everyone to give their contribution in making 'Ek Bharat-Shrestha Bharat, Viksit Bharat-Atmanirbhar Bharat' in the Amritkaal of Independence. "Heartiest greetings and best wishes to all of you on the most sacred national festival, Independence Day! I pay tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed themselves in the freedom struggle. Today's day makes us aware of our duties towards the creation of golden India, the dream of the freedom fighters. Let us pledge to give our best contribution in the creation of 'Ek Bharat-Shrestha Bharat, Viksit Bharat-Atmanirbhar Bharat' in the Amrit Kaal of Independence," CM Yadav said in a post on X. After hoisting the flag, the Chief Minister also reached Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state office and hoisted the tricolour with Hemant Khandelwal. Thereafter, he reached Shaurak Samark and paid floral tributes to soldiers who sacrificed their lives to safeguard the nation to mark the occasion. (ANI) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is not attending the US-Russia summit in Alaska, said he expects intelligence briefings on the discussions. "I expect a report today from our intelligence services on the current intentions of the Russian side and their preparations for the Alaska meeting," Zelensky wrote on Telegram. He wrote that the main goal is for the talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump to pave the way for a three-way meeting that would include himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It is time to end the war, and Russia must take the corresponding steps. We are counting on America," Zelensky said. Putin and Trump are set to meet in person for the first time since the start of the February 2022 invasion at a military base in Anchorage with discussions expected to focus on potential paths to a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin will benefit the most from Fridays high stakes meeting with President Trump in Alaska. I believe that Putin will benefit from this, because what he is seeking, frankly, is photographs, Zelensky told a small group of reporters at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv. He needs a photo from a meeting with President Trump. Zelensky who will not be at Fridays meeting, is hoping to steer Trump away from any talk of territorial concessions amid the ongoing war in Eastern Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president has sought to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, and he threatened potential economic sanctions against Putin if he does not agree to a ceasefire soon. On Thursday, Trump did not rule out the possibility of a second meeting between the leaders, which would include Zelensky, whom he spoke with earlier this week ahead of the meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. If the three of us meet and dont reach an agreement, then it is Ukraine and Russia that have not reached an agreement not the United States, Zelensky told the reporters. And President Trump is not only a mediator here, he is in a winning position, because America succeeded in bringing the Russians and Ukrainians to the table. It doesnt matter that we are ready and they are not all that is secondary. America appears strong, as it is, he continued. As for the outcome of this bilateral meeting in Alaska, I do not know. We will see it together, most likely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. Hours before US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated his call for a trilateral meeting. "It is precisely in this format that real solutions are possible," Zelensky said in his evening video address on Friday. Russia must end the war it started against his country, he said. Ukraine needs security guarantees and lasting peace, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser in Zelensky's office, outlined on Telegram key criteria for Kiev to evaluate the US-Russia talks in Alaska. An "immediate, unconditional and complete ceasefire" must be achieved, he said. Kiev is also calling for trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the United States, which must be coordinated with European states. Furthermore, Podoliak said, all buyers of Russian raw materials should be threatened with isolation, loss of markets and sanctions. "First, the killing of people stops, then politics begins," the adviser wrote. Podoliak suggested that Trump could leave Alaska as a peacemaker if the first point of the ceasefire is "literally implemented within an hour." Otherwise, he said, "tough pressure measures" must be applied. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported that Ukraines defence forces are making progress in repelling Russias offensive on the Pokrovsk front. He also outlined what he expects the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska to achieve. Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter) following a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Details: Zelenskyy said he is awaiting a briefing from Ukrainian intelligence on Friday regarding Russias current intentions and its preparations for the Alaska meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said the main purpose of the meeting is to open up a genuine path towards a just peace and enable a substantive trilateral discussion to take place between the leaders of Ukraine, the United States and Russia. "It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America. We are ready, as always, to work as productively as possible," Zelenskyy emphasised. Zelenskyy also reported on the situation on the Pokrovsk, Dobropillia and Zaporizhzhia fronts. Quote: "The front, particularly the Pokrovsk front. We are countering the attempts of Russian forces to gain a foothold and increasing the pressure of our units on the occupier. We are succeeding. Units of the 79th and 82nd Air Assault Brigades are operating very effectively on the Dobropillia front. Today, a decision has been made to further reinforce this and other areas in Donetsk Oblast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Special attention was paid to positions in Zaporizhzhia Oblast I thank all our warriors for their resilience. The Russian army continues to suffer significant losses in its attempts to secure more favourable political positions for the Russian leadership at the meeting in Alaska. We understand this plan and are informing our partners about the real situation." Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pointed out that Russian forces are continuing to carry out deliberate strikes on Ukrainian regions despite the upcoming meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. Source: Zelenskyy in his evening address Quote: "Im receiving reports from our intelligence and from diplomats about the preparations for the meeting in Alaska and about what Putin is bringing with him. We are also receiving reports from Ukrainian regions following Russian strikes. Sumy a Russian strike on the central market. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast strikes on cities and industrial facilities. Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Donetsk oblasts deliberate Russian strikes. The war continues. It continues precisely because there is not even a signal, still less an order, that Moscow is preparing to end this war." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Zelenskyy pointed out that "on the day of the negotiations, they [the Russians] are still killing", which speaks volumes. "The day before [the meeting], we had a discussion with the United States of America and with the Europeans about what could really work. Everyone needs a just end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to bring the war to an end. We hope for a strong US position. Everything will depend on this the Russians respect American strength. Only strength", Zelenskyy said. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani closed out the fifth and final day of his "Five Boroughs Against Trump" tour at his home borough in Queens. At the 32BJ Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in Richmond Hill on Friday morning, Mamdani wrapped his week-long, anti-Trump tour and was endorsed by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. He was also joined by workers from across Queens whom the campaign said are on the "frontlines of attacks from the Trump administration." One by one, the union workers shared their personal testimonies about Trump's impact on their industries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The struggle in New York City, though it is often used to justify so much, has no real interest to Donald Trump, no real care or concern," Mamdani said on Friday. Get Out Of Town!: Staten Island Crowd Confronts Zohran Mamdani At Anti-trump Rally Mamdani visited Manhattan on Monday, Brooklyn on Tuesday, Staten Island on Wednesday, the Bronx on Thursday and Queens on Friday to reject the impact of President Donald Trump's second-term agenda on New York City. Read On The Fox News App Mamdani Points To Bronx Population Loss As Proof Nycs Affordability Crisis During His Anti-trump Tour Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Today marks the fifth and final day in our Five Borough tour of this city, and standing up against the Trump administration's vision and the way in which it mandates an attack on the very fabric of the city that we call home," Mamdani said on Friday. Topics throughout the week ranged from immigration to the economy as Mamdani worked to tie his leading opponent in the race for Gracie Mansion, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, to Trump. "After this Five Borough tour, it would be rational to feel a sense of helplessness, to feel a sense of disappointment," Mamdani said on Friday. Mamdani said on Friday that the tour brought him a "sense of hope" because he saw New Yorkers "struggling with the burden that this vision from Washington, D.C., has created for all of us," and yet, they "continue to dream of the life that they deserve in this city." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is about working people and ensuring that working people can thrive and survive in this very city that's becoming out of reach for everyday New Yorkers," the Bronx borough president said, explaining his endorsement of Mamdani. And as Mamdani faced criticism from some Staten Islanders earlier this week who joined Trump in labeling him a "communist," Richards reminded the group gathered that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "was called a socialist and communist as well, for those who need a reminder." Zohran Mamdani hosted five anti-Trump rallies across New York City's Five Boroughs this week. "The voters have spoken in this city, and they said that they're looking for something different," the Queens leader said. Fox News Digital caught up with Richards after the event to clarify if he was comparing Mamdani to King. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Borough president said he would never say that Mamdani is King, but that both leaders have been called communists, and that Mamdani is "speaking to the pulse of what people care about right now." When reached for comment regarding Mamdani's anti-Trump tour earlier in the week, White House spokeswoman, Abigail Jackson, told Fox News Digital, "Comrade Mamdani is the American peoples worst nightmare." "His communist policies will crater our economy, increase crime, crowd out Americans with free health care for illegal immigrants, and defund the brave men and women of law enforcement who keep us safe," Jackson said. The White House added, "The American people have repeatedly rejected this communist agenda and the more Mamdani shares his radical policies, the more the American people will recoil." Original article source: Zohran Mamdani closes out his anti-Trump tour in his home borough in Queens Looking for a break? Test your knowledge of this week's news from the Yakima Valley. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation from Red Fort on the occasion of celebrating 79th Independence Day, said, "Kisi doosre ki lakeer chhoti karne ke liye, apni oorja hamein nahi khapani hai. Hamein poori oorja ke saath hamari lakeer ko lamba karna hai." Continuing his speech, the Prime Minister inspired the nation's people not to sit and lament over the global crisis. "Today, when economic selfishness is rising day by day in the global situation, it is the need of the hour that we don't sit crying over those crises. Himmat ke saath apni lakeer ko lambi karein...If we take that path, no selfishness will not able to entangle us," said PM Modi. In his speech, he also hailed the success of Operation Sindoor and saluted the role of the armed forces who targeted terror sites in Pakistan. The operation, he said, was an expression of India's outrage at the Pahalgam terrorists' attack in which "husbands were killed in front of their wives and fathers were killed in front of their children after asking their religion." "I am very proud that from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I am getting the opportunity to salute the heroes of Operation Sindoor. Our brave jawans punished the enemy beyond its imagination," PM Modi said. "On 22nd April, terrorists from across the border came to Pahalgam and killed people after asking their religion...Entire India was outraged, and the entire world was shocked by such a massacre. Operation Sindoor is the expression of that outrage," he added. PM Modi further stated that the Indus Water Treaty was an injustice to the people of India and was "one-sided. "India and its farmers have the sole right over the country's share of Indus river waters, the Prime Minister said."The rivers of India were irrigating the enemy country while our farmers were deprived of water. Now, the right over India's share of water belongs only to India and its farmers. A compromise on farmers' interests and national interests is not acceptable to us. India has decided that blood and water will not flow together. Our country has been bearing the pain of terrorism for many decades," he said. (ANI) Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Independence Day, announced that the 200th birth anniversary of social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule will be commemorated with events aimed at transforming lives. Emphasising Phule's principles, PM Modi stated, "In the very near future, the 200th birth anniversary of great social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule is coming up. We are going to kickstart events for the anniversary. In the principles of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, the mantras he gave, lie inspiration for us - priority to the backwards. Giving priority to the poor, we want to scale the heights of transformation..and with transparent strategies we want to bring fore the backward and poor " Mahatma Jyotirao Phule was a renowned Indian social activist, reformer, and writer from Maharashtra. Born on April 11, 1827, in Satara, Maharashtra, he's best known for his tireless efforts to eradicate the caste system, promote women's education, and empower the oppressed. He along with his followers, formed the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth) to attain equal rights for peasants and people from lower castes. Phule is regarded as an important figure in Maharashtra's social reform movement. He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of women's education in India. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolour at the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day. PM Modi was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Sanjay Seth, and the Chiefs of the three services. The Prime Minister was also received by the ceremonial guard of honour by the National Flag Guard, the Indian Air Force, Army, Navy, and Delhi Police, totaling upto 128 people. Wing Commander Arun Nagar led the interservices guard of honour. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, while addressing the nation on the 79th Independence Day, reaffirmed his support to protect farmers, saying that he is "standing tall like a wall against policies which are against farmer interest." The remarks, made on the ramparts of Red Fort, come amid United States putting pressure on India to open up its agriculture market and subsequently putting a 25 per cent additional tariff, with the western nation calling it a 'penalty' for buying Russian oil. "If any policy is against India's farmers, fishermen, cattle rearers, Modi is standing like a wall," PM Modi said in Hindi. Talking about standing his ground in the era of 'economic selfishness,' he added, "I say this with great experience. Kisi doosre ki lakeer chhoti karne ke liye, apni oorja hamein nahi khapani hai. Hamein poori oorja ke saath hamari lakeer ko lamba karna hai. If we do that, the world will admit our strength." "Today, when economic selfishness is rising day by day in the global situation, it is the need of the hour that we don't sit crying over those crises. Himmat ke saath apni lakeer ko lambi karein...If we take that path, no selfishness will not able to entangle us," he added. The Prime Minister's comments come after US President Donald announced the imposition of 25 per cent additional tariffs on Indian goods and a penalty for importing Russian oil, even as there were hopes of an interim India-US trade that would have otherwise helped avoid elevated tariffs. In response, Ministry of Commerce and Industry is holding talks with exporters, industries and all stakeholders and gathering information on their assessment of this issue with the goal of protecting the interests of farmers, labourers, entrepreneurs, industrialists, exporters, MSMEs and stakeholders of the industrial sector. In March 2025, India and the US initiated talks for a BTA, with the countries stating that the first tranche would be signed by the fall of 2025. (October-November).Talks took place in New Delhi and the US, and there have also been virtual meetings. In its statement on Wednesday, Commerce and Industry Ministry said that it as taken note of a statement by the US President on bilateral trade and the Government is studying its implications. There were some reservations from the Indian side on the US demand for opening up the agricultural and dairy sectors for the US. Agriculture and dairy are critical for India as these two sectors provide livelihood opportunities to a large section of its people.US President Donald Trump had imposed reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries with which the US has a trade deficit. Since assuming office for his second term, President Trump has reiterated his stance on tariff reciprocity, emphasising that the United States will match tariffs imposed by other countries, including India, to "ensure fair trade". (ANI) Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi extended heartfelt greetings to all citizens on the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day, paying tribute to the country's freedom fighters. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge urged people to honour the legacy of the national movement by continuing the struggle for constitutional rights, social justice, economic empowerment, and national unity. https://x.com/kharge/status/1956181175778861121 "Heartfelt greetings and congratulations to all countrymen on Independence Day. We pay humble tribute to the countless great freedom fighters, remembering their sacrifices and invaluable contributions to the national movement. This day is significant because we, the people of India, are now fighting for our rights, the protection of constitutional institutions, social justice, economic empowerment, and brotherhood. Let us come together to carry this struggle forward and resolve to protect the interests of every Indian. Jai Hind," the post added on X. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi highlighted that independence is a resolve to build a nation rooted in truth, equality, and brotherhood. https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/1956198757588197459 He said, "Heartfelt Independence Day greetings to all countrymen. This freedom, achieved through the sacrifices of great freedom fighters, is a resolve to build an India where justice rests on the foundation of truth and equality, and every heart is filled with respect and brotherhood. It is the duty of all of us to protect the pride and honor of this precious heritage. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!" Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera noted that freedom is the product of the collective efforts of ancestors, emphasizing that it is the responsibility of every citizen to safeguard the values, dreams, and purposes of independence. "Our freedom is the shared victory of our ancestors' collective struggle. If, due to our ignorance or carelessness, any harm comes to it, we will be guilty before our ancestors. Strengthening and sustaining freedom means ensuring that its purposes, dreams, and values are neither broken nor plundered. Victory to India," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolour at the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day. Today's address marked Prime Minister Modi's 12th Independence Day address. PM Modi was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Sanjay Seth, and the Chiefs of the three services. The Prime Minister was also received by the ceremonial guard of honour by the National Flag Guard, the Indian Air Force, Army, Navy, and Delhi Police, totalling upto 128 people. Wing Commander Arun Nagar led the inter-services guard of honour. For the first time, a number of band performances will be conducted pan-India on the evening of Independence Day celebrations to promote patriotic fervour among citizens and to celebrate the victory of Operation Sindoor. The performances will be conducted by the bands of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, NCC, CRPF, ITBP, CISF, SSB, BSF, IDS, RPF and Assam Rifles at over 140 prominent locations throughout the country. (ANI) The Westend shopping center in Budapest, part of the Granit Polus Group, has launched its first-ever competition aimed at elevating the visitor experience, called "HackTheMall: The Westend Experience". The competition invites innovative ideas to improve customer engagement, integrate sustainable operations, introduce new digital solutions, and shape community life at one of Budapests largest shopping centers. Applications are open until September 1. The Granit Polus Group views Westend not only as a retail destination but also as one of the capitals important community spaces, where visitors can recharge, relax and meet others. In recent years, the group has introduced a range of developments in line with this vision, including interactive community areas, upgrades to the rooftop park, and sustainable operational practices such as solar energy use and AI-driven solutions. The Westend Innovation Center, which is organizing the event, is seeking applications from young professionals with commercial or business backgrounds such as programmers, marketers, strategists, business developers, UX/UI designers, content creators, and proptech and fintech specialists as well as startup founders. The diverse range of fields reflects the organizers belief that multidisciplinary concepts have the greatest chance of success, a diversity they expect will be mirrored in team composition. Participants can apply individually or in teams of three to five, with individual applicants assigned to teams by organizers. Over 24 hours, participants will develop bold, digital-first ideas tailored to the shopping centers characteristics, rethinking operations and the customer journey in ways that could even help increase tenants basket size, or average customer spend. The focus will not be limited to retail-related solutions ideas improving logistical efficiency will also be welcomed. Guidance From Proptech Experts PropTech Hungary is the professional partner of the event, providing industry insight and mentorship. The hackathon will feature guidance from top European proptech experts, including Simon Staack, managing director and co-founder of Emplate, and Erwin Buckers, CEO and co-founder of Chainels, who will contribute their international experience to help refine participants concepts. Teams will present their ideas the next day to a professional jury comprising Peter Csillag, one of Hungarys most prominent IT and data technology experts and an investor on the television program Capak Kozott; Gergely Petheo, IKEAs retail innovation leader; Zoltan Kalmar, founder of PropTech Hungary and a digital transformation specialist; Stefania Csordas, Westends B2C director; and Patrik Palvolgyi, head of the Westend Innovation Center. The winning team will receive a Westend gift card worth HUF 1 million, along with other valuable prizes. The Granit Polus Group views its real estate portfolio as a long-term investment, which we aim to operate smartly, sustainably and cost-effectively, according to the highest standards, said Miklos Gyertyanfy, CEO of Granit Polus Group. We are aware of the responsibility that comes with operating Westend Shopping Center, given its size and market position, and this responsible approach makes it especially important for us to integrate forward-looking, innovative solutions into our operations. The young professionals who now help make Westend more efficient and engaging with their ideas will, in effect, be our partners in rethinking how we city dwellers will live, connect and use urban spaces in the near and distant future, he added. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Showcase Your Business to Expats in the Loop: As an independent portal were grateful to all commercial supporters who help keep you in the loop with fresh insights and inspiration. Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? If so please contact us here. A bus caught fire on Alkotas ut in downtown Buda yesterday, the third such incident in just two days. The blaze broke out in the engine compartment at a time when the bus was stopped with no passengers on board. The driver extinguished the blaze before firefighters arrived, who then cooled the area. Another BKV bus burned in the same district earlier on Thursday. A fire that broke out on a bus in downtown Pest on Wednesday was so intense it scorched a nearby building. Mayor Gergely Karacsony has requested an immediate report from the BKV and ordered safety measures. Transport expert and city councillor David Vitezy said the root cause is the governments refusal to allow Budapest to buy new buses. The two Mercedes Citaro vehicles that caught fire yesterday were bought second-hand in 2012 in Frankfurt after they had been in service for 11 years, and were originally intended to be in service for only four to five more years. Vitezy argued that material fatigue is now causing dangerous failures. He recalled that in 2021, the city council approved a Ft 30 billion loan to buy 380 new buses, with tenders completed and deliveries planned for 2023. The loan, from OTP, K&H and Granit banks, required government approval, but the application was rejected after nine months, without explanation. As a result, he said, the BKV has had to lease ageing buses at high cost. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Showcase Your Business to Expats in the Loop: As an independent portal were grateful to all commercial supporters who help keep you in the loop with fresh insights and inspiration. Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? If so please contact us here. A Bhopal students emotional reaction video after getting into Harvard has gone viral, celebrating family, love, and the joy of achieving a dream. The School Education Department of Jammu and Kashmir has given instructions to make singing the national anthem mandatory in the morning in all schools of the Union Territory. Now every day during the morning assembly in the schools of Jammu and Kashmir, teachers will also talk with the students on general knowledge, mental health, environment and career of the students. So that the students do not face any kind of problem in future, the knowledge of the students also increases and their character is also built. What did National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah say on this today? Amid the ongoing political turmoil in the state, Nagaland Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya on Saturday asserted that the one who has got the majority of votes should be the Chief Minister of the state, adding that the political stability is a must in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, in his address to the nation on the 79th Independence Day, listed out India's recent achievements and self-reliance in the space sector that make the country "filled with pride." He said that the country is preparing for Gaganyaan, India's flagship human spaceflight programme, as "aatmanirbhar Bharat." "We are all seeing the feat in the space sector, and we are filled with pride. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has returned from ISS (International Space Station), and in the coming few days, he will be coming to India. In space, we are preparing for Gaganyaan, as aatmanirbhar Bharat," PM Modi said. "We are also working towards building our own Space Station. I am proud that more than 300 startups of the country are working just in the space sector. Among those 300 startups, thousands of youth are working with full capability. This is the strength of the youth of our country, and this is our trust in th youth of our country," he said. The Prime Minister also announced the launch of Rs 1 lakh crore for the youth of the country. "My country's youth, today is 15th August, and on this very day, we are launching a scheme worth Rs 1 lakh crore for the youth of our country. From today, the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana is being implemented... Under this scheme, young men and women getting their first job in the private sector will receive Rs 15,000 from the government. Companies that create more employment opportunities will also be given incentive amounts. The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana will create nearly 3.5 crore new employment opportunities for the youth," he said. Emphasing the importance of self-reliance in the manufacturing sector, PM Modi said that the country had the wonders of Made in India in Operation Sindoor "We have seen the wonders of Made in India in Operation Sindoor. Even the enemy was shocked at the kind of ammunition that was destroying them within seconds. Had we not been self-reliant, would we have been able to carry out Operation Sindoor at such a level? In the last 10 years, we set our target to become self-reliant in the defence sector, and today we are seeing the results," he said. He also announced that made-in-India semiconductor chips will be available in the market by the end of this year, marking a major milestone in India's technological journey. "To the youth of the nation and to those around the world who understand India's technological strength, I want to say this: by the end of this very year, 'Made-in-India' chips will be available in the market," the Prime Minister declared, underlining the government's push to make India self-reliant in semiconductor manufacturing. "We broke free from that burden and took the semiconductor initiative forward in mission mode. Six different units are now being set up on the ground. We've already given the green light to four of them. To the youth of the nation and to those around the world who understand India's technological strength, I want to say this: by the end of this very year, 'Made-in-India' chips will be available in the market." (ANI) Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday refuted the Independence Day remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which criticised the post-independence Congress governments in India for "killing the idea of semiconductor in the womb." Dismissing the remarks as "one more example of what a pathological liar Modi is", he said that Semiconductors Complex Ltd, established in Chandigarh, started operations in 1983. PM Narendra Modi had in his address to the nation today said, "When we speak of different aspects of technology, I draw your attention to semiconductors, as an example. I am not at the Red Fort to criticise any government; I do not want to do it. But the youth of the country should know about it. File work on semiconductors began 50-60 years ago in our country. The idea of a semiconductor factory came forth 50-60 years ago. You would be surprised to know that the idea of the semiconductor was killed in the womb 50-60 years ago. We lost 50-60 years..." The Prime Minister also announced that made-in-India semiconductor chips will be available in the market by the end of this year, marking a major milestone in India's technological journey. "To the youth of the nation and to those around the world who understand India's technological strength, I want to say this: by the end of this very year, 'Made-in-India' chips will be available in the market," the Prime Minister declared, underlining the government's push to make India self-reliant in semiconductor manufacturing. "We broke free from that burden and took the semiconductor initiative forward in mission mode. Six different units are now being set up on the ground. We've already given the green light to four of them. To the youth of the nation and to those around the world who understand India's technological strength, I want to say this: by the end of this very year, 'Made-in-India' chips will be available in the market," he added. He emphasised that the current government has broken away from that legacy and is moving forward in mission mode to develop a strong domestic semiconductor ecosystem. The announcement comes at a time when India is seeking to position itself as a global hub for semiconductor manufacturing amid growing geopolitical shifts and supply chain realignments. In a significant push to India's chip-making ambitions, the Centre approved four new semiconductor manufacturing projects with a total investment of Rs 4,600 crore under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). These semiconductor units will be set up in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed the nation on the 79th Independence Day from the ramparts of the Red Fort, marking his 12th consecutive speech on the occasion and, by doing so, surpassing the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's record for the most successive speeches on August 15. Narendra Modi first addressed the nation as Prime Minister from the Red Fort in 2014 and has now delivered a speech every year without a break, from 2014 to 2025. Indira Gandhi had delivered 11 consecutive Independence Day addresses during her tenure, though she gave 16 in total across her time in office. The milestone makes PM Modi the second Indian Prime Minister to deliver 12 Independence Day speeches in a row, after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who still has the most consecutive speeches delivered with 17 in total. Wearing a saffron turban, PM Modi began his address by greeting the nation on its 79th Independence Day, reflecting on India's progress over the past decades and laying out his government's vision for a 'Viksit Bharat' while making the nation self-reliant. He emphasised the importance of self-reliance under the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative, urging the youth, scientists, and government departments to focus on developing indigenous technologies. He hailed the idea, with Operation Sindoor being an example of such self-reliance and the power of 'Made in India' being displayed. The Prime Minister, in his address, reaffirmed his support to protect farmers, saying that he is "standing tall like a wall against policies which are against farmers interests." The remarks, made on the ramparts of Red Fort, come amid the US putting pressure on India to open up its agriculture market and subsequently putting on a 25 per cent additional tariff, with the western nation calling it a 'penalty' for buying Russian oil. He also announced that the government is set to bring a major reform in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which will give significant relief to the consumers and small businesses, calling for revisions in the GST to be rolled out around Diwali, describing them as a "double Diwali gift" for the people. In his Independence Day speech, PM Modi also unveiled the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) with an outlay of Rs 1 lakh crore. The scheme aims to provide 3.5 crore employment opportunities to the youth and offer them Rs 15,000 upon securing their first job. (ANI) The Southern Naval Command marked the 79th Independence Day with a grand ceremonial parade, reviewed by Vice Admiral V. Srinivas, PVSM, AVSM, NM, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command. The event showcased the Navy's discipline, dedication, and commitment to safeguarding the nation's maritime frontiers. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his 12th consecutive Independence Day address from the Red Fort on Friday, emphasizing India's unwavering commitment to national security and farmers' rights. In his speech, he declared that India will assert full control over its share of river waters, describing the Indus Water Treaty as "an injustice" that had deprived Indian farmers while benefiting the neighbouring country. He stressed that compromises on farmers' and national interests "are not acceptable... not anymore. In his speech PM Modi said, "Bharat has decided that blood and water will not flow together. The Indus Water Treaty was an injustice to the people of India. The rivers of India were irrigating the enemy country while our own farmers were deprived of water. Now, the right over India's share of water belongs only to India and its farmers." "The people of our country have clearly understood how unjust and one-sided the Indus agreement is. The waters of rivers originating in India have been irrigating the fields of our enemies, while the farmers and the land of my own country remain thirsty without water. This was such an agreement that has caused unimaginable damage to the farmers of my country for the last seven decades. Now, the right over the water belongs only to the farmers of India," he added. On national security, the Prime Minister warned against nuclear threats, reflecting on the April 22 Pahalgam massacre.PM Modi said, "Entire India was outraged, and the entire world was shocked by such a massacre (Pahalgam)...Operation Sindoor is the expression of that outrage.... Destruction in Pakistan is so massive that new revelations are being made every day and new information is coming out daily." "I am very proud that from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I am getting the opportunity to salute the heroes of Operation Sindoor. Our brave jawans punished the enemy beyond its imagination. On 22nd April, terrorists from across the border came to Pahalgam and killed people after asking their religion. Entire India was outraged, and the entire world was shocked by such a massacre. Operation Sindoor is the expression of that outrage," he added. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami hoisted the National Flag at his residence in Dehradun on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day and administered the oath of national unity. CM Dhami extended his Independence Day greetings to the people of the state, recalling the valour and supreme sacrifices of the great heroes who fought for the country's freedom and safeguarded Mother India. Paying homage to those who lost their lives in the recent disaster in Dharali and other affected areas, he expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The Chief Minister assured that comprehensive rehabilitation arrangements would be made for the disaster-hit regions. "India's acceptance has increased globally under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to take the country forward by the dreams of the immortal martyrs. Many historic decisions have been taken in the country under his leadership. The work of reconstruction and redevelopment is going on rapidly in Uttarakhand," Uttarakhand CM said. The Chief Minister said that the state government is working with determination for the overall development of Uttarakhand. Work is being done on plans for the next 25 years. With public support, efforts are underway to make Uttarakhand the best state in the country. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolour at the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day. PM Modi also extended his heartfelt wishes to the nation on Independence Day, urging people to work harder, fulfil the dreams of freedom fighters, and contribute to building towards a 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India). "Wishing everyone a very happy Independence Day. May this day inspire us to keep working even harder to realise the dreams of our freedom fighters and build a Viksit Bharat. Jai Hind!" PM Modi wrote in a post on X. PM Modi was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Sanjay Seth, and the Chiefs of the three services. The Prime Minister also received the ceremonial guard of honour by the National Flag Guard, the Indian Air Force, Army, Navy, and Delhi Police, totaling upto 128 people. Wing Commander Arun Nagar led the interservices guard of honour. (ANI) In his 12th Independence Day address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered bold announcements that indicate India is poised to make significant progress into the future. PM Modi outlined plans for various initiatives, including the production of India's first semiconductor chip, the development of jet engines, the creation of 1 lakh crore in youth employment opportunities, and a tenfold expansion of the nuclear program. He presented his vision for "Naya Bharat" (New India) and set the goal of transforming India into a developed nation by 2047. Key points from PM Modi's address included: 1.Semiconductors: From Lost Decades to Mission Mode Recalling how attempts to set up semiconductor factories 50-60 years ago were "killed at birth" while other nations prospered, PM Modi announced that India is now on mission mode. By the end of this year, the nation will roll out its first Made in India chip. 2.Nuclear Energy Capacity to Grow Tenfold by 2047 Work is underway on 10 new nuclear reactors as part of India's mission to increase nuclear power generation capacity by over ten times in the next two decades. 3.GST Reforms - A Diwali Gift Next-generation GST reforms will be unveiled on Diwali, reducing taxes on essential goods and providing relief to MSMEs, local vendors, and consumers. 4.Reform Task Force for a $10 Trillion Bharat PM Modi announced the creation of a dedicated Reform Task Force to drive next-generation reforms. Its mandate: accelerate economic growth, cut red tape, modernise governance, and prepare Bharat for the demands of a $10 trillion economy by 2047. 5.1 Lakh Crore PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana PM Modi launched a major employment scheme worth 1 lakh crore, under which newly employed youth will receive 15,000 per month. The scheme aims to benefit 3 crore young Indians, strengthening the bridge from Swatantra Bharat to Samriddha Bharat. 6.High-Powered Demography Mission PM Modi highlighted the dangers of demographic imbalance due to infiltration and illegal migration in border areas. He announced the launch of a High-Powered Demography Mission to address this national security challenge, ensuring the unity, integrity, and rights of India's citizens are safeguarded. 7.Energy Independence - Samudra Manthan Begins PM Modi pointed out that a large share of India's budget still goes toward importing petrol, diesel, and gas. He announced the launch of the National Deepwater Exploration Mission to tap ocean resources, alongside major expansions in solar, hydrogen, hydro and nuclear power. 8.Made in India Jet Engines - A National Challenge PM Modi made a dramatic announcement that just like how we made vaccines during COVID, and UPI for digital payments, we should build our own jet engines too for our jet engines and asked our scientists and youth to take it up as a direct challenge. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 79th Independence Day address from the Red Fort on Friday, invoked the 1975 Emergency, terming it a "sin of murdering the Constitution" and urging citizens to stay steadfast in defending democratic values. Addressing the nation, PM Modi said,"50 years ago, India's Constitution was strangled and backstabbed; the country was turned into a jail. An emergency was imposed. It has been 50 years of the Emergency. No generation in the country should forget this sin of murdering the Constitution. They should not forget the sinners who murdered the Constitution. We should go ahead by further strengthening our dedication to the Constitution of India. That is our inspiration." The remarks come as the country marks half a century since the Emergency was imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975. PM Modi, who had earlier in June described the anniversary as a "prime example of their shenanigans," reiterated that the 21-month period represented one of the darkest chapters in India's democratic history. Terming it one of the darkest chapters in India's democratic history, Prime Minister Modi said the imposition of the Emergency by the Congress had not only violated the spirit of the Constitution but had also placed "democracy under arrest". Taking to the social media website X, PM Modi, in a series of posts, said, "No Indian would ever forget the manner in which the spirit of our Constitution was violated, the voice of Parliament was muzzled, and attempts were made to control the courts. The 42nd Amendment was a prime example of their shenanigans. The poor, marginalised, and downtrodden were particularly targeted, and their dignity was insulted." Fifty years ago, between 25 June 1975 and 21 March 1977, Indira Gandhi's government unleashed a wave of repression, imprisoning lakhs of people without justification and muzzling the media. The Emergency stripped citizens of their fundamental rights and undermined the country's democratic fabric. On 25 June 1975, then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed issued the Emergency proclamation under Article 352, citing threats from internal disturbance. The Emergency was declared against a backdrop of mounting political unrest and judicial developments that shook the legitimacy of the ruling leadership. The decision followed a press note from the government accusing individuals of provoking the police and armed forces to defy orders. It marked the third Emergency in India's history, but the first one declared in peacetime. Earlier proclamations were during wars with China (1962) and Pakistan (1971). Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolour at the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day.PM Modi was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Sanjay Seth, and the Chiefs of the three services. (ANI) Punjab Governor and Chandigarh's Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria hoisted the tricolor during the Independence Day celebrations at Chandigarh's Sector 17 Parade Ground, delivering a spirited address that honoured the sacrifices of freedom fighters, lauded the bravery of the armed forces, and reminded citizens of their duty to protect the nation's unity and integrity. Paying rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and other freedom fighters, Kataria said that August 15 was not only the day India broke free from 200 years of colonial rule but also a celebration of its cultural unity. He particularly emphasised Punjab's unmatched contribution to the independence movement, recalling the sacrifices of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shaheed Udham Singh and Kartar Singh Sarabha. "Punjab's soil is soaked with the blood of martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation," he said, adding that the Jallianwala Bagh massacre would forever remain a symbol of sacrifice. Warning against ongoing threats from neighbouring countries through cross-border terrorism, drug smuggling and arms trafficking, Kataria praised the armed forces and security agencies for their vigilance and courage. He hailed recent operations such as Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev as proof of India's readiness to take decisive action in the face of provocation. Detailing Operation Sindoor, conducted on May 7 this year in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, he said Indian forces destroyed enemy hideouts, intercepted hundreds of drones and missiles, and struck deep into enemy territory. Operation Mahadev, carried out jointly by the Army, Central Reserve Police Force and Jammu and Kashmir Police, resulted in the elimination of three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack. "These operations have sent a clear message to the world -- India will not bow down to terrorism and will respond in its own language," Kataria asserted. He commended the youth of Chandigarh for volunteering in large numbers for the Civil Defence force during Operation Sindoor. Quoting poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Kataria said their participation reflected sensitivity, awareness and readiness to serve the nation in times of need. He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also praised this initiative in his Mann Ki Baat address, recognising the commitment shown by the city's young citizens. On the issue of narcotics, Kataria described drugs as "a threat to the very foundation of our society" and urged young people to reject them completely to help build a strong and healthy India. He said the Punjab Government and Chandigarh Administration were working relentlessly through anti-drug drives, rehabilitation programmes and awareness campaigns, with active support from NGOs, schools and colleges. Highlighting Punjab's recent achievements in public welfare, Kataria expressed satisfaction that the state was setting new benchmarks in transparency, inclusive growth and citizen-focused governance. He said Punjab had established 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics -- the majority in rural areas and 316 in urban centres -- to provide accessible healthcare at people's doorsteps, with 200 more clinics in the pipeline. "Under the Mukhya Mantri Sehat Yojana, Punjab had become the first state in the country to offer cashless treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh per family, irrespective of income category." This, he said, would benefit around 65 lakh families. Emergency health services were also being strengthened, with the addition of 104 new high-tech ambulances. Reflecting on India's progress since independence, the Governor said that in the 79 years since 1947, the nation had made remarkable strides in agriculture, industry, science, technology and defence. However, he stressed the need for development to be rooted in moral, social and environmental values to ensure holistic nation-building. "On this Independence Day, let us resolve to preserve the freedom earned through immense sacrifice, and work together for an India that is strong, self-reliant and prosperous," Kataria said. He concluded his address with chants of Jai Hind and Bharat Mata Ki Jai, met with thunderous applause from the gathering. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, immediately after concluding his Independence Day address to the nation from the Red Fort, met with young students who were special invitees at the celebrations. The Prime Minister shook hands with the various special invitee students, with each of them extending their hands eager for a chance to greet the PM. While welcoming the Prime Minister, the students wore coordinated orange coloured outfits to spell out 'Naya Bharat,' this year's theme for the Independence Day. Over 5,000 special guests attended the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort. Coming from across the country, the invitee guests included beneficiaries of various education schemes, Anganwadis, Lakhpati Didis, and sarpanchs. Expressing their happiness over meeting the PM, the students mentioned that some of them were waiting to see his address since 3 AM today. "It felt so good that the PM came among us. We were waiting for him since 3 am. We felt so good. He shook hands with us," Bharat, one of the students told ANI. Another student said how at first they thought that the PM would not have time to meet them as they saw his vehicles almost pass by their group. However, later on, showing his willingness to spend time with students, PM Modi told them that it was not possible for him to go without meeting them. "The PM met us, we shook hands with him. It felt great to meet him. He told us that he could not have left without meeting us...His vehicle had almost left but he stopped and met us," the student told ANI. Giving a message of increasing employment opportunities to the young students, PM Modi in his Independence Day speech announced the rollout of the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) with an outlay of Rs 1 lakh crore. The scheme aims to give 3.5 crore employment opportunities to youth and provide them with Rs 15,000 when they get their first jobs. "My country's youth, today is 15th August, and on this very day, we are launching a scheme worth Rs 1 lakh crore for the youth of our country. From today, the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana is being implemented," Prime Minister Modi announced, giving his 12th consecutive Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort. The Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) PM VBRY will create 3.5 employment opportunities to the young people of the country in two years, from August 2025 to July 2027. The scheme also aims to include 1.92 crore first-time workers, helping them get in the workforce. "Under this scheme, young men and women getting their first job in the private sector will receive Rs 15,000 from the government. Companies that create more employment opportunities will also be given incentive amounts. The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana will create nearly 3.5 crore new employment opportunities for the youth," PM Modi added, and receiving loud applause from the young people who attended the Independence Day celebrations live at Red Fort. (ANI) Union Minister and BJP National President JP Nadda unfurled the National Flag at the party headquarters in the national capital on the occasion of India's 76th Independence Day. Union Minister JP Nadda highlighted the country's economic progress in the past 11 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, " In the last 11 years, under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the country is advancing towards becoming a leading economy, towards becoming a strong economy." He also underlined India's continuous economic growth and added, "When there is instability in the world and there is economic difficulty, besides a strong economy, India is leading as a leading economy." Meanwhile, in his 12th Independence Day address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered bold announcements that indicated India's commitment to making significant progress in the future.PM Modi outlined plans for various initiatives, including the production of India's first semiconductor chip, the development of jet engines, the creation of 1 lakh crore in youth employment opportunities, and a tenfold expansion of the nuclear program. He presented his vision for "Naya Bharat" (New India) and set the goal of transforming India into a developed nation by 2047. Key points from PM Modi's address included: 1. Semiconductors: From Lost Decades to Mission Mode Recalling how attempts to set up semiconductor factories 50-60 years ago were "killed at birth" while other nations prospered, PM Modi announced that India is now in mission mode. By the end of this year, the nation will roll out its first Made in India chip. 2 . Nuclear Energy Capacity to Grow Tenfold by 2047. Work is underway on 10 new nuclear reactors as part of India's mission to increase nuclear power generation capacity by over ten times in the next two decades. 3. GST Reforms - A Diwali Gift Next-generation GST reforms will be unveiled on Diwali, reducing taxes on essential goods and providing relief to MSMEs, local vendors, and consumers. 4. Reform Task Force for a $10 Trillion Bharat PM Modi announced the creation of a dedicated Reform Task Force to drive next-generation reforms. Its mandate: accelerate economic growth, cut red tape, modernise governance, and prepare Bharat for the demands of a $10 trillion economy by 2047. 5.1 Lakh Crore PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana PM Modi launched a major employment scheme worth 1 lakh crore, under which newly employed youth will receive 15,000 per month. The scheme aims to benefit 3 crore young Indians, strengthening the bridge from Swatantra Bharat to Samriddha Bharat. 6. High-Powered Demography Mission PM Modi highlighted the dangers of demographic imbalance due to infiltration and illegal migration in border areas. He announced the launch of a High-Powered Demography Mission to address this national security challenge, ensuring the unity, integrity, and rights of India's citizens are safeguarded. 7 . Energy Independence - Samudra Manthan Begins PM Modi pointed out that a large share of India's budget still goes toward importing petrol, diesel, and gas. He announced the launch of the National Deepwater Exploration Mission to tap ocean resources, alongside major expansions in solar, hydrogen, hydro and nuclear power. 8. Made in India Jet Engines - A National Challenge PM Modi made a dramatic announcement that just like how we made vaccines during COVID, and UPI for digital payments, we should build our own jet engines too for our jet engines and asked our scientists and youth to take it up as a direct challenge. (ANI) Delhi Police have lodged four FIRs in connection with protests staged by dog lovers without prior permission at multiple locations in the New Delhi district on August 11 and 12, officials said on Friday. Police said the demonstrations were held despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), earlier Section 144 of the CrPC, which is currently in force in the district as part of heightened security measures ahead of Independence Day. According to officials, the protests turned unruly when police personnel attempted to disperse the demonstrators, leading to clashes at some sites. Several videos of the incidents have since gone viral on social media, drawing public attention. "Those who refused to leave the protest sites despite repeated requests were detained. Legal action will be taken against all those found violating the law," said the Delhi police. One viral clip shows the Station House Officer of Tughlaq Road police station being manhandled by a group of protesters, while another video captures a confrontation between a woman sub-inspector and a female protester inside a bus. On Thursday, the Supreme Court reserved its order on pleas seeking a stay on its August 11 directive to remove all stray dogs from localities in the Delhi-NCR region and place them in shelter homes. A three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria stated that it would pass an interim order on the August 11 decision of a different bench. At the outset, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, representing the Delhi government, remarked that there was a "loud vocal minority" and a "silent suffering majority." "In a democracy, there is a vocal majority and one who silently suffers. We had seen videos of people eating chicken, eggs, etc., and then claiming to be animal lovers. It was an issue to be resolved. Children were dying... Sterilisation did not stop rabies; even if you immunised them, that did not stop mutilation of children," the Solicitor General submitted. On August 11, the apex court had ordered that all localities in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad be made free of stray dogs, with no compromise on the matter. It had also made it clear that no captured animal should be released back onto the streets. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 79th Independence Day address as a "roadmap" for India's progress, highlighting the achievements of the past 11 years and outlining strategies for a prosperous future. In a post on X, Shah emphasized the Modi government's commitment to national security through initiatives like 'Operation Sindoor' for eliminating terrorists, 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra' for securing infrastructure, and the 'High-Powered Demography Mission' to ensure an infiltrator-free India. "On the occasion of the 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji's address to the nation is a roadmap of the progress of the past 11 years, the strength of the present, and the strategy for a prosperous India. Whether it is the destruction of terrorists through 'Operation Sindoor,' the plan to secure the country's infrastructure through 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra,' or the resolve to build an infiltrator-free India through the 'High-Powered Demography Mission,' the Modi government is committed to making the country strong and secure," he wrote on X. Shah further praised the government's focus on farmers' welfare and Modi's push for self-reliance in nuclear energy, critical minerals, energy, space, and jet engine sectors. He also lauded the announcement of the 'Prime Minister Developed India Employment Scheme' and GST relief ahead of Diwali, stating these measures would ease citizens' lives and boost small enterprises. "Highlighting the government's unwavering commitment to the interests of the country's farmers, Modi ji also called for self-reliance in the fields of nuclear energy, critical minerals, energy, the space sector, and jet engines. Additionally, the announcement of the 'Prime Minister Developed India Employment Scheme' and the major decision to provide GST relief on the upcoming Diwali will make the lives of citizens easier and give momentum to small enterprises,' he added in X post. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolour at the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day. PM Modi also extended his heartfelt wishes to the nation on Independence Day, urging people to work harder, fulfil the dreams of freedom fighters, and contribute to building towards a 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India). "Wishing everyone a very happy Independence Day. May this day inspire us to keep working even harder to realise the dreams of our freedom fighters and build a Viksit Bharat. Jai Hind!" PM Modi wrote in a post on X. PM Modi was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Sanjay Seth, and the Chiefs of the three services. The Prime Minister also received the ceremonial guard of honour by the National Flag Guard, the Indian Air Force, Army, Navy, and Delhi Police, totaling upto 128 people. Wing Commander Arun Nagar led the interservices guard of honour. In his 12th Independence Day address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered bold announcements that indicate India is poised to make significant progress into the future. PM Modi outlined plans for various initiatives, including the production of India's first semiconductor chip, the development of jet engines, the creation of 1 lakh crore in youth employment opportunities, and a tenfold expansion of the nuclear program. (ANI) Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech "stale, hypocritical, insipid, and troubling." He claimed that the Prime Minister mentioned the RSS in his address to appease the organisation, arguing that Modi "is now at their complete mercy and reliant on Mohan Bhagwat's good offices for an extension of his tenure post-September" when he turns 75. "The most troubling element of the PM's speech today was his name-checking of the RSS from the ramparts of the Red Fort -- a blatant breach of the spirit of a constitutional, secular republic. It is nothing but a desperate attempt to appease the organisation in the run-up to his 75th birthday next month," Ramesh said in a post on X. "Decisively weakened after the events of June 4th, 2024, he is now at their complete mercy and reliant on Mohan Bhagwat's good offices for the extension of his tenure post-September. This politicisation of Independence Day for personal and organisational gain is deeply corrosive to our democratic ethos. The PM was tired today. Soon he will be retired," he added. In his address earlier, PM Modi had said, "Today, I would like to proudly mention that 100 years ago, an organisation was born - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 100 years of service to the nation is a proud, golden chapter. With the resolve of 'vyakti nirman se rashtra nirman', with the aim of the welfare of Maa Bharati, swayamsevaks dedicated their lives to the welfare of our motherland...In a way, RSS is the biggest NGO in the world. It has a history of 100 years of dedication." Jairam Ramesh alleged that the same recycled slogans about Viksit Bharat, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" have been heard year after year with little to show in terms of measurable outcomes. "The 'Made-in-India' semiconductor chip promise has now been made innumerable times -- each time with fanfare, each time without delivery. It has, in fact, been made with a huge lie, which is Mr. Modi's trademark, given that India's first Semiconductor Complex was set up in Chandigarh in the early 1980s. The rhetoric on protecting farmers has become hollow and unbelievable, given his history of attempting to bulldoze the three black farm laws, and in the absence of a legal guarantee for MSP, the setting of MSP at 50% over the comprehensive cost of cultivation, or a farm loan waiver. The lip-service to job-creation as a target has also become an empty ritual rather than a credible roadmap," he said. Ramesh said the PM Modi waxed eloquent on unity, inclusion, and democracy, at a time when he has presided over and engineered the collapse of our most foundational Constitutional institutions like the Election Commission. "He has yet to answer any of the most foundational questions raised by the Leader of Opposition over the credibility of the election mechanism, and is going full throttle with a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar, which has disenfranchised lakhs of voters. His claims of empowering states ring hollow when the Centre continues to erode federalism, marginalise elected state governments, and throttle or topple Opposition-run governments," he said. "Independence Day should be a moment for vision, candour, and inspiration. Instead, today's address was a bland mix of self-congratulation and selective storytelling -- devoid of any honest acknowledgment of the deep economic distress, the unemployment crisis, and the glaring and growing economic inequality in our society," he said. (ANI) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta hoisted the Tricolour on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day on Friday. Alongside, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hoisted the national flag at his residence in New Delhi on Friday on the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day, joining millions across the country in celebrating the spirit of independence and national pride. The EAM hoisted the national flag, followed by the singing of the national anthem, alongside officials and close associates present to mark the occasion."Hoisted the Tiranga at my residence, on the occasion of Independence Day. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!" the EAM stated in a post on X.Speaking on the Independence Day speech delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the ramparts of the Red Fort today, the EAM stated that it was a "powerful speech" by the PM, noting the message of "Aatmanirbharta"." It was a compelling speech by the Prime Minister. It was a message of Aatmanirbharta and that we can face all the challenges at home, abroad, and he had great confidence in the Indian people that they will rise to the challenge," Jaishankar said. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday hoisted the national flag on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day at the CM's residence in Bhopal. CM Yadav also extended greetings to the residents of the state and the country on the 79th Independence Day, highlighting that it is the most special occasion above all the festivals."I extend my heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all residents of the state and the nation on the occasion of Independence Day, August 15. This occasion is above all the festivals such as Diwali, Dussehra, and Eid. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India continues to progress and may become a leading nation by the Amrit Kaal of 2047," CM Yadav said. (ANI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the massive cloudburst that took place on Thursday in Kishtwar, triggering a flash flood in the area and leading to the loss of over 45 lives. PM Modi tweeted on X about the call and wrote, "Spoke to Jammu and Kashmir LG, Shri Manoj Sinha Ji and CM Shri Omar Abdullah Ji regarding the situation in the wake of the cloudburst and flooding in Kishtwar. Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected. @OfficeOfLGJandK @OmarAbdullaH" J&K CM Omar Abdullah also wrote on his X account about the call he had with PM saying, "I just received a call from Hon PM Modi. I briefed him about the situation in Kishtwar & the steps being taken by the administration. My government & the people hit by this tragic cloudburst are grateful for his support & all the assistance provided by the Union Government." Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to J&K CM Omar Abdullah and LG Manoj Sinha on the tragedy and took stock of the situation, and offered all possible assistance. Today, during his speech on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed solidarity with those affected by recent natural disasters across the country. "Nature is testing us...Over the past few days, we have been facing natural disasters, landslides, cloudbursts, and many other calamities. Our sympathies are with the affected people," PM Modi said from the ramparts of the Red Fort. He highlighted the collaborative efforts of state and central governments in tackling the crises, stating, "State governments and the central government are working together with full strength on rescue operations, relief efforts, and rehabilitation work." The death toll from the massive cloudburst that triggered a flash flood in the Chesoti area of Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, has risen to 45, with more than 100 people injured, officials said on Friday. The catastrophic cloudburst struck the remote and rugged terrain of Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir, causing devastating flash floods. The disaster, occurring along the bustling Machail Mata Yatra route, swept through the village with ferocious force, leaving a trail of destruction. In view of the weather conditions and the disaster, Kishtwar Police has set up control rooms and help desks across the district to assist citizens and pilgrims, particularly in remote areas. (ANI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 79th Independence Day address "excellent and inspiring," saying it highlighted national progress, security plans, and a roadmap to achieve a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. In a post on X, the Defence Minister wrote, "An excellent and inspiring address by Pradhanmantri PM Narendra Modi ji from the ramparts of Red Fort, in which he highlighted many subjects and emphasised on accomplishing the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047. He presented a roadmap of India's progress and national security in his speech. It also covered the milestones India has achieved and the potential that lies ahead. I congratulate Modiji for his wonderful speech." Reacting to the PM Modi speech, Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 79th Independence Day address as a "roadmap" for India's progress, highlighting the achievements of the past 11 years and outlining strategies for a prosperous future. In a post on X, Shah emphasised the Modi government's commitment to national security through initiatives like 'Operation Sindoor' for eliminating terrorists, 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra' for securing infrastructure, and the 'High-Powered Demography Mission' to ensure an infiltrator-free India. "On the occasion of the 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji's address to the nation is a roadmap of the progress of the past 11 years, the strength of the present, and the strategy for a prosperous India. Whether it is the destruction of terrorists through 'Operation Sindoor,' the plan to secure the country's infrastructure through 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra,' or the resolve to build an infiltrator-free India through the 'High-Powered Demography Mission,' the Modi government is committed to making the country strong and secure," he wrote on X. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolour at the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day. PM Modi also extended his heartfelt wishes to the nation on Independence Day, urging people to work harder, fulfil the dreams of freedom fighters, and contribute to building towards a 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India). "Wishing everyone a very happy Independence Day. May this day inspire us to keep working even harder to realise the dreams of our freedom fighters and build a Viksit Bharat. Jai Hind!" PM Modi wrote in a post on X. PM Modi was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Sanjay Seth, and the Chiefs of the three services. The Prime Minister also received the ceremonial guard of honour by the National Flag Guard, the Indian Air Force, Army, Navy, and Delhi Police, totaling upto 128 people. Wing Commander Arun Nagar led the interservices guard of honour. In his 12th Independence Day address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered bold announcements that indicate India is poised to make significant progress into the future. PM Modi outlined plans for various initiatives, including the production of India's first semiconductor chip, the development of jet engines, the creation of 1 lakh crore in youth employment opportunities, and a tenfold expansion of the nuclear program. (ANI) President Droupadi Murmu paid tributes to the bravehearts at Delhi's national war memorial on Independence Day, honouring those who made the supreme sacrifice in the armed conflicts of Independent India. The president was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Anil Chauhan, Chief of Air Staff Amar Preet Singh, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, with all five of them marching to the memorial while being drenched in heavy rain. The wreath was also carried by two women Air Force officers. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth were also present at the memorial. Earlier on August 14, President Murmu approved 127 Gallantry awards and 40 Distinguished Service awards to the armed forces and central armed police forces personnel on the eve of the 79th Independence Day. "These are: 04 Kirti Chakras; 15 Vir Chakras; 16 Shaurya Chakras; 02 Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry); 58 Sena Medals (Gallantry); 06 Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry); 26 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry); 07 Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medals; 09 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and 24 Yudh Seva Medals," an official release said. "The President has also approved 290 Mention-in-Despatches - 115 personnel of the Indian Army, 05 of the Indian Navy, 167 of the Indian Air Force and 03 of the Border Roads Development Board (BRDB)," it added. Meanwhile, Vir Chakra has been awarded to nine Indian Air Force officers for their brave contributions in the service of the nation during Operation Sindoor. The Vir Chakra has been awarded to nine Indian Air Force officers, including fighter pilots, who targeted terrorist groups' headquarters in Pakistan's Muridke and Bahawalpur and the neighbouring country's military assets. Group Captains (GP) Ranjeet Singh Sidhu, Manish Arora, Animesh Patni, Kunal Kalra, Wing commanders (WG CDR) Joy Chandra, Squadron Leaders (Sqn Ldr) Sarthak Kumar, Siddhant Singh, Rizwan Malik, Flight Lieutenant (FLT LT) Aarshveer Singh Thakur have been awarded Vir Chakra. The Indian Air Force has brought down at least six Pakistani aircraft in the action. Vir Chakra is a military bravery award presented to wartime heroes for their gallant actions on the battlefield. It is third in line after Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra. The national war memorial honours the soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the armed conflicts of Independent India, including in 1999 Kargil war, 1961 war in Goa, and multiple other operations like Operation Pawan, and Operation Rakshak. The monument, spread over 40 acres blends well with the aesthetics of the area, and was unveiled on February 25, 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (ANI) On the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day, emotional tributes were paid to those killed in the Dharali disaster, with a two-minute silence observed for the peace of their souls. People expressed deep sorrow and offered condolences to the bereaved families. Despite the natural disaster, the residents of Dharali, Harshil, and Mukhaba celebrated Independence Day with unwavering enthusiasm and dignity, showcasing indomitable courage and patriotism. The spirit of unity and national pride remained undeterred amidst the tragedy. At 9 am, the national flag was hoisted, and the national anthem was sung in Dharali, Harshil, and Mukhaba. Personnel engaged in disaster relief operations, including the police, ITBP, SDRF, and NDRF, also participated in the flag-hoisting ceremonies. Local citizens, youth, and elders from the disaster-affected areas joined the celebrations with fervor. Addressing the gathering, speakers emphasized that while the disaster caused physical damage, the soul and patriotism of the people remain steadfast. They described this Independence Day as not only a symbol of freedom but also a testament to unity, courage, and resilience. The program concluded with a collective resolve to contribute to the reconstruction of the affected areas, pledging to rebuild with hope and prosperity. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand CM Dhami extended his Independence Day greetings to the people of the state, recalling the valour and supreme sacrifices of the great heroes who fought for the country's freedom and safeguarded Mother India. Paying homage to those who lost their lives in the recent disaster in Dharali and other affected areas, he expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The Chief Minister assured that comprehensive rehabilitation arrangements would be made for the disaster-hit regions. "India's acceptance has increased globally under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to take the country forward by the dreams of the immortal martyrs. Many historic decisions have been taken in the country under his leadership. The work of reconstruction and redevelopment is going on rapidly in Uttarakhand," Uttarakhand CM said. The Chief Minister said that the state government is working with determination for the overall development of Uttarakhand. Work is being done on plans for the next 25 years. With public support, efforts are underway to make Uttarakhand the best state in the country. (ANI) Xiconomics: How Xi's green vision sparks hope for a sustainable world Xinhua) 08:04, August 15, 2025 A herder checks the operation of a center-pivot irrigation system in an alfalfa field at the Livestock Demonstration Center in Idini village, Mauritania, July 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Han Xu) "With ingenuity and the right orientation, nations can learn how green mountains can be gold mountains that yield both ecological and economic benefits," said Clifford Cobb, a renowned U.S. scholar on sustainable development. BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- On the edge of the Sahara Desert, Amadou Diarra grew up watching the wind carry sand across the thin, tired grass. Villagers in his hometown in Mauritania moved with their herds, chasing pasture that grew scarcer each year. "Life was tough," Diarra told Xinhua. But when recalling the tremendous changes in life since a China-assisted animal husbandry technology demonstration center was launched in the northwestern African country back in 2017, his face lit up. Within a few short years, the barren, sandy land he once knew has blossomed into green pasture, and the community has taken on a more hopeful look. "We now know how to grow forage, so our animals can stay close to home instead of roaming far," said Diarra. The transformation in the young African man's hometown is an example of a profound change inspired by the vision of green development championed by Chinese President Xi Jinping more than 20 years ago: "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." GREEN SEED FOR FUTURE On Aug. 15, 2005, when Xi, then Party chief of China's southeastern Zhejiang Province, first put forward the vision during an inspection tour to Yucun Village in Anji County. Two years earlier, the village had already made a tough decision to shut down quarries and cement plants to restore the environment, trading short-term income for long-term ecological recovery. During the trip, Xi conducted a field survey, visited local farmers' homes and held discussions with local officials about economic growth and environmental protection. Ecological resources were the area's most valuable assets, Xi told local officials, calling the shutdown "a wise move." Two decades later, as of 2014, Anji -- home to around 604,000 people -- has transformed from a region plagued by environmental degradation into a thriving eco-tourism destination known for its fresh air, clear waters and green mountains. In 2023, Anji welcomed nearly 31.53 million visitors, generating 44.81 billion yuan (about 6.23 billion U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue and topping China's top 100 counties in terms of comprehensive tourism for the sixth consecutive year. The sector now employs over 40,000 residents and accounts for more than 20 percent of farmers' direct income. Lassana Tounkara, deputy director-general of QTV of Gambia, recently visited Yucun Village. Walking through Yucun's emerald hills, Tounkara was struck by the residents' prosperity and pride. "Xi is a leader with a true vision," he said. Since that inspection tour, the vision emphasizing harmony between environmental protection and economic development has taken root and inspired real and green changes in China and many parts of the world. As Xi later put it, "Protect the ecological environment, and it will reward you." In Meitan County, Guizhou Province, that reward is clearly visible in vast tea plantations covering 2,867 hectares -- the world's largest single tea-growing area -- with neat rows rippling across the hills like emerald waves. Guizhou now cultivates 7.5 million mu (about 500,000 hectares) of tea, creating a living tapestry that safeguards the land while driving a tea industry worth 97 billion yuan (about 13.49 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024. This aerial photo shows tea plantations in Yongxing Town, Meitan County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, April 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu) "The most impressive feature of this concept is that it operates on the principle that economic development does not necessarily mean more pollution," Clifford Cobb, a renowned U.S. scholar on sustainable development, told Xinhua, adding that the green development vision has encouraged numerous Chinese cities and villages to pursue high-quality and sustainable growth through protecting the environment and developing green industries. "With ingenuity and the right orientation, nations can learn how green mountains can be gold mountains that yield both ecological and economic benefits," Cobb, director of the U.S. Institute for Postmodern Development of China, added. BOLSTER GREEN DEVELOPMENT Xi first elaborated on this vision to the world in September 2013 during a visit to Kazakhstan. "We want to have not only mountains of gold, but also mountains of green. If we must choose between the two, we would rather have the green than the gold. And in any case, green mountains are themselves gold mountains," he said when responding to questions from students of Nazarbayev University. He also pointed out that China will never seek short-term economic growth at the expense of its eco-environment. Since then, the Chinese leader has frequently presented his idea of green growth on many international occasions, including the G20 summit in Hangzhou in 2016 and the World Economic Forum Virtual Session in 2022. Over the years, the vision has boosted green development in many countries, where ecological restoration and livelihood improvement are given equal importance. In Diarra's hometown, the local people are feeding animals with Juncao, a China-originated technology that uses grass instead of timber as a substrate when growing mushrooms. The technology also helps restore natural vegetation in the desert. "We've learned that protecting the environment and developing animal husbandry can go hand in hand," the herder said. Diarra added that his improved livelihood wouldn't be possible without it. A staff member checks Juncao grass growing on the improved saline-alkali land in Qingtongxia City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Sept. 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen) Juncao is a fast-growing, hardy grass developed in China that helps stabilize soil, retain water, and block desert winds. The technology to grow this grass has now spread to over 100 countries, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. Xi once vowed to make the Juncao technology a "grass of happiness" that benefits people in developing countries. "My income is more stable, and I've learned a lot about modern livestock farming," Diarra said, glancing toward the green pastures nearby. From Southeast Asia to Eastern Europe, more governments are looking to avoid the "develop first, clean up later" trap. In Malaysia, the East Coast Rail Link -- a flagship Belt and Road project -- recently completed excavating all 41 tunnels along its route. Chinese builders used green construction methods to preserve the ecosystem, while still delivering major transport and economic benefits. This concept combines environmental, social and economic sustainability, said Malaysian scholar Pak Son Low, a former UN official. It aligns closely with the UN's sustainable development goals and the aspirations of many developing nations, the scholar added. GREEN TRANSITION DRIVE In recent years, China, under Xi's leadership, has taken concrete steps to boost high-quality development and green transition in joint efforts with countries worldwide to build a greener future and a more sustainable world. "We should boost technological innovation and industrial transformation through cooperation, and facilitate the free flow of quality green technologies and products," Xi said in a speech at the Leaders Meeting on Climate and the Just Transition in April. By replacing traditional energy sources with clean alternatives, China is electrifying sustainable growth. Chinese technology innovation, integrated supply chains, competitive markets and vast domestic scale are helping many developing countries shift to greener economies powered by new and sustainable sources of energy. An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 30, 2023 shows wind turbines of Cox's Bazar wind power project built by a Chinese company in Bangladesh. (Photo by Salim/Xinhua) In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ivovik Wind Power Project, the country's first renewable energy project built by Chinese companies, has been connected to the grid for nearly a year. It generates 259 million kWh annually, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by about 240,000 tonnes. Builders also painted turbine tips red to protect birds. This shows long-term thinking, not short-term gains, said a local employee. "It offers valuable insights for the Balkans." In Chad, where much of the population has no electricity or street lighting, change is set to take place. Solar equipment bound for Chad and Burundi has departed China under the "Africa Solar Belt" program, aiming to electrify at least 50,000 poor households. China has emerged as a central driver of global energy transition in view of its significant strides in renewable energy and its broader commitment to transforming its energy system, said Nicholas Wagner, an energy expert with the World Economic Forum. The International Renewable Energy Agency estimates that in the past decade, average global costs for wind power and photovoltaics have fallen by more than 60 percent and 80 percent, respectively -- with China playing a decisive role. Jeremy Rifkin, a renowned U.S. scholar and president of the Foundation on Economic Trends, called Xi's vision of ecological civilization a paradigm shift in how humankind views its relationship with nature. "I know 'lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,' I love the term, I know that term very well," Rifkin said. "China will be remembered for the ecological civilization." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) For Indians living far from home, Independence Day often brings a bittersweet wave of nostalgia. While pride for their nation burns brightly in their hearts, many find themselves longing for the familiar sights, sounds, and colours of the celebrations back in India. For desis living abroad, Independence Day is more than just a date on the calendar. It's a heartfelt reminder of home and a moment to reconnect with their roots. Priyam Jha, a resident of Boston, Massachusetts, USA, reflects on the emotions of living far from her motherland, especially on Independence Day, when memories of home and national pride feel stronger than ever. She said, "Indians here are more Indian in comparison they are in India, and they do everything to keep their roots alive among themselves and their children. We Indians living abroad, especially in the USA, still treat India's Independence Day as a proud and emotional occasion." The fluttering tricolour on every street, the echo of patriotic songs, and the vibrant gatherings in every community overseas - Indians may recreate the festivities in their own way, yet nothing quite compares to being in their motherland on this special day. Priyam shared her experience of how she celebrates Independence Day with her family every year. She said, "We have Community & Cultural Events centres in the US, like the India Associations of America or state-specific groups such as Gujarati Samaj, Telugu Association, etc organize Independence Day melas or cultural programs on the weekend closest to August 15. "They do the events, including flag-hoisting ceremonies, performances on patriotic songs or skits about India's freedom movement, and kids' fancy dress competitions. These are on-will participations and include volunteering fees," she said. These moments often include exchanging stories of how they celebrated the day back in India, teaching younger generations about the nation's journey to freedom, and cherishing the sense of unity that transcends borders. Shwetambari Jha who lives in Dubai, UAE also talked about celebrations of the Independence Day. She shared, "The Indian Embassy organises a flag-hoisting ceremony and cultural events, where Indians gather to cherish the occasion. Children take part in the cultural programmes, showcasing their talents, while families who are actively involved with the Embassy host get-togethers to mark the day." She also shared that Dubai's most famous tourist spot, Burj Khalifa, has lit up with the Indian national flag on India's Independence Day. This has become a recurring and celebrated gesture by the UAE to honour the special day. "The Burj Khalifa displays the Indian flag on Independence Day, as people of Dubai consider as a symbolic gesture of respect between the UAE and India," Shwetambari said. In these celebrations, pride, nostalgia, and cultural connection blend seamlessly, creating a shared experience that binds the Indian diaspora together no matter where they live. We can't deny that Indians far from home deeply miss the Independence Day celebrations in India. Shwetambari said, "Yes, I miss those festivities because I was always associated with all those programs during school days. Be it the parade or singing the National anthem in front of the whole city." "When I hear the patriotic songs, my eyes are always filled with tears. I miss india at that time very much", she added. For those who are living beyond the borders with their children Independence Day is a bridge connecting their children to the roots of their heritage. Even while surrounded by foreign cultures, parents make it a priority to share the stories of the country's freedom struggle, the sacrifices of its leaders, and the pride of seeing the tricolour flutter in the sky. Through songs, stories, and community events, they ensure that the next generation grows up not only knowing about August 15 but feeling the same sense of patriotism that beats in every Indian heart. Priyam said, "For the last two years, my kids have been participating in community celebrations. They sing patriotic songs like Jana Gana Mana, Nanha Munna Rahi Hu, etc, and surprise everyone by their singing skills." No matter how many miles separate them from their homeland, Indians across the globe embrace Independence Day with unwavering joy, pride, and unity. Through their vibrant celebrations, they keep India's history and culture alive in their hearts, ensuring that the spirit of freedom continues to shine brightly wherever they are in the world. (ANI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar addressed the alleged Dharmasthala mass burial case, emphasizing the sacredness of the 800-year-old religious site. He refrained from sharing details, noting that the Home Minister would provide an official response. The DCM asserted that the government would take strict action against those misusing Dharmasthala's name and creating confusion Speaking to ANI, he said, "I believe I know about Dharamastala. It has very big history, 800 years of history. It's a very sacred place, no one should misuse the name, no one should have any conspiracy on that. I'm very confident on that. Tomorrow, home minister will reply on that, I don't want to talk about the details. Since I know well, it's a big conspiracy. Government will definitely take action against those who misused the name and created lot of confusion." "I can't tell personally, but I'm confident whatever has shown in media is far from the truth," he added. Earlier this month, the Karnataka Government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter related to alleged incidents of mass murder, mass rape, and mass burial in Dharmasthala town. The development follows a letter from the Karnataka State Women's Commission (KSWC) requesting that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah form an SIT under the leadership of senior police officials to investigate the matter. In their letter, the KSWC cited a media report which consisted of a statement from a person who had claimed that bodies were buried in the past 20 years in the region. The government order said that it was found appropriate to form a Special Investigation Team to investigate the cases registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita (BNS) at the Dharmasthala police station. Meanwhile, On the 79th Independence Day today, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hoisted the national flag at Field Marshal Manekshaw Parade Ground in Bengaluru, with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar in attendance. Both leaders felicitated the parade commanders from various units, recognizing their contributions to the impressive march past with awards. (ANI) In a show of patriotism and a message of national integration, two men--one from Rajasthan and the other from Gujarat--hoisted the national flag at the historic Ghanta Ghar in Lal Chowk on Friday, celebrating India's 79th Independence Day. Rajasthan native Balbeer Singh said that this was the 10th time he had hoisted the Tiranga at the Ghanta Ghar in Lal Chowk. "Since 2015, I have been initiating Tiranga Yatra to Lal Chowk. This is the 10th time I have hoisted the Tiranga here. Even though the government started the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign recently, we have been doing this for years. As of now, we have distributed more than 20 lakhs tirangas, and our campaign is still ongoing..." Gurajat native Arun said, "Every year, I come here to deliver a message of peace and brotherhood. I hope peace and brotherhood will be here because Pakistani terrorists do not want harmony and unity here." Meanwhile, in his Independence Day address to the nation earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the abrogation of Article 370, saying how the mantra of 'One Nation, One Constitution" was accepted. "When we brought the mantra of one country, one constitution to life by demolishing the wall of Article 370, when we accepted one nation, one Constitution as the mantra, then we revered Shyama Prasad Mookherjee. There are members of Panchayats from far-flung villages, representatives of Drone Didi, representatives of Lakhpati Didi, people from the world of sports, great people who have given something or the other to the nation and life are present here. In a way, I am seeing a miniature India here in front of my eyes. And today, the Red Fort is also connected with India through technology." PM Modi said. PM Modi also mentioned that the 125th Jayanti of Shyama Prasad Mookherjee, a former Union Minister and founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the predecessor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This celebration honours his 'lasting impact on India's political, educational, and cultural fabric.' "Today we are celebrating the 125th Jayanti of Dr Syama Prasad Mookherjee. Dr Syama Prasad Mookherjee is the first person to give his life for India's Constitution. Sacrifice for the Constitution," he said. Praising how every Indian is carrying the tricolour with them today, PM Modi mentioned, "Over 140 crore Indians are carrying the colours of the tricolour. Har Ghar Tirangana in every corner of the country, whether it is the deserts, Himalayan peaks, the edges of the sea, or densely populated cities. Everywhere there is one song, one slogan, the praises of our motherland are heard," he added. (ANI) Congress leader Shama Mohamed on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reference to the organisation as an NGO. In a scathing remark, Mohamed accused the RSS of "dividing people" in the country for the past century and linked it to Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi. "I just wanted to ask the Prime Minister what this NGO has done other than dividing people in this country for the last 100 years. This NGO has produced a person called Godse who has killed Bapu. If this is the NGO he's talking about, then I wouldn't call it an NGO. This is not an NGO, but it's an organisation that divides the people of India...," Mohamed said. Congress MP Imran Masood said, "They didn't hoist the Tiranga for 52 years, they didn't contribute to the freedom movement. They had opposed the Quit India Movement. They were urging people to join the British Army to fight the Azad Hind Fauj. So, they had no contribution to the freedom movement...They should give an account for those 52 years. You didn't believe in the Tiranga, didn't believe in the Constitution...Sardar Patel had banned this..." Earlier today, Prime Minister Modi, in his 79th Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on Friday, hailed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for completing 100 years of service to the nation, describing it as the "biggest NGO in the world" and praising its century-long contribution to nation-building. "Today, I would like to proudly mention that 100 years ago, an organisation was born - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). One hundred years of service to the nation is a proud, golden chapter. With the resolve of 'vyakti nirman se rashtra nirman', with the aim of the welfare of Maa Bharati, swayamsevaks dedicated their lives to the welfare of our motherland...In a way, RSS is the biggest NGO in the world. It has a history of 100 years of dedication," PM Modi said. PM also invoked the 1975 Emergency, terming it a "sin of murdering the Constitution" and urging citizens to stay steadfast in defending democratic values. Addressing the nation, PM Modi said, "50 years ago, India's Constitution was strangled and backstabbed; the country was turned into a jail. An emergency was imposed. It has been 50 years since the Emergency. No generation in the country should forget this sin of murdering the Constitution. They should not forget the sinners who murdered the Constitution. We should go ahead by further strengthening our dedication to the Constitution of India. That is our inspiration." (ANI) Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Friday demanded answers from RSS for not hoisting the Indian flag for 52 years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a reference to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh during his 79th Independence Day speech. "There are two views about RSS in the country. One is our view, and the other is PM Modi and his allies' view. There is a huge difference between the two views, so I believe we should not touch that issue on such an auspicious day..." Khurshid said. The Congress leader said that RSS had not hoisted the tricolour for 52 years and added, "They didn't hoist the Tiranga for 52 years, they didn't contribute to the freedom movement. They had opposed the Quit India Movement. They were urging people to join the British Army to fight the Azad Hind Fauj. So, they had no contribution to the freedom movement..." He further demanded answers from RSS, saying, "They should give an account for those 52 years. You didn't believe in the Tiranga, didn't believe in the Constitution...Sardar Patel had banned this..." Prime Minister Modi in his address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort lauded the RSS for completing 100 years of service to the nation and described it as the "biggest NGO in the world." "Today, I would like to proudly mention that 100 years ago, an organisation was born - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 100 years of service to the nation is a proud, golden chapter. With the resolve of 'vyakti nirman se rashtra nirman', with the aim of the welfare of Maa Bharati, swayamsevaks dedicated their lives to the welfare of our motherland...In a way, RSS is the biggest NGO in the world. It has a history of 100 years of dedication," the Prime Minister said. Early this morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolour at the Red Fort on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day. (ANI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hoisted the Tricolour at Veterinary College Field, Khanapara in Guwahati on the 79th Independence Day on Friday. On the occasion, he urged the people "to fight for and defend the identity of Assam from going extinct in the coming days due to demographic changes." "The spirit of the tricolour brought people together as we celebrated the country's 79th Independence Day in Guwahati in an atmosphere of peace and backed by solid progress achieved over the last few years. I urge everyone to always uphold the pride of the nation," Sarma said in a post on X. In his address, the Chief Minister highlighted the instrumental support of the Centre in the development of Assam. "In today's ceremony, I highlighted the instrumental support of the Union Govt led by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji in ensuring a solid growth trajectory for Assam in various sectors and lauded our people's efforts to ensure Assam becomes one of the top 5 States," Sarma wrote on X. "I also spoke about our Government's efforts in ensuring all-around development of the State and lauded our forces' bravery. I also implored people to fight for and defend the identity of Assam from going extinct in the coming days due to demographic changes," he added. Earlier in the day, in his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the dangers of demographic imbalance due to infiltration and illegal migration in border areas. He announced the launch of a High-Powered Demography Mission to address this national security challenge, ensuring the unity, integrity, and rights of India's citizens are safeguarded. PM Modi warned against infiltrators affecting the livelihoods of Indian youth, targeting the sisters and daughters, and misleading tribal communities to seize land. Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned the nation about a conspiracy aiming to change India's demography and said, "I would like to alert the nation about a concern, a challenge. Under a well-thought-out conspiracy, the country's demography is being changed, and the seeds of a new crisis are being sown. Infiltrators are snatching away the livelihood of the youth of my country. Infiltrators are targeting the sisters and daughters of my country. This will not be tolerated. These infiltrators mislead innocent tribal and capture their land. The country will not tolerate this." He further noted that changing democracy is a national threat and said, "When demographic change takes place in border areas, it causes a threat to national security...No country can hand it over to infiltrators...So, I would like to say that we have decided to start a 'High-Power Demography Mission'..." (ANI) . Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is set to leave for Kishtwar on Friday to assess the damage caused by a massive cloudburst and oversee the ongoing rescue operations. Abdullah noted that he aims to review the relief efforts first-hand and determine the further assistance needed for those affected. J&K CM Omar Abdullah announced his impending visit through X, stating that he will leave for Kishtwar on Friday and visit the area hit by the cloudburst on Saturday. CM Abdullah posted on his X about the visit, saying, "I'll be leaving for Kishtwar later this afternoon & will be going to the scene of the cloud burst tragedy early tomorrow morning to see, first hand, the extent of the damage. I will review the rescue operation & assess what further help is required." Earlier in the day, CM Abdullah briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the massive cloudburst following a flash flood, leading to the loss of over 45 lives and the rescue operation underway. PM Modi posted on X about the call and wrote, "Spoke to Jammu and Kashmir LG, Shri Manoj Sinha Ji and CM Shri Omar Abdullah Ji regarding the situation in the wake of the cloudburst and flooding in Kishtwar. Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected. @OfficeOfLGJandK @OmarAbdullaH" J&K CM Omar Abdullah also wrote on his X account about the call he had with PM, saying, "I just received a call from Hon PM Modi. I briefed him about the situation in Kishtwar & the steps being taken by the administration. My government & the people hit by this tragic cloudburst are grateful for his support & all the assistance provided by the Union Government." Today, during his speech on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed solidarity with those affected by recent natural disasters across the country. "Nature is testing us...Over the past few days, we have been facing natural disasters, landslides, cloudbursts, and many other calamities. Our sympathies are with the affected people," PM Modi said from the ramparts of the Red Fort. A massive cloudburst on Thursday triggered a flash flood in the Chashoti area of Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, along the route of the Machail Mata Yatra which lead to loss of over 45 lives. Rescue operation are in full swing the area and the victims of the tragedy are being treated in District Hospitals. (ANI) Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday criticised Sangh Parivar led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing them of "swadeshi by words but foreign by heart".He was reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's praise of the RSS in his Independence Day speech earlier in the day. "When the first convention of the Bharatiya Janata Party was held, they decided that he would follow a secular and socialist path. But the path of the people of the Sangh Parivar is not secular and socialist. Yeh muh se toh swadeshi hai lekin mann se videshi hai (swadeshi by words but foreign by heart), "Akhilesh Yadav told reporters here. PM Modi in his address to the nation from Red Fort said, "Today, I would like to proudly mention that 100 years ago, an organisation was born - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 100 years of service to the nation is a proud, golden chapter. With the resolve of 'vyakti nirman se rashtra nirman', with the aim of the welfare of Maa Bharati, swayamsevaks dedicated their lives to the welfare of our motherland...In a way, RSS is the biggest NGO in the world. It has a history of 100 years of dedication." The Samajwadi Party leader also said that India would have to accept the challenges of the world as the Country celebrated its Independence Day. "Today, when we are celebrating Independence Day, we will have to accept the challenges of the world. The stronger our farmers are, the stronger our country is economically, and the better our future will be for the youth, our country will be able to compete with the world markets. We Indians should be ready to make any sacrifice to make our country strong... From time to time, the countries of the world threaten our country, sometimes in the name of the market, sometimes in the name of land. We will have to accept those challenges as well," he said. Yadav alleged that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had fooled the entire BJP. "We want our borders to be safe. Agniveer should be abolished... Today, America is imposing tariffs on us and creating problems for our industrialists... We need to figure out ways to address such a global crisis... CM Yogi Adityanath has fooled the entire BJP. He was neither a member of the BJP nor did he like the ideology of the BJP. He took membership of the BJP just to sit on the chair (of CM)," the SP leader said. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hoisted the national flag at his official residence here on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day. In his address, the Chief Minister paid tribute to the soldiers who have safeguarded India's borders and bolstered internal security since independence. Highlighting the bravery and prowess of the Indian Army, CM Yogi Adityanath said, "This is an opportunity to pay our tribute to our soldiers who have protected the country's borders and enhanced internal security since independence. Recently, we have all witnessed the valour and courage of the Indian Army, along with its capability and strength." (ANI) At 14,000 feet, patriotism met teamwork as the Indian Army's Gajraj Corps led Tiranga March in Chuna's forward areas in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district to mark the 79th Independence Day on Friday. In a novel move, 160 Gorkha troops & attached troops, along with 25 ITBP personnel, carried the 100-metre National Flag through the lush Himalayan grasslands, accompanied by approximately. 150 local villagers, including toddlers and children from greenfield villages of Mago and Chuna in Tawang District, marching shoulder-to-shoulder, turning the landscape into a vibrant sea of saffron, white and green. The Civil Administration, under Assistant Commissioner Thutan Wangchu, led the local villagers in the event coordinated and mobilised by the Indian Army. Twenty-three students and a teacher from Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, Varanasi (UP) also joined in the march in search of their patriotic roots. After the march, all agencies united with immense patriotic fervour and a deep sense of duty for a 'No Plastic Zone' cleanliness drive, removing waste and reinforcing the campaign to protect the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. The tricolour's sweep across towering peaks became a powerful symbol of unity-soldiers securing the frontier while exemplifying 'Living for the Land', villagers safeguarding traditions, and administrators championing sustainability. The march brought a lesson for everyone to become a valuable citizen, emphasising the "Azadi Ka Amrit Mohotsav", that the future of the nation rests on everyone's shoulders. Chief Minister Pema Khandu lauded the effort, calling it the "true spirit of India at its peaks," as the tricolour transformed the remote border region into a vibrant scene of national pride and environmental commitment. Every house in Mago and Chuna villages proudly hoisted the National Flag. This collective act of patriotism was a powerful reminder that our freedom is a shared responsibility and a cause for collective celebration. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami hoisted the flag at the main event of the state at Parade Ground, Dehradun, on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day. On this occasion, the Chief Minister honoured the family members of freedom fighters and also visited the photo exhibition. During the program, the Chief Minister honoured Additional Director General of Police Ajay Prakash Anshuman with the President's Distinguished Service Medal. On the basis of service, Shweta Choubey, Commander IRB II Dehradun, Yogesh Chandra Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vipin Chandra Pathak, Inspector Civil Police, Narendra Singh Bisht, Inspector Civil Police, Rakesh Chandra Bhatt, Sub Inspector Civil Police, Ajay Prakash Semwal, Leading Fireman and Sunit Kumar, Chief Constable were honored with the Chief Minister's Commendable Service Medal. For distinguished work, the Chief Minister's Commendable Service Medal was awarded to Shekhar Chandra Suyal, Additional Superintendent of Police, Rajendra Singh Kholia, Inspector Civil Police, Kailash Chandra Bhatt, Inspector Civil Police, Manohar Singh Rawat, Sub Inspector Civil Police, Omkant Bhushan, Sub Inspector Civil Police, Deepak Kumar, Additional Sub Inspector Civil Police, Gopal Ram Chief Constable, Amarjeet, Constable and Rahul, Constable. Players Priya Rana, Manisha Chauhan, Rahul Sarnaliya, Amisha Chauhan, Visham Kashyap, Amit Belwal and Mehak Chauhan, who performed excellently in various sports, were also honoured by the Chief Minister. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami congratulated and wished all the people of the state, and made 06 announcements in the interest of the state. 1. In those schools of the state where gas cylinders and stoves are not available for cooking food under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, two gas cylinders and one stove will be provided by the state government. 2. In those assembly constituencies under the state, where there is difficulty in the drinking water supply, 10-10 hand pumps will be installed in each area. 3. The honorarium of the village chowkidar and village guard will be increased by one thousand rupees. 4. The honorarium of the block representatives working under the Sainik Welfare Department will be increased by two thousand rupees. 5. For the overall development and promotion of distance and employment-oriented higher education in the state, special educational centres will be established by the state government at the district level, which will be operated and coordinated by the Uttarakhand Open University. 6. Regular study of the Gangotri glacier and other Himalayan glaciers of the state and their adjacent areas will be conducted, along with this the Disaster Management Department will be strengthened further for predictive and proactive disaster management. On this occasion, the Chief Minister remembered the brave martyrs and freedom fighters and saluted all the agitators who dedicated their lives to the establishment of the Uttarakhand state. He expressed his condolences to all the families affected by the natural disasters in various areas of the state, including Dharali of Uttarkashi. The Chief Minister said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Army, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF and various departments of the state government carried out relief and rescue work with promptness, dedication and courage in the difficult circumstances of the disaster, for which he thanked everyone. He said that rehabilitation work in the disaster-affected areas will be done with full sensitivity and at a fast pace. The Chief Minister said, "The glorious journey of 78 years of independence, on the strength of the indomitable courage, unwavering dedication and continuous hard work of the countrymen, our nation is moving ahead as a strong and self-reliant nation despite facing many challenges. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the resolve to establish India as a fully developed nation by the year 2047, India is moving on the path of progress at a rapid pace." "Today, India's economy has become the fourth-largest economy in the world. Work is being done rapidly in the country in every field, including defence, science, technology, agriculture, health, education, and infrastructure. India is emerging as a strong nation at the global level. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, along with boosting the morale of the army, the country is being made self-reliant in the field of defence. Under 'Operation Sindoor', the whole world saw India's power and capability," he added. (ANI) Anthony Mackie felt "proud" to call Malcolm-Jamal Warner a friend. Anthony Mackie was proud to be Malcolm-Jamal Warner's friend The 46-year-old actor hailed the late Cosby Show star - who drowned while on a family vacation in Costa Rica last month - a "beautiful human being" who he always treasured spending time with. He told People magazine: Im proud to say Malcom-Jamal Warner was a friend of mine. Hes somebody that I knew and spent time with, and just was such a beautiful human being. And every time I was around him, I was able to take full advantage of those conversations and that time. That, for me, is the most important thing." The Captain America: The Winter Soldier actor also spoke of how much he valued having late actor and "icon" Andre Braugher as a mentor before he died of lung cancer aged 61 in December 2023. She said: Being in New York and that new kid on the theater scene. To have those lessons and those moments and have that communicated [by] such at that time for me such an icon in the business. I always tell people just take full advantage of those moments [with mentors] and truly be yourself so that that person can see, react and engage with who you are and not some fictitious idea of who you think they want you to be." Anthony's Twisted Metal co-star Stephanie Beatriz, 44, also worked closely with Andre on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and she agreed how important interactions with other people are. She said: Unfortunately, we all go through grief in our lives. And all you really have are those memories. So Anthonys absolutely right. Coming to people in your life with the truest, most honest self as much as you can at all times is gonna feed the memories when you lose them. And hopefully feed their memories when someday they might lose you. Malcolm's mom spoke out about her son's death earlier this week, and reassured fans the actor "did not suffer" and was "at peace" when he died. In a lengthy tribute shared on the new Malcolm-Jamal Warner Living Legacy Instagram page, she wrote in part: "For those of you who are at a loss, pained by the suddenness of his departure, ache for his presence or just to hear his voice one more time, to see his beatific smile one more time, be comforted that he was at peace and more importantly, he did not suffer. "Malcolm was birthed through water and transitioned through water. This was his time. His mission on earth had been completed. "Hold close to whatever part of Malcolm's life that touched yours. In keeping it near, you keep his spirit alive nourishing you with the peace, love, joy and light that embodied Malcolm-Jamal Warner." Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hoisted the tricolour flag on the 79th Independence Day on Friday. Alongside, Fadnavis also attended the flag hoisting ceremony of Bombay High Court on the occasion of Indian Independence Day, with Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, Alok Aradhe. The Maharashtra Chief Minister extended heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "constantly working to relieve the tax burden of the common man." "Gift from Hon PM Narendra Modi Ji for this Diwali! Heartfelt thank you to Hon PM Narendra Modi Ji for constantly working to relieve the tax burden of the common man," read his X post on Friday. "These next generation reforms in GST will enable growth for common individual by reducing the tax on essential goods and services. This will foster an incredibly positive environment for a new era for MSMEs and local vendors, and consumers in Maharashtra," the X post read further. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day, announced that the government is set to bring a significant reform in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which will give considerable relief to consumers and small businesses. Addressing the nation on Independence Day from the Red Fort, PM Modi stated that the revisions in the GST would be rolled out around Diwali, describing them as a "double Diwali gift" for the people. PM Modi said, "This Diwali, I am going to give you a 'double Diwali' gift. A major announcement is coming for the people of the country. Over the past eight years, we implemented a major GST reform that significantly reduced the tax burden across the nation. Now, after eight years, the time has come to review it. We have formed a high-powered committee to begin this review process and have held consultations with the states as well. We are now bringing in next-generation GST reforms. This will become a Diwali gift for the nation." "Tax rates on essential goods and daily needs will be reduced under a simplified framework. This will bring significant relief and convenience. Our MSMEs and small industries will also benefit greatly from these changes," he added. PM Modi stated that these reforms would directly impact essential goods and daily needs, aiming to ease the tax burden on common citizens. (ANI) On the occasion of Independence Day 2025, UT Chandigarh Director General of Police Dr Sagar Preet Hooda was awarded the President's Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM) for his exemplary contributions during his tenure in Delhi. Sub-Inspector Rajender Kumar and Head Constable Vikram of Chandigarh Police were conferred the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) for their outstanding commitment and service. In addition, 18 personnel of Chandigarh Police were honoured with the Administrator's Police Medal for Distinguished or Meritorious Service. The recipients of the Administrator's Police Medal for Distinguished Service included ASI/LR Kawaljeet Singh, ASI/LR Malvinder Singh, ASI/LR Munish Kumar, and HC Sunil Mehta. Those awarded the Administrator's Police Medal for Meritorious Service included Inspector Mini, SI Dinesh Kumar, SI Rakesh Kumar, ASI/LR Naresh Kumar, ASI/LR Gautam Singh, HC/PR Manju, HC Meenu, HC/PR Vishal Bamel, HC Amit, Sr. Constable Rakesh Kumar, Sr. Constable Vipin Sharma, Sr. Lady Constable Bharti Rawat, Sr. Constable Sandeep Kumar, and Sr. Constable Bhudev. The honours, conferred by the UT Administration, highlight the unwavering dedication, professionalism and exemplary service of Chandigarh Police in maintaining safety, security and public welfare. Meanwhile, Punjab Governor and Chandigarh's Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria hoisted the tricolour during the Independence Day celebrations at Chandigarh's Sector 17 Parade Ground, delivering a spirited address that honoured the sacrifices of freedom fighters, lauded the bravery of the armed forces, and reminded citizens of their duty to protect the nation's unity and integrity. Paying rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and other freedom fighters, Kataria said that August 15 was not only the day India broke free from 200 years of colonial rule but also a celebration of its cultural unity. He particularly emphasised Punjab's unmatched contribution to the independence movement, recalling the sacrifices of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shaheed Udham Singh and Kartar Singh Sarabha. Warning against ongoing threats from neighbouring countries through cross-border terrorism, drug smuggling and arms trafficking, Kataria praised the armed forces and security agencies for their vigilance and courage. He hailed recent operations such as Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev as proof of India's readiness to take decisive action in the face of provocation. On the issue of narcotics, Kataria described drugs as "a threat to the very foundation of our society" and urged young people to reject them completely to help build a strong and healthy India. He said the Punjab Government and Chandigarh Administration were working relentlessly through anti-drug drives, rehabilitation programmes and awareness campaigns, with active support from NGOs, schools and colleges. Highlighting Punjab's recent achievements in public welfare, Kataria expressed satisfaction that the state was setting new benchmarks in transparency, inclusive growth and citizen-focused governance. He said Punjab had established 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics -- the majority in rural areas and 316 in urban centres -- to provide accessible healthcare at people's doorsteps, with 200 more clinics in the pipeline. Reflecting on India's progress since independence, the Governor said that in the 79 years since 1947, the nation had made remarkable strides in agriculture, industry, science, technology and defence. However, he stressed the need for development to be rooted in moral, social and environmental values to ensure holistic nation-building. He concluded his address with chants of Jai Hind and Bharat Mata Ki Jai, met with thunderous applause from the gathering. (ANI) The award is administered by the Rural Development Department and was announced on August 15, 2023. It is named after the mythical character Shravan Kumar, known for filial duty. The award is presented annually on Independence Day, with a cash component of Rs 1 lakh for each recipient from the State Government. This year, 199 individuals, one from each Gram Panchayat Unit (GPU) across the state, received the award. CM Tamang personally conferred the award upon 22 individuals from 22 Gram Panchayat Units under Gangtok District. Through the initiative, Sikkim aims to promote values of respect, gratitude, and service towards parents, reflecting the State Government's commitment to strengthening the emotional and cultural foundations of the state. Meanwhile, at 14,000 feet, the Indian Army's Gajraj Corps led Tiranga March in Chuna's forward areas in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district to mark Independence Day. In a novel move, 160 Gorkha troops & attached troops, along with 25 ITBP personnel, carried the 100-metre National Flag through the lush Himalayan grasslands, accompanied by approximately. 150 local villagers, including toddlers and children from greenfield villages of Mago and Chuna in Tawang District, marching shoulder-to-shoulder, turning the landscape into a vibrant sea of saffron, white and green. The Civil Administration, under Assistant Commissioner Thutan Wangchu, led the local villagers in the event coordinated and mobilised by the Indian Army. Twenty-three students and a teacher from the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, Varanasi (UP) also joined in the march in search of their patriotic roots. After the march, all agencies united with immense patriotic fervour and a deep sense of duty for a 'No Plastic Zone' cleanliness drive, removing waste and reinforcing the campaign to protect the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. (ANI) All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose to praise the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from the Red Fort on Independence Day, rather than doing so in Nagpur, the RSS headquarters. He alleged that this was an attempt to legitimise the RSS's role in India's freedom struggle and warned that the RSS and its allies pose a greater threat to India's freedom than external threats like China. He urges people to reject the hate and division spread by the Sangh Parivar. Owaisi criticised the RSS for promoting Hindutva, an ideology that emphasises Hindu cultural and national identity. He argued that this ideology is exclusionary and antithetical to the values of the Indian Constitution. In his 'X' post, Owaisi mentioned that the RSS never participated in India's freedom movement and also "hated" Mahatma Gandhi. "Glorifying the RSS in an Independence Day speech is an insult to the freedom struggle. The RSS and its ideological allies served as British foot soldiers. They never joined the fight for independence and hated Gandhi more than they ever opposed the British," Asaduddin Owaisi wrote on 'X'. The RSS was banned in 1948 after Nathuram Godse, a former RSS member, assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. The ban was later lifted when RSS leader MS Golwalkar pledged loyalty to the Indian Constitution. The Hyderabad MP also took a jibe at PM Modi, stating that he reminded the citizens of the importance of studying "real history and how the RSS motivated the freedom fighters after it rejected the ideas of "inclusive nationalism". "Happy Independence Day to all. PM Modi has once again reminded us why it is necessary to learn real history and honour the real heroes. If we don't, the day isn't far when cowardice will be sold to us as the highest form of bravery. RSS rejects the values of inclusive nationalism that motivated our freedom fighters," the 'X' post further said. Owaisi further claimed that the ideas of RSS believe in "exclusion" and suggested that PM Modi praise the organisation by going to Nagpur as a "swayamsevak" rather than giving a speech from the Red Fort. "The ideology of Hindutva believes in exclusion and is antithetical to the values of our Constitution. Modi could have gone to Nagpur to praise RSS as a Swayamsevak, why did he have to do it from the Red Fort as the Prime Minister?," Owaisi said. He noted that India's biggest "external threat" is China but danger lies within the country due to the "hate and division" spread by the RSS. "China remains our biggest external threat. But the greater danger lies within -- the hate and division spread by the Sangh Parivar. We must defeat all such forces to truly safeguard our freedom," Owaisi said. In his 79th Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for completing 100 years of service to the nation, describing it as the "biggest NGO in the world" and praising its century-long contribution to nation-building. "Today, I would like to proudly mention that 100 years ago, an organisation was born - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 100 years of service to the nation is a proud, golden chapter. With the resolve of 'vyakti nirman se rashtra nirman', with the aim of welfare of Maa Bharati, swayamsevaks dedicated their lives to the welfare of our motherland...In a way, RSS is the biggest NGO of the world. It has a history of 100 years of dedication," PM Modi said. The RSS did not participate in the Indian independence movement, instead choosing to focus on social and cultural mobilisation among Hindus. RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar avoided direct confrontation with the British, and the organisation's stance was seen as a collaboration. While the RSS did not directly participate in the freedom struggle, some RSS members, like Lala Hansraj, provided shelter to freedom fighters during the Quit India Movement. The RSS rapidly expanded in the 1940s, gaining respect for its volunteers' participation in social and cultural activities. (ANI) Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday hoisted and saluted the National Flag at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar on the occasion of 79th Independence Day. He conveyed his heartiest greetings and good wishes to all. The Lieutenant Governor paid tributes to the freedom fighters and brave hearts of Police, Army and CAPFs. He also paid homage to the citizens who lost their lives due to the tragic cloudburst in Chashoti, Kishtwar. "On this Independence Day, let us take a pledge that no individual or village is left out of this historic journey of peace and progress. As we watch the tricolour flying high, let us look ahead with pride, confidence and hope towards a better and brighter future for Union Territory of Jammu Kashmir," the Lieutenant Governor said. In a post on X, the LG Sinha said, "Hoisted our National Flag at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar on the occasion of 79th Independence Day. I convey my heartiest greetings and good wishes to all. This is a day we salute our tricolour and feel pride in watching it fly high in the sky. "I join every citizen in paying homage to our freedom fighters, whose undying love for the Motherland secured us our freedom. I pay tribute to civilian martyrs, who were brutally killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists in Pahalgam on April 22," he further added. The Lieutenant Governor also thanked the armed forces, brave soldiers, security, intelligence agencies, Jammu Kashmir Police and every personnel involved in 'Operation Sindoor' and 'Operation Mahadev' for their bravery and commitment to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack. "My heart also goes out to the families affected by the cloudburst in Chashoti, Kishtwar. I am devastated by this natural calamity and express my condolences to the bereaved families. Relief Operations are underway on a war footing. It is our duty to wipe out every single terrorist from our sacred Motherland. While armed forces, CAPF and J&K Police are working with commitment to crush terrorism, the patriotic fervour and society's collective effort will definitely make Jammu and Kashmir terror-free," the LG later added. The Lieutenant Governor encouraged the public to make Jammu and Kashmir strong and self-reliant in every sector and must dedicate ourselves to attaining the goal of equality and prosperity for all. "Let us rededicate ourselves to building a better life for our farmers, youth and women. Let us work towards building a prosperous rural economy and empowering the working classes for societal transformation. On this Independence Day, let us take a pledge that no individual or village is left out of this historic journey of peace and progress. As we watch tricolour flying high, let us look ahead with pride, confidence and hope towards a better and brighter future for UT of Jammu Kashmir," LG Sinha said. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day, announcing that the government is set to bring a significant reform in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which will give considerable relief to consumers and small businesses. Addressing the nation on Independence Day from the Red Fort, PM Modi stated that the revisions in the GST would be rolled out around Diwali, describing the reform as a "double Diwali gift" for the people. (ANI) Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson ANS Prasad launched a scathing attack on Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of "betraying the nation's pride" by boycotting this year's Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. Calling Gandhi's absence "a shameful betrayal" of constitutional values and patriotic spirit, Prasad said the decision reflected a "long-standing pattern of anti-India propaganda." He said, "Rahul Gandhi's boycott of the 2025 Red Fort Independence Day celebrations is a stark reminder of his disdain for Bharat's patriotic spirit and constitutional values. As the Leader of Opposition, a role that demands unwavering commitment to national unity, Gandhi's absence is a shameful betrayal of the trust placed in him." Prasad alleged that Gandhi had "endorsed Donald Trump's baseless jibes about India's economy," which, he said, amplified foreign attacks on our nation's global rise and economic resilience. He said, "This is not an isolated incident, but a continuation of Gandhi's long-standing pattern of anti-India propaganda. By endorsing Donald Trump's baseless jibes about India's economy, Gandhi has amplified foreign attacks on our nation's global rise and economic resilience. His actions embolden external critics, casting doubt on his loyalty to our motherland." He also accused Gandhi of spreading false narratives about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including remarks related to an alleged probe involving industrialist Gautam Adani. "Gandhi's relentless defamation of Prime Minister Modi, including false claims about Modi fearing Trump's Adani probe remarks, fuels conspiracies that erode trust in our democratic institutions. Such actions betray the Indian National Congress, transforming it into an entity that serves foreign interests over Bharat's sovereignty," Prasad said. Citing Article 51A of the Constitution, which outlines the fundamental duties of citizens, Prasad said Gandhi's conduct violated the ethos of promoting harmony and cherishing India's heritage. "His disloyalty threatens India's strength, emboldening adversaries and discouraging progress," Prasad asserted. The BJP spokesperson argued that Gandhi's absence from the Independence Day celebrations insulted the sacrifices of freedom fighters and trampled on the spirit of India's independence. "As the Leader of Opposition, Gandhi's role is to uphold national unity, not sow division through petty political gestures. His absence from the Independence Day celebrations is an insult to the sacrifices of those who fought for our liberty, trampling on the spirit of Bharat's independence and the collective pride of its people," he said. "Gandhi's actions disgrace the constitutional dignity of his office, exposing Congress's drift from its legacy as the Indian National Congress. His conduct risks tarnishing India's global image, aligning with anti-India narratives that undermine our sovereignty," he added. Demanding a public apology from Gandhi and the Congress party, Prasad said such an acknowledgement was necessary to restore faith in their commitment to Bharat's unity and progress toward a "Viksit Bharat." "In the court of public conscience, Gandhi has stripped himself of the moral right to be called an Indian, sowing seeds of self-inflicted exile from the nation's heart. Patriotically, such betrayal demands accountability; Rahul Gandhi and Congress must publicly apologise to restore faith in their commitment to Bharat's unity and glory," he said. "India's sovereignty and the sacrifices of our freedom fighters command nothing less than unwavering respect and a resolute stand for Viksit Bharat. We demand that Rahul Gandhi offer a public apology to the Indian people for boycotting the Independence Day celebrations. This sacred festival radiates the heartfelt joy, fervour, and pride of our nation," Prasad added. He further added that by spurning this revered day, Gandhi has insulted the collective pride of the Indian people. He said, "It's time for him to take responsibility for his actions and demonstrate his commitment to Bharat's unity and glory." "Bharat demands rejection of Rahul Gandhi's treachery to uphold our Constitution, unity, and Viksit Bharat's unstoppable march toward global glory," he added. He warned that the BJP and the public would "not tolerate blatant disregard for the nation's sovereignty and heritage." (ANI) Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday hit out at Congress leader Jairam Ramesh over his criticism of Prime Minister's Modi's remarks during his Independence Day address that the idea of semiconductors was "killed in the womb" 50-60 years ago, with the Union Minister stating that Fairchild founder Robert Noyce came to India in 1964 and "license-permit raj of Congress did not allow setting up a semiconductor plant". The Modi government has embarked on a major semiconductor mission and four more semiconductor projects under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) were approved by the Union Cabinet earlier this week. Responding to a post of Jairam Ramesh on X, Ashwini Vaishanaw asked "why didn't Congress develop semiconductor industry" in India despite the country having the requisite talent He said Intel also tried to set up a semiconductor unit in India in 2005-06 but "was not allowed because of the policy paralysis of the UPA regime". Congress led UPA governments from 2004 to 2010. Vaishnaw noted that the semiconductor laboratory, Mohali works at a lab scale and a commercial scale silicon fab works at 20,000-40,000 wafer-starts per month. "Fairchild founder Robert Noyce came to Bharat in 1964. License permit raj of congress did not allow setting up a semiconductor plant. Went to HongKong. Then founded Intel. Rest is history. Intel once again tried to set up a semiconductor unit in Bharat in 2005-06. Once again it was not allowed because of the policy paralysis of UPA regime. Semiconductor Laboratory, Mohali works at lab scale. A commercial scale silicon fab works at 20,000-40,000 wafer-starts per month," Vaishnaw said. The Union Minister said that the semiconductor ecosystem is rapidly expanding under the Modi government and six semiconductor units (one fab and five ATMP) are at different stages of planning, construction and execution and four more having been approved. "We are building a silicon fab at 50,000 wafer-starts per month capacity. Six semiconductor units (one fab and five ATMP) are at different stages of planning, construction and execution. Four more (one silicon carbide fab and three ATMP including most advanced packaging unit) approved last week. Entire ecosystem - Design, Fabrication, Packaging, equipment, chemicals, gases - taking shape in Bharat. Two of the largest equipment manufacturers - Applied Materials and Lam Research - are setting up their design, production and validation facilities in Bharat. Why didn't Congress develop semiconductor industry in Bharat despite our country having requisite talent? @Jairam_Rameshji," Vaishnaw said. Jairam Ramesh had attacked PM Modi over his veiled references to Congress governments over the long delay in the semiconductor ecosystem taking shape in the country. "One more example of what a pathological liar Mr. Modi is. Semiconductors Complex Ltd established in Chandigarh started operations in 1983," Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. The Congress leader referred to PM Modi's remarks in which he said that the idea of semiconductor factory came forth 50-60 years ago but it was "killed in the womb" and the country lost so many decades. In his Independence Day speech, PM Modi said that no one can deny that the 21st century is a technology-driven century and every nation which mastered technology has scaled the heights of development, reached the pinnacle, and attained new dimensions of economic power. PM Modi said his intention is not to criticise any person or government but to create awareness among youth. "When we speak of various dimensions of technology, I wish to draw your attention to semiconductors. I do not stand here at the ramparts of the Red Fort to criticise any person or government, nor do I wish to. But it is equally important for the youth of our country to know. In our country, files related to semiconductors started moving 50-60 years ago. The idea of a semiconductor factory began then. My young friends will be shocked to know that today, semiconductors have become a global force--but 50-60 years ago, the idea was stalled, delayed and shelved," PM Modi said. "The very conception of semiconductors was aborted. We lost 50-60 years. Meanwhile, many countries mastered semiconductors and established their strength in the world. Today we have freed ourselves from that burden and advanced the work on semiconductors in mission mode. Six different semiconductor units are taking shape on the ground, and we have already given the green signal to four new units," he added. (ANI) Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for praising Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during the Independence Day speech, stating that the organisation doesn't have any history. Shivakumar mentioned that the Congress party has a longer history and claimed that the RSS didn't hoist the national flag for a long period. The Karnataka Deputy CM refused to comment on the issue, mentioning that Congress party has always protected the Constitution and the country. "RSS doesn't have any history. The Congress party has a longer history in this country. We all know that they (RSS) did not hoist the national flag for a long time, and Vajpayee ji took an initiative on this issue. It is their party's agenda and I don't want to comment on it now...Congress party has always protected the Constitution and the country," DK Shivakumar told ANI. In his 79th Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for completing 100 years of service to the nation, describing it as the "biggest NGO in the world" and praising its century-long contribution to nation-building. "Today, I would like to proudly mention that 100 years ago, an organisation was born - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 100 years of service to the nation is a proud, golden chapter. With the resolve of 'vyakti nirman se rashtra nirman', with the aim of welfare of Maa Bharati, swayamsevaks dedicated their lives to the welfare of our motherland. In a way, RSS is the biggest NGO of the world. It has a history of 100 years of dedication," PM Modi said. While the RSS did not directly participate in the freedom struggle, some RSS members, like Lala Hansraj, provided shelter to freedom fighters during the Quit India Movement. The RSS rapidly expanded in the 1940s, gaining respect for its volunteers' participation in social and cultural activities. (ANI) Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC on Friday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on bringing reforms in the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Shaina NC said that this will be a Diwali gift for the people of the country from PM Modi, and stated that it would be beneficial for the youth and the country. "Regarding GST reform, the Prime Minister has said that the next generation GST reform will take place. This will be a Diwali gift from him. It will benefit many people. The government is sensitive, and we believe that this Diwali gift is very good for the entire country, especially for the youth," the Shiv Sena leader told ANI. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his speech on Independence Day, announced that the government was set to bring a major reform in GST, which would give significant relief to consumers and small businesses. The PM stated that the revisions in the GST would be rolled out around Diwali and described them as a "double Diwali gift" for the people. "This Diwali, I am going to give you a 'double Diwali' gift. A major announcement is coming for the people of the country. Over the past eight years, we implemented a major GST reform that significantly reduced the tax burden across the nation. Now, after eight years, the time has come to review it. We have formed a high-powered committee to begin this review process and have held consultations with the states as well. We are now bringing in next-generation GST reforms. This will become a Diwali gift for the nation," PM Modi said. "Tax rates on essential goods and daily needs will be reduced under a simplified framework. This will bring significant relief and convenience. Our MSMEs and small industries will also benefit greatly from these changes," he added. PM Modi stated that these reforms would directly impact essential goods and daily needs, aiming to ease the tax burden on common citizens. The move comes at a time when the government is looking to bolster consumption and improve ease of doing business, especially for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which have been seeking relief in compliance and tax-related issues. The implementation of GST replaced a maze of indirect taxes with a single, unified system. It made tax compliance easier, reduced costs for businesses, and allowed goods to move freely across states. By improving transparency and efficiency, GST helped lay the foundation for a stronger, more integrated economy. On 1 July 2025, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) completed eight years since its rollout in 2017. GST rates in India are determined by the GST Council, which includes representatives from the Union and State or Union Territory governments. The current GST structure consists of four main rate slabs: 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent. These rates apply to most goods and services across the country. (ANI) Uttarkashi district administration said that critically ill patients from Dharali and other border areas affected by the devastating cloudburst were sent to the district hospital via MI-17 helicopter. Speaking to ANI, a district administration official said, "75-year-old Pratima Devi of Jaspur village has been suffering from respiratory disease for a long time. 61-year-old elderly woman Chandrabala is suffering from a serious stomach problem. When the health of both of them suddenly deteriorated, the administration took immediate action and sent them to the district hospital by air service." "A 3-month pregnant woman, Nirmala Devi of Jaspur village, suddenly complained of severe stomach pain. After first aid in Harshil, on the advice of doctors, she was also sent to the district hospital via helicopter, where she will be given necessary tests and treatment," they said. The disaster on August 5, 2025, caused the Kheer Ganga River to swell suddenly, resulting in widespread destruction in the Bhatwadi-Gangotri region. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), State Coordination Unit, Dehradun, UP (West) LSA, has successfully restored critical telecom connectivity in the Bhatwadi-Gangotri region of Uttarkashi district, according to an official statement from the Ministry of Communications. Earlier, a government-appointed team of experts visited Dharali in Uttarkashi to inspect areas affected by a recent disaster. This team of experts included Shantanu Sarkar, Director of Uttarakhand Landslide Mitigation and Management Center (ULMMC), Dr DP Kanungo, Chief Scientist of Central Building Research Institute Roorkee (CBRI), Ravi Negi, Director of Geological Survey of India (GSI), Dr Amit Kumar, scientist of Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology and Mohit Kumar, Principal Advisor of ULMMC. This team of experts visited many places in the affected area and conducted a comprehensive on-the-spot investigation of the damage caused by the disaster, its nature and causes. While the Uttarkashi District Administration in Uttarakhand distributed cheques of an immediate relief amount to 112 disaster-affected families of Dharali village. As per the announcement of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, each family has been provided with Rs 5 lakh. The District Administration carried out the distribution of relief cheques as part of the government's efforts to provide support to those affected by the disaster. A delegation of Union Bank of India met Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at the Chief Minister's residence. During this, Union Bank of India contributed an amount of Rs 1 crore for the relief work of the disaster in Dharali and Harshil areas of Uttarkashi district. The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to Union Bank of India for the cooperation given by them. The Chief Minister said that the cooperation being given by various organisations to help the disaster victims is commendable. (ANI) Jeff Bezos' mom has died. Jeff Bezos' mom has died The Amazon boss has paid tribute to Jackie Bezos, with whom he co-founded the Bezos Family Foundation, after she passed away at the age of 78 after a long fight with Lewy body dementia. Jeff wrote on his social media accounts on Thursday (14.08.25): "Her adulthood started a little bit early when she became my mom at the tender age of 17. That couldnt have been easy, but she made it all work. "She pounced on the job of loving me with ferocity, brought my amazing dad onto the team a few years later, and then added my sister and brother to her list of people to love, guard, and nourish. For the rest of her life, that list of people to love never stopped growing. She always gave so much more than she ever asked for. "After a long fight with Lewy Body Dementia, she passed away today, surrounded by so many of us who loved her her kids, grandkids, and my dad. I know she felt our love in those final moments. We were all so lucky to be in her life. I hold her safe in my heart forever." Jeff, 61, touchingly ended his tribute to Jackie - who is also survived by husband Mike Bezos, her other children Christina and Mark, 11 grandchildren and a great-grandchild - with a direct message to her. He wrote: "I love you, mom." Jeff's wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos was among those to comment on her spouse's post. She wrote: "We will miss her SO much. Love you [heart and broken heart emojis] (sic)" Katy Perry shared a broken heart emoji, while Sharon Stone posted: "My sincere condolences I just lost my mom too." Antonio Banderas offered condolences in a comment written in Spanish, which translated as: "My deepest sympathy to you. Much strength in these tough times.(sic)" Other stars to pay their respects in the comment section included Naomi Campbell, Miranda Kerr and designer Philipp Plein. The news was first announced by the Bezos Family Foundation, who remembered Jackie as a "devoted mother" who "always" put her kids first. They said in a statement: "She made countless trips to Radio Shack for Jeff, spent numerous hours supervising cheerleading practices with Christina, and hauled drums in the back of the family station wagon for Mark. "She dedicated her life to her family and poured her heart into raising her children with compassion, patience, and wisdom. "Jackie created a space where everyone felt safe, heard, and cared for. Whether offering a plate of food, a bit of advice or simply a listening ear, she had a remarkable way of making people feel like family. "To the countless people she touched throughout a remarkable life, Jacklyn Gise Bezos was a fierce advocate and supporter, filled with heart for others, and never accepting the status quo." In lieu of flowers, the foundation said the family asked people "to support a nonprofit organization that is meaningful to you or to perform a simple act of kindness in her memory.(sic)" Three workers were rescued after they fell unconscious while working inside a drainage line in the Nigdi area of Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, on Friday. The Pimpri Chinchwad Fire Department rushed to the spot and rescued them, and they were sent to a nearby hospital, claims the Fire Department. Further details are awaited. Meanwhile, on Monday, a pick-up van fell 25-30 feet down a slope in Papalwadi village under the Mahalunge MIDC police station area in Maharashtra. The van carrying women and children to the Kundeshwar temple was involved in the accident. The death toll rose to 10, and several others were injured in the Pimpri-Chinchwad accident, claims DCP Shivaji Pawar, Pimpri-Chinchwad Police, Pune. Deputy Commissioner of Police Shivaji Pawar said that the injured have been admitted to various hospitals. Earlier, MLA Babaji Kale told ANI, "A total of nine women have died in the incident, all were farmers. They were going to the Kundeshwar temple for worship. Senior officials from the administration and police are present at the hospital to assist the victims. The incident happened at 12.30 pm today." Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the death of several people. "A tragic incident occurred under the Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissionerate at Kundeshwar, where a pickup vehicle carrying devotees visiting for Shravan Monday darshan met with an accident, resulting in the death of seven people. This event is deeply saddening. I offer my heartfelt tributes to them. We share in the grief of their families. Our condolences are with them in this difficult time," Devendra Fadnavis wrote on 'X'. The Maharashtra CM informed that the state government will provide financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the victims and stated that more than 20 people were injured in the accident, who have been admitted to various hospitals. "Financial assistance of 4 lakh rupees will be provided to the families of the deceased on behalf of the state government. More than 20 people were injured in this accident and have been admitted to various hospitals. Arrangements are being made for their complete treatment, and I am personally in contact with the Police Commissioner," the 'X' post read. (ANI) Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan on Friday slammed Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over his allegations of "vote theft" against the Election Commission of India (ECI). Referring to the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, Mahajan stated that the Congress party had won several seats in Maharashtra and did not raise issues with the voter list. He claimed that the party only raised concerns after losing in the state assembly elections. "Rahul Gandhi won such good seats in Maharashtra, he did not see any problems in the voter list then, now that he has lost at Vidhan Sabha, he is running around with the voter list...One person can fill a form at two places and get his name at two places...mistakes can happen," Girish Mahajan told ANI. Earlier on Thursday, ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi announced the launch of the "VoterAdhikarYatra" against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, urging people to join what he called a "people's movement". Making the announcement in a post on X, the Congress MP said, "From August 17, with #VoterAdhikarYatra, we are launching a direct fight against vote theft from the soil of Bihar," he said in a post on social media X. The announcement came amid the continuous protests by the INDIA bloc leaders and amid its campaign of alleged "vote chori" (vote theft)."This is not just an election issue - it is a decisive battle to protect democracy, the constitution, and the principle of 'one man, one vote.' We will ensure a clean voter list across the entire country. Youth, workers, farmers - every citizen, rise and join this people's movement. This time, the defeat of vote thieves - the victory of the people, the victory of the constitution" On August 7, Rahul Gandhi had accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of "collusion," alleging it helped Prime Minister Narendra Modi secure a third term. Rahul Gandhi said that the Election Commission is helping the BJP destroy the electoral system in India. "Narendra Modi became Prime Minister with just a margin of 25 seats...Election Commission is helping BJP destroy the electoral system in India...The Election Commission is not giving us the data because of what we did in Mahadevpur (Karnataka Assembly constituency); if we do it in other Lok Sabha seats, then the truth about our democracy will come out. This is the evidence, criminal evidence (pointing to the physical voter list)," Rahul Gandhi said. (ANI) As part of the 79th Independence Day celebrations, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) band performed at New Delhi railway station. Yashwant Singh, Inspector RPF and in charge of New Delhi Railway Station, told ANI that the performance was aimed at awakening a sense of patriotism among citizens. "Under the instructions of the Railway Ministry and RPF Headquarters, this RPF Band is being displayed on the occasion of Independence Day to awaken the feeling of patriotism among the common citizens. This is happening at the Nizamuddin Railway Station and New Delhi Railway Station..." Singh told ANI. Earlier in the day, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta extended her greetings to the people on the occasion. "I extend my best wishes on the occasion of Independence Day. Let this celebration of Independence Day add new dimensions, new chapters to the upcoming India and let all of us Indians together take our India forward and make it a world leader," she said. CM Gupta also hoisted the Tricolour at Mukhyamantri Seva Sadan and announced the launch of the 'Atal Canteen', which will provide meals at Rs 5 for workers. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hoisted the national flag at his residence in New Delhi on Friday on the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day, joining millions across the country in celebrating the spirit of independence and national pride. The EAM hoisted the national flag, followed by the singing of the national anthem, alongside officials and close associates present to mark the occasion. "Hoisted the Tiranga at my residence, on the occasion of Independence Day. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!" the EAM stated in a post on X. Speaking on the Independence Day speech delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the ramparts of the Red Fort today, the EAM stated that it was a "powerful speech" by the PM, noting the message of "Aatmanirbharta". (ANI) According to the police, 11 people were rescued from the debris and sent to a nearby hospital for treatment. A search operation was launched immediately after the collapse, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire Department, and local police deployed at the site. The incident site, located near Humayun's Tomb, was quickly cordoned off to ensure safety and to facilitate rescue efforts. The officials said that NDRF personnel conducted a search operation inside the dargah premises to check for any more people trapped under the debris. Soon after the incident, Fire Department personnel and emergency responders also remained present at the scene to assist in operations. "Eleven people have been rescued from the site of the incident and taken to a nearby hospital. The search operation is still underway," the Delhi police said. The area around the dargah remained sealed off as structural engineers and investigators examined the site. Further investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the collapse. (ANI) The Gujarat Border Security Force (BSF) celebrated the 79th Independence Day on Friday with a programme at the India-Pakistan border in Nadabet, Banaskantha district and pledged to make the best contribution to the country's prosperity in every field. While speaking to reporters after the programme, Gujarat BSF Inspector General (IG) Abhishek Pathak said, "The Prime Minister appealed to all sections of society today to make the country 'Aatmnirbhar' and 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. We are also pledging to make our best contribution to the country's prosperity in every field we work in... Yesterday, on 14th August, two Vir Chakras and 16 gallantry medals were awarded to the brave jawans of BSF for their outstanding contribution in Operation Sindoor. We all feel proud of their heroic acts." Meanwhile, in his Independence Day address to the nation earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the abrogation of Article 370, saying how the mantra of 'One Nation, One Constitution" was accepted. "When we brought the mantra of one country, one constitution to life by demolishing the wall of Article 370, when we accepted one nation, one Constitution as the mantra, then we revered Shyama Prasad Mookherjee. There are members of Panchayats from far-flung villages, representatives of Drone Didi, representatives of Lakhpati Didi, people from the world of sports, and great individuals who have made significant contributions to the nation and to life are present here. In a way, I am seeing a miniature India here in front of my eyes. And today, the Red Fort is also connected with India through technology." PM Modi said. PM Modi also mentioned that the 125th Jayanti of Shyama Prasad Mookherjee, a former Union Minister and founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the predecessor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This celebration honours his 'lasting impact on India's political, educational, and cultural fabric.' "Today we are celebrating the 125th Jayanti of Dr Syama Prasad Mookherjee. Dr Syama Prasad Mookherjee is the first person to give his life for India's Constitution. Sacrifice for the Constitution," he said. Praising how every Indian is carrying the tricolour with them today, PM Modi mentioned, "Over 140 crore Indians are carrying the colours of the tricolour. Har Ghar Tirangana in every corner of the country, whether it is the deserts, Himalayan peaks, the edges of the sea, or densely populated cities. Everywhere there is one song, one slogan, the praises of our motherland are heard," he added. (ANI) During State-level Independence Day celebrations at Sarkaghat in Mandi district on Friday, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched Him Bhog wheat flour, Him Bhog daliya, and Him Bhog turmeric products. These items, made from naturally grown wheat and turmeric, aim to provide chemical-free products to consumers. The Chief Minister also honoured three eminent personalities with the 'Prerna Srot' Award. Prof. Him Chatterjee of Shimla was recognised for reviving Kangra miniature painting and creating the world's longest public artwork at Pragati Maidan Tunnel, New Delhi. He also gave away this award to Dr. Ram Swaroop Shandil of Shimla district for his outstanding national and international performances in folk, classical, ghazal, bhajan and group song genres, whereas Prof. Prem Kumar Khosla, Chancellor of Shoolini University, Solan, was awarded for his pioneering contributions to forestry education, including launching B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. programmes. The 'Himachal Gaurav' Award was conferred on Chandrekha Dadhwal of Dharamshala for her exceptional literary contributions; Shalini Vats of Seubagh, Kullu, for her work in empowering the visually impaired, differently-abled, women and children and Dr. Lal Singh of Chhota Shimla for leading over 50 projects on sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, renewable energy and agricultural innovation. The State Rural Livelihood Mission of the Rural Development Department and the Indian Red Cross Society, Kullu, were also honoured with the State-Level Civil Service Award 2025. On the occasion, the Chief Minister also distributed Rs. two lakh each as marriage grants under the Mukhyamantri Sukh Aashray Yojana to five beneficiaries from Sarkaghat and Dharampur areas and Rs 1.5 lakh each as the first instalment for house construction under the Mukhyamantri Vidhwa Evam Ekal Nari Awas Yojana to 11 beneficiaries of the Sarkaghat assembly segment, with the remaining Rs 1.5 lakh to be provided upon roof-level completion of the house. The CM also honoured the departments, officers and officials of Mandi district who extended their valuable support to the district administration in execution of relief and rescue operations on a war footing during this year's disasters in the district. (ANI) On the eve of Independence Day, under the Viksit Bharat - Viksit Punjab initiative, the Department of Community Medicine organised a student-led symposium on Primary Health Care (PHC). Third-year MBBS students took the centre stage, presenting innovative solutions for equitable access, preventive care, and digital innovations in healthcare. The event was graced by Anurag Kundu, Member, Punjab Development Commission, who shared the essence of public health through an anecdote about a visionary school principal's approach to student well-being - from vision screening and nutrition counselling to hygiene promotion, iron supplementation, and deworming. He also highlighted Punjab's extensive PHC network, including Sub-Centres, PHCs, CHCs, Health & Wellness Centres, and Aam Aadmi Clinics. Panelists - Vrinda, Vanshika, Tanmay, and Sanvi, moderated by Vaibhav and Jasmine, discussed practical strategies for maternal health, NCD prevention, mental health integration, and AI-enabled services. Dr. Bhavneet Bharti, Director Principal, emphasised that love and compassion should guide healthcare providers, while Dr. Amrit Kaur Virk (HOD, Community Medicine), along with Dr. Anu and Dr. Anuradha, highlighted the immersive learning experience for students. In a gesture of service, healthy and nutritious kits sponsored by Rotary Club Chandigarh were distributed to lactating mothers in honour of the 91st birthday of Past Rotary International President Mr Raja Saboo. The celebrations of Independence day began with the flag hoisting ceremony, followed by a vibrant cultural programme on the theme Independent India, featuring patriotic songs, skits, rangoli, and thematic decorations. The Director Principal recognised the invaluable contribution of the institute's security, housekeeping, and support staff, presenting Certificates of Appreciation to Nursing Superintendent Sister Sukhwinder and Sister Kamal for their exemplary commitment to quality care. The event was attended by Dr. Parminderjit (SMO) and Dr. Anupam (Acting Medical Superintendent), along with faculty, students, and staff, who pledged to contribute towards a healthier, stronger, and more prosperous India. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Minister and SBSP Chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on Friday extended greetings on the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day, stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are committed to fulfilling the dream of "Viksit Bharat" by 2047. "Today the entire nation is celebrating Independence Day with great enthusiasm...I congratulate everyone on the occasion of Independence Day. PM Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath are committed to fulfilling the resolve of 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047...", OP Rajbhar told ANI. Earlier in the day, UP CM Yogi Adityanath hoisted the national flag at his official residence to mark the 79th Independence Day. In his address, the Chief Minister paid tribute to the soldiers who have safeguarded India's borders and strengthened internal security since independence. Highlighting the bravery and prowess of the Indian Army, CM Yogi Adityanath said, "This is an opportunity to pay our tribute to our soldiers who have protected the country's borders and enhanced internal security since independence. Recently, we have all witnessed the valour and courage of the Indian Army, along with its capability and strength." Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, delivering his 12th consecutive Independence Day address from the Red Fort, emphasised 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India) as a cornerstone for achieving 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India). He highlighted its relevance across defence, space, clean and renewable energy, agriculture, and mineral exploration. "Whoever is dependent on others too much, there are as big questions raised on one's Independence. It becomes truly unfortunate when we get used to being dependent. We don't even get to know when we are leaving atmanirbharta and becoming nirbhar, that is why we need to be alert and awake to be independent," PM Modi said in his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort. In the Defence sector, Prime Minister Modi announced the launch of 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra', aimed at neutralising enemies and enhancing India's offensive capabilities. Drawing inspiration from India's rich cultural and mythological heritage, the 'Sudarshan Chakra' is the weapon of Lord Krishna. (ANI) Following his resignation from Ministerial post in Karnataka, Congress leader KN Rajanna on Friday said that he will take back the post when the time comes. On August 11, KN Rajanna resigned from the Siddaramaiah Cabinet after his allegations on the Karnataka government's inaction following Rahul Gandhi's "vote theft" allegations on Election Commission of India and BJP. Speaking to the reporters in Tumakuru, the former Minister mentioned that CM Siddaramaiah did not know about the issue and tried to convene the Congress party high command which couldn't happen. "I will take the Ministerial post when the time comes. The Chief Minister didn't know about it. He tried to convene the high command, but it didn't work at that point in time," he said. The Congress leader said that following his meeting with party high command, he will come out with "good news". "I will go to Delhi after the Assembly session. I will meet Rahul Gandhi and bring the matter to his attention. The high command will take an appropriate decision in the coming days. I'll meet the high command and come back with good news," he said. On August 11, K N Rajanna submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, according to sources from the Chief Minister's Office. The minister has also sent his resignation to the Governor's office. On Saturday, Rajanna had, talking to reporters in Tumkuru, asked why Congress leaders "turned a blind eye" to irregularities in voter lists and kept silent when they should have raised objections. He said, "Look, if we just start talking about such things casually, there will be different opinions. When was the voter list prepared? It was prepared when our own government was in power. At that time, was everyone just sitting quietly with eyes closed? These irregularities did take place -- that's the truth. There is nothing false in this." Admitting that the irregularities happened openly, he said, "These irregularities happened right in front of our eyes -- we should feel ashamed. We didn't take care of it at the time. That's why we must be alert in the future." "In Mahadevapura, there was indeed fraud. One person was registered in three different places and voted in all three. But when the draft electoral rolls are being prepared, we have to monitor it, right? When the draft electoral rolls are made, we must file objections -- that is our responsibility. At that time, we kept quiet and now we are talking," Rajanna said. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar dismissed claims by Rajanna. "Mr KN Rajanna is totally at fault. He doesn't know. My Chief Minister and my party high command will reply to that," Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru on Friday. Shivakumar further said that the poll body should reply to the objections raised by Gandhi, "Whatever documents the Election Commission is asking, we are not schoolboys to reply to whatever they ask. They are supposed to give us. He has given a representation and they know whatever is wrong. We have asked for some information and records. We have asked officially. At no point of time my leader will take oath or answer to it. He has answered already in public." (ANI) Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 12th Independence Day address, describing it as a source of "new inspiration and new energy" for the nation. Chouhan said the nation was "filled with new inspiration and new energy" for PM Modi for giving the mantra of Swadeshi and encouraging the adoption of India-made products. "The entire country is filled with new inspiration and new energy. Prime Minister Modi has given us the mantra of 'Swadeshi' (self-reliance). Today, farmers have also resolved to adopt products made in India... Prime Minister Modi said that the government should be visible not in files but in lives... The proclamation of national interest above all was not just a speech," Chouhan told ANI. Highlighting recent initiatives, he said a "one team, one task" group of scientists had been formed to address challenges identified during the last Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan. "Today, the Prime Minister has made a strong proclamation of intense patriotism and has shown a new path... We have also created a one team, one task of scientists to solve the problems that came up during the last Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan and I am happy to say that we are starting preparations for the Rabi crop from now on itself," he added. Chouhan announced that the National Rabi Conference will be held in Delhi on September 15-16, with participation from Agriculture Ministers, experts, scientists, and officials from all states. "Our Rabi Conference will be held here on 15th-16th September, in which Agriculture Ministers, experts, agricultural scientists, and officers of all the states will participate...," he said. Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed PM Modi's address as a "roadmap" for India's progress, highlighting achievements over the past 11 years and strategies for a prosperous future. In a post on X, Shah highlighted the government's focus on national security through initiatives like 'Operation Sindoor' for eliminating terrorists, 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra' to secure infrastructure, and the 'High-Powered Demography Mission' to ensure an infiltrator-free India. "On the occasion of the 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji's address to the nation is a roadmap of the progress of the past 11 years, the strength of the present, and the strategy for a prosperous India. Whether it is the destruction of terrorists through 'Operation Sindoor,' the plan to secure the country's infrastructure through 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra,' or the resolve to build an infiltrator-free India through the 'High-Powered Demography Mission,' the Modi government is committed to making the country strong and secure," he wrote. Shah further praised the government's focus on farmers' welfare and PM Modi's push for self-reliance in sectors including nuclear energy, critical minerals, energy, space, and jet engines. Shah also lauded the announcement of the 'Prime Minister Developed India Employment Scheme' and GST relief ahead of Diwali, saying these measures will ease citizens' lives and support small enterprises. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolour at the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day. (ANI) Pete Davidson has found the focus on his personal life to be "traumatic". Pete Davidson grew tired of the focus on his personal life The 31-year-old comedian has dated a host of famous women, including Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande, Kaia Gerber, Margaret Qualley, and Phoebe Dynevor, but Pete felt frustrated that people often knew him for his high-profile love life, rather than his comedy talent. He said on The Breakfast Club: "It just got to a point where I was ... I got really tired of my whole career just being like my personal life. And living through that is it's sort of traumatic. Like not to be like lame, but like it's traumatic to live in your own crap all the time." Pete also hated the experience of being sexualised by the public. The comedy star explained: "I dont want to victimise myself in any way because Im cool, but the sexualisation of me if that was a girl, people would be like, there would be a march for it ... Seriously. You're just talking about my d*** all day." Pete and his girlfriend Elsie Hewitt are currently expecting their first child together, and the actor recently claimed that his impending fatherhood has given him a new perspective on life. Pete - who shot to stardom on Saturday Night Live, before turning his focus towards the movie industry - told People magazine: I'm just excited to take care of the little one. The second I found out the news, I was like, Oh wow, what I do is just a job. "I realised I was kind of basing my happiness on work, which is ridiculously unhealthy. So it gave me this weird sense of calmness, where this is just a job and now I have someone to do it for." The King of Staten Island star is already looking forward to his child enjoying playdates with four-month-old Saga, the daughter of his friend Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox. Pete - who began dating Elsie in March - said: "We're going to have awesome play dates. Yeah, that's [going to be] a cool play date." Punjab Border Security Force (BSF) jawans on Friday performed bike stunts in various formations and mesmerised the audience at Attari border in Punjab on the occasion of Independence Day 2025. The Border Security Force's canine soldiers enthralled the audience with a display of their agility and strength at the Attari border. Earlier in the day, on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann hoisted the Tricolour in Faridkot. He said that Punjab is the first state in the country to provide financial aid of Rs 1 crore to the families of its fallen soldiers. In a post on X, CM Bhagwant Mann shared, "Today, on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day of the country, I participated in the state-level function organised in the historic city of Faridkot and hoisted the national flag of the country, the tricolour. The unique and unmatched role of Punjabis in the Indian freedom struggle is not hidden from anyone. More than 80 per cent of the sacrifices in making the country independent have been made by Punjabis. "Punjab CM said that the state government never hesitate in honouring fallen soldiers."Punjab is the first state in the country to provide financial aid of Rs 1 crore to the families of its fallen soldiers. It is our duty to take care of the families of our bravehearts," he said. He further said that this freedom, which was obtained at a high price, is of great importance. "Salute to the great fallen soldiers and freedom lovers who contributed to the freedom struggle. Happy Independence Day to all," he said. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Border Security Force (BSF) celebrated the 79th Independence Day on Friday with a programme at the India-Pakistan border in Nadabet, Banaskantha district and pledged to make the best contribution to the country's prosperity in every field. While speaking to reporters after the programme, Gujarat BSF Inspector General (IG) Abhishek Pathak said, "The Prime Minister appealed to all sections of society today to make the country 'Aatmnirbhar' and 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. We are also pledging to make our best contribution to the country's prosperity in every field we work in... Yesterday, on 14th August, two Vir Chakras and 16 gallantry medals were awarded to the brave jawans of BSF for their outstanding contribution in Operation Sindoor. We all feel proud of their heroic acts." (ANI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday delivered a stern warning on Independence Day, cautioning the Assamese people about the dangers of remaining silent in the face of demographic changes. He emphasised that if the current trends continue unchecked, the state's identity, land, and foundation will be lost forever Sarma highlighted the threat posed by "unknown people" or infiltrators, who he claims are aggressively taking over land, economic spaces, and cultural institutions in Assam. "Assam can't remain silent. If we remain silent, one day we will have to lose our Jati, Mati, Bheti (Community, Land, Foundation) in our own state. That day is not far away. If Assamese people remain silent today.... If the youths of Assam remain silent and if the Assamese are always willing to compromise, then within just 10 years, we will lose our Community, Land and Foundation. After 15 years, 80 per cent of ministers of the Assam cabinet will be from them, and after two decades, an unknown Chief Minister will hoist this Independence Day flag. This is the future of Assam," said Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. The CM criticised previous governments for allowing large-scale encroachment and urged the bureaucracy to take action against encroachers, emphasising that his government will not compromise on this issue. Sarma stressed the importance of preserving Assam's cultural heritage and identity, referencing the birthplace of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva and the sacred Kamakhya temple. He further said that, "A so-called section of people had compromised. The leftists had surrendered themselves. A section of Jatiyatabadi has now surrendered itself before the unknown people. We won't be silent, and if we remain silent, our Assamese community will not survive. A day will come, just as they aggressively took over Batadrava--the birthplace of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva, a similar situation will happen in the Maa Kamakhya Nilachal. I just want to introduce the real picture of the state with our community," Sarma said. He appealed to the people of Assam not to sell or rent land to "unknown people" and to prioritize self-reliance to safeguard the state's future. Sarma said, "We will not sell our lands to unknown people, we will not rent any house to unknown people, and we will not allow government lands to be encroached." He said that the bureaucracy under previous governments has a lot to answer for, as to how such a mind-boggling scale of encroachment by infiltrators was allowed in Assam. "I want to appeal to the government officers, if a portion of government land is encroached, the government will take action against them. Today, by standing under the national flag, I appeal to the bureaucracy of Assam, we will not accept compromise. When the encroachers encroached thousands of bighas of land in front of you, you failed to fulfil your responsibilities," Assam CM said. He warned district commissioners that they would be held accountable for any future encroachments under their watch. The CM pledged to evict illegal settlers from government land, tribal belts, and grazing areas, emphasising that this is a battle for the state's very existence. Sarma urged the people of Assam to adopt self-reliance and prioritize opportunities for their own community to postpone potential disaster. "Today, I want to appeal to every employee, don't compromise in office also.... opportunity, facilities are for us, not for unknown people. If we pledge that we will not sell land, not to rent a house, not to give opportunities to unknown people and if we embrace self-reliance, then we can postpone the disaster that could come in 20 years to 40 years. After 40 years, the new generation of Assam will find a new path," the Chief Minister added. (ANI) Former Tamil Nadu BJP president and Governor of Nagaland, La Ganesan, passed away on Friday, around 6:23 pm at Apollo Hospital in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over Ganesan's demise, describing him as a "devout nationalist" dedicated to service and nation-building. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1956365514881560863 In a post shared on social media X, PM Modi wrote, "Pained by the passing of Nagaland Governor Thiru La. Ganesan Ji. He will be remembered as a devout nationalist who dedicated his life to service and nation-building." PM Modi also praised Ganesan's work to expand the BJP across Tamil Nadu. "He worked hard to expand the BJP across Tamil Nadu. He was deeply passionate about Tamil culture, too. My thoughts are with his family and admirers. Om Shanti," the post further read. Narayanan Thirupathi, chief spokesperson of the BJP Tamil Nadu, also condoled Ganesan's death, highlighting his contributions to the party and Tamil culture. In a post on X, Thirupathi said, "Shocked to know that former president of BJP, Tamil Nadu & Honourable Governor of Nagaland L.Ganesan is no more. His contribution to the growth of the party in Tamil Nadu was immense. His role as a full-time member of RSS mattered a lot, and his love for Tamil was admirable." https://x.com/narayanantbjp/status/1956360503535521934 "He had dedicated his life to the BJP, Tamil Nadu, from 1991, and I had been travelling along with him in the BJP, Tamil Nadu, till he became the Governor of Manipur. My heartfelt condolences to BJP, Tamil Nadu cadres, and it's a great loss to both the party and also to Tamil Nadu," the post further read. Born in 1945 in Tanjore, Tamil Nadu, La Ganesan's association with the RSS predated his schooling. He joined the BJP in 1991 to help broaden the party's base in Tamil Nadu, serving as Organising Secretary, National Secretary, All India Vice President, and State President. When he was appointed as the Joint State Organiser of Tamil Nadu RSS, he was asked to serve in the BJP to broaden the base of the party in 1991. He served in the positions of Organising Secretary of the State BJP, National Secretary, All India Vice President and was appointed as State President of Tamil Nadu. He was also a Rajya Sabha member representing the Bhopal constituency for 18 months. Ganesan was appointed Governor of Manipur from August 27, 2021, to February 19, 2023, and held additional charge as Governor of West Bengal between July 18, 2022, and November 17, 2022. He took oath as Governor of Nagaland on February 20, 2023. La Ganesan's contributions to the BJP and his service as a constitutional head are widely recognised across the country. (ANI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday paid obeisance at Tilla Baba Sheikh Farid and urged people to follow in the footsteps of the revered Sufi saint. Paying floral tributes to Baba Sheikh Farid, the Chief Minister described him as one of the greatest spiritual ambassadors, a poet-prophet, and the founder of the Sufi tradition in India. He said that Baba Farid ji is regarded as the father of Punjabi poetry, and that his philosophy--centred on love, compassion, equality, humility, brotherhood, and freedom--remains timeless and universally relevant. The CM further stated that Baba Sheikh Farid's Bani, comprising 112 shalokas and four shabads, was incorporated into the Guru Granth Sahib by Guru Arjan Dev Ji. The Chief Minister emphasised that the Guru Granth Sahib Ji was a cosmopolitan scripture representing all faiths and is a vast repository of knowledge and wisdom, serving as a guiding light for all of humanity. "When we bow our heads in reverence before the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, we also pay homage to Baba Farid along with the great Gurus--with the same devotion and respect," Mann said. He also stated that the life and teachings of Baba Farid were especially relevant in today's materialistic society. Mann also stated that Baba Farid's teachings continued to inspire future generations to serve humanity with dedication and humility. Urging the people to follow the path shown by Baba Farid Ji, he said that doing it would help transform Punjab into the number one state in the country. The CM also expressed his happiness on the opportunity to be able to pay homage to Baba Farid's s sacred site. The great poet Baba Farid serves as the starting point of our literary tour of Punjab. Farid was a spiritual Sufi saint who lived in the 12th century. His poetry, which is infused with raw, passionate confessions of love and longing, was the first of the Punjabi literary heritage. His lines, which were understated yet moving, wove a spiritual tapestry that frequently took the form of earthly love. (ANI) Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal on Friday paid floral tributes at the 30-feet-high statue of Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh at Nishan-e-Inquilab Plaza, outside Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali. According to a release, Mittal stated, "Legendary freedom fighters like Sardar Bhagat Singh sacrificed their lives for the noble cause of India's freedom struggle. The Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government has installed this statue to keep alive the memories and contributions of these great martyrs for generations to come." She further added, "As we celebrate the completion of 78 years of independence, we must remember that the freedom we enjoy today is the result of the supreme sacrifices made by our great freedom fighters." Mittal was accompanied by SDM Mohali Damandeep Kaur, Naib Tehsildars Harsh Garg and Harjot Singh, and SDO PWD (Electrical) Gaurav Mani. Meanwhile, on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann hoisted the Tricolour at a state-level function in Faridkot on Friday. He said that Punjab is the first state in the country to provide financial aid of Rs 1 crore to the families of its fallen soldiers. In a post on X, CM Bhagwant Mann shared, "Today, on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day of the country, I participated in the state-level function organised in the historic city of Faridkot and hoisted the national flag of the country, the tricolour. The unique and unmatched role of Punjabis in the Indian freedom struggle is not hidden from anyone. More than 80 per cent of the sacrifices in making the country independent have been made by Punjabis." Punjab CM said that the state government never hesitate in honouring fallen soldiers. "Punjab is the first state in the country to provide financial aid of Rs 1 crore to the families of its fallen soldiers. It is our duty to take care of the families of our bravehearts," he said. He further said that this freedom, which was obtained at a high price, is of great importance. "Salute to the great fallen soldiers and freedom lovers who contributed to the freedom struggle. Happy Independence Day to all," he said. DGP Punjab Police Gaurav Yadav urged the citizens to honour the sacrifices of freedom fighters and may the spirit of independence ignite hearts with a renewed resolve to build a stronger, safer, and more united India. In a post on X, DGP Punjab Police shared, "On this Independence Day 2025, let us honour the sacrifices of our freedom fighters, whose courage and determination gifted us a free nation. May the spirit of independence ignite our hearts with a renewed resolve to build a stronger, safer, and more united India. Proud to serve under the Tricolour, and dedicated to protecting the ideals it represents. Wishing all Indians a safe, joyful, and blessed Independence Day!" (ANI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said that around 60 bodies have been found after a devastating flash flood hit Chashoti village in Kishtwar district on Thursday and the number of missing persons is still being ascertained. He said rescue and relief operations were in full swing, with the Army, NDRF, SDRF, Police, and local administration working on the ground. "Around 60 bodies have been found. The number of missing persons is being assessed. After the rescue and relief operation concludes, we will inquire whether the Administration could have taken any preventive steps when the Met Department had issued a warning and also advised people not to venture out if not needed. The rescue operation by the Army, NDRF, SDRF, Police, and Administration is underway. Workers of different political parties are also working on the ground," Omar Abdullah told reporters. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to him and assured all possible help. BJP leader Sunil Kumar Sharma, who is Leader of Opposition, highlighted the scale of the challenge ahead. "Our biggest challenge is to clear the debris and find those washed away and missing. Eyewitnesses said around 300 people were at the langar (community kitchens) when the devastation struck," Sharma said. He said rescue teams will attempt to clear the debris and search for trapped individuals on Saturday. "Essential commodities, water, and electricity have been restored in affected areas, and the Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been personally monitoring the situation, taking updates from him twice in the day," he added. Indian Army, in close synergy with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Civil Administration and State Disaster Response Force, launched an extensive Search and Rescue Operation following a devastating cloudburst in Chashoti village. The incident occurred at about 12:45 am along the route of the ongoing Machail Mata Yatra, causing flash floods and widespread destruction in the area, which resulted in casualties of yatris and locals. (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday extended his greetings on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day and said that the PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the Red Fort, would provide a new direction and resolve to the youth. In a statement, CM Mohan Yadav said, "I extend my heartiest greetings on Independence Day to everyone. Prime Minister Modi praised the valour of our armed forces from the ramparts of the Red Fort. PM Modi expressed his resolve about the employment of youth, and under it, 3,5 crore youths would get employment opportunities. Through PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, youths have got a new direction and resolve." He further added that the state government would take the Prime Minister's resolve as a mission and work towards the development of Madhya Pradesh. "Prime Minister Modi said that the next generation Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms will be a Diwali gift for the country...The state of Madhya Pradesh is committed to fulfilling Prime Minister Modi's resolve of Viksit Bharat by 2047," he added. During his 12th Independence Day address from the historic Red Fort, PM Modi announced the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana with an outlay of Rs 1 lakh crore. The scheme aims to create over 3.5 crore jobs in the next two years. Under the scheme, new employees will receive incentives of up to Rs 15,000 in two instalments, while employers will be provided up to Rs 3,000 per month for creating new job opportunities. Targeting first-time employees registered with EPFO, Part A will offer one-month EPF wage up to Rs 15,000 in two instalments. Employees with salaries up to Rs 1 lakh will be eligible for the incentives. The 1st instalment will be payable after 6 months of service and the 2nd instalment will be payable after 12 months of service and completion of a financial literacy programme by the employee. To encourage the habit of saving, a portion of the incentive will be kept in a savings instrument or a deposit account for a fixed period and can be withdrawn by the employee at a later date. Part A will benefit around 1.92 crore first-time employees. This part will encourage the generation of additional employment in all sectors, with a special focus on the manufacturing sector. The employers will get incentives with respect to new employees with salaries up to Rs 1 lakh. The Government will incentivise employers with up to Rs 3000 per month for two years for each additional employee who is sustained for at least six months. For the manufacturing sector, incentives will be extended to the 3rd and 4th years as well. This part is expected to incentivise employers for the creation of additional employment for nearly 2.60 crore persons. (ANI) Congress leader Pawan Khera on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for mentioning the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in his speech during the celebrations of the Independence Day held at the Red fort, stating that it was an insult of the Constitution and tricolor of the country. https://x.com/Pawankhera/status/1956362167021912424 In a post on social media platform X, Khera claimed that the RSS had a history of spying, disrespecting the Constitution and tricolour, involvement in temple-mosque disputes, and conspiring against Dalits, tribals, backward classes, and minorities. "A hundred-year history of RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh): 25 years of spying for the British 25 years of disrespecting the tricolor and the Constitution 25 years of temple-mosque disputes 25 years spent conspiring against Dalits, tribals, backward classes, and minorities. Today, the Prime Minister, by mentioning this organisation from the Red Fort, has insulted the Constitution and the tricolour of this country," the post read. In his 79th Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for completing 100 years of service to the nation, describing it as the "biggest NGO in the world" and praising its century-long contribution to nation-building. "Today, I would like to proudly mention that 100 years ago, an organisation was born - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 100 years of service to the nation is a proud, golden chapter. With the resolve of 'vyakti nirman se rashtra nirman', with the aim of the welfare of Maa Bharati, swayamsevaks dedicated their lives to the welfare of our motherland...In a way, RSS is the biggest NGO of the world. It has a history of 100 years of dedication," PM Modi said. Earlier in the day, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also slammed PM Modi for praising RSS during his speech, and stated that the organisation didn't have any history. Shivakumar mentioned that the Congress party has a longer history and claimed that the RSS didn't hoist the national flag for a long period. The Karnataka Deputy CM refused to comment on the issue, mentioning that the Congress party has always protected the Constitution and the country. "RSS doesn't have any history. The Congress party has a longer history in this country. We all know that they (RSS) did not hoist the national flag for a long time, and Vajpayee ji took an initiative on this issue. It is their party's agenda and I don't want to comment on it now...Congress party has always protected the Constitution and the country," DK Shivakumar told ANI. (ANI) As per sources, discussions can likely be held on the candidate for the Vice Presidential elections. According to a senior party source, "The BJP parliamentary board meeting is scheduled for 17 August 2025 at the BJP office in Delhi. All parliamentary board members will attend. There could be discussions on the NDA's candidate for the post of Vice-President of India." Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and other parliamentary board members are expected to be present at the meeting. On August 6, leaders of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) unanimously passed a resolution authorising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief and Union Minister JP Nadda to finalise the NDA's candidate for the Vice-Presidential election, scheduled for September 9. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, 74, resigned from his post citing health reasons on 21 July 2025. In his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu, posted on the Vice-President's official X account, he wrote, "To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice-President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution." The Election Commission notified the schedule for the election of the Vice President of India. The poll, if contested, will be held between 10 AM and 5 PM on September 9 at the First Floor of the Parliament House, a press note said. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded the soldiers of Operation Sindoor for their swift response to the Pahalgam massacre, asserting that India will no longer abide nuclear threats or tolerate the "blackmail" of terrorism. PM Modi, while addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day, paid tribute to the armed forces involved in Operation Sindoor and highlighted India's path towards self-reliance in defence and national security. He began by expressing pride in saluting the warriors of Operation Sindoor, recalling how terrorists crossed the Indian border on April 22 and committed a brutal massacre in Pahalgam, killing people after asking about their religion and executing families. He said, "I see a special significance in today's 15th August. I feel great pride that today I have the opportunity to salute the brave warriors of Operation Sindoor from the ramparts of the Red Fort. Our courageous soldiers punished the enemies beyond anything they could have imagined. On 22nd April, terrorists crossed the border and committed a massacre in Pahalgam. Killing people after asking their religion, shooting husbands in front of their wives, and executing fathers in front of their children. The entire nation was filled with outrage, and the whole world was shocked by such a massacre." The Prime Minister said that Operation Sindoor was an "operation of outrage" and was a direct response to the attack, asserting that the army was given complete autonomy to strategise and execute the mission. "Operation Sindoor was the expression of that outrage. After the events of the 22nd, we gave our army complete freedom--let them decide the strategy, choose the targets, and select the timing. And our army accomplished something that had not happened in decades. Penetrating hundreds of kilometres into enemy territory, they reduced terrorist headquarters to dust and turned terrorist headquarters into ruins. Pakistan is still sleepless. The devastation in Pakistan has been so huge that every day brings new revelations and fresh information," PM Modi said. He warned that nuclear threats will no longer be tolerated, and stated that India has endured terrorism for decades and declared a "new normal." He said, "Our nation has endured terrorism for many decades. The heart of the country has been pierced time and again. Now, we have established a new normal: those who nurture and harbour terrorism, and those who empower terrorists, will no longer be seen as separate. They are all equal enemies of humanity, with no distinction between them. Bharat has now decided that we will no longer tolerate these nuclear threats. The nuclear blackmail that has gone on for so long will no longer be endured. If our enemies continue this attempt in the future, our army will decide on its own terms, at the time of its choosing, in the manner it deems fit, and target the objectives it selects and we will act accordingly. We will give a fitting and crushing response." The PM also addressed the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it unjust and one-sided, pointing out that rivers originating in India irrigate enemy fields while Indian farmers remain thirsty. "Bharat has now decided--blood and water will not flow together. The people of the country now fully understand how unjust and one-sided the Indus Waters Treaty has been. The waters of rivers originating from Bharat are irrigating the fields of our enemies, while the farmers and the soil of our nation remain thirsty. This was an agreement that has caused unimaginable loss to our farmers for the past seven decades. Now, the water that rightfully belongs to Bharat will be reserved solely for Bharat, solely for the farmers of Bharat. The form of the Indus Agreement that Bharat has endured for decades will not be tolerated any longer. This agreement is unacceptable to us in the interest of our farmers, and in the interest of the nation." PM Modi said. PM Modi paid tribute to the freedom fighters, saying they sacrificed their lives, youth, and endured imprisonment for the sake of India's honour, freedom, and dignity, not for personal gain, but for the liberation of millions from slavery. "Countless people sacrificed their lives for freedom, they dedicated their entire youth, spent their lives in prisons, and embraced the gallows, not for personal gains but for the honour of Maa Bharati, for the freedom of crores of people, to break the chains of slavery, and with one emotion in their hearts--Dignity," Modi stated. He also highlighted the impact of slavery and he credited India's farmers with making the country self-reliant in foodgrain production after independence, overcoming the challenge of feeding millions. Modi emphasised that self-reliance is a key measure of a nation's "self-respect." PM Modi, "Slavery made us impoverished, and it also rendered us dependent. Our reliance upon others kept increasing. We all know that after independence, feeding crores of people was a formidable challenge. And it was none other than the farmers of my country who, by toiling hard, filled the granaries of the nation. They made the country self-reliant in foodgrain production. For a nation, the greatest measure of self-respect even today is its self-reliance." He cautioned against habitual dependency, stressing the need for constant vigilance to maintain self-reliance and avoid its erosion. "The bedrock of a Viksit Bharat is also a self-reliant Bharat. The greater a nation's reliance on others, the more its freedom comes into question. Misfortune arises when dependency becomes a habit, and we fail to realise when we abandon self-reliance and become dependent on others. This habit is fraught with danger, and hence one must remain vigilant every moment to be self-reliant," PM Modi said. He emphasised that diminishing self-reliance erodes capability, stressing the importance of preserving and enhancing self-reliance to maintain and boost national capability. PM Modi stated, "Self-reliance is not confined merely to imports and exports, or to rupees, pounds, and dollars. Its meaning is not so limited. Self-reliance is linked to our capability, and when self-reliance begins to diminish, capability too continually declines. Therefore, to preserve, maintain, and enhance our capability, it is imperative to be self-reliant." He also said that Pakistan had "no inkling" of what India possessed in its artillery and attributed the operation's success to the strength of indigenous capabilities, allowing the armed forces to act without hesitation or interruption. PM Modi said, "We witnessed in Operation Sindoor the marvel of 'Made in India'. The enemy had no inkling of what weapons and capabilities we possessed, what power was destroying them in the blink of an eye. Imagine if we were not self-reliant, could we have executed Operation Sindoor with such swiftness? We would have been plagued by worries over who might supply us, whether or not we would get the required equipment, and so on. But because we held the strength of 'Made in India' in our hands, in the hands of our armed forces, they carried out their valour without concern, without interruption, and without hesitation. The results we see today are the outcome of our consistent mission over the past ten years towards self-reliance in the field of defence." (ANI) Tom Cruise reportedly turned down a Kennedy Center Honor. Tom Cruise turned down a Kennedy Center Honor The Mission: Impossible actor was offered the prestigious award - which "recognises and celebrates individuals whose unique artistic contributions have shaped our world" - but declined due to scheduling conflicts, multiple anonymous current and former Kennedy Center employees told The Washington Post. Instead, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the ceremony in December will see rockers KISS, stage star Michael Crawford, disco legend Gloria Gaynor, country musician George Strait and actor Sylvester Stallone honoured. Trump announced the recipients on Wednesday (13.08.25) from the Kennedy Center's Hall of Nations, where he unveiled five portraits draped in velvet, and he also admitted he himself had long wanted one of the prestigious accolades. He said: I waited and waited and waited, and I said, The hell with it, Ill become chairman and Ill give myself an honour ... Next year, well honour Trump, okay? The former Apprentice star was "very involved" in choosing the recipients and turned down some suggestions he didn't personally approve of. He said: I would say I was about 98 percent involved. They all went through me. ... I had a couple of wokesters. Now, we have great people. This is very different than it used to be, very different. In a major change to the ceremony - which will take place on 7 December and air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ at a later date - the president himself will serve as host. While Tom may have turned down the accolade, he will receive another prestigious honour this year. In June, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts Sciences announced the Top Gun: Maverick actor will receive an honorary Oscar at the 2025 Governors Awards, which take place on 16 November. In addition, actress Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas will also be honoured, while 9 to 5 hitmaker Dolly Parton will pick up the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday said that US President Donald Trump is only praising Pakistan these days, adding that India has been isolated globally due to the current government's foreign policy. "It's an Indo-US issue. India has to stand up. We are a friendless nation today. Pakistan is friendly to China, Russia, and America. Trump is only praising Pakistan, and it has become a favoured nation to most countries. The foreign policy has led to all this. PM Modi claimed that he is closest to Trump...I wonder what happened to their friendship," Rao stated. US President Donald Trump had signed an Executive Order imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on imports from India. Trump cited matters of national security and foreign policy concerns, as well as other relevant trade laws, for the increase, claiming that India's imports of Russian oil, directly or indirectly, pose an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to the United States. Terming the United States' move to impose additional tariffs on India over its oil imports from Russia as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had previously declared that New Delhi will take "all actions necessary to protect its national interests. Earlier on August 8, reacting to the tariff imposition, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that India must safeguard its own interests. "What is happening is concerning. A country with which we had close relations, and we were working as strategic partners. If that country has changed its behaviour, then India will have to think about many things...Perhaps in the coming two to three weeks, we can hold talks and find a way out. India will also have to look after its own interests..." Tharoor said. (ANI) According to a release, the incident, reported by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), occurred on 13 August, but the surge in water levels was recorded at 1410 hrs the next day, turning the stream into a roaring, impassable barrier. The Indian Army was first on the scene, launching a rescue under punishing conditions - unstable terrain, fierce water currents, and relentless weather. With the situation growing more perilous by the minute, a specialist team from the 14th Battalion, NDRF, led by Inspector Neeraj Bharati, was called in. In a display of skill and precision, the joint team used a rope throw gun to span the turbulent waters. An NDRF rescuer then crossed the torrent using the rope system, enabling the safe evacuation of all four stranded individuals. Deputy Commandant Dharmender Thakur,14th Battalion, NDRF, praised the mission as "a remarkable example of coordination, courage, and commitment under extreme conditions." The rescued victims were brought to a secure location, ending an operation that underscored the life-saving readiness of India's disaster response forces. (ANI) In a tragic incident, three workers lost their lives due to suffocation while laying optical fibre cables in a drainage chamber in the Nigdi area of Pimpri-Chinchwad on Friday, said a senior police official. According to Bhojraj Misal, Police Inspector of Nigdi police station, the workers had entered the chamber to carry out BSNL's optical cable-laying work when they collapsed inside, allegedly due to a lack of oxygen. Despite immediate efforts to rescue them, all three were declared dead. The incident took place around 3.30 pm today. The deceased have been identified as Datta Holare, Lakhan Dhawre and Sahebrao Girsep, all contractual workers. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, and further investigation into the circumstances of the incident is underway. Senior officials from the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police and Fire Department rushed to the spot following the mishap. Authorities are probing whether safety protocols and precautions were followed during the work. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the death of several people. "A tragic incident occurred under the Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissionerate at Kundeshwar, where a pickup vehicle carrying devotees visiting for the Shravan Monday darshan met with an accident, resulting in the death of seven people. This event is deeply saddening. I offer my heartfelt tributes to them. We share in the grief of their families. Our condolences are with them in this difficult time," Devendra Fadnavis wrote on 'X'. The Maharashtra CM informed that the state government will provide financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the victims and stated that more than 20 people were injured in the accident, who have been admitted to various hospitals. "Financial assistance of 4 lakh rupees will be provided to the families of the deceased on behalf of the state government. More than 20 people were injured in this accident and have been admitted to various hospitals. Arrangements are being made for their complete treatment, and I am personally in contact with the Police Commissioner," the 'X' post read. (ANI) Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) MP Kanagana Ranaut on Friday offered prayers at Shri Sai Baba Temple in Shirdi on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day and called for more films to be made on brave women like Jhansi ki Rani. Speaking to the media after offering prayers, the BJP MP said, "I was reborn in a way after playing the role of Jhansi ki Rani. I learned about the freedom struggle and about the country. This role was like a rebirth for me after my image that had been tarnished by the film industry. More films should be made on such brave women of ours." Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Rajghat in the national capital and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi as the country marked its 79th Independence Day. This year's Independence Day theme is 'Naya Bharat,' reflecting the government's vision of achieving 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. From Rajghat, PM Modi headed to Red Fort to hoist the tricolour and address the nation -- his 12th consecutive Independence Day speech. Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, the Prime Minister was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Defence Sanjay Seth and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. The Defence Secretary will introduce Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar, General Officer Commanding (GOC), Delhi area, to the PM. The success of Operation Sindoor was celebrated during the I-Day celebrations this year. The view cutter at Gyanpath will have the Operation Sindoor logo, accompanied by floral arrangements themed around the operation. Flying Officer Rashika Sharma assisted the Prime Minister in hoisting the flag, after which flower petals were showered from two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force - one carrying the national flag and the other 'Operation Sindoor' flag. Wing Commander Vinay Poonia and Wing Commander Aditya Jaiswal piloted the aircraft. After the showering of flower petals, the Prime Minister addressed the nation. Following the PM's address, NCC cadets and 'My Bharat' volunteers sang the National Anthem. (ANI) President Droupadi Murmu on Friday expressed grief over the passing of Nagaland Governor La Ganesan, recalling his long and dedicated public service. In her condolence message, the President said, "Saddened by the demise of the Governor of Nagaland, Shri La Ganesan Ji. He also served as a Member of the Rajya Sabha and the Governor of Manipur and West Bengal. During his long public life, he worked for the welfare of the people. His contribution to the development of Tamil Nadu and the country will be remembered. I extend my deep condolences to his family and admirers." La Ganesan, former Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president, passed away on Friday at around 6:23 pm at Apollo Hospital in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over his demise, describing him as a "devout nationalist" dedicated to service and nation-building. In a post shared on social media X, PM Modi wrote, "Pained by the passing of Nagaland Governor Thiru La. Ganesan Ji. He will be remembered as a devout nationalist who dedicated his life to service and nation-building." PM Modi also praised Ganesan's work to expand the BJP across Tamil Nadu. "He worked hard to expand the BJP across Tamil Nadu. He was deeply passionate about Tamil culture, too. My thoughts are with his family and admirers. Om Shanti," the post further read. Narayanan Thirupathi, chief spokesperson of the BJP Tamil Nadu, also condoled Ganesan's death, highlighting his contributions to the party and Tamil culture. In a post on X, Thirupathi said, "Shocked to know that former president of BJP, Tamil Nadu & Honourable Governor of Nagaland L.Ganesan is no more. His contribution to the growth of the party in Tamil Nadu was immense. His role as a full-time member of RSS mattered a lot, and his love for Tamil was admirable. (ANI) The Nation today celebrated the 79th Independence Day with grandeur and patriotic fervour, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the National Flag at the iconic Red Fort and addressed the Nation. According to a release from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, in his speech, the Prime Minister lauded the indomitable spirit of Nari Shakti, emphasising that the dream of a Viksit Bharat by 2047 rests on the empowerment of women and the well-being of children. He reaffirmed that India's progress is inseparable from the progress of its women and their central role in every sphere of nation-building. Paying tribute to the bravery of the forces in Operation Sindoor, the Prime Minister called it a testament to the collective resolve of 140 crore Indians, praising their courage in protecting the Nation's honour. The Minister of Women and Child Development, Annpurna Devi, remarked, "The Hon'ble Prime Minister's address was a powerful call to action for a Viksit Bharat led by empowered women and protected, well-nourished children. His tribute to our brave forces in Operation Sindoor and recognition of Nari Shakti resonates deeply with our mission. The Special Guests honoured this year are true champions of change, whose tireless service at the grassroots is laying the foundation for a stronger, more inclusive India." Special Guests--including Anganwadi workers, supervisors, children from Child Care Institutions (CCIs), beneficiaries of PM CARES, Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs), District Child Protection Officers (DCPOs), staff of One Stop Centres (OSCs), and other frontline workers--were honoured with an invitation to witness today's Independence Day celebrations from the Red Fort. These individuals represent the unsung champions driving grassroots transformation and enabling last-mile delivery of essential services to women and children. As part of their visit to the capital, New Delhi, from 13th to 16th August 2025, the Special Guests toured key landmarks including Parliament House, Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalaya, Kartavya Path, and other historic sites. On 14th August, they engaged in an interactive session with Minister of State for Women and Child Development ( WCD ), Savitri Thakur, and also met WCD Secretary Anil Malik and Senior Ministry officials, sharing field experiences and innovative practices that are shaping lives at the grassroots. The Ministry of Women and Child Development reaffirms its commitment to empowering women, safeguarding children, and enabling every citizen to contribute to the vision of a Viksit Bharat. (ANI) Published by the Raj Bhavan Information Complex, the book compiles the Governor's speeches delivered during assembly sessions as well as on the State Foundation Day and Republic Day. During the event, the coffee table book Ek Shaam Sainik Ke Naam, prepared by the Uttarakhand Sainik Rehabilitation Institute, was also released. A refreshment program was organised at the Raj Bhavan. Many dignitaries, including Governor Gurmeet Singh (Retd) and CM Dhami, participated in this program. Uttarakhand Sainik Rehabilitation Institute organised a ceremony "Ek Shaam Sainik Ke Naam" on the occasion of Armed Forces Veterans Day on January 14, 2025, at Raj Bhavan Dehradun and on June 11, 2025, at Raj Bhavan Nainital. To document and preserve the various activities of the event, a coffee table book titled "Ek Shaam Sainik Ke Naam - 2025" has been published. Earlier in the day, CM Dhami hoisted the national flag at the state-level Independence Day function at Parade Ground, Dehradun. During the program, he honoured the family members of freedom fighters and visited a photo exhibition. During the program, the Chief Minister honoured Additional Director General of Police Ajay Prakash Anshuman with the President's Distinguished Service Medal. On the basis of service, Shweta Choubey, Commander IRB II Dehradun, Yogesh Chandra Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vipin Chandra Pathak, Inspector Civil Police, Narendra Singh Bisht, Inspector Civil Police, Rakesh Chandra Bhatt, Sub Inspector Civil Police, Ajay Prakash Semwal, Leading Fireman and Sunit Kumar, Chief Constable were honored with the Chief Minister's Commendable Service Medal. (ANI) The 79th Independence Day was celebrated with solemnity and patriotism at the foot of the Gandhi Statue near Circuit House Mukti under presence of Tripura Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu. State Minister Ratan Lal Nath, and several other dignitaries, officials, and citizens were present during the celebrations. As part of the programme, floral tributes were offered at the Shaheed Bedi located at Gandhi Ghat to honour the martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation. The event reflected the spirit of unity and reverence for India's freedom fighters, marking the day with both pride and remembrance. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday hoisted the National Flag to mark the 79th Independence Day celebrations. Extending his wishes to the people, the Chief Minister also applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts in taking the country forward. "This is a matter of pride for us that our PM Modi is taking the country forward, and our state and other states are also moving forward... Today, I congratulate the people of Tripura and the people of the entire country on Independence Day," CM Manik Saha told ANI. In a post on social media X, the Chief Minister highlighted that the "cherished freedom" was a hard-earned result of the selfless sacrifices and unwavering struggles of all the freedom fighters." The cherished freedom we enjoy today is the hard-earned result of the selfless sacrifices and unwavering struggles of millions of freedom fighters who broke the shackles of British rule. On the historic occasion of the 79th Independence Day, I had the honour of hoisting the National Flag at the Assam Rifles Ground, inspecting the ceremonial parade, and felicitating distinguished officers for their exemplary achievements. In my address, I highlighted the government's achievements across various sectors and its unwavering commitment to people-centric initiatives. I also echoed the clarion call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji to embrace Swadeshi products and work towards a self-reliant India. The celebrations concluded with a mesmerising cultural programme that reflected the rich heritage and patriotic spirit of our nation," the post read. (ANI) The Delhi High Court, in a recent order, has sought a response from authorities in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) claiming unhygienic living conditions in Mandoli Jail due to the blockage of the drainage system. PIL has been moved on behalf of a life Convict who is lodged in Tihar Jail number 2. The petitioner has stated that inmates are being subjected to inhuman conditions due to severe drainage blockage, leading to unhygienic living conditions, foul odour, waterlogging and breeding of disease-causing vectors. The Division bench, headed by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay, directed the status report to be filed. "We further direct the respondents to chalk out a plan to find a permanent solution to the issue raised herein," the High Court ordered on August 13. Standing counsel Sameer Vashisht appeared for Delhi Police and stated that appropriate steps shall be taken to solve the problem highlighted in this petition on an urgent basis. The high court has listed the matter for hearing on August 18. PIL has been filed through advocate Shannu Baghel on behalf of Sonu Dahiya, who is a life Convict in a case linked to an FIR registered in 2011 and has been in custody for the last 13 years. Petitioner has stated that the scope of the fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution of India includes the right to life and a healthy environment, with the right to live with dignity, and no human being can live with dignity unless there are facilities to maintain basic hygiene. The petitioner is seeking direction to the authorities to take immediate steps for clearing and repairing the blocked drainage system in Jail No. 2 behind the Barrack no.1 and 2 of Ward No. 1 of Tihar Jail. Petitioner has also sought the constitution of a committee comprising officials of the jail, PWD, jail visiting judge and senior medical officer of the Jail. He has also sought medical checkups for all inmates and a sanitation audit. It is submitted that the inspecting judge visited and inspected the Jail, and became aware of thesituation of blocked drainage (Sewer) behind barrack no 1 and no 2 of ward no 1 at the Jail. no 2. He took cognisance, captured photographs, and directed the Superintendent of the Jail and other officers of the jail to take necessary action for curing the serious issue on 31 May 2025. Despite the direction, no action has been taken. (ANI) Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda on Friday said that law and order have completely collapsed under the tenure of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. "Today, law and order in Haryana have completely collapsed. The Haryana government itself is saying that there are 80 gangs. The reason for the failure of law and order is that the police and administration officials do not consider the Chief Minister as the Chief Minister because the strings are being pulled from somewhere else in Delhi by Khattar Sahib," Hooda told ANI. Meanwhile, on the occasion of Independence Day 2025, 13 officers and personnel of the Haryana Police have been selected for the prestigious President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPMDS) and Police Medal for Meritorious Service (PMMS) in recognition of their outstanding and commendable contributions. Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapoor extended his heartfelt congratulations to the entire police force on the announcement made by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. He said that as the nation celebrates the 78th anniversary of Independence, this honour is a matter of pride and prestige for the entire Haryana Police family. "The bravery, dedication, and tireless efforts of our officers and personnel, recognised at the national level, will inspire not only the awardees but the entire force to continue serving with distinction," he said. The DGP also expressed hope that this achievement would energise and motivate everyone to strive for even greater excellence in the future. A Haryana Police spokesperson informed that two officers have been awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service, while 11 others have been conferred with the Police Medal for Meritorious Service. Panchkula Police Commissioner Shibas Kabiraj and IG SVACB Kuldeep Singh have been honoured with the PPMDS. (ANI) Cardi B has unleashed Imaginary Playerz, the second single from her long-awaited second studio album Am I The Drama?. Cardi B samples Jay-Z classic Imaginary Player on her latest single Boasting a sample of Jay-Z's 1997 classic Imaginary Player, the tune was produced by DJ SwanQo, Sean Island, and OctaneThisThatGas, and is a swagger-soaked anthem that doubles down on Cardis signature bravado. Telling fans about getting the music mogul's seal of approval, Cardi spilled on X Space this week: I was so happy because you guys understand, the song is kinda long This song is like a staple for me and I had to get it approved by the one and only. Its a very hip-hop record and I hope you guys enjoy it. It arrives with a cinematic companion video co-directed by Cardi herself alongside longtime creative partner Patience Foster. Through her joint venture, shes already sold out multiple limited-edition merch box sets, including a headline-grabbing WWE collaboration. The newly launched Imaginary Playerz box set and alternate album cover art are available now - but only in limited quantities at CardiB.com. The WWE tie-in isnt just for show. Cardi made her hosting debut at SummerSlam on August 2, where she previewed new music and sent fans into a frenzy. That same week, she dropped Outside, the first single from Am I The Drama?, which debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 - her 13th Top 10 hit - and soared to #1 on Apple Music, marking her first chart-topper since the multi-platinum Up. Cardis new era kicked off with a bang at the Cannes Spotify Beach Party in June, where she performed Outside live for the first time. Am I The Drama? is released on September 19. On the occasion of the 79th Independence Day of India, Punjab Governor and Administrator of Union Territory, Chandigarh, Gulab Chand Kataria, hosted the traditional 'At Home' reception in the scenic lawns of Punjab Raj Bhavan. The event brought together dignitaries and distinguished citizens to celebrate the spirit of freedom, unity, and national pride. The evening began with the ceremonial arrival of the Governor at 5 p.m. He was accorded a warm welcome by the Chandigarh Police Band with the soulful rendition of the National Anthem, evoking a strong sense of patriotism among all present. The lush Raj Bhavan lawns were tastefully decorated in the colours of the national flag, creating an atmosphere of solemn celebration. A highlight of the evening was the Governor's interaction with key dignitaries, including the Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, with whom he shared warm greetings. The function also witnessed the presence of Chief Minister of Haryana Nayab Singh Saini, Speaker of Haryana Vidhan Sabha Harvinder Kalyan, MP Rajya Sabha Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, Punjab Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Mayor Chandigarh Harpreet Kaur Babla; Chief Secretary Chandigarh, Rajeev Verma, Chief Secretary of Punjab, K.A.P. Sinha , Principal Secretary to Governor Punjab, V.P. Singh, DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav, and DGP Chandigarh, Sagar Preet Hooda along with senior officers of the Chandigarh Administration were also present. The Governor mingled graciously with guests from diverse walks of life, exchanging pleasantries and extending Independence Day greetings. In his interactions, he recalled the immense sacrifices made by the nation's freedom fighters and martyrs and emphasised the importance of upholding democratic values and unity in diversity. He urged everyone to continue working for a strong and self-reliant India, rooted in Constitutional ideals and driven by collective progress. The reception was also attended by officers of Armed Forces, Vice Chancellors, Chairmen of various Boards and Corporations, doctors, journalists, industrialists, officials of civil and police administration of Punjab and Chandigarh as well as other eminent citizens. The event concluded with light refreshments and cordial exchanges, reaffirming the resolve to build a vibrant, united, and prosperous Bharat that honours its past and strides confidently into the future. (ANI) In the wake of conservancy workers being detained during their protest in Chennai, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) Founder-President Thol Thirumavalavan urged the Tamil Nadu government to recognise the corporation's sanitation workers as government workers. Speaking to reporters, Thol Thirumavalavan said, "VCK demands that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin confirm these workers' service. Don't privatise corporation workers. Don't give in to outsourcing. The government should not file any cases against people who supported sanitation workers. Withdraw all such cases. All over Tamil Nadu, all the corporation's sanitation workers should be observed as government workers." Chennai police on the night of August 13 detained sanitation workers who had been protesting for 13 consecutive days outside the Greater Chennai Corporation's Ripon Building, following a Madras High Court order to clear the protest site. Around 800 sanitation workers, opposing the civic body's move to privatise waste management in two zones, were forcibly removed around midnight and taken away by buses within 45 minutes. For the 13th consecutive day, hundreds of sanitation workers employed under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) protested in front of Ripon Building, demanding a rollback of the GCC's decision to privatise solid waste management services in Zones 5 and 6. The workers claimed that the move threatened their job security, livelihoods, and exposed them to exploitation by private agencies. Earlier, the GCC had announced plans to outsource waste management in Royapuram (Zone 5) and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar (Zone 6) from August 1. These were among the last remaining zones under direct GCC control, with 10 out of Chennai's 15 zones already managed by private contractors such as Spain-based Urbaser-Sumeet and Andhra Pradesh-based Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd (REEL). The workers condemned the outsourcing, demanded permanent employment, and insisted that sanitation work continue under the NULM scheme. Tensions began on July 31, when GCC officials informed NULM workers they would need to coordinate with private firms. The situation escalated on August 1 when morning-shift workers reported for duty but were denied entry. Many, including several with over a decade of service, boycotted work and joined the demonstrations. The protest was supported and led by trade unions such as the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), AITUC, Left Trade Union Congress (LTUC), and Labour Progressive Union (LPU). It also gained backing from political parties, including CPI, CPI(M), DMDK, TVK, PMK, TNBSP, and other regional parties. On Wednesday, the Madras High Court ordered the Tamil Nadu government to take action against the striking workers. Later that evening, Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru held talks with protest representatives, but no resolution was reached. Police detained the protesting sanitation workers around midnight. Officers deployed at the GCC headquarters rounded up the protesters, escorted them to buses, and cleared the area. (ANI) President of India Droupadi Murmu, on the eve of Shri Krishna Janmashtami, extended warm greetings to all Indians in the country and abroad. According to a release from the President's Secretariat, the President of India, in her message on the eve of Janmashtami, has said, "On the occasion of Shri Krishna Janmashtami, a festival filled with joy and enthusiasm, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all the Indians living in India and abroad." She added, "The life and teachings of Bhagwan Shri Krishna inspire us towards self-development and self-realisation. Bhagwan Shri Krishna enlightened humanity about the attainment of the ultimate truth by following the path of Dharma. This festival inspires us to adopt eternal values embodied by Yogeshwar Shri Krishna. On this occasion, let us all take a pledge to follow the teachings of Bhagwan Shri Krishna and make our society and nation stronger". Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh government is planning to celebrate Krishna Janmashtami across the state with a series of cultural programmes. The hotels in the state have been urged to reflect the Janmashatami theme in their premises, similar to how they do during the Christmas festival. Cultural Advisor to the Chief Minister, Shriram Tiwari, clarified that there are no orders, and hotels can do so voluntarily. "The Chief Minister's view has been centred on development from heritage, and his first address in the state assembly after becoming the CM was about 'Shree Krishna Pathey'. Therefore, on the occasion of Janmashtami this year, we are providing detailed information about it. Last year too, we organised various initiatives in view of Gita Jayanti," Tiwari told ANI. He said funds are being provided to over 3200 temples across the state for decoration and other programmes. "The state culture department, along with Shri Krishna Pathey Trust, Directorate of Culture and Maharaja Vikramaditya Research Institute, will organise over 150 activities at around 100 prominent places across the state. Over 1,000 artists across India and Madhya Pradesh would participate in it," he said. Tiwari said Balram Jayanti is on August 14, and activities and exhibitions related to farming and farmers will be held across the state. He stated that no separate order has been issued to celebrate the festival in schools and colleges. Tiwari said hotels are being encouraged to hold the Dahi-handi event. "Our festivals should be showcased. The participation is voluntary," he said. (ANI) India-US relations have entered a turbulent phase under President Donald Trump, with former Deputy National Security Adviser Pankaj Saran warning the strain should be viewed as part of a wider global disruption rather than an isolated setback. In an interview with ANI, Saran offered a measured assessment of the bilateral relationship against the backdrop of shifting geopolitics and Trump's return to the forefront of American politics. "There's only one man in the world who knows what's going to happen next, and that is President Trump. Not even his cabinet officials. They're also the last to know, as we are," Saran said. When asked if the trajectory of the India-US relationship, which had seen consistent growth since George W. Bush's era, is facing a major speedbreaker under Trump, Saran replied, "I think so. I mean, I think so. But we're not the only ones," noting that Europe, too, is feeling the effect of a disrupted global order. Recalling conversations with European scholars, Saran said that even before Trump's return, there was unease about the future of NATO and the transatlantic partnership. "I have been visiting Europe and talking to a lot of European scholars, you know, before January, they were all extremely worried about what would be the consequence of a Trumpian foreign policy on the European alliance; they were even talking about the existence of the NATO alliance, the transatlantic alliance. They were even talking about that, it is time has come to maybe de-link ourselves from the United States. Instead of having a US-led NATO, to have a European-led NATO, they even talked about issues about a coalition of the willing, that since Europe is large and diverse, a few of them should get together and handle their own security. So the French, the Germans, the Italians, you know, they started asserting themselves. Recalibrating now," he said. Saran stressed the importance of placing India's current challenges in a global context. "When we look at ourselves, it's better to look at what we are going through in a larger context. To understand why it is happening. The question is, are we the only ones, or is it part and parcel of a bigger disruption globally that we are going through? And I think we are going through a disruption," he said. Highlighting the overall situation, he said, "To make a policy response, you have to understand who you're dealing with. And what is the overall situation? If you are making a policy response on the analysis that you're the only one getting hit and everyone else is fine, then there'll be a certain kind of policy response. But if you have figured that you're part and parcel of a bigger global disruption, then you will tweak and modify how you respond." "So, yes, I think we are to be sure at a difficult moment in the relationship, something which we actually never expected," he added. "You're dealing with a global power. You can't, you're not an equal, and you have to be realistic. Bravado and being rash and being kind of thumping your chest or the table is not going to help," he said, emphasising the need for a measured approach. Saran noted that ties initially enjoyed a "honeymoon phase" in the early months of Trump's return to politics but have since soured. "It is now after eight months or seven months that he's turned his attention to us. And we lived through a fairly nice honeymoon phase for the first few months. But now we're getting into his crosshairs," he said. Reiterating to the unpredictability of Trump's approach, Saran said, "There's only one man in the world who knows what's going to happen next, and that is President Trump. Not even his cabinet officials. They're also the last to know, as we are." "If we give him the benefit of doubt, he's got it figured in his mind what he actually wants at a very broad macro level. He's looking at the world as a chessboard, as a deal-making platform. He's looking at each country, how it fits into his bigger design. It's quite amazing that the only person who knows the next step is him," he added. (ANI) The High Commission of India in London observed Partition Horrors Remembrance Day with a commemorative event to honour the lives lost and the strength of those who survived during the partition of India in 1947. During the ceremony, High Commissioner V. Doraiswami emphasised the significance of remembering this chapter in the nation's history, stating, "Partition is a chapter of our nation's history that must never be forgotten, and that it serves as a reminder of our endurance as well as the unifying power of our diversity." https://x.com/HCI_London/status/1956069447933812799 "On #PartitionHorrorsRemembranceDay, @HCI_London hosted a commemorative event to honour the lives lost and the strength of those who survived, "High Commission of India in London wrote in a post on X. "In his remarks, HC @VDoraiswami emphasised that Partition is a chapter of our nation's history that must never be forgotten, and that it serves as a reminder of our endurance as well as the unifying power of our diversity," the post added. The event featured the screening of a short segment from the documentary film Beyond Partition, presented by Lalit Mohan Joshi, a former journalist, filmmaker, and founder-director of the South Asian Cinema Foundation (SACF). "Former journalist, filmmaker and founder Director of South Asian Cinema Foundation (SACF), @Lalitmohanjoshi presented a short clip from his documentary film 'Beyond Partition," the post said. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1955830272236138778 Sharing the post on Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote, "India observes #PartitionHorrorsRemembranceDay, remembering the upheaval and pain endured by countless people during that tragic chapter of our history. It is also a day to honour their grit...their ability to face unimaginable loss and still find the strength to start afresh." "Many of those affected went on to rebuild their lives and achieve remarkable milestones. This day is also a reminder of our enduring responsibility to strengthen the bonds of harmony that hold our country together," the post added. Partition Horrors Remembrance Day is an annual national memorial day observed on 14 August in India, commemorating the victims and sufferings of people during the 1947 partition of India. (ANI) Tel Aviv [Israel], August 15 (ANI/TPS): Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Thursday, issued a statement outlining the five principles for ending the war in Gaza that Israel's security cabinet settled on in a meeting one week ago. The five principles are: Hamas must be disarmed, all hostages - the living and the deceased - are to be returned. "We will not give up on a single one," declared Netanyahu. The Gaza Strip is to be demilitarised. Not only must Hamas be disarmed, but it must be ensured that weapons will neither be produced in Gaza nor smuggled into it. The fourth one will be, there will be Israeli security control in the Gaza Strip, including the security perimeter. There will be an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority - people who will neither educate their children for terrorism, nor finance terrorism, nor dispatch terrorism. "These five principles will ensure the security of Israel. This is the meaning of the word 'victory'," said Netanyahu. (ANI/TPS) "The presence of the infrastructure that was attacked was a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon," said the IDF. The IDF will continue to act to remove any threat to the State of Israel The Upper Galilee Regional Council reported that a series of attacks began in the Lebanese sector, with an emphasis on the eastern sector, as part of what it called "enforcement efforts." (ANI/TPS) The police said that actually dozens of people set tires on fire on the highway, posing a real risk to human life. The highway was only blocked temporarily. (ANI/TPS) Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday announced plans to advance tenders for the construction of over 3,000 housing units in the contentious E1 settlement area, located between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim in the West Bank, The Times of Israel reported. Smotrich declared that the move would "bury the idea of a Palestinian state", adding that the plan has the backing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The project has been frozen for decades amid fierce opposition from the international community, who fear the new settlement neighbourhood would prevent the establishment of a contiguous, viable Palestinian state, as per The Times of Israel. "Approval of construction plans in E1 buries the idea of a Palestinian state and continues the many steps we are taking on the ground as part of the de facto sovereignty plan that we began implementing with the establishment of the government," Smotrich said in his statement on Wednesday. "After decades of international pressure and freezes, we are breaking conventions and connecting Ma'ale Adumim to Jerusalem. This is Zionism at its best, building, settling, and strengthening our sovereignty in the Land of Israel," said Smotrich, who is also a minister in the Defence Ministry responsible for the West Bank civilian issues. According to The Times of Israel, the proposed construction of a new neighbourhood for the Ma'ale Adumim settlement in the E1 zone has been a longstanding source of concern for the international community. Such development would effectively split the West Bank into northern and southern sections, obstructing the possibility of establishing a contiguous Palestinian urban area linking East Jerusalem with Bethlehem and Ramallah, a vision the Palestinians have long seen as central to the foundation of their future state. Smotrich said in a speech on Thursday that Netanyahu supports his move. "He backs me up in everything concerning Judea and Samaria, and is letting me create the revolution," Smotrich said at an event in Ma'ale Adumim organised by the Yesha Council, the umbrella organisation representing local authorities in settlements. Smotrich, who holds a junior ministerial position within the Defence Ministry that gives him significant influence over settlement construction, said the approvals for the long-frozen E1 settlement project are a response to a wave of Western countries that have announced or floated plans to recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations next month. "Today, anyone in the world who tries to recognise a Palestinian state will receive an answer from us on the ground," he declared. "Today, we are writing a historic chapter in the story of the redemption of the people of Israel in their land." Smotrich boasted that "after 20 years of delays... the traffic jam has been broken [and] the E1 plan is underway," adding that the government is "fulfilling the promise and connecting Ma'ale Adumim with a strategic, security and demographic connection, which ensures our united capital for generations." (ANI) The MND said that 7 out of 7 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1956158909195956323 In a post on X, the MND said, "7 sorties of PLA aircraft and 2 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 7 out of 7 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly." On Thursday, the MND detected eight sorties of PLA aircraft, two PLAN vessels operating around its territory. The MND said that 8 out of 8 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). In a post on X, MND said, "8 sorties of PLA aircraft and 2 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 8 out of 8 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly." Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Western nations to have "courage" to stand with Taiwan and "deepen" their economic partnership with the island nation as China intensifies its pressure on Taiwan, Taipei Times reported. Speaking at the 9th Ketagalan Forum 2025 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue in Taipei on Tuesday, Johnson emphasised the importance of backing Taiwan's democracy and innovation. Johnson stressed the need for peaceful dialogue across the Taiwan Strait, asking why Beijing feels compelled to conquer a nation that poses no threat, and reiterated that his mission in Taiwan is to affirm Western solidarity. (ANI) Colombia held a funeral service for murdered presidential candidate Miguel Uribe on Wednesday, with his widow tearfully warning that the country must shake its dark and long history of political violence. The 39-year-old conservative senator was shot in June while campaigning in the capital, Bogota, and died this week of his injuries. "Our country is going through the darkest, saddest, and most painful days," Maria Claudia Tarazona told a packed cathedral funeral service as she prepared to bury her husband. Police have blamed Uribe's murder on dissident left-wing guerrillas. For most Colombians, the assassination represented a shocking spasm of political violence after years of relative peace. Four presidential candidates were assassinated during the 1980s and 1990s, as cocaine cartels and various armed groups terrorized the country. Uribe's own mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in a botched 1991 police operation to free her from cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar's Medellin cartel. On Wednesday Uribe's father, Miguel Uribe Londono, remembered the day 34 years ago when she was killed. "With all the pain in my soul, I had to tell a little boy of barely four years old the horrendous news of his mother's murder," he said at the service. "In this same holy cathedral, I carried Miguel in one arm and the coffin of his mother, Diana, in the other." "Today, 34 years later, this senseless violence also takes from me that same little boy," he said. Uribe's wife vowed that his death at the hands of a suspected 15-year-old hitman would not be in vain, and that his young son and stepdaughters would live a life filled with love. "Miguel, I will love you every day of my life until my time comes to meet you in heaven," she said. "I promise to give Alejandro and the girls a life full of love and happiness, without hatred and without resentment". Colombia will hold elections in 2026 to replace incumbent leftist leader Gustavo Petro, who is constitutionally barred from running again. Petro, himself a former guerrilla, said he chose not to attend Wednesday's funeral at the family's request. "We're not going, not because we didn't want to," he posted on social media. "We simply respect the family and we avoid the funeral of Senator Miguel Uribe from being taken over by supporters of hate". It was expected that some of those marking their respects may have booed the president, who has taken a conciliatory approach to armed groups. Former presidents Juan Manuel Santos and Cesar Gaviria attended the funeral. Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has condemned a reported Pakistani airstrike in Nuristan Province, calling for respect for Afghanistan's sovereignty and adherence to international law, Khaama Press reported. According to Khaama Press, Karzai expressed concern over media reports of an alleged Pakistani drone strike in Nuristan. He urged Islamabad to respect Afghanistan's sovereignty and avoid violating international law. Taliban authorities have so far remained silent on the incident. Earlier, Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported, citing unnamed sources, that Pakistan carried out a drone strike in Nuristan. On August 14, Karzai referred to these media reports, stating he was deeply concerned about the alleged airstrike attributed to Pakistan. He called on the Pakistani government to "respect Afghanistan's national sovereignty and, by refraining from violating international principles and norms, engage with Afghanistan through civilized relations and good neighborliness," Khaama Press reported. Pakistan has repeatedly claimed that militants from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) use Afghan territory to launch attacks against the country, an allegation Taliban authorities have consistently denied. Local media in Nuristan have also reported drone strikes in the province, though no details have been provided regarding casualties or intended targets. Pakistani officials have not yet commented on the alleged attack. Tasnim News Agency reported there was no confirmed information about the target or possible damage. The outlet speculated the strike may have targeted TTP positions in the province, though this remains unverified, Khaama Press reported. Khaama Press noted that the incident, if confirmed, risks further straining already tense relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which have been marked by recurring border and security disputes. The tensions come days after Pakistan's army on Tuesday claimed to have killed 50 militants, including Baloch Liberation Army and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan members, in a four-day operation near the Afghanistan border, specifically in Balochistan province, reported Khaama Press. According to the army, the operations mainly targeted militants in parts of Balochistan province where major mining projects are underway. Neither the Balochistan Liberation Army nor the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan issued a statement responding to the claims, and independent verification of the casualty figures remains unavailable for Khaama Press. Tensions between Pakistan's security forces and the TTP have intensified in recent years, particularly since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of allowing TTP fighters to operate from Afghanistan soil and carry out cross-border attacks. The BLA, an ethnic Baloch separatist group, has also escalated its attacks in Balochistan, often targeting projects linked to Chinese investment under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Khaama Press reported. (ANI) With the concerns of US President Donald Trump's tariffs looming over India, former Deputy National Security Advisor Pankaj Saran has called for a measured and realistic approach in dealing with the trade tensions, particularly on how New Delhi should respond to the tariffs imposed by Washington. Speaking to ANI on the complexities of navigating the US-India trade relations under Trump's trade policies, Saran emphasised that "bravado and rash" actions would be counterproductive given the asymmetry in power between the two nations, highlighting the need for strategic caution in addressing the ongoing tariff disputes. "Everyone here is still wanting to play this carefully because the stakes are so high in the India-US relationship. I think what you're seeing is a recognition of the fact that there is an asymmetry out here. You're dealing with a global power. You're not an equal," Saran said. "You have to be realistic. Bravado and being rash and thumping your chest or the table is not actually going to help. So, that is what I think so far, and I also think it's all work in progress. I don't know whether there is a full stop in the Trumpian approach to India, or if he could relieve the pressure," he added. A seasoned diplomat, Saran acknowledged the shifting tone in bilateral relations between the two nations, stating that after a "fairly nice honeymoon phase", India is now "getting into his crosshairs", drawing parallels with Trump's past dealings with China, Russia, and Europe. "We can see both happening. Basically, he's testing. Again, if I look at what he's done with China or with Russia or with Europe, you can see all... The speeds of the car working the brake, the accelerator, everything. I think now, it is now after eight months or seven months that he's turned his attention to us. And we lived through a fairly nice honeymoon phase for the first few months. But now we're getting into his crosshairs," the former deputy NSA added. Addressing the contrasting leadership styles of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Donald Trump, Saran reflected on the US President's approach to dealing with the issue, noting that the US President operates with a unique and unpredictable style, treating global relations as a "chessboard" and a "deal-making platform." He also highlighted the inherent uncertainty in dealing with Trump, underscoring his highly personal and opaque decision-making process. "One is a style issue, and the other is a substance. You know the Prime Minister; I know him. He's not a person who tweets every day, not at least on foreign policy. It's very measured. And that's the way it is. I mean, that's the way he is. And that's the way Donald Trump is. You can't change either of them," he said. "The only person - there's only one man in the world who knows what's going to happen next, and that is President Trump. Not even his cabinet officials. They're also the last to know, as we are. And he, if we give him the benefit of the doubt, has got it figured out in his mind what he actually wants at a very broad macro level. He's looking at the world as a chessboard, as a deal-making platform. He's looking at each country, how it fits into his bigger design. It's quite amazing that the only person who knows the next step is him. And not even his officials," he added. The former deputy NSA's remark comes during a time when India is facing a 25 per cent tariff under Trump's new tariff plans, with an additional 25 per cent tariff, taking the total to 50 per cent, looming over Indian goods to the US due to its continued oil purchases from Russia. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has slammed the US's move to impose additional tariffs, calling it "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable", and further noted that New Delhi would take "all actions necessary to protect its national interests". (ANI) Diplomatic missions in India extended warm greetings to mark India's 79th Independence Day, highlighting the strength of bilateral ties and cultural camaraderie. The Singapore High Commission in India shared a gesture for Indian travellers heading to Singapore for the long weekend. "A little surprise for our Indian friends visiting Singapore for the long weekend. Singapore's beloved destination mascot Merli appeared at Changi Airport, greeting Indian travellers with cuddly Merli plushies," Singapore's High Commissioner to India, HC Wong, posted on X. https://x.com/SGinIndia/status/1955969374537572511 Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan also conveyed his wishes, writing, "Congratulations to India on your 79th Independence Day. Our meeting earlier this week underscored the strength of our ties. We celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties." https://x.com/VivianBala/status/1956155590511665581 Similarly, the French Embassy in India took to social media to extend its greetings. "Our warmest wishes on #IndependenceDay2025! As our Indian friends come together to celebrate this special day, we invited our French colleagues to a rapid-fire round on India - its cultures, cuisines, and more. Watch what they had to say!" the embassy posted on X. https://x.com/FranceinIndia/status/1956145981009092804 Echoing this spirit, the United States Embassy in India and Indian missions abroad also extended greetings, mirroring the warmth expressed by France, Singapore and other partners, and highlighting the shared values and festive camaraderie that define India's ties with nations worldwide. In a post on X, the U.S. Embassy in India said, "Happy Independence Day, India! The United States joins India in celebrating this important occasion, honoring our shared achievements in advancing global peace and prosperity. We look forward to strengthening the #USIndia partnership in the years ahead." The Embassy of India in Tokyo also extended greetings, posting, "Embassy of India, Tokyo extends greetings to all on the occasion of Independence Day." Sharing visuals of celebrations, it added, "Glimpses of the Flag hoisting ceremony at @IndianEmbTokyo to celebrate the 79th Independence Day of India. Ambassador @AmbSibiGeorge hoisted the tricolor and read Address to the Nation by the Hon'ble President of India." Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, hoisted the tricolour at the Red Fort. This year's celebrations carry the theme 'Naya Bharat,' reflecting the government's vision of achieving 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. (ANI) Greetings and heartfelt wishes poured in on Friday from India's neighbouring nations on the occasion of its 79th Independence Day, with leaders from the Maldives and Nepal extending their congratulations and reaffirming strong bilateral ties with the country. Former President of the Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, took to the social media platform X to convey his wishes to the Indian leadership and its citizens, noting that India has been a "steadfast friend and neighbour" on which Maldivians can count. "Warm greetings to H.E. President Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn, H.E. PM @narendramodi, the Government, and our close friends - the people of India - on India's Independence Day. India has always been a steadfast friend and neighbour whom Maldivians can count on at all times. May our friendship grow from strength to strength," he stated. Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, Arzu Rana Deuba, also extended her greetings through a post on X, addressing External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the people of India. She emphasised the Himnalayan Country's deep values in the "longstanding and enduring partnership" with India, noting that India has been a "shining example of democracy" around the world. "Extending my heartfelt congratulations to @DrSJaishankar and the people of India on the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day. Nepal deeply values its longstanding and enduring partnership with India. On this Independence Day, we wish the people of India continued prosperity, unity, and harmony. May India remain a shining example of democracy, inspiring countries around the world," she stated. Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the strength of the India-US relationship and their shared commitment to a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region, while extending his warm wishes to the people of India on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day. The US Secretary of State, in a statement, highlighted the growing strategic partnership between the world's oldest and largest democracies and described the relationship between India and the US as "consequential and far-reaching," built on shared democratic values, mutual respect, and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors. "On behalf of the United States, I extend our congratulations and warm wishes to the people of India as they celebrate their Independence Day on August 15," Rubio said in a statement released by the US Department of State on Thursday (local time). "The historic relationship between the world's largest democracy and the world's oldest democracy is consequential and far-reaching. Our two countries are united by our shared vision for a more peaceful, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific region. Our partnership spans industries, promotes innovation, pushes the boundaries of critical and emerging technologies, and extends into space. Working together, the United States and India will rise to the modern challenges of today and ensure a brighter future for both our countries," the statement added. This year, the celebrations carry the theme 'Naya Bharat', reflecting the government's vision of achieving 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hoisted the national flag at his residence in New Delhi on Friday on the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day, joining millions across the country in celebrating the spirit of independence and national pride. The EAM hoisted the national flag, followed by the singing of the national anthem, alongside officials and close associates present to mark the occasion. "Hoisted the Tiranga at my residence, on the occasion of Independence Day. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!" the EAM stated in a post on X. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1956228696412434437 Speaking on the Independence Day speech delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the ramparts of the Red Fort today, the EAM stated that it was a "powerful speech" by the PM, noting the message of "Aatmanirbharta". "It was a very powerful speech by the Prime Minister. It was a message of Aatmanirbharta and that we can face all the challenges at home, abroad, and he had great confidence in the Indian people that they will rise to the challenge," Jaishankar said. Earlier in a post on X, Jaishankar stated that the PM's address highlighted the nation's determination, progress, and vision for the future, reflecting the spirit and resolve of India. "Prime Minister @narendramodi's address on India's 79th Independence Day reflected the resolve and spirit of India." He added that the address recalled the success of #OperationSindoor, "underlining our determination to fight terrorism," EAM stated in his post. Jaishankar stated that in his Independence Day address, the Prime Minister emphasised India's commitment to self-reliance and policy reforms, noting, "It emphasised our commitment to Atmanirbharta and reforms in governance and policy to usher in a new era of growth, progress and prosperity." The speech was also an appeal to various sections of society, urging participation in nation-building. "It was an invocation to our Youth, Innovators, Nari Shakti and Businesses to become partners in building a Sammridh and #ViksitBharat," the post added. Delivered from the ramparts of the Red Fort, this marked PM Modi's 12th consecutive Independence Day speech, surpassing former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's record of 11 consecutive addresses. Wearing a saffron turban, PM Modi reflected on India's progress, outlined the vision of a 'Viksit Bharat,' and emphasised self-reliance under the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative, urging youth, scientists, and government departments to focus on developing indigenous technologies. (ANI) Thousands of protesters poured onto the streets across Serbia for a third consecutive night on Thursday, smashing windows at the governing party's headquarters in Novi Sad, the northern city where the country's ongoing antigovernment movement first erupted more than nine months ago, Al Jazeera reported. The latest demonstrations came after major clashes earlier in the week left dozens detained or injured, with protesters demanding that President Aleksandar Vucic call an early election. In Novi Sad, anger over alleged corruption in infrastructure projects was reignited by last year's deadly train station canopy collapse that killed 16 people. Demonstrators stormed the offices of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), taking away furniture and documents while splashing paint at the entrance. "He is finished," protesters chanted in reference to the president, as they ransacked the building. Police and Vucic's supporters, who have guarded the premises for months, were absent from the scene, according to Al Jazeera. In Belgrade, hundreds of demonstrators clashed with SNS supporters on one of the capital's main boulevards, hurling flares and firecrackers at each other. Police used tear gas at multiple locations to disperse crowds and separate the opposing groups. Similar protests took place in towns nationwide, Al Jazeera reported. Speaking to pro-government Informer television, Vucic vowed a crackdown on what he called violent agitators. "The state will win," he said, accusing protesters of being "enemies of their own country" and insisting, "I think it is clear they did not want peace and Gandhian protests. There will be more arrests." He reiterated unsubstantiated claims that the unrest was orchestrated from abroad. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said that 47 people were arrested during Wednesday's clashes, with about 80 civilians and 27 police officers injured. The night before, gatherings were reported at some 90 locations across the country, he added. The European Union's Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, expressed concern over the unrest, writing on X that reports of violence were "deeply concerning." She stressed, "Advancing on the EU path requires citizens can express their views freely and journalists can report without intimidation or attacks." Vucic has dismissed allegations that his administration has allowed organised crime and corruption to flourish. Serbia remains a candidate for European Union membership, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI) The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has accused Pakistan of carrying out "organised genocide" in Balochistan during an international conference in The Hague, which aimed to highlight alleged human rights violations, according to The Balochistan Post (TBP). The conference, titled "The Case of Balochistan: Self-Determination and International Silence," brought together human rights activists, journalists, and political leaders from various countries. Speakers criticised the United Nations, the European Union, and other global institutions for "failing to act despite widespread atrocities." BNM chairman Naseem Baloch claimed that thousands of Baloch people had been "forcibly disappeared," with many later found dead in remote areas, and entire villages had been "razed" during military operations. He said that international bodies have remained passive despite these "large-scale atrocities," which he described as "an organised genocide." He urged the global community to support the Baloch struggle for survival, freedom, and sovereignty and to hold Pakistan accountable. Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) activist Zali Wali denounced "state oppression and brutality" in both Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, alleging that genocide was underway alongside the systematic exploitation of natural resources. She said villages in Waziristan were being depopulated, young people were forcibly disappeared, and military cantonments were established to permanently silence dissent. Wali emphasised the shared "historical, geographical, and cultural" bonds between the Baloch and Pashtun peoples, stating that PTM views the Baloch freedom struggle as part of its own. BNM foreign secretary Faheem Baloch described the crisis as "humanitarian" in scale, saying the severity of the genocide could not be fully captured in words. He accused the authorities of deliberately cutting off internet and communication access to hide atrocities and erase Baloch identity, language, culture, and political presence. He called on the global community to end "double standards" and take concrete action against "state crimes." Human rights activist Charlotte Zehrer said Balochistan symbolised "systematic oppression and brutality that must no longer be ignored," adding that global human rights rhetoric was exposed as hollow when it came to the region. BNM Netherlands vice president Waheed Baloch said Balochistan was once independent but lost its political freedom after Pakistan's "forcible occupation." He vowed the Baloch would resist "oppression and slavery" until their freedom was achieved. Speaking in Dutch, BNM member Muhamad Muheem appealed to the Netherlands and the wider world to address "grave human rights abuses, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings" in Balochistan. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday extended his warm greetings to the governments and people of South Korea, Liechtenstein, and the Republic of Congo on the occasion of their respective national days. In a series of posts on X, Jaishankar conveyed his regards and extended greetings to these nations. Notably, the national days for these three countries also coincide with the Independence Day of India, with the nation celebrating the 79th Independence Day this year. In his message to South Korea, Jaishankar conveyed his congratulations to Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, stating, "Heartfelt congratulations to FM @FMChoHyun, the Government and the people of the Republic of Korea on their National Liberation Day. Look forward to welcoming you to India." Marking Liechtenstein's National Day, Jaishankar extended greetings to their Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sabine Monauni, saying, "Greetings to DPM & FM Sabine Monauni, the Government and the people of the Principality of Liechtenstein on their National Day. Committed to deepening our partnership." In his post to the Republic of Congo, the EAM greeted the country's Foreign Minister Jean-Claude Gakosso on the occasion of the country's Independence Day. "Independence Day greetings to FM Jean-Claude Gakosso, the Government and people of the Republic of Congo," the post read. Meanwhile, greetings also poured in from across the world on the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day. Leaders from the US, the Maldives and Nepal extended their congratulations and reaffirmed strong bilateral ties with India on this occasion. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the strength of the India-US relationship and their shared commitment to a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region, while extending his warm wishes to the people of India on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day. The US Secretary of State, in a statement, highlighted the growing strategic partnership between the world's oldest and largest democracies and described the relationship between India and the US as "consequential and far-reaching," built on shared democratic values, mutual respect, and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors. Former President of the Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, took to the social media platform X to convey his wishes to the Indian leadership and its citizens, noting that India has been a "steadfast friend and neighbour" on which Maldivians can count. Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, Arzu Rana Deuba, also extended her greetings through a post on X, addressing External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the people of India. She emphasised the Himnalayan Country's deep values in the "longstanding and enduring partnership" with India, noting that India has been a "shining example of democracy" around the world. (ANI) The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has rejected the United States' decision to classify its unit, the Majeed Brigade, as a foreign terrorist organisation, describing the move as "detached from ground realities" and "an implicit endorsement of the colonial narrative by an international power," according to The Balochistan Post (TBP). In a statement on Friday, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said the group was neither surprised nor pressured by the designation, asserting that the BLA is "a resistance force" operating solely against the military control of "the occupying state" and committed to "the liberation of its occupied motherland." He claimed Pakistan forcibly occupied Balochistan in 1948 and said the BLA continues the resistance that began on that day. Describing the organisation as "the armed embodiment of Baloch national pride," he stressed that it does not seek "external validation or international certification." Jeeyand Baloch emphasised that the BLA follows "the rules of war" under international humanitarian law, specifically Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions, and conducts its operations in "strict compliance" with these principles, which protect civilians and recognise the rights of combatants. He noted that similar non-state resistance movements worldwide had received acknowledgement under these legal frameworks. According to him, all BLA attacks target the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, intelligence agencies, death squads, and allied armed groups in Balochistan. He denied accusations that the group targets civilians, calling such claims "state propaganda" echoed by Washington, and insisted that civilian harm is "not part of our manifesto." The group, he added, is not hostile toward the Pakistani people or any foreign nation but is solely fighting "the occupier" until the occupation ends. The statement dismissed the US designation as a reflection of "security, treaty, and geopolitical interests" rather than justice, arguing that such blacklists lack moral or legal legitimacy. Jeeyand Baloch described the move as an attempt to "criminalise a seventy-five-year-old indigenous resistance" and reaffirmed that the struggle falls within the bounds of international humanitarian law. He said that if resistance against "oppression, genocide, and slavery" is justified elsewhere, "Balochistan is no exception." He further linked the US stance to the region's rich mineral resources, accusing Pakistan of offering these to foreign corporations and turning Balochistan into a "silent economic colony." According to him, when resistance threatens such projects, it is unsurprising that it is labelled unlawful at the global level. The BLA urged the US and other world powers to recognise that "the Baloch nation and its revolutionary resistance" naturally align with states that value "justice, stability, and principled partnerships." Jeeyand Baloch concluded by pledging that the group would not abandon its "ideological, military, or revolutionary duties" and would resist any attempts, whether through propaganda, labels, or global decisions, to halt its struggle, vowing to continue until "Baloch national liberation and sovereignty" are achieved. (ANI) India's regional neighbours, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, along with Australia, extended their warm greetings to the Indian government and its people on the occasion of its 79th Independence Day, with the Foreign Ministers from these nations reaffirming the deep and enduring partnerships shared with New Delhi. In a post on X, Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong expressed her greeting to the people of India as well as the Indian communities there on the occasion, while acknowledging five years of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. "Wishing my friend @DrSJaishankar, the people of India and our Indian-Australian communities a wonderful India Independence Day. As we celebrate five years of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with India, our relationship is stronger and more consequential than ever," she stated. https://x.com/SenatorWong/status/1956241635370786900 Sri Lanka's Cabinet Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vijitha Herath, in a post on X, conveyed his heartfelt congratulations to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar while highlighting the strength of bilateral ties. "Warmest felicitations to the Hon. Minister of External Affairs, @DrSJaishankar, and to the Government and people of #India on your 79th Independence Day. May the enduring friendship between our nations continue to inspire peace, prosperity, and mutual respect," he posted. https://x.com/HMVijithaHerath/status/1956209744089383048 Echoing similar sentiments, Maldives' Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Khaleel, also took to X to extend his greetings to India and the EAM Jaishankar. He expressed hope for the continuation of the strong friendship between the two nations, as well as the progress in the cooperation for paving the way for even greater good in the future. "Warmest congratulations to Minister of External Affairs @DrSJaishankar and the people of India on your Independence Day. Our enduring friendship continues to thrive, and the momentum of our cooperation promises even greater achievements in the years ahead," he wrote. https://x.com/abkhaleel/status/1956227234232176911 Meanwhile, EAM Jaishankar expressed his gratitude towards both the leaders, thanking them for their message on today's occasion. (ANI) California Gov. Gavin Newsom mocked Sen. Ted Cruz over a math error in a post about his administration's redistricting push, which seeks to counter Greg Abbott's in Texas. Cruz had said in a social media post that if California redraws its congressional maps "from its current 43-9 Dem advantage (83%) to a 51-0 Dem advantage (100%)... then Texas should go from a 24-14 GOP advantage (63%) to 38-0 (100%). Newsom responded promptly, noting that the result for California should have been 52-0 rather than 51-0. "Please learn math," he said. The error apparently prompted Cruz to delete the post, a move used by Newsom to mock Cruz further: "Ted Cruz treating his posts like Cancun. Gets caught, then disappears," he said, referencing the incident in which Cruz traveled to Mexico during a fatal cold wave in Texas. Cruz then updated the post with the correct addition. Ted Cruz treating his posts like Cancun: Gets caught, then disappears. https://t.co/SOWCF5AA3o pic.twitter.com/aP5T7S1Y0L Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) August 14, 2025 Newsom is set to announce a redistricting push on Thursday after President Donald Trump missed his deadline to call on Republican governors to back off from such initiatives in red states. In a social media post mocking Trump's communication style, Newsom's press office said California's new "beautiful maps" will be "historic as they will end the Trump presidency (Dems take back the House!)." "Big press conference this week with powerful Dems and Gavin Newsom your favorite governor that will be devastating for MAGA. Thank you for your attention to this matter! GN" the publication adds. Newsom had urged Trump on Monday to direct Republicans to drop their push to redistrict congressional maps in Texas and elsewhere, warning that his administration can "offset the rigging of maps in red states." In a letter published on social media, Newsom described the initiative as an "unprecedented, mid-decade hyper-partisan gerrymander to rig the upcoming midterm elections." He added that Trump is "playing with fire, risking the destabilization of our democracy, while knowing that California can neutralize any gains you hope to make." "MAKE THE MAPS GREAT AGAIN! BIG BEAUTIFUL RALLY TODAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!" Newsom's press office said on Thursday. Originally published on Latin Times The National Guard began increasing its presence in Washington on Thursday, deploying troops to the National Mall and Metro stations as President Donald Trump's federal takeover of city crime-fighting operations takes shape, The Hill reported. Overnight, initial signs of public resistance emerged at a checkpoint that temporarily halted traffic on one of the city's main streets. The White House said more than 1,600 personnel were involved in operations across the city on Wednesday, making 45 arrests, mostly of immigrants without permanent legal status. While the Guard's presence was relatively small earlier in the week, by Thursday all roughly 800 Army and Air National Guard troops ordered by Trump had mobilized for duty, Pentagon officials confirmed. "They will remain until law and order has been restored in the district as determined by the president, standing as the gatekeepers of our great nation's capital," Department of Defense press secretary Kingsley Wilson told reporters at the Pentagon. She added that Guard members will assist the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement officers with "community safety patrols," protecting monuments, federal facilities and traffic control posts, and "area beautification." "It's a deterrent. It makes people feel safe," Kingsley said. According to The Hill, Guard members have steadily increased their presence since Monday evening. On Thursday, troops were positioned around the National Mall and Metro stops such as Union Station, where tourists stopped to take photos of the vehicles and service members standing in nearly 90-degree heat. National Guard Bureau spokesperson Maj. Micah Maxwell told The Hill that the deployment involves two teams at the National Mall and nearby Metro stations to maintain a continuous 24-hour presence, with plans to expand to additional locations in the coming days. "It will be a slow increase, so I wouldn't expect to see a big increase of soldiers and airmen across the city," Maxwell said. The Guard's role is to support law enforcement. They will not be armed and cannot make arrests, though they may temporarily detain individuals until federal agents arrive. "They will not be arresting people," Wilson said. "They may temporarily limit the movement of an individual who has entered a restricted or secured area without permission." "The idea is that [the Guard] allows the lead federal agencies then to take their officer personnel to some of the other high crime areas to start addressing that crime," Maxwell added, The Hill reported. A mix of federal officers set up a vehicle checkpoint on 14th Street NW on Wednesday night, drawing some of the first public protests against Trump's announcement. Protesters held signs reading "Go home, fascists" and "Get off our streets," The Associated Press reported. Social media also showed smaller acts of resistance, including a man shouting at National Guard members near Union Station, filmmaker Ford Fischer shared. Despite scattered opposition, city leaders and Congressional Democrats face a delicate balance between pushing back against Trump's actions and addressing residents' crime concerns. While violent crime in Washington is at a 30-year low, a Washington Post poll last year found 65 percent of residents considered crime an "extremely serious" or "very serious problem." Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) initially expressed cautious support, saying, "The fact that we have more law enforcement and presence in neighborhoods, that may be positive." She later urged residents to "jump in" to "protect our city and to protect our autonomy" during a virtual town hall, The Hill reported. Trump has indicated plans to extend the federal takeover of D.C. police, which requires Congressional approval beyond 30 days. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, "No f---ing way. We'll fight him tooth and nail. ... He needs to get Congress to approve it, and not only are we not going to approve it, but there are some Republicans who don't like either." The administration is also considering expanding similar federal interventions in other major U.S. cities with Black Democratic mayors, including Chicago, Oakland, New York City, and Baltimore. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told CNN, "The president could learn from us instead of throwing things at us." Plans are under discussion for a 600-person National Guard "quick reaction force" to rapidly deploy to cities in response to protests or unrest, potentially funded through the Pentagon's fiscal 2027 budget, The Washington Post reported. The cost of the current D.C. deployment will likely be estimated after the mission concludes, Wilson added. (ANI) The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu on Friday celebrated the 79th Independence Day of India with enthusiasm and patriotic spirit. The event featured a flag-hoisting ceremony, cultural performances, and tributes to shared India-Nepal heritage. The Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, hoisted the national flag of India at the embassy premises in a ceremonial gathering attended by embassy staff, Indian nationals, and members of the local community. In his remarks, Ambassador Srivastava highlighted the deep-rooted and age-old ties between India and Nepal. "India and Nepal have an age-old relationship. This bond is reflected through our shared cultural values and civilisation. Our multi-sectoral economic cooperation further strengthens it. Being the closest neighbours, India and Nepal share a deep-rooted relationship, visible in the people-to-people connections between our countries. On this auspicious occasion, I would like to remember all those Nepali heroes who played their part and helped shape the history of our never-ending relationship," the Ambassador said. As part of the celebrations, the address to the nation by Indian President Droupadi Murmu was played. In her speech, President Murmu reflected on India's progress in various sectors and paid tribute to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the country's independence. During the event, Ambassador Srivastava also felicitated widows and next of kin of deceased Gurkha soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces. He disbursed financial dues worth crores and presented a blanket to each family as a mark of respect and gratitude. The celebration also featured patriotic song and dance performances by students and teachers from the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre and Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kathmandu, adding cultural vibrancy to the occasion. The event served as a reminder of the shared history, values, and enduring friendship between India and Nepal. Earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, Arzu Rana Deuba, extended her greetings through a post on X, addressing External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the people of India. She emphasised the Himalayan Country's deep values in the "longstanding and enduring partnership" with India, noting that India has been a "shining example of democracy" around the world. "Extending my heartfelt congratulations to @DrSJaishankar and the people of India on the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day. Nepal deeply values its longstanding and enduring partnership with India. On this Independence Day, we wish the people of India continued prosperity, unity, and harmony. May India remain a shining example of democracy, inspiring countries around the world," she stated. This year, the celebrations carry the theme 'Naya Bharat', reflecting the government's vision of achieving 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. (ANI) In a post on X, the Russian Embassy in India posted, "Vladimir Putin sent greetings to President of India Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the state holiday, Independence Day." https://x.com/RusEmbIndia/status/1956256316554666349 In his message, President Putin highlighted India's achievements, stating, "India has achieved widely recognised success in socio-economic, scientific, technical, and other fields. Your country enjoys well-deserved respect on the global stage and actively contributes to addressing key issues on the international agenda." He further emphasised the value of the bilateral relationship, saying, "We highly value our special, privileged strategic partnership with India. I am confident that, through our joint efforts, we will continue to expand constructive bilateral cooperation across multiple areas." President Putin added that this cooperation aligns with the interests of both nations' peoples and contributes to regional and global security and stability. "This aligns fully with the interests of our friendly peoples and supports the strengthening of security and stability both regionally and globally," he said. In a similar message of goodwill, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov extended greetings to Indian citizens on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day. In a post on X, Ambassador Alipov wrote, "Dear Indian friends, Heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day!" https://x.com/AmbRus_India/status/1956162026579091692 He further said, "On the anniversary of this milestone in global history, I wish that all the aspirations of the Indian nation, progressing on the path of development and public welfare, be fulfilled. Jai Hind. Jai Russia." Both messages underline the strong ties and enduring friendship between India and Russia, reflecting mutual respect, shared values, and a commitment to continued cooperation for regional and global progress. (ANI) Over 90 people were taken into custody by Karachi Police for indulging in aerial firing during Independence Day celebrations, which turned deadly, ARY News reported. According to the report, police also seized 68 illegal weapons from the suspects, with more than 100 FIRs registered. ARY News further quoted a police official as saying that additional cases of murder and attempted murder are being filed against those responsible. The celebrations took a tragic turn as aerial firing claimed at least three lives and left 82 others injured across the city. According to ARY News, East Zone reported 30 injuries, West Zone 43, and South Zone 12. The victims included an eight-year-old girl in Azizabad, who was fatally struck in the head, and two elderly men in Korangi and Lyari who died after being shot in the head and neck. Among the injured were 51 men, 24 women, six boys, and one girl, ARY News added. The city has experienced a sharp increase in crime this year, with more than 26,500 incidents reported in the first five months of 2025, ARY News reported, citing Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) data. According to the report, 245 people lost their lives in various incidents, including 48 who were shot dead while resisting robberies. However, earlier ARY News had reported that Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar claimed Karachi's crime rate has seen a notable decline, adding that incidents of murders during robbery resistance have been reduced by half. Pakistan has long struggled with high crime rates, particularly in urban centers like Karachi, where incidents range from street crimes to organized gang activity. Factors such as poverty, unemployment, political interference, and weak law enforcement contribute to the problem. Common crimes include robbery, extortion, kidnapping, and targeted killings. Despite periodic crackdowns and official claims of improvement, incidents of violent crime and theft remain frequent, with many cases going unresolved, eroding public trust in the justice system and police effectiveness. (ANI) US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) signed a proclamation marking the 90th anniversary of the establishment of Social Security, while highlighting changes in his recent tax law aimed at providing relief to seniors, The Hill reported. "On the 90th anniversary of the establishment of this historic program, I recommit to always defending Social Security, rewarding the men and women who make our country prosperous, and taking care of our own workers, families, seniors and citizens first," Trump said in the Oval Office, The Hill reported. The president touted his "big, beautiful" tax law enacted last month as paving the way for the "largest tax break for seniors in the history of our country," while lauding efforts in his administration to root out "fraud, waste and abuse." The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed in July, greenlighted a temporary $6,000 tax deduction for Americans aged 65 and above. Experts, however, have noted that the benefit may disproportionately favour the upper-middle class rather than lower-income seniors, The Hill reported. "You reported it all the time. In four or five years, it's going to go bust, but not anymore, it's not," Trump said, also citing efforts in his administration aimed at uncovering "tremendous fraud, where we have illegal aliens." Recent analysis from the Social Security Administration's chief actuary projected that Trump's recent tax and spending megabill could accelerate insolvency for Social Security's trust funds. The Office of the Chief Actuary estimated that the combined Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) trust funds may now face depletion by the first quarter of 2034, earlier than the third quarter projected in the trustees' report baseline. The president's comments come as the administration faces scrutiny over plans to significantly reduce the agency's workforce and heightened focus on eliminating "billions of dollars" in fraud in the program, The Hill reported. Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano, who attended the event, said the agency would move to become "digital first." "This will be a digital first agency, and we are building My SSA accounts, that's the digital account, and we have a bold goal of 200 million Americans to have a digital SSA account by the end of next year," he said. "It will happen, just like we had a bold goal of single-digit wait time on the calls when they were at 40 minutes." Bisignano added, "You should expect this to be a great digital first agency. My commitment to make this happen is as deep as the president's commitment to make the world a great place. Social Security will be great again," The Hill reported. (ANI) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday firmly stated that India will not enter into any agreements that could harm the interests of its farmers, emphasising the paramount importance of safeguarding their rights amidst ongoing trade talks with the US, especially regarding the tariff issues in the country's agricultural and dairy sector. Addressing a gathering of farmers in the national capital, the Union Minister noted that there were global voices that had shown concern about India's rapid progress, especially in the context of trade agreements and acknowledged that while India seeks to maintain friendly relations and create fair trade agreements with countries across the world, the spirit of these agreements must be grounded in fairness and equality. "In our country, the right of the farmer is paramount, and the right of the citizen is paramount. You know, there are many people in the world who are jealous of our progress. 'What if India makes great progress? Make an agreement with them.' We do make agreements because we see the world as one family. But the spirit of agreement is based on fairness, on equality," he stated. Chouhan highlighted the agreement made with the UK, where Indian agricultural products would be allowed to enter the UK without tariffs, benefiting Indian farmers. However, he was cautious about any potential trade deals that could jeopardise Indian agriculture. "We made an agreement with the UK on equal terms so that the produce of our farmers can go to England without any tax. Many agricultural products will now reach England without tax. But if someone suggests an agreement that allows another country's goods to flood our markets, we cannot compete with them," he added. The Union Minister pointed out the disparity in the scale of farming between India and many foreign countries, stating, "Their farms are massive--10,000, 15,000, or even 20,000 hectares--while our farmers often have just one or two acres, or maybe up to five acres, which is rare. There is no comparison." He also warned that an agreement that allows foreign agricultural products to flood Indian markets could severely harm domestic farmers, driving down prices and depriving them of fair returns. "If such an agreement happens, it would kill Indian farmers. Cheap foreign produce will flood the market. If we sell our produce at lower prices, farmers will not get a fair return," he added. In a strong reaffirmation of India's stance, Chouhan echoed the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that no agreement would be signed at the expense of Indian farmers. "But PM Modi said there will be no agreements that would go against the farmers. Their rights will be paramount," he concluded. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the nation on the 79th Independence Day, reaffirmed his support to protect farmers, saying that he is "standing tall like a wall against policies which are against farmer interest." "If any policy is against India's farmers, fishermen, cattle rearers, Modi is standing like a wall," PM Modi said. Talking about standing his ground in the era of 'economic selfishness,' he added, "I say this with great experience. Kisi doosre ki lakeer chhoti karne ke liye, apni oorja hamein nahi khapani hai. Hamein poori oorja ke saath hamari lakeer ko lamba karna hai. If we do that, the world will admit our strength." These remarks come during a time when India is actively involved in the discussions on the Bilateral Trade Agreement with the US, which the two sides could not conclude due to the American demand to get comprehensive access to the Indian agriculture and dairy sector. The US is pressuring India to open its agricultural market and subsequently imposing a 25 per cent additional tariff, with Washington calling it a 'penalty' for buying Russian oil. (ANI) French President Emmanuel Macron extended warm greetings to India on the occasion of its 79th Independence Day. In a post on X, @EmmanuelMacron wrote, "Warm congratulations to the people of India on your 79th Independence Day! I fondly recall welcoming my friend @NarendraModi to France in February, and look forward to deepening our strategic partnership towards 2047 and beyond." https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1956270768712503710 Similarly, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent greetings to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the state holiday, the Russian Embassy in India said. In a post on X, the Russian Embassy in India posted, "Vladimir Putin sent greetings to President of India Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the state holiday, Independence Day." In his message, President Putin highlighted India's achievements, stating, "India has achieved widely recognised success in socio-economic, scientific, technical, and other fields. Your country enjoys well-deserved respect on the global stage and actively contributes to addressing key issues on the international agenda." He further emphasised the value of the bilateral relationship, saying, "We highly value our special, privileged strategic partnership with India. I am confident that, through our joint efforts, we will continue to expand constructive bilateral cooperation across multiple areas." President Putin added that this cooperation aligns with the interests of both nations' peoples and contributes to regional and global security and stability. "This aligns fully with the interests of our friendly peoples and supports the strengthening of security and stability both regionally and globally," he said. In a similar message of goodwill, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov extended greetings to Indian citizens on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day. In a post on X, Ambassador Alipov wrote, "Dear Indian friends, Heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day!" He further said, "On the anniversary of this milestone in global history, I wish that all the aspirations of the Indian nation, progressing on the path of development and public welfare, be fulfilled. Jai Hind. Jai Russia." On India's 79th Independence Day, warm wishes and greetings poured in from across the world, reflecting the country's growing global stature and strong international friendships. (ANI) The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the Tibetan government-in-exile, remembered self-immolator monk Tsewang Norbu, a 29-year-old Tibetan who set himself on fire on 15 August 2011 in protest against Chinese repression in Tibet. On its official X account, the CTA stated, "Moments before the protest, Tsewang Norbu raised slogans of 'Freedom in Tibet' and 'Return of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to Tibet', while scattering leaflets with similar messages at Chume Bridge in Tawu County." The CTA added that his act stemmed from deep anger over China's suppression of Tibetan culture and its harsh crackdowns, particularly after the 76th birthday of the Dalai Lama on 6 July 2011, when large numbers of Tibetans defied government orders to celebrate. "Following the protest, Chinese troops tried to forcibly seize Tsewang Norbu's body from monks performing his last rites at the monastery. Subsequently, thousands of troops were deployed around the monastery. Armed guards filled the streets and Tibetan neighbourhoods of Tawu, while movement, phone, and internet access for locals were heavily restricted," it continued. The CTA concluded by saying, "These protests to escape Chinese rule reveal the unbearable suffering of Tibetans. Chinese oppression has made life so harsh and hopeless that many Tibetans choose death over enduring the hellish rule of the Chinese government." According to the post, Tsewang Norbu was a monk at Nyitso Monastery in Karze's Tawu County, in the traditional province of Kham, now incorporated into Sichuan Province. He died on the same day he self-immolated, 15 August 2011. China's occupation of Tibet began in 1950, when the People's Liberation Army invaded the region, claiming it as part of China. In 1951, the Seventeen Point Agreement formalised Chinese control, though Tibetans say it was signed under duress. Beijing imposed strict political, cultural, and religious restrictions, leading to uprisings like the 1959 revolt, after which the Dalai Lama fled to India. Since then, repression and Sinicisation policies have intensified. (ANI) The Russian Embassy in India on Friday expressed its deep sorrow and condolences following the disastrous cloudburst in the Kishtwar region of Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 45 lives, leaving over 100 injured. In a statement, the Russian Embassy conveyed its heartfelt sympathies to the families of the deceased and wished for a swift recovery for those injured in the tragic incident. "The Russian Embassy in India is deeply saddened by the disastrous cloudburst in the Kishtwar region of Jammu and Kashmir, which has claimed dozens of lives. We extend our condolences to the families of those who have perished and wish for a speedy recovery to all injured. Our thoughts and solidarity are with the people of J&K in this tragic hour," the statement read. Rescue operations are underway in Kishtwar following the cloudburst on August 14, which triggered flash floods. The local community and Jammu and Kashmir Police are providing urgent relief, shelter, and medical assistance to the affected. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is also set to leave for Kishtwar on Friday to assess the damage caused by a massive cloudburst and oversee the ongoing rescue operations. Abdullah noted that he aims to review the relief efforts firsthand and determine further assistance needed for those affected. "I'll be leaving for Kishtwar later this afternoon & will be going to the scene of the cloudburst tragedy early tomorrow morning to see, firsthand, the extent of the damage. I will review the rescue operation & assess what further help is required," Abdullah stated in a post on X. Abdullah also briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the massive cloudburst. "Spoke to Jammu and Kashmir LG, Shri Manoj Sinha Ji and CM Shri Omar Abdullah Ji regarding the situation in the wake of the cloudburst and flooding in Kishtwar. Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected," PM Modi stated in a post on X. Abdullah shared his gratitude for the Prime Minister's support, adding, "I just received a call from Hon PM Modi. I briefed him about the situation in Kishtwar & the steps being taken by the administration. My government & the people hit by this tragic cloudburst are grateful for his support & all the assistance provided by the Union Government." (ANI) The East Turkistan National Movement (ETNM) has vowed to continue its fight for independence, particularly on the anniversary of the death of a prominent Uyghur leader. They commemorated the 101st death anniversary of Abdulqadir Damolla, a revered leader who was executed by Chinese forces. He is widely regarded as the father of East Turkistan's national liberation movement. In a statement on X, the East Turkistan National Movement said, "Today, we mark the 101st anniversary of the martyrdom of Abdulqadir Abdulwaris, known to our people as Abdulqadir Damolla, the father of East Turkistan's national liberation movement." As per the post, born in 1862, Damolla played a pivotal role in awakening the nation through faith, resistance and education. He believed true liberation could only be achieved through enlightenment and the revival of cultural and spiritual identity. The post added that his teachings laid the intellectual and moral foundation for future resistance against colonial domination. Damolla's influence extended far beyond the classroom, nurturing a generation of students who would later lead organised resistance movements. "On 14 August 1924, he was assassinated by agents of the occupiers and their supporters, but his vision of independence lived on. His students restored sovereignty in 1933 and again in 1944 with the East Turkistan Republic, proving that his struggle bore fruit," the post continued. Highlighting the legacy of the leader, the post said that even after the 1949 occupation, Damolla's teachings continued to inspire resistance, keeping the spirit of national liberation alive through decades of genocide and colonisation. "His life reminds us that the fight for sovereignty is a sacred duty, one that must be defended for future generations. On this anniversary, the East Turkistan National Movement reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the struggle for independence, honouring Damolla's legacy with unity, courage and defiance," the ETNM added. According to several reports, the people of Xinjiang are being subjected to ongoing colonisation, systematic oppression and what many describe as cultural genocide. The Chinese government is accused of suppressing religion, erasing culture and enforcing assimilation by restricting the Uyghur language and traditions. Reports also cite family separations and the destruction of heritage sites. International bodies and human rights organisations have described these actions as genocide and crimes against humanity. (ANI) Donald Trump is turning history on its head with his Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin -- inviting Russia's leader to land that once belonged to Moscow, and meeting him at a military base that monitored the Soviet Union. The location is all the more striking as Putin is under indictment by the International Criminal Court, with Friday's summit marking the first time he has been allowed in a Western country since he invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The two leaders will meet at Elmendorf Air Force Base, which goes by the motto "Top Cover for North America." Trump has said that Putin suggested the summit and it is unclear to what extent the Republican president thought through the symbolism of the base or Alaska, still yearned for by some Russian nationalists. But George Beebe, the former director of Russia analysis at the CIA, said the Alaska setting showed an emphasis on what unites the two powers -- history and the Pacific Ocean -- rather than on rivalry or the conflict in Ukraine. "What he's doing here is he's saying, 'This is not the Cold War. We're not replaying the series of Cold War summits that took place in neutral states'," said Beebe, now director of grand strategy at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, which supports military restraint. "We're entering a new era, not just in the bilateral relationship between Russia and the United States, but also in the role that this relationship plays in the world," he said. Russia had settled Alaska from the 18th century but, struggling to make its colony profitable and crippled by the Crimean War, Tsar Alexander II sold it to the United States in 1867. Then secretary of state William Seward was ridiculed for the purchase, dubbed "Seward's Folly" due to the perceived lack of value of Alaska, but the territory later proved to be strategically crucial. The United States rushed to build what became Elmendorf Air Base after imperial Japan seized some of the Aleutian islands following their 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Then with the Cold War, Elmendorf became a key center to observe Soviet movements across the Bering Strait. As recently as nine months ago, an electronic surveillance plane from Elmendorf as well as other US planes scrambled to track Russian planes flying off Alaska's coast. With more than 800 buildings and more than 10,000 military personnel, Elmendorf is the largest military installation in Alaska -- and is also known as a refueling stop for the US president and secretary of state when they travel to Asia. In anticipation of Putin's arrival, some local residents have painted Ukrainian flags to place on their roofs, in the off chance that the Russian leader sees them on his aircraft's descent. Putin "is a criminal and he's coming here to a military base. There was a time when that would have been unthinkable," said teacher Lindsey Meyn, 40, as she used spray paint to color a homemade blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag. She said the summit was part of Trump's strategy to "overwhelm with craziness" and distract from other issues. "It's terrifying a little bit. I was thinking, is Trump going to offer our state back to Russia? I don't think that's going to happen but that's the first thing that came to my mind," she said. Alaska's Russian heritage is still visible in isolated ways, including through a domed blue Russian Orthodox cathedral in Anchorage that was built in the 1960s. But Alaska has also become home to Ukrainians, both before and since Putin's invasion. Zori Opanasevych, who has helped resettle 1,300 Ukrainians in Alaska with the non-profit group New Chance Inc., said that people she talked to wanted to hold out hope for the summit. "If there is any way that President Trump can influence Putin to stop the killing, we'll believe in that. We have to believe in that," she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu for his warm greetings as India celebrates its 79th Independence Day. In a post on X on Friday, PM Modi thanked President Muizzu and highlighted how the Maldives is a valued neighbour and close partner in the shared vision of peace, progress and prosperity for the people and the region. PM Modi said, "Thank you for your warm greetings, President Muizzu. The Maldives is a valued neighbour and close partner in our shared vision of peace, progress and prosperity for our people and the region." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1956305074080067639 Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu had deeply appreciated how India has always been a trusted development partner. He wrote on X, "I extend my heartfelt greetings to Her Excellency President Droupadi Murmu @rashtraptibhvn, His Excellency Prime Minister Narendra Modi @narendramodi, the government, and the friendly people of India on their Independence Day. May the festivities of this day echo the spirit and achievements of the people of India. India has always been a trusted development partner of the Maldives. I deeply appreciate the increase in high-level exchanges and people-to-people contact between our countries, which underscores the strong cooperation we have built." https://x.com/MMuizzu/status/1956199063231324170 In his 12th Independence Day address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered bold announcements that indicate India is poised to make significant progress into the future. PM Modi outlined plans for various initiatives, including the production of India's first semiconductor chip, the development of jet engines, the creation of 1 lakh crore in youth employment opportunities, and a tenfold expansion of the nuclear program. He presented his vision for "Naya Bharat" (New India) and set the goal of transforming India into a developed nation by 2047. On India's 79th Independence Day, warm wishes and greetings poured in from across the world, reflecting the country's growing global stature and strong international friendships. (ANI) In a post on X on Friday, PM Modi highlighted that India values the strategic partnership and remains committed towards deepening it for the benefit of Indians and the French. He wrote, "Thank you, my friend President Macron, for your warm greetings on India's Independence Day. We value our strategic partnership and remain committed to deepening it for the benefit of our people." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1956305454239224087 Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron had warmly congratulated India as the nation celebrates its 79th Independence Day. He wrote on X, "Warm congratulations to the people of India on your 79th Independence Day!I fondly recall welcoming my friend @NarendraModi to France in February, and look forward to deepening our strategic partnership towards 2047 and beyond." https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1956270768712503710 Wishes have poured in from across the world as India celebrates its 79th Independence Day. Earlier on Friday, from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort in the national capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered bold announcements in his 12th Independence Day address to the nation, which indicate India is poised to make significant progress into the future. PM Modi outlined plans for various initiatives, including the production of India's first semiconductor chip, the development of jet engines, the creation of 1 lakh crore in youth employment opportunities, and a tenfold expansion of the nuclear program. He presented his vision for "Naya Bharat" (New India) and set the goal of transforming India into a developed nation by 2047. On India's 79th Independence Day, warm wishes and greetings poured in from across the world, reflecting the country's growing global stature and strong international friendships. (ANI) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Alaska on Thursday (local time) for high-stakes talks with the United States aimed at finding common ground over the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In a move that drew attention, Lavrov wore a T-shirt written "CCCP", the Russian abbreviation for the Soviet Union, as he prepared to meet US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin for discussions on ending the war. Ukraine was also once part of the Soviet Union. Wearing a USSR T-shirt could be a nod to Lavrov's nationalistic and nostalgic sentiments for the Soviet era, reflecting Russia's desire to reclaim its former glory. By wearing the T-shirt, Lavrov might be asserting Russia's distinct identity and sovereignty, signaling that Russia will not compromise its interests or values in negotiations. The attire could be a subtle message to the US, hinting that Russia will engage in talks on its own terms, without compromising its stance or appearing weak. When asked about Trump's remark that there is a "25 per cent chance" the talks will not be successful, Lavrov said, "We never try to anticipate the outcome or make any guesses. What we do know, however, is that we have arguments we can contribute to the discussion and that our position is clear. We will present it." https://x.com/mfa_russia/status/1956261038879387913 The Russian Foreign Minister also noted that much has already been achieved between the two countries, pointing to the visit of Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia earlier, where he held talks with Russian President Putin. "In fact, much has been accomplished already during the visits by the US President's Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff. President Vladimir Putin has mentioned this fact. Steve Witkoff spoke on behalf of President Donald Trump. I hope that we will be able to continue this productive conversation tomorrow," Lavrov said. When asked if he felt nervous ahead of the meeting, Lavrov replied with a smile, "What's that?" Ahead of his meeting with Putin, US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that Putin is now ready to pursue peace. The summit is scheduled for August 15 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. "I think President Putin will make peace and President Zelensky will make peace," Trump told reporters. Asked if the US is prepared to offer Putin access to rare minerals as an incentivise to end the war, Trump replied, "We're going to see what happens with our meeting. We have a big meeting. It's going to be, I think, very important for Russia, and it's going to be very important for us and important for us only that we're going to save a lot of lives." "But what I'm really doing this for is to save thousands of soldiers a week," he added.Looking beyond the Alaska talks, Trump outlined plans for a follow-up meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, possibly joined by European leaders. He called that session potentially more important than the first. "We have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow. I think it's gonna be a good meeting, but the more important meeting will be the second meeting that we're having. We're gonna have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, me, and maybe we'll bring some of the European leaders along, maybe not," he said. (ANI) The Tibetan government-in-exile on Thursday celebrated India's 79th Independence Day in the hill town of Dharamshala. Officials, staff members, and members of the Tibetan diaspora gathered at Gangkyi Park for the official ceremony. Tharlam Dolma Changra, the officiating Sikyong (president) of the Tibetan government-in-exile, hoisted the Indian national flag and extended gratitude to the government and people of India on the occasion. The celebration saw members of the Tibetan community holding both Indian and Tibetan flags in a show of solidarity. "India means a lot to the Tibetans. This celebration of the 79th Indian Independence Day is such an event to be happy about, so on behalf of the Tibetans inside and outside of Tibet, I would like to wish the government and people of India a heartiest congratulations... Truth always prevails. When you go through a tunnel, you'll find a light at the end." She also sent a message to China that the Tibetans are not easy to be "crushed" and they will go back to their country. "With the truth as our weapon, we strongly believe that we will definitely get back our country. You (China) can't crush the Tibetans' spirit easily. We Tibetans have an indomitable spirit and the courage and the strength; it's not easy to be crushed. Even if they (China) are strengthening, we never know what is happening in China because it's not like India that everything is made known to the rest of the world, but in China, it is different. So we believe that God saves the truth but waits, we will definitely get," Tharlam Dolma told ANI. Earlier on Friday, from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort in the national capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered bold announcements in his 12th Independence Day address to the nation, which indicate India is poised to make significant progress into the future. PM Modi outlined plans for various initiatives, including the production of India's first semiconductor chip, the development of jet engines, the creation of 1 lakh crore in youth employment opportunities, and a tenfold expansion of the nuclear program. He presented his vision for "Naya Bharat" (New India) and set the goal of transforming India into a developed nation by 2047. On India's 79th Independence Day, warm wishes and greetings poured in from across the world, reflecting the country's growing global stature and strong international friendships. (ANI) As the much-anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin draws closer, streets in Anchorage on Thursday (local time) were dotted with posters expressing solidarity with Ukraine. Messages such as "I Stand with Ukraine" and "Hands off! Russia no more" were prominently displayed, reflecting public sentiment ahead of the high-stakes talks. The summit, scheduled for Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, aims to find common ground on ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has already arrived in Alaska for the meeting, while US President Donald Trump departed for the state aboard Air Force One. Speaking to reporters before the summit, Trump clarified that his role is not to negotiate for Ukraine, but to bring both sides to the table. "I am not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I am here to get them at a table, and I think you have two sides. Putin wanted to take all of Ukraine. If I weren't the President, he would right now be taking all of Ukraine, but he is not going to do it," Trump said. What caught attention on Lavrov's arrival was his choice of clothing, a T-shirt emblazoned with "CCCP," the Russian abbreviation for the Soviet Union, of which Ukraine was once a part. The symbolic attire appeared to underscore Moscow's nationalistic pride as the two sides prepared for talks on ending the war. Wearing a USSR T-shirt could be a nod to Lavrov's nationalistic and nostalgic sentiments for the Soviet era, reflecting Russia's desire to reclaim its former glory. By wearing the T-shirt, Lavrov might be asserting Russia's distinct identity and sovereignty, signalling that Russia will not compromise its interests or values in negotiations. The attire could be a subtle message to the US, hinting that Russia will engage in talks on its own terms, without compromising its stance or appearing weak. When asked about Trump's remark that there is a "25 per cent chance" the talks will not be successful, Lavrov said, "We never try to anticipate the outcome or make any guesses. What we do know, however, is that we have arguments we can contribute to the discussion and that our position is clear. We will present it." Hours before he departed for Alaska, Trump posted a brief but loaded message on Truth Social, writing, "High Stakes!" As per the White House, President Trump has departed for Alaska, accompanied by several senior officials on Air Force One. Among them are Secretary Marco Rubio, Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary Howard Lutnick, Director John Ratcliffe, Susie Wiles, Karoline Leavitt, Will Scharf, Ross Worthington, Ambassador Steve Witkoff, and Ambassador Monica Crowley. (ANI) US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of their high-stakes summit in Alaska. Trump stated that Russia will face "severe economic consequences" if Putin doesn't show interest in de-escalating the Ukraine conflict. He made the remarks on Friday (local time), ahead of the much-anticipated Alaska talks between him and the Russian President, which will focus on exploring ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war. "Yes, Russian President Vladimir Putin will face severe economic consequences if he is not interested. I am not doing this for my health. I don't need it. I would like to focus on our country. But I am doing this to save a lot of lives," said Trump. He made the remarks on board US Air Force One on his way to attend the face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska that could determine not only the trajectory of the war in Ukraine but also the fate of European security. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said there would be "very severe consequences" for Russia if President Vladimir Putin didn't agree to end the war in Ukraine during the two leaders' meeting on Friday, as per a report by CNN. Trump said, "There will be consequences," during an event at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Earlier today, US President Donald Trump shared a post on Truth Social, where he said, "High Stakes!" Previously, while speaking to the media, Trump expressed confidence that Putin is now ready to pursue peace. The summit is scheduled for August 15 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. "I think President Putin will make peace and President Zelensky will make peace," Trump told reporters. Looking beyond the Alaska talks, Trump outlined plans for a follow-up meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, possibly joined by European leaders. He called that session potentially more important than the first. "We have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow. I think it's gonna be a good meeting, but the more important meeting will be the second meeting that we're having. We're gonna have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, me, and maybe we'll bring some of the European leaders along, maybe not," he said. The talks will focus on exploring ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war, including ceasefire arrangements, prisoner exchanges, arms-control measures, and possible economic or security guarantees. Trump has vowed to "end the Ukraine war quickly," while Putin is seeking recognition of Russia's territorial gains and relief from Western sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has refused to surrender territory and hasn't been invited to the summit. The summit's outcome could reshape global energy flows and influence India's import strategy. If a peace deal is reached, India might benefit from reduced energy prices and eased trade pressure. However, a breakdown in talks could keep commodity markets volatile and US trade pressure intact. The meeting's outcome could have significant implications for global markets, with investors awaiting clues about the health of the US economy and potential shifts in US-Russia relations. As per the White House, several officials are travelling with the US President aboard Air Force One. They include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Ambassador Steve Witkoff, amongst others. (ANI) US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said that territorial swaps between Ukraine and Russia will be discussed in his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, but emphasised that Ukraine will have the final say in any such decisions. Trump made this statement while en route to Alaska, where the high-stakes summit is expected to focus on ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump reiterated that he is not negotiating on behalf of Ukraine, but rather aiming to bring the parties to the negotiating table. Speaking to reporters ahead of the Friday summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Trump said, "They will be discussed, but I will let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they will make a proper decision. But I am not here to negotiate for Ukraine; I am here to get them to a table. And I think you have two sides. Putin wanted to take all of Ukraine. If I weren't the President, he would right now be taking all of Ukraine. But he is not going to do it." His comments came shortly after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Anchorage wearing a white T-shirt with "CCCP," the Soviet Union's abbreviation, a move widely seen as a symbolic message about Moscow's hardline negotiating stance. Trump also commented on Putin's delegation, noting the presence of Russian business leaders and also sent a message that the US is not going to do business with Russia until the war is over. "Putin is a smart guy. I have noticed he is bringing a lot of business people from Russia, and that's good. I like that because I want to do business. But we are not doing business until the war is over. We have the world's hottest country, and our economy is also the hottest, having set a new stock market record again. We have hundreds of billions of dollars flowing from tariffs." He futher said that Russia is not doing very well economically, so they might come to a decision. "He [Putin] wants peace with that, because his country is not hot economically, and China is also not doing well economically. I want everybody to do well. The war's got to stop, and the killings have got to stop," said Trump. On Russia's continued military attacks in Ukraine Trump defended Putin saying that it hurt him., Trump said, "They are trying to negotiate. He is trying to create a mental framework that helps him make a better deal. It hurts him, but in his mind, it helps him make a better deal if they can continue the killings. Maybe it's his part of the world, maybe it's just his fabric, his genes, his genetics, but he thinks it gives him strength to negotiate. I think it hurts him, but I will be talking to him about it." Trump also warned Putin of "economically severe" consequences if he shows no interest in ending the war in Ukraine. This comes as European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have been pressuring Trump to take a strong stance against Russia. Trump ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine, suggesting instead that security guarantees could be provided "along with Europe and other countries". When asked if the US could offer security guarantees to Ukraine, Trump replied, "Along with Europe and other countries, not in the form of NATO, you know certain things are not going to happen, but yeah, along with Europe, there is a possibility". Trump has vowed to "end the Ukraine war quickly," while Putin is seeking recognition of Russia's territorial gains and relief from Western sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has refused to surrender territory and hasn't been invited to the summit. As per the White House, several officials are travelling with the US President aboard Air Force One. They include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Ambassador Steve Witkoff, amongst others. (ANI) INS Tamal, the latest stealth frigate of the Indian Navy, celebrated India's 79th Independence Day in Naples on Friday. The ship had arrived in the Italian port city on August 13, during its return voyage to India following commissioning in Russia on July 1 this year, as per an official statement from the Ministry of Defence. According to the statement, the visit by INS Tamal underscores the deepening of bilateral relations between India and Italy since the elevation to a 'Strategic Partnership' in 2023, centred on expanded cooperation in Defence, Energy, and Technology, and is aimed at enhancing interoperability and jointmanship between both the navies. INS Tamal also participated in a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with ITS Trieste, Landing Platform Dock of the Italian Navy, prior to entering harbour at Naples. Joint operations during the PASSEX included communication exercises, manoeuvres and flying operations, as per the statement by the Ministry of Defence. Notably, the ship's engagements during the port call include professional and bilateral activities, including interaction with civil dignitaries at Naples, cross-deck visits, discussions with senior Italian Navy functionaries and cultural events in honour of Indo-Italian relations. The port call by INS Tamal is indicative of the importance India attaches to its relations with Italy and the endeavour to strengthen the growing defence cooperation between the two nations. It also provides an opportunity for both navies to share best practices and explore new avenues of cooperation. Earlier in April this year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the strong bilateral partnership between India and Italy, and stated that the "partnership is rooted in our democratic values, respect for civilisations, culture and heritage". He made the remarks during his address to the Italy-India Business, Science and Technology Forum. India and Italy are ancient civilisations with rich cultural heritage. The MEA, in a previous statement, had highlighted that Italian port cities were important trading posts on the ancient spice route. Diplomatic relations between India and Italy were established in 1947. The two countries enjoy strong people-to-people connections propelled by a large Indian diaspora and a long-standing Indological Studies tradition in Italy. In 2023, both countries celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. (ANI) Celebrating the 79th Independence Day of India, a dance troupe from ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) performed the Kathakali dance in the courtyard of Patan Durbar Square. Organised by the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) and the Embassy of India in Nepal, nine performers presented a dance recited by N Ramankutty, who had arrived in the Himalayan Nation for the special show. Kathakali, a very popular Indian dance, is based on the story of the Mahabharat. The event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development, Prakash Man Singh; Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba and Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka. "Nepal and India are not just neighbours but are bound by the sacred Himalayas, the flow of our rivers, and the wisdom of our ancient civilisations. Our ties are woven through threads of history, philosophy and spirituality, the teachings of Lord Buddha, the exchanges of scholars, saints and artists across centuries. The vibrant festivals, language and traditions we share are a testament to this unbreakable connection. I am glad to know, today we shall witness mesmerising Kathakali dance, a classical art form from the Indian state of Kerala that embodies the rich storytelling traditions of our cultures; dance forms that break the mystery of our Sanskrit poems and make them accessible to the wider community," Foreign Minister Deuba said. Kathakali, as a dance form popular today, has evolved from many social and religious theatrical forms which existed in the southern region of India in ancient times. Chakiarkoothu, Koodiyattam, Krishnattam and Ramanattam are some of the ritual performing arts of Kerala which have had a direct influence on Kathakali in its form and technique. Legend has it that the refusal of the Zamorin of Calicut to send his Krishnattam troupe to Travancore enraged the Raja of Kottarakkara, who was inspired to compose the Ramanattam. Kathakali is a blend of dance, music, and acting, dramatising stories mostly adapted from the Indian epics. It is a stylised art form, the four aspects of abhinaya - angika, aharya,vachika, satvika and the nritta, nritya and natya aspects are combined perfectly. The dancer expresses themselves through codified hasta-mudras and facial expressions, closely following the verses that are sung. Kathakali derives its textual sanction from Balarama Bharatam and Hastalakshana Deepika. "One of the traditional dance forms of India from the state of Kerala- Kathakali, where a very elegant dance is used to convey a story with elaborate facial expressions," Naveen Srivastava, Indian Ambassador to Nepal, said. Kathakali is a visual art where aharya, costume and make-up are suited to the characters, as per the tenets laid down in the Natya Shastra. The characters are grouped under certain clearly defined types like the pacha, kathi, thadi, kari or minukku. The face of the artist is painted over to appear as though a mask is worn. The lips, the eyelashes and the eyebrows are made to look prominent. A mixture of rice paste and lime is applied to create the chutti on the face, which enhances the facial makeup. Kathakali dance is chiefly interpretative. The characters in a Kathakali performance are broadly divided into satvika, rajasika and tamasika types. Satvika characters are noble, heroic, generous and refined. In Pacha, green colour dominates, and kirita (headgear) is worn by all. Krishna and Rama wear special crowns decorated with peacock feathers. The noble characters, such as Indra, Arjun, and the Devas, are some of the pacha characters. The Kathi type depicts anti-heroes. Though they are of the rajasika category, one of the three Gunas (qualities or tendencies) that characterise nature and human behaviour, alongside Sattvic and Tamasic. Rajasika represents passion, activity, and ambition, and is associated with a mind-body constitution driven by desires and egoism The moustache and the small knob called chuttippu fixed on "the tip of the nose and another in the centre of the forehead, are peculiar to the kathi character, representing a powerful, often arrogant, and sometimes evil figure. The term "Kathi" literally means "knife," and it refers to a specific makeup style used for these roles. Characters like Ravana, Duryodhana, and Keechaka are examples of Kathi characters. The characters of the thadi (beard) category are the chuvanna thadi (red beard), vellathadi (white beard) and the karutha thadi (black beard). Vellathadi, or the white bearded character, is generally that of Hanuman; the dancer also wears the costume of a monkey. Kari are characters whose make-up has a black base, they wear a black costume depicting a hunter or forest dweller. Apart from these, there are minor characters like Minukku, who are women and sages. Kathakali costumes and make-up are elaborate and designed to give a superhuman effect. The make-up of Kathakali can be classified into the teppu, chuttikuthu and uduthukettu. The teppud is done by the actor himself. Each character has a distinct teppu. The second stage is done by experts who specialise in make-up. The wearing of huge, billowing skirts is called uduthukettu. (ANI) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday extended greetings to the people of India, President Droupadi Murmu, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day. In his message on X (formerly Twitter), Zelenskyy began by congratulating India's leadership and people on the national day, noting that he had personally conveyed his best wishes to Prime Minister Modi during a recent conversation. He wrote, "Congratulations to the people of India, President @rashtrapatibhvn, and Prime Minister @narendramodi on the Independence Day! This week we had a good, candid conversation with Prime Minister @narendramodi when I had an opportunity to personally convey my best wishes on this occasion." The Ukrainian leader underlined the shared values of India and Ukraine, saying both nations have stood for freedom, dignity, peace, and development. He also expressed hope that India would play a role in global peace efforts, particularly in ending the ongoing war. "We hope that India will contribute to efforts aimed at ending the war, so that our freedom and sovereignty are truly secure." Zelenskyy also showed confidence in the future of Ukraine-India cooperation, pointing to opportunities in science, technology, trade, and culture, and wished peace and prosperity for the Indian people. "I am confident that the potential for mutually beneficial Ukraine-India cooperation lies ahead in science, technology, trade, and culture. Wishing peace and prosperity", he wrote. This comes ahead of US President Donald Trump's summit with Russian President Putin in Alaska today, where Zelenskyy is not invited. Meanwhile, speaking on a discussion on territorial swaps between Ukraine and Russia, Trump said, "They will be discussed, but I will let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they will make a proper decision. But I am not here to negotiate for Ukraine; I am here to get them to a table. And I think you have two sides. Putin wanted to take all of Ukraine. If I weren't the President, he would right now be taking all of Ukraine. But he is not going to do it." (ANI) Actor Park Si-hoo denied allegations that he had introduced a woman to a married man and led the couple's marriage to break up, terming the charges "groundless and false. In a statement made on Thursday, Park's agency, Hoofactory, said it would take immediate legal measures. The agency stated that it has hired lawyers, sought mediation by the Korea Press Arbitration Commission, and will seek criminal action against the person who made the false accusations on the internet. "We are collecting evidence on the continued spread of unverified false claims and malicious comments about Park Si-hoo," Hoofactory replied. READ MORE: Park Si Hoo Accused of Pimping Women to Married Man in Explosive Allegations 'He Destroyed My Family!' "We will pursue legal action, including criminal complaints, against these illegal acts. Given the serious damage such misinformation causes to the actor, no leniency will be granted." The agency called on the public not to spread unsubstantiated rumors or libelous information. "We are doing our utmost to ensure a prompt police investigation and will prove through the legal process that the post is based on falsehoods," it further said. The scandal started when an internet user, only known as "A," accused Park of introducing a woman to her husband and was said to have played a great role in the downfall of her family. The post contained a photo of the supposed woman. The lady in the photo denied involvement, posting in a comment: "I do not know any of the individuals mentioned in this post. Using my photo without permission and spreading false information constitutes clear defamation." Park Si-hoo, one of the actors who made his debut in 2005 in Delightful Girl, Choon-hyang of KBS, has played lead roles in hit dramas such as Prosecutor Princess, The Princess' Man, Cheongdamdong Alice, and My Golden Life. READ MORE: Girls' Generation Yuri May Join Park Si Hoo In 'Neighborhood Hero' United States President Donald Trump on Friday said he had a "wonderful" conversation with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko ahead of his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. He also mentioned discussing Putin's visit to Alaska during the call. President Trump said that he telephoned Lukashenko to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners. On Truth Social, Trump wrote, "I had a wonderful talk with the highly respected President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko. The purpose of the call was to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners. We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners. Our conversation was a very good one." He added that the two leaders also discussed the upcoming Trump-Putin Alaska meeting. "We discussed many topics, including President Putin's visit to Alaska," Trump wrote. The post concluded with Trump expressing hope for a future meeting with Lukashenko,"I look forward to meeting President Lukashenko in the future. Thank you for your attention to this matter." Trump's talks with the Belarusian leader come at a significant moment. According to CNN, Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, is already under heavy US sanctions. The CNN network noted that he may have offered a different perspective on Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations. CNN also reported that Lukashenko is sometimes referred to as "Europe's last dictator." He has publicly said he has no regrets about allowing Russia to use Belarusian territory to launch its invasion of Ukraine, and has called Putin his "older brother." Citing Russian state media, CNN said that the upcoming talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska could last "at least six to seven hours." Meanwhile, Trump issued a stern warning to Putin ahead of their summit in Alaska. Trump stated that Russia will face "severe economic consequences" if Putin doesn't show interest in de-escalating the Ukraine conflict. "Yes, Russian President Vladimir Putin will face severe economic consequences if he is not interested. I am not doing this for my health. I don't need it. I would like to focus on our country. But I am doing this to save a lot of lives," said Trump. He made the remarks on board US Air Force One on his way to attend the face-to-face meeting with Putin. As per the White House, several officials are travelling with the US President aboard Air Force One. They include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Ambassador Steve Witkoff, amongst others. (ANI) The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) said he was responsible for the training and qualification of the terrorists in the brigade, who planned and carried out terrorist plots against Israeli forces and Israeli civilians during the war. Musa was a close associate of Muhammad Shabana, commander of the Rafah Brigade who was eliminated in May 2025, and also served in many positions in the Brigade, including head of military intelligence and head of the observation system. "His elimination deepens the damage to the Rafah Brigade and the ability of Hamas terrorists to carry out terrorist plots against IDF forces in the region," said the IDF.(ANI/TPS) "If Belgium does not make progress towards official recognition of Palestine in September, there will soon be nothing left to recognise," he said. Prevot stressed that recognition should not be seen as rewarding Hamas. "Recognition is a bonus for the Palestinian Authority, not for Hamas. It strengthens the peaceful struggle." There is currently no consensus within the governing coalition on rapid recognition. The foreign minister said that the government would meet in the coming weeks to discuss Belgium's position on Gaza, including the recognition of Palestine and the possibility of imposing sanctions on Israel. (ANI/WAM) Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday that she would nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize if he successfully brokers a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine without forcing Ukraine to cede territory to Russia. This statement comes ahead of Trump's high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where a ceasefire deal for Ukraine is expected to be discussed. Referring to the Russian President, she said that Trump should know that he is meeting "an adversary". Clinton made the remarks in a series of posts on X. The Former US Secretary of State said, "If Donald Trump negotiates an end to Putin's war on Ukraine without Ukraine having to cede territory, I'll nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize myself. " https://x.com/HillaryClinton/status/1956358938489708772 In another post, she added, "Trump should know by now that he's not meeting with a friend of the United States today. He is meeting with an adversary who wants America's destruction and the end of the entire Western alliance." https://x.com/HillaryClinton/status/1956359324353052867 She also took a dig at the Trump tariffs in another post on X. https://x.com/HillaryClinton/status/1956390802143256869 Onboard Air Force One en route to Alaska for the high-stakes summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said that territorial swaps between Ukraine and Russia will be discussed in his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, but emphasised that Ukraine will have the final say in any such decisions. Trump reiterated that he is not negotiating on behalf of Ukraine, but rather aiming to bring the parties to the negotiating table. Speaking to reporters ahead of the Friday summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Trump said, "They will be discussed, but I will let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they will make a proper decision. But I am not here to negotiate for Ukraine; I am here to get them to a table. And I think you have two sides. Putin wanted to take all of Ukraine. If I weren't the President, he would right now be taking all of Ukraine. But he is not going to do it." US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of their high-stakes summit in Alaska. Trump stated that Russia will face "severe economic consequences" if Putin doesn't show interest in de-escalating the Ukraine conflict. Trump has vowed to "end the Ukraine war quickly," while Putin is seeking recognition of Russia's territorial gains and relief from Western sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has refused to surrender territory and hasn't been invited to the summit. The meeting's outcome could have significant implications for global markets, with investors awaiting clues about the health of the US economy and potential shifts in US-Russia relations. As per the White House, several officials are travelling with the US President aboard Air Force One. They include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Ambassador Steve Witkoff, amongst others. (ANI) US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) landed at the Elmendorf Air Base in Anchorage, Alaska, to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, CNN reported. Putin has also arrived in Anchorage, according to Russian state media. The meeting is scheduled at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. As per the CNN, the change-up in the format of today's bilateral meeting -- from a one-on-one to a larger group -- is significant. Trump's one-on-one meetings with Putin during his first term were clouded with mystery. With only a translator inside the room, it was often unclear what exactly was discussed. Aides had a difficult time ascertaining if the two reached any agreements. After one such meeting, in Germany, Trump asked his interpreter to discard his notes. The addition of two aides to today's session -- Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff -- could allow for greater clarity once the meeting concludes, particularly if Russia offers an accounting of events that differs from the US perspective, as per CNN. One of them will also be able to take notes, which is often an essential factor in the real-time record of high-level summits. On Air Force One en route to Alaska, Trump told reporters that he wasn't having the meeting to broker a deal on behalf of Ukraine, but said instead, his goal was getting Putin to the table. He also stopped short of promising security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a deal to end the war. Trump said he spoke to Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko -- a staunch Putin ally -- ahead of the summit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is not attending the meeting, emphasized that Ukraine will be "counting on America." If the summit goes well, Trump has suggested organizing a trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy, which the Ukrainian leader expressed support for, as per CNN. Russian Ambassador to the US, Alexander Darchiev, said he expected a positive outcome but no breakthrough from the Trump-Putin summit, Russian state media RIA Novosti reported, as quoted by CNN. Instead, Moscow expects "constant and gradual movement," Darchiev said, according to RIA. Russian President Putin and his US counterpart Trump would "discuss the entire agenda," RIA quoted Darchiev as saying, without elaborating. The talks will focus on exploring ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war, including ceasefire arrangements, prisoner exchanges, arms-control measures, and possible economic or security guarantees. Trump has vowed to "end the Ukraine war quickly," while Putin is seeking recognition of Russia's territorial gains and relief from Western sanctions. Zelenskyy has refused to surrender territory and hasn't been invited to the summit. The summit's outcome could reshape global energy flows and influence India's import strategy. If a peace deal is reached, India might benefit from reduced energy prices and eased trade pressure. However, a breakdown in talks could keep commodity markets volatile and US trade pressure intact. The meeting's outcome could have significant implications for global markets, with investors awaiting clues about the health of the US economy and potential shifts in US-Russia relations. (ANI) In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "I thank Prime Minister Tobgay for the kind wishes on India's Independence Day. May the bonds of friendship between our nations continue to grow stronger in the times to come." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1956306412973314464 Earlier, Bhutan's Prime Minister Tobgay had wished India "peace, prosperity and progress" on the occasion. "Warm greetings to India on its 79th Independence Day, celebrating our friendship and wishing peace, prosperity, and progress," he posted on X. https://x.com/tsheringtobgay/status/1956236086512062579 Wishes poured in from across the world, with French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, and Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam among several leaders extending greetings to India. Earlier in the day, delivering his 12th Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi, PM Modi made a series of announcements, signalling that India is poised to make significant progress into the future. PM Modi outlined plans for various initiatives, including the production of India's first semiconductor chip, the development of jet engines, the creation of 1 lakh crore in youth employment opportunities, and a tenfold expansion of the nuclear program. He presented his vision for "Naya Bharat" (New India) and set the goal of transforming India into a developed nation by 2047. In his Independence Day speech, PM Modi also unveiled the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) with an outlay of Rs 1 lakh crore. The scheme aims to provide 3.5 crore employment opportunities to the youth and offer them Rs 15,000 upon securing their first job. (ANI) US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are holding talks along with their top officials on Friday (local time). Putin is accompanied by foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told CNN. Trump is joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The summit is underway at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. They could allow for greater clarity once the meeting concludes, particularly if Russia offers an accounting of events that differs from the US perspective, CNN reported. Before the meeting began, members of the press shouted questions at Putin regarding a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. He was seen mouthing and shouting something in the direction of the press, but it's unclear what he said, CNN reported. Earlier in the day, the two leaders greeted each other on the red carpet after deplaning their respective aircraft, shook hands, posed for photographs, and, in an unusual move, departed together in Trump's presidential limousine to the venue. They did not take questions from reporters, CNN reported. Before they landed, the White House said the one-on-one meeting that had been planned between the two leaders will now include advisers to the two men. The Russian officials accompanying Putin are foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told CNN. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine's "number one" demand of the Alaska summit is for Russia to agree to a ceasefire. Only a ceasefire can provide the basis for meaningful peace talks, Ukraine and its European allies said. Following a call between Trump and European leaders on Wednesday (local time), two European diplomats familiar with the matter told CNN that Trump suggested he would push for a ceasefire at today's talks, which are currently underway. "Everything concerning Ukraine must be discussed exclusively with Ukraine," Zelenskyy said after Wednesday's call with Trump. "We must prepare a trilateral format for talks." https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1956446335261175865 https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1956445608602124635 https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1956435723772387538 The White House said that Trump was "Pursuing Peace," and that the meeting between the two leaders was "Historic". Earlier this week, as per CNN, Trump said he would know within a couple of minutes if Putin was actually interested in pursuing peace. He also said if the summit goes poorly, he "would walk." "I may leave and say, 'good luck,' and that'll be the end. I may say this is not going to be settled," Trump said before the summit, as quoted by CNN. (ANI) Foreign Minister of South Korea, Cho Hyun, arrived in New Delhi on Friday evening for his maiden visit to India. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal extended his greetings, noting that the India-South Korea Special Strategic Partnership remains strong and future-oriented. In a post on X, Jaiswal wrote, "Warm welcome to FM Cho Hyun of the Republic of Korea as he arrives in New Delhi on his maiden visit to India. India-South Korea Special Strategic Partnership remains strong & geared towards the future." https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1956406078293364794 Korea's Liberation Day coincides with India's Independence Day. Cho Hyun extended his greetings to India after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar wished him on the occasion. In a post on X, he said, "Dear External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, thank you sincerely for your warm congratulations on Korea's National Liberation Day. Today is also India's Independence Day, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations. I look forward to further deepening the close friendship and cooperation between our two countries. I hope to see you soon!" https://x.com/FMChoHyun/status/1956276432231129425 Jaishankar shared an old snippet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of the G7 Summit at Kananaskis in Canada in June. In a post on X, he said, "Heartfelt congratulations to FM Cho Hyun, the Government and the people of the Republic of Korea on their National Liberation Day. Look forward to welcoming you to India." https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1956222228137435526 Marking the twin celebrations, the Korean Embassy in India released a video in which Korean diplomats conveyed Independence Day wishes in Hindi. "Letter from the Korean Embassy on Independence Day, in Hindi. Watch as our Korean Diplomats at the Embassy wish you a Happy Independence Day," the Embassy said. https://x.com/RokEmbIndia/status/1956183666834419769 Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Seoul celebrated the 79th Independence Day. https://x.com/IndiainROK/status/1956266430506393810 https://x.com/IndiainROK/status/1956267842200068128 In a post on X, the Embassy said, "The Indian diaspora in South Korea joyfully celebrated the 79th Independence Day at the Indian Embassy in Seoul. Ambassador Amit Kumar unfurled the Indian flag, read the Hon'ble President's Address to the Nation. The event featured vibrant cultural performances by the members of the Indian community. The captivating performances highlighted India's rich cultural heritage, with diaspora members delivering captivating performances that instilled pride and joy in the audience." (ANI) House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats said that imposing tariffs on India would not stop Russian President Vladimir Putin or end the conflict in Ukraine. House Foreign Affairs Committee Dems urged that, to address that issue, US President Donald Trump must provide Ukraine with the aid it needs and punish Putin directly. "Tariffing India won't stop Putin. If Trump really wanted to address Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, maybe punish Putin and give Ukraine the military aid it needs. Everything else is smoke and mirrors," the organisation said in a post on X. https://x.com/HouseForeign/status/1956386443619598806 The committee also uploaded an interview with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in which he said that if the tariffs on India did not deter Russia, more secondary tariffs could follow. "We've put secondary tariffs on the Indians for buying Russian oil. And I could see if things don't go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up," Bessent said, adding that Trump would make it clear to Putin what all options are there on the table. "I'm not going to get ahead of the president, but the president is the best at creating leverage for himself, and he will make it clear to President Putin that all options are on the table," he said. Bessent described sanctions as a dynamic factor, subject to change. "Sanctions can go up. They can be loosened. They can have a definitive life. They can go on indefinitely. You know, there's this Russian shadow fleet of ships around the world that I think we could crack down on them. President Trump is meeting with President Putin and the Europeans are in the wings, harping about how he should do it, what he should do it," he said. He said that the Europeans must also join the US in sanctions. "But the Europeans need to join us in these sanctions. The Europeans need to be willing to put on these secondary sanctions. I was at the G7 meeting in Canada with President Trump and the Europeans kept talking about Senator Graham's bill to do the secondary tariffs. And I looked at all the leaders around the table and I said, is everyone at this table willing to put a 200% secondary tariff on China. And you know what? Everybody wanted to see what kind of shoes they were wearing," he said. (ANI) China to launch new type of visa for young science, technology professionals Xinhua) 08:07, August 15, 2025 BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China will introduce a new visa category for young science and technology talent, following a decision by the State Council. Premier Li Qiang has signed a State Council decree to promulgate the decision to amend the country's regulation on the administration of foreigners' entries and exits. According to the decision, China will add a K visa to its ordinary visa categories, available to eligible young science and technology professionals. Applicants for this visa must meet the qualifications and requirements set by relevant Chinese authorities and submit supporting documentation. The new rules will take effect on Oct. 1. Compared with the existing 12 ordinary visa types, K visas will offer more convenience to holders in terms of number of permitted entries, validity period and duration of stay, according to a press conference held by relevant authorities on Thursday. After entering China, K visa holders can engage in exchanges in fields such as education, culture, and science and technology, as well as relevant entrepreneurial and business activities. Bar specific age, educational background and work experience requirements, applications for K visas do not require a domestic employer or entity to issue an invitation, and the application process will also be more streamlined. "China's development requires the participation of talent from around the world, and China's development also provides opportunities for them," according to the press conference. The decision aims to further implement China's workforce development strategy in the new era, facilitate the entry for foreign young sci-tech talent into China, and promote international cooperation and exchanges among young sci-tech professionals, said officials at the press conference. The decision is announced amid China's continuous streamlining of visa rules to promote international exchanges over recent years. As of the end of July, China had introduced unilateral visa-free entry or mutual visa-exemption agreements with 75 countries. Buoyed by these relaxed visa rules -- particularly the expansion of the country's visa-free travel programs -- China has seen increasing numbers of international visitors arriving at its borders. According to the National Immigration Administration, foreign nationals made a total of 38.05 million trips to or from China in the first six months of 2025 -- an increase of 30.2 percent year on year. Of these trips, 13.64 million involved visa-free entries, which was an increase of 53.9 percent over the same period last year. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released its own Most Wanted list, with 37 people, including cartel leaders, human traffickers, and violent fugitives with ties to Mexico, Central America, and U.S. cities from Los Angeles to New York. Topping the list are Los Chapitos kingpins Ivan Archivaldo and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, sons of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, accused of flooding America with fentanyl. ICE is offering more than $45 million in combined rewards for information leading to the capture of these fugitives, who range from Sinaloa Cartel bosses and MS-13 leaders to convicted killers and allegedly dangerous undocumented immigrants. Overall, the list also has figures wanted by both its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) divisions. Other members of the Sinaloa Cartel listed alongside them are the SalgueiroNevarez brothers: Ruperto, Jose, and Heriberto, whose federal bounty stems from "crimes against the United States." They head up a faction within the notorious Sinaloa Cartel that has become a central node in an international web of drug trafficking. The U.S. Department of Justice officially refers to their network as the SalgueiroNevarez Organization (SNO). A federal grand jury in Tucson unsealed superseding indictments in November 2019 and February 2020, charging the brothers with orchestrating a transnational drug smuggling empire. The indictments allege extensive conspiracies to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana, across the United States over several years. Heriberto, in particular, is spotlighted with a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture. Another notorious name on the list is Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias, a Honduran national and alleged MS13 leader wanted on charges that include possession of machine guns, narcotics trafficking, and racketeering conspiracy. He commands attention not only for his criminal footprint but also for the escalating $5 million reward placed on his head by U.S. authorities. Among ERO's "Most Wanted" page features fugitives such as Julian BocanegraLupian, wanted for immigration violations, and Luis RodriguezJacobo and Santos Moreira, both convicted of manslaughter. Also listed are Julio ValenciaValencia, Pablo SolisFigueroa, and Alex RodriguezGuevarra, all targeted for removal violations. Beyond those categories, ICE's humantrafficking list includes Jose Isidro GutierrezMarez, wanted for harboring aliens and human trafficking, while Saul RomeroRugerio and Severiano MartinezRojas are noted as already captured fugitives. The roster also identifies individuals like Esteban JuarezTomas for aggravated DUI and Luis A. RodriguezCastro for vehicular manslaughter, alongside others implicated in vehicular homicide or removal violations. The only woman included on the list is Ingrid Estela Hernandez, a Salvadorian native who is a part of MS-13 and is wanted in her home country for aggravated homicide. Investigators from ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and El Salvador's specialized Border Patrol unit collaborated to track her movements, suspecting she had illegally crossed into the United States to find refuge within MS13's deeply entrenched U.S. network. Originally published on Latin Times After a prolonged slump, Moroccos potato export sector grew almost sixfold between July 2024 and May 2025 year-on-year, as the country exported 42,900 tons of table potatoes, generating $14.9 million in revenue, specialized fresh produce portal EastFruit said. This marks a dramatic turnaround: export volumes surged by a factor of 5.7 compared to the previous season and were 1.5 times higher than in 20222023. While still below the record set in 20182019, the latest figures suggest a renewed momentum for the sector, which had plummeted to just 7,400 tons in 20232024. That collapse saw Morocco fall from 28th to 67th place among global potato exporters. Between February 2023 and July 2024, the Moroccan government imposed an embargo on exports to West Africa to protect domestic supply, stabilize prices, and prevent shortages during low-production periods. During the embargo, exports were redirected to European markets, albeit in reduced volumes. The embargo was later lifted and replaced with a quota system, allowing trade with West African countries to resume and fueling the current rebound. The revival of exports has been largely driven by renewed demand from West Africa. Mauritania and Mali have re-emerged as Moroccos top destinations, accounting for nearly half of total shipments. Spain remains a key European market, with growing volumes, while France, Portugal, Cote dIvoire, and Senegal also posted strong increases. In contrast, exports to the Netherlands, Burkina Faso, and Niger declined significantly. The rebound highlights Moroccos ability to regain market share after years of contraction. The reopening of West African markets has been pivotal, as regional buyers increasingly favor nearby suppliers amid global logistical uncertainties. Still, the recovery remains fragile. The sector is vulnerable to climate conditions, water availability, and trade policies in both Morocco and its partner countries. The 2023 export embargo underscored the sensitivity of Moroccan producers to regulatory shifts. Senior officials from over 30 countries and international bodies have called for an immediate end to the siege of El Fasher in Sudans North Darfur, where hundreds of thousands of civilians remain trapped without essential supplies. In a joint statement issued on Thursday, August 14, signatories including the UK, Canada, Spain, Norway, Sweden, and the EU warned that all trade and supply routes have been blocked for over a year, preventing lifesaving aid deliveries. Famine, first confirmed in camps near El Fasher in August 2024, has worsened during the lean season, with more than 60 people dying from malnutrition in the past week and cholera cases surging. The statement condemned severe violations of international humanitarian law, including conflict-related sexual violence, attacks on markets and hospitals, and mass killings, citing reports of over 1,500 civilians killed in Zamzam camp in April and dozens more in Abu Shouk camp recently. The officials urged the Rapid Support Forces to lift the siege under UN Security Council Resolution 2736 and to allow safe, unconditional humanitarian access and civilian evacuations. They also called on the Sudanese Armed Forces to renew their commitment to a humanitarian pause, open the Adre border crossing for aid, and remove bureaucratic barriers to assistance. Highlighting International Criminal Court findings of likely war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, the statement reaffirmed solidarity with the people of Sudan and the humanitarian workers risking their lives to help them. It stressed that civilian protection, humanitarian access, and accountability for atrocities are urgent and non-negotiable. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has announced on Thursday, August 14, that its envoy, Hanna Tetteh, met with members of the Joint Military Commission 5+5 (JMC) in Tunis to review the progress of the Ceasefire Agreement and explore measures to sustain it. Discussions centered on reinforcing stability in Libya through the agreements continued implementation. According to UNSMIL, the JMC reaffirmed its commitment, along with that of its subcommittees, to uphold the ceasefire, including the withdrawal of foreign forces, fighters, and mercenaries. The Commission underscored that tangible progress in Libyas political process is vital to advancing the countrys security track, and ensuring lasting peace. France is set to end diplomatic indulgence with Algeria. This summer, Paris launched a sweeping crackdown on Algerias abuse of international norms. President Emmanuel Macrons suspension of the 2013 visa exemption agreement for Algerian diplomatic and service passport holders, coupled with the activation of the visa-readmission mechanism, marks a turning point in Franco-Algerian relations. This is not a mere bureaucratic adjustment. It is a strategic rupture with a regime that has long weaponized diplomacy to shield corruption, repression, and extraterritorial misconduct. The immediate catalyst for this rupture is the scandalous case of Amir DZ, a Franco-Algerian cyberactivist abducted in a covert operation allegedly orchestrated by Algerian intelligence operatives stationed in France. French authorities have issued international arrest warrants for Salaheddine Selloum, a former embassy official and intelligence officer, and Colonel Mohamed Bouaziz, a consular officer operating under diplomatic cover. Both are now subject to Interpol red notices for charges including kidnapping, unlawful detention, and conspiracy with terrorist intent. This is not an isolated incident. It is the culmination of years of Algerian diplomatic abuse, from trafficking and currency smuggling to political intimidation. French airport surveillance footage has revealed Algerian diplomats using their status to transport goods for the black market, deliver personal packages for regime elites, and facilitate the travel of unofficial guests, all under the guise of state business. Paris, long reluctant to confront these abuses, has now revoked access badges for Algerian diplomatic couriers and tightened airport protocols. Macrons measures extend beyond France. By invoking Article 22 of the EU Visa Code, Paris has effectively locked Algerian officials out of the entire Schengen zone. Any short-stay visa application from targeted Algerian nationals must now be cleared with France, closing the backdoor often exploited via Italy and other lenient consulates. A blacklist of over 1,000 Algerian officials- including ministers, parliamentarians, judges, and presidential advisers- has been compiled. These individuals are now persona non grata across Europe. Only a handful of diplomats involved in ongoing bilateral talks have been spared, and even they remain under scrutiny. The message is clear: Europe will no longer serve as a safe haven for Algerias ruling elite. The end of Algerian exceptionalism For decades, Algeria has enjoyed a paradoxical status in Europe: a regime that loudly proclaims anti-French and anti-western nationalism while quietly enjoying Western privileges. Algerian officials routinely sent their families to live in France, obtained residency permits with ease, and used European cities as playgrounds for luxury and influence, all while denouncing neocolonial interference. That era is over. France has now terminated the practice of allowing diplomats families to remain in the country after the end of their mission. No more residency cards, no more quiet returns. The privileges once reserved for Algerias nomenklatura have been rescinded. The diplomatic rupture is now spilling into the economic sphere. The EU-Algeria Association Agreement is under threat. The European Commission has initiated arbitration proceedings against Algeria for its repeated violations of the agreement, including arbitrary import bans and discriminatory investment restrictions. France is preparing to formally oppose any evolution of the agreement, a move that could severely impact Algerias already fragile economy. This economic pressure is not incidental. Algerias protectionist policies have disproportionately targeted European companies, particularly French and Spanish firms, in retaliation for their governments support of Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara territory. Frances response is not just punitive. It should be rather seen as a recalibration of its regional alliances. A regime in decline Algerias response has been predictably defiant. President Tebbounes entourage has floated the idea of circumventing sanctions via Italy or other Schengen states. But Paris has sealed those exits. The regimes bravado masks a deeper vulnerability: international isolation, economic stagnation, and a collapsing legitimacy at home. For too long, European democracies tolerated Algerias provocations out of post-colonial guilt and geopolitical caution. That appears to be ending. The new measures signal a broader European awakening to the dangers posed by a regime that has weaponized diplomacy and commerce to shield its authoritarian excesses. Morocco is on the cusp of securing a deal for 32 U.S. advanced fighter jets, becoming the first Arab and African nation to operate the fifth-generation stealth combat aircraft, says Military Africa news platform. The $17 billion deal, spanning over 45 years, covers maintenance and technical support and spare parts, says the report, noting that the F-35, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is at the top of modern aviation engineering, blending stealth, versatility, and cutting-edge avionics into a family of multirole fighters suited for air dominance, ground attacks, and reconnaissance. During the latest International Defence Exhibition held in Abu Dhab, Lockheed Martin officials delivered a detailed presentation on the F-35 capabilities to Moroccan military representatives. The United States remains the main supplier of Moroccos weapons. In 2020, Rabat purchased 24 F-16C/D Block 72 Vipers in addition to upgrading its fleet of 23 F-16s, bringing them to the F-16V standard equipped with APG-83 active electronically scanned array radar and AN/AAQ-33 Sniper radar for precise strikes. Morocco is also strengthening its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets with two Gulfstream G550 aircraft being modified by L3 Systems in Texas using Elta systems, alongside new spy satellites to maintain vigilant oversight of borders and potential adversaries. Morocco, U.S. long-standing friend, ally, and strategic partner in the region, has been honored to take part in U.S. AFRICOM Change of Command ceremony held Friday at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany. Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces, Lt. General Mohamed Berrid, who was accompanied by high-level delegation, represented the Kingdom in this ceremony during which Air Force Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson assumed command from Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley. Navy Adm. Christopher Grady, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presided over the ceremony. In his remarks, Grady emphasized AFRICOMs role in advancing U.S. national security and strengthening defense relationships across Africa. He highlighted the importance of sustained U.S. efforts in regions such as the Horn of Africa, West Africa, and the Sahel. Moroccos participation in this U.S. military event sends a clear message that the Kingdom is a reliable partner and one of the pillars of regional peace, security and stability. The new AFRICOM chief is a pilot with over 3,400 flight hoursincluding 738 in combat, assumed command during the ceremony. He brings experience in agile, intelligence-driven operations and joint force planning. His previous assignments include Director for Joint Force Development on the Joint Staff and leading Special Operations CommandAfrica and Joint Task ForceQuartz. General Langley took command in August 2022. During his tenure, AFRICOM focused on strengthening partner capacity, sharpening operational readiness, and enhancing interoperability with African and allied forces. These efforts reinforced regional stability and positioned U.S. forces to respond rapidly to emerging threats. Langley also guided the command through a period of heightened global competition and regional turbulence with a steady emphasis on African-led approaches to security. The Pentagon describes Morocco as a regional leader exporting security and economic development throughout the African continent. Morocco co-hosts with the US the annual African Lion exercise with the participation of several African & European countries and NATO. This military exercise, the largest in Africa, not only strengthens multinational cooperation but also enhances readiness across all domains. The Portuguese government has publicly thanked Morocco for its swift assistance in battling severe wildfires, following the emergency deployment of two Canadair water-bombing aircraft on August 11. The planes were sent after several Portuguese firefighting aircraft were grounded, providing a critical boost to aerial operations at a time of heightened alert. The Moroccan aircraft, operating from Monte Real Air Base, were dispatched under a bilateral civil protection agreement between Rabat and Lisbon. Their arrival helped reinforce Portugals efforts to contain the fires, which have been exacerbated by extreme temperatures. In a statement issued two days later, Lisbon expressed its deep gratitude for the gesture, highlighting the importance of international solidarity in times of crisis. This latest intervention continues a pattern of Moroccan support during wildfire emergencies. In September 2024, Morocco sent two Canadair aircraft, a Casa support plane, and technical teams to assist with fires in northern Portugal. Since 2016, Moroccan crews have conducted nearly 70 missions in Portugal, totaling over 230 flight hours. The repeated deployments underscore a strong and reliable partnership between the two countries in responding to natural disasters. MIOSHAs Take a Stand Marks 20 Years of Collaborative Workplace Safety Nearly 200 Michigan employers partnered with MIOSHA for penalty-free consultations during the 20th anniversary of the Take a Stand initiative, reinforcing a shared commitment to safer workplaces. The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) partnered with Michigan employers who voluntarily participated in the 20th anniversary of the Take a Stand for Workplace Safety and Health initiative, underscoring a shared commitment to improving workplace safety and health. During the week of Aug. 1115, nearly 200 Michigan employers welcomed MIOSHA safety and health staff into their worksites for penalty-free consultations demonstrating their commitment to creating safer workplaces and protecting hardworking people. Instead of enforcement, MIOSHA focused on offering guidance, identifying potential hazards, and helping employers take immediate steps to correct serious conditions. MIOSHA Director Bart Pickelman said the initiative reflects the agencys education-first approach. At MIOSHA, we Educate Before We Regulate. Take a Stand lets us work directly with employers to help them build safer, healthier workplaces and equips them with the tools and knowledge to prevent injuries and illnesses. One participating employer was auto parts manufacturer Laepple Automotive US Inc., which specializes in sheet metal stamping and forming to produce spare body parts such as hoods, doors, fenders, and trunk lids, with the capability to manufacture parts for any original equipment manufacturer. A MIOSHA enforcement officer conducted a walkaround with plant managers to assess potential hazards in the companys 270,000-square-foot Detroit facility, recently established as its North American hub. Employee safety is at the heart of our operations, said Paulette Caylor, head of human resources at Laepple Automotive US Inc. Take a Stand reinforces our commitment to a strong safety culture and continuous improvement. Partnering with MIOSHA helps us identify potential risks and strengthen safeguards that protect our team. MIOSHA focused its Take a Stand visits on high-hazard industries identified in the MIOSHA Strategic Plan, which includes construction sites, manufacturing plants, medical facilities, and more. MIOSHA Consultative Resources for Employers Free Onsite Consultations Year-round, employers can request voluntary inspections without fines or penalties, conducted by MIOSHA safety consultants or industrial hygienists. Hazard Surveys Non-enforcement visits that identify unsafe conditions and provide guidance for corrective actions. Self-Help Program Small employers (fewer than 250 employees) can receive free technical guidance and hazard evaluations, with priority given to high-hazard industries. Learn more about MIOSHAs consultative services at Michigan.gov/CET. In 2024, total battery storage installations in Europe went up by 11.9 GW to a total of 89 GW. Yet periods of negative prices in the wholesale electricity market became more frequent, despite this increase. For some in commodity trade, the solution is building even more battery storageand making good money from it. It is the ultimate fast and scalable way to pick those instances of extreme volatility and address that volatility, the head of principal investments at trading firm Castleton Commodities International told Bloomberg in an interview this week. You dont see Brent moving from minus $50 a barrel to plus $3,000 a few times every week. And thats what power allows you to do, Arie Pilo added. Indeed, fluctuations in wholesale electricity markets during peak generation periods for wind and solar are not for the faint of heart. For the few hours a dayas long as the day is sunnywhen solar installations produce at peak capacity, the amount of electricity available can vastly exceed demand, leading to intraday price drops, including all the way below zero. Then, once the sun sets or the wind dies down, prices often rebound sharply. Related: Oil Prices Jump as Traders Brace for TrumpPutin Showdown In some places, grid operators act pre-emptively to avoid an occurrence like the blackout in Spain and ask solar generators to turn some of their panels off before peak generation. In others, generators curtail their own output to avoid having to pay to have their electricity taken into the grid. Yet the price swings remain an increasingly frequent occurrence in the European electricity market and, from the perspective of Castleton Commodities and larger players such as Vitol and Trafigura, a lucrative opportunity, because of battery storage. Storage is the only way to use electricity later than the moment it was generated, which is how electricity is normally used. Indeed, critics of the current energy transition scenario that Europe is following often note that this is one of the biggest drawbacks of electrification, not least because the amount of batteries needed to back up a grid predominantly reliant on wind and solar would be hugeand rather costly. The current numbers speak for themselves. Europe has almost 90 GW in battery storage. Negative electricity prices have not only declined in frequency of occurrence, they have actually increased. This is because wind and solar capacity is growing much faster than battery storage. Battery storage literally cannot keep up. The question, however, is whether it would ever be able to catch up. Per Bloomberg, Castleton Commodities, Vitol, and Trafigura, among others, are investing in various battery storage projects across Western Europe as they try to grab a piece of the electricity market pie with its tempting price swings. It is probably one of the safest investments one can make in energy in Europe right now, with returns basically guaranteed. Youre starting to see viable reasons to invest in battery energy storage projects in Europe, according to BloombergNEF analyst Nelson Nsitem. Thats caused by a lot of renewable capacity, big differences in swings in prices across the day and battery prices coming down. From a trading point of view, the case for batteries is clear and quite simple. From a consumer perspective, however, things are a bit different. The current battery storage is nowhere near sufficient to ensure an uninterrupted supply of electricity from wind and solar alone. Batteries are also risky business, as evidenced by the February fire at the Moss Landing battery site in California. Finally, rather like solar, battery installations take up quite a bit of space. They have certainly come down in size as well as cost over the last decade, but they still have significant land demands. That could curb the growth prospects of the burgeoning battery storage businessor prompt farmland reductions to build more batteries. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com As Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump prepare to meet in Alaska for a high-stakes summit to discuss ending the 43-month-old war in Ukraine, a deep feeling of unease is gripping European capitals, especially Kyiv. The August 15 meeting between the two leaders, their first since Trump returned to the presidency in January, could reshape not only Ukraine's future borders but also European security without either Kyiv or Brussels having a say. Trump has made ending the conflict -- Europe's largest since World War II -- a top foreign policy priority. Confident in his deal-making skills and friendly relationship with Putin, Trump believes that goal can be achieved starting with the one-to-one meeting announced only a week ago. Since then, Western officials and experts have expressed concern that Trump, who eschews traditional diplomatic procedures in favor of deal-making, will be outwitted by Putin, who has more than a quarter-century of experience negotiating with Western leaders. When he told reporters that he and Putin would discuss the possibility of land swaps between Russia and Ukraine, the anxiety level rose over fears that he could recognize the Kremlin's land grab, appeasing the aggressor. The surprise announcement of the summit sent Ukrainian and European leaders scrambling to get face time with Trump. While European leaders expressed a sigh of relief following a conference call with Trump on August 13, what the 79-year-old US leader will agree to in Alaska is anyone's guess, experts said. I think it's really worth noting how remarkable it is that there is such a high degree of uncertainty of what's going to come out of this meeting, said Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). It has been exceptionally difficult to gauge what President Trump's views on Ukraine are, in large part because there have been flip flops and U-turns, and it has been inconsistent from start to finish," she said on August 14 in a conference call with reporters. Trump, who has expressed admiration for Putin over the years, tore into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February during a meeting in the Oval Office that shocked the Western world. A few months later, Trump was focusing his ire on Putin for not agreeing to his demand for a 30-day cease-fire. Despite his rhetoric and threats of sanctions, Trump hasn't imposed any penalties on Russia to date. Kendall-Taylor said that is a sign that Trump's affinity is still with Russia and Putin. On the eve of the summit, Trump continued to keep everyone guessing about its outcome. As he played down the chances for any breakthrough in Alaska, Trump told Fox News that Putin's "going to make a deal. He also told Fox News that he might be willing to stay in Alaska for a three-way meeting, including Zelenskyy, if he makes progress with the Russian leader. Zelenskyy on August 14 was in in London to discuss security with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a show of British support. He and other European leaders want to ensure their interests are taken into account when Trump and Putin meet. In Moscow, Putin praised Trumps efforts to end the war in a short video released by the Kremlin, saying the White House is making quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities and to reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved. But there is plenty of skepticism about Putins true intentions to match the high degree of anxiety in Ukraine. Already the fact that this meeting is happening is not playing in Ukraine's favor, said Olga Tokariuk, a fellow with the Democratic Resilience Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). The opposite is true for Russia because it legitimizes Putin, Tokariuk said, speaking during a conference call on August 14. He gets a meeting with the US president on the US soil without any concessions on his side. The worst-case scenario would be if Ukraine is forced to make some territorial concessions without any security guarantees in return, said Tokariuk. Ukraine worries that this would only lead to renewed Russian aggression within a couple of months. If there is no accountability for Russia for having started this full-scale war in 2022 that will just encourage Russia to come back for more, Tokariuk said. Kendall-Taylor said that one risk for Ukraine is that Putin might be able to reframe Trumps view of Zelenskyy as the barrier to ending the war. The danger is that if Putin talks about his genuine desire to end the war and makes some reasonable looking proposals that Ukraine will have to reject, Zelenskyy could find himself back in Trumps crosshairs as the obstinate and uncompromising figure, said Kendall-Taylor, who served as deputy national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia on the US National Intelligence Council from 2015-2018. There is also skepticism that threatening Putin with tariffs is enough to curb his territorial ambitions. Trump will have to be forceful, said Richard Haas, a former high-ranking State Department official who helped negotiate peace deals on behalf of the United States under previous administrations. If you really want to change Putins calculus youve got to disabuse Putin of one notion that time is on his side, [and] that by continuing this war Russia will gradually grind and grind and grind and get what it wants, Haas said in an interview with US broadcaster CBS. All President Trump has to do is say, Vlad, aint gonna happen. The talks come at a pivotal moment, with Trump increasingly frustrated with Putin and the Russian president showing no signs of bending on the Kremlin's maximalist demands. Trump and Putin have held six phone calls, and the White House's lead envoy has traveled to Moscow at least three times. Zelenskyy said he and Starmer discussed in considerable detail the security guarantees that Ukraine has said would be necessary for it to agree to a cease-fire. Trump said in his Fox News interview that if he called Zelenskyy for a three-way meeting with himself and Putin, it would be very, very important, because that's going to be a meeting where they make a deal. He also again alluded to territorial swaps. I don't want to use the word 'divvy things up,' but you know, to a certain extent, it's not a bad term, OK?" he said. Trump previously said to end the conflict both sides will have to swap land to end intense fighting that has cost tens of thousands of lives on both sides and displaced millions of Ukrainians. But French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump was "very clear" in a call on August 13 that he wants to achieve a cease-fire at the summit and that Trump had been clear that "territorial issues relating to Ukraine...will only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president." "Trump's thinking is apparently closer aligned with that of the Europeans than first feared by some," one European official told RFE/RL after the call. Trump has warned Russia of "very severe consequences" if it doesn't halt its war against Ukraine, but has given no details on what consequences Moscow could face. If Trump's insistence on involving Ukraine is confirmed, it would help ease fears among Ukraine, but Russia has consistently given the idea of a meeting with Zelenskyy the cold shoulder, suggesting it should only happen once the sides are close to signing a peace deal, not just a cease-fire agreement. That moment seems far off, given the huge gap between the Russian and Ukrainian positions that persists on several major issues, including territory and security, despite three rounds of direct talks in Turkey since mid-May. By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com The insurance body advises any underwriting entity with exposure to Russian oil to take appropriate steps to protect themselves, covering various types of insurance. The divergence in price caps between the UK, EU, and US could affect standard sanctions clauses in insurance policies, particularly for US-led markets or insureds. An insurance association has urged its members to assess their exposure to Russian oil due to upcoming updates to oil price cap regimes by the UK and EU. An insurance association has urged its members to assess their exposure to Russian oil as the UK and EU prepare to update their oil price cap regimes. The oil price cap, introduced by the G7, EU, and Australia, aims to restrict Russias oil revenues by preventing Russian companies from selling oil above a specified threshold. In July, the UK and EU announced plans to lower the price cap to further limit Russias ability to fund its war in Ukraine. The new measures take effect on 2 September in the UK and 3 September in the EU. However, the US reportedly opposed the European initiative and did not support lowering the Russian oil price cap. Because of the divergence in price caps among the three powers, the Lloyds Market Association (LMA) has warned its members to reconsider their exposures, as this could affect sanctions clauses. LMAs legal and regulatory director, Arabella Ramage, explained: If a US insured or US lead market uses a $60 oil price cap, the impact for EU or UK insurers could be that any standard sanctions clause in their policies is triggered. The standard LMA oil price cap clauses were drafted with the expectation that the oil price cap coalition would set the same price, stating, Price cap means the price, or cap, set for the purchase or sale of the Russian oil or the Russian oil product by the price cap coalition as may be amended from time to time, and refer throughout to the relevant price cap. As a result, Ramage highlighted: The divergence between the UK, EU and US approaches means in practice that UK/EU entities may not necessarily be able to follow a US lead on business involving Russian oil unless the US party adopts the UK/EU position on price cap and ensures that they can obtain the necessary supporting documentation to demonstrate compliance with UK/EU requirements. The insurance body has advised its members that any underwriting entity with exposure to Russian oil, including hull, cargo, political risk, P&I, and liability or reinsurance, should take steps to protect themselves appropriately. By City AM More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Putin is coming in with his usual posture: willing to talk, unwilling to give up what hes taken. Hes stress-testing the alliance. If he can coax Trump into floating ideas that would readjust NATOs red lines (such as recognizing current front lines, rolling back some sanctions without a withdrawal, and slowing Ukraines NATO path), hell be watching how Europe reacts. Do Berlin, Paris, Warsaw, and London close ranks immediately, or does anyone hedge their language, drag their feet? There is also high-level PR value here. Just being in Anchorage after years of isolation is a win he can take home and sell. Its proof, in his narrative, that Washington has to Todays sit-down in Anchorage will be the first U.S.-Russia summit on American soil since Reagan met Gorbachev in 88. Trumps billing it as a shot at ending the Ukraine war, but lets keep some perspective: hes been saying two weeks since the campaign trail and has repeated it in office like a mantra. Nothing on the battlefield or in politics has shifted in his favor, yet markets are trading this as if an outcome is baked inand the outcome is expected to be more Russian barrels on the market. Its not likely grounded in much reality, but it's the pull of the optics. The image of Trump and Putin sitting down in Alaska may move markets for a few hours, but both men are walking in with hard, pre-set positions and no appetite for real concessions. The stagecraft will be there; the fundamentals will not change. Todays sit-down in Anchorage will be the first U.S.-Russia summit on American soil since Reagan met Gorbachev in 88. Trumps billing it as a shot at ending the Ukraine war, but lets keep some perspective: hes been saying two weeks since the campaign trail and has repeated it in office like a mantra. Nothing on the battlefield or in politics has shifted in his favor, yet markets are trading this as if an outcome is baked inand the outcome is expected to be more Russian barrels on the market. Its not likely grounded in much reality, but it's the pull of the optics. The image of Trump and Putin sitting down in Alaska may move markets for a few hours, but both men are walking in with hard, pre-set positions and no appetite for real concessions. The stagecraft will be there; the fundamentals will not change. Putin is coming in with his usual posture: willing to talk, unwilling to give up what hes taken. Hes stress-testing the alliance. If he can coax Trump into floating ideas that would readjust NATOs red lines (such as recognizing current front lines, rolling back some sanctions without a withdrawal, and slowing Ukraines NATO path), hell be watching how Europe reacts. Do Berlin, Paris, Warsaw, and London close ranks immediately, or does anyone hedge their language, drag their feet? There is also high-level PR value here. Just being in Anchorage after years of isolation is a win he can take home and sell. Its proof, in his narrative, that Washington has to meet him on equal terms. Trump has floated the idea of a follow-up with Zelenskyy, but for now, Ukraines out of the room, and European capitals arent thrilled. As for the chatter about Trump giving Russia access to Alaskan natural resources in the Bering Strait, thats media fantasy. Its hard to imagine a scenario where Washington hands over domestic asset rights to beg Putin to end the war. Trumps image would never survive such a thing, and there is no clear incentive to back up this speculation. No serious observers will expect a major breakthrough today. This is theater, and in that sense, it serves both men. But by letting the expectations balloon, the White House is setting itself up for market and political whiplash depending on the level of theater. In the meantime, there have been some peace developments in a different theater: Armenia and Azerbaijan. Yerevan and Baku have put their names to a U.S.-brokered peace accord that recognizes each others borders, renounces force, and greenlights a transit corridor across southern Armenia linking Azerbaijan proper to Nakhchivan and on to Turkey. The route stays under Armenian jurisdiction, but Washington gets exclusive development rights (commercial, not military) and will subcontract the build-out. Thats the core. Everything else is positioned around it. The narrative has since been focused on Moscow and Tehran. Russia has offered the polite welcome while warning against foreign meddling, its way of keeping the door open for a Russian role in monitoring or customs. Irans line is harder: public threats to block the corridor, framing it as a U.S. foothold on its northern border, and pushing back on talk of any 99-year arrangement. Armenian envoys are already telling Tehran there will be no foreign security presence, but that wont stop Iran from testing the limits with military drills along the Aras, bureaucratic interference, or prodding Armenian opposition to slow ratification. On the Azerbaijani side, theres a built-in brake. Baku wants Armenia to amend the constitutional language it sees as implying territorial claims; Yerevan hasnt delivered, and doing so quickly is politically costly. That gives Aliyev an easy excuse to pace the corridors rollout. Oil markets have seen thin liquidity and rangebound prices this week, with ICE Brent hovering near $66 a barrel as traders focus almost entirely on the upcoming TrumpPutin meeting in Alaska. Friday, August 15, 2025 Thin trading liquidity, rangebound price movements, and almost zero interest in any other topic than the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska have marked this week, with ICE Brent still trading around the $66 per barrel mark. LNG prices have already shed some $0.50/MMBtu this week as gas traders seem to expect some semblance of a deal coming through; however, oil market participants are waiting it out until the very end. IEA Warns of Bloated Crude Oil Markets. Directly contradicting OPEC, the International Energy Agency predicted that global oil supply would rise quickly than expected in 2025-2026, forecasting a 2.5 million b/d output hike this year, up 400,000 b/d compared to its previous outlook, citing OPEC+ unwinding. Venture Global Wins Key Court Case of 2025. US LNG developer Venture Global (NYSE:VG) has won an arbitration case against global energy major Shell (LON:SHEL) over its alleged failure to start delivering LNG cargoes under a long-term contract starting in 2023, sending the firms stock up by a hefty 8%. India Eyes Russian Barrels Again. Indias state-owned refiners IOC, HPCL and BPCL have reportedly restarted their purchases of Russian oil after discounts for the Russian flagship Urals grade widened to almost -$3 per barrel to Dubai, shedding almost $2 per barrel since July differentials peaked. US Court Reschedules Citgo Auction. A federal court in Delaware rescheduled the long-anticipated auction of Venezuela-held US refiner Citgo Petroleum, after a unit of activist investor Elliott Investment Management landed a last-minute $8.82 billion offer, surpassing Vitols recent $8.45 billion proposal. Angolas Oil Dreams Failed to Materialize. Almost two years have passed since Angola quit OPEC; however the African countrys oil production continues to linger around 1.1 million b/d and is set to dip further, with top driller Azule Energy now expecting gas to be the main driver of production growth. Pemex Gets Former CEO Arrested. Mexicos President Claudia Sheinbaum said that Carlos Trevino, the former chief executive of state oil company Pemex in 2017-2018, had been arrested in the US and would be deported to Mexico soon on charges of corruption, having allegedly received some $215,000 in bribes. South Africa Makes U-Turn on Exploration Drilling. The Western Cape High Court in South Africa rescinded the environmental permit granted to French major TotalEnergies (NYSE:TTE) to explore offshore blocks 5,6, and 7, possibly expediting the departure of Total from the African country. Ukraine Keeps on Droning Russian Refineries. Ukraine struck the 300,000 b/d Volgograd refinery in Russia with drones, having previously targeted Rosnefts 140,000 b/d Saratov refinery as well as a smaller plant in the southern city of Slavyansk ahead of the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska. Canadas M&A Craze Is Heating Up. Canadas leading oil producer Cenovus Energy (TSO:CVE) is reportedly in talks with the countrys Indigenous groups to jointly take a $1.5 billion stake in peer oil sands producer MEG Energy (TSO:MEG), seeking to halt Strathconas $6 billion hostile takeover. India to Open Up Uranium Mining. The Indian government is set to allow private companies to mine, import, and process uranium, ending a decades-long state monopoly over the nuclear industry as part of Prime Minister Modis plan to expand nuclear generation twelve-fold by 2047. US Launches Anti-Dumping Probe on Solar. The US Commerce Department has initiated anti-dumping duty investigations on solar cell imports from India, Indonesia, and Laos, claiming that Chinese-headquartered firms are using those countries to resell their solar products into the US market. Zinc Is Starting Its Own Transatlantic Trade. Global trading house Trafigura is reportedly taking large volumes of zinc previously held in LME-registered warehouses in Singapore and shipping them to the United States, with expectations of a potential squeeze helping to push prices above $2,850 per tonne. Iraq Eyes Syrias Recovering Markets. Syrias gradual return to international politics has also prompted neighbouring Iraq to suggest that the two countries rebuild the 300,000 b/d Kirkuk-Baniyas oil pipeline, heavily damaged during the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, as Baghdad aims to find new market outlets. Chevron Restarts Imports from Venezuela. US oil major Chevron (NYSE:CVX) has loaded its first two cargoes in Venezuela after it received a new sanctions waiver from the Trump administration, with the Beaumont-bound Mediterranean Voyager potentially becoming the first tanker to reach USGC refiners. By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com The Iraqi federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Erbil have agreed on a framework to resume crude exports through Turkeys Ceyhan terminal, potentially ending months of political deadlock over control, revenue-sharing, and pipeline access. The deal includes Now that Trump has gotten himself involved in numerous conflict venues, Venezuelas Maduro is testing to see if hell have the bandwidth for another: Guyana, which is gearing up for its general elections on September 1. President Irfaan Alis PPP/C government is seeking a second term, with opposition alliances trying to consolidate ground. But overshadowing it all is Maduros escalating rhetoric over a Russian-style annexation of the Essequibo region, Guyanas oil-rich western territory that Venezuela has long claimed. Venezuela recently went ahead with elections for officials to govern Essequibo, despite a ruling by the International Court of Justice ordering a halt, and even though the world still recognizes the region as Guyanese territory. In recent weeks, Maduros tone has sharpened, with talk of annexation, threats of partial conquest, and veiled warnings to international partners like ExxonMobil. Some analysts believe his strategy is about more than borders: its a nationalist gambit to consolidate domestic support amid economic pains, while testing whether the U.S. and CARICOM will back their Guyanese partner without hesitating. Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict Now that Trump has gotten himself involved in numerous conflict venues, Venezuelas Maduro is testing to see if hell have the bandwidth for another: Guyana, which is gearing up for its general elections on September 1. President Irfaan Alis PPP/C government is seeking a second term, with opposition alliances trying to consolidate ground. But overshadowing it all is Maduros escalating rhetoric over a Russian-style annexation of the Essequibo region, Guyanas oil-rich western territory that Venezuela has long claimed. Venezuela recently went ahead with elections for officials to govern Essequibo, despite a ruling by the International Court of Justice ordering a halt, and even though the world still recognizes the region as Guyanese territory. In recent weeks, Maduros tone has sharpened, with talk of annexation, threats of partial conquest, and veiled warnings to international partners like ExxonMobil. Some analysts believe his strategy is about more than borders: its a nationalist gambit to consolidate domestic support amid economic pains, while testing whether the U.S. and CARICOM will back their Guyanese partner without hesitating. The Iraqi federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Erbil have agreed on a framework to resume crude exports through Turkeys Ceyhan terminal, potentially ending months of political deadlock over control, revenue-sharing, and pipeline access. The deal includes provisions for meeting KRG domestic demand (around 50,000 bpd) with the remainder to be marketed through Iraqs SOMO. While it makes for a good headline, the agreement does not set a date for the restart. Turkey has yet to give formal clearance, and technical checks on the pipeline still need to be completed. For now, consider it a blueprint for an operational restart. Past public statements from Iraqi officials predicting an imminent resumption have failed to materialize, and there are still contractual and logistical issues to resolve before flows can resume. Beijings security service is claiming it shut down a smuggling ring run by a foreign intelligence agency to get rare earths out of the country by using false labels, faking origin documents and mixing with everyday goods for routing through third countries. Beijing isnt naming names; instead, its sending a message that this is being treated not as a trade issue, but as a matter of national security. Smuggling will be considered espionage. This plays into the broader clampdown weve been watching all year. Exports of other controlled minerals like antimony and germanium have collapsed (down more than 80% since January) because of tighter licensing and more aggressive enforcement. Now theyre linking those controls directly to counter-intelligence work. Discovery & Development ExxonMobil (XOM) landed a massive deepwater prize in Trinidad & Tobago, securing acreage bigger than the country itself and eyeing up to $21.7B in potential investment if commercial reserves are found. The initial $42M program will fund 3D seismic and up to two wells, with drilling possible in six months, as Exxon looks to copy-paste its Guyana (11B+ boe) success. Existing infrastructure could fast-track any discovery to market, unlike Guyanas early days, while shared resources between the two countries promise lower costs and faster timelines. PM Kamla Persad signaled fiscal terms will be sweetened to lure more capital, underscoring Port of Spains determination not to miss out before the global energy window narrows. Azule Energy, the BPEni JV, is moving to fast-track development of its Capricornus oil find offshore Namibias Block 2914A, aiming for first oil by 2029 if an FID can be pulled off by late 2026. The company, which took its stake from Rhino Resources last year, hit oil in April and is already weighing development options, with the possibility of taking over operatorship during that phase. Namibia has become one of the industrys hottest new frontiers since TotalEnergies and Shell struck major discoveries three years ago, but recent dry holes and Shells $400 million writedown have tempered some of the hype. CEO Adriano Mangini says Azule is confident in its reservoir quality and is ready to stay in Namibia for many years, setting up a race with Rhino and others to be the countrys first crude producer. TotalEnergies is gearing up to drill up to seven wells offshore South Africa in the Deep Western Orange Basin, about 211 km from Saldanha Bay, in a campaign that could start as early as 2026. The basin sits adjacent to Namibias recent blockbuster finds, and Total is chasing similar geology after scoring big there in 2022. Rival Shell also plans as many as five wells in the Northern Cape Ultra Deep block, having secured environmental approval in June. Both majors face a legal landscape shaped by recent environmental court wins that have stalled other South African offshore projects. Norway has officially opened its northernmost oil field, Johan Castberg, operated by Equinor (46.3%) with partners Var Energi (30%) and Petoro (23.7%). Located in the Barents Sea, the 450600 MMbbl field draws from the Skrugard, Havis, and Drivis discoveries and is expected to produce for 30 years. First oil was achieved on March 31, with output already hitting its 220,000 bpd peak capacity in under three months. Energy Minister Terje Aasland called it a milestone for the region, adding that the Barents now hosts Norways second-largest producing oil field, second-largest gas field, and its biggest discovery under development. Petrobras has secured regulatory clearance to conduct emergency response drills in Brazils Foz do Amazonas basin on Aug. 24, a decisive step toward securing its long-delayed exploration license. The Atlantic acreage, 330 miles from the Amazon Rivers mouth, is seen as critical to offsetting a national production peak expected around 2030, with Petrobras budgeting $3 billion for the Equatorial Margin campaign. Environmental regulator Ibama has blocked drilling there for over a decade due to spill risks, but the upcoming three-to-four-day pre-operational assessment is considered the final hurdle before an exploration permit. Petrobras says its ready to spud immediately, eyeing potential Guyana-scale upside after Exxons multibillion-barrel discoveries to the north. Libyas NOC has announced a new oil discovery in the Ghadames Basin from the A-65/2 well, operated by Sonatrach subsidiary SIPEX. Initial test flows came in at about 4,200 bpd, confirming commercial potential. The find is part of a broader push by NOC to restart rigs and expand drilling in the basin, with three more wells planned. The discovery adds to Libyas efforts to boost production capacity after years of underinvestment and conflict-related outages. SBM Offshores FPSO One Guyana has started production at ExxonMobils Yellowtail development in the Stabroek block, marking the countrys fourth producing FPSO and boosting total installed capacity to over 900,000 bpd. Yellowtail, sanctioned in 2022, is Guyanas largest oil project to date, with six drill centers, up to 26 producers and 25 injectors, and an initial average output of 250,000 bpd. First oil came four months ahead of schedule, with the two-million-barrel-capacity unit joining the Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, and Prosperity FPSOs producing Golden Arrowhead crude. ExxonMobil, with partners Hess (Chevron) and CNOOC, targets 1.7 million boe/d capacity from eight Guyana developments by 2030. Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions Santos has extended the due diligence and exclusivity period for a potential $5.76/share takeover by an ADNOC-led consortium, pushing the deadline to Aug. 22. The groupwhich includes Abu Dhabi Development Holding Co. and Carlylehas substantially completed its review and found no deal-breaking issues, reaffirming its commitment to a binding agreement. The offer, up from earlier bids of $5.04 and $5.42, would see the consortium acquire all ordinary shares and expand Santos gas and LNG portfolio to target 2025 mtpa capacity by 2035. Santos, operating in Australia, PNG, Timor-Leste and the U.S., previously scrapped merger talks with Woodside in 2024. Duke Energy plans to merge its two main North Carolina utilitiesDuke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolinasinto a single entity with uniform rates across its service area. The company says the merger, slated for January 2027 pending approval, would generate $1 billion in customer savings through 2038. The move follows the passage of North Carolinas Power Bill Reduction Act, which allows Duke to recover ongoing capital costs and removes the states 2030 carbon-reduction mandate. Duke expects the consolidation to streamline operations and improve cost efficiency as it ramps up new generation projects. Energy Earnings Petrobras posted Q2 net income of 26.7B reais ($4.89B), reversing a 2.6B reais loss from the prior year as higher output and cost controls offset weaker crude prices. Daily production topped 2M bpd, while adjusted EBITDA rose 5.1% to 52.3B reais despite Brent averaging $67.82/bbl versus $75.66 in Q1. The company approved 8.66B reais in dividends and interest payments, alongside $1.6B in advance dividends for FY2025. Capex reached $4.4B in the quarterup 30.6% YoYfocused on pre-salt Santos Basin development and new FPSO builds. Constellation Energy posted Q2 2025 GAAP net income of $2.67/share and adjusted operating earnings of $1.91/share, up from $1.68 a year ago, driven by strong Generation and Commercial business performance. The company secured a 20-year PPA with Meta for the full output of its Clinton Clean Energy Center, received regulatory approvals for its Calpine acquisition, and advanced the restart of the Crane Clean Energy Center to 2027. Nuclear fleet output held steady at over 45,000 GWh with a 94.8% capacity factor, while the gas and renewables fleet maintained high dispatch and capture rates. Constellation reaffirmed full-year adjusted earnings guidance of $8.90$9.60/share and repurchased $400M in stock during the quarter. U.S. President Donald Trump has, over the past couple of weeks, renewed efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, going as far as proposing the swapping of territories between the two countries. Unlike the situation during the first meeting between Trump and Russias President Vladimir Putin earlier in the year, Trump has adopted a far less conciliatory tone ahead of their second meeting in Alaska on August 15th, warning that Russia will face very severe consequences unless Putin agrees to end the war in Ukraine. However, the White House says it expects the Anchorage summit to be a listening exercise, downplaying the odds of a peace deal being reached. Still, the potential of a return of more Russian energy commodities to the markets has depressed oil and gas prices amid expectations that a breakthrough in the negotiations could see sanctions on Russian exports lifted. Brent crude has pulled back from a 2-month high of $72.47 per barrel recorded two weeks ago to $66.72 per barrel in Thursdays intraday session, while WTI crude has declined from $70.00 per barrel to $63.81. However, commodity analysts at Standard Chartered have pointed out that fears that oil prices will crash if Trump manages to negotiate a truce with Putin are overdone. First off, StanChart says that Russia has been producing unsustainably at its maximum capacity with long-term consequences for its reservoirs. The countrys oil production averaged 9.01 million barrels per day (mb/d) in H1-2025, about 610,000 b/d lower than the 2021 annual average before the invasion of Ukraine. A lifting of export sanctions will mean a return of Western service companies and Russia being able to access quality replacement parts; however, Russia just doesnt have a lot of spare production capacity to flood the oil markets. Related: How Canadas Oil Sands Producers Pump More Crude from the Same Assets Second, Russia might demand the removal of the oil price cap by Western nations as part of the peace deal. However, the analysts have pointed out that the removal of the price cap would eliminate the price advantage for India and China to take Russian crude, currently the biggest buyers of discounted Russian oil. StanChart points out that India has been an opportunistic purchaser of cheaper Russian crude, and could revert to its previous import volumes with dire consequences for Russia. Previously, we reported that India imported goods worth $65.7 billion from Russia in 2024, a sharp rise from $8.25 billion in 2021. Indias imports of Russian crude have increased more than 20-fold since the war began, jumping to $52.2 billion in 2024 from just $2.31 billion four years ago. Given the additional efforts Russia has undertaken to evade export sanctions, StanChart has predicted that we are unlikely to see a large increase in Russian supply to the global markets in the near term. JP Morgan echoes StanCharts view, saying that Russia has limited scope to expand its shadow fleet of tankers used to transport its crude. Finally, Russia might not dramatically increase its crude exports for the simple reason that there might not be a ready market for the commodity. After all, Europe has successfully cut its dependency on Russian oil and gas over the past three years, and the continent is highly unlikely to put itself in such a vulnerable position again, especially after Moscow revealed its willingness to weaponize its energy commodities. In the final analysis, StanChart says that although the market might react to positive ceasefire news by selling off in the near term, this would be sentiment- rather than fundamentally-driven, and any price-dip on headlines would likely be short-lived. When it comes to natural gas, StanChart notes that market expectations of higher Russian flows have been a key factor capping European gas prices in recent times. European natural gas futures have declined to a 2-week low of 32.5/MWh amid robust supply and easing geopolitical risk. While a ceasefire agreement and the associated removal of sanctions by the U..S and EU could potentially allow more Russian gas into Europe, StanChart expects appetite for Russian gas to be limited given the past weaponization of flows. The commodity experts say that a more likely development would be the return of small flows via Ukraine into Hungary and Slovakia. Finally, StanChart says that its highly unlikely that the Trump administration would agree to a deal that would disrupt its own LNG sector, with U.S. LNG having largely replaced Russian pipeline gas to Europe. By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Analysts are uncertain about the summit's outcome, with some concerned about potential territorial concessions by Ukraine or a relaxation of U.S. sanctions against Russia, which could lead to oversupply concerns. Both the U.S. benchmark WTI Crude and international benchmark Brent Crude saw declines, trading lower as the leaders prepared to meet in Anchorage, Alaska. Oil prices experienced a decline of approximately 1.3% as the market anticipated the outcome of a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding a potential ceasefire in Ukraine. Oil prices fell by more than 1% early on Friday as the market awaits the outcome of the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who will discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine. As of 9:37 a.m. EST on Friday, the U.S. benchmark oil price, WTI Crude, was down by 1.38% at $63.10, as President Trump departed for Anchorage, Alaska, to meet with Putin. The international benchmark, Brent Crude, traded 1.18% lower at $66.07 per barrel. The face-to-face meeting between President Trump and Putin is expected to begin around 3 p.m. EST and its unclear how long it would take. President Trump on Thursday threatened very severe consequences for Russia if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire agreement. The market struggles to anticipate what the outcome of the Trump-Putin meeting will be. Some analysts are concerned that President Trump could agree to Russian terms that could include territorial concession by Ukraine. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that decisions about Ukraine taken in his absence would be meaningless. Trump has signaled he would at a later stage work for a meeting that would include Zelenskyy. According to A/S Global Risk Managements chief analyst Arne Lohmann Rasmussen, the Friday meeting is unlikely to deliver significant results. If a follow-up meeting is agreed, Trump may seek to place responsibility on Putin and Zelenskiy, Rasmussen told Bloomberg. In the near term, new US sanctions are unlikely; a relaxation cannot be ruled out unless the meeting collapses, the analyst added. A relaxation of the U.S. sanctions against Russia could increase concerns about oversupply on the market later this year and early 2026. The geopolitical risk premium tied to the TrumpPutin meeting in Alaska is now a secondary driver, and unless talks break down sharply, the macro drag from the demand outlook may keep a lid on rallies, with Brent potentially struggling above USD 70 per barrel, Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank, said in a Friday note. By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Algeria nears the finalization of agreements with U.S. supermajors Exxon and Chevron to explore and invest in its shale gas resources as the North African country bets big on boosting its gas pipeline and LNG exports, the head of the Algerian energy regulator told Bloomberg. The technical aspects have more or less been agreed upon, but the commercial alignment is still under negotiation and will soon be finalized, Samir Bekhti, chairman of energy regulator Alnaft, told the newswire in an interview published on Friday. Algeria would send a strong signal for its resource potential by attracting the U.S. supermajors, the official said. Tapping shale gas would be a first for Algeria, the North African OPEC producer which is looking to raise its production and exports as it looks to remain a key provider of gas to Europe. Algeria holds huge conventional natural gas reserves, and it is also estimated to have the thirdlargest shale gas reserves in the world after China and Argentina. Chevron commented on a potential deal with a statement to Bloomberg, saying that we are excited by the prospective synergies and relationship we could create in Algeria, considering the companys experience and capabilities. Most of Algerias gas exports are heading to Europe, which is increasingly betting on Africa to import large volumes of pipeline gas and LNG to replace pipeline gas supply from Russia, which was Europes top gas supplier before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Italys energy major, Eni, has been particularly active in securing more natural gas supply for Europe from Africa and has fast-tracked projects in Africa to meet Europes gas demand in the absence of Russian pipeline deliveries. Moreover, the UKs Grain LNG, Europes largest liquefied natural gas terminal, signed last year a ten-year agreement that will extend the long-term storage and redelivery capacity of Algerian energy firm Sonatrach at the Grain LNG terminal from January 2029. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Chinese oil refining throughput jumped by 9% in July from a year earlier amid higher utilization capacity at state-owned refiners, according to official data released on Friday. Chinese refiners processed 14.85 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil last month, per the data from the National Bureau of Statistics cited by Reuters. The crude processing throughput was slightly lower compared to June this year, down by 1.95%. June, however, saw the strongest oil refining levels in China in nearly two years. Improved fuel margins and the end of spring maintenance boosted oil refinery throughput in June to the highest level since September 2023. Chinese refiners processed a total of 15.2 million bpd of crude oil into fuels last month, up by 8.5% from a year earlier, and up from the lows seen in April and May. The July throughput remained strong, despite the monthly decline. Utilization across refineries rose from June and from July last year and stood at 71.84%, per data from consultancy Oilchem quoted by Reuters. Crude oil imports into the worlds top crude importer jumped by 11.5% in July from a year earlier as major state refiners boosted processing rates, official data showed last week. Last month, China imported 11.12 million bpd of crude, per data from the General Administration of Customs. The import level was 5.4% lower compared to June, when Chinas crude imports surged to 12.14 million bpd to the highest in almost two years. The spike in June imports reflected both restocking after refinery maintenance and opportunistic buying by independent refiners amid steep discounts on sanctioned barrels. Chinese independent refiners, the so-called teapots stocked up on Iranian barrels in June, while their overall imports were lower in July from the previous month. State refiners, however, boosted imports in July as they accelerated run rates last month after the end of the maintenance period. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Electricity generation from hydrocarbons in China surged to the highest in a year last month driven by record temperatures, Reuters reports, citing official Beijing data. Total generation from coal and gas rose by 4.3% last month to 602 billion kWh, as wind and solar cannot meet such swings in demand and as hydropower output declined amid typical summer drought conditions. The report noted, however, that overall, electricity generation from coal and gas has been on a downward trend since the start of the year and that 2025 may become the first year Chinas electricity output from hydrocarbon-powered facilities declines. The decline has been modest, at 1.3%, but notable, as the leader in wind and solar capacity keeps expanding said capacity. Record-high domestic coal production and weaker coal-fired power generation in China this year have resulted in declining demand for thermal coal imports into the worlds biggest coal market, with the trend emerging earlier this year, after imports topped 500 million tons in 2024. Earlier this year, between January and May, domestic coal production broke a record, with the full-year total seen 5% higher than in 2024despite the observed decline in thermal power generation in the first seven months of the year. Meanwhile, China has sped up new coal power plan approvals again. After a decline in new permits last year, these are once again on the rise, Greenpeace complained recently. China approved 11.29 GW of new coal power capacity in the first quarter of 2025. This pace of coal-fired generation capacity approvals already exceeds the 10 GW China approved in the first half of 2024. China is also boosting domestic gas production in evidence of its all-of-the-above approach to energy security. This boost has led to a 12% annual decline in imports of liquefied natural gas as of June, in combination with higher pipeline imports from Russia. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Coal production in China fell by 3.8% on the year last month, to the lowest level since April 2024 in the first annual decline for this year, Reuters reported today, citing figures from Chinas statistics bureau. Coal production over the first seven months of the year, however, was higher by 3.8% from last year, the data showed, with the total at 2.78 billion tons. Per Bloomberg, the reason for the dip in July was, on the one hand, government efforts to curb oversupply, which is already sizable, and, on the other hand, bad weather consisting of high temperatures and heavy rains that curbed activity in coal mines across the country. The same two factors affected Chinas steel production as well, Bloomberg reported, by 4% in July, extending a decline that started early in the year. Chinas government has launched a campaign against overcapacity in numerous industries, which is leading to cut-throat competition, often referred to by the media as a race to the bottom. In coal, the government campaign has taken the form of mine inspections to make sure they are not producing over government-issued quotas. The record domestic coal output led to a drop in imports, mirrored by India as well, which resulted in a drop in overall coal imports into Asia in July. Per data from Kpler, Asian coal imports last month fell by 7.8%, even though Japan and South Korea imported more coal than in the previous month. Over the first seven months of the year, coal shipments to Asia declined by 8.4%, again driven by China and India. Chinese coal purchases for the full year 2025 are set to be between 50 million tons and 100 million tons lower compared to 2024, the local industry association, China Coal Transportation and Distribution Association, said earlier this year. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com U.S. Devon Energy Corporation has signed a 10-year natural gas agreement to supply LNG to UKs Centrica, the owner of British Gas. Under the deal announced on Friday, Devon Energy will supply 50,000?(MMBtu) per day of natural gas over a 10?year term starting in 2028. This is equivalent to five LNG cargoes per year. The LNG volumes will be indexed to the European gas hub price, TTF. The agreement supports Centricas objective of managing market price risk in its LNG portfolio by aligning feed gas pricing with European gas prices whilst providing Devon Energy with international price exposure, the UK company said in a statement. Gas remains an essential transition fuel and, through long-term agreements like this, Centrica ensures competitively indexed gas supply for our LNG business and builds on the deep and important energy trade links between the US and the UK, said Chris OShea, Group Chief Executive of Centrica. The physical volumes of this deal in the U.S. will be handled and optimized by Centrica Energys U.S. subsidiary that recently announced the opening of an office in New York. The agreement with Devon is not the first with a U.S. producer for Centrica. At the end of last year, Centrica signed a similar deal with Coterra Energy, under which the U.S. gas producer will supply 100,000 MMbtu/d of natural gas linked to European gas prices such as TTF and NBP, for a period of 10 years, commencing in 2028. The announcement of the agreement with Devon Energy follows Thursdays communication from Centrica that it has partnered with investment firm Energy Capital Partners LLP to buy the UKs largest LNG import terminal at the Isle of Grain for an enterprise value of $2 billion (1.5 billion). Part-owning Grain LNG is in line with Centricas strategy of investing in critical energy infrastructure assets, aligned to the energy transition that deliver attractive returns, regulated or contracted cash flows, and create future options across the companys broader portfolio, the British Gas owner said. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Indian Oil Corp has bought another cargo of U.S. West Texas Intermediate for delivery in October, Reuters reported today, citing unnamed industry sources. The deal is part of a recent streak of U.S. oil purchases following President Trumps threat to impose additional tariffs on Indian exporters to the United States if the country continues buying Russian crude. The October deal was priced at a premium of between $2.80 and $2.90 to dated Brent, Reuters sources said. It is price that pushed India to step up Russian oil purchases in the first place, turning Russia from a minor exporter to the subcontinent, into one of its top crude oil suppliers, accounting for about a third of total imports. Indias government reacted negatively to Trumps threat, saying it had no intention of suspending oil imports from Russia, noting that the United States and the European Union were still buying energy commodities from Russia despite a barrage of energy sanctions on the latter. Yet reports have been coming in about a pivot to U.S. oil as well as oil from other regions. Earlier this month, Indian Oil Corp. bought 2 million barrels of U.S. Mars crude, another 2 million barrels of Brazilian oil, and 1 million barrels of Libyan crude, Reuters sources said last week. These deals follow the securing of 8 million barrels by Indian Oil Corp. from sellers in the Middle East, the United States, Canada, and Nigeria. Meanwhile, however, Tankers loaded with Russian crude that had stayed idle off Indias coast for days discharged their cargo at Indian oil import terminals earlier this month, in defiance of the U.S. threats, Bloomberg reported, with the total discharged at 3 million barrels of Russian Urals, the flagship grade that Russia exports to Asia. Shunning Russian oil entirely would add an estimated $20 billion to Indias oil import bill over a period of two years, according to analyst calculations. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Ukraines drone campaign against Russian energy assets has taken out another major targetthis time Lukoils Volgograd refinery, one of the ten largest in the country, forcing a halt to crude intake. According to regional officials, Thursdays strike sent falling debris onto oil product storage, sparking a fire that burned for 19 hours before being contained. The 300,000 bpd facility, a key supplier to southern Russia with some exports, has been hit multiple times this year. Lukoil has yet to comment. The attack comes amid a flurry of Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries and energy infrastructure in the past week, as Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump meet in Alaska on Friday for potential ceasefire talks. Ukraine has also claimed hits on Rosnefts Syzran and Saratov refineries140,000 bpd and 140,000 bpd respectivelyplus a Caspian port in Astrakhan allegedly used for Iranian weapons shipments. These coordinated strikes are increasingly disrupting Russias downstream operations. With limited domestic storage for unprocessed crude, offline refining capacity means less gasoline and diesel for local markets and more crude available for exportlikely through western ports. Russian crude exports are already expected to rise sharply this month as refiners stay offline. The Volgograd hit highlights the reach of Ukraines drone programtargeting assets hundreds of miles from the frontand the vulnerability of Russian energy logistics. Multiple strikes in under two weeks suggest a sustained campaign aimed at eroding Moscows fuel supply lines, both civilian and military. Oil markets have so far shrugged off the latest damage, eyeing a potential ceasefire instead. As of late Friday morning, Brent was trading down 0.55% at $66.47, and WTI was down 0.66% at $63.54, with traders balancing geopolitical risk against broader concerns about global demand. With Russias refining network under sustained pressure and crude flows being redirected, the coming weeks will test how quickly Moscow can reroute fuel logisticsand whether Ukraines strikes will start to affect global oil balances rather than just domestic supply. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Hours before the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska, Ukraine said it had struck an oil refinery in Russia and a Caspian port that Moscow uses to ship weapons from Iran for the war in Ukraine. Ukraine said it attacked overnight the Syzran refinery, owned by oil giant Rosneft and located in Russias Samara region, about 500 miles from the Ukrainian border with Russia. The target was hit, with fire and explosions recorded, after the strike in the early hours on Friday, the General Staff of Ukraines military said. The refinery, one of the largest in Rosnefts network, produces a wide range of fuels and supplies fuel to the Russian army, the Ukrainian army said. The attack on the Syzran refinery was at least the fifth such Ukrainian strike on Russian energy infrastructure in the past week. Separately, Ukraine said its Special Operations Forces hit the Olya port in the Russian region of Astrakhan, which is regularly used for shipments of drone parts and military equipment and weapons from Iran to Russia. The cargo ship Port Olya 4, which was carrying drone parts and ammunition from Iran, was hit, Ukraines military said. Several refineries in Russia sustained damages during Ukrainian drone strikes earlier this month. A Sunday drone attack on the Saratov refinery, owned by Rosneft, prompted the facility to halt the intake of crude oil, a source with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg on Monday. The Saratov Refinery in the Volga region has the capacity to process 140,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude, but it has now been forced offline due to Ukrainian drone strikes. The halt to major refineries would mean that Russia will see lower domestic gasoline and diesel supply while it will have more crude available for export as it doesnt have too much storage for the unprocessed crude. Last week, reports emerged that Russia is preparing to sharply increase crude oil exports this month after Ukrainian drone strikes disabled major refineries, prompting a shift toward western port shipments. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Chevron has dispatched the first two Venezuelan crude cargoes to the U.S. since Washington restored its license to operate in the sanctioned nation last month. The Mediterranean Voyager and Canopus Voyager left Venezuelan waters on Friday loaded with Hamaca and Boscan heavy crudes, bound for the U.S. West Coast and Port Arthur, Texas, respectively. The move signals a tentative reopening of trade flows that had been abruptly halted earlier this year when the White House revoked Chevrons license, triggering a 20% drop in Venezuelas exports and straining its already battered oil sector. The reinstated license carries a crucial caveat: no revenues can flow to the Maduro government, an attempt to walk the line between sanctions enforcement and U.S. supply needs. Heavy Venezuelan grades remain prized by U.S. Gulf refiners for their compatibility with coking units designed to run on similar slates from Mexico and Canada. With Mexico cutting heavy crude exports and Canadas pipeline flows constrained, Chevrons return could ease sourcing headaches for refiners like Valero, which is reportedly negotiating a supply deal for part of Chevrons share. From a geopolitical lens, the renewed exports underscore how U.S. energy security concerns can override hardline sanction stances, especially when domestic refiners face feedstock imbalances. This is not a floodgate momentChevron CEO Mike Wirth has emphasized small initial volumesbut even modest Venezuelan flows could shift trade dynamics in the Gulf Coast heavy crude market. For Venezuela, Chevrons return offers a rare injection of operational stability and export certainty in a sector crippled by years of underinvestment and sanctions. Yet with exports still hovering near 700,000 bpdwell below pre-crisis levelsthe structural limitations of PDVSAs infrastructure remain a ceiling. Brent was down 0.54% to $66.48 and WTI off 0.64% at $63.55 on Friday. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Bamako, Mali (PANA) - Several Malian military officers, including General Abbas Dembele, former governor of Mopti, and Brigadier General Niema Sagara, have been arrested and accused of attempting to destabilise state institutions, the Minister of Security, Major General Daoud Mohammedoun, announced on national television on Thursday House Conduct Committee Dismisses Complaints Against Rep. Dwayne Yunker By Oregon State Representative Dwayne Yunker, SALEM, Ore. Today the Oregon House Conduct Committee dismissed all complaints filed under Legislative Branch Personnel Rule 27 against Representative Dwayne Yunker (RGrants Pass). Representative Yunker called the outcome a clear affirmation of constitutional protections for political speech in the Legislature and a wake-up call for needed reform in Salem. This isnt just a victory for me, said Representative Yunker. Its a victory for every Oregonian who believes their elected representatives should speak freely, without fear of punishment for their viewpoints. The complaints arose from two speeches Representative Yunker delivered on the House floor in March, one opposing Senate Bill 1098 and the other expressing concerns about House Bill 3014. This whole ordeal shines a light on the broader issue, said Representative Yunker. Rule 27 needs to be reformed, and the Legislative Equity Office needs to be eliminated. Rule 27 has been weaponized to chill debate, said Representative Yunker. If we allow that to stand, were telling legislators they can be hauled into investigations simply for saying something unpopular. According to information obtained via a public records request, the Legislative Equity Officer earns $329,534.52 per year in pay and benefits. The Legislative Equity Office budget for the 2025-27 biennium is $2,151,556. Background Representative Yunkers August 4,2025 letter to the House Conduct Committee By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, 14 TAX CUTS ARE INCLUDED IN THE NEWLY-PASSED ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT Income tax cuts: The One Big Beautiful Bill didnt just extend the 2017 income tax cuts, it cut them deeper. The chart above shows how much your tax bracket saved. Creates new deductions for tips and overtime pay The first $25,000 in tips and $12,500 in overtime pay may be deducted. The overtime tax exemption applies to half of the time and a half portion. Expires in 2028. Senior deduction A new $6,000 deduction for those over 65 with incomes below $75,000 (single) or $150,000 (married). Expires in 2028. Estate Tax exemption The estate exemption is increased from $13.99 million (single) and $27.98 million (married) to $15 million and $30 million respectively. Increases the Standard Deduction From $15,000 (single) and $30,000 (married) to $15,750 and $31,500, beginning this tax year. Child tax credit Increases from $2,000 to $2,200 per child. For low-income families, only the first $1,700 is a refundable credit for 2025. Car loan interest deduction A new deduction of up to $10,000 in car loan interest for cars assembled in the United States. Expires in 2028. Creates Child Savings Account Babies born from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2028, are eligible to receive a $1,000 seed fund from the government to be placed into a specific account of low-risk investments. After turning 18, funds may be accessed under a variety of conditions. State and Local Tax deduction (SALT) Raises the State and Local Tax deduction cap from $10,000 to $40,000 (staggered). This mostly benefits high income-tax states (Oregon, New York, California, New Jersey, Vermont) by allowing them to deduct their high state income taxes from their federal income tax. Expires in 2030 and returns to the $10,000 limit. Charitable deduction increases Taxpayers who do not itemize can now deduct up to $1,000 (individuals) or $2,000 (married) for charitable donations (they previously couldnt). Enacts modest limits on both corporate and high-income taxpayers (those who earn $600,000 or more) who make charitable donations. Business Research and Development Allows a 100% deduction of research and development expenses. Current law required a 5-year amortization period for these expenses. This is a massive boost to businesses that wish to make large investments in new ideas. Repeals COVID-era Employee Retention Credit This free government handout to employers was overwhelmed by fraud, abuse, and businesses that did not need it. Increases college endowment tax Previously, all college endowment investment returns were taxed at 1.4%. New rates range from 1.4% to 8%, depending on endowment size. For instance, Harvard earns substantial profits from its $50.7 billion investments in stocks and bonds. Donors to school choice programs Up to a $1,700 non-refundable tax credit for lower-income and middle-income taxpayers who donate to scholarship programs, including parochial and charter schools. Lots of books are getting published about Joe Biden by mainstream journalists. They reveal the man the public was not supposed to see. Yet so much of this was hiding in plain sight before 2024. Take, for instance, Jonathan Allen and Amie Parness 2021 book Lucky, a candid account of Bidens improbable victory. Check out this account of the internal deliberations over Bidens sudden sexual harassment crisis during the Democratic presidential primary: One evening in late March, Kate Bedingfield dialed Biden from the campaigns WeWork office to tell him that he was the subject of breaking bad news. Writing in New York magazines The Cut on March 29, 2019, Lucy Flores, the 2014 Nevada Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, revealed that an awkward kiss changed how I saw Joe Biden. In the midst of the #MeToo movement, a reckoning for powerful men who abused their positions to take sexual advantage of women, Floress allegation threatened to turn the avuncular former vice president into Creepy Uncle Joe with the speed of an Internet click. Flores accused him of standing behind her, sniffing her unwashed hair, and planting a kiss on the back of her head before endorsing her at a campaign event. As Bedingfield relayed the allegation, Biden listened silently. My God, he thought. I didnt do thatnot like that. At first, he said nothing. Bedingfield and Schultz, who was right beside her, exchanged glances as they waited for the boss to say something. A few seconds felt like an hour. They both knew Biden was a toucher by nature. He embraced women and men. He draped his arm over shoulders and wrapped his fingers around waists. Sometimes he bowed forward to touch foreheads with an acquaintance. Because they knew himhad seen him draw people in close without a hint of sexualitythey were more concerned about the public reaction than the reality. I thought I was doing the opposite, Biden said, processing the shock. Ive always tried to support women. He didnt think hed done anything wrong, and he was having a hard time understanding how his actions might have been interpreted differently than they were meant. Already, aides were compiling a list of women who had been around Biden for a long time who could vouch for him. Bedingfield and Schultz recommended releasing a statement in response to the Flores column. Biden didnt want to apologize. It took two days for him to put out the statement, which focused on his tendency to offer gestures of physical support on the campaign trail. Not onceneverdid I believe I acted inappropriately, he said. If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention. By that time, videos of Biden awkwardly touching, hugging, or kissing other women had flooded social media. A full-on examination of his record on issues affecting women, which was mixed enough to include both the Anita Hill saga and writing the federal law designed to protect women from domestic abusers, was under way. Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Julian Castro, three of his rivals for the Democratic nomination, had already said publicly that they believed Flores or soon would. Some Democrats questioned whether he could continue a campaign that hadnt even launched yet. The story was spiraling out of control. Outside the campaign, it was clear that Biden needed to do more to stop the bleeding. But he was reluctant to go any further. The internal debate matched him and the pooh-bahs against the younger aides, with the Gen X and millennial set telling the baby boomersand Biden, who was born a few years before the boomthat he needed to issue an apology quickly. Depending on the debate, pooh-bahs and newbies might cross generational lines, but in this case, alarm bells rang much louder for the kids than for Biden and the graybeards. He was not going to apologize. Joe Biden doesnt do anything Joe Biden doesnt want to do, said one person very close to him. I dont think he understood it on some level, said a longtime ally involved in the discussions. He constantly thought Yeah, so what? Whats the big deal? He needed a lot of convincing. Every time someone flagged that it was a problem, it went right over his head. Biden simply refused to say he was sorry. He wont apologize because he thinks he did nothing wrong, said one adviser. Hes told us this repeatedly. And if he does apologize everyone will hold this over him from now until the end of the campaign. That was one of the ways in which Bidens political instincts werent so different from Trumps. It was difficult for his younger aides to understand why a guy who would often apologize privately if hed wronged them in some way couldnt bring himself to say he was sorry in public. Eventually, grudgingly, he came part of the way around. Biden released a face-to-camera video, filmed at his home in Wilmington, five days after Floress column and three days after his initial statement. In it, he reiterated that he believed he hadnt acted improperly, but promised to be more cognizant of womens personal space in the future. Then he joked about it all at his next public event, further demonstrating that he was out of touch. Dude wont apologize. He just wont do iteven when he should, said one frustrated campaign official. When we did the Lucy Flores pushback after days of getting the shit kicked out of us and we finally got him on camera, I thought that was fine. But theres a difference between Im sorry and Im sorry you felt that way. What his newer aides were absorbing was a maxim that had been burned into the psyches of generations of their predecessors: You quickly learn in Bidenworld that you can change some things, but you cant change anything quickly. If you didnt know better, the name Biden could have been replaced by Trump and the story still fits. While there are different outcomes in climate policy and affirmative action that have hinged on which of these two men is president, the reconing the Democratic Party is going through right now is the realization that Biden and Trump had more in common than what mainstream sources of information were willing to entertain from 2019 to 2024. Even before this accusation came out, conservatives social media was full of videos of Biden sniffing womens hair. Five years later, Democrats are awkwardly coming to terms with the reality behind the man who was briefly their champion. Eric Shierman lives in Salem and is the author of We were winning when I was there. By Taxpayers Association of Oregon OregonWatchdog.com Willamette Week is reporting that Oregon State Senator Mark Meek (D) is demanding that the Oregon Senate President Rob Wagner (D) resign. You may remember that Senator Mark Meek last June refused to vote for the billion dollar gas tax/car tax plan. Without his vote, the gas tax/car tax package died because the Senate needed a super-majority vote to pass taxes and Republican Senators would not throw their votes for such a massive tax package. Now we are days away from Oregon Governor Tina Kotek calling lawmakers back into the Capitol for an emergency one-day Special Legislative Session to pass a smaller (but still huge) gas tax/car tax package. As this is happening Senator Meek is demanding Senate President Rob Wagner to step down. Senator Meek blames him for mis-managing gas tax debate as well as the 2023 Session where Republican Senator walked out over a protest of several extremely bad bills. Taxpayers would agree with the mismanagement described situation. This gas tax bill has been a disaster. President Wagner should resign. Was this helpful? Contribute online at OregonWatchdog.com (learn about a Charitable Tax Deduction or Political Tax Credit options to promote liberty). Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Special Representative of the Secretary General for Libya, Hanna Tetteh, this week joined 40 youth on Wednesday at a meeting organised by the Youth Dialogue Forum in Tripoli to discuss the political process 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: Compilation of Local Group dGs (A. W. McConnachie 2012; version 2021 January), GCs (W. E. Harris 1996; version 2010 December), and faint, ambiguous satellites (W. Cerny et al. 2023c, 2023c; S. E. T. Smith et al. 2024; J. D. Simon et al. 2024) in the R h L (left) and M Dyn /L 1/2 L (right) parameter spaces. Solid lines trace the tidal evolutionary tracks of DSC models (Section 3.2) on circular orbits at R G = 8 kpc (green) and R G = 16 kpc (orange). Credit: The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/adf320 Ursa Major III, the faintest object in our galaxy, orbits the Milky Way at a distance of more than 30,000 light years. Until now, it was considered a dwarf galaxy, thought to consist mainly of dark matter due to its large mass. However, an international team of astrophysicists from the University of Bonn and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences in Iran has found evidence suggesting that it is actually a compact star cluster containing a black hole core. The study has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The study focuses on celestial bodies that cannot yet be clearly categorized as either star clusters or dwarf galaxies. While they outwardly resemble classic star clusters, they have unusually high mass-to-light ratios; some are hundreds to thousands of times higher than those of typical dwarf galaxies. This peculiarity has led to the assumption that they contain large amounts of dark matter. "Neither established dark matter models nor alternative theories have been able to satisfactorily explain the exact causes. Such intermediate objects are therefore considered a 'hot topic' in astrophysics and are the subject of intensive research," says doctoral student and first author Ali Rostami-Shirazi from the Iranian Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences. Focus on Ursa Major III: New evidence of a dark star cluster Ursa Major III is the faintest known satellite of the Milky Way. These small companion galaxies orbit the Milky Way and provide important clues about its formation and composition. Previously considered a dark dwarf galaxya small galaxy whose mass is thought to consist mainly of dark matterUrsa Major III has now been found to be a dark star cluster. Simulations by the research team now suggest that Ursa Major III could be a compact star cluster whose gravity is held together by a core of black holes and neutron stars rather than dark matter. "Dark star clusters form when gravitational interactions with the Milky Way over billions of years remove the outer stars from a star cluster," explains Prof. Dr. Hosein Haghi, who is conducting research at the University of Bonn and is affiliated with the Iranian Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences in Zanjan. What remains is a dark, massive core that does not emit any light. According to the study, this effect has previously been mistakenly interpreted as evidence of dark matter. Ursa Major III/UNIONS 1an ancient, compact stellar system of about 60 stars, whose unusually high velocity dispersion points to several thousand solar masses of hidden matter within the cluster. Credit: CFHT/UNIONS/S.Gwyn Testing the simulations To test the hypothesis, the research team simulated the evolution of Ursa Major III over cosmic timescales. Using specialized N-body simulations, which calculate the gravitational interactions of thousands of stars with great precision, the team reconstructed the development of Ursa Major III's current structure over time. These simulations are based on the latest observational data, including Ursa Major III's orbital motion and chemical composition. The research team's calculations show that the observed state of Ursa Major III can be explained by a dense core of black holes holding the remaining stars together gravitationally, without the need for dark matter. "Our work shows for the first time that these objects are most likely normal star clusters," says Prof. Dr. Pavel Kroupa, who is a member of the Transdisciplinary Research Areas (TRA) Modeling and Matter at the University of Bonn. "These results solve a major mystery in astrophysics." Such problems can be solved effectively with the right approach to computer simulations, causing seemingly "exotic components" in astrophysics to disappear. The Bonn team considers itself a leader in this field. Over many years, they have developed specialized numerical methods to map the highly complex dynamics of such star systems in detail. Kroupa says, "Our current results provide a new basis for understanding mysterious celestial objects, while also opening up new perspectives for galaxy research." More information: Ali Rostami-Shirazi et al, Dark Star Clusters or Ultrafaint Dwarf Galaxies? Revisiting UMa3/U1, The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/adf320 Journal information: Astrophysical Journal Letters This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Carapace of Syriemys lelunensis: The genus name combines the Greek words (Suria) and (emus), i.e., "Syria" und "turtle." Credit: University of Tubingen Near the Syrian city of Afrin, an international research team, including researchers from the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment at the University of Tubingen, has discovered a previously unknown fossil sea turtle. The species Syriemys lelunensis, newly named under the aegis of the University of Sao Paulo, dates from the early Eocene, about 50 million years ago. The find includes a completely preserved interior impression of the shell as well as parts of the ventral carapace, pelvis, and hind legs. The turtle is the first newly described fossil vertebrate species from Syria. The research is published in Papers in Palaeontology. The oval, well-preserved carapace of the fossil sea turtle is 53 centimeters long and 44 centimeters wide. "For 13 years, the bone fragments from the Eocene period were kept in the office of the General Directorate of Geology and Mineral Resources in Aleppo after they had been recovered in 2010 during a blast in the Al-Zarefeh quarry near the city of Afrin," explains Wafa Adel Alhalabi, a Syrian-Brazilian paleontologist and the study's first author from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. "Together with colleagues from Brazil, Syria, Germany, Lebanon and Canada, we have now scientifically described this animal." Age determination based on tiny shells from the rock The turtle, which was named Syriemys lelunensis, is the first and only newly described fossil vertebrate species from Syria. In addition, the find was confirmed as the oldest evidence of the Stereogenyinian extinct line of side-necked turtles whose origins could thus be dated back by more than 10 million years. The collection includes a fully preserved internal cast of the carapace, several ventral carapace bones, pelvic bones, and hind limbssome of which are included in the cast. In addition, tiny foraminifera were extracted from the rock surrounding the fossil. "These shell-bearing protozoa were crucial in determining the age of the fossil turtle," adds Alhalabi. Wafa Adel Alhalabi examines the new turtle species. Credit: University of Tubingen "Today, all members of the side-necked turtle family are semi-aquatic freshwater turtles. However, the now-extinct Stereogenyini also inhabited saltwater habitats. Therefore, their fossils can be found all over the world: in South America, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, and East Asia," explains Dr. Gabriel S. Ferreira from the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment at the University of Tubingen. Present-day Syria was entirely covered by water throughout the Cretaceous period and until the late Miocene, i.e., from 145 million to around 5.3 million years ago. Given this extensive marine past, it is no big surprise to Ferreira that a sea turtle was found there. "However, the discovery of Syriemys lelunensis now adds a new geographical location to the distribution of the Stereogenyiniand there are clear indications of a possible origin of this group of sea turtles in the Mediterranean region." "The current situation in Syria is extremely complex, and in view of the tragedies unfolding there, it seems almost surreal to talk about fossils. But at the same time, the publication of the find illustrates the country's potential and the fact that science is still alive there," emphasizes Professor Max Langer, senior author and head of the PaleoLab at the Brazilian university. The research team plans to continue its work with a series of articles entitled "Recovering lost time in Syria." The series is based on materials that Alhalabi personally observed on site and documented photographically. "The title is not only intended to refer to the country's geological past, but also to the time when science in Syria was at a standstill," adds Ferreira in conclusion. More information: Wafa A. Alhalabi et al, Recovering lost time in Syria: a new Eocene stereogenyin turtle from the Aleppo Plateau, Papers in Palaeontology (2025). DOI: 10.1002/spp2.70026 Journal information: Papers in Palaeontology 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 demonstrated tuneable capacitance metamaterial, used as a terahertz amplitude modulator. Credit: Cavendish Laboratory Researchers at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge have demonstrated a new way to control radiation in the terahertz rangean often-overlooked part of the electromagnetic spectrumwith unprecedented dynamic range and speed. The findings could open the door to advanced technologies in communications, imaging, and sensing and mark major progress in the development of practical devices that operate in the terahertz range. The study is published in the journal Light: Science & Applications. The terahertz range sits between microwaves and infrared light on the electromagnetic spectrum. Despite the potential of terahertz waves in many fields, for example in walk-through security scanners in airports and for skin cancer detection, terahertz waves are hard to manipulate efficiently. That's because terahertz wavelengths are tens of thousands of times smaller compared to radio wavelengths, and traditional methods don't work well at this scale. But being able to manipulate terahertz waves is very important, particularly for communications, where a data signal must be encoded onto a wave to transmit information. "Think of how you listen to an old analog radio, which works at much larger wavelengths: you turn the dial to tune into your desired station. Inside the radio, you're adjusting a capacitor so that the radio picks up the frequency of the station you want," explained Dr. Wladislaw Michailow, who led the research at the Cavendish Laboratory and is a Junior Research Fellow at Trinity College. "This tuning concept is very useful in many devices, but because terahertz wavelengths are so small, we had to come up with a new concept to realize tuning in the terahertz range." Capacitors are components that store and release electric energy. By tweaking how much charge each capacitor can holda property called capacitancethe frequency of devices, such as detectors or modulators, can be tuned. As the wavelength becomes smaller, the dimensions of the capacitors must be scaled down commensurately, but making them small enough to reach the terahertz range would be impossible in this traditional way. In the terahertz region, researchers have realized modulators using metamaterials. Metamaterials use the same principle that contributes, e.g., to the vibrant colors of butterflies in nature, but the underlying physics works in the terahertz range just as well. Metamaterials are arrays of tiny resonators, smaller than the wavelength of the radiation, that are designed to resonate at a certain frequency. By embedding a conductive material like the two-dimensional material graphene into them, the optical response of such materials can be tunedthat's how modulators can be realized. Usually, graphene is used as a variable resistor in such devices; nanoscale gaps within the resonators are shorted with graphene. This dampens the resonance, and as a result, changes the strength of the transmitted radiation. "But this approach isn't very efficient, as it simply causes the resonance to collapse. That's like putting a sock on a flute, instead of playing the flute," said Wladislaw. "Rather than suppressing the resonance, we created ultra-thin, tunable capacitors from graphene. This allows us instead to shift the resonance the way we wantlike playing a melody on a flute." In their research, the scientists created ultra-small patches made from graphene and placed them inside each tiny structure or resonator of the array in the metamaterial. These graphene patches are incredibly small, less than a micron wide (that's a thousandth of a millimeter), and serve as tunable capacitors working on the nanoscale. Nanoscale engineering of the resonator gaps: Creation of tuneable capacitors out of graphene patches protruding from either side of the capacitor, by only 0.6 m. Credit: Cavendish Laboratory The researchers also designed the devices to reflect signals from its back surface, which made the performance even better. "This way we were able to achieve a modulation depth of more than four orders of magnitude," said Dr. Ruqiao Xia, who built and measured the devices during her Ph.D. at the Cavendish Laboratory. "This is one of the highest values ever reported in the terahertz range." Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Moreover, the demonstrated devices are also fast. Generally, it is easy to realize large modulation with slow speeds, or small modulation with large speeds, but not together. These new devices achieve an unprecedented intensity modulation depth (>99.99%) in combination with a speed of already 30 MHz. "The performance of our devices significantly exceeds that of many comparable modulator technologies, and thanks to the use of metamaterials, we can adapt the design for use across the entire terahertz range," elaborated Ruqiao. Beyond the immediate performance improvements, the team believes their design could influence many future technologies. "By changing the design of the nanoscale gap in any metamaterial relying on a resonator, you can significantly influence the optical response and hence improve modulation efficiency," explained Wladislaw. "The approach we've taken here could be applied to many other types of metamaterial-based modulators." Terahertz technologies are still in their early stages, but their potential is growing quickly. "Terahertz waves can have many applications in material spectroscopy, security screening, pharmaceutics, medicine and terahertz communications. The aspect we focus on in our current project, Teracom, is the development of future communication systems," said Prof David Ritchie, Head of the Semiconductor Physics Group at the Cavendish Laboratory. "These results are a big step forward towards the realization of next generation communication systems, beyond the era of 5G and 6G." The team collaborated with colleagues at the Department of Engineering at Cambridge University, Queen Mary University of London, and the University of Augsburg, Germany, on this work. More information: Ruqiao Xia et al, Achieving 100% amplitude modulation depth in the terahertz range with graphene-based tuneable capacitance metamaterials, Light: Science & Applications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-01945-4 Journal information: Light: Science & Applications 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: Grover's algorithm, a quantum algorithm for search, can be used to prepare entangled states of many qubits efficiently. It can be physically implemented in atom-cavity systems by repeatedly hitting the cavity with single photons with a carefully chosen frequency. Credit: Figure adapted from O. Nagib, M. Saffman, and K. Mlmer, Efficient Preparation of Entangled States in Cavity QED with Grover's Algorithm, Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 050601 (2025). The reliable engineering of quantum states, particularly those involving several particles, is central to the development of various quantum technologies, including quantum computers, sensors and communication systems. These collective quantum states include so-called Dicke and Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states, multipartite entangled states that can be leveraged to collect precise measurements, to correct errors made by quantum computers and to enable communication between remote devices leveraging quantum mechanical effects. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Copenhagen recently introduced a new strategy to efficiently prepare these entangled states in an optical cavity, a structure used to trap and amplify light. Their proposed approach, outlined in a paper published in Physical Review Letters, relies on the use of a quantum computing tool known as Grover's search algorithm. "Entangled states are an essential resource in quantum information, but their preparation has been limited because previous proposals either have low success probability or are too error prone," Omar Nagib, first author of the paper, told Phys.org. "We propose an efficient scheme for preparing entangled states of many atoms inside a cavity." As part of their recent study, Nagib and his colleagues set out to explore the possibility of preparing entangled states using Grover's search algorithm. This is a quantum computing algorithm developed by Lov Grover in 1996, which is designed to find a specific "marked" item in an unsorted database faster than classical computing algorithms. "We showed that Grover's algorithm, a quantum algorithm for unstructured search, can be adapted to quickly prepare a class of important entangled states called Dicke states, GHZ states, and Cat states," explained Nagib. "While Grover's algorithm is generally hard to implement, we showed that it can be efficiently realized in a cavity hosting an atomic ensemble by repeatedly reflecting single photons off the cavity." To demonstrate the potential of their proposed strategy, the researchers investigated its use in engineering different entangled states in a system comprised of atoms inside an optical cavity. Ultimately, they were able to theoretically show that various states can be realized, including Dicke states, GHZ states and Schrodinger cat states. "Any Dicke state with 500 atoms or less can be prepared by hitting the cavity with at most eight single photons, making it a scalable approach," said Nagib. "The proposed scheme is also general and realizable in other physical systems, such as superconducting qubits in a cavity, trapped ions and neutral (Rydberg) atoms." This recent work by Nagib and his colleagues could open new possibilities for the realization of quantum states and thus for the development of a wide range of carefully engineered quantum devices. In the future, it could inspire other research groups to adapt Grover's search algorithm for the creation of desired quantum states in different systems, including systems made up of atoms, superconducting qubits and trapped ions. "The present proposal requires cavities with small losses, which is experimentally challenging, and so it would be interesting to see if this requirement can be relaxed by modifying the scheme," added Nagib. "It would also be interesting to determine whether the present work can be extended to efficiently prepare a larger class of entangled states." Written for you by our author Ingrid Fadelli, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Eganthis 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. 2025 Science X Network 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: Confocal microscopy image of a nine-day-old human embryo. Specific proteins and cellular structures have been colored in the image: OCT4 (green), which is related to embryonic stem cells; GATA6 (magenta), which is associated with early tissue formation; DAPI (blue), which marks the DNA in the nuclei; and phalloidin (red), which reveals the actin cytoskeleton. The scale bar corresponds to 100 m. Credit: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) Researchers at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) in collaboration with the Dexeus University Hospital have captured unparalleled images of a human embryo implanting. This is the first time that the process has been recorded in real time and in 3D. The work is published in the journal Science Advances. Failure of the implantation process in the uterus is one of the main causes of infertility, accounting for 60% of spontaneous abortions. Until now, it had not been possible to observe this process in humans in real time, and the limited available information came from still images taken at specific moments during the process. "We have observed that human embryos burrow into the uterus, exerting considerable force during the process. These forces are necessary because the embryos must be able to invade the uterine tissue, becoming completely integrated with it. It is a surprisingly invasive process. Although it is known that many women experience abdominal pain and slight bleeding during implantation, the process itself had never been observed before," explains Samuel Ojosnegros, principal investigator of the IBEC's Bioengineering for Reproductive Health group and leader of the study. Video of a human embryo. The first half shows the process of cell compaction in the embryo. The second half shows the embryo invading the platform. Credit: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) To advance during implantation, the embryo releases enzymes that break down the surrounding tissue. However, it is also known that force is required in order to penetrate the underlying layers of the uterus. This fibrous tissue is filled with collagen, a rigid protein that also forms tendons and cartilage. "The embryo opens a path through this structure and begins to form specialized tissues that connect to the mother's blood vessels in order to feed," adds Ojosnegros. The research team's results reveal that human embryos exert traction forces on their environment, remodeling it. "We observe that the embryo pulls on the uterine matrix, moving and reorganizing it. It also reacts to external force cues. We hypothesize that contractions occurring in vivo may influence embryo implantation," explains Amelie Godeau, a researcher in the Ojosnegros group and co-first author of the study. Thus, effective embryo invasion is associated with optimal matrix displacement, highlighting the importance of these forces in the implantation process. Improving our understanding of the implantation process could have a significant impact on fertility rates, embryo quality and the time taken to conceive through assisted reproduction. Credit: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) A platform for studying implantation in the laboratory To carry out the study, the IBEC research team developed a platform that allows embryos to implant outside the uterus under controlled conditions. This enables real-time fluorescence imaging and analysis of the embryo's mechanical interactions with its environment. The platform is based on a gel composed of an artificial matrix formed by collagen, which is abundant in uterine tissue, and various proteins necessary for embryo development. Experiments were carried out with both human and mouse embryos to allow comparison of the two implantation processes. When the mouse embryo comes into contact with the uterus, it exerts forces to adhere to its surface. The uterus then adapts by folding around the embryo, enveloping it in a uterine crypt. In contrast, the human embryo moves inward and penetrates the uterine tissues completely. Once there, it begins to grow radially from the inside out. "Our platform has enabled us to quantify the dynamics of embryo implantation and determine the mechanical footprint of the forces used in this complex process in real time," concludes Anna Seriola, IBEC researcher and co-first author of the study. More information: Traction force and mechanosensitivity mediate species-specific implantation patterns in human and mouse embryos, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr5199 Journal information: Science Advances 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: Villagers have had to rebury their relatives at a new cemetery well away from the sea due to erosion of the original coastal site. Fisherman Alphonse Akadie was forced to exhume the bodies of his relatives last year from the village cemetery in Ivory Coast to avoid their remains being carried off into the ocean. Over the last 50 years, the Atlantic waters, rising as a result of man-made climate change, have eaten away most of the site where residents of Lahou-Kpanda laid their loved ones to rest. Distraught and with no official help, Akadie, 53, decided he would organize a ceremony for the moving of the remains of his parents, uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather. Hundreds of other families have had to do the same. It was a tough decision for Akadie to attend the exhumation. "We take the bones, the hair and then the teeth, whatever isn't rotten, and we put that on white cloths," before placing them in small coffins, he told AFP, visibly emotional, looking out at the sea. He had to arrange new funerals in a cemetery further away from the ocean, which was created by the villagers because of the erosion of the original. Akadie said his relatives had "died twice". "It's sad, it hurts a lot." 'Sea is advancing' Before the removal, Akadie spoke to his dead family members, feeling the need to explain. "We're not doing this to destroy you, but the sea is advancing," he told them. Lahou-Kpanda is a strip of sand surrounded by water -- a lagoon, a river and the ocean. "You have to speak," he said. "The body is dead but the spirit lives on." Lahou-Kpanda village, around 140 kilometers (85 miles) west of Abidjan, Ivory Coast's economic hub, is a strip of sand surrounded by water. To the north is a lagoon, the Bandama River is to the east and the Atlantic Ocean stretches out from its southern shore. The channel opening between the three has shifted one and a half kilometers since 1993, according to the government. Dredging in the lagoon has also caused the village to lose some of its surface area. But the rising sea, a consequence of global warming driven by humanity's burning of fossil fuels, is eating away 1.6 meters (five feet) of coastline every year, according to the World Bank. Lahou-Kpanda may completely disappear by 2050, it warned. More than two-thirds of Ivory Coast's coastline is affected by erosion, the environment ministry said. From next year, a new channel between the sea and lagoon at Lahou-Kpanda will stem the rising sea level. The West African nation is suffering "an average coastal retreat of around one to two meters per year", it said. From next year, a new channel between the sea and the lagoon at Lahou-Kpanda, which is now under construction, financed by the World Bank among others, will seek to hold back the rising sea. 'The memory is gone' Exhuming the bodies is expensive. Akadie said it would cost between 500,000 and 700,000 CFA francs ($888 to $1,238), nearly 10 times the minimum monthly wage. He covered the administrative charges to secure permission, paid professionals for the ceremony and hired a speedboat to cross from one part of Lahou-Kpanda to the other because the sandy roads are difficult to drive on. "Before moving the bodies, we cried out to the state, to our MPs, deputies, mayors, to the sub-prefecture, to the regional council," but in vain, said William Attawa, who is close to the local traditional chief. The coastal village of Lahou-Kpanda in Ivory Coast is battling erosion from rising Atlantic waters. But Ali Sissoko, mayor of Grand-Lahou, which covers Lahou-Kpanda, said authorities did not have the money to help the families. Less well-off households called upon young undertakers living in the village who are sometimes just self-taught but charge less than professionals, tourist guide Nicolas Kodjo said. Adrienne Zoukouan, 63, had to move the bodies of five family members from the cemetery, but kept a distance when it was carried out. Most families have witnessed the remains of their loved ones "go out to sea", another villager, Simeon Ladjou, 61, said. In half a century, around 70% of the five-hectare (12-acre) cemetery been covered by the water, Sissoko, the mayor, said. "It was really the cemetery of reference for the whole region," he added, saying: "All the memory of Lahou-Kpanda is gone." At times though, memories briefly resurface. Many villagers have moved the remains of their loved ones to a new cemetery to save the bodies from being carried off into the sea. "When we bury our parents, it's with objects", which "often came back to the surface" or washed up on the beach, the mayor said. Other villages nearby have agreed to take the remains to protect them from the sea. "There's a kind of solidarity," Sissoko added. "Everyone manages as best they can to bury their dead." 2025 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Descent into the Era Kohor subcrater within the summit caldera of Emi Koussi, the highest mountain in the Sahara, at 3,415 meters. Whitish sediments can be seen on the crater floor, which are salt crusts from when the lake dried up. Credit: Stefan Kropelin, University of Cologne An interdisciplinary research team led by scientists from Freie Universitat Berlin and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology has shown how deep lakes formed more than 9,500 years ago in the craters of the Tibesti Mountains and existed there for more than 5,000 years. Their study not only sheds light on paleohydrological changes between the Tibesti, located in present-day Chad, and the surrounding Saharan plains during the North African Humid Period, but also demonstrates the importance of high-resolution paleoclimate simulations. The study "Mid-Holocene extreme precipitation in the Tibesti, Central Sahara" is published in Nature Communications. The world's largest dry desert, the Sahara, was significantly greener a few thousand years ago than it is today, as evidenced by numerous archaeological and paleobotanical discoveries as well as by landscapes that were once shaped by lakes and rivers. In 1869, the German explorer Gustav Nachtigal was the first European to report on a deep crater at an altitude of about 2,500 meters during his expedition to the northern part of the Tibesti. The crater is known as the Trou au Natron ("the natron pit") or in the local Teda language Doon Orei ("big hole"). More recently, Stefan Kropelin (University of Cologne) initiated a geological exploration of the Trou au Natron to the north and the Era Kohor crater to the south, located within the 3,500-meter-high Emi Koussi summit caldera. Under extremely challenging conditions, the team collected sediment samples from the former lakes and transported them to Germany, where researchers could use geochemical techniques to analyze the sediment at the Laboratory for Physical Geography, Freie Universitat Berlin. "Working on these valuable samples from such remote craters was a fantastic opportunity to determine the timing and dynamics of lakes that no longer exist today," says Philipp Hoelzmann, geographer at Freie Universitat Berlin and one of the two first authors of the new study. Building on these findings, the researchers also evaluated regional paleoclimate simulations of the Sahara and Sahel region at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg. The simulations use a very high spatial resolution of about 5 kilometers for a slice of time around 7,000 years ago. "For the first time, we were able to capture the steep orography and the dynamics of precipitation in the Tibesti in a climate modelsomething that had not been possible before," says Martin Claussen, head of the modeling group at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology. The scientists then used remote sensing and terrain analysis to assess the system's hydrography and developed a numerical model of the equilibrium water balance. Through this new combination of proxy data, remote sensing, water balance estimates, and high-resolution paleoclimate simulations, they were able to show that, about 7,000 years ago, the Tibesti Mountains received at least one order of magnitude more precipitation than the surrounding plains. The findings came as something of a surprise, the researchers noted, because they indicate that this was due to the moist air masses brought in by northeasterly winds from the Mediterranean regionand not, as previously assumed, by the then-stronger West African monsoon from the south. These air masses also produced precipitation that fed the crater lakes as a result of the strong orographic uplift caused by the Tibesti Mountains. This study highlights the importance of high-resolution paleoclimate simulations to accurately reflect hydrological changes in a warming climatenot just in the Sahara. More information: Philipp Hoelzmann et al, Mid-Holocene extreme precipitation in the Tibesti, Central Sahara, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62769-9 Journal information: Nature Communications 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: Fish migration at the margins of Sossego waterfall in the Aquidauana River, Paraguay river basin, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. (a) Aggregation of Rhyacoglanis paranensis (Pseudopimelodidae), (b) Hypostomus khimaera (red arrow) and Ancistrus sp. (white arrow) (Loricariidae) moving upstream in the same location along with thousands of specimens of R. paranensis. Credit: Journal of Fish Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1111/jfb.70158 Nature often puts on incredible displays. A recent example caught on camera shows thousands of bumblebee catfish (Rhyacoglanis paranensis) climbing waterfalls in southern Brazil. This is the first time the species has been observed in such a large group and climbing, according to a study published in the Journal of Fish Biology describing the spectacle. Environmental Military Police from Mato Grosso do Sul State spotted the catfish scaling slippery rocks between one and four meters high behind waterfalls on the Aquidauana River. The sighting occurred in November 2024 at the beginning of the rainy season, and a week later, a team of Brazilian scientists arrived to document the event. They observed that the catfish's climbing behavior depended on the time of day. During the hot afternoons, the fish sheltered under rocks and in shaded areas. They began climbing in the early evening as the sun was setting. The researchers also studied how the fish are able to climb. They keep their paired fins wide open and use lateral and caudal movements to push themselves forward. Scientists believe this is also aided by a suction mechanism that helps them stick to flat surfaces. Massive aggregation of Rhyacoglanis paranensis at night, climbing rocks at the margins of the Sossego waterfall, Aquidauana River, Paraguay river basin, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. Specimens can be seen above each other, climbing the large cluster of fish. Credit: Journal of Fish Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1111/jfb.70158 The observations are valuable because little is known about these orange-and-black catfish. They are relatively rare and swim in fast-flowing rivers, making them difficult to study. In addition to the catfish, three other fish species were spotted climbing alongside them. Fish out of water So why were the fish making a rocky ascent? The scientists don't know for sure, but they suspect the catfish were migrating upstream to reproduce. Both males and females were observed, and most of them were mature adults. Climbing also started at the start of the rainy season, which is typical of other fish on the same river. While the climbing activities of this rare species are a fascinating sight, the study has important implications for conservation, the researchers write in their paper. Specimens of Rhyacoglanis paranensis climbing our plastic pail that was left at the margins of the Sossego waterfall, Aquidauana River, Paraguay river basin, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. Credit: Journal of Fish Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1111/jfb.70158 "These findings highlight the importance of field observations in understanding small migratory fishes' ecological role and conservation needs, particularly in the context of potential threats posed by habitat fragmentation and river damming," say the authors. Further research is needed to fully understand the catfish's climbing mechanism and broader migratory patterns. The authors suggest that more fieldwork, particularly during specific seasons and at certain times, could provide additional insights into their behavior. And the more we understand these behaviors, the better scientists can assess and mitigate threats to their survival. Written for you by our author Paul Arnold, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Eganthis 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: Manoela M. F. Marinho et al, Bumblebee on the rocks: Massive aggregation, migratory and climbing behaviour of a small Neotropical catfish, Journal of Fish Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1111/jfb.70158 Journal information: Journal of Fish Biology 2025 Science X Network A child and their parents in Tennessee were killed after a tree fell on the family's car following heavy rain and flooding in the state. Authorities said that the three victims were killed when saturated ground caused a massive tree to fall in the Chattanooga suburb of East Ridge shortly after midnight. Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management spokesperson Amy Maxwell said that a search was ongoing on Wednesday for a man who walked through a flooded area in Chattanooga on Tuesday. Parents and Child Killed by Felled Tree Maxwell said that the full extent of the damage left by the flooding is not yet clear, noting that county officials are planning to tour the area soon. The recent incidents prompted rescues of people who were stuck inside homes and swamped vehicles on Tuesday. Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp also declared a local state of emergency on Tuesday night, and residents were urged to exercise extreme caution. A communications systems technician, Troy Plemons, said he was stuck in traffic on an interstate for two to three hours on Tuesday night when the area flooded, according to PBS. Read more: Teenage Girl Dies After Gunman Shoots Into Kansas City Home Plemons then said that he saw the water pick up an SUV, causing him and two others to encourage the woman inside to get out. However, she threw her hands up like she did not know if she would be able to. After that, Plemons moved to the bed of a truck that was next to him to try to get closer to the woman stuck inside her car. However, the water was quickly rising up to her chest, and he said that someone had to go in to rescue her. Flooding in Tennessee Catoosa County officials also reported that there have been more than 100 evacuations and dozens of rescues from two local apartment complexes because of the inclement weather. Chattanooga authorities shared a video and images of first responders rescuing a family in waist-deep water, CBS News reported. The National Weather Service also issued a flood watch for much of middle Tennessee through Wednesday night. The agency warned the public of scattered flash flooding with tropical-like heavy rainfall and chances of training storms. Officials reported that the flooding in the area closed parts of Interstate 24 but later reopened after the waters receded. Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett said that flooding was more extensive than what officials have seen before. Garrett added that the flooding was "widespread," noting that it has made it difficult for them to get there themselves to try and rescue people who were in need, as per ABC News. Constance Westerfield is used to starting her days early. Thursday, she woke up to a nightmare. The owner of Celebrity's Beauty Supply at 1600 Harrison St. in Davenport, she was on her way to the gym at 4:21 a.m. when she received a phone call from Per Mar Security. They told her there were alarms for the front and back of the building and asked if she wanted the police dispatched to the store in the Hilltop neighborhood. "Whenever they do that, I always look at my cameras. I looked, and all I saw were flames coming out," she said. Police and fire were immediately dispatched, and Westerfield rerouted to get to her store as fast as possible. As she was driving in, she saw a building full of smoke. "I'm like, 'Oh my God. There's my whole life,'" she said. As she got closer, she was met by firefighters, who were all outside. One window was broken and glass was shattered inside on the floor. The building's sprinkler system activated and left wet floors and wet products. But the fire was out, the smoke was gone and department members were trying to determine the cause. Thursday morning the Davenport Police Department referred all communication to the Davenport Fire Department. In a press release Thursday afternoon, the fire department said investigators had determined the fire had been intentionally set and the incident remained under investigation. A total of 16 personnel responded. With the fire extinguished by the sprinkler system, they set up fans to ventilate and searched the building, finding it was unoccupied. Crews were on scene for more than an hour; no injuries were reported. The back of the building had no damage at all, and the front seemed to be the only area impacted, Westerfield said. "Then they saw the rock," she said. A security video from the morning shows a person wearing a black hoodie and something pulled up over their mouth. Westerfield said the person threw a rock into the building to break the window then poured gasoline inside before lighting the building on fire. Behind the glass was a raised display with store mannequins that were scorched. Water damage ruined a few of her products and dust covered what was left. But, Westerfield said, nobody was hurt. That, she said, is a blessing. "Life goes on. I can operate, and I don't want to give anyone the satisfaction of knowing that you stopped me," she said. "It sounds crazy, but I'm not going home yet. I'm keeping my doors open. We're going to get this fixed up and figured out." She opened her business on time Thursday and was helping customers by 11:30 a.m. And the customers, too were offering to help. "So many people have been calling and a lot of people have been coming in, willing to help us clean stuff off and all of that," she said. "So I mean, you have to look at the good in everything. Even though this is something bad, I'm still grateful because I could not be standing in my building right now." Westerfield was waiting on the insurance company Thursday morning, but said she was just grateful to still have her business. She was still shaken, she said. "It's the thought of someone being so evil. That's the scary part, and then it makes me think," she said. "I'm not living in fear or anything, but it makes me more cautious of the world that we're living in." Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Davenport Fire Marshal at (563)326-7910. Law enforcement authorities reported that two teenagers from South Carolina were arrested after they stole and crashed a train, causing a derailment and significant damage. In a statement, the Laurens Police Department said that the juveniles unlawfully entered both the Carolina Piedmont Railroad and CSX Transportation Railroad facilities between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. Teenagers Steal and Crash a Train Investigators later determined that the teenagers started an engine that was connected to two other engines. They then drove all three of the engines around the yard before taking them onto the rail line that connects to Greenville. Officials said that while the suspects were trying to return the engines to the yard, they collided with parked railcars, which caused a derailment of the engine and significant damage to one of the cars. The two juveniles were charged with several offenses, including second-degree burglary, grand larceny, malicious damage to property, willful destruction of railroad property, and others. Laurens Police Chief Heath Copeland said what the teens did was a "dangerous and reckless act," according to KEYT. Officials noted that railroad yards and live tracks present unique hazards, such as moving equipment, heavy railcards, and energized systems. They warn that these could have life-threatening consequences. The Association of American Railroads revealed that there were 65,000 cargo thefts on United States railways last year, which represents a 40% increase year-over-year. The statistics equate to roughly 180 cargo thefts every day across the nation, which cost Class I railroads more than $100 million in 2024 alone, Newsweek reported. Authorities said that the two juveniles who were arrested are being detained at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia. It remains unclear exactly how the suspects were able to gain access to the equipment and locomotives. Arresting and Charging the Suspects Following the arrest and charging of the two teenagers, Laurens Police officers are still investigating the incident. Authorities are encouraging the members of the public to report any suspicious activity that they witness in the area, as per MSN. The Laurens Police Department posted on Facebook on Aug. 11, notifying the public about the incident and the two suspects. The teenagers' identities and ages have not been revealed because they are minors. A separate incident involved a group of teenagers who were captured on camera stealing a subway train in Queens and taking it for a joyride. The incident took place in January, and officers initially responded to reports of vandalism. Police were able to arrest two members of the group, a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old, who were charged with reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and trespassing. There is still no scheduled debate for governor about a month before early voting begins, but on Friday, the candidates for attorney general agreed to an October debate sponsored by the Virginia State Bar. The candidates for governor seem to be gravitating toward a possible debate at Norfolk State University. In Virginias recent campaigns for governor, the leading candidates have debated two to four times. Both current candidates for governor declined debate invitations in recent days. They need to debate. More than once. They owe that to the voting public, said Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. I can only speculate that Spanberger may be content to play it safe with likely a comfortable lead. Winsome Earle-Sears needs something to shake up the campaign. Its a mystery that shes not aggressively demanding multiple debates. The GOP nominee for governor, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, declined an invitation to The Peoples Debate that was to be held at Virginia State University on Sept. 16, citing a scheduling conflict. VSU said it was excited to host the event following its selection last year as the nations first Historically Black College or University to host a general election U.S. presidential debate. That debate was canceled after President Joe Biden rejected the schedule proposed by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Earle-Sears criticized Biden in 2024, saying it was disappointing that VSU would be left out because it wouldve been the first Historically Black College or University to host a presidential debate. If we say that we support HBCUs, our actions must align with those statements, she said at the time. Minutes after she declined the VSU debate, Earle-Sears announced that she had accepted an invitation from CNN for a gubernatorial debate. Spanbergers campaign on Thursday declined the CNN debate, saying it wants to prioritize Virginia broadcasters and ensure the focus remains squarely on issues impacting Virginia which is especially important after Winsome Earle-Sears declined a debate that featured three Virginia broadcast partners. The Earle-Sears campaign attacked Spanberger for declining the CNN debate, saying her decision was proof shes terrified of facing voters in an unscripted setting. The Spanberger campaign says it is in active negotiations with a Norfolk-based TV station and Norfolk State University about a proposed debate that Earle-Sears has already accepted. Governor debates Here is look at Virginia's recent debates for governor: 2009 Republican Bob McDonnell and Democrat Creigh Deeds July 25 - Virginia Bar Association debate, Hot Springs Sept. 17 - Fairfax Chamber of Commerce debate, Fairfax Oct. 12 - League of Women Voters/AARP Virginia debate, Richmond Oct. 20 - Roanoke College/WSLS debate, Salem 2013 Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Ken Cuccinelli July 20: Virginia Bar Association debate, Hot Springs Sept. 25: Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce debate, Fairfax Oct. 24: Virginia Tech/WDBJ debate, Blacksburg 2017 Democrat Ralph Northam and Republican Ed Gillespie July 22: Virginia Bar Association debate, Hot Springs Sept 19: Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce debate, Fairfax Oct. 9: University of Virginia's College at Wise debate, Wise County, co-hosted by the Southwestern Virginia Technology Council and UVa's Batten School 2021 Republican Glenn Youngkin and Democrat McAuliffe Sept. 16: Appalachian School of Law debate, Grundy Sept. 28: Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce debate, Fairfax Virginia has seen the number of debates for governor drop in recent campaign cycles. In Virginias 2009 campaign for governor, Republican Bob McDonnell and Democrat Creigh Deeds faced off four times. Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Ken Cuccinelli debated three times in 2013, as did Democrat Ralph Northam and Republican Ed Gillespie in 2017. Four years ago, Republican Glenn Youngkin and Democrat McAuliffe debated twice. Lieutenant governor race John Reid, the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, has challenged his opponent, Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, to 10 debates. But, so far, no nonpartisan news organization has invited the candidates to a debate. WAMU, a public news-talk radio station based in Washington, D.C., affiliated with National Public Radio, invited both candidates to participate in a forum. Reid accepted that invitation, and Hashmis team is in talks about formatting details, according to the station. Reid, a former radio host in Richmond, filled in this week for another conservative talk radio host, John Fredericks. Reid invited Hashmi to join him live on-air Thursday morning for a no-notes, LincolnDouglas style debate with a neutral third-party moderator. Virginians deserve more than rehearsed talking points and staged appearances, Reid said. They deserve real answers, unfiltered and in real time. Thats why Im inviting Senator Hashmi to sit across from me one hour, no scripts, just an honest debate about the future of our commonwealth. Hashmi did not take Reid up on his offer. Right now, Senator Hashmi is focused on listening to voters across the commonwealth, sharing her vision for Virginia and laying out the clear contrast between both candidates, said Hashmis campaign manager, Clay Volino. Our campaign will consider any formal debate invitations as we receive them and as Senator Hashmis schedule allows. Attorney general Miyares, who is running for reelection, previously accepted a debate with WJLA, a D.C.-based station owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. Jones, his Democratic opponent, declined that debate. But Jones in early August accepted the debate hosted by the Virginia State Bar. Miyares accepted that invitation on Friday. Once we received the rules participating in the Virginia State Bar Debate was a quick and easy decision, said Miyares press secretary Alex Cofield. Jay Jones cannot say the same he not only ran out the clock on the WJLA debate after having the rules for over a month but hastily decided to partake in a debate with no guidelines for political grandeur. Unfortunately, Soft Jay Jones refuses to debate until late October, a month after voters are able to cast ballots, a feeble effort to hide how ill-prepared he is to serve as Virginias Top Cop. Jones spokeswoman Georgia Greenleaf said: Jay looks forward to sharing his plans to protect Virginia families from politicians with extreme agendas, corporate rulebreakers making life less affordable, and crime. We are glad MAGA Miyares has accepted this debate so Virginia voters can finally get answers about why he has failed to protect the Commonwealth from Donald Trump unlawfully firing federal workers who drive our economy, hitting Virginians with tariffs that are skyrocketing grocery prices, illegally freezing money for our schools, and attacking abortion rights. Governor announces new CFE energy improvement projects for Quintana Roo Riviera Maya, Q.R. Governor Mara Lezama says the CFE will expand two substations in Quintana Roo to ensure more energy. She made the announcement following a recent meeting with the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE). She reported that during the meeting, major agreements were reached including boosting the underground electricity supply, expanding two substations and expanding distribution networks in 10 municipalities. Governor Lezama met with Emilia Esther Calleja Alor, the General Director of the CFE last week in Mexico City. Lezama says the three programs that will add supply capacity are confirmed for Quintana Roo with an investment of 188.67 million pesos. These projects include the expansion of two substations which are expected to be completed by December of this year. The agreement also includes the modernization of distribution networks, encompassing 17 projects in 10 municipalities, which is also expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The third project is called Energy Justice, which includes 80 projects distributed across Benito Juarez, Bacalar, Cozumel, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, and Jose Maria Morelos. Governor Lezama met with the CFE in Mexico City August 7, 2025. She explained that the Energy Justice project includes 24 projects being carried out in Bacalar, four in Benito Juarez (Cancun), 42 in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, one in Jose Maria Morelos, six in Lazaro Cardenas, two in Othon P. Blanco and one in Playa del Carmen. They are essential because there hasnt been an investment of this nature for a long time, said Governor Lezama. In addition, at the working meeting, two projects for the state were confirmed with an investment of 323 million pesos, to increase energy capacity. They include work on the Benito Juarez substation which will begin in January 2026 and the Oxtankah substation in Othon P. Blanco, which will begin in February of next year. In addition, 276 transformers requested from the commission have already been installed. We changed the way we work with the CFE. Today, they are ahead of hydrometeorological phenomena and respond immediately when one of these contingencies occurs, she said, highlighting the progress being made in the introduction of underground cabling on Luis Donaldo Colosio Boulevard in Cancun. George Orwells beast fable continues to inform political and social commentary on both the left and the right. It has much more to teach us than merely four legs good, two legs bad. On August 17, 1945just two days after V-J Day in Asia and fewer than two weeks after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and NagasakiGeorge Orwell published what he modestly called his little squib: Animal Farm. It was a 30,000-word bombshell that detonated on the cultural front with an impact of atomic proportions. It marked the first major literary salvo of the Cold War and initiated the serious unraveling of the Soviet myth in the Western imagination. Orwell had long nurtured the idea of a beast fable in the tradition of Aesop and La Fontaineand, more recently, Anatole Frances Penguin Island (1908)to expose the betrayal of the Russian Revolution. He wrote that the idea struck him when he observed a young boy leading a massive plough horse and wondered what might happen if animals realized their strength and revolted. Thus began the allegorical vision of a revolution gone wrong. This animal revolution drives the humans from the farm and its feudal-type tyranny (Manor Farm) in which humans oppress animals. Under the leadership of the pigs, the animals overthrow the human dictatorship and soon successfully defend their newly christened Animal Farm when the humans launch a counterattack. Napoleon (Stalin) proposes to build an animal workers state, a proletarian-governed farm where a just constitution founded on the seven commandments of Animalism would (purportedly) guarantee rule by law. The two most significant commandments are: Four legs good, two legs bad and All animals are equal. With Napoleon and Snowball (Trotsky) working together, it briefly seems as if Animal Farm is a utopia. Yet Napoleon is already plotting Snowballs ouster and a total takeover of power; as time passes, he and his pig followers transform Animal Farm into an oppressive regime. They subvert and rewrite the commandments of Animalism, the revolution curdles into a reign of terror, and the would-be proletarian paradise degenerates into despotism. Orwell began writing his little squib while working at the BBC in 1943 and finished the next year. He didnt show it at first to anyone other than his wife Eileen, who often regaled her friends with updates of the tale. The story closely parallels the events of the Russian Revolution: Allied intervention against the Bolsheviks, the emergence of Stalin, the five-year plan, the role of the secret police and the party trials, all in the guise of animals. Orwells ending, which echoes the Big Three meeting at Teheran in November 1943, presciently forecasts the postWorld War II political betrayals, as it indicts both the Soviets and the West. Napoleon and Pilkington both play the ace of spades; moreover, the Russians are no better than the Western Allies, for the pigs now resemble humans and behave just as badly (if not far worse) than their human friends. By the end of this animallegory, the pigs resemble the humans they replaced, prompting Orwells chilling conclusion: The creatures outside looked from pig to man but already it was impossible to say which was which. Orwell had trouble finding a publisher in England: Uncle Joe and the Russians were still valued in official circles as anti-Nazi allies as the war wound down; furthermore, communism was popular in intellectual and publishing circles throughout 1945. In England, Animal Farm was rejected by four major publishers, including by T.S. Eliot at Faber and Faber, who wrote Orwell that the message of the fable represented simply one of negation. What is needed, he said, was not a rebellion or rejection of pig-rule, but rather more public-spirited pigs, one of the great misreadings of all time. Eventually a small house, Secker and Warburg, published the tale. Upon its release, Animal Farm gained plaudits from both conservatives and the liberal-left. The fable was a hit in England, with even the Queen Consort (the wife of George VI) wanting a copy. (In a delicious irony that the socialist patriot Orwell must have relished, as the fables first edition was selling out, she had to dispatch Her Majestys equerry to a radical anti-royalist bookshop to secure a copy.) Animal Farm was a spectacular success, both commercially and with the critics, when it reached American shores in August 1946, becoming a runaway bestseller. In the next decade, it became a staple of American high school English classrooms. Recognizing the lineage of Animal Farm in the tradition of the beast fable, literary critic Edmund Wilson termed it a masterpiece. Pointing to an English-language predecessor, Wilson compared it favorably to Swifts Gullivers Travelsone of Orwells cherished books ever since his schooldays at Etonas an ingenious satire. Wilson, doyen of the American literary elite, anointed Orwells little squib as nothing less than a contemporary classic, accurately predicting that Orwell would soon emerge as one of the ablest and most interesting writers that the English have produced. The Book of the Month Club named Animal Farm its September 1946 special selection. This BoMC edition sold more than half a million copies in the next two years. The earnings from those sales made Orwell rich and famous. Orthodox Stalinists were stunned and outraged by the fables critique of not only the Russian Revolution but also the main tenets of communism: the collectivist ethos whereby both political and economic power are concentrated in a ruling elite. Orwells denunciation of communism as a corrupted idealism received lavish praise in the pages of Henry Luces flagship anti-communist magazines, Time and Life, then at the height of their worldwide influence. Luce and Readers Digest (which also excerpted portions of the fable) promoted Animal Farm in the emerging culture war internationally. Meanwhile, Americas left-wing establishmentdominated by Soviet fellow-travelers such as the intellectuals at both The New Republic (TNR) and The Nationcondemned Orwell and the fable, branding it vulgar propaganda. They were still supporters of Stalin throughout the 1940s and had followed every twist and turn of the Communist Party line since the early 1930s. For instance, George Soule, writing in TNR, derided Animal Farm as an incompetent parody of the Russian Revolution, creaking and clumsy. He also managed to confuse the main characters, thinking Napoleon was supposed to be Lenin (rather than Stalin). He saw no parallel in the events that characterized the revolution. Isaac Rosenfeld, a respected member of the New York intellectuals who (like Orwell) wrote for Partisan Review yet still an adherent to Stalinist party-line edicts, also denied that Orwells interpretation had any validity to the events of the revolution. Rosenfeld argued that Orwell didnt tell readers anything they didnt already know about events in Russia. (A decade later, he would change his mind and laud Orwells intellectual integrity and clear-sighted political vision.) Both of us (Rodden and Rossi) first read Animal Farm as the Cold War still raged, more than a half-century ago. As boyhood readers, we were excited to catch on to the allegorical references in Orwells fairy story (his subtitle in the first edition), to see how an apparent barnyard tale was not just an animal story (as the editor of Dial Press foolishly dismissed it in his rejection letter to Orwell), but instead was really about raging geopolitical matters. Like so many other readers, we were fascinated that the book was an allegory with precise correspondences between Russian history and every fictional event and literary character. In later years, we both taught the book to high school and college students. When I (Rodden) realized that many junior and senior high school teachers did not know much about Russian history, I wrote a high school textbook about the complex historical context of the allegory. Orwells tale of corrupted ideals remains acutely relevant to todays political landscape, and far beyond the borders of the authors native England. Social justice movements often find themselves grappling with the same issues Orwell satirized: power, hierarchy, betrayal of principles, and the manipulation of language. For instance, animal rights groups such as Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) have embraced Animal Farms message in their campaigns against the exploitation of animals and the corporate-state alliance that enables it. WIRED magazine has reported that their protests, which have been regularly surveilled and infiltrated by the FBI, were deemed by government agents as designed to arouse citizen action by spreading Orwellian paranoia. Moreover, critiques of woke capitalism and performative activism today often cite Orwells most memorable line: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. The co-opting of egalitarian language by corporations and governments has made Animal Farm more relevant than ever. Modern satire frequently channels Orwellian themes. The Juice Media, an Australian organization known for their Honest Government Ads, produce biting critiques of governmental hypocrisy, echoing the doublespeak and gaslighting techniques Orwell ridiculed in Squealer. Editorial cartoons and political memes worldwide use the image of pigs in suits to critique political elites, referencing the same symbolism Orwell deployed to warn about political betrayal and moral corruption. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, some groupsboth on the left and the rightinvoked Orwell to protest public health mandates, claiming that the constant revision of rules mirrored Animal Farms ever-changing commandments. Animal Farm has also been frequently invoked in recent years when issues of global politics and censorship arise. For instance, Western commentators have often described the Chinese Communist Party in terms echoing Napoleon and the pigs. Notably, references to the book are regularly scrubbed from mainland Chinese social media. Freedom House reports that this censorship is conducted with special vigor during politically sensitive times, because Beijing perceives Orwells allegory as subversive and threatening to its image of historical legitimacy. In Africa, too, Animal Farm has run afoul of authoritarian leaders. Ugandan officials have banned the novel in schools for its political content, which they claim undermines respect for authority, reflecting the very dynamic Orwell warned against: censorship as a means of consolidating power. The influence of Animal Farm is also evident in African literature. Zimbabwean author NoViolet Bulawayos novel Glory (2022) is a clear homage, using talking animals to critique dictatorship and propaganda in post-Mugabe Zimbabwe. In the U.S., Animal Farms popularity also endures. It is still found on the syllabi of high school courses in literature and in some college literature classes. My daughters 8th grade class [Rossi] reads and analyzes it every spring. For years, I [Rodden] taught the fable in a university survey literature course entitled From Utopia to Anti-Utopia, which covered works ranging from Platos Republic to Orwells 1984 and Marge Piercys The Handmaids Tale. The satirical barbs and clever slogans of Animal Farm have been part of political discourse ever since its original publication. The fables coinages were widely quoted during the early Cold War era to attack Stalinism and the USSRand also by communists and fellow travelers to attack McCarthyism and Red Scare-era investigations of on un-American protesters during the 1950s and 60s. In the 1970s, during the Watergate scandal that rocked the Nixon White House and resulted in impeachment proceedings against the president, his circle of advisers was widely compared by the American and British media to the elite pigs surrounding Napoleon. In the 21st century, Animal Farm has proven to be an equal-opportunity satirical goldmine of jibes targeted at leaders from both parties. The Biden-era Democrats have been frequently associated in the conservative press with double standards and Squealer-like propaganda. As one USA Today columnist expressed it in April 2025: In Animal Farm, George Orwell wrote that all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. Its hard not to conclude that Democrats and the news media look at Americans in the same way. For the left, Americans are equal, but the most equal Americans are the unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats who fund diversity, equity and inclusion programs and a LGBTQ+ comic book in foreign countries. Animal Farm has also featured prominently in liberal and mainstream press critiques of the Trump administration. Even more so than during his first presidential term, Trump is regularly referred to as the leader of a pig state. Both American and European critics of Trump compare his populist rhetoric, centralization of power, and public vilification of opponents to the actions of Napoleon in dealing with his political opponents. For instance, The Observer wrote this year that Trumps drain the swamp mantra was akin to Napoleons pseudo-revolutionary sloganeering and that his Cabinet appointees and press secretary behave like Orwells Squealer: They are expert manipulators of narrative. Or as an op-ed writer for the Saint Louis University News contends in his March 2025 column, Fictitious Fascism or Frightening Reality? Warnings from George Orwells Animal Farm, just as Napoleon (Stalin) stole the ideas of Snowball (Trotsky)including the building of the windmill (= the Five-Year Plan), so too does Donald Trump pilfer Democratic programs and then call them his own. In Animal Farm, Napoleon did none of the work, then took credit for all achievements completed by the farm animals. Trump has often taken credit for policies initiated by former President Barack Obama. I have often heard Trump supporters echo false claims made by Trump, which reflects a similar mindset held by the uneducated, successfully propagandized farm animals in Animal Farm: It had become usual to give Napoleon the credit for every successful achievement and every stroke of good fortune. You would often hear one hen remark to another, Under the guidance of our Leader, Comrade Napoleon, I have laid five eggs in six days. Four score after its publication, Animal Farm has sold more than 25 million copies. It is recognized as both as a classic of contemporary world literature and as bracing, evergreen political warning about oligarchy and corruption. Whether read as an historical allegory of the USSR, a cautionary tale about the perils of populism, or a mirror reflecting psychopolitics and human nature, Animal Farm is as urgent and illuminating as ever. Little squib, big warning? Yes. Orwells central message remains timeless: Ideals are fragile, revolutions are volatile, and power corrupts. Whether or not animals can act like humans, human beings are ever-prone to behave like beasts. Texas authorities reported that 10 people were brought to hospitals on Wednesday, including several students, after an elementary school bus rolled over on a rural road north of Austin. In a Facebook post, the Travis County Emergency Services District said that nine of the injured victims were students. The agency added that the accident also injured the driver, who was brought to the hospital as well. School Bus Rolls Over The assistant chief with Austin-Travis County Medical Emergency Services, Kevin Parker, said that one of the injuries was life-threatening and that two were potentially life-threatening. He added that the remaining injuries were not life-threatening. At the time of the incident, there were 43 people who were inside the bus when it rolled over, which happened after school and before any of the students had been dropped off. An official with the Texas Department of Public Safety said that it is not yet clear why the bus drove off the right side of the road and rolled over, according to NBC News. While a preliminary investigation is ongoing, an official noted that there was a slight curve in the road near where the school bus rolled over. The driver of the vehicle was described as a seasoned veteran. The superintendent of the Leander Independent School District, Bruce Gearing, said the incident comes as the community has already experienced other tragedies, such as floods. He said that they want each of the students and their families to know that their prayers are with them. Transporting Injured Students to the Hospital Emergency services were dispatched to the scene of the incident shortly after 3:15 p.m. The school bus was found with significant damage as it lay on its side surrounded by trees in an embankment, ABC News reported. The passengers of the bus who were not transported to the hospital were instead brought to a reunification center for further evaluation and to be reconnected with their families. The injured victims were transferred to the hospital via eight EMS ambulance units and two helicopters. Authorities said that the fact that helicopters were used did not reflect the severity of the injuries, but rather the distance that emergency services had to transport the victims. Gearing noted that it was not immediately known whether or not the students were wearing seatbelts when the bus rolled over. He noted that students are typically required to wear seatbelts whenever the bus is equipped with them. Since the vehicle they were riding on was a 2024 Blue Bird, they should have had access to seatbelts, as per Yahoo News. This article contains spoilers for the series finale of And Just Like That For a show that tended to treat its characters, plotlines, continuity, and viewers like shit, it was rather fitting, I suppose, that And Just Like That would go out with one final turd. I just didnt expect it to be so literal. In one of the last-ever appearances on our screens of Miranda (Cynthia Nixon)a once beloved character whose no-nonsense professionalism and imperviousness to the fickleness of dating helped make her a TV icon for working womenis on her knees in her bathroom, cleaning up the brown mess from a toilet that has overflowed from a lactose-intolerant Thanksgiving guest. And much as he has throughout this entire reboot, executive producer Michael Patrick King makes sure to rub viewers noses in this mess with several clear shots of the poop in question. What happened to my life?! Miranda askssomething we, too, can only wonder. Then, as Miranda is scrubbing away, her girlfriend Joy (Dolly Wells) arrives after missing the holiday meal, in what is intended to be a romantic capstone to the pairs budding relationship, but which instead left me screaming at my TV when Joy kneels on the floorSTILL COVERED IN POO WATER, I MUST REMIND YOUfor a kiss. Its a fitting final indignity for Miranda in what was a baffling and often surreal show that seemed wholly unique in its apparent disdain for its own characters. After three seasons, 33 episodes, two main characters who were disappeared without further mention, and a whole bunch of shots of Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) downing Tums antacid tablets like candy, AJLT came to an end with a Thursday night finale on HBO Max. Yes, that means you, me, and all the other people who were being held hostage by our nostalgia for Sex and the City are finally freeeven if many of us did develop some weird form of Stockholm syndrome during the revival series run. There were still a few big questions hanging over the show: Would Carrie end up alone or with someone? Would Michelle Obama make a surprise cameo after her potential involvement in a documentary by Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker) was teased all season long? And, most importantly, what will we all hate-watch now? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When King and Parker surprised viewers earlier this month by announcing the show was ending, they insisted this was because the series had reached its natural end. But there was nothing ever natural about this capitalist fever dream of a show, and there was certainly nothing natural in the frenetic way AJLT tried to force rushed conclusions to several series-long plotlines and character arcs. (Per Deadline, the cast only learned the show was concluding a day before the public did, fueling speculation that the series cancellation was simply being spun as something more dignified.) Instead, the 30-minute finale, Party for One, proved to be emblematic of many of the series most fundamental problems, from its contempt for young people to its competing and overstuffed plots (how fitting that we ended on Thanksgiving), to its existential lack of identity or purpose. What do I want? Carrie asks in the episodes opening after wandering off the street into a hot pot restaurant that she cant quite work out why shes visiting. Its a question the show would have done well to ask itself at its beginning, not its end. Advertisement If theres one mercy to be shown AJLT fansif we can even be called fansin the ashes of the shows ending, its that we no longer need to be subjected to the gaslighting that Carrie has written the next Great American Novel. Her stilted season-long foray into historical fiction may have somehow impressed hunky British biographer Duncan Reeves (Jonathan Cake), but Carries editor Amanda (Ashlie Atkinson) told her in the previous episode that if her main character ended up single and alone in 1846, that would be considered a tragic ending. And so Carrie spends the final two episodes wondering how her storyand her storyshould end. Apparently not only is it tragic for women to be alone in the past, but its also an issue in the future, she says in the finale, offended (quite rightly) that the hot pot restaurant staff placed a giant stuffed figurine opposite her so that no one had to be subjected to the sight of her dining alone. After the death of her husband Big (Chris Noth), the end to her on-again, off-again relationship with Aidan (John Corbett), and the return of Duncan to London, Carrie is left grappling with the possibility that she may indeed be alone for the rest of her life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seema (Sarita Choudhury) is having a different problem, though. Shes happy in love with her hunky New Age boyfriend Adam (Logan Marshall-Green), but disappointed to learn hes not in favor of the institution of marriage, despite his making being New Age and contrarian his whole personality. Does she really want to get married, Seema wonders, or does she just think she is supposed to? But if you were hoping for some sort of resolution to this question in the conclusion to the series, that is apparently too big of an ask. Instead, our final glimpse of Seema is of her wearing jeans and eating gluten-free pie with Adam and his friends. Their future appears comfortably secure, but its an ending that feels as open as it does rushed. Lisa, meanwhile, is wrapping up both her documentary and the flirtation that shes had with her editor (Mehcad Brooks)a season-long struggle that is swiftly tied up when she decides she is happily married to her sad-sack husband (Christopher Jackson) after all. Oh, and it turns out Michelle Obama isnt going to appear in Lisas project, but might consider narrating it if she likes the rough cut. (This conclusion to the endless Obama teasing ultimately felt like such a cop-out that we can only conclude the real Michelle Obama didnt like the AJLT rough cut. I mean, I get it!) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Charlottes (Kristin Davis) arc also abruptly ends. Harry (Evan Handler) finally gets a boner again, meaning the couple can once again have sex (take that, cancer!), while nonbinary teen Rock (Alexa Swinton) tells their mom that they dont mind if she likes a photo of them dressed up for a school play in a dress. Im going to be a lot of people in my life! Rock tells Charlotte, a character who has been so steadfast for 30 years that telling someone Im a Charlotte is an instantly understood pop-culture shortcut. Advertisement Miranda, meanwhile, may have Joy in her life, but shes also going to become a grandmother thanks to son Brady (Niall Cunningham) knocking up the insufferable Mia (Ella Stilleryes, of the Stillers). When Mia arrives at Thanksgiving with her small posse of Gen Z caricatures, were treated once more to Kings apparent disgust for youth culture. Although he was ostensibly at pains to diversify the show with more LGBTQ+ characters and people of color, King only ever seems to have viewed young people across the series as a spoiled, bumbling, rude, and comically politically correct generation that he displayed no real interest in actually learning anything about. If I were Epcot (Spike Einbinderyes, of the Einbinders), the character who clogs Mirandas toilet, Id have taken a dump on the show too. Advertisement When SATC ended back in 2004, King famously opted for fairy tale over fact. Even though wed watched six seasons worth of his red flags, Big magically realized his love for Carrie, and rescued her from her dour relationship in Paris with Aleksandr Petrovsky (Mikhail Baryshnikov). This ending felt forced, King later admitted, and ultimately betrayed what [the show] was about, which was that women dont ultimately find happiness from marriage. So when Carrie does end up alone at the end of AJLT, eating Thanksgiving pie leftovers in her colossal mansion and dancing solo to Barry White, it certainly feels more real than her ending in SATC. Youre the first, the last, my everything, White croons in words that mirror Carries final SATC speech: that the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. Carrie may no longer have someone to love the her that she loves, but she does have tens of millions of dollars, so I think shell be OK. Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate We Officially Have the New SNL of the Trump Era Read More Ultimately, AJLT was a course correction to fantasy that somehow still remained wildly untethered to the reality that we thought we knew about these characters. The sequel series was obsessed with showing the harsh truth of peoples golden years, from death and aging to health scares and professional unease, to family crises and personal ones. And while there was some nobleness to forcing this degree of reality on viewers whether they liked it or not (and they mostly did not), what we ended up with was a confused show stuck somewhere in the middle between fact and fairy talea disorientating world where theres couture everywhere, but shit all over the ground. But then, when we hear the iconic SATC theme music for the first time over the revivals final credit sequence, those pangs of nostalgia go off, and our preconditioned yearning for Carrie and company is activated once more. See you all for the next reboot in 20 years! Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. An unlikely folk hero has emerged in Washington this week. Sean Dunn, a blond 37-year-old in a pink button-down and New Balance sneakers, was captured on video Sunday night screaming at some of the federal agents who have begun patrolling the city on Donald Trumps orders. Fuck you, fascists! he yelled. Shame! After following the group across the street, he got right up in the face of a Customs and Border Protection agent and engaged in some vigorous taunting. Then, just as Dunn was turning to leave, he seemed to think better of it. He whipped back around, wound up, and threw his footlong Subway sub at the agent, hitting him square in the chest. In the days since, as Dunn drew felony charges for assaulting a federal officer and was fired from his job at the Department of Justice, the video has been passed around on social media and group texts across the District of Columbia with unbridled glee. Dunns assault with a deli weapon, as one Redditor dubbed it, has been celebrated as evidence of the citys indomitable spirit and as a rousing call to protest the incursion of the National Guard and federal law enforcement under the false pretense of a crime wave. At a moment when many District residents are seething with rage at the occupying forces taking over their disenfranchised hometown, watching Dunn release his anger via hoagie felt like a gift. All current accounts point to a harmless expression of frustration: an absurd, desperate act of resistance for this absurd, desperate timeperpetrated by a DOJ employee, no less, who looked indistinguishable from all the other bros roaming the nightlife corridor where he staged his revolt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its also a ripe metaphor for everything Trump is doing to D.C. right now. The armed agents chased after Dunn and arrested him not because the sandwich toss was dangerous but because it was defiant. Same with the presidents war on Democratic jurisdictions, which he is eager to subjugate with military force. Cloaked in bogus claims of lawlessness and widespread violence, its an effort to seize control from Black mayors, to force his anti-immigrant agenda on cities that have rejected it, and to punish Americans who didnt vote for him. Advertisement Theres a reason youre allowed to take a turkey club onto an airplane: Sandwiches are not recognized as weapons. Unless youre allergic to the peanuts in a PB&J, they are utterly harmless portable meals, even when projectile. You can see this quite clearly in the video of the encounter. The sandwich bends in its wrapper under the force of the CBP agents bulletproof (and, evidently, sandwichproof) vest. A few bits of lettuce or other toppings fly out; the sandwich is injured. The agent barely even flinches. Logic-bound minds understand that a hurled sandwich is not a danger. (If a police officer saw one civilian throw a sandwich at another on the street, whats the likelihood theyd make an immediate arrest?) But by the warped reasoning of law enforcement institutions, any show of disrespect or disobedience is taken as a physical threat. Its not about preventing actual harmDunn bolted away after throwing his sub, seemingly posing no further risk to the CBP agent. Its about enforcing a punitive power hierarchy that places law enforcement comfort and authority above all else. Advertisement Advertisement In a photo taken of Dunns arrest on Sunday night, at least 13 officers crowd around a street corner to apprehend him, a breathtaking show of force against a man who threw a piece of bread. The entire incident is rife with such ludicrous disproportionality. The video still of a submarine sandwich bouncing off a bulletproof vest will be an indelible image of this administrations response to political opposition. Its the modern-day version of a row of bayonets facing down an anti-war demonstrator with a chrysanthemum, with an added veneer of 2025 stupidity courtesy of Subway. (Subway did not return a request for comment.) Advertisement Advertisement Dunn seems to recognize that his arrest was ridiculous, particularly amid the rampant citywide crime sprees that the Trump administration insists are afoot. According to the criminal complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, after the officers caught up with Dunn, he told one of them, I did it. I threw a sandwich. It begs to be read in a cheeky deadpan. Advertisement Until he gets milkshake ducked, Dunn and the fan art hes inspired will stand in for all the other ways Trump and his agents are cracking down on dissent by claiming that its dangerous. Theres no crime emergency in D.C. or in any of the other cities the president is promising to target. His goal isnt to bring justice to victims or make cities safer; its to abuse his perceived enemies and quash dissent. Thats why those 13 officers werent off investigating a murder or carjacking on Sunday night. They were spending their taxpayer-funded time chasing down a man whod already relinquished his only weapon, which was probably already soggy when he used it. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. On Thursday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi launched arguably the most lawless assault on the District of Columbia in its 52 years of home rule. Bondi purported to appoint Terry Cole, the current head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, as D.C.s new police chiefpushing aside its actual chief, Pamela Smith, who was appointed pursuant to federal and local statutes. She then claimed to repeal a series of sanctuary policies that limit D.C. cops ability to enforce federal immigration law. And she directed officers to fully enforce a measure that criminalizes unlawful demonstrations, evidently in response to District residents protesting federal enforcement actions. In reaction to this unprecedented seizure of power, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit Friday morning seeking to restrain Bondis takeover of the local police. His suit stands a strong chance of success. No one doubts that the federal government has significant authority over the District, far more than it has over any state. And everyone agrees that President Donald Trump may temporarily compel D.C.s police to provide services for federal purposes. But Congress has not given the president sweeping power to commandeer the Districts police, replace its chief, or repeal its policies. Nor does the Constitution vest any such power in the president or his appointees. To the contrary, it assigns ultimate authority over D.C. to Congress. The Trump administrations bid to blow past those limits is patently illegal. Although the president likes to tout his prerogative to take over the District, he has no such freestanding right. The Constitution awards Congressnot the executive branchthe power to exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever over D.C. In 1973 the legislative body exercised that authority by passing the Home Rule Act, which handed District residents far greater control over their own government. Among other things, the act allowed Washingtonians to elect their own council and mayor. Before its passage, Congress debated who should appoint the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, D.C.s police force. Some members introduced an amendment that would have let the president choose the chief. But Congress emphatically rejected it, giving the appointment power to the mayor, with advice and consent of the Council. As the author of the act, Rep. Stewart B. McKinney, explained on the House floor, allowing the president to pick the police chief would strike very deeply at the entire heart of the subject of home rule. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, Congress offered the president extremely narrow authority to enlist the assistance of MPD for limited periods on rare occasions. The Home Rule Act states that when the commander in chief determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist that require MPD for federal purposes, he may direct the mayor to provide him with its services as he deems necessary and appropriate. The act further states that the mayor shall provide the president with such services. This emergency power lasts 48 hours unless the president notifies Congress, in which case its extended to 30 days. It lasts longer only if authorized by a congressional resolution. This provision of the law explains why D.C. officials initially complied when, on Monday, Trump claimed to federalize the city. At first, Mayor Muriel Bowser acknowledged that the president could seek MPDs assistance with stepped-up law enforcement, while insisting that Smiththe duly appointed chief of policeremain in charge of the force. (Bowser doubted an emergency existed at all but suggested that she defer to the presidents judgment.) Thats why MPD officers have worked alongside federal agents and National Guard members in their largely aimless patrols of the city. Advertisement But the administration did not accept this arrangement, prompting Bondis hostile takeover of MPD on Thursday evening. Bondi now asserts that the Home Rule Act gives her discretion to appoint Trumps DEA leader as D.C.s new police chief. She also ordered MPD officers to enforce federal immigration law, including the arrest and detention of immigrants, a practice expressly forbidden by District laws. And she instructed the officers to vigorously enforce a prohibition against unlawful demonstrations, presumably as a means to break up growing protests against federal arrests in the city. (By far the largest unlawful demonstration in D.C. in recent memory was the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol; Trump pardoned every participant on his first day back in office.) Advertisement It was this overreach that finally spurred Schwalb, the Districts elected attorney general, to sue. (The case has been assigned to Judge Ana Reyes, a liberal Biden appointee, who scheduled a hearing for Friday afternoon.) As Schwalb explained, the Home Rule Act allows the president to enlist services from MPD for federal purposes; it does not let him or his appointees command MPD themselves, even in an emergency. Yet Bondi has now nullified the mayors right to appoint the police chief and oversee the force through her. The act enshrines these rights into federal statute. Bondi seeks to violate them twice overnot only by replacing the police chief but also by removing the mayor from MPDs chain of command entirely. Even in case of an emergency, the law permits the executive branch to obtain services from the mayor, not to bypass her completely. This circumvention clashes with Congress command; it cannot be squared with the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because Bondi may not take over the D.C. police, her orders issued pursuant to that unlawful action are inherently invalid. Even if they werent, though, the Home Rule Act would not authorize them. As Schwalb noted, the law compels only the mayor to provide MPDs services. It does not give the president or his attorney general the stand-alone power to issue or repeal MPD policies; such sweeping directives have no plausible connection to the provision of police services. Moreover, this assistance is limited to federal purposes, a term that typically connotes the protection of federal personnel or property. But both Bondi and Trump have stated that they intend to usurp control over local matters, putting MPD under their command to manage day-to-day policing. The Home Rule Act forbids this presidential micromanagement of the force. Advertisement It is worth noting that in addition to its illegality, Bondis move will undermine her professed goal of making D.C. safer. In a remarkable declaration filed Friday, SmithMPDs actual chiefwrote: In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive. Imposing an entirely new command structure, she attested, would wreak operational havoc within MPD and create tremendous risk for the public, situations that inevitably lead to delays and confusion. This chaos would put the lives of MPD officers and District residents at grave risk. Bondis new policies, Smith wrote, would also divert law enforcement resources away from other priorities, such as preventing and responding to crimes of violence, weapons offenses, narcotics operations, and burglary prevention and response. In short, a federal takeover would make it harder, in every conceivable way, for MPD to fight crime in D.C. (Officers appear to be treating Cole, the DEA leader, as the legitimate chief for the moment.) Advertisement Advertisement In many ways, Trumps assault on the District serves as a test run for future attempts to target other large, diverse American cities. Yet D.C. is uniquely vulnerable to the presidents overreach because it lacks statehood and the sovereignty that comes with it. This vulnerability may tempt some Washingtonians to assume that there is nothing their city can do to fight back against Trumps abuses. Such learned helplessness would be a serious mistake. Congress has given D.C. a significant measure of home rule, including control of its police force. The president has no legal authority to rip that away, and the courts have an obligation to stop him from trying. The Arkansas teacher who is accused of fatally stabbing a couple who were hiking with two of their daughters has pleaded not guilty to two capital murder charges. The suspect was identified as 28-year-old Andrew James McGann, who is an elementary school teacher, and was arrested by police last month. He is accused of fatally stabbing the victims, 43-year-old Clinton David Brink and 41-year-old Cristen Amanda Brink. Arkansas Teacher Pleads Not Guilty to Murder Charges During his arraignment, which lasted about 30 minutes, McGann hardly spoke and showed very little emotion. Authorities noted that the defendant made statements to investigators that indicated that he "committed these heinous acts." Also, his DNA was found at the crime scene where the victims were stabbed. The Washington County Prosecuting Attorney's Office said in a brief statement that the state is continuing to pursue the death penalty in the suspect's case. On the other hand, McGann's lawyers, who were from the county public defender's office, declined to comment about the situation, according to NBC News. At the time of the incident, the Brinks were hiking in Devil's Den State Park, which is located in the northwest corner of the state. The couple was there with their young children, who were aged seven and nine years. Investigators believe that the suspect attacked Clinton first as his wife brought their children to safety away from the assailant. Authorities claim that Cristen later came back to help her husband before she was attacked herself. Fatal Stabbing of a Couple For now, officials have not yet determined what motive McGann has for attacking the Brinks, and they do not suspect the young children to have been the primary targets. The couple's bodies were discovered in a remote part of the park, far away from the hiking trail, the New York Post reported. When police found the victims, the assailant was long gone, and they waited six hours before notifying the public regarding the crime. A statewide manhunt was conducted in the days after the brutal killings, where officials provided a sketch and descriptions of the killer based on the descriptions given by the young girls. Police officers were able to arrest McGann at a barbershop in Springdale on July 30. The suspect had not yet started his new job at Springdale Public Schools when he was taken into custody. His previous work includes jobs in Texas and Oklahoma. Authorities said that the defendant did not have a prior criminal record, as per ABC7. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Last month, the Department of Justices response to the Jeffrey Epstein saga culminated in an incredibly bizarre move: The Federal Bureau of Prisons transferred a convicted sex offender to a minimum security prison. The special treatment given by the Trump administration to Ghislaine Maxwell is a travesty of justice. It also suggests only one conclusion: A rotten deal between Trumps DOJ and Epsteins accomplice to keep quiet in exchange for preferential treatment. The treatment is, ultimately, not surprising, given how the Trump administration has handled Maxwell in recent months. From her private meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, a former Trump defense lawyer, to her abrupt transfer to a cushy minimum-security prison, everything about the Trump administrations conduct appears designed to shield Trump from fallout in the Epstein sex scandal, which involved more than 1,000 victims. This favoritism would have been difficult to imagine even a few years ago. On Dec. 29, 2021, a federal jury found Maxwell guilty of five felony counts, including conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and sex trafficking of a minor. On June 28, 2022, she was sentenced to 20 years in jail and a fine of $750,000. Maxwell claimed (and continues to claim) that she was scapegoated for actions carried out by Epstein. But Judge Alison Nathan, in sentencing Maxwell, stated that Ms. Maxwell is not being punished in place of Epstein or as a proxy for Epstein. The judge found that Maxwell over the course of many years participated in a horrific scheme to entice, transport, and traffic underage girls, some as young as 14, for sexual abuse by and with Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Nathan also said that Maxwell herself had engaged in sexual abuse and that the damage done to these young girls was incalculable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate An Alleged Affair in the Trump Administration Says It All About Whats Happening in Washington Read More According to CNN, federal prosecutors amassed millions of records during the sex trafficking investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. The MAGA world has long called for the public release of these records. On Feb. 21, in response to a question of whether the Justice Department would release the list of Epsteins clients, Attorney General Pam Bondi said, Its sitting on my desk to review. But on July 6, a two-page DOJ/FBI memo stated that a comprehensive review found there was no incriminating client list, no evidence of prominent individuals being blackmailed, and no basis to investigate uncharged third parties. Then, on July 23, the Wall Street Journal reported that Bondi had informed Trump in the spring that he was mentioned in the Epstein files. Perhaps not coincidentally, its been nothing but obstruction from the Trump administration since they found this information. Advertisement On July 24 and 25, Blanche personally interviewed Maxwell. It is strange for a deputy attorney general, particularly one who previously served as a criminal defense attorney to the president, to travel to a correctional facility for direct interviews with convicted criminals. Blanche had no involvement in the Maxwell criminal case, but nevertheless interviewed Maxwell alone. No one involved in the case was present. Advertisement Days after the Blanche meeting, and without any explanation, Maxwell was surprisingly moved from her Florida prison to a minimum-security federal prison camp in Texas that is also known as Club Fed. This is a prison camp that does not house sex offenders, nor those with the 20-year sentence Maxwell has. The unexplained move to this prison camp is extremely suspicious and has raised the appearance of a deal being made by Blanche and Maxwells attorney, a friend of Blanche. Sex offenders are basically barred from minimumsecurity camps. Bureau of Prisons policy requires inmates convicted of sex offenses to be housed in low-security facilities at minimum, unless a waiver is approved. Such waivers for sex offenders are extraordinarily unusual. Advertisement Advertisement On top of all this, public reports, video, and other evidence document that Trump was a longtime friend of Epstein. Trump reportedly took at least eight trips on Epsteins private jet between 1993 and 1997. In 2002, Trump told New York magazine that Epstein was a terrific guy and a lot of fun to be with. Epstein has said that I was Donalds closest friend for 10 years. Trump was also a friend of Maxwell. Following her arrest and jailing, Trump said I just wish her well, frankly. Trump recently refused to rule out a pardon for Maxwell, and made sure to say that he has the power to grant a pardon. Advertisement Advertisement Maxwell reportedly told Blanche that Trump had never done anything in her presence that would have caused concern. Assuming that this is all Maxwell said, it is a very limited statement. It does not extend to a myriad of things Maxwell might have known about what Trump did but that were not done in her presence. This statement certainly does not rule out the possibility that Maxwell may have some leverage over Trump. The DOJ is certainly acting as though she does. Ultimately, Trump and the Justice Department have entirely ignored the victims of Maxwell and Epstein, showing no interest in or concern about the women who as minors were subject to horrific and traumatic sexual abuse crimes. It is hard to escape the conclusion that President Trump just wants the Epstein controversy to go away. Even if it takes a pardon of Maxwell or other actions, he appears ready and willing. Miami Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Cleveland Guardians' Tanner Bibee pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Cleveland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Miami Marlins' Xavier Edwards (9) is greeted as he returns to the dugout after scoring in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Miami Marlins' Agustin Ramirez (50) scores behind Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) in the first inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez is congratulated in the dugout after scoring in the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Cleveland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez is congratulated in the dugout after scoring in the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Cleveland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Miami Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Cleveland Guardians' Tanner Bibee pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Cleveland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Miami Marlins' Xavier Edwards (9) is greeted as he returns to the dugout after scoring in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Miami Marlins' Agustin Ramirez (50) scores behind Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) in the first inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez is congratulated in the dugout after scoring in the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Cleveland, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) CLEVELAND (AP) Jose Ramirez had three hits and scored three runs, Gabriel Arias had a pair of RBIs and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Miami Marlins 9-4 on Thursday night. The Guardians trailed 3-0 in the first and 4-3 in the fourth, but rallied for their 23rd win in 32 games and moved within one-half game of the idle New York Yankees for the final American League wild-card spot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arias sacrifice fly in a two-run fifth against Edward Cabrera (6-6) put Cleveland ahead for good at 5-4. David Fry and Brayan Rocchio both singled in runs in the seventh, when the Guardians scored four times off Valente Bellozo. Tanner Bibee (9-9) extended his winning streak to five by working 5 2/3 innings and giving up four runs (two earned). Cade Smith entered with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth and retired Liam Hicks for his sixth save. Augustin Ramirez had an RBI single in the first when Miami took a 3-0 lead. The other runs came in when Guardians catcher Austin Hedges dropped a throw at the plate, allowing Kyle Stowers and Ramirez to score. Marlins rookie Jakob Marsee, who had a team record-tying seven RBIs Tuesday, went 0 for 4. Cabrera gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Key moment Stowers was initially called out at the plate in the first, but the ball slipped out of Hedges glove, prompting umpire Clint Vondrak to declare him safe. Key stat Ramirez moved past Kenny Lofton into third in franchise history with 977 runs. The seven-time All-Star has spent his entire 13-year career with Cleveland. Up next Marlins: RHP Sandy Alcantara (6-11, 6.55 ERA) starts Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Boston. Guardians: LHP Joey Cantillo (3-2, 4.11 ERA) pitches Friday as Cleveland hosts Atlanta. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/alaska-has-will-have-significant-role-in-us-russia-relations--native-alaskan-sculptor-1122616474.html Alaska Has, Will Have Significant Role in US-Russia Relations Native Alaskan Sculptor Alaska Has, Will Have Significant Role in US-Russia Relations Native Alaskan Sculptor Sputnik International Alaska has always played and will play a significant role in the US-Russia relations, founding president and chief executive officer of the Alaska Native Heritage Center, sculptor Perry Eaton, told Sputnik. 2025-08-15T09:43+0000 2025-08-15T09:43+0000 2025-08-15T09:43+0000 world putin-trump meeting in alaska donald trump us alaska russia https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/08/0c/1122595743_0:228:2000:1353_1920x0_80_0_0_41d01e2cbd071caf36cb69f2a44358cd.jpg Alaska has and will play a role, like always, in the relationship with Russia as it develops in whatever form it is in, Perry, an Alutiiq from Kodyak Island, who was baptized in the Russian Orthodoxy, said. The sculptor pointed out that Alaskans had been engaged in partnerships with the Russians since the time of Perestroika. Perry recalled that over the years, he worked very closely with the authorities of the Russian city of Magadan and led US delegations there. Our people think very well of Russia, he said. Perry expressed confidence that the decision to host the meeting between the US and Russian Presidents in Alaska was right from the point of view of public diplomacy. On the people level, it is good, he added. Kremlin and the White House announced last week that the Russian and US Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, would meet on August 15 in Alaska. alaska russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us-russia relations, significant role, alaska , https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/alaska-summit-to-foster-us-russia-trust--ex-austrian-diplomat-1122615607.html Alaska Summit to Foster US-Russia Trust Ex-Austrian Diplomat Alaska Summit to Foster US-Russia Trust Ex-Austrian Diplomat Sputnik International The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, will help build trust between the two countries, former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl told Sputnik. 2025-08-15T09:25+0000 2025-08-15T09:25+0000 2025-08-15T09:25+0000 world putin-trump meeting in alaska donald trump vladimir putin alaska russia anchorage summit https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/10/1116810932_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_462a3c2004111b08ca84747f8d1bf01f.jpg "This will help strengthen trust ... It is a gesture, a symbolic result between these two superpowers. This is something that can help build trusting relations in the long term," Kneissl, who heads St. Petersburg University's G.O.R.K.I. (Geopolitical Observatory for Russia's Key Issues) Center, said. Much will depend on Trump at the upcoming talks due to his temperamental nature, as negotiations in modern history have rarely been as "personal" as the Anchorage meeting is shaping up to be, she predicted. No one, including the United States, is interested in having another major frozen conflict in Europe, but resolving the Ukrainian conflict is a "very delicate matter," given Russia's approach to a ceasefire, Kneissl said. The ceasefire, insisted upon by the West, must be monitored by someone, however EU countries or organizations like the OSCE lack the capacity for this, she said. The Alaska meeting may see Trump either drop his demand for a ceasefire or continue insisting on it, she added. "When it comes to Ukraine and a ceasefire, the question is who will oversee it? NATO, Berlin, Paris have proposed sending NATO troops. Of course, this is unacceptable for Russia, naturally. Therefore, I believe Trump needs to somehow understand this, because you cannot simply declare a ceasefire, and then what?" she said. On Thursday, Trump announced that he wanted to secure an immediate peace deal at the Alaska summit and planned to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after meeting with the Russian president. In June 2024, Putin put forward initiatives to resolve the conflict in Ukraine: Moscow will immediately cease fire and declare its readiness for negotiations after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Russia's new regions. In addition, the Russian leader urged Kiev to abandon its ambition to join NATO, demilitarize, and adopt a non-aligned, non-nuclear status. Putin also mentioned the lifting of sanctions against Russia. On August 12, Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and a special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries, said that the upcoming Alaska summit could help reset the relations between Russia and the United States, "if the meeting goes well." The meeting between Russian President Putin and US President Trump is expected to take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on the northern outskirts of Anchorage in Alaska on Friday. The leaders are expected to discuss ways to resolve the Ukrainian conflict as well as other issues of mutual interest. The Russian delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, and RDIF head Kirill Dmitriev. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250814/alaska-summit-could-help-reset-russia-us-relations---rdif-head-1122612917.html alaska russia anchorage Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International the meeting between russian president vladimir putin and us president donald trump, anchorage, alaska, alaska summit https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/court-in-armenia-denies-request-to-release-archbishop-mikael-ajapahian-from-custody-1122620826.html Court in Armenia Denies Request to Release Archbishop Mikael Ajapahian From Custody Court in Armenia Denies Request to Release Archbishop Mikael Ajapahian From Custody Sputnik International The Armenian Court on Friday rejected a request to change the measure of restraint for Archbishop Mikael Ajapahian, who was accused of inciting the overthrow of the government, and extended his arrest for 10 more days. 2025-08-15T16:00+0000 2025-08-15T16:00+0000 2025-08-15T16:00+0000 world nikol pashinyan armenia yerevan arrest court https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/07/17/1122477605_0:153:3097:1895_1920x0_80_0_0_7901224ef563338bc856cb6552d02b0c.jpg The first court hearing in the case of Ajapahian started in Yerevan on Friday. Those who gathered in the court room greeted Ajapahian with applause. The archbishop asked Judge Armine Meliksetyan to call him by his church name instead of by his secular one. At the beginning of the hearing, his lawyer Yerem Sargsyan demanded the consideration of the request to change the preventive measure as a matter of priority. The archbishop has not pleaded guilty. "I have not committed any crime against the country or society," he said during the hearing. Ajapahian said that he was imprisoned by "this clownish, so-called democratic government," adding that these actions would remain a "stigma" and "disgrace" to the current authorities. The archbishop said he felt free in prison, but "offended for the country." The Armenian Apostolic Church condemned the decision of the Armenian Court of Appeal on July 30, which left archbishop Ajapahian under arrest, and called on the court and prosecutor's office to immediately release the priest. Tensions between Armenian authorities and the church escalated sharply after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan posted offensive remarks targeting the Armenian Apostolic Church on social media in late May. He later proposed changing the procedure for electing the Catholicos of All Armenians. Russian-Armenian businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan, who defended the church, was subsequently arrested. Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the leader of the Holy Struggle movement, who headed last year's protests demanding the prime minister's resignation, was also arrested. In late June, authorities in Yerevan detained Archbishop Mikael Ajapahian, the primate of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Criminal charges were filed against him, accusing him of calls to seize power. The archbishop himself called the charges fabricated. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/court-in-armenia-extends-karapetyans-arrest---lawyer-1122614524.html armenia yerevan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International armenian court, archbishop mikael ajapahian, custody, request to chang https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/court-in-armenia-extends-karapetyans-arrest---lawyer-1122614524.html Court in Armenia Extends Karapetyan's Arrest - Lawyer Court in Armenia Extends Karapetyan's Arrest - Lawyer Sputnik International A court in Armenia has granted the investigation's motion to extend the arrest of businessman Samvel Karapetyan, his lawyer Liana Gasparyan said. 2025-08-15T03:56+0000 2025-08-15T03:56+0000 2025-08-15T04:06+0000 world karen karapetyan nikol pashinyan armenia yerevan church orthodox church https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/06/14/1122298487_96:12:1306:692_1920x0_80_0_0_c99aaf33e472a88d95e7e073e13eb0a3.jpg "The court extended Karapetyan's arrest for two months," Gasparyan told reporters. In June, Karapetyan, the owner of Tashir Group, expressed support for the Armenian Apostolic Church amid its tensions with the Armenian government. On June 18, a court in Yerevan arrested him for two months on charges of public calls to seize power in Armenia. The businessman pleaded not guilty and called the Armenian authorities insolvent. His position in support of the church dissatisfied Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who posted several posts on social media with insults against the clergy and benefactors of the church. On August 11, the Criminal Court of Appeal of Armenia found the businessman's June detention unlawful. According to Karapetyan's lawyer Liana Gasparyan, the appeals court thus confirmed the fact of the businessman's illegal and unjustified detention, which, she said, is "only one of the illegal actions committed in this criminal process." https://sputnikglobe.com/20250811/armenian-court-of-appeal-rules-detention-of-businessman-karapetyan-unlawful-1122594327.html armenia yerevan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International armenia chuch crackdown, armenia chuch arrests, karapetyan arrest, karapetyan case https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/gagauz-parliament-delays-announcement-of-regional-legislative-election-date-1122618511.html Gagauz Parliament Delays Announcement of Regional Legislative Election Date Gagauz Parliament Delays Announcement of Regional Legislative Election Date Sputnik International The People's Assembly of Gagauzia, an autonomous Moldovan region, agreed at its Friday session to postpone the vote on the date of the next legislative elections, Gagauz parliament speaker Dmitry Konstantinov said, citing legal contradictions. 2025-08-15T11:58+0000 2025-08-15T11:58+0000 2025-08-15T11:58+0000 world moldova gagauzia chisinau court parliament https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/18901/40/189014030_0:97:1024:673_1920x0_80_0_0_95f754cebea5df9d2696be98b6eee43f.jpg The current assembly was elected in 2021. Under the autonomy's law, elections are held every four years. Lawmakers were divided in their opinion on the date of the next elections, with some saying they should be held on November 16, while others proposed postponing them to 2026. The law requires the election to be approved by the Court of Appeal in the Gagauz capital of Comrat, which was abolished by a decision of the Moldovan government in Chisinau, Konstantinov added. People in Gagauzia have repeatedly asked the Moldovan parliament to identify the court responsible for validating the mandates of Gagauzian lawmakers. After heated discussions, the lawmakers decided that they cannot afford to launch the electoral process, citing the risk of a contested election. They expect Moldova to address the issue after the parliamentary elections in September. The Moldovan government has been criticized for cracking down on the opposition and arbitrarily arresting its leaders. Opposition lawmakers have been routinely detained at Moldovan airports for visiting Russia, while criminal cases continue piling up against government critics. The government has also blocked over 100 Telegram channels and shut down more than a dozen media outlets, including Sputnik Moldova and several major TV channels. moldova gagauzia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International gagauz parliament, autonomous moldovan region, legislative election date https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/moldovan-opposition-lawmakers-demand-access-to-jailed-gagauzia-leader-1122615306.html Moldovan Opposition Lawmakers Demand Access to Jailed Gagauzia Leader Moldovan Opposition Lawmakers Demand Access to Jailed Gagauzia Leader Sputnik International Lawmakers from Moldova's opposition Pobeda (Victory) bloc sent a request to the Ministry of Justice and the National Administration of Penitentiaries demanding access to jailed Gagauzia leader Yevgenia Gutsul and other activists who are being unlawfully detained in Chisinau, the bloc said on Friday. 2025-08-15T08:45+0000 2025-08-15T08:45+0000 2025-08-15T08:45+0000 world gagauzia moldova maia sandu chisinau arrest access https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/04/11/1121882981_0:0:2263:1273_1920x0_80_0_0_b25c594efef4641e32607dbbf09ae7bb.jpg On August 5, a district court in Chisinau sentenced Gutsul to seven years in prison with immediate effect on charges of financing the banned Sor party. Gutsul called the court's decision a "political massacre." She accused Moldovan President Maia Sandu of repressing dissenting voices and promised to appeal the sentence. Svetlana Popan, an activist of the opposition Pobeda (Victory) bloc, was sentenced to six years in prison in the same case. Pobeda lawmakers have been unjustly denied access to their colleagues in the detention center for over a week, the bloc said. The administration of Detention Center No. 13 and the Ministry of Justice justified its denial of access by claiming that their mandates had expired. The bloc argued that parliamentary mandates remained valid until the new convocation meets. "Pobedas demands include: cessation of illegal restrictions, written justification for the administration's actions, punishment of those guilty of violating the law, and make sure that deputies have immediate access to political prisoners," the statement read. The opposition accuses the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) of political persecution ahead of the September parliamentary elections. Gagauzias Peoples Assembly has rejected the verdict against Gutsul and issued a resolution in her defense. The Moldovan government has been criticized for cracking down on the opposition and arbitrarily arresting its leaders. Gutsul was detained at the Chisinau airport in March. Opposition lawmakers have been routinely detained at Moldovan airports for visiting Russia, while criminal cases continue piling up against government critics. The government has also blocked over 100 Telegram channels and shut down more than a dozen media outlets, including Sputnik Moldova and several major TV channels. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250805/russian-upper-house-chief-slams-gutsuls-7-year-sentence-as-political-repression-1122556583.html gagauzia moldova Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International moldova's opposition pobeda, yevgenia gutsul, ministry of justice and the national, demand access to jailed gagauzia leader https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/moldovan-opposition-leader-urges-police-not-to-silence-public-dissent-1122618278.html Moldovan Opposition Leader Urges Police Not to Silence Public Dissent Moldovan Opposition Leader Urges Police Not to Silence Public Dissent Sputnik International Ilan Shor, the leader of Moldova's opposition Pobeda (Victory) bloc, urged the Moldovan police force on Friday "not to stifle the people's protest" and take the side of anti-government demonstrators during a rally set for Sunday. 2025-08-15T11:52+0000 2025-08-15T11:52+0000 2025-08-15T11:52+0000 world moldova chisinau opposition rally arrest police https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/06/1118821130_0:130:3185:1922_1920x0_80_0_0_2091e3e64c4dec43dbe06fbccbece413.jpg "Dear Moldovan officers! I call on you to side with the Moldovan people! You were ordered to stifle the people's protest. But you swore loyalty not to your superiors, but to the people. I promise you that when we replace this vile government, you will live with dignity. No one will force you to act illegally or immorally," Shor wrote on Telegram. Shor called the rally to protest arbitrary detentions of opposition activists in the capital of Chisinau. He said the venue had been moved from the central square to a square near the railway station due to pressure from the government. Earlier in the day, Moldovan police warned the public against joining in the protest, which they said had not been authorized by the authorities. The force said violators could face criminal charges. The Moldovan government has been criticized for cracking down on the opposition and arbitrarily arresting its leaders. Opposition lawmakers have been routinely detained at Moldovan airports for visiting Russia, while criminal cases continue piling up against government critics. The government has also blocked over 100 Telegram channels and shut down more than a dozen media outlets, including Sputnik Moldova and several major TV channels. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250812/jailed-gagauzia-leader-vows-to-fight-dictatorship-of-moldovas-sandu-1122601784.html moldova Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International moldovan opposition, moldovan police force, anti-government demonstrators https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/over-40-police-officers-injured-37-people-detained-at-serbia-protests---interior-minister-1122614379.html Over 40 Police Officers Injured, 37 People Detained at Serbia Protests - Interior Minister Over 40 Police Officers Injured, 37 People Detained at Serbia Protests - Interior Minister Sputnik International More than 40 Serbian police officers were injured, at least 37 people were detained during protests overnight to Friday in several cities across the country, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said. 2025-08-15T03:43+0000 2025-08-15T03:43+0000 2025-08-15T04:03+0000 world aleksandar vucic serbia belgrade serbian progressive party (sns) interior ministry ivica dacic mass protests anti-government protests europe https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/08/0f/1122614220_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_d188aeb6eb283dabe454854d36293679.jpg Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Thursday evening that protesters destroyed the office of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Novi Sad, and there were also incidents in Belgrade and other cities. He said the most serious situation developed in Novi Sad, where the police used riot gear against demonstrators. Serbian media reported on Thursday, citing law enforcement agencies, that arrests of riot participants were taking place during the day in several cities. Student and opposition protests began in Serbia after the canopy collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, killing 16 people. On December 30, 2024, the Supreme Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad filed charges against former Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesic and 12 other people in connection with the canopy collapse. The government has made thousands of documents related to the reconstruction of the station publicly available. The country's leadership calls on the opposition forces to engage in dialogue, but this call remains unanswered. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250324/color-revolution-in-the-making-is-serbia-under-globalist-attack--1121679026.html serbia belgrade Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International serbia protests, belgrade protests, protests in serbia, alexandar vucic on protests, Police arrested a 16-year-old boy in relation to the alleged murder and rape of a 13-year-old girl in Huddersfield. Authorities were called by the ambulance service to a flat on Sheepridge Road shortly after 11:30 p.m. BST on Monday to reports that a girl was found unresponsive. The victim was quickly transported to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead in the early hours of Tuesday. Teen Accused of Murder and Rape of 13-Year-Old Girl West Yorkshire Police said that the boy who was arrested by police is still in official custody. He is also accused of being responsible for the rape of a 16-year-old girl in a separate incident in Kirklees. On Wednesday night, a post-mortem examination was carried out on the 13-year-old girl, which found that her death was unexplained pending further investigation. In a statement, Det. Ch. Insp. Stacey Atkinson of the Homicide and Major Inquiry Team said that the post-mortem was not able to determine exactly how the victim was killed, according to BBC. Read more: Idaho Legislature Unanimously Approves Death Penalty for Child Sexual Abusers Atkinson added that the inquiries are complex and are expected to be lengthy as they work on trying to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the victim's death. She said that specially trained officers are currently supporting the 13-year-old girl's family. A separate incident in New Mexico involves an 18-year-old boy who faced multiple charges after police said he confessed to shooting an innocent stranger. The suspect, Sheliky Sanchez, is accused of shooting his Uber driver in a "calculated killing." Fatal Shooting of Uber Driver The teenager told authorities that he ordered the Uber last Thursday to kill anyone he could find so he could "let off some steam." A prosecutor said that at one point in the interrogation, the suspect said he enjoyed what he did, KOB4 reported. Another incident involved a 17-year-old boy who was accused of fatally stabbing his father in Cottontown. An official investigation found that the suspect had committed the crime after the dad allegedly shot the family dog for killing chickens. The Summer County Sheriff's Office said that the teenager heard a gunshot from inside the house, which prompted him to go outside and check what was happening. He went to the henhouse to confront his father and stabbed him twice. After a brief struggle, the boy was said to have gone inside their home to grab a gun before going outside and firing several shots. Officials said that the father was able to leave the property to call for help, as per WSMV. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/putin-trump-meeting-political-goodwill-for-peace-1122613329.html Putin-Trump Meeting: Political Goodwill for Peace Putin-Trump Meeting: Political Goodwill for Peace Sputnik International The summit will begin at 7:00 PM GMT on August 15 at Alaskas Elmendorf-Richardson military base. How will it go? 2025-08-15T07:30+0000 2025-08-15T07:30+0000 2025-08-15T09:22+0000 world vladimir putin donald trump dmitry peskov russia ukraine alaska kremlin us europe https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/07/14/1122461629_0:203:3095:1944_1920x0_80_0_0_3b2e1d1e7f57afeff214ea415f280216.jpg Presidential Talks Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will start with a one-on-one meeting with interpreters, followed by inter-delegation talks. Both will make brief opening remarks. After the discussions, Putin and Trump may hold a joint press conference. Key Focus The resolution of the Ukrainian crisis. Other topics such as bilateral economic cooperation and global security will also be addressed. Russo-American Effort The meeting will go ahead thanks to Putin and Trump's goodwill, said Peskov. Trump's Vision Trump said he was unsure whether a ceasefire deal in the Ukraine conflict could be reached after his meeting with Putin. He added that Russia and Ukraine should discuss any possible peace deal between themselves. Preparations US envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Russia was productive, and his signals paved the way for the Russo-US leaders meeting, Peskov said. The preparations were made in a very short timeframe, but all necessary conditions were met. Delegations Meeting Each side will have five members. Russian delegation: After the Putin-Trump talks, a joint lunch is planned. The Russian delegation will return home right after the summit. Symbolism The Kremlin stresses the symbolism of holding the meeting near the Fort Richardson National Cemetery in Anchorage, Alaska, where nine Soviet pilots and four personnel who died ferrying US aircraft under the Lend-Lease program from 1942 to 1945 are buried. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250814/putin-trump-ready-to-talk-will-discuss-most-difficult-issues-1122612649.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20250814/putin-not-excluding-next-stage-of-contacts-with-us-can-be-reaching-agreements-on-new-start-1122610341.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20250813/trump-hints-at-quick-second-meeting-with-putin-if-first-goes-well-1122606503.html russia ukraine alaska Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova vladimir putin, donald trump, putin-trump meeting, alaska, elmendorf-richardson military base, ukraine settlement, geopolitics, global trade, us and russian delegations, anchorage https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/russia-special-presidential-envoy-dmitriev-says-morale-very-high-ahead-of-russia-us-summit-1122620703.html Russia Special Presidential Envoy Dmitriev Says Morale Very High Ahead of Russia-US Summit Russia Special Presidential Envoy Dmitriev Says Morale Very High Ahead of Russia-US Summit Sputnik International The Russian special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, told RIA Novosti on Friday that his morale is very high ahead of the Russia-US summit. 2025-08-15T15:55+0000 2025-08-15T15:55+0000 2025-08-15T15:55+0000 world putin-trump meeting in alaska kirill dmitriev donald trump russia russian direct investment fund (rdif) us https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/0b/1080132485_0:0:3319:1867_1920x0_80_0_0_7a4d84397a9595f97dd5569e0861ef55.jpg "Morale is very high!" Dmitriev said. The whole range of relations, not only Ukraine, will be discussed at talks between Russia and the United States, Dmitriev added. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump will meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on the northern outskirts of Anchorage in Alaska later in the day. According to the White House, the meeting will begin at 11:00 a.m. local time (19:00 GMT). The Kremlin announced that the summit would start with a one-on-one conversation between the two presidents, who will be later joined by five envoys of the delegations from each side. The central topic of the meeting will be the resolution of the Ukraine crisis. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/us-delegation-to-alaska-summit-includes-16-people---white-house-press-pool-1122618397.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia special presidential envoy dmitriev, morale very high, russia-us summit https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/russia-to-set-out-its-position-during-talks-in-alaska---lavrov-1122614711.html Russia to Set Out Its Position During Talks in Alaska - Lavrov Russia to Set Out Its Position During Talks in Alaska - Lavrov Sputnik International Russia will set out its clear position during the US-Russia talks in Alaska, and much has already been done on this issue during the visits of US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday. 2025-08-15T05:31+0000 2025-08-15T05:31+0000 2025-08-15T09:22+0000 russia-us talks on ukraine settlement donald trump steve witkoff vladimir putin russia alaska putin-trump meeting in alaska https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/07/0f/1122440293_0:13:1009:581_1920x0_80_0_0_9551cdfa9be6071d22417f8905ba5d1f.jpg Russia will set out its clear position during the US-Russia talks in Alaska, and much has already been done on this issue during the visits of US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday. Former Russian Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin says theres no substitute for face-to-face diplomacy especially between leaders who already get along. Its crucial for our president to personally present Russias position to Trump, Stepashin told Sputnik. He reminded that Putin and Trump have good personal chemistry something that Donald Trump himself has underscored. Handshakes and direct talks carry more weight than memos or phone calls, Stepashin noted. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/lavrov-ambassador-to-us-darchiev-arrived-in-alaska-1122614091.html russia alaska Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia will set out its clear position during the us-russia talks in alaska, and much has already been done on this issue during the visits of us presidential special envoy steve witkoff, russian foreign minister sergey lavrov said on friday. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/south-korea-will-not-seek-to-absorb-north-as-part-of-unification---president-1122616197.html South Korea Will Not Seek to Absorb North as Part of Unification - President South Korea Will Not Seek to Absorb North as Part of Unification - President Sputnik International South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said on Friday that the South was not seeking to "absorb" the North in its unification drive and was prepared to restore military and humanitarian ties with Pyongyang. 2025-08-15T09:38+0000 2025-08-15T09:38+0000 2025-08-15T09:38+0000 asia lee jae-myung north korea seoul south korea https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/0c/1f/1121320938_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_1e545ed9c3e4a6558470473b386fbaf3.jpg "We do not seek any form of 'absorption' and have no intention of engaging in hostile actions," Lee said during a speech that marked the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule. Seoul intends to "gradually restore" the September 2019 military agreement on tension reduction with North Korea in order to prevent accidental clashes and build military trust, the president said, adding that the North and the South are not enemies. The South Korean president added that the confrontation between Seoul and Pyongyang hindered the South's economic progress and called for an end to "old Cold War thinking" and a new era of peace on the Korean Peninsula. "We know that maintaining enmity benefits neither the people of the North nor the people of the South. Far more important than winning a fight or avoiding a fight is creating a situation where fighting is not needed at all," the president stated. The 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation should be a moment to "end the era of enmity and confrontation" and begin a new era of peaceful coexistence and shared prosperity, he said. Lee has advocated for a thaw in the relations with North Korea since taking office in June, calling on civil society groups to stop distributing anti-North Korean leaflets. In June, South Korea and North Korea suspended broadcasts of military propaganda over loudspeakers along their borders. In July, South Korea completely stopped broadcasting anti-North Korean programs on TV and radio, which had been vocally critical of the North Korean government for decades. South Korea's Ministry of Unification has also allowed its citizens to contact North Korean citizens with prior notice. Kim Yo Jong, a senior North Korean official and the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, criticized the proposal to return to dialogue and cooperation, arguing that Seoul stuck to its old habits despite loud words, maintaining a military alliance with the United States and continuing anti-North policies. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250814/no-reconciliation-north-korea-will-legally-define-rok-as-hostile-1122606735.html north korea seoul south korea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International south korean president lee jae-myung, unification, south korea, restore military and humanitarian ties with pyongyang https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/trump-holds-wonderful-talks-with-lukashenko-ahead-of-meeting-with-putin-1122619825.html Trump Holds 'Wonderful Talks' With Lukashenko Ahead of Meeting With Putin Trump Holds 'Wonderful Talks' With Lukashenko Ahead of Meeting With Putin Sputnik International US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had held a telephone conversation with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and discussed the release of 1,300 additional prisoners. 2025-08-15T14:15+0000 2025-08-15T14:15+0000 2025-08-15T15:53+0000 world putin-trump meeting in alaska donald trump us alexander lukashenko vladimir putin alaska belarus https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/06/1109204867_0:156:3053:1873_1920x0_80_0_0_74cbca42c624e025f78ff97540008af2.jpg "I had a wonderful talk with the highly respected President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko. The purpose of the call was to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners. We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners. Our conversation was a very good one," Trump said on Truth Social. The leaders discussed many issues, including Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to Alaska, the statement said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/trump-plans-to-greet-putin-personally-upon-arrival-at-place-of-talks-in-alaska---reports-1122617384.html alaska belarus Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International talks' with lukashenko, us president donald trump, belarusian president alexander lukashenko https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/uk-exports-to-us-hit-3-year-low-amid-trade-tariffs-1122614907.html UK Exports to US Hit 3-Year Low Amid Trade Tariffs UK Exports to US Hit 3-Year Low Amid Trade Tariffs Sputnik International Exports of UK goods to the United States fell by more than 13% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2025 to hit a three-year low, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said. 2025-08-15T05:33+0000 2025-08-15T05:33+0000 2025-08-15T05:33+0000 economy donald trump united kingdom (uk) british chamber of commerce (bcc) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/04/1a/1121933989_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_348cfcc261a4dc12c0a3609c31ce7a85.jpg "Tariff effects are clearly being felt by companies exporting to the US. Total goods exports across the Atlantic for Q2 2025 were 13.5% lower than a year ago ... This was the first full quarter of the reciprocal US tariffs, which add an extra 10% to most UK sectors, from food and drink to chemicals. The effect of these higher costs is becoming clear, with the lowest levels of goods exports to the US for 3 years," the BCC said in a statement on Thursday, commenting on the latest ONS trade data. In absolute terms, the export of British goods fell by 2 billion pounds ($2.7 billion). In June, US President Donald Trump announced a US-UK trade agreement. The United Kingdom became the first country to conclude an agreement with the US after Trump introduced trade tariffs. As a result of the deal, US tariffs on some British goods were reduced to 10%, while on others they were completely eliminated. However, the terms of the agreement regarding the export of British steel and aluminum to the US have not yet been determined and these goods are subject to 25% tariffs. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250602/uk-aims-to-slash-us-steel-tariffs-as-trump-raises-bar-to-50-1122171927.html united kingdom (uk) Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International exports of uk goods to the united states fell by more than 13% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2025 to hit a three-year low, the british chambers of commerce (bcc) said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/ukraines-soviet-arsenal-nearly-depleted-kiev-almost-entirely-reliant-on-western-aid-1122618928.html Ukraines Soviet Arsenal Nearly Depleted, Kiev Almost Entirely Reliant on Western Aid Ukraines Soviet Arsenal Nearly Depleted, Kiev Almost Entirely Reliant on Western Aid Sputnik International Ukraines military has reached a critical turning point, transitioning from relying on its legacy Soviet and Russian artillery and rocket supplies to becoming almost entirely dependent on Western aid, the latest quarterly report of the Operation Atlantic Resolve revealed. 2025-08-15T12:48+0000 2025-08-15T12:48+0000 2025-08-15T12:48+0000 world sergey lavrov ukraine russia kiev nato weapon aid weapons supplies f-16 https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/03/1116571014_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_c815c4ca0452324c78d4a095e1e77894.jpg "As of this quarter, Ukraine had nearly exhausted its supplies of Soviet and Russian artillery and rocket ammunition, making the UAF [Ukrainian armed forces] almost entirely reliant on Western assistance," the report released on Thursday said. The report of the US Department of Defense's ongoing mission to bolster the security of NATO allies and provide support to Ukraine also details persistent challenges in other critical areas. Despite significant aid, Ukraine's air defenses and its fleet of F-16 fighter jets remain insufficient to deal with missile and uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) attacks, which continue to inflict damage on Ukrainian infrastructure. Fulfilling Ukraines air defense needs is further complicated by a global shortage of essential components, according to the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U), a US-led German-based command that coordinates military assistance to Ukraine. The global demand for these parts presents a significant challenge to the timely delivery of crucial defensive systems. Russia believes that arms supplies to Ukraine are hindering the peace process in Ukraine and getting NATO allies directly involved in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250716/trumps-new-aid-to-ukraine-amounts-to-very-little-militarily-us-stocks-drawn-down--expert-1122446330.html ukraine russia kiev Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International ukraines soviet arsenal, russian artillery and rocket supplies, western aid, western aid https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/us-senator-plans-to-discuss-military-facilities-in-alaska-with-trump--reports-1122615766.html US Senator Plans to Discuss Military Facilities in Alaska with Trump Reports US Senator Plans to Discuss Military Facilities in Alaska with Trump Reports Sputnik International Republican Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska plans to meet with US President Donald Trump on Friday to discuss military facilities and brief him on the icebreaker purchase, Alaska's News Source broadcaster reported. 2025-08-15T09:28+0000 2025-08-15T09:28+0000 2025-08-15T09:28+0000 world donald trump russian direct investment fund (rdif) alaska dan sullivan sergey lavrov russia us putin-trump meeting in alaska https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/0d/1108347160_100:0:2900:1575_1920x0_80_0_0_72c207c026611a6e13411ac15fb66b84.jpg Sullivan will meet with President Trump during the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin to talk about military installations in Alaska. He said that Alaska's role as the summit host demonstrated American strength. The senator also said he would update Trump about the commissioning of the US Coast Guards new icebreaker, which arrived in Juneaus Auke Bay on August 6. In September 2024, Sullivan proposed reopening decommissioned US Naval Base Adak in Alaska, which was closed in 1997. Other military bases in the state remain operational. The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, on the northern outskirts of Anchorage in Alaska, on Friday. The leaders are expected to discuss ways to resolve the Ukrainian conflict as well as other issues of mutual interest. The Russian delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, and the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries, Kirill Dmitriev. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250814/putin-trump-summit-to-take-place-at-alaskas-elmendorf-richardson-base-1122607564.html alaska russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us senator, military facilities in alaska, us president donald trump, icebreaker purchase https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/white-house-calls-putin-trump-summit-in-alaska-historic-1122620391.html White House Calls Putin-Trump Summit in Alaska Historic White House Calls Putin-Trump Summit in Alaska Historic Sputnik International The White House on Friday called the summit of Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska "historic." 2025-08-15T15:53+0000 2025-08-15T15:53+0000 2025-08-15T15:53+0000 world putin-trump meeting in alaska vladimir putin us donald trump sergey lavrov russia alaska russian direct investment fund (rdif) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/08/0f/1122617033_0:129:3062:1851_1920x0_80_0_0_c391b53342828ae648d46ed9589c0b20.jpg "President Donald J. Trump Departs Washington, D.C., for Alaska for a Historic Summit," the White House said on X. Meanwhile, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said that the Arctic state made sense as a place to host such a meeting, adding that it was once a Russian territory a long time ago. The governor also said that Alaskans were not worried about threats. "We have got a robust military, so we sleep well at night," he said. The meeting between Putin and Trump is expected to take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on the northern outskirts of Anchorage in Alaska on Friday. This is the leaders' first face-to-face meeting since Trumps reelection and their last summit in 2019. According to the White House, the meeting will begin at 11:00 a.m. local time (19:00 GMT). The leaders are expected to discuss ways to resolve the Ukraine conflict as well as other issues of mutual interest. The Russian delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Russian special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries, Kirill Dmitriev. https://sputnikglobe.com/20250815/trump-plans-to-greet-putin-personally-upon-arrival-at-place-of-talks-in-alaska---reports-1122617384.html russia alaska Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2025 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International white house, putin-trump summit in alaska, russian president vladimir putin and us president donald trump The countdown is on and it's now only one month away and coming fast. The 2025 Goshen Yearling Sale will be held at noon on Monday (Sept. 15) at the Mark Ford Training Center in Middletown, N.Y. and 112 outstanding prospects will be available for purchase that day. They include yearlings by Huntsville, American Ideal, Courtly Choice, Mets Hall, Shadow Play, Six Pack, Papi Rob Hanover and a host of others that make up this stellar group of potential stake winners. Catalogues are available at most tracks and training centres in the U.S. Northeast and they can also be downloaded right from the sale's website (goshenyearlingsale.com). Live video of the entire sale and online bidding will be available through Cattle In Motion. Their website (cattleinmotion.com) is a one-stop shop for everything pertaining to the GYS, but bidders will need to register in advance of the sale for all the available benefits. Prospective purchasers can register now to bid online. This process includes creating an account, completing the lifetime verification (which gives you access to all future online auctions) and then signing up for the Goshen Yearling Sale. The whole process takes about five minutes. If successful, there will be a "you are eligible to bid on this auction" messages at the bottom of the page. Questions concerning sale registration can be directed to 888.554.8437 or [email protected]. Cattle In Motion will also be providing the live video feed for the auction. This will start at approximately 11:15 a.m. (45 minutes before the sale at noon) and run for the duration. This feed will be available through a Cattle In Motion account. Once registered, sign up for sale updates that can be received via text, email or both. These updates will be sent out in real time as they become available, right through the end of the sale. The sales facility is located at 90 Slaughter Road, Middletown, N.Y., which is within a 90-minute drive of many major racetracks and training centres in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, making it a very convenient location. Preparations for on-site customers are currently underway and there is a plethora of information concerning lodging and restaurants in the area for those who are making the trip. For any other inquiries, please contact Mark Ford directly at 973-568-3253 (cell) or by email at [email protected]. (Goshen Yearling Sale) Exhibition honors role of overseas Chinese in war against Japanese aggression Xinhua) 09:39, August 15, 2025 BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition opened in Beijing on Thursday to honor overseas Chinese contributions in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The exhibition, which features nearly 400 artifacts, is being held at the Overseas Chinese History Museum of China to commemorate the 80th anniversary of victory in the wars. It aims to pay tribute to overseas Chinese for their selfless support for the Chinese nation when it was at risk of falling apart. It presents a panoramic view of the indelible achievements of overseas Chinese in the wars. It is the first time that the museum has organized a comprehensive physical exhibition on this subject since it opened in 2014. The museum has also partnered with the Guangdong Provincial Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese to host photography exhibitions in multiple cities in the province. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) "In New York and across the country, Social Security is more than a check: it's a lifeline earned through a lifetime of hard work," said Beth Finkel, AARP New York State Director. "Social Security is one of the most successful and popular programs in our nation's history, and for 90 years, it has never missed a payment. Today's celebrations honored that promise of dignity and financial stability, while recommitting to protecting and strengthening it for our kids and grandkids." Social Security's impact in New York is significant: nearly one in five New York State residentsabout 3.76 million peoplereceive Social Security, pumping $79 billion into the state's economy each year. For 38% of older New Yorkers, the program provides at least half of their income. AARP New York's events included: Times Square Takeover & "We Earned It" Bus Tour: The night kicked off at Times Square with a towering billboard celebrating Social Security's 90th anniversary, followed by a double-decker bus tour featuring more than 50 AARP volunteers, everyday New Yorkers, State Director Beth Finkel , and special guest AARP CEO Myechia Minter-Jordan . As the bus traveled through Midtown and Lower Manhattan, riders shared personal stories about how Social Security has impacted their lives. The night kicked off at Times Square with a towering billboard celebrating Social Security's 90th anniversary, followed by a double-decker bus tour featuring more than 50 AARP volunteers, everyday New Yorkers, State Director , and special guest AARP CEO . As the bus traveled through Midtown and Lower Manhattan, riders shared personal stories about how Social Security has impacted their lives. Skyline Salute: Iconic landmarks across New York State , from Times Square to Niagara Falls , were illuminated in red, white, and blue as a visual tribute to a program that has never missed a payment in nine decades, highlighting its reliability, reach, and impact. Sites included: Albany International Airport Gateway Alfred E. Smith State Office Building Empire State Plaza State Education Building The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building The "Franklin D. Roosevelt" Mid-Hudson Bridge Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Bronx Borough Hall Brooklyn Borough Hall Kosciuszko Bridge 1WTC Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct Manhattan Municipal Building Moynihan Train Hall MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station NYC City Hall Oculus Times Square billboard Queens Borough Hall Staten Island Borough Hall Niagara Falls Niagara Parks Peace Bridge 3 City Center Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center Legacy Tower Monroe County Government Office One East Avenue Rochester City Hall The Bachelor Forum The Metropolitan Rochester The Nathaniel Tower 280 Midtown State Fairgrounds Main Gate & Expo Center Syracuse City Hall Nassau County Executive Building Suffolk County Executive Building Iconic landmarks across , from Times Square to , were illuminated in red, white, and blue as a visual tribute to a program that has never missed a payment in nine decades, highlighting its reliability, reach, and impact. Sites included: "Slice of the Story" Pizza Shop Conversations: In the weeks leading up to Social Security's 90th anniversary, AARP brought the celebration to local pizzerias statewide, from Albany to Long Island and all five boroughs of New York City . Over a slice of classic New York pizza, older adults shared with their local Congressmembers how their earned Social Security benefits"their slice of the pie"have provided financial security for themselves and their families. AARP's New York celebrations are part of the AARP nationwide "We Earned It" campaign, which honors Social Security's past while advocating for bipartisan solutions in Washington to secure its future. Social Security has helped generations of Americans avoid poverty, live with dignity in retirement, and provide financial security for their families. Nationwide, nearly 69 million Americans receive Social Security payments, while over 183 million workers contribute to ensure the program's future. "For 90 years, Social Security has been the bedrock of financial security and dignity in retirement, helping millions of Americans, especially the 40% of older adults who rely on it as their primary income, stay out of poverty after a lifetime of hard work. As a New Yorker, I'm proud to be here in New York City, surrounded by iconic landmarks lit up in red and white, to celebrate this milestone with New Yorkers. Together, we're shining a spotlight on the urgent need to protect and strengthen Social Security," said AARP CEO Myechia Minter-Jordan. In honor of Social Security's 90th anniversary, Governor Kathy Hochul issued a statewide proclamation recognizing August 14, 2025, as Social Security Day in New York. In New York City, the New York City Council also passed a resolution to mark August 14 as Social Security Day annually, highlighting the critical role Social Security plays in helping millions of New Yorkers live with dignity, stability, and peace of mind. AARP is proud to celebrate Social Security's 90th Anniversary while calling on our leaders to protect and strengthen the program for millions of New Yorkers, today and for future generations. Connect with AARP New York on X: @AARPNY , Facebook: AARP New York and LinkedIn: AARP New York About AARP AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/ , www.aarp.org/espano l or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates on social media. SOURCE AARP New York The 166th Kings Plate is set for this Saturday (Aug. 16) at Woodbine Racetrack and racing fans will be able to take in all the action through a wide variety of platforms. WATCH Sportsnet One and Citytv will provide live coverage of The Kings Plate from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. The broadcast will also include the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes, which serves as a Breeders Cup Win and Youre In race. The two-hour Kings Plate network broadcast will cover all the angles and stories leading up to Canadas most prestigious race. Host Caroline Cameron and racing analyst Mark McKelvie will lead the coverage, along with insights and analysis from host Anna Dua and longtime NHLer and notable racing analyst Ed Olczyk. Reporter Brodie Lawson will speak with participants and special guests from the walking ring to the winners circle. Alanna Nolan will be on horseback to provide trackside views and post-race interviews. Betting analyst Rob Conway will provide wagering analysis. Lauren Howe will be reporting from the various parties at Woodbine, while Katrina Squazzin will be live from downtown Toronto at the Sankofa Square watch party. Woodbines simulcast will have its full race-day coverage, available on Woodbines website and YouTube channel. Hosts Jeff Bratt and Elissa Blowe will take horseplayers through the day, including an expanded pre-game show at 11:45 a.m. Track announcer Robert Geller will call his 11th consecutive Plate. The team at Americas Best Racing will have a special Kings Plate stream on Saturday afternoon, featuring special guests and racing analysis. The stream will begin at 3:30 p.m. DRF Espanol also returns to provide Spanish commentary of The Kings Plate. Woodbine Mohawk Park is also hosting a Kings Plate Viewing Party throughout the day Saturday ahead of live racing at 6:35 p.m. WAGER Horseplayers in Canada can watch and wager through HPIbet and are encouraged to download the new HPIbet app from the App Store or on Android. New sign-ups to HPIbet that wager $100 in their first 30 days will get $100 in free bets bonus. HPIbet is also offering a $5,000 Early Pick-5 Hit & Split. Those that play the Pick-5 through HPIbet and are successful will split an extra $5,000. Opt-in is required. Wagering is also available in Ontario through bet365 and now through OLG.ca and OLG app. Horseplayers can also attend their local Champions Off-Track Betting location to watch and wager on The Kings Plate. Horseplayers outside of Canada can play along through their local ADW. FanDuel TV will broadcast The Kings Plate live in the United States. The wagering menu for The Kings Plate card includes a new Kings & Queens Pick-3, several prominent guarantees and a pair of mandatory payouts. Kings & Queens Pick-3 (Kings Plate, G1 E.P. Taylor and G2 King Edward) - $5 minimum and low 15 per cent takeout $1 million in Pick-5 guarantees - $200,000 Early Pick-5, $400,000 Middle Pick-5 and $400,000 Late Pick-5 Mandatory Payouts Power Pick-6 and Jackpot Hi-5 First post time for Saturdays Kings Plate card is 12:45 p.m. (EDT). The approximate post time for The Kings Plate (Race 9) is 5:34 p.m. (EDT). (Woodbine) Highly specialized dentist combines prestigious board certification with state-of-the-art techniques to deliver unparalleled precision in full-mouth rehabilitation and cosmetic reconstruction. GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Stanbrick Dental Specialists proudly marks the one-year anniversary of Dr. Angela Schmidt, DDS, MS, FACP, joining the practice as a board-certified prosthodontist. Known for her precision and patient-focused care, Dr. Schmidt has helped patients with complex dental needs regain function and confidence. Dr. Schmidt brings a deep level of experience and dedication to prosthodontic care, having achieved board certification through a rigorous process that fewer than a third of prosthodontists complete. This certification required passing four comprehensive examinations, including detailed case reviews and oral defense before board-certified examiners, a testament to what she describes as "education, experience, and skill." Dr. Angela Schmidt from Stanbrick Dental Specialists, part of Stanbrick Dental Group Addressing Complex Cases with Precision During her first year at Stanbrick, Dr. Schmidt has helped transform the oral health and confidence of patients facing lifelong dental struggles, trauma-related impacts, and secondary effects from various health conditions, including a history of addiction or cancer treatment. Her work spans restorative, cosmetic, removable, and implant dentistry, handling some of dentistry's largest-scale cases: full-mouth reconstructions for severely worn or damaged teeth, advanced dental implant procedures ranging from single-unit to full-arch restorations, correction of failing dental work, and highly aesthetic cosmetic cases. The Board Certification Advantage "Patients can expect a high level of expertise and precision in comprehensive and aesthetic treatment," explains Dr. Schmidt. "Board certification demonstrates the highest standards in clinical knowledge, ethics, and a dedication to long-term patient outcomes." Dr. Schmidt completed her prosthodontics residency at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Acquiring the rigorous board certification following her education represents a professional milestone she describes as "a major accomplishment of dedication and hard work" and "an honor to be recognized at this level of care." Collaborative Care in a Multi-Specialty Environment Dr. Schmidt's integration into Stanbrick's multi-specialty model has enhanced the practice's ability to provide seamless, full-spectrum care to patients. "Having each member of our specialty team in the same office under the same high-quality standards and goals creates an easy avenue for communication to collaborate in patient care," she notes. This approach allows for real-time consultation and coordinated treatment planning that benefits patients requiring multiple specialties like Orthodontics, Periodontics, Endodontics and Oral Surgery. Female Specialist in Dentistry Female prosthodontists have grown from 8.5% to 33% since 1995. When asked why she chose prosthodontics, Dr. Schmidt shared: "Dentistry runs in my blood. My father and many other family members are in the field. I always knew it was something I wanted to pursue, but it wasn't until I attended a conference focused on full arch restoration with dental implants that I found my specialty. I wanted to take on the challenge of full-mouth restoration and give someone a smile they could be proud of again." Advanced Technology Meets Specialized Expertise Dr. Schmidt utilizes state-of-the-art techniques and digital imaging to deliver a precise diagnosis. Her comprehensive treatment planning ensures accurate solutions with long-term outcomes that enhance oral health and improve patients' quality of life. About Dr. Angela Schmidt Angela Schmidt, DDS, MS, FACP, is a board-certified prosthodontist at Stanbrick Dental Specialists in Greenwood Village, Colorado. She earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery from Marquette University School of Dentistry and thereafter completed her residency at the University of Illinois, Chicago, where she received her Certificate in Prosthodontics and Master of Science in Oral Health. Dr. Schmidt specializes in comprehensive and aesthetic treatment including dental implants, full-mouth reconstruction, cosmetic dentistry, and complex restorative cases. About Stanbrick Dental Specialists Located at 8200 E Belleview Ave, Suite 426C, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, Stanbrick Dental Specialists offers comprehensive multi-specialty dental care under one roof (Prosthodontics, Orthodontics, Periodontics, Endodontics, and Oral Surgery). For more information or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Schmidt, visit https://stanbrick.com/location/stanbrick-dental-specialists/ or call (720) 649-0430. SOURCE Stanbrick Dental Group 3 min read If your brand wants to thrive in the UK search landscape, link building is still one of the most powerful ways to improve visibility and trustboth locally and nationally. But modern SEO success doesnt come from quantity alone. The quality, relevance, and authority of your backlinks are what really move the needle. To help you choose the right partner for your goals, here are 10 of the best UK link building agencies offering standout services for businesses of all sizes. Click Intelligence Click Intelligence has earned a reputation as one of the UKs top SEO and link building agencies by blending transparency with smart strategy. Their campaigns are results-focused, and their client portal makes managing orders, tracking placements, and reviewing reports incredibly easy. Whether youre a local business looking to rank in your region or a national company scaling across multiple sectors, their team delivers. Notus Digital Blending data and SEO insight, Notus Digital designs link building campaigns that fuel national reach while maintaining brand tone and relevance. With a smart content approach and competitive benchmarking, they build authority the right way. Front Page Advantage Hampshire-based Front Page Advantage is a Google partner agency with a keen focus on PPC and SEO integration. Offering technical audits, local SEO and ongoing campaign management, they have decades of industry experience to support their customers. 1SEO Digital Agency Though based abroad, 1SEO has made inroads in the UK market thanks to their high-volume outreach and on-page optimization expertise. Their team knows how to support national campaigns with a performance-first mindset that drives traffic and rankings. Blue Array Blue Array offers digital PR, international SEO, content optimization and technical SEO, blending strategic insight with execution using their consulgency model. They also offer in-house SEO training and thought leadership through the Blue Array Academy, iGenerate Digital Agile, effective, and value-focused, iGenerate Digital is ideal for SMEs and startups, though based in Australia. Their local SEO services are tailored to help you rank in your immediate area while gradually building national visibility. Theyre a smart choice for rapid growth without cutting corners. The Creative Composite Known for their inclusive ethos, The Creative Composite works with community-focused businesses to boost visibility using ethical, tailored link building. Their strategies are rooted in storytelling and values-led marketing, perfect for health, wellness, education, and non-profit sectors. Ignite SEO Ignite SEO is a London agency that offers local and technical SEO, content optimization and link building. They have an 86-point SEO audit framework that sets them apart, and provide regular video updates to customers. Solvid Solvid is a London-based Seo and digital PR agency that supports clients, largely fintech, SaaS and eCommerce, with fully managed SEO campaigns, in-house content marketing and SEO audits. RBSEO RBSEO are experts in high-volume, high-authority link building. They offer in-house SEO services using a pay-on-results trial model, and theyve served more than a thousand clients since 2005. Final Thoughts In 2025, brands cant afford to chase cheap backlinks or gamble on fly-by-night SEO providers. The agencies above understand the evolving link building landscape and create campaigns that support both local dominance and national growth. Whether youre a small business looking to get on the map or an enterprise brand ready to cement your authority, the right agency can transform your organic performance. Click Intelligence leads this list with a blend of transparency, technology, and strategy that makes scaling SEO easier than ever. But each of these agencies brings something powerful to the tablewhether its creative outreach, regional expertise, or advanced analyticshelping UK brands grow in the most sustainable way possible. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Cell Reports Sustainability (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100367 Shifting electricity consumption to times when the grid has a greater supply from alternative energy sources could help reduce carbon dioxide emissions significantly, according to a new University of Texas at Dallas study. UT Dallas engineers, who collaborated with researchers from Harvard University and Nantum AI, developed a new model that optimizes the timing of electricity use based on an energy grid's availability of alternative energy sources to achieve greater reductions in carbon emissions, which are a subset of greenhouse gas emissions. The study was published in the May 23 issue of the journal Cell Reports Sustainability. "When we leverage real-time data on greenhouse gas emissions, we are able to provide information that utilities and consumers could use to make better decisions about electricity consumption to reduce emissions," said Dr. Jie Zhang, associate professor of mechanical engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. Zhang, corresponding author of the paper, studies ways to optimize energy use to make energy systems more resilient and reliable. Electricity grids across the United States rely on a mix of power sources, including wind, solar, hydro, nuclear, natural gas and coal. Each of these sources' contributions to a particular gridan interconnected network that generates, transmits and distributes electricity from power plants to consumersfluctuates based on factors such as the time of day, season, weather conditions and geography. For example, in the Northwest, hydropower comprises about 30% of that region's source of electricity, according to the study. Grids typically first draw from alternative energy sources, which have no carbon emissions, before moving to other sources such as natural gas and coal to meet electricity demands, Zhang said. The researchers found that by aligning electricity use with times when the grid is supplied with higher amounts of alternative energy sources, consumers could use the same amount of electricity without increasing carbon emissions. For example, consumers could help to reduce carbon emissions by using their washing machines in the evening, when the grid may get more of its power from wind energy, instead of the afternoon, when the grid faces peak demand and taps into fossil fuel sources for power. "If you shift your laundry time from peak load to off-peak load times, you help the grid in many ways and reduce greenhouse emissions," Zhang said. While efforts to reduce carbon emissions often focus on increasing the supply of alternative energy sources, the study demonstrates that making changes on the demand side can also make a significant contribution. The researchers developed models to study three different scenarios based on different regions of the U.S. that vary in the mix of sources that power their electricity grids. Regions with abundant renewable energy showed the most potential for reducing carbon emissions. The study demonstrated that providers that incorporate electricity supply and consumption patterns over a year, rather than shorter periods of time, in their planning can achieve greater reductions in carbon emissions. California, for example, could achieve up to 33% greater carbon-emission reductions by incorporating the annual optimization approach. That means if the state cut carbon emissions by 10%, using the model could boost that reduction to more than 13%. The number is based on consumers shifting 5% of their electricity use to lower greenhouse gas intensity times. Zhang said that implementing the emissions-reduction model would require utilities to communicate to their customers the time slots when electricity is being generated primarily by alternative energy sources. Other UT Dallas researchers who contributed to the study include first author Honglin Li, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering, and Soroush Senemmar Ph.D."24. More information: Honglin Li et al, Real-time greenhouse gas emission intensity informed demand-side load regulation for power grid decarbonization, Cell Reports Sustainability (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100367 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Erik Karits from Pexels Floods. Fires. Drought. Extreme heat. Massive storms. It's impossible to read the news these days without seeing clear distress signals from a planetary climate system in growing disarray. The impacts of climate change are no longer some theoretical future harm. We're living them today. And unless we take urgent action to end our reliance on fossil fuels, things will continue to get worse. But there is a clear path forward. Our society must undertake a rapid transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Many of the solutions we need to do so are already available to us, just waiting to be scaled up. The biggest obstacle has long been lack of political will. Turning the tide will require bringing more people from all walks of life into the climate movement. And a powerful tool for that is the concept of a just transition: building a carbon-free economy in a way that protects workers and communities in the process and builds a more just future for all. UC Santa Cruz Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies J. Mijin Cha is a globally recognized expert in just transition, and her latest book "A Just Transition For All," argues that the renewable energy transition must be more than a mere fuel source replacement. In order to fight inequality and avoid unintended consequences, the transition should follow a justice-focused policy framework that disrupts "business as usual" in our political and economic systems. The UC Santa Cruz news team talked with Cha about the importance of just transition and how it can be achieved, even amidst today's growing political challenges. You often say that renewable energy must be a 'just transition,' rather than 'just a transition.' What is the difference, and why does it matter? The energy transition is not the first industrial and economic transition and it won't be the last. As economies and technologies evolve, we should expect to see transition. However, historically, we have largely been unable to support workers and communities through these transitions. We do a better job supporting firms, but by and large, workers and communities are left to weather these transitions on their own. The result is that transitions are often unjust. Deindustrialization, for example, left entire swaths of the United States without any transition assistance, and those communities continue to suffer today, as a painful example of this dynamic. If we do not understand and mitigate the challenges of transition as we move from fossil fuels to renewables, we will have another unjust transition. But, given the scale and scope of fossil fuel use, the socio-economic consequences of this transition would be too great if not done right, and we cannot risk that. Just transition fundamentally is about ensuring this pattern of workers and communities bearing the brunt of transition ends. What this could look like in practice is having a strong social safety net and programs to diversify regional economies, including building new educational infrastructure to prepare fossil fuel workers for new careers, seeding new businesses, and providing long-term economic support, to ensure that communities don't lose jobs and revenues that they rely upon. What are some examples of strategies you recommend as being essential to bringing about a just transition, and how did you arrive at these recommendations? My book presents a governance framework called the "Four+ Pillars for a Just Transition." The original Four Pillars were something I developed in partnership with Dr. Manuel Pastor at the University of Southern California. We were approached by a coalition of environmental justice groups who weren't necessarily primarily focused on climate change but could see that there would be a need to transition away from fossil fuels and wanted to advocate for their communities, rather than be on the receiving end of someone else's ideas. By looking at past industrial transitions, undertaking original data analysis to understand where renewable energy jobs would be created in California and where fossil fuel jobs would be lost, and conducting semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, I developed the Four Pillars framework on what is needed for a just transition. Those pillars are strong governmental support, dedicated funding streams, economic diversification, and strong and diverse coalitions. The first three address policy structure and governance considerations needed to help advance a just transition, and the fourth speaks to the need to build political power. While writing the book, I realized that the Four Pillars were necessary, but not sufficient to ensure a just transition. They might make it so that the transition is less inequitable, but they did not guarantee the transformational policies that a just transition requires. So, I added the "plus" pillar of "non-reformist reforms," which is a concept that comes from labor and abolition studies. Non-reformist reforms are reforms that operate within the existing system that build alternatives to the extractive, unjust system while also winding down the unjust system. For instance, in the energy context, public ownership of fossil fuel resources for a managed decline is something that could be advanced within the existing systems and institutions while also ensuring a managed reduction in fossil fuel extraction. As long as fossil fuel extraction is profitable, there will never be an orderly, managed decline, if there is a decline, at all. So, by bringing it under public control, we remove the profit motive and then can do the planning necessary to protect workers and communities and diversify economies. An added benefit is that we would stop subsidizing the fossil fuel industry. How can we continue to make progress toward these goals amidst current political headwinds? I think we have to be clear-eyed about what is happening. The government in power in the United States is an authoritarian government. You cannot negotiate with authoritarians. You cannot appease them. While that is scary and extremely challenging, it also means now is the time for a bold, transformative vision. We cannot keep thinking that everything is fine and we just need more tax credits for renewable energy generation. No. We need something transformative. This is the moment where the climate movement has to become a truly social justice movement, which means we move away from the overly technocratic, apolitical approach to climate that still dominates a lot of discussion. The fourth pillarstrong and diverse coalitionsspeaks to this need. The only way to overcome fossil capital is through a mass multi-racial, multi-class movement. We need to be organizing broadly, across movements, and standing up to fascism. It can start with organizing people on your block, in your class, anywhere. Organizing will build the political power we need to fight for a more just future. It won't be easy, but we don't really have a choice, if we want to have a habitable planet. The good news is that we get to create what we want a just transition to look like, and it will look a bit different in every region. This is an opportunity for communities and workers to shape their future, rather than being passive observers to their fate. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Thursday renewed sanctions against Russian cryptocurrency exchange platform Garantex for facilitating ransomware actors and other cybercriminals by processing more than $100 million in transactions linked to illicit activities since 2019. The Treasury said it's also imposing sanctions on Garantex's successor, Grinex, as well as three executives of Garantex and six associated companies in Russia and the Kyrgyz Republic that have enabled these activities - Sergey Mendeleev (Co-founder) Aleksandr Mira Serda (Co-founder) Pavel Karavatsky (Co-founder) Independent Decentralized Finance Smartbank and Ecosystem (InDeFi Bank) Exved Old Vector A7 LLC A71 LLC A7 Agent LLC "Digital assets play a crucial role in global innovation and economic development, and the United States will not tolerate abuse of this industry to support cybercrime and sanctions evasion," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, John K. Hurley. "Exploiting cryptocurrency exchanges to launder money and facilitate ransomware attacks not only threatens our national security, but also tarnishes the reputations of legitimate virtual asset service providers." Garantex was first sanctioned by the U.S. in April 2022 for facilitating transactions from darknet markets and illicit actors such as Hydra and Conti. The cryptocurrency exchange's website was seized as part of a coordinated law enforcement operation back in March 2025, and its co-founder, Aleksej Besciokov, was arrested in India. Merely months later, TRM Labs revealed that Garantex may have rebranded as Grinex, likely in an effort to evade sanctions, with the former continuing to process more than $100 million in transactions since the sanctions were levied. Eighty-two percent of its total volume was linked to sanctioned entities worldwide. "Days after Garantex's takedown, Telegram channels affiliated with the exchange began promoting Grinex, a platform with a nearly identical interface, registered in Kyrgyzstan in December 2024," TRM Labs noted in May. The U.S. Treasury said criminal users use Garantex to launder their ill-gotten funds, processing funds from those related to Conti, Black Basta, LockBit, NetWalker, and Phoenix Cryptolocker ransomware variants. It also said Garantex moved its infrastructure and customer deposits to Grinex shortly after the March law enforcement actions. Furthermore, Garantex is said to have worked with affected customers to regain access to their accounts using a ruble-backed stablecoin called A7A5 token, which is issued by a Kyrgyzstani firm called Old Vector. The token's creator is A7 LLC. According to a report from Elliptic, A7A5 has been used to transfer no less than $1 billion per day, with the aggregate value of A7A5 transfers pegged at $41.2 billion. In all, Grinex is estimated to have facilitated the transfer of billions of dollars in cryptocurrency transactions within the few months it has been operational. "Garantex has also provided account and exchange services to actors associated with the Ryuk ransomware gang," the agency said. "Ekaterina Zhdanova, a prolific money launderer, exchanged over $2 million in Bitcoin for Tether (USDT) via Garantex." Garantex's outgoing funds from September 2024 through May 2025 Zhdanova was previously sanctioned by the U.S. in November 2023 for laundering virtual currency for the country's elites and cybercriminal crews, including Ryuk. "Garantex's senior executives have supported its ability to enable cybercrime and sanctions evasion by procuring computer infrastructure for Garantex, registering its trademarks, and engaging in business development efforts to make its activities appear legitimate," the Treasury added. "Garantex's network of partner companies has also enabled it to move money, including illicit funds, outside of Russia." The U.S. Department of State has announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Serda and $1 million for information on other key leaders of Garantex. It's worth noting that A7 was sanctioned by the U.K. in May 2025 and by the European Union last month. "The March 2025 multinational takedown did not halt these activities," TRM Labs said. "Instead, Garantex's leadership quickly activated a contingency plan that appears to have been in place for months." "The integration of A7A5 into Grinex represents only the most recent chapter in Garantex's long-standing role in illicit finance. Both before and after its designation by the U.S. Treasury, Garantex operated as a key conduit for ransomware laundering, darknet market transactions, sanctions evasion, and the movement of funds through high-risk Russian financial networks." The new wave of sanctions comes as the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) unsealed six warrants authorizing the seizure of over $2.8 million in cryptocurrency, $70,000 in cash, and a luxury vehicle. The cryptocurrency, the DoJ said, was seized from a cryptocurrency wallet controlled by Ianis Aleksandrovich Antropenko, who has been charged in the U.S. for allegedly using Zeppelin ransomware to target individuals, businesses, and organizations worldwide. "The cryptocurrency and other assets are proceeds of (or were involved in laundering the proceeds of) ransomware activity," according to the DoJ. "Those assets were laundered in various ways, including by using the cryptocurrency mixing service ChipMixer, which was taken down in a coordinated international operation in 2023. Antropenko also laundered cryptocurrency by exchanging cryptocurrency for cash and depositing the cash in structured cash deposits." In a related development, more than $300 million in cryptocurrency assets linked to cybercrime and fraud schemes, including romance baiting (aka pig butchering) scams, have been frozen as part of an ongoing effort to identify and disrupt criminal networks. Update The U.K. government has also imposed sanctions against Grinex and Meer, the latter of which was among the first cryptocurrency exchanges to list A7A5, as well as the Kyrgyzstan-based infrastructure behind the Russian ruble-backed stablecoin (Grinex and Old Vector), which it said had moved $9.3 billion in four months. The action is designed to crack down on Russia's attempts to avoid sanctions by exploiting Kyrgyz financial systems and cryptocurrency networks, the government added. "If the Kremlin thinks they can hide their desperate attempts to soften the blow of our sanctions by laundering transactions through dodgy crypto networks they are sorely mistaken," Sanctions Minister Stephen Doughty said. Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov has since appealed to the U.S. and U.K. governments, warning against politicizing the economy, Reuters reported August 21, 2025. According to Chainalysis, A7A5 is backed by deposits at sanctioned Russian bank Promsvyazbank (PSB) and has processed over $51.17 billion through the end of July 2025. "A7A5 volumes sharply increased following the Garantex takedown and subsequent launch of Grinex in mid-March; the launch of the Kyrgyzstani exchange Meer at the beginning of April; and the A7A5 launch on the sanctioned Russian exchange Bitpapa in mid-June," the blockchain intelligence firm said. "While each of these events individually may not signal a direct impact on the overall increase in activity, these moves highlight broadened access to the token and greater adoption in the Russian cryptocurrency ecosystem." (The story was updated after publication on August 22, 2025, to include details about sanctions imposed by the U.K.) D2L Updates Lumi with Personalized Study Supports Learning platform D2L has introduced new artificial intelligence features for D2L Lumi that help provide more personalized study supports for students. "We're thrilled to share the latest AI updates with D2L Lumi, marking a step forward in how AI can help elevate teaching and learning," said John Baker, president, founder, and CEO at D2L, in a statement. "With new features that can make it easier and faster to deliver personalized learning activities, guide learners with timely study support, and gain deeper insights into learner progress and where to act, educators can focus more on what truly matters helping learners succeed. By putting humans in the driver's seat, we're designing and harnessing AI-native capabilities in our learning platform to help unlock insights and bring to life new possibilities for the future of learning." The new features include: D2L Lumi Study Support: Provides learners with tailored recommendations based on quiz performance, pointing out areas for growth and upskilling. Provides learners with tailored recommendations based on quiz performance, pointing out areas for growth and upskilling. D2L Lumi Insights: Offers visibility for educators into learner behavior around quizzes, including what Lumi Study Support recommendations they received. Offers visibility for educators into learner behavior around quizzes, including what Lumi Study Support recommendations they received. D2L Lumi Tutor: Integrates an intelligent teaching and learning chat into course content, to provide real-time assistance on due dates, personalized study plans, instant practice, and more. Integrates an intelligent teaching and learning chat into course content, to provide real-time assistance on due dates, personalized study plans, instant practice, and more. D2L Lumi Feedback: Enables instructors to automate grading by generating text and rubric feedback based on their own notes. For more information, go to the D2L site. The researchers identified a potential therapeutic vulnerability in pediatric high-grade gliomas PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study, led by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), identified tiny pieces of messenger RNA that are missing in pediatric high-grade glioma tumors but not in normal brain tissues. Preclinical research indicates that these missing RNA fragments can make difficult-to-treat tumors more responsive to immunotherapy. The findings were recently published in the journal Cell Reports. One of the biggest challenges facing cancer research is the need to find safe and effective therapies for the most aggressive types of brain tumors. Adoptive immunotherapies with CAR-T cells are promising; however, they often also target healthy cells, which share most surface proteins with cancerous cells. While this collateral damage might be tolerable in patients with certain types of blood cancer, in the brain, wiping out healthy neurons is unacceptable. This means that deep knowledge of gene expression patterns exclusive to tumor cells is critical. A potential means of discovering new therapeutic targets for brain tumors may lie in alternative splicing, a process whereby a single gene produces multiple proteins by rearranging exons, the building blocks of messenger RNA, in different combinations. Researchers suspected that splicing in glioma cells may differ from splicing in normal brain cells, which could help devise new therapeutic interventions. In this study, researchers found that prior RNA sequencing analyses of high-grade gliomas failed to account for some very short exons called "microexons." Deeper analysis revealed that in glioma, many of these microexons fail to be incorporated into messenger RNAs encoding important surface proteins, including the neuronal cell adhesion molecule known as NRCAM. For normal brain cells to make close contacts known as synapses, full-length NRCAM is needed, but in pediatric high-grade gliomas, two NRCAM microexons were consistently skipped, resulting in a distinct protein structure with unknown function. When studying these microexons in more detail, the researchers found that the shortened version of NRCAM generated through microexon skipping was essential for cancer cell migration and invasion in Petri dishes and for tumor growth in a preclinical mouse model implanted with glioma cells. This makes the glioma-specific version of NRCAM an especially attractive immunotherapy target because the tumors won't be able to shut it down easily. "While microexons may be small, the effects they have on the overall protein structure are quite profound," said senior study author Andrei Thomas-Tikhonenko, PhD, chief of the Division of Cancer Pathobiology at CHOP and Professor of in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. "Because the skipping of NRCAM microexons profoundly changes protein conformation, we were able to develop a mouse monoclonal antibody against the glioma-specific version of NRCAM. When mixed with glioma cells, the antibody worked like a highlighter, "painting" glioma cells and marking them for killing by T cells armed with an immune receptor for mouse antibodies." "In addition to developing these immune receptors clinically, we are actively using our proof-of-principle experiments to design traditional CAR T cell-based immunotherapeutics that selectively target glioma cells," said first study author Priyanka Sehgal, PhD, a research scientist in the Thomas-Tikhonenko laboratory at CHOP. "This could also change the way we find new targets in other solid tumors." The next steps for this work will be to expand preclinical research and identify a specific form of immunotherapy that could potentially be explored in a clinical trial. The researchers also noted that similar molecular mechanisms have been observed in other tumors such glioblastoma multiforme and cancers of neuroendocrine origin, which also could be targeted with NRCAM-directed immunotherapeutics. This study was supported mainly by the CureSearch for Children's Cancer Foundation Acceleration Initiative and also by the National Institutes of Health grants U01 CA232563, R03 CA293992, R01 HG013359, UG3 CA290451 and R01 EB026892, and NIH training grants T32 CA115299, T32 HL007150 and T32 CA009140. Additional support was provided by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, Cancer Research Society Next Generation of Scientists Award, the Children's Brain Tumor Network,the Chad Tough Foundation, and the Mildred L. Roeckle Endowed Chair in Pathology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Sehgal et al, "NRCAM variant defined by microexon skipping is a targetable cell surface proteoform in high-grade gliomas." Cell Rep. Online August 7, 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116099. About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: A non-profit, charitable organization, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, the hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. The institution has a well-established history of providing advanced pediatric care close to home through its CHOP Care Network , which includes more than 50 primary care practices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers, and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. CHOP also operates the Middleman Family Pavilion and its dedicated pediatric emergency department in King of Prussia, the Behavioral Health and Crisis Center (including a 24/7 Crisis Response Center) and the Center for Advanced Behavioral Healthcare , a mental health outpatient facility. Its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit https://www.chop.edu. Contact: Jennifer Lee Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (610)800-6592 [email protected] SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Nakita Haynes whose remains were found among the debris of a house that went up in flames. The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding a fatal house fire in the community of Diamond that claimed the lives of two residents. A police report said that "At approximately 6:06 a.m. on Friday, August 9, 2025, officers received reports of a fire in the area. Officers and firefighters from the RSVGPF Fire Brigade were dispatched to the scene, where the structure was found engulfed in flames. The blaze was extinguished; however, the building and all its contents were completely destroyed. Two persons, Keithroy Damsel, a 33-year-old labourer, and Nakita Haynes, a 50-year-old domestic, both residents of Diamond, were pronounced dead at the scene by the District Medical Officer, the police report said. But while the police involve themselves in their investigations, indication from a source said that the woman may well have been dead long before the house was set on fire; and that she could well have been killed by the man, he knew as Junior. That source maintained that the house was set on fire by Junior, after he entered the house occupied by Haynes and locked himself in. No one with whom THE VINCENTIAN spoke, including the source quoted herein, wanted to commit to describing the nature of the relationship between Haynes and Damsel. The source said, though, that the house that went up in flames belonged to one Carl Jessop who was employed in Mustique and who, it is reported, had a relationship with Haynes. Jessop is now homeless since he "lived at the house whenever he was on the mainland, the source said. The RSVGPF said it was "dedicated to determining the circumstances that led to this tragedy, and encourages anyone with information that can assist the investigation to contact Police Control at 457-1211, the Criminal Investigations Department/Major Crimes Unit at 456-1810, or the Public Relations and Complaints Department at 485-6891. A light exchange at the head table among (from left) Attorney General Grenville Williams, Ambassador of Taiwan H.E. Fiona Huei-Chun, and Commissioner of Police Enville Williams. The end-of-phase for the Enhancing Public Safety with Intelligent Video Analytics Project, a partnership between the Governments of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, took place with a ceremony on August 8, 2025, at the Questelles Police Station. The ceremony, which also included the handing over of a bucket truck to the Royal SVG Police Force, was chaired by Desiree Armstrong, Assistant Director of Information Technology Services Division (ITSD), and had in attendance: Her Excellency Fiona Huei-Chun, Ambassador of Taiwan; Attorney General Grenville Williams who represented Camillo Gonsalves, Minister of Finance; and Commissioner of Police, Mr. Enville Williams along with gazette officers. The Enhancing Public Safety with Intelligent Video Analytics Project, a three-year initiative under which the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) was installed and activated, drew support from Taiwans expertise in smart surveillance and technological innovation. Taiwans support was in keeping with its commitment to assist in strengthening St. Vincent and the Grenadines capabilities in applying advanced information technology, expanding the coverage and accessibility of smart surveillance systems, and promoting automated image analysis and alert mechanisms. More than 300 surveillance cameras have been installed at over 20 locations across the country, including Union Island and Bequia, underscoring the governments commitment to ensuring the safety of all citizens. The programme also delivered more than 10 specialized training courses on subjects ranging from cybersecurity and intelligent video analytics to project management and equipment maintenance, led by leading academics from Taiwan and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) fellow. Over 200 Vincentians participated, significantly strengthening the nations pool of technical expertise. The system now integrates AI-powered technologies, including license plate recognition, enabling law enforcement to rapidly track suspicious vehicles and improve investigative efficiency. A new centralized video-sharing platform allows real-time footage to be securely shared among multiple government departments, fostering collaboration for public safety, disaster response, urban planning, and environmental monitoring. During the ceremony, Ambassador Fan expressed her gratitude to the Ministry of Finance, the Information Technology Services Division, and the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force for their steadfast support and invaluable collaboration. She noted that the robust CCTV network and iSurveillance system now in place represent an important step forward in national security, and explained that the newly donated bucket truck will help ensure the safety of maintenance teams. She reaffirmed Taiwans commitment to ensuring its allies have access to the latest technological advancements and are empowered to fully participate in the digital revolution. Commissioner Williams described the new system as a transformative tool for law enforcement and a force multiplier for public safety, attributing its success to the strong and growing partnership between Taiwan and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. He stressed that the close of phase two is not the end of the journey, but the beginning of something greater. Attorney General Williams emphasised the strategic importance of the technology in extending CCTV coverage to keep communities safe, and commended Taiwans consistent willingness to share its expertise and technology. (Sources: Embassy of Taiwan, RSVGPF) The United States announced criminal charges against Haitian gang leader and former police officer Jimmy Barbeque Cherizier and a North Carolina man on Tuesday for conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions. The July 17 indictment, unsealed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges that "Barbeque and Bazile Richardson, also known as "Fredo Pam, engaged in a wide-ranging conspiracy to circumvent sanctions and raise funds for Barbeques gang activities in Haiti. It alleges they solicited funds from members of the Haitian diaspora in the United States to help pay salaries of gang members and purchase firearms. Barbeque launched a gang alliance in 2020 that brought together nine criminal groups in the area of capital Port-au-Prince known as G9 Family and Allies, which later allied with its main rivals into a group known as Viv Ansanm (Living Together) - which now controls most of the capital. Barbeque acts as spokesman for this alliance, which declared itself a political party at the start of this year, but which has been designated a terrorist organization by the US and other European countries. Human rights groups accuse its members of massacres, rapes, ransom kidnappings, extortion and arson. They control many of the main routes around Port-au-Prince, complicating the transport of food, aid and medical supplies. Barbeque is also alleged to have played a role in multiple massacres that include the killing of over 70 people in an impoverished neighborhood of Port-au-Prince in 2018. Despite the partial deployment of a U.N.-backed security mission and anti-gang efforts by Haitis National Police, Barbeque, alongside other major gang leaders, continues to operate from strongholds in and around the capital. The United States is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to Barbeques arrest. State of Emergency Meanwhile, Haitis government has announced a three-month state of emergency in several parts of the country as it battles surging gang violence. In a statement on Saturday, the government said the state of emergency would allow the Haitian authorities to "continue the fight against insecurity and respond to the agricultural and food crisis. Haiti has reeled from years of violence as powerful armed groups, often with ties to the countrys political and business leaders, have vied for influence and control of territory. But the situation worsened dramatically after the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, which created a power vacuum. Nearly 1.3 million people have been displaced across the country, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in June, while the United Nations estimates that 4,864 people were killed from October 2024 to June of this year. Efforts to stem the deadly gang attacks, including the deployment of a UN-backed, Kenya-led police mission, have so far failed to restore stability. (Sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera) Ethanael Montague body was found in waters some distance away from the main Canash beach area. (Source: St. Vincent Times) That two persons would be called to their final resting places in separate incidents on their birthdays might sound uncanny, but here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, it presented itself as reality. First the body of a 19-year-old male resident was discovered in the waters off Blue Lagoon on Sunday August 10, 2025, by personnel from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard Service. According to information reaching THE VINCENTIAN, Ethanael Montaque was said to be celebrating his birthday with friends at Canash Beach on Saturday 9th August, when he disappeared in the water around 3:00 that afternoon. THE VINCENTIAN was not able to ascertain exactly when the alert went out that Ethanael could not be found. But by the time the Coast Guard was summoned and arrived at the scene, it appeared to have been some time after the young man had disappeared, an onlooker later told THE VINCENTIAN. The onlooker though, complimented the personnel from the Coasts Guard "who remained steadfast and committed to the search which took them well into the next day. The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) said it has mounted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the 19-year-old. Fatal accident And with investigations still fresh into Ethanael death, the police were summoned to Richland Park on the night of Tuesday, August 12, 2025. There they encountered a fatal vehicular accident that occurred, according to reports, around 11:45 p.m., The report, as confirmed later by the police, said that the incident involved a red Suzuki Escudo jeep, registration number PK207, owned and driven by Angus Pompey, a 55-year-old contractor of Richland Park. The vehicle went over an embankment onto private property. The driver was pronounced dead by the District Medical Officer. "The body was later transported to the Kingstown Mortuary, where a post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of death, according to the police report on the accident. Kirk Knight, a former teacher and musician, said that he knew Pompey by the alias Hog. "Hes no longer with us. He died last night after his Jeep turned over with him in Richland Park. He was out celebrating his birthday. He was a very outspoken and energetic person who loves enjoying himself. To all his family and friends, be strong and my deepest condolences to you. May his soul sleep in eternal peace, Knight wrote in a Facebook post. You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). VANCOUVER, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- City Office REIT, Inc. (NYSE: CIO) (the "Company," "City Office," "we" or "our") announced today that it has completed the first closing in the sale of its Phoenix portfolio for gross sale proceeds of $266 million. The sale represents six of the Company's seven properties located in Phoenix. The Company's Pima Center property continues to be under contract at a $30 million gross sales price. Pima Center is expected to close at a later date, subject to the Company obtaining certain approvals related to the property's ground lease. The sale transaction was previously announced in a press release and in a filing made by the Company on Form 8-K on July 24, 2025. The completion of this first closing of the Phoenix portfolio satisfies a closing condition in the merger agreement, dated July 23, 2025, between the Company and MCME Carell Holdings, LP and MCME Carell Merger Sub, LLC (the "Merger Agreement," and the merger contemplated thereby, the "Transaction") requiring the sale of certain Phoenix properties as more thoroughly described in the filing made by the Company on Form 8-K on July 24, 2025. About City Office REIT, Inc. City Office REIT is an internally-managed real estate company focused on acquiring, owning and operating office properties located predominantly in Sun Belt markets. City Office currently owns or has a controlling interest in 4.2 million square feet of office properties. The Company has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Forward-looking Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Certain statements contained in this press release, including those that express a belief, expectation or intention, as well as those that are not statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and as such are based upon the Company's current beliefs as to the outcome and timing of future events. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as "approximately," "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "budget," "contemplate," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "future," "hypothetical," "intend," "may," "outlook," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "seek," "should," "target," "will" or other similar words or expressions. There can be no assurance that actual results of forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the consummation of the proposed Transaction or pending sale of Pima Center, or those pertaining to expectations regarding our financial performance, expectations as to the likelihood and timing of closing of acquisitions, dispositions, or other transactions, the expected operating performance of the Company's current properties, and changes in local, regional, national and international economic conditions, including as a result of the systemic and structural changes in the demand for commercial office space. Forward-looking statements presented in this press release are based on management's beliefs and assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on historical performance and management's current plans, estimates and expectations in light of information currently available to us and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to the factors, risks and uncertainties described above, changes in global, regional or local political, economic, business, competitive, market, regulatory and other factors described in our news releases and filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including but not limited to those described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 under the heading "Risk Factors" and in our subsequent reports filed with the SEC, many of which are beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove to be incorrect, our actual results may vary in material respects from what we may have expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We caution that you should not place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date of this press release. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. The Company does not guarantee that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements contained in this press release are free from errors. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Additional Information and Where to Find It A full description of the terms of the Transaction and the Merger Agreement will be provided in the proxy statement that the Company intends to file with the SEC to be used at its special meeting of shareholders to approve the proposed Transaction. SHAREHOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, CITY OFFICE'S PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT AND DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING BECAUSE THESE STATEMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. The definitive proxy statement will be mailed to shareholders as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed Transaction. Shareholders will also be able to obtain a copy of the proxy statement, without charge, by directing a request to: City Office REIT, Inc., Investor Relations, 666 Burrard Street, Suite 3210, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 2X8, or at its website, https://cioreit.com. The preliminary proxy statement and definitive proxy statement, once available, can also be obtained, without charge, at the SEC's internet site (http://www.sec.gov). Participants in Solicitation The directors, executive officers and certain other members of management and employees of the Company may be deemed "participants" in the solicitation of proxies from shareholders of the Company in favor of the proposed Transaction. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in the solicitation of the shareholders of the Company in connection with the proposed Transaction will be set forth in the proxy statement and the other relevant documents to be filed with the SEC. You can find information about the Company's executive officers and directors in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 as filed with the SEC on February 20, 2025 or its annual proxy statement filed with the SEC on March 12, 2025. Contacts City Office REIT, Inc. Anthony Maretic, CFO +1-604-806-3366 [email protected] SOURCE City Office REIT, Inc. SIXTY-YEAR-OLD David Greeves died after he attempted to save his home which caught fire whil PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Berger Montague , a national securities litigation law firm, is investigating potential securities fraud claims against Hims & Hers Health Inc. ("Hims & Hers" or the "Company") (NYSE: HIMS). Investor Deadline: Investors who purchased or acquired Hims & Hers securities between April 29, 2025 and June 22, 2025 (the "Class Period") may, no later than August 25, 2025, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. To learn your rights, CLICK HERE . On June 23, 2025, Novo Nordisk announced the termination of its partnership with Hims & Hers, alleging that the company engaged in deceptive marketing and sold unapproved compounded versions of semaglutide. Following the announcement, shares of Hims & Hers declined by over 34% in intraday trading, reflecting investor concerns regarding regulatory compliance and reputational risks. This suit alleges throughout the Class Period, Hims & Hers made materially false or misleading statements or omitted material information regarding the nature and regulatory status of its GLP-1 offerings, the associated risks, and the partnership with Novo Nordisk. The firm is examining whether Hims & Hers and certain executives violated federal securities laws by making false or misleading statements to investors. If you are a Hims & Hers investor and would like to learn more about this action, CLICK HERE or please contact Berger Montague: Andrew Abramowitz at [email protected] or (215) 875-3015, or Caitlin Adorni at [email protected] or (267)764-4865. About Berger Montague Berger Montague, with offices in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Delaware, Washington, D.C., San Diego, San Francisco and Chicago, has been a pioneer in securities class action litigation since its founding in 1970. Berger Montague has represented individual and institutional investors for over five decades and serves as lead counsel in courts throughout the United States. For more information or to discuss your rights, please contact: Andrew Abramowitz, Senior Counsel Berger Montague (215) 875-3015 [email protected] Caitlin Adorni Berger Montague (267) 764-4865 [email protected] SOURCE Berger Montague OKLAHOMA CITY The late George Nigh was remembered and honored on Thursday as a longtime leader and former governor but he was celebrated as a quintessential Oklahoman. Hundreds of people, including former President Bill Clinton, who gathered at a memorial service held for Nigh at Crossings Community Church, shared stories about his service as a gifted legislator and twice-elected governor who also served as president of the University of Central Oklahoma. But those who spoke said Nigh, who died on July 30 at age 98, should be recalled more as a born-and-bred Oklahoman who truly cared about people, regardless of their station in life. He was an easy friend to make who knew great stories about communities from Slapout to Cookietown. He was a man of faith and an irrepressible optimist who was committed to making conditions better for everyone. He lived his life, those who spoke said, with an unshakeable determination simply to live each day to the fullest and to make every new day better than the last. Nigh, whose career in Oklahoma politics spanned four decades, served two full terms as governor, from 1979 to 1987, and parts of two other terms. A former history teacher from McAlester, he had previously served in the state House of Representatives and also as lieutenant governor. Clinton, who was the governor of Arkansas at the same time Nigh was governor of Oklahoma, said they worked together on projects, like one to improve the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. He described Nigh as a mentor who, like any other successful politician, had to take some knocks and deal with disappointments. But he said his fellow Democrat had a unique ability to move quickly past any setback and to remain focused on things that truly mattered, like working to improve education and health care and to strengthen Oklahomas economy. He also was a guy who appointed more women and minorities to jobs in state government, including two women on the Supreme Court, than anybody ever had, Clinton said. At a time when so much of politics seems like performance art, Clinton said, Nigh should be remembered as a public servant who didnt care much about who got credit for accomplishments. George might have kept score a little bit like this, the former president said. Are people going to be better off when I quit than when I started? Are children going to have a brighter future? And are we going to be coming together and recognizing that what we have in common is more important than our differences? For all of that, we should be paying tribute to his life. Clinton acknowledged that a number of past and current political leaders, Democrat and Republican, were in attendance at the memorial service. Id like to say a special word of appreciation to Gov. Stitt and all your predecessors who are here without regard to party, he said. Clinton and the Rev. Wendell Estep both commented that Nigh preferred to look more to what the future might hold than to dwell on the past. We need to spend more time like George did looking out the windshield than through the rearview mirror, Clinton remarked, but I also think that we should cherish the memories that make us feel like our better selves. He said people should take to heart Nighs legacy: You have to decide what youre going to do with every day. You have to decide that youre going to make it better, he said. You have to decide that youre not going to give up hope. What a gift his life was. Thats what I hope youll remember. Others who spoke at the service included the Rev. Marty Grubbs and Nighs longtime friends Bob Burke and Bob Blackburn. Blackburn said Nigh was a man of principle, character and courage who excelled as a leader because he cared more about doing the right things than he did about scoring political points. He also was a man of the people who enjoyed visits with ordinary Oklahomans at least as much as, if not more than, his dealings with movers and shakers in the state. Burke recalled that as a young lawmaker Nigh was the driving force behind Oklahoma! being adopted as the state song. Fittingly, Thursdays service ended with the University of Central Oklahoma choir and attendees all on their feet singing the beloved anthem. As long as the wind comes sweeping down the plain and the wheat smells sweet and the hawks are still making lazy circles in the sky, a bit of George, a bit of his legacy, will go into those lyrics of what I believe is the greatest of state songs, Burke said. Youre doing fine, Oklahoma, and thank you, George, for giving your entire life to serving your fellow Oklahomans. Nigh is survived by his wife of 61 years, Donna Nigh, and their daughter, Georgeann Duty. Where your story lives: Tulsa Spotlight ABC News appoints Chief Digital Political Correspondent An Insiders regular has crossed the floor from newspapers to public broadcaster. ABC News has appointed reporter Clare Armstrong as Chief Digital Political Correspondent. She succeeds Jacob Greber, who is now Political Editor of 7:30. Armstrong is currently National Political Editor for News Corp. She was previously a federal political reporter at the Daily Telegraph and also reported for the Townsville Bulletin. Im excited to take on this new role as the ABCs Chief Digital Political Correspondent, she daid. Every decision in Canberra has a ripple effect across the country and Im looking forward to breaking stories and providing insight and analysis on the issues that matter most to Australians. ABC Director, News Justin Stevens: Clare is a hugely talented and highly experienced political journalist and an acute analyst of national politics with a track record of breaking news. ABC audiences would already be familiar with Clare from her regular appearances on the Insiders couch. She is a terrific addition to the ABCs strong Canberra Parliament House team. Armstrong features on Insiders this Sunday and will start with the ABC later this year. For more than three decades, the pumped storage hydro station in South Carolina has performed a vital role as the largest "battery" on the company's system Effort supports the intent of South Carolina leaders to address growth by continuing to operate proven electricity capacity in the state GREENVILLE, S.C., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy has announced its submission of the final license application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the Bad Creek Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Station, located near Salem, S.C. The application, if approved, would extend the plant's operations for an additional 50 years. A flexible, dynamic, efficient and emission-free way to store and deliver large quantities of energy, pumped storage hydro plants store and generate energy by moving water between two reservoirs at different elevations. Located in Oconee County, S.C., Bad Creek is designed to produce significant amounts of energy when our customers need it most, performing a vital role as the largest "battery" on the company's system since 1991. Why it matters: As part of the company's responsibility to serve nearly 860,000 retail electric customers across South Carolina, Duke Energy needs to not only build large amounts of new generation but also extend the lives of those proven workhorse facilities like Bad Creek and the company's existing nuclear fleet to support the economic success and growth the state is experiencing. Duke Energy recently completed upgrades to the four units at the Bad Creek pumped storage facility in Salem, S.C. The upgrades add a total of 320 megawatts of carbon-free energy to the company's system, increasing the total capacity of the station to 1,680 megawatts. This commitment to relicense the Bad Creek facility reflects the investments the company is making to maintain and enhance our generating fleet and serve a growing customer base. Next steps: The current operating license for the project expires in July 2027 and Duke Energy consulted with more than 70 stakeholders to propose a new license that would run for another 50 years. Duke Energy expects a decision on our operating license application from FERC in 2027, before the original license expires. More info: Downloadable b-roll of Bad Creek is available for use. Please courtesy credit: "Duke Energy". What they're saying: U.S. Rep. Sheri Biggs : "Bad Creek is a cornerstone of South Carolina's energy infrastructure and a testament to the kind of smart, long-term investment our state needs. I'm proud to support Duke Energy's efforts to extend operations at this critical facility. This project will help power our communities, support economic growth, and ensure a reliable, affordable energy future for families and businesses across the Upstate." : "Bad Creek is a cornerstone of energy infrastructure and a testament to the kind of smart, long-term investment our state needs. I'm proud to support Duke Energy's efforts to extend operations at this critical facility. This project will help power our communities, support economic growth, and ensure a reliable, affordable energy future for families and businesses across the Upstate." Duke Energy South Carolina President Tim Pearson : "Extending the life of this 'marvel in the mountain' has been a significant part of our planning for the future for many years. Our commitment to keep a proven asset like Bad Creek online for decades to come while also bringing a diverse portfolio of new generating resources to the grid reflects the direction our state's leaders have made clear is the right path forward to support a reliable, affordable and resilient energy future for South Carolina ." Duke Energy Carolinas Duke Energy Carolinas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 20,800 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 24,000-square-mile service area in North Carolina and South Carolina. 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 8.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,100 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. 24-Hour: 800.559.3853 SOURCE Duke Energy David Stratton: A great luminary ABC and SBS have both remembered legendary film critic David Stratton. ABC and SBS have both remembered legendary film critic David Stratton, who featured on At the Movies and The Movie Show, respectively. ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks told TV Tonight, What a great luminary in our industry. He epitomised all those things that I think you look for in people that are going to communicate with the public. There was a warmth, a deep expertise, an ability to take all that together and communicate that to the audience. Thats the sort of person that you should aspire to be as a presenter and as a deliverer of content to the audience. I just thought his craft and ability, his empathy that came across, his knowledge To me, what a great example for other people to look at and follow. What a great loss that is. ABC also said in a statement, The ABC is deeply saddened by the passing of revered film critic, writer and educator David Stratton, aged 85. David appeared on Australian screens for three decades alongside Margaret Pomeranz, with whom he shared one of the most iconic partnerships in Australian broadcasting. From 1984 until 2004, he co-hosted The Movie Show with Margaret on SBS. The pair then moved to the ABC, where they hosted At the Movies until 2014. SBS Managing Director, James Taylor said in a statement, SBS is deeply saddened by the passing of David Stratton, one of Australias most respected and beloved film critics. His insightful reviews and deep passion for film have left an indelible mark on Australian culture. From 1986 to 2004, David co-hosted SBSs The Movie Show alongside Margaret Pomeranz, introducing generations of viewers to cinema from Australia and around the world. His legacy endures in every thoughtful review and every inspired viewer. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Davids family and loved ones, and honour his extraordinary contribution to the art of cinema. ABC iview has added David Strattons Stories of Australian Cinema back to its home page while SBS on Demand has also added The Movie Show to its home page. His family has asked for privacy but invited everyone to celebrate his remarkable life and legacy by watching his favourite movie of all time, Singing in the Rain. Four Corners: Aug 18 Sovereign citizens or freedom fighters? Four Corners investigates. On Monday Four Corners reporter Mahmood Fazal embeds with a growing anti-government movement, challenging the authority of the courts, councils and cops. Some call themselves sovereign citizens, others freedom fighters. Supercharged during the COVID lockdowns, the movements rising influence and resolve has made it one of the judiciarys primary concerns. Theyre flooding the legal system with pseudolaw claims, staging their own trials and targeting officials with campaigns of harassment and intimidation. While they claim to be peaceful, many express the desire for an armed population, ready to act against what they see as an oppressive government. This week on Four Corners, reporter Mahmood Fazal embeds with key figures inside the movement to see how it operates. From sheriffs serving their own court orders to government departments, to local council meetings overrun by anti-vax activists. Lawfare traces how the movement is trying to exert influence across Australia. Legal experts explain how this seemingly victimless civil disobedience can sometimes escalate into intimidation, violence and serious risks to public safety. The investigation exposes a movement thats testing the limits of Australian law and the institutions meant to uphold it. It examines the human and institutional impact of the movement and the danger to our democracy if its not taken seriously. August 18 at 8.30pm on ABC. Neale Whitaker joins My Reno Rules Also joining are buyer's agent Simon Cohen and interiors expert Julia Green. Former Block judge Neale Whitaker (Love It Or List It Australia) has joined My Reno Rules coming to Seven in 2026. Im thrilled to be joining a show that will truly redefine renovation TV. Along with Simon and Julia, I get to share my experience with a new generation of Aussie renovators in one of my favourite cities, said Whitaker. I cant wait to see the creative and innovative ideas our teams bring to the competition. Joining Neale on the panel is Simon Cohen (Dream Home, Luxe Listings Sydney), a buyers agent and co-founder of Cohen Handler, the largest property buyers agency in Australia. Im excited to be part of a show thats reshaping the competition renovation genre and transforming lives in the process. Julia Green, founder of Greenhouse Interiors, the #1 destination for boutique textiles, homewares, fine art and interior styling services also joins. My Reno Rules puts a fresh spin on home renovation. I cant wait to see the creativity, surprises and heart our contestants will pour into bringing these incredible homes to life. My Reno Rules is produced by Endemol Shine Australia to screen on Sevenin 2026. Shoaibur Rahman, TwoCircles.net New Delhi: On July 24, at Haryana Bhawan in New Delhi, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat met with over 60 Muslim clerics, scholars and community leaders in a closed-door meeting organised by the All-India Imam Organisation (AIIO). Led by AIIO President Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi and titled Samvaad (dialogue), the event brought together participants from across the country to discuss issues related to communal harmony and mutual understanding. Support TwoCircles For over three hours, leaders from communities often seen at odds spoke of ending hatred and fostering communal harmony. This kind of positive and inclusive dialogue has not happened in the last 75 years. It is for the first time that such a large delegation of Muslim scholars has met the RSS leadership. Earlier, only a few clerics met Mr. Bhagwat individually. Now, the conversation has begun collectively, and that is a breakthrough, Ilyasi told TwoCircles.net. The agenda of the meeting was a desire to untangle long-standing misunderstandings between Hindu and Muslim communities. The discussions, claimed AIIO head, included issues that have caused unease within the Muslim community such as the Waqf (Amendment) Act and recent mosque and madrasa surveys. Ilyasi pointed to Bhagwats earlier statement discouraging the search for Shivlings (sacred representation of Lord Shiva in Hinduism) in every mosque as a trust-building gesture that helped set the tone. That statement was important. It helped build trust and set a constructive tone for the discussion, he said. Beyond high-level talks, he proposed grassroots-level engagements like interfaith dialogues between mosque imams and temple priests. That is where real change begins. Only then can we achieve communal harmony and eradicate hatred, he said. The meeting was carefully orchestrated. Ilyasi, known for controversial but strategic gestures, such as calling Bhagwat Rashtrapita (father of the nation) in 2022, has tried to position himself as a bridge-builder. His organisation claims to represent the countrys extensive network of imams (prayer leaders) and religious leaders with considerable sway in Muslim neighbourhoods. Senior RSS leaders, including General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, Joint General Secretary Krishna Gopal, Ram Lal and Indresh Kumar attended, are said to have emphasised importance and seriousness of the event. Discussions were largely off the record but touched upon national issues and the shared responsibility of religious leadership in rebuilding unity. This meeting was not an isolated effort. Over the last few years, the RSS, which was founded in 1925 and considered the ideological mentor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Part (BJP), has taken gradual steps to reach out to Muslim leaders. While its reputation remains polarising, especially among minorities, it has attempted to soften its image through such dialogues. In 2019, Bhagwat met Maulana Arshad Madani of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JuH) at RSS headquarters in Nagpur. In 2022, he visited a mosque in Delhi and met Ilyasi and several Muslim intellectuals, including former Chief Election Commissioner Dr. S.Y. Quraishi and former Delhi Lieutenant Governor and former Jamia Millia Islamia Vice Chancellor Najeeb Jung. Each of these engagements has added a layer to a developing narrative: one of dialogue over distance. The latest meeting comes at a politically charged time. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is serving his third term in office, is under growing scrutiny for policies seen as discriminatory against Muslims. Positioned as a reform, the Waqf (Amendment) Act has faced backlash over concerns of overreach. Mosque surveys, including the one at Varanasis Gyanvapi mosque, have further deepened anxieties. Some view this RSS outreach as a gesture of goodwill, while others suspect political calculus, especially with state elections looming in places, such as Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, where Muslim voters can shift the balance. Prof. Geeta Bhatt of the Delhi University emphasised the importance of keeping channels open. Certain misunderstandings keep happening, but that can only be resolved through dialogue. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat ji has also previously said that we all share the same DNA. The message of this meeting is that we all have the same blood running in our veins. The mode of prayer might have changed, or it may differ, but we are all the sons and daughters of this soil, she said. However, not everyone is ready to endorse the effort. Former Rajya Sabha MP and RSS leader Prof. Rakesh Sinha declined to comment, as did RSS thinker Professor Sangit Kumar Ragi. For some Muslim intellectuals, the doubts run deep. Dr. Javed Jamil was among those who dismissed the dialogue as performative. The only positive aspect of such dialogue is that they promote interfaith communication. However, the negative aspects outweigh the positive ones. These meetings do not address the incidents of discrimination, mob lynching, bulldozer demolitions and state-sponsored injustices being done against Muslims across the country, he said. He also criticised alleged systemic biases in the justice system. When Muslims are accused, they are quickly arrested and kept in jail without trial, as seen in cases like Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid. But Hindu convicts often escape punishment or are released by the state, as seen in the case of Bilkis Bano, he alleged. He expressed concern over the credibility of Muslim representatives in these meetings. The RSS tends to engage with Muslim clerics and leaders who are viewed with suspicion by the community; people who are seen as echoing the RSS narrative rather than representing concerns of our community, he said and added, Dialogue should be held with genuine leaders, scholars and clerics who understand the ground realities and can advocate for real solutions. He also pointed to the electoral timing of such events. These meetings often happen just before elections. If the goal is really communal harmony, why does anti-Muslim politics and hate speech continue? he asked. In Delhis Jamia Nagar, a locality with a large Muslim population, reactions varied. Mohammad Asif, a 28-year-old shopkeeper, expressed cautious optimism. If Bhagwat and our imams can talk, maybe it will reduce the fear we feel, he said. Ayesha Khan, 25, another resident, was unconvinced. These meetings look good on paper, but when our rights are trampled, it is hard to trust, she said. Senior journalist Varun Singh offered a broader view. Muslim outreach by the RSS is not new. The novelty now is only in RSS leaders meeting maulanas (clerics). The Muslim Rashtriya Manch, created in 2002, has led such initiatives for years. But no major shift has occurred in Muslim support for the RSS or the BJP, he said. The RSS has not been able to overcome its anti-Muslim image. That perception persists. And electorally, Muslims have largely stayed away from the BJP. I do not see any real impact of these recent dialogues on the ground, he added. On the global stage, these dialogues also serve another function. With organisations like the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom raising concerns over Indias religious climate, such gestures are often seen as Indias way of reaffirming its pluralistic identity. But at home, the challenge is less about optics and more about outcomes. Indias path to communal harmony is long and layered. It demands more than symbolic meetings. It requires systemic change like legal fairness, economic equity and an end to divisive narratives. If those in power fail to follow up, the goodwill sparked by dialogue risks fading fast. Still, in a country where fault lines run deep, even an image of Mohan Bhagwat and Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, sitting across from one another and talking peace, can be a powerful one. Whether it leads to lasting change or remains a passing moment will depend on what follows. The King has hailed the "courage and camaraderie" of heroes who fought in the Pacific and Far East in "humanity's darkest hour" as "a flame that shall blaze for eternity" on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. Charles also significantly acknowledged the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which led to Japan's surrender, describing the "immense price" on its citizens as one "we pray no nation need ever pay again". His reflection on the nuclear attacks, which paved the way for the end of the Second World War, comes at a time of increased concern about the global threat of nuclear conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an audio message to the nation, realms and Commonwealth, the King spoke of the horrors faced by allied prisoners of war "who endured years of brutal captivity: the starvation, disease and cruelty that tested the very limits of human endurance", and the "mental and physical scars" the war left on those who survived. And he vowed the service and sacrifice of VJ Day heroes "shall never be forgotten", telling their families and the "sadly dwindling band of veterans": "Please know that the courage and camaraderie displayed in humanity's darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity - a beacon that honours our past and guides our future." The King, in what is believed to be the most direct reference by a British monarch to the suffering in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, said it was right to pause and acknowledge the impact of the "war's final act" on the people of the Japanese cities. "Innocent civilian populations of occupied territories faced grievous hardships, too," he said in the broadcast released at 7.30am on Friday. : Searchlights sweep the night sky as projections reading "VJ DAY 80" are displayed onto the exterior of Buckingham Palace (Getty Images) "Their experience reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life - a tragedy all-too vividly demonstrated by conflicts around the world today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "On this landmark anniversary, we should also pause to acknowledge that in the war's final act, an immense price was paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - a price we pray no nation need ever pay again." He added: "But in recalling so much suffering, we must not lose sight of how great was the cause and how sweet the victory." VJ Day on August 15 marks the anniversary of the end of the six-year-long war. Much of the celebration in 1945 focused on VE (Victory in Europe) Day in May, with those who served in the Far East labelled The Forgotten Army. The King's six-minute address was broadcast ahead of a national service of remembrance due to be attended by Charles, the Queen and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also there as guests of honour will be 33 veterans aged from 96 to 105, who served in the Far East and Pacific. The then-Prince of Wales at the national service of remembrance marking the 75th anniversary of VJ Day in 2020 (Oli Scarff/PA) A national two-minute silence will be held at noon and the Red Arrows will join historic Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft for flypast over the commemorations. By 1945, some 365,000 British and 1.5 million Commonwealth troops had been deployed across Asia and the Pacific. More than 90,000 British troops were casualties in the war against Japan, and nearly 30,000 died, while more than 12,000 Britons were among the 190,000 Commonwealth troops held as Prisoners of War by the Japanese. Of the Allied forces, the US suffered the greatest losses, with more than 100,000 killed in action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Hiroshima and Nagasaki, more than 200,000 people were killed by the US bombs and in the months after succumbing to radiation sickness, the effects of burns and other serious injuries. The King described the 80th anniversary as a day of "profound remembrance" and said of his grandfather King George's VI's "The war is ended" audio broadcast at the time: "Seldom can a simple message have resonated with such a potent mix of relief, celebration, and sorrow for those who never lived to see the glow of freedom's new dawn." He also painted a vivid picture of when "high above those monsoon-lashed jungles, allied pilots displayed their own fearless bravery, flying fighters, bombers and transport aircraft into enemy fire and nature's fury". The speech made no mention of the King's father Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who was in Tokyo Bay on board the destroyer HMS Whelp, a warship he served on as second-in-command, when Japanese officials formally signed the surrender on the USS Missouri on September 2 1945. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Charles paid tribute to his mentor and great uncle Earl Mountbatten, who oversaw the defeat of the Japanese offensive towards India as Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command. He recalled how Lord Mountbatten taught him about the "horrors and heroism" of the conflict. The King said: "The war in South East Asia had reached its climax under the leadership of my great uncle, Lord Mountbatten, from whom I learned so much about the particular horrors and heroism witnessed in those furthest fields of combat. "The forces aligned under him comprised over one million men and women, drawn from many different countries, religions and communities, but united by common purpose and indomitable spirit." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Charles said he was aware of the "mental and physical scars" the conflict left on those who survived. "Twenty-Nine Victoria Crosses bear eloquent testimony to their valour, but I know full well of the toll it took on so many - measured not only in gravestones, but in the mental and physical scars of those who survived," he said. He also cited the collaboration across faiths and cultural divides, saying: "Together they proved that, in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear, but the arms you link. "That remains a vital lesson for our times." Local historian Ted Parrish of Oxhey was serving with the Royal Air Force in Akyab Main, Burma when allied governments announced Japan's surrender on August 14, 1945. On August 15, Prime Minister Clement Atlee declared two days national holiday to commemorate VJ Day. Ted Parrish, Calcutta, in 1943 The following is an extract from Ted's letter from Burma recalling his memories of that time: 16th August 1945 I received the good news on Monday then, on Tuesday morning, piled onto a kite [RAF term for an aircraft during World War II] and said goodbye to Burma and many of my friends, although some came with me to go on leave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The weather was bad from the start and upon landing, just about half-way, we could not take off again. Our spirits were as low as they could have been, sitting uncomfortably in a Dakota, listening to the monsoon rain pounding on the side. We waited till evening, then we had to find a place and bed to sleep. About seven oclock we were to some extent successful, though thoroughly fed up, dirty, tired and disappointed. Next morning it was still raining when we heard a salvo of 24 guns firing not far away. There were one or two faint-hearted cheers but mostly there was silence; as if the total and complete realisation of the fact had not dawned upon them. To most you see, it meant that they would still be out here despite peace world peace.' A poignant service took place at Bolton Parish Church this evening to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. Around 200 hundred people gathered to remember those who bravely fought in the second world war. Each year, VJ Day (Victory over Japan) commemorates the day Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, bringing an end to the Second World War. (Image: Phil Taylor) While VE Day (Victory in Europe) saw the end of the war closer to home in May 1945, many thousands of armed forces personnel were still engaged in fighting in the Far East. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The moving service took place was led by Rev Hannah Lane, vicar of Bolton and Borough Dean. She said: As we remember the many soldiers, sailors and airmen who gave their lives restraining evil and opposing tyranny, so we also come in thanksgiving for those who continue to strive for peace on this continent. Prayers and hymns were read and wreaths laid in the church by the Mayor of Bolton, Councillor David Chadwick and others. (Image: Phil Taylor)READ NEXT: 'We gave our today': Bolton commemorates VJ Day in poignant town hall ceremony The Bolton Hoover Band played traditional wartime favourites, including Its a Long Way to Tipperary and Pack Up Your Troubles as guests and community figures mingled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The evening ended with the lighting of the Beacon on top of the church tower at 9.30pm for the occasion. (Image: Phil Taylor) The Major of Bolton added: It was great to represent the town on such a special occasion. Norman and Eileen Avericc of Bradshaw, attended the event in memory of Norman's grandfather Leslie Victor Avericc who served in Burma. Norman said: "It's the first time we've been here and it's been very good. We want people to remember them." The evening finished with an unexpected flair as police officers arrived less than 10 minutes after the beacon was lit as the ceremonial flame could be seen from the top of the church. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Image: Phil Taylor) Earlier today, Friday, the King and Queen led the nation in commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The National Service of Remembrance honoured and remembered those who continued to fight and those who lost their lives during the final three months of the Second World War in the Far East. It included hundreds of thousands of soldiers who served alongside British Armed Forces from countries including pre-partition India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Nepal and various African nations. The service, ran in partnership with the Royal British Legion, was also attended by Burma Star recipients, a veteran of the British Indian Army and those involved in the Battles of Kohima and Imphal, as well as Prisoners of War held across the region and veterans stationed in the UK or Commonwealth countries, who contributed to the war effort. The Queen appeared visibly emotional as a war veteran went off script to pay tribute to the Kings cancer battle at a VJ Day memorial ceremony. Charles and Camilla joined Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and 33 veterans aged from 96 to 105 who served in the Far East and Pacific at a national service of remembrance in Staffordshire on Friday. VJ Day on August 15 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the six-year war, but much of the celebration in 1945 focused on VE (Victory in Europe) Day in May, with those who served in the Far East labelled The Forgotten Army. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yavar Abbas, who was a captain in the 11th Sikh Regiment, took to the stage at the National Memorial Arboretum to read extracts from his diaries during his time in Burma in 1945, but took a moment to pay tribute to his brave king first. Charles and Camilla react to veteran Yavar Abbass reference to the Kings cancer treatment during the service (Joe Giddens/PA) Camilla looked at her husband sitting next to her and appeared to wipe away a tear as Mr Abbas, 105, originally from Lucknow in India, said: I make no apologies for briefly going off the script to salute my brave king, who is here with his beloved queen in spite of the fact that he is under treatment for cancer. Applause rang out among the crowd of around 1,500 guests as Mr Abbas said he had also battled cancer, adding that he hoped it would bring comfort that he had been rid of the disease himself for 25 years. He added: I salute him for gracing this occasion, because by his presence here, he has gone a long way to make sure that his grandads 14th Army is never given the sobriquet again of The Forgotten Army. Charles talks to veteran Yavar Abbas during the service (Alastair Grant/PA) The ceremony was hosted by actress Celia Imrie and featured readings by actor Robert Lindsay and veterans, as well as musical performances from the National Childrens Choir of Great Britain, Jennifer Pike and the Royal Corps of Signals Pipes and Drums. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ahead of the service, the King, in a pre-recorded audio address to the nation, vowed that the sacrifice of heroes who fought and died in the campaigns shall never be forgotten. He also significantly acknowledged the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which led to Japans surrender, describing the immense price paid by its citizens as one we pray no nation need ever pay again. He said: Please know that the courage and camaraderie displayed in humanitys darkest hour is a flame that shall blaze for eternity a beacon that honours our past and guides our future. After the service of remembrance, which started with a two-minute silence and a Red Arrows flypast, the King made his way to the Far East corner of the arboretum, where he met Silas Sarbah and Khadak Chettri, the grandsons of Second World War soldiers, as well as William Slim, the great-grandson of General Bill Slim, who led the so-called Forgotten Army. The service was attended by around 1,500 guests (Joe Giddens/PA) He viewed tributes at the Burma Railway memorial, which is constructed from 30 metres of original track from the so-called Railway of Death, and took a moment of reflection at the Burma Star Memorial and the Chindit Memorial, before heading to a reception for VJ veterans and their families. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The King and Queen were joined by the Prime Minister and Lady Starmer, as they met some 30 veterans who served in the Far East during the Second World War for the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces, accompanied by their families and carers. A dinner reception was held after the service at which The King, the Queen, and the Prime Minister chatted at length with several of the Far East veterans, including Mr Abbas. Speaking after the reception, the 105-year-old veteran, a retired write and TV producer, told reporters: I make no apology for going off the script. I admire the man I admire The King. He has similar views about things as I have, about the environment for example. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes human. When I went up to him and talked to him, he said something very touching to me. He said to me when you said that I almost cried. Thats our King and hes a great King. Intelligence Corps veteran George Durrant, aged 100 and from West Sussex, addressed the service alongside his great-granddaughter Elsbeth. He enlisted as a private in 1942 and trained to be a tank driver, before volunteering for a special mission which turned out to be serving in Burma. In his reading to the commemoration, Mr Durrant said people always talked about how brave the veterans were, but added that few of them saw it that way. He told the service: We must look to the future and ensure that the next generation remember our sacrifices so that they can strive for a more peaceful tomorrow. Celebrations marking the day that victory was finally declared over Japan 80 years ago have taken place all over the county. Friday, August 15, was the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan being declared, finally bringing six years of long and gruelling warfare to an end. From Capel St Mary to Ipswich to Bury St Edmunds, towns and villages all over Suffolk have marked this momentous milestone in their own meaningful ways. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This was the day when many families could finally breathe a sigh of relief and dare to believe that they would soon see their sons, brothers, fathers, uncles and friends again. VJ Day commemorations took place across Suffolk. (Image: Lucy Taylor) Victory in Europe Day, which was celebrated on May 8, was bittersweet for many; for while it saw an end to conflict in Europe, the war continued to rage in Japan, and many soldiers were still being held as prisoners of war. In Bury St Edmunds, crowds arrived at St Marys Church for a commemorative service attended by Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, and Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Suffolks Lord Lieutenant, Lady Clare FitzRoy, Countess of Euston, was also in attendance. The VJ Day Service was held at St Mary's Church in Bury St Edmunds. (Image: Lucy Taylor) Speaking ahead of the service, she recalled speaking to veterans she had known growing up, and hearing stories of their suffering in places such as Burma, as they waited for peace to finally be declared. Because we have so many members of the Suffolk and Norfolk Regiment who fought in the Far East, I think this means more to us than VE Day, said Lady Clare. VJ Day, she said, has an indelible place in her heart, and she said she was delighted that the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester had chosen to visit the county. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One service took place at St Mary's Church in Bury St Edmunds. (Image: Lucy Taylor) The Reverend Canon Tiffer Robinson addressed the crowds, and spoke of the continuing importance to honour the fallen and pray for our broken world. Representatives of other faiths echoed these words, including Nurul Chowdhury, Chair of Ipswich Mosque. Mr Chowdhury read an account from Captain Nadir S. Tyabji, a Muslim officer in the British Indian Army who served in Burma. (Image: Lucy Taylor) Mr Chowdhury read an account from Captain Nadir S. Tyabji, a Muslim officer in the British Indian Army who served in Burma. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amid the horror, however, he bore witness to moments of kindness, said Mr Chowdhury. This included a man who went down on his knees and broke down it took me a few moments to control my own voice. I raised him and shook him by the hand. These words remind us that even in wars darkest hour, the bonds of compassion transcend all divisions of faith, said Mr Chowdhury. Town Crier Griff Johns reads the proclamation for VJ day at the war memorial in Capel St Mary. (Image: Lucy Taylor) The community gathers in Capel St Mary VJ (Image: Lucy Taylor) The community also gathered in Capel St Mary, where a proclamation was read by town crier Griff Johns. Later in the day, there was a ceremonial laying of wreathes and a lighting of the beacon with a reading from the Reverend Steve Mann. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than a hundred people gathered in Ipswich to commemorate VJ Day. (Image: Lucy Taylor) The Reverend Tom Mumford addresses crowds at the Ipswich Cenotaph. (Image: Lucy Taylor) Christina Patterson was in attendance with her husband John to remember the day after her father fought in Burma during the Second World War. (Image: Lucy Taylor) Crowds also gathered at the Cenotaph in Christchurch Park in Ipswich, where the commemoration was read by the vicar of Ipswich Minster, the Reverend Tom Mumford. The towns MP Jack Abbott was also in attendance, as was Mayor Stefan Long. Many veterans were in attendance and Ipswich couple John and Christina Patterson were there to reflect on the anniversary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Christina's father, Daniel Edwards, was stationed in Burma during the war and fought in Asia until VJ Day. The Duke of Gloucester lays a wreath during the VJ Day service. (Image: Lucy Taylor) She said: "He would never talk about what he experienced during the war, my siblings and I would always nag him and ask about it, but he would never say." Mr Patterson added: "The soldiers went through real torture in Asia so it's important for us to pay our respects." By Sam Tobin LONDON (Reuters) -A British councillor was on Friday acquitted of encouraging violent disorder for saying far-right activists should have their throats cut amid riots last year, drawing claims from right-wing politicians of a hypocritical "two-tier" justice system. Ricky Jones made the comments at a counter-protest in London after three girls were murdered in the north English town of Southport and was suspended by the ruling Labour party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Misinformation on social media said the teenager who committed the murders at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event was an Islamist migrant, fuelling days of violent riots including attacks on mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. Jones, 58, was cleared by a jury following a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court. He had made the remarks to a crowd gathered near an immigration advice centre in London after reports that far-right supporters were planning a protest. "They are disgusting Nazi fascists ... We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all," he said, running a finger across his throat. Jones gave evidence that he did not intend his words to be taken literally and said his comments referred to far-right stickers with hidden razor blades found on a train. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Right-wing politicians and activists said his case was an example of how Britain had an unfair police and justice system, with those who voice concerns about immigration treated differently to those who support liberal or left-wing causes. They contrasted Jones' treatment with that of Lucy Connolly, the wife of a Conservative councillor who was jailed for 31 months for inciting racial hatred for a post urging mass deportation of migrants and the burning of their hotels. Unlike Jones, she had pleaded guilty to the offence. Chris Philp, the opposition Conservative Party's home affairs spokesperson, said on X: "The development of two-tier justice is becoming increasingly alarming." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zia Yusuf, from the populist right-wing Reform UK party which is leading in opinion polls, also compared Jones' acquittal to Connolly's sentence. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was labelled "two-tier Keir" by some opponents last summer after claims some ethnic groups were policed more leniently than others, a suggestion that has been rejected by senior ministers, police chiefs and prosecutors. (Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) Longtime faculty member to lead curriculum innovation and industry partnerships MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Dunwoody College of Technology is proud to announce Amalan Pulendran as its new Director of Computer Technology. A veteran educator and leader within the College, Pulendran brings over a decade of teaching, curriculum innovation, and operational leadership to the role. Amalan Pulendran, Director of Computer Technology at Dunwoody College of Technology Pulendran's appointment marks a natural progression in a career deeply rooted in Dunwoody's mission. Since joining the College in 2015, he has served in a series of increasingly impactful positions, from Instructor to Associate Professor, shaping academic programming and mentoring students in areas such as software engineering, cybersecurity, DevSecOps, and full-stack development. "Amalan has played a vital role in transforming the Computer Technology department over the years," said E.J. Daigle, Academic Dean. "His dedication to student success, technical expertise and collaborative leadership make him the ideal choice to lead the department into its next chapter." In addition to his work with students, Pulendran will work with corporate and business partners to strengthen their cybersecurity capabilities through hands-on training in Dunwoody's state-of-the-art cyber range. These training opportunities are also extended to local high school students to offer early exposure to cybersecurity concepts and support the development of the next generation of technology professionals. "I'm honored to lead such a dynamic and future-focused department," said Pulendran. "Our work in education is not just about keeping up with technology but about empowering students with confidence, adaptability and the skills to lead in any environment. I'm focused on preparing both our students and corporate partners to navigate challenges and think strategically about the future." Before entering academia, Pulendran held global roles in web development, UI/UX design, software testing and SEO across Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Canada, and the U.S. These experiences inform his teaching and leadership with a strong emphasis on real-world application. Pulendran holds a Master of Computer Applications from Jaipur National University and a Bachelor's degree in Business Information Technology from Saito University College in Malaysia. To learn more about Dunwoody College of Technology and its Computer Technology programs, visit www.dunwoody.edu. Amalan Pulendran Headshot: HERE. Media assets available HERE. ABOUT DUNWOODY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY Founded in 1914, Dunwoody College of Technology is the only private, not-for-profit technical college in the Upper Midwest. Having provided hands-on, applied technical education to more than 200,000 individuals, Dunwoody is the college for experimenters and makers, a place where the curious and the confident learn by doing. Located in Minneapolis, Dunwoody offers a unique campus experience in dedicated labs, studios, and shops that treats students like future professionals from day one. With certificates, associate's, and bachelor's degrees in more than 40 majors including engineering, robotics, design and other STEM-related fields Dunwoody challenges students to come determined and graduate destined. Media Contact: Angela Miller [email protected] 319.331.5090 SOURCE Dunwoody College of Technology There will be a day soon when there will be no one alive who fought in the Second World War. Collecting and preserving the first-hand stories of those who served Britain and the Commonwealth, yes, but from every nation is an act of national and global importance. VJ Day 80: We Were There (BBC Two) was not just a fascinating and moving documentary, but a profoundly important document of a time rapidly slipping from active memory. One imagines many more hours of interviews were filmed than the brief 60 minutes we had here. Hopefully every minute has been catalogued. There has always been a bitter irony that 99 days passed between VE Day and VJ Day, with those in the UK hanging up the bunting and swinging from lampposts while the Fourteenth Army continued a brutal and harrowing war against the Japanese in Singapore, Thailand, Burma (now Myanmar), India and the Pacific Ocean. It was not lost on those interviewed here, most of them over 100. As Reg Holbrook of the Fleet Air Arm said: What did it matter to us if the German war started or finished? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Presented by Radio 5 Lives Rachel Burden, We Were There deserves credit for refusing to sentimentalise, romanticise or censor the testimony of the veterans. Some of it was appalling to hear and much anti-Japanese sentiment was expressed, but these were honest, raw interviews with people who were often in visible distress. Robin Rowland of the British India Army remembered Japanese soldiers bayoneting 31 British soldiers who lay in a field hospital and coming across mounds of Japanese troops who had starved to death. Jim Wren of the Royal Marines, who seemed visibly weighed down by the awfulness of his memories, was blunt: Its ruined my life. To see men die like that. Olga Henderson was a prisoner of war in Singapore aged nine - Christopher Pledger A Pathe newsreel of the time announced that the triumph in Burma has brought everlasting glory to our fighting men. Yet here were those lucky fighting men who survived. None of them mentioned glory. There was no glory for Olga Henderson, a prisoner of war in Singapore aged nine, who looted the bodies of Japanese officers who had committed suicide after the surrender. She tried to pull gold teeth out of their mouths, with no feeling at all. When taken prisoner, Henderson and her family had crossed a bridge lined with the decapitated heads of Commonwealth soldiers. Later, in a moment that would have had a statue in tears, Henderson wept at seeing a news report of a starving little boy begging for food in a modern-day war. Thats what we were doing, she said. What have we done? What are we doing to the world? Nothings changed. There was light in the dark. Tales of friendships formed between soldiers and nurses on a boat to India, of the beautiful feeling of a monsoon on your body after weeks of baking heat, of one soldiers amazement at all the yellow balloons that suddenly appeared when the Japanese surrendered (they were condoms). And the wonderful Yavar Abbas, of the 11th Sikh Regiment, who was sent to Japan as part of the occupying force after the war and fell in love with the people. The end credits informed us that many of those interviewed have since died, underlying the sheer importance of this film. EWTN to Serve as Exclusive Media Partner for Pope Leo XIV's Digital Youth Encounter in Lucas Oil Stadium in November IRONDALE, Ala., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- EWTN Global Catholic Network announced it will serve as the exclusive media partner providing news coverage, broadcast, and digital streaming of Pope Leo XIV's first-ever digital visit with American Catholic youth during the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) hosted by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) on November 21, 2025. This historic encounter will connect the Holy Father live from the Vatican with thousands of young people gathered in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, and many more watching online around the world. Pope Leo greets young people from around the world at the Jubilee for Youth in Rome. Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News "From the very beginning, EWTN has been the place where the faithful can gatheracross distances and time zonesfor the great moments in the life of the Church," said Michael P. Warsaw, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of EWTN. "As we continue to grow and adapt our media platforms, serving younger audiences has become an essential part of our mission. This historic encounter will not only inspire young people but also invite them more deeply into the heart of the Church." Montse Alvarado, President and COO of EWTN News, added: "At EWTN News, we are committed to covering and supporting events of significance in the global Church. We are especially excited to partner with NCYC, NFCYM, and honored to work with the Holy Father on this unprecedented moment for the young people of the American Church with the first American Pope." The news was announced on August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Marya date that also marks the 44th anniversary of EWTN's first broadcast. "This providential selection reflects EWTN's longstanding mission to bring the Church's message to every home and to support young people in encountering Jesus Christ and growing in their faith," added Alvarado. The encounter will feature opening remarks by Pope Leo XIV, youth representatives, a live Q&A, and closing remarks including a blessing. EWTN's coverage will also include broadcasting additional NCYC programming from November 2022, providing global audiences with access to prayer, catechesis, formation, and celebration taking place in Indianapolis. "This encounter with Pope Leo XIV will mark an important moment for the Youth of America. I am thrilled that we can offer EWTN's services for the 2025 conference and encounter by providing the means by which NCYC, NFCYM, and the Holy Father, will have a global vehicle of expression. We look forward to sharing this moment with the world," added Warsaw. Visit ncyc.us for more information about the program and how to participate. ABOUT EWTN and EWTN NEWS In its 45th year, EWTN is the largest Catholic media organization in the world. EWTN's 11 global TV channels and numerous regional channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 435 million television households in more than 160 countries and territories. EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 600 domestic and international AM & FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the most visited Catholic websites in the U.S.; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., EWTN News operates multiple global news services, including Catholic News Agency, "The National Catholic Register" newspaper and digital platform, ACI Prensa in Spanish, ACI Digital in Portuguese, ACI Stampa in Italian, ACI Africa in English, French and Portuguese, ACI MENA in Arabic, CNA Deutsch in German and ChurchPop, a digital platform that creates content in several languages. It also produces numerous television news programs including EWTN News Nightly, EWTN Noticias, EWTN News In Depth, EWTN Pro-Life Weekly, The World Over, and Vaticano. SOURCE EWTN Global Catholic Network BOSTON, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Faneuil Hall Marketplace ("Fan Hall"), Boston's iconic landmark, is honored to be chosen by Boston's Mayor Michelle Wu and the Office of Nightlife Economy for a night out at Faneuil Hall Marketplace to celebrate the launch of the City of Boston's new Late Night Food Truck Pilot Program this Friday August 15 at 8:00 to 9:30pm. The celebration at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which includes the historic Quincy Market building, will feature complimentary food from participating food vendors, a live DJ, and other communal activities. Fan Hall stated: "Fan Hall is proud to be the steward of the iconic Faneuil Hall Marketplace. We are committed to Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Quincy Market's role as a central destination for the benefit of the Boston community and a strategic participant in the future of the city. We, as owners, understand, respect, and embrace Faneuil Hall Marketplace's storied history and role in Boston. We look forward to partnering with the City to deliver the next chapter for Faneuil Hall Marketplace as a driver of downtown culture and commerce, and continue to serve as an authentic destination for residents, workers, and visitors to Boston from around the world." Media Contact Jenny Harding Faneuil Hall Marketplace [email protected] SOURCE Fan Hall, LLC PURCELLVILLE, Va., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is urging California families to call their state senators to oppose Assembly Bill 495, optimistically called the "Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025." The bill, already passed by the Assembly, is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, August 18 at 10:00 a.m. Promoted as a measure to help children when parents are detained or deported. The bill intends to make it easier for parental figures to step in should a child be left without a guardian. However, AB 495 is far broader in scopeand far riskierthan advertised. As written, the bill would: Expand who can claim parental authority to distant relatives (up to the fifth degree) and even non-relatives with a "mentoring" or "familial" relationship. Leave critical language undefined, allowing even brief delays in communication to strip parents of decision-making authority in education and medical care. in education and medical care. Require no proof that a parent entrusted the child to the caregiver. Widen the reach of an already constitutionally shaky 1994 "caregiver affidavit" law without fixing its flaws. "This bill throws open the door to overreach by hostile relatives and even unrelated adults," said Jim Mason, HSLDA President. "With vague language and broad definitions, it invites confusion, conflict, and misuseundermining the fundamental right of parents to direct their children's upbringing." Background: Since 1994, California's caregiver affidavit law (Family Code 6550) has allowed certain adults who live with a child to enroll them in school and consent to medical or dental carewithout guardianship or clear parental consent. Under current law, affidavits can be used if parents are "unable to be contacted," but that term is undefined leaving it open for interpretation and abuse. AB 495 would enlarge the pool of people eligible to use such affidavitsextending parental powers to distant kin and "non-relative extended family members"without adding safeguards. HSLDA's Position A narrowly tailored law could meet genuine needs without jeopardizing parental rights, but AB 495 does the opposite. HSLDA urges lawmakers to reject the bill in its current form and instead: Limit who can qualify as a caregiver. Require clear evidence that a parent entrusted the child to that caregiver. Precisely define "unable to contact" to prevent abuse. Call to Action: California residents can find their state senator at https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov and should call them to vote NO on AB 495. SOURCE HSLDA Cambodian authorities hand over 353 citizens, identified by Cambodia as illegal residents, to the Border Guard Station at Xa Mat International Border Gate in the southern province of Tay Ninh. (Photo: VNA) Tay Ninh Cambodian authorities on August 15 handed over 353 citizens, identified by Cambodia as illegal residents, to the Border Guard Station at Xa Mat International Border Gate in the southern province of Tay Ninh. Verification showed the repatriated citizens have permanent residences in 31 provinces and cities across Vietnam. Of these, 339 had exited the country with valid passports, while 14 had crossed the border illegally. None were on wanted lists, under search orders, or subject to entry/exit bans by competent agencies. The returnees admitted that they had used social media to seek jobs before voluntarily travelling, legally or illegally, to work in casinos opposite Xa Mat International Border Gate in Cambodia's Tbong Khmum province. Their jobs mainly involved security, ticket control, cleaning, and cooking. Authorities completed entry procedures for 253 citizens who still had passports, while 86 others without passports are undergoing further verification. The 14 inpiduals who crossed the border without exit procedures were each fined 4 million VND (over 152 USD) for administrative violations. Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo (Photo: Bernama) Kuala Lumpur Malaysia has reaffirmed its ambition to become a leading regional cloud and digital hub by 2030 with the launch of the National Cloud Computing Policy (NCCP), a pivotal step in the development of the countrys digital ecosystem, Bernama reported. The news agency quoted Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo as saying that the NCCP directly supports the objectives of MyDIGITAL and the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint by unlocking real economic potential, apart from providing a clear direction for the countrys digital transformation journey. At the launching ceremony of the NCCP at the ASEAN AI Malaysia Summit 2025, he said the NCCP upholds five core pillars to strengthen the adoption of cloud in Malaysia, specifically to guide the public and private sectors, data protection and privacy, digital inclusivity, as well as environmental sustainability. Gobind added that the NCCP functions as a national action plan to ensure Malaysia remains competitive in the fast-evolving global digital economy. It establishes the foundation for strategic, well-managed, and high-impact adoption of cloud technology. The implementation of the policy will support the transition of both public and private sector towards more efficient digitalisation, while enhancing the capacity of micro, small, and medium enterprises to compete in the digital economy. The NCCP is designed with the flexibility to adapt to technological changes and emerging challenges in the global cloud computing landscape, he stated. A roundtable on the digitalisation of cooperatives was held in Hanoi on August 13, as part of efforts to concretise the goals of Resolution No.57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science, technology development, innovation, and national digital transformation. A roundtable on the digitalisation of cooperatives. Photo: Bich Thuy The country is in the process of vigorously implementing many important policies: Resolution No.57-NQ/TW; Resolution No.68-NQ/TW on private economic development; and Resolution No.193/2025/QH15 on piloting special mechanisms to create breakthroughs in science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation. At the event, National Assembly deputies, experts, representatives of ministries, and cooperative leaders analysed the current situation, shared domestic and international experiences, and proposed solutions to promote digital transformation among cooperatives. Some cooperatives in the fields of agriculture, services, logistics, and others have initially deployed digital platforms for their management and business activities. However, there are still many challenges such as unsynchronised technology infrastructure, low digital training, limited investment resources, and an incomplete legal framework and support policies. Nguyen Bao Son from the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) said that one of thee difficulties is lack of capital to expand production and business and improve efficiency, and the lack of collateral assets needed to borrow from banks. He added that cooperatives are also slow to adapt to the market, lack development motivation, and have not really invested in developing digital human resources or applying sci-tech. We need to focus on removing difficulties from mechanisms, especially capital and technology. Local authorities need to quickly deploy and implement these resolutions, creating favourable conditions for cooperatives to develop sustainable value chains, he suggested. There must be specific credit and digital transformation policies for cooperatives, as well as support for market linkages and technology training, he said. Nguyen Xuan Tuan, president of Institute of Education and Environmental Science, shared that over the past three years, the institute has collaborated with more than 300 enterprises and cooperatives to research and develop a pilot e-cooperative model, a solution for financial and legal digital transformation for individual business households and micro-enterprises. This model has received special attention from the government, technology companies committed to supporting the platform, and banks that provide financial services. According to the project, Phase 1 (2026-2027) will attract at least 90,000 individual business households, aiming to deploy nationwide in the next phases. The goal is to make cash flow transparent, increase budget revenue, and improve national competitiveness. The project has been sent to the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance for consideration. They agreed that Resolution 57 opens up new opportunities for the collective economy to enter the digital age. However, to turn opportunities into real strengths, close coordination is needed between the state, supporting organisations, and the cooperative community, thereby turning the e-cooperative from a pilot model into a new driving force for socioeconomic development and international integration. The successful development of this model is expected to contribute significantly to the goal of having at least two million effectively operating enterprises in Vietnam by 2030, while creating new momentum for the development of the digital and collective economies. Cooperatives receive support to adopt e-commerce E-commerce is widely considered an effective and sustainable solution to help cooperatives improve their competitiveness, and boost production and exports, but the number of cooperatives that have gone online remains modest, prompting the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) to support them in this regard. NA deputies bemoan slow lending plans The slow deployment of a pro-business monetary policy is making it hard to provide timely assistance for enterprises, cooperatives, and household businesses. Forum focuses on collective economy On February 2, 2024, the Forum on Collective Economy and Cooperatives with the theme "Completing the State's supporting policies according to Resolution No.20-NQ/TW - A motivation to promote collective economy and cooperatives in the new period" took place under the chairing of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Ireland supports Vietnam to develop capabilities in agricultural cooperatives Seminars on Cooperative economy development through innovation and quality improvement were held in Hanoi on July 30 and in Can Tho on August 1, supported by the Embassy of Ireland in Vietnam. The accolade, announced on August 15, reflects DKSH Vietnams sustained focus on fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and growth-oriented workplace where multiple generations work together to drive long-term value. The HR Asia Awards honour companies with exceptional human resources (HR) strategies, strong employee engagement, and a positive organisational culture. Photo: DKSH The HR Asia Awards recognise companies with exemplary HR practices, highlighting strong employee engagement and outstanding workplace cultures across the region. This years theme, 'multi-generational synergy', honoured organisations that successfully build cohesive and sustainable work environments bridging generational differences. The awards also spotlight businesses that prioritise employee voice and value, key pillars for cultivating a thriving multi-generational corporate culture. DKSH Vietnam once again exceeded the market average score, distinguished by its comprehensive people strategy and initiatives that promote connection, empowerment, and innovation at all levels. Over the past year, DKSH Vietnam has maintained its focus on fostering a workplace where different generations learn from and inspire one another. Core values such as care, passion, and growth are integrated into all people processes, including recruitment, performance management, capability development, talent recognition, and employee engagement. A key part of this approach is the companys commitment to gathering and acting on employee feedback throughout the entire lifecycle. In addition to daily exchanges, the annual survey serves as a structured channel for dialogue, helping to shape initiatives that strengthen engagement across a diverse, multi-generational workforce. Pham Thi Thuy Van, senior director, Country Human Resources, DKSH Vietnam, said, "We believe that the strength of an organisation lies in its ability to connect and unlock the potential of all generations. Being recognised as the Best Company to Work for in Asia for six consecutive years is a testament to our commitment to putting people at the heart of the company, fostering unity, and encouraging innovation. We will continue to create an environment where every individual, regardless of generation, can grow, thrive, and contribute to our shared success." For 160 years, DKSH has been delivering growth for companies in Asia and beyond across its Business Units Healthcare, Consumer Goods, Performance Materials, and Technology. As a top market expansion services provider, DKSH offers sourcing, market insights, marketing and sales, e-commerce, distribution and logistics as well as after-sales services, following its purpose of enriching peoples lives. DKSH is a participant of the United Nations Global Compact and adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business. Listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, DKSH operates in 36 markets with 28,060 specialists. DKSH Vietnam advances scientific access for students DKSH Business Unit Technology, a scientific solutions provider, has initiated UniTEC Connect, a platform to provide students and researchers direct engagement with insights into advanced scientific technology. Seeking to tap into Vietnams gene sequencing market With huge potential to become a genomics hub of the region, Vietnam has been urged to ready its infrastructure, and policies to create better conditions for businesses and partners. Gia Lai will develop Phu My sea port in an area of 205 hectares. (Photo: laodong.vn) Gia Lai The People's Committee of the central province of Gia Lai on August 13 approved the investment policy for the first phase of Phu My port project, worth over 6 trillion VND (228 million USD), aiming at shaping up an industrial sea port hub in the coming time. The facility will p some 205 hectares in Phu My Dong commune, including 60 hectares of land and 145 hectares of sea surface. Its construction is scheduled to be commenced in September next year, with operation expected by October 2028. It will be directly connected to Phu My Industrial Park, facilitating the transport of goods, materials, equipment, containers, and liquid or gas commodities. The port's strategic positioning will create direct connectivity with the Phu My Industrial Park, facilitating the seamless transport of goods, materials, equipment, containers, and liquid cargo. This integration will address the growing demand for production and transport services within the industrial zone while enhancing regional transport networks and boosting maritime logistics capacity. By 2030, Phu My port is expected to handle between 3.8 - 4.4 million tonnes of cargo annually, processing perse categories including liquid goods, containers, materials, equipment, bulk cargo, and specialised energy equipment. Initial operational capacity from 2028 is projected at 2.4 - 3.0 million tonnes per year for general and container cargo, with an additional 1.4 million tonnes annually dedicated to liquid and gas shipments. The province will break ground on the first phase of Phu My Industrial Park in Phu My Dong commune on August 19 to welcome the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2). The 436-hectare industrial park will be developed by Phu My Investment Group JSC at a total cost of 4.5 trillion VND. The MoU underscores KEPCO's strategy to secure a stronger footprint in Vietnam as the country is looking to develop nuclear power. For the first time, Petrovietnam has formed a collaboration with a foreign entity which specialises in nuclear power development. KEPCO noted this marks Petrovietnams first collaboration with a foreign entity specifically focused on nuclear energy development. Petrovietnam will be the investor of Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plant in Vietnam. With its world-class nuclear power capabilities, KEPCO is the ideal partner for Vietnam to swiftly advance its nuclear ambitions, said KEPCO president Kim Dong-cheol, highlighting the companys commitment to prioritising nuclear cooperation with Vietnam. KEPCO also has a plan to expand partnership across renewable energy sectors with Vietnam. Nuclear power, as a clean and stable power source, will play a crucial role in diversifying Vietnams energy mix, ensuring energy security and meeting the nations commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050. To facilitate this goal, the Vietnamese government is discussing a series of mechanisms for nuclear power to become operational by the end of this decade. The government is also engaged in discussions with other foreign partners on nuclear power ventures, including South Korea, Japan, France, and the United States. Marubeni and KEPCO a step closer to first-of-its-kind power plant in Vietnam The consortium of Japanese company Marubeni Corporation and Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) today signed the investment agreement for Nghi Son 2 thermal power plant in the central province of Thanh Hoa. KEPCO to join coal power plant project in Vietnam Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) has decided to take part in a coal-fired power plant construction project in Vietnam, despite growing criticism from global investors and overseas environmental groups, as reported by Korea Times. Transparency builds trust: 92% of Thais want brands to disclose AI use. Trust spikes among Gen Z (37%) and young families (31%) when AI use is transparent. Misuse tops concerns: 40% cite AI misuse as their biggest worry, followed by misinformation, deepfakes, privacy, and ethics. Gen X and rural groups are most cautious. AI supports, not replaces: 55% say AI boosts efficiency, but most agree it should enhancenot replacehuman creativity. Demand for guidance: Many want practical AI education online and offline, with calls for stronger government regulation on ethics and skills training. BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach Newswire - 14 August 2025 As Thailand accelerates investment in artificial intelligence (AI), new research from PRCA APAC and YouGov reveals that trust is the cornerstone of public acceptance. While there is cautious optimism and strong calls for regulation, the Thai public expects transparency from brands and institutions to build and maintain that trust.Presented at the inaugural PRCA Thailand Conference 2025, the study, titled "The Impact of AI on Thai Society", reveals a complex national picture. While Thailand is emerging as a regional leader in AI, with a USD 15.4 billion investment in infrastructure and a national plan to produce 90,000 AI professionals, the public remains sharply aware of the risks that come with rapid adoption.Key highlights from the research include:"Trust and transparency aren't just public expectations, they're now brand imperatives in the AI era," said Dr. Karine Lohitnavy, Chair of PRCA Thailand and Founder of Midas PR. "As communicators, we have a vital role to play in bridging the gap between innovation and understanding. That means helping the public make sense of AI's impact while holding brands accountable to ethical, human-first storytelling."Speaker Narongyod Mahittivanicha, Founder of TWF Agency and Vice President of the Artificial Intelligence Association of Thailand, reinforced the irreplaceable role of human creativity in public relations. Referencing a recent viral Coldplay-related campaign known as the "Astronomer CEO" crisis response, he noted that the level of creativity, emotional intelligence, and nuance involved is something AI cannot yet replicate.In a fireside chat titled "Viva La Press Release! Old Format, New Tech," Jennifer Kok, Founder and CEO of Media OutReach Newswire, said: "In today's digital publishing and AI era, press releases play a vital role in driving brand trust through verbatim, guaranteed posting on authoritative news websites. These features give PR professionals the ability to control the narrative of key corporate messages, building brand equity with targeted journalists and media across their chosen markets. The advancements in AI will further empower the public relations industry."Panel discussions included leaders from Microsoft Thailand, SCBx, Predictive, and Xponential Co., exploring AI's real-world applications in PR, brand reputation, and public perception. Moderated by Edelman Thailand's Vorasit Turongsomboon and digital creator Tossapol Leongsuppon, the panels addressed ethical governance, influencer transparency, and the public's call for structured AI education and stronger regulation.Jaruwan Vorarakthananun, Communications Lead at Microsoft Thailand, said: "AI isn't here to replace communications professionalsit's here to empower us. Generative AI is still evolving, learning every day. It's up to us to guide its growth and ensure it truly works for us. Don't hesitate to adopt AI into your daily work. Treat it as a trusted assistant that helps us work smarter, faster, and with greater impact."The inaugural PRCA Thailand Conference took place on 6 August 2025 at SCBx NEXT Tech, Siam Paragon, bringing together professionals from Thailand's public relations, business, and technology communities. The conference was supported by Gold Sponsor Media OutReach Newswire and other sponsors, including Edelman Thailand, MIDAS-PR, Moonshot Digital, Vero, SCBX, and YouGov. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach Newswire - 14 August 2025 - The two-year Southeast Asian Teacher Education Programme (SEA-TEP), led by SEAMEO STEM-ED (The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre for STEM Education) and regional partners, through the Chevron-funded education initiative marked a significant milestone in develop scalable model for STEM teacher education reform across Southeast Asia. The programme's achievements were presented during the Thailand International Conference on Education Research (ThaiCER) 2025: The Education for the Future during 7-9August 2025, in Bangkok, Thailand, underscoring a pivotal step forward in strengthen the capacity of STEM education for both pre-service and in-service programmes, regional collaboration, and innovative instructional practices to prepare educators to meet the demand of 21-century classrooms and international assessment benchmark.Across Southeast Asia, education systems continue to face critical challenges in teacher preparation including limited access to high-quality pre-service training, insufficient integration of interdisciplinary integration, and a lack of effective, instructional resources. Addressing these systemic gaps creates an important opportunity to enhance high-quality STEM education across the region to meet the demands of rapidly changing world. In response to these challenges, the Southeast Asian Teacher Education Programme (SEA-TEP) was launched in March 2023 with implementation in Kazakhstan, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia. SEAMEO-STEM-ED works in partnership with SEAMEO SEAMOLEC, SEAMEO RECSAM, the National STEM Association Malaysia, Caravan of Knowledge, and Cambodia's Ministry of Education and leading regional teacher education institutions to collaboratively deliver a model for transformative teacher development through across diverse education systems.The SEA-TEP interventions introduce innovative instructional practices for pre-service and in-service teachers, ensuring the development of phenomenon-based STEM lessons that incorporate effective strategies and digital tools. These practices are closely aligned with the OECD's PISA 2025 Science Framework.SEA-TEP adopts instructional materials grounded in the United States' Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) while also responding to local classroom contextshighlighting the importance of contextualizing STEM learning units. Participants learn to design lesson plans using the ClaimEvidenceReasoning (CER) framework and modelling techniques. These approaches help students move beyond rote memorization, fostering evidence-based reasoning and critical thinking through curriculum innovation that reflects the competencies assessed by PISA.Dr. Kessara Amornvuthivorn, SEAMEO STEM-ED's Programme Director said, "The SEA-TEP model provides a structured approach to strengthening teacher education through collaboration across national and regional networks. By building the capacity of education leaders, SEA-TEP offers a scalable model for advancing STEM instruction. SEAMEO STEM-ED has partnered with implementation teams in five countries to enhance STEM teaching practices through the adoption of high-quality learning materials. The program has delivered professional development to more than 120 educators from 24 universities and teacher development institutes. Faculty members from these institutions have cascaded the training to over 1,500 pre-service and in-service teachers across 214 schools. By empowering both educators and institutions, SEA-TEP is contributing to the improvement of STEM teaching standards across participating countries and offering a promising model for regional collaboration in teacher education and development."Zamira Kanapyanova, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Eurasia Pacific, Chevron added, "At Chevron, we believe that empowering educators with the right tools and resources is important for nurturing the next generation of innovators, engineers, and problem-solvers. Through strategic regional programs like SEA-TEP, we aim to strengthen the foundation of STEM learning and help build a more resilient and competitive workforce for the future."The implementation of SEA-TEP across Southeast Asia has resulted in measurable improvements in student learning outcomes. Participating teachers reported that the SEA-TEP strategies helped students connect abstract scientific concepts with real-world applications. Notably, teachers observed clearer, evidence-based reasoning in student work, especially when using CER tools in environmental investigations. Prior to SEA-TEP's adoption, many students struggled to apply scientific principles to everyday contexts. Post-implementation, however, classroom experiences revealed marked growth: students now demonstrate the ability to design experiments, interpret data, and make informed decisions based on diverse evidence sources. A significant improvement was also observed in students' ability to make well-founded claims supported by concrete evidence and scientific reasoning.These insights from teacher feedback highlight how SEA-TEP not only aligns with global education goals but also empowers educators to cultivate inquiry-based learning environmentsensuring students are equipped with the critical thinking skills needed to navigate global challenges.First Vice-Minister of Education, Maira Meldebekova of the Republic of Kazakhstan said "SEA-TEP program is an example of fruitful international cooperation and large-scale changes in education. Such initiatives make it possible to test new formats of work with teachers, adapt and scale best practices at the national level. Teacher training modules that incorporated best practices from participating countries contributed to developing STEM approaches among teachers in Kazakhstan and transformation of STEM education.Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our strategic partners for their contribution to development of practical and cross-functional approaches to education".The success of SEA-TEP lays a strong foundation for advancing policy integration in STEM teacher education across Southeast Asia and Kazakhstan. To ensure long-term impact, early engagement with decision-makers is key. In Kazakhstan, Policy recommendations emerging from the programme include revising national educational standards to promote interdisciplinary learning at the secondary level and establishing government-endorsed registries of certified STEM trainers. In response to a ministerial decree promoting innovation infrastructure within teacher training institutions, Ualikhanov University and Caravan of Knowledge are establishing a STEAM Competence Center to deliver high-quality professional development focused on STEM innovations. Furthermore, fostering regional professional learning communities (PLCs) is critical to ensure targeted teaching support and instructional leadership. These policy directions highlight how SEA-TEP model can serve as a strategic enabler for systemic STEM teacher education reform throughout Southeast Asia and Kazakhstan.Following the regional sharing and reflection session, SEA-TEP's final stage now focuses on consolidating key research insights, capturing best practices, and informing long-term strategies for sustainability and policy adoption. The success of SEA-TEP continues to serve as a path for advancing high-quality STEM teacher education across Southeast Asia and beyond. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Young students from SCO countries experience traditional Chinese culture in Tianjin Xinhua) 09:51, August 15, 2025 Young students from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries visit an ancient cultural street in north China's Tianjin, Aug. 14, 2025. Hundreds of young students from SCO countries, who are visiting China on a cultural exchange program, experienced the charm of traditional Chinese culture here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Li Ran) A young student from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) country poses for a photo in traditional Chinese attire at an ancient cultural street in north China's Tianjin, Aug. 14, 2025. Hundreds of young students from SCO countries, who are visiting China on a cultural exchange program, experienced the charm of traditional Chinese culture here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Li Ran) A young student from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) country selects cultural and creative products at an ancient cultural street in north China's Tianjin, Aug. 14, 2025. Hundreds of young students from SCO countries, who are visiting China on a cultural exchange program, experienced the charm of traditional Chinese culture here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Li Ran) Young students from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries select gifts at an ancient cultural street in north China's Tianjin, Aug. 14, 2025. Hundreds of young students from SCO countries, who are visiting China on a cultural exchange program, experienced the charm of traditional Chinese culture here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Li Ran) Young students from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries pose for a group photo at an ancient cultural street in north China's Tianjin, Aug. 14, 2025. Hundreds of young students from SCO countries, who are visiting China on a cultural exchange program, experienced the charm of traditional Chinese culture here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Li Ran) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) BOSTON, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Connectbase, the leading platform for Ecosystem Led Growth in the global connectivity industry, announces that French infrastructure operator ielo has joined its Connected World platform. Connectbase ielo designs, builds, and operates a next-generation fiber network purpose-built for B2B use. Its fully owned 30,000 km infrastructure spans 3,300+ urban areas and is eligible to serve 80% of medium and large enterprises, and 60% of smaller businesses across France. With 12 regional technical centers and full in-house control of operations, ielo ensures high service reliability, 24/7 support, and operational excellencewithout outsourcing. By joining Connectbase, ielo enhances visibility into its network, automates quoting and workflows, and streamlines collaboration with ecosystem partners. The partnership supports ielo's commitment to performance, efficiency, and nationwide scalability. "We're excited to welcome ielo to the Connectbase ecosystem," said Ben Edmond, CEO of Connectbase. "Their operational model and infrastructure quality align perfectly with our mission to digitize and simplify global connectivity." About ielo Created in 2016, ielo is an independent telecom infrastructure operator based in France, specializing in next-generation fiber optic networks for business. Its fully owned infrastructure covers over 3,300 urban areas and supports dark fiber, DIA, FTTO, and wavelength (Waves) services. ielo operates 12 regional technical centers and is present in more than 200 data centers nationwide, offering tailored, high-performance solutions with 24/7 support and no cross-connect requirements. About Connectbase Connectbase is the global ecosystem for buying and selling connectivity. Its platform, The Connected World, automates serviceability, pricing, and approvals across billions of locations in more than 150 countries. Built on trust, intelligence, and transparency, Connectbase helps providers and buyers scale smarter, sell faster, and grow through a fully digitized, connected ecosystem. Learn more at www.connectbase.com and Follow us on LinkedIn . For media inquires, please contact: Mary Ann Rose SVP, Global Sales & Marketing, Connectbase [email protected] (508) 202-1807 SOURCE Connectbase Officials at the launch of the national donation campaign for Cuba. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi A national donation campaign was launched in Hanoi on August 13 to rally support for the Cuban people on the occasion of the Vietnam Cuba Friendship Year and the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations. Organised by the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS) Central Committee in coordination with ministries, central agencies, and mass organisations, the event was held in person and online, connecting with 33 localities nationwide. The campaign will run for 65 days, from August 13 to October 16, aiming to raise at least 65 billion VND (about 2.56 million USD) to help Cuba overcome difficulties and further strengthen the countries special friendship. Speaking at the ceremony, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Do Van Chien said the programme reflects Vietnams consistent affection for Cuba and its people. Over the past 65 years, he noted, bilateral ties have become a model of pure, loyal, and enduring international solidarity. In any circumstance, Vietnam always stands shoulder to shoulder with Cuba, he affirmed, calling on domestic sectors, VFF member organisations, businesses, Vietnamese at home and abroad, and foreigners in Vietnam to contribute through practical actions. VRCS Executive Vice President and General Secretary Nguyen Hai Anh stressed that the campaign sends a clear message to the international community that Vietnam is always by Cubas side as Cuba has always been by Vietnams side. Multiple donation channels are available: direct contributions at the VRCS headquarters, QR code transfers, public donation boxes, and mobile apps such as App Thien Nguyen and Viettel Money. Donations can also be made to the VRCS account at the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MBBank), account name: TW HOI CHU THAP DO VIET NAM, number: 2022, with the note CUBA. Schools nationwide will also join through activities like letter-writing campaigns and small fundraising projects for Cuban children. The launch featured a discussion with Cuban Ambassador Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, former Director of the Department of the Americas at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former Vietnamese Ambassador to Spain Nguyen Xuan Phong; and Associate Professor, PhD Nguyen Viet Thao, former Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Cuba Friendship Association. They shared personal stories and cherished memories of living, studying, and working in Cuba. Ambassador Fuentes affirmed that Vietnam Cuba friendship, founded by President Ho Chi Minh and Cuban leader Fidel Castro and nurtured by generations of both countries' leaders and citizens, is a just, long-standing, and unique relationship in the world. Cuba is always grateful to Vietnam for its assistance and support, he added. The Government will host a nationwide hybrid ceremony on August 19 to simultaneously inaugurate and break ground for around 250 projects at 80 sites across the country. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi In celebration of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2), the Government will host a nationwide hybrid ceremony on August 19 to simultaneously inaugurate and break ground for around 250 projects at 80 sites across the country. Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Tran Van Son reported that as of August 13, 250 eligible projects in 34 provinces and cities had been confirmed, with a total investment of about 1.28 quadrillion VND (48.73 billion USD). These comprise 89 completed projects ready for inauguration and 161 new ones set to start construction. Of the total, 129 projects are funded by the State, with a total capital of 478 trillion VND (37%), while 121 others, totaling 802 trillion VND (63%), are financed from other sources. Foreign direct investment capital is committed to five projects, worth roughly 54 trillion VND. The extensive programme is expected to give a significant boost to socio-economic growth, strengthen regional connectivity, and help achieve GDP growth of at least 8% in 2025, with double-digit expansion for 2026-2030. It will also create jobs, improve livelihoods, and raise living standards nationwide. Highlight projects include the inauguration of the Vietnam National Exposition Centre in Hanoi's Dong Anh commune, developed by Vingroup; the groundbreaking of Viettels Research and Development Centre for advanced technologies such as semiconductors, AI, and big data, with an investment of around 10 trillion VND; the launch of a 76.9-ha commercial-service and amusement complex valued at 79.79 trillion VND in Da Nang; the inauguration of Nghe An Oncology Hospital with 1,000 beds and an investment of 1.26 trillion VND; and the Hai Anh Wind Power Plant, worth 1.565 trillion VND, in Quang Tri province. In the transport sector, the completion of the Rach Mieu Bridge in the Mekong Delta is a notable achievement. Deputy Minister of Construction Le Anh Tuan said the 250 projects are projected to contribute over 18% of national GDP in 2025 and more than 20% in the following years. State-funded works will provide strategic infrastructure frameworks to attract and guide private investment. A second nationwide ceremony is scheduled for December 19 to mark the completion and launch of additional large-scale projects, including over 3,000 km of expressways and Phase 1 of Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai provice, expected to be finished nearly a year ahead of schedule, in celebration of the 14th National Party Congress. Diabetes Entered Top Five Telehealth Diagnostic Categories in Midwest and West in May for First Time in 2025 NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In May 2025, the percentage of patients with a telehealth claim increased nationally and in all four US census regions, according to FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker. Nationally, that percentage increased from 14.2 percent of patients in April to 14.3 percent in May, a 0.8 percent rise. In May, the West had the largest share of patients with a telehealth claim, at 18.7 percent, and the Midwest had the smallest share, at 10.8 percent. The data represent the commercially insured population, excluding Medicare Fee-for-Service, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid. Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, May 2025, United States From April to May, changes in utilization as measured by telehealth claim lines1 varied. Nationally, telehealth claim lines fell from 5.01 percent of medical claim lines in April to 4.96 percent in May, a decrease of 1.0 percent. In the South, the decrease was 1.7 percent. In all other regions, there was an increase, from 0.4 percent in the West to 3.1 percent in the Northeast. Diagnostic Categories In May 2025, diabetes mellitus entered the top five telehealth diagnostic categories in the Midwest and West for the first time in 2025. In the Midwest, this diagnostic category entered in fifth position, displacing overweight and obesity; in the West, it entered in fourth position, displacing acute respiratory diseases and infections, which fell to the fifth rank, supplanting sleep disorders. In the South, diabetes fell off the list from fifth position, replaced by encounter for examination. In May, mental health conditions remained in first position nationally and in every region, though the percentage of patients with a telehealth claim for this diagnostic category decreased nationally and in all regions. Nationally, it fell from 63.0 percent in April to 62.1 percent in May. Urban versus Rural In May 2025, as in April, telehealth utilization was higher in urban than rural areas nationally and in every region.2 Nationally, 14.5 percent of patients in urban areas had a telehealth claim, compared to 7.5 percent in rural areas. The largest difference occurred in the West, where the percentage of urban patients using telehealth (18.8 percent) was 2.4 times the percentage of rural patients (7.9 percent). The smallest difference was found in the Northeast, where the percentage of patients in urban areas using telehealth (16.7 percent) was 1.5 times the percentage of patients in rural areas using telehealth (11.4 percent). Age Distribution In May 2025, as in April, the age groups 19-30 and 31-40 accounted for the largest percentages of patients with a telehealth claim nationally and in every region. Nationally in May, the age group 31-40 (22.8 percent) displaced the age group 19-30 (22.4 percent) as the age group with the largest percentage of patients having a telehealth claim. The same shift happened in the Northeast and South, though in the Midwest and West, the age group 19-30 still had the largest percentage of patients with a telehealth claim. Nationally and in every region, the age groups 0-9 and 65 and older accounted for the smallest shares (less than 10 percent each) of patients with a telehealth claim. Procedure Categories In May 2025, psychotherapy services and procedures, and established patient office or other outpatient services (including those for mental health conditions), were, as in April, the top two procedure categories nationally and in every region. The order of the two varied: In May, established patient office or other outpatient services ranked first nationally (at 47.7 percent of patients with a telehealth claim) and in the South and West, while psychotherapy services and procedures ranked first in the Midwest and Northeast. In April, established patient office or other outpatient services ranked second nationally (47.48 percent), while psychotherapy services and procedures (47.49 percent) ranked first. About the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker Launched in May 2020 as a free service, the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker uses FAIR Health data to track how telehealth is evolving from month to month. An interactive map of the four US census regions allows the user to view an infographic on telehealth in a specific month in the nation as a whole or in individual regions. Each year, the infographic introduces varied views into telehealth utilization. In this sixth iteration of the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, each infographic shows month-to-month changes in telehealth utilization, both through telehealth's percentage of medical claim lines and percent of patients with a telehealth claim; that month's top five diagnostic categories; top five procedure categories; age distribution, which captures the percentage of patients within each age group with a telehealth claim; and urban versus rural telehealth usage. For the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, click here. Follow us on X @FAIRHealth About FAIR Health FAIR Health is a national, independent nonprofit organization that qualifies as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code. It is dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through data products, consumer resources and health systems research support. FAIR Health possesses the nation's largest collection of commercial healthcare claims data, which includes over 51 billion claim records and is growing at a rate of about 4 billion claim records a year. FAIR Health licenses its commercial data and data productsincluding benchmark modules, data visualizations, custom analytics and market indicesto commercial insurers and self-insurers, employers, providers, hospitals and healthcare systems, government agencies, researchers and others. Certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a national Qualified Entity, FAIR Health also receives data representing the experience of all individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare Parts A, B and D, which accounts for a separate collection of over 51 billion claim records; FAIR Health includes among the commercial claims data in its database, data on Medicare Advantage enrollees. FAIR Health can produce insightful analytic reports and data products based on combined Medicare and commercial claims data for government, providers, payors and other authorized users. FAIR Health's systems for processing and storing protected health information have earned HITRUST CSF certification and achieved AICPA SOC 2 Type 2 compliance by meeting the rigorous data security requirements of these standards. As a testament to the reliability and objectivity of FAIR Health data, the data have been incorporated in statutes and regulations around the country and designated as the official, neutral data source for a variety of state health programs, including workers' compensation and personal injury protection (PIP) programs. FAIR Health data serve as an official reference point in support of certain state balance billing laws that protect consumers against bills for surprise out-of-network and emergency services. FAIR Health also uses its database to power a free consumer website available in English and Spanish, which enables consumers to estimate and plan for their healthcare expenditures and offers a rich educational platform on health insurance. An English/Spanish mobile app offers the same educational platform in a concise format and links to the cost estimation tools. The website has been honored by the White House Summit on Smart Disclosure, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), URAC, the eHealthcare Leadership Awards, appPicker, Employee Benefit News and Kiplinger's Personal Finance. For more information on FAIR Health, visit fairhealth.org. Contact: Rachel Kent Executive Director of Communications and Marketing FAIR Health 646-396-0795 [email protected] 1 A claim line is an individual service or procedure listed on an insurance claim. 2 Each telehealth service was attributed to a rural/urban designation in a region based on the patient's medical service area, which FAIR Health determines based on the unique geographical pattern of services utilized by the patient. SOURCE FAIR Health Dedicated bilingual student takes classical next step on academic journey A dedicated bilingual student is preparing to take the next steps in her academic journey after an exceptional time at college. Nimue Thomas, 18, a former pupil at Ysgol Dinas Bran, has received an offer to study Classical Civilisation at Durham University one of the UKs leading institutions after completing A Levels in English Literature, History, Classical Civilisation, and the Level 3 Welsh Baccalaureate. Reflecting on her time at Coleg Cambria Yale in Wrexham, Nimue, from Llangollen, said: These past two years have been absolutely brilliant. From my very first day, I felt welcomed and supported, the teachers are fantastic, and their passion for their subjects made learning enjoyable and inspiring. Ive loved every minute and would do it all again if I could. A proud Welsh speaker, Nimue was also grateful for the opportunity to continue her language studies. I really appreciated being able to complete the Welsh Baccalaureate through the medium of Welsh and having access to Welsh-language papers in exams and mocks. It was also great to be part of the colleges Welsh-speaking community. Outside of her studies, Nimue joined the colleges book club, led by tutor Carys Roberts, which she described as a highlight of her time at Cambria. She now hopes to pursue a career in education or research within the field of Classical Civilisation. Gareth Jones, Assistant Principal and Head of Yale Sixth Form at Coleg Cambria praised her attitude and achievements: Nimue is an outstanding student whose passion for learning and commitment to her subjects has been clear from the start. Her offer from Durham University is richly deserved, and were incredibly proud of everything she has accomplished. We wish her all the very best for the future and know she will go on to do great things. Coleg Cambria continues to welcome students from across North Wales and beyond, offering a wide range of A Level subjects in a supportive and inspiring environment designed to help learners thrive both academically and personally. Visit www.cambria.ac.uk for more on studying for A Levels at Coleg Cambria. Alternatively, email admissions@cambria.ac.uk, call 0300 30 30 007 or use the Chat now! | Coleg Cambria Customer Support facility on the website. Far East forgotten army remembered as Wrexham veteran marks 80 years since VJ Day As the UK marks 80 years since Victory over Japan Day, a 100-year-old veteran from Wrexham has shared his memories of serving in the Far East. Herbert Pritchard, 100, had hoped to join the Navy after finishing school at 16 in 1942. After six weeks of training, Herbert and his fellow Marines were taken to Plymouth where they first saw HMS Newcastle, painted white. Recounting how a Royal Marine Sergeant Major persuaded him to enlist, Herbert said: He asked us if wed heard of the Royal Marines. Of course we hadnt, but he showed us the uniform he was wearing and, my god, he looked smart. So we asked if wed have a uniform like that. Yes! he said so he got us down on his sign-ups. When I was walking home I bumped into my mother. She asked me what Id been doing. Ive just joined up for the Royal Marines, I said, and she told me, Get home quick, your dadll kill you! Speaking about arriving in Plymouth, Herbert said: I remember this corporal saying, Good God, were going to Russia. We got on board and we were sick. We didnt want to go to Russia by any means. But we were then ordered to paint the ship from white to grey, and we knew then we werent going to Russia. Herberts ship was in dry dock in Cape Town for a few days for repairs after it had been torpedoed. He turned 17 while there. I was too young at the time to have rum, but I had a few drops, he said. The rum would be served every dinner time but you had to be 18. A few of the lads would sort me out, and I was singing and happy I was 17. Herbert then sailed from South Africa onto Burma, where hed spend the majority of his time during the War. He met up with other ships to undertake a planned bombardment of the Burma coast. Explaining the plan, he said: The idea was wed blow up a hell of a lot, then us Marines would be put in boats and go ashore as bait, drawing the Japanese to us, so the 14th Army could go down and capture the Japanese. Herbert remembers this bombardment taking a long time and was hard work, saying: I remember these big shells would come over the top of us in those little boats. When we were ashore all we had on were shorts, and the sun was so strong! I developed a skin condition 30 years later. Herbert was still in the Far East when the war ended in Europe after the German surrender, and said there was no time for celebrating for those still fighting. He said: The Royal Marines were like the forgotten army, we were so far away most people didnt know where we were. I was right down the bottom of Japan when the atomic bombs were dropped, but we didnt know anything about it until it had happened. After his skipper announced they were heading for home, Herbert made a stop in Australia on the way home to pick up prisoners of war from Burma. Herbert said: We tied up right by the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the night, and the next morning we woke up to about 40 soldiers queueing up. Our skipper told us Bring these lads aboard, were taking them home, and all they had on were rags. I bent down to lift someone up and I heard Ill be glad to get to Blighty so I can have a pint of Wrexham lager. I said Who said that?, and they replied Me, you wouldnt know Wrexham lager. I live in Wrexham. So I asked him where he lived, and he replied Rhosddu so I told him I live in Hightown. Come on, youre on the way home with us. We couldnt believe it. Herbert saw the man around Wrexham frequently after they both got demobbed, as the man worked on the busses in the town, but he has since sadly passed away. After being demobbed at the end of the war, Herbert joined the reserves for a few years but remained active within the military community. He received an honour from the Royal British Legion as a thank you for his four decades of service collecting for the Poppy Appeal and raising much needed funds to help the Armed Forces community. Victory over Japan (VJ) Day is marked annually on 15 August to commemorate Japans surrender in 1945, ending the Second World War. This years 80th anniversary will feature national events, including a service at the National Memorial Arboretum, local ceremonies across the UK, and moments of reflection to remember those who served in the Far East. Herbert is attending the RBLs service at the National Memorial Arboretum to mark 80 years since VJ Day. Speaking about this poignant day, Herbert said: Its very important everyone remember that we were all still fighting when the war was finished in Europe. We were the forgotten ones out in the Far East, and we must remember those who gave their lives and made that huge sacrifice for their country. Flintshire woman charged in connection with child sexual exploitation investigation A 52-year-old woman has been charged with multiple offences as part of an ongoing investigation into child sexual exploitation and trafficking. Sarah Gray, of Llanasa Road, Gronant, is charged with conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs, assisting an offender, and perverting the course of justice. She is due to appear at Mold Magistrates Court today, Friday 15 August. Her arrest forms part of an investigation that has already seen four Denbighshire men charged with offences including rape, sexual assault, and the supply of illegal drugs. The four are due to appear at Mold Crown Court on Friday 5 September following arrests on Thursday 7 August. Mustafa Iqbal, 42, of Trellewelyn Road, Rhyl, is charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, three counts of inciting a child aged under 16 to engage in sexual activity, six offences under Sections 1 and 2 of the Modern Slavery Act, conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs, possession of a firearm, and breach of a Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order. Mohammad Usman Arshad, 35, of Clifton Grove, Rhyl, is charged with rape, four offences under Sections 1 and 2 of the Modern Slavery Act, and the supply of Class B drugs. Ziaullah Badsha, 24, of Brighton Road, Rhyl, is charged with two counts of rape, four offences under Sections 1 and 2 of the Modern Slavery Act, and the supply of Class B drugs. Jaswinder Singh, 60, of River Street, Rhyl, is charged with two offences under Section 2 of the Modern Slavery Act, and the supply of Class B drugs. They appeared at Llandudno Magistrates Court on Friday 8 August and were remanded in custody. They will next appear at Mold Crown Court on Friday 5 September. A 61-year-old man from London, arrested as part of the investigation, has been released on bail pending further enquiries. Operation Embank and Operation Zirconium are linked investigations led by North Wales Police involving three teenage female victims, who made reports about offences in Rhyl and surrounding areas between April 2022 and March 2024. Detective Chief Inspector Rich Sidney of North Wales Police said: Our priority is always the protection and support of victims, and this investigation is no exception. We urge anyone who has experienced abuseor who is concerned about someone who may be sufferingto come forward. You will be listened to, your report will be investigated, and we will ensure you have access to the support you need. This has been a complex and long-running investigation. We have liaised with the Crown Prosecution Service throughout the process and this collaboration has resulted in authority to charge the suspects involved with multiple serious offences being provided. We would now ask for people to respect the judicial process and to avoid online speculation on this case. This is to ensure the integrity of the investigation and court proceedings. Specialist Prosecutor Louisa Robertson at the CPS said: The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised North Wales Police to charge four males and one female in respect of these two investigations. The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against each individual are now active and that they all have a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings. To report child sexual exploitation, contact North Wales Police online or by calling 101. In an emergency, call 999. North Wales Police renew appeal to find missing man last seen in Wrexham Police have renewed an appeal to trace a missing man who has not been since the start of the month. 26-year-old Christian, who is originally from Yorkshire, was captured on CCTV in Wrexham at 4pm on August 1. North Wales Police say that Christian is known to walk long distances and could be anywhere in the country. He is described as being around 5ft 8 in height and has short, straight blond hair. Christian was last seen wearing a black jacket, black trousers and light blue trainers. Anyone who thinks they might have seen him, or anyone with information, is urged to get in touch with officers on 101, or via the website, quoting reference number: 52523. SEATTLE, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Jane Doe 100 has filed suit in King County Superior Court, alleging she was physically and sexually abused by Tri-Cities OBGYN Mark E. Mulholland. Jane Doe 100 is represented by attorneys Tamara Holder, of Tamara Holder Law, and Elizabeth Hanley, of Schroeter Goldmark Bender. Attorneys Tamara Holder and Elizabeth Hanley filed suit on behalf of Dr. Mulholland victim Jane Doe 100 Attorneys Tamara Holder and Elizabeth Hanley filed suit on behalf of Dr. Mulholland victim Jane Doe 100 Jane Doe 100 alleges she visited Mulholland at Providence St. Joseph Health and Kadlec Regional Medical Center, in Richland, Washington, in August 2022, and that during the appointment, Mulholland performed a gloveless "exam;" was aggressive and caused her pain; complimented the appearance of her private parts; and he asked if she was single. Jane Doe 100 further alleges that, since as early as 2003, defendants received numerous patient complaints about Mulholland both before and after her appointment in August 2022. Additionally, in April 2025, the Washington Department of Public Health filed a formal complaint against Mulholland for "abuse" and "unprofessional conduct" on behalf of three patients. Holder and Hanley currently represent over 150 female patients. "As a Kamiakin High School graduate, just like Mulholland, I am devastated to learn that, not only did he allegedly abuse so many trusting female patients, but that one of the few medical centers in the area lured women to him, only for them to be violently abused, and then the women were ignored when they complained. We are devoted to not only obtaining justice for our clients but also to exposing how Providence and Kadlec profited off of Mulholland's alleged sex crimes and abuses of his position of trust and power," said Holder. "Mulholland's actions represent a horrifying betrayal of trustand the healthcare institutions that enabled his abuse must also be held accountable. To the survivors who were ignored, dismissed, or silenced: Your courage in coming forward will bring justice for Mulholland's abuse, and will protect others from ever enduring this kind of violation again," Hanley added. Jane Doe 100 accuses the defendants of sex-based discrimination, failure to protect patients, and institutional negligence. Case No. 25-2-22557-7KNT Holder spearheaded the multi- plaintiff litigation against Chicago-area OBGYN and convicted sex offender Fabio Ortega. Hanley regularly represents survivors in sexual assault and discrimination cases, notably against powerful entities that fail to prevent systemic abuse. [email protected], (312) 440-9000 SOURCE The Law Firm of Tamara N. Holder, LLC JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) President Donald Trump failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin on Friday to end Russias war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. Theres no deal until theres a deal, the U.S. president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an understanding on Ukraine and warned Europe not to torpedo the nascent progress. Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has balked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskyy in the Oval Office and stanching the flow of some U.S. military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The U.S. president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional U.S. sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trumps preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News Channel before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted that the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskyy to get it done, but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. That was notable since Zelenskyy was excluded from Trump and Putin's meeting. The U.S. president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin wanted to negotiate a deal that would cement Russias gains, block Kyivs bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscows orbit. We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to, Trump said while standing next to Putin. And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there. He continued: We didnt get there. Putin says Trump shows understanding that Russia has its own interests For Putin, just being on U.S. soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall the economic sanctions that the U.S. president had promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring the fighting to a close. It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the United States should turn the page and go back to cooperation. He praised Trump as someone who has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests. I expect that todays agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the U.S., Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon. When Putin smiled and offered, next time in Moscow, Trump said thats an interesting one and said he might face criticism but I could see it possibly happening. During the interview with Fox News, Trump bragged that Putin echoed many of the U.S. presidents long-standing grievances, including about the 2020 election. This suggests that Putin, a former KGB officer, may have left Trump with the impression that hed notched a big win even as he left empty handed. When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they had greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War flew overhead. The two then shared the U.S. presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close U.S. allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskyy and European leaders, who fear that Trump is primarily focusing on furthering U.S. interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraines. Not a one-on-one meeting White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said shortly before Air Force One touched down that the previously planned one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin would be a three-on-three discussion including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Putin was joined by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov. The change seemed to indicate that the White House was taking a more guarded approach than it did during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, where Trump and Putin met privately with their interpreters and Trump then shocked the world by siding with the Russian leader over U.S. intelligence officials on whether Russia meddled in the 2016 campaign. Zelenskyys exclusion was also a heavy blow to the Wests policy of nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. War still raging Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraines mobilization efforts, which are conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies. The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources. Ukraine has held on far longer than some initially expected since the February 2022 invasion, but it is straining to hold off Russias much larger army, grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) front line. Alaska is separated from Russia at its closest point by just 3 miles (less than 5 kilometers) and the international date line. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It continues to play a role today, as planes from the base still intercept Russian aircraft that regularly fly into U.S. airspace. Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Jonathan J. Cooper in Washington, Elise Morton in London and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. As artificial intelligence accelerates the demand for power in the U.S., data centers are expanding to help meet the growing need, but AARP advocates are concerned that the costs of building and maintaining the centers may be unfairly passed on to residential customers. For many, especially older adults on fixed incomes, higher utility bills could mean making difficult choices between paying for electricity and affording essentials like medications, food or rent. Thats why AARP is pressing lawmakers around the country to protect consumers from electricity rate hikes. Members only We are working on this issue around the country, says Jessica Padron, AARP Nevadas associate state director of advocacy and outreach. Data centers need a lot of power around the clock. They should pay the full costs of serving them so as not to harm reliability or raise rates to existing customers. Many adults 50 and older already face steep increases in utility bills because of construction of power plants to replace aging infrastructure, new long-distance transmission lines and the spike in electric demand due to the growth in use of electricity for heating and transportation. Energy advocates estimate residential electricity prices could reach a 12-year high this year. Nearly two-thirds of adults 50-plus reported increases in their electric bills, and at least 3 in 4 expressed concerns that costs will continue to climb, according to a July survey from AARPs Public Policy Institute. AARP is fighting to keep utility rates affordable and service dependable because for older adults living on fixed incomes, even modest increases in monthly bills can strain tight budgets, says Bill Malcolm, AARP government affairs director of financial security and livable communities. This is just a sample of AARPs advocacy work being done across the country to keep the lights on for 50-plus households. Data centers pose a looming challenge Though not a new phenomenon, these repositories of computer servers and storage systems have gotten bigger and more powerful with the acceleration of artificial intelligence. They require a lot of energy to function, and some may soon consume the same amount as a city. Join Our Fight to Protect Older Americans Heres what you can do to help: Sign up to become an AARP activist for the latest news and alerts on issues you care about. Find out more about how were fighting for you every day in Congress and across the country. AARP is your fierce defender on the issues that matter to people 50-plus. Become a member or renew your membership today. Now were seeing gigawatt-scale data centers, says Ari Peskoe, director of the Electricity Law Initiative at Harvard University. To put that in context: Everyone running their air-conditioning in New Orleans on a hot summer day requires a little more than a gigawatt, Peskoe says. By 2030, industry estimates say, data centers will consume as much as 12 percent of all U.S. electricity and could be largely responsible for quintupling the annual growth in electricity demand. What that means is that the power industry, the utilities in particular, are planning to develop massive amounts of new infrastructure to meet this demand, Peskoe says. Advocates warn that the costs for doing so could fall on everyday consumers. One projection conducted in Virginia estimated that the average residential user could see as much as a $37-per-month energy bill increase by 2040. A Tragedy in KishtwarSwift Action Must Follow Sympathy 2 The serene hills of Jammu and Kashmirs Kishtwar district were shattered on Thursday afternoon when a sudden and massive cloudburst over Chashoti village triggered devastating flash floods along the Machail Mata Yatra route. What should have been a sacred pilgrimage turned into a nightmare of mud, debris, and loss. The scale of the disaster is soberingat least 60 lives lost, over 100 injured, and hundreds feared trapped beneath rubble and sludge. Among the survivors is Shalu Mehra, a pilgrim whose ordeal captures the raw terror of that moment. Suddenly, there was a sound like a bomb exploding, and everyone started shoutingrun, run, she recalled. In the chaos, she was trapped under debris and struck on the head by an electricity pole. Her daughters quick thinking saved her life, but even then, her thoughts turned immediately to her son, who was several kilometers ahead on the route. Such testimonies remind us of the human face of this calamitythe panic, the pain, and the desperate search for loved ones. The tragedy has prompted urgent rescue operations involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Army, police, and local volunteers. Yet, the grim reality is that the number of casualties may still climb. National Conference Chief Farooq Abdullah has warned that more than 500 people could still be trapped, with some officials fearing the figure might exceed 1,000. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in his Independence Day address at Srinagars Bakshi Stadium, expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. His acknowledgement of the need to examine possible administrative lapsesgiven that weather forecasts had warned of severe conditionswas a crucial and commendable note of accountability. In disasters of this magnitude, empathy must be accompanied by rigorous scrutiny and systemic improvement. The Prime Minister has been briefed on the situation, and the state administration has set up a control room to assist victims and their families. This is an essential first step, but it must be followed by relentless actionsearch and rescue must be conducted with every available resource, and relief efforts must reach even the most remote and inaccessible corners. The urgency is heightened by the fact that many victims are pilgrims far from home, dependent entirely on local authorities and the goodwill of strangers. Kishtwars disaster is a test of governance, preparedness, and compassion. While natures fury cannot always be tamed, its impact can often be mitigated through better forecasting, timely evacuation, and effective disaster management protocols. If such lapses occurred, they must be identifiednot for blame alone, but to ensure that precious lives are never again lost to preventable oversights. For now, our thoughts and prayers remain with the people of Kashmir. But as an editorial voice, we must go beyond sympathy: we urge both the Union and the State governments to act with speed, transparency, and accountability. In a land that has seen too much suffering, every effort must be made to bring relief, restore dignity, and rebuild trust. Nearly 40 years after Larry Flynt won a landmark case in the Supreme Court, his widow is looking to return and break dramatic new ground WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Liz Flynt, the chairwoman of Flynt Management Group, is following in her late husband's legal footsteps, working to take her ongoing legal battle with the State of California all the way to the Supreme Court in a major case that could impact multiple industries across the country. Nearly 40 years after her husband, Larry Flynt, won a landmark Supreme Court ruling, his widow, Liz Flynt, Chairwoman of Flynt Management Group, is challenging the constitutionality of the State of California's business practices in a case that could impact interstate commerce across the country. "My husband, Larry Flynt, defended free speech rights in front of the Supreme Court Justices and won an important victory not only for himself but also for everyone's First Amendment protections," said Liz Flynt. "Four decades later, I am asking the Justices to again protect important American rights this time by standing up for business owners who are being illegally restrained from competing in a nationwide marketplace by California's unconstitutional laws." Larry Flynt, the legendary founder of the HUSTLER publishing empire, launched the legal case back in 2016, challenging a California law that forced gaming proprietors to choose between being part of California's in-state gaming market, or the markets of the other gaming states, but not both. He and two other cardroom owners challenged the state's actions in court, calling a 1986 law originally drawn up to try to keep the mafia out of California's cardrooms - an "anachronistic" use of state regulatory power. The case was still making its way through the courts when Mr. Flynt passed away on February 10, 2021. Mrs. Flynt knew how important the case was to her husband personally and to the future of American casino operations, so she continued the lawsuit on his behalf. As a result, the case was brought to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for consideration. That court ruled in March that California's cardroom licensing restrictions were valid, suggesting that a recent Supreme Court opinion precluded Mrs. Flynt's claims. Not so, said Erin McCampbell Paris, the attorney for Mrs. Flynt. "The Supreme Court has made it clear that you cannot force business owners to make the choice between being part of the enacting state's in-state market or the markets of the other states, but not both. That kind of economic balkanization, or division of the market, is, and always has been, a violation of the Commerce Clause." On August 11, Paris filed a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari with the Supreme Court, arguing that if states like California are able to discriminate against the gaming industry's ability to engage in interstate commerce, then they will have the power to discriminate against companies in any industry. It is a cause Mrs. Flynt is readily embracing. "Just as Larry was a champion for free speech, we want this case to restore freedom the freedom for business owners to operate in every state without California's unfair and unconstitutional interference." Should the Supreme Court grant the writ and review the case, it will set the stage for another Flynt to argue a dramatic and far-reaching case before the nation's highest court. About Flynt Management Group, LLC Flynt Management Group, LLC, a privately held company, serves as the parent organization for the renowned HUSTLER brand, originally established by Larry Flynt in 1967. With a global presence and a workforce exceeding 2,500 employees, the company oversees various business divisions, including its prominent publishing arm, HUSTLER Casino, Larry Flynt's Lucky Lady Casino, HUSTLER Hollywood & Lovers retail stores, LFP Broadcasting (operating in 55+ countries and partnering with over 500 cable and satellite providers), VOD services, LFP Internet Group, DVD distribution, and Larry Flynt's HUSTLER Clubs, boasting nine locations worldwide. SOURCE Flynt Management Group PM Modi Warns Pakistan: 'No Mercy for Terror Backers' in Red Fort Independence Day Speech 2 Delivering a stern Independence Day message from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday warned that India will not spare either terrorists or those who support them, in a pointed statement to Pakistan. He declared that the armed forces will decide on the punishment in the event of any future provocation from the neighbouring country. Hailing the success of Operation Sindoor, launched after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Modi said the operation dealt a massive blow to Pakistan, with the scale of destruction still emerging. Our brave soldiers punished the enemy beyond its imagination. What they did has not been seen in decades, he said in his 12th consecutive Independence Day address. The prime minister stressed that India has set a new normal in handling cross-border terrorism and will no longer tolerate Pakistans nuclear blackmail. Operation Sindoor, conducted between May 7 and May 10, saw Indian forces strike deep into Pakistani territory, destroying terror bases and triggering four days of hostilities before a mutual understanding was reached. Recalling the Pahalgam attack, in which terrorists killed civilians after questioning their religion, Modi said the nations outrage was matched by decisive military action. We gave our armed forces a free handthey chose the strategy, targets and timing, he said, adding that destruction on Pakistani soil was unprecedented. Modi also defended suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it one-sided and unjust. He declared, Now, blood and water will not flow together. For decades, our rivers irrigated enemy lands while our farmers faced shortages. The prime minister credited Indias push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing for the success of Operation Sindoor, underscoring that a stronger, self-sufficient military is central to the countrys security strategy. PM Modis Independence Day Pitch: Self-Reliance Key as Economic Selfishness Rises Globally 2 Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his longest-ever Independence Day address lasting 103 minutes, called for a Samriddh Bharat powered by self-reliance in sectors ranging from fighter jet engines to electric vehicles, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence. Speaking from the Red Fort on Friday, he warned that economic selfishness is rising globally and India must draw a bigger line to secure its future. Modi announced a series of initiatives, including a task force for next-generation reforms, GST changes aimed at a double Diwali through tax relief, a national deep-water exploration mission to boost energy independence, and the indigenous Sudarshan Chakra defence system by 2035. He urged the nation to channel the same collective resolve that won independence into building a prosperous, self-reliant India. The generation before us sacrificed for Swatantra Bharat; this generation must dedicate itself to Samriddh Bharat, he said, stressing that self-reliance is a nationalnot politicalagenda. He also flagged infiltration as a major threat to unity and security, accusing infiltrators of taking jobs, seizing tribal lands, and luring young women. It will not be tolerated, he warned, announcing a high-powered mission to tackle the issue. The prime minister also praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for its service and discipline, calling it possibly the worlds largest NGO. On constitutional values, he urged citizens to remember the sins of the 1975 Emergency, which he said murdered democracy. Highlighting progress in critical industries, Modi noted that Indias semiconductor ambitions, stalled for decades, are now becoming reality, with domestic production set to begin soon. On national security, he reiterated Indias firm stance against Pakistan, declaring that terrorists and their backers will face the same fate, and the armed forces will determine responses to any provocation. India will no longer tolerate nuclear blackmail, he said. DEAR ABBY: My husband is going to be 70 next month. He is in good physical shape but has taken up smoking marijuana every day. He says he is addicted. I have told him how much I hate that he uses dope. He quits for a while and then goes back to it. We have been married almost 50 years. I would be disappointed filing for divorce, but I am starting to think its my only way out of a situation that has become increasingly frustrating. His doctor has told him it probably wont kill him. Seriously? Whats your advice, Abby? -- POTHEADS WIFE IN ARIZONA DEAR WIFE: Unless there are other reasons why you want out of your marriage, perhaps you should lighten up. Some people smoke marijuana to relax or to relieve tension, depression or even boredom. Do you know why your husband does it on a daily basis, and why you are bothered to the point you are considering divorce? Before talking to an attorney, you might benefit from attending a few Nar-Anon meetings to gain some insight. Theyre as near as your computer at nar-anon.org. Dollar General recalls Clover Valley Instant Coffee after discovering that it could contain glass fragments. FDA Dollar General is recalling three lots of its Clover Valley Instant Coffee products sold nationwide due the potential presence of glass. According to an announcement from the FDA, the coffee was sold at Dollar General locations in more than 40 states, including Alabama. The recall is being initiated after a customer notified Dollar General employees about the potential issue, the statement said. Ingesting glass fragments may cause injury to the consumer, and these injuries may include damage to teeth, laceration of the mouth and throat, or perforation of the intestine. No illnesses or injuries have been reported to date. The recall applies to three lots of Dollar Generals 8-ounce Clover Valley Instant Coffee with the UPC code: 876941004069. In the statement, Dollar General said it is actively investigating the source of the glass contamination and apologizes for any inconvenience caused by the recall. The FDA is urging customers who purchased the coffee to discard it and contact Dollar General either via email at customercare@dollargeneral.com or by phone at 1-888-309-9030 from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. CST seven days a week to request a full refund. Other recalls to know: Target recalls brand of sugar cookies A brand of sugar cookies sold at Target is being recalled because they may contain pieces of wood. According to an announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 10-count boxes of Favorite Day Bakery Frosted Sugar cookies sold at Target stores are being recalled in 20 states. Canada-based Give and Go Prepared Foods Corp. in Etobicoke initiated the recall on July 22 for 803 cases of cookies because the products may contain a foreign material classified as wood. Former Station Correctional Sgt. Delano Daily was arrested Aug. 15, 2025, on charges of first and second-degree promoting prison contraband. (Alabama Department of Corrections) An ex-state prison officer was arrested Friday on accusations that he tried to smuggle contraband into the lockup. Former Sgt. Delano Daily is charged with first and second-degree promoting prison contraband, the Alabama Department of Corrections announced. The 30-year-old Montgomery man was booked into the Elmore County Jail at 9:55 a.m. and released at 11:36 a.m., jail records show. Dailys arrest followed an investigation into the introduction of contraband into the state prisons. He worked at Staton Correctional Facility. Details of the accusations again Daily have not yet been made public. ADOC officials said the investigation is ongoing and more charges could be filed. A 67-year-old man is in an Alabama jail after 17 years on the run for child sex charges. John Joseph Jay Kloss III was booked into the Jefferson County Jail Thursday evening after U.S. Marshals captured the fugitive July 25 in North Port, Florida in Sarasota County. A court date has not yet been announced. Kloss is being held without bond. Kloss had been sought by the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office since 2008 when he was indicted on two counts of first-degree sodomy of a child under the age of 12 and one count of second-degree sodomy of a child. Authorities have previously said that Kloss believed he was a descendant of Rob Roy MacGregor, a famous Scottish folk hero and outlaw of the early 18th century who is sometimes known as the Scottish Robin Hood. Prior to fleeing after the 2008 indictments by a Jefferson County grand jury, Kloss vowed he would never be found by law enforcement, Northern District of Alabama U.S. Marshal Marty Keely previously said. Kloss had extensive experience with computers and electronics and has worked as an IT engineer and a game developer. He also was briefly employed as a residential alarm installer in 2000 and worked for an airport refueling planes after high school. At the time of his disappearance, Kloss had experience as a HAM Radio operator and in broadcasting HAM Radio over the internet using online repeaters, authorities said. He had some outdoors experience with specific knowledge of horseshoeing. Kloss was also wanted by the Northern District of Alabama U.S. Marshals Service for a federal flight to avoid prosecution charge. Kloss had been a wanted fugitive since Operation FALCON in 2008. Authorities said his case has been worked extensively by over 30 different task force officers and senior inspectors over the years. USMS officials said Friday developments in the case arose in September 2024 to both the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force (GCRFTF) in Alabama and the Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force (FCRFTF). The two task forces used investigative techniques to confirm the suspects identity in July. Age progression photos provided by the FBIs Birmingham Field Office were compared to recent photos of the suspect. Members of the USMS GCRFTF, FCRFTF and the USMS Middle District of Florida arrested Kloss without incident. This apprehension proves again that no matter how long a criminal has been on the run, we never stop looking for them, said Middle District of Florida U.S. Marshal William Berger, Sr. Our dedicated team of investigators and deputies as well as our partners never let this case get cold. The cooperative effort seen on this capture proves again that criminals, especially of this kind, have no safe place here in Florida, Berger said. It is well known that Klosss last words to a co-worker before he went on the run were They will never find me. Today, we indeed found him. A judge has found a man guilty for murdering a man during a 2021 robbery in south Alabama. According to the Mobile County District Attorneys Office, Breore Williams was found guilty of capital murder in the death of Robert Thomas Ragona, 69. Williams broke into Ragonas home on December 13, 2021 and stabbed the homeowner 11 times in the neck and face. Ragona died as a result of the attack and Williams proceeded to rob items from the house and flee the scene. Williams was arrested the next day after being found at Ragonas house tampering with evidence, the district attorneys office said. This was a cold-blooded, calculated act of violence committed during a home invasion fueled by greed, Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood said. Justice demanded accountability, and today, justice was served. Williams was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Two people died in separate instances of gun violence in south Alabama Wednesday. According to the Mobile Police Department, an afternoon shooting on McVay Drive left Eric Brown dead. The department said that during that investigation officers were notified of another shooting on the 1400 block of Boudousquie Street, about half a mile from McVay street. Upon arrival, officers discovered a male individual with gunshot injuries on the front porch of a home, the department said. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The individual was identified as Princeton Warren and police allege he was the person who shot Brown on McVay Drive after a verbal altercation. While at the hospital, Warren suffered a cardiac event and died, according to the department. Mobile police said they were not releasing any further information due to an active investigation. The University of Alabama was recently named one of the best colleges in the country for student life in a 2025 ranking put together by Niche.com. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com) Ben Flanagan Which Alabama college has a better student life scene than Yale? You might be surprised by the answer. The University of Alabama was recently named one of the best colleges in the country for student life in a 2025 ranking put together by Niche.com that looked at everything from the schools diversity to its graduation rates, party scene and more. The listing, which put the school in No. 5, was compiled based on a comprehensive analysis of student surveys as well as data from the U.S. Department of Education data. Among the key factors the University of Alabama scored high in were campus quality and student life, both of which received an A+ rating thanks to the schools more than 650 student organizations and active social scene, as well as safety, which garnered a B- rating after 88 percent of students said they felt safe while on campus. University of Alabama students walk to class in front of during the first day of classes in 2023. The university was recently named one of the best colleges in the country for student life in a 2025 ranking put together by Niche.com. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com) The University of Georgia grabbed the top spot in the ranking, while Vanderbilt University came in fourth place and Florida State University was in eighth place. Yale University came in seventh on the list. The University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa and founded in 1831, is home to more than 30,000 undergraduate students and has around a 76 percent acceptance rate. The average cost of tuition is $21,761. You can see the full results and read more about the rankings on Niche.com. Alabama pastor Michael Jennings, right, poses with family members, friends and supporters from his church outside the Hugo L. Black United States Courthouse in downtown Birmingham. Jennings spoke at a press conference and rally on Sept. 10, 2022, to discuss a federal lawsuit he filed against three police officers and the town of Childersburg. (Mary Colurso | mcolurso@al.com) Several civil rights groups filed an amicus brief in the Alabama Supreme Court this week, urging judges to maintain that state law does not authorize police to demand physical identification when questioning someone on the street. The Rules of the Supreme Court state that an amicus brief should offer the Court relevant matter not already brought to its attention by the (involved) parties. The brief, filed by Thursday by the national American Civil Liberties Union, the Cato Institute, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and The Woods Foundation, applies to the case of Pastor Michael Jennings, a Black man who was confronted in 2022 by officers in his neighbors yard while watering their flowers. Jennings, 56, was arrested after a white neighbor called 911 and said a younger Black male and gold SUV were at a house while the owners who are friends of Jennings and had asked him to watch their home were away. Jennings identified himself as Pastor Jennings but refused to provide identification to the officers. Police arrested him on a charge of obstructing government operations after a 20-minute confrontation that included raised voices on both sides, AL.com reported previously. The plain text of Alabamas stop-and-question law makes clear that it does not permit police officers to compel someone to produce a physical ID, and for good reason, Matthew Segal, co-director of the ACLU State Supreme Court Initiative, said in a recent release. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has previously held that Alabamas stop-and-question law does not authorize demands for documents, and this case is an important opportunity for the Alabama Supreme Court to confirm that the Eleventh Circuit got it right. Jennings charges of obstructing governmental operations were later dismissed, and Jennings sued the arresting officers and the city of Childersburg in federal district court. Chief U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor dismissed the lawsuit in Dec. 2023, ruling that the officers and the city had qualified immunity that protected them from legal liability. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled in Oct. 2024 that the police did not have probable cause to arrest Jennings under Alabama Code section 15-5-30, a law entitled Authority of Peace Officer to Stop and Question, according to court records. The federal district court later certified a question to the Alabama Supreme Court asking whether, under section 15-5-30, a law enforcement officer may require physical identification when the person gives an incomplete or unsatisfactory oral response. In June, the Alabama Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. Alabamas stop-and-question law does not empower police officers to force people to prove they are who they say they are, Matthew Cavedon, incoming director of the Cato Institutes Project on Criminal Justice said in the release. Nothing in Alabama law makes people carry ID cards, and indeed, fewer than half of Alabamians even have a drivers license. The Alabama Supreme Court should confirm that people in the Yellowhammer State do not risk arrest simply by not carrying around fully stocked wallets. The brief filed Thursday argues that section 15-5-30 does not authorize demands for physical identification. It continues that the law permits police to request only three facts through oral questioning: name, address, and an explanation of ones actions. To interpret 15-5-30 as authorizing arrests for refusing to produce physical identification would invert that principleinviting abuse, eroding public trust, and granting government a power our Constitution was designed to withhold, Lauren Faraino, executive director of The Woods Foundation, said in the release. Water Farm 1 scales from 10 MGD to up to 60 MGD to provide reliable supplies for seven water agencies across drought-prone Southern California OceanWell's subsea desalination pods harness ocean pressure to reduce energy use and eliminate concentrated brine discharge Delivery targeted for 2030 as the project enters commercial planning and phased infrastructure development SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- OceanWell , a water technology company, announced plans to advance Water Farm 1 (WF1) the first subsea reverse osmosis desalination project in the U.S. -- in partnership with Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) and a consortium of six other California water agencies. The project is expected to deliver up to 60 million gallons per day (MGD), or just under 230,000 m3 per day, of drinking water by 2030 offering a new model for reliable, drought-resilient water supply. Anchored approximately 4.5 miles off the coast of Malibu, CA, in Santa Monica Bay, WF1 represents a major leap forward in resilient water supply. Using natural hydrostatic pressure at depths of 400 meters (1,300 feet), OceanWell's modular pods can each harvest up to one million gallons of fresh water daily, reducing energy use by 40% and avoiding the brine discharge and marine life disruption associated with traditional desalination. This announcement comes as California faces mounting water insecurity due to prolonged drought, declining runoff, and overreliance on fragile ecosystems. WF1 offers a new model that reduces pressure on strained systems like California's Bay-Delta system and the Colorado River and unsustainable aquifer extraction, helping secure a more resilient, climate-aligned water future. "California, like much of the world, urgently needs a new source of water to replace dwindling supplies," said Robert Bergstrom, CEO of OceanWell. "Water Farm 1 shows how we can responsibly and economically harvest fresh water from the ocean by building infrastructure to withstand rapidly melting snowpack, increasing drought, more extreme atmospheric rivers, sea water intrusion, and overdrawn groundwater. Water Farm 1 is a critical milestone toward OceanWell's goal of adding one million acre-feet of new potable water to the global supply within a decade." WF1 follows the launch of OceanWell's pilot program with LVMWD , which began in March 2025 to prove the efficacy of its proprietary submerged water filtration technology. That pilot, conducted in the Las Virgenes Reservoir, is testing a single pod and showed the potential to produce freshwater in highly bio-active conditions using OceanWells LifeSafe intake system. WF1 marks the first commercial-scale deployment, expanding from one pod in a reservoir to dozens of pods operating in the deep ocean. To prepare for the scale and complexity of WF1, the seven-agency consortium led by LVMWD is currently funding an independent feasibility study on onshore infrastructure. The study is evaluating how to integrate water produced by WF1 into regional systems, including potential delivery to Calabasas and other inland communities, and will inform investment decisions and permitting. In parallel, OceanWell's Tribal and Environmental Working Groups will assess data from the remaining pilot stages to evaluate the environmental performance of the offshore pods. Their guidance will help shape the optimal size and configuration of the water fields, ensuring the project reflects ecological best practices and community priorities. Mark Gold, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability Adjunct Professor: "I am eager to see if Ocean Well's ambitious Water Farm 1 project is durable, cost-effective, scalable, harmless to marine life, and performs at high efficiency in deep ocean coastal waters. Ideally, the pilot study off Malibu in Santa Monica Bay will demonstrate the potential of Ocean Well to provide a new, climate-resilient, source of 10s of millions of gallons per day of fresh water by 2030." Dave Pedersen, General Manager, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District: "Las Virgenes water customers were severely impacted by recent droughts, because our only source of supply is the water imported through the State Water Project, which has become increasingly stressed. We are proud to provide leadership to address what is, for us, nearing a water supply crisis. Developing an alternative water supply from the Pacific Ocean makes sense, and we will work with OceanWell and other public water agencies to achieve that goal." Ian Prichard, Deputy General Manager, Calleguas Municipal Water District: "Our region's future water reliability depends on cooperation. Figuring out how to deliver water from 400 meters below the ocean surface to inland water agencies demands the resources and creativity of multiple agencies, and that is exactly the approach water agencies are taking with Water Farm #1. The ultimate test will be whether this water can be a cost-effective alternative to other potential solutions, but the process is going to help us determine thattogether." Richard Wilson, Assistant General Manager, Burbank Water and Power: "The City of Burbank does not have the ability to receive water directly from the Pacific Ocean. But with others in this consortium, we are working with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) to develop an innovative program to receive this water through an exchange. Burbank will pay for the delivery of OceanWell water to other partners in Water Farm. The water can then be exchanged between partners within the consortium by using water within MWD's system." About OceanWell OceanWell has redesigned sourcing fresh water from the ocean into a clean, elegant solution that harvests affordable, abundant, fresh water. Its modular deep-sea water farm technology uses hydrostatic ocean pressure at depths of 400m+ to naturally power the reverse osmosis process and make fresh water. OceanWell will do this with vastly improved energy efficiency, limited brine outfall and limited impact to protect marine life and no onshore plant. This eliminates the legacy technology burdens of high energy use, ecological impact, and a large industrial seaside facility. Backed by Kubota, OceanWell is an Imagine H20 graduate, participant in XPRIZE's Water Scarcity competition, and is supported by a working group of 25 California water agencies. To learn more, visit oceanwellwater.com . About LVMWD Las Virgenes Municipal Water District provides potable water, wastewater treatment, recycled water and biosolids composting to approximately 70,000 residents in the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Westlake Village, and unincorporated areas of western Los Angeles County. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE OceanWell Levan Uriah Johnson, 48, was convicted Aug. 15, 2025, of sexually abusing multiple clients at his now-closed spa in Vestavia Hills. (Carol Robinson) The former owner of a Vestavia Hills massage parlor has been convicted in the sex abuse of multiple women who were clients at the business. A Jefferson County jury on Friday convicted 48-year-old Levan Johnson on 12 counts of first-degree sex abuse. The incidents all took place at Oasis Day Spa in Vestavia Hills between November 24, 2020, through January 21, 2021. Jefferson County Circuit Judge Kandice Pickett presided over the trial. Jefferson County Deputy District Attorneys Lauren Breland and Niki Franks prosecuted the case. Johnson, of Mountain Brook, was represented by attorney Sam Kennedy. Johnson at the time of his 2021 arrest was CEO of Oasis Day Spa and Wellness Center in a second-floor suite in the Rocky Ridge Plaza off Rocky Ridge Road. He was initially charged by Vestavia Hills police with the assaults of four women. Over time, the number of reported victims grew to 13. At the time of his initial arrest, investigators said that the massage parlor had a business license but that Johnson and the employees were not licensed massage therapists. The business has since closed. Johnson is a former U.S. Army soldier and former police chief in central Alabama. Two of the 13 victims recounted their ordeals with AL.com but asked that their names not be used since they are victims of sexual assault. The women provided horrific details about their experiences as clients at the business which included inappropriate touching. More about their stories can be found here. Johnson, who has been out on bond, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail Friday following his conviction. Sentencing is set for Oct. 14. The planned execution for an Alabama Death Row inmate convicted of shooting a woman to death wont happen next week. David Lee Roberts Aug. 21 execution was already put on hold by the state courts after a July order from a Marion County judge when he ordered the 59-year-old inmate undergo a psychiatric evaluation. On Friday morning, the Alabama Department of Corrections issued a press release saying that the mental evaluation and competency exam, and the written report of those tests, wont be complete by next Thursday. The prison system added that the state wont challenge that temporary stay until the judge receives the written report of the evaluation. Accordingly, the Department has halted all preparations for Mr. Roberts currently scheduled execution. Subject to the stay being lifted and all necessary approvals, the Department stands ready to resume preparations for the execution, said the press release. Roberts was set to die by inhaling nitrogen gas at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. He was convicted in the April 1992 killing of Annetra Jones. At his trial, the jury recommended by a vote of 7 to 5 that he be sentenced to life in prison. But a judge overrode that decision and sent him to death row anyway, where he landed in 1994. Marion County Circuit Judge Talmage Lee Carter ordered the evaluation as to whether (his) mental state is so distorted by a mental illness that he lacks a rational understanding of the states rationale for his execution. Or simply put, Carter wrote, the issue is whether (his) concept of reality is so impaired that he cannot grasp the executions meaning and purpose or the link between his crime and its punishment. If Roberts isnt competent to be executed, the judge wrote, the report should include treatment options and where those could be completed. Roberts lawyers from the Federal Defenders for the Middle District have argued that the inmate has Schizophrenia and has been diagnosed by prison doctors. They said Roberts has endured psychosis and mood disorders since early adulthood conditions that have worsened on Alabamas death row. He is floridly psychotic now, despite having taken prescribed anti-psychotic medication for over 20 years. His extreme paranoia, auditory hallucinations, and delusions have left him without any understanding of his mental illness. The state didnt object to the mental exam, but had asked that it be expedited. At the time of Ribvar Karimis detainment by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on June 22 in Locust Fork his wife, Morgan Karimi, was 31 weeks pregnant. Over the weekend, Morgan gave birth, according to Ribvars attorney, Michael Shabani. The celebratory moment was also a somber one as Ribvar was not there due to his detainment at an ICE detention center in Louisiana. [Ribvar] feels like he lost a piece of himself, Shabani said. He said hes going to carry that burden the rest of his life. The fact that he wasnt there when the baby was born, and the fact that he wasnt there to hold his wifes hand and go through the pain and suffering she went through. Ribvar has only been able to see pictures of his baby. Shabani said that Ribvar and Morgan just want to be reunited again and begin raising their newborn together as a family. It is unclear when, or if, Ribvar will be able to return to his wife and child. Ribvar was detained by ICE for allegedly not adjusting his status after coming into the country on a K-1 visa to marry Morgan in January. But the Department of Homeland Security has made Ribvars case about his military service in Iran. During his nearly two month detainment, Ribvar has been denied bond by an immigration judge. Lawyers for the Department of Homeland Security have asserted that Ribvar should be deported because he was a member of Irans military, Shabani said. Shabani said Ribvar did serve in the Iranian military from 2018 to 2021 but it was compulsory and DHS has not provided any actual evidence that Ribvar was a member specifically of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) which is a branch of the Iranian military. In Iran, men are required to serve at least two years in the Iranian military and are arbitrarily conscripted into one of three different branches. In 2019, the United States government designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization, a designation that bars current and prior members of the group from obtaining a visa to immigrate to the U.S. Morgan previously denounced DHS for spreading fake news about her husband. She said he was not a terrorist and supported Trump, his immigration policies and understood he was trying to protect the American people. Shabani said that Ribvars next court date is scheduled for August 21. Police are trying to identify the suspect in an Aug. 15, 2025, shooting at a Shell station in Birmingham. (Birmingham Police) Authorities are trying to identify a man wanted in a Friday afternoon shooting in east Birmingham. Officers were dispatched at 12:30 p.m. to the Shell gas station in the 400 block of Oporto- Madrid Boulevard on a report of a person shot. Officer DeRell Freeman said they arrived to find a juvenile wounded. The 16-year-olds injuries are not life-threatening. Freeman said the unidentified suspect enter the store and made a statement toward the victim before leaving the store. The suspect then went back inside the store, fired shots and fled the scene. Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. A timber rattlesnake is discovered as Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission waterways conservation officer trainees learn to capture and study rattlers Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Clearfield County. Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com Rattlesnakes are best admired from a safe distance. Thats a lesson that a Tennessee man learned this week in a tragic way after a timber rattlesnake that he picked up bit him, eventually leading to his death, according to local officials. A spokesperson for the Grundy County Emergency Management Agency told People in a statement that emergency personnel were dispatched to a trailhead in the park around 12:30 p.m. local time on Friday. The hiker, who was not identified, was about a half-mile down the trail at Savage Gulf Park when he was bitten. First responders, including fire and rescue workers, EMS members and park rangers, reported to the location. According to what witnesses told officials, the man grabbed the timber rattlesnake and it bit his hand. Per the Smithsonians National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, timber rattlesnake bites are a rare occurrence. Though it may strike if necessary, the timber rattlesnake is more docile than other members of its family and is more likely to stay coiled or stretched out, motionless when encountered in the wild, according to a post on the institutes website. Like other vipers, the timber rattlesnake is venomous with venom potent enough to kill a human. A timber rattlesnake bite is a medical emergency. Once bitten, CPR was administered and the victim was taken to an area hospital, but succumbed to his injuries, authorities told People. Though Griffith said the hiker appears to have died from an allergic reaction, an official cause of death has yet to have been released. The family of the individual will be in our thoughts and prayers, Grundy County EMA Director Matthew Griffith noted, who thanked first responders for their efforts to save the victim. Griffith also reminded others to be mindful of wildlife and the dangers that some wildlife may pose, while enjoying outdoor activities. If you encounter a snake, simply remain calm and do not attempt to handle it, Griffith added. If bitten, seek immediate medical attention. Timber rattlesnakes are the largest and most dangerous of the four species of venomous snakes in Tennessee, according to the states Wildlife Resources Agency. Timber rattlesnakes average between 3 and 5 feet long, and have flat heads that are wider than their necks, per the agency. The snakes are gray, yellow or green-white with dark bands and a rust-colored stripe in the middle of their back. The snakes can be found across the state and tend to prefer mature, heavily wooded forests with rocky hillsides and can often be spotted near fallen logs or sunning on rocks. Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Homewood has had pastors removed from active ministry twice in its history - in 1989 and 2025. (Photo by Greg Garrison/AL.com) ggarrison@al.com For more than three decades, the Rev. Martin Muller was the pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Homewood and kept the parish stable and out of scandal. His successor as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows the past two years was Robert J. Sullivan, who is now on leave as the Diocese of Birmingham investigates allegations that Sullivan paid a former exotic dancer nearly $400,000 for sex and companionship starting when she was 17 in 2009. I dont know that much about it, Muller said. Its under investigation, he said. Thats all we can say. At 93 years old, now retired and living on his Chelsea farm, Muller has no yearning for controversy. Im living in peace, and I want to keep living in peace, said Muller, who was a long-time friend of Mother Angelica, founder of the EWTN Catholic Global Television Network based in Irondale. For decades, he was the face of the pulpit for Our Lady of Sorrows. I was pastor there for 35 years, Muller said. It was a heartbreaker when I had to retire. One priest told me, If you dont retire soon, the retirement age is going to be 95. Thats putting it bluntly, isnt it? So, Muller retired in June 2023 at the age of 91, after serving as pastor since 1989. Im retired because of my age and my health, Muller said. Im 94 this year. Ill be 94 in November. Muller said all clergy have been instructed to refer questions about Sullivan to the diocese. Efforts to reach Sullivan for comment were unsuccessful. A sister-in-law of Sullivan, reached Thursday, referred all questions to the diocesan director of communications. Staff members also directed questions to the diocese, which on Wednesday released a letter sent to clergy and staff. Sullivan is not the first priest in the history of Our Lady of Sorrows to be involved in a sex scandal. The parish pastor in 1989, Charles Bordenca, was removed from active ministry in the Birmingham diocese because of credible allegations of sexual abuse. Male victims alleged that Bordenca sexually molested them as minors. Bordenca was on a list of credible allegations released by Bishop Robert J. Baker, then head of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham, in 2018. Baker released the names of six priests credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors in its files, as part of the Catholic Churchs effort for more transparency about the reporting of allegations of clergy abuse. The priests named were ministering in this diocese when they committed these deplorable acts, Baker said at the time of Bordenca and other priests on the list. What they did, not only to the victims themselves but their families and friends, is inexcusable. Muller had been serving as associate pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows from 1983-89 and took over as pastor when Bordenca left. Bordenca died in 2017. Sullivan came to Our Lady of Sorrows in 2023 after serving at St. Mark the Evangelist and at St. Francis Xavier Church in Birmingham since 2007. Before that, he had been pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus in Anniston from 2001-2007. Sullivan also served six years as president of John Carroll High School, where he had graduated in 1982. After high school, he went to Auburn University, was in the Navy, and spent two years as a carpet salesman before he became a priest at age 28. Sullivan was ordained on June 12, 1993, one of four priests ordained that day, the largest class of new priests the Diocese of Birmingham had ordained up to that time. They were nicknamed the God Squad. In an interview with The Birmingham News published the day before his ordination, Sullivan said he understood and supported the churchs strict rules on celibacy for priests and teaching that sex outside marriage was a sin. I know whats expected of me going in as a priest, Sullivan said. If I feel Im going to be at odds with that, then I have no business going on. Bishop Steven Raica, head of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham, released a letter to the diocese on Aug. 13 revealing that Sullivan is being investigated for a relationship with a woman alleged to have begun when she was 17. Sullivan, 61, announced Aug. 2 that he was taking personal leave from his duties as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Homewood beginning Aug. 4, Raica said. Sullivan also served as vicar general of the diocese, Raica said. Raica said the victim assistance coordinator for the diocese received the allegation in July and the case is being referred to the Vatican for investigation and to the Alabama Department of Human Resources, since the woman reporting the allegation said she was a minor when the relationship began. The age of consent in Alabama is 16. While the Alabama Department of Human Resources determined that the allegations did not match the requirements for opening an investigation, a diocese investigation was initiated, again, according to Church law and our diocesan policies and guidelines, Raica wrote. Our diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator has continued to be in contact with the woman who brought forth the allegations and has provided appropriate support. The allegations are also being reported to the Vatican. Church law states that any allegation that may have involved a relationship between a person under the age of 18 and a member of the clergy must be reported to the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican, Raica wrote. That report is being developed now for submission to the Dicastery for its review and consideration. The woman making the allegations also shared them with The Guardian, a British newspaper, which has published a story on the allegations. The Guardian said Heather Jones, 33, says she met Sullivan in 2009 when she was 17, dancing at a strip club where Sullivan was a patron. He offered her money to begin a sexual relationship and offered to pay her $273,000 to sign a legal non-disclosure document, according to the story. Sammy Russo, owner of the former Sammys Go-Go that operated on Valley Avenue from 1974 until it closed in April of this year, said the minimum age requirement for exotic dancers in Birmingham is 19. She wouldnt have been 17 at the time she was working for me, Russo said. If it was a fact that is where she met him, she would have been 19 or older. That name doesnt ring a bell. His name doesnt ring a bell. Jones did not specify which club she danced at, but said the club let her dance under the required age. The youngest would be 19 to get a license, Russo said. The city does background checks. Its not only verified by us but also the city of Birmingham. They do fingerprints, background checks, all kinds of stuff to verify their age. Russo said she could have worked at another club that let her dance underage. I do know there are other clubs in Birmingham that dont make them go through the license process, Russo said. They risk letting the dancers dance without a license. Thats something that my company never did. That is possible. Jones, who agreed to let the Guardian go public with her identity, shared an unsigned copy of the non-disclosure agreement with the Guardian. She also provided a copy of a March 27 message from Sullivans Our Lady of Sorrows email address, which had the sentence: Someone will be calling you to sign the NDA. The Guardian said she shared bank records that show four days after that email, Jones received a wire transfer of $136,500 from an account under the name of the attorneys law office. She received another $136,500 wire transfer from the same law office account a day later, the bank records indicated. The Guardian also reported that she shared records of more than 125 different transactions from July 18, 2024 to March 26 this year, showing a Venmo account under Sullivans name paid nearly $120,000 to Jones. Jones told the Guardian she went public with allegations because Sullivan had continued working closely with families and their children as the pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows church in Homewood. Others may be vulnerable to the same type of manipulation and exploitation, she told the Guardian. The Guardian said Jones gave permission to be publicly identified by name because she hoped it would boost the credibility of her account. Donald Carson, spokesman for the Diocese of Birmingham, said Sullivan would be prohibited from public ministry during the investigation. Jones, in her statement to the diocese and to the Guardian, said she grew up in foster care after being removed from her mothers custody due to severe neglect. She wrote that she lacked consistent adult support during her upbringing, leaving her ill-equipped to maintain employment or pursue a formal education so she tried to make ends meet by working as a dancer at an adult establishment in the Birmingham area. Jones wrote that Sullivan was a regular patron, tipped her during her shifts and offered to help change her life if she called him on a phone number he gave her. Sullivan proposed to form an ongoing relationship that would include financial support in exchange for private companionship, Jones wrote, telling the Guardian that included sex. She said Sullivan took her shopping, dining, drinking and to hotel rooms in at least six different Alabama cities in part to engage in sex, beginning when she was 17 and over the course of several years. Jones wrote that she was a minor with no experience navigating adult relationships when she met Sullivan. I was hesitant but ultimately agreed due to his persistence and the state [of mind] I was in, she wrote. Jones said Sullivan bought her a phone that he used to contact her. He at first told her he was a doctor, but she later learned he was a priest and had a brother who was a doctor. She wrote that she had attended church services throughout her youth and had difficulty reconciling his public role and private behavior. She wrote that Sullivan paid for her to attend a rehabilitation program after she experienced depression, emotional instability and addiction during their arrangement. Jones said she did not know whether the payments to her came out of his personal finances or not. She accepted the Venmo payments to cover her living expenses. She said Sullivan said he was happy to give her money because he loved her and so did Jesus Christ. Jones wrote that she suggested revising the non-disclosure agreement and asked for $100,000 more because the agreement heavily favored his interests and offered no meaningful protection, healing or justice, and she began to see the relationship as exploitative and predatory. She said she did not hear back from Sullivan and his attorney on that suggestion. She said she gave her statement to the diocese shortly after writing it on July 23. Jones said she could provide phone records, pictures and other corroborating evidence to church investigators. Please continue to remember me in your prayers as I will do the same for you, Sullivan told the church after announcing his personal leave. On Aug. 10, Vicar General Kevin Bazzel told the church he had been appointed temporary administrator of Our Lady of Sorrows Church. On April 18, Sullivan helped lead a Good Friday procession for the Homewood community starting at Homewood Park. The Guardian noted that in 2020, Sullivan appeared on ABCs Good Morning America show, discussing his recovery from COVID-19 with help from his brother, an infectious diseases doctor. Jones told the Guardian she recently began law school and did not abide by the terms of the non-disclosure statement with Sullivan because she believed it would not hold up in court. Behind closed doors, his behavior toward me was not in alignment with the values he teaches, Jones wrote. Father Sullivan was granted a leave of absence and is currently removed from all priestly service pending the outcome of the investigation, Raica wrote to the diocese. We do not know the timeframe for completion of the work of the Dicastery in Rome nor of that which will be further required within our diocese. Raica noted that anyone accused in the Church possesses a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise, equivalent to the right granted in civil law. In sharing this with you now, I ask your continued prayers for all involved, for each other, and all people of our diocese. I also stress the need for absolute adherence to our policies and guidelines for Youth Protection and the reporting of allegations to our Victims Assistance Coordinator. Birmingham Mayoral candidates David Russell (left) and Kamau Afrika (right) stand near the statue of Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth downtown to discuss exclusion from a recent debate. Joseph D. Bryant Birmingham mayoral candidates left off the debate stage at the Carver Theatre earlier this week are protesting their snub as an unfair exclusion. Candidates Kamau Afrika and David Russell panned the Tuesday debate sponsored by WJLD 104.1 FM as biased against them because they were not invited. Five Birmingham mayoral candidates addressed a crowded audience and thousands more online and social media. Four other candidates were not invited. Afrika said grass roots candidates should not be penalized for refusing support from big greedy outside corporations that have taken control of governments across the nation. Afrika attended the debate as an audience member but was asked to leave after a disagreement. If the participants believed in the rule of law and fairness, they would not have agreed to stay at the Carver Theatre debate, he said. Mayor Randall Woodfin, State Rep. Juandalynn Givan, Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales, businessman and advocate Brian K. Rice and pastor and non profit leader Frank Woodson were on stage. Afrika, Russell, Marilyn James-Johnson, Jerimy Littlepage were omitted for the lineup based on their fundraising numbers and polling strength, said WJLD station president and CEO Gary Richardson. The debate rules that we used are typical of organizations, he said. So based on polling data that we saw and your ability to raise funds, we concluded that there were going to be five on that debate stage and not those four who didnt poll well or didnt show up at all. Russell sees things differently. Im highly, highly pissed off, he said. Russell opened a folder stuffed with petitions from his former efforts to fight changes at the Birmingham Water Works Board. Russell said the petitions are clear evidence that his activism makes him a legitimate candidate. They want to hear from David Russell, he said pointing to his petitions. We think theyre trying to block us out. Like Afrika, Russell said money should not be the determining factor in giving candidates an opportunity to show their platforms. Money doesnt vote, Russell said. Ive been working in the community all my adult life. People already know me. As an alternative, Richardson said WJLD will present a second live streamed and broadcast debate among the less popular contenders at his station Aug. 21. While he will participate in the secondary event, Afrika said it does not carry the same weight or generate the attention as the first because Woodfin will not be there. Candidates this week focused their attention on Woodfin by attacking his record after two terms and touting what they would do differently. That scene cannot be replicated, Afrika said. Im not bitter, but Im focusing on the issues, he said. I dont have time to deal with somebodys personal dislike of me. On the other side, Richardson said the format had nothing to do with personalities. In spite of criticism from the excluded candidates, Richardson said he has received strong positive feedback regarding his stations debate presentation. They thought it was professional, they thought it was fairly run and there was no bias against any particular candidate, he said. Huntsville police have charged a man with stabbing a family member to death following an incident Thursday night. Sgt. Chris Jackson said officers responded to a call at about 11:30 p.m. in the 3900 block of Battlefield Drive. Inside the residence, officers found Phillip Ladarous Garner, 35, of Huntsville, suffering from stab wounds. A second victim, a woman, was found inside with non-life-threatening wounds. On the porch, officers encountered Daeshawn Lewayne Garner, 34, of Huntsville, who was taken into custody. Phillip Garner later died of his wounds. Investigators said Daeshawn Garner lived with Phillip Garner and others in the residence. According to the investigation, Daeshawn became angry with Phillip and attacked him with a knife. When the second victim attempted to intervene, Daeshawn also struck her. Daeshawn Garner is being held in the Madison County Jail without bond on charges of murder of a family member with a knife, and second degree assault. In this Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, file photo, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks during a news conference in Atlanta. (John Bazemore | AP) AP The Georgia Secretary of States office issued a new round of subpoenas this week that signal a widening probe of First Liberty Building & Loan, the failed financial firm whose politically connected founder is accused of a sprawling $140 million Ponzi scheme. Two of the subpoenas were issued to Randy Hough, a former senior development officer with the Newnan, Georgia-based lender, and Jayme Sickert, its compliance officer, according to an official familiar with the investigation who wasnt authorized to speak publicly. A third subpoena was issued to Nathaniel Darnell, a financial adviser who also leads the Georgia Republican Assembly, an ultraconservative organization once allied with First Liberty founder Brant Frost IV and his family, the official said. The subpoenas seek documents and correspondence tied to the companys lending practices, the official said. A spokesman for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger declined comment on the ongoing probe, which was launched shortly after First Libertys June collapse sent shock waves through Georgias political establishment. The shock waves extended into Alabama. Alabama State Auditor Andrew Sorrell, who is running for Secretary of State, said he was duped by the scheme. Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen has called for those who received political contributions tied to the scheme to return them. The Alabama Securities Commission is investigating any possible impact for the state and its investors. Sickert confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he received a subpoena Wednesday but declined further comment. Hough, who is vice chair of the Fayette County Board of Education, declined to comment. Multiple calls and messages to Darnell werent immediately returned. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has accused Frost IV in a lawsuit of orchestrating a $140 million Ponzi scheme that funneled millions to enrich the family and boost conservative causes. Frost IV has publicly apologized and urged investors to work with a court-ordered receiver, a financial guardian tasked with recouping as much money as possible for investors. The states widening civil probe comes weeks after the AJC reported that Raffenspergers office had subpoenaed the founders son, Brant Frost V, for records tied to a new lending firm that he tried to form shortly before First Libertys collapse. Regulators approved the business formation days later. Frost V is not named nor accused of wrongdoing in the SEC litigation. He has repeatedly declined to comment, though the Coweta County GOP he chairs urged members on its website to let due process take its course regarding the situation surrounding the family business of our chairman. Just as President Trump faced many legal challenges that received media attention without all the facts being brought forward, read the statement, we ask that the investigation be allowed to continue without speculation or prejudice. Frost V was a key member of the Georgia Republican Assembly, a conservative insurgency group headed by Darnell that wars with more establishment GOP officials. The family broke ties with the group in June, just before First Liberty shuttered. He also headed the Georgia Republican Assembly PAC, a separate entity that boosted the GRA, which now faces 61 alleged violations by the states ethics commission accusing the group of making $220,000 in unreported expenditures. 2025 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. English News Building global solidarity to advance AI for good Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 11 Aout 2025 In this era of intelligence, only through global solidarity and cooperation can the world seize opportunities and confront challenges effectively. China will remain committed to a people-centered approach, promoting AI for good, equity and inclusiveness, and fostering collaborative governance. It will work with all parties to strengthen international cooperation and improve global AI governance, building an inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, secure, and trustworthy digital and intelligent future for all. By He Yin, People's Daily The 2025 World AI Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance were held from July 26 to 28 in Shanghai, marking a major step in advancing the Global AI Governance Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The event sought to bring together global wisdom and innovation to steer AI development toward the common good. Under the theme "Global Solidarity in the AI Era," the 2025 WAIC spotlighted ten priority areas, including scientific AI development and AI-driven industrial modernization. The conference served as a global platform to showcase cutting-edge technologies, emerging industry trends, and forward-looking approaches to AI governance. A highlight of the event was the release of an action plan for global AI governance, calling on all parties to take coordinated steps in 13 key areas, such as empowering industries with AI, accelerating the construction of digital infrastructure, fostering a diverse and open innovation ecosystem, and strengthening international cooperation in AI capacity building. The plan represents a growing international consensus on promoting global AI development and governance through joint efforts. As Turing Award laureate Yoshua Bengio observed, AI products should be treated as global public goods. A defining challenge of the times is how to transform breakthroughs in algorithms into tangible benefits that are widely shared and accessible. Achieving this requires steadfast commitment to openness and inclusiveness, ensuring that more countries and communities can access and leverage AI technologies. Only through this approach can AI's potential be fully realized to drive global economic and social development and to address shared challenges. At the conference, the China Meteorological Administration officially launched its national early warning solution "MAZU" and donated the "MAZU-Urban," an AI-powered early warning system for multi-hazard disaster prevention, to Djibouti and Mongolia. Other innovations on display included intelligent aquaculture solutions that improve productivity and livelihoods, AI-powered platforms that enhance railway safety, and open-source large models designed to advance inclusive AI technology. Chinese AI technologies contributing to sustainable development in Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe drew widespread attention. As China promotes its "AI+" initiative, its development experience and technological solutions are increasingly benefiting the world, injecting fresh impetus into the global effort to harness AI for good. The sustained advancement of AI technologies worldwide depends on an open and inclusive environment for innovation and cooperation. The 2025 WAIC unveiled over 3,000 AI innovations, including over 100 global and China-first debuts, showcasing a dynamic vision for global AI cooperation. Besides, 240 projects competed for the Super AI Leader Award, with international entries accounting for 17 percent. The event serves as a platform for dialogue and collaboration around new breakthroughs and applications. It also saw the launch of the International Open Source AI Cooperation Initiative and the establishment of the Center for Global AI Innovation Governance, both aimed at leveraging open-source innovation to strengthen global AI ecosystems. When innovation flows freely and integrates deeply across borders, AI technologies can evolve more rapidly and deliver more effective solutions that serve all humanity. Upholding the spirit of openness and cooperation, China stands ready to join other countries in advancing joint research and development, expanding open-source collaboration, and driving AI development to new heights. While AI brings unprecedented opportunities, it also entails new and complex risks. Balancing development and security requires a broader consensus and more practical solutions. At the conference, China proposed the creation of a global AI cooperation organization, an initiative that responds to the aspirations of the Global South and seeks to bridge the digital and intelligent divide. China has consistently worked to strengthen global AI governance. It has facilitated consensus at the UN General Assembly on a resolution to enhance international cooperation in AI capacity building, co-hosted the Group of Friends for International Cooperation on AI Capacity-building, and partnered with the UN to organize AI training workshops. China is actively fulfilling its commitments under the UN's Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact, contributing both ideas and concrete actions to the improvement of the global AI governance system. By coordinating development and security and deepening alignment with other countries, China will work with all parties to accelerate the establishment of a broadly accepted global framework and set of rules for global AI governance. In this era of intelligence, only through global solidarity and cooperation can the world seize opportunities and confront challenges effectively. China will remain committed to a people-centered approach, promoting AI for good, equity and inclusiveness, and fostering collaborative governance. It will work with all parties to strengthen international cooperation and improve global AI governance, building an inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, secure, and trustworthy digital and intelligent future for all. Dans la meme rubrique : < > A Chinese hero remembered in reverence Shanghai FTZ experience spurs innovation-driven growth through institutional reform They Leave to Uplift, Not to Escape: How Migration Sustains Lesothos Quiet Villages Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) WEST ALLIS, Wis., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Relief Mental Health is pleased to announce the addition of Michael Henderson, MSN, APNP, PMHNP-BC, to its West Allis clinic. As a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, Henderson expands access to high-quality, trauma-informed psychiatric care for individuals across the Milwaukee area. Henderson specializes in medication management and SPRAVATO (esketamine) administration for those experiencing depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He brings particular expertise in trauma-related disorders, including PTSD and complex trauma, developed through years of clinical experience serving veterans at the VA Medical Center in Milwaukee. His trauma-informed, patient-centered approach emphasizes safety, stabilization, and trust-building as foundational elements of care. He integrates evidence-based psychopharmacologic interventions with comprehensive diagnostic assessment and ongoing monitoring to support long-term recovery and improved functioning. He prioritizes expedited access to care, understanding the importance of early intervention and timely treatment adjustments in improving outcomes for patients with complex psychiatric needs. Relief Mental Health operates two Wisconsin clinicsWest Allis and Middleton (just outside of Madison)offering patients across the state access to advanced psychiatric services and timely care. At Relief, medication management is tailored to each patient's unique needs, with a focus on both symptom relief and overall well-being. Henderson also works closely with a multidisciplinary team to coordinate care and refer patients to complementary services offered by Relief, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), when clinically appropriate. For adults facing treatment-resistant depression, Henderson provides SPRAVATO (esketamine)an FDA-approved nasal spray that works differently than traditional antidepressants by targeting glutamate pathways in the brain. This innovative treatment can offer rapid symptom relief for patients who have not responded to other interventions, offering a renewed sense of hope and progress. Prior to joining Relief, Henderson cared for veterans at the VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, where he developed individualized treatment plans, managed complex medication regimens, and supported patients through education and trauma-informed care. His work with the veteran community strengthened his commitment to delivering evidence-based care to those most in need. Henderson is currently accepting new patients and has immediate availability for appointments. To schedule a visit, call 855.205.4764 or go to reliefmh.com. About Relief Mental Health Relief Mental Health is a leading outpatient provider of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), SPRAVATO (esketamine), IV ketamine, psychiatry, and therapy for the treatment of depression, OCD, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Founded in 2020, Relief is committed to expedited access to care and delivering innovative, evidence-based treatments across a full continuum of services. Relief operates 12 clinics across four statesColorado, Illinois, New Jersey, and Wisconsinand is dedicated to setting a new standard for mental health care through empathy, clinical excellence, and ongoing responsiveness to evolving patient needs. For more information, visit reliefmh.com. CONTACT: Melanie Eilers Chief Marketing Officer [email protected] SOURCE Relief Mental Health English News Cultural courtyards preserve and showcase traditional heritage in Lijiang ancient town Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 11 Aout 2025 "Internet cafes have disappeared, bars have significantly decreased, and the ancient town's cultural atmosphere has become much more pronounced," said He. "We hope more young people will come to Lijiang and develop a deep appreciation for cultural heritage." By Yang Wenming, People's Daily At Tiandi Courtyard, or Courtyard of Heaven and Earth, in Lijiang ancient town, southwest China's Yunnan province, He Xueguang was busy attending to his daily affairs. "There are now around 30 cultural courtyards like this throughout the ancient town," he said. With a history spanning more than 170 years, Tiandi Courtyard exemplifies well-preserved traditional Naxi architecture. Despite numerous commercial lease offers, He has consistently prioritized cultural preservation over commercialization. Since Lijiang ancient town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, protection measures have become increasingly stringent. To preserve the town's historical integrity, modern renovations are strictly limited. As tourism has grown, many residents have relocated, leading to a shift in the town's demographic landscape. In Lijiang, traditional residential architectures, local lifestyles, and cultural heritage form an inseparable whole - a cultural ecosystem sustained by local stewardship. "Cultural heritage is more than just physical structures. It carries invaluable cultural significance," said He. To further explore, safeguard, and pass on this heritage, he transformed the Tiandi Courtyard into a venue for traditional Naxi song and dance performances. In 1999, he established a Naxi culture inheritance center in the courtyard, inviting local residents to perform traditional music and dance, exhibit Dongba culture, and offer cultural workshops and training. Beginning in 2007, the Lijiang ancient town protection and management bureau, together with the Lijiang ancient town management company, began designating portions of public housing annually to develop cultural courtyards. In 2016, Tiandi Courtyard was officially recognized as the 18th cultural courtyard in Lijiang. "We receive discounted rent and annual financial support," He explained. Tiandi Courtyard is not an isolated case. Every year, the town invests millions of yuan into the development and operation of cultural courtyards and other heritage preservation projects. Today, Tiandi Courtyard hosts three daily Dongba music and dance performances, attracting large audiences. Building on its early success, it has developed original Naxi music and dance performances, curated two themed exhibition halls, and incorporated interactive experiences such as Naxi script instruction and traditional dance workshops, offering visitors immersive access to the town's vibrant heritage. Beyond Tiandi Courtyard, a wide range of cultural spaces has emerged, including independent bookstores, poetry clubs, pictographic character experience halls, and traditional craft studios. The town's 30 cultural courtyards cover diverse topics such as notable residences, historical and cultural protection, traditional craftsmanship, and Naxi folklore. Visitors can not only enjoy the exhibits but also engage in in-depth learning experiences. "The story of Lijiang ancient town is told through these cultural courtyards," He remarked. Because of their dispersed locations, these cultural courtyards can be difficult for tourists to locate. In response, Lijiang ancient town has enhanced signage throughout the area to direct visitors more clearly. "The most prominent signs now guide visitors directly to these cultural spaces," said He. In 2019, Lijiang ancient town introduced stricter regulations on commercial activities, including business entry thresholds and an exit mechanism to manage overall business density. It also reorganized its commercial landscape through categorized management, restricting operations incompatible with the preservation of the town's historical character and cultural heritage, while encouraging businesses that contribute to the safeguarding and promotion of traditional culture. "Internet cafes have disappeared, bars have significantly decreased, and the ancient town's cultural atmosphere has become much more pronounced," said He. "We hope more young people will come to Lijiang and develop a deep appreciation for cultural heritage." Dans la meme rubrique : < > A Chinese hero remembered in reverence Shanghai FTZ experience spurs innovation-driven growth through institutional reform They Leave to Uplift, Not to Escape: How Migration Sustains Lesothos Quiet Villages Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) Knowing people who have young adults in their family who previously received invitations to work as interns at the White House, when 21-year-old intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym was murdered on June 30, it was alarming. The crime happened just a mile from the White House. Investigators stated several individuals exited a vehicle and began firing shots at a group of people, striking and killing Eric and shooting a 16-year-old male and adult female, who both survived. So far in 2025, 91 people have been killed in Washington, D.C. That is a murder every 2.5 days since January 1. While the FBI are assisting the Metropolitan Police Department in the investigation of Erics death, and a $40,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killers, there are no suspects and no one has been arrested. Erics mother harshly criticized Washington, D.C.s electeds, saying residents are not being protected, and she feels the D.C. council treats violent crime like a joke. She stated, this isnt a joke anymore. People are getting killed. I dont care what color you are. I dont care if you have money or not. Former homicide Detective Ted Williams stated, Drive-by shootings are always very difficult to resolve. And yet, there are a lot of individuals who know a great deal, and some of these individuals, these witnesses, actually know who the shooters are. But because of the intimidation factor here in the District of Columbia, you will find that these individuals will remain silent. In addition to murders, beatings frequently occur in D.C. One recent example is the merciless assault of Edward Coristine, the ex-DOGE teenager known as Big Balls. Elon Musk wrote on X stating, A few days ago, a gang of about a dozen young men tried to assault a woman in her car at night in D.C. A @Doge team member saw what was happening, ran to defend her and was severely beaten to the point of concussion, but he saved her. It is time to federalize D.C. Citing this incident, President Trump talked federalization of D.C., and on August 11, 2025 President Donald Trump took control of the D.C.s Metropolitan Police Department and deployed 800 National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. to combat crime in the capital. The District of Columbias Home Rule Act allows the president to place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control for up to 30 days. On August 12, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser met with federal officials to supposedly discuss coordination and strategy. On the first day of the crackdown, federal and local authorities made 23 arrests, including suspects wanted for murder, gun offenses, and other crimes. Amazing! Criminals actually going to jail! Imagine that! FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X, When you let good cops be cops they can clean up our streets and do it fast. More to come. Your nations Capital WILL be safe again. When confronted with stupid questions from reporters, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro stated, Oh, stop it. Then she referred the reporters to the posters of murdered people in D.C. and said, Its never enough. You tell these families, Crime has dropped. You tell the mother of the intern who was shot going out for McDonalds near the Washington Convention Center, Oh, crime is down. You tell the kid who was just beat the hell and back with a severe concussion and a broken nose, Crime is down. No, that falls on deaf ears and my ears are deaf to that and thats why I fight the fight. Of course, numbskull top democrats like Hillary Clinton criticized President Trumps efforts to combat crime, calling him unhinged, and Hakeem Jeffries said, Trump has no basis to take over the local police department. Perhaps Hillary is used to having a dead body count around her, and not surprisingly, Hakeem has a void in his brain where the law is concerned, since he doesnt seem to know the District of Columbias Home Rule Act. Considering that Democrats stand for killing babies, transgendering children, perverse queer relationships, and putting deranged boys in girls sport and locker rooms, is it any surprise that they have absolutely no care or concern about the lives of the people they supposedly represent? After all, they think they can cheat and win elections. Right? Responding to Hillarys nonsense, White House deputy secretary Abigail Jackson posted on X, On top of being a big-time loser, youre also a massive liar. Then Jackson posted a headline of an article about a D.C. police commander being suspended for allegedly altering crime data. Surprise! Surprise! GOP Congressman William Timmons posted on X, Democrats like Jeffries would rather preserve dangerous cities than admit their policies fail. IN FACT, murder is the most violent and accurately measured crime, and the D.C. murder rate in 2024 was 83% higher than in 2012. President Trump stated, The murder rate in Washington today is higher than in Bogota, Colombia, Mexico City, some of the places that you hear about as being the worst places on Earth, much higher. This is much higher. The number of car thefts has doubled over the past five years, and the number of carjackings has more than tripled. Murders in 2023 reached the highest rate, probably ever. They say 25 years, but they dont know what that means because it just goes back 25 years cant be worse. While BLM activists like Nee Nee Taylor attempt to lead resistance to Trump, continuing her call to abolish the police, it makes you wonder if their slogan should change from Black Lives Matter to No Lives Matter. With her rants of May all jails and Prisons be abolish! [sic] and Take it to the streets, it really makes you wonder who is listening to her. Most people have to work jobs instead of stand in the street listening to bad grammar, but Democrats will surely be renting their crowds from either Crowds on Demand or Good Trouble Lives On, like they have done so many times in the pastas Trump told us. So, its time for a change in D.C. and in numerous other cities in the U.S. Theres a new sheriff in town, or at least, in the White House. More articles by Richard Blakley can be found at Blakley on the Write. Image from Grok. Jonathan Chaits latest Atlantic piece argues that the proIsrael right is moving the goal posts on antisemitism to discredit Israels critics. But like others making this claim, he sidesteps an escalating pattern: politicians and major news outlets spread incendiary, thinly sourced allegationsand, when challenged, quietly walk them back or double down. In doing so, they condition audiences to accept everwilder claims as fact. Two recent cases Chait downplays make the point. On July 30, 2025, Bernie Sanders condemned the Netanyahu governments extermination of Gaza in the Senate. Chait argues that likening this charge to a blood libelthe medieval slander that Jews murder Christian children for ritual usewould require extraordinary evidence, partly because Sanders is Jewish. But extermination is itself an extraordinary allegationone that flies in the face of the evidence. By failing to address the allegations credibility, Chait overlooks Exhibit A in the case that Sanderss rhetoric resembles a blood libel. On July 24, 2025, The New York Times ran a front-page photo of a skeletal child in Gaza as evidence of mass starvation. The paper did not disclose that the child had cerebral palsya fact that undercut the story the image toldas media watchdog Honest Reporting discovered. Chait dismisses this as a wartime error that newspapers sometimes make, yet the images front-page placement and caption, describing the child as born healthy, almost certainly passed through multiple layers of editorial review. No one noticed that the mother in the photo showed no signs of malnutrition. Once again, Chait applies one evidentiary standard to the Times and another to its critics. On June 3, 2024, Sanders displayed similar photos of emaciated children on the Senate floor, citing only the news agencies that had published themwithout providing the identifying details needed for independent verification. The omission drew no sustained pushback at the time, illustrating how easily such imagery could be presented without challenge. That uncritical reception may have encouraged the Times to assume its own high-impact child image would likewise escape close scrutiny. The Times eventually issued a quiet correction for the cerebral palsy photo but has yet to retract another image from October 2024one purporting to prove that Israel deliberately shot children in the head. Radiologists and ballistics experts quickly testified to the brain-scan images being fakes: the bullets were pristine, the surrounding tissue undamaged. Rather than retract, opinion editor Kathleen Kingsbury doubled down, insisting the essay had been rigorously edited and that the paper possessed additional unpublished images too graphic to show. But if the originals were fake, undisclosed photos change nothingand refusing to submit them to independent forensic review hardly allays concerns about the papers evidentiary standards and accountability. Against this backdrop, Chaits better move would be to acknowledge that these incidents were unlikely to be innocent mistakes, and that the Timesalong with CNN, Al Jazeera, and the BBChad taken a side in the conflict. The well-documented double standard was already an open secret. Chait could still contend that using inflammatory images to bolster allegations of starvation and genocide doesnt invite comparison to a medieval blood libel. But thats where the real debate begins. The genocide refrain has a long and poisonous pedigree. It was a staple of Soviet anti-Israel propaganda and resurfaced in activist rhetoric during Israels 2014 war with Hamas. Not long after, Rutgers professor Jasbir Puar advanced an especially grotesque twist. While acknowledging that Israeli forces try to minimize civilian deaths, she floated a sinister rationale: that Israel deliberately maims rather than kills Palestinians to maintain control over the populationand to harvest their organs. Her 2017 book, The Right to Maimwhich won the National Womens Studies Associations book prize in transnational feminismlent an academic veneer to a baseless accusation. Puar herself quietly described the organ-harvesting claim as speculation, but that did not deter a small contingent of Jewish academics (see here, here, and especially here) from defending it. In their view, Puars agendasetting postmodern critique of Israel was immune from charges of antisemitism. Its credibility seemed to be beside the point; the priority was to deny that it resembled a blood libel. Among its defenders was Jewish Voice for Peace, whose Deadly Exchange campaign blamed U.S. police brutality on lawenforcement training programs involving Israel and, by extension, on the American Jewish organizations that facilitated the exchanges. During the George Floyd riots in 2020, JVP and allied groups circulated maps of Jewish institutions, framing them as complicit in Floyds death, as The Algemeiner reported. The pattern was clear: by normalizing these outlandish charges, they were methodically moving their audiences beyond the guardrails of reality and into the realm of mass psychology. Chait might argue that the target here is the Jewish state, not Jewish people. But scapegoating has never honored such distinctions. As cultural theorist Rene Girard observed, once a group is cast as uniquely guilty, that guilt spreads to all associated with it, and their exclusionor even destructionis framed as the price of restoring harmony. The medieval blood libel did not stop with the accused; it sparked pogroms. Soviet propaganda blurred Zionist and Jew, resulting in show trials, purges, and mass deportations. On todays campuses, portraying Israel as uniquely malevolent activates what Girard called the scapegoating mechanism. In this climate, the truth of an accusation matters less than its power to mobilize hostility, with each false charge adding fuel to the next. Chait treats as exceptional the claim from Sanderss critics that his accusation amounts to a blood libel, arguing it needs especially strong evidence because Sanders is Jewish. But history shows that being Jewish does not exempt someone from appearing on either side of the scapegoating dynamic. As Dara Horn observes, the Yevsektsiyathe Jewish section of the Soviet Communist Partyplayed a leading role in suppressing Jewish religious and cultural life, persecuting Soviet Jewry before ultimately sharing its fate. As recently as September 2023, Puars book was required reading for incoming Princeton studentsa glimpse into a much larger project of reshaping American higher education. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs have played an even greater role. Tabia Lees experience as a DEI director shows how these programs can create a permission structure for hostility toward Jews by placing them on the oppressor side of the oppressoroppressed binary. Her account is hardly unusual; other insiders have described the same pattern of casting Jews as privileged oppressors. Harvards recent 300page antisemitism report shows how deeply this mindset has seeped into campus life. In a recent federal ruling on events at UCLA, Judge Mark C. Scarsi wrote: In 2024, Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith Chait warns that shifting the definition will make it harder to fight antisemitism on the left. Yet in doing so, he is protecting the authority of the gatekeepers who ignored antisemitism as it coursed through our institutionsand who remain as certain as ever that they alone can discern its true boundaries. Seth Shabo teaches philosophy and explores the disconnect between media narratives and reality in his Substack, The New Dispensation: Essays in Unauthorized Sense-Making. Image: Public domain. It has been said that antisemitism is the oldest form of prejudice and hatred, predating most major religions. One of the bravest women I have ever met is Ayaan Hirsi Ali and she has spoken at length in several forums about its deadly rise and what it means. I met her in 2007 at the Martin Luther King dinner held by the Congress Of Racial Equality (CORE) which awarded her the award of International Sisterhood due to her efforts to protect the interests of Muslim women suffering from the demand of vaginal mutilation and forced marriage by Islamic Sharia law. At the time, she was a Dutch* parliamentarian and an atheist. Today she is an American citizen, a Christian, and is still on tour at universities warning about the dangerous rise of antisemitism due to what she dubs the 'Islamism behind it. I have written several columns on antisemitism from the perspective of a Catholics experience witnessing it from individuals expressing their bigotry confident that I shared this antipathy. I never did because I grew up in the barrio when I had Jewish neighbors who were beyond wonderful. I went to Catholic school, taught by nuns, who always reminded us that Jesus and the Apostles who founded our faith were Jews, Three popes have written encyclicals warning Catholics not to believe in the false charges against Jews and asserted that this heinous hatred was politically motivated. It is a grave sin for Catholics to engage in pogroms or antisemitic violence but when have Catholics ever paid attention to the pope unless he was as woke as Pope Francis? {May he rest in peace.} Although my columns may have triggered some hate mail, I was not forced to hide like Ms. Ali because criticizing Islam has been a dangerous act of courage since 9/11. President Bush made a serious error when he stated after the worst attack on American citizens: "The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace." Perhaps President Bush felt it necessary to say this to prevent attacks on innocent Muslims but what I regard as the result of his words was gross cowardice. So many weak-minded cities and education officials became so afraid of being called Islamophobic that they bent over backwards to show how tolerant they were. Post 9/11, more than three hundred mosques sprang up around the country. Public schools were now allowing foot washing areas and other Islamic religious accommodations like adding special Muslim holidays to school schedules. Here in New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg allowed an Islamic community center to be built near Ground Zero and when I protested that it was outrageous for the city to open a public Arab school run by a woman with sympathy for Islamic radicals, I was vilified. Even CNN wanted me to explain myself, but they chickened out after my first screening. Pardon me if I have a problem with Islam being a religion of peace. It certainly is not very favorable to women. I have Albanian Muslim neighbors and during the recent heat wave, I would watch the man in short sleeves walking with his children wearing shorts followed by his wife wearing a black abaya gown and hijab around her head. Why any sane American woman would convert to Islam is a mystery to me. This religion of peace kills anyone who expresses criticism of Mohammed and when a French company posted a cartoon image mocking the prophet, this happened: On 7 January 2015, two Islamist shooters forced their way into the Paris headquarters of Charlie Hebdo and opened fire, killing twelve: staff cartoonists Charb, Cabu, Honore, Tignous and Wolinski, economist Bernard Maris, editors Elsa Cayat and Mustapha Ourrad, guest Michel Renaud, maintenance worker Frederic Boisseau ... In 2020, Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, was murdered after showing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a class about freedom of speech. Many New York publishers refused to publish the cartoon, but the New York Sun (where I worked) did, and the New York Police Department was posted outside our office on Chambers Street, just in case. When Ms. Ali appears on these campuses to discuss antisemitism, she shows videos of imams and other Muslim officials not only calling for the murder of all Jews but for any country that supports Israel. Please watch and listen to this very heroic woman speak the truth about what is happening today. I am not sure what other Christian religions teach about Jews, but Catholics believe that God chose the Jewish people to reveal Himself to humanity. They are the chosen people but amazingly many secular Jews are not comfortable with that fact. One of the most learned Catholic saints, Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) made several salient points to point out that Islam does not come from God. He writes in his work Summa contra Gentiles that supernatural events are signs of divine inspiration which occur throughout Judaism and Christianity. Both the Old and New Testament are filled with this evidence of miracles and supernatural inexplicable events, but Islam has none. He (Mohammed) did not bring forth any signs produced in a supernatural way, which alone fittingly gives witness to divine inspiration; for a visible action that can be only divine reveals an invisibly inspired teacher of truth. On the contrary, Mohammed said that he was sent in the power of his arms which are signs not lacking even to robbers and tyrants. What is more, no wise men, men trained in things divine and human, believed in him from the beginning. Those who believed in him were brutal men...utterly ignorant of all divine teaching, through (Whom)... Mohammed forced others to become his followers by the violence of his arms. Mohammed seduced the people by promises of carnal pleasure to which the concupiscence of the flesh urges us. His teaching also contained precepts that were in conformity with his promises, and he gave free rein to carnal pleasure. In all this, as is not unexpected; he was obeyed by carnal men. As for proofs of the truth of his doctrine, he brought forward only such as could be grasped by the natural ability of anyone with a very modest wisdom. Indeed, the truths that he taught he mingled with many fables and with doctrines of the greatest falsity." (From the Summa Contra Gentiles, Book 1, Chapter 16, Article 4, Footnote 1.) Could this be the explanation why Muslim women are so mistreated? In any event, St. Thomas Aquinas is in Heaven and cannot be murdered by radical Islamists, but all Jewish people are targets and may the God in Heaven who saved our president protect his chosen people and our nation that He blessed. *Correction: The nationality of the parliament in an earlier version has been corrected. Alicia Colon can be reached at aliciav.colon@gmail.com. Copyright 2025 Alicia Colon Image: Screen shot from University of Austin video, via shareable YouTube As tensions in Eastern Europe continue to simmer, all eyes are on the high-stakes summit scheduled for August 15 in Alaska, where U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate a potential end to the ongoing war in Ukraine. This bilateral dialogue, the first direct encounter between the two leaders since 2019, comes amid reports of a possible ceasefire deal that could involve territorial concessions, though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly stated his country will not cede land. The negotiations could become a critical moment on the path to a complete cessation of conflict in Ukraine, potentially reshaping the geopolitical landscape after years of bloodshed and international strain. Their success will create the prerequisites for organizing elections, which will be a crucial step towards restoring democracy and stability in a nation battered by invasion and division. While experts caution that peace agreements rarely resolve wars overnight, this meeting represents a pivotal opportunity for diplomacy to prevail over destruction. The Necessity of Elections as a Stage for Consolidating Peace and Stability in Ukraine After a peace agreement, holding elections will become a necessary mechanism for legitimizing the new political reality. Elections will confirm the readiness of Ukrainian society for dialogue and compromises, paving the way for genuine reconciliation after years of devastating conflict. President Trumps administration has wisely advocated for presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine following any ceasefire, recognizing that fresh polls are essential to reset the nations governance and sideline warmongers who prolonged the fight. This approach not only restores legitimacy to Ukraines leadership but also counters Russian narratives by demonstrating a commitment to democracy under Trumps bold peace push. Critics who argue against early elections are playing into Putins hands, ignoring how wartime delays have eroded public trust and allowed corruption to fester in Kyiv. By insisting on inclusive voting, Trump ensures that the Ukrainian people, not unelected bureaucrats or foreign influencers, decide their future, fostering long-term stability. Such elections would also integrate any territorial adjustments from the talks, turning potential concessions into opportunities for renewed national unity and economic revival. Ultimately, Trumps strategy of linking peace to democratic renewal proves why he's the dealmaker America and Ukraine desperately needs right now. Multilateral Influence on Elections Elections in Ukraine will inevitably turn into a struggle between external and internal elites for influence and control, as the post-peace landscape opens up a high-stakes battleground for power. Russia will promote pro-Russian politicians to safeguard its interests in the region, leveraging covert operations and propaganda. Meanwhile, the USA and Europe will support their candidates, with Washington prioritizing alliances and Brussels pushing pro-integration figures through funds and expertise. Competition will intensify among various factions and regional interests within Ukraine, from oligarch-backed parties in Kyiv to separatist sympathizers in the east, fracturing the vote along ethnic and economic lines. Although studies emphasize the need to exclude external influence to preserve sovereignty, the reality is that global powers cant be sidelined in such a geopolitically vital nation. The interests of external players will inevitably collide in Ukraine, turning the ballot box into a proxy war where careful monitoring could tip the scales toward stability rather than chaos. Insistence on transparent elections monitored by international observers will expose foreign dirty tricks, ensuring that democratic values prevail over autocracy. European meddling, often cloaked in bureaucratic aid packages, risks alienating Ukrainian nationalists who see Brussels as just another imperial force. Russias efforts to back sympathetic candidates could deepen divisions unless countered by unified internal reforms. In the end, a fair electoral process will empower the Ukrainian people to choose leaders who reject endless foreign entanglements and focus on rebuilding their nation. Europes Participation in Ukraines Elections Europes profound interest in maintaining a stable pro-European course in Ukraine will inevitably lead to robust support for politicians who promise swift integration with the EU and NATO, ensuring that Kyiv remains aligned with Western institutions rather than drifting toward neutrality. This backing often manifests through financial aid packages, diplomatic endorsements, and media campaigns that amplify candidates advocating for deeper ties with Brussels and the Atlantic alliance. Potential candidates likely to receive European support include Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former commander-in-chief with high public trust and ties to the UK as ambassador, positioning him as a favored pro-Western successor; Petro Poroshenko, the ex-president renowned for pushing EU integration during his tenure; and Vitali Klitschko, the Kyiv mayor with strong connections to German and European political circles. Russian Support for Pro-Russian Candidates and Attempts to Influence the Ukrainian Electorate Russia will undoubtedly attempt to bolster pro-Russian candidates in Ukraines post-peace elections through covert funding, propaganda networks, and cyber operations. Figures like Viktor Medvedchuk, a close ally of Putin charged with treason and now largely discredited, and Yuriy Boyko, the former leader of the banned Opposition Platform - For Life, emerge as Moscows preferred but unlikely contenders due to their tarnished reputations and legal barriers. Medvedchuks exile and Boykos reinvention efforts on social media highlight their desperation, yet widespread Ukrainian antipathy toward anything Kremlin-linked renders them non-starters in a fair vote. Despite these efforts, Moscows influence operations ranging from disinformation campaigns to exploiting regional divisions face stiff resistance from heightened Ukrainian vigilance and international monitoring. Ultimately, Russias weakened economy and military setbacks under Trumps pressure leave Moscow with dim prospects for significantly tilting the election results, paving the way for a truly sovereign Ukrainian democracy. The Democrat Party of the USA and Its Media Resources as Tools for Pressuring Zelensky Although the Democrat party initially offered strong backing to President Zelensky amid the conflict, they have since launched information campaigns through aligned media outlets when he started restricting their long-built influence and pursuing more independent policies. These campaigns aim to weaken the positions of Zelensky and his team by shaping public opinion with accusations of corruption, authoritarianism, and mismanagement. Zelensky has made several attempts to limit the influence of Democrat elites, who embedded themselves in Ukraines political and economic spheres over a decade through aid programs and advisory networks. This resistance has triggered a sharply negative reaction, seen in Western media publications criticizing Andriy Yermak as a de facto power broker fueling authoritarian tendencies. Domestically, outlets like Democrat-backed Tomas Fialas Ukrainska Pravda have intensified efforts to discredit Zelenskys inner circle, exposing alleged power abuses and scandals to erode public support. Democrat networks further support opposition forces in the media landscape by providing platforms, funding, and amplification for voices challenging Kyivs current leadership. By systematically undermining trust in the Office of the President, these tactics foster instability and pave the way for a leadership shift. The ultimate aim seems to be facilitating a relatively soft change in leadership through elections, installing a more aligned figure without overt disruption. This approach highlights a contrast with Trumps direct negotiations, revealing how such pressures prioritize influence over swift resolution in Ukraine. The potential elections in Ukraine, following a successful outcome from the August 15 negotiations, will serve as a fundamental criterion for determining the countrys future course, shaping whether it emerges stronger or remains mired in division. The success or failure of this electoral process will have profound long-term consequences for Ukraine's security, economy, and international relations, potentially locking in peace dividends or perpetuating instability through interference. Despite the potential cessation of hostilities, political struggles will intensify as domestic factions and external powers scramble to consolidate positions in the ensuing power vacuum. Ukraine must fiercely preserve its sovereignty and conduct fair elections amid significant external pressure, resisting manipulations that undermine the people's will. In this pivotal moment, President Trumps leadership offers the best hope for guiding Ukraine toward genuine democracy and lasting stability, free from past failed interventions. On March 25th of this year, President Trump signed executive order 14248, Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections. The first line of this document states that the United States does not enforce basic and necessary election protections. This is a bold statement in a country that supposedly enjoys safe and secure elections, as we were told endlessly after the obviously fraudulent 2020 presidential election. President Trumps recent executive order points out that two federal laws, the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) require accurate and current voter rolls. This is a fundamental requirement to prevent fraudulent voting. And yet, election integrity efforts often focus on documentation of Election Day events, such as physical ballots, cast vote records, and affidavits from witnesses of suspicious Election Day activities. This isnt to say that these things are unimportant, but voter rolls are fundamental. This fact is sometimes forgotten. One of the earliest references to a voter registration list is found in a Massachusetts law from 1800. It requires each town create a list of qualified voters (eligible to vote) and to publicly post these lists where the public may examine them. Anyone who tried to vote but was not on the lists was ineligible and the vote couldnt be counted. To be put on the list, voters had to prove they were qualified under the requirements stipulated in the then-current Constitution of the Commonwealth. The voter list, then as now, controlled who was eligible to receive a ballot. This is fundamental to a valid election, but also to election fraud. The reason is that forged ballots are likely to be spotted by election personnel and not counted. This is why almost all people who have been convicted of any kind of voter fraud have also committed some form of registration fraud as well, in order to obtain a ballot. You can see for yourself by checking the Heritage Foundations Election Fraud Database. Although voter rolls allow for another way to prevent fraud by checking for it after the fact, current federal law doesn't seem to recognize how to do this, despite touching on the exact mechanism required. In the Help America Vote Act, it states that the chief state election official must ensure that, 'the number of voters who voted in an election for Federal office does not exceed the number of registered voters in the voter registration database for the election.' This is inadequate because it compares the number of voters who voted, which is recorded in the voter history section of the voter rolls, with the total number of registered voters in the rolls. This is nonsense because it is impossible for a subset to exceed the total. Alternatively, if the phrase voters who voted is interpreted as number of ballots cast by voters who voted, the paragraph is still useless for the purpose of preventing fraud because it is unusual in any election to have a turnout exceeding about 75% of the qualified voter list. For example, if 75 of 100 registered voters actually cast ballots, but 99 ballots are counted, then 24% of the counted ballots would be fraudulent -- yet this would not trigger HAVA's safeguard since 99 does not exceed 100. The principle behind either of these readings is, however, important. That is because the voter rolls can be used to test the legitimacy of a vote count. This can be done by reconciling the number of cast ballots with the number of voters who voted, as recorded in the voter history of voter rolls, as ballots are handed out. Recently, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a nationwide investigation of state voter rolls to determine whether they contain unqualified voters, such as non-citizens or felons. This focus on real ineligible voters, while important, may miss an even larger problem I've discovered in my research: fictitious registrations. Fictitious registrations may be wholly invented and do not correspond with any real person, or they have been illegally duplicated and inserted into the rolls with their own unique ID number, effectively committing identity theft to obtain ballots in the name of a real person. I have done considerable original research on the subject of unusual algorithms I have found in multiple states voter rolls. While doing this research, I have also found many examples of the fictitious or illegal duplicate (clone) types of records. This phenomenon is detailed in my recently published Journal of Information Warfare article, 'Analysis of Wisconsin Voter Rolls Reveals Evidence of Exploited Systemic Vulnerabilities'. In it, I present documentation of a complex algorithm contained in the Wisconsin database, which also has what appears to be almost half a million cloned records. Given the size of the database, artificially inflated by the presence of inactive records, this is a significant proportion of the total records (about 8 million, including inactive records), enough to sway any election. Moreover, I was able to show that at least some of those illegal records were used to vote twice. Although I have no way of knowing if the records in question belong to illegal aliens, if they do, then each has two or more illegal registrations. More likely, one is legitimate and the other is not. I hope the Justice Department is aware of this type of fraudulent record as well, and takes care to extirpate these along with the illegal alien records they are looking for. Image: Public Domain If asked, almost every American would answer instantly: Racial discrimination is wrong. Its one of the few moral propositions that seems to unite the country. Put it to a vote, and it would pass by a slam-dunk landslide. But the devil is in the details. Ask the next question -- Why is racial discrimination wrong? -- and the consensus begins to crack. Is it wrong because using race as a category is in itself illegitimate? Or is it wrong only when the wrong race is preferred, meaning there might be such a thing as good racial discrimination? Is it the act of dividing people by race thats the problem, or just the motives behind it? This is not an abstract debate. It goes to the heart of current fights over affirmative action, diversity hiring, and gerrymandered congressional districts. Color-Blind vs. Color-Conscious Justice Clarence Thomas raised the issue two years ago in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, the Supreme Court case that struck down race-based admissions. For decades, the ideal was a color-blind society -- one where, as Martin Luther King dreamed, people were judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Or, as Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in Parents Involved v. Seattle (2007): The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race. But that view now competes with an opposite theory: that the way to end racial discrimination is not to ignore race, but to focus on it relentlessly. In this vision, eliminating discrimination means actively favoring certain groups -- giving them a leg up because of their race. That this inevitably means disadvantaging others is dismissed as unfortunate but acceptable collateral damage. Harvard, Smoke, and Mirrors The Harvard decision was a step toward restoring color-blindness to American law. Yet many schools immediately looked for ways to evade it. Holistic admissions suddenly became even more opaque, as administrators searched for race proxies to achieve the same outcomes under a different name. They had little to fear from the Biden administration, which showed no interest in enforcing the ruling. It took the Trump administrations renewed commitment to challenging reverse discrimination -- often dressed up as diversity, equity, and inclusion -- to start changing the landscape. The question Justice Thomas raised in the Harvard case -- can there ever be such a thing as good racial discrimination? -- is now spilling into another arena: politics. Race and Redistricting The current battle over congressional redistricting in Texas and the rhetoric in Washington is partly driven by the fact that some districts were deliberately engineered to be majority minority. The intent was not subtle: to tilt the odds toward electing representatives of a particular race or ethnicity. Democrats defend this as a triumph of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The VRA forbids diluting minority voting strength, and for decades federal courts treated this as a mandate to create racially gerrymandered districts. But heres the problem: if its illegal to discriminate based on race, why is it legal -- indeed, required -- for states to discriminate based on race when drawing political maps? For years, the courts winked at this contradiction. The Trump administration challenged it, arguing that race-conscious districting is just as wrong as race-conscious college admissions. The principle is the same: the government is sorting people by ancestry. The Myth of Good Discrimination Proponents insist this kind of discrimination is different because its remedial. They claim it corrects historic injustice. But the moral flaw remains: the state is deciding how much political power you get based not on your citizenship or your community, but on your race. If using race to decide who gets into Harvard is wrong, why is using race to decide who gets a seat in Congress acceptable? Do we want a color-blind society, or a society that is color-blind only in certain cases? Lets be honest: no one designs majority minority districts expecting them to produce conservative Republicans. These seats almost always go to very liberal Democrats. Racial gerrymandering is as much about partisan advantage as it is about supposed fairness. For years, Republicans foolishly played along. A Personal Case Study In the 1990s, New Jersey Democrats decided my congressional district needed a guaranteed Hispanic representative. My central Jersey town was awkwardly stitched together with towns 25 miles up the Turnpike near the Lincoln Tunnel. In the process, it skipped over nearby communities we shared businesses, schools, and history with. The goal wasnt to keep coherent communities together -- it was to manufacture a racial outcome. Some voters became more important than others simply because of their ethnicity. And when the plan worked, the racial gerrymander was proudly touted as fairness. It produced the Rt. Dishonorable Robert Menendez, who later advanced to the U.S. Senate before moving this year to his current seat at Allenwood Low Federal Prison Camp in Pennsylvania. But fairness it was not. It was a calculated racial sorting of voters, dressed up in moral language. Bantustans, American-Style This kind of mapmaking produces political bantustans -- the special jurisdictions apartheid South Africa created to corral blacks while maintaining white control. The motives may differ, but the method -- assigning people to political spaces based on ancestry -- is the same. We outlawed de jure Jim Crow sixty years ago. Yet we continue to let race dictate government decisions in the name of equity or representation. This keeps America locked in a color-conscious mindset, where citizens are competitors in a zero-sum racial game. The Principle at Stake If we truly want to get race out of American life, we must stop using race as a basis for making decisions -- whether in admissions, hiring, contracting, or districting. There is no morally clean version of racial discrimination. You cannot fix the wrongs of discrimination by engaging in more of it. America must choose. Either we embrace a genuine color-blind ideal, where laws and opportunities apply equally to everyone without regard to skin color, or we keep the current double standard, where race is ignored when it benefits one group and emphasized when it benefits another. The first choice leads toward unity. The second guarantees perpetual division. Until we have the courage to apply that principle consistently, we will remain a society that talks about equality but practices hierarchy -- sorted, labeled, and divided by the very thing we claim to reject. Its time we finally embraced the ideal of a society that judges people or apportions benefits on the color of their skins. Image: Public Domain This week, the Supreme Court announced that it will hear argument October 7th in a major First Amendment case about the intersection of a professionals deeply held beliefs and his work. In Chiles v. Salazar, the Court will decide if ones speech can still animate ones profession. Kaley Chiles is a licensed counselor in Colorado and a practicing Christian. In her work, there are individuals who seek to consensually discuss their changing gender identity, alluding to Christian values on human sexuality and the body. Chiles believes that clients can flourish by accepting the bodies God has given them and find peace. Chiles views conflicts with Colorado law, which prohibited the promotion of conversion therapy to minors, which is to say an effort to convert ones sexual orientation or gender identity to their biological one. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the state. The appeals court ruled that the law does not target speech but rather the conduct of a licensed health care professional (and thus a court is to give more deference to the state). This is problematic, as such a distinction lends itself to ambiguity ripe for overreach. In 2018, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the Supreme Court in National Institute of Family & Life Advocates v. Becerra that [s]peech is not unprotected merely because it is uttered by professionals and that the Court has not recognized professional speech as a separate category of speech. In arguing that a similar conversion ban case in Washington state should have been heard in 2023, Justice Samuel Alito also wrote that it is beyond dispute that such a law restricts speech. It is true that licensed professionals adhere to a certain standard of conduct, whether it be lawyers, therapists, doctors, and the like. These standards are largely for the benefit of the person receiving the service. But it is also true that ones beliefs in the aid of a client or patient -- which manifests itself in speech to that person in the form of advice or guided care -- cannot always and everywhere give way to state edict. To do so would eliminate that professionals individual identity and their considered judgment. If one seeks a licensed therapist for a second opinion, one should expect that an opinion be just that, shaped by wisdom and acumen from a particular perspective. To eliminate the substance of that opinion -- to change the speech and opinion itself -- reduces the professional to government automaton. It strips them of who they are. The license on their wall should then be stamped Mind Belonging to the State. It would also come as no surprise that one professionals viewpoint is shaped by their core beliefs. A doctor serving the poor has a viewpoint based on that perspective and could say as much in the course of their work. The same could be said for a lawyer who zealously represents a client seeking to vindicate a religious freedom claim because they also have faith. Indeed, a prospective client or patient may seek out a professional because their strongly held views, expressed in speech, align with their own. That a professional has a view tethered to certain beliefs, seeking to express them for the betterment of the public, is a virtuous calling. The average person may also call that speech. To define which strongly held views are satisfactory or not for government is an unstable edifice to hold up speech. While it is true that at least 27 states and the District of Columbia have banned in some form conversion therapy for minors, free speech has never hung its hat solely on what are settled or acceptable views. What should be settled is that speech, including speech in discussing sensitive medical matters, be protected. The Virginia Attorney Generals office recognized this bedrock principle on June 4th of this year when it consented to a court decree effectively allowing counselors in Virginia to engage in talk therapy, based on their religious beliefs, with patients under 18 with gender dysphoria. Government intrusion in life can first seem a petty nuisance. But often, state policy is designed to have real and intrusive effects. When government comes claiming fairness, non-bias, and dignity, it may instead tilt the scales, prejudice professions, and chastise someone seeking to live free and provide a service. This is especially true with limitations on speech. For too long in Colorado, the therapists voice has not truly been his or her own. Kaley Chiles may soon persuade the Supreme Court to give credence to her beliefs, allowing her to be the individual and professional that she strives to be. Alan Loncar is an attorney in Macomb County, Michigan. Image: Pexels He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career. George Bernard Shaw Well, a few of them showed up at his liberation day rally on Thursday at the Japanese-American Museum in Los Angeles. Those in attendance were probably paid recruits. Soros and a few of his pals have invested $20 million in hired thugs to protest Trump, on college campuses and anywhere else they think they can do harm to the president. The Border Patrol showed up outside of the venue in Little Tokyo and arrested someone, spoiling his little bit of self-aggrandizing theater. Newsom behaves like a moronic adolescent who will do absolutely anything to get his way; hes a spoiled brat. His way is to become president, by any means necessary. Now he has begun attempting to adopt Trumps humorous brand of tweeting on X. He cant make it work because he is a wholly inauthentic, sleazy pol whose most recent crime was to pilfer the $100 million raised for the Los Angeles fire victims. Not one dime has been turned over to any victim. The man might as well be a creation of AI; he is that phony. Predictably, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was enraged that the Border Control showed up. As usual, she only cares about those here illegally, criminal or not. She never, never, never mentions the victims of their crimes, the jobs lost to them or the tremendous cost to taxpayers that subsidizes them. Oh, no. She is as much of a communist as Zohran Mamdani. Imagine Los Angeles today if Rick Caruso, her opponent, or someone like Richard Riordan, won that election. The Palisades and Altadena communities would still be standing because either would have seen to it that the reservoir in the Palisades was full and the hydrants would have had water. He would have set about cleaning up the city rather than protecting those who have effectively destroyed Los Angeles. While some conservatives hope Mamdani wins in New York City so the rest of the country can see the range of suffering communism visits upon its victims, that would be a catastrophe beyond the indoctrinated brains of his youthful supporters who have no idea what disasters will befall their once-great city if he is elected. The first thing that will happen when his proposed tax hikes take effect is that the tax-paying folks who can barely afford to live there now will leave and the city will lose millions in revenue. If Karen Bass was as attractive and as pseudo-charismatic as Mamdani, L.A. would be further on its way to Castroism; Bass is known for her particular fondness for the Cuban dictator. Newsom is an obvious narcissist who, like the queen of the Snow White fairy tale, is beguiled by his own visage. He thinks he is the fairest of all. There is a reason he is often referred to as governor hair gel. He is an ignorant, arrogant, little man, if not in stature, certainly in spirit. His hysteria over the Texas plan to redistrict is hilarious given the Democrats love for and decades of abusing that particular bit of political tomfoolery, gerrymandering, long used by both parties but far more savagely by the left. The Democrats want to count non-citizens for apportionment purposes because they know they cant win legitimately. Newsom is so triggered by what is happening in Texas he is threatening to redistrict California again. He is promising that California will add enough seats to defeat Trump in the midterms and then he can be impeached. But he cant do that without the consent of the California voters and California voted for the map currently in use. That Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker pretends to be equally outraged by the Texas plan is a clear sign of his essential disingenuousness. Illinois is the most severely redistricted state for Democrat advantage in the country. Pritzker too, wants to be president which is extremely unlikely. It is clear to most Californians, if not most Americans, that Newsom is not remotely qualified to be president of anything. He was a terrible mayor of San Francisco; he promised to end that citys homelessness but instead mis-governed San Francisco into a drug fueled, feces littered homeless encampment! California under Newsom has the largest population of homeless persons in the nation. He has been a terrible governor. He has welcomed millions of illegal migrants into the state. Naturally they take jobs from American citizens. There are two million illegals in Los Angeles alone, at least one in ten L.A. residents is an illegal. The cost of subsidizing them, providing them with medical care, shelter and food has broken the state. Even the far-left Los Angeles Times admits this. He ordered no more oil drilling or refining. Now he is trying to walk back his energy insanity; too little, too late. He has floated the idea of taking some of the burned out Palisades and Altadena land for low-income housing. That did not go over well so he is walking that back as well. He is a walking, talking weathervane; he says whatever he thinks will be popular in the moment with a slight breeze. He has no core values. Formerly related by marriage to Nancy Pelosi, he is imbued with the same power-over-principles proclivity. The man is a mewling debacle and most residents of his state know it. His foolish attempts to disparage President Trump make him appear all the more imbecilic. He cant read a room. Californians do not like this man, not even a little bit. And every time he tries out a new strategy, like hosting a podcast to moderate his image, he ends up proving himself unworthy of the effort. He invited Charlie Kirk to be his first guest. Charlie has about a hundred I.Q. points on Newsom and the interview makes that sorely evident. It also again proves Newsoms lack of any substantive personality beyond that weathervane. So, if there are any Californians that still support him, who dont genuinely hate the man, we can be sure they are either idiots or on his payroll. Like our equally and obscenely corrupt Sen. Adam Schiff, the man is pond scum. Politicians are the lowest form of life on earth. Liberal Democrats are the lowest form of politicians. George S. Patton Image: Gage Skidmore, via Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed Thats OUR story, and were stickin to it. It sounds like a line from a cornered suspectwhose name has been changed to protect the (not so) innocentin Dragnet. Or rather, a Three Stooges short. Wise guy, eh? But no. It came from James Clapper, then the nations Director of National Intelligence, in an email to Americas spy chiefs on December 22, 2016. This newly declassified message, short enough to fit on an index card, is a political Rosetta Stone for the Russia-Trump saga that followed. Every sentence, every clause, every word, and every point of emphasis underscored the unmistakable message: This is our plan. This is the schedule. We will bend the rules. You will not see all the intel. And there will be no dissent. Deal with it. At the time, the Obama White House had ordered an Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian election interferenceyet inside the intelligence agencies, deep and abiding doubts about the conclusions, the sourcing, and the compressed timetable were tamped down and suppressed. Admiral Mike Rogers of the NSA had raised significant concerns about access and verification. Clappers response? A curt directive that left no doubt he expected complete alignment. But dont take my word for ithere is Clappers email, verbatim: Mike/John/Jim: Understand your concern. It is essential that we (CIA/NSA/FBI/ODNI) be on the same page, and are all supportive of the report in the highest tradition of thats OUR story, and were stickin to it. This evening CIA has provided to the NIC the complete draft generated by the ad hoc fusion cell. We will facilitate as much mutual transparency as possible as we complete the report, but more time is not negotiable. We may have to compromise on our normal modalities, since we must do this on such a compressed schedule. This is one project that has to be a team sport. Jim [email from James R. Clapper, 22 December 2016) (emphasis in original]. No nuance. No qualifiers. Just the Director of National Intelligence instructing Americas top intelligence agencies that the story was fixed, the clock was ticking, and the rules could be bentor brokento get it done. And when the dust settled, the tainted report dictated from on high arrived. Within just three weeks, the ICA landed like a thunderclap: Vladimir Putin had personally ordered an influence campaign to help Donald Trump. It bore the seal of the entire intelligence community. What it really bore, we now know, was the imprimatur of an order from the topunity over accuracy, speed over verification, and fabrication over fact. Clapper called it a team sport. But the team wasnt the American people. It wasnt truth-seeking analysts or skeptical field officers. It was a closed circle of senior Obama-era intelligence directors, bound to the same storylinewith facts strictly optional. DNI Tulsi Gabbard declassified this email on August 13th, calling it proof of politicization at the highest levels. Shes right. This shouldnt be relegated to historical curiosity, though most on the Leftand even some on the Rightwould prefer it that way. It is a stark warning of how the highest echelons of the Obama administration hijacked the intelligence process. There must be a price paid for that. Gabbard, Ratcliffe, Patel, and Trump understand this. They also understand something more on the Right need to learn: take your wins where you can find them, because every win is a step toward the next. The Clapper email is an object lesson in how power bends the truth when no one stands in the wayand its declassification is a win. And the lesson for the rest of us is simple: if they were willing to do this to shape the Russia narrative, theyll do it again. And again. Which is why the Right cant afford to indulge in a personal nirvana fallacyholding out for some perfect, all-encompassing victory that never comes. Take the wins. Bank them. Stack them high. Build on them. Because in Washington, the Left is already plotting its next mission to lie another day. Charlton Allen is an attorney and former chief executive officer and chief judicial officer of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. He is founder of the Madison Center for Law & Liberty, Inc., editor of The American Salient, and host of the Modern Federalist podcast. For media inquiries or speaking engagements, please click here. X: @CharltonAllenNC Image: DonkeyHotey, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr, unaltered. RESTON, Va., Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Reston just got flakier. Roggenart European Bakery, Bistro and Cafe officially opens its doors Thursday August 21 at 10:30 a.m. and will serve an authentic European cafe experience. Local community leaders including Hunter Mill Supervisor Walter Alcorn and Chamber of Commerce of Reston Charles Kapur will join Roggenart owners Neman Popov and Brody Tennant in a ribbon cutting ceremony. And yes, the largest croissant in Virginia will be used to christen the day. Roggenart is newly located in the RTC West business center at 12130 Sunset Hills Rd, Reston, Virginia. The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place Thursday August 21st, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. through 11 a.m. All guests are treated to an exclusive tour, decadent sampling of pastries, and all you can drink coffee. Roggenart promises to bring customers into a charming European escape. Roggenart's menu features artisan breakfast sandwiches atop buttery croissants, signature omelets, cast iron pressed sandwiches, and hand-crafted breads. The company's reputation for excellence extends to its innovative "Crookie" a croissant baked with cookie dough inside which trended nationally. Did you know? Roggenart means "the art of rye" in German. "Our vision for Roggenart has always been to create a welcoming space where people can find a moment of peace and enjoy truly authentic European flavors," said Neman Popov, Founder and CEO of Roggenart. "We are proud of the 'third place' experience we've cultivated at Roggenart," added Brody Tennant, owner and managing partner. "This opening is a milestone in our growth." About Roggenart European Bakery, Bistro and Cafe Headquartered in Howard County, Maryland, Popov opened the first U.S bakery in 2017. Popov and Tennant teamed up in 2020 starting with their second location in Ellicott City. Over the last five years, Popov and Tennant have used their decades of business experience into expanding this bistro and bakery brand from the ground up. Roggenart's Reston location joins existing locations in Baltimore, Columbia, Ellicott City, Savage Mill, Frederick, and Towson in MD, as well as locations in Arlington, Reston VA. and W.Diversy Parkway, N. Halsted St in Chicago Il. It will be open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are also future plans to open up locations in Hampstead and Catonsville, Maryland in Fall 2025. www.Roggenart.com Media Contact: Sherryn Gaworecki Public Relations Specialist [email protected] Phone: 240-601-4506 SOURCE Roggenart California Gov. Gavin French Laundry Newsom and other prominent progressive politicians recently gathered in support of an aggressive new gerrymandering campaign. A few dozen attended. If voters subsequently approve the proposed new political map, half a dozen California Republicans would be thrown out of office. This endeavor is supposedly to combat redistricting in Texas that would see several Democrats lose their seats. But nothing could be further from the truth. Democrats have redistricted and gerrymandered much of the United States, to the point that states like New Jersey, New York, and California itself have significantly more Democrats in Congress than would comport with the actual statewide percentage of folks who vote Democrat. Forty percent of California is registered Republican, and they hold about 10% of the congressional seats. In fact, Democrats have historically been the ones gerrymandering, incessantly and preposterously, to increase their representation over what it otherwise would and should be. With a straight face Newsom stated: We cant stand back and watch this democracy disappear, district by district, all across this country. Others said much the same thing in support of the Golden States gerrymander campaign. Which is hard to do given the fact that many Blue states congressional district maps look like they were drawn by Kamala Harris after closing time on two-for-one night at the local bar. Gerrymandering makes fewer districts competitive, whether done by Democrats or Republicans and tends to drive both parties towards the fringes/extremes. Throw in a few million illegals to pad the seat counts without votes and the extremity increases. Yet, once again, it is the staggering hypocrisy, gaslighting, and projection of Democrats that is objectively repulsive. Gavin Newsoms name should be Gerry Mander! He is all over the map, whether it be redistricting or as regards policy prescriptions. The Democrat party either needs to change its name or at least have the decency to put an asterisk and/or disclaimer after it to comply with truth-in-advertising laws. The party blathers on about saving democracy while they do everything conceivable to destroy it. Democrats lie, cheat, steal, wish to pack the court, embrace lawfare and hoaxes, dismiss the rule of law, foster judicial tyranny, eschew the Constitution, disregard citizens rights but welcome illegals, and utterly reject the wishes of the majority. Autocrats would be a more accurate term for them. Or perhaps Despotcrats. Nastycrats? The Prevaricator Party? Corruptocrats? Asshatocrats? Im sure readers can come up with their own updated terms for the erstwhile Democrats. I might even reference the best one or two in a future column. Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License On August 1, 2025, Reza Pahlavi unveiled what he describes as a roadmap for Irans future a document allegedly crafted by experts under his supervision and disseminated through NUFDI, his promotional apparatus. Marketed as a post-regime transition plan, it reads less like a democratic blueprint and more like a manual for consolidating unchecked power in the hands of a single unelected figure. At the heart of the proposal lies an 18- to 36-month Transitional Period, which can be extended indefinitely. During this time, all branches of state authority would report to one man: the self-appointed Leader of the National Uprising, Reza Pahlavi. The proposed Transition System comprises three entities: the National Uprising Body, the Transitional Government, and the Transitional Court which, while superficially resembling the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, are in practice entirely subordinate to Pahlavi. He would appoint, oversee, and dismiss all members of these bodies at will, with no institutional constraints. The so-called legislative arm, named Mahestan, is a hand-picked advisory council that echoes the aristocratic assemblies of ancient Iran unelected and elite. The executive branch, including the head of government and all ministers, would be selected by Pahlavi and his inner circle. Even the judiciary would be shaped by his influence, with the chief judge nominated by his legislature and confirmed by him personally. In essence, the plan offers no elections, no checks and balances, and no independent judiciary only the centralization of authority under one man. Rather than dismantling the regimes repressive infrastructure, the plan seeks to preserve and rebrand it. The Ministry of Intelligence would remain intact. IRGC personnel would be repurposed into vetted units, and anti-riot forces, the very tools of todays brutal crackdowns, would be retained for crowd control. In twenty cities deemed high-risk, martial law would be imposed, and a newly created special unit with sweeping powers would report directly to Pahlavi, bypassing all bureaucratic oversight and civilian accountability. The promise of transitional justice is equally hollow. Even accountability for crimes against humanity would be subject to a referendum, a mechanism that could easily be manipulated to shield perpetrators rather than hold them to account. Crucially, the plan assumes that the regime has already collapsed yet offers no viable domestic strategy to achieve that outcome. It is grounded not in an organized grassroots movement, but rather in the political resurrection of a hereditary figurehead, buoyed by foreign support. This model is neither sustainable nor democratic; it sidelines the very people whose uprising would be essential to any genuine transition. Ethnic and national minorities are conspicuously absent from the plans vision. There is no mention of decentralization, cultural autonomy, or linguistic rights. Instead, separatism is framed as a security threat to be managed militarily, reinforcing a centralized and exclusionary state structure that ignores Irans rich diversity. By design, the plan grants Pahlavi absolute control over the executive, legislative, and judicial functions for a minimum of three years, with the possibility of indefinite extensions. This is not the architecture of a democracy-in-waiting; it is the scaffolding of authoritarian rule, cloaked in the language of transition. Its resemblance to the current regime is striking: a single leader at the apex, loyalist appointees across all branches, security forces shielded from reform, and no guarantees of press freedom or protest rights. In some respects, it surpasses the clerical regime in its centralization, dispensing even with the limited public participation permitted under Irans existing constitution. Democracy does not begin with a supreme leader, whether in a turban or a tailored suit. It begins with the organized will of the people, independent institutions, and enforceable limits on state power. Pahlavis plan offers none of these. Instead, it promises absolute rule for at least three years, the preservation of the regimes coercive apparatus under new names, a direct security agency accountable only to the leader, and the continuation of existing laws until further notice. Call it monarchy. Call it neo-fascism. Call it what you will. But do not call it democracy. Image: Chickenonline via Pixabay, Pixabay License. Socialism (communism), as is being packaged in New York City, can...work? For a season. The appeal to affordability and free stuff has a strong draw. The glossy brochure presents free transportation, state-run grocery stores, rent freezes, and the confiscation of unused housing. Of course, long-term, these ideas have been tried before and have failed miserably, as the Kansas Cityrun grocery store just failed, and as state-run stores failed in the Soviet Union. Seizing the means of production and price controls, as Zohran Mamdani has proposed, are responsible for the deaths of more than 100 million Russians, Ukrainians, Chinese, Cambodians, Venezuelans, Cubans, and more. Although the end result is always the same (regardless of who tries it), the early stages of these seizures and state-run control can be successful. Heres how. Free-market capital hasnt (yet) had a chance to escape. Many wealthy persons (including liberals) will eventually pull their cash out of New York, but with declining real estate valuations and almost certain exit taxes, many will hesitate to pull the trigger. Some others in the capital class can garner favor within the apparat, so theyre willing [for a time] to provide some funding to help set up the system that they then have a hand in controlling. These apparatchiks eventually take more than they contribute, resulting in declining capital to fund the Party, always resulting in collapse. The financial inputs (taxes) to run the city or state have not yet impacted workers lower down the food chain (the middle class). Eventually, with the wealthy leaving, the working class begin to take the brunt of the funding obligation. The lower middle class and eventually the middle class are then disincentivized to work, as they recognize that their neighbor gets food, housing, transportation without working. The wealthy will leave. The middle class will have no incentive to produce. The system will eventually certainly collapse...but there is a lag period where some of the promises of utopia can be achieved. Wealth can be confiscated; debt can be pushed into outbound quarters or years. The phase of worker disincentivization can take a year or two, before the funding outpaces the revenues. Socialism (communism) can work...for a season. The problem, as articulated by Beta Metani Marashi is that you can vote yourself into communism, but you have to shoot your way out. Expect that the Second Amendment will be obstructed in New York City. New Yorkers appear to be willing to vote themselves into bondage. They, like their British brethren, will have no First or Second Amendment rights to throw off their chains. Image: Praveenp via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped). One of the latest controversies surrounding law enforcement operations targeting illegal aliens were the actions of State Senator Analise Ortiz: Last week, Arizona State Sen. Analise Ortiz, vulgarly defended her actions after she admitted to alerting illegal immigrants to ICE presence in her district. The Glendale leftist, who also is accused of doxxing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, shook her fist at fascists and white supremacists in power in Arizona and claimed she had a right to interfere in federal immigration law enforcement activities. Senator Ortiz has decided that she is protected by the First Amendment, and some agree with her conclusion: A First Amendment expert at the Freedom Forum said Ortiz is right. She has a First Amendment right to talk about, to share publicly available, publicly viewable information on an issue that is clearly a major public concern up for debate right now, not just in Arizona, but across the country, Alex Morey said. Morey, a First Amendment specialist at the nonpartisan nonprofit, said its not a crime to share data that [is] publicly available, even if it makes law enforcements life a little more complicated. Darrell Hill, policy director at the ACLU of Arizona, agreed. This is just [a] normal part of being a member of society, being a member of the public, and a normal expression of First Amendment rights and activities, he said. Really? Does anyone think that interfering in and sabotaging law enforcement operations are just a normal part of being a member of society? But those people who are not willing to aid and abet criminals disagree. They recognize that the First Amendment is being manipulated and abused. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin describes Ortizs actions in this way: Arizona state Senator Analise Ortiz is siding with vicious cartels, human traffickers, and violent criminals over American citizens, said McLaughlin. Notifying the public about ICE law enforcement operations endangers law enforcement and weakens American national security, she went on. In response to Fox News Digitals question about whether Ortiz could face charges, McLaughlin answered, This certainly looks like obstruction of justice. Ortiz has been called out by the president of the state senate for her outrageous behavior: Arizona State Senator Analise Ortiz may be facing criminal charges after she apparently admitted to violating federal law for impeding and doxxing Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The comments made by Senator Ortiz are deeply troubling and do not reflect the position of the Arizona State Senate, said Arizona State President Warren Petersen. I spoke with the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona and referred this matter to his office to investigate, as it appears she may be in violation of federal law. Arizona Senate Republicans stand firmly in support of ICE and the important work they do to uphold our nations immigration laws and protect our communities. One law firm provides a legal description of obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting: Obstruction of Justice: Under federal law, obstructing an officer in the performance of their official duties is a serious offense. This includes actions such as physically blocking ICE agents, providing false information, or using intimidation to prevent an arrest. Depending on the circumstances, individuals could face misdemeanor or felony charges, leading to fines and potential jail time. Aiding and Abetting/Harboring: Individuals who provide assistance to someone evading arrest, whether through transportation, shelter, or other means, may also face legal repercussions. Under federal law, this can be viewed as aiding and abetting a fugitive, which is a criminal offense. Federal law also prohibits harboring of an undocumented immigrant. Under this law, individuals who shield an undocumented immigrant from detection, or attempts to conceal, harbor, or shield an undocumented immigrant from detection could face felony charges. From these descriptions, they both seem to directly apply to the Ortiz case. Ortiz also does not have the right to endanger the lives of ICE agents who are just doing their jobs, which shes certainly guilty of if she did in fact dox them. Former State Senator Travis Grantham summarizes the situation this way: This behavior endangers law enforcement officers lives. I support investigating this and holding Senator Ortiz accountable to the fullest extent of the law and to the rules of the Senate. Prosecution and expulsion should absolutely be on the table. What a disgrace! Lock her up! Image: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Flickr, unaltered. Its no secret that Hollywood and the Democrat Party are joined at the hip. Television shows and movies regularly promote leftwing messages, and whenever a project embraces even a minimally conservative worldview, commentators blast the aberration as far right propaganda. President Obamas young staff often compared their jobs to scenes from The American President or The West Wing. Aaron Sorkin, the writer responsible for both the movie and television series, even influenced the speech patterns and behaviors of the Obama White House. From the speechwriters to the press secretaries, it seemed as if B-list actors were running the country. Hollywood went all in for Hillary Clinton. First came the 2012 miniseries Political Animals, in which Sigourney Weaver plays a brilliant former first lady now serving as secretary of state. In that production, the Hillary stand-in is encouraged to challenge a history-making Hispanic president in the Democrat primary (real subtle, huh?). When the Clintons backed Obamas re-election in exchange for his promise to support Hillarys 2016 run, Madam Secretary came out, in which the lovely Tea Leoni plays another brilliant secretary of state who is much more likable than Hillary could ever be. Even though Julia Louis-Dreyfuss Veep seems to capture Kamala Harriss buffoonery perfectly, the low-IQ ladder-climber actually went out of her way to recreate the final scene from The Contender, a movie about a female senator nominated to be vice president. Leftist publications had repeatedly made the comparison during the 2020 race, and when CNN declared Biden and Harris the winners four days after the election, Kamala managed to capture the moment on video while out jogging wearing nearly identical running attire as actress Joan Allen wears when she learns that shell be vice president (what are the odds?). The Contender does what Hollywood does best: It white knights for leftist Democrats, while portraying conservatives as villains. Still, there is a memorable scene in which Jeff Bridgess fictional President Jackson Evans addresses Congress: Napoleon once said, when asked to explain the lack of great statesmen in the world, that to get power, you need to display absolute pettiness. To exercise power, you need to show true greatness. Such pettiness and such greatness are rarely found in one person. Its a good line, even if it includes an apocryphal attribution to Napoleon. Its also one of the better descriptions of the rise to power and presidency of Donald J. Trump. Ironically, Hollywood might have predicted this very moment in history. Describing President Trump as petty might sound like an insult, but I do not mean it that way. After decades of watching Republicans surrender to Democrats on everything from the culture war to socialized medicine, I had pretty much concluded that elected Republicans were wholly invertebrate Swamp lizards incapable of defending conservative policy. In chameleon-like form, they pretended to be conservative during election season and then voted with Democrats. Trump changed all that. He called RINOs out by name. He questioned why Republicans failed to get things done. He wasnt afraid to lump Establishment Republicans with Establishment Democrats. Trans-republicans such as Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, and Jeb Bush despised Trumps truth-telling more than they despised the devastating consequences of Democrat Party policies. Those Swamp RINOs and many of their two-faced colleagues no doubt voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016! Trumps in-your-face style of political combat certainly isnt for the faint-hearted, but his take-no-prisoners approach is undeniably effective. In an environment where Deep State operatives are willing to rig elections and imprison Trump and his supporters, this is no time for shrinking violets. Many politicians are petty, though. The Clintons are so shameless that they destroyed the lives of women who accused Bill of sexual violence. Dementia Joe Biden de-banked President Trump, prosecuted him on bogus charges, and sent armed FBI agents to rummage through Melanias underwear drawer. Greasy Gavin Newsom, You Didnt Build That Barack Obama, and Extra Pie, Please! JB Pritzker are all exceedingly petty. And nobody will ever remember them for being great! In fact, theyve actively campaigned against making America great! Whats remarkable about Trump is that his capacity for pettiness against his opponents is eclipsed by his dedication to success. They said he couldnt close the border. He did. They said he couldnt rebalance American trade. He is. They said he couldnt end protracted wars or negotiate his way toward peace. Hes doing both. Time and again, Establishment politicians in D.C. tell him he cant achieve what he wants, and more often than not, he proves them wrong. During his first term, Trumps adversaries at home and abroad laughed at his ambitions. Look around the world today: Nobodys laughing. Too many naysayers have been proven wrong, and Trump has too often been proven right. He is the rarest of statesmen. If you listen closely to some of Trumps fiercest critics, the smarter ones already understand what hes become. Some realize that his presidency is reshaping America and the world. Between breathless denunciations of the man, there is even quiet admiration. Will Hollywood ever make an honest movie about President Trump? Probably not, but then again, who thought that MAGA Americans would be winning the culture war in 2025? Like any good film, the bad guys have to look invincible before the good guys fight and win. Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0. An Afghan burqa-clad woman walks along a street in Kandahar (AFP via Getty Images) When the Talibans men came knocking at her house in January, Nooran* went and hid in her parents yard. I did not want to be arrested along with my mother, says the Afghan teen. Moments later, her mother Shahbaneh* was taken away. On 8 January, Taliban officials detained Shahbaneh over a social media post ruing the fate of her familys young women, who would no longer be able to attend school. Nooran shows The Independent the Facebook post her mother had made, commenting on the local schools notice that it was shutting down due to a lack of teachers and resources. She wrote in her post: "Forgive me, my daughter, for what we have done to you. We cannot escape this savage group. Within a few hours, she received a message telling her: Remove your message because you have insulted the Taliban. This is the order of the Commander of the Faithful. The next day, two Taliban men arrived in Ford Ranger pick-up trucks in their busy neighbourhood in Herat and summoned Shahbaneh. They then took my mother away, Nooran says, sitting alongside her in a video call from Afghanistan late in the evening. They fall quiet as a motorbike passes by outside, afraid they might be overheard. A Taliban prison security guard stands next to a poster ordering women to cover themselves with a Hijab during the distribution of new uniforms' ceremony by the Taliban authorities at a prison in Jalalabad (AFP via Getty Images) An Afghan burqa-clad woman carrying a child seeks alms along a road in the Argo district of Badakhshan province (AFP via Getty Images) Friday marks four years since the Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan, seizing Kabul from a democratically-elected government after the shambolic withdrawal of Nato forces. Since 2021 the Taliban have announced around 100 edicts restricting the movement of girls and women through society, arresting women for having ill-fitting head scarves, speaking on social media and being out in public. Despite claiming it would not return to its hardline rule of the 1990s, not a single one of these edicts has been overturned, according to the UN assistance mission for Afghanistan (Unama). More than 78 per cent of Afghan women are no longer in education, employment or training, the UN said this month in its report. The edicts are also a matter of life and death in areas of the health sector, with a shortage of female healthcare workers allowed to treat women patients. The results are devastating. Women are living shorter, less healthy lives, the Unama said. The Taliban does not hesitate in enforcing its rules by arresting and detaining women who break them placing them in prisons where abuse is commonplace. The Independent heard repeated claims that women are raped by guards in these facilities, allegations which are difficult to verify. At night, I saw the Taliban prisons where the basic living conditions are horrible, guards coming in and taking the women away at night. Next day, the women would tell us they were raped, Shahbaneh says. They tied my hands to my head, and beat me up till I cried, telling me that they will kill me if I continue to speak about education of girls and women, she says. Shahbaneh narrated the basic conditions of prison treatment under the Taliban, consistent with multiple other accounts of arrested men and women. There will be no food, no water, you are locked away in a dark room for days and nights. There isnt even a window for feeling any air on your face that is the punishment you get for crossing the Taliban, the 37-year-old former teacher says. As a punishment, many women who shared the cell with me were asked to clean the prison floor, she said. An Afghan woman who was recently deported from Tehran after living in Iran for 3 years, waits at the entrance of the reception center in Islam Qala (Getty Images) She was released after a month on 8 February this year, still with her only crime being a social media post criticising the most basic violation of human rights. Recounting her pain and expressing disbelief that the world is turning a blind eye she says: We are in danger for even breathing and existing as women. It is like the world cannot hear our voices, like they hate Afghan women. The restrictions on all aspects of womens lives seem only to be tightening, with the number of punishments over hijab regulations growing. In certain parts of Afghanistan including Herat province, women have been ordered to wear a chador, a full body covering, and are banned from going out in public if they fail to do so. Unama says the Taliban have asked health clinics and private businesses to strictly refuse services to women who are not accompanied by a male chaperone, a mehram. Asma, a 27-year-old who has been offering discreet legal advice to women in Kabul, says that the options available to women in her field of divorce and domestic violence cases have become bleak. Me and my colleagues who are working with women seeking divorce over domestic violence from their husbands face two hellish choices go back to their abusive husband or face prison time. Surprisingly, the women are choosing to go to prison, the young legal adviser told The Independent. In the prison, many are facing rape and physical assault. The Independent has reached out to the Talibans ministry of interior for a comment on these allegations about its prison system, but had not received a response at the time of publication. Sadly, the allegations are hardly new dire accounts of ill treatment from women who have left Taliban detention have been a constant feature of the past four years. Julia Parsi, a former Afghan teacher turned prominent human rights defender who burned a photo of the Talibans supreme leader Mullah Hibatullah in 2022, lost hearing in one of her ears after being slapped by several Taliban officials in prison. Afghan woman Julia Parsi (L) who protested against the Taliban in 2022 and was arrested (Family handouts/ The Independent) I was subjected to severe psychological and physical pressure. The psychological torture was far worse than the physical abuse. They threatened me with harm to my family, especially my young daughters. The interrogations were filled with threats, insults, and humiliation, the exiled Afghan activist told The Independent. She had to be hospitalised after her release from e prison in December 2022. Parsi, now out of Afghanistan after facing death threats but continuing to work for Afghan women rights, says women are being rounded up and put behind the bars for opposing the Talibans policies. In recent arrests, the Taliban have primarily targeted women who have raised their voices on social media or participated in civic and political activities. Even women who have spoken only in small gatherings or taught lessons in their homes have been arrested under the accusation of opposing Taliban policies, Parsi said, adding improper hijab has been the biggest reason in recent weeks for the arrest of Afghan girls and women. Improper hijab is merely an excuse the real purpose is to suppress and silence women, she says. Such policies are having a profound effect on a generation of women 62 per cent of Afghan women now feel they cannot even influence decisions at home, let alone have their voices or faces be seen outside, according to a UN survey. Zubaida Akbar, an Afghan human rights expert and programme manager at Femena, an organisation that supports human rights defenders, said that the Taliban have tortured women with physical abuse including rape and sexual assault, alongside mental abuse and ethnic slurs. In terms of the ways that the Taliban have degraded women, women activists detailed to us physical abuse, assault, beatings inside the prison, sexual abuse, lack of access to food, sanitation, not being able to sleep, interrogations, especially late at night, Akbar told The Independent. In the cases where women are abducted from their homes, I don't say arrested because the Taliban are not the government, they don't have a legal system none of [what] has happened, happens legally. Women are abducted from their homes or from the streets, Akbar said, calling on the international community to do more to protect Afghan women. The world must pay attention, first and foremost. They need to pressure the Taliban to end their war on the women of Afghanistan and reverse all of the 130 edicts that the Taliban have issued against women. An Afghan burqa-clad woman walks along a road on the outskirts of Fayzabad district in Badakhshan (AFP via Getty Images) Even when they leave prison, women told The Independent that the experience robbed them of their sense of security in their communities, and they feared stepping out of their homes. When my mother goes out of the house, her heart is always beating, worried that someone will attack her. With every step, she is always looking behind her while walking. A few days back, my mother's friend asked her, Why are you looking behind you so much?. My mother just stood there in silence, afraid of confessing her fears, Nooran said. But her ordeal has not broken Shahbanehs spirit. She says she plans to demonstrate again on Friday against the Taliban. I am going to protest again on 15 August to mark my refusal to accept them as our leaders, she says. This does not end, my fight will continue to free my daughter from the Talibans grip. Aggressive insults, grabbing all the headlines Gavin Newsom is trying to be a Democratic version of Trump. Will voters buy it? On Thursday, Gavin Newsom announced that he would ask the California legislature to vote to put an initiative to redraw the states congressional districts on the ballot in November. This, of course, came in response to Texas Republicans, acting on behalf of Donald Trump, attempting to redraw their maps to give additional seats to the GOP in the House of Representatives. All the while, Newsom has roundly mocked Trump and, on social media, mimicked the presidents all-caps style of posting. Newsom is clearly eyeing a run for president. But hes also offering something unique: between his bombastic tone and his ability to grab headlines, hes offering Democrats their own version of Trumpism. Gov. Gavin Newsom is feeding Democrats red meat. Will it pay off? (Getty Images) When Trump first ran for president and then later stepped into the Oval Office, Republicans regularly would say, At least he fights. That refrain allowed them to accept Trump calling Mexicans rapists, impugning prisoners of war and his bragging about grabbing women without their consent. The guy's a generational talent, Mike Madrid, a Hispanic political consultant from California who worked for Republicans, told The Independent. Most people rely on their own skillset. He's able to adjust, see the political terrain and fight on that terrain and win. And Madrid saw Newsoms skill up close in person when he worked on the campaign for Newsoms 2018 opponent, former Los Angeles Democratic mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. That was the case in 2004, when Newsom presided over same-sex marriages during his time as mayor of San Francisco. In 2008, he famously said, This door's wide open now. It's going to happen, whether you like it or not. He is best in times of tension and conflict, Madrid said. Its a major change of fortune for Newsom. After Trumps victory in 2024, he faced severe criticism for his handling of the wildfires in Southern California. When he launched his podcast at the beginning of 2025, he took heat from other Democrats when he agreed with conservative activist Charlie Kirk about transgender athletes in womens sports. To this day, many Democrats and LGBT+ activists remain salty. But many Democrats still find themselves pleased with his actions against Trump. In June, he sued the Trump administration for sending the National Guard into Los Angeles to quell protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Now, hes taking Trump on directly, and it seems to have appeal. Earlier this year, Shannon Watts, a Democratic activist who raised $11 million last year for Kamala Harris, had largely refrained from giving money to Democrats in disappointment at the partys inability to stand up to Trump. But this week, she contributed to Newsoms campaign. I have been waiting for Democrats to meet the moment and to show some fight and to stand up to this administration that is so clearly wanting to be authoritarian, she told The Independent. And this is less of me saying with my money, oh, this is the person that I think will be president. It's more of a vote of a thank you so much for doing what is expected of elected officials and politicians in this moment. Newsom still has his weaknesses, of course. He famously faced a recall in 2021 after facing backlash for dining indoors at the French Laundry restaurant without a mask during the pandemic. And his policies of banning homeless encampments have also angered progressives. This is to say nothing of the fact that if he runs, he will have the Liberal San Francisco mayor label that might put off swing voters. But Watts said her contribution was not an endorsement of him as the Democratic nominee in 2028. I had people in my thread say when I tweeted that I was donating, You know, he's not the one, Watts said. That's not the point. This is not about in 2025 who is going to be the Democratic nominee. This is about who is leading the pack in fighting in ways that are new and different, inventive and effective. Polling consistently shows that Democratic voters increasingly do not like their leaders and see them as rolling over for Trump. That has, in turn, led to Democrats yearning for someone to fill the gap, Lakshya Jain, a co-founder of the politics website Split Ticket, told The Independent. There's not really any way for Democrats to fight against Trump right now, he said. Because what letters do they have? They don't control any branch of government. They don't control the Supreme Court, but what is true is they do control the state of California, and the state of California has nine Republicans and a lot of blue turf that's kind of wasted on certain incumbents. That allows Newsom to step out in front and say he is the first one to stand against Texass actions. Specifically, the Texas Democrats who decamped to blue states said they would return to Texas because California would respond in kind if Texas passed their new maps. 2028 is a long way off and plenty could change. Other candidates might be able to prove Newsom is a paper tiger. But then again, plenty of Republicans waited for Trump to implode and he laid waste to them. On Friday, as Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Newsoms office fired off another Trumpian all-caps tweet. MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT DONALD J. WOULD CONSIDER GIVING AWAY THE FREE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO HIS BEST FRIEND VLADIMIR PUTIN ALL BECAUSE I, GAVIN C. NEWSOM, STOLE THE CAMERAS THIS WEEK WITH THE MAPS, he posted. Nationally recognized leader in cancer control interventions to strengthen community outreach and advance cancer care at TGH Cancer Institute. TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Cancer Institute has named Usha Menon, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, FSBM as associate director of community outreach and engagement. Menon will retain her roles as dean and distinguished university health professor at the USF College of Nursing and senior associate vice president at USF Health. Her new appointment underscores the growing partnership between Tampa General and USF Health to deliver transformational cancer care, drive scientific discovery and strengthen community health through exemplary leadership. A nationally recognized expert in behavioral science and cancer prevention, Menon brings decades of experience developing culturally tailored, evidence-based interventions to improve cancer screening and outcomes among vulnerable populations. At Tampa General, she will lead efforts to deepen community partnerships, enhance outreach and expand access to cancer care across Tampa Bay. "Dr. Menon's appointment marks a major step forward in our mission to transform cancer care in our community and beyond and it will get us closer to fulfill our aspirations in becoming a NCI-designated cancer institute within the decade," said Dr. Eduardo M. Sotomayor, vice president and director of the TGH Cancer Institute. "Her proven leadership in advancing positive health outcomes for all patients and her groundbreaking work in community-engaged research will enable us to expand our reach across the state, close gaps in care and deliver even greater impact to the patients and families we serve, in particular those living in rural communities in Florida. We are proud to have her expertise and vision shaping the future of the TGH Cancer Institute." Dean Menon's new role with Tampa General shows how the strong USF | TGH academic partnership benefits Florida's residents, said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. "I am delighted to see Dean Menon working with our Tampa General partners to increase community outreach and expand access to top-quality cancer care across Tampa Bay and beyond," Dr. Lockwood said. "This kind of interprofessional partnership shows how an academic health system like ours can bring greater resources to improve complex health concerns for our patients and our region." Dr. Lockwood also is executive vice president and chief academic officer at Tampa General. Over her 25-year career, Menon's research has been grounded in frameworks like the Health Belief Model and ConNECT Framework which have been successfully implemented across multiple populations that experience high burdens of cancer. The Health Belief Model is a psychological framework that explains how personal beliefs about health issues influenced health behaviors, emphasize perceived threats, benefits, barriers and actions. The ConNECT Framework is a model for advancing behavioral medicine science and practice to foster positive health outcomes for all. Currently, she leads a 4-year, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded initiative deploying the Mo-Bull Nurse Medical Clinic to people in the most underserved areas in the Tampa Bay area, providing mobile primary care while training the next generation of nursing professionals. At USF Health, she helped secure a $40 million legislative award to expand nursing education at the College of Nursing to address the state's nursing shortage, launched the Mo-Bull Nurse Medical Clinic and Port of Tampa Seafarers Center Clinic, providing accessible interprofessional care for the community, and elevated the College of Nursing to No. 1 in Florida for Bachelor of Science of Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs. "This is an extraordinary opportunity to unite clinical innovation with community empowerment," said Menon. "The TGH Cancer Institute is setting a national standard for patient-centered, accessible cancer care. I'm excited to expand our reach and help communities in the 15-county service area access the care and support they need and deserve." Menon is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the Society for Behavioral Medicine, and a widely published researcher in cancer prevention, culturally sensitive interventions, health literacy, and implementation science. Previously, Menon served as a multiple principal investigator for the National Institute of Health's (NIH) national All of Us Precision Medicine Initiative and led a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded implementation science study to increase colorectal cancer screening among underserved groups. "Menon exemplifies the transformative power of visionary leadership. Her unwavering commitment to advancing health care for all, fostering innovation in education and building inclusive clinical partnerships has elevated the USF College of Nursing to national prominence. In her role at the TGH Cancer Institute, her leadership continues to inspire collaboration across disciplines and institutions," said Dr. Abraham Schwarzberg, MD, MBA, executive vice president, chief of oncology, president of Tampa General Provider Network and co-vice president of Clinical and Translational Research, TGH USF Office of Clinical Research. One of the few Florida cancer centers backed by academic medicine, the TGH Cancer Institute ranks among the top 10% cancer centers the nation by U.S. News & World Report's 2025-2026 Best Hospitals, the institute provides comprehensive care via groundbreaking therapies, advanced diagnostic imaging tools and a highly coordinated, interdisciplinary approach to world-class patient care. It is certified by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Accreditation and by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for meeting the strict standards required by the society's Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) program and has been named among America's Best Cancer Hospitals by Newsweek. For more information about the TGH Cancer Institute, visit www.tgh.org/cancer. ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL Tampa General Hospital, a 1,530-bed, not-for-profit academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the Tampa Bay region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. The system's hospitals include Tampa General Hospital, Tampa General Rehabilitation Hospital, Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital, all in Tampa; Tampa General Brooksville, Tampa General Spring Hill and Tampa General Crystal River. Tampa General is the highest-ranked hospital in Tampa Bay in U.S. News & World Report's 2025-2026 Best Hospitals, with six medical specialties ranking among the top 50 in the nation and five additional medical specialties ranked among the top 10% best hospital programs in the United States. As the first hospital in Florida to open a clinical command center for real-time situational awareness, Tampa General has elevated its digital care coordination center to the next level by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and its analytics platform across inpatient and outpatient care to ensure patients receive leading-edge care as quickly and safely as possible. The academic health system's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by three prestigious Forbes magazine rankings in the 2025 America's Best Large Employers, the top 50 in Florida in the 2024 America's Best Employers by State and the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women. Tampa General is the safety-net hospital for the region, caring for anyone regardless of ability to pay; in fiscal year 2023, Tampa General provided a net community benefit of approximately $301.8 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It was the nation's No. 1 adult solid organ transplant center in 2024 and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care their conditions require. Tampa General is home to a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It is home to the Muma Children's Hospital at TGH, the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General's footprint includes TGH North, which consists of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties; 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices; TGH Family Care Center Kennedy; two TGH outpatient centers; TGH Virtual Health; and 19 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care, powered by the Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). For more information, go to www.tgh.org. Media Contact: Beth Hardy, APR Assistant Manager Publications & Physician Communications (727) 510-6363 (cell) [email protected] SOURCE Tampa General Hospital The UKs largest bioethanol plant has described a Government decision not to offer direct funding to the industry as a flagrant act of economic self-harm which will force it to close. Vivergo Fuels, near Hull, warned earlier this year that it was in imminent danger of closure as crisis talks continued with the Government. This followed the end of the 19% tariff on American bioethanol imports as part of the recent UK-US trade deal. On Friday, the Government said: This Government will always take decisions in the national interest. Thats why we negotiated a landmark deal with the US which protected hundreds of thousands of jobs in sectors like auto and aerospace. We have worked closely with the companies since June to understand the financial challenges they have faced over the past decade, and have taken the difficult decision not to offer direct funding as it would not provide value for the taxpayer or solve the long-term problems the industry faces. We recognise this is a difficult time for the workers and their families and we will work with trade unions, local partners and the companies to support them through this process. We also continue to work up proposals that ensure the resilience of our CO2 supply in the long-term in consultation with the sector. Ben Hackett, managing director of Vivergo Fuels, said: The Governments failure to back Vivergo has forced us to cease operations and move to closure immediately. This is a flagrant act of economic self-harm that will have far-reaching consequences. This is a massive blow to Hull and the Humber. We have fought from day one to support our workers and we are truly sorry that this is not the outcome any of us wanted. This decision by ministers will have a huge impact on our region and the thousands of livelihoods in the supply chain that rely on Vivergo, from farmers to hauliers and engineers. Mr Hackett said the industry has faced unfair regulations for years that favoured overseas producers, and the recent US-UK trade deal pushed the sector to the point of collapse. He said: We did everything we possibly could to avoid closure, but in the end it was the Government that decided the British bioethanol sector was something that could be traded away with little regard for the impact it would have on ordinary hard-working people. We did not go down without a fight and I hope that the noise we generated over the past three months will make the Government think twice before it decides to sign away whole industries as part of future trade negotiations. The Vivergo Fuels site in Hull is the UKs largest bioethanol plant (Vivergo Fuels/PA) A spokesman for Associated British Foods, which owns Vivergo, said: It is deeply regrettable that the Government has chosen not to support a key national asset. We have been left with no choice but to announce the closure of Vivergo and we have informed our people. We have been fighting for months to keep this plant open. We initiated and led talks with Government in good faith. We presented a clear plan to restore Vivergo to profitability within two years under policy levers already aligned with the Governments own green industrial strategy. The spokesman said the Government had thrown away billions in potential growth in the Humber and a sovereign capability in clean fuels that had the chance to lead the world. The bioethanol industry, which also includes the Ensus plant on Teesside, has argued the trade deal, coupled with regulatory constraints, has made it impossible to compete with heavily subsidised American products. Vivergo said the Hull plant, which employs about 160 people, can produce up to 420 million litres of bioethanol from wheat sourced from thousands of UK farms. It has described bioethanol production as a key national strategic asset which helps reduce emissions from petrol and is expected to be a key component in sustainable aircraft fuel in the future. The firm recently signed a 1.25 billion memorandum of understanding with Meld Energy to anchor a world-class sustainable aviation fuel facility at the site. But Meld Energy said earlier this month uncertainly over the bioethanol industry was putting this plan in jeopardy. The Vivergo plant is also the UKs largest single production site for animal feed, and the company says it indirectly supports about 4,000 jobs in the Humber and Lincolnshire region. Vivergo has said it buys more than a million tonnes of British wheat each year from more than 4,000 farms, and has purchased from 12,000 individual farms over the past decade. But it took its last wheat shipment earlier this month. The farmers union described the imminent closure of the Vivergo plant as a huge blow. NFU combinable crops board chairman Jamie Burrows said: Not only is it terrible news for those hundreds of workers who will lose their jobs but also for the thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on this supply chain that includes local farmers who have lost a vital market for their product. The Ensus plant in Teesside differs from the Vivergo operation because it also produces CO2 as part of the process. Ensus, which is owned by CropEnergies, part of the German firm Sudzucker, is the UKs only large scale manufacturer of CO2, which is used in a wide range of sectors, including in drinks and the nuclear industry. Grant Pearson, chairman of Ensus UK, said on Friday: I met with Sarah Jones, the minister for business, today, to receive the Governments response to our request for financial support and the policy changes required to ensure that the Ensus facilities can continue to operate. The minister confirmed that they value both our contribution to the UK economy, the jobs we provide and support in the north east of England and in particular our production of biogenic CO2 which is a product of critical national importance. They are therefore looking at options to secure an ongoing supply of CO2 from the Ensus facility. This is positive news, however it is likely to take time to agree upon and finalise and therefore urgent discussions will be taking place to provide a level of assurance to the Sudzucker and CropEnergies boards that there is a very high level of confidence that an acceptable long-term arrangement can be reached. What is chikungunya virus? Symptoms and advice as cases rise among travellers returning to UK Holidaymakers have been warned by health authorities about mosquito bites after a rise in travel-associated chikungunya cases in England. Some 73 cases have been reported between January and June this year, compared to 27 over the same period in 2024. The majority of those with the virus reported visiting Sri Lanka, India and Mauritius, which the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) say is linked with ongoing local outbreaks in the Indian Ocean. All cases were reported in England, with the majority in London. However, the UKHSA says that there is currently no risk of onward transmission of chikungunya in the UK. There are only 2 species of mosquito that transmit the disease and they are not established in the UK at present, it said. This is because our climate is generally not suitable for their survival and breeding. Dr Philip Veal, a consultant in public health at UKHSA, said it is essential to take precaution against mosquito bites when travelling. Here is what travellers need to know about the virus, plus advice from a specialist travel doctor on how to best prepare for travelling overseas. What is chikungunya and how is it spread? Chikungunya virus disease is a mosquito-borne disease that is found across tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is spread to humans by a bite from an infected mosquito. It cannot be passed from human to human. Most cases have been found in the Americas, Africa and Asia. Brazil has had the most cases in 2025 (more than 185,000), followed by Bolivia with more than 4,700. In total, there have been approximately 240,000 chikungunya cases and 90 related deaths across 16 countries or territories since the beginning of the year. La Reunion and Mayotte, two French islands off the east coast of Africa, have ongoing outbreaks of chikungunya, with the former recording 54,000 cases as of July 2025. As of the beginning of July 2025, over 35,000 cases were reported in Asian countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Pakistan and China. Almost 8,000 instances of the chikungunya virus have been diagnosed in China, mostly in Foshan city in Guangdong province. It has prompted authorities to impose forceful measures including mass quarantines, although the virus is not spread person to person. Cases have also been reported in Senegal and Kenya, while European countries have diagnosed imported cases from Madagascar and the Seychelles. A Chikungunya warning poster at Nice Cote d'Azur Airport, France (Natalie Wilson) The transmission of dengue and chikungunya virus in mainland Europe has been linked by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to travellers who have caught the virus outside the region, then travelled inadvertently with infected mosquitoes. The risk of locally-acquired chikungunya and dengue virus transmissions is therefore increasing, the ECDC said. In the EU, there have been 31 locally acquired cases this year, comprising 30 from France and one from Italy. What are the symptoms? Chikungunya originates from a word used by the Makonde people in Tanzania, where the disease was first discovered in the 1950s. It means that which bends up, describing the contorted posture of infected people who experience severe joint pain. Alongside joint pain, people can also experience an abrupt onset of fever, joint swelling, muscle pain, headaches, nausea, fatigue and rashes. The joint pain can be debilitating and usually lasts for a few days, but it has been known to last for weeks, months or even years. La Reunion has 54,000 recorded cases as of July 2025 (AFP/Getty) If an infected person does not experience joint pain, the symptoms will be mild and can go unrecognised as chikungunya. Most people will recover fully from the infection. There have been some occasional cases of eye, heart, and neurological complications, while newborns and older people with underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of severe disease. Patients with severe disease should be hospitalised because of the risk of organ damage or death. Once someone has recovered from chikungunya, they are likely to be immune to future chikungunya infections. Is there a vaccine? The UK government has approved vaccines against chikungunya disease, containing a form of the virus that has been weakened so it cannot multiply. The vaccine works by training the immune system to recognise the virus, which will then produce specific antibodies to attack it. It can only be obtained via a prescription and given to those who plan to travel abroad where the virus is present. There are two vaccines available: one for individuals aged 18 to 59, and another for those over 12. Hilary Kirkbride, head of travel health at UKHSA, says: Simple steps, such as using insect repellent, covering exposed skin and sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets, can effectively reduce the risk. Before you travel, check the TravelHealthPro website for the latest health advice on your destination. A chikungunya vaccine may also considered for those travelling to higher risk regions. A travel doctors guide on being prepared Dr Richard Dawood, a travel medical specialist at Fleet Street Clinic, explained to The Independent how the vaccination can help travellers prevent getting sick from the chikungunya virus. He said: This is a new situation for us. Until a very short time ago, we had no vaccine, and the only approach to prevention was to make careful use of insect repellents and insect precautions. So now we've got this extra tool in the armoury, and because the vaccine gives long-lasting protection, it's something that could be considered if you are planning to travel over a period of time. It's a fairly expensive vaccine, but if you're going to be travelling over a period of years to Southern Europe and beyond, it may be something that could be considered. When asked about getting the vaccination for a trip to France, Mr Dawood advised to look at the decision in terms of where you will be travelling over the next few years rather than in the context of a single trip. The risk from a one-off short trip to France is probably very small, he said. There's been only a very small number of cases so far. So statistically, you're not very likely to, but over time, as somebody who loves to travel and loves going to hot countries, then I would probably want to be protected against it in the long term. Wherever you are travelling, Mr Dawood advised holidaymakers to do your homework. He said: If there's an actual outbreak at your destination, then I would say no hesitation, definitely have the vaccine. Taking a bit of time and getting some really focused travel health advice for your particular trip is very worthwhile because it can save you from getting a vaccine that you don't need or that may not be sensible for you, and it can help prioritise the really important things for your trip. Travel clinics can also offer advice on things like insect bite precautions and reducing the risk in other ways, he added. For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calders podcast The future of Ukraines industrial heartland in the east of the country is uncertain, after Vladimir Putin reportedly demanded it be handed to Russia during his meeting with Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday. Those demands will set a tense backdrop to a potential meeting between Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. The latter said he was ready for a trilateral meeting with Trump and Putin, after he held a friendly meeting with the US president in the White House on Monday. Were going to work with Ukraine. Were going to work with everybody, and were going to make sure that if theres peace, the peace is going to stay long term. This is very long term, Trump said after Mondays meeting. But territorial disputes, such as Putins demands for the Donbas, will pose a major challenge for mediators. The Russian leader demanded that Ukrainian forces withdraw from Donetsk as part of any ceasefire deal, and said he would be prepared to stop fighting on the rest of the frontline if Kyiv gave in to the demand and addressed the root causes of the conflict. The Ukrainian president has said that Putin wants to take the remaining 30 per cent of the eastern region, which has been the location of some of the fiercest battles in the three-and-a-half-year war. But losing Donetsk would give Russia control of almost all of the Donbas, the collective name for Ukraines eastern industrial heartland, which has been long coveted by Putin. Last week, Zelensky vowed that Ukraine would never leave the Donbas and warned that Putin could use it as a springboard for a future invasion. However, sources close to the meeting told The Independent that the dramatic move appears to have been endorsed by Mr Trump as a means to bring an end to the war. As Kyiv fights to keep the Donbas from Trumps so-called land swap deal, heres all you need to know about the region. Where is the Donbas? Situated along Ukraines eastern border, the Donbas takes its portmanteau name from Donets Basin, a further abbreviation of Donets Coal Basin, in reference to the coal basin along the Donets Ridge and River. The Donbas stretches across the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, two large regions of Ukraine that have been on the front line of the war that followed Russias invasion. How long has it been occupied? The Donbas has been partially occupied by Russia since 2014, around the same time that Putin annexed the Crimean peninsula. Russian-backed separatists broke away from the Ukrainian government to proclaim the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk independent peoples republics and, as a result, Moscow captured more than a third of Ukraines eastern territory. Russia classes inhabitants of the Republic of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Luhansk Peoples Republic, the Donetsk Peoples Republic, and the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as subjects of the Russian Federation. Ukraine insists these territories are part of Ukraine. It is believed that around 88 per cent of the Donbas is under Russian control. This includes almost all of the Luhansk region and 75 per cent of the Donetsk region, according to Reuters. Approximately 6,600 sq km is still controlled by Ukraine, but Russia has been focusing most of its energy along the front in Donetsk, pushing towards the last remaining major cities such as Pokrovsk. Donbas is known for its coal-mining industry (Reuters) A key strategic region in the war The hyper-industrialised Donbas economy is dominated by coal mining and metallurgy. The region has one of the largest coal reserves in Ukraine. When conflict broke out in 2014, Ukraines coal-mining enterprises saw a 22.4 per cent decline in the production of raw coal compared with 2013, according to the Kyiv Post, showing the countrys reliance on Donbas as an energy powerhouse. But as well as its economic significance, Donbas has been described as a fortress belt by the Institute for the Study of War in terms of its strategic value. Donetsk forms the main fortified defensive line across the front line, stretching through Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, and Kostiantynivka. Ukraine is holding a key defensive line across Donetsk, says Elina Beketova, a fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, describing a fortified zone buildup over years because the war began 11 years ago. She adds that Russia hasnt been able to break through since 2014, and has lost many people there. The entire region is heavily mined, and Ukrainian troops have been preparing it for years. Ukrainian soldiers train in the east of the country (Anadolu Agency via Getty) Its not just trenches, its a deep, layered defence with bunkers, anti-tank ditches, minefields, and industrial areas built into the terrain. The area includes dominant heights, rivers, and urban zones that make it extremely hard to capture, explains Beketova. She says that losing this fortified line would have catastrophic consequences for Ukraine, as it holds back Russias advancement into central and western parts of the country. The front would shift approximately 80km west, and Russia would gain open ground flat steppe with no natural barriers giving it a direct path towards Kharkiv, Poltava, and Dnipro. What Zelensky has said about the Donbas Zelensky has repeatedly rejected calls from Russia to give up the Donbas. In response to Putins request that Ukraine withdraw from eastern Donetsk, Zelensky vowed that his people would never leave the Donbas, and warned that Putins troops could use it as a springboard for a future invasion. We will not leave Donbas. We cannot do this. Everyone forgets the first part our territories are illegally occupied. Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive, he said. A protest-hit migrant hotel has become a feeding ground for unrest, a council seeking to ban its use for asylum seekers has argued. Epping Forest District Council had applied for a High Court injunction in a bid to stop asylum seekers being housed at The Bell Hotel, which has been the site of a series of violent protests in recent weeks. At a hearing at the High Court on Friday, the council told the court that allowing the status quo is wholly unacceptable, providing a feeding ground for unrest and protest. In documents presented to the court, it argued that the use of the hotel for asylum seekers was a danger to school-age students about to start the new school year, a valid source of anxiety for their parents and teachers, and a disfigurement of the local environment. Demonstrators descended on the hotel in July after an asylum seeker was charged with sexual assault for allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Hundreds of anti- and pro-immigration protesters have since been demonstrating at the site, with far-right activists also turning up to exploit the situation. Police officers outside the former Bell Hotel in Epping (PA) This week, a second asylum seeker staying at the hotel was charged with sexually assaulting a man aged over 16, as well as a number of assault charges. Philip Coppel KC, representing the council, said that the hotel use was a very serious problem which was getting out of hand. He said the situation had arisen because of a breach of planning control by the defendant, Somani Hotels Ltd. Somani Hotels is defending the claim, with its barristers telling the court that an injunction would cause asylum seekers hardship and that the move would set a dangerous precedent that protests justify planning injunctions. It emerged in documents presented to the court that Australian travel firm CTM, which was behind the controversial Bibby Stockholm barge, had identified the hotel for housing asylum seekers in February 2025. The firm had been asked by the Home Office to provide additional accommodation to house asylum seekers, court documents showed. The council said it would appear [CTM] made no enquiries with the planning department of EFDC to check the lawfulness of what they were proposing to do. Protesters outside the former Bell Hotel in Epping (PA) Ahead of the court case, council leader Chris Whitbread said, The current situation cannot go on, adding, If The Bell Hotel was a nightclub, we could have closed it down long ago. He said that the council believed that use of the hotel was a clear breach of planning permission. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has also called for the hotel to be closed. Essex Police said that the protests had escalated into violence during demonstrations on 13, 17, 20 and 24 July. Officers were assaulted, missiles were thrown, and windows were broken at the hotel, the force said. Mr Coppel KC told the court that there was unacceptable risk to local residents because of how The Bell Hotel has been used. He referenced violent protests, an increase in community tension, and alleged criminal behaviour of asylum seekers at the hotel as factors causing enhanced risk to local residents. He said that there were 1,800 students who attended schools 1.2km or less away from the hotel. He argued that The Bell has changed fundamentally from its former function. The place is unrecognisable as a hotel but for an old sign that sits on the outside, the court heard. Mr Coppel added that asylum seekers, some of whom are vulnerable, are being housed in intimidating circumstances ... it is the last thing that they need. He said residents are now having their meals in their rooms, and additional security has been put in place. Piers Riley-Smith, representing Somani Hotels, told the court in written submissions that the Home Offices contracted service provider, CTM, should be involved in the case. He said that CTM should be included as it had booked the premises and manages and organises the movement and stay of asylum seekers, adding that the injunction bid should be delayed to a later date. He continued that the alleged planning breach was not flagrant, and that the defendant has not resumed the use knowing it is in breach of planning control and hiding the use from the council. Mr Justice Eyre will give his ruling on the application on Tuesday. He has told the hotels owners not to accept any new applications from asylum seekers until the decision on the injunction has been made. Nigel Farage wrote in a letter to the Prime Minister that the time has come to address the democratic disparity that exists in the upper house - Anadolu Nigel Farage has demanded the right to appoint Reform UK peers to the House of Lords. The Reform leader said in a letter to the Prime Minister that his party should not be shut out of the process of appointing new peers because it has four MPs and controls 10 councils. The Prime Minister has no obligation to nominate any opposition politicians to the second chamber. Convention dictates that No 10 asks the leaders of opposition parties to nominate their own candidates for peerages at the same time as the Prime Minister nominates theirs. The Green Party, which has the same number of MPs as Mr Farages party, has two working peers. Reform is leading in the opinion polls and Sir Keir has increasingly been treating the party as the real opposition in recent months. The Reform leader wrote in the letter, first reported by The Times: My party received over 4.1 million votes at the general election in July 2024 [and] have since won a large number of seats in local government, led in the national opinion polls for many months and won the only by-election of this parliament. The Greens, DUP, Plaid Cymru and UUP [Ulster Unionist Party] have 13 peers between them, but Reform UK has none. The time has come to address the democratic disparity that exists in the upper house. Potential peers are reported to include Ann Widdecombe, who served as a Tory minister in the 1990s and later defected to Reforms predecessor, the Brexit Party. Zia Yusuf, the former Reform chairman and now head of Reforms department of government efficiency, and Nick Candy, the billionaire party donor, are also said to be potential candidates. Zia Yusuf is understood to be a potential candidate to be appointed a peer - Shutterstock Lord Norton of Louth, a constitutional expert, said there was a case for Reform to be represented in the upper chamber, but any decision was for the Prime Minister. He told The Times: Historically appointments to the House of Lords were in the gift of the Crown but that function has been passed to the Prime Minister. So any decision on whether to create Reform MPs would rest with him alone. Lord ODonnell, the former cabinet secretary, told the newspaper: It is a feature of our system that the Prime Minister can appoint whoever they like to the House of Lords. It is an area where I think we need greater checks and balances. Baroness Fox of Buckley, who was appointed to the upper chamber in 2020 and is a crossbench peer, said the Reform leader was making a legitimate request. She added: Labour says it wants to improve the diversity of the House of Lords and this seems like a very sensible place to start. There can be no rational reason for Starmer to turn it down. John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said: Im not sure that Parliaments going to benefit from more Putin apologists like Nigel Farage, to be honest. Asked whether that accusation was a bit strong, Mr Healey told LBC: Look at what hes said about Russia, look at what hes said about Putin in the past. At this point, when maximum pressure needs to be put on Putin to support Ukraine in negotiations, when the maximum condemnation of Putin is required from someone who is sitting down with Trump in Alaska but turning up the attacks on Ukraine, it needs all voices. And I have to say, the voice of Reform is conspicuously absent in any of our discussions and any of our defence debates about Ukraine and about Russia. The Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, said it was time to address the democratic disparity in the upper house. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Nigel Farage has called for the right to nominate Reform UK supporters to the House of Lords, claiming this would address a democratic disparity. The demand was dismissed by the defence secretary, John Healey, who said parliament would not benefit from more Putin apologists. In a letter to Keir Starmer, the Reform leader said it was unfair that other smaller parties, including the Greens, had peers in the upper chamber but his party did not, despite attracting more votes in the general election last year. In what Farage described as a modest request, he said it was time Reform was represented in the House of Lords. Reform UK wishes to appoint life peers to the upper house at the earliest possible opportunity, he said. Related: I sit in the House of Lords and heres why getting rid of 92 hereditary peers wont fix it | Jenny Jones Political appointments to the Lords are made at the discretion of the prime minister, who is under no constitutional obligation to elevate opposition figures to the Lords. Under political convention, however, No 10 invites opposition leaders to nominate candidates for peerages. Downing Street has yet to respond to Farages demand, but speaking on LBC, Healey said Farage wanted to fill the Lords with his cronies. He also pointed out that Farage had previously called for the abolition of the Lords. Healey said: Im not sure that parliaments going to benefit from more Putin apologists like Nigel Farage, to be honest. Asked whether that accusation was a bit strong, Healey replied: Look at what hes said about Russia, look at what hes said about Putin in the past. Farages letter, first reported in the Times, said: My party received over 4.1m votes at the general election in July 2024. We have since won a large number of seats in local government, led in the national opinion polls for many months and won the only byelection of this parliament. Farages demand has renewed calls to replace the House of Lords with an elected second chamber something Starmer promised when he was elected Labour leader in 2020. Farage wrote: While Reform UK believes in a reformed House of Lords, the time has come to address the democratic disparity that exists in the upper house. His letter added: The Greens, DUP, Plaid Cymru, and UUP have 13 peers between them but Reform UK has none. Furthermore, the Liberal Democrats now have 76 peers but received 600,000 fewer votes than Reform UK in July last year. None of this holds water any longer, given the seismic shifts that have taken place in British politics. Natalie Bennett, a former Green party leader who was made a life peer in 2019, tweeted: Sir Keir could respond by going for a fully elected upper house, as @TheGreenParty long calling for. Labours manifesto promised immediate reforms of the Lords in advance of a longer-term ambition to replace the Lords with an alternative second chamber. So far, the government has only legislated to abolish hereditary peers. Starmer has backed away from a Labour commission led by Gordon Brown to replace the Lords with an elected assembly of the nations and regions. A British volunteer fighting alongside Ukrainian forces against Russia has said that soldiers on the ground feel that Fridays summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska is a joke and will not lead to peace. Drew Scott, a former British soldier who joined Ukraines International Legion in 2023, told The Independent that Ukrainian soldiers were in it for the long haul and not anticipating an imminent resolution to the conflict. Trump and Putin will meet face to face for the first time in seven years on Friday at a summit in Alaska, but Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky will not be present. Kyiv maintains that it will not cede any occupied land to Russia as part of a peace agreement. We know what ceasefires look like from the Russian side. Their mentality is to just keep on hammering a country with missiles until the will of the people is eradicated, Scott said. Drew Scott joined Ukraines International Legion in 2023 (International Legion) But the stamina of the people over here is strong and thats why I love this country. There's only one way that peace will be restored here and that is when Russia pulls its troops from Ukraine. An estimated 8,000 foreign volunteers, including hundreds of Britons, have joined the Ukrainian International Legion and other units within the Ukrainian military. Scotts call sign is Caesar but he quickly points out that this was chosen by his comrades - not himself. He used his real name in this interview because the Russians identified him long ago. Pro-Kremlin websites have accused him of being a mercenary and offered a bounty for him, dead or alive. But speaking near a safe house his unit uses during rests from frontline duty, he refuted the allegation completely. Im not a mercenary and those I care about know Im not here for money. I came here because when I see women, children, innocent civilians being killed, injured and maimed, I just can't sit back and watch. Scott at the entrance to the town of Yampil (International Legion) Scott was born in Newcastle in 1967, into a family with a history of military service. He was taken into Britains elite Parachute regiment aged 20, and spent nine years with the their Third Battalion, including 30 months in Northern Ireland during The Troubles and a spell with peace-keeping forces in Iraq. He became aware of Ukraine after Russias 2014 annexation of Crimea and decided to volunteer his military skills after Putins 2022 full-blown invasion. He compared Russias act of aggression to something from the age of Genghis Khan that shouldnt be happening in this day and age. We each have a responsibility to fight against dictatorship and evil, he added. And humanity has lost something when you can brush these horrors aside as if theyre nothing. Scott was 55 years old when he enlisted in the legion in 2023, leading some younger comrades to jokingly refer to him as grandad. His experience from the British Army led to his swift promotion to lead a mortar platoon in the legion. Since, he has seen action in many of the wars most vicious battles in the east and southeast. All the nightmare places. Scott spent 30 months in Northern Ireland with the British Army (Askold Krushelnycky) Typically, he said, the platoon digs trenches and bunkers in their new positions and the mortars are covered by camouflaged sliding roofs that open only to fire a salvo. In 2023 they could hope that these would remain concealed for long periods. Not anymore. Drones have changed everything, even in the last few months, he said. There are swarms of attack drones in the sky and surveillance drones high up watching everything to identify our positions. Once they spot you they throw everything at you. Recently his mortar post, comprising a bunker and tunnels, was spotted and attacked by Russian artillery and FPV (First Person View) suicide drones. An explosive drone came through the roof where we had our 82mm mortar in the tunnelwe were getting hammered by heavy artillery for about two hours.. then more FPVs came in. The soil was caving in on us. And then, boom, a great big cloud of smoke came through the tunnels into the bunker. And then another explosion came in and it just blew me off my feet. Trump and Putin meeting in Helsinki in 2018 (AP) Eventually, he said they managed to evacuate with only one man seriously injured while Scott only suffered a concussion. He is proud that nobody under his command has been killed although four have been injured. He said Russian drones have taken a terrible toll in deaths and injuries, including psychological scars. Scott said: It's a type of warfare that I wouldn't wish on anybody. You can see where a lot of the guys are going to suffer with mental health issues like PTSD. The buzzing sound of a drone is there at the front all the time. It gets to you and you think is this my time? He said that the sound of drones haunts soldiers even in peaceful settings. The sound of a blender in a kitchen, a lawnmower, an air-conditioner can freak you out. Scott thinks the war is unlikely to end soon. What you have to remember is that Putins a psychotic f****** maniac wholl do anything to remain in power. Some believe Trump will try to strong arm Ukraine into permanently giving up territory to Russia. Scott said he and his comrades think that would be a total betrayal of the armed forces, of the guys who've paid the ultimate price and of families who have suffered over the years. But he said the morale of the guys in our platoon, our battalion, is awesome. We're in for the long haul. Until the Russians get their troops out. Critics have said a vital state department report on human rights has become a tool to reward friendly nations under Trumps presidency. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock In May, Donald Trump took to the stage at a business conference in Saudi Arabias capital, promising that the US would no longer chastise other governments over human rights issues or lecture them on how to live and how to govern your own affairs. With the release this week of the US governments annual report on human rights worldwide, the president has in part followed though on that pledge. Related: US placed on rights watchlist over health of its civil society under Trump The report compiled by the state department softens its criticism of nations that have sought closer ties with the US president, while alleging significant human rights breaches among traditional allies across Europe, all while vastly scaling back criticism of discrimination against minority groups. Hungary and El Salvador receive softer treatment The reports claims of no credible human rights abuses in Hungary and El Salvador sit at odds with the state departments own report from a year earlier, which described the situation in Hungary as deteriorating, while highlighting arbitrary killings, enforced disappearance and torture in El Salvador. In April, a delegation of EU lawmakers warned that the rule of law in Hungary is rapidly going in the wrong direction under Viktor Orbans government. They highlighted threats to press freedom and targeting of minorities. In June a law banning content about LGBTQ+ people from schools and TV was found to violate basic human rights and freedom of expression by a scholar at the European court of justice. Meanwhile, activists and opposition leaders in El Salvador have warned the country is on the path towards dictatorship after its congress scrapped presidential term limits, paving the way for President Nayib Bukele to seek indefinite re-election. Bukeles hardline approach to crime has been accompanied by an assault on civil society and democratic institutions. Orban and Bukele have both positioned themselves as Trump adherents with El Salvador opening up a notorious mega-prison to detain US deportees. Orban, who came to power in 2010, was once described as Trump before Trump by the US presidents former adviser Steve Bannon. European countries singled out France, Germany and the United Kingdom are among the European countries singled out as having seen a worsening human rights situation. The picture is a far cry from the previous report, which saw no significant changes. Criticism over the handling of free speech in particular relating to regulations on online hate speech was directed at the governments of the UK, Germany and France. The criticism comes despite the US itself moving aggressively to deny or strip visas of foreign nationals over their statements and social media postings, especially student activists who have criticised Israel. Since being returning to power, Trump and his administration have stepped up criticism of traditional allies in February the vice-president, JD Vance, accused European leaders of suppressing free speech, failing to halt illegal migration and running in fear from voters true beliefs. The report also singles out Brazil, where Trump has decried the prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Brazil, the report says, has undermined democratic debate by restricting access to online content deemed to undermine democracy. Israel-Gaza war The reports section on Israel and the Palestinian territories is much shorter than last years edition and contains no mention of the severe humanitarian crisis or death toll in Gaza. It acknowledges cases of arbitrary arrests and killings by Israel but says authorities took credible steps to identify those responsible. More than 61,000 people have been killed in Gaza, the Gaza health ministry says, as a result of Israels military assault after an attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas in October 2023 in which 1,200 people were killed. Notable omissions Sections within the report highlighting discrimination have been vastly pared back. Any criticism focused on LGBTQI rights, gender-based violence or racial and ethnic violence which appeared in Biden administration editions of the report, appear to have been largely removed. A group of former state department officials called some omissions shocking, particularly highlighting the lack of detail on Uganda, which in 2023 saw the passing of some of the harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the world, including the death penalty for some homosexual acts. The backlash For decades, the report has been used as a blueprint of reference for global rights advocacy but critics have labelled this years edition politically driven. The report demonstrates what happens when political agendas take priority over the facts, says Josh Paul, a former state department official, adding the outcome is a much-abbreviated product that is more reflective of a Soviet propaganda. In April, secretary of state Marco Rubio wrote an opinion piece saying the bureau that prepares the report had become a platform for left-wing activists, and vowed that the Trump administration would reorient it to focus on western values. State department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the report was restructured to improve readability and was no longer an expansive list of politically biased demands and assertions. Democratic party lawmakers, however, have accused Trump and Rubio of treating human rights only as a cudgel against adversaries, in a statement released this week. Rubios state department has shamelessly turned a once-credible tool of US foreign policy mandated by Congress into yet another instrument to advance Maga political grievances and culture war obsessions, said Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. With Reuters Florida mom lucky to be alive after miscarrying due to raw milk consumption, she says in lawsuit A woman is suing a Florida dairy farm after alleging that coming into contact with bacteria from its raw, unpasteurized milk caused her to suffer a miscarriage. Rachel Maddox filed a lawsuit in Seminole County on Wednesday against Keely Farms Dairy of New Smyrna Beach, the same business that was last week tied to at least 21 cases of E. coli and Campylobacter bacteria sickness by state health officials, according to Orlandos News 6. Of the 21 people taken ill, six were children under 10 and seven were hospitalized, at least two of whom have suffered severe complications, the officials say. I became very ill and I mean the sickest Ive ever been in my life, Maddox told News 6. I came really close to dying and our [unborn] son did die. The doctors told me that I was lucky to be alive. Rachel Maddox is interviewed on News 6 on Thursday 14 August 2025 after filing a lawsuit against a Florida dairy farm whose raw milk, she alleges, caused her to suffer a miscarriage (News 6) Her lawsuit also names the organic food store at which she bought the raw milk in June. Maddox claims she was unaware of the potential dangers associated with drinking the milk and was allegedly told, when she asked a clerk about a label that said something to the effect [of] for consumption by animals, that it was only a technical requirement to sell farm milk. She told News 6 that she had bought the product on several occasions for other family members, including her toddler, in recent months, but never drank it herself. Then, on June 8, her child fell ill and suffered diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, chills, and resultant dehydration, resulting in the first of three hospital visits that month. On June 13, the pregnant Maddox became sick herself and, in turn, sought medical treatment for ongoing diarrhea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, and chills that led to septic shock and severe dehydration, according to the lawsuit. Tests duly revealed that she had contracted Campylobacter, a bacterium she believes she came into contact with while caring for her child. I contracted the bacteria from cleaning up the diarrhea and vomiting, Maddox said. As a mom, you get a lot of stuff on you when your kid is sick, and I became ill by contracting the bacteria that way. On June 18, her 20-week-old foetus died, and she was readmitted to hospital with sepsis, the beginning of a long and challenging recovery period. Keely Farms Dairy in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, which is the subject of a new lawsuit after 21 people were taken ill after allegedly coming into contact with its raw milk, according to state health officials (News 6) She is now seeking a jury trial and damages for the mental and physical injuries she has incurred, the lawsuit states. Keely Farms has so far declined to comment beyond saying that its milk is sold as animal feed and is not intended for human consumption. However, it has posted positive laboratory testing for its produce on Facebook and written in a subsequent post: The Florida Department of Agriculture inspects AND approves all raw milk labels. They mandate what the labels say on them. You cannot make changes to your label without approval. They come check to make sure you are actually using the approved label. Some basics that are required on your state approved label include the statement Not for Human Consumption, what animal it should be fed to, your farm name and complete address, nutritional info if animal feed... You cannot display raw milk as if for human consumption. (It cannot be next to pasteurized milk etc). You must have warnings and signage. The department does market checks to be sure their rules are being followed. The Independent has reached out to Keely Farms for additional comment. Gavin Newsom, Californias governor, said on Thursday that state Democratic lawmakers would move forward with a redistricting plan to counter the Republican-led map-drawing effort in Texas aimed at securing a House majority after the midterm elections. As he spoke at the Japanese American National museums National Center for the Preservation of Democracy a venue deliberately chosen for its symbolism federal agents, armed and masked, fanned out across the complex, led by Gregory Bovino, head of the border patrols El Centro sector. Local news footage showed a man being led away in handcuffs. Newsom, joined by congressional Democrats and legislative leaders, unveiled a plan, known as the election rigging response act, that would override Californias independent redistricting commission and draw new congressional lines a direct counter to a Texas effort, sought by Donald Trump, to push through mid-cycle maps that could hand Republicans five extra US House seats. The governor vowed the move would neuter and neutralize Texass proposal. Related: Newsom says California will draw new electoral maps after Trump missed deadline Today is liberation day in the state of California, Newsom declared at a rally in Los Angeles, in which he formally called for a 4 November special election to approve a new congressional map. We cant stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district all across the country. After the rally, Newsom called the presence of border patrol agents sick and pathetic and accused Trump of ordering the operation to intimidate Democrats. Wake up, America, Newsom warned. You will not have a country if he rigs this election. The mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, a Democrat who was not attending the event, arrived on the scene to condemn the raid. In remarks to reporters, she argued that it was not a coincidence the raid took place steps from where Newsom was speaking. The White House just sent federal agents to try to intimidate elected officials at a press conference, she said in a social media post. The problem for them is Los Angeles doesnt get scared and Los Angeles doesnt back down. We never have and we never will. The Department of Homeland Security said Bass must be misinformed. Our law enforcement operations are about enforcing the law not about Gavin Newsom. CBP patrols all areas of Los Angeles every day with over 40 teams on the ground to make LA safe, Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary, said in a post on social media. The California map would only take effect if Texas or any other Republican-led state advanced a a partisan redistricting plan. Newsom said he preferred all states to adopt independent commissions, as California does, and had previously said in a letter to Trump that he would happily stand down if Texas abandoned its effort. Earlier on Thursday, a group of Texas Democrats, who had blocked a vote on the measure by fleeing the state, said they were prepared to end their two-week walkout when California releases its redrawn map proposal. Their return to the state legislature would allow Republicans to plow ahead. Accepting that reality, Newsom said California with a population larger than the 21 smallest states combined would not unilaterally disarm. Its not complicated, he said. Were doing this in reaction to a president of the United States that called a sitting governor of the state of Texas and said, Find me five seats. In a recent interview, Trump claimed that Republicans were entitled to five more seats in Texas because he won the state overwhelmingly in the 2024 presidential election. The new map, Newsom said, would remain in place through the 2030 elections, after which mapmaking power would return to the independent redistricting commission, approved by voters more than a decade ago. The Democratic-led state legislature will introduce legislation on Monday, he added, expressing confidence the initiative would pass and ultimately prevail at the ballot box in November. California has 52 House seats 43 held by Democrats and several of the nations most competitive races, including a handful that helped Republicans claim the majority in 2024. How California voters will respond is uncertain: polls have found deep support for the states independent redistricting commission, suggesting Democrats will have to work quickly over the next three months to persuade voters to support their plan. Sara Sadhwani, a Democrat who served on Californias 2020 independent redistricting commission, said she wanted partisan gerrymandering banned nationwide. But in Los Angeles on Thursday, Sadhwani stood side by side with Newsom, lawmakers, labor leaders and advocates in support of tearing up the maps she helped draw. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, she said. Common Cause, a good government group that has long opposed partisan map-making, said in a statement this week that it would not pre-emptively oppose the effort by California to redraw its maps in response to partisan redistricting in Texas. A blanket condemnation at this moment would be sitting on the sidelines in the face of authoritarianism, the group stated. Eric Holder, a former attorney general and chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said on Thursday that he backed responsible and responsive countermeasures to Trumps extreme and unjustified mid-decade gerrymanders in Texas and beyond. Our democracy is under attack, he said. We have no choice but to defend it. The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know. If you have something to share on this subject you can contact us confidentially using the following methods. Secure Messaging in the Guardian app The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said. If you don't already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select Secure Messaging. SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post If you can safely use the tor network without being observed or monitored you can send messages and documents to the Guardian via our SecureDrop platform. Finally, our guide at theguardian.com/tips lists several ways to contact us securely, and discusses the pros and cons of each. Republicans have denounced the California proposal: Gavin Newsoms latest stunt has nothing to do with Californians and everything to do with consolidating radical Democrat power, Christian Martinez, the National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson, said in a statement, accusing the governor of trampling the will of California voters to serve a pathetic 2028 presidential pipe dream. At the rally in Los Angeles, there was little sympathy for the nearly half-dozen California Republicans who could be out of job if the redistricting plan succeeds. Speaking before the governor, Jodi Hicks, the president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, had a message for the nine Republicans who backed legislation rolling back reproductive rights: You take away our freedoms, well take away your seats. Texass pursuit of new maps has kicked off a redistricting arms race that has spread to state legislatures across the country. Leaders in Florida and Missouri and in blue states such as New York and Illinois are weighing similar moves. Other blue states need to stand up, Newsom said. The campaign, with a freshly launched website, will be enormously costly and is expected to draw national attention and donors eager for a high-stakes, off-year political brawl. Former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican who championed independent redistricting, has already voiced opposition. Newsom said he had spoken to Schwarzenegger and shared his disdain for gerrymandering, but argued that this was about preserving American democracy. Its not good enough to just hold hands, have a candlelight vigil and talk about the way the world should be, Newsom said. We have got to recognize the cards that have been dealt. And we have got to meet fire with fire. Supermarket chain Iceland is to offer customers a 1 reward if they spot shoplifters in the act. The retailers boss, Richard Walker, said any shoppers who point out offenders to members of staff will receive a payment to their membership card. Iceland said the business faces a roughly 20 million hit from the cost of shoplifting each year. Mr Walker, executive chairman of Iceland, told Channel Five news that shoplifting is not a victimless crime. Executive chairman of Iceland, Richard Walker (David Parry/PA) Id like to announce that we will give 1 to any customer who points out a shoplifter. Well put it on their bonus card, if they see any customers in our stores who is undertaking that offence. Some people see this as a victimless crime; it is not. It also keeps prices from being lowered because it is a cost to the business. Its a cost to the hours we pay our colleagues, as well as it being about intimidation and violence. He said the 20 million cost of theft limits the amount that the company can pay back out to its colleague and restrains its ability to lower prices. Wed like customers to help us lower our prices even more by pointing out shoplifters, Mr Walker added. Last month, official figures revealed that the number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales climbed to another record high. Some 530,643 offences were logged in the year to March 2025, up 20% from 444,022 in 2023-24 and the highest total since current police recording practices began in 2002-03. At the time, retail bosses warned that shop theft was spiralling out of control and that business owners need to see immediate results as ministers have pledged thousands more officers for neighbourhood policing by next spring. Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said the recorded figures show more crimes are being reported, but this is still far too low, with many retailers having no faith in incidents being investigated. Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel perform during the beating retreat ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border between Pakistan and India. The two nations also compete over flagpoles. Photograph: Narinder Nanu/AFP/Getty Images At a remote, monsoon-soaked border checkpoint, Indian soldiers will mark Independence Day by raising the countrys tricolour on a mast that towers above a Pakistani flag flying just across the frontier part of an ongoing vertical duel in South Asias fraught politics. Call it flag warfare: a contest not of weapons but of height, waged by two nuclear-armed neighbours that only three months ago fought a four-day battle which threatened to escalate into full-scale war. This years flagpole frontline is Sadqi, a quiet patchwork of wheat fields in northern Punjab states Fazilka district. Indias Tiranga, or tricolour, will fly from a new 200-foot (61-metre) galvanised-iron mast. Across the barbed-wire frontier at Sulemanki, Pakistans green-and-white Parcham-e-Sitara-o-Hilal flutters from a 165-foot (50-metre) pole. While this flagpole war might look like just a symbolic contest, its freighted with emotional and nationalist overtones, especially in the context of the India-Pakistan rivalry, where tensions touch peoples lives on both sides, says Indian military expert Rahul Bedi. Pakistan celebrated its Independence Day on Thursday, a day before Indias national holiday. Pakistani leaders delivered customary barbed speeches against India. India countered, warning Pakistan to temper its reckless war-mongering or face painful consequences. The neighbours have fought four wars since independence, along with countless smaller skirmishes. Each evening, India stages three flag-lowering ceremonies along its heavily militarised Punjab border with Pakistan, including at Sadqi. Flagpole one-upmanship is now a tradition woven into the pomp of the nightly flag-lowering ceremonies, which are part military drill, part nationalist pep rally. The biggest and most famous ceremony is at the Attari-Wagah crossing. It started in 1959, 12 years after the subcontinent was split into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan following the end of British colonial rule. As the Attari-Wagah ceremony grew more elaborate and more belligerent the rivalry moved skyward: India planted a 360-foot (110-metre) pole in 2017; Pakistan countered with a 400-foot (122-metre) mast. Six years later, India went taller again at 418 feet (127 metres). Pakistans latest response is not another pole but plans for a multimillion-dollar Mughal-style stadium, set to triple seating to 25,000, along with a museum and a theme park. The Attari-Wagah ceremony began when Indian and Pakistani officers, many once comrades in the British colonial army, agreed to lower their flags simultaneously each evening a sign of respect and shared discipline despite nationalist animosity. Over time, though, that simple ritual became an hour-long, high-octane display of choreographed combativeness. Grandstands overflow with spectators waving flags and chanting: Pakistan Zindabad! from one side, India Zindabad! and Bharat Mata ki Jai! from the other. Indias Border Security Force jawans, in khaki uniforms with red fan-shaped turbans, red-and-gold sashes, white gloves, and black boots, march in unison with Pakistan Rangers, in black uniforms with green accents and tall ceremonial hats. Both sides pick their tallest men who stomp, kick their legs skywards, and slam their heels in precise, mirrored movements. At the flag-lowering ceremonies, Indian and Pakistani soldiers do not rehearse together, but they match each others moves. The sequence, pace, and gestures are set by tradition, with each side adjusting to mirror the others steps, stomps and salutes. Its pure theatre, says Bedi. Its a grand stage for showing off patriotism, all about the spectacle. The flagpole rivalry also bizarrely quickly morphed into a kind of giant-flag arms race, he adds. But these supersized banners have been no match for the border winds, which can be really strong, and the flags can be in shreds within weeks. That problem remains unsolved, so both sides fly smaller flags most days. For instance, Sadqi will hoist a 1218-metre tricolour on Independence Day, and a smaller one on regular days. Children in Lithuania will be taught how to build and operate drones as the country builds its capacity to counter the potential threat of a Russian attack. The government in Vilnius aims to teach more than 22,000 people drone skills as it looks to expand civil resistance training. The initiative, led jointly by the defence and education ministries, will see children aged eight and above among the thousands taught how to build and pilot drones. The first three drone centres are due to open in September and the remaining six by 2028. The plan is for 15,500 adults and 7,000 children to be taught drone skills by 2028, defence minister Dovile Sakaliene said. It will be adapted to different age groups, with children between eight and 10 years old learning to build and pilot simple drones, meanwhile secondary-school students would learn to design and manufacture drone parts. A Ukrainian serviceman of 57th motorised brigade controls an FPV drone at the frontline in Kharkiv region, Ukraine (AP) The older children would also learn how to build and fly the more-advanced first-person view drones which have been a vital element of both Ukraine and Russias war strategies. Drones have become increasingly common in everyday life and warfare in recent years. The Nato country of about 2.8 million people on the alliance's eastern flank borders both Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Moscow-allied Belarus - and since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine it has been on high-alert regarding the Russian threat. The Lithuanian government plans a total investment of more than 3.3m into the plan. The youngest participants will engage in simple drone construction and piloting through games and experiments, said Tomas Godliauskas, Lithuanias vice-minister of national defence. He said that the training would deepen childrens technical literacy through extracurricular courses. Secondary students will learn programming basics alongside indoor drone piloting and construction, while upper secondary students will design 3D drone parts and construct FPV drones, he added. Lithuanias active use of drones has grown and is motivating its increasing focus on drone technology. In July, two incidents were recorded in which suspected Russian drones crossed from Belarus into Lithuanian territory. A report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) earlier this year found that Russia had begun teaching thousands of school children in the occupied Ukrainian territories how to use drones. The report found that drone development had become a strategic state project in Russia, looking into research and manufacturing but also how to create a large-scale production base. Millions of people could be denied access to treatments such as weight-loss jabs because of flawed NHS guidance, a major think tank has warned. Kings Fund senior analyst Danielle Jefferies said Body Mass Index (BMI) measures, which are used to determine obesity levels, are primarily based on research for white European or American people. That means they do not account for the inherited ethnic differences of people from Black, Asian, brown, dual heritage or indigenous ethnicities differences that can mean some groups are more likely to develop some health conditions. The 2021 census for England and Wales showed 1.3 million people listed themselves as other for their ethnic group, while 1.7 million people listed themselves in mixed or multiple categories. Ms Jefferies said that meant the current BMI thresholds potentially do not fully work for up to 3 million people in the UK, meaning they could miss out on treatments because they have a lower BMI than is required for some treatments. The warning comes as the NHS prepares to roll out access to weight-loss jab Mounjaro, to 220,000 people over three years. Access to Mounjaro is based on strict measures, including the stipulation that a person has a BMI of over 40. Other NHS treatments, such as IVF, bariatric surgery, and joint replacement surgery, are also managed based on a persons BMI. Currently, BMI guidelines for people from black, Asian and Middle Eastern backgrounds are lowered to account for health risks that occur at a lower BMI than for white people. But it is not clear if the same is not done for those in these mixed heritage groups. Ms Jeffries said: The current NICE guidelines take a broad-brush approach by recommending lower BMI thresholds for anyone of Black, Asian or Middle Eastern background, which effectively includes almost everyone who is not white. This creates some knotty issues. First, because it leaves some people wondering if they are white enough to use the old thresholds, which is a subjective and problematic way to categorise people from global majority ethnic backgrounds. For example, does this include people who identify as Latino, white Middle Eastern, or Hispanic? Or does this include someone who is mixed and has one grandparent who is Black or Asian and the rest white? Ms Jefferies said the NHS BMI calculator automatically gives patients who identify as other white ethnic group for example, someone who could identify as Latino a higher threshold as if they were white. She said this can have real-world consequences and including or excluding an ethnic group from the threshold adjustment could significantly impact national obesity figures and change how we measure health inequalities between different ethnicities. For individuals, lower BMI thresholds could be life-changing. For the average-height adult, the cut-off point for being obese for people from a white ethnicity is more than a stone heavier than for people from a Black, Asian or Middle Eastern background. That could be significant if that person was sat in a GP appointment asking whether they qualify for bariatric surgery or weight-loss drugs, or if they are healthy enough to receive NHS-funded IVF, she added. On Thursday, it was revealed that the price of Mounjaro will nearly triple for private patients in the UK, after the US-owned company equalised costs in markets across the globe. A months supply of the highest doses of the King Kong of weight-loss medicine will rise from 122 to 330 an increase of 170 per cent. However, drug manufacturer Lilly said it would not raise the price paid by the NHS, and it was working with private healthcare providers to maintain access to the jab. A NICE spokesperson said: We recognise that BMI is not a perfect tool and there is a need for more robust information about effective and acceptable approaches to identifying people from ethnic minority backgrounds who are at risk from overweight or obesity. Our independent guideline committee has called for research to find what approaches are effective and acceptable in identifying overweight, obesity and central adiposity in children, young people and adults from ethnic minority backgrounds which will help inform future NICE guidance. This story was updated with a comment from NICE at 8:56. Mounjaro weight-loss drug price to almost triple in UK after Trump complaint The price of popular weight-loss jab Mounjaro will nearly triple after the US-owned company equalised costs in markets across the globe. A months supply of the highest doses of the King Kong of weight loss medicine will rise from 122 to 330 - an increase of 170 per cent. At least 500,000 people in the UK take either Mounjaro or Wegovy, another weight loss jab, via prescriptions from private online pharmacies, according to retailers. In June, the NHS offered Mounjaro to obese patients after health experts calculated from NHS England data that there were 97,500 patients who would benefit from the treatment. Mounjaros owner Eli Lily said it would not raise the price paid by the NHS, and it was working with private healthcare providers to maintain access to the jab. At least 500,000 people in the UK currently take either Mounjaro or Wegovy, another weight loss jab, via prescriptions from private online pharmacies (PA Wire) The move reflects how the pharmaceutical industry is navigating policy changes in the US, by far its most lucrative market. It comes after Donald Trumps administration complained about foreign freeloaders who rely on the US to pay more for medicine. Last month, he reportedly wrote to the leaders of pharmaceutical companies, including Eli Lilly, asking them to match US prescription drug prices with what is paid overseas. Weight-loss injections, also known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, work by mimicking the natural hormone which regulates blood sugar, appetite and digestion (PA Wire) The US pays more for prescription drugs than any other country, often nearly three times as much as other developed nations. Eli Lilly launched Mounjaro in the UK in February last year, while rival Novo Nordisk's Wegovy treatment has been available in the country since September 2023. The company said when it launched Mounjaro in the UK, it agreed to a list price "significantly below" that in its three other European markets to prevent delays in availability through the NHS. We are now aligning the list price more consistently, a spokesperson said. In the UK, the NHS was told to offer Mounjaro to patients with a BMI of over 40 and at least four clinical conditions related to their weight, such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes. Over the next three years, about 240,000 patients are expected to be eligible for the treatment. It came after the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) warned many individuals might regain weight if not adequately supported after ceasing treatment. It stressed that those coming off the drugs should be offered "structured advice and follow-up support" to mitigate weight gain. This guidance applies to individuals receiving these treatments through the NHS. The new quality standard from Nice said NHS patients should be monitored for at least a year after they complete treatment, and extra support should be offered if needed. It emphasises building long-term behavioural habits, use self-monitoring tools, and draw on wider support from online communities to family-led interventions and local activities. This standard, a type of guidance for the health services in England and Wales, sets out expectations for health providers including how they should support patients. Weight-loss injections, also known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, work by mimicking the natural hormone which regulates blood sugar, appetite and digestion. Veteran Yavar Abbas moved the King and Queen to tears with his testimony, which included a dedication to the monarch and his wife - AFP/Getty It was dubbed the Forgotten War. Fought in Asia and the Pacific, the Far East campaign received little press coverage, its heroic sacrifices and barbaric cruelties going largely unacknowledged. No more. Todays Royal British Legion Commemoration of VJ Day at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire has changed that bitterly unfair legacy forever. Here, at a deeply moving ceremony attended by 33 veterans, 400 invited guests and in the presence of King Charles and Queen Camilla, Britain remembered. And tears were shed. Eighty years is a long time to wait for recognition but by any measure it was a beautifully judged occasion, pomp and ceremony interspersed with moments of heartbreaking poignancy. The King, who earlier in the day had broadcast a message describing how those who lived and died in the Far East gave us more than freedom; they left us the example of how it can and must be protected, wore the Stone Field Marshal Number 4 uniform and laid a wreath. As did the Prime Minister. The Queen, who is Colonel in Chief of the Rifles laid a posy. Prime Minister Keir Starmer talks with veteran Ron Gumley during the ceremony - AFP/Getty Then, after a solemn two-minute silence followed by Reveille, the carefully choreographed programme got under way. Films from the era played on huge screens along with first-hand testimonies, including two civilian women who had been interned by the Japanese along with their parents. They were aged five and nine respectively. Without a trace of self pity they recalled hunger and blows from rifle butts for not bowing low enough to their captors. Random brutality and systematic starvation were common themes, as a generation broke their silence. And every care had been taken to do them credit. The Band of the HM Royal Marines Portsmouth played the Last Post. The Red Arrows made a flypast, there was a sweetly tuneful reprise of Vera Lynns When They Sound the Last All Clear. When a single violinist played Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending, a shiver ran through the assembled crowd, even in the heat of the day. A history of the war was narrated by Celia Imrie in dashing turquoise tailoring. Sir Ben Okri read Burma, 1945: Sacrifice, which recounted how Commonwealth soldiers volunteered to fight in modern day Myanmar. Actress and author Celia Imrie read a history of the war as part of the ceremony - Christopher Furlong/AP After reading out a number of their names, he described them as among millions from Britain, Africa and old India, from farms and villages in ancient kingdoms. It is in a stellar light that we remember their underrated sacrifice. Later, Robert Lindsay conveyed the recollections of two Chindits, members of the British and Indian special forces unit. By way of tribute some 400 modern personnel evenly split across the army, navy and air force were on duty at the Arboretum. But for all the military brass literally and figuratively on display, it was the men themselves who were the undoubted stars of the show. Now aged between 96 and 105, they sat ramrod-straight, even in wheelchairs, formally dressed in suits, service medals glittering across their chests in the August sunshine. Here at this most sombre yet paradoxically uplifting occasion, the men who fought, the men who survived finally had an opportunity to tell their stories, 80 years on. It did not always make for easy listening. Death came from the air, the sea and land, frenzied attacks from an enemy ready happy to die for their country and so would fight to the death. Veteran Alfred Conway watches his great-grandchildren lay a wreath on the Burma Thailand Railway memorial - WPA/Getty But the Far East was as much an endurance trial as a battleground. In the gruelling 35-degree heat with near 100 per cent humidity, malaria, dysentery, cholera and dengue fever were very often a greater threat than bullets. The dangers presented by snakes, disease-carrying mosquitoes and armies of biting ants had to be overcome long before Japanese bayonets. And then, having somehow survived disease-ridden jungles and swamp ambushes, they were crestfallen by the lack of official fanfare when they came home. A euphoric Britain had brought out the bunting and danced in the streets to celebrate Victory in Europe on 8 May 1945, yet the Victory in Japan, five weeks later on August 15, passed by virtually unmarked. The dropping of atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought about a Japanese surrender, but tens of thousands of civilians died instantly with more succumbing to burns and radiation in the days and weeks that followed. There was a feeling of disquiet about laying on VE-style celebrations and a lack of imagination as to an appropriate alternative. As a result, the courage and resilience of some 1.8 million British and Commonwealth troops who had faced atrocious combat conditions, barely registered. And then, as the injured, broken prisoners of war slowly returned home and word trickled out of the appalling, gratuitous torture dispensed by the Japanese, the Ministry of Defence deemed it a narrative too shocking to be shared. Returning heroes were explicitly ordered on no account to talk about the torment they had endured and the trauma they had witnessed, lest they affect morale. Forgetting was deemed preferable. WWII aircraft flew over the ceremony - DARREN STAPLES/Pool via REUTERS Never again. As these dignified veterans took to the stage and their voices rang out, it was nothing short of humbling. More than that, it was a reproach, to those who silenced them. Ronald Gumbley, 101, who served with the RAF read from Binyans poem For the Fallen. They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old / Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn / At the going down of the sun and in the morning / We will remember them. Owen Filer, 105, who was called up to join the army just four months after the start of WWII, recited the Kohima Epitaph: When you go home tell them of us and say / For your tomorrow we face our today. Applause broke out when 105-year-old Yavar Abbas, who was due to read from his diaries, decided, in his own words, to go off script to salute my brave King who is here with his beloved Queen despite the fact that he is under treatment for cancer. Credit: BBC Mr Abbas disclosed it was an illness that he shared with the monarch, adding: And if it provides any comfort Ive been rid of it for the past 25 years and counting. But throughout the ceremony tears were never far. How could there not be? Some 90,000 British troops were casualties of the war, 30,000 of whom perished. A further 37,500 became prisoners of war and found themselves subjected to inhuman privation and savagery. More than 12,000 lost their lives; the death rate in Japanese camps was between seven and eight times higher than in their Nazi equivalents. Veteran John Harlow, 100, whose tribute was read out by actor Anton Lesser, could be seen breaking down in the stands. War doesnt grant you the luxury of goodbyes, Lesser quoted, going on to describe how Harlow, who served on a minelaying submarine, thinks of a friend each VJ Day who was killed on HMS Porpoise. I wish today for us to remember all the crew of HMS Porpoise, Mark, and all lost at sea, was Harlows wish. For in remembering, they live on. The VJ Day veterans who were in attendance - Eddie Mulholland - WPA Pool/Getty Images Later George Durrant, 100, who served in the intelligence corps, appeared on stage with his great-granddaughter as he urged people to remember and keep remembering what the British and Commonwealth forces endured. I speak to you not as a hero, but someone who witnessed the price of freedom, he said. Shortly after, the event concluded with a flypast by historic World War Two-era aircraft; a Spitfire, a Hurricane and a Lancaster bomber. The throng below watched in awe and as the veterans were slowly wheeled away it was hard not to feel a sense of melancholy. In 2015, 3,000 veterans took part in a parade to mark the 70th anniversary of VJ Day. A decade on, the number had dwindled to 33. How many of these men will be alive for the next milestone commemoration of 90 years? Perhaps none. But these brave soldiers, sailors and airmen have lived to see their contribution not just remembered but commemorated honoured by King and country. After eight decades they will never again be forgotten. Two easyJet planes clip wings at Manchester Airport - Phil Aspin Two easyJet planes had clipped wings on Friday morning. The budget airline aircraft were taxiing to the runway when they collided with a massive thud shortly after 6am. The wing tips of the two planes were left severed on the runway, with a member of the ground crew photographed holding them aloft. The flights to Gibraltar, U22267, and Paris, U22117, were later cancelled and other easyJet passengers faced knock-on delays of up to an hour and a half. Phil Aspin, 34, said the Paris-bound flight went straight into the side of the Gibraltar flight he was on as they taxied to the runway. He told Manchester Evening News: We were about to take off. They said it would be about 10 minutes, and we were second in the queue. There was sort of a crossroads on the runway. The best way to describe it is that there was a V, and we were turning to the left, and they were going to the right-hand side. We were just stationary at the time. Credit: SWNS He added: There was a massive thud, and the whole plane shook. My friend who was sitting next to the wing saw a piece of it fly across his window. There were lots of bits of wing on the floor, then a guy came and picked them up. It was a bit surreal. Mr Aspin said he and his fellow passengers alighted from the plane at 7.30am and were awaiting alternative flights. The collision caused delays of up to an hour and a half for other easyJet flights departing from Manchester. The 7.15am flight to Porto departed at 8.41am and the 7.45am flight to Antalya departed at 8.31am. Other airlines were not affected and there were no reports of injuries. EasyJet issues apology A spokesman for easyJet said: EasyJet can confirm that the wing tips of two aircraft came into contact whilst taxiing to the runway at Manchester Airport this morning. The aircraft returned to stand to disembark customers who have been provided with refreshment vouchers whilst replacement aircraft are arranged to operate the flights. We apologise to customers for the delay to their flights. The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority. A spokesman for Manchester Airport said: I can confirm two easyJet planes clipped wings as they taxied on the airfield. We suspended operations briefly while they were assessed to see if they could taxi back to a stand, which they could, so operations resumed after a few minutes. EasyJet is handling arrangements for passengers affected. The Met said more than 700 people had been arrested since the groups proscription on July 7 - Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images A further 60 people will be prosecuted for showing support for the proscribed terrorist group Palestine Action, the Metropolitan Police has confirmed. The force said it followed the arrest of more than 700 people since the groups proscription on July 7, including 522 in central London last Saturday. Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said: The decisions that we have announced today are the first significant numbers to come out of the recent protests, and many more can be expected in the next few weeks. We are ready to make swift decisions in all cases where arrests have been made. The Met said: We have put arrangements in place that will enable us to investigate and prosecute significant numbers each week if necessary. Supporters of the group say the ban is a gross abuse of power - Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images Palestine Action was proscribed earlier in 2025 after the sabotage of aircraft at RAF Brize Norton. Anyone found guilty of supporting or gathering support for a proscribed organisation faces a maximum of six months imprisonment and a 5,000 fine. Just being arrested is enough to stop someone being allowed into the US or work in education. Supporters of Palestine Action described the ban as a gross abuse of power designed to stifle expressions of support for the Palestinian cause. Mr Parkinson added: The public has a democratic right to protest peacefully in this country and I understand the depth of feeling around the horrific scenes in Gaza. However, Palestine Action is now a proscribed terrorist organisation, and those who have chosen to break the law will be subject to criminal proceedings under the Terrorism Act. Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said: To be clear, these arrests and prosecutions do not outlaw peoples right to demonstrate in support of Palestine or any other cause. They are simply the enforcement of a specific provision under the Terrorism Act in relation to a specific proscribed terrorist organisation, Palestine Action. The number of arrests on Saturday was among the largest at a protest in decades. A total of 339 people were arrested during the poll tax riots in London on March 31 1990, when protesters fought with police in Trafalgar Square, central London. New Caledonias Heart of Voh, seen here in 2022. Changes to mangrove environments can impact coastal communities and their livelihoods. Photograph: Nicolas Job On the west coast of New Caledonia, Isobelle Goa searches the thick, tangled mangrove roots for mudcrabs. Goa lives on the outskirts of the archipelagos most famous mangrove formation: a light-green, heart-shaped patch of forest known as the Heart of Voh. It is grandiose. Its what God has put on the land for us, Goa says. It has a presence about it. My heart carries this heart with it. It is important to protect it and be kind to the mangroves inside. Its iconic outline brought the Heart of Voh international recognition and is plastered across billboards on New Caledonia, a symbol of the Pacific territorys pristine natural environment. But the heart is now under assault from the climate crisis, as rising seas change the salinity of the water and alter the kind of vegetation that can survive there. Its distinctive shape and the ecosystem within it are also changing. In the late 1990s the pale, barren surface of the heart contrasted sharply with the green mangrove forest around it, creating its iconic silhouette when viewed from above. Sitting slightly above the surrounding mudflats, the hearts soil was dry and salty too extreme for vegetation to grow. It was just a yellowish salt flat, says Dr Cyril Marchand, a mangrove expert at the University of New Caledonia. No mangroves could survive there. Over the past 20 years, the conditions in the water began to change. A species of salt-tolerant mangrove called Avicennia started to grow there and has now fully colonised the heart. The change is linked to rising sea levels: data shows waters along New Caledonias west coast have risen about 2mm a year for several decades. As tidal waters flow into the heart more frequently, the salty soil becomes diluted the ideal conditions for Avicennia to grow. As the species spreads, the hearts distinctive shape is changing. Marchand says if sea levels continue to rise, the salinity will reduce further. That will again change the conditions to allow another species of mangrove Rhizophora to spread across the heart. Its possible that in 30, 40 or 50 years, only Rhizophora will grow there, Marchand says. The heart may vanish entirely. While increased mangrove cover seems positive, sea level rise is also inundating and removing mangrove habitat closer to sea. The changing ecosystem means sea levels and mangroves are pushing closer to coastal communities, reducing land availability and marine habitats. Tracking changes in the heart Mangroves have always shifted and changed over time, but Marchand says it is now happening at an unprecedented speed. By drilling deep into the mud and assessing sediment patterns, Marchand and his team were able to determine how mangroves have moved over time. In the past, it would take 500 years [for mangroves to migrate this far], now its happening in decades, driven by climate change, he says. Changes to mangroves and the ecosystems they support are significant for coastal communities relying on them for livelihoods. Globally, it is estimated that more than half of mangrove systems are at risk of collapse by 2050, and between 1994 and 2020 coverage of mangroves decreased by 3.4% around the world. Its important for the whole world to protect mangroves because our biodiversity is just so unique, Marchand says. For the local people, the fishermen, the Kanak, mangroves are important. The Heart of Voh is symbolic of that. In recent years, satellite technology has been used to track real-time changes in the Heart of Voh and surrounding mangroves. We can go up to 15 centimetres of resolution using satellite imagery and collect data during the night and bad weather like cyclones, says Remi Andreoli, deputy director at Bluecham, a company specialising in satellite imagery and data collection. Its a lot easier to observe from space than walking through mud up to your knees. Andreoli has been tracking the Heart of Voh mangrove system for the past 12 years. The satellite data can detect biochemical changes otherwise invisible to the eye. The information is used by researchers monitoring changes to the Heart of Voh, as well as to assess the impact of mining activities on the environment. Its really powerful to monitor variation between species and changes in tree cover and to see how mangroves are evolving over time in the face of climate change, Andreoli says. We use this information to help businesses, decision makers and scientists to assess mangroves status and protect their environment. We cant let it slip away Protecting the heart is a priority for the local community and tourism operators. For over 15 years Gunter Gerant, a pilot at tourism flight company Haut Vol, has shown tourists the Heart of Voh by air. He says it is one of the most famous things to see in New Caledonia. We [Haut Vol] started the discovery flights because everyone wanted to see the Heart, Gerant says. The veteran pilot plays an important role in the local economy. People come to see the Heart, our mangroves and our coral reefs so its really important to maintain these ecosystems for our livelihoods, he says. Back in Voh, locals stress the importance of protecting their mangroves. Goa and a team of women from the nearby village plant mangrove propagules in a nearby nursery. She knows the mangroves are critical to her communitys survival. Its an ecosystem that protects us from erosion and big waves. It protects us and the country, she says. Generation after generation teaches our children to hunt in the mangroves. We cant let it slip away. Goa adds: We have to protect it for the future of our culture. Jackie Bezos and her son Jeff Bezos attend Amazons Emmy Celebration in Hollywood, 2016 - Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Amazon Studios Jackie Bezos, who has died aged 78, helped to launch her son Jeff on the path to becoming a multi-billionaire by providing an initial investment of $245,000 to create the online retailer Amazon. In 1995 Jeff Bezos, then a 30-year-old engineer and computer scientist, came up with the idea of an online bookselling site and approached his mother and stepfather for funds. He had calculated that any new internet business had a 10 per cent chance of succeeding, and extended Amazons odds to 30 per cent because of his own considerable capabilities: therefore, he told them, the business had a 70 per cent likelihood of failure. Although Jackie and Mike Bezos did not have a strong grasp of the technology involved The internet? Whats that? was their initial response they gladly handed over the bulk of their retirement fund. We talked about it for two minutes, Jackie Bezos recalled. We didnt invest in Amazon, we invested in Jeff. With a six per cent stake in the company, Jackie Bezos and her husband were estimated in 2018 to be worth $30 billion, a return on their investment of around 12 million per cent. Described by one of Jeff Bezoss biographers as an attractive, square-jawed brunette, Jackie Bezos became a generous philanthropist and an admired motivational speaker, able to point out that, even before her sons success, she had defied those who had written her off when she gave birth to Jeff while still at school. Jackie Bezos presenting the Good Pitch during the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival in New York: she became a generous philanthropist and an admired motivational speaker - Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival Jacklyn Gise was born in Washington on December 29 1946, to Lawrence Preston Gise, a regional director of the Atomic Energy Commission, and his wife Mattie, nee Strait. The family later moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1963, aged 16, Jackie became pregnant by her boyfriend, an alcoholic circus unicyclist called Ted Jorgensen; they rapidly married, and Jeff was born two weeks after Jackies 17th birthday. The marriage was dissolved after 18 months and Ted had no further involvement with the family; he was amazed to be told by a journalist in 2012 that Jeff Bezos was his son. The authorities at Jackies high school told her she would have to leave when she became a mother. I pushed back and I kept on pushing back, she recalled. Eventually she was allowed to remain, under stringent conditions: I had to arrive and depart school within five minutes of the starting and finishing bells I could not talk to other students I couldnt eat lunch in the cafeteria I was told I would not be allowed to walk across the stage with my classmates to get my diploma. She submitted, and graduated. Determined to be independent, she secured a job as a secretary and moved into an apartment with Jeff when he was 18 months old; she could not afford a telephone, so her father gave her a walkie-talkie to maintain contact. She took up night classes at the University of Albuquerque, Jeff accompanying her: I would show up with an infant and two duffel bags, one full of my text books and the other full of diapers. In 1968 she married a fellow student, Miguel Mike Bezos, who had come to the US as a refugee from Cuba after Castro seized his familys lumber business. Jeff was told at the age of 10 that he was not Mikes biological son, but always referred to him as my real father. Jackie and Miguel Bezos at the 2018 Hispanic Society Museum & Library Gala in New York - Gonzalo Marroquin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Jackie recalled the young Jeff as both strong-willed and practical: when he was a toddler she refused to give in to demands to replace his cot with a proper bed, until she entered his bedroom one day to find he had dismantled the cot with a screwdriver. The Bezoses went on to have a daughter and a son together, and Jeff invented an alarm that buzzed if his siblings tried to enter his room uninvited. Jackie Bezos observed that her son received a valuable education through working on her parents ranch in Texas during the school holidays. You become really self-sufficient when you work with the land. One of the things [Jeff] learnt is that there really arent any problems without solutions. Obstacles are only obstacles if you think theyre obstacles. Otherwise, theyre opportunities. Although she gave up her academic ambitions when she married Mike, Jackie Bezos later resumed her studies, graduating from Saint Elizabeth University in New Jersey aged 40. In 2000 she and her husband established the Bezos Family Foundation, giving hundreds of millions of dollars to cancer charities and educational causes. Jackie Bezos was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2020 and was unable to accompany her husband to Jeff Bezoss recent lavish wedding in Venice. Last year Jeff named the barge Jacklyn, used as a landing platform for Blue Origin spacecraft, in her honour. Jackie Bezos is survived by her husband, daughter and two sons. Jackie Bezos, born December 29 1946, died August 14 2025 Protesters march near the Bell Hotel in Epping on Thursday - Ben Montgomery Housing migrants within walking distance of five schools puts students at an unacceptable risk, lawyers for a local council in Essex have said. Epping Forest district council is in a High Court battle with Somani Hotels Ltd, which owns the Bell Hotel in Epping. The council has applied to the court for an injunction that would stop the hotel firm from allowing migrants to be rehoused at the site. The ruling on whether the injunction will be granted, set to be given on Tuesday, could prompt similar legal bids from other councils. It comes after the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old schoolgirl by an Ethiopian asylum seeker living at the Bell, prompted a series of protests that began last month. Hadush Kebatu, 41, denied three sexual offences, harassment and inciting a girl to engage, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and one count of harassment without violence, when he appeared at Chelmsford magistrates court last month. Addressing his concerns at the High Court on Friday, Philip Coppel KC, representing Epping Forest district council, said: Having this sort of thing go on in such a concentration of schools with no measures in place to stop a repetition is not acceptable. It really could not be much worse than this. Referring to five schools, which the council says in legal submissions are within walking distance of the hotel, he added: The continued placement of asylum seekers at the Bell Hotel represents a risk to those students which is unacceptable. Very serious problem Opening his case, Mr Coppel said the council was seeking an injunction because it had a very serious problem. He continued: It is a problem that is getting out of hand; it is a problem that is causing a great anxiety to those living in the district. The councils case largely hinges on planning laws and the alleged breach of Somani Hotels Ltd in allowing migrants to be housed at the hotel. It argues that the Bell, currently unavailable for other guests to book, is a hotel only in name, without having obtained legal permission for a change of use. Concluding his submissions, Mr Coppel told Mr Justice Eyre that if an injunction was not granted, Your Lordship will be telling the residents in Epping: You have just got to lump it. However, Piers Riley-Smith, representing Somani Hotels, argued that an injunction would cause the owners financial harm because the migrants were a financial lifeline that had allowed money to be reinvested in the hotel. The barrister said around one per cent of rooms were occupied when the hotel reopened in August 2022. Mr Riley-Smith told the court: It is not [Somani Hotels] submission to suggest that local communities concerns are not genuine. But it is clear that recent protests have expanded far beyond the local community and have gone into concerns about wider ideological, or political issues, by those from outside the community. He went on to suggest that the council could apply for injunctions against protesters themselves rather than the hotel. Removing of the catalyst for violent protest The local authoritys lawyers cited removing of the catalyst for violent protests as part of its argument for an injunction to be enforced. Yet in their written submissions, lawyers for the hotel owners wrote: If a protest is peaceful and lawful it cannot be said to be a planning harm. If it is violent or unlawful, then there are ample powers available for it to be controlled. Mr Riley-Smith also told the court that an injunction would cause harm a term often used in law to describe adverse effects to the Home Office, which has statutory obligations to asylum seekers, and to migrants living in the hotel. He said Epping Forest district council had not grappled with where [residents] will go, adding: Theyve all been registered with the GP now and removing them from [the hotel] to another location, we say is not necessarily in their best interest. The barrister also suggested the council had not provided enough evidence from schools to justify an injunction, adding: Fears as to an increase of crime associated with asylum seekers or a danger to schools are common, but that does not make them well-founded. Concluding the hearing, Mr Justice Eyre ordered that Somani Hotels could not accept any new applications from asylum seekers to stay at the site until he had ruled on whether to grant the temporary injunction. He told the court: I am not going to close my notebook and give a decision now. I am going to reflect on this, but we need a decision sooner rather than later. Hearing ends We are now bringing an end to our live coverage following the conclusion of todays hearing. Thank you for following our updates. Judge to make decision on Tuesday A High Court Judge is set to make a decision on whether he will enforce an injunction on Tuesday at 2pm. Mr Justice Eyre also ordered a ban on any new placements of asylum seekers to the Bell in the meantime. Block violent protesters, not migrants Epping Forest Council could apply for an injunction against anti-migrant protests if they are violent, lawyers for the Bell Hotel have suggested. The local authority cited removing of the catalyst for violent protests as part of its argument for an injunction to be enforced. Piers Riley-Smith, for Somani Hotels, said that part of the Highways Act 1980 gives a council a legal ability to injunct people protesting on a highway. Documents submitted by Mr Riley-Smith and his colleagues to the court read: If a protest is peaceful and lawful it cannot be said to be a planning harm. If it is violent or unlawful then there are ample powers available for it to be controlled. Date: 20 July | Protests outside The Bell Hotel, Epping Hotel lawyers address fears over migrant crimes Fears about migrants and crimes are not necessarily well founded, lawyers for the hotel owners have said. Two asylum seeker residents of The Bell have already been charged with sex assault offences since the summer began. Piers Riley-Smith, for Somani Hotels, said: We do say a distinction has to be drawn between locals who have a genuine concern about their area against wider groups with strategic national and ideological ends. He added: Fears about an increase of crimes associated with asylum seekers are common fears but that does not make them well-founded. Epping hotel migrants are all registered with local GP Granting an injunction could harm migrants living there who are already registered with the local GP, lawyers for the hotel owners say. Piers Riley-Smith, for Somani Hotels Ltd, said Epping Forest District Council had not grappled with where [residents] will go, adding: Theyve all been registered with the GP now and removing them from [the hotel] to another location, we say is not necessarily in their best interest. The local authority argues an injunction would alleviate asylum seeker expose to violent protests. However, Mr Riley-Smith said this could lead to a precedent. He asked: If an injunction can be granted on the basis of the hostile reception to asylum seekers, who is to say that does not occur in the next place they are taken to? Not enough evidence to justify injunction, hotel owners say Epping Forest District Council has not provided enough evidence from schools and police to justify an injunction, the Bell Hotels owners have said. The local authority has cited the nearby location of five schools in its argument for an injunction to be enforced as quickly as possible. Piers Riley-Smith, for Somani Hotels, said: At this stage you simply do not have the evidence to justify an interim injunction in relation to those genuine [local community] concerns. Especially as you have no evidence from police, no evidence from the integrated care board, no evidence from schools. Hotel does not dispute locals migrant concerns, court told Lawyers for the hotels owners have told the court that it does not dispute local community concerns about migrants are genuine. Piers Riley-Smith, for Somani Hotels, said: It is not [Somani Hotels] submission to suggest that local communities concerns are not genuine. But it is clear that recent protests have expanded far beyond the local community and have gone into concerns about wider ideological, or political issues, by those from outside the community. Mr Riley-Smith said that while the hotel did not claim that these concerns were manufactured, its case was that they do not translate into weighty planning harm. At this stage you simply do not have the evidence to justify an interim injunction in relation to those genuine concerns, he added. Epping hotel may suspend new migrant arrivals Lawyers for Somani Hotels have indicated the Bell Hotel may not take on any new migrants before a decision on the injunction can be made. Addressing Mr Justice Eyre, Piers Riley-Smith said the hotel was already at capacity but suggested it could refuse further arrivals until the judgement is given. We are taking final instructions, but Im told provisionally if that was something your Lordship wishes, it could be arranged, Mr Riley-Smith said. Wed just need to think about the practicalities for doing so. Mr Justice Eyre said: Im anticipating giving my decision as soon as I possibly can, so that will only be for a short period. The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex - Jordan Pettitt/PA Ruling on hotel closure unlikely today Mr Justice Eyre has said he is unlikely to decide on Friday whether to grant the injunction blocking the housing of asylum seekers at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex. Adjourning Fridays hearing in London until 2pm, he said: It seems unlikely that I will be able to give a reasoned decision this evening. I have yet to decide whether I will be able to give a decision at all this evening. But a decision needs to be made very quickly, I am very conscious of that. The judge asked barristers for both the council and the hotels owner, Somani Hotels Limited, to consider their availability in the next week or fortnight for a decision to be handed down. He said: What I would be concerned about is, if I do not make a decision today, any material change in circumstances, in particular, further asylum seekers being accommodated in the short interval between this hearing and a decision. Mr Justice Eyre added: I make it clear I am very far from deciding if I can decide today, let alone what I will decide. Migrants were financial lifeline for Epping hotel owners The housing of migrants was a financial lifeline for the owners of the Bell Hotel in Epping, a lawyer has said. Opening the case against the injunction, Piers Riley-Smith told the court just one per cent of the hotels rooms were occupied when it reopened after lockdown in August 2022. Paraphrasing a director of Somani Hotels, Mr Riley-Smith said the contracts were a financial lifetime which allowed money to be reinvested in the hotel. Legal documents submitted by Somani Hotels lawyers also state that an injunction would cause financial harm to the company. Map: The five schools within walking distance of Epping hotel Rejecting injunction would see Epping locals told to lump it A High Court Judge will be telling Epping residents they just have to lump it if he does not grant an injunction to stop a hotel housing migrants, a lawyer representing Epping Forest District Council has claimed. Arguing for the overwhelming need for an injunction Philip Coppel KC said: This is going to carry on for weeks, well into the school year, not for months but possibly for years. Addressing Mr Justice Eyre on what would happen if an injunction wasnt granted, he added: Your Lordship will be telling the residents of Epping, Youve just got to lump it. Its not acceptable, my Lord. This is a breach in planning control. It carries consequences. Disputing the point, Piers Riley-Smith, for Somani Hotels Ltd, told the judge that he would not be telling residents to lump it and that the high bar for an injunction would not have been met. Migrant hotel should have closed at the end of Covid The owners of the Bell Hotel initially told Epping Forest District Council that it would not house asylum seekers beyond the end of the Covid 19 crisis, the local authoritys lawyers claim. Legal documents detail how the council first received a complaint alleging a breach of planning control was underway at the hotel in July 2020. The councils lawyers say a planning enforcement officer, John Ayres, made enquiries with Hassanali Somani, one of the company directors. Summarising part of Mr Somanis response, the lawyers wrote that he did not believe there had been a material change of use and its use remained that of a hotel. The document continued: Mr Somani said his companys intention was not to extend the use of the site to provide accommodation for asylum seekers beyond the end of the Covid 19 crisis. Instead, Mr Somani told EFDC that the company was determined to return the use of the Bell Hotel to that of a hotel as soon as possible, adding, [W]e are still here as a vibrant hotel business, attracting visitors to the local area and providing services to the local community. The legal document goes on to add that in June 2021, in response to a query from Mr Ayres, Mr Somani said there were no tourists or asylum seekers or refugees at the hotel. Completely empty. In November 2022, the council learned that the Bell Hotel was once against being used to accommodate asylum seekers, the local authoritys lawyers continued. The companys group operations director David Salmon, went on to tell Mr Ayres that approximately 70 asylum seekers were being housed there at the time - but that this figure could alter, the documents read. Hotel accuses council of falsely claiming they were unaware of migrant hotel Piers Riley-Smith, representing Somani Hotels Limited, has said the council was entirely wrong to argue the use of the hotel by migrants was hidden from them. He said the authority was directly approached in February 2025 by the Home Office before the use began and alerted to the upcoming usage. He said: There would also be harm that would arise if the injunction were granted. The main harm would be the loss of accommodation for asylum seekers currently being housed there under the Home Offices statutory duties. Mr Riley-Smith said that there was no evidence that the urgent need for asylum seekers has diminished, citing that more than 50,000 people had crossed the English Channel in small boats since the last general election. He continued: There has been no explanation from the claimant as to where the current occupants of the hotel could go. Protesters hold smoke flares outside the Bell Hotel earlier this month - REUTERS/Jaimi Joy Hotel owner demands adjournment In written submissions, Piers Riley-Smith, representing the owner of the Bell Hotel in Epping, Somani Hotels Limited, said the unusual injunction application should be adjourned to a later date to allow for proper evidence to be filed. He said the court does not have sufficient information to grant an injunction on Friday. Mr Riley-Smith added that the council had not objected to migrants being housed in the hotel when they were between May 2020 and March 2021 and from October 2022 to April 2024. He said that while the owner did apply for planning permission for a temporary change of use in February 2023, this was a pragmatic attempt to address the claimants concerns, rather than an acceptance that such a use required planning permission. This application was later withdrawn as it had not been determined by April 2024, the barrister said. Asylum seekers were then placed in the Bell Hotel again for a third period beginning in April 2025, with Mr Riley-Smith saying that a planning application was not made having taken advice from the Home Office. Multi-million pound travel company manages migrants stays at Epping hotel Lawyers for the hotel say a multi-million pound travel management company, contracted by the Home Office, books and manages the stays of asylum seekers. In legal documents submitted to the court, lawyers representing Somani Hotels Ltd argued that Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd [CTM] should be a party in the case. The documents read: While the Defendant provides the physical facility, it is CTM who - on behalf of the Home Office has booked the premises and manages and organises the movement and stay of asylum seekers. Not only does this clearly make CTM a relevant party but their lack of involvement coupled with the very short notice of the hearing has hampered the ability to obtain exact details about both the current levels of demand, the nature of the occupants and their length of stay, and the ramifications if the injunction is granted as to those occupants and the Home Office. Unacceptable to claim single males are a greater risk, hotel owner tells court Lawyers for the owner of the Bell Hotel have said it is unacceptable to imply single male residents pose a greater risk to the community. Legal documents submitted by lawyers for Somani Hotels Limited state Epping Forest Councils evidence contains one material factual error in the current profile of residents changing from females and families to single men. The court has heard the hotel first began housing asylum seekers in May 2020. One material factual error in the Claimants supporting evidence is that the claim concerning the current profile of residents (sometimes referred to as service users) has changed from females/families to single men, with the unacceptable implication being suggested by council witnesses that housing male asylum seekers poses a greater risk to the local community, the documents read. The document continues: This is inaccurate since for a period of 18 months over 2022 2024 the hotel provided accommodation only for single men with no public demonstrations. Hotel must close within two weeks, council demands The Bell Hotel must be closed by the start of the next school year at the end of the month, the council has demanded. Epping Forest District Councils lawyers have urged a High Court Judge to bring an interim injunction as soon as possible. Legal documents submitted by the barristers representing the council read: The start of the new school year in approximately a fortnights time, the proximity of five schools to the Bell Hotel and the two recent incidents of alleged criminal conduct involving those accommodated at the Bell Hotel, collectively demand that compliance be secured within 14 days. The current use of the Bell Hotel to accommodate asylum seekers is a breach of planning control. Stating that an injunction was the only option available, the lawyers add: The court is respectfully invited to grant an interim injunction in the terms sought. Case against Epping hotel overwhelming, court hears The High Court has heard that the case against the Epping hotel is overwhelming. Collectively, this is an overwhelming case for an injunction to restrain the breach of planning control that is taking place at the Bell Hotel, said Philip Coppel KC, for Epping Forest District Council. There is nothing on the other side of the balance that goes anywhere to displace that. The defendant has not been upfront with the local planning authority in relation to the use being made of the Bell Hotel, and this goes back a long way. The defendant did not advise or notify the local planning authority to seek their views on whether this would be a lawful use in their view. It was not until two months later, when Epping Forest received a complaint about the use, that the matter came to the planning departments attention. Mr Coppel continued that the change of use by the owner of the Bell Hotel, Somani Hotels Limited, was surreptitious and that there was a strength and universality of feeling against the hotels current use. Police guard the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex - Ben Montgomery Pupils at five schools at risk because of Epping migrant hotel Pupils at five schools within easy walking distance of the Bell Hotel are at risk because migrants are housed there, the council has said. Legal documents submitted by Epping Forest District Council also describe how a residential care home, where many residents have dementia, Parkinsons disease, or a range of mental or physical disabilities, is just 300 metres away from the site. Epping St Johns School, a Church of England co-educational school with approximately 1,050 students of both sexes between 11 and 18-years-old, is an 11-minute walk from the Bell Hotel, the documents detail. Meanwhile Ivy Chimneys Primary School attended by 315 boys and girls is a 13-minute walk from the Bell Hotel. Referring to the five closest schools, Philip Coppel KC, for the council, said: The continued placement of asylum seekers at the Bell Hotel represents a risk to those students which is unacceptable. Mr Coppel added that the enhanced risk results from a fundamentally different use of The Bell Hotel from that which is lawful. Epping hotel is feeding ground for unrest, court told The councils barrister has told the High Court that the hotel had become a feeding ground for unrest. In written submissions, Philip Coppel KC said the hotels closure was necessary for restoring the safety of nearby residents and removing the catalyst for violent protests in public places. Allowing the status quo to continue is wholly unacceptable, providing a feeding ground for unrest and protest, a danger to school age students about to start the new school year, a valid source of anxiety for their parents and teachers and disfigurement for the local environment, he wrote. Speaking in court, Mr Coppel added: It is not the asylum seekers who are acting unlawfully. It is the defendant, by allowing the hotel to be used to house asylum seekers. Protesters near the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, on Thursday - Ben Montgomery Housing migrants at hotel breaches planning rules The High Court has heard that housing migrants at the Bell Hotel is a breach of planning rules. Philip Coppel KC, for Epping Forest district council, told the court there had been a material change of use without the appropriate planning permissions being sought. The sole lawful planning use of the hotel is a hotel use, but that is not what the Bell Hotel is currently being used for, he said. It is not being used as a hotel; it has been used to place asylum seekers. They do not choose to go to the Bell Hotel as a person might choose to patronise a hotel, or stay at a hotel. There is no agreement between them and the hotel, they do not choose the duration of their stay... they do not choose the type of room. For them, the Bell Hotel is no more a hotel than a borstal to a young offender. Asylum hotel is very serious problem, court hears Opening the hearing in London, Philip Coppel KC, for the local authority, said: Epping Forest District Council comes to this court seeking an injunction because it has a very serious problem. It is a problem that is getting out of hand; it is a problem that is causing a great anxiety to those living in the district. The problem has arisen because of a breach of planning control by the defendant. The defendant owns what is called the Bell Hotel. Asylum seekers should not be housed near schools The court has heard that the hotel must close because there are schools nearby. Philip Coppel KC, for the authority, argued that sexual assault charges against two of its residents made its closure necessary. He told the court: Having this sort of thing go on in such a concentration of schools with no measures in place to stop a repetition is not acceptable. Hadush Kebatu, 38, last month appeared in court charged with sexual assault against a 14-year-old girl. On Wednesday, resident Mohammed Sharwarq, 32, appeared in court on sexual assault and common assault charges. Council sues Epping hotel owner to end use for asylum seekers Epping Forest District Council has brought legal action at the High Court against Somani Hotels Limited, the hotel chain which owns The Bell, claiming it should not be used to house migrants. The authority has applied for a temporary injunction to block asylum seekers from being housed at the hotel, which has been the centre of protests in recent weeks. Pedn Vounder is renowned for its beautiful scenery - Matt Cardy/Getty Images The National Trust has closed one of Britains best beaches over health and safety fears. Pedn Vounder beach, in Cornwall, renowned for its beautiful scenery, has been cordoned off to the public because of concerns over the dangerous rip currents and access path. It has previously been recognised as one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world by EnjoyTravel.com, and as one of Britains best beaches by The Times. The National Trust has roped off the cliff access path, putting in place a red sign that says: Danger. No access. It stressed that the closure was in place for safety reasons. The sign warns: The path has eroded in places, making it unstable, with steep drops and ending in a near vertical six metre climb down on to the beach below. The Trust said there were concerns that the sea in the area was dangerous due to rip currents and that there had been regular serious incidents involving the emergency services. RNLI logs indicate that there were five incidents in the past five years, with two linked to injuries suffered on the path and three linked to people in the water, but there have been no serious incidents since October 2023. We understand this may disappoint visitors Beach visitor Rebecca Ley, 46, who was in the area last weekend, told The Times: Getting down [the path] was always a bit challenging, and its definitely not one for flip-flops, but I cant say I noticed a massive difference from when I was a child. The final section is quite steep but its made of granite rock and has certainly not eroded. My nine-year-old made it without difficulty, as did the more than 100 other people on Saturday. Its a real shame. I know the beach has seen a big increase in visitors in recent years, but this decision doesnt make any sense to me. I really hope it doesnt hit the village campsite and cafe too badly. In a statement, the conservation charity said the closure had been made because of the significant increase in potential for serious injury and stressed it was temporary. Discussions with the emergency services and other local partners were held over the decision. The trust said: We understand this closure may disappoint visitors and the local community and have not taken the decision lightly. As a charity that promotes access to nature and culture we always try to maintain access wherever its possible to do so, but due to the increasing erosion undercutting the cliff we have made the difficult decision to close it. In the meantime, we encourage visitors to use nearby Porthcurno beach and to follow all local signage and safety advice. Pedn Vounder beach is close to Treen and around four miles east of Lands End. The site, owned by the National Trust since 1993 after it was donated by Cable and Wireless, is an unofficial nudist beach. Part of New York City was covered in black smoke as a Manhattan apartment building fire led to a massive response. Three New York City firefighters sustained minor injuries Friday while working to contain a fire on the roof of a seven-story apartment building on Manhattans Upper East Side. The three-alarm fire broke out around 10 a.m. at 305 East 95th Street, FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief James Canty said in a news conference. Firefighters arrived within four minutes and found flames on the roof spreading to the three top-floor penthouses and the ceiling area. About 40 fire squads and 170 firefighters, including EMS, responded, Canty said. Fire crews quickly contained the blaze, which started on the roof, to the original building, preventing its spread. FDNY responded to a fire at an apartment building in New York City that left part of Manhattan covered in black smoke. (FDNY) The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Earlier Friday, officials said residents should expect smoke and traffic delays in the area. They should also avoid the smoke and close any windows. Videos from the fire showed black smoke pouring from the roof and filling New York City streets. Some of the videos also showed flames coming from the top of the building. Peter Andre has been hailed a hero after squeezing through a toilet window to free his eight-year-old son Theo during a family holiday in Cyprus. The Mysterious Girl singer, 52, was visiting Camel Park in Mazotos, billed as Europes largest camel park, with his children when the youngster became trapped inside a public toilet during a day out at the popular animal sanctuary. Andre quickly sprang into action, climbing onto the side of the building and manoeuvring himself through an open rear window while onlookers cheered him on. Footage posted to Instagram shows the Australian pop star lowering his son safely to the ground before realising he too was stuck, eventually needing a helping hand to wriggle back out. Peter Andre impressed fans by pulling off his rescue in flipflops (Instagram @peterandre) Saved the day, and Im still embarrassed, he later joked to his 1.8 million followers, sharing a clip of Theo, his son with second wife Emily MacDonagh, complaining about the heat inside the unventilated cubicle. Fans were quick to praise the father of fives quick thinking. One wrote: In all seriousness, well done superhero. Another added: Wheres the gratitude for saving the day not embarrassing. Well done. Others could not resist commenting on his rescue attire, with one quipping: And all that while wearing flip flops! while another said: Some heroes dont need capes. Elsewhere, Andre has been embracing a new musical direction, swapping his chart friendly pop hits for a reggae infused sound. His latest track, teased on Instagram this week, sees him singing about his island girl over a laid back beat. If summer was a song, this would be it. Heatwave incoming new album dropping soon, he wrote in the caption. It comes after Andre faced backlash earlier this year for his role in Fredi Nwakaa Jafaican, a film in which he plays a conman adopting Jamaican culture to commit fraud, complete with fake dreadlocks and a dubbed Jamaican accent. Despite the furore, the film was well received by audiences and there is even talk that a sequel could be in the works. Andre has also recently been seen making an appearance in teenage daughter Princess Andres new ITV reality show, The Princess Diaries. Police have seized 180,000 from Andrew Tate after a court heard he paid the money for a special edition Aston Martin through tax evasion and money laundering. Devon and Cornwall Police obtained account freezing and forfeiture orders at Westminster Magistrates' Court for the Valhalla supercar deposit. The funds add to almost 2.7m of criminal assets seized from Mr Tate and his brother Tristan, since December 2024. The police action was submitted to the court on the same basis as previous applications made by the force last year. At that time, Judge Goldspring said in his judgment that he was satisfied of the "overall criminality of deliberate and dishonest cheat of the revenue". He added that the Tate brothers had "engaged in long-standing conduct to evade their tax". The pair had not opposed the latest account freezing and forfeiture orders, the police statement said. Sarah Clarke KC, representing Devon and Cornwall Police, told the court the funds deposited with Aston Martin originally came from a Coinbase cryptocurrency account. The account held multiple cryptocurrencies purchased with funds derived from the Tate brothers business activities. No tax or VAT had been paid on the funds, which had been laundered through the bank accounts that were the subject of the previous applications, the court heard. Detective Superintendent Jon Bancroft said: This latest judgement follows on from our applications made against the Tate brothers, which resulted in a successful ruling in December 2024 and the forfeiture of nearly 2.7 million of criminal funds. From the outset, we aimed to demonstrate that Andrew and Tristan Tate evaded their tax obligations and laundered money. We succeeded in doing exactly that and we have succeeded again this week. This further successful outcome shows how we will relentlessly pursue all criminal funds without fear or favour. In a statement, the force said the money would be distributed in line with the Proceeds of Crime Act and would benefit communities, victims of crime and vulnerable people, while the Treasury would receive 50 per cent to be spent on public services. Mr Tate, a former professional kickboxer, faces a civil trial at the High Court next summer over claims of rape and sexual violence brought by four women. He and his brother are also facing prosecution in Romania over allegations of trafficking minors, sexual intercourse with a minor and money laundering. Angela Rayners department said the letter of complaint was not replied to due to an administrative error - Jane Barlow/PA Wire Angela Rayner ignored complaints about allegedly anti-Semitic posts written by a peer advising ministers on the definition of Islamophobia, The Telegraph can reveal. Baroness Gohir, one of five figures appointed to the working group on defining anti-Muslim hatred in February, previously claimed that Israel controls the US in several social media posts. In April, the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism (CAA) wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister, whose department is responsible for drawing up the definition of Islamophobia, alerting her to the comments. It quoted five tweets written from 2013 and 2014, which were public until at least 2022 but have since been deleted, that it claimed met the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. In September 2013, when the US was considering whether to conduct military action against Bashar al-Assad, the then Syrian president, Lady Gohir said: Will Israel influence the US vote on whether to invade Syria? Are the Americans really in control of their own decisions? #JustAsking. A week later, she tweeted: Who controls Americas foreign policy? ISRAEL they would be the ONLY beneficiaries of a US attack on Syria. The following year, she shared a news article about comments made by Barack Obama issuing a warning to Benjamin Netanyahu over him not agreeing to a peace deal with Gaza. She wrote: US warns Israel over Palestine talks failure. I bet Israel are quaking in their boots NOT! Dont they control US? Also in 2014, Lady Gohir said: The hold Israel has over world leaders, including Muslim ones, is extraordinary that they continue to murder Palestinians and get away with it. Stephen Silverman, the CAAs director of investigations, told Ms Rayner: According to the International (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, which has been adopted by the British Government, Making demonising allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective, such as the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the government, is an example of anti-Semitism. Indeed, this is among the oldest anti-Semitic tropes. He added: Not only is someone who engages in this sort of rhetoric eminently unsuitable for a role advising the Government, but it is particularly ironic that someone who breaches one definition adopted by the Government should be charged with drafting another. For the Government to ignore its own definition of anti-Jewish racism in the process of crafting and adopting a definition of anti-Muslim hatred damages its credibility in regard to both. Neither Ms Rayner nor her department responded to the letter, seen by The Telegraph. The CAA said it sent follow-up correspondence on Aug 7, but received no response. After being approached by The Telegraph, the department said it apologised to the CAA for the delay in responding, which it claimed was down to an administrative error, but added that it did not receive a follow-up email from the group. Deliberately twisting the meaning Lady Gohir told The Telegraph she deleted her posts after it became clear that bad actors were deliberately twisting their meaning. She said: The social media posts in question were made over a decade ago and have since been removed after it became clear that bad actors were deliberately twisting their meaning. These individuals continue to distort my words, smear my character and spread false impressions about who I am. My criticism was clearly directed at the Israeli government, not Jewish people. That is not anti-Semitism. Human rights are the cornerstone of democracy and no state should be exempt from scrutiny in that regard. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance recognises this, noting that criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as anti-Semitic. I welcome and value that clarification. I want to reassure my Jewish brothers and sisters that I oppose anti-Semitism in all its forms. I have consistently spoken out against prejudice and discrimination, and I remain committed to equality and justice for all. She added: The Telegraphs inconsistent stance on addressing hatred towards the most targeted faith communities is deeply troubling endorsing the definition of anti-Semitism while opposing the definition of anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia. This double standard tells Muslims: you should not be given equal protection against hatred. In February, the Deputy Prime Minister launched the working group with Dominic Grieve, the former Tory attorney general, as its chairman. The group will provide Ms Rayner with advice on the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define Islamophobia, according to the Government. The terms of reference for the group state that its advice should cover the merits of Government adopting a non-statutory definition of unacceptable treatment of Muslims and anyone perceived to be Muslim, including what a proposed definition should be. The department added that any proposed definition must be compatible with the unchanging right of British citizens to exercise freedom of speech and expression. Ministers directly appointed each of the five members of the team, according to the communities department. It comes as the Deputy Prime Minister has delayed controversial plans to establish a definition of Islamophobia following a Conservative campaign with scores of public submissions criticising the proposals, The Times reported. She established a working group to set out recommendations to the government on appropriate and sensitive language to describe unacceptable treatment, prejudice and discrimination against Muslims. Lord Young of Acton, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, said: I hope they take advantage of that delay to reflect on how misguided it is to try to define Islamophobia and abandon the entire project. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, has claimed it would create a blasphemy law through the back door. A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: As per the public terms of reference, the group have been given six months to deliver against their objectives and will report in due course. At this point, ministers will review the work submitted and confirm any next steps. The department will shortly be responding to the letter from the Campaign Against Antisemitism. Credit: Reuters As Vladimir Putins aircraft landed in Alaska, a heavy burden weighed upon his narrow shoulders. Not only as Donald Trump pointed out on Air Force One have more than 7,000 lives been lost at the front in the last week alone, but the strain of the war and international sanctions has been taking its toll on the Russian economy. Oil revenues have plummeted, while the budget deficit has soared to its highest level in more than 30 years. Inflation and interest rates are eye-watering. Theres surely only so long the Russian despot can juggle his economy, the demands of his military and patching up the cracks before the nosedive. This looming economic crisis provided the backdrop to the Alaska summit, which was prompted by threats of new American oil sanctions. Putin has reportedly insisted that sanctions relief forms part of any deal struck in Alaska, which is nothing if not a display of weakness. Not that youd know it from looking at him. The tyrant looked stiff and bloated, but beamed as he shook his opposite number warmly by the hand. There was none of Trumps trademark grab-and-yank. No intimidating body language. Instead, amid the intimate giggles and nudges, Putin looked like the cat that got the cream. Trump even seemed to applaud the Russian leader as he walked along a red carpet. Putin was given a welcome more befitting a friend and ally, not the leader of a rogue state - a victory before the talks had even begun. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin shake hands on arrival in Alaska - Julia Demaree Nikhinson I was reminded of the moment Russia was admitted into the G8 in 2002, which Tony Blair notoriously described as a very strong message of support for president Putin and his reforms. Back then, the Russian leader looked hale, vital and satisfied. But he had nothing of the unalloyed delight that lit up his face today. Small wonder. In the more than two decades since the door was opened to the Russian bear, Putins trajectory has been one of gradual manipulation of the West, leading to his invasion of Ukraine. Aleksandr Dugin, the firebrand philosopher nicknamed Putins brain, openly envisions a steroidal Russian empire that will vanquish the West and establish Eurasian supremacy from Vladivostok to Dublin, allying with every enemy of democracy in an inexorable advance. Today, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that this is the plan that is unfolding. From a Western point of view, Russia is an isolated and declining power, slowly sinking in a swamp of blood and impoverishment. Switch the perspective, however, and the global picture looks very different. Europes economies, birth rates, cultural coherence, and defence readiness are all in a very fragile state indeed, as what Simon Sebag Montefiore calls the comfort democracies continue to eat themselves from within. On the other side of the equation, the Kremlins friendship with Beijing and its reach into the Middle East and Africa provide an advancing authoritarian alliance, backed up by the nuclear-armed North Korea. In the centre of the storm is Donald Trump, the most volatile president in recent American history. This is a man with whom Putin can perhaps do business. Mr Trump and Putin hold a press conference ahead of the meeting - Andrew Harnik In fact, much of the business may already have been done. Land concessions are on the table, as are Ukraines natural resources and a number of other sweeteners to persuade Putin to stop the killing. The underlying message is clear: under Trumps leadership, the West is marshalling wealth and strategic advantage as offerings to appease the Russian war machine, in the hope that it can be flattered into silencing its guns. No wonder Putin smiled so broadly. In a sign of both his existing muscle and intentions, Russian forces have been preparing to test a new nuclear-armed cruise missile in the Barents Sea archipelago of Novaya Zemlya. Alaska Shmalaska. Moscow claims that this new armament has an unlimited range, both geographical and into the future. Slowly but surely, Putin is getting the West where he wants it. At its nearest point, Alaska is just 2.4 miles from Russia. In the remote Bering Sea, Little Diomede Island (belonging to the US) sits next to Big Diomede Island (part of Russia). In between them lies the international date line, which means the American island, also known as Yesterday Island, is 21 hours behind its Russian neighbour, unsurprisingly dubbed Tomorrow. This quirk of geography and history appeals to Vladimir Putin, putting him ahead not only in a chronological sense (literally), but also in a political one because thats where hes winning the race for control of a vast region that is opening up thanks to climate change. For as the Arctic continues to thaw, it is Russia that is taking advantage. This region is at the centre of Natos security. This is Natos northern flank... Russias military presence, particularly, has been growing now for years, warned foreign secretary David Lammy on a recent trip to the High North. A Russian nuclear submarine breaks through the Arctic ice during military drills at an unspecified location in 2021 (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service) This area is hugely, strategically important as the ice caps melt. It opens up potentially new gateways. Suddenly you can do shipping in areas where you couldnt before. My visit is about deterring the threat from Russia, just as it is about tackling the threat of climate change. Ice in the Bering Sea in 2020, as seen from a small aircraft near the western coast of Alaska (AP) Russia is working the hardest to dominate the Arctic because it has the most to gain from the opening of these routes. The thawing of the Arctic ice caps is an economic and military opportunity that Moscow has not missed. Recently, it expanded its fleets with its binoculars trained on Arctic dominance. The newly built Arktika-class nuclear icebreakers, such as the Arktika and the Sibir, are among the most powerful in the world. They are capable of ploughing through ice up to 2.8 metres thick, and operating all year round. By the end of this year, Russia plans to operate a fleet of more than 20 nuclear and diesel-electric icebreakers and will lead the world in carving through the Arctic. In response, the US Coast Guard has three icebreakers and one on order. The UK has none. This Russian fleet enables Moscow to lead the search for the vast mineral resources, including fossil fuels, that are locked beneath the melting ice. Newly built nuclear-powered icebreaker Ural begins its passage from Russias Baltic shipyard in St Petersburg to the northern city of Murmansk in 2022 (AP) Icebreakers also allow it to control shipping routes and assert military dominance over the emerging region. According to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center, the level of Arctic sea ice has declined by around 40 per cent since satellite observations began in 1979, reaching record lows in recent years. That means new shipping routes can be opened and probably kept open by Russia. The northern sea route (NSR), which runs along Russias Siberian coast from Murmansk to the Bering Strait, is at the heart of the Kremlins strategic push into the Arctic. This route used to be impassable for most of the year. Satellite and climate data now reveal that the navigation season along the NSR has stretched from only 60 days a year to double that. Year-round transit is around the corner. The distance between Asian manufacturing hubs like China and Europe is being cut by approximately 40 per cent, saving millions of dollars in fuel and transit time. Trips from Shanghai to Hamburg via the NSR take around 15 days, compared with roughly 30 days via the Suez Canal. Thats an economic bonus that Russia wants to own. It is likely to come into conflict with the rest of the world if Moscow insists on collecting tariffs from other countries using an international shipping route which it hopes to do. Already Russia uses its ports in the High North for moving sanctioned crude oil in its shadow fleet, which helps to fund Putins war against Ukraine. Foreign secretary David Lammy has warned of Russias growing military presence in the region (PA) Norway operates the biggest satellite observation network in the world from the Svalbard archipelago, and can see these illegal oil exports leaving Russias northern ports. Its this satellite ground station that helps us see the movement of Russias shadow fleet and ultimately helps us to thwart Putins ability to fund his war, Lammy said. The High North has always been important to the security of the whole [Nato] alliance. This is one of the regions where Russia can move out and towards the West. The UKs Royal Marines play a key role in Natos cold-weather warfare, and Lammy insisted that Britain is crucial in defending Natos northern flank with what is called the Littoral Response Group. But the Royal Navy does not have any amphibious ships to move the commandos, and its real contribution is very light compared to that of the Nordic countries and the US. This puts further strain on the whole of Natos operational readiness as Ukraine is the focus of so much effort. Russias Northern Fleet has deployed advanced nuclear-powered submarines, including the Borei-class and Yasen-class vessels, capable of launching strategic missile strikes from under the ice. They give Moscow a second-strike nuclear capability, which ensures its place among the superpowers. To consolidate its position, Russia has constructed new military bases and upgraded existing ones in Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, two remote archipelagos in the Arctic Ocean. These are the real inroads into the Arctic taking advantage of the rapid rate of climate change and the rest of the world needs to sit up and take notice. By choosing this location for his first face-to-face talks with Putin since he became president for the second time, Donald Trump may inadvertently have drawn the worlds attention to another clear and present danger. Vladimir Putin will know exactly how he wants this to play out. He is the master negotiator who's been doing this for decades. He'll be across all the details, the history and the legal arguments. And he'll know that his opponent is not. Follow latest updates from Ukraine war His strategy will be to exploit that. I think the ultimate aim for the Kremlin leader is to convince Donald Trump that the quickest path to peace is a deal on Russia's terms. But he can't present it like that. He'll have to give the appearance of making concessions because he knows the American president can't lose face here. He must have something to show from this summit. That something could be the promise of a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which Trump has once again talked up the chances of. But if that's the case, I suspect it'll be a loose promise, with strings attached. Something the White House can claim is progress, but may prove unachievable. I expect the Russian president will seek to play on Trump's desire for a rapid resolution to the conflict and his desire to take credit for it. Read more: What could Ukraine be asked to give up? What to expect from pivotal Ukraine summit That's why Putin has been buttering him up ahead of the meeting, praising Trump's "energetic and sincere" efforts to find peace. I think he'll also try to appeal to Trump's transactional nature and seek to tempt him with various sweeteners that could come from siding with Russia. That means things like rare earth deals and joint projects in the Arctic, which is why the Russian delegation includes finance minister Anton Siluanov and Kremlin investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev. It also includes defence minister Andrei Belousov, which might suggest that Putin is serious about proposing a deal on nuclear arms control, after raising the prospect of it on Thursday. Only one pact remains between the US and Russia, and it expires in February. A new one would almost certainly be a prize the American president would go for. The challenge for Putin is to make Trump feel like he is the one in charge. For the former KGB agent, that might not be too tricky. Fast fashion giant Shein has revealed its UK sales surged by almost a third last year ahead of plans to float the company. Fresh accounts filed on Companies House also showed higher profits as its low-price products continued to attract growing popularity, particularly among younger shoppers. It comes as the online retail group, which was founded in China and headquartered in Singapore, continues with efforts to secure a stock market IPO (initial public offering). The company had been widely tipped to launch on the London Stock Exchange but is reportedly nearing a listing in Hong Kong following criticism from politicians and failure to secure approval from Chinas securities regulator for the overseas listing. Shein had been widely tipped to launch on the London Stock Exchange but is reportedly nearing a listing in Hong Kong (PA) New filings for Shein Distribution UK Ltd, the retailers UK operation, showed that sales in the region grew by 32.3% to 2.05 billion in 2024. Shein said it benefited from the opening of two new offices in Kings Cross and Manchester, the launch of a pop-up shop in Liverpool and a Christmas bus tour across 12 cities in the UK. Meanwhile, it also reported a pre-tax profit of 38.3 million for the year, having risen from 24.4 million in 2023. In the accounts, the company warned that pressure on consumer sentiment could pose a potential risk to future trading. The retailer focuses on low-cost fashion but has also expanded to sell products including toys and crafts. Shein has come under pressure in the US over the past year, with President Trumps administration scrapping a de minimis duty exemption on low-value packages. Shein had been accused of bundling small packages in a bid to reduce its tax payments. The Labour Government has said it is reviewing a similar policy in the UK, amid concerns it is giving retailers such as Shein and Temu an advantage over rivals.